Topic: Web of Life: A Drider's Adventure (Ended) (Read 186025 times)

Liquefied Spleens · « **Reply #675 on:** June 01, 2017, 04:51:55 pm »

Do you think they have a back-entrance?
To a basement? I don't think they even have a damned window.
A woman can dream... I could send one of my rats down there to have a look-see.
We can't. The door has a jingly thing above it, we can't open it without making too much noise. Trust me, an innkeeper can hear their doors from a long distance.
Speaking from experience, your father was indeed capable of recognizing his door above all others. It can't be denied that people will single out the most important sound in their economic lives. Nothing is more capable in changing a person than the possibility of money. You stop yourself before you go on a tangent about money.
Well... I'll follow your lead. You know more about stealth than I do, I bet.
Right, right... Stay behind me, and don't make a noise unless you need to. And keep that blade at the ready.

The door opens with a painfully loud squeak, but it doesn't seem to affect anything. The noises downstairs don't seem to stop, and they're still just as dreadful to hear as before. You clench your teeth as the noise seems to reverb around your skull as you wander downwards. Your companion seems less affected, though it's hard to tell with the sheer volume of clothing she has on. After a short while, you realize that this staircase couldn't possibly lead to a cellar. You've been wandering down for almost a full minute now! The ceiling also becomes rougher, and the occasional stalactite even appears up top. Small teardrops, really, nothing special... But it does mean you're entering a natural cave under the town. You also smell moisture, the thick kind that makes you sweat from the tiniest movements. Soon enough, you feel like you're swimming through the air. Your companion is breathing heavily. She must be boiling under those robes. Eventually, she seems to give up, and removes two layers(!?) of clothing and hands them to you. Considering you're still carrying most of the gear around(though you left the cumbersome, clanky stuff behind in your room), you find some room for it. your companion's feminine form is a lot more visible now, and she's a lot shorter than you thought she was. Despite her small size, she still has a strangely lanky body-type. There's still not a whole lot of her visible, and you feel as though you should be seeing more of her face, but you're still limited to just the lights of her eyes. There's something odd about her...

Eventually, you reach the bottom of the staircase. You've been going down for a whole three minutes, which seemed to crawl forward as your nerves set you on edge. The noise has just become a background noise grinding against your brain, at this point. Staying behind Wildfellow, you wander further into the natural cave. The moisture is quite visible, and the stalactites even create a vague rain effect. It would be beautiful in the right lighting, you bet. But considering you're still hearing a horrible screeching, you can't really appriciate the beauty of the cave right now. Eventually, you come to a corner, and hear human voices. They speak whenever you can't hear the infernal screeching, as if they're talking to it. They speak in monotone, though you hear a faint hint of fear in their voices.
They are but simple scholars, lord... They pose no threat to you.
They're talking about your group...

Keep listening
You can only understand one half of the conversation, but maybe you can still discover something...

Step out and demand an explanation
You won't stand for any more shittery. Whatever's around that corner, you're going to get some answers from it!

Retreat and tell the others
This is clearly about to go bad for your party members. It would be best to warn them.

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I'm happy to see more people. Your scholars will be added when they become relevant again. Which might be very soon.

RAM · « **Reply #676 on:** June 01, 2017, 05:15:38 pm »

Keep listening! It is not as though waiting has cost us anything in the past...

TheBiggerFish · « **Reply #677 on:** June 02, 2017, 12:05:44 pm »

Well I saw this coming a mile away. What do we know about eldritch horrors?

RAM · « **Reply #678 on:** June 02, 2017, 01:16:31 pm »

They like hugs!

