>>2888622
>Break for lunch now, you need a breather

>>2888622
Archive: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive.html?tags=watdo
Pastebin: https://pastebin.com/bXqKpAsD

Nina's Trip: https://pastebin.com/21u4HSg0
Nina's Dream Wedding: https://pastebin.com/cCVw9z3t

AU story (fanmade):
https://pastebin.com/wELsBvMD
https://pastebin.com/N7NkPeUH
https://pastebin.com/5s6FPh5n

>>2888622
>>Break for lunch now, you need a breather

Leia must be worried, let's not do anything while our head is in turmoil, let's have a nice lunch with best girl

>>2888638
best girl being Leia before anyone gets ideas

>>2888622
>Break for lunch now, you need a breather

This is terrible news, there is more victims at that house than we thought, how can we help those people?

>>2888622
>Break for lunch now, you need a breather
>>2888641
At this point, I think that's pretty accepted

>>2888622
>Break for lunch now, you need a breather

>>2888622
>Break for lunch now, you need a breather

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You decide to go for an early lunch. It means having to wait for Nina to show up and making Gunter wait, but you can use the time to cool off and think. As usual, you make for the noodle stand: the last refuge of the lost. You remember a time before all these complications, before your Elf, when the at the end of a long day that proved ultimately of little reward, you spent half your earnings at Rose’s stall. You went home to your heap of blankets, feeling cold and isolated, staring at the dark ceiling for hours, wondering and calculating under your breath, but eventually settling into a morose silence and imagining wild fantasies of companionship, of striking it rich and finding a girl and starting a family.

You harbored these thoughts so intensely, that they slipped into your dreams and the mornings were made that much worse by the wakening. Those were dark times.

You come to the stand and your Elf orders for you both. You look to her, humming happily at your side and your organs twist themselves out of shape. Mam’s words run through your head over and over. Are you really trying to build a surrogate family? Are you in love?

“What is it master?” She touches her face, searching for an offending mark because you stare and perhaps feeling her perpetual shame at scars which no longer bother you. There are more like her and you cannot save them all. Antipater is an irresistible force, and his destruction will require great sacrifice. You smile tightly. It is decided. You do not love her. She is a slave. One day, she might your assistant and some day, just an old associate, a memory. She will part from you. You have no family.

“Nothing.” You shake your head and the noodles are laid before you and you eat in silence like old days. You wipe your eyes so your Elf doesn’t see.

---

“Seabass.” It’s not Nina that meets you first, it’s Toad. He looks worse than usual, his eyes are wild and constantly shifting about. A young woman bumps into him and he growls at her like he’s about to eat her. “Good thing I found you. We need to talk.”

“Sure, what about?”

“I need her for a couple of days.” She gestures to Leia and then looks behind him, as if expecting someone to pop out and jump him. “For a job.”

>Absolutely not
>What kind of job exactly?
>Of course, as long as it’s not too dangerous

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>>2888739
>What kind of job exactly?
I don’t trust like that.

>>2888739
>What kind of job exactly?

>>2888739

>Absolutely not
too dangerous, whatever she can do we can do ourselves, what does he need?

>don't love her
Pshhh, stop denying it Seabass, you do, and the sooner you admit it the better for everyone involved

>>2888739
Man, what a bummer, was hoping to get our mind of things not delving even deeper into the hole

>Absolutely not, I can give you her but I can help you with her

>>2888781
*can't

>>2888739
>What kind of job exactly?

>>2888739
>What kind of job exactly?
>I thought you didn't trust elves Toad?

>>2888769
Seabass is currently playing the role of Meg in the disney Hercules movie

>>2888781
this

We can't just hand her over, but we can help you ourselves if he needs, what is it?

The prison rescue thing?

>>2888800
>Meg in the disney Hercules movie

remind me what she did because I don't remember, it's been many years already

>>2888825
seduce and betray Hercules?

>>2888825
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tl0DMTlwLw4

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“No.” You say. “I need her. To set up the new lab and to help with my work.” Which is true, but perhaps not the whole truth. “What do you need her for anyway? I thought you didn’t work with Elves?”

“It’s for her own good. Fontaine’s looking for her, he’s gonna try to take her.”

You instinctively grab Leia’s hand. “Why?” But you already know the answer.

“To get to you. Something you made--an anabolic? He going to try and ransom her for the recipe.” He drums his fingers on the table. You give him a curious look.

“But that’s not why you need her right?”

He looks away and shakes his head. “I might’ve found a way out of this. Get rid of Antipater. Permanently.” You unconsciously squeeze Leia’s hand. She’s still absentmindedly eating but you feel her squeeze back.

“I’m listening.”

“I can’t really talk about it here. Let’s just say I have a powerful associate that might be willing to take care of our problems, in exchange for…” He looks at your Elf and then at the ground. “The results of an experiment.” He says.

“What kind of experiment?”

He clicks his tongue in annoyance. “Look, it’s only for a few days. There won’t be any permanent damage, not if it’s done right and there might be something in it for her too.”

“Oh?” You don’t like the sound of no permanent damage, it’s oddly specific.

“I might be able to get her magic back--if she wasn’t lying about the whole lost her magic thing.”

>In that case, how could you refuse?
>He’s working with Franklin’s brother, the Mageknight; your decision stands, absolutely not
>Agree, but you’re coming with her--even if it means delaying Antipater’s work

>>2888845
>>Agree, but you’re coming with her--even if it means delaying Antipater’s work

Is it Franklin? will he try to get her Homunculus back? I'll go together, specially if he can get rid of Antipater

>>2888845
>Agree, but you’re coming with her--even if it means delaying Antipater’s work

>>2888845
>Agree, but you’re coming with her--even if it means delaying Antipater’s work

>>2888845
>>Agree, but you’re coming with her--even if it means delaying Antipater’s work

>>2888845
>Agree, but you’re coming with her--even if it means delaying Antipater’s work

Ask Leia before agreeing, what do you think? It may be a chance to get your homunculus back

>>2888863
this.

