You should start moving before more demons crawl down.
There is that giant hole on the wall, order Gluben to go through it but follow close behind. He is the only one you can truly trust.

If you find yourself in danger can you spit acid too?

That's not exactly useless. We can still use it to see our orientation to this room.

We should explore. See if any of the other walls lead to passageways. That demon trap looked hard to get past, we should find another way.

Sulshi 2014/06/08(Sun)11:02 No. 577737 ID: 9dd1ee
File 140225055890.png - (482.92KB , 849x652 , DoS23.png )

Princess Sulshi:"Try to use your brain you simpleton, if the needle always leads to one specific location we can use that as reference point"

Lucar: "Oh I get it! the compass is still pointing north; the rules for north have just changed here!"

Silverse:"Appears to be the case"

gruff dwarf:"To bad we've no way of making a map"

Gluben: "oh divine one you are so wise . . ."

>Just watch out for anything the riddle spoke of as you explore.
best keep my eyes open just in case.

>See if any of the other walls lead to passageways.
the others seemed to check their walls after Gluben found his passage, if they've found anything they haven't told me.
My wall feels solid in any case.

>You should start moving before more demons crawl down.
the pit alone is enough to encourage me out of this horrid room.

>There is that giant hole on the wall, order Gluben to go through it but follow close behind. He is the only one you can truly trust.
there appears to be two large holes in the wall, Gluben should be able to reach the far one, as for me the gnoll appears to be blocking my path.

dismissive gnoll:"See something you like shiny one?"

Your teeth. They'd make for a fetching necklace.
Nah but seriously antagonizing the gnoll is probably a bad idea.

>>577737
Tell him you're not into gnolls but you can't help but notice his interesting scars. I'm thinking a warrior like him would be proud of them, so go with flattery like that and he'll likely both leave you alone and let you past.

Yes I see that hole behind you that appears to be one of the ways out of here.

Sulshi 2014/06/24(Tue)13:24 No. 580743 ID: 9dd1ee
File 140364147041.png - (320.91KB , 849x652 , DoS24.png )

Princess Sulshi: "Not as such, gnolls are not really my type"

dismissive gnoll: "you never know until you try"

his sly grin tells of the predatory cunning that lies within his mind, he'll not make an easy dupe I think.

Princess Sulshi: "those scars, seems you've been in quite a many glorious battle I'd imagine"

dismissive gnoll: "Life is battle in the Redstone peaks, you take what you want and you take what you NEED"

Princess Sulshi: " oh would you-"

dismissive gnoll: "you want to play games to get past me? then let's"

Princes Sulshi: "I beg your pardon but I don't understand"

dismissive gnoll: "If you win the game I let you go by"

Princess Sulshi: "What's the game?"

dismissive gnoll: "whatever game you like"

Princess Sulshi: "and if I lose?"

dismissive gnoll: "what do you think should happen?"
sullen orc: "careful! Znagg have sharp eye,smart and kill cheaters"
Lucar: " oh this is gonna be fun, I've got two crowns on tha fish!"
gruff dwarf:" you're on, oh AND she still counts as losing if tha gnolls just rips er head off"
Lucar: " . . . deal"


I better be careful . . .

How about a staring contest?
No deceitful means to get the other to blink. Any interference whatsoever is a disqualification. We simply must stare at each other until one can't stand to keep their eye's open no more, and one eye blinking still counts as a full blink. Hands stay at the side , no feint headbutts, no blowing into eyeballs, feet will be only used to support one's weight, no huge motions etcetera etcetera

You're a fish. He's a gnoll, this will be an easy win if he doesn't cheat himself.

>>580747
Aren't fish eyes meant for water? Meaning they'll dry out faster on land, requiring a blink?

I think a game of riddles would work better than that. You're a princess, he's a commoner, you should have this.

You could use a game the gnoll can think it has an all but certain chance of winning, so it will be confused that you picked it, and surprised when it doesn't win. Surprise and confusion tends to make people more inclined towards doing as they're told, as long as the order is reasonable and the whole thing doesn't make them feel cheated and angry.

Potentially a game that mystifies it, but leads it bemused or distracted enough to let you pass.

If you can pull it off, a game that evidences strength and/or smarts, which the gnoll may then respect, although the former would be difficult at best considering your elegant physique.