Liquefied Spleens · « **Reply #679 on:** June 02, 2017, 06:02:04 pm »

W-we gotta get outta here. Get the rest and leave
You hush her with a movement. You wanna keep listening, figure out what this is about, exactly.
We understand your concern, but that does not justify attacking them! They'll only be emboldened, lord! The voice says. You can't tell if they're concerned for you or for the screeching creature. The screeching continues, and it takes some effort of will not to groan in pain. It cuts through you like a damned knife!
But my lord! We are peaceful here, and we have granted our sacrifice. I-if need be, we shall grant more. These people are not a part of this!
More screeching. You can't get any rhyme or reason out of it.
E-even if we attacked them, we are likely to take losses. They have a drider with them. Even with our abilities, she will prove to be a massive hindrance.
I could tell from her movements she is no stranger to her sword.
A short squeal, this time. Almost childlike, if said child had no idea of what mortal noises where
T-the way she carries the weight of her sword, the armor... Not to mention, I felt a presence in her that knows much more than simple swordplay. She has seen and felt things far worse than even we have felt.
Your companion, sounding nervous, makes a comment: Well, looks like you've got fans... Look, can we go now?

There's got to be more to this, you know there is. It sounds like they don't want to do anything bad to your group...
A-an audience!? But, lord, we have no idea how she will react to you! S-she might even attack you. No. I-it can't be risked!
Well now, this IS interesting.
B-but... It's for your protection, lord. We can't bring in a total unknown! We have kept you safe for thirty-two years, at great cost! We cannot jeopardize our sacrifice for a vague interest! Please, lord! You must understand.
You hear some more screeching and bubbling, but no reply comes.

All at once, you hear footsteps headed in your direction! The splashing of water can be heard as, before you can even turn around properly the innkeeper rushes around the corner wielding a staff with a sea urchin on top, of all things! Her eyes look bugged out, and her teeth are on full display as her lips are pulled back in a not-smile. She seems panicked, and drool is running down her chin. You pull your sword out as your companions rushes away with amazing speed! You never saw legs move as fast as with that lady, but one small gesture of the staff later and a tentacle(!?) flies out of a puddle and grabs her by the chest. You attempt to strike down the innkeeper with a clumsy strike, distracted by the tentacle. She takes the hit to her shoulder, and cries out in pain. Before you can follow up, however, more enemies enter the fray! They aren't people, but look like fish standing on two legs! An appaling mix of scales and humanoid shape, their mere existence is enough to make your stomach tense up in disgust. These creatures SHOULD. NOT. BE! You breathe heavily as they draw their sabers, covered in all sorts of aquatic life, most of them sea barnacles. You shield is raised high, and your sword is poised to strike. The fishcreatures seem unwilling to attack, and look to the innkeeper. She is nursing her shoulder-wound, until she suddenly tears away the hurt piece of flesh and skin, revealing shiny scales underneath. Her face seems to recess backwards, until her eyes don't seem to fit in her skull, and her lips engorge monsterously. Soon, she looks more like a human skin stretched over a fish! You take a step backwards, your mind reeling from the transformation.
A-almost at the switch, Sydney... These things are horrid!

You stand there in a stalemate. The fish fear you, and you are bolted to the spot by their bulging eyes, sharp teeth and horrid smell. Suddenly, however, a screech comes from around the corner, louder than all the others. You scream in pain as it tears through your skull seems to splinter apart! Soon, the noise stops, and the fish back off. The innkeeper speaks.
T-the lord wishes to s-speak to you... P-please comply. W-w-we d-don't want to h-hu.... The words seem to die in her throat. She's terrified, although it doesn't seem to show on her bulging, abhorrent face. It's so odd to see the creature speak with such a normal voice. A normal woman's sounds coming from a bulging and twisted neck.
Let her go, first! You gesture to your companion, still bound by a tentacle, and still desperately trying to get loose. You didn't even notice her screams of pure terror as the attack began. She isn't hurt, though
S-she is a... A bargaining chip! W-we keep her, and you don't hurt our lord!
If you hurt her, I'll tear you limb from bloody limb. You're still breathing heavy. You need to make an effort to stay calm.
So don't try anything...
They seem to be just as scared of you as you are disgusted with them.

Take them up on their offer, talk to this "lord".
You need to keep Wildfellow safe. Nobody's dying under your watch!

Play hardball. Either Wilfellow gets released, or you don't do a damned thing!
If they give her to you, you might want to plan ahead. Or have a plan if they don't give her to you

Kill them now!
They're scared and distracted. If you work fast, maybe you can kill them before they harm Wildfellow?

