>>1308130
>>Approach the group of guards enjoying themselves.

>>1308130
>Approach the group of guards enjoying themselves.

>>1308130
>Approach the group of guards enjoying themselves.

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You approach the group of guards enjoying themselves. It’s a small group of three. Uh… they weren’t enjoying themselves truly, they are trying to cheer up one of the group.

“C’mon man! Chin up! We’re here for you!” The uplifting man says.

“I can do it anymore… I just want everything to end…” This guy reeks of booze; his face is buried between his arms.

“We’ve been doing this all night, let him cry…”A more disinterested looking guy says.

“I know, but it pains me to see my pal like this.”

“I just… lost the love of my life!” The man cries.

“Dude, it wasn’t meant to be! That’s it! There are more beauties in the world…” The uplifting man consoles his friend.

The third man spots you looking at them.

“Hey, you’re pretty, give us a hand and cheer up our buddy. Just hold him a bit.”

“Uh?” You say somewhat surprised.

“Dude! That’s rude! She doesn’t work here anyway. Pardon him; you don’t need to do such thing.”

“Hey, it’s better than giving him more ale… C’mon, pretty lady, we’ll compensate you later for you troubles.”

What do you do?

>”Okay… I’ll try.”
>”Sorry, I’m busy searching for someone.“ Keep looking around the tavern.
>”Sorry, I need to leave.” Go and meet with Zaina, time for Plan B.
>Write In.

>>1308203
>”Okay… I’ll try.”

>>1308203
>>”Okay… I’ll try.”

FOR GRETCHEN!

>>1308203
Honestly, I'd go for plan B, but I don't want to be "that guy" who tries to stop the other anons from giving their plan a legitimate try.

I felt like I needed to let this be known though, in case there are others who think that (because the town guard is out for a scapegoat to placate the neighbouring town's grievances) the only possible solution to save Gretchen and ourselves is to bust her out and flee.
If there are, make your presence known, just to gauge our number.

Anyway, because we are not our character, our sense of time can't really be accurate.
Will you let us know when we hit the time limit to go back and meet Zaina for plan B, author?

>>1308466

>Will you let us know when we hit the time limit to go back and meet Zaina for plan B, author?

Yeah, I'm going to tell you guys when time is up, don't worry about it.

>>1308203
>"Nothing... sexual, right?"

>>1308472
Actually, on a second thought, could you have Nora estimate how much time in advance to that she needs to go home and see if Gretchen's mother is in and have a few minutes to talk to her?
It would suck quite a bit if we both disappeared from her life without a word.

>>1308489
I think, that should be if we fail to find the witness.

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“Nothing… sexual, right?” You look uncomfortable.

“No, don’t worry and besides you don’t look like one of those type of workers anyway.” The guard who ask you first says.

“Okay… I’ll try, but if it gets weird, I’m leaving, okay?” You’re doing it for Gretchen after all.

“Really? Thank you very much!” The uplifting man says.

“I’ll get some drinks for everyone, sit in my place, kind lady. They take an eternity if you don’t ask directly to the bartender.” The disinterested guard says and leaves. You sit at the left of the crying guard.

“C’mon Steve, compose yourself in front of the lady.”

“Lady?... What lady?” The guy stops sobbing. The kind guard looks at you and signals you to do something; he looks embarrassed by the whole ordeal. Time to take matters into your own hands!

What do you do?

>Don’t do anything.
>Put your hand on his shoulder and say Hi.
>Say Hi.
>Write In.

>>1308489

Your mother is in the prison talking to the guards trying to take your father out quicker. But don't worry, I'll make it clear anyway how much time is left and how much you can do.

>>1308509
>Say Hi.

>>1308501
You're assuming that finding the witness will let us resolve this situation.
I'm assuming it's a waste of time. I mean Zaina may be wrong about the town guard wanting a live scapegoat to execute, but it seems like a plausible analysis to me.
And if that's true, it means even if we got the witness to change their version and say they only saw a cloaked figure, it won't make a difference because SilverGrin is already dead and people want fresh blood spilled.

This is also the reason why even if we do go with plan B and managed not to be identified as we break Gretchen out, we'll still have to flee, because with her gone, they'd turn to the other person that was on the cart with her that day, us (although it'd still be nice to leave no evidence that we broke her out of jail. If we're gone, they won't have any use in incriminating us with no evidence, so there's a chance Gretchen would be the onyl one with a bounty on her head).

>>1308509
>Your mother is in the prison talking to the guards trying to take your father out quicker.
Oh, still there? Did we (Nora) know that? I don't remember that being said.

Damn, if I'd known last thread, I would have asked Iged to go get her for us.

>>1308509
> Put you hand on his shoulder and say hi.
Not sure what we are going for here, sow dissent amongst the guards?

>>1308466
I doubt think that a jailbreak is the "only possible solution" to save her. I think it's reckless and difficult. It would be easier to leverage our status as town hero to get a bunch of people together to confront the mayor regarding cronyism and cowardice amongst the guards. Using an innocent girl who is already known as the victim in this case (she was kidnapped, duh) as a scapegoat. Get our story out before they do theirs. If they want to us someone as a scapegoat they can use someone who will put up less of a fuss.

>>1308620
I was going for getting them to talk about their job as to get info on the witness.

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Unsure of what to do you say hi to him.

“…”

“Don’t be rude; say something back to the lady.”

He slowly moves his head around until he sees you. He bends straight and stares at you for a second.

“H-Hi…” You say again.

“Marry me.” He holds both of your hands. You move away from him.

“Wait! Steve! You just met her! Take it slowly! You’re going to get rejected again!” He holds Steve back.

“Life is too short for me to take it slowly. What’s your name anyway pretty girl? What’s your favorite flower? Do you like cuddling? Did I tell you before that you’re gorgeous? Because you’re damn fine.”

“You don’t even know each other, it’s impossible for her to say yes!”

“But my heart knows what’s right! Right?” the drunk man stares at you. His friend pleads you to be kind to him…

Ten minutes in here and you already feel uncomfortable beyond belief.

What do you do?

>”I accept.”
>”Perhaps we should know each other better as friends before jumping straight into marriage.”
>”Hehe, You’re funny.”
>”Sorry, Steve, you’re not my type.”
>”I have to go.” To Plan B.
>”I have to go” Search around the tavern for more information.
>Write In.


>>1308527

Nope, Nora does not know. Since you asked I thought it was better to spoil it.

>>1308660
>”Perhaps we should know each other better as friends before jumping straight into marriage.”
"Like for example what did you do today at work? Any witness to interrogate maybe?"

>>1308620
Not dissent, just info-gathering.

Not saying it's impossible, but I don't really share your optimism concerning the average townsfolk's inclination towards the "innocent until proven guilty" mindset, not in a medieval setting, that is.
I'd imagine them closer to the "if she can't float it means she's a wicth and we must burn her" mentality.

Also, the name of this quest is "From Pleb to Hero". It's bad enough that we are breaking out of prison the actual criminal guilty of what she is accused (though a necessary evil because family, because she did it to come save us and because the death sentence is, I think we all agree, excessive), but it would be outright villainous to encourage them to set someone up as the scapegoat and sit by as this innocent is hanged.
If Gretchen becomes a fugitive though, there's a chance no one else will be given the noose, and that in and of itself may be one step towards becoming a hero.

