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[CYOA] Sand

135

Posts

  • RankenphileRankenphile Passersby were amazed by the unusually large amounts of blood.Registered User, Moderator mod
    Grab a blanket or some other sort of protective gear for when the night falls, then kill the bottle of whiskey and get a quick nap in to avoid the heat before setting out.

    8406wWN.png
  • BhowBhow Sunny day, sweeping the clouds away. On my way to where the air is sweet.Registered User regular
    But first, peek in on Klaus' workshop.

    What's he building in there?

  • Clint EastwoodClint Eastwood My baby's in there someplace She crawled right inRegistered User regular
    Sorry in advance for the (relatively) huge update here. Exposition is fun and cool.
    Grab a blanket or some other sort of protective gear for when the night falls, then kill the bottle of whiskey and get a quick nap in to avoid the heat before setting out.

    Unwilling to venture out into the heat again this soon, you decide to catch a few winks before departure. Picking up the whiskey again as you attempt to determine the best place to sleep, you slug it down, draining the bottle and coughing twice. After gingerly pulling the wrecked stool from the top of the pool table, you climb on it and recline back, palms flattened and propping you up. You look up at the ceiling: spots of sunlight stream through pinholes, and particles of dust and the ever present sand float through the tiny beams. Your eyes flutter shut as you lay down on your side and fall asleep, curled up in the fetal position.

    -5:00 PM-

    You are startled awake by a loud banging noise, coming from outside. You jerk upright, scrabbling around and looking for your gun; it is still tucked into your pants. Roger is still in the pile of hay, but the rest of the Wasps are presumably gone. You climb off the table, easing yourself onto the floor, and poke your head outside after a trip to the grungiest restroom in the history of civilization.

    The rest of the group is out in front of the building, tinkering with Alexander's buggy. You sidle up to them, waving awkwardly. Klaus is poking at the buggy's guts; it's all rusted out and shitty. You are somewhat surprised it ran for as long as it did.

    The woman turns her attention to you, walking from around the back of the buggy. She nods at your briefly, then whispers something to Klaus, who stops his work and stands up, pulling up his sagging pants as he does.

    "Heading out, stranger?"

    You nod your head briskly.

    "Right then. Before y'go, lemme introduce you to the Wasps." Gesturing at the woman, Klaus says, "This's Alice. She's the one who found our buggies. She's yer girl if you need directions."

    She smiles thinly at you; you couldn't see her face before when she was sleeping, but she has quite a nasty scar, reaching from her left temple all the way down to her right cheek. Her eyes are as dark as her hair.

    Her voice is reedy and snide; she sneeringly says, "The mountain's to the southeast of the junction, but from the sound of it you were headed that way anyway before. I'm sure you can figure it out. Bring that sum'bitch back and maybe I'll help y'out." She walks past you without making eye contact, heading back inside. You instantly dislike her.

    Klaus chuckles badnaturedly. "She's a bit of a...
    pill when she's hung over. Sorry 'bout that, stranger. Anyway, this 'ere's my brother, Leland. He handles our huntin', for the most part. I help, for my part." He squats back down and starts working again.

    Leland grins widely at you. "Call me Lee, stranger. If y'need anything, gimme a shout. I'm due t'head out in a day or two for a hunt, but anything y'might find out there, try and bring it back, unnerstand? There's a little pond a couple miles north of here; usually you can find a lizard or two during the day. If y'can sneak up on 'em they aren't hard t'kill. Just stay away at night. Crawlers." He extends his hand to you.

    You gladly shake his hand and reply, "Actually, two questions. Any chance there's something in the bar I could use to stay warm? A blanket or a coat or something? In case I need to stay out overnight tonight."

    Leland tugs at his beard for a moment, mulling it over, and then says, "Well, there's Roger's straw, but he needs that... Sorry, stranger, but I don't think I can help y'there. Hard enough keepin' the bar warm, huh Klaus? What's the other question?"

    "What are crawlers?"

    He grins his toothy grin again; you notice his canines are filed to a point and grimace a bit. "They're what they sound like. They crawl around in the sand at night, hide underneath in the day. Like living quicksand, hahaha."

