what in sam hill is going on here?!

Dude, this looks really bad. In various ways.

she REALLY doesn't want us to touch her, so say "i'll take my hand away, scream and i'll poke you with the orb, understand?"

Hey, kid. Headbutt and kick in the groin. Run and look for help.

>>383364
[Block that]
((Oi, dude, guy in green is our buddy, and, proper context, things looked really really suspicious/incriminating for the gal.))

>>383366
Block your own ass. I'm not buying your shit. Anyway, until proven otherwise, I'm not going to help Green to choke Blue.

>>383368
>>383366
to both of you, we are on green, so yeah.

>>383369
I don't recall signing any term sheet. Out of my turf, I help whoever I want.

Kill blue kid and use her flesh and bones to forge a fear engine with which you shall conquer the afterlife.

Seriously though, what the hell is going on?

Player is wanted by the guards.
He just mercy killed an ant demon before climbing into the church through a secret passage.
I'm betting he grabbed the girl to keep her from screaming and alerting the guards to where he is.

>>383372
And to clarify, he is wanted by the guards because he run by their blockade of the demon infested mine (which he proved demon infested) because the only thing they were doing was block it for the safety of would be adventurers who would die down there. Oh, and they didn't believe him there was an invasion which he stopped.

>What do
"Listen, sorry, I shouldn't have grabbed you but I panicked. I am gonna let you go, please let me explain myself before you scream for the guards; but I am letting you go regardless"
then let her go.

>>383373
Yeah, sounds good. Got a weapon, kid? Keep one ready to cut her throat if she does scream. If you don't have one, get one ASAP.

>>383375
Hero does NOT automatically obey us, he is a VERY nice guy and he thinks kinda lowly of us due to us being perverts, xenophiles, psychos, etc... please do not exacerbate his bad view of us making him less receptive of us
He is not gonna cut her, that would be wrong. And while we have personal disagreement with lia she is not a bad a person, we can just run away from the guards, we are only running in order to save the town from incompetent guards and demonic invasions... the town which has firends of ours which love lia btw so that is another reason not to murder her or even threaten her with bodily harm.
Oh, and he has a sword (ancestral) and a halbard (stolenborrowed from the guard).

You can find the 8 previous threads here
http://tgchan.org/wiki/Dungeon_Game:_The_Quest

Okay, thanks. I'd just like to note that Hero is going to be screwed if she does scream, so at least be ready to gag her again.

- Player 2012/01/30(Mon)07:56 No. 383381 ID: 37a94c
File 132793901034.png - (39.57KB , 800x600 , r001-0010-002.png )

>what in sam hill
What do you think its going on, I'm wanted by the guard in this place!

>release her
That's a horrible idea on so many counts! I did panic though-- its a miracle nobody heard us yet!

>threaten with the orb
Lia: "Mrrrmnphmmmnph!"
"Oh come on! You better stop that or I'll poke you with the orb!"
Lia:"Mrrrmnnnnph!!"

That only made her angrier

- Player 2012/01/30(Mon)07:57 No. 383382 ID: 37a94c
File 132793907835.png - (39.07KB , 800x600 , r001-0010-003.png )

>kick in the groin

>THUMP!<
That was clo-- hey, stop giving her ideas! Whose side are you on?!

>>383381
Tell her we found out about the Ant Queeen...

Remember the razor? 'Someone' gave it to her.

i think just explain you are tired of all the bullshit.

yo girl, calm down.
You don't need to worry about nothin', this is like in them legends where the hero is hunted for whatever reason, probably framed of something and everybody hates him, and then he goes off and does his notable heroic thing. Come on, this guy wasn't a dick earlier, obviously. Just a kind-hearted dude over his head and paranoid about getting caught.

Girl, you gotta let us do the heroic thing, whatever it ends up being. I promise it'll stick out like that. We can hear your thoughts(I hope), let's all have a discussion in this ball here and talk things out. Because we're totally gonna get this guy to be a hero and shit. And don't call bullshit on all of that because all legends start from sort of truth and I bet your ass there's been plenty of heroes in this situation before, including the part about trying to keep an innocent third-party woman quiet when guards are looking for them.

