The Forest Labyrinth

Your character is trapped. This place looks like a forest, grows like a forest. It is cupped in a valley at the feet of three mountains, nestled in the center of an enormous mountain range. The road runs right through it, so you decide it's probably ok to travel through. But once you're in, the path leads you in strange directions. And you realize that as you travel, the forest gets thorny and dark. It is a menacing, living thing, and the trees threaten you. You turn back, but the path has changed! It only leads you deeper into the labyrinth. You realize that the paths shift like living things and there are many intersections to get lost in. You just want to get out at this point, but the undergrowth at either side of the path is so thick and spiky that you daren't try to pass. You keep walking, just keep walking, and hope you get out alive... The vines writhe to life!

Put your character through the most difficult challenges a forest can dish out in this storybook! Here are the rules:

Spoiler

-Characters may interact with others who are trapped, but expect to get separated at some point
-No explicit profanity
-I'm afraid that the characters have to be normal human beings. No magic, no psychic abilities. Sorry!
-No, you may not magically break free and beat the forest. You have to find your way out of the labyrinth or never leave at all
-Other than that, typical storybook rules apply.
-Expect any of the following, because the forest will consciously try to kill you: vines like whips, trees falling inexplicably, small forest fires that start and end suddenly, poison ivy, poison oak, roots that try to trip you at bad moments, marauding bandits, overly aggressive bears that chase you, hungry wolf packs, any number of rabid animals, lack of edible food, quicksand, holes to fall down, and lots of other nasty little things.

I will occasionally intervene, by taking the consciousness of the forest. But I won't kill you off without giving you a chance to save yourself.

I can't deal with too many characters in here, so I do have to limit the number of character in here to ten. I won't be able to remember any more! Here are the character slots:

Spoiler

-Male
-Male
-Male
-Male
-Male
-Female
-Female
-Female
-Female
-Female

I need a distinct character description. Here are the requirements, but anything else you want to add is ok. Take your time, take as much space to as you need to describe them! Put the description in the sidebar, don't post it.

Spoiler

-Name
-Gender
-Age (15 and up, please)
-Physical Description
-Personality
-History(optional)
-Special skills (optional; nothing magical!)
-Other (optional)

Let's see what you got! Have fun!

Quick question: is this in, like, an alternate fantasy world... or modern time? I guess what I'm saying is... how modern or advanced can the equipment of the characters be?

probably fantasy. Kings and Castles sort of thing.

I'm willing to write if you're still willing to host it.

I am! 100%! It just doesn't have enough just no one has posted yet.

We don't have a lot of people yet, but this SB is set up so that characters are easy to add. If you're ready go ahead and post. Let's get this party started!

(Well, I guess I'll start it then. We're just arriving at the forest, I assume? Alright then.)

Xander whistled a soft jig as he rode Bruin along the road. He was on his way to a small town, where he had been assigned as a guardsman for a little while. He liked the life. Although he was bound to service, he was happy for it. It was a relatively easy, free life that revolved around him helping people.

He sighed softly as a forest came into view. He reined Bruin to a stop and pulled out his map. That's odd... There isn't a forest marked here... He looked up, and the road was clearly cut through the trees and into it. He shrugged as he stuffed his map back into his saddlebag, clicking his tongue for Bruin to move along again. "Ah, it'll be alright. What's a few trees..."

Meanwhile, Jack sat on his leaf bed and grinned. Another rabbit fell victim to one of his snares. He had enough food to last him several days. Maybe he was getting too smart for this place. He was always told by the villagers that he was dangerously clever. Crafting weapons, building traps, and pickpocketing were all included in his specialties.

As he lay there whittling his knife, the leaves above the trees began to sway in one direction. There never any wind this deep into the forest, so Jack new what it meant. A new person walked into the trees. Another poor soul has entered the labyrinth.

Jack decided that it was his duty to help. He has seen to many people lost, too many people die. All he did in those times was hide and worry for his own life. Not now. Not anymore. He began to sprint down the forest path, calling out for the new person.

