Help a dweller of the wilderness make friends!
The peek of morning sunlight into your small, subterranean abode wakes you from your slumber. Your eyelids open asynchronously as they steadily adjust to the light, the stone surface before you a blur before its cracks and crevices take shape. A prolonged yawn escapes your mouth as you sit upward from the sediment floor, stretch your arms, and scratch the side of your head. Your hands meet the ground as you lean back and take stock of your belongings: a poncho, a hood, and a satchel filled with flowers.As you sit before what little you have--and every time you do so each morning--you mind conjures the taste of those sweet berries mother would greet you with when you awoke. You haven't eaten anything so good in the ten cycles since the last time you saw her. What you manage to forage lacks taste in comparison, but you would rather settle with your pickings than starve. The last of your sundried berries ran out yesterday night, so it looks like another Scavenging Day today.You stand up, don your clothes and bag, and venture outside the confines of your cave. Stepping just beyond its mouth, you are greeted byChoose one:> the dense canopy of red, giant trees that dim the incline of dirt and foliage below.> the oppressive heat of the sun, grains of sand beneath your feet, and pale brush and cacti as far as the eye can see.> the gentle ocean breeze, crashing of waves, and the swaying of palm trees along a shore.> distant peaks, rivers, and valleys, stretching far below at the feet of your mountain.---Welcome to Cryptid Kid Quest! This is my first time as a QM, so I'm hoping to get practice by starting with something simple yet ideally entertaining. I expect this to be a one-shot, but if you guys like it enough, I'll think about making it a series! Ultimately, this is my attempt at writing practice and getting used to managing a quest, so please give me feedback and tell me what I could be doing better. Free time will be limited later this year, so posts may become less frequent if this thread somehow manages to last several months. Nevertheless, I hope that the premise of this story is enough to hook your interest. Cheers!
>>6433114>> the dense canopy of red, giant trees that dim the incline of dirt and foliage below.
>>6433110>the dense canopy of red, giant trees that dim the incline of dirt and foliage below.Welcome aboard, OP. Feel free to ask the thread too if you have any questions about QMing.
>>6433114>the dense canopy of red, giant trees that dim the incline of dirt and foliage below.
>>6433114> the dense canopy of red, giant trees that dim the incline of dirt and foliage below.
>>6433114>> the dense canopy of red, giant trees that dim the incline of dirt and foliage below.Woodland creature (:
>>6433114> distant peaks, rivers, and valleys, stretching far below at the feet of your mountain.
>>6433114> the dense canopy of red, giant trees that dim the incline of dirt and foliage below.I just love forests.
Thanks for joining in, guys. I'll try to post at least 1-2 times a day, but I may post more often whenever I have more time or have a creative spurt.>>6433117I appreciate the support!--->>6433114Stepping just beyond its mouth, you are greeted by the dense canopy of red, giant trees that dim the incline of dirt and foliage below.Bark and branches crunch beneath your feet as you inspect the area around your humble home. The sparse group of berry bushes that surround the cave are already picked dry, both by you and your four-legged neighbors in the forest. Though the giant trees prevent you from seeing very far from your location, hopping up a trunk with your wings grants you a view above the green ceiling. After checking the edges of the clearing, you set your sight on the tallest of the bordering trees. You squat, squint your eyes, balance on the front of your feet, and flutter your modest wings. With a clumsy leap, your wings carry you as high up the red giant as you can get them to.You taste the first course of breakfast when your face meets the jagged surface of wood. A few spits of bark later, you dig the points of your digits into the tree, look upward, and leap with your wings again. It takes a few more of these inelegant flights to reach the top. Once you grab the uppermost branch, you shade your eyes with a hand to scan the horizon.In the direction that the northernmost star would be, you see the canopy descend and separate into a river valley. Beyond that, a range of mountains spread from east of the northern star to west, blanketed in the green of trees. You are aware of a trail a short way to the west, which itself stretches from the northern star to the opposite direction. Though it crosses the river ahead, your mother warned you that it is not safe for little ones to wander to the other side.As there are more berries toward the river, you decide to head to its banks, shakily gliding on your way. Mother was not around to teach you to fly as beautifully as she does, so you had to imitate her from memory the best you could. It makes your eyes water if you think too much about not being able to teach young ones how to fly like her, so you don't give yourself another moment's pause to do so and continue your trunk hopping.Eventually, you arrive at the clearing of the river, shaped by boulders and their patches of grass. A finger scratches your cheek and a neighboring knuckle supports your chin as you think where to look for berries. Then, you decide to headChoose one:> East> West
>>6433171> EastIf I understood correctly, the mountains are to the east, and the trail that crosses the river heads west. I think we should stockpile some food before we think about venturing into danger, don't wanna starve because of a failed looksie-loo.
>>6433171> East
>>6433173>the mountains are to the eastThey're further north from the river, sorry for the confusion.>the trail that crosses the river heads westThe trail is to the west, but runs north and south. My apologies.>I think we should stockpile some food before we think about venturing into danger, don't wanna starve because of a failed looksie-loo.Noted.I'll write an update later today just in case some more votes come in. Thank you all again!
>>6433171>West
>>6433114>give me feedback and tell me what I could be doing betterbe the change you want to seewrite what you like
>>6433425Pretty sure QM is already doing that, anon.
Alright, it seems that we're heading east! Writing.
