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There are many kinds of souls. Iridescent and shimmering, for those who lived truly fulfilling lives. Deep crimson, for those engulfed by hatred. Dark green, for calmness, balance and wisdom. Stygian blue, for sadness, depression and great empathy. Great golden, for pride.

But these are not yours.

Your soul is pitch black.

...

"Alright, champ, let's get this over with. Welcome to Alterorbis, the world of riches, adventure, yada yada yada... Huh... Not often you see souls like that. Whatever. Pick your race and I'll throw you right in. I'd have offered you more than three but the number's fixed, something about the randomization algorithm, so it is what it is."

The options display before you.

[Necrotic]
Bone Centipede
These wretched beings of rotten flesh and bone appear along with more terrible monstrosities wherever sufficient magical forces preside over battlefields, which is basically every battlefield there is, considering the wild magic running throughout all of the world. Two meters long, they usually manage to survive quite a bit more compared to other undead due to their low profile, but not long enough to become something greater. You'll be different, right?..
[Spawn in a Battlefield]
Rank F
Power: 4
Magic: 1
Charm: 0

[Feral]
Sewer Rat
These giant cousins of regular rats are your run of the mill opponents for low-level adventurers, but don't let yourself be tricked by their singular power. Their true strength lies in banding together and drowning the enemy in a tide of fur, dirty claws and long incisors, though only to turn on their kin in internecine fights over corpse loot and food. Their life is usually short, but there's definitely potential for those who manage to survive the harsh reality of being hunted and competing with other, more horrible beings lurking in the sewers.
[Spawn in the Sewers of a City]
Rank F-
Power: 3
Magic: 0
Charm: 1

[Demonic]
Spawn
A mass of flesh corded into powerful bipedal muscles in the lower half and grabbing, slamming tentacles complete with a jag-toothed mouth in the upper, these two meter tall things are the weakest of demons. They usually die either serving the will of a greater being in the demonic dimension or getting hunted down by those in the mortal. Just like previous two, these hold potential for greatness.
[Spawn in the Caves out of a Portal]
Rank F
Power: 4
Magic: 1
Charm: 0
>>
Yes, I have shamelessly stolen the mechanics, idea, and the fucking name of the world itself from this quest >>5202173. Check it out. Probably better than this one will ever be. If you're still here, well, hope you enjoy this ride nevertheless; I'm gonna try my best to deliver.
>>
Spawn
>>
>>5249071
>Spawn
Nice to see you pick up a decent concept that thrown away by a flaker. i hope you don't end up doing the same QM.
>>
>>5249071
>Sewer Rat
Remember QM, if you flake, you'll be a double nigger for the rest of eternity
>>
>>5249071
>Feral
>>
>>5249071
Sewer rat
>>
>>5249071
>Sewer Rat
>>
>>5249071
>Spawn
>>
>>5249071
>Sewer Rat
Rat horde. Rat horde.
>>
Nice. The quest was very promising, so I'm sad that it died. Hope to get the same sort of satisfaction in the meantime, good luck QM.

>>5249071
>Rats, rats, we're the rats
>>
>>5249071
>R A T
>>
>>5249197
>>5249100
>>5249098
Might sound counterintuitive, but I'm actually really glad I dumped that quest then, if the QM just ended up flaking. I was busy with life and other quests, but I did plan on catching up in the thread or the archive one day. Maybe still will. Don't be a Triple Nigger, OP. No one likes a Triple Nigger.
>>
I should probably point out now that updates will be daily so you anons don't ring the flake alarm a few hours in.
>>
>>5249071
>>5249325
Acceptable. That QM broke my heart, I was so ready to take part in a quest from the beginning.

>Rat
Halo Skaven Rat route
>>
>>5249071
>>5249092
+1 for spawn
>>
>>5249071
RatRatRatRatRatRatRat
>>
Spawnbros... How can we lose to these rat finks?
>>
>>5249440
Fink about it, and it will make sense.
>>
>>5249454
Fink off!
>>
>>5249071
Rat boys
>>
>>5249071
I wasn't too hot on Rats, but then I realized a city is a setting absolutely rife with hooks and opportunities at nearly every level. Sign me up with the Skaven-lite, and here's hoping we become something more.
>Sewer Rat
>>
>>5249071
>Rat
time to become rat god
>>
>>5249071
>Sewer Rat
I wish to be a hive mind swarm of unstoppable rats wearing cute little berets in different colors
>>
> Rats with berets
>>
>>5249071
Didnt we just do this quest last time? We were a bone centipede.
>>
>>5250304
>>5249073
>>
>>5249071
>Bone Centipede
>>
>>5250580
>Bone Centipede
You're rebel, aren't you, anon?

>>5249092
>>5249098
>>5249108
>>5249371
>Spawn

>>5249100
>>5249101
>>5249102
>>5249103
>>5249111
>>5249197
>>5249246
>>5249336
>>5249402
>>5249621
>>5249636
>>5249663
>>5249666
>>5249683
>Sewer Rat

Calling the vote now, Sewer Rat wins by a wide margin.
Update soon (probably)
Also
>15+ votes
Holy shit. Can't wait to lose you all due to ridiculous fuckups, just like 2 previous quests of mine.
>>
>>5250627
I just choose what I want regardless if its popular or not. I'm looking forward to where this quest is gonna go.
>>
"Good luck out there, champ. You'll need it."
...You awaken in the dark, yet you can see perfectly well. You are standing at the edge of a stinking river of filth. Taking a few steps back, you hear your little claws clank against the cold, wet stone. The sound of water rushing through the pipes and tunnels, big and small, is a mild distraction, partly soaking up the squeaks of your kin echoing through the sewers. A piece of knowledge itches in your brain, and you do your best to chitter out: "Status."
A display appears before you.
NAME: [LOCKED]
RACE: Sewer Rat
RANK: F-
LEVEL: 0/5
ABILITIES: [Scurry away] [Strength in numbers] [Perseverance]
EFFECTS: N/A
STATS:
HP: 15/15
MP: 0/0
STR: 8
MAG: 0
DEF: 6
RES: 2
SPD: 14


Well, these stats are pretty shit. Guess you need to level up fast.

A good starting point would be to check out your surroundings, to see what you can actually do. You go sewers-scouting. These tunnels feel like home, and you easily pick out some of the main pathways leading to different parts populated by different beings.

Below what you presume is the industrial sector of the city, judging by the hum of machinery above, the waste is dumped straight down, coagulating into slimes of all kinds, mostly acidic though. You need to watch your step here, unless you plan to get melted by some caustic pond.

The other important part of the sewers are the catacombs. Probably due to either a shortage of burial grounds or lack of budget, most of the homeless and poor men's corpses are simply dropped down here and left to rot. Tasty. Though you need to be cautious of the skeletons and horrible corpse monsters lingering here. You've seen one of these masses of decomposing flesh and bone lumbering around and, boy, do you not want to become a part of that.

You also find an entrance to some kind of underground cavern system. No idea what's there, but you catch a whiff of magic.
>Beat up some slimes
>Break skellies
>Spelunking
>Keep exploring. You've not covered all of the territory yet
>See if you can slip through the maintenance vents to the city streets [where? e.g. industrial sector]
>Write-in
>>
>>5250661
>Break skellies
We're fast enough to dodge skelebois, all we need to do is knock off a leg and then gnaw off the arms and we're guchi.
>>
>>5250661
>Break skellies
>>
>>5250661
>Break skellies
Also, gather some of the rat lads
>>
>>5250661
>Beat up some slimes
>>
>>5250661
>>Keep exploring. You've not covered all of the territory yet
>>
>>5250661
>Keep exploring. You've not covered all of the territory yet
We should acquire rat allies before breaking skellies. We are strong in NUMBERS, after all.
>>
>>5250704
>>5250712
>+1
Become RATKING
>>
>>5250661
>Keep exploring. You've not covered all of the territory yet
>>
>>5250661
>Break Skellies
Kill.
>>
>>5250661
>Keep exploring. You've not covered all of the territory yet
>>
>>5250661
>Keep exploring. You've not covered all of the territory yet
>>
>>5249071
>But these are not yours.
>Your soul is pitch black.
>your that thing from the late mesozoic that was covered in long stragly hair and was related to velociraptors and distantly related to archaeopteryx but tghis branch would rely on front limbs almost exclusively was more gangly in its stride and would roll in mud to mask its scent. it would eat anything smaller than itself and from time to time team up to fend off larger predators and steal prey taken down by larger predators

>your that mean guy cackling in the night while it rained and those small critters cried in pain .
>playing with it till it died and you ate it like a cat would

thats right and i ate the eggs when the species was dying out
>>
>>5250661
>Break skellies
We need the corpse food to bribe the rat lads.
>>
>>5250856
You have to eat all the eggs.
>>
>>5251676
Tbh I'd probably enjoy up to the first 70 boiled eggs in the egg cart, after which I imagine I'd start becoming physically ill and mentally sick of the taste.

Eggs are good.
>>
>>5250661
>>Keep exploring. You've not covered all of the territory yet
>>
>>5250661
Beat up some slimes
>>
>>5249071
Ehhh? What does the pitch black option do for crits and critfails mechanically?
>>
>>5251820
Good question, it was not in the OG quest (rip) list of mechanics
>>
>>5250661
>Write-in
rape
>>
>>5251820
>>5251956
Nothing. It's more a narrative premonition for ebin edgy flashbacks and trashy romance from your past.
I considered adding something like those mechanics but didn't want to outright copy and ultimately decided to drop them for this and some schizo reasons.
>>
>>5251974
Cool, now let's eat all those eggs
>>
>>5250661
>Keep exploring. You've not covered all of the territory yet
>>
>>5250703
>>5251729
>Beat up some slimes

>>5250667
>>5250672
>>5250689
>>5250794
>>5251413
>Break skellies

>>5250704
>>5250712
>>5250775
>>5250791
>>5250825
>>5250828
>>5251706
>>5252091
>Keep exploring. You've not covered all of the territory yet

Exploration wins.
Update soon (probably).
>>
You keep up your search, exploring various pathways to find anything interesting. The walls of the sewers adjoined to the gardens above are a fair bit broken up by the powerful root systems of the trees and plants. Your brethren have dug out holes and lairs inside, gnawing here and there at the roots. These parts are a bit dangerous, however, due to overgrowths sometimes morphing into organisms of their own, slow-moving, yet resilient masses of plants, bark and moss.

You also find that underneath the poorer districts the basements' walls are indistinguishable from those of the sewers themselves. People there set up all kinds of business, often illegal, the most notable of which are the fighting pits. You look on through the bars of a slim window as people, human and elf, dwarf and halforc, even a couple elementals and the occasional kitsune, beat each other up for money and fun, limbs augmented by magitech meant for work efficiency, used instead to harden one's punch. The dim light of manalanterns illuminates it all. There are also monsters in there, probably captured from the rest of the sewers and outside the city walls, some scarred, evidently from rough and continuous fights. Other places of note in this corner of the sewers are the underground alchemical workshops. You've not glimpsed much of the inner workings, but the smell of chemicals permeates the air so much it's actually overtaking that of filth. You've seen its workers lure rats in for god knows what kind of experiments. Perhaps you could raid one of them when you're stronger.

Besides these, you find the points where waste is dumped into the ocean. The sea is... amazing. Even if you look from behind bars, it stretches on and on to the horizon, wavering under the salty wind. Must feel nice to be on the beach, rolling in the sand...

You also find some abandoned entrances deeper underground filled with rubble. No idea what's there, and it'll take a bit more strength than you have to dig it up and investigate whatever these were.

Finally, you find what appears to be an underground dungeon of sorts for forsaken prisoners. The walls here are reinforced, not crumbling at all like some other places you visited, and the guards, ever cursing and sleepy, patrol around, torch in hand, making it tough to slip in unnoticed.

There may have remained bits here and there you missed, but most of the sewers are scouted at this point. Time to actually do something.
>Assemble a rat squad [can be taken with other options] [this will have questionable coherence...]
>Try to find magical roots in the garden underground
>Explore caves
>Kill stuff [where?]
>Find a way out of the city
>Write-in
>>
>>5252241
>Try to find magical roots in the garden underground
>>
>>5252241
>Kill stuff [where?]
Return to hunt Skellies in the Catacombs. Before we assemble our Rat Team we must grow ourselves with XP to become an Alpha rat.
>>
>>5252241
Seconding this >>5252254.
>>
>>5252254
Goin with this one
>>
>>5252254
+1
>>
>>5252241
>Assemble a rat squad [can be taken with other options] [this will have questionable coherence...]
>Try to find magical roots in the garden underground
>>
>>5252241
Supporting chad rat route
>>5252254


Be honest with us QM, are you a degenerate, unopposed to waifus in this quest like the OG?
>>
>>5252513
Drafting waifu introduction plans among other things as we speak.
>>
>>5252241
>Find magical roots in the underground garden
>>
F
>>
>>5252241
>Find magical roots in the underground garden
>>
>>5252254
+1, ladies don't like F- scrubs
>>
Sneak into the gladiator pits and steel a bitchin hat. Gladiator's have bitchin hats and we need one to stand out.
>>
>>5253058
I want to be a murmillo sewer ratiator
>>
>>5252254
+1 (This)
>>
>>5250627
>>5249073
The first step to being a good qm is to stop dropping bitchasss qualifiers.
>>
>>5253190
As in, "fucking name of the world itself", "update soon probably"?
pls elaborate
>>
>>5253281
I mean don't start your quest with multiple posts saying it is going to suck.
>>
>>5253290
Understandable. Shifting to cautiously hopeful from now on.
>>
>>5253305
Ya damn well better. No quitters this time, no repeats of the last iteration of this quest by all means or SO HELP ME
>>
LET'S FUCKING GET IT BOYS
>>
>>5252253
>>5252341
>>5252538
>>5252688
>Find magical roots in the garden underground (+1 vote for rat squad)

>>5252254
>>5252261
>>5252267
>>5252328
>>5252513
>>5252707
>>5253081
>Kill skellies

>>5253058
>Become ratiator

Going to the catacombs it is.
Roll 1d100 Bo3 for undead exp (and maybe loot).
DC: 30/50/70/85/95 for varying results.

I initially planned to get the rolls in and post the update, but no update today after all. Tinkering with the exp system, it's a nightmare figuring out level scaling, points distribution on tiers, etc.
>>
Rolled 1 (1d100)

>>5253489
>>
>>5253491
oh my jesus christ
>>
Rolled 50 (1d100)

>>5253489
>>
>>5253491
kek
>>
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>>5253491
Oh sweet Maria, here we go
>>
>>5253491
>>
Rolled 84 (1d100)

>>5253489
>>
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>>5253491
Cool
>>
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>>5253491
This can not be...
>>
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>>5253491
omoshiroi
>>
>>5253491
IF ONLY we still had our share crit fail from last quest it would be hilarious, pov when the whole coty collapses omegakek
>>
Rolled 9 (1d100)

>>5253489
Look at this 100
>>
>>5253491
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymPpIzaanhY
>>
>>5253677
That's a pretty funny looking nat 100 anon
>>
>>5253669
That mechanic could have been legendary
>>
After fucking around with exponential functions for a few hours I am considering dropping the level system altogether and just operating through quests and maybe introducing achievements of some kind.

Tell me what you think.

I can also just slap one of my (unbalanced) prototypes on it and call it a day, though this may result in problems down the line.
>>
>>5253867
I'd say just adjust on the go if you want a system with numbers.. No one's going to care about the numbers that much if you adjust something down the line.
>>
>>5253702
You're welcome
>>
>1 - Critical Failure

You decide to pay a visit to the catacombs and rattle some bones there. The smell of death is thick in the air, and the flies feast upon the corpses. Walls are full of skulls between the occasional stone; you do not know how they got in there, perhaps they are from back when they buried the bodies into walls, perhaps they are remains of the restless dead who sought an actual burial and embedded themselves inbetween stones. No matter; you aren't here for them, you're here for those that are still walking.

With this many corpses it doesn't take long for you to find a skeleton. It walks around aimlessly, its movements twitchy and rough. You sneak up on it, then strike, knocking out one of its shin bones. The being falls on the floor and flails around, trying to get up, but you are already on top and crack open its skull with your powerful jaws.
You have gained 30 EXP

Well, that was easy. Now to find more of the-
A juggernaut of bones rolls around the corner and spots you. With a sound somewhere between a rattle and a roar, it charges you, and even with your [Scurry away], you can't escape the monstrosity. Its main maw, likely pilfered from a basilisk's corpse, snaps shut around you, and you hear your bones crack and skin ripple...
You have lost 15 HP
YOU DIED

...

[Perseverance] activates!
You have restored 3 HP
[Perseverance] will now go offline for 72 hours

They say rats can survive nuclear winters; one bite from some big skeleton is nothing. You glance around to make sure it's gone away, then struggle to your feet and start making your way towards the nearest lair. You need to regain some of that HP, and resting is one of the few options available to you...

Until you spot a basilisk which seems to have found your kin's hideout. Its mouth's underside puffs with glands of venom, deadly stuff that can melt a rat with a single spit. Still, other rats seem to be adamant on defending their lair, with escape blocked by the snake's tail. The enemy seems to have noticed you, turning its head from the desperately defending to some easier prey...
>Attack from behind and aid your kin in slaying the slithering bastard however risky it is...
>[Scurry away] to another lair, and hope it can't keep up...
>Write-in
>>
>>5255014
>Attack from behind and aid your kin in slaying the slithering bastard however risky it is...
There can be no retreat, our rat pals need us. This is how we inscribe our legend in rat history.
>>
>>5255014
>Attack! Lead the charge! Earn the respect of the rats!
>>
>>5255014
>Attack from behind and aid your kin in slaying the slithering bastard
>>
>>5255014
>Attack from behind and aid your kin in slaying the slithering bastard
>>
>>5255014
>>Write-in
Crawl in the ear of the creature and feast on its brains while it still breathes
>>
>>5255014
>Attack from behind and aid your kin in slaying the slithering bastard however risky it is...
pls another nat1
>>
>>5255014
>RATATACC
Make sure we do it when its 100% distracted, we need to scum to survive
>>
>>5255014
>Attack from behind and aid your kin in slaying the slithering bastard however risky it is...
>>
>>5255014
>Attack from behind and aid your kin in slaying the slithering bastard however risky it is...
>>
>>5255018
>>5255020
>>5255052
>>5255080
>>5255099
>>5255104
>>5255160
>>5255295
>>5255813
>Attack from behind and aid your kin in slaying the slithering bastard however risky it is...

Roll 1d100 Bo3 DC:80
>>
Rolled 52 (1d100)

>>5256084
>>
Rolled 8 (1d100)

>>5256084
NAT 1 HERE WE GO
>>
Rolled 53 (1d100)

>>5256084
Guess we'll just fucking die.
>>
>>5256097
Good ending. All rats are plague-ridden nasty vermin cunts and should all die. We've done this world a service.
>>
Crossing my fingers hoping we come back as a rat demon
>>
>>5256088
>>5256092
>>5256097
>53 - Failure

You charge recklessly and fiercely at the basilisk. It inhales, evidently preparing to spit its vile venom, and you swiftly dodge out of the way!.. or so you think. The acid blob connects with your skin, bringing insufferable pain as your flesh melts away. The last thing you see is the attack of your kin, intent on bringing down the slithering being that has been distracted by your bold assault...
You have lost 3 HP
YOU DIED

...

Hello there, little one.
SYS.BREACH CODE666:UNKNOWN.ENTITY
You seem to find yourself in a bit of trouble.
SENDING ERROR REPORT TO ADMIN
But I, I can help you. You only just need to accept my offer.
ERROR REPORT SENT. ATTEMPTING EXPULSION OF UNKNOWN.ENTITY
Of course, I expect a favour in return... But these are little details. I am afraid we have too little time for me to explain them.
EXPULSION FAILED. ATTEMPTING EXPULSION OF UNKNOWN.ENTITY
Here. I will lend you my offer in a form you are familiar with.

