Thread #6361939 | Image & Video Expansion | Click to Play
File: darkopimage8.png (265.4 KB)
265.4 KB PNG
You’re ANTON PEAS: mild-mannered frycook, stage magician, extradimensional tourist, and now a mafioso mulcher!
You heard right! Life’s been a whirlwind ever since you woke up in ZORAL: a fantasy world shrouded in perpetual darkness. There’s your fuzzy memories, of course, not to mention the fact that your gun-crazy ex-girlfriend LIZ somehow found her way in after you! Oh, and let’s not forget how your soul’s being held hostage by the eponymously-named RED: an archdevil who–in return for the demonic power you inadvertently pilfered on your arrival–wants you to slay THE FOUR LORDS OF ZORAL: a rogue’s gallery of godlike tyrants, monsters, and all-around persons of low moral fiber!
Thankfully you’re not alone… you’re more popular than ever, in fact! There’s TZAH-TZIE, of course: your feisty ladyfriend and a brash bard, VOLKA: Grand Marshall of a neighborhood safety group called THE LAMPLIGHTERS whose kindness is only matched by her dizzying size, MOROOK: a quiet, but competent ranger and Volka’s half-brother, REZALITH: once a fearsome foe, now one of your most powerful–and loyal–allies, OTI: skilled sorcerer with a chip on his shoulder, and TOPPEL: a manic mage with a penchant for less-than-ethical experiments and running into trouble!
Your arrival in UMBERAL: the gem of the North and self-proclaimed ‘City of Tomorrow’ was anything but uneventful. Despite being watched by the cold, unyielding gaze of ARCHMAGE TRIER: one of the many lords on your death docket, Umberal is also well-known for being home to the infamous SPICE CARTEL: a criminal enterprise whose reach spans all of Zoral… and maybe even beyond!
Well, it did, anyways. In search of ways to defeat the aforementioned archmage, your search inevitably led you to cross paths with the cartel, along with their leader, VHALE NESSURMOS--Tzah-Tzie’s ‘betrothed’ and Five-Star jerk! The feud reached its breaking point when he and his lackeys kidnapped your favorite catthing, and in a climactic clash in the cartel’s compound you managed to not only best Vhale and reclaim your girlfriend, but also acquire NOTES on how to defeat the seemingly-invincible archmage!
The battle may be won, but the war is far from over: Vhale’s lieutenants may not be as dead as you hope, and their troops won’t forget the blow you struck any time soon! Not to mention you’ve got an appointment with TRIER at dawn whether you like it or not! For now, however, all you can do is sit back, relax, and watch as your spunky Spinner’s concert comes to a close!
Ears still ringing from the bardic brawl’s aftermath, THIS is where your tale continues…https://youtu.be/1lR8VLt1Xlk
177 RepliesView Thread
Showing all 177 replies.>>
File: rezdance.gif (118.3 KB)
118.3 KB GIF
>>6361939
Find your seats and don’t forget the snacks, it’s DARK QUEST! Take a look at a few resources before we get this party started:
>Archive link to catch up with the last thread:https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive.html?tags=Dark%20Que st
>Pastebin for INVENTORY, SKILLS, and MORE:https://pastebin.com/xdk5kHyA
>Character and Other Info compiled by everyone’s favorite Spinner…https://pastebin.com/YKhP6xCt
Rolls are handled by a 1(or more)d100--I take the BEST OF THREE ROLLS! 1’s are CRITFAILS while 100’s are CRITSUCCESSES! Certain boosts and maluses will be applied based on the situation and existing skills.
PLEASE ONLY 1 VOTE/ROLL PER PLAYER! If it’s exceptionally slow I’ll ask for people to roll again!
BEEP BEEP! NEW MECHANIC!!! Thank you to the brave anons that weighed in last thread to make it happen: BAD LUCK BALATRO: Every day you get ONE reroll on a LUCK-BASED ROLL (Bluffing, Acrobatics, Dodging... situations where BAD LUCK would make sense per the anon that suggested it! Swell idea, mac!) I will provide the prompt when appropriate!
Describing your actions, write-ins, and GENERAL CREATIVITY are all APPRECIATED AND REWARDED--we like to keep things LIGHT and CHILL here, so come on in and have some fun! FAN ART, THEORIES, AND CONSTRUCTIVE FEEDBACK ARE ALL VERY MUCH APPRECIATED!
DISCLAIMER: THIS QUEST IS DARK. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED
>>
File: volkandmorexcite.png (45.9 KB)
45.9 KB PNG
An uncanny dryness cakes your parched mouth as you stand gobstruck at the foot of the stage atop CRYSTALMELT LODGE. The icy air pricks your wide eyes and stings your ears, but you don’t pay it any mind–but you pay the sensations no mind as the crowd below explodes into raucous cheers.
At center stage stands Tzah-Tzie–the girl panting like a dog after a long walk on a hot Summer’s day… and grinning from ear to pointy ear like a cat that caught the canary! Basking in the crowd’s adoration, the girl still can’t resist shooting you a cheeky wink–the small gesture sending a shiver down your spine and a goofy smile onto your face!
“HELLS!” Exclaims a boisterous and very-familiar voice as it approaches your flank, “Didja’ hear her up there, Rook!?”
Your first reaction is to assume the question’s of the rhetorical variety, but once you remember who’s asking it you waste no time in responding! Yea, Volka, you respond, beaming like a sentient headlight, you heard her alright!
“That right there?” The Skog smiles with a satisfied nod, “THAT’S music!”
She can say that again! Before she can say it again, however, you sense a pair of flapping wings ferrying someone down to the ground next to you!
“REZA!” Chirps Volka as she snatches up the fiend in a bearhug, “Not bad, right? Riiiiight!?”
“ACK!” Snarls the satanthing as she makes a show of ‘struggling’ to escape the gentle giant’s grasp, “I… It was adequate! The Snack is good for something other than Emergency Rations, I suppose!”
High praise from Rezzie! Before you can interrogate her further, your posse is approached by a pair of bulbous yellow eyes–their owner groaning as he hobbles over. Morook, you begin with a wry grin, thoughts?
“... I mean no disrespect,” He weakly drones with a flicker in his eyes, “But I’m glad it’s over…” Sensing a faux-pas, the Chytree straightens his posture with renewed vigor in his gaze! “Th-that’s not to say I’m not impressed by Ms. Tzie’s skills, of course! Very musical, yes!”
“I’m fluent in Morookish,” Volka chimes in, “And that means he liked it!”
“My aching head…”
>CONTD.
>>
File: ttexcitedererer.png (49.2 KB)
49.2 KB PNG
>>6361941
… right… As your favorite catthing exits the stage opposite from her opponent Lutza, you can almost see a glimmer of hope in her rival’s purple eyes…
“Quite the show, that! Top-notch performance indeed!” You barely even notice Toppel as she poofs into existence behind you all–the sorcerer still small thanks to Oti transmogrifying her into a Durher.
“Didn’t peg you for a music fan, Top!” Volka remarks, earning a shrug from the witch.
“True artistes flock together, you know!”
No one dares asks what art she practices, nor does anyone try to react as her vampire-turned-Makaar brother approaches the group with impeccable timing.
“Where’s Oti?” She asks, idly kicking her sibling to the side.
Probably still watching over the crowd like a vulture, you respond with a half-shrug. You just hope he finishes enchanting your robe soon–something tells you you’re gonna need it!
“ANT!!!!”
The shout doesn’t prepare you for the fuzzy torpedo crashing into your chest! Nearly bowling you over, Tzah-Tzie plants a big, wet smooch on your cheek before pulling back with a cheeky, if not somewhat weary, grin on her foxlike face!
“Weeeelllll?” She coos with a roguish glimmer forming in her big green eyes, “Was I great, or was I GREAT!?”
What say ye?
>You kicked BUTT out there!
>Pretty good, kid!
>Tease her a bit! She was okay!
>Just ask the crowd, dude!
>Thoughts, everyone?
>Is she okay? She got a little emotional at the end there!
>Write-In!
>>
>>
>>
>>
File: 250px-Dacheat.gif (15.1 KB)
15.1 KB GIF
>>6361941
Welcome back, QM! I just want to say that whenever Rezalith calls TT "The Snack," I picture The Cheat from Hemostat Runner. From now on, that will be my mental image of her.
>>6361946
+1
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
File: ttexcitederer.png (44.7 KB)
44.7 KB PNG
Okay, it goes without saying that you’re proud of your favorite fuzzball, but if she keeps this up you’re gonna have to take her to the mechanic for a SMUG Check! Gracing the gremlin with a gentle and well-deserved headpat, you lock eyes with the performer and grin.
Does… does she mean the performance, or-
“No, I meant my hair, Anton.”
W-wait, rea-
“OF COURSE I MEANT THE PERFORMANCE!”
“I was a little confused too, not gonna lie!” Volka admits, shaking off the embarrassment with a hearty laugh! Riiiight, you nod as you give your fuzzy chin a good rub, yea, it… it was neat! Lots of energy!
You don’t mean to sound like a cultural chauvinist, but you don’t normally find Durhers threatening–aside from Vhale, of course, but he’s deader than Disco now! The look Tzah-Tzie gives you as your assessment leaves your lips, however…
“... Neat?”
Y-yea, you add as you try not to react to your friends cautiously clearing the area around you, it was pretty good, y’know? A real toe-tapper!
The Durher’s eyes continue to bore holes through yours as you feel her claws dig deeper into your sides–you’re unsure if Durhers can chew through bone or not, but something about the way she stares you down prompts you to shield your sternum.
As the tension in the air becomes thick enough to spread across a bagel, the girl dispels the murderous atmosphere with a sing-song laugh as she gives your forearm a playful, but still painful, nip!
“Jackass…” TT mutters with a derisive snort and a toothy grin, “You’re from another plane–what would YOU know about good music anyways, hmm!?”
Hey, you counter, she heard your SANDY SEASHELLS spiel… you’ve forgotten more things about music than she’ll ever kn-OW!
“Alas! Alack!” Sighs Tzah-Tzie as her teeth leave your forearm, “My music was so moving! So provocative! So befuddlingly BEAUTIFUL that it pulverized that poor pudding populating his porous pate!”
“There’s something IN there?” Rezzie remarks as she gives your head a flick! OW!
“M-music… can DO that!?” Sputters Volka, much to her brother’s chagrin.
“No, Volka… no it can’t.”
“Actually, with the right frequency it could-”
As Toppel mutters to herself about death music, your favorite Durher presses her head against your abdomen and sighs a weary, wistful sigh. Bell for her thoughts?
“I’ve been swept up in a maelstrom…” She muses from the comfort of your shirt, “I… feel sad, sure, and worried… and angry…”
You know exactly who caused those feelings, but you don’t say his name.
“And yet I feel… excited.” She murmurs as she gives you a gentle squeeze, “And proud… and… and light–lighter than a sunbeam!”
>CONTD.
>>
File: joplin.png (19.1 KB)
19.1 KB PNG
>>6362056
Craning her neck upwards, the girl gives you a fresh smile through her still-damp eyes. “It’s weird, but I feel… alive… Like I just took a deep breath after being underwater.”
Her small skull cocks to the side as you feel her foxlike ears flatten against her hair. “Does that make sense? I’m feeling oddly poetic tonight…”
Yea, you nod as you give her thick hair another playful tousle, you think it does! The Spinner smiles. “Great, because if I so much as smell a bed in the next few minutes I’m gonna pass out… whoof!”
“Dawn IS approaching…” Morook mutters remorsefully as you feel Tzah-Tzie slump against your trunk, “Anton, are you-”
‘Prepared’? Good question, you reply with a halfhearted shrug! How do you even begin to prepare for a showdown with one of Zoral’s most powerful mages? Granted, you’ve got an ANTI-MAGIC BOMB ready to ruin his day, Oti’s weaving a spell into your COMFY ROBE that should trap the Archmage in one body, and RED is standing by to steal the sorcerer’s soul…
But having all the pieces of a magic trick? That’s easy. Pulling it off? That’s a whole other story! Speaking of, as you stand trapped within the vise-grip of your favorite fuzzball, a pair of steely, familiar eyes approaches from around the corner of the stage!
“A fine performance indeed, Miss Tzie.” Remarks Joplin as the Gnok sends an appraising glance TT’s way, “Miss Lutza wishes to speak with you at your earliest convenience.”
“That was fast, huh, Ant?” Chuckles Tzah-Tzie as she shoots you a wink before releasing her hold on you, “You sure she doesn’t need a moment or twenty? Don’t wanna interrupt a sob sesh-”
“You’ll find us in the suite.” Replies the manager in a matter-of-fact tone. “We’ve also reserved a room for you to ‘meet-and-greet’ some of your new fans.” Striding over with purpose, Joplin drops a key in Tzah-Tzie’s hand, much to her befuddlement. “The Tiito Triplets will join you as a security precaution, but as your manager I encourage you to limit the number of meetings, should you choose to do any at a-”
“W-wait a tick–” Stammers Volka, her face mirroring Tzah-Tzie’s as the two of them study Joplin’s dour expression, “Did… did you say-”
“’As your manager?’”
