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>>4900749
You're not sure, but the extraordinarily tall fellow has a rather blurry head. Upon closer inspection, though, it is because it keeps twitching and squirming and shaking, as if it was jelly in a tornado. It looks like it's tearing apart chunks of raptor meat to... 'fix' one of its hands.
"What the hell is that?" You whisper, noticing Petunia is just as flabbergasted as you are.
"I have no idea, handsome, but it could be uh... one of the rumored 'folkloric ' inmates." She whispers back.
"Folkloric?"
"I don't know how the Eternal Empire does it, but it looks like they managed to snag an urban legend."
At this point, a noise is heard from one of the side cubicles, causing the boogeyman to take a look by twisting its neck in an unhealthy way.
Then it seems to see you.
>CHOOSE ONE
>□ Battle stations!
>□ Diplomatic stance!
>□ Stay still
>□ Sneak while it's distracted
>□ Other (fill in)

>>4900764
>Battle stations!
Violence please monsieur

>>4900764
>□ Sneak while it's distracted

>>4900764
>□ Sneak while it's distracted
Yeah no fuck that

>>4900764
>Battle stations!
You picked violence as a MC trait anons, roleplay the character you made

>>4900764
>□ Battle stations!
MAIM

>>4900764
>□ Battle stations!
WELCOME TO OZ, BITCH

>>4900764
>□ Sneak while it's distracted

>>4900764
>sneak while it's distracted

>>4900764
>Battle Stations!
Sneaking is for cowards, women, and children and James already has 2 of those in his party, spoon the swirly fucker

>>4900764
>Battle Stations!
Remember to write on his face with magic marker
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noppera-b%C5%8D

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>>4900770
>>4900781
>>4900826
>>4900828
>>4901077
>>4901404
Yeah, whoever or whatever this thing is, you just know they'll rip you to shreds. That, and the fact that it just shrieked a burst of echoing static that unnerved you to the core. "Battle stations!-" you barely utter as the hurricane-headed monstrosity closed the distance between you in a blink, slamming its multiple-jointed, six-fingered hand down onto you! Thankfully Petunia and Gobson had scattered on command, it only has one good hand, and you've got both your spoons up to block the attack. Even now, you could see its fingers growing like roots. It's still screeching in static as it drives you to the ground.
You've gotten in quite the pickle.
>CHOOSE ONE
>□ Kick it in the gonads, get it off of you!
>□ Push back with your spoons
>□ Call on Petunia and Gobson to commence the pincer backstab
>□ Other (fill in)

>>4902372
>□ Kick it in the gonads, get it off of you!
If it has nards, we can wreck it!

>>4902372
>□ Kick it in the gonads, get it off of you!
AIM FOR THE GIANT WEAK SPOT ON THE ENEMY

>>4902372
>□ Kick it in the gonads, get it off of you!

>>4902372
>□ Kick it in the gonads, get it off of you!
No mercy

>>4902403
>>4902404
>>4902502
>>4902695
Pinned down with a faceful of static noise, you do what needs to be done. Aiming your foot carefully, you kick this creepy fella's loins with all the power you could muster. To your surprise, your feet pushes way up into its torso, which feels like nutty putty.

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>>4903696
Fudge forgot the pic

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>>4903696
>>4903698
The blasts of static noise has somehow subsided, and the boogeymen is just standing there, rather silly now that its height has been redefined. Petunia rushes from the sidelines to check on you. "Whoa there, handsome! You allright?"
"Just got knocked down. Careful, this ...thing is stupid fast."
It seems to be inspecting its new anatomical proportion, for now. Which could be turned into your advantage.
>CHOOSE ONE
>□ Counterattack time
>□ Escape time
>□ Diplomacy time
>□ Just find Frank
>□ Other (fill in)

>>4903716
>Counterattack time
KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL

>>4903716
>□ Counterattack time
Putty, ye? Scoop him up. Punch a hole through his legs, maybe. Turn him into smush.

>>4903716
>□ Counterattack time

>>4903716
>□ Counterattack time
Inspect THIS

>>4903716
>□ Counterattack time
Draw on his face with magic marker guys

>>4903868
Meta knowledge is for fags
>>4903716
>Counter attack
Go for the knees

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>>4903716
>Counterattack time
No mercy for the misguided.

Just a little thing to help me remember...

>JAMES CALACA
>Traits: Violent, Rebel, Stubborn
>Past: Anti-Empire Revolutionary

>PETUNIA KARACHOVA
>Traits: Pervert, Deceiver, Friendly
>Past: Serial Non-Consensualist

> GOBSON G. GOBSON
>Traits: Klepto, Deceiver, Honest
>Past: Goblinton Goblin, Nanna's Boy

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>>4904605
>Deceiver, Honest

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>>4904877
Which makes Gobson most insidious, yes

>>4903718
>>4903724
>>4903732
>>4903762
>>4903868
>>4904195
>>4904332
Quick, while it is distracted! You stand, and give ol' hurricane-face there a series of slashes. Which would cause severe injury had it not dodged every single one of them. When you said this thing is crazy fast, you really mean it - although now it seems like it's not attacking you. It's trying to get away, even. From the corner of your eyes, you spot movement hiding behind the cubicles - are the raptors spooked, or are they planning an ambush?
>CHOOSE ONE
>□ Keep on the attack (gets exhausted status)
>□ Tell Petunia and Gobson to help you beat this boogeyman
>□ Tell Petunia and Gobson to drive off the raptors while you beat this boogeyman up
>□ Tell Petunia and Gobson to search for Frank's head
>□ Let the boogeyman go and look for Frank
>□ Other (fill in)

>>4905185
>let the boogeyman go and approach the raptors with murderous intent
How do they DARE to look at us!
>□ Tell Petunia and Gobson to search for Frank's head

>>4905185
IF WE CAN NOT COMMIT VIOLENCE ON THIS FIEND, WE MUST COMMIT VIOLENCE AGAINST THE RAPTORS
>APPROACH THE RAPTORS WITH MURDEROUS INTENT
>TELL THE OTHERS TO FIND FRANK'S HEAD

>>4905185
>□ Tell Petunia and Gobson to search for Frank's head

I say we hustle it up towards Frank and ignore the rest of these lot. I'm counting on the raptors double-thinking a round two. Hopefully James swinging a pair of spoons like a madman at anyone/thing that approaches will be enough to keep these bitches off of us. Give Gobson and Petunia time to find Frank's head.

Forget bandage boy. He's probably a filthy loyalist.

>>4905185
>>4905202
+1 this!

>>4905185
backing >>4905202
scare these weakling ambush predators off

>>4905185
>Other (fill in)
Try to herd the bogeyman towards the raptors

>>4905202
I support this, if the Noppera isn't attacking us it's not our problem.

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>>4905202
>>4905213
>>4905240
>>4905330
>>4905444
>>4906196
You've had enough of them varmints always slithering outta view. And you're also done with the quivering boneless wonder over here, so you practice some applied intimidation. "Oh, you want some more, do you!? DO YOU?! COME ON THEN, I AIN'T GOT ALL DAY!"
Your threat works wonders. The raptors scatter through the cubicles, while the boogeyman backs away, arms defensive, behind a corner and disappears. Like, literally, there's nobody there, and no traces either. "Alright, Petunia, Gobson! Go ahead and find Frank. Petunia? Gobson?"
Their sudden absence surprises you.

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>>4906428
"Calm down, handsome. We already searched nearby areas where we could've dropped Frank while you were handling that creep." Oh, good, your heart skipped a beat back there. Petunia continues. "Bad news, though: we're too late, someone else got to Frank first."
"Yeah guv, I can see bits of foightin' here and there. Could it be the boogeyman?" Gobson pokes his head from the ceiling.
Soon enough, the three of you arrive near where you piled up the raptor bodies up. There were fresh new raptor bodies, along with some pinkish residue.
"Well, this ain't looking good, guv. Someone got enough mojo to tellyport three blokes in and out." Gobson carefully inspects the circularish lines of residue. "I'm guessin', this could be done by any one of these three groups: The fire eaters, the ex-cops, or the bone church."
"He meant the Pyrovores, Black Badges, or the Crossbones, handsome. One of them could've took Frank."
Ah great, more obstacles.
>CHOOSE ONE
>□ Go back to Goblinton and plan our next move
>□ Go to the nearest Pyrovore Cult's outpost
>□ Go to the nearest Black Badges outpost
>□ Go to the nearest Crossbones chapel
>□ Screw Frank, we can find another way outta this joint, wander about
>□ Other (fill in)

>>4906447
>□ Go back to Goblinton and plan our next move

>>4906447
>□ Go back to Goblinton and plan our next move
Well fuck.

>>4906447
>□ Go back to Goblinton and plan our next move
Ask for info about the other groups, then try to figure which ones might have gotten a hold of Frank.

>>4906447
>□ Go back to Goblinton and plan our next move
Haste makes waste!

>>4906467
Support

>>4906447
>□ Go back to Goblinton and plan our next move
I care less about Frank and more about figuring out what to do next. I mean, what's our goal anyway?

Are we trying to break out, to find some safe place to rest down indefinitely? You know, basically, find a home here on the gaol.

>>4906551
We have to break out and continue the Revolution

>>4906556
Well, this is an entire planet with weak government control. I don't even know how big the empire is, rioting on some single place might not even be enough

Some empires are way too big to be defeated by normal revolts. You'd need to reach a boiling point of oppression to have EVERYONE rise up because if you don't, they're just going to turn any shitty militia force you muster into ash

So really, we would need to know the state of the empire first things first. If it's near the boiling point, good, go back to what we were doing except better, if no ,then that changes our plans.

