Lucidstuck II

>2

Garreth: Say you know Derrick

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Garreth: I know Derrick. I'm a friend.
Yienna: ..?
Yienna: You're a friend of Derrick?
Yienna: Oh, that's good to hear. Sorry if I seemed a little... hesitant.
Yienna: What brings you out here?
Garreth: I'm on an adventure with Uilos to explore these woods.
Garreth: Uilos has never been.
Yienna: ... Derrick is not from this land. Are you?
Garreth: Yes I am.
Garreth: Have you been to the island?
Yienna: I have not, there's much I have yet to see.
Yienna: ... I found it a bit warm for my coat. I'm not quite used to it yet.
Garreth: It's okay.
Garreth: Were you going to explore the woods too?
Yienna: ... M-me? Uhh..
Yienna: No... I don't think I will.
Yienna: You just caught me off guard... I felt like running away.
Yienna: You said your name was Garreth?
Garreth: Yeah.
Yienna: Well Garreth, I'm glad you are not a mean person.
Yienna: B-bye now!

Yienna scampers out of the woods.

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Uilos: She was very wary of us when we first met, myself more so...
Uilos: Better let her be.
Garreth: ...

You continue to advance through the darkness in the woods. Faint whispers slowly become more noticable.

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Garreth: I'm hearing something...
Uilos: It's the trees...
Uilos: The further we go, the more chatty they'll become. Be careful what you listen to, they like to play games.

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Garreth: A house...?
Uilos: Emily's house. She lives in the Woods.

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Garreth: Mushrooms are out here... A lot of them too.
Uilos: They will light our way soon enough. The sunlight can't pierce the darkness further on.
Uilos: Stay vigilant.

You begin to hear whispers all around you, it's more distracting than anything. Suddenly, voices...

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Ancient Woods: The Dark one has returned....
Ancient Woods: With company?
Ancient Woods: Different from last time...
Ancient Woods: Hello travellers. What say you?
Uilos: .....
Garreth: Hi. I am called Garreth.
Ancient Woods: Garreth.
Ancient Woods: His name is new, never heard before.
Ancient Woods: Garreth not all, new face joins him... If a bit small.
Ancient Woods: Small new face, what say you?
Tinkerskull: I am Tinkerskull, Hello weird trees!!
Ancient Woods: Tinkerskull? Unique name. Nice ring to it?
Ancient Woods: Agreed.
Ancient Woods: Also agreed.
Ancient Woods: What brings Garreth and Tinkerskull with the Dark one?
Garreth: He wanted to see the woods, he was worried about you all talking bad about him.
Ancient Woods: Hehehehe!!
Ancient Woods: We do no such things!
Ancient Woods: Dark one, is one of us...
Ancient Woods: We're brothers! All of us Family!
Ancient Woods: Dark one is also family.
Ancient Woods: He's ashamed.
Ancient Woods: Why wouldn't he be... All the pain he has wrought...
Uilos: ...!!!
Uilos: That was forever ago!
Ancient Woods: Time is relative! You know this.
Ancient Woods: We know things, Timeless things.
Ancient Woods: Dark one wishes to forget.
Ancient Woods: But he's returned.
Ancient Woods: He wishes to remember??
Uilos: No.
Ancient Woods: Ahh, he does not.
Ancient Woods: Leave him out of it then.
Ancient Woods: You know what lies beyond then?
Uilos: ....
Ancient Woods: Garreth knows?
Garreth: No.
Ancient Woods: Perhaps tiny Tinkerskull knows?
Tinkerskull: Nope!
Ancient Woods: You have open minds, yes?
Garreth: Sure... What's in here?
Ancient Woods: We house this lands darkest foes.
Ancient Woods: Darker than the fiends in Faint Glimmer.
Ancient Woods: We love to chat with them, they make for interesting conversation.
Ancient Woods: But that's not all.
Ancient Woods: We also distract them, to keep them from wandering out.
Ancient Woods: They trust us.
Ancient Woods: No harm, no foul.
Garreth: Monsters are in here?
Ancient Woods: Sure!
Ancient Woods: Right, Dark one?
Uilos: .... I don't remember...
Ancient Woods: Allow us to refresh?
Ancient Woods: Monsters teemed these lands before the Dark one went mad.
Ancient Woods: Many of them were lost to oblivion, but some ran into us.
Ancient Woods: They seeked refuge, called the Dark one, "The dark one".
Ancient Woods: We adopted the name!
Ancient Woods: They feared for their lives, this fear warped them terribly.
Ancient Woods: Quite so....
Ancient Woods: Now all they have is fear, and anger.
Ancient Woods: Although we may chat, we are just trees.
Ancient Woods: We can do no harm.
Ancient Woods: You however, could hurt them.
Ancient Woods: Or not!
Ancient Woods: They may not care one way or the other.
Ancient Woods: What do you do when you are afraid of someone?
Ancient Woods: Run?
Ancient Woods: Fight?
Ancient Woods: Either way one of which will happen.
Ancient Woods: Surely you do not wish to proceed.
Garreth: We came here to explore, that's what we're going to do.
Ancient Woods: Ahh! Bold adventurers!
Ancient Woods: A sight to behold.
Ancient Woods: Our apologies, proceed as you will.
Ancient Woods: But remember our words... Bloodshed is always a sad sight indeed.

