deercountry | [EVENT] Out into the Wilds

Who: People who signed up for the June exploration!
What: Exploration, camping, monster-fighting, and checkpoint-establishing!
When: June 10-13 (ish; time is fluid for the sake of players' plans)
Where: From the Waystation out into the unmarked wilderness!

Content Warnings: Gore, monster fighting, injuries (other cws will be flagged in comment subject lines please!)

It's finally time. Months of research, planning, and training are culminating into the first proper excursion out beyond the borders, out into Trenchwood and beyond. No one will know what to find out there until someone goes to see it, after all. And who knows? There may be people out there - people like them! People isolated by the formidable borders which separate them.

...Or maybe not. Either way, nothing changes if no one moves forward, and with the moon stirring the spirit of adventure in Manabu's blood, it's time to do exactly that.

I. Gather up

Once the final headcount was made, Manabu contacted all the willing volunteers to meet at the Waystation at daybreak - the more daylight, the better, as monsters are more sluggish at that time. Here, everyone can meet up and do a final check of supplies...and pet some of the Dog Keeper's faithful hounds who keep this length of the perimeter safe from the monsters. This is as good a time as any to take stock of who's all going along, who's got your back...and maybe whose backs you have a feeling you'll be watching along the way. The more familiar everyone is with each other's strengths and weaknesses, the better off everyone is at working as a team, right? So get over there and say hello!

II. Traverse

Now that everyone is gathered, the excursion begins. They pierce through the thick, unfriendly trees which are blooming with the unusual fruits of the season, but be careful about what bits of nature's bounty is taken for eating! The berries out here have properties which cause hallucinations, rapid blood corruption, and even beasthood.

Speaking of beasts: There are plenty. Monster ambushes are frequent, so be prepared to team up to fight and defend each other throughout the journey. Just like in Trench, the creatures vary in form and threat level - difference here is just sheer numbers. Lighting incense helps keep something of a safe radius where the creatures hesitate and slow, so hopefully no one's going to get caught too unawares as they rush in.

It makes travel rather staggered, but before nightfall the sight of the windmills is far behind, and ahead? A bog. Noxious smells, biting insects, and dangerous, sticky mud abound; be careful where you step, or you may find yourself sinking and in need of help, and no one wants to be trapped in one place when the beasts catch wind of travelers.

III. Camp

Carrying on to nightfall is risky business, and the decision is ultimately made to stake out a bit of high ground to make camp. Incense is lit up, with the ask that rotations of people keeping watch make sure they keep lit and replenished through the night. This won't keep everyone safe the entire night through, so be prepared for a rude awakening by monsters yet again; maybe you can catch a few winks after enough of a lull? Or at least take a moment to cleanse corruption and beasthood with the supplies people have brought to do so; failure may lead one down the dangerous fast track to corruption themselves.

Couple this with the month's unwelcome gifts of nightmares and the distant rumblings of earthquakes back in Trench, and it's pretty guaranteed no one is getting a good night's rest too easily. Still, it's time to recharge, to talk with others, and maybe work on some mapmaking if you're handy at it!

IV. The ruined church

Two nights and three days of this journey lead the group out of the bog and onto rockier, more open space: Those who can fly can catch glimpses of lush, green mountains forming in the distance before attracting too much attention from beasts along the way. Mountains! A new landmark to chase!

...But maybe not this time. By now, everyone's been through the wringer from the constant harassment of beasts, nightmares, and natural hazards, so when they come across something of a distinct landmark...that's where it's called. In the afternoon of the third day, the expedition finds the ruins of an old church, as well as signs of other structures well and truly decayed over time. No mud, no stink...just the eerie serenity of a vacant place.

Here, it's decided to plant the new lantern - Diluc provides his, and so, at the cobblestone foot of the remaining structure, little lantern buddies spring up out ofthe ground and hold up this new checkpoint's lamppost. People are welcome to investigate the area, but even though they've had a lull in action, it isn't safe to linger long: beasts will catch scent of the explorers soon enough and make their way here, too.

That said, the lantern's here...and it works. People can now safely teleport back to a location in Trench of their choosing! It's not the rousing success Manabu had hoped for, but it's a step forward - pretty darn forward, in fact! This new checkpoint is 30 miles west of Trenchwood - a fascinating new wilderness for explorers to teleport into and continue their journeys to unraveling the mysteries of the world Trench inhabits.

[please feel welcome to drop your own toplevels, tag around, and have fun! any questions can go here! enjoy!!!]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Yeah, yeah, they're good. Hanging out back in Heaven.

Just the one?

[That's a little surprising.]

Though I guess if there's a lot of variety like you said, there's only a need for one.

Yeah, it's subdivided, but they all live pretty close to each other. And to me - it's the first area we set up.

[Now that he thinks about it, his world having seven heavens is kind of unnecessary. Huh.]

That's really nice... it sounds like a peaceful life that you've built for them.

Do other demons help out?

Oh, no. They're all back in the Bad Place - it's more like a purgatory than Hell, these days. I'm still the only one who really likes humans. I know one guy who's softened on them some, but I don't really think he'll ever defect.

[it's sort of a whole big political thing]

Oh. That's too bad. People are pretty great.

... What happened to make you start liking mortals, anyway? If that's not too personal to ask.

It's a long story, but basically, I got myself in a bind and ended up having to work together with some of them. We ended up becoming friends - it was because of them, of course. If Eleanor hadn't made me go to class with the rest of them, I don't...think it would've gone the same way.

[It's something he's thought about quite a lot. Still feels weird.]

I see. ... What kind of class, though?

[Look, he's a nerd. He wants to know, okay?]

Moral philosophy! One of my friends taught it in life - plus, they'd all been sent to Hell, so it was a point of interest for them. Didn't hurt for me, either.

[Not that he'd in any way wanted to be there, but it was helpful eventually!]

Ah. An interesting subject - one that I've had some experience with. Not in a formal class, though. But if you save the world enough, it tends to come up.

[Not like it's a big deal, what he did. ... It is, but he still doesn't quite think of himself like others do.]

I think formal classes can come in handy! Not that you should follow some dead guy's edicts all the time. But when I didn't have...you know, a basic sense of respect for other people, it was a good set of guidelines for how to not do something evil.

True. It depends on the dead guy in question, but sometimes those sorts of texts do have good advice.

... My formal education was more magic-based, but there were still philosophies about magic and the morality of doing one kind or another to listen to.

I'm glad you had those guidelines... you seem like a really nice person now, at least.

Thank you. I've worked on it a lot.

[He sounds very serious about that!]

[EVENT] Out into the Wilds

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