>>4906447
>□ Go back to Goblinton and plan our next move

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>>4906464
>>4906467
>>4906503
>>4906505
>>4906512
>>4906551
>>4906615
Dejectedly, you three head back towards Goblinton. "Petunia, Gobson," you start, "you've been here for longer than me, who are those three groups you mentioned? I know I've seen it in those warden bulletins back then, but nothing more than names."
"I hear the Pyrovore Cult worships fire, and the eating of it. Mostly arsonists and psychos." Petunia chats, in between steps. "Black Badges were ex-cops and military, heard they're about to do something big in Gongalla. Crossbones, heard they do necromancy." The very mention of necromancy piques you, for it is a form of magic outlawed by the Eternal Empire. "Those three apparently could do a teleport spell for three people like what we've seen back there..."
Wait, are those visitors to Nanna's hut? You pick up the pace.

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>>4907536
Getting closer, you pick up bits and pieces of conversation. "...please, reconsider... he could be a huge asset to the Ossuary." The tall one of the pair is the one who does all the talking.
"No, no, dearie. Who will do my errands, then? Besides, us Goblins already have our methods and we stick by them.." Nanna retorts. "Oh, looks like they're here already. Gobson! There's somebody looking for James."
They remind you of nuns, if not for the visible prison collars and bangles. "Ah, bless your bones! I'm sister Beryl, and my partner here is sister Delarue. We're looking for a certain-hatted thief - I've been told you've had a run-in with him lately? We'd like to know more, if you'd allow..."
>CHOOSE ONE
>□ Give them the info freely
>□ Give them false info
>□ Don't give info
>□ Give info for money
>□ Give info for info about teleportation spells
>□ Other (fill in)

>>4907566
>□ Give info for info about teleportation spells
I don't care about the thief in the slightest but if we can get some knowledge on teleportation, that would be cool.

>>4907566
>See if they'll divulge why they need this information.
Bitch, everybody has an agenda. What do you gain out of it?

>>4907566
Ask who they are, first, although they’re probably The Crossbones, seeing as they mentioned an Ossuary. Then give them some relevant info (if info regarding pants would somehow help them) in exchange for any info about where Frank might have ended up and teleportation spells.

>>4907577
+1, we're not getting involved if this might end up causing more problems for us.

At least, that's what we should *tell* them.

>>4907577
+1
I bet these girls "bone" a lot in this prison

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>>4907568
>>4907577
>>4907600
>>4907722
>>4907732
You never had much faith for these types of religious people. "Hold up, let's get inside, and let me get out of this armor first. Then we talk."
A short while later, you'd never thought Nanna's hut could get any cramped, but then again, six people is twice a crowd. "Alright. Let's start with who you're working for."
Sister Delarue nods to Sister Beryl, and Beryl speaks from behind a bone-white mask. "We are from the Church of the Eternal End, or colloquially called Crossbones. Some woyld say we have... an unique mindset regarding life, death, undeath, and rebirth."
"So why do you care about a Goblin thief in Goblinton, Sister... Beryl?"
Her voice softly rattles behind her mask, which smells like myrrh and saffron. "Er, promise me that this conversation doesn't leave the room? A few days ago, one of our reliquaries got broken into, and a guard saw the culprit. A Goblin thief with an academy hat and bandanna made off with a Necrologue, one of our relics, and we tracked him to Goblinton."
Nanna clears her throat. "These two ladies are also in the recruitment business, and they've been eyeing my dear Gobson here for quite some time now."
Sister Beryl puts a hand over her mask. "Um, yes, that too. Might as well ask again while we're here. Seems the answer is clear, though..."
"What's in it for us? We also need help with finding some things. Like the head of a wardenbot, for example."
"Oh, the usual gratitude of the Church, a blessing for your bones if you need it, and we'll help with your search, if it's within our capabilities."
"Ok, understood. One last question, then: why us, specifically?"
"Because the liquor vendor told us that you were the last person who got in an incident with him, obviously. Even got some material evidence, did you not?"
Hmmm. Her story makes sense.
>CHOOSE ONE
>□ Tell what you know in exchange for help in finding Frank
>□ Tell what you know in exchange for help in finding the warden teleport forms
>□ Join forces in catching the thief
>□ Decline
>□ Other (fill in)

>>4908626
>□ Tell what you know in exchange for help in finding the warden teleport forms
Eh, fuck it, sure. Religious nutters tend to be helpful if you play along with them. Unless they try to sacrifice you. But James has already submitted to the Infinite Will of Violence.

>>4908626
>□ Tell what you know in exchange for help in finding the warden teleport forms
Better the religious order than the glowies or the pyro psychos

>>4908626
>□ Tell what you know in exchange for help in finding the warden teleport forms

>>4908626
>□ Tell what you know in exchange for help in finding the warden teleport forms

>>4908626
>□ Tell what you know in exchange for help in finding the warden teleport forms
Might as well. It's not like we lose anything for helping these dillwads.

>"a blessing for your bones if you need it,"
You stay the fuck away from my skeleton, cultist.

>>4908626
>□ Tell what you know in exchange for help in finding the warden teleport forms
I wonder if Petunia is going to talk to these priestesses about "boning?"

>>4909102
That'd just be a bad pun, petunia is more interested in the actual thing. If anything, Gobson's more likely to do it considering he's "the funny guy".

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>>4908677
>>4908696
>>4908713
>>4908854
>>4908982
>>4909102
"I guess you're straightforward enough. Alright, here's the deal: I'll tell you what I want, then I'll get on the details of this thief, yeah?" You say to the laid-back Sister.
"Yes, that is correct, we'll help out as much as we can, or refer you to someone who could." She shifts in her mat.
"Then, I want info on where I can get one of them XDT documents that could take me out of here." You push on.
"Something left behind by the wardens? My best bet is to look for observation booths, warden rooms and guard towers. As I recall, there is an observation room close to Goblinton, and a guard tower above the cubicle farms somewhere. Those two are the closest. Then there's supposedly a warden room somewhere in the sunset cage. Or, you could go ask the Black Badges, they're quite... obsessed with the wardens and wardenbots. Sorry that we could only help this much."
"Hmmm, that's fine, that's fine. As for your thief, I'm sure you've heard from the liquor vendor that he swooped in from the ceiling. Petunia?"
She shudders a bit from behind you as she replied. "Yes, handsome?"
"You were the one who saw the action, tell them."
"If it's alright with you, handsome. Okay, so, me and Gobson went to the Goblin Market..." She then retells how she helped the liquor vendor, the thief almost getting away with the lifewater, the subsequent rope yank, and for the piece de resistance, shows the sisters the rope and pants.
"I see... so the thief could still be in Goblinton, huh?"
"Probably, unless he found a way to get to the ceiling again. Then again, we still got his pants." Petunia adds.
"Well, thank you for the information. We'll be staying for some time in Goblinton to root out the thief, then. And oh - mind if we take the pants and the rope?"
"...sure, but what for?" You ask quizzically.
"Sister Delarue here has been blessed with the power to trace the owner of whatever her hand touches. So these items would help us immensely."
"Is there a reason she haven't spoke a word so far?"
Sister Beryl glances at her companion, then back to you. "Yes, she has taken a modified vow of silence. She won't speak unless it's absolutely important." Sister Delarue nods. "Anyways, thank you for the hospitality, Nanna, but we must go now. We have a thief to catch." They exit the hut in a calm and orderly manner.
Hmm, what now? They did tell the most likely places to find such documents.
>CHOOSE ONE
>□ Look for the obs. room near Goblinton
>□ Look for the guard tower above the cubicle farms
>□ You're pretty sure you've been in the sunset cage room, but there could be another
>□ Contact the Black Badges
>□ Other (fill in)

>>4910007
>Look for the obs. room near Goblinton
Might as well pick the place closest to us. Those religious nutters better not be huffing those pants for goblin stank.

>>4910007
>□ Look for the obs. room near Goblinton

>>4910007
>□ Look for the obs. room near Goblinton
It's probably already been picked clean, but there might be something useful!

>>4910007
>□ Look for the obs. room near Goblinton
less go

>>4910007
>□ Look for the obs. room near Goblinton

Start with the easiest option, I suppose. Anybody know what our long-term goals past getting our boy Frank back is?

>>4910351
violently porking Petunia? escaping? succumbing to the Infinite Might of Violence and Trash and become a godhead of violence?

>>4910351
>>4910353
QM should make an update with James reflecting on his goals. Things have been pretty aimless so far desu, fucking around is only fun for a while

>>4910366
>QM should make an update with James reflecting on his goals
I agree.

>>4910007
>Look for the obs. room near Goblinton

>>4910353
>violently porking Petunia?
*lovingly
Considering her background, that would be the best way to 'cure' her. But it has to be romantic so it won't just end rewarding her bad behaviour. She became a coomer because she was lonely as shit, so the best way to get rid of her shotafaggotry is by building up a genuine relationship with her.
>Escaping?
I don't know, this feels like it might be an opportunity. What does James have back home, really? It might be easier to just estabilish our revolutionary state here in Gongalla where the government's influence is smaller.

Actually, this reminds me, we still don't know a lot about James's past other than the fact that he was an revolutionary troublemaker.

>>4910399
>What does James have back home, really?
A vendetta against the government? Vengeance for his imprisoned/exiled comrades? Maybe we can find more of our ilk here in Gongalla.

Either way, we need to learn more about the wider prison if we want to accomplish anything meaningful.

>>4911377
>A vendetta against the government?
The Eternal Empire isn't just from his home planet though, is it?

That's the problem. We don't know about James' past other than the fact that he was a revolutionary. For all we know his family could have been worked to death in the crypto mines.