You know what... just start explaining and then release while explaining.

There is a direct connection between the church and the demon warrens, I need to show it to you and the guards need to seal and secure it to prevent further invasion.

>>383382
So why exactly was a priestess consorting with demons?

>>383414
She wasn't, the connection has been unused for a long time judging by the dust. Although the queen ant location kinda blocked it and now that she is dead it is more likely to be used.

Well at least she can hear us. Hey babe calm down, you know he isn't going to do you any harm. Just relax and be quiet, and he can let go of you and explain everything that went on in that place. As opposed to hearing us talk about it for him. Please..?

>>383382

Why are you both so close together without a chaperone? You really shouldn't be, people might talk.

Wait.

Young man just where exactly are you putting your other hand on that young lady!?

Lia... Lia, calm down... just stop and calm down. You know you aren't being attacked, so just stop yelling into his hand, and he'll let you go, and you can talk... talk like people.

Lots has happened and I'm sure you wanna hear about it, and we'll tell you, but right now you have to not scream or shout or make any loud noises that will attract attention.

- Player 2012/01/31(Tue)03:55 No. 383599 ID: 37a94c
File 132801091164.png - (38.96KB , 800x600 , r001-0010-004.png )

>chaperone
Oh shut up! This is awkward enough as it is!

>Ant Queen
"Stop struggling already! I know about the Queen in your basement!!"

- Player 2012/01/31(Tue)03:57 No. 383600 ID: 37a94c
File 132801103111.png - (38.26KB , 800x600 , r001-0010-005.png )

There we go, shocking her a bit worked.

"Look. We need. To talk. I'll release your mouth, but no screaming ok?"
Lia: "Mmmnhmn-mmnh."

- Player 2012/01/31(Tue)03:57 No. 383601 ID: 37a94c
File 132801106437.png - (44.31KB , 800x600 , r001-0010-006.png )

Lia: "RAAAAAAAAPIIIIIIIIISTTTTTT!!!!!"

- Player 2012/01/31(Tue)04:01 No. 383602 ID: 37a94c
File 132801126920.png - (40.35KB , 800x600 , r001-0010-007.png )

My mistake. I guess she can't be reasoned with just yet.
Lia: "MMmnh! Mmnhhmnpmmmnhph!!"

>connection
It didnt go straight to her door. There are loads and loads of boxes and shelves down that damp basement -- I think its a library or something. There was a cabinet in front of the passage and all, maybe it was forgotten.

Or she just wanted to forget it.

>>383602
Well lets start by telling her what we have found out. About giant ants in the basement and all of that weird shit.

Actually you know what, you don't both need to talk. You talk, she listens. Then you release her, she yells her lungs out while you run away.

>>383602

give her a smooch to see if that doesn't shut her up.

failing that, break out some chloroform.

>>383635
he isn't ACTUALLY a rapist you know...

Just slam her a few times against a wall. Cats!

No, we are not killing her, for one thing that wouldn't be gentlemanly. We do have rope, right? I don't need to draw a diagram do I?

>>383640
Rouging up a priestess doesn't seem conducive to our continued operations in this locale.

I guess we might have to pull out the threat of touching her mind after all? At least to stun her enough to bind her if she won't stop wriggling.

Nothing for it but to wait for her to get tired of trying to scream. Inbetween her attempts to scream, explain what you know.

As I recall she had a superiority complex, as well as a rock-solid belief that the church made the right choices in sealing the dungeon instead of actually dealing with the problem.

I don't like the idea of being forced on her. She's got her own reasons for not wanting to handle us, and they are probably good ones.

Drag her back to the dungeon if you can, where you can then presumably talk without her screaming rape

Ugh this is ridiculous, we either need to communicate with her directly by putting us on her or you get her down into the basement so no one can hear her.

The question for Lia is if she's going to sooner trust you or us.

>>383602
"I'd say I'm offended, but I'll just write that off as you trying to be a jerk to me.
Lets try it this way: I talk, you listen, you give what answers you can manage with your mouth covered.
What poor woman was turned into that demon ant queen?
Why does the exit from their nest lead right here?
Why does everything I find keep pointing to you having close ties to demons?"

