Finn's Journey

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Nothing in Louisiana has ever been normal, but the cast and scene of this tale is not even Louisiana-normal. This is the story of two [[Gorfrogs |Gorfrog Lore]] named Finn and Beetle and the, often bloody, sacrifices they had to make to see their family [[survive |Panel Two]]. <<set $GL1 to true>>

<<if $GL1 is true>>This is the Bestiary entry for Gorfrogs. All associated lore will be added to this tableture as the story progresses. <</if>> <<if $GL2 is true>>Gorfrogs are a species of humanoid frogs native to the marshlands of the Mississippi Delta. They are a sexually dimorphic species, and tend to stick close to bodies of water in which they can spawn. <</if>> <<if $GL3 is true>>Gorfrog males are the homemakers of their species and are small in stature with bright colorful patterning. Female Gorfrogs are often larger and more capable of hunting small fish, reptiles, smaller amphibians, and even birds. <</if>> <<if $GL4 is true>>Gorfrogs like mundane frogkind are hyper sensitive to changes in the environment and will leave when water pH starts to increase.<</if>> Go [[back to the story |previous ()]].

Dusk. The air is humid but still sharp and cold on the marshlands. The edge of spring is ambling towards Louisiana land, and it’s not yet alive with the croaks of bullfrogs nor buzz of the mosquitoes. Finn and Beetle are huddling together over the fire in their tree-stump house on the banks of their meager pond. Just yesterday, Beetle spawned in the pond and Finn fertilized them. This was the easy part. The hard part of [[Gorfrog |Gorfrog Lore]] parenting would come later when they all hatched and [[needed feeding |Panel Three]]. <<set $GL2 to true>>

Night. The two potential parents huddling and weak from the dance of life and procreation look into each other's bulging and wet eyes. Beetle was first to speak. “I’m hungry,” she said. Finn pulled his hand from under his arms and reached for Beetle’s paw. Normally, she dwarfed him in size and security. Now, she looked [[empty and vulnerable |Panel Four]].

“I need food,” she continued. “But I can’t get up to go.” Finn’s eyes got bigger than they already were. The fire looked like it was being swallowed by his pupils. He, [[being the father |Gorfrog Lore]], needed to stay back and protect the pond from predators. “No, Beet,” he said gently, patting the top of her hand. “I can’t go out there. I have to [[stay home |Panel Five]].” <<set $GL3 to true>>

Beetle let her hand slip out of Finn’s. She glanced at the door behind them and winced. The crackle of the fire filled the gap of silence. Beetle let out a small sigh and her eyelids began to close involuntarily. Finn wondered if he should put another piece of [[wood on the fire |Panel Six]] or [[help Beetle to the bed |Panel Seven]].

Finn got up and stood a menacing two feet tall. Still he was shorter than Beetle who was still fighting her drooping lids. Upon standing, Finn felt his bones pop and crack into action again. With a gentle croak of his voice, he asked Beetle, “May I help you to bed?” She weakly held up her hand and said, “Sleep won’t stop me from starving. We don’t have any food.” Finn continued to try and [[help her up |Panel Eight]], but got the feeling that [[he should probably say something instead |Panel Ten]]. <<set $choseHelp to true>>

Finn got up and stood a menacing two feet tall. Still he was shorter than Beetle who was still fighting her drooping lids. Upon standing, Finn felt his bones pop and crack into action again. He reached over to the pile of kindling by the fire pit, which was just the hollowed out stump they live under. While his back was turned, he heard the [[door swinging open |Panel Nine]]. <<set $choseFire to true>> Finn dropped the kindling back on the pile and reached for the poker next to the fire pit, thinking someone had come into their house.

“I’ll go,” Finn mumbled. The sound got stuck in his throat and sounded like a stifled croak. “What was that?” asked Beetle. For the first time in their marriage, Beetle felt heard. She was usually the one with all the answers and the strength to carry them through their challenges. “I said, you’re right. I’ll go,” Finn went to grab the poker from next to the fireplace. On his way to the door, he stopped to put a piece of wood on the fire. “You always do this. It’s about time I do something.” As he went to go out the door, the fire grew bright behind him. Beetle stopped him and leaned over to hug him. “Thank you.” She went back over to the fire and sat. Finn’s vocal sac swelled with pride and he hopped [[into the cold night |Part Two: Haunted Hero]].