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Planning ahead is not only wise, but encouraged!

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crazyabe · « **Reply #680 on:** June 02, 2017, 06:08:06 pm »

Take them up on their offer, talk to this "lord".

TheBiggerFish · « **Reply #681 on:** June 02, 2017, 07:28:22 pm »

We would vastly prefer Wildfellow be let go or released to us. That said, we do understand their concern.

RAM · « **Reply #682 on:** June 02, 2017, 08:31:20 pm »

Is the urchin-on-a-stick alive? If not, an animate vermin on it would be juicy if it is intact enough. It ought to be able to avoid jabbing someone, and we can always blow it up...

For the most part though, it seems awfully presumptuous of them to need a guarantee of our honesty, when they were so inclined to renege on the promise of hospitality that we traded for in good faith. Hrmm, this seems like the perfect time for a song. A bit to calm the nerves, a bit to give these second-rate horrors a taste of the bizarre, and finally to keep Goodfellow noisy. If she goes quiet, then we know to gut every little fishy that was fool enough to leave the safety of the ocean.

The inn could use a good guard dog. See if you can tell your hound to start waking people.

As for a plan? It sounds as though they have a cult here, probably similar to a drider cult but with something aquaticish. They even have the hybrids for it, though these seem a bit more thoughtful and a bit less suicidally obedient than the spider hybrids. There master is probably something pretty tame, like an amalgam of small sea creatures such as squid and urchins acting as a single, cohesive animal or some big, elongated octopus on centipede legs. Probably barely even deformed from a natural creature, the poor tryhard... They are talking about sacrifices, and implying things with your group. And half the village was killed in living memory? Probably civilian sacrifices, one death for one empowerment? The talk of peace and reluctance to pick a fight suggests that their hands were forced last time when they were discovered. Probably has a large cost attached to it, no doubt giant fis amalgams have a large appetite and letting them go hungry is bad for everyone involved... If they want an audience then either they expect to overwhelm us with personal power, or persuade us with reason and charisma. They are certainly delusional, but they might actually have a valid argument for what they want... It seems likely that they either expect to remove us as a threat and forcefully expend our companions on recruitment or have some need of us that their own minions are insufficient for. They seem worried about losses so it could be that it is just dangerous, or there could be some sort of p[[psong force that they can't interfere with directly.

I say go with them. We will clearly maintain our authority, make it clear that we already massacred a cult and killed their god in single combat and are mercifully willing to allow them to persist if they keep their distance. Our people will not be harmed, nor even threatened with harm, as it would be quite entirely impossible for us to bow to such pressure, so making an example of them would be the only option at that point... We are willing to consider assisting them if they offer suffucuent compensation, otherwise we will be rid of them, by peacefully parting ways if they do not obtruct such... On the other hand, if they accost us directly? They wouldn't like us when we are angry...

Upon second thought, Sydney during her episodes and random fish god would probably get along like two peas in a pod provided that they were not competing...

Liquefied Spleens · « **Reply #683 on:** June 03, 2017, 06:09:03 pm »

Free her, first. Then I'll talk to this lord of yours.
You hear a yelp as Wildfellow is unceremoniously dropped. You hear another shout when a second tentacle pushes her towards you. You don't turn to look, keeping your eyes trained at the fish-creatures. It's clear they won't let her go, but you've got plans... You can't quite hear it from here, but you made your dog bark and howl up a storm topside. Soon enough, some people will hear and investigate. But until then...
I'm glad to hear this... Now, please, as an uninitiated, I suggest you avert your gaze from the lord. He goes beyond mortal understanding and may... affect you.
Sure he will. Honestly, see one eldritch abomination, see 'em all. It's bravado, of course. The fish alone disturbed you to the bone. But they don't need to know that.
Then follow me... She turns the corner, and the fishmen clear a path for you and Wildfellow, who is currently clinging to your arm in fear. She's not used to this type of situation, that's clear enough. You hope she'll be able to handle this.

