The days were still cold, though they held night at bay for a bit longer now. Erik knew that spring would come soon, and he'd return home to the Bamboo. Something about the mountain... it had a part of him. It would always have a part of him. Well and truly, the boy would leave a piece of himself up there. Pieces greater than the blood and flesh scraped raw in training. More than that. Not that he was much the sentimental sort. Not that he should be much the sentimental sort. No, sentiment would lead to more bitterness. He knows that.

His father made a point to treat him no differently, despite his disability. Not that ma babied him, but it was like... well, it was like the viking king was coming down on him even harder. Pushing him further. Trying to prove that Erik was just as good as the others. Prove it to who, though? These were the thoughts that swarmed his head as he made his way down the packed-snow path that marked their borders. He'd been sent on patrol. Fine. Erik would go that patrol all on his own, if dad was so intent on having him prove himself. That would show him.

The afternoon sun hung half mast in the sky, Erik's shadow growing long to his side. A chilly breeze ruffled his thick coat. At least the cold soothed the lingering, raw wounds upon his neck.

"Speech"

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 seem to appear out of nowhere. Shifting, ethereal. A trick of the light or something... else? A trick of his father's gods, who seem to have moved in right on the heels of the viking king. They are tall, long of limb and keen of eye. Erik feels the need to stand straighter, just by the looks of them. Curiosity takes him over, and his gaze rests on them for a long moment. Watching. Eerie, in the way that he stands back, watching the watchers.

Wordlessly, as ever, the cursed child moves to stand before the darkest of the strangers. The expression... he looks rather like uncle Tori, in that. Maybe the child finds it a comfort. Erik's choice rings clear and true. His decision has been made. Hell, he's already got the disfigurement and permanent disability bit on lock. It's not like it can get any worse. Considering for a moment, that the man before him is one of the gods sprung to life... was this wise? Fuck, when has Erik ever been wise?
"Speech"

Choice: hard route

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.

Approval. Erik would take it. Weren't this stranger and their companions cold? Must be that gods didn't feel the cold like men. He almost felt sad for them, for a moment. Those feelings are quickly swept away though, and the smoke that chokes the air leave the boy coughing. The crystals that irritated his throat, that left the surrounding flesh raw, they didn't like whatever was going on in the atmosphere. Hel was supposed to be cold. Had he fallen into the clutches of a trickster god?

There was no time for second thoughts. He wouldn't balk at a challenge-- this one or any. Erik grit his teeth, let go a silent prayer, and made a mad dash for the other side. Pushing himself, forcing himself forward, hackles up. Heart pounding in his chest. He has to do it. He has to make it to the other side, right? No guts no glory, fuckers.
"Speech"

Choice: 1, strength

You kick off, launching yourself down the shaky bridge. You can hear the guide grunt in surprise behind you. Your paws crash down on the warm, dry wood. About halfway through the bridge, your paw crashes through a plank, sending your body tumbling into the weakened structure. The guide is fast behind you, scruffing you and shoving you down the bridge one step at a time. At the end, he releases you and ushers you quickly into the cave with an eyeroll.

In the struggle, you scrape your right front paw. It bleeds a little, but will heal just fine.

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 it 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.

Erik only flinches a bit when grabbed, a bit more at the scrape of his paw against the wood. A raw spot in the inky coat, but it was... well, it was nothing he wasn't used to. Nothing he wasn't accustomed to. He wouldn't grumble, he wouldn't complain, though the blood is warm against the stinging flesh. Right, it's enough to remind Erik that there's real skin in the game here. When is there not, for him?

As he gazes about the room before him, Erik is quick to notice the bridges. By the looks of things, they're too small to support the likes of his weight, even at his size. The same with the ledges. Without another thought, the boy moves to leap from stepping stone to stepping stone. All it would take was a good, hard push. Another silent prayer to the gods. If they were real, he needed them now more than ever.
"Speech"

Choice: strength

You coil yourself and jump from one stone to the next. Hey! This isn't too hard. The warm, smooth stone holds steady and after a few jumps you find a strange looking box. You pick it up and decide to open it later. After just a few more jumps, you find yourself on the edge of a new lava room.

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

The box now in his possession, Erik will deal with the curiosity later. For now, there is more to explore. It wasn't too hard, really, making his way through. Each step grew more confident, and he was no longer so wobbly. More and more confident, standing a little straighter and taking steps that were a bit more... well, a bit more like he really could take up this kind of space. The gods favored the bold. Erik had been rewarded.

Another path lay before him. The boy stared hard at it, considering for a moment. Trying to read the room, the situation, the task laid before him. If he was going to complete their test, then he'd need to trust himself. He'd gotten by on strength alone so far. Why fix what wasn't broken? Erik dug in hard with his paws, lunging forward, grateful for what the gods had brought him thus far and hopeful he could win their favor further. His paws couldn't fail him now.

"Speech"

choice: strength

You kick off with all your strength, hoping your back legs are strong enough to propel you over the gap. Fortunately they are, and you land hard on the other side, feeling the impact of your jump ripple through you.

Though you make it to the other side, a low roar behind you gets your attention, and you spin around...

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 Sebastien. 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.

The impact rippled through the young boy's body, rattling through his joints, his teeth, his crystals. He doesn't flinch, but perhaps he wants to. Straightening up, righting himself, he gazed over his shoulder in time to see the worm. Erik rounds on his back legs, the gleam of his eyes near orange as the lava. A growl from his guide, a quick evaluation of his stance-- they would need to fight the beast. He wouldn't back down, he wouldn't bow out.

He would always do his best work with his back against the wall, after all. Erik would find a way to attack the worm. As the predator's beast began to lower in his direction, the boy struck out. He would find a way to attack, he would rely on all of the training he'd had thus far. It leaves his heart pounding in his chest, the rush of blood in his ears. By the gods, he would make them proud.
"Speech"

choice: strength

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. Your right hip front left outer leg back left outer leg hurts the most, and inspecting it reveals the worst - large swaths of skin are torn away and hanging loose, an injury you really ought to see a healer about. It will no doubt scar in a large section (roughly 5 x 5 inches). You feel less skilled now too, losing 20 navigation 58 fighting 20 navigation 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.

Rerolled using Firefly's Favor.
Firefly Favor used again.

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...

• Mushroom Based Acid
  
• Stuffed Animal
  

You Lost These Along the Way...

• Minor injury - right front paw
  
• Major injury - left back outer leg
  
• -20 nav points