The Forest Trapdoor

"Aurghhhhh!" Olive screeched, kicking a tree and pounding at a floating leaf with a reddened, closed fist. The day was terrible but, then again, it always was for Olive. She refused to believe it was a simple issue of perspective and not her own bad, twisted luck. A cat-boy or whatever had rubbed its filthy, grimy ears against her leg and, well, that just ruined her day even further. To think that the lousy troll she had argued with on forums was a moderator? Ugh. She promptly logged into the game (ignoring Gwen's attempts to placate her) and immediately began pummeling the nature life upon entry.

"What are you doing you filthy feline piece of fecal matter?!" she shouted as she kicked the cat's prone form. The nerve of the cat to sleep after committing such a grave slight against her?! She gritted her teeth and slumped off. She swore that one of these days she'll get an aneurysm from the stupidity of the world against her.

As she stumbled off, a grumbling bag of rage and thunder, her foot hit something that hooked her leg in and made her trip, landing face-first onto the forest floor. Her next screams were muffled by the dirty ground and the taste of dirt entering her mouth as her screams wracked her body only encouraged her to yell out even more. If she had calmly observed the situation, she would have noticed it to be a peculiar door of sorts. Of course, she hadn't and had simply screamed. For at least an hour straight.

Yup, her life sucked.

 

It was a nice, sunny day; well-suited for adventure. Once again Tyris headed out into the woods, keeping careful watch for monsters. But in this particular area, things seemed fairly quiet, apart from the birds chirping in the trees. He had the feeling that something was about to happen...

Then, he tripped.

Catching himself with both hands- which may or may not count as "cats always landing on their feet"- Tyris found himself looking down at a great stone surface, obscured by dirt and moss. The boy ran his hand along the intricate carvings before his attention was finally drawn to a strange lock in its center. This wasn't just a stone floor or a sculpture- it was a door. A locked door. And if it was locked... maybe there was something important inside of it. He knew something about how to get locks open, but this one looked like it would be tricky. For a while, he sat beside the lock, inspecting it as closely as he could.

@Asch

 

A deep forest. The leaves were so green. A beautiful spring day. Maya breathed in the smell of trees, grass and growing flowers. Such a wonderful experience. Even though she was here for some sword practice. Grinding on some local beasts to improve her masteries. Maya still could not help but stop at moments and take in the sights. Living in a single room most of the time did that to you. Stretching her arms some and resting her sword against a tree. Minerva took out a small book she had gotten out of the library in Stockbon. It was amazing how they even allowed that in the virtual world. This book held some information about the local landscap. It would seem that this forest was known as Ruruth Woods. It was just a small part of the great continent. Hmmm... It had trees that were some of the oldest on the continent, although there were even older trees in...

A shuffling of movement halted her reading. Making the book vanish by placing it into her item bag with a few menu clicks. Minerva checked around. A louder sound this time. A girls voice shouting about a cat. Oh no... was it Bloody Mary again? Hopefully not, the vile little Felis was like a bad omen. Taking her sword she headed towards the sound. Only to instead stumble across someone else. A Felis yes, but a male one, and much more feline looking.

He was looking curiously at a tree... a tree with a... door? What sort of Alice in Wonderland weirdness was this? Coming closer up behind the cat boy. Minerva saw that it was a door in the ground. A trap door! Was it locked? Probably.

"Excuse me. May I intrude? Is there something of importance to you in there?"


@Olive Westfield @Tyris Ferrell

 

Tyris' ears twitched as he caught the sound of someone approaching. Was it a guard protecting the door? He turned backwards to look at her and was relieved to see that she wasn't threatening. Instead, she only wanted to ask a question. "I don't know yet," he answered with a grin. "If there's treasure down there, then it's important! But I won't know until I open this door."

With that he turned his attention back to the lock. He might as well start trying to pick it open, he thought, since it didn't look like he could get much more information out of it the way it was. With whatever he could find, he set to work on getting the lock open. "Oh, um... If you have anything that can help, I could use it. And if we do find treasure... I'll share some!"

 

Minerva's eyes narrowed as the cat boy spoke. Hmmm... a treasure underneath a tree? If her previous game research and knowledge told her anything. It could also be a dungeon under there. Perhaps a more difficult one if it was locked up. Still worth a investigation. Maya herself was curious now. She looked the door over. She did have the Aedrik Master Key item but this was not the right kind of door. Perhaps she could bust it open with her sword? Not very like a knight but she had no one really worth impressing right now. So she was feeling a little more free.

