the_last_resort | The Witches Huts

Entry tags:

The Witches Huts

Who: Various
What: Swamp Hunting
When: M11 D27 - M11 D29 (Feb 17 - Feb 25) IMPORTANT NOTE days have been changed to make the plot more accommodating.
Where: Three different swamps far from the Village
Notes & Warnings: See the plot post for further details. You are allowed to go to more than one swamp. There's plenty of time, to. Plotting Links: The Marsh of Sorrow | The Offending Swamp | The Witch's Den. Participation is encouraged so that we can make later plots around expanded world access, or so that characters can use potions or cauldrons they didn't turn in themselves. The Slip 'n' Slide log is still open for tagging.

The Marsh of Sorrow: Foggy and murkey, sparse trees jut out of the bog like gnarled fingers reaching to an unseen sky. There's a light mist in the air- raining again in some form or fashion as every explorer who has returned has reported. Not all have returned, though, and caution is very much encouraged. There are more wild hounds than one would expect for somewhere that apparently doesn't have free grazing livestock. They seem to be waiting around for something.

It becomes obvious when a sheep becomes mired in the mud near the border. Easy prey. Luckily the hounds have never shown any interest in people.

The good sign is that that there are few skeletons and creepers. While one might assume that they're hidden by the fog, they're generally extremely sparse. Off in the distant fog there are lit spots, areas where old huts are, glowing mysteriously. Those are the places that the museum wants to be investigated. It just requires wading through the muck to reach them.

What the museum doesn't know is when the marsh is active, emotions play a role in whether someone can make it across. Unfortunately it's the only time that the huts can be located through the fog. People that are entering the swamp with grim feelings in mind will find themselves sinking. Perseverence, ambition, joy, curiosity? Those will help people strive through, and hopefully pull others to the surface.
The Offending Swamp: The museum doesn't tell people why it provides them with face masks, but oh, they will know when they hit the border of the swamp. It's a terrible smell, not quite like being near a sewer but not far off. That unfortunate paper-mill smell. The mask given to them will allow people to speak freely and unmuffled, but it only blocks out about 90% of the stench. This is one of the situations where someone might hope that the rewards are worth it.

The ground is far more solid than in the Marsh of Sorrow, with plenty of firm areas to roam. It makes the stench more irritatingly mysterious. There are few animals, too. But the answer to that becomes obvious when bursts of flame pop out of small holes in the ground. Apparently getting through will require great care.

The museum did not provide fireproofed clothes. But when the hut is found, luckily alongside its cauldron will be an abundence of fireproofing potions. Their purpose isn't obvious so it would depend on the curious or the adventurous to figure it out. That will at least make getting back out easier.
The Witch's Den: When entered, this swamp seems the more relaxing one. The temperature is moderate, the air isn't deplorably foul, the boggy areas are not as difficult to navigate. Once someone is within its limits, making their way to the hut, the more unsettling aspects of the swamp make themselves known.

Voices of people lost or left behind speak to people over their shoulders, soft and sometimes pleading, or accusing. They mutter secrets, things about their past, fears that people don't say aloud. Sometimes they're just whispers, and sometimes they're loud enough for the next person over to hear. Often they will tell people to go a certain way, toward another object or in another direction.

If they follow, it will put them back at the edge of the swamp.

There is a single hut in this one, far towards the center. As with the ones in the Marsh of Sorrow, it will glow as the swamp's abilities are active. It lies past the remnants of dilapidated houses and landmarks, a village likely abandoned long before any of the other ruins were formed. It is best found as the sky grows dark. Unlike the Marsh of Sorrow, though, enemies will crawl out of the dark.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[as Linda and Boone come out of the teleporter, she looks around the area curiously] Okay, if they sent us to the right place, this should be turning to swamp land just over that way. [she gestures] Not sure what the hell we're going to be able to find in an area as big as a swamp, but I guess we'll find out...

[she starts forward--though this causes her to catch sight of their camera drone flying nearby. she wrinkles her nose, not sure what she thinks about this place having camera footage of the full expedition to cut up and share as they like. she remembers what the last "interviews" they shared sounded like, after all]

[but she knows they're going to have far more things to worry about out in the wilderness, so she tries to keep her focus on that instead of their annoying companion]

[Boone isn't particularly happy about the drone either, but he's doing his best to ignore it. He squints out into the mist, looking for creepers or skeletons, but he can't see too far ahead.]

