Eventually, after her rather soggy entrance to this new land, Echo had managed to get warm and dry. Although she grumbled, she was lucky to have Morte still with her. The bird had managed to catch her a couple of small rodents and while they were not entirely filling, it did enough to help bolster her strength a little. Finding fresh water had been a life saver and she'd spent a good portion of the day just sitting in the river washing the salt out of her fur. Wet again, she lamented, but at least she no longer tasted salt on her tongue and felt sand in every crevice of her body. Another day of rest and she was ready to leave anything to do with sand and water behind. Unfortunately, it did seem she would need to navigate through mud and more water before she could find herself in more familiar territory - a field, a forest, anything with solid ground! With a curse under her breath she slogged along, her eyes carefully scanning the area around her, her hackles raising as it started to feel like she was being watched... "Speak."

art by sylvirr

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

The longer Echo walks for, the quieter the area seems to become. It's creepy and sets her on edge, and she is only half surprised when she is forced to a stop by a trio of canines blocking her way. Having just gone through a rather traumatic ordeal, the dark woman is more on edge than usual. She peers at them all quizzically, at first trying to decipher what manner of canine they were. They looked sort of like wolves, but their proportions were off. They stared at her just as she stared at them until the situation became less spooky and more awkward. "Uhhh..." she cleared her throat, her eyes flitting around in search of Mordecai, but he was nowhere to be seen. "Can I uh... help you?" Her eyes settled on the middle canine, the questions directed more towards her though her eyes flitted nervously between the other two. Honestly, she was feeling a little ganged up on. Echo chooses MEDIUM "Speak."

art by sylvirr

The tearful wolf seems almost surprised you chose her. She mods, but does not answer your question. After sniffling back some tears, she turns and motions for you to follow.

Quietly, the woman leads you into a perpetual fog. Your senses are blocked and it is impossible to know where you are going. Your only lead is the salty scent of the woman you follow and the brief grey blue flash of her tail in front of you, her body obscured by the mists.

When the shroud thins, you find yourself in a small clearing surrounded by the largest weeping willows you have ever seen. In the center of the clearing, a mirror-like pond awaits, completely still except for a small swirling whirlpool in the middle. A thin path of stepping stones trail towards the center of the lake then stop. The sad wolf sits, and motions you towards the lake, tear-filled eyes brimming with anticipation.

What do you do?

Strength: Swim into the whirlpool.

You're probably stronger than some water, right? You can just swim over and see what's up.

Charisma: Ask the guide for a hint.

The guide seems nice enough. Maybe she will help you.

Dexterity: Use the stepping stones.

There are perfectly good stepping stones here for you to use!

Wisdom: Inspect the water.

Something is amiss with the water... Maybe you can figure out what.

Leave.

Leave and exit the event.

The strange woman nods and sniffles but remains quiet, motioning that she wanted Echo to follow her. Echo frowned, looking around her as if the answers to this strange encounter would jump out and surprise her. She hesitated a moment before jumping after the woman. She tried to remain close, especially as a dense fog enveloped them, but no matter how quickly she jogged the other wolf always seemed to be just a few steps ahead of her. Echo grumbled under her breath, not liking the situation but unable to retreat now. Eventually the fog lifted, and Echo's eyes went wide as she took in the clearing around her. It was a beautiful place, and her attention was drawn from the trees to the pool. It seemed the blue woman wanted her to... what? Echo frowned and approached the water, seeing that the stepping stones didn't lead to anywhere, but stopped directly where a whirlpool lazily swirled in the middle of the pond. Echo's mouth was dry as she looked back at the woman, fear creeping up her spine. After her time drifting out at sea she was rather reluctant to take another plunge, even if the water did look clear - the whirlpool didn't exactly seem safe. But the blue wolf didn't seem... unsafe? Her eyes still brimmed with tears and Echo didn't think the woman was trying to drown her. "I don't really fancy going for a swim..." She murmured with a frown. Just before the stepping stones she peered over the edge and into the clear pond, her eyes then looking out to the centre, trying to discern if there was anything other than the whirlpool, or if there was something she was missing. Echo chooses WISDOM (surprisingly) "Speak."

art by sylvirr

You inspect the water and the unnatural whirlpool in the center. You see something gleaming and pick up 65 gems! As you look closer, you think you see an opening in the middle. The guide is already on her way down, wet but unbothered. You decide to follow.

