TDM #1 - The Vengeful Forest

[pumpkinhollow]

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Pumpkin Hollow Gazette

6/7/23 | TDM #1: "The Vengeful Forest"
Content Warnings: body horror mentioned, article 2

A typical view from Jack's Marina

FIRST NEW ARRIVALS IN HALF-DECADE: MORE TO FOLLOW?

By Yorick Aberdeen

TAWNY BEACH - Big news at Jack’s Marina--- for the first time in roughly five years, the Marrow Isle Port Authority has reported a new arrival by ferry. And it’s not just one person.

Since the advent of the Barrier that has plagued our fair island for the past 5 years, no transport vessels have been logged for departure or arrival by the Port Authority. And for good reason! Any boat that attempted to make the journey beyond the blackened waters surrounding the island has met with a terrible fate ranging from property destruction to untimely demise. While said casualties don’t quite carry the sting they used to, the situation has obviously proven less than ideal for those looking to leave and ultimately halted the mass exodus from Pumpkin Hollow indefinitely.

Today, for the first time since the formation of the Barrier, we are seeing brand new faces arrive at the docks. All of them have been somewhat disoriented and some have claimed to be from locations that do not exist in our world. We approached one of these new arrivals, Milo Fields, for comment on his experience.

“A lady in an office told me I was dead and then I woke up on a boat,” Fields, 26, was quoted as stating on the matter. Succinct and fascinating, indeed! It would seem that for once, our island’s propensity for supernatural oddities has brought us something that we can be hopeful about. More on this as it develops.

‘CREEPY LITTLE TREES’ SEEN IN TOWN

By Yorick Aberdeen

Artist rendition of a "Brutok".

NORTHWEST HOLLOW (Prague Mills) - This morning Town Hall received a report from the road by the lumber mill, which leads out to Crane’s Ridge, that there have been more sightings of the “tiny tree people” that have been appearing around Lockwood Forest. Over the past few weeks there have been multiple sightings of short-statured creatures with gnarled limbs, bark complexions, and leaf-shaped masks moving about among the trees. There have also been several reports claiming that they have been in town. These reports are particularly prominent in areas toward the outskirts of the forest such as the aforementioned Prague Mills.

However, movement is not the only activity people claim to have seen. Many of these sightings detail more insidious behaviors such as mean-spirited practical jokes, theft, and attempted kidnapping.

The Pumpkin Hollow Gazette reached out to local historian and town council member Dahlia Leeds for any insight on these creatures from her research.

“These creatures appear to be Brutoks,” Leeds, 23, concluded in her interview with us on Tuesday evening. “They’re angry woodland spirits known to appear in cursed forests, much like our own.”

Ms. Leeds went on to issue a number of safety warnings for residents. According to her research, these Brutoks often move in groups and will lock on to woodland travelers who make eye contact with them. Their eyes are not visible so this can be done by accident quite easily if one spends too much time staring into trees. If Brutoks attach themselves to you, they will follow you home, proceeding to destroy your property, hide your personal items, attempt to cause you bodily harm, tear up your garden, and eventually spirit you away to the woods. Victims of these kidnappings will be “planted” in the woods by the Brutoks and spend the next several hours enduring the deeply unpleasant process of being turned into a tree, ultimately killing the individual. A gruesome affair.

There are several ways to dispel a Brutok invasion before it escalates to kidnapping. Ms. Leeds recommends observing their behavior for clues and keeping an eye out for puzzles set by the creatures while outside, though there may be other solutions. If you are unable to dispel them, it is possible to fight them off with brute force. Those walking in or near the woods are advised to keep their eyes on the trail but listen carefully for sounds of distress and be prepared to intervene. Should you encounter any trees that look like people, Ms. Leeds has also cited the unfortunate need to burn the unsettling foliage in order to release the spirit of the victim so that they can regenerate as usual.

As always, the sharing of information and community vigilance are imperative in warding off this new threat. Please share any information you have on the message boards at town hall or with your neighbors, and consider reaching out to Ms. Leeds or any other respected community figure if you find yourself in a bind. Keep your lanterns lit, Pumpkin Hollow. We’re in for quite the summer.

CUCUMBER FESTIVAL CANCELED DUE TO UNFORTUNATE TURNIP HEX; REPLACED WITH POTLUCK

By Yorick Aberdeen

They haunt my dinner plate and my dreams.

DOWNTOWN (Temple of Sacred Roots) - In lighter news, a solution has been found to the much-loathed Turnip Hex debacle.

As most residents of Pumpkin Hollow are aware, earlier in spring a crop hex was placed on the island by an unidentified witch that turned all ground crops sown at the time into turnips. While this is not as bad as it could be, it has resulted in mounds upon mounds of turnips and a complete lack of other crops until later harvests. The witch who cast this hex is still at large.

An unfortunate side effect of the hex has been that the beloved and highly anticipated Cucumber Festival, which normally takes place in early June, had to be canceled due to a lack of cucumbers. This has earned the ire of a great many residents who have cited the festival as “their last source of a modicum of joy on this goddess-forsaken island”, among other more colorful statements.