>>2888863
This.

>>2888863
yup

>>2888863
Yes.

>>2888863
Agreed

“Alright.” Toad’s shoulders finally relax. “But I’m coming with her.”

“No.” He says.

“Yes. I know who you’re working with, I have to make sure you don’t hurt her.”

He grits his teeth and reaches inside his coat for his pipe. Rose scolds him before he can light it and he puts its back. There’s something wrong. Normally he would try to make assurances, tell you to trust him.

“Forget it then.” He says.

“...you were lying just then weren’t you? You would’ve hurt her.” He stands up and gives you a cold look. “What were you going to do?”

“Nevermind. Just forget it.”

“I can’t just forget it. You lied straight to my face.”

He gives you an incredulous look. “I’m trying to save our fucking lives here Seabass, if I have to sacrifice a slave or two, an Elf at that…” He spits on the ground. “I made a promise to your dad.”

“And I made a promise to her.”

He scoffs and then leans in close to your ear, until you can smell the smoke on his breath. “You know they don’t breed with our kind right?” You slam into his chest and knock him to the floor. He lets you. He even lets you get in a solid punch to his face. Then he grabs your arms and in an expert movement, flips you around and pins you to the dirt. “I’m just trying to protect you Sebastian.” He says, there’s a tense desperation in his voice.

“If it’s going to be like this, then I can take care of myself.”

He releases you. Your Elf helps you to your feet but by then he’s already gone. Nina arrives shortly after, Franklin in tow, talking excitedly about the places she’s seen. You don’t really hear her. After lunch, Nina wants to head straight for the orphanage to drop off the clothes and meet the kids and then show you the houses. You still have to buy supplies from Gunter and you’re not sure he’ll be open by the time you return. Franklin decides to head home, in much better spirits than before. Nina of course insists on coming with you, and refuses to go alone to the orphanage. You’d like to spare yourself the teasing at Gunter’s expense if possible.

>Head to the orphanage, you can visit Gunter’s some other time
>Head to Gunter’s with Nina, you’ll just have to bear it
>Have your Elf accompany Nina to the orphanage, a fair compromise

>>2888957
>Have your Elf accompany Nina to the orphanage, a fair compromise

>>2888957
>>Head to the orphanage, you can visit Gunter’s some other time
fuck, Toad lying to us, he is the one who got us involved with Antipater too, I'm starting to get bitter at him

>>2888957
>Head to Gunter’s with Nina, you’ll just have to bear it
with the amount of bullshit happening, we need stuff to protect ourselves with ASAP

>>2888957
>Head to the orphanage, you can visit Gunter’s some other time

We can go to Gunther after Nina goes back home

>>2888957
>>Head to the orphanage, you can visit Gunter’s some other time

>>2888986
>>2889031
>>2889045
Closing the vote.

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Your Elf has a cab waiting for you, but rather than return to Gunters to finish the shopping you decide to head straight for the orphanage. The longer ride should help clear your head.
Your mind returns to the conversation with Mam. Lawson is now in charge of supplying his father with slaves but at the same time must be working to keep them alive. Did he save Leia? Leia told you that she was drugged and that she woke up in the cage. The potion could have easily been Lawson’s handiwork--but then, why didn’t he recognize her before?

Maybe he’s done this so many times he doesn’t remember every face. How many more are there? How many more like Leia that don’t get out, that die tortured and wasted in that dark place?

“What’s wrong?” Says Nina, she touches your forearm.

“What? Oh.” You’re crying again. You wipe your eyes with your sleeve. “It’s nothing.” Antipater has to be stopped, there’s no way around it.

Leia tugs on your arm. “Master we’re here!” She skips out dragging Nina with her, not bothering to wait for you. It’s perfect late summer weather, without clouds or heat and the children are all outside having a picnic. The kids are on Leia the moment they see her and then they see Nina and swarm her as well, pulling the both of them into their games and gossip. You don’t see Abe among the children, nor Lucy. You do see Sarah stomping towards you. She does not look happy.

“How is he?” You say, quietly.

“He won’t tell me anything. He won’t tell me why or who. He keeps saying he’s that he needs to see you.”

“Sarah I--”

“You said not to worry. You said you’d protect him.”

“I know. I’m sorry.”

She sighs, she never could sustain anger for long. “Promise me this won’t happen again.” Her voice is tired and scratchy. Her eyes are red.

“It won’t. I developed a cure for Lucy. It’s over..”

She nods, and mutters a quick prayer. Then she takes you to them. Lucy is tending to her big brother’s wounds along with another girl, Stacy Sue, perhaps Abe’s sweetheart. There’s a young man in the room, Norman Garp, staring at the silent procession. Abe looks like a giant bruise. His face is swollen and his left arm and leg are wrapped in bandages, his lip is split and his nose bent the wrong way.

“Big bro.” Says Lucy. “Abe, big bro is here.”

Abe tries to open his eyes and say something. “Don’t talk. It’s alright.” You say.

“Crystal.”

“I heard about it.”

“I didn’t talk.” He says and tries to smile.

“I know.” You squeeze his hand.

“Lucy?” He says.

“I have the cure with me, she’ll be fine.”

“Thanks.”

“I’m sorry all about this.”

“No. You saved us.” He looks over to Norman and they exchange a strange look.

“Alright, Seabass, you need to leave. Abe needs to rest.” Says Stacy Sue.

Cont.

>>2889112
“Wait.” Says Abe. “Books. Norman.” He looks at Norman again and he nods and gestures with his head to follow him into the other room. You take Lucy with you to administer the cure. She shies away from the wriggling leech, but her fear is more from unfamiliarity than anything deep rooted. Norman steps out for a bit, saying that he’ll be right back.

