Setting
When the Bestial gods walked Etheria the Wylde forest covered almost the entire planet. Now it has been cut away but this massive forest sill covers massive amounts of land. What lies in its dark shade? Monsters? Treasure? Gods? You'll have to enter and see.
Minimap
northwest |
north |
northeast |
west |
You are here. |
east |
southwest |
south |
southeast |
Wylde Forest is a part of 
Etheria.
Somewhere in the eastern section of the forest the halfbreed Winston Borne walks out and away, alone along an old path headed nowhere in particular, just... anywhere. On his shoulder his ferrety companion eats away at a dried piece of meat.
This aimless venture, however, is rudely interrupted. Out in the distance there appears to be an old man in a black robe being accusted by a group of large wild dogs. Winston looks out at it, squints his eyes and tries to move on.
"Strong devour the weak, Enyo, dog-eat-dog and all that," he says, Enyo unresponsively continues eating. "How the world works."
He continues walking, starting to pass by the scene, the man yells for help. Borne grunts and Enyo glances in the man's direction before returning to the food.
"And besides, in this world there ain't no heroes, just fools who stick their neck out only to lose their heads." He says, trying to pick up his pace some, he glances over at Enyo. "Cut it out, don't look at me like that. Ain't my fault, just how it is, y'know."
He stops in his tracks and looks back then rubs his chin.
"Smart girl, live people can pay better than lootin' their corpses," he says, as if responding to Enyo. "Ah, what the hell."
He turns and runs straight in the old man's direction, who is now backed against a tree. The wild dogs notice him, but only after he manages to punt the nearest one, the old man winces at this action. The wild dogs turn and begin to head in the opposite direction only for Borne to grab one by the tail.
"Young man, thank you but that won't be..." The old man says.
"Don't thank me yet, gotta make sure the pack don't regroup later." Winston says pinning the dog underfoot and drawing a knife. "Suspect this is the alpha."
"Borne..." The old man responds, his voice changing. "Must you always be so... excessive?"
The dogs disappear in a black smoke and the old man's form changes to that of Hazarmaveth.
"What..." He looks bewildered and turns around immediately pointing his knife to the god of death who simply stares at him. "What the hell is thi- you... did I..?"
He drops his knife and backs away looking himself over then looks at Enyo with a sigh of relief. Hazarmaveth pulls out a black letter from his "robes" and hands it to Borne. He looks it over before breaking the seal and pulling out the letter. He reads it for a while then suddenly crumples it and tosses it to the ground.
"I ain't playin' no god's games, I ain't no gussied up puppet... plaything!" He yells in a rage at the god, he pecks at his own head. "Don't you even... remember what you said to me the third time? How you hated how mortals were used? You said a god's ordeal was..."
"Was their own and should not burden others. Yes, I remember." Hazarmaveth responds, cutting off Borne. "But they have gone ahead with this plan, and Ulm would only grow more irate with a council of gods pestering them."
"As would I if I had to deal with a bunch of pretentious, self-righteous, egotistical..." Borne fumes, a clear disdain in his voice.
"They are not... eh... but anyways, you are like a son to me, a transient I've taken in and taught, even if it was under inopportune and... unfortunate circumstances." Hazarmaveth interrupts. "I know you, you don't wish suffering on others, the type you've endured and been enduring for all this time. This is your chance to be something, to prove you are more than a halfbreed. That you can make a difference. You will do the right thing, by no other whim but your own."
Borne simply stares at Hazarmaveth grogily during his spiele then proceeds to slowly clap at the air, a gesture that would make more sense had he still had his right arm. He then picks up the letter, stuffs it in his pack and turns around and proceeds on without a word. Then pauses for a moment.
"Do you still remember your promise?" Borne says.
"Yes." Hazarmaveth responds. "But should you really hinge your entire...?"
"Good." Borne responds interrupting the god beginning to head off again.
"I could make your travel easier." Hazarmaveth says. "It is the least I could offer for your troubles."
