deer forest 1

you run your fingers through it's pelt and remove the rest of the spines, collecting a couple more feathers as you go. The deer's condition seems deeply concerning [[seek help]] [[look for someone who can help]]

You pick up the feather. It is mostly white but black at the tip and thin like a swan's feather. It's definately not from any birds in this forest. (set: $feather to "true") 1. [[ look around for more feathers]] 2. [[ comb through the deer's fur]] 3. [[ you really feel like the ranger's cabin might be worth a look, maybe this deer was recently reintroduced to the forest and needs rehoming or something |seek help]]

You look around the dirt path for any more feathers and look up into the branches of the trees for any nests but you don't find any more. You do find a small peice of green trimmed black cloth (set: $cloth to "true") 1. [[ comb through the deer's fur]] 2. [[ look around for the owner of the cloth]] 3. [[ maybe you should go to the ranger's cabin and ask them if they know what kind of bird it's from|seek help]]

you search the surrounding area for any person or item of clothing it had torn off. Searching up and down the path you come to a route between some bushes laid with cobblestone. [[look for someone who can help]] [[2. go back and look for more feathers instead| look around for more feathers]]

(if: $feather is "true")[Falcon looks at you with a face of deep concern. "There's a lot more wrong with this deer than barbed wire." You ask for an explaination but she quietly walks over to the corner where the deer stands, coughing up more feathers. She kneels down next to it reassuringly. Turning to you she explains "I know this illness but I havent seen it here before" Rooting through draws and checking labels written on herbs she lists "I have ginger and honey but I need more- I have to stay here any keep an eye on the deer, would you mind going out to fetch some juniper berries and a pigeon feather?" [[get the ingredients]]] (else:) "Of course!" she exclaims "This happens sometimes if wildlife have wandered too close to a farm or most fences in the area, really. It'll take a minute, have a seat" You sit down on the couch, avoiding an off-coloured stain and watch as she methodically draws the smaller spikes out. "Will it be ok to go back to the forest afterwards?" you inquire "I'll take it to an animal clinic for a checkup just to make sure we've got all the wire out and that she doesn't need any further treatment, but thank you for bringing her over" Falcon responds. [[1. Ask if she's actually a forest ranger]]

(if: $feather is "true")["You aren't a forest ranger are you" You inquire skeptically. "No" she responds hurridly scraping the burnt contents of the pot on the stove into the bin and refilling it with water. "I'm a witch, most forests have one to look after wildlife for cases like this." Gesturing to her cloak she explains "I'm a forest witch, that's why I have a green trim. Now will you please get the ingredients" [[get the ingredients]]] (else:)"are you a forest ranger?" Falcon shifts and looks at you uncomfortably "I live here" she answers vaguely and turns back to the deer to start wrapping the larger wounds in temporary bandages for transport to a nearby clinic. The look in her eyes make you feel like there's something she isn't telling you, but you don't want to pry any more. [[2. Head home]]

You brush the green dew-like liquid off your arm, convincing yourself it's probably just some plant sap from the deers teeth. The sky is noticable darker than when you left and you should probably head home now, you've helped the deer enough. You pat the deer's head and walk back through the forest to your house. As you walk you're aware of a throbbing in your hand that gradually increases to a searing pain. Faint green lines begin to show on your injured hand like veins but not quite the same colour. As you near your garden fence, your head starts to itch, you reach up with your none injuredhand and a handful of white feathers, black at the tip and pointed like a jay's wing fall from your head. Outcome: after you aggravated the deer it transmit it's ailment to you.

"Is this yours?" You ask pulling out the small scrap of fabric you found near the dirt path. The woman's eyes light up with recognition. "Yes, where did you find this?" "near the dirst path on the way to your cabin" you respond as she matches it with a small tear in her cloak where it had got snagged on something and the stitching had come undone. [[ask for help with the deer]]

Falcon looks down and notices the deer that had followed you into the cabin with most of the barbed wire still entangled in it's pelt. "Of course!" she exclaims "This happens sometimes if wildlife have wandered too close to a farm or most fences in the area, really. It'll take a minute, have a seat" You sit down on the couch, avoiding an off-coloured stain and watch as she carefully unwraps the wire and methodically drawing the smaller spikes out. "Will it be ok to go back to the forest afterwards?" you inquire "I'll take it to an animal clinic for a checkup just to make sure we've got all the wire out and that she doesn't need any further treatment, but thank you for bringing her over" the ranger responded [[1. Ask if she's actually a forest ranger]] [[2. Head home]]

