>>31606188
>Open up the game files and try and figure out what it’s doing.
MUH EXPLOITS

>>31606188
>Open up the game files and try and figure out what it’s doing.

>>31606188
>Open up the game files and try and figure out what it’s doing.
MAXIMUM PARANOIA.

>>31606298
>>31606294

You open up the game files, not really expecting to get a lot of ideas; the code is still opaque as fuck and while you can sometimes wrestle it into doing specific things that you like, trying to understand it as a whole makes your head hurt.

Metaphorically anyway.

When you open up the game files this time, it starts hurting literally. You can hear a static buzz in your ears, although you've muted all sounds so you can pay attention in class; it must be coming direct from the neural interface, even though you're not actually using it right now.

And the code. It hasn't frozen like it usually does when you look at it; as you watch it rewrites itself, discarding old data and covering it with new. It's rather hypnotic.

You poke around a bit more, and decide that it's not actually doing anything else; it's not reaching out over the network, and it's not messing with any of your other files. Nor is it sending a lot of data back to the central servers.

>Let it do it's thing and continue with class. You don't have any reason to shut it down.
>Disconnect from the network and work offline.
>Ask Martin what his game is up to. He's wearing his glasses for class as well.
>Write in.
>Play Arcadia.

>>31606498
>Ask Martin what his game is up to. He's wearing his glasses for class as well.
Let's see how he's doing.

>>31606498
>Let it do it's thing and continue with class. You don't have any reason to shut it down.
But let's be cautious when we next log in.

>>31606498
>>Ask Martin what his game is up to. He's wearing his glasses for class as well.

>>31606498
>>Ask Martin what his game is up to. He's wearing his glasses for class as well.

>>31606498
>Ask Martin what his game is up to. He's wearing his glasses for class as well.

>>31606556
>>31606540
>>31606597
>>31606588


The tutor is still talking, and you lean over and tap Martin on the shoulder. You ask him to check his game files and data usage and he gives you an odd look through his glasses and nods.

You concentrate on catching up on the problem being worked out on the screen while Martin messes about. You see him visibly shudder out of the corner of your eye when he finally accesses the files. He clearly doesn't want to look at them long.

"What is with that code?" he leans over and whispers to you.

You shrug. You have no idea. "What's it doing? Is it downloading stuff?"

"Yeah."

"What's the code doing?"

"Um. Nothing?"

Hm. Unfortunately you can't really borrow Martin's glasses and see for yourself in the middle of class, but even someone with his grades would notice if the code was moving.

"Thanks."

Despite the mess in the game files, the game itself tells your system it's ready to play, as it always is.

>Ignore it all for now and let it patch.
>Shut it off.
>Write in.
>Play Arcadia

>>31606771
>>Ignore it all for now and let it patch.
Do we have software to record processes and trends?

>>31606771
>Write in
Hack the tutor's shit and disrupt the lesson. School's out, bitches.

>>31606771
>>Shut it off.

Let's shut it off and let it patch when we get home.
Maybe we can study it better.

>>31606771
>Shut it off.

>>31606771
>Ignore it all for now and let it patch.
Paranoia won't beat us!

>>31606771
>Ignore it all for now and let it patch.

>>31606871
>>31606834
You decide to let it run and go back to work. The rest of the afternoon passes uneventfully.

It's still raining when you leave class. You, Martin and Wing stand under the eaves of the building and watch people scurrying for their cars, the bus, or the dorms.

"What awful weather," Wing says.

"I'm gonna play Arcadia," Martin says. "At least it's sunny there."

"What are you up to in there anyway?" you ask him. Last you heard he was trying to get to a cliffside town.

"I found a way up. Had to climb on all these vines and stuff. The town's really nice though, and I finally saw someone else."

"Meat or player?" you ask.

"How should I know? I didn't ask. They said they were there to get a mount. They wanted a mountain goat or something and asked if I'd seen any."

"Player then."

"Yeah well, they weren't very helpful to be honest. But I wasn't either so we're even." He grins.

It sounds like Martin's still stuck in the middle of nowhere. Wing looks a bit put out; he's still resisting getting the game himself.

It's early evening. You recall Mason asked you to log in some time today so he can tell you how organising the expedition is going.

>Go back to the dorms and read your book.
>Go back to the dorms and play Arcadia.
>Go to the library for one of the above and hope the rain goes in a couple of hours.
>Hang out with someone.
>Write in.
>Play Arcadia.

>>31607200
>Go back to the dorms and read your book.
This is important. We can log in later anyways.

>>31607200
>>Write in.
Call mom and dad. Supppp...

>>31607200
>Go back to the dorms and read your book.

>>31607200
>Go to the library for one of the above and hope the rain goes in a couple of hours.
>Read your book

>>31607200
>Go back to the dorms and play Arcadia.

>>31607432
>>31607299

You bid Martin and Wing farewell, stuff your glasses into your bag to keep them out of the rain, and dash over to the dorms. As Jess had told you earlier, her parents are camped out in the carpark. The van is still there, and although the doors are shut the windows are open and you can see light inside and hear faint conversation. The rain probably doesn't bother them at all, you think, they've had thirty years or more of that sort of lifestyle. You shudder; you're not really an outdoors sort of person, and hurry on.

The rain is probably a good thing, you think, in that it's keeping away curious onlookers for now, but you do feel sorry for Jess.

You return to a dark and empty room. Emily's not in. You turn on the lights in time to see several bugs on the outside of your window drop away when the light hits them. You're not even bothered any more, although you check around your desk for more before sitting down to read.

What you have in your hand is a translation of a diary of a Greek trader. Because he went to many places, the information you want is not easy to find. Mostly he concerns himself with the price of goods, and some sort of long-running dispute with his brother-in-law, but he does stop and describe the places he visits.

Eventually your persistence pays off. He talks about a strange island in the Mediterranean, inhabited by a singularly gloomy group of people. "They do not seek to propitiate their gods but to defend themselves from them, having committed some grievous sin."

(1/2)

>>31607713
To this end, they carved a great many statues and buried them. When the trader was visiting they were in the process of burying one of these statues, which involved hollowing out, at great effort, a large rock so they could lower the statue inside.

The Greek thought they were mad, of course. The best thing one could do when dealing with the realm of gods was to make sacrifices and hope for the best. These people didn't have a lot to trade, but what they did have they gave away quite freely, with the abandon of those who expect to die soon.

"And die they will," the Greek says. "Once they run out of stone to trade for figs and olives and wheat. For they have no arable land of their own and no interest in cultivation or fishing anyway." It's not made clear, but you get the impression these people hadn't lived on the island for all that long; else how would they have survived?

The Greek couldn't get a straight answer out of them about the statues either. They existed to build, apparently, once the world had ended, but the didn't say what they'd build, or why they had to be buried first.

The Greek eventually sails away, richer and mystified, and you close the book and get up to make something to eat; you're starving.

You can answer one of the Greek's questions, at least from a Quest for Arcadia perspective; slaves build bridges.

>Try and contact Jess and share what you've learned.
>Contact Prof Green and tell him the troubles you've been having with your research, and discuss what you've found.
>Write in.
>Play Arcadia.