The Gnok stiffens at TT’s question as if he’d just stepped on a tack. “... I, erm… I certainly wouldn’t scoff at the suggestion....” He answers, cutting himself off with a forced cough. “Were it suggested, that is…”
>CONTD.
>>
>>6362058
Beating a hasty retreat, Joplin leaves you standing alongside the stage with Tzah-Tzie, Volka, Morook, Rezzie, Toppel, and Obber as the crowd below continues to mill about outside CRYSTALMELT LODGE. You get the feeling this kind of thing doesn’t happen every evening–especially as your eyes wander over to the blue, gaslamp-like eyes guarding the crowd’s perimeter.
Dawn is coming, you think as Tzah-Tzie sends a concerned glance your way, but what should you do in the meantime?
>Greet some fans with TT!
>See what Lutza wants!
>Check in with Oti about your Enchanted Robe!
>Talk to Toppel about demons!
>Call Joji! Bring the airship around!
>Strategize with Morook and Volka!
>RED–Is he ready?
>Write-In!
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
File: ttsparkle.png (19.1 KB)
19.1 KB PNG
Oti’ll track you down when he’s done, you think as you give your galpal’s ears a reassuring scritch, sending her into a purring fit as she leans into your fingers. The only thing that’s certain, you quietly reason to yourself, is that whether you succeed against Trier or not, your pals will need to be ready to depart from Umberal at the drop of a hat!
Better get your ducks in order while you can, starting with whatever Lutza wants! Relaying your idea to your pals, you’re met with a resounding display of SYNERGY when everyone nods in assent!
… Even TT! What about her fans, though?
“Pssh, doing a fan meet-n-greet at the first performance? Desperate, much?” She chirps, tossing her hair to the side with a defiant smirk! “Gotta build up to it, y’know? Cultivate that mystique! Can’t just rush into it!”
Kinda like-
“Exactly,” Purrs the performer as her tail gently smacks your side. “Besides, I’ve got my biggest fans right here!”
“Heheh… guilty!” Smirks Volka, the girl grinning from ear to ear! That’s… not really what she meant, bu-
“Probably for the best–seems like a good way to let an angry Carteler close, security be damned.” Morook drones with a gloomy sigh.
Rezzie frowns, as she is wont to do. “So we get a show and a meal–what’s the problem?”
Okay, you sigh with a clap of your hands, Lutza’s suite! Let’s mosey! Crystalmelt Staffers usher you and the gang over to a covered rampway leading back into the Lodge, and once that’s taken care of it doesn’t take long for you all to make your way back to Lutza’s Lodgings. The damage from the earlier battle is all but repaired, save for the faint scent of ozone just barely permeating the Lodge’s persistent pine-and-berry scent. Joplin opens the door long before you knock, and directs you inside with a stoic flick of his eyes.
When you enter, Lutza is already waiting–eyes still damp with emotion as something rattles in her trembling arms. Not waiting for an invitation, Tzah-Tzie takes a few steps ahead of the herd before stopping a few arm’s lengths shy of her opponent!
“Let’s make this quick.” She mutters with fresh ire on her foxlike face, “Give it back.”
A weak smile slips onto Lutza’s face as she gives her Striilii a gentle strum. “... You’re amazing…”
The compliment sends your catthing off-guard, but she swiftly recovers. “Y-yea, damn right I am!” She scoffs, wide-eyed and gobsmacked, “Now give it-”
“I knew you had potential…” Lutza continues as her gaze falls floorward, “Knew it the moment you stepped onto that stage with this Striilii.”
>CONTD.
>>
File: lutzaandjoplin.png (21 KB)
21 KB PNG
>>6362342
TT’s eyes narrow in growing confusion. You don’t have to be a fuzzball expert to know she didn’t expect this. “That’s… that’s then, this is now! Now quit acting all humble and give me-”
“You had that spark in your eyes back then… and now?” The performer’s peepers return to study Tzah-Tzie. “They’re burning... burning brighter than ever before.” Lutza’s smile widens as pride floods into her features. “Brighter than mine di-”
“Will you SHUT UP already!?”
TT’s sudden outburst nearly sends you tumbling into Volka… and Lutza? She barely even fliches!
“You wanna talk about the PAST!?” Snarls Tzah-Tzie as she takes a step closer, “You wanna talk about BURNING!? That Striilii you took… that was the one good memory I had of my past life!”
Like a switch being flicked, The Spinner’s bubbly demeanor shifts into unfiltered ire! “You wanna wax nostalgic? Want to reminisce about how I became a PARIAH after that little duel of ours? How I couldn’t pluck a single godsdamned note after that without being recognized as the girl who embarrassed herself in front of Lutza!?”
TT’s melodious voice cracks as she grits her teeth in defiance. “How I had to scrimp and save every bell I could scrounge up to resculpt my eyes and voice just to avoid getting recognized? The INDIGNITIES I had to endure!?”
“A Spinner’s Duel is-”
“SHUT UP!”
For the first time since you met him, it’s Joplin’s turn to look shocked–the explanation dying in his throat as TT’s order emerges from her throat ragged and angry!
“You… you KNEW you were better than me…” The Crooner continues as her pinprick pupils return to Lutza, “And you raised those stakes knowing damn well that they’d ruin me!”
“But it didn’t ruin you, did it?”
The response takes TT off guard as Lutza’s eyes grow firm under her gaze. “You were bloodied. bruised... but not beaten. You were discouraged… but you didn’t give in.”
Tzah-Tzie’s mouth moves to respond, but no words emerge.
“You said it yourself: your path was rough and rocky… but it led you to countless others. Now here you stand: stronger. Wiser. Every note and lyric bolstered by the stories you’ve collected along the way.”
Her gaze softens. “I still remember my first–a tired-eyed man shuffling in from the cold… the sound of one boot hitting the floor before being ambushed by his giggling daughter…” Lutza blinks a tear off of her eyelid and onto the plush carpet. “The sound his calloused claws made as they scraped the Striilii strings… slow. Soft. Near-silent. Their sounds drifting away in a dull haze as I laid in his lap, my eyelids growing heavy…”
The Spinner bites her lip as her amethyst eyes lift skyward. “I remember all of them. You do too, don’t you?”
>CONTD.
>>
>>6362343
TT blinks in angry confusion. “Of… of course I do, but-”
“You only reach the end of that path once, you know.” Lutza sighs as she gives the instrument in her arms a loving stroke, “I’ve known that for some time, and yet…” She swallows the lump forming in her throat. “Stories aren’t spun behind security guards and closed doors… they’re found in the dark corners of the world–paths we don’t want to tread after tasting fame’s sweet nectar.”
Tzah-Tzie recoils a bit as her rival strides forward and gently places her instrument into her outstretched claws–an invisible weight leaving Lutza’s shoulders as she passes it off.
“Don’t ever let that flame die, Tzah-Tzie.” Lutza concludes as her sad smile rises with reassurance, “And don’t ever lose track of who stoked them.”
For once in her life, TT is speechless, as are Morook, Volka, and Rezzie (you assume Toppel went off to bother Oti). You don’t envy her, that’s for sure–this was supposed to be her moment of vengeance–of closure! And yet?
The spunky Spinner just stands there with her sister’s gift trembling like a green-eyed leaf in the wind, neither one of them daring to make another move.
Maybe… you should step in?
>It’s time to bury the hatchet, TT.
>Let’s go.
>You two aren’t so different, are you?
>Was there anything else, Joplin?
>How’s it feel, TT?
>Where are you headed next, Lutza?
>Is it cold in here, or is it just me?
>Hug it out already, girls.
>Stay Silent.
>Write-In!
>>6361958
I want you to know that this comment kept me up last night thinking about who everyone's Voice Actor would be. Hope you're happy, you ROGUE!
>>
>>
>>6362342
TT has hair to toss? Like, long, human-style head-fur? this changes everything!What, exactly? I'm not sure. It's just not how I pictured Durhers.
>>6362344
>How’s it feel, TT?
A little prompt, to get her going.
>I want you to know that this comment kept me up last night thinking about who everyone's Voice Actor would be. Hope you're happy, you ROGUE!
I am, yes. Who'd you decide on?
>>
>>6362357A few off the top of my head thus far (and subject to change since I got, like, zero sleep last night):
TT: Sarah Stiles
Volka: Samantha Béart
RED: Sam Elliott
Rezzie: Melissa Fahn
Vhale: Dan Southworth
Rolo: Richard Hawley
Volkir: David Kaye
Trier: Tony Jay (RIP)
Oti: Rich Keeble
Toppel: Sarah Pitard
Morook: Martin Starr
Anton: Billy West
Liz: Still eludes me.
Sometimes I write and these change in my head, though, especially Anton's, but some of 'em are pretty solid in my mind
What are YOUR VOICES for each character, Dark Dukes?
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
File: ttplay.png (20.9 KB)
20.9 KB PNG
The ensuing silence sends a shiver down your spine. So, you cough into your hand, shattering the quiet like a phlegmy wrecking ball, how’s it feel, TT?
The words dispel the lingering anger in the fuzzball’s features, prompting her claws to find the instrument’s frets! A few soft notes slowly slip from the Striilii’s surface as if they were asking permission to be heard… and within moments the room is filled with the dulcet tones of a forlorn song!
Losing herself in the music, TT’s eyes close and her expression softens as the notes travel across the suite like clouds drifting through clear, blue skies taking the room’s tension away with them. Listening in soothing silence, you and the others let your ears feast as TT gets reacquainted with her old instrument. Volka’s tail tries to tap the floor to the beat, but by the time the girl gives up the song fades away into nothingness like a dream dispelled by a pleasant awakening.
Emerging from her trance with a warm smile on her face, TT meets your gaze with an over-the-shoulder glance.
“It…” she begins in a hesitant tone, “It feels like… home...”
“I thought you hated your home, thou-err, I mean-”
“I mean the feeling, you know?” Tzah-Tzie softly replies as she shrugs off Volka’s faux-pas, “Like coming home after a long, long journey. And there’s a warm fireplace waiting for you… the scent of hot stew cooking on the stove… a nice, toasty blanket…”
For the briefest of moments you see it: Tzah-Tzie’s vision of home and all it entails!
“A fire would be nice…” Muses Morook as his sister licks her lips with her eyes closed behind him.
“Stew…” Rezzie grunts, tail whipping back and forth in excitement!
Rubbing her cheek against the Striilii like a doll, TT’s eyes wander back over to Lutza–the other starlet merely watching with a mixture of pride and relief in her gaze. “I…” begins TT, the word coming out choked, “I’m-”
“Hold onto those images.” Lutza requests, closing her eyes in earnest, “Keep them close to your heart and anywhere can feel like home.”
Tzah-Tzie’s eyes light up at that… but their glimmer fades with a resigned sigh. “Why… why are you making it so hard for me to-”
“To hate me?” Lutza interjects as a single laugh leaves her lips, “It’s selfish, really… I would love nothing more than to be your rival, Tzah-Tzie–to test my mettle against yours until our tails grow mangy and grey…” A mischievous grin slips onto the Spinner’s face. “But I’d prefer to do it as an artistic colleague… and maybe… if you’d have me…”
TT whispers the word long before it can leave Lutza’s lips. “... A friend?” Her rival nods. “... I dunno, Lutz… my mind’s a mess, I’ve got so many thoughts flying around my head an-NYAAGH!”
>CONTD.
>>
File: rezzvsthesnack.png (47.8 KB)
47.8 KB PNG
>>6362506
“SIMPERING HAIRTHING!” Suspended by her scruff from Rezzie’s claw, TT wriggles in vain like a kitten that got caught in the kibble bag!
“R-Rez-Rez!” Sputters your favorite Skog as she debates stepping in, “That’s-”
“Not only do you freely deny the soft one’s oath of FRIENDSHIP, you would also shy away from her CHALLENGE?! Have you no shame, Snack!?”
“H-hey! I have… I have PLENTY of shame, thank you very much!” Sputters the Spinner as she sways back and forth in the demon’s grasp like a pair of fuzzy dice from a rearview mirror! “I just… sh-she’s-”
“Swearing FEALTY to you… and you refuse!” Scoffs the Satan with an eyeroll you can feel! “Have you not witnessed the immeasurable POWER such a pact imbues!? Do you FEAR friendship!?”
“NO!” TT wails as she struggles to stop spinning, “I… I have PLENTY of friends! I love friends! I… I make friends all the time! Ant, tell her to leggo, will ya!?”
“Feast your eyes upon the Volka: the spring in her step–the ease at which she dances past attacks and swings her blade! Impossible for one of her size!”
“H-hey, it’s all muscle!” Stammers the Skog as her cheeks turn a shade redder! “M-most of it, at least!”
