>”The Underground?”
Kinda new here.

Rolled 26

>>29328793
"What's the Underground?"

Welcome back, you wonderful asshole.

>>29328793
>”The Underground?”
Well?

>>29328823
>>29328821
"The Underground?" You ask. The three of you crowd in the doorway, but no one's game to stand right on the edge. The roof of this cavern, for want of a better word, is not smooth but full of ledges and wrinkles and jagged bits of rock.

"It's as big as the map is," Trish says. "At least, that's what people say. It's a high level zone, and the only way in is to use a Piece of Arcadia."

"I never thought I'd see it," Shrike adds. "Right under the city, too."

"If too many people go through, this doorway will close," Trish says. "It's your doorway, we won't tell anyone. But if you do mount an expedition, I'd volunteer."

Shrike doesn't look quite as enthusiastic, but he nods. "Do or die. But we'd need more people, definitely."

>Climb in a little way and have a look around for a way down.
>"Will this help us now?"
>"We'll come back another time."
>Write in.
>Quit Arcadia.

Rolled 66

>>29328952
"We'll come back another time. For now, I wonder if we can hide it..."

We don't want anyone else getting wild ideas about stealing our find, but at the same time we don't want to go down there and get our heads caved in by the first mob we find.

Also, send Lily a message and tell her we found something big.

>"We'll come back another time."
We are pretty much the opposite of high level. Ask them to not spread it around for now. See if we can't disguise the entrance a bit.

Lets get back to looking for that Slave.

>>29328952
>"We'll come back another time."
Sounds hard. We gotta hear what Lily thinks at least.

>>29328952
>>"We'll come back another time."
I swear to god, if there's an invincible skeleton grim reaper down there, I'm gonna be so pissed.

>>29329002
>>29329015
>>29329026

"We'll come back another time then." If Trish and Shrike aren't confident about handling whatever's down there, you don't think you are either.

"Could we disguise the entrance somehow? You said a lot of other people are after the slave. They could come down here too."

"That's a good point," Trish says. "Let's have a look around for something."

The pickings are pretty slim. You can tear up sheets of moss from the ground, and there are a few pieces of broken stone and marble you could probably carry if the three of you worked together. You could probably ask Trish to donate her cloak and drape it over the doorway as well.

>Pile up everything you can carry and use the moss to plug gaps.
>This isn't worth the effort, continue on.
>Contact Lily now.
>Write in.
>Quit Arcadia.

>>29329140
Could we collapse the wall above the doorway and mark it somehow? We could always dig it out later.

Contact Lily once it's suitably disguised.

>>29329140
>Pile up everything you can carry and use the moss to plug gaps.
Hard work...

>>29329140
>>Pile up everything you can carry and use the moss to plug gaps.

>>29329140
>Contact Lily now.

>>29329170
The doorway, from this side at least, looks like part of one of the tumbled down buildings, and it looks too solid to destroy with any of the tools you have on hand right now.

>>29329216
>>29329237
You resign yourself to piling up some rocks. You only mean to disguise the hole, so maybe you won't have to fill it entirely. The low gravity still works in your favour; the rocks are heavy, but not as heavy as you expect. They don't fit together well, either, and the odd stone tumbles off the top of the pile and it bounces of the ledge as it falls through the doorway. You don't hear it land.

You're levering a large stone into place, when you notice that the Underground as apparently gone entirely dark, or rather, the doorway has been blocked on the other side. You hear something moving, scraping gently on the rock quite close, inside the doorway.

Dodge 1d100 DC 50

Rolled 31

>>29329358
C'mon, we gotta do it!

Rolled 89

>>29329358
Shit!

Rolled 16

>>29329374
>>29329375
Tiebreaker!

>>29329374 >>29329491

You drop your end of the stone, and fling yourself backwards as a hand, a hand about a foot across with curved boney fingers tipped in talons as long as daggers swipes through the doorway. It's as black as pitch; you can't tell if its covered in skin or scales, and it makes no noise.

Trish snarls as the hand smacks into her side. She hadn't seen what you had and is caught unprepared. The hand closes around her head and lifts her off the ground.

Something's coming through the doorway. Or trying to. It doesn't seem to fit, entirely, whatever it is. Trish grabs the hand, trying to take the weight off, and prise the talons out of her neck and shoulders.

>Try and pull Trish loose
>Attack with bow DC 65
>Use Ability.
>Write in.
>Quit Arcadia.

Rolled 50

>>29329544
>>Attack with bow DC 65

Rolled 64

>>29329544
Shoot it in the wrist.

Rolled 8

>>29329544
>Attack with bow DC 65
Killing it!

Rolled 73

>>29329544
>>Attack with bow DC 65

>>29329644
YOUUUUUUUUUU

>>29329674
HIMMMMMMMMMM

Rolled 98

>>29329544
>Attack with bow
Let's see if we can get it to let go of her.

File: 1389055370394.jpg-(176 KB, 1500x1169, 1381667606349.jpg)

176 KB JPG

>>29329579
>>29329588
You draw your bow and fire, and you hit the forearm. You see another arrow fly into the doorway as well. Shrike has noticed. Both arrows hit, and neither seems to do a lot of damage.

A head emerges. It takes you a moment to focus on it; it has no eyes, no mouth, no features, just a shallow dish where a face might be. It turns its head, surveying the room, somehow. It's managed to get one shoulder in, and it nudge aside the rocks you've already piled up. It moves with a deliberate grace, and makes no sound at all.

You hear Shrike make an unhappy sound, and the creature stops, its head turned in his direction.

"Get her out of here!" Trish says, through gritted teeth it sounds like. "She's a player. I'm just ...meat."

"No, no, no, Trish, please." Shrike fires another arrow. Again it doesn't seem to do much.

>Attack with staff DC 80
>Attack with dagger DC 80
>Use Ability.
>Back off and leave.
>Write in.
>Quit Arcadia.

>>29329812
>Preach

>Use Ability.
PRAY

Oh hell they are both meat. No wonder they haven't been using abilities.

