JiggyDino 2017/02/16(Thu)14:02 No. 780090 ID: ca0e20
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>Choose an appearance. (canine, feline, reptilian, avian, etc.) Note: The form is humanoid.
>Choose a gender.

snake
male

Female Skunk

OR

Male NORTHERN SERGAL

>>780091
this. Male Rattle snek.

Male opossum

Male cobra.

Viper

Female

>>780091
>>780100
rattlesnake dude sounds cool

>>780100
This.

Male Catfish

>>780091
>>780100
>>780106
I'll go for either these.....

>>780105
Or this.

>>780090
Female mealworm

>>780158
Changing vote to this, just because it's interesting.

>>780105
I like this one.

JiggyDino 2017/02/16(Thu)17:58 No. 780168 ID: ca0e20
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Ava just injured Calla's leg, kicked Aster off over the banister and ordered Ophi to restrain Poppy and Marigold. Rip and Azalea are back at the Flower Room and are probably relocating to The Tower. I hear Lucy's hooves hurry behind me. What do I do?

Inventory: Full Canteen of Pure Water, Old Journal, Ava's Sword, Ava's Menacing Hat

She has better defense than offense. To get through that defense, you have to bait her into a mistake and take the opening. She's emotional right now.

"Is this how you react when Rufa kisses you, too? No wonder she has issues."

Oh man, things just got amazing. So we can't fight predictably. Every time we've managed to mess with Ava was by doing something stupid, why? She's a trained swords-woman, and probably expects her opponents to fight with some semblence of order. Our crazy idea's are quite possibly the best thing to win this fight.

Wait for Lucy then when she arrives, with no warrning or way of letting Lucy know, throw either the book or canteen straight at Ava's center mass and charge, not to stab but to smash into her with all your body weight. I have no idea if this will work.

Please try and think of something else, I have no idea what to do. Otherwise I guess I'll stick to my plan.

give her back her hat.

>>780173
Book would either fly better (like a Frisbee) or flutter open, depending on angle. Canteen might get cut open and splash her, but poor aerodynamics would limit its potential. I'd say go with the book as a distraction.

>>780179
I'd prefer canteen. Book could be important.

>>780182
Pages can always be collected afterwards and rebound.

>>780185
not if they're cut in half, though.

>>780168
Move to her left. Let Lucy start striking at her, alongside you. Try to drive her against the edge of the balcony and knock her off. She can't even soften her fall like the bees can.

Or you could play dirty and throw her hat at her so she can't see the following strike. Bonus points if you thrust your sword straight through her hat into her heart.

Heck, why not do both these things.

Male Eastern SERGAL

>>780195
This is also plausible.

Start singing out loud, that song that's stuck in your head. Incongruous behavior threw Ava off balance before. It's worth another shot.

JiggyDino 2017/02/21(Tue)16:29 No. 781897 ID: ca0e20
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>Wait for Lucy then when she arrives, with no warrning or way of letting Lucy know, throw either the book or canteen straight at Ava's center mass and charge
>Move to her left. Let Lucy start striking at her, alongside you.
>Dialogue

I can buy a little bit of time while Lucy arrives. While keeping an offensive stance, I start moving to my right.

Raven: "Is this how you react when Rufa kisses you, too? No wonder she has issues."

Ava: "You know that has nothing to do with it. You're the one who chose that tactic on me to help Calla to stab me in the back. The damages that has and will ensue on her and her sisters are her and your fault."

She turns to the door and gets in a less relaxed stance as Lucy crosses the threshold of the portal room. Ava starts to move toward the stairs. Lucy, only arriving, seems to be mostly on the defensive, unsure.

JiggyDino 2017/02/21(Tue)16:29 No. 781898 ID: ca0e20
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>give her back her hat.
>throw her hat at her

Seeing that Ava is edging toward escaping and Lucy not attacking, I take Ava's hat and throws it at her, turning the hat with my arm along the brim to make it soar towards her. As I begin to dash towards her, she hops backward toward the steps as she catches her hat.

Ava: "Thank you."

She then jumps down toward the stairs using the railings to skip a portion of them, then lands on the steps as she starts running down the stairs. Being in a dash already, I follow after her and I can hear Lucy following me behind.

JiggyDino 2017/02/21(Tue)16:29 No. 781900 ID: ca0e20
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While going down the stairs, I look over the rest of the room. Ophi seems to be trying to use non-lethal magic on Poppy who seems to be desperately trying to avoid said magic. I don't know how long she'll be able to avoid Ophi.

I also spot a Mammoth.

He's holding Marigold, but there's no struggle on either side. Marigold seems to be talking to him, but still look a bit shaken. The Mammoth's expression seems passive.

>>781897
>"You know that has nothing to do with it. You're the one who chose that tactic on me to help Calla to stab me in the back. The damages that has and will ensue on her and her sisters are her and your fault."
"That's where you're wrong! It's your fault! You're the one that didn't show any sort of concern for Azalea's safety after Rufa almost killed her! You only saw the bees as expendable and you encouraged Rufa to do it, so them turning on you was your fault! Plus, unlike you, they have a conscience and would rather not help you summon a horde of uncontrollable demons that'll kill everyone!"

>>781907
Also, if you can somehow get over to her, it might be time to finally untie Emerald and get some help from her!

And when you do that, tell her, "Sorry to keep you waiting!"

Get in range of Ophi and your sword will turn off her magic.

>>781907
I don't think we're anime enough to do that right now.

JiggyDino 2017/02/22(Wed)12:42 No. 782117 ID: ca0e20
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>Dialogue

I give a shorten version of a monologue because running down these stairs chasing someone isn't really the time to monologue.

Raven: "It's your fault, Ava! You're the one that disregarded the safety of the Bees!"

Ava continues running. Not thinking of anything I can do but chase her for now, I keep running.

We arrive downstairs. Ophi is still trying to get Poppy, but is getting a better bead on her with each attempts.

Ava: "Basant! Slow my pursuers down!"

The mammoth, in a lazy but direct motion moves Marigold to his side, only holding her with one arm. He then surprisingly jumps from his position and lands between me and Ava. I have no time to stop on a coin, and I end up running in his range which he uses to hit me back with his tusk.

Raven: "-Augh!"

JiggyDino 2017/02/22(Wed)12:42 No. 782118 ID: ca0e20
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Lucy catches me stopping me from skidding on the floor some distance.

I somehow still have Ava's sword in hand. Basant is standing in the way with a panicked Marigold in tow. He's not moving in to attack, but he will surely knock us back if we attempt to move toward him. I see Ophi has finally managed to get a magic collar on Poppy, but got her ankles instead of her neck. Ava is now dragging something, but I can't see what it is with the table blocks in the way. She's shouting something at Ophi but not loud enough for me to understand what she says. Ophi looks a bit perturbed.

While assessing, I also notice that Aster is still moving and is sitting against the wall she fell next to, but looks very hurt, clutching a limp arm.

"Ophi, this isn't right! This has to stop!"

>>782118
>Ava is now dragging something, but I can't see what it is with the table blocks in the way.
Oh no! She's stealing Emerald! You've got to find someway to save her!

Ask Marigold if she can help!

JiggyDino 2017/02/23(Thu)13:13 No. 782402 ID: ca0e20
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>Dialogue

I don't know what to do.

Raven: "Ophi, this isn't right! This has to stop!"

Ophi just glances at me and both her and Ava makes their way toward the portal with Emerald being dragged by Ava and Poppy by Ophi.

>Ask Marigold if she can help!

I feel helpless.

Raven: "Marigold... Can you help?"

Marigold: "I would, but Basant is pretty strong. I can barely move."

There's nothing I can do.

Lucy: "Raven, this mammoth can only stop one of us... You go around and I'll keep him busy."

Lucy raises her axe and gently pushes me to the side.

You're no quitter, Raven. Stop acting hopeless. Do what Lucy says.

I guess you'll have to take on Ava and Ophi by yourself...? Maybe the bees that can still move can at least fend off Ava while you try to figure out how to get the antimagic sword working to take on Ophi.

Ask the bees if they know how the sword works.

Let Lucy help, go get Emerald free.

Make a "Beeline" for it Raven! I think with her huge axe. Lucy can handle the mammoth or at least appear to be the bigger threat, which will make the mammoth probably focus on her more than you.

>>782402
Tell Lucy to be careful. Then run over to Emerald. You should be able to cancel out Ophi's magic when you get close. Hopefully, that's how the sword works. Unfortunately, that also means that even if you untie Emerald, you'll be canceling out her magic also!

JiggyDino 2017/03/07(Tue)09:19 No. 785717 ID: ca0e20
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>Ask the bees if they know how the sword works.
>You should be able to cancel out Ophi's magic when you get close. Hopefully, that's how the sword works.

Basant is not attacking so I ask Marigold.

Raven: "Does the sword activates when it's close to magic?"

Marigold: "I think so! That always how it looks like... Oh, her scabbard is what turns it off! I just remembered!"

>You're no quitter, Raven. Stop acting hopeless. Do what Lucy says.
>Let Lucy help, go get Emerald free.
>Make a "Beeline" for it Raven!
>Tell Lucy to be careful. Then run over to Emerald.

Raven: "Be careful, Lucy"

Lucy just makes an acknowledging grunt of some sort as I start to move toward the platform.

JiggyDino 2017/03/07(Tue)09:19 No. 785718 ID: ca0e20
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Basant shifts, making noise that catches my attention. I look over to him and he's charging towards me! He only makes half of the distance toward me before Lucy's axe catches itself on his left tusk, forcing him to turn around Lucy. She unhooks her axe from the tusk and the centrifugal force sends Basant in the opposite direction where he tries to not fall to the ground by the shift of momentum. Seems like Lucy really has him handled.

JiggyDino 2017/03/07(Tue)09:19 No. 785719 ID: ca0e20
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I make my way up the platform and to the makeshift bridge that leads to the portal. Ava is still holding on to Emerald while a magically tied up Poppy has been brought up to them, her hands propped up by her magic shackles. Lucy fighting Basant somewhere behind me.

Ava: "We have to activate it now, Ophi!"

Ophi: "We're not sure what this step will do-EEEP!"

Poppy: "AAAAAAAUH"

As I step onto the bridge, Ava, in one quick slice of her borrowed bee sword, slices Poppy's palms of one of her pair of hands. I stop in my track.

Emerald: "RAVEN! The first step is to power the portal with blo-ACK!"

Raven: "Emerald!"

Ava hits Emerald on the side of her head with the butt of her sword. She then brings the sword to Emerald's neck, and her beak close to one of Emerald's ear.

Ava: "You better shut it Armadillo!"

Without changing her stance, she looks up toward me.

Ava: "Raven. Try anything and this one dies. Continue and Poppy does as well.... Once she serves her purpose at least."

Ophi is now using the control on the Magic Shackles to lead Poppy toward one of the Portal's half.

Emerald was trying to tell you how to start the portal up. Only reason to do that is if doing so without a lizard to sacrifice is a bad idea. They don't know what they're doing. Let them fuck up the ritual.

However let's not just stand idly by, that will look suspicious. Try to taunt Ava a bit. Ask her why she's so scared of you that she needs to take a hostage. Is she that much of a coward? She already ran from you once, is she never gonna fight you for real?

>>785725
Ava doesnt strike me as the type to get baited like that often. I dont think that approach will work on her.

Ok, this is bad. Taunting her about using a hostage I don't think will work but anythings worth a try.

Appeal to Ophi, everyone else we've talked down and I think we can get Ophi too. First because she seems more than a little not down with how this is going and second, speech seems to be our best stat.

Point out to Ophi that Ava has turned on the bee's when they were no longer useful to her, tell her how carelessly she cares for them for MERELY wanting to leave. Ask her is she wants to wait until Ava decides that she's no longer useful, hell, until RUFA decides she needs a new toy to claw up. Make sure to let her know this all started when Rufa tried to disembowel one of the bee's and that there grievance is quite justified. Even point out that she might have joined Ava because she believed in the same things as her, but is she acting like she even cares for them anymore? She seems more intent on revenge than actually fulfilling her grand dream of freedom.