QUEST ISSUED...
ERROR CODE347:UNAUTHORIZED.ISSUER
ABORTI... SYS.ISSUER.OVERRIDE
REQUESTING QUEST.NAME...[UNAVAILABLE]
COMPLETION REWARD: NONE
ACCEPTING REWARD: REVIVAL; ADDITION:TYPE:CHOICE

Phaseshifter: you can teleport for short distances, and, perhaps, just perhaps, bend spacetime in the future...
Abyssplagued: you carry inside yourself a plague that destroys the soul of a being itself. Perhaps in the future, its symptoms may be expanded or altered...
OBJECTIVE: LET THEM IN
TIME LIMIT: 1 YEAR
EXPIRATION PENALTY: DEATH
ACCEPT QUEST? Y/N


Well... death now, or death later. Not much of a choice, is there? You stretch your claw to pick whichever option you like...
>Phaseshifter
>Abyssplagued
>>
>>5256145
>Phaseshifter
Magic Rat.
>>
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>>5256145
PHASING
>>
>>5256146
>>5256167
Lvl. 1 Demon Rat Time Mage sounds good to me
>>
>>5256145
>Abyssplagued
Time to channel our inner rat.
>>
>>5256145
>Abyssplagued
Jesus luck is not on our side
>>
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>>5256205
>attacks stage boss at level 1 with 3 hp
>it was just bad luck
>>
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>>5256145
>Phaseshifter
beware the giant timestopping rat
>>
>>5256145
Abyssplagued
>>5256207
Unless I'm mathing it wrong, 80 DC on 1d100 bo3 is 65.7%, so we had better than even odds. We were also only in a desperate situation like this because of a critfail.
>>
>>5256356
>will lose about a third of the time
>will clearly die on a loss
>go ahead anyway
Nah, this was just desserts no matter how you slice it.
>>
So QM, what happens if we die a third time?
>>
>>5256389
you die irl
>>
>>5256389
I come to your house and sneeze on you and eat all your dairy products
>>
>>5256367
Yes, but also QM is a Chad, and he/she/xe knows the show must go on (ffs it's not even been 200 posts that can't be a proper ending)
>>
>>5256367
Coward.
>>
>>5256462
Meh, I also voted for it.
>>
>>5256145
>Phaseshifter
Time to enter someone's house and gaslight them to madness by teleporting
>>
>>5256145
>Phaseshifter
>>
>>5256389
You won't know until you die.
>>
>>5256145
>Abyssplagued
>>
>>5256146
>>5256167
>>5256175
>>5256343
>>5256540
>>5256929
>Phaseshifter

>>5256191
>>5256205
>>5256356
>>5257159
>Abyssplagued

You can teleport now.
Update soon.
>>
I hope we meet again, little one.
ATTEMPTING EXPULSION OF UNKNOWN.ENTITY.......EXPULSION SUCCESSFUL.
RETURNING TO NORMAL MODE...


...

You have restored 15 HP.
You wake up on the cold, wet floor of the sewers, unscathed. Glancing around, you see an eerie green glow wherever you look. Must be your eyes, corruption does take its toll.

More importantly, the battle between the basilisk and the rats isn't over yet. The little vermin cling to its scaly skin, inflicting death by a thousand cuts, but the slithering being picks them off one by one. They won't win unless somebody intervenes. Unless you intervene.

>Autosuccess

You grasp the power within. It stings, it is alien to you, alien to the world. But you grasp it anyway and bend it to your desires. It is as if you are sucked into a microspace. You can't breathe, you can't move, you can only see where you want to be. It spits you out on top of the basilisk's head. The nausea hits hard and combined with the snake flailing around to shake you off, you only barely manage to cling on.

Then, you commence your attack. First, the eyes. Your little claws stab them with all the might you can muster, and the basilisk hisses in pain and confusion as it is blinded. It slams its head into the walls, making you squeak from impact.

You have lost 2 HP
You have lost 2 HP

But you hold on and lock your jaws upon its skull. It doesn't yield, so you do it again, and again, and again, until it finally cracks. The battle is decided then. You dig deep into its insides, and soon the great enemy stops moving.

You have gained 150 EXP

Damn. Not even a level up? So much for dying. You note some rats become stronger; part of the EXP must've gone to them. Nevertheless, they surround you, and stay silent for a while. Is it awe? Is it fear? Will they turn on you the moment you show weakness? You don't know. But there is some respect in their little black eyes, for now.

"You okay there, champ? I received an error report, and the log is fucked for some reason, some of your data is corrupted too. Did anything happen? I can help fix stuff if anything's out of ordinary."
>Tell him about the contact.
>Don't.
>>
>>5257231
>Don't.
Do not tell him we were given hacks by somebody.
>>
>>5257231
>Don't.
>>
>>5257231
>Don't.
>>
>>5257231
>Don't.
>>
>>5257231
>Don't.
Gods exist to be raped and killed.
>>
>>5257231
>>Don't
Sneaky squeaky
>>
>>5257107
Ah, Schrodinger's rat.

>Don't.
>>
We did it, Phasebros.

We finally did it.
>>
File: 1621226537912.jpg (95 KB, 653x490)
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95 KB JPG
>>5257574
I just wish there was more we could have done.
>>
>>5257582
What?
>>
>>5257574
It only cost everything.
>>
>>5257574
Now we need to hold a seamstress hostage until she makes us cute little berets in different colors for the whole squad.
>>
>>5257235
>>5257247
>>5257260
>>5257262
>>5257282
>>5257294
>>5257303
>Don't.

Unanimous stealth.
Update soon.
>>
No, everything seems fine on your end.

"Huh... That's good, I guess. Must be something about the interface, then. Anyway, it's about time I introduced some new stuff for you. The Quest System. It's simple, really, you find tasks, accomplish them, get something in return. Here's a trial one."

A window akin to one you received from your mysterious benefactor appears.

QUEST ISSUED

NAME: APEX PREDATOR OF THE SEWERS
COMPLETION REWARD: 600 EXP, [Fear] skill
OBJECTIVES:
Slay each of the following:
1. Basilisk [1/1]
2. Rateater Toad [0/1]
3. Great Slime [0/1]
4. Skeleton Mass [0/1]
5. Moss Overgrowth [0/1]

ACCEPT QUEST? Y/N


You tap Y with your little claw. This one doesn't have any negative consequences, so why not?

"Great. Leaving you for now; I'll offer you something more juicy once you evolve. See ya, champ."

You return to reality to find most of your kin have returned back to the lair. You do so yourself, getting all good and comfy among the warm bodies of resting rats in the sleeping pit. You note that not every rat is the same. Some bear claws sharper than usual, their movements more savage and sharp. Some lurk only on the threshold of the lair, leaving behind sizzling green marks. Will you become like them in the future? Slowly, you drift off to sleep...

You have restored 4 HP.

Sewers aren't exactly peaceful, there is stuff both beneficial and harmful happening all around. Not now, however. You still have some time to carry out operations of your own.
>Assemble a rat squad [can be taken with other options]
>Kill one of the quest monsters [which one?]
>Kill other stuff. You just had bad luck, this time it'll be different. [where?]
>Search for magical roots in the garden underground
>Explore caves.
>Find a way out of the city sewers.
>Find a way up into the city.
>Write-in
>>
>>5258286
>Assemble a rat squad
>Search for magical roots in the garden underground
>>
>>5258286
>>>Search for magical roots in the garden underground
With no help so we can eat all of it
>>
>>5258286
>Search for magical roots in the garden underground
>>
>>5258286
>Search for magical roots in the garden underground
>>
>>5258291
+1
strength in numbers
>>
>>5258291
>>5258294
>>5258296
>>5258302
>>5258722
>Search for magical roots in the garden underground

>>5258291
>>5258722
>Assemble a rat squad

You won't be assembling a party yet, all the roots will belong to you (if you find them, that is).
Roll 2d100
1st roll DC: 50/80/92 for finding something valuable.
2nd roll DC: 65 for something monstrous finding YOU (or rather, evading it).
>>
>>5259652
Forgot to mention, it's Bo3 as usual.
>>
Rolled 70, 88 = 158 (2d100)

>>5259652
BAZINGA BABY
>>
Rolled 6, 39 = 45 (2d100)

>>5259652
Lets find the magic already.
>>
Rolled 53, 62 = 115 (2d100)

>>5259652
>>
yeet
>>
>70, 88 - I Tier Search Success / Evasion Success

You navigate the pathways and soon enough, you see roots worming their way through the stones of the wet sewer walls. All that's left is to find an entrance point, established by rats that came before you, and you're inside a network of little earthen tunnels hugging the roots. You begin your search.

Tasting one, then another, you have no success at first -- one of them even turns out poisonous, releasing a toxic green juice when bitten -- but you continue your efforts, and in the end stumble upon a growth that is leaking a hot red liquid. When you consume it, at first you feel nothing but a burning sensation in your stomach, but then it is as if a fire awakens within you. You run faster, you dig harder, you leap higher, and overall you feel quite a bit more powerful.

You are affected by [Strength I] for 24h.
[Strength I] -- [+7 to battle rolls]

You don't get to find anything more valuable due to a sudden turn of events. The rats dwelling in the tunnels are abruptly running away. You glance around confused, until you see it. A worm with a maw so big it could eat a rat in two bites, complete with jagged teeth, is digging through the tunnels. Digging towards YOU.

You turn and run as fast as you can. Perhaps it's due to the powerup from the root, perhaps it's due to your [Scurry Away], you make it out into the sewers without the enemy catching up. You note that the worm isn't alone, its kin digging around, collapsing the tunnels and devouring unfortunate rats. Perhaps they're garden guardians of some kind? You don't know, and there's no way of finding out except going into their territory.

As you ponder where to head next, your ears catch sounds of a commotion in some part of the sewers. Not a basilisk feasting, not a screecher undead wailing, not the croaking of the giant toads, but something more interesting. You scuttle through the tunnels, and soon enough you find the source of the noise. A group of adventurers intent on leveling up or whatever have descended into the sewers. They carry torches; on the precipice of light, there are swarms of rats running to and fro, preparing to attack the unknowing, naive apprentice slayers.
>Join the rats. Rush in, bite, strike and tear them apart. Get EXP, take what they carry and run before your kin devours you in turn.
>Don't fight, but try to seize part of the loot.
>This is too dangerous. It will become a truly furious pandemonium once they are defeated; one you can't survive. Do something else instead.
>Write-in
>>
>>5259720
>This is too dangerous. It will become a truly furious pandemonium once they are defeated; one you can't survive. Do something else instead.
>Kill one of the quest monsters [Skeleton Mass]
While our strength remains, let's go get revenge! Bring minions if we can.
>>
>>5259720
>>Join the rats. Rush in, bite, strike and tear them apart. Get EXP, take what they carry and run before your kin devours you in turn.
>>Write-in
Hide if as things get really dicey, or run if you can't hide
>>
Rolled 1 (1d2)

>>5259724 - 1
>>5259752 - 2
My roll is my vote
>>
>>5259720
>Join the rats. Rush in, bite, strike and tear them apart. Get EXP, take what they carry and run before your kin devours you in turn.
>>
>>5259720
>This is too dangerous. It will become a truly furious pandemonium once they are defeated; one you can't survive. Do something else instead.
>Kill one of the quest monsters [Skeleton Mass]
>>
>>5259720
Can we lure the worms to the adventurers and have them fight each other before taking out the survivors?
>>
>>5259881
Hey, if it's possible, everything could turn into a clusterfuck... Which I will support if we can do it.
>>
>>5259720
>Join the rats. Rush in, bite, strike and tear them apart. Get EXP, take what they carry and run before your kin devours you in turn.
We need to leech some Experience so we can fucking level up before we take on the big monsters that one-shot us before.
>>
>>5259720
>>Join the rats. Rush in, bite, strike and tear them apart. Get EXP, take what they carry and run before your kin devours you in turn.

We should try not to use phase. Having them report on phase-shifting rats might draw attention. Or stronger adventurers.
>>
>>5259886
Damn, support.

Please discard >>5259752

Apparently 2 hours is too long ago to delete
>>
>>5259881
Worms only rampage in the garden underground. If that wasn't clear, they're collapsing the earthen tunnels rats made, they don't go into the sewer tunnels. Even if they did, the gardens are a bit away from the point where adventurers have descended.
>>
>>5259908
Well never mind then, I rescind my rescinsion.
>>
>>5259720
>>Join the rats. Rush in, bite, strike and tear them apart. Get EXP, take what they carry and run before your kin devours you in turn.
>Write-in
Try to form a small team and flank them. Try so they split attention from the main group of rats and us, and attack when they do a mistake
>>
>>5259720
>Join the rats. Rush in, bite, strike and tear them apart. Get EXP, take what they carry and run before your kin devours you in turn.
>>
>>5259908
So much for that idea
>Join the rats. Rush in, bite, strike and tear them apart. Get EXP, take what they carry and run before your kin devours you in turn.
>>
>>5259720
>Join the rats. Rush in, bite, strike and tear them apart. Get EXP, take what they carry and run before your kin devours you in turn.
>>
>>5259720
>Join the rats. Rush in, bite, strike and tear them apart. Get EXP, take what they carry and run before your kin devours you in turn.
Glory to the first rat to die That isn't us
>>
>>5259724
>>5259772
>>5259828
>This is too dangerous. It will become a truly furious pandemonium once they are defeated; one you can't survive. Do something else instead.
>Kill one of the quest monsters [Skeleton Mass]

>>5259822
>>5259890
>>5259894
>>5259916
>>5259924
>>5259931
>>5259946
>>5260139
>>5260383
>Join the rats. Rush in, bite, strike and tear them apart. Get EXP, take what they carry and run before your kin devours you in turn.

So you'll be attacking the adventurers.
Roll 3d100 Bo3
1st roll - battle - DC: 30/60/80/95/100
You get a +15 bonus here (+7 from [Strength I], +5 from [Strength in numbers] (capped + reduced due to others competing with you), +3 from TACTICS as outlined by this anon >>5259924)
2nd roll - looting - DC: 60/80/90/95
3rd roll - escape - DC: (40)/60/80
You get a +15 bonus here (+10 from [Phaseshifting], +5 from [Scurry away])
>>
Rolled 85, 44, 83 = 212 (3d100)

>>5260880
Rollan
>>
>>5260881
>+15 Bonus

Huh. That makes it 100.
>>
Rolled 50, 100, 28 = 178 (3d100)

>>5260880
+15
>>
Rolled 98, 53, 72 = 223 (3d100)

>>5260880
>>
>>5260886
RNGesus praise be.
>>
Holy shit these are some good rolls.
>>
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172 KB
172 KB PNG
Rolled 70, 87, 9 = 166 (3d100)

>>5260880
Right, lets get 'er done.

>>5260886
>nat 100 on the loot roll
Holy hell.
>>
>>5260880
Qm, how does BO3 work when there's the 3 separate numbers? Does it take the best one for each category? Which would be 85, 100, 83? Or the highest overall? (98, 53, 72)
>>
>>5260882
Perhaps I have been too generous with modifiers.
Ah well, if we party, we party hard. You earned this for dying 2 times in a row.
>>5260895
Best from each category.

>>5260881
>>5260886
>>5260889
>98, 100, 83
ULTIMATE SUCCESS.
Update soon.
>>
>>5260900
>98 + 15 modifier = 113
>100
>83 + 15 modifier = 98
Holy god
>>
>>5260900
Mann this quest is just always extreames no inbetween
>>
There are seven enemies in total. A formidable number if you were alone, but there are dozens upon dozens of rats lurking in the dark. The vanguard of the attack are the most foolish and bloodthirsty of your kind; they are the first to fall as well, struck down by lighting escaping a wizard's staff. But more follow.

Soon enough, the chamber the adventurers stumbled upon is full of fur, tooth and claw. Like mighty waves, rats crash against the adventurers, cling to them, bring them down and attempt to devour them. Not all is going well, however. The warriors of the group roar out something strange, and most of the rats around are drawn to attack them, armoured and unyielding, instead of the unprotected mages, rangers and the single field medic. [Taunt], is it? You feel the pull too, and it takes no small amount of mental effort to keep yourself from falling into a bloody rage and attacking the warriors. But you succeed.

Leading a group of rats in circumventing the adventurers, you briefly notice how a flurry of magic missiles and several precise arrow shots bring down a dozen rats, but you sneak by unnoticed, and then swiftly attack. Some of the allied rats are more powerful than you even -- they bear the claws that tear through leather armour worn by rangers like a hot knife through butter -- but you are careful in your timing. Letting others do all the work, you last-hit the adventurers, reaping the rewards for yourself.

You have earned 100 EXP
LEVEL UP!
You have earned 100 EXP


Some of the EXP is taken by others -- you reckon you'd have earned a couple hundreds more if you took them down all by yourself -- but you're leveling up here, that much is enough for you. The adventurers have noticed your little manoeuvre by now. The thief of the party picks you out, perhaps by your green eyes, and manages to land a glancing hit with his dagger.

You have lost 3 HP
You have been inflicted [Bleeding]


Damn, that hurt. You retreat a bit, letting others do the dirty work of tearing apart the adventurer, then finish him off, getting that revenge. Doesn't remove the status effect, sadly.

You have earned 100 EXP
LEVEL UP!
You have lost 1 HP due to [Bleeding]


The battle is dying down now, the remaining enemies retreating, evidently unprepared for an assault this fierce, leaving behind dozens of sliced up, pierced and magically burnt rat corpses over which yet more vermin crawl towards them. Now is your last chance to land some good hits and farm that EXP.

You have earned 100 EXP
You have earned 100 EXP
LEVEL UP!
You have lost 1 HP due to [Bleeding]
>>
>>5261016
You manage to finish off the last two unarmoured opponents -- the witch and the doctor. The warriors are the only ones escaping the vermintide, shields raised and swords stained with blood of a score vermin each. Ironically, they have failed to protect those they were meant to. But the battle is not over yet. It is merely the sides that have changed -- from adventurers against vermin to rat against rat. Squeaks fill the chamber as internecine fights erupt and your kin bite and rip each other apart.

You have lost 1 HP due to [Bleeding]

You phaseshift from one corpse to another, three in total, pilfering an item from each while others are busy fighting over them. A ring with a blood-red gem. A bracelet, battered but still holding power, if your senses are to be trusted. A dagger the thief stabbed you with. All of that hanging from you or held in your teeth, by the end of your little operation, you are the target of a large part of the sewers' population.

You have lost 1 HP due to [Bleeding]

You run fast, but they're as fast as you, and some are faster, not to mention the other rats not being burdened by three magical items at once. However, you have one advantage over them, and that is your reality-altering teleportation ability. You phaseshift to other sides of filth streams, making them swim while you escape; you disappear in intersections, holding your breath beneath the surface of water while they guess where you went; you hide in little secure corners you spotted in your initial scouting.

You have lost 1 HP due to [Bleeding]
[Bleeding] has been removed


Finally, that damned debuff has worn off. At the end of the day, you are exhausted from the chase but ultimately alive. One bad thing: you have no idea what kind of loot you obtained. Well, that's not exactly true, the dagger you know to cause bleeding, though it's usefulness remains questionable considering you have no hands. You guess you could stab someone while holding it in your mouth? Moving on, there's the ring. Wearing it on your little claw, you feel... enduring. Removing it makes you feel sapped of something. "Status." -- you request for the first time since your awakening in this world.