>>1308660
>"Listen, you're cute and all. But you're also drunk as hell. Let's sit down and talk.Wouldn't you like that? I'd like that."

>>1308660
>Nope, Nora does not know. Since you asked I thought it was better to spoil it.
Ah okay, we'll consider it a little bonus to make our life easier, thanks author!

>>1308660
This >>1308675
Not asking for Intel, just because we are into whips and things.

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“Listen, you’re cute and all. But you’re also drunk as hell. Let’s sit down and talk. Wouldn’t you like that? I’d like that.”

“If I keep hearing your beautiful voice it’s all fine by me.” The eloquent drunk man says. His friend gives you a thumb up.

“Let’s start knowing each other a bit. I assume all of you are guards, correct?”

“Indeed.” The other guard says.

“So what did you do at work today? Catching some criminals? Interrogating witness maybe? Keeping us safe?”

“We have to keep this asshole safe.” The drunken man says. “Supposedly he’s important for tomorrow’s case.”

“What case?” You ask.

“About the poisoning of Bullhane’s farms. All the harvest is poisonous now and the ground is not going to be usable for a long while.” The other guard says.

“The girl who broke my heart is the culprit…” Steve stares at his cup.

“She’s a suspect, she’s not guilty… at least not yet.” They are referring to Gretchen, maybe?

“Anyway, we have the only witness of the case inside the barracks. The man looks very sketchy and it’s an asshole all around, those sheep fuckers have no respect.”

“Indeed he was, but don’t call farmers ‘sheep fuckers’, he lost everything today, so it’s understandable he’s a little bit angry…”

“Damn it! Today sucks! Gretchy! Why you didn’t let me help you?!”

“She didn’t want you to be in trouble… She was pretty nice to you, all in all.” You wonder what Gretchen did.

“So what about you, pretty lady? Who are you? I’m Steve by the way, he’s Carl.”

“Hello. Nice to meet you.”

They are awaiting a response, what do you say?

>”I’m Nora, I’m a future Heroine! Nice to meet you too.”
>”I’m Nora, I’m the assistant of a blacksmith.”
>”I have to leave. It’s getting late; I’ll see you guys later.” Go to Plan B.
>”I have to leave. It’s getting late; I’ll see you guys later” Go to the Barracks, to find the witness.
>Write In.

>>1308839
>”I’m Nora, I’m a future Heroine! Nice to meet you too.”
EH, how are we going to get into the barracks? Borrowed guard uniform and fake moustache?

>>1308839
Eh, actually if this witness is a farmer then he probably actually saw her. And apparently there isn't really time for a more complicated plan so
>”I have to leave. It’s getting late; I’ll see you guys later.” Go to Plan B.
And tell gretchen she is stupid and Zaina owes us for ruining our promising lives.

>>1308894
Fully supported.

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“Actually, I have to leave, It’s getting late; I’ll see you guys later!” You get up.

“B-but wait, the drinks haven’t arrived yet!” The kind guard says.

“Fuck that! What’s your name my beautiful damsel?”

“Don’t call me like that! I’m Nora! Take care and don’t do anything stupid!” You leave running. The last you spotted of Steve was his eyes glowing in hope.

You arrived near the prison; your information gathering only took you 50 minutes total.

“Nora, finally you’re back, sooner than I expected.” Zaina says.

“The witness is inside the barracks, there is no way I can come up with something in such short amount of time to go where he is, even less for how to convince him.”

“Indeed, glad you didn’t waste much time.”

“Zaina.”

“What is it?”

“You owe me for ruining my promising live.”

”…I’m sorry.”

“…It’s Plan B ready?” You cut her guilt trip.

“Yeah, the bomb is ready. I got some intel from Gretchen. If you bypass the reception, the place is pretty straightforward, just one long corridor with cells in both sides. Very inefficient as a jail, if you ask me. Your father is in the other side of the building in a cell for suspects.”

“Damn I wanted to take my dad out too…”

“Well, I expect you to be able to lockpick the cell, but if you can’t: Here, it’s acid, it will melt the bars.” She hands you a potion. “Gretchen and I just had a conversation with your mother; she was incredibly disappointed in Gretchen and she said some… pretty mean things. I suggest you to talk to her. This is could be the last time they see each other and I don’t want it to end like that. She’s inside the building. I’ll go for her if you want.”

“…”

What do you do?

>Ask Zaina to bring mom here.
>Talk to Gretchen first.
>Let’s start Plan B immediately.
>Write In.

Item List Update:

-Acid Potion.

>>1309035
>Talk to Gretchen first.
Before we talk to Gretch's mom, we need to know if she's been let in on the truth about SilverGrin.

Before that though,let's ask for a quick clarification from Zaina about her planned distraction. The more we know, the better we may be able to manage ourselves (like, estimate how much time it's going to buy us, how likely it is to actually empty the reception), so I'd like to know how powerful and loud the explosion is likely to be and where she plans to set it to blow.

>>1309035
>>1309080
I'll back it.

>>1309035
>>Let’s start Plan B immediately.

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“Wait, I need to clear up some things before. How is your planned distraction going to work? How powerful and loud the explosion is likely to be and where you plan them to set it to blow?”

“There are going to be two rather large explosions. One in the middle of plaza set to destroy the fountain, its night so nobody is there. And the other a friend of mine is helping us; the explosion will be in the Town Hall.”

“What?! That sounds rather dangerous…”

“They are dangerous and we haven’t prepared well enough, but no one should get hurt in any case, just cause ruckus. The town has not seen something like this, ever. So I expect almost all guard forces to check the areas of the explosions and be a total mess.”

“I see… I don’t really want anyone to get hurt.”

“I can’t promise that no one would get hurt, at least I know for certain no one is going to die because of the explosions.”

“That doesn’t help that much…”

“It’s all I got.”

“Uhm… I’ll talk to Gretchen, then with my mother. Wait here.”

You get near the prison window. You loudly whisper to Gretchen to peek.

“What did you told mom, Gretchen?”

“I told her about the plan to get me out of here and how you and Zaina are going to help me…” She sounds depressed.

“So haven’t told a thing about Silver Grin?”

“No… why, would I?”

“I don’t know, you haven’t been the most rational person in this situation. In fact, you’re a dummy.”

“…it’s better if you leave.”

“W-what?”

“I made this mess, it’s my entire fucking fault, and I should be the one paying for it. Mom is right, our parents are always right; I shouldn’t ruin your life. You have a bright future Nora, don’t waste it on me… I’m not worth it. I’ve never worth it. Now get the fuck out.“ She starts crying.

What do you do?

>”I can’t live with myself if I let you die or… whatever they are planning to do. I’m taking you out, you big dumbass.”
>”What the fuck mom tell you? I’m never going to let my sister rot in a damn prison cell. Now wait for me.”
>Leave it to Zaina. There is no point in ruining your life for a criminal.
>Write In.

>>1309254
>>”I can’t live with myself if I let you die or… whatever they are planning to do. I’m taking you out, you big dumbass.”

>>1309254
>”I can’t live with myself if I let you die or… whatever they are planning to do. I’m taking you out, you big dumbass.”

>>1309254
>>”I can’t live with myself if I let you die or… whatever they are planning to do. I’m taking you out, you big dumbass.”