“Big bro, is Abe gonna be OK?”

“He’ll be fine. The injuries are temporary. I’ll bring some medicine that should help with the pain and speed up recovery.” You’ll need to make more analgesic paste.

“I don’t want Abe to go anymore.” She says. “I don’t want to be sick anymore.”

You rub her back. “I know. Don’t worry, with this you’re cured.” You strip the leech from her arm and put it back in the jar. If only the same could be said of the lizards. Norman returns with a short stack of books under his arm.

“What’s this?”

“Books we found in the cave. Abe wanted you to take a look, he couldn’t make heads or tails of it but maybe you can.”

You flip through the dusty, cracked volumes. They’re encoded in some kind of numerical cipher, but from the drawings of alchemical apparatuses and ingredients (with a peculiar focus on redweed and phoenix ash) you’d guess these are laboratory notebooks. It’s interesting enough but what really sets your heart racing is the handwriting. It’s familiar. And so are the initials on the back cover, inconspicuous but clear: R.H.

>Question Norman about the journals
>You’ll be here for a while, use the time to try and crack the cipher
>Put the books with the others, and put it out of mind for now; go join the picnic

>>2889115
>Question Norman about the journals

>>2889115
>>Question Norman about the journals
>>You’ll be here for a while, use the time to try and crack the cipher

HOLY SHIT! the panacea notes

Gonna take a quick break for breakfast. Brb

>>2889115
>>You’ll be here for a while, use the time to try and crack the cipher
there's no time. there's no fucking time

so uh, remind me why we asked about invasive organ replacements from a dude we literally just met and whose track record is that Franklin turned out the way he did?

>>2889130
This question him and then get cracking that thing,

>>2889115
>Question Norman about the journals
>You’ll be here for a while, use the time to try and crack the cipher
Time to crack the code

>>2889142
Because he opened up an interesting possibility and the issue is kinda emotional to us, I reckon.

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Aww yiss, this is the good shit.

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“Big bro, can I go play with big-tits sis now?” Says Lucy.

“Hmm?” You look up from the book, barely cognizant of where you are. “Sure sweetie, go ahead. And stop calling her that, her name is Leia.” She runs off.

“So?” Asks Norman. “Anything useful?”

“Possibly. It’ll take time to decipher.”

“Anything I can help with?”

You shake your head. “You said you found these where?”

“In the caves. Some kind of alchemy lab.”

“Did you see any redweed?” You show him the picture in the book. He shakes his head.

“He was growing something though, might’ve been that. Still haven’t got the smell of troll shit out of my boots.”

Didn’t Gunter mention something about someone growing redweed using troll feces? It seems so long ago now. But if these notebooks are what you think they are…

“I’ll need some chalk.” You say. “Lots of chalk.”

>Roll 1d20 to decipher the book

Rolled 17 (1d20)

>>2889354
Rollan

Rolled 20 (1d20)

>>2889354

Rolled 1 (1d20)

>>2889354
chirst

>>2889368
FUCK.

Well, 17 is still good.

>>2889366
>>2889368
Finally roll a 20, then immediately get a 1. Very typical luck for this quest.

That is R.H lab! we have to go there, we will be safe with Leia too since the parties involved don't know where it might be

>>2889380
IIRC there's no crits, and he takes the highest.

>>2889457
I thought 20s gave us two successes? don't remember what 1s do, which I really should since we get those more

Rolled 1 (1d20)

>>2889488
20's do not give extra stuff. Sadly

>>2889359
>>2889366
>>2889368
>17, 20, 1: 2+1 Successes (+1 Bookworm), Critical Success

You head outside to the courtyard, in a quiet space where you can work. Several times some of the children come to you to see what you’re doing and if you want to join them in one of their games. You recruit Norman to keep them away. You lay the three notebooks out and transcribe a few passages on the floor in front of you.

They’re all strings of two digit numbers, broken only by word and paragraph. Your first thought is a simple substitution cipher, a one-to-one mapping with the modern alphabet. Of course this fails immediately. There are too many unique numbers for a bijection, almost twice as much. You think there might be redundancies, but you have no real way to tell. You try some frequency analysis and discover that the distribution of numbers is nearly uniform which indicates steganography.

You also learn that each notebook is encoded in a similar but different way. Each one starts with the same 12 digit combination, which you take to be some kind of password, to extract the payload from the carrier. You try and guess the password, but without knowing the nature of the cipher it’s impossible to tell if you’re even close. Instead you try and directly map words based on the figure description of the images, matching image with image and word with word. It’s long, tedious work, but finally at the end of it you make several breakthroughs.

First, the cipher does not map to letters, but rather to syllables. Second, the mapping is not to the modern alphabet but to a transliterated Elvish one. Third, the 12-digit code at the beginning of each notebook is a name, both a password and a dedication. It reads, To Monamareini, aka, Mam.

Your suspicions prove true, Mam and R.H have some connection. She was lying when she said she didn’t know. All this takes hours and nearly the entire space of the courtyard to extract (much to Sarah’s exasperation) and you haven’t even begun translating the actual text, though that should go much faster now that you’ve cracked the code.

It’s near dark now and you’re not sure if Gunter’s is still open. Nina makes a plea to stay a little longer. Her hair is fashioned in the skilled braids of your Elf’s handiwork and she has a gaggle of the older girls hanging behind her. Your Elf likewise makes a similar plea, in her silent way. But if you don’t go now, you’ll have to waste more time tomorrow--and who knows if you’ll even get to see the houses today.

