Viola flicked through the pages of her testimony as she walked through the library. Double, triple, quadruple-checking. The glue binding them into a booklet was secure, her drawings weren't smudged, and everything was in order. She hands Bill the stack.
"It’s my pleasure to help. Could you pass on what we know to the families of any travelers still missing? They deserve closure. At this point, it's certain any cats who didn't make it back from the Stone Forest were eaten by Boundless."
She sighs.
"Greendoze needs to be reassured that if they ever have to travel through there again, they won't be next."
The guild certainly won't stop investigating, even as more Boundless crawl out of the shadows of their findings. Neither will she. When the townsfolk have to evacuate, they'll know where to hide. Bill starts reading through Viola's notes:
My team went through two trials of the Stone Forest before we reached its center. We went down the path said to have made cats disappear. Consider the following advice for future adventurers who get trapped along the way.
THE POND ILLUSION
After getting far enough in, you will be completely surrounded by stone. Attempting to find an exit is futile. Go up to the water and look for differences between its reflection and your surroundings. Your goal is to make the outside match what you see. This could involve cutting down vines, burying fruits, and catching fish. You’ll know you’ve succeeded when fireflies start dancing about. The pond will become a portal you can pass through. It is worth noting that there are likely cats stuck on the other side who won’t be given a path out until you’re done.
THE SQUIRREL KERFUFFLE
To be blunt, this is as far as any traveler should go. We realized too late the wall covered in runes blocking our route to the center was there to keep out Boundless. Turn around and find a way home. If you’re running low on supplies, you can trade with the local wildlife for water and tools provided you have trinkets. Under no circumstances engage them in combat, they are magical and intelligent. The squirrel we encountered was a shapeshifter with a spiteful temperament. You don’t want to be on the wrong end of its massive claws.
THE CENTER
There is no reason for any cat to risk dying to reach the center. The Boundless reduced what was there to rubble. It was a miracle the cavern didn’t collapse from their assault. We found piles of rusted weapons and statues of adventuring cats before us. It’s safe to say their curiosity led to their demise. Petrification is an unpleasant way to go, I wouldn’t recommend it.
FINDINGS
We had two goals for our expedition, to find out why travelers were going missing and to see if the center had anything to do with the Stone Forest’s unusual behavior. The answer to both turned out to be Boundless. The Stone Forest is aware, there is no debating that. It can only manipulate its natural defenses to fight back against an unrelenting threat. Ordinary cats vanished because they were caught up in its attempts to keep those monsters out. If they weren’t able to escape before the Boundless found them, it would explain where all the equipment we found in the squirrel’s hoard came from. Tragic ends that could have been avoided if they were better prepared. There is no treasure at its center, only magic so overwhelming even now I suspect it’s still too dangerous for anyone to enter. Enclosed you will find drawings of what we saw along our journey.
[Viola enclosed rough sketches of the pond before and after they cleaned it up, the rune wall, the squirrel ratatouiling Per, and what they found in its hoard. Her drawing of the cavern has the faces of the marble statues clawed out so thoroughly that not a speck of the paper could be seen underneath. The sprawling Laurelstone cluster is notably missing. In its place are outlines of Boundless forming grotesque piles of gnashing teeth and limbs.]
When Bill finishes reading, they hand her payment before asking for her name. Viola shakes her head.
“Sorry, I have no interest in leaving a legacy. I’m only here to do my part in making the world safer before I go.”
She turns to leave. If she was being honest, she felt like she was only a body for the guild after how little information they were given before being thrown into danger, but it was fine. She was using them as much as they were using her. Contributing to Greendoze’s archive was a good way to spend her afternoon. If she can’t make use of her blessings now, at least her death could be mildly productive.
Elliot
Viola flicked through the pages of her testimony as she walked through the library. Double, triple, quadruple-checking. The glue binding them into a booklet was secure, her drawings weren't smudged, and everything was in order. She hands Bill the stack.
"It’s my pleasure to help. Could you pass on what we know to the families of any travelers still missing? They deserve closure. At this point, it's certain any cats who didn't make it back from the Stone Forest were eaten by Boundless."
She sighs.
"Greendoze needs to be reassured that if they ever have to travel through there again, they won't be next."
The guild certainly won't stop investigating, even as more Boundless crawl out of the shadows of their findings. Neither will she. When the townsfolk have to evacuate, they'll know where to hide. Bill starts reading through Viola's notes:
My team went through two trials of the Stone Forest before we reached its center. We went down the path said to have made cats disappear. Consider the following advice for future adventurers who get trapped along the way.
THE POND ILLUSION
After getting far enough in, you will be completely surrounded by stone. Attempting to find an exit is futile. Go up to the water and look for differences between its reflection and your surroundings. Your goal is to make the outside match what you see. This could involve cutting down vines, burying fruits, and catching fish. You’ll know you’ve succeeded when fireflies start dancing about. The pond will become a portal you can pass through. It is worth noting that there are likely cats stuck on the other side who won’t be given a path out until you’re done.
THE SQUIRREL KERFUFFLE
To be blunt, this is as far as any traveler should go. We realized too late the wall covered in runes blocking our route to the center was there to keep out Boundless. Turn around and find a way home. If you’re running low on supplies, you can trade with the local wildlife for water and tools provided you have trinkets. Under no circumstances engage them in combat, they are magical and intelligent. The squirrel we encountered was a shapeshifter with a spiteful temperament. You don’t want to be on the wrong end of its massive claws.
THE CENTER
There is no reason for any cat to risk dying to reach the center. The Boundless reduced what was there to rubble. It was a miracle the cavern didn’t collapse from their assault. We found piles of rusted weapons and statues of adventuring cats before us. It’s safe to say their curiosity led to their demise. Petrification is an unpleasant way to go, I wouldn’t recommend it.
FINDINGS
We had two goals for our expedition, to find out why travelers were going missing and to see if the center had anything to do with the Stone Forest’s unusual behavior. The answer to both turned out to be Boundless. The Stone Forest is aware, there is no debating that. It can only manipulate its natural defenses to fight back against an unrelenting threat. Ordinary cats vanished because they were caught up in its attempts to keep those monsters out. If they weren’t able to escape before the Boundless found them, it would explain where all the equipment we found in the squirrel’s hoard came from. Tragic ends that could have been avoided if they were better prepared. There is no treasure at its center, only magic so overwhelming even now I suspect it’s still too dangerous for anyone to enter. Enclosed you will find drawings of what we saw along our journey.
[Viola enclosed rough sketches of the pond before and after they cleaned it up, the rune wall, the squirrel ratatouiling Per, and what they found in its hoard. Her drawing of the cavern has the faces of the marble statues clawed out so thoroughly that not a speck of the paper could be seen underneath. The sprawling Laurelstone cluster is notably missing. In its place are outlines of Boundless forming grotesque piles of gnashing teeth and limbs.]
When Bill finishes reading, they hand her payment before asking for her name. Viola shakes her head.
“Sorry, I have no interest in leaving a legacy. I’m only here to do my part in making the world safer before I go.”
She turns to leave. If she was being honest, she felt like she was only a body for the guild after how little information they were given before being thrown into danger, but it was fine. She was using them as much as they were using her. Contributing to Greendoze’s archive was a good way to spend her afternoon. If she can’t make use of her blessings now, at least her death could be mildly productive.
2023-01-15 16:00:02 (Edited 2023-01-15 16:01:04)
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