I'm just gonna say it right now- I'm worried that Ava has heard so much of us that she might react poorly to any further attempts to sway us.

>>785730
...not sway us, sway anyone else, I mean.

go with >>785729

We might end up with two dead allies but better than what would probably happen if she fucks up the ritual like she seems she will.

>>785739
At this point, we're out of good ideas. Ava is too skilled.

I'm sorry, Raven.

One way or another, I think your friends are dead.

>>785719
Try to convince Ophi to help! She can stop Ava since you've got Ava's magic canceling sword!

"Ophi, don't do this! She's trying to summon a horde of demons to kill everyone! That's why the bees all turned against her! They don't want to help her do that! Please, you have to stop Ava!"

...you know, it's possible that Ophi doesn't realize Raven has Ava's sword. Maybe that should be the first thing we point out to her?

"If you start up the portal without the correct sacrifice, the demons will be under no-one's control!"

>>785844
This is something that's already been covered in the previous thread. Even if Ava was using the correct sacrifice, she wouldn't be able to control the demons.

>>785863
Ophi might have been led to believe otherwise.

>>785863
No, we just wanted her to believe that. The ritual should work to give control to the one who performs it (not sure exactly who in the ritual gets the control). I mean, Emerald studied it for quite a while and wanted to rule the world via controlling the demons. If there was no way to control the demons she wouldn't have tried to do it.

Letting them screw up the ritual might result in them getting killed, or at least bee friend getting killed. Do as your told for now and once you get an openging, use the sword to break the magic shackles.

>>785879
I thought Emerald was the one that told us the demons couldn't be controlled? And she would've done it anyways because she didn't care if she got killed, she only cared that the demons would eventually get somewhere and kill the people that made fun of her at magic school or something like that?

JiggyDino 2017/03/10(Fri)12:54 No. 786510 ID: ca0e20
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>I'm sorry, Raven. One way or another, I think your friends are dead.

There has to be at least one way!

>Try to taunt Ava a bit.
>Taunting her about using a hostage I don't think will work but anythings worth a try.

In desperation, I try to use one of my apparently strongest trait and to talk to them again.

Raven: "How scared of me are you?! Using an hostage?!"

Ava: "You do have less people by your sides at this point" I hear what seems like Basant roaring "But I prefer having good insurance. We both know that you'd throw your entire body at me if I gave you the chance."

Ava's sword is still at Emerald's throat, but she definitely relaxed the blade's position while she said this.

Raven: "You're never gonna fight me for real then?!"

Ava: "Ah! You, of all people, can't pretend that you prefer structured opposition."

Ophi is now next to one of the halves of the portal and is guiding Poppy's bloodied hands to it. She using Bee blood?! But... Poppy is not even dying anyway...

>Appeal to Ophi
>go with [this]
>Try to convince Ophi to help! She can stop Ava since you've got Ava's magic canceling sword!
>...you know, it's possible that Ophi doesn't realize Raven has Ava's sword. Maybe that should be the first thing we point out to her?

Raven: "Ophi! You can help! Look. I have Ava's sword."

I hold up the sword. I notice Ava smile.

Ophi: "Ooh! Ava?!?"

Ava: "Now you see why you should hurry up?"

Wait... What?

Raven: "Ophi! You-"

JiggyDino 2017/03/10(Fri)12:54 No. 786511 ID: ca0e20
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After seeing that I have Ava's sword, she hurries and lead Poppy's bloodied hands to the portal, touching the red trimming. Some of Poppy's blood seems to take a mind of it's own and starts spreading and merging with the portal's half trimming until the red glows.

One of the portal's halves is now glowing with energy.

JiggyDino 2017/03/10(Fri)12:54 No. 786512 ID: ca0e20
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Raven: "Ophi please! Ava turned on the bees, and Rufa could attack you at any moment! This is why all of this is happening now! Rufa attacked one of the bees, and Ava didn't care as she deemed them useless! She could do this to you too!"

Poppy: "*huff* Ergh, what?!"

Ophi: "Ava! I told you we shouldn't let go of the bees in a violent manner!"

Ava: "And I agreed, Ophi. But I also told you that I wouldn't restrain myself if they acted against me. If Raven didn't help Calla act against me, we'd have a lizard right now."

Ophi: "A lizard...? This is why..."

Ophi continues making her way to the second half of the portal. Poppy is resisting more and they move slower.

Raven: "Ava is trying to summon demons, Ophi! She wants to kill everyone! That's why the bees turned against her!"

Ophi: "I thought it was because of Rufa? Besides, we're not trying to kill everyone. We're only going to go after those who have too much power. The beasts from the portal will be ordered to stand down once there's balance restored to the world."

Ophi: "I owe a lot to Ava... I trust her."

>Do as your told for now and once you get an opening, use the sword to break the magic shackles

I'm running out of time. Ophi is set on doing what Ava ask her to do. I do think I should try to break the magic shackles, but I need a plan. I need to make an opening. O- or something...

So.
Stab Ava?

>>786512
You need to figure out how the sword works. Fiddle with the red bits on it. You might even have to cut your hand and feed it blood in order to activate the antimagic field. I know for sure it's not activated by magic because Ava has not cast a single spell on her own.

Once you do that, it'll release Poppy, which would let her fight back against Ophi, which would make Ava let go of Emerald and allow you to join the fight.

Attack the portal's runes with your magic-nullifying sword. Break the portal!

>>786512
"The demons can't be controlled! They'll kill everyone, including whoever summoned them! Ava knows this and he's counting on you to blindly follow her! She believes the whole world is corrupt and doing this is the only way to cleanse it! This was a suicide mission right from the start!"

>I need to make an opening.
Well, look directly behind them and yell, "Now, shoot her!" That'll make them look away from you and give you a chance to run as fast as you can at them!

But if someone actually is behind them, don't say anything and keep their attention focused on you! that way you can give whoever is back there a chance to sneak up on Ava and Ophi!

Throw the sword at the portal and bust it!

JiggyDino 2017/03/23(Thu)13:37 No. 789760 ID: ca0e20
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>You need to figure out how the sword works. Fiddle with the red bits on it. You might even have to cut your hand and feed it blood in order to activate the antimagic field.

I fiddle with the sword again, twisting the pommel. Rubbing it? I don't think Ava cut herself to activate it before, right? And Marigold said it was turned off with the scabbard? Shouldn't that mean it's always on? I guess she wasn't sure...

>Attack the portal's runes with your magic-nullifying sword. Break the portal!
>Stab Ava?

I can't do that right now!

>But if someone actually is behind them

Yeah right. What are the chances that someone would happen to be- Marigold?!

JiggyDino 2017/03/23(Thu)13:37 No. 789761 ID: ca0e20
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>keep their attention focused on you!
>Dialogue

Uuuh! Might as well yell some more attempts at convincing!

Raven: "The demons can't be controlled! They'll kill everyone, including whoever summoned them! Ava knows this and she's counting on you to blindly follow her! She believes the whole world is corrupt and doing this is the only way to cleanse it! This was a suicide mission right from the start!"

Ophi: "What? What are you talking about? I'm the one who deciphered some of the runes on the portal and told her what it did. Granted, a little bit of info was attained by Ava questioning Emerald here. But Emerald didn't tell us all that much once she was on to us. Which is why... We tried calling Rufa. She's can be pretty convincing... Although I personally would much rather someone cooperate than having to resort to those kinds of tactics. Especially since I could just spend more time with the portal and decipher everything myself. Poppy, get over here please."

What is Marigold waiting for?

Raven: "Decipher it yourself? Wouldn't that take long?"

Ophi: "I'm sure it would if you lack proper resources and skill to do so."

Emerald, who up to that point focused on me, shows a flash of annoyance, breaking her streak as her eyes vaguely glances in Ophi's direction for a second.

Ophi: "Alright Poppy, this way please."

Poppy: "Damn you, Ophi."

JiggyDino 2017/03/23(Thu)13:37 No. 789762 ID: ca0e20
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Finally, Marigold dashes out and tackles Ophi!

Ophi: "ACK!"

Marigold: "PLEASE MISS OPHI I'M SORRY ALSO DON'T BE MEAN!"

JiggyDino 2017/03/23(Thu)13:38 No. 789763 ID: ca0e20
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Ava, unable to ignore the commotion and potential threat from behind turns around. With the blade previously relaxed, Emerald immediately throws herself down to the floor. I start running toward them. With Ava still holding on to Emerald's collar, she ends up kinda twisting around Ava's grip. Emerald sees that as an opportunity to bite Ava's hand!

Emerald: "Gnaff!"

Ava: "NnaAAAAHH!"

JiggyDino 2017/03/23(Thu)13:38 No. 789764 ID: ca0e20
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With a weaker grip from Ava's, Emerald flops to the floor. But as she starts to roll away, Ava's takes a stab at Emerald into her back!

Emerald: "GgnAaAaAaH!"

Emerald rolls off the bridge as Poppy uses her four arms to grab Ava from behind with great resistance from Ava.

JiggyDino 2017/03/23(Thu)13:38 No. 789765 ID: ca0e20
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>Stab Ava?

I go to stab Ava, but in the tussle she's having with Poppy, they keep turning in such a way that I would hit Poppy instead. That or Ava is still swinging her sword out keeping me at bay. Ava finds an opening before I could find one of my own and turns her sword around. She then thrust it next to her body, stabbing Poppy on her own side of her body. Undeterred by this, Poppy grabs Ava's arm and the blade of the sword with her already cut hand and yanks it in such a way that Ava now has a cut of her own. Ava then lift poppy up and throws her off the bridge as well, then immediately faces me and block another attack of mine.

JiggyDino 2017/03/23(Thu)13:38 No. 789766 ID: ca0e20
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Ophi is still pinned to the floor by Marigold. My sword glowing anytime Ophi look to be trying to cast spells and pleading to Marigold to let her up. Ava glances around then runs toward the inactivated half of the portal. I chase her again, but she's slower this time. Knowing this, Ava turns around once she's at the portal and readies herself again. I try to stab her again but she attempt to leap on the portal to evade. I menage to nip her right ankle and she stumbles backward onto the portal, catching herself with her other foot and eventually resting to a sitting position.

She chuckles to herself.

Ava: "You're really trying to makes this easier for myself."

She rubs the cut on her side with her hand, covering it up in blood...

>Attack the portal's runes with your magic-nullifying sword. Break the portal!

Understanding what she's doing, I jump toward the portal myself with the intent to stab the trimming in the hope to break the portal, but Ava has already gotten her blood on it. By the time I'm close enough, Ava hits me in the bottom of the beak up with a very hurtful kick.

JiggyDino 2017/03/23(Thu)13:38 No. 789767 ID: ca0e20
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Ava's blood spreads and merge with the second half of the portal.

JiggyDino 2017/03/23(Thu)13:38 No. 789768 ID: ca0e20
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...

JiggyDino 2017/03/23(Thu)13:38 No. 789769 ID: ca0e20
File 149030151739.gif - (1.32MB , 800x600 , 024.gif )

...

JiggyDino 2017/03/23(Thu)13:38 No. 789770 ID: ca0e20
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... Urgh... What happened?

>>789770
Huh. We're purple.

Welcome to the apocalypse.

>>789770
You've still got the sword so this must be part of the ritual's effects. The next step would normally be to sacrifice a lizard... It's a race to find Rip, now.

Get moving.

Welp.

Get ye out of room.

I think the world just ended. Whelp time to do what all sensible people do when the apocalypse hits. Find and wrap yourself in as many pieces of leather clothing as you can find and claim some piece of land of your own. Once that's done set up some kind of clan or gang and declare yourself ruler of the wast lands.

But before we do any of that you might want to leave this room and look around. That leather and future clan members won't find themselves after all.

>>789868
Plus, we need to find Emerald. She was injured and tied up, so she can't bind her own wound.