>>29329812
Use Foresight to see what will happen if we go all out to save Trish. We're not leaving her behind! Can we maybe hack the game? Ascend? Do something, damn it, she'll die!

Rolled 86

>>29329812
>>Attack with dagger DC 80

>>29329812
Bind the Piece of Arcadia we have remaining to ourselves. Use it to boost our Preach ability if we can and scream the thing to pieces. FUS ROH DAH, motherfucker!

Rolled 99

>>29329842
>>29329853
>>29329858
>>29329864
Huh.

I'd say staff, it's pretty tempting, but...
>>Attack with dagger DC 80

>>29329812
>Preach
And pull her outta there!

>>29329890
jeesh I hope attacking with a weapon doesn't win because thats a crit fail.

Rolled 13

>>29329887
Forgot roll, as necessary.

Rolled 59

>>29329812
Ability spam time. I think now would be a good time to abandon the 'pretending to be one of the main classes' thing we got going.

>Foresight for buff
>Preach for damage
>Pray for super strength or some shit.

Cooldown spam is how you fuck shit up.

>>29329812
USE Preach
Sound sensitive monster it looks like.

>>29329891
>>29329887
>>29329842

You take a deep breath and PREACH! The thing doesn't bleed, or make any noise, but its big, dish-like head does sort of shudder. Trish gasps as she pulls one of the talons out of her shoulder. It's loosened its grip for now at least.

You can hear Shrike running in to help, grabbing another talon to pull it loose. Your PREACH might not last too long.

>Help pull Trish loose.
>Attack with a weapon.
>Use ability.
>Write in.
>Quit Arcadia.

Rolled 85

>>29330009
Try to use the Piece of Arcadia on our bow to empower it. Lily said she made her artifact with it.

Then, let fly an arrow.

Rolled 47

>>29330009
>Attack with a weapon.
Is our bow an option?

Rolled 61

>>29330027
Seconding this, but with a better roll.

We don't need to kill it, just free Trish.

>Attack with a weapon.
Bow

>>29330027
>>29330053
Let's not waste our super valuable resources we know very little about for the sake of someone of little apparent importance.

Rolled 34

>>29330027
That seems like a waste honestly. Let's attack it again.

Rolled 61

>>29330115
>Little apparent importance

You don't know anything. She's weak now, but she's the greyed-out class option we couldn't even choose. She might become valuable if we groom her and "raise" her right.

Besides, it won't be a temp buff, and having a magic weapon at this stage in the game could make leveling easier. In addition, we've found three pieces in relatively short form (the tile, the moth thing, and the string), so it's reasonable to assume that one piece lost won't impact us much.

>>29330155
That's because meat is the class you get when you die. Anyone can get that class.

Rolled 85

>>29330195
Is it? Huh, must have missed that one. Okay, you have a point. Still, she could prove beneficial and it would be a shame to just let her die. Also, I think my points about an artifact/weapon are valid too, along with the regularity with which we seem to find pieces.

Anyway, let's un-pause and keep trying to save our... friend? Acquaintance?

>>29330155
meat aren't special. She isn't special, at least hasn't been written as such.

And just because we found some pretty easily doesn't mean we should toss them about like dollar bills. We don't need to buff our weapon. Why do you think a normal bow shot to the dish wouldn't be enough to pry her away?

Let's save our pieces for a really good reason, ya?

Rolled 24

>>29330275
My argument against that is that the empowering effect seems like it would persist. This wouldn't be just a temporary buff, but something we could carry on encounter to encounter. As we find more pieces, we could hypothetically make the bow into an endgame-caliber weapon capable of dishing out a lot of punishment. That is, unless you want to save it up for a floating bit of yard like Lily's thing.

>>29330051
>>29330115
>>29330135

You let fly another arrow, and it joins the others in the skin of the creature. It lifts its head, shaking off the effects of your PREACH. Its attention seems to be on you now, since your PREACH made it pause. Shrike grabs Trish around the middle and pulls. They're both pretty well covered in blood.

Trish is nearly free, but it's tightening its grip again. Your arrows don't seem to bother it much.

>Help try and pull Trish free.
>Attack with a weapon.
>Use ability.
>Write in.
>Quit Arcadia.

Rolled 38

>>29330345
>Attack with a weapon.
Put that dagger to use!

>>29330345
>Use ability.
PRAY

Rolled 45

>>29330345
I think you guys are in the wrong about not using the Piece since we're obviously fighting something a good deal stronger than we are here, but eh. Mob rules.

"TRISH, JUST LOGOUT DAMN IT!"

Attack.

Rolled 34

>>29330345
>>Attack with a weapon.
Dagger

>>29330345
>Use ability.

>>29330345
>Use ability.
PRAY

>>29330420
>>29330371
>>29330395
vs
>>29330521
>>29330465
>>29330385
Rolled d2.

You slam your hands together and PRAY. Your left arm uncoils and you wrap it around the creature's neck. You feel its skin for the first time, rubbery and slightly soft, smooth like you imagine a dolphin's might be. You grit your teeth and squeeze.

The creature drops Trish and she and Shrike tumble backwards as the creature wraps its hand around your limb. You feel it crushing you, grinding your limb to a paste- and then your limb is replaced by your arm, as the ability wears off. Free and clear. And broken, clearly.

The creature can't reach any of you, and it now tries to fit through the doorway again, clinging to the floor for extra grip to pull itself through. You can't tell how big it is, or if it will succeed.

"Come on!" Shrike and Trish are heading for the tunnel, Shrike carrying Trish's mace for her.

>Run for the tunnel.
>Attack it with the dagger.
>Use ability.
>Write in.
>Quit Arcadia.

>>29330667
>>Run for the tunnel.

Rolled 19

>>29330667
Command it to return whence it came. "You shall not pass!"

Then run like a bitch.

>>29330667
>Run for the tunnel.
Just run!

>>29330667
>Run for the tunnel.
GTFO

>>29330667
>Run
As fast as our legs can take us.

>>29330706
>>29330709
>>29330711
>>29330722
"You shall not pass!" You hope.

You turn and run. The entrance to the tunnel is splattered with Trish's blood, and Shrike practically shoves her in. He glances over his shoulder to make sure you are following, and then climbs in himself.