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>>4910012
>>4910017
>>4910025
>>4910173
>>4910351
>>4910375
"Hmm, the Goblinton observation room looks like a promising lead." You say to your companions. "Hopefully we'll find clues about the teleport document out of here."
"Just a question though, handsome? Why do you want to escape Gongalla?" Petunia asks.
"Well, how else are you supposed to break the unnatural rule of the Eternal Empire? I mean, just look at this place. They broke into an entire pocket dimension just to throw prisoners in, forever. Not to mention all the wars they're waging on parallel universes and alternate timelines - there must be revolution."
Petunia thinks for a while. "I'm just thinking, maybe you could try to liberate Gongalla first? Because once you manage to teleport out of this place... what next? Just take a spoon and storm the Eternal Empress' palace?"
Uhhh, granted, that was what you were thinking of going to do - but Petunia's right. You gotta think more on how to break the Eternal Empire. "Huh, you're right, Petunia. I never thought much about that."
"Yeah, at least by liberating Gongalla, we could then make this our base of operations, or something like that."
>GOAL GAINED: BREAK THE ETERNAL EMPIRE
>GOAL GAINED: LIBERATE GONGALLA

"We're still heading out to the observation post, though - what's the use of liberating Gongalla if we're stuck here forever? That teleportation spell could be mass-produced..."
>GOAL GAINED: GET TELEPORTATION DOCUMENT
>GOAL GAINED: MASS-PRODUCE TELEPORTATION DOCUMENT

"Oi lads, whatcha talkin' about?" Gobson pokes his head into the room. You explain about the possible observation room near Goblinton. "Oh, yeah, that ol' thing. Not many people going thataway, on account of the ghost."
"Wait, ghost? You serious?"
"Yeah, folks who come too close see somethin'... spooky there. The ghost of a warden, some say. If we're going there, we should have some of Nanna's incense sticks, drives away ghosts good."
"Sounds more like a minor flux than a real ghost, we could stabilize it with magitech runes, maybe? I think I saw some being sold at the Goblin Market."
"Or maybe... we could brute force it. See what happens."
>CHOOSE ONE
>□ Get incense
>□ Get magitech runes
>□ Just use grit and cunning
>□ Other (fill in)

>>4911610
>□ Get magitech runes
>□ Get incense

Por que no los dos?

>>4911625
Sounds expensive.

>>4911610
backing >>4911625
Magitech runes can be used in other ways if they won't work here or go unused, and the incense sticks can be returned if they failed or we didn't use them.

>>4911625
Why not. We can always use anything that doesn't work later.

>>4911610
Sorry, I think it's an unintersting choice. I have no basis to vote one way or the other.

>>4911819
Well, that's what the Other (fill in) is for, if you don't want to go to the outpost - who knows, maybe other anons will find your choice appetizing and +1 it?

Sorry guys, no update tonight, I have to wake up early tomorrow for some business. Gaol Quest will return tomorrow.
In the meantime, have this tentatively official Gaol Quest playlist.

Audioslave - Your Time Has Come
https://youtu.be/Ce-h3stcOD0

King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard - Crumbling Castle
https://youtu.be/qZwr511qGoY

Jimi Hendrix Experience - All Along the Watchtower
https://youtu.be/TLV4_xaYynY

Tinariwen - Sastanaqqam
https://youtu.be/2I3PLVuKNtw

Maaya Sakamoto - Anata o Tamotsu Mono
https://youtu.be/fQrZYRU3eUE

Etsuko Yakushimaru - Kamisama no Iutoori
https://youtu.be/lMQK5MbIb1E

Radiohead - I am a Wicked Child
https://youtu.be/g-Iy8M7tHMI

Sofi Tukker x Amadou & Mariam - Mon Cheri
https://youtu.be/UPsrZV5JcNQ

>>4911819
>>4912017
Yeah, you dolt. Do you have a single creative hair on your entire body?

>>4912284
Sounds good, boss man. The revolution will wait for you.

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>>4911625
>>4911710
>>4911766
A few barters and threatening a potential mugger in the Goblin Market later, and your team's all set with both magitech runes and Nanna's incense. "Look, Gobson, there's no such thing as ghosts. I'm pretty sure that magical fluxes causes illusions to occur, you know? And these runes can let us fix the flux up." Petunia's been having a debate with Gobson all the way here, to the abandoned observation room.
"Oi! But what if it ain't a flux, but actual ghosts? Me Nanna's incense would drive 'em right out!" Gobson says, waving his Nanna's incense in front of Petunia.
The observation room looks like it's sinking into the ground, its heavy security door blasted off its hinges. Broken office carpet gives way to a reddish soil, where the goblins have erected several rock stacks that, according to Gobson, keeps the ghost contained inside. From here you can see that the door-less entrance is partially submerged in the dirt, and slopes down. There is also a rusty vent to the side. Apparently, the room once had a tower or radio antenna-like structure in the past, but Goblins have looted it.
"Alright guys, enough chit-chat, let's get down to business. There should still be useful loot lying around. Hopefully we find that teleportation document we need."
>CHOOSE
>□ Take the front entrance
>□ Take the ventilator route
>□ Check the backside first
>□ Inspect the structure more thoroughly
>□ Toss a stick of lit incense into the main entrance
>□ Check for flux and flux type outside
>□ Other (fill in)

>>4913714
>□ Inspect the structure more thoroughly
I see what looks vaguely like a hatch on the left side of the roof. Let's check that shit out. The more ins and outs we have, the better.

>>4913714
>□ Inspect the structure more thoroughly

>>4913727
On second inspection:
>Apparently, the room once had a tower or radio antenna-like structure in the past, but Goblins have looted it.

That thing is probably just the left-over marks of the old antenna. All the same, it's still worth it to look the building over for anything suspicious or useful.

>>4913714
>□ Inspect the structure more thoroughly
Caution goes far in a riot, or leading up to one

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>>4913727
>>4913731
>>4914357
"Let's check the backside too, can't be too cautious." You say, circling around the structure. The bunker-like observation room looks out of place, jutting like a sore thumb in the middle of what used to be a field of cubicles.
"Hey, James - Nanna said the mitochondria, Mighty, have entered a symbiosis with me." Petunia tries to make small talk as you walk.
"Yeah, saw it with my own eyes - it entered your body, like - melted through my hands and into your back. With the mana shard and your headband."
"Ever wonder if it would give you superpowers or something? I could sense the mitochondrial infection of the lifewater, as if they resonate with me."
"Would be cool if it did give superpowers though - whoa, hold on." You've rounded the corner.
Aha, what's this? A pipe-hole! And by the looks of the tracks around it, used recently by a goblin, or goblin-sized person. "I think I can swooce right innit, guv," assured Gobson.
There is also a large circular crack on one of the walls - hold up! Are those mana crystals jutting out of the windows? Just what happened here?
In any case, it might be time to get in.
>CHOOSE ONE
>□ All together through the front entrance
>□ Gobson through vent, James and Petunia through front
>□ Gobson through pipe, James and Petunia through front
>□ Break through the weakened wall, one of the stones could help
>□ Other (fill in)

>>4915233
>□ Gobson through pipe, James and Petunia through front

>□ Gobson through pipe, James and Petunia through front

>>4915233
>□ Gobson through pipe, James and Petunia through front
PINCER ATTACK

>>4915233
>□ Gobson through pipe, James and Petunia through front
>Ask Petunia if she's noticed anything else different.

A path that's been tread before or often is usually safer than something unexplored. He needs to be wary of traps, though.

I'm also curious as to what Mighty's symbiosis with Petunia means in a broader sense. Can she just sense more mitochondria? I wonder if it's given her regenerative abilities, since it seemed to heal her a bit last time. It might be a good idea to have somebody more knowledgeable take a look at her for safety's sake if nothing else. Not that I don't trust Nanna. I would just like a scientific opinion.

>>4915233
>□ Gobson through pipe, James and Petunia through front

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>>4916011
>>4915478
>>4915278
>>4915255
>>4915241
"Alright. Gobson, you go in through the pipe hole, while Petunia and I go from the front."
"Gimme a spoon first, guv. I ain't gonna go in unarmed."
Well okay, quite sensible. You hand him your spare spoon. "Listen, if you see someone or something, don't try to bonk them. Use the spoon only if they try to bonk you. Oh yeah, watch out for traps, too."
"Aye-aye, guv! See ya again inside!" You watch Gobson as he slides down the pipe-hole.
You and Petunia circle back to the front. "Well, here's the entrance. Shall we go in, handsome?" Petunia smiles.
As the two of you walk deeper into the dark, soily slope, you feel a bit curious about Petunia's earlier remark about symbiosis. "So, notice anything different after Mighty got into you? Other than sensing other mitochondria, that is."
"Hmm, now that I think about it, I feel more energetic than before. Haven't felt this great in months! Dunno about anything else, though."
The deeper you get in, the darker it gets, until the entrance is a small square of light in the distance. "Huh, it's pitch black in here, can't see a thing."
"This is our second time in the dark together. Hey, try rubbing my belly, maybe I'll glow like Mighty." Petunia jokes. "Wonder how Gobson fares."
Meanwhile, Gobson carefully entered the room through the pipes. "Oh, am I glad I'm a Gob, and can see in the dark!" Gobson whispers to himself.
>CHOOSE ONE
>□ Rub Petunia's tummy
>□ Navigate via sound and touch
>□ Wait for Gobson to find you
>□ Get back to where you can see
>□ Other (fill in)

>>4917633
>□ Rub Petunia's tummy

Unless one of you anons is a genius with a better idea, I really don't see a way around this. Shuffling through the dark in a supposedly haunted and unexplored place is über-tier stupid. I would like to wait for Gobson, but if he gets into trouble we might not know it.

Also,
>"Hmm, now that I think about it, I feel more energetic than before. Haven't felt this great in months! Dunno about anything else, though."

Maybe I'm just a pessimist, but this definitely piques my worry. We should really get Petunia looked at before she comes down with some kind of horrendous ailment.

>>4917659
+1

>>4917633
>□ Navigate via sound and touch

>>4917633
>□ Other (fill in)
Attempt to thoughtform a light source

>>4917633
>>□ Rub Petunia's tummy
It's just the first sensible thing to try.