>No means no, you’re going to stop at Gunters and then see the houses
>They can stay for a little bit but you need to visit Gunter’s, you’ll come back to pick them up
>You’ve just deciphered the journal of a certifiable genius, you deserve a little break

>>2889507
>You’ve just deciphered the journal of a certifiable genius, you deserve a little break

Yeah. Time to talk more to Sarah. Who knows she may let Seabass to touch a tiddy

>>2889507
>No means no, you’re going to stop at Gunters and then see the houses

Tight schedule.

>>2889507
>We stay and relax a little and then go to Gunter's, the houses can wait

>>2889507
>No means no, you’re going to stop at Gunters and then see the houses

Don't forget to instruct Norman to never tell about those books anyone ever. As far as he's concerned, they don't exist. If other kids mention something, they are referring to some old folk tales, children books or religious texts Sarah had him move from one attic to another room. Or maybe outside to dry them up after discovering a leak in the roof.

>>2889542
This even if we have to knock on his house afterwards

>>2889542
+1

You decide you can at least stay for dinner. The food is much better this time around, whether by your Elf’s skill or the combined efforts of Nina and Sarah (who your Elf commands like a stern head chef). They even make one of the pastries in the cookbook you bought, a custard pie. Nina and your Elf watch you curiously as you taste it, it reminds you of home--not necessarily in a good way.

Later you return to check on Abe. He’s alone. Surprisingly, most of the swelling has already gone down. He’s even brought his arm out of the cast, it must not have been broken because he’s already able to move it freely.

“Did you look at the books?” He asks.

“Very interesting. You’ll have to show me where you found them at some point.”

His eyes go far away and he closes them. “Can’t.” He says.

“Doesn’t have to be right this second.”

“I can’t.” He says.

“I see.”

“That crystal you gave me...it’s dangerous.”

“You used it? You didn’t deviate from my instructions I hope.” He says nothing. He doesn’t have to. You sigh.

“Are there side-effects?”

“I don’t know. It’s untested. Could be nothing. Could be you’ve cut your lifespan in half.”

“Is that so.” He doesn’t sound like he believes you, or that cares.

“I told you not to eat any of it. It should work adequately without ingestion.”

“I know. It did. Circumstances forced my hand.”

“Should I ask?”

“Please don’t. I don’t like thinking about it. I’ve been thinking about school.”

“Good. Lucy’s cured so we can focus on saving for the Academy again. I think I can even get you a recommendation from a good source.” If Antipater’s willing to write one letter, he can write two.

He shakes his head. “I’m talking about Lucy.”

“We can talk about that when she’s older.”

He sits up on the bed. “I want to move to the city. I’ll put Lucy into a good boarding school with the money I’ve saved, find work and keep her there till she graduates. She’s smart, if she works hard like I know she can, she’ll be able to get into the Academy on a scholarship.”

“That money was for you. There’s plenty of time for Lucy--and besides, you think she’ll be happy in a boarding school? Away from you?”

“I’m the one holding her back. I’m the one keeping her here, she could live a better life. A life I could give her.”

You stand and pace the room, trying to rid yourself of the agitation. You’re more incensed then you should be, but you don’t know why. You can see Abe’s argument, it’s rational and cogent, but it fills you fire.

“And what about you? You’re going to just live without your sister? What other family do you have? Think this through!”

Cont.

>>2889723
“I have. It’ll be hell, I know that. But I love my sister more than anything, and that means I have to think about her happiness before mine. I’ve realized that love, family, is about sacrifice. She’ll adjust, she’ll make friends. Maybe I won’t, but I’m ready for that.”

“You think Sarah is going to let you do this?”

He chuckles. “I come of age next month. I’m not asking for permission, I’m letting you know because you’re my friend and I think of you like a brother.” He gets up and you sit beside him. “Please understand Seabass, I just want my sister to be...”

“Free.” You say, softly.

“Yeah. Exactly.”

You look into his eyes, they’re slightly off-color, a tinge of gray growing among the steel-blue.

>You’ll see what you can do to help
>You’ll have no part of this, let them do what they want
>You won’t let them leave so easily

>>2889727
>You’ll see what you can do to help

>>2889727
>help

>>2889727
>You’ll see what you can do to help

>>2889727
>>You’ll see what you can do to help


we have a new house in the future, and it will have many rooms, maybe they can live there, this way he won't spend money on rent at least

>>2889727
>You’ll see what you can do to help
We'll help them if he promises he will not give up on himself, the more he earns the better he can support his sister

And he can move in with us after we move to the new house too, it is to be a new tennant house so we can bring in just those we trust like him and Frankie

>>2889727
>>You won’t let them leave so easily

>>2889727
>You’ll see what you can do to help

>>2889727
She will be miserable without you around to be there for her.

“I’ll see what I can do to help. Just let me know before you leave.”

“I can’t refuse can I?”

“I wouldn’t recommend it.”

He laughs. “Alright. Thanks, Seabass. For everything.” You enfold him in a tight hug.

“You ever need anything, anything at all, you write to me. Write to me even if you don’t.”

“I will.”

Leaving is bittersweet as usual. Sarah and the kids urge you to stay the night, but there’s work to be done. Both Nina and Leia are in good spirits as you leave, yourself less so.

You stop at Gunter’s, he’s just closing up shop when you arrive.

“Took you long enough. What you stop to pick up another chick on the way?” Says Gunter, looking at Nina. “Fucking womanizer.”

“I’m his landlord.” Says Nina, folding her arms.

“You’re fucking your landlord now? Bold.”

“He’s not--I’m not--we’re not together!” You both say.

Gunter just laughs and even your Elf giggles. “Just show me the stuff.” You say.

“Yeah show him the stuff.” Adds Nina. You give her a look. “What?”

“Just wait in the cab.” To your surprise, she actually obeys.

Gunter leans in as you come closer. “I like her.” He says. “Got some spunk. But nothing good ever came from chasing two women.”

“I’m not chasing either of them.”

“That’s a problem too.”

You focus on the ingredients in front of you, going over a mental list of your ongoing projects.