If you are to cheat, despite what the orc said, you have to cheat in a way that is not blatant or, strange as it may sound, unfair. Fair cheating may even earn respect. Rules-lawyering may count as such, if the rules being lawyered are simple and lead to a revelation, an insight that makes one go 'oh, fuck me, that's a damn clever way of looking at it'. Smug cheating, 'ah, but you did not consider a trivial detail I mentioned in passing', not so much. Head-ripping ensues.

Znagg is not your, or anybody's, friend, but he seems to desire entertainment, at least a certain twisted kind of such, so if you can keep him amused with this game he will probably allow you to proceed, for now, in the hope of future amusements.

As for loss options, you might be able to turn even this to your advantage if you make it something that will make Znagg, cunning that he is, inclined towards doing something. Like, say, start cooperating with you and the others. F'example:

"If I lose, I will give you a boon, an action I will perform or attempt to perform to the best of my ability in this place as long as it is not suicidal or prevents my escape, or to be traded for my weight in pearls once we are free of here. If pearls aren't of interest, some other substance, hard to get, or take, in the Redstone peaks, of commensurate worth. Have you ever tried whale meat, Znagg? Or do you wish to scrap for fun with some worthy seabeast from my kingdom's menagerie? You seem the type to relish that kind of challenge; bored and violent."

Game options:

-Riddles (bah, kind of boring, but traditional, could spice it up with having the spectators coming up with the riddles so neither of you can be said to have the advantage).
-Game show, with the other people, not counting Gluben since he's clearly on your side, as 'impartial' judges. Each of you do things to impress the others, and at the end they each give their vote in order. Potentially messy, but kind of fair.
-Some generic contest of skill or physical ability (coordination, balance, strength, etc., you're likely to lose, though, unless you have some plan or ace up your sleeve).
-Hey, you already killed one, right? So... first one to next kill a demon wins. You'll even let him have a head start down that hole you wanted to go down... if he wants to be the first to enter dangerous unknown territory. Of course, anything Gluben does counts towards your killing a demon. Having a royal guard is part of a princess' fighting capabilities, after all.
-Debate game: pick a topic with two sides, talk it through, have the others vote on which one presented the better arguments. Bonus: If there's any game Znagg is likely to be poor at, it's interpersonal or diplomatic ones. He might be clever, but he's not likeable.

Also, Orion the dwarf spoke of there being no way to make a map; untrue! You have the back side of the note parchment with the poem and an ample supply of, uh, bodily liquids and bones which can be cracked to make primitive pencils.

AlphaLurker 2014/07/27(Sun)15:48 No. 586237 ID: 9dd1ee
File 140650131414.png - (296.91KB , 849x652 , DoS25.png )

>If you find yourself in danger can you spit acid too?
I think so, though never in my life thus far have I had to do something so lacking in class . . . is it hard I wonder?

>You have the back side of the note parchment with the poem and an ample supply of, uh, bodily liquids and bones which can be cracked to make primitive pencils.
The horror of this place must be effecting me worse than I imagined for such vile thoughts to be cropping up within my mind.

Princess Sulshi: "If you win I will give you a boon, an action that I will perform to the best of my ability as long as it doesn't risk my life or my chance of escape"

Znagg: "I agree! Hahaha you may come to regret such a promise! what will the game be?"

No doubt I would . . . If I had any intentions of losing!
Princess Sulshi: "It will be a game of riddles, a battle of wits. we take turns posing riddles against each other first to get a riddle wrong loses!"

Znagg: "Riddles huh? Well you picked the game so I get to go first!"

Princess Sulshi: "very well"

Znagg: "here's my first Riddle!"
"I hold down a house, against evil I fight,
I'm part of the risk, I am dinner at night,
who am I?"

>>586237
Stake/Steak?
Stakes are weapons, hold down tents (house), steaks get eaten, and when a thing is risky it's got "high stakes"

>>586239
I think he's got it.

Man I hate riddles.

Sulshi 2014/07/29(Tue)12:33 No. 586645 ID: 9dd1ee
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Princess Sulshi: "A Stake"

The fool is completely staggered by my immediate response, he must be used to peddling his puzzles to simpletons

gruff Dwarf: "Ya blasted flee ridden idiot at least TRY to think of something a child couldn't solve!"

Znagg: "?!"
He still seems staggered by the ease of my guess.

Princess Sulshi: "I believe it is my turn to pose a riddle."

he is off balance, now is the time to strike with a strong riddle, of course I must also have the answer ready to correct him when he gets it wrong.

>>586645
Imagine four balls on the edge of a cliff. Say a direct copy of the ball nearest the cliff is sent to the back of the line of balls and takes the place of the first ball. The formerly first ball becomes the second, the second becomes the third, and the fourth falls off the cliff.
What works the same way?

