You are standing by a tree
There are 3 paths.
One appears to go to a jungle,
one appears to go to a cave,
one appears to go to a beach,
you could try and climb the tree,
there is a nearby shop you could go in,
or you could do something else.
So what's its going to be?
Written by catprog on 01 April 2003
You sit under the tree
You sit under the tree.
Suddenly...
Written by catprog on 21 May 2003
A Blue Light
A blue light blocks everything else.
Written by catprog on 21 May 2003
Gods
The light dissipates to reveal three strange beings.
One is a woman whose lower half becomes tentacles that seem to be made of twisted gold. She’s holding a candlestick in one hand. "I am Ellebelle," she says. "The goddess of goldsmiths."
The second is a man with fiery red skin and dragons horns. In both hands, he holds a flickering flame. "I am Ulanma," he says. "The god of fire."
The third is a woman whose lower half is obscured by a spinner of sandy wind. In her right hand, she holds a wind-chime. "I am Masjinne," she says. "The goddess of wind."
"We have come before you to offer our patronage," says Ellebelle.
"And we come with gifts," says Ulanma.
"But," says Masjinne, "you may only choose one of us as your patron."
Ellebelle holds out her candlestick. "If you choose me, then your hands will be forever skilled in the art of crafting metal. Using your hands, you will craft art that will adorn the homes and bodies of royalty."
Ulanma holds out the flame. "If you choose me, then you will never need fear fire ever again. It will come to you as a servant to a master, and give you the power to conquer armies."
Masjinne holds out the wind-chime. "If you choose me, then the wind will forever be at your back. It will carve a path for you, and clear your way of all obstacles."
All three say "Choose."
You reach out your hand, and take hold of the . . . .
Written by Ophelianime on 29 November 2014
Interrupted
As you reach for your choice their is a cacophony of noise. Hooves pounding, wings flapping.
When the noise stops their are many animal headed people standing behind the original three.
"Their as rules" the tigress headed goddess says to the original three " we have just as much right to offer patronage"
Meanwhile the male tiger turns towards you "While we cannot offer as grand a reward as the main three we can offer the support of all the animals under our domains."
He points to the tigress "My wife and I are in charge of all the felines in the world."
He smiles "And unlike the main three, you may pick two of us instead of just one. You may even pick the husband and wife of the same domain."
Written by catprog on 29 November 2014
CHOOSE THE VULPINE GODDESS
You reach toward the Vulpine Goddess before you. As your fingertips touch hers the world begins to spin. You feel as though you are falling, and your vision fails in a terrifying moment of intense vertigo.
When your sight returns you find yourself stood in a wooded area. The smell of wild flowers carries on the wind, and birds call in the topmost branches of old, wild trees. You realise your senses are sharper; you see more, hear more, smell more than you ever could before.
AS you rise from the ground, you look down at yourself and see the transformation the Vixen's magic has worked. Your body is now covered in soft, white fur. Your clothes are gone, and it is obvious your new form is female. As you adjust to the change, you become aware of the nine long, broad tails you now possess.
Fear takes hold of you. This new form, and this unfamiliar place create feelings of intense anxiety. Yet for now, it seems you are safe from any immediate danger, and you have time to regain your compose and adjust to your new form.
In time, you begin to feel the grow used to your newly enhanced senses. Your nose flares at the smell of animals upwind of you; the subtle, earthy scents of burrowing creatures, and the sharper, stronger musk of carnivorous creatures. You know instinctively that one of the animals is a young male fox. As you close your eyes, you imagine that you can see the world through his eyes, picking out the small, fuzzy shape of a wild hare the fox has chosen as his prey. You open your eyes again as the wind catches the harsh tang of fresh blood. Was it your imagination, or did you truly just gain the sight of another creature?
For now, this question must go unanswered. Night will fall soon, and you have no desire to be lost in the woods after dark. You spy a path through the undergrowth, little more than a parting in the foliage made by passing deer or other animals, but it is better than nothing. You set off at a brisk pace, and after a few short minutes you smell the hint of smoke nearby. It could mean people. But are they friendly? These strangers could help you, but perhaps it would be best to stay on your own for now.
Written by Jasan Quinn on 09 February 2015
Avoid the strangers
For now, it seems your best course is to avoid anyone who might be dangerous. You keep low and use the natural rise and fall of the land to stay hidden from any onlookers as you pass the camping site. Several times the sound of rustling leaves or snapping twigs makes you freeze, eyes wide and ears straining, but there is never any sign of pursuit.
