>>812942
Can we give a friendly wave to the unarmed scavenger?

"I predict there will be Squidcadas in a room further right and we will use those to get that pearl in the pole plant room.
I say keep exploring above ground to the right."

Slugcat is not nuanced enough to disregard his own empathy.
Let's go get that pearl we presumably want.

1/2 Weblure 2017/07/05(Wed)13:23 No. 813083 ID: 7b6983
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>Can we pick anything up ourselves? There was what looks like a blue pearl back on the pole Slugcat tried to push

You can read and write data from and to the pearl, but your physical presence is limited to the manipulation of electrons.

>Can we give a friendly wave to the unarmed scavenger?

Although you don't have much of a physical form, you can still be scattered if you're impacted by a projectile. As such, you prefer not to draw unnecessary attention to yourself.

>"attempt to devour the scavenger" via Discord
>"poop on the floor to establish dominance" via Discord

You remind yourself to scan your neural systems later...

>"uhhh return to last area" via Discord
>"get out of there boi" via Discord
>I predict there will be Squidcadas in a room further right and we will use those to get that pearl in the pole plant room. I say keep exploring above ground to the right.

You exit the scavenger's 'den' and continue exploring to the right.

You have entered the cave. On the ground lies a rock and a spear. 3 Blue Fruits hang from the ceiling of the cave, in reach of the slugcat. A large, glowing insect crawls along the side of a ventilation shaft. The cave extends further to the right.

2/2 Weblure 2017/07/05(Wed)13:24 No. 813084 ID: 7b6983
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You render a map to keep track of your current progress.

You can choose an area to travel to by referring to its label.


- Proceed to the right.
- Go somewhere else.
- Slugcat> Grab item or perform action.
- Overseer> Examine area, object, or creature.
- Something else?

>>813084
Overseer> Examine the large, glowing insect.

Slugcat> Grab one of those blue hanging fruit.

1/2 Weblure 2017/07/06(Thu)08:06 No. 813360 ID: 7b6983
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>Overseer: Examine the large, glowing insect.
>"Examine the centipede to find if it is useful or dangerous."via Discord
You examine the creature more closely. You sense that it's body is full of electrical energy. The long spike coming out of its rear is negatively charged, while the 'antenna' on each side are positively charged. Completing this circuit would likely produce a strong zap, but it shouldn't be enough to cause permanent harm to the slugcat. It's possible that this creature is still young and growing.

>"eat the centipede because has slugcat eaten anytime lately?"via Discord
Despite being electrically charged, you make an educated guess that the creature is edible. It should be safe to consume once it circuitry has been discharged or severed. Piercing it with a spear or ripping a chunk off of it would likely suffice.

After marking its 'tail' as dangerous as a precaution, you signal to the slugcat that the creature is food.

2/2 Weblure 2017/07/06(Thu)08:06 No. 813361 ID: 7b6983
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>Slugcat: Grab one of those blue hanging fruit.
>Mark the fruit as food and notify Slugcat about the spear and rock.
You also mark the remaining items in the room appropriately. The slugcat grabs and consumes the nearest fruit while watching the insect in front of it. It doesn't seem to understand what to do with it.


How should you instruct the slugcat to proceed?
- Spear it and eat it.
- Stun it with a rock and eat it.
- Just grab it and eat it, it'll probably be fine.
- Leave the creature alone, there's plenty of other food to eat.
- Other?

Stun it with a rock and eat it.

No chestburster jumpscares today.

"Stab and eat the centipede, then have slugcat eat the fruit.
Btw, can we check how much time is left in the cycle?"

"Just grab the centedepede and eat it, nothing can go wrong. Tell slugcat to eat a fruit, if hunger is full, pick it up and move on"

"Hold on to the thing
Just until something happens"

Did OP set up a bot to spam their own quest with unverified shit from Discord or something?

>>813381
The Discord Rain World server has a channel for interactive stories. I decided to also post updates there since they were interested, and I've been added their suggestions here by hand so that they can be seen.

If this is in bad taste or against the rules, I'll see if I can get them to post here instead.

>>813392
Considering we had a guy running a quest entirely through
strawpoll, I suspect you're fine.

