>Rolled 81 (1d100)

You know what you have to do.

You smash your elbows into Mayson’s stomach. His eyes widen as he forgotten for a second that he held you as his captive. He coughs and sputters, leaving you to break out of his grip and dart off as fast as you can go. You can hear Mayson scream, “You little shit!” as the distance between you and him increase, you of course don't stop for a single second, the only thing on your mind is escape.

You expect to hear footsteps, but none reach your ears. Hazarding a glance back, you see that Miles is pulling Mayson away from Alton, in an opposite direction. It seems like he didn’t want to be anywhere near the source of that voice. You also catch sight of the city’s walls, it’s huge! Must be at least 20 feet of pure chiseled stone, you reckon. Well, not anymore, as right now it is riddled with jagged holes punctured into it, looking more like ruins than a proper wall. Lionel wasn’t kidding when he said that it wasn’t safe for you here, through the holes you can see the city, or what’s left of it. The explosions of unknown origin did a number everywhere, craters, rubble, and bodies piled around everywhere. The sight made you feel sick. Who would go that far to become a wizard? What point is there in power if you destroy everything around you to get it? The thoughts continue to rummage around in your head as you head towards the forest. After a while, you are confident that anybody would follow you now, since the city seems to be a bigger target, so you slow your pace and get your bearings.

>cont.

>>1231913

Trees. Lots of trees. The map showed that Alton was surrounded by three forests, but you didn’t think they would be this... well, unkempt. What you would imagine to be a forest untouched by civilization shows itself before you, from the ground to the trees, carries an eerie feeling of archaism. The wind suddenly feels heavier, more sturdy. It becomes much more oppressing the further you travel. Twigs and plants seem to always get over your feet, making you trip, and the shrubbery would cut your legs when you're sure that it didn’t have any thorns. You started to quicken your pace when you notice that the trees were ever so slightly leaning in your direction, like they were trying to grab you. No, that is just the tiredness getting to you, that's it. You think you must have been travelling for hours, because your legs are on fire, as if you suddenly realized it. The pack is also much heavier, your muscles are straining just to hold it up. By the time you start to feel hungry, your body is screaming at you. Everything wants to rest, but you can’t, you don’t know why, but you’re convinced that something is chasing you, hunting you. The feeling is oppressive, your mind wants to keep going, but your body can’t. You try to find a way to escape, and you notice a clearing just to your left where you’re heading. You feel a calming atmosphere emit from the clearing, it feels like it’s beckoning you. It takes all your remaining willpower to just change direction, your body wants to shut down, but you push it enough to enter the clearing.

As you step into the circular area, you collapse on the ground, breathing heavily. The full force of the pain from the unwilling workout flooded your senses in waves. Every gasp makes you wince in pain, you see stars in your vision as you once again succumb to a dreamless slumber.

>Forest of Gamol: One of the three great forests, and regarded by many as the most dangerous. These ancient woods sap the power out of you the longer you travel through it’s depths. Thankfully, passing wizards, who are not affected by the forest’s tricks, set up warded areas dotted around as the ages past. These clearings have slightly rejuvenative properties, so by hopping from area to area, you can safely traverse the forest. Sadly, you do not have a map denoting these clearings.

>cont.

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>>1231916

You wake up to the sounds of birds chirping. The cool air washing over your body reminds you of the events that transpired late yesterday. As you get up, you are relieved to see that the pain around your body is no more, and is replaced by a serene feeling. You feel as though you can carry the world on your shoulders, what wonders a good night's rest can do for the body.

You look around, the clearing is a couple feet in diameter, other than that is the dense foliage of the forest. You are reluctant to head out there.

What do you want to do?

>Take this time to look through your pack, maybe Lionel packed more than food and a torch.
>Investigate the area immediately outside the clearing, could there be anything of note?
>Set up a camp, you don’t feel confident enough to make another trip.
>Just go, time's wasting!
>Other?

>>1231918
>Investigate the area immediately outside the clearing, could there be anything of note?

You move towards the edge of the clearing, wary of the forests powers, but also reassured by the proximity of the safe area. Surrounding the outskirts are thick shrubs with trees behind them. You look around a bit, and find some twigs, a couple of (probably) edible berries, a strange looking leaf, and a weird mushroom. After an hour, you find nothing else of note.

>You have found
Kindling
Handful of Berries
Big Leaf
Mushroom

What now?
>Take this time to look through your pack, maybe Lionel packed more than food and a torch.
>Set up a camp, you don’t feel confident enough to make another trip.
>Just go, time's wasting!
>Other?

>>1232039
>Just go, time's wasting!
They might be near us.