search for Ivet. she is the only thing dear to you.

I don't think it would be in character to be too talky. Say you are fine and ask where the girl is.

ChildOfAB 2012/03/13(Tue)15:21 No. 392497 ID: 885ee8
File 133167731517.png - (351.87KB , 720x900 , 49.png )

You calm your mind as best you are able and turn to face the fidgeting avian. "I am unafflicted by madness, correct," you say, making your voice sound like creaking branches. "I am missing my companion, a red, mushroom-like girl named Ivet." You shuffle your thick trunk-legs around to square yourself towards the bird-creature, making sure to make your mass apparent by your heavy footfalls, and lower your gaze slightly, your blank eyes peering straight into your warden's. "It would be best...for everyone...if we could be reunited." You flex your massive tree-claws with a creaking sound, for added emphasis. "Please."
The vulture creature swallows loudly. Its gaze drops down to the severed arm of the elemental at your feet, then to the rampaging, one-armed elemental being contained in the hallway. "Ah, I'll see what I can do, aheh, can I get your name, so we can be sure we find the right person for you?"
"Viktor," you respond, flatly.
"Yes, right away, Viktor," it squawks, and shuffles away quickly.

ChildOfAB 2012/03/13(Tue)15:22 No. 392498 ID: 885ee8
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You sit back against the back wall of the cell and wait. Quite a long time passes, and the hustle happening outside the cell slowly abates. You see the cells opposite you become occupied by thrashing, gibbering fey. They are promptly attended to by a diverse group of creatures all decked in brown, blue, and gold, escorted out of view, and then the cells are filled again. Most of them have remained empty for several minutes and you start to grow restless, as three figures move to the front of your cell and face you.
"Viktor, is it?" asks a stern-looking snakelike creature. You nod in the affirmative, and the snake smiles curtly. "We've located your friend Ivet, and we'd like to get you both together and ask you some questions. Just procedure and all, since you both endured the... event at the birch without succumbing to madness. Help us fill in some of the details in our report, you see."
Something makes you uneasy about this, but you respond "Sure," in your deep, creaking voice. The snake nods to someone out of view to the right of the cell. The translucent barrier drops, and the two creatures flanking the snake visibly tense up. The snake however, remains calm and reaches out to touch you clinically on the arm.
Your cell disappears and is replaced by a stone room with a small metal door, with the snake and her two bodyguards still present. At first, you see Ivet standing before you, in the same form she had before she got dressed for the party, but you look closer and something snaps. You see through the image, to something dark and wispy underneath. You are careful not to let your face change at the revelation.
"Viktor!" says the Ivet-shaped thing. "I'm glad to see you!"

What do you do?

i think this is a test to make sure you are really friends.
"it is good to see you too." look at the snake "you said you had questions for us?"

"Are you testing my senses, my patience, or my temper? I can see this is a counterfeit. Please explain your deception and purpose in holding me."

>>392498
Reach out, embrace the thing and put it on your "branches". Ask why she has changed her clothes.

Be kind,say you are glad to see her safe and place a branch on her shoulder.

>>392500
>>392501
Let's see what their game is before calling them out on it.

>>392498
Play along. I want to know what they're fishing for.

I am somewhat against hiding that we know about the illusion, as there is a good chance they are better at recognizing lies than we are at making them, and they may actually expect our mind effect resistance (not being hit by the insanity) to extend to seeing through their illusion.

We should respond: "I would be glad to see you if you were actually here." (To the snake-person:) "Shouldn't you already know my resistance to mind tricks from how I survived that creature's spell?"

punch a hole through the wall to demonstrate your unhappiness with their insultingly pathetic attempts at being underhanded.

>>392524
We shouldn't act hostile about it, just somewhat disappointed. These sorts tend to scare easily and cause considerable inconvenience to those they fear.

Act like you are fine at first then pause and say she doesn't smell/feel right. As a pretend plant monster with a "fungal infection" you should be able to tell she isn't real even if you couldn't see through the illusion.

crap, ivet is probably still down there at the party. these guys don't have her, or they'd know what she looks like now. they know of her enough to recreate her past appearance, which is weird and worth investigating. these guys are bound for our stomach eventually, we might as well play along and see if we can get any information out of them before they take the plunge.

