Dark Days
Dwarmin|Jacquelyn Delahaye:You tap your sword on the ground, looking out for any sudden or aggressive movements. After no one makes a move, you draw back your blade and gaze intently at each of them.
"...Who in the blazes are all you bouffons? And where am I? I've been to lots of places, but never a place where the trees tried to strangle you.
Last I remember, I was off the coast of Spain..."You wonder how your loving crew would just leave you here. Or how you got so far from shore. You think of the numerous ways of how you could have arrived in this forest. Other pirates? Shipwrecked? Maybe you were attacked and you got left behind? You keep thinking and thinking, until the girl with the saber cuts your train of thought. She speaks Spanish, and you struggle to speak back in what little you know.
"Uhm...Mi nombre es Jacquelyn. Y no...puedo hablar mucho español?"The woman lowered her saber, then speaks back in English. Her name is Amelia. Your face sneers as she calls you a
sailor, and you remark that these people around you are not your friends.
"They're not my friends, and neither are you fille. And I guess you'd call me a sailor, but I don't just gut fish, ey?"
"...and you're lucky I like your face, to handle that sort of remark-and were currently preoccupied, lest I demand satisfaction from you. I'm a proud citizen of our glorious France, though only in my heart-my feet have not touched her soil for many years." you proudly explain.
The girl you saved earlier huddles closer to your leg, and you look at her in sympathy. You stand back to get closer to her, when the Spanish woman speaks back to you. She remarks that none of you are from the same place, and that she remarks that this can't be a dream, jokingly referencing the pain in her side. Then the woman with a crook, which you now realize must be a shepherd, speaks in a slow, broken tone. She reveals her name as well, but you don't know just where she might be from.
You try to piece together what she is trying to say, until another woman speaks up, this time with an English accent. You roll your eyes, maybe next you'll find a Dutchman or a Scott. The Englishwoman lowers her hammer, then jokes about this being dream, which certainly could be a possibility. The woman explains her plans for Africa, and her name is Gertrude Thompson. You find it hard to believe that no one knows anyone, but then again, you find it hard to believe you're so far from the sea. Or why you're sober for that matter.
"Alright, so no one knows anyone or anything or why we're here or where. Unless someones lying, but who's gonna throw names in the air, right?" then you turn to the Englishwoman to take out your frustration.
Well, this must be Hell then, if I'm to be stuck on dry land with a dammed English rosbif chienne like you. Anyway, don't know about all of you, but I'm getting out of the forest that can strangle you with it's trees. Then maybe we can talk more about why and how. Whose with me?"
Gertrude then explains how she's not been to Church for a long time, and suggests to build a shelter. "Just like the English to grumble about the rain. If you're going through Hell, just keep walking, right?" you laugh.
You continue to stay near the girl you've saved, while the others chat away until they attempt to nominate you for leader and discussing the many ways they could've died and went straight to Hell. You then refuse the position and offer anyone to go along with you to find the ocean and possibly the Silverfish. You tell them about the last moments you remember from then, and you jokingly say that you aren't sorry for your sins.
You sit down by the girl while the rest continue talking. You smile, hoping to comfort her with your voice.
"Hey, hey there lass. Steady on, I won't let anything hurt you. My name's Jacquelyn Delahaye. My friends call me Jack. You can call me that, if you like. What's your name? How'd ya get here?" The girl looks up at you and replies in a weak, quiet voice. Her name's Sana. Sana looks up and down, then surveys the woods. She looks back, this time the expression of fear replaced with a calmer, studying look. Then another person speaks up, this time a man's voice, muffled by a mask of sorts. The voice is hoarse, and near unsettling coupled with the beaked mask and his attire. You all them agree to wait and see, until Sana tugs at you and points at a lake where you spot something strange.
