**Thank you so much for voting - an actual one day timer on this one! If you're a backer, please see the note at the bottom! We had a pretty rough weekend due to a convention being utterly incompetent, and it took up a ridiculous amount of time and energy. We've extended the campaign by two days to help accommodate the remaining updates and releases since the campaign is hinged around your choices. Since I've been doing this live, this level of disruption put a delay in that I couldn't work around. But lots of cute ones today!**
It takes them the better part of two days to make it through the main part of the forest. Floof keeps jumping like there are skeletons in the trees, and Fluff keeps yelping every time a bush shakes. The group can only roll their eyes a tiny bit when Fluff puts two snakes and one mouse into a full body bind, but even Tuff is brandishing his sword when the wolves begin to howl.
Finally, Beau turns his head toward them all and ushers them forward. “Found the hut, let’s see if Bones is home and–”
Before he finishes, a little spirit bolts down the cobblestone path and jumps straight onto him. Beau doesn’t try evading, falling on his side as the spirit nuzzles him aggressively. If Blink, Beau’s minion, could make sounds, it would be absolutely cackling as it dances in the air comically.
Soon, another little spirit bounds up and presses itself in for attention with a look on its face that says it’s a bit ashamed but doesn’t really care. Beau makes no effort to get up, calling their names each in turn.
Biscuits huffs a bit, and moves past the pile of ghost-kittens and one preoccupied archer and continues on. “Those be Bones’s projects. Bones – Bones is a softie. Wants them to move on, but some get so attached they stay here forever.”
When they walk in – sans one archer – they find a dark brown cat walking back and forth in front of a fire with a nervous energy that radiates off of him. One last ghost-kitten sits on the padded chair in the corner, observing its master with a contemplative look.
Biscuits huffs once, and Bones jumps. “Ah, Biscuits, Abitail. Soot said you were coming with a fire message.” The last little minion jumps into his arms, nuzzling his master’s chin. “And I see you’ve brought some friends. Please, sit.”
“Is something the matter?” Abitail asks, walking over to Bones and taking the little one from him. The spirit chatters in her arms, looking at Tuff, Fluff, Floof and Gray as they all sit on a rather long workbench. It’s clear that the guildmates have gathered here before with the spirit’s familiarity.
Bones’ face tightens with an unmasked worry. “Maybe, it’s hard to say. There have been some growing darkness in the woods, and Max went to check it out. He was thinking it might be a curse, and you know how he likes his curses.”
Tuff looks at Gray at this, who shrugs as the little minion scrambled out of Abitail arms and comes over to sniff them curiously. No one in their guild were sorcerers, so they’d seldomly seen magic that would be considered curse magic. They mostly only had interactions with wizards, or magic users who imbued their skills into items.
Both Biscuit and Abitail look concerned. “How long ago?”
“A few days, and about an hour ago the return scroll he keeps here for emergencies began to burn. He tried to use it, but didn’t have the power to activate it. That or he canceled it.”
Abitail raises a toe bean in question to stop him. “Did he head into the deserted caves?”
“Yes but –”
“Then we can find him. I know you’re worried, but we definitely can find him.”
Tuff opens the bag Fluff offers him, pulling out the runes and the potion. “We have these – but only probably one can work in this scenario. Do you think we can get through the caves with these?”
Vote above!
A small note because I've gotten some questions on this:
We designed the pledge goals to not have severe monetary jumps between tiers (aside from the full collection). However, every 3 pins added (so 6, 9 and 12 pins) adds an extra filler pin, valued at $8 (later $10+).
The only locked filler pin is the original promotion addition for 3+ pins; the rest will be your choice. There is no tier that includes all the filler pins by default because we made like 5 too many. Oops.
Bones has Binx in the pin, but it isn't a separate pin. If you wanted the little family, you'd just need Bones, Blair and Salem.
