Naethra's Dream Dungeon!
March 25th, 2018
Or
Why Naethra Can't Stop Crying Anymore!
Part 1/2
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Nick: As your eyes grow heavy, and sleep is creeping into your mind, a voice speaks to you from the darkness "Hey. Asshat. You want out of this place right?" the voice is... oddly sweet and sultry considering the words being spoken.
Naethra: "Hmm, huh, what?" Naethra manages, jerking herself awake. "Who said that?"
Nick: A scoff "I did. now answer the question. Or is 'do you want to go home' to hard a question for someone like you?"
Naethra: She really didn't like this voice's tone. She opened her mouth to respond, but then realized that it actually was a hard question. Conceptually, she hadn't thought of a home in a while now. She shook her head, still a bit fatuged. "I'd love to get out of here, at any rate, provided this doesn't drop me in the Wilds... who are you?" This was suspicious, to say the least. She looked around... where were the others in the party?
Nick: The place is completely dark, and it becomes obvious you are floating through a void. "I'm a servant of the Lady who hates your guts and wants you out of her tower. But of course you'd get dropped in the wilds! You can't honestly believe there's any way out of here that doesn't land you there right? Teleportation into cities is impossible, that's like 70% the reason they're cities!"
Naethra: [13, + 5 for arcana]
Nick: You recall hearing that teleportation magic wasn't actually just a theory, but you had never seen it before. Supposedly once you were some distance from the barrier of the town you could actually perform teleportation spells, but going out into the wilds for months to learn a spell you can't use most of the time isn't very useful.
Naethra: Hmm... if she could be teleported to a location near a city, one with scouts, decontamination, and a willingness to risk taking her in... "So... you're offering horrible doom with a sliver of a chance of living if I'm lucky." She looked at the surrounding void. Last time the Fulsome Hostess contacted her in dreams, they were both plant-people, in some idylic meadow. She recalled a deer. This was certainly different. She couldn't help but feel inwardly satisfied that she was pissing one of the Hostess' servants off, but that likely wasn't productive.
Nick: "You complain and you rage and you insult her. Now I offer you a way out, exactly what you claim to have wanted, and you're turning me down? Wow, you really are as stupid as you look."
Naethra: Rage? She couldn't remember raging. Complain, absolutely, but rage wasn't like her. "Our... Gracious Hostess has a remarkable knack for presenting bad choices. I want out of this place. Ideally, I'd like to be alive afterward. This seems... like a precariously mortal circumstance."
Nick: "Oh shut up. I know how you think of her. That kind of pointless pandering won't work on me. You are literally being given the only two choices that exist to you in this situation: stay or leave. I am putting you as close to YOUR specific home as I can, giving you supplies, reverting all your changes, and even giving you a fucking homestone. I am doing quite literally everything in my power to get you to leave. Your argument is basically that the entire outside world is a shithole, and yet you complain about this paradise constantly. If I could get away with it, I'd have tossed you out buck naked in the middle of nowhere."
Naethra: This voice was abrasive. Confrontational. Naethra remembered her brothers sounding similar. They wouldn't have phrased it as such, but the goal was to prod her into making rash, emotional decisions without weighing the consequences. It had taken her entirely too long to figure that one out. "So... why don't you? You hate me, I can understand that. The... Fulsome Mistress brought me here, for whatever reasons she has. Are you acting under her orders, or are you trying to brush me away without her noticing? Believe me, I want to get out of this place, but... I'm having trouble picturing a scenario where you don't just leave me to die somewhere hopeless."
Nick: "I'm doing this without her knowledge. I think your group is worthless trash that doesn't deserve her blessing... but I also refuse to do something that would upset her. Tossing you out like that would do just that. The only reason you are still alive is because that's what makes her happy, and I refuse to ruin that. However, if I can get you out of the tower, and back to a sheltered city within a day, the magic will simply lose track of you. She might be marginally annoyed, but she'll forget about you before long. However, if you don't reach a town in time, either because you suck and can't travel 10 hours distance in 24 hours, or because you die, the magic will locate you and bring you back."
