The evening was growing dark and cold as the sun began its descent down towards the western horizon. The giant ebony and crimson-marked brute trudged his way through the snow around the perimeter of the lake, dark eyes cast up and scouring his surroundings for any signs of threats. Lately, Alastor had been having more and more frequently recurring dreams of the lake. Well, less dreams and more like nightmares. He remembered the cave beneath the lake, the perils he'd faced, the cloaked firefly figure as it taunted him and cursed him. Memories he hadn't thought about in an age. Why they were coming back all of a sudden was unknown to the brute, but regardless they made him feel uneasy about the safety of his family. So he patrolled, circling the lake while keeping his eyes and guard up, praying that the dreams meant nothing but preparing himself for the worst.

"Alastor Mendacium"

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

As he trudged along the stony shores of the lake, Alastor caught a sight of a pale glowing nearby. Immediately going onto high alert, the giant dire brute began to stalk closer toward the source of the glowing orbs, realizing once he came close enough that they were the eyes of a trio of wolf-like dogs. His nerves settled some, his head raising as he studied the three curiously. They were technically intruders in his family's lands, but at the same time he was just relieved they weren't fireflies! Approaching the borzoi with a toothy smile, he greeted the trio with a chipper "Evening!" They seemed to be waiting for something from him, none of them saying a word. After regarding the three, his ebony gaze settled on the dark wolf that looked similar to himself in stature and color. He approached the gruff male, still all smiles. "Well aren't you a chipper fellow. Put on a smile, my good man! You're never fully dressed without one!" Alastor laughed.

CHOICE MADE: HARD ROUTE

"Alastor Mendacium"

The grumpy wolf's brow relaxes just slightly when you choose him. He does not respond to your greeting, rather hardens against it. 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.

The wolf he'd chosen to speak to said nothing back to him (rude) and even seemed put off by his joviality (double rude!). He turned to walk away, leading the way towards... something or other. Alastor, unfazed by the brusqueness of the wolf, simply shrugged his shoulders and followed after him. "All right, guess we're going adventuring naked." Following after the wolf, a thick fog began to obscure Alastor's vision. Where the hell had this come from?! All the dire brute could do was keep trudging forward, hoping he was going in the right direction. All of a sudden, the fog began to thin, and when he could sense again, Alastor was hit by the pungent stench of rotten eggs and smoke. Sulphur and ash.

Confusion soon gave way to incredulity as Alastor found himself and the guide on the edge of a drop-off, almost running into the other man as he stopped suddenly. Heat rose through the air like it were summer and not winter. Gazing down into the chasm at their paws, Alastor soon saw why. Lava. Were they on the edge of an active volcano?! How the hell had they gotten here?! Amidst his dumbfounded bewilderment, Alastor felt the guide nudge him towards something, his eyes soon settling on a rickety old wood bridge than ran across the lava lake. "You can't be serious." He looked to the guide's stern expression. Yeah, he was. "Well all right, then. But if I die, I'm coming back to haunt you forever."

Now a normal, sane wolf would probably have taken their time to cross the bridge, or even looked for a safer alternative. Alastor was neither normal nor sane, however. Giving the bridge one last look over, he flashed a smile back to the guide before coiling his muscles and springing forward, racing as fast as he could to the other side.

CHOICE MADE: STRENGTH

"Alastor Mendacium"

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 throat. 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 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.

Alastor never gave a fuck about his own personal safety and that sure as hell wasn't about to change now! Charging across the bridge, everything seemed to be going fine, and the dire wolf carried on with a smile and without a care—until he reached the midpoint and one of the aged planks of wood crumbled under his massive weight. Alastor felt the old wood snap underneath his paw when he stepped down, and then in the next instant there was a flash of pain on his neck and he was gazing down into the lava lake. He yipped in surprise, but ultimately just started laughing like the unhinged maniac he was, ready to embrace whatever awful fate this supernatural journey had in store for him. However, it seemed his surly guide had other plans for him. Al felt the snag of teeth in his scruff, pulling him up and down the bridge until they'd reached safety. He glanced up at the dark borzoi, offering the stranger a wide toothy grin in thanks before continuing on after the sourpuss of a wolf.

Inside the cave, Alastor immediately felt the stifling heat of the lava that illuminated their path. Pools of the molten rock blocked their path to the other side, but there were a few options available to cross "safely". A set of stepping stones, an old wooden bridge, and a thin ledge from one side to the other. Well, given how well the last bridge had worked for him, and still disregarding his own personal safety, Alastor opted for the stepping stones this time. "Up for a race, my good man?" he asked the borzoi with a playful nudge, grinning with unbridled mirth as he ran full tilt for the boulders. He ran as fast as his legs could carry him, using his momentum to time each jump from one rock to the next. Surely nothing could go wrong this time!

CHOICE MADE: STRENGTH

"Alastor Mendacium"

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 mysteriously bundled item - you make a note to check it out later, bringing it along with you. After just a few more jumps, you find yourself on the edge of a new lava room. The guide has followed you, seeming unimpressed by your offer to race - but hey, you won anyway!

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

Aha, victory was his! Bounding from rock to rock had been the key to success, and with enough speed and balance Alastor was able to reach the other side unscathed and also triumphant. Grinning from ear to ear, he turned to make sure his guide had made it as well, and of course he had, looking as unimpressed as ever. Alastor gave a dramatic harrumph and shook his head. "You're just jealous I won," he teased the otherwise impassive brute with him. Some people were just no fun... Ah well, moving on!

The next challenge the pair of wolves came across was crossing a lava moat to a flat piece of terrain surrounded by the molten rock. It almost looked like it was floating in a lake of lava, it was quite impressive! However, there seemed to be no discernible way of actually crossing the deadly magma to get to the platform. Hmm... curious. Alastor pondered their situation for a moment, looking this way and that for any smart way to get over the lava and coming up empty-handed. Dark eyes turned to his companion, who was still silently scowling at his side. "Well, I came up with the ideas for the last two obstacles. Do you have any bright ideas?" He cocked his head curiously to one side. This borzoi seemed so unfazed by their environment, surely he must be familiar with it, right?

CHOICE MADE: CHARISMA

"Alastor Mendacium"

The guide shakes his head. This, you must figure out on your own. He will be no help here.

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.

The guide has nothing to say.

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 guide was less than helpful, with little more than a stoic shake of his head, taciturn as ever. Alastor's smile drooped into a disappointed frown and he sighed. "No, I didn't suspect so," he murmured mostly to himself and reconsidered his options. Well, being bold had paid off last time for him. Here goes nothing! Taking a couple steps back to give himself more room to launch, Alastor surged forward with all his strength and speed, paws thundering across the rocky ground as he lunged for the gap. At the last second, his paws launched himself through the air like a fur missile, aiming for the platform on the other side. Gods willing, he was still strong enough to make this jump.

CHOICE MADE: STRENGTH

"Alastor Mendacium"

You decide to kick off hard, hoping to close the gap using your sheer strength. Only when you're almost to the other side do you realize you underestimated the size of the gap, and you feel yourself falling, falling, falling...

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 right front ankle left back ankle right ribs, that will leave an impressive scar (about 6 inches long). You feel less knowledgeable at having gone on that adventure as well, losing 69 Hunting 95 97 Fighting 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 x2.

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...

• Aged breeding pass
  

You Lost These Along the Way...

• Minor injury - throat
  
• major injury - right ribs,
  
• -97 Fight skill points