“And THIS thing!” Rezzie continues as she nearly smacks Morook in the eye with her dangling Durher! “He reeks of fungus and mold and skulks around like a PIT WRETCH searching for marrow to slurp up! Imagine the power he could wield if he had FRIENDS!”
“... Rude.”
“And who could forget your… your…” The devil trips over her words as she struggles to get the right one out! “B-BOSOM-BUDDY ANTON!”
Now it’s your turn to feel like a deer in the headlights–but TT’s giving you a run for your money too! “He steals hearts as easily as a HEARTGOUGER would… steal a heart! And despite his homely appearance and milquetoast disposition, he struck down your wicked wedder… and now stands to topple the very pillars of this wretched world!”
I think what Rezzie is, uh, trying to say, TT, you begin in a desperate attempt to cut the Hellion off, is that, well… maybe it’s worth trying?
“You do appear to have several things in common.” Morook remarks, his tone still stinging from Rezalith’s rebuke, “and for what it’s worth, I enjoyed the music you made together.” His big yellow eyes glitter at Lutza. “How have I barely heard of you up until now?”
>CONTD.
>>
File: lutzafriendship.png (33.1 KB)
33.1 KB PNG
>>6362507
“Preeeetty sure that ain’t her fault, Mor…” Chides his half-sister as she gives his head a ‘gentle’ flick that fills the suite with a sickening crack! Weighing your words like they were lined in gold, TT’s face is still scrunched up in thought when Rezalith deposits her back onto the carpet.
It’s hard to say what kind of mental battle is going on behind the fuzzball’s eyes, but after a moment of visible contemplation, her expression softens… not in defeat or resignation, but something else…
A familiar smile forms on the Durher’s face. “Okay, Lutz... you’re on.”
Lutza looks shocked at first–composed though she may be, the girl clearly didn’t expect that from her fellow bard! “O-okay!” She sputters, wide-eyes gleaming with excitement, “Yes! It’s official, then! We’re rivals!”
“Friendly rivals.” Corrects the catthing with a flick of her tail. “But just so we’re clear: this isn’t gonna stop me from dueling you, y’know!”
“HA! I’ll simply have to prepare, then!” Lutza counters with a competitive smirk of her own! “And know this, Tzah-Tzie: I won’t take this loss lying down!”
“Better work on that fretwork then–I caught you slipping!”
“As did I–you’ll ruin your vocal cords if you don’t sing from the diaphragm, you know!”
“Pfft, that’s kit stuff!”
“I mean for the whole performance!”
“Y-yea, I know that! It’s just hard when you’re playing for hours-”
As the Durhers descend into a maelstrom of musical tips, you and the others are ushered away by Joplin–the manager’s step a bit springier than usual!
“I didn’t wish to ruin the moment,” The Gnok begins in a measured tone, “But from a professional standpoint those two stand to take Zoral by storm–I’ve an eye for these things, you know.”
“Don’t need an eye for it!” Scoffs the Skog behind you! “Watching those two on stage? Whoof! I got shivers!”
“Even I enjoyed myself.” Adds Morook! “... To a degree.”
“You have enough on your plate as-is,” Continues the manager with a satisfied quarter-smile, “But I hope you’ll keep the suggestion in mind once your schedule’s cleared up some.”
That’d be up to her, you answer as you steal a glance at your favorite Spinner–the Durher still gleefully conversing with her rival giddier than a schoolgirl!
“Indeed…” Joplin remarks with a nod. “Guard her close, then–she has talent.”
Oh, you know, you respond beaming with pride, you knew it the minute you met the little gremlin!
>CONTD.
>>
>>6362511
“On a more pressing note,” Joplin segues, “I trust you haven’t forgotten about our offer to your pilot?”
Nope, you reply as you fish the CLICKER out from your pocket, you can summon him with this at any time–said he’d touch down in the back! The Gnok nods in approval.
“Capital. We shouldn’t dilly-dally–every moment we remain at Crystalmelt is another opportunity for our foes. Speaking of…” His eyes narrow as he leans in closer. “Miss Lutza’s… ‘Fan’... what’s become of him?”
Last you saw the big oaf, you answer with a shrug in your voice, he was leaping off the side of the airship… inconclusive, to say the least.
“Hm.” Joplin’s brow furrows at your answer. “Not ideal, but the sudden restructuring of their hierarchy should keep them busy for a time.” A heavy sigh leaves his lips. “Was there anything else? Otherwise we really should depart.”
Rolo... you'll get that singing scallywag eventually! Anything else for these guys?
>Ask him about Rolo!
>What’s next for him and Lutza?
>Does he really think TT has talent?
>Any advice for Trier?
>>
>>
>>6362512
>Warn him he *might* want to keep a way outta town open, just in case
Things might get TRICKY soon. If Trier and Vhale end up dead on the same night, this means this city filled with criminals, cutthroat businessmen and dangerous mages will be up for grabs. Not to mention the other lords.
>>6362514
That's putting it lightly, if Anton's Billy West, that's a range of Fry to Elmer Fudd.
>>
>>
>>6362525
Alright gimme a sec here
TT: Sarah Stiles (Tootsie the Musical)
Volka: Samantha Béart (Karlach: Baldur's Gate 3)
RED: Sam Elliott (Cowpoke: The Big Lebowski)
Rezzie: Melissa Fahn (Gaz: Invader Zim
Vhale: Dan Southworth (Vergil: Devil May Cry 3)
Rolo: Richard Hawley (Djikstra: The Witcher 3)
Volkir: David Kaye (Ford Cruller: Psychonauts)
Trier: Tony Jay (RIP, Frollo, The Elder God in Soul Reaver... Dude was an institution)
Oti: Rich Keeble (Monoco: Expedition 33)
Toppel: Sarah Pitard (Darumi: Hundred Line)
Morook: Martin Starr (Freaks N Geeks, Silicon Valley)
Anton: Billy West (Fry: Futurama)
Liz: I know this I frickin swear
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
File: joplinreminisce.png (34.5 KB)
34.5 KB PNG
Speaking of, you remark as TT and Lutza continue to chatter on the far side of the suite, you’re pretty sure the airship will work out, but-
“But there may be… complications following the deaths of several prominent Umberal figures.” The Manager mutters with the usual stony expression. Well, uh… yea!
“We expected as such. ‘Plan for Plan B’--an old saying I picked up during my time in the Lancers. There’s an old HYDROMANCER’S LABORATORY bordering the Northern Canals–technically owned by Trimbault Academy, but barely used anymore according to a friend. We’ve a boat stashed away there–we’ll rendezvous there if anything goes wrong. Not that far of a jaunt, considering.”
“And the Canals,” Morook counters, “They’ll be safe?”
“Safer. Comparatively.” The Gnok promptly replies. “I hope you understand that if you succeed at what you intend to do, Umberal will light up like a powder keg.”
You know, you reply with a shrug, but you don’t exactly have a choice…
“No great changes ever happen smoothly.” Joplin shrugs. “And if we’re discussing evils, eliminating the Archmage is certainly the lesser. Those Teksouls can’t be allowed to persist–not here, not anywhere.”
“Phew! And here I was thinking I was the only one who found ‘em freaky!” Volka sighs with relief! “You wanna call the airship now, Rook?”
There… is one last thing, you add as you lean in closer to Joplin. Does he… does he really think TT has talent?
You make a mental note to never play this guy in Poker as he answers your question with the usual steely gaze.
“Of course. I don’t waste time on hopeless cases–neither does Miss Lutza.” One of his brows raises ever so slightly. “Do you think we employed your assistance on the Skyrail on a mere lark?”
No, you answer with a nervous grin, it’s just that… like, how does he know, y’know? You didn’t think it was possible, but the manager’s posture stiffens even more at your question! Answering it with a long, weary sigh, he leads you further away from the Durhers.
“As you may have already surmised, I haven’t always been a Manager.”
“Potent magic, iron will, precise movements…” Morook observes, eyes glimmering in the dark like salt lamps, “You mentioned the Lancers.”
“Indeed. CALLAY LANCER DIVISION 22. Enlisted barely before my first feathers grew in. Left with a smattering of lofty titles, a lord’s estate here in Umberal… and more bad memories than I could ever hope to forget.” You hear something wooden strike the wall near the Gnok’s feet. “Lost it in the last FUUXI OFFENSIVE. Kept the peg to remind me that it could’ve been my head.”
>CONTD.
>>
File: conceptartcoalitioncampfuuxioffensive.png (3.6 KB)
3.6 KB PNG
>>6362763
The look in Volka’s big yellow eyes tells you Joplin was either some kind of hero or just really, really lucky to be alive. You don’t interrupt.
“Spent most of the campaign in a Medical Tent. Normally a grunt’ll spend a minute or two with a Healer, but-”
“But Fuuxi Venom can negate magical energy.” Mutters Morook with an apology in his gaze!
“Quite the problem unless you’re a Skog.” Joplin nods as his stern gaze wanders over to Volka. “Doesn’t hinder natural regeneration, but magical is out of the question. Takes a different breed of gumption to serve in a Medical Tent when fighting Fuuxi–takes mettle. And…” For the briefest of moments, Joplin’s eyes tremble.
“... Creativity.”
Sensing a change in your expression, the Manager proceeds.
“I was stuck in one for a month–nothing to do but practice my incantations, map out the area with the sounds I heard outside the tent… there were others, of course, but you can only speak to another Lancer for so long before wanting to tear his arms off.”
It takes you a moment to register Joplin’s remark as a joke–Volka lets out a singular laugh.
“Better men than I would’ve gone mad from the boredom…” He continues, gaze drooping as he starts down a path he hadn’t walked in ages, from the looks of it. “But there was this one Healer–MIISMI--must’ve been the smallest Durher I’d ever met. Always moving, that one.” He adds as a sliver of fondness slips onto his face, “The lads and I would take bets on how long it’d take for her to stop scampering around.”
Joplin frowns.
“Never did get those bells Tonig owed me.”
This ‘Miismi’, you begin, was she also a-
“A Spinner? Never got the chance, no.” Joplin gruffly replies. “Worked at an apothecary run by her family–cared for her parents, nieces, and nephews when she wasn’t. Tied bandages a bit too tight, but…”
The Gnok’s voice trails off as the faintest of glimmers forms in his stony eyes.
“But her voice… it was her voice that saved us.” Another quarter-smile graces his lips. “She’d start softly–barely above a whisper–but when the other Healers didn’t stop her, well…” His eyes close as he takes a long, hearty breath. “The tent didn’t feel like a prison anymore.”
“This girl…” Rezzie frowns, throwing in a scoff to hide her obvious interest, “What became of her?” The question wipes all traces of mirth away from the Gnok’s face.
“PRAJEN SHAKES. Must’ve caught it tending to all of the sick and injured–the girl barely ever sat down… practically slept on her feet.” Another sigh escapes his mouth. “She passed before the brass could even send her home. The Prajen’s a nuisance to most races– runny eyes, chills, irritation around the teeth–but the smaller folk?”
>CONTD.
>>
File: rememberingmiisi.png (25.6 KB)
25.6 KB PNG
>>6362764
His eyes briefly shift over to Lutza and TT–the girls still giggling like old friends.
“After she went, the tent became a tomb again. Some of us persisted, healed, and went back to the front, but others?” His raptor-like eyes fall upon you. “Some just stopped fighting. Never left their sickbeds.”
Clearing his throat, Joplin straightens up his posture before continuing. “Music is… a powerful, powerful force. It can keep a man marching when he’s got no strength left to give… bring hope to the hopeless… Hells, Iasman and the Fruum tells the tale of a Gnok who soothed a rabid Fruum’s spirit with his trusty Orgnay.”
“They have been known to react positively to the right tune, yes…” Nods Morook.
“I can’t even remember why I enlisted back then,” Joplin concludes, “No doubt some selfish, infantile reason characteristic of a hotheaded youth with nothing to take it out on. When I was honorably discharged, however, I had a purpose–a calling, you might say.”
Managing Spinners?
“When I met Miss Lutza, she was up to her ears in predatory contracts–she was young. Foolish. But she didn’t have to be prey.” The Manager casts a fond glance over to his client. “She wasn’t my first representee, and I don’t intend for her to be my last.” His eyes wander back over to yours. “In a perfect world I would not be needed, but I exist because you don’t need to be a crippled soldier to understand the truth.”
You blink. Which is?
“The world is not kind, Mister Peas,” The Gnok answers plainly, “But it doesn’t have to be.”
“YES!” Exclaims Volka, causing the Durhers to freeze like raccoons caught stealing from a dumpster, “That’s… that’s EXACTLY what I’ve been sayin’! Ever hear of THE LAMPLIGHTERS?”
The Manager frowns. “... Those suicidal neighborhood watch-”
“Yea! To the ‘neighborhood watch’ bit, not the first part!”
“Yes.” Joplin nods, clearly doing his best to be diplomatic, “The execution could use some work, but I admire your goals, lofty though they may be.”