>□ Rub Petunia's tummy
That is the only good idea. And i guess getting light is good, too.
>>4917659
Yeah, we probably should. I don't want Petunia to end up just collapsing out of nowhere because her mitochondria power ran out

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>>4917659
>>4917661
>>4918008
>>4918134
"Eh, might as well." You say as you reach for Petunia's tummy in the dark, which surprised Petunia.
"H-hehe, nice one, h-handsome. Uh, a b-bit up, maybe." Petunia shudders. Oh yeah, here's the bandages - did she always have these abs? A bit under that is her bellybutton - and... rub.
"Huh, well, worth a try I gue-" a slowly emanating glow interrupts you. Petunia is glowing! Something akin to the firefly glow Mighty used to have. "By the Revolution! It works!" You feel her entire being light up, the familiar soft hum of ATP caressing your fingers.
"That tickles, h-handsome." You can see her blushing clearly. Oh, and also some part of the room, too. Well, more of a corridor. One that branches to the left and right - if you remember correctly, the pipe hole is towards the left. You could rendezvous with Gobson that way. Or, perhaps you'd like to check the right one instead? Cover more ground that way.
Meanwhile, Gobson is scanning the room, focusing on the huge crystalline mass in the middle of the room. "Cor blimey, that's an absolute unit." He sneaks over to check the other sides of the room - seems like it used to be some sort of bathroom, long ago. The crystal mass is hugging one of the walls and obscuring the window to the outside. There's an open doorway beyond the crystal, but even for a Goblin, Gobson would have to squeeze the gap. "Wonder if there could be another way?"
>CHOOSE FOR JAMES & PETUNIA
>□ Go left and rendezvous with Gobson
>□ Go right and explore the unknown room, carefully
>□ Wait at the junction, see what else Petunia could do
>□ Other (fill in)

>CHOOSE FOR GOBSON
>□ Squeeze through beyond the crystal
>□ Smash the crystal
>□ Look for alternative ways out, maybe there's something on the ceiling
>□ Other (fill in)

>>4918549
>□ Go left and rendezvous with Gobson
AND
>□ Look for alternative ways out, maybe there's something on the ceiling

Never split the party!

>>4918549
>Go left and rendezvous with Gobson
>Squeeze through beyond the crystal

>>4918549
>□ Go left and rendezvous with Gobson
>□ Look for alternative ways out, maybe there's something on the ceiling
Now, as much as i'd like to spend more time alone with Petunia, it doesn't seem like a good idea to split up. James is the group's heavy hitter, after all.

And, i don't think it's a good idea to squeeze through someplace you don't know. Just squeezing is generally bad since you don't wanna get stuck, even less so in an spooky bunker.

>>4918549
>□ Go left and rendezvous with Gobson
>□ Look for alternative ways out, maybe there's something on the ceiling
be careful

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>>4919120
>>4918886
>>4918627
"Now c'mon, let's not keep Gobson waiting. Follow me!" You and Petunia take the left, feeling mitochondrically energized. "Hey, does this mean you're a powerhouse of the cell now?" You joke.
"Hehehe, might as well be, handsome." She looks like she's having fun, too. "What do you think we'll find here?"
"The document with the teleportation spell, hopefully. If not, good loot. So far, haven't seen the supposed ghost, though." As soon as you said that, you get goosebumps, all of a sudden. "Hey, you feel that?"
"A sudden chill up your spine? Yeah." Petunia says, as the two of you reached a doorway... that's blocked by a humongous crystal. Huh. Looks like something's inside it, something humanoid. "Is it another wardenbot?"
Meanwhile, a few minutes ago, Gobson finds a hole in the ceiling, thankfully near a pipe. "Oi, strange! it's dark even with my gobbo nightvision." You hear distant voices outside the room, growing closer. "Must be the two lovebirds, gotta get out soon and meet with them, eh?" Gobson whispers, before climbing the pipe and into the ceiling.
>CHOOSE ONE
>□ Call for Gobson
>□ Smash the crystal, but more carefully this time
>□ Check behind you, that chill ain't natural
>□ Look around in this corner of the corridor
>□ Other (fill in)

>>4920447
>□ Check behind you, that chill ain't natural
Oh shit, it's a glowie

>>4920447
>□ Check behind you, that chill ain't natural
Confront the fiend

>>4920447
>□ Check behind you, that chill ain't natural

Time for incense and microchips or whatever the hell those other things were.

>>4920447
>Check behind you, that chill ain't natural

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Tiredness claims today's scheduled update, check again tomorrow. In the meantime, have a Team Gaol.

Prepare for trouble!
And make it double!
To protect the Gaol from destruction!
To unite all peoples in revolution!
To denounce the evils of the Eternal Empire!
To escape our prison to the stars above!
Petunia!
James!
Team Gaol blasts off at the speed of light!
There is no surrender, only fight!
Gobson, that's right!

>>4921169
Take it easy, boss. We'll be here.

>>4921169
While the delay is disappointing the picture made me smile

>>4921169

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>>4920728
>>4920685
>>4920584
>>4920483
This chill, these goosebumps - and now the feeling of being watched. Something's afoot.
Seems like Petunia thought so, too, since the first thing you saw when you turned around is her, looking behind. Well, and the grey foggy glitchy... thing behind her, too. "JAMESWHATTHEEVERLASTINGCRAPISTHAT!?!" Petunia jumps back - well, forward onto you, as your body is trying to decide between fight or flight. You are left agape and answerless as you parse the situation; The 'ghost' seems to be talking, but no sound comes out. Yet, its hands feel like they're pleading to the both of you. What is going on? It stands - floats? behind Petunia, blocking off the path behind.
Meanwhile, Gobson is making good time on the ceiling. "This darkness ain't natural... my night-eyes should've seen this here attic clear as day!" Gobson whispers, only to calm himself. Suddenly, he hears Petunia yell in surprise. "Good thing Gobs can navigate by ear, too! Now, where's that commotion from?" Gobson then realized he might be right above James and Petunia.
>CHOOSE
>□ Swing your spoon at the apparition
>□ Get Petunia out of the way, put yourself between the ghost and Petunia
>□ Try to read the phantom's lips so you understand what it's talking about
>□ Light up some of Gobson's incense
>□ Get Petunia to use the magitek runes

>CHOOSE FOR GOBSON
>□ Open a ceiling tile or vent and see what's down there
>□ Eh fuck it, drop in the situation
>□ Continue to explore until you find a safe exit
>□Other (fill in)

>>4922395
>□ Try to read the phantom's lips so you understand what it's talking about
>□ Open a ceiling tile or vent and see what's down there

>>4922395
>□ Try to read the phantom's lips so you understand what it's talking about
>□ Open a ceiling tile or vent and see what's down there
If lip-reading fails, why not try to get something in writing? They can hold a writing tool and write or draw, yes?

>>4922395
>□ Try to read the phantom's lips so you understand what it's talking about
+
>□ Get Petunia to use the magitek runes
(Read the lips while she prepares the runes just in case things go badly)
>□ Open a ceiling tile or vent and see what's down there

>>4922395
>□ Get Petunia out of the way, put yourself between the ghost and Petunia
>□ Try to read the phantom's lips so you understand what it's talking about
>□ Open a ceiling tile or vent and see what's down there

I don't think we should use the runes just now, it doesn't seem to be attacking us. But i think we should put Petunia out of harm's way anyway, in case something happens.

>>4922395
add
>□ Get Petunia out of the way, put yourself between the ghost and Petunia
to >>4922444

>>4922444
>>4922569
+1
>If lip-reading fails, why not try to get something in writing? They can hold a writing tool and write or draw, yes?

That's using the noggin, anon. That hat makes me think it's the apparition of a warden or a security guard. Maybe they're trapped in that crystal Gobson passed?

>>4922395
>>4922444
+1 to this!

>>4922506
I don't think we should use them yet either, I just wanted Petunia to prepare them as a contingency in case the "ghost" proves aggressive.

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>>4922405
>>4922444
>>4922488
>>4922506
>>4922569
>>4922701
"Hold on, Petunia, I think it's trying to communicate."
Petunia swiftly hides behind you as you try to analyze what it's saying. "Y-you go handle it, h-handsome, I'm n-not too fond of g-ghosts. Wh-what's it saying?"
"Okay, you specter - start over again. H... he... p? Help? M, e, help me?" The ghost nods vigorously. "But how? O... dy, body. In? Body in... is... ta. Ista?" The specter silently sighs, then points at her tongue. "Istal? Body in Istal?"
Petunia pipes up. "Maybe 'body in crystal'?" The ghost smiles, points at Petunia, and nods vigorously.
"So we need to smash it open, right."
"Just be careful, handsome, last time you tried that, the wardenbot lost its body." The ghost seems interested when Petunia mentioned the wardenbot.
Meanwhile, Gobson managed to pry open a ceiling tile. "There we go! Oh, it's the lovebirds, what are they standin' about there for?" Gobson can hardly hear the conversation, but he did hear a creak behind.
>CHOOSE
>□ Help the ghost by breaking out the body in the crystal
>□ Help the ghost by breaking out the body, but let Petunia chip away instead of James
>□ Ask the ghost what's in it for the two of you
>□ Refuse to help, try to find Gobson
>□ Refuse to help, go to other room
>□ Other (fill in)

>ALSO CHOOSE FOR GOBSON
>□ Jump right in
>□ Turn around
>□ Yell and wave at James and Petunia
>□ Climb out carefully
>□ Stay and watch
>□ Other (fill in)

>>4923886
>□ Help the ghost by breaking out the body, but let Petunia chip away instead of James
Let's see how good she is at sculpting.

>□ Yell and wave at James and Petunia
I feel like this is what Gobson would do in this situation.

>>4923886
>□ Help the ghost by breaking out the body, but let Petunia chip away instead of James
Petunia was an nurse, so she's god way more careful hands than Mr.Violence
>□ Yell and wave at James and Petunia
That's the gobson way of doing things.

>>4923886
>□ Help the ghost by breaking out the body, but let Petunia chip away instead of James
>□ Yell and wave at James and Petunia

>>4923886
>□ Help the ghost by breaking out the body, but let Petunia chip away instead of James
There better be something worthwhile to come out of aiding a lackey of the Empire. I swear if they're some kind of diehard loyalist we leave them half-way stuck in the crystal.