>>6433171Then, you decide to head east.Your trek facing the flow of the river, balancing on rocks and hopping with wings across particularly rocky obstacles. The scratch of your chitinous feet against stone joins trickling water and a gentle breeze in a trio of sounds in what is otherwise a quiet summer morning. Upon stopping at the edge of the bank for a drink of water and to clean your teeth with a firm leaf, you scan the river for the little green, spotted fish you love so much to eat.Though the clear waters and bright sun grant greater clarity into the river's depths, not a single fish swims in sight. You stand up and sigh to find succulent strands of grass to suck on to prepare for what seems to be another day with an empty stomach. As your teeth pinch a stem of grass held by your sharp fingers, you spot a spindly, flowering tree across the river. Your eyes squint, and your teeth slow their grinding to a halt as your eyes catch a bounty of berries, just dangling from the tips of its branches.You recognize them as the spiny, red berries that are sour yet filling. The prospect of crossing the river for the berries makes you hesitant, but the growl of your stomach voices your appetite's protest. It would by no means be your first time on the other side. However, in the few times you dared to land across, the sounds of unfamiliar creatures and audible footsteps would reverse your course. There are bushes further east along the river, as you know, but the black, hairy, four-legged hunters may soon claim it for themselves.The sun only rises and your hunger only grows with the moments you spend considering your next move. Not willing to spend any more, youChoose one:> walk away from the river bank, turn around, and make a sprinting leap as you cross the water's edge.> kick dust behind you as your wings carry you as fast as they can across the crags, determined to make it to the east in time.
>>6433572>kick dust behind you as your wings carry you as fast as they can across the crags, determined to make it to the east in time.
>>6433572> walk away from the river bank, turn around, and make a sprinting leap as you cross the water's edge.It's won't be a prolonged stay, we just need to fill our belly with berries!
>>6433572>kick dust behind you as your wings carry you as fast as they can across the crags, determined to make it to the east in time.Gotta learn to fly.
>>6433572> walk away from the river bank, turn around, and make a sprinting leap as you cross the water's edge.Just a quick jaunt across...
It's nice to see the votes come in. Can we have a tiebreaker?
>>6433648of course>>kick dust behind you as your wings carry you as fast as they can across the crags, determined to make it to the east in time.
It appears that we are heading east!>>6433651Thanks, mate.---Roll 1d100 (Highest of 3)
Rolled 46 (1d100)>>6433657
Rolled 52 (1d100)>>6433657Rollin'
Rolled 17 (1d100)>>6433657Watch this
>>6433661>>6433662>>6433700>52Hoo boy.
>52You guys are in for a treat later today.
>>6433879Oh boy! A new friend, right?Right?
>>6433572>>6433662>52Not willing to spend any more, you kick dust behind you as your wings carry you as fast as they can across the crags, determined to make it to the east in time.The heels of your skid on boulders as you land after each consecutive leap. You curse your clumsy wings as your balance demands a slight pause with feet upon the rock. Perhaps to make up for lost time, you attempt to use two of your front arms as additional supports. This idea is eventually abandonded when one hand slips and your face halts inches away from a stone surface. If you didn't spend your life alone, you thought, someone would have seen your desperate efforts and you would have been embarrassed.Not a moment too soon before you would be gasping for air, you see a fork in the river ahead. Just at the split, a bush with red branches and waxy leaves sits, bearing plump, smooth, red berries, waiting to be picked. Your eyes widen, you mouth hangs open, and your vision tunnels on your breakfast to-be. With a limp jog, you raise your arms ahead of you as you approach. Standing before the coveted bush, you cup one hand underneath a berry as you gently pinch it with another. You afford yourself a moment to admire it. Then, you greedily pull it from the bush, and several others as fast as you can. Only a small handfull of berries find their way into you palm when you hear a load, angry groan.
>>6434083You snap from your trance and turn your head. At what must only be a few steps away, a large, hairy beast stares at you with jealous eyes. A black four-legged hunter.It takes a step forward, causing a quiet squeak to escape your quivering mouth. Your knees buckle and meet, and with berries held, your hands clasp together. Shaking, you think of what to do as your competition locks its paws into position. You could surrender your bounty and scurry away--which, to your shame, wouldn't be the first time. You could scare it... somehow. You could try to leap above it and aim for the highest tree nearby, that is, if it doesn't snatch you midair. Or, just maybe, you could hop across the river, where the predator would be unable to lay its claws upon you.Gathering as much of yourself as you can, youChoose one:> drop to your knees and your berries to the earth, surrendering your meal to the hungry hunter.> raise all four arms, stand upon the tips of your toes, and hiss as loud as you can.> leap above the beast and flap your wings as fast as you can, shooting for the tallest tree you can reach.> turn the other way, kick dirt into the face of your challenger, and jump across the river to the unknown.> Write-in>>6433883Does this count?
>>6434084>drop to your knees and your berries to the earth, surrendering your meal to the hungry hunter.We're BERRY pleased to make his acquaintance
>>6434084>turn the other way, kick dirt into the face of your challenger, and jump across the river to the unknown.Sorry no BEARRIES FOR YOU
>>6434083>imgnameManzanita berries?>>6434084Oh fuck, what a cute bear! Fly high!> turn the other way, kick dirt into the face of your challenger, and jump across the river to the unknown.
>>6434090>>6434104You guys are awful.I approve.
>>6434084>> turn the other way, kick dirt into the face of your challenger, and jump across the river to the unknown.No way we're bearing losing our bounty again
>>6434084>turn the other way, kick dirt into the face of your challenger, and jump across the river to the unknown.
>>6434084>raise all four arms, stand upon the tips of your toes, and hiss as loud as you can.
Alright, it looks like we're jumping across the river!---Roll 1d2 (Best of 3)
Rolled 2 (1d2)>>6434371Watch THIS
Rolled 2 (1d2)>>6434371BEHOLD
Rolled 1 (1d2)>>6434371Just watch this 2!
>>6434384Someone flay this anon
>>6434386Noooooooo! Please, I'll commit honourable sodoku!
>>6434389We will honorably hang your skin on a treestump
>>6434389Go make friends with Bear-Chan, anon
>>6434393I-I'll distract 'em, you go fly into the horizon anon. Escape this green hell, find mother!