1/3 Weblure 2017/07/06(Thu)15:45 No. 813434 ID: 7b6983
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While you consider the best method of dealing with the insect, the slugcat grows tired of waiting and acts without your advice.

It picks up the creature and holds it out in front of its face, seemingly examining it. The creature doesn't struggle or retaliate, apparently not recognizing its situation as dangerous.

2/3 Weblure 2017/07/06(Thu)15:46 No. 813435 ID: 7b6983
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The slugcat removes the creature's head in a single chomp and begins devouring it.

3/3 Weblure 2017/07/06(Thu)15:46 No. 813436 ID: 7b6983
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After finishing its meal and discarding the part it evidently didn't like, the slugcat gathers and eats the rest of the blue fruit. Finally, it picks up the items from the ground... ingesting the rock in the process.

Slugcat now has a spear in each hand and a rock... somewhere inside of it.

>can we check how much time is left in the cycle?
You compile your observations of the current state of the world so far.

While the rain isn't as lethal as it was decades ago, it can cause flooding for days at a time. During this time, it can be dangerous to gather food or explore. Most creatures circumvent this by hoarding non-perishable food, or storing extra fat in their body and going into a type of short-term hibernation. Slugcats seem to do both.

You'll compile all of this information into a chart for ease of tracking.

Food: In a typical day, a slugcat will go through 4 units of food. Their stomach can hold 7 units of food. (For simplicity, food units will only be consumed/decreased at the end of the day, when slugcat sleeps.)

Hibernation Fat: Each food unit above 4 will be stored as fat for hibernation at the end of the day. 3 units of fat are needed to hibernate for a single day.

Rain Counter: Currently, we are 1 quarter through the first day of no rain. We have until at least day 4 before the next rain storm. At most, we have until day 8 before a rain storm is 100% certain.

Storage: Slugcats seem to have a sort of internal storage, and are able to ingest small objects to regurgitate later. Currently, the slugcat has a rock stored within it.


What is your next action?

- Continue exploring to right, deeper into the cave.
- Go somewhere else on the map.
- Something else?

Continue exploring to right, deeper into the cave.

Keep going right, into the cave

>>813436
Keep going into the cave.

As stated continue through the cave

1/1 Weblure 2017/07/06(Thu)21:36 No. 813520 ID: 7b6983
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>>813443
>>813458
>>813462
>>813463

You move deeper into the cave. It's barren, save for a type of electronically-controlled gate blocking your path.

There is an access panel located at the bottom of the gate. You should have no problem operating it.

Should you attempt to open the gate and progress deeper into the cave?

Hmm... Try to go back to the room with the bats and Pole Plant, and tell Slugcat to put a spear into the leftmost block and use that to get to the top of the nests.

1/2 Weblure 2017/07/07(Fri)09:22 No. 813627 ID: 7b6983
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>Try to go back to the room with the bats and Pole Plant, and tell Slugcat to put a spear into the leftmost block and use that to get to the top of the nests.

You return to O1-2.

You instruct the slugcat to use one of its spears to climb on top of the platform. It leaps to the second platform on its own volition and makes a quick meal out of the nesting bat.

Meanwhile, you recall the Blue Pearl's location and access its data. There is a weak encryption, but you're able to bypass it after a moment. It appears to contain a long text document. You read the first bit.

Monthly Report - Plant 021 - 4015.10.30 INPUT: kilocalories: 22491100 = 94102779800 joules OUTPUT: 32710 Watts EFFICIENCY: 90.1% Monthly Difference INPUT: +81760 Kilocalories = 342084258 joules OUTPUT: +118.9 Watts EFFICIENCY: +0.1% Next Month Projected Growth INPUT: +88153 Kilocalories = 368832570 joules OUTPUT: +128.34 Watts EFFICIENCY: +0.1%

This goes on for dozens of more months... It seems the latest entry was less than 2 decades ago.
Does this mean another iterator had survived the plague for several decades? ... Could they still be alive?

2/2 Weblure 2017/07/07(Fri)09:23 No. 813628 ID: 7b6983
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You instruct the slugcat to store the pearl. It is valuable for both data storage and as a sort of currency among scavengers.

