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

That...would make sense. [She's never encountered anything like this before, but alien planets are full of surprises.]

Where do we head to? There might be something important this way. [She gestures in the direction they were running to earlier.] Dangerous, but important.

[Niko removes his duffle bag, opens it up, and pulls out his comm- not to try and communicate because they're a long way from the village, but rather to check where he'd stored the map under his applications. He brushes through options, swiping the screen, noting all the spaces where nothing is known.]

[He huffs a breath. Dangerous or not, they're basically going to have to roam.] There is no specific direction for us, I don't think. We just search. And hopefully, we will not require a tent for the night- we should not be walking after dark.

[But she knew that. He might as well say it out loud.]

[The first voice returns again and he closes his eyes hard. The words are soft, and were there a breeze he might have sworn it was Kate whispering gently in his ear. He shakes it off.] Alright. Let's go in this direction. [He agrees with her.]

[What he doesn't know is that those encouraging voices are all leading them away from where they need to go. Of course.]

[As he checks the map, Jade snaps several photos of the area for future reference, since her digital map doesn't seem to be updating either.]

Keep an eye out for anything unusual. We might be walking straight into a trap, but this time we know there'll be one. [She jogs to Niko's side and goes back to a waking pace.] Maybe that thing that's making those voices is there.

Hey ah... in case you forgot. This is kind of my job. [He gestures around.] To look out for jobs and traps. [Because, thus far, mostly Jane has tried to insist them be careful as if he hasn't been.]

So if I'm not noticing anything, maybe we are getting fucked with. [He taps his head, as if indicating that's where some of the stuff happening is. It is, admittedly, harder with Kate in his ear. He has to say its in his head. He doesn't want to deal with the alternative.]

Right, of course. [She gives him a joking smile.] We'll need to tell each other if we hear anything, in case the voices change. Got that?

[She looks back again. Sure, she doesn't need to, now that she's aware the DomZ aren't after them, but it's a habit carried over from years of attacks.]

Nothing looks too different here. [The scenery remains the same: same trees, similar paths, she could swear the it felt very familiar, though it could be the darkening skies hiding the details.]

Who was it you were hearing? You were too panicked to say much. [He put away the communicator, looked up at the drone that had been following them from an idle distance ~~stupid cameras~~, and then pulled out his pistol to carry.]

Let us carry on. We better hope the creepers don't get an edge sneaking up with fake voices around.

[She sighs, but continues looking forward.]

The DomZ. These aliens that've been attacking planets for years. It's bad enough that the big ones destroy anything they find, but a lot of them kidnap people, including my entire family.

[Jade tosses her staff from one hand to another.] I was afraid they made it to this planet, too.

I'm sorry to hear that. My family has had bad luck, too. I only have two close relatives that are still alive- my mother and my cousin. [And he had been kidnapped as well, though that was largely by his own stupidity.]

Did you get them back?

To be honest, my uncle wasn't even related to me; he was just a good friend of my parents. [She stops in the middle of the path.] We got everyone back, including other people who...were...captured...

[Confusion spreads on her face as she looks around.] Okay, do you also feel like we came back to where we started?

I don't know.

[He says with the irritation of a man that doesn't usually lose his way. But he also knows dusk is falling, and in the distance there's a light that's not part of the sunset. An idle glow.]

[The oncoming darkness is going to be trouble of its own.]

We should see if we can get to the light quick.

OOC: I'll pass this on to Fire so they can intercept Emilia on the way.

[Slogging through a stupid swamp for the second time this month, Emilia has traded her skirts for trousers and a long coat for once. Her abomination is carrying her bag and an LED lantern.

Her scratchy voice carries over the sound of chirping frogs and ghostly urgings, yelling at it in Gutterspeak.]

Mom is dead. She killed you, remember? Focus. We're going this way.

[Jade nearly jumps at the sound of Emilia and her golem coming up to them, but this time, she knows what to expect to see.]

Emilia? Did you just get here?

I guess maybe we did get turned around. [But Niko is fussing to pull some of the snap torches out of his duffle bag to turn on. He tosses one to Emilia's feet, one to Jade's, and keeps one for himself. Then loads a pistol to carry.]