1. Turn back
2. You said you'd continue, do not back down.

>2
Garry: Ask Uilos how he feels about continuing. Remind him that you can both run whenever things get dangerous. The soil here is still his to travel through.

>2
Garry: Ask Uilos how he feels about continuing. Remind him that you can both run whenever things get dangerous. The soil here is still his to travel through.

Seconding - remind Uilos he can always teleport you out if things get too hot to bear. You are here to accompany him, not force him out of his comfort zone.

The trees clearly want to undo some of the healing Emily's given Uilos, and we don't know HOW crafty they are. If they push him until just before he breaks and flees, and then hit him with the big whammy to boot him over the edge, that'd accomplish their goals. We're not yet sure just how stable our boy is, does HE know where his limits lie? Very important considerations for mindgames when it's our side at a disadvantage.

Garry: Ask Uilos how he feels about continuing. Remind him that you can both run whenever things get dangerous. The soil here is still his to travel through

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Garreth: What do you think, Uilos?
Uilos: ... I didn't work up the nerve to turn back now.
Ancient Woods: The dark one is very brave!
Ancient Woods: Did we tell him we have friends within?
Ancient Woods: Yes, we have.
Ancient Woods: They won't be very happy to see him...
Ancient Woods: He still wants to go, its his choice.
Ancient Woods: Very well.
Ancient Woods: Listen, one named Garreth.
Garreth: Huh?
Ancient Woods: These woods stretch vast in all directions when you've ventured its depths.
Ancient Woods: Once the dark consumes you, our voice is your only escape. And we like company!
Ancient Woods: Do not hold it against us if you find yourself lost.
Ancient Woods: The dark one can aid him then.
Ancient Woods: If the dark one survives himself...
Ancient Woods: See you all later!

You continue for some time until the soft glow of light from the mushrooms fades into a faint flicker. The trees are dead quiet.

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Garreth: It's getting dark here... how are you feeling, Uilos?
Uilos: .... Something is strange here.
Garreth: Hm?
Uilos: Every step I take sends out a sort of beacon where I can sense friends. This beacon is echoed back letting me know they've sensed me too.
Uilos: ... Out here, nothing is returning the signal. Like there is no life..... Or I'm being ignored.
Tinkerskull: Sir, This is too spooky for me!
Tinkerskull: Here, let me light the way from here on out!

Tinkerskull shines her wings to light up your surrounding area, revealing a ghastly creature drenched in blood...

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Tinkerskull: WHAAA!!!
Tinkerskull: Sir..! What the heck?!
Garreth: ....!!

What will you do?

>Garreth: Friendly approach first, if that fails flee

Garreth: Friendly approach first, if that fails flee



You decide to converse with the great beast. After a moment of silence it stands upright.

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Garreth: .... Hello there.
???: ........
Garreth: We're exploring the woods. Do you live here, perhaps?
???: ...... Dark one.
???: Returns....
Tinkerskull: Uhm... Sir?!

The great beast's eyes shine with intent. You have a very bad feeling...

>Garry: Back up and warn Uilos. He might be able to take some hits, but you sure can't. Ask Uilos how he wants to proceed and try to help him.

Garry: Back up and warn Uilos. He might be able to take some hits, but you sure can't. Ask Uilos how he wants to proceed and try to help him



You begin to back up... But before you can say anything the monster slams to the ground with immense force! Uilos takes 941 damage, you avoided the attack, miss!



Uilos spawns a dirt slab to protect you.