(Forget this post, I'll do a new one.)

(Bump. Hello?)

Hello! I just created a Disscusion Thread or a DT for this storybook, please go check it out! : ) The link to it is at the top!

Kid

The trees rustled ominously as Adam walked along the path, but he paid them no heed. He had nothing to fear from old brittle branches. He had heard many stories of this place growing up in the slums. People said everyone who ever walked into this forest were never heard from again. Some even claimed the forest was alive and consumed anyone foolish enough to enter. He scoffed at the thought. Only a fool would believe those old wives tales. Still, the superstition surrounding this place could work in his favour. Everyone was too afraid to enter this forest, so no one could ever find his treasure if he hid it here. While he didn't believe any of the stories, Adam could admit the forest was creepy. He couldn't tell if the cold chill that rolled up his spine was a nerve reaction, or from the cold wind.

As he looked along the path for a suitable spot to hide the medallion he couldn't help but think of the gang he left behind, and how easy it had been to steal the treasure for himself. Who would have expected the Kid to take the prize right out from under their noses? He felt sorry for John, though. He was a good man, the kind of guy you'd want watching your back. Unfortunately for John that made it all the more easy to stab him in the back. He wished it could have been one of the other guys, like Hank who always pushed him around when they were young, or even Rick who always took Adam's finds, claiming them as "membership fees." Oh how he would have loved to have slipped that dagger into one of their kidneys. Regardless, the deed was done and there was no going back. Besides, they were all probably sitting in a jail cell by now waiting for their good ol' Kid to break them out.

Adam came across a large, dead tree standing on the side of the road. It stood out quite plainly among the rest of the trees that still had leaves on them, a perfect landmark to hide his treasure. He knelt down next to the tree and dug a small hole in the dirt. He took out the medallion and gave it one last look. It was pure gold shaped into a lion's head with deep blue sapphires as the eyes. He smiled as he ran his finger along the lion's mane. "With your help I'm going to live like a king for the rest of my life, so don't go anywhere." With that he wrapped up the medallion in a sheet of linen to keep it safe from the elements before dropping it in the hole and covering it up.

With the medallion buried he stood back up and faced the tree. As noticeable as it was he was certain there were many more dead trees to be found in the forest, so he needed to make this one easy to identify. He smiled again as he came up with a foolproof idea. Adam took out his knife and carved "A+M" with a heart around it into the trunk. For the odd soul who did wander into this forest they would see this mark as the result of a romantic encounter between two star-crossed lovers, but for Adam it would be a giant X to mark the spot.

With the medallion hidden step one was complete. Now for step two, finding his way through the forest.

Maya

“And make sure all the fabric is properly washed!” the girl screamed at me while she entered the carriage.

I waved towards them, holding back the tears of victory that were brimming up in my eyes. Today was the day. It was the day that I would be running away, breaking free from captivity. I waited till the carriage was out of sight, the the horses hooves could no longer be heard when I entered into the house and went down to the cellar. It was time for me to leave. I had already packed my bags and I had already prepared to face the dreaded woods that I had often decided not to go through, it seemed impossible to find the other side, and the woods were my only escape. It is said on the other side of the woods you’ll always find habitation, you’ll find a town or something, but I am even prepared to die in the woods, I just have to escape them and they’re torture, my escape has been long overdue.

Taking the potato sack bag I had created, I slung it over my shoulder. “No washing today.” I said out loud realizing that it was actually happening and allowing the tears to fall. I sighed as I brushed them away from my cheek. It was time for me to move, after many years of pain, it was time to find my real family, it was time for me to breathe, to live. I left though my secret door out from the cellar to the other side of the world, leading into the woods. No one in this village has ever gone through this left side, or to the woods. They said ‘it’s too dangerous’. They said ‘it’s going to kill you’. I believed it, and thus I thought I could never escape. I thought I could survive. But the family has been too evil, they have been getting worse, and I thought wrong. I've seen people go into the woods and never come out. They couldn't have all died I figured. Some of them must have made it to the other side, and the other side to me means freedom. And freedom means, life. I didn't know what to expect but I figured if I got out alive and found the town on the other side, hopefully I’d be able to use my cleaning and cooking and sewing and all I've been forced to do skills, and make a living out of it. And then hopefully, possibly find my family though that.

