The Unexplored Planet
- Thread starter apocalypticCritic
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Shadow
Tentacle Monster
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Re: The Unexplored Planet
Would like to amend my vote to A, including xgkf's good idea ('clarification of how or what sort of help they want, and a request for food, shelter and safety seem like reasonable things to ask for in exchange (politely, of course), given our predicament').
Would like to amend my vote to A, including xgkf's good idea ('clarification of how or what sort of help they want, and a request for food, shelter and safety seem like reasonable things to ask for in exchange (politely, of course), given our predicament').
OP
apocalypticCritic
Demon Girl Master
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Re: The Unexplored Planet
Votes:
You take a deep breath, and look over at Kia. Her head is down, but you can feel the tension in her body. In fact, the entire room seems to have gotten tense and still. You look up at the Elder again. Her eyes seem to glow in the gloom as she stares at you impassively. In that moment that you meet her eyes, though, you can see and feel something unapparent to you before. Fear. It sits behind her eyes, and in that moment you realize that this request is not something the Elder makes lightly. You feel the icy tendrils of fear grip your own heart. What will they want of you? Can you even do it? But, on the other hand.... These are the only intelligent beings you've met on this planet. If you're stranded here for a long time, then why burn bridges? You make a decision.
"What would you have me do?"
Immediately, the tension in the room slackens. You see, out of the corner of your eye, Kia's tail twitching, like she's trying desperately to keep it from wagging. The Elder smiles, quick as a flash, before regaining her composure. "There is an artifact in the center of our once great temple. We need you to retrieve it." You raise an eyebrow. Artifact acquisition was your specialty, but you've been on enough jobs to know when your client is being deliberately tight lipped. "Just that easy? What aren't you telling me?" You hear a few gasps from the shadow, and see Kia glance at you sharply. The Elder, however, laughs loudly.
"Good, good. You are right to be suspicious. Unfortunately, the story is long, and time is short. Allow me to summarize: Once, our people were great. We stretched across this planet, and nowhere was out of our territory. We even pierced the veil of the sky, and travelled far from our mother. But... we fell. The actual cause of the cataclysm is lost to time. What we do know is that the last act of our ancestors before they fell was to erect 7 powerful artifacts within their great temples. It's not known what these artifacts do. But...." Here, she pauses, her eyes clouding with troubled memories. "Five years ago, there was a great earthquake. In the time since then, our mother has been troubled. Strange beings poured forth from the dark places of the world. I'm sure you've seen them. Kia told me that one had attacked you already. That one, the Vines That Move And Crush, is one of the lesser creatures."
Your blood goes cold. That beast had been more powerful than any living thing you had ever even heard of. If it was one of the lesser creatures.... You swallow painfully, fear raising your bile. You look up at the Elder, who looks down at you sadly.
"We've lost many great warriors fighting the Creatures From The Dark. Kia's own parents fell when they attacked our village here. They managed to drive the creatures away, but at the cost of their own lives. The creatures aren't the worst of it. The very air that we breath has been tainted. Our village healer discovered it to be so. She's not certain what causes it, but she does know the effects. Prolonged exposure lowers inhibitions and increases fertility. Our mother has always granted strong fertility to her children, but whatever this taint is, it twists our mother's gift and makes us seek breeding partners indiscriminately. Those who have been fully tainted... never come back to themselves."
She pauses again, and brushes a hand across her eyes. As you look up at her, your mouth dry, you realize that she looks much older than she did just moments ago. You also realize that the room is filled with the soft sounds of sorrow. Even Kia, her head still bowed, has tears sliding down her face. You swallow, and ask, "How do you know it's the artifact?" The Elder looks at you sadly.
"About 1 year ago, a group of warriors delved into one of our ancestor's ruins. There, they fought to the center of the temple, and saw the artifact, toppled and broken. They were unable to retrieve it, and did not survive the wounds they had suffered to get that far in. In the intervening time, three more parties were sent. None of them have returned. I was forced to admit that we are unable to retrieve it, and issued an order that we would send no more war parties in there. But now you're here."
"I'm not a trained warrior. Why do you think I'll be more successful?"
The Elder frowns. "If you weren't an Outsider, you'd be unable to. But... the biggest obstacle the party that made it back mentioned was not a test of strength, but a test of intellect. The technology in the great temples is advanced. It's far more advanced than anything any one of us has ever seen. But you are from Outside. You have travelled among the stars. So you are more able to face the obstacles of the temples. That is why I have asked this of you."
"Elder, this is foolish. She will not succeed. This... Outsider should not be here."