>>789869
Lucky for her, she's an armadillo and got stabbed in the back where she has a natural shell. The damage is hopefully minimal.

>>789872
The blood on Ava's sword was shallow, so it's not a deep cut, that's true. Most of that looked like it was from her and Poppy.

Poppy might be in worse condition, but I'm not sure what we can do about a gut wound.

>>789868
the man brings up a salient point. First order of business is the leathers, second order is building us a sicknasty monstercar with the help of some magic mechanics. Or dwarves, if we're in a pinch.

JiggyDino 2017/03/24(Fri)12:41 No. 790037 ID: ca0e20
File 149038450573.gif - (1.37MB , 800x600 , 026.gif )

>Huh. We're purple.

I look at my clothes and hands. They do indeed look purple. But really, everything does.

>Welcome to the apocalypse.
>I think the world just ended. [Get leather]
>You've still got the sword so this must be part of the ritual's effects. The next step would normally be to sacrifice a lizard... It's a race to find Rip, now.

Yeah, I don't think we're too late yet.

>Get moving.
>Welp. Get ye out of room.
>you might want to leave this room and look around.

Yeah. I pick up Ava's sword and make my way out of this room. I also check my inventory.

Inventory: Full Canteen of Pure Water, Old Journal, Ava's Sword

>It's a race to find Rip
>we need to find Emerald. She was injured and tied up, so she can't bind her own wound.
>Poppy might be in worse condition, but I'm not sure what we can do about a gut wound.

Yes, I should find them...

JiggyDino 2017/03/24(Fri)12:41 No. 790038 ID: ca0e20
File 149038451236.gif - (1.38MB , 800x600 , 027.gif )

... Wh-

How did I end up here?!

What is that flying hairy thing there? peck it.

>>790037
That's not a mop? Maybe poke it, not peck it.

>>790038
A closet?

My guess is that with the portal malfunctioning, space is fucked.

Is that a floating mop head or a floating creature?

Check what's in those bottles, then maybe check behind the cabinet in the previous room if there's no other way out of the closet.

so where the hell are we?

>>790082
Either that or this is some kind of dreamscape or psychic construct and it's running on dream-space logic.

>>790119
The closet with the secret entrance in the back that Raven and Lucy used to sneak into Emerald's place. It was last seen back in thread one here >>/questarch/707425. Looks like it's gotten a bit of a HD makeover compared to back then.

>>790127
Ah, so it is a mop, or at least the head of the mop, that seems to be floating.

Yeah, my vote remains unchanged. Peck it!

OH WAIT, GUYS.

Let's read the goddamn journal while we're looking. We've just been carrying it all day, we might as well take a looksee in it while we have some semblance of a peaceful moment.

>>790243
Oh yeah thats a thing.

Spooky, the mop head is floating around.

>>790243
Um... Isn't it far more important to find Rip ASAP than taking time to read that old journal? Ava presumably is looking for Rip too and if she finds him before Raven it'd likely be all over, assuming it isn't all over already.

What do we remember from Emerald talking about the portal ritual earlier? Was it supposed to use lizard blood? 'Cause if it was, then using non-lizard blood, and from two different species as well, might have broken the portal, causing the spacial jumble Raven just stepped through.

>>790456
This, journal later.

I think Ava botched the activation ritual and it displaced everyone near the portal dais across the ruins and is now warping local space in the area.
Or worse, instead of summoning demons to our dimensional plane, everyone directly near the portal got shunted into a dark mirror dimension potentially populated with demonic horrors.
Everything looking purple though makes me think this might be a "From Beyond" situation and the portal is now projecting an "Ultraviolet Energy Field" that is allowing both dimensions to overlap and interact with each other.

>>790038
Your back at the secret passage closet again, but it didn't seem to connect to that previous room before though. Did it feel like exiting through that doorway teleported you? Does the exit go back to the same place?

While trying to figure out if the ruins are now a jumbled up warp maze, at least take the time to open up the Old Journal and read the first and last two written pages if you aren't going to read the entire thing.
That should in the least give you who wrote it, what it might be about, and what happened just before the owner either finished the journal or died.
If your lucky it might be of one those old research books Emerald told you about that escaped destruction.

While regrouping with Rip seems prudent, He and Azalea should be able to hold their own for a little while if they are still together and barricaded in the tower. But if space is jumbled up for them too they could be anywhere in the ruins now.
I think we need to prioritize finding Emerald, her knowledge of whats going down with the portal right now is invaluable.
Not only that she is the only member in our team that can use ranged magic or heal our wounded allies and as far as we know she could still be tied up and bleeding out somewhere all alone.

JiggyDino 2017/03/28(Tue)14:36 No. 791250 ID: ca0e20
File 149073700714.gif - (1.39MB , 800x600 , 028.gif )

>A closet?
>so where the hell are we?
>The closet with the secret entrance in the back that Raven and Lucy used to sneak into Emerald's place.
>Your back at the secret passage closet again, but it didn't seem to connect to that previous room before though.

It does look like the secret closet. Seems like adventurers all end up in closets for some reason.

>What is that flying hairy thing there? peck it.
>That's not a mop? Maybe poke it, not peck it.
>Is that a floating mop head or a floating creature?
>Ah, so it is a mop, or at least the head of the mop, that seems to be floating.
>Spooky, the mop head is floating around.

It is a mop. It moved because I accidently kicked the handle when I entered here. It's a bit hard to see the handles.

I poke it with my beak.

peckpoke

JiggyDino 2017/03/28(Tue)14:36 No. 791251 ID: ca0e20
File 149073701494.gif - (1.39MB , 800x600 , 029.gif )

>Check what's in those bottles, then maybe check behind the cabinet in the previous room if there's no other way out of the closet.
>Did it feel like exiting through that doorway teleported you? Does the exit go back to the same place?

I check the bottle and it just smells like normal cleaning potions.

I backup into the ajar door and it opens back into the room I woke up in. The door slows to a halt when it runs out of momentum. I'm standing in this room and can see that the closet is still there and nothing felt different when moving in or out of the room or closet. Only thing is this general feeling of dread since I woke up.

I move the cabinet enough to see if there's anything behind it, and some rocks on top falls to the floor, startling me. Nothing suspicious behind the cabinet. It is just a normal wall.

>Let's read the goddamn journal while we're looking.
>Oh yeah thats a thing.
>Um... Isn't it far more important to find Rip ASAP than taking time to read that old journal?
>This, journal later.
>at least take the time to open up the Old Journal and read the first and last two written pages if you aren't going to read the entire thing. [...] I think we need to prioritize finding Emerald, her knowledge of whats going down with the portal right now is invaluable. Not only that she is the only member in our team that can use ranged magic or heal our wounded allies and as far as we know she could still be tied up and bleeding out somewhere all alone.

I take out the Old Journal. I should find Rip or Emerald, but I might as well read the first and last entry. The book is very old and I find that handling it to be a bit tricky task. I accidentally rip one of the page, which warns me to be extra careful. I start slowly walking toward the closet again.

JiggyDino 2017/03/28(Tue)14:37 No. 791252 ID: ca0e20
File 149073702280.gif - (1.71MB , 800x600 , 030.gif )

Reading...

... I can already tell that this person didn't throw this away. But they didn't say who they were. I skim through the first couple of pages until I see a particular part that seems like it's it.

Once in the closet, I close the door behind me, then go to push the panel in front of me.

JiggyDino 2017/03/28(Tue)14:37 No. 791253 ID: ca0e20
File 149073702933.gif - (1.66MB , 800x600 , 031.gif )

Mmh.

JiggyDino 2017/03/28(Tue)14:37 No. 791254 ID: ca0e20
File 149073703709.gif - (1.40MB , 800x600 , 032.gif )

Raven: "OOF!"

I fall on a bed.
Not quite sure why the furniture is placed here. I pick up the book again and check the last entry of the journal.

JiggyDino 2017/03/28(Tue)14:37 No. 791255 ID: ca0e20
File 149073704585.gif - (1.76MB , 800x600 , 033.gif )

I guess I "should't" be too surprised either.

Peek out the door.

Keep reading the journal while you give this room a once over. Go back a bit to see if you can find any more entries about the Entity and see if you can pin point when their research started to break bad.

Search the dresser, nightstand and under the bed for any thing of note.
Is that a crystal lamp knocked over on the ground? Check to see if its still functional and examine that white rock(?) laying next to it.

...yeeah I dont think we should put this off. Read more while walking.

JiggyDino 2017/03/30(Thu)11:57 No. 791700 ID: ca0e20
File 149090023186.gif - (1.34MB , 800x600 , 034.gif )

>Keep reading the journal while you give this room a once over. Go back a bit to see if you can find any more entries about the Entity and see if you can pin point when their research started to break bad
>...yeeah I dont think we should put this off. Read more while walking.

I go half way into the journal and it's looking like things are still normal there.

>Search the dresser, nightstand and under the bed for any thing of note.

I check the dresser and mostly just find lint and blank torn pieces of paper. The nightstand is so empty that it's pretty much just an empty wooden box. The bed is odd. It's made of a soft material that I've never seen before and it doesn't have a frame to suspend the mattress off the floor.

With the journal, I go back half way from the center toward the end and things still look normal.

JiggyDino 2017/03/30(Thu)11:57 No. 791701 ID: ca0e20
File 149090023780.gif - (1.35MB , 800x600 , 035.gif )

>Is that a crystal lamp knocked over on the ground? Check to see if its still functional and examine that white rock(?) laying next to it.

It does look like a crystal lamp. Unfortunately, I don't have any way to charge it magically. I would either need a magic user to do it for me, or have a charged crystal to transfer the energy to it. The white rock turns out to be a another blank torn piece of paper on closer inspection.

JiggyDino 2017/03/30(Thu)11:57 No. 791702 ID: ca0e20
File 149090024472.gif - (1.58MB , 800x600 , 036.gif )

I start skimming from the page I'm at in the journal until I find an entry that catches my eye...

...

JiggyDino 2017/03/30(Thu)11:57 No. 791703 ID: ca0e20
File 149090025112.gif - (1.36MB , 800x600 , 037.gif )

>Peek out the door.

I open the next door slowly and just enough to see what is beyond...

... A prison!

And it looks like someone is locked up. Lets see who it is, and if it is someone who deserved to be locked up, or a friend.

>>791703
Let's see who's locked up. Also, check the corridor before letting down your guard. Could be anyone and anything in this place.

A prison, huh? It seems like part of the underground structure you haven't seen yet, maybe parts that were blocked off, are now accessible because everything is jumbled up. It sounds like the person previously researching the portal kept prisoners here. If they're still alive after all this time, they're probably not normal people, so be careful. See who it is, try to communicate, but don't get in reach.

These journal entries seem to lend credence to the theory that whatever malevolent presence lies beyond the portal is able to project its will upon others over time.
Seems like people of a certain disposition are more easily influenced, especially those who are magic sensitive.

>>791703
Chop off the top 1/3rd of the depleted magic lamp to get yourself a magic torch you can charge up later.

It looks like there is something in side that first cell.
Head into prison room to check, but watch out for spooky skeletons, regular or animated.

>>791702
Whoa spooky. There's a face in the journal entry!

>>792598
Looks kind of like a cobra hood. The figure in the portal looked about the same shape.

JiggyDino 2017/04/03(Mon)10:51 No. 793076 ID: ca0e20
File 149124191602.gif - (1.36MB , 800x600 , 038.gif )

>Whoa spooky. There's a face in the journal entry!

Is it? It's only looking like part of the journal got wet. It might just be a form of pareidolia. Or one of those tests with the blotches.

>check the corridor before letting down your guard. Could be anyone and anything in this place.

The corridor? As a precaution, I look behind me to make sure I'm not being snuck up on by someone coming from the closet. And I'll use caution entering the prison.

>Chop off the top 1/3rd of the depleted magic lamp to get yourself a magic torch you can charge up later.

I hope to myself that this sword is sharp enough. First hit seems to have done visible damage to the lamp so I hit it a couple more time. finally, the lamp snaps where I was hitting. I am now in possession of a Crystal Lamp, improvised to be hand held!

