You run behind the thing and start hacking at it until your arms burn. Its guts spill freely from behind it, and it roars, outraged. You dodge it's attacks and direct one final attack at it's spine, and the thing falls. You turn to see Rila plunge a finishing blow in the thing's neck. \n\nOut of the gore emerges familiar figures. Three, to be exact. You see the humanoid things climb out of the the rubble. It's your friends.\n\nYou run over to them and envelop them in a bone-crushing hug, ignoring the blood all over them. The next day, Rila helps you out of the forest. As a guardian of the forest, she has to stay and protect, but tells you you're welcome any time.\n\n\n _-_-_-_-_-_-_ YOU WIN! -_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

You slice the thing across its midsection. It wails loudly and charges you faster than ever. You scream and run back to your trainer, who frowns at you. Try again, Rila says, and pushes you back towards the monster horde. You decide to [[attack|Attack]] a different monster this time.

You grip your wand as tightly as possible to prevent yourself from falling over. You watch as the creature turns to dust at your feet. Desnok nods at you and walks you back to then, where you sleep peacefully.\n\nYou wake up to Desnok's chanting. You jolt up to see Raina, of all people, kicking the old man in the side. You rush towards her to warn her, but you already see orange at the tip of Desnok's wand. You have to act fast. You break a ceramic dish over his head. \n\nRaina hugs you and starts to give you a recap of all that's happened so far, but there's no time for that, not with an angry warlock on your tail. You pull on Raina's hand and [[sprint|Sprint]] out the door.

You switch directions and head west. You see something. It's hunched over and it looks humanoid. Stalking closer, you see that it's... Elle? Your camping buddy Elle? You run over to her, and she looks visibly relieved to see you. \n\nThank god that you're alive, she says to you. Have you seen Raina? Alex? You reply that no, you haven't. \n\nAnd then you see it.\n\nOut of all the horrible Eldritch abominations you've seen so far, this one takes the cake. The thing was huge, eyes bulging, giant talons extended. It's teeth were raggedly sharp, and it's stink permeated the air. It's arms were spindly and easily bigger than your head, and you froze. You froze and watched helplessly as the thing picked up your screaming friend and bit her head off.\n\nAnd then went after you.\n\n\n\n[[Play again|Start]]?

You stride towards one of those slime monsters, feeling fairly confident in your new wand. You get ready to [[curse|Curse]] the beast... or maybe you should cast a [[spell|Spell]] on it? Which would work better?

You take a swing at the creature. It shrieks and shoves you. You can feel its hot breath on your face, and pray that your death is painless. The thing raises a hand (paw? tentacle?) and swings at you, and you're knocked out before you hit the ground.\n\nYou wake up in a brightly lit room. You hear the crackling of a fireplace, and before you can even stand up someone is standing beside you, asking what your name is. Strange... you can't remember it. You can't remember anything, really. The stranger puts a hand on her hip. She says her name is Rila and that she is a guardian of the forest. You need anything?\n\nDo you need [[help|Help]] or do you think you're [[fine|Fine]]?

You find yourself lost for the second time this evening. It was easier to find your way through the forest back when it was light out, but now you can barely see your own hand in front of your face, and you can't find the rest of your party.\n\nDo you go [[uphill|Uphill]] or [[downhill?|Downhill]]

You nervously approach the thing, and it turns to look at you lazily. You heaved the ivory sword up and swung. It limbly dodged the blade and went after you. You yelped and swung again. The monster recoiled, it's guts spilling and staining your rain jacket. It trudged forward still. You eyed the creature wearily and stepped back. Should you [[slice|Slice]] or [[stab|Stab]]?

You rush towards the light, grateful that you've found your friends at last. They've even made a little wood shack to keep themselves warm! You smile, happy to see that at least they haven't been running from monsters like you have all night. You duck in and are immediately met with a man in dark robes pointing a stick at your throat. He looks old, maybe you can take him out and take some of his food and supplies...\n\n[[Beat him up|End1]] or [[ask for forgiveness|Fine]]?

