>>535622
perhaps he can't bear to look at you because this is the Xth time you've fallen for Muo's obvious trap card

Story Seeker 2013/08/19(Mon)19:05 No. 535874 ID: d38f67
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"Sir Time Lord, for someone tasked with watching me, you make a great deal of effort in doing the exact opposite!"
>"Your surroundings. I might have implied differently, but I meant your surroundings more than you."
"Is that so! Now, a more serious question. Muo, is Minci loyal to you?"
>"Uh.... Minci, are you loyal to me?"
>"No." Minci replies.
>"No." Muo
"I see! So what were you guys doing in the bedroom, anyway, with the door locked?"
>"It's not what you think." the Time Lord states.
>"Oh, Serif I mean the Time Lord was just treating me to some dinner and being nice in general."

There is little else to note in this room, although it would be less than surprising if Minci and I could uncover some secrets should we decide to work around their candle lit dinner!

>It's not what you think.
Maybe not, but Muo must be scoring points if you shared your name with her!

>Minci and I could uncover some secrets should we decide to work around their candle lit dinner
Do it. For maximum silliness.

Don't mind us!

Ha ha we got his name and found out the time lord is the romantic type. I would ask politely if you can search the room and if they let you make sure to avoid ruining there date.

If you cant search without messing up things lets head over to another room for now.

Ahahaha; it might be even funnier to just look at one, then the other, then say "Well, don't mind us," and then turn around and leave, shutting the door behind you. Hahaha, just imagine the Time Lord's face.

>>535874
aww the time lord fancies muo! that's adorable! help a guy out, don't cockblock

Yeah, leave and let the poor guy get back to his romantic exploits.
He's sort of like the anti-Story Seeker.

Story Seeker 2013/08/23(Fri)17:08 No. 536906 ID: d38f67
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Let it never be said that Story Seeker made stories about an invasive cockblock!

My kobold senses do, however, lead my hands to snag another piece of painting from behind an armoire on my way out.

>"So what's next on the agenda, sir kobold?" Minci asks.

I believe there are two more pieces of painting to find, and only so many places left to look. Yet at the same time, I cannot help but feel that there are more productive things to do to kill time than searching through musty mansions for scraps of questionable merit!

We could go and find where the others went.

Yeah we should be working on seducing more people first and finding puzzle parts second.

See if you can find any of the other contestants.

I suppose we could check in with the others? See what progress they've made. We haven't seen the harpy in a while, for instance. ...although we don't know for sure where anyone else is right now. Except the naga, assuming she's still tied up.

You've not really got many new conquests to choose from if that's what you're thinking of pursuing alternatively.
The Lamia hates you, the Dorf doesn't seem interested whatsoever so she'd take an enormous amount of charming, Muo's busy and memory loss or not you've been with Minci.
I suppose there's that mouse doll...thing.
Find the weird Harpy dude, see what he's done.

Well didn't we get what we needed from the portrait anyway? We know that one of the people from the maze isn't just a random victim, but rather was somehow related to, or possibly is the real witch.

I'd say finding and interrogating them is top priority.

Story Seeker 2013/08/24(Sat)17:37 No. 537192 ID: d38f67
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It has been awhile since I have seen the harpy! I will seek him. As it happens, he left footprints after we left the dungeon. A quick run there yields his tracks to be intact. A bit of following, and Minci points forward.

>"I sense some life over there. Just one, so it's probably him."

Unsurprisingly, it is. He is huddled at the back end of a tree right at the edge of the canyon, in a position I have been told is the fetal.

Ask him what's up.

Minci can sense life now too? Handy! I wonder if that's a succubus thing, or a demon thing, or just a spell she knows.

>fetal position
Well, get over there! See if you can reassure him. You're all charming and stuff.

Poor fellow seems quite scared! Maybe you and Minci can comfort him.

Oh man we cant have him feeling horrible while we are having fun with this game. I am sure Tom did not put him here to Torture him.

He thinks this is all real and now is cursed to not be able to pick anything up. In his mind all he has to look forward to is the witch showing up and murdering him horribly. I am all for a bit of fun but this is just cruel.

You need to fix this right now Story.

Uh, go comfort the guy, assuming you can.
It's not much different from charming except you put their interests before yours I believe.

Story Seeker 2013/08/24(Sat)20:39 No. 537251 ID: d38f67
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>Oh man we cant have him feeling horrible while we are having fun with this game.
This had not even occurred to me! Tom may appear erratic and not think things through, although that sounds embarrasingly obvious when I say it out loud, but I doubt he intended on putting his subject under awful stress! I will have to console him.

"Hello, Gr-"
>"Ah?!"
"Don't fret!"
>"You're working with the witch!"
"If I were, I think I would do more than kindly greet myself!"
>"I... don't know if I believe that. Who is that?!"
"Ah, yes. This is Minci, my partner in... searching places, I suppose! Minci, this is Gram. In any case, what are you doing out here?"
>"....... hiding."
"Couldn't you have chosen a hole, or someplace better?"
>".... I didn't think anyone could find me out here."

I do wonder what criteria Tom places his subjects under!

"Why hide?"
>"Well... I figured, what kind of sacrifices aren't just killed right away or captured, at least? Why all this? You know what I think... I think our village set us up! They say we have to be sacrificed, but really they just send us in here in hopes that we'll actually beat the witch! And the witch doesn't mind us until we actually try to do it! So if I just sit here and do nothing, then maybe she'll leave me alone if I leave her alone. It's worth a shot I bet no one's tried this before, while everyone has tried and failed at trying to stop her."

He's pretty worked up! Looks like fanaticism noticed him in solitude and decided to give him company.

Tell him you have found out basically the same thing. That the witch is actually pretty decent unless you try to murder her or mess up her house.

In fact she treats this like a big game and as long as you play by the rules she just uses silly curses and such.

Also mention that you have found some of the years previous sacrifices and they are all alive but were turned into dolls until you found a way to release them. Now they are wandering around trying to solve the puzzles on there own.

So come with us and play the game. If the witch shows up be very polite and you should be fine.

So with the witch not minding people who don't try to stop her, wouldn't it then be nonsensical for us to be working for the witch against him when he is not trying to stop her?

Live and let live? Hmm. Interesting idea. Might even work with Muo, if she was the real witch. Problem is, this is a game, and for it to end, one side or another eventually has to reach a win condition!

...he could ask the doll people from before if anyone has tried this before. Then he'd know for sure.

He needs a distraction!

Grab Gram and show off your gravity-resistance powers!

Minci, could you provide some distraction?

Otherwise, bop him on the head and tell him to relax.

Protip:by distraction i mean breasts

>>537251
Ask him what his age is, and if it's a teenage age for his species or an adult. If he's a teenager, I guarantee someone else has thought of that already, your not a unique little snowflake.

Story Seeker 2013/08/25(Sun)14:53 No. 537479 ID: d38f67
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"You know, I don't think you're entirely off the mark, Gram! Probably not the first to think of it either, but how would I know. I'd obviously be a liar to say that I've never spoken to the witch, and I can say that she treats this like a big game. If you play by the rules, any curses are quite silly! Note my lack of gravity. Odd, yet harmless."
>"What happens when she gets bored with us, then, huh?"
"A witch, but not with a cold heart! No one like her would want to spend years alone, so I doubt she'd want to kill her only company. Yes, I think we can get along just fine."
>"Well when you say it... it makes me nervous."
"Well then, allow me to not say it! Minci?"
""I can back him up on that, hun, she looked nice. Plus, we met previous people trapped in dolls. I'm not sure what that's about, but they're not dead.""
>"... tall claim. Sorry, don't think I can trust succubi on much."
""Because I'm a succubus?""
>"Uh...."
"That's not good. I've heard that harpies are nothing but vile pests, but you don't look bad to me."
>"I... thanks?"
"Let's not base things off species, when we're got individuals to talk to and learn from. And if you're a harpy who's just a guy trying to get by, then maybe the witch is just an innocent old lady caught with a bad reputation in a old cursed valley. You said almost as much yourself, with your village sending you in to fight rather than be sacrificed. How about you give her a chance? The worst that happens is you miss a few hours of shuddering out in the cold, here. If Story Seeker could make a bee line to you, the witch won't have much trouble."
Gram remains silent, but Minci turns to me.
"Do you want to find Dal, Story? She might want to have a talk with the witch as well. Plus, the other guy also wanted to get to know her."

Sure, why not^^
Well, less gravity might be a reason... we now have to wait until ground-contact again.

Sure, sounds like a plan.

...looks like we might be walking on the ceiling for a bit. Or at least on the underside of the tree canopy.

Story Seeker 2013/08/25(Sun)17:17 No. 537528 ID: d38f67
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After Minci helps me down, I find Dal in the back patio of the mansion itself, staring at the wall! Although it is reminiscient of Gram's position, the motive appears different. Perhaps dwarven related motives, given her staring at stone. Ironic I should think so, after Minci's small talk on individualism!

"Hello, Dal!"
>"Kobold. What is it?"

>>537528
"I got cursed."
Kick off the ground and float to the ceiling to illustrate.
Follow with "I think the witch likes pranks."

>>537528
Do you want to talk with the witch? I think she can invite us all for tea. Or beer in your case, with being a dwarf and all.
You've met her and she seems quite pleasant, and the harpy has an interesting theory that led to my own conclusion that the witch isn't bad at all, it's the village that's bad.

Now she might be a bit of a pervert and loves some chaos, but not all chaos is harmful. You just might end up nude, drunk, and dancing in the moonlight as you humiliate poor, prideful elves.

First off, tell her she was right about the hidden room, before!

And then we can maybe see how she feels about this working together and trying to figure out what the which is up too, or if she's even really a threat. (You can present your fairly harmless curses, and the survival of the doll people as evidence). And maybe ask what's on her mind?

Ask her what she finds interesting about this stonework. Also check for secrets.

Then let her know what you have been up to.

>>537528
Ask what she's staring at.

IIRC Story-Seeker's anti-grav curse effects anything he's holding above his center-of-gravity.

If he tries to bear-hug Dal while on the ground, he should be able to suplex Dal!

Story Seeker 2013/09/03(Tue)18:44 No. 539339 ID: d38f67
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"For one thing, you were right about the hidden room! Might I ask what you are looking at there?"
>"The stone, of course! What else would I be lookin' at?"
"Nevermind! But more pressingly, would you like to speak to the witch?"
>"Excuse me?"
"You've met her before. The slimegirl? She seemed nice, right?"
>"Her? Good act."
"Hardly an act, milady! Surely the town has declared the awfulness of the witches curses, but does this seem so awful?"
I lift her up to make a display of what might be confused for super strength!
>"Fine, put me down."
"The harpy had an interesting idea. Perhaps our village is too harsh? After all, even previous 'sacrifices' merely end up in the dolls!"
>"You know what you're sayin', 'bold? Our own kin, sending us for... what?"
"An unwitting witch hunt!
>"You sayin' they sold us out?"
"Perhaps, or perhaps not! Which is why myself and the others are going to speak with her, to see if we can't uncover the truth."
>"Confront a witch, eh? Fine by me."

"What about the Lamia, Story?" Minci then asks me.

Ehhhhhh... she seemed much more antagonistic and prepared to do whatever it took to win. Let's kinda leave her be.

You mean how does she fit in? I'm not sure. She certainly seemed to think the dolls were important enough to kill for. Which would imply she knows something, or thinks she knows something the rest of us don't.

>>539339
Considering she tried to kill both of us earlier, I think it might be best to just try and get her to agree through sheer numbers.
Cant win them all, though that isnt to say we arent gonna give it our all to do so if a chance arises.

Might as well see if she wants to join us. Maybe we can figure out what she was planning. Also we can guilt her with the stuff the dolls told us about how murdering each other never works.

1/4 Story Seeker 2013/09/07(Sat)20:28 No. 539786 ID: d38f67
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Well, it wouldn't hurt to check out if the Lamia would like to join us. If nothing else, it gives the Time Lord more time to have Muo's attention.

"Hello again, Miss! We were going to speak to the witch."
>"Excuse me?"
I briefly express our thoughts therein, along with explaining that those dolls were actual people trapped in, well, dolls! I then add, of course, "Would you like to come with us?"
>"... after I attempted to slay you?"
"Well, you did have the common courtesy to explain your intentions before stabbing me in the back!"
>".... okay."

2/4 Story Seeker 2013/09/07(Sat)20:28 No. 539787 ID: d38f67
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We manage to run across Ears and company, and all of us go up to Muo.

"Hello, Muo, Time Lord! Am I interrupting anything?"
>"Nah!" says Muo.
>"Not... just, come in." the Time Lord says, to which I open the door.
"Muo, we know you're the witch!"
>"Wellllll, I did... tell everyone, yes. Uh, are you all intending to have a showdown? I mean, I said I wasn't really in the middle of something, but it is actually a little inconvenient right now, so... "
"Actually, no! We have a proposition, miss witch! Our village sends sacrifices, but am I wrong in assuming you have no ill will towards us?"
>"Oh, I guess not. But witches are evil, right?"
"Are you?"
>"IIiii.... am I?"
"Only if you decide you are! Have you decided you are?"
>"Should I have?"
"No!"
>"Then I guess not."
"Then there's no reason why we should send more of us after you, right, so long as you don't mess with the village?"

3/4 Story Seeker 2013/09/07(Sat)20:28 No. 539788 ID: d38f67
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>"Oh, yeah, that's fine? Do you all want to leave?"
"You would get lonely here, would you not?"
>"Yes, but there's dolls and things, and I think I'd like Serif's company too, if he doesn't mind! Would you guys come visit, too?
"Certainly! Now, I'm sure the village is expecting some proof of your 'demise', lest they think we are under your spells. Do you have anything like that?"
>"Well there is this witch's hat that I never wear."
"Excellent!"
>"Uh Story is that... can we do that? Is that even legal? I mean, the game covers like hundreds of years of this!"
>"Sure!"

Story Seeker Chapter 5 END Story Seeker 2013/09/07(Sat)20:29 No. 539790 ID: d38f67
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Game Set! Winner: Everyone!

With that, there is little time left in the day before I believe Zirkala will be headed back. I'm sure that can be passed with mild conversation amongst ourselves before we leave this board game!

>>539790
Well first, why don't we ask what the backstory of the game is, and how the game is normally supposed to work. What are the dolls and painting for exactly? Was Minci really independent, or a sneaky spy?

>>539790
Like you totally didn't use that conversation time to score with the mouse, totally. Nothing but conversation happened.

Surprise diplomacy ending! (I actually did that to win a real board game once, though in that case it actually led to fewer other winners than the more obvious method.)

You should woo the mutant dwarf lady. She seems like she could do with it.

"hey guys, so is it always like this in the chaotic afterlife?"

Chapter 5 Epilogue Story Seeker 2013/09/08(Sun)13:18 No. 539869 ID: d38f67
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>"Well, this is awkward." Ears is the first to break the silence.
"So, Minci, were you actually on your own, or were you a spy after all?"
"I think I was supposed to spy."
>"Yeahhhhhhh..." Muo says. "I meant to have her spy on you but then I sort of forgot that part of the curse so that just didn't really happen."

>Like you totally didn't use that conversation time to score with the mouse, totally. Nothing but conversation happened.
>You should woo the mutant dwarf lady. She seems like she could do with it.
Nothing but conversation, as far as anyone out there is concerned!

In the following moments, all of our company regains their memories.

After reading the rules, we realize the game is supposed to be a treasure hunt after all. The pieces of painting were to be placed in an empty painting, and the individual that would come out would provide testimony to the witch's identity. The dolls were a one time use deal against a witch's curse, but as the case was, 3 could be combined to get the souls within out, to maybe help. Or maybe not. Random chance!

It looks like the game is supposed to have a wide variety of categories of items to hunt. Dolls and painting scraps, or diaries and magic recording boxes, and all such things. The difficulty can be modified by including more or less items such as these.

Other items were also included that would assist in fighting the witch. Dolls in this case to protect against her spells, or special items to imbue weapons that could harm her. Once the witch's identity was discovered and she was accused, then the combat would start. But that is all moot, now!

"So is it always like this in the chaotic afterlife?"
"Now and then." Minci says.
>"Usually we're just there for summons." Ears says. "You know. In case they need a mundane animal creature now and then. Or a succubus. I hear there's a bunch, but I've only seen Minci, so I'm starting to have my doubts. Trying to get a straight answer out of Tom is... not viable. And Minci... Minci, are you the only succubus?"
"You'll have to ask Tom, hun.
>"Yeah."