On another note, these crystals must have something to do with how the prison became a complete free-for-all anarchy. It might not be a bad idea to dig into that a little in case it's related to all the wardens and most of the human staff leaving via the same method we are attempting to.

>□ Yell and wave at James and Petunia
Gobson shouting comically, moments before being assaulted, while his companions are in the middle of a delicate situation seems about par for the course.

>>4924244
+1

>>4923886
>□ Help the ghost by breaking out the body, but let Petunia chip away instead of James
James has only one setting: smash.
>□ Yell and wave at James and Petunia
Making sure to be extra cockney.

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>>4923890
>>4923893
>>4923897
>>4924244
>>4925449
"You know what, handsome? Let me and my delicate hands work on the crystal, you go talk to the ghost." Petunia takes the initiative, and takes her spoon to the crystal, slowly tapping it in places.
As she gets to work on the crystal, you try to see if you can communicate with the phantom. Now that you've got a closer look, she looks like she's wearing a warden cap. "Okay, specter, I'm gonna ask you a few yes and no questions. Nod if yes, make an X with your hands if not. Got it?"
The ghost nods.
"Okay then. One: are you actually a warden?" Nod.
"Two: will we be rewarded if we free you?" It looks at you and Petunia, before it gives a nod.
"Three: is there a way out of here?" Nod.
"Four: can our reward be a way out of here?" The ghost starts to shake its head, but pauses in thought for a couple of seconds before shrugging. "Is that a maybe?" Nod, again.
You were about to think a few more questions when you hear a clattering from above. "Oiii! James! Petunia! Did you see that bloody huge crySTAAAAL" Gobson poked his head out of the ceiling, apparently trying to wave with both hands before he ran out of balance and is currently tumbling his way down. Strange, you could have sworn you heard someone else getting kicked on the face as Gobson tumbles head over heels. Luckily for Gobson, you were right below him, and caught him right away. Gobson grins sheepishly. "Eh hehehe, how's it going, guv?"
>CHOOSE
>□ Have Gobson assist Petunia in freeing this warden
>□ Have Gobson check the ceiling space again, alone
>□ Have Gobson check the ceiling space, but with your suport below
>□ Have Gobson check the other room alone
>□ Have Gobson check the other room with you, leaving Petunia with the ghost
>□ Have Gobson talk to the ghost
>□ Other (fill in)

>>4925577
>Have Gobson check the ceiling space, but with your suport below

>>4925577
>□ Have Gobson check the ceiling space, but with your suport below
Sounds like a wise idea, olroight

>>4925577
>□ Have Gobson check the ceiling space, but with your support below

Might be tough if we're below him, but that guy in the vent DOES make me curious...

>>4925577
>□ Have Gobson check the ceiling space, but with your support below

Ask Gobson to report what he saw. Then James, as he's holding him up, can ask the ghost about the darkness that is impervious to goblinvision.

>>4925810
+1, we gotta communicate and plan ahead together

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>>4925607
>>4925611
>>4925619
>>4925810
>>4926147
"Hey Gobson. Yeah, we see the crystal, apparently there's a warden stuck inside, and their ghost's been trying to get someone to free it." You turn to address the muted ghost, but it's nowhere to be seen. "Strange, it was here a moment ago."
"Eh, maybe it's the incense on Gobson. Anyways, looks like this crystal's also a Mana crystal, but it's also made out of... dehydrated water? We can melt it, if we have some of water."
"You guys get to see a ghost?! Cor blimey! All I see is that crystal in the middle of a bathroom, and this unnatural darkness in the ceiling!"
"Unnatural... how? It's pitch black here without Petunia's light."
Gobson shrugs. "Us gobbos have what we call nightvision, guv - but the ceiling? Absolutely black. Darkest I've ever seen and been in."
You start to raise Gobson up from your cradling arms. "Well, you gotta still check it, I thought I heard your feet hitting something - or someone. So up you go!"
You watch as Gobson clambers up the panel again. "Alright, guv, let's see -" Gobson's observation was interrupted by a certain figure, dazed. "Hey! It's that thief from the market!"
>CHOOSE
>□ Get some water from outside
>□ Get some water from the nearby pipes
>□ Does piss work?
>□ Just keep chipping away
>□ Find where the ghost is now
>□ Other (fill in)

>CHOOSE FOR GOBSON
>□ Get Gobson to drag the thief down
>□ Get Gobson down and catch the thief yourself
>□ Get Gobson down and safe
>□ Other (fill in)

>>4926888
>□ Get some water from the nearby pipes
and
>□ Other: Have Gobson grab the thief, then yank both of 'em down to you! Be careful around the crystal, of course.

>>4926888
Gobson: "Hey! It's that thief from the market!"
James: (eyes blaze with justice)
>□ Get some water from the nearby pipes
>□ Get Gobson to drag the thief down
We should try to get Gobson to move away with that incense and see if that brings the ghost back.

>>4926892
+1

>>4926892
Sounds like a good plan

>>4926888
Supporting >>4926892

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>>4926892
+1

Was it ever explained to us what the purpose of these things around our necks is? Trackers or something?

>>4926917
>We should try to get Gobson to move away with that incense and see if that brings the ghost back.

Also this, after we get the thief down from the ceiling.

>>4927164
They're collars. I think they're supposed to be an administrative tool, for things like detection and shock

Frank had a plan to use it to mindcontrol everyone.

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>>4926892
>>4926917
>>4926932
>>4926990
>>4926998
>>4927164
"What?! Gobson, grab him, quick!" You yell, grabbing hold of Gobson's leg yourself.
"Got em, guv!" Gobson reports, and you pull him out of the ceiling space, the thief securely in tow. The commotion causes a pipe on the ceiling to break!
Petunia mumbles to herself, "Plumbing around here seems intact, there could be some water- " before she, in turn, was doused from the free-flowing water. "Ack! James, Gobson, what the hell!" She turns around and sees three figures, two of them falling. You safely catch Gobson, but the thief wasn't so lucky and ends up eating the floor.
"Ha! In your face, knob-end!" Gobson quips.
The thief looks quite young, and in Petunia's warm mitochondrial glow you see that he is definitely not a goblin, but a human. You take a closer look, and it seems like our thief here is still going commando, his modesty covered only by his cloak. Which you restrain him with, and makes him look like a possum in a bindle.
>WHAT DO YOU DO WITH A CAPTURED THIEF-LING?
>□ Bring him outside, he could escape in the dark
>□ Keep him here until Petunia's done freeing the warden
>□ Knock him out
>□ Interrogate (about what?)
>□ Set him free
>□ Other (fill in)

>>4928222
>□ Interrogate (about what?)
Who he is and why he's following us. Then ask about the still situation

>>4928222
>□ Interrogate (about what?)
Let's interrogate, but keep an close eye on him. If he tries to escape, bonk him in the head.

>>4928316
>>4928464
these

>>4928222
>□ Interrogate (about what?)
Grill this motherfucker like the CIA while menacingly patting a spoon in our hands.

And try not to stare at a soaking wet Petunia.

>>4928762
Interrogate about this >>4928316

>>4928762
>spoiler
yes, this too

>>4928762
Emphasis on "Try", hopefully

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>>4928316
>>4928464
>>4928742
>>4928762
>>4928766
>>4928840
>>4929302
"Sorry about that, Petunia, but we just caught a thief." You take a glance at Petunia, improperly moisturized, whose pale skin starts to show from underneath the orange prison shirt, and the lack of brassiere just accentuates the slight lazy curves - okay, you need to avert your gaze now.
"H-hey handsome, I think I know this guy." Petunia, caught in a rare moment of vulnerability, hastily covers her body with her arms.
"Oh yeeeah! He's the lifewater thief, ain't he?" Gobson, thankfully oblivious to the romantic tension, grabs hold of the thief, who keeps squirming.
Hoooh, all right, let's ask the thief some questions. Divert your mind from the curves.
"Well, you know how this goes. I have questions, and you hopefully got answers. Or else you get the spoon." You tap the spoon menacingly. "Okay, first! Who are you and why are you following us?"
The thief speaks with the voice of a boy. "What the- following you?! You're the one following me! I ain't gonna go back! Never!!"
Petunia, who was trying to squeeze water out of her shirt, suddenly looked towards the captive thief. "That voice, it can't be..."

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>>4929552
She pulls the bandanna off, and gasped. "Pedro!"
'Pedro', in turn, was also surprised. "Wait a sec... Petunia?!"
You look on, wondering. "Uh, who is this guy?"
"Well, you remember that talk we had about our past in the prison wing?" You kind of recall, Petunia admits to being a serial non-consensualist. "Pablo here was um, had been uh, with me when I got busted."
"Pablo shoots a look at Petunia. I wasn't alone with her that day. There were three of us, brothers!"
Okay, that's a lot to unpack right there.
>CHOOSE TWO
>□ Ask about why he tried to steal the lifewater
>□ Ask about this place, how long had he been here?
>□ Ask if he's implicated with Crossbones' relic theft
>□ Ask another thing (fill in)
>□ Bring him outside first before further questioning
>□ Have him guide us inside the observation room
>□ Release him
>□ Other (fill in)

>>4929573
Oof hold on, seems like I fell asleep in places there. Pedro is supposed to be the correct name for the thief.

>>4929573
>□ Ask about why he tried to steal the lifewater
Very Awkward.

>>4929573
>□ Ask about why he tried to steal the lifewater
>□ Ask if he's implicated with Crossbones' relic theft

>>4929573
>>□ Other (fill in)
As Petunia, squeeze the water out of your shirt on the crystal to melt it.

>>4929855
Right now? After we've just found out this boy she raped? I feel like there's more important stuff to do.

>>4929573
>□ Ask if he's implicated with Crossbones' relic theft
>Send Gibson to scout the outside of the bunker for any signs of the bonefolks.

