(IC) HtV STL by Night

[Bennosuke]

The two make camp by the lake, bundling up at the tree line so that they have a wide view of the clearing and the muddy grass that leads up to the expansive body of water. They scent the immediate area with a packet of doe urine that Frank had brought, the smell is pungent. By it's very nature, hunting was a sport of patience, and it's almost a two hour wait before a good sized buck saunters out of the clearing. The lithe animal has a short pelt of light brown that almost shines in the morning sun, and a pair of blooming antlers crown its mantle. The deer is maybe a hundred yards away, and as it exits the forest, it stops to look both ways like a child at a crosswalk. Head to the sky, sniffing at the morning air, the buck decides there is no danger and pads over to the water's edge to take a drink.

Frank is still taking sight, when Jen's rifle fires, blasting a small cloud of grey powder into the air. The buck twitches sideways, stumbling against the impact of the rifle shell. It sways but does not go over, instead turning away from the water on shaking thin legs to flee back into the cover of the forest. The buck takes several unstable steps across the mud, but as it tries to gain speed it's legs give out and the deer falls neck and flank first into the grass.

(OOC: Giving Jen the credit for TC's excellent number of successes in the first two rolls)

[Thundercracker]

Jen Gibbs

Jen waited for the echo of the shot to fade away, then checked her rifle's safety before slinging it over her shoulder.
"That's dinner for the trip," she said, "c'mon, let's get over there and make sure it's down for good."

[Bennosuke]

Jen and Frank begin racing across the clearing towards the struggling buck. As they come out into the open, it seems to see them, and fumbles back onto all four hooves, though one of them seems to be moving badly. The buck begins limping back towards the forest, almost dragging the left front leg as it crashes back into the brush. The deer was clearly badly wounded though, and was leaving behind a trail of churned up dirt and a splattering of dark red blood on the slick wet grasses.

(OOC: Of course, Wits + Survival + 1 for both of you please. Goal 3 successes)

[Daishain]

Frank nods as Jen makes the shot, "Good hit, lets put it the rest of the way down."

He safeties and shoulders his own rifle, and moves up towards the trail left by the buck, determined to reach it swiftly and end the creature's pain.

On catching up, he would approach from the sides to avoid any last ditch kicking and use a long bladed knife to try and pierce the heart.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

wits+survival+1 (6d10)[5][4][2][8][5][3](27)

[Thundercracker]

"Careful," Jen said.
Getting up close to a wounded animal with just a knife could always be unpredictable.

[Bennosuke]

(OOC: Unless someone wants to try with a willpower, I only count two successes.)

Jen and Frank hurriedly begin to follow the trail of spattered blood and muddy hoof prints. At first it is easy to keep on the trail, and based on how bad the deer had been hit it seemed like it could not have gone far. But soon the two find themselves deep within the woods with no sign of the deer's tracks.

The woods here are darker, the branches clawing today to block out the midday sun; thin spidery white trees all somehow almost bereft of leaves. No other part of the forest has been like this. Frank and Jen find themselves standing at the edge of a ravine that must be almost twenty feet deep. Below the mudslide and bramble of tree roots, the river rushes at a furious pace, roaring loud enough to drown out the chirps of the birds, loud enough to drown out almost all other sounds.

As the two shuffle around the edge of the ravine, looking for a sign of the deer, they come across a thin but definite trail of animal bones. The line of crushed skulls and spindly femurs seems to fade back into the forest, but swells to a collected pile at the lip of the ravine, ending where it appears a tree trunk had once been used to cross the river. The trunk now rests precariously at a diagonal stuck in the middle of the rushing creek.

(OOC: Feel free to take an Int + survival roll along with anything else you want to do)

[Thundercracker]

Jen pulled out her phone and took some photos of the trail of bones and the pile, along with the fallen tree and the ravine. The next time someone questioned whether something weird was going on, she’d be ready.

“I don’t think it came this way,” she said loudly over the sound of rushing water.

