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 Posted: Thu Oct 20, 2022 10:55 pm
There was an old Earth adage about curiosity killing cats and even Illyria couldn't tell if there was any truth to the saying. Her paw steps this false evening were guiding her on a well known path. Here there would be no surprises, no ambushes, nothing that could bring her harm ... and yet the Mauvian was just a little on the tense side. There was enough daylight remaining that she felt secure enough to be wandering around but yet something still itched at the back of her mind. Her mind had been made up to at least check on one of her caches of rocks that she kept hidden just to make sure that in her noticeable absence, no one had been able to find and destroy it.
Taking a moment to check the sun's position on the horizon did Illyria step off of the paved pathway she had been on to follow a narrower dirt track, a natural game trail that she had found ages ago. Her paws itched with the familiarity of the route before she caught her front paw landing on a hardened square object lying innocuously in her way. Studying the object Illyria came to the conclusion that it was a die, but the question was where had it come from? A random person trying to take a shortcut through the woods? Who, what, where, when and why all went through her brain before she caught herself staring down at the strange die. It really was a beautiful object and without much second-guessing did Illyria neatly pick the die up in her mouth. It would make a perfect addition to the cache that she was going to check on.
If only the universe decided to go along with well thought out plans. Illyria's ears flicked back and forth as the sound of rushing wind came from all around. Moments later it slammed into her small frame and she saw nothing but blackness.
Would could have been hours later or mere moments one wouldn't be able to say Illyria stirred and got unsteadily to her paws before realizing that the blackness around her was not all encompassing - there was a pathway that seemed to be illuminated from below and the platform that she now found herself on was not the only one that she could see. Sitting down to stare at the platform in the distance did Illyria glare at the die that she felt was responsible. "So what, I'm just supposed to go along with this. Yeah, I don't think that's going to happen."
Trying everything that she could think of: from trying to contact anyone that she knew to attempting to find a way out did Illyria paced back and forth on her platform before becoming resigned to the fact that she would have to roll the die. "I do this under extreme protest but fine, whatever," and here the Mauvian picked up the die before spitting it out and waiting to see how many spaces she would be allowed to travel. Quote: Space 0: You have arrived here; nothing happens until you roll your die.
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tefla rolled 1 6-sided dice:
5
Total: 5 (1-6)
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Posted: Thu Oct 20, 2022 10:55 pm
It seemed as if rolling the dice was the key to all of this. Illyria was able to step onto the illuminated pathway as soon as the die had stopped tumbling about and revealed that she could travel five spaces forward. There was no guessing how many squares there were on this path but her first roll seemed decent enough. Even as she stopped on the correct square did she test the boundaries of the path to feel resistance from all sides. It would appear that she could not go further than what she rolled and there was no easy solution of simply jumping off the side of the path in order to maybe 'respawn' someplace else that wasn't here. The game board was also telling her it was impossible to move backwards once she had landed on her rolled space.
Taking but a moment to observe the squares yet to travel did Illyria's senses pick up on the fact that she was no longer alone. A sharp odour assailed her nose even as she felt what seemed like a rather large drop of canine slobber land on her back. Moments passed and Illyria sighed in relief. Perhaps it had just been her imagination that led her to believe that a large animal was standing just behind her. That illusion of peace was shattered very quickly as a low growl reverberated in the air around her followed by a sharp, and very close bark that made Illyria yowl in surprise. Fear froze her paws to where she stood even as a presence loomed over her. Her gaze landed on the die sitting so innocently across the square and without any grace or dignity at all did the young feline scurry towards what promised to be her only chance to escape. Snagging the die with a sharp buffet with her paw did Illyria send the object skidding across her current tile. AngerDog was literally seconds away from sinking its teeth into her bushy tail before the wall preventing her from moving forward melted away into nothing.
Panting softly did Illyria scoop up the die as she moved forward. It'd be safer this way. Even as she looked back towards the square that housed the dog could she swear that its eyes continued to watch her departing form ... just waiting for her to let down her guard and strike.Quote: Space 5: A dog barks, fierce and frightening. You can hear its growl and the hackles stand up on the back of your neck. You can practically feel spittle on you. It’s close. And it’s big. And it’s angry. If this beastly dog could reach you, no doubt it would try to tear you to shreds.