Inventory: Full Canteen of Pure Water, Old Journal, Ava's Sword, Crystal Lamp

Now I just need to find a way to charge it. Maybe Emerald will be able to do it.

JiggyDino 2017/04/03(Mon)10:52 No. 793077 ID: ca0e20
File 149124192372.gif - (1.74MB , 800x600 , 039.gif )

>And it looks like someone is locked up. Lets see who it is, and if it is someone who deserved to be locked up, or a friend.
>Head into prison room to check, but watch out for spooky skeletons, regular or animated.

I enter the prison room. A figure shifts to look at me. Once they see me, they stand up and eyes me. A snake. A reptilian. But something about him looks off...

>See who it is, try to communicate, but don't get in reach.

Raven: "... Hello. Who are you?"

The snake scans me from head to toe then pauses.

Snake Dude: "... You're not with them?"

>>793077
Them? He must mean the mages who originally experimented with the portal. I think he's either some kind of ghost, or has been trapped in time. Tell him yeah, you're trying to stop all this.

>>793077
>A snake. A reptilian. But something about him looks off...
It's probably because he has legs instead of a big snake tail to slither around on!

>"... You're not with them?"
"Who's 'them'?"

Crows eat snakes. Breakfast?

kidding, tell him what happened.

>>793077
"Would this happen to be your journal?"

Also, It looks pretty spacious in there. is there others back there in the darkness? They might be too timid to come out.

JiggyDino 2017/04/04(Tue)10:12 No. 793353 ID: ca0e20
File 149132592961.gif - (1.49MB , 800x600 , 040.gif )

>Tell him yeah, you're trying to stop all this.
>tell him what happened.

Raven: "I'm not with them. I'm here to stop all this. The portal was activated and I think it broke the space around it. Now I have to find my way back to the portal to destroy it before someone opens."

Snake Dude: "... but, you will free us, yes? Please, you have to get us out of here!"

>Also, It looks pretty spacious in there. is there others back there in the darkness? They might be too timid to come out.

Raven: "Us? There are others in there?"

Snake Dude turns around and beckons the darkness.

Snake Dude: "It's ok, she's here to help."

One by one, other reptilians approaches. There are 5 of them including the one I was talking to. All different types of snakes. Snake Dude turn to me again.

Snake Dude: "Please, you have to get us out of here, quick. I don't know what they're planning to do."

JiggyDino 2017/04/04(Tue)10:12 No. 793354 ID: ca0e20
File 149132593762.gif - (1.67MB , 800x600 , 041.gif )

>Dialogue

Raven: "Would this happen to be your journal?"

Snake Dude: "No, I've never seen this before. Are you gonna help us out?"

Viper Lady: "You sure she's not one of them?"

Snake Dude: "She wields a sword and is holding an uncharged lamp. She's not a magic user."

Viper Lady: "So? We don't know who they are, Ujoa. You can't be sure that they are all mages."

>>793354
'scuse you, I'm a BARD thank you very much.
And I've been trying to stop this since I got here like a day or two ago because summoning demons seems like an absurdly terrible idea in any circumstance.

Try to find a key and something for each of them to defend themselves with. Also tell them to keep an eye out for any of your friends.

>>793354
We're SUPER not one of them. Rwally, we're more a bard than anything. Can we...I dunno, cut the lock or something?

>>793354
"Well, this sword I'm carrying actually nullifies magic, so I can't really be a mage."

Also, notice how ALL of these guys are snake people. Sure, they're reptilians, but they're specifically snakes! Rip, as far as I can tell, isn't a snake! So, wouldn't that mean that sacrificing Rip would mess something up, since he's the wrong type of reptilian?

Also, WOW, whoever made this portal is very racist towards snake people!

>>793354
Ask their names.

>>793552
good idea. A nice intro for each one would be nice.

JiggyDino 2017/04/05(Wed)12:34 No. 793670 ID: ca0e20
File 149142087348.gif - (1.64MB , 800x600 , 042.gif )

>Also, notice how ALL of these guys are snake people. Sure, they're reptilians, but they're specifically snakes! Rip, as far as I can tell, isn't a snake! So, wouldn't that mean that sacrificing Rip would mess something up, since he's the wrong type of reptilian?

Rip came here on his own. If these prisoners were taken, the source might just have a lot of snakes.

>'scuse you, I'm a BARD thank you very much.
>We're SUPER not one of them. Really, we're more a bard than anything.
>"Well, this sword I'm carrying actually nullifies magic, so I can't really be a mage."

Raven: "Uh, I'm really not with them. And I'm more of a bard than anything. Plus, this sword nullifies magic. So it wouldn't do me any good to carry it if I was a mage."

Ujoa: "She's here to help, Zizu. Why would she pretend to not be part of that group if she were?"

Viper Lady: "I don't know! To trick use into trusting them!"

She focuses on me.

Viper Lady: "If you're not with them, what are you doing here?"

>Dialogue

Raven: "I've been trying to stop this since I got here like a day or two ago. Because summoning demons seems like an absurdly terrible idea in any circumstance."

They're eyes widen as they pause.

Ujoa: "... Summoning demons?! You mentioned a portal. That's what they're doing here?"

Viper Lady: "Then why did they abduct us?!"

One of the rattlesnakes, the shorter paler one, speaks.

Shorter Rattlesnake: "They want to feed us to them!"

Taller Rattlesnake: "No, summoning demons sometimes requires a sacrifice. We're here to be sacrificed."

The snakes all starts to show different level of panic. Ujoa, the one I first talked to, seems among the calmest, shifting his gaze to the others while the Viper, Zizu, starts to pace violently. The taller rattlesnake, being the other calmer snake, is trying to comfort the shorter one who's shaking. The cobra with the muzzle guard starts to breath heavily as he holds on to it. As if he'd want to remove it but is afraid to touch it.

JiggyDino 2017/04/05(Wed)12:34 No. 793671 ID: ca0e20
File 149142088197.gif - (1.64MB , 800x600 , 043.gif )

>Ask their names.
>good idea. A nice intro for each one would be nice.

Raven: "Uuh! You don't need to panic! I will get you out! But you have to calm down! Let's start with your names! My name is Raven Pecks! Uuuuuh!"

The others seems more preoccupied by the revelation to listen to me, except Ujoa who address them after I do.

Ujoa: "HEY! FRIENDS! LISTEN!"

The snakes calm down a bit, still visibly shaken.

Ujoa: "Did you hear? This is Raven Pecks. She said she would help us out of here. They want to summon demons? It doesn't matter. Because we're getting out. This group could be planning anything else and it wouldn't matter. Because we're not staying to let them do it. Now everyone calm down."

The group has now calmed down, with a hint of left over adrenaline. Ujoa turns to me.

Ujoa: "My name is Ujoa. Nice to meet you Raven."

The others hesitate for a bit but then they decides to play along.

Viper Lady: "*sigh* I'm Zizu."

Shorter Rattlesnake: "My name is Chix."

Taller Rattlesnake: "Hant."

I turn to the cobra who is just making himself small, to the side. Ujoa follows my eyes.

Ujoa: "Oh right. We don't know his name. They muzzled him because he can spit venom. Any attempts to remove it hurts him. Like it's cursed or something."

I can't help but to frown at that.

JiggyDino 2017/04/05(Wed)12:34 No. 793672 ID: ca0e20
File 149142088891.gif - (1.54MB , 800x600 , 044.gif )

>Try to find a key and something for each of them to defend themselves with. Also tell them to keep an eye out for any of your friends.
>Can we...I dunno, cut the lock or something?

I start to look around. Save for some loose rocks from the walls and ceilings, it doesn't look like there are keys or weapons anywhere around here.

I examine the lock. I don't think my sword would do much against it since it's reinforce. The lamp wasn't meant to hold anyone in a prison. I could still try. Should I?


Ujoa looks over his shoulder to the other snakes. Then he gets close to me and whisper.

Ujoa: "You might need to leave to find the key. You said the space around the portal was broken... If you leave, you might not be able to come back, right?"

Raven: "... I don't know."

Ujoa: "... If it's the only way... If you can't figure out how to get us out on your own..."

>>793670
Mention that you're pretty sure the group you're trying to stop isn't the same group that put them in here, but they did translate some ancient texts that said something about reptilian blood being required to summon the demons. And you find that to be very racist!

Wait...this place messes, with the rooms, but what if time also moves differently in here? Because if the texts you found were ancient, then these guys could've been trapped in here for 1,000 years, but to them, they've only been trapped here for a few days!

>>793671
>"Oh right. We don't know his name. They muzzled him because he can spit venom. Any attempts to remove it hurts him. Like it's cursed or something."
Ask the muzzled guy if his venom is acidic! He could spit on the lock of the cell door and melt it! He doesn't need to talk to answer this question, just a simple nod for yes shake for no question.

And remember, magic canceling sword! Have the muzzled guy come closer so that we can see if the sword will work. Just don't point the blade at him, you might scare him.

>>793672
Tell him you'll do what you can. Time to go look for the key.

>>793695
Lets give cutting the muzzle idea a shot. But let Ujoa speak on your behalf to let him know know what you are about to do so he won't get scared.

>>793695
This. Use the sword to help him get his muzzle off.

Is it just me, or do the snakefolk have some kind of... aura?

>>793815
I think they aren't real people. They're echoes of the past.

I wouldn't discount their ability to affect this place, though. They can probably hurt Raven if they want to. Raven should try to touch one through the bars to confirm they're physical, at least.

Try using the sword to cut the muzzle off and then have them melt the bars with their acid.

>>794535
Except that the muzzled one can only spit venom, not acid, so the latter half of this idea won't work. But slicing the muzzle off with the anti-magic sword might work, if it's done fast enough and in a spot where one cut will loose the whole thing before it activates. But this is assuming its hurt curse works by touch and it's not otherwise linked to him in a way that'd work at range. If it's that way, it'll have to be stuck back on immediately.

>>794738
There are snakes that can spit venom that can melt things. Whether or not muzzle guy's venom can melt things remains to be seen.

JiggyDino 2017/04/10(Mon)15:36 No. 794897 ID: ca0e20
File 149186379553.gif - (1.33MB , 800x600 , 045.gif )

>Raven should try to touch one through the bars to confirm they're physical, at least.

Raven: "Can you give me your hand? I want to check something."

Ujoa seems a bit taken by surprise by the odd request, but complies. I squeeze his hand to get a good feel. Mmh, it feels odd. Like his hand is there, but not. There's definitely a physical object here, but it's empty, while being dense? It's hard to describe.

>Mention that you're pretty sure the group you're trying to stop isn't the same group that put them in here, but they did translate some ancient texts that said something about reptilian blood being required to summon the demons. And you find that to be very racist!

I let go of his hand.

Raven: "I'm pretty sure the group I'm trying to stop isn't the same group that put you in here. They translated some ancient texts that said that reptilian blood was required to summon demons. Which is really racist by the way!"

Ujoa: "Another group? They hired another group to work on the portal...?"

JiggyDino 2017/04/10(Mon)15:36 No. 794898 ID: ca0e20
File 149186380393.gif - (1.20MB , 800x600 , 046.gif )

>Ask the muzzled guy if his venom is acidic!

Raven: "Um, you? Is your venom acidic?"

The Cobra furrows his brow a bit and shakes his head gently.

Raven: "Ok, just asking."

>And remember, magic canceling sword! Have the muzzled guy come closer so that we can see if the sword will work. Just don't point the blade at him, you might scare him.
>Lets give cutting the muzzle idea a shot. But let Ujoa speak on your behalf to let him know know what you are about to do so he won't get scared.
>Use the sword to help him get his muzzle off.
>Try using the sword to cut the muzzle off
>slicing the muzzle off with the anti-magic sword might work

Raven: "Ujoa, this sword is magic cancelling. I think I might be able to remove his muzzle."

Ujoa: "... Breaking the curse! That's great news!"

Raven: "Could you tell him? I think he'd trust you more."

