Lurker > nikko004

we uppin

as a gamer its a bummer losing those strategies

as a game developer you realize its sometimes necessary for the health of the game, since players love optimizing their play, and OP strategies are the obvious goto for that but a lot of the time they're also boring af to do

A) Your father wouldnt want you to be impolite. Introduce yourself.

You step forward and look him squarely in the eyes. My name is Gregor the you struggle to think what the name of your current role is. ...the Throne Avenger?

Were actually indulging this guy? Oskar asks with contempt. Ah, whatever. Names Oskar, wanderer.

Warren claps his hands together. Well met, Gregor and Oskar! Unfortunately, because your arrival was ratherabrupt, my chef didnt have time to prepare any meal for you two. However, my generosity knows no bounds, so I am willing to share.

You hear the wheels of a cart go through the door. A man in a chef outfit wheels it past you and stops right in front of Warren. Once the chef leaves, you get a good look at what lies on top of the cart: A dead body.

Warren gestures at the body. Well, gentlemen? Ill let you have the first bite.

Oskar reels with discomfort. Its probably a cultural thing but Im not really into uh, people. For lunch, I mean.

You shake your head. My father has told me not to resort to eating people unless I have no other options.

Warren shrugs. Suit yourselves. That just means more for me. He opens his mouth, extending fangs out of his canines, then bites into the bodys neck with fervor. Even though his robe covers most of his body, you can see the exposed veins on his hands throbbing with every bit of blood that he sucks.

Oskar watches in disgust. Damn, I thought it was weird that theres no windows in this room. Youre a freaking vampire!

Warren releases his bite and wipes his mouth. Oh? You know of our existence? Weve been in hiding for so long that I thought we've been forgotten already. But I suppose thats a wanderer for you, knowing hearsay from even centuries ago.

What are you waiting for, Gregor? This guys clearly an evil freak. You gonna smack him?

You shake your head. Im here for a warlock. Would you happen to know where he is?

Oskar looks at you with scorn. Just kill the guy already, Gregor! I thought we had to kill everyone in this kingdom, including him!

Oh. You grip your staff and enter combat stance. Before I kill you, would you happen to know where the warlock is?

Warren adjusts his robe. Of course I know. Youre looking at him.

Thank you for answering honestly. You charge towards him.

Oskar narrows his eyes in thought, then widens them in realization. Wait, Gregor!--

You both freeze up.

A small figure manifests from thin air above Warrens grinning face. It fully reveals its form to be a red fairy.

Warren laughs and claps his hands together. Come on now. Do you not know how a warlock operates? And yet you were foolish enough to give your names to my patron.

The chef walks in and takes the cart away from the room.

Warren walks around your frozen body to assert dominance. That old fart of a King put you up to this, didnt he? Truly the height of foolishness!

He walks up to Oskar, looking him up and down. I was enjoying my leisure life of gathering bodies legally to nourish myself everyday. No longer did I have to do it covertly under the rule of that fool.

He walks up to you and pokes your chest. And here YOU are, ruining it all! Dont you know a body tastes best when its freshly dead?! Ugh, and youre leaving the blood all over the place! Truly vexing! Youve ruined my appetite for tonight and for many of the coming nights! How do you plan on reimbursing me for this?!

You try to speak, but your body refuses to do anything.

Warren sighs. Forget it. Lets see, I wonder what command I should give you now

A) Oskar and Gregor, kill yourselves.
B) Gregor, kill Oskar.
C) Oskar and Gregor, do a funny little dance.

up

B) Bust through with the sheer power of necro-throne [LOUD]

You stay seated, letting the King continue his momentum.

Beautiful day today, huh? says one guard.

Yeah, says the other, Beautiful day indeed. I hope it doesnt get ruined by some divine misfortune.

Oh, you and your silly predictions. Ever since we overthrew the old King months ago, bad things conveniently stopped happening to us, just like that warlock said! What could possibly go wrong--

The King flattens the two guards, disregarding their metal armor just like he disregards the thick iron gate. He tears through with ease.

The pristine stone paving gets cracks from how hard the King gallops. All the citizens scream and run, trying to get back to their many brick houses. All the people that were already inside immediately shut their windows.

But it doesnt matter to the King. He flattens a house easily, and starts flailing wildly like a deranged warhorse.

More guards start to trickle in, armed with spears. Before they could touch the King, you jump off and brandish your staff midair, before slamming it overhead into the skull of a guard.

Oskar whistles. Looks like were up, Drath.

Drath is screaming--

Oskar slaps him out of it. Alright, you can shut the hell up already.

Drath stops screaming. What the--where the, oh! The throne! So I was not hallucinating things after all! The bloodthirsty soul of the fallen king is mine to control!--

He and Oskar get thrown off the throne. Oskar lands with a dropkick on a guard, while Drath falls face-first into the pavement.

He gets up and dusts off his robe. Bah! Keep your wretched soul and rot away in hell for all I care! Besides He looks over to the carnage that you and the king have created; bodies sprawled all around belonging to both citizens and guards. ...I have plenty of other fine offerings to work with! he says with his pendant held high.

All the bodies glow and reanimate. The guards, already slightly intimidated by you, and rather freaked out by the giant chair, are now in complete terror over their former comrades stabbing them in the back. Literally.

Oskar tiptoes around the copious pools of blood so as to not get his boots dirty, while also nimbly dodging the falling debris from various buildings being razed by the King.

More guards run in. You advance forward, smashing their heads off as you walk through the path theyve been taking. Oskar follows behind, while Drath stays with the King where the battle is at its craziest. Blazing yourself a trail of blood, you eventually reach the source where theyve been coming from: the huge castle that was looming all over this kingdom.

The number of guards youve run into have dwindled tremendously. Seems like this castles army is running dry. You keep fighting through the handful of guards that trickle in, until you reach all the way to the throne room. You bust down the large ornamental doors.

The large room is juxtaposed with how minimal it is. Only walls, and an old man in a robe in the middle standing in front of a table that has a bottle of red liquid and a wine glass.

The man runs his finger around the rim of the wine glass. My, unexpected guests? If I had known, I would have brought out my extra fine glassware. He extends his hand towards you amicably. By all means, take a seat. Care for a drink?

Youd love to take a seat, but theres a very jarring lack of chairs anywhere in this room. Its just the man and the table. If this guys offer for a seat sucks this bad, you wonder if the drink is worth it.

Oskar speaks aside to you. So, is this guy crazy? Ive kind of forgotten what actually constitutes as crazy nowadays after meeting you and Drath.

You shrug.

The old man chuckles. Oh dearie me, where are my manners? I am Warren Locksmith. Former Locksmith. Currently the Prime Minister of this place.

The hells a Prime Minister? Asks Oskar.

Now now, its not very polite that Ive told you my name, yet you fail to return the favor. So, care to give me your names?

A) Your father wouldnt want you to be impolite. Introduce yourself.
B) Smack him now

bump

A) Accept your new role

You put your hand to your chest, around where your heart is. I will do it, but only because it is a job. What would you have me do?



The sun beams brightly on all three of your faces. Oskar and Drath are holding onto their dear lives as the throne gallops through the forest, clearing trees as easily as he did last night.

