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Images by dragon friend https://www.furaffinity.net/user/phyrexianrevoker/
Individual images:
Lily (Skunk) - https://www.furaffinity.net/view/44807544/
Mumu (Bunny) - https://www.furaffinity.net/view/44807558/
Telias (Cat) - https://www.furaffinity.net/view/44807581/
Vildurn (Slime) - https://www.furaffinity.net/view/44807627/
Adventurer’s Magazine - Issue 303
Crittercurse Forest
View other articles here! https://www.deviantart.com/turnedin.....tion-892265091
“Those who venture into the heart of Crittercurse Forest should not worry about how much treasure there is to be found, but instead how to carry it back while avoiding every danger on the way…”
The world features no shortage of locations for treasure-seeking adventurers to set their sights, from dark dungeons full of traps to caves full of man-eating beasts, all promising a beautiful stash of coins or gems to fill your bags with. Usually these locations are guarded by armies of high-level, dangerous monsters, or “bosses” that require coordinated and carefully planned strategies in order to slay.
But unlike these typical locations... the gem pile that rests in the Crittercurse Forest is guarded by mere Level 1 wolf pups and slimes!
Indeed, every danger in these woods would be considered a pushover by even a warrior’s child. No spike traps, no dart turrets, nothing like a normal dungeon. The trek is nothing but a simple, one kilometer walk to the small grove where the treasure awaits…
Sounds pretty easy, right?
However, if a party seeks to make quick riches of the Crittercurse Forest, they are in for a great surprise once they breathe in the warm, heavy mist that surrounds it…
For you see, while the most deadly foes that roam this woodland are small, cute animals that most adventurers would joke about, the forest has a way of making sure every adventurer is on equal grounds to face the dangers ahead… in the most adorable way possible.
Upon stepping into the shadow of the canopies, adventurers remark to find their broadswords and bows vanishing into thin air. To follow it up, their armour, clothes and every other possession also disappear with a poof, leading to quite a few embarrassing glances amongst companions.
If one steps back, away from the glade, all objects will come back as quickly as they had vanished, but if they decide to continue towards their bounty, they will have to kiss their humanoid shape goodbye too…
The transformation is not the same for everyone, as the forest hosts a wide variety of animal forms to potentially thrust its visitors into. The soon-to-not-be-human is asked for no input regarding what type of critter they are about to be trapped as, and no level of strength, blessing or magical artifact will provide immunity to the changes. If you step into the glade, no matter who you are, you’ll receive a downgrade straight to level 1!
The most common animal forms include foxes, rabbits, and other small mammals, but the mist has been known to change people into nearly any type of cuddly animal. Some will trip on their own legs and immediately themselves on all fours, while others experience a few seconds of being furry, “anthro” versions of themselves before being completely changed in the blink of an eye. Regardless, each adventurer will be in the body of a complete tiny, feral beast by the time the trees surround them.
However, while it may be embarrassing, there is no need to fret over your lost gear, or even your bodies. Once you step out of the forest, fur, scales, or feathers turn back into human skin, while weapons and clothes will magically return as well.
Many adventurers freak out and decide to turn around right as they begin to sprout tails, but the more intrepid ones will carry on… either by greed, or seeking an adventure different from any other.
Of course, readers should not place blame upon those who decide to flee upon discovering their assigned forms, as the woods has been known for giving its visitors some particularly unorthodox bodies to journey as.
Wizards who’ve studied the region believe that each person is changed into an animal that better suits their personality, although most warriors will vehemently deny that their “proper” forms are cute badgers or egg-laying birds. Not to mention the wise spellcasters who’ve been turned into dumb koalas, or rangers that become weasels with arms so small they could never hold their own bows.
One adventurer (who wishes to remain anonymous) even told our interviewers how they sprouted fluffy moth wings, an extra pair of legs, and ultra-sensitive antennae. Until they managed to buzz their way out of the woods, as a cat-sized fluffmoth (See Article 142 - The Giant FluffMoths), they found it hard to focus on anything but the shining moonlight, and had to constantly be called back by their party members…
A representative of the Adventurer’s Magazine decided to sit down with a party that is renowned for making it through the Crittercurse Forest and being able to tell the tale afterward! This quartet was the first to ever achieve this feat, proving that the quest wasn’t impossible, and inspired a whole generation of gem-seekers after them.
Interviewer: I am sitting with Telias the warrior, Lily the cleric, Vildurn the paladin, and Mushimu the b-
Lily (cleric): Actually, she prefers to simply be called Mumu these days.
-Supportively, the party’s healer holds the fourth member in a warm embrace.-
Interviewer: Understood! How about we begin with you, Sir Telias? What was the first reaction when your group entered these fabled woodlands?
Telias (warrior): As the brawns of my group, we all agreed that I should be the first to step through the mist, in case we needed a quick retreat. I let out a sigh when my hands shrunk into white-furred paws, each with only four fingers, and my broadsword disappeared right from within them. My armour was quick to leave as well, and even though we had prepared for that moment, I could not help but blush as my three companions laid eyes upon my bare skin... or rather, soon to be fur.
Shortly thereafter, I was sent leaning over with a gasp as my tailbone shifted itself down my backside, followed by a ticklish push through my skin. As I stared at that brand new, long tail, getting a grip of every new sensation as it swatted through the air, Lily followed behind, her chest sprouting patches of thick, black fluff. Beside her... our sorceress let out an embarrassed squeak as a set of large, silly bunny ears flopped out of her head.
Interviewer: Were each of you aware beforehand of which animal forms you’d take, or did all of this come as a surprise?
Telias (warrior): We only knew stories from previous, failed adventurers that braved the forest. Each of us knew that we would have to battle with animal tails, but it was still quite embarrassing for the three of us to grow those things right in front of each other! And truly nothing could have prepared us for the changes that fell upon our paladin. Though the mist was rather cool and refreshing, Vildurn was wiping sweat from his forehead nonstop, and when he tried to ask us something, it only came out as a series of blurbling noises.