You see a still lake. You look closer, and you see a group of people and a man on his knees. The man looks at you and smiles, and the people stare at you with hatred. It's your father and family. Your family viciously grab your father and put his head in the water, drowning him. His body floats on the water and moves towards the center, and sinks. The people around him follow him, wading casually into the water until they are completely submerged. Your eyes open wide, and you want to run and save him, but Sana grabs your leg.
Tiruin|Amelia L. Aguilon:You wait for someone to make a move, until the woman in the center taps her cutlass on the floor. You realize the meaning, and you realize that no one here wants a fight. The woman yells and demands to know who you all are. You hear that she's been off the coast of Spain, and you decide to speak to her and realize if she notices your deliberate mistake.
"Que están vosotras?" The woman looks at you and replies back, albeit slow, and the accent is off. You realize she isn't of Spanish blood, and that the others don't seem to be as well. You lower your saber slowly, then reply back in English.
"Englishwoman, then? I'm Amelia. Are you a sailor? And who are your friends?" you ask, pointing your saber at them.
The woman replies, she doesn't know any of them, and her face changes as she explains how she isn't a sailor. She also explains that she's from France. The girls on the floor crawls towards the woman and huddles on her leg, her shock white skin in perfect contrast to the dead grey soil. You then look back at the Frenchwoman, and reply while lowering your saber further.
"My apologies, madame, for that remark. I had assumed you were spanish by blood given that-..." you look at all the people in the clearing.
"-that..none of you seem from the same place." you realize that they are all fro different places. You also realize that this pain is all too real for a mere dream.
"I know I'm not dreaming from the pain in my side, so who are you all and how did you get here?"The shepherd woman then speaks, in somewhat broken English. Her name is strange as well. Another woman speaks, this time with an English accent. The Englishwoman and the Frenchwoman have a conversation for a while, until you jump in.
"Since we're all using English, I'm pretty sure this isn't Hell. If it were, there'd be...worse things than meeting people from other countries. I know we aren't alone, and that in itself makes this place not Hell. Better to stick together now that we've found each other, yes?
Unless you both just don't like being with each other women."You decide to look around, check the soil and vegetation. You cannot find any plants growing on the trees or soil, and the cold air has no particular scent, although it bites in the inside of your nose. You do, however, notice that the branches and roots face a particular direction, which you guess is North. You try to follow it for a while, and you see a small lake.
You return and plan to share the news with the others, after you finish deciding on if they can be trusted.* After the conversation, you tell them about the lake, and you decide to look around it. You head towards it, until you spot something strange. You see a boy standing next to the lake. It's the young boy who you befriended you in your youth. He looks at you with sadness, and he rapidly ages and deteriorates. The lake washes over his bones, and drags it inside. The lake dries up, until it is completely empty. There is, however, no hole. Just flat land.
IronyOwl|Sana:You regain your strength back, and you listen in on the conversations among all of the people but your thoughts remain on why the woman didn't kill you. You feel emotions stir inside, feelings you've rarely, if ever, felt. After the woman finishes her conversation, she sits next to you. She tells you her name. Jacquelyn. Jack. You instinctively hug her, and you let go, fearful of having made a mistake.
Jack asks for your name, her tough voice she used on the others replaced with a kind voice. "Sana," you respond quietly, knitting your brow. "Not sure. In the forest maybe? ...not this forest."
You turn your gaze to the sky, looking around, and you look at the forest. You spot a lake in the forest, and as you look closer you see a man walking inside. You tug at Jack, but she's too busy talking with the others. You decide to look closer, and you see the man take a drink from the lake. Then a lamb casually walks out of the water, perfectly dry with shock white fleece. The man stands, stunned. The lamb walks slowly, moving closer and closer, and begins to eat the man. The man begins stroking the lamb, and looks back at you. It's your father. He smiles as the white lamb continues to eat him until he is nothing.
The goat looks at you as well, then walks back into the water. You turn your head at the strange event, until you see another lady attempting to go into the area near the lake. You give a meep and try to stop her, but you can't raise your voice loud enough. You tug at Jack and point to the lake.