>>31607970
>>Contact Prof Green and tell him the troubles you've been having with your research, and discuss what you've found.

>>31607970
>Write in
Start trying to find a map of the layout of the statues, I have a feeling they are gonna line up with some leylines or some other magic bs

>>31607970
>Contact Prof Green and tell him the troubles you've been having with your research, and discuss what you've found.

Also get some food

>>31607970
>Play Arcadia.
enough mystery for now.

Rolled 7

>>31607970
>>Contact Prof Green and tell him the troubles you've been having with your research, and discuss what you've found.
>>Write in.
Consume the flesh of killed farm animals and plants.

>>31607970
>Play Arcadia.

>>31608085
>>31608050
>>31608007

You throw together a couple of sandwiches; you exhausted your interest in cooking for the day with your magnificent breakfast. Right now, you just need fuel in the most efficient way you can make it.

While you eat you sit down and compose an email to Prof Green. Partly you want his feedback, and partly you're hoping he might disclose any further computer issues he may have had.

You tell him what you've found, and the trouble you and Jess had finding it.

>>31608047
You also ask if it's possible to get a map of the island with the location of the statues marked. You haven't found one so far, but surely one would exist.

While you're working on your wording (he is staff after all, and he's doing you a favour, even if it is one he's happy to do) you check your other emails. There's one from the library; someone's put a hold on your book. You wonder if it's Jess, trying to be helpful.

You don't really expect a response from Green right away. In your experience staff answer emails within a length of time one would call reasonable, but not prompt.

But you're still working on your sandwiches when Green replies.

"Re: map. I have a copy of the one the expedition made I'll be happy to show you. Which leads me to my next problem; do you still have the files I sent you? (photos etc.) I didn't think to check immediately but after you restored my computer they're gone. I have other copies obviously but this concerns me.

Haven't been game to look into the Arcadia Corp again, to be honest. Maybe I should."

You check your files. You're not entirely surprised to see that the photos of Green's expedition have mysteriously vanished. Running a search of your system doesn't turn them up either.

1/2

>>31608404

>You don't trust your email anymore. Suggest a meeting.
>Tell him to keep his data safe; yours has gone too, and thank him for the offer of the map.
>Tell him to prod Arcadia corp again - in fifteen minutes; the game can't do anything while you're playing it.
>Write in.
>Play Arcadia.

>>31608436
>Tell him to keep his data safe; yours has gone too, and thank him for the offer of the map.
>Play Arcadia.

Rolled 32

>>31608436
>>Write in.
Counter hack, find out who or what is hacking your babies.

>>31608404
>Tell him to keep his data safe; yours has gone too, and thank him for the offer of the map.
>Tell him to prod Arcadia corp again - in fifteen minutes; the game can't do anything while you're playing it.

>>31608436
>You don't trust your email anymore. Suggest a meeting.
Tomorrow or sometime.

>Tell him to prod Arcadia corp again - in fifteen minutes; the game can't do anything while you're playing it.
We need to check in on Mason anyways. Why not use the opportunity?

>>31608436
>Tell him to keep his data safe; yours has gone too, and thank him for the offer of the map.
Damn data...

File: Liandra.jpg (125 KB, 720x1239)

125 KB JPG

>>31608574
>>31608473
>>31608469

You fire off another email, explaining that your data has gone too, and he'd best be keeping his backups safe and offline. You thank him for the offer of the map.

You also suggest he prods Arcadia Corp again, but ask him to wait a little while first.

You finish your dinner. The game still seems to be patching or whatever it's doing, but it's ready to play.

So you do. You know that whatever it did to interfere with Green's computer last time, it won't be able to do it this time.

Vertigo, and then you're in. It's early evening, in the city. And the place is vibrating. Literally. The very air seems to quiver, and you can feel the ground shaking through your boots. The sky is covered in swirling, faintly purplish clouds that billow and move as you watch. You can hear a sort of dull roaring sound, which seems to be coming from everywhere.

The city is deserted save for NPCs, who appear to be acting no differently from normal.

Mason, Lily, and Amadeus are online. Wolf is offline.

>Contact Lily.
>Contact Mason.
>Contact Amadeus.
>Search for the source of the noise yourself.
>Write in.
>Quit Arcadia.

>>31608790
>Contact Amadeus.
Seriously, she needs to get offline a bit. Starting to get a bit worrying.

>>31608790
>Contact Mason.

Not even Arcadia is cheery anymore. The happening is soon.

>>31608790
>Contact Lily.
what the fuuuuuck

>>31608790
>>Contact Amadeus.
Starting a bandwagon cause I am new to this.

>>31608886
Have you at least read the previous threads?

>>31608790
>Contact Lily.
Mason is probably busy and Amadeus probably doesn't have much info

>>31608790
>Contact Lily.
Try not to freak out.
Fail.
Freak out.

>>31608790
>Contact Lily.

>>31608956
>>31608954
>>31608879

You take out your mirror and prod Lily's cheerful smile. A few moments later it's replaced by Lily's cheerful smile.

"Hey, how's it going?" she asks. Behind her you can see the ocean, and above it a starry sky, clear as a bell.

"Um. I just logged in and things are pretty weird." You hold up your mirror so she can see the sky. "The weather looks like that, and there's no one here. Are things okay where you are?" They certainly seem to be.

"Ooh. The world's shifting, it looks like," Lily says. You turn the mirror back so you can talk to her. "That bridge you built probably had enough people cross it already. It's pretty cool. I imagine everyone's gone to watch, if there's no one around."

"So this is normal?"

"Well, normal-ish. I wonder what kind of place will be across the chasm when it's done."

"So how are things at the beach?"

Lily sighs. "I'm getting bored. Wolf's taken up spear fishing. I really hope something happens soon. Mason told me about the expedition you're planning though, that sounds fun. Not sure I can make it though, if I'm still on stake-out by Friday...uggggh."

>Thank Lily and head out to see for yourself what's going on.
>Contact someone else.
>Write in.
>Quit Arcadia.

>>31609181
>>Thank Lily and head out to see for yourself what's going on.
Move along.

>>31609181
>Contact someone else.
Contact Amadeus and ask her where she is.

>>31609181
>Thank Lily and head out to see for yourself what's going on.
>Contact someone else.
Amadeus

>>31609181
>Thank Lily and head out to see for yourself what's going on.
>Contact someone else.
Amadeus.
Gotta make sure she's not getting addicted to Arcadia!

>>31609181
>>Thank Lily and head out to see for yourself what's going on.

File: Lily.jpg (1.38 MB, 1648x2362)

1.38 MB JPG

>>31609288
>>31609278
>>31609267

"Thanks for explaining." You haven't seen much of Lily lately, thanks to this stake-out. "I guess I'll see for myself."

"Later."

You contact Amadeus next, as you start walking across the city to the back gate. It takes him a while to answer. And when he does all you see is his ear. "Hello?"

"It's not a phone," you tell him. "You don't have to put it to your ear." You can hear someone laughing in the background. Sounds like Shrike.