"Is there anything else I can do to help?" you offer. "Just keep a look out for any other cases of this and have a safe journey" she responds with a smile and gestures to the door. You stand up, thank her for her help and open the door to leave. It's much darker out by now and the birds have mostly stopped their evening calls. A breeze picks up and you should hurry home. As you close the door behind you, Falcon stands and walks over to the small stove to make a cup of tea. The deer, that had been lying on the floor, staggers to stand up with ragged breaths. Doing so, the pin pricked wounds start to seep with a strange slightly green tinted fluid. As she pulls herself to her full height however, it stops as quickly as it had started. Falcon kneels back down to pick up the deer and load it into a small cart. Outcome: The deer is... fine ?? Bit of an odd deer

The bite starts to throb and faint green lines spiral away from the bite. THe toothmarks are shallow but still unnaturally sharp for a deer. You feel worry in the pit of your stomach and start to retrace your steps, searching for anyone who could explain what had happened to the deer and what was happening to you. As you near the dirt path to the rangers cabin, you see an offshoot between some bushes, a cobblestone path. [[look for someone who can help]]

Late in the afternoon, the sun slightly dipping behind the trees, you're wandering through the forest behind your house, stopping to pick up strange rocks as you go. You turn down a sidepath you don't usually see. You find a wounded animal in the forest, a deer with the barbs of a wire fence latched in it's side. 1. [[release it as best you can from the wire and return home]] 2. [[seek help ]]

You continue combing through the deer's pelt. Logically the white flash was some kind of small bird hopping past you just out of view, but you can't disregard the strange feeling in your stomach.

Well wildlife has been documented coughing up feathers, despite not being predators and having no reason to have eaten any feathers. In serious cases, non-bird animals sprouted feathers with their fur or hair. 1.[[how do you know so much?]] 2.[[so how does this cure work?|heal the deer]]

You pull the green-trimmed black cloth from your pocket. "That isn't mine. Sorry, where did you find that?" "On a dirt path leading to the ranger's cabin near here" you respond "why?" Her eyes light up with recognition. "That's from Falcon the forest witch that lives near there, not me. Anyway do you have an answer to my question.? Do you want to try the cure for the deer?" [[try the prototype cure for the deer]] [[don't use the prototype cure]]

"Can I help you?" The deer scampers to the door, into the warmth of the light. "I wanted to know more about the.. local wildlife?" (if: $feather is "true")[ you hold out the feather you found and show it to her "Just bird species?" her expression changes and she beckons you inside. "The deer stays over there." she points toward a corner by the door grabs a ball of string to tie the deer to the door by the leg.] (else:)[She seems confused and slightly irritated to be interrupted but lets you in.] You walk in and smell burning. On the right side of the cabin is a stove with a pot on it. The contents of the pot seem to have burnt and spilled over but whatever it was smelled sour and bitter too. Across the ceiling is strings of dried herbs some of which have been picked off. On the right side is a couch. [[1. Ask for help with removing the spines from the deer's pelt]]

She looks up at you expectantly. "can I help you?" The deer walks up behind you with most of the wire still caught in it's side. She stands aside to let you into the cabin. Inside you can see framed pictures of bugs and other forest creatures on the wall, a couch on the left side of the room and a stove on the other with a tall pot cooking something. It smells bitter and sour. Tied on strings across the ceiling are various dried herbs. It looks sort of? like a rangers cabin. [[2. Ask for help with removing the spines from the deer's pelt]]

The cut in your hand is still burning with pain but you don't trust this strange liquid and you don't even know this woman. Fern looks at you with a wary expression "Are you sure? It's not poisonous or anything, I think, I just don't know if it'll work" You refuse. You decide to focus on the deer for now and you'll check your injury when you get home. (Set:$no to "true") [[try the prototype cure for the deer]] [[don't use the prototype cure]]

(If: $bite is "true")[Fern leads you back outside and offers the cure for the deer. You refuse] Fern looks down at the deer and back up at you. "If you're sure" she decides and returns to the cottage with the small pot. I'll finish patching up the injuries left by the wire and it should be ok to be released. She sits next to the deer and together you pluck peices of metal off and patch up the holes and cuts left with a sage-green balm. Outcome: The deer's injuries from the barbed wire heal over time and with the help of the balm but it did have the ailment Fern described and continues (If:$yes is "true")[you recover from your bite wound] (If:$no is "true")[you don't recover from your wound quickly and suffer from the same symptoms as the deer for some time]

You start to question yourself. Maybe they have more important things to be doing than looking after every single animal in the forest. You might be able to help the deer youself. "sorry wrong house" you explain and turn away from the door. 1.[[try to shake the deer away, hoping it will find it's herd by itself]] 2.[[push it back along the path to the small clearing you found it in and further try to pick out the barbs yourself]]

You leave the cabin and head back into the woods. It's noticeable more dark than when you left but you can still see. There'll be a juniper bush near here that some pigeons might have got caught in and left some feathers behind in. There's also a large tree near here where pigeons like to nest that a squirrel or other small animal might have left some berries under. 1.[[go to the juniper bush]] 2.[[go to the tree]]