Better be careful. Fog might make it harder for us to get spotted, but it works both ways.

[He starts off in the direction Linda pointed out, going slowly for now.]

[she nods her agreement] I'll be careful. [she has a ready hand at the gun at her waist. after all, she's not about to forget all the hostile wildlife they encountered on their last excursion together]

[they barely begin to advance before the ground under her feet starts to make a squealching sound. it seems the marsh has begun. Linda's glad she's wearing boots] Ugh... [she picks up her pace a bit, not wanting to get stuck in the murky mud] I guess if the ground is like this the whole time, at least we might hear things coming.

[He grunts when his feet are suddenly harder to lift. He keeps on plodding ahead, though.]

Hope we don't run into skeletons.

[Creepers and spiders would need to get through the mud to reach them, but a skeleton might have an easy time firing at them if they're slowed down by the swamp.]

At least they should have a hard time seeing us from too far off. [not that she doesn't share his concerns, but she's comforting herself with the fact that their aim isn't very good even when they have a clear line of sight] But you're right, we could be out here for a while...

That's not a problem. We've got time.

[They're in no real hurry. It's probably not a good idea to rush into the fog- not that they can move all that fast now anyway.]

[she nods] Let's just hope the rain doesn't pick up.

[that said, she continues forward in silence for a bit. but at the sound of a wolf howling somewhere out in the mist, she jumps, turning instinctively in that direction with her pistol now drawn]

[He hopes it doesn't. The rain just leaves him wet and miserable. The ice and the freezing rain make him miss home. It could get unbearably hot some days, but he can deal with that better. He turns when the wolf howls too, already on edge, but he relaxes slightly when he can't immediately see anything dangerous. He knows better than to think that means they're safe for now, but it beats turning around and spotting a creeper.]

Let's move.

[He's not sure if hounds can become aggressive for no good reason. He's never seen it happen, but this place can be unpredictable. He takes another step, and sinks just a little more.]

[Linda nods, lowering her weapon as she realizes there's no immediate threat--but she still doesn't speak for fear of drawing something their way. instead, she just continues forward in silence. it's not easy going for her, either, but she isn't actively sinking like Boone, and so as she keeps her eyes on their surroundings instead of her companion, she starts to pull ahead of him]

[but when she notices this, she slows, keeping her voice low as she asks:] Boone? Something wrong?

[He's noticed that Linda isn't sinking the way he is, and by now he's up to his knees in mud. He grunts as he tries to pull his foot out, but only manages to sink a few more inches.]

Can't move.

[It's worrying how he seems to be sinking faster now, but he's also confused. Why is he the only one getting pulled under?]

[she turns and sees the problem at the same time that he mentions it, and her eyes widen] Damnit! Hold on...

[she casts her eyes around desperately, spotting one of the stringy trees nearby. her determination makes it even easier for her to move now, and she splashes quickly over to it, grabbing a branch and, with an effort, snapping it off. hurrying back, she hesitates to get too close, but offers the branch to Boone from a few steps away] Grab this! I'll pull you out!

[He grabs the branch with both hands, but he's still sinking. By the time the muck is up to his waist, he's already thinking about what a terrible way to die this would be. If he had to go, he'd rather do it fighting. He hasn't given up yet, though. And though he doesn't know it, that's probably the only reason he's not already up to his neck.]

Okay, pull.

Hold on tight! [Linda isn't giving up either, and she pulls for all she's worth, trying not to think about how much of Boone is already covered in the muck and how oddly tall she seems in comparison]

[He holds on as tightly as he can, and he's almost up to his chest when he feels himself being pulled out of the mud just a little. It gives him some hope, which is enough to help the process along slightly. By the time he's able to yank his boots out from the mud, he's mostly just feeling relieved. He moves away from that spot, looks down at himself, and sighs.]

Thanks.

[If he'd been here alone... well, he wouldn't have made it back.]

[Linda drops the branch, breathing hard from the exertion. but her relief is also obvious as she sees Boone standing before her again, and she nods] Don't mention it. We'll have to watch for...sinkholes, or whatever the hell that was. [she gives the ground a suspicious look] Let's keep moving.