"Oh! Hi!" Amadeus grins at you. "Like video chat." You can see the clouds swirling behind him. "It's Leandra," he says to someone off-screen.

"Have you seen this?" he asks. "It's awesome. It's better than, awesome, it's epic! The bridge is gone."

"Yeah, I heard. I'm on my way."

"Ah, cool. I got a new sword too, with my share of the bone money. I'll show you when you get here. I made it glow with a Piece of Arcadia."

You seriously hope he did something more than make it glow. He seems fine, however, and Trish and Shrike are with him.

When you leave the city, the noise doesn't get louder, but is instead overlapped by what sounds like singing. You now see what the clouds were swirling around; the bridge is gone, and beyond it a column of light. At its edge, high above you, you think you see angels.

You can feel Arcadia on the breeze. Your heart quickens, and some part of you that wants to believe in something greater than yourself urges you to fall to your knees. You don't. You'd miss out if you did.

The place is crowded. Players, meat, the entire city seems to be here. Some are just watching, some are dancing in the strange light, one or two are crying. No one seems in the mood to fight at least.

>Look for Mason.
>Look for Amadeus and the others.
>Get closer to the edge for a better view.
>Write in.
>Quit Arcadia.

>>31609622
>>Get closer to the edge for a better view.

>>31609622
>Look for Amadeus and the others.
Man, this is some freaky shit

>>31609622
>Look for Amadeus and the others.

Kinda want to see what he did to his sword

>>31609622
>Look for Amadeus and the others.

>>31609622
>Look for Amadeus and the others.

What are we doing with our Pieces of Arcadia? Saving them up for better equipment or something?

>>31609622
>Write in.
>No one seems in the mood to fight at least.
Ha. Pick a fight, shank someone.

>>31609762
We're waiting until we get some actual armour so we can buff it.

File: Amadeus.jpg (192 KB, 620x825)

192 KB JPG

>>31609712
>>31609706
>>31609698
>>31609682

You wind your way through the crowd, looking for your friends. You catch a glimpse of Toxicity and her friends, and they're the only ones who don't look happy about all of this; you recall they wanted to break the bridge to prevent it happening.

As you get closer you can hear the singing more clearly, but you can't make out any of the words. You sense the beam of light is moving, also, and it's as if you can feel the earth moving around the sun for the first time; there's a sense of scale and power like nothing you've ever experienced. You are a mote in the eye of the cosmos.

You finally spot the handle of Trish's broadsword jutting up over the crowd and you make your way through to your friends.

"Hey!"

"You made it," Amadeus greets you.

"Here you go," Shrike hands you a bag. It's relatively heavy. "Your share of the cash moneys. There's a hundred and ninety-two coins there. People are paying a lot for protection now this war is in the offing." He looks terribly pleased with himself.

If he's accurate, you now have 296 coins.

Trish is wearing a new breastplate of bone armour, and Amadeus is now wielding a long, elegant sword. A golden gleam of light pings up and down its razor edge as you watch.

>Ask Amadeus about his sword.
>Ask for general news from the others.
>Ask about the world shifting.
>Write in.
>Quit Arcadia.

>>31609952
>Ask about the world shifting.

>>31609952
>>Ask Amadeus about his sword.

>>31609952
>>Ask Amadeus about his sword.

>>31609952
>>Ask Amadeus about his sword.
lol glowstick

>>31609952
>Ask Amadeus about his sword.
>Ask about the world shifting.
Gotta know what's going on.

File: Trish.jpg (176 KB, 1500x1169)

176 KB JPG

>>31610102
>>31610027
>>31610008

"So, what did you do to your sword?" you ask Amadeus. He draws it and holds it up so you can see it better; he looks terribly pleased with it.

"It's Blinding Steel," he says. "When I block with it, it blinds my opponents briefly. So I won't need a shield. I don't really like shields. And it looks so cool when it does it."

"And it really blinds," Trish adds.

"Trish let me test it out on her," Amadeus says.

"I was kind of curious," she shrugs.

Well, it could have been worse. And anything that keeps Amadeus alive is probably a better option than a purely offensive measure.

"So when did all this start?" you ask, gesturing at the pillar of light.

"Couple of hours ago," Shrike says. "We knew what it was so we finished up in the markets before coming out here. I'm kinda glad we hadn't decided to cross to the other side for some more grinding."

Where the bridge was is now just floating chunks of wood again. There's no sign of the slave, either.

"I think it's nearly done," Trish says. "Look you can see something in the light." You all squint into it, but all you see are vague shapes.

>Wait for the show to end here and see what's on the other side.
>Look for Mason; he's bound to be around somewhere.
>You've seen enough. Get back to the city and get some armour while all the NPCs are unoccupied.
>Write in.
>Quit Arcadia.

>>31610318
>>Wait for the show to end here and see what's on the other side.
I'm curious.

>>31610318
>>You've seen enough. Get back to the city and get some armour while all the NPCs are unoccupied.
LODS OF EMONE

>>31610318
>Wait for the show to end here and see what's on the other side.
What could go wrong?

>>31610318
>>Wait for the show to end here and see what's on the other side.

>>31610318
Wait here.

File: Shrike.jpg (248 KB, 687x1163)

248 KB JPG

>>31610490
>>31610417
>>31610365
>>31610494

You stand and wait with you friends among the crowd, and the sense that it's nearly over spreads as people pop up on their toes and crane their necks and nudge each other. A new area to explore will be revealed and a ripple of excitement spreads through the crowd.

And the sound finally stops. You'd almost stopped hearing it and your heartbeat sounds loud in your ears. You look up, and the angels have gone and the skies clear like someone just wipe them clean, and the light dies. It's not snuffed out like a candle it's just suddenly gone.

And beyond it, mountains. Impossible mountains, tall and slender in a way that they are not in the real world, their peaks capped with glittering ice that makes them sparkle like diamonds. You see great swathes of coloured rock, blue and red among the grey, winding paths, precipitous cliffs, gorges as deep as the sea.

And as you watch you hear a deep, lonely cry, and what you at first take to be a huge eagle flies behind a mountain and your perspective changes and its wingspan has to be at least a hundred feet across and your heart clenches with the sheer size of it.

"Roc," someone in the crowd breathes.

The mountains rumble, it's not pervasive, it comes and goes and you can't tell if it's the wind or falling rocks. The crowd is silent for a few moments, and then, for no real reason, everyone cheers.

One or two Avatars spread their wings and start flying across to the new area and a babble of conversation rises.

>Look for Mason.
>Go get some armour made.
>Write in.
>Quit Arcadia.

>>31610726
>>Go get some armour made.
giant bird
okay

What do players spend money on?

We won't be buying new equipment because we upgrade what we have using Pieces. We won't spend cash to craft anything for the same reason. Other then arrows and special arrowheads, I can't think of anything practical to drop cash on.

Once you get all the clothing/armour you want, is there anything to else you need? You could buy an RP house, sure, but anything else?

Do players hoard money for if they turn into meat and need to buy quality equipment suddenly?

>>31610726
>Look for Mason.

>>31610726
>Go get some armour made.

