AMALTHEA

[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]

 

[codecmoment]

[ What the fuck is outside. Shielding his eyes from sunlight. ]

[goodbyenurse]

...Interesting.

Crone, is there going to be any chance of physical harm on others?

[soulping]

Physical harm? Oh, dear, nothing worse than scratches and scrapes!

[goodbyenurse]

Thank you.

[Turning to Otacon.]

We should make another team's lives slightly more difficult, then. Any opinion?

[codecmoment]

Sure. The rest of them probably have more people, let alone people who aren't shut-ins like me.

[goodbyenurse]

I saw several more members of Epona during the pregame than I did the other teams.

We should mitigate that advantage as much as possible.

[codecmoment]

Okay, let's give Epona a challenge.

[ Already way out of his element, straight up cannot care as long as he doesn't twist his ankle, fall down a cliff, and die. ]

[goodbyenurse]

[I AM NOT LETTING YOU DIE, BRO.]

Then we have a plan. Let us have a swift, decisive victory.

Re: ANSWER

[goodbyenurse]

If you would be so kind, I would appreciate it if you sent some of the spells and spirits within our forest to Epona.

Thank you, and I greatly appreciate it.

[codecmoment]

So... are we going in there now?

[ Points at the trees, and just starts... walking as he points. ]

[goodbyenurse]

[Follows along.]

That seems to be the plan.

Oh. I spoke with Sparrow, by the by.

[codecmoment]

Huh? About what?

[goodbyenurse]

Games.

Well... more specifically I believe she was attempting to understand me.

[codecmoment]

Sparrow is a very gentle girl. I hope it went well.

[goodbyenurse]

...I think you would like the result, anyways.

[codecmoment]

[ Tilts his head slightly. ]

Are you getting along better with Takshaka?

[goodbyenurse]

I am getting along with Sparrow.

I do not think that Takshaka is capable of understanding me, but she at least has my trust.

Re: ANSWER

[soulping]

[Cackling a bit and waving her hands.]

It's done, dearie!

[And she retreats altogether too quickly into the woods, leaving you all to move forward on the path...

The forest ahead of you briefly seems to lighten and grow quieter--but then, in the space of a breath, the noises and the shadows return.]

[codecmoment]

Okay, well, that's something. She's a good friend - she'll look out for you.

FIRST CHALLENGE: THE RIVER

[soulping]

[ The path stops abruptly at the banks of a roaring, rushing river, dotted with slick treacherous rocks in the shallows and almost two meters deep in the middle. On the other side, about fifteen meters away, the path resumes. But there's no bridge, only a couple of rotting posts that might once have supported one. You're going to have to figure out how to get across yourself.

Why not have a look around? ]

ON THE RIVERBANK

[soulping]

[ The thick forest opens up quite a bit right next to the river, allowing you to travel easily a little ways up and down the bank, away from the path, before it grows too dense to travel through again. In some locations, the river is slightly slower, a bit narrower or shallower, or a little less plagued by sharp rocks, though there's no place that looks like it would be particularly pleasant to cross. In several places, the crumbling remains of a stone wall, at its tallest no more than a meter high by now and surrounded by stones that have fallen loose from the rest, can be seen on the riverbank. ]

NEARBY IN THE FOREST

[soulping]

[ Near the river, the forest thins out enough to explore for a time. It's still thick with undergrowth and fallen branches--some small and easy to snap, some almost as heavy as the tree trunks themselves--but it can be traversed. Here and there in small clearings are mysterious piles of stones stacked upon each other. Some of the trees are easily climbable thanks to the thick vines that wrap around their trunks; others tower impossibly. ]