Vildurn (paladin): My entire body was dribbling with green fluid, melting away! I had been ready to be covered with scales, to have my arms replaced with feathery wings, or to grow a long snout, but instead my body mass into stinky, shapeless fluid? What cruelty! We had just slain a couple of red slimes on our way to the forest, and now I was becoming a basic emerald-coloured one! I would have shaken my fist at the sky if my fingers were not fusing into each other!
Interviewer: At this point, your group must have already been horrified to continue on, right?
Telias (warrior): Our now-cottonball-tailed sorceress, who had been the most apprehensive about this quest, asked if it was too late to turn back and even I had to wince at the sight of our paladin slowly becoming a puddle of viscous, gooey liquid. As our tank, Vildurn was always seen in bulky chestplates, but now we could see right through his torso!
Vildurn (paladin): I tried my absolute hardest to hold my own dribbling body up, but my arms had become a couple of fingerless lumps! More garbled sounds escaped my dissolving vessel as the back of my mouth sealed itself, and all of my internal organs became nothing but wet, sticky slime… mixing together into a single thing.
Interviewer: A truly disgusting creature to become, and a regular for starting sword fighters. And what about you, dear warrior? What changes had preyed upon your body?
Telias (warrior): In the midst of all that, I was being robbed of my height, plus growing a bit chubbier in the torso. My belly was particularly soft and squishy, which was cute but certainly not befitting a mighty, handsome swordslinger. On top of that, many patches of rapidly growing fur left me distracted with an intense itch, so I very quickly scratched myself with a pair newly formed feline claws.. The black and orange spots covering my backside meant that I was becoming a tri-colored cat, like the common pets you would see roaming the town for scraps…
Lily (cleric): A calico cat, to be precise.
Interviewer: Are you sure that it was a calico, and not a similarly-furred breed?
Lily (cleric): I am absolutely certain that it was. His adorable pattern of fluff was unmistakable…
Interviewer: But how could that be possible, if all calico cats are female?
-The warrior gave a heavy, twitching blush, plus a glance down at his crotch, before shaking his head.-
Telias (warrior): ...m-may we move on from that? I have other… more interesting bits of the story to tell.
Interviewer: ...ah, understood. How about movement, were you able to walk on two paws?
Telias (warrior): After that particularly shameful change made me drop to my knees and moan through tears, I failed to stand up. My tail slumped and I pushed against the ground to no avail. Lily even had the audacity to walk by and pet my head, about to call me a ‘good GIRL’ when she also tumbled onto all fours.
-The warrior makes a playful glance towards the cleric, who huddles down a bit in embarrassment.-
Telias (warrior): But in her case, it wasn’t only the mode of walking that she lost. The black and white furred animal squeaked as her tail curved into the air, high enough to pet her own head as she showed her little hind end. I could tell that she was struggling with something as she wiggled her butt back and forth, tears in her eyes and mumbling…
Lily (cleric): When he asked what was wrong, the only thing that I could respond with was ‘no, no, no… I’m not a skunk… no no… ew... please no please no…’ That new gland f-formed so quickly, and completely full of gas that it demanded me to release…
Interviewer: Did you…?
-The healer cringes even deeper.-
Lily (cleric): I-I couldn’t control it! I-It wasn’t my fault! I… n-never felt more ashamed to be named after a beautiful flower! A-And of course this idiot decided to walk his feline body behind me right as I lost control!
-She gently jabs Telias in the side, producing a little “ow” from him.-
Telias (warrior): That was the biggest mistake of my life, as I had no idea what she was fighting with until a few moments too late. Our shy, dainty healer let loose her skunk spray right into my whiskery face! As she began to mumble out sorries, I started gagging like I was about to hack up a hairball, and our mage had to cover her new bunny nose with her big ears. The stench left us dizzy for over a minute before we could continue…
Interviewer: It must have been… daunting to know that your party would have to go through the entire forest in those forms, right?
Vildurn (paladin): Don’t even get us started about that! Once we recovered from that minor episode, we had to take a breath and make sure that we truly wanted to go through with all this. After Mumu was forced to start hopping instead of walking, she was even more scared to continue, and Lily was still staring at her new skunk tail with resentment, but I reassured them that the four of us could manage it. Even while I was nothing but a round, limbless blob they'd agreed that we were tougher than this.
Telias (warrior):And he was the one worst off, cringing every time his gooey body slid over the ground like a slug. But the man was still leading us ahead!
Vildurn (paladin): We had been adventuring for years up to this point, slain mythical beasts and tackled dungeons… we couldn’t get scared of a bunch of level 1 monsters! We had to continue towards that fabled pile of gems! If not for the riches, then to prove to everyone that we could!
Interviewer: Brave party, you all were. Most people are sent running back to town before their transformation is even complete…
While for the purposes of this article, we have spoken to a group that (mostly) managed to return from the Crittercurse Forest as they came, the grand majority of adventurers were not granted this same luck. Those who are accustomed to human bodies are much less trained in the ways of animal combat; the average person taking several minutes simply to learn walking on all fours. This leaves the low-level creatures that roam the woods at a massive advantage over them.
Over half of the questers that decide to trek ahead meet the end to their adventuring career before they even reach the center of the forest, which seemed like a simple task at first. This is not to say that they were killed, however…
When a transformed human is met with a scratch, bite, or other blow that would typically knock them out, they are instead shrouded in a cloud of mist, elegantly disappearing as their foe announces their victory. And when the former human awakens from the sudden salvation, they find themselves laying right outside of the forest’s bounds, completely unharmed… but still in the body of a woodland creature.
Not only will the adventurer have to live with the shame of being defeated by such a simple enemy, but they are also indefinitely stuck as an adorable animal themselves! No matter how many times the former human tries entering and exiting the forest, they will never change back into a person, forever stuck as an adorable animal.