Your left arm is useless, but you haul yourself in with your right, and the three of you crawl into the dark. Your breathing and shuffling drown out any sounds from behind you; you're not sure if the creature is still struggling through or not.

It smells damp and musty in here, and you can feel moss as you crawl through the space. You don't stop until you're certain your out of reach of the thing's arms, should it reach down.

You can't see anything. You lie still and feel your arm start to heal.

"Thank you," you hear Trish say, from somewhere up ahead.

"I can't believe you told us to leave," Shrike said. "I wouldn't have left."

"Then we all might have died. Better one than three."

>"So you guys are meat, huh?"
>"We're in this together."
>"Why didn't you log out?"
>Write in.
>Quit Arcadia.

>>29330898
>"So you guys are meat, huh?"
followed by:
>"Why didn't you log out?"

Rolled 12

>>29330898
"Why didn't you just log out? That would have saved us all a lot of trouble. Not that I mind saving you, and I'm glad you're safe, but..."

>>29330898
>>"So you guys are meat, huh?"
>>"Why didn't you log out?"

>>29330898
>"So you guys are meat, huh?"

I'll keep your secret if you keep mine
>"We're in this together."

And then
>"Why didn't you log out?"

>>29330898
>>"So you guys are meat, huh?"
>>"Why didn't you log out?"

>>29330936
>>29330949
>>29330951
"Why didn't you log out?" you ask.

"You guys use your mirrors to log out, right?" Trish says. "We can access the menu by our right hand -you look at it and its there, but I couldn't see anything. It's designed to stop you logging out in situations like that. Besides, if I'd logged out there, either you guys would have to wait for me, in which case that thing would wait too, if it didn't crawl in and kill or chase you off, or you would have left, and I probably wouldn't have made it back alive on my own anyway."

"So you guys are meat, huh?"

You hear them sigh. "Yeah," Shrike says. "Don't hold it against us."

"It's like the game's on hard mode," Trish says lightly. "I don't mind. But we needed you to wake up the slave for us. We can't do that ourselves."

Shrike sounds a bit upset, however. "When meat die, we respawn at a random point on the surface map. Which means, the odds of us ever finding each other again are really low. It's not just you who has to stay alive."

"It all worked out," Trish says. "We don't get contact lists though, so meat have to keep their bros close."

Neither of them mention your use of abilities.

>"Guys, you will keep this a secret, right? You know what I mean."
>Don't say anything.
>Tell them what you told Lily about your class.
>Write in.
>Quit Arcadia.

>>29331125
Don't bring up our ability spam. If they didn't call it out, they either didn't notice or don't care.

"So, when Meat die, they just respawn? Or are you talking about your original characters?"

>>29331125
>Tell them what you told Lily about your class.
Let's not tell people we can't keep track of about our darkest secrets.

>>29331125
>>Don't say anything.

If they don't bring it up neither should we.

>>29331125
>Initiate awkward silence.

"...So, I might be in the mysterious fourth class..."

>>29331125
>Tell them what you told Lily about your class.

>>29331125
Eh, whatever. Let's continue our treasure hunt!

"So why are some meat so PvP-happy?"

>>29331165
"So, when Meat die, they just respawn? Or are you talking about your original characters?"

"No, we just respawn. Some people say you can get back your original character somehow, but I don't know anyone who's actually done it. It might just be a rumour." Trish sighs, "I've died a few times. It's not a good feeling, but a little while later you wake up somewhere completely different. You usually lose some gear and money as well, but I haven't died enough to figure out how much."

"Why are some meat so PvP happy?"

"The classes get so much more stuff," Shrike says. "Its easy to be resentful; bring them down to our level and see how they like it. They're usually so much more powerful, but that's one way to make them scared of us."

"One on one we can't win against a player who's levelled up a bit though," Trish says. "So it's rarely a fair fight; either we outnumber them, or they stomp us."

"Most of them don't accept a yield from meat either," Shrike says. "They'll accept it from other players but not us."

"That's because most meat wouldn't accept theirs," Trish points out.

(d2 again)
You decide to keep silent on your class for now. If they're working on a policy of don't ask, don't tell that suits you fine. At this point, anything they said would just be added to the rumour mill, and by now you're aware that there is quite a rumour mill in this game. Word of mouth seems to be the only way news spreads.

>Ask more questions (write in.)
>Move on.
>Write in.
>Quit Arcadia.

>>29331467
"I didn't realize it was so disastrous to die in the game. I'm sorry, Shrike; I know you know I didn't shoot you intentionally, but I'd have hated to separate the two of you. You get on so well... you don't know one-another RL, do you?"

>>29331467
>Move on.
We've got a good amount of stuff to quiz Lily about now.

>>29331467
>>Move on.

>Move on.
Lets go find that slave.

>>29331467
>Move on

Ask about message boards or forums. There must be some way of spreading information around.

>>29331467
>Ask more questions (write in.)
So have you heard about a bunch of meat organizing? Banding together in [whereever Lily is]? Whatsupwidat?

>>29331467
Lay down on the ground until you're healed an the abilities regenerate.

>>29331515
"I didn't realize it was so disastrous to die in the game. I'm sorry, Shrike; I know you know I didn't shoot you intentionally, but I'd have hated to separate the two of you. You get on so well... you don't know one-another RL, do you?"

"Ah hah, well." Shrike says, sounding a bit embarrassed.

"We've swopped emails," Trish says. "But, this place is so real, real life would complicated it. If we do get separated, sure, but otherwise it seems kind of awkward."

"What about what happened at the Thunderlands?" you ask.

"Sounds like a lot of organisation," Trish says. "Maybe it was co-ordinated out of game. As we said, we don't know much about it. We don't go in for that sort of thing; honestly, it's too dangerous. Too easy to die. Which is what happened to all those guys."

You wait until you and Trish are fully healed, and then you continue on. Trish is in the lead, and you hear her whisper back, "We're at the end," some time later. Suits you; crawling around on your hands and knees isn't fun.

You're last to poke your head out of the tunnel.