“Well someone’s gotta do ‘em!” Volka counters as she puffs out her chest with pride on her face! “The goals, I mean!”
“Too true.” He nods as something flickers in the corner of his eye, “It’s a long, dizzying climb, hope–but it doesn’t have to be undertaken alone.”
Another cough leaves the Lancer’s lips as you almost pick up a hint of… embarassment on his face?
“At any rate, you didn’t ask for a sermon. The girl has talent–I’d bet my life on it. Speaking of,” He adds as he regains his professional aura, “Shall we call the transport now? The longer we wait, the more our foes stand to gain.”
Well?
>One more question!
>You wanna ask Lutza something!
>You gotta talk to TT real quick!
>Let’s strategize here!
>You wanna track down Oti and Toppel first!
>Sure, let’s ride!
>Write-In!
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
File: itsooootiiii.png (17.5 KB)
17.5 KB PNG
You’ll catch up with them in a jiff, you begin, giving your CLICKER a few of its namesakes based off of the instructions Joji gave you, you wanna check in with Oti and Toppel before hitting the skies!
“Euch. The Odd Couple, huh?”
TT and Lutza approach just in time for the former to land a well-timed barb. Yea, you nod, they’re pretty much the best chance you have against Trier right now. Aside from YOU-KNOW-WHO, of course.
Something stirs beneath the folds of your shattered psyche like a dog waking up to its food bowl being filled.
”Eh? Huh? Cripes, Tex, what the Hells did that dead-eyed creep stick you with?”
Doesn’t matter, you reply curtly. TT, Volka, Morook, Rez: Joji should touch down in the back soon–you mind telling him what the new situation is?
“GLADLY!” TT chirps, “The sooner we leave this crazy town, the better!”
“A-AND ON AN AIRSHIP, TOO!” Squeals the Skog as she and her half-brother exchange a high-five! “ALL ABOARD!”
“Tch… it’s just flying...” Grumbles Rezzie, trying not to smirk as Volka slaps her some palm too!
Anyone see those kooky conjurers, you idly ask as the rest of the gang prepares for departure! Last you checked, Oti was looming over the concert like a hawk with a grudge!
“They should be able to find you if you return to the roof.” Morook suggests with a shrug. “Just listen for the bickering.”
Good point and well-made! Leaving your entourage to their own devices, you return the way you came and ride the SCENDOVATOR back up to the top of the lodge! True to his word, it doesn’t take long for you to locate the caster couple–even in the brisk pre-dawn breeze you can hear the two arguing long before you spot them!
“You’re toying with forces you cannot even begin to comprehend!” Oti snarls at a clearly-incensed Toppel while Obber watches from the sidelines like a child witnessing their parents fighting!
“I comprehend them just fine!” The witch counters! “If that twit fails, who do you think The Archmage’ll come after next, hmm? We need a definitive victory! No half-measures!”
“The Archmage is the least of your concerns.”
“What’s THAT supposed to mean!?”
“Unknown risks… which is precisely what you’ll be adding if you…” The mage’s glowing emerald eyes fall upon you as you approach. “You’re late.”
He didn’t exactly give you a timeframe, you retort! And what’s this about risks!? Your question earns a groan out of Oti and a triumphant laugh out of Toppel!
“Merely the newest product of my vast, incalculable intellect!” Cackles the witch with a mischievous glint in her eyes! “My colleague believes otherwise.”
>CONTD.
>>
File: toppelidea.png (22.2 KB)
22.2 KB PNG
>>6363178
“Your colleague KNOWS otherwise,” Grumbles Oti as an invisible pair of hands drapes your COMFY ROBE neatly in your arms. “Perhaps another round of that COUNSELING will set you straight…”
Yea, you don’t have nearly enough time for another one of those, you answer with an eyeroll that’d make Rezzie blush in envy! You’ve got an airship to catch, so let’s cut to the chase–what’s wrong now?
Toppel responds by retrieving a small glass object from whatever it is she’s wearing. “In the interest of helping you succeed, I brewed this: I call it an AETHERIC SIPHON!”
Sounds like a techno band. And what, pray tell, does this siphon do?
“This vial holds a cocktail of regents that, when triggered by an appropriate reaction, shall SLURP the magical energy out of anything that treads close enough to its epicenter!” Toppel’s eyes meet yours with a roguish grin. “What’s a mage without his magic, hmm? No need to thank me–just bear in mind who made your victory possible! Maybe you could put in a good word with that fiend of yours~”
Sucks the magic out, huh? Sounds a little too good to be true…
“That’s because it is.” Oti interjects glumly. “What this gibbering simpleton neglects to consider is the sheer density of Umberal’s magical energy–you’ve sensed it, haven’t you? The atmosphere is positively saturated.”
Lemme guess, you sigh, he’s worried it’s just gonna keep chowing down?
“And he’s a buffoon to assume I didn’t consider that when mixing the concoction together!” Toppel whines like a grounded teenager! “It’s a trap, not a damned magical maelstrom!”
“You’ve tested that theory, then?” Asks Oti with a pointed glare. His colleague takes a moment to respond.
“... I didn’t get the chance to test it on a focus group, no, but-”
Oti turns his attention your way. “Your robe’s finished, Anton… and you’ll be happy to know that it won’t open an insatiable magic-eating rift when it triggers.”
“Yes, nice and safe! By-the-books! That’s our Oti!” Chides Toppel with a derisive snort! “Come now, Anton dear–you’ve seen my work! Do you wish to scrape through by the skin of your teeth… or do you wish to WIN!?”
You steal a glance at Obber. She did make him, it’s true…
“Nevermind Obber–he’s always been a failure.”
You’ve got an airship to catch–what’s the play here?
>Take Toppel’s ‘Gift’!
>Refuse Toppel’s Concoction!
>Grill them more! How likely is it for a rift to form?
>Interrogate Toppel! You wanna know EXACTLY how this tool works!
>Write-In!
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>6363180
If the fear is that the rift will just keep eating and growing and eating and growing, as I understand it to be... Something like that could destroy the city's infrastructure entirely, and maybe kill a lot of people. It could erase Rezalith as an extraplanar being.
>>
Damn. This has been at a standstill for a while, sooo.
>>6363251
Changing to +1 this.
I like the idea of somehow weaponizing the rift but also, I can't really blame Oti for saying it's too dangerous and stupid to use. Better to go on the safe side when we're murderizing John Trier
>>
>>
>>
>>
File: toppelmixexplain.png (43.9 KB)
43.9 KB PNG
You’ll take any advantage you can get against Trier-
“HOHOHO! Too bad, so sad, OT-”
… but you’re gonna be real: the all-consuming magical vortex? That might be a yellow flag! The Durher visibly droops at your follow-up as if you’d just refused to attend her birthday party.
“D’oh, come OOOONNNN! Here I am trying to assist and reward you for welcoming me into your little team and this is the thanks I get!?”
“He never said you were part of the team.”
True, you shrug, but you never said Oti was a part of it either! You can almost see the teeniest, tiniest sliver of a reaction to your counterpoint in Oti’s bulbous eyes before you continue what you were gonna say.
This concoction, you begin in a far more diplomatic tone, walk me through it! How does it work? What would keep it from turning into a doomsday device? Toppel jolts upright at the opportunity to explain!
“Well it’s hardly reinventing the wheel!” She begins with an exaggerated shrug! “I merely mixed together a simple solution of magic-consuming ingredients-”
What ingredients? Why doesn’t everyone make these things? The witch frowns.
“You wouldn’t know them! And they don’t make them because I’m not EVERYONE! I’m TOPPEL GRANSEE--master mage an-”
“You used MAGEBITE, didn’t you?” Groans Oti, not even bothering to wait for his companion to finish. “I trust you calculated-”
“Its reactive properties in regards to SPELLBLIGHT POWDER? Yes, as a matter of fact I DID!” She counters, blowing a raspberry at her detractor! “It may shock you to hear this, but I DO know quite a bit about alchemy, Oti. You’d know that if you didn’t up and wander out of my life like a moody ghost, you know!”
Amusing as it is to watch them bicker like an old married couple, you interject, you aren’t exactly flush with free time right now! This mixture thingie–how does it work?
“Each ingredient has been measured out in careful proportions so as to avoid the issue Oti here won’t stop blathering about.” Toppel replies, much to her colleague’s chagrin. “The vial it’s housed in has been doused in an igniting agent–one that will set the reaction in motion when colliding with something at sufficient velocity.” The witch gives your forearm a firm squeeze and frowns.
“... That should suffice. Exposed to the igniter AND the atmosphere outside of the vial, the mixture will rapidly burn through its inherent magical energy–so much so that once the ‘fuel’ in the mixture runs thin, it will gather more from the area around it!”
See, that’s where you start to get a little concerned–when does it stop? Oti joins you in a pointed stare along with Obber–the transmogged Maakar silently judging from the floor next to his sister.
>CONTD.
>>
File: vorteeeexxxxx.png (41 KB)
41 KB PNG
>>6363668
“When the fuel burns out, of course!” She flippantly replies as she lazily kicks her brother away! “The reaction generating the arcane siphon isn’t infinite--if the ingredients sustaining it burn away then so will the transference of magical energy… and any ‘vortexes’ you simpletons keep simpering about!”
A fresh frown forms on the fuzzball’s foxlike face. “Just like logs in a campfire. You do have campfires in your plane, don’t you?”
Yea-
“Combustion? What about combustion?”
Y-yea, you nod, you definitely have that too…
“Same principles!” Toppel concludes with a dramatic huff! “Where was all of this hemming and hawing when this fathead ran his greasy little talons all over your robe, hmm?” Her frown curls into a cheeky grin.
“Ah, I get it–you’re fine with men fiddling with your belongings, aren’t you~”
You and Oti exchange a stoic, brotherly glance.
“... Shall I vaporize her? Or shall I regale you with embarrassing facts about this smug sorceress?”
Later, maybe. Sooner if she keeps being all smarmy!
“H-hey, there’s no need for any vaporizing! O-Or facts!” Toppel interjects with a nervous chuckle! “I… c-can’t I just help you!? You could’ve hurt me earlier and you didn’t! I-I’m merely repaying your courtesy! Nothing more, nothing less!”
You blink. Hurt her? You could’ve ground her into mulch, if you remember correctl-
“E-exactly! See!? W-we work so well together!” She sputters, eyes wide and…Jesus Christ, is she about to cry?
“Click.”
“Silence, Obber, you filth-ridden degenerate, you!”
Oti, you add as you weigh the witch’s words, any other thoughts?
“Many, but I’ll keep it short.” He scoffs, eyes flickering. “If you face The Archmage in his Inner Sanctum, you’ll be battling in a concentrated cage of magical energy–such is the nature of Mage Towers, and his is no different.”
So… still a ‘no’ then? The Chytree shrugs.
“If a vortex does form, which is alarmingly likely even if my… companion measured her materials correctly… the tower may contain it for a time.”
Let me guess, you sigh, there’s a ‘but’.
“But if the tower crumbles with its owner,” Oti adds, “Or it slips free of its quasidimensional constraints, the vortex will feed on everything within… and will no doubt emerge immensely powerful.”
What if you use that ANTI-MAGIC BOMB? The Chytree and Durher exchange a glance.
“... It’d be your best chance.” The wizard replies with a dull glow in his gaze. “But I believe that would be of more use against The Archmage and his automatons.” He sends a sidelong look over to Toppel.
>CONTD.
>>
>>6363669
“If you truly wish to help, you can achieve that by making him stronger. Faster. Use your spells. The chance of those backfiring are much slimmer in comparison, even for you."
“Tch…” Grumbles Gransee with a derisive snort, “It’s HIS choice, you know! Not that he’ll be making many others if he falls in battle! And neither will we, lest you forget! I seek decisive victory, not near-death experiences!”
You still don’t know what to think about Toppel–maybe it’s the fact that she tried to capture you and Rezzie on your first meeting, maybe it’s how her eyes widen and her breathing hastens when she spots the fiend, maybe it’s how eagerly she derides her transformed sibling… or maybe it’s just the fact that despite their squabbling, you can sense genuine concern for Oti beneath her frequent and unrelenting barbs…
”... You’re such an idiot, Ant…”
You are–don’t need memories to know that–but now’s your time to make a wise move…
If only you knew which one it was!
What’s the plan?
>Take the Concoction!
>Refuse the Concoction! Buff me instead!
>Ask Oti about something!
>Stay silent! They’ll think you disappeared!
>Ask Obber for his opinion!
>Write-In!
>>
>>
>>
>>
File: click.png (13.4 KB)
13.4 KB PNG
The jury’s still out on whether you want to carry what very well might become a magical black hole on your person, but a few MAGICAL BUFFS would hit the spot!
“Good to see you’re still capable of some form of sensibility.” Oti remarks with a smile in his voice. “Refreshing, really.”
“I’d say you’ll regret this decision,” Toppel pouts as she joins her better(?) half in giving you a magical boost, “But you probably won’t be capable of regrets when you fail... Or any complex thoughts, for that matter.”