Naethra: So... the offer was extended to the others, as well. That could make for some rude surprises next morning. It... was a risk, absolutely, but she'd already given a choice like this thought. If it came down to death, or the Hostess' tender mercies... "Okay. Get my undeserving ass out of this place and I'll do my best to never cross paths with you or your perverted mistress again." After a heartbeat, she added, "Oric too? If you hate me for my attitude, I'd imagine you'd get along swimingly with her."
Nick: She scoffs "What? That bitch who pretends to know the will of the Lady? Oh yeah she's miles better than you, but I still hate her guts. Unfortunately the idiot turned down my offer. something about needing to help out anyone who's still here when she wakes up."
Naethra: Pretends... huh. That made a perverse sort of sense. But, hopefully, it wouldn't matter. "So... put me somewhere near a city, give me a direction, and hope I survive so I don't... end up back here." She wasn't certain if she'd want to return to Ythrilheim, or just some elven place... so she didn't say anything else.
[Arcana roll 17 + 4: re Homestone]
Nick: Suddenly you're waking up on the ground, sticks jabbing you in the back and the smell of decomposing leaves fills the air. After the pain of your reversion, the sensation of random pain on your body isn't as unexpected, but still a bit unfamiliar. You also feel a little sore, like you slept funny, something you haven't felt since entering the tower despite some truly awkward sleeping arrangements.
You have all your gear you were wearing when you entered the tower, as well as a backpack containing rope, some ration bars, a full waterskin, and a homestone necklace. In addition, the pearling on your weapon seems to have gone away. You've never seen a homestone before, but an inspection of its nature and some recalling old information reminds you what it does: when held in an open palm, it will turn to point in the direction of the place that person considers home. It will also change colour to show approximate distance, with violet being closest, and red being furthest.
Naethra: Aches, pains, the crick from a night sleeping at a bad angle... Naethra could have laughed for joy. She very nearly did, before recalling where she was. This place was dangerous... but she was so close. She might actually be free of that damned realm and its damned demigodess. She wondered about some of the others for a second... Red and Gwyn seemed to have been getting along intimately... was Gwyn a man again, right now?
Well, it was none of her concern anymore. She looked at the homestone, memories and old lore telling her how to use it. She wondered where it was pointing to, but anywhere would be better than here. Quickly, quietly, she stood up, took her bearings. She had twenty-four hours and about a ten hour trip. If... the voice, whoever it was, was being honest, she should be able to make this. She looked at her crystal focus, kissed it, and started walking in the direction the stone pointed, scanning the treeline, straining her ears, and trying not to wonder about her fae patron. One crisis at a time. One foot in front of the other. She was nearly free.
Nick: The forest is a dangerous place, and your ears are constantly assaulted by sounds from unknown directions and distances. Unfortunately a straight line isn't exactly an option, as some jagged rocks have formed into an impromptu mountain in the middle of the trees. You could climb over it, go to the right and follow what appears to be a well trodden path, or move through the increasingly thick foliage on the left.
Naethra: Hmm... well, the trodden path is right out. Nobody patrols the lands around Ythrilheim regularly, so if there's a path, it would have to be a game trail. That would invite an encounter with... something she would rather not meet. Then it's a choice of scaling the rocks or going through the underbrush... she was never the strongest girl, and being on the rocks would make it difficult to hide, and leave no room to maneuver, even if she could scale them. She tried to recall what little training she had in the scout program as she looked at the brush.
[Nature, I guess: 15 + 3]
Nick: The plants in the area appear to be safe at least, though the trodden path does seem to have an unusually high number of potentially medicinal herbs if you're remembering the look correctly. If nothing else, the plants don't seem to be an immediate threat.
Naethra: With a soft breath, she turns into the thick foilage, carefully moving her way through the brush, consulting the stone every few dozen paces to make sure she's at least angled in the right direction.