(The answer is "Time".)

When you do not know what I am, then I am something. But when you know what I am, then I am nothing. What am I?

A: A Riddle

It is in a rock but not in stone,
It is in marrow but not in bone.
It is in a bolster but not in a bed.
It's not in the living, and not in the dead.

The letter R

This reminds me of this: "I am flora, not fauna. I am foliage, not trees. I am shrubbery, not grass. What am I?"

I am bush.

Well now. Perhaps there are other helpers about.

I wonder...

We speak our minds so know them well,
While stuck here in this crudish hell.
They've been raised high and then laid low,
If used too much, no more they'll show.
While strange to me it almost seems,
As the walls would wield their extremes.

They'll catch you with a prayer's fancy,
And flee with every breath made chancy.
To think, among us, you've all failed,
To use yours well while we've been jailed.
To wield them true and seek escape,
To use them joint and flee this jape.
I'll seize mine now and strike a blast,
Repeat me this, what are we, what are we...

...now echoing what's past?

Voices.

>>586669
Best, I think.

Sulshi 2014/08/07(Thu)15:30 No. 588609 ID: 9dd1ee
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Princess Sulshi:"Here is my riddle

We speak our minds so know them well,
While stuck here in this crudish hell.
They've been raised high and then laid low,
If used too much, no more they'll show.
While strange to me it almost seems,
As the walls would wield their extremes.

They'll catch you with a prayer's fancy,
And flee with every breath made chancy.
To think, among us, you've all failed,
To use yours well while we've been jailed.
To wield them true and seek escape,
To use them joint and flee this jape.
I'll seize mine now and strike a blast,
Repeat me this, what are we, what are we...

...now echoing what's past?"

Znagg:"argh! . . . gaaaaah!"

Princess Sulshi:"Your answer Mister Znagg?"

Znagg:"This game is no fun! none of you are any fun!, I'm getting out of here!"

Znagg climbs away through the upper passage.

Lukar:"Haha! thank you your highness, you'll make me right rich indeed!"

Orion:"Bah, s'what I git fer bettin an a dirty gnoll . . ."

well now I have the choice of going through the upper passage following Znagg, or the lower passage on the hand.
Oh no!
there appears to be a three foot gap between the hands . . . I've never leapt that far before, in fact on land I've never leapt at all.
Is jumping difficult? It's such a long way down and with my right arm injured I'll not be able to grab onto anything if I don't make it . . .
I loathe physical Exertion What a frustrating obstacle!

>>588609
Get a hand from your protector.

>>588610
Have him peer down each passage before you chose which to take. Does anything distinguish them, besides their height and the gnoll's exit?

Sulshi 2014/08/30(Sat)22:03 No. 591942 ID: 9dd1ee
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>Get a hand from your protector.
Of course, my servant why do I have him if not to perform tasks? this place must truly be affecting me.
Princess Sulshi: "Gluben, come here I require your assistance"
Gluben: "Yes elegant one!"
He makes easy progress hopping from hand to hand getting to the hand across from me with ease, how DOES he do that?

>Have him peer down each passage before you chose which to take.
Princess Sulshi: "Take a look down those passage ways, tell me what you see"
Gluben: "You're highness I've already been down this one"
Gluben indicates to the lower passage
Princess Sulshi: "I don't recall anything of the sort"
Gluben seems confused
Princess Sulshi: "Look down those passages guard!"
Gluben nods and obeys
Gluben: "I can't! there is some sort of ink cloud! I can't see through!"
Princess Sulshi: "Ink clouds don't form in dry land you dolt."
Silverse: "It's a darkness enchantment"
I turn to notices the elf speaking, she seems to know a fair bit about magic.
Gluben: "oh, magic . . ."
Gluben looks at his feat in shame.
Princess Sulshi: "Don't sulk! I'll not have a servant of mine behaving in such a manner!"
Gluben immediately straightened and stood at attention

Princess Sulshi: "now help me get across, It is against protocol but you must hold me tightly and ensure I do not fall, do you understand"
Gluben: "Yes divine one"

He holds me tightly by the arm and waste, tightly and a little painfully but I'd rather the pain then risking his grip to slip

And he hops . . . and lands! both of us safe and-
Gluben: "Whoops!"
Princess Sulshi: "!!!"
his foot slips and we topple into a heap onto the hand.
I am left in a down right humiliating position! how could he do this to me! and in front of all these foreigners! they'll think this is a mating ritual of some kind for sure and-
Princess Sulshi: "OH! OH NO!"
He is still gripping me tightly but now in a very different location, A COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE LOCATION! I am heir to the throne of the Sea Goddess! and he dares treat me like a common harlot! I'll flay his hide, he'll spend a hundreds years of torture in the dungeon!
I just- I am so filled with outrage I have no idea what to do!

