Ask By the Candle Fire

Heidi, despite the popular belief that she was a Jedi Knight, was visibly scared as she followed the two Padawans and the man. It was her first 'mission' involving an actual Darksider. She'd met her fair share of bad people on her travels, but not the kind who would litter the ground with dead birds. So she was grateful that the others had taken the lead and that she could silently follow them.

Lio, on the other hand, did not show any fear. His face hardened, his heartbeat slowed; he had one goal in mind: to rescue his son safe at all costs. And with three people to back him up, he was confident that he could win every fight. That's why he was surprised when Macote (@Fine Dining Set) abruptly stopped and presented a less... brutal plan. It was sneaky. And he was not the sneaky type. But, hey, the kid must have had a good plan. So, with a firm nod, he allowed Shaw(@throwitintothefire) to tug him towards the tree line.

He knelt and hid behind a bunch of leaves, as Shaw had instructed. And Shaw was correct; Lio was restless, his hand firmly gripping the hilt of the butcher knife. But he waited, listening to the boy's encouragement in silence while keeping an eye out. Heidi was sitting next to them, her hands in the ground and the Force coursing through her body, ready to attack.

While the Tavern keeper and the two Padawans prepared, Macote stood bravely in the middle of the barren field, snowflakes dancing around him as the moon began to rise in the sky. His voice echoed through the forest and up the mountain, but was met with silence.

It almost looked like the person he was shouting at had not heard him. Almost. The wind suddenly picked up. The snowflakes that had once danced violently swung through the air, circling Macote. The wind howled loudly, almost piercingly, after the Jedi's short journey in silence. But in between those howls, there was an unusual sound: a voice. It began as a shrill laugh and then evolved into words. "B̷o̷o̷o̶y̴y̶.̶.̸.̷ ̶Y̷o̸u̶ ̶w̷i̸s̷h̵ ̵t̴o̷ ̶m̵o̴o̷o̷o̶c̶k̶ ̶m̸e̵?̷" Another shrill laugh echoed across the barren field, coming from every direction. ""̵U̵p̶ ̷t̸h̴e̷ ̵m̶o̷u̷n̴t̸a̴a̶i̶n̴n̵n̶.̸.̶.̵ ̷Y̴o̷u̷ ̵c̴a̵n̶ ̵f̷i̷n̷d̴ ̶m̶e̴.̴.̶.̷"̴

It came to an end just as abruptly as it had begun. The wind disappeared the snow resumed its graceful dance, and silence returned. Lio had stared at the Padawan throughout it all, his blood as cold as the mocking wind. He stood up, his gaze fixed on the path that would lead them up the mountain, where a cave entrance was found not far up. He had seen that cave entrance many times before, but never up close, and had never bothered to enter it. But now it seemed like the most logical choice. "So, I suppose that was an invitation to that hellhole. Are you all still good to go?"

(Option: Roll a 1d20 for investigation to learn more about the cavern entrance.)


Roza's boots stomped through the snow as she, Alhazred(@Narzen) and A'kari(@Mythos) exited the tavern, leaving the investigating Padawans behind. "You were damn right in assuming you couldn't talk me out of it." She huffed and stared straight ahead. Her shoulders tensed, her knuckles white as she clutched the oversized fork in her fist. Just as she had told them, they were heading west, where there was a small path leading away from the town and into the forest.

Unlike the group near the mountain, the group that went deeper into the forest had a peaceful time. The sounds were right where they belonged, and the scent in the air that lingered was lovely, reminiscent of a perfect pine-tree forest in the middle of winter. Critters ran past their feet before darting away, attempting to avoid the humanoids' disturbances. It was exactly as it should have been; it was flawless.

Too flawless.

Because, despite appearances, the Jedi and Roza felt a shiver run up their spine. But the Zabrak woman remained silent, unless the Jedi decided to speak with her. Instead, she pushed on until they came across the footprints of a beast. Roza stared at them for a moment before shifting her attention to Alhazred and A'kari. "We should get right to them if we follow the footprints." She raised her upper lip in disgust at the situation.

The more they walked, the more the Jedi would begin to notice that something was off. The animals got too close to their feet. The scent was inexplicably perfect and whimsical, and where was the breeze that brought the snowflakes? This was not how nature was supposed to work; this is how it worked in holomovies. That left the Jedi with one question: what now? Return to the tavern, or keep going?

(Option: Roll a 1d20 for investigation to figure out what's wrong with the environment.)