You're in a space that reminds you a bit of a subway station, a large stone tunnel, obviously carved or constructed rather than natural. In one direction the tunnel snakes off into the gloom, and in the other is a wall about fifty feet away, and sitting in the middle of a jumbled pile of mossy stones in front of it, lit indirectly by some faintly luminous moss, is the familiar bland smile of a slave's head.

You glance up when Trish nudges you, and you find the rest of the moss stalkers. They cluster on the ceiling in their dozens, just watching.

>Slowly creep towards the statue.
>Run for it.
>Write in.
>Quit Arcadia.

>>29331775
>>Run for it.

>>29331775
Quietly complicate for a moment while you channel the immortal spirit of Solid Snake. Stealth is a go.

>Stealth.

>>29331775
Pull everyone back into the tunnel, move so you're in the front, and Preach at the Stalkers.

>>29331775
>Slowly creep towards the statue.
Sloooow!

>>29331775
I assume Pray is ready if we took the time to recover? Then I say sprint at it, use Pray as soon as we think we're in range to awaken it, and hopefully it'll be like the first slave we met and lay the smackdown on these hostiles.

>>29331928
Our Preach is weak and short-ranged, I think it'd just tip them off sooner and not help much.

>>29331928
The stalkers are on the ceiling and are out of range.

>>29331987
You've waited for your cooldowns, yes.

>Run.
>Run and use PRAY.
>Stealth
>Quit Arcadia.

>>29331987
Hell, even if it does, maybe we put somebody with decent weapon skills at the front and kill them one at a time.

>Stealth

>>29332055
>Stealth

Be ready to run if things go FUBAR though.

>>29332055
>Run and use PRAY.

>>29332055
>>Run.

>>29332055
>Stealth

>>29332081
>>29332089
>>29332136
You silently crawl out of the tunnel, and the three of you, bloodstained and streaked with dirt and grime, creep along the floor towards the statue. The stalkers on the ceiling don't move, instead staying clustered up where they are.

Something behind you is moving, however. You realise what you thought was just mossy rock and darkness, is in fact another moss stalker. A big one. About the size of a bus, you think, its huge eyes swivelling between you, a bland smile on its face. And it too is creeping, slowly, but just a bit faster than you are.

You nudge the others and make sure they've seen it as well. You've covered maybe a quarter of the distance.

>Keep creeping.
>Run.
>Use ability.
>Write in.
>Quit Arcadia.

>>29332268
>>Run.

>>29332268
Keep moving slowly. Don't act like prey. Keep you eyes on it and move slowly backward toward the Slave.

>>29332268
The most important thing to do is not to run, it will only chase after you faster. Advance towards slave slowly like before.

>>29332268
>>Keep creeping.

>>29332322
>>29332364
>>29332365
You continue this slow-motion pursuit, each step bringing you closer to the slave, and each step bringing the giant stalker closer to you.

You've covered half the distance when it smiles wider, its jaws opening to show you its long, needle-like teeth. Its tongue shoots out and Shrike dodges out of the way, just, and the creature gets a mouthful of moss which it dribbles carelessly from its jaws.

Trish is walking backwards now, so she can watch the creature more intently. You're all within range of that tongue now.

>Run.
>Keep creeping and try to dodge any attacks.
>Use ability.
>Attack with a weapon.
>Write in.
>Quit Arcadia.

>>29332542
Creep and dodge, but pull out the dagger. If the tongue gets too close, off it comes.

>>29332542
>Keep creeping and try to dodge any attacks.
And ready our bow.

>>29332542
>Keep creeping and try to dodge any attacks.

Rolled 74

>>29332542
>Attack with a weapon.
They don't scream when they die, right? And our bow isn't much louder then it's tongue hitting the wall maybe?

I say do it anyways. Either of them get wrapped, they'll make more of a commotion struggling then we would killing it. And I frankly don't trust them to not get wrapped.

>>29332640
Meant to specify bow.

>>29332634
>>29332600
>>29332588
Twenty feet to the statue.

The stalker opens its mouth again, and you focus tensing yourself to jump.

Dodge. 1d100 DC 80

>>29332542
>>Run.
Get the slave up and running so he can help you fight.

Rolled 31

>>29332693

Rolled 54

>>29332693

Rolled 19

>>29332693

Rolled 1

>>29332693

>>29332759
>>29332735
>>29332714


You're small and lithe on your feet, and this thing seems slightly slowed by its size, so you hop back out of the way and it gets another mouthful of moss.

It's hard to tell if it's getting frustrated. It keeps coming, and this time it aims at Trish. She dodges, but badly, and rolls out of the way, and starts scrambling to her feet.

>Run for the slave.
>Keep backing up.
>Attack with weapon.
>Use ability.
>Write in.
>Quit Arcadia.

Rolled 47

>>29332862
Make a quick move away from Trish, then resume the slow backward pace. Try to draw its attention from her. Prepare Pray for when we reach the slave.

Rolled 17

>>29332862
>Attack with weapon.
bow attack

>>29332862
>>Keep backing up.
It's working pretty well so far.

>>29332862
>>Run for the slave.

>>29332862
Keep backing up. It's working so far.

>>29332892
>>29332914
You make a quick move towards Trish, and then keep backing up. The creature's eyes follow you, but it seems more interested in a slowed target.

It opens its mouth again, while Trish is still finding her feet.

"No you don't." Shrike darts in front of her, blade at the ready. The tongue catches him and yanks him off his feet.

"You idiot!" Trish hisses.

Chomp! The stalker's jaws close around him and then open up almost immediately as the creature shakes its head, gagging and making a gurgling sound. Shrike's blade its buried in the roof of its mouth, and Shrike himself is trying to push it up further bracing the creature's jaws open. You're only fifteen feet or so from the slave.

>Run for the slave.
>Attack with a weapon.
>Use ability.
>Write in.
>Quit Arcadia.

Rolled 47

>>29333121

>Attack with weapon.
bow attack

>>29333121
Well, fuck.

Activate the slave. We could use an ally here.

Rolled 78

>>29333121
>Attack with a weapon.
Goddammit.

