(1/3) kpwlt 2024/08/23(Fri)09:36 No. 1096355 ID: 127310
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>Hmm, could we hide around the corner? We might not be able to sneak past him, but we can at least get the jump on him if he misses us on the way in.
>Hide, they'll probably just carelessly discard a bone and then leave.

…

(2/3) kpwlt 2024/08/23(Fri)09:36 No. 1096356 ID: 127310
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You sock the hapless mole person directly in the side of the face and it crumbles to the ground. In a very non-lethal way, of course. Your record continues to stay clean.

(3/3) kpwlt 2024/08/23(Fri)09:36 No. 1096357 ID: 127310
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Before you struck the mole person, it was carrying a length of green fabric. A tie. Not unlike the ties mandatorily worn by those who sit in the Lower House. Exactly like those, actually.

Confirmation we’re on the right track. Excellent~ Is there any way to track where that thing came from? I can only assume more twists and turns lie ahead, so the further we can get without guesswork, the better.

Hmm, none of the bones on the floor look ministerial, right?

(1/2) kpwlt 2024/08/27(Tue)06:44 No. 1096552 ID: 127310
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>Hmm, none of the bones on the floor look ministerial, right?

You’ve never seen the inside of a minister before. Your experiences tell you that some of these bones are human, or close to human, however.

The tie still looks mostly clean, which it wouldn’t be if it was handled by too many mole people. It must have been removed recently.

>Is there any way to track where that thing came from? I can only assume more twists and turns lie ahead, so the further we can get without guesswork, the better.

You burst boldly into the next room, since that’s obviously the most recent place the tie came from.

The most immediately noticeable features of this room are the mole people along the floor. Asleep, about as deeply as the fella you knocked out. There’s room enough to get to every exit without stepping on a potential hostile.


Speaking of exits, not counting the one you just emerged through, there are four in total.


The leftmost has sounds like you’ve never heard coming from it. There’s also a trail of detritus and lesser rot trailing from that one to the one you’re standing in.

The next is silent, but you can make out a peculiar and pungent smell coming from it.

The next is silent, and has no identifiable odour. It’s definitely darker in there than any of the other rooms, though.

(2/2) kpwlt 2024/08/27(Tue)06:44 No. 1096553 ID: 127310
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The final exit, directly across from the one you’re standing in, has a draught coming through it. The first echo of fresh air you’ve felt in a while, actually. You can also hear the occasional murmur.

Wiped prints of dirt track from where you’re standing to this exit.

Check out one of the rooms that would connect guy with the tie to here. Investigate the tracks in dirt door first.

>>1096553
Whoa that looks spookier than the other openings. Let's check it out.

The rot trail clearly leads to their charnel pit. If the Minister is there, we don't have much time before they kill him. Best to prioritize it.

Also, in all likelihood, the dark, odorous passageway is their dumping grounds. Ulikely to find him in there, unless he really, really favours hiding tactics over hygiene.

(1/1) kpwlt 2024/09/02(Mon)07:32 No. 1096829 ID: 127310
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>The rot trail clearly leads to their charnel pit. If the Minister is there, we don't have much time before they kill him. Best to prioritize it.

Perhaps, but what does that make the other room you were in before? The other voices have spoken, I’m afraid, but you’ll leave a mental bookmark on that opening.

You hope that if the Minister is in there, he’ll be able to hold his own until you show up.

>Investigate the tracks in dirt door first.
>Whoa that looks spookier than the other openings. Let's check it out.

Alright. You head through the spooky opening.

Intersecting the corridor you now walk through is another tunnel, full of mole people on both sides. You quickly head beyond that so that the mole people don’t realise you’re there.

Now you come to a fork. Noise emanates from both tunnels ahead of you.

On the left, the cacophonous shuffling of what you can only assume to be mole people. The occasional vocalisation you’ve been hearing before too.

On the right, a cheerful humming. You’ve never heard a mole person hum before.

You must choose a path. Unless you choose to go back and investigate something else instead.

The humming seems ominous. Well, admittedly both seem ominous, but I somehow find it hard to believe that the Minister, in his predicament, would be cheerfully humming.

Either way, it seems better than lunging into a den of Mole People for now. Head right, and pray that it's the Minister.

