tippler 2022/07/01(Fri)07:57 No. 1036687 ID: 9ea24b
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It’s a warm, dry summer on the mountain. Your name is Germ and you are a proud father of the cutest little kobold in the world. After the incident with Bark, the kobold thief who you got adopted into the human village, no one’s come to bother or rob you, and you’re tentatively optimistic this will continue to be the case.

tippler 2022/07/01(Fri)07:57 No. 1036688 ID: 9ea24b
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You and Weasel, your partner, have been debating whether to start raising chickens, a goat, or bees for a reliable food source. Which do you prefer?

-Chickens: Buy chicks from Rhortra, eggs and meat
-Goat: Buy goat from the humans, milk and wool
-Bees: Extract a queen bee from a wild hive, honey and wax

Beeeeeees

Bee. Preserve EVERYTHING.
(But ask if kobold babies can eat microbe-infested honey first.)

Goat! You can do a lot with milk and wool.

Goats or chicken! Kobolds need meat after all!

Bees BEEcause that'll help plants grow, it'll help the environment, they're cute, and honey is always valued as a sugar-like-substitute in low tech places, which means you can totally use that to trade for meats consistently!

We need bees!

Bees, you can make toys for Worm out of the wax!

tippler 2022/07/01(Fri)12:03 No. 1036701 ID: 9ea24b
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>Bees
Yes! Think of the golden sweet honey, the preservative wax that you can use to bring fresh herbs into the winter months. You’ll be the envy of the neighborhood and a sought after for barter.

You’re so impassioned that Weasel is quite convinced, and the two of you prepare to tackle the problem of securing a hive.

tippler 2022/07/01(Fri)12:03 No. 1036702 ID: 9ea24b
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While the bees themselves won’t cost money, you’d benefit from equipment to help build a sturdy bee box and secure the queen. You have Weasel’s remaining gold coin, which can help you buy a variety of tools. One gold coin is worth 10 silver pieces which in turn are worth 10 copper each.

tippler 2022/07/01(Fri)12:03 No. 1036703 ID: 9ea24b
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What do you want to buy? Pick as many of the following items as you’d like. You’ll need to visit the human town to purchase them.

-Beekeeper’s hat (1s 7c): Protects against stings
-Smoke blower (1s 2c): Easily sedate wild bees
-Saw and nails (9c): Build a better box
-Amulet of insect affinity (2s): You’re not sure if it even works…Human magic seems sketchy.

>>1036703
Buy the first three, ask if the fourth comes with a hands-on demonstration (ask if you can practice on a random bug before you buy it; you're willing to spend half up front if it uses up charges).

4th sounds extremely vague, who knows what it means by "Insect affinity"

1x hat
2x saw+nails (so you can use it to build other stuff later, maybe a crib for baby)

Ask for a demo of the amulet, if that works then there's no need for smoke, if you feel sketchy about it go for smoke

tippler 2022/07/01(Fri)19:43 No. 1036744 ID: 9ea24b
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You grudgingly concede that most of the tools you could buy from the humans would be very useful and prepare a pack lunch for a trip around the mountain. You tuck the gold coin into a special pouch on your belt.

Worm squeaks with dismay when she sees you leaving, which breaks your heart, but you’ve had to be apart from your daughter many times before and you simply shoulder on.

tippler 2022/07/01(Fri)19:43 No. 1036745 ID: 9ea24b
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It’s already quite warm, so you stick to the shade while you make your way on foot toward the river. You see a few other kobolds from a distance but don’t stop to talk to any of them.

tippler 2022/07/01(Fri)19:44 No. 1036746 ID: 9ea24b
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This is the third time you’ve been to the human town and you’re not as intimidated by the crude rush of people. You find the shop that sell the first three items, then go to a seedy looking stall in the market that claims to have magical items.

There’s an old man with a long beard who perks up when he sees you approaching.

tippler 2022/07/01(Fri)19:44 No. 1036747 ID: 9ea24b
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“Hello, noble kobold! Take a look at my valuable wares, do you see anything that catches your eye?” he booms.

“Can you show me an amulet of insect affinity? And explain how it works and everything?” you ask.