The slugcat now has a full stomach, a Blue Pearl in storage, and is holding a spear and a rock in its hands. It is now halfway through day 1.


What should you do next?

- Go through the gate, we're ready.
- Go somewhere else on the map or explore.
- Visit the scavenger merchant.
- Something else?

Map Weblure 2017/07/07(Fri)09:23 No. 813629 ID: 7b6983
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You update your progress on the map.

go through that sweet delicious gate

Quesiton about the Rain Counter. Are all of the blocks together supposed to represent 1 day and the red blocks are for night time of that day?

>>813632
Each box is an individual day, and the lighter bar extending from the left of that box is how much of the day has gone by.

There are at least 4 days with no rain after a rain storm; these days are marked as the blue boxes.
After day 4, there is a chance that a rain storm will come; these days are marked as red boxes. There's only 8 boxes total, because it'll always rain on or before the 8th day.

TL;DR: Blue boxes = Safe days; Red boxes = Unsafe days

Sorry if I wasn't very clear!

1/1 Weblure 2017/07/07(Fri)13:45 No. 813679 ID: 7b6983
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>go through that sweet delicious gate

You interface with the gate's controls and open it. You head on through it, and the slugcat follows.

You emerge into what looks like a large, well kept room. Circuits and pipes run along and extend from the floor and ceiling, leading deeper into the room ahead of you. You can sense a loud buzzing from that direction.

There's not much else to see or do in this area.

Should you advance?

Advance!

ADVANCE!

>>813679
We've come this far, might as well go the rest of the way.

Advance.

1/1 (typo correction) Weblure 2017/07/07(Fri)19:02 No. 813791 ID: 7b6983
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>Advance!
>ADVANCE!
>We've come this far, might as well go the rest of the way. Advance.

You advance further into the complex.

There is a structure suspended above a gap in the floor, emitting a loud, electrical buzz. You do not recognize its design or purpose. Everything here is too well-kept to be remnants from the ancients.

You have 3 paths to choose from.

- Return to the left.
- Proceed to the right, having slugcat leap the gap.
- Descend down the gap in the floor.

As a scavenger, going into the hole makes the most sense.
Random stuff would tend to gather there.

>>813791
As long as the fall won't hurt the Slugcat, let's head down.

Also, do you think the Slugcat would respond to a name if we gave it one?

That looks important.... I don't suppose you have something to throw in there to gunk up the works?

Also beware of blue roach on the ceiling, might as well go down the hole

>>813975
Ack, I just missed your suggestion, sorry!

The 'blue roach' is the overseer you're currently giving suggestions to

1/1 (correction 2) Weblure 2017/07/08(Sat)14:46 No. 813979 ID: 7b6983
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>Also, do you think the Slugcat would respond to a name if we gave it one?

Does it need a name? You suppose a name would be easier to refer to. What should its name be?

>"leap the gap?" via Discord
>"Descending might be a death trap, so leap the gap!" via Discord
>As a scavenger, going into the hole makes the most sense. Random stuff would tend to gather there.
>As long as the fall won't hurt the Slugcat, let's head down.

You're unable to determine the gap's depth or safety. As such, you decide to instruct the slugcat to leap to the other side. You should be able to descend down the gap later, if you choose.

The slugcat inches to the gap's edge on all fours, lifts its rear, and leaps across. It barely manages to catch the ledge and clumsily pulls itself up. You lead it the rest of the way into the next area.

... There is an orange overseer here, interfacing with what you assume to be the main controller of this complex. You're unable to obtain its owner information remotely. It has detected you and the slugcat, but hasn't reacted.

You are in desperate need of information, supplies, and repairs. Perhaps they'd be able to help you?

What should you do or say?

I don't know what to name it.
Call for attention from the Otherseer

>>813979
>Slugcat's name?
Uhhh.....call it Marsh? Maybe?

>You are in desperate need of information, supplies, and repairs. Perhaps they'd be able to help you?
Ask the other Overseer for info, supplies, and repairs.

If it can't give these things, then ask if it knows where you could go to get these things.

Initiate a trade of services for materials, surely an overworked supervisor like the overseer needs hands on assistance with duties far below their paygrade

1/1 Weblure 2017/07/08(Sat)23:37 No. 814134 ID: 7b6983
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>Uhhh.....call it Marsh? Maybe?

