EPONA

[soulping]

[ Upon stepping through the archway, you find yourself deep within a green forest, surrounded by trees, undergrowth, and the chittering skittering noises of small animals and insects. Behind you and around you, the trees and other vegetation close in on themselves; before you, a narrow but clear path beckons strongly. ]

[ Your normal skills are off, but you gain Basic Outdoorsmanship. ]

Comments

PROLOGUE

[soulping]

[ A wizened old crone waits at the side of the path with a dire warning. ]

Beware, travelers! This forest is haunted and alive with magic. I can send the spirits and spells away for you, but only if you choose another part of the forest to lay them on. Do you wish my aid?

[ You know instinctively what she means: you can make the challenges ahead of you less complicated and fraught with unpredictable curses if you pick another team to burden. ]

DISCUSSION

[soulping]

 

ANSWER

[soulping]

 

Re: DISCUSSION

[grandstanding]

[...well, he knows he would, but...]

What do you two think?

[gandere]

[ Normally she would just boast that she could fight the spells with her own, but... ]

I don't know. [ Just going to rub her arm as if it's sore. ]

Re: DISCUSSION

[acemedium]

What kind of curses...?

[grandstanding]

I'd like to hope after the last game no one would do that to anyone else.

[he'd like to, but hope is also silly so maybe he isn't.]

[moderndaywhitemage]

[ohhhhh crud]

Um...

Re: DISCUSSION

[soulping]

[The crone cackles a bit! But not too menacingly. More mischievously.]

Oh, irritating ghosts and trees that rap you on the plump young buttocks with branches if you annoy them!

But nothing too dangerous, dearie.

[gandere]

I rather not take the risk of fighting them on so early in a game.

[ Frowning. ] Chances are teams are going to send them to us regardless. It's how we always lose at the end. We're overwhelmed.

Re: DISCUSSION

[acemedium]

Well, I can handle ghosts. [Probably] I don't want to get smacked, though!

Re: DISCUSSION

[wingtamer]

Mmm. . . I'm not sure. . .

[grandstanding]

We can't control that. We can only control our decision whether to do it to others.

[grandstanding]

[okay two becomes five I guess]

I'm fine with either.

Re: DISCUSSION

[grandstanding]

I'll agree with whatever the rest of you decide. I'm fine with either option.

[moderndaywhitemage]

It doesn't seem too bad, though?

[gandere]

I want to do it.

[ Her frown deepens. ] Because I'm sure it'll happen to us and I don't want to take the risk of being overwhelmed.

[grandstanding]

It's more a matter of overwhelming others to level the playing field, if it comes to that.

Well, I'll accept what all of you decide. But I'd prefer not to send it to Ometotchtli, or Takshaka.

Re: DISCUSSION

[wingtamer]

. . . to be honest, I'm not sure what to do, so I think I'm alright with either option.

Re: DISCUSSION

[grandstanding]

We'll try to keep you out of the way of that, then.

[grandstanding]

No, it doesn't. Nothing fatal.

[acemedium]

It's nothing really bad, anyway! Just a few annoying ghosts and getting smacked on the butt by trees.

Blade's sick, so we have to protect his butt.

Re: DISCUSSION

[grandstanding]

Schooler wants to send it on.

[moderndaywhitemage]

[thank heavens]

It'll be interesting...

[grandstanding]

...I'm better than I was.

[it's true, but there's still lingering headcold.]