Fantasy Maelstrom of the Wilds

[Error 420]

What lies before us, surely, is greatness. Our fates are all spinning infinitely with the entropy of potential, throwing us headfirst into the currents of destruction, loss, triumph, and glory. We stand at the crossroads, beckoning the Fates to propel us into greatness, and provoking them to drag us into darkness. We stand here, today, as every day. And what decides our fate, our path to greatness, is unity.
-Aethlfard the Broken, the Tome of Pain

The river flows over you, dancing coyly. Its current swirls around your body, coming to life as it passes over your skin, playfully gliding across intricate tattoos and scars from years ago, from your life before the cabin in the wilds, the field of forget-me-nots by the river through the mountains. It is a life you have no memory of, nor concept of what may have occurred. Magic swirls freely from your fingers, the unfiltered powers of the realm of dreams, the blue tendrils of the fae. The Spirit of the River flows out from these tendrils, appearing before you. She smiles her regular, serene smile, her smooth features rippling softly, as though pulled by their own currents. Her formless figure vanishes as you surface, refreshed by magic. You clamber onto the banks of the meandering river, and get your bearings.

You don your robes in the wide expanse of bright blue flowers amidst the green grasses, massive green hills like burial mounds surrounding on all sides, seeming to reach up the low-hanging stormclouds above, swirling and preparing for a dance of lightning and rain. You race towards your cabin in the middle of the clearing, reveling in the feel of the wet grass on your bare feet. The cabin is little more than a dilapidated shack, made of half-rotted oak, but it is more than enough for you. It keeps you and your books safe from the elements. However, standing by the door, as ominous as the clouds up above, there is a scarlet robe, hung on broad, powerful shoulders, a figure of at least 7 feet. As you slow your approach, it speaks, its voice harsh and powerful, scolding and demanding.

"Maelstrom. You were not in your cabin." Before you can interject, it continues. "I do not know what you are trying, boy, but I do not take failures like this lightly. I am your keeper, not your mother." The figure turns, revealing her sharp features you recognize, her grey skin a dreary reflection of the sky above. She's staring into you with crystal blue eyes, cold and heartless, into your soul. She reaches for her belt, producing a metal dagger and throwing it to you. You catch it as she produces another dagger. "Now, Maelstrom. Let us begin. Strike me, if you can."

[You should read the Journal, the Lore thread linked above.]

 

[alex danvers]

MxAxExLxSxTxRxOxM
human wizard, 26y/o
─────────────────────​

str xxx ██████████
dex xx ██████████
con xx ██████████
int xix ██████████
wis xx ██████████
cha xx ██████████​

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ｗｏｒｄxxｃｏｕｎｔ ;; 270
i wasn't sure if you wanted me to bring in the dice yet, so i just went with it. let me know if you'd rather leave that for now!​

Still breathing quicker than normal from his time spent underwater, Mael’s chest rose and fell under the green-brown material of the tunic he wore. His choppy, short black hair clung to the sides of his face, dripping river water down his temples and into the nape of his robes; the thin layer of moisture on his skin allowing the fabric to grip onto him and move uncomfortably with every step he took in the direction of the cabin.

As he walked, he inhaled, smelling nothing but the wetness of the grass under his feet and the coming storm, electricity crackling in the air and making every hair on his almost underweight body stand up straight. A pair of green eyes scanned the figure on his doorstep, and with a quick movement, he catched the weapon being thrown into his direction, almost awkwardly holding it in his hand. The weight of it felt off, almost alien, and despite his training, he could not seem to get used to the physicality of a weapon. No; instead, he could feel the quiet crackling of his arcane abilities flow through every part of him much like the river moved.

“Apologies, I was just-” his words were cut off, instead calling upon him to train, much like they had done the last few weeks since Maelstrom had arrived at the cabin. His knuckles turned white as he grasped tighter onto the weapon, taking a step forward and jabbing it straight in the direction of the figure, the blade of the dagger cutting through the air as he brought it forward. (16 to hit, 3 damage.)

