AWKWARD ZOMBIE

Peer off the edge of the bridge cautiously to see if a third path exists. The bridge seems ominous and crossing may be worse than going back.

I'm torn between trying to steer the story by voting and just wanting to see where this adventure goes.

>Take the spear
>Pole vault

So, let's think about this logically. The Tritouns seem to fear the bridge, right? So, what would happen if you tried to bring the bridge TO them as a distraction?

Use your hammer to bust off a small unimportant piece of the bridge, and toss it in the middle of all those stupid guard things.

Judging by the fear of the tritouns the bridge may be unstable/or a holy object.

>think outside of the box
Tie the chain to a post of the bridge and slowly cross. That way if it gives out you could survive.

[[Sorry, Jagged Z, you were outnumbered. Also, Todd, I didn't see your post until just before I posted the update. I wasn't trying to ignore you. Although I'm not sure what you mean. The bridge is huge. You don't have any chains long enough to span it. (look at how tiny the figures are on the right end of the bridge)]]


Well, while the penance you served may not have taught you much, if there's one thing you learned from your extensive experience at breaking down stones, it's that you can already tell by how it feels on your feet that this one is way too dense and hard for your hammer to break it. You'd be more likely to just break your hammer.
Besides, with your luck, all that would happen is the hammer would bounce and reverberate with enough force to make you drop it, and then send you off balance into the abyss beneath the bridge.
Speaking of which,

Just what IS beneath the bridge's walkway? You look at the Tritouns, who have all stopped, and are waiting at the edge of the bridge. Some are still roaring at you, while some are pacing around the cliff's edge on either side of the bridge. One waits silently in the center.
You must have time to just look over the edge and see--

NOPE. NOPE. NOPE.
You clamber away from the edge on all fours, your back to the ground. Wait, what caused that reaction? You just looked at it, but already forgot? Maybe you should--
If you can't have the axe, maybe this will be a close second. It's not too heavy, but...You have no idea how to use this. At least, beyond "pointy end goes in, enemy blood comes out". Will you even run into any enemies? And if you do, will any of them bleed? What if they're like the Tritouns, who--
The silent one in the center reaches out hesitantly for the spear.

Something doesn't feel right about this weapon. You don't like it. And you suppose "theft" shouldn't be added to the list of crimes you need to atone for. If you could, you'd sigh with disappointment.


[[I just realized I forgot to attach the hammer, but I have to go to work soon, so I"m not fixing it.]]
You reach back into what you hope is the appropriate stance for throwing a spear, and you let it fly. You were apparently wrong about how to throw it, as it only makes a short flight before it tumbles through the air and clatters to the surface of the bridge. But it clatters just far enough to take it to the feet of the Tritoun who threw it.
The massive, armored figure bends down to pick up the spear. You nod to indicate that was the intended result, and that you didn't just try to hit it and miss. At least, that's what you hope you're indicating.
The Tritoun holds up its spear, silences all the others and then calls out to you with a voice like wind through hot steel, "THIS SHALL BE REMOVED FROM YOUR PENANCE. COME BACK WITH US, OR FACE YOUR END ON THE OTHER SIDE."


A brief moment of hesitation makes you wonder if you should cross the bridge after all. You don't think the Tritouns would lie to you. That isn't very fitting for knights of justice.
But the Important Thing is on the other side. And all that waits for you in the Wastes is more penance that may never end, for all you know.
You'll take your chances with the other side of the bridge. But cautiously.

You shuffle sideways toward the other end of the bridge, watching to make sure that the Tritouns won't throw anything else at you. They don't, and once they are clearly out of throwing distance, the middle one calls out something that you can't hear before they all turn and head back toward their guard towers some unknown distance away.
You continue to walk cautiously, waiting for anything that would signal danger. What if whatever scared you under the bridge decides to--
What was that?
You hear something whispering behind you, and what might be footsteps?

What do you do?

>Brush it off as the wind and keep walking
>Run to get away from whatever might be behind you
>Turn around to see what it is
>[Think outside the box] <[[I won't lie, I have no idea what you guys would come up with for this.]]

Run like hell

Turn around and see what it is.

I'm sure whatever it is could catch up to you if you ran, so you might as well find out what it is.

Sorry bout that, photos weren't loading in for me (Mobile).
<Turn around and see what it is.

turn around
what else is there to do?

Run the hell away...but, also turn your head for a second to see what it is.

Jump onto your hands to run away. This also gives you the added benefit of looking behind yourself.

[[Sorry for no update yesterday, had company and a clusterfuck of changing plans/errands. Turning around won out.]]
You turn around, already reaching for the hammer over your shoulder.


But there's nothing there. You can finally feel a moving wind, marking your departure from the wastes, but you don't see anything. Apparently it was just your imagination, combined with the wind resonating on the bridge's shape.



You continue to run toward the unknown end of the bridge. The bright light blocking your view gives way to a green field that looks partially overgrown, and partially harvested. The dark grey stone of the bridge drops off for brick steps that descend into a path through the field. Well, a paved path means that there are people for you to reach, see if they can help you find the Important Thing. Of course, that very path could also lead to another obstacle, or be completely abandoned.

[[For the sake of manageability, I will have you rely on paths in the overworld, although once a location has been visited, I'll probably offer an as-the-crow-flies mode of travel to get back to it.]]

You follow the path until it forks into three different directions. Left, Center, Right. What do you do?


>Left
>Center
>Right
>[Think outside the box]

>left.

Examine the paths. Does one look more or less worn than the others? Civilization may be closer.

Touch the ground first with the hammer, see if anything reacts to you doing this, and be ready to book it back to the bridge if there are hostiles.

If not, we're golden.