Fuck. We know that those two nun nut jobs have a means to track this kid down. There's a decent chance they're already on their way here. I don't want to tangle with a bunch of necromancers if they decide us having him or being here is a problem. Or if they decide to start problems. I know nothing about those folks and don't trust them. Nor do I have a desire to. Let's be ready to bail in case trouble comes up.

>>4929913
Every time I try to write 'Gobson' it autocorrects to Gibson. I knew it was going to get past me one of these days and it finally did.

>>4929913
+1

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>>4929573
Sorry guys, no update tonight, sleep ambushed me. Expect something tomorrow.

>>4930916
No sweat, man, get some rest!

>>4929573
>□ Ask about why he tried to steal the lifewater
>□ Ask if he's implicated with Crossbones' relic theft

>>4930916
You don't need an excuse to not update once every few days, homie. In any case, take it easy, cheif.

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>>4929601
>>4929648
>>4929913
>>4930114
>>4930982
Choosing to ignore the heaviest topic for now, you ask Pedro about his thievery. "Hey. Hey, Pedro, eyes over here." You try not to look at Petunia's drippin wet bod. Pedro, on the other hand, is wigging out considerably. "Look, I'm gonna ask you stuff, okay? So calm down and-"
"I am Private Pedro Rubeda! My serials are TLM49007-A! I am a loyal soldier of the Eternal Empire! I am Priv--" Pedro is trying to be stoic, but it is evident he's shaking.
"Whoa, whoa, easy, easy! You're not in a war right now!" You try to calm him down to no avail.
"W-what have they done to you? Poor, sweet Pedro... what have they done?" Petunia gasped. Pedro seems to calm a bit after hearing her voice.
"Petunia? Then that means - noooo. Have they got you too?!" Pedro refocused, if for a moment.
"No, Pedro my sweet, we're in the Gaol now."
"Ahem, as I was saying, I've got questions. Mostly about two things." You waited for a second to ensure he's paying attention, which he did. "Okay, one: are you the one who stole the Necrologue?"
"I-i have to. Pablo, Paulo and I - we were told that because we -fucked- Petunia, they said - they said we were men already. Gave us a gun each. Dropped us in the frontlines! We got deployed in different wars. I got back, but I don't know if Pablo or Paulo made it or not. I have to know! So, the Necrologue - it records the dead. ALL the dead." You seem to be able to piece together what's going on.
"So what does the lifewater figure in this...?"
"The ritual, of course."
Come again?
>POTENTIAL GOAL ACQUIRED: FIND OUT THE STATE OF THE RUBEDA BROTHERS
>CHOOSE
>□ Question about the ritual
>□ Question about Petunia & pre-war past
>□ Question about the war, which war?
>□ Question about something else (fill in)
>□ Enough questions for now, escort him outside
>□ Enough questions for now, finish exploring the observation room for loot
>□ Knock him out
>□ Other (fill in)

>>4932370
>□ Question about the ritual
>□ Question about the war, which war?

You ain't about to escape GAOL just to be drafted!

>>4932370
>□ Question about the ritual
>□ Question about Petunia & pre-war past
>□ Question about the war, which war?

>>4932370
>□ Question about the ritual
Gee, i mean, i knew petunia wasnt a flower but if she's still calling them sweets, that bodes poorly for this ongoing attempt at trying to fix her, among other things

>>4932370
He's trying to bring his brothers back via some form of sorcery, utilizing stolen ritualistic materials, that he doubtless has little understanding of. This is incredibly foolish for a variety of reasons. We cannot let him follow though with this. At the very least not without looking into this extensively ourselves.

What he doesn't explain is how he wound up here. Perhaps they were penal soldiers.

Petunia and his brothers' past can come later. There'll be plenty of time for that. I don't think the war he was in is as important either: the Eternal Empire is massive beyond statement. We know this. It could be fighting a thousand wars on a million fronts for as much as we know. We might never even be able to narrow down where or when that was was. We're also not going to be getting very useful answers from him while he's so hysterical. Best to calm him down first and interrogate him later.

Like I said before, there's a decent chance trouble is already on the way. We need to free this warden so we can get the info we need first.

>□ Question about something else (fill in)
>Try and have Petunia calm him down, first.
Ask him if he's being followed and what he was searching for here. He might know something we don't. We can help him later if we think it's worth our time. Our task here should take priority. Who knows what might come up that'll prevent us from freeing this warden later. She's the best source of info we could possibly ask for.

>>4932441
+1, prioritize that warden

>>4932441
You have a point about the warden part, but i'm going to say 'no' on having the woman who raped him 'calm him down'

>>4932561
So then have Petunia keep working at the Crystal while we keep an eye on him and try to calm him down? Do you agree to that?

>>4932611
Yeah uhhhhhh screw >>4932548, I'd rather Petunia keep freeing that Warden while we question the guy.

>>4932611
Yeah, that's what i meant

>>4932629
Agreed.

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>>4932390
>>4932422
>>4932427
>>4932441
>>4932548
"Okay... what ritual is this?" You inquire, curiously.
"The Reading. Necrologue, it's no ordinary book. You open it with no ritual, it's blank - but after The Reading, you can look and see who's dead and written. I, I, i! I just want to know if they're dead or not..."
Petunia sighs, taking a break between chipping at certain points on the crystal. "Look, Pedro - for what it's worth to you, I'm sorry, I truly am. I messed up, big time. I mean, my life was a mess before that, but I shouldn't have dragged your lives down like that." Pedro's shaking slows down.
"Petunia - so that is really you, then?" Pedro straightens himself up a bit, but sags. "Sometimes I think about the time before... all this. We're just boys, studying in the youth academy. Dodgeball, tests, just... normal kid stuff. I remember when you came as a new nurse, we called you Petty Petunia. We were just innocent kids... So why did we have to get punished like that?" His eyes water.
Gobson, who stayed silent the entire time, coughs. "Um, too much drama for me, guv. I'll be outside, keeping an eye out. Yeah." And Gobson leaves the corridor.
"Calm down, son. Why don't you tell me about the war? Us civilians back home don't get told much, you know." A quick detour to distract and preserve Pedro's sanity, hopefully you didn't inadvertently trigger him.
Thankfully, he seems stable. "We... we were sent to one of the frontline realities. Place was covered air to ground in foliage, there were so many plants and animals. Thought we were alone and it'd be a cakewalk, just another resource reality, you know? That is, until we found the Predator Kings. Or rather, they found us. Could you imagine, a nation of literal monsters and boogeymen?" He glances at Petunia. "Their ideology is 'might makes right', and that's why we went to war. The things I've seen they do to us. When my platoon was wiped, I had to scurry and hide for months, killing and eating them to survive..."
At this point, Gobson came rushing in. "Oi guv, the nuns are coming! They're heading this way from Goblinton."
Well this accelerates things. You look at Petunia's work, the crystal is almost shattered already. Then you look at Pedro, back to normal wigging out levels. Gobson, catching his breath.
>CHOOSE
>□ Get Gobson to delay the nuns
>□ Prepare an ambush
>□ Knock Pedro out for a while
>□ Ask where he keeps the Necrologue now
>□ Quickly explore the other room before the nuns get here
>□ Get Petunia to rescue the warden ASAP
>□ Hide and let Pedro be captured by the nuns
>□ Other (fill in)

>>4933711
I knew them bitches would be on their way. Hope it doesn't result in us having to bail, but it probably will. We haven't even really checked the building that much.

Best bet I think is for Petunia to finish off her work while Gobson goes to distract them. He's got the deceiver trait, and he should make a good job of it. Once we have the warden free, we can decide whether we want to meet them at all.

>□ Get Gobson to delay the nuns
>□ Get Petunia to rescue the warden ASAP
>□ Ask where he keeps the Necrologue now

We gotta know where that thing is Incase worse comes to worse. I'll bet these nuns are pretty capable combatants. They wouldn't be wandering around on their own otherwise.

>>4933790
+1

>>4933790
+1
we gotta act fast and decisive

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>>4933790
>>4933903
>>4934347
Quickly, you assess the situation. You want to look for the documents that could still be in this observation room, but you haven't finished checking out the rooms yet. The fact that you've caught the thief complicates things with the nuns, who might think you're in cahoots with Pedro here. Then there's the matter with Pedro and Petunia's past - getting them both out might help with Petunia's redemption.
>GOAL GET: REDEEM PETUNIA
"Alright, change of plans. Gobson, you find a way to delay the nuns."
Gobson wheezes a bit, straightens his back, and stretches before heading back out once more. "Right, guv, but you better get me some tasty snacks later!" He said, as he runs up the inclned corridor.
"Petunia, you done with that crystal yet?"
"Almost, handsome. Just a little tap here and..." As soon as Petunia finished saying that, the crystal fragments and shatters. Inside, the warden lies immaculate - except for that bullet wound. You could swear you see a face overlaid on top of the warden's own, thanking Petunia.
"Petunia, can you stabilize her?" That wound is concerning.
"I'll give it a try."
You refocus your attenton back to Pedro.
"Now, as you might know, the people you stole the Necrologue from are coming. I don't know what they're going to do to you. Maybe take out all your bones away? Anyways, I know what I'm going to do with you - I'm going to take you to Goblinton and maybe keep you safe. But I need to know this first: where is the location of the Necrologue?"

>ROLL 3d20, BEST OF THREE

>CHOOSE GOBSON'S DISTRACTION METHOD (first dice)
>□ Talk
>□ Prank
>□ Bluff
>□ Other (Fill in)

>STABILIZING WARDEN (second dice)

>PEDRO COOPERATION (third dice)

Rolled 4, 2, 5 = 11 (3d20)

>>4935253
>Prank
STEAL SOMEONE'S PANTS AND RUN AWAY

Rolled 13, 11, 12 = 36 (3d20)

>>4935253
>GOB DISTRACTION: TALK
It's like his superpower or something.

Rolled 2, 8, 7 = 17 (3d20)

>>4935253
>□ Talk
Here goes...