As they panic at the sight of their new bodies, pondering the future they will now lead instead of a human life, the little creatures have little choice but to wait outside the forest for their parties to return. And almost always, each party member does come back… but not as a human. They come as a group of adventurers, and leave as helpless critters…
With no way to handle that new, odd way of life, most are forced to sadly make their way to a special foster home located right outside the forest. The Crittercurse Animal Shelter specializes in adopting the failed adventurers, nursing them, keeping their fur groomed, and teaching them how to use the abilities that replace their old sword tactics and spells. Here, the former humans sleep on small cushions, adjust to eating pet food out of dog bowls, and make friends with other animals until another party adopts them as a pet. Most adventurers are defiant when the foster home tells them that they’ll need to live as companions from now on, but with no alternative besides living out in the wild, they agree to join a new party…
When we interview former adventurers regarding this change in their lives, most sadly admit that their anger isn’t harboured towards the forest for transforming them, their new owners, nor the foster home for matching them up as the pets of other humans. Deep down, they are upset with themselves for failing, or for deciding to attempt that quest in the first place. Though the situation is unfortunate, they are grateful for the chance to continue adventuring, albeit as a much different role within the party. While having collars picked out for them is an insult for those who once purchased their own armour and weapons, this new life does partially fuel the questing spirit. Former humans are able to start leveling up again as pets, a new beginning rather than the somber death they would face after failing other quests.
One party member featured in this article has slowly learned this sentiment themself...
Lily (cleric): We had physically and mentally trained ourselves for how our adventure could have unfolded, but there was little preparation that could truly compare to the dread of a beginner-level foes’ fragility. I-It wasn’t just that we had no weapons, and that our magic was stripped… Simply moving around in those bodies was a chore. Telias and I trotted on all fours with annoying whiskers grown out of our big noses, Mumu had to hop everywhere as a bunny, and Vildurn had to drag his gooey muck over the floor! We were just glad that the Crittercurse Forest gave us the ability to communicate through our animal noises.
Interviewer: What about the monsters? If just walking is a problem, how did combat with them go?
Lily (cleric): We did manage to hold our own at first, once a pair of wolf pups ambushed us. Our warrior got the hang of his feline claws quickly, and… though I’d much prefer healing, that big skunk tail of mine was essentially a club attached to my butt. Swinging that thing at foes was both disorientating and scary!. Those small monsters, that we used to call cute, were terrifying when towering over us.
Vildurn (paladin): At some point the baby wolves even started licking up bits of my slime as if I was food! Not fun! I would never look at those beasts the same way!
Interviewer: Well, the majority of attempts end during that first encounter, so your party was already having good luck.
Mumu (bunny): T-Things only became tougher from there, though. I had to start slapping the little foxes and enemy slimes with… t-these stupid, floppy ears during the next fight…
-The rabbit sadly hung her head, hiding her cotton tail and batting at her ears with her front paws. There was obvious shame in her expression, as if she still hadn’t quite gotten used to her new life so many years later. The healer quickly brought the attention back from the little, furry animal sitting amongst humans.-
Lily (cleric): W-We could handle basic melee battles for a short while, but eventually so many small creatures would swarm us t-that we needed some sort of splash damage to handle them all. And… and… our only way to daze a bunch of foes at once was… with my spray.
-She shutters in residual embarrassment.-
Lily (cleric): At the start of each encounter, I-I was forced to turn around, point my butt at opponents, raise my big ol’ tail, and blast them with the nastiest stink cloud. My… my only way to help in battle was to fart on enemies and defile the e-entire forest with my horrendous stench! I-I felt like the complete opposite of a healer…
Interviewer: A truly unorthodox battle method, but better than facing eternal critterhood! And how about that grove in the center of the forest? Are the riches as grand as the legends foretell?
Mumu (bunny): I-It may have just been our new sizes, but that pile of sparkling gems was ginormous! We c-could swim in them! It was more wealth than we could’ve even imagined! We felt like dragons as we gazed upon those polished emeralds and rubies…
Vildurn (paladin): Our only problem… was bringing the spoils back to town.
Mumu (bunny): While as humans we could lug dozens of those rocks, we didn’t even have hands anymore! Telias needed to hold a large diamond in his mouth, Lily carefully cradled a couple gems in her tail, and Vildurn had to store them inside of his slimy belly. Between my buck teeth and stubby little paws, I agreed to just lead the way back… I was so excited to make it b-back home and end that weird experience…
-When the bunny’s eyes began to water up, the cleric gently strokes her backside, before gently picking up the little animal in an embrace. After a quiet moment between the party members as they recall their final adventure, she starts to calm down.-
Interviewer: Are you… willing to cover the rest for the magazine’s sake?
Mumu (bunny): Well… After getting the treasure, w-we’d let our guards down, assuming that escaping the mist would be simple after we had already battled all the foes along the way. We had not expected an entire pack of wolf pups to ambush us shortly after we crossed the river, as if the gems were attracting them. T-There were so many, some even Level 2!
Interviewer: How did you manage to evade those beasts while still holding on to the treasures? As far as I know, wolf pups are definitely faster than a slime, so your paladin friend would have no way to run!
Mumu (bunny): ...T-The cat and skunk were almost immediately tackled, and pinned down so that they couldn’t s-spray or scratch. A-And our slime was getting splattered over and over by our enemies, his battle cries shrunk to blurbling.
Telias (warrior): Terrifying stuff! I thought I was a goner!
Mumu (bunny): I-I… I had the thought to just run, to save myself, but i-instead… I needed to prove my bravery… e-even if it meant…
Lily (cleric): She saved our butts out there!