    "You're joking, right?"

    "Hell no! If they grab ya, y'better get away fast, or use that little popgun of yours. 'F more then one of 'em gets ahold of ya, use that bullet on y'rself. Save the trouble. Old friend of ours, Mike, he got pulled under by 'em. We don't go out huntin' at night any more. Just stay inside after the moon comes up."

    "So stay in the car after dark?"

    "Yeah, or just stay here. Guess it's too late for that, huh? Come back 'f y'need anything else." He goes back over and joins Klaus again. Shuddering a bit, you toss the knapsack into Roger's buggy and climb inside.

    The buggy smoothly hums to life as soon as you turn the key; its interior is relatively clean, and the difference between this one's level of upkeep and Alexander's is stark. You stomp the gas, kicking sand up with your rear tires, and shoot up to the road at the top of the hill as the two brothers wave you off. The buggy's tank of gas is completely full, like Klaus mentioned before.

    Idling for a moment after pulling onto the road, you consider your new information. The mountain lies a few miles away, but the sun is beginning to set. You don't know what to think about these "crawlers", but you don't exactly relish the prospect of learning more. Reasoning that you were going toward the mountain in the first place anyway, you set off. You follow the road back to the fork where you woke up, then head southeast.

    -5:30 PM-

    The trip to the mountain doesn't take long, but by the time you are close, the sun has nearly vanished beneath the horizon. The base of the mountain is obscured as you plunge up the side of a massive dune; after cresting to the top, you come to a halt and survey the scene.

    The foot of the mountain is littered with junk; destroyed vehicles, ranging from cars and motorcycles to buggies, ATVs and even a small helicopter, heaps of twisted scrap, and heavy-duty backs of assorted litter, half-open and vomiting out trash. Amidst all of these garbage, you see a crude path that leads part of the way up the mountain, then disappears around the southern edge of the mountain. The thick mist at the peak has not dissipated at all.

    Near the pathway up the mountain, you see what appears to be the entrance to some sort of cave. The dying rays of the sun cast an orange glow over the scene. You contemplate your next step.

    The time is 5:33 PM. The sun is nearly gone. You are mildly hungry and mildly thirsty. You are calm.

    ---

    Inventory
    Revolver (2 Bullets)
    Paring Knife
    Wine Key
    Full Canteen (Water)
    Full Bottle (Tequila)
    Jerky (1)
    Bar Snacks (3)
    Compass
    Watch
    Buggy Keys (ROGER)


    Now would be a good moment for me to encourage anybody interested in playing along to bookmark this thread. The more paths of action and agrees we get, the more fun we can have. Hopefully anyway. If anybody has any feedback, feel free to shoot me an @ or a pm!

  • RadiusRadius Registered User regular
    Search for any sign of Alexander's trail. Footprints, recently moved junk, etc...

    Everyday we stray further from God's light
    Steam Switch FC: 2799-7909-4852
  • RankenphileRankenphile Passersby were amazed by the unusually large amounts of blood.Registered User, Moderator mod
    Scavenge the junkyard for supplies, looking in particular for materials to make a fire to keep warm, tarps or other blankets, etc.

    8406wWN.png
  • StraightziStraightzi Here we may reign secure, and in my choice, To reign is worth ambition though in HellRegistered User regular
    Scavenge the junkyard for supplies, looking in particular for materials to make a fire to keep warm, tarps or other blankets, etc.

    Let me add in materials that might make a good torch as a part of this. Or like, a flashlight, I guess that would do. Going into a dark cave in an adventure game seems... ill-advised.

  • cB557cB557 voOOP Registered User regular
    Monsters.
    Hrm.

  • JebusUDJebusUD Adventure! Candy IslandRegistered User regular
    This looking for supplies shit is lame.

    Peel out of this lame joint and go to the mountain.

    I write you a story
    But it loses its thread
  • Clint EastwoodClint Eastwood My baby's in there someplace She crawled right inRegistered User regular
    It's fun to be able to instantly know who's a packrat in Skyrim or fallout based off their posts itt

  • Clint EastwoodClint Eastwood My baby's in there someplace She crawled right inRegistered User regular
    edited November 2015
    Radius wrote: »
    Search for any sign of Alexander's trail. Footprints, recently moved junk, etc...