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tefla rolled 1 6-sided dice:
4
Total: 4 (1-6)
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Posted: Thu Oct 20, 2022 10:57 pm
The fact that this pathway now had hidden dangers associated with it had Illyria on edge. She would need to remain vigilant if she wanted to get out of this place unscathed. Was it going to turn into another case of things that were "easier said than done?" Stopping on what appeared to be the ninth square on this path did Illyria pause to inhale deeply. The encounter with the dog had left her rattled. As she inhaled the feline picked up on the scent of brine in the air before she felt the ground beneath her paws transform into what seemed to be rough wooden boards. The ship she now stood upon yawed to one side before pitching to the other as waves rocked along its side. Bells rung in harmony from upon the shoreline from a town that Illyria could not see but could swear was there. Sniffing appreciatively at the smell of fresh fish did Illyria realize that this square housed some old-fashioned fishing vessel. Almost immediately did she feel her stomach rumble in response to this new development. The chance to sniff out a fresh meal never materialized though.
At first it started like a silent chorus which filled the air. A melody so joyous that Illyria couldn't help but laugh along in sheer whimsy. The thought that it was coming from the town beyond had her paws itching to hop off the boat and go for yet another long rambling adventure. The music, slow and quiet, in its infancy, grew and swelled all around the vessel on which she stood. Did that mean that the source was coming from beneath her?
All thoughts of staying objective went out of her mind as the music continued to caress her senses. There was nothing else that mattered except joining the source of whatever was creating that heavenly music. Illyria hadn't even realized that she'd launched her tiny body over the railing of the vessel until salt water hitting the back of her lungs caused her to sputter wildly. The song crescendo-ed all around her now as she felt hands, ones that seemed awfully non-human, gently caress her fur. She was lulled into quiet contemplation even as those hands soothed away all her troubles. It wasn't until one such hand tried exerting a little too much pressure on her body that she shrank away from such rough treatment. The song had abruptly ceased and the swell of the ocean was all around her. Illyria sputtered once more before trying to catch sight of where the boat had been, where land was, where any solid firmament stood. She needed to get out of the water and fast. Realizing the die was still somehow in her mouth did Illyria tighten her grip on it. As a piece of wood drifted by did she carefully spit the die out onto the log before grabbing it back up again as everything in the square seemingly got sucked back into a void from which it had come.
Moving a little more slowly then she would have liked, Illyria crossed over into the next tile to await what the board had in store for her next. Quote: Space 9: The smell of saltwater fills the air, and you can hear the water lapping against the shore. You hear boards creaking, and bells in the distance. And then, a song. Haunting. Ghostly, and calling you. For a second, you fall in love. And then, water fills your lungs. You’re choking, you can’t breathe. The song is loud and seems to caress you, even as a wet chill gathers in your square. Scaly hands reach for you, you gently caressing, and try to lure you into an endless sleep.
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tefla rolled 1 6-sided dice:
1
Total: 1 (1-6)
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Posted: Thu Oct 20, 2022 10:59 pm
By now Illyria was definitely muttering about curiosity and cats as the wall that separated her from her previous adventure allowed her passage through before slamming back up into place. The feeling of having wet fur once more had the unintended effect of an untimely distraction that she didn't need in a place like this. The smell should have clued her in that something wasn't right in this square and Illyria paid the price that being caught unaware brought with it. At first it was just her front left paw that sank gently into the ground below her but even as she tilted off balance did her other paws sink into the sludge that was now began to crawl up the expanse of her paws to truly trap her in the mire. Struggling to yank her paws free resulted in shooting pains and Illyria felt a cry tear from her throat as she desperately attempted pulling her paws free from what seemed like the worst adhesive material that had no give whatsoever.
Feeling the constrictive sand pull her further under with the struggles that she was making did Illyria still all motion. Her breaths came out in a slow and shallow measure as she examined her surroundings more closely. It was obvious that she had stumbled into a pit of what most likely was quicksand and even as she cast her gaze around could she discern nothing that would be of use in trying to pull herself free. The point of not struggling was abating the suction exerted on her tiny form but it was still there and Illyria cried out again as the pressure built up, squeezing what little air in her body out in a giant whoosh. She needed to breath but the sand that was quickly rising to around her chest would not allow her the opportunity to catch even the tiniest of breaths. Even as she felt her body go limp from the gravitational forces being applied did Illyria sense the die slip out of her mouth and rolling lazily on the surface of the muddy pit in which she was stuck.
Blacking out from lack of oxygen did the roll of the die finally register and the walls separating the tiles drop. Even as it seemed like the quicksand was going to pull the feline totally under was she expelled from the pit, almost like being spit out by something that found her taste to be totally unappealing.