Under the whirlpool, a waterfall floats you into an underground lake. As you pull yourself from the frigid pool, an icy palace opens before your eyes. Thick layers of ice coat the cave's interior and ornate carvings decorate the walls. Your guide stands on the shore, shaking out her fur.  She inspects the surroundings, and you do the same. You realize there is no discernable exit, though some of the ice looks thin and even cracked in some spots along the walls.

What do you do?

Strength: Break through one of the weak spots.

The ice looks thin enough, and you feel strong enough to burst through.

Charisma: Ask the guide where to go.

The room seems directionless... Maybe the guide knows something.

Dexterity: Try to squeeze through one of the larger cracks.

Some of the cracks and cervices look large enough for you to squeeze through.

Wisdom: Inspect the drawings on the wall.

The drawings are intricate, they must mean something.

Leave.

Leave and exit the event.

Finding a bit of treasure seemed to perk up Echo's mood and bring to the surface her more curious, adventurous nature. Watching her strange guide enter the water with little fanfare also seemed to bolster her courage and so she hesitated only a moment before also entering the cold water. Echo wasn't sure what she'd been expecting, but it certainly hadn't been an icy under-water cavern. She shakes the water from her fur and then looks around her wondrously, her jaws slightly parted. "What is this place?" She whispered, a question she was expecting to be rhetorical as her strange partner-in-crime had yet to utter a word. Blue eyes skimmed briefly over the markings on the walls, certainly curious of them but not confident that she would even be able to decipher them, she instead started sniffing around the parts of the ice that looked like there was something on the other side. Her ears were upright, her steps light as she was drawn into the mystery of this strange place. "Hey! I think this opening is big enough for us to go through!" She looked back to the woman and then gestured to a crack in the ice. Echo chooses DEXTERITY "Speak."

art by sylvirr

You try your best to find the largest crack and start to shimmy through. The ice is cramped and cold, but you start to wiggle this way and that and eventually plop out.

On your way through, you find a bag containing an item! Can't wait to open this later.

On the other side of the ice wall, what was once a neat hallway has been utterly destroyed. Carved pillars lay broken and elaborate art shattered.

The tunnel ahead looks a little unstable, and proceeding further may be very dangerous. You know if you go on now, you may not return in the same condition you entered.

What do you do?

Strength: Charge through the tunnel.

If you're plenty quick, the tunnel won't have a chance to collapse!

Charisma: Convince your guide to lead the way.

One wrong step could lead to the tunnel failing. Perhaps the guide knows a better way.

Dexterity: Carefully tread down the hallway.

If you go slow and carefully, you can leave the tunnel undisturbed.

Wisdom: Study the cave and find the safest path.

If you look closely, you can see where the cracks and freshly broken ice are.

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, temporary disabilities, moderate loss of gems/skill points

You blink. How long have you been standing here? With a rumble, you realize too long as the cave begins to crumble around you.

As the tunnel behind you begins to collapse, you find yourself getting battered and bruised by a multitude of ice shards, their blades cutting through your fur and smashing onto the ground below. You begin to falter, but with a final push from your guide, you make it to a more stable part of the tunnel.

In the chaos, a shard of ice slices through the left side of your neck, which will leave a scar.

At the end of the collapsed tunnel, what appears to have once been an elaborate shrine at some point in time lays demolished. A part of the wall carves out and opens to an open room full of jagged ice floating in deathly waters. In the center, a large, flat expanse is frozen, and on the other side, what look like daylight shines through a small opening.

What do you do?

Strength: Break through the jagged ice to the exit.

The ice doesn't look so tough, you can probably break through the tips and clear a path.

Charisma: Convince your guide to lead the way.

The guide may know how to get through the treacherous cave.

Dexterity: Jump from jagged peak to peak towards the exit.

If you time your jumps just right, you think you'll be able to use them as stepping stones.

Wisdom: Look for the safest path to the exit.

Looking ahead, there has to be one safe path... if only you can spot it.

You wait and the floor below you caves, plummeting you towards the jagged ice. You close your eyes and all is dark.

You awaken out by the lake, battered and beaten and so. so cold. 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 ache, but you will heal fine; you can tell somehow by the way the fireflies buzz around you.

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.

You've made it out alive, though not without injury. You notice a deep wound on the left front inner leg, which will no doubt turn into a noticeable scar (about 6 inches long). Likewise you feel you've lost some knowledge along the way. Any items you've found lay beside you, and will be revealed later.

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...

• 65 Gems
  
• Garment Grab Bag
  
  

You Lost These Along the Way...

• Minor scar - left neck
  
• Major Injury - left front inner leg