Reverend Degas Clayton of the Temple of Sacred Roots of our Four Earthly Mothers has proposed an alternative to the festival. While not nearly as exciting, Clayton, 57, believes that a turnip potluck is still a great community-building exercise and excuse for a social gathering. He encourages attendees to find the most inventive ways they can think of to cook up excess turnips and present their dishes on the temple lawn during the party. “The sooner we eat the blasted things, the sooner we’ll no longer have to look at them anymore,” said Mayor Poe in her endorsement of the event. It would appear she plans to be in attendance.

To participate, please bring an appropriate dish to the Temple of Sacred Roots on Friday at noon. The party will run until sundown and wine will be provided, which may improve the taste of the turnips. New residents are encouraged to attend even if they are not able to provide a dish so that they can meet their local community and learn more about the church.

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Comments

[raisedbyfoxes]

Much like any other place, I suppose. It has various countries, deserts and forests and large cities. The politics are always corrupt and the food is generally good, as long as you know where to look.

[ As of right now, Ahri cannot comprehend the notion that other places might not have magic or other such things. ]

I confess I never took much part in society, though, so I might be slightly ignorant on that topic. What sort of place is Hyrule?

[hyliasblessing]

Hyrule is much the same. It's a large country that contains several mostly self-governed city-states that cooperate with the national government when necessary. I wouldn't call it perfect, but I wouldn't say it's corrupt either, and the food is as diverse as the land itself. Sadly we are a bit disaster-prone, though. We've had to survive many would-be apocalypses over our history.

[raisedbyfoxes]

And what made you agree to live here, Miss Zelda?

[ Ahri's question is somewhere between idle and genuinely curious. She adds, with some amusement: ]

Getting away from the constant apocalypses, maybe?

[hyliasblessing]

Quite the contrary. I desperately need to get back. My people need me. A long time ago, I was bestowed an important power that allows me to seal away darkness and evil. If I die, so many others will die as well.

[ Her gaze lowered to the table pensively. ]

There is also... someone waiting for me.

[raisedbyfoxes]

Ah, so you agreed to stay merely only to agree to live, in the hopes that you could find a way back. I suppose that won't be uncommon.

[ They're coming up the edge of the forest, now -- in the daylight it looks like a welcoming beacon to her, though Ahri can see how it might be scary at night to some people, especially with little feet chasing you and little eyes staring right back at you. Even the Brutok in her grip seems relieved. ]

Someone you love? [ Ahri's not sure if that came out playful or wistful. Maybe a bit of both. ]

[hereticofthewilds]

The forest begins to loom as the pair approach. Snarled pines jutting out of the earth not unlike a row of teeth and a fog that fills the gaps between them, a heavy blanket that shroud parts of the woods from immediate view. A singular path leads in, darkening quickly as it vanishes behind tree trunks. In the gloom, they might feel eyes upon them.

Something is watching.

Not one the foul little burtoks, but something else. Someone else. If they are quick to look up, Ahri or Zelda may just catch a glimpse of a shape far up one of the trees, a piece of tattered cloth that seems entirely out of place.

[hyliasblessing]

[ Zelda flushed at the accusation--- not that it was wrong. ] We have--- a lot of history. [ The answer was incriminatingly vague. She started to ask if Ahri had left anyone important behind in her own world, but stopped, feeling eyes on the pair of them. She looked around. ]

...Is there something in that tree up ahead?

[raisedbyfoxes]

[ Ahri's blessed with sharper senses than most, her golden eyes shining in reflection in the low light. The moment she senses a presence at the edge of the woods in front of them, she comes to a stop, one hand held up to halt Zelda as well.

Someone's there. Someone who's just at home in the woods as she is; near invisible with how skilled they are at hiding. She calls: ]

We come only to release this brutok back into the forest.

[ Honestly, she's being nice. She would have killed the brutok if it was an actual threat. But this one on its own is no danger, so Ahri stoops down to set it on the ground, where it quickly scampers into the mist, vanishing in moments. ]

Unless you don't want it here, in which case, I'd be happy to find it again and remove it. [ After that amused not-really-a-joke, she leans over, murmuring to Zelda: ] And hopefully none of them will follow you again. I'm quite enjoying your company; I do not want you to be turned into a tree.

[hereticofthewilds]

The breeze carries a twittering laugh in reply. The pine tree sways, free of the weight near the top.

After a few long moments the pair will feel the presence has left. Whether or not that's true remains to be seen, but there's nothing currently watching them. What they choose to do with the burtok is up to them.

[hyliasblessing]

...Whoever it was seems to be gone. [ Zelda murmured, letting out a sigh of relief. ] Do you think it was some sort of spirit? Or a monster?

[raisedbyfoxes]

Ahri watches the tree for a long moment even after it stops moving, tentative relief clutching tight in her throat. If creatures are living in the woods, it means that it's possible to live in the woods -- it's not so inhospitable as to be too dangerous, and it must have enough to forage. Maybe.

Zelda might be right. Their brief visitor may have been a spirit. In which case, Ahri's assumption is wrong. But.