NAME: [LOCKED]
RACE: Sewer Rat
RANK: F-
LEVEL: 3/5
ABILITIES: [Scurry away] [Strength in numbers] [Perseverance] [Ph#sesh%ft&r]
EFFECTS: [Strength I] (21h)
STATS:
HP: 7/25
MP: 0/0
STR: 20
MAG: 0
DEF: 9
RES: 3
SPD: 16
>>
>>5261019
The HP stat catches your eye. Guessing it is a Ring of Vitality, then. Pretty useful, almost doubling your HP. Restoring them is another matter. Moving on. The only mysterious thing is the bracelet. Some of your stats are increased as well, but that's probably because of either [Strength I] or leveling up. You decide to store it in one of your hiding places for later. Perhaps you'll figure it out eventually.

With the adventurer fight behind you, it is time to decide where to go next.
>Rest in a rat lair [can be taken with other options] [dangerous things may find you if you dwell too long]
>Assemble a rat squad [can be taken with other options]
>Attempt to devour one of the artifacts and absorb it's power [which?]
>Kill a quest monster [which?]
>Kill other stuff [where?]
>Search for magical roots in the garden underground [Locked - Rampaging Worms]
>Explore caves
>Find a way up into the city
>Find a way beyond the city limits
>Write-in
>>
>>5261022
>>Rest in a rat lair [can be taken with other options] [dangerous things may find you if you dwell too long]

We need to heal up.

>Kill a quest monster [Rateater Toad]
>>
>>5261022

>Rest in a rat lair [can be taken with other options]
>Attempt to devour one of the artifacts and absorb it's power [which?]

Devour the dagger first off. It would be nice if we could inflict bleed with our regular attacks
>>
>>5261032
+1
>>
>>5261032
I mean... Is either that of we have various chunks of pointy metal that aside from cutting out inside like it should, it also apply bleed to us

The only way we have found that this works is with the Str magical root, and that because it was a root. Unless the QM tell us it is safe we do that and we can apply bleed with our attacks, I say we should hide it until we can investigate on how we can do to transfer those status to us
>>
>>5261022
>>5261032
I'm not sure how well eating a knoif will go, but why not try?
>>
>>5261022
>>5261032 +1
>>
>picked fucking rat over spawn
You guys fucking suck.
>>
File: AnonsMomAndMe.gif (6.3 MB, 640x608)
6.3 MB
6.3 MB GIF
>>5261141
Yeah, I suck on your moms tits every night. How did you know?
>>
>>5261112
>QM tell us it is safe we do that
It is not safe and involves a roll to determine whether you successfully assimilate the artifact.
>>5261119
>I'm not sure how well eating a knoif will go
Magic shenanigans.
>>
>>5261217
I will consume the knife.
>>
>>5261032
+1 eat the knife. Might be painful as hell but at least we'll never be iron deficient for a while.
>>
>>5261217
fuck it +1 for killing ourselves
>>
>>5261032
This, fucking kek
>>
>>5261226
+1
Fuck yeah, our immune system will fight off the knife infection and we'll become immune to stabbings
>>
>>5261025
Oh fuck it. Not gonna be a wet blanket, this is pretty funny.

Changing to eating the knife as well.
>>
>>5261032
>>5261035
>>5261119
>>5261137
>>5261237
>>5261314
>>5261452
>>5261926
>>5261959
>EAT THE KNIFE

Roll 1d100 Bo3 DC: 40/80
>>
Rolled 17 (1d100)

>>5261999
EAT THE KNIFE
>>
Rolled 13 (1d100)

>>5261999
>>
Rolled 18 (1d100)

>>5261999
>>
Rolled 51 (1d100)

>>5261999
EAT IT
>>
>>5262002
>>5262007
>>5262008
Guess we are dying...
AGAIN
>>
EAT THE FUCKING KNIIIIIIFE
>>
Anddd once again this quest prooves that its a quest of highs and lows unfortunate i was a little too late on that roll
>>
>>5262002
>>5262007
>>5262008
>18 - Failure
Update soon.
>>
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>>5262018
>dying again because we failed to roll above 40 on a d100
>>
>Dying because, in a clearly brutal quest, the players still insisted on trying to literally eat a magic knife that inflicts bleed.

Christ Almighty...
>>
LMAO just start a new thread man and try again with a different character. DO NOT bail us out. Teach anons on /qst/ they can't always be retards.
>>
>>5262033
It's not that brutal, we literally have a "don't die even when killed" superpower from the get-go
>>
You aren't really that knowledgeable about how it works, but you sense in yourself a power to consume magic from things and wield it as your own. Now, how exactly to do this is another matter... You decide to try eating things. Starting with the bleeding knife.

You bite and hold it tightly in your teeth. Outright swallowing it would be suicide, so you try to concentrate and subdue its magic instead. After a few moments in heavy silence, you sense the manaflow inside. It is sharp and brittle, you are wise to use caution... or not. When your attempt to consume this magic, the knife suddenly snaps between your teeth, and whatever forces were inside it escape.

Not just escape, though. They choose YOU to be their last conduit, and several little incisions appear on your skin.

You have been inflicted [Bleeding]

Great. Time to die again, is it?

You have lost 1 HP [x5]
You are no longer affected by [Bleeding]


It takes a while for the debuff to wear off, as previously, but at least you are alive in the end. Guess you don't quite get how to do the power-absorption thing yet. You barely manage to crawl into the rat den and collapse into deep slumber...

You have restored 10 HP

Some time later you wake up, feeling considerably better. With 12 HP you can actually do stuff. There remains the option of taking another nap, but rat dens are frequently found by dangerous creatures.

One of your quests has been updated.

Huh?.. "Quests." -- you squeak out.

Active quests:
1. Apex predator of the sewers (unreviewed update)
2. [ERROR CODE211:QUEST.NAME UNAVAILABLE]


One.

NAME: APEX PREDATOR OF THE SEWERS
COMPLETION REWARD: 600 EXP, [Fear] skill
OBJECTIVES:
Slay each of the following:
1. Basilisk [1/1]
2. Rateater Toad [0/1]
3. Great Slime [0/1]
4. Skeleton Mass [0/1]
5. Moss Overgrowth [0/1]
ADDITIONAL OBJECTIVES:
1. Slay a Hydra [0/1]
ADDITIONAL REWARD 1: [Crashing wave] skill


So there are hydras in the sewers as well. One more danger for the ratkind.
>Rest in a rat lair [can be taken with other options] [roll for possible encounter]
>Assemble a rat squad [can be taken with other options]
>Kill a quest monster [which?]
>Kill other stuff [where?]
>Search for magical roots in the garden underground [Locked - Rampaging Worms]
>Explore caves
>Find a way up into the city
>Find a way beyond the city limits
>Write-in
I basically ripped off the system of "eat it - obtain power" from the previous quest but now I see how retarded it is with the knife-devouring. You'll get the ability to absorb power from artifacts in the future, but for now this option is offline. You still get bonuses from carrying and using them, though.
>>
>>5262034
>>5262040
There are ways to punish anons other than dying. Like putting you on a race against time to let eldritch abominations into the world. Or killing off important characters (when they get introduced). Or inflicting a permanent (or hard-to-remove) handicap. Death is not the only option.
>>
>>5262042
>Assemble a rat squad
>Kill a quest monster (Rateater Toad)

Fuck frogs I hate frogs
>>
>>5262042
>>Kill a quest monster [which?]
Rateater Toad
We still have our Str bonus for a few hours, right?
>>
>>5262042
>Rest in a rat lair [can be taken with other options] [roll for possible encounter]
>Explore caves
>>
>>5262046
+1
>>
File: 1638146181274.png (1.08 MB, 960x1120)
1.08 MB
1.08 MB PNG
>>5262042
>Assemble a rat squad [can be taken with other options]
>Kill other stuff [Slimes]
Practice killing slimes for EXP and for the eventual showdown with the Great Slime. Find some Rat followers for Leadership EXP too.
>>
>>5262042
>>5262054+1
>>
>>5262042
>>5262046
+1
>>
>>5262042
>Explore caves
>>
>>5262046
+1. Probably will be easier to kill a toad than figuring out how the hell we're gonna harm a slime.
>>
>>5262049
Support. But bring a crew.

>>5262042
>Assemble rat squad
>Go kill a Rateater Toad
>>
>>5262054
>>5262079
>Assemble a rat squad
>Kill other stuff [Slimes]

>>5262050
>>5262136
>Explore caves

>>5262049
>Kill quest monster [Rateater Toad], no rat squad

>>5262046
>>5262051
>>5262106
>>5262250
>>5262273
>Assemble a rat squad
>Kill quest monster [Rateater Toad]

Time to get the lads together and progress on that quest.
Roll 1d100 Bo3
+1 rat in your group for each 10 you beat (so 10, 20, 30, 40, etc.)
There will be another roll after this one for the battle proper.
>>
Rolled 80 (1d100)

>>5263158
They see me rollin
>>
Rolled 81 (1d100)

>>5263158
>>
Rolled 12 (1d100)

>>5263158
We must defeat the ancient evils of the Sewers and claim it all for rat kind! Join us in this epic quest, rat brothers!
>>
Rolled 25 (1d100)

>>5263158
>>
>>5263164
>>5263165
>>5263166
>81
So you got 8 rats to follow you. An impressive number.

Now roll 1d100 Bo3 DC:80 for actually killing the toad.
You have +17 bonus from various sources.
>>
Rolled 55 + 17 (1d100 + 17)

>>5263176
>>
Rolled 76 (1d100)

>>5263176
WITNESS ME BLOODBAG
>>
File: I blow up my neighbour.jpg (124 KB, 1080x978)
124 KB
124 KB JPG
Rolled 35 + 17 (1d100 + 17)

>>5263176
>>5263181
This Toad is eating shit today.
>>
>>5263179
>>5263181
>>5263185
>76 - Success
Toad is kill.
Update soon.
>>
Time to actually make some progress on that quest of yours. The title of apex predator (even if it's just sewers) sure sounds enticing.

However, you only possess true [Strength in numbers]. Thus, you squeak around one of the lairs, calling upon rats resting there to follow you to glory, riches, and giant toads. It goes surprisingly well.

An UNNAMED SEWER RAT has joined your party [x8]

You spend the next couple of hours scurrying through the various tunnels, trying to pick up on the croaks of your enemy. As some of your allies consider leaving, you finally find your target. Rateater Toads are fearsome enemies for rats, as is evident from their name. They shoot out their sticky tongue and swallow up whole rats that get caught upon it.

As you approach the resting monstrosity, it opens its eyes and lets out a lazy croak. It doesn't seem intent on eating you, for now. But that only plays into your hand. Phaseshifting has become somewhat more bearable as you've gained experience with it, and so you swiftly teleport on top of the amphibian, surprising it with such a bold and sudden assault. It flails fiercely in the waste, trying to shake you off, but you dig your teeth in, biting, tearing its flesh apart.

Your companions make their move as well. They jump into the river of filth the toad resides in, cling to its limbs and immobilise the enemy. However, the battle is not won yet. For all its size, the monster's legs bear formidable muscles. It leaps up to the ceiling, slamming you right against stone. You hear some of your bones crack and let out a pained squeak.

You have lost 5 HP

You have to end this soon if you hope to remain alive by the end of it. Shifting from the amphibian's back to its side, you attempt to hit a major vein with your bites, and luckily succeed. With the wounds already torn open by other rats, the toad starts quickly losing blood. Its movements, once wild and uncontrolled, become weak. All that's left is to deliver the final hits, and the Rateater Toad is dead by your hands.

You have gained 50 EXP
You have accomplished an objective in one of your quests.


The disadvantage of bringing allies is the fact that they get a lot of the EXP you could've got if you were alone. Oh, well. One more step towards the completion of the quest.
>>
>>5263236
As you ponder where to go next, you once again hear a commotion of sorts in another part of the sewers. However, if previously, rats were coming together, now they are running away. You decide to check whatever has them so scared...

An UNNAMED SEWER RAT has left your party [x8]

Marching through the sewers are squads of soldiers clad in leather armour and bearing strange signs. The warriors' swords glint in the torchflames, and their belts clang with numerous alchemical potions. The mages in the back carry tricky magitech weaponry, the purpose of which is unknown to you. Unknown until they use it.

The whole tunnel is suddenly blasted with a stream of flames. Rats are burnt alive, and one of the basilisks does not stop to feast on the corpses, for he is slithering away as well. Those who remain alive after the fire are cut down with cold steel. These men march silently except for the crackle of magic on the wizards' flamethrowers and the muffled footsteps of their boots. They are not your run of the mill adventurers, they are professional monster slayers. You would do well to hide, like everyone else, or risk getting burnt alive or cut down.
>Escape into the caves.
>Lurk in the part of the sewers with alchemical workshops and fighting pits.
>Find a way up into the city.
>Write-in
>>
>>5263238
>Write-in
>Attempt to stay far behind them, while using phase shifting to escape notice.

They're professional Monster Slayers, and that means they're here to slay Monsters. Maybe even looking for the adventurers.

And what's one monster that only recently appeared?

>>5262042

If the theory is correct, there may not be a better chance to try and Last-Hit a Hydra.
>>
>>5263238
>Lurk in the part of the sewers with alchemical workshops and fighting pits.
>>
>>5263240
I find it hard to believe you could maintain enough distance to escape notice AND last-hit a hydra. The latter basically means getting into their killzone for a minute or two, even with phaseshifting.
>>
>>5263251
>getting into their killzone for a minute or two, even with phaseshifting

Yeah, that's the idea. That comes later, though, if it even exists. But for now my vote is to just stay behind and follow.
>>
>>5263236
>Escape into the caves.
>>
>>5263238
>Follow at a distance, observe, and wait for an opportunity to killsteal and flee
>>
>>5263373
+1 support
>>
>>5263238
>Lurk in the part of the sewers with alchemical workshops and fighting pits.
>>
>>5263373
supporting this.
>>
>>5263238
>Lurk in the part of the sewers with alchemical workshops and fighting pits
I ain't going to lie, stalking and trying to killsteal a quest monster underneath the nose of a massive exterminator squadron sounds hella retarded and like an instant death scenario to me. Best keep our distance so we don't die again for no reason.
>>
>>5263582
The QM himself basically called it retarded, yeah.
>>
Why are the anons in this quest so retarded?
>>
>>5263238
>Lurk in the part of the sewers with alchemical workshops and fighting pits
The wise man-er, rat-lives to fight another day.
>>
>>5263238
>Lurk in the part of the sewers with alchemical workshops and fighting pits.
>>
>>5263582
>>5263605
>>5263612
If we see no opportunity, we hold back. If their raid goes poorly or some weakened critter escapes, we can hunt down and kill a straggler. Simple as.
>>
>>5264349

>be single-digit level F-rank monster with no stealth skills in litRPG world
>see high-level party specialized in monster murder
>follow them around thinking this is an opportunity
The genre literally just shifted to survival horror you mong, if we vote this and the QM kills us with no rolls allowed I will call it fair.
>>
>>5263320
>Escape into the caves.

>>5263240
>>5263373
>>5263424
>>5263560
>Follow at distance using phaseshifting

>>5263246
>>5263502
>>5263582
>>5263838
>>5264065
>Lurk in the part of the sewers with alchemical workshops and fighting pits.

So you'll be heading to the somewhat developed part of the sewers.
Update soon.

>>5264363
It's not as retarded as I may have made it sound. I just focused on ">killsteal a fucking hydra" in my warning, but if you just evade, then following the exterminators is dangerous, but doable.
>>
The idea of following the slayers and finishing off whatever they leave behind flashes briefly in your mind, but ultimately you decide it to be too dangerous. You turn tail and [Scurry away] into the part of the sewers where the underground life of the city goes on in full force. The monster exterminators will probably keep away from there due to the possibility of damaging civilians in their massive attacks.

However, your troubles are not over the moment you step into the under-slums. It seems the alchemists and other shadow folk have picked up on the operation going on and placed lots of traps for unfortunate rats like you to step into, perhaps for the purpose of using you in their mysterious experiments. However...

>Autosuccess

... your phaseshifting ability lets you escape most of them. You also note that with the mages laying out these traps, some of the alchemical workshops are left open to invasion. A tantalizing opportunity.
>Infiltrate one of the workshops and search through the notes. There's something there that calls to you.
>Infiltrate the workshops with the purpose of obtaining useful potions. This is more important than some weird sixth sense calling.
>Play safe and just wait out the purge in some secure little corner.
>Write-in
>>
>>5264406
>Infiltrate one of the workshops and search through the notes.
>>
>>5264406
>Play safe and just wait out the purge in some secure little corner.

No, I am not going to follow your narrative hooks QM. I refuse. Try again next time.
>>
>>5264406
>>Infiltrate one of the workshops and search through the notes. There's something there that calls to you.

I'll bite the cheese.
>>
>>5264406
>Infiltrate one of the workshops and search through the notes. There's something there that calls to you.
CHEESED TO MEET YOU
>>
>>5264425
Mating press
>>
>>5264406
>Infiltrate one of the workshops and search through the notes. There's something there that calls to you.
>>
>>5264406
>Infiltrate one of the workshops and search through the notes.
>>
>>5264406
>Infiltrate one of the workshops and search through the notes.

I, for one, trust the mysterious sense
>>
>>5264406
>Infiltrate one of the workshops and search through the notes. There's something there that calls to you.
our plot hook senses are tingling, better go follow them
>>
>>5264406
>>5264410
+1
>>
>>5264413
>Play safe and just wait out the purge in some secure little corner.
Understandable.

>>5264410
>>5264420
>>5264425
>>5264468
>>5264514
>>5264782
>>5264793
>>5265068
>Infiltrate one of the workshops and search through the notes.

So searching through the notes you go. I honestly expected most to say fuck you to le cheesy something calls, but it seems the plot advances after all.
Update soon.
>>
You feel it under your skin. A kind of pull, a force bringing you into the workshop, making you sift through the crumpled notes. You find it. One meant for you. It is scorched and inscribed with odd, alien runes giving off wisps of black smoke. Runes only you can understand.

Little one, I know this message will find you one way or another.

Ah, so it's your mysterious benefactor.

You are probably wondering how to accomplish the goal I have given you. My power in your world is limited, so I cannot give precise directions or relay lengthy messages, but you need to find and open the Gate in the East holding us back. The Key to it has been lost to the denizens of Alterorbis themselves, so I, being outside it, can only guess that it is somewhere in the West, where you currently are. Find it, open the Gate so that we may feast together. I hope you shall not succumb to the loose time limit I have imposed on you.

SYS.BREACH CODE667:UNKNOWN.OBJECT
ATTEMPTING EXPULSION OF UNKNOWN.OBJECT


The paper crumbles in your claws as you finish reading it.

EXPULSION SUCCESSFUL.
RETURNING TO NORMAL MODE.........


That was ambiguous as hell, but at least you know you need to find a key of sorts, and that it's probably nearby. Perhaps digging through world mythology will direct your search, what with it being so old it's been forgotten, yet possessing such great power. That'll have to wait until you can speak and read, though... You hear footsteps approaching from the direction of the exit. Time to book it.

You lurk for the rest of the day in some corner you found for yourself. By the time you return to the purged part of the sewers, you find the squads have left. Denizens of the underground, significantly reduced in number, slowly trickle back into their home. With the recent upheaval, it should be safe to rest a bit more than you usually do. The 7 HP you have remaining from the toad fight is pretty low. You settle into the empty (for now) rat lair and drift off to sleep...