>>1309254
>”To hell with that bullshit… I'm not leaving my sister here to die. And stop thinking like that. Yes you fucked up. Like beyond belief fucked up. But why is it? Because you were so worried with saving me you didn't think twice about all the insane shit you got yourself into. Don't think I've forgotten that. And don't you forget it either, you big dumbass.”

>>1309296
Change mine to this.

>>1309254
>”I can’t live with myself if I let you die or… whatever they are planning to do. I’m taking you out, you big dumbass.”

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“To hell with that bullshit… I’m not leaving my sister to die. And stop thinking like that. Yes you fucked up, like beyond belief fucked up. But why is it? Because you were so worried about saving me you didn't think twice about all the insane shit you got yourself into. Don't think I've forgotten that. And don't you forget it either, you big dumbass.”

“Nora…” She stares at your face full of confidence. You’re taking her out she likes it or not! “You’re the best, sis.” She wipes her tears away.

“Save it for when I get you out. I’ll see you very soon again, sis.” You leave her after lifting her spirit up.

You go near Zaina.

“You two are way closer than I thought.” She remarks.

“We’re sisters after all.”

“I wasn’t that close to mine and we’re blood related…” She coughs. “I’ve been very patient with you, but it’s time for Plan B. I’ll do a short briefing and we’ll begin, you’re the key element, are you ready?”

What do you do?

>”Wait, I need to talk to my mother!”
>”Let’s do it.”
>Write In.

(Last reply of the day, we continue tomorrow! Sorry for the delay!)

>>1309465
>>”Let’s do it.”

>>1309465
>”Wait, I need to talk to my mother!”

>>1309465
>”Let’s do it.”

>>1309465
>”Wait a second, I got here with an hour to spare on the time limit you'd given me.
>And like you pointed out, I ought to try let Gretchen have a better sendoff from her mother!”

>>1309525
*Also adding,
>That was literally three minutes ago, the time to exchange a few sentences with her."

Gotta be honest author, not sure why you're suddenly rushing us now when we did get back long before the time limit was up.

>>1309465
>”Wait, I need to talk to my mother!”

>>1309602
Another argument we can use to persuade her that this would be for the best: mom might actually help execute the plan.
She's been hassling the guards in the recpetion area all this time, her presence would not be seen as suspicious. That means she can act as our eyes and let us know what the situation is (if all guards did leave or not).
Furthermore, she can work with us directly to accomplish more without doubling the necessary time: we've told Zaina we were considering busting out dad too. She could do that while we go to Gretchen.

However, I would reccomend this only if both parents wish to flee with us (something we can discuss with mom and which she would in turn have to discuss with dad).
Otherwise, if they wish to stay, it would be best for dad to be released normally rather than be broken out of jail (for reasons that should be obvious).

It would also be useful to know (whether this information comes from her or Zaina) if anyone else is currently being detained.
If so, we would need to quickly disguise ourselves, so that the other prisoners can't become witnesses and there's a chance we can avoid having a bounty on our head too.

>>”Wait a second, I got here with an hour to spare on the time limit you'd given me.
>>And like you pointed out, I ought to try let Gretchen have a better sendoff from her mother!”
What >>1309525 said

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“Wait a second, I got here with an hour to spare on the time limit you’d given me. And like you pointed out, I ought to try let Gretchen have a better sendoff from my mother!”

“S-since your mother caused her to be like that I assume you didn’t want to talk to her. My mistake. I’ll bring her.”

“Please do.”

Zaina goes inside the building, after a few minutes she arrives with Mom. Zaina leaves you two alone.

“Where did you two meet that weird looking lady anyway?”

“That’s a story for another day… Anyway, I need your help.”

“Is this about freeing your sister?”

“Yes.”

“I heard Gretchen’s ridiculous plan. Don’t do it, Nora. No one has found another town in the sea after the Great Flood. Hell, for all we know we’re the last remaining people on Betheros…”

“I can’t let Gretchen die!”

“… And I don’t want to lose both of my girls.”

“You’re willing to sacrifice her without putting up a fight? How could you live with yourself after that?”

“Nora, I don’t know what to do… And that’s it. This is bigger than us.”

“We can take her out and flee! There is a way! We can all go!”

“…No, Nora, this is suicide.” She looks down.

“This is not suicide, lady.” Zaina interferes.

“Excuse me, but this is a private conversation.”

“I don’t care. You talk blasphemy after blasphemy. There are other towns, cities and villages around the world. The fact your people think otherwise makes me sick, you cowards remain hidden from everyone else because you were scared of making your feet wet.”

“B-but—“

“Shut it. Stop giving your own insecurities to your daughters and be a good mother for once and help them.”

“Nora, one day we will talk about the weird people you’re meeting.”

“I—“You get interrupted.

“What do you need from me?”

“After the bombs detonate, tell me how the situation inside the building is. You’ll tell me when it’s the most secure.” You say.

“Will do.”

“One question… Are you going with us?”

“No, my dear, I’m not. Neither is your father. You always need a place to come back to and I’m...” She touches her stomach.

“Miss, you’re…?” Zaina says.

“Yes…” Eugh…

“I guess we all are on board in this plan. Are you ready Nora?”

It’s time to breakout Gretchen… or is it?

>No, there is something else I need to make sure of. (Write In.)
>Yes, let’s start the mission briefing.

>>1310779
>No one has found another town in the sea after the Great Flood.
I don't think any of us (players) knew this! Or is it just me who missed it?
Well I'm glad though since
>There are other towns, cities and villages around the world.
it's apparently a load of crock.

Before we go over the finer details of the plan, should we try to gain forgivance for Gretchen.
I mean, let's reason with this woman, let her realize this might be the last she sees of either of us and it would be terrible for both of them if the last words she exchanged with Gretchen were of spite and condemnation.
She has to see it. Especially when you consider Gretchen only got in this mess because she thought it was the only way to save our life. Surely that can award her some sympathy, right?

>>1310779
> Yes, let's do it!
Time to be big damn anti-heroes!

>>1310805
Not so glorious quest by the same author was set in the same universe and a bit before this (going by zaina's appearance here). There was another one too but I think that was in the future, maybe. NSGQ even had a map!

>>1310779
>Yes, let’s start the mission briefing.

>>1310864
But that's only more reason to assume that there's more land than this island/continent we're on.
Which is what I expected.

The thing which took me by surprise was the notion that the people here believe there's nothing out there, Koholint style.

>>1310779
>Yes, let’s start the mission briefing.

>>1310779

>Yes, let’s start the mission briefing.

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>>1310864
http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/643012/#p652115

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“Mom, could you say something to Gretchen? This could be the last time you see each other.”

“No, she’ll have to deal with this herself.”

“You’re being overly harsh with her.” Zaina adds.

“Am I? It was time for her to learn a lesson, but with your help she’s never going to learn. Nora, promise me you’re going to help your sister to become a decent human being.”

“I don’t think that’s necessarily fair, she got in this mess to help me out. She’s a good girl and sister.”

“I’m not entirely convinced, but I trust you Nora. Help your sister, please.”

“I’ll do it. But not because you asked me.”

“Ehem! This family drama is taking too long. Are you ready?”

“Yes, let’s start the mission briefing.”

Zaina explains to you and your mother the plan. After 15 minutes, she’ll detonate 2 bombs simultaneously with the help of unknown ally. That’s when your mother will make sure everything is clear for you to infiltrate. You will take Gretchen out either with the potion or the master key if you happen to find it. You have 30 minutes to arrive with Gretchen to the docks; both ships are ready to take out.

