Image
Encounter Conditions
Halloween 2020, after ~12 hours of building
Initial Text
A tree grows in the darkness, spreading its skeletal limbs over a pool of stagnant water. Its bark seems to be equal parts bone and polysteel, with muscle and plastic binding them together.
Summary of Choices
- Apply frosty bone chips (with frosty bone chips) - lose frosty bone chips, help decorate the tree
- Add bone flakes (with bone flakes) - lose bone flakes, help decorate the tree
- Layer in artificial bone (with artificial bone) - lose artificial bone, help decorate the tree
- Return a mysterious bone (with mysterious bone) - lose mysterious bone, help decorate the tree
- Shake it - gain 4 XP Strength, and if you have skeletal cyberarm, gain mysterious bone
- Worship it - gain 4 XP Will
- Back away slowly - walk away
Choice Text and Results
Apply frosty bone chips
The bone chips slot in between the tree's ribs with a series of satisfying clicks. You can feel a chill breeze radiating from the tree.
Add bone flakes
You add the bone chips. Each seems to almost adhere to the bones already in the tree.
Layer in artificial bone
You add a bit of artificial bone to the trunk. It looks precarious for a moment, but muscle fibers writhe from the tree's surface, securing the new bone in place.
Return a mysterious bone
You return the bone to its rightful place. With it returned, the entire tree seems somehow more vibrant and… alive, despite its composition.
Shake it
You reach out one hand and shake the tree. It clatters, the arms moving as though there's a breeze in the stagnant wind.
Despite your urgent shaking nothing falls loose, not a finger or even the smallest chip of bone. It just sways, more and more like a living thing.
You've earned 4 XP in Strength
Or, with some condition (skeletal cyberarm installed?):
You reach out one hand and shake the tree. It clatters, the arms moving as though there's a breeze in the stagnant wind.
Despite your urgent shaking nothing falls loose, not a finger or even the smallest chip of bone. It just sways, more and more like a living thing.
You consider giving up but your hand is stuck, almost merged with the tree. As you struggle harder and harder, a chunk of the tree finally comes loose in your hand.
You found: mysterious bone
You've earned 4 XP in Strength
Worship it
You bow and scrape before the tree. Despite the stagnant air, bones rattle against each other in a twisted music.
You've earned 4 XP in Will
Back away slowly
The tree does not follow you, only clattering its arms as though disturbed by a breeze.