You have restored 18 HP
[Strength I] has expired


You wake up at the peak of your, admittedly little, strength, now surrounded by your kin. They eye your Ring of Vitality, but make no attempts to steal it or attack you, even the evolved ones. It is an unspoken rule that no fights are permitted in the lair.
>Assemble a rat squad [can be taken with other options]
>Kill a quest monster [which?]
>Kill other stuff [where?]
>The Worms have left, for now. Help rebuild the [collapsed tunnels].
>Explore caves
>Find a way up into the city
>Find a way beyond the city limits
>Write-in
>>
>>5265745
>Assemble a rat squad
>Kill a quest monster [Skeleton Monster]
>>
>>5265745
>Assemble a rat squad [can be taken with other options]
>Explore caves
>>
>>5265749
+1
>>
>>5265777
+1

I think we should get some kind of increased offensive ability before continuing to hunt. Our next targets are:

>A Slime
>Bones
>A plant monster

Unlike the animals, these things seem harder for a Rat to actually hurt with its teeth.
>>
>>5265745
>Assemble a rat squad
>Kill a quest monster [Skeleton Monster]
>>
>>5265745
>Assemble a rat squad [can be taken with other options]
>Explore caves
Supporting >>5265777
>>
>>5265745
>>Explore caves
>>
>>5265777
support
>>
>>5265745
>>5265777
+1
>>
>>5265745
>>5265777
Trips and exploration
>>
>>5265749
>>5265808
>>5265828
>Assemble a rat squad
>Kill a quest monster [Skeleton Mass]

>>5266173
>Explore caves (no squad)

>>5265777
>>5265818
>>5265868
>>5266179
>>5266261
>>5266359
>Assemble a rat squad
>Explore caves

So you'll be exploring the caves, backed by your kin.
Roll 1d100 Bo3 for how many you assemble. +1 rat for each 10 you beat, like previously.
This won't really affect the exploration itself much, but their help may be useful later.
>>
Rolled 94 (1d100)

>>5267037
>>
Rolled 58 (1d100)

>>5267037
>>
Rolled 34 (1d100)

>>5267037
Maybe we can find some of the same rats from the last squad, getting a raport and become like a real crew.
>>
>>5267039
>>5267040
>>5267041
>94

After getting together a band of 9 rats, one evolved, more powerful than you even, you find the collapsed sewers wall opening up into the cave system and dive into the dark depths.

The next hours are spent wandering aimlessly in the tunnels and inner spaces, leaving wall marks to keep track of the way. You find out that the upper layers of the caves are the dwelling place of vampiric bats, ever ready to feast upon warm rat blood. You barely manage to fight them off after stumbling into one of their nests. You also noticed some of the spaces are somewhat... developed? They are definitely inhabited; while you didn't find any permanent stuff like a cavern made into a room of sorts, there are tools and markings here and there. You did not dare search further for fear of meeting the owner, and who knows who would live in the wild like this.

The middle layers of the caves are home to a colony of living crystals. They mostly float or roll about aimlessly, but there are some places they're protective of, you had to escape a few times after you wandered into some kind of cavern important for them. There is also a huge luminescent underground lake with an ecosystem of various beings such as giant living corals, amphibian things a bit bigger than you hunting under the surface, and plain old fish. You didn't venture further underwater because one of the giant corals noticed your group and tried to crush and devour you. Luckily, you escaped.

You also find a settlement of sentient (probably) shrooms. They have a little village in a spacious cavern which opens up to the outside. They herd giant worms, which apparently serve mostly a security role, guarding the entrance. You couldn't investigate further because of them.

The lower layers are quite hostile. Dark beings dwell there, wretched beasts, their skin pitch black, their claws and teeth sharp and deadly. You did not dare venture further down, for hordes of these things lurk there.

The scouting was not thorough, but you managed to pin down the main parts.

QUEST ISSUED

Oh.

NAME: CRYSTALLINE SECRETS
COMPLETION REWARD: 200 EXP, ONE OF: [Crystalline Claws] [Crystalline Armour]
OBJECTIVE: Find and devour one of the Crystal Hearts.

ACCEPT QUEST? Y/N

>Y
>N

Regardless of the quest, you've still got time to either complete it, or do something else with your little group.
>Kill a quest monster [which?]
>Kill other stuff [where?]
>The Worms have left, for now. Help rebuild the [collapsed tunnels]
>Attempt to make contact with the upper cave-dwelling being
>Find a way up into the city
>Find a way beyond the city limits
>Write-in
>>
>>5267096
>ACCEPT QUEST?
>Y
We can probably find a Crystal Heart in one of the guarded chambers, the question is if we can damage the crystals with our rat attacks. Before we invade a chamber, try and find a crystal creature that's out on it's own and bully it to see how sturdy it is.
>>
>>5267096
>Y
>>5267106
Support
>>
>>5267096

>>5267106
this
>>
>>5267096
>>5267106 +1
>>
>>5267106
+1
>>
>>5267106
+1, experimentation is important
>>
>>5267106
+1
>>
>>5267106
>>5267124
>>5267129
>>5267141
>>5267192
>>5267198
>>5267939
>Y
>Test fight the crystal

Update (smol) soon.
>>
You accept the quest, but before you head straight into the hornets' nest, a bit of testing would be prudent. You find a crystal growth that has wandered too far and strike it down as a team. The first thing that should be noted is that the crystals are quite sharp. Upon realizing your intentions, the growth shoots out shards that hit your group with glancing, but painful hits.

You have lost 1 HP
You have lost 1 HP


Their internal structure is robust enough to resist your bites and scratches, but when you join up to smash it against the floor together, your combined strength makes the crystal shatter. However, it explodes on impact, sending the bloody little shards against your group once more in a final attack.

You have lost 1 HP

You find another one and send the most powerful, evolved rat against it. With considerable force, he throws the crystal against the wall, shattering it. Impressive, even though he has sustained some damage as well.

Due to these experiments taking up little time, you can still organize some kind of operation with your rat squad before something of note happens.
>Kill a quest monster [which?]
>Kill other stuff [where?]
>Try to find valuable resources in the lower caves. [warning - hordes of shadowlings]
>The Worms have left, for now. Help rebuild the [collapsed tunnels]
>Attempt to make contact with the upper cave-dwelling being
>Find a way up into the city
>Find a way beyond the city limits
>Write-in
>>
>>5268562
>>>Attempt to make contact with the upper cave-dwelling being
>>
>>5268562
>Attempt to make contact with the upper cave-dwelling being
>>
>>5268562
>Kill a quest monster [Crystal Heart]
We have a big work force right now. The crystals are going to be super annoying, because of all the chip damage, but we have 9 rats with us. We'll need plenty of meatshields, and the next time we roll such a big number could be far away. I say we go while we have this big squad.

Also:
>Try and estimate the timing to phase-shift after the crystals explode, to dodge damage.
>>
>>5268562
>Kill a quest monster [Crystal Heart]
>>
Yeah alright. Changing >>5268563
into
>Kill a quest monster [Crystal Heart]
>>
>>5268574
Supporting this.

>>5268562
>>
>>5268574
+1 support
>>
>>5268562
>>5268574 +1
>>
I miss you REQM
>>
>>5268574
+1
>>
>>5268571
>Attempt to make contact with the upper cave-dwelling being

>>5268574
>>5268578
>>5268582
>>5268618
>>5268621
>>5268722
>>5268975
>Kill a quest monster [Crystal Heart]

Roll 1d100 Bo3 DC: 85
You have a +13 bonus on this one.
>>
File: 1643459174978.jpg (130 KB, 1895x800)
130 KB
130 KB JPG
Rolled 37 + 13 (1d100 + 13)

>>5269821
>>
Rolled 100 + 13 (1d100 + 13)

>>5269821

Let’s goooo
>>
>>5269827
AWWWWWWW SHIETTTT
>>
File: 1624711490278.gif (1.62 MB, 336x167)
1.62 MB
1.62 MB GIF
>>5269827
>>
Rolled 75 + 13 (1d100 + 13)

>>5269821
Ultra Success
>>
>>5269824
>>5269827
>>5269873
>100 - Ultimate Success

You have come here to chew bubblegum and smash crystals. And you're all out of bubblegum -- is what I'd have said if rats chewed bubblegum, but they don't. Nevertheless, the crystal-smashing part goes great. You break into one of the protected caverns like a storm and start taking out the first living minerals that you meet.

You have lost 1 HP
You have gained 5 EXP
You have lost 1 HP
You have gained 5 EXP


They put up a little fight, and you get some stinging wounds, but remain mostly fine. You scan the place in search of anything that can be called a "Crystal Heart" and surely, there is a big crystal with something burning and radiant inside. However, your way is barred by a guardian of sorts, not to mention the other crystals trickling in, apparently aware of the danger to the central hub. But you press on.

You have gained 5 EXP [x3]
You have lost 2 HP


The shards the big Guardian Crystal sends your way are more massive and cause deeper wounds. But your way towards it is clear now, and you phaseshift around to dodge them as you near the great enemy with your group. Then, you do what no one must've expected you to.

You join forces with every remaining rat to pick up the big crystal and smash it into the Heart's outer shield. The Guardian shatters, a hole cracks open in the shell, and a stream of magic and cold erupts from inside the Heart.

You have lost 2 HP
You have gained 30 EXP


With others fending off the crystals that have by now joined the fight, you enter the cracked shell and find the Heart itself -- a radiant growth unlike anything you've seen before. You bite it. It is as if you've shoved a whole bunch of ice into your mouth. It stings, it numbs your entire head, but you do not stop, devouring it little by little. As you swallow the final piece, a powerful magical surge erupts from inside you, and all of the crystals nearby seem to first weaken in movements, then die. You are left in the silent dark.

You have completed the CRYSTALLINE SECRETS quest
You have gained 200 EXP
LEVEL UP!
Choose one: [Crystalline claws], [Crystalline armour]

>[Crystalline claws]
>[Crystalline armour]

UNNAMED SMALL LIVING CRYSTAL has joined your party [5x]

Not only did you gain a skill, it seems part of the magical power residing inside the Crystal Heart has been absorbed by you. 5 crystals are now at your command. The rats' numbers, however, have been reduced. 3 rats lay dead before the shell's entrance, and the remaining ones are all wounded.
>>
>>5269947
A surprise is in store for you as you return to the sewers. It seems the slimes are going on a rampage throughout the underground, the reason unknown. Better hole up in some lair and wait it out...

QUEST ISSUED

NAME: SLIME TIME
COMPLETION REWARD: +10 MAX HP, +4 RES
OBJECTIVE: Defeat 10 Slimes of any kind without retreating to a lair.
ADDITIONAL OBJECTIVES:
1. Obtain the Burning Slime Core.
ADDITIONAL REWARDS:
1. ONE OF: [Viscosity] [Viscous regeneration]

ACCEPT QUEST? Y/N

If your math is correct, you have 16/25 HP remaining.
>Y. Try for the additional objective as well.
>Y. Only the main objective though.
>N. Play it safe.
>>
>>5269950
>[Crystalline claws]
>Y. Try for the additional objective as well.

Earlier, I stated my concern that as a literal rat, we don't have much in the way of dealing with enemies who may be resistant to physical attacks or are particularly resilient, like >>5252241 the Moss Overgrowths. Maybe having Crystal Claws will increase our attack enough to get past that?
>>
>>5269947
>[Crystalline claws]
Our bread and butter is mobility, so we already have defensive capabilities so we should level up our offense.

>Y. Try for the additional objective as well.
>>
>>5269950
>[Crystalline armour]
>Y. Try for the additional objective as well.
>>
>>5269950
>[Crystalline claws]
>Y. Try for the additional objective as well
We have rat and crystal allies. Push!
>>
>>5269950
>TheClaw(tm)
>Try for additional objective

Phaseshifting+armor rending claw+regen
Its too broken to not take, how close are we to evolving anyways?
>>
>>5269947
>[Crystalline claws]
>Y. Try for the additional objective as well.

Hopefully we can evolve with this . But with so many teamates its unlikely.
>>
>>5270114
Beleive we need one level. We were 3 prior to the last update so we are currently 4/5
>>
>>5269950
>[Crystalline claws]
>Y. Try for the additional objective as well.
We've got the Crystal Followers now, we can use them as tanks against the slime to protect our rat friends, and with the claw upgrade we can hopefully deal tons of damage too.

I can definitely see us evolving into a Commander Rat with all of this Rat Recruitment we've been doing.
>>
>>5269947
>[Crystalline claws]
>>5269950
>Y. Try for the additional objective as well.
>>
>>5269950
>[Crystalline claws]
>Y. Try for the additional objective as well.
>>
>>5269950
>[Crystalline claws]
>Y. Try for the additional objective as well.
>>
>>5269950
>Crystalline Armour
>Y. Only the main objectuve
>>
>>5270006
>>5270557
>[Crystalline armour]

>>5269955
>>5269957
>>5270065
>>5270114
>>5270115
>>5270120
>>5270169
>>5270182
>>5270418
>[Crystalline claws]

So you'll get the extra sharp claws from the quest.

>>5270557
>Y. Only the main objective though.

>>5269955
>>5269957
>>5270006
>>5270065
>>5270114
>>5270115
>>5270120
>>5270169
>>5270182
>>5270418
>Y. Try for the additional objective as well.

You're going to find that Slime Core and reap the full reward (or at least you hope you will).
Roll 2d100 Bo3
1st roll DC: 85 for killing slimes. You have a +16 bonus due to your allies and skills.
2nd roll DC: 80 for finding the Burning Slime Core.
>>
Rolled 80, 42 + 16 = 138 (2d100 + 16)

>>5271191

Ratty needs a new pair of shoes.....
>>
Rolled 90, 58 = 148 (2d100)

>>5271191
>>
Rolled 59, 35 = 94 (2d100)

>>5271191
>>
m-muh burning slime core :<
>>
>>5271205
>>5271207
>>5271217
>90 + 16 - Success
>58 - Failure

With most denizens of the sewers hiding from the rampage, the slimes are all around you. But that's good. Means you can attack in all directions at once.

You test your newly acquired crystalline claws on a nearby slime; while its amorphous nature means the blow doesn't cause bleeding or anything of that sort, it goes through surprisingly easily, tearing a wound in its structure. You strike again and again, until all that's left is a boiling green pool.

You have gained 10 EXP

You look around and notice a whole massive wave of squishy enemies nearing you, but your allies come to your rescue and you join them to tear through the tsunami. You inevitably take a few hits. The wounds slimes inflict sting due to their acidic innards spilling right onto your skin.

You have lost 2 HP
You have lost 1 HP


But you keep ripping them apart, your party mates doing the same: crystals with their shards; rats, much like you, with their claws and teeth.

You have gained 5 EXP
LEVEL UP!
Would you like to evolve? Y/N


No, not yet. You don't have the time for that.

You have lost 1 HP
You have gained 5 EXP [Stored] [4x]


After dealing with the wave, you inspect your group. One of the crystals melted by the slimes' acids, one more rat dead. Not so bad. After catching your breath, you press on with your hunt. The next half-hour or so is a blur of slime-smashing and slime-ripping and phaseshifting to avoid damage.

You have gained 5 EXP [Stored] [4x]
You have completed the main objective of the SLIME TIME quest. Would you like to finish it? Y/N


No, you have to get that damned core. Yet it eludes you. No matter how many slimes you smash, their insides only release a toxic liquid, nothing that can be described as a "Burning Slime Core".

You have lost 1 HP
You have gained 5 EXP [Stored] [4x]


You should have 11/25 HP now.
>Keep searching for the core [Roll against lower DC]
>Give it up. Complete the quest and go evolve somewhere.
>>
>>5271251
>Keep searching for the core [Roll against lower DC]
>>
>>5271251
>Keep searching for the core [Roll against lower DC]

Tbh kinda wanna just evolve but eh might as well. Though this might be a bit risky due to the low hp
>>
>Keep searching for the core [Roll against lower DC]

Regen is too good to pass up.
>>
>>5271251
>Keep searching for the core [Roll against lower DC]
Gotta meet those hidden evolution requirements bruh
>>
>>5271251
>Keep searching for the core [Roll against lower DC]
>>
>>5271251
>Keep searching for the core [Roll against lower DC]
>>
>>5271251
>Keep searching for the core [Roll against lower DC]
>>
>>5271287
This, mixing slime characteristics with tele rat is bound to yield some pretty cool evolution options
>>
>>5271253
>>5271256
>>5271258
>>5271287
>>5271293
>>5271296
>>5271420
>>5271487
>Keep searching for the core [Roll against lower DC]

Unanimous. You'll keep smashing slimes, looking for the coveted core.
Roll 1d100 Bo3 DC: 65
>>
Rolled 56 (1d100)

>>5272310
>>
Rolled 40 (1d100)

>>5272310
Dice gods let us have our core pls.
>>
Rolled 51 (1d100)

>>5272310
Core time!
>>
Rolled 94 (1d100)

>>5272310
>>
>>5272323
Anddd i once again roll seconds too late
>>
>>5272319
If i could remove my roll... QM can i do it?
>>
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>>5272330
hmm... no.
>>
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>>5272333
Damn... i'm sorry anons, i tried.
>>
>>5272335
Corebros...... It's over......
>>
>>5272312
>>5272319
>>5272321
>56 - Failure (again)

You keep up your search, but the results are underwhelming. You get hit with another slime wave and end up taking more casualties and damage. Even with phaseshifting, when you're surrounded by enemies, you can't dodge every hit.

You have lost 2 HP
You have gained 5 EXP [Stored] [2x]
You have lost 1 HP
You have gained 5 EXP [Stored] [4x]


However, your troubles are not over once you manage to beat back the slimes. It seems a lifeform connected to them has emerged from the core of the industrial underground. Amorphous, shifting humanoids with greater power and agility than usual slimes, yet as viscous and resilient as their lesser brothers. These "Formless" attack you suddenly and with great force. You find yourself struggling to keep up with their fluid movements.

You have lost 2 HP
You have gained 20 EXP [Stored] [2x]
You have lost 1 HP
You have gained 20 EXP [Stored] [2x]


Eventually you manage to defeat them. You mostly used crystals to tank hits, so 2 more of them are shattered. The battle has taken its toll on the rats as well, 2 of them are dead now. That means you have 2 crystals and 4 rats left under your command.

UNNAMED SEWER RAT has left your party.

What?

UNNAMED SEWER RAT has left your party.

Oh no.

UNNAMED SEWER RAT has left your party.
UNNAMED VICIOUS RAT has left your party.


You watch them scurry away towards the nearest lair. Seems like your authority isn't great enough to force them into risking their lives on too dangerous of a mission.
>RETHECORETHECORETHECORETHECO [Roll against lower DC] [This may be risky considering the circumstances]
>Screw it. Go to the lair as well and evolve.
>>
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>>5272352
Even if we take some damage the core would give us regen so...
>RETHECORETHECORETHECORETHECO
>>
>>5272352
>Screw it. Go to the lair as well and evolve.
How to die 101: Overstay your welcome as a magic sewer rat. I'll take +10 HP, +4 RES and evolution over dying again for no reason.
>>
>>5272352
>Screw it. Go to the lair as well and evolve.

we are at 5 hp guys lets just evolve trying again is just gonna result in another death
>>
>>5272352
>>RETHECORETHECORETHECORETHECO

Aah, you were at my side all along.
My true mentor... My guiding Slime Core...

I'm a greedy motherfucker.
>>
>>5272352
>RETHECORETHECORETHECORETHECO [Roll against lower DC] [This may be risky considering the circumstances]
SLIMEEE COOOOORE
>>
>>5272362
>>5272370
>>5272371
ITT: Retards kill the player character again for literally no reason other then that they are retards.
>>
>>5272373
Where's your gambler's spirit? It was 80, then 65, following this pattern it'll be around the 50 range. We have three rolls. That makes it a 12.5% chance that we fail to get ANYTHING above 50. The core will help us in the long run, and regeneration is going to be extremely important for survival.

>>5272366
>For no reason

[Viscous regeneration] is a very very good reason.
>>
>>5272373
When we get the slime core I will laugh at your cowards spirit
>>
>>5272352
>Screw it. Go to the lair as well and evolve.
>>
>>5272390
It's retarded to continue. We have 5 HP left and no Rats to use as meat shields, with only two Crystals to be used as tanks. It's not going to go well no matter how you slice it.
>It was 80, then 65, following this pattern
And following the pattern of damage we have taken every turn fighting slimes, success or failure on the rolls, we will die from the damage taken no matter what you manage to roll bar a nat100, especially since we're down almost all of our meatshields.