Spoiler

Show

int+ survival: (3d10)[3][2][3](8)
10 again: (3d10)[2][6][1](9)

[Bennosuke]

There is not much more Jen can gather from looking around. It is hard for her to tell how long the tree trunk had been like that, and how long the bones had been there. As she snaps pictures with her phone, her mind races over what could be happening.

[Daishain]

Frank looks confused, "How the hell did we lose that trail? That buck was floundering like a fish on land."

On seeing the bones he shakes his head, "And even more weirdness with the bones." He looks around, thinking of the last place they saw the trail and how to backtrack.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

int+survival (4d10)[9][5][8][10](32)
ten again (4d10)[5][5][1][5](16)

[Bennosuke]

Frank looked down at the trail of bones. The pieces of spine and skull and limb were all the same sorts of animals they had found at the tree. And just like the night before, it seemed that the different yellowing pieces of skeleton had only laid of the forest floor for a short period of time. The dirt underneath was still moist, and did not cling to the bones like it would have if the bones had sunk down with the weight of time. Furthermore, just like the bones from the night before, these had only recently been picked clean; knuckle bones still clung together with spidery ligaments.

It also looked like the tree trunk that was laying in the river below had also relatively recently been moved. Frank could see the streak in the bed where it had been dragged.

[Daishain]

Frank takes his rifle off of his shoulder slowly, he lowers his voice a bit as he says, "Whoever messed with the bones and the tree did so recently. Probably earlier today. Lets backtrack, see if we can't find that deer trail again. I don't want to be messing around with whatever this is."

[Thundercracker]

Jen nodded and followed Frank’s lead. The situation just seemed odd, and she unslung her rifle, just in case.

[Bennosuke]

Frank and Jenn turn back the way they came, but somehow nothing looks the same. It has suddenly become much harder to find the deer's trail, which had led them to this ravine. Impossibly, it was getting darker too and it felt like the forest was beginning to close in on the two campers.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

So we are going to continue with the antagonistic mechanic stolen from Changeling here, as Frank and Jenn try to find their way back through the woods. Please both of you roll Wits + Survival -2, and your combined successes will be compared to the following roll

(5d10)[6][8][3][6][2](25)

[Daishain]

Frank tries not to show it, but he's getting increasingly nervous about this place. Perhaps this whole thing was a mistake.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

wits+survival-2 (2d10)[2][1](3)
ten again (2d10)[6][4](10)

[Bennosuke]

The two walk as quickly as they can away from the ravine and the trail of animal bones. It had been a little before midday when they had entered the woods to track down the wounded deer, but somehow as they march on, the sky seems to darken above the forest canopy. Anxiety stalks the two through the woods like a demon hunter. Nothing seems familiar, and it becomes undeniable that Frank and Jenn are lost in the dark forest. Stars become visible bleeding between the branches, but even their light is strangled and unhelpful.

Suddenly, almost maddeningly even, the two campers find themselves back at the ravine. Not only are the two back at the ravine, but back at the long thin trail of bones! Jenn and Frank have only a moment to ponder what is happening, standing at the lip of the ravine and looking down at the fallen tree trunk, when the ground under them erodes with a sudden boom. The forest floor gives out and Frank and Jenn find themselves tumbling down fast and hard, rolling into the ravine with the rocks and soil and clods of dirt.

(OOC: I rolled for both Frank and Jenn, but Frank has failed his Stamina + Athletics roll and falls hard. He can either take the Arm Wracked, or the Leg Wracked Tilt. Up to you Daishain)

Jenn and Frank are thrown into the ravine, collapsed at the water's edge. The walls of the ravine are steep and the soil too soft to climb. However, the earth on the other side of the ravine seems to rise more gently, and may be more easily ascended.

[Thundercracker]

Jen tried to keep her arms and legs from tangling on anything as they fell, then when they hit the bottom she stopped for a moment, then checked herself over to see if anything was broken. Next she reflexively checked the barrel of her weapon to make sure it was clear as training took over.

“You okay?” she asked into the gloom.

She couldn’t exactly see where Frank was and hoped to follow the sound of his voice.