>Look for ingredients related to the analgesic paste
>Look for something to help heal your Elf's scars
>Look for something to make the anabolic, possibly refine it
>Look for something for self-defense, poisons or acids you can use with your pistol
>Write-in

>>2890058
>>Look for ingredients related to the analgesic paste
>>Look for something to help heal your Elf's scars
>>Look for something to make the anabolic, possibly refine it
>>Look for something for self-defense, poisons or acids you can use with your pistol
all of them? all of them

>>2890058
>ALL THE THINGS

>>2890058
>Look for ingredients related to the analgesic paste
>Look for something to help heal your Elf's scars
>Look for something to make the anabolic, possibly refine it
>Look for something for self-defense, poisons or acids you can use with your pistol

>>2890058

>anabolic
>self-defense
although methinks we're gonna have our hands full with the ciphered books and what we bought from the nice slaver lady
on that note, how's our stock of redweed?

>>2890058
>Look for something to make the anabolic, possibly refine it
>Look for something for self-defense, poisons or acids you can use with your pistol

>>2890058
>All of them
But if we have to prioritize, healing scars and anabolic paste

>>2890058
>Look for ingredients related to the analgesic paste
>Look for something to help heal your Elf's scars
>Look for something to make the anabolic, possibly refine it
>Look for something for self-defense, poisons or acids you can use with your pistol

Speacially the regen for Leia and the anabolic, maybe we can find a subistitute for elven hair and give to the guy planning to kidnap Leia before that happens

First, there’s the toxin cure. You don’t need to buy anything new to sustain your current level of production. The hearts are self-sustaining. The only problem might be the occasional blood donation from your Elf to keep the concentration high over many regenerative cycles.

Second, you have the analgesic paste, but without the phoenix ash you’re not sure if you can replicate your former results. Gunter shows you a few substitutes: wyrmfly wings “fresh from the South”, lemberries (which he recommends simply because they’re in season) and the stomach lining of the Kinbalu predator plant, aka the Acid-spitter. It only grows on Mount Kinbalu, nearer to the lizard camps than to this settlement, but nonetheless unique to the area.

“Does this even have pain-killing properties?”

“Probably, I mean it can’t even survive in anything other than concentrated acid. There must be something there that’s regenerative” It’s not a convincing argument, but then not much work has been done on the plant. It might merit investigation.

You also have to work on the toxin itself for Anitpater, though the details of that haven’t come through and you don’t want to make any premature purchases (at least not until you get your promised stipends). You might also work on some toxins of your own, now that things have become so dangerous. You’ll need to do some work on the water-pistol, maybe take it to a craftsman after you draw some plans for modification. The poison you use now is effective, but it could be made better. More lethal, if necessary. Gunter offers nightshade extract and sleeper venom, quite dangerous with the right treatment.

Finally, the books you bought and R.H’s journals open up another host of projects. You’ve been thinking about using the troll hearts to graft over your Elf’s burns and scars, permanently restoring her skin. You’ll need an adhesive that’s compatible with her flesh and some kind of biological sealant to hide the seams between the graft and the natural skin.

“What the fuck is a “gentle adhesive”? I mean got this stuff, camouleon glue. They use it for making furniture so it’s pretty strong stuff but you could dilute it. I also have some resins here, Koch sap, Finsen syrup, Golgi paste.” He points to three large jars in turn filled with thick amber liquid. “Take your pick. Oh and this stuff is pretty interesting. I call it spiderspit.” He holds up what appears to be some kind of translucent funnel web inside a glass vial. It appears to be growing and sending out new threads on its own. “Needs some testing though. It’s drawn from the paws of a certain species of climbing-frog that only lives in the bogs around here. Very poisonous, so it depends on what you need it for. Though I’m sure you could get around that in any case.”

“What about the sealent?”

Cont.

>>2890155
“Well the spiderspit should work for that too. Depends on what you’re sealing though. Wood and metal, I’d recommend one of the resins.”

“And what about flesh?”

“Flesh? I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that. As you I’m sure you know, that kind of stuff is strictly controlled by the Trade Authority and a humble peddler of insect organs and plant parts as I, cannot sell them.” While he delivers this little speech (possibly for the benefit of an alchemist in passing), he beckons for you to come around the stall and opens a small lockbox by his feet. “You’re not doing anything crazy are you?”

“Not with the sealant.”

“Good enough for me. I have this stuff. Haven’t been able to sell for a while, for obvious reasons, so I can’t attest to the potency.” He takes out a brick of a soft, bright blue clay. “This is--”

“I know what this is. It’s blum. You shouldn’t have this Gunter.” Blum is a flesh-sealant used commonly in surgical procedures. It can also be easily modified into a highly addictive drug called “balaclava”, which is administered superficially through the pores of the skin (often the face) as a congealing paste.

“Well you wanted a flesh-sealant. This is the best there is.”

“How much?”

“Well for the Wyrmfly wings, that’s 4 silver a batch. Lemberries are a silver a batch. The stomach-lining’s a sovereign--that includes the acid. Nightshade’s a silver, sleeper venom is two silver. The glue is 5 silver a bottle, but if you’re probably better off with the resin or the spiderspit. Resins are 6 silver a bottle, the spiderspit is a sovereign. That leaves the special item. That’s 4 sovereigns for a quarter of the block. 15 for the whole thing.”

You check your pockets, after purchasing the books you have 10 sovereigns, 2 silver and 5 pennies. Which comes to a total of 102.5 silver. A batch of any ingredient should be enough to make one batch of product (barring mistakes and the unforseen). If you decide to go for the blum, you’ll need at least half the block to cover all the scars. A quarter or even an eighth should be enough to get all the parts that are visible however. The spiderspit might also work just as well.

>What will you purchase?