If it's not the minister then it should at least be someone you can question. stalk the hummer.

(1/3) kpwlt 2024/09/06(Fri)05:41 No. 1097039 ID: 127310
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>Head right, and pray that it's the Minister.
>If it's not the minister then it should at least be someone you can question. stalk the hummer.

You head carefully into the room on the right.

In this room is the hummer, a lady musing over some marks on the wall and making a cheerful noise while doing so.

Her black and red attire tells you that she works for the Hazard Association, which is like this organisation dedicated to categorising and ranking different hazards. Although it’s not officially affiliated with the government, it is generally respected by the government and community alike.

(2/3) kpwlt 2024/09/06(Fri)05:41 No. 1097040 ID: 127310
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“Oh, hey.” she says “I was wondering when you’d get here.”

You ask her your burning question.

“No, no, I haven’t seen the Minister. He’s actually why I’m here though. Since he disappeared, we need to re-evaluate the catacombs’ hazard level.”

You can see that she’s carrying a clipboard with some notes scribbled on it.

“I still haven’t seen everything here yet, so I can help you look if you want. Reckon the Association would get that kind of thing done faster than the pollies anyway.”

(3/3) kpwlt 2024/09/06(Fri)05:41 No. 1097041 ID: 127310
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You look at the wall she was inspecting before. The marks actually seem to be drawings. You didn’t know that mole people had it in them to draw. You didn’t think that they knew about most of the things they’ve drawn here.

Compare notes, what has she seen out of the ordinary so far. And what does she make of this diagram.

An ally! Yay! Do we get to learn her name? Or shall she remain a nameless HA member in our eyes? As for game plans, we should definitely catch each other up on what we know. Being on the same page information-wise is the first step to successful collaboration~

(1/2) kpwlt 2024/09/18(Wed)07:53 No. 1097516 ID: 127310
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>An ally! Yay! Do we get to learn her name? Or shall she remain a nameless HA member in our eyes?

If you ask, you might get something.

If you decide not to ask her name, I’ll just call her the Rep.

>Compare notes, what has she seen out of the ordinary so far.
>As for game plans, we should definitely catch each other up on what we know.

After spending some time verbally mapping out the place, you come to realise that you’ve both pretty much been in the same places.

The only differences being she went straight to the end of the first hallway without checking any of the siderooms like you did, and she also checked the coffin at the end of that hallway. She says that there was nothing of interest in there, just bones.

Additionally, she went partway through the left tunnel that you rushed past earlier. She says that it goes for a very long time and branches, so she hasn’t explored all of it yet. Seems to be exclusively mole people in there, though.

“This is just what I’ve seen this time around though.” She says. “When the Association first scouted this place I went all over. There’s actually a pretty major storage room fairly close to here, if I’m remembering correctly, that is. Maybe your minister friend’s in there?”

(2/2) kpwlt 2024/09/18(Wed)07:53 No. 1097517 ID: 127310
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>And what does she make of this diagram.

I presume you mean the wall drawings.

The top leftmost etching is pretty obviously the Halberd, which is a constellation famously visible throughout very few countries, with this being one of them.

Next is fairly obviously a king. You are free to speculate on what exactly that means but the Rep seems to prefer not to read too much into it.

Next is what the Rep claims to be a depiction of a well, accompanied by what you both agree to be a skull and crossbones. You think you’ve only seen wells in country towns, so why mole people underground in the city would be drawing them is a mystery to you.

Next is a crude representation of a stretch of the shoreline, with the city’s approximate location marked by two long, crossing lines.

Off to the side is a group of four people. All armed with different weapons. The Rep seems to suggest that the crosses over their faces aren’t meant to be metaphorical or artistic.

Finally, a scene of the tunnels underground and the city above it. Three people stand in a tunnel, while a fourth seems to have fallen off of an underground cliff.

Speculation: could this be a history of the mole people, how they came to be underground. Or someone else occupying this space before them.

I very much would like to learn this young lady’s name~ Let’s ask about it~ Now, as far as going places, this storage room seems like a good bet. I like the idea of traveling together with this lass.

(1/2) kpwlt 2024/09/26(Thu)08:17 No. 1097851 ID: 127310
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>Speculation: could this be a history of the mole people, how they came to be underground. Or someone else occupying this space before them.