>>392498
Sigh, then turn to the snake
"That is not what she is wearing, and that is not how she behaves."
Snort derisively
"Mages. Always thinking others are fools and magic is infallible.
Honesty would serve you better. Are you unwilling to reunite us, or have you simply not recovered her?
I am not unreasonable, but your insults try my patience."

>>392508

I like this. I don't think you should let this thing touch you, unless you're planning on taking it hostage.

>>392576
I would much rather pick it up as though it were a friend before objecting, actually- we are exceedingly strong and they seem to have someone imitating Ivet; unless it's a total illusion or a disposable summon we gain leverage over them by having it in a grip which would allow us to crush it at a moment's notice, even if we choose not to use that leverage.

>>392580
Item acquired: Grenade, without pin or clip. The snake and guards vanish, you die.

This could be a magical projection of the actual Ivet. Treat it as such, saying it is good to see her too. Then ask what questions they have so you can meet Ivet in person.

Just tell them that you know it is an illusion. We are not unreasonable, if they don't know where she is just tell us.

>>392567
changed my vote to this. lets not let on that we can see though illusions.

I vote against unnecessarily trying to anger the people who are judging us.

We need to quickly show we are good people who have no reason to be kept here. Stay courteous, and save threats until threats are needed.

ChildOfAB 2012/03/13(Tue)20:59 No. 392604 ID: 885ee8
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You step forward and snatch up the Ivet-simulacrum, creaking the joints in your many claws as you encase it in your hand. A groaning sigh escapes your mouth as you hold it aloft. "This is a waste of my time. This thing does not dress or behave like she does. I asked for my companion, a courtesy." You take a step forward and fix your blank stare at the snake-warden. "Instead of granting me my request, or telling me that would not be possible, you try to trick me with magic. An insult. Honesty would have served you better. Now, I am nothing if not..." you bend your neck to the side, making a popping sound, "...reasonable. Please explain your reason for holding me and your deception, so we can get this over with."
The snake's two bodyguards look back and forth between her and you, their hands on their weapons. The snake merely sighs. "Right, my apologies. You see, we have certain protocols to adhere to, and we assumed you would be less cooperative. We were hoping to use the illusion to glean some knowledge about where Ivet is located, and we assumed by this 'Singer's' attack that her part in the diplomatic mission had failed. We would like to know why. She was apparently present during the Event at the Birch, but it seems we missed her." The snake nods, and the thing in your claws dissipates in a puff of black smoke.
"She was on my shoulders!" You reply, narrowing your eyes. You straighten your giant form out, your horns brushing the ceiling. "Are you telling me she's still down there?"
"No, I'm sorry, she is not, nor did she arrive with you. Sentinel constructs' apprehension methods rely on touch, so it is possible they were touching you and not her. The area is currently clear. If you have any potential information about her current whereabouts, I would be more than willing to make sure you are reunited. When she is safely apprehended, of course."

What do you do?

>>392604
She might have gone back to the dungeon. But that's an outside possibility only.

Nod at this information. Give them all the info you can about the attack. Note that you grabbed some of the elemental he summoned - could they trace that? If they let you onto the surface, even supervised, you could look for her yourself.

ask what they want with ivet. its possible that ivet is overacting and doesn't have anything to worry about, or not. we need more information about how they operate.

>>392607
they have the whole elemental in a cell.
the only places we know ivet could of gone to would be back to her home or to follow down the hole. if she is not at home then the hole is the only thing you can think off.

>>392604
Diplomatic mission? It seems that they have some idea as to what you and the singer are, and that Ivet's purpose in those caves was first contact. That aside, they're not keen on letting you go without Ivet. Threats aren't going to serve much purpose.

Ask them how long you should expect to be detained. See if you can expedite that process by giving them information about what you witnessed. Keep it simple. You don't know much about Dryad mannerisms so its dangerous to keep this charade running without a chance to escape.

Guys, guys, are we really about to rat out our only friend to the cops? Seriously? Either say you don't know or start eating everything and break the fuck out, instead of telling them about Ivet's secret and magically protected house whose location she trusted you and practically only you with.