Another one of the Lazuf stepped out of the darkness, into the circle of light you and Kia occupy. Kia stood, stepping out of the warrior's way. Her stance was aggressive, and you could tell she did not like this other warrior. You choose wisely to keep your mouth closed.
"Captain Lutti, if you cannot keep your opinions to yourself, please leave. Your counsel is appreciated on military matters, but this is not one. The Outsider is not one of your men. She is not under your jurisdiction."
"Elder, this child is not worth being sent on a mission of such importance. She is only a girl! She is not even fully blooded! This is a mission that requires our great warriors, not some child!"
"Captain! You are dismissed! I do not require your presence here!"
The Captain stood for a moment, fists clenched. Then she snapped off a salute, turned on her heel, and walked out of the hut. You stood there for a moment, trying to figure out what had just happened. Kia settled back down to her kneeling position, anger still clear on her face.
"I am sorry about that, Marian. The Captain... she does not agree with my decision to keep our war parties out of the temple. And she doesn't like Outsiders. In any case, we are done here. Please, feel free to rest and relax. Tonight, we will have a feast. It is the first time we have been hopeful for the future of our tribe and our mother in a long time. Kia will allow you to stay in her home."
Kia nodded briskly, then stood and grabbed your hand. She led you out of the Elder's hut. Once outside, she smiled brightly at you. "A feast! That's exciting! It's been so long!" You can't help but smile at the girl's excitement. She leads you to her hut, chatting amicably. Her hut is cool, dark, and cozy. She points out a comfortable looking bed- some sort of animal fur, on top of a bed of straw. "You can sleep there." She hesitates for a moment, then shrugs. "Unless, you know, you want to... um.... Well.... I mean, nights can get cold here, and.... Um...." You stare at her in silence. She blushes, and looks away. "N-nevermind...."
You catch her hand, and turn her around. "I understand. If you get cold, you can come over to my bed." She laughs, smiling shyly. "Sorry. It's been a while, for me. I haven't been with someone since I was blooded." She sits down by the fire pit, and gestures for you to join her. "Feasts are traditionally held after the sun goes down, so we have time to kill."
What do you do?
A. Ask Kia about...
C. Make a move.
D. Other.
Votes:
A!
You take a deep breath, and look over at Kia. Her head is down, but you can feel the tension in her body. In fact, the entire room seems to have gotten tense and still. You look up at the Elder again. Her eyes seem to glow in the gloom as she stares at you impassively. In that moment that you meet her eyes, though, you can see and feel something unapparent to you before. Fear. It sits behind her eyes, and in that moment you realize that this request is not something the Elder makes lightly. You feel the icy tendrils of fear grip your own heart. What will they want of you? Can you even do it? But, on the other hand.... These are the only intelligent beings you've met on this planet. If you're stranded here for a long time, then why burn bridges? You make a decision.
"What would you have me do?"
Immediately, the tension in the room slackens. You see, out of the corner of your eye, Kia's tail twitching, like she's trying desperately to keep it from wagging. The Elder smiles, quick as a flash, before regaining her composure. "There is an artifact in the center of our once great temple. We need you to retrieve it." You raise an eyebrow. Artifact acquisition was your specialty, but you've been on enough jobs to know when your client is being deliberately tight lipped. "Just that easy? What aren't you telling me?" You hear a few gasps from the shadow, and see Kia glance at you sharply. The Elder, however, laughs loudly.
"Good, good. You are right to be suspicious. Unfortunately, the story is long, and time is short. Allow me to summarize: Once, our people were great. We stretched across this planet, and nowhere was out of our territory. We even pierced the veil of the sky, and travelled far from our mother. But... we fell. The actual cause of the cataclysm is lost to time. What we do know is that the last act of our ancestors before they fell was to erect 7 powerful artifacts within their great temples. It's not known what these artifacts do. But...." Here, she pauses, her eyes clouding with troubled memories. "Five years ago, there was a great earthquake. In the time since then, our mother has been troubled. Strange beings poured forth from the dark places of the world. I'm sure you've seen them. Kia told me that one had attacked you already. That one, the Vines That Move And Crush, is one of the lesser creatures."
Your blood goes cold. That beast had been more powerful than any living thing you had ever even heard of. If it was one of the lesser creatures.... You swallow painfully, fear raising your bile. You look up at the Elder, who looks down at you sadly.
"We've lost many great warriors fighting the Creatures From The Dark. Kia's own parents fell when they attacked our village here. They managed to drive the creatures away, but at the cost of their own lives. The creatures aren't the worst of it. The very air that we breath has been tainted. Our village healer discovered it to be so. She's not certain what causes it, but she does know the effects. Prolonged exposure lowers inhibitions and increases fertility. Our mother has always granted strong fertility to her children, but whatever this taint is, it twists our mother's gift and makes us seek breeding partners indiscriminately. Those who have been fully tainted... never come back to themselves."
