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Session Six

The party wakes up with the dawn, having a small chat with each other before quickly getting on the road once again. Upon beginning to travel, the party realizes that the hollowed wilds are closer to them then they initially thought the party could easily make it there in less than a day. After a short run-in with the flayed they find that the flesh in the area has begun to change, its less close to the ground, less skin-like more… meal-y marrow-like it blends into the loose dirt of the forest floor. The terrain has subtly evolved, and before the party knows it, the woods have consumed them. The canopy above is covered in a fleshy film, veins connect trees together in a strange biological tangle. The light is tinted a shade of red. This environment feels a lot more… alive. The sounds of twisted birds, strange animals, and even just leaves rustling fill out the soundscape. Welcome to the Hollowed Wilds. The map that Otis gave them has a distinct location on it, one called "Angel Tracks" Upon seeing this location, Rainn can feel a sense of deja vu wash over her. The party all decides that location is where they must head to next. The party advances into the dense woods, stumbling upon a HUGE tree. Seven decides to touch the tree, but upon poking its long weeping-willow esque veins he's suddenly found himself tangled in the tree and lifted up into its canopy. Bishop makes an attempt to climb up the tree, but when he got to the top to try and chop down the large tangle of veins- He slips and falls, but thankfully landing on his feet. Rainn then makes an attempt to save Seven from the oddly viscous tree. Rainn now makes her attempt to save Seven-- and it's succesful! The veins hanging from the tree are severed, all of them retracting into its fleshy bark as Seven tumbles to the ground, landing hard. The party continues forward after a brief conversation about what they did before the fleshmachine apocalypse occurred. Bishop discusses his experiences selling Oxy out of the back of a Chili's while Rainn discusses her experience working at a waffle house- Jax was on a road trip, Seven was non-sentient and Scraps doesn't remember. The group stumbles across a strange area, and Jax quickly discovers there's a net hanging over the area that's rigged up to a single rope on one corner. Scraps soon takes the opportunity to disarm the trap, which he is successful. The net falls and sets off at least six beartraps, making it safe for the group to pass through. It's now quite clear that someone inhabits this area. After some traveling, something catches the party's attention... a rumbling in the trees. In the distance. Something is peeking over the trees. The trees around the strange rumbling are shaking and rattling, birds frantically fly away. A pair of horrible metal antlers peek above the treeline almost reminiscent of a shark’s fin. A sense of primal dread creeps in the more the party looks at them. Before they know it, the antlers have crested the top of the distant hill and they disappear into the forest Soon, after cutting through a thick film of skin that blocks their path, they find The Angel's Tracks. A serene swamp-like area. The water is a deep crimson which is accompanied by strange red moss. The party begins to wade through the shallow blood-substance. They don't get far before they hear something getting pulled back, and then- "Thoom!" An arrow flies through the air, almost grazing Rainn's nose as it sticks into the side of a tree, scaring something off that was seemingly stalking the group through their journey in the woods. A very tall figure stands in the shadows, eyes glinting in the light like a wild animal. It steps forward, revealing itself. It simply says "The birds told me you'd be here." Rainn, Scraps and Seven have a much easier time finding their designated trap in Vulpes' territory, finding that their trap is a massive minefield of beartraps. After Scraps carefully sneaks around them, coming out of it with only one beartrap set off they soon begin disarming the traps, and Rainn gathers them all up and returns to the fork in the path once the area is safe. Jax begins to try and find the rest of the group as Bishop is now alone in the woods. Jax thankfully sees the top of Rainn's head peeking over a bush and rushes over to the group before their interrupted by a bloodcurdling scream, and the screams continue. The group rushes over to the screams, finding Bishop cowering at a sunbleached shoe. The group quickly crowds around Bishop, Jax tries to tap him on the shoulder but Bishop yells at him to "get the fuck off" Rainn signals to the group to give Bishop some space as everyone stands there shocked. Only moments after Bishop smells something behind him, whipping around to find Smith towering above him. Smith stares down at Bishop, his gaze intense. He offers up one of his hands to help Bishop up as he says "Come with me, Son." It takes Bishop a while, but he decides to go with Smith. Smith signals to the group to head back to the cabin with a simple nod. Smith leads bishop to a small, quiet area in the woods. "What did you do?" he asks. Bishop replies with "Why should I tell you?!" Smith leans into the light, his pupils lighting up like a strange animal. "Because I know things about you." It takes Bishop a moment, but he takes off his gas mask, leaning into the light as well. A moment of understanding between the two of them. Bishop soon explains how he was hungry, scared, and lost one day... and this naturally ended badly as there were clear signs of a struggle at the site of the sunbleached shoe. And Smith replies with something surprising. "I've done that too." The two of them begin to have a conversation about their strange sense of being. The guilt of being hungry, having instincts as if they were a wild animal, Bishop is not comfortable with this fact, knowing he had done something horrible that night. "Humans are animals, and like all animals we participate in the food chain." Smith explains. Bishop is clearily not quite put at ease by this. He describes the want to tear his party members- his friends to shreds, but still liking their company... and how that existence is sad to him, and that he misses the color green. Smith understands this, discussing how he too feels like this every day, but within this bleak existence there is a glimmer of hope, these animalistic urges can be controlled, and even ignored. Smith also makes it known that he doesn't know what green is. Bishop asks what Smith did before the fleshmachine happened, and Smith replies with "I awakened with the fleshmachine." So there was no "before" for him... Smith then talks about how he's able to tamper them down, but it takes practice, and Bishop is bound to make mistakes since this kind of existence is new to him. After a bit more conversation and sobbing, Smith asks if he's ready to head back to the cabin and he offers Bishop some food, some human food. Bishop nods, saying that would be nice. and the two of them head back. After arriving back at the cabin, Smith assures everyone everything's been taken care of. He lights a large fire, and begins to prepare a meal.