Oskar grits his teeth. Good morning, Drath!

Drath is screaming.

Good morning, Gregor!

You sit at the edge, arms crossed and taking in the nice breeze of the wind. You face the side and nod at Oskar.

Good morning Gregors GIANT FUCKING THRONE. Seriously, what in blazes is this, Gregor?! It talks and it moves?!

You nod. Is that not normal? You talk and move, too.

Last time I checked, I wasnt a goddamn chair!

You have four limbs and you can be sat on. You sound awfully like a chair.

Oskar pinches the bridge of his nose. Drath, back me up here!

Drath is screaming.

Oskar sighs. Alright, whatever. Being kidnapped by large sentient furniture, just another day I suppose. Anyway, where did you say this thing was taking us?

You turn to face him. We are headed to the kingdom that has forsaken him, so we may bring him justice.

Oh right yeah justice, yup. What kind of justice?

The chair chimes in. Murder all those bastards. Every single one of them.

Oh right yeah murdering a whole kingdom, yup. Oskar blinks a few times. ...What?

The job description seems quite clear, Wanderer Oskar. And it is the same as what weve been doing so far.

That was TWO murders! This is at least three! Maybe even more! He buries his face in one hand. Damn it all. I just wanted to live comfortably. Why did you even say yes to this?!

My father taught me never to turn down a job.

Gregor, have you even thought, for one second, that your father might be a terrible man?

You point your staff at him. Watch what you say, Wanderer Oskar. If my father is truly terrible, then that would make me terrible. And I have always done what has been asked of me, so I cannot possibly be terrible.

Drath, do you hear this shit?

Drath is screaming.

The chair chimes in. You may inherit my entire kingdom and its riches once you are done.

Oskar raises his eyebrows. I take it back, Gregor. Your father is right, you shouldnt turn down a job! he says with glee.

Some time passes, and youre closing in on the kingdom. Its enclosed with large stone walls, and the large gated entrance is guarded by two armor-clad soldiers.

How do you proceed?

A) Move on foot and get in like normal travelers [QUIET]
B) Bust through with the sheer power of necro-throne [LOUD]
C) Move on foot, kill the guards and sneak through [SEMI-QUIET]

C) Throw him over your shoulder

You maneuver behind the throne, trying to keep your legs rooted to the ground while he drags you forward. With all your strength, you lift him up and throw him over your shoulder, slamming his colossal wooden frame into the ground at full force.

Surprisingly, he doesnt look damaged from that at all, but he does stop his charge. And now hes lodged into the dirt.

You take a breather and look around. Nothing but trees. Its extremely dark with only hints of moonlight bleeding through the leaves above. You have no clue how deep in the forest you are.

You walk over and tap on the upside-down chair. My father has always thrown me into the ground whenever I get rowdy. And you seemed plenty rowdy.

The chair inhales and exhales, or rather, makes those mouth noises even though he does not have any functional lungs, nor a mouth. Ido not know what came over me. Such demeanor is not befitting of a king.

You scratch your head. It doesnt seem befitting of a chair, either.

I was not always a chair. He wiggles. I was once a powerful king! Until my people burned down my castle and overthrew me. And then a warlock put my soul into my own throne. A most cruel irony.

You pick your nose.

But you, adventurer, you can take on my pain. You can carry my will! My revenge! You can kill the bastards that made me like this!

You stare at him intently. Are youassigning me a role, perhaps?

He wiggles again. A role to make heads roll. In return, you can have whatever your heart desires. Well, if your desire lies within what will be the ruins of my kingdom.

You put your hand to your chest. Butmy heart does not feel any desire.

What? No desire? That is simply impossible! If warlocks didnt exist. Im sure of it, your desire has been stolen from you by his dastardly magics!.

I dont recall anything being stolen from me. And I have watched over all my possessions like a hawk.

But you see, adventurer, this is not something you see. Your heart does not feel desire because your heart CANNOT feel desire. The very feeling has been stolen from you.

He bends one of his legs towards you. And you have the chance to take it right back. What do you say, adventurer?

A) Accept your new role
B) Reject it

C) The throne

You grab the whole-ass throne. Its almost twice as tall as you and rather wide. Youre not really sure why anyone would sit on this unless they were large, which judging by the corpse, does not seem to be the case. Feels like you could fit 4 kings on this.

Unfortunately, the corpse and the crown falls off the throne, and you dont really have enough hands to grab it all. You quickly run through the hallway, throne legs in hand, until you finally see the moonlight seeping out of the tomb entrance.

You make it out, joining Oskar and Drath who are panting on the ground. The tremors crescendo into their finale, closing out the entrance with a bunch of debris.



Oskar tucks himself into his sleeping bag, appreciating the comfort of the cabin indoors. Well friends, its a bit unfortunate that we couldnt get all that mountain of treasure, but at least we made a good fortune! Anyway, good night Drath.

Drath hisses in the corner. Silence, boy! Im trying to figure out why my pendant has failed me, he says while holding it up right to his eyeball, close enough to nearly touch his pupil.

Goodnight, five-man skeleton army.

Their remains remain unperturbed in Draths bag of goodies.

Goodnight, Gregor.

You nod, keeping one eye open while sitting upright against the wall.

Goodnight, Gregors GIANT FUCKING THRONE. Oskar sits up. Why in blazes did you bring that thing anyway?!

You shrug. You said to grab anything. So I did.

We cant even fit the damn thing through the door! He points at the window, where it peeks through in plain sight. Its just sitting out there! Youre damn lucky this cabin is in the middle of nowhere, or we wouldve been advertising a free chair. Yknow, if anyone happens to have an ass the size of a boar.

Raindrops start pitter-pattering against the window. Lightning flashes and thunder rumbles.

Oskar sighs. Great, now its gonna get wet. Thats gonna be great for the wood, Im sure, he says sarcastically, then tucks himself back to bed. Yknow what, I suddenly stopped caring. Youd think Id get used to the usual Gregor antics by now. Good night.

You stare at the throne, sitting out in the cold rain. You decide to step outside, grabbing a large leather sheet on the way. Just as youre about to cover it up, a familiar purple glow fills up the inside of the cabin, followed by the throne floating up slightly and being surrounded with a purple aura.

It settles back to the ground. Then it starts moving, like it was a lost animal. Its wooden legs bend organically as it turns itself to the left, then to the right. Suddenly, you hear a deep commanding voice from it.

Adventurer. You dare try to steal my treasures--wait. It uses one of its chair legs to scratch its head, which is really just the backrest. Where the hell am I. Why am I a chair. What have you done to me?!

You think very hard about each of his questions. You also only spend about two seconds thinking about it, before you shrug.

The chair stomps its leg like an angry horse. He then charges forward, whisking you away.

You sit on it against your will, holding tightly on the armrests as he charges effortlessly through the thicket of trees. The large leather sheet sits on your lap like a cozy blanket while some dangling parts flap against the wind.

What a rowdy chair. What do you do?

A) See where he takes you
B) Cover him with the leather sheet
C) Throw him over your shoulder

Nah people just never expect throws lol
Cammy happens to also easily get into throwing range
But if you like throwing try a grappler like Zangief

C) Summon skeleton army to scout the paths for you
Drath places his bag of bones on the ground and spreads out his arms.