You hesitantly start scaling the tree, wind whipping behind you. You look down and feel your stomach drop. You were already 50-something feet off the ground, and Desnok wanted you to go higher? Despite the biting fear you keep climbing, trying to focus your energy on not being scared enough to pee your pants. You reach the top of the tree and grab a sturdy branch. It takes you awhile, but you manage to rip it off. You scale down the tree and shove the branch into Desnok's hands. He grins wickedly at you, and walks you back to the [[den|Den]].

You hang back, aiding to a clearly delirious Rila. You reach for her passenger bag and grab what seems like a first aid kit, and tend to her head wound. She thanks you, but then freezes. You look up to see the hulking creature looming over you. It rips your arm off Rila's - literally. Your disconnected arm hits the ground with a dull thud. You sit there in shock for what seems like hours until Rila's almost tribal battle cry jolts you awake. She hacks and slashes at the animal, its guts splattering forest walls. It's down in less than 10 minutes, but that's not what seems to matter to Rila. She races to you and tries to heal your wound, but you can tell it's hopeless from the start. She cries over you, but you tell her not to. You both sit there in silence until you feel yourself slipping away.\n\nYou died that afternoon.\n\n\n[[play again|Start]]?

You and Rila walk, killing monsters along the way. You reach the center of the forest in no time at all. But then you see it.\n\nOut of all the horrible Eldritch abominations you've seen so far, this one takes the cake. The thing was huge, eyes bulging, giant talons extended. It's teeth were raggedly sharp, and it's stink permeated the air. It's arms were spindly and long and were... coming towards you.\n\nYou quickly slashed at the paw, but another one quickly regenerated. You looked helplessly at Rila, who had a jagged ember blade in her hand. She threw herself at the thing and stuck the sword in it's neck. It wailed and flung her off, and she hit the ground with an earth-shattering thunk.\n\nYou turn to [[aid|Aid]] Rila. No, you decide to attack it from [[behind|Behind]]. Which is it?\n

You sprint in the opposite direction, and luckily the creature doesn't follow. You can see a flicker of something up ahead. It could lead to certain death... or it could be your campfire, a sight you haven't seen for hours. You could be free!... or not.\n\nWhat do you choose? [[Campfire|Campfire]] or [[wilderness|Wilderness]]?

You raise your wand and recite a Latin incantation. Orange sparks bubble at the tip of your wand, and the blast forces you back as you shoot the orange lightning at the creature. Don't drop your [[wand|Curse1]]!

You bring the ivory sword down on the creature's head one last time. It crumbles. You turn to Rila, who gives you a thumbs up. You continue fighting monsters until evening. You and Rila walk in comfortable silence back towards the den, and you sleep peacefully that night.\n\nThe next morning, Rila wakes you up early. She tells you of a horrible monster in the center of the forest, the monster that the others originate from. She says that you have to fight it with her, she's not strong enough on her own.\n\nYou [[walk|Walk]] with her to the center of the forest, killing monsters along the way.

You take a swing at the creature. It shrieks and pushes you away. You can feel its hot breath on your face, and pray that your death is painless. The thing raises a hand (paw?) and swings at you, and you're knocked out before you hit the ground.\n\nYou wake up in a brightly lit room. You hear the crackling of a fireplace, and before you can even stand up someone is standing beside you, asking what your name is. Strange... you can't remember it. You can't remember anything, really. The man, looking at you oddly, says his name is Desnok and that he is a warlock. He offers you his services.\n\nAccept his [[help|Help2]] or are you [[fine|Fine]]?

You mutter a Greek enchantment under your breath, and watch the creature flail under your spell. You watch the thing spasm, and then spasm again, and then fall limp. You release it and walk back to Desnok, satisfied in your ability to so easily dispatch a high-level foe. But all of a sudden you feel an exploding pain and realize with dread that the thing had gotten the best of you. Desnok runs towards you, but he doesn't make it in time. You feel the beast's breath on your neck, and then it's teeth. It quite literally rips your head off.\n\nYou die instantly.\n\n[[play again|Start]]?

You decide to follow Elle into the forest. Alex seemed like he could handle the beast, at least until you and Elle showed back up. You and Elle quickly locate Raina's body... but standing over it was Desnok. He looked at you with pure hatred and raised his wand to strike. You took out your own wand and started chanting something in a language you didn't even know. Desnok stared in shock as your wand began to glow pitch black.\n\nYou released the energy and it twined through Desnok's body. The old wizard jerked and twisted as the spell took hold of him, then fell limply to the floor. You grab Raina and [[move on|Beast1]].