    You exit your buggy and begin to trudge towards the field of debris. Leland's words are stuck in the back of your head: Just stay inside after the moon comes up. The firey orange glow of the sunset won't last much longer. You are set on getting out of the sand quickly.

    As you enter the junk field, you try to look around for any signs of life, or signs of the man you're looking for. The daily fresh winds of the desert have wiped away any tracks Alexander might have made, if he indeed came here. Scanning the debris, however, proves fruitful: after a while searching around, you discover a relatively clean red bandana, skewered upon a jagged copper pipe stuck upright near the mountain trail. Sure, it could belong to some other poor unfortunate soul, but it could also be a warning from the good doctor, in your opinion. You also find a ZIPPO in the sand, with enough fuel to provide a decent flame. It has an engraving of an old man in a red and white suit on it, and the letters QC scratched on its bottom. You pocket it.

    You are standing at the base of the mountain now. You eye the trail tentatively. The bandana flutters gently in the breeze. As far as you can tell, it is the only clue you have found as to Alexander's whereabouts, but it's not much to go on.

    You turn and peer at the cave entrance. You do not hear any noise coming from inside, but a closer look reveals it's not as dark as you expected. In fact, you're pretty sure there is a source of internal light within its depths. The sun sets entirely. You feel you must take action now, to avoid the crawlers.

    The time is 5:57 PM. The sun has set; the moon is not out yet. You are mildly hungry and thirsty. You are slightly agitated.

    ---

    Inventory
    Revolver (2 Bullets)
    Paring Knife
    Wine Key
    Full Canteen (Water)
    Full Bottle (Tequila)
    Jerky (1)
    Bar Snacks (3)
    Compass
    Watch
    Zippo Lighter
    Buggy Keys (ROGER)

    Clint Eastwood on
  • cB557cB557 voOOP Registered User regular
    I would assume the cave counts as "inside"?

  • LucedesLucedes might be real Registered User regular
    Go in the cave.

  • Clint EastwoodClint Eastwood My baby's in there someplace She crawled right inRegistered User regular
    cB557 wrote: »
    I would assume the cave counts as "inside"?

    Yes. Basically without going into too much unnecessary detail that our intrepid hero doesn't have, the crawlers travel through sand, so a rocky cave or mountainous path are likely to be crawlerfree at night.

  • Donovan PuppyfuckerDonovan Puppyfucker A dagger in the dark is worth a thousand swords in the morningRegistered User regular
    So, the crawlers are basically the worms from Tremors?

  • Clint EastwoodClint Eastwood My baby's in there someplace She crawled right inRegistered User regular
    I haven't seen that movie but after googling it I see what you're getting at. But without going into too much detail there's quite a few differences!

  • Munkus BeaverMunkus Beaver You don't have to attend every argument you are invited to. Philosophy: Stoicism. Politics: Democratic SocialistRegistered User, ClubPA regular
    i.e. no Kevin Bacon?

    Humor can be dissected as a frog can, but dies in the process.
  • BahamutZEROBahamutZERO Registered User regular
    Antifreeze is what is normally put in radiators, but people have been known to use water in a pinch.

    You can, yes. It's not just the glycol in antifreeze that will make you sick though. If you just use water, the heat from the engine operating will cause the heavy minerals and chemicals in the water to come out of solution and bake onto the walls of the water jacket, which releases oxides back into the water. This is what that crumbly white shit is in the coolant passages of an engine that has been run on water for a long time is. There will also be rust in the form of iron oxides contaminating the water if the engine uses an iron block and/or cylinder head.

    ummmmmm...
    there's crumbly white shit growing on the heating element of my cheap electric kettle... could you tell me a little bit more about this...

    BahamutZERO.gif
  • Donovan PuppyfuckerDonovan Puppyfucker A dagger in the dark is worth a thousand swords in the morningRegistered User regular
    Antifreeze is what is normally put in radiators, but people have been known to use water in a pinch.