The bag starts glowing purple and the bones float out of it, forming into the animated skeletons that greeted you last night.

He points vaguely forward to the entrances. Find the kings room.

The skeletons march through all 3 entrances. Some rumbling can be heard through one of the entrances, and some thumps and thuds. And then, a moment of silence.

From the leftmost entrance, about 5 skeletons return. The other two entrances remain silent.

The three of you nod and march through the left entrance.

Its pretty much just another long straight hallway. The tremors return for a moment, slightly more intense than before. More cracks form at the walls.

Finally, you reach the end of the hallway and find yourself in another large circular room. Piles of gold, coins, and jewelry line the walls.

Oskar immediately jumps into the pile, swimming in them. The skeletons run up and start collecting the treasure into bags.

You and Drath are more fixated on what sits in the middle; a decaying corpse with a crown, sitting on a throne.

Drath grins and points his amulet at the corpse.

It glows purple for a moment and levitates, but the light quickly dies out.

Drath raises his eyebrow and points his amulet again. Same result. He shakes his amulet. Whatdenied?! How dare you deny my call!

The tremors return, only this time they dont stop. Cracks form to the point that debris starts to fall around you.

Oskar panics and grabs some jewelry, then starts running towards the hallway again. Just grab anything and escape at once!

Drath stomps and curses at the corpse. He snaps his fingers, and one of the skeleton whisks him away, running to the hallway. The rest of the skeletons follow with treasure in hand.

In a panic, you also follow them, but not without grabbing

A) The corpses crown
B) The corpse
C) The throne

C) Rob the fallen king

You find Drath's proposal agreeable. The three of you nod and sleep for the night.



The three of you trudge through the forest, with streaks of sunlight bleeding through the abundance of trees, illuminating your path.

Drath leads the way, holding a Y-shaped bone he calls a wishbone. It magically orients itself, pointing in some direction that you have all been following. Hes also holding a sack full of the bones of the skeleton army he raised last night, though right now theyre resting according to him.

After an hour of traveling deep in the forest, you end up in front of a brick-lined cave entrance.

Draths wishbone vibrates rapidly, pointing at another object stuck to the ground: another bone.

We have arrived, Drath says, yanking out the bone from the ground and making the wishbone stop moving. You have my wonderful foresight to thank. Marking this tomb has proven to be useful.

Oskar crosses his arms. Its great that we found this place easily thanks to that wishbone, but do we have a way back?

Do you doubt me, boy? Of course I have already marked our hideout as well.

He puts his hands up. Okay okay, just making sure. Lets check this place out already.

Inside, its just an empty square room with a big square stone full of esoteric engravings in the middle.

You look around for anything else. Sir Drath, you said we would not need any shovels since our targets will be in plain sight. You walk up to him and glare. Did you lie to us, Sir Drath? My father has always told me that a liar isnt always bad, but someone who lies to you personally deserves no mercy.

Drath cowers. Do not be hasty now, lad. We have yet to truly enter the fallen kings tomb. He walks to the side of the square stone and tries to push it. Itssimplyunder this door! After a few more futile attempts, he lies on his back to recover his stamina.

Oskar also tries to budge it, to no avail. Damn. We should have brought shovels after all--

You give the stone a good kick, and the stone slides forward like it was a puck. It crashes into the wall, causing tremors. A staircase is revealed underneath.

Both your companions stare in awe.

Drath gets up, clearing his throat. Splendid. Let us advance, then.

You and Oskar follow his lead as he holds out his glowing pendant, navigating down the stairs and through a long stone hallway.

You feel more tremors.

Drath looks up at some small cracks forming on the ceiling. It would appear that ourunique door opening ceremony has disturbed this place that has slept for decades. I fear that this tomb shall collapse soon.

Oskar gulps. Oh. Should we really be walking so casually then?

Drath scoffs. Fine, I suppose I shall unleash a bit more of my power. I upgrade my leisure stroll He lifts up the bottom of his robe to prevent tripping. ...Into a brisk walk.

Eventually, you briskly end up in a circular room with 3 long paths to choose from.

What do you do?

A) Stick together, picking a path at random
B) Split up and each take a path
C) Summon skeleton army to scout the paths for you [Might cause army to dwindle]

bump

B) Its probably just been a long day. Head back to the cabin to plan your next move.

You all go back through the forest and enter the cabin.

Oskar looks around before going in. Phew. I dont think anyone saw us on our way back.

The old man takes a seat at the dinner table and relaxes. Now why would it matter if we were seen or not? We were simply having anight time stroll.

Oskar closes the door behind him and sits across from the old man. Oh, yeah, I suppose we were just normal guys doing normal things on a normal night. WITH AN ARMY OF SKELETONS. He turns around to look at you. Gregor, do you seriously not see anything wrong with this?!

While Oskar was raving like a mad man, you were systematically directing the line of skeletons to place their bag of money against the wall, stacking it on top of the already existing piles of money. You also thank each skeleton and shake their bony hand after they drop off their bag. During this, you look back to Oskar. Wrong with what, Wanderer Oskar?

Oskar blood boils until it reaches a critical point, and thennothingness. His mind has become a blank slate. In this moment, he has found inner peace. He takes a stale loaf of bread from the basket in the center of the table. I get it now. IM the weird one here. He takes a bite and offers a loaf to the old man. So whats your deal? Who are you and what were you doing in that cemetery?

He turns away the loaf. You have not heard of me? Ive sealed away my real name long ago, but you may call meDrath! he yells with his arms out.

Oskar continues to chew his bread nonchalantly. Drath. Nice to meet you, I guess. Names Oskar, wanderer. That one over there is Gregor, uh, currently unemployed.

He retracts his arms. Erright. Nice to meet you too. He bangs his hands on the table. Wait, no! How could you possibly not have heard of the great Drath?! Especially if you are a wanderer!

Oskar scratches the side of his mouth. Hmmnope, not ringing any bells, sorry. You sure you dont want any of this stale bread?

He stands up. I do not feed on yourfeeble grains! I feed on the souls of the damned!

Sousvi damme? Is that some kind of foreign dish?

He sits back down, defeated. He grabs a stale loaf.

You thank the last skeleton for its service. They all salute you and stand idly in front of the money. You sit next to Oskar at the table, also grabbing a stale loaf. It is nice to meet you, Sir Drath. Wanderer Oskar, what is our plan for tomorrow?

Hmm, well, we could go back to that town. There was that other rich fellow we could rob. But people are definitely gonna notice that Granite is missing, and we were the ones that last talked to him, so it might be risky.

You take a bite from your loaf. Would you happen to know of any other villages we could travel to?

I know a good one, but I dont know the way there from this place. We might get lost in the forest trying to find it.

If I may inquire, Drath begins, what is this plan of yours about?

Oskar replies, Oh, were currently trying to find rich people to target and rob inconspicuously.

So it is riches you need, then? I may have a favorable proposition for you. Drath grins maliciously. I know of a tomb of a fallen king. He was buried with all his wealth, though he is not one to part with it very easily. That tomb may very well be riddled with all sorts of traps! However, I think it wouldbenefit us both.

Oskar puts a hand on his chin. Graverobbing, huh? Well, at least the guy IS already dead so that saves us some trouble. What do you think, Gregor?