Jack picks you up, and leads you on holding your hand. She goes closer to the lake, but you try to hold her back. You are no match for the woman's strength, and you fall backwards.
scapheap|Ura Hakai Kaze:You look at the group of people, and the women start to talk in different languages. First what you think is Spanish, and the second English, with the occasional...um, you don't recall. You step a little closer, and you introduce yourself. You struggle to find the right words, and you hope they don't think too badly of your language.
You listen to the conversation, and you hear the possibility that you are all in Hell. You don't get the joke, and you reply that no one has tried to kill you yet. The conversation continues on, until some of them turn to go into the woods. A little girl with white hair is tugging at the Frenchwoman, but she falls to the ground. Each of them stare at the lake, stunned.
You walk towards them to see what it is about. You see a still lake in another clearing, and you see a man and a woman lovingly holding hands in front of the lake. The woman places her head on the man's shoulder, and you see a baby wrapped in cloth floating on the lake. The couple pick her up, and lovingly look at the baby. The man gives the woman the baby, smiling, and slits his throat. The woman giggles, and takes the knife from the man's hand and does the same for herself too. The baby cries, when the waves swallow it and the baby is dragged into the lake.
You run and try to save the baby, but the little white girl leaps on you and motions her head to tell you not to go. You try to shake you off, and you keep staring at the crying baby, and you see the villagers that tormented you stand around her in the water, eating her. You scream, and you try to run even harder, until the lake becomes still once more, the baby and the villagers gone.
Harry Baldman|Gertrude "Gorilla" Thompson:You look at each of them, when the woman in the center taps her sword on the ground, and you lower your hammer. The woman in the center starts a conversation with another woman, who speaks in Spanish. They then speak in English, with a bit of French coming from the first woman. You decide to jump in and introduce yourself.
"It stands to reason that we do not know each other, and, considering the obviously strange nature of this forest, arrived here in equally strange circumstances, yes? So, this is either a rather intriguing dream or a very mysterious and unreasonable reality."
"I'm Gertrude Thompson, and I hail from glorious England, myself. Though I also haven't been back there for quite a while - I've been more interested in the African continent lately. Seems like that plan has fallen through, though."You introduce yourself and you decide to look around. You don't notice anything in particular, so you continue your conversation with the others. You then get into a joke about whether or not you're in hell.
After a while, the ladies walk towards the forest, but stop halfway and stand there stunned. You go to see if they're alright, and you see what they see: a lake. A perfectly still lake, until you see dead animals walk out of the water and graze on dead bodies that have strangely sprouted out of the dead soil. You rub your eyes. The animals graze and drink, deteriorating by the second till they are dust.
You look in disgust, and try to look away, but a strange feeling drags you forward. The girl from earlier, with the white hair grabs you and holds you back, but you feel her letting go.
Caellath|Falken Stiehr:You stand in place, staring through your plague mask. No one makes a move, until the woman in the center taps on the ground. The others look at each other intently. The others lower their weapons, and soon a conversation breaks out between the sailor-woman in the center and another woman at the opposite end of the clearing. They start speaking Spanish, and then change to English, with the sailor-woman, Jacquelyn, adding French snarks once in a while.
After each of them introduces themselves you jump in. You move in closer for safety, and you all look around the forest. This goes on for a while, until some of the women walk towards the forest. You get up and you see them stand and stare into the forest. You pick up your meat clever and go towards them.
You look at what they're staring, and you drop your cleaver. It's a lake. Dead corpses float on the water, and you see a couple walk out of the water, completely dry. They are followed by another family, a hearty man in his forties, his wife, and their son. Your friend. You run towards them, but you are stopped in your tracks.
The man takes the family and places them on beds, cutting them open and pulling out gold coins and tossing them to the woman. He lobs the boys head off, then turns to the father and explains how he couldn't save him, holding a bag of coins behind his back. You look in anger as the man continues doing this to more families coming out of the water. The man stares back at you and takes off his mask. It's your father and winks as he continues to "cure" the people.