Nick: the angle's a bit off due to the mountain, but you're moving in generally the correct direction. It's only half an hour later that your decision not to climb the rocks is proven correct, as the mountain begins to rumble and collapse! Stones begin tumbling down the sides, and you're forced to make a decision about how you think you can best go about surviving this.
Naethra: [Nature roll: 1 + 3]
Nick: Your panic makes recalling any information difficult, you'll have to make a choice without any prior thought.
Naethra: [Acrobatics to avoid the rockslide: 13]
Nick: You take a rock to the shoulder, but otherwise manage to avoid the event. It only take a couple minutes before what was once a mountain as been absorbed back into the ground, and been re-populated with trees. Your shoulder stings from the hit.
[3 damage, and disadvantage on strength checks with that arm until you take a short rest.]
The newly made section of forest isn't as dense, which would make traveling easier, or you can continue to hide in the underbrush.
Naethra: Naethra winced. Pain hurt. Still... better than the alternative. And she got off pretty easily, all things considered. She continued, slowly realigning her course with the direction the stone was pointing. (Staying in the underbrush for a bit, until the open forest looks stable enough. A few hundred yards, assuming nothing looks like it's going to be swollowed up by the earth.)
[Perception: 16]
Nick: You notice some crude sticks and stones hidden in the underbrush, tied together with old string. it seems to be some kind of spike trap made to spring up when someone steps on the trigger, though you can't exactly see where the trigger is. Without knowing where the trigger is, you also can't determine which direction it intends to spring up in.
Naethra: Naethra stopped in her tracks. Who would set a trap out here? She tried to recall any lore or rumors or reports she could have seen suggesting anything sapient or intelligent enough to actually set a trap could survive out here.
Nick: You'd heard stories of creatures living out in the wilds, but nothing specific. fey, humans, basically anything seems possible from what you've heard.
Naethra: This... wasn't good. She hadn't even imagined she might face something intelligent out here. They could be friendly, she supposed... but likely wouldn't be of any help getting back to the city if they were. She couldn't be certain which way the trap was set up trigger, so the most sensible thing would be to backtrack a few yards and proceed, giving the thing a wide berth. The newly created forest wouldn't have anything like this, so she'd edge closer to that as she made her way forward.
Nick: [Roll perception]
Naethra: [20!]
Nick: You're about to move into the newly created forest area when you spot the hint of something in the trees. With a bit of luck you managed to observe them while they were just finishing their camouflage. It's a hoard of four armed monkey like creatures watching the newly created forest space. It seems like they're staying just out of its area. If you had to guess, it looks like an ambush.
Naethra: Shit. Shit, shit, shit, shit. Shit.
Nick: by a quick estimate there's... about 12 of them. but that's only what you can see.
Naethra: Naethra takes a moment to focus. The Wilds have created something intelligent and hostile. This information would be incredibly valuable if she survives. And now she knows what made the pit trap. But... for the moment, subtelty would be the better part of valor. Or, more accurately, the only non-suicidal option. They're watching the newly created forest, which means they're smart enough to anticipate creatures chosing that path because it likely lacked predators. And there are way too many of them to fight. Carefully, she backs away and then adjusts her course, giving them and their ambush site a clear berth while avoiding the area with the pit trap.
[History: 15 + 5]
Nick: You recall a creature similar to these from your books. But something's wrong. These are much smaller than the ones you read about, and they should be in colder climates. They're the R'uit Kmakhk', known for beign one of the dominant species in the flurries before the fall of the gods. They were known for their incredible situational awareness and ability to make use of seemingly random snowstorms for rapidly formed ambushes. A single one was capable of fighting on par with weaker dragons, and they usually worked in groups of 2 or 3. However, these numbers are far higher, and they're sized at best half what you'd read about. Hopefully this indicates a weaker sub-species. This careful movement is certainly beginning to eat into your time, but less so then being murdered to be sure.