Weakened considerably, passed out and with the next tile's horror awaiting what would be Illyria's return to consciousness ... did the tiny form continue to slumber ... unaware of the smoke that was beginning to drift through the air ... taking up valuable oxygen.Quote: Space 10: A swampy smell fills the air. You take a step, and you seem to sink into it. Mud creeps over your feet, and you sink rapidly. Ankle deep, knee deep. Whether or not you squirm and fight against it, you are sinking. The mud is crushing and painful, and if you sink too deep it steals the breath from your lungs. There’s nothing to grab onto; you have to roll your dice quickly before that too gets sucked into the muddy quicksand.
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tefla rolled 1 6-sided dice:
2
Total: 2 (1-6)
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Posted: Thu Oct 20, 2022 11:00 pm
At first she thought she was dreaming when her eyes finally opened of their own accord. Illyria couldn't see much from all the smoke that seemed to fill the air and her other senses were assailed by the sounds of fearful screams that rent through the air and the sensation of extreme heat that appeared from the flickering glow all over the tile she now tried to walk over. No, the tile itself wasn't burning but something close enough to affect the surface temperature was. For what seemed like ages the young Mauvian wandered aimlessly too and fro looking for the die that she needed in order to escape this place but she could not find it. It couldn't have been left behind in the previous square could it have been?
Almost frantically did she find herself sprinting back to and slamming rather painfully into the barrier that separated the swampland from this new environ. "Oh, right. Barrier," was the muttered response even as she paced back and forth along the wall's length. Almost theatrically did Illyria try to leap whatever length of the wall had before falling back to the ground without any success. If the die truly was on the other side of the wall, was she stuck here then? Would she ever get out?
Raising her face to the air brought a wave of fresh alarm over her features as she registered that the smoke was getting thicker to see through. It was also growing more acrid. Lowering herself closer the the ground did she slink forward ... a tune like one she'd heard once before began to drift through the air, but its familiar strains were being drowned out by the screams of those that were deathly afraid and suddenly she was reminded of a moment in time in which she had found herself in a perilous predicament.
Even as Illyria froze, did her mind fully transport the young cat back to that moment of terror. It didn't matter that there was solid ground currently under her paws. Locked in the memory did Illyria find herself scrambling for purchase on a platform's edge that was rapidly crumbling from underneath her weight. No matter how much she yowled out in distress no one seemed to hear her or avail themselves to act as her rescuer. She was going to fall. No one was going to save her. There would be no more new friends to meet. No one would even miss her. Resigning herself to such a fate brought a sense of acceptance and even as her paws slid from the edge in which she'd been gripping for dear life did the tiny kitten feel gravity once more exert its will upon her form, pulling her down, down, down into a dark abyss.
The sense of free-falling snapped Illyria out of whatever had caused her to freeze up in the first place before she found herself flat on the ground. Her eyes stared blankly ahead for what seemed like ages before she rose to her paws. That memory, while one hundred percent real, had not ended like that. It was just at the last moment that a senshi had plucked her from the edge's abyss like gently plucking a flower from the earth and had saved her from perishing. Illyria sighed before casting her senses around for the die that would allow her to leave this hellish square behind with the senshi's name on her lips, "Ida ... Ida... Ida" ... it became her mantra, each time she repeated the name it was with more strength behind it. Even continuing to chant rhythmically as she pushed herself forward, ignoring the screams around her, breathing in the smoke and using her best sense given to all felines to find what it was that she sought: that of her sight.
And there it was: glistening brightly with the reflection of flames dancing across its surface her ticket out of here. Illyria plucked the die from the ground and once more dropped it in an abrupt roll that brought down the wall separating her tile from whatever space she happened to land on next. Mentally and physically exhausted did she stumble into the next square, hoping that this game was almost over.Quote: Space 12: The smell of smoke is in the air. You can’t see what’s burning, but you can hear distant screams, and–carnival music? It feels like people are running past you, and the air fills with panic and alarm–but there’s nowhere for you to go, and the smoke is so thick. You’d better roll quickly so you can get out of here.
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tefla rolled 1 6-sided dice:
1
Total: 1 (1-6)
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Posted: Thu Oct 20, 2022 11:01 pm
At first Illyria thought that maybe her time on this insane plane was over. There was no sounds, no dangers, no clues whatsoever that would lead her to any other assumption. Placing her die down gently on the ground did Illyria attempt to take the first true moment to compose herself after all that she had so far experienced. Her whole body felt like it had been battered relentlessly. Logic wouldn't be able to brush off her wild theory that everything happening here was truly reality with the shape that she was in. The smell of smoke still lingered in her nostrils and even her experience with the quicksand was still taking its toll on her. Not to mention the saltwater bath that she had gone through, complete with swallowing what felt like gallons of water. Illyria was just about ready to give up on this place. And it was with that thought in mind that the terror of this square revealed itself.