-As the former human sniffled, the healer continues to gently hug her against her chest, making the animal blush before continuing.-
Mumu (bunny): P-Pups are known for chasing rabbits, s-so with a few binkies and wiggles of my t-tail, all of their playful eyes were on me… and there was no escaping at that point. I-I had decided to risk never seeing my pretty human face again for the sake of my friends. After I-I started hopping away, each of the monsters immediately pursued me instead. I j-jumped as much as these big ol’ thumpers could allow, squeaking for my party members to get out while they could. I was able to keep the pups distracted for a very long time, giving my friends a wide opportunity to escape, and I actually thought that I could manage to evade those monsters as well… until one of those beasts managed to bite my tail. After that single blow slammed me into the ground, I was piled by the entire back, health draining from each attack, and my life flashed before my eyes… that was it… I had failed…
Interviewer: I am sure that many of our viewers are curious how it feels to be defeated while in the Crittercurse Forest.
Mumu (bunny): A-As I was lifted up by the mist, it was a lot like falling asleep, and though I was bitten and scratched, all of that pain drained away, replaced by dread.. M-My spirit, still in animal form, slowly floated through the air, a-and each rip through my bunny flesh sealed back up, with no wound left behind, and… and… I knew what this meant. I flopped my ears, and pleaded to every deity… no, no… please, don’t permanently tether me to that animal body… I have so many more spells to learn! W-What would my friends and family think!? I-I couldn’t… no… please! PLEASE!...
When I-I opened my eyes, I found myself laying in the tall grass just outside the forest, staring at the mist barrier. I never hoped more f-for something to be a dream. I-I shook my head in denial again and immediately burst into sobbing as I saw those bunny ears still attached to my head… plus I had a little puffy tail on my butt, and all this light fur coating me from head to toe. T-The mist taunted me as I hopped in and out of it, pleading that it would somehow turn me back, and nothing ever changed… I-I was trapped as a bunny rabbit…
-At that point the cleric was basically showering the rabbit in pets and head scritches, rocking her back and forth to ease the nerves. Mumu let out a series of whimpers as her holder gently leaned down and pressed her human nose to the bunny’s sniffer, as if to kiss her.-
Mumu (bunny): I-I will never g-get to hold my magic staff again… o-or wear my sorceress robes, o-or cast a single spell. A-after years of training my magic, t-the only role I’d be able to play in the party would be as the pet. M-My only hope was that I-I wouldn’t have to watch the other three reappear beside me, permanently trapped as critters also… our entire group reduced to an animal show, spelling the end of our adventuring life.
Interviewer: I’m glad this wasn’t the case...
Mumu (bunny): Luckily… they soon emerged from within the mist… h-holding the gems in their hands rather than furry paws. T-they each gratefully changed back to their dignified, human shapes while I would n-need to spend the rest of my days as… as…
Lily (cleric): As the cutest, most adorable pet the world has ever seen!
-The healer tightly squeezes the bunny in her arms, and smooches her nose, almost as if one would a romantic partner.-
Lily (cleric): And we’ve promised to always take the best care of you and make you the happiest little bun ever, who’ll hop around joyfully as she receives all the love in the world.
-In response, the Level 16 rabbit droops her ears, sniffs a bit… but wraps her front legs around the healer in as tight a hug as her little body can manage. Her tail twitches as she soaks in all the unrelenting adoration and care.-
Mumy (bunny): I… I a-always dreamed of c-completing a legendary quest, but… this was not quite h-how I imagined retirement from adventuring would be... pet harnesses, food out of a bowl on the ground, litterboxes...
-The bunny sighs, turning around to sit in her owner’s lap, looking at her big feet.-
Mumu (bunny): B-But… t-these three have done everything in their power to make this new life as comfortable as possible. I love them as my companions… and as my owners.
We were not the only ones to ask this famed party about their time in the Crittercurse forest, as these four have now become common-referenced legends among other adventurers. Every party that seeks to follow in their footsteps is advised to ask their help before their trek into the woods. This group is happy to explain the specific layout of the woods, the types of enemies one may find, and in collaboration with local potion sellers, even offer preemptive training for walking on all fours and battling as an animal.
Much is still widely unknown about the forest itself, pertaining to how the mist so quickly transforms people upon entering its bounds. Attempts from adventurers to avoid breathing it in using masks have proved unsuccessful, and the gas can’t be bottled for use elsewhere, though there have been advances made towards using its death-evading properties in order to save fatally wounded knights. The ability to change someone into an animal right as their health drops to zero could be a widespread medical tactic in the future.
Locals at the foster home offer a wide variance of explanations for how a magical forest with a pile of treasure sitting in its heart came to be. Most believe that the region is actively run by a group of playful forest spirits that wish for adventurers to respect the world’s weakest creatures. Others claim that an ancient magical civilization made the forests its home, keeping its riches in its core, until its population was wiped out by a mass-transformation ritual that left the area permanently radiating with shapeshifting aura.
Interviewer: Is there a particular reason why you decided to spend your newfound riches on a manor in Rabbit Creek, just north of Taylem, rather than a large city?
Telias (Warrior): Mumu saved all of us from those wolves, the least that we could do was take her to a place where she could be among her own kind.
-The transformed human gives a slight blush.-
Interviewer: Understood! To finish this off, is there anything else you all would like to tell our readers?
Vildurn (Paladin): A true guardian will protect their party no matter what curse befalls upon them! And if you become so weak you can’t even block an attack, at least keep everyone’s morale up… even if you need to squeak or… blup…
Telias (Warrior): Always be ready to adjust to anything that may come your way! Whether it’s a new weapon, a type of monster you haven’t faced before… or being forced to fight in the body of a calico cat…
Lily (Cleric): Remember to give your companions lots of love!... and don’t blame a skunk for spraying… It’s not their fault that their most powerful attack involves stinking up the whole battlefield…
Mumu (Bunny): No matter what happens to you, as long as you have caring friends, every life is worth living… even the life of a fluffy pet...
