The Forest of Unfinished Creatures: a word crawl

Bestiary February found me in the finishing line of a project that shouldn't include new creatures, and I'm not ready to start a new world. What to do with those prompts then? I was thinking about another little game like No trick no treat, but it's the middle of the month and I don't want to risk an incomplete story, so I'll do something a little shorter.
A game for writers, you could say. It's very simple: you write as you follow the story and meet the creatures. Sometimes the story will be affected by your wordcount.... unless you feel a bit adventurous and choose the path where this story affects yours.

What do you need?

Your work in progress (or you can just set some plot bunnies free in a blank page and see what happens)

Dice. You can always use a regular 6-sided die, or play with the one recommended for your selected character (you can use one from the sidebar).

Writing time!

So, let's get to it:

1. Is a regular day in your writers' town. The weather is great for going to the nearest forest, either hunting for new ideas or just to take this or that character for a walk.
Sprint for 10 minutes while you prepare some food for your little adventure.
How many words have you cooked? (CLICK ME)

If you wrote 150 words or less, you didn't find anything to carry. It doesn't matter, it's a short trip. You shouldn't invite others to join you, though.

If you wrote more than 150 words but less than 300, you found leftovers from... you are not sure when, but they look delicious. Just try not to share them when someone picky or prone to bad moods.

If you wrote over 300 words, you prepared a great meal and enough of it to share with a friend—or someone you want to keep on your side.

2. The forest of Unfinished Creatures is not exactly safe, so you have to take some measures to be sure you will be back. What should you do?

Stay out!

Who said anything about entering that death trap?
The border of the forest is good enough.
From here you can see a lot of the beasts, but is unlikely that they try to come after you.

A cautious guide

Alastor is a Gentle Fire-breather who lives in the border of the forest.
He will be happy to show you a safe way to a safe spot, and give you nice advice about your story (whether you want it or not).

A strong guide

Xamira thinks she's human, but her writer only gave her two emotions: insatiable curiosity and vicious rage. None of which explains why she helps the weak in any situation.
You can follow her deep into the forest. It's safe as long as you don't annoy her.

You don't need a guide.
Use a 6-sided die for challenges. Feel free to ignore the timers and prompts.

You travel with Alastor.
Use a 10-sided die. Feel free to ignore timers. Prompts are recommended.

You travel with Xamira.
Use a 20-sided die. Timers are recommended. Feel free to ignore prompts.

3. Ready? Just follow the path.
Everything is peaceful, for now. Only trees are to be seen. Avoid the ones with stripes, though. They bite. Who keeps writing all these moving trees, and why so many of them are violent!??
As you walk you may find yourself inspired by the singing birds, specially the one with the cute horn. You can't stop thinking what can a bird do with it (or maybe is your companion who insist on some additions to your story).
Sprint to the nearest hundred (or a hundred words if you prefer) as you enter the forest.
Optional prompt: Write about an animal with unusual traits.


4. Take a break of 5 minutes (or more), drink some water, stretch your legs... Don't mind the small shells jumping around you, they are just wondering if you are their writer, who already included them in a story but has yet to describe them properly, is impossible to know (apparently is impossible to imagine) how they really look like under those shells.


5. You decide to rest under a colorful tree. It seems to be the kind that doesn't move at all, but the yellowish flowers are whispering something. Sprint for 10 minutes as you try to figure out what are they trying to say.
How many words did you understand? (CLICK ME)

If you are in the border of the forest, they are just discussing the weather.

If you wrote less than 200 words, and you are with Alastor, they are discussing your story. In the next step you should include some dialogue where a character rambles about the situation or explains something to the others.

If you wrote less 200 words, and you are with Xamira, you understand too late that the flowers were planing to attack you. They are some sort of parasite that feeds on imagination. Attempt a Fifty Headed Hydra as you try to avoid them. If you fail, you will now carry those flowers in your hair, they look amazing, but they also steal 50 words from all of your results. (They will leave the next time you win a Five Headed Hydra).