Ujoa: "Yes."

He stands back up and walks over closer to the Cobra and speaks gently to him. Then they looks over to me and after a short glance to Ujoa, the Cobra quickly approaches. I'd say he's had enough of having that thing on his face. Ujoa and Zizu accompany the cobra. First I approach the sword to the muzzle. The sword's gem flickers a faint glow and it looks like the area of the muzzle close to the sword loosens a little. But as soon as I move the sword away from a loosen spot, it tightens again.

Raven: "I'll be careful, but I'm gonna try to cut it now, alright?"

The cobra nods. Zizu holds his hands and gives him some supporting words. With the sword nearby, I grab a loosen part of the muzzle through the bars and try to rub the tip of the sword against it, carefully holding the sword by the blade. Ava's has kept this sword sharp. It doesn't take long before the strap give and, in the process, some magic poofs off the muzzle like someone slapped a dusty object. As soon as it happens, the cobra successfully removes the muzzle off his head and breaths in like he just came out from underwater, followed by a sigh of relief.

JiggyDino 2017/04/10(Mon)15:36 No. 794899 ID: ca0e20
File 149186381036.gif - (1.63MB , 800x600 , 047.gif )

The other snakes cheers for him. The cobra turns to me.

Cobra: "Thank you, Raven!"

I smile at him but it's hard to see cause it's fuzzy around here and I feel like I just look worried.

Raven: "What's your name?"

Cobra: "Jik!"

The other snakes bombards Jik with greetings.

>Time to go look for the key.

With the muzzle off and the venom not being acidic enough, it would be time to look for a key. Unless there's something else I want to do here?

>>794899
Before we go we might as well check the wall for loose stones.
You never know with these adventuring dungeons.

Ah, so that's how the sword works. It has to be close to the source of magic, and it triggers passively. I bet Ava was simply able to amplify its effect to negate Rip's invisibility from so far away. Or maybe Rip's invisibility is more vulnerable to the sword than other magic? Hard to say for sure.

You could get some venom on the sword to make it more deadly.

>>794899
Before you go, let's have a closer look at the door of their cell.

Does it look old and rusted? If you and the snakes all hit it hard enough it might fall off! Get a running start and CHAAAAAARGE!!!!!

Look at the hinges of the cell door, the part that let's the door swing when it's opened and closed. If you can somehow break those, then opening the door will be easy! Try hitting them with one of those rocks on the ground!

If that doesn't work, then try removing the pins that hold the hinges together!

If all else fails, then tell them that you're going to have to leave to look for the key. And since this place is distorted weirdly, you might not end up coming back here through the room with the bed! But you'll try to find your way back to them!

Maybe if you don't close the door all the way, the jail room will stay here?

Erm, don't slam yourself against the bars like a dumbass. Kicking the door might make more sense but I doubt it'd work, it doesn't look rusted at all. If the lock is magic, just having the sword near it could unlock it, but it doesn't look magic.

I also don't want to make a huge noise.

>>794902
This.

If nothing, ask them if they have anything that could be used as a lockpick?

If not, tell them you'll search for a way to get them out.

Ask them what the name of the person who locked their cell was, to give you a description of their appearance and if they know where the key is kept usually. If you have to track down the cell key, either finding whoever was their jailer or their quarters or the room the key is kept in would be a good start. Also ask if any of them are thirsty and offer your canteen.

Take a closer look at the hinges to the cell door and muse out loud that maybe you could knock the pins out of them. If the prisoners lifted the door to take the weight off the hinges, and you had a nail or similar narrow sturdy object and something to hit it with like a hammer, you might be able to drive the pins out of the hinges. A piece of furniture from one of the previous rooms might contain a strong and large enough nail for the job, if you pull or break it apart. Whichever way doesn't bend the nail. And then a small stone could work as a hammer to drive the pin out.

>>794969
Oh RIGHT, we should probably ask them more about their captors, yeah. They're probably around in the same kind of half-present state the prisoners are in. The more we know about any potential new enemies, the better.

JiggyDino 2017/04/13(Thu)12:44 No. 795549 ID: ca0e20
File 149211267855.gif - (1.68MB , 800x600 , 048.gif )

>Before we go we might as well check the wall for loose stones.
>This.

I push all the stones I can reach but none moves. I also try to feel around and see if there are handholds anywhere to help me pull, but I find nothing.

>ask them if they have anything that could be used as a lockpick?

Raven: "So... any of you have anything I could use as a lockpick?"

Ujoa chuckles.

Ujoa: "We'd already be out if we did."

Jik: "None of us are sneaky enough."

>You could get some venom on the sword to make it more deadly.

Raven: "Jik, can you spray some venom on my sword?"

Jik: "Oh... uh, ok..."

Jik prepares himself to spray venom as I hold the sword out in such a way that I don't get sprayed.

Zizu: "What are you planning?"

Raven: "I don't know. Making a deadly sword deadlier."

Jik sprays 2 streams out of his mouth and the sword is now coated in fresh venom. I shouldn't touch the blade again. If I want to again, I'll have to clean the venom off.

JiggyDino 2017/04/13(Thu)12:44 No. 795550 ID: ca0e20
File 149211268579.gif - (1.45MB , 800x600 , 049.gif )

>Before you go, let's have a closer look at the door of their cell.
>Does it look old and rusted? Look at the hinges of the cell door

Upon close inspection, it does look like it. Just like everything else, there is a state of degradation with this environment. It's still metal though, and testing it indicates that it's still pretty solid. The hinges are pretty rusty. If I hit anything, I would focus there.

>Try hitting them with one of those rocks on the ground!

I grab a rock, take aim and throw a rock on one of the hinges. The rock shatters into pieces.

>try removing the pins that hold the hinges together!
>Take a closer look at the hinges to the cell door and muse out loud that maybe you could knock the pins out of them.

I look at the pins and see if I can make them budge with my hand to access the situation. As expected they don't move.

Raven: "If I could knock the pins out..."

>A piece of furniture from one of the previous rooms might contain a strong and large enough nail for the job, if you pull or break it apart.

I go back to the previous room. I determine that the nightstand would probably be more up my alley for dismantling. Alas, even it ends up resisting. I definitely lack the tool for it and I can't do it bare handed, even if I try to pry it with my foot or kick it. Best tool I have is Ava's Sword, but it's meant to cut opponents, not wood. I would need an axe. And muscles.

Annoyed to be nail-less, I search the room to see if I could find something, but most I find is weak junk like paper and broken pieces of woods.

>If the lock is magic, just having the sword near it could unlock it, but it doesn't look magic.

I return to the prison a bit frustrated and hold my sword to the lock to see if anything changes. The keyhole would be mocking me if it was sentient, I'm sure.

JiggyDino 2017/04/13(Thu)12:44 No. 795551 ID: ca0e20
File 149211269041.gif - (1.42MB , 800x600 , 050.gif )

>Ask them what the name of the person who locked their cell was, to give you a description of their appearance and if they know where the key is kept usually.
>Oh RIGHT, we should probably ask them more about their captors, yeah.
>Also ask if any of them are thirsty and offer your canteen.

I take out my canteen.

Raven: "Are any of you thirsty?"

The snakes look at each other, unsure how to respond. Hant approaches with Chix in tow.

Hant: "He should drink something."

Ujoa: "... Is he thirsty?"

Hant: "He should drink and least one gulp. Even if he doesn't feel thirsty."

Ujoa thinks for a moment.

Ujoa: "We should all drink one, just to be sure."

Raven: "I feel like I'm missing something?"

Ujoa: "No one here has been hungry or thirsty for a while."

The snakes one by one drinks a gulp from my canteen.

Raven: "What can you guys tell me about the ones who captured you? Did any of you catch their name? What did they look like? And do any of you know where the key might be."

Another pause from the group.

Ujoa: "It's a bit fuzzy to remember. But seems like the one handling prisoners after they are captured is some kind of fish. I never heard of one this far from the shore. But this one is wearing clothing with runes on them. I think it helps him."

Jik: "I saw him with someone else! But they were covered in cloaks. So I don't know what they were. I think I heard them talk about a "Sig". They were whispering, so I'm not sure."

Hant: "The key is usually brought out of the room with them." He looks to the others, seeing no objection. "We don't know where they keep it."

Once the canteen gets back to me, it's is noticeably lighter but it feels like there is still one or 2 gulps in there.

>tell them that you're going to have to leave to look for the key.
>tell them you'll search for a way to get them out.

Raven: "Alright. I don't think i can do much right now. I'll go look for a key or another way to open the prison door."

Ujoa: "Come back safe."

The others nervously send words of encouragements and faith toward me as I walk up to the door.

JiggyDino 2017/04/13(Thu)12:44 No. 795552 ID: ca0e20
File 149211269534.gif - (1.36MB , 800x600 , 051.gif )

>Maybe if you don't close the door all the way, the jail room will stay here?

From this door, I can kinda see the closet. The only door I've closed so far was the closet door to the first room. Is closing doors a way to change room? I guess I should try since I have no other way to get out from the known rooms. I leave the prison door open and make my way over the bed and into the closet again. I leave the panel down. I open the door I closed earlier and...

JiggyDino 2017/04/13(Thu)12:45 No. 795553 ID: ca0e20
File 149211270047.gif - (1.50MB , 800x600 , 052.gif )

The Garden room! The room I woke up in is indeed gone. I look back and I can still see the closet and the room. I'd say that closing doors seems to be how things get jumbled up again. But this room is another dead end. How should I find anything or anyone like this?

>>795553
Alright, what have we got here? Some garden tools, some vegetables... what was in the drawers, again?

You might be able to use the garden tools to drive out the pins and open the cell door.

>>795550
*facepalm*
No, not like that you fool! I meant picking up a rock and bashing the hinge with the rock in your hand!

>>795553
Look around. Look under the piles of seed for things that are not seeds hidden under them. Look in the drawers over there.

And don't close the door! Otherwise you might not be able to find your way back to the snakes!

>>795574
I had to laugh at myself a little bit there. I'll admit that was me brainfarting (tough month mentally) but the result would probably be similar, except that she would have hit (not throw) from another angle to hit the pin out. Rock would have shattered anyway and the pin would have been immovable from that strike.

>>795553
Looks like you might have to just try warping around with doorways for a bit. But before that get some stuff from here first.
Check out the drawers and try holding up the Crystal Lamp under the ceiling light to see if it reacts to it in any way.
Grab some tomatoes for your self and the prisoners, also get the purple wizard outfit you left on the floor.

It might be a useful disguise in case you happen upon any spirits of the former researchers.
Show the outfit to Ujoa and the others to see if they recognize it at all.

>>795574
This.

Once you're done here, retreat into the bedroom, close the closet secret door, and open it again to get to a new room.

Actually, the room changing when you close the door may make it easier to find a room you want to find, if the pool of rooms it can choose from to link is all possible ones in this complex of ruins. You just keep closing and opening the door and if the rooms are chosen at random or they cycle through in a pattern, eventually you'll hit the one you want. However, if each door can only link with a certain group of rooms, then things become harder. And if that set of rooms can change by other criteria, then things get much harder. Hallways with multiple doors will be a great help here, since they can keep links open to multiple rooms.

It'll take some testing to figure out the linking behavior of these doorways, and testing would mean you might not get back to this room any time soon so make sure you get everything out of it you want before swapping it. You should also put some heavy things in front of the doors to keep them from accidentally closing on you and changing the linked room.

Now, give this room a thorough inspection and inventory to refresh your memory and see if anything is different from before.

Skim over the journal and see if there's any mention of a "Sig," or prisoners or a fish folk jailer.

And by now you've probably caught on that all those snake prisoners are probably ghosts of some kind. That would explain how they can't remember when they last had thirst or hunger. It's either that or some weird magic has trapped them alive, hydrated and satiated here since their jailers brought forth the demon hordes.

>>795773
>Skim over the journal and see if there's any mention of a "Sig," or prisoners or a fish folk jailer.

