Ashwood Cross

---

> Meow Meow
> meow meow meow meow meow
> meow meow Meow

Er... yeah. That.

You're glad to have your Nameless Ukulele,
but that's enough hugging of inanimate objects.
And enough vivid hallucination of cats.
Enough for a very long time.

Surprisingly, after all that, you still feel like garbage.
Maybe this is not so surprising, actually.

You take a moment to assess your CHARACTER STATUS














Hmm.

That ENERVATED part might explain some of it.
At least you're healthy, and your STATUS are normal otherwise.
Can't hardly go on an adventure with junked-up STATUS, right?

Right.

> Check out the entry at the other side of the cave

Speaking of adventure, you're curious about the chamber to the... West?
You've got no idea which way is which, but let's just call it West.

It's not lit up like this chamber, so you can't see into it from here.
For a moment, you thought you heard a muffled echo, from somewhere deeper?
But maybe not. It's pretty much silent, apart from the sound of wind from outside.
You still wonder if there's anything dangerous over there?

You'll have to check it out, once you wrap up things in here.

> Break off stalagmite for use as club.

Finding something to defend yourself with might be a good idea, before you go.
Even a makeshift weapon would be better than nothing.

You try breaking a Small Stalagmite off the ground.

STRENGTH TEST: 1 Might + 2 Stamina ☆☆☆ <VS> Difficulty ★Show

Failure... ☆☆☆

Oof, it's no use!

The stupid rock is thicker than your arms, and pretty tough.
And the formation isn't long enough to get good leverage on.

Oh well. Probably would've made a shitty weapon, anyway.
As if you even needed one.

> Our Ukelele is named Mori...probably a shorthand for Memoria.

Hmm. You've been thinking about names for your new Instrument.
What about Memento Mori? "Remember, you will die", right?
Granted, it's a bit edge-lordy and morbid.
But it's no "Princess Bloodthorn," you suppose.

All in all, you like it.
It's a good reminder to Live Hard, while you can.
Always do your best. Follow your heart. Enjoy yourself.
That sort of thing.

If you invert it, "Death of Remembering" feels weirdly appropriate too.

For now, you set Memento Mori down next to the Duffel Bag, to free your hands.
You'll just call 'em Mori for short.

> Search the duffel bag

You kneel down and poke around inside the mysterious Duffel Bag.
You almost feel like you know what you'll find before you pull it out.
Like a brief moment of Deja Vu, though the feeling subsides.

Item #1Show

> instrument care kit

Looks like a Leather Toolkit, for various crafts or repair work.
It'd definitely work for instrument repairs.
You might find tools for other kinds of work as well.
All that metal makes it fairly heavy, though. And bulky too.

Item #2Show

> Rock climbing gear

Next is a Spool of Rope, made of plant fiber.
It's another heavy thing, but really useful!
In a pinch, it could be unwound into several cords.
Or a whole mess of loose twine. But they wouldn't be as strong.
And winding them back up would probably be impossible.
Fiber like this can rot, and is also pretty flammable.
Right now, it's in good condition, though!

Item #3Show

> Among other things, a flashlight

Next, you pull out an Emergency Flashlight.
The bulb is old-fashioned, and it's not terribly rugged.
But the plastic is a pretty color. You always liked blue.
You do feel the reassuring heft of large batteries inside, as well.
It blinks on and off when you test it, so there's some juice left.

Item #4Show

> something useless and adorable.

> A cat you say.

Is this a Plush Cat? It looks hand-crafted.
Buttons for eyes and everything.
Don't know what's up with the stitched-on arse, though.
Someone's got a strange sense of humor.

It's a toy, but it's pretty weird and cute.
The sort of thing you'd have wanted, as a kid.
And... honestly still sorta do? Tough-girl image be damned.

Anyway, you're nearing the bottom of the Duffel!
You can't help but wonder what prize was waiting at the bottom.
It feels like balled-up fabric. Smooth, flexible, and not too heavy.
It's weirdly familiar, but not in a Weirdly weird way.

This is kind of exciting! You lift it out, and unfurl it.

Item #5Show

> Inside the Duffel Bag is another Duffel Bag.

Huh. Welp!

With that, the Duffle is now empty. It's Inventory fully inventoried.
You carefully repack it, half-tucking Mori the Ukulele inside.
Then stand up to test the weight.

ITEM SUMMARY:Show

EQUIPMENT:
Boots: Rugged leather. Travel-Worn.
Clothes: Warm-Weather. Beet Pun.
Duffel: Brown Canvas. Zip-Top. 12 Slots.

DUFFEL CONTENTS:
Cat Plush: Handcrafted. Cute and useless.
Duffel: Red Canvas. Zip-Top. 12 Slots.
Flashlight: Some Power. Semi-reliable.
Rope: Natural Fiber, 20 meters.
Toolkit: Assorted Crafting and Repair.
Ukulele: "Memento Mori". Sturdy and Travel-Worn.

> Explore the westward? passage.

You're finally satisfied with your preparations.
Shouldering the Duffel Bag, you head west(?) into the Dark Passage.

---

---