>>31610726
>>Go get some armour made.

>>31610726

Let's go get some armor made. I feel like a tangible upgrade, followed by exploring the mountains.

I'm not sure if we're ready to go Roc hunting. Probably best served taking our normal party out and getting the lay of the new land, leveling up, grabbing another piece of Arcadia.

Theory: We play in a world that has been destroyed by the gods, severed into many disconnected pieces. The slaves rebuild the connections between places as a sort of counter to this severing. However, given time, the agents of the gods apparently sever these connections to keep the world broken.

The real question isn't What, at the moment. It's Why. The world makes no sense.

Question, Arcadian: is there any physical link from the city to the new area, or does the absence of the bridge deny access? I suppose we could fly there with Ascend, though.

>>31610726
>Go get some armour made.
We should really upgrade our defenses now that we have more cash.

>>31610805
We spent money to get our glaive and bow. You need a base item to sink Pieces into, after all.
Right now we're holding our Pieces until we get decent armour.
Also, materials have intrinsic properties. Our glaive is more effective versus undead or something because of what it's made from, not from Pieces.

You know, Pieces of Arcadia have incredible untapped potential. Sinking them into weapons and armor should and is our current priority, but going forward, we should think about more creative uses for them.

I mean, Lily made herself a floating hunk of dirt. That's a demonstration that they can go anywhere right there.

For example, would it be possible to build our own personal Slave? What if we could enchant a weapon or some other device to be a personal drone and automatically defend us, and serve as a forward inanimate scout in times of danger?

On that note, I thought of something else.

This world has no written language. Attempts at constructing the written word are quickly torn up by NPCs. Low technology is an enforced principle in this world.

Why would the NPCs go out of their way to do that?

Because they're afraid. The gods have destroyed civilization, and they want to avoid further punishment.

Therefore, I suggest we defy the mandate against technology and see what happens. It's the only thing I can think of to test the world's fundamental nature, unless we find some portal into heaven or something. There's also the underground area we're gearing up to raid. Maybe we can find some hints at the past world down there, before it was broken into the haphazard state it currently exists in?

>>31610909
(There's no physical link; the bridge is gone, and the slave will have to be found to start rebuilding it, assuming Tox and her friends don't object. For now, the new area's out of reach; you don't have the points in Ascend to necessarily make it safely to the other side.)

>>31610920
>>31610886
>>31610856
>>31610771

"I want to spend this money," you say. "It's kind of heavy."

Trish laughs, "Yeah, people usually get a house or something to store it in if they end up with a lot. NPC's charge through the nose for transport and such, but if you tend to stay in one spot you can rack up a lot if you don't like shopping."

"What can you buy with it?"

"Dyes, accessories, that sort of thing. You can kit your house out in furniture and stuff for the walls too if you like; and there's rent of course. Ours is pretty low cause our place is basically a room, but you can rent whole houses out if you want."

It doesn't look like you'll have that kind of cash anytime soon.

You start heading back to the city. The crowd is slow to split up. You hear someone complaining bitterly that they never made it across the bridge before it disappeared.

"So where's the slave now?" you ask.

"Hidden somewhere else in the city again," Shrike says. "With all these players around not doing much we might get the bridge up faster than usual."

Trish leads you and the others to a row of shops clearly belonging to tailors and similar. There are no signs, but bolts of cloth and clothes on display make their business clear.

"What sort do you want?" Trish asks.

>Stick with cloth, and remain unencumbered.
>Leather this time, for a bit of extra protection, but it might slow you down.
>Leave and head to the forge for heavy armour.
>Write in.
>Quit Arcadia.

>>31611130
Experimenting with Pieces some more sounds worthwhile. First, since NPCs erase anything written down, would they break into an RP apartment to do so? We need to find some place that we can keep our experiments intact.

>>31611196
>>Stick with cloth, and remain unencumbered.
Dodging > blocking/parrying.

>>31611196

Leather sounds like a good compromise. We're not exclusively close range, we need to maintain mobility.

But then, what's our grand combat strategy going forward? Arrows used to stun and approach, followed by glaive to finish? Or are our arrows are main weapon, and we bust out the glaive when we have an opportunity, or get close?

If we mean to fight close, we should get heavier armor. If our primary goal is maintaining distance, with occasional close-range fighting, we should get leather.

My vote is currently for leather, unless someone has a good argument otherwise.

>>31611196
What kind of protection would cloth offer, if any? Also, do the effects that the Pieces give depend on the armor they're applied to? Like heavy armor would get buffs that conform to the role of a tank whereas light would get stuff like agility?

>>31611196
>Stick with cloth, and remain unencumbered.
Protection comes from Pieces. We're not meat.

>>31611196
>>Stick with cloth, and remain unencumbered.
But, like, high-ish quality.

>>31611196
>>Leave and head to the forge for heavy armour.

I get it would be heavy, but let's make power armor with the piece to negate it.

>>31611296
>let's make power armor with the piece to negate it.

This is the fucking winner right here. TECHNOLOGY HOOOO

DEFY THE GODS
REACH FOR ARCADIA

>>31611250
>some place that we can keep our experiments intact.

What if we use pieces of Arcadia to build our own house within the city limits? That way it stays in the 'intact' section of the world, and we don't have to pay through the nose for rent. It would probably suck for a little while, but eventually we could have quite the fortress!

>>31611296
Seconding

>>31611267
You'll get protection from the Tears of the Lady, and from Pieces if you choose, no matter what base material you use.

>>31611256

Changing my vote from leather to heavy power armor.

>>31611296

We should suggest renting a room with Amadeus splitting the rent. Just as a place to store random crap and experiment.

>>31611296
This sounds good. We might want to keep it tucked away in Shrike's Apartment though until we get enough pieces to make it fully upgraded.

>>31611347

I'm afraid that if we rent a room our NPC landlord will screw with anything plot-sensitive we try to hang on to.

Even a mud hut with a simple magically-locked door would do for the time being. Maybe a trapdoor leading underground so it's not obvious.

>>31611324
>What if we use pieces of Arcadia to build our own house within the city limits?

What about above the city limits? If we're spending pieces might as well go all out and make it float.

>>31611296
Voting against. Why dump pieces to make it less cumbersome when we can put pieces in cloth to make it just as protective? This just seems like a huge waste of time.

>>31611375
No matter how magical it is people would still be able to enter, it's not official housing.
Also, as long as we hide our illegal stuff he probably won't find out about it.

>>31611196

>Leather this time, for a bit of extra protection, but it might slow you down.

>>31611407
>>31611400
>>31611324
Just a reminder, you currently have two Pieces of Arcadia. (And my scripts are screwing up making it hard to follow quotes for some reason. If I start quoting the wrong posts that's why.)

>>31611424

I suppose that's true.

>>31611400
>What about above the city limits? If we're spending pieces might as well go all out and make it float.

Sure, sure. That would probably take some doing. For starters we just need secure storage space.

>>31611407

It's 6 of one and half-dozen of the other. Either we start with weaker cloth armor and add protection or start with heavily armored materials and add mobility.

Given that information, I'm in favor of power armor because of the cool factor.