“If you’re up for it,” Finn said, “then go for it. I won’t stop you.” Beetle looked into Finn’s eyes to see some spark of purpose in him. Some kind of gumption. Nothing. She knew he was smaller than her, but she hadn’t believed he was also a coward. She hadn’t even had that thought until now. Finn went to put some wood on the fire. Beetle grabbed a spear and left as the fire grew brighter. The door slammed behind her. Finn stoked the fire and made the bed, making it nice [[for when his wife came back |Part Two: Coward]].

After Finn helped her up, she wrapped her tattered coat closer to her body and hobbled to the door. He was reminded that even in her weakened state she was still a force to be reckoned with as his hands reached to hold her back and felt the flex of her muscles under her sleeve. Finn could put up little physical resistance so he squeaked an objection. “You can’t go out like this, honey-fly,” he said. He tried to hold her arm, but she pulled away. “I’m not going to stay here and starve until the kids are hatched,” she said. The dying fire behind them filled her wet eyes with a dull and powerful glow. “So it’s either [[you go |Hero to Haunted]] or [[I go |Coward to Brave]].” Finn stood shocked for a moment, not knowing what to say, but he knew if he didn’t say something soon, she’d make up her own mind. <<timed 60s transition>> <<goto [[Said Nothing]]>> <</timed>>

Finn stopped trying to help her up for a moment and felt the urge to say something. He’d been thinking about saying it since Beetle had mentioned it earlier. “I think I can go out there,” he said. It was Beetle’s turn to be surprised. “Really?” she meagerly croaked. “You’d do that for me?” “Well…” he thought about what he should say next. He rehearsed the lines in his head, [[“Yes, my honey-fly, I’d do anything for you. |Hero to Haunted]]" Or, [[“Actually, I think it’s best if we both just stay here.” |Panel Eleven]] <<set $choseSaid to true>>

Finn continued to help Beetle up. She gave little resistance to the help, and he felt her muscles flex under her sleeve, reminding him that even in her weakened state she was still a force to be reckoned with. She wrapped her tattered coat closer to her body and hobbled to the door. Finn could put up little physical resistance so he squeaked an objection. “You can’t go out like this, honey-fly,” he said. He tried to hold her arm, but she pulled away. “I’m not going to stay here and starve until the kids are hatched,” she said. The dying fire behind them filled her wet eyes with a dull and powerful glow. “So I’ll give you one last chance. Either [[you go out there |Hero to Haunted]] or [[I do |Coward to Brave]].” Finn stood shocked for a moment, not knowing what to say, but he knew if he didn’t say something soon, she’d make up her own mind. <<timed 60s transition>> <<goto [[Said Nothing]]>> <</timed>>

End of Part 1. To review the decisions made so far, click [[here |Hero Decisions]]. To continue onto Part Two, click [[here |Panel I]]. To review the Gorfrog Lore unlocked in the story thus far, click [[here |Gorfrog Lore]].

End of Part 1. To review the decisions made so far, click [[here |Coward Decisions]]. To continue onto Part Two, click [[here |Panel I]]. To review Gorfrog Lore, click [[here |Gorfrog Lore]].

These are Finn's decisions up to now: <<if $choseFire is true>> Finn tended to the fire to keep them warm while deciding what they should do for food. <</if>> <<if $saidNothing is true>> When faced with the chance to stop Beetle from going out that night, Finn didn't know what to say. So he said nothing. <</if>> To go back to the story, click [[here |previous ()]]

These are Finn's decisions up to now: <<if $choseHelp is true>> Finn tried to make Beetle comfortable by urging her to bed while they decided what they should do for food. He hopes she appreciated that. <</if>> <<if $choseSaid is true>> When faced with the chance to stop Beetle from going out that night, Finn initially didn't know what to say. Yet, he found his words and told her he'd go out to find food. He wondered what would have happened if they both stayed behind. <</if>> To go back to the story, click [[here |previous ()]]

Two weeks later. Dawn. <<timed 5s transition>> <<goto [[Panel II]]>> <</timed>>

This path leads nowhere for now. Please come [[back later |WIP Page]].