The second you turn the corner, you realize just how deep in the shit you are right now. This lord is a bit more complicated than what you expected. He isn't present in the room around the corner.
He IS the room around the corner. Everywhere you look, there are tentacles covering the walls, floor and everything. Light itself looks to be a plaything of the creature, as all of it just converges into a pathway leading you to a small plateau. The ground where he would wish to talk to you, most likely. Alien thoughts enter your mind as you wander closely, almost indecipherable to your mind. But as you walk, something seems to... Click. You shake your head, squinting you eyes, and slowly the tentacles seem to disappear. At first, they slither away into the ground, but before long they just fade away like snow in the sun. Light returns to it's normal state, and all that remains is a dark brackish lake. You wonder what this is about, but you think you may have enough Insight to see beyond this carefully constructed veil. Looking at your companion, she still seems utterly terrified of what's going on around her, jumping at nothing and carefully stepping to avoid what her mind creates for her. The discovery of the true world is strangely calming. It feels like a victory. You allow Wildfellow to simply cling to you as you step forward without fear. When you step on the little stone platform, the horrid squeaking is replaced by a deep, reverbing voice.
You are an interesting one, longlife. It would almost be an insult to call you merely "interesting". The voice speaks in a monotone, and there is a distinct rattle to the voice.
It would be a compliment to call you disgusting.
Such anger. My sister is not one for your liking, to be sure.
You don't mean...
Not by blood or knowledge. We merely share our mother of oblivion. We came from nothing, to mark a stagnant world with our presence. Though our goals... differ.
What would YOU like, then?
Knowledge. power. I would gaze upon your world, and partake of it in our own time and leisure. She who Gestates would seek to bind it to her, and then destroy it. Then she would move on to the stars, until the last light is snuffed. Then, she would kill Death in a final duel, so all in the universe would be her.
And you merely want to leech us dry for as long as possible.
I do not wish for a mortal to attempt to understand me. You, who is marked, has no right to criticize me.
Wildfellow is shaking your arm and screams in horror. Her voice cracks with fear.
S-SYDNEY! DON'T AGITATE IT. I-IT'S GOING TO CRUSH US!
You look around, and see nothing of the sort. The illusion must be affecting her.
Your illusion doesn't work on me. Now, I'm sure you wanted to talk about more than what the gestating god is doing.
The dark pool bubbles a bit. As you peer down, you think you see the reflection of something rather small.You think you see a massive eye down there, attached to some kind of exposed flesh? It seems familiar...
You can see... Hrm. I am still far beyond you, even if I can not establish my true form here. I would shatter your body and mind in an instant were it not for the limitations of this place.
But you can't. So just get to the damned point!
Hrrrff... I wished to look upon you. Your marking, and the mark you place upon the world is of interest. As your group, I seek knowledge. I think I would be able to find it within you. You even have the insight many cannot even fathom... I should have known it was no mere fluke you saw me before. Your little lizard taking a chunk off me was almost an insult, but I saw the value. It would soon return to me, anyhow...
Son of a bitch. That was you? I guess that means I know how you really look like. A damned sponge with eyes.
You hear a rumbling all around you. Gravel and stone falls from the ceiling as you hear a faint echo of the usual screeching.
Don't. Test. me. he says, hatred seeping into his monotone.
Or what? He's nothing more than a damned sponge... I always wanted to know what THAT would taste like.
I can hear your thoughts, and I know of you. Queen of Spiders. An interesting reincarnation you chose. A figment of a sick longlife.
What are you talking about?
He's trying to trick you. I never even heard of a Queen of Spiders.
You do not know of your own nature. But I do. I know more than any could know. I am the great Ulyaoth. And I bear all knowledge!
The chamber rumbles again, and Wildfellow is stomping on invisible creatures. She's babbling, now, screaming about crabs and pincers. It's almost as if she's changing under those robes, becoming larger as her voice deepens. She shouts at the illusions to get away as her stomping becomes wilder. You try to shake her back into sanity, with limited success. She merely clamps on to you.