>>31611457
Update your shit man.

>>31611469
We're fast enough that we hardly get hit as it is. What's the point in hamstringing ourselves by slowing our movement when we can keep our speed with cloth?

Switching to heavy armour will make us lose more health then we already do until we invest enough Pieces. Sticking with cloth won't hinder us in any way and end up roughly as good in the end, since Pieces go right to protection rather then speed.

>>31611528
>Switching to heavy armour will make us lose more health then we already do until we invest enough Pieces

but that's wrong
we'll have a higher level of protection with heavy armor
it'll more than make up for the decrease in speed

>>31611528
>Sticking with cloth won't hinder us in any way and end up roughly as good in the end

That's my point exactly. We're getting fruit either way, we're just picking apples or oranges. I like orange juice better.

Cloth feels boring. Power armor! We can be Samus!

Cloth is cool too. No big deal. I'd just prefer the alternative.

Hey Arcadian, want to call a vote on this? Let's make a decision and move on.

>>31611196
>Stick with cloth, and remain unencumbered.

Forgot to vote

>>31611196
Heavy power armor.

>>31611487
(Should be automatic. I'll mess around after the thread's over.)

>>31611622
Yup, let's vote. Just remember you're making one piece of armour with this, not a whole suit.

>Heavy armour. ++DR --Speed and Dodge. Just a breastplate or greaves.
>Leather armour +Dr -Speed and Dodge. Long coat, can protect you to the knees.
>Cloth no DR Speed and Dodge unaffected. Full outfit.

All types will receive the benefits of the Tears of the Lady (++DR) May as well tell you now since you're gonna find out anyway.

>>31611196
>forge for p-p-p-power armor

>>31611721
>heavy armor

>>31611721
>Cloth no DR Speed and Dodge unaffected. Full outfit.

>>31611721

>Heavy armor, breastplate

Will definitely help when enemies fire back, and be major protection when in the thick of things with the glaive.

>>31611721
>Heavy armour
Since mechanically there's no real difference, we can use Pieces to boost whatever we want and powerarmor sounds cool.

>>31611622
Alright. I just have it in my head that we're penalizing ourselves now for no net gain in the end by doing this. I could be completely wrong and it could be as you say.

I just liked the image of our brown protag zipping around the battlefield like an Asian war goddess. Cloth fits better in my mental image.

>>31611721
>Heavy armour. ++DR --Speed and Dodge. Just a breastplate or greaves.
If it's just a breastplate I'm okay with that. I thought we'd go full plate armour or something.

>>31611721
>>Heavy armour. ++DR --Speed and Dodge. Just a breastplate or greaves.

If it's just a breastplate that's actually pretty light already. We'll just need to make sure it's fitted properly.

>>31611805

Well, since we took the heavy armor this time, I'll vote for lighter armor next time for hand or leg protection. I don't want to be a tank.

The chest is a very frequently targeted area of the body. Good to have that bulletproof vest.

>>31611837
>>31611785
>>31611779
>>31611744
>>31611725

"Not here," you say. "I want something with a bit more protection."

Trish grins at you. "Yeah, I like that too." She taps her own breastplate and it gives a hollow sound. "I'm looking forward to seeing how this works."

Shrike looks kind of bored, but he's not going anywhere, and Amadeus is still fascinated by everything, and is presumably taking notes for when he gets armour as well.

You head over to the forges, where the NPCs are working away despite the lack of players; only now are people starting to drift back into the city.

You pick one at random; Trish tells you they all offer the same prices, after all. You explain that you want the Tears of the Lady made into a breastplate, and the NPC nods and tells you that it's going to cost you two hundred and five coins if you don't have any other materials to make it out of.

You agree, hand over the money and the crystal tears and stand back while the NPC goes to work at the forge.

"So if we stuck our hand in there it would burn," Amadeus says.

"Yeah," Shrike says. "But you'd just lie on the ground and it would heal itself. You're a player, so it wouldn't even hurt that bad."

"This game is gross but neat. I love the details."

You hear a strange chiming sound. You're not leveling up and it takes you a moment to realise it's your mirror. It's Mason.

"Hey, glad I caught you," he says when you answer. "Friday's good for a lot of people. How early do you want to meet up for the expedition?"

>Skip Friday afternoon classes (like you can concentrate anyway) and start after lunch.
>Start in the evening before dinner.
>Start after dinner.
>Write in.
>Quit Arcadia.

How much EXP does it cost to improve an ability? I can see where the pastebin has the purchase costs for new abilities, but nothing on upgrading what we already have.

>>31612067
One point to upgrade.

>>31612055
>>Start in the evening before dinner.
We can eat a large lunch and power through it.

>>31612055
>>Start after dinner.
Well fed and no worries!

>>31612055
>>Start after dinner.
We're making an effort to participate in the real world.

>>31612055

Let's be responsible and start after dinner and responsibilities are taken care of.

I don't want to allow Arcadia to control us. Self-discipline is important.

>>31612055
>Start after dinner.

>>31612055
>Start in the evening before dinner.
wanna leave ourselves time for this

So how do you guys feel about Lorica Segmentata as our armor? I figured it may be neater than just a breastplate.

>>31612080

Always, no matter what level it is?

For example, I assume it would cost ASCEND (currently level 1) one point to upgrade. Would PRAY (currently level 2) only cost one point to reach level 3?

If so, it's much more beneficial to specialize than spread out too thin, at least at first.

File: 1280987483288.jpg (36 KB, 180x200)

36 KB JPG

>>31612186
>So how do you guys feel about Lorica Segmentata as our armor? I figured it may be neater than just a breastplate.

I don't have a preference, so I'm perfectly happy with that. I'm sure the banshee-tears armor will be pretty awesome either way.

File: Mason.jpg (118 KB, 650x900)

118 KB JPG

>>31612194
Yes and yes.

>>31612186
You can give instructions to the NPC over how you want the armour to look if you like.

>>31612133
>>31612095
>>31612088
>>31612086

You suggest starting after dinner. Not only does that give you time to do all the other things you need to do, it might discourage any kids who want to come along. You haven't seen anyone actually acting like a thirteen year old, (other than hearing stories about Tox) but that's no reason not to be careful; you want the best people you can get.

"Okay," Mason says. "I've got some good people on board. Sweetie might come, which is excellent. She's the closest this game gets to a dedicated healer."

"How many people are coming?"

Mason grins and shrugs, "It's hard to say. A dozen at least, probably more. It's the Underground; we'll want as many as we can get. Okay, I gotta go. We'll meet in the marketplace Friday evening."

You pass the information on to Trish and Shrike.

The NPC calls you over and invites you to take off your shirt and try on your new armour. Shrike rolls his eyes and grins and politely turns his back.

The armour may once have been plain steel, but now it shimmers blue and when you touch it feels cool and slightly slippery.

"Her tears will absorb some power," the NPC explains. "And fire will not touch it."

You have acquired Armour of the Lady. It settles heavier on your back than your tunic, but it's reassuring as well.

>Test it out.
>Ask the others what they want to do.
>Upgrade it further with a Piece of Arcadia.
>Write in.
>Quit Arcadia.