>>6434084Gathering as much of yourself as you can, you turn the other way, kick dirt into the face of your challenger, and jump across the river to the unknown.A gutteral roar pierces your ears as you cross the rolling river beneath you. You almost trip when your feet meet the ground on the other side and turn to meet the four-legged creature.>2It roars again, pacing left and right before approaching the river bank. A paw is dipped into the running water, as if pondering a pursuit. After two or three more touches, it retracts its wet paw and grunts. With a sudden shake of its head, it turns toward the bush and picks out berries with its teeth, seemingly content with its share.You rest your hands on your knees and notice your sigh of relief, grateful for whatever force above all that decided to let you have your meager meal. With progressively quickening steps, you turn away and enter the treeline, hoping that the black beast forgets about you. When you are far enough for the waters of the river to be barely a whisper, you look into the hand holding your claim. The gleaming, juicy, red berries move around with your palm as it shakes. Before you know it, they all fall victim to your jaws, chewing cravingly as you savor the refreshing taste. All that remained after you swallowed was the red stain around the mouth, which you casually wiped away with a soft sheet of bark from the floor.No more than a few minutes of walking north pass by before your stomach growls yet again. A frown develops as you suddenly ponder the life you live. You are alone, and have been for ten cycles. Berries, small fish, and insects are the only meals you have ever eaten, as you never got to learn how to hunt like mother did. Only the big-eyed night birds keep you company, as all the other peaceful animals run away from you and all the hunting animals attack you. Maybe its because your eyes are big and round, like theirs. Sometimes, you wish you knew how to fly, so you could follow them as they soared in the dark.But you cannot fly, only hop with your wings. Your mother flew beautifully, and she was beautiful. So, since your attempts at flying are ugly, does that make you ugly? Now that you think about it, no one else looks like you. The only ones you've seen walk on two legs like you are the strangers with two arms you see on occasion. However, they have small eyes and have bodies. They would probably be scared of you, too. Mother told you to hide from them whenever you see them, anyway. Hiding is all you have ever done--because there's no one to give you a reason to stop.Your vision becomes blurry and your eyes get wet as your walking slows and you begin to wail. Step after step, the water keeps running from your face. After what felt like ages, you could not bring yourself to stand anymore. Walking stops, your knees bend and you fall to the ground.
>>6434562As your right hand lands on the floor to prevent a pitiful faceplant, you feel something hard, hot, and flat. It is like a rock, but like burnt wood at the same time. Perplexed, your whimpering winds down and you wipe your eyes with another arm. When your vision clears again, you see the mysterious object you made contact with.Before you lies a long, dark grey rock, stretching from the far left to the far right. It is indeed flat, but it is not like any rock you have ever seen before. A yellow line with a black stripe in the center extends at the middle of the rock, perhaps across the entire length itself. You turn your right palm upward, and see a dusty substance like the one from blackened wood.As you stand up and ponder your discovery, your hear something from the west approaching. It sounds like wind, but too heavy for it to be flying. You are not looking for another confrontation, so you hide behind a tree as the windy noise becomes louder. Your back almost sticks to the tree as you fold your arms and hope that the approaching creature does not find you. Suddenly, the strange roar you would hear across this side of the river becomes audible as the windy noise passes behind you. The grass and bushes around you shake, before settling down as the presumably large creature leaves. Daring to look as it does so, you turn your head to the left and catch a glimpse of a white, shiny carapace. It had the strangest feet you have ever seen, black like yours, but spinning instead of lifting.Once the sound goes quiet, you step out into the open. What was it? You askyourself this question internally as you look at where it came from and where it went. Its home must be west, you reason. If it is that big, certainly it must have mountains of food! Then again, you are not sure if stealing is worth the risk. Similarly, it must be hunting for food toward the east, and there must be a lot to eat there, too.With eyes widened at the prospect of giant fish and berries, you make your wayChoose one:> west> east
>>6434565> westOnwards, to adventure!Oh god, the humans are gonna kill us.
>>6434110Sorry for the late reply!>Manzanita berries?Yes, they are!
>>6434565>west
>>6434565>east
>>6434565>EastIn sCmPa90C's memory we must try to avoid poking the bear, literally and figuratively
Hello everyone! Thank you for the votes. Can we have a tiebreaker?
>>6434565> westCuriosity killed the cryptid, sure, but satisfaction brought it back.>>6433702 is me. I'm on mobile.
>>6434565>westwalkin' in the street do-do-do-do
It looks like West has the most votes, so that's where we will be headed. I have a bit of a writer's block right now, so I'll postpone the update to tomorrow. Apologies for the last-minute notice, I just want to make sure that what I write doesn't sound stupid.
Sorry for another delay, my sister was coming home from a vacation today and it's chaos whenever she does. There will be an update tomorrow for sure, thank you all for your patience.
>>6435352Glad to hear it, QM! This quest is very fun and cute so far, and I sense it's about to get very interesting.