>Where's your gambler's spirit
Gambling Spirit is knowing when to hold 'em and when to fold 'em, not throwing an all in on a pair of two's every time because you can. You hold when the odds are in your favor, and right now they are not in our favor.

We gambled once on the Basilisk and we were instantly punished, now we're in the exact same situation and you want to do the exact same thing because you're greedy for a +1 HP regen buff. Think anon, think.
>>
>>5272352
>Screw it. Go to the lair as well and evolve.
Peace!
>>
>>5272418
I consider [This may be risky considering the circumstances] to be: "12.5% chance of failing and getting punished rightly for pushing our luck too far", not "Pass the DC but you die and fail anyway." because that would be a massive dick move by the QM, who I don't regard as dumb enough to do something like that.

>You hold when the odds are in your favor, and right now they are not in our favor.
If I've somehow fucked up the simple act of calculating the likelihood of getting the same failing result in three 50/50 rolls, then go ahead and call me a retard. If not, the odds are 87.5% in our favour, unlike what you claim them to be.

>no matter what you manage to roll bar a nat100
>you're greedy for a +1 HP regen buff
Now you're literally just inventing things. Go fuck yourself.
>>
>>5272418
Actually, you know what? Good call bringing up the Basilisk. QM, could I request a quick write-in option that might sway people either way? And maybe some extra time to react to the info?

>Check Status
>View Perseverance

It hasn't been 72 hours yet, I assume, since Strength expired before we set out on today's quest. We also actually DIED from the basilisk, as per the message. So since we respawned, there's a possibility that Perseverance got renewed. Maybe we should attempt checking it to see if our safety net is in place.
>>
>>5272439
"Status." -- you squeak out. Best to review your condition before continuing either way.

NAME: [LOCKED]
RACE: Sewer Rat
RANK: F-
LEVEL: 5/5
SKILLS: [Scurry away] [Strength in numbers] [Perseverance - offline] [Ph#sesh%ft&r] [Crystalline claws]
EFFECTS: [Crystal command - 2]
STATS:
HP: 5/25
MP: 0/0
STR: 13
MAG: 0
DEF: 10
RES: 4
SPD: 16


"Perseverance status."

[Perseverance] skill is OFFLINE. It will reactivate in 18 hours.
>>
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>>5272427
>Now you're literally just inventing things. Go fuck yourself.
Just like how you're inventing that we totally have an 87.5% chance of succeeding before we've been given the DC, after all our meatshields ran away, more powerful slimes appeared and the QM outright telling us this is a risky choice.
I also know this is anecdotal but we gambled on eating the Knife and failed to beat a 40DC, just something to consider.
12.5% probability of rolling under 50 on 3d100 doesn't mean we have 87.5% chance of success. We need to win one 50/50 out of three, not one 87.5%, and in a coin toss you are just as likely to lose as you are to win. I don't want to hedge my bets on three coin tosses when we're this low on HP.

In the end I just don't want to die needlessly for an early game buff that I don't consider neccessary. Good to have, yes, but not worth dying for, even with a mysterious patron that can bring us back to life. One time is a mistake, twice is a coincidence, thrice is a pattern. How many deaths before he consider us not worth the effort and pulls the plug on us? Better to go back to the nest and save ourselves from potentially taking on another debt and otherwordly scrutiny.
Tomorrow we'll be more powerful, with the evolution and the Quest Reward. Tomorrow there will be new quests with new buffs. We can pick ourselves up then and get shit done. We'll get 'em next time.
>>
>>5272352
>RETHECORETHECORETHECORETHECO [Roll against lower DC] [This may be risky considering the circumstances]
>>
>>5272486
Now that it's confirmed we don't have perseverance, I can't really begrudge anyone not wanting to take the risk.

>totally have an 87.5% chance of succeeding before we've been given the DC

My assumption is that the DC decreasing will be at the same rate as the second attempt. The assumption that the other guy made is that we'll automatically take five damage from this. Both are reasonable assumptions to make. But I don't buy that the 'risk' factor means that if we pass the DC, we die horribly anyway. Why the fuck would it be a DC check then?

In the end, it's just an assumption, but it's not a completely baseless one.
>>
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>>5272486
>12.5% probability of rolling under 50 on 3d100 doesn't mean we have 87.5% chance of success. We need to win one 50/50 out of three, not one 87.5%, and in a coin toss you are just as likely to lose as you are to win. I don't want to hedge my bets on three coin tosses when we're this low on HP.

Acknowledging that 50/50 is indeed just a guess, it sits at 87.5%. Coin tosses are 50/50. When you flip a coin three times, and seek a desired result that's contained within the three, the probability of all three are combined. 50/50 once, 50/50 once, 50/50 once means 12.5% of getting the same result thrice (tails). Which means getting Heads at least one time out of 3 is 87.5%.

https://www.omnicalculator.com/statistics/coin-flip-probability
>>
>>5272352
>Screw it. Go to the lair as well and evolve.
I, for one, would like to safeguard this build
>>
>>5272352
>RETHECORETHECORETHECORETHECO [Roll against lower DC] [This may be risky considering the circumstances]
>>
No update today, anons. Counting quickly, there's a 5-5 tie. Since this vote is pretty important, rethink it and see if any of you want to change sides. If none do, I'll roll to decide tomorrow.
>>
>>5273601
Since my opinion is objectively correct, I won't change it. Just FYI.
>>
>>5272352
>RETHECORETHECORETHECORETHECO [Roll against lower DC] [This may be risky considering the circumstances]

If we die we might get a better start next time
>>
>>5272352
>RETHECORETHECORETHECORETHECO

I am >>5271207, by the way. Just on mobile.
>>
>>5272352
>RETHECORETHECORETHECORETHECO [Roll against lower DC] [This may be risky considering the circumstances]
the skill reward, it calls to me.
>>
>>5272366
>>5272367
>>5272407
>>5272426
>>5273099
>Screw it. Go to the lair as well and evolve.

>>5272362
>>5272370
>>5272371
>>5272487
>>5273106
>>5273635
>>5273659
>>5274264
>RETHECORETHECORETHECORETHECO

Better get that core or something bad will happen.
Roll 1d100 Bo3 DC: 50
>>
Rolled 48 (1d100)

>>5274811
Surely we won't fuck this one up, right?
>>
Rolled 93 (1d100)

>>5274811

>>5274823
I swear if this is the highest we roll...
>>
Rolled 30 (1d100)

>>5274811
CORE
>>
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>>5274827
YEEEEESSSS!!!
>>
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>>5272373
HAHA LOOK AT THIS FUCKING DUMBASS BEING WRONG, I AM LAUGHING AT HOW MUCH OF A PUSSY YOU ARE. Imagine we had actually listened to this retard instead of getting the core, which is obviously what we should have done from the beginning.

Ah, satisfaction. I love laughing at mentally disabled people.
>>
>>5274850
>>5272418

AHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA WE GOT IT!! FUCK YOU!!! I TOLD YOU IT WAS LIKELY TO BE 50/50! 87.5% chance of success. I can’t begrudge it that much since that guy’s own guess followed the same pattern logic, and was sound.
>>
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>>5274850
>>5274880
We have to admit however that we were one roll away from becoming slime food...
>>
>>5274823
>>5274827
>>5274834
>93 - Success

You must be careful now. With not much hp or allies left, one mistake can cost you your life, and you don't want to die a third time. You stealth-scurry through the sewers, stopping here and there to let slimes or formless pass by, then resuming your search.

Finally, you find it. A blood-red burning slime with a orblike object inside its viscous body. This has to be it. You launch your final attack. It is protected by other slimes, but your phaseshifting allows you to escape their attacks while your crystals blast them with barrages of shards.

You have gained 5 EXP [3x]

The main target itself is quite hard to deal with due to the fire surrounding it, but you rapidly make one attack after another with your crystalline claws, enduring the pain.

You have lost 1 HP
You have lost 2 HP


It slowly loses its form and when the fire surrounding it has been snuffed out, you know you have won.

You have gained 10 EXP [Stored]

You dip your claws into the residue, still sizzling, and snatch the core for yourself. All this pain and dead allies for this single cursed orb. It is hot, but you clutch it to yourself, and slowly, it melts, merging with your body.

You have completed the SLIME TIME quest
Choose one of the following:
[Viscosity] -- you can absorb one attack of moderate or light strength each hour. Stacks up to 2 times.
[Viscous regeneration] -- you can spend MP to restore 10% of your HP over 100 seconds.


With only 3 HP left, you stumble into the lair and fall fast asleep, but not before squeaking out "Evolution."

Initiating Evolution...

Several options are presented to you.
>Rat King
Who would win, 10000 rats or 10 gorillas? The answer is obvious to the Rat King. He commands swarms of rats (unfortunately, regular, not giant ones) to devour and instil fear in his enemies. This does not mean he is completely defenceless without his minions, however. He's a bit stronger than your usual Sewer Rat, but not enough that it is something to rely on in battles.
Rank E-
Power: 5
Magic: 10
Charm: 2

>Plague Rat
Every part of these beings in soaked with venom, acid, or plague. They can infect their enemies with a fast-acting, deadly disease, or spit corrosive liquids to melt their face from a distance. As with other options, they're also a bit stronger than a usual rat.
Rank F+
Power: 6
Magic: 7
Charm: 1

>Vicious Rat
Your usual rat, but bigger, faster, tougher and stronger. These beings, while lacking in magic, make up for it with raw strength. They get a boost to HP and can crack armour open with a bit of effort, their claws and teeth are hard enough for that. Their senses are also fine-tuned enough to quickly locate enemies or dodge more of their attacks.
Rank F+
Power: 12
Magic: 1
Charm: 2
>>
>inb4 REEEE where are skill-based evolution options?
Patience. Multiclass will come into play later, if you'll survive to see it.
>>
>>5274887
>[Viscous regeneration]
>Rat King
We are Rats, We are Legion. Expect us.
>>
>>5274887
>[Viscous regeneration] -- you can spend MP to restore 10% of your HP over 100 seconds.
>Rat King
Rat gang rise up
>>
>>5274887
[Viscous regeneration] -- you can spend MP to restore 10% of your HP over 100 seconds.

>Plague Rat

Well im glad yall survived that move . Still dont think it was the right choice. Anyway im going to say plague rat though people are obviously going for rat king. Its just more intresting route for me.
>>
>>5274887
Ill go with these:
>[Viscous regeneration] -- you can spend MP to restore 10% of your HP over 100 seconds.
>Plague Rat

A ranged attack is a must for the future and the fact that it can debuff and/or do damage over time makes it only better.
Also relying on numbers alone will bite us in the tail later on, when aoe attacks or over powered individuals wipe out our individually weak forces at once, leaving us defenseless, there's strength in numbers, but if we don't strengthen up as an individual being too, the moment something leaves us alone we'll die regardless of how far we have come.
>>
>>5274887
>[Viscous regeneration]

>Plague Rat
>>
>>5274887
>[Viscous regeneration]
>Plague Rat
Fuck the king
>>
>>5274887
>[Viscous regeneration]
>Rat King
Both social ability and more magic? Sold.

Vicious rat is boring, and plague-based specialty will make future interactions hell.
>>
>>5274887
>[Viscous regeneration] -- you can spend MP to restore 10% of your HP over 100 seconds.
Regen is going to be really strong once we start getting a MP pool and a large health one considering that it's a max HP heal.
>Plague Rat
Being able to kill monsters by poisoning them and teleporting out of range as they are being damaged sounds insanely good. Ranged attack is also really helpful for us for obvious reasons. It also is lower tier than the rat king option which means we'll have more opportunities to evolve in the long term potentially
>>
>>5274887
>Regen
>Plague rat

I’ve been worried about us not having ways to damage things, with only physical moves. Plague fixes that up.
>>
>>5274913
>Viscious regeneration
>Plague rat

Rat king would not play into our unique advantage of personal teleportation, the choice makes no sense. Vicious rat is too bland, having no magic would be bad.

Plague rat is perfect because we can teleport to enemies, bite them, teleport away, and bide our time while they die of damage over time

Also, I would guess a magical plague rat imbued with eldritch teleport magic to yield the coolest evolution options
>>
>>5274940
Yeah, we need magic to use our regen. Worked hard for that, so we gotta use it.
>>
>>5274887
>Rat King

I WANT TO BE KING
>>
Rolled 95 (1d100)

>>5274811
Nat 1
>>
>>5274887
[Viscosity] -- you can absorb one attack of moderate or light strength each hour. Stacks up to 2 times.

>Plague Rat
>>
>>5274887
>[Viscous regeneration]
>Plague Rat
Teleporting, envenomed, ratassassin with regeneration and crystal claws? Sign me up
>>
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>>5274991
>he wants to evolve into this
>>
>>5274887
Regen and rat King
>>
>>5274887
>[Viscous regeneration]
>Rat King
Rat together strong

Also, who's to say that we couldn't, you know, get the other kinds of rat under our control?
>>
>>5274887
>[Viscous Regeneration]
>Plague Rat
>>
>>5275114
Rat king seems kind of like a final evolution that'd constrain you to being a rat - as cool as it sounds, i'd rather we tried to evolve to something better than a rat eventually, like some sort of tentacled plague abomination
>>
>>5274887
>Vicious Rat
>Viscous Regeneration
>>
>>5274887
>Vicious Ratpanm

>>5275255
This
>>
>>5275275
>Vicious ratpanm
what did he mean by this
>>
>>5275285
Sorry, I think I hit my keyboard and didn't see that I had written anything else.
I agree that being the rat king seems like a final evolution
But my vote is to
>Vicious Rat
And
[Viscous regeneration]
>>
Why do people think the QM will leave us stuck at a measly E- rank for the whole quest if we pick the "wrong" evolution? That makes zero sense.
>>
>>5276167
You have a point, but you could still amass overall power by getting more and stronger rat minions indefinitely, so the /qst/ wouldn't neccessarily be ruined

in normal fiction, thats the vibe that rat king gives off
besides, GMs on here sometimes tend to be more unforgiving, and
>>
>>5276172
You can just say you don't like it, anon. You don't need to be like this.
>>
>>5276178
its not like that - I've just read way too much LITRPG shit and thats the vibe it gave me, though >>5276167 made a good point
but its not a big deal anyways - lets not argue and just wait for QM to return
>>
>>5274993
>[Viscosity]

>>5274892
>>5274895
>>5274897
>>5274899
>>5274906
>>5274913
>>5274914
>>5274923
>>5274931
>>5274940
>>5274994
>>5275104
>>5275114
>>5275219
>>5275274
>>5276094
>[Viscous regeneration]

So you'll take some of the slimes' regenerative skills.

>>5275274
>>5276094
>Vicious Rat
Guess I should've sprinkled some of the blood magic from later stages on this one.

>>5274892
>>5274895
>>5274914
>>5274979
>>5275104
>>5275114
>Rat King

>>5274897
>>5274899
>>5274906
>>5274913
>>5274923
>>5274931
>>5274940
>>5274993
>>5274994
>>5275219
>Plague Rat

So you'll become hazardous.
Update (smol) soon.
>>
It takes some time for the evolution to progress. Your body restructures, new venomous glands form, a new plague develops inside. While it goes on, you dream. The flamethrowers and the burning slime touch some of your memories from back when you were still human. Still human?..

...

They say there are three things you can watch forever: fire burning, water running, and jiggling breasts. While the last is clearly superior, you were always a fire kind of guy. Looking at it was calming. You would buy the simplest of candles, light them, and watch the flames dance for hours on end, and all the bad thoughts and worries would just... fade away. Sometimes you would buy a ticket on a far-going train and set the woods on fire wherever you arrived. You didn't know whether you were lucky or stealthy, but you never got caught. It must've killed at least some campers or hikers, but you didn't know for sure, never watched the reports. Never felt guilt about it either. You enjoyed watching as the fire consumed vast areas, dwarfed by the power of flames. Yes, that was... good.

...

You wake up with the greatest headache of your rat life as of yet. There is a burning somewhere in the back of your throat or nose. It itches, so you sneeze, but what comes out is some acidic projectile that sizzles on the walls of the lair. The other rats are wary of you now. Can't blame them, you do carry a plague in yourself, after all. No more sleeping piles for you, it seems.

"Status." -- you squeak out, with a hissing kind of voice.

NAME: [LOCKED]
RACE: Plague Rat
RANK: F+
LEVEL: 0/15
SKILLS: [Scurry away] [Strength in numbers] [Perseverance] [Ph#sesh%ft&r] [Crystalline claws] [Acid spit] [Venomous strike] [Infect]
EFFECTS: [Crystal command - 2]
STATS:
HP: 60/60
MP: 20/20
STR: 25
MAG: 20
DEF: 18
RES: 13
SPD: 20

Some new abilities, vastly better stats, higher HP, what's not to like? Time to put them to good use.
>Assemble a rat squad [can be taken with other options]
>Kill a quest monster [which?]
>Kill other stuff [where?]
>Try to find valuable resources in the lower caves. [warning - hordes of shadowlings]
>The Worms have left, for now. Help rebuild the [collapsed tunnels].
>Attempt to make contact with the upper cave-dwelling being.
>Find a way up into the city.
>Find a way beyond the city limits.
>Write-in
>>
>>5276279
>Assemble a rat squad
>Kill a quest monster [Skeleton Mass]
Vengance time, motherfucker. Time to remove another threat to Rat Kind.
>>
>>5276279
Can i ask what we have left of the quest monsters to kill. Its been awhile.

But anyway since we are stronger i think we should work on finishing that up
>>
>>5276289
+1
>>
>>5276279
>View Status
>Acid Spit
>Infect
>Venomous strike

Let's familiarize ourselves with our skills.

>>5276289
+1
>>
>>5276289
Skeleton mass is undead, so our plague abilities will probably not be very useful if work at all.
>>5276279
Is there anything we can farm to gain some levels and test our new abilities? Maybe get some rat comrades to help us genocide the toads

Hell, the other rats seem wary of us now, we could also just go the "taboo" route and start devouring other rats, it might yield something interesting
>>
>>5276322
Crystaline Claws and Acid Spit I imagine would work absolutely fine against Skeletons.
>>
>>5276293
Great Slime from the industrial underground, Skeleton Mass from the catacombs, Moss Overgrowth from the garden underground and (optionally) a Hydra, though it'll be a tough battle probably.
>>5276322
That's what the >Kill other stuff prompt is for. If you need a reminder about the areas, there's the catacombs with various (mostly weak) undead, the garden underground with plant/moss beings, the industrial sewers with slimes and formless, there's also the caves where you can kill vampiric bats, crystals, something in the lake or shadowlings. You could also try to hunt sentient dwellers of the sewers e.g. mages/alchemists from the slums or dungeon guards. There's also the option of attacking basilisks and rateater toads, which are common around the sewers.
>>
>>5276279
>>Kill other stuff
Plant monsters and stuff, to see if our plagues and poisons work on them. If it does we can go solo the plant boss right away.
>>
>>5276279
>Assemble a rat squad [can be taken with other options]
>Kill a Great Slime
>>
>>5276450
Seconding this, but get a horde of rat meatshields to accompany us
>>
>>5276279
>>5276289
Support. Blood for blood!
>>
>>5276279
>Try to find valuable resources in the lower caves. [warning - hordes of shadowlings]
>>
>>5276289
+1
>>
>>5276517
>Try to find valuable resources in the lower caves.

