>>2765150
Archive: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive.html?tags=watdo
Pastebin: https://pastebin.com/NMWwaU12

>>2765150
Dude, what. She just fainted. Over-reacting much?

>Move her to her bed
Put her somewhere out of the way! It's time to ALCHEMY!

>>2765150
Oh, Seabass, so you do care...

>>2765150
>>Move her to her bed

>>2765150
>Leave her where she is and let wake on her own

>>2765150
>>Move her to her bed

She’ll be alright. It’s just a vasovagal syncope, low blood pressure combined with shock; common as grass. She’ll regain consciousness within the hour. In fact, it was stupid to react so violently. The probability of any kind of complication had too many leading zeroes to even be worthy of a second glance. To leap to death from a simple fainting spell, speaks of a disturbing degree of attachment. Such hysteria could not be born from mere concern.

But nevermind, you should focus on the task at hand. Put her out of mind and therefore out of sight. You lift her body--still so surprisingly light, even with the meat returning to her bones--and take her to her own bed. Her face has a peace she seldom wears, a dreamless even keel that you have trouble releasing yourself from.

It’s not the fainting that’s bothering you, it’s that all the progress you made with her may have come undone by this one cruelty. Perhaps worse that you were capable of it. All necessary of course, but the damage is done.

The alchemical apparatuses have been cleaned and arrayed for your use. Where to begin?

>You have 2 and half hours
>Test the “cure” on the rats before you apply it to the lizard
>Mix the Elf blood with the lizard blood immediately; no time to waste
>Partition some of the Elf blood for later experiments (though it will leave less room for error)

>>2765188
>Test the “cure” on the rats before you apply it to the lizard

Can we get it done in less than 2 hours?

>>2765188
>Test the “cure” on the rats before you apply it to the lizard

IF WE CAN GET IT DONE EARLY ENOUGH otherwises

>Mix the Elf blood with the lizard blood immediately; no time to waste

>>2765188
>Test the “cure” on the rats before you apply it to the lizard

Always test.

>>2765190
Yes, but it would be cutting it close. Testing on the rats would naturally give you a bonus to the DC on the lizard, but would eat up time (~45 minutes worth).

>>2765194
Haste makes waste. We can spare 45 min, we *cannot* afford to fuck up the procedure with the lizard

>>2765190
>>2765192
>>2765193
Your hands are wrapped around the solution, but now is the time for caution and patience. There’s nothing worse than skipping ahead in these crucial junctures and making a slip or oversight that leads to dead bodies and smoking flasks. Your cure is wholly untested and its basis totally unclear.

But then, that’s what the rats are for. Swamp rats have quick metabolisms, much faster than ordinary cellar rats and certainly more than men. The cure, if it is one, will affect their system within a few minutes. It will slice time to close edges but haste makes waste and there are lives in the balance.

>Roll 1d20+2 (bonus from lab) for testing on the rats

>>2765188
>Test the “cure” on the rats before you apply it to the lizard

Rolled 9 + 2 (1d20 + 2)

>>2765203
BIG MONEY PLEASE WORK FOR ONCE

Rolled 5 + 2 (1d20 + 2)

>>2765203
rollan

Rolled 16 + 2 (1d20 + 2)

>>2765203

>>2765150
FUCK MY ASS OP
You gave me a heart attack with that fucking opening.

>>2765207
>>2765208
>>2765209
Seabass is just going to keep on failing until he can get enough perks to barely match hoity-toity educated best of 3 alchemists.

>>2765207
>>2765208
>>2765209
>11, 7, 18: 2 Successes

One of the rats watches you with disinterest from its smaller cage. The pearl must be removed from the starleech first, a procedure that requires no more skill than separating a yolk from the white. The task is made even easier with actual tools--a scalpel instead of the usual paring knife; all it requires is a quick sweep of the blade around the edges of the sphere, making sure not to sever the veins close to the body to prevent excessive bleeding.

Draining the pearl is even simpler, the rubbery body softens in contact with weak acid and then can be punctured with a hot needle. You decant the Elf blood--red as any you’ve seen--into a small flask and then extract some more blood from the rat. You save some of the Elf blood for the lizard and mix the rest with the rat blood. No discernable change, even after through mixing under slight heat. It’s to be expected, but you did hope for some kind of visual marker, anything to hang your hopes on.

You transfer the mixture back into the pearl using a needle funnel and then the pearl back into the starleech. It’s veins creep and latch forward onto the swollen surface, assimilating it into its body. You’ve always wondered if the pearls were interchangeable between leeches--something to test later perhaps. The last step is to attach the leech to the rat and induce it’s vomit reflex (which will transfuse the blood instead of extracting). A squeeze of its pearl from the sides does the trick.

Thirty minutes have passed. If it works, the scabs and rashes across the rat’s body should clear up within a few minutes.

>Monitor the rat and update your notes while you wait
>Get the Lizard ready for treatment (+1 to roll)
>Go check on your Elf

>>2765239
>Get the Lizard ready for treatment (+1 to roll)

Its going to be touch and go

>>2765239
>Get the Lizard ready for treatment (+1 to roll)

>>2765239
that is some seriously fast metabolism

>Get the Lizard ready for treatment (+1 to roll)

>>2765239
>Get the Lizard ready for treatment

>>2765239
>Get the Lizard ready for treatment (+1 to roll)

>>2765239
>>Get the Lizard ready for treatment (+1 to roll)
I still think we could've gotten the elf to agree without emotionally manipulating her

>>2765241
>>2765242
>>2765243

The lizard’s pulse is as janky as an out-of-tune harpsichord. His fever hasn’t gone down since you last checked on him and he’s not responding to any stimuli (not even when you press the soft tissue on the underside of his snout--a sensitive spot for lizards much like the underside of the knee for humans).

“Hang in there.” You say. You don’t add that otherwise it will have all been for nothing. You’re trying not to think about it. Instead your mind wanders back to your other troubles. Toad, Roche, Antipater and this whole overarching conspiracy. No matter how many times you turn the matter, no matter what angle you approach it from, you can’t understand Roche’s motives. Why does he want to cure the lizards? The easiest answer is money. Sell the cure and profit from it--but the risk seems disproportionate to the reward. There has to be a deeper motivation, something to stake his life on.

Which leads to dilemmas of your own. For one, do you tell him the nature of your cure? That it comes from Elf blood? You’re not even sure how he’d react to the news. Or what the consequence would be for your Elf, or the Elven population in general. Then there’s Toad, who even now is probably on his way to Antipater to negotiate some kind of planned betrayal. What happens if Antipater finds out about the cure? Why do you have that awful gut feeling, the one you had when you first arrived at the orphanage, and marked out days with colored chalk on the stone floor, praying for your parents to take you away but knowing in your heart that they were gone.

You retrieve the starleech and return to the rat’s cage. Your hands are actually shaking as you check it’s fur and mouth. Clear on both counts. The rash is gone, the scabs around its mouth have shrunk, the rat’s vitality has returned and it squirms mightily in your grip.

You don’t allow yourself any self-congratulations. But you do allow a smile to pass through your lips. Then you begin working with the lizard blood.

>Roll 1d20+3 (+2 from lab, +1 from prep) to treat the lizard

OOC: I'm gonna grab some breakfast.

