So that's why he's making drugs, his research needs money, lots of it. Ask if he has another way of making cash besides drugs, because while it might make him some quick cash it also is likely to see him in a lot of trouble, what with drug dealers who would extort him for more drugs or try to knock him off to remove any perceived competition, drugies who would rob or kill him to take his stuff for a quick high, or even just law enforcement who would come in and toss him into the slammer. Either way all of his research would go to waste.

And if he ask why you're pushing him on this just tell him it's because while you can smell he's not a good person, you can tell he's not a bad on either and as you both now know, you don't have that much time left before you go back to the grave. As such you'd like to try and make the world a bit of a better place before you drop again besides just a row of devoured corpses, even if it's only helping a handful of people from making some terrible mistakes. Guess you could just say you don't want to leave this world as a complete monster.

Kaktus 2021/10/07(Thu)11:46 No. 1012569 ID: 681cb5
File 163363239869.png - (61.51KB , 700x550 , 10.png )

>So that's why he's making drugs, his research needs money, lots of it.
And he needs the research to get his arm back. That’s what this is all about! He doesn’t want to be crippled anymore, and he’s willing to do anything to achieve that goal, even if it is something as dangerous as selling drugs.
>If you can get his arm back, he won't have as much reason to make drugs, and thus you might be able to convince him to stop.
Do you even need to convince him to stop if he doesn’t have a reason to make them anymore? Of course, the main problem is actually getting his arm back… either way, it’s probably your best bet to make him stop, not counting just eating him.
>You know who could benefit from this potion that Oran's trying to make? Corvus the librarian. He lost both his legs, so I'm sure he'd want to get them back.
He probably doesn’t want to explode either. But yes, Corvus would probably be very interested in whatever solution you manage to find to fix Oran with.
>Not only that, but he's got lots of money, so he might be willing to fund Oran if he knew about this.
He’s not so rich that he can buy weird crystal for massive amount of money all willy-nilly. He might be able to help, though.


>Ask if he's in debt again? Is that why he's so desperate to keep making the potions?
…Ema, you ate the one I was in debt with just a few days ago, remember?
oh right, Tana.
So no, I’m not in debt. I’m no fool who takes loans I can’t repay.
>Ask if he has another way of making cash besides drugs.
If I had a better way don’t you think I would do that?
Doesn’t the shop make you some revenue?
Sure, it’s what I live on. Can’t really afford the expensive lab equipment’s and regents with that income, though.
Oran, while it might make you some quick cash selling these bottles, it also is likely to see you in lot of trouble.
Don’t worry, I’m being careful.
Other drug dealers might try and extort you again or remove you from the competition.
You ate the competition, remember?
There’s bound to be more out there. Then there’s the drugies you sell to… they’ll do anything for another high.
W-which I can… um… use… for the experiments.
…right… and if the guard finds you?
They are all corrupted and easy to bribe. The Duchess is spreading her influence downwards, after all.
…you mean the crazed vampire nest?
Err… y-yes… exactly? Not n-need to worry… heh… um… he…?

>Tell him you have some funds. What does he need to finish his research and heal his arm?
You have funds? Really?
I did find a big sack of coin over at… what was their name again? Terroza’s brother?
…and you don’t think he wants it back?
I ate him, Oran… and Terroza as well, for that matter. So yeah, I found a bit of coin there, clothes and… oh, right, I still have that sleeping potion buried over there that I might want to retrieve at some point. So I’m sure I can give you some funds from that… all I was planning to do with it was buying a breastplate, which… um… I kind of forget about that, didn’t I?
Well, if you got the cash… if you can donate about 200 gold, then I’ll probably be set for the whole year.
200 gold!? That’s… yeah, I don’t have that kind of money… only someone like the Duchess and the nobles around her has that kind of cash around here… wait, a full year? Why do you need to be set for a full year?
…because research doesn’t happen over a night, duh? It takes time… tests… not to mention I need to wait and see if things have side effects that appears after some time etc. etc. Science isn’t something that you can rush, you know.
…so your research won’t actually bear fruit for years?
…y-yes? Unless I manage to find some kind of miracle breakthrough… I mean, just getting a hold of your blood chipped off months of research, you know.
…so I need to find another solution then.
…s-solution to what?
>If he ask why you're pushing him on this just tell him it's because while you can smell he's not a good person, you can tell he's not a bad on either and as you both now know, you don't have that much time left before you go back to the grave. As such you'd like to try and make the world a bit of a better place before you drop again besides just a row of devoured corpses, even if it's only helping a handful of people from making some terrible mistakes.
Terrible mistakes?
Oran, I don’t want to eat you… okay, honestly, that’s a bit of a lie, as a part of me wants to slurp you up like the noodle you are, but that’s beside the point. The point is that I want to make sure that when I leave this place you’ll be a better person compered to when I arrived. Guess you could just say that I don't want to leave this world as a complete monster.
Oh… t-that’s good…
So now we just need to figure out a better way to get that arm back, because your research is taking way to long, dork.
Ow…
Oh, and before I forget… those bottle that’s going to Duchess’s party?
Err… y-yeah? What d-do you want to do with them?
Hmm… I’m thinking about it… we’re definitely not just delivering them without doing something to them…

They'd notice holy water... wait, of course. Make the potions *too good*. Overdose them! They won't notice that! Then they'll be tripping so hard you can waltz right in and gobble them up with no resistance.

Also, if the Duchess has enough cash to fund Oran's research, maybe you could steal it during the assault.
Anyway, we don't have any leads on how to get Oran his arm back faster. I guess we could ask our metal man friend. Would a metal arm be enough? (full metal alchemist reference anyone?)

>>1012570
Actually that does sound like a good idea. To make it so good that they're basically euphoric and out of touch would make it easier to deal with just as it would if we poisoned it.

..Also is it me or is Oran starting to enjoy this?

could you lace the drugs with that sleeping potion you have? If you get lucky people will just think that this a a strong batch of drugs or that people at the party are lightweights.

Also side note, but has Oran ever thought about getting a grant for his research or is that something he's tried before? I mean the ability to regrow limbs sounds like something somewhere would want to fund if he could pull it off.

...huh. The army of wraiths was sent against innocent people, right? And as we've seen, souls eaten by a wraith tend to rebel, possibly even taking over the wraith. So, I think that's how the gods were dethroned. The army eventually absorbed too many souls and became like their prey, rebelling against the gods they once served.

