IC Event A Walk in the Woods - Printable Version

a walk in the woods

It’s quiet here; the festival is no louder than a whisper on the wind now, the lanterns a gently-winking light in the distance. Nature mutters softly all around you, calling to you in the rustling of the grass, in the chatter and chirrups of birdsong overhead, in the whistling of the nearby river. The clearing you find yourself in has been carefully trimmed - grass cut short, hedges shaped meticulously, fairy lights strung between the trees - but beyond the lantern-light the forest grows wild. Beyond the tangles of vines and blankets of moss there are shadows, rustling in the leaves, pressing eagerly in.

There’s a voice, too, soft and barely-there; you have to strain to hear it, but it seems to fade away soon after you notice it. A moment later, you can’t remember the words; only the ache they left in your chest, a sense of longing for something you can’t quite name -

“Do you hear them?”

A tall figure peels away from the trees. His dappled coat blends into the green of the forest, but his gold eyes are bright against his surroundings, staring at you intently. Above his brow hovers a miniature sun, ribbons of white light casting his features with sharp edges.

Do you? Perhaps you think the voice is only a figment of your imagination, the whispering of the wind through the trees. Perhaps you’ve grown up with the stories of the forest, and discount its oddities as nothing more than wishful thinking and folklore. Or maybe it is the stories that have brought you here today, the promise of something other hiding here between the trees. And so you’ve followed the voices muttering in languages long forgotten, an inkling in the back of your mind that brought you by instinct to this meadow. No matter the reason, you find yourself in the same place as all the strangers before you, staring at the start of this almost forgotten path.

“They’re only the voices of the lost,” the stranger continues on, gently nudging the ivy from their path as they step forward. “Some say they only sing to those who are also lost.” His tone is wistful, as if a part of him wishes to join the ones he’s lost in whatever hidden places they run through. For a moment he is quiet, reflecting on them. And then -

“I suppose you’ve come for the festival path? Whether or not you believe the stories, you can’t walk these woods without feeling the presence of something ancient and beautiful dwelling in the roots.” The gold of his eyes seems to brighten, staring at you with renewed intensity. He laughs quietly, indulgently, and muses almost to himself. “Of course, not everything beneath this canopy is beautiful.” His words send a shiver down your spine, and you lean in closer as his voice drops so low you almost miss his next words: “perhaps you will learn what else haunts this forest tonight.”

He takes a step back, so that nothing stands between you and the pathway into the wood. The miniature sun remains, dancing just above the beaten trail, the light within it waving at you. As if it already knows, when it begins to retreat down the forest trail, that you will follow along behind it.

“Or perhaps I’m just as crazy as everyone says I am, and all you’ll find hiding here are a dozen of the most beautiful violets. As you walk down this path and enjoy the beauty the gardeners have curated for your enjoyment, remember to not stray far from the trail. There are treasures to find, if they interest you, but not all of them will be worth the risk.” His voice grows softer, as he retreats once more into the shadows of the forest. “All you have to do is follow the lost voices…”

And then you are alone in the forest, with the miniature sun calling you forward. Perhaps a friend stands by your side, or a bonded, or a stranger; perhaps you have decided to wander the forest alone, despite the warnings. But as you step upon the beaten dirt, a sense of anticipation fills the air and stills the trees. And you can’t resist following after that glowing light, wondering what the forest has in store for you.

To begin the quest, you must post a new thread in the Viride Forest board and depict your character beginning the pathway. Please include [quest] somewhere in your thread title, and tag the @Official Dawn Account! You will receive an NPC reply to your thread to continue the event. This event will be interactive - in each NPC reply, your character will be given a choice. Whatever they decide will influence the rest of the quest for them.

This quest can be taken alone or in groups. If writing with two or more characters, each RPer must make a unanimous decision for each choice.

As a note, various pathways will reveal various endings and award various rewards! Be sure to finish your thread to reap the fruits of your labor.