>>40096557
>Follow him to the city square.
>"What would be a more attainable job down here?"
>"How do you survive here?"

You stand up and prepare to follow Earka out the door. It's dark everywhere, but it's even darker in his house. You're happy to finally leave it.
"Alright, let's do that. But yes, I do have questions. Like, what are some of the jobs I could do down here?"

"Let's talk while we walk."

Following him out the door, you return to the crystal-laden road, looking around at your surroundings. While your eyes haven't yet adjusted, you're afforded a decent range of sight in the dark, as much of the walls of the vast cavern are laden with the same dull white crystals. To your front, you can see a series of larger wooden buildings in the distance, some taller than others. Curiously, there's a large stone building in the center, with crystals all over it. It must be some kind of administrative building.

"Well, if you want to do something relatively safe, you can always work in the mines. They're always looking for new hands, especially since they found that extension into a new cavern. Not that you should really go in there, it's hard to navigate and full of deep water and sharp rocks down below- but all the skilled miners go there, so you'll be able to put in a fair amount of work without them cutting into it.

There's also the spider industry. While I don't think you're cut out to hunt spiders, you can always help by working on the barricades or by collecting webbing in areas we've marked as safe. Mining and giant spiders tend to be the highest-paying jobs down here. However, you can also shoot for something less involved, like, say, food or construction. Since we have limited space and limited food supply, the city manages housing and rations food. They'll pay you a flat rate that's certainly going to be less than what the other jobs earn, but it's never going to go down for any reason."

[cont.]

>>40096595
You're almost to the town square. You can see a few elves walking to and fro, wearing the same kind of green spider silk clothes as you. They're all decidedly paler than you. You remember something a friend once told you about the light that peeks out from the tops of the cavern- something about it coming from something called the Sun. You've never seen this Sun before, and from what he said about it, it sounded too implausible to actually exist, and even if it did, why would you want to sit under a big ball of fire in the sky? What if it fell or something. And the Sunlit live under such a thing! Truly they are an eccentric people.

"Ilafi, are you paying attention?"

"Ah, uh, yes!"

"Remember that question you had about the dyes?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Turn to the left."

You do so, and are immediately surprised to see a small stream running through the town, surrounded by beautiful green flowers. Crystals sit in the soil amongst them. You're in complete awe about it. "Oh wow! Are those flowers? Where did you get these? How are these even growing?"

"They grow here naturally almost wherever water is. If you look over by the pool you fell into, you'll probably find a few growing in an odd patch of soil."

"That's amazing!"

"I'm glad you think so. I like to spread them around whenever I can. If they can brighten even one person's day, I suppose I've done some good with them. But, enough of that for now. Let's get you signed up."

He takes you in, and begins talking to an older woman, who quickly starts writing something down, and hands it to Earka. He then turns back to you, and asks a question.

"I've arranged housing and food supply for you, you already know all you need to know in terms of labor, so now I can finally ask you- what do you want to do here?"

>Pick a job.
>Ask to go home and decide later.
>Ask him about his job.

>>40096616
>>Ask him about his job.

>>40096616
Spider silk gathering sounds safe enough.

>>40096616
>>Pick a job.

>>40096772
i shoulda clarified that that option is a write-in

>>40096788
>>40096772
Spiders then.

>>40096616
>>Pick a job.
Spider Silk

>>40096772
>>40096819
>>40096829
You take a moment to contemplate your choices, then come to a decision.
"I wanna gather webs."

"You're very sure?"

"Yes. It should be fine."

Earka starts filling in the rest of the paper in his hand with a pen. "Very well. You'll start tomorrow. A bell will wake you up, and after that you'll have an hour to be at your station. I'll leave the directions by the door for you in the morning."

He hands the paper back to the woman at the desk, who gives him a key and slip of paper to hand to you.

"Do not lose these. The key lets you get back to your house, it's three houses to the left of mine. The paper is proof of who you are, and that you're not some invader. Tomorrow they'll give you a metal replacement, but until then, hold onto that like your life depends on it."

"Alright."
And like that, your new life here in Ksatul has started. You aren't entirely sure if you want to be here, or if Earka is someone you can trust, but this seems like the best way back to Ksana. As you head out the door and return to the circle road, you decide you have another question.

"You said you were a Greeter, right? Your job is to greet and guide new people like me?"

"Yes."

"What else do you do, besides that and the flowers?"

He chuckles. "The flowers are a hobby more than anything. But a Greeter's duties really come down to that what you just mentioned. Well, there are other duties, but I'm not exactly allowed to discuss those. Maybe someday you'll be able to do it. They like to have people like us as Greeters, a familiar face is always nice to see, don't you think?"

>Comment on the fact that you've never actually seen his face.
>Badger him about the secret duties of a Greeter.
>Ask again about the circumstances that brought him here.
>Stay quiet. You should really just get to your house.

>>40098091
>>Comment on the fact that you've never actually seen his face.
Foreshadowing?

File: Misato NICE.png (297 KB, 335x430)

297 KB PNG

I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS
HANG ON OP I'M CATCHING UP

>>40098091
>Comment on the fact that you've never actually seen his face.

>>40098091
>Comment on the fact that you've never actually seen his face.

File: whoopsie.gif (270 KB, 160x160)

270 KB GIF

>>40098166
>>40098225
>>40098291
>>40099754
Sorry folks I needed to eat, I'll have that next post ready in just a sec

>>40098166
>>40098291
>>40099754
Familiar face, huh? Interesting choice of words. The whole time you've been with Earka, you haven't had a single clue as to why he's intentionally kept his face obscured. Here and there you can catch a glimpse of his smooth chin, only slightly darker than the rest of the Dimlit, but nothing more.

"I guess. The only thing is, I don't know what yours looks like."

"Yes."

What kind of answer is that? "Why is that?"

"You should know that asking the wrong questions around here can end badly, especially for an outsider like you."

"Oh." Looks like he doesn't want to answer.

"...I have a very unappealing burn mark on my face. I really don't like exposing it to others."

"I see."

"You can respect that, surely?"

>Drop it and move to a different topic/shut up. [Pick one of the previous prompts]
>Insist that he show it to you.

>>40099958
>"You don't have to show it to me, but if you want to, I would be grateful." (Or something like that that.)
If he doesn't answer:
>Stay quiet. You should really just get to your house.

>>40099958
>Drop it and move to a different topic/shut up. [Pick one of the previous prompts]
Go to your house.

>>40099958
>Stay quiet. You should really just get to your house.
Stay quiet. You should really just get to your house.

>>40100124
>>40100150
>>40100344
ayy i'll have this ready in a little bit shit just came up
i'm also going to do another thread tomorrow at 2:30 PM EST