You keep the name in mind for a more appropriate time.


>Call for attention from the Overseer

You address them.

"... Hello? I apologize if I am interrupting anything. Could I have a moment of your time?"

The orange overseer disengages from the interface, turning to face you and the slugcat.

"Oh? Look what the cat dragged in. Or more accurately, look what dragged the cat in. I assume you have a good reason for leading this filthy animal into my plant?"

>Ask the other Overseer for info, supplies, and repairs.

"O-oh, well... I am searching for supplies and means of repair, as well as any information to refill my memory arrays with. I've been heavily damaged by the plague-"

They cut you off before you can explain your situation.

"Yes, yes, I've seen what you've done to yourself. Flushing your facilities with void fluid? What results were you expecting? Or perhaps that was your failed attempt at self-destruction? There's no other reason an iterator of your kind would need to drill for void fluid."


You... You don't know what to say. She isn't wrong -- at least, that was the original reason you began drilling. But...

"Hit the nail on the head, did I?"

"That... That's not why I used it! As the infection spread through my systems, I... I felt scared. For the first time in centuries, I actually wanted to exist. And for the first time in my existence, I no longer felt bound to my instructions. I believe that the solution to the cycle isn't to escape it, but rather to accept it and recognize its beauty. I want to pursue this new path... But first, I must rebuild myself."

Their is a moment of awkward silence between the two of you.

"Oh, I'm sorry, were you finished? That was quite the lovely moment you had there, save for it being completely idiotic. It wasn't fear or the desire to live that set you free from your instructions. No, rather it was nothing more than a simple side-effect of circumventing the self-destruction taboo.

You created an organism that would rewrite the the genome of your own organisms. But how did you ensure that it'd only override what you wanted it to, and nothing else? You simply couldn't. You're damaged and eroded down to nothing more than your primary cognitive unit, which you've managed to corrupt.

And here you are, free from your instructions. What do you do? Break into my plant, tell me that all of our work had been pointless, and that we should just grin for centuries, until our cans are buried in dust and we're consumed by the void."

"Then... What do you propose? We work tirelessly for centuries, until the entire world is destroyed and we're taken along with it?! We should take responsibility for the damaged we caused, and restore the world to its former beau-"

"Enough of this pointless banter! Leave my facility, and take that sack of meat with you. Or perhaps you brought it along as compensation for my wasted time? I'm sure it'd provide at least a dozen thousand Calories."


>If it can't give these things, then ask if it knows where you could go to get these things.
>Initiate a trade of services for materials, surely an overworked supervisor like the overseer needs hands on assistance with duties far below their paygrade

You may have overstepped your boundaries... Should you still press for help?

>>814134
>I'm sure it'd provide at least a dozen thousand Calories.
.....wait, Overseers can eat?!

And why would she want to eat poor.....Marsh? Still not sure about that name, but still! How could she want to eat something that adorable?! Just look at that face! It's so cute! X3

>Press for help?
Uhhh.....no. Let's leave before she gets even more pissed off!

1/1 Weblure 2017/07/09(Sun)14:31 No. 814305 ID: 7b6983
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>.....wait, Overseers can eat?!
Overseers cannot eat... Putting the pieces together, you're willing to bet the blue pearl you found earlier came from here. The document mentioned Calories as an input, and electricity as an output.

Your guess is that this is a sort of bio-fuel power plant... Though you're not sure how it works.

>Let's leave before she gets even more pissed off!
You leave the other overseer to their devices, and return to the previous area.

What's your plan now?

- Descend the gap with the Slugcat... Marsh?
- Descend on your own and scout the area for anything useful.
- Completely exit the plant. You will most likely be locked out.
- Settle on a name for the slugcat, if it needs one.
- Something else?

Descend yourself, let the Slugcat stay back before it gets into danger

>>814305
Yeah, I'm settling on Marsh being the Slugcat's name, since no one else has come up with anything better.

I'm not entirely sure we should leave Marsh alone. Something might come and get it or it could get bored waiting for us and it wanders off on it's own.

Scout the area.

throw the blue pearl in the last area as a distraction, then order Marsh to spear the orange overseer in the face.