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File 140141010947.png - (100.30KB , 800x800 , WhisperTitle.png )
576455 No. 576455 ID: 6e85c8

Whisper's Ascent: Part 1 -- Life at the Bottom
Expand all images
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No. 576456 ID: 6e85c8
File 140141033313.png - (73.29KB , 800x800 , Whisper01.png )
576456

Life isn't easy at the bottom of the world. Living off the dregs of the societies above, Raiding upward only long enough to steal what you need to survive before retreating into the caves. Far enough down, there's only one real structure to be seen. Called the tower to the dwellers below, it is known to those from the surface as the Dungeon. A great pillar of worked stone, it is the only true, stable connection between the levels of the world.

Many in the deeper areas have thought of climbing the tower, if only to have an easier route to raid upper levels for food, slaves, or treasure. But getting inside is nearly impossible. There are no entrances in the deepest levels, only small drainage tunnels to tight to pass through without getting stuck.
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No. 576457 ID: 6e85c8
File 140141036437.png - (80.69KB , 800x800 , Whisper02.png )
576457

But someone has found a way in, nonetheless.
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No. 576458 ID: 6e85c8
File 140141085597.png - (117.39KB , 800x800 , Whisper03.png )
576458

The troglodyte known as 'Whisper' has never been satisfied with life in the dank caverns of the world. She has little desire to raid and scavenge for a livelihood, and her truest desire is to get to the upper levels and live a life beneath the sun the legends spoke of. The rest of her tribe considered her a fool, and they laughed when she left to climb the tower. They told her there was no way in, People with slighter builds than her had become stuck in the drains.

But Whisper has a secret. Whisper has a special gift.

Whisper is a Truespeaker.

Truespeaking is a strange ability possessed by exceptionally few people. Most consider the entire concept a myth. Rather than speak things that are true, a Truespeaker who knows the True Words can speak things that become true, modifying the things around them to suit the truth they spoke of. A truespeaker may only speak a given Word onto one object at a time, and all truespeakers have a limit to how many Words they may speak at once.

Truespeakers tend to have an innate knowledge of only one or two Words, and Whisper is no exception. Her Word is 'slippery,' and by speaking it upon her own oily skin she was able to squeeze through the drainage channel and enter the tower! Now her Ascent can begin!

>INVENTORY
>one Rusty Sword
>one Small Pouch
>Three Coins
>two mushroom crackers
>One tattered waistcloth

>WORDS KNOWN
>Slippery
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No. 576459 ID: 2bfcdf

>>576458
Peek around the corner.
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No. 576461 ID: 76b151

I see a barrel, check it out!
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No. 576463 ID: 9ddf68

see if they're is anyone or anything beyond the corner, if you don't see anything see what you can find in the barrel(s) and get ready to move on.
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No. 576464 ID: 53ba34

check out that \0/ in the wall
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No. 576465 ID: e1609c

>>576458
punch the barrel in its stupid face
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No. 576466 ID: d0864b

Check for dangers, then check for loot. Remember to look up and to do at least a cursory check of the drainage ditch. Running water can hide a lot of things, both good and bad.
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No. 576467 ID: 6e85c8
File 140141511875.png - (155.43KB , 800x800 , Whisper04.png )
576467

The drainage ditch is very shallow, and appears to contain nothing but residual filth.

There doesn't appear to be anything on the walls other than some kind of unpleasant residue, possibly some sort of slimy mold.

Examining the barrel, it looks like it has been torn apart and whatever was inside has been removed. It doesn't take Whisper long to spot the likely culprit, as a rustling and crunching noise draws her attention to a corner of the room containing a crumpled, cloaked figure and some kind of boar-like rat.

