Something evil has awakened. The Great Deku Tree knows this to be true; already there is sign of its taint at the edge of the Kokiri Forest. Other rumors have passed through the wind to him, other tidings of darkness beginning to brew within Hyrule. His faithful servant, the Korok known as Makar, has already sent a team to investigate the strange sickness and haze at the forest's edge. What they found there is proof enough that evil is on the rise. A strange bog has begun to form, pooling the moisture from the dead flora of the forest, now becoming a deadly and poisonous marsh that threatens to devour the Kokiri forest, and its people, whole. At its center stands a lone tower made of dead wood, like a skeleton hand reaching out to the heavens to bring the goddesses down from their thrones. ---- "We have to run!" "But Makar said-" "Forget what he told us, unless you want to end up like Aldo, dammit!" The Deku yelled loudly to his Korok companion, shaking him by his arm stubs. "Fine, go on without me, Lars. We have to do this, or else the forest will die!" Willis yelled back with just as much ferocity, waving his torch around emphatically. Pushing Lars off, he began to run towards the tower of wood at the center of the swamp, now only a few dozen meters away. They had been given one mission; light the wooden structure ablaze. The hope was that the fire would catch in the dead, dry wood, purging this anomaly at the edge of their forest. Pressing on through the deadly mists, coughing as the acidity bit at his throat, Willis came ever closer to the tower. He ran as quickly as possible, eyes focused on putting on foot in front of the other. Stumbling on an upturned root, he just barely caught himself, only now taking a moment to look up. And there he saw it; the tower, a spear piercing through the haze and to the blue sky. It was as if it were untouched by the poison gas, like the eye of a storm, but he recognized that for the deception it was. The tower felt alive, like it were trying to draw him in, just like the maw of a venus fly trap. He would not be fooled. Grasping the torch firmly with both hands, Willis screamed out in defiance, plunging it straight into the tangled branches. It had been waiting. The tower was very much alive, and the tiny Korok's impression of it was correct. Like a heartbeat, a pulse beat out from the spire, a shockwave of pressure knocking Willis off his feet and into the shallow, murky water. But the fire did not burn; in fact, the wood seemed more alive now, than ever before. As if it were drawing breath, the tangle of wood shuddered as it expanded. When it exhaled, a sky shattering howl pierced the eerie quiet of the swamp, like the sound of a dying and enraged beast. There, standing at the top of the pillar, was a green giant, not like a tree. A giant maw gaped from its torso, unleashing its terrible scream for all the forest to hear. Heart pounding, Willis scrambled to his feet, running blindly back towards the heart of the forest. They have to know! was all he could think to himself, repeating it like a litany. So engrossed was he in his thoughts, that he did not see the quickly approaching figure, nor the the shaft of the spear as it entered his chest, tearing through his small body. His hands grasped around the wooden haft, wondering where it had appeared from, his small hands trying so desperately to trace it to its holder. As sap gushed from his mouth and body, it took every effort for him to look up. A familiar face. One that was friendly, now twisted by sickness and insanity. Lars. "Why...?" Was all the Korok could manage, before his spirit returned to the land. ---- Name: Skyreach Dungeon Description: IC: There, at the center of a poisonous swamp at the northern edge of the Kokiri Forest, stands a lonely tower. All external attempts to destroy the tower have failed; seemingly impervious to fire, the denizens of the Kokiri Forest are at a loss. To make matters worse, it seems the cry echoing from the top of the tower is driving a portion of the Deku population insane, causing them to revert to Mad Scrubs. All that remains is to enter the tower. There exists a single portal into the spire, a gate heavily shadowed so that none can see within. Few have braved its entrance and none have returned. OOC: Skyreach Dungeon is a dungeon heavily based on vertical movement and puzzles involving air current manipulation. While the dungeon itself is immune to fire, treasures involving fire are recommended. Likewise, flight will be similarly useful, but neither are required. Enemies found in this dungeon will be normal forest creatures, such as Like-Likes and Chu Chus, though the number and varieties that appear are up to you. Similarly, all puzzle designs, as long as some involve the dungeon treasure and follow the general theme, are up to writer discretion. Lastly, there will be a mandatory enemy that must appear within this dungeon; Mad Scrubs. How you get inside the dungeon is up to you; those involved are free to write how their characters made it to the entrance, but may omit that entirely. This Dungeon will be graded similarly to a Quest, though the rewards include both 50 rupees as well as the unique dungeon item that will be obtainable only through this dungeon. Additionally, for two months after this Dungeon is released, any Skyreach Dungeon completed will automatically be eligible to become site canon. These eligible dungeons will be graded by staff on a higher criteria based on writing skill and creativity, and one will be selected. The names of the characters in this selected dungeon will be recorded on the site's timeline as those that conquered Skyreach Dungeon. After the two months period has passed, or the first dungeon is completed (as this may occur after two months), this dungeon will available to be run as a Classic Dungeon, albeit with reduced rewards. Skyreach Dungeon canon is open until October 1st. Boss/Miniboss(es): Minibosses: The minibosses of this dungeon are straightforward; the adventurers within Skyreach Dungeon will face a squadron of five Aeralfos. The battlefield is of your choosing, though it of course must be in keeping with the general theme of the dungeon. Boss: Moldermaw, Parasitic Hydra: Description: Moldermaw has two phases. The first form it takes is as a giant that appears to be composed entirely of a dark green and purple moss, standing at twenty feet high. Many of its attacks will include hurling objects at the player characters, or simply trying to crush them. At the center of its chest is a large, fanged mouth. When opened, it will create a powerful sucking vacuum, drawing anything and everything towards its insatiable stomach. However, once it has taken a significant amount of damage, it will revert to its true form; countless mouths will open upon the surface of its body. Each will sprout from the main body from a large stalk, as if the giant were composed of many venus fly traps. The group of player characters must then deal with a large number of smaller mouths attempting to grab and consume them, while the larger mouth lets out a great piercing scream, disorienting the player characters. In this form, the mouth is also capable of shooting out concentrated spheres of wind, not unlike a cannonball. It is recommended that the dungeon's treasure is involved in the boss fight, though the particulars are up to you. Reward: 50 Rupees, Ignition Powder `Ignition Powder Original: WillowtheWhisp, Magic-Tier - Utility [Explosive], [Force], [Projectile], [Fire], [Jump], [Stock] No PWC Requirement While similar in principle to the Bomb, the Ignition Powder stands out in its utility rather than its offensive power. A single charge of fine powder contained within a small bag, the Ignition Powder is designed to explode upon impact with another object. When it does so, rather than release a powerful gout of flame, the majority of its ingredients are consumed to create a powerful backdraft. By throwing the charge at one's feet to assist a jump, the effect would be similar to possessing the Jump spell, or the Roc's Feather or Cape. Combined with any of these, the jumping height of a person could be further increased. There are a myriad of uses for this treasure, though using it to increase one's jumping height is perhaps the most obvious. It should be noted that the force expelled by the charge is dispersed evenly upon impact in a spherical area around it. The possessor of this treasure should treat it like any other Supply treasure, so that they effectively have unlimited uses of it. ---- When creating a Bureau thread for the Skyreach Dungeon, treat it as any normal Quest Bureau thread. When creating your Quest Bureau thread, please include the tag [Skyreach] in its title. Code: [b]Name:[/b] [b]Description:[/b] [b]Players/Characters:[/b] [b]Reward:[/b]