Rolled 92

>>29333239
Meant bow, sorry.

>>29333121
> bow
Right down his throat.

Rolled 81

>>29333284
Forgot dice.

>>29333121
>Run for the slave.

>>29333151
>>29333239>>29333314
>>29333266

You keep backing up, and draw your bow. You let the arrow fly and it it buries itself in the stalker's face just below its eye. Trish is running at the creature, swinging her mace.

You're within a few feet of the slave.

>Fire another arrow.
>Touch slave.
>Use PRAY on slave.
>Use ability.
>Write in.
>Quit Arcadia.

>>29333386
Use Pray on the slave.

We need another dog in this fight.

>>29333386
Use Pray on the slave.

>>29333386
>Quit Arcadia.

>>29333430
The ride never ends, man. The ride never ends.

Pray on the slave. Wake it up.

>>29333507
>>29333396
>>29333409
You slam your hands together and PRAY. With a great rumbling sound, the slave rises from the ground, bits of rock tumbling out of the way as it practically leaps from the earth.

"Ah," it says. "I am energized! Thank you classvariable." It pats you on the head, showering you with exp and sparkles of gratitude. Which is all very well, but there are things going on behind you.

Trish smacks her mace into the stalker's head. Its tongue is still firmly stuck to Shrike, and thus it cannot attack with it, and Shrike is quite attached to his blade, even though the force of the creature's bite has made him buckle at the knees. He's still gamely hanging on.

The stalkers on the ceiling aren't interfering, in fact, they seem to be giving the fight a wide berth.


"Help us please!" you tell the slave.

>Fire another arrow.
>Close in for melee.
>Use ability.
>Write in.
>Quit Arcadia.

>>29333646
>close in
don't fire any more arrows into melee

Rolled 81

>>29333646

>Fire another arrow.

Rolled 60

>>29333646
That's one tough fucking stalker.

>Fire another arrow.

Rolled 9

>>29333646
Loose an arrow.

File: 1389065229425.jpg-(79 KB, 750x600, get out of here stalker.jpg)

79 KB JPG

>>29333646
>>Fire another arrow.

>>29333738
>>29333690

"Ah yes, of course." The slave says, but rather than actually leave its spot, it instead turns around and starts searching through the rocks.

You ignore it for now and fire another arrow. This one lands in the stalker's left eye, and it hisses and recoils, shaking its head. Shrike nearly falls out but he's not game to move his blade and risk getting swallowed. He's still stuck to the tongue.

"Let him go!" Trish is still swinging away with her mace, and the side of the stalker's head is all bloody. It's starting to look pretty battered.

>Fire another arrow. DC 90 for body, 65 for the eye, and 35 for down its neck.
>Use ability.
>Write in.
>Quit Arcadia.

Rolled 49

>>29333849
>Fire another arrow. DC 90 for body, 65 for the eye, and 35 for down its neck.
>neck.

Rolled 96

>>29333849
HOW IS THIS FUCKING THING STILL ALIVE

>Fire another arrow.
NECK

Rolled 29

>>29333849
>>Fire another arrow. DC 90 for body, 65 for the eye, and 35 for down its neck.
>Fuck it, neck.

>>29333893
G'DAMMIT

WE SHOT SHRIKE AGAIN

Rolled 51

>>29333917
No, no, a few points off! I think.

Or maybe we did...

Fuck.

Shoot the Stalker in the other eye. We're good at shooting things in the eyes.

>>29333893
Your shot goes wide as one of the stones you're standing on gets shifted by the slave as it digs around in its resting place. The arrow arcs up over the giant stalker and strikes one of the stalkers on the ceiling. Caught unawares, it drops and lands on its head.

You have slain moss stalker.

Clearly unhappy to be included in the fight, the stalkers on the ceiling start moving restlessly.

Trish seems tireless. Her mace finally cracks the stalker's jaw, and Shrike tumbles out of its mouth, which now hangs slack and open.

It starts backing away while Shrike hacks at its tongue.

>Let it go.
>Hell no, fire another arrow.
>Use ability.
>Write in.
>Quit Arcadia.

>>29334010
>Let it go.

Rolled 23

>>29334010
>>Hell no, fire another arrow.
FFFUUU- AFTER ALL THIS FUCKING TROUBLE WHY WON'T IT DIE

>Write in.
Ask the Slave to throw you, then use PREACH once close to the ceiling.

>>29334010
Let it run. No need to prolong the fight if it's not necessary.

>>29334083
>>29334010
fire an arrow. Not gonna roll since that is good enough

Rolled 57

>>29334010
bow

>>29334153
>>29334131
>>29334083
You notch an arrow and let it fly, and it lands in the stalkers other eye. Finally too much for it, its legs fold under it and it flops down on the ground.

You have slain moss mother. You hear a chime; you've levelled up.

Shrike manages to separate the tongue from the body, and staggers to his feet, looking at you. "Hey, coins!" he says, his look of weariness replaced by one of delight.

The slave has unearthed a chest, and places it carefully on the ground before opening the lid.

Trish is looking at the corpse. From the back of the head, a large greenish metal spike protrudes a foot from the creature's skin. She grins.

And you look up. The death of the moss mother had caused the stalkers to flee in a great wave, but seconds later they're starting to come back, slyly crawling down the walls, but still very cautious.

>Run over and help Trish with the metal spike.
>Yell for the others to leave.
>Attack one of the other stalkers.
>Write in.
>Quit Arcadia.

>>29334299
Help Trish with the spike.

Make sure the Slave doesn't kill Shrike for taking what it might consider "our" loot.

>Write in.
Approach the Slave, have him throw you at the greatest concentration of the moss men and use PREACH

>>29334299
>Yell for the others to leave.
"Look guys! A chest! Maybe you should check out the chest over here close to the friendly slave instead of meandering in front of the dozens of murderous monsters over there!"

>>29334339
No dammit, no!

>>29334299
Loot the chest.

>>29334396
but. but. but what about the fastball special

>>29334396
>>29334404
"Hey, a chest." The slave steps aside, and you can see hundreds of coins shining in the low light.