Suddenly, you hear a horribly loud explosion! All at once, shouting and gurgling of all sorts can be heard. You hear a new panic in the voice of the creature
You... You have brought the others? HOW? YOU CAME ALONE! I SAW IT. I KNOW IT. HOW DID YOU SUMMON THEM. WHAT ARE YOU?
Soon, the fishmen charge inside, with a mix of fear and anger. Almost immediately, you see Meandra and her master turn the corner. Richard is holding an arcane orb between his hands, crackling with energies. The fishmen stand around you, and you can't see the innkeeper. They stand ready to attack, as Wildfellow shrinks in size again as she climbs on your back. Mostly to stay as far away from the pelagic horrors as possible.
DEFEND ME! THEY CAN END US ALL. I CANNOT DIE, I KNOW TOO MUCH! LONGLIFE, I BEG OF YOU. DON'T LET THEM END ME.
How the mighty have fallen... Hahahaha.

Help the creature
It knows many things. Perhaps you can get something out of this creature?

Attack the fishmen!
You're in a perfect position to strike some of them down.

Escape, get Wildfellow to safety.
You need to get everybody to safety. You'll see in what direction the wizards take it.

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crazyabe · « **Reply #684 on:** June 03, 2017, 06:24:06 pm »

YELL AT THE TOP OF YOUR LUNGS FOR EVERYONE TO AVOID FIGHTING, ASSUMING THE PEOPLE THAT MATTER DO SO, AND THE FISH PEOPLE DO TOO, WE CAN KEEP YELLING ABOUT HOW THIS THING IS MOSTLY PEACEFUL COMPARED TO THE THING THAT WANTS US ALL DEAD.

RAM · « **Reply #685 on:** June 03, 2017, 07:40:06 pm »

Ugh, tired of all these threats, lets just take our wizards and leave. we can spread some rumours about this I guess... Honestly, what sort of blowhard claims to be all knowing when they are trying to abduct people to interrogate them. It is sad really to see such a fals fishy...

Still, best to remember that spider queen business, ther emight be some sort of reputable source on it somewhere and you never know when one of these crazies stumbles onto something accurate.

Liquefied Spleens · « **Reply #686 on:** June 04, 2017, 05:45:19 pm »

STOP! DON'T FIGHT! THIS THING IS PEACEFUL!
Sydney! You're possessed! Cast off those tentacles, they are affecting you! Richard yells, as his ball of arcane power continues to grow.
The tentacles are an illusion! This thing's all talk, but it's damned good talk! It knows things!
Sydney... I'll cast a stun. Brace yourself, this will hurt!
Don't! Fish, lay down the damn weaponry!
Before the ball leaves his fingers, the fish throw down their weapons. You think the "god" behind you is saying something, but you pay him no mind. Richard falters for just a moment. But then prepares to launch it anyways! As the ball is released, you grit your teeth. Suddenly, however, vines appear and catch the ball of magic. It explodes with a horrendously loud bang against the vines
...Meandra that was not wise.
Look, I think she's telling the truth, alright? Sydney isn't one to fall for something like that.
You're kind of a bad judge in character, but I will admit you're right on this one!
Oh, fine... Sydney, get over here, and we'll talk about these pelagic things.
Yes. Go. Convince him to leave. I won't demand anything from his group, they have... proven their power. Yes. Just make them leave!
You're real impressive, I gotta say.

Wildfellow is still a bit freaked as you wander over the cold damp stone. She's still yelling about crabs, but at least she isn't kicking anything. She has turned positively tiny, about the size of Eveline! Something quite fishy is going on with her, that's for sure. A shapeshifter of some kind? Still, it's none of your business. When you reach Richard, you give a quick explanation of what's going on. How this thing just wants to know things, and is relatively benign. Could even give the answers the group came here for. Richard doesn't seem too keen on it, however. Anything eldritch can't be good. Meandra drags the innkeeper to the fish. She seems to be covered in a shimmering light,resembling flames, meaning she's locked in time. She's just constantly repeating the last action she was doing, which seemed to be twitching in surprise. Chronal magic is extremely powerful, and you don't know who might be able of such a feat. The rest of the scholars are also here, now that you reach the corner. The only one here who seemed to be fully "with it" is the random mis-mash of clothing and robes. Two glowing eyes are visible, and you think you remember somebody calling him an Ethereal? You don't even know what that is, but you suspect he was likely the one to cast the holding spell.