>>5276450
>>5276502
>Kill other stuff [Plant monsters]

>>5276454
>Assemble a rat squad
>Kill a quest monster [Great Slime]

>>5276289
>>5276303
>>5276306
>>5276509
>>5276865
>Assemble a rat squad
>Kill a quest monster [Skeleton Mass]

So you'll get the rat lads together and go get revenge on the undead.
Roll 1d100 Bo3 for assembling a rat squad, as previously, each 10 you beat = 1 rat.
You get -14 on this roll.
>>
Rolled 22 - 14 (1d100 - 14)

>>5277663

Rollin.
>>
Rolled 91 - 14 (1d100 - 14)

>>5277663
Rats!
>>
Rolled 23 + 14 (1d100 + 14)

>>5277663
>>
>>5277665
>>5277667
>>5277673
>91 - 14
There are 7 rats in your team.

Now to fight the Skelemass.
Roll 1d113 (sic!) Bo3 DC:100.
You have a +12 bonus here.

I'll explain the system behind this after the update.
>>
Rolled 13 + 12 (1d113 + 12)

>>5277675
>>
>>5277675
Damn, an uncommon die.
>>
Rolled 76 + 12 (1d113 + 12)

>>5277678
>>5277675
Let's try again
>>
Rolled 17 + 12 (1d100 + 12)

>>5277675
>>
>>5277683
Oh i thought we failled its wrong dice we still need a die it looks like
>>
Rolled 14 + 12 (1d113 + 12)

>>5277675
>>
>>5277677
>>5277680
>>5277691
>88 - Failure

The Skeleton Mass has wronged you in the past. It has taken your life, and while [Perseverance] saved you, you've not forgotten the grudge. Getting together a band of 7 rats, you march out against the damned undead to settle the score.

It's not exactly easy to miss a lumbering juggernaut of bones. You find it in a docile state; advantage is yours. Keeping your distance, you begin bombarding it with [Acid spit] to great effect: parts of its outer carapace melt under your attack. With a deafening rattle of hundreds of bones, it awakens. Your allies attempt to stop it, but it just squashes them under its weight, one after another. You decide it's time for you to join the close-quarters fight.

You try [Infect] and [Venomous strike] in hope that they may have some effect on rotten flesh and bare bones, but the results are expected: you can't inflict plague or poison on that which is already dead. So you resort to using your claws to tear through bones. At first, it goes great, but as time passes and more of your allies are buried or, worse, absorbed into the Skeleton Mass, you realize the sheer power of the foe you're facing. As you cut through bones, more take their place. As you deflect or phaseshift out of the way, another basilisk or other horrible head attacks you. And these attacks are quite powerful.

You have lost 5 HP
You have lost 6 HP
You have lost 10 HP


Your endurance is much higher than previously, but as you take more hits, it becomes apparent that even with the boost to HP from evolution this is starting to become dangerous. The question is, will you out-attrition the monster or not?
Roll 1d113 Bo3 DC:90
+7 bonus.
>>
Rolled 11 + 7 (1d113 + 7)

>>5277722
NAT uhh 113! COME ON!
>>
Rolled 50 + 7 (1d113 + 7)

>>5277722
>>
Rolled 20 + 7 (1d113 + 7)

>>5277722
Scary.
>>
Rat King would have won
>>
FUCKING RETREAT!!
>>
>>5277728
>>5277732
>>5277735
>57 - Failure

The battle drags on. More bones come, more bones are crushed, yet there is no end to them. Wait... Is it assimilating those bones you've already broken?..

It turns worse. Observing your phaseshifting, the Skeleton Mass resorts to using attacks that target the entire area with bone shards. No matter where you teleport, these projectiles reach you. You melt some of them with acid, but more and more are being shot out by the monstrosity.

You have lost 2 HP [x3]
You have lost 3 HP [x2]
You have lost 2 HP [x3]


You should have about 21 HP left. Perhaps it's time to run?..
>Keep fighting! You'll bring it down! [Roll again]
>Escape while you still can.
>>
>>5277750
How do you roll again
>>
>>5277750
>Keep fighting! You'll bring it down! [Roll again]

One more try
>>
>>5277750
>Escape while you still can.

I think we should back off for now. This is a low-stakes scenario. Unlike the molten core thing, where we could get something good, there's no reward. Let's rest up and go get the Moss Mass first? Save skeleton mass for last.
>>
>>5277758
Chicken
>>
>>5277759
In the words of some other anon:
>Gambling Spirit is knowing when to hold 'em and when to fold 'em, not throwing an all in on a pair of two's every time because you can. You hold when the odds are in your favor, and right now they are not in our favor.

There's no point to pushing our luck like that. Our bonus is shrinking at almost the same rate as the DC, which gave us a 21% shot this time, for no benefit.
>>
Rolled 106 (1d113)

>>5277750
>>
>>5277750
>Escape while you still can.
Salvage the operation. I would normally agree to attack again but we are facing an enemy that is the worst type for our kind of rrat to fight.
>>
>>5277762
I feel like I should point out though, that anon was proven to be wrong and we won. Although in this case I agree with the sentiment.
>>
Oh right, the system.
It's basically
Number of sides of dice = 100 + Power + Magic
You roll against increasing DC depending on the power of the monster(s) you're facing. It starts at 90 on E- and goes in increments of 5 for each subtier, so 95 for E, 100 for E+, etc. If monsters are weak enough, you can kill them in bulk.
While this may mean the windows for success are getting slimmer (e.g. it's easier to roll >90 on 100 scale than >150 on 160), it's meant to be compensated by the skills you amass. By themselves they give little boosts, like +1 to +3, but together they'll eventually form into formidable numbers.
Once (if) we reach 150 sides, there'll be an additional crit success number (something like 100 and max number of sides) and additional crit fail number to compensate for the decreasing chance of crits.
That's it.

Accepting suggestions if any of you care.
>>
>>5277773
Neat. What are our current bonuses at?
>>
>>5277777
Still adjusting them, but about +11 for all skills, some of them are offline due to the nature of the Skeleton Mass though. You also get more bonuses for bringing rats from [Strength in numbers].
>>
>>5277750
>Escape while you still can.

>>5277773
I'm reserving judgement for the future
>>
>>5277789
>>5277766
We win?
>>
>>5277794
No, because this retard tried to roll before the vote even got confirmed, thinking it'd get him a leg-up or something.
>>
>>5277797
Oh qm should have made that clear.
>>
>>5277750
>Escape while you still can.
we're nowhere near strong enough to kill this thing yet, no reason to die over it.
>>
>>5277814
+1 Support
>>
>>5277750
Keep fighting
>>
>>5277750
>Escape while you still can

tards rly want to get us killed huh?
>>
>>5277850
Luck is on our side today
>>
>>5277750
>Keep fighting! You'll bring it down! [Roll again]
>>
>>5277750
>Escape while you still can.
>>
>>5277750
>Escape while you still can.
>>
>>5277753
>>5277829
>>5277949
>Keep fighting! You'll bring it down!

>>5277758
>>5277767
>>5277792
>>5277814
>>5277817
>>5277850
>>5278151
>>5278858
>Escape while you still can.

So you'll be bravely running away.
Roll 1d100 Bo3 DC:50 for escaping.
You succeed either way, this is to determine whether you take damage in the process.
>>
Rolled 99 (1d100)

>>5279137
>>
Told y'all luck was on our side if we went with the other option
>>
File: 1456102472967.jpg (17 KB, 200x274)
17 KB
17 KB JPG
Rolled 39 (1d100)

>>5279137
NIGERUNDAYO!!

>>5279142
Holly shit!! the family's secret technique truly works!!
>>
Rolled 78 (1d100)

>>5279137
>>
>>5279142
>>5279148
>>5279152
>99 - Success

You look over your surroundings. While two of your rat lads are still fighting, the situation looks grim. It is time to fall back. Letting out a squeak to rally the what remains of your band, you scurry away, speed augmented by your skill. The Skeleton Mass makes its final attack, but you dare not look back in response to the other rats' squeaks; you already know they are dead for sure. But not you. You'll live to fight another day.

The great enemy follows you for a while, rattling behind, but eventually you lose it in the twisting tunnels. Activating [Viscous regeneration] three times, you tap into your magical reserves to fuel your recovery.

You have restored 1 HP [x24]

Well, that attack was a disaster. Time to decide what to do next. There's still some time before anything of note happens in the sewers.
>Assemble a rat squad [can be taken with other options] [the rats are starting to fear your leadership and risky expeditions]
>Kill a quest monster [which?]
>Kill other stuff [where?]
>Try to find valuable resources in the lower caves. [warning - hordes of shadowlings]
>Help rebuild the [collapsed tunnels] in the garden underground.
>Raid one of the alchemical workshops.
>Attempt to make contact with the upper cave-dwelling being.
>Find a way up into the city.
>Find a way beyond the city limits.
>Write-in
>>
>>5279191
>Help rebuild the [collapsed tunnels] in the garden underground.

We're damaging our relationship with the rats. IMO, what we need now is to do some sort of communal action like this. I guess there's a sort of social stat/aspect we need to maintain.
>>
There'll be an announcement either late today or tomorrow (utc+3) about the future of the quest, where it's going, etc.
>>
>>5279191
>Kill other stuff in the garden underground.
Rater than helping with the tunnels directly, we could clear the area instead, so the others rats may work safely and undisturbed, wile getting some exp in the process.
>>
>>5279191
>Help rebuild the [collapsed tunnels] in the garden underground.
>>
>>5279191
>Help rebuild the [collapsed tunnels] in the garden underground.
>>
>>5279196
What is this, an indie kickstarter project?
Just announce it here and now if something's up, bro...
>>
>>5279256
Understandable.
Here's the deal:
First thing, I've been trying to make a streamlined system of combat (the one I outlined a bit higher in the thread), but my autism kills me about irregular dice sides, the lack of testing, overcomplication and other imperfections. I know it's retarded to present the rules one day and roll them back another, but right now I'm in favour of going back to simple d100 and guesstimating the DCs, with most of the skills and stats simply as fluff for the "big numbers go up" feel. They'll still come into play if they counter something, but that's the guesstimating part.

Secondly, I've indirectly promised Grand Quests through Admin's words back when you killed the basilisk, but my autism kills me AGAIN and I can't come up with something original, big, and fun to work towards. I'd enjoy constructing plotlines as things emerge over the course of the quest more than setting one great goal only to fail delivering on how you reach it.

So I'm asking a simple question: should I implement the simple combat system and fluid quests or should I outright terminate the quest.
>Go on.
>End.

Also may as well ask how you anons have been enjoying the quest so far.
>>
>>5279277
>Go on

Honestly i prefer the create the plot as you go sorta thing

Not so sure on the dice but desu i think thats how the original quest was going so eh. Just doing whatever dc makes sense for the fight does sound okay though cause desu increasing dice just overcomplicates it
>>
>>5279277
Anywayyyy i have been heavily enjoying this quest. And think it would be sad to see it die around the same time its predacessor did
>>
>>5279277
Go on, of course. You're a good QM. I don't think anyone is just going to be a sperg and say "kill the quest" unless they're trolling. It's been fun so far, and you've been doing a great job of giving us options, goals to accomplish, and appropriate rewards. That debacle the other day where everyone was yelling at each other is a sign of a popular quest. Settling for a simpler system is probably a good call if doing otherwise would tank your inspiration. For now, I'm personally satisfied with everything we've been doing in the sewers, the post frequency and length, etc.

Also, if you do flake now or in the future, please tell us more about the Spawn first. That way, someone can take up the mantle and run Reincarnated Monster Reincarnation Quest 2.0+1 (You can not Reincarnate). Litrpg isekai monster evo is always a popular quest concept.
>>
>>5279277
Go on
>>
>>5279191
>Help rebuild the [collapsed tunnels] in the garden underground.
>>5279277
>Go on.
Been enjoying the quest a lot honestly. No real reason to cancel it desu. I don't really care too much for complex mechanics so I'm fine with whatever you go with. Either way I'm alright with how you handle the quest, I feel like its been pretty fun so far and I think you've been running it pretty well so just keep at it.
>>
>>5279277
>Go on.
I like it, though I look forward to getting to a more character-driven bit eventually.
>>
>>5279277
>End.
>>
>>5279277
>Go on.
>>
>>5279277
>Go on.
Does anyone really care about dice mechanics enough to kill off a promising quest in its youth? I say let the show go on.
>>
>>5279191
>Help rebuild the [collapsed tunnels] in the garden underground.
It'd be nice to do so by just killing threats to other rats.

>>5279277
Dice are a means to an end, the end being the narrative we collectively construct QM. I say do whatever makes you happy, mechanically. I'd also say do whatever makes you happy sub-quest wise. The simply journey of leveling and mutating this rat has been quite fun for me, and as long as it carries on I won't mind the rest. So please
>Go on.
>>
>>5279277
>Go on.
>>
>Go on
Seems like we're keeping the quest running after all. Glad to see you anons are enjoying it. I'll try my best to keep delivering. Now, on to the action.

>>5279203
>>5279505 (?)
>Kill other stuff in the garden underground (protect working rats)

>>5279193
>>5279225
>>5279237
>>5279369
>Help rebuild the [collapsed tunnels] in the garden underground.

So you'll be digging out brand new tunnels.
Update (smol probably) soon.
>>
It is time to build up some goodwill with your kin after you've sent so many of them to their deaths against slimes, crystals, toads and even a Skelemass. And there's a perfect place to do exactly that. With the Maintenance Worms having left (for now), the tunnels remain collapsed. Several rats are digging out new ones to get to the juicy magical roots. You briefly consider repelling the threats to ratkind, plantmoss monsters lumbering and staggering around the damp sewer pathways, but ultimately decide to prove your worth by simple, hard labour.

The day crawls along, digging is not exactly a fun pastime, but you grit your sharp rat teeth and keep at it. Stumbling upon roots here and there, you taste them to see if it's anything good. As if by some kind of curse, most are poisonous, but your evolution came with the nifty perk of basic poison immunity, so you don't suffer much damage from that.

You don't know how many hours have passed, but you finally pierce through to another sewer pathway. It seems your work is done, for now. The rats you've worked with are not so averse to approaching you now, so operation Gain rat trust is a success. But you are not allowed rest just yet.

You pick up on the sounds of a commotion in some part of the sewers again. Running there, you find that by some arcane force, an entrance somewhere has formed. Your intuition suggests this is a DUNGEON. And a dungeon means there's a powerful core inside. You could try and join the hordes of rats and even several basilisks already filling the local area in an attempt to get the core for yourself, but the competition once (if) you reach it will be fierce, even for your evolved form, not to mention you think you already hear the footsteps of adventurers hurrying here for the same purpose. Must've got some detectors set up in the upper city. There's also the option of just farming the monsters inside for EXP, maybe getting some minor artifacts, and leaving.
>Get the core.
>Just kill monsters, maybe find something interesting.
>This sounds dangerous, better wait it out, then do something else.
>Write-in
>>
>>5280398
>Get the core.
>>
>>5280398
Adventure awaits!
>>
>>5280398
Get the core
>>
>>5280398
>Get the core.
>>
>>5280398
>Get the core
He who dares..
>>
>>5280398
>Get the core.
>>
>>5280398
>Get the core.
>>
>>5280398
>Get the core.
>>
>>5280398
>Get the core.
Huzzah!
>>
>>5280398
>Just kill monsters, maybe find something interesting
>>
Just a little heads-up, no update today, anons.
>>
>>5281795
>Just kill monsters, maybe find something interesting

>>5280413
>>5280416
>>5280421
>>5280442
>>5280449
>>5280490
>>5280621
>>5281036
>Get the core.

So you'll compete for the highest prize.
The dungeon will progress in several stages of varying difficulty. Rolling low doesn't mean you're out of the race, just that you lose health, which could be dangerous in the eventual competition.
Roll 1d100 Bo3 DC:70
>>
Rolled 65 (1d100)

>>5282899
Rats rats we're the rats
>>
Rolled 53 (1d100)

>>5282899
Rat time.
>>
Rolled 2 (1d100)

>>5282899
>>
>>5282909
Jesus
>>
>>5282900
>>5282901
>>5282909
>65 - Failure

Once the horde of rats and basilisks, oddly enough working together, assembles, you all rush into the first hall of the dungeon. It is damp here, much like most of the sewers, yet at the same time the walls with faded-out frescoes, the tiled, moss-covered floor, the high ceiling project an ancient feel, even if the dungeon is a few days old at most.

The denizens of this hall awaken in response to your invasion. Biheaded, long-necked, sharp-clawed quadrupedal beasts are the main enemies. However, behind them stands a being of greater magnitude. A lumbering, tall, wide-shouldered giant, numerous glowing green eyes piercing through the rich moss growths covering its whole body. The rampant mushrooms on its back puff out clouds of spores; you do not know their purpose until a few rats stop in their tracks, unable to move. Paralysis.

With your poison immunity, you are not as affected as the rest, but your movements and reaction times are still somewhat slowed. Engaging in battle with the lesser hydras, you support your temporary allies in tearing apart a group of these creatures. An acid spit here, and infection there, an occasional venomous strike, and several beasts lay dead, regurgitating blood or growing horrible large tumours all over their bodies. Still, you sustain some damage from them due to the paralytic spores. Their hits were pretty strong.

You have lost 4 HP
You have gained 15 EXP [x2]
LEVEL UP!
You have gained 15 EXP [x3]
You have lost 3 HP


The way to the moss-shroom monster now open, you send ahead your crystals, which you've quite frankly forgotten about until now. The living minerals shoot out their shards, but they're not very effective against the dampening effect of moss-covered skin. Seems like you'll need to intervene yourself again.

Phaseshifting near the giant, you quickly make your [Venomous strike], [Infect] it, then get out of the way, letting vastly stronger basilisks to finish the job. The more time passes, the more the moss monster is weakened, and soon enough, it is dead, not by your hand, but still yielding you part of the EXP.

You have gained 50 EXP

Roll 1d100 Bo3 DC:50
>>
Rolled 53 (1d100)

>>5282927
>>
Rolled 55 (1d100)

>>5282927
>>
Rolled 21 (1d100)

>>5282927
>>
Rolled 63 (1d100)

>>5282927
>>
Jesús, our rolls aren't doing too good.
>>
>>5282942
Well atleast we passed the dc this time
>>
>>5282929
>>5282932
>>5282933
>55 - Success

As you leave behind the ancient room, you enter what seems to be a sprawling hive of sorts. Wet, organic material akin to that which bugs use to make their nests greets you, with twisting, dark passages leading from one miniature chamber to another, and surely enough, there the bugs are, swarms of giant ones, in fact, guarding the pass to the next hall.

You rush forward with the other rats, the crystals now shooting out quite useful shards, cracking open the chitinous armour of the enemy. Your crystalline claws help as well, breaking apart the carapaces. Once you grow bored, you inflict venom upon some of them and retreat, watching the bugs succumb to the insidious concoction your body is now producing. You have to use phaseshifting a couple of times when you find yourself deep inside the swarm, but that occurs rarely. A couple hits get through, but nothing serious.

You have lost 1 HP [x2]
You have earned 5 EXP [x10]


Finally, the way is clear to the next hall. However, you spot something curious. A side passage leads to a spacious room where the Bug Matriarch, a long, mighty insect with great claws and sharp mandibles, resides. She is not exactly mobile, but seems to have excellent armour and endurance. Perhaps something good could come out of defeating her? Some of the rats and one (you think) basilisk are intent on doing exactly that. However, this could make you lag behind in the race for the core.
>Attack the Matriarch.
>Keep on the main route.
>>
>>5282951
Attack momma bug
>>
>>5282951
>Keep on the main route.

I'm always down for side quests, but not if they'll cause us to miss out on the main reward.
>>
>>5282951
>Keep on the main route.

Get to the core . Also if we do this side quest we also may risk precious HP we need for getting to the core and might not be able to continue if we faill dc
>>
>>5282957
+1 support
>>
>>5282951
>Attack the Matriarch.
>>
>>5282951
>Keep on the main route.
Faster we get the core, the better.
>>
>>5282951
>Keep on the main route
>>
>>5282951
>Keep on the main route.
>>
>>5282951
>Attack the Matriarch.
>>
>>5282951
>Attack the Matriarch.
>>
>>5282951
>Keep on the main route.
>>
>>5282952
>>5282994
>>5283542
>>5283747
>Attack the Matriarch.

