Planarnomicon

You are a Talentless Adventurer sent by your village to help put an end the ongoing Ash Cataclysm that has been plaguing the region for months. As you approached the source, you were separated from your guide by a sudden ash storm, and find yourself lost in the surrounding forest.

Thunder and howling winds continuously echo above the treetops, but under the canopy it is peaceful and still. You are surrounded by trees in all directions, and everything is coated in white-gray ash. Like snow, flakes of ash constantly fall from the trees.

Supplies are running low, and your Lantern was carried by the guide when you were separated. At this rate, it will be unlikely that you'll survive the cold winter night that is quickly drawing near.

What will you do?

>Digga den.

Did your guide give you any advice on the way here? It might be useful to remember that.

Also, look around and see if you can spot any lantern light. If you can find your guide again, that would probably make things easier.

>Investigate animal tracks.

Investigate animal tracks.



These are... dog prints? You aren't sure what a dog is doing in the middle of a forest like this, but the idea of a dog being somewhere in the vicinity makes you excited.

Recall Guide's advice.



You weren't paying a lot of attention to your chatty chaperone, but one thing he made sure you understood was "Don't get separated because if you get lost in this forest you will die," or something.

Digga den.



You pick up a stick and spend a few minutes digging in the loose ash. Eventually, you make a small burrow. You don't think you'll be able to dig a hole big enough to fit in.

Look for lantern light.



You scan your surroundings for any sign of the lantern. Eventually, you manage to spot a flickering flame between some rocks in an outcrop not far from you. Is that your guide?

>Before you go, equip berries.

>find out that it's not a dog but a werewolf

Follow ye footprints

>Eat leaves and twigs for much needed sustenance.

>Forage berries.

Before you go, equip berries.



You don't make a habit of eating random unidentified berries, but these might be of some use if you're desperate.

You put the berries in your inventory alongside your Ration Pouch (empty), Dull Shortsword, and the piles of Ash filling the rest of your pockets.

Consider that it might be a Werewolf.



You wonder if the prints might belong to some sort of abominable half-man half-dog creature capable of using a lantern to lure unsuspecting adventurers to their doom.

Unfortunately you don't have any knowledge of such a beast. They just look like dog prints to you.

Eat leaves and twigs for much needed sustenance.



You pull some foliage off a tree and eat it. Hopefully this will help prolong starvation.

Tastes like ash.

Follow ye footprints.



Following the tracks, you make your way into the entrance of a cramped cave. It's uncomfortable, but you appreciate the respite from the cold and ash.

Strange patterns are carved into the walls here, and unappetizing looking meat has been left on the ground. It seems the light you saw was actually from a candle.

The cave continues on ahead of you. Apart from your usual unease, a sort of unnatural presence fills the air here.

>Check out the patterns, try to remember the history lessons you slept through.

>Identify ritual.

>Pick some sticks and use the candle to create a campfire. Need to warm yourself.

Make a campfire.



You gather a small pile of sticks and tinder and prepare to light them using the flame from the candle.

Next.



After a few seconds you successfully get a small fire going. You take a moment to appreciate its gentle warmth.

Check out the patterns.



You have no idea what any of these are. Some kind of ancient language? Magic runes? Maybe an esoteric map? You can only imagine their purpose.

>Sing campfire songs.

>Hope that meat isn't a small part of a larger corpse

>Vandalize those markings by making rude drawings on them.

>Cook the meat and the berries. Maybe as training or to make it more apetizing in general.

Vandalize those markings.



You deface the wall patterns with some ash and a piece of charcoal by drawing a smelly dog and a very accurate self portrait. You feel like you've improved the atmosphere in here significantly.

Examine remains.



Whatever this used to be, there isn't much left of it. From the size of the bones here you can assume it was a medium sized animal of some sort.

Cook the meat and berries.



In an attempt to make it palatable, you mash the berries on the meat shank and prepare to cook it. It doesn't smell pleasant, but it's better than starving.

Next.



After placing the meat on the fire, you take a seat and watch it begin to cook. Hopefully it wont take too long.

Sing campfire songs.



You've never been camping, and don't really know many songs in general. Still though, you close your eyes and hum a familiar lullaby to take your mind of things. Your quest hasn't even started yet and you already long to be back home.

Next.



You jolt to your feet and turn around as you hear a growl from further in the cave. A Wolf approaches you, growling menacingly! Oh no, he's not going to like that insulting drawing you made...

... wait. He scans the room slowly with a blank stare. Is this wolf blind? It looks like he got caught out in an ash storm and it has damaged his vision.

Next.



You back away slowly and hope he will just pass by y- Oh god he's eating your hard-earned meat! The bastard!

>Oh he's just a hungry boy, take credit for feeding it and attempt to befriend

>You look like a coward? Use sword to fight for your hard-earned dinner.

>Doesn't he look a lot like your drawing?

>Use your imposing will and grating voice to force it into becoming your minion familiar.
or
>BITE IT! BITE IT WITH YOUR TEETH!

Attempt to befriend it.



You approach the wolf and gently pat it, saying "there you go, good boy." but it responds to your touch by snapping at you! You retract your hand quickly and narrowly avoid being bitten.

Command it into becoming your minion.



You give the wolf a stern command to obey you. All it seems to provoke is a threatening growl as he advances toward you. Animal handling really isn't your forte!

Use your sword to fight.



You draw your Dull Shortsword to defend yourself, and swing it toward the wolf's face. The blade doesn't manage to cut through the wolf's thick fur, but you repeatedly smack him in the head with it a half dozen times.

Next.



Successfully abated, the wolf turns around and starts to head back into the cave, but stops after a few steps to heave. He vomits his meal onto the cave floor, and stands in place for a few moments, looking dazed.

Next.



The wolf collapses on the ground and stops moving... It looks like it's dead. Weird, you didn't even hit him that hard. But a win is a win, you guess.

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Spoiler

>Doesn't he look a lot like your drawing?

Blame my ability to draw exactly one shitty wolf. (⑅´•⌔•`)