>>2890158
Take the blum off his hands, and get the stuff for our poison for now.

does Gunther still owe us for our paste or did we grab that money already? I forget

>>2890191
he still owes us I think

take everything we need and the blum too>>2890158

>>2890191
>>2890200
No you've already grabbed it (before you went to Mam's)

>>2890158
>>2890220
in that case, try to get Gunther to knock off a couple silver, and we can get half the block of blum, the wings, berries, lining, nightshade and sleeper venom, and the resin bottle

>>2890158
Half the block and the other things we need for her, try to buy the maximum amount we would need for the anabolic and if we still have, the poison

>>2890238
this

>>2890158
Backing >>2890238

After some negotiation you pick up half of the block of blum, the wings, berries, lining, nightshade and sleeper venom, and a bottle of resin. You also briefly consider buying ingredients to experiment with the anabolic, but you decide the sample you have now will be enough for further analysis. You don’t have the money for it anyway and you suspect the main ingredient is Elf hair, which you have a ready supply of.

In total, you spend 100 silver on your purchases leaving you just enough for the cab fare home. Nina still wants to take you to look at the houses, but you’re more keen on getting home and starting some new experiments. If you decide to see the houses now, it will be very late by the time you get home and it will be harder to get another cab. You promise Nina you’ll come with her some other time and head home.
You arrive home safely and get straight to work. Your Elf goes promptly to bed.

>Work on deciphering the journals
>Go to sleep
>Read one of the books you bought
>Begin an experiment
>Write-in

>>2890377
>>Work on deciphering the journals

>>2890377
>>Work on deciphering the journals

>>2890377
>Go to sleep

How long has it since Seabass has slept soundly in his bed? Gift him this night, anons

>>2890377
>>Work on deciphering the journals

>>2890377
>Read one of the books you bought
The one who can put our troll hearts to work

>>2890377
>Work on deciphering the journals
also, we really need to start learning elvish at some point

>>2890463
this will probably help since it is writen in elvish, we will probably have to read it with our dictionary nearby

>>2890377
>Go to sleep

You take out the journals, light the candles, grab a sheaf of paper and start the long process of decryption. As the journal is written in Elvish there’s a lot that you don’t understand. Nevertheless, with the help of the dictionary you bought, you’re able to successfully decipher the text back into modern. It’s hard going at first because of the syllabic spelling but you soon get into a steady rhythm of converting the numbers to Elvish words then the Elvish words into modern.

It’s almost 3 AM when you finally stop to take a break. Half of the first journal has been converted into modern. You head outside to the veranda with a bowl of fruit that your Elf left for you before she went to bed. The beginning of the journal reads:

“Having learned of [unstranslatable]’s plans I can no longer continue working for him. Indeed I have escaped from his watchful eye--for how long, is uncertain, but I know I will be caught again--to begin preparations to foil his stratagems. What he plans is treason, plain and simple. It might be called a new form of slavery, where he alone stands as master to the great masses, a god with the power to kill and save those he pleases. Our system of nobility and royalty will collapse into an autocratic purity of total obedience which will last the length of his natural life and perhaps continue with his son. The latter does not harbor the ambitions of the father, but absolute power has its own machinations.

So, they must be stopped. And it must be me, Robert Hasp, that does it. For I am responsible for it, blinded by greed and ego, I have brought into the world an abomination of my art: the replitoxin. An insidious poison which spreads through bodily fluids and inhibits reproduction. Brilliant, yes, if I do say so myself. A poison which propagates by the very action it inhibits, the more frequent the attempts the more the poison builds up in the body. And otherwise completely harmless, and that is the beauty of it. It kills species, not individuals.

Originally a little-known mechanism in the Elven physiology for terminating defective offspring in the womb. I borrowed it and developed it into a new fertilizer for the farmers of the south, to protect their crops from seed-blights (simply eliminating the seed entirely). Now it has been fashioned for a far more terrible purpose. [Untranslatable] will corrupt my creation, corrupts it even now with his son, to kill and control.

There is no cure of course. But that is my purpose here, among these caves and rocks--to fashion one from nothing. I have left all I had behind to that end. My laboratory, my books, my wife. Well she already hated me, so I doubt it’s much loss to her. But I do miss her.

Cont.

>>2890631
But nevermind all that! This work is the most important I’ve ever done. Yet how strange are the Great One's designs, for it shall have to be administered in secret. My greatest work will go unknown and dissociated to me. But if I can keep the world from being seized by a tyrannical hand, it is enough.

Let me begin with the design of the replitoxin, which uses as its base, the fertile homunculi of the developing female Elf…”

SESSION END

OOC: Have to end it a little early today, unfortunately. 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!

Well this simultaneously explains so much and is also incredibly worrying.

So the good news is we won't have to use birth control with our elf.

Holy shit, Leia's homunculi is the start of the replotoxin, and robert is trying to take out Antipater as much as we are! we just found an ally guys, and he is in custody to the Mage knight's boss, this is so much, it's finally a chance to end that guy and if his journals are right we may have the begining of the panacea work in our hands. he is the troll shit harvester, we will have to track him down

>>2890646
Sadness covers me like a blanket

>>2890631
>an autocratic purity of total obedience
This triggers the ancap alchemist
>And it must be me, Robert Hasp, that does it.
We got a name, boys!
>An insidious poison which spreads through bodily fluids and inhibits reproduction.
Reptilian HIV?
>Originally a little-known mechanism in the Elven physiology for terminating defective offspring in the womb.
The fuck sort of real life shit does this correspond to???
>developed it into a new fertilizer for the farmers of the south, to protect their crops from seed-blights (simply eliminating the seed entirely)
Isn't this counterproductive as hell, or am I misunderstanding it?
>My laboratory, my books, my wife. Well she already hated me, so I doubt it’s much loss to her. But I do miss her.
Mam, the elf slaver running the bookstore?
>>2890646
>the replitoxin, which uses as its base, the fertile homunculi of the developing female Elf…
The homunculi and the hair of elves are their key to being impregnated in the first place, but through magic?