Kaktus 2021/10/08(Fri)09:48 No. 1012617 ID: 681cb5
File 163371169187.png - (55.28KB , 700x550 , 11.png )

>The army of wraiths was sent against innocent people, right? And as we've seen, souls eaten by a wraith tend to rebel, possibly even taking over the wraith. So, I think that's how the gods were dethroned. The army eventually absorbed too many souls and became like their prey, rebelling against the gods they once served.
While a nice theory, you’re sure not all the gods made giant armies of monstrosities that they all then lost control of at the same time. Of course, you wouldn’t be surprised if one or two of them were devoured by their own creations at some point… or sent their army against some other god they didn’t like…

>if the Duchess has enough cash to fund Oran's research, maybe you could steal it during the assault.
While she would have more than enough gold to fund his research, she probably won’t have it just lying around in a neat pile for you to steal… not to mention someone will probably notice if Oran suddenly got a lot more gold right after the Duchess “mysteriously” disappears.
>Is it me or is Oran starting to enjoy this?
Starting to? You’re pretty sure Oran has gotten off from your bullying from the start. It’s quite clear that he like being pushed around by a stronger gal… which is one of the reason why you continue to bully him like this…


>Has Oran ever thought about getting a grant for his research or is that something he's tried before? I mean the ability to regrow limbs sounds like something somewhere would want to fund if he could pull it off.
To get a grant I n-need to be part of a university… and they j-just accept applications from people with proper recommendations… which means that I either need to be a friend of someone important or be of noble birth, neither which I am.
Huh…
I did c-consider traveling to the isle’s in my youth to apply at one of the Serpents universities, but I never got the opportunity to do so. So no, I can’t g-get a grant.
>They'd notice holy water... wait, of course. Make the potions *too good*. Overdose them! They won't notice that! Then they'll be tripping so hard you can waltz right in and gobble them up with no resistance.
I guess it’s possible to increase the dosage… but… um… then I need to make more of it… and… err… Karn burned all my leftover illegal ingredients so we’ll need to… um… g-get more?
Hmm… maybe there’s an easier way to get the same result…
Err… there is?
>Could you lace the drugs with that sleeping potion you have? If you get lucky people will just think that this a strong batch of drugs or that people at the party are lightweights.
Um… I have to get m-my hands on the sleeping potion first but… y-yeah, that might work. If the dosage is right it will even take some time before the effects sets in, so they’ll probably not even know that it’s the drugs putting them to sleep.
Which will make it easy for me to just gobble all of them up and that will be the end of the Duchess.
Err… right… except I don’t think this is enough drugs here for everyone at one of hers parties to get high off… she either have other suppliers or… um… not everyone drink these?
…still, it will be easier to eat the Duchess after many of her followers are asleep. Either way, it will make things easier later.
Err… right… so as soon as I get that potion…
I’ll go get it as soon as I’m done here.

>We don't have any leads on how to get Oran his arm back faster. I guess we could ask our metal man friend. Would a metal arm be enough?
Huh? A metal arm?
Would that work?
I mean… um… it would be awesome, sure? If it… actually had the precision and aptitude of a normal arm then… I mean… I can’t see why not? At worst it’s better than nothing? Not to mention it might be interesting to experiment with…
Then it’s settled! Let’s get you a-
But can they even make metal arms for people?
I have no idea but it’s worth a try!
I g-guess?
So you’re coming with me when the Yate thefoor guy brings me to his people!
8, 3, 4?
You met him yesterday, remember?
Oh… t-the strange guy? Y-yeah…

Alright, you’re done here right? You just need to make a quick stop to pick up that sleeping potion and bring it back here, but other than that… well, you really need to buy a breastplate too… but other than those two things… what’s next?

>which means that I either need to be a friend of someone important or be of noble birth
Didn't you eat someone who was a noble or at least important? Could you use one of those forms to recommend Oran to see if he couldn't get into a university?

as for what to do next... uh, did we have any plans to check in on Justina to see how she's doing after taking an arrow to the chest and then becoming a vampire to not die? Plus I can't remember if she told us which noble she was sleeping with at the time so we could see if we wanted to eat him as well.

You should talk to the fortune teller again, and warn her that she's being targeted. Maybe try to get the stone from her?

>>1012617
Tell Oran that you don't know much about potions and to forgive you if this is a stupid question. Then ask why he didn't just make a bunch of healing potions, fill up a bathtub, and dunk his whole naked body into the tub and drink the whole thing through his skin? Wouldn't that have healed him enough to grow his arm back?

Kaktus 2021/10/15(Fri)17:29 No. 1012950 ID: 681cb5
File 163434419927.png - (60.05KB , 700x550 , 12.png )

>Did we have any plans to check in on Justina to see how she's doing after taking an arrow to the chest and then becoming a vampire to not die?
You really should try and find her again and see if she survived… and make sure she didn’t go mad when she became a vampire or something. Worst come to worst she might be good eating, as well as good experience for the Duchess and her goons. Though hopefully she’s still sane, as she’ll be more useful that way. The problem is finding her, as you have no idea where she is right now… you guess you can try and check the old sewers? The vampire that turned her had some kind of hidey hole down there, you think? But as you really don’t want to go down into the sewers again anytime soon, you’ll check if you can find her on the surface first.
>Plus I can't remember if she told us which noble she was sleeping with at the time so we could see if we wanted to eat him as well.
Oh, right, she mentioned a noble that was a vampire or something, didn’t she? His shape might be useful if you’re going to infiltrate the Duchess party later.

>Didn't you eat someone who was a noble or at least important? Could you use one of those forms to recommend Oran to see if he couldn't get into a university?
You know, I ate Vivian a while back, didn’t I? Wasn’t she a noble? Can’t I use her to get you recommended to a university?
Um… I guess? Though, you’ll probably need to travel to the capital and talk to them there in person, so you can butter them up… and donate a lot of money… not to mention there’s a few months of paperwork you’ll need your non-existent servants to do… and then finally you can probably sign the papers to get me admitted?
…you know, I think I won’t have the time to get you into an university…
Probably not, no. Plus, you’ll need to keep being around or they’ll probably just kick me out again. The whole point of having noble friends is that they can do favors… and it’s hard to do favors if you’re dead.
Well, we still have the “metal arm” plan then.