Duly noted, you dryly reply. A sensation akin to walking through an automatic car wash sends jitters down your spine, but when the magical ‘brushes’ finally finish their work, you feel like a whole new man… or at least one that just drove off the lot!
ARCANE AEGIS: A MAGICAL SHIELD WILL SHIELD YOU FROM A MAGICAL HIT! ONCE IT DOES ITS JOB, THOUGH, IT’S DONEZO!
MAGICAL MOXIE: A CORNUCOPIA OF BUFFS HAS MADE YOU STRONGER, SPEEDIER, AND SMARTERER! +3 TO ALL COMBAT/DEFENSE ROLLS FOR THE NEXT FEW HOURS!
“There,” Oti sighs as you do a few jumping jacks, “That should keep you alive for at least an extra three seconds.”
“Two, maybe.” Frowns Toppel as she gives you an appraising glance.
“Hmm… Two point fifteen?”
“Optimistic…”
Thanks, TEAM. Rolling your eyes, they eventually settle on someone who’s been relatively quiet for the whole conversation–not that he was much of a talker to begin with! Obber, you begin as you thoughtfully tap your chin, what’s his read? Is his sister on the right track here?
“Click.”
’A chance not taken is a chance forever lost’... the Maakpire has a point. Even if you don’t use Toppel’s concoction, it could certainly prove useful down the line… and you get the sneaking suspicion it’d be safer with you than her…
Relaying your decision, both mages respond more or less how you expect:
“Decisive AND bold! You never cease to amaze me, boy!”
“And you never cease to amaze me either…” Oti quips with a defeated sigh. “I do hope you’re ready to accept the consequences your actions may bring.”
If what you’re hearing is true, you deflect as you tug your COMFY ROBE back on, Umberal is gonna have problems regardless! Stowing TOPPEL’S AETHERIC SIPHON into your pocket right next to your ANTI-MAGIC BOMB and your BLASTCAPS, you feel a somewhat warmer breeze tickle your cheeks.
“Dawn approaches.” Oti recites as his gaze turns skyward. “We’d best get underway then. You mentioned an airship?”
You did? The Chytree answers with a shrug.
“Where is it?”
>CONTD.
>>
>>6363774
As if on cue, you hear the roar of four massive engines approaching from above, much to the concertgoer’s excitement and confusion! Even the Teksouls can’t help but track the vessel’s loud approach–their eyes following the cacophony like cats eyeing a laser pointer!
You feel a beak bump against your leg followed by a wary ‘click’. Obber’s right, you think as you adjust your COOL COWBOY HAT and the mages prepare to depart, ‘time is never hoarded–merely spent. What matters most is to whom it went.’
Trier will come for you soon, that’s for certain–the question is, who will you spend your LAST BIT OF TIME WITH!?
(You'll have a little time to talk strategy with Morook and Volka as well as say 'hey' to Joji, but this decision will be of a more social, character nature! WATCH OUT!
>VOLKA!
>MOROOK!
>TT!
>REZALITH!
>OTI!
>TOPPEL!
>OBBER!
>JOJI!
>RED!
>YOURSELF!
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
File: shuurimentalmap.png (60.4 KB)
60.4 KB PNG
It doesn’t take long for you to find your ride–though you’ll admit you have a little trouble boarding thanks to all the rubberneckers watching in awe from the Lodge’s back patio! Even with Lodge Security doing their best to contain the situation, you only really manage to get through when Oti gives you and Obber a telekinetic lift over the crowd!
A quick eye count tells you the rest of the gang is already aboard long before you climb the loading ramp–Lutza’ Security Trio guard the passage like bridge trolls while she and her Manager hastily retreat into the airship’s bowels to escape the roaring crowd!
“There he is!” Volka remarks as you scamper up the ramp, “Thought we lost ya, Rook!”
“I was this close to getting her to chuck me back into the Lodge!” TT adds as she ambushes you with a surprise hug! “Where’d you run off to?”
Tying up some loose ends, you explain before making your way to where you recall one of the ship’s SPEAKERSTONES was. Joji, you announce, you’re all aboard!”
“With a few more passengers, I see!” Chirps the Mox’s voice with glee as it crackles free of the magical speaker! “I might have to prepare some appetizers! Good golly!”
Just, uh… just focus on flying, okay? Rezzie appears behind you with a sour expression.
“I want snacks.”
LATER!
Your pilot doesn’t waste any time–a massive blast of steam heralds your departure as the steel surrounding you shudders from the force… and before you can say ‘Sleepy Cookies’ the airship rockets into the air!
“OOooOOughh…” Volka groans as you feel your innards flip and churn like pancakes on a griddle, “That’s… gonna take some getting used to…”
Morook, on the other hand, stands frozen in wide-eyed awe like a Chytree Statue as he watches the crowd’s eyes swiftly fade into the inky blackness below!
“Viisla…” He mutters in palpable disbelief, “This… this is…”
Turbulence rumbles through the vessel, nearly sending Morook tumbling down the loading ramp, but a well-placed tail saves him!
“High-up, yep!” Laughs a queasy, but still pleasant Volka as she gives her brother a noogie! “Eugh… now I gotta lie down…”
“Impressive…” Muses Oti as he watches from afar, “Most impressive.”
“THAT’S putting it mildly!” Sputters Toppel as she scurries around the cargo hold in wide-eyed confusion! “Th-they propulsion systems… how do they manage such power with so little magical influence!? I barely feel any aetheric contamination, and yet-”
Once the initial excitement fades, Joji gives your gang the ‘audio tour’ of the airship, only this time he does it while still flying the dang thing!
“Dunno about you all, but I need a minute ta’ get my bearings…” Admits the Skog with a hint of color in her cheeks!
>CONTD.
>>
File: aguynamedred.png (105.8 KB)
105.8 KB PNG
>>6364056
“Yea… I gotta catch my breath too.” TT adds, prompting a round of various forms of assent. Retreating to the OBSERVATION DECK, you find the location brisk and windy, but also relatively quiet.
A good place for some last-minute introspection, you think as you lean against a guardrail overlooking the yawning abyss, but also…
”Ah… ya’ feel that, kid?”
… whatever this is supposed to be. The Archdevil’s consciousness spreads through your skull like it was reclining in an easy chair.
”Feels like change.”
‘Change’, you scoff. What is he, a revolutionary now?
”I’m a pragmatist, Ant… I don’t see problems or shortcomings… I see potential. And Zoral?”
You feel a weak urge to raise your arms dramatically. You acquiesce, of course.
”Ripe and fertile for the taking.”
Oh yea, you nod flippantly as you wrestle your arms back down to your sides, prime real estate! Say, look down there! That’d be a great place for a skull tower, right? Oh, and maybe a blood moat and a crucifixion hill to tie it all together…
”THERE’S the Anton I know: so little faith, barely hidden under a dusting of humor…” The devil retorts with a raspy laugh. ”Is that REALLY who you think I am, Tex? Some head-collecting monster with a waxed mustache and a big, red pitchfork?”
He doesn’t exactly give off altruistic vibes, you retort as you push off the guardrail and begin a long, meandering trot around the deck! Why, are you missing something?
”Tabula Rasa, amigo… a fresh canvas just begging to be painted on!” A spirited sigh leaves your lips. ”And it’s WASTED! WASTED on a cowardly quartet and their godsdamned DARKNESS!”
You don’t notice RED getting angry much… but when he does, you can certainly feel it–your fingertips burn, your eyes sting, and for the briefest of moments you can almost feel something scraping away at the inside of your psyche!
Simply put, it gives you the heebie-jeebies!
”But you know what the worst part is?” He continues in a cool, measured tone. ”Everyone just accepts it.”
It’s not like they really have a choice, you shrug, these LORDS have a reputation for being kind of a big dea-
”Just like Vhale, right?” RED snickers as an image of the dead-eyed Durher creeps into your mind’s eye! ”The big, bad crime lord–sliced first and asked questions later, but even with all of those men and all of his power…”
You blink.
”That’s right…” RED purrs with undisguised glee, ”He fell. By your hands. Not an army, not an assassin…”
You feel a presence loom over you from behind like a teacher staring over your shoulder.
”You.”
>CONTD.
>>
File: theshow3.png (103.3 KB)
103.3 KB PNG
>>6364057
…Technically it was Sixface.
”Don’t be coy, Anton–this whole wretched world had ages to put that sick bastard in the ground themselves… and while I’ll admit I felt a bit slighted by your decision to hand his soul off to whatever’s in that bag of yours, you can’t deny that you’ve left quite the impact in such a short time!”
Happy to disappoint, you smirk! But as mean of a guy as Vhale was, he was just that: a guy. Trier, well-
”Trier, Khodra, Sysska, Miik, they’ll all fall, Anton–I’m so certain of it I can taste it.”
And then he’ll move in, move around the furniture a bit, and then what? Zoral’s hosted its share of demons before, you grunt as you return to your favorite spot on the guardrail, and they might not be as eager for a replacement Lord as he thinks!
”They’ll take anyone and anything this world gives them–they made that plenty clear when they allowed these clowns free reign for this long. The question is… who will be there to claim it when the dust settles?”
That gets your attention! What’s that supposed to mean? Giving away his betrayal plot a little early, doesn’t he think?
”So much NEGATIVITY!” RED groans from within your consciousness! ”Where’s your imagination, Anton? Where’s your spirit? Your soul!?”
With him, last you checked! And you’ve got plenty of imagination, thanks–you’re very, very good at imagining what he’ll do to Zoral if he gets a turn in the driver’s seat!
”I knew Rezalith would poison your image of me…” RED sighs. ”Do you really think I’m incapable of benevolence, Anton? That I’m not capable of sharing a domain? You don’t seem to have the same reservations around our favorite fiend…”
Crud. That’s… that’s different, you fire back with a glare! She’s… she’s proven herself to b-
”Useful? So if I were to slip into your little adventuring party would you give me the same graces? Will I formally join ‘Team Anton’ when we soundly trounce Trier?”
The demon borrows your body to adopt a pondering pose. ”Or maybe I just need to adopt a softer, more feminine form…?”
Th-that’s definitely not gonna work, you sputter! You’re taken, by the way!
”Anything is possible when you’re a being of pure magic, kid.” The Archdemon purrs with grim satisfaction in his tone. “But since you’re oh-so-eager to shoot down my ideas, let’s hear some of yours, hm?”
The presence closes the gap.
”Assuming you succeed–that you free Zoral of these pesky Lords… What's next?”
What… what IS next?
>You’ll go home, duh!
>You might stick around for a bit…
>Zoral might need some guidance…
>Whatever your friends wanna do!
>I might be open to working with you…
>Stay silent! He’ll think you disappeared!
>Write-In!
>>
>>6364059
>Stay silent! He’ll think you disappeared!
I feel like there's an issue here which Anton might begin to be realizing, and that is that Zoral is uh, ridiculously better than anything he could have possibly gotten on earth.
I mean, yeah, we wanna show it to TT and all, but what was Anton before? A wagie loser with no future. Now he's a cool globetrotting adventurer and slayer of villains and monsters with a bardic girlfriend and a whole posse of friends.
Besides tourism, what does Anton really have left in earth?
>>
>>
>>
>>6364067
This is true. Earth has its charms, and Zoal has its problems, but there's really nothing apart from maybe teh darkness itself which makes Zoral especially worse on aggregate... And for our boy, it's way better.
Hence:
>You might stick around for a bit…
At least until we can determine how to safely show TT around Earth and, ideally, make it back again.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
File: newandimproved.png (45.8 KB)
45.8 KB PNG
The answer is simple: you’ll go back home, of course–isn’t that what started you down this path in the first place? Get your memories back, find a mage that can whisk you away back to… wherever you’re from?
It’s been your goal from the beginning… but somewhere along the path you picked up a hitchhiker–or maybe some kind of metaphorical tick:
Doubt.
It started small, of course: a lingering apprehension at the thought of returning home. Scattered memories focusing on your dead-end job rather than a wealth of family and friends. An uncharacteristic apathy learning that Liz followed you in.
Sure, Zoral has its share of issues: vicious monsters, cruel tyrants, unstable government… oh, and the darkness. But darkness can be navigated–people have been doing it here for ages, apparently–and the beasts and baddies? Vhale doesn’t seem as tough anymore! And speaking of people…
Volka. Morook. Rezzie. TT. Even Oti, Obber and Toppel, to a degree… you feel like you’ve known them better than your family and friends at this point–and with that realization comes an even more jarring one:
Would recovering your missing memories change that?
On Earth you were a nobody–a failed magician, a lousy boyfriend, a perpetually-weary wageslave drifting through days like a leaf in a pond.
You were nothing on a fast-track to becoming… nothing. You don’t need memories to know that.
The fact that you barely even react to that realization tells you everything you need to know.
But here? Your hands tighten their grip around the observation deck guardrails. You’re not just somebody… you’re you--no frills, no fake smiles, just Anton Peas… Adventurer. Fiend-Slayer.
