The Forest - Chapter One

[spiderwrangler]

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YES! I really have enjoyed the character building and limited amount of adventuring we've done and would definitely like to continue.

[willpell]

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Well okay, your character is by himself anyway, so we can definitely continue with him. If one of the others turns up and one does not, I'll have to figure out what to do about that.

Unsure what you spotted in the murk of the tunnel, but certain it was of interest, you have continued down the passage swiftly and in stealth, with the comforting bulk of Kzri looming behind you. It never even occurs to you to question forging on ahead without your new companions; you've gotten along without them well enough in the past, and now you're not thinking of them at all, just pursuing some unidentified quarry through a space that feels as comfortably familiar as the tangled underbrush of your old-growth home, despite being subterranean and largely devoid of plant life (though you do half-notice an increasing amount of lichen on the walls all around).

Finally, you see a soft green glow beginning ahead, which both you and Kzri find soothing and intriguing. It brightens as you continue to advance, soon being as clear as the predawn gloaming (which remains a bit murky to human eyes, you've heard, but is as good as high noon to an elf), and you emerge into a spacious chamber, furnished like a parlor in a style that one of your "civilized" cousins might be comfortable with, with several potted plants flourishing in the artificial daylight and a small fountain bubbling effervescently in the corner. On a bed of soft, luxurious moss reclines a rosy-skinned woman of obviously mixed heritage, her face and figure curved enough to appeal to the decadent cravings of men, yet still svelte and angular enough to please the elven eye. Her ears are not only pointed but curved forward slightly at the tips, and her hair is probably actually reddish-brown, to judge by the almost-black shade it assumes in the verdant lighting. She's wearing a silky, largely diaphanous nightgown and several tasteful, unobtrusive pieces of jewelry, with bare feet and arms and a respectable-yet-intriguing decolletage; seeing you, she stretches a bit like a cat, then settles back into place, ensuring that you get a good look at the fluid flexing of well-toned muscles beneath her supple, unblemished skin.

"Well hello, darlings," the half-elf says in a sultry voice, her eyes half-lidded as she surveys you and the spider, absolutely no trace of uneasiness in her voice.

[spiderwrangler]

Kast is a bit surprised to find he has his bow in his left hand and is absently holding an arrow by the fletchings with his other hand. Surely there was no need for such things... so with practiced movement, he stows them without taking his gaze from the half-elf before him.

In their time together as hunting and travel companions, Kzri had always kept to the shadows on those occasions that Kast had needed to interact with strangers. It was a lesson learned early and hard that most folk viewed her with disgust and fear, and assumed the worst of him for his connection to her. They had learned to keep her presence a secret, which had often come in handy if events turned to violence... and Kast's opponents suddenly found themselves pinned to the ground by her legs or fangs. So, it was a bit unusual for Kast to be standing before a stranger with Kzri at his side and not be engaged in open combat... much less a stranger as attractive as this one.

While he could feel his body responding to the graceful appeal of her easy movement, Kast remains at the entrance to the chamber. He had no contextual experience with females, elven or half that he could call on in this situation. Any he'd known as a elven child had avoided him more and more as they'd grown and his 'proclivities' became known.

"Errr... Hello.", Kast finally replies awkwardly. He is briefly irritated at his inability to respond easily to her friendly greeting. What was he thinking anyway? What sort of female would ever be able to accept him AND Kzri? Something... odd... about her seemed to tickle at the back of his brain, but the feeling disappeared as soon as he thought it might be there. She was just being warm and welcoming after all... and looked warm and welcoming to match. Certainly nothing to fear from this one.

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Since you didn't say otherwise, I responded as if Kast was still being 'nudged'.

Also, what has happened to Joyce in this time? I think we all kind of forgot about her once we started chasing green mists, last I recall her interacting was in reference the crystal Kast found. I'm assuming she would have followed down the main tunnel to the chamber that split the party... you don't necessarily have to tell me/Kast, but her absence just occurred to me while thinking about Kast's past interactions with females, and that she's likely the closest to a positive one he's had with less than 8 legs.

[willpell]

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Since you didn't say otherwise, I responded as if Kast was still being 'nudged'.

I'm honestly not sure whether he is or not...like I've said before, it's really subtle. He hasn't abruptly noticed he's acting weird, but whether he's actually acting weird anymore or has just gently transitioned into a new situation...sometimes in life, you get swept up in events and don't even notice that you're behaving in a way different from your normal persona, just "going with the flow". Some might think it's a mystical influence, like the way Vodoun believers speak of being "ridden" by a spirit; others might call it an empathic reaction to the people around you, and still others would just call it a chance whim. All of that is the sort of thing that's going on here; only the very beginning part, where you were all alert to the possible dangers of the unknown and had to be "lulled" into relaxing your guard, required a Will Save, and only that part was jarring enough that you'd instantly notice its absence. Without an abrupt shift of gears, the effect probably subsided into your psyche and was normalized away...unless of course it turns out it wasn't.

