Night has fallen on Tracker's Valley, yielding a cool breeze that stands in stark contrast to the days earlier heat. Deep within the remote wilderness is Camp Arawak, a place for children to enjoy the serene beauty of nature in relative comfort.
Or at least, that was the idea.
But now the Smalls have all nestled themselves in for the night, dozing away quietly. Are they dreaming of wondrous things, or of terrors? While the inky blackness grows ever deeper, various Toys within the cabin begin to come to life. Animated solely by the love of their Small they rise, as they do every night, to fend off the horrors of the subconscious.
But the evening has only just barely begun and their mortal foes have yet to collect themselves. The Toys have a precious chance to gather and prepare for the coming night.
Within the Cabin are a dozen Smalls, included among them the young one named 'Eddy' dressed, unsurprisingly, in his favorite pair of "Cylce-Droid" pajamas. Rufus, meanwhile, murmurs away on the other side of the cabin, near the door. It's mostly nonsensical, and it doesn't seem to bother the other Smalls, so it's harmless enough.
The Smalls are barely asleep before a knapsack starts fidgeting and soon the zipper unzips and shiny red form slips out and tumbles to the ground. It dusts itself off quickly before reaching back inside and grabbing a slender item and carefully attaching it to his leg. The shiny red toy then rushes under the bed and soon reappears peering out from underneath the foot of the bed. In the dim moonlight revealing a roughly humanoid form with sharp angles and wide circles hanging behind its head. A long cyclinder shaped head looks back and forth searching for other signs of movement.
Slipping out from under the pillow, Boxy takes a moment to look over Rupert. Then he drifts flatly to the floor. Scrambling across the room, he sees a figure. He pops up, folding himself into his normal shape. "Wow, you've got wheels over your shoulders. Does that mean you can roll when you're laying down?"
Chitter chatter comes from the top bunk where little Arthur lay sleeping. The boy had had a rough day at Camp Arawak. Physical activity wasn't his strong suit, as his asthma seemed to put a damper on all sorts of activities. Chitwick patted Art on the head and gave him a loving nuzzle. Sleep tight, Artie.
Chitwick glanced over the bunk to judge his distance. He tiptoed back over to Art, grabbed his knapsack, and did a little stretch before breaking into a four-legged sprint. A-one. Hands hit the ground. A-two. brown furry monkey feet reach past the hands. and a-three! Off he goes, airborne as two magnificent bird wings spread out! Soaring towards the ground, Mister Chitwick throws his hands out in glee, smiling a great big ear-to-ear smile as he glides. He tucks his wings back and prepares for a goofy landing. He slides up besides Boxy and Droid, in a calculated rough-and-tumble sort of landing that leaves him on his back with his wings crossed over his body.
"Boy, oh boy! Can't wait to do that again!"
"You've got cool things on your shoulders too!" Boxy twists around as if trying to look behind him. "Do all the cool toys here have should-thingies? I don't even have shoulders."
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no, I'm just filled with cotton! says tuffet, climbing from the bunk where his small lie. He climbed down with some help from his cane. He moves to the others and looks at droid with some annoyance.
are all new toys some strange robot or alien?
Tuffet's frame seems a little overstuffed. He's large for a toy, but not huge at least!
"I'm new and I'm not a robot. I'm Boxy the magic box!" he'll head over next to Tuffet and hold out a flap next to the old pup. Then he'll lay down next to him, and then get back up and go to the other side. "I think you might be too big to get inside of me. If you could it would only be with some major squishing."
"Hmm... No shoulder thingies, but he's got a stick, that guy's got a hat, the robot's got a gun. I don't have anything." Only then does he realize that he said this out loud.
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Tuffet chuckles. well, you are a box! You fall flat, you hold things, you do more than me! I get dirty, beat up, and washed a lot!. By the end of this camping trip I'll have a nice layer of mud on me!
Tuffet sighs, pulls out a small bouncy ball, and begins to figet. but anyways. We all know why we're here, don't we? It's not all fun and games. Normally I work with an army of little green soldiers. But here, I have only you...
Chitwick skitters over to Boxy and extends an arm. "Hiya Boxy, m-my names Mister Chitwick! We shouldn't focus on what makes us different. I think we're all great in our own way. I bet you've got some really nice playtime stories!"
He then introduces himself to both Tuffet and Droid in a similar, courteous manner.
"Mr. Tuffet, right to business! I like that. You remind me of an old old friend I had, Sir Biggles. Tough as nails, yet sweeter than pie. Don't you worry, I've got experience on the field, especially in operating as a squad! Don't you guys worry, if there's something too dangerous for us to handle, I'll get us out of there." He gives he bellboy cap on his head a good tug with one hand while he gives a thumbs up with the other. "You can count on Mister Chitwick!"
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Tuffet nods his head. good, we can use a veteran. Looks like the robot's newer than Boxy! By the way, I do like the imagination your small has put into you. Toys like you are unique, different.