​

 

[Error 420]

The figure catches your dagger in its hand before it collides with its torso. "Enough about apologies." She lets go. Her eyes widen with surprise as she looks at her profusely bleeding hand. She quickly takes back her glare, and says "Very well. You're improving. Time to hunt." She begins walking out towards the Southern mountains, along the river, as it begins to rain, the droplets of water sliding down her robes as if it feared her. She moves with incredible speed and grace, almost leaving you behind.

 

[alex danvers]

MxAxExLxSxTxRxOxM
human wizard, 26y/o
─────────────────────​

str xxx ██████████​

dex xx ██████████​

con xx ██████████​

int xix ██████████​

wis xx ██████████​

cha xx ██████████​

​

─────────────────────
ｗｏｒｄxxｃｏｕｎｔ ;; 220​

Mael’s weapon flung outward, nearly hitting something just as the woman wrapped her eerily thin fingers around the blade, and there was a faint increase in friction as he pulled the dagger back towards him, shocked to find that along the sharp edge of the blade, there was now a thin layer of blood. His eyes flicked from his weapon to the wound created on the woman’s pale hand, and something twisted in his stomach at the sight of the blood, almost feeling like allowing another apology to pass his lips before reminding himself of the woman’s words.

She didn’t seem to notice the pain, or she was very good at suppressing the wince that even Mael could feel go through his body, and she simply glared in his direction before setting off in the direction of the woods. Hunt? What hunt? With an awkward stumble as his foot got caught on a patch of grass, Maelstrom followed soon after, struggling to keep up but invigorated by the idea of adding something new to their now-chewed out routine. The splashing of the river was the only sound between them for a while, until Mael – probably wrongly – decided to break the silence. “That cut looked deep. There are some medicinal plants around here that I could gather, if you needed them.”

​

 

[Error 420]

The figure says nothing. The rain begins to pick up even further, pounding down on both of you, freezing cold. Roll a constitution saving throw to keep up with the figure.

 

[alex danvers]

MxAxExLxSxTxRxOxM
human wizard, 26y/o
─────────────────────​

str xxx ██████████
dex xx ██████████
con xx ██████████
int xix ██████████
wis xx ██████████
cha xx ██████████​

─────────────────────
ｗｏｒｄxxｃｏｕｎｔ ;; 160​

Mael’s teeth gritted together at the silence of the woman, pulling his focus away from her and instead watching where he walked; avoiding tree roots and loose rocks in the soil of the forest that surrounded them, the clattering of the river running next to them instead filling the void.

Water droplets began to creep their way into his already-damp hair, rolling down his neck into the nape of his shirt, sending shivers down his back. The storm above broke, pouring cold rain down onto them, and Maelstrom wrapped his hands around his narrow chest in a last attempt at somewhat retaining his bodywarmth. Water ran down his face, pulling his once-springy hair downward and making his clothes stick to him. Despite the irregularity of the terrain and the way the pouring rain was attempting to blind his sight, he kept up, struggling, attempting to keep the woman in sight while simultaneously making sure he didn’t trip.

(Constitution roll 21.)

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​

​

 

[Error 420]

You keep great stride with the figure as you move into the mountains, which were surprisingly more distant to your home than you expected. By the time you reach the foothills, the storm slows to a light rain, the sky darkening. As far as you can remember, this is as far as you have ever been from the mountains. Around you are thick oak trees, their roots winding through gray rocks coated in bright green moss, the remaining light from the sun fading away into darkness. The rustling of nocturns leaving their roosts surrounds you, the call of the owl so distant before is now directly overhead.

"There will come a day, boy, when I cannot feed you and keep you safe. You must keep yourself safe. You must learn to hunt." The figure kneels, and beckons for you to come closer. "The ground is wet, meaning tracks will be plentiful." She gestures to a set of thin hoofprints, with two narrow tips. "This is deer. It is easy game. Hunt it." She rises, turning to a hollowed-out oak. She enters the hollow and vanishes from view.