“Two ships?” Your mother asks.

“We’re heading to the same location, at least that’s the intention. Gretchen owns a boat and so do I. Even though I thought Gretchen how to navigate, I don’t think she knows where to go. Also, take this.” Zaina hands a weird looking mask. “To cover your face, just in case.”

You put the mask on, tie your hair and cover your mouth with your birthday present.

“From Heroine to Bandit… Not exactly what I envisioned.” Your mother says.

“C’mon, it’s for Gretchen…”

“Are we ready?” Zaina interrupts, both of you nod. “Then let’s go.” Zaina runs away. Your mother enters the building. You’re waiting for her signal; she’s going to yell “Yup Yup” if it’s completely safe, only one “Yup” if it’s there almost no one inside and an “Aah” if it all went wrong and there is no window for you to enter anymore. This sounds awful… But hell, you’re improvising.

You hear the explosions! They were loud. You hear people screaming everywhere; panic has started to rise in town. A big ass group of guards leave the prison! It’s like a whole army was there, they move surprisingly fast. Finally you hear your mother signal a dumb sounding “Yup Yup!” Then you see your mother flee the place with a guard beside.

The guard tells your mother to wait, he’s going to lock the door…She's trying to distract him, he's not looking at the door and there is a small opening for you to slip in.

What do you do?

>Go and get in there! What are you waiting for?!
>Attack the guard! Take the keys!
>Wait for him and your mother to leave. You are breaking the window to enter.
>Write In.

>>1311074

>Go and get in there! What are you waiting for?!
Knock him into your mums huggable boobs as you rush past

>>1311074
>Go and get in there! What are you waiting for?!
If we aren't able to get in unnoticed, we'll have to be ready to knock him out.

>>1311074
> get in there
If we take the guard down know we will have to either kill him know or also knock out mom so we don't implicate her.

I guess we will have to get him on the way out. Err, wait is he going to lock the door from the outside or the inside, because getting locked inside with only one dose of acid would be bad.

>>1311117
>getting locked inside with only one dose of acid would be bad.
Ah! I hadn't thought of that, you're right.
But we aren't killing the guard, not unless it turns into a matter of kill or be killed (by which I mean we can't seem to knock him out and he's skillful enough that he might kill us).

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Time to take your chance, you run towards the door as quickly as you can without making a sound. As you move inside, your mother does her best theatrical fainting on the guard. The poor confused man holds your mother… you get inside. You hear them talking.

“Sorry! I’m exhausted! But young man, you have to know I’m a married woman.”

“W-what?!”

You decide to let them be. The reception is empty and all the lights are off, just in case you sneak in…

You try to find the master key to no avail at the table at the reception, the drawers are locked. Maybe the key that young chap had, was the one you were looking for... You decide to move forward, there is no time to lose. There are two ways to go, one towards the cells and the other to another room… the door is locked, and you got through the hallway.

The long hallway is vastly empty and so are the cells, in the farthest in the back you found Gretchen; what is the crime rate in this town anyway?

“Nora? Is that you?” Gretchen ask.

“Dummy! Don’t say my name.”

“Who cares? Everyone left!”

“That attitude put you in this situation, you know? You need to be more cautious”

“You’re talking just like mom…”

“Anyway I’m getting you out of here.”

What do you do?

>Use the potion.
>Ask Gretchen if she knows where the key is.
>Wait, I have an idea. (Write In.)

>>1311183
Zaina said she expects is to pick the lock, can we actually do that?

>>1311191

You know, I fucked up and Item list in the OP is wrong.

Item List:

Silver Pieces x 15
-‘Francisword’ [Equipped]
-Rogue Adventurer’s Clothes. [Equipped]
-Torch
-Wood Bow
-Wood Arrows x 10
-Small Dagger
-Small Pickaxe.
-Red Crystal Shard x 1
-Acid Potion

Maybe you could use the pickaxe?... But you don't have the tools to lockpick I think.

>>1311183
Mh, author can you give us Nora's estimate at which would be easier to break open with the pickaxe, Gretchen's cell or the front door?

>>1311261
We might be able to pop the hinge pins out with the piickaxe.

>>1311261

Nora would break down the main door with the pickaxe since the door is made of wood and use the acid for the cell.

>>1311414
Then let's go with that!

Rolled 5 (1d20)

>>1311414
rolling for not spilling acid all over us.

>>1311442
face.jpg
palm.png

Rolled 20 (1d20)

>>1311442
Roll a better roll. Hopefully.

>>1311475
woot

>>1311475
It's the savior!

>Nora pours the acid: it disintegrates the accusations against Grethen. She can never be locked up again and may now get away with anything.

Rolled 5 (1d20)

>>1311210
Acid

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(Sometimes I wonder if I should include dice rolls…)

“Let’s open this thing” You take the acid bottle, your slippery hands can barely hold the bottle, you don’t know why.

“Uhm… Do you want me to do it? You know being a waitress made top notch at handling stuff with my hands.”

“If you say so…” You hand her the bottle. Gretchen tells you to move away and spills out half of the liquid on the lock. It’s scary how quickly it melts.

“Woah, cool.“ She opens the cell.

“There is no time to lose! Let’s get out of here!”

“Right!”

Both of you run towards the main door.

“How are we opening it?”

“I have a pickaxe!”

“Uh… I don’t like where this is going. You know we still have half of the—”

You easily tear down the main door; you put those muscles to work. Well, escaping was extremely easy...

“Color me impressed. Now let’s run.”

As soon as you get out, a familiar voice stops you.

“Girls! Wait!” It’s your mom. Gretchen hides behind you in shame. “I said girls. That means both of you.”

“I thought you hate me…” Gretchen says.

“I don’t hate you, I’m just disappointed.”

“Mom…” You stare daggers at her.

“Let me finish. I’m disappointed now, but I know it’s not going to last long. Gretchen, I still love you. You two are my heart and soul. Now come here, one final hug for your mother.”

“That’s no way in hell better.” You say.

“I’ll take it.” Gretchen says.

Then your mother strangles you two in what you presume it’s a hug. After, you leave and wave towards her.

“Send hugs and kisses to dad” You say.

“Sorry for ruining everything!” Gretchen yells. Then she turns around to face you. “Now where are we going? To the docks right?”

>”To Enlia’s home. I need to pick up my stuff.”
>”Yeah, let’s go! We have no time to lose.”
>Write In.

Item List Update:
-Half Acid Potion.

>>1311559
It's tempting to tell Gretchen to head to the docks and go to Enlia on our own, telling her not to wait for us if any guards approach.
But can we trust her not to get caught on the way there?

>>1311559
>”Yeah, let’s go! We have no time to lose.”
Sword check, magic crystal, check.

Porr Enlia. Maybe tell mom to tell her sorry we couldn't hang around and we promise to only use what she taught us for good. (Which should be easy because she didn't teach us anything.)

>>1311559
>”Yeah, let’s go! We have no time to lose.”

>>1311559

Forgot to add this is the last reply of the day. Tomorrow we continue in short session.

>>1311964
Thanks for running!

Things went pretty well today, though I regret not getting the chance to quickly run with Gretchen into the section of the prison where dad was being kept so they could say their goodbyes.

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(I draw Enlia for the OP and you guys ditch the cunt, hahaha)

“Yeah, let’s go! We have no time to lose!”