>>2890669
That's much much later down the line, Anon. We will still need to use birth control with Nina, because 50% of guys have sperm in precum and 50% do not, and the way to differentiate this is kinda hard. Doubt it's possible in this quest's world and timeline, except through esoteric means. Pulling out might not help.

>>2890709
It all comes together. But wasn't the guy held captive by Fontaine (the guy in the full plate armor) during Toad's interlude, and Franklin's mageknight god brother was doing stuff for him? Then Toad knows where the guy is. A prison break might be needed.


GUYS
GUYS
HOLY SHIT
THIS IS SERIOUS
What if they go through with the surgery, but the homunculi is corrupted and putting it back into Leia will kill her or fuck her up even harder? The homunculi needs to be purified first before re-implanting, doesn't it?

>>2891039
Toad knows where he is, he is probably arrested by Fontaine because he was handling Trolls to raise redweed as stated, and Atipater wanted for Toad to break the guy out to use him for his nefarious purposes, good thing Toad didn't do it, so he is still locked up and we have something Fontaine wants to trade for Robert


also, the homunculi we would be putting into Leia doesn't need to be her original one, her probably is fucked alrteady, the mage knight was proposing in making an artificial one

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>>2891111
>THOSE QUADS
okay fine I'll stop worrying about it now, I have faith in those numbers

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>>2888739
>You smile tightly. It is decided. You do not love her. She is a slave. One day, she might your assistant and some day, just an old associate, a memory. She will part from you. You have no family.
That was depressing.

>>2891282
he is lying to himself anon, just look at his reaction when Toad came

>>2891039
>The fuck sort of real life shit does this correspond to???
Cell apoptosis. There are many cases where a cell is better dead than alive, but if I'm reading this right Elven biology is doing it to the species as a whole. Entire family lines that are deemed unsuitable or dangerous are neutered to protect the gene pool, at no danger to the other elves because of their innately powerful immune systems.

It looks like Antipater managed to get lizards identified as "unsuitable elves". It's not a stretch to be able to accomplish the same with humans.

But in that case, it might be possible to get a lizard(or elf) identified as "suitable" even without blood and-

-is this all an elaborate plot thread to let Seabass fuck Leia?

>>2890631
BASED GLOSSMAN

>>2891299
No shit he's lying to himself, but he's still preparing for her to just up and leave once she's given freedom.

>>2891282
I'm still annoyed that people can't seem to think of family except in terms of husband and wife. Why is it so impossible to have her as an adopted family member.

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>>2891514
Probably because she's already hot for him.
Also manxwoman rarely ever becomes something other than married with children.
Accept it, Anon.

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>>2891376
>-is this all an elaborate plot thread to let Seabass fuck Leia?
nice
im okay with this

>>2890646
Thanks for the thread OP!

>>2891376
That guy nailed it at the end. It always comes down to lewd stuff with elves.

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>>2892752

>>2890631
Oh shit nigga what are you doing
Everything is clicking into place
We can't contact Toad about Glossman cause that's meta knowledge isn't it?
We do however have one possible lead...
Cheers for the session even if I missed most of it!

>>2890631
>An insidious poison which spreads through bodily fluids and inhibits reproduction. Brilliant, yes, if I do say so myself. A poison which propagates by the very action it inhibits, the more frequent the attempts the more the poison builds up in the body.
What the fuck. It was meant as an STD? Did Lucy contract an STD?

>>2894608
it isn't robert's poison, it's Antipater's son that did this, he probably fucked up and that is why it is not acting like an STD and it's spreading to the human population

>>2894645
See >>2890631
>What he plans is treason, plain and simple. It might be called a new form of slavery, where he alone stands as master to the great masses, a god with the power to kill and save those he pleases. Our system of nobility and royalty will collapse into an autocratic purity of total obedience which will last the length of his natural life and perhaps continue with his son.
The poison was from inception meant to be universal. It's not just about subjugating other races, but subjugating all intelligent races under one man, one family, one dynasty.
My guess is the original RH version was meant as an STD that simply made people infertile but was made more virulent and lethal (maybe unintentionally?) to accelerate the plan.
I think the bigger question is, what is Antipater's interest in the half-breed? Does he know that they'd be immune? Would he try to build a "master lineage" above those susceptible to the disease?

>>2894917
yeah.

anything he wants to do is probably hella bad, at least we have a very clear BBEG in the setting now

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Just gonna leave an Elf pic.

Good quest QM, always fun to read. Sorry for only lurking.

>>2895440
sauce dear anon?

>>2895455
Ah, a fellow man of culture.

Well if sauce nao doesn't find it for you...
Type "Delicious Syrupy Milk" into a search bar on the right website and you should find it.

>>2894917
yeah, I'm pretty sure Antipater's trying to create a race of Ubermensch, enslaving everyone and everything that doesn't fit his definition of perfection

>>2896439
And the only one that fits his definition of perfection is himself, the world a slave

>>2896855
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exRFQXX3oeg

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Elves

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>tfw Saturday and no elf slave quest
>tfw no cute Leia shenanigans today

Will there be a thread today?
Did the QM say anything?

Damm it watdo!

>>2909690
I just hope he's doing well.

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I can't believe Watdo is fucking dead.

Watdo ain't dead, it can't be. He probably is having a rough week that's all... right?

Watdo-dono? You there? @watdo

I know he doesn't like having a discord, but I wonder what he thinks about having a twitter.

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I can't believe it's dead forever

>>2915324
Don't say that yet. It's one missed session.

Good riddance to bad rubbish.

>>2915338
remove yourself from my quality science quest, faggot

>>2915338
I want (you) to leave this thread, so I can say the same.