6. Wait. Stay quiet. There's a misterious purring noise somewhere in the bushes... yes, over there. If you dare to get closer, you may find the mythical Shy bunny or one of its many, many imitators. Do a 25 minutes sprint if you dare to investigate; or write 100 words as you pretend to ignore the sound. If you take the dare, click here after the sprint.

if you wrote 500 words or more (or if you were in a safe area in the border of the forest), you find a big, fluffy creature; either the prettiest giant mouse ever, or a peculiar brown bunny, you really can't tell. All you know is that this lovely messenger seems to carry the answer to your biggest worry. Write what you can about that part of the story you haven't figure out yet (it doesn't matter if it doesn't really make sense, or if you can only write questions: try.)

if you wrote less than 500 you find another kind of mythical creature. The Two headed rat. It looks as it sounds, but also has a fluffy tail, not unlike the one of a skunk. One of it heads is eating with a funny cute noise, as the other is curious about you. It's adorable, actually. You have to pet it, is just so cute and... Oh, no! There is another thing about it that resembles a skunk. Write 250 words as you try to get rid of the smell of the creature's stinky rage.

7. You walk a bit more before you find a pack of... well, is hard to know what they are; catwolves? Tigerdogs? They seem calm enough, but that doesn't mean you should approach them. If anything, is a good reason to let them be, right?
If you are with Xamira, she disagrees and keeps walking (go to step 8.b otherwise, sprint to the nearest hundred words as you turn around and continue to step 8.


8. You don't go far, because there is a rag doll in the way back. Apparently it has been following you all this time, and now it's making gestures to convince you to keep walking. You have read about this! Is the Silent Follower. Provided with the stealth of a cat but and without a voice of its own, nobody knows who wrote it, maybe not even the doll itself. It keeps adopting random writers and now it is your turn. According to the stories, it demands writers to move on, always taking a step forward, but nobody told you what happens if the writer refuse. Will you dare to find out?

8.1 Yeah, keep walking to the main path (CLICK ME)

The rag-doll is upset! It threatens to drawn you in its tears.
If you are alone in the border of the forest, you have space to run. Write 500 words trying to lose her.
If you are walking in the forest with Alastor, you can't really avoid it without getting lost in the woods, but your guide reasons with the doll. Write about some form of hostile negotiations (you can trow a dice and multiply by 2 to determine the time).

8.2 I'll try my look with the... creatures. (CLICK ME)

The creatures remain peaceful. At a closer look, you notice they are either asleep or sleepy. They are nocturnal creatures, and you will be okay if you are quiet and fast.
Trow a dice, multiply by ten. Write that many words in 5 minutes (or a fifty headed hydra if you are with Xamira, because she's the opposite of quiet). If you fail, the creatures will wake up and you'll need to write another 555 words as you hide in some kind of burrow until they go back to sleep.

9. Well, that was intense. You are kind of tired. Go get some water, maybe a snack. Take a rest of no less than ten minutes.


10. Well, time flies when you are having fun... and in here, it also flies when the Time Retrievers (and other accidents of time traveling writing) flap their wings. But don't worry about them, worrying is not going to help you. Time and time mistakes are something that you can't control. All you can do now is try to go back while there is still enough light.
Write to the nearest hundred as you walk back. If you aren't on the border of the forest, you'll need to track the time.
How long did it take? (CLICK ME)

If it took less than thirty minutes, you are fine, don't worry about time anymore. Throw a dice. Multiply by 2 and write for that number of minutes.

If it took thirty minutes or more, the sun set before you manage to get out. Monstrous insects, quite small but big enough for you to notice they are all teeth, fill the night. How can you see their teeth, you ask? Well, because they eat darkness and shadows. Being around them is like being in the middle of the day. They were meant to be something else, not creatures but a skill of a certain character, but physics and common sense got in the way and the writer let them here, waiting for the right time. Throw a dice. Multiply by 100 and write that many words.

11. If you had been on your own all this time, in the border of the forest, you may have time to go to the store before heading home. If you want to, you can write to the nearest hundred before calling it a day.
On the other hand, if you had a guide you still need to say goodbye. Trow a dice, multiply by 50 and write that many words.



So, how do you feel, was the day good? Was it productive? Ridiculously long?

This is the first version, it needs some testing to determine if it works, or what does it work for. Adjustments may occur soon (or not, it depends on feedback).

Dice

Stay out!

Alastor

Xamira

Can't see the results?

Look for a pop-up in the bottom right of the page.

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Challenges

Sprint:

Write for x minutes or x words.

Write x words in y minutes:

You either meet the words goal... or not.

Fifty Headed Hydra:

Write 500 words in 5 minutes.

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