Minerva drew her sword and raised it up. Her eyes focused on the door. She steadied her breath. What if she broke her sword on the door? It was not the best sword by far. That would be extremely embarrassing. A knight breaking their sword on a door attached to a tree! Also, what if this was some sort of trap? As usual Maya began to over analyze the situation. Of course that was both her blessing and curse. Lately more of a curse.

Before she could tell the Felis to move. The entire door rattled fiercely! A grow came from underneath. Their was something down there, and it was not friendly! Minerva took a step back and lowered her sword some. She kept herself ready in case whatever was under there broke through to attack. One thing she was certain of though. She was not going to help it along. That is for sure! So much for this 'secret'. Secrets of tooth and nail are not something Maya wanted to be a part of unless it led her to prestige and being alone in the woods would not do that.

"Well now... that settles this question. Seems to be a cage for something we would not want to set free. We should probably leave it alone.... Ca- ahem... what is your name?"

Maya almost just called him cat boy. That would have been rude! She needed to be more valiant and heroic in this world. Releasing that thing would not help her there. Time to get this kid and anyone else around out of here in case someone foolishly let the thing loose. Maybe a danger sign would also be a good idea. A marking of some kind?

@Tyris Ferrell

 

Almost got it... Tyris thought. He had his head down close to the lock, listening for any progress. Then, suddenly, he heard a noise. There was something down there! And from the following shake... something big. He fell back onto his behind in surprise, then got up to his feet and stepped back to the human's side.

"Guess that door wasn't keeping us out... it was keeping something in," he noted. He watched the door carefully, not showing any sign of fear. Inside, he was kind of scared... but he knew he'd be fine. "I'm Tyris," he added when the woman asked his name. "Tyris Ferrell. And I... uh, don't know how to fight. So if that thing breaks out... I guess it'll be up to you!" He grinned to the woman. She looked like the kind of person who could take care of things like that... he hoped she was as tough as she looked.

@Minerva Fletchgard

 

The cat boy called himself Tyris. Tyris Ferrell. Hmmm.... was he a NPC or a player. Truly Maya was not sure yet how to tell. She supposed you just had to spend some time with them or flat out ask to know for sure. Anyway, the situation here was dangerous. Was the creature able to break free? The door did not look very new so if it held all this time it should be fine as long as the creature within is not provoked.

"Like I said. I am not intending to stay here and provoke it. This door will likely remain intact as it had been. If we cause the release of something beyond my ability to stop. It would be bad."

Minerva explained again to the boy. With this hopefully settled, Minerva would tap the Felis on the shoulder lightly and begin to back away. Her words were commanding but she did not want to see a child like player or NPC be slaughtered by whatever was down there. She decided it best to escort the Felis out of the area. Even if he refused. She could not have him let this thing break free.

"Tyris, we should go. Do you have a party or a village for me to take you to? This is a rural region and not safe for many."

Maya eyed him to see if he was a NPC or player. He had not said anything about his abilities so....she was leaning with NPC. In that case she would put extra effort to protect him and increase her prestige as a guardian in this world. All the while she worried that they were still too close to the door. They should back off and let it be. Maybe in the future she would break it open and deal with the creature to ensure the safety of travelers, but for now, she just was not confident in her abilities and equipment.

@Tyris Ferrell

 

"I kinda want to see what it looks like though," Tyris pointed out with a frown.

Just because there might not be treasure, that didn't mean he wasn't still curious about what was beyond the door. Still, Tyris got the impression that the human knew enough about fighting to know when to retreat. He wasn't going to argue with someone like that. As she backed away, Tyris reached up to hold her hand.

"Could you get me back to Stokbon?" Tyris asked her after watching the door again. "I can find my own way from there." Not that he had anywhere specific to go- he'd probably just meet up with Rauri wherever she was when he got there.

@Minerva Fletchgard

 

Minerva would nod when he asked to be taken to Stokbon. That would be her destination to rest and resupply as well. Maybe this NPC, could share some information with her on her return trip. Maya was still seeking as many bits of information about the secrets and history of this game as she could. First however she would throw out a test to see if Tyris was a NPC or player for sure. Overall Maya cared enough about this second life to the point where she did not care who was NPC or real. They were all the same to her, in fact the NPC may be more important because they only would see her as the holy knight not just some girl. Maya did need some information from the Terrasphere natives right now so she had to care at the moment.