Whisper is pretty sure she hasn't been seen, she is fairly good at hiding and her skin has some chameleonic properties allowing her to blend in lightly to her environment. Most rodents have a good sense of smell, though, and they are unlikely to be put off by the scent of her skin oil. And if she starts to get nervous, she'll definitely start to sweat.
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No. 576468 ID: e1609c

>>576467
slap its rat-face with your nice sharp sword
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No. 576469 ID: 76b151

Get it to charge you, make it's feet slippery and send it into the water. That will remove it.
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No. 576470 ID: 2baea8

>>576469
This, then draw your sword while it tries to swim and stab its face if it climbs up out of the water.
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No. 576471 ID: 2bfcdf

>>576467
Make the rat slippery, and you should be okay if it tries to fight you. Get a better look at the cloaked figure. If it's a corpse, then you should probably just kill the rat, it's in the way and will likely attack if you try to sneak by. If that's a person, then the rat cooouuuld be a pet maybe? If that's at all likely then don't attack it outright.

Hmmmmmm... if the rat being Slippery would make it slip and slide if it charged at you, you could do so then have the barrel ready so that it slides right into it. Then disable the slippery and you could whack at the rat while it was trapped in the barrel.
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No. 576473 ID: 9ddf68

pretty sure cloaky is dead. Just walk out around the corner and see if the rat charges you. If so then make he floor slippery all the way to the drainage ditch and let that little bastard go for a swim. If it doesn't get sucked down into the pips you came in from then try and finish it off with your sword before it can get back up and attack you.
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No. 576490 ID: d0864b

Making the rat slippery rather than the floor would probably be best. That way we don't risk slipping ourselves and the rat can't avoid slipping. If you can do it quickly, it's probably best to make her slippery when she has some momentum, but if you don't think you can do it in the split seconds between her starting to charge and her actually reaching you, then by all means do it before she spots you.
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No. 576585 ID: 6e85c8
File 140151382364.png - (184.39KB , 800x800 , Whisper05.png )
576585

Whisper calls out the the rat, and it quickly turns to face her and begins to charge. Whisper evokes her truthspeaking!

'The Rat is Slippery!'

The Rat immediately loses traction, slipping to the floor and flailing about as it careens into the barrel, smashing through it! Whisper lashes out with her sword, but lands only a glancing blow as the blade slides from the slippery rat before finding purchase.

The rat flops amid the wreckage of the barrel, attempting to bite at Whisper with its nasty tusks! It can't get much leverage or reach, but it's much quicker than she is! It nearly gets a hold of her, but only succeeds in gathering a mouthful of tattered cloth.

Whisper stabs frantically at the beast's face, and before long she feels the tugging at her waist subside.
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No. 576586 ID: 2bfcdf

>>576580
Well that didn't go quite as planned. Pry those jaws open with the blade, dispelling Slippery if you have to, and get your clothes back under control. Then move on and inspect the cloaked body over there.
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No. 576588 ID: 9ddf68

ok stabbing it isn't working, maybe you can use your sword to push it into the drainage ditch our whatever that thing is you used to slipped in here is called.
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No. 576602 ID: ca0da5

>>576588
On the contrary, while it took a good bit of time, stabbing it did indeed work. Now, you just need to remove the word from it. Unfortunately, a giant rat is not of much use, unless you know how to skin animals, Whisper. If you do, then take its pelt. If not, carry on.
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No. 576607 ID: 9ddf68

>>576602
aw, read the
>before long she feels the tugging at her waist subside
as it tugged her cloth off, my bad.

In this case let's see what mr. cloak has on him then.
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No. 576609 ID: 76b151

Giant Rat means food. Broken barrel is wood. Maybe you should smoke some rat meat before going? Who knows when you might find more?
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No. 576611 ID: f0a5e4

Would using slippery on our sword improve its penetrative ability? It seems that could go either way, but we may want to try that soon.
Regardless, if rat is not dead, continue stabbing until its head is a fine pinkish reddish grey paste, and set about fixing back on your sole scrap of protection. Might want to grab that corpse cloak there, 'specially if folks round here dont appreciate bottom folk.
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No. 576617 ID: 0b90a3

>>576611
That would probably make the whole sword slippery, not just the blade. The last thing you want in a tight corner is to draw your sword and have it slip out of your hands.