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Garreth: U-uilos?!
Uilos: Garreth, this one is too much for us alone! I'll buy you some time, please run away!
Garreth: ..!
Uilos: I ask that you leave your extension with me so I can see, please be care--

The monster runs right through the dirt slab as if it were a house of cards! Uilos takes 955 damage!

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???: DARK ONE....
???: DEATH... WOULD BE... A BLESSING...
Uilos: R-run, Garreth!
Garreth: ....!!!
Tinkerskull: Don't worry, Sir! I'll always be able to find you!

You've run off into the darkness. You can't see a thing and you're getting scared... Probably for the first time in a while.

What will you do?

Garry: Try watching the fight through skully's eyes. See if you can use your ability, Close Call, to predict the monster's next attacks. Get skully to relay advice to uilos on how to escape. Once he escapes, try to regroup using skully's glow if you can. If not, the trees might be able to offer advise. The monsters here seem to want Uilos, not you, so you and skully are relatively safe.

>Garreth: take off glasses and close your eyes a moment to adjust to the darkness. Then use your pendulum to try and find the least doomed path to follow.

Garry: Try watching the fight through skully's eyes. See if you can use your ability, Close Call, to predict the monster's next attacks. Get skully to relay advice to uilos on how to escape. Once he escapes, try to regroup using skully's glow if you can. If not, the trees might be able to offer advise. The monsters here seem to want Uilos, not you, so you and skully are relatively safe.

Well that escalated quickly...
Seconding!
We dragged Uiliis into this mess, we can't just cut and run.

Garry: Try watching the fight through skully's eyes. See if you can use your ability, Close Call, to predict the monster's next attacks. Get skully to relay advice to uilos on how to escape. Once he escapes, try to regroup using skully's glow if you can. If not, the trees might be able to offer advise. The monsters here seem to want Uilos, not you, so you and skully are relatively safe

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Garreth: (Skully? Can you hear me?)
Tinkerskull: (Loud and clear, Sir!)
Tinkerskull: (We've managed to evade that thing, now we're further down...)
Tinkerskull: (Uilos looks okay, although a bit beaten up.)
Garreth: (I'm glad you're both safe.)
Tinkerskull: (We're not sure how we'll make it to you without running into that thing again. Keep an eye out too, Sir!)
Garreth: (I will.)
Tinkerskull: Hey! How are you doing??
Uilos: I'll live...
Uilos: What was that about...?
Tinkerskull: Beats me!
Uilos: We're only going to run into it again if we go back. Can you go around it somehow?
Tinkerskull: Hmm...
Tinkerskull: I'll try to swing wide, just as long as that's the only thing to worry about.
Uilos: Okay, I'll follow your lead.

Seems Uilos and Tinkerskull managed to get away, you're not sure if you should stay put or try to leave.

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Ancient Woods: I see you've met our friend, Peraleer!
Ancient Woods: He's a bit of a brute, isn't he?
Garreth: Hello?
Garreth: Oh, you trees.
Ancient Woods: Expecting someone else?
Garreth: No.
Ancient Woods: Our friend is simply full of excitement. He's been waiting for the Dark one for quite some time.
Ancient Woods: But can you blame him?? He didn't ask for this.
Ancient Woods: I don't think that would be fair.
Garreth: Can I talk to him?
Ancient Woods: Peraleer is a bit of a... Fanatic for the Dark one...
Ancient Woods: Yes, he lives for this.
Ancient Woods: I don't think he'll be on speaking terms, Garreth.
Garreth: Can you tell me how to find my friends?
Ancient Woods: .... I have a more interesting idea.
Garreth: What's that...?
Ancient Woods: How about you make new friends!
Ancient Woods: There's plenty to go around.
Garreth: I'm worried about my friends though.
Ancient Woods: The Dark one... is a bit famous around here.
Ancient Woods: Infamous more like....
Ancient Woods: If you stick around him, you'll only find his past mistakes popping up.
Ancient Woods: Consider it.
Garreth: .....

1. Stay put
2. Press the issue of finding Uilos

>2
>Garry: Insist on finding Uilos. He is your friend, past mistakes and all.

Garry: Insist on finding Uilos. He is your friend, past mistakes and all

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Garreth: I want to find Uilos.
Ancient Woods: .... He's determined, isn't he?
Ancient Woods: Foolish boy.
Ancient Woods: Straight ahead, the Dark one exists.
Ancient Woods: With the one named Tinkerskull.
Garreth: Thanks.
Ancient Woods: Don't thank us yet.