- Player 2012/02/01(Wed)04:13 No. 383765 ID: 37a94c
File 132809841725.png - (40.78KB , 800x600 , r001-0010-008.png )

>slam her
>doesnt seem conductive
I don't know, it sounds pretty tempting.

>smooch, chloroform
Colorwhat?

>telling her what we found out
>You talk, she listens

"We're playing your game then. I know about the Ant Queen now."
Lia: "Mmnrrrrmnph!"

"I know about the little passage in the basement down to her nest."

- Player 2012/02/01(Wed)04:15 No. 383766 ID: 37a94c
File 132809853591.png - (39.63KB , 800x600 , r001-0010-009.png )

"I just had to kill a poor woman who lived in the dark breeding demonic ants. The two commies I offed yesterday were up and about in the caves."
Lia: "Mnnph..."
"You keep saying you don't know much, yet you keep hiding stuff from me; I don't have a very high opinion of you right now, ok?"
Lia: ...

- Player 2012/02/01(Wed)04:15 No. 383767 ID: 37a94c
File 132809855770.png - (37.66KB , 800x600 , r001-0010-010.png )

"Now you either calm DOWN, or we'll have this conversation down in the dungeon where nobody can hear you scream."
Lia: ...
"So?"

- Player 2012/02/01(Wed)04:17 No. 383768 ID: 37a94c
File 132809863595.png - (39.87KB , 800x600 , r001-0010-011.png )

Lia: "... this isn't what it looks like."
"You're not giving me too many options, you know."

Now that's something I never thought I'd hear from a priestess. I think she's ready for questioning now.

alright then, explain

Then explain this shit, because as it stands, none of this makes the slightest sense except that you are hiding some very, very dangerous things in your basement that wouldn't mind climbing up here and eating/enslaving us all.

>>383768

Well, get the facts straight first. If this isn't what it looks like, then what IS it?

Because it -looks- like some of the clergy had been talking to the new ant queen at least once or on a semi-regular basis. An ant queen who, sometime in the last seven years had been brought to the ants' lair to replace the former ant queen that died (or perhaps the old ant queen never died, and that was a lie told to us by Lia), and there she languished in utter loneliness up to the point where she was willing to talk a confused adventurer into killing her.

So, yeah, let Lia enlighten us. What is the truth of this particular secret, unguarded dungeon entrance, the ant queen and her other (presumably clergy) visitors? We're all ears, here.

Now, let it be said, I don't think Lia is or has been of malicious intent or connected to the commies. Remember, the ant queen implied she herself had never been part of demonic society either, meaning so far it looks like they've only been in touch with the ant queen.

One more thing. Something IS going on here, and if Lia doesn't know what, at least she might still be convinced to support you, particularly if you show some understanding towards her here. The dinner went very poorly, yes, but we can still mend things. If you're gonna get to the bottom of what's going on, I do think you will have to work together. As an acolyte she has know-how of demons that you do not, plus she IS skilled at identifying items. If you can win her trust and respect, if not her friendship, then that's a very good thing for you, see?

It's not like you need -more- people antagonistic towards you in this town.

Y'know, I feel like I walked in on something important.

Is this a bad time?

"Well, explain, then."

- Player 2012/02/02(Thu)05:41 No. 383920 ID: c14bac
File 132819006351.png - (37.97KB , 800x600 , r001-0010-012.png )

"Well, explain then! Let's start with the unguarded backdoor entrance."
Lia: "Hrmnph. It wasn't 'unguarded'."
"Right. Nice rock trap, by the way."
Lia: "Does it look like you can move an army trough that? And it leads straight into a church; any demon would drop dead the moment they stepped into hallowed ground."
"I wouldn't put my silver on that. Who else knows about that path?"
Lia: "Just Sun and the Father. Maybe Kay and Sho- Manuel. They're smart enough to think about it. Its part of the church's original project."

- Player 2012/02/02(Thu)05:41 No. 383921 ID: c14bac
File 132819009769.png - (38.17KB , 800x600 , r001-0010-013.png )

"The what? Why the cats would a church need a backdoor into the caves?"
Lia: "We're a secretive record-keeping religion, we hoard up dungeon stuff up, and you have a problem with a secret passage?"