Check out the cloaked figure; if he doesn't have any food, consider butchering some rat-drumsticks. Even if you don't eat them, you might find something that would later.

Can truespoken words be dispelled? If so dispel slippery.
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No. 576712 ID: 6e85c8
File 140159604039.png - (132.54KB , 800x800 , Whisper06.png )
576712

Whisper banishes the rat's slipperyness, and uses her sword to pry its jaws off of her loincloth.

She checks on the figure in the corner, it looks like there isn't much of anything she can do for him. There isn't even any flesh visible on his gnawed bones.

>>576609

Whisper doesn't have the means to start a fire, she had to crawl through an active drainage channel to enter the tower so anything she brought in would end up soaked.

>>576611

Whisper mostly just doesn't think a slippery sword would be a very useful weapon, and can't think of any reason it would gain extra penetrative power from it.
>>
No. 576713 ID: 2bfcdf

>>576712
Oooh, the clasp on the cloak looks like it could be valuable. Take it.

Then let's take a look into the next room.
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No. 576714 ID: 53ba34

try the cloak on, wont be much but if another rat appears, it biting the cloak would be better then biting your flesh.
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No. 576715 ID: 2bfcdf

>>576714
...oh! We could say the cloak is Slippery and slashing weapons would have a much harder time getting through it, without impairing our ability to move and fight.
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No. 576719 ID: 9ddf68

>>576715
pretty sure a slippery cloak would just be harder to grab, not stop a blade.

Still try it on, it's not like that guy is going to need it anymore.
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No. 576720 ID: 363ecd

The cloak is better than no cloak. (Unless it's cursed). Don it.

Nothing else in this room, and there's only one door. Forwards.

>Whisper mostly just doesn't think a slippery sword would be a very useful weapon
...potentially, if being slippery changes the fundamental properties of the sword (say, so it's not a metal), or counts as virtual grease, that could be used to protect the sword from corrosion if you ran into a slime or rust monster or some other annoying equipment destroying critter.
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No. 576721 ID: 76b151

All you need to start a fire is some dry fur (from the rat) and kindling. Friction will do the rest.

Or you strike stone with your sword, produce some sparks that way. You DO have ways to produce fire.
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No. 576722 ID: f0a5e4

I guess it was a silly thought. Guess I was thinking blades need friction to cut, but maybe would benefit from less friction when penetrating a surface. But good point about the hilt being slippery too. Dunno what the limit on the complexity of the object we Speak about is.
Anyways, congratulations on your first kill of the crawl. Grab a rat drumstick or three and poke an eye into the next room.
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No. 576725 ID: 70eeda

Wear the cloak. I mean why not?

You could try to see what happens if you make your sword blade slippery and try to cut yourself some rat bacon. Is it any better at cutting? I would imagine the blade won't get stuck so it's slightly easier to use.

I'm also interested in how precisely you can apply the slippery effect. Can you affect specific parts of an item? Like can you make only the outside of the cloak slippery? Does it depend on what your mind perceives as separate?

Once you're done head onwards, but keep your sword ready. There might be more rats and stuff.
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No. 576730 ID: ec028e

>>576712
Well then, do you think slippery makes a decent armor against blades, claws or fangs?
I don't know the extend of slipperyness and it would need to be restrained from making your feet slippery (otherwise you slip, too).
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No. 577320 ID: 6e85c8
File 140202625588.png - (181.83KB , 800x800 , Whisper07.png )
577320

>>576714
>>576719
>>576720
>>576725

Whisper decides to put on the cloak. It's a thick, somewhat stiff material so it feels like it should offer at least some protection. It covers up her skin, though. Whisper has chameleonic skin, which aids her in stealth checks. She decides to keep in mind that the more covered she is, the less stealthy she will be.

>>576721

Whisper's sword is rusty, and everything in this part of the tower appears to be damp. Starting a fire without dedicated tools will be very difficult.