I just wanted to go full ancap alchemist and make lodsofemone ;_;

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>>2915468
>literally called elf slave by wat do quest
>being this disillusioned with reality

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>>2917014

I'm not dead, but I am sorry about missing the session. It's been a terrible week and forecasts look grim for the foreseeable future.

I'm going on hiatus. What follows is basically a blog post and is better skipped, I just want to vent a little.


I say hiatus, but I honestly don't know if I'll be coming back. It's not so much a matter of time any more, it's more that lately, the quest has been adding to my stress instead of relieving it. I have this idea for a ending to this arc which is (personally) quite satisfying (ancap alchemist donning the mask and everything--with a pleasant twist) which nicely ties back to the themes and opening image of the quest but I can't seem to find my way there. I had some ideas but they no longer satisfy me and I can't seem to come up with any new ones. Writer's block, maybe. I know that if I just kept at it, I'd come out of it (if the past is any predictor) and I have plenty of ideas for alchemy shenanigans in the meantime but it doesn't quite satisfy.

The problem is that at some point I went from wanting this quest to be fun (for me), to wanting it to be "good" (to me). Naturally, it soon became neither. It went from fun diversion to a poor attempt at trying to release my frustrations with my own real life situation and maybe act as a release for others. I harbor this hope, that with a bit of time and rest, I'll be able to reverse this but what I'm really hoping for is that I drop questing permanently and never come back. I get the feeling that its just going to be the same exact situation over and over without any kind of learning taking place. And I have enough on my plate as it is.

That said, I did learn a lot running this quest, about questing and writing (regardless of the feelings I have about the quality, I do feel there was improvement in the course of it) and other things. Much as I'd like to quit questing, I don't think I can. Even now I have a few quest ideas smoking on the backburner which I might run during this "hiatus". I won't run it under this trip though. I want to start fresh.

I do want to apologize for letting down all the people that read this quest. Of the three systems of slavery in my life, this was by far the best.

And so, possibly for the last time, thanks for playing (and posting and reading and lurking). I hope you all enjoyed the quest.


As a consolation, here's the second draft of the Abe story: https://pastebin.com/bvj3YjHu. I tried to encapsulate my feelings on this whole thing in it, though I obviously didn't reach the same conclusion.

P.S Thank you to whoever archives these threads whenever I forget. You have a special place in my heart.

>>2920283
That's a shame.
If you need ideas, have you considered using a burner email to bounce some ideas around?
Thanks for running, watdo. Hope to see you again.

>>2920283
Thanks for running so far, I'm bummed out we won't get to see(at least not for now) how Seabass and Leia end up, speacially with the pleasant twist you mentioned, but you got to do what you got to do. I hope things inprove for you and that find your way back to this quest to enjoy it in the future.

Thanks for running.

Ps. Seabass and Leia marriage pastebin someday!

>>2920283
This quest can wait as long as it takes Watdo. We got all the threads archived as it is. Take care of your life, free yourself from the shit you are in, then come back to this fresh.

>>2920283
Good. Fuck off and never come back.

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>>2920699
>1 post by this ID

>>2920283
No hard feelings Watdo, quests come and go but I'll admit I'm bummed about it.
If you don't enjoy Questing anymore then it's healthy to step away.

Thanks for the ride and good luck out there.

I will still await the second coming of Christ

>>2920283
Our hopes, wishes and prayers are with you, OP! Never give into despair. And your writing was great all the way through as far as I’m concerned, I’ve seen no degradation whatsoever.

any requests for the AU timeline, pale as its delivery is compared to canon?

>>2920423
I have actually and I even went so far as to make another email account and started reconsidering making a discord for that purpose, but I never followed through.

>>2920469
I'm not sure how well the ending would have been received by the players but in my mind it was pretty satisfying. I don't know if I'll return again so I'll put it down here; spoilers obviously:

In one of the endings (what I consider the "good end"), the story would culminate in the choice of either going on the run with Leia and always having to look over your shoulder or giving yourself up and sacrificing yourself so Leia and the others can live free. If you choose the later, the twist is (depending on the outcome of a roll similar to the Roche one) that Leia, at this point having learned the craft of alchemy from you, and unable to accept life without you, dons the mask herself and storms the proverbial castle. She gathers all the allies you made throughout the quest and they besiege the gates together. Leia kills Antipater (with Roche and Toad's (if he's still alive) help). And the very last scene of the quest is a reversal of its very first scene: Leia rescues Seabass from a cage, and now finds Seabass tortured and mutilated. The final image is of Leia releasing the iron chains. Her hands (which by this point were likely healed by Seabass) scar again, but this time she feels no shame. They finally kiss and then live happily ever after. A little trite, I admit, but I think it works. Also I had a very erotic (but not lewd) haircut scene planned for some point.

>>2920699
I wish you all the best too my friend.

>>2920618
>>2921282
Thanks.

>>2921284
I personally loved the AU stuff and would definitely like to see more. It was fun seeing the characters in different contexts.

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>>2921471
That's cool and all but would there have been a Bane Plane style exchange between a masked + strength-crystal'd up Sebastian and Antipater? Because you know the moment
>"For you."
is a response, everybody will unanimously pick that.

>>2920283
>>2921471
Hope shit gets better man and that you feel like coming back again, be it as a player or a runner. Goodbye until better times.

>>2921471
that ending is better than anything I could hope to achieve within the quest, I hope that if you can't find the will to run the quest back that you would consider bringing it to reality in writefagotry format. Thanks for the amazing quest so far and I really hope things look up for you in the future, hop back now and then on qtg or it's discord and tell us how are things, we wish to help if we can

>>2921471
Damn I'm sad to see the quest end but at least that's closure and a good ending at that.

>>2921471
Well fuck I guess this really is the end. I would've loved to see that ending.