>>6435354Thank you for the compliments. They're admittedly a very big motivator for me.--->>6434565With eyes widened at the prospect of giant fish and berries, you make your way west.You keep to the southern edge of the elongated rock, mindful that there may be other large carapace creatures running down its length. Its surface is noticeably warmer than the softer earth at its side, and you sneak a few steps every so often to comfort your feet. A gentle breeze lightly ruffles your clothes and the leaves of the wooden giants around you. For a while, the possibility of a change for the better in life brings you a comfort you haven't felt in a long time. After a length of time spent skipping along the mysterious stone surface, you make out a pair of complicated voices ahead. Almost instantly, you slide into the cover of forest--and perhaps against your better judgement, inch your way forward.Upon passing over a slight incline, you behold what is just a short distance away, and you gasp in bewilderment. It is two, two-armed strangers and another of the round-footed beasts. The large creature isn't moving, which allows you to take a better glimpse. Its eyes are transparent, reflective, and still, as if it is constantly staring ahead. A pair of huge nostrils lie in between and just above a toothless, black smile. What unsettles you the most, however, is that the part behind the nose is peeled open, revealing a smoky, grey interior. One of the strangers, the tallest of the two, is reaching into the monster's innards, from which clanking and snapping sounds can be heard. You are staring not at a resident of the forest, but at an alien.Just when you are about to turn and run, your eye catches the smaller of the two strangers standing beside another peeled hole in the monster and holding the biggest red berry you have ever seen. Held in the only other hand is a partially eaten stick surrounded by a shiny leaf. This must be food--big, juicy food.Fear fades as a scheme hatches in your mind. Taking quick glances left and right, youChoose one:> continue to hide, eagerly waiting for the strangers to bring out more food.> lure one of the strangers away so you can snatch food from inside the monster's shell.> attempt to sneak around the monster and hide in its seemingly long, empty back, so that it may take you to its hoard of food.> approach the pair of strangers from behind the tree line, grimacing as you hiss and intend to scare them away.> write-in
>I forgot to put the image in a spoiler.Fuck.
>>6435882> lure one of the strangers away so you can snatch food from inside the monster's shell.I dunno, throw rocks or something. lol
>>6435882>>6435887+1 this, it works in video games
>>6435882> lure one of the strangers away so you can snatch food from inside the monster's shell.
>>6435882>lure one of the strangers away so you can snatch food from inside the monster's shell.
>>6435882>continue to hide, eagerly waiting for the strangers to bring out more food.
>>6435882> attempt to sneak around the monster and hide in its seemingly long, empty back, so that it may take you to its hoard of food.Time to hitch a ride in a pickup truck
I apologize for being a retard and forgetting to post yesterday. It looks like we're going to attempt to lure them away. I'll get to writing as soon as I see how well we will do.---Roll 1d100 (Highest of 3)
Rolled 100 (1d100)>>6436645
Rolled 24 (1d100)>>6436645
Rolled 97 (1d100)>>6436648Holy anon
>>6436648>>6436676Well damn.>>6436645We do VERY well.
>>6436648
Very nice rolls, everyone. We'll see the fruits of our labor later today.
Hey everyone. I'm sorry for being such a flake again, the update will be tomorrow. It hasn't been a very good Fourth of July for me and the reasons why drained my motivation today. That being said, I hope everyone reading this is having a great holiday. God bless you all.
>>6437201I'm sorry to hear about the rough holiday, QM. Feel better soon.
>>6435882Taking quick glances left and right, you attempt to lure one of the strangers away so you can snatch food from inside the monster's shell.You check around your feet, and notice several chunks of the long, flat rock broken apart under one foot. Quietly, you scrounge as many of the pieces as you can and stuff them in your modest bag, then move around the strangers from further away behind the tree line. Afterward, you scurry up one of the giant trees and peer at the pair below from behind the trunk. Your two lower arms hold onto the tree, while your remaining arms reach into your bagand grab the pieces of rock within.The plan is simple: you're going to throw rocks in an arc at the ground around the shiny monster, until the strangers get angry and head into the tree line to find where the rocks are coming from. For a brief moment, you hesitate and think of what might happen to you or the strangers if you do this, or what your mother would think about the act you are about to commit. However, one last growl from a still empty stomach shook your doubts away. You wind your right arm back, squinting your eye and aiming as high as you can, then launch the fragment of earth into the air.In seemingly an instant, it shrinks into a speck in the sky above. The strength of your throw stuns you, and you begin to worry that the rock would land too far away. Just moments afterward, the speck grows in size, and before you know it you hear the loudest crack of ice in your life. You look through the canopy before you, and you see a gaping hole in the back of the monster's carapace. It releases a screeching, repetitive howl as lights flicker at its front and back. Just then, a critter that looks like both a wolf and a fox leaps out of the monster's back, and sprints into the tree line opposite to your side. The small stranger shouts at the four-legged creature, then runs after it in a panick. Lastly, the tall stranger yells at the smaller one, then hurries in pursuit. [it]They are all gone, leaving the creature to howl in pain.Not desiring to waste a moment, your silently jump from your tree's canopy onto to the side of the creature. You can hardly hear yourself think as the monster's wailing continues. Fearful of the strangers' return, you dive into the opening in the side of the creature and land on a soft, pillowy surface. Curious, you lift your head and look around. Much of the interior is covered in a thin, grey coat of fur, while equally gray bone frames the interior shell of the creature. Lights are just behind the front, illuminating signs and pictures you could not have possibly imagined before. Remembering your hunger, you snap out of your bewilderment and look in front of you.
>>6437682A smile spreads from cheek to cheek as you see the biggest collection of food you have ever seen. Not only are there more of the big red berries, but there are long, yellow ones and tough, orange ones. There, too, are the sticks covered in shiny skin, and see-through bags with sweet, dried meat. Clear containers with water and juice sit right beside them, completing your future feast, all wrapped in a white and crinkly bag. You rub your hands together, bunch the items inside, and wrap the handles together to carry it with you.As you are about to leave, a strange object sitting in a pocket of the shell's peel you entered catches your eye.Choose one:> A colored, rectangular leaf is folded and clipped next to a bubble with a small stick floating in liquid.> A box with a shiny, grey stick, a handle, and strange symbols and parts is tucked in the corner of the pocket.> A black, heavy stick with a clear bubble on one end and a handle on the other leans on the lip of the pocket.> A small, sad, shiny man is stuck onto two intersecting sticks by tiny needles, hidden in the back of the pocket.
>>6437427Thanks, man. It means a lot to me that you said that.
>>6437683>A colored, rectangular leaf is folded and clipped next to a bubble with a small stick floating in liquid.