Johanes(@Wills) began searching the tavern's kitchen, quickly joined by Zessel(@LouJoVi). On closer inspection, he discovered traces of what seemed to be a fight. The wall furthest away had streaks of burned wood, the smoke was still dancing off it slightly. There were also blood splatters near the burns, as well as crimson red droplets sprayed on the counter. The ground was littered with broken plates and glasses, as if they had been thrown as weapons. The drawers were less interesting; everything seemed to be as expected of a tavern, with a recommendation letter from the mayor.

However, one thing stood out: there was no entrance point. The window was perfectly shut and the snow behind it undisturbed, there was no door, and the walls were intact except for the damage from the short albeit violent fight.

As Johanes searched for a hidden entrance, he'd stumble across a wooden floorboard that protruded from the floor. Every other floorboard had been laid out in a straight line, but this one overlapped with the board on the right. And as he pressed his foot down again, the wood creaked and shifted; it was loose.

While Johanes discovered a suspicious loose plank that seemed to be able to move, Zessel observed something else. An army of small ants marched into the kitchen, aiming directly for the plank Johanes was standing on. But that wasn't the worst. No. They held something. Something... crumbly? Wait. No. Was that frosting?!

(Option: Roll a 1d20 for strength to pull the wooden board and reveal what's beneath.)

Heidi chewed her lower lip as she stared at the older Padawan(@Fine Dining Set), giving them a speech about how this was the Jedi's job. How they had to push through. Despite being shaken to the core and struggling to keep her focus, she felt motivated. Because Macote was right. Whatever happened, they had to persevere and find the child, or at least put an end to the evil. So, once Macote was finished, Heidi nodded firmly, her ears wiggling with the movement.

Lio also seemed to be encouraged by the Padawans' behavior. If those much younger than him dared to push through to help him, he could do the same. He would not let those kids down; instead, he would show his true character and help them in any way he could. And so he followed the Padawans up the mountain, not quite leading because Macote had clearly taken the lead, but also not trailing. He'd be there as an equal, despite lacking Force and having no idea what danger he was in.

When they reached the cave's entrance, the group fell silent. Macote had looked around as he climbed the mountain and approached the cave entrance, but nothing out of the ordinary—outside of the usual—had struck him. There were a few more dead birds as they got closer, and nature was suffering with little life left. Shaw(@throwitintothefire), who decided to scout ahead, had better luck; as soon as he stepped into the cave's entrance—after Lio told him "Be careful son,"—he noticed straight away that everything was wrong.

The walls were covered in ice and snow, with a clear path in the center and skulls and bones from various animals scattered around it. That path led to a red-lit chamber with a silhouette in the center. Whoever was standing there had their back to the entrance, intent on whatever lay ahead of them. But, while their back was turned to Shaw, the Force lashed out. It curled violently toward Shaw's mind, attempting to pierce it and fill it with pure Darkness, bringing him to his knees.

(Macote and Heidi are capable of helping if they notice something wrong; 1d20 to figure out something is wrong, followed by another 1d20 to help. A 10+ is a success for both rolls. Meanwhile, Shaw roll 1d20 to resist, 14+ is a success. If Heidi or Macote successfully help out, Shaw gains an advantage on his resist roll, which means you can roll twice and use the highest score.)

Roza almost literally bit her tongue when A'kari(@Mythos) said she'd take the lead. Ah well. If she wanted to play as the meatshield then that served her well. Zessel(@LouJoVi) had joined the group only a minute after they had left, and he was hit by the same sensations as the others. The sense of perfection; everything was exactly as it should be.

In fact. Was there any danger? Sure, they were following these footprints, but /really/, any beast could have left those? And that sweet scent, as if emanating from a candle... The soothing sound of the snow falling ontop of the forest floor. Why not just stay there and enjoy the forest? Perhaps start a fire for the night and enjoy the sky above, because those who look up would be greeted by a colorful aurora dancing across the sky above the treetops.

Even Roza's footsteps slowed, and she lifted her gaze away from the footprints they were following to admire the forest. Her gaze softened, and her grip on the fork was no longer as firm. When she noticed a bird flying in front of her eyes and darting away to a tree, her lips curled into the smallest smile.

It was as if a warm blanket was wrapped around Roza, Alhazred(@Narzen) and Zessel. Truly, why should they keep moving? There was no danger. There was no danger. There was no danger.

A'kari felt the warm blanket, but before it could wrap around her, her Force opened her mind. And, whether it was her stronger connection to nature or her Force reaching out just in time, something tugged at the back of her mind. It was a scream of danger in the Force, attempting to grab her and pull her out of whatever state she was about to fall into.