"No." Borne says. "Think I'll find a place to drink off this sudden ache in my skull. I guess... I'll see you in a week or whatever... or sooner if I die of alcahol poisoning."
They part ways, Hazarmaveth returning to Shalom, certain that his chosen will be ready when the time comes.
"That's right." Borne walks on pulling something from his pocket, a small bottle of black fluid. "By my whim."
This aimless venture, however, is rudely interrupted. Out in the distance there appears to be an old man in a black robe being accusted by a group of large wild dogs. Winston looks out at it, squints his eyes and tries to move on.
"Strong devour the weak, Enyo, dog-eat-dog and all that," he says, Enyo unresponsively continues eating. "How the world works."
He continues walking, starting to pass by the scene, the man yells for help. Borne grunts and Enyo glances in the man's direction before returning to the food.
"And besides, in this world there ain't no heroes, just fools who stick their neck out only to lose their heads." He says, trying to pick up his pace some, he glances over at Enyo. "Cut it out, don't look at me like that. Ain't my fault, just how it is, y'know."
He stops in his tracks and looks back then rubs his chin.
"Smart girl, live people can pay better than lootin' their corpses," he says, as if responding to Enyo. "Ah, what the hell."
He turns and runs straight in the old man's direction, who is now backed against a tree. The wild dogs notice him, but only after he manages to punt the nearest one, the old man winces at this action. The wild dogs turn and begin to head in the opposite direction only for Borne to grab one by the tail.
"Young man, thank you but that won't be..." The old man says.
"Don't thank me yet, gotta make sure the pack don't regroup later." Winston says pinning the dog underfoot and drawing a knife. "Suspect this is the alpha."
"Borne..." The old man responds, his voice changing. "Must you always be so... excessive?"
The dogs disappear in a black smoke and the old man's form changes to that of Hazarmaveth.
"What..." He looks bewildered and turns around immediately pointing his knife to the god of death who simply stares at him. "What the hell is thi- you... did I..?"
He drops his knife and backs away looking himself over then looks at Enyo with a sigh of relief. Hazarmaveth pulls out a black letter from his "robes" and hands it to Borne. He looks it over before breaking the seal and pulling out the letter. He reads it for a while then suddenly crumples it and tosses it to the ground.
"I ain't playin' no god's games, I ain't no gussied up puppet... plaything!" He yells in a rage at the god, he pecks at his own head. "Don't you even... remember what you said to me the third time? How you hated how mortals were used? You said a god's ordeal was..."
"Was their own and should not burden others. Yes, I remember." Hazarmaveth responds, cutting off Borne. "But they have gone ahead with this plan, and Ulm would only grow more irate with a council of gods pestering them."
"As would I if I had to deal with a bunch of pretentious, self-righteous, egotistical..." Borne fumes, a clear disdain in his voice.
"They are not... eh... but anyways, you are like a son to me, a transient I've taken in and taught, even if it was under inopportune and... unfortunate circumstances." Hazarmaveth interrupts. "I know you, you don't wish suffering on others, the type you've endured and been enduring for all this time. This is your chance to be something, to prove you are more than a halfbreed. That you can make a difference. You will do the right thing, by no other whim but your own."
Borne simply stares at Hazarmaveth grogily during his spiele then proceeds to slowly clap at the air, a gesture that would make more sense had he still had his right arm. He then picks up the letter, stuffs it in his pack and turns around and proceeds on without a word. Then pauses for a moment.
"Do you still remember your promise?" Borne says.
"Yes." Hazarmaveth responds. "But should you really hinge your entire...?"
"Good." Borne responds interrupting the god beginning to head off again.
"I could make your travel easier." Hazarmaveth says. "It is the least I could offer for your troubles."
"No." Borne says. "Think I'll find a place to drink off this sudden ache in my skull. I guess... I'll see you in a week or whatever... or sooner if I die of alcahol poisoning."
They part ways, Hazarmaveth returning to Shalom, certain that his chosen will be ready when the time comes.
"That's right." Borne walks on pulling something from his pocket, a small bottle of black fluid. "By my whim."
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