Friend.
”This world doesn’t need to be governed by fear, Anton.” The devil’s voice rouses you from your innermost thoughts like a pail of cold water to the face! ”And once we’ve ousted these self-proclaimed ‘lords… stamped out that idiotic cult… remove those yellow-bellied holdouts who let it go on like this for so long?”
One of your fists balls up in defiance.
”We’ll give Zoral the world they deserve: not through fear, but passion. Not by apathy, but by action!”
Hearing RED speak like this is jarring, to say the least–not just because he doesn’t sound like as much of a cowpoke, but for a brief moment… the briefest... you almost want to believe what he’s saying.
”A world for people like you and I…” He continues in an almost reverent tone, ”A world shaped by DREAMERS. DARERS! DOERS!”
And if someone has a different dream than him? What happens then, hmm? You feel the Archdevil’s ego shift within your psyche.
>CONTD.
>>
File: volkaconfuzzled.png (26.6 KB)
26.6 KB PNG
>>6364384
”Words without action are just that, Tex… and real leaders fight for their ideals.” He pauses for a moment in quiet contemplation. ”Crossroads… they said anyone could run for Guild Chair, didn’t they?”
Eyes on the prize, you grumble as you give your own forehead a flick. You’ve still got an Archmage to thrash–is he gonna fight for those ideals?
”Trier’s gone soft, kid… too many years playing ‘Mayor’ in that tiny tower of his.” RED sneers with barely-hidden glee. ”Just do your thing, I’ll do mine, and we’ll have his head sizzling on a platter before brunch!”
Right, you nod, ‘by brunch’... with no way to ‘hang up’ on the Hellspawn, you drift into an uneasy silence for a few seconds before two pairs of heavy footfalls emerge from the bowels of the ship!
“ROOK! We wanted t-WOOAAAH!!!!”
“Watch the rails, Volk…”
A familiar Skog scampers over to the railing next to you wide-eyed like a kid on a cruise ship! True to Morook’s words, the guardrail groans as his sister presses her impressive weight against it… but in a rare feat of engineering, it holds firm!
“Good place to prepare.” Remarks Morook as he takes his place at your side opposite Volka. “Having second thoughts?”
No, you flatly reply, you’re backed up against a wall now–all that’s left is to fight like a cornered raccoon! The Chytree’s eyes pulse.
“Raccoon?”
Weird lil’ Earth critters that eat garbage and skulk around at night, you answer with a bemused grin. He’d love ‘em. The ranger nods.
“You might be right–I can only imagine how ecologically diverse your plane must be… and with light, no less!”
“Yea, sounds wacky!” Giggles Volka as she basks in the brisk wind assailing your faces! “Raccoon! Raccoon, raccoon, raccoon…”
Not that you mind, you politely begin, but did they just come up here to share the breeze, or…? Volka jolts upright.
“Whuh? OH! Right!” Focusing her big yellow eyes on you, the Skog sends a reassuring grin your way as her big tail smacks the deck with enthusiasm! “Mor and I are here ta’ getcha’ all set for the big battle!”
“As much as we can before dawn, at least…” The Chytree adds with an apologetic chirp. “I’d offer advice for dealing with an Archmage, but few have managed to escape an altercation with him unscathed, as I’m sure you can imagine…”
That’s… understandable, you say with a shrug. So uh… how DO they plan to help you, then?
“Ha ha! Good question!”
>CONTD.
>>
File: volkathonkinnnn.png (12.4 KB)
12.4 KB PNG
>>6364385
You wait for a follow-up that never comes… not until you ask it, at least. Volka, you sigh, does… does she have any ideas?
“Well, uh…” She mutters as she meekly scratches her head, “I have a few ideas of ideas, yea!”
Hoo boy… slumping against the railing like a sad balloon, you feel a gentle claw give your shoulder a reassuring squeeze.
“Trust her, Anton,” Morook drones with a glimmering gaze, “You’ve seen sis in action–she won’t do you wrong. And neither will I.”
You’d be lying if you said that didn’t make you feel a little better! Straightening up your posture, you turn to Volka with renewed gumption in your gaze! What’s she got, huh?
“Well~”
CHOOSE YOUR BONEUS! This'll stack with the BONEUS buffs you got from Morook and Toppel... but it'll only last for the duration of the BOSS BATTLE with Trier! Don't forget to save your game, kids!
>Cardio time! You’re gonna run circles around that fossil! (SUCCESS = SMALL BONEUS TO DODGE CHECKS!)
>I want ya to HIT me! No holding back–one-hundred times oughta’ do it! (SUCCESS = SMALL BONEUS TO PHYSICAL ATTACKS!)
>Let’s work those MAGIC MUSCLES! (SUCCESS = SMALL BONEUS TO MAGIC ATTACKS!)
>You’ve got quite the arsenal–let’s brainstorm on how to use it! (SUCCESS = SMALL BONEUS TO ITEM USE ROLLS!)
>I think it’s time… that we SPARRED, Rook! (SUCCESS = SMALL BONUS TO DODGE, PHYSICAL, AND MAGIC! FAILURE = :C)
>Need a pep-talk, Rook? (???)
>Write-In!
>>
>>6364387
>You’ve got quite the arsenal–let’s brainstorm on how to use it! (SUCCESS = SMALL BONEUS TO ITEM USE ROLLS!)
We don't need a pep-talk. We're not particularly sullen, besides realizing that we don't really have a reason to go back to our world.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
File: suitupanton.png (45 KB)
45 KB PNG
Toppel and Oti buffed you up already, you reply with an apologetic smile, but you’ve got more ordnance in your pockets than a backpacking secessionist–and while you’re fine with whiffing a fireball, you don’t wanna waste your ANTI-MAGIC BOMB!
Volka and Morook exchange a satisfied smirk, which is admittedly a little unnerving in the latter’s case!
“Weapon Drills, huh, Rook?” The Skog asks with a twinkle in her eye! “Ain’t nothin’ to ‘em!”
“I daresay it might be our specialty.” Nods Morook with a matching glimmer in his gaze! “We’ll need to get started now, though–dawn isn’t far.”
Rad, you reply, wide-eyed and eager, but… but how are you supposed to jam-pack all this training into such a short ti-
“HOLD IT!”
A familiar, if not somewhat weary voice rings out from the rampwell leading back into the airship’s bowels, and at the top panting like a dog in July is none other than–
“TT!” Volka exclaims as she swiftly sweeps the cuddly critter up into her beefy arms, “Didja come to watch us train?”
“Nope,” The Spinner explains as she gently nuzzles the Skog, “I came to help!”
“Appreciated,” Morook replies with an apology in his tone, “But three instructors might be a bit much-”
“Oh, I won’t be teaching...” TT retorts as she gives her recently-reclaimed Striilii a strum, “I’m here to play.”https://youtu.be/HjyfApjOzyw
The half-siblings exchange a sidelong glance… followed by a resolute nod!
Say what you will about the Half-Siblings–they don’t waste time when it’s on the line! Laying each item out flat on the deck, you try to keep up as your pals run you through a rapid-fire training sesh!
ITEM PASTEBIN:https://pastebin.com/xdk5kHyA
“BEND YOUR ELBOW! AIM THE ROD WHERE YOUR ENEMY’S HEADED, NOT WHERE THEY ARE!” Morook barks as you struggle not to giggle at the word ‘rod’!
“LET THE WALLS DO THE WORK! BANK THOSE BLASTCAPS!” Shouts Volka, batting away your thrown (and unlit, don’t worry) blastcaps with her tail!
“WHEN YOU’RE HOLDING A BLADE, YOU’RE MAKING A WALL! BUILD IT AWAY FROM YOU!”
“REEL THAT SEA SNAGGER WHEN YOUR CATCH IS WORN OUT!”
“ARM THE BOMB! DISARM THE BOMB! ARM! DISARM!”
“P-PLEASE PUT AWAY THAT ANKLEBITER, ANTON…”
“”TELESCOPE THAT MEATHOOK!”
By the time Tzah-Tzie’s Tzah-Tzong hits the chorus a second time, your muscles are aching and your brow is damp with sweat! How… How long have you been training for!?
“Erm… t-two minutes, maybe?” Stammers Volka as she struggles to find a tone that doesn’t sound condescending! “N-not that I expected you to last longer or anything! That’s a great amount of time! S-super!”
>CONTD.
>>
File: speeeeech.png (22.9 KB)
22.9 KB PNG
>>6364722
“Still,” remarks Morook, “You catch on quick, Anton. Feel better?”
GOODIE GURU: +2 To Item-Use Rolls until the end of THE BATTLE!
Much, you reply with a satisfied nod! That three-eyed freak won’t know what hit him!
“Damn right!” Chirps Tzah-Tzie with a spirited Striilii strum! “Archmage? He’ll be… ArchMULCH by the time you’re through with him!”
“Yea!” Snorts Volka as she gives TT’s hair a playful tousle, “He’ll be looking for a new way to earn a, uh… ArchWAGE! Since he’ll be out of a job and all!”
“He’ll be dead.” Morook states plainly.
Clearing your throat in a vague attempt to salvage the situation, you wipe the sweat from your forehead before turning to address your friends!
Guys, you begin, whatever happens with Trier, you want them all to know something:
The gang watches silently.
You… you couldn’t have done this–ANY of this–without them! They were there for you when no one else was, stood up for you when it’d be easy to just stand aside, and now?
You wipe away a sweat drop trickling down your cheek.
They’re about to go to town on a guy who’s probably older than written language and just as powerful… just because they’re your pals!
THE DECK’S GONE QUIET! ALL EYES ARE FROZEN ON YOU! IT’S ROUSING SPEECH TIME! WHAT’S YOUR ANGLE?
>Focus on friendship! They’re the best!
>Stick to safety! You’re not losing any of them in the coming battle!
>Anchor to being aggressive! Don’t pull any punches!
>Strictly strategy! They all know their strengths–teamwork’s the name of the game here!
>Write-In!
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>6364722
>lasted two minites, but it's f-fine, hahaha
TT knows we take a couple tries to get into a groove.
>half-siblings
I mwant to ask, but do you mean adopted/step siblings? Or are the terms interchangeable in whatever Zoralians speak?
>>
>>
File: antmass.png (69.9 KB)
69.9 KB PNG
No time like the present, you think as you steady yourself with a deep breath! If you don’t get these words out now, you might not get another chance!https://youtu.be/VTsD2FjmLsw
Today, you begin as your pals watch with rapt attention, you go toe-to-toe with ARCHMAGE TRIER: an ancient sorcerer backed up with ages of knowledge and an army of constructs fueled by souls! A dude so scary that some people don’t even utter his name! A three-eyed freak hell-bent on ruling Umberal forever… and eventually all of Zoral!
A cocky grin slips onto your face as you pace around the deck! He’s big, you continue, he’s bad... he even admitted to having a hand in plunging this world into darkness… that alone should tell you all just how confident he is on never being kicked out of his throne! But there’s one thing his arcane knowledge can’t buy:
You come to a dramatic halt facing your merry band of misfits.
FRIENDS.
When your audience continues to listen quietly, all you can do is give ‘em more of what they want!
The truth is, you continue with growing excitement in your gaze, is that you’re not much of a fighter… never was! Where you come from, you’re expected to let a shoplifter take whatever they want from the register, even if they come into the restaurant brandishing a muddy twig! You never signed up for self-defense, you startle easily, and for all intents and purposes, you probably should’ve died minutes after arriving here in Zoral!
Determination slips into your expression as your eyes sweep the ‘crowd’. But you didn’t, you conclude with a resolute nod, and it wasn’t thanks to DEMON POWERS or the heaps of energy in your soul or whatever Trier is drooling over–you survived because you had backup! A team of fighters and fiends! Conjurers and catthings! A gallery of oddballs and outcasts… and the best friends you could ever ask for!
You feel flames flicker to life in your chest as your words come easier!
When we went after Rolo’s casino in Gold Town, they called us crazy! When we shipped off to Umberal, they said it was impossible! When you rushed off to Vhale’s Manor for a showdown, the odds were against you… and as you stand here about to stare Trier dead in the eyes, what do you feel? Fear? Regret? Acceptance?
You answer your own rhetorical question with a vigorous headshake!
NO, you declare with a stomp of your foot, you feel GOOD! DAMN GOOD! Because even when your back’s against the wall… when there’s enemies pounding on the gates and there’s more than you can count…
You adjust your COOL HAT with a confident grin!
You know that no matter the place, your friends’ll be there with you knee-deep in the mud and ready to throw hands until the last foe falls!
>CONTD.
>>
File: triership.png (36.7 KB)
36.7 KB PNG
>>6364840
Your pals remain stunned and silent… but you’re not done yet!
