With a small bag draped across her shoulders and Corbin patrolling from the sky, Clove made the journey from the castle to the grove all by herself. It was so exciting being able to explore by herself, though she did miss having a companion with her. And when she arrived at the border of the grove, she thought back to the day Father brought her here for the first time. She found all sorts of treasures that day, and was so excited to find more. Maybe this time, she could bring something home that Mother and Father had never seen before, and declare herself as a true explorer!

Entering the grove, Clove decided to make her way directly to the heart of the territory, and work her way out.  

"Clove Carpathius"

Code by Shelby

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

Upon entering the center-most point of the grove, Clove realized that she wasn’t alone. She didn’t even smell the intruders, their scents masked by whatever forces were working all around her. Their silhouettes appeared out of thin air, sitting in a circle beside one of the largest trees in the grove. Clove stopped, looking to the sky for Corbin. But he wasn’t there. “Hello?” She called out, cautiously approaching the trio, but making sure to keep enough distance to run if needed. They all seemed so different in personality- one was wagging their tail, wanting to play. Another was crying, blue, and sad. The third was honestly really scary looking. Finding herself drawn to the pale wolf, she decided to cautiously approach it. “Does my Dad know you’re here?” She called out.

Route chosen: Easy

"Clove Carpathius"

Code by Shelby

The welcoming and charming borzoi flashes you a bright smile when you choose them. They greet you readily and turn, eager for you to follow.

The cheerful wolf prances off, turning every so often with a smile to make sure you're still following. The sun seems to shine brighter around this wolf, and after a while it becomes almost blinding. When you are finally able to focus again, you find you are in a lush meadow with a gentle breeze causing the flowers to bow to you in greeting. In the center of this meadow, there is an impossibly large pine tree. Your companion sits, motioning towards the tree enthusiastically.

What do you do?

Strength: Push on the tree

You decide to push on the tree. Maybe it will yield to your sheer power.

Charisma: Ask the guide what to do.

You turn to the guide, asking them for advice.

Dexterity: Climb up the tree.

You size up the tree, deciding to climb it.

Wisdom: Inspect the tree.

You decide to get a closer look at this tree.

Leave.

Leave and exit the event.

Turning away from her, the light-colored Borzoi pranced off into the depths of the grove, beckoning for Clove to follow. Something about the stranger made Clove happy, excited, playful even. And so, she couldn’t help but follow after them, entranced by the light that shone around them. Until it became too bright! Blinking her eyes several times, Clove’s vision finally adjusted to reveal a different scenery. Weren’t they just in the grove? It was a beautiful meadow, she had to admit. But how they got here so fast was unclear to her.

The stranger approached a towering pine tree in the middle of the meadow, sitting beside it and motioning for Clove to follow. Cautiously, she approached, looking to the stranger for answers before deciding to investigate for herself. “It’s a big ole tree!” She exclaimed while sniffing at the tree, starting to inspect it while glancing at the stranger here and there to see if she was doing the right thing.

Route chosen: Wisdom  

"Clove Carpathius"

Code by Shelby

Looking closer at the tree, you discern an outline around a particular section of the bark. Pressing on it, you discover it is a door to the inside of the tree, and you decide to enter.

Inside, the tree somehow seems even bigger, the inside carved out to reveal multiple floors. Some are connected with large turkey mushrooms, others with vines, and some not at all. Many inhabitants seem to skitter in the shadows, but never clearly in your vision. Your guide motions to the top of the tree almost desperately. Something is there, something they want and need you to help them with.

What do you do?

Strength: Climb up the mushrooms.

The turkey mushrooms have a wide surface and a solid base, they should be easy enough to climb.

Charisma: Call out to the other inhabitants.

The others in the tree seem to know the way around. Maybe they'll share their secrets.

Dexterity: Weave your way up the vines.

With a little flexibility, you think you could maneuver your way up the vines that climb the side of the tree.

Wisdom: Look around for an easier way up.

Trees and mushrooms and asking for advice are all good and well, but there has got to be an easier way.

Leave.

Leave and exit the event.

Working her way around the tree, clove did a pretty thorough inspection - so thorough in fact, she found a secret door! Giggling with glee, Clove opened the door and entered with the stranger. This was turning out to be such a fun game, she was glad she decided to play with the stranger!

Inside, a whole other world opened up in front of her eyes. Multiple floors were above her, but there wasn’t a staircase that led up to them. Mushrooms and vines! And in the shadows, inhabitants of the tree scurried around, watching Clove with little eyes that she couldn’t exactly make it out. Looking to her new friend, she noticed they were motioning to the top of the tree. Was there a treasure up there? “Oh! I see!” Clove exclaimed, nearly bouncing with excitement. This was an obstacle course!

Figuring she was small enough for the vines to support her weight, Clove decided to try and weave her way up the vines.

Route chosen: Dexterity


"Clove Carpathius"

Code by Shelby

You begin to maneuver up the vines, finding small knotted pockets to place your paws. It's hard work, and you slip more than once, but you continue at it.

Before you know it, you reach the top where you are greeted by your guide, who took an elevator of some sort. You also find 72 Gems!

At the top of the tree, there is a large spider web with an even larger spider on top. It's legs titter angrily on the threads of the web. It seems agitated. In it's state, its web has fallen into disrepair and you see a family of the tree's inhabitants stuck in the webbing just behind the spider.

What do you do?

Strength: Fight the spider.

The spider has trapped that poor family! As an adversary, you must defeat her!