You take your time and wade through the darkness... You stop suddenly.

You feel chills on the back of your neck.

>Garry: The deer monster is ahead of you. Step off the path and wait for him to pass. The monster may not be after you specifically, but you probably don't want to bump into it. Let tinkerskull know you're on the way and they should stay put.
>Tinkerskull: Heal Uilos.

>Garry: Use Close-call. Right now.

>Garry: Jump behind the fallen tree!

Garry: The deer monster is ahead of you. Step off the path and wait for him to pass. The monster may not be after you specifically, but you probably don't want to bump into it. Let tinkerskull know you're on the way and they should stay put



You get off the path you're on and wait. Moments later you hear disturbingly soft footsteps creep past you...

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Garreth: .......
Garreth: (Skully, I'm coming back. I think it's safe now.)
Garreth: (Wait for me.)
Tinkerskull: (We will, Sir!)
Garreth: (Also, can you heal Uilos if you can?)
Tinkerskull: (Understood!)

Tinkerskull heals Uilos for 50 hp!

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Uilos: Garreth, you're alright.
Garreth: Yes. Glad to see you're okay as well.
Uilos: I can hear faint whispers up ahead. It might be a sign we are closing in on our destination.

As you progress, the forest becomes illuminated once more by the mushrooms' bioluminescence.

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Tinkerskull: We made it!

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Uilos: Thank you, Garreth. If not for your motivating words I don't think I would have gotten this far on my own.
Garreth: It's no problem.
Uilos: This area is quite chatty, it seems they're all excited to see someone new.
Uilos: The monster that attacked us... This place must have more like it. It could get rather dangerous to continue.
Uilos: I don't think it's safe for you and your extension to continue further, but I would welcome the company.
Uilos: If you'd like I can send you back to the mouth of the woods.
Uilos: What do you think?

You're sure there were moments back there where you easily could have lost your life. The feeling of fear still hangs over you... You're not sure if you'd ever willingly come back this deep however. It may be useful to get it out of the way.

1. Glad I could help, I think I want to return now.
2. ... I'm curious to see what's out here.

>2

>3. Try to convince Uilios to not throw his life away and just go back with you. Stay with him if he refuses and have Tinkerskull continue healing him.

We're clearly not equipped to handle any of this shizz.

>Garreth: Continue with your friend

>1 Let's get the fuck out of here, we can come back with friends.

==>



You decide to return back, and tell Uilos you're glad you could help. He summons strange vines thats begin to constrict around you..!

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Garreth: ..What will you do?
Garreth: Perhaps this area might be too much for you as well.
Uilos: Oh don't worry about me, Garreth.
Uilos: For the longest time I've stayed in my comfort zones... The beach... My house...
Uilos: It was only until very recently that I've started coming out of my shell...
Uilos: Daring to do uncomfortable things...
Uilos: Derrick having me accompany him to Heaven's peak.
Uilos: You granting me the courage to traverse the Ancient wood's depths... Despite the dangers to myself and you.
Uilos: You've inspired me to be more, to take greater steps. So I think I will do that.
Uilos: When I'm satisfied from here, I shall return. See you later.
Garreth: ... Ahh. Okay.

After a few moments of darkness the ground opens up and you make your way into the light...



The opening seals itself up behind you!

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Tinkerskull: Wow Sir, that was quite scary!
Garreth: I sincerely agree.
Garreth: But I think Uilos is satisfied with my involvement. Which means we're one step closer to receiving his key fragment.
Tinkerskull: I worried about something, Sir...
Garreth: Hm?
Tinkerskull: I don't think we should be venturing off by ourselves like that...
Tinkerskull: I felt very helpless when you were forced to run off like that...
Tinkerskull: And I don't think I would have been able to help Uilos much in the fighting department.
Tinkerskull: I think that... Leaving that place was a good idea.
Tinkerskull: I guess we don't have to fight or get stronger if we simply can just run errands and hide from monsters...
Tinkerskull: Fighting is not something I particularly like to do...
Garreth: I understand, Skully.
Garreth: There is another one we might have to make contact with.
Garreth: The one called Vanity.
Tinkerskull: Isn't she dangerous?? I think we should handle that with more people.
Garreth: .... Alright then. What shall we do in the meantime?