>Ask why he didn't just make a bunch of healing potions, fill up a bathtub, and dunk his whole naked body into the tub and drink the whole thing through his skin? Wouldn't that have healed him enough to grow his arm back?
…because healing potions only rebind tissue, mend bones and stop blood loss? It doesn’t remember how you looked and can’t just magically regrow things you’ve lost.
…but they are magical?
They are made of science, not magic! I mean… they are magic, but not… y-you know what I mean!
I guess?
My point being, you can’t regrow limbs with just healing potions. You can reattach recently lost limbs with their help, as they basically mend the wound that severed them, but that’s about it. As my arm FUCKING EXPLODED I can’t really do that, can I? Besides, it’s too late now anyway… it’s already healed up as it is…
Hmm…

>You should talk to the fortune teller again, and warn her that she's being targeted. Maybe try to get the stone from her?
That does seem like the most pressing matter at the moment, as she might be in danger right now. She’ll probably be your first priority... well, almost.

First, though, you make sure to finally buy that breastplate you were planning on getting. You even find one that fits under your tunic, so that it it’s barely noticeable that you’re wearing it in the first place. Second, you dig up that sleeping potion you left at Terroza’s brothers house and bring it to Oran, so he can start drugging the… err… drugs. Then finally, you head to the festival to see if you can get your fortune read by this Madame Nadezhda again.

Kaktus 2021/10/15(Fri)17:30 No. 1012951 ID: 681cb5
File 163434420705.png - (141.07KB , 700x550 , 13.png )

As you enter the fortune teller’s tent you don’t find Madame Nadezhda, as instead there’s this rather young Varkian lad there doing the readings.

Ah! Welcome, welcome! I have been expecting you!
He smells like a thief and charlatan, one that tricks and steals from anyone he meets. He will be just as eager to empty the fat pockets of the rich as he would be to snatch the bread from the hungry mouths of the poor. A slightly tasty smell, in the end.
Sit down and I’ll read your fortune, my opal colored beauty.
…I guess it won’t hurt.
Ah, yes, it’s all being revealed for me! …I see… a beautiful lady, one who’s scales shimmer like the sunset over the ocean… and eyes are like perfectly cut amethysts… oh, but what is this? It’s is you, of course! Silly me!
Uh huh…
And I see… that you’re going to have a very special meeting with a stranger… someone that’s clad in emeralds and who’s eyes are like opals. You will spend a very special night together… a night you’ll never forget…
He gives you a sly wink. It’s clear he’s done this before, as this boy is experienced in breaking hearts. In fact, it wouldn’t surprise you if he had several children around the lands that he has left behind to fend for themselves.
Cute… but I’m actually here to see Madame Nadezhda. I need to talk to her.
Oh, I’m sorry, my beautiful opal, but she is sadly not here right now.
Then were is she?
Why, she left a while ago to do some errands.
…don’t tell me I missed her with just a few minutes.
Of course not, my sweet little jewel, she left the first thing in the morning.
Can you tell me where?
…I don’t know, she didn’t say where she was going.
…can you tell me anything useful?
Well… hum… for you, my most gorgeous flower, I think I can try and remember something… let’s see… she was in a real hurry… she just picked up something from one of the shelf here behind me and left towards the outskirts of the city. Oh! And she went with a few armored fellows…
Armored fellows? You mean the guard?
No… they weren’t the guard… but they looked professional and they wore uniforms. Maybe some kind of sellsword?
Sellswords, you say? Hmm…
So, my jewel, don’t I deserve a reward for helping you, hmm?
…

you know what, I'm in somewhat of a playful mood, think it would be funny to offer him a kiss and use your paralyzing touch to make it feel like you took his breath away and stun him for a few seconds as you walk out the tent? I mean based off the guy's smell he'd probably accept the kiss but would probably then try to get you to pay so by stunning him you'd be able to leave before he can say anything else.

If not just thank him for the information and leave before he can say anything else.

Hmmm. Not now, no. But he can be a small snack for later. Not eating him of course, it will cause trouble later. Ask him when and where we can find him for a quicky

Let's just go and keep looking for the fortune teller. We suddenly feel in a hurry, with you rapidly dying and all.

>>1012951
Ask him what the sellswords' uniforms looked like. What color? Any symbols? Which direction, exactly?
Sounds like he's not enough of a sinner to eat, even if we do need to eat more minor criminals. Remember, you're only supposed to eat people that are as bad or worse than Karn and Oran. Just go, follow the trail.

Kaktus 2021/10/17(Sun)16:00 No. 1013073 ID: 681cb5
File 163451161897.png - (130.15KB , 700x550 , 14.png )

>We suddenly feel in a hurry, with you rapidly dying and all.
Even with your death looming over your head like the spear of Da’moc’les the Hiver king, you can’t really just run around like a headless chicken. If anything, now is the time to focus and make sure you do things right.
>Let's just go and keep looking for the fortune teller.
While you do really need to find her as soon as possible, you don’t really know where she is right now. The “outskirts of the city” isn’t really a lot to go on. Hmm… and mercenaries? Have you heard anything about mercenaries somewhere else? You need more information… but from where?

>Sounds like he's not enough of a sinner to eat, even if we do need to eat more minor criminals. Remember, you're only supposed to eat people that are as bad or worse than Karn and Oran.
Except this creep is worse than them both… at least that’s what your nose tells you. Karn and Oran usually just smell bland, you know, edible but not very tasty. This guy actually smells like he would make a good meal, smelling tastier than either Oran or Karn has ever done, even at their worst. Though, compared to the others you’ve eaten so far, this is probably the least sinful person.
>He can be a small snack for later. Not eating him of course, it will cause trouble later.
…you guess you can always get a snack from him that way as well.

>Ask him what the sellswords' uniforms looked like. What color? Any symbols?
Hmm… let met think… why, my beautiful little dove, I think I remember their symbol! It was a… black… um… bird of some kind? Oh, and they were wearing black colored clothes as well.
So… black and bird, huh?
That’s right, my amethyst eyed friend~
>Which direction, exactly?
*Shrug* Down the street towards the wall, I guess?
…can’t you be a bit more precise?
Hey, I didn’t really care where she went, alright? That’s not my job… no, my job is to make sure cute ladies like yourself is well taken cared off, hmm?~
Okay, his directions are definitely not helping…
>Ask him when and where we can find him later.
Why, I’ll be right here, cutie, all day long…

>You know what, I'm in somewhat of a playful mood, think it would be funny to offer him a kiss and use your paralyzing touch to make it feel like you took his breath away and stun him for a few seconds as you walk out the tent?
You know… you’ve been ever so helpful so… maybe you do deserve a kiss…
Oh?

You lean forward over the table towards him while he does the same. It’s clear his done this before, as he easily guides you into the kiss and takes control, giving you probably the best smooch you’ve ever gotten, at least on a pure practical level. Of course, he’s not ready at all when you let a slight jolt pulse through his body, paralyzing him on the spot for a few seconds.