"Victory!" Shrike laughs, giving up on getting rid of the tongue for now.

"Guys, I think this is verdant steel!" Trish says. "Help me get it before those stalkers decide they're more hungry than scared of us."

Shrike skids to a halt and looks from you to Trish, who is scaling the moss mother's corpse and hauling on the metal spike.

>Ask the slave to help you.
>Go help Trish.
>Start on those coins.
>Write in.
>Quit Arcadia.

>>29334456
I'm averse to using our face as the fastball.

>>29334543
>>29334540
fine fine, go help Trish.

>>29334540
>Go help Trish.
These better be valuable Trish.


>Ask the slave to help you.
What does this mean? Help us help Trish? If so then this.

>>29334605
>>29334601
"Can you do something to help us?" you ask the slave, somewhat exasperatedly. On the other hand, if it digs out another chest full of money you wouldn't exactly be sad, even if it's not immediately useful.

"I can carry you up," it says. "To the bridge. I awake, energised, and I build." You glance up. Immediately above the slave is a hole in the ceiling, utterly dark. Well, that's something.

"The slave will carry us out," you explain as you dash over to Trish, Shrike turning and accompanying you.

You clamber up the slack, scaly skin of the moss mother. Trish grabs the metal shard, you grab Trish, and Shrike grabs you and the three of you haul on the metal spike. It pulls free with your combined strength and the approaching stalkers pause as you tumble down to the ground.

"Now we run," Trish says. "You two take the chest," she says, holding the spike, which is nearly six feet long, over one shoulder and her mace over the other.

The slave is already feeling around for handholds in the wall, and Trish vaults up onto its shoulder.

The chest has metal handles at each end and Shrike grabs one and you the other. It's heavy as hell, even under this gravity.

"Goddamnit, my hands are slippery," Shrike mutters, wiping them on some moss. He looks pretty slimy top to toe, really, but only slightly chewed - the teeth broke the skin in a few places.

You heave the chest up and hang on to one of the glowing cracks in the slave, and Shrike does the same.

"Go!" You tell the slave. And he starts to climb. As he does so, you hear a great rustling, as the moss stalkers slither after you en masse.

>Wait for the stalkers to catch up and PREACH.
>Tell the slave to climb fast.
>Try and balance the chest on the slave so you can draw a weapon.
>Write in.
>Quit Arcadia.

>>29334888
>Wait for the stalkers to catch up and PREACH.

>Wait for the stalkers to catch up and PREACH.

>>29334889
Warn our friends to brace their ears best they can before waiting for the Stalkers to get close, then PREACH

>>29334981
Meant to reply to OP, not... whatever the fuck I actually did.

>>29334981
>>29334937
>>29334923
"I'm gonna shout," you warn the others. You can't see what Trish is doing, but Shrike shrugs his shoulders up to his ears.

The stalkers fill the bottom of the hole, quietly crawling up the sides. You're not sure what they intend to do, since the slave's massive stone feet block most of them from getting a clear shot. It's very dark here as you climb away from the faint mosslight at the bottom of this tunnel, so you wait until you can hear the stalkers as close as you dare.

PREACH!

The soft footsteps abruptly stop, and you climb away past them. Even when they recover themselves and start to catch up again, they keep even more distance.

The slave climbs for minutes, and then abruptly stops. It's still dark. You feel it brace itself and then you hear a cracking sound and bits of earth shower down upon you. Something rolls out of the way, and the tunnel is flooded with moonlight; almost directly above you a huge pale moon, with its own satellite moon in tow. You gaze up, and then down, as you hear a great scurrying, and the moss stalkers flee the light.

Your arms are aching from holding up the chest, and as soon as the slave climbs out of the hole, you let it go once it's over the grass.

You see a huge stone the slave had rolled aside to open the tunnel. You're standing on a grassy field, the towers and walls of the city on one side, and the chasm on the other.

The slave carefully rolls the stone back into place. Trish and Shrike exchange a high five.

"We did it! Thanks to you," she adds, addressing you.

>Celebrate with them.
>Start counting the coins.
>Ask about the metal shard.
>Write in.
>Quit Arcadia.

>Celebrate with them.
We can divy up the spoils in a bit.

>>29335170
>Celebrate with them.
>Ask about the metal shard.

>>29335170
Celebrate. Gotta have your priorities in line.

>>29335170
>Ask about the metal shard.

>>29335170
Celebrate, ask about the metal, divvy up the loot (keeping our smaller shards of metal a secret, naturally).

>>29335213
>>29335215
>>29335228

"We did it!" You're alive, the slave is found, and you've got a whole chestful of loot and a second exp point. And you're pretty sure you've made some friends as well. Trish and Shrike clap you on the back and shake your hand, and grin, tired and elated.

"Our biggest coup yet!" Shrike declares.

"If you ever need our help, even if it's to go back down that hole to the Underground, you talk to the waiter at the cafe near the fountain. He'll pass on messages. Alright?" Trish grins. "If we're still alive, we'll lend a hand."

Shrike flops down on the grass to regain his hitpoints. And you're hit with a wave of tiredness too. You sit down next to the chest and look about. You can see the slave you woke earlier on the other side of the chasm, still putting its bridge together, and the second one wanders off to start from this side.

"So what's the deal with that metal shard?" you ask. You're sure it's the same stuff as you have hidden in your belt pouch.

"Verdant steel," Trish says, stroking it reverently. "You find it underground, but not in The Underground. You can't buy it from vendors, you gotta get it yourself, or from another player. It's good, basically. Lot of damage." She flicks a finger against it. "And this is a big piece. The sword I can have forged out of this will be better than most meat can dream of!" She glances at you, "To be fair, I should renounce my share of the coins in exchange."

>"Shrike hasn't got an item yet."
>Try and persuade her to hand over the metal
>Accept half the coins.
>Write in.
>Quit Arcadia.

>>29335449
Is there enough there for both you and Shrike? That's a pretty large hunk.

>>29335449
>Accept half the coins.

>>29335449
>Accept half the coins.
We gotta get geared up proper if we're going to go on high adventures with Lily.

