(DF) Curiosity

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Grandpa Oz -> (DF) Curiosity (11/1/2014 17:56:05)
*CURIOSITY* Introduction Serenity's Inn. In the backyard, a stranger in a labcoat offers you to talk. Adam: Greetings, Hero. Adam: My name is Adam, Proud Mad Scientist. Adam: I heard that you take jobs in exchange for loot, and I'd like to hire you. QUESTS! Chapter I: 1.) A Fragrance of Cauliflower 2.) Belly Dancing 3.) Sentience 4.) Castle Aberrant 5.) Get it rollin' 6.) Three Pleas 7.) Dawn of the Doom 8.) Deepers Creepers 9.) Blasted Chapter II: 10.) Castle! Or: An Incredible Journey in a Crazy Time-Machine 11.) The Calm Plains To be continued. Discussion Thread Disclaimer: quote: This a larger story in a loose dialogue-style as in the Encyclopedia. The story plays after the five-year timeskip. The Hero is male and has a DA, for my personal convenience. But I'll still refer to him as <Character>. And he is a jerk. Deep down, he enjoys all this. Just to point it out beforehand.

Grandpa Oz -> RE: (DF) Curiosity (11/1/2014 17:57:48)
1.) A Fragrance of Cauliflower Still in Serenity's Inn. Adam: I have an amazing experiment in mind, and I need you to conduct it! <Character>: How big is the chance that we accidently bring about the end of the world? Adam: 23,958% <Character>: Anything lower would be boring. How can I help you? Adam: I still need some ingredients for the experiment. Adam: I have collected most things I need already, but there are some I just can't get hold off. Adam: First, I'll need a Tetrasophiatic Engine, Model CX.36.2I. Adam: I had ordered one from the Gnomes in Popsprocket, but the Rose destroyed the city before I could recieve it. Adam: Since the remains of city are fairly... violent, I couldn't secure it myself. <Character>: Alright. Any hints? Adam: It is quite big, and should be glowing in a malevolent green colour. Adam: Once you hallucinate of cauliflower, you are in its vicinity. <Character>: ... <Character>: I guess that is a sufficient description. In Popsprocket's ruins. A bunch of random machines that await defeat. The Hero runs enters a destroyed workplace. A small talking cauliflower appears. Cauliflower: Hi! <Character>: Hello, little one. Do you know where to find the Engine CX.36.2I? Cauliflower: That would be me. I'm not actually a cauliflower! <Character>: I see. Is it alright if I take you with me? Cauliflower: Sure! But I'm not actually small, either! <Character>: My feet are feeling numb. Cauliflower: I am gnawing on them. <Character>: What? Cauliflower: Hehe. I'll turn the illusions off now. The machine is huge, glowing green, has crawling metallic tentacles and various mechanic eyes. Some surround the Hero's feet. CX.36.2I: Now fight me! I'm so bored ever since the Gnomes vanished! After the Machine is defeated. <Character>: What a creepy thing. <Character>: <Dragon>! Could you lend me a claw here?

Grandpa Oz -> RE: (DF) Curiosity (11/1/2014 18:01:27)
2.) Belly Dancing Back in the Inn <Character>: I got the Machine. Adam: Very nice! Could you transport it to my secret dreaded castle in the Deadlands? <Character>: You are doing really well on the mad scientist part. Adam: Oh, thank you. Adam: We have a lot of work to do. Adam: With the Engine, I can finally dehydrate those samples... Adam: mumbles ...hahaha... mumbles some more Adam: There are two more things I need: Adam: A rare iodide that can be found in the belly of the Tuskers in the frozen north... Adam: And some certain... organic... samples... Adam: I can get the latter myself, but you'd have to search out the Tuskers. In the North. Lots of ice and other cold stuff. <Character>: ...and that is why I need your help. G'joob: I understand, <Character>. <Character>: Is there a peaceful way? G'joob: I'll ask. G'joob: ... G'joob: There is a way. G'joob: We'll have to shrink you small enough to enter my intestines. G'joob: Thankfully, King Linus is currently in this area, so we can ask him for his shrinking ray. <Character>: Ohh... A bit later King Linus: You want me do what so that you can do what?! <Character> and G'joob: We do. King Linus: And you are sure this is a good idea? <Character>: It's worth the try. King Linus: Don't blame me if it goes wrong. King Linus: Ready? King Linus: Go! The Hero does what he has to do. He fights some bacteria that are around half his own size. <Character>: I can't even use all of my strength while shrunk... <Character>: But I gave my word... and SCIENCE! demands it. <Character>: Hah, I need to tell Lim about this the next time I hit up his weapon shop. ???: HALT! ???: In the name of King Coli, raise your flagella and surrender! <Character>: thinks That's not my idea of peaceful...