Rolled 5 + 3 (1d20 + 3)

>>2765282
F

Rolled 13 + 3 (1d20 + 3)

>>2765282

Rolled 14 + 3 (1d20 + 3)

>>2765282

Once more with feeling

Rolled 13 + 3 (1d20 + 3)

>>2765282
Hope Sarah has been praying on our behalf.

>>2765287
>>2765288
woah, actually good rolls. The gods aren't done with this lizard yet, it seems.

Rolled 4 + 3 (1d20 + 3)

>>2765282
Please work out.

Rolled 11 + 3 (1d20 + 3)

>>2765282

>>2765296
For once
I mean this quest has thr shitest riols ever.
Glade you picked the 1 success even when we fuck up.

>>2765440
I really can't believe just how shit the rolls are for this quest. I see so many 15+ rolls everywhere else, except here.

>>2765450
Yeah, Though when mid-boss quest fails it fails harder (but lots of 20s make up for it)

>>2765450
Its like quest hates elfs or something

>>2765285
>>2765287
>>2765288

>8, 16, 17: 2 successes

The rest is mechanical. Your hands do the work without your mind’s governance, only a vague awareness and the occasional self-talk to keep the knife steady and the mixtures homogeneous. So much depends on this cure, on the salvation of this one life. There is not even time to pat yourself on the back, to gloat over the conquering of Lawson’s creation.

The cure will take longer on the lizard, even as it surpassed your expectations in the rat. You guess that the supposed immunogens in the Elf blood helped to both neutralize the toxin and help treat the diseases that arose as a consequence of its action. Part of you does feel uneasy that you still don’t understand how the toxin works beyond a cursory (and perhaps even incorrect) explanation. You don’t know how Lawson’s treatment works, or why it’s merely temporary. What if yours is the same?

But you can’t’ think about that now. You need to buy back the time you wasted. You transfuse the mixed blood into the lizard and offer a prayer to the Thrice Great. “To save one life.”

And then you wait.

---

>>2765584
>You are now Toad

There’s something about his face. Something familiar about the sharpness of his nose and chin which you’re desperately trying to ignore. You don’t know why. Anyway, this’ll all be over soon. The kid will be safe and Lily will stay innocent. All’s well that ends well.

“So?” You say. You’ve barely entered his room before you need to reach for your pipe. Something about its spartan decor, a lone table and a bookshelf surrounded by a dozen feet of emptiness on every side--not even carpets or curtains--puts you on edge. Roche looks up briefly from a letter still half-wet with ink, and smiles at you. This half-smirk, like he knew something you didn’t and he found it amusing, irritates you as much as the bedbugs in your mattress. “So?” You say, again.

He waves at a chair in front of him and returns to his letter. His pen scratches through the paper, dotting the last of his i’s and j’s. Then he folds it up and seals it with a heavy red emboss.

“And how are you today Toad? Chipper?”

“Cut the bullshit. Why’d you call me?”

His smile never leaves his face, doesn’t shift for an instant. It’s like it was cast in bronze. “Always business.” He puts the letter in his breast pocket and leans back in his chair. Every creak of wood and shift of cloth bounces off the walls. “I know you paid a visit to Seabass this morning.”

“You keep him locked up like that, we’re gonna have a problem. A bigger one.”

“Has he made any progress?”

“Ask him yourself.”

“I will. And I hope he has, for the sake of that poor lizard.”

You scoff.

“You think my intentions are anything but noble?”

“Why’d you call me? I didn’t come here to make conversation.”

He sighs and that goddamn smile finally drops. “I need you to check in on someone for me.” He grabs a scrying ball from his table and tosses it to you. It’s a surveillance model, old, the kind that used to be popular in your line of work. The picture is distorted and dark, as though you were looking through surface of a dirty lake, but you can make out a man, roughly 50 years old, sleeping on the rough floor of a jail cell.

>Ask who this is
>Just ask for the details of the job
>You’re not doing this

>>2765586
>>Ask who this is

>>2765586
Just ask for the details of the job

>>2765586
>Just ask for the details of the job

Also, my heart says 'Fuck you!' for the beginning of the OP post. That was needlessly cruel to your readers, but I guess it worked.

>>2765586
>Just ask for the details of the job

>>2765586
>Just ask for the details of the job

>>2765586
>Just ask for the details of the job

>>2765586
>Just ask for the details of the job

>>2765603
>>2765606
>>2765608
>>2765609

“What’s the time frame?” You say. Just another piece of intel you can offer Antipater once you meet with him.

“Two weeks, give or take. He’s being held in the anti-magic squad’s special jail. Normal procedure dictates that he’s sent to a maximum security prison within three days. He’s been there at least a month since his capture.”

You have a hard time looking him in the eye. Just something about him that makes you oddly nostalgic, makes your chest heavy. You remember what the kid said--he’s gonna try kill you at some point. It couldn’t be fear could it? You are getting on years.

“Two weeks might not be enough. The AM squad have good security. Magic.”

“I’m sure they do. And I’m also sure it will ultimately prove no trouble to you. Magic is your forte isn’t it? Or was.”

You light your pipe. The smoke settling into your lungs calms you, reminds you of a time when skullduggery was a cleaner game, a heady, pleasurable but oppressive feeling.

“I thought I told you not talk about that. We made deal didn’t we?”

“Yes we did. We even shook hands. But you know Toad--Theodore--we cannot ever really escape our past. It’s yoke is always around our necks, tugging back, turning our heads.”

“Don’t call me Theodore.” You say. Your wife called you Theodore.

He stands and goes to the bookshelf, picking through the volumes until he finds the one he’s looking for. “History of the Elven Rebellion” He says, tossing the book on the table. “You read it? It was written by one of your contemporaries. You know, I never knew the Elves were so evil, or how necessary and uplifting was your people's subjugation of our species.”

1/2

>>2765708
You stand up, ready to leave. He sits back down and casually flips through the book. “You know when I first met Antipater, he told me something very interesting.” You stop. Does he know? Does he suspect? ”Do you know about the Southern Cuttlefish, he said. Not even a hello. Among their tentacles one is a rigid calcified shaft, tapered to a point.” He looks up from the book, to see if you’re listening. You are.

“During the mating season, the Cuttlefish duel with these shafts, sort of like how your nobles used to joust for women. Bloody, deadly affairs, winner take all.” He pauses, waiting for you turn around and see him, to meet his eyes. He’s not smiling now. “But you know what the funny thing is?” He says, quietly. “This is what he told me, and he’s a southerner himself so I know he knows what he’s talking about, he told me that every cuttlefisher worth his harpoon hunts in the mating season. Because, although these duels are for them the culmination of their whole lives, the entire sequence of progeny and lineage put on the line for that one instant--because they only mate once in their lives--it is exactly then that they are most vulnerable. Their own biological history betrays them and the cuttlefisher who waits with his harpoon in the shadow will strike and nab them both.”

You don’t speak for a long minute. Finally he says, “Isn’t that a funny story? Personally I hate the taste of cuttlefish. Too gamy.” Then he waves his hand. “You’re dismissed. Get that man’s side of it. I want to know why he hasn’t been sent away yet.” He says, as you turn and leave. You suck desperately at your pipe, but it isn’t enough to disquiet the unease.
---

The cure worked. Thank god but it worked. The lizard’s fever has finally gone down and he’s breathing is clearing up. Another day or two, a week at the most and he should be back to normal. You just hope the cure is permanent.

