A Three-Tined Fork

A Three-Tined Fork

You come to a point in the forest where three paths diverge.

The left branch looks pretty normal -- the trees surrounding it are healthy, the path is well-lit, and furry woodland creatures scamper along it, just waiting to get eaten by some larger but equally furry predator.

The trees around the middle branch look as though they've been burned, the earth is scorched (though not by tiny robotic tanks, you're guessing,) and you catch the occasional glimpse of flashing lights from the distant recesses of the path.

The third branch is dark. Really dark. Really, really dark, come to think of it. You can't see anything at all past the entrance.

All of the paths look equally well-traveled, so you're not gonna be able to rely on poetry for advice in this case.

Normal Path

Scorched Path

Dark Path

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If you choose the "Normal Path":

You come to a clearing in the woods, and notice a couple of sets of footprints leading off in opposite directions.

The left set leads into a small copse of trees, while the right set (which has another, smaller set of footprints next to it) leads into a... er... small copse of trees. A... different small copse of trees.

Follow the Single Set to the Copse Follow the Double Set to the Copse

If you choose the "Scorched Path":

In a clearing at the end of the scorched path, you find a pair of craters. The first is smoking, and looks like it was the result of some sort of explosion.

The other is... well... moist. It looks like it was the result of a particularly productive and violent sneeze.

To which crater will you cater?

Investigate the smoking crater Investigate the moist crater

If you choose the "Dark Path":

You proceed down the dark path. Literally, not metaphorically. After a while, you come across signs of a struggle -- deep gouges in the path, littered with sequins and bits of ivory, leading off into a particularly dense clump of bushes.

What's it gonna be, then?

Continue down the path Investigate the bushes

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If you choose "Follow the Single Set to the Copse":

In the middle of the copse, you find the corpse of an Adventurer just like you. Well, not just like you, in that you don't seem to have been cut almost completely in half by the claws of some forest beastie just yet.

You help yourself to his equipment.

You acquire an item: seal-clubbing club

You acquire an item: seal tooth

If you choose "Follow the Double Set to the Copse":

In the middle of the copse, you find the corpse of an unlucky Turtle Tamer.

You're saddened by the loss of a fellow adventurer, but not quite saddened enough to refrain from taking all of his stuff.

You acquire an item: helmet turtle You acquire an item: scroll of turtle summoning

If you choose "Investigate the smoking crater":

At the bottom of the smoking crater, you find what appears to be the charred corpse of a Pastamancer. Looks like his last spell didn't go off quite as planned. Unless, y'know, the plan was to completely char-broil himself and the immediate vicinity, in which case it went off exactly as planned.

You root around in the ashes until you find the remains of his equipment.

You acquire an item: pasta spoon You acquire an item: ravioli hat

If you choose "Investigate the moist crater":

At the bottom of the slimy crater, you find a glob of goo with what looks like the corpse of Sauceror inside it. Looks like he summoned more jelly than he was ready for.

You fish out (and wipe off) his possessions.

You acquire an item: saucepan

You acquire an item: spices

If you choose "Continue down the path":

You continue down the path, and abruptly trip over something. As you pick yourself off the ground, you realize that what you tripped over was A HUMAN HAND. Okay, so it's not all that creepy or dramatic, considering some of the other stuff you've seen around these parts.

You follow the hand to a wrist, which leads to an arm. The arm is attached to the corpse of what seems to have once been a Disco Bandit.

You decide it'd be a waste not to hork his equipment, and waste makes haste, your mother always used to say.

You acquire an item: Disco mask

You acquire an item: Disco ball

If you choose "Investigate the Bushes":

INFO. HERE It is about Accordion Thief.

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Occurs at The Spooky Forest

Notes

• Added on April 11, 2006 with some other Spooky Forest content.