The journal entries we read covered this. Sig or Sigourney was the Head Mage in charge of the researchers, She fell under the portal's influence and started imprisoning people.
We also know that Merchel, the journals writer must have in the least partially succeeded in trying to stop an incursion and set things right since the world isn't over run by demons. Emerald's testimony supports this as her investigations found that the portal had never been fully activated and most of the research had been destroyed before the ruins were abandoned.
Its likely that they were mortally wounded in the attempt and died before they could try to destroy the portal or seal up the ruins. Perhaps everyone involved was rendered incorporeal, trapped between dimensions as bound spirits due to backlash from the portal and its subsequent activation has unveiled them.

>>795905
Oh, right. Forgot that the info was in the images and not the text and did a page search for "Sig" and found nothing. My mistake. Thanks for the post explaining.

Take a quick look around the garden room for anything useful. If there's nothing then leave the room, shut the door, and come back in. Maybe it'll take you some where new?

JiggyDino 2017/04/19(Wed)09:20 No. 796800 ID: ca0e20
File 149261880885.gif - (1.50MB , 800x600 , 053.gif )

>No, not like that you fool! I meant picking up a rock and bashing the hinge with the rock in your hand!

... oops, I got confused.

But the rocks seems to break apart pretty easy anyway. I'm gonna try using a rock as a hammer, but I don't have high hopes with my own strength. That rust seems like it'll make things more complicated.

>And by now you've probably caught on that all those snake prisoners are probably ghosts of some kind. That would explain how they can't remember when they last had thirst or hunger. It's either that or some weird magic has trapped them alive, hydrated and satiated here since their jailers brought forth the demon hordes.

Yeah something is definitely up with them. Hopefully, I'll be able to help them.

Did the jailers summon the demon? I thought we assumed that no one ever actually opened the portal before? Which would pose the question of what did they actually do. What were they trying to do in the first place?

>what was in the drawers, again?
>Look around. Look under the piles of seed for things that are not seeds hidden under them. Look in the drawers over there.
>Check out the drawers and try holding up the Crystal Lamp under the ceiling light to see if it reacts to it in any way.
>Now, give this room a thorough inspection and inventory to refresh your memory and see if anything is different from before.

I search the drawer and I mostly find packets of seeds. I check the bags, which I assumed were seeds, and they end up being full of dirt. I look around them and it doesn't look like there's anything hidden under them. I move under the ceiling light and hold up the lamp. Nothing happens. I do notice that the rune isn't pulsing like last time, but it's hard to tell in this environment. There are tools on the wall and vegetable plants in the planters. The clothes seems to be where Lucy put them last.

I don't remember if anything is different from last I was here.

>Grab some tomatoes for your self and the prisoners, also get the purple wizard outfit you left on the floor.
>You might be able to use the garden tools to drive out the pins and open the cell door.

I take the mini-rake looking thing and pocket it. Now I just need to try it with a rock and hope the rock doesn't shatter! Or for my muscles to not fail me! I can't think of a use for it so I leave the-

>you might not get back to this room any time soon so make sure you get everything out of it you want before swapping it.

Actually, I take the mini-shovel and I'll leave it in the bedroom or prison just in case I find a use for it later. I also move one bag of dirt and one of the drawer full of seeds, just in case. I grab a small handful of seeds to eat with my tomato.

I grab six tomatoes, one of which I start eating with my seeds while I move stuff to save time. I haven't eaten since that soup yesterday, so this is welcomed. I fold the wizard outfit in such a way that I'll be able to carry the tomatoes. I also wear the hat since my hands are getting full.

It would be nice to have some friends around to help...

JiggyDino 2017/04/19(Wed)09:20 No. 796801 ID: ca0e20
File 149261881571.gif - (1.68MB , 800x600 , 054.gif )

I bring the tomatoes to the snakes which they all accept and eat. They say they are not hungry, but eating is still enjoyable.

>Show the outfit to Ujoa and the others to see if they recognize it at all.

I show the outfit to the snakes and ask if they recognize it. None of them seems to.

JiggyDino 2017/04/19(Wed)09:20 No. 796802 ID: ca0e20
File 149261882011.gif - (1.44MB , 800x600 , 055.gif )

Before I move on to other things, I go back to the Garden room and take any vegetable that is ready. I assume that they won't do much good if Emerald joins me on an adventure, so it's probably fine if I keep them all on hand in the bedroom. I can fill a drawer with them.

In the top drawer, there are 6 Tomatoes left, 8 Potatoes, 6 Onions, 6 Carrots, 4 Cabbages and 22 Pea pods! I eat a Carrot and 4 Pea pods.

>And don't close the door! Otherwise you might not be able to find your way back to the snakes!
>You should also put some heavy things in front of the doors to keep them from accidentally closing on you and changing the linked room.

While I still have access to the garden room, I go and get the extra bag of dirt and put it against the door that connects the current rooms to make sure they don't close while I don't want them to. There are 2 doors kept open by bags of dirt and one free bag for another use, if I can find one.

>Skim over the journal and see if there's any mention of a "Sig," or prisoners or a fish folk jailer.

I look over the journal to find info on these topics. I see the name Sigourney so often that I suspect that the jailer shortened her name. The writer of this journal never refers to her as "Sig" though. I also don't see the writer talking about anyone's species though. So no mention of any fish. All I know if that Stephanie is "cute" and has a "big soft tail".

Oh my... Well this part is a bit embarrassing for the writer. Seems like they activated the portal pretty early on for some of their tests and they had some room jumble mishaps. But it seems like they were working under these conditions... I wonder how they managed...

I skip forward to where the writer first speaks of prisoners and skim ahead...

I find multiple mentions of prisoner deaths...

JiggyDino 2017/04/19(Wed)09:20 No. 796803 ID: ca0e20
File 149261882585.gif - (1.18MB , 800x600 , 056.gif )

>Once you're done here, retreat into the bedroom, close the closet secret door, and open it again to get to a new room.
>[...] It'll take some testing to figure out the linking behavior of these doorways

I bring the bag of dirt that was keeping the garden room door open in the bedroom. I now have 2 loose bags and one keeping the prison door open. I then bring the panel for the secret door up to cover the door to the closet... I don't know if I have to wait? I slide the panel to the side and it seems to have done it.

Well, this room is almost empty. There's a broom, a mop and a bucket. There's also a hole in the middle of the room with a metal grate over it... Is this another closet? Why is it so big?!

>>796803
Weird. Just start hoarding everything in your bedroom.

Look down the grate, can you see anything down there?

>>796803
Block the door, and look down the grate.

place bucket over your head.

>>796803

Closets arent usually this big are they? Maybe it was for some kind of storage.

>>796803
I hate to ask, but what does the room smell like? Because I think this might be the bathroom and that drain in the middle is where everything goes. And that might be a poo bucket over there.

JiggyDino 2017/04/20(Thu)11:09 No. 797078 ID: ca0e20
File 149271175947.gif - (1.21MB , 800x600 , 057.gif )

>Just start hoarding everything in your bedroom.

I might run out of space at this rate.

>Block the door

Since the current entrance can only be blocked by the panel which is currently propped up between the bed and the wall, I don't think I need to block it like doors can. Worst that can happen with no interference is the panel falling to the side somehow, and it would only block half of the entrance that way. And if somehow someone is there to close the door, bags of dirt won't stop them, even if this was a normal door.

>place bucket over your head.
>I hate to ask, but what does the room smell like? Because I think this might be the bathroom and that drain in the middle is where everything goes. And that might be a poo bucket over there.

...

The room smells a bit moldy. Kinda like a closet, but less concentrated. The bucket is currently empty, but it has seen it's fair share of use. I'm fairly certain dirty water was mainly contained in it... Although the bucket itself has an "iron" smell to it... It still seems too dirty for me to do anything with it. I'd rather hold it only by the handle.

... If I find a clean bucket...

>Closets arent usually this big are they? Maybe it was for some kind of storage.

Yeah... It's hard to say, but I think the walls are the same color as the garden room? I think this room is more recent. Emerald might know why this room is like that.

>Look down the grate, can you see anything down there?

I look down the grate and... I can't really see anything since it's dark. I might be able to see if I could turn the lamp on. Or I could just try to open it somehow.

>>797078
Use the mop handle to wedge it open!

>>797078
Oh that's a tiny grate. This could've been a washroom at one point.

I say just bring the three items into the bedroom then reroll the door to see what we get.

>>797157
This, if the lamp doesnt work.

>>797078
>I might be able to see if I could turn the lamp on.
But to do that requires you to not have a magic canceling sword near the lamp! And I think we can all agree that not having your only good weapon out of reach isn't a good idea! Even though this place is empty, someone or something could pop out at any moment when you least expect it!

>>797182
...oh, is that why the lamp isn't on? Because of the sword?

She could just put her sword in the next room so that she can see down the grate or whatever. It's not like there's any room for anyone to hide in here.

>>797185
Well, it's a combination of that and the fact that the lamp needs to be charged with magic to be turned on. Not that it matters, since it doesn't have a charge. So even if Raven moved the sword away, the lamp still won't turn on.

>>797078
Go back, close panel, new room.

>>797203
Maybe she should just use the freakin sword.

Lean down to the grate and give it a sniff and see if it smells like iron as well, then go get the mini-rake. The presumably angled tines of the rake will work better to grab and lift the grate out. Then use the broom handle to feel about down the drain for any objects down there. If you find any you can just gingerly and gently reach in and grab them. Or if there's muck down there you'd rather not get all over your hands you can get the trowel to try and scrape them up the side of the drain.

...And it's a thoroughly unpleasant thought, but... Well... That "iron" smell might have been from blood. If the drain smells like it as well, then this room was possibly used to kill livestock and then washed down and mopped. ...Or to kill people. Or it might just be the smell of a rusty iron bucket. No sense in excessively speculating and freaking yourself out over what might be.

>>797203
Wait, I thought we determined that the sword has to be either in direct contact with a magical object or magic user or very close to disrupt magic. That's what I gathered from when the viper's muzzle was cut.

>>797208
As a lamp? The anti-magic sword doesn't glow, at all.

See if you can't pry it open with something. Try your sword or your shovel.

>>797209
>As a lamp? The anti-magic sword doesn't glow, at all.
It did when it was cancelling Rip's invisibility charm. We don't have any active magic items to make it glow though, and it was basically just a nightlight.

>>797209
Raven is carrying the lamp and the sword with her. How does that not qualify as "close to each other" for you?

Again, like Raven said here: >>791701 , she needs either a magic user or a charged crystal to transfer the energy to it. Raven has neither of those.

>>797216
Also, don't use the sword to open the grate. That'll mess up the blade and/or break the magic canceling effect.

>>797216
>>797209
Also, the sword cancelled Rip's cloaking charm from down a hallway.

It might just be that Raven doesn't know how to work it properly.

>>797219
She definitely doesn't. There's some way to amplify it, but it passively cancels magic that touches the sword directly or gets very close to it.

You probably have to pump mana/magic/whatever into the sword to amplify its effect, and unfortunately Raven knows no magic.

>>797219
Not according to what one of the bees said in the previous thread. They said it's always active and only turns off when it's put away in a special sheath that Ava still has with her.

>>797224
I... didn't catch that. Why the heck wasn't it working as well as when Ava was holding it? Maybe it wasn't because Ava had it, but because she had just removed it from the sheath? Like, it builds up a charge while inactive, and has a large radius at first when taken out, which shrinks over time?

JiggyDino 2017/04/24(Mon)12:55 No. 797755 ID: ca0e20
File 149306372548.gif - (1.09MB , 800x600 , 058.gif )

>As a lamp? The anti-magic sword doesn't glow, at all.
>It did when it was cancelling Rip's invisibility charm. We don't have any active magic items to make it glow though, and it was basically just a nightlight.
>Also, the sword cancelled Rip's cloaking charm from down a hallway. It might just be that Raven doesn't know how to work it properly.
> [Marigold] said it's always active and only turns off when it's put away in a special sheath that Ava still has with her.
>Why the heck wasn't it working as well as when Ava was holding it?