You allow yourself a moment to relax. To finally, finally take a victory lap.

>Open a bottle of Roche’s finest
>Go check on your Elf, she still hasn’t woken up
>Collapse on the sofa and take a well-deserved nap

>>2765710
>>Go check on your Elf, she still hasn’t woken up

>>2765710
>Go check on your Elf, she still hasn’t woken up

>>2765710
>Go check on your Elf, she still hasn’t woken up

>>2765710
>>Go check on your Elf, she still hasn’t woken up

>>2765723
>>2765725
>>2765731
>>2765741

Much as you’d like to crack open a bottle of sherry and forget all your troubles, there’s just no rest for the wicked. It’s been more than two hours and your Elf still hasn’t woken up. You find her sprawled across the bed, blankets thrown, in a position different than the one you left her--which is good. Her pulse and breathing say she’s just sleeping now. Her brows are smooth and free and her mouth smiles in secret dreams. It almost seems a shame to wake her, but she should really eat something.

>Wake her up
>Leave her alone, let her sleep a little more
>Stay by her until she wakes up, so she doesn’t panic

>>2765710
>Go check on your Elf, she still hasn’t woken up
As if there was any other option

>>2765746
>>Stay by her until she wakes up, so she doesn’t panic

>>2765746
>Stay by her until she wakes up, so she doesn’t panic

>>2765746
>Stay by her until she wakes up, so she doesn’t panic

>>2765746
>>Stay by her until she wakes up, so she doesn’t panic

>>2765746
>Stay by her until she wakes up, so she doesn’t panic

>>2765746
>Stay by her until she wakes up, so she doesn’t panic

>>2765746
>>Leave her alone, let her sleep a little more

We should give some of Roche's finest to the elf...

>>2765796
No, we really shouldn't.

>>2765746
Stay with her.
Contemplate how to extract more cure from lizard.

>>2765750
>>2765751
>>2765752
>>2765756
>>2765771
>>2765826

You grab a bottle of Southern Sherry and a stool from the lab. You tell yourself it’s so you can address any panic when she wakes up, so you can face the evil you did--necessary evil--head on. The truth is, you just like watching her sleep. It’s the only time of the day where she isn’t trembling or brooding over internal shame or fretting over the possibility of a whipping, you know you won’t ever fulfill. The only other time she’s happy is when she’s drawing in her little notebook, or when she’s reading the picture books you bought. But this peace you like the most.

Does that make you creepy? After all she’s only your slave, this level of concern seems inappropriate. Or maybe it's just the prospect of mass production, which you’ve been trying to ignore but cannot any longer. A single lizard is one thing, but Roche expects enough medicine to cure the whole tribe. There are ways. Continuous draining supplemented by anti-anemaics. It’d take a few days, a dozen more starleeches, and maybe a sedative.

Can you really go so far? For such things are not without their risks. Anti-anemiacs, like modified troll marrow, have their own problems. It’s not unheard of for patients to suffer heart problems, or lose complete function over a leg, or simply collapse with blood coming out of their nose, sink into a coma. Granted the leeches might offset some of those effects, but you can’t be sure.

You drink straight from the bottle, letting the pleasant buzz of alcohol relax the muscles around your eyes.

“Master?” She says. Her eyes are still half-closed, her hands reaching to make sure her ribbon is still in her hair. It’s not, it fell off when you carried her here but you have it in your pocket. You grab her searching hand and place the silk in it.

“I’m here.” You say. “How are you feeling?”

She brushes the red ribbon across her cheek, and as though the motion gave her an electric shock, she suddenly sits up.

“It’s past lunchtime!” She says, scrambling to get out of the bed.

>You could go for some lunch
>Hold her back and make sure she’s OK
>Tell her to relax and prepare some lunch yourself

>>2765839
>>Tell her to relax and prepare some lunch yourself

>>2765839
>>Tell her to relax and prepare some lunch yourself

>>2765839
>Tell her to relax and prepare some lunch yourself

File: 1522780849751.jpg (1.32 MB, 1240x1646)

1.32 MB JPG

>>2765839
>>Tell her to relax and prepare some lunch yourself
Even after fainting from severe phobia, she still tries to cook us lunch.
What a good elf.

>>2765839
>Hold her back and make sure she’s OK

>>2765840
>>2765841
>>2765842
>>2765848


You push her down to bed by her shoulders and hand her the bottle. “You sit and relax. I’ll prepare something.” This is inappropriate. You blame the alcohol and are content.

It’s been more than a month since you had to prepare anything. You can’t boast the culinary skills of your Elf, but you’ve stayed alive for several years on your own. That has to count for something.

On second thought, the prospect of eating bland curry and partially burnt meat is not a welcome one. Maybe you should take her outside, eat at some place fancy--a kind of reward for the both of you. You could use some sunshine yourself and the guards can’t hold you back, now that you’ve actually made some progress.

>Celebrate with your Elf at a fancy restaurant
>Just stay home and try not to burn anything, fancy restaurants cost money
>Ask your Elf what she prefers

>>2765867
>>Ask your Elf what she prefers

>>2765839
>Tell her to relax and prepare some lunch yourself
Don’t forget to tell her how proud of her we are.

>>2765867
>Ask your Elf what she prefers

>>2765867
>>Ask your Elf what she prefers

>>2765867
Are there any restaurants that serve elven fare in town?

>>2765867
>Ask your Elf what she prefers

>>2765867
Uh... are we even allowed out? I thought we were kinda locked in here.

>>2765867
>>Celebrate with your Elf at a fancy restaurant
she would obviously prefer to cook we stopped that so we should take initiative here so she dosen't stress out

>>2765869
>>2765875
>>2765879
>>2765887

You put the skillet down. You’re not even that hungry and if anyone should decide what and where to eat, it should be your Elf.

You find her making her bed. “I thought I told you to rest.”

“I’m sorry.” She backs away and sits on the bed.

You sigh. “It’s alright. So on second thought I think I’d better spare you my cooking. Why don’t we go out? We’ve been cooped up here so long I’m forgetting what sunshine feels like.”

“I could cook something.”

“Not an option. Now, there are a couple of places that might be good. Expensive. But I’d say the occasion merits it. I think I even know a place that serves food from the North, real elven fare. What do you think?”

She squirms in her seat. “Whatever master wants.”

“No. I’m asking what you want. Anything you want, any place, any food.”

“Anything?” She asks, quietly.

“Name it.”

She hesitates, biting her lip.

“Well?”

“Could we eat at Rose’s?”

“What?”

“Nevermind.” She says.

“Wait, seriously?” You laugh. “You’re not just saying that for my sake are you?”

She shakes her head like a spider had gotten tangled in her hair. “I like her noodles.” She says. “And I like Rose. If we can’t I can just--”

“No, no. If you want noodles and Rose we’ll get you noodles and Rose. But only if that’s what you really want.” You kneel to her level and meet her eyes. The only part of her flesh uncorrupted by her former master. “Is it?”

She nods.

“Then let’s go.”

Now you just need to convince the guards, but bigger problems loom immediately. Roche enters the room like a noiseless draft, making your skin jump. “Where are we going?“ He says.

>Tell him about the cure, but spare the details
>Tell him nothing and request a day topside
>Tell him the full details of the cure, better to be upfront

>>2765955
>Tell him about the cure, but spare the details

>>2765955
>Tell him about the cure, but spare the details
I'm worried this is going to backfire horribly, but at the same time I don't want him to look at our elf like an animal to be chained up and constantly drained of blood.