“Most certainly. See here.” The wizard shows off an iron pendant inlaid with glimmering green stone, reminiscent of a beetle. He gives it a little wave and the flies that were buzzing around the dumped sewage in the street swarm closer. “Insects are drawn to the life energy imbued in this amulet when it’s activated, that’s all there is to it.”

Does it pacify the insects in question? That seems counter-productive and highly hazardous for beekeeping otherwise.

>>1036747
Oh, they're drawn to the amulet, but... it doesn't pacify them or control them? Not so useful for bees, then.

You could attract these flies with a piece of stinky cheese, and you're looking for one specific insect kind! Who is this even for?
Sniff the amulet.

>>1036747
Before we buy anything, lets tell the guy we'll think about it before heading off. Lets go check on Bark and that human he has a crush on or something, and ask them if they know if this stall owner is reliable. We wanna know if we can return the amulet if we dont like it. This is a big investment. A whole 2 coins!

I must know. Wood and nails is 9 copper to build a better box. Is this enough for one box, or can it make multiple? If its the former then i propode we spend 18 copper to make TWO WHOLE BOXES! We could make DOUBLE the honey, then we could MAKE money by trading extra honey and wax.

>>1036748
This. What if there are naturally hostile insects around? Would they attack you if the amulet is activated? Can you control insects with the amulet? It would be useful for gome defense if i could get a bunch of bugs to ward off intruders from our home.

>>1036752
>>1036754
Indeed, who is this guy! We should ask for a name. If the necklace cant be used to farm get bees and farm them safely, we're better off getting the hat, smoker, and boxes.

>>1036747
>-Bees: Extract a queen bee from a wild hive, honey and wax
If we extract a queen bee from a wild hive, would the bees of the hive follow the queen back with us to the bee box?

tippler 2022/07/02(Sat)11:02 No. 1036780 ID: 9ea24b
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You scoff. “That amulet might as well be a stinky piece of cheese! If it doesn’t pacify or control the insects I don’t really see the point.”

The wizard turns off the amulet and shoos the cloud of flies away. “Well if you’re not interested you don’t have to be rude.”

“I’ll think about it.” you grumble. “What is your name, wizard?

“I’m Siraman the Witty.” he says proudly.

tippler 2022/07/02(Sat)11:02 No. 1036781 ID: 9ea24b
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>Bee questions
You’re planning to find a wild hive or swarm, then transfer the bees to a recently constructed box that you’ve brought to the scene. You’ll want to start with a single box so that it’s manageable. Moving the queen is essential for this operation, but the queen can be hard to locate due to the lack of a gold crown that all queens would logically wear. A queen bee is just slightly bigger than a normal bee.

tippler 2022/07/02(Sat)11:02 No. 1036782 ID: 9ea24b
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You buy the other three items, with extra nails (3c) so you can build another box later. It stings to part with the gold coin, but you like the little leather bag of silver and copper you get in exchange. You paid a total of 2s 21c and have the equivalent of 5s 9c remaining.

While you’re in town, who’d you like to find to ask about Siraman?
-Bark
-Gregory
-The shaman

Bark. As a kobold, he is most likely to have an educated and unbiased opinion on stinky human wizards.

tippler 2022/07/02(Sat)14:49 No. 1036830 ID: 9ea24b
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>Bark
You’d like to see how the strange kobold is doing. Hopefully he hasn’t been stealing from the humans like he stole from you after all you did to get him accepted into town.

You ask the passerby if they know where Bark is staying, and they immediately point you toward a pub with a large garden in the backyard.

tippler 2022/07/02(Sat)14:49 No. 1036831 ID: 9ea24b
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There are plenty of customers enjoying a beer and lunch at long wood tables in the pub. You look around and spot Bark wearing an apron and retrieving used flagons. He has a much rounder belly, so you assume he’s getting regular food now.

You need to get his attention, so stand in the middle of tavern and point at him. "You!"

>>1036834

After last time, that seems likely to make him flee, which isn't what we want.

Maybe just walk up to him normally and say hi?

Hmmm. I wonder if the pub would be interested in buying your inevitable attempts at making mead...