You've gotten here now. There is nowhere else to go. To bide the time, you can: Learn more about what a [[Gorfrog |Gorfrog Lore]] is. Play Part 1 again from the [[start |Part One]]. To play Part 2 again click [[here |Panel I]]. Review the decisions Finn made for each part: [[All Decisions Thus Far]] Please come back later when there's more to play. :)

Not knowing how to respond, Finn sat in silence. <<timed 3s transition>> <<goto [[Coward to Brave]]>> <</timed>> <<set $saidNothing to true>>

“No, Finn,” he heard Beetle saying. “I’m going to get food.” Finn put the poker back and walked to Beetle. “You can’t go out like this, honey-fly,” he said. He tried to hold her arm, but she pulled away. “I’m not going to stay here and starve until the kids are hatched,” she said. The dying fire behind them filled her wet eyes with a dull and powerful glow. “So it’s either [[you go |Hero to Haunted]] or [[I go |Coward to Brave]].” Finn stood shocked for a moment, not knowing what to say, but he knew if he didn’t say something soon, she’d make up her own mind. <<timed 60s transition>> <<goto [[Said Nothing]]>> <</timed>>

Finn was in the swamp gathering moss for his shelter from the fallen logs. There’s a low rumbling off in the distance and a pillar of gray smoke trails behind the rumbling. Where there once were trees was now upturned ground and fallen timber. Places like these [[used to be his home |Panel III]].

Nothing familiar remained. He finished gathering the damp, green moss in a small cloth sac. Within the sac were two slimy orbs with symmetrical black spots on each side. “Let’s get y’all home now,” he whispered to them. “We’ve had a long day.” This was all that was left of that night. He hadn’t named them. Naming them would mean he was attached. Right now he had [[no guarantee that anyone would survive |Panel IV]].

He gently cinched the bag closed. He then used his small pocket knife to etch a small notch on one of the small trees. Looking before him, there were other trees in a line marked with the same notches. Following the marked path, he [[headed to his shelter |Panel V]].

Since the devastation of his home, Finn had been squatting at different locations that weren’t overrun with the machines. At this point, he’d been living under the boat shack of a local fisherman. He’d heard the whir of their fan boats on the waters many a time, but never had he thought they’d be safe to follow. Beetle wouldn’t believe him if he’d told her this is [[where he went |Panel VI]].

Arriving at the shack, he hopped down below its stilted floor to his small hovel. It was a meager nest of sorts made of the detritus he’d scrounged up from around the boat house. Evidently, the boat house had not been visited since the clearings started. Finn figured the fisherman who owned this place had left out of fear of the machines too, but he wasn’t able to break into the shack itself to get into it. The boat was also gone. This is all he could manage. He took off his bag and set it gently on the ground of [[his hovel |Panel VII]].

He gingerly pulled the wet moss away from the two spawn sitting in the bag. “Hello there little ones,” he said in a sing-songy tone. He placed them in a milk jug that had been cut in half to look like a bowl. “You know,” he said, pointing to the larger of the two spawn. “You look just like your mother.” He went back to [[his bag |Panel VIII]].

The moss he’d gathered was for covering of the mud floors he’d made. He figured since he’d be living here for a while, he might as well make it look livable for… her. Something in him kept telling him she’d come back at any moment. She’d croak her little sign and say, “Ya know, Finn, that was pretty clever of you to leave all those notches on the trees for me. It took me a while but I found you [[nevertheless|Panel IX]].”

He filled the room with quiet sobbing squeaks as he worked. The water of the hewn milk jug rippled from the low rumblings of the machines in the distance. It was almost [[night |Panel X]].

Night. Finn finished the flooring by nightfall. It was starting to look a bit more like a home than a shelter. He didn’t know how much that would matter in the coming weeks because it would be flooded out. The water was only low right now because of the dry winter. As soon as the storms started coming, he’d have to relocate. He had no idea where to go. Walking to them, he wondered if he should [[leave the spawn |LeaveSpawn]] or [[take them to a new pond |ChooseSpawn]].

