I'm tempted to try and talk our way in if only to try and get our dragon drunk. Also, probably set the record for underage drinking.
(("And thus the young dragon discovered the real secret of firebreathing: make it so that your breath is so full of alcohol it's combustible."
Heh. Now there's an idea. A dragon raised by dwarves. He hoards socks and needs alcohol to get through the working day.))
Say no and see if there's a bar or something. If not, maybe we can pay our way in with some money. The killer doesn't know he's being hunted, and certainly not specifically by us, so we're free to move around. Plus maybe a hot drink or two will settle our stomach.
We can go around and see if we can smell the killer, maybe he's still here and maybe there's an exit somewhere else where we can pick up the trail again.
"Greetings. Do you have a reservation?""No."You walk past the droid and start making your way further in.
"Ah, I see. Well then, if you'll just- Erm, sir?"The droid hurriedly comes after you once it realizes you're gone.
"Sir? Sir!"It catches up to you and then slows down to match your pace.
"Sir, if you'll just allow me to direct you to a table, I'm certain you'll be very satisfied with-"The trail leads you to a small table near one of the corners, away from the other tables, separated by a small corridor. They were here. Definitely. They were the last people to sit here. She was sitting together with her killer. You lean over the table, trying to get a better understanding. You think it was... yesterday? And nobody else has used that table since. She had her back to the room and the Killer-
"I'm sorry sir but this table is reserved. Were you to just follow me, I would most certainly be capable of leading you to a table that would satisfy your-""Okay." you say to cut the droid off.
"W-well then. Good." it stammers, looking surprised.
It shouldn't be surprised. If it wants you to sit down so badly, then you will indulge it. It's not like you can learn much more from investigating this table. The trail ends here, so (excluding the possibility that they materialized here out of thin air) that means they came out the same way they came in.
"Now then, will you be expecting company?""No.""Ah, then may I suggest the table beside the door?" it says, pointing to one of the smallest tables.
"If you will make your way there, I will be with you to take your order in a moment. Otherwise the bar is always available for a drink or snack of-""The bar." you declare.
It's the obvious choice. It is close to the table they were using and also provides you with a view to the hot drink preparations (not your primary objective but certainly something interesting to watch).
"Excellent. If you would follow me..."...
The rotund four-eyed biped operates the intricate machinery behind the bar with ease. A spoonful of powder, then shake, add a strange liquid, insert it into a machine, then add bubbles through a pipe... Despite the complexity of the task, it is completed within a couple of minutes. In the end it places a metal cup containing a bubbling black fluid in front of you, using a glove to avoid burning himself. Huh. That's actually pretty hot.
You grab the cup and down it in one go. You feel the hot liquid as it travels through your neck and into your stomach, pleasant heat radiating everywhere. You return the cup to the counter, eliciting a surprised utterance from the creature.
"Now there's something you don't see every day."Hah! And he thought you couldn't take it! That's what he gets for challenging you! You feel the urge to extend your wings in pride, forming two large bulges under your cloak. The hottest thing he had and you defeated it! Clearly you are the greatest-
*glurnk*The noise coming from your stomach is accompanied by a feeling that requires immediate attention. You look around in sudden panic.
"Through that door and to the left." the bartender says with a smile.
You yell a quick
"Thank you!" as you run towards the refresher with all the speed two legs can allow you.
...
Item lost: 20 credits
Status lost: overfed
Status gained: full, energized...
The bartender chuckles as you return to your seat.
"Feeling better?""Yes.""So, how'd you like the drink?""It was good."Hot drinks are awesome. They don't taste like food, but they are so full of good taste and good smell. Truly, you haven't tasted anything quite like it. And this place makes
truly HOT drinks, just how they're supposed to be. Here's someone that understands that you haven't experienced real taste until you couldn't tell if you were having a drink or being shot in the face with a plasma cannon. ... Though you should probably make sure your stomach is in a better state next time you order one.
Anyway, what were you doing here again? Oh, right, the Killer. Looks like they were here but there's nothing noteworthy here. You should probably get out of here and try to pick up their trail again. Then again, this bartender seems quite friendly. Perhaps with the right questions you could gain some more information, like what the Killer looks like. Or you could try interrogating the droid, it seems to fuss over where everyone is sitting so it must have certainly noticed them, but it doesn't seem to like you very much so it might not be as easy.
Age: some months (wyrmling)
Size: about the size of a human (if bipedal)
Status: full, energized
Health: fine
Weapons: claws and teeth
Armor: scales
Abilities:
- Short Flight: You can glide in order to survive falls and quickly move great distances. You can even fly upwards for short distances. You can use favorable winds and updrafts to increase your glide time.
- Basic Human Language: You are able to understand many of the most common words of the human language, including some that express more abstract things, though there are still a great many words and expressions that you have yet to learn. You can also read, though it takes you some time to understand the words. You can also speak, though it's sometimes hard for others to understand you.
- Communication: You have a knack for understanding other beings, even those whose language you don't know.
- Basic Nursing: You know the basics of caring for patients and preparing and maintaining equipment used in their care. You can also administer certain simple treatments. However you still lack much of the knowledge necessary for you to be able to determine what said treatment should be.
- Maintenance Tunnels:
- Large Sonic Rifle covered by old torn clothes
- 2 holdout blaster pistols (roughly 20 shots each, effective range 20m, HSB-200)
- Low quality vibroknife (low battery)
- Eiwhyl's Clinic:
- 576 credits (5 orange, 11 blue, 7 red, 4 grey, 6 cyan, 4 pink)
- 2 packs of smoke sticks
- small can of droid oil
- small metal toolbox
- Warm blanket
- Basic Datapad (contains datacard with encrypted files)
- Datacard with human medical information
- Datacard with human language dictionary
- Datacard with dragon info compilation
- Datacard with story about hunter of dragons
- Large hooded cloak (required)
- Pack with plastoid tape modifications (equipped on left side, under cloak)
- Half-used medpac
- Purse with credit-reader:
- 135 credits (2 orange, 1 blue, 1 red, 1 grey)
- half-used roll of plastoid tape
- flashlight
- pack of smoke sticks
- lighter
- keycard with symbol
- small glass statue of bird
- Ali's Apartment: A tiny 2 bedroom apartment. The little human Ali lives there with Dad/Jobal and Mom/Ania. Room 327.
- Ali's Apartment Tower: Apartments arranged in a circle. Clean, bright, mostly locked doors, few hiding places. Little traffic during the night.
- Eiwhyl's Clinic (Lair): Sells medpacs and other healing items and provides treatment. Warning: stabby. Room 509.
- Streets: Dirty streets, parked hovercars, shops, building entrances, street vendors, little traffic during the night.
- Maintenance Tunnels: Interconnected tunnels, small and large, going low and high. Connect various streets and buildings. Wires and pipes. Dark, dirty, with old machines constantly rumbling. Scavenger-vermin and hunters-of-vermin.
- Garbage Pit: A large room with mountains of garbage half-submerged in a sea of sludge. More garbage frequently arrives from holes in the ceiling. A monster lurks here, may pull prey underwater.
- Hydroponic Pool: A room with a large pool filled with plants. A ceiling full of bright lamps. A spherical gardener-droid takes care of the plants. Patrolled by hostile gunmen. A corridor leads to other rooms. Storage room. Processing room. Other rooms are unexplored.
- Iyran Grower Shop: A store located deeper into the tower's streets. Operated by a cephalopoid. The grower sells cheap synthetic meat, amongst other things.