>>1036831
HEY FATTY

Buy a drink to support your buddy and ask how he's been!

tippler 2022/07/02(Sat)20:47 No. 1036873 ID: 9ea24b
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>Be rude
You’re seized by an impulse to yell at Bark that he’s a fat fatty to get his attention, but you bite your tongue. Bark has done nothing wrong since the theft and you’re around a bunch of humans who probably value a bartender infinitely more than your scaly hide.

>Be polite
You wave to Bark and he immediately recognizes you, dropping a flagon with a clatter on the ground. Ah, that’s right, you did beat him up and take him prisoner the last time you met.

tippler 2022/07/02(Sat)20:47 No. 1036874 ID: 9ea24b
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You hurry to help him pick up the heavy pewter mug. “Bark! How’ve you been buddy?”

He seems vaguely disturbed still. “Hi Germ, er, what’re you doing here?”

“I wanted to see how you were faring and ask you some questions. I’d also like a drink if it’s not too much trouble.”

He fidgets. “I’m working.”

“I’ll buy one for you too.” you offer.

The promise of free beer has a strong effect on Bark, and he takes you out to the garden after you pay him 4c for the drinks.

What do you talk to Bark about?

Ask about his love life! Did he manage to strike up a relationship with that lady he liked?

Yeah, how'd the romance go?

>>1036874
How is life amoung the humans? More or less what he thought it would be like?
What does he know about the wizard running the stall, the guy called Siraman the Witty. Is he reliable or a scam? See we're trying to buy things to help catch and farm bees for their honey and wax. Their wax could be used for preserving goods, eating in a ponch (they habe calories), or candles. The honey is also good for preserving food, doesnt go bad, and generally eating.

tippler 2022/07/03(Sun)07:19 No. 1036908 ID: 9ea24b
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>Life among humans
Bark gives a long, melancholy sigh and explains that his raven haired beauty is now his boss and rebuffed his initial advances. He’s still friends with her and she’s teaching him to play the lute, but it seems unlikely to blossom into romance.

He’s learned all sorts of wonderful things, like how to weed in the garden and which plants are best for medicine. The humans still treat him a little strangely, but don’t cause him any trouble.

tippler 2022/07/03(Sun)07:19 No. 1036909 ID: 9ea24b
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>Beer check: failure
After seeing Bark quaff his full liter of liquid, you take a few huge gulps to show you also enjoy beer. The dark, foamy liquid is very tasty, but you quickly feel a warmth in your empty stomach and a haziness in your noggin. You ignore these strange feelings and keep drinking.

>Siraman
You explain your quest for beekeeping and Bark says the old wizard is very mysterious and likes to play pranks on the shaman, but his magic works as intended. He recommends you buy the amulet.

tippler 2022/07/03(Sun)07:19 No. 1036910 ID: 9ea24b
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Bark wishes you luck with your bee endeavors and hurries back to work, looking no worse for wear. You, on the other hand, are walking unsteadily and hiccupping.

Do you buy the amulet or return home immediately?

Maybe tomorrow. If you go right now, you might get taken advantage of.

tippler 2022/07/03(Sun)14:51 No. 1036944 ID: 9ea24b
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>Return home
You’re in no state to continue shopping so you stumble towards the mountain, passing a flock of goats that seem to look at you accusingly.
You have to make frequent stops to piss but otherwise you keep your footing on the uneven ground back to your cave. The long hike helps you sober up and you take a long drink of water at the spring near your place before returning to your family.

tippler 2022/07/03(Sun)14:51 No. 1036945 ID: 9ea24b
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Weasel is impressed by the selection of goods you purchased and Worm is thrilled to have her papa back. The closest hive is near the lake, but you need to construct a box first.

-Build the box
-Have Weasel build the box and spend time with Worm

Go buy the amulet for the agreed upon price. Maybe you will find a bee on the way home.

Have Weasel build the box. You need some time with your beautiful baby girl. Don't worry about the amulet for now. There's no telling if you'll need it or not yet.

tippler 2022/07/03(Sun)16:40 No. 1036954 ID: 9ea24b
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>Time with Worm
You want to spend time with your beautiful baby girl and Weasel is very handy, so you give the tools to her in exchange for a peeping bundle of goodness.

