The note catches Edwards' attention, stopping to read the words and lingering on the “reward” part of it, stroking his chin with a smile. A reward? How could he say no? Being lost in his own thoughts he almost jumps as Silas approaches, he smooths out his fur and coat as the guild leaders explains to him what to do, with a curt nod and confident walk he makes his way over to this Bill cat to have his story told.

“Greetings.” He holds out his paw for a shake. “Edward Garance, Wayseeker, I’m here to recount what I’ve experienced in the Stone Forest.” He flashes a smile before pulling out a chair and sitting down. Edward already knew and had told his account of his version of this story a number of times already, might as well get it down on paper, and for a reward? There just aren’t any downsides to this! Perhaps he should think about hiring someone to start writing his memoirs after this… just to get a headstart, it just makes sense.

“Me and my took the northeast path of the forest where countless catfolks had ended up missing, dubbing it The Captured Path. Of course, as a Wayseeker, we couldn’t sit idly by! Our team braved this path together to find ourselves becoming trapped by some sort of magical means at a clearing with a pond. Naturally, my keen eye noticed that something was amiss with the reflection, they did not initially match. Once realizing this it didn’t take long to solve the puzzle, the pond turned itself into a portal and we found one of the trapped cats on the other side. Saving this poor merchant from the forest trap.”

Edward gets really into his own head when retelling the story. Completely omitting how he was the only one in his team that didn’t even want to go to the capture path in fear of becoming trapped himself. And, of course, he has to take most of the credit for solving the puzzle.

“Next morning we went down a middle path towards the center when we got ambushed by a giant caterpillar like Boundless holding a laurelstone shard. We fought it back when another one, a moth this time, picked me up! Flew me to a big tree to drop me down, but you see cats typically land on their feet, I was fine - hah! - Or else I wouldn’t be here right? But it didn’t stop there, from a cocoon a second moth was emerging. Yes, a cocoon! It was disgusting, those things are hostile and filled with rage from birth unfortunately. Rest assured all the three of those were beaten back and stopped moving once the shard was out of the caterpillar's hands… It must all be connected somehow.”

Edward strokes his chin, looking up thoughtfully. He once more omits the details of him being picked up by a moth because he tried to run away, he landed by crashing into his teammate Chives, but whatever! Don’t sweat the details. He left out any mentions of the ghosts the night they camped, he had so quickly passed out, it wasn’t worth bringing up… wasn’t that just a nightmare?

“Now… we all reconvened at the center with the giant laurelstone… or that would have happened if there wasn’t for the slew of boundless that poured into the cave as soon as we got too close to the center. They attacked it relentlessly until it exploded, it was a powerful shock wave that sent us all back. It’s still a mystery as to why they did it as it seems it caused their own demise… How foolish.” he shakes his head. “But still, we all came back after that explosion, our story couldn’t end there after all. There are still so many questions left unanswered, where the Boundless come from and their connection to the magic and laurelstone. I want you to put on the record that us Wayseekers won’t rest until we find it!”

He looks determined, arms folded and nodding, pleased with his account. He waits for his reward and then makes his way out of the library. This first expedition had been a mess and he hated almost every minute of it, but if it was going to be worth it at all, the least he could do was to record it where he sounded as good and heroic as possible from it.

2023-01-21 16:03:01

Ubeu entered at a point where the library was mostly quiet, not wanting to run into any guildmates if she could help it. She thought it would be helpful to recount her team's experience, as much as she hated most of the expedition. Well... maybe that was a stretch, but it was the fact that she really didn't like what it had become that colored her experience.

The molly made her way to Will, although she considered going to the scribe and putting down a more formal recount. She paused for a bit, before deciding to approach the eccentric librarian and demand (if not a little politely) that her words be written down so the information could be saved. She wouldn't be able to read what was written, and she worried a little that her words could be misconstrued. But as she began her tale, she paid close attention to how things were written, noting that every time she paused the scribe paused, and she decided that if someone wanted to make a very fanciful tale out of her story they would do it differently. So in the end, she had to give some of her trust.

Ubeu didn't talk much, but she did focus on the most important parts of the expedition.

"We started by taking the southwest path and got to this strange meadow with lots of magical plants. There were plants that made you sleep, plants that tangled you in thorns, all sorts. We made our way to the other side but there seemed to be some sort of creature there. I think it was a Boundless?" Ubeu grimaced a little, but continued on. "It seemed to be going after this pulsing in the center of the meadow, and my teammates managed to locate it and pull out this shard. I think it was a Laurelstone shard, and once that was gotten the creature seemed to... disappear? When the shard was taken the meadow seemed to change too, into something without magic. We weren't sure where the creature went but we left the meadow after that."

Ubeu took a soft breath, then continued on.

"We set up camp for the night, and these strange spirits came through the clearing and passed through us. We all... felt something, and the spirits mentioned something about Dragon's Rest but that was it." Perhaps she had gone over this part too quickly, but she hurried on. "The next morning we made our way to a pine forest but encountered a mother boar and her baby. The baby got trapped and the mother was super mad. The mother boar had ice powers and we had to soothe her and get her reunited with her baby, but once that happened she led us through the pine forest to this place with a bunch of statues. The statues looked a bit like the spirits we'd seen the night before. From there we went to the center of the forest and... well. Got to the caverns and the place with the big Laurelstone..."

Ubeu went quiet for a little while, as if debating whether to recount the next part. "I think everyone in the Guild had the same experience... Getting knocked back by the pulses when the Laurelstone was destroyed, waking up in the hospital."

Returning to the heavens from where everything came.

She shook her head a little fiercely, as if dispelling the memory of the vision.

"And that was it," she concluded, and stared with big eyes as she watched the scribe finish. "You better have written everything down right and don't change my words later or anything," she told them, then after a moment added, "Please."

With a curt nod and an awkward shuffle, Ubeu left the library, her story told.

2023-01-20 15:22:54

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)