I stared at the woods before me, it looked forbidding. It looked ensnaring, but it was my only hope. I gathered all the courage I had founded within me in the world I was leaving behind and I entered the world before me. I started towards the woods and soon found myself walking in it. It was a thick forest, and actually some of the trees were beautiful and stunning. I was walking for a while when I decided to stop and check if I had everything. It was best I didn't go too far before realizing I had to go back. I opened the potato sack and checked the list in my mind. Dagger, check. Bread, check. Trap tools, check. Necklace, check. Anything else could have been forgotten; those were my most prized possessions. I had found the dagger one day in the cellar, hidden behind some rock. It frightened me at first, but then I decided to keep it for protection.

I had entertained the thought of ending one of their lives, but I knew that would produce nothing for me but chaos. Then the bread I stole. It was the hard kind that wouldn't be bad for a couple of weeks, and I knew I might need it in-case I couldn't find any food. And then of course the trap tools would help me to catch food when my rations ran out. Lastly and most significantly, my necklace. It was the only thing that I had that told me of my family. I remember my mother had put it on me crying the night before I was taken. I immediately had taken it off, and kept it within my clothes. Never again did I wear it, if I did I knew they would steal it. And this necklace was the only connection I had to my real family. Sighing again I took the string I had brought as part of the trap tools and used it to wrap the potato sack around my waist. I turned back and saw only thick forest. The house was no longer in sight. I continued trudging on. It was a dark and somewhat swampy place due to the large trees that blocked off the sun. Also though the further in I went, the more trees I seemed to see.

As if the forest just got thicker and thicker as you went along. I decided that for my first three days of travel I would walk all day and sleep in the night. But then perhaps there could be animals who would come at me at night, and then it would be harder to see. I wasn't sure what I would do but as I started to walk farther in, fear started creeping in me and I tried to stay in the opened areas as much as possible. I saw a lot of strange plants I had never seen before. But I didn't think much into it because I actually hadn't seen a lot of plants in my lifetime being cooped up in a pen. I also noticed that there seemed to be a strange smell in the woods, one that bothered me and wouldn't leave me no matter which way I had turned. I was starting to worry if everyone was right and there was no way out of this Forrest. That it would just continue on and on and I would be trapped. I didn't want to think about it, I had to have hope. I had to find my way out.

I didn't know how long I’d been walking but my legs were starting to tire and I paused, leaning on a tree. As I did, I felt something brush against my legs. I whipped around to see a large leaf swaying in the wind. I sighed. ‘No stopping.’ I told myself. ‘No stopping.’ I stood up straight preparing myself and caught a glimpse of a carving on the tree.

Xander rode through the woods, looking around at the terrain. There was something foreign and eerie about these woods. He had always thought it was just superstition, but now he wasn't so sure. Especially when Bruin had his ears cocked back, and his nostrils were flared. The stallion was nervous. About what, he didn't know for sure.

The road suddenly vanished and they found themselves in thick brush. Xander reined his horse in to a stop, looking down at the ground. There was no sign of the road in front of them. He turned, looking over his shoulder at where he had come from. There was nothing but open woods. The trail was completely gone.

Xander licked his lips, taking a steadying breath. "Don't panic. It's just an illusion..." he tried to tell himself. "This forest is just big, that's it..." He pulled out his compass, hoping that he was going in the right direction. Before he entered the woods, he remembered that he had been going east, and once he was out of the woods, he would have turned north. He looked at the arrow and frowned. It was spinning uncontrollably. He growled, shoving it back into his saddlebag. "Useless. Damn it."

He sighed, getting off Bruin. "Looks like we'll have to fight our way through, boy. Just keep going straight." He began to lead the horse through the brush, using his sword to knock down the heavier stuff. "If that's even possible..."