>>5282954
>>5282957
>>5282965
>>5283036
>>5283078
>>5283138
>>5283818
>Keep on the main route.

Let the others deal with side enemies, you're going forward.
Roll 1d100 Bo3 DC:60
>>
Rolled 49 (1d100)

>>5283969
>>
Rolled 97 (1d100)

>>5283969
>>
Rolled 32 (1d100)

>>5283969
>>
>>5283978
Very niiiiiiiiiice.
>>
>>5283975
>>5283978
>>5283979
>97 - Success

You rush into the next room, except it isn't a room, but an entrance into a labyrinth. The dark beige walls are full of indentations, and soon enough you see their purpose, when an unfortunate rat steps on some hidden trigger tile and is met with a barrage of arrows. This place is chock-full of traps. This is going to be a headache to get through.

The rats ahead of you have somewhat cleared the way by soaking up the deadly ammo of the machines with their bodies, but these tunnels are still dangerous. Even with extensive use of phaseshifting, you don't know if you'll teleport on top of a secret plate activating poisoned darts, blades, or worse. Still, with some luck, you manage to make it to the end, unlike many others.

You find the way further to lay through a spacious winding staircase leading deeper underground. Descending, you emerge into a large hall, the high ceiling supported by massive ornamented columns, the faded-out colours of the floor and the walls projecting a feeling sort of similar to the first room of the dungeon. There is but one problem -- the way forth is barred by what seems to be the final boss and its minions.

A mighty monstrosity towers over anyone entering this space. Charcoal black, powerful tentacles, several dozen at least, sprout out from its back. Its underside, the only way for you to attack it except phasehifting on top, is protected by a clanking carapace-armour of sorts. And the eyes. A hundred or more, all twitching, moving, watching your every movement. A terrifying foe to face.

The minions are less intimidating. Floating blocks of stone inscribed with luminescent runes, these golems levitate around, accelerating once in a while to deliver a hit.

The adventurers seem to have caught up now, probably because you were slowed down by the trap room and the way through monster halls was clear. These are not your regular nobodies deciding to farm some rats in the sewers; they're well-equipped and move with confident skill. Exterminators?.. No. They pay no heed to the ratkind and basilisks, for now at least. Seems like you've obtained some unexpected allies. Still, this fight is going to be tough.
Roll 1d100 Bo3 DC:85
>>
Rolled 69 (1d100)

>>5284002
LET'S GOOOOOO
>>
Rolled 47 (1d100)

>>5284002
COME ON BIG NUMBERS
>>
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82 KB
82 KB JPG
Rolled 4 (1d100)

>>5284002
>>
>>5284007
Oh...
>>
Should've gone matriarch
>>
>>5284022
>The dungeon will progress in several stages of varying difficulty. Rolling low doesn't mean you're out of the race, just that you lose health, which could be dangerous in the eventual competition.

Should be alright. We've done well on the way here, so we have a couple chances left.
>>
>>5284022
How would that have helped?
>>
>>5284046
You'll never know
>>
>>5284004
>>5284006
>>5284007
>69 - Failure

You try an array of your skills upon this creature. Spitting acid to melt away its carapace doesn't work, so you get close to spread the plague or poison it -- a fatal mistake. The Boss starts slamming tentacles all around itself in a frenzy, and with their size, this means slamming them around the whole room. You can only phaseshift out of the way so many times before you end up in the path of another limb instead.

You have lost 8 HP

That hurt. But at least the monster seems to have become tired by now, as it returns to picking off single targets and crushing them in its iron grip. Your problems don't end, however. A horde of runic golems approaches you. Using your crystalline claws to tear through them, you are supported in your endeavour by several rats that did not dare approach the giant, but still end up taking a couple hits.

You have lost 1 HP [2x]
You have gained 5 EXP [4x]


The adventurers seem to be focusing on the Boss. They crack open its underside with heavy hammers, then burn its flesh with spells and cut away at the enemy with swords. It tries to slam them with its main lower limbs, but they swiftly dodge out of the way or reflect the blow with magic wards. Slowly, the monster's movements become weaker, then cease outright as more and more of its vile, black blood escapes its body. Finally, the great enemy is dead. Not by your hand, but without taking you with itself.

You have gained 30 EXP
LEVEL UP!


Seems like your contribution wasn't much. Still, this is no time to dwell on that, for everyone is rushing towards the final prize -- the dungeon core. And it is here that the inner strife is finally surfacing above the fickle alliance. Basilisks swallow whole rats, rats tear apart basilisks, adventurers fighting them all at once. The last side actually seems to have organized a defensive perimeter around the entrance to the last room! The denizens of the sewers seem to have picked up on that and redouble their joint assault, not happy with leaving the core to others. You have to tear through both of them yourself. Using phaseshifting sounds enticing, but you'd put yourself squarely in the killzone of the adventurers; the eventual pandemonium is preferable to certain death.
Roll 1d100 Bo3 DC:80 for getting the core. You'll still be able to roll if you fail against lower DC, but you'll lose some HP. You have 26 HP left.
>>
Rolled 93 (1d100)

>>5284056
>>
>>5284053
So your just bullshitting, good to know.
>>
Rolled 3 (1d100)

>>5284056
Well we've already passed the DC so lets see if I can get a crit.
>>
Rolled 40 (1d100)

>>5284056
>>
>>5284069
Dang that was close. Not that kind of crit, stupid dice.
>>
File: 1577030900038.gif (527 KB, 220x165)
527 KB
527 KB GIF
>>5284061
AND THE RAT TAKES AWAY THE PRICE!!!
>>
>>5284061
>>5284069
>>5284073
>93 - Success

You are smart. Letting others slam like crashing waves against the wall that is the adventurers' defence, you look for openings and carefully time your hits. [Infect]. [Venomous strike]. [Acid spit]. You have little MP left, so you have to use them in moderation, but your efforts yield great results. Soon enough, mere minutes later, their perimeter is crumbling. It is your side's victory.

Rushing in with the rest of the sewer denizens, you find it. In a circular, domed room, on a high stone pedestal, an orb of swirling darkness rests. The core. The core that the adventurers are trying to take away even now. You won't let them. Phaseshifting on top of the pillar, you clutch the core and roll down onto the floor with it. The walls start shaking, but it doesn't stop you. You bite it.

You are blind. You can only feel what you are holding tightly to your chest. It is swirling, as if countless grains of sands are brushing against your body. You bite once more, then once more, then once more. The blindness subsides.

You have obtained the [Curse of the Terrifying Night] skill

You find yourself amid the shaking, falling apart circular room. The denizens of the sewers surround you, hatred burning in their eyes. But they do not attack you. The adventurers, those still alive, run away, and you scurry after them, the basilisks and rats following you. It seems the prize is yours, but will you make it out of the dungeon in time before it collapses? Are the others only holding off attacking you until after you're out of the collapsing dungeon? For sure, they are.
Roll 1d20 for damage you take during the escape. This is the last one.
>>
>>5284096
>>
Rolled 17 (1d20)

>>5284096
We turned into Indiana Jones lmao
>>
>>5284096
>>
Wish kuroba and 4chan x had a drop down for dice in the options menu
>>
Rolled 8 (1d20)

>>5284096
ROLLAN
>>
Rolled 13 (1d20)

>>5284096
is high good or bad for this roll?
>>
>>5284099
>>5284103
>>5284104
Sadly, this isn't Bo3. High is bad.
>17

The crumbling walls drop some heavy slabs of stone onto you as you scurry towards the exit. With danger surrounding you on all sides, even phaseshifting doesn't save you from chunks landing on your rat claws, cracking the bones, making your squeak in pain.

You have lost 3 HP
You have lost 2 HP


Hmm... The feeling of phaseshifting is different somehow. As if there is a new, hidden layer underneath it all. You try to grasp this new power, try to use it. It seems to direct itself at the falling chunks... You make not yourself, but them phaseshift out of the way. Neat. You can teleport other stuff now. Not too big, around your size at most, but it is an improvement.

The trap labyrinth is another major obstacle in your way. You didn't bother with remembering the layout of the traps since you were in a hurry for the core, and this comes to bite you in the ass now, as several unexpected darts find their way into your side.

You have lost 1 HP [x4]

Rushing through the bug tunnels and ancient battle room, you finally make it out, only to be assaulted by your former allies. A basilisk bites you, and you squeak in pain as some of your flesh is torn out by the great snake.

You have lost 4 HP

The rats are angry about your victory too, ripping your side apart with their claws and teeth.

You have lost 1 HP [x4]

You use phaseshifting and make the crystals cover your escape. Once you're in the rat lair, you are safe. Wounded, but alive. "Status."

NAME: [LOCKED]
RACE: Plague Rat
RANK: F+
LEVEL: 2/15
SKILLS: [Scurry away] [Strength in numbers] [Perseverance] [Phaseshifter] [Crystalline claws] [Viscous regeneration] [Acid spit] [Venomous strike] [Infect] [Curse of the Terrifying Night]
TRAITS: [Poison immunity I]
EFFECTS: [Crystal command - 2]
STATS:
HP: 9/60
MP: 4/20
STR: 30
MAG: 26
DEF: 21
RES: 14
SPD: 20

"Curse of the Terrifying Night."

[Curse of the Terrifying Night] skill, cost:10 MP, AoE spell, radius:5 meters, inflicts Blind and Fear status effects for several minutes upon any creature in affected area except the caster. Conceals caster in affected area. Affected area persists for several minutes.
>>
>>5284131
Whether this will find much use remains to be seen. Time to decide your next plan of action.
>Rest in a lair [restore 15 HP and 10 MP] [your past -- dream about the night]
>Use [Viscous regeneration] to restore HP [up to 12 HP] [depletes your MP] [can be taken with other options]
>Assemble a rat squad [can be taken with other options] [the rats are angry about you taking the core] [<this will probably pass with time]
>Kill a quest monster [which?]
>Kill other stuff [where?]
>Try to find valuable resources in the lower caves. [hordes of shadowlings]
>Gnaw at the roots in the garden underground.
>Raid one of the alchemical workshops.
>Attempt to make contact with the upper cave-dwelling being.
>Find a way up into the city.
>Find a way beyond the city limits.
>Write-in
>>
>>5284132
>Use [Viscous regeneration] to restore HP [up to 12 HP] [depletes your MP] [can be taken with other options]
Then
>Rest in a lair [restore 15 HP and 10 MP] [your past -- dream about the night]
>>
>>5284132
Tbh. We just need to heal right now

>Rest in a lair [restore 15 HP and 10 MP] [your past -- dream about the night]
>Use [Viscous regeneration] to restore HP [up to 12 HP] [depletes your MP] [can be taken with other options]
>>
>>5284132
>Rest in a lair [restore 15 HP and 10 MP] [your past -- dream about the night]
>Use [Viscous regeneration] to restore HP [up to 12 HP] [depletes your MP] [can be taken with other options]

Let's get our HP up before anything else, I don't like the sound of going out before we're healed.
>>
>>5284139
Right, yeah. Use viscous first, so that we end this with 10 MP.
>>
>>5284132
>Use [Viscous regeneration] to restore HP [up to 12 HP] [depletes your MP] [can be taken with other options]
>Rest in a lair [restore 15 HP and 10 MP] [your past -- dream about the night]
>>
>>5284131
On another note . Is our persaverence finnally back in play?
>>
>>5284132
QM i have a question, ¿it's possible to get the the other skills that we didn't choose ([Crystalline armour] and [Viscosity]) if we manage find and kill another crystal heart and/or lava slime?
¿Or we can only get them when the quest appears?
>>
>>5284132
>Use [Viscous regeneration] to restore HP [up to 12 HP] [depletes your MP] [can be taken with other options]

>Rest in a lair [restore 15 HP and 10 MP] [your past -- dream about the night]
>>
>>5284153
Yes.
>>5284160
Only with the quest. I know this may seem limiting, but there'd be no point in the choice otherwise.
>>
>>5284243
I kinda like it when its only with the quest, gives our decisions more weight imo.
>>
>>5284132
>Rest in a lair [restore 15 HP and 10 MP] [your past -- dream about the night]
>Use [Viscous regeneration] to restore HP [up to 12 HP] [depletes your MP] [can be taken with other options]

>>5284131
>Blind and Fear status effects for several minutes upon any creature in affected area except the caster. Conceals caster in affected area.
Holy hell, against non-giant opponents this is such a good spell for us.

>Run up on some loser
>Cast Curse
>Now this loser is blind, fighting a concealed teleporting biohazrat.
>>
>>5284132
>>Rest in a lair [restore 15 HP and 10 MP] [your past -- dream about the night]
>>
>>5284132
>Rest in a lair [restore 15 HP and 10 MP] [your past -- dream about the night]
>Use [Viscous regeneration] to restore HP [up to 12 HP] [depletes your MP] [can be taken with other options]
>>
>>5284471
>Rest in a lair

>>5284139
>>5284140
>>5284141
>>5284146
>>5284164
>>5284427
>>5284509
>Use [Viscous regeneration] to restore HP
>Rest in a lair

So you'll get as much HP as you can, using both magic and rest.
Update (smol) soon.
>>
To get the most HP restoration possible, you use all your remaining mana for [Viscous regeneration].

You have restored 1 HP [x12]

When your liquefied wounds have finished sealing up, you make yourself as comfortable as you can in the lair and drift off to sleep.

...

The night. You always liked this time. The lonely mass of distant lights spilling out of the windows, the inky dark, the silence, well, not exactly silence -- the city never sleeps, after all -- but the quiet is everywhere you go. There is something sacral about this time. Like fire, when you went nightwalking, all the bad, worrying thoughts just... disappeared. Leaving behind only calm introspection.

You don't know whether it was your friend or yourself that came up with the idea, but whenever you went for a walk, your ally was music. Some enjoyed blasting black metal full-volume, but not you. You preferred post-punk, vaporwave, something electronic maybe, just loud enough to let the city sounds trickle in, complementing it. Cliché, perhaps, but you didn't really care. Not after that conversation with senpai.

Staying at home, keeping awake during the night was also fine. You just did stuff, yet it always seemed... different. It all took on a strange quality which you couldn't exactly describe. But you liked it.

...

You have restored 15 HP
You have restored 10 MP


You awaken refreshed. Should have a confident 36 HP now. Perhaps it's time to actually do stuff.
>Rest in a lair some more [restore 15 HP and 10 MP] [dangerous things may find you if you dwell too long]
>Assemble a rat squad [can be taken with other options] [the rats are angry about you taking the core] [<this will probably pass with time]
>Kill a quest monster [which?]
>Kill other stuff [where?]
>Try to find valuable resources in the lower caves. [hordes of shadowlings]
>Gnaw at the roots in the garden underground.
>Raid one of the alchemical workshops.
>Attempt to make contact with the upper cave-dwelling being.
>Find a way up into the city.
>Find a way beyond the city limits.
>Write-in
>>
>>5285104
>>Kill other stuff [garden underground]
>>
>>5285113
+1

We need to do some grinding
>>
>>5285113
Agreed,
>>
>>5285104
>Raid one of the alchemical workshops.
>>
>>5285104
>Raid one of the alchemical workshops.
Let's look for something that can help with that pile o' bones that we failed to kill earlier.
>>
>>5285104
>>5285113 +1
>>
>>5285104
>Wait a minute, you're a [Plague Rat]. You can spread a deadly disease...maybe you could intentionally infect one of the cleaner water supplies around to get loads of EXP from killing off anything that catches your disease?
Think smarter, not harder, fellas. Some critters will have a low constitution score and require a clean source of water to drink of compared to sewer juice - those ones we can easily kill off with our plague.
>>
>>5285230
I don't think our plague is strong enough to really do much at such a great distance, and diluted like that.

Not yet.
>>
>>5285230
Wouldn't that just kill off our other rrat friends though? I imagine they would be pretty pissed if we infected one of the only semi-clean water sources in a sewer system.
>>
File: FEHP98pWYAY6S2q.jpg (147 KB, 690x1200)
147 KB
147 KB JPG
>>5285235
The beauty of a plague is that it multiplies within a host. All we need is a few of the bacteria to enter a host and it'll spread within them as long as it can avoid the immune system long enough, and then that host will spread it to others.
There's a LOT of real-world cases where a single source of contamination can make an entire river hazardous as FUCK to drink from. Bacterial plagues have some seriously dangerous potential.
>>5285251
>they didn't pick the plague mutation
never gonna make it
>>
>>5285230
This is a terrible idea, sorry. I doubt anything weak enough to instantly die to a sip of water will give us much XP. Like some bottom of the barrel cockroach that's all the way at the base of the food chain. Maybe we'll luck out and a decently strong low-health mob will get caught, but we'd mostly just be shitting where we drink for little returns.
>>
>>5285253
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3X-iqFRGqbc

This is basically how I see your plan going:
>Infect one of the water supply's in a sewer.
>RRats and some other low mobs drink from it.
>Some rrats die and maybe a high level mob gets weakened.
>Other creatures simply stop drinking from polluted spring as it is now obviously poisonous.
>We have single handedly pissed off the entire rrat population and destroyed one of the only sources of clean water.
>Best case the rrats are pissed and wont team up with us for a while.
>worst case we have just made ourself public enemy no.1 and all rrats want our head, and subsequently won't ever team up with us again.
Plus we only JUST specced into plague rat so I doubt we would kill anything worth the trouble, since I assume our disease is still relatively weak. Sorry anon, I don't mean to shit on your cool idea, but this is indeed a bad one.
>>
>>5285263
>>5285310
>Pick the plague mutation
>Don't even use it where it's best
Cowards and pussies, the lot of you.
>>
>>5285324
Being an isekai’d human means that we have the potential to actively be intelligent, unlike NPC rats. But along with it, we also have the potential to be actively retarded. This is one of those times.
>>
>>5285328
All I hear is a chicken making excuses.
>>
>>5285104
>Raid one of the alchemical workshops
>>
Got a question, QM. Do rats assemble their own rat squads, or is it an exclusive privilege that we have as an intelligent rat?

If so, maybe we could consider taking some trip in the future where some other rat is the party leader? I’d just like to see what they get up to. They’re obviously doing shit on their own too, as there was that evolved Vicious rat who we teamed up with once.
>>
>>5285364
Honestly, the world is pretty static except for events I give you and future plot hooks, but other rat squads are a neat idea, I'll include it in the prompts next time and try to make something interesting.
>>
>>5285230
>[Infect] water sources to farm exp

>>5285139
>>5285152
>>5285360
>Raid one of the alchemical workshops.

>>5285113
>>5285122
>>5285124
>>5285226
>Kill other stuff [garden underground]

Time to slay some moss monsters.
Roll 1d100 Bo3 DC:30/50/60/70/80/90/95
>>
Rolled 74 (1d100)

>>5286261
>>
Rolled 10 (1d100)

>>5286261
>>
Rolled 56 (1d100)

>>5286261
>>
>>5286267
>>5286276
>>5286294
>74

You head into the garden underground, where rats dig through the earth to get valuable roots. You're not after them, though. You're after living roots and plantmoss monsters. Soon enough, you find a group of them and start your attack.

Initiating with an [Acid spit], you instantly melt one of the adversaries.

You have gained 20 EXP

You try out infecting them with the plague, but that doesn't go well. Seems like the monstrosity from the dungeon had some flesh underneath its moss coat; these, however, are full-plant, so your plague doesn't spread to them. Oddly enough, venom works. You use it to full effect along with your crystalline claws to weaken and tear apart the enemy.