A) Go back to the village you were in previously
B) Wander the forest for the other village Oskar knows
C) Rob the fallen king

zangief

B) To Granite's office, we still gotta find that key

And so, you head back through the window into Granite's office.

"Well," you say, "where have we not looked yet?"

Oskar scratches his head. "Great question. Even better question: Why is that freak here?!" he yells, pointing at the old man hunched behind you.

He stands up straight, then upon seeing your face, immediately hunches over again. I havent the slightest clue myself! My instincts tell me to follow this person here, he says, pointing at you.

Oskar blinks, then shrugs. Alright, sure, why not; a weird old man jumping along for this ride. He throws his hands in the air. What a fantastic night this has been! he says with maximum sarcasm. He then starts rummaging through the furniture again. This moons not going to stay up forever. Lets find this key already!

The old man scoffs. You do not order me around, boy. His gaze meets yours for a brief moment, then he cowers away. B-but, for you sir, I suppose I can spare some of my talents.

He scuttles over towards the locked door and brandishes a key made of bones.

You both walk over and stare in curiosity.

What is that supposed to be? You ask.

He cackles. This, you see, is the Skeleton Key! It can unlock any lock I desire! He sticks the key in. The keyhole glows purple, then a sharp clicking sound rings out. The door hinges open effortlessly.

Oskars jaw drops. Wow. That cant be real. You must have pulled a trick of some sort, right?

The old man frowns. You dare call my power a mere trick?!--

You put a hand on the old mans shoulder. Wanderer Oskar, you said yourself that moonlight is limited. Let us make haste.

The three of you step inside.

Oskar stumbles around in the darkness. Okay, maybe we should have grabbed a candle before going in.

The old man cackles again. Not to worry, boy. The darkness is our friend. He pulls out an amethyst pendant, which starts glowing and illuminates the room with a bright purple light.

The money that Oskar initially saw is in full view. Sacks upon sacks of coins fill the room.

Oskar doesnt even acknowledge the glowing pendant as hes too distracted by the money. He dives into the pile and caresses one of the bags.

He was also too distracted to notice something that definitely does not belong with the money. Many skeletons lie around in various places here. Some of the skeletons are also rather short, almost like they do not belong to an adult.

The old man starts laughing maniacally with his arms spread out. Praise to the Moon God! Following you has led me to a bountiful harvest after all! He runs up and shakes your hand with glee. You are truly blessed with fate! Our destinies are surely intertwined! He then skips around the room, collecting the bones.

You stare at your hand that he just shook. But I did not do anything.

Oskar struggles as he walks up to you, dragging one of the bags. Gregor, help me out with this. We can probably take about 3 or 4 bags if we all work together.

Wanderer Oskar, does it not strike you as strange that there are remains of people in this room?

What? He looks around again and realizes all the skeletons around. Oh, those. Maybe Granite liked eating people, I dunno. It would explain how he became so big.

Should this not spark more outrage? My father only kept about 3 corpses in his cellar, and says that is par for the course for the average man. This is more than 3 corpses.

Oskar looks at you with concern, then quickly switches back to apathy. I guess its a lot of skeletons. When youve wandered as long as I have though, this isnt even close to the worst thing youll see. Now cmon, help me haul this stuff already.

The old man laughs mockingly at Oskar. You look like youre having some trouble there, boy. Perhaps you need ahand? Hahaha! he says, waving a skeleton arm around.

Oskar drops the bag and crosses his arms. You know what old man? Sure, Id love to see you try.

He grins and drops the skeleton arm, then snaps his fingers. All the skeletons start glowing purple and float around the old man. They stand upright, reanimated, and each lift up a bag effortlessly. Eventually all the bags in the room are held by a skeleton. He then points at you. Follow that man over there.

The skeletons line up near you.

Oskars jaw drops again. Isis this a trick again? Where are the strings?

The old man walks over calmly with his hands behind his back. Call my powers a trick again, boy, and the next string youll see is at the gallows!

Oskar gulps. Right. Well Gregor, lead the way.

You stand there, unmoving. Thoughts enter your mind. A whole room of bodies where bodies should not be, exists in this town. And Oskar says theres even worse out there? You always thought of your father as a virtuous and noble man. So its safe to conclude that someone that owns more than 3 corpses must be someone that isnt virtuous nor noble.

You step out of the money room, and stop right next to the window to stare at the moon. A familiar twinkle sits next to the moon, which captivates you.

A) This village might have more rooms full of remains. Raze this whole village to the ground to prevent any more casualties.
B) Its probably just been a long day. Head back to the cabin to plan your next move.

C) Force him to help you bury the body

You kneel right next to the old man's head. "What I have done? I handed you the body. Is this not what you wanted?"

"Ha ha very funny." He says, unamused. "Now free me of this wretched soil!"

"Hmm, now that I handed it to you, it is now your responsibility, right?" You walk back to the fence to grab the other shovel, then back to the old man to present it to him. "Start digging."

"This is preposterous! Why should I listen to you?! And how would I even dig without my arms--"

You shove the shovel handle sideways in his mouth. "There, now you don't need arms. Start digging."

He spits it back out.

Oskar gets up after shaking the bony hand off him. "Gregor, what are you doing? Just kill the guy already, or forget him. We need to hide this thing now before someone else sees us!" He says frantically as he starts digging out a spot.

You scratch your head, then grab the top of the man's skull. "It seems I have no choice, since time is short."

"Hahaha, yes! I knew you'd come to your senses--AGH" His neck almost breaks from the sudden jolt of your pull. His torso reveals itself, and he spreads out his arms. His hand winds up for a snap. "I told you I'd make you regret this--"

You grab both of his wrists tightly, preventing him from using his fingers, and then pull the rest of his body out. Still holding his wrists, you yank him closer to your face and stare him down with your deadpan stoicism. "Start digging, please. My father has always told me to listen to people when they're being very polite." You tighten your grip. "Because people won't stay polite for long."

Sweat rolls down the side of his face. He gulps, and then nods desperately.

You let go, letting his body collapse to the ground.

He scrambles back up and grabs the shovel, then runs up to Oskar and digs next to him.

You stand and stare.

Once the hole is ready, they toss Granite in there, then return the dirt quickly.

Oskar pants as he wipes the sweat off his brow. "Why didn't you help?!"

"I have been absolved of responsibility when that man asked me to hand over the body. That means my role has also been passed over."

He shakes his fist, then calms down. "You know what. Let's just get out of here, back..."

A) To the cabin, to try again tomorrow
B) To Granite's office, we still gotta find that key

C and B are currently tied, so I'll need a tiebreaker or I'll choose at random

pooping is definitely the funniest answer for this but which of you hooligans are lying down while pooping

A) Thats an undead. Smack him now

Before Granite could rise to his full height, you take your staff, run up, and swing at his head with full force. The sound of his neck cracking rings out around the room, followed by a loud thud from his body hitting the floor.

Oskar puts his hands on his temples. "Gregor. Did you just kill the man?"

"You said that undeads were evil, and he was behaving like one. So--"

"Undeads aren't real you dimwit! And for the record, neither are necromancers!" He grabs your shoulders. "That was just a stupid tale that you'd hear at a bar!"