It was hard; every inch of her body resisted the pull; all she wanted to do was stop moving and stare at the animals that ran happily around her feet. However, her Force continued to guide her mind, allowing her to hear something the others did not hear. A growl. And not just one, no. There were several growls, each coming from a different direction but all centered on her. And yet, she saw nothing ahead of her that justified those growls.

(Alhazred, A'kari and Zessel roll a 1d20 to attempt to return to reality. Anything over 10+ allows them to hear the growls, recognize they are in a trance and try to find a way to resist. If a 19 or 20 brings them back to reality straight away, DM me. A'kari has an advantage meaning you can roll twice and use the highest score.)

Slowly, the figure in the cave turned around. What should have been eyes, but were actually two holes in the void, lingered from far away at the Padawan (@throwitintothefire). As Shaw fell to his knees on the floor, the snowflakes shot into the air, circling him before landing on his lap, shoulders, and hands. "Hmmm." An amused voice echoed throughout the cavern. "You aren't who I expected." A voice as smooth as silk echoed throughout the cavern.

With a hum, the woman began to approach Shaw. It was difficult to tell whether she was floating or walking; everything seemed and felt unnatural. As she got closer to the Padawan, the air around him became colder. His cheeks and forehead began to tingle as if a thousand tiny nails attempted to pierce his skin and pluck what lay beneath; his life energy. She eventually came to a stop, half a mile away from the boy. "One of the youngest of the group... hmmm," the woman mused, her eyes as dark as night on him. "But powerful... With so much life and fight left in you. Yes. My child, you'll be perfect for the next one. I believe they would like a new brother as brave as you."

Heidi, blissfully unaware of what was going on inside the cavern, looked around. She pouted and her fingers tapped her thighs. She wasn't the most patient person in the galaxy, much to the chagrin of some of her Jedi peers. Lio himself also seemed impatient and uneasy about waiting so long while a boy risked his life for him on his own. His gaze shifted to Macote, who mentioned the cold. "You grow used to it. But if you want to know a secret." He shifted the rim of his shirt to the side, revealing a thick wool top beneath. "Wool is an excellent insulator. Keeps the heat nicely trapped on days when you aren't used to it." Despite his nervousness, he managed to give an almost fatherly laugh.

"Soooo..." Heidi shifted back and forth on her heels for a moment. "Macote(@Fine Dining Set), right? You were super cool back in the tavern." She gave him a smile. "Have you been a Jedi for long? I joined... around two years ago." It felt strange to make casual small talk, but... she was so nervous, anything to break the silence. But, as they talked, something else broke the silence, this time it was the silence deep within the cavern. A voice. Heidi's sensitive ears perked up, their tips pointing toward the sky. "Wait... I hear someone in there. Can you hear that? A woman? Huh?" She returned her gaze to Macote, an older Padawan. She didn't say it aloud, but she didn't know what to do and prayed that he did because she didn't trust Lio to guide them, and she was about to panic.

(@throwitintothefire Roll another 1d20 to try and resist! 14+ is a success.)


The sense of comfort and perfection continued to wash over the group; Alhazared(@Narzen) and Roza had begun to slip away. Reality no longer seemed like an acceptable possibility to them; no matter how many growls hit their ears, all they could hear were the cheerful ooh-ooh's of the owls above.

But A'kari(@Mythos) and Zessel(@LouJoVi) began to resist; their Force continued to swirl around their minds, warning them, heeding them of dangers. A'kari was the first to snap her gaze away and back into reality; the sky suddenly looked lackluster, the wind and snow harsh against her skin and dancing robes, and nature, as beautiful as it was, dull and ordinary. With each new blink, she saw more of what she expected. Animals began to avoid her; the hooting ceased, and silence filled the air.

Zessel's clarity followed not long after. He, too, noticed a shift as the Force gently guided him back to what was, rather than what they wished it to be. Everything became less vibrant, and the scents were no longer as strong. Life had started to return to normal.

Normal. If everything was normal, why were they still hearing growls? If Zessel and A'kari followed the source of the sounds, keeping their gaze on the path, they would notice how the trees had begun to separate. The farther they looked, the fewer trees they saw. No. Ahead of them was a clearing free of trees, rocks, and other forest-related debris. And in that openness were three beasts, one identical to the one at the inn and two smaller, undoubtedly cub-like creatures tracing the entrance. The illusions led them to a nest. All three beasts, or no, monsters, were staring at them with their countless eyes, growling, hissing, and drooling. All three are ready to pounce on the Jedi. All while Roza and Alhazred were in a daze.

And behind the monsters, a smaller voice rang out. "Help me!"

(@Narzen roll again to break free, a 14+ is a success! Rest of the group, if you launch an attack, roll for the attack, I'll determine the outcome next post!)