You arrive to the docks! It’s so late at night no one is in here. You and Gretchen run towards her boat. Besides it, Zaina is waiting while talking with someone, she looks nervous.

“We’re ready!” Gretchen says to Zaina.

“Excellent.” Zaina seems a bit relieved.

“Who’s with you?” You ask.

“Miss Nora and Miss Gretchen, it’s a pleasure to see you again.” It’s Reda.

“Wait, how did you recognize me?”

“I know your voice, Miss Nora.”

“Oh…”

“I’m the only one bothered she’s here? She works for the government…” Gretchen says.

“Miss Gretchen, who do you think detonated the bomb in the town hall?”

“You did?” Gretchen asks. Reda giggles.

“We’re friends after all.” Zaina mentions.

“I’m here to say good bye to my good friend. I’m not the adventurer type to cross the sea to the unknown.” Reda concludes.

“In that case, could you do me a favor? Could you tell Enlia that I’m sorry I couldn’t hang around and I promise to only use what she taught me for good… even if it wasn’t much.”

“Give her some credit; I didn’t even notice you when you sneaked inside. Hey, also tell our dad that I’m sorry…” Gretchen says.

“Will do. I’ll ask you one favor in return. If you see a man named Reihan, tell him her sister is doing fine.”

“Okay—”

“Let’s cut the chat. Thanks Reda for everything, but we’re going. Get on your boat and follow my lead.” With that Zaina enters her boat.

You enter Gretchen’s. You and Gretchen set sail behind Zaina’s ship. As soon as you leave the dock, you see a group of guards clouding the place.

“Get on the ship! We’re following that boat! The Mad Scientist is not going to get away!” The leader of the guards proclaims. Quickly two ships from the shore set sail and is trailing behind you and Zaina, with the only intention of following Zaina’s ship. All of the ships are more or less going at the same speed, are about the same size and don’t seem armed.

“Why didn’t she tell us they saw her?! Damn it!” Gretchen yells.

What do you do?!

>Tell Gretchen to ditch Zaina and go elsewhere in the sea.
>Keep following Zaina.
>Turn the boat around, you’re fighting them!
>Circle the island and find a safe location far from town.
>Write In.

>>1314296
>Keep following Zaina.
She's the only one who knows the route to the other lands, so we don't have muh of a choice.

Still, if the ship starts gaining on us (or if they open fire), we may have to give up and leave Zaina to her fate. And embrace ours as wel sail into the unknown.

>I draw Enlia for the OP and you guys ditch the cunt, hahaha
I thought the same QM, but we have to give it to them, this IS the most reasonable course of action. I kind of expected you'd have her show up at the docks anyway somehow.

Hopefully we'll meet someone else who knows what to do with that crystal rather than having to end up selling it as some pretty glass to make ends meet.

>>1314357
Seconded.
As much as I would like to stay with Enlia and train, we don't really have much of a choice if we want to save Gretchen.

>>1314493
Or ourselves. Remember: scapegoat hunt.

>>1314296
>>Keep following Zaina.

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You decide to keep course and follow Zaina.

“Those damn guards are persistent.” Gretchen says.

“What do we do if they get closer?” You ask.

“We’ll have to ditch Zaina then. There is no other way.”

The first guard boat is getting closer to Zaina’s boat. A bright light beam comes out of Zaina’s boat and shoots near the enemy’s boat, creating a wave that destabilizes the boat and made some of the guards fall from it.

“Holy shit!” Gretchen yells.

“What the hell was that?”

“Magic, I guess?”

“She’s trying to scare them.”

“She scared me!”

You see the first boat completely stopping to help their comrades. The second boat continues its pursuit. They began shooting arrows towards Zaina’s boat.

“We have to move away!” Gretchen yells.

Gretchen moves away from the danger, basically leaving Zaina’s boat alone, most arrows hit Zaina’s boat, but doesn’t deter it from going forward.

A bigger boat than the four appears, it’s captained by… the guard captain you don’t know the name of. From it they shot what it looks like a giant fireball. It hits Zaina’s boat right in the middle, the thing is burning and starting to sink.

“Oh God no…”

“We have to go for her!”

“Do we? Isn’t that incredibly dangerous? The guard’s boats are going there too. Are you sure this is a good idea?”

>Go for Zaina.
>Don’t go for Zaina.

>>1314668
>>Go for Zaina.

>>1314668
>A bigger boat than the four appears
How?
Boats don't just appear.

Anyway,
>Don’t go for Zaina.
I don't think we can do anything for her. We're aspiring heroes, not miracle workers. All we'd get for our trouble would be another fireball on our own boat and then we'd be completely screwed.

Beyond practical considerations over the futility of an attempted rescue, there's also this to consider: Zaina is the real criminal in all this. She kept the toxic waste that was making people fall ill. She blackmailed Gretchen into dumping it into a river, which caused the land to become barren and poisonous.
She may have helped us out, but we wouldn't have needed her help in the first place had it not been for the mess she got Gretchen in. We don't owe her anything and helping her would be both futile and not really heroic (in fact you could say, justice has just been served).

Let's take the prompt from the previous post
>Circle the island and find a safe location far from town.

Hopefully the other ships don't immediately give chase.
I can't help but wonder if we could have gotten directions to reach the other land. Probably not though, I doubt she had a spare sea chart to give us and deliberately chose not to.
So no regrets.

>>1314697

>How? Boats don't just appear.

It just came from the shore after the other 2, I just wanted to keep it simple. And since Nora was paying attention to the battle unfold, she didn't notice the thing getting closer until that moment.

>>1314708
Ahh. Okay.

>>1314697
Least we can do is make sure she's alive, we can't really leave her to die after all she did for us if we intend on being heroes.
That said, she does shoulder some of the blame and maybe it could be a good idea to leave her to the Justice... which would make this whole escape pointless since they would have their scapegoat.

>>1314668
>Go for Zaina.

>>1314668

>Go for Zaina.

>>1314668
>Go for Zaina.

Whelp, looks like we're gonna get caught after all.

Maybe Enlia will bust us out of jail somehow.
(Author don't count this post as a vote, I'm >>1314697 on a different device)

The way I'm seeing this thread, there are two faction.

There's the side that wants to be morally righteous albeit a bit silly.

Then there's the side that says, fuck those guys we're surviving first and furmost.

It's really interesting objectively but a bit irritating since I'm of the morally righteous fuckheads. Oh well.

>>1314876
>furmost.
Interesting typo we got here.

The thing is, this quest is lighthearted but the author has shown us twice before that doing stupid things is not without consequences.
In the second instance, the kobold incident, there was even a blatant attempt to bait us into doing the "seems right but is actually wrong" thing, and it was a resounding success as the bait was taken hook, line and sinker, ending up with us knocked out and coming to with a headache.
And seeing as we won't be leaving this place after all, I wouldn't be surprised if we were to later find out that the kobolds we "liberated" from their tyrant are now doing banditry against the people of the village that had their crops poisoned.

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“We do. Let’s go.”

You approach the sinking boat; the smoke makes it hard to see what’s going on. But you spot Zaina holding on her boat’s railing anyway. She’s visibly injured.

“Zaina! We’re here!” You yell from the boat and move to the side near her.

“Throw me… a rope…”She jumps to the sea and starts swimming towards the boat. You drop the ladder from the boat. She slowly starts climbing.