Tuffet turns to chitwick, but toys like us where made to be toys! We aren't as unique, but we may be the only ones of us in our situation. Or not. But truth be told, you aren't as old as us, and need to harden up! At night it is a whole new world! There are no happy endings or sudden twists! this is more than that.
Tuffet sighs, and sits down So, what next?
As the question hangs in the air it seems the night itself has an answer. The sound of the wind picks up outside of the cabin, sounding almost as if it were some awful beast on the prowl. On the other side of the room a window rattles and slowly opens of its own accord. It is nearly impossible to see into the camp beyond yet it beckons you still, as if challenging you to come face what horrors await.
"That's bad, right?" he whispers.
Some ruffling is heard from behind Boxy, Tuffet and Droid.
Chitwick shoves past the three, wearing a newsboy cap and now sporting a dirty white t shirt, suspenders and pants, with a cigar hanging loosely from his lips.
Awright, Boys. Bout time we get to woyk hea'
"Okay, I guess I'm ready." He waves his flaps in an aggressive manner as they step forward. Though he backs away from the business end of Chitwick's cigar.
The Toys each take turns climbing through the window, each using their own unique traits to overcome the height. As you leave you hear the Small Rufus mutter something like "...macaroni." in whisperspeak while rolling over. What he could possible mean by it is another matter entirely.
Once in the camp proper the night seems no less menacing. The forest surrounding the half dozen cabins that make up the camp seems impossible thick. Meanwhile, there is no moonlight to speak of; though whether it is because of thick clouds or a lack of the moon entirely you can't tell. The only light comes from a single lamp mounted above the door of a nearby cabin. Though the bulb flickers occasionally, you can make out a sign that says "Arts & Crafts". From where you are standing you can only see the front door and it looks to be locked. Of course, that shouldn't be much of a problem for a group of enterprising Toys, right?
Except for the sound of the wind your surroundings are eerily quiet. You can't even hear any of the sleeping Smalls, even Rufus' sleep talking.
Speaking of the wind, there's something unusual about it...How it seems to be especially strong around your group, and how it is starting to envelope you entirely. In fact, leaves and twigs are starting to be blown towards you, and are taking on an almost humanoid shape.
Weird.
"There's no need to be jealous. Robots and aliens may be popular now but that doesn't mean it'll stay that way... Trust me." the last bit comes out with a bit more emotion than droid intends and he quickly covers it up by rushing to be the first out of the window and down.
He carefully scans the surrounding as an afterthought before waving the rest of the toys down.
As Droid is about to wave everyone down he pauses and whispers back, "Are one of you messing with the wind? If you are stop it it's kinda creepy."
Newsie Chitwick climbs up and over the window and joins up with Droid and Boxy. He takes a big drag of his cigar and begins to speak, letting out a puff of rose-scented cigar smoke after every few words.
" Tha wind? Wus wrong wit the wind, bub? Y' think it could be dem creepy crawlies?"
Droid will point cautiously at the leaves moving towards us. "There! Doesn't that look kinda like a person?"
"What?" Chitwick replies as he takes a puff of his cigar.
"Any lil thin' could look like a person" he pulls out his cigar and squints. "But now that y'mention it, it does look a bit suspicious" Chitwick stands up on two feet, hikes up his pants, and puffs out his chest. His cigar dangles comically on the edge of his lips as he speaks.
"If yer out there, I says you quit bein' such a coward & get wus comin' to yas, "
Apparently reacting to Chitwicks threats the winds blow even harder, colescing into two large golems made of leaves and twigs. They watch your group with menacing eyes, hoping that you will climb down from the window sill and into their grasp. Meanwhile the strong gusts of wind have blown Tuffet the dog back into the cabin and out of slight as he rolls under one of the bunks.
Your attention is drawn back to the two golems as they speak, their voices whispy and cold even for whisperspeak. "Toys, toys," they say in unison "Look at the Toys, all come out to play. But they don't look very tough...they won't last long we think."
Boxy isn't quite sure what to do, but if Chitwick was going to be brave, then he would be too.
"Speak for yourselves! Compared to the bugs I twomp every night a buncha leaves won't even slow me down."
Droid will then level his Blaze Rifle at the nearest thingamajig and open fire when he gets the chance.
Chitwick starts fluttering his wings and banging his chest. His anxiety builds up and he lets out a gruff battle cry at the figure after it's shown itself.
"C'MON Y'RAT "
Surprise Round
Initiative:
Leafy Golem
Droid
Boxy
Chitwick
Verdant Golem
With a surprised yelp the two creatures dive to opposite sides, partially avoiding both Chitwick and Droids attacks. Boxy still has a chance to seize the initiative before the Leafy Golem acts.
Boxy moves up to the leafy one and tries stuffing all of the leaves inside him. "Hah! I've seen the brown people do this!"
= 5 successes
The curious cardboard Toy stuffs the Primal into it's confines in an almost comedic stretch of the laws of Physics. It's muffled cries of frustration can be heard from within.
Round 1
Initiative:
Leafy Golem
Boxy
Droid
Chitwick
Verdant Golem
From within Boxy the Leafy Golem struggles to free itself, attacking the walls around itself in desperation. Leaves and twigs tear around the enclosed space viciously.
