Corbie hadn't ventured far today, though she'd left the pack lands with the intention of observing some of the lands around them. Though Avalon was quiet, she had been thinking about the feasibility of eventually expanding their territory. She had dreams of young Avalon wolves, growing up in their community happy and free and safe, found herself longing for that now that she'd watched Corvus and Twig's pups grow up there, and she wanted to make sure there would be plenty of territory to support that. So she wanted with purposeful aimlessness through the knolls nearby. Beneath her paws, she was told, were the burial places of warriors long gone. Though she wasn't prone to being spooky so it didn't particularly bother her to know, it was a fascinating thought. She stopped at the crest of one barrow to survey the land before her.

Three wolfish borzoi stand before you, shifting with anticipation. Their glowing green eyes flitter and dance with an ethereal excitement. To your left, a pale and excitable wolf beckons, their tail wagging fervently behind them. In the center, a mournful wolf who's coat is such a pure slate, it seems as if she's tinged blue. To your right stands a dark abrasive looking wolf who's eyes are barely visible under his furrowed brow as he impatiently awaits your decision. In fact, it seems they are all waiting for you to make a choice between the three.

Who do you choose?

Easy Route: The Gleeful Guide

This route poses minimal risk, but also lesser rewards.
Risks: Scarring, small loss of gems/skill points

Medium Route: The Sorrowful Guide

This route poses some risk and moderate rewards.
Risks: Scarring, cosmetic disfigurement, temporary disabilities, moderate loss of gems/skill points

Hard Route: The Irascible Guide

This route poses the most risk and greater rewards.
Risks: Scarring, cosmetic disfigurement, permanent disabilities, higher loss of gems/skill points

Corbie was startled when a trio of lanky, odd looking canines appeared, each seeming to wish her to follow them somewhere. She hesitated. When it came down to it, it probably wasn't wise to follow any of a group of odd creatures who showed up without a word to lure you off somewhere, whatever emotion they might seem to portray. She worried especially, though, with how close they were to her pack's territory, where there were young wolves in danger... She couldn't ask any of her wolves to face a danger she herself was not willing to face, so she would follow the most dangerous path, and see if it was something that put Avalon at risk. Taking a deep breath, she turned to follow the the irascible guide.

The grumpy wolf's brow relaxes just slightly when you choose him. He seems to give you a moment to reconsider. After a moment, the tough looking wolf grunts in approval and turns to lead.

As you follow, a thick smoke rolls in and masks sight and smell. Through watery eyes, you are barely able to follow the guide, but eventually the smoke begins to clear and you are hit with the strong smell of Sulphur. You take a step forward and the guide pulls you back slightly. Blinking the rest of the tears out of your eyes, you realize you're on the edge of a steep chasm- a chasm filled with bubbling lava. One wrong move and it's over.

The guide motions to a wobbly wooden bridge that connects down into a cave on the other side of the canyon.

What do you do?

Strength: Dash across before the bridge can collapse.

If you're fast, the bridge won't have a chance to collapse!

Charisma: Make the guide go first.

This was his idea, so make him go first.

Dexterity: Balance lightly between the planks evenly as you go.

Most of the planks seem stable enough. If you balance evenly, surely none of them will break.

Wisdom: Evaluate the safest planks to walk on.

If you take your time, you can pick out the safest planks.

Leave.

Leave and exit the event.

Corbie stepped after the strange creature, not without trepidation, especially when choking, eye burning smoke suddenly surrounded her and she could only push on after him. She had to snort the sudden smell of sulfur from her nose along with the last of the smoke, giving her head a short shake to drive the water from her eyes so she could see why the guide had stopped her. Her hackles rose at the sight that greeted her - a chasm filled with lava. Where had this come from? They hadn't been walking far enough to have gotten out of her area of knowledge about this land, let alone far enough to have gotten to a volcano! Corbie took a step back, glancing at the bridge he clearly wanted her to cross, and her eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "Please, after you," she said smoothly, gesturing for him to precede her. "Surely you know the way better than I." The way to what, she didn't know, but she did know she'd be making the guide go first.