>>392612
And yes, I have serious qualms with giving up Ivet's secrets to a group of people she specifically said she would rather not meet. But since Viktor's already established a relationship with Ivet, raging about and eating people isn't a good way to help her either. See what they really want. Tell them about the singer's attack and that's it. If that isn't "good enough" then I can't think of an alternative beyond breaking out or showing them your true form. They seem to have some idea as to what you are, just not that you're what they're looking for. Maybe you can get some answers.

Inform them you do not know where she is, and you never established a meeting point. If they ask how you know her, let them know how you met when you rescued her. Ask if there is anything they need to know that might let them decide whether to release you or not. Provide information about the incident such as who summoned the elemental and made everyone crazy. You tried to fight the culprit, but he was stronger than yourself, when you fled, the elemental had gone outside as well, you fought it to defend yourself and try to keep the surrounding people safe.

Don't infer things, don't fabricate them, just make it simple.

>>392604
"I do not know where she is, but if she is scared she will be hiding. She is skilled and perceptive. If she does not trust you, you will not find her.
This place of yours is devoid of nature; alien to her. It frightens her, so you who call this place home frighten her.
She feels safe with me. If I look for her she will find me. Should you try to deceive her like this," gesture with the illusion "she will most assuredly notice and ignore further attempts.

I will not betray her, but if you release me then I will find her and bring her to a neutral place. You may meet with her there, and together we will cooperate with your investigation. At no point will you threaten her or attempt to capture her. This allows me to aid you without betraying her.

These terms are not negotiable. If you reject them I shall leave, and when I reunite with her we would not be cooperating with your investigation.

Before you answer, know that I am quite confidant that this place and its people can not hold me. This offer and my cooperation in general are because I know the importance of your work and respect what you are doing."

(For those who don't remember, Ivet told us that she and her friend were on a diplomatic mission to the talpids, but found out too late that the talpids (who were previously on friendly terms with Oasis) had become murderous cultists of the old gods. The talpids killed her friends and were trying to kill her when we met her.)

If she's safe she probably went home. We shouldn't tell them that, because we don't yet know if they have her best interests at heart and her home is supposed to be kind of secret anyway.
However I see no reason not to tell them what the new deal is with the Talpids, and also to mention that some were present at the site of that incident, if they didn't already know.

>>392627
Except she wouldn't have gone home if they knew where she lived, which they likely do. Besides that, we are honestly stating that we do not know where she is. They did not, after all, ask us if we knew where she would likely be.

Detecting lies is a thing, but it doesn't catch when people are simply answering the question as it was asked.

I think we should tell them what Ivet told us about the diplomatic mission. How it failed.

We might want to avoid mentioning being in that cave system if we do tell about the talpids though. If we talk about it we should just say that she told us some about the mission, rather than relating the circumstances.

Don't threaten them, or at least don't do so directly. The local dictator apparently has lasted thousands of years in a world in which things like us apparently have been wandering around; hypothesis formed from the fact that we left our dungeon not that long ago and already have run into something else like us at the very first public gathering we attended. I'd say it's at least even odds she knows more about what we are than we do and probably has killed things like us as well.
If she cares, she also has a good excuse to execute us from when we ate that guy upon first arriving in town.
Further: We really don't want these folks knocking on Ivet's door. If they ever go inside they'll confiscate our pimproll and probably charge us with theft, conspiracy or whatever else for our long and ambitious career as a bandit and murderer. Hoards like that tend to be stockpiles from wealthy merchants, nomad clans and the treasuries of large institutions. Possession of that much cash will guarantee us judged guilty with no possibility of reprieve, mercy or parole. Our best hope there is that the local pork is so corrupt that they palm all of it for their own use and never tells the ruler. The worse possibility is that they only confiscate some of it and tell the ruler, and we observe far too personally how they kill things like us.

"I couldn't say, she was my local guide here whom I met by rescuing her in a cave system. If you're interested in that story I could share it, but I doubt it would help you much with the ...thing that caused that mess."

>>392604
Maintain our guise as a tree man, as if they haven't determined our true nature yet it would be very bad to reveal it.

Do not mention Ivet's home.