What activities do you want to do with your daughter? She’s still quite young but she can crawl and enjoys biting things with her sharp teeth.

We should find her something to bite.

Sacrifice yourself for the greater good and let Worm bite you.

For a more engaging baby activity, how about the classic game of peek-a-boo? Babies love it.

tippler 2022/07/03(Sun)19:21 No. 1036969 ID: 9ea24b
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>Biting practice
Kobolds aren’t known for their jaw strength, but it’s never too early to train your kin to effectively bite! You offer your fingers as sacrifice, and Worm happily gnaws at them, needle fangs drawing blood. All part of the plan.

tippler 2022/07/03(Sun)19:22 No. 1036970 ID: 9ea24b
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You play with Worm for the rest of the afternoon, stopping to put together a simple dinner of smoked fish and cattail shoots. Worm doesn’t care for fish, and it takes advanced coaxing to get her to eat. Sometimes you have nightmares that Worm will get sick and stop eating and die. Your daughter had a bit of a sniffle a month ago but nothing serious and you’re aware you’re prone to worrying.

tippler 2022/07/03(Sun)19:22 No. 1036971 ID: 9ea24b
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Weasel returns late in the evening with a tired grin and a stout pine box with a removable lid and multiple wooden frames inside. It’s sturdily made and you make sure to praise your partner for her hard work.

The sun has almost set and you putter around doing small chores before bedtime. What’s your strategy for gathering the bees? Do you want to ask other kobolds or a member of Rhortra’s family for help?

Rhorta knows a lot about growing plants, so she seems like the best person to talk to since this is gardening related. You can ask a few of your closer neighbors/family for help if the work is a bit much for one little 'bold.

>>1036973
+1 our gnoll friend knows a lot about flowers, and bees like flowers. We'd so best to know what kinds they like, and if proximity to flowers will beeee an issue for our beees. We like someone on some rocky turf i think, so flower patches would be some distance away? It would also be good to get her general advice.
After that i think we should buy the hat, smoker, and maybe a bag to transport all the bees and their queen. If we have a small ink and brush (blue or green) we could use it to make the queen in case we ever need to extract her.

tippler 2022/07/04(Mon)07:26 No. 1037003 ID: 9ea24b
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>Rhortra herself
The gnoll matriarch knows a lot about the plants and fungi that grow on the mountain, and she’ll be able to give you advice on what flowers the bees will like. Since you live on the shadier north side you’re concerned that there won’t be enough food for the bees to make their delicious honey.

After breakfast and your early morning chores, you walk towards Rhortra’s house and spot the gnoll collecting eggs at the chicken coop.

tippler 2022/07/04(Mon)07:26 No. 1037004 ID: 9ea24b
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You explain the situation and Rhortra agrees to help as long as she gets some honey in the future. The gnoll’s thick fur helps protect her from stings, though her nose and eyes are still vulnerable. She brings a pair of small leather gloves that you can use to scoop the bees into the box and also provides some much needed muscle.

tippler 2022/07/04(Mon)07:26 No. 1037005 ID: 9ea24b
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Rhortra returns to your cave with you, to Worm’s delight. She picks up the box while you hold Worm and Weasel dons the protective equipment. Your party walks to the lake and you quickly notice the buzzing of the hive in an old hollow tree.

Weasel sends white plumes into the hive entrance until the bees are sedated, then starts picking up large handfuls of insects and shaking them gently in the box. She takes a few large sections of comb and places them among the frames.

tippler 2022/07/04(Mon)07:26 No. 1037006 ID: 9ea24b
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After waiting an hour or so for the rest of the bees to follow their queen into the box, Rhortra puts on the beekeeper hat and takes the box back towards your cave. She recommends putting the box in a small clearing near the spring and you thank her profusely for the advice.

The bees have been secured! It’ll be a while before they start producing extra honey, but you feel very proud of your family’s efforts.

With that taken care of, what would you like to focus your energy on for summer home improvements?