 

[alex danvers]

MxAxExLxSxTxRxOxM
human wizard, 26y/o
─────────────────────​

str xxx ██████████
dex xx ██████████
con xx ██████████
int xix ██████████
wis xx ██████████
cha xx ██████████​

─────────────────────
ｗｏｒｄxxｃｏｕｎｔ ;; 239​

Mael’s clothes were soaked by the time they stopped, the mountains in front of them now looming threateningly above. His eyes moved over the ragged peaks, and a shiver ran down his back; this place was grey, and something lurked, he felt – though it might just have been his imagination. The clouds above threw heavy shadows underneath the trees, and his human eyes struggled to adjust to the sudden darkness that surrounded them.

The woman paused, and Mael had built up such speed to keep up with her that he almost ran straight into her, stopping at the last moment to avoid a collision. He followed her example, kneeling onto the wet forest floor, his robes instantly soaking up the dirty water. The hoofprint was vague but visible in the damp floor, leaving a distinct track right there, though Mael’s gaze couldn’t make out any following tracks as quickly. His gaze was still locked onto the forest floor as the woman spoke again, and as he looked up to see where she was going, she was already gone. Unsettling.

He stood there for a moment, alone in the dark forest, trying to figure out the best way to go about this: eventually allowing his gaze to dip down again. He walked a few paces, in a narrow circle around the footprint, trying to see if he could find any more tracks embedded into the wet dirt under his feet.

(i'm guessing this is either a perception check or a survival check? both are wisdom, and i rolled 12 total.)

 

[Error 420]

You look desperately, but find no nearby tracks. However, you are able to ascertain their direction, South, deeper into the foothills, the massive green mountains looming overhead.

 

[alex danvers]

MxAxExLxSxTxRxOxM
human wizard, 26y/o
─────────────────────​

str xxx ██████████
dex xx ██████████
con xx ██████████
int xix ██████████
wis xx ██████████
cha xx ██████████​

─────────────────────
ｗｏｒｄxxｃｏｕｎｔ ;; 215​

Mael’s breath became caught in his chest for a moment as he looked around hopelessly, not entirely sure whether he was searching for the deer, as instructed, or for the woman that had taken him here. When his eyes met nothing but bland, wet trees and empty space, and the rain continued to make it hard to see further ahead, he gazed down at the tracks once more, determining which direction the animal had moved into.

He’d never been this far removed from his cabin, and the stillness of the forest around him made him feel uneasy – combined with the sudden disappearance of his mentor – but he shook the feeling away and made a number of steps in the direction he thought the deer had moved. His footsteps resounded louder than he anticipated against the foliage, his robes fluttering against the low bushes and the wet floor, and as he stepped into an unseen puddle, the water splashing around his feet, he startled at the unexpected sounds. As he met his own gaze in the reflection of the brown water, he remembered the river spirit that had granted him his magic, and he clenched his jaw harder as he continued his walk, all the while keeping an eye out for the animal he was following.

 

[Error 420]

You search. You search hard. Much to your surprise, the tracks pick up again not much further, but quite a while later. The sunlight has faded completely, leaving you in near darkness. You hear a rustle in the denser foliage to your left, but no other identifying noise.

 

[alex danvers]

MxAxExLxSxTxRxOxM
human wizard, 26y/o
─────────────────────​

str xxx ██████████
dex xx ██████████
con xx ██████████
int xix ██████████
wis xx ██████████
cha xx ██████████​

─────────────────────
ｗｏｒｄxxｃｏｕｎｔ ;; 259​

Mael creeped further through the woods, his gaze kept down onto the ground to scan for nearby tracks, but despite the softness of the soil and the tracks he was leaving himself, he couldn’t find any. The sun had gone completely down, shrouding the woods in darkness, by the time something caught his eye: a slight glimmer on the ground. His vision was obscured by the thick shadows that the trees were throwing down in the faint light of the moon, so he stepped closer, only to find that it was another puddle left by the rain that was reflecting a small amount of moonlight.

