Yet Another Stupid Death

[pantherasapiens]

??????????????
??????????????
???????@??????
??????????????
??????????????

You wake up with a jerk and a gasp of air. It's dark. You're aching all over, fallen and splayed on the ground. You can't see anything in the dark, but you feel something under your hand…

[ ] (Write in a melee weapon.)

a spark in the dark. a torch flares.

.____________.
|............|
|............|
|......@b....|
|W..........Bn
|_____n______|

b: backpack
W: Woman
n: sealed door
B: Boy
n: open door

You stare around you. The floor, walls, and ceiling are uninterrupted black stone, so seamless it could all be one black stone - uninterrupted, that is, but for the two lines delineating doors. A torch burns in a holder on the wall.

The Woman, her hand on the torch and her other hand holding a tinderbox, stares at you. Her mouth is in a thin line.

The Boy sits on the floor and weeps. The door behind him is shut tight and completely sealed.

On the floor by your side is a backpack. In it are… (choose two; you may choose two of the same thing)
[ ] Torch
[ ] Food
[ ] Packet of crushed herbs
[ ] Skeleton key
[ ] Bandages
[ ] Rope (100ft)

[] What do?
- [ ] Talk
- [ ] Inspect
- [ ] Fight
- [ ] Leave

===

---a welcoming note---​

Welcome to Yet Another Stupid Death!

---a brief explanation---​

This is a quest about stories. As you progress, well… you'll find out.

 

[pantherasapiens]

---a character sheet---​

@ (?????)
Wield: uncursed Gladius
Wield: uncursed Omenscythe

Physical condition:
Wounded (14/50)
Fed (68/100)

Inventory:

NA (Capacity: 6)

• 
  - Food x0
  

---

Pets Stories Skills Goals

• 
  You don't have any pets right now.
  
• 
  You don't have any stories right now.
  
• 
  You don't have any skills right now.
  
• 
  
  • Purify the Tainted Room with a Sealed Door
    • Progress: ???
    • Reward: Safe resurrection
  • Left-Behind Backpack
    • Progress: ???
    • Reward: torn backpack; 1x uncursed Garter Snake corpse; 1x uncursed Wererat corpse
  • Open the Sealed Door.

---

Experiences

Encountered Explored Killed Survived Tamed Vowed Sacrificed

• 
  14 Beasts
  
  • 1x Bat
  • 1x Bee
  • 2x Centipede
  • 2x Coyote
  • 1x Dog
  • 1x Fox
  • 2x Garter Snake
  • 1x Giant Rat
  • 0x Monkey (+1)
  • 2x Spider
  • 1x Wererat
  1 GOD
  
  • YOGG JAEIO
  1 Plant
  
  • 1x Violent Fungus (+1)
• 
  1 River
  7 Rooms (+2)
  
• 
  5 Beasts
  
  • 1x Cave Spider
  • 1x Centipede
  • 1x Coyote
  • 1x Garter Snake
  • 0x Monkey (+1)
  • 1x Wererat
  0 Plants
  
  • 0x Violent Fungus (+1)
• 
  1x Poison
  0x Blasting Trap (+1)
  0x Teleporting Trap (+1)
  433x Turns (+231)
  
• 
  1 Beast
  
  • 1x Doog
• 
  
  • To use the Omenscythe to sacrifice monsters in the name of "GOOOD".
• 
  0 Beasts
  
  • 0x Monkey (+1)
  0 Plants
  
  • 0x Violent Fungus (+1)

-----

 

[pantherasapiens]

---The Room with the Woman, the Boy, and the Sealed Door---
.____________.
|............|
|............|
|............|
|W.........@Bn
|_____n______|

You stand up, holding your gladius.

In the backpack you find a torch and one meal's worth of food.

The Boy is sitting on the floor, weeping. He appears to be in perfect health. He is dressed in simple rags.

W: "He cannot talk."