We're not done yet!
let's baby/childproof the box so Worm doesn't wander off and go near it and get stung. Build a fence around it or something!

plus it my deter thieves or wild animals stealing our honey and bees

Do you have a crib for Worm built yet? You might feel more comfortable leaving her alone for at least a few minutes at a time if her bed had some bars.

tippler 2022/07/04(Mon)14:32 No. 1037023 ID: 9ea24b
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>Crib
A box to keep the bees in…perhaps you could make some kind of box to keep the baby in.

tippler 2022/07/04(Mon)14:32 No. 1037024 ID: 9ea24b
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>Fence
A fence to protect your bees from, say, a bear seems prudent. You don’t think the other kobolds would steal your honey, especially since Weasel marked the box with the family initials, but maybe a particularly rude human would see it as a target if there weren’t other signs of civilization.

That said, you only have enough extra nails for one of these options.

Do you:
-Build a crib
-Build a fence
-Return to the town to get more nails for both (someone will recognize you)

Even if we do just one, it's probably important to have spare nails anyways. Yeah, go to town and get more nails. (plus, things might get interesting when we come across someone who might recognize us)

Fence won't keep a bear out (unless it's an electric fence). If you're in bear territory then your best bet is making sure that the apiary can't be knocked over and smashed.

Might as well get more nails so you can attempt a construction that does that, and build a crib.

tippler 2022/07/04(Mon)16:31 No. 1037040 ID: 9ea24b
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>Town
Curse those darn humans and their sufficiently advanced metalworking technology! Guess you’ll have to go crawling back to buy more nails. You currently have 5s 5c. More nails cost 3c and you’ll buy extra in case you have more projects.

You pack lunch for another long walk around the mountain after checking to make sure Weasel can manage Worm and all the chores.

tippler 2022/07/04(Mon)16:32 No. 1037041 ID: 9ea24b
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Town looks remarkably the same as it did a day ago. You hurry to buy your nails and are alarmed when the blacksmith greets you warmly.

“Will you be coming here more frequently? Ever since Bark joined our town I’ve been wondering when other kobolds will become more familiar.”

You gape at her, snatch the bag of nails, and hurry away.

tippler 2022/07/04(Mon)16:32 No. 1037042 ID: 9ea24b
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You’re about to rush back home when you feel a strange tickling sensation on your scales.

“Hello again! Can I interest you in a quest, young kobold?”

You let out an undignified squeak of alarm when the wizard pops his head around a cottage, now wearing a pointed hat.

Oh no!
Oh wait...
Oh yeah!(?)

we're low on funds, we might need to take this temporary job until our honey farm is set, won't we? ask how much the job pays, and what the quest actually is. Even if it's something we aren't interested in doing, or can't do, we can at least indulge him in this conversation until he's satisfied and goes away.

Oh wait, just reread it, we're not low on funds. We probably don't need the job

Still, just listen to what he has to say, if just out of morbid curiosity if anything.

>>1037042
Quest? Uh. You know what, okay, what's the job? You just spent like half your funds, more money can't hurt.

You did remember to pay for the nails right?

tippler 2022/07/04(Mon)17:14 No. 1037050 ID: 9ea24b
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>Money?
After buying two helpings of nails you now have 4s 9c. Great dragon, more than half your money is gone after only a day!

>Quest
“What’re you paying?” you ask suspiciously.

Siraman bursts out laughing. “Pay? I don’t pay people to go on quests, if I did I’d be broke in no time!”

tippler 2022/07/04(Mon)17:15 No. 1037051 ID: 9ea24b
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He gets closer, towering over you. “You live on the mountain, correct? Well then, I charge you to take this bag of crystals to your dragon.”

He holds out a leather bag glittering with blue powder.

“Uh…and if I say no?”

The wizard sighs. “I suppose I’ll have to make the trip myself one of these days. That kind of epic journey could include an entire novels worth of distractions though and who knows when I’d be able to complete it.”

Ask what the stuff in the bag is

Well, whatever, an errand for your dragon seems like something you should be doing, so accept.

tippler 2022/07/04(Mon)18:04 No. 1037061 ID: 9ea24b
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“What is that stuff? Are you trying to poison the dragon?” you narrow your eyes at Siraman.