Kaktus 2021/10/17(Sun)16:00 No. 1013074 ID: 681cb5
File 163451163361.png - (49.36KB , 700x550 , 15.png )

As you pull away from his now paralyzed body you feel something brush against your hip. Looking down you see his hand, still frozen solid, holding your coin pouch! If it wasn’t for you paralyzing him in the middle of the act you would never notice him stealing it from you, the cur!

…you know, you shouldn’t be surprised that a thief would try and steal from you.

Oh he's worse than K&O? Eat him. Just make sure nobody sees you. Or take a different form during the process just in case.

Bird goes down the pussy's gullet!

Oh, you cheeky little fucker!

I still say we don't eat him. Yet. We got better things to do. Just leave him there. Or better yet. Take his clothes off and leave him somewere were people can see him. With luck he'll go to jail for exibitionist.

Take the meal. He'll prove useful for us later.

>>1013090
Seconding this. Then warn him if he does something again then you'll do something.

Kaktus 2021/10/18(Mon)15:39 No. 1013114 ID: 681cb5
File 163459678775.png - (116.85KB , 700x550 , 16.png )

Oh, you cheeky little fucker!
…!

>Take his clothes off and leave him somewhere were people can see him. With luck he'll go to jail for exhibitionist.
There’s no way you can drag him out of the tent without anyone noticing, as there’s a ton of people on the street out there. There’s also the problem that he’s not going to stay paralyze for a lot longer, and your stun needs a minute or two to recharge.
>Oh he's worse than K&O? Eat him.
Hoisting him up to your maw, you gobble him down in just two quick gulps, making him disappear in less than ten seconds. You really should eat more cute boys like him, because he was both tasty and slid down easy.
>Just make sure nobody sees you.
The two of you were alone in here, so as long as you don’t waste too much time getting out of here you’ll be fine.
>He'll prove useful for us later.
Only as rump fat… though, you don’t need to digest him just yet if you actually find another use for him, seeing as you’re still rather well fed from the trio of bandits you ate yesterday.
>Bird goes down the pussy's gullet!
…wait, do you mean you’re a pussy for eating him or… that you want to eat him with your pussy? Eh, it doesn’t matter, he’s already been ate anyway…

…well, you’re now alone in the fortuneteller’s tent with a belly full of bird, which doesn’t really help with your current task. You still need to find Madame Nadezhda, but this idiot wasn’t really much help in that matter… all you know is that she left with some black clad mercenaries after grabbing something from one of the shelves here. What you need is more information about those sellswords, because you’re pretty sure you’ve heard about them before as well, but where can you find that kind of information?

Of course, worst come to worst you can always focus your attention on something else you need to do. Your to-do list is far from empty after all…

>>1013114
The thing she grabbed was the stone. Look, there's an empty pedestal for it.
First priority is to leave the tent and not attract attention to yourself. Second priority is to... actually at this point why don't we talk to that old vark that wanted to talk to you? I bet he'll know who those mercs are.

>>1013120
I second this, obviously she took the stone. We won't get much more from this place. Maybe talking to that vark will give us more information we could use. We need to ask around for mercenaries with the description the chicken nugget gave us.

>>1013114
>What you need is more information about those sellswords, because you’re pretty sure you’ve heard about them before as well, but where can you find that kind of information?
The only people in black cloaks that you’ve met we’re the 3 thicc thots that you ate. Not entirely sure if they’re part of the same group that’s with the fortune teller.

Also I just now noticed something about Ema in these pictures: >>/questarch/861072 , >>1011861 . Not only did Ema get thiccer, she’s also gotten taller! I wonder how no one else has noticed yet?

Well, your first priority is to make this asshole's disappearance plausible.
Start by stealing objects that look extra valuable, then make a mess of the place; try to sculpt the damage so the tent looks like it was kneecapped by a sledgehammer. Make the fight look one-sided, you're building a fantasy of an anti-paladin who has the power to quick-draw their greathammer. This will throw them off the scent and leave the heat low; nobody's going to turn heads in this town if they hear some adventurer snapped and murdered this con-man.

>>1013167
Don't do that. Let's just quickly leave before anyone notices us.

Kaktus 2021/10/20(Wed)16:58 No. 1013280 ID: 681cb5
File 163477428038.png - (38.31KB , 700x550 , 17.png )

>Not only did Ema get thiccer, she’s also gotten taller! I wonder how no one else has noticed yet?
You’ve always been tall… you’ve just gotten a better posture that’s all. And you’re sure no one will notice, seeing that pretty much everyone has changed slightly over the last… err… day. Hell, were did Oran get that long ass neck of his anyway?

>The thing she grabbed was the stone. Look, there's an empty pedestal for it.
…wait, are you saying that it was there all along? That it was right in front of your snout from the start? She can’t have had it on freaking display in the open like that, right? Ugh, okay, last time you were here you didn’t even know the stones existed, so there’s that at least…
>The only people in black cloaks that you’ve met we’re the 3 thicc thots that you ate. Not entirely sure if they’re part of the same group that’s with the fortune teller.
Hmm… you’re pretty sure they were just bandits? Probably? Though they were hired by Karkan, who you know is a black feathered Varkian so… there’s that connection, you guess? Wait, speaking of those thots, didn’t the book you stole from Corvus while dealing with them say something about mercenaries at Dalriver? Hmm… maybe they are connected after all…

>Well, your first priority is to make this asshole's disappearance plausible. Start by stealing objects that look extra valuable.
…unless you value newt eyes and weird herbs highly, there’s nothing really valuable here. It mostly just… garlic? Actually, why is there so damn much garlic in here anyway?
>Then make a mess of the place; try to sculpt the damage so the tent looks like it was kneecapped by a sledgehammer. Make the fight look one-sided.
There is just one problem with that, if someone was clobbered with a warhammer, wouldn’t there be a bunch of blood around? And a corpse?
>Nobody's going to turn heads in this town if they hear some adventurer snapped and murdered this con-man.
You’re right about that at least... let just hope they assume he was clobbered to death somewhere else where they can’t find a body. In fact, he probably managed to seduce the wrong person and the snu snu went wrong or something… yeah, that’s it, he was clobbered by a warhammer somewhere else, that’s why there’s no body in here! Simple!