    You can, yes. It's not just the glycol in antifreeze that will make you sick though. If you just use water, the heat from the engine operating will cause the heavy minerals and chemicals in the water to come out of solution and bake onto the walls of the water jacket, which releases oxides back into the water. This is what that crumbly white shit is in the coolant passages of an engine that has been run on water for a long time is. There will also be rust in the form of iron oxides contaminating the water if the engine uses an iron block and/or cylinder head.

    ummmmmm...
    there's crumbly white shit growing on the heating element of my cheap electric kettle... could you tell me a little bit more about this...

    It's probably calcium chloride! You can clean it off! There's this stuff called CLR, which is (funnily enough) calcium, lime, and rust remover.

  • Clint EastwoodClint Eastwood My baby's in there someplace She crawled right inRegistered User regular
    Lucedes wrote: »
    Go in the cave.
    You take the lighter out of your pocket and slowly descend into the cave tunnel. It is cool and shadowy; ancient, dead moss clings to the walls and ceiling in clumps. You tightly grip your revolver in one hand and the zippo in the other, its wan flame gently wavering as you walk. The floor is jagged and rough, clearly untended to. You exercise caution, not wanting to twist an ankle.

    The tunnel suddenly curves to the right, then leads into a short drop, about five or six feet. The light you'd seen before is coming from this pit. With a silent shrug, you kill the lighter and carefully lower yourself downward, into the hole.

    You land quietly and crouch down, taking it all in for a second. The cave is enormous, the size of a gymnasium; a navy blue pond lies glimmering in its center. Three giant floodlights are focused on the water; a dozen different pipes and tubes snake down into its depths and run up through the walls of the cave. A small, shoddy little building, all cement and plaster, sits at the base of one of the floodlights. Dead trees and withered bushes are scattered throughout the cave; dried mud coats just about everything. The far wall is crumbling apart, seemingly damaged by something. Maybe drilling, or explosive excavation. Not exactly your specialty in any case. You dip behind a hefty trunk and pause for a moment, then peek out, still clutching your weapon.

    Something is moving at the edge of the pond. A purple lizard, about as long as a man is high, is patrolling back and forth on all fours, its eyes trained onto the building. It has a large sail on its back, tinged a mustardy brown color; its tail twitches back and forth with a mind of its own. Maybe this is one of the lizards Leland mentioned. You look down the barrel of your gun at it; even if you were the best shot in the world, you're too far away to be accurate.

    Turning your eyes back toward the building, you see a harsh fluorescent light shining through a tiny window. You think you can see something (or someone) moving inside. As far as you can see, there's no way for the lizard to get in. Unless it secretly has thumbs, anyway.

    The animal lets out a chilling hiss and screech, still pacing around. You take the opportunity to scuttle from behind your treetrunk hidey hole, ducking behind anything that can hide your body. The lizard has not noticed you as you lay flat behind a mound of loose stones. You cinch your bandana tightly behind your neck, covering your mouth as you try to breathe silently. You are a hefty throw away from both the still-unaware lizard, the pond, and the building. You glance at all three in rapid succession, painfully aware of the towering lights you are nearly underneath. You are concerned the loose rubble of the damaged wall could shift at any moment.

    The time is 6:10 PM. You are inside. You are mildly hungry and thirsty. You are extremely tense.

    ---

    Inventory
    Revolver (2 Bullets)
    Paring Knife
    Wine Key
    Full Canteen (Water)
    Full Bottle (Tequila)
    Jerky (1)
    Bar Snacks (3)
    Compass
    Watch
    Zippo Lighter
    Buggy Keys (ROGER)

  • Donovan PuppyfuckerDonovan Puppyfucker A dagger in the dark is worth a thousand swords in the morningRegistered User regular
    Stick your thumb up the lizard's asshole.

    oh wait sorry:

    Crikey, he's a big feller! I'd better get a closer look at him to make sure he's okay! *spear tackle lizard, attempt to digitally sodomise it*

  • cB557cB557 voOOP Registered User regular
    Purple, huh? Probably poisonous.

