Trapped! [c]

It was an early Newleaf morning and a thick, cold fog had settled over the forest. A watery post-dawn sun feebly stretched its fingers through the mist, not strong enough to dispel the dew clinging to the grass in the clearing. No birds sang– the air was still and quiet. The four oak trees in the center of the glade loomed unmoving, as if standing guard. The world seemed to hold its breath.
Three wire mesh cages had been carefully arranged around the oak trees, coated with dew like the grass they stood in. Inside each was a container of strong-smelling, almost irresistibly tantalizing food: a mixture of fish and something else unidentifiable. All three stood open and waiting.

Five shrouded figures closed in on the clearing from all sides, some wending their way through the fog with a sense of easy familiarity as if they knew the path quite well. None of them knew about the cages. As far as they were concerned the clearing had stood untouched, simply existing as impassively as it currently seemed, since the last Gathering. All of them were about to discover that this was far from the truth.

---

When making your introductory post, roll the effects dice 1x

The member 'Karuna' has done the following action : Dice roll

---

'Effect Dice' : 4

The member 'verychuu' has done the following action : Dice roll

---

'Effect Dice' : 2

The member 'GravisCordis' has done the following action : Dice roll

---

'Effect Dice' : 5

Bearpaw made sure to stay low to the ground, placing each large paw down on the Earth with slow, careful purpose just like Quailprowler had taught her. Her time as an apprentice thus far had been exhausting, and she was eager to have some fun exploring the territory without a warrior's watchful eye. Still, having weighed the risks, the molly knew getting lost in Thunderclan's territory would be nothing short of humiliating. She definitely needed a guide. So when her uncle padded out of camp alone, she wasted no time sneaking after him. This was a calculated move. If Bearpaw had gotten discovered, she figured if anything Wiggleworm would be excited that she was so eager to hone her sneaking skills. As she quietly padded through the forest, she imagined herself a great hunter, closing in on her prey. She was so lost in her game that she didn't notice how far they'd journeyed from Thunderclan's camp.
Her pride at having made it this far undetected was quickly forgotten as Wiggleworm closed in on Fourtrees. The half-feral molly had never visited the sacred meeting site before, but she knew enough from the stories to recognize it. Her uncle had approached several strangers gathered in the clearing. Her ears twitched with frustration as she crouched in the undergrowth. What could he possibly want with these strangers? Was he here to meet them? She was too far from the other cats in the clearing to make out what they were saying. Round eyes wide with curiosity, she studied the scene before her for a few moments before deciding to make herself known. She was too eager for answers to care about hiding now! Besides, Fourtrees was a peaceful place, so she was certain she was in no danger– and she had no doubt that Wiggleworm would be more proud than angry when he realized how well she'd tracked him.
She stepped out into the open, clearing her throat to announce her presence. "Hello Uncle!" She announced, grinning sheepishly before turning her attention to the rest of the cats with suspicion. "What are you all doing here?" She trotted towards the strange, foul-smelling objects in the clearing with an air of trusting curiosity, sniffing in confusion as she approached one. "Is that food?"

The member 'Drippy' has done the following action : Dice roll

---

'Effect Dice' : 2

The member 'Lapis' has done the following action : Dice roll

---

'Effect Dice' : 3

It was as if a switch had flipped– the forest exploded into chaos around them. The heavy trapdoor of the cage swung shut behind Hornetpaw with an earsplitting bang, trapping the apprentice inside, alone but unharmed. At the same instance, what seemed like an unending crowd of Twolegs scrambled out of seemingly nowhere, holding unnatural sticks topped with soft, cobweb-like nets that they swung at the cats with abandon.

Bearpaw scrabbled free of the cage and into the waiting arms of a Twoleg. So desperate was the molly to be free of their grip that she thrashed wildly, only succeeding in exhausting herself. (-5 SP)

In a heartbeat, Wiggleworm was surrounded by Twolegs and buried underneath their strange cobweb traps. They held him aloft, swinging from their sticks in his trap, as they moved him away from the cages.

Elmstorm suddenly found himself trapped within one of the cobweb nets and airborne, dangling helplessly above the others. In a stroke of luck, he avoided any harmful entanglements but was powerless, unable to escape as he was quickly moved toward the edge of the clearing.

Cardinalpaw was not so lucky. Twolegs quickly surrounded her, throwing their traps in a coordinated effort that gave her no chance to escape. In the ensuing chaos, she found her back legs helplessly entangled with the nets, the mesh painfully cutting into her skin. (-2 HP)

Before they'd had a chance to fully process what was happening, the cats found themselves moving through the forest at an alarming pace. After a few minutes, they emerged from the woods and were greeted with a terrifying sight: one of the Twoleg's monsters, open and waiting to swallow them. Hornetpaw's cage was the first to be shoved unceremoniously into the beast's gaping maw. Despite their struggles, the rest of the cats were quickly and efficiently forced into similar metal-mesh containers.
In the chaos, Elmstorm and Cardinalpaw ended up sharing a small cage, fighting for space in their new claustrophobic environment.
Bearpaw is alone in her cage, which is stacked on top of Wiggleworm's– the smaller molly has enough room to stand and turn around, but Wiggleworm only has space to crouch.

Just as quickly as everything started, it ended. The beast's mouth closed behind them, casting them into darkness as it rumbled to life. All the cats could hear one another, and as their eyes began to adjust, they were all able to see one another's faces, once strangers, now potentially their only allies in this new, frightening world.