The tiny pitter-patter of multiple sets of paws had Illyria scrambling to her own paws as her gaze scanned the distance wild-like. Her breath came out in pants as the level of fear she was feeling skyrocketed into the stratosphere. A wall of beady eyes that reflected the light was baring down on her. At first it was hard to determine just what this new horror was until the sounds of rabid squealing hit her ears. No, no, no, no, no. This was not happening.
But unfortunately it was. Illyria stared down at the monstrosities that now had her surrounded. Multiple pairs of incisors ground against each other, drowning out anything else that would have been reassuring. The bruxing continued even as Illyria tried to take a step backwards only to feel what felt like the first lance of pain strike radiate outward from her back paw. Even as she whirled around to strike at the rat that had moved forward to n** at her exposed limb did yet another try to sink its teeth into her tail. Illyria could not let them get an established grip on any part of her body. With their size and weight they would easily be able to pin her down in no time flat and no amount of struggling would see her break free from their combined weight. Playing dead for only a moment did Illyria roll over to the left in an attempt to get closer to her die. The move fell inches short and even as she felt another rat latch onto her tail did she stretch out her front paw to roll the die closer ... the swarm descended on her even as the object was suddenly struck with the remaining energy she had in her body. Illyria's gaze tracked the die's movement as it completed at least one full rotation before coming to a standstill. The rats vanished but the pain from their bites remained as she limped forward. Oddly enough the walls did not slam back up after her roll allotment of four spaces and so Illyria crossed over the final square before setting her paws on the far platform that she had glimpsed at the beginning of her journey.Quote: Space 13: At first, the square is quiet. Nothing seems amiss. It’s unnerving in how safe it seems. But then, it only takes a few seconds before you understand why. It’s just taken a moment for them to get to you. The patter of tiny feet is rapidly approaching. There’s no light to see them, but there’s a reflection in their beady eyes. Rats. Thousands of them. Chittering, frothing in the mouth. These are strangely grotesque, mutated abominations. They’re running at you like they haven’t got a fear in the world–only, hungry. And rage. If they get to you, they’ll eat you alive. The ground is trembling with their weight. You’d better roll quickly if you don’t wind up a meal.
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tefla rolled 1 6-sided dice:
4
Total: 4 (1-6)
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Posted: Thu Oct 20, 2022 11:03 pm
Even as Illyria found herself finally at the end of whatever board game from hell she'd just finished could the tiny feline find no comfort in the accomplishment of surviving. In this form she was weak, limited in what she could do. The die that had brought her here and that she had used sat innocently in front of her, now seemingly willing to mock her lack of strength. Even as a light bathed over her form and brought her back to the woods in which she had been snatched from did Illyria feel the various wounds that she had sustained while walking that dangerous pathway. Inhaling sharply to only find the telltale signs of greenery that was beginning to shut down for the long sleep of winter did Illyria note the strange die had been transported back with her.
Without any hesitation did the Mauvian kick out at the cursed object. There would be no way that she would allow it to transport anyone else to that world and neither would she allow it to go into her precious cache. The die was evil, pure and simple, and it needed to be dropped into the nearest place where the sun wouldn't find it, where another innocent soul wouldn't find it .. where it'd never be able to ensnare someone else again. Fighting through the pain that her battered and exhausted body had taken that evening did Illyria manage to drop the die down into a grate that lead into the sewers. With the next good wave of water hopefully the die would be washed away for good.
Even as the Mauvian felt the miniscule relief in making sure that no one would ever find that die again did she have to wonder if there were more objects just lying around the city. Wouldn't it be her duty to make sure that no one else managed to stumble across one? The succinct answer to her own mental query was a resounding and emphatic NO. If merely picking up such a die led to being transported again to that strange place than Illyria would be avoiding all dice that looked like the one she had found. For now she wearily stumbled away - feeling every bit the exhaustion that pulled at her body. She needed to find a place where she would be able to freshen up and simply sleep the night away.Quote: 6th roll = doubling of roll total ... 4 x 2 = 8. Space 20: The end; once you have arrived here you are free to leave. You will see be basked in the glow of a beautiful, opalescent aura that will take you back home. If you arrived with a guest, you can leave without them or choose to stay until they make it to the end as well. When you arrive back in Destiny City, you may choose to keep the six sided die–if nothing else, it’s pretty! Though, it doesn’t seem to have any magical qualities, that might be for the best. (( Final WC: 3535 words ... 7 solos ))
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