You look over to Granite's body, which now has drool coming out of his mouth. "So we just committed murder once again."

"Uh, no, this time this was all you."

"But were we not going to kill him later anyway to take his money?"

"Well, yes, but that was supposed to be later! After more preperations!"

You take his hands off you. "I don't see the point of waiting. This seems like an opportune time to do it. We are completely alone."

Oskar sighs. "Alright, fine, whatever, what's done is done." He walks over and lifts Granite by the torso, trying to drag him to the window. "Just come over and help me with this. We gotta hide him."

You nod and walk over, hoisting him over your shoulder like he weighs nothing.

Oskar blinks, taken aback. "Wow, okay, uh, very nice. Just follow me." He opens the window and hops over, then motions for you to throw the body to him.

You oblige and toss the body, smacking Oskar and crushing him under Granite's massiveness.

He squirms. "O...kay, heav...heavy. Get this...thing off me."

You hop out and hoist Granite over your shoulder again.

Oskar exhales and gets back up. "Alright, let's just lay low and get to the cemetery."

"Why there?"

"Don't you know? Best place to hide a tree is in a forest."

You raise an eyebrow. "But we're not hiding a tree."

Oskar turns to you, looking ready to snap at any moment.

You both make your way through the unlit parts of the town, behind the buildings and through the bushes, eventually making it to the cemetery. It's fenced off, containing a mostly neat arrangement of wooden graves.

Oskar looks around. "Hmm, let's see, is there one around here...ah!" He runs to the fence, where a pair of shovels are. "Alright, grab one and start digging--"

"Hello there, gentlemen," says an old man shrouded in a black robe; the same one you saw earlier that chased those kids away. He almost looks invisible in the dim night. "I didn't expect anybody to be up so...late."

Oskar stances up with his shovel, ready to fight. "Neither did we."

The man glances at you. "That's a tasty little morsel you're carrying there."

You tilt your head. "Morsel? This is a man."

"And what a splendid man it is!" He shouts, raising his hands and looking to the sky. "Or should I say, was? Or perhaps, will be? Hahaha!" He laughs maniacally.

Oskar starts running up to him. "Alright, clearly you're a freak. Have a good night now!--"

The man waves his fingers. A bony hand rises up from the soil and grabs Oskar's leg, tripping him.

He looms over Oskar, taunting him. "A good night? Why yes, it most certainly is a great night! Hahaha!"

He walks up to you slowly, then stops right in front of you. "Hand over that body, boy."

"Okay." You swing Granite's hefty body overhead, slamming it unto the old man. You lift the body again, revealing only the man's head. The rest of his body has sunken into the soil.

The man struggles and wiggles to no avail. "What the, what is this madness? What have you done to me? Release me at once!"

A) Kill him
B) Ignore him and bury the body as planned
C) Force him to help you bury the body

B) Throw him over your shoulder

And you throw him over your shoulder, of course. The basics of self defense, if someone tries to grab you. You thank your father in your head for his wisdom.

A super loud THUD echoes throughout the room. Stars orbit around Granites unconscious face.

Oskar puts his hands around his face. You idiot, what in blazes are you doing!?

You look at him like nothing happened. He attacked you, and he looked like he was about to do the same to me.

He kneels over Granites body and tries to slap him awake. Cmon, get up now. He slaps him a few more times.

A voice cries out from outside the office. Is everything alright in there, sir? Says one of the clerks. Footsteps start to approach the door.

Oh no. Quickly Gregor, help me with this! He whispers loudly to you.

The clerk peeks in and seesGranite, standing upright just fine, albeit a little weird, like his legs are made of jelly.

Luckily for you and Oskar, you are both hidden thanks to Granite having such a large frame. You hoist up his torso while he puppeteers Granite's arms.

Oh uh yeah, yep! Everything is just dandy here. You uh, get back to work! Oskar says in a deep voice, trying to imitate Granite while also nudging Granites jaw like a puppet.

The clerk shrugs and walks back.

Granite starts to stir--

You and Oskar drop his body, which lets his head to once again meet with the hard wooden floor. Whew, that was close, huh Gregor?

Wanderer Oskar, he does not seem to be awake. What should we do now?

And whose fault is that?! He pinches the bridge of his nose. Ugh, whatever. My slaps do not seem very effective on him. Maybe you can give him a better wake-up slap than I can?

Granites eyes start to open up again--

You swing your staff against the side of his face. Stars orbit him once again.

Oskar grabs your shoulders. Gregor. What, and I mean this kindly, the fuck?!

You shrug. Your hand slaps did not work. So I figured I should try something besides my hands.

He lets go of you, exasperated. Alright, well, we can probably still save this. He walks to the back of the room towards a large iron door, and peers through the keyhole. Sweet, theres a whole lot of money in there. See if he has the key on him.

You pat him down. He does not have it.

Drat. Its probably in his desk--

Footsteps start approaching the door again.

Uh oh, Oskar scrambles.

The clerks peeks in to seeGranite, slouching on his chair behind his desk.

You and Oskar are hidden underneath the desk. Sweat rolls down Oskars face.

She waves awkwardly. Hi sir, uh, were about to close up here. Just wanted to know if you were going to be working for the night so I dont have to lock up.

Oskar grabs your staff and uses it to nudge Granites face up and down, making him look like hes nodding.

The clerk smiles. Got it, have a great evening, sir! She closes the office door. Her footsteps pitter patter, getting farther away.

You both peek out to see if its clear.

Granite groans and starts to--

Oskar stands up straight, accidentally pushing Granite off his chair and smacking his head against the edge of the desk, and then it hits the floor once again.

Whew, Oskar says, wiping the sweat off his brow, Looks like we wont be having any more distractions. He hands you back your staff. Come on Gregor, help me look around for that key.

The light in the window slowly turns to dim moonlight, illuminating the room with a calming blue.

You and Oskar continue to open every drawer and container in this office.

Oskar sighs and leans against the desk, stepping over Granites still-unconscious body. Were getting nowhere. Lets take a break.

You perk up upon hearing that. Takea break? I can do that?

He walks over to the window and looks out. Of course you can. Samsons dead, remember? He cant tell you what to do anymore.

You walk up beside him and look out as well, staring at the moon. In the distance, you see some kids playing around near a cemetery, but then they get chased away from there by some old man in a black robe.

Oskar chuckles. You ever heard of the undead?

You shake your head.

They say that out there, an evil necromancer wanders from place to place, looking for graves. Once he does, he brings the dead bodies back to life! He says with a scary face. But they arent the same as they were before. Their bodies are still rotten, their faces are disfigured, and they cant think properly anymore. All they can do is serve that necromancer's evil commands, and all they can say is--

Uuuuugh Granite groans. Still disoriented, he slowly rises, revealing his hideous face disfigured from all the lumps.