>>6437683> A colored, rectangular leaf is folded and clipped next to a bubble with a small stick floating in liquid....A bubble wand??>>6437685I hope things improved. Glad to see you back!
>>6437683> A colored, rectangular leaf is folded and clipped next to a bubble with a small stick floating in liquid.Wilderness Dweller (or WD to friends) is gonna Power Word : Kick Ass whoever messed up their truck
>>6437683>> A colored, rectangular leaf is folded and clipped next to a bubble with a small stick floating in liquid.Bubbles!
>>6437683> A colored, rectangular leaf is folded and clipped next to a bubble with a small stick floating in liquid.
>>6437683A colored, rectangular leaf is folded and clipped next to a bubble with a small stick floating in liquid.Upon closer inspection, you see that there are grid lines and symbols on the strange, symmetrical leaf. The stick in the bubble has one end covered in red and the other in white. Curious, but aware that time is short, you stuff the pair of items in your smaller bag and exit the creature's shell. As you are about to disappear into the dense forest, you turn back toward the hurt creature, still howling in pain. You begin to feel dirty, as if you haven't washed yourself in the river for weeks. As if you wanted to hide, you tuck your hood further down, grasp the crinkly bag of food in your arms, and vanish into the red and green woods.The day progresses as you escond with your goods back home and no four-legged hunters in sight. You almost stumble as you land from the top of a giant tree onto the rocky ground before your cave. After scanning the area for any potential watchers or thieves--not unlike yourself now--you enter the familiar darkness of your domicile. Getting on your knees, you release the crinkly bag in front of you and remove the strange pair of items from your smaller satchel. Your hands untie the knot of the former and dump its edible contents onto the ground.Food Stash:- Big Red Berries (x3)- Long Yellow Berries (x3)- Tough Orange Berries (x3)- Bags of Dried Meat (x2)- Wrapped Sticks (x4)- Juice Container (x2)- Water Container (x2)Trinkets:- Strangle Colored Leaf- Pointing Stick in a Bubble- Crinkly BagIt suddenly dawns on you that you have the largest stash of food in the forest, making you a target for four-legged hunters and the sneaky little critters. Thus, you decide to keep yourself and your food safe by hiding the stashChoose one:> in a hole.> at the top of a tree, tying the crinkly bag in place.> under a large rock.> write-inEat from the food stash?> Yes (list Food Stash items)> NoRoll 1d100 to examine the Strange Colored Leaf and Pointing Stick in a Bubble (Highest of 3).
I decided to experiment with a basic inventory management system. Let me know if there are any improvements or features you guys would like to see. Thank you all!>>6437972>I hope things improved. Glad to see you back!Much appreciated, really.>...A bubble wand??No.
Ooooh, a compass. Good one, QM.Is "escond" meant to be "abscond" maybe?>>6438121> at the top of a tree, tying the crinkly bag in place.The big black hunters like we met before can get into any hole and overturn any stone that a smaller being like us can find.> Yes (big red berry, a bit of meat)
>>6438130>Is "escond" meant to be "abscond" maybe?Yes, you are right. I am a retard.
>>6438121>at the top of a tree, tying the crinkly bag in place.>Yes1 big red berry1 long yellow berry1 tough orange berryNo sense in letting all the fruit spoil
Rolled 11 (1d100)>>6438121>>6438138Forgot to roll
>>6438121> at the top of a tree, tying the crinkly bag in place.>One of each of the coloured berries, plus a drink of water.I'd drink the juice, the too much sugar before bed can't be good for our cryptid mind.
Rolled 80 (1d100)>>6438121Didn't notice the call for roll.
Rolled 88 (1d100)>>6438121>at the top of a tree, tying the crinkly bag in place.>Eat a tough orange berry.
Rolled 5 (1d100)>>6438136No worries, me too. Forgot my dice.>>6438130Rolling!
>>6438378Whew, glad this got in ahead of me before I refreshed. Thanks, anon!
>>6438378>88Nice rolling! Our bug girl is smarter than she thinks.There will be an update soon.
>>6438121Thus, you decide to keep yourself and your food safe by hiding the stash at the top of a tree, tying the crinkly bag in place.Before you do so, however, you help yourself to a rare midday meal, and remove a big red berry, a long yellow berry, and tough orange berry from the crinkly bag. You get into a seated position on the cave floor, cross your legs, and set the fruit on top of your legs. It takes you a moment to pick your first course, before picking the most familiar of the bunch.The big red berry is smooth to the touch, and is somewhat firm. It has a faint shine, and when you flick the surface, it is audibly solid, but should be possible to chew through. You hold the berry in front of your open mouth, slide your toung across the surface a few times, then take a careful chew. Excitement courses through your body as the sweet juice and crisp pulp swish around your closed mouth. With every chew, the crisps break apart and release more of the juice, until they dissolve into a cool paste for you to swallow. Another bite is taken, and another, and another, each a refreshing and delectable experience that causes you to flap your folded knees and giggle. Every chewable piece is eaten until you reach a hard and seemingly inedible core. This causes you to slouch, but you find that there are several seeds stuck inside this center. These are picked from the remains of the berry and stored in your satchel.Notes:- You ate one Big Red Berry.- You gained seven Big Red Berry Seeds.Licking your lips for any remaining juice, your attention turns toward the long yellow berry. Upon holding and shifting the strange fruit in your hand, you notice that it has a thick, matte coating. You touch your tongue to its surface and recoil as if you licked wet bark. It must be removed from the rest of the fruit, you surmise. Looking for a place to peel the coat, you pinch the short stick at one end and pull. One side of the skin separates cleanly from the rest in a straight line, revealing a cream-colored, soft interior. Your hand peels the rest of the skin until the soft, curved stick is fully revealed, as if emerging from a big flower. A sniff and one reassuring lick later, you take a gradual bite from the top. Soft, sweet paste fills your mouth as you hum in delight. The fruit is not juicy, but rather filling, as if you are biting through only the best parts of a root. Shorter and shorter the soft stick becomes, until you savor the last piece at the bottom. Only the peel remains, but it seems safe to discard.Notes:- You ate one Long Yellow Berry.