You’ve had close calls, you continue in a slightly more measured tone, and you’ve come close to losing folks every step of the way… but today? Today will be DIFFERENT! Today you’re on the OFFENSIVE! Today, you repeat, each utterance of the word louder than the last, you’re not losing ANYONE! And when you’re finished with Trier, you conclude, voice dropping just above a whisper,
…he’ll wish he had what we had. Because together? We’re unstoppable!
Holding for applause that never comes, it takes you a somewhat embarrassing amount of minutes to realize your friends weren’t rendered speechless by your rousing speech…
And you’re pretty sure the engines on this airship can’t function in complete silence.
And now that you think about it, why are everyone’s eyes so… lackluster? It’s like looking through an old movie filter or someth….
…thing.
“DaWN."croaks a deep voice rattling like a rusty old toy.
You barely even noticed how cold the air became.https://youtu.be/CcOTCWYypjA
Turning to face its owner, you have to crane your neck all the way back to meet the three eyes glowing in the murk like a ghostly lighthouse. The world around you stands still like a picture in a museum save for you.
And TRIER.
Drifting like a scarecrow, the archmage extends an appendage down to you heralded by a gut-wrenching series of cracks and pops like a dead tree slipping loose from a web of old vines!
“coME.”
How do you respond?
>Let him take you. The Tower is his turf, but you’ve got that bomb… and Toppel’s party favor…
>Resist here. You don’t relish fighting in the sky, but if you can ruin his focus and unfreeze your pals…
>Ask a question! You’ve earned that much!
>Bargain! You’re not going anywhere without your friends!
>Protest! There’s no WAY it’s dawn yet! R-right?
>Stay silent! He’ll think you disappeared!
>Write-In!
>>
>>
>>6364841
>Let him take you. The Tower is his turf, but you’ve got that bomb… and Toppel’s party favor
No point acting out. We're killing you, Trier, we're murderizing you funky town style. Just not right this second.
>>
>>
>>
File: conceptartlab.png (3.1 KB)
3.1 KB PNG
Stealing a glance at your pals still paralyzed in place, you turn to face the Archmage with a resigned sigh. This was intentional, you think as you feel space warp around your body like an ethereal tent in a storm–even with the gang backing you up and a lack of Teksouls, there’s no way you’d remain airborne for long. Your encounter with Sixface and Rolo earlier confirmed that much!
Your hands remain hidden in your pockets as reality straightens itself out again, placing you in a room you’d rather not visit ever again.
Trier towers over you, eyes glowing like lanterns in the mist as your senses are assaulted by the acrid odor of potions and stale corpses. The room is circular, you think as your RING OF ECHOS slowly adds to your mental map with each drop of condensation and each hiss of steam. Tall–dizzyingly tall–but not much to sneeze at diameter-wise.
You cautiously trace a finger across the ANTI-MAGIC BOMB sequestered within your pockets. Assuming the Archmage doesn’t vaporize the ordnance or teleport it to Timbuktu, he’s gonna have a hard time avoiding its effects… as will the Teksouls chittering in their glass cocoons lining the chamber.
“yiELD.”
Trier doesn’t waste any time, does he? Looming over you like a sentient floodlight, the mage waits for your response as you feel an uncanny tugging sensation on your very being…
”Tell him to spin on it, kid–we’ve got all the cards here.”
You never thought you’d be comforted to hear RED’S voice, but as you face down one of Zoral’s LORDS alone, well…
You’d be lying if you said you didn’t appreciate the backup.
“umbERaL WaiTS. EtERnItY waiTS. it JOIns umBEraL EVeRBURnIng… EVERlaSTINg, YeeEESSSSs….”
Trier’s massive eyes quiver in barely-hidden anticipation as a chorus of unnerving cracks and pops ring out from his gaunt form. The magic in the air around you is stifling like a bathroom after taking a long, hot shower–but rather than warming you to the core, this contamination chills you to your very center!
The Mage said it himself–your ‘essence’ or whatever will be less-refined if he takes it by force… and Trier seems like too much of a perfectionist to go that route without trying alternatives. That said, however, the mad magician is remarkably silent as he awaits a response.
Like a dog waiting patiently for a treat, you get the feeling Trier’s patience is running very, very thin.
But his eagerness leaves him open. You’ve got the first move, whatever it may be!
What do?
>Talk to Trier first! Take him off-guard!
>Tell him to ‘spin on it’!
>Time for Toppel’s Tincture! AETHERIC SIPHON!
>Arm that bomb and blow this lab a new one!
>Wanna take over, RED?
>Let Trier make the first move–you’re on his turf, after all!
>Fake him out! 'Agree' and use that to get close!
>Stay silent! He won’t think you disappeared!
>Write-In!
>>
>>
>>6365075
I'll make it even easier for you guys since it might've gotten lost in translation with Oti and Toppel's bickering--if this gangly SOB touches you or your robe you can trigger the spell--just be ready for whatever comes next! :^)
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
File: Screenshot - 2015-08-27 , 6_14_10 PM.png (212.7 KB)
212.7 KB PNG
>>6365228
KEK. Well, at least it wasn't a nat 1.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
File: antcough.png (42.9 KB)
42.9 KB PNG
You’re still not sure what the hell Trier is, really, but if what everyone says is true, the guy can switch from body to body like jackets in a menswear boutique! You don’t know the specifics–probably wouldn’t even if you could read the notes his detractors left lying around–but if the spell you snatched from Vhale is legit, it should keep the fearsome fossil from jumping ship!
With baited breath, you preface your response with a weary sigh before moving to wriggle free of your robe! By the time your arms are lifted over your head, however, every glowing eye in the room is staring you down like you’re about to perform!
It’s not like you wanted to freeze–not really! But sensing something awry, Trier took it upon himself to lock you in mid-shed! Leaning low to cock his head to the side, the mage doesn’t even bother asking what you’re doing… but you can tell he won’t let you go without an answer!
Slow your roll, you grunt, finding it difficult to explain locked in place like an action figure with sandy joints, you just… need a favor before you proceed!
Trier’s eyes flicker. “... DenIEd. ConTRaCT seaLED. aidED. assISTeD. WAITED.”
It’s nothing big, you groan as you try not to oversell the act, you just need him to give your ROBE to your pals! Once, y’know, he finishes doing whatever he plans on doing!
The Archmage stares you down as if you’d just took a dump on his floor.
… It’s, uh… sentimental?
“ANAlysIS: MagICAL. ENChaNTmENT… FAMiliar… ExaMINAtiON REquIRED.”
Feeling a magical tug on your robe, you sputter out a response just before it can slip from your shoulders! W-wait! He doesn’t need to do it now-
It’s too late–Trier yanks the robe free of your waifish, T-shirt-clad form faster than Tzah-Tzie in that broom closet on the Skyrail! Hearing the robe flutter into the Archmage’s gnarled claw, you struggle to recall what it was you needed to do to trigger the fireworks…
Right, you think as a noise somewhere between a wheeze and a click leaves the mage’s lips, you have to…!
“SorceRY!” Exclaims the Archmage in genuine surprise, “IMpERiAL…” Stooping low to meet your gaze once more, your bones rattle as the mage’s raspy voice shakes you to your very core!
“wheRE… DID-”
He’s a magician, you interject, squaring your stance for whatever’s about to come next, is he familiar with the concept of ‘The Prestige?’”
Invisible talons close around your body.
“WHERE???”
It’s the third act, you reply as you feel a familiar chattering in your teeth! The payoff–the punchline!
You don’t know what spell Trier’s cooking up, but in his confusion he doesn’t let the robe leave his grasp… meeting his dead gaze with a cheeky grin, you give the wizard a firsthand example:
COUGH!
>CONTD.
>>
File: antvstrier.png (98.6 KB)
98.6 KB PNG
>>6365363
For a moment, all is still–silent enough to hear a mouse tiptoeing across the room in slippers… but just when it seems like the robe didn’t work, Trier’s towering form starts to convulse!
Scores of voices burst forth from the sorcerer’s mouth in a chorus of unintelligible screeches and screams as his body writhes like a cat about to be given a bath! Words overlap, noises drown out interjections, and at the apex of the Archmage’s flight all the clicks, screeches, howls, and cries come together in a deafening crescendo!
And for the briefest moment, all goes quiet.
Ta-dah~https://youtu.be/mn2pptUoVM0
Whatever Trier was collapses in a heap just a stone’s throw from your feet–the impact sending a violent tremor across the lab!
”Well I’ll be damned…” RED remarks in disbelief, ”I can’t smell anything lingering in that carcass… it really WORKED!”
“DUplICItOUS WRETCH!”
The insult works its way down to you from far, far above… its owner’s eyes burning bright with fresh anger as they menacingly scuttle towards you like a pissed-off spider!
“THiS ExcHAaANGe… IS OVerrRrR!”
It’s hard to see in this dang darkness, but you feel something tug on the corner of your soul… you wouldn’t have a clue as to what was happening had RED not burst into triumphant laughter!
“I ain’t got no soul to TAKE, you dumb sonnovabitch!” Croons the hellspawn as Triersoul’s eyes flicker with fury! ”This is it, Anton–curtains rise!”
“SubTErFUGe… TreACHErrRrRy….” Hisses the Archmage as you feel the air around you ignite with fresh magic, “IT WoulD LEt UMBerAL DIm… EXssSTinGUiissSSShh!”
That’s right, you nod as you draw your MAGIC SHIELD in one hand and conjure some HELLFIRE in the other, you’re ANTON PEAS–your soul belongs to no one but yourself… and it’s ‘lights out’ for him!
The magic around you begins to shift… you’re in the eye of the hurricane now, Anton!https://youtu.be/IunbXWab1_Y
>Roll me 1d100-3 (+2 Buffs, +3 Swift Footwork, +3 Magic Shield, +2 LIMBOOO, -8 Lordlike, -5 Irritated Trier) for reasons! Best of 3!
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
File: trierannoyed.png (83.6 KB)
83.6 KB PNG
You’re not waiting for an invitation! Bolting towards the whining wizard, you launch yourself into the air with a well-timed HELLGEYSER and fire off a salvo of HELLFIRE ORBS!
Each shot goes wide–the near-misses all prefixed by reality shifting awkwardly like a poorly-edited movie! It’s not just your head, however–as another shot goes wide and the wizard reappears behind you, you notice a definite shift in one of your HELLFIRE ORBS’ altitude.
Even worse, the magical energy emanating from Trier’s Teksoul Transplant makes the back of your eye sockets itch–and any animosity he might’ve displayed a moment ago is long gone! He’s calm, you think as you hit the ground with an awkward attempt at tucking-and-rolling that just turns into a flop, TOO CALM!
Nearly stumbling into a hissing, crackling barrier surrounding you like a magical playpen, you send another serving of searing orbs Trier’s way… but the mage effortlessly bats them away!
“it REMainS unCOOPErATIve.” He states plainly like a doctor giving a diagnosis, “DeFIANT”
He’s damn right you remain ‘unCOOPErATIve’, you snarl back! You’re not giving up, so he’d better just make like a croupier with a deck of cards… and DEAL WITH IT!
Trier’s borrowed joints creak and groan as he looms over you like a menacing windmill!
“we HaVE PerSIsSsSTED for AGes. We obSErvED THE SIgnING oF thE FirST DemONiC PAcT. We obseRVED thE DEatH Of thE EMpERoR aS IT chOKeD On itS OwN IcHOr. WE OBservED CitaDELs as THEy PLUnGED earthBOuND throUGH the CLOUDlAYer liKE rainDROps…”
Not even a few more fireballs stop Trier as you feel arcane energy well up beneath your feet!
”WE obsERvED aS THIs worLD bECAmE ENshrOuDED In DIVINe DarkNEsS… WE OBserVEd a NEW uMBERaL RiSE FROm iTs oWN ASHeS…”
His eyes glimmer as you feel something lasso your being… almost as if you were about to be-
”OuR POwER Is ONLy MatchED BY ouR BOUnDLeSS PATIEnCE. wE aRe a LORd: touCHEd by DIvinITY. ForgED In ShaDOW. It wiLL ReleNT. It WILL yieLD. WE WIll ObsErvE THIsSsss.”
“M A Z E.”
The word echoes in your braincase as it leaves whatever passes for a Teksoul’s lips… and like a bad comedian being yanked offstage with a comically-large cane, you feel an unseen force RIP you from your dimensional moorings and fling you into the aetheric expanse like an extradimensional frisbee!
Spinning and shrieking all the way, you instinctively tuck your limbs close to your body as your flight path roars with the grinding and groaning of pillars and walls rising out of the abyss, slowly encasing you in a magical tomb!
Landing in a particularly-befuddled heap on a rough-hewn cobblestone floor, it takes you about a moment to realize where you are!
STUBBED TOE COUNTER: 34!
>CONTD.
>>
File: telepoooorrrrtttt.png (885.3 KB)
885.3 KB PNG
>>6365661
A narrow passage–very narrow given how quickly you managed to smack your foot against a wall–expands far ahead of the dead end you landed, and any attempt to HELLGEYSER your way to the top proves fruitless. No matter how high you travel, the walls merely extend a little higher… and had you not kinda twisted your ankle on the landing, you’d probably try again!