Telias (Warrior): Also, remember to make a donation to the Crittercurse Animal Shelter! You never know if you’ll become the next little animal needing a new party to be adopted by…
Individual images:
Lily (Skunk) - https://www.furaffinity.net/view/44807544/
Mumu (Bunny) - https://www.furaffinity.net/view/44807558/
Telias (Cat) - https://www.furaffinity.net/view/44807581/
Vildurn (Slime) - https://www.furaffinity.net/view/44807627/
Adventurer’s Magazine - Issue 303
Crittercurse Forest
View other articles here! https://www.deviantart.com/turnedin.....tion-892265091
“Those who venture into the heart of Crittercurse Forest should not worry about how much treasure there is to be found, but instead how to carry it back while avoiding every danger on the way…”
The world features no shortage of locations for treasure-seeking adventurers to set their sights, from dark dungeons full of traps to caves full of man-eating beasts, all promising a beautiful stash of coins or gems to fill your bags with. Usually these locations are guarded by armies of high-level, dangerous monsters, or “bosses” that require coordinated and carefully planned strategies in order to slay.
But unlike these typical locations... the gem pile that rests in the Crittercurse Forest is guarded by mere Level 1 wolf pups and slimes!
Indeed, every danger in these woods would be considered a pushover by even a warrior’s child. No spike traps, no dart turrets, nothing like a normal dungeon. The trek is nothing but a simple, one kilometer walk to the small grove where the treasure awaits…
Sounds pretty easy, right?
However, if a party seeks to make quick riches of the Crittercurse Forest, they are in for a great surprise once they breathe in the warm, heavy mist that surrounds it…
For you see, while the most deadly foes that roam this woodland are small, cute animals that most adventurers would joke about, the forest has a way of making sure every adventurer is on equal grounds to face the dangers ahead… in the most adorable way possible.
Upon stepping into the shadow of the canopies, adventurers remark to find their broadswords and bows vanishing into thin air. To follow it up, their armour, clothes and every other possession also disappear with a poof, leading to quite a few embarrassing glances amongst companions.
If one steps back, away from the glade, all objects will come back as quickly as they had vanished, but if they decide to continue towards their bounty, they will have to kiss their humanoid shape goodbye too…
The transformation is not the same for everyone, as the forest hosts a wide variety of animal forms to potentially thrust its visitors into. The soon-to-not-be-human is asked for no input regarding what type of critter they are about to be trapped as, and no level of strength, blessing or magical artifact will provide immunity to the changes. If you step into the glade, no matter who you are, you’ll receive a downgrade straight to level 1!
The most common animal forms include foxes, rabbits, and other small mammals, but the mist has been known to change people into nearly any type of cuddly animal. Some will trip on their own legs and immediately themselves on all fours, while others experience a few seconds of being furry, “anthro” versions of themselves before being completely changed in the blink of an eye. Regardless, each adventurer will be in the body of a complete tiny, feral beast by the time the trees surround them.
However, while it may be embarrassing, there is no need to fret over your lost gear, or even your bodies. Once you step out of the forest, fur, scales, or feathers turn back into human skin, while weapons and clothes will magically return as well.
Many adventurers freak out and decide to turn around right as they begin to sprout tails, but the more intrepid ones will carry on… either by greed, or seeking an adventure different from any other.
Of course, readers should not place blame upon those who decide to flee upon discovering their assigned forms, as the woods has been known for giving its visitors some particularly unorthodox bodies to journey as.
Wizards who’ve studied the region believe that each person is changed into an animal that better suits their personality, although most warriors will vehemently deny that their “proper” forms are cute badgers or egg-laying birds. Not to mention the wise spellcasters who’ve been turned into dumb koalas, or rangers that become weasels with arms so small they could never hold their own bows.
One adventurer (who wishes to remain anonymous) even told our interviewers how they sprouted fluffy moth wings, an extra pair of legs, and ultra-sensitive antennae. Until they managed to buzz their way out of the woods, as a cat-sized fluffmoth (See Article 142 - The Giant FluffMoths), they found it hard to focus on anything but the shining moonlight, and had to constantly be called back by their party members…
A representative of the Adventurer’s Magazine decided to sit down with a party that is renowned for making it through the Crittercurse Forest and being able to tell the tale afterward! This quartet was the first to ever achieve this feat, proving that the quest wasn’t impossible, and inspired a whole generation of gem-seekers after them.
Interviewer: I am sitting with Telias the warrior, Lily the cleric, Vildurn the paladin, and Mushimu the b-
Lily (cleric): Actually, she prefers to simply be called Mumu these days.
-Supportively, the party’s healer holds the fourth member in a warm embrace.-
Interviewer: Understood! How about we begin with you, Sir Telias? What was the first reaction when your group entered these fabled woodlands?
Telias (warrior): As the brawns of my group, we all agreed that I should be the first to step through the mist, in case we needed a quick retreat. I let out a sigh when my hands shrunk into white-furred paws, each with only four fingers, and my broadsword disappeared right from within them. My armour was quick to leave as well, and even though we had prepared for that moment, I could not help but blush as my three companions laid eyes upon my bare skin... or rather, soon to be fur.
Shortly thereafter, I was sent leaning over with a gasp as my tailbone shifted itself down my backside, followed by a ticklish push through my skin. As I stared at that brand new, long tail, getting a grip of every new sensation as it swatted through the air, Lily followed behind, her chest sprouting patches of thick, black fluff. Beside her... our sorceress let out an embarrassed squeak as a set of large, silly bunny ears flopped out of her head.
Interviewer: Were each of you aware beforehand of which animal forms you’d take, or did all of this come as a surprise?
Telias (warrior): We only knew stories from previous, failed adventurers that braved the forest. Each of us knew that we would have to battle with animal tails, but it was still quite embarrassing for the three of us to grow those things right in front of each other! And truly nothing could have prepared us for the changes that fell upon our paladin. Though the mist was rather cool and refreshing, Vildurn was wiping sweat from his forehead nonstop, and when he tried to ask us something, it only came out as a series of blurbling noises.