You look at her, and she exhales through her nose. The Woman has her hands on her hips, staring at you. Her tinderbox is still in her hand.

You look at the Sealed Door. It is tightly shut, without hinges, handles, or any visible means of pulling it open. There is a strong sense that you should not push it.

The backpack has long rents and tears in it. You will need to repair it to be able to fill it fully.

The torch is a stick with rags wrapped around it and doused in foul-smelling chemicals. You will need a tinderbox to light it.

The food is a ration of dried meat and hard bread, with a little water.
The open door has a handle on it, but is closed.

[ ] What do?
- [ ] Talk
-- [ ] To the Woman (write-in topic)
-- [ ] To the Boy (write-in topic)
- [ ] Inspect
- [ ] Fight
-- [ ] The Woman
-- [ ] The Boy
- [ ] Leave

===

---a little note about votes with no consensus---​

I sorted all the suggestions by category (sword, mace, whip, wand, other), and picked the category with the most entries.

 

[pantherasapiens]

[x] Leave
@Oh I am slain!, @Olivebirdy
[X] Leave. I don't want to spend time with people who have probably gone insane.
@KingOfWorlds
- [X] Talk
-- [X] To the Woman (write-in topic)
--- [X] Who are you?
--- [X] Who is the boy?
---- [X] Why is he crying?
---- [X] Why he can't talk?
--- [X] Where am I?
--- [X] What is behind the Sealed Door?
--- [X] What is behind the Open Door?
--- [X] What do you want for a tinderbox?
@Nevill, @modrony
[X] Push the door
@George

===

The Woman says nothing as you leave through the open door. The light from the room spills out and illuminates a short tunnel, at the end of which is another open door.

|_____n______|
?????|@|??????
?????|.|??????
?????|.|??????
?????|.|??????
?????|.|??????
_____|.|______
??????n???????
?????...??????
????...d.?????
???.......????
??.........???

d: dog

a bark sounds.

[ ] Talk
[ ] Inspect
[ ] Fight
[ ] Leave

===

---a little introduction to combat---​

Combat is settled by rolling d10s. A roll of 9 or more is a success.
If the attacker has more successes than the defender, the attack connects. If the defender has equal or more successes than the attacker, the attack fails.

You currently roll one die to attack and one die to defend.

---a little note about the Character Sheet---​

A bestiary has been added.

 

[pantherasapiens]

[X] Inspect
-[X] Dog. Is it friendly?
--[X] If yes, proceed to the room and inspect it as well
--[X] If no, lit your own torch from the torch in the previous room, and shoo it away. Then inspect the room.
@Nevill, @KingOfWorlds, @Oh I am slain!
[X] Talk
-[X] "Hey there, who's a good dog?"
@Olivebirdy
[X] Talk
-[X] to dog
--[X] "Can you help me out here? Trying to find out where I am."
@Cornix Argentus
[x] inspect dog
-[x] if hostile, throw food ration at it.
@modrony, @Rooster, @veekie, @The Uninspired, @Librarian
[X] Inspect dog
if:Hostile
[X] Use torch to shoo dog away
@Zoosmell

===

|_____n______|
?????|.|??????
?????|.|??????
?????|.|??????
?????|@|??????
?????|.|??????
_____|.|______
??????d???????
?????...??????
????.....?????
???.......????
??.........???

You inspect the dog. It looks unfriendly.

You withdraw the Food from your backpack and throw it in the direction of the dog.

It barks again, and eats the Food. It wags its tail at you.

the compact of ownership is formed, the beginning of loyalty

[ ] Advance to the next room
[ ] Retreat to the previous room
[ ] Apply:
- [ ] Torch
[ ] Attack:
- [ ] Pet dog

===

---a note about pets---​

They will follow and defend you, as long as they are kept fed.