“Tell her to hold tight! We need to move NOW! We have to use the smokescreen for our advantage.” Gretchen yells. The bigger boat slowly approaches you. Your boat starts moving away.

“Are you okay Zaina?!”

“Not really, but tell Gretchen to go faster, I’ll endure it.” She’s barely holding the ladder; all you can see is her bleeding.

“Gretchen! Move faster!”

“This is the fastest we can move!”

The second guard boat assesses the situation near Zaina’s boat. They know she’s not in there. As the smaller boat disappears into the smoke, you start feeling the worst is going to happen.

“Oh god, it’s following us!” The bigger ship appears trailing behind you; it’s going much faster than yours. Finally Zaina gets on the boat. She’s bleeding all over the place. She has 2 arrows in the back and she’s holding her stomach. From her bloody hands she gives you 2 boxes.

“One is a special compass… It will tell you where to go… I don’t know what you will find… but…”

“W-what are you going to do?”

“The other object… it’s special, use it, when there are no dangers ahead…”

“Answer me!”

“I’m done for, Nora. Hahaha… Hehehehe… I didn’t expect this… I really did not… But if you keep on living… you need to save everyone from… the demon girl… Don’t let this world… perish too. Now, there is one thing I need to do…”

“Hey, don’t put that burden on me. At best we’re acquaintances, it’s not like we’re friends...” You’re blunt with her.

“Hahaha… You’re completely right; you don’t have to do it, I mean, why should you? We barely know each other…. Hehehe… I wish there was a way to restart all of this! Maybe we could have been buddies!... Hahaha, even with Ilin… But who cares about me anyway?... Good Bye… Nora… I’m sorry for everything…” She jumps from the boat. You couldn’t catch her. She falls near the massive enemy boat, Zaina swims closer to it.

The Pursuit continues until you see a massive explosion in middle of the main enemy ship, bigger than everything you have seen before in your life, almost beautiful in a twisted way. It made you fall down, but at least your boat resisted with no problem. The enemy ship is not going to follow you anymore. You go where Gretchen is.

>>1315056

“What the fuck was that? It was massive.”

“I think it was Zaina…”

“Cool, she had another trick under her sleeve… where is she?”

“She was her trick under her sleeve, I presume.”

“You meant she…”

“Yes…”

“Aw… no…”

“She gave us this.” You pass her the weird looking compass. “If we follow it we will found land.”

“…Are you sure this is a good idea?”

“No, I’m not.”

“…”

>Go where the compass points to.
>Go back to the island to a safe spot.
>Write In.

>>1315059
>Go where the compass points to.
If we do that, we do what she asked us to do and we don't risk being discovered.
I'm pretty sure she wouldn't have given this if she didn't think we could do it.

>>1315059
>Go where the compass points to.
I did not expect that. Well, time to fulfil her dying wish.

>>1315059
>>Go where the compass points to.

>>1315059
>Go where the compass points to.

>>1315059
>Go where the compass points to.
There's no turning back.

Before anyone rejoices and goes "Yes! We did the right thing and it paid off, we have a magic compass to lead us to safety now!", please take a moment to think of all the guardsmen that just died while fulfilling their duty.

Sure, Zaina probably would have blown them up anyway and we would have had no compass and mystery box.
But just realize: this is the person you desperately wanted to save. A honest to God terrorist that just blew herself up along with a ton of innocent guards.

>>1315088
Point taken.
Was it all worth it though? I don't know...

>>1315129
I suppose it was, but more so because we got lucky and the author was generous, not so much because of our morals, wisdom and consequent decision-making.

Honestly, I think we deserved to get caught and maybe lose something we value from this (Gretchen maybe?)

One thing I feel I can confidently say, we've never been further away from being a hero than we are right now.
I considered somehow sabotaging Zaina and turning her in but never suggested it because it meant accusing ourselves and Gretchen too. Now we see the consequences of not doing so.

Hopefully our character will do a good amount of reflecting on this.

>>1315164
I honestly wouldn't have minded actually going to the trial or trying to convince mystery dude that it was not Gretchen.

>>1315172
The thing is she probably would have taken us down with her, as she just did with those guards.
She had a very unique sense of right and wrong and probably would have decided we were on the same path as that other person she met with our same ability (getting prompts from a bunch of channers), the one who apparently became a super villain.
So she would have used everything she knew of how things really went to prove our involvement. And then we would have had to make a run for it and get on the boat. I hope the author doesn't mind me saying this, it is not an accusation because I understand there's a grand story already laid out and it needs us off the island, but I don't think there was any avoiding having to get on the boat and leave this place. It was only a matter of when and in what circumstances.

>>1315088
Has anyone ever told you before how insufferable you are really insufferable you are? Sperging about moral absolutes and objective rights and wrongs without apparently utilizing any sense of ethics.

Zaina was more worried about a world ending demon of swole than a few retarded peasants. The reason you are assuming get actions were malicious (wah, she's a terrorist!) is because you are falling victim to the logically fallacious fundamental attribution error.

And your "argument" about killing the fish thing is a straw man. I certainly didn't vote to kill it because I wanted to "liberate" the cute kobolds. It was because the fish thing was creepy and was organizing the defense of the crystal that other heroes night need.

Just because other voters don't write extensive passive aggressive screeds to accompany their votes doesn't mean you know what they are thinking.

>>Go where the compass points to.
Lets get on with it.

>>1315280
>Has anyone ever told you before how insufferable you are really insufferable you are?
On occasion. But never twice in the same sentence, as far as I can recall.

At any rate, I'm not unwilling to admit that Zaina's actions may ultimately lead to a greater good and that sometimes the end may justify the means and call for some sacrifices to be made.
The thing is, when I play a quest I try to put myself in the shoes of the protagonist, think from their point of view and on the basis of the information they have.
Nora doesn't really know how big the threat on the world is because Zaina did a piss poor job of informing her. In fact, until moments ago, Nora didn't even have any reason to believe Zaina was counting on her to deal with this threat she barely knew existed. When she checked us with the magic hat, it said our hero potential was average and she seemed to lose interest in us, wishing to wait for a better candidate to appear.

In fact, come to think of it, Zaina really has little reason to believe that we can and will be able to stop the threat. We're not the first person channeling commands from others (the threat herself was one!) so there could be more out there for all she knows.
We, as players, can be fairly confident that our path will eventually lead to confronting the threat. But from her point of view, she just gambled on a girl with average hero potential and did so by killing a ton of guardsmen who did nothing to deserve such a death.

Finally, no, my kobold argument is not a strawman because the author pretty much confirmed he was deliberate in making them cute so that players would be tempted into not listening to the experienced adventurer.

>>1315369
*a small addendum.

Until reading your post, I didn't know the looming threat was both world ending and soul consuming.
Upon further consideration, if that is the case, then that may well justify Zaina's gamble since, from her point of view, everyone will die in the not too distrant future anyway and have their souls consumed to boot.
But just as I didn't know, so did Nora not know. Therefore I stand by what I said: roleplaying from the character's point of view, based on her knowledge we were aiding someone whom we had reason to believe was an hunhinged dangerous individual.

But knowing what I now know, thanks to the knowledge of the previous quest that you imparted one, I can say: bless her soul, may she rest in peace.