“She could certainly get sick if she used all this at once.” Siraman shakes the pouch a little and you hear the crystals clinking around. “Hmm, I’d say it’s a kind of medicine for you magical creatures. Doesn’t work on humans unfortunately, though it’s still quite valuable in some circles so don’t go selling it.”

He plops the sack on your head, taking your continued questioning as acceptance, and trots away without another word.

tippler 2022/07/04(Mon)18:04 No. 1037062 ID: 9ea24b
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You start the journey back to the mountain again. Okay, those goats are definitely watching you, that’s just weird.

Do you:
-Test the crystals by having a small nibble
-Go straight home
-Go straight to the dragon via your parents’ cave

Hmm... if B, we might put our family in danger if the crystals are bad. If C, we might put the dragon in danger.

A. Nom the crystal

should we examine those goats?

bite a crystal.

tippler 2022/07/04(Mon)19:42 No. 1037068 ID: 9ea24b
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>Test crystals
It’s your duty as a loyal follower of the great dragon to make sure the crystals are safe. You take one of the smaller chunks and put it in your mouth. It tastes bitter and slowly dissolves on your tongue.

As you walk through the pastures, you start to feel strong and powerful. You were tired from the trip but now you want to run up the mountain. A quick check of all your limbs shows nothing has changed physically, but you feel like you could do anything.

tippler 2022/07/04(Mon)19:42 No. 1037069 ID: 9ea24b
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The goats stare at you and now you stare back. Why shouldn’t you improve your family even more by taking a goat back home? Weasel will be so impressed and Worm will have tasty nutritious milk to drink.

You take a running leap and tackle one of the smaller does. She brays with panic and starts to drag you around while the other goats scatter.

Oh, I see, so those crystals would put someone in berserk mode. Man, if the dragon took one of those, they would probably cause havick.

luckily we only took a small bite, so maaaaaybe we can try to snap out of it. Try to get back to your senses, those aren't your goats!

>>1037069
That goat's bigger than you, I don't think stealing it is going to work. Also aren't you not supposed to steal things?
Oh well. RIDE THE GOAT

Hmm, looks like the crystals grant energy, but a possible side effect is aggression.

tippler 2022/07/04(Mon)20:34 No. 1037074 ID: 9ea24b
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>This isn’t right!
The goat bucks you off and you instantly flip back onto your feet. You’re about to go in for another attack but hesitate. Stealing is wrong and all these frantic goats will attract a shepherd, then you’ll really be in trouble. Your addled brain is saying you could ride the goat all the way home, screw the humans, and with great difficulty you sprint away instead.

What do you do with the bag of crystals and where do you go? You’re not sure how long these feelings will last and you’re frightened.

>>1037074
Jog through the forest until you feel tired. The crystal gives energy, so once you're tired again it'll have worn off.
You could use your manic energy constructively and do some carpentry at home with the nails you bought? Just tell your family that you're not feeling right in the head at the moment.

Keep the crystals safe until the dose wears off, then deliver them with a description of what happened to you. Could be that even a small one was too much for you.

Go see dragon with crystals. Maybe we can tell her what happened, and let her decide what to do with the crystals after informing her.
If it's possible, try not to go through our dad's cave to get to her so we don't try to hurt anyone... Maybe we can climb the mountain with our newfound energy instead? might be enough to get all our energy out of our system by the time we get there.

>>1037074
Go back home, explain to your wife that a wizard gave you crystals to give to the mighty dragon -which you doubt said wizard wants done out of good will- and ask her to make sure Worm doesn't eat any.

Get some water to drink and wait out your high until you're normal again. Once you're more manageable, you can go to the dragon and explain the crystals to her with some warming. Perhaps she might know what this crystal stuff is?

>>1037078

Yeah, this. I would say as a simple rule: Don't actually go on this quest until you can verify that the wizard is legit. the crystals may not have harmed you, but magic is weird.

The dragon is super important, and the dragon's favor would be good for your family of course. Don't completely throw away the idea of going, just treat it with the skepticism it deserves.

tippler 2022/07/05(Tue)06:57 No. 1037097 ID: 9ea24b
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>Jog home
You want to see Weasel and get her advice on the wizard’s request. If you can explain your altered state she won’t be as worried even if you’re acting erratically.