Now that you're with the scholars, you should probably try to see what to do right now. There are a lot of nervous fishfolk around, but the creature didn't seem averse to sharing his knowledge.... Maybe it's worth taking the risk to have them ask for knowledge?
You should think it through carefully on how you're going to explain it.
Give an explanation or action that seems best. No hints from me, for I am evil and/or lazy today.

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RAM · « **Reply #687 on:** June 05, 2017, 01:48:49 am »

Ergh. We should probably ask about Old Jesty and our other self. Maybe enquire about practical things like, umm, meh, stuff... We could ask it why the cookbook didn't think that driders were edible, given that numerous things have tried to eat us, and we even maybe ate our own proxy that one time... We could really use less familiarity with bite-wounds on our body or facsimiles of said body... Maybe there just aren't enough driders to end up in culinary lexicons... We probably ought to interrogate some of the cultists to check out what the cult is like. They werre saying some worrying things about what they might do to our group and if they are attacking random travellers. Then there is the issue of the cultists being mindlessly obedient, which doesn't seem the case but personality replacement or annulment is not something that we are entirely okay with.

But honestly, kind of tempted to just leave this to someone else. They seem mostly harmless. If there is any truth to their "god of knowledge" claims then there might be some sort of metaphysical strings attached to requesting knowledge from them, and they seem to be having a ngative effect on our companions' metal state and physical dimensions... All in all it is a massive hassle over what seems pretty trivial issues.

Then again, it might be satisfying to just mash up an eldritch abomination for once... But at this point it is almost a defenceless civilian, possibly a homocidal megalomaniac one, but it doesn't seem right to effectively execute someone.

Consult with the scholars. They probably have a good idea about what sort of precautions would typically be required in this sort of situation. Chat with the cultists, see if they have any mental damage and how inclined they are towards abduction innocent travellers. Then ask if the scholars have any demands here.
If they are insistant about no eldritch horrors existing then we probably declare our hostility. We are in Team Scholar afterall...
If they just want to get out of here, maybe warn the surroundings later, then good riddance.
If they are really enthused we could bargain for some sort of question and answer session, probably "we both ask a question and then both say if we are willing to answer, `gods of knowledg`*aheh* go first, because obviously they already know so hearing the answer is just a formality...". Warn them that it seems to invoke insanity in its presence, but we seem okay so that we can ask questions if anyone else wants to have a proxy.

Liquefied Spleens · « **Reply #688 on:** June 06, 2017, 04:32:18 pm »

Look, this thing considers itself a scholar of sorts. I'm under the impression that it really does know a lot of things. Just... think of a question, and it can probably answer. It's no oracle, but it'll know something. It knows about the thing that marked me, for one. Told me what its goals are. You decide against telling the people present that it describes itself as a sibling. No need to escalate things...
Alright then, how would we even talk to that thing? Do we shout into the room and wait for it to slither in our ear?
See that platform? If you stand there you can understand the shrieking of this damned thing.
Shrieking? I don't hear anything?
You're shocked to hear that. You managed to bear it for now, but you can tell the creature is still yelling about things. You feel like your brain is leaking out of your ears from the noise, and this guy can't even hear it!?
How are you not hearing it? It's driving me mad, here!
Sydney... We can't hear anything, other than the fish.
Mayhaps it is your mark? The bundle of clothing says. You never heard it talk before, and it places its accents all wrong. Like it doesn't entirely know what language is. The voice has a strange echo to it, besides.
Not a bad suggestion, Triv. Richard says, nodding his head.
It did say it was interested in my mark...
Honestly, i'm willing to believe Sydney, here. I mean, she did just walk through that jungle of tentacles without getting touched. Though Wildfellow is a little...