>>31612412
>Upgrade it further with a Piece of Arcadia.
Make it lighter.

>>31612412
>Upgrade it further with a Piece of Arcadia.

>>31612412
>Upgrade it further with a Piece of Arcadia
Make it impossibly light and/or flexible. So we can keep a stock dodge bonus.

Since we have two Pieces, can we put the other into our boots finally? Double-jump or dash?

>>31612503

Yeah, voting for this.

1) Make the Armor of the Lady lighter

2) Give out boots double-jump power, or dash power, whichever can be achieved in one piece (preference to jumping if both can be achieved)

>>31612603
Support, with dash.

>>31612461
>>31612471
>>31612474

Once the armour is fitted to your satisfaction, you leave the shop.

"It looks lovely," Amadeus says. "Matches your eyes."

You're pretty happy with it yourself. In the starlight it gleams and in the firelight it shimmers. But you're not done yet.

You take out one of your Pieces of Arcadia. You feel the possibilities inherent in the tiny object as you clasp it to your chest. You know what you want; it needs to be lighter.

The Piece disappears and you feel the weight on your back lessen, and you feel some of your agility return.

"You've got wings," Trish says.

"What?" You twist your head and look over your shoulder. You don't actually have wings, but the flat steel on your back and gained an engraving of a pair, faintly luminescent - you can never hide the Pieces you use.

"Let's try it out," Shrike says. "I can fire flaming arrows."

"Didn't you upgrade your bow for extra power?" Trish asks.

"It's not gonna kill her with that armour, c'mon, what are you, chicken?"

>Upgrade your boots next.
>Save the Piece.
>Take Shrike up on his generous offer.
>Write in.
>Quit Arcadia.

>>31612703
>Upgrade your boots next.
I vote for dash, unless Arcadian has any ideas beyond that and doublejump.

>Take Shrike up on his generous offer.

>>31612703
>Use the piece on the armor
Even lighter!

>>31612703

Double-jump on the boots.

If that can't be achieved with one Piece, then add dashing capability.

Let's take Shrike up on his offer and test our armor. But tell him not to draw the thing all the way back for starters.

>>31612703
>>Upgrade your boots next.
Dash

>>31612703
>Take Shrike up on his generous offer.

>>31612829
Seconding double jump. Sounds useful.

>>31612703
>Take Shrike up on his generous offer.
After we Upgrade the boots.

>>31612829

Pointing out that I'm this voter, just so this isn't taken as another independent vote for double-jump.

An argument: I'm in favor of applying both a dash and a double jump. However, we should take enhanced jumping first. The reason? It will help us navigate the newly opened mountainous area much better than a dashing ability. Being more mobile on cliffs or bounding from rock to rock might save our lives.

That is, assuming, we can get to the mountains.

>>31613096
Fair point. Also considering we'll go to the Underground fighting with a large party, getting some elevation will make it easier to play a support archer role. It wouldn't help much to use dash and isolate ourselves on the front.

Changing my vote from >>31612764 to double-jump.

>>31613181
>>31612829
>>31612934


You hold your last Piece of Arcadia to your boots, and along with many more situational abilities like lava walk and water walk, you understand that you have the option to be able to jump twice. That is the one you pick.

You accept this, and abruptly get an inch taller as your rather shapeless Rugged Steel-Capped Boots wrap themselves elegantly around your feet and grow a low, gleaming steel heel. Your boots are now Spring-Heeled Boots. You can feel the energy coiled within them, and you barely need to do more than think it to activate them.

"All right then," you say to Shrike, since he's so keen.

"Ha! I knew you'd be up for it."

The four of you leave the forges to find a more private street to practice in. Shrike takes out a special arrow, presumably one that will burn.

"Don't pull the string back all the way, though," you say.

"Yeah, okay."

You separate, Trish and Amadeus spectating with interest. Shrike scrapes the end of his arrow on the ground and it bursts into flame.

"Just don't hit her head," Trish says.

"Oi! Don't put me off," Shrike says. You agree with him.

You brace yourself as he aims the arrow and lets it fly. It finds its mark in your chest, and you hear a splash, as if the arrow has hit deep water, and you recoil as you feel the thump. The fire simply curls away before it lands, and the arrow, clatters to the street.

You feel a bit bruised, but not like you've just been shot. You're not even sure you've lost any HP.

"Oh, nice." Trish claps. "I'm not going to volunteer to be next, however."

"Do you think-" Amadeus says. And then he collapses like a toppled tree, falling forward onto his face without another sound.

>Check your HP.
>Assist Amadeus.
>Write in.
>Quit Arcadia.

>>31613282
>Assist Amadeus.

>>31613282
>>Assist Amadeus.

>>31613282

>assist Amadeus

>>31613282
>Assist Amadeus.
Wut.

>>31613282
>>Assist Amadeus.
I TOLD YOU TO SLEEP.

>>31613282
>Assist Amadeus.

Uh wat?

>>31613282
>Assist Amadeus.

We're going to have to revive her in the real world, won't we?

>>31613282
We're being mugged!

Assist Amadeus! Kill the fuckers!

And I thought we'd decided we were going to take the hoverboot ability, where you could run out into empty space for a certain amount of time?

>>31613350
>>31613322
>>31613315

"Oi!" The three of you cluster around Amadeus. Trish turns him over, and he's entirely limp in her arms. He might have broken his nose when he fell - it looks a little strange, and there's a bit of blood on his face, but it's already healing because he was lying on the ground.

"Hello! Amadeus?" Shrike lifts one of his hands and it just falls back limp when he lets it go. Amadeus's eyes are open and they stare blankly.

"Did he DC?" Shrike asks.

"People normally just disappear when that happens, I think," Trish says. "It's pretty rare anyway."

>Slap him.
>Shout at him.
>Suggest carrying him somewhere safe.
>Write in.
>Quit Arcadia.

>>31613452
>Write in.
Hack him, get his IP address. If its nearby, take a walk or get someone to. Else watch the news later.

>>31613452
>Quit Arcadia.
We need to check on her IRL.

>>31613452

Have Trish and Shrike take him somewhere safe. Disconnect from Arcadia and go check on her in real life.

>>31613452
>>Slap him.
>>Shout at him.
PANICCCCCC!!!!!!

>>31613452
>Tell the others you know him IRL and are gonna log off and go check on them
>Log off and go check on her

She probably just passed out from playing nonstop lol

>>31613535
This.

>>31613499
>>31613500
>>31613535
"I know where he is in real life. I'll go and check on him," you say. "In the meantime, maybe take his body to your house; it would suck if he got randomly killed while he was like this."

"Good idea," Trish says. "You take his legs," she directs Shrike. Trish wraps her arms under his and the two of them lift him up. Melissa nearly maxed the height slider, and he'd an awkward burden, but they've got a good grip.

You log out.

Your lungs are stinging. There's a terrible noise, the world smells like burning carpets and Emily has her arm around you and is trying to drag you out of the room.

"What the fuck?" you choke out, trying to find your feet.