>Let's just quickly leave before anyone notices us.
No one seems to notice you as you exit the tent, pretending like nothing is out of the ordinary. In fact, no one around you pays you any heed at all, as they are all busy either selling trinkets, conning people with impossible festival games or wasting coin on said trinkets and games. Throwing a quick glance backwards just as you round the corner, you catch a glimpse of a female Serpents slithering into the fortuneteller’s tent, so it’s a good thing you left it when you did.

Kaktus 2021/10/20(Wed)16:58 No. 1013281 ID: 681cb5
File 163477429175.png - (81.97KB , 700x550 , 18.png )

>Second priority is to... actually at this point why don't we talk to that old vark that wanted to talk to you?
Right, Corvus the head librarian wanted to talk to you… probably about how you heroically saved him from getting killed by those evil thots yesterday… right before you broke into his safe and stole his stuff. Let’s hope he doesn’t know about that last part.
>We need to ask around for mercenaries with the description the chicken nugget gave us.
…well, a good place to start would be with Corvus, right?

There is a bit more commotion around the library today, as you see several guards patrolling around the perimeter, as well as a pair of them standing guard on each side of the entrance. None of them give you more than a quick look over when you walk up to the doors, so at least they aren’t looking for you. In fact, you can see a few wanted posters around that depict the three bandits you dealt with yesterday, promising a reward if you bring proof of their deaths to the guard.

As soon as you enter the building you spot Corvus, as he’s sitting in the middle of the library, not far from the entrance. He’s currently in the middle of a conversation with one of the guards, so he hasn’t notice you yet.

-much longer will you keep me out of my office?
We will be done in an hour or two, sir.
Good... and do make sure you keep an extra guard or two around the library, just in case.
We have made sure to station a few extra men around, sir.
Good, good… *grumble*

As soon as the lady leaves his side you watch his gaze quickly lock into your own, staring daggers at you for a long while before he begins to speak…

So you did actually come after all. *Hmpf* You look nothing like her… but I digress, that’s not why I asked you to come. Please, take a seat… and then tell me what the hell happened yesterday and where my damn books are.
Um… can we have talk somewhere a bit more private?
No. I rather have this conversation surrounded by the city guard, I’m sure you’ll understand. So, take a seat.

>>1013281
Ugh, should've turned around as soon as you saw the guards...

Tell him your privacy is non-negotiable. You saved his life, he owes you that much. And yes, you'll be returning those books you borrowed, today if he wants.

> Actually, why is there so damn much garlic in here anyway?
For thw vampires of course.
>>1013293

Yeah, it's true. You just needed them for for a little bit. You hold no ill will towards him. If fack, you are rather glad that he is safe and taht you happen to be there when the three stooges attaked him. This might be a perfect oportunity to exchange information.

>>1013281
>tell me what the hell happened yesterday and where my damn books are.
He was unconscious when you were in his office dealing with the Thicc Thieves, so that means he shouldn’t know that you were there.

In fact, the only one he should be suspecting is Elric, your male Sakkilian form, since he was the one asking for the books. You as Ema have never met with Corvus, only your Elric form has met him. Which means right now, he’s trying to trick you into admitting that you have his stuff! Don’t admit to anything!

You should respond that you don’t know what happened. All you know is that you were told to come meet him, so you came here to see why he wanted to meet you.

>No. I rather have this conversation surrounded by the city guard, I’m sure you’ll understand.
Question if he’s sure that he feels safe with the guards around. You’ve heard rumors that some of them have been strong arming some businesses to pay for “protection”.

>>1013322
>He's trying to trick us!
>Only Elric has met Corvus, not Ema
Had to go back to check this. You're right, Ema hasn't met Corvus as herself.

It really does look like he's trying to make us admit to taking his things. We'd better be careful and not say anything that would imply that we do have his things!

>>1013322
Ok, that is true. BUT, why does he suspect Ema? You think he knows she is unnatural? Maybe remembers that she was supposed to be dead? Is he in contact with the other vark lady?

>>1013322
>Guards are corrupt
You probably shouldn't say any of that. It might not be a good idea to mention how corrupt the guards are when we're surrounded by them.

>>1013355
We don't know why he suspects Ema.

What we do know is that he was unconscious the whole time we were in his office, which is how we were able to get away with eating the two thieves in front of him. There's no way he should know that Ema is an undead, so there's gotta be some other reason to why he's doing this.

Kaktus 2021/10/22(Fri)12:19 No. 1013437 ID: 681cb5
File 163493038592.png - (72.22KB , 700x550 , 19.png )

>The Garlic is for the vampires of course.
Does garlic even work against vampires? Hmm… maybe you should buy some, just in case? Though you have to question why the nomads have so much garlic everywhere… are they just generally afraid of vampires or do they know the Countess is a vampire?
>Ugh, should've turned around as soon as you saw the guards...
The though did cross your mind, but you do really need information that only Corvus seems to know. Of course, he knows where you’re staying anyway so there’s no stopping him from just sending the guard there instead…

>He was unconscious when you were in his office dealing with the Thicc Thieves, so that means he shouldn’t know that you were there.
Wait, you’re right! How the heck does he know who you are? You’ve never even met the guy as Ema, have you?
>In fact, the only one he should be suspecting is Elric, your male Sakkilian form, since he was the one asking for the books. You as Ema have never met with Corvus, only your Elric form has met him.
That’s right! You were here as Elric, not Ema… though, you did mention Ema and her having blue scales as Elric, so… it’s possible he knows who you are from that? Still doesn’t explain how he knows you took the books, though.
>It really does look like he's trying to make us admit to taking his things. We'd better be careful and not say anything that would imply that we do have his things!
Right, let’s keep our snout shut about that… or at least try. You’re not really good at that sort of thing.
>BUT, why does he suspect Ema? You think he knows she is unnatural? Maybe remembers that she was supposed to be dead? Is he in contact with the other vark lady?
Okay, don’t panic! There’s no way he knows you’re a Wraith, right? Right? And he just said that you look nothing like “her”, so he probably don’t believe you’re actually the Ema from Dalriver either… yet, here we are, surrounded by guards… alright, let’s not jump to conclusion just yet…