>>1315369
>>1315402
That's an understandable position however two things:
1) It was established that the Hat had a tendency to underestimate the potential of those who wear it.
2) I don't think there's a "correct" way to play a quest insofar I'm concerned.
As a QM, to me every action and justification is equally valid unless it's memery/shitposting.

>>1315434
1) I know, but she's looking for basically the chosen one, not average. And she did seem bummed.
2) I suppose that's true. I mean, it's not like there is such a thing as universal rules of questing/role playing, with dogmas like "thou shall not employ knowledge your character shouldn't have" and "thou shall not be genre-savy beyond what real life common sense would allow".
I don't see much fun in doing the opposite though. I mean, unless it's a deliberately crazy quest/rp that's deliberately poking holes in the fourth wall.

At any rate, it wasn't ever my intention to piss people off, rather to merely argue for what I believe(d) would be the best course of action for our aspiring heroine to be.
In fact, I would have been quite happy to debate my reasons for prompting one way rather than the other as the voting process was going. It's one of the most fun aspects of a quest, I think.

If anybody thought I was passing moral judgement on the other participants (as players or even as people in general), that's unfortunate as it couldn't be further from my intent.
I was most definitely passing judgement on the character of Zaina though, albeit from the limited knowledge available through only this quest. That's why I got rather passionate, perhaps excessively so.

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“Let’s go where the compass point to. We don’t have any other real choice”

“I mean, yeah, there is no other way to go.”

“Also she gave me this…” You show the box to Gretchen.

“What’s that?”

“I have no idea. She told me to use it when there are no dangers ahead.”

“We will found out later, I suppose.”

After a long pause you resume the conversation.

“Did you ever think we will be like this?”

“We both sailing to the unknown? Yeah, that was the plan months ago.”

“I mean, we’re alone on this.”

“We’re not alone if we have each other.”

“…” Zaina’s last words resonate with you. “I wonder how it feels to…”

“Feels what?”

“Nevermind.”

After another pause, you resume once again the conversation.

“I wanted to be a hero and I…”

“Nora, the best we can do now is redeem ourselves. You gave me this second chance and we’re not wasting it. We’ll do good, I promise.”

“I hope we don’t have to deal with big talking fishes though.”

“What?!”

“Oh right, I didn’t tell you what happened to me today! Well Enlia and I arrived to a farm the owner was a good old friend of…”

You tell Gretchen everything that happened. And so your journey to the unknown began, what new challenges will Nora and Gretchen face in the near future? We will possibly found out in the next thread of From Pleb to Hero Quest!

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>>1315597

“Zaina’s lament.” A From Pleb to Hero Quest Sidestory:

“Why you have to do this?”

…

“Why I couldn’t stop her? Why? Why?”

…

No! I can’t let her do this! I have to stop her! I need to get in the beam!

“Get out of my way!” I run towards the light, I know the answer lies in it. Ilin catches me! She’s not letting me go! Stupid selfish bastard!

“What?” the smaller one of the group says, Shimilia was it?

I have an opening! I punch the demon girl in the gut! I’m going in! I’m going to save the wo—

As soon as victory is within my grasp someone throws a cake directly to my face.

“YOU! DON’T MY MY FRIEND YOU CUNT!” I hear a voice taunting me. Then I feel my face getting smashed by a punch, I fell on the floor. I was so close to saving the world…

…

“That dream again… Where am I? Am I floating?... I don’t feel my legs”

…

“I don’t have legs…” Blood comes out of Zaina’s face. “This is it... Kind of fitting, sacrificing myself for just a glimpse of hope. I hope Nora and Gretchen are okay…”

…

“Who’s that in front of me?”

“Do you recognize me? Vampire lady?”

“Hehe… I can’t believe you finally show up…”

“Calling you Vampire Lady usually gets you mad… Anyway, do you want help?”

“I prefer dying than getting your help, Ilin. Do you came here to mock me? My entire existence is a joke anyway, so go ahead.”

“No, I was paying you a visit, I’m a… how did Emily put it? Hologram? Does that make sense to you? Well I thought you wanted to know what I am up to. But since you’re… well… dying, I don’t think you care.”

“Nah, go ahead and tell, I’m always so interested in you.”

“Then, ehem, I came here to fulfill my final test, it’s time I become a Godde—“

Zaina spits on Ilin’s face, before finally giving her final breath.

End of Sidestory.

>>1315597
You'd think that Nora would be more shaken by Zaina's sacrifice...

>>1315604
Awww, poor Zaina. I'm not sure Ilin intended on taunting her but well...

>>1315604

And this is all for this week thread! I hope you guys enjoyed it. Next week we will start Tuesday. So keep an eye on that.

If you want updates about the quest:

Discord: https://discord.gg/AmjbaTR
Twitter: https://twitter.com/91m10

Thanks for playing and see you guys soon.

>>1315619
This the same universe as SWOLE quest or are the names just references?

>>1315604
>“YOU! DON’T MY MY FRIEND YOU CUNT!”
Was that line supposed to come out like that? (The confusion of the moment?)
Or is it a typo?

Anyway, looks like I was responsible for a bit of a stirrup this thread.
I don't know how you feel about that author. It's equally possible you may be going "Yes, controversy! I'm succesfully writing a story that's making people argue over what the moral implications of the choices are!" or that your point of view on this may be summed up with "Ah shit, now my thread is getting cluttered by a flame war. I just want people to have fun!"
If it's the latter, then my apologies. Like I said, it was not my intent.

I hope the box may contain information that will close the gap of cognitive dissonance beteween Nora/the new players and the players returning from the previous quest, that way we'll be all on the same page.
Whether or not that happens, I'll try my best not to be so sanctimonious in the future (I'm still gonna argue the morality of choices though, just not as vehemently), and keep to heart: we're just playing a game.
tl:dr sorry, my bad!

Ah also, knowing what I know now, I retract my statement that I feel we should have been punished, not rewarded for trying to help Zaina. I mean, rationally the most likely outcome was that we'd get apprehended with her, we couldn't anticipate she'd detonate like that and we (character+new players) couldn't know how important her legacy would be. But I'm willing to write it up to fate/karma (the fact that Zaina was doing what she could to save the world) that the choice paid off.

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>>1315617

There is a reason Nora didn’t have a single thought of her own after Zaina exploded. Her brain is not processing it well.

>>1315679

I have some explaining to do and instead of dropping the information slowly like I planned, I’ll just dump everything now, one big thing, this doesn’t really matter in the grand scheme of things, anyway:

There are 2 parallel universes, one for each Quest I done (Cold is not cannon [F]). This is the 2nd one and I’m going to call it the “Heroic Universe”, the others being “Glorious Universe”. This universe has its own mythos, own way to do things and it’s simpler.

Let’s say the Glorious Universe ended up not so glorious.

Why make 2 universes and not just continue from the first one? Well there were a lot of elements I wanted to ditch from the first one (Stands, Other races, some creatures and rebuild how magic works entirely) and being in a universe means that you play by its rules (Yes, that means Ilin is nerfed).

One thing, Ilin is not the endgame; at best she’s a secret boss and an avoidable one too. So no one feels pressure to do it.

>>1315741

It’s a typo; it’s a 1:1 of this moment in Zaina’s perspective. Pic is the whole scene and Zaina’s demise in Not so Glorious Quest.