>>4935272
Gobson's good at talking, and this is our best roll in all cases

>>4935271
>>4935287
>>4935287
Jesus Christ, if we get rolls like this on the regular we're fucking doomed.

>>4935272
This. Gobson's a good talker and pranks don't go over well with super-conservative, serious, religious types.

>>4935253
Will Petunia get a bonus to her attempts for having been a nurse?

>>4935617
Yeah, the rolls are adequate, generally speaking.

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>>4935272
>>4935287
>ROLLS: 13, 11, 12
>ADEQUATE ON ALL ACCOUNTS
You are momentarily Gobson, catching up with the Crossbones Sisters. "Oi, Sisters! Nice to see ya here! Wotchu doing here?"
"Oh, if it isn't Gobson! Why, we were tracking down the thief, and it led us here." Sister Beryl replies, as Sister Delarue nods. "Why are you here, Gobson?"
>TRAIT: DECEIVER
>TRAIT: HONEST
"Well, you mentioned something about an observation room, so James, that curious fella, wanted a look-see. So anyways! I need your help with something."
"Very well, Gobson, we of the Church of Eternal End would gladly help you. What is the problem?"
"Say, I heard you know necromancy, yeah? Which means you know people with really long lives, yeah? ...hypothetically, let's say we met someone who's been stuck in a... rock, for a long time - how'd you deal with them?"
The Sisters look at each other, Delarue tilting her head quzzically. Sister Beryl replies. "Why, treat them like you would a lost person, and slowly teach them about current times. Did you meet a ghost or something?"
"Something of the sort. Now, another question, unrelated to the first - let's say you hurt someone in the past, and you haven't got time to apologize, but you haven't met them in some time - and then, real sudden-like, you meet them, and they're still hurting bad - maybe worse, because what you did - and it hurts you to see them hurt. But you know trying to get close to them would probably hurt them again, what are you supposed to do? ...asking for a friend." The Sisters tilt their heads in thought.
Meanwhile, said 'friend' was trying her best in remembering her medical training. "Alright, the bullet's gone clean through and I've cast Disinfect on the wound. Damn, she got a rack bigger than mine. Okay, next is the Mend spell, gotta visualize the inner structures and... hnnnggggh" Petunia's hand glows with ATP as she casts the spell. "That should do it, I think."
As Petunia finishes up, you managed to get Pedro's cooperation. "Alright, alright! Don't hurt me! Don't let them take my bones! I've hidden it on my ceiling base!"
"Alright, take it easy, kid. Chill for a bit." Now, what do you do?
>CHOOSE
>□ Hand over Pedro to the Crossbones
>□ Get Pedro and the warden to Goblinton
>□ Search the other room quickly for warden stuff
>□ Ambush the Crossbones when they get here
>□ Get the warden to wake up
>□ Other (fill in)

>>4937082
>□ Get Pedro and the warden to Goblinton
I figure we could carry the Warden and slip out the back while Gobson distracts the two. It'd be nice if we could wake her up, but we'd probably miss the distraction window.

Hopefully Gobson will get the gist and meet us back.

>>4937082
We for sure don't have time to search this area. And since the nuns can track Pedro so long as they have his pants, they'll catch up to us eventually. Seems to me like we'll just be delaying the inevitable unless we turn over that book to the nuns and hope that they're cool enough to not be upset with Pedro. Maybe they'll even help him.

If the other anons are in agreement, I say we (James) goes out to explain the situation to the nuns while Petunia gets ready to carry the warden to safety with Pedro following if they turn out to be upset. We can send Gobson back to warn her if we think things are going south.

>>4937082
>□ Get Pedro and the warden to Goblinton
We can check it for loot later, but we're in a tough spot right now. Let's slink off before they de one the poor kid

>>4937154
Problem is, anon, they are the creepy bone cult. God knows what they'll do with Pedro, and they sure as hell won't do the ritual just to find his possibly dead brothers.

>>4937161
>they sure as hell won't do the ritual just to find his possibly dead brothers.

This is true. I was mostly hoping they'd at least tell him if his brothers had perished.

>>4937167
The Ritual is to find out if they died

>>4937169
Oh. So what do we do after we get them back to Goblinton? We gotta get rid of those pants if we don't want them following us.

>>4937082
>that DECEIVER and HONEST combo
B A S E D
A
S
E
D

>>4937174
Is getting it back even possible? The Sister tracks people by ownership and they probably hold onto it tight. We don't want to end up angering a whole faction so soon.

Is there any way to remove ownership? Maybe get him new pants?

>>4937082
>□ Get Pedro and the warden to Goblinton
I hope we can come back to explore this place off after these dumb shenanigans end and we don't have boner-priestesses chasing after us

>>4937186
What I'm wondering is if there's a perfectly acceptable way for Pedro to do the book ritual with the full permission of the bone-maidens, then return the book back to them? Or if they know somebody authorized to do the ritual for somebody else, if possible?

>>4937186
>We don't want to end up angering a whole faction so soon.

That's why I'm stuck here. We could keep hauling ass and hope they stay behind, but they'll have to catch up at some point. The longer we try and run, the more pissed off they'll be. I gotta go to bed. Hopefully one of you anons is smart enough to figure out a good solution by tomorrow.

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>>4937149
>>4937157
>>4937187
"...so now my friend is seriously regretting getting this guy drafted by accident, and getting the brothers to lose contact in the war. But, despite being the one to hurt him, my friend wants to help him out, see? How could my friend even help?"
Sister Beryl ponders for a moment. "Well, maybe they could help find the fate of the brothers? That could help. It is written in the Fibian Sutra that one should try to mend their wrongs before even trying to enter the path of Eternal Endings, after all."
"Huh, I'll note that for the next time I see my friend. So! How'd the thief situation go? Catch them yet?"
"Good of you to ask, Gobson - it appears that the thief had visited the abandoned observation room several times, in the past. I do hope that James and Petunia didn't run afoul of that terrible thief."

>Meanwhile
Seems like the safest option right now is to get the Warden and Pedro back to Goblinton. Problem is, there's only one exit where a larger-than-goblin fellow could pass, and that's the front entrance. "Petunia, you carry the Warden, I'll carry Pedro - let's see if there's an exit through here." The room where the crystal used to be used to be some sort of bathroom. Fluotescent light from outside filter in through the window, each of its two panes lodged with a large shard of crystal. If you remove the crystals and the glass shards, you think you could fit. There is also a sizable radial crack on the wall underneath the window, and on the other side is the pipe-hole Gobson came from. While Pedro may fit, Petunia, the warden and you definitely cannot fit. Some bathroom amenities lie scattered on the floor, probably fallen from that forgotten drawer - or that seemingly intact first aid kit, perhaps. There is also a pipe leading to the darkened ceiling of the observation room.
>CHOOSE
>□ Break and exit through windows
>□ Break the wall
>□ Go to the ceiling and wait for the Sisters to pass
>□ Other (fill in)

>>4937838
Waiting for the sisters won't work, i think. They can track him, can't they?

Maybe we could get James and Pedro to gtfo out of this place while Petunia stays with the Warden a moment more to keep the nuns here. We can say that James went running back to the Goblin' village to grab some of nanna's medicine (for the warden) while he's actually taking Pedro.

Of course, that would only be kicking the can down the road...honestly, i have no idea of what to do.

>>4937838
>WRITE-IN
Okay, hear me out--what if we use the BATHROOM AND FIRST AID AMENITIES to wrap our hands in gauze or something, then use that to muffle the sound of breaking the window glass?

>>4937861
Anon, the sound doesn't come from our hands, it comes from the window breaking.

>>4937861
>>4937838
In that case let's just... I dunno, clear the glass out. Should be easy with the crystals already jutting through.

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>>4937850
>>4937861
>>4937943
>>4937970
You guess that even you can't break through this wall as easily as the cubicle walls, these observation rooms are designed to withstand explosives by the looks of it, cracked or not. So, between a rock and a hard lace, you chose the windows as your exit. "Petunia, change of plans. You stay here with the Warden, keep her stable, meet up with Gobson and the Sisters."
Petunia looks at her paramour with worry. "What about you, handsome?"
"I'm gonna go through the window with Pedro here, on to Goblinton. Let's meet back at Nanna's once I can find somewhere to hide Pedro in." You see the worry in her eyes. "No, you can't go through the window with me, I can't risk you getting cut up from the glass."
"What about the noise? The Sisters are definitely going to hear." Petunia says as she lays down the warden on the floor.
"Kinda what I'm counting on, actually. But still..." You open the medical kit and was relieved to find sterile clumps of cotton and gauze. Wrapping your spoon with them, you feel like this would be enough dampening to clean the windows, or at least a window, safely from glass. "Here goes."

"...lemme get this straight, so Sister Delarue here can... 'read' the history of stuff?"
"Yes, Gobson, just one touch and she knows where something has been."
"Ah, that explains the rope and pants, then-" The sound of glass breaking was heard. "Hey, wozzat? Did something happen?"
The Sisters look at each other, Delarue nodding fast. "We need to help them! The thief might have confronted them already!" The Sisters start running towards the observation room, lifting their prison habits just a bit to allow for more speed.
"Oiii! Cor, wait fer meee!" Gobson runs after them.
>CHOOSE
>□ Follow James' viewpoint
>□ Follow Petunia's viewpoint
>□ Follow Gobson's viewpoint

>ALSO
>□ Go straight to Goblinton, towards Nanna's hut
>□ Go straight to Goblinton, towards the Goblin Market
>□ Go around into the raptor-infested cubicle farms before circling back towards Goblinton
>□ Head towards Pedro's ceiling base and find a way up
>□ Go to the guard tower above the cubicle farms
>□ Other (fill in)

>>4939255
>□ Follow James' viewpoint
>□ Head towards Pedro's ceiling base and find a way up
Run. DANANANANANANANANANANANNAANANNAAN

But really, James's past probably gave him plenty of experience of running from the authorities, so he should be able to get to the ceiling base, get up, and then run back to Goblinton.

