Fantasy Steamhaven: Land of the Lost

[Cartoonicat]

With an echoing chime, the wisp Lianna poked bounced away from her fingertip, which felt only a cool breeze instead of something tangible. Several wisps seemed to take notice and floated towards her hand, each taking turns bouncing in opposite directions. They looked playful, but the chorus of sound left a ticklish sensation in her ears.

Though the wisps were not bright enough to illuminate her path, they remained hovering over the floor of roots, so at least Lianna knew that wherever there were not wisps was likely the wide trunk of a tree or flowers sprouting from unseen places.

- Play with the wisps
- Catch a wisp
- Continue traveling
- Other

 

[ArcticFox]

The wisps were cute, she had to admit. And they didn't try to eat her, which was nice. But she had no time to play with them any more for the day, so she continued ahead.

 

[Cartoonicat]

As Lianna moved on, the wisps followed her, continuing to bounce and play while growing exponentially in numbers. Before she knew it, she was engulfed in a cool—no, bone-chilling—breeze that only intensified the longer the wisps remained nearby. It permeated her skin, seeping deep below the surface and evolving into an inner chill that one would usually need to take a steaming bath to thaw from.

- Attack the wisps
- Swat at the wisps
- Tell them to stop
- Try to run
- Other

 

[ArcticFox]

Of course. Nothing in this realm could have been cute and harmless. Lianna gritted her teeth and pulled her coat tighter against the cold. "If you could please stop trying to freeze me, I'd appreciate it."

 

[Cartoonicat]

The wisps didn't relent, much less even acknowledge her discomfort, and continued their cyclical game of bouncing, floating, bouncing, floating. At some point, the chimes became so raucously loud that Lianna's ears began to ring in tandem with the slight frost sprouting from any exposed skin.

They were turning her to ice, and she was stuck amidst a forest of roots with no clear way to safety.

- Attack the wisps
- Swat at the wisps
- Try to run
- Call for help
- Other

 

[ArcticFox]

Arms trembling, Lianna reached for her sword, trying to use the weapon to drive the wisps away. Perhaps she had something in her pack to light a fire with. She'd have to search through it.

 

[Cartoonicat]

It took one swing of her sword to shoo the wisps away. Perhaps it was the gleam of metal, the sword's silver tip, or the intent behind trying to attack them, but they hovered several feet away now. Floating, almost bobbing, in the air. While they had no expression, their wide berth resembled that of sulking children sent to timeout.

Eventually, the frost began to thaw. After a long minute, Lianna's warm completely returned, and she could move freely again—or, as freely as she could atop the floor of roots.

The wisps didn't bother her after that.

---

Another hour passed before she saw a change in her surroundings. Up ahead, the ethereal colors of an enchanted mushroom forest bled into the wild green of a scene more familiar. Considering how normal, if not overgrown, the upcoming landscape appeared, it was likely the next realm.

The roots continued up to the border, sharply receding in a straight line. Lianna was just moments away when, beneath her, the ground grew transparent.

Mox's map was changing right beneath her.

- Run!

 

[ArcticFox]

From the frying pan into the fire. Lianna couldn't get a moment of peace in the realm of that strange demon. Seeing the earth simply disappeared underneath her, she bolted forward, running as fast as she could.

 

[Cartoonicat]

Lianna leapt into the air just as the ground and sky disappeared. Her feet landed on the edge of the next domain and she nearly fell into the black abyss she left behind, but managed to steady herself before an untimely demise. Mox’s domain was in the past. She’d entered the next stage in her journey to Kelaelin.

Now, Lianna found herself in a forest so wet and humid it resembled that of a swamp. The thick air and twisting, vine-like trees resembled that of real landscape, however. This new realm, it seemed, was far different than Mox’s experimental playground.

Looking around, she saw no enemies, though heard the distant chirp of birds. Lianna could use this moment to rest and have a snack before continuing on her journey, or press on with a grumbing stomach in hopes she’d find time later.

- Take a break
- Continue forward
- Investigate the area
- Other

 

[ArcticFox]

Relatively calm for now, Lianna took a deep breath, before looking through her pack for something she could eat. No use to starving herself.