As she began to head back towards the city, Minerva said:

"By the way my name is Minerva. It's good to see you have common sense. It was not a safe location. Tyris, how are your needs meters doing? We have a long trip so be sure to check your map menu to see if you need to take any energy replenishing items."

@Tyris Ferrell

(OOC: Exiting thread here.)

 

the Felis woman strolled slowly through the forest, lost in contemplation. The world chat channel was ablaze with talk of the raid boss having been defeated. Apparently a fairly large celebration was being held, and she couldn't help but feel a bit envious. She didn't question her decision to leave the fray when she did, but she couldn't help but feel slighted that her contribution, no matter how minor, would go completely unheralded. She did not claim to seek fame and recognition, but knowing her reputation would bear the tarnish of 'coward' and 'deserter' would plague her for quite some time.

Of little solace to her, her pet egg had hatched just a few hours ago, and she watched her fade dove flit about, going about the usual business of a bird in the forest, but always returning to it's perch on her left shoulder from time to time. She was completely enamored with the thing, and even if not for it's ability to fade and reappear at will, she thought the pet to be exotic and beautiful. There was also the novelty of having a pet that was perfectly matched to her, both in appearance, and behavior. The bird matched her natural coloration almost perfectly except for the eyes, which she didn't mind. It also hunted in much the same way, vanishing from sight until just the right moment to strike presented itself.

"And it takes flight and vanishes at the first sign of danger as well...." she muttered to herself, still feeling a certain way for her decision to abandon the raid at the final hour. She forced these thoughts from her mind; she knew she'd made the right decision, even if those around her would likely disagree for quite some time. She forced these thoughts from her mind; Hers was not a path of death or glory. The hunters could keep their ranks and trophies, and she would quietly gain in strength, unnoticed and unheard in the background until the time came for her to leave her mark on Terrasphere once and for all.

To quiet her doubts, she looked for an ideal place to sit and meditate, practicing her chants and Mudras over and over, trying to grow more acquainted with her newfound strength while at the same time clearing her mind of negativity and doubt that had plagued her throughout most of the day. She focused on her breathing and the sounds of the forest, seeking clarity of mind above all else. Her teachings and still limited experience told her time and time again that the novice practitioner would struggle with the art until they had mastered the deceptively complex skill of attaining mental clarity at will.

She would continue like this for a good deal of time, until a strange thumping a few meters off in the distance distracted her. A single yellow eye opened to the sight of a fade dove looking directly at her with it's head cocked to one side, as if asking her whatever questions it may be that birds would ask a person. She opened both eyes and turned her head toward the sound, curious now as to what the commotion was about. She stood by simply uncrossing her legs and resting her weight on the edges of her ankles until her legs were straight enough to properly support her weight.

Unconscious emulating her pet bird, she looked toward the source of the sound with her head tilted curiously to one side. There, only a short distance away was a trap door, clearly locked or latched somehow, and restraining something on the other side that seemed none to happy about it's lot in life. She slowly brought up her palm menu and paged through her friends list.

Aaron was out of the question, because she didn't feel like explaining to the paladin in training why she'd abandoned the raid. Merkaba was.. well, Merkaba. She scrolled through a few more contacts, disqualifying each one at a time for various reasons, until she came across Alphabet. She had promised to meet up with the little scamp later, and still hadn't gotten around to it, and she was quite strong. Whatever that thing in there was, it may well be dangerous enough that she'd need help in dispatching it.

She quickly dispatched a text message to the girl and dismissed the menu with a casual gesture, then sat and stared at this trap door while she pondered what may lie on the other side.

@Alphabet Chocolate

 

+ @Salem Varley

 

Alphabet Chocolate

Oooo that sounds so cool! c u there!

She had been lurking around the area for some time now, having stopped by the inn a few miles away for a quick rest and brunch before taking off again. She had wanted to go back to the place of her beginnings; Brisshal, where she first started her ongoing journey. Along the way, she stumbled upon Adecus Forest once again which wasn't that far off. The only problem was that the journey would've taken awhile and, at that point in time, Alpha's egg was about to hatch. There, she found herself stuck in the inn for three consecutive game days, taking care of the hare which popped out from the egg she had carried with her for those tedious months. Her care seemed to have paid off as Alpha was immediately endeared to the tiny creature, the hare soon growing to reach her knees in height. As she thought about this, Alpha wiped a single tear from her eye with a proud, adoring smile. Luna preened next to Corn and Terry, communicating in their own animalistic language. Although Alpha could decipher bits and pieces with her Beast-Taming mastery and her Naturamancy, the larger bits of their chatter were lost on her and she simply waited for them to finish their guttural barks and squeals.