May well be. You’ll keep this in mind in case it ever becomes relevant.

>I very much would like to learn this young lady’s name~ Let’s ask about it~

“Alright, call me Mary.”

I like the idea of traveling together with this lass.

That’s good. She should make hacking your way through this place a bit easier.

>Now, as far as going places, this storage room seems like a good bet.

Mary grabs you by the forearm and leads you back the way you came, to the fork.

Mole people have filled in the gap now, enticed by your fleeting presence. They recognise you. Maybe. Regardless, they shuffle towards the pair of you, eager to grab and bludgeon you into submission.

(2/2) kpwlt 2024/09/26(Thu)08:17 No. 1097852 ID: 127310
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Mary leads you down the left path. After a few turns and narrow sections, a vast emptiness opens before you. The shrieks of lost fruit bats and dripping punctuate the sound of rushing water beneath you.

On the other side of this darkness is a huge column that stretches up as far as you can see, and down the same distance. A large door is conveniently set directly facing you. On either side of the door is a mole person, both taller and broader than any you’ve seen before. Mary looks puzzled at their presence.

Connecting the door to the cliff where you’re standing now is a thin and treacherous path that looks as though it could crumble at any moment. Another path starts out at the same place, but forks around and continues underneath the upper one. You can’t get a good look at what might be on the lower path.

“Either of these should lead to the storage room,” says Mary. “probably.”

take the sneaky low path

Argument: Take the forward path. It will be direct and put us in full comfrontation of the mole men at thegate, but their threat is manageable and time is of the essence in this mission.

(1/2) kpwlt 2024/12/27(Fri)05:25 No. 1101651 ID: febe9c
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>take the sneaky low path
>Argument: Take the forward path. It will be direct and put us in full comfrontation of the mole men at thegate, but their threat is manageable and time is of the essence in this mission.

You weigh up the options. Sure, taking the lower path will allow you to avoid the bulky mole people, but mole people are stupid, and there are two of you.

You decide to directly confront the mole people.

[Note: I’m not crazy about the combat system so far. I’m going to be switching to narrative combat for a while. I’ll still judge your arguments in combat but I’m not gonna have health and stuff anymore.]

(2/2) kpwlt 2024/12/27(Fri)05:25 No. 1101652 ID: febe9c
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As you approach the mole people, they shift into more active postures. Mary pulls a flail from her bag and you are already holding your baton.

You interface with your opponent’s psyche. Defeating the following arguments will break their stance, if for but a moment.

You are not prepared for what lies beyond the gate.

Our king is not eager to receive you.

That second one is tricky, (though one could always attempt “But what if he is eager to recieve us though?” as these mole people have been made out to be rather dull) but we can make progress with the first. “You know nothing of us. It’s completely possible that we are fully prepared for what lies beyond the gate.”

For the first argument, this is a pair of indiviaduals trained for a variety of contingencies, as well as capable to asses and adapt to new, unforseen dangers. Even if the current threat proves too much for just two special agents, there is no harm in actual passing through to verify.

For the second, Your king needs not meet us at all! This is a rescue operation meant to retrieve a missing individual, without intent on intruding further. Passing near the king's chambers in order to fulfill this mission is purely incidental and bids no further thought.

1) "I am at least partially prepared to witness what lies beyond the gate, because I have eyes. I am not prepared for what happens if I give up on my mission."
2) "Do you have data on the emotional status of the king? Have you checked on the king?"

Start with the legs.

Preparation only counts for so much, one must be able to improvise.

Finding the man we seek is more important than the whims of an unrecognized king.

1. What evidence do you have for this statement? We have not displayed any sign that could possibly allow you to determine our preparedness. As such, your assertion is baseless.

2. As a representative of the Government of the land you occupy, I speak in this circumstance with its authority. As such, you must acquiesce to my demand to enter, as your King does not have recognition or authority, and is thus overriden.

(1/3) kpwlt 2024/12/30(Mon)18:25 No. 1101769 ID: 127310
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>“You know nothing of us. It’s completely possible that we are fully prepared for what lies beyond the gate.”
>What evidence do you have for this statement? We have not displayed any sign that could possibly allow you to determine our preparedness. As such, your assertion is baseless.