>Tell him your privacy is non-negotiable.
Indeed. Thus we’re going to sit right here, were everyone can see us.
…and if I just turn around and leave?
Then I’ll ask the guards to stop you. Now sit down and let’s have a conversation about this. No need to do anything... foolhardy.
…still, I don’t want to talk were people can hear.
This is a library, do you honestly think there wouldn’t be runes of silencing installed here?
…I grew up in a village without a library, so I had no idea those kind of runes even existed.
Then let me introduce you to the concept. There are runes carved on the underside of every table in here, which damped the sounds made nearby them. Thus, as long as we converse in a calm and collected manner, then no one but us will hear it.
Oh.
>Question if he’s sure that he feels safe with the guards around. You’ve heard rumors that some of them have been strong arming some businesses to pay for “protection”.
Rumors I’m sure are true. That’s why I’ve made sure not to pick a batch with bad apples in it.
So you trust them?
I trust my friend, the lieutenant over there… and she trusts the men she brought with her I’m sure. So yes, I trust them.
… (None of them smell tasty, so there’s that… in fact, you’re pretty sure none of them are even edible. So you guess you can trust them somewhat? Or maybe it’s just that darn garlic smell drowning it out…)

>You should respond that you don’t know what happened. All you know is that you were told to come meet him, so you came here to see why he wanted to meet you.
…so you’re saying we’ve never encountered each other before??
Not in recent years, old man, no.
Old!? I’m 28, you… *Grumble* but back to the topic at hand… then you can agree that you’ve never been in my office as well?
Yes?
…did you know we Varkian molts from time to time, dropping our feathers so we can replace them with new ones?
Um… what does that have to do with anything?
He holds up a pair of tweezers, which is currently grabbing something small and blue.
Sakkilian’s, like yourself, do the same.
…is that a scale?
This is indeed a blue scale… which was in my office… which you just said you’ve never been in?
…my friend Elric met you yesterday, remember? Maybe it was stuck to his clothes?
Oh? And did he also visit the restricted section? As well as broke into my personal safe? Because there were a scale or two in there as well.
Err… there may be another blue scaled Sakkilian here in the city?
Perhaps… though unlikely. Of course, even if there were, they didn’t have a wizard friend who came by and talked about them moments before I was attacked, did they?
I guess?
*sigh* Listen, I just want this over with. Just return the books and we’ll forget this ever happened. They are of no value to you anyway.

>You'll be returning those books you borrowed, today if he wants.
Good. That wasn’t too difficult, was it?
>You hold no ill will towards him. In fact, you are rather glad that he is safe and that you happen to be there when the three stooges attacked him.
…we have never met, why would you care about me?
…we’ve actually met before, ten years ago…
No, we have not.
I-
I already told your wizard friend that I will not tolerate whatever con you’re trying to pull. You are not her. You look nothing like her. She died there like the others. I saw them burn her body with the rest. Do not mention her ever again.

>This might be a perfect opportunity to exchange information.
Information? Really? What kind of information?
For starters, do you know a mercenary company that are clad in black and has a bird as their symbol?
…why would you care about the Ebony Ravens?
well, I-
No, let’s take this from the beginning. Who are you really? Why are you here? Why do you care about Dalriver so much and finally, what exactly happened yesterday?
Hey, we’re supposed to exchange information, dork, not just give it all away.
Then ask your question while you answer mine.

>Then ask your question while you answer mine.
That is the thing, yo just wont let us! Every time we bring the Dalriver subjet, you avid it. We undertand that it was a painfull experience, belive us, we know, but we also need to know what happend there, what you saw.
We weren't laying when we said we met ten years ago. And you are right, she... did died, along with everyone else. But not really, unfurtunally. If you are thinking of Ema, the doughter of the smith, then you are corerct, we 'were' her. Do yo uremember teh swords in the chapel? They weren't ust swords, they were holy relics from very long ago. We accidentaly made a blood pact before we were killed, and tuned us into what we are now. Which we will tell you, after you answer some of our questions.
Tell us about the Ebony Ravens. They were escorting Madame Nadezhda, we don't know were and why. We must know this.

"Because I was there.
Because I was the one who cremated your friends.
Because I was the one who stole flesh from them.
Because that wasn't enough and I still fell into hibernation from my wounds.
I wouldn't give your petulant village two flips if not for the following: the monsters that attacked you wanted revenge against the adventurer from this village who murdered their children. But they only snapped and exterminated everyone because you 'stole their purpose': toiling to death in the farmlands.
I lost ten years of my life, in a coma, because an army of robot slaves desired their enslavement back.
Their. Enslavement. Back.
I couldn't turn away from the blow to my pride even if you paid me."

>>1013437
>you look nothing like her
He's right, you know. Your horns are wrong, your snout is wrong, your jawline is wrong. Only the scales and eye color match. Why didn't the swords restore your body properly? We'll have to ask them later. Maybe it was on purpose, because Ema was confirmed dead by the survivors and thus any of them seeing Ema walking around again would know that you were a wraith.

>Who are you really?
You're an adventurer. He can call you Amy.
Who are the Ebony Ravens?

>Why are you here?
To set things right. To find then bring to justice those responsible for the massacre at Dalriver. Also there's a massive vampire infestation that needs handling; there are some other adventurers in town working on that and you're planning to help.
Does he know anything about who's responsible for the massacre?

>Why do you care about Dalriver so much?
Well, it was a horrible tragedy, and also it personally affected you. You'd rather not talk about the specifics. (he won't believe that you're Ema without us telling him you're a wraith, so let him assume something else)
Does he know anything about the Duchess? Aside from her being a vampire.

>What exactly happened yesterday?
Hasn't he figured it out? He has clear evidence. You saved his life, disposed of the thieves, and took what they were after, to find out why they wanted it. You didn't want the guards to know because the corrupt guards are probably involved, and the trustworthy ones might arrest you for what you did.
Why did he have the stone?

Other questions: we could ask about Karkan or the Metal People.

>>1013437
Tell him that if he'd stop interrupting you when you're trying to explain things, he'd already have all of his answers by now. So you'd appreciate it if he'd stop doing that, otherwise we'll be here all day.

>Why do you care about what happened in Dalriver?
Because he's not the only one that lost friends and family that day. You want to find out what happened because your relatives were killed there.

>What happened yesterday?
You questioned the thieves and found out they were hired to steal a special stone from him and then kill him (he doesn't need to know that they weren't going to actually follow their orders). You even found out the name of the guy that hired them to do that. Then tell him it was his father, Karkan.

>>1013437
>blue scales
If enough time passes, then those will melt away, like all the other samples that Oran collected from you. Then he won’t have any evidence to prove that you were upstairs. But if he can figure out why those scales have melted away, then he’ll realize that you’re an undead.

It pretty much comes down to you getting lucky and he won’t understand why the scales melted or you getting lucky and he won’t tell the guards to hunt you down for being an undead.

>>1013455
This.

>>1013449
No, don’t say that!