With a new goal, you charge home, taking care to stop and drink water periodically. Your muscles feel no pain and the crystals clink against each other with each stride. The high still hasn’t worn off by the time you reach the cave.

tippler 2022/07/05(Tue)06:58 No. 1037098 ID: 9ea24b
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It’s difficult to talk clearly, you shout for Weasel to come out and then babble to her about the situation and how much you love her and how you tried to steal a goat. You see the fear in her eyes and you feel horrible.

She takes the nails and the bag of crystals and you run around in the forest checking all your traps and gathering firewood until late at night when you finally feel tired.

tippler 2022/07/05(Tue)06:58 No. 1037099 ID: 9ea24b
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>Crash
You have trouble sleeping, but you eventually doze in the nest. You wake up exhausted and depressed, your whole body sore. After some food and water, you take the crystals and stagger through the tunnels deeper into the mountain.

>Dragon
You haven’t seen the dragon since last Thanks Meal and you find her slumbering on her pile of treasure, just like before. Without a plate of tasty food, you’re not sure how to wake her up.

In the traditional way: Singing your heart out.

"I got your speed,
it tastes like weed!
I followed your creed,
and tested the mead,
I have to know the feed,
Does it grow from a seed?
I scared my wife
and she peed
helpme"

>>1037099
Touch scaly tail.

You can make something else with a strong but pleasant smell to wake her up, like the scent of crushed pine needles.
A whiff of the crystals wouldn't hurt, probably.

tippler 2022/07/05(Tue)15:53 No. 1037127 ID: 9ea24b
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>Touch tail
You beat your fists uselessly on the dragon’s heavily armored tail.

>Give her a whiff of crystals
That feels kind of skeevy, but it’d probably work. You’ll try singing first.

>Singing check: failure
You sing a silly folk tune about sunning oneself on a rock, to no effect.

tippler 2022/07/05(Tue)15:53 No. 1037128 ID: 9ea24b
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With a sigh, you crush a bit of crystal with a rock and let the dragon sniff up the powder. After a minute her huge golden eyes open with an audible clunk.

“I have these blue crystals for you from the wizard Siraman!” you holler.

The dragon moves sluggishly to fix you with her stare, and then gives a sigh that blows you off balance. She shrinks into the familiar anthropomorphic form and gives a huge yawn.

“Thanks.” she mumbles, taking the pouch from you.

>>1037128
...it's magical coffee isn't it.
Well go on and ask what it's supposed to do. You uh, had a tiny bit and it kinda fucked you up.

They make you real peppy so they might help you stay awake, just try not to take too much or you'll start chasing your own tail.

Ask what they are, and why that weird wizard sent you to deliver them.

Also, just ask how the dragon is doing. You don't get to see them much, it's always nice to visit.

tippler 2022/07/05(Tue)17:16 No. 1037148 ID: 9ea24b
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You take a seat next to the dragon, kicking your feet excitedly at the prospect of spending time with her.

“That stuff is really strong.” you say knowledgeably. “What’s it called?”

“Magic methamphetamine.” the dragon says.

“Oh.” That’s not a word you’ve ever heard before and you’re a bit taken aback. “Well don’t have too much or you’ll be chasing your own tail. At least it’ll help you stay awake!”

tippler 2022/07/05(Tue)17:16 No. 1037149 ID: 9ea24b
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She hunches in on herself, looking extremely depressed. You cough awkwardly and fiddle with a bit of armor.

“Are you doing okay? I won’t tell anyone if you’re having problems, you may be our great and powerful leader but sometimes it still helps if you talk to people about what’s going on.” you say.

The dragon is quiet for a moment, tip of her tail twitching lamely. “I’m probably going to die soon, Siraman’s doing me a favor by getting me these crystals so I can settle all my business, but then, yeah, that’s it for me.”

You stare at her, uncomprehending. The dragon leans back in her pile of treasure and closes her eyes.

“Tell him thanks from me when you get the chance. I’m kind of tired, so you should go.”

tippler 2022/07/05(Tue)17:16 No. 1037150 ID: 9ea24b
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Thanks for reading.