A) Thats an undead. Smack him now
B) Run out the door quickly

legit one of the best indie games ever made
it took the small team 7 years to make and it shows
played on pc tho but switch should be just as good

if you like puzzles similar to old school zelda (but faster paced), really smooth and fluid top-down action, a pretty good story with well-written characters (most of which actually fight alongside you and aren't deadweight), and awesome but challenging boss fights then its the game for you

my only gripe is the switch between "puzzle mode" and "action mode" can be a bit abrupt sometimes and the flow of the gameplay gets interrupted because of this, but it doesn't happen too often

you have to remember the target audience: upper class idiots that don't have the first clue how war and army management work
very good reason why everything in that book sounds like its so obvious

B) The boss of the pickpockets

"Your boss, you say?" says Oskar creepily.

"Wanderer Oskar, is this not enough? These children seem to be adequately intimidated." you say, loosening the pressure you're putting on the kid on the ground.

"Hmm..." Oskar drops the kid on the wall. "You're right, Gregor. Tell you what, kid. I'll give you this pouch back if you let us meet your boss."

The kid gets up and dusts himself off. "That's all? That's easy. Follow me," he says smugly, walking back towards the entrance of the marketplace.

The kid on the ground moves your staff away and also gets up, following right behind the other kid.

They lead you back to the bank you saw earlier. Inside, the brick walls are lavishly decorated with statues and paintings. The front of the store has two clerks manning a counter.

The kids walk up and greet them.

The clerk waves back at them and open up the counter to let them in, and also open up a door behind the counter.

The kids motion you over.

You follow them in through the door and see a very large muscular man sitting behind a desk. He adjusts his glasses as he peers through some papers, then notices you all come in.

"Ah, Raz. Barry. Back so soon?" He puts their hoods down and ruffles their hair. "Who's these guys?

Raz, the brown-haired one, speaks up. "Dunno. Buncha newcomers."

Barry, the blond-haired one, fixes up his hair. "Said they wanted to meet you."

Raz turns to Oskar and glares at him. "Alright, here he is. You gonna hold up your end of the deal?"

Oskar walks up confidently. "Of course. Here you go," he says, handing Raz the pouch.

Raz shakes it but hears nothing. "Hey, what's the big idea?! Where's the money?!"

"Money? When did I say anything about that? The deal was that I'd give you the pouch back," Oskar says, pulling out his own bag where the coins now reside. "How unfortunate for you. It's pretty nice having money."

The boss glares at you two. Then erupts into hearty laughter. "He got you good, Raz! You ain't gonna make it out there if you fall for a simple trick like that!"

Raz pouts.

Barry walks up to the table and puts his pouch on it. "Mine didn't get stolen."

"Oho, good job Barry," says the boss while patting him on the shoudler.

Oskar gives you a questionable gaze. "You didn't take his money?"

You shake your head. "I was not told to."

He sighs.

"Alright, you kids, git. Your shift aint over yet," the boss says, shooing them away.

The kids nod and run out the door.

The boss takes off his glasses and stands up to his full, 7ft height. "Right. The name's Granite." He extends his gargantuan hand out for you two to shake.

Oskar takes it first. "Nice to meet you, I'm Os-KUH--" he gets interrupted by his hand nearly getting crushed.

Granite lets go and then extends his hand towards you.

In times like this, you remember the first thing your father taught you when someone extends their hand out like this.

You grab it and...

A) Shake it
B) Throw him over your shoulder

this is the groundbreaking news im here on CE for

been a while since ive seen a 2nd post headshot this clean and beautiful

A) The marketplace

You both head over to the marketplace. It's a wide alleyway with many stalls lined up on the walls on your left and right. Dozens of people are walking through this alleyway, and many plenty are hunched over the stalls chattering with the stall owners. You notice that one far-back stall in particular is gathering a much larger crowd than the other ones.

Before you could take a good look around, Oskar stops you and says "Behind you."

You immediately flourish your quarterstaff, turn around and then jab your potential assailant--

A kid in a hood and really tattered clothes falls on his back from your jab.

Oskar lifts him up by the collar with one hand and presents him to the people around. "Anyone lost a kid? He's about this tall and seems to be a pickpocket."

Strangely enough, no one seems to bat an eye at this. They're all just going about their merry days.

The kid flails his legs. "Let...go!"

Oskar slams him against the wall. "Guess you're not very popular around here. So, are you a pickpocket?"

He tries to spit at Oskar, but Oskar slaps the kid's face before he could.

Oskar tightens his grip on the kid's collar. "It's a yes or no question. Spitting isn't part of your choices."

The kid's grimace worsens. "Whatcha gonna do, turn me in to the guards?"

"Nah," Oskar says with a grin. "Just letting you know that you wouldn't have been very successful. We didn't bring any money, you see. But..."

He yanks a pouch that was tied to the kid's waist. It makes the distinct sound of coins.

Oskar shakes it in front of the kid's face. "Would you look at that. Now we brought some."

The kid struggles more. "Give that back! I need it for--"

"Your mom's illness or some asinine sob story?" Oskar rolls his eyes. "And that makes stealing okay? Well, we need it too. And since stealing is okay to you, we'll be keeping it."

He grits his teeth. "You'll regret this."

"Oh nooo, I bet something bad is about to happen," Oskar says sarcastically, then faces you. "Gregor. Behind to your left."

You swing your staff to your left, clotheslining yet another kid in tattered clothing that was running up to you. He looks nearly identical to the kid against the wall.

As he falls to the ground, you anchor your staff against his chest.

"Wanderer Oskar, how did you..."

"Sensing malicious intent is a vital skill for surviving. Anyway what is with all the pickpocketing children here?" Oskar looks around to see nobody batting an eye still. "And why does nobody care?"

The kid on the ground stays without fighting back. "You're a buncha newcomers, huh? Look closer at the people around you and you'll realize what kind of place this is."

You look around and notice that almost every person in this marketplace is armed with knives and shortswords. One stall has an angry customer yelling at the shopkeeper, but the shopkeeper sighs and blugeons the customer with a club, knocking him unconscious. The shopkeeper then calls for the next guy in line.

Oskar whistles. "Well, can't say I'm a stranger to this. I would've thought Samson did his business in a more...refined place."

The kid against the wall stops struggling. "You know Mr. Samson?"

"In a way," Says Oscar. "Why? Is 'Mr.' Samson popular around here?"

The kid on the ground perks up as well. "He's the only one who could compete against Johnson over there," he says pointing at the most crowded stall you saw earlier. "Usually Mr. Samson would've been here by now, and it ain't like him to be late."

"Plus," wall kid continues, "Our boss was gonna meet up with him today."

Oskar grins and thinks to himself. These kids do not realize it, but they just gave you some vital pieces of information. That Johnson guy seems to be as rich as Samson. And these pickpockets, who also had a fair amount of money on them, have someone they report to, presumably to turn in their "collections". Definitely someone who's loaded. And they're both connected to Samson, which gives you both an excuse to approach them.

Who should you target first?
A) Johnson
B) The boss of the pickpockets

I agree

A) Use Gregor's expertise in guarding and Oskar's penchant for murder to swindle rich people that need bodyguards

Oskar looks over to the piles of money lying around in sacks and opened chests. "Y'know, we technically just made a large sum of money."

You take another bite of your bread. "We did not make that. It was Samson."

"And Samson generously offered it to us, post-mortem." He grins and points his half-eaten loaf at you. "Why don't we keep doing what we just did here today? We'll become the wealthiest people in the region!"

"So our job would be to rob people?" you ask.