Also, what has happened to Joyce in this time?

That's a good question. To be honest, I forgot about her, but it happens to play well into my plans that I did. She'll turn up eventually.

"Don't be shy, honey, c'mon in. That's a lovely companion you have. Do you and she have names, by any chance?" The girl snuggles her legs up and shifts to one side, making room for you to join her on the bed, with as much or as little distance as you feel appropriate between the two of you. Kzri would not fit in the bed, of course, but the room is big enough that she can hang out in a corner and "go null", as she does whenever there's nothing terribly pressing to keep her occupied...being essentially mindless in the first place, she's not susceptible to boredom, so if she has nothing to do, she simply does nothing, but remains alert to her surroundings in case something changes. You have the fullest confidence that anything you might choose to do in this young lady's company will not impinge upon the spider's proto-consciousness in the least, nor will the thought of her blank-staring surveillance bother you any. It seems as though it probably won't bother your new ladyfriend either, interestingly enough.

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To be clear, I'm not looking to shoot an elvish blue movie here; the roleplaying here should aim for about a PG-13 rating. If you want to accept the lady's advances, we can use a moderate amount of play-by-play action or just handwave it away, but either way, if things go far enough, there will eventually be a "fade to black", rather than any level of description which might get us in trouble with the mods.

[spiderwrangler]

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I'm honestly not sure whether he is or not...like I've said before, it's really subtle... Without an abrupt shift of gears, the effect probably subsided into your psyche and was normalized away...unless of course it turns out it wasn't.

Fair enough. For now I'll play him as if his predatory hunter instincts and caution have been dulled, unless something happens that I feel would require enough of a departure from his normal behavior to possibly jar him out of it? Would you want a Will Save check in such an instance? If he weren't still being nudged, he'd have been on high alert and blades would be drawn, regardless of hot elf ladies.

To be honest, I forgot about her, but it happens to play well into my plans that I did. She'll turn up eventually.

Ok. I don't feel as bad about forgetting about 1/4 of our party then too.

If you want to accept the lady's advances,... if things go far enough, there will eventually be a "fade to black", rather than any level of description which might get us in trouble with the mods.

I don't see that as a possibility for the character, he's too suspicious and wary of strangers (under normal circumstances) to jump into bed with one. If I understand your description of the manner in which the party was 'nudged', that would run too far counter to his worldviews, and may make him reassess his current situation.

"Don't be shy, honey, c'mon in. That's a lovely companion you have. Do you and she have names, by any chance?"

Kast takes a step into the chamber and the mention of a 'lovely compainon' smiles and glances over at Kzri, who settles in to groom herself, alternately drawing her legs through her chelicerae to clean them.

"Yes, I'm Kastrail, and this is Kzri, though most are not familiar enough with spiders to know that she's female. Or accepting of her presence for that matter." Kast is intrigued with this attractive woman, who not only seems not to mind Kzri's presence, but also shows interest and knowledge in his spider companion. Certainly not the response he is used to encountering.

While to an outside observer she may be trying to entice Kast to sit beside her, he misses this social cue, and is more at ease talking about Kzri.

[Amara]

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I'm good for it, just sitting tight until I can erm, do something I suppose.

[willpell]

"Well I appreciate, and understand, all of Mother Nature's creatures. You needn't be shy, you know; the last thing I would ever want to do is hurt you. By all means, come join me; it's quite comfortable, I assure you."

[Nioca]

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If I could manage to continue this, would you all still be interested?

Oh, hey, this isn't dead.

...truth be told, though, I don't think I'm interested in continuing. For me, at least, it just moves way too slowly to keep me immersed, something not aided by the frequent stops and starts. So... I think I'll have to bow out. Sorry.

(It's funny you PM'd me when you did willpell, though; I was just responding to this thread when it came in.)

[spiderwrangler]

Kast hesitantly approaches the bed and somewhat cautiously sits on the end. His concern was less with her hurting him and more not knowing how to approach the situation.

[willpell]

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Fair enough; you wouldn't be the first person to have that reaction to my sluggish responses. Thanks for being a part of things so far nonetheless; your character shall have a place in the annals of legend.

No sooner has Rian relinquished his bear-hug upon the winged elf (who never told any of them his name) than he flies off in a huff. Whether it was having his mind affected somehow or being grappled back to his senses that bothered him, either way he seems to have taken it hard, and Rian is left alone, quite incapable of catching up to the fleeing half-fey. So the bearadin is left with a choice: go forward, to see what his ex-companion was being lured into, or go back to the antechamber from which the two of them diverged on separate paths?

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Okay, at this point she'll more or less make small talk with you, to try and get you to relax and open up to her; if that's something you don't see happening, even with mild mind control, then let me know how you'd like to move forward with the scene. (Gotta love how in D&D, someone trying to strike up a conversation can seem more difficult than a battle to the death....)