>>2765955
Tell him the lizards recovering. Spare the details. Insinuate that were unsure which of our experiments took hold and could use an additional specimen to continue work. Make sure to extract some of recovering lizards blood though.

>>2765964
>>2765970
>>2765974

“Out.” You say, brushing past him. Your Elf follows with her head down. “I think we deserve it after the progress we’ve made. Unless you plan to keep us locked in here forever.”

“You were free to leave at any time.” He says. “But what’s this about progress? Have you cured him?”

“See for yourself.” He goes. You gather your coat and your keys. Maybe you can make a stop at home while you’re at it. See if Nina’s back from her trip. Better yet, you can visit the temple and check on Abe yourself.

“So your work with the ink wasn’t a fluke.” Says Roche. “How’d you do it?”

“I tried a number of things.” You say, trying to say as little as you can without lying. “I’m not sure how the cure really works.”

“But what is it? Was it something in the blood diamond?”

>1d20 to see how well you lie

>>2765955
>>Tell him about the cure, but spare the details

Rolled 7 (1d20)

>>2766004

Rolled 19 (1d20)

>>2766004
Through the teeth and without hesitation.

Don’t worry elf, you will get your cure.

Rolled 19 (1d20)

>>2766004
Deploy poker face

>>2766017
>>2766021
OH THANK GOODNESS.

Rolled 6 (1d20)

>>2766004
>I'm not sure right now. I tried several mixtures together, but now that i see that one of them works, i can begin the distilling process to find the mixture that actually works from all the other ones.

>>2766017
>>2766021
>All these good rolls

>>2766021
>>2766017
well, there's the rest of our luck for the rest of the thread, going to be all 7s and 8s from here on out.

this quest is cursed.

>>2766064
You haven’t seen nothing yet.

Rolled 5 (1d20)

>>2766064
hold my beer

>>2766089
kek
Not even 7 or 8.

>>2766014
>>2766017
>>2766021

>7, 19, 19: 2 Successes

You put on your best poker face. Reserves of cunning and steel you didn’t know you had open and offer their treasures. “What does it matter? You expect me to explain every intricacy of my craft to a layman? No it wasn’t from the blood diamond. And unless you’re familiar with the works of Lavoz, Avogard and Han in ‘23 and Dalton in ‘27--” You wait a moment for his inevitable denial, the embarrassed little shake of his head that will make the rest of this easy. “Well, then we’ll be here all day. And you’ll excuse me if I don’t have the patience to work for a week non-stop, on 4 hours sleep every night, in this dungeon, and show you results and then still have to explain myself to a man who couldn’t dissect so much as a Lavozian earthworm.”

He clears his throat and adjusts his belt. “Yes, well. I just wanted a general idea.”

“A general idea? We’re not making omelets here, Mr. Roche, we’re dealing with the fundamental forces of nature. Either you’re waist deep in the art or you’re at shore. There is no general idea. And you’ll pardon me for being so short, but frankly I don’t appreciate you looking a gift horse in the mouth.” You put on your coat, trying very hard to hide your smirk. Roche is actually speechless.

“The only reason I ask is because I need to know if the cure will be ready for the rest of the tribe within the time allotted. Will it?”

You were hoping he wouldn’t ask you that. “We can discuss that afterward.”

“I’d rather discuss it now.” He says. His confidence is slowly returning. There’s no getting out of this. You obviously can’t tell him about the Elf blood now. There is another method that could work, but it’s more expensive, more time-consuming and with a lesser guarantee of success.

>Press the point, you’re not discussing this right now
>Tell him about plan B
>Reverse the point--he only asked for a cure, not mass production; where’s your money?

>>2766116
>Press the point, you’re not discussing this right now
>Reverse the point--he only asked for a cure, not mass production; where’s your money?

>>2766116
>>Press the point, you’re not discussing this right now

>>2766116
>Reverse the point--he only asked for a cure, not mass production; where’s your money?

>>2766116
>>Press the point, you're not discussing this right now

>>2766116
>Reverse the point--he only asked for a cure, not mass production; where’s your money?

>>2766116
>Press the point, you’re not discussing this right now

>>2766116
>press the point
When in doubt, double down. What is the time frame though? And what is plan B, chicken soup?

>>2766116
>Press the point, you’re not discussing this right now
Also guys a viable alternative is to take the cured lizard's blood and use it on the rest of the tribe to cure them too. Or am I being retarded right now?

>>2766116
>>Press the point, you’re not discussing this right now

>>2766178
I'm not so sure. As I understand it we have a mass producible cure for the poison, the elf blood was to provide a magical boost to the immune system to cure the complications. I don't think it's s permanent effect and doubt it would last long enough to be transferable.

>>2766137
>>2766138
>>2766141
>>2766159
>>2766167
>>2766169
>>2766171
>>2766178
>>2766180

You’ve already come this far. Lying is far too liberating to stop now. “Well what you’d rather do doesn’t interest me. In fact, I think this about the time where I’d like to see some money. The deal was to produce a cure. I have. There was never anything about mass production.”

“Be careful, Sebastian--”

“Why should I? You told me yourself that you wouldn’t keep away from Toad. I haven’t seen any money yet. So what is all this for? Maybe it’s time you started keeping your end of the bargain.”

The guards at the door twitch, but Roche waves them away. He smiles. You hate that smile, it’s something painted on, fake. He reaches into his breast pocket and takes out--not a purse--but a letter. “I suppose now is as good a time as any.” He says. “Though I did want it to be something of a surprise. I do feel bad about Toad, Sebastian. I know how much his friendship means to you. But sometimes we have to--” His smile tightens. “Extricate ourselves from the tendrils of our past. Live new lives, look ever forward.” He shows you the front side of the letter, the address is for Academy in the Royal Capital.

“What is this?”

“A recommendation. In my line of work you often accrue favors from people in high places. This letter will get you into the Academy on a full scholarship.”

Your foot starts to wobble and apply desperate pressure to keep it stable. The words Academy and full scholarship, lead almost inevitably to fully licensed alchemist. Roche puts the letter back in his pocket. “You’ll get it once the job is finished. A bonus, if you like. As for the money. He gives you a bank slip, encrypted with cipherous ink. ‘Show that to the teller and you’ll have your sovereigns. But after that I have no more money to give you. Whatever resources the mass production requires, you’ll have to buy on your own or make do with what I have here.”

He takes a final look around the cavern, breathing in its air and gives you a final smile--not one so fake, but rather sad. “Well, enjoy your lunch, Sebastian. We’ll talk again once you’ve manufactured the cure.”

You call after him. “And Toad?”

“We all have to die sometime.” He says.

---

You arrive at the market square a quarter past 3. There’s a pleasant heat refined by sea breezes from the coast. It’s the weekend and so couples are out in full force, most of them illegitimate. Your Elf walks closely by your side, notebook clutched to her breast (one of these days you’ll need to see what it is she’s drawing all the time) forever in awe of the bustle of street life.

>Head to the temple first, visit Abe
>Get some food first
>On second thought, head home first

>>2766304
Head to the temple first, visit Abe
Have elf go home and tell rose to start on the noofles

>>2766304
>>Head to the temple first, visit Abe

>>2766304
>>Head to the temple first, visit Abe

>>2766304
>Get some food first

noodles with a lil' spice are the best. And it pains me how Leia is acting like nothing has happened...