[Daishain]

Frank groans a bit in answer, then winces in pain as he tries to push himself up. "Wrist's hurt pretty bad, one sec." He pokes and prods at himself for a bit before continuing. "Bad sprain I think, not broken. Still, going to be one handed for a while." He gingerly stands and looks for his rifle, hoping it wasn't damaged in the fall. He'd have a hard time holding it now, but still...

"What in the bloody hells is wrong with me Jenn? I haven't gotten lost like that since I was a little kid in the scouts. And apparently losing track of time too... Am I just going nuts?"

[Thundercracker]

“Something weird is going on, let’s follow this ravine, it used to be a stream at one point right? Has to lead somewhere.”

[Bennosuke]

Jenn and Frank follow the ravine, marching along the nearside bank as the river rushes at a furious pace. They leave behind the fallen log that had clearly been used as a bridge at some point, trudging through soft dirt and pockets of mud, trying their best to keep to the most firm land. The two march along the ravine as it twists this way and that... but impossibly, as Frank and Jenn round the next bend, they come back upon the what is almost certainly the same fallen tree trunk resting diagonally across the river.

[Thundercracker]

Jen Gibbs

Jen stopped and stared at the tree trunk, then she walked up to it and carved a large letter J in the side with a knife.

“No way that’s the same tree, water can’t run downhill in a circle,” she said, “let’s keep going.”

[Daishain]

Frank is frowning as they come on the site of the tree bridge again. Surely it couldn't be the same, but the more he looked the harder it was to find a difference in the scene...

While Jenn carved up the stump, he took advantage of the brief stop to take a sling out of his first aid kit, binding up his arm so it would be more comfortable.

[Thundercracker]

Frank is frowning as they come on the site of the tree bridge again. Surely it couldn't be the same, but the more he looked the harder it was to find a difference in the scene...

While Jenn carved up the stump, he took advantage of the brief stop to take a sling out of his first aid kit, binding up his arm so it would be more comfortable.

Jen helped Frank fashion a sling, which is infinitely easier to do with more than one hand.

[Bennosuke]

By the time Jenn finishes helping Frank with his injured arm, the sky has somehow darkened as if it were dusk, though it is hard to see the sky above through the thick forest canopy. Above the constant whirring of the river a voice calls out. Perhaps it is too dark to see that far, but it sounds like the voice is coming from the other side of the ravine. "Hello?" the voice calls out high and strained and... strange, "Help?" The voice sounds a little distant, but it is so hard to pinpoint in the darkness, and with the roar of the river right next to you.

[Thundercracker]

Jen Gibbs

“Hello?” Jen called as she attempted to figure out where the voice was coming from. She tried to find an easy spot to clamber out of the ravine from.

[Bennosuke]

There is a pause after Jen calls out... when the air is only filled by the rushing of the stream. Then she is answered, the scared strained voice perhaps slightly farther away, "Hello? Please help? Hello?"

[Thundercracker]

Jen looked around to see if she could spot the source of the voice, then whether there was a way to cross the stream safely to get to the other side. Her thought was to get a better view from the top of the ravine.

[Daishain]

Frank calls out, "Where are you? Are you injured?"

[Bennosuke]

As Jen studies her surroundings, anxiety beginning to claw at the back of her neck, it appears that the most straightforward means of getting across the river would be by shifting the the tree trunk. It's base and roots still rest on this side of the ravine, and it looks like at some point it had lain straight across the river, though maybe the current had shifted it to lay at a diagonal not fully reaching the other side.

As Jen ponders this, Frank calls out again. The voice replies, still across the river but closer now, it's source still out of sight. "Help! Hello? Here, come here!" the voice sounds strained and desperate.

[Daishain]

Frank frowns, this was seeming... off, whoever was calling out was responding oddly. He calls out again, "Are you injured? Can you move?"

He walks up to the tree trunk and pushes it with his boot, trying to gauge how difficult it would be to shift back into position.

[Thundercracker]

Jen Gibbs

Jen puts out a hand and stops Frank as he approaches the tree. Something about the voice seems off.

“Wait, who says ‘come here’ when they’re injured?” Jen asked, “somethings not right.”