Somehow, thats a very good point.

>>383921
Secrets liiiike demons with shotshell guns?

Given that the rest of us 'common folk' are stuck with hand forged blades (excepting the admittedly unusual Miss K) I fail to see how the church hiding the knowledge of them is for the greater good.

Not that being secret hoarding really explains why 'someone' from up top was having conversations with that ant queen, the ant queen who begged me for death?

>>383921
"I do when it leads to tortured women forced to birth armies of demons.
What project could justify that?"

I think we do have a problem with a secret passage that leads directly to the ant queen. And it wasn't as if she had just moved there; being trapped in that room was exactly the reason she was miserable.

You know, at some point we should ask her something along the lines of this:
"I know you don't trust me, but do you have any other plan for stopping this House Darkhope?
If you have a way to protect the town that does not involve me fighting an army of gun-toting mages that would be great but the status quo of a dungeon and a few uninformed guards has already come incredibly close to failing."

Alright, let's hold back on the moral outrage here a bit. The gun thing has been done to death already (or at least to a one-hit KO), and we have no knowledge of whether the church's original mission had anything to do with the ant queen.

That said, point or not, she didn't answer your question, Player. What project? And what of the ant queen and the people she claimed to have spoken to?

Still seems like a liability..Like when something not a demon makes it though. Imagine if Greenie wasn't such a nice guy? Get her to spill the beans on this church project thing.

Agreed, outrage is kinda ridiculous given that we've been demons, souls of the damned, et cetera. Let's just find out what's going on.

- Player 2012/02/03(Fri)16:08 No. 384153 ID: c14bac
File 132831410504.png - (39.05KB , 800x600 , r001-0010-014.png )

"I have a problem with 'projects' that leads to tortured women birthing demon armies."
Lia: "Whu- wha-- Where did you get that from?!"
"Then why you'd need that secret passage into the dungeon?"
Lia: "Because Lord Byron is crazy! He was building this dungeon just to hold detractors! The congregation wanted to be ready if he ever used it!"

Man, I hope this doesn't make any sense.

- Player 2012/02/03(Fri)16:08 No. 384154 ID: c14bac
File 132831412418.png - (38.08KB , 800x600 , r001-0010-015.png )

"This doesn't explain how the Queen was meeting someone from topside."
Lia: "Not trough the passage I assure. Although..."
"... although?"
Lia: "Mmmmnh.... remember when I told you about the group that cleaned the ants, years ago?"

- Player 2012/02/03(Fri)16:08 No. 384155 ID: c14bac
File 132831413680.png - (37.30KB , 800x600 , r001-0010-016.png )

They spent weeks going back to those caves. The infestation seemed to be over after the first few incursions, yet they insisted it wasn't over. Around the second month they admitted it was over, and were sent on their way.

I remember I found all that pretty strange at the time...

- Player 2012/02/03(Fri)16:10 No. 384156 ID: c14bac
File 132831423055.png - (40.29KB , 800x600 , r001-0010-017.png )

.. so I snatched one of the medical daggers and went down the passage. I remember I thought they were stashing 'misplaced' goods in the dungeon. I studied the maps, and was sure I could find anything they might have left.

I didn't expect her to be right under the trapdoor...

- Player 2012/02/03(Fri)16:11 No. 384158 ID: c14bac
File 132831427989.png - (94.36KB , 800x600 , r001-0010-018.png )

.. and to have the sweetest voice I had ever heard.

- Player 2012/02/03(Fri)16:18 No. 384159 ID: c14bac
File 132831471478.png - (35.94KB , 800x600 , r001-0010-019.png )

Lia: "It took me a couple weeks, but I managed to loosen one of the basement's blocks and seal the trapdoor. Nobody ever questioned anything. I.. might have visited her there in the meantime, how could I not? She was right under there... mmmmnh...."

I'm not even questioning that. She probably never hunted anything in her life, she ain't made for killing.

Lia: "... and really, I don't... I should have seen it happen, but I couldn't believe something so innocent could... I really messed this up."

wryly "We all make mistakes, sometimes."