"You're awake! Thank God. We have to go, there's a fire!" Emily coughs. You realise the noise you hear is the alarm, and that you can hear people banging on doors and running down the hallway. Your cheek stings slightly; Emily must have tried to wake you up first. How did none of this get through to you?

1d100 DC 80

>Grab your bag before you go.
>Grab your bat.
>Just leave with Emily.
>Go and look for Melissa.
>Write in.
>Play Arcadia.

>>31613640
>Bag
>Bat
>Melissa
100% readiness
IT'S GO TIME MOTHERFUCKER!

>>31613640
>Grab your bag before you go.

File: 1354160306082.jpg (9 KB, 197x251)

9 KB JPG

Rolled 6

>>31613640
Oh fuck me.
>Bag
>Melissa

>>31613640

We gotta find Melissa!

Grab whatever's in arm's reach and move!

Rolled 68

>>31613640
>Grab your bag before you go.
>Go and look for Melissa.

Rolled 63

>>31613667
>>31613640
Forgot roll.

Rolled 72

>>31613640

rolling for

>>31613692

Rolled 21

>>31613640
"How bad?"

Can we find the fire extinguisher? If not:

>Glasses charger
>Bat
>Bag
>Find Melissa
>Tell Emily to GTFO

>>31613667
>>31613671
>>31613680
>>31613692

"Hang on let me grab-" You detach yourself from Emily, and grab your bag. Emily's go the door open and you can actually see the smoke in the hallway as she beckons you through.

It looks like everyone else has mostly evacuated. No sounds of sirens yet but the alarm is ear-splitting.

Emily grabs your and pulls you towards the nearest exit.

"No!" You shake your head. "I gotta find Melissa. She was playing too."

Emily doesn't let go, "She's probably out! Come on!"

1d100 DC 70

>Go with Emily.
>Pull yourself free and look for a fire extinguisher (you're sharp enough to remember there's on in the kitchen common room.)
>Pull yourself free and go and look for Melissa.
>Write in.
>Play Arcadia.

Rolled 23

>>31613793
>Pull yourself free and look for a fire extinguisher (you're sharp enough to remember there's on in the kitchen common room.)
We'll need it to make our way to Melissa.

Rolled 5

>>31613793
>Pull yourself free
>Find Extinguisher
>Find Melissa

>>31613793
>>Pull yourself free and go and look for Melissa.
She is in llimbo.

Rolled 52

>>31613793
>Pull yourself free and look for a fire extinguisher

We need a tool to clear a path to Melissa.

GO, MY DICE

Rolled 59

>>31613793
>Pull yourself free and go and look for Melissa.
She's collapsed, this is time-sensitive right now.

>>31613817
This

Rolled 73

>>31613793
>>Pull yourself free and look for a fire extinguisher (you're sharp enough to remember there's on in the kitchen common room.)
Forgot we were roll under for a second there, was worried.

>>31613817
Aw yiss, crit success.

>>31613812
>>31613817
>>31613825
>>31613842

You yank your and away and Emily doesn't argue further; she's looking pretty panicked herself. She turns and bolts for the nearest exit while you head towards the common room. You still can't see any fire, luckily, but there's definitely a lot of smoke in the air, and it smells like burning plastic.

You reach the common room. Melissa's room is down another wing, and it's from there that the smoke is billowing.

You grab the fire extinguisher out of its brackets. It's only a small one, designed for stove fires and the like, but you pull the ring out anyway, and it's heavy enough to serve as a weapon if need be.

1d100 DC 60

>Melissa's room.
>Get out.
>Write in.
>Play Arcadia.

Rolled 14

>>31613917
>Melissa's room.

Rolled 63

>>31613917
>>Melissa's room.

Rolled 44

>>31613917
>Melissa's room, ready to beat a motherfucker or douse a motherfucker.

File: 1303401774669.jpg (650 KB, 3000x1833)

650 KB JPG

>>31613951
>>31613984

We ready.

INTO THE FIRE

Rolled 6

>>31613917
I wonder what our IRL combat stats are. We're going to have to brain the fire dude, I bet.

>>31614011
AND THE FLAMES
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jgrCKhxE1s

>>31613951
Reality has no hold on us.

inb4 she dies anyway because we didn't check on her earlier.

>>31613951
>>31613952

You grab the extinguisher and run for Melissa's room. You can feel heat now, and as you start heading down the hallway you notice someone appears to have applied a blowtorch to the wall.

E

C

N

Written on the walls between the doors to people's rooms.

E

L

Your eyes are watering, and your chest burns. You can feel the heat in the air now.

I

S

The carpet is burnt and scorched, you can feel the heat through your shoes (you're so glad you didn't take off your shoes) and the charred surface crunches under your feet.

You see flames, finally licking at the ceiling from under the top of Melissa's door.

1d100DC 50

>Kick it in.
>Bash it in with the extinguisher.
>Throw yourself at it.
>Write in.
>Play Arcadia.

>>31614035
I assume they're pretty pants.
Ash isnt overly athletic.

>>31614078
>Bash with extinguisher

Rolled 67

>>31614078
>Bash in with the extinguisher
>Unleash flame suppressant hell

Rolled 96

>>31614078
>>Bash it in with the extinguisher.

Rolled 51

>>31614078
>>Bash it in with the extinguisher.
Doubt Ash knows how to kick in a door. Especially wearing runners (I think).

Rolled 88

>>31614078
>Bash it in with the extinguisher.
>STAND TO THE SIDE WHILE DOING SO
DID NOBODY HERE WATCH BACKDRAFT?

Rolled 33

>>31614078

Bash knob downwards with repeated blows. Use the bottom edge of the extinguisher where the metal is thickest.

Be sure to raise it high for maximum potential energy.

>ECNELIS

...fuck.

Rolled 57

>>31614132
We gonna fuckin' die.

>Bash it in with the extinguisher

>>31614078
>SILENCE
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

>>31614131
>>31614132
>>31614142
>nothing below 50 in the first 3
Smoke inhalation, Yay!

Rolled 95

>>31614131
>>31614132
>>31614142
I knew our good rolls had to end sometime. Jeez it'd suck if we died before the plot reveal.

>>31614132
rip melissa

Rolled 12

>>31614078
Let's hope we don't die.

I forget, did we hack the game to give Melissa the Liberated Soul class?

Spreading the knowledge of the game, spreading our hacking of said game...it's directly causing this retribution.

The game wants us to keep clammed up.

>>31614177
>>31614168

I have a feeling the voodoo parents are going to come to the rescue if we fuck up.

Melissa might not be so lucky, though.

>crit success to pick up the fire extinguisher
>doesn't actually do anything
>crit fail to use it
Arc cmon.

>>31614206
I don't think we did, no.

>>31614255
We crit failed bashing in a door in a flaming building. We're not a fireman. It's a thing that can happen. Deal with it.

>>31614255
I think crits only apply to combat.

>>31614255
How do you want to crit succeed picking up a fire extinguisher?
Do you just super-pick it up?
Shit's dumb.

>>31614296
Think it more reflects the fact that we find it and move on our way in time enough to find Melissa before she dies of fire/smoke inhalation. A crit reflects more than just doing the specific task really well.