I’m leaning to the first choice. I have always say I like reading everyone’s input no matter how small or detailed it is. Makes my part of fun easier to do and gets me in a good mood to start writing. Also, it was barely a flame war anyway.

The box contains a lot of things, but mostly information about Zaina’s past in this world. Next thread is going to have a lot of information dumping.

>>1315986
Ah, that's good to hear. I'll continue to share opinions and try to spark debate, though hopefully with less hubris and self-assurance. I don't know if there were others who felt bothered, but I'm not out to ruin the experience of any players.

So don't mind if I insist on this but,
>There is a reason Nora didn’t have a single thought of her own after Zaina exploded. Her brain is not processing it well.
I feel like she should be more upset about the death of the many guards anyway, given it that she doesn't know what's at stake (but then, do we?)

Holy crap, that's one heck of a big reveal. So has anyone moved between the two worlds?
I like this idea, it means we won't be pitted against the actual avatar of the previous quest(would have probably been bothersome to returning players who contributed to her success).

An optional boss, uh? Does that mean the world isn't currently under threat of being destroyed and harvested for souls? If not, was Zaina under a mistaken persuasion that it is?


>Cold is not cannon [F]
...to pay respects?

>>1316027

I mean the whole situation doesn’t compute to her, yesterday she was going to get a red magic crystal for her heroine training and now people died for no reason in front of her.

Yes, Zaina and Ilin are two examples, and probably the only ones you’re going to meet in this entire quest, since I like the idea of being an exceptional entity in your world for you to do it.

In the final thread of Not so Glorious Quest, Ilin basically made a pact with the devil/god/being X to obtain a glorious amount of power, Zaina actually talked to this being before the pact and she knew for certain it was evil. Not only that, but her universe got worse because of Ilin… and her friends. Ilin is more of a threat to the balance of this world, than the world itself. In other words, nothing bad is going to happen if you ignore her all quest, but you will have to deal with her at some point, peacefully or violently it will depend on you. I don’t want to spoil it, but the reason she is here is pretty dumb (In spirit of her quest anyway).

>>1316221
So wait, Zaina and Ilin are the same from that quest, not their counterparts in this world?

And I'm still not clear on whether Zaina thought this world to threatened by total destruction or not.
This is kind of a big deal if we are to determine whether or not she was justified in blowing up all those guards to let one heroine with average potential escape.

>>1316247

Yes, they are the same. Counterparts make everything confusing and I don't like it, at least how I envision it in here doesn't work.

Zaina knew for certain that Ilin is going to destroy the world. Next thread I'm going to (finally) explain everything.

>>1316305
Alright then, her actions were justified.

I'm guessing that was supposed to be Ilin's path but something will stand in her way if she's going to be an optional boss at most.

>>1316305
Oh, hey author!
If I may suggest, how about giving us a small sidestory/vignette about Enlia in the aftermath of our escape?
You know, both to see how she copes without us doing her chores (guess Iged will help) and to valide the OP pic.
Not right now, of course, anytime between tonight and next Monday, before the new thread starts.

>>1316370

Okay, I'll do it! It will probably be ready by Friday or Saturday.

>>1316409
Awesome!

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Better late than never.

“Enlia’s Happy Future.” A From Pleb to Hero Quest Sidestory:

“… And finally Nora said she was sorry that she couldn’t hang around and she also promised to only use what you taught her for good. I hope our friends are okay… Now pardon me, Miss Enlia, I’m leaving, the town hall must be a mess right now.” Reda gets up.

“…” Again…

“…Miss Enlia, you weren’t the only one whose friend left. I know we can support each oth—“

“I’ll be fine.” Again I’m left alone.

“…I see. Then excuse me, have a nice day.” She finally left. I know she had good intentions, but good intentions have made more harm on me than anything else. I guess… I’ll go with my aunt later… so everyone can keep making fun of me for being a fucked up.

I slowly get up and walk aimlessly around the house. I don’t want to think. After an hour, I go to work on a new weapon. The iron is hot… I hammer it as hard as I can... I know this isn’t ideal… I guess it’s going to be another crappy one. All of them are crappy ones.

“She never came back, right?” Iged appears behind me.

“No, she didn’t.”

“I’ll be here if you need me.” Who the hell he thinks he is?

“I don’t need you. I never needed you and never will. Now leave and never come back.”

“What about my training?! I’m not letting you kick me out because Nora left. We have a deal.”

“There is a man called ‘Brogir’ in Bullhane, he’s a great master and I’m pretty sure he will need a new job. Ask him to train you.”

“I don’t care our deal is seal—“ I throw at him the bag with his money.

“I don’t own you a thing. Now leave.”

“C’mon use your brain for once! You can’t live alone! Nora did everything for you! Haven’t I prove my worth? Haven’t I done everything you asked from me? Do you really hate me that much?”

After 5 long years I make appear my weapon in my hands, my good old friend, sorry to keep you hidden for so long. I’m pointing it at him.

“This is not about you. Now please…” My voice breaks a little.

“…I’ll leave, but tomorrow I’ll come back, and the day after, and the day after, until you come back to your senses.” He leaves the room and leaves behind the bag in the table. I continue working…

[1/2]

>>1327072
YEEEAAAASSSSS

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>>1327072

After finishing my new creation, I hear someone knocking the door. I slowly get up with my cane, and go open. Iged has been pretty obedient lately, so I really don’t expect to be him…

“Master Enlia! It’s a pleasure to see you again!”

“You’re Nora’s mom, right?”

“It’s good you recognize me! I do hope you know the news about my girl.”

“I’m well informed…”

“Excuse me” She enters without permission. “I came here to look for my girl’s stuff, if you don’t mind.”

“I don’t mi—“

“Aw look at yourself! You look so dirty! Blacksmithing is not a girl’s job! I know, let’s go to my house, I know the perfect way to make you look pretty.”

“I-I’ll have to refu—“

“Don’t worry! There is plenty of space in our home now! Gretchen told me how lonely you feel sometimes, so I thought you wanted some company, you have to try my secret recipe, my girls always love it.”

“I… I… Don’t follow.”

“C’mon take a hint! You’re slower than Nora! This is my way to repay you for what you did for her, even if I don’t really agree with her decisions right now. This is a formal invitation; do you want to live with us?” She extends her hand, she sounds as pushy as Nora at her worst…

“…”

I don’t know why, but I ended up following her… Well I do know why, but I don’t want to admit it.

End of Sidestory.

[2/2]

>>1327078
A little sad, but I liked it.

>>1327086
It can't always end happily but this is bette than nothing.

>>1328139
Well said.
I wonder if Iged will continue to train under Enlia though. Perhaps we'll find out some day. Perhaps not.

This was probably one of the shortest threads so far, but easily the most intense.
Apart from the initial decision whether to investigate the evidence against Gretchen or break her out of jail, it didn't feel like we had as much control as usual (I'm not screaming "railroading!!" but the "you -will- get on the boat and flee" vibe definitely intensified).
I wonder though, what the situation would now be if we didn't get the compass and box from Zaina. If I had to venture a guess, we probably would have had to play fugitives somewhere outside town until Enlia/Reda/Iged contacted us and gave us those items that (it would have turned out) Zaina had entrusted to Reda in case she wasn't able to guide us to the other land and instruct us on the big threat.
Just a guess.

Well, next time seems like we will officially be out of the tutorial phase completely and the main adventure can begin.
Or the preparations for it, I suppose.