Out of all the horrible Eldritch abominations you've seen so far, this one takes the cake. The thing was huge, eyes bulging, giant talons extended. It's teeth were raggedly sharp, and it's stink permeated the air. It's arms were spindly and long and were... coming towards you. You dodge it's attack, but Raina isn't so lucky. The beast picks her up and throws her into the trees. You wince and Alex screams. He picks up a nearby tree branch and pushes it deep into the creature's stomach. Elle runs into the trees to find Raina. You decide to follow [[Elle|Elle]]. No, [[Alex|Alex]]. Well... who do you pick?

You lift the sword over your head, and with a tribal cry, you run your weapon through the monster's head. It's not done yet. [[Stab|Stab1]] it again!

Forest Hunt

You grab your wand and fight along with Alex, casting spells and blasting the thing with curses. It was slowing down, getting weaker, and you almost cried with relief when the hulking creature finally fell over. You and Alex didn't have much time to celebrate, though. A bright orange burst of light came from deeper in the forest, and you ran to investigate.\n\nThere stood Desnok, standing over the battered bodies of Raina and Elle. You let out a wail of anguish as the wizard turned the bodies of your friends to dust. You and Alex quickly finished him off, but the damage was done. \n\nYou and he limped out of the forest and back to the city, a piece of both of you broken.\n\n[[Play again|Start]]?

You sprint hard, but see with increasing despair that the thing is persuing you and has no intentions of stopping. Looking closer at it, you notice that it looks eerily human. You scramble up a tree and see the thing weakly pummel the great oak. You break off a branch - a heavy one, too. You decide that you need to disarm the creature below you, but how? [[Kill it|Kill]] or hit it at a [[nonfatal angle|Live]]?

Desnok wastes no time with formalities. He goes with you into the forest and finds a huge oak tree. He tells you that you must get the top branch and bring it down to him. For a wand. You personally think that it's a crazy idea, but Desnok reminds you who's the teacher here. Do you get the [[branch|Branch]], or do you [[leave|Fine2]]?

You reach the den with Desnok and he takes out a dagger. He swiftly gets to work, carving the branch until it resembled his own stick. A wand, he said it was. You took the wand and felt it's splintery surface.\n\nNow that you have a wand, Desnok says that it's time for your training. You follow him into a clearing in the forest. He gestures to the end of the clearing and you feel your stomach drop when you realize that those are monsters over there.\n\nWell, what are you waiting for? Go [[attack|Attack1]] one!

You hack at the monster. It's almost dead! [[Stab|Stab2]] it again!

You decide to accompany Alex to the river. You wait patiently for Alex to finish washing, and then hop into the icy river yourself. The wind is getting harsh, and Alex asks if you want to turn back. You do, but the wind is so strong at this point that you're... stuck. You try to grab onto the rocks, but the tide is too strong. The current sucks you in and drags you far, far away from your screaming comrade.\n\nYou end up in a completely different part of the forest. You wander around nervously, and it isn't long before you're found by a slimy, transparent 'thing'. You shudder. You thought Alex was exaggerating when he told you about the creature, but you were wrong. You're at a dead end. You are forced to [[fight|Fight]] the creature.

You grimace and tell Desnok that there's no way you're climbing that tree, and he's crazy for thinking that you would. You decide to head back to your real campsite and keep a lookout for your friends. Well, that's the plan anyway... but you aren't sure where you're going. Well, how about you try... [[west|West]]?

You slide underneath the pointed stick and kick the old man in his side. He groans, stumbles, and falls. His body meets the ground with a soft thud. You walk past him, ready to steal the delectable berries on his table, when you hear a low muttering. You turn around to see the old man chanting under his breath in Latin. You almost trip over yourself in your hurry to leave, but it's too late. A bright orange light bubbles at the tip of the stick - no, the wand - and strikes you straight through the heart. You die instantly.\n\n[[Play again|Start]]?

You try to punch the slime creature, but to your horror your fist goes straight through it. \n\nAnd doesn't come out.\n\nYou try to run, but your hand is stuck in the slime monster and it's tentacles are already wrapped around your waist. It pulls you in, and everything goes black...\n\n\nYou're dead. Would you like to [[play again|Start]]?