Vildurn (paladin): My entire body was dribbling with green fluid, melting away! I had been ready to be covered with scales, to have my arms replaced with feathery wings, or to grow a long snout, but instead my body mass into stinky, shapeless fluid? What cruelty! We had just slain a couple of red slimes on our way to the forest, and now I was becoming a basic emerald-coloured one! I would have shaken my fist at the sky if my fingers were not fusing into each other!
Interviewer: At this point, your group must have already been horrified to continue on, right?
Telias (warrior): Our now-cottonball-tailed sorceress, who had been the most apprehensive about this quest, asked if it was too late to turn back and even I had to wince at the sight of our paladin slowly becoming a puddle of viscous, gooey liquid. As our tank, Vildurn was always seen in bulky chestplates, but now we could see right through his torso!
Vildurn (paladin): I tried my absolute hardest to hold my own dribbling body up, but my arms had become a couple of fingerless lumps! More garbled sounds escaped my dissolving vessel as the back of my mouth sealed itself, and all of my internal organs became nothing but wet, sticky slime… mixing together into a single thing.
Interviewer: A truly disgusting creature to become, and a regular for starting sword fighters. And what about you, dear warrior? What changes had preyed upon your body?
Telias (warrior): In the midst of all that, I was being robbed of my height, plus growing a bit chubbier in the torso. My belly was particularly soft and squishy, which was cute but certainly not befitting a mighty, handsome swordslinger. On top of that, many patches of rapidly growing fur left me distracted with an intense itch, so I very quickly scratched myself with a pair newly formed feline claws.. The black and orange spots covering my backside meant that I was becoming a tri-colored cat, like the common pets you would see roaming the town for scraps…
Lily (cleric): A calico cat, to be precise.
Interviewer: Are you sure that it was a calico, and not a similarly-furred breed?
Lily (cleric): I am absolutely certain that it was. His adorable pattern of fluff was unmistakable…
Interviewer: But how could that be possible, if all calico cats are female?
-The warrior gave a heavy, twitching blush, plus a glance down at his crotch, before shaking his head.-
Telias (warrior): ...m-may we move on from that? I have other… more interesting bits of the story to tell.
Interviewer: ...ah, understood. How about movement, were you able to walk on two paws?
Telias (warrior): After that particularly shameful change made me drop to my knees and moan through tears, I failed to stand up. My tail slumped and I pushed against the ground to no avail. Lily even had the audacity to walk by and pet my head, about to call me a ‘good GIRL’ when she also tumbled onto all fours.
-The warrior makes a playful glance towards the cleric, who huddles down a bit in embarrassment.-
Telias (warrior): But in her case, it wasn’t only the mode of walking that she lost. The black and white furred animal squeaked as her tail curved into the air, high enough to pet her own head as she showed her little hind end. I could tell that she was struggling with something as she wiggled her butt back and forth, tears in her eyes and mumbling…
Lily (cleric): When he asked what was wrong, the only thing that I could respond with was ‘no, no, no… I’m not a skunk… no no… ew... please no please no…’ That new gland f-formed so quickly, and completely full of gas that it demanded me to release…
Interviewer: Did you…?
-The healer cringes even deeper.-
Lily (cleric): I-I couldn’t control it! I-It wasn’t my fault! I… n-never felt more ashamed to be named after a beautiful flower! A-And of course this idiot decided to walk his feline body behind me right as I lost control!
-She gently jabs Telias in the side, producing a little “ow” from him.-
Telias (warrior): That was the biggest mistake of my life, as I had no idea what she was fighting with until a few moments too late. Our shy, dainty healer let loose her skunk spray right into my whiskery face! As she began to mumble out sorries, I started gagging like I was about to hack up a hairball, and our mage had to cover her new bunny nose with her big ears. The stench left us dizzy for over a minute before we could continue…
Interviewer: It must have been… daunting to know that your party would have to go through the entire forest in those forms, right?
Vildurn (paladin): Don’t even get us started about that! Once we recovered from that minor episode, we had to take a breath and make sure that we truly wanted to go through with all this. After Mumu was forced to start hopping instead of walking, she was even more scared to continue, and Lily was still staring at her new skunk tail with resentment, but I reassured them that the four of us could manage it. Even while I was nothing but a round, limbless blob they'd agreed that we were tougher than this.
Telias (warrior):And he was the one worst off, cringing every time his gooey body slid over the ground like a slug. But the man was still leading us ahead!
Vildurn (paladin): We had been adventuring for years up to this point, slain mythical beasts and tackled dungeons… we couldn’t get scared of a bunch of level 1 monsters! We had to continue towards that fabled pile of gems! If not for the riches, then to prove to everyone that we could!
Interviewer: Brave party, you all were. Most people are sent running back to town before their transformation is even complete…
While for the purposes of this article, we have spoken to a group that (mostly) managed to return from the Crittercurse Forest as they came, the grand majority of adventurers were not granted this same luck. Those who are accustomed to human bodies are much less trained in the ways of animal combat; the average person taking several minutes simply to learn walking on all fours. This leaves the low-level creatures that roam the woods at a massive advantage over them.
Over half of the questers that decide to trek ahead meet the end to their adventuring career before they even reach the center of the forest, which seemed like a simple task at first. This is not to say that they were killed, however…
When a transformed human is met with a scratch, bite, or other blow that would typically knock them out, they are instead shrouded in a cloud of mist, elegantly disappearing as their foe announces their victory. And when the former human awakens from the sudden salvation, they find themselves laying right outside of the forest’s bounds, completely unharmed… but still in the body of a woodland creature.
Not only will the adventurer have to live with the shame of being defeated by such a simple enemy, but they are also indefinitely stuck as an adorable animal themselves! No matter how many times the former human tries entering and exiting the forest, they will never change back into a person, forever stuck as an adorable animal.