>>2766304
>Get some food first

>>2766304
>>Get some food first

>>2766304
>Head to the temple first, visit Abe

>>2766304
>food first
Before we get distracted by someone else's troubles.

>>2766304
>>2766318

Switching to
>Get some food first

>>2766304
>Food first
We promised lea and being hungry is detrimental to our skills

>>2766325
We ought to apologize for what we did at the very least.

>>2766304
Food first, after all it’s what we set out for. We can check on Abe after

>>2766304
>Head to the temple first, visit Abe

Consensus seems to be food then temple. Writing.

You wonder how Abe’s doing, how Lucy’s doing. You wonder how he’ll react when you tell him that you have the cure. The ride over here was silent, your Elf seems unchanged by what you did to her--what you had to do--but you can sense that it’s a show. A wall has again been erected. Apologizes hang on to the cusp of your lip, never quite aired. Why should you apologize anyway? She’s your slave, your property. But that kind of thinking doesn’t sit well with you. What would Sarah think? Clearly this is something she must never find out.

Rose’s stall comes into view. Busier than usual, though her 70 plus year old body seems more than up to the challenge. You’re barely half-seated when she calls out to you.

“Well, if it isn’t my favorite customer!”

“Hello Rose.”

“I was talking to the girl.” She says, winking at your slave. She flushes and smiles.

“H-hello Rose.” She says.

“Well!” Rose puts her hands on her hips. “She can talk now can she?”

“I’ve been teaching her.”

“Well good on you Seabass. The usual?”

You look to your Elf. She gives you the go ahead and Rose begins rolling a fresh batch of dough. “Business seems to be booming.” You say.

“So much more people are coming in, can you believe it? I’ll need an assistant of my own soon.” She says. “Maybe you can loan me yours. How are you with a rolling pin, sweetie?”

“I-I only cook for master.” She says. “And sometimes his friends.”

“Well I’m his friend. Ain’t I Seabass?”

“She’s an excellent cook, but I think that was her way of saying no, Rose.”

She laughs. “Well, Seabass ever gives you any trouble you come straight to me honey. Always got a place for capable cooks.”

“Master would never give me trouble.” She says. “I’m the one…” She wrings her hands. There’s a moment of awkward silence until the bowls come.

“So where’s the rest of the gang?” Says Rose. “The shortie and that cute redhead.”

“Nina went to visit her mother. Franklin, I’m not sure, but he should still be around.”

“Haven’t seen you around lately either. Cause of her?” She points at your Elf. “It’s good. You both look the better for it.”

You eat your meals with relish. Well, your Elf eats and you occasionally put food in your mouth while you watch her. A fat noodle hits her on the nose before disappearing with a quick slurp. Her pointed ears make quick, unconscious circles as she eats. You feel more revitalized from watching her than from the meal.

You take some food for the children. It’s only a 15 minute carriage ride from the market to the temple. Your Elf is leaned back on her seat with a satisfied peace. She ate two bowls of noodles, not leaving a morsel behind. Perhaps now is the time to broach the subject you’ve been avoiding.

>Just ride in silence
>Talk to her about what happened, but don’t apologize
>Explain to her that you still need to mass produce the cure

>>2766492
>Explain to her that you still need to mass produce the cure

>>2766492
>Talk to her about what happened.

>>2766492
>Talk to her about what happened, but and apologize
And stop looking at her ears you fucking perv!

>>2766492
>Talk to her about what happened, but do apologize

>>2766492
>Talk to her about what happened, but do apologize

>>2766492
>>Just ride in silence
Let's bring up the subject after she sees the children. Have a little tact anons

>>2766492
>>Talk to her about what happened, but do apologize

>>2766492
>Just ride in silence
We should wait for a more appropriate time.

>>2766492
>>Talk to her about what happened, but do apologize

>>2766492
>Talk to her about what happened, apologize that it had to come to that but you did it to save an innocent

>>2766492
>Her pointed ears make quick, unconscious circles as she eats.
That is disgustingly adorable.

>>2766526
Supporting but not part about the beautiful ears

>>2766492
>Talk to her about what happened, but do apologize

>>2766492
>Explain to her that you still need to mass produce the cure

>>2766518
>>2766526
>>2766540
>>2766547
>>2766567

“How are you feeling?” You ask. She turns to you, eyes a little wider than they were a second ago.

“Good.” She says.

“You enjoyed the noodles?”

She nods. “Rose is really nice.”

“Yes, she is.” You sigh. This is harder than you thought. “I think we need to talk about what happened. And I need to tell you that I’m sorry.”

“But master was just punishing me for what I did. Because I made a bad mistake--and it won’t happen again master I promise.”

“What? What are you talking about? What mistake?”

“When I...in the bed--because I’m not, I’m not clean.” She mumbles. “I know I shouldn’t have done that.” She nods. “So I understand and I accept the punishment. I was just afraid, but master was fair. I know that. And I won’t do it again, so...so master won’t do it again right? Please?”

You massage your eyes. “I thought I explained this to you. It wasn’t a punishment. I would never punish you for something like that, and never in that way. I did that to save the lizard. If there was a way to do it without hurting you I would have taken it.”

“But if that wasn’t the punishment--I don’t understand.” She hugs her notebook. “I don’t understand.”

You touch her shoulder. “Look at me. I am not your old master. I will never hurt you if I can help it. I did what I had to do because that lizard was going to die if I didn’t. To put it another way, you saved his life.”

“I did?” She’s breathless.

“That’s right. That was the whole purpose. Not punishment for--well I won’t even get into that right now--but it was never punishment. You were helping me save the lizard’s life.”

She’s quiet for a long moment, head bent over kissing the top of her notebook. Finally she says, “But why is master apologizing then?”

“Because, well I could’ve gone about things a little more gently. I wasn’t at my best and honestly I’m not really good at things like that to begin with. Dealing with people. But you must not think of that as a punishment.” You say, softly. “You haven’t done anything wrong Leia.”

This seems to violate her fundamental beliefs. “But I touched you. I shouldn’t have done that. I shouldn’t have. Right?” She wants you to affirm it, for her the broken system is preferable a better one, because it’s the only one she knows.

Yet this is a scab you can’t pick at just yet. That kind of abuse will not be cured so easily nor so quickly. And maybe it’s not even your place to do so, she is only your slave after all. On the other hand, you remember how you reacted--overreacted--to her unconsciousness. She is not six sovereigns anymore, much as it pains you to admit it.

>Don’t say anything, you’re almost to the temple--she’ll cheer up once she sees the children
>Don’t say anything, show her that she’s wrong
>Agree with her for now; you need her stable right now

>>2766719
>Don’t say anything, show her that she’s wrong

>>2766719
>>Don’t say anything, show her that she’s wrong
Is this "kiss her right now"?
I'm not voting, just clarifying

>>2766719
>Touching me is fine, You have done good my elf.

>>2766719
>>Don’t say anything, show her that she’s wrong
>give her a hug

>>2766719
"Well then let me be clear: You touching me has never and will never 'be wrong'. You have my full permission"

>>2766736
No. That wouldn't make sense in this context.