"It felt more benign than a monster, and... more tangible than a spirit," Ahri hums thoughtfully, one clawed hand moving through the mist, fog trailing through her fingers. Lockwood Forest is very different to those she made her home, but she hopes she can learn its ways. "Take care not to stare too deeply, Miss Zelda. One of the brutok already targeted you; one wouldn't want to invite more."

how would u feel abt a brutok ambush after this? :0

[hyliasblessing]

"That--- that's true, yes." Zelda's eyes snapped back to the road. "I suppose we should make our way back out, now that we've returned our little guest back to his home."

ooooh yes absolutely :D

[raisedbyfoxes]

"Yes, let's." Though it's hard for Ahri to turn away -- it's unnatural for her to leave the forest to go back to civilization. Her skin is already aching at the thought of having to stay in the town itself, her very bones feeling cramped. But she's resolved to at least try to partake in society here, at least a little. If she truly cannot do it, well, the forest is right there.

She gives a thoughtful hum. "Those woodland creatures you mentioned from your home. Koroks. What do their visual puzzles look like? Do you see anything similar around here?"

Muahahaha >:)

[hyliasblessing]

"Typically, they place items in nature that look very subtle but have a clear solution once you notice them. For example, a circle of stones where one is clearly missing and placed a distance away, or a hollow log shaped like a cup and a nearly perfectly round stone nearby. Some are more complicated or harder to see, but that's the idea," Zelda prattled.

In her carrying on, she did not notice a shifting in the trees. It was growing dark. Brutoks are small and quiet, have hollow eyes, and have the same smell as the trees around them. It had been some time since Zelda had acquired their curse without dispelling it. And now, she was in their territory.

Several dozen Brutoks descended from the trees, hissing and rattling, grabbing onto Zelda's limbs and clothes until their bark consumed her form. She let out a scream, trying to kick, to cast her holy light powers onto them, but it only deterred a few of them and she was quickly overwhelmed. They began to drag her off, ready to enact their foul transformation on her as soon as they could find a good place to plant her.

[raisedbyfoxes]

So preoccupied with listening to Zelda's tales of puzzles, Ahri doesn't notice the movement in the trees either. Later, she'll scold herself for being so careless. She's just not used to being around people this much; she's tired, she's hungry, she's off her game.

And before she knows it, Zelda's getting dragged away by dozens of the little beasts.

Ahri leaps to Zelda's side in a blur, ephemeral blue fire tangled between her fingers. She grabs one Brutok, who makes a noise like peeling bark as it's wreathed in flame and tossed aside. Her claws rake into a second one, shoving it back, and as they turn to look at the thing attacking them with their hollow eyes, Ahri hisses back at them with bared fangs and eyes shining in the darkness, all nine of her tails unfurling and spreading in a threatening display.

Still, they're determined, swarming over Zelda like a colony of ants. Strength in numbers. But Ahri doesn't falter, picking them off one by one and setting them ablaze -- the number of them rolling on the forest floor in desperate effort to put the spirit flames out is growing slowly, slowly freeing Zelda up. "Grab onto something, if you can," Ahri says urgently, "dig your hands into the ground if you must. Do not let them drag you away."

[hyliasblessing]

Looking a bit worse for wear but emboldened by the support, Zelda gritted her teeth and gave the Brutok clinging to her leg a swift kick. She struggled, grabbing hold of a nearby branch with one hand and gathered energy in the other, casting forth a burst of divine light.

So far from the voice of her goddess, her powers which were once capable of containing the forces of apocalyptic darkness for a century were dampened. But even her reduced powers are enough to send a fair portion of the remaining Brutoks running. Certainly she and Ahri could drive them off, between the two of them.

[raisedbyfoxes]

Ahri squints against the bright flare of light, instinctively raising a hand to shield her eyes. This must be the power that Zelda had spoken to, the ability to seal away evil and darkness.

Her grip on the branch is preventing the Brutok from hauling her away any further, and from the angry edge to their creaking noises, they're none too happy about it. But it does make it easier to grab them, Ahri's hands coming down again and again to pluck a Brutok off Zelda and fling it away.

The final few obviously weigh their options, looking at their currently-on-fire fellows scattered around the forest floor, and decide to run, skittering into the gloom of the forest.

Ahri still looks on edge, her tails held in a threatening display, but her hands are gentle as she brushes flecks of bark off Zelda's arms, checking to see if their grip had hurt her. "Are you injured?"

[hyliasblessing]

Zelda let out a sigh of relief and staggered to her feet, dusting herself off. "Not at all, thanks to you. You have been a true friend to me, Ahri. Thank you." Looking around, she scanned the trees for more Brutoks. "...I think I had best get home soon and see if I can locate any odd little puzzles. Perhaps that will banish these little dastards from me for good."

[raisedbyfoxes]

Ahri holds out her hands to help Zelda up, but the offer isn't necessary, as Zelda gets to her feet herself. More and more, Ahri's respect of her is growing -- she's tenacious, and a fighter, and Ahri likes that in a person.

"I will accompany you to the edge of the forest, to make sure you get back to civilization safely," she insists. "Beyond that, I am certain you will easily conquer whatever puzzles you find."