You return to the cabin and Falcon looks up expectantly. You can see the pot on the stove cooking something and it smells bitter. (if: $berries is "true")[you open your hands and show her the handful of pigeon feathers and the berries you found. Relief washes over her face and she takes them from you and walks over to the pot. She picks apart the feathers and adds them to the pot along with the berries before taking it off the heat and ladeling a small portion into a ceramic bowl for the deer. The deer sniffs cautiously at the bowl before taking a few bites and walking over to the corner of the room to rest. Outcome: the deer was successfully healed and returned to the forest after a few weeks] (if: $noberries is "true")[you pull out the fistful of feathers you found but no juniper berries. Falcon looks disappointed but tells you "I can make it work" before shuffling uncertainly back to the stove and picking apart the feathers to add them to the pot. Taking the pot off the heat, she hands you a small ceramic bowl and ladels a portion into it. You set the bowl down and the deer wanders over from the corner she had been sleeping in and sniffs at the bowl tentatively. Taking a bite she whines and backs away retreating to the corner. Outcome: the deer was mostly healed, the cure could have been handled better but it did the job all the same.] <a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/203074952@N07/54799647293/in/dateposted/" title="1deer"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54799647293_1cabc148c4_z.jpg" width="640" height="640" alt="1deer"/></a><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

you trek through the darkening forest until you come to the clearing you found the deer in, circling it is several juniper bushes. You grab some berries and look around for any pigeon feathers. There is no trace of any bird on the higher branches of the bushes but as you reach into the thorny branches of one bush, you grab a small clump of pigeon feathers. (set: $pigeonfeather to "true") (set: $berries to "true") [[go back to the cabin]]

You walk for a while through the forest as the sky turns from orange to pink to purple until you find the large tree bordering the gradens round the corner from your house. In a nook in the trunk of the tree you find a nest lined with pigeon feathers but there is no sign of any juniper berries. (set: $pigeonfeather to "true") (set: $noberries to "true") [[go back to the cabin]]

You take the small pot and empty the contents into a wooden bowl Fern hands to you and place it down carefully in front of the deer. It smells like mushrooms and looks cloudy and grey but the deer sniffs it cautiously and begins lapping up the contents of the bowl. It starts to shriek and whine as feathers pierce through it's pelt from beneath and settle to the floor. Outcome: The deer's symptoms die down, it continues to have the illness but coughs up feathers less regularly and suffers less when it does. (if:$yes is "true")[you recover from your ailments relatively quickly] (if:$no is "true")[you however continue to suffer from the ailment that the deer did for some time after]

Fern looks taken aback by your question. "I'm a healing witch, well, training. Most of my cures are ones I came up with myself, not the ones usually taught to healing witches, which is why my cures are prototypes." she explains "Anymore questions or will you let me do my job now?" [[heal the deer]] [[That could easily have been a bird, I haven't seen any of what you're describing|don't use the prototype cure]]

You trek down the path for some time before coming to a gate. Beyond it is a small cottage, and between the two is lines of vegetable patches. Sat down next to one of the vegetable patches is a tall woman with short chestnut - brown hair, a white shirt and sage green corduroy trousers. The gate creaks as you open her and the woman turns around to see you. "Excuse me? Who are you?" she calls across to you indignantly "Why did you just let yourself into my garden?" "Who are you? Can you help with something?" you shout back, stepping back just outside the boundaries of the garden. "Fern. Depends what it is?" she answers. You explain the deer's situation as it walks up to stand next to you. (if: $bite is "true")[She interrupts you as she sees your hand. The green lines on it have widened and begun to spread up your arm. With a tone of urgency in her voice she commands you to "come inside now, we can help the deer later". She closes the gate behind you so that the deer doesn't leave and hurries you inside. As you enter the cottage you are shoved down onto a stool in the centre of the room as she walks over to a large cabinet and picks out a very small pot. "I recognise this illness and I've been working on as a precaution but I don't know if it'll work. Do you want to try it?" [[try the prototype cure for people]] [[don't try the prototype cure for people]]] (else:)She looks down at the deer and lets you both into the garden. "Lay the deer down here and take the barbed wire off it, I'll look for anything that could help" (if: $feather is "true")[as you sit down and start untangling shards of metal from fur, she reappears from the cottage, holding a small pot. "I heard what you said about the feather and it reminded me of a lesser known illness that some of the animals round here suffer from. I could use this as a precaution but I haven't had opportunity see if it works on deer yet" [[try the prototype cure for the deer]] [[don't use the prototype cure]]] (If: $cloth is "true")[[[3. Is this cloth yours?]]] <a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/203074952@N07/54799729795/in/dateposted/" title="fern"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54799729795_8c92e842f0_z.jpg" width="462" height="640" alt="fern"/></a><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