After a few minutes the trees thin out into a man-made clearing. An old house sits in the centre, surrounded by outbuildings in various states of disrepair. An outdated car sits in a roofless garage, overgrown with weeds and so heavily rusted its original colour is impossible to guess. A child's swing frame stands nearby; the swing is long gone. Yet despite the dilapidation there are clear signs of life here. The path to the porch is well worn, freshly cut fire wood is stacked next to a sharp hatchet, and a poorly tuned radio plays from inside the house.
The sun is too low to give you any option but to risk the house. You use the garage to cover your approach, and carefully sneak toward the back door. You find it unlocked, and as you push it open the hinges howl in protest. No-one comes. Inside, the house is furnished with old, worn, but clean furniture. Balding leather armchairs sit facing an unlit fireplace, and through an open door you see a double bed with a man's clothes lying on the ruffled sheets. You rush over and claim the clothes to regain some modesty. The old jeans are worn white at the knees, and your new tails require you to rip open the back of them, but there are shirts that fit you quite well and your new feet fit comfortably into the heavy brown boots under the bed.
As the last rays of the sun fade away and the deep, smothering darkness of night falls upon the house, you peer from the windows and wonder if the owner plans to return. Normally, in a night like this you would struggle to see more than a few paces from the porch, but your Kitsune form grants you sight far beyond that of a human. The trees are visible as grey shapes, their details hazy and unclear. Nothing moves between their trunks.
Satisfied you are safe, however temporarily, you search the rest of the house. The kitchen is stocked with tins and jars of preserved food, and the table holds a bowl of fruit that cannot have been put out more than two or three days ago. You help yourself to an apple as the sight of food makes your stomach growl. After preparing and eating a proper meal, all the while keeping your ears open for the sound of footsteps outside, or the creek of a door hinge, you consider where you are going to sleep tonight. Being caught asleep in a stranger's house, especially in this new form may cause problems, and so you decide to wait. As the clocks strike ten, you decide the owner is not likely to return until tomorrow. If you wake early, you should be able to slip out without them ever finding you. Retiring to the bedroom, you find and set a wind up alarm clock, and are fast asleep the moment your head touches the pillow.
Written by Jasan Quinn on 10 February 2015
The Next Morning
You are woken from a deep, dreamless sleep by the smell of a full English breakfast. The sound of sizzling bacon joins the smell of toast and fried mushrooms to steal away your senses, and for a moment the lure of food wipes away any thought of who was cooking. By the time this revelation comes to you, the question is answered by a figure at the door. He is a humanoid fox, with orange-brown fur on his back and dirty white on his chest and stomach. He wares nothing save for a baggy pair of blue boxer shorts and a pair of old socks. "Good morning, my lady," he said, as though finding you in his bed was nothing out of the ordinary. "Breakfast will be ready in a few minutes."
You scramble out of bed, still dressed in the stolen clothes from the night before, and run out of the bedroom to see the fox stood in the kitchen. A second fox, female and slightly shorter but with brighter fur than the male, was sat in a leather chair reading a newspaper. When she sees you, she quickly puts the paper down and rises to her feet. "My lady," she said with a slight bow.
"Why are you calling me that?" you ask her.
She looks at the male fox. Nothing is said, but you feel the uncertainty between them. "Eat first," the male says at last. "We have a lot to explain, and a full stomach will help."
The food does help. While you wolf down your breakfast, the two foxes try their best to explain who they are and what happened to you.
"We serve the Goddess whose hand you touched, who transformed you," the male tells you as you eat.
"And who is she?" you ask.
"We do not say her name, out of respect. We do not need to; she is Our Goddess. She made us. We have been waiting for you for some time. She told us a Kitsune would come to us soon. Through dreams; we do not speak to her directly. Only a Kitsune may do that."
"Okay, I'm a Kitsune," you reply. "Why did she make me a woman?"
"All Kitsune are female," the female fox replied, "because you have been remade in her image. You are... divine. Partly divine. We were told to seek you out after your ascension and help you learn your new form, and your new powers."
Your fork stops part way to your mouth. "I have powers?"
"Yes," the male replies. "You can see, smell and hear far more than a Human. More even than us, in fact. You can also attune yourself to nature. We cannot teach you how to do this directly; we can only help you find your own way. Your link to vulpine creatures will make bonding to them easier, so we should begin there."
When you finish your meal, the female suggests you change into fresh clothes. They are made for a female, and specially tailored for a person with a tail and anthropomorphic feet. The clothes you borrowed are taken and put on by the male. "Let's go outside," he says.