>You're highness I've already been down this one
>I don't recall anything of the sort
Doesn't that strike you as odd? Peasant he may be, but it's not in him to make something up, or lie. Is this the work of this hell at work? Has it made you forget? Did it make him remember something false?

...if someone were using magic that affected the mind, would they target the servant, or his mistress first? I think you know who's the bigger target.

>I just- I am so filled with outrage I have no idea what to do!
Act like nothing is wrong! Like you meant to do that. Can't show any weakness in front of these ruffians. You didn't make a mistake, you didn't lose control of your subject.

>>591942

Slap him for his perversion.

>>537557

>>591942

Alright, stay calm there princess. Gluben caught sight of a pretty donked-up lust demon thing. Normally gluben is kind of a depressed sack, he wouldn't have the self-confidence to really go at it like this without outside influence. He might be riding a high from saving your life earlier, but personally I just don't think he's that kinda guy.

Smack him out of it, by all means, but be aware that this is very likely not HIM doing this right now, but the effects of said demon-thing messing with his head.

A princess is suppose to have class
And having class is restraint
So, like, just get up and be straight with how disrespectful that was to you as a person, and not just because your a princess, but because you're a person. You don't know him that well for that be acceptable at all and that he really should learn some manners!
Then drop a bomb that treating royalty like that is also really fucking stupid on so many levels.
Just the stupidest, goddamn thing ever.
If I was his friend I would be like "The fuck you doing? Your stupid ass thinks that gonna fucking work"
Be straight, be honest. We really can't do shit about it right now anyway. We still need him to get out of this place. And torturing your rescuer is almost as stupid as him touching your ass and sends so many awful messages about you.

Slap his shit.

Huh. Gluben finds you attractive without your magic face-paint.

...have you met many who have thought you beautiful un-enhanced?

At any rate, throwing a hissy fit is not particularly regal or wise; I doubt the adventurers will know how inappropriate Gluben's obvious attraction towards you is. Besides, they're adventurers. Even if they told your people what happened here, who'd believe them? Are they really of such big concern? They seem intelligent enough. They'd realize that this was a matter of a stumble, and not some awkward mating ritual. They'd realize Gluben's attracted and taking the opportunity for a cop.

Some of them will, however, likely cheerfully take advantage or sport in it should you appear to be put too much out of sorts by minor lewdness. How you handle this will determine how they think you will react to taunts about it. Get righteously angry and they might draw all the more pleasure from putting you out of sorts with future comments. And really, do we have time to get that kind of sidetracked right now?

Not to mention, despite him doing something wholly inappropriate, you do need Gluben. He can do all that 'Physical Exertion' stuff, and happily so.

Anyway, in lieu of being all outraged, perhaps if you told Gluben, in a mild, yet menacing tone, that flattering though his attentions are this is hardly the time or place to start mooning over a beautiful princess. You know? The whole stuck in hell bit?

And if that fails, suggest that if he doesn't remove his hand and help you up so you can get on with the business of escaping this horrid place, his odds of continued employment as a royal guard will rapidly diminish, along with any hypothetical chance of getting a hero's reward for rescuing a royal personage from hell.

>>591942
BACKHAND HIM! Remind him of his place!

Sulshi 2014/09/11(Thu)00:18 No. 593679 ID: 9dd1ee
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>Slap him for his perversion.
>BACKHAND HIM! Remind him of his place!
>Smack him out of it
>Slap his shit.

I need to get him off me!
Princess Sulshi: "Get your hands OFF me!"
I shriek in his face, he instinctively let's go.
I stand and give as hard a slap as I can manage straight across his face.

Princess Sulshi: "If you EVER touch me again, I'll have you strapped to a rock on the surface and let you BURN in the sun!"

My wrist stings a fair bit now . . .
>At any rate, throwing a hissy fit is not particularly regal or wise;
oh, well, hmm . . . I suppose it's not

Princess Sulshi: "Gluben I will forgive your transgression this one time, but you must understand grabbing a woman's backside is completely insensitive and impolite, and performing such an act on one of my station could be punishable by death were I not so merciful."