She pauses again, and brushes a hand across her eyes. As you look up at her, your mouth dry, you realize that she looks much older than she did just moments ago. You also realize that the room is filled with the soft sounds of sorrow. Even Kia, her head still bowed, has tears sliding down her face. You swallow, and ask, "How do you know it's the artifact?" The Elder looks at you sadly.
"About 1 year ago, a group of warriors delved into one of our ancestor's ruins. There, they fought to the center of the temple, and saw the artifact, toppled and broken. They were unable to retrieve it, and did not survive the wounds they had suffered to get that far in. In the intervening time, three more parties were sent. None of them have returned. I was forced to admit that we are unable to retrieve it, and issued an order that we would send no more war parties in there. But now you're here."
"I'm not a trained warrior. Why do you think I'll be more successful?"
The Elder frowns. "If you weren't an Outsider, you'd be unable to. But... the biggest obstacle the party that made it back mentioned was not a test of strength, but a test of intellect. The technology in the great temples is advanced. It's far more advanced than anything any one of us has ever seen. But you are from Outside. You have travelled among the stars. So you are more able to face the obstacles of the temples. That is why I have asked this of you."
"Elder, this is foolish. She will not succeed. This... Outsider should not be here."
Another one of the Lazuf stepped out of the darkness, into the circle of light you and Kia occupy. Kia stood, stepping out of the warrior's way. Her stance was aggressive, and you could tell she did not like this other warrior. You choose wisely to keep your mouth closed.
"Captain Lutti, if you cannot keep your opinions to yourself, please leave. Your counsel is appreciated on military matters, but this is not one. The Outsider is not one of your men. She is not under your jurisdiction."
"Elder, this child is not worth being sent on a mission of such importance. She is only a girl! She is not even fully blooded! This is a mission that requires our great warriors, not some child!"
"Captain! You are dismissed! I do not require your presence here!"
The Captain stood for a moment, fists clenched. Then she snapped off a salute, turned on her heel, and walked out of the hut. You stood there for a moment, trying to figure out what had just happened. Kia settled back down to her kneeling position, anger still clear on her face.
"I am sorry about that, Marian. The Captain... she does not agree with my decision to keep our war parties out of the temple. And she doesn't like Outsiders. In any case, we are done here. Please, feel free to rest and relax. Tonight, we will have a feast. It is the first time we have been hopeful for the future of our tribe and our mother in a long time. Kia will allow you to stay in her home."
Kia nodded briskly, then stood and grabbed your hand. She led you out of the Elder's hut. Once outside, she smiled brightly at you. "A feast! That's exciting! It's been so long!" You can't help but smile at the girl's excitement. She leads you to her hut, chatting amicably. Her hut is cool, dark, and cozy. She points out a comfortable looking bed- some sort of animal fur, on top of a bed of straw. "You can sleep there." She hesitates for a moment, then shrugs. "Unless, you know, you want to... um.... Well.... I mean, nights can get cold here, and.... Um...." You stare at her in silence. She blushes, and looks away. "N-nevermind...."
You catch her hand, and turn her around. "I understand. If you get cold, you can come over to my bed." She laughs, smiling shyly. "Sorry. It's been a while, for me. I haven't been with someone since I was blooded." She sits down by the fire pit, and gestures for you to join her. "Feasts are traditionally held after the sun goes down, so we have time to kill."
What do you do?
A. Ask Kia about...
1. her people.
2. the temple.
3. the village.
4. joining you on your quest.
B. Flirt with Kia.2. the temple.
3. the village.
4. joining you on your quest.
C. Make a move.
D. Other.
Our Stats are all the same.
Last edited:
OP
apocalypticCritic
Demon Girl Master
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Re: The Unexplored Planet
Fucking long posts, man. Like, 2000 words. I write more here than I do for college.
Fucking long posts, man. Like, 2000 words. I write more here than I do for college.
maxentius-septimus
Evard's Tentacles of Forced Intrusion
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Re: The Unexplored Planet
Not sure how much time we have to pick more than one choice. Also is this like our only chance to have Kia join our party. If it is, then getting a warrior to help us in battle is definitely needed.A4 then B
Not sure how much time we have to pick more than one choice. Also is this like our only chance to have Kia join our party. If it is, then getting a warrior to help us in battle is definitely needed.A4 then B
ArchAngelGundam
Evard's Tentacles of Forced Intrusion
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