You appear to be of this world. If that is true, then you cannot possibly be prepared for what follows your audience with our king.
The mole person grasps at your baton. This point is still up in the air.

>1) "I am at least partially prepared to witness what lies beyond the gate, because I have eyes. I am not prepared for what happens if I give up on my mission."

Your baton smacks the shins of the mole person, certainly bruising it, but it still stands firm.

I would suggest that it would be less disastrous for you to give up on your mission. You may abandon your livelihood by doing this, but by continuing on this path you abandon your life.

(2/3) kpwlt 2024/12/30(Mon)18:25 No. 1101770 ID: 127310
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>For the first argument, this is a pair of indiviaduals trained for a variety of contingencies, as well as capable to asses and adapt to new, unforseen dangers. Even if the current threat proves too much for just two special agents, there is no harm in actual passing through to verify.
>Preparation only counts for so much, one must be able to improvise.

When I last visited the surface, no person would have been able to survive what lies beyond the gate. Could it be that you have the means to?

Your baton lands. Painfully. You’re sure that whatever kneecap this thing once had has now retreated far up its thigh. The mole person roars and stumbles in agony but continues to make a valiant effort to strike back.

(3/3) kpwlt 2024/12/30(Mon)18:25 No. 1101771 ID: 127310
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>“But what if he is eager to recieve us though?”
>2) "Do you have data on the emotional status of the king? Have you checked on the king?"

Word travels from his chamber to the gates every so often, so I have an idea. I have guarded this gate since the king ascended the throne. He has never accepted visitors.

The guard seems to have adapted to its injury and continues to resist you.

>For the second, Your king needs not meet us at all! This is a rescue operation meant to retrieve a missing individual, without intent on intruding further. Passing near the king's chambers in order to fulfill this mission is purely incidental and bids no further thought.

Your tone calms me, though your words aggravate. Unless you seek another of my kind, retrieving a visitor will interfere directly with the king’s matters. I am only aware of one of your kind inside here. He is currently being held by the king.

>Finding the man we seek is more important than the whims of an unrecognized king.
>2. As a representative of the Government of the land you occupy, I speak in this circumstance with its authority. As such, you must acquiesce to my demand to enter, as your King does not have recognition or authority, and is thus overriden.

Another blow to the mole guard. Unfortunately, it seems to gather itself quicker every time you hit it.

Why is your Government more important than mine?

You can feel the guard’s mind pulse with bated brainwaves. Its fist rushes towards your central mass.

When I last visited the surface, no person would have been able to survive what lies beyond the gate. Could it be that you have the means to?
It is not possible to know for certain if we have the means to. However, as a highly trained government agent and a licensed private agent of the Hazard Association, I and my companion, respectively, have a high likelihood of possessing the means to survive (at least comparatively).

Why is your Government more important than mine?
The subjective 'importance' of our respective governments is of no matter. The fact of the matter is that the Government I represent possesses two factors that yours does not. Widespread international recognition, and a monopoly on violence over the land we currently occupy. As such, it is not a matter of 'importance', but a matter of power and recognition.

Importance is a factor of scale. Our government is larger, has dealings with more countries, and has influence over more subjects than yours. Thus it is more important.

>>1101769
"If I fail to bring back intelligence, they will send another to do my job. They will suffer as I would suffer for cowardice."

>>1101770
"Times change, the nature of conflict does not. But what exactly are you implying?"

>>1101771
"My government may or may not be superior to yours. That is not the point. What is the point is that my government inflicts more impact upon a wider range of people than yours. It is impacting your people right now.
"

(1/3) kpwlt 2025/01/04(Sat)22:28 No. 1101977 ID: 127310
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>The subjective 'importance' of our respective governments is of no matter…
>Our government is larger, has dealings with more countries, and has influence over more subjects than yours…
>What is the point is that my government inflicts more impact upon a wider range of people than yours…

I grant that your government holds a monopoly on violence here - the guard absorbs a strike - and I know not of the international relations it has with others, therefore I choose to concede this point.

You draw blood this time.

>It is not possible to know for certain if we have the means to…
>Times change, the nature of conflict does not…

If you do not know for certain, then you are not ready. Your people are not prepared for the evil sealed within these walls.