[because she wants to put some distance between them and that spot as quickly as possible. but she waits for Boone to move first. this time, she's not letting him out of her sight--and she's sure he'll do the same for her]

Yeah.

[He starts moving again, attempting to wipe some of the muck off himself but not really doing a good job of it. In the end he decides he doesn't care. It's uncomfortable, but it could be worse. He keeps an eye on Linda as they walk, just incase the same happens to her.]

[Linda's new fear of the muck sucking either of them in is, unfortunately, diminishing the influence of her determination, and this time she's the one who's starting to find it more difficult to lift her feet. she isn't actively sinking yet, but it's the beginning of that pattern]

[to her, though, it seems that the marsh is just getting muddier and deeper. she sighs in frustration] I wish we at least had an idea of what we're looking for. I wonder how deep this marsh goes...

Probably won't be able to cover it all.

[If they find anything, it'll be more through luck. He notices that Linda seems to be finding it harder to lift her feet, and sticks close just incase.]

Guess we just have to keep moving. Might not even be anything to find.

[The sooner they get out of here, the better. That doesn't mean Boone is ready to give up just yet, though.]

No... [she sighs] Hopefully at least one of the groups will get lucky. [and they'll all stay safe, but she doesn't vocalize that worry]

[however, she doesn't need to for the swamp to know. the muck is up to her ankles now, and Linda struggles to lift her foot] Ah--Boone! [the surge of fear that accompanies the realization that she's sinking is the tipping point, and as she struggles now she only goes down faster]

[Boone grabs her when she starts to go down, swearing under his breath. Now he's glad he chose to stick close to her.]

Hold onto me!

[He's not going down this time, and he's not sure why. Really, it's the fact that he's determined to save Linda keeping him from going down with her. He wraps his arms around her, pulling backwards with a grunt. Maybe they should've grabbed that stick Linda used before, but this tactic seems to be working too. He just hopes he doesn't start sinking, too. If he does, they're both screwed.]

Don't get pulled in too!

[but despite her words, she follows his instructions, wrapping her arms around him as well and holding on for dear life. at first her fear of him going down works against her, but when she realizes that he isn't, she starts to feel hope again--and that allows him to pull her out of the mud before it even reaches her waist]

[once she's free, she's breathing hard, afraid to let go of Boone. her voice is shaky as she says:] Y-you did it...

Yeah.

[He sounds a little surprised, but mostly relieved. This would usually be where he'd let go of Linda awkwardly, but she seems reluctant to let go right now and he doesn't want her to sink again. He squints through the mist, but it still seems like it's just the two of them and the camera.]

Gotta be a better way to do this.

[Without knowing what they're looking for, though? It'll be difficult.]

[Linda, on the other hand, is too busy looking at Boone--specifically, his feet] How did you get this close without getting pulled in too?

[confused but feeling safe enough to test this while still holding onto him, she lifts her feet, testing the ground around her. between her relief and her curiosity, she isn't sinking now. she taps a boot at the wet ground, letting go of him at last] This doesn't make sense...

I dunno.

[It was probably a stupid thing to do, to go in and just grab her like that. He didn't know what else to do though, and it was either that or watch her sink. He'll take a reckless decision over watching someone die when he could have done something to help. When Linda lets go of him he takes a step back, and pokes at the mud with the toe of his boot.]

Huh.

[He's not sinking for pretty much the same reasons as Linda, though he's still wary. He doesn't trust the ground not to try swallowing them again, but now that it seems firmer he's not as worried as he was when he couldn't lift his feet. He grunts, then looks around them again with a disapproving frown.]

If it wasn't a goddamn swamp, I'd say someone was messing with us.

[But swamps can't actively mess with people. At least, he doesn't think they can.]

[it was, but since it worked, she's not going to complain. she frowns at his words, though] Yeah... [she pauses] You don't think...there could be something in the swamp?

[it's the best she can think of for an explanation without giving sentience to a swamp. she eyes the mud again, and as her fear rises, her boots start to slip into that mud just a little bit. she takes a few hurried--but wet--steps backward, but it doesn't help] Boone! It's changing again!

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject