Maidens of the Kaleidoscope
~Beyond the Border~ => Rumia's Party Games => Topic started by: Dormio Ergo Sum on December 16, 2016, 09:18:28 AM
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>You feel lethargic. Did you just wake up? You don't remember going to sleep...
>You take a look at your surroundings.
>You find yourself in an unfamiliar room.
>The room appears worn down, you can see paint peeling off the walls. One of the walls feature a rather boring door.
>There is a torn mattress on the floor. Were you sleeping on that?
>There is a wooden, two-door dresser pushed up against one of the walls. There is a small keyhole by the dresser's handle. Many scratches surround the keyhole.
>A small, cracked mirror is on the floor near the center of the room.
>It doesn't appear as though anyone has been in here for quite a while, given the layers of dust piled atop everything in this room.
>... Or did you wake up somewhere else?
>You take a look at your surroundings.
>You find yourself in the middle of a forest. You aren't sure if the forest seems familiar to you, you can't see anything other than trees in every direction.
>There does not appear to be any landmarks of note, nor any wildlife that would provide hints regarding where you are in the world.
>By your feet you see a wrinkled sleeping bag. Were you sleeping in that?
>There is a package at the foot of the sleeping bag. What could it contain?
>... Or did you wake up somewhere else?
>You take a look at your surroundings.
>You find yourself in a lifeless room, surrounded by naught but concrete walls.
>The only source of light is coming from above. The ceiling appears to have been replaced by a set of iron bars.
>There is a hard stone slab next to you, which you assume is supposed to be a bed. Were you sleeping in that?
>The floor is made entirely of concrete. A toilet and a basin are located in the corner of the room.
>In your hand, you are holding a crumpled up letter.
>... Or did you wake up somewhere else?
>You take a look at your surroundings.
>You find yourself in a grandiose room, the walls are adorned with a crest that you do not recognize.
>Hanging from the ceiling is a grand chandelier and candles line the walls.
>There is a queen sized bed placed near the center of the room, just the fabric that it is covered with looks as though it would have cost a small fortune. Were you sleeping in that?
>There is a desk in the corner with many pieces of paper stacked up on top of it.
>One of the walls is covered by a giant bookcase. You wonder how long it would take to read even one row of the books there.
>In the wall opposite the desk is an ornate door. The decorations on the door match the same style as the crests that line the wall.
>So... Where was it that you woke up?
>_
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>Let's wake up in a lifeless room
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>which means we are some sort of robot or android
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>Let's wake up in a lifeless room
>You blink again and look at your surroundings.
>Depressing.
>There really isn't much else you can say about it.
>You are standing next to hard stone slab, which you assume to be a bed of sorts.
>In the corner of the room, there is a toilet and basin. You wonder if you have access to running water.
>In your hand is a crumpled letter. You aren't sure when you received this.
>which means we are some sort of robot or android
>Is... Is that what you were...?
>You feel as though this conflicts with your memories.
>Thinking back, you know that you were definitely a person of note.
>Were you a hero, second to none when it came to feats of physical strength?
>Were you a magus, born with the unprecedented ability to control two opposing elements?
>Were you a saint, blessed by the gods with the ability to cure any ailment?
>Were you a merchant, renowned throughout the lands for your ability to procure any item?
>_
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>Everything has a price. That has always been our creed.
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>Everything has a price. That has always been our creed.
>But of course. What point is there to an object existing if there isn't coin to be made from it?
>_
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>Check out that letter!
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>Check out that letter!
>You straighten out the paper in your hands and take a look at its contents. You must be holding it for a reason, right?
>"You're crazy, you know that? Most people who ask me for a favor want to get out of that hell, not jump right in."
>"The number of documents I had to mess with to get you in there could have filled the Great Library!"
>"You'll be in there for about two weeks before you get your chance. Don't die before then."
>"Actually, on second thought, go die already. I'm done doing favors for you after this."
>"N."
>_
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>Examine self
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>Examine self
>You check your own features. You're still male. That's good.
>You are in good health for someone who just hit 30 years of age.
>You are of medium height and weight.
>Fortunately, you've been blessed with what most people would consider to be a handsome face. It's helped you to secure more lucrative deals on more than one occasion.
>Your regular merchant's attire is gone, replaced by a dull looking laborer's outfit. Your current clothes seem durable, at the very least.
>You have a small coin pouch in your pocket. Judging by its weight, it should contain roughly four and twenty silver coins.
>You still have the letter in your hand.
>Under your clothes, you have a small knife holstered around your right leg.
>You hear several sets of hurried footsteps, along with some unintelligible shouts, coming from above.
>_
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>Put away the letter in our pocket.
>Look up at the opening, try and make out what's going on.
>What can we see up there?
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>Put away the letter in our pocket.
>Look up at the opening, try and make out what's going on.
>What can we see up there?
>You place the letter in your pocket, you don't want to lose it.
>You look up, what's going on up there?
>You hear the footsteps getting louder, they seem to be heading in your direction.
>"I think the boss said it was that one!"
>"It's this one, you idiot."
>You see two people look through the bars at the top of your room.
>From what you can tell, both people appear to be male.
>"Holy crap! There's actually someone still alive here?"
>"Of course there is, retard. The boss said there'd be someone here. Are you saying you doubt the boss?"
>"No! Never! But, you know..."
>"Shut up already."
>The man then turns towards you.
>"You're looking pretty lively down there, aren'tcha?."
>_
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>Examine the two people.
>"Who's the boss? Do I know you?"
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>Examine the two people.
>"Who's the boss? Do I know you?"
>You look at the two people.
>They are both dressed in a similar attire, clad in a hauberk each with a sword and shield hanging off their backs.
>One of the men, the one who seems to favor calling the other an idiot, has short, blonde hair. The other has red hair at shoulder length.
>You catch the scent of blood coming from above your cell.
>The man with blonde hair shows a surprised expression on hearing your first question.
>"'Who's the boss?' Did you seriously just ask that? Everyone knows the boss round these parts."
>"Maybe he's not from around here?"
>"Shut the hell up, idiot. If he ain't from around here, why would the boss tell us to get him out of here?"
>"Well, uh..."
>The man with red hair seems unsure of how to respond.
>"That's right, idiot."
>"As for your other question, we're the people who're gonna save you. You don't need to know anything other than that."
>"Now stand clear before you hurt yourself."
>The two men appear to be preparing something.
>_
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>Examine what they're preparing while preparing to dive under the bed if necessary
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>Examine what they're preparing while preparing to dive under the bed if necessary
>They appear to be attaching... something to the bars at the top of your cell. It looks like a container of some sort, with whatever is inside it starting to glow red...
>Once they're done, both of them begin running and quickly leave your field of vision.
>"Clear!"
>"Clear!"
>You figure now would probably be a good time for you to find some sort of cover as well.
>You crawl under the gap beneath the stone slab.
>A few moments later, you hear the sound of an explosion above you and feel the walls and floor rattle.
>Your ears are ringing, but other than that, you seem to be uninjured.
>_
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>Crawl back out into the open and look up
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>Crawl back out into the open and look up
>You crawl out of your makeshift cover. You're covered in dust.
>You look up to see that a majority of the bars have been destroyed, leaving more than enough space for a person to climb out with some assistance.
>You also see the two men looking back down at you.
>"Hey! You're still alive down there, good job!"
>"Sorry about that."
>_
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>That... container of red seems valuable, or at least useful.
>"What was that?"
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>That... container of red seems valuable, or at least useful.
>"What was that?"
>It certainly is, on both counts, assuming you haven't made a mistake. And you never make mistakes when it comes to appraising items.
>You know that the object was a gemstone filled with magick, most likely a higher tiered fire spell.
>Even gemstones with simple spells imbued onto them sold for fairly high prices, given that only a handful of mages had the skill to meld a basic spell onto a gem.
>"A present from the boss to help us get you out. You should be thankful, these things aren't cheap!"
>"Do you think you can get out by yourself? Or do you need some help?"
>_
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>Try climbing out.
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>Try climbing out.
>You decide to try climbing out by yourself.
>Luckily for you, the explosion created several faults in the walls that you could use as climbing holds.
>After getting a few minor scratches on your hands, you manage to pull yourself up to the top where the two men grab hold of you and lift you up.
>The two men give you an impressed look.
>"Not bad, I was expecting you to give up half way."
>"I thought you could do it."
>"Shut up, nobody asked for your opinion."
>_
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//I'm going to bed. I'll come back in the morrow. For now, this seems like a good idea.
>Calculate the value of everything visible on their persons.
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>Calculate the value of everything visible on their persons.
>The hauberks the two are wearing look to be of fairly high quality. If they were new you'd expect no less than 35 gold coins apiece.
>Their armor appears to excellently maintained, though anything resembling an insignia or emblem is strangely absent and there are a few marks and dents. Given this, you'd expect the current value of their armor to be closer to around 30 gold coins apiece.
>Their kite shields have been created with high quality steel. If there was once an insignia across the front of the shield, it had been scratched out some time ago. Had the front of the shield not been defaced, you could have sold the shields for at least 15 gold coins apiece.
>Like the armor, the shields show signs of heavy usage and a high level of maintenance to match. You could probably still sell them for at least 12 gold coins in their current state.
>Their swords, again, seem to be made of high quality steel. Most likely made from the same materials and by the same smith as the shields. Brand new, you would expect to be able to sell the swords for at least 10 gold coins.
>The swords, like the armor, have been maintained with care. In fact, anyone with eyes less discerning than yours might mistakenly think that the swords have never seen use. You could still sell them for at least 10 gold apiece.
>_
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>Abilities
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>Abilities
>You possess a below average level of strength. You are able to hold your own against weaker monsters, though facing a group of them at once would still overwhelm you.
>You possess an above average level of intelligence. You know a lot about this world and how it functions, though the finer points elude you.
>You possess an no magic whatsoever. Put another way, you could say that you possess an average level of magic.
>You possess a high level of charisma. People are inclined to listen to your words and you have an easier time convincing them carry out your requests.
>You possess an innate ability to sense whether or not an object is valuable. In addition to this, you can also determine the general use of any item with a simple glance. Combined with your knowledge, you have used this ability to accurately determine the value of any item you encounter.
>You have been blessed with good fortune. Things just seem to go your way and you're always in the right place at the right time.
>_
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>"Where are we?"
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>"Where are we?"
>However certain you might be that you are currently in the underground prison within the capital, Ayrith, it never hurt to double check.
>The two men give you a confused look.
>"How can you not know where you are?"
>"Very few people get sent here."
>"You're where people go whenever the government wants them to disappear."
>"The underground labyrinth of Ayrith."
>_
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>"What does the boss want with me?"
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>"What does the boss want with me?"
>The blonde haired man shrugs.
>Seeing this, the red haired man begins speaking.
>"We don't really know why the boss does what he does, but you must be a pretty big deal if he wants to see you."
>_
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>"Lead the way."
>Then, gently try to coax information out of them.
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>"Lead the way."
>Then, gently try to coax information out of them.
>"Well, we've got to get out of here first."
>How do you intend to do this?
>_
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>"Don't you have a plan?"
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>"Don't you have a plan?"
>"Well, we had a plan, then it all went to shit what with this place being the most secure facility in all of Xynn and there being constant changes to how this place is laid out."
>"Most of the threats should be gone, so we just have to find the way out now."
>_
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>Look around
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>Look around
>Since you've left your cell, you decide to reaffirm your new surroundings.
>You are in a large room with stone walls, a stone floor, and a stone ceiling.
>You can see two sets of bars embedded in the floor. You assume that these lead to cells similar to the one that you were just in.
>In the center of the room is another set of bars, or what remains of them after being exposed to an explosion. The resulting hole leads back to your cell.
>Candles line the walls in order to provide light for the room.
>Each wall has a steel door in the middle of it. One of the doors appear to have been blown off its hinges and is now lying on the floor in front of the empty doorframe.
>Next to this door you can see a well armored knight lying face down in a pool of blood. You assume that it was a guard of some sort.
>_
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> Mentally asess guard's armor.
> Mentally asess steel door.
> Was guard armed? (aka is there a weapon lying nearby)
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> Mentally asess guard's armor.
> Mentally asess steel door.
> Was guard armed? (aka is there a weapon lying nearby)
>The guard was equipped with a full set of plate armor. Though you can't tell its exact worth without getting a bit closer, you'd make a rough guess at its value being equal to around 25 gold coins if it is undamaged.
>The steel door looks to be about two inches thick, more than enough to deflect most attacks.
>From what you can see, the guard does not appear to have been armed.
>_
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> According to note, we became a prisoner purposedly. What was our goal?
> Try to remember more about this prison. If (yet again according to note) we were here for about two weeks, we weren't rotting in our cell all this time, are we?
> "What exactly went wrong with your plan?"
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> According to note, we became a prisoner purposedly. What was our goal?
> Try to remember more about this prison. If (yet again according to note) we were here for about two weeks, we weren't rotting in our cell all this time, are we?
> "What exactly went wrong with your plan?"
>You received a request from a client to obtain at least fifteen scales from a the wyvern of legends, Adustus.
>Normally, you would have laughed off a request like this saying that the scales didn't exist but something about this particular request compelled you to accept it.
>The labyrinth of Ayrith is a prison that does not show up on any official documentation. If you were to ask the average citizen about the prison, you'd receive the response that it was simply a tale made up by housewives to scare the children.
>The actual use of the prison was for the government to store undesirables that they didn't want to simply get rid of immediately. Anything from mythical beasts including the wyvern you're searching for, criminals that possessed rare talents, an ex-hero that had outlived his usefulness, the prison was designed to hold anything and anyone.
>The deeper you traveled into the prison, the stronger the security would become. You were placed fairly close to the entrance, you aren't much of a threat after all.
>You did spend two weeks waiting. What else what you be doing in that cell with nothing?
>"The stupid labyrinth is what went wrong, the bloody thing changes its layout every couple of days! From what we were told, the next shift was meant to happen tomorrow. Instead, the walls started moving as soon as we reached this room!"
>"We can't exactly lead you out of here anymore given our map is useless."
>The two men let out a heavy sigh.
>_
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>"How much have you explored since the shift?"
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>"How much have you explored since the shift?"
>"Just our immediate surroundings. Didn't want anything nasty being attracted by the sound of the explosion."
>_
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>See if other doors can be opened without explosives.
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>Appraise knife
>Loot the guard. Wear his armor if it fits.
>Look in nearby cells to see if anyone is in there.
>Listen for sounds of pursuing footsteps or cries for help.
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>See if other doors can be opened without explosives.
>"We're not going to be waiting long, hurry up and finish whatever it is you're doing and then we're going to start making our way out of here."
>You decide to walk over to and test the other doors.
>Two of the doors open with ease. Rather surprising, given that the doors should be fairly heavy.
>Beyond each door, you see stone corridors that branch off in every direction.
>The third door refuses to budge, no matter how much force you put onto it.
>Appraise knife
>Loot the guard. Wear his armor if it fits.
>Look in nearby cells to see if anyone is in there.
>Listen for sounds of pursuing footsteps or cries for help.
>Your knife is a fairly valuable one. The blade is made out of adamantite, the same material as most of the hero's equipment. No corners were cut in crafting the handle, sheath, or holster either, each of these are worth enough to buy a small plot of land.
>You approach the dead guard and strip him of his armor. He does not appear to have anything else of value on him.
>Given that it has a much higher protective value than the clothes you have on right now, you equip the full plate armor over your clothes. It's a bit bulky and annoying to move in, but you weren't really capable of nimble movements in the first place.
>You walk over to the nearby cells and take a look inside. One of the cells is empty, the other houses a skeleton and several plates of rotting food.
>During this time you failed to hear any footsteps other than your own.
>_
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>"I'm so sorry, but I do believe we haven't introduced ourselves yet. Who are you two?"
>"I-I seem to have forgotten who I am and how I got here. I'm afraid I won't be of much help so I'm going to have to rely on you two."
>"What kind of threats do we have to fight? I'm scared because I don't understand what's going on and I'm not a good fighter...will you protect me?"
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>"I'm so sorry, but I do believe we haven't introduced ourselves yet. Who are you two?"
>"I-I seem to have forgotten who I am and how I got here. I'm afraid I won't be of much help so I'm going to have to rely on you two."
>"What kind of threats do we have to fight? I'm scared because I don't understand what's going on and I'm not a good fighter...will you protect me?"
>You go back to the two men and begin talking to them.
>"I'm R-"
>"Shut the hell up, idiot! What do you think you're doing? Like I said earlier, we're the people rescuing you and that's all you need to know."
>The red haired man gives you a look of concern, while the blonde haired man rolls his eyes.
>"Are you kidding me? Always, always, always the worst jobs. Saints above..."
>"Hey, are you sure we've got the right guy? The labyrinth did start moving, we could've ended up at the wrong place."
>"Of course we've got the right guy, the labyrinth only started shifting after we got here. Are you saying that you doubt the boss' maps?"
>"No! No! Of course not!"
>"Then shut the hell up."
>The blonde haired man sighs.
>"Since we aren't particularly deep in the labyrinth, there's only the odd guard here and there."
>"And yeah, we'll protect you. Right up until we get you to the boss, that is. After that, you're on your own."
>_
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>"Do you know anything about a person named Adustus? The name keeps popping up in my head and I don't know why...I think it might be my name or the person I need to find..."
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>"Do you know anything about a person named Adustus? The name keep popping up in my head and I don't know why...I think it might be my name or the person I need to find..."
>"Adustus? The dragon from that jumped into a volcano and died from the children's stories?"
>"It's a wyvern, not a dragon, idiot."
>"Right. Anyway, I don't think anyone would name themselves after it, the story isn't very popular."
>_
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>Which way are we headed?
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>Which way are we headed?
>Which way are you headed?
>None of the three paths available to you at the moment seem to have any distinguishing features, other than the fact that the door to one of paths has fallen off its hinges.
>_
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>"Well, in any case, if there was a guard in front of that door, it has to be the right way to go."
>Walk through the doorless doorway.
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>"Well, in any case, if there was a guard in front of that door, it has to be the right way to go."
>Walk through the doorless doorway.
>"Well, it's a good a path as any other, let's go."
>The blonde haired man takes the lead.
>"I'll take point, the idiot will guard our rear, you make sure you stay between us."
>The men begin walking towards the door, you follow suit.
>You see nothing of note as you continue walking until you reach a fork in the road. The corridor of the left path is lined with wooden doors, the corridor of the right path looks identical to the path that you've been walking so far.
>_
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>Stride to the left.
>We're lucky, aren't we?
>"I've got a hunch about this path."
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>Recall what we actually know about the layout of the dungeon and the fantastic beasts and where to find them
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>Stride to the left.
>We're lucky, aren't we?
>"I've got a hunch about this path."
>You take a step towards the left.
>You certainly are, a trait that has helped you out considerably over the years.
>The blonde haired man shrugs.
>"Might as well see where it takes us."
>The three of you step into the corridor of doors.
>Recall what we actually know about the layout of the dungeon and the fantastic beasts and where to find them
>You don't have that much information about the actual layout, given that it changes regularly.
>You know that the entrance of the dungeon is where people of importance are held. People who possess some skill or knowledge that prevents the government from simply having them assassinated.
>You know that Adustus is held captive within the dungeon. It should be held somewhere around the middle of the dungeon, since that's where most beasts and monsters are typically held.
>You also know that several high ranking demons are locked away somewhere in the final stretches of the labyrinth, along with the ex-hero. You wonder if they've managed to kill each other yet.
>_
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>Feign headache
>Trip and fall to the ground
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>Feign headache
>Trip and fall to the ground
>You pretend to have a headache, neither of your escorts seem to notice.
>You stumble on your own feet and fall to the ground.
>"Get up, you can take a break once we're actually out of here."
>_
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>How many doors are there? Any distinguishing features or sounds? How long does the corridor go for?
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>How many doors are there? Any distinguishing features or sounds? How long does the corridor go for?
>You can see five doors lining each wall.
>The corridor continues for around 28 yards before there is a turn.
>_
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>"Well...might as well try to see what's in here."
>Start opening the doors.
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>"Well...might as well try to see what's in here."
>Start opening the doors.
>"You probably shouldn't. Our goal is to just get out of here, not to go exploring every nook and cranny of this place."
>You try to open the door closest to you.
>"What did I just say?"
>It's locked.
>You try to open more of the doors. The third door you come across does not seem to be locked.
>"Hey, you think it'd be easier to finish our job if we just knocked him out and carried him?"
>_
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>"This isn't my first dungeon crawl. Don't worry, we'll be out in no time."
>Enter third door.
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>"This isn't my first dungeon crawl. Don't worry, we'll be out in no time."
>Enter third door.
>"I'm pretty sure that we've got you beat in terms of experience."
>The blonde haired man sighs.
>"Whatever, do what you want, the area should be clear anyway.
>You push open the door and enter the room.
>"No! No! It's barely been a day! I don't want to go back!"
>Inside appears to be a basic cell, not too unlike the one that you were in.
>A disheveled woman is cowering in the corner.
>_
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>Examine woman
>"We're here to set you free. Come with us if you want to live."
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>Examine woman
>"We're here to set you free. Come with us if you want to live."
>You take a closer look at the woman.
>She seems to be a member of the beastman race, given the strange ears sticking out of her brown hair.
>She is clad in a set of worn rags, you can see many scars, cuts, and bruises on her skin.
>You see the woman twitch when she hears your voice.
>"No! Not again! I won't go there again! You... you're... not him... Who are you...?"
>You hear a sigh coming from behind you, along with the sound of a sword being unsheathed.
>_
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>"Wait, I need some information from her first. She might be able to help us get out of here."
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>"Wait, I need some information from her first. She might be able to help us get out of here."
>"I doubt it. Look at her, she's been here for a long time. She probably doesn't even remember her name anymore, let alone a way out."
>The woman, upon seeing the blonde haired man draw his sword, curls up into a fetal position and begins muttering.
>"Please let it be quick please let it be quick please let it..."
>_
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>Carefully move between the blonde man and the woman.
>"If she's been here a long time then she probably knows the dungeon far better than you or I. She might know if there's a pattern to how the dungeon changes."
>"She said that she just got back here a day ago, so she's definitely been out recently. And worst comes to worst we can use her as a distraction if any big threats pop up."
>Turn and address the woman
>"Do you know this dungeon well? We need to get out, and fast. We need any information we can possibly get about how this dungeon works and who is in this area."
-
>Carefully move between the blonde man and the woman.
>"If she's been here a long time then she probably knows the dungeon far better than you or I. She might know if there's a pattern to how the dungeon changes."
>"She said that she just got back here a day ago, so she's definitely been out recently. And worst comes to worst we can use her as a distraction if any big threats pop up."
>Turn and address the woman
>"Do you know this dungeon well? We need to get out, and fast. We need any information we can possibly get about how this dungeon works and who is in this area."
>You take a few small steps to put yourself between the blonde man and the woman.
>"Out of the way."
>"And someone like that hasn't escaped or died trying yet? I don't think so."
>"Look, I get why you'd feel pity for her, but it's an extra risk that I don't want to take."
>The red haired man interrupts your conversation.
>"I don't know, I think what he's saying has some merit. There isn't that much difference in protecting one person and two as long as they stick together. And we can always abandon her if we have to."
>The blonde haired man sighs again.
>"And how do we know that she won't turn on us? This is the safest option."
>While the two men argue you turn towards the woman, who is now watching the two men behind you talk.
>"You're not... I'm not dead? I won't die? I won't be killed?"
>The woman turns her head towards you.
>"Yes! I know, I've seen it! The paper that changes!"
>_
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>"What paper? Tell me everything you know."
-
>"What paper? Tell me everything you know."
>"It's the paper with lines that he keeps with..."
>"Ah... That's right... He has it..."
>The woman pauses and her gaze no longer seems to reach you.
>_
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>"What does the paper do? Who does he keep it with? Who is he? Is he the person in charge of this dungeon? What does he look like?"
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>"What does the paper do? Who does he keep it with? Who is he? Is he the person in charge of this dungeon? What does he look like?"
>"I'm sorry I don't know I'm sorry I'm useless I'm sorry I won't tell anyone I'm sorry..."
>_
-
Are Tim & Bob not as trustworthy as we thought???
Unless I'm reading that wrong.
I don't want to be fighting that sword right now, anyway. Soo..
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I doubt we're in danger, the boss wanted us explicitly retrieved and I gather the worst that could happen is we get knocked out. I figure the question is how to get any useful information out of this woman without wasting too much time.
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I figure the question is how to get any useful information out of this woman without wasting too much time.
Doesn't seem plausible.
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>"Okay, you know what? Just come with us. We'll talk along the way."
>Turn to our companions.
>"Let's get going. Don't worry about being backstabbed by her, I'll personally make sure she doesn't cause any trouble."
-
>"Okay, you know what? Just come with us. We'll talk along the way."
>Turn to our companions.
>"Let's get going. Don't worry about being backstabbed by her, I'll personally make sure she doesn't cause any trouble."
>On hearing your statement, she stops her muttering and focuses her gaze back onto you.
>"You'll take me...? But if he finds us..."
>You turn to the two men, who still seem to be arguing about whether they should simply kill the girl or let her tag along.
>The blonde haired man responds first, before the red haired man has a chance to speak.
>"Make sure how? You going to bind her? Knock her out and carry her?"
>"What's the point of you taking responsibility when we're supposed to making sure you get to the boss?"
>_
-
>"She's an unarmed female who's been rotting in prison probably for years and is covered in bruises and scars. Are you saying that any of us couldn't easily handle her? What is she going to do? Bite us?"
>"We can bind her hands with her rags or something. She can't fight us, so what's the risk? If she wants to be left behind or run away, let her. But the potential upsides of her knowing anything about the dungeon far outweigh the downsides."
>Turn to the woman
>"You'll come quietly, right? I think it's best that we work together. We need to get out of here and if you're going to cause trouble then I can't vouch for your safety. If you stay here, he'll find you anyway because we left a bit of a trail on our way here and I bet whoever imprisoned you will want to take it out on someone."
-
>"She's an unarmed female who's been rotting in prison probably for years and is covered in bruises and scars. Are you saying that any of us couldn't easily handle her? What is she going to do? Bite us?"
>"We can bind her hands with her rags or something. She can't fight us, so what's the risk? If she wants to be left behind or run away, let her. But the potential upsides of her knowing anything about the dungeon far outweigh the downsides."
>Turn to the woman
>"You'll come quietly, right? I think it's best that we work together. We need to get out of here and if you're going to cause trouble then I can't vouch for your safety. If you stay here, he'll find you anyway because we left a bit of a trail on our way here and I bet whoever imprisoned you will want to take it out on someone."
>"The fact that you can ask that question shows how naive you are."
>The blonde haired man sighs.
>"Between you and this idiot over here looks like we're not going anywhere without her, so have it your way."
>You turn back towards the woman.
>"O-Okay, I... I'll try my best!"
>She seems to look a bit livelier than when you first saw her.
>_
-
>"Alright then...let's go."
-
>"Alright then...let's go."
>The four of you head out of the room, with the blonde haired man taking point and the red haired man taking the rear again.
>You find yourself in the corridor again. You can either head back the way that you came from or continue down the corridor.
>_
-
>Continue
-
>Continue
>Your group continues following the corridor.
>Fortunately, you encounter nothing of note as you travel for the next hour.
>The woman seems to be tired, given the heavy breathing you can hear coming from behind you.
>_
-
>Can we see an end to the corridor at all?
>Are there literally no differentiating factors in the doors we're passing, no sounds or markings or anything?
-
>Can we see an end to the corridor at all?
>Are there literally no differentiating factors in the doors we're passing, no sounds or markings or anything?
>So far, no.
>You have not encountered any doors for the past hour.
>Other than the noises that your group has been making while travelling, you have not heard anything of note.
>You have been encountering various turns as you walked and you don't think that the walls have been identical, though it is hard to tell.
>_
-
>"Hey...do any of you think this looks like the way out?"
-
>"Hey...do any of you think this looks like the way out?"
>"How the hell would I know?"
>"It's hard to tell since the shift happened so recently."
>"I... don't know."
>_
-
>"What did the way in look like? I'm worried we might be going someplace we don't want to go."
-
>"What did the way in look like? I'm worried we might be going someplace we don't want to go."
>"Pretty similar to what we're seeing now, except there were more forks to keep track of and the occasional guard patrolling the place."
>_
-
>Appraise walls
>Appraise companions
>Appraise me
>Examine floor
>Examine ceiling
>Recall what we know about the layout of the dungeon
-
>Appraise walls
>Appraise companions
>Appraise me
>Examine floor
>Examine ceiling
>Recall what we know about the layout of the dungeon
>The walls have been built with stone and enchanted with higher tiered earth magick, which is what allows the labyrinth to change its layout. Another layer of earth magick has also been cast on the walls to make them near indestructible. While the walls themselves are nothing special, the enchantments on them would allow you to sell a square meter of the wall for at least 25 gold coins.
>Both the blonde haired man and the red haired man appear to be in their early 30's and seem capable of performing many tasks and hard labor. Neither of them have any visible scars and have an average appearance. If you were to sell them as slaves you believe you could get at least 450 gold coins each for them, though this does not account for any abilities that the two may have that you are unaware of.
>The beastman looks as though she would have been quite valuable as an object in the past. However, given the numerous scars on her body, her value has decreased significantly. She does not appear to be capable of sustained manual labor, and also seems to be suffering from some mental trauma which would further lower her value. If you were to sell her as a slave you could get at least 50 gold coins for her. Of course, if you wanted to make use of the fact that she was a female beastman, certain buyers would be interested in paying a large premium for her.
>You are the owner of the largest trading company in the kingdom and virtually every product sold in the kingdom can be traced back to some part of your business. You doubt that anyone in the land could compete with you at this point in terms of wealth. Your own value cannot be measured in mere coins.
>The floor is made up of stone slabs that have been enchanted with the same defensive magicks as the walls.
>The ceiling is made up of stone slabs that have been enchanted with the same defensive magicks as the walls.
>You know that not much care was put into designing the dungeon layout, since the assumption was that the random changes to it would mean that any effort put into designing the actual maze was simply wasted. You are also one of the few people that know that the shifts in the labyrinth are not entirely random, since such a feat would have been far beyond the abilities of the magician tasked with enchanting the walls.
>There are approximately 12 different layouts that the labyrinth can choose from at random whenever it shifts once every three days. There is also a mechanism within the overseer's room to manually reset the labyrinth to its original layout that can be used in emergency situations.
>_
-
>"What were the guards like? Unchallenging to you I'm assuming. "
-
>"What were the guards like? Unchallenging to you I'm assuming. "
>"You'd expect them to be better trained if they're working in a place like this. Only one of them even managed to notice us and put up something resembling a fight."
>_
-
>How many species of person do we know of? Do automatons or golems exist?
-
>How many species of person do we know of? Do automatons or golems exist?
>The races that could be considered to be sentient are the humans, the beastmen, and the elves. Some would consider the demons to be sentient but, from your experience, they tend not to be particularly good customers.
>Golems exist as monsters in dungeons. They tend to be quite rare and filled with valuable materials.
>Nobody has succeeded in creating an automaton yet. You hope that your research and development team will be the first to achieve that feat.
>_
-
>What do we know about Adustus in the hypothetical question it exists? How did we plan to subdue it and remove the scales?
>Who was the client and did we know anything about what their goal was?
>How did we get into this prison?
>What did we do while waiting?
>What was our original plan?
>Was anyone helping us with this plan? Do we know anyone in the dungeon who would be a potential ally or who might know anything?
>Do we know who the boss is? Do we know or recognise these two guys?
-
>What do we know about Adustus in the hypothetical question exists? How did we plan to subdue it and remove the scales?
>Who was the client and did we know anything about what their goal was?
>How did we get into this prison?
>What did we do while waiting?
>What was our original plan?
>Was anyone helping us with this plan? Do we know anyone in the dungeon who would be a potential ally or who might know anything?
>Do we know who the boss is? Do we know or recognise these two guys?
>It was a fire-breathing wyvern that terrorized several villages in the southern regions of the kingdom roughly two decades ago. Two villages and a squadron of knights lost their lives as the king felt that the issue could be handled without the help of that generation's hero.
>Eventually, the king asked the hero for help and the wyvern was captured. It was then brought into the dungeon to be studied by the king's researchers.
>The king, not wanting the people to realize that his pride had caused him to waste both lives and money spread misinformation regarding the wyvern until it was considered to be a simple fairy tale.
>The wyvern itself was not particularly powerful when compared to dragons and the like, what made this wyvern special were its scales. Grey in color, nobody, barring the previous generation's hero, has managed to find a way to reliably damage them.
>There should be plenty of samples from the wyvern in the research lab located at the entrance to the labyrinth. Given that some of the people who work there owe you much more than simply their lives, taking a few scales from them doesn't seem too difficult.
>You had seen the client multiple times, clinging to that mage, but had never dealt with her directly until that point. She was considered to be his most talented pupil, despite her lazy demeanor and refusal to do anything resembling work or study.
>You do not know what her goal was but something at the time told you that the end result would be amusing, profitable, or both.
>In order to get into the labyrinth, you asked for a favor from one of your old friends, N.
>N, or Nuri, is the head of the Black Talons, a mercenary group few have heard of, and helped to smuggle you into the prison.
>There wasn't much to do other than wait. You had already organized everything with your secretary regarding your absence beforehand.
>The original plan was to simply get into the prison, wait until you were freed, then take a short detour into one of the monster research labs before simply walking out.
>Other than N, who helped you to get into the prison and should also be helping to get you out, you have not involved anyone else in this plan. It's a simple and short one, after all. Your secretary should be more than capable of managing your business for two weeks.
>Of course you know who the boss, N, is.
>You've seen the red haired man delivering messages to N on occasion, you think he might be an instructor of some sort.
>The blonde haired man is unfamiliar to you.
>_
-
>Do we know the way out?
>Do we know where we are?
>Do we know what direction we have to head in?
>Do we recognize the girl?
-
>Do we know the way out?
>Do we know where we are?
>Do we know what direction we have to head in?
>Do we recognize the girl?
>Of course you do, why would you get into a situation like this without planning your escape? You've committed the default layout of the labyrinth to your memory.
>You are currently approaching the entrance to the labyrinth.
>To reach the exit, you would simply have to continue following the direction you are already headed in.
>You feel as though you may have seen someone with similar features to the girl you met when interacting with the current generation's hero, but you aren't sure of this.
>_
-
>How far are the monster research labs in our direction?
-
>How far are the monster research labs in our direction?
>It should take you about fifteen more minutes of walking to reach the entrance and, by extension, the monster research laboratory.
>_
-
>Keep going
-
>Keep going
>You continue walking forward.
>After about fifteen more minutes of walking, you find yourself standing in front of wooden door, which the red haired man rushes towards.
>"Hey, we made it to the entrance!"
>"Shut up, idiot. There might be people around now."
>To your right, you see another set of metal doors.
>_
-
>Open metal doors
-
>Open metal doors
>"Hey, that's not the right way."
>"Where the hell do you think you're going?"
>The woman is glancing quickly between you and your companions with a worried expression.
>You open the metal doors to reveal two very surprised looking men who appear to have been prodding a gelatinous object inside a cage with various apparatus.
>_
-
>How difficult would it be to use subterfuge to disguise the nature of our upcoming "transaction" from our companions? Are we skilled in such a thing?
>How difficult would it be to conduct the "transaction" in such a way to impress our companions by how powerful we are?
>What is the value of keeping the nature of the transaction (or its object) a secret from our companions, compared with the value of them being impressed?
-
>How difficult would it be to use subterfuge to disguise the nature of our upcoming "transaction" from our companions? Are we skilled in such a thing?
>How difficult would it be to conduct the "transaction" in such a way to impress our companions by how powerful we are?
>What is the value of keeping the nature of the transaction (or its object) a secret from our companions, compared with the value of them being impressed?
>That would depend on how you would go about doing this.
>You are skilled in all manner of interactions with people, how else would you make money?
>That would depend on how you would go about doing this.
>That would depend on what you want to achieve.
>_
-
>Use our powers of super quick analysis to take stock of the situation, including: how are our companions reacting, examine the men and what they are doing, examine the apparatus and the object and appraise them, and examine everything else in the laboratory including any spots where we might find what we are looking for and appraise all notable objects there as well within reason.
>Wherever possible, match the knowledge we've gained from our current analysis with knowledge we already possess about the dungeon, the research lab, and its employees and inhabitants.
-
>Use our powers of super quick analysis to take stock of the situation, including: how are our companions reacting, examine the men and what they are doing, examine the apparatus and the object and appraise them, and examine everything else in the laboratory including any spots where we might find what we are looking for and appraise all notable objects there as well within reason.
>Wherever possible, match the knowledge we've gained from our current analysis with knowledge we already possess about the dungeon, the research lab, and its employees and inhabitants.
>The blonde haired man has drawn his sword and is watching you carefully.
>The red haired man is moving around the back, trying to peek into the laboratory.
>The woman is at a loss on what to do.
>The two researchers appear to have been performing some sort of experiment on the slime. You aren't sure if their intent was purely academic, given the lack of any recording devices on their persons.
>The apparatus the researchers are using are magick conducting rods. The rods themselves aren't worth much, perhaps 30 silver pieces, but the gemstones embedded within them were where their true value lay.
>You would need to get closer to appraise the gemstones.
>The theme of the laboratory seems to be white. The walls, the floor, and the ceiling have all been painted white. In the corner of the room you see two white desks with mountains of papers stacked upon each.
>The desks look rather sturdy and the white aesthetic is rather striking, you could probably sell them for about 10 gold apiece.
>The back wall is lined with large cages that have been stacked on top of each other to fill the entire wallspace. Most of the cages are currently empty. Two of the cages seem to be being used for storage, you can see various bones, scales, skin, objects wrapped in cloth, and gemstones within them. You would need to get closer to appraise these.
>Lining another wall is another table with multiple glass apparatus and several pieces of paper scattered about. It currently does not appear to be in use. Each glass apparatus appears to be custom made, they would hold little value to the regular buyer.
>The two men must be the head researcher and his assistant. You've helped the head researcher on multiple occasions, most of the equipment in this room was made or procured by you.
>The head researcher is, for the most part, a mostly reasonable man. Though he can be overly enthusiastic about his work at times, to say the least.
>_
-
>Are we on friendly terms with the head researcher? If we outright asked him for scales, would he give them to us? Does he know about our plan?
>What do these people owe us -- how did we help them in the past?
-
>Are we on friendly terms with the head researcher? If we outright asked him for scales, would he give them to us? Does he know about our plan?
>What do these people owe us -- how did we help them in the past?
>On the occasions that you've interacted with him, the two of you got along fairly well.
>Probably, though you would most likely have to get him some materials again in the future.
>He does not, you didn't have a chance to get in contact with him beforehand.
>The head researcher owes you many things, you've helped him to obtain all manner of equipment, materials, and specimens for his research.
>While trading information with him, he was taught you what you know about the labyrinth's layout.
>You are unfamiliar with the assistant.
>_
-
>Hold up a hand to the blonde man to indicate that he wait a bit.
>Tell him, "don't worry, I know these people. I just need something real quick and we'll be out like they never saw us."
>Turn to the researcher.
>"Hey, @InsertNameOfResearcherHere, long time no see. I need a bit of a favor."
-
>Hold up a hand to the blonde man to indicate that he wait a bit.
>Tell him, "don't worry, I know these people. I just need something real quick and we'll be out like they never saw us."
>Turn to the researcher.
>"Hey, @InsertNameOfResearcherHere, long time no see. I need a bit of a favor."
>The blonde haired man sighs.
>"This just keeps getting better and better..."
>You turn back towards the researcher, who seems to have lost interest in you and has turned back towards the slime.
>"I'm busy right now, what do you want?"
>The assistant is still staring at you and trying to say something to the head researcher, though no words are coming out.
>_
-
>"I need a few scales from Adustus for a client. Assuming, of course, that you have any to spare. But only a few should be quite enough and it will let me continue to help your research activities in the future."
>"How is your research coming along by the way?"
-
>"I need a few scales from Adustus for a client. Assuming, of course, that you have any to spare. But only a few should be quite enough and it will let me continue to help your research activities in the future."
>"How is your research coming along by the way?"
>"Help yourself, I'm pretty much done with anything involving that overgrown lizard."
>The researcher motions to his assistant.
>"Make yourself useful and go get him whatever he needs."
>"Are you sure? Shouldn't we be calling the gua-"
>"Hurry up."
>"... Whatever you say."
>The assistant turns towards you.
>"From Adustus, you said? How do you even know about... Actually, forget it. I don't want to know. How many scales do you need?"
>"Hmm? My research? It's pretty boring right now. Just waiting for an opportunity to actually test the stuff I've made."
>_
-
We need 15 scales.
>"I guess that depends on what size they are. Let's take a look."
-
>"I guess that depends on what size they are. Let's take a look."
>The assistant unlocks one of the cages before rummaging through the various items inside.
>After a few seconds, he pulls out a scale roughly half the size of his torso. It looks heavy.
>The assistant walks over and presents the scale to you.
>_
-
>Did we know they were this big when we accepted the job?
-
>Did we know they were this big when we accepted the job?
>You weren't sure of the exact size, given that you hadn't actually seen the wyvern for yourself. You were hoping that individual scales would be a bit smaller than this, though.
>_
-
>Appraise scales
>Would the scales be accepted broken into pieces or did they have to be full?
>Do we know a method for transporting these scales taking into account their large size?
-
>Appraise scales
>Would the scales be accepted broken into pieces or did they have to be full?
>Do we know a method for transporting these scales taking into account their large size?
>The value of these scales would depend on the buyer.
>To most people, the scales would be worthless. They're far too heavy and cannot be worked with to have any practical use.
>To someone trying to prove the existence of a legend, the scales would be worth a lot more. You would have to know the buyer in order to determine the scale's worth to them.
>If someone knew a method of working with the scales, the scales would be of immense value to them. The defensive power of these scales is unrivaled.
>If you knew a method of breaking these scales into pieces, they wouldn't be very special.
>Once you leave the labyrinth, there should be a carriage waiting for you that you could load the scales onto. As for getting the scales outside, you'll most likely have to carry them unless you can think of an alternative method.
>_
-
>Do we know the identity of the client/buyer and the reason they wanted the scales?
-
>Do we know the identity of the client/buyer and the reason they wanted the scales?
>The client is a slave, owned by the current generation's hero. You do not know their name.
>You do not know why they wanted the scales.
>_
-
>Assess surrounding people for persuasive leverage: researcher, assistant, beastwoman, blond man, redheaded man.
Even if we got each person to help us carry the scales, it would take 3 trips, unless the men are much stronger than us.
>Do we know how the wyvern died?
-
>Assess surrounding people for persuasive leverage: researcher, assistant, beastwoman, blond man, redheaded man.
>Do we know how the wyvern died?
>What exactly would you be looking for?
>You do not. As far as your knowledge goes, Adustus should still be captive somewhere within the labyrinth.
>_
-
>How far is the labyrinth exit from here? If we leave, will we be able to come back in for multiple scale-carrying trips?
-
>How far is the labyrinth exit from here? If we leave, will we be able to come back in for multiple scale-carrying trips?
>Not very. After leaving the laboratory and exiting through the wooden door, a flight of stairs is all that separates you from the outside world.
>You should be able to, assuming that there are no objections from your party.
>_
-
>What was the purpose of getting ourselves stuck in the dungeon to begin with if it's easy to get inside and out? Was there something else we wanted to accomplish here?
-
>What was the purpose of getting ourselves stuck in the dungeon to begin with if it's easy to get inside and out? Was there something else we wanted to accomplish here?
>Normally, it wouldn't be that easy. The guards stationed all around the entry to the labyrinth to prevent someone from discovering it by accident would have stopped you long before you came anywhere close to it.
>Other than collecting the scales, you have no pressing business to attend to within the labyrinth.
>_
-
>Would the client happen to be a beastperson?
>If the client is a slave, who is paying us for this request?
-
>Would the client happen to be a beastperson?
>If the client is a slave, who is paying us for this request?
>The client is human.
>Either the slave or the hero. You aren't entirely sure about which of the two actually made the request.
>_
-
>Would it be within our means and would we have the capability to pay our companions if we needed to do so to persuade them to help us?
>Appraise the slime. Do we recognize it?
-
>Would it be within our means and would we have the capability to pay our companions if we needed to do so to persuade them to help us?
>Appraise the slime. Do we recognize it?
>You currently have nothing of value on your person, barring your knife.
>There wouldn't be many people willing to pay much for ownership of a monster. You probably wouldn't even be able to raise a single coin for it.
>You do not recognize this particular breed of slime but, then again, you always had difficulty telling slimes apart.
>_