That's charisma, yo.

You ask the guide to go first. He refuses at first, but after a moment he huffs and you can see you've won. In a blink, the guide is fast behind you, scruffing you and carrying you down the bridge one step at a time. On one step of the bridge you find 143 gems, which you scoop up. At the end, he releases you and ushers you quickly into the cave with an eyeroll, but maybe also a slight smile?

Inside the cave, warm lava lights the way. Small pools bubble and small streams flow from tiny cracks in the walls. Several boulders act as stepping stones across larger gaps, and small wooden bridges span other areas. Around the walls of the room, a thin edge navigates above any threat of lava. It is clear you need to get to the end of this room if you wish to continue your journey.

What do you do?

Strength: Take the stepping stones.

The stepping stones look sturdy and all you have to do is jump a little.

Charisma: Ask the guide to lead the way.

The guide should know the way through the pass.

Dexterity: Take the thin edge.

Creeping on the thin edge keeps you above and away from danger.

Wisdom: Take the bridges.

The bridges are obviously there for a reason, so use them.

Leave.

Leave and exit the event.

The odd guide at first didn't seem interested in helping her, but finally he gave in without a word, and began to move. Corbie couldn't help but let out a yelp, though, as his move was to unexpectedly pick her up like a pup and carry her across, something that surprised the dignified alpha into silence as she was carried step by step over the bridge. It seemed less safe for their combined weight to be put on each board, but the bridge must have been sturdier than it looked because it held up the whole way. It didn't seem their journey ended once they'd survived the bridge, though she was quite glad that the lanky canine put her down once they'd stepped off the bridge. She studied the ways available to cross the lava, eyeing the obvious path of the bridges but she was reluctant to attempt them after being carried like a pup the whole way over the last one. Instead, she moved towards the stepping stones, muscles coiling as she used her strength to hop for the first of the stones.

You jump rock to rock. They're sturdy and secure. A few jumps in, and one cracks, falling into the lava. You scramble at the surface just enough to save yourself from falling in with a little help of the guide. The lava sputters, splashing you across your right ear. The lava singes through your fur, leaving a deep burn across most of your ear. Ouch! That's gonna leave a scar.

Across the lava room stands a flat piece of smooth stone, so level and flat, it is as if thousands of paws had worn it over time. It looks cool to the touch and vaguely important. Surrounding it is a mote of lava, separated only by sharp stalagmites that impale it to point towards the open ceiling. There is no discernible path across. You know you must get there one way or another, but you're not sure you'll be able to go back the same way you came if you cross.

What do you do?

Strength: Jump over the gap.

If you push off real hard, you can close the gap... probably.

Charisma: Ask the guide to help.

Maybe just this once...? He's got to know something!

Dexterity: Use the stalagmites as stepping stones.

If you're careful, some of the tips of the stalagmites look wide enough to balance on.

Wisdom: Build a bridge with the materials from the other room.

It'll take a while, but it should work...

LAST CHANCE TO LEAVE.

If you proceed further, you will not be able to leave. Abandoned threads may result in failed rolls.
Risks: Scarring, cosmetic disfigurement, permanent disabilities, higher loss of gems/skill points

She'd grimly gathered herself and leaped. Most of the stepping stones she cleared easily, and she'd been beginning to relax, more confident now, until... Corbie felt the stone crumble beneath her paws as she landed, and for one heartstopping moment she found herself heading straight for the lava. She barely managed to get enough grip to throw herself forward, catching the next stone, but found herself overshooting in her haste and nearly going over the other side of it. She scrabbled at the rock to catch herself, feeling the heat of the boiling rock against her face. A bubble of lava burst, and she shouted out loud at the sudden horrific pain that lanced her ear as it was splattered. A second pain as teeth clamped into the back of her neck and she felt herself jerked away from certain death as the odd creature that guided her pulled her up to steady her. She had to crouch there a moment with her heart pounding before she could trust herself to continue. They finished the stepping stones without further incident despite the distracting pain of the burn. It was blessedly going numb - though perhaps that was a bad sign - as her paws reached the other side. "Thank you," she said quietly, though intensely, to the borzoi-like creature. Whatever else she had expected from the angry looking guide, it hadn't been saving her life. Whatever else happened, she could appreciate that.