>>6438566Eagerly, you turn to the last course of your wonderful meal. The tough orange berry is about as big as the red one, and it feels like the bumpy surface of a smooth stalk. A single lick confirms that the skin is inedible, so you peel from the center of one end and all around, revealing the strangest innards you have ever seen. Its insides are indeed orange, but covered in white patches and veins. You realize that the white stuff itself is a thin skin for orange, juicy flesh inside. By accident, your thumb breaks through the center while you fidget with the insides--and to your surprise, it breaks apart into neat, half-circle slices. Doubt briefly crosses your mind as you wonder whether it is safe to eat, but you reason to yourself that it was found with the rest of the foot, so it must be edible. Your fingers pull a slice from the rest, and you poke through the thin flesh to remove a seed you noticed just before you were going to chew. Cool, sticky juice runs down your finger, so you lick it to clean up your hand. Tangy and sugary goodness touches your tongue, pushing you to push the orange slice into your jaws. It is refreshing and sublime, and you take time to savor every remaining slice until it is all gone. Initially, you were planning to discard the tough orange skin, but as you take a closer look once more, you notice a pleasant, fruity smell. This could make you smell nice after cleaning at the river, you reason, so you stuff it in your small bag to use for later.Notes:- You ate one Tough Orange Berry.- You gained one Tough Orange Berry Skin.- You gained five Tough Orange Berry Seeds.You are disappointed that you are already finished, but content with your fill nonetheless. Clearly, these berries must come from very far away, as you have never seen these before in your entire life. Only creatures as fast as the large shiny monsters could run far enough to find them. Maybe they share their food with the two-armed strangers, and the two-armed strangers pick the berries while the shiny monsters take them places? The rest of the world must be a whole lot weirder than you, you imagine. On that note, you stand up, wrap up the crinkly bag, walk outside, bury the remains of the eaten berries, and fly up a tree.
>>6438567You tie the handles of the crinkly bag on a branch high up a particularly tall tree at the edge of your clearing. Upon reaching the ground, you recall the colored leaf and strange bubble you have, so you return to your rocky shelter and examine the both of them on the floor. When you gently unfold the colored leaf, you find that it is much, much larger than you first thought. It is a rectangle, covered on both sides with lines, colors, and symbols you don't understand. Then, you notice that there is a circle with an inner, red needle pointing upward, like the stick in the bubble you found. A closer inspection of the bubble is made and an epiphany hits you. The red end of the stick inside the bubble always points to the northern star! That must mean the red needle on the leaf represents the same direction! Those blue lines look like rivers, you reason, and those circles with trees must be where a bunch of trees are! All that rocky surface colored onto the leaf are mountains! In fact, you recognize one river toward the bottom of the leaf as the one close to home, so the dotted line crossing it must be the trail nearby, and the tree circle at the bottom must be where you live! What you are looking at is a drawing of the whole forest, and the bubble can show you where the northern star is--even if the sun is out or the canopy is too dense.Your eyes scour the rest of the leaf, and you are floored by the indication that there is so much just outside of home. The yellow lines must be where the long rock goes, and it goes everywhere and beyond the leaf. If the shiny monsters take the two-armed strangers places, then the strangers must be everywhere. Those dots must be where the strangers are, maybe where they live. And where food might be.Half the day must be gone by now, and you only have so much time to figure out what to do next. You figure that you could think it over whileChoose one:> cleaning yourself at the river up north, because you need a wash.> risking another look at the long rock from a safe distance up a giant tree.> write-in
>>6438568>cleaning yourself at the river up north, because you need a wash.
>>6438568>cleaning yourself at the river up north, because you need a wash.sure why not
>>6438568>risking another look at the long rock from a safe distance up a giant tree.
I'll wait for one or two more votes to come in before seeing what I need to write, so I can get a gauge on what you all want to do next. Thanks in advance!
>>6438568> cleaning yourself at the river up north, because you need a wash.Let's test that orange peel!
>>6438568You figure that you could think it over while cleaning yourself at the river up north, because you need a wash.Thus, you lift off from the clearing's floor into a tree, and jump with your wings from canopy to canopy until you arrive at the riverbank. You touch ground, look around to ensure your privacy, and approach the cool waters. Your poncho, hood, and satchel are set aside as you hold the tough orange berry's skin and slide into a shallow cubby in the river. With a smooth stone in hand, you scrub grime from your chitinous body. The hair on your head and collar is washed, straightened, and cut to a roughly even length with another sharp rock. Effort is always made for your hair to look like mother's, even if you don't think you look pretty with it like she does. Lastly, you lie on your back and gently float on the water's surface, unwinding after a day of strange discoveries.Time passes before you stand up and step out of the water, and shake yourself like the four-legged hunters whenever they get wet. You flap your wings, spreading and stretching your limbs and neck to catch as much wind as possible to dry. After a few minutes of flapping, your wings slow to a stop. A long, thick strand of grass is tied at the back of your hair to hold it back. Content with your bath, you unfurl the orange skin and rub the inside layer onto your body. Soon, you smell like the orange berry itself, and are pleasantly surprised to find that your body's solid surface gained an unblemished sheen. Indeed, you are squeaky clean.Notes:- You used one Tough Orange Berry Skin.You pull a waxy leaf from your satchel, dip it in the river's water, and scrub your teeth attentively. Your mind wanders as you think of the big colored leaf and the places you can find more food. There are three places you consider scouting for your next batch. To the west of your home and past the river, the trail intersects the long rock next to one dot, which itself is near another gathering of giant trees. Another dot just east of that is next to a new trail, and has more symbols than the first. The last dot has a big green rectangle pointing at it. You're not sure what it means, but you imagine it must be very important if its different from the other dots.As you toss away the waxy leaf and don your clothes, you decide that you will head toChoose one:> the dot to the east.> the dot at the middle.> the dot at the east with the green rectangle.