You make your way past the ambush, hearing the sound of a commotion from behind you as it seems something else wasn't as smart as you were. It only take a moment for the sudden noise to become an eerie silence.
Naethra: Naethra kept moving, carefully, trying to follow the direction of her stone, and hoping the R'uit Kmakhk-derivatives she'd just past were happy with their hunt. Logically, something as clever, effective, and powerful as that would be the apex predator around here, so there shouldn't be anything as dangerous... and she realized this line of thought reeked of wishful thinking. She wondered if her fae patron could see her. She kept moving.
Nick: (there are 3 types of R'uit Kmakhk, but only those from the flurries were notable enough to be recorded in historical documents.)
Before long the plants in the area begin to change, more and more of them taking on a purple tint, with bright red berries littering the ground. (You may make a roll or just keep moving. Just giving you the opportunity if you want it.)
Naethra: [Nature: 17 + 3]
Nick: You immediately realize this isn't a good change... but could also be to your benefit. the berries are dangerous to consume, as they produce hallucinations, and the leaves can give you a nasty rash, but your clothes cover most of your skin, and you might be able to avoid making contact with it.
Naethra: Alright... hallucinogenic berries and poisonous leaves. This is more like what she expected. Naethra takes a moment to tuck her tail into her pants, wrapping it around one of her legs, and then then quickly fetches her old clothes from her pack. She only needs a few scraps to wrap around her hands and neck (like a scarf), just to protect from accidental contact. It would only take a minute, and she pressed onward, cautious to avoid the plants.
Nick: The area grows louder the deeper into the patch you go. The sounds of creatures either coming in contact with the leaves, or ingesting the berries filling the air
but you can see the more natural brown and greens ahead, you're almost out of the patch and you haven't run into any problems yet. The closest was a small creature running into your leg as it fled some imagined predator.
Naethra: The small creature nearly gave Naethra a heart-attack. She checked to make sure it couldn't have made skin contact, that no needles or spines could have pierced her leggings, and she pressed on in the direction of the stone.
Nick: (you may make a roll before moving to the new "area". I'll leave it to you to decide what kind of roll you might want to do)
Naethra: [Perception: 2.]
Nick: The forest seems mostly peaceful ahead. [Roll constitution with disadvantage.]
Naethra: [3 + 2 = 5]
Nick: You immediately let out an ungodly shriek as pain shoots through your leg. Crumbling to the ground you realize why: there's a crossbow bolt covered in barbs sticking through it.... through the bone. Your vision goes dark briefly but you manage to hang on.
[2d10+7 damage = 15 damage, you are prone, and can't stand up until it's healed.]
Naethra: Fuck! Naethra collapsed, crumbled into a ball, looking at the wound. Maeve's ass, that's bad. "I surrender!" she cried, not as loud as her scream. Little point in stealth now. She tried to look around, to see who fired at her.
Nick: Unfortunately, what she catches sight of doesn't put her mind at ease. A man wrapped in furs with horns and skulls strung about him like prizes. His face is covered by a mask made of bone, with beady, yellow eyes looking out from behind three oddly placed holes. His crossbow appears to be at least twice a reasonable size, but you only get to contemplate this briefly before another bolt is launched, this time through your shoulder. The world begins to fade away as your arm goes limp, the bolt destroying your ability to move the arm and causing a quite significant amount of pain. However, just as you're about to lose complete consciousness there's a flash of white light, and you're able to move! A familiar voice echoes in your head "Get moving you useless piece of trash! I can't believe I actually have to directly help you to this extent! I hope you die the instant you're inside a town. Seriously... just... fucking useless."
[So she's at 8hp and can't use her left arm]
Naethra: She grabs her focus with her right arm. She doesn't know what the hell that thing is, but it's tougher and nastier than she is. She pushes herself, grasping the font of magic within her. She needs room: she casts Mirror Image and darts, creating three illusory duplicates that dip and weave about her. She reaches into her pack, where she hopes there's a healing potion.