 

[pantherasapiens]

[X] Lit the torch from whatever source is available.
[X] Advance to the next room.
[X] Inspect the next room.
@Nevill, @veekie, @Librarian

[X] Light the torch from whatever source is available.
[X] Inspect the next room from the outside to avoid any dangerous things.
-[X] If no dangerous things are observed, advance to the next room.
-[X] If dangerous things are observed, see if they can be defeated.
--[X] If yes, send dog as forward guard and attack at opportune movement.
--[X] Else withdraw.
[X] Inspect the next room in more detail for any loot or hidden enemies, if enemy(ies) are absent or defeated.
@KingOfWorlds

===

You and the Pet Dog return to the previous room.

.____________.
|............|
|............|
|............|
|@...........n
|_____n______|

The Woman and the Boy are gone, so there's nothing preventing you from taking the lit Torch from the wall.

You head into the next room.

.______n_______.
|.......d......|????
|..............|????
|......@.......|????
|..............|????
c..............|--??
|..............b..??
|......._......|--??
|....../?\.....|????
|...../???\....|????
|.....|???|....|????
|.....!???!....|????
|.....!???!....|????
|.....!???!....|????
|.....!???!....|????
|.....!???!....|????
|_a___!???!____|????

a: a closed door
b: a closed door
c: carving on the wall "→⌂ ↓≈"
|: stone wall
!: dirt wall

It's a large room, split into two at one end. There is something carved into the stone of the wall.

[ ] Go through door a.
[ ] Go through door b.

 

[pantherasapiens]

[X] Go through door b.
@Broken25, @Nevill, @Oh I am slain!, @veekie
[X] Go through door A.
@KingOfWorlds, @Zoosmell

===

.?????.____???????????
|?????!.....??????????
|?????!......?????????
|?????!.......????????
|?????!........???????
|-----!.........??????
n..d..@..........?????
|-----!.........??????
|?????!........???????
|?????!.......????????
|?????!......?????????
|?????!.....??????????
|?????!....???????????
|?????!...????????????
|?????!..?????????????
|?????!_??????????????

You head through the door that you think leads to a house. The short passageway leads to a dark room with an uneven floor of dirt and grass.

the flickering light casts strange shadows from mounds and grass-blades.

the sound of flowing water - a river?

[ ] Advance.
[ ] Retreat.
[ ] Send pet dog ahead to scout.
[ ] Write-in action.

 

[pantherasapiens]

[X] Send pet dog ahead to scout.
@Broken25, @Zoosmell, @Oh I am slain!, @veekie
[X] Advance.
-[X] Keep a doog close to you, observe its reactions. If there is something dangerous up ahead, it should sense it.
@Nevill, @FixerUpper, @KingOfWorlds
[X] Advance.
- [X] If you see water keep a one-tile distance away from it.
@kelllogo
[X] Advance
- [X] But keep near enough in front of dog...
-- [X] Which should be nicknamed "Barkus"
- ...that after we see what's in there we can immediately step back and displace the dog forwards if it's better suited to him.
[X] Avoid water's edge for now.
@rkyeun

===

You head into the room, keeping the doog by your side. You have a brief thought of naming it "Barkus" [1].

Picking your way carefully over the ground, you feel it give way beneath you once or twice, making you stumble.

water laps against the ground

You keep away from the water's edge.

It looks like you're going to have to go near water, one way or another.

doog barks, in warning.

a scrape of chitin on chitin, mandibles flaring.

You turn. A large spider appears from under the ground.

.?????._______________________
|?????!?????.....?????#???????
|?????!????......~????#???????
|?????!???.......~~???b???????
|?????!??........~~~??#???????
|?????!?.........~~~~?#???????
n?????n..........~~~~~#???????
|?????!.....a....~~~~~#???????
|?????!........d.~~~~~#~??????
|?????!.......@.....~~#..?????
|?????!...............c.??????
|?????!..........~~...#???????
|?????!..........~~...#???????
|?????!?.........~~..?#???????
|?????!??........~~~??#???????
|?????!???_______~~???#???????

