Fifth & Sixth Stick - @Littlefeets, @BlueInferno, & GROUP DECIDERS
Aelric stood there analysing the poles, thinking about the best way around them. He was just about to start to make his way between the poles when the group caught up to him and he heard the voice that he’d grown to like.
“And where do you think you’re going, mister?”, Desiree chided him with her arms folded and a hint of a coy smirk on her face.
Aelric stopped at the sound of her voice and turned around, rolling his eyes at the demand but smiling at the words. “I’m going to make my way through this obstacle course, care to join me?” He offered Desiree his hand.
Desiree was thinking of taking it, however, Kathryn interjected before she could, “I think both ways could cause problems but if we go ova the top o’ them then we’re higher up and away from bein’ attacked.”
Sam nodded. “I agree. Above them is safer.” She turned to look at Julian beside her. “You agree with us, don’t ya?”
Kathryn looked around at him too. “Yes, Julian, you are the decidin’ factor after all.”
With all eyes on him, he hesitated, panic filling his eyes and mind. “What?”, Julian snapped at them all. “I’m supposed to be your deciding factor for whatever way we go. So if whichever I choose goes wrong then you can all just blame me. Don’t think so, I ain’t doing it.” He crossed his arms angrily.
No one answered him, they didn’t have a chance. Their eyes were too focused on the girl who was walking up behind Julien. Her dark hair was out, down to her shoulders, pushed back off her face by what looked like an opal decorated headband. With it, she wore a long-sleeved, rusty tight-knit tunic, woollen tights, brown leather boots, and a smile. She got rather close to Julian and said with her own brand of sarcastic charm, “Yeah, you’re totally right, you don’t want to go making decisions, not ones that can be life or death. No, staying here in this spot seems like a much better choice.”
Julian jumped away from her in mild fright, then barked back, “Hey, I can make a decision if I want to.”
“I have no doubt in that, I’m sure you can,” the girl, Yoohan, said again in a soft tone. Then she gave him a little wink and turned to Aelric. “Which way were you thinking of going?”
Aelric didn’t respond but Desire surely did. She reached for the hand that he had just offered her and gripped it… tightly, and rather protectively. “We’re going around the poles.” She made sure to emphasise the ‘we’ and then turned them both around to face the poles.
Julian raised his index finger up to them and said, “I’m coming too.” He ran up behind them, making sure not to look at Yoohan as he did. However, seeing both the boys leave, she was going too, it didn’t matter if Blondie was there or not.
Desiree was actually pulling Aelric by the hand, between the poles, with Julian and Yoohan closely following, taking care not to touch any of them. Sam and Kathryn, however, weren’t so sure. As soon as the four turned to make their way between the poles, Sam and Kathryn exchanged glances. Kathryn nodded to Sam, who immediately took the lead. With a small run-up, she leapt confidently onto the first pole and then strode onto the next, with Kathryn on her tail. As she landed on the third pole, it immediately released a shower of sharp splinters, each several centimetres long. They flew out in all directions at great speed, and they couldn’t avoid being hit. (-2 luck) Lucky for the group of four, they were already further along than the third pole. Seven splinters pierced Sam and eight pierced Kathryn while they both managed to scramble over the remaining poles. When they reached the end, to where the others stood, the two sat down to the painful task of removing the splinters. Julian stood there watching them the whole time, smirking.
“Be quiet, Julian,” Kathryn growled at him, despite him not making a noise. Yet, the smugness stayed.
After the last splinter was removed, the now group of six hurried east. The tunnel later ended at a junction. The footprints they had been following turned north. With Aelric and Desiree still leading the group, Dee allowed Aelric to continue north as he gently pulled the hand of hers he held. Then further along the wet footprints turn east and he followed them, everyone trailing after him.
The passage opened out into a wide cavern that was darker and drier. The footprints they had been following had faded and disappeared. Standing before the group, in the cavern centre was a large idol about six metres high. On each side was a giant stuffed bird-like creature, and the idol itself had jewelled eyes.