”Whoof. Maze. That’s a kick in the head…”
RED, you exclaim as you pace around your new prison, what… where are you? What happened to the fight? The Archdevil borrows your aching shoulders for a quick shrug.
”On-hold, from the state of things…” He replies with a dispirited sigh. ”I reckon Trier’ll keep ya’ here ‘til you change your mind… or lose it.”
Figures, you reply as you slump against the wall. Well it’s a maze–doesn’t that mean there’s a way out?
”Sure, on principle…” RED replies. ”Might be far, though.”
HOW far? You’re not spending another thread on build-up again! The players are gonna dip faster than a tortilla chip at a dip convention!
”Hate to crush your spirits, pard, but the maze scales with the caster’s skill, so…”
Swell, you groan, so you’ll get out of here in your fifties!? Will Zoral still be around by then? Will your friends!?
”Hold your horses, Tex–I was just getting the bad news out first!” Chides the demon who ISN’T currently trapped in a labyrinth! ”Good news is that there IS an exit… somewhere! Might even be around the corner–could totally miss it if you picked the wrong path straight out the gate, y’know?”
You aren’t convinced. Is… does that happen? Seriously? Another borrowed shrug lifts your shoulders.
”It’s what I’d do!”
He’ll have to forgive you for not dancing for joy. Does he know any other alternatives to navigating a maze in complete and utter darkness?
”Hmm….” RED mutters as you idly flick the wall and frown, ”The caster has to concentrate to maintain the maze… so if you were to break his concentration somehow, well…”
Then the maze would disappear, you chirp with renewed pep in your step! But he’s probably aware of that too, huh?
”Not ta’ mention if I was just swindled by some extraplanar pipsqueak I wouldn’t take anything at face value either!” Adds the demon. ”He should be stuck in that weaker body for a while, though, so at least we don’t have to worry about that, right?”
Sure, you sniff, you can focus on worrying about the maze instead…
”AND the monsters.”
Your eyes widen. Muh-muh-muh-monsters?
”Yep! Mazes are full of ‘em! The good ones, at least!” RED replies in a chipper tone! ”Traps, too! Nasty ones! Watch that toe, kid! Ouch!”
>CONTD.
>>
>>6365665
You slide down the wall and onto the labyrinth floor and let out a much-needed groan… you knew this wouldn’t be simple–knew it the minute you got outta bed this morning–but this i-
Wait a second, you’ve been up for, like, a whole DAY now! No wonder you feel so terrible! Crap, you’re gonna catch a cold if you keep pulling all-nighters like th-
”Kid? You already losin’ yer’ marbles?”
Getting there! Newly-equipped with all of RED’S hot tips, you decide to…
ITEM PASTEBIN:https://pastebin.com/xdk5kHyA
>Hit the maze! Go LEFT!
>Maze-O-Clock! Go RIGHT!
>Try to get Trier’s attention!
>You have demon powers! Maybe if you smack the walls enough…?
>Talk about something else with RED!
>Write-In!
>>
>>
>>
>>6365668
>Maze-O-Clock! Go Right!
>and...use that spool of Silk we have to mark our path!
The whole thing is this place is meant to confuse and make us lose our track. We should at least leave a trail marker of sorts in case we come across dead ends. If we notice the line snaps, we also know someone is following us.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
File: stringtheory.png (29.5 KB)
29.5 KB PNG
Like it or not, you’re going nowhere, and fast! Rising to your weary feet, you begin your trek down the corridor and keep on truckin’ until you come to the first–of what you presume will be many–junction!
”Could be worse, y’know.”
HOW?
”... Could be a four-way intersection.”
Stunning commentary as always. As you weigh your options, a flicker of an idea appears in your head! Quickly retrieving your SILK SPOOL from your also quite-voluminous SNEAKY LEATHER ARMOR pockets, you let the end of the line drop to the floor at your feet and indulge in a wry grin.
”Oh-ho! That’s usin’ the ole’ noggin!” RED exclaims with what sounds like genuine pride in his tone, ”So THAT’S why you stuff anything that ain’t nailed down in your pockets, huh?”
That’s exactly it, you nod as you take a right turn, you knew you’d be flung into a labyrinth eventually!
”Follow-up question:” RED adds as you try not to balk at the sound of something between a chicken being throttled and a pig eating a can of baked beans echoes down the corridor you didn’t take, ”Why go right?”
Because, you shrug as you choose the same option at the next fork, it seemed like the ‘RIGHT’ choice!
”... I’ll uh… I’ll let you work.”
Suit yourself! Your gamble pays off–sure, your strategy leads you into several, SEVERAL dead-ends, but with your trail of silk it’s easy to keep track of where you’ve been! You’d be lying if you said the process wasn’t a little dull, but at this point you’d shovel dung over begging TRIER for any aid!
The upside of the situation, you realize as you make a snap decision NOT turn right into what sounds like a wall of solid ANGRY BEES, is that The Archmage is in no rush here–he’ll wait as long as you need! But the same goes both ways, and assuming you don’t get chased by a GIANT CARTOON CAT WITH A MALLET or something in the next few posts, you might be able to take a breather before leaping back into the battle!
What a maroon!
Just when you’ve found a strange acceptance of the situation, you feel a fresh breeze caress your face as your ears are treated to the zen sound of…
Fountains?
“Oh-ho… you’re new...”
Roused from your rote right-turnings by the sound–the VOICE, mind you, not the fountains, those don’t scare you at all, honest–you try your best to zero in on the owner’s eyes…
And find none!
“No need to search,” Purrs a playful and remarkably clear androgynous voice just ahead of you, “I don’t have any~”
While the search for eyes comes up slim, your survey still manages to bear fruit… between the fountains sits a mouth–small, demure, and relatively normal save for the two dull teeth sticking out!
>CONTD.
>>
File: terrortrickle.png (43.7 KB)
43.7 KB PNG
>>6366154
Speaking of fruit, the mouth’s owner positively REEKS of the stuff–whatever you’re staring at, you muse to yourself in silent contemplation, is definitely not a member of any of the races you’ve seen so far!
“Stare all you like, blue-eyes~” Giggles the gazee as they bask in your unfiltered attention, “In terms of time, we’re all quite rich here!” The smile slips sideways. “... You do realize that, yes? Are you a nitwit?”
The question takes you off-guard. Y-yea, you nod, err, you mean ‘no’! You’re not a nitwit!
“Nitwits come in all shapes and sizes, you know.” Purrs the fountain-dweller as a lackadaisical laugh leaves their lips, “Did you come here willingly?”
N-no, you shrug, you were sent-
“Then that would make you much less of a nitwit… but not by much!” They reply in a matter-of-fact tone! “To come to this Labyrinth willingly would be nitwitworthy indeed… but being tossed here by The Master, well… that’s not entirely unnitwitly, now is it?”
True, you nod, but they seem to be pretty darn confident in their nitwit knowledge… So what does that make them, hm?
“What indeed!” Giggles the voice! “The Master placed us here, and while we know how to leave, we do not…” The smile cocks to the side, presumably along with the head it belongs to. “Why do you think we linger, new friend?”
Because they can’t? Your answer is awarded with a stomp of an unseen foot!
“Just so!” Giggles the grinner! “We could, but we won’t… because what if we can’t? If we can and we do, will we be?”
You’re uh… you dunno, you weakly reply as you feel a fresh migraine settling in, are they not from Zoral, or…?
“We are not ‘from’, we simply ‘are’!” Explains the maze-dweller! “This fountain garden is our home, our world, our charming oasis in the desert of the dull~”
So are they a construct? You’ve never seen one of… whatever they are before!
“Constructed, maybe, but not a construct!” Answers the voice as its owner adjusts their sitting position, “Being, perhaps, but not a being!”
Someone else in your entourage might find this conversation thrilling, but you’ve got places to be… look, you sigh, they said they know how to exit-
“Had your fill of the maze already? I don’t blame you.” Scratching their side with an unseen appendage, the Maze Dweller’s smile widens with fresh mischief! “But it’s hardly sporting to just give away privileged information like that, is it?”
It… it could be sporting, though, you whine as you put on the best puppydog eyes you can muster! C’moooonnn~
>CONTD.
>>
>>6366156
“What’s the rush?” Muses the Maze Dweller with a shrug of their unseen shoulders, “You’re the first conversation partner I’ve had in ages... not much for gabbing, my neighbors.” Reclining a little further back, your new friend gives you an appraising look with their nonexistent eyes!
“Hm. No… no, I don’t think I’ll tell you. Not yet, at least.”
That’s… that’s fine, you reply through clenched, angry teeth, but do they plan on telling you SOON? You’re in a bit of a hurry!
“Well bully for you, Mr. ‘In A Hurry’!” The smiler sighs! “Very well, then–let’s play for it!”
You can almost hear the enthusiasm rushing out of your body like a pack of rats from a sinking ship. Play?
“Yes! Play! Revel! Carouse!” Chirps the Labyrinth Loiterer, “I get my fun and you get your exit! IF you win, that is!”
… And if you don’t win?
“Hmmm… I suppose you’ll have to stay here until I decide what to do with you!” They answer with a shrug in their voice! “That sounds fair, doesn’t it? You’ll be leaving me here all to my lonesome if you win, after all!”
It doesn’t sound fair, but you don’t tell them that! It’s risky, that much is certain, but if you succeed at whatever this thing thinks up you’ll have a straight shot to the exit…
And if you fail, well, you were just about to go toe-to-toe with an Archmage–what’s one… whatever this thing is?
Okay, you shrug, what’s the game?
>SCAVENGER HUNT! You find it, I’ll even let you keep it!
>JOKE CONTEST! Whoever has the last laugh… LOSES!
>SPARRING SESH! I’ll go easy on you!
>RIDDLES! A classic!
>MAGIC SHOW! The most impressive magician wins!
>Hey, where are you going?[RUN!]
>[ATTACK!]
>Write-In!
Holy hell, sorry for the wait, all! ISP shit the bed mid-update yesterday and I didn't really get it back until an hour or so ago!
>>
>>6366161
You know, when I saw the "fountain" bit and stuff, I thought this was gonna be some "mermaid-calypso-woman-who-tries-to-make-you-stay-forever-willingly" thing, but then it turned out to be a cheshire cat with a small mouth.
Either way
>RIDDLES! A classic!
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
File: themazedweller.png (20.6 KB)
20.6 KB PNG
How about a game of RIDDLES, you suggest, earning a manic grin from your new pal!
“R-RIDDLES!?” They exclaim, not even trying to hide their excitement, “Yes! YES! Let’s ‘RIDDLES!’ An excellent idea!”
Alright, you nod, let’s! You and riddles go together about as well as peanut butter and tuna, but they don’t need to know that! Besides, how bad could a riddle be from a Maze-Dwelling Smilebeast?
… Wait. Crap.
“Ho ho ho! RIDDLES!” They chirp as unseen appendages slap the stony floor with glee, “I simply cannot wait!”
Y-yea, you nod, so… what’s the riddle, huh? The Maze-Dweller’s mouth freezes mid-mirth.
“What indeed? Why is a riddle such a decadent delight-”
No, seriously, you interject with barely-contained annoyance, when are they gonna ask you the riddle? Your question is answered with another eyeless stare.
“Oh! I don’t know any riddles!” Shrugs the smiler in a ‘what-can-ya-do’ tone! “I presumed you’d be the teller… and I’d be the judger!”
That’s… that’s not how riddles work, though! And what do they mean by ‘judger’ anyways?
“Well,” The smirker says with an exaggerated stretch, “My Riddle Reservoirs are depressingly desolate… but a Riddle shared is a Riddle gained! Though a middling riddling simply won’t do: it must be a Riddle that’s hard to outdo!”
… A-and what exactly qualifies as a GOOD riddle? Can they give you a clue?
“I cannot!” Shrugs Smiley, “If I knew a GOOD riddle I wouldn’t be asking–but since I don’t know, it’s you I’ll be tasking!”
Just stop with the rhyming–it’s getting outrageous! And worse, you add, wide-eyed, it’s becoming contagious!
You’ll need a good riddle, annoying, but true… but what kind should you share? What’s the move here? What DO?
>Make up something random! They don’t know what a riddle is!
>Give them a classic!
>Treat them to a really TRICKY riddle!
>Relate it to something in the maze!
>Write-In!
>>
>>
>>
>>6366555
>Just stop with the rhyming–it’s getting outrageous! And worse, you add, wide-eyed, it’s becoming contagious!
I really like you, Bones.
>Write-in
I am not sure if Anton is familiar with Conan, and I don't know if Mazey is.... But I kind of want to just pose the 'Riddle of Steel', and maybe just explain the full context and story around it. There doesn't seem to be an expectation that Mazey will /solve/ the riddle, just 'gain' it, or hear it. I may change my vote if another anon has a good idea.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>