.: uneven ground
~: water
#: fence
a: spider
b: hole in fence
c: gate in fence

[ ] Attack with...
- [ ] Gladius.
- [ ] Torch.
[ ] Try to instruct doog to...
- [ ] Attack.
- [ ] Stay away.
- [ ] Defend.
[ ] Escape to...
- [ ] Water.
- [ ] Gate c,
-- [ ] nearer upper body of water
-- [ ] nearer lower body of water

===

[1] Tentatively-Named-Barkus the Doog, for short.

 

[pantherasapiens]

[6] Attack with...
- [6] Torch.
- [2] Gladius
[6] Try to instruct doog to...
- [3] Attack.
- [5] Defend.
[5] Escape to...
- [5] Gate c,
-- [5] nearer upper body of water
[1] Nickname dog "Doog"
@Broken25, @veekie, @Cornix Argentus, @FixerUpper, @Nevill, @anailater, @Zoosmell, @Oh I am slain!

===

Raising the torch threateningly, you watch the spider advance towards you and doog. The firelight glints off its eyes, and you decide to try to dazzle it so that you can run for the gate on dry ground. Thinking that, you wave the torch at the spider, and doog comes up beside you with a soft growl and hackles raised.

The spider leaps, doog intercepts, and you look for a chance amidst their tussle to jab the spider with your torch. Finally you manage it, and the spider falls back with a loud hiss.

You immediately whistle doog and hurry to the gate, keeping closer to the larger body of water as you go; the spider attempts to follow, but it seems to have lost the use of a leg and cannot keep up. As you pass, you realise the larger body of water is placid, but filled with vague signs of movement deep beneath; the smaller body of water is fast-flowing, but seems empty.

You decide your choice was a good one.

But your self-congratulations comes too soon.

a last gasp at light, the darkness closes in

You fumble at the gate, and swing it open just as doog barks again.

???#???
???#???
??d@???
???#???
???#???

[ ] Instruct doog to...
- [ ] Hurry through the gate.
- [ ] Attack.
- [ ] Defend.
[ ] The gate must be...
- [ ] left open, for easy escape in future.
- [ ] shut, to prevent the spider following you.
[ ] Move...
- [ ] Upwards.
- [ ] Forwards.
- [ ] Downwards.

===

---an author's comment on the map this round---​

Probably one of the easiest map updates ever.

---an author's plea for feedback---​

Let me know how you're finding the quest! Too easy? Too hard? Not enough information to know either way?

 

[pantherasapiens]

[3] Instruct doog to...
- [3] Hurry through the gate.
[3] The gate must be...
- [3] shut, to prevent the spider following you.
[3] Move...
- [3] Forwards.
@Oh I am slain!, @FixerUpper, @Nevill
[1] Instruct doog to...
- [1] Defend.
[1] The gate must be...
- [1] shut, to prevent anything from following
[1] Move...
- [1] Back towards the spider, with intent to tame it!
@Pandemonious Ivy

===

Stepping to the side, you whistle again, and feel something small and furry brush against your legs. Doog pants beside you, and you quickly move to shut the gate.
You feel more secure now that the spider cannot pursue you.
You take a step forwards into the dark, and sink up to your ankle in a depression you didn't see, stepping on... something. It's hard and flat, and then it moves. As you pull your foot free of the hollow, you feel a sharp stinging pain in your ankle.

you take 3 damage
you have been poisoned

???#???
???#??d
??aN?@?
???#???
???#???

N: a hurriedly closed gate
?: something dangerous

[ ] Run
-- [ ] Upwards
-- [ ] Forwards (there is a ? in the way)
-- [ ] Downwards
[ ] Attack
-- [ ] Gladius
-- [ ] Stick
[ ] Write-in

===

---a note on surprises---​

The surprising party can get free attacks against the surprised party.

---a note on poison---​

Some attacks can cause poisoning, which deals damage over time and may inflict other effects.