Do not say anything to reveal that we are not a native of this area, or that we are aware of what happened on Ivet's mission, or that we were underground with her at all. Those are not pieces of information that we want anyone else to get.

Do not overtly threaten them, or imply that we think ourselves powerful enough that we can effectively match them force with force. It may or may not be true and will only make them inclined to arrange stronger measures for dealing with us anyway.

>>392660
there is a flaw in your hypothesis, judging from what we have observed while fighting others of our kind there is likely a limited number of them, and they are driven to find and consume each other. it is also possible that the thing we saw at the concert was the prophet who converted the talpids, the fact that he was able to do so and that it had not been done earlier probably means that our kind has only recently started moving in the open.

I don't think Ivet managed to get home. It's more likely that she was snatched up by the Bard while he escaped.

Remember that the Bard wants to eat Viktor and seemed to notice that he is close to Ivet. It wouldn't surprise me if he captured her to use as a lure for Viktor.

My suggestion is that we simply describe what we saw at the party. There's no need to give the Fae police details about Ivet's home, how Viktor met her or what she told him about her mission.

"My information will come after yours, tell me of this diplomatic mission Ivet was on."

that stuff is for Ivet to clarify. all we care to know is that the talpids worship these things.

ChildOfAB 2012/03/14(Wed)14:01 No. 392751 ID: 885ee8
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It takes considerable force of will to suppress your growing temper and focus on a solution. "I will provide you with whatever information you may find useful, but I do not know Ivet's current whereabouts."
The snake pulls a clipboard from behind her back and begins scribbling something lengthy on it. "Expected, I suppose. Do you know any places she might be hiding?"
"We didn't arrange a meeting place," you reply.
"That does not answer my question, Viktor."
You try your best to keep your face blank. "She could be anywhere. I thought these questions were going to be about the attack?"
"Are you lying, or are you just completely useless to me?" she asks, giving you an askance look over the top of the clipboard.
Your voice starts to take on a more rumbling tone. "I am being honest and reasonable. Ivet told me about the failed diplomatic mission, how these... talpids killed your diplomat. Their leader is a serious threat to your people."
"To be perfectly frank, Viktor, their leader is a threat to your people, not ours. The strength of Mother's honor guard, and Mother herself, has never faltered, and will not falter. Mother has conquered the harshest environment in the world and turned it into this lush paradise, with the rule of law and the greatest collection of mages in the world at her back. The Fey have their hedonism and hedge-magic. The citizens of this city, the TRUE citizens, are in no danger. If you squatters would only see that and crawl out of your gutters and into the true society, you would already know that. Instead you wallow in the dirt, just waiting for your population to be devoured by predators. And oh, look, that's exactly what's happening." You are momentarily taken aback, as she continues. "As for you, if you were a creature that would be affected by a Zone of Truth spell, or if your kind were less resistant to pain, I might have some use for you. As it stands, there is no reason for you to be here." She turns and nods to the beetle beside her, and speaks in another language. "leave a body to raise, just in case."
The scarab's spell hits you on the arm and you feel a swath of your flesh char, but it fails to stop your forward momentum. There is a simultaneous crack and a thud, and your arms are coated in the vital fluids of the two bodyguards.
You bring your face right up to the snake's. "The time for me to continue being reasonable has ended."

ChildOfAB 2012/03/14(Wed)14:01 No. 392753 ID: 885ee8
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End of Chapter 2

>>392753
They stated their intent to kill you. It is perfectly reasonable to kill them.
Oh, and eat up! No sense letting meat go to waste!

We should eat the ones who attack, but should not take the time to pursue those who flee. The cloaks will be here soon, and their abilities definitely work on us.

indeed, don't stop moving or bother to chase the runners. just get out of here.

He's probably going to start a new thread for the new chapter. May as well save your posts, and just discuss if anything.

>>392761
This. Move quickly, eat when you can. Once you break line of sight with assailants, try to hide. You'll need to figure out where to go next.

I am not sure eating in plain view is such a good idea. Right now, you still look like an ent and they probably think you still are one. Revealing the ruse might create new problems.

Perhaps devouring everybody when you can be certain there are no witnesses would be wise?