Gluben: "I understand divine one"

>Huh. Gluben finds you attractive without your magic face-paint.
>...have you met many who have thought you beautiful un-enhanced?
Suitors come from all around just to look upon my perfection! the make up is only so that my beauty can be appreciated at the long distance my admirers are forced to view me from!

Gluben finding me attractive is hardly surprising, him assaulting me in such a manner however is extremely shocking!

>Get righteously angry and they might draw all the more pleasure from putting you out of sorts with future comments

Orion: "Get a move on ya lazy fish! or we'll figure out if ya make better meals than scouts!"
Well they don't seem to have taken much interest in our encounter . . . though I suppose I should decide which of the two passages I should travel down, and whether I should go first or send in Gluben first?

>but be aware that this is very likely not HIM doing this right now, but the effects of said demon-thing messing with his head.
This has me very concerned, Gluben is very strong, if he became fully under the effects of these demons I'd have no way of over powering him and would be at his mercy . . .

>>593679
Go down the one with darkness enchantment on it. Him in front, because I mean he's your guard.

You are brave and royal, show an example for your subject and go first! If need be he may step in the front at any time to protect you.

why not hop in at the same time? Definitely wide enough, and would be a good show of camaraderie.

Sulshi 2014/09/16(Tue)09:30 No. 594338 ID: 9dd1ee
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I explain the best course of action to my servant
Princess Sulshi: "We shall traverse into the unknown together."
Gluben : "Together?"
the way he looks at me makes me want to claw out his eyes
I decide to practice restraint.
Princess Sulshi: "Gluben just crawl through the blasted passage!"

the passage extends into a dark hall almost pitch black, however having to live in the deep sea we are able to make out some shapes slightly.

Currently I cannot see to the end of the hall, I'm too far away and it is quite dark.

Well, the only options are to approach or retreat, and we gain nothing by retreat.

Move closer, until you can see what those shapes are.

>>594338
Nothing to do but press onwards.

Sulshi 2014/10/22(Wed)19:35 No. 599171 ID: 9dd1ee
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Even used to the murky depths of the ocean floor the darkness seems to close in, I can barely see a thing
the subtle light charms on my amulets give me enough light to find my way but little else.

I walk forward down the long corridor at it's end there is a doorway
there are hundreds of twitching appendages within it's frame.

There is a plaque on the wall, I have to strain my eyes to make out the letters
it reads:

The doors' grasping hands
like to feel things that are new.
give them nothing to feel
and they'll feel something from you.

>>599171
Okay, you have to make a path by giving the hands things to grab that aren't you. Are there any bits you can take off your clothes like gems or whatever? It kindof looks like you can. You can minimize the sacrifice by handing off stuff to hands near the bottom of the door, then crawl through.

So the hands like to feel new things? And if you do not give them something to feel you might get groped in a bad way?

Might want to test the waters by handing off a small piece of your wardrobe and seeing what happens. You have plenty of jewelry and it would be a small price to pay to continue on.

Yeah, definitely try throwing your jewelry and stuff in first. Don't got crazy, just make sure it works, first.

Give them nothing to feel, and they will feel something from you?

I think what that means isn't physical but emotional, so maybe don't walk through there afraid, but try walking through there with a positive emotion that you shouldn,t have to fake, hope. Try building up a sense of hope and walking through. Trust the hands. (I rarely trust things in quests to trust me guys this is gonna work. But do take precautions though.)

That's probably the trick to it. The feel its talking about is emotions.

So if you do not give them a strong emotion to feel they will physically "feel" you.

I'm sure they've felt horror, hopelessness, and dread plenty, so see if you can give something different.

Sulshi 2014/10/31(Fri)10:57 No. 600007 ID: 9dd1ee
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Give them something to feel? as royalty my noble bearing and perfect demeanour shall create a beacon of joy that none can withstand.

I need only focus.

I step through the doorway practising ideal poise and most serene demeanour and the hands coil away, leaving me free to pass

one step after the other I make my way . . .
only a few steps more and I'll be through . . .

Gluben: "your Highness help! they've got me!"

Ahh! that fool is ruining my focus, the hands are beginning to twitch and grasp towards me!

>>600007
Keep your mind clear, make those few more steps. Once you're safe then instruct him on the mindset needed to pass. Hopefully once he clears his head the hands will let go.

>>600008
This. Focus. Hope. Calmness.

>>600008
He should be focused on... devotion and servitude, perhaps?