Fortunately, Whisper doesn't have any need to cook rat meat, as a life of scavenging and raiding has given her a tough stomach. She cuts off a bit to snack on before she continues on.

Going through the door leads her into an odd room. It looks like some manner of plant life has come in through the walls, most of the room is coated in some sort of lichen with various fungi and small plants growing up throughout. There looks to be a pool in an offshoot of the drainage ditch, that is definitely deeper than the ditch itself is.
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No. 577321 ID: 7f9410

>>577320
Is that a spear sticking out of the pool? Unfortunately I think I also see some tentacles in the pool.

Hmm. Options... 1) go naked temporarily to sneak over to the spear. 2) make the cloak Slippery and just try not to let the tentacles grab anything else while fighting it off.

I favor 1, just to try it out. Whisper can make herself slippery to escape the grasp of the tentacles anyway.
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No. 577322 ID: a2f9bc

>>577320
Looks like there's a spear of some kind sticking out of the pool; you should try getting it.

It might be stuck so clever usage of Slippery may be required. Say, "the bottom half of this spear" or something to that effect. If it's stuck.

Try not to get eaten by predators hiding in the water.
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No. 577323 ID: 76b151

Rust wouldn't prevent sparks... oh well.

Look up the root\tree. Might be an exit to the floors above that way so you can skip finding stairs
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No. 577329 ID: ca0da5

>>577322
Even making t he whole of the spear slippery for a couple of seconds would make it slip out of anything's grasp--if it doesn't slip, it means it's actually embedded into something, rather than being held, and have to actually be pulled out.
>>577320
We might need to use the cloak as more of a cape, then. Is it possible to bundle it to mostly just hang over your back?
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No. 577336 ID: 9dd1ee

Get Spear
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No. 577346 ID: 53ba34

cut down big mushroom and shove it into the pool
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No. 577358 ID: 9ddf68

well if you need a new weapon there's a spear right there... But I don't trust that pool. The spear looks like it's close to the edge by the side of the tree with the stone slab sticking out of it. Maybe you can grab the spear from there. Also keep your sword ready incase something jumps out of the pool.
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No. 577365 ID: f0a5e4

>>577323
I suppose the sparks are easy, it's just finding something to catch them on. Wet tinder's a real shit.
There's definitely summat in the pool, but it looks like there may be something in the channel as well. Luckily, if it's tentacles, we can just become slippery and un-tentacle ourselves with ease. In theory.
Either way, dressing down might just help in scouting out the pool, but would also leave us extremely vulnerable, in pretty much every way. Although, I don't know what experience Whisper has fighting, but she's probably fought in her birthday suit before, what being dirt poor and all.
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No. 577393 ID: c0ca84

But remember the cloak will help with your diplomacy if needed.
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No. 577421 ID: 2baea8

Try to avoid the water if you can. There looks to be something moving in there.
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No. 577528 ID: 6e85c8
File 140215123192.png - (178.12KB , 800x800 , Whisper08.png )
577528

It looks like the big tree/root plant grows all the way up to the ceiling, but there's no discernible hole through the ceiling.

Whisper decides that the pool looks shady, and she can clearly see that there's something in it. She decides to slink around the edge to try to get to the spear.

==>
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No. 577529 ID: 6e85c8
File 140215131782.png - (185.88KB , 800x800 , Whisper09.png )
577529

>==>

Whisper glances down into the pool as she goes by. It looks like there isn't actually much in there that is going to be able to do anything, just a big pile of ... bones?

>==>
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No. 577530 ID: 6e85c8
File 140215135156.png - (206.76KB , 800x800 , Whisper10.png )
577530

>==>
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No. 577534 ID: c7a241

...those are reflections. The danger isn't below you, it's above. The tree, or something in the tree.

Move. Lunge, get the fuck away from there. Make your cloak or the tentacles (tendrils?) slippery, if you can spare the breath.
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No. 577536 ID: b6178d

It's gonna try snatching you. With barbs. Going slippery won't prevent squeezing from hurting you. You'll still probably pop free, just get torn up doing so.