[spiderwrangler]

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Kast hasn't had social interactions with many people, and even under the influence of whatever he's experiencing I feel that being incredibly open right away would be a big departure from his character. However, her acceptance of Kzri may be an opening for discussing spiders in general and putting him more at ease...

Recalling what she'd called to them while they were in the tunnel, he turns to the girl, "You... uh. You'd said you'd introduce yourself when we met?"

[Amara]

...that hadn't gone as he planned. There was still Kast, of course, though he doubted he could catch up with him now...

Wait. Where was Joyce? Now the bear backpedaled quite quickly.

[willpell]

Recalling what she'd called to them while they were in the tunnel, he turns to the girl, "You... uh. You'd said you'd introduce yourself when we met?"

(Response pending.)

...that hadn't gone as he planned. There was still Kast, of course, though he doubted he could catch up with him now...

Wait. Where was Joyce? Now the bear backpedaled quite quickly.

Returning to the antechamber, Rian sniffs around for Joyce's scent trail, and finds that it departs from the Y-shaped wax pattern on the floor and seems to go right into a solid earth wall.

[Amara]

...now that couldn't be right. He sniffed around again to be certain his mind wasn't playing tricks on him, before scrabbling at the wall in question. This was getting nowhere fast; certainly she couldn't have just disappeared? Perhaps... there was something he wasn't seeing.
The bear scuffed at the wall again with his claws, trying to determine if it sounded hollow.

[willpell]

It does not.

[willpell]

Recalling what she'd called to them while they were in the tunnel, he turns to the girl, "You... uh. You'd said you'd introduce yourself when we met?"

"Oh...I have a lot of names, actually. But...I guess my favorite would have to be 'Lilly'."

(Knowledge: Religion and Knowledge: Local checks, if you have ranks in either of them, please.)

[spiderwrangler]

"Lilly, huh? Nice to meet you."

Religion is completely outside Kast's day to day needs, and doesn't rely on gods, nor does he expect them to rely on him.
Local customs and tradition are of no use to an elf who spends his day roaming the wilderness with an enormous spider as his only friend.

In other words, Kast has no training in either of these areas of Knowledge that could be applied to this situation.

[willpell]

"So you say, but you're not acting like I'm nice. C'mon, be friendly. I won't bite...unless you ask nicely." She scooches over a little more and pats the spot next to her invitingly.

[spiderwrangler]

"I... ah..", Kast responds eloquently, and while he doesn't scoot closer, he does turn to face her a bit more on the edge of the bed. Where was this going? What did she want from him? In his adult life, very few individuals he'd met remained tolerant and friendly once meeting Kzri... much less be as open as Lilly. Her banter seemed almost predatory... but not in a manner he'd experienced before... or was all that sure he really minded, despite making him more than a little uncomfortable.

"Err.. so... have you seen spiders of Kzri's size before? You didn't seem all that surprised by her.", Kast asks in an subconscious attempt to steer the conversation back towards something that didn't get him quite so flustered.

[willpell]

"Sure, spiders come in all kinds of sizes, from the bitty microspiders that eat insects, to the ones that spin webs between the towers of ruined castles to catch low-flying dragons. They can be dangerous, certainly, to things they might mistake for prey, but I have no reason to fear them; I find them beautiful, and if they find me edible, I know how to convince them otherwise. So what is there to be afraid of?"

[Amara]

Okay. ...so this made no sense. The bear turned his gaze around the passage again, and even back in the way they had come.

He had no idea where she was. ...but he also didn't know where Kast was now, or if he was safe, either. There certainly weren't two of him, and he couldn't be in two places at once. Logically speaking, however, while he had absolutely no path (and hope that he could think of,) of locating Joyce, he could at least try to find Kast before anything terrible happened...

After a bit more scuffing at and examining the wall, he turned to lumber down the path Kast had taken before.

[spiderwrangler]

"Exactly! Once you understand them, they are quite interesting!"
Kast realizes he's still wearing his pack and quiver and shrugs them off his shoulders and places them on the floor beside the bed.

[willpell]

(Clarify please. Rian originally took the middle of three paths, then went back and took the left path to go after "that fey". Which path is he looking for now?)

Kast and Lilly make small talk for a while; she's very knowledgeable about nature and endlessly fascinated by it, and from Kast's perspective she also knows a lot about people, and can amuse him with cultural tidbits about other elf tribes out there in the world. (If she was talking to someone who was less of a bumpkin, it would be evident that she's rather sheltered and has little practical knowledge, but with Kast she's "the blind leading the blind" in these matters.) She continues to hint at the idea of them becoming more physically intimate, but I'll assume Kast isn't taking the bait, and she won't outright force herself on him.

[Amara]

(That leaves the right path as being where Kast went, so he'd head that way. He can't find Joyce, and sitting around panicking over it will accomplish nothing but wasting time.)

[willpell]

Rian finds only two paths leading out of the chamber besides the one back to the surface. One is in the center of the far wall, while the other is to the left. The right side of the wall appears to be solid earth, but Kast's and Kzri's scent-trails lead into it.