Grandpa Oz -> RE: (DF) Curiosity (11/1/2014 18:09:37)
3.) Sentience The Court of King Coli. Lots of bacteria swarm around, some holding rudimentary spears. King Coli, the biggest of them, sits on a throne that is carved into the wall. King Coli: Who is that poor disfigured soul? Viridans: I caught him in the lower basements, your majesty. King Coli: Did he attack you? Viridans: No, your majesty. But he was sneaking around, seemingly searching for something. King Coli: That is indeed suspicious. Viridans: He might be allied with the Queen King Coli: The Queen? That... would be bad. <Character>: Do I have a say in the matter? Viridans: No. King Coli: Viridans! Let him speak. <Character>: Your majesty, I do not know about the habits of your kingdom, but I'm just a traveller. <Character>: I have no intention to disturbe any of your internal affairs. <Character>: There is a rare mineral I need to find, and it is located in your kingdom. <Character>: If you just let me search, you won't even notice that I'm here. Viridans: So that you can monitor us even more easily?! I can see right through your schemes, spy. <Character>: I don't even know who that queen is! I'm a traveller from far away! Viridans: Liar! Guards, take him down! Fight with a few bacteria guards, and eventually Viridans himself. King Coli: You certainly are powerful... and you didn't attack me when you had the chance... King Coli: It seems that you are really from abroad... and I am in urgent need of combat power now... King Coli: So listen, Traveller. King Coli: Many meals ago, I married my beautiful wife, Queen Escherichia. King Coli: But she betrayed me with my chancellor, and attempted a Coup d'Etat. King Coli: She didn't succeed, but the kingdom is divided ever since. King Coli: Would you be ready to ally with me to regain peace in my lands? <Character>: I'm not in my best shape, your majesty. But yes. I am. King Coli: Then defeat Escherichia for me. I think I know what mineral you are searching for... King Coli: ...and I will help you get some of it if you help me as well. <Character>: thinks What's with all these evil queens in the Northlands? <Character>: thinks Ah well. Beat villian, secure peace, get reward. That's my line. <Character>: Then I accept your offer! The Hero slays his way through dozens of bacteria <Character>: There is no end to them! <Character>: I'm surprised that Escherichia hasn't won this war yet. Suddenly, the bacteria the Hero is fighting are attacked by other bacteria Candida: In the name of the Chancellor, take them all down! <Character>: thinks Wait, the Chancellor is fighting the Queen? I thought they were allies? <Character>: Oh whatever. Time for some diplomacy. <Character>: YOU! <Character>: ALL! <Character>: STOP! <Character>: THIS! <Character>: NOW! The fighting stops abruptly. Candida and another bacterium from the opposing site come forward <Character>: thinks I'm so good at this. Candida: Who is this guy? Peptococcus: No idea. Candida: Maybe he works for the King. Peptococcus: Then he must die first. Candida: Agreed. <Character>: I never learn, do I? Double boss fight! When one is beaten, three normal monsters replace him, so the fight consists of eight monsters in total <Character>: points his weapon at Candida Now explain what's going on here. <Character>: Start from the very beginning. <Character>: The Queen and the Chancellor betrayed the King. Then what. Peptococcus: The Chancellor soon backstabbed the Queen. He tricked her, and now the Queen's territory is divided between them! Candida: That is a lie! The Queen exiled the Chancellor in a fit of rage! She's crazy, she must be stopped! Peptococcus: You have been brainwashed by the Chancellor! The Queen is the only righteous ruler! Peptococcus: The King is a rotten slavetrader, and the Chancellor is a traitor! Candida: All of the royal family are insane! The King is the worst, but she's just as crazy! Candida: The Chancellor is the only of them with common sense left! <Character>: I think I get the overall problem... but you two shouting at each other doesn't help. <Character>: But - about the King - what is so bad about him? He seemed like the normal quest-giving support character without too much personality on his own. Peptococcus: He tortures prisoners to death, and enjoys it. Candida: He enslaved many a clan, forced them into labour and manipulates the thoughts of their children. <Character>: That is bad. Is there any way to find a peaceful solution? Candida: Never. <Character>: There is never an ever, is there? <Character>: Is there any third... no, fourth party you could ask to mediate or judge? <Character>: No? <Character>: Then I will be this fourth party. <Character>: points at Peptococcus You get me the Queen. <Character>: points at Candida You get me the Chancellor. <Character>: I'll bring the King. We'll meet here, at this very spot. No armies. No weapons. No tricks. <Character>: If not - you have seen me fighting. Don't test me. <Character>: thinks I'm sorry, Adam - but this got priority over insane experiments now. The Hero meets King Coli. <Character>: All is done. If you would follow me to the battlegrounds... King Coli: Splendid, splendid. You truly are as powerful as I could only hope for... They leave - black screen - then, on the conference grounds, the other two factions arrive as well. The Queen and the Chancellor both brought their generals. King Coli: What is this?! King Coli: You lured me into a trap... <Character>: This is no trap. <Character>: You need to resolve this conflict. All of your armies have seen my strength by now. <Character>: And now, I will use my position of strength to finish this war. <Character>: This goes for all three of you - King Coli, Queen Escherichia, Chancellor... Candida: Aspergillus. <Character>: Chancellor