Although there might be another queen... can you bring yourself to murder a child in cold blood?

"i didn't want to ether, but she was in pain. it wasn't murder, it was freedom, a gift"

>>384159

"Well, do you have any ideas on how to fix this?"

You were not wrong, she wasn't doing it willingly. She brought me there to explain and begged me to end her misery.

>>384159
"Yes. She was innocent. She had no control over anything; she was their slave, her body being abused against her wishes.
Even after being tormented and alone in the dark for so long she wasn't angry, just... sad.

I can't fault you for not being able to kill her, but... It doesn't matter anymore.
What remained of her body reverted to human when she died. You can at least give her a proper funeral."

Hand over the antenna.

"I took this. I don't know what you can do, but we figured you might be able to learn something from it.

So, your church was planning on freeing political prisoners from the dungeon? I respect that, so I'll keep it to myself.

I had another run in with those two demons I killed. They're preparing an army to genocide us, and they seem to be days away from launching a full-scale assault on the town. Even if we could ask for help instantly they wouldn't have enough time to get here.
The demons said something about revenge for summoning angels against them; I dunno what that's about.

This is too big for me to handle, Lia. I can't fight an army by myself, and maybe three people here would evacuate if said they should. I don't know what I did to make you hate me so much, but neither of us wants to see these people die.
Do I need to become a priest to get the tools and information I need? I'll do anything I can to save this town, Lia. Please, help me."

>>384178
Goddamnit seven but you are good at being manipulative.

>>384178
upvoted

>>384178

Wow, this.

>>384178
This seems a bit too elaborate.

Player, grab some truth out of that where you can find it, and just rephrase it in your own words.

>>384159
She didn't mean to- she was literally a prisoner of her own body. Also, a demonic invasion is coming, and it's coming NOW.

Do we really need to -always- try and put complete sentences in Player's mouth, guys? It's tempting to try and give him a 'perfect' response, I know, I've attempted it myself more than once, but giving him multiple options (particularly one which is an entire speech and spiel) when he has to remember and pass on all of this in real-time sounds more like a recipe for confusion than... whatever it is we're trying to persuade him to say here.

>>384242

It really does, doesn't it? Especially the claim about a demonic invasion. We have no real proof of there being an actual -invasion- on the way, other than the incursion Player foiled (and that was 'just' one big demon supported by her fury-get, plus the two commies) and the alarming notion that the demons are -still- being intent on pulling off whatever they came here to do, even with the garrison alerted. They're up to something big, no doubt about it, but an invasion? No proof of that particular scenario. Not yet.

Anyway, let me sum up my (numerous) thoughts.

-Lord Byron is a crazy tyrant. Great. Explains why he invested so much in this dungeon, as well as why the church has a secret entrance. Nothing dire, just bad (and good) intentions.

-Lia is innocent of being a commie collaborator. She's not innocent of having more than an ounce of compassion, which I find it hard to blame her for. Cats, I can find nobody truly at fault here, except demon biology. It's a tale of compassion and tragedy told in painful prose.

Mysteries explained, tragedies revealed, give Lia some space, and move on to less depressing matters. Like stuff we -ought- to be doing:

-Player, you should inform Lia of the two commies (Stahlvern and Johnathan) you wrangled with, as well as what we got out of the encounter; chiefly that they're in a rush to scout or clear the caves and make sure it's safe for House Darkhope, so that this House can enact some kind of 'revenge' for bringing down the angels on the demons.

-Show Lia the shotgun shells as clear proof of the demons' firearms. You should still have 18 of them, right? Maybe you can cash them in for silver. Useless to you without a gun, after all.

-You could ask if Lia knows anything about 'the angels of the mountain'? Stahlvern mentioned it. Is it just a reference to the Host, or to something a bit more specific?

-You're definitely gonna need more holy water for your fourth dungeon delve. A cooperative Lia might get you some. Give her some slack, give her some space, and for the love of cats and angels, let her go. I doubt she'll run away screaming and yelling rapist now.