As they panic at the sight of their new bodies, pondering the future they will now lead instead of a human life, the little creatures have little choice but to wait outside the forest for their parties to return. And almost always, each party member does come back… but not as a human. They come as a group of adventurers, and leave as helpless critters…
With no way to handle that new, odd way of life, most are forced to sadly make their way to a special foster home located right outside the forest. The Crittercurse Animal Shelter specializes in adopting the failed adventurers, nursing them, keeping their fur groomed, and teaching them how to use the abilities that replace their old sword tactics and spells. Here, the former humans sleep on small cushions, adjust to eating pet food out of dog bowls, and make friends with other animals until another party adopts them as a pet. Most adventurers are defiant when the foster home tells them that they’ll need to live as companions from now on, but with no alternative besides living out in the wild, they agree to join a new party…
When we interview former adventurers regarding this change in their lives, most sadly admit that their anger isn’t harboured towards the forest for transforming them, their new owners, nor the foster home for matching them up as the pets of other humans. Deep down, they are upset with themselves for failing, or for deciding to attempt that quest in the first place. Though the situation is unfortunate, they are grateful for the chance to continue adventuring, albeit as a much different role within the party. While having collars picked out for them is an insult for those who once purchased their own armour and weapons, this new life does partially fuel the questing spirit. Former humans are able to start leveling up again as pets, a new beginning rather than the somber death they would face after failing other quests.
One party member featured in this article has slowly learned this sentiment themself...
Lily (cleric): We had physically and mentally trained ourselves for how our adventure could have unfolded, but there was little preparation that could truly compare to the dread of a beginner-level foes’ fragility. I-It wasn’t just that we had no weapons, and that our magic was stripped… Simply moving around in those bodies was a chore. Telias and I trotted on all fours with annoying whiskers grown out of our big noses, Mumu had to hop everywhere as a bunny, and Vildurn had to drag his gooey muck over the floor! We were just glad that the Crittercurse Forest gave us the ability to communicate through our animal noises.
Interviewer: What about the monsters? If just walking is a problem, how did combat with them go?
Lily (cleric): We did manage to hold our own at first, once a pair of wolf pups ambushed us. Our warrior got the hang of his feline claws quickly, and… though I’d much prefer healing, that big skunk tail of mine was essentially a club attached to my butt. Swinging that thing at foes was both disorientating and scary!. Those small monsters, that we used to call cute, were terrifying when towering over us.
Vildurn (paladin): At some point the baby wolves even started licking up bits of my slime as if I was food! Not fun! I would never look at those beasts the same way!
Interviewer: Well, the majority of attempts end during that first encounter, so your party was already having good luck.
Mumu (bunny): T-Things only became tougher from there, though. I had to start slapping the little foxes and enemy slimes with… t-these stupid, floppy ears during the next fight…
-The rabbit sadly hung her head, hiding her cotton tail and batting at her ears with her front paws. There was obvious shame in her expression, as if she still hadn’t quite gotten used to her new life so many years later. The healer quickly brought the attention back from the little, furry animal sitting amongst humans.-
Lily (cleric): W-We could handle basic melee battles for a short while, but eventually so many small creatures would swarm us t-that we needed some sort of splash damage to handle them all. And… and… our only way to daze a bunch of foes at once was… with my spray.
-She shutters in residual embarrassment.-
Lily (cleric): At the start of each encounter, I-I was forced to turn around, point my butt at opponents, raise my big ol’ tail, and blast them with the nastiest stink cloud. My… my only way to help in battle was to fart on enemies and defile the e-entire forest with my horrendous stench! I-I felt like the complete opposite of a healer…
Interviewer: A truly unorthodox battle method, but better than facing eternal critterhood! And how about that grove in the center of the forest? Are the riches as grand as the legends foretell?
Mumu (bunny): I-It may have just been our new sizes, but that pile of sparkling gems was ginormous! We c-could swim in them! It was more wealth than we could’ve even imagined! We felt like dragons as we gazed upon those polished emeralds and rubies…
Vildurn (paladin): Our only problem… was bringing the spoils back to town.
Mumu (bunny): While as humans we could lug dozens of those rocks, we didn’t even have hands anymore! Telias needed to hold a large diamond in his mouth, Lily carefully cradled a couple gems in her tail, and Vildurn had to store them inside of his slimy belly. Between my buck teeth and stubby little paws, I agreed to just lead the way back… I was so excited to make it b-back home and end that weird experience…
-When the bunny’s eyes began to water up, the cleric gently strokes her backside, before gently picking up the little animal in an embrace. After a quiet moment between the party members as they recall their final adventure, she starts to calm down.-
Interviewer: Are you… willing to cover the rest for the magazine’s sake?
Mumu (bunny): Well… After getting the treasure, w-we’d let our guards down, assuming that escaping the mist would be simple after we had already battled all the foes along the way. We had not expected an entire pack of wolf pups to ambush us shortly after we crossed the river, as if the gems were attracting them. T-There were so many, some even Level 2!
Interviewer: How did you manage to evade those beasts while still holding on to the treasures? As far as I know, wolf pups are definitely faster than a slime, so your paladin friend would have no way to run!
Mumu (bunny): ...T-The cat and skunk were almost immediately tackled, and pinned down so that they couldn’t s-spray or scratch. A-And our slime was getting splattered over and over by our enemies, his battle cries shrunk to blurbling.
Telias (warrior): Terrifying stuff! I thought I was a goner!
Mumu (bunny): I-I… I had the thought to just run, to save myself, but i-instead… I needed to prove my bravery… e-even if it meant…
Lily (cleric): She saved our butts out there!