Aspergillus. Aspergillus: May I ask who you would be in the first place? <Character>: I am a mere traveller. I was hired by the King to defeat you and the Queen... Escherichia: Oh, Coli... <Character>: But I decided to drop that request and to finish this with your cooperation. Escherichia: Never. Unless you agree to dispose of both these two madmen first. King Coli: I would request the same for these two traitors. Aspergillus: Traveller, I would be willing to share power again... King Coli: Don't listen to him. He's as greedy for power as her. Escherichia: And you. <Character>: None of you benefits from a deadlock like this. Aspergillus: Reason is nothing to them, Traveller. Escherichia: And for him, reason is a tool of tyranny. King Coli: Not like you even understood the concept. <Character>: None of you is helpful to this. Escherichia: Who busted in our internal affairs again? King Coli: That would be him. <Character>: Enough of this. <Character>: thinks If I force them to compromise, they'll attack each other the second I have to leave. <Character>: thinks If I side with one, he'll just maintain tyranny. <Character>: thinks If I somehow get them all into jail or beat them up, their fanatic followers will free them. <Character>: thinks Why can't they just explode in a ray of light? Other villains also do that... Suddenly, the Hero's body shakes. He grabs his mouth, and grows a little. <Character>: Ugh. <Character>: thinks The shrinking begins to wear off. Why now? Escherichia: Are we having problems, Traveller? How horrible. <Character>: thinks If stay any longer, I'll hurt G'joob. <Character>: thinks And by the time I come back, they will be done wiping each other out. <Character>: thinks Wait, this can play out in my favor. <Character>: Since you cannot find peace, I will have to leave. <Character>: But believe me: I will gather an army, and I will come back, and I will crush all of you for good. <Character>: thinks Maybe that forces them to ally - even if it is just for the fear of a common enemy. <Character>: thinks But I'm not happy with this at all. The Hero leaves. Outside again. G'joob: What is the problem, Hero? <Character>: I faced a problem I couldn't solve the way I usually do. At all. G'joob: That... is the course of the world, I fear. <Character>: I know. G'joob: As for the mineral... G'joob: We found out that large amounts of it... just... pass through. <Character>: ... G'joob: No worry, we already extracted it for you. G'joob: Here you go, some fresh iodide. We cleaned it, don't worry.

Grandpa Oz -> RE: (DF) Curiosity (11/4/2014 14:09:08)
4.) Castle Aberrant Once more, Serenity's Inn Adam: Ah, it's good to see you, <Character>. Could you find the mineral? <Character>: Yes. It was hard, but yes. Adam: Very well! We'll now need to move our base of operations, from this beautiful inn to my dreaded castle. <Character>: In the Deadlands? Adam: In the Deadlands! They travel by Gryffon Adam: My castle is old. I didn't build it, and I doubt anyone lived there for a thousand years before I moved in. Adam: I think it was a stronghold during the war at the time - I don't know much about it, but I found some ancient records in there. Adam: Occasionally, a ghost or a wraith or something similar tries to haunt me, but thankfully, science allows me to haunt it just as much. Hah! Adam: As for the experiment... Adam: First of, we'll use the CX.36.2I to analyse and reconstruct some certain organic samples. Adam: The reconstructions are amazing and work even on meta-level - you have seen the cauliflower. Adam: With the samples analyzed and put together, we can kickstart an amazing process... Adam: ... with the very mineral you recovered from the Tuskers. Adam: Its properties are, frankly speaking, absolutely unique. Adam: In combination with the last ingredient, the results should be astonishing. <Character>: And what is that? And what is the result? Adam: Shh, that's a surprise. But I can definitely promise you a sight that will change the world! <Character>: Giant explosions? Black holes? Ripping apart alternate dimensions? Adam: Far better than that! I daresay that I will crack the secrets of mankinds oldest dream! Adam: And I will make sure that some of my old colleagues will notice. Oh yes. <Character>: Being a proud mad scientist just isn't the same without some salty rivalries, right? Adam: Exactly! Adam: There we are - Castle Aberrant. Adam: The name is not from me either. Below them, the smoking devastation of the Deadlands flies by. A gloomy fortress with swiftly aspiring towers appears on the side of a mountain range. The Gryffon lands, and Adam and the Hero enter the castle. <Character>: Are we heading to the lab? Adam: Yes. My assistant, Igor, will await us there. <Character>: Igor? That sounds so... cliche. Was he born with that name? Adam: Mhm. There seems to be a whole clan of them. Adam: Here we are - my laboratory. A huge door with complicated ironwork swings open. But the second they attempt to enter, a powerful ghost attacks them and is subsequently defeated. Adam: I'm sorry, <Character>. You shouldn't have to fight in my home. <Character>: It's fine. Happens all the time. <Character>: What's more... this lab... it looks exactly like the labs of the Necropolis. Adam: Ah, indeed. I have a degree in Applied Necrotic Bioengineering, you know? <Character>: YOU ARE A NECROMANCER!? Adam: Not particularly. I have studied a lot of disciplines, Necromancy being just one among many. Adam: But I fell in love with their labs, so I them imitated for my own. <Character>: There is a jar with a brain inside over there. Adam: That... is a Gorillaphant's. You wouldn't think that their brain is only as big as a human child's, would you? <Character>: ... <Character>: You have to tell me... what exactly are we going to do? Adam grins broadly.