Taking a deep breath, she studied the next obstacle with a frown. She couldn't entirely trust the strength of her body just now. Her muscles felt a bit like jelly after the mad scramble and adrenaline let down. She would jump it if she needed to but... perhaps there was a better way. She didn't want to impose on her guide any more than she had already, but he seemed like he was quite familiar with the terrain, so she turned to him again. "How do we get there?" she quietly ASKED THE GUIDE.

You ask the guide for help. For a long while he stares at you with furrowed brows, and you worry he might not help you at all, but finally he seems to cave. Gesturing forward, he helps guide you to the edge of the room. Once there, you look across and see a path that was invisible to the eye before - a path of smooth stones that lead straight across. He leads the way, and you follow.

A giant, glowing worm erupts from the molten chasm below, lava sputtering onto the ground before you. It screeches, towering over the stage and you immediately recognize its name as William. The guide growls, his stance rigid and wide. This is an enemy that must be dealt with if you wish to escape with your life.

What do you do?

Strength: Find a way to attack the worm.

With the way the worm's head begins to lower toward you, surely you can find time to strike...

Charisma: Convince the guide to deal with the worm.

Surely he has a better idea how to deal with this than you do, right?

Dexterity: Try to dodge the worm and stay out of its range.

Surely there's got to be a way to escape this worm, if you're just quick enough!

Wisdom: Study the worm to figure out how to deal with it.

You've never seen anything quite like this, so maybe acting too rashly isn't the best idea. You decide to study it inside and see what information you can gather.

Corbie stiffened in shock as a giant, magma-dripping worm creature reared its way up. What on earth was that? She'd never seen anything like it. The sight put her hackles - hell, all the fur along her neck and spine - on end and a snarl bubbled up. She hesitated for one long moment, considering what to do. Ordinarily she'd have taken nearly any way but a fight if she could help it, but it was her guide's reaction that decided her, his own stiff-legged stance and fearful snarl from the experienced dog-like creature told her that this worm was dangerous, potentially even deadly. It did not seem like a reasoning creature, and neither she nor the guide could retreat quickly enough in this terrain, terrain which seemed not to bother the worm at all. So, the only option she could see was... attack.

With a faintly desperate snarl, she leaped forward with slashing fangs.

You decide to strike as soon as possible as the worm lowers its head toward you, mouth opening to reveal rows upon rows of jagged, ugly teeth. Though you nearly manage to land a bite, the worm is apparently quicker than you are, striking you hard and fast as everything around you abruptly goes dark....

All you remember is the hot blazing heat and then... cool darkness. You awake outside of the chasm on a smooth, flat rock.

A familiar form kneels beside you, tending your wounds. It takes several blurry moments to realize this is not your guide, but a cluster of fireflies in a cloak the same color as your guide's fur. Your injuries are blindingly painful, but you will live; you can tell somehow by the way the fireflies buzz around you. One in particular will stand out, a deep, ugly wound that lies across your lower spine, that will leave an impressive scar (about 6 inches long). You feel less knowledgeable at having gone on that adventure as well, losing 95 intellect skill points.

You realize loosely how little sense that makes and you wonder if this is real, but a warm force closes your eyes and bids you to think of home, of safety. When you awake next, you are in a safe place, one which you might have imagined.

Three wolfish borzoi bow their heads in appreciation. Thank you for playing the Halloween 2023 event! All is calm as you look out, but there's no telling what's on the horizon... or perhaps even under it...

Look forward to peeks into the event, hiccups, and maybe some hints into the next adventure!

You Gained This Along the Way...

• 143 Gems
  
• Stuffed Animal
  

You Lost These Along the Way...

• Medium scar - right ear
  
• major injury - lower spine
  
• -95 Intellect skill points