It is almost late enough that the things should start coming out.

[He feels bad for her brother. Considering that he's been hearing the soft beckoning from Kate, and his living mother, it must be harder for a simple mind.] That light place up ahead, it could be bright enough to defend ourselves in.

What? Who's there?

[She grabs the abomination's hand and it lets her, turning the lantern to point at Niko and Jade.]

Oh. No, we didn't.

[She's defensive as she bends to pick up the torch: no, you weren't here first, the loot is not all for you.]

That light could also be a trap.

Could be, yeah, but we've been running around in circles so far and a landmark's better than nothing.

[She also picks up a torch, but keeps it turned off and stores it in her S.A.C.]

If it's a trap, we'll know to keep a lookout for it.

It is a lit trap, if it is. [He gestures around.] And a trap can be dealt with easier than what will be coming out of the dark.

[He starts going that way, because off in the distance he hears a spider hiss- and that means they're starting to get riled up. Maybe one is just in the shadows, but soon enough there will be more, looking for prey.]

[Emilia hears the hiss too and draws a wand. Fire spits out of the end in the direction of the noise, sizzling to a stop harmlessly on a water plant.]

Well, hell. I've always wanted to try to kill a Will o' the Wisp.

[She tips her head towards the light, and her abomination starts lumbering in that direction.]

[Jade holds her staff in both hands, and when Emilia shoots out fire, she jumps and faces the direction of the burnt plant.]

Don't draw too much attention or they'll swarm! [And while she's confident that she could take them on this place is too unknown to her to take too many risks.]

Let's go. [She directly follows the abomination.]

[Niko is cautious but also in a hurry. He wants to get out of this part of the woods, even if it is doing nothing to aleviate those whispering voices.]

[It's then that he spots something green looking around a tree, and he realizes that it's now dark enough that the good stuff is wandering out.]

Okay, I think I might need to cover you guys. You keep going.

[Confidence or not, he doesn't know if Jade has run into creepers. But if one is out, surely there are more.]

[Emilia's eyes are bright in the dark, glowing, and it's easy to see when they narrow at the patch of green.]

Are you sure?

[The Creeper, now aware of the three looking at him, emerges from behind the tree and runs towards the group.

Unfortunately for all of them, Jade has not run into one yet and runs to meet the creature, staff in hand.]

Don't get near it!

[He shouts it, realizing then that the warning announcements came before her arrival, and that she doesn't know. They've been properly controlled within the village, and the museum usually depends on the guides to elliminate threats. There's no reason for her to know.]

[But the moment he sees it bloat as it hisses, he slams into her side with his weight- it's probably not going to feel good. He's heavy, but it'll throw her out of the way. What happens to him feels much worse. Searing pain over the side of his face and his hands as it detinates, hot like the grenades he can still remember and flecks of hard rock against skin.]

[He's thrown back, and he groans and rolls.]

[He crawls to all fours slowly. He has that special coat he bought on, and beneath that fireproof armor that Emilia made. He'll live, and he can already see the burned skin on his hand knitting slowly.]

Get the fuck out of here! Go! [He warns, because there will be more and he has guns.]

[It's the flesh golem, oddly, that turns around with a noise of concern and starts to stomp back to help.

Emilia is already running towards the light. She doesn't need to be told twice. She grabs its arm on her way past.]

I am not putting you back together! Leave him!

[Jade rolls over several times and looks up in alarm at the sound of the explosion.] Niko! [She pushes herself up to help, but he surprisingly looks fine, apart from the healing hand.]

Got it! [If they need to split up, they have to split up. Niko looks like he knows what he's doing, so she turns towards the light and starts running.]

[The burns across his face from the creeper are healing, too, and as they get further away they'll start to hear shots. One two three. One two three. He's not wasting bullets- he's being frugal with them. But he's obviously shooting at different things.]

[Eventually it does grow quiet. It may be ominous, but he'll be fine. He's tucked himself into a safe, hidden place until morning.]

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And finally DW starts behaving...

they're doing a code thingy :/

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cw: fire

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And you two can take it from here.