By my own observations, Ava's sword did glow when she dispelled Rip's invisibility. And when I approached Ava in front of the portal too. Ophi was trying to get some spells out and the sword was glowing in a similar way. Before I approached, I was further away from Ophi than Ava was from Rip in the hallway. Might have look different cause of... angles... Anyway, with Jik's muzzle, the sword was flickering instead of glowing. I don't know why.

But yes, I do not know how it works. Marigold might just not know about the specifics of it. Maybe someone else could offer better instructions for it. I doubt Ava would.

>Lean down to the grate and give it a sniff and see if it smells like iron as well

The smells from the grate smells more like mold, but I do detect some iron-y smells there too.

>then go get the mini-rake. [and use it]. Then use the broom handle to feel about down the drain for any objects down there. If you find any you can just gingerly and gently reach in and grab them.
>trowel

After gauging my options, I decide that the mini-rake is probably my best approach. The mini-rake, partner to the trowel, just remembered, is on my person already as one of my carried items. I should do another inventory check. The trowel is still in the room.

Inventory: Canteen of Pure Water (1 gulp), Old Journal, Mini-Rake
On Hand: Ava's Sword, Crystal Lamp

I take out the mini-rake and hook the rake's teeth in the grate. Luckily, the metal of of the teeth are flexible enough to make it fit with the gaps. I then pull up and it resists, but eventually gives in. I then take the broom and prod down the hole. At first I hit something firm not far from the top. I could reach it if I try to get to it. I continue to feel around with the broom handle and find that I can make the broom go a little deeper, but this time I hit something with a "tink" sound. Glass?

JiggyDino 2017/04/24(Mon)12:55 No. 797756 ID: ca0e20
File 149306373146.gif - (1.16MB , 800x600 , 059.gif )

I decide to go for it since nothing felt goop-y. I reach it and get a feel for a handle of some sort, made of glass with a cork up top. This object was a bit wedged in there but I pull it out of the drain nonetheless.

A potion!

..And I don't know what kind, since everything is purple...

Inventory: Canteen of Pure Water (1 gulp), Old Journal, Mini-Rake, Unidentified Potion
On Hand: Ava's Sword, Crystal Lamp

JiggyDino 2017/04/24(Mon)12:55 No. 797757 ID: ca0e20
File 149306373646.gif - (1.39MB , 800x600 , 060.gif )

>I say just bring the three items into the bedroom then reroll the door to see what we get.
>Go back, close panel, new room.

Figuring that there's not much else to this room, I bring the potion and cleaning objects in my room base then swap rooms.

A Hallway! This could be useful!

a prison hall. Perhaps more people are trapped here? Lets see if they are good or evil, or just skeletons.

Those look like wooden doors to me.

Listen to see if you can hear anything, before you open any of them. It occurs to me that these doors might lead to random rooms as well. If that's the case, start opening them and keep them open if you find useful rooms. Like for instance the flower garden.

>>797757
Remember not to get in arm's reach of any cells.

I'll just swing by and say that these are in fact wooden doors. This is a normal hallway.

>>797814
In that case, try the first on the right.

>>797757
Leave one of the middle doors closed and then open/close the other hallway doors untill they lead to unnoccupied deadend rooms. This should lower the overall pool of random rooms to cycle through.
You can then use the middle doors to cycle through rooms in search of the others in one of two ways:
1. You can leave the one middle door closed and use the opposite door to cycle through rooms. (Risky)
2. Only use the single closed door to cycle through rooms. (Safer)

The former will allow other wanderers (freindly or hostile) to stumble upon this room on their own but give Raven the advantage of knowing what door they will enter from, while the latter will allow her more or less complete control over the sole entence to this area and to explore at her leisure with out worry of someone wandering in behind her.

If we are in a rush to locate our wounded allies I think the risky option is worth it since out of the 11 people we could run into , 8 are friendly and only 3 are hostile. Of which only Ava and Basant are major threats that we should avoid trying to take on solo. (This is discounting Rufa who should still be restrained and any new Phantoms/Echos we may run into though.)

More doors means more places able to be kept in place. If we find enough, we might be able to turn this place somewhat reliable and sensible.

>>798327
I agree. For now, it's worth the risk. Besides, just like our enemies might stumble upon us, our friends might too.

See if you can't pick up on some conversations going on through any of the doors?

JiggyDino 2017/05/09(Tue)09:39 No. 800674 ID: ca0e20
File 149434798013.gif - (1.30MB , 800x600 , 061.gif )

>Listen to see if you can hear anything, before you open any of them.
>See if you can't pick up on some conversations going on through any of the doors?

I lean against one of the door to listen with my ear against it. I wait and listen...

All I can hear are... whispers? It doesn't sound exactly like whispers but that's the closest thing I can compare it to. Whatever sounds I'm hearing, it's hard to imagine any languages using sounds like those...

>start opening them and keep them open if you find useful rooms.
>try the first on the right.
>leave the one middle door closed and use the opposite door to cycle through rooms.

After thinking about a plan of action, I decide to take a riskier approach since the odds seems acceptable for the potential greater gain.

I open all the doors except both middle ones until they lead to dead ends, which I generally end up getting on the first tries anyway. I get a bathroom, the room I woke up in after the Portal activated again, The room where Rufa took Azalea, and another old room I don't know. It has a table and a broken door in it so I don't know what it used to be.

I can't help but to think of the Head Mage, Sigourney. I suspect that the Portal affects those around it to get the portal open, but why did she come here in the first place?

With the 4 doors open I move to one of the middle doors and open one of them, leaving the other one closed for potential allies to come in through.

JiggyDino 2017/05/09(Tue)09:39 No. 800675 ID: ca0e20
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As I enter it, 2 figures shimmers into the room near the desk. I drop the things I was carrying in my hands? How did I managed to- Wait, now I'm walking up to the desk with the other figures! I lost control of my body!

There some kind of bug - Or maybe a worm? - sitting at the desk and a catfish standing next to it. Both looks like they deal with magic.

JiggyDino 2017/05/09(Tue)09:40 No. 800676 ID: ca0e20
File 149434800156.gif - (1.89MB , 800x600 , 063.gif )

Worm Lady: "It's done I presume?"

Raven: "Yes. Nothing to worry about."

I didn't say that! I mean, I did but I wasn't going to!

Ok, something is obviously going on but it still feels weird and it's a bit distressing.

Worm Lady: "Good. *sigh*"

Male Catfish: "Miss, I think we should talk about Merchel."

Worm Lady: "Don't worry about him. He's predictable."

Male Catfish: "... I don't see why you are worried about the matters of the prisoners but are completely fine with Merchel potentially ruining what we've been working toward."

Worm Lady: "Because if push comes to shove, we still have ways to control him. For example, you've seen how he looks at the skunk girl?"

Male Catfish: "Stephanie? No, what of it?"

Worm Lady: "Oh Dreg. I'm sure you are quite the romantic."

Male Catfish: "... You really think this will be enough?"

Worm Lady: "Yes Dreg. When people fall in loves, they become... unfamiliar with sense and logic. Merchel can complain all he wants but he'll shut up if she's threatened. Even if he finds out about the deaths of the previous prisoners."

Male Catfish: "... What about the girl? You can control her?"

Worm Lady: "Yes. Merchel is here for his expertise. Stephanie isn't a bad magic researcher, but I might as well be her puppeteer with what I know about her. I'm sure I could convince her to execute a prisoner if I had to... With a bit of persuations."

Worm Lady: "At any rate, our job is not done. But we're getting close." She looks at me. "Ra(@$n" I.. didn't understand her. Her voice distorted... "Go and scout for more prisoners. We can safely say after the last couple of days that having a some extra bodies around might actually be a better option."

Raven: "Understood."

JiggyDino 2017/05/09(Tue)09:40 No. 800677 ID: ca0e20
File 149434800690.gif - (1.49MB , 800x600 , 064.gif )

As I start turning to walk back out of the room, both figures shimmers out and I regain control of my body.

This did not feel good. I never felt claustrophobic before but I can only imagine this was similar. But also, why was I part of the scene?! Who's role was I filling? That worm lady, once she addressed me, the name she used was reminiscent of mine, but...

I try to recover from what just happened by leaning on the desk. After I regain control of a normal breathing rhythm, I notice a noise. There's a big hole in this room's West wall and it seems like there's crying coming from over there... The voice and the shadow seems familiar...

JiggyDino 2017/05/09(Tue)09:40 No. 800678 ID: ca0e20
File 149434801539.gif - (1.41MB , 800x600 , 065.gif )

I enter the next room and I find Lucy!

She's crying in the corner of the room within desks that have been set up to make a square with the corner of the room. Her axe is sticking up in the middle of the room. The South wall should have a door, but seems like some ceilings collapsed and there's no real exit from that direction.

Well, what are you waiting for, Ra(@$n. Go find other prisoners

Considering that where you are is taking place in the past, That might be a different Lucy, a Lucy from the past. Not present Lucy. Regardless, lets talk to her.

>>800678
She's transparent! This is a Lucy from the past, before she met you, which means she is not your friend. Do not approach. Talk to her from a distance, ask if she's alright. Like "Lucy, are you alright?" so her first thought is wondering how you know her name. Then you can go on to explain the portal has been activated and you're trying to find Emerald so she can help turn it back off. Saying that would be very confusing to her but will also imply that you're Emerald's friend.

I wonder if her communication orb works? Or is she crying because it doesn't, and she thinks that means Emerald is dead? You can reassure her that it probably just means the spacial weirdness is interfering with its magic.

Be prepared to see some kind of demon when she turns around.

Did you remember to pick up the things you dropped?

>>800729
This.

Also, greet Lucy quietly and calmly. She's wearing the outfit we picked out for her, so she's probably not a past Lucy. I think the shading around her shoulders just looks like it's showing the wall through her.

>>800769
Oh, you're probably right. I guess we should just reassure her that not all is lost, this has happened once before according to a journal you found. Maybe ask if she's seen anything interesting since she woke up in this purple mess?

>>800682
>>800685
I think this is just a possessed Lucy and not an echo or a vision of Past Lucy. So far all Echos/Visions seem to have a smooth solid glow and everything about them is either ethereal or transparent right down to their material possessions.
Lucy's Ax looks normal and shes seems to be covered in the same spirit particles Raven had in her own encounter, the sash of Lucy's cloak does make her look transparent since it looks like it matches up with the masonry behind her.

Try not to startle Lucy and greet her as soothingly possible to get her attention. If Lucy is possesesed in a role like you were just a moment ago then she might need to fulfill some scene in order to shake it off.
Ask who she is, if she's alright and why she crying? Maybe sing her a soothing song/lullaby to help calm her down.

>>800678
>>800769
>>800780

Agree with these. Be gentle, careful, soothing voice- hell, if shes that distraught, a lullaby might be in order. Just as long as she knows you're here and everything IS NOT over.

JiggyDino 2017/05/10(Wed)11:56 No. 800905 ID: ca0e20
File 149444258060.gif - (398.64KB , 800x600 , 066.gif )

>I wonder if her communication orb works? Or is she crying because it doesn't, and she thinks that means Emerald is dead?

The communication orb is a spell though right? I don't think Lucy can make them. Emerald was the one to make them with Lucy.

>Did you remember to pick up the things you dropped?
>This.

Now that I see that it's Lucy, I hope she'll be ok for just a couple of seconds more as I get my stuff back. Hopefully I won't need my sword, though.

>lets talk to her.
>Do not approach. Talk to her from a distance, ask if she's alright. Like "Lucy, are you alright?"
>greet Lucy quietly and calmly.
>I guess we should just reassure her that not all is lost
>Try not to startle Lucy and greet her as soothingly possible to get her attention.
>Ask [...] if she's alright and why she crying?

For now I try to keep my distances just in case. I have reasons to believe that this is indeed Lucy, but I'm not sure... She is indeed opaque for example. I speak to her as softly as I can from this distance.

Raven: "Lucy."

Lucy gasp and her crying interrupts. She slowly turns around but says nothing.