You settle back down in the leaves and wait patiently for the deer to trot back towards you. It paces the clearing several times staying at the edge, before tentatively settling next to you. You begin to carefully pick at the spines in it's pelt. It yelps in surprise. Something flashes in the corner of your eye. Something white and feathered? 1. [[It was a bird]] 2. [[try to trigger it again and get a better look]]

you kneel down to gently untangle the wire from around the body of the deer. Thorny barbs are snagged in it's fur and break away from the wire. The deer squeaks, standing up with a start and scampers back a few paces. You stand up carefully and back into a bush, turn to leave and begin to walk back through the overgrown passage. Feeling a tug on your shirt you spin around to untangle a bramble to find the deer clost on your heels 1. [[try to shake the deer away, hoping it will find it's herd by itself]] 2. [[push it back along the path to the small clearing you found it in and further try to pick out the barbs yourself]] 3. [[look for someone who could help care for it properly|seek help ]]

you wade deeper into the woods through the bushes, you've heard of a forest ranger's hut near here. You see lights flicking on and glowing through a window behind some ferns and ash trees. 1. [[you have some second thoughts, maybe you shouldn't bother them about a small problem|release it as best you can from the wire and return home]] 2. [[walk up to the house and knock on the door ]]

You are doubtful of the unknown liquid but you outstretch your hand and allow Fern to apply the unknown cure. Your hand burns with pain but the green lines retreat from your arm and back to the injury almost instantly, you wrap your hand in a bandage and focus your energy on the deer. (Set: $yes to "true") [[try the prototype cure for the deer]] [[don't use the prototype cure]]

You hesitate and look down at the deer, most of the wire has been removed but it still seems like it's suffering from something other than physical injury. Maybe it is ill. "What do you do with it?" you respond after a minute. "From what I've seen, using this on other animals, they just need to eat it and their symptoms die down" 1.[[What symptoms?]] 2.[[Ok should we just put it down in front of it?|heal the deer]]

the deer scampers away into the bushes. As you follow it to make sure they're safe, a small group of deer passes by the bush the injured animal is behind. It bounds out to meet them and one of the herd, a tall grey doe, leans down to greet it. The doe whines and backs away and the herd moves on a a quicker pace than before. A single white feather lies between them. 1. [[seek help]] 2. [[ investigate the feather]] <a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/203074952@N07/54799637868/in/dateposted/" title="2deer"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54799637868_69aab8fa4c_z.jpg" width="640" height="401" alt="2deer"/></a><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

You feel slightly guilty, but your guilt is overcome with curiosity as you pull out another shard and the deer yelps again louder. It stands leaving a single white feather to break away from it's pelt. It doesn't have as much fluff as the young deer's fur, it's pointed like a jay's wing. You put it in your pocket and chase after the deer to take out the rest of the spikes. Turning to face you, the deer bites you for scaring it. It's teeth are unusually sharp and as you raise your arm to the light, it has a green tint to it. (set: $bite to "true") [[1. ignore it and go home]] [[2. Panic and look for someone who can help]] <a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/203074952@N07" title=""><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54799623518_c229681329_z.jpg" width="1024" height="768" alt=""/></a><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

inside the house is the quiet sound of shuffling and pots. All sound stops when you knock on the door. A window opens on the side of the building and a hand sticks out. (if: $cloth is "true") [You can see a draping sleeve, it's black but green rimmed like the peice of cloth you found by the dirt path] You hear muffled footsteps and a key in a lock. A small wooden sign hangs on the door reading "Falcon", it swings aside as a woman comes to the doorway. She's wearing a black coak with green trim. She has short black hair tied into plaits. She doesn't look like a forest ranger, but maybe you don't need one anymore? [[1. the deer has most of the wire untangled, but now it's just confusing you, maybe she knows if wildlife is acting wierd|ask for help with the deer]] (if: $cloth is "true")[[2. ask if the cloth belongs to her]] <a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/203074952@N07/54798522912/in/dateposted/" title="falcon"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54798522912_15a04d9e1f_z.jpg" width="471" height="640" alt="falcon"/></a><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

inside the house is the quiet sound of shuffling and pots. All sound stops when you knock on the door. A window opens on the side of the building. You hear muffled steps and a key in a lock. A sign on the door reading "Falcon" swings aside as the door opens and a woman stands in the doorway, wearing a black cloak with green around the rim with short bluey-black hair hanging in thick plaits. She doesn't look like a forest ranger. 1. [[excuse yourself and leave]] 2. [[ask for help with the deer anyway]] <a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/203074952@N07/54798522912/in/dateposted/" title="falcon"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54798522912_15a04d9e1f_z.jpg" width="471" height="640" alt="falcon"/></a><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script>