Grandpa Oz -> RE: (DF) Curiosity (11/8/2014 18:36:01)
5.) Get it rollin' Igor enters the laboratory from a door in the back. He's... slightly... disfigured. Igor: Welcome back, Master. Adam: Have you prepared... it? Igor: I have, Master. Everything is ready to proceed. Adam: Very well! Hero, let's get it rollin'! He pulls a leverage on the wall. The lab slowly begins to light up, mechanical parts and gears begin to mesh. Adam: I will explain to you - step by step! <Character>: Don't do anything stupid. Adam: No way! Adam: Step one! Adam: Advise assistant to trap gullible Hero! Igor! Igor: Yes! Trapdoor ready! <Character>: Oh, come on. I could see it coming from four quests ago. <Character>: And as such! I have taken countermeasures! Adam: Like what? <Character>: As always... direct attack! RAAAAH!!! Adam: ... Adam: Trapdoor B, please. Igor: Ready! <Character>: Not going to work! The Hero crosses Trapdoor B safely and points his weapon against Adam. <Character>: Have you never heard of the "Antigravitational Heroic Exclamation Effect"? <Character>: As long as I have not said something like "Uh-oh" yet, I will defy gravity and float above any abyss! <Character>: Your dirty game ends here! Whatever it was about! Adam: I think not. Adam: Did you notice that Igor shackled your feet to the ground? <Character>: ! Adam: Now. Step two! Adam: Show off your main testing subject and enjoy horrified reaction! Adam: Ta-daa! He lifts a towel from one of the tables. Adam: A Zardbie! One of the very last! Adam: ... Adam: Come on, shocked reaction! Just a bit... <Character>: ... BY THE AVATARS! I NEVER THOUGHT ONE OF THEM COULD POSSIBLY HAVE REMAINED??!?!? Adam: Thanks. I'd take a normal zombie, but these ones are so very much sturdier. Adam: Step three! Use magnificently suspicious huge machine to analyze the sample! Adam: Igor! Activate the CX.36.2I! Adam: Step four! Reveal second instrument! Adam: A shard... of the Nature Orb! <Character>: Shall I react again? Adam: Yes, please. <Character>: WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT THAT THERE WAS STILL SOMETHING LEFT FROM THE ORBS?!?!? Adam: Using the regenerative and infective capacities of the Zardbie virus, analyzed through the CX.36.2I, and enhanced with the power of an Orb... Adam: An essence of eternal life! The ultimate undead essence! Adam: But wait! There's more! Sick of brain-dead slimes? Annoyed of dumb skeletons? Adam: Fear not! The mineral recovered from the Tuskers... Adam: Emits intelligence! <Character>: The thinking bacteria... Adam: Step five! Combine ultimate undead essence with powdered intelligence! Adam: What do you think we have created? Adam: Whatever corpse we reanimate with this will be as if it had never been dead! Adam: I shall raise the dead! Not mere corpses, not mere souls... but their very self in all facets! <Character>: Have you been told the formula by a mysterious hooded stranger? Adam: Why no. I designed this on my own. <Character>: You are not going to ressurrect some ancient villain? Adam: Why would I? That's retarded. Adam: I'll start with some random old Deadland-soldiers, and conduct long, well-tempered tests. <Character>: Then why am I chained here? Adam: You - are special. How often have you lost consciousness in a fight and regained it nearby? <Character>: Quite a few times... Adam: It doesn't strike you as suspicious? You fight a raging Darkness-Elemental and simply lose consciousness? <Character>: I'm a Hero, ok? Death is not part of my repertoire! Adam: Exactly! There are a few possibilities - you are dead lucky, you are immortal... or you die and return! <Character>: You want to use that to free souls from Death's realm, right? Adam: Indeed! Igor, the chainsaw! <Character>: Oh no, you won't! <Dragon>!!! The Dragon crashes through the laboratory wall in Titan Form, and simply rips out the floor the Hero is standing on. Adam: I will get you, Hero! Igor, contact Hunter's Paradise ! Contact Ninjas, Pirates, Warlords, Renegades! Whoever brings me the Hero will get... get... Igor: Invaluable treasure? Adam: Very good! You do the formalities, Igor. Just make sure the Hunt is on!

Grandpa Oz -> RE: (DF) Curiosity (11/27/2014 6:38:48)
6.) Three Pleas Three weeks later. On the Edges of Betrubung Swamp. The Hero talks to a Dravir that silently patrols the area. <Character>: So you came here from the Deadlands? Dravir: I did. Just recently, to backup the resistance here. <Character>: Shouldn't you be at the Freedom Camp? Dravir: I went there, but was... sent here because of the dire need for guards. Dravir: I just wanted to leave the North... weird things are happening there, and I wanted to get away. <Character>: Weird things? <Character>: Are the undead by chance rising up stronger than before? Dravir: Indeed. And not just that: The Deadlands are shook by permament earthquakes. <Character>: And this started three weeks ago? Dravir: Yes. <Character>: I think... Suddenly, the Dravir attacks the Hero. Dravir: It's nothing personal! The Hero "loses consciousness" <Character>: Drat, I was tricked. Death: Greetings, Mortal. We need to talk. <Character>: What's wrong? I'm not even invading the Underworld this time. Death: I know. But I need to request your service. Death: Because I have a problem. We have a problem. <Character>: Adam. Death: He conducts experiments in the Deadlands. Death: His Undead are not perfect yet, but the most advanced ones Lore has seen in many years. Death: Every necromancer is a pain, but this guy... is an ache even to my ectoplasmic pate. Death: Therefore I request from you: Dispose of this threat. Because remember - you owe me one. <Character>: A quest from Death himself... wow. Death: I will wait for you in Willowshire. But be careful... Adam researches more than just the Undead. [From now on, Death is the quest-giver instead of Adam. He hides behind a tree so that he doesn't scare the customers.] In Falconreach, a Guardian seeks out the Hero and brings him to Kain, who is waiting at the Eastern city gate. Guardian Kain: <Character>! I am glad that we could find you! Guardian Kain: There's a serious issue coming up... Guardian Kain: I have gotten various reports from the North. <Character>: Undead attacks. Guardian Kain: Yes... but that's not the only issue: The Rose has staged an assault on them. Guardian Kain: Our griffons and the few Guardians we still have in Willowshire have confirmed it. Guardian Kain: And on top of that, there are baggages moving out from Surewould and from Duat in the Sandsea. Guardian Kain: It seems they want to push the undead back really far this time. <Character>: I was about to head to the Deadlands, in fact... but because of the undead. <Character>: Maybe the Rose has the same aim? To stop the surge in undead roaming? Guardian Kain: In any case, we need to investigate this. Guardian Kain: If you were heading there anyway, even better. Guardian Kain: So please... head north also for us, and find out what's going on. <Character>: Will do. On the way. In some woods between Surewould and the Deadlands. <Character>: The earth is quaking again... what on Lore are you doing, Adam? ???: Hero! <Character>: Who are you? Bourbon: My name is Bourbon. I was called here after my spies found you. Bourbon: I work for the Rose. My rank is of no meaning to you... <Character>: Are you here to pick a fight? Bourbon: Oh, no. Our spies confirmed that we share the same objective. To storm that dreaded castle. <Character>: You know about Castle Aberrant? Bourbon: So that is how it is called... I did not know its name until now. But we knew it is there from where the undead spawn. Bourbon: They are stronger, more durable, and more intelligent than anything we know. Bourbon: We tried on the ground and in the air, but we are pushed back again and again. Bourbon: These earthquakes... they extend into the air. And some undead even have wings. Bourbon: So for the sake of Lore... could you cast aside your hatred and help us this time? Bourbon: You were recommended by Magus Hansa. You have our trust on this, but we need yours. <Character>: I was already given this quest twice, by two completely different factions. One more won't matter. <Character>: But how can I be sure you won't just throw me into jail once we get going? Bourbon: I figured you would ask this. And I shall answer: I will put my life into your hands. Bourbon: This is a Lifestone. My Lifestone, to be exact. Bourbon: If you damage it - I will suffer pain. If you destroy it - I die. Is that enough to buy your trust? <Character>: ... that... a normal proof of your good intentions would have been enough. Bourbon: You would always retain a shed of doubt, and we cannot effort that. Bourbon: And don't worry, the stone will only be damaged if you actually try to destroy it - it cannot be damaged by accident. <Character>: ... alright. Let's go.

Grandpa Oz -> RE: (DF) Curiosity (12/16/2014 12:28:07)
7.) Dawn of the Doom The Hero accompanies Bourbon to Willowshire, from where they depart to the battlefield. Castle Aberrant dreads over the mountainsrange it is placed on, giving of a pulsing, dark aura. The mountains and everything around swarm with countless undead. Lightning flashes over the clouded sky, and clashes of the battlefield ring in the Hero's ears. Bourbon: This is it. Bourbon: It turned into one of the biggest battles the Rose has ever had with the Undead. Bourbon: We have even called the Paladins, but they didn't come to help us. Bourbon: And they call themselves defenders of Lore. Hah. <Character>: Have you considered that it might be your fault they don't want to help you? Bourbon: They can ask these questions when the Undead are not trying to roll over the world. Bourbon: ... Bourbon: But we have a whole army here. It will be fine. Bourbon: We'll be able to keep the Undead at bay, but we really need to get rid of their source. <Character>: How can I get to the castle if both the air and the land are battlefields? Bourbon: Can't you just slay your way through the Undead? <Character>: Well, I could. But it would take ages. Bourbon: That leaves only one option. <Character>: Namely? Bourbon: Can't you imagine? <Character>: ... Bourbon: Underground. <Character>: ... <Character>: For a moment, I thought you would suggest an interdimensional time-travel or something equally weird. Bourbon: laughs You have quite some ideas. Bourbon: But no. No interdimensional timetravel. Bourbon: A few miles east of here, Archeonauts have dug an entrance to an huge, ancient cave-system. <Character>: Archeonauts? I used to beat them up... and since they are magical creatures, I thought you would do the same. Bourbon: We cooprate with them, and benefit from each other. Bourbon: You shouldn't think that every magical race supports those weirdo-elves in the swamps. Bourbon: We pay well for their findings, and they... don't expect the Rose to succeed in ending Magic anyway. Bourbon: I guess that up here in the Deadlands, we aren't as dogmatic as the bureaucrats in Swordhaven would like us to be. Bourbon: I will accompany you to the Archeonauts. After some time, they arrive. Bourbon: Gararara! <Character>: Gesundheit. Bourbon: What? No. That's the name of the Archeonaut we want to meet. <Character>: Aha. An Archeonaut, green, with a huge backpack, climbs down a hill closeby Gararara: Ch... was about time. Gararara: looks at the Hero Gararara: ...him? Really? Bourbon: He is strong. And he knows what's going on. Gararara: Do you remember me, Hero? <Character>: I don't... no, I'm not sure. When did we meet? Gararara: In the Ruins of Sil. You destroyed my backpack, and I lost half a year of research. I was so close to the Tornadostone! So! Close! <Character>: I am sorry for that. Gararara: Ahaha, no worries. Had I won, I would have done the same to you! Gararara: Are you ready to enter the belly of the mountains? Gararara: The darkness? Gararara: The loneliness? Gararara: THE DOOM!?! <Character>: Now you're exaggerating. Gararara: Ahaha, you are right. There won't be much loneliness. But I can't guarantee for darkness and DOOM. Gararara: DOOOOM... Gararara: DOOOOOOOOM..... Bourbon: We get it. Can we get going already?

Grandpa Oz -> RE: (DF) Curiosity (3/3/2015 11:21:17)
8.) Deepers Creepers Deep under the mountains. Light is rare, and whispering shadows crawl over the walls Gararara: This was once a dwarven kingdom. Gararara: It was prosperous and powerful, but it's downfall started more than 1500 years ago. Gararara: When the war eventually began, it was the first town succumbing to the shadows. Gararara: Now, only ruins are left. And us Archeonauts. Gararara: It can be fairly cozy if you are in the right mood. Bourbon: Cozy... Gararara: It is! We've found several treasures, each might be worth more than the famous bank of Falconreach! <Character>: These whispers here... are those the shadows? Gararara: Yes. They are special. You can touch them... cut them... they are like - dense ink, and of course they whisper. Gararara: I cannot tell what they are saying though. Bourbon: Nobody can. Gararara: We've been taking notes. Who knows, it might come handy at a time. <Character>: Ready for business, huh? Gararara: We are scientists, not businessmen. Revenue is a mean, not a goal. Gararara: Stop! Gararara: We have to turn left. Dwarvish architecture can be a confusing thing. I even heard that they build mazes as a challenge to visitors. <Character>: Oh yes. They do. Bourbon: It's getting colder. Gararara: Yes. The castle drains the heat around us and uses it to generate magic. Gararara: It means we are getting closer. They walk silently for a while Gararara: The first owners of the castle were warlords that attacked the surrounding lands. Gararara: Later, necromancers took over the castle, and dug tunnels to enter these caves. Gararara: Now, this will be our chance. This staircase leads right up to the castle. Gararara: Mister Bourbon! I fulfilled my part of the deal. Gararara: Hero, goodbye. We will surely meet again. He turns to Bourbon Gararara: Now, you promised me unlimited access to the Royal Library in exchange for the tour. Bourbon: That is correct. Gararara: Then, could I have the pass, under hand and seal, if possible. Bourbon: Of course. Igor: Ahem! Igor appears (duh) Igor: I formally inform you, that, as you may have noticed, you have been noticed. Igor: The Master wants all of you in his Castle. Igor: The Roseling, the Archeonaut, and the Hero. Igor: Your choice ranges from "Castle" to "Combating Countless Corpses Carrying Colossal Clubs". Igor: (It's not really a choice.)

Grandpa Oz -> RE: (DF) Curiosity (3/30/2015 18:04:49)
9.) Blasted Bourbon, Gararara and the Hero are chained in Adam's lab Gararara: whispers I have a bomb in rucksack that detonates when I shout a codeword. Gararara: I will use it when we have a chance to escape. <Character>: Sounds like a plan. Adam: Welcome back, Hero! Adam: You know, when you escaped me, I was really, really upset. Adam: I was thinking – how dare he do that kind of thing? Adam: Messing with my brilliant science? Adam: But then I realized something. Adam: I made some careful further calculations that I only had the time to now that I had to wait. Adam: Originally, I intended to just chop you into pieces, put some electricity into the parts and make it a day. Adam: But then, I found something in the data. I played around a bit, and got to a shocking result. Adam: I need to open a full portal to the Underworld, and keep it open. Adam: Which means that I have to be slightly more careful when disassembling you, and do it while you are still alive. Adam begins to search the Hero's pockets Adam: Oh, look. A Lifestone. Wouldn't it be a shame if I broke it? He breaks it Bourbon & <Character>: NO! Adam: What, did you actually believe in this sort of sham? Adam: Any Voodoo-Puppet from the Sierra has more magical power to it, and they don't even burn. Adam: Just because we are dealing with magic here, that doesn't mean we have to rely on esoteric garbage. Adam: Magic can be assessed using scientific principles. Adam: Why do we teach Necromancy in an university? Why is magic taught in schools? Adam: We have academic debates! Oh, is Darkness the single best tool for animating corpses? Adam: What about Light? What about Nature? Adam: I've spent a major part of my career on proving that Nature is just as good as the traditional methods, if not better! Adam: Curse the traditionalists! Once we are done here, the schoolbooks will be rewritten from the start! Adam: Technology has altered everything! I don't need to plunder graves anymore when I can use Gnometech to rebuild samples! Adam: The future of Necromancy is right across the road! Bourbon: You are insane. Adam: I am innovative. Igor: Master, we are prepared. Adam: Very well! Hero, shall we? <Character>: No. Adam: The good thing about rhetorical questions is that they don't require an answer. Igor: The countdown to the gate is running. The Energy will surge in 10! Adam: This might be a little painful! Adam: We'll be messing with the Underworld and several layers of spacetime at once, so, just lean back. He grabs medical instruments Igor: 9... 8... Adam: I really need to be on time with this, sorry for the haste. Igor: 7... 6... 5... 4... 3... 2... <Character>: Gararara!!! Gararara: ICECREAM! The Bomb explodes, leaving the lab in shambles. Adam: What the... No! NO! Rays of lightning span through the lab Adam: NO!!! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!? The laboratory implodes in a bulb of light, leaving no trace of it or of Castle Aberrant at all. Outside, Death stands watching. Death: What... just where did they go...

Grandpa Oz -> RE: (DF) Curiosity (4/7/2015 14:38:51)
10.) Castle! Or: The Incredible Journey in a Crazy Time-Machine The Hero is knocked out and mumbles <Character>: No... not with the fish... NOT WITH THE FISH!!! The Hero wakes up. He is lying amid a huge pile of rubble in the middle of a plane of gras. <Character>: Woah. Gararara: Ah, you are awake. Perfect. Now only Bourbon and the Igor are left unconscious. <Character>: Where are we? Gararara: I don't know. Adam is exploring the surroundings, but it's definitely not the Deadlands. <Character>: Did we... teleport? Gararara: Yes. We might even have switched dimensions. We could be anywhere. <Character>: But it isn't the Underworld. Gararara: I suppose. The bomb exploded two seconds before Adam's machinery was correctly calibrated. Gararara: But it's destroyed now, so we might have no way back. We already searched the ruins. <Character>: Wait, how long have you been awake? Gararara: Nearly a day. I only passed out for seconds, and was already awake when the castle collapsed. I got a thick skull. <Character>: And Adam? Gararara: He woke up shortly after. He was in the center of the implosion, but it looks like that was for the better. Gararara: We've been setting priorities. We'll bury all antagonism to get out of here and back home. Is that fine for you? <Character>: It's fine. We can't keep grudges in a situation like this. Gararara: Good. I hope Bourbon will view it the same way. Adam returns and greets the Hero <Character>: So where are we? Adam: It most definitely is Lore. We did not change dimensions for all I can tell. <Character>: That is good. Adam: But... we probably travelled both through space and time. Backwards. <Character>: That is not as good. <Character>: Did Doctor When appear? Gararara: Who? <Character>: When. Gararara: What? <Character>: He is... well, what is he? Oh, nevermind. <Character>: Let's have some food. Did you find my backpack? There must be something to eat deep down in it. Somewhere. They wait, and soon, the sun has set and the stars come up. Adam: Stars. Perfect. There were clouds yesterday, but with a clear sky, I can tell where we are. Adam: It seems that we are still in the Land of Dragons, but way south from Castle Aberrant's old place. Adam: Or to be more precise, even south of Doomwood. Well, if Doomwood already exists, that is. Gararara: Great. <Character>: South of Doomwood... Sil? Gararara: I thought so too... that would be a funny coincidence. Adam: If it is civilized at this point of time, we could get help there. Would it be possible to find a route to Sil from here? Gararara: With a bit of time, yes. I don't recognize landmarks at the moment, but I'm sure we can find some. Adam: And if we can get into Doomwood from there, I might be able to see the early days of the Necropolis! We should go to Sil once Igor wakes up. <Character>: And Bourbon. Adam: … if you say so. <Character>: I'm not going to leave anyone behind in a situation like this. Rose or not. <Character>: Besides, neither you nor Gararara nor Igor are fighters. But Bourbon and I are. <Character>: You'll need us. Adam: I know. But may a man not dream? Bourbon: Oh, I'm glad that you are so worried about me. Bourbon: My head hurts. <Character>: You got up! Do you want to eat something? While Bourbon eats, the Hero lights a fire and explains the situation to him. Igor finally wakes up as well. Igor: Master! Adam: Igor! Finally! Are you alright? Igor: Yes, Master. I am fine. Is there any work I can do? Adam: You should eat first. If you need something to do afterwards, you could search the rubble for remains of machinery. Igor: I will do that. Somewhere in the darkness, a shadow listens to them and fades away. ???: My Lord, I have located intruders. They know... the path to Sil!

Grandpa Oz -> RE: (DF) Curiosity (5/10/2015 13:57:29)
11.) The Calm Plains In a darkened chamber. Two cloaked figures bow over... something twisted. Loa: Listen, pupil. Loa: Long before, when the stars were still young, certain spawn crossed the lengths of space. Loa: They flew on rudimentary wings, and when the finally descended into what is now the extreme south... Loa: They built cities, huge, old, labyrinthic, but twisted, not accessible by our geometry, yet with horrid symmetry. Loa: But they were not under the rules of our limited comprehension either. Loa: I have studied some of the shapes they drew, some of the history they wrote... much is unclear, but alot is of radiant clarity. Loa: They are now long dead, but some... things have remained. Loa: Puppets... think of necrotic slimes, my pupil, but far more advanced, and... far more intelligent. Loa: And I have gotten hold of one. Don't ask how. He is interrupted by a magical orb on a shelf that starts to speak. ???: My Lord, I have located intruders. They know... the path to Sil! Loa: Is that so? ???: Yes. They are currently in the Calm Plains and want to head north towards Sil. Loa: Excellent. Sil... how long have they hidden through magic. Finally, we have a chance to take them down. Loa: Pupil! Pupil: Master? Loa: Raise a seeker-doll and send it out for these intruders. Loa: Meanwhile, I will prepare our little friend here for our raid on Sil... Back with the Hero. <Character>: How large are these plains? Gararara: Large. Gararara: These are the Calm Plains. Long ago, a kingdom of fanatic mages ruled here. They enslaved all commoners, you get the idea. Gararara: Eventually, there was a great uprising – magic went wild, and all people – mages and commoners alike – vanished. Gararara: The entire kingdom was razed from the surface of Lore. Bourbon: Mages. Adam: It's just the other side of the coin. They are just the same as you, only with reversed roles. Bourbon: stare Gararara: Nature regained the plains. And here we are. It also means that we didn't go further back in time than 1243 years. <Character>: Cool. They walk for a while. Igor: I can see smoke. Bourbon: Indeed. <Character>: It's... moving towards us...

Grandpa Oz -> RE: (DF) Curiosity (8/31/2015 11:42:38)
To be continued... > Discussion Thread Change Log: 1st of November 2014: Story begun, Quests 1-3. 4th of November 2014: Original Quest 4 (current 3). 8th of November 2014: Original Quest 5 (current 3). 27th of November 2014: Original Quest 6 (current 4). 16th of December 2014: Original Quest 7 (current 5). 19th of December 2014: Merger of original Quests 3-5 into current Quest 3. 18th of January 2015: Quest 6. 3rd of March 2015: Quest 7. 31st of March 2015: Quest 8. 7th of April 2015: Quest 9. Chapter 1 Finale. 10th of May 2015: Quest 10. Chapter 2 Begins. 31st of August 2015: Quest 11.

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