-Lia told you about linked lifelines... yesterday, wasn't it? Tell her that the orb has confirmed that the two commies are Linked and that they're not dying when you kill them. Ask how you might, theoretically, sever the link and kill them, or if your only option is to lock them up KO'd somewhere.

-The other party of adventurers, years ago, was pretty blatantly UP TO SOMETHING. Considering what's going on... who knows if it has any relevance? Might want to ask for their names and professions, just in case.

Cats, that turned out long-winded. Do whatever you think best first, Player. I'm just listing options.

Oh. And congratulations on becoming a fiver. Shame it had to be in such a sad manner.

>It really does, doesn't it? Especially the claim about a demonic invasion. We have no real proof of there being an actual -invasion- on the way, other than the incursion Player foiled (and that was 'just' one big demon supported by her fury-get, plus the two commies) and the alarming notion that the demons are -still- being intent on pulling off whatever they came here to do, even with the garrison alerted. They're up to something big, no doubt about it, but an invasion? No proof of that particular scenario. Not yet.
There were not that many demons in the actual squad sent, but there were significantly more involved in the magical support for the attack. If those guys in the attack force were powerful enough to do all that teleportation, telepresence, and mass hexing on their own they would have beaten us easily.

And any plan on the demon's part that includes decimating the town guard as step one is probably at least as serious as an invasion.

- Player 2012/02/04(Sat)12:22 No. 384269 ID: c14bac
File 132838692186.png - (37.35KB , 800x600 , r001-0010-020.png )

"You were not all that wrong, y'know."
Lia: "Mmnh?..."
"She wasn't even angry about the whole thing, just ... sad? Tired, I guess. From being a sort-of slave of herself there. I seriously wonder if she ... somehow led me to her."
Lia: "... mn?"
"It was weird."

- Player 2012/02/04(Sat)12:22 No. 384270 ID: c14bac
File 132838694432.png - (40.33KB , 800x600 , r001-0010-021.png )

"And it doesn 't matter anymore. We all have our share of mistakes."
Lia: ?

- Player 2012/02/04(Sat)12:24 No. 384271 ID: c14bac
File 132838704994.png - (38.19KB , 800x600 , r001-0010-022.png )

Now, I have ... this. I guessed someone could learn something from this thing.
Lia: "... celestial Host, is that hers?"
"Yeah. There was a problem with the rest of her--
Lia: "Leave on my desk. I'll write you a bounty."

... ehr, don't really know how to follow from here. She's somewhat distressed.

Uuuh, I didn't expect more posts while I was trying to write. So, don't mind if I'm not addressing much here

>>384271
"Didn't take it for the bounty. Figured you might be able to find a cure or a way to much with demon ants heads or somethin'. Her body turned humanish after she died, it's right in there.

Lia, I ran into those demons I killed again. They're some kinda scouts; the town's gonna be attacked soon. Something about revenge for angel summoning.

This is bad. I need your help.

>Lia, I ran into those demons I killed again. They're some kinda scouts; the town's gonna be attacked soon. Something about revenge for angel summoning.

Yes this is the important thing.

they also have a positive link. she should understand it like this "their HP says zero out of zero"

Eeeh. Bounty schmounty. It doesn't feel right to accept payment for having given a 'gift' like that. Or what, Player? I know it leaves a sour taste in my metaphorical mouth, anyway, but I guess money is money.

That said, you can't go and buy anything with paper scrip from Manuel anyway (since he'll probably be happy to turn you over to the guards), at least not without going through someone like Lia or Miss K and even they will be asked pointed questions if they turn in a temple bounty scrip since they're not adventurers. Maybe you could ask Lia if she could give you a few of the holy water bottles instead. You'll need more of those.

>>384268

Well, first of all, an invasion is like, scaled on the level of countries, alright? An attack on just a single village isn't an invasion. It's more like... a raid? An attack of opportunity? Something. I'm probably just mincing words, but it just feels wrong to call it an invasion so far.

Secondly, I got the impression that 'gating' and whatnot was somewhat resource-demanding. Not something they could pull off with a snap of the fingers. It required time and blood and probably not a little magical 'oomph', so to speak, and the guards themselves not being alerted and wary of sleep hexes (which I bet they are now). Heck, even the twin deaths said what the demons did was supposed to be impossible. Hmm. I wonder if they've told the other one by now. The one whose job was monitoring all of that. Ah well.

