Overhead the birds sang, diving down toward the water and back up into the sky again, occasionally letting out a shrill cry. Kaija watched, just tickled pink at the sight of the formations they were making. Well, she was as pleased as she could be without much to do. She was settling into pack life just fine she supposed, some of her restless eased by the constant company she was not around. It didn't feel stifling, not in the way she'd partially worried it might, and so Kaija had no complaints. Not yet, at least.

She kicked idly at a patch of sand as she continued to walk along the shore, watching the way the water rolled in from the horizon. The sun was beginning to set beneath it, casting a brilliant array of bright oranges and pinks across the sky, a brief sight that would surely fade in the next few minutes.

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

Sure, she'd been a little distracted by enjoying her little walk and kicking at the sand, but she hadn't been paying zero attention, had she? The arrival of three strange borzoi wolves caught her completely off guard and she flinched, halting abruptly in her tracks. "What the..." She mumbled, wrinkling her nose as she examined the three of them. It seemed like they wanted something, like... for her to choose one of them? Or something? One looked way too happy, and one looked altogether too sad. The final one looked like a grumpy sort, but maybe he'd be better company than the others. Who knew? She sure didn't, but she chose the irascible guide anyway.

Kaija is choosing the irascible guide, 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.

Picking the grumpy looking wolf felt like a good enough idea, but she couldn't help but reconsider when they started to move together and suddenly a thick smoke rolled in. Was something on fire?! She hadn't smelled anything unusual before the three borzoi wolves had shown up, so it seemed unlikely, but before she could really figure things out her surroundings seemed to change. Her paws carried her forward, eyes burning against the blinding smoke, though when it began to clear it became obvious to her that she was no longer on the islands. There was no way-

She blinked hard at the sight, noting the steep cliff and the chasm filled with bubbling lava below. What the actual fuck? The guide motioned to a bridge that looked like it crossed over to the other side, but Kaija wasn't stupid enough to use the thing, not right away at least. "You serious, man?" She asked, nose wrinkling as she eyed him with disdain. "I ain't going over that thing. You go first, I'll follow." Nah, she didn't have a deathwish, as impulsive and stupid as she could be.

Kaija chooses charisma, make the guide go first.

You ask the guide to go first. He refuses at first, but after a moment he huffs and you can see you've won. In a blink, the guide is fast behind you, scruffing you and carrying 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, but maybe also a slight smile?

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.

Oh hell yeah, Kaija was the queen of charisma. The grumpy wolf complied with her request that he go first, which was only fair since he'd been the one to lead her here in the first place. Sure, she'd followed, but that wasn't the point. She let out a little victory cry that was cut short immediately as he scruffed her, carrying her across the bridge like an actual pup. The audacity. She grumbled and groaned but made little effort to confront him, because he hadn't said anything to her yet, so why would he start now?

What lay ahead of them on the other side was a cave that opened up to... more of the same. Lava, which looked dangerous as all fuck, which was flowing from the walls. There were some stones that sorta led across the lava pool, and a few paths around the edges that maybe were wide enough to walk on but Kaija wasn't sure. She was stupid and impulsive at times, but more than that she really, really liked being alive. Screw risking everything on some daredevil move, no matter how cool she'd look if she succeeded.

"That's a no from me, man," she started, shaking her head. "You killed it last time. Show me again how good of a guide you are," she encouraged him, using her charisma to convince him to lead the way.

The guide's demeanor suggests there is no right answer and you need to just choose a path. He will follow.

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.

You tried this already.

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.

Wait, so he wasn't going to help her this time? Kaija let out an incredulous scoff and stood there for a long while, expecting him to change his mind or something. He didn't though, not replying but still looking as grumpy as ever, and she rolled her eyes hard. Fine then. If he wasn't going to help she'd find her way on her own, just like she always did.

Zeroing in on the bridges, Kaija decided that might be her best bet. The boulders looked slippery and the thin edges along the sides of the room didn't look like they'd hold her weight. Ah, fuck it. Grumbling, she headed over toward them, gingerly placing a paw on the bridge. She felt it swaying beneath her paws, but hoped for the best as she used her wisdom to cross the bridges.

You decide to use the bridges. They seem to have stood the test of time, being singed here and there. They're easy to cross, and you progress steadily until one snaps out from under you. You scramble at the surface just enough to save yourself from falling in with a little help of the guide. The lava sputters, splashing you across left abdomen. The lava singes through your fur, leaving a deep burn about the size of a wolf's paw (5in x 4in). Ouch! that's gonna leave a scar.

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

By the time she reached the other side, Kaija looked almost surprised she'd made it. Hell yeah. For a moment she looked as though she were about to celebrate her victory, but instead she chose to look ahead at whatever her next challenge was. A vast stretch of lava stood before her, and across from that a smooth, flat stone. Her brow furrowed as she studied her path. No path ahead looked certain, but maybe... she thought back to the objects in the other room. Making a decision to gather them together, she drives to piece together enough to lay across the gap, using her wisdom to build a bridge to cross.

You decide that building a bridge across is your best bet. Gathering materials from the other room, you get to building, only stopping once you're sure the bridge is sturdy.

You begin to make your way across, though when you're nearly at the other side you feel the materials begin to splinter and crack beneath you. You try to scramble to the other side, but you feel yourself 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 nose bridge, that will leave an impressive scar (about 6 inches long). You feel less knowledgeable at having gone on that adventure as well, losing 64 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.

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...

• 191 Gems
  

You Lost These Along the Way...

• Medium scar - left abdomen
  
• Major scar - nose
  
• -64 Fighting skill points