>>2766719
>>Don’t say anything, show her that she’s wrong

>>2766719
>Don’t say anything, show her that she’s wrong.
Good to have you back, Watdo.

>>2766719
>Don’t say anything, show her that she’s wrong

>>2766719
>>Don’t say anything, show her that she’s wrong

It's been a while, so remind me what we know about the blood diamond? Roche was convinced it would lead to a cure. It's crystallized lizard blood or some such other thing? I think we missed something here. It could make life easier. Or just start another political intrigue quest hook, who knows.

>>2766786
we should definitely look into it at the very least, mass production the other method would not be preferable.

>>2766719
>Don’t say anything, show her that she’s wrong

>>2766719
>What is dirty can be cleaned, and you've been doing a lot of cleaning
>You're clean enough to play with the kids, I can assure you of that much.
blech, working with warped reasoning does not feel good.

>>2766786
It might be the key for mass production, depending on the properties of the diamond. Even just being some type of Type O lizard blood would have interesting consequences.

You snatch her wrist and place her hand in yours, curling your fingers into the spaces. “There’s nothing wrong with touching. See?” You raise her hand and give it a firm squeeze and she jumps in her seat.

“No master shouldn’t--” She pulls on her hand but you don’t let go. “I’m not clean.” She whines. “I’m dirty. I’m a dirty, stupid, filthy, disgusting--” She breaks into sobs, unable to finish words that are her not even her own, that were put in her mouth and her mind by cruel forces beyond her control. You don’t make any move to embrace her as the tears roll down but your grip on her hand doesn’t relax for an instant.

“It’s alright.” You say.

You reach for your handkerchief then realize that you already gave it to her (she had to wipe her face after pigging out on the noodles). She takes it out herself; tries again to retrieve her hand, but you don’t let her. You ride like this all the way to the orphanage, you, staring out the window in apparent indifference and her staring at your hand like a cat would a mouse, trying occasionally to pull her fingers back from the snare, as though testing your attention, but never succeeding. You don’t release her until you reach the grounds of the temple and by then it’s her hand that’s holding on to yours.

You cough and ask her to let go now and she throws her arm back like it had been caught in a mousetrap. “Come on, let’s go see the kids.” You say. And she stares at her palm in wonder before following you up the stairs.

---

“I don’t understand, what do you mean by order of Fontain? Was he there in person?”

“One of his aides.” Says Sarah. Her eyes are red from crying. Little Lucy is sleeping in arms, exhausted by her own tears. Your Elf is distributing the food you bought to the children, who are delighted now that she can speak their language. “He said that Abe wouldn’t be hurt. That they were just going to talk, but then he took Abe away.”

“What did they want to talk about?”
“They didn’t want to tell me. But I just know it has something to do with those horrible men that come to prey on the children. Why didn’t you tell him he couldn’t go with them? He would’ve listened to you!” She sniffs and wipes her eyes. “Lucy’s been inconsolable. I’ve tried to reach you all this week.”

“I’ve been working.” You knead your temple. “Did they say where they took him? What was the aide’s name?”

“I think they took him to the Dome. He didn’t say his name, but he was young and kind of short and very well-dressed. He told me Abe would be OK, but it’s already been three days.”

“Did he have a scepter by any chance. With a jewel at one end?”

“No I--wait, yes, he did. He did! You know him?”

You groan. Franklin.

>Head home, you might catch him there
>Head to the Dome, you think you know what this is about
>Comfort Sarah and head back to the lab, this should blow over on its own

>>2766930

>Head home, you might catch him there

>>2766930
Comfort Sarah and head back to the lab, this should blow over on its own

Mybe tell her some names to drop to get him out of trouble

>>2766930
>Head home, you might catch him there

>>2766930
>I know HIM, but I can only hope that who he works for is nice too.

>Head home, you might catch him there

>>2766930
>"you think you know what this is about"
Are we supposed to know what this is about? Why is Fontain detaining an orphan meatshield some mercs were using for Fontain's Manifest Destiny operation?
I'll support
>Head to the Dome, you think you know what this is about
But I really don't know what this is about. But verbally dunking on Franklin is a favorite past time.

>>2766992
Abe probably got too deep into finding out what the disease business is. As long as he himself isn't infected, I don't think he'll really be harmed until the whole thing blows over.

>>2766997
Abe didn't go on a PCP rampage, did he? I would feel responsible if he's locked up because he hulked out on our intant ork strength pill.

>>2766930
>Head to the Dome, you think you know what this is about
i was hoping for head pats
>>2767031
how many days ago did we send Toad?
did he have the PCP when he got taken?

>>2766951
>>2766954
>>2766973

You nod. “He lives in my building. If he told you that Abe would be OK, he’s probably right. But I’ll talk him to make sure.”

“Do you know what this is about?”

You have a hunch that Abe might have learned too much about the whole toxin conspiracy, either that or Fontain got wind of your anabolic. You’re not sure which is worse.

“Not exactly.” You say. “But don’t worry I’ll get him back safe and sound.”

“And you’ll tell him to stop hanging around those men?”

“Yes. Don’t worry so much, you’ll get wrinkles.” You say.

For the first time since you got her, her eyes relax and she smiles in that perpetual way. “Thanks Sebastian. I thank the Thrice Great you’re around to help us. We all do.” She brushes a lock of hair from her eyes. “And how is she?” She says, glancing at your Elf.

“Better. She’s doing better.” Your voice cracks. You can’t ever tell her about the leeches. You’ve accepted that you’ll never have her, but if she hated you on top of that, you’d probably go insane. “I’m teaching her how to read and write. She’s very smart.”

“Did you ever find out who did that to her?”

You stare at a ladybug crawling on the floor. “No.” You say, crushing its body into paste. “I don’t think I ever want to.”

She nods and pats your hands. “Will you be staying the night?”

“I can’t. I have work to do. In fact I should probably get going, if I want to visit home before I return.”

She nods again and, resting Lucy on her shoulder, leans down and kisses your brow. For a brief moment you catch a whiff of her untameable scent, and you can pretend that the kiss was something domestic, a moment of tenderness between lovers, husband and wife, something more than the mere blessing and prayer that accompanies it.

Then the moment passes and you feel it would’ve been better if she had never touched you at all.

SESSION END

OOC: Next session is next Saturday 8 AM PST as usual. Thanks for playing (and posting and reading and lurking). I hope you're all enjoying the quest!

And of course, lest I forget, you've earned another perk!

>I got worms: When working with annelids (e.g Lavozian worms, starleeches) you get a +2 to all rolls
>Iceman: You're as cold as ice; you're willing to sacrifice your Elf. +2 to rolls when lying or being a cold-ass mofo
>Elf Slave Perk: Unlocks Elf perk tree (bonuses to rolls when Elf is helping)

>>2767203
>Elf Slave Perk: Unlocks Elf perk tree (bonuses to rolls when Elf is helping)

>>2767182
>i was hoping for head pats
I went for the lewdest thing I could think of.

>how many days ago did we send Toad?
You met Toad this morning
>did he have the PCP when he got taken?
He would have had the anabolic because Toad hasn't yet taken it off his hands

>>2767203
>>Elf Slave Perk: Unlocks Elf perk tree (bonuses to rolls when Elf is helping)

>>2767203
>>Elf Slave Perk: Unlocks Elf perk tree (bonuses to rolls when Elf is helping)

>>2767203
>>Iceman: You're as cold as ice; you're willing to sacrifice your Elf. +2 to rolls when lying or being a cold-ass mofo
yes, Yes, YES

>>2767203
Once again, so glad you're back Watdo.