>>6439157Apologies, I made a typo in the options. Here is the corrected list.---Choose one:> the dot to the west.> the dot at the middle.> the dot at the east with the green rectangle.
>>6439159>the dot at the east with the green rectangl
>>6439157>the dot to the east.steal some pick-a-nicks.By the way QM, what were the other things we could have stolen from the truck out of curiosity? #2 might be a metal detector or a camera on a tripod, I'm fairly confident #3 is a torch, #4 evades me completely.
>>6439159>the dot at the east with the green rectangle.we snoop around the life of hu-mans
>>6439218The option you voted for was mean to say "west", not east. My bad. Feel free to change it if you want.>#2That would be a radio.>#3If you mean a flashlight, you would be correct.>#4That's a crucifix, which would have been handy for non-survival situations.
>>6439218+1>>6439157>the dot to the east.
>>6439281Yes, I do mean a "flashlight". Blegh, Yankspeak.
>>6439253>>6439281If the votes really mean the west I guess I will break the tie with>the dot to the east(west).
Rolled 2 (1d2)Hello everyone! I'm really sorry for fucking up, I'll just roll a 1d2 to decide what happens and avoid further complications. Thank you all again for your patience.
>2It looks like our protagonist is going to do something either very smart or very stupid. Writing now.
>>6439157As you toss away the waxy leaf and don your clothes, you decide that you will head to the dot at the east with the green rectangle.You pull out the colored leaf and glance at pointing stick bubble. After committing the location of the dot with the green rectangle to memory, you stow both items and hop along the river to the east. An ample stash of food means there is no need to race for your next meal, so you take the time to balance yourself midair with every winged jump. Time passes, and you arrive at the berry bush you picked this morning, thankfully without any angry residents in sight. Another glance at your bubble lets confirms that you should reach the long rock sooner if you head northeast. Thus, you adjust your stance, hunch, flap you wings, and leap across the river, landing less than gracefully on the other side.Indeed, almost immediately afterward, you encounter the elongated rock. You keep behind the tree line to hide from the predators as you continue to walk east. Sure enough, the rock expands ahead of you, and you see an entire nest of shiny monsters in front of a wooden shelter. The shelter was not made of twigs--but out of whole logs, to your immediate disbelief. In front of it was a tall, thin, and shiny trunk with a red, white, and blue sheet hanging from the top. Only the two-armed strangers have the hands to build this, you realize. No wonder mother told you to hide from them. If they could do all this, the forest is not yours. It is theirs.There are eight of the monsters in front of the shelter, one of them twice as big. All of them are as still as stone, though you are hesitant to move closer and risk awaking the nest. No two-armed strangers are around the nest, but you think for a moment that something moved behind one of the shelter's openings. Only the sway of the canopies were caught in your field of view.It would be foolish to walk directly through the nest and to the front of the shelter. There must be food inside some of the monsters, but as of now, you are likely unable to enter one without waking it up. Surely, there must be more to the shelter to see, and the monsters must come and go from the nest as they search for food. Thus, youChoose one:> decide to lie down on your chest and wait for an opportunity to find food as you study the monsters and two-armed strangers from afar.> look about, then quickly make your way to the opposite tree line, and begin searching for a potential food stash or another way into the shelter.> write-inNote: This is a very important decision.
>>6439468> decide to lie down on your chest and wait for an opportunity to find food as you study the monsters and two-armed strangers from afar.Let us learn.
>>6439468>decide to lie down on your chest and wait for an opportunity to find food as you study the monsters and two-armed strangers from afar.
>>6439468>decide to lie down on your chest and wait for an opportunity to find food as you study the monsters and two-armed strangers from afar.Do we have some judgement on how well camoflauged is our current outfit within the forest? We gotta blend into the surroundings and hide like a nightjar
>>6439468>look about, then quickly make your way to the opposite tree line, and begin searching for a potential food stash or another way into the shelter.Dare to be stupid
It looks like>decide to lie down on your chest and wait for an opportunity to find food as you study the monsters and two-armed strangers from afar.is the winner! I'll postpone the update to tomorrow, as I'm still weighing ideas for the next development in the quest. Thank you in advance for your patience and understanding.
>>6439964No worries, see you tomorrow!
Rolled 6 (1d10)Hey guys, how do I roll? I'm still a bit of a newfag despite lurking in the site for a few years now. Do I put it into the options part?