Kaktus 2021/10/28(Thu)14:34 No. 1013804 ID: 681cb5
File 163545685711.png - (36.79KB , 700x550 , 20.png )

>Because I was the one who cremated your friends. Because I was the one who stole flesh from them.
Wait, where did you get that from? You were definitely already dead by the time they burned the corpses… and you didn’t steal any flesh as far as you know. Though… the swords might have eaten his brother soul, but you’re not sure about that. Not that you would ever actually tell him about it.
>I wouldn't give your petulant village two flips.
Hey! That was your village as well! And you Ma and Pa died there! And your friends!

>If enough time passes, then those will melt away, like all the other samples that Oran collected from you. Then he won’t have any evidence to prove that you were upstairs. But if he can figure out why those scales have melted away, then he’ll realize that you’re an undead.
Oran said they were deteriorating, not melting… not to mention he only sawit while observing them with all those weird tools he has down in his lab, so you can only assume that it won’t really be noticeable for the naked eye… at least, not yet. Heck, for all you know, by the time they are noticeable falling apart you might just… well, have already fallen apart yourself. As for Corvus and his scales… he’s probably already given some of them to his guard friend, just to be safe.
>He's right, you know. Your horns are wrong, your snout is wrong, your jawline is wrong. Only the scales and eye color match. Why didn't the swords restore your body properly?
Seriously, you look the same as you always have! You’re still Ema! You’re still just as blue, just as tall and your snout and fins hasn’t changed one bit! While you admit your butt might have gotten a bit bigger, nothing else has changed. You’re still the same Ema from 10 years ago.


>Tell him that if he'd stop interrupting you when you're trying to explain things, he'd already have all of his answers by now. So you'd appreciate it if he'd stop doing that, otherwise we'll be here all day.
…*grumble* I… apologize. I tend to get a bit riled up concerning certain subjects.
>Hasn't he figured what happened yesterday out? He has clear evidence.
I have my theories, indeed, but I still wish to hear your side of the story. To make sure the details are correct.
Fine. I spotted them hanging around here acting all suspicious after… after my wizard friend had just talked to you, so I stayed around just in case they were up to no good. Well, long story short, it turned out they were indeed up to no good, I saved your sorry tail feathers, disposed the thieves and grabbed the things they were after to find out why they wanted it. I really didn’t want the guards involved because… well, I’ve already had some bad experience with corruption with them.
Terroza?
Exactly.
Hmm… and you disposed of them… how exactly?
You don’t want to know, trust me.
But did you managed to make them just disappear? The guard only spotted one Varkian leaving… who didn’t fit the description of the supposed trio that attacked me, being blue and all. Or was that you?
That was indeed me, though I can’t say why they thought I was a Varkian. As for how I made them disappear… I have my ways…
…while I do wish to know more, it’s not important right now. Let’s move on…
>You're an adventurer. He can call you Amy.
Amy? Really?
Amy Ligiadottir, yes.
And Dalriver?
I want to set things right. To bring JUSTICE to those responsible for the massacre!
…but why?
Because you’re not the only one that lost friends and family that day. I need to find out because some of my relatives was killed there as well.
…you had relatives there?
With the Smith’s family, yes.
…their daughter had the same blue scales as you, so that does make sense. Very well, Amy, I see that we have… similar agendas on this subject. I, too, seek retribution for the crimes committed back home.

>Every time we bring the Dalriver subject, you avoid it. We understand that it was a painful experience, believe us, we know, but we also need to know what happened there, what you saw.
What I saw? Considering the fact that I was hiding in my father’s hidden basement the whole time, then I can’t say I saw very much, can I? But I have done a lot of research into the subject, discreetly, and collected some evidence of what happened back then. That is why I need those books back, as they contain years of my notes and all the evidence I’ve collected so far.
Geez, I’ve already told you I’m going to return it all. So what did you find out? What happened back then?
What I know for certain is that on the first day of this very festival, ten years ago, the band of Sellswords that call themselves The Ebony Ravens came to Dalriver on urgent business. They had been hired to protect the village from some kind of beasts that was about to attack it. Those that were able to hold a blade joined them at the outskirts of the village while the rest of the townsfolk barricaded themselves in the town hall. I chose to… hide somewhere else, were I thought it would be safer.
Which apparently it was.
What happened next is a bit of an uncertainty, as I didn’t witness them with my own eyes. The mercenaries failed and fled as whatever monster they were fighting proved too dangerous, all the while a fire spread through the town, burning down most of it, including the town hall, which I have to remind you was still full of people who had barricaded themselves in there.
I… see… and this evidence you’ve found? What is that about?
Someone has been trying to remove all evidence that the Ebony Ravens was ever there in the first place, and tried to make it look like the village was burned down by simple bandits. But I’ve dug up not only proof that they were there, but that they were paid by some kind of benefactor a lot of coin to lure the beasts to the village and “protect it”. While I have no definite proof of whom this might be, I do know that the Duchess herself has been trying to buy up the land for a long time to no avail, and she quickly claimed it as her own after the incident. She then wasted no time to build a large mining complex to extract the gold that was rumored to be there… all off the books, of course, so she wouldn’t have to pay the kingdoms tax on it.
But there aren’t any gold in those hills… that’s just a legend.
It was indeed a legend, as they never found any gold. But they didn’t know that until they started digging, did they?
…so the duchess had the whole village razed because she wanted to get access to some non-existent gold?
Exactly. Though, given all the theatrics, I don’t think they were planning to actually burn the whole town to the ground in the first place. Probably just scare away all the villagers… or be given enough reason to forcefully relocate them so she would have free rein of the land, but things didn’t go as planned.

>The monsters that attacked you wanted revenge against the adventurer from this village who murdered their children.
Hmm, yes, that would be something that would greatly anger anyone, though… who is this adventurer you talked about? We didn’t have… unless you mean my father?
I’m talking about Karkan, yes.
…he wasn’t really an adventurer, but a member of The Ebony Ravens. But such details are unimportant.
>Ask about Metal People.
Metal what now?
The monsters that attacked the village. They were people made out of metal.
… … …some kind of construct, then? Golem? But why would they attack us… and why would a construct even have children… unless… hmm…
>But they only snapped and exterminated everyone because you 'stole their purpose': toiling in the farmlands.
…so they are old farming tools!? *Grumble* I would have say you’re mad if it wasn’t for some of the evidence I’ve found earlier. So the monster they found were old construct from the old empires? I’d say it wouldn’t be surprising if they all gone insane by now, though… you mentioned their young, which means they must be reproducing. In short, they found an old artificial species, destroyed their young and then led them to our village... but why? Did they try and remove them from the equation as well?
And I’m now tracking them down to bring them to Justice.
…no.
No?
They are just a bunch of machines who tried to enact the very same Justice you’re talking about right now, and just as they failed so will you if you try the same. No, if you seek Justice then you don’t hunt down the pawns, but the king that commands them. The same can be said about the Ebony Ravens, their rank and file is just a bunch of trained animals who kills on their owners command. They are just a bunch of stupid beasts, nothing more. You don’t exact vengeance on a stupid mutt, you exact vengeance on its master that trained it. Find whoever led those things to our village and bring them to Justice! That’s the only way we’ll have our retribution.
…and who is the master?
The Duchess for one… and whoever is the leader of the Ebony Ravens.
Right…