"That's a neat trick. Do you eat em or do they come out later. In a ridiculous outfit maybe?"
When it's his turn Droid will fire at the verdant golem thing
Boxy struggles as the thing inside him is fighting to get free. Or perhaps he's dancing really badly. "No, Chitwick does the funny costumes."
As he struggles he slams his flaps inward to try and hurt the leafy thing.
Chitwick flutters his wings and jumps to action at the sign of danger. He unleashes an inflammatory barrage of words at the verdant golem.
WOULD YA LOOK AT THAT BIG GREEN BOOGER!
Round 1
The Leafy Golem continues to struggle within Boxy, though it can't save itself from the Toys sudden assault. The primal creature disintegrates into a pile of tattered leaves and broken twigs.
Meanwhile the Verdant Golem attempts to avoid attacks from both Chitwick and Droid.
But it fails in the extreme as it is burned from Droids energy blast and then blown away by Chitwicks boom.
With the death of the two golems the wind seems to return to its deathly still. The Toys have emerged dominant, though you are certain that this is not all that the night holds for you.
"Ack. Phlth. Pfthack." It takes him a moment to get the leaves and twigs out. "Well, that was unpleasant."
"Hey, Hey! We make a pretty good team. But maybe we should check and make sure there aren't anymore. They coulda been a distraction."
Bathed in the light of the single lamp as you are, you feel a relative calm come over you. It is only when gazing into the darkness beyond the camp limits that your uneasiness grows.
Of course, there are likely all manner of creeps lurking elsewhere throughout the camp. The only question is: where to begin? The arts & craft cabin becons you with its comforting light, but there are yet other structures; cabins for the campers, the cafeteria, the administrative building, the storage shed. Beyond that something truly strange is guaranteed to lie within the forest - Droid knows that Eddy especially was anxious about whatever may be stalking the trees at night. Even further beyond is the serene Green Lake, sure to be teeming with all manner of unusual horrors that only a fearful Small could dream up.
A shudder runs down Chitwick's soft, fluffy back.
There's more, there's always more. We jus gotta go out there and find 'em, y'know, and put a hurtin' on em.
He looks towards the sfot glow of the arts & craft cabin, then quickly turns around towards the cafeteria. He could've sworn her heard a noise coming from the storage shed, but then again, maybe it was coming from the admin building? He tugged on his cap bag, bringing it tighter towards him. His bravado has disappeared, and in it's place, an inkling of uncertainty mixed with some splatterings of fear.
M-m-m- Maybe we should go check out some of these other places, y'know, to m-m-make sure there ain't more of them monstas out there"
We could be surrounded...
"We should check out the other sleeping cabins first. We don't want anything gettin in while we're checkin other stuff."
"Y-yeah, yeah you're right. We don't need none of that.
He begins to make his way to the other cabins.
Boxy will follow along nervously. That was scarier than anything he'd ever faced. "Have all of you done this before? Not playing, but for realsises?"
"Never fought stuff like that before but the apartment building we live in has a real mean bug that calls itself King and thinks our home belongs to him. Me and Eddy's other toys have to deal with his lot all the time."
The group quickly covers the handful of meters between their position and the neighboring cabin. As you get closer it becomes apparent that getting in will present a minor obstacle; none of the windows have been left open and while the front door has been left open to let in the cool night air, their is a screen door blocking you from actually entering the structure.
Ever so faintly you hear a skittering sound coming from inside the cabin. It comes and goes, sounding off in rapid succession and then stopping all together. If you were the cautious sort you could say that it sounded like something crawling about, or maybe it is just water looking from the roof...
Chitwick steels himself with a deep puff of his cigar, slowly letting the sweet candy smoke billow out as he walks the darkened campground.
"This ain't my first rodeo, but I tell ya, y'could never get used to whatever they trow at yous. One time I seent a massive snake monster made of hair & lint. We couldn't pin the thing down, it'd jus break apart and reform. A buddy of mine set the thing on fire after an hour or two of combat. These things get mean."
Reaching the cabin, he peers around, not to cognizant of what's going on inside. After inspecting the building for an entrance, he decides to climb the door and give the handle a jiggle.
"I've only ever done play-fights." Even without a face, you can tell that he's a little nervous, but he wants to help out. "But the glowy thing on the wall said that if we all stand together then we'll always win, right?"
As Chitwick climbs, he says " If somebody wants to climb inside of me , you can come out inside the cabin. Sometimes my front and back are in different places. It's because I ate a worm once and he made a hole. Then I can slide under the door."
"Lint and Hair? That's gross."
"Huh, what's that sound?" he perks his head up to listen closer. "Bugs! We've got bugs! We have to get in there now!"
The skittering noises continue unabated while the Toys decide how to proceed. If there really is something in there it must not have noticed them yet.
Chitwick finds that there is a small hook-latch on the other side of the screen door which holds it from being opened all the way. There is a large enough gap that a very small Toy may be able to slip through, but that's it.