[IN PROGRESS] Someone Lost

[cosmo]

"That's what made me think it was deliberate but... What could possibly be someone's goal in doing this? And if not, what natural phenomenon would cause this? Unless... It's not either of those things. Like, like! This is your shared mind thing right? Maybe this has some mental significance to you or her?"

[knux400]

Brisk thinks to himself for a moment. "Cut plants doesn't really mean anything to me, and as far as I know you're the first people I've had here. As for a natural phenomenon... Maybe? There's no telling what happens in this place."

Would you like to use a HINT?

---

CURRENT OBJECTIVE: FIND YOUR WAY
FINAL OBJECTIVE: FIND CASKET

[allhallowed]

"Should we uh, go in the direction the cuts face? Maybe it's just as simple as that. We don't have to speculate why as long as we have a direction to go in, right guys?"

---

(not yet! i want to try a little longer if that's okay with everyone else :-O)

[knux400]

"Yeah. Maybe we are overthinking this a bit. It looks like the cuts point... That way. Shall we?"

[seppawku]

'Let's be careful following it.'  Mince prods gently at the plants, casting a careful look over the ground nearby and the scrapes along the trees.
 

---

(i'd like to wait on the hint too!)

[allhallowed]

"Let's do it!"

[knux400]

"Onwards, then."

After a few minutes of walking, you begin to have doubts about your idea... But after a while the forest begins to clear, and you come across a sort of desert. The sand is glistening white, and almost resembles snow... But it's totally dry and feels like soft sand. There is a small breeze that picks up the sand and blows it directly in your face. It's annoying, but not debilitating.

OBJECTIVE COMPLETED: FIND YOUR WAY
NEW OBJECTIVE: TRAVERSE THE DESERT

---

CURRENT OBJECTIVE: TRAVERSE THE DESERT
FINAL OBJECTIVE: FIND CASKET

[seppawku]

Mince looks carefully at the dunes as they walk, searching for any more signs of a trail - there might not be plants, but maybe something in the shifting sand?

[aeshihowl]

Flicker trudges quietly through the sand, seeming irritated by it. "How does anyone live in a place like this? It's getting in my hairs..." He kicks some of the sand grumpily and looks around and up at the sky.

[knux400]

@seppawku

There appears to be no further indication of a trail.

@aeshihowl

"If it helps at all, I had no idea this place even existed until we got here. I don't think this is where Casket would want to stay."


The wind is picking up, and all of you are starting to get buffeted by the sand. It's beginning to get seriously uncomfortable.

---

CURRENT OBJECTIVE: TRAVERSE THE DESERT
FINAL OBJECTIVE: FIND CASKET

[seppawku]

'We should find shelter.'  Mince scans the horizon, sheltering their face with one wing.

[allhallowed]

Indie splutters as sand blows into her trap mouth. “Yes, please.” They’re covering the fluid that leaks from their trap with their arms and seem utterly miserable.

[cosmo]

“Oh, here.” Clarice takes off her lab coat and offers it to Indie, so that he can use it to protect himself from the sand.

[knux400]

@seppawku

"I haven't seen anything so far." Brisk is covering most of his face with his robes, leaving only a tiny slit for his eyes.

The storm just gets worse and worse the further you go. The sand seems like it's made of razor blades, and soon enough tiny cuts start to appear in everyone's clothing.

"That's it. We're turning around." Brisk yells over the wind.

Just as quickly as the storm picked up, it fades again once you start heading the other direction. Soon you're back in the much calmer winds near the edge of the forest. It's clear the storm will be impossible to cross without some help.

Brisk begins unloading logs from his backpack and quickly starts a small campfire. In less time than you've ever seen someone build a fire before, a small fire lies a short distance away from the edge of the forest- far enough there's no chance of the plants catching on fire, but close enough the wind isn't an issue. He removes his hood and puts his palms towards the flames, allowing them to warm him. Several tiny cuts on his hands that you didn't notice before begin to disappear. Looking down at your own exposed flesh, you notice the same sort of tiny cuts- especially on your feet, for those of you who are barefoot.

"We should rest here while we think of a way through that storm."

---

CURRENT OBJECTIVE: TRAVERSE THE DESERT
FINAL OBJECTIVE: FIND CASKET

[aeshihowl]

Exceedingly hesitantly, Flicker also approaches the fire and holds out his hands, allowing the warmth to soothe his wounds. "Cool. So, this place bends to our will. Couldn't we just think of a place that has, like, metal blankets, and then walk until we find it?"

[cosmo]

Clarice huddles by the fire next to Flicker and Brisk. “Are you okay?” she asks Indie. The weapon type had clearly had the worst of it with their exposed fluid so that seemed to have replaced any puzzle solving in her mind for the time being.

[seppawku]

‘If we can control anything about this place, why don’t we try and stop the storm directly? Or change the desert itself?’ Mince hitches their wings around themself, leaning their head-casing closer to the fire. ’I’m not convinced, though. If we covered our heads and took a torch with us, maybe we could make it through without taking too much damage. That is, if carrying fire still acts as a campfire.’

[knux400]

@aeshihowl

"I don't think this place is responding directly to our thoughts, or bending to our will. The thing with the fire seems to be a literal interpretation of my own enjoyment for fire, so this desert is probably a literal interpretation of a facet of my own mind- or Casket's. ...It feels like this place is designed to deliberately keep us apart, but draw us together at the same time."

@seppawku

"A torch might heal our injuries, but it would still be painful to proceed in the first place."

[seppawku]

Mince ruffles their feathers a bit. With interest, they ask, 'Is it important enough to get through quickly to risk it? But - if it's a facet of your mind, what happens if we can figure out what it represents? If your state of mind changes, do you think the landscape would? It's not as direct, but.' This kind of puzzle is their favorite.

[allhallowed]

Indie had been covering their mouth with the lab coat, managing to only get a few drips of fluid on it. She slumps the fire, leaning heavily on Clarice. “It’s not important enough to risk it unless you leave me behind, and honestly I really wanna see this through. There’s gotta be a safe way through that doesn’t involve me getting sand in my fluid. I try not to let my weapon type junk get in the way of adventures but I gotta draw the line here.” It coughs miserably.