People look to the side and see her hyperventilating in her tiny stature. She's curled up into a ball and is still mumbling about crabs.
I... think she just hates crabs.
Hm. I shall talk to the creature. If anything goes wrong, I can incinerate the area. The steam alone will boil all around me.
Be mindful of US, Triv.
The bundle of rags stands there for a while, and then bows to Richard. ...I am sorry. I will still go.
Before you can say anything, it floats on top of you and tells you to bring him there. You're honestly insulted that he didn't even ask, and stand there with an open mouth as the others awkwardly look around, trying to ignore the massive faux pas. You, of course, aren't so easily intimidated by some awkward talking, and yell at him to get off and ASK you if you can ferry him around and that MAYBE, out of the GOODNESS OF YOUR HEART, you might just agree.
Triv doesn't seem particularly bothered and repeats the exact words you said. You briefly consider not taking him at all, but as the only one who isn't affected by the illusions, it only makes sense that you're be the one to ferry people.

As Triv stands on the platform and has a little conversation to the all-knowing sponge, you decide to talk to the cultists. Surprisingly, they prove to be quite talkative, telling you that despite appearances, they are free to go as they please. But due to the fact that, if not properly cared for, the God would grow out of control and drive the whole town to madness with its mere presence, they decided to become its permanent servants. The transformation into a fishman was terrifying, but they enjoy the swimming and long life. Anything to protect their children, they state. Half the people top-side don't even know about the horror that lurks beneath the town. You would ask about their daily life, but Triv has finished his questions, it seems. You ferry him back, although he sets some bits of air on fire on the way. You're glad nothing living is there, but you get the feeling he's a bit nervous. It's hard to tell, considering he's just a collection of rags.
When you arrive, Triv is quite straight-forward.
He is not as clever as he believes. He knows much, yes, but he is far from a god. He must learn before he knows. That is no god.
It still knows a lot of things, you know.
I'd say it's not worth the risk. Hm. Well... I do want to know what caused the incident 32 years ago. I... Hrm.
Oh just climb on my back and get it over with. You say with a resigned sigh.

After a short discussion, where you assume that the incident is explained as people finding Ulyaoth and sacrificing themselves to become fishpeople. Richard seems kind of disappointed, somehow. Perhaps because the journey of discovery is gone. You don't know. You get offered some kind of small, raw fish. Considering you're kind of bored and hungry, you decide to try it. It's surprisingly tasty, and the bones aren't so bad. You feel like you'll end up doing the most mundane things with these eldritch hybrids if Richard and Ulyaoth keep talking. The wizards looking upon you with terror is kind of amusing. It later hits you that them watching you eat a fish probably looked kind of terribly on their end. Welp, so is life.

On the return trip, Richard isn't on your back, which you are grateful for. Your legs are starting to hurt from all the ferrying! He quickly explains to the whole group that the entire room really is just an illusion and if anybody has any questions, they should ask it. Then he cracks his back and tells the rest that he's going to sleep. He just seems a bit disgruntled.
Kind of an anti-climax.
Pick some question you want to ask, and make a decision on what to do.

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RAM · « **Reply #689 on:** June 06, 2017, 11:17:32 pm »

Well if these folk are going to still be around in a thousand years then it would be worth chatting to them about their presumably somewhat unchanging existence and suggesting that we might visit now and again over the centuries. But that mostly aplies to the retainers... We should see if the voice in our head has any questions. This whole "who we really are" thing that it hinted at would probably be nice to hear more about but the source is not exactly reliable. We could ask if it knows any basic defences against eldritch magic, something to ward off Old Jesty would be nice and if we learn to dabble in fleshcrafting then it might let us undo some of the damage we have seen, and it could really combine well with necromancy... It would also help to have a primer on the more active conspiracyies in The Orc Tower...

I doubt that we have much to hide, a disturbingly large number of hostile parties have seens us naked and heard our life story... Still, try to avoid triggering another episode, that ould be bad for diplomacy, unless Goddess and Squiddles want a bit of a chinwag...

Really though. We've missed enough sleep. Set our hound to guard us and then get some sleep...

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