>If I fail to bring back intelligence, they will send another to do my job. They will suffer as I would suffer for cowardice.

Then you shall all perish at the bottom of the pit!

As if giving up, the stocky mole person falls to its knees and slides into a lying position on the cold stone.

(2/3) kpwlt 2025/01/04(Sat)22:28 No. 1101978 ID: 127310
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You turn to Mary, who is already writing notes about how hazardous mole people are or something. Her mole person looks like it’s been out cold for a while now.

“You ready?”

She flashes an ever-so-slightly sinister smirk at you.

You laboriously force the gates open.

“WHO GOES THERE?!”

(3/3) kpwlt 2025/01/04(Sat)22:28 No. 1101979 ID: 127310
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The voice booms throughout the cavern. You can see a figure shrouded in darkness sitting atop a hideously tall throne. You also swear you can see something… dangling just behind the throne.

“Come into the light so that I may lay eyes upon you!” The figure commands.

“Who is it, King?” Another voice asks. “Oh, by the Crown! Whoever you are, come help me, please!”

Though the king quickly roars him into silence, you recognise the second speaker as the Minister for Spatiotemporal Anomalies

Demand the release of the minister. Ask what terms his majesty would have you meet.

Definitely specify you won’t be leaving without the minister. Also perhaps state that your goal is to remove yourself from the mole people’s territory as soon as possible once we’ve secured the minister’s safety. If this king simply wants us off his land so we’ll stop hurting mole people, there’s an easy and diplomatic way to go about it.

>>1101982
This argument is good, plus begin by introducing yourself with a bow or other courtesy befitting nobility. At leaast it won't hurt.

(1/1) kpwlt 2025/01/09(Thu)19:20 No. 1102135 ID: 8ba6a7
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>Demand the release of the minister. Ask what terms his majesty would have you meet.
>Definitely specify you won’t be leaving without the minister. Also perhaps state that your goal is to remove yourself from the mole people’s territory as soon as possible once we’ve secured the minister’s safety. If this king simply wants us off his land so we’ll stop hurting mole people, there’s an easy and diplomatic way to go about it.
>This argument is good, plus begin by introducing yourself with a bow or other courtesy befitting nobility. At leaast it won't hurt.

You come into the light and bow. Mary remains just out of sight.

You explain your situation to the king, applying plenty of respectful language. Though he is still just a silhouette to you, you think you can make out some sort of long and pointy implement in his hand.

“Nice try,” exclaims the king, “but I can smell the surface on you! I know your objective is to annihilate my kingdom! As for this guy, he trespassed, and his punishment is to spend eternity bound in my chamber! And if you know what’s good for you, you’ll let me tie you up for eternity too! Otherwise, I will kill you.”

Ask the king how much room he has for prisoners, for if you fail to return the government will send more agents. But if he is open to negotiation, then his kingdom could be declared off limits to the surface.

Also, if you were here to annihilate, then you would be fighting now, not talking.

There's not just the prison size issue. Every time an agent is sent, they have to fight their way here, which means his people suffer. The path of least suffering is for him to let the prisoner go.

As for the "You're here to destroy my kingdom" part, what gives him that idea? You have avoided conflict thus far. If you wanted to destroy his kingdom you could have chosen to do a lot more damage, and in fact it would be very unwise for you to be here in this room if you wanted to do damage to his kingdom. After all, he's far stronger than you, isn't he? Coming here would be foolish unless your objective was in this room, and since you are weak then your objective cannot possibly be to kill him.

Ah! I have it! He thinks we’re here to eradicate his people, right? Well, perhaps an arrangement can be made that would allow for such an eradication to be completely off the table. Perhaps we can explain to the king that we cannot guarantee his people’s safety unless a temporary non-aggression pact is made. Whatever Spatiotemporal anomaly is down here is probably causing problems for the Mole People as well. If we have the means to possibly stabilize it, all parties involved will benefit. You get to get rid of the anomaly, and once that’s done, the ministry will have no more business down here and we can leave these Mole People alone. All that’s really needed is a temporary pass to locate this anomaly and do away with it. If your company is as efficient as it should be, the whole process shouldn’t take more than a few days, surely? Unless there are in world complications to this idea. I don’t think it’s wise to lie to this king just yet.