Thirdly, if we really were talking about a full-scale invasion, wouldn't there be more than a single demon House involved, d'you think? I do believe there's an attack of some kind on the way and a plot of some kind going on, but not on the level of an invasion. Maybe House Darkhope has found some super-effective way to get back at the humans (and/or the Host) and are trying to enact that plan? That's what I'm thinking right now. Charlotte did brag they were capable sorcerers, and from what we've seen they're messing with the fabric of reality in a manner that would be bad.

Luckily, from the impression I get, they haven't got all their pieces in the right places yet. They were close, but then Player disrupted that. No, there's still stuff they need, people to put bring to the fore and put in play. They want the garrison out of the picture to prepare for something else, I think. Something more.

Granted, that's all speculation. It could've just been a bog-standard slave raid, that they're now preparing to have a second go at.

- Player 2012/02/05(Sun)07:10 No. 384419 ID: 4efb0f
File 132845465957.png - (36.48KB , 800x600 , r001-0010-023.png )

"Eh, I didn't carry this for the bounty, y'know? I just thought it could be of some use."
Lia: "I can't just leave you empty-handed, specially if it turns out to be useful."
"How would I spend the cash anyway? I can't go to Manuel."
Lia: "If you need something, I can go get it for you."
"Eh, no thanks."

I'm not sure about letting her out of my sight.
Although I'm sure it should be the other way...

- Player 2012/02/05(Sun)07:11 No. 384420 ID: 4efb0f
File 132845470846.png - (39.06KB , 800x600 , r001-0010-024.png )

"Changing subjects, I ran into those two demons again."
Lia: "Those two demons?"
"Yeah, there's a pair of commies I've caught scouting the dungeons three times so far. A robed mage and one with shotgun and plate--"
Lia: "Mmmmnhmmmmmn?"
"-- and I killed each at least once, but they aren't big on staying dead."
Lia: "I see. Are you sure you actually killed them?"
"I stuffed the Robes into an iron maiden, I'm pretty sure thats lethal."
Lia: "... humn."

- Player 2012/02/05(Sun)07:12 No. 384421 ID: 4efb0f
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"That got me thinking, you think they have that positive link you told me before?"
Lia: "That.... is a pretty big assumption, I really don't know. Soulbound slaves are a known fact, but the 'positive link' is just a story. They're from Darkhope?"
"Pretty sure they are. They also said something about revenge for summoning the angels."
Lia: "That doesn't make much sense, the angels are gone for almost fourteen hundred years."

- Player 2012/02/05(Sun)07:13 No. 384422 ID: 4efb0f
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Lia: "Mmmnh, what do you think?"
"Whatever is going on, I think its too big for me alone. I'm going to need help."
Lia: "Mmmn, not counting the guards, I think we're a few cycles away from any possible help."

then the only other way is the seal. destroy the tunnel the demons will use to get out.

- Player 2012/02/05(Sun)12:59 No. 384475 ID: 4efb0f
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".. what if we sealed the dungeon?"
Lia: "Hrmn, thats.. not trivial. The front hall is huge, and pretty solid. We'd need to detonate the individual entrances to it instead."
"... and any other possible passages, like airways... I thought a prison would have more chokepoints."
Lia: "They never finished building it, remember? ... maybe sealing the dungeon isn't such a good idea."
"Yeah... at least with how things are now, we know where they'll be coming from."

>>384421
"The HP of those two reads as 0/0. I don't know what that means.
The way they talked about those angels is like they were there for it. They didn't believe I had no clue what they were talking about. It's like they thought we're the same people from way back then. Just how long can demons live?

I think the only way we can stop them from moving in en-masse before help arrives is to collapse the main entrance, then have Father go into these sopping-wet ant tunnels and bless the water. They can't enter the church, but I'm pretty sure they could destroy it.

If you want to give me something for her antenna, then give me sanctuary and help me work things out with the guards.

And... I'm sorry for being so hostile before, Lia. Things are a mess, everybody's in danger, and there's nobody else here who'll go in there and help, but I shouldn't have taken it out on you."