Party:You stand before a lake, staring at your inner nightmares face to face.
Status:Name: Jacquelyn Delahaye
Sex: Female
Age: 24
Occupation: Pirate (+10 to Strong)
Skills:
WS 20+20=40
BS 20
S 20+20+10=50
T 20+30=50
Per 20
Int 20-10=10
Fel 20
Wil 20+30=50
Affinity:
Swordswoman [Gain a +10 to WS when rolling with swords in combat)
Incompatibilities:
Ignoramus (Animals/Natural World)
Inventory:
Clothes
Sleek and seaworn blue coat, leather studded slacks, a sturdy pair of boots and a blue bandanna atop her head. It's comfortable, well worn and designed to mask her femininity rather than revel in it. She wears a golden hoop earring in her left ear.
Sword [2d6+WS bonus damage]
A short and deadly cutlass with a notch in the end of the blade, and a tarnished copper crossguard. Designed less for elegant parries and more for quick draws and brutal slashing cuts.
Bronze gauntlets [Block 1d3+T bonus damage for each arm]
Thick bronze gloves, with leather fingertips-judging by the design, she stole them from an Englishmen.
Salted Fish Meal
A strip of fish meat so salted as to be nearly inedible.
Leather Waterskin (Filled with Spiced Rum)
A heavy leather pouch made to carry liquid. Currently filled with a fiery alcoholic imbibement pirates use to hype themselves up for bloodshed, if it doesn't strike them blind first.
Health:
Head 10/10
Torso 10/10
L Arm 10/10
R Arm 10/10
L Leg 10/10
R Leg 10/10
L Hand 10/10
R Hand 10/10
L Foot 10/10
R Foot 10/10
Name: Amelia L. Aguilon
Sex: Female
Age: 25
Occupation: Fencer (+10 to Per)
Skills:
WS 20 +30 /-10 = 50/40
BS 20 /-10 = 20/10
S 20 +10 = 30
T 20 +10 = 30
Per 20 +10 +30 = 60
Int 20 +10 +10 = 30
Fel 20 +10 = 30
Wil 20
Affinity:
Scholar [Gain a +10 to Int; Philosophy]
Incompatibilities:
Pacifist [Gain a -10 to WS or BS when using melee or ranged weapons respectively]
Inventory:
Clothes/ A simple mix of what men would commonly wear in most areas make up this set: a chemise, kirtle with a surcoat topping it off, falling to about ankle height to name a few, it was an ensemble made to ensure comfort and warmth as well as function for everyday use.
High-cut Boots/ Taken out of its technical term, these boots are fitted and padded under the skin so as to provide full covering for the foot, heel and ankle as well as the lower portion of the thigh without sacrificing mobility.
Two-Handed Saber [2d6+WS bonus damage]/ The two-handed saber is an often overlooked weapon. These swords have similar proportions to typical longswords, though single-edged. The structure and make of the weapon-seemingly a hybrid of both-employs the use of the thick spine for deflection and it's whole weight being placed on the edge, for precise strikes.
Copper breastplate [Block 1d6+T bonus damage]/ Fully covering the torso, it confers protection in the most practical sense.
Quesadillas/ A flour tortilla filled with a savory mixture containing cheese, other ingredients, and/or vegetables,then folded in half to form a crescent. It is personally considered a sublime dish.
Chain-bound Diary/ "Notes and written words would keep any memory in check." - You see a tome, sturdy and filled with reams of paper. It is somehow light and easy to carry despite its appearance.
