The Forgotten Wish

Feeling the thick liquid fill her boot, Nuria grimaces. It's not the worst thing she's had to trudge through, but that doesn't make it any more pleasant of an experience. However, she nearly stumbles when she tries to take another step only to find her foot glued to the floor. She lets out a sharp squeak now glued to the floor by both feet. "H-Help!" She exclaims.

As Nuria (presumably) begins to struggle, she does realize it's not her feet, but just her shoes that are being glued down. Or that is what it feels like at least, as her feet have some movement, and depending on how desperate she is could try and pull herself out of the boots in question.

There's a slight feeling of heat, though not to the heights of burning, as something is happening underneath the surface.

Slick pauses his advance on the yelp for help and heads back to Nuria.

"Urea needs help? Rick is here!"

Rick will offer her a hand to tug while clinging with his other three appendages.

"Dammit-"

Asimi, likewise, hears Nuria panic, turning around in time to see the other woman attempting to get out of the muck with no luck. Quickly mentally lambasting herself for creating a false sense of security she darts back to try and offer aid. Noting Rick's own attempt but not feeling confidant that the man will be able to support himself and drag Nuria away on one hand.

"Can you get out of your boots?!" She calls to Nuria, tossing her halberd aside to a clean section of hallway she'll attempt to trudge back across the muck to the stricken woman, hoping to repeat her earlier crossing and, if able, offer to drag Nuria to where they initially started.

Breldo in his well maintained, but old boots that are formed the the shape of his sizable feet, having been resoled multiple times, hurries to Nuria's side and attempts to pull her free. He holds the lecture on proper boot upkeep in reserve for now, the girl probably couldn't afford it, and now isn't the time to bring it up.

Khond grimaces at the mess going on, but steps forward to help Nuria as well - mildly concerned that if he gets stuck too there won't be an option so simple as removing one's boots.

((Bare hooves.  Though probably would have horseshoes.))

((Can he self shoe?))

Everyone quickly rushes to help out Nuria. With their help, if the intent is simply to pull her feet out of her boots, she could do that. With Asimi there, again striding through the black goop without issues, she would have advantage on athetletics if she wants to try and force out her boots. 

But this fact of the strange liquid seeming "docile" may have put Breldo too much at ease, as he too steps forward to try and help Nuria.

And the moment he steps in, he finds the liquid rapidly trying to crawl up his leg.

Breldo leaps backwards, cursing and draws his crossbow on the goop... but feels a bit silly about shooting it.

As Breldo leaps back, some of whatever this sludge is even supposed to be remains sticking to his legs, and continues climbing up for unknown purpose. He could shoot it, but it'd mean shooting himself. And what do you even do against liquid?!

((This goop is size-ist!))

Uncertain about touching it, he'll draw a dagger and try to scrape it off.

If Nuria is accepting help Rick will ask,

"Breldo needs a ride over? Rick can help!"

With chaos starting to unfold as Breldo steps into the goop, Khond...  Opts to not make things worse, and stays out of it.  Being that Breldo had managed to jump back out, though, the centaur does turn to him, digging for a length of hempen rope from his pack.  "Here's hoping if we loop it tight we'll be able to scrape it off like a regular liquid."

Nuria hesitates momentarily when Rick offers her his hand. She takes it anyways mostly using him to steady herself, though the slickness of his oiled fur makes it a little difficult. She's more grateful when Asimi rushes to her aid as well. "Th-thank you both." As the two start helping her out of her boots and socks which are all now glued to the floor, she gives another yelp when the goo suddenly tries to attack Breldo, who had also started trying to help her.

If the others get her back to the starting area Nuria, now bearfoot rushes over to Breldo. If his knife doesn't get rid of it, she'll grab it off his leg with her hand and try to flick it off. It hadn't burned her feet or anything, so hopefully it doesn't hurt her.

Things get hectic as many things are developing at once, but given how no one seems to be under any kind of immediate assault things evolve with relatively cool heads. Nuria opts to take the tabaxi and Asimi's help, slipping out of her boots so she's not glued to the ground. Her feet still cross through the black in the process of doing so, but at least it doesn't seem intent on climbing her as it seems intent with Breldo, who must have been seen as easy prey because of his size.

Which leads to the halfling in question, and myriad efforts to get the sludge of him. For his own part, he manages to scrape off at least some with his blade, and the moment he manages to "disconnect" the goop from his body by pulling away, it seems as if the goop loses interest, immediately dropping to the floor. Nuria, seeming to believe she'd be safe tries with just her bare hands, while Khond has the clever idea to pull out a rope as an object that could be wrapped to try and force it off.

Too little, too late. As the fluid climbs up, it eventually reaches what seems to have been its target all along. There, upon Breldo's chest, remains the scarring and bruising of the earlier bear attack, having begun to heal, but still aching. There is no hesitation of the liquid to dive into these very wounds. There is a brief, sharp sting, and then-

Comfort. Warmth. The ache both sharp and dull from before lessens instantly as he already feels much better than he did, even if it feels like the liquid continues working slowly to patch him up. Once it seems as if the liquid has done what it can, the rest slouches of his body and drops to the ground.

Breldo recovers 8 HP.

"Wh-  Are you okay?  What happened?  It's not eating you from inside is it?"

"I-- I'm fine? I think it healed me from the bear attack... but how?"

Immediate panic down, and Breldo seeming to be alright- Better, in fact, even if he struggles to find out the "how"- the group gets to carry their bearings. After another thirty seconds or so, there seems to be an ever-so-slightly subtle shift in the goop surrounding those boots, as if they are "done" with whatever it was that kept them pinned down. Sylvera and Oren, assuming both headed back toward the others, arrive not much later.

Having managed to drag Nuria to safety, Asimi's attention turns just in time to witness the goo insert itself into Breldo and for the chaos to subside while confusion takes over. She remains silent while Khond and Breldo share their collective disbelief when a thought comes to her.

Focusing back on Nuria she speaks, "Are you injured as well?" She asks bluntly, "I can't see why else it would cling to the two of you but not me."

"...Nor am I to believe it's as benevolent as it seems," She adds, looking back to Breldo, "Are you sure you don't feel anything else?"

Rick gives Nuria a toothy smile.