You decide to take Rila up on her offer. You tell her you've been separated from friends and all you want is to see them again. She nods solemnly and tells you that once she's finished training you, you'll be able to do all that and more.\n\nShe takes you back outside and you notice that dawn is approaching. Time flies when you're running for your life.\n\nShe takes an ivory sword out of her passenger bag. She runs the blade through her fingers before she hands it to you. It's heavy, but you quickly get used to it. She walks you to the edge of the clearing and points to a lone monster. She tells you to [[attack|Attack]] it.

You don't think that was your campfire, and after a few minutes of wandering, you realize you were right. Your campfire is a pile of smoldering ashes in the middle of the forest. You don't see your friends anywhere... you silently pray for them and leave your old campsite. You realize you've been running in circles until you see the slimy creature. Its moving towards you now, and you realize there's no escape... you have to [[fight|Fight]].

You carry Raina into the clearing, Elle trailing behind both of you. Alex was slashing the thing over and over with his stick, and you and Elle joined him. The spells and beatings were too much for the thing - it cried out and slumped over, defeated. \n\nYou and your friends walked through the forest together, fighting off monsters and protecting each other until you made it to the city. If nothing else, this near death experience was a great story to tell at work.\n\n\n -_-_-_-_-_-_-_-YOU WIN_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

You drop the branch on the creatures outstreched arms. It screams, pinned down by the weight of the branch. You hurriedly climb down the tree and kneel besides the creature. Upon further inspection, the 'monster' is actually human. One of your camping buddies! Hope swells in your heart. If Alex is alive, surely Elle and Raina are, too. You ask Alex where the others are, and he tells you all about what happened to them so far: they went looking for you, and then a herd of slimy creatures went after them and they got split up. You sigh. \n\nAlex asks if you want to go to the riverbank with him and get washed up.\n\nWell, do you?\n\n[[Yes|River]] or [[No|Wander]]?

Going downhill seems like the best option to you. You've heard bad things about the tops of these woods, and going through them while you're alone and defenseless is not something you're gonna risk. Yes, going downhill seems to be the best choice you've made all night... until you see the bloodshot eyes of something breathing in front of you.\n\n[[Fight|Fight2]] or [[Flight|Flight2]]?

After a long pause, you decide to go uphill. It seems way less frightening up here, and you find yourself almost relieved. That is, until you bump into something. Something furry. \n\nIt's time to make a choice. [[Fight|Fight]] or [[Flight|Flight]]?

You drop the branch on the creature's head and it tumbles backwards. You don't even have to inspect it to be able to tell that it's dead - its neck is disjointed from its spine in a way that is impossible to survive. You apprehensively climb down the tree and see to your horror that 'monster' was actually human. To be specific, it's Alex, one of your friends. \n\nYou feel sick as you realize what you've done.\n\n You see 2 more 'monsters' run up to you, and you immediately recognize them as Elle and Raina. They look at you incredulously, then at each other. \n\nBefore you can explain, Raina has lunged at you and is pinning you down. She's shouting at Elle to kill you, that you've gone insane. Elle grabs the tree branch with shaky hands and swings.\n\nYou die instantly.

Shelby

Outside, you're greeted to the sight of Alex and Elle, unharmed. You want to hug them, but you can only yell run and hope they take the hint. You all run for what seems like hours... until you're stopped by a huge, hulking [[beast|Beast]]

You smile at the stranger and reassure them that you're fine, and you'll be taking your leave now if that doesn't bother them. You wave and trek out of that makeshift den, relieved to have escaped with your life. That stranger could've been a kook, for all you know. You decide to head back to your real campsite and keep a lookout for your friends. Well, that's the plan anyway... but you aren't sure where you're going. Well, how about you try... [[west|West]]?

You wait for about 15 minutes, and it doesn't look like Alex is coming back anytime soon. You decide to wander around the surrounding forest. You're careful to mark your path in case you get lost. Just as you're about to turn back, a monster appears. More specifically, a slime monster. You didn't believe Alex when he was talking about those thingies, but now you feel bad for second guessing him. \n\nWhat do you do? [[Fight|End2]] or [[Flee|Flight]]?