Forest Pool (Summer)

Image

forest-pool.jpg

Encounter Conditions

None

Initial Text

Before waking up the snake:

You find your reflection in a forested area, near the edge of a small pond. You can't identify the trees, but that's just as likely to be lack of familiarity than any strangeness at work.

Then again, they are trees inside a broken old mirror that reflects things that aren't there.

After waking up the snake:

Your reflection crosses a path of crushed trees through the forest and easily follows it back to the pond at its source. Things seem to have calmed down here… at least there isn't a giant snake anywhere.

Summary of Choices

  1. Dive in (stats or damage before doing whatever it was?)
  2. Watch over the water (stats)
  3. Go fishing (with a fishing rod)
  4. Fish with the strand (if you have reflected strand) - lose the strand and (if the serpent is gone) gain reflected fish
  5. Return a fish (with a reflected fish in inventory) - gain 10 XP in Will
  6. Toss in an apple (if you have reflected apple - gain ~14 perception)
  7. Leave it be

Choice Text and Results

Dive in

You carefully maneuver your reflection into the pond. It steps in, wading easily until something gives way under its foot.

The mirror's view sinks beneath the surface, giving you a momentary view of clear water and darting fish before the mud begins to churn and thrash.

You can't pick out what happened, between the blur of motion and the cracks… oh, there's a gigantic serpent towering over the treetops and your reflection is falling from a great height, along with the fish and much of the pond water.

You feel your reflection's impact vibrate through your bones as the serpent crawls away, crushing trees in its wake.

You take 19-28 damage.

You've gained 10 energy of Broken Bone.

or

You carefully maneuver your reflection into the pond and splash around a bit. It's an interesting study in how the actions you need to swim don't match up with the actions you need to move on land.

You feel a bit ridiculous miming all those actions for your reflection, but it seems to do the job.

You've earned 2 XP in Perception

You've earned 2 XP in Reflexes

Or, with at least 3 Diving Ability:

You carefully maneuver your reflection into the pond. One its in there, it moves with grace and ease, better than you're doing on land at the moment.

You do your best to control it through the clear water and sparkling fish, which requires some interesting maneuvers and muscle control from your side of the mirror.

You've earned 5 XP in Reflexes

Watch over the water

You stare out over the pond's still surface, inspecting the tree's reflections, the glittering sunlight, and the reflection of your reflection.

The study of their interplay is fascinating. You're not even really sure how long you stood their, staring into the broken mirror, searching for reflections of reflections of reflections.

You've earned 4 XP in Perception

Go fishing

Yes, it's possible to increase your fishing skill by fishing in the Fractured Reflection.

You bait your hook and throw in a line. It takes a couple tries, with the trees, the contents of your room, and the fact that you're trying to convince your reflection to do it. It's actually a wonder you got it in the pond at all.

Before waking up the serpent:

Almost immediately, there's a tug on the line. You tug back and a massive serpent rises out of the water, towering over the trees. Fish and pond water alike rain around your reflection.

Somewhat to your surprise, the serpent turns and abandons you to your fate, crushing several trees in its wake.

After waking up the serpent:

You stay for a bit, reflection-fishing to your heart's content.

Your reflection landed a pike, a stick, and a lily. You, on the other hand, didn't catch anything other than a few light fixtures.

(or, with a Protein Analyzer installed?)
Your reflection landed a lily and a stick, but all you managed to catch was your Protein Analyzer.

(or, with lower Fishing skill?)
Your reflection landed some rotting leaves. You, on the other hand, didn't catch anything other than a few light fixtures.

Sometimes with sinking lure and high test (probably works off of Chance of Deep Fishing):

Wow, you snagged something heavy. It's quite a workout just hauling it up.

Your reflection hauls up a massive tree root. It's awesome and your arms burn like fire, but there doesn't seem to be much to do with it.

You've earned 10 XP in Strength

Fish with the strand

Before waking the serpent:

You carefully slot the reflected strand in one of the mirror's many cracks. It slithers into the world of reflections, past your own reflection, and into the pond.

Perhaps that wasn't the best idea for some reason, as a moment later, the pond begins writhing and churning. The water explodes upwards, raining back down on your reflection, as a massive serpent uncoils itself from the pond.

Well, it doesn't seem to be paying much attention to your reflection, instead crashing over several trees. That… could have gone worse.

After waking the serpent:

You carefully slot the reflected strand in one of the mirror's many cracks. It slithers into the world of reflections, past your own reflection, and into the pond.

You feel a tug a moment later and pull a fish clear back through into the shard of glass. Your reflection looks on incredulously. Maybe that's you being reflected looking incredulous, both seem pretty likely, in retrospect.

You found: reflected fish

Return a fish

You carefully maneuver your reflection closer to the pool, then push the reflected fish into one of the gaps in the mirror. It drops through into the mirror, splashing into the water.

Well, that's your good deed for the day. You head back about your business, feeling surprisingly better about yourself.

You've earned 10 XP in Will

Toss in an apple

You edge your reflection close to the pool, then press the reflected apple up against the broken mirror. That seems to work, as the apple drops into the pond with a small splash.

You watch for a moment, entranced by the ripples crossing and crossing again, channeled along the cracks in the mirrors and the features in the world of reflections.

You've earned 10 XP in Perception

Leave it be

You turn your back on the mirror for a moment, ignoring the reflections.

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