Ichor was once again out exploring without Viscera, what could go wrong? As far as Ichor was concerned very little! Maybe it was that he'd been born during the ooze, maybe it was that in the end he'd bounced back from a broken leg after the altar or maybe it was just that Ichor was something of a chaos fiend, so his regard for his own life seemed pretty minimal. Though to be fair to the Klein there wasn't exactly a lot of threats around here right now. Sure a fall into the water would be cold and a shock to the system but he didn't think hypothermia would be too likely and worst case the hot springs were pretty dang close. Ichor rocked on his toes as he peered around the tree who's root's he was standing on. There was a charge in the air he couldn't place and it hadn't only piqued his interest he was almost hungry for it. ”Speech”  ’Thought’

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

They appeared as if out of nowhere. Ichor was delighted! He should have been thinking about his leg being shattered or the crystal his mother had once borne on her face when he'd been quite young but he didn't. Of course not. That would require him to be able to interrupt the flow of idea into action. That was Viscera's job and without him here Ichor was absolutely going to make some piss poor choices. Ichor hopped down onto more solid ground and took his time considering the three figures. Starting from his right there was a guy with an expression that Ichor read as meaning he had a stick up his ass. He gave him an exaggerated reflection of that expression before moving on. The next figure was, well she looked sad. Ichor grimaced slightly. Sad people were a pain to deal with. And then the last one. Now there was a canine after his own heart! Choice made, easy! Ichor bound over to the cream coloured woman, an equally happy-go-lucky grin on his face. ”So...” He said as he stopped before her, his paws tapping out a little dance. ”What're we doing?” (Ichor is choosing the Easy Route: The Gleeful Guide) ”Speech”  ’Thought’

The welcoming and charming borzoi flashes you a bright smile when you choose them, even letting out a little laugh at your chipper attitude. 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.

Hell yeah! Ichor practically bound after the excited wolf, he hardly even stopped as the sun grew so bright it was blinding. And then- It wasn't anymore. He was practically vibrating with delight as he looked around the sunny meadow he found himself in. Ichor stopped walking long enough to have a quick look around, jaw parted and tongue lolling happily. And then he saw the tree. He didn't need his companion to indicate anything, the moment he'd laid eyes on it there had been absolutely no doubt in Ichor's mind he would be climbing that tree! He didn't have the claws or talons some of his siblings did but he was small, light and agile, that would be enough he was sure! Ichor raced across the clearing, launching himself at the tree once he was close enough. (Ichor is choosing Dexterity: Climb up the tree) ”Speech”  ’Thought’

Climbing a tree like this should be easy. You launch at it, hanging on to the bark when the tree seems to move. You're falling! Oh, wait, maybe not. The bark peeled away to reveal... a door? After a perplexing moment, you decide to enter the tree.

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.

Noice! Ichor grinned as he clung to the trunk of the tree, though it quickly changed into a shocked expression he started to fall. ”Whoa!” He let go, jumping back down onto solid ground and watched with open wonder as the bark peeled away to reveal an entryway! After a moment to pick his jaw up off the floor Ichor happily bounced into the tree. Well that was fucking cool! He snapped his head to the right as he heard something moving but he caught only the shadow of movement. Just how many Franks were in here? He assumed they were all rats, or as Ichor called them Frank. It took him a moment to notice the woman that had brought him here was gesturing towards the top of the tree. He nodded, what an adventure he'd found for himself! Ichor stepped forwards and lifted his voice. ”Would any Frank be kind enough to show me how I can get to the top of the tree?” There was a decent chance not a single thing living in this tree was named Frank, but that wasn't about to make Ichor stop using the name. (Ichor is choosing Charisma: Call out to the other inhabitants.) ”Speech”  ’Thought’

You try to call out to the other inhabitants, but either they don't speak wolf or they're ignoring you.

The guide laughs and tries to cover it by coughing as they lead you to a wooden platform hanging by vines in the back of the room. They invite you on, and the small wooden platform lifts you to the top.

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.

Luckily Ichor was nearly unflappable. He wasn't too worried about the lack of response and instead happily trotted after his guide. Unluckily Ichor also had the logical processes of a child with too much circle and as he took in the sight of the spider and it's poor trapped victim. He didn't stop to consider the spider might have been reacting to something else, that maybe it was agitated and could simply be reasoned with. Nope all Ichor could think of was the best way to launch himself at it, protect the tree's inhabitants! With a wiggle of his rump the tiny man threw himself a the web, hoping to land on the spider itself but he'd take close enough to get a limb or thorax in his mouth so he could rend and tear and make it bleed! (Ichor is choosing Strength: Fight the spider.) ”Speech”  ’Thought’

You ready yourself to fight the spider. It seems improbable, impossible even, given the venom and size of the spider. No matter, you launch your attack and the spider seems surprised. After a quick tussle, the spider evades you and flees impossibly high into the tree.

During your struggle, your guide was able to free the family and they wait for you on safer ground.

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 newest 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.

Well, make em' bleed first and ask questions if they survive had it's draw backs. Ichor frowned as he listened to the newly freed inhabitants. Underground huh? He couldn't say he'd ever dealt with something underground before but he was certainly excited to try! That's where a lot of rodent's hid after all! Though he supposed that normally dens were dug into the ground... He'd grown up in a location with naturally occurring caves though so, he was less used it overall. Ichor launched himself down the open hatch and squinted down the various tunnels. Normally he'd have charged off with nary a thought in his head but his fight with the spider still fresh in his mind Ichor was gonna try to think first for once. He closed his eyes and tried to remember what he'd been told. That whatever it was that was tunnelling under the tree was causing... Vibrations! That had to be a good way to track whatever it was... Right? (Ichor is choosing Wisdom: Follow the vibration.) ”Speech”  ’Thought’

You close your eyes, honing in on the vibrations at your paws. Shuffling forward, you can feel them emanating from one particular tunnel and decide to follow. On the way, you find a bundled up item, which you grab and decide to open later. Eventually you come into an opening where something writhes in the back of a large room.

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: NAME. 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.

Honestly Name was such a good name! Ichor kinda wished he'd thought of it before this moment as he looked at the writhing toothy mass. Someone else might have laid eyes on the worm and found themselves revolted, a normal response to something so repulsive and unnatural. But not Ichor. No Ichor liked Name. Which meant exactly one thing, he wasn't about to beat around the bush. If Name needed to go, then it needed to go. The least he could do was offer it a good, fair fight. Not a clean one though. Ichor didn't know how to have a clean fight. With a nod from his companion Ichor squared himself up, narrowing his eyes as he tried to quickly formulate a plan of attack. Who was he kidding, his plan was what it always was. Try to climb his opponent so he could bite them and try to start tearing flesh from their body. Though maybe he'd take some extra care to avoid all those teeth, they looked nearly as nasty as his were. (Ichor is choosing Strength: Fight it head on.) ”Speech”  ’Thought’

You launch at the beast, the guide at your side. The two of you struggle and fight the monstrosity.

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 front ankle 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...

• Odd Shaped Marking pass
  
• Equalizer
  

You Lost These Along the Way...

• Injury - left front ankle