-As the former human sniffled, the healer continues to gently hug her against her chest, making the animal blush before continuing.-
Mumu (bunny): P-Pups are known for chasing rabbits, s-so with a few binkies and wiggles of my t-tail, all of their playful eyes were on me… and there was no escaping at that point. I-I had decided to risk never seeing my pretty human face again for the sake of my friends. After I-I started hopping away, each of the monsters immediately pursued me instead. I j-jumped as much as these big ol’ thumpers could allow, squeaking for my party members to get out while they could. I was able to keep the pups distracted for a very long time, giving my friends a wide opportunity to escape, and I actually thought that I could manage to evade those monsters as well… until one of those beasts managed to bite my tail. After that single blow slammed me into the ground, I was piled by the entire back, health draining from each attack, and my life flashed before my eyes… that was it… I had failed…
Interviewer: I am sure that many of our viewers are curious how it feels to be defeated while in the Crittercurse Forest.
Mumu (bunny): A-As I was lifted up by the mist, it was a lot like falling asleep, and though I was bitten and scratched, all of that pain drained away, replaced by dread.. M-My spirit, still in animal form, slowly floated through the air, a-and each rip through my bunny flesh sealed back up, with no wound left behind, and… and… I knew what this meant. I flopped my ears, and pleaded to every deity… no, no… please, don’t permanently tether me to that animal body… I have so many more spells to learn! W-What would my friends and family think!? I-I couldn’t… no… please! PLEASE!...
When I-I opened my eyes, I found myself laying in the tall grass just outside the forest, staring at the mist barrier. I never hoped more f-for something to be a dream. I-I shook my head in denial again and immediately burst into sobbing as I saw those bunny ears still attached to my head… plus I had a little puffy tail on my butt, and all this light fur coating me from head to toe. T-The mist taunted me as I hopped in and out of it, pleading that it would somehow turn me back, and nothing ever changed… I-I was trapped as a bunny rabbit…
-At that point the cleric was basically showering the rabbit in pets and head scritches, rocking her back and forth to ease the nerves. Mumu let out a series of whimpers as her holder gently leaned down and pressed her human nose to the bunny’s sniffer, as if to kiss her.-
Mumu (bunny): I-I will never g-get to hold my magic staff again… o-or wear my sorceress robes, o-or cast a single spell. A-after years of training my magic, t-the only role I’d be able to play in the party would be as the pet. M-My only hope was that I-I wouldn’t have to watch the other three reappear beside me, permanently trapped as critters also… our entire group reduced to an animal show, spelling the end of our adventuring life.
Interviewer: I’m glad this wasn’t the case...
Mumu (bunny): Luckily… they soon emerged from within the mist… h-holding the gems in their hands rather than furry paws. T-they each gratefully changed back to their dignified, human shapes while I would n-need to spend the rest of my days as… as…
Lily (cleric): As the cutest, most adorable pet the world has ever seen!
-The healer tightly squeezes the bunny in her arms, and smooches her nose, almost as if one would a romantic partner.-
Lily (cleric): And we’ve promised to always take the best care of you and make you the happiest little bun ever, who’ll hop around joyfully as she receives all the love in the world.
-In response, the Level 16 rabbit droops her ears, sniffs a bit… but wraps her front legs around the healer in as tight a hug as her little body can manage. Her tail twitches as she soaks in all the unrelenting adoration and care.-
Mumy (bunny): I… I a-always dreamed of c-completing a legendary quest, but… this was not quite h-how I imagined retirement from adventuring would be... pet harnesses, food out of a bowl on the ground, litterboxes...
-The bunny sighs, turning around to sit in her owner’s lap, looking at her big feet.-
Mumu (bunny): B-But… t-these three have done everything in their power to make this new life as comfortable as possible. I love them as my companions… and as my owners.
We were not the only ones to ask this famed party about their time in the Crittercurse forest, as these four have now become common-referenced legends among other adventurers. Every party that seeks to follow in their footsteps is advised to ask their help before their trek into the woods. This group is happy to explain the specific layout of the woods, the types of enemies one may find, and in collaboration with local potion sellers, even offer preemptive training for walking on all fours and battling as an animal.
Much is still widely unknown about the forest itself, pertaining to how the mist so quickly transforms people upon entering its bounds. Attempts from adventurers to avoid breathing it in using masks have proved unsuccessful, and the gas can’t be bottled for use elsewhere, though there have been advances made towards using its death-evading properties in order to save fatally wounded knights. The ability to change someone into an animal right as their health drops to zero could be a widespread medical tactic in the future.
Locals at the foster home offer a wide variance of explanations for how a magical forest with a pile of treasure sitting in its heart came to be. Most believe that the region is actively run by a group of playful forest spirits that wish for adventurers to respect the world’s weakest creatures. Others claim that an ancient magical civilization made the forests its home, keeping its riches in its core, until its population was wiped out by a mass-transformation ritual that left the area permanently radiating with shapeshifting aura.
Interviewer: Is there a particular reason why you decided to spend your newfound riches on a manor in Rabbit Creek, just north of Taylem, rather than a large city?
Telias (Warrior): Mumu saved all of us from those wolves, the least that we could do was take her to a place where she could be among her own kind.
-The transformed human gives a slight blush.-
Interviewer: Understood! To finish this off, is there anything else you all would like to tell our readers?
Vildurn (Paladin): A true guardian will protect their party no matter what curse befalls upon them! And if you become so weak you can’t even block an attack, at least keep everyone’s morale up… even if you need to squeak or… blup…
Telias (Warrior): Always be ready to adjust to anything that may come your way! Whether it’s a new weapon, a type of monster you haven’t faced before… or being forced to fight in the body of a calico cat…
Lily (Cleric): Remember to give your companions lots of love!... and don’t blame a skunk for spraying… It’s not their fault that their most powerful attack involves stinking up the whole battlefield…
Mumu (Bunny): No matter what happens to you, as long as you have caring friends, every life is worth living… even the life of a fluffy pet...
Telias (Warrior): Also, remember to make a donation to the Crittercurse Animal Shelter! You never know if you’ll become the next little animal needing a new party to be adopted by…
Category All / Transformation
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