>>6440398Huh>>6439468>decise to lie down on your chest and wait for an opportunity to find food as you study the monsters and two-armed strangers from afar
>>6439468Thus, you decide to lie down on your chest and wait for an opportunity to find food as you study the monsters and two-armed strangers from afar.It is not long before you spot the latter, as five of them exit the shelter ahead of you. The first two are, in fact, the taller and shorter stranger you saw earlier today, along with their wolf-fox companion held in the little one's arms. Another stranger, dwarfish yet muscular and dressed in worn clothing, dusts their hands and heads toward a shiny monster with a narrow trunk and dangling hook jutting out its back. Just behind the the strangers are the last two, both wearing beige shirts and disc-like hats. One is tall one with slightly greyed hair on its face, and another with messy red-brown hair and a black strap with a patch over their right eye.The taller stranger from earlier today and the one with hair on its face seem to be speaking to each other, but you do not understand what they are saying. Then, they grab each other's right hand and move them up and down together. After, the first of the two takes the smaller stranger into the large creature that the dwarfish stranger now entered. A few moments pass before the shiny monster begins to growl, move backward, and then forward down the west length of the long rock. As the monster's noise fades into the distance, the pair of strangers wearing the same clothes are left alone.Both of the strangers appear to talk to each other in a way you cannot understand. The hair-faced one pulls out a sheet of wood and shows it to the red-haired one, and they point at it and flip through thinner, white sheets attached to it. They spend some time doing so, before they both re-enter the shelter and shut the front opening behind them. Moments later, the red-haired stranger appears at the opening to the side that you thought you saw movement from before, and stares outward as if waiting for someone. Your mind goes blank, before you sigh and realize that the moment of opportunity is further away than you hoped.Indeed, the sun steadily sinks as the red-haired stranger sits behind the opening, greeting many strangers that arrive in their own shiny monsters, taking tiny sheets from the red-haired watcher or entering the shelter to only leave it later. Some arrive from the east on foot, carrying large bags and all sorts of objects and trinkets you never thought could exist. Tall strangers, short strangers, thin strangers, big strangers, and different colors of strangers come. Their bags and belongings are put into the creatures as strangers enter the creatures and head west. Small packs of them come and go as the sky begins to turn orange, and those strangers who leave their creatures to walk east wrap them in a large, crinkly blanket before departing.
>>6440409Eventually, dusk settles in, and the similarly dressed pair of strangers exit the shelter and briefly talk outside. You push yourself from the ground and dust yourself off as you see your window of opportunity approaching. The red-haired stranger enters the right side of a white shiny creature with an open back, which itself has a tall box towards its front that blocks the rear transparent surface of the creature's carapace. At the same time, the hair-faced stranger enters from the left, and both peels of the shell close shut. They are finally leaving.At last, you will have the shelter to explore and scavenge from. However, you wonder where the two strangers must be headed to. Why are they leaving the shelter? For what would they leave it unguarded in the case others like you try to steal their food? Do they actually live there? The questions fill your mind, and soon the creature begins to purr.Not another moment passes beforeChoose one:> you slip out from your tree line and dart silently toward the back of the shiny monster, seeking to sneak onboard and answer your burning questions.> the shiny creature growls, moves backward, and heads west, granting passage to the mysterious shelter ahead.> write-in
>>6440410>the shiny creature growls, moves backward, and heads west, granting passage to the mysterious shelter ahead.
>>6440410> the shiny creature growls, moves backward, and heads west, granting passage to the mysterious shelter ahead.Let's not go too far from home just yet. We need to know more.
>>6440410> the shiny creature growls, moves backward, and heads west, granting passage to the mysterious shelter ahead.Might as well find out what goes on with the strangers in the strange shelter
>>6440410> the shiny creature growls, moves backward, and heads west, granting passage to the mysterious shelter ahead.
Hey everyone! I'm going to take another day to make sure I have better ideas for what happens next, but I'm sorry that I keep doing this. Notice will be made on delays going forward.However, I would like to know what you guys are thinking of the quest so far. What do you like? What do you hate? What are things you would like to see or do? Every bit helps, and maybe it will make delays less frequent as things become clearer. Thank you all in advance.
>>6440879>What do you like? The main characters wild, naive perspective is very well-executed and charming.>What do you hate? The delays. Kidding, kidding, it's all good. I guess maybe partly because of the delays, it feels a bit like a very slow boil right now?>What are things you would like to see or do?Based on the name, I assume we'll soon have to start dealing with more humans in the area,possibly gaining awareness of us? I look forward to cat and mouse.
>>6440879Being more of a lurker and less of a player here's my two centsFirst I have to admit I only started reading this thread since QM posted in /qtg/. The quests I used to follow updates weekly so it isn't really that slow from my perspective, but quite sure the other folks here are more used to updates every one or two days.>What do I likeI would admit I like the premise itself. And I would like to second >>6440895 that the perspective is well written for a non-human protagonist, because>What do I hateI hate myself for racking my brains to understand what the humans are doing. If this is QM's goal by giving a fresh and perhaps confusing perspective of the world owned by humans, it worked on me. Please don't dumb it down for me, it's a me problem>Things I would like to see or doI felt bummed that we probably made negative progress on our relationship with bear-kun of the forest. I thought we are here to make friends?! I feel like if this is a relationship simulation we are going down the human route instead of the nature route
OP?
>>6442637I too grow worried.
>>6442637>>6442642I'm alive, thank you for your concern. It's been rough and I apologize for not being open about it.Despite what must be a dozen job applications, not a single one has come back. Someone on my mother's side of the family died roughly a month ago; she's taking it silently but hard, and the service is going to be next month. My only friend is a dog and all the ones I can talk to are busy with their own lives while I'm still trying to finish grad school.Point is, I'm not happy, and a part of me feels like I'm dishonest by trying to write a story about a lonely kid who finds companionship and happiness in the outside world. This sounds corny as hell, but I don't know how to put it any other way. I cannot promise a definite time that I'll make the next update, but when I post, I'll make an announcement in the /qtg/.I hope everyone reading this is living their best life right now. Count your blessings and always open your heart to Him. He is always listening, and I say that because I know I've felt it. If you aren't convinced yet, I encourage you to at least give it a shot.Apologies again. I only expected the QM curse to just make my life busy, not beat.
>>6443876Glad to see you are still alive and sorry for your situation. It's okay to feel that way, I would rather the QM having fun running the quest than to suffer trying to write. I hope things get sorted out in time and may you find strength through adversity.
>>6443876Hey man, my condolences... I hope everything turns out okay for you. No pressure on updating when stuff's that bad. Take your time and get stuff sorted out first and foremost.I don't know what denomination you are, but it's helped me when I talk to a priest when I can. I hope you'll find yourself in better headspace soon, man. I'll keep you in my prayers.
>>6443876That sucks... I hope things turn around for you soon, QM.
