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

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.]

[A noise wrenches out of Emilia's abomination - plaintive and low, like an injured animal.

It's clear she isn't physically holding it back by its sheer size, but she tethers it anyway by her grip on its arm as it strains towards the direction Niko disappeared into.]

Galehaut! We're going. Leave it.

[It whines again but follows her when she nods to Jade sharply and starts running for the light again.]

[Jade smacks a hanging vine out of her way, then pauses to check on Emilia and her golem.] Let's go! [It's not really aimed at either of them, but she tries to get them motivated to keep running.]

Head this way! [She climbs onto a log to wait for the other two and scout ahead.]

[Emilia is after her, skirts hiked up to climb. After a moment, the golem comes too, barreling through branches.]

Wonder if the witch is home.

Who knows. [She steps aside for the golem as he comes crashing through.] But she might tell that we're coming. We'll have to prepare for a fight.

I don't think we have time for subtlety anyway.

[She uses her golem's elbow as a step and climbs to perch on its shoulder. Keeps it moving, towards the light.]

What firepower do you have?

Just my staff. But I've fought hundreds of aliens before. I think I can handle one witch.

Mage?

[A mage would be ideal. Otherwise a staff is just a stick.]

Besides the witch. The creepers could catch up when they're done eating Niko.

Me? No, those don't exist where I'm from. But I'm fast and good at avoiding hits. Most of the time I hide and crawl through places and only fight when I have to. But that's why I always go with a heavy-hitter.

[With the golem, they might just be covered.]

What can you do?

I'm a mage.

[It's not quite true - she was never licensed, but no one here has the resources to check. "Hedge wizard" isn't a term she likes.

The geometric lines of a building can be seen ahead in the gloom, and Emilia narrows her eyes.]

There. Do you see that, or is it an illusion?

[Oh, good. Emilia can actually do decent long-range attacks.

Jade slows her pace to get a steadier view up ahead.]

Looks real to me. Let's stay hidden incase someone is really in there.

[Emilia shoots a look over her shoulder at the golem. She could cast invisibility on him or...

She looks back at Jade.]

How quietly can you move? ...Whatever your name is.

Jade. [She shoots Emilia a quick, unimpressed look.]

I sneaked into three military bases back home and got out safe. Think that's enough?

Better hope so.

[She rolls a spell between her hands - clear blue light, smooth, with no sparks or crackles.]

This will give you thirty seconds of invisibility. Can you get in closer and look in the window?

Now? [She turns to the house and makes a dash for the sole window in the hut. In one easy movement, Jade jumps over a final log, rolls, and ends up crouched next to the window. It takes a second for her to remember that she's invisible, so it's safe to look straight inside.

The place is empty inside, apart from the mess of chairs, herbs, and bottles. There's no one to be seen, though, and Jade takes her time to go back to the rest of the group.]

I didn't see anyone in there. But there's a ton of stuff inside. Think we should head in anyway?

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cw: fire

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And you two can take it from here.

<3

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