>>31614142
>>31614132
>>31614131


You feel lightheaded and you fall to your knees, nearly dropping the extinguisher, coughing. The air is slightly clearer down here; you've bought yourself a bit more time, but it's running out.

(Gonna use the next three rolls for the extinguisher rather than asking for more.)

You throw all of your strength into bash the doorknob, not getting off your knees. You think you hear sirens, but you're not certain; it might just be the alarm and your own pounding head.

The door opens and you drop the extinguisher and a wave of heat rolls out of the room. Melissa is sitting slumped in her chair, her glasses still on her face. You have no idea if she's alive or dead, but definitely not conscious.

There's a window. At this point, it's your only exit. You stay low, away from the heat and crawl forward.

1d100DC 40 1d100 DC 35

>Try and drag Melissa to the window. You've come this far you're not giving up now.
>Just go and try and save yourself; this shit is getting suicidal.
>Write in.
>Play Arcadia.

Rolled 96

>>31614338
>>Try and drag Melissa to the window. You've come this far you're not giving up now.

>>31614338

>1d100DC 40 1d100 DC 35

By that I mean roll twice for two different checks.

>>31614360
Well fuck.

Rolled 21

>>31614338
>Spray a path to the window in a wide arc, then throw the extinguisher out the window. Grab Melissa and jump out after the change in air pressure subsides.

>>31614206
Plot twist: Jess's parents are the adventuring party in this story. We're the plot hook NPC.

I bet they're playing an unknown armies game

Rolled 79

>>31614372
And the second roll.

Rolled 53, 79 = 132

>>31614338
>Try and drag Melissa to the window. You've come this far you're not giving up now.
>>31614360
Well fuck.

>>31614338
>Try and drag Melissa to the window. You've come this far you're not giving up now.
Start singing an appropriately heroic/motivational song in our head. Like Eye of the Tiger or something.

Rolled 5

>>31614338
>>Try and drag Melissa to the window. You've come this far you're not giving up now.
One of our only female friends and she dies in a fire.

Rolled 59

>>31614338
>Try and drag Melissa to the window. You've come this far you're not giving up now.

Rolled 61

>>31614407
Sorry, forgot roll.

>>31614360
>>31614412 (crit cancels crit for success)
>>31614372

You manage, somehow, to stay conscious. You try and drag Melissa but she's dead weight. You end up pulling on her chair. The roof buckles and blackens from the heat. Something strikes the window and bounces off without breaking it. Emily at least knew where you were going; she might have called for help.

You can't lift Melissa, however; she's not particularly petite and you're not very strong.

1d100 DC 40

>Get out yourself.
>Use the extinguisher to try and fight the fire and hope you're rescued.
>Try again to get Melissa out.
>Write in.
>Play Arcadia.

>>31614412
At least we got a crit.

Rolled 25

>>31614510
>>Try again to get Melissa out.
CRIT YOU FUCKER

Rolled 77

>>31614510
>Try again to get Melissa out.
G
T
F
O

Rolled 41

>>31614510
>>Try again to get Melissa out.
I sure do hope I don't roll another crit fail.

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in b4

Rolled 26

>>31614510
>Throw the extinguisher through the window and slap Melissa awake

"LIVE, you bitch!"

Then "This is Sparta" her out the window.

>>31614562
>>31614568
>>31614573
>>31614618


You put your back into it and roll Melissa's chair over to the window. You hear more things striking it and you see it craze as it finally starts to crack.

The thought of all that fresh air, just beyond a thin layer of glass gives you a bit more motivation. You pick up the fire extinguisher and hurl it with both hands, everything you've got.

The window shatters. The fire roars at the new source of oxygen, but it's given you a breathing space as well. You can hear people shouting outside, and that is definitely sirens.

1d100 DC 30

Rolled 48

>>31614664
TO THE END!

Rolled 40

>>31614664
we probably should have USED the extinguisher first
oh well

Rolled 35

>>31614664
How high up are we? Can we at least drop her into something that looks like it MIGHT not break her spine?

>Scream "CATCH HER!" then shove.

Rolled 22

>>31614664
DICE GODS HEAR MY PRAYER

Rolled 3

>>31614664
WE FIGHT

>>31614723
>>31614725
WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWHHHHHHHHHHHHHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY are you guys so late!

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>>31614721

Rolled 49

>>31614723
>>31614725
I'm a little upset.

>>31614699
>>31614712
>>31614721

You're still heaving Melissa up towards the window when you finally run out of oxygen, and everything goes black and peaceful, and you can stop worrying for now.

~~~
But don't worry, Ash isn't dead. The quest will continue either next weekend or the following Monday night EST. Watch twitter for details.

I'm starving and this is the perfect place to stop. I have to say, it's nice to run without staring at the clock; I think my writing's a bit better as well.

Thanks for playing, I'll be around a bit for comments etc, but right now I need food.

>>31614793
Yay, we got our friend broiled to death!

>>31614793
too many dicerolls
felt like you were just waiting for us to fail

>>31614793
thx 4 runin budi gud thred

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1.99 MB GIF

>>31614793
>this is the perfect place to stop.

>>31614827
I think the point was that we could have taken the easy way out and left. But instead we tried to be a hero.

>>31614827
more like we failed the first few and arcadian kept giving us second chances
plus we picked options that required rolls

>>31614827

I found it rather that we barely kept going because he had mercy, not that he was trying to trip us. We were the ones asking for the challenge of being the hero. Our character is a computer science major, not an athlete. Struggling through smoke-filled air is kinda hard.

>>31614793
Thanks for the thread Arcadian. This was a great thread that got pretty exciting. I'll stay tuned for when you run next.

>>31614793

Thanks Arcadian, excellent as usual.

I would have liked to play more Arcadia, though! Oh well, at least we have the raid coming up.

I was thinking about running a quest involving a cyber-reality world after my current quest is over, but you're just doing such a damn good job that I don't even need to bother. You got the genre under your thumb, good sir, keep on trucking.

>>31614827
I was giving you breathing checks, decreasing the longer you stayed in the smoke (Ash has decent CON so they started relatively high.) Yeah, you would have failed eventually, but that's sort of what happens in that situation.

>>31614962
Ah, makes sense, thanks for writing!

>>31614962

I'd suggest adding an Equipment sub-section to the pastebin, so we can easily tell the difference between what we're wearing and what we're carrying.

That'll help if we pick up some loot, or if we start carrying backup equipment for niche situations.

>>31615040
Noted. Thanks.

>>31614962
How would you handle Ash dying? End the quest, retcon, or put us in a new perspective?

Also
>I think my writing's a bit better as well.
I've noticed and it's really enjoyable to read.

>>31614957
Which quest is yours?

>>31615114
I honestly don't know. I might call a vote. I wouldn't retcon though. If she dies, she dies.

And yeah, writing with one eye on the clock doesn't produce my best work, that's for certain. Might have to run on weekends more often, or try to.

>>31615164

Shadow Quest

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Thanks for running as usual, Arcadian.
Looking forward to next time.