"Pigs like Samson aren't people, silly."

You look over to your bloodied staff leaning against the wall. "And what would we do with all the wealth we acquire?"

"Spend it, of course. Won't have to worry about surviving ever again when we can just buy another day!"

You finish up your loaf and look at your staff again. "Surviving is a...noble purporse, after all."

Oskar finishes up his loaf too. "It sure is, Gregor. Let's clean ourselves up and then start looking for our next 'client' tomorrow."

...

The sun rises.

After putting on some clean clothes and washing your quarterstaff, you and Oskar go down through the forest on the beaten path that Samson usually took. Eventually, the trees clear out and you end up at a large village full of unfamiliar faces. In the center is a well, where a handful of folks are hanging out to fill up their buckets. Through the alleyway, you see a bunch of stalls. Next to the entrance of that alleyway, you see a few buildings with signs that says "Bank", "Guild", and "Tavern".

Oskar whistles while looking around. "I haven't been here before. Didn't think there would be a village so close to that forest."

You observe the people at the well, who are all wearing shabby clothes similar to what Oskar is wearing. Then you look at your outfit of leather garments and a shoulder guard. "Wanderer Oskar, do I not stand out compared to these people?"

He pats your back. "It'll be fine as long as you stick by me. Now come on, let's go look for some 'clients' over at..."

A) The marketplace
B) The bank
C) The guild
D) The tavern

bumpin

also voting either World or MH4U

C) Your job is to make sure NOBODY touches the money, not even him. Join in and kick Samson's ass.

You walk over to them, looming over Samson's struggling face which grows more purple by the second. You point your staff at his head.

Samson's eyes widen. "You...mutt! This is...murder!"

Oskar tightens his grip. "Murder in other places, maybe. But here in the middle of nowhere? It's just doing whatever we want."

You raise your staff.

Oskar closes his eyes and looks away. In the next instant, he feels some blood splatter on him. He opens his eyes and gets up. "Well, I thought he'd never shut up. Now how about that food and money, eh Gregor?"

You stance up. "You cannot touch the money. It is still my job to--"

"What job, man? The guy that gave you the job is dead!"

You pause and think. "So...my job is...invalid now?"

Oskar pats his clothes and tries to get the blood off of them. "Yes, exactly, you're free now."

You drop your staff. "I am...without purpose. I have never been without purpose. What do I do now, wanderer Oskar?"

Oskar's stomach rumbles. "How's this for your new purpose; we raid this cabin. I'm starving."

The two of you step inside. Admittedly, you've never been inside. The only thing you've ever been told is that there's money in here.
It's fairly furnished with a nice wooden table, some chairs, a rug, and a lot of crates and chests lying around.

On the table is a sack of bread and jerky.

Oskar starts drooling. "Now we're talking. Let's dig in."

You tilt your head. "Where are we digging? I did not bring a shovel."

He sighs. "It's--you know what, forget it. Are you hungry or not?"

You rub your stomach. Indeed, you are also starving, but you didn't pay it much heed.

He walks over to the table and tosses you a loaf. "That's what I thought." He takes a seat and urges you to do the same.

You nod and sit across from him, taking a bite out of the loaf along with him. You're not sure why, but this feels both familiar yet strange. You look to the side, out the window where you can see a twinkle in the night sky.

"Wanderer Oskar, what is your purpose?"

Oskar finishes chewing. "Staying alive, if you can call that a purpose. You seem rather fixated on these things. Do you not want anything for yourself?"

You stare at the bite marks you've left on the bread. "Desires only serve oneself. I live for the people around me. Only together do people thrive."

"Well, I don't disagree. But you won't be of much help if you're dead."

"That is true. I suppose staying alive is a noble purpose." You look outside the window again. "What should I do now, wanderer Oskar? My role has always been made clear to me. I have always kept watch around my previous village. Even my father sold me to Samson, which made my job obvious. But now, everything feels so foggy."

Oskar thinks to himself and proposes to...
A) Use Gregor's expertise in guarding and Oskar's penchant for murder to swindle rich people that need bodyguards
B) Figure it out yourself, and part ways here
C) [Free choice]

C) Have him wait around until Samson returns

You lower your staff. "The owner of this cabin should have some food, but it'll take some time before he returns. You will have to wait until then, wanderer Oskar."

Oksar sighs. "I'm a touch too starved to wait. You're a guardsman, are you not? Don't you have any food for your lunch break or something?"

You look at him with confusion. "What is...a lunch break?"

He blinks. "You are doing a job, yes? Most jobs include a break."

"I don't think breaks have been invented around here yet," you say, scratching your head. "What does one do during this...break?"

"Well, nothing really. People usually rest and eat."

"But if I do that, then someone might sneak in and take my boss' money." You point your staff at him again. "You must be trying to trick me into taking this foul break! But unfortunately for you, I am not fooled so easily."

He raises his hands while rolling his eyes. "Oh no, you got me," he says unenthused.

You stance up. "I knew it, have at thee!"

He panics and backs away. "Whoa whoa, do you not understand what sarcasm is either?"

"What is...sarcasm? Is this another trick?"

"No--" Oskar pauses. "Well, I suppose it kind of is, in a way."

You point your staff at him again.

He raises his hands again. "But in a joking manner! You see, when someone is being sarcastic, they actually mean the opposite."

You raise an eyebrow. "And right now, you are being sarcastic?"

"Yes."

"So you say you are joking...but you are not? Which means you ARE trying to trick me?!"

He frantically shakes his head. "No!"

"Aha! You say no, so you really mean yes!"

Oskar thinks for a moment. "Y...yes?"

You stance up. "Yes?! I knew it, have at thee!"

"Ack! Forget about the sarcasm! I am not trying to trick you!"

Y--

"And no," he continues, "That was not sarcasm. Good grief, you have a lot to learn, don't you?

You stand up straight. "I do not have anything left to learn. My father taught me how to watch over things like he does. He has not taught me trivial things like breaks or sarcasm. It seems irrelevant to my job."

"And what exactly IS your job?"

"I am Gregor, the Coinwatcher. My current role is to stand here and make sure nobody touches the stash of money inside this cabin."

Oskar's eyes light up. "Oh...there's a lot of money in there, you say?"

"No, I said my current role--"

"Yes, I heard what you said!" He pinches the bridge of his nose. "Alright so, this boss of yours, he will return soon?"

You nod.

"Alright, I shall hide behind this cabin then and wait for him."

...

The sun starts to set. Along the beaten path, Samson appears with a larger sack than he left with.

He tips his hat at you. "Greetings Gregor, is my money safe?"

You nod. "Yes. Can I ask you a question?"

Samson puts down the sack, which makes the sound of crinkling coins. "What is it? I don't have all day now."

"What is a break? Am I supposed to have one?"

His face darkens. "You? Take breaks? Don't be silly now, I'm not paying you to take any breaks."

"But I heard that other places have breaks--"

He grips your shoulderguard. "We're not IN other places, Gregor. Other places have taxes and labor laws. But here in the middle of nowhere? I get to do whatever the hell I want. And I'm saying that you can't take breaks. Got it?"

You stand unmoved, and nod.