  • Clint EastwoodClint Eastwood My baby's in there someplace She crawled right inRegistered User regular
    It's Barney.

  • RadiusRadius Registered User regular
    From the way the lizard is acting, it seems to want to eat whatever is inside the building, and not guard it, so

    Throw some of the rubble to distract the lizard and try to enter the building

    Everyday we stray further from God's light
    Steam Switch FC: 2799-7909-4852
  • Clint EastwoodClint Eastwood My baby's in there someplace She crawled right inRegistered User regular
    Sorry gang, busy weekend. Let's try something fun here since both options have the same number of votes. Couldn't hurt right? Hope you all like what I'm going for here.
    Radius wrote: »
    From the way the lizard is acting, it seems to want to eat whatever is inside the building, and not guard it, so

    Throw some of the rubble to distract the lizard and try to enter the building

    Stick your thumb up the lizard's asshole.

    oh wait sorry:

    Crikey, he's a big feller! I'd better get a closer look at him to make sure he's okay! *spear tackle lizard, attempt to digitally sodomise it*

    You pick up a light chunk of rock, turning it in your hand. Having formulated a plan, you stand up and hurl the rock directly at the pool. It splashes into the pond with a wet PLUNK, and the lizard spins around, startled. You take your revolver out of your pants, gripping it lightly as you attempt to sneak up on the lizard, thumb extended. You are practically beaming imagining the Wasps' faces when you return with a giant lizard to cook up.

    The lizard is peering down into the water as you approach it, but unfortunately for you, you aren't as quiet as you thought you are. As you start to speed up, thumb still extended, the monster turns around and pounces at you, knocking you flat on your back! Suddenly you're looking up into a mishmash of jagged fangs, molasses-colored tongue and thick saliva dripping down onto your face. You are pinned down, unable to move; your thumb is still extended.

    The lizard looks at your hands, then attacks you, quite deliberately. Its teeth are as sharp as they look. Your left thumb is sheared off instantly, spurting wildly and leaving a bleeding, ragged stump. Your howl fills the cave, echoing off its walls. You jerk your head back involuntarily, smacking it against the hard soil and small bits of stone beneath you. You lose consciousness slowly, but are certain you see the lizard look away from you, then dart out of sight. Your vision fades to black.

    -8:22 PM-

    You wake up gradually, numb and only loosely aware of your missing digit. Things are foggy. A balding man with patchy skin squats in front of you. You realize you are propped up against a wall.

    His voice seems distant. "It's okay, you're okay, you're okay. Can you hear me?"

    You feel like you're chewing on a wad of crumpled up schoolpaper that you can't seem to spit out. "My. My thumb. It ate my thumb. Did you see it? It ate my thumb."

    He tightens his lips and leans closer. You can see he is wearing thick glasses now; his eyes are cloudy. Maybe his glasses are cloudy, actually.

    "I saw it. Don't know what you were trying to do there but you distracted it from me, and I owed you one. We're even now. You're okay now."

    You giggle. "The Stranger With Nine Fingers. Haha ha ha haha!"

    -8:23 PM-

    You can't remember what you were doing. A balding man with patchy skin is pacing around idly in front of you. You see your knapsack on the floor near him, still closed. You realize you are propped up against a wall.

    Your voice is dry. "Hey, did you see that? It ate my thumb."

    The man's voice is muffled, as if were standing outside a door or wall. "I saw it. Frightful thing wasn't it?"

    You giggle. "I have...hahaha! Nine fingers!"

    -8:25 PM-

    You prop your hands up next to you as you realize someone has propped you up against a wall. You try to push yourself upright, into a standing position. A balding man with patchy skin rushes over to you spasmodically, putting his hands underneath your armpits. You slouch a bit.

    "I'm fine. I feel great. Did you see what happened? A monster ate my THUMB."

    The man does not acknowledge your words. He lowers you gently back to your seated position, then stares at you.

    "Listen to me, stranger. You're foggy, right? You've taken something. You'll be fine. You're okay. You need rest. Talk later. Okay? You'll be okay."