>Accept half the coins.
We have our own bits. We can probably forge a mean couple knives outta them.

Also later we should go moss eater hunting with Lily after all they all have that metal in their heads.

>>29335633
I was thinking a short sword. I can't see much reason to choose a dagger in this game.

>>29335653
She said she'd be coming back soon, right? Hell we could adventure in The Underground with her and her friends a lot sooner then I thought! I almost hope they get in a spat with our new meat buddies just for drama's sake.

>>29335568
>>29335540
"That sounds fair," you say.

"Good," Shrike yawns. "Let's get this sorted and then we can get some rest." The three of you work to divide the coins into two piles as quickly as possible. Shrike scoops up his share into a sack he'd brought with him. Trish had brought brought a sack too, although since she has nothing to put in it today, she donates hers to you.

Rather than count them all, you simply pull out your mirror and check you inventory once the coins have been divided, and you're happy to see that your inventory now contains no less than two hundred and thirty-six coins.

Shrike smiles at you, "See why we didn't want too many people along? Although we cut it a bit fine in this case."

"Right," Trish gets to her feet and stretches. "I'm going to call it a night. Thanks for your help, Liandra. I'm sure we'll see you around."

"Yeah, same," Shrike says.

>Head back to the city.
>Help the slave out with the bridge.
>Write in.
>Quit Arcadia.

>Quit Arcadia.
Wasn't it way past our bedtime?

>>29335633
A spear or a glaive might be better for us. Or arrowheads if we want to specialize in ranged.

>>29335749
Call Lily. Talk to her about what we found.

>>29335749
>Head back to the city.
Let's look for carnivorous moths or mysterious tiles. Or just look around where we hadn't had a chance to.

>>29335801
Seconding. Ask her if she'll go to The Underground with you when she gets back.

>>29335801 >>29335845

You attempt to contact Lily, but when you select Contacts with your mirror, you see only your own reflection. You remember that she did say she was going to have a rest once the lightning bridge was busted.

You also notice the southern skies are free of storms.

Trish and Shrike bid you goodnight, stare intently at their right hands for a moment, and then vanish.

>Head back to the city.
>Write in.
>Quit Arcadia.

>>29335914
>Quit Arcadia.

>>29335914
Take a piss break.

>Quit Arcadia.

>>29335790
Eh, I think we've slotted ourselves in as a Bowman. I'd prefer something versatile, light, and can be drawn with one hand as Arcadia looks to be a game pretty grounded in reality. Ya, like a short sword.

>>29335914
>Head back to the city.
Explore!

>>29335933
>>29335934
>>29335952
You decide to quit playing for now. When you close the game you discover that it's nearly three in the morning, and you check your reminder program to find out why it had stopped working after midnight.

You can't find anything to explain it, it seems to be functioning fine now from what you can tell. It's not something you use often, however; maybe it got confused when the date changed.

The dorms are pretty quiet, although you know there are probably people still up in the common room. Emily is asleep in her bed.

>Get ready for bed and sleep.
>Mess about on the internet.
>Get up and see if there's anyone to talk to in the common room.
>Write in.
>Play Arcadia.

>>29336063
What do we have to do tomorrow?

>>29336063
Somebody better pick up that phone because I FUCKING CALLED IT!

>>29336063
>>Get up and see if there's anyone to talk to in the common room.
Let's finally meet some people IRL. Maybe we'll find one of our friends.

>>29336095
We have classes Monday but fuckall to do today.

>>29336125
That you did anon. Sorry we didn't listen.

>>29336095
It's Sunday morning and you don't have any specific plans for the day.

>>29336063
>Mess about on the internet.
Research Arcadia a bit. See if there's any rumours.

>>29336063
>>Get up and see if there's anyone to talk to in the common room.

>>29336154
Yes! Yes, you were wrong! Perhaps in the future, you will trust the words of Anonym- motherfucker, no identification.

>>29336127
>>29336240
You're feeling social. And maybe the late hour would have seen the more irritating people to bed. You rest your glasses on your head, and head down to the common room.

As you expected, there are a few night owls up, eating snacks and half watching a late night action movie on TV that looks so terrible you don't recognise it, and talking.

When you arrive, they turn and stare at you. Oh yeah, that's right. You're bright red.

"Hi Ash." You recognise a black girl Emily sometimes borrows notes off of, a first year who's always outside in the smoking area in all weather, and two other girls you only know by sight.

"What happened to your face?" one of the latter two asks.

The black girl, Melissa you think, offers you some chips. "Science experiment, right?" she says.

>I don't want to talk about it.
>No, some sort of monster nearly burned my face off.
>Make up a plausible sounding story.
>Write in.
>Play Arcadia.

>>29336421
>I don't want to talk about it.

Yeah. Let's dodge that question.

>>29336421
"Got attacked by some nutjob lurking outside my window earlier. He threw something on me that really burned, maybe it was some kind of acid."

>>29336421
>I don't want to talk about it.

>>29336421
>yup, science experiment

>>29336470
Let's not make people think we are more crazy.

>>29336421
>I don't want to talk about it.

>>29336481
Seconded. We already used that line once tonight.

>>29336459
>>29336471
>>29336516

"I don't really want to talk about it," you say, sitting down next to Melissa who's at one of the tables and taking some chips.

The two girls on the couch laugh. You're not sure why that's funny.

"I found your bat," the first year says. This must be Jess. She's got a huge mug of coffee at her elbow, and she looks like she's been up for a long time. She smells like smoke, too. She doesn't seem to require an explanation, so you make do with thanking her. She nods and stifles a yawn.

Something explodes on television, and everyone watches that for a while. You do too, until you see another one of those big bugs crawling up the side of the couch.

>Say something.
>Let it be.
>Write in.
>Play Arcadia.

>>29336628
>Let it be.
If someone else says something we can be sure we're not hallucinating. Something I feel may be a real possibility with all the freaky shit going on.

>Write in.
crush it.

>>29336628
Pick it up.

>>29336661
You know what, you might be right.

>Let it be.

>>29336628
>Let it be.