>Elf Slave Perk: Unlocks Elf perk tree (bonuses to rolls when Elf is helping)

To many PROTECC THE ELF bois here to make good use of Iceman, despite how cool it would be to go full ANCAP.I also want to protecc the elf

>>2767203
>Elf Slave Perk: Unlocks Elf perk tree (bonuses to rolls when Elf is helping)

>>2767226
slavery violates the NAP.
You can't ANCAP with slaves.

>>2767226
Iceman doesn't have to involve us abusing the elf, just says it kicks in whenever we have to be an ice-cold motherfucker. Might be useful when we have to deal with snake-in-the-grass fuckheads like Roche.

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>>2767203
>Elf Slave Perk: Unlocks Elf perk tree (bonuses to rolls when Elf is helping)
>>2767211
>lewdest thing I could think of.
>hand holding
you degenerate
>>2767237
its not slavery if they sell themselves

>>2767203
Iceman

>>2767244
She didn't though.

>>2767257
its late
the point i wanted to make, is that its not against the NAP if they sell themselves

>>2767203
>>Elf Slave Perk: Unlocks Elf perk tree (bonuses to rolls when Elf is helping)

>>2767203
>Elf Slave Perk: Unlocks Elf perk tree (bonuses to rolls when Elf is helping)

>>2766930
>>Comfort Sarah and head back to the lab, this should blow over on its own
guys, remember what we said? don't get involved If we get involved, shit is gonna get worse.

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>>2767203
>>Elf Slave Perk: Unlocks Elf perk tree (bonuses to rolls when Elf is helping)
Thanks for running, Watdo. It's been fun. Have an elf.

>>2767203
>Elf Slave Perk: Unlocks Elf perk tree (bonuses to rolls when Elf is helping)

>>2767203
We can spank the elf is she wants a punishment that bad

>>2767203
>Elf Slave Perk: Unlocks Elf perk tree (bonuses to rolls when Elf is helping)

>>2767211
It's been a week, but how goes grad school? Remember: an heroing is always the worst possible option in every way imaginable. If you need to hiatus the quest and stay away from 4chan to uber-focus on your work, then do so after letting us dear anon voters know, okay?

>>2767203
>Elf Slave Perk: Unlocks Elf perk tree (bonuses to rolls when Elf is helping)
Friendship is alchemy.

>>2767203
>Iceman: You're as cold as ice; you're willing to sacrifice

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There's a distinct lack of elves being posted in an elf quest. I'm disappointed in you all.

>>2767772
We've challenged ourselves to only post non-lewd elves. This has proved to be challenging. That picture you just posted is already far too lewd.

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>>2767774
That is, at most, risque. I will restrain myself from posting actual nips or nudes, but this is all you can ask from me.

>>2767772
>>2767804
this is why elves get enslaved

>>2767810
Newfag here, why are elves slaved (in this story)

>>2767820
All the context clues are within this thread.

Humans went to war with elves. Humans won. Elves get fucked, both figuratively and literally. History is written by the winners, etc.

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>>2767810
They can't help it, they're just too lewd to contain.

>>2767840
I know, I just wanted more details like why the war happened

>>2767203
>I got worms: When working with annelids (e.g Lavozian worms, starleeches) you get a +2 to all rolls
Basic stuff that it would be real embarrassing if we messed up on.
>leans down and kisses your brow
Are we a manlet?

>>2767966
>Are we a manlet
Or she’s tall

>>2767537
I wrote a whole big thing, but decided to spare you the blog post. I'll just say that things are better (I have a lab, I have funding, the work is decent) but other things haven't changed at all (reasons for why I run this quest for instance). Rest assured I should be here for a while. If I do take a break it will be to write another quest I've been working on (which will probably crash and burn but I don't care), but I'll let everyone know.

>>2767966
>>2767991
Neither. You were just sitting down.

>>2767820
The Elves were a savage people, prone to self-destruction and barbarism. Infanticide and ritual cannibalism were rampant in their primitive culture (if it can be called that) It was the firm human hand which scoured these impurities, which uplifted the Elf from his animal proximity to decency and humanity--through subjugation, yes, through slavery, but is it not the natural order of things for the inferior to be mastered by the superior?

Zinn et al. would call all major Elf-Human conflicts, "wars", but what war is there between the man and a cow, the man and a horse? There is no such thing as war between Elves and Men; there is only domestication.
-History of the Elven Rebellion, Chp 1. Section 2

>>2768042
Got confused reading that before seeing the source at the end

>>2768042
Good to hear you're doing good. I hope all those anatomy diagrams and shit I posted in one of the threads gave you some ideas or helped you out a little. You DID save those right?


>that whole History of the Elven Rebellion except

"You know, Seabass, with great power comes great responsibility. Roderick Kuiper called it "The Human's Burden." Myself, I just call it as I see it: the responsibility of the master to discipline the servant."
>Toad looks directly at the thread
"The elves, the lizardmen, the beast-people... It's our responsibility to civilize them. And if we can't? Then they shall dangle from the yew tree. The Day of the Rope is near, Seb. We'll have every elf in this country dead or in chains in 10 years, and may the Thrice Great have me set up to die investigating some jailbird this very night if I'm wrong. Thrice Great bless the Anti-Elf Coalition."

How the FUCK did Watdo get away with this?

>>2768092
I just need to get Raimi on board for the film adaptation.

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>>2768042
Ah... so we won't know what actually happened until we somehow find out for ourselves IC.
Have a more wholesome elf as if there's such a thing as a wholesome elf.

>>2768042
Sounds like a European and American Indian situation is going on here

>>2768116
colonialism as a whole
we tried the same stuff with the Negro, but it didn't work
so he is still raping babies to cure AIDS to this day

>>2767203
>Iceman: You're as cold as ice; you're willing to sacrifice your Elf.

>>2767203
>>Elf Slave Perk: Unlocks Elf perk tree (bonuses to rolls when Elf is helping)

Good job everyone, it was touch and go for a bit, and we aren't out of the woods yet, but you made good decisions and the dice pulled through when we needed them.

>>2767203
>Elf Slave Perk: Unlocks Elf perk tree (bonuses to rolls when Elf is helping)
Thanks for running Watdo, the reversal of the "elf watching Seabass sleep" scene was a nice touch.

>>2766786
I will probably write up a summary of everything we know about the disease and blood diamond once I'm not phone posting from a con, but iirc the short answer is the reptilians used to use the blood diamonds to make a neurtoxin carried in the bloodstream/saliva that is mostly harmless to themselves. Recently, the blood diamonds have been causing a disease (sexual fluids and blood are confirmed vectors, I forget if we know about saliva or scales) that compromises the immune systems of those lizardfolk affected by it. The human population has also been shown to have a compromised immune system (vectors unknown, believed to have originated from the adventurers fighting the lizardfolk) and Lawson is selling pills that temporarily treats or suppresses the symptoms in humans (effects on lizardfolk unknown), but the only known cure is expensive healing magic.

>>2767203
>Elf Slave Perk

>>2768627
I want the revelsal of "Seabass fondling Leia's feet on her sleep"

>>2769079
L-Lewd

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>>2769079
>>2769296
But instead of Leia fondling our feet, she'll be handling something else :^)

>>2769337
I-is it his hair?