>Why did he have the stone?
… … …I found my father’s pack lying open as they started to direct people to the city hall… and I just shouldn’t help myself from grabbing it. It’s the reason why I hid alone instead with the others.
Lying open? So someone else had taken the other stones?
There were only one there, I can’t say if there are any others. I have no idea what they even are, other than they are some old artifact from the last age. Oh, and I rather have it returned as well with the books.
You just said you don’t know what it is, why do you want it back?
It’s still belonged to my father and…
He glances away for just a moment and you feel a ping of guilt from him… and a whiff of greed.
*Grumble* I want it back.
Alright alright…
>Tell us about the Ebony Ravens.
They are a bunch of mercenaries who will do anything for coin, coin that is mostly paid by the very Duchess of this county and her circle of nobles’.
So they are just Sellswords?
Sellswords who do a lot of… unsavory things. In fact, I’ve found a lot of evidence that they are part of an underground slave trade her in the city, though the who and the why still eludes me. I have a theory that the Duchess has more illegal mining operations, but I just can’t find any proof of it.
Do you know from where they operate?
They have nothing official, but there’s a rather run down tavern near the edge of the city at the river front called “Fairwood’s Flagon” where they usual hang out. I’ve spotted them wander outside the city walls as well, to the south, though I’m not sure where they go from there. My guess is that they have some kind of hideout there.
Then I guess I’ll need to find them…
I’ve been collecting a lot of damning evidence against them over the years, though I still lack the final piece. I am certain they keep some kind of books or accounts of what they’ve been doing in their hideout, which would be crucial for the case I’m building against them. If you can somehow sneak your way in and acquire these papers…
…I’ll see what I can do. (Or I can just eat everyone… that’s a lot easier).
>They were escorting Madame Nadezhda, we don't know where and why.
And they were escorting her in the same direction as this supposed hideout as well.
Hmm… I can’t say why, but… maybe they think she’s a witness? She was there 10 years ago, after all.
She did have one of those stones as well…
…so she’s the one who stole from that bag before me? Hmm… they seem interested in the stones, clearly, ergo… they came after her because of what she stole, and it’s as simple as that.
>We could ask about Karkan.
My father? What about him?
I’m pretty sure he’s the one who sent those three goons after you yesterday.
He’s still alive? I… I thought he would… no, you’re right. The man always was a blowhard, so it wouldn’t be surprising that he never even tried to find me.
He hired them to kill you, Corvus.
...I guess he’s finally gone off the deep end then. Karkan was the leader of the Ebony Ravens… and if he’s still alive, then he probably still is.
So we need to find him to get Justice?
…it’s the first step, yes. If he’s the one that lead the monsters to our village… and ordered his men to burn it down… yes, he’s one of those that need to face Justice… him and the Duchess.

>Does he know anything about the Duchess? Aside from her being a vampire.
She’s a what!?
She’s a vampire. Most of the nobles are vampires as well. It’s a huge infestation right here in the city. There’s even some vampire hunters who are here to hunt her down and I’m planning on helping them.
That’s… that’s… ridiculous! Yet… as foolish as it sounds… *grumble* I can’t believe I’m about to say this but… it makes sense. It explains some many so many of the discrepancies I’ve found. While I’d always knew that I wouldn’t be able to get the Duchess to face her crimes in court, this just makes it final. I guess… I guess I simply have to hope that those vampire hunters do her in…

>>1013804
Excellent, it seems you have him on your side, and we have two clear targets now. Also, you have been advised not to go after the metal men... but I think you should at least give them a stern talking to.
I suspect that there's no gold under the village, but instead some ruins related to the old gods. We might want to go down there, and make sure no one can claim what remains. Or... maybe there's something there that can restore the swords' power? So you stop degenerating?

>guilt, greed
Ask him how much money he wants for the stone. You can keep it safe, safer than he can.

After this, we should go rescue the fortune teller and retrieve the stolen stone.

>…so the duchess had the whole village razed because she wanted to get access to some non-existent gold?
Fucking bitch, it didn't got out of hand, that was all planned. We already know she is a vampire or in cahoots with them. She is powerful enough to make the automatons attack the village. Hell, it wasn't even for the gold, it was for the stones i bet. She must be an ally of Corvus's father too.

>(Or I can just eat everyone… that’s a lot easier)
Don't be dense, you're going to die a mosnter like that.

>I guess I simply have to hope that those vampire hunters do her in…
Don't worry, we'll be on it as well. She is part of this whole mess, we will PERSONALLY judge her.

>Maybe there's something there that can restore the swords' power? So you stop degenerating?
That would make sense, they were in the village for a reason. Actually, let's ask them why they were in there in the first place, if we haven't already.

>Buy the stone from him.
We could do that yes. But somthing tells me that he would listen to reason if we give him one to give it to us. Either way, the stones are coming with us.

>>1013814
>But somthing tells me that he would listen to reason if we give him one to give it to us.
Uh, I can't parse that. Explain?

>>1013839
Uhh I meant to say that if we give him a good reason to take the stones with us, he would probably accept, he is not an unreasonable guy. I was kinda tired when wrote that.
Probably the fact that the machines REALLY want the stones will dissuade him from keeping his. He knows what they can do, he wont want a redo of Dalriver here.

>>1013804
"I know one of these metal men. They want the stone back, and likely need it far more than you do."

>>1013804
Tell him what you know. The metal people found his father almost dead, so they helped heal him. He thanked them by stealing the 3 stones you mentioned and running away.

You told him the metal people were reproducing, so explain that the stones are involved in that process. So with the stones gone, they couldn't reproduce, so the chased his father to Dalriver. He's the reason the metal people came to Dalriver and killed everyone.

>>1013934
That might not work. Remember, he thinks the "metal people" are old farming tools. Maybe we should try to phrase it in a way that makes it sound like returning the stones will fix them or something like that?