The woods began to take on a creepy edge, and Mael’s comfort in the embrace of the forest began to seep away the darker it became, but he pushed on, focusing on his hearing rather than his eyesight to identify the deer he had been instructed to hunt. His foot slipped away in the middle of a step, and he almost fell; catching himself just before he would’ve lost his balance. As he looked down, he saw that the tracks he’d initially followed had continued – just as there is a rustling in the bushes nearby. Mael’s gaze snapped up, trying to identify what made the noise, but seeing nothing that could point to any sort of animal. Instead, he lowered himself, setting one of his knees down into the mud and making himself smaller to sneak, keeping his knife held tightly in his fist in preparation to throw it, if necessary. (stealth check 8.)

 

[Error 420]

A large, four-legged creature runs out of the bushes, bolting far away in reaction to your presence. In the darkness of the night, you can see almost nothing, and a stray wind from the South sends shivers down your spine.

"You are alone. In the darkness. Tell me, Ma'el-tau'ri, how does that make you feel?"

The words appear in your mind, no familiar voice. You hear it, but as soon as you try to pin down a physical location, it moves, shifts octaves and tones in your mind. Make a wisdom saving throw.

 

[alex danvers]

MxAxExLxSxTxRxOxM
human wizard, 26y/o
─────────────────────​

str xxx ██████████
dex xx ██████████
con xx ██████████
int xix ██████████
wis xx ██████████
cha xx ██████████​

─────────────────────
ｗｏｒｄxxｃｏｕｎｔ ;; 174​

While trying to sneak, Mael’s foot got caught on a rock and he stumbled, creating a large amount of noise as his feet hit the ground in an attempt to regather his balance. The animal that had been hiding in the bushes – the species of which he couldn’t make out in the thick darkness – bolted, taking the opportunity to put as much space between itself and the wizard, and Mael could only watch as its long legs brought it far away from him, the quiet clopping of hooves fading away.

“Shit,” Mael chewed on his lip, his gaze finding its way around him, scanning his surroundings, but there was nothing else around, and he was about to give up when a chilling voice instead penetrated his skull.

Startled, he once more looked around, but nothing had changed, and a twisting feeling settled in his stomach. This wasn’t good. He breathed quietly, trying to find the origin of the voice, but he couldn’t place it – as if it was by magical means. (wisdom save 12.)

 

[Error 420]

"You're afraid, aren't you, child?" The voice morphs into something dark and feminine, but as ellusive and mysterious as before. Its harshness cuts down into your core, cutting deeply at something within you that you can't quite place. "Don't worry, child. There's nothing to fear in the dark when light is right behind you." You're paralyzed with fear as green lights begin to flicker in front of you, shadows of creatures lurking behind you, weapons drawn. It appears as though they're about to strike, and one does, a glowing green blade now partially protruding from your sternum. [Take 6 damage] You hear a crack, as though the blade of this sword has broken off. You snap out of your fear state, and instinctively turn around, showing three lumbering creatures in the dark, bipeds with revealed flesh, glowing bright green. Ghouls, obviously under the control of some sort of necromancer.

 

[alex danvers]

MxAxExLxSxTxRxOxM
human wizard, 26y/o
3 hp - 1 lvl 1 spell slot
─────────────────────​

str xxx ██████████
dex xx ██████████
con xx ██████████
int xix ██████████
wis xx ██████████
cha xx ██████████​

─────────────────────
ｗｏｒｄxxｃｏｕｎｔ ;; 226​

A shiver ran down Mael’s back, and he had to stop himself from cowering – suddenly stuck in place in fear. This wasn’t good. This wasn’t good at all. He waited, staying where he was to see what would happen despite how every cell in his body was telling him to run as fast as his legs could take him. His heart pounded in his ears, almost drowning out the voice as it spoke again. The light flickered once, then twice, and suddenly he could feel a presence behind him.

The terrified state which kept him locked in place disappeared, but not before one of the armed greenish monsters hewed at him, striking him straight through the chest. Blood began to run from the wound, saturating his robes, and only by some grace of the gods did Mael manage to stay on his feet, though his balance began to sway in response to the wound. His magic almost came to him reflexively, and a small burst of golden-ish white sprung from his fingers, creating a magical barrier around him that would hopefully keep the creatures at bay.

His knuckles turned white as he tightened his grip on the knife, ready to make a jab at one of them despite how fragments of his previous fear still lingered within him. (he cast mage armor. ac is now 14.)