>>29336628
>Write in.
crush it.
We didn't hallucinate the Burning Guy.

>>29336710
Thank you, this game is really getting my paranoia going.

And I don't mean Arcadia. I mean what's going on outside of it. There's some freaky shit afoot.

>>29336628
>Write in.
crush it.

>>29336741
I prefer a cautious approach. We should observe more. Figure out what's going on in the real world.

If this even is the 'real' world.

>>29336661
>>29336710
>>29336736

You try and keep an eye on both the bug and everyone else. The girls on the couch are watching the TV, but Jess's eyes are closing and her head is drooping. Melissa is watching Jess fall asleep with a faintly amused, yet concerned expression.

Her head falls further and further forward, and then clunks softly against the table. Melissa turns to you and draws breath to say something when an earsplitting shriek pierces the air.

"Look, another one!" one of the girls on the couch launches herself halfway across the room and points at the bug, which is now on the arm of the couch. It's about four inches long, and has way too many legs.

Jess wakes up with a gasp. "Thank you," she says, and starts drinking the rest of her coffee. Everyone else is looking at the bug.

"There was one in my room earlier!" the girl who screamed says. "They're gross, they're full of blood or something. Get rid of it!"

Jess finishes her coffee, stands up, and traps the bug under her mug. "Cool," she says.

"There must be bug spray or something around here," Melissa says. "We don't want to get bitten."

>Go look for bug spray.
>Offer to squish it.
>Offer to take it outside and let it loose.
>Let everyone else deal with it and go back to your room.
>Write in.
>Play Arcadia.

>Offer to squish it.

>>29336905
Alright. you've sated my paranoia... for now.

>Offer to squish it.
Use the bat.

>>29336905
"I will do science to it."

>>29336905
Offer to take it outside and let it go.

Then take it to our room and put it in something clear and impenetrable.

>>29336905
>Let everyone else deal with it and go back to your room.

>>29336758
I love the atmosphere of this quest. So far in the real world it's only been dark and drizzly outside, we haven't been shown any deep relationships or solid friendships, everything weird is strange in that it's lucid but almost disconnected from 'real life'. The OP image does a ton to set the tone. I always feel unnerved a bit when we transition from one to the other. Kind of like an Uncanny Valley feeling (if I'm using the phrase right.)

>>29336905
>Offer to squish it.
Is it filled with blood?

>>29336905
Eat the little fucker whole.

>>29336971
>>29336945
>>29336942
"I will do science to it," you say with your best evil smile. Melissa grins.

"When you stay awake too long," Jess says. "You start to see things, you know? But, if I trap them under my mug they disappear. See?" She lifts her mug with a flourish. The arm of the couch is bare.

"Huh, how about that." While everyone is focused on the couch, the bug climbs over the lip of Jess's mug and over her hand.

"Argh!" Mug and bug go flying. You've had about enough of this and dart over and step on the bug. Plutch!

It's lino, not carpet, which is good because this bug was just as full of red goo as the previous one.

"My mug," Jess says, stooping to pick it up. Luckily, it didn't break.

"Why did you do that?" Melissa asks. "It can't have been an hallucination if we all saw it. It might have bitten you."

You lift your foot. There's not much left of the bug. You hobble over to the sink and lift your foot and put it under the tap.

"This is too much, there was one of those in my room earlier. I'm reporting this first thing Monday, they can't make us live like this. This place needs fumigation." And with that the girl who screamed (why can't people wear nametags?) storms out.

"Leaving us to clean it up," Melissa says. She folds her arms and frowns as the other girl, who'd been frozen pale-faced on the couch since the bug appeared, hurries out as well.

"Sorry, I don't like bugs," she mutters.

Jess yawns again. "Anyone want some coffee?"

>Accept coffee.
>Ask if anyone else has seen these bugs before.
>Leave as well.
>Write in.
>Play Arcadia.

>>29337250
Accept coffee. Ask about bugs. Make sure catatonic-girl is- hey, that's it! We'll call her Cat!

Ask if Cat's all right.

>>29337250
>>Accept coffee.
>>Ask if anyone else has seen these bugs before.

>>29337250
>Play Arcadia.

>>29337307
Eh, as good of a nickname as any. We should try to talk to Cat.

>>29337250
>Accept coffee.
>Ask if anyone else has seen these bugs before.
>Study bug with glasses

>>29337307
>>29337310
>>29337344
"I'll have some," you say, removing your foot from under the tap.

Apparently half asleep, Jess starts making coffee. You and Melissa kneel down and look at the remains of the bug.

"Have you seen these before?" you ask.

"No, but I did hear shrieking earlier, so I guess other people have. Maybe it is an infestation. It's gonna suck if they fumigate the place though."

"How about you?" you ask Jess.

"Oh, I see things all the time," she says. "They don't stick around like that one though."

"If you're so tired, why don't you sleep?" Melissa asks.

"Cause I get nightmares." Jess shrugs. "How do you take your coffee?"

When you're out and about you set your desktop to transparent, but looking at the remains of the bug through your glasses doesn't seem to make any difference.

~~
Alright folks, six hours is currently my limit, so I'll have to leave it there. Next thread either Wed evening or Sat evening EST.

Thanks for playing.

>>29337535
See you next time Arcadian, thanks for running!

>>29337535
Thanks for running!

>>29337535
You're a boss-level QM.

Thanks for everything!

>>29337535
Great game sir.

>>29337535
If I could give a piece of criticism? Whenever we've crit-failed, it never really felt like the consequences were very heavy. When we crit-failed grabbing the moth it didn't feel like there were any consequences at all.
I don't mean to be demanding or pushy, but could you adjust it a bit? Be harder on us players? It makes for funnier narrative when we screw up royally once in a while.

>>29337586
Gonna second this.

>>29337687
I'm carrying over from tabletop here. Generally speaking, I don't want crit fails to make the players seem incompetent or punish them too much for something that isn't their fault; stupidity should be punished more than bad luck.

The first combat in the first game I ever ran had I think three crit fails in a row on the player's side.

On the other hand, I do want to make people a little jumpy so I'll keep that in mind, and thanks for letting me know.