Charisma: Calm the spider down.

The spider's obviously bothered by something. Maybe you can calm her down.

Dexterity: Tiptoe to sneakily save the family.

If you're extra cautious, then you can save the family without ever alerting the spider.

Wisdom: Figure out what's agitating the spider.

There must be more to the story than is going on, if only you could figure out what...

Leave.

Leave and exit the event.

Testing each vine before she proceeded, Clove slowly but surely made her way up to the top. Climbing her one last hurdle, she stepped onto a platform large enough for herself and the guide to stand on. She would have been happy to greet the guide, excited and wanting to know what was next. But what was waiting for them at the top was something she hadn’t been expecting. A huge and very scary spider tittering on top of a web, entrapping several of the tree’s inhabitants inside of it. Clove gasped, completely taken by surprise. What was she supposed to do!? Looking to the guide, she knew she wouldn’t get an answer out of them. “Oh no!” She exclaimed, debating on what she should do. The spider seemed very upset, and although it was scary, she knew she couldn’t just walk away. “What are you doing? Let them go!” Straightening her posture, she tried to look a little intimidating. Maybe she could get an explanation for this unnecessary behavior!

Route chosen: Wisdom


"Clove Carpathius"

Code by Shelby

You focus, pay attention, and... there! The faint thrumming and vibration in your paws. You know most spiders find their food by the vibrations of the web. If you can stop the vibrations you can calm her down.

The inhabitants tell you of something causing the tree to vibrate, which is making the spider's web give her false signals. This has become confusing for her, and the once guardian of the tree has been blindly attacking anything she finds in her web. They explain the vibration comes from underground and show you to a hatch in the floor that leads to a cave.

The cave is small and seems fairly fresh, with loamy soil still clinging to the roof and walls like a newly dug den. It is dark, but your eyes adjust and you see a series of paths you can choose to take.

What do you do?

Strength: Take the straightforward path.

Stop wasting time and just go until you find something.

Charisma: Call out to the void.

Why try to find the source of the vibration, when you can let the source of the vibration find you?

Dexterity: Squeeze through the tunnel.

The freshest tunnel should lead to the one digging it, right?

Wisdom:  Follow the vibration.

If you feel through your paws, you can distinguish where the vibrations are the strongest and follow those there.

Leave.

Leave and exit the event.

She didn’t get much of a reaction from the lumbering spider, but the other inhabitants of the tree were helpful. Telling Clove the spider’s secret, it took some time for her to completely understand the information. Vibrations… food… something in the ground is vibrating and needs to stop… Okay, she got the gist. Nodding her head, she flashed the inhabitants a smile, thanking them for their help. A hatch in the floor leads her to her next location, which is a freshly dug den she had never seen before!

There were a few paths inside the den, which assumable branched out into a labyrinth. Feeling the vibration at her feet, Clove decided to use that as her guide. It made the most sense to her, at least.

Path chosen: Wisdom

"Clove Carpathius"

Code by Shelby

You look, or rather feel around for the vibrations, but they seem to be coming from everywhere. In your moment of hesitation, something stirs, then lashes out hitting your left hip.

Before you writhes a large brown worm with markings resembling carved rock. This eyeless creature shrieks at you, revealing a mouth with too many sharp points. For some reason, you immediately understand it's name: David. This must be the source of the vibration! That means it must be dealt with. Your guide nods to you, ready to follow your lead.

What do you do?

Strength: Fight it head on.

You gather your strength, this is going to be a tough battle.

Charisma: Tell the worm it needs to move somewhere else.

If the critters in the tree can talk, maybe this worm can be reasoned with too.

Dexterity: Sneak behind the worm and go for a stealth kill.

The worm is enormous! Better be sneaky about it then off him.

Wisdom:  Find something else to ward away the worm.

You think back. There has to be some herbs or something that can ward off worms...

Leave.

Leave and exit the event.

Following the vibrations, Clove slowly made her way through the labyrinth. It felt odd not using her sense of smell or hearing to find her target- but this adventure had taught her a whole lot about her other senses!

When something touched her left hip, Clove released a child-like shriek- and once the worm appeared in front of her, It quickly morphed into a scream. What the heck!!! The looming creature didn’t have any eyes, but man, it had a mouth full of sharp teeth! And for some reason, she felt like it’s name was David? How odd. “David!” She said, trying to scold and look tough. "You are causing trouble and you need to go!” Wanting to scare it away, Clove wanted to take the safer route in trying to handle the situation. There was no way she could battle this thing, she could barely catch a lizard!

Path chosen: Charisma  

"Clove Carpathius"

Code by Shelby

You try to talk to the worm, to ask it to leave. Why would you do that? The worm shrieks and launches at you.

You try your best, but the worm's wrath is too much. The last thing you remember is the swath or worm viscera and the shadows ebbing at the edge of your vision.

You wake up some time later where you first began, the guide next to you injured, but not in any serious way. They seem excited that you are awake, and flash you a smile despite their own pain. Though they haven't suggested it, you know that your mission has failed. You take a moment to look over yourself and besides the raging headache, you notice your left back paw bleeding, but it seems as though it will heal, leaving a barely noticeable scar. After the guide catches their breath, they nod and bid you farewell, limping away until you blink and they are gone, only a few fireflies buzzing lazily where the guide once was.

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...

• 72 Gems
  
• Small Species Pass
  

You Lost These Along the Way...

• Minor injury - left hip