Hrm. Duck and grab your cloak, fling it at the tentacles, snatch the spear, and THEN lunge out of the way.
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No. 577537 ID: e6f437

Dive into the pool.
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No. 577543 ID: e1768e

Dive to your left, and beat feet. Untie your cloak as you move and fling it upward to let the tentacles get ahold of it, rather than you.
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No. 577553 ID: 9dd1ee

caste "slippery" on tentacles
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No. 577583 ID: 9ddf68

uh, uh, jump to your left and try to grab the spear as you leap past it. Maybe with your momentum behind it you might be able to pry it loose, and if not all that happens is you get swung around and land on that bit of land between the pool and the tree on the left side... or fall on your ass but I believe in you.
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No. 577585 ID: 7f9410

The vines are closing in on both sides. Only a leap forward will accomplish anything, I think.
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No. 577612 ID: 2baea8

"My cloak is slippery." so that you can't be grabbed, then get out of there.
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No. 579183 ID: 6e85c8
File 140313630812.png - (245.57KB , 800x800 , Whisper11.png )
579183

'MY CLOAK IS SLIPPERY!'

Whisper calls out with her truespeaking as she leaps forward from the root, looking to escape the tendrils reaching out from behind her!

The cloak feels like it may slip off of her, so she clutches it tightly around herself. Unfortunately, the tendrils are quicker than her leap and begin to wrap around her in midair! Their thorns, along with wrapping around from multiple sides, allow them to grasp her despite her slippery cloak! She receives damage from the squeezing and scrapes from the thorns, and her cloak is torn slightly

>Armor and Clothing may be damaged by enemy attacks! Once it has lost all durability, it will no longer provide any useful protection!

==>
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No. 579184 ID: 6e85c8
File 140313644854.png - (260.41KB , 800x800 , Whisper12.png )
579184

>>579183

>==>

But with the slippery cloak between her body and the tentacles, Whisper is squeezed out of her wrappings like an otterpop! Escaping the monster's grasp, she plummets into the pool.

As she falls, she notices that the tendrils appear to have burst out of a formerly camouflaged hole higher up on the tree, but is unable to see what lurks within!
>>
No. 579185 ID: 53ba34

grab the spear and get back.
>>
No. 579187 ID: ac14c0

>>579184
Hack at the vines while they're busy with your cloak.
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No. 579238 ID: 9ddf68

grab spear and get away from the tree.
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No. 579261 ID: c3ad33

seconding the spear-grabbing and the retreat. or thirding, rather.
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No. 579334 ID: 50338d

Get out of range, grabbing the spear you go, if you can.

Don't dally. You may not survive if you allow it to grapple you again, even if you make yourself slippery.
>>
No. 579353 ID: ca0da5

>>579334
Hmm. Maybe you can say "The next floor is slippery!" and see if something falls down the hidden hole. ...But that would also mean making it fall closer to you, so you probably shouldn't.
If you're a good swimmer, using your truthspeech to say "The water is slippery!" will let you swim even quicker than normal, though if you aren't a good swimmer it will just slow you down. Also, uh, close your eyes if you do so, extra slippery water will get anywhere it has the chance to and might sting a bit. Be ready for that possibility.
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No. 579358 ID: 2baea8

>>579261
Fourthing.
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No. 579903 ID: e56e7a

Get spear, get away. If the tentacles try to grab you, make the tentacles slippery so they can't grab. It'll also probably drop your cloak, which will no longer be slippery.
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No. 579933 ID: 707a11

I guess she'll be stealthier now, too. Cool.
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No. 579989 ID: 10e6c3

>>579184
You're falling into the pool, right? If you dive down and try to hide, it may not be able to get at you.
You look vaguely amphibian. How long can you hold your breath?
I also saw what looked like a crate or box down there. We should investigate once we can do so safely.
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