Then I suppose SOMEBODY needs to find and mark all the entrances. Ahem, ahem.

not the dungeon, the place connecting the demon town and the dungeon together. would force them to find a long way around.
also we need to add more money to it. if the dungeon gets more coins the summon population will go up, making it much harder for the demons to move around. holy water also worked wonders, didn't kill him but it completely immobilized one of them.

and yes just say "had 0/0 HP" lia should understand.

as
>>384565
said, the deamons don't seem to live in the dungeon itself, it we could cut off that entrance?

Failing that... there might not be enough resources to hold the town against all possible secret entrances. The church is holy ground, yes, but I doubt that will stop guns and cannon.

We might have to evacuate if the threat cannot be stopped, but I doubt I have enough evidence to convince the town to do such a thing.

I'm really not sure if the zero-slash-zero HP will mean anything to Lia. Remember, people here don't see the basic rules of their reality as we do. Lia -might- be different in that regard thanks to her special power, but even so, how would she understand the deeper meanings of what it meant? She's not a mage, just a clergy scholar.

Plus, if she thinks we're constantly feeding Player lines just to annoy her with inane gibberish, she might be more reluctant to talk to him. She really doesn't trust us, after all.

Anyway, if she wants to aid you, Player... holy water. Getsum. At least three flasks would be good. One each for the two commies, and one spare, just in case.

You could also hand her the shotgun shells for extra credit. I doubt you could sell them to Manuel, what with the temple secrecy surrounding their nature and all. Maybe it would make her trust your intentions more too, if you show her that you're willing to aid her in keeping effective firearms a sort-of-secret.

We can just describe them as something like "possessing no vital force, and capable of none."

>>384623

Oh. Hey, speaking of the shotgun, I was reviewing your first foray into the dungeon, and do you remember the dead girl in the room with the arcing electricity? How there were holes in the wall and support behind her and big blood spatters? There was speculation that it might've been done by a shotgun back then, but... now that we know what we know, this is pretty obvious.

Her corpse was pretty decayed, so that tells us, supported by the janitor summon's testimony, that the demons have been around for a while, doing this. Probably using the gun to kill summons for cash. I wonder if they were proactively killing crawlers, or if they just happened upon her.

- Player 2012/02/06(Mon)04:57 No. 384752 ID: 4efb0f
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>find and mark all the entrances
"I'll need to scout the dungeon for possible entrances then. Got a map?"
Lia: "Mnh, I can copy you a blueprint. It won't be accurate, but should serve your purposes."
"Can I have two or three bottles of holy water too? Take it as part of the bounty."
Lia: "Mn, can't see why not. Anything else?"

- Player 2012/02/06(Mon)04:58 No. 384753 ID: 4efb0f
File 132853310602.png - (23.55KB , 800x600 , r001-0010-029.png )

"Could I.. get sanctuary in the church, as part of the bounty? ..."
Lia: "Out of question. That depends on the Father, and he'd turn you in without a thought."
"Where is the merciful, understanding man I've met?"
Lia: "You 're not the first to commit a mistake and try to hide behind our doors. And we can't go undermining those who protect us."

- Player 2012/02/06(Mon)04:59 No. 384754 ID: 4efb0f
File 132853317185.png - (22.36KB , 800x600 , r001-0010-030.png )

"Speaking of violence, you seem pretty fine for someone who--"
Lia: "Healing potion."
"Isn't that a bit overkill?"
Lia: "Kay fractured my jaw. "
"Oh."

Note to self. Never have a fight with Kay.

- Player 2012/02/06(Mon)05:01 No. 384755 ID: 4efb0f
File 132853331872.png - (35.24KB , 800x600 , r001-0010-031.png )

>HP 0/0
Again this nonsense, but if you insist.

"Does 'HP zero slash zero' mean anything to you?"
Lia: "... that's more of their nonsense, isnt it?"
"Yes. Does it?"
Lia: "... no. Should it?"
"Probably not."
Lia: "Anything else?"

See? Nothing. Can we stop that now?

Player acquired Map (Byron 's Dungeon)
Player acquires 3 Holy Water