    You giggle at him. "You don't understand. It ate my thumb! Hehehhe! Lemme give ya a thumbs up!"

    You weakly shake your mangled hand at him. He looks away, seemingly disgusted. You notice your hand has been heavily bandaged.

    "Where am I?"

    He replies, "Now we're getting somewhere."

    -8:28 PM-

    You are sitting in a shoddy metal folding chair. A balding man with patchy skin is drawing something on a board in front of you, his back turned.

    Without looking at you, he says, "You should relax. Stop moving around. Do you recognize me?"

    You mull it over for a second. "You look...familiar. Have I told you already that my thumb was eaten?"

    "Yes. You told me. You're weak right now. You're okay."

    You giggle a bit. "I don't feel...okay? Doors might be harder now. Hahaha!"

    The man continues drawing something on the board. You are sitting in a shoddy metal folding chair. Your knapsack is on the ground by your feet. There is a balding man with patchy skin in front of you. Your mouth is dry. You are hungry and thirsty. The time is 8:28 PM. You are okay. Your head hurts. In case I haven't told you already, a monster has eaten your thumb.

    ---

    Inventory
    Knapsack
    Watch
    Zippo Lighter
    Buggy Keys (Roger)

  • Tommy2HandsTommy2Hands what is this where am i Registered User regular
    retrieve your arms

    8j12qx8ma5j5.jpg
  • Clint EastwoodClint Eastwood My baby's in there someplace She crawled right inRegistered User regular
    retrieve your arms

    You tentatively reach down and pick up your knapsack. Your arms feel loose and noodly, but with a little extra effort it plops gently into your lap. You open it and peer inside. Everything appears relatively untouched; you take out the PARING KNIFE and palm it gingerly. However, your REVOLVER is nowhere to be found.

    The balding man with patchy skin abruptly speaks up and says, "If you're looking for your gun, I have it. I had to make sure you were not a threat to what I am doing here. I can give it back to you if you tell me what you're doing here. Be honest. I do not like liars."

    You are surprised, not expecting to be put on the spot. You attempt to stand up again; your legs quaver a bit but you manage to stand pat in place without falling over. You glance down at your left hand and reply, "Did you see what happened to my thumb?"

    "The monster ate it. I noticed. Now answer my question. Why are you here?"

    The time is 8:31 PM. You are hungry and thirsty. Your head hurts. You feel foggy. You have nine fingers.

    ---

    Inventory
    Paring Knife
    Wine Key
    Full Canteen (Water)
    Full Bottle (Tequila)
    Jerky (1)
    Bar Snacks (3)
    Compass
    Watch
    Zippo Lighter
    Buggy Keys (ROGER)

  • StraightziStraightzi Here we may reign secure, and in my choice, To reign is worth ambition though in HellRegistered User regular
    Say, "I didn't want to stay outside. It was getting dark, I was worried about the uh... the monsters. The sand things.

  • SLyMSLyM Registered User regular
    Slice off your other thumb with your knife.

    My friend is working on a roguelike game you can play if you want to. (It has free demo)
  • TofystedethTofystedeth Registered User regular
    Should have aimed for the cloaca.

    steam_sig.png
  • OghulkOghulk Tinychat Janitor TinychatRegistered User regular
    Ask, "Can we get my thumb back?"

  • RadiusRadius Registered User regular
    Be Honest

    Everyday we stray further from God's light
    Steam Switch FC: 2799-7909-4852
  • ElderlycrawfishElderlycrawfish Registered User regular
    Tell the truth that you were trying to thumb the lizard up its butt.

  • Clint EastwoodClint Eastwood My baby's in there someplace She crawled right inRegistered User regular
    Radius wrote: »
    Be Honest
    Tell the truth that you were trying to thumb the lizard up its butt.

    You begin to speak, then pause for a moment, losing track of yourself. You open your mouth and close it a few times.

    The man turns around and stares at you blankly. You can see him more clearly now; he is thin, with sparse black hair dusting his skull and large red patches of irritated skin splotched across his arms. He has a dark brown jacket tied around his waist, but is clad in the same t-shirt/jeans combination that everybody else seems to be wearing these days. His glasses are heavily smudged up; you assume he has been taking them off and putting them on to look at his whiteboard scrawlings.