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Aelric
Skill: 10
Stamina: 18
Desiree
Skill: 9
Stamina: 20
Julian
Skill: 9
Stamina: 22
Kathryn
Skill: 11
Stamina: 19
Luck: 6
Samantha
Skill: 8
Stamina: 24
Luck: 9
Yoohan
Skill: 12
Stamina: 21
Seventh and Eighth Stick - @wanderingechoes, @Daunt, and @Caticorn
Crystal examined the section of bamboo, trying to see what the liquid was. “Any ideas on what this could be?”, she asked, sounding out of breath.
Scarlet coughed. “One way to find out, pass it over and I’ll drink it.” She reached for the bamboo.
Shaking her head, Crystal held onto it a little tighter. “No, we’ll share it. I found it after all.” She looked over at her travel companion. “You in too, Emrys.”
He backed up slightly from them, scoffing, “I’ll do whatever you two aren’t, especially after what just happened. I’m not trusting either of your decisions after being attacked by a giant boulder. You two drink it first and keep it far away from me.”
“Suit yourself,” Scarlet replied with a shrug, turning back to the girl and the bamboo with reckless anticipation.
Crystal pursed her lips in contemplation, almost rethinking the idea after hearing what Emrys said. Though the girl’s eagerness stopped her from second-guessing herself. She put the bamboo to her lips and tentatively sipped it before passing the rest to Scarlet. The water in the bamboo pipe is welcomingly refreshing (+1 stamina). The air around the girls didn’t feel as hot as it did before.
Scarlet discarded the pipe and shrugged with a cocky smile. “See, didn’t kill me.” She continued north in good spirits. They followed on, but not in a hurry to catch her up. Crystal starts to give him a sympathetic shrug, except he doesn’t look so good. The temperature continued to rise, though only for Emrys, the water must have had cooling properties for the body. As he struggled to take a step, the heat intensified until it felt like white heat and became unbearable, he felt like he would pass out.
“Are you okay?”, Crystal asked with concern.
He shook his head, trying desperately to stop himself from blacking out, but the heat was too much and he fell on the floor. Only his immense strength and grim determination kept him from falling unconscious. Picking himself up, he nodded to Crystal and pressed on.
Mercifully, the temperature starts to drop rapidly. It was almost cool again when they reached Scarlet, who was standing there waiting. On the left was a closed door with a small iron plate in it.
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Crystal
Skill: 11
Stamina: 20
Emyrs
Skill: 11
Stamina: 16
Scarlet
Skill: 11
Stamina: 20
Ninth Stick - @katabasis
Opening up the backpack, Yeonhwa saw a single Gold piece lying at the bottom. He he reached in to retrieve it, he suddenly a tickling movement on the back of his hand. Withdrawing it slowly, he tried to control his mounting panic upon seeing a Black Widow spider. Before Yeonhwa can shake it off, it sinks its poisonous fangs deep into his wrist (-6 Stamina). Noticing his hand trembling as he pocketed the Gold Piece (-1 Skill), he cursed owner of the backpack. Yeonhwa took a moment to breathe and shake off the pain before setting off north again.
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Yeonhwa Kim
Skill: 7
Stamina: 15
Eleventh Stick - @katabasis
Kendra removes her pack and rips off one of the smaller flaps covering a pocket. Carefully holding the jug, she drops the cloth into it. Acrid smoke rose from the jug; the liquid is unmistakenly acid. Recorking the jug, Kendra was careful to place it in her pack and shoulder it again, hoping to maybe use it later.
She continued northwards a few metres before it took a sharp turn east, soon arriving at a strange obstruction of 12 horizontal poles. Seeing long splinters scattering the floor, she wondered where they came from; above or the sides.
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Kendra
Skill: 12
Stamina: 21
Questions:
Fifth and Sixth Stick
Would any climb up to take the jewels or just walk around it leave the cavern?
Seventh and Eighth Stick
Do you open the door, slide the plate, or just continue onward?
Ninth Stick
What did you think about him finding a spider in there?
Eleventh Stick
Do you go over the top or between the poles?
Group Deciders and Readers:
Deciding for Aelric, Desiree, Julien, and Sam
@Tellyg47, @anon93806337, @ChaoticDeluge, @jaytastic, @Skyler2, and @unsungcheerio
Those just reading: @sunflower.flow, @duck, @Duckling, @celestialkitten, and @TheDancingFryer