>>4939255
>□ Follow James' viewpoint
>□ Head towards Pedro's ceiling base and find a way up

>>4939255
>□ Follow James' viewpoint
>□ Head towards Pedro's ceiling base and find a way up

When we get Gobson back with us, we're gonna need his help in stealing that rope and pants back otherwise these two will be on us until literally the end of time. And probably more of their kin along with them. Let's hope Pedro's hideout is pretty damn good.

I still think we should try and explain the situation to them and hope they're chill about it because they look pretty forgiving, but I don't think anyone else would agree.

>>4939255
>□ Follow James' viewpoint
>□ Head towards Pedro's ceiling base and find a way up
what >>4939282 said

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>>4939255
Sorry guys, no update today, sleepy a.f. all of a sudden.
Feel free to discuss about the quest while I'm out, they are very welcome. Fanart is fine too.

>>4940779
I forgot Petunia had a ponytail. I wonder what she looks like without her glasses on.

Who else thinks we'll need to steal those pants to escape the bonefolk?

>>4940779
>Blue and Yellow
He really is ENA's older brother

>>4940928
Who?

>>4940959
Some funny animation character that got popular recently. It's pretty funny.

She looks like a Picasso painting, similar to James here. She's also yellow and blue.

Petunia's drippin wet bod

>>4940779
No sweat, QM--still really enjoying things so far.

Can't artfag for shit, but as far as discussion goes, I can't help but wonder where we're headed. Something tells me we're gonna have to choose a side eventually, and there seem to be a lot of factions in here. Even worse, what's waiting outside of THE GAOL? War?

>>4941191
>outside the Gaol
Freedom, or so it seems. But you are also partially correct.

Wait, just how big is the Eternal Empire? It's apparently big enough to invade other realities solely for resources as an casual thing, but yet this seemingly important, home-reality seems to have let gaol get extremely run down, and careless enough to let its infantrymen get molested as well as to have protests happen.

I mean, are they supposed to be some kind of Uber-Combine type thing?

>>4941664
Yep, you got it. It is big, it is monolithic...or at least, that's what James and Petunia and most of the other inmates knew when they were Gaol'd. Of course, things might get worse on the outside. Refer to the unofficial soundtrack...

In other news, my right arm's hurting bad after some kitchen errands earlier n the day, so I can't draw jack shit. Sorry to say that updates will be postponed. But the qna and discussions are still on - I can still type with my left hand.

So a summary of things we need to do that anons should feel free to add to and discuss:

>Interrogate the Warden and find out what we need to know
>Try and resolve Pedro's desire to know the fate of his brothers
>Try and get Petunia and Pedro to reconcile
>Generally try to help heal Petunia of her issues
>Speaking of which, we mentioned before that it would be a good idea to have her looked at by a medical professional, concerning her symbiosis with Mighty (in case some kind of complications arise)
>Establish or form a connection with some kind of resistance movement
>Overthrow the Eternal Empire

Am I missing anything?

>>4942014
>Marry Petunia and knock her up.
You missed this.

>>4942099
Oh, yeah. True, true. Good catch, anon.
>Pound Petunia silly and put a ring on her.

I'd also like to talk to Gobson for a bit at some point, like we did with Petunia. We don't really know much about him, his past, or his ideals/goals.

>>4942119
Yeah, Gobson is still an element we don't know. And add
>Survive in Gongalla Gaol alongside any allies by any means necessary.

>>4942014
How are we going to overthrow the eternal empire? If it's at the level where they invade entire realities for resources, what possible way is there to topple it?

The sheer production capability they would have far outranks, well, everything. It'd be like fighting The Combine Empire, except a thousand times worse because we're facing their actual soldiers instead of their low-level cleanup crews.

>>4942187
Well, the general answer to that is 'you'd be surprised'. The Empire paints itself as perfect, but James knew it isn't all that monolithic and clean.

>>4942193
True, but it's hard to fight when your enemy has enough ships to blot out the sun. If we were to actually do damage, we'd have to either destroy the head of the serpent, which is most likely a death wish, or start some sort of arab-spring tier organized revolution across, well, everywhere

And for that, we'd need a lot of resources and a safe base whre we could send out messages. As well as generalized unrest. In my opinion, if we really want to take down the empire, we'll probably need to take a good part of Gaol first. It's the place with the least government intervention as far as we know.

>>4942099
Also, i support this

>>4942196
Take over the entire Gaol, use that as our main force against the Empire?

>>4942209
I was thinking more so of just taking over what we need to estabilish some sort of Free Territory and use that to do stuff outwards. If we take the entire planet they'll just send in the cavalry to kill us all.

Right now, they seem to have mostly abandoned it and left everyone to do whatever - that is a great opportunity, and a big mistake. So i reckon we should just make an faction of our own, and maybe get rid of anyone who might be a threat, like those coppos and frank. Dude's seriously not good, his dreams involved being worshipped nad mind-controlling everyone

>>4942187
The sheer logistical extensiveness needed to maintain such an empire would be astronomical. It would be physically impossible for it's system to function without a hefty amount of inefficiency. In other words, they have to have flaws. Lots of them. Part of it is a matter of finding those flaws. They can't have eyes everywhere at once. That's something that can be taken advantage of.

There have to be plenty of people who've been neglected by the Empire's bureaucracy. Subjects and government workers alike. People exactly like that warden, who might know a lot more about those bureaucratic and logistical weaknesses. Just like a body, the Empire has different organs functioning at different tasks to support each other and the whole. You hit the right organ suddenly and hardly enough, and you can send the body reeling before it has time to recover.

But for us to do this we need to know a whole lot more about our enemy, so to speak. That's why it's so vital that we keep this warden safe. Her knowledge could be absolutely invaluable.

>>4942219
>It would be physically impossible for it's system to function without a hefty amount of inefficiency.
Well, that's the problem, we don't know enough to know just how much they can push the physical - i mean, magic exists, magitech exists, japanese mythological monsters with blank faces and putty bodies exist, ghosts exist...it's impossible to run such an empire normally, yes, but what is normal in this universe?

Obviously, they're not undefeatable, but the scale of how good they are depends on a lot of stuff we haven't learned yet.

>>4942226
>Obviously, they're not undefeatable, but the scale of how good they are depends on a lot of stuff we haven't learned yet.

This is true. Any planning as of now would just be conjecture.

The only thing we can be fairly certain of is that it ain't gonna be easy.

>>4942215
He got corrupted from a central database update. Who knows how many other robots got that and are exactly like Frank ended up. If there's any still around, they might have got into an infinite AI hacking war against each other and have decided to utterly ignore everything and everyone else in their single-minded fighting.

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>>4939292
>>4939624
>>4939922
You are James Calaca, and right now you're carrying a bundled-up package by the name of Pedro Rubeda.
"Wait, aren't we headed the wrong way? We're supposed to go to Goblinton, aren't we?" Said package is observant.
"We're taking a little detour. Where's your ceiling base?"
Pedro stares at you for a while. "Don't tell me, you're also looking for the Necrologue?"
"More or less. Where do we go?" The both of you are soon back in the cubcle farms.
"Umm! Turn right here. Then turn left over... there." Pablo weaves you through the labyrinthine cubicles.
As you walk briskly, you make small talk. "So, you've been with Petunia, haven't you?"
Pedro's pupils tighten. "Y-yeah. But look where it landed me. Turn right."
"Did the three of you love her, or...?"
"Yeah, I mean, we all had something of a crush on her. Uh, turn left here. She's kind, and funny, even though a bit awkward. But then... you know. That happened."
"Did you or your brothers ever bullied her?"
Pedro's eyes widen as he looks at you, increduously. "What, no! We were exemplary cadets, all three of us." He then looked a bit more downcast. "We were supposed to get a scholarship when we enter the academy proper..."

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>>4942786
"Come on, kid, stop dwelling in the past. I get it, shit happened to you, but more importantly you should focus on the future. How to pick up the pieces. Fix your life until you can move on."
"I dunno if I can do that... ah, we're here."
A rope hangs down from a hole on the ceiling, tantalizingly close yet hard to reach. Maybe if you jump?
"How do you even get up there?"
"That's weird. Usually the rope dangles all the way down. We might have to go through the second entrance, then."
Well, that's ominous.
>CHOOSE
>□ Jump to reach the rope
>□ Sweep the area for possible hostiles
>□ Look for another opening
>□ Let Pedro guide you to his second entrance
>□ Head back to Goblinton
>□ Other (fill in)

>>4942805
>□ Sweep the area for possible hostiles

>>4942786
>□ Jump to reach the rope
Parkour, duh

>>4942805
>>□ Sweep the area for possible hostiles
If no one is found,
>□ Jump to reach the rope

>>4942815
This'm.

>>4942815
+1 always sweep for safety

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>>4942808
>>4942815
>>4943265
>>4943393
"I don't like the looks of this..." you slink sideways into a cubicle, Pedro in your arm. "Smells like a sting. Or an ambush." Sneaking a little ways back, you peep above the cubicle walls carefully every so often. On your fourth recon peek, you notice a strange couple putting the hole under surveillance. A big, bald muscular mustachioed man is holding an opera telescope, while what looks like an imp is clinging on his back. The imp is evidently frustrated, as you can hear its (wait, her?) angry whispers even from a couple of dividers away.
"...whaddya mean ya lost em?! Ya sparkle-headed buffoon, they couldn't have gone far. I reckon if ya used yer polished noggin properly, you'll find 'em again!" The imp's severe accent is quite unlike Gobson's.
"Are we not supposed to just keep watchink the hidey-hole? Take note, not catch people. Methink you should be calmink down." The strongman lookalike also has his own, distinct accent, one you feel familiar with. Did you use to hear it on the docks, back home?
You wonder just who these guys are. "Pedro, know them?" You whisper.
"Uh, no, I don't, never saw them before."
>CHOOSE
>□ Keep watching the watchers
>□ Ambush them
>□ Sneak towards the second entrance
>□ Sneak towards Goblinton
>□ Other (fill in)