He lets go of you and straightens his coat. "Good. I don't know who's been feeding you these outlandish tidbits, but--"

Suddenly, Oskar charges out from behind the cabin and tackles Samson to the ground, choking him.

Samsom flails around. "G...Gregor! Help...me!"

What do you do?
A) Help Samson
B) Your job is to watch the money, not keep Samson alive. Stand and do nothing.
C) Your job is to make sure NOBODY touches the money, not even him. Join in and kick Samson's ass.

anti purge bump

B) Shake your head

You shake your head.

Oog laughs and commends your commitment 'til the end.

You ask him what he means by the end.

He closes his eyes and says he will have to carry on his wish to the next life.

You open your mouth to reply, but in the next instant, the twinkle in the distance touches the horizon, and light engulfs your entire view. The tremors make you lose balance. You feel immense pain as your blood begins to boil.

And then, you feel nothing.

* * *

Currently, you are Gregor, the Coinwatcher.

A hot new invention has been making the rounds lately; this concept called Money. It seems you can exchange it for goods and services.

Personally, you thought life was simpler when you could give away berries and cows for other berries and cows.

Now here you stand guard in front of the wooden door of a small cabin.

The door opens and a short man exits out of it; your employer named Samson.

"Now Gregor, I'm off to the market to procure more money," he says while tying a sack full of objects you don't know about. "Once again, please make sure nobody takes the money I have stashed in this cabin, you hear?"

You nod and brandish your quarterstaff.

Samson pats your shoulderguard and then skedaddles off on the beaten path into the forest.

You look around for anyone suspicious. So far it's just you, this cabin, and a bunch of trees.

Moments pass, and a very skinny and lanky man approaches you.

You point your staff at him.

He raises his hands. "P...please, I mean no harm. My name is Oskar. I'm just a wanderer in search of food. Would you happen to have any?"

Samson should have some food inside the cabin. But that's also where his money is. Although your job is just to watch his money, not his food.
What do you do?

A) Come in with him and find some food
B) Tell him to go somewhere else
C) Have him wait around until Samson returns

bump

B) Continue denying him entry.

You shake your head at him, standing resolute about the safety of these berries.

Oog grunts defeatedly, then nods at you. He respects your decision for today, and says he will come back tomorrow.

You do not see a problem with this, so long as he does not take the berries. You wave him off as he walks away.

And so, the sun sets. And the sun rises again. And you stand guard in front of the cave.

True to his promise, Oog returns. He asks once again if he can eat your berries.

And once again, you shake your head.

He nods. While he is here, he decides to tell you about a shiny rock he and his people found. It is orange and seems to react to fire. He tells you where he found it, in hopes that you and your people may use this knowledge.

You smile and thank him for this.

He returns the smile and says he will return again.

Sun sets. Sun rises. Oog comes by. Oog has a story to tell for the day. Oog leaves.

Many suns set and rise.

Oog comes by with a large dinosaur companion. He tells you the tale of how he tamed this beast three times his size, simply by wrestling it.

He allows you to pet it. You oblige, and the dinosaur is pleased.

Oog once again asks if he can eat your berries.

You shake your head, and thank him for today's tale.

He smiles and leaves.

The tree leaves change color after many suns. The berries your people store in the cave also changes.
But your job to watch them stays all the same.

The sun rises. But Oog arrives just as the sun is setting. He asks if he can eat your berries.

You shake your head as always. This time, you take the chance to ask why he is determined to eat your berries.

He answers that it is his job as a berry eater to do so.

You reply that there are many other places to eat berries from.

He says that he has eaten from many places already. But his job is never over, much like how yours never ends either.

You remark that this cannot be his only reason.

Suddenly, a large twinkle shows up in the sky, larger than the other twinkles in the sky. You've seen it many times before, but never knew what it was.

Oog tells you that his people call it a Wishing Rock, named because you make a wish and the twinkly rock will carry it to the heavens.

He says he will make the same wish that he has been making for a while now. You ask him what it is.
He wishes to share a meal with you one day, so you may share the joy of living another day.

You clarify that it will not make you share your berries. But you tell him that as soon as your role is over, you might oblige with his wish.

He laughs, saying that is what he expected. He waves you off as he walks away.

Sun sets. Sun rises.

For today, he asks you why do you watch these berries.

You reply that it has been your father's role, and his father's role, all the way until it has become your role.

He is not satisfied with your answer. He asks the same question again.

You are not sure what to tell him. Your people wish to keep their berries safe, and so you shall keep them safe.

He seems to be slightly more satisfied, but still stands there while pondering.

You ask him why his role is to eat berries.

He says that his people have given him life, and so there dares not to waste it by starving away.

You too stand there, slightly unsatisfied.

You both shrug. He asks if he can eat your berries today. You shake your head.

Oog smiles and walks away.

The trees change color again. The sky has slowly gotten redder and redder.

As you stand guard on this quiet night, you wonder if the sky is on fire.

Oog arrives rather late.

He points to a twinkling light in the sky, bigger and brighter than the other lights in the sky. As you stare at it, the light continues to grow in size. The sky starts to brighten up with a red hue even though it is far from daytime.
He says he feels an omen with this Wishing Rock in particular.

You ask if that omen will make him change his wish.

He shakes his head and says it has stayed the same, just like all the other times he has seen the Wishing Rock.

You both stare at the Wishing Rock as the sky gets brighter and brighter. You feel the air getting warmer as well, even though it has been cold recently.

Oog asks once more, without looking away from the sky, if he can eat your berries.

A) Stand aside
B) Shake your head

Glad to see some familiar faces still hanging around lol, and I am grateful for everyone's continued support :)
Muscle wizard story purged sadly, and I didn't have the free time to revive it back then. Here's hoping that circumstances are kinder to me this time.

C) Tell him it is your job not to let him in

You tell him you cannot let him in. Your father entrusted you with watching the berries and you cannot let him down.

He tells you that watching does not entail protecting it. He argues that you should just watch as he takes the berries, and you would still be doing your duties.

His logic continues to be infallible.

You tell him that this makes sense, probably. However, you are tasked to watch over ALL of your people's berries. If he were to take one, you would follow him in order to watch the berries he takes.

He tells you he is an honest man, and that he is actually just going to eat them all in front of you. You would be relieved from your duties as there would be no more berries to watch. He insists it is beneficial for both of you.

What do you do?
A) What an honest and helpful guy, let him in
B) Continue denying him entry

bump

Currently, you are Groog, the Berrywatcher.

You watch over the entrance to the Berry Cave.
Doors haven't been invented yet so it's really just a big hole that you stand in front of.

You feel a nice constant breeze through the entrance, due to the inside of this cave being rather chilly compared to the hot sunny outside.
Not that you would know what causes that. But you intuitively know that cold good for food.

A very skinny and lanky man approaches you. He introduces himself as Oog.

You ask him what his job is.

He says his job is to eat berries. He is Oog the Berryeater.

You tell him that is not a job.

He grunts aggressively that you must respect his profession.
He explains that it is because of his job that his father, and his father before him have stayed alive.

His logic is infallible. Staying alive is good. You give him the grunt of approval.

He says he smells berries inside your cave and wishes to go inside.
What do you do?

A) Let him in
B) Convince him there are no berries here
C) Tell him it is your job not to let him in