Written by Jasan Quinn on 11 February 2015
Go out into the forest
You are taken far from the house, to a tiny little clearing formed by the fall of a vast, ancient tree. The anthro-foxes sit on the rotting log and invite you to do the same. They tell you to try and relax, to clear your mind of all thoughts, questions and concerns. It is a long and difficult process, but as the day draws on you feel something change within you. For a brief moment you imagine that you are looking through the eyes of a fox, stalking birds through the bushes nearby. There is a lurch of movement; your fingers tingle at the touch of ghostly leaves and dirt; your mouth is filled with a fleeting texture of feathers, and the sharp tang of blood.
A late lunch gives you some time to relax and get to know your hosts. They call themselves John and Jane, but there is a stiff and unfamiliar tone to how they use the names. According to Jane they have lived in the forest for years, living off the land when they can and trading with Humans when they cannot. They insist on being vague as to what they trade.
"Humans don't see us for what we really are," John informs you. "It is a gift from the Goddess. Only our own kind, or other people touched by the Gods can see our true forms. You have the same gift; Humans will see a Human woman, but will not recall any specifics about you afterwards. This glamour will help keep you safe from harm."
"We did not always live here alone," Jane adds, but refuses to expand upon her statement. John scowls at her silently for some time before declaring it is time to move on.
As you walk through the forest you feel living creatures around you. Their lives flash across your mind, appearing as little sparks of energy that fades whenever you try to catch them. Sometimes you manage to catch one and experience the joy of a bird flying, or the sensation of burrowing into the dirt. Your journey's into the minds of other animals causes you to trip and stumble, shattering the link you've made. Your companions find your clumsiness amusing, but try their best not to show it.
The path leads up into the hills, and the higher you climb the fewer animals you sense. Before long you are utterly alone. Your paths leads you up to a cave. There are signs of life here; paw prints, hoof prints and shoe marks in the mud suggest that people and animals, some of them likely anthropomorphic animals, have entered this cave recently. None of the tracks come out again. The silence is overwhelming here, and even the wind seems afraid to blow around this cave.
"What is this place?" you ask your guides.
They shift uncomfortably, giving each other nervous glances before the female answers, "The Goddess came to us in our dreams. She told us to bring you here."
Written by Jasan Quinn on 12 February 2015
Enter the Cave
Slowly, you walk forward toward the cave entrance. The air inside the cave is cold and dry; the mud gives way to rough stone and all signs of other life quickly dries up. Darkness envelops you after a few metres, forcing you to keep to the walls to feel your way forward. Every sudden dip in the ground causes a heart-stopping lurch and a desperate attempt to regain your footing, for you are not willing to risk discovering how far down the drops go.
As you proceed the walls and floor take a more uniform nature. Natural rock becomes worked stone, worked stone becomes masonry, and soon you see the faint glow of distant light. Small torches burning in specially cut alcoves provide you with weak, but welcomed vision once more. The path ahead is old; the air is stale and the smell of mould assaults your nose. As you draw closer you see a door of age-blackened wood and green, corroded bronze. The stones below are heavily scratched, showing years of use. The hinges shine where frequent use has scraped the corrosion away. It does not move easily, but with several good pushes you find yourself in a vast, dark room.
In the dim light of mysteriously burning torches, four statues, each at least eighty feet tall stand with arms raised, supporting the roof. One is a female kitsune with nine tails fanned out behind her. One is a female bird, perhaps a crow or raven, whose tail has broken off and smashed to the ground in three pieces. The impact shattered the flagstones. The remaining two are male; a proud cat and a scowling wolf. The statues appear to be carved of red sandstone, quarried from parts unknown.
In the shadows you make out a roughly carved table. It stand on uneven legs and has been wedged stable with random chunks of slate. Pieces of paper lie on the tabletop, yellowed with age and so badly damaged by mould that they are unreadable. A candle was burned down to a stump beside an ancient clay pot of ink that has dried up. On the very edge of the table there is a small wooden box, banded with black iron. The lid is open, and inside there is a large red gem that seems to shine with inner light. It is vaguely circular, about the size of a human eye. As you approach the table you are left with the strange feeling that you are being watched, yet as far as you can tell there is no-one else in the chamber. By the time you reach the table, the torches seem to burn less brightly, and despite your warm clothes a shiver runs down your spine. Yet there is some significance to this gemstone; for reasons you cannot articulate, you are compelled to take it with you.
Written by Jasan Quinn on 13 February 2015