Health:
Head 10/10
Torso 10/10
L Arm 10/10
R Arm 10/10
L Leg 10/10
R Leg 10/10
L Hand 10/10
R Hand 10/10
L Foot 10/10
R Foot 10/10
Name: Sana
Sex: Female
Age: 16
Occupation: Herbalist [+10 Per]
Skills:
WS 20
BS 20
S 10
T 20
Per 70
Int 60
Fel 20
Wil 50
Affinity: Hawk Eyed [Gain a +10 to Per], Scholar [Gain a +10 to Int. Science]
Incompatibilities: Weak [Gain a -10 to S], Social Outcast [Gain a -10 to Fel. Roll a Fel Test when interacting with people other than your teammates]
Inventory:
Clothes - Somewhat threadbare black flax robe
Boots - Rugged, sturdy, and a few sizes too large for her
Twin Daggers[1d3+WS bonus damage each]X2 (Counted as two weapons)
Leather helm [Block 1d6+T bonus damage]
One meal - Rabbit and mushrooms wrapped in leaves for ease of carrying
One item of profession - Mortar&Pestle
Health:
Head 10/10
Torso 10/10
L Arm 10/10
R Arm 10/10
L Leg 10/10
R Leg 10/10
L Hand 10/10
R Hand 10/10
L Foot 10/10
R Foot 10/10
Name: Ura Hakai Kaze
Sex: Female
Age: 20
Occupation: Shepard(+10 to Wil)
Skills:
WS 20
BS 40
S 20
T 30
Per 30
Int 70
Fel 10
Wil 50
Affinity:
Scholar [science, biology in particularly]
Incompatibilities:
Social Outcast [Gain a -10 to Fel. Roll a Fel Test when interacting with people other than your teammates]
Inventory:
Clothes
Boots
Slingshot [1d3+BS bonus damage] [X5 stones; find more on the floor of the woods]
Copper breastplate [Block 1d6+T bonus damage]
One meal
Shepard's crook
[See Items list below for item choices]
Health:
Head 10/10
Torso 10/10
L Arm 10/10
R Arm 10/10
L Leg 10/10
R Leg 10/10
L Hand 10/10
R Hand 10/10
L Foot 10/10
R Foot 10/10
Name: Gertrude "Gorilla" Thompson
Sex: Female
Age: 42
Occupation: Traveling Scholar (+10 Int)
Skills:
WS 20-10 = 10
BS 20-10 = 10
S 20+30 = 50
T 20+30 = 50
Per 20+20 = 40
Int 20+10+10+10 = 50
Fel 20+10+10 = 40
Wil 20-10 = 10
Affinity: Scholar (Biology), Silver Tongue
Incompatibilities: Fearful, Pacifist
Inventory:
Clothes - Scholar's Robe
Boots
Hammer
Leather Helm
One Bag of Horse Jerky
Dissection Set
Health:
Head 10/10
Torso 10/10
L Arm 10/10
R Arm 10/10
L Leg 10/10
R Leg 10/10
L Hand 10/10
R Hand 10/10
L Foot 10/10
R Foot 10/10
Name: Falken Stiehr
Sex: Male
Age: 20
Occupation: Plague Doctor (+10 Willpower)
Skills:
30 WS (20+10)
20 BS (20+0)
20 S (20-10+10)
40 T (20+20)
30 Per (20+10)
50 Int (20+10+20)
20 Fel (20+0)
60 Wil (20+10+30)
Affinity:
Scholar [+10 to Int. Specialty: Medicine]
Incompatibilities:
Weak [Gain a -10 to S]
Inventory:
Heavy robes, black;
Knee-high boots;
Meat cleaver;
Plague doctor mask; (Leather helm)
Dried fruit and nuts;
Medicine bag, leather.
Health:
Head 10/10
Torso 10/10
L Arm 10/10
R Arm 10/10
L Leg 10/10
R Leg 10/10
L Hand 10/10
R Hand 10/10
L Foot 10/10
R Foot 10/10
*This is where I gave up on adding all your conversations to it. It took up a lot of space and it was kind of redundant. Sorry if it becomes sort of worse at the end of the turn, just didn't have the energy anymore. Sorry.
Author
Topic: The Dark Forest: Cold Depths (Read 7395 times)