Finn goes down the thought process of leaving behind his spawn. It felt wrong. It felt so insanely evil for him to even consider this, but maybe if he left them behind, he’d be able to survive and make new spawn with another mate. “How do I know we’re not the last ones?” he whispered to himself. “How do I know there are any other Gorfrogs out there? Everyone else [[left |Gorfrog Lore]] months before the machines came.” He wanted to continue [[thinking about it |LeaveSpawn2]], but maybe, he should [[stop |Panel XI]]. <<timed 40s transition>> <<goto [[Panel XI]]>> <</timed>> <<set $ConsideredLeavingSpawn to true>> <<set $GL4 to true>>

“No this is crazy talk,” he says, scolding himself. He slaps his hand to his head and sighs. “We have to find a bigger pond. We have to go. This place [[won’t stay safe forever |Panel XI]].” <<set $ChoseSpawn to true>> <div class="hiddentext" style="display: none;">Finn briefly considered leaving the spawn behind, but he challenged the thought. He decided to seek shelter in a new pond instead.</div>

After considering for longer, he decided it might be best to leave them behind if [[push comes to shove |Panel XII]]. <<set $ChoseToLeaveThem to true>>

“I’m sorry little ones,” he said to them. “I shouldn’t even be thinking about this. If you don’t survive, then [[I lose everything |Panel XII]].” <<set $ConsideredButNo to true>>

As he lays his head down to go to sleep… <<timed 3s transition>>distant croak fills the air.<</timed>> <<timed 7s transition>>“Beetle?” But he knew it wasn't her. A twinge of sadness hit him.<</timed>> <<timed 9s transition>>Another croak came along.<</timed>> <<timed 11s transition>>"Wait!" he said jumping to his feet. "That's another Gorfrog." He ran out of the shack and listened for it again.<</timed>> <<timed 15s transition>>The swamp rang with another sharp and unnatural call. Finn looked up to the sky. "Thank you."<</timed>> <<timed 25s transition>> <<goto [[Part Three]]>> <</timed>>

End of Part 2. To review the decisions made so far, click [[here |Part Two Decisions]]. To continue onto Part Two, click [[here |Redirection to WIP Page]]. To review the Gorfrog Lore unlocked in the story thus far, click [[here |Gorfrog Lore]].

<<if $ConsideredLeavingSpawn is true>>Faced with the hard reality of choosing between his own survival or the survival of his legacy, he decided to think about it.<</if>> <<if $ChoseSpawn is true>>Finn briefly considered leaving the spawn behind, but he challenged the thought. He decided to seek shelter in a new pond instead.<</if>> <<if $ConsideredButNo is true>>Finn considered leaving his spawn behind, but ultimately decided not to do so.<</if>> <<if $ChoseToLeaveThem is true>>Finn considered the pros and cons of leaving behind his spawn if it came down to it and decided it was best if he did that.<</if>>

These are Finn's decisions for Part 1: <<if $choseFire is true>> Finn tended to the fire to keep them warm while deciding what they should do for food. <</if>> <<if $saidNothing is true>> When faced with the chance to stop Beetle from going out that night, Finn didn't know what to say. So he said nothing. <</if>> <if $choseHelp is true>> Finn tried to make Beetle comfortable by urging her to bed while they decided what they should do for food. He hopes she appreciated that. <</if>> <<if $choseSaid is true>> When faced with the chance to stop Beetle from going out that night, Finn initially didn't know what to say. Yet, he found his words and told her he'd go out to find food. He wondered what would have happened if they both stayed behind. <</if>> <<if $ConsideredLeavingSpawn is true>>Faced with the hard reality of choosing between his own survival or the survival of his legacy, he decided to think about it.<</if>> <<if $ChoseSpawn is true>>Finn briefly considered leaving the spawn behind, but he challenged the thought. He decided to seek shelter in a new pond instead.<</if>> <<if $ConsideredButNo is true>>Finn considered leaving his spawn behind, but ultimately decided not to do so.<</if>> <<if $ChoseToLeaveThem is true>>Finn considered the pros and cons of leaving behind his spawn if it came down to it and decided it was best if he did that.<</if>> [[Return to Menu |previous ()]]