The message from Dempsey had come to her after Luna had become acquainted with Alpha's steadily-growing animal troupe. Apparently, deep in the forest around her, there was a trapdoor of sorts that lurked underground and Dempsey had not only needed her help, but had also wanted to finally have that reunion they planned after they learned their respective skills. The thought of the druid still irked Alpha a bit. She had been expected a fun, dangerous quest after all—not a five second revelation that she had the innate power all along. With a groan, she cursed the game's storytelling and looked back at the social animals who had decided to finally complete their spiel. She blankly wondered what a talk that long could've been about. Maybe there were animal politicians and or animal religion or maybe there's that pig down the road who makes the best apple pie. Who knew?

Alpha quickly typed in her message, somewhat lighthearted and exuberant at the prospect of meeting a good friend. She had been actively avoiding Aaron recently (to no fault of either of them) after the man had his body crunched on like a candy cane by that monster (she shivered, horrified of the thoughts of any single eight-legged creature) which haunted her dreams and nightmares. After her traumatizing death (though not enough to get her from quitting the game), she swore off spiders from her 'potential friends' list and strictly put them in the 'do not contact' one. Hurriedly, following that train of thought, she hit send and smiled at her trio of odd companions. They varied in size and shape yet they managed to become such fast friends (much to Alpha's pride as both a best friend to them and a confiding mother).

The walk to Adecus Forest (with Dempsey's location pinged on her game interface's mini-map) had been brief and relatively quick by comparison to her longer jaunts. The forest had not been far away from the inn she was residing at (as she had stated earlier in this private soliloquy). Luna, being the clingy newborn that she was, made sure to follow her every step, side-by-side. She was unused to the crew and had gotten on Terry's nerves with her taunts more often than not. Corn, being the only responsible one in the group, quickly chided the hare with the threat of his prickly quills before going back to sleep on his comfy perch of a dog. Alpha giggled at their antics, all of them so blissful and happy at their stroll.

Eventually, they stumbled upon their destination without paying any mind to their environment. They seemed to be lost in their own world when Luna, upon one of her hops, gave a surprised squawk when the material she had landed on was definitely not grass. Alpha looked down to see a wooden doorway of sorts a few inches below her. The patterns were intricate and, as of so far, were unidentifiable even after months of her playing the game. She knelt down, testing the lock with an avid sense of curiosity. After a few jiggles and frustrated sighs, she looked up to see Dempsey.

"Hiya Demps!" she smiled as Terry growled and, despite her confusion, Luna followed. Corn laid immobile on Terry, refusing to partake in any shenanigans for the day. Alpha groaned. "It's okay boy," she said, giving him a pat and, upon seeing Alpha lightly scolding the dog, Luna gave a little rabbit laugh, thumping her feet down the door. The two were constantly at each other's throats and Alpha couldn't help but wonder why. Regardless, she solely concentrated on Dempsey at this point, giving her the best charming smile she could muster.

"The door looks pretty cool and stuff but I can try to get through!" Alpha offered before kneeling down once again, eye closely examining the lock. She would get through this door if it was the last thing she did (and, considering her almost-shameful experience in lock-picking, she was almost entirely certain that she would). Corn snored.

@Dempsey Fabijain

 

Dempsey strode up to the trapdoor and looked down at Alpha, then to the locked door. She raised her arm to the air and extended a finger. For a moment it seemed like she was pointing at something off to the side until her phase dove appeared from seemingly nowhere and landed on her outstretched finger. She transferred the bird to perch on her shoulder and stepped closer before explaining he situation to Lyre.

"Something big is down there, and I'm not sure what. Seems like some kid of best, or monster though. I doubt very highly it's something natural, but I figured you and I needed a good challenge to test our new skills. If you can't get that open, I can take a crack at it, and if neither of us can, we'll figure out a way to bash it open."

She crouched down near the trap door and knocked on the wooden surface thoughtfully for a moment before continuing;

"the point is, be careful. that lock is going to be tricky, but the real hard part will be whenever that thing that's in there gets out. It'll probably be hungry, and I don't know about you, but I look all kinds of tasty."

she chuckled at her own bullshit and gave Alpha a reassuring pat on the back.

"Get to it then. I'll hang back and keep an eye out for trouble. Remember, Don't open that door till we're both ready."

@Salem Varley @Alphabet Chocolate