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>>2769478
Sure boss

>>2769478
That shit feels too good, cozy as fuck.

>>2769478
what even is his hair color?

>>2769720
Having detailed canonical descriptions of how major characters appear would help for people to visualize what is happening. Preferably compiled in a pastebin?

>>2769478
>MC wakes up one morning
>extra comfy, extra safe-feeling
>why is it so dark in here?
>blinks awake
>Elf bent over him, deer in headlights look
>Redder than Nina's hair
>Both hands still playing with our hair

Oh Watdo, possibly deadly-to-us question:

Is our slave's magic permanently taken out, or is there a way to repair the damage done to her?
Because man I'd love for her to roast her former Master late in the quest

>>2767203
>>Elf Slave Perk: Unlocks Elf perk tree (bonuses to rolls when Elf is helping)

Also, has anyone archived this thread yet?

>>2770040
Are you asking if you can rebuild her magic? If you have the alchemy?

Yes. There are ways.

>>2769964
As was already mentioned in an earlier thread, hair has special significance to Elves and will come up in some future scene.

>>2770196
It's done now. I keep forgetting.

>>2770231
Gentlemen, we can rebuild her. Better, stronger, faster, more adorable.

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>>2770263
>more adorable
can she be such a thing?
what are the moral ramifications of putting that much cute in one body?

>Elf Slave Perk: Unlocks Elf perk tree (bonuses to rolls when Elf is helping)

>>2770305
We can do it.
We have the technology.
We have the alchemy.
We have the memes.

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>>2770305
>>2770323
We have to go beyond Plus Cute

>>2770305
> what are the moral ramifications of putting that much cute in one body?
Do not allow such petty concerns to stand in the way of science. We shall push the bounds of cute beyond anything the world has ever seen.

>>2770339
half-elves

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>>2767774

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>>2767774
>non-lewd elves
glad to see we're finally moving in the right direction

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>>2771245
Do you have any idea how FUCKING HARD it is to find non-lewd elves? Usually the best I can do is very-sexually-suggestive-but-not-entirely-naked-nor-being-reamed-by-dicks elves.

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>>2771324
Most of my elf pictures come from these threads so I'm not personally familiar with the struggle

>"elf slave quest is not a fapbait quest"

Lol these posts

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>>2771379
It's usually pages upon pages of straight up porn while finding the occasional safe pic or two to pick up.

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>>2771385
Show me which part of this thread was fapbait

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>>2771414
Record of Lodoss War screenshots and art are pretty good and non-lewd, even if it's just the same elf in different outfits
doesn't matter to me though, Deedlit's one of my favorite anime girls

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>>2772691
That weaponized chin though.

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>>2772725
it's so she can let her smug show better

>>2767203
>Iceman: You're as cold as ice; you're willing to sacrifice

Don't want to split our perk points with out elf.

>>2766930
>And she stares at her palm in wonder before following you up the stairs
So how long before our Elf gets hooked on Master's touches? Smiling to herself when she thinks about holding hands or snuggling up with him and being safe?

how long until the PTSD takes away any comfort or peace holding us might give her?

>>2773116
We're the ones getting the perk, though. It's a bonus to our rolls whenever she helps us.

>>2767226
>>2767575
+1

>>2771424
I enjoyed the part in the previous thread with the leeches and generally all the parts where the elf is terrified.

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>>2773422
So cruel

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>>2773422
the trauma scenes are phenomenally well-written, yeah
every time I read them, they hurt me in the best way, and I just want to hug the elf

So I know this is Elf Slave quest, but once we get the 400 sovereigns from this job should we think about freeing Leia? Or at least giving her spending money of her own?

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Cute elf hour is my favorite hour.

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>>2774220
I mean... we can think about freeing her, but she's so messed up and suffering from intense PTSD I think it'd just cause her to panic and freak out. I honestly think she needs Seabass, at least for now.

>>2774220
>freeing Leia
I think before we free her we should make sure that she has a future. Teach her skills that she could use to make a living and maybe set her up in a country that isn't deeply racially prejudiced against her. She also probably doesn't have much capacity for independent action due to how she's been raised. Putting her out on her own would be incredibly cruel.

>>2774220
>>2774232
>>2774234
we would of course keep her as our assistant
we would just pay her

>>2774245
It's an idea... if we weren't dirt poor. I'm still not entirely convinced our "employer" intends for us to still be breathing by the end of this.

Freeing someone as dysfunctional as Leiah is rather cruel. Giving her a steady home/house would be far better. I think there would be nothing that would made her happier then being our assitant/maid, no beating, no torture. She will do housework and get to play with the children. Maybe a decade or so down the road we can thing about freeing her.

>>2774234
I mean, I would still want her as probably a live-in maid, and eventually an apprentice or partner
I just want her to be around by choice

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>>2774263
I agree freeing her isn't he best idea, not for some time.

>>2774264
Give it a few years, we can put some money away for her for the future but right now she needs the steadying hand of a 'master' and the comfort of still believing she's a slave. Drastic changes to her situation would cause her to have an episode, best to leave her in her comfort zone until her mental hangups are more worked out.

>>2774245
>>2774264
Yeah, sounds great. I just don't think she's capable of handling the stress of huge, life-changing decisions at this point.

>>2774278
yeah, agreed. much as I'd love for her to be free, if we try right now she'd probably have a psychotic break and start tearfully begging us not to throw her away

>>2772691
Didn’t know Robbie Rotten had and elf sister

>>2774252
we really aren't that dirt poor anymore. remember that 20% interest rate we have on the bank?

>>2776459
That's fishy as fuck desu. I wouldn't count on actually ever seeing any of that interest, rather I'll expect more plot hooks out of there.

>>2776463
hey man, don't say it out loud. that's why the bad stuff we hypothesize becomes canon.

>>2776468
Come on man, the bank has been robbed literally right when we were depositing money there and the clerk took it as a common occurence. OP has this stuff all panned out.

>>2776516
but we have said stuff beforehand and then they happen. these events have happened way too many times for them to be coincidences.

>>2776529
Are telling me that watdo is creatively bankrupt and relies on plagiarising anon's donuts to get by? That's absurd!

>>2776463
It's probably a Ponzi scheme

I honestly expect the interest to be legit. Either because someone wants to cause hyperinflation, or because the high interest encourages adventurers to put their money in the bank before they go off to die

>>2777316
>because the high interest encourages adventurers to put their money in the bank before they go off to die

This is it, more or less. You won't find such rates in more civilized territories because they aren't under the constant threat of theft or annihilation and don't have patrons who have no next of kin, have irregular but significant income and die with the regularity and frequency of mayflies.

This was all laid out by a former Trade Authority peon (now grandmaster) in the book "An Inquiry into the Method of Acquiring the Wealth of Adventurers". Among other things the book established guidelines for adventuring loans (introducing the concept of a "non-investment-grade life mortgage", aka "junk loan") and standardized the bounty market. Indeed, there are some who might argue that the Trade Authority has as much or even more power than the Royals, considering that 90% of all bounties today are set by the TA on loan defaulters and are collected by ex-Royal Guardsmen--but the most vocal of these dissenters are usually pacified with an axe to the neck (paid for by the TA) and the public remains blissfully ignorant of such esoteric matters.