 

[Cartoonicat]

With two pouches of nuts and a pouch of fruit to choose from, Lianna’s dinner options were sparse and few in quantity. Depending on how long she stayed in the Demon Realm, the few things she’d bought wouldn’t last very long, even if rationed.

After eating, Lianna could scope out the area or continue heading in the direction she had been when leaving Mox’s realm.

- Continue onward
- Scope out the area
- Other

 

[ArcticFox]

Feeling a bit better, Lianna looked around for a tree she could climb, or a hill, or anything that would prove a good vantage point. She needed to see where the hell she was now.

 

[Cartoonicat]

Plenty of the spindly, curving trees were climbable—and easily, so—making finding a vantage point simple. The trees didn’t talk and the flowers ignored her, making the scouting process quicker and without incident. A couple of minutes climbing later, Lianna’s head popped through the foliage.

From her vantage point, she could see a vast forest stretching for miles in every direction except for the one she came from; there, a black void, indicating Mox had not rebuilt that part of the map yet. There was no going back, now.

Not far away, Lianna caught sight of a small stream. Further beyond in a slightly different direction, she saw what may have been a cave. The sun beamed hot overhead like normal, though far brighter than ever seen in the city of Steamhaven, what with its constant fog and cloudy weather.

Upon climbing back down, Lianna could head towards the stream or the cave, or stick around the general area to see what else she could find.

- Head to the stream
- Head to the cave
- Stick around and explore
- Continue onward
- Other

 

[ArcticFox]

That stream had to be going somewhere and since she had no designated path anyway, she decided on following the stream. It would give her a sense of direction at least.

 

[Cartoonicat]

Despite the hot sun, Lianna’s trek through the woods proved rather cool; a breeze washed through, offering reprieve, and the thick blanket of leaves overhead blocked out most of the sun’s rays. Aside from a couple of gnats and other bugs, it wasn’t that bad of a walk. For the more outdoorsy type, it might even be rather nice.

The stream came into view eventually, fresh air surrounding it promising crisp, cool water. Though the water stemmed from an uphill rapids, it was rather calm.

- Drink some water
- Find something to fill with water
- Wash your face
- Look for fish
- Continue onward
- Other

 

[ArcticFox]

Lianna bent down to the water, testing it with a finger, precariously. She just wanted to make sure that it wasn't acid, before she washed her hands and face in it.

 

[Cartoonicat]

Crystal clear and as refreshing as it looked, the stream was certainly not made of acid. If anything, it’d probably make for a great bath, considering the grime Lianna accumulated from running around Mox’s realm and the sun in Tulie’s, which filtered through the trees just enough to make sunburn a distance, yet possible, thing.

Upon drinking her fill, a sound rustled from the brush. Looking up, Lianna came face-to-face with a pair of eyes staring between the trees. She couldn’t quite see who or what it was, but it didn’t move, only watched.

- Say hello
- Back away
- Don’t move
- Attack
- Other

 

[ArcticFox]

Still suspicious of everything moving in the demon realm, Lianna took a step back, unsheathing her sword. She watched the eyes carefully, trying to discern if they belonged to an animal or a humanoid.

 

[Cartoonicat]

Two, beady red eyes stared back at her before a small, green weasel sprouting leaves like fur poked its head out of the brush. Its whiskers twitched as it looked Lianna up and down. With its neck craned out to see, Lianna could easily snatch it by the scruff. The thing certainly looked like an animal, aside from a few oddities here and there.

Until it spoke. "You should hide."

In a forest so dense, there were plenty of places to hide, such as behind boulders or in shrubs or in the branches of tall trees.

- Introduce yourself
- Ask a question
- Attack the weasel
- Catch the weasel
- Find somewhere to hide
- Do nothing
- Other

 

[ArcticFox]

Lianna nodded quickly, though she did not know what made her listen to odd looking creatures in the demon realm. Still she liked the talking beasts more than she did the owners of these realms. Perhaps the weasel was as friendly as the lake serpent had been.

She looked around and hid behind the nearest boulder, staying quiet. Was something hunting her in this new area?