    He snaps his fingers twice and waves his hand at you. "You aren't responding well. I know it's difficult, but try to concentrate. Tell me what you're doing here."

    You rub the back of your head, still sore from the impact before, and slowly say, "Right...right. I was outside looking through the scrap and realized it was getting dark already, so I came in here to get away from those...uhhhhmm. Those things...?"

    The man nods curtly. "The things that play in the sand at night. Yes."

    You continue, "Right. I came in here to get out of the sand. I saw the lizard outside the shed and tried to...wait, why was it stalking you like that?"

    The man shakes his head sadly and replies, "It's a pity, really. The water attracts them. I've been trying to avoid moving at night, but that one saw me outside. I barely made it in here without being mauled."

    He looks at you and says drily, "I guess you earned that privilege."

    You laugh darkly and keep talking.

    "I figured I could sneak up on it and surprise it, scare it off, by, well, by...by sticking my thumb-"

    The man grimaces and cuts you off, "I get the idea. Jesus! It makes sense that it bit it off!"

    "Anyway, that's all there is to it. Thank you for helping me. Can you tell me what's going on?"

    He starts pacing back and forth, only looking at you for a moment, then launching into lengthy, run-on sentences.

    "I assume you saw the pipes, running out of the water? Well, I arrived here recently and discovered those pipes run up, through the mountain, to a facility near its peak. What drew me here was the cloud of mist, as I imagine you have seen; as far as I can tell, the peak facility is generating this form of water vapor, using water that has been drained from this subterranean pool. This shack was here; I deduced that it is some sort of monitoring station. I've been staying in here at night since I arrived; there is a cot in here, which is more than I can say for the mountaintop facility. I know a lot about medicine and pain, but chemistry is not my specialty. I assume there is something special about that vapor at the peak. Frankly I have no idea, yet. But NOW,"-he turns to you-" now that you're here, maybe we can work on this together. But first I need to learn about you. Whether I can trust your abilities, what they are in the first place."

    The man walks away for a moment, bending down and rummaging through a toolbox. He produces an empty syringe, setting it down on the countertop to your right, within your reach.

    He looks at you again and says, "I gave you something, to ease the pain. It was in this needle. Use your intuition. Tell me what you think I gave you. I want your first guess. Think about it if you have to, but I want to see your thought pattern at work if it comes to that."

    You frown a bit and look around the inside of the shack. Aside from the man and his toolkit, there are two drawers on the wall, a deactivated computer console, and the whiteboard, covered in a mishmash of hexagons and lines. Your gun is on the counter, near the empty needle.

    He stares expectantly. "Well?"

    The time is 8:35 PM. You are hungry and thirsty. Your head hurts.

    ---

    Inventory
    Paring Knife
    Wine Key
    Full Canteen (Water)
    Full Bottle (Tequila)
    Jerky (1)
    Bar Snacks (3)
    Compass
    Watch
    Zippo Lighter
    Buggy Keys (ROGER)

  • see317see317 Registered User regular
    Pick up the syringe and examine it for any clues as to what it contained. Get a drink of water and eat some Bar Snacks while we think about it.

  • Tommy2HandsTommy2Hands what is this where am i Registered User regular
    "Liquor?"

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  • RankenphileRankenphile Passersby were amazed by the unusually large amounts of blood.Registered User, Moderator mod
    Tell him about the time a lizard bit off our thumb.

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  • cB557cB557 voOOP Registered User regular
    Tell him about the time a lizard bit off our thumb.
    Ah. This is gonna be one of those quests.

  • TofystedethTofystedeth Registered User regular
    Whatever you stuck Roger with.

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  • see317see317 Registered User regular
    Tell him about the time a lizard bit off our thumb.

    Then remind him that we have another thumb, and we're 90-95% sure he has an anus.

  • ElderlycrawfishElderlycrawfish Registered User regular
    Look between him and us we've still got three thumbs left.

    That's 3 times the chances of being successful so I say recruit the guy and go round 2 vs the lizard.

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