Raven: "Are you alright?"

In a tone devoid of passion she answers.

Lucy: "... No. I can never be. Not anymore."

And she starts to weep.

Raven: "It's ok Lucy, not all is lost. There's is still time to fix things."

Lucy: "It doesn't matter. I can't be fixed.

Raven: "What do you mean? Is that why you're crying?"

Lucy: "I'm the one who turned myself into a monster and it's all I deserve. I'm not allowed to go back to my tribe, I shouldn't be allowed to. I don't deserve to be Wantagar. I'm a disgrace to my axe..."

She continues to cry.

JiggyDino 2017/05/10(Wed)11:56 No. 800906 ID: ca0e20
File 149444258728.gif - (214.72KB , 800x600 , 067.gif )

>Maybe sing her a soothing song/lullaby to help calm her down.
>Be gentle, careful, soothing voice- hell, if shes that distraught, a lullaby might be in order. Just as long as she knows you're here and everything IS NOT over.

Not too sure what to do, I decide to sing her something...

This song, I don't know what it means. It's in another language. One I never encountered before or since. Something I remember from my past that always cheered me up. Like the notes fades the bad feelings away.

By the time I finish, Lucy has stopped crying altogether. But she still seems down. The purple aura thins but persist.

I feel a little better too.

>>800906
Huh, strange, why would your singing affect the purple fog? I wonder... does the portal connect not to a world of demons, but to an otherworldly presence? Singular? Maybe enveloped the area around the portal? You're inside it, and it has access to memories of those that were inside it before. I wonder if that's because the being doesn't like negative thoughts. Did the being kill the first group to activate the portal when they tried to sacrifice lizards to fully summon the "demons"? Then eventually the portal ran out of juice?
Well, it's an interesting theory but we need more evidence.

Tell Lucy that you don't think she's a monster. She can prove it by helping set things right.

...huh, the fog got lighter as we made friends with the prisoners, too.

>>800906
That red glow matches the sword. Maybe you found one of the things it responds to?

Do you think that song is something like a lullaby your mother sang to you as a baby? It could be your family really is connected to this place.

>Lucy
"You're not a monster, Lucy. A real monster doesn't feel that regret. But our friends are out there, and so are the real monsters."

Offer her a hand up. More as a symbolic gesture, since you probably couldn't lift her at all.

>>800967
>Offer her a hand up. More as a symbolic gesture, since you probably couldn't lift her at all.
Yeah, Raven's too weak. But let's do this!

>>800906
I'm just going to assume this means you're an amazing singer. Should do it more.

>Lucy
Those tears tell me otherwise. A monster wouldn't be so full of remorse and a wish to get better. If nothing else, I don't think you're a monster. I think you're Lucy. And Lucy is pretty great.

>>800906
Clamber over those desks, give that Minotaur a hug and don't you let go!

"Lucy you aren't a monster or a disgrace, you're a good and strong person that deep down only wants to help others even at the costs to yourself. It's true you've made mistakes and people have gotten hurt and died, but you regret those mistakes and for what its worth I forgive you."

Tell Lucy what you learned from the Old Journal, about the Magic Researchers, the Portal's dark influence and Merchel the journal's writer who was also in a similar situation to hers and how they found the resolve to try to set things right and make up for their mistakes.

Talk about the ghostly prisoners you befriended that have been trapped here all this time, about Emerald who's alone, wounded and lost along with the rest of your friends.
"There are people here right now who need help, our help and I can't do much on my own, but maybe together we might overcome this trial."

>>800906
>>800967
Wait, did the sword activate? What's it reacting to, then? Doesn't it have to be really close-range here?

>>801048
The sword is passive. It is always on, and glows when it's neutralizing spells cast by people. It also glows, fainter, when it comes in contact with magical items and dispels them.

>>801049
Huh. Weird. That's just confusing.

Hey, nice singing voice! You really are a bard! Raven the Barding Birb! XD

>>801048
The sword is passive, but I'm starting to get the feeling it can get stronger under the right conditions.

>>801077
I feel like this is a puzzle and we have a piece that we're just not sure how to fit in.

>>801179
Maybe it's because Ava's still got the sword's sheath?

>>801199
That had powers, too?

>>801218
As far as we know, it turns the sword's magic canceling ability off when put into the sheath.

Try singing another song and see what happens?

JiggyDino 2017/05/19(Fri)17:38 No. 803008 ID: ca0e20
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>That red glow matches the sword. Maybe you found one of the things it responds to?
>Wait, did the sword activate? What's it reacting to, then? Doesn't it have to be really close-range here?

Did it? I look at the sword closely, but I don't see any sign of activity. All I remember is the feeling or warmth while I was singing. But that usually happens...

>Do you think that song is something like a lullaby your mother sang to you as a baby?
>I'm just going to assume this means you're an amazing singer. Should do it more.
>Hey, nice singing voice! You really are a bard! Raven the Barding Birb! XD

This song was sung to me as a child, but it was also taught to me pretty much as soon as I started singing. While I don't know what it means, the teachers were very peculiar about the inflections and pronunciation. So it's pretty much ingrained into my memory. Even though certain other aspects are a bit fuzzy. I don't really remember the teachers for example...

>Tell Lucy that you don't think she's a monster. She can prove it by helping set things right.
>Dialogue x3

Raven: "You're not a monster, Lucy. Those tears tell me otherwise. You feel regret, remorse and you have a wish to get better. A monster wouldn't do those things. You're not a monster or a disgrace."

Lucy: "But the things I've done... How can I ever recover from that... I'm tainted."

Raven: "You're a good and strong person that deep down only wants to help others even at the costs to yourself. It's true you've made mistakes and people have gotten hurt and died, but you regret those mistakes. And, for what its worth, I forgive you."

Lucy: "..."

Raven: "I don't think you're a monster. I think you're Lucy. And Lucy is pretty great! And we can prove it together. Our friends are out there, and so are the real monsters. You can help set things right."

Lucy: "..."

JiggyDino 2017/05/19(Fri)17:38 No. 803009 ID: ca0e20
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>Offer her a hand up. More as a symbolic gesture, since you probably couldn't lift her at all.
>Yeah, Raven's too weak.

Hey! I'm not that weak! I mean, yeah I probably can't lift Lucy, but I bet I can lift her axe! ... If I had proper footing, unlike last time!

I put down what I'm carrying in my hands on the nearby wall piece that fell down then approach the desks and extend my hand toward Lucy. But as soon as my hand hovers over the desks, Lucy expression lights up and she slaps my hand away.

Luce: "NO! Don't get in here! You can get too close to me! I'm too dangerous!"

>Clamber over those desks, give that Minotaur a hug and don't you let go!

...

JiggyDino 2017/05/19(Fri)17:39 No. 803010 ID: ca0e20
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I dash and jump over the desk! Lucy looks a bit horrified.

Lucy: "NO! DON'T!"

But too late. I am quicker and I now grasp her in a hug... Kind of. She starts to try and pry me off with considerable strengths and I fear I won't hold on for too long.

Raven: "I'M NOT LEAVING YOU HERE! YOU'RE GOOD AND I NEED YOUR HELP!"

Lucy: "I JUST HURT PEOPLE!"

Raven: "LUCY! THINK ABOUT WHAT I JUST SAID AND LISTEN TO ME!"

She stops pushing me with as much strength as she did. But she still holds me to make sure I don't get closer. This hug is a bit more natural since Lucy is kneeling. I just have to lower myself a little bit to be at the right hug height.

JiggyDino 2017/05/19(Fri)17:39 No. 803011 ID: ca0e20
File 149524074891.gif - (463.52KB , 800x600 , 071.gif )

>Dialogue

Raven: "There are people here right now who need help! Our help! And... I can't do much on my own. But maybe together we might overcome this trial. Please, Lucy. I need your help. And I know you can help. You want to help, don't you?"

As I wait for her answer, I notice that by being this close to Lucy, I'm pretty much within the purple aura she has. What's odd is that with our current silence, I can hear a similar sound that I could hear behind the door before. But as I wait for Lucy to respond and listen to those unnatural whispers, they fade away along with the purple aura.

As the aura is completely gone, Lucy immediately brings me in for a complete hug!

Lucy: "I'm sorry. You're right. You said before that I should make things right, and I wanted to. I don't know why I forgot. I have to do everything I can to make things better..."

I keep hugging her for a moment.

JiggyDino 2017/05/19(Fri)17:39 No. 803012 ID: ca0e20
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>Tell Lucy what you learned from the Old Journal, about the Magic Researchers, the Portal's dark influence and Merchel the journal's writer who was also in a similar situation to hers and how they found the resolve to try to set things right and make up for their mistakes.
>Talk about the ghostly prisoners you befriended that have been trapped here all this time, about Emerald who's alone, wounded and lost along with the rest of your friends.

I eventually let go of her. I pick up my hat and put it back on my head. Then I stand up and grab her hand in a manner to help her up... Again as a symbolic gesture.

Raven: "Come on. On your feet."

As she stands up, I continue.

Raven: "You remember the old journal Rip gave me? The one he found in the collapsed tunnel? It was written by a magic researcher named Merchel. He was part of a team that came here long ago to study the portal. They were in a similar situation, but Merchel still made sure, in the end, that the portal was not opened. I'd say they did something right since there has not been any demons around."

Raven: "... Merchel also made a mistake working with that team too."

Lucy: "Yeah... I want to help now"

Raven: "I know. I told you. You're a good person. And I wouldn't doubt that you want to help. I appreciate that."

We exchange smiles.

Raven: "Come on, let's go." I start walking toward the hole in the wall. "We have to find our friends, which some are wounded, including Emerald. But I also found some snakes locked up in a prison. I've been trying to figure out a way to get them out but I think you might be able to help."

I turn and Lucy isn't following me. She stares at her axe.

Raven: "Everything ok?"

She finally grabs the axe handle and pulls the axe out of the ground.

Lucy: "Y-yeah. I just... Needed to bring my axe along."

Raven: "O-ok"

JiggyDino 2017/05/19(Fri)17:39 No. 803013 ID: ca0e20
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We make our way back to the halls and uhhhhhh... She's purple so I can't tell easily who this is. Oh yeah, the flowers on her head. It's Marigold! The door I left closed opened and leading to another room.

Marigold: "Ah! Raven! I knew I could find you!" And she sounds like Marigold! She turns to Lucy "Oh and you're here too! Thanks for helping me earlier!"

Lucy: "I-it was nothing, I just got a lucky shot..."

Raven: "Wait. How?!"

Lucy: "I don't know, I just kinda swung at his arm and hit him. He flinched enough for her to escape his grasps."

Raven: "No I mean - hey nice job - I meant Marigold, how did you find us?"

Marigold: "I don't know! But every time I go and look for people I find them!" Her expression changes. "Ummm. You guys don't have anything that could help my sisters do you? Poppy especially?"

Poppy was very hurt last time I saw her. I don't know if I can do much, but I might as well see how everyone is doing...

Raven: "You know where she is? I'll follow you."

Marigold: "Ah thanks, it's just over there actually..."

Marigold goes back to the room where I assume she came from. Lucy and I follow.

JiggyDino 2017/05/19(Fri)17:39 No. 803014 ID: ca0e20
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The other bees are pretty much through the door I left close in their own room. There's a bed and a drawer. Like the over-sized closet, this room seems too big for how much stuff there is in it. Poppy is on the bed and she doesn't seem to alert. Aster is sitting on the floor next to the bed not looking like she's too comfortable. Calla is the only on standing. All of them seems to have used pieces of their own clothes to patch themselves up.

When Calla sees me enter, she takes a few steps towards me, obviously limping but enduring the pain. Probably using anger! That's pretty much the expression she has right now: pain and anger.

Calla: "I don't know what your plan was but I hope you're happy. Aster is lucky to be alive with only broken limbs and Poppy might be dying soon from blood loss! What the hell were you thinking?!"

Calla's stern commanding front broke in her voice saying that last phrase. I feel like my heart got punched.