You have gained 20 EXP [x3]

The grind doesn't stop here. You seek out more groups, and yet more fall to your vicious attack. You sustain some damage from the heavy blows of the staggering, barkskinned monsters, but nothing too serious, phaseshifting and your crystalline allies help with that.

You have lost 2 HP
You have lost 2 HP
You have gained 20 EXP [x5]
LEVEL UP!


There are other, more powerful enemies in this place. Some of the moss beings have begun assimilating loose stones from the sewer tunnels into their bodies, creating a sort of armour for themselves. Their heavy, stone-infused forms are their weakness; you time your hits right, and two of them fall to your crystalline claws and acid projectiles.

You have gained 50 EXP [x2]

A day's worth of hunting done, you return to the lair. This little expedition had the additional effect of building some goodwill with rats that feel safer when less monsters lurk in the garden underground. You should return to being on neutral terms with them pretty soon. There is still some time before anything of note happens.
>Rest in a lair [restore 15 HP and 10 MP] [dangerous things may find you if you dwell too long]
>Assemble a rat squad [can be taken with other options] [the rats are angry about you taking the core] [<this will probably pass with time]
>Join a rat squad led by another rat, see where it takes you.
>Kill a quest monster [which?]
>Kill other stuff [where?] [with extensive hunting in the garden underground, there is a higher chance of finding something interesting]
>Try to find resources in the lower caves. [hordes of shadowlings]
>Seek out useful roots in the garden underground.
>Raid one of the alchemical workshops.
>Attempt to make contact with the upper cave-dwelling being.
>Find a way up into the city.
>Find a way beyond the city limits.
>Write-in
>>
>>5286320
>Kill other stuff [where?] [with extensive hunting in the garden underground, there is a higher chance of finding something interesting]

We still have a good amount of HP, let's continue the streak? We also need to wait longer, so that the rats forgive us and we can get a squad/go on a random adventure.
>>
>>5286320
>Kill other stuff [where?] [with extensive hunting in the garden underground, there is a higher chance of finding something interesting]
Might as well keep it up.
>>
>>5286327
+1
>>
>>5286325
+1

TO THE GARDEN LETS GET LEVELS

(Slow progress to evo
>>
>>5286320
>Join a rat squad led by another rat, see where it takes you.
>>
>>5286320
>Kill other stuff [where?] [with extensive hunting in the garden underground, there is a higher chance of finding something interesting]
>>
>>5286320
>Kill other stuff [where?] [with extensive hunting in the garden underground, there is a higher chance of finding something interesting]
>>
>>5286320
>>Join a rat squad led by another rat, see where it takes you.
>>
>>5286462
>>5286882
>Join a rat squad led by another rat, see where it takes you.

>>5286325
>>5286327
>>5286390
>>5286425
>>5286512
>>5286517
>Kill other stuff [garden underground]

So you'll keep up the hunt.
Roll 1d100 Bo3, same DC: 30/50/60/70/80/90/95
You get something interesting on >=70.
>>
Rolled 36 (1d100)

>>5287370
Dice, please, just...
>>
Rolled 22 (1d100)

>>5287377
Nice 36, now check this 1.

>>5287370
>>
>>5287377
>>
Rolled 57 (1d100)

>>5287370
>>
Rolled 33 (1d100)

>>5287370
>>
>>5287377
>>5287379
>>5287388
>57 - Minor Success

You decide to go for another run against the moss beings. Quickly locating the nearest group of living roots, you tear them to shreds using your crystalline claws -- you've exhausted some part of your MP pool, so it's best to conserve energy in case you need it.

You have gained 20 EXP [x4]

A couple monsters have wandered off deeper than usual into the sewers; you cut them down as well.

You have gained 20 EXP [x2]

That's where your luck runs out. You stumble upon a great being of vines, moss, and bark. You face a Moss Overgrowth, one of the quest monsters you're supposed to kill. However, with your mana reserves running low, you dare not attack the enemy. It does dare attack you, though. Delivering a crushing hit with one of its heavy limbs, it sends you flying into a sewer wall as you squeak in pain.

You have lost 4 HP

However, it isn't as agile as you are, nor does it have the phaseshifting advantage. You scurry away, teleporting and evading the wooden darts that the monstrosity throws at you. Once you are safe, something else comes up.

QUEST ISSUED
NAME: HEART OF THE WOODS
OBJECTIVE:
One of:
1. Devour a Treeheart
2. Receive an Eternal Tree's blessing
REWARD: 300 EXP, [Wooden might] skill
ACCEPT QUEST? Y/N


Well, why not? Y.

As you return to the lair after a somewhat successful (?) hunt, you pass by the catacombs and hear some sort of racket. You peek from around the corner, and find a peculiar scene. The undead are collectively fighting someone. These people look a bit like the exterminators from earlier, just less equipped. They obviously don't pack any magiflamethrowers -- they'd have no problem wiping out the ghouls and the skeletons in that case -- but their limbs are most definitely augmented with some magitech your regular worker can't afford.

What is more interesting is that in the middle of the undead horde there is a living, slim figure. A girl, hooded, with tight-fit garb more like that of a thief than a mage, apparently commands her unliving allies. They are losing ground to the light exterminators though.

You note other rats are watching as well. Perhaps they'd join you if you picked a side?
>Protecc necrogirl.
>Help the hunters, there's probably some stuff to be harvested from a necromancer's corpse.
>Return to the lair. This is none of your business.
>Write-in
>>
>>5287427
>Protecc necrogirl
>>
>>5287427
>Protecc necrogirl.

The exterminators have given us trouble before. This necromancer is new.
>>
>>5287427
>Protecc necrogirl
>Implying this is a question
>>
>>5287427
>Protecc necrogirl.
>>
>>5287427
>Protecc necrogirl.
>>
>>5287427
>Help the hunters, there's probably some stuff to be harvested from a necromancer's corpse.
>>
>>5287427
>Protecc necrogirl.
>>
>>5287427
>>Help the hunters, there's probably some stuff to be harvested from a necromancer's corpse.
>>
>>5287427
>>Return to the lair. This is none of your business.
>>
>>5287427
>Help the hunters, there's probably some stuff to be harvested from a necromancer's corpse.
>>
>>5287427
>Help the hunters, there's probably some stuff to be harvested from a necromancer's corpse.
>>
>>5287427

> Protect the girl

Learn necromancy
>>
>>5288125
>Return to the lair. This is none of your business.

>>5287508
>>5288032
>>5288249
>>5288251
>Help the hunters, there's probably some stuff to be harvested from a necromancer's corpse.

>>5287438
>>5287444
>>5287450
>>5287459
>>5287466
>>5287829
>>5288478
>Protecc necrogirl.

So you'll follow your waifu instincts.
Roll 1d100 Bo3 DC:50/70
>>
Rolled 29 (1d100)

>>5288487
inb4 critfail
>>
Rolled 91 (1d100)

>>5288487
>>
Rolled 67 (1d100)

>>5288487
Rollin
>>
>>5288491
Anon with the big dick roll here.
>>
>>5288488
>>5288491
>>5288492
>91 - Great Success

You boldly attack the hunters. Initiating with a spit of acid, you instantly incapacitate one that is too slow to dodge it. His screams resound through the sewers as the sizzling green liquid melts away his armour and flesh.

They are aware of you now, preparing a defensive formation with mages at the core and armoured melee fighters spread out in a semicircle. This is their mistake. The other rats scurry around the sides and attack the mages and crossbowmen, biting and tearing them apart.

Along with the ghouls and skeletons of the necromancer, you attack again and again, whittling down the enemy's defence, making little incisions that turn into gaping, unprotected holes in their armour, then digging in with your crystalline claws and rupturing their flesh in a fountain of viscera and blood. You skillfully dodge any hits directed against you with your phaseshifting, much to their surprise. You won't let them tell about it in the city above; their unmoving corpses will remain here.

You have gained 70 EXP [x3]
LEVEL UP!


After what must've been half an hour of hard fighting, you stand victorious. Looting the corpses of the defeated enemies, you devour whatever magical crystals have been powering their magitech augmentations and boosting the mages' power.

You have gained [Strength II] for 72 h
You have restored 12 MP


You turn to the necromancer girl. Shoulder-length auburn hair falls from her hood, framing her rather cute face. She looks at you with a mix of amazement and cautiousness.
"Um... Thank you, whatever you are."
You stand up on your hind legs. Time to practice sign language. You point at her, then quizzically spread your arms.
"Huh, you... want me to tell you about myself?" -- she seems a bit alarmed that you can communicate like that, unlike normal rats. -- "Well, I need material for my thesis at the uni, but a permit for necromancy is a pain in the ass to get, so I just practice illegally, a lot of students tap into forbidden magic too. So here I am, fighting the guards. Otherwise... well, my life isn't that interesting, hah... I draw in my free time, that's worth mentioning, I guess. I can show you my drawings if you want?.." -- she trails off.
You point at her, then cup your hands, as if asking for alms.
"Ah, I thought you'd want a reward. You were a big help! What do you want me to give you?"
>Point at the Ring of Vitality, then at yourself, then make your fur stand up menacingly. You want to learn to absorb power from artifacts. You still have that bracelet from back when you defeated the adventurers.
>Point at the other rats, then at her minions, then make a cutting movement. Let your allies farm some EXP, build up rat goodwill.
>Point at your wrist, as if tapping a watch, then make a stopping motion. You'll ask her sometime later. For now, you could use a quest to acquire speech. [quest get]
>Write-in
>>
>>5288534
>Point at the Ring of Vitality, then at yourself, then make your fur stand up menacingly. You want to learn to absorb power from artifacts. You still have that bracelet from back when you defeated the adventurers.
>>
>>5288534
>Point at the Ring of Vitality, then at yourself, then make your fur stand up menacingly. You want to learn to absorb power from artifacts. You still have that bracelet from back when you defeated the adventurers.
>>
>>5288534
>Point at the Ring of Vitality, then at yourself, then make your fur stand up menacingly. You want to learn to absorb power from artifacts. You still have that bracelet from back when you defeated the adventurers.
>>
>>5288534
>Point at the other rats, then at her minions, then make a cutting movement. Let your allies farm some EXP, build up rat goodwill.

Remember how we had that one vicious rat in our squad that time? I think it might be nice to get a long-term group of allies who we help raise, rather than pulling from fodder every time.
>>
>>5288534
Point at the Ring of Vitality, then at yourself, then make your fur stand up menacingly. You want to learn to absorb power from artifacts. You still have that bracelet from back when you defeated the adventurers.
>>
>>5288534
>Point at your wrist, as if tapping a watch, then make a stopping motion. You'll ask her sometime later. For now, you could use a quest to acquire speech. [quest get]
>>
>>5288534
>Point at the Ring of Vitality, then at yourself, then make your fur stand up menacingly. You want to learn to absorb power from artifacts. You still have that bracelet from back when you defeated the adventurers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_DqV1xdf-Y
Get bitches, get powah.
>>
>>5288534
>Point at the Ring of Vitality, then at yourself, then make your fur stand up menacingly. You want to learn to absorb power from artifacts. You still have that bracelet from back when you defeated the adventurers.
Let’s get some magical powers
>>
>>5288576
>Point at the other rats, then at her minions, then make a cutting movement. Let your allies farm some EXP, build up rat goodwill.

>>5288715
>Point at your wrist, as if tapping a watch, then make a stopping motion. You'll ask her sometime later. For now, you could use a quest to acquire speech. [quest get]

>>5288536
>>5288561
>>5288563
>>5288589
>>5288730
>>5288735
>Point at the Ring of Vitality, then at yourself, then make your fur stand up menacingly. You want to learn to absorb power from artifacts. You still have that bracelet from back when you defeated the adventurers.

So you'll request an artifact absorption spell.
Update (smol) soon.
>>
You explain to her, as much as using signs allows, that you want a spell to absorb power from artifacts.

"You want to... become more powerful? Using artifacts? Why not wear them then?"

You let out a sigh (can rats sigh?), then try to explain it further. You take the ring and press it against your chest, then make your fur stand up menacingly. Will this be clearer?

"Ah, I get it! You want to absorb artifacts' powers? It's not really my specialization, I'm in the Dark Magic faculty, but I can ask around same-year students I guess. It'll take some time though. Give me 3 days, okay?"

You nod, than wave your claw as a farewell. She says her goodbyes, then continues whatever she was practising with the corpses. An agreement reached, you scurry away towards the lair. This has shown you that communicating without a voice is difficult. If only you could obtain it somehow...

QUEST ISSUED
NAME: DEVOURERS OF WORDS
OBJECTIVE: Find the outpost of the Voiceless in the woods around the city of Orbrin and convince them to share their speech with you.
COMPLETION REWARD: N/A (POSSIBLE IN PROCESS: [Speech] skill)
ACCEPT QUEST? Y/N


Well, isn't this convenient. Y.

With the necromancer girl encounter out of the way, you have time to do your own stuff once more. You should still have 28 HP remaining.
>Rest in a lair [restore 15 HP and 10 MP] [can be taken with other options]
>Assemble a rat squad [can be taken with other options]
>Join a rat squad led by another rat, see where it takes you.
>Kill a quest monster [which?]
>Kill other stuff [where?]
>Try to find resources in the lower caves. [hordes of shadowlings]
>Seek out useful roots in the garden underground.
>Raid one of the alchemical workshops.
>Attempt to make contact with the upper cave-dwelling being.
>Find a way up into the city.
>Find a way beyond the city limits.
>Write-in
>>
>>5289689
>Join a rat squad led by another rat, see where it takes you.

Mystery box! Let's make some comrades.
>>
>>5289689
>Join a rat squad led by another rat, see where it takes you.
>Rest in a lair [restore 15 HP and 10 MP] [can be taken with other options]

I wanna do this next turn we can probbably do some exploring find our way to the forest
>>
>>5289689
>Join a rat squad led by another rat, see where it takes you.
>>
>>5289689
>>Find a way beyond the city limits.
>>
>>5289689
>Join a rat squad led by another rat, see where it takes you.
see what our other rat bros are doing
>>
>>5289698
+1
>>
>>5289689
>Rest in a lair [restore 15 HP and 10 MP] [can be taken with other options]
>Assemble a rat squad [can be taken with other options]
>>
>>5289689
>Join a rat squad led by another rat, see where it takes you.
>>
>>5289689
>Join a rat squad led by another rat, see where it takes you.
>>
>>5289746
>Find a way beyond the city limits.

>>5289904
>Rest in a lair
>Assemble a rat squad
Kinda strange there's no follow up actions on this one.

>>5289698
>>5289877
>Rest in a lair
>Join a rat squad led by another rat, see where it takes you.

>>5289696
>>5289719
>>5289766
>>5289936
>>5290144
>Join a rat squad led by another rat, see where it takes you.

You're going on an expedition with the rat lads once more, except this time led by someone else.
Update soon.
>>
You find another rat rallying the others on some kind of mission, then show that you're ready to follow. There seems to be 9 of you in total, but the strength of the squad is great: one each of the Rat King, followed around by his swarms, Vicious Rat, and Plague Rat (you) join the team.

You head out, making your way up onto the streets. Scurrying through little tunnels and sewer pathways, you emerge into the city with grey sky hanging above, rain falling upon you, drenching your fur. You'd think you'd get targeted, monsters on the streets are dangerous to the city dwellers, yet around you are slums where no one pays attention to you so long as you don't cause trouble. There are, of course, cautious glances, and the people, most making do, some poor, make sure to circle around you, but you're surprised to find that traversing the streets is easy even if you're a monster.

You follow the sewer rat's lead until you're standing before a guarded, walled off zone. Sounds of fighting and deft footsteps escape the thin wooden walls. There are eastern-style buildings visible from outside the enclosure.

You approach the front gates, where guards are loosely controlling people coming and going. They tense up as your squad approaches them.

"It's the rats again. Should we let them in?" -- one guard asks someone beyond the wall.
"The Masters said it's fine." -- a reply, muffled by rain and wood, returns.

They let you in. A large part of the inner space is a paved zone with various sections for different work. In one place, people are meditating, apparently with magical purpose, for visible streams of mana flow around them. In another, someone practices blows against both complex machines and simple dummies. A large gathering of people watch something, likely a fight, happening inside a circle dominating a large part of the yard. All of this is overlooked by buildings, dark tiled overhangs channelling the rainwater onto the ground, lanterns lit inside revealing moving figures through thin walls, as if in a theatre of shadows.

Your little squad approaches the large gathering of people. Inside a circle marked by stones, a fight is happening indeed. Spells are cast to strengthen the blows, and feats of agility and strength are performed in addition to them. Martial arts -- art in the literal sense of the word. The fight is flowing, changing. Some surrender, then another one begins. Some are wounded, but not maimed. There are Masters, skilful wielders of both magic and fist, who defeat challengers again and again. There seems to be no real limits regarding who may participate. Perhaps you could, too?
>Try fighting in the circle.
>Try fighting in the circle, but use no phaseshifting.
>Attempt to learn meditation techniques from someone who's walking away after meditation.
>Write-in
>>
>>5290935
>A group of giant rats pull up to a fucking fight club and watch

Kek, that’s wild.

>Meditation

Let’s make sure not to wander too far from our gang.
>>
>>5290935
>Attempt to learn meditation techniques from someone who's walking away after meditation
>>
>>5290935
>>Attempt to learn meditation techniques from someone who's walking away after meditation.
>>
>>5290935
>Try fighting in the circle, but use no phaseshifting.
>>
>>5290935
>Try fighting in the circle, but use no phaseshifting.
>>
>>5290935
>Try fighting in the circle, but use no phaseshifting.

Maybe we can get some exp from this. Or if not we can atleast get some battling experience under our belt without risk
>>
>>5290935
>Attempt to learn meditation techniques from someone who's walking away after meditation.
The rat shall reach enlightenment.
>>
>>5290935
Enter the ring
>>
>>5290935
>Attempt to learn meditation techniques
I'm willing to bet most of our good skills down the road will take MP, and meditation will probably help.
>>
>>5290935
>Attempt to learn meditation techniques from someone who's walking away after meditation.
>>
>>5290970
+1
>>
>>5290977
>>5291005
>>5291029
>>5291055
>Try fighting in the circle, but use no phaseshifting.

>>5290950
>>5290957
>>5290970
>>5291047
>>5291224
>>5291265
>>5291842
>Attempt to learn meditation techniques from someone who's walking away after meditation.

You'll be enlightening yourself.
Update soon.
>>
You approach a guy that has just finished meditating. He eyes your cautiously, turning to face you, hood pulled up, rain crashing against him. You stand up on your hind legs and point at the area where the meditation is going on. He stays silent for a moment.

"You want to learn how to meditate?"

You nod.

"I'm not sure about teaching a tainted one... but fine." -- he motions for you to follow him. -- "You first need to learn to see the mana present throughout the world. There's no real way to explain how to see it, just concentrate on anything your senses provide, analyze every little detail that you see and hear, and eventually you'll detect it. Once you've done that, try to manipulate it. Again, this isn't something you'll be able to do immediately, but try imagining yourself grasping it, or observe again, see how it moves around you, then project yourself in another place. When you succeed in that, sky's the limit in how you may manipulate it. Not many have an aptitude for it, however. You'll have to see for yourself where your ceiling is. That's basically it."

He sits down once again, legs crossed, to demonstrate. The first few minutes nothing happens. Then, you see faint outlines of magic around the guy. You try to touch them, but a feeling of nausea overcomes you the moment you come into contact. He stops and opens his eyes.

"Careful." -- he says. -- "Hope I've been of help. The rest is in your hands... claws."

You proceed to occupy a place in one corner of the yard and curl up into a ball. You do the stuff he taught you, analyzing the sensory input from around you. The sound of rain pattering on the tiled ground. The hits and sounds of spells cast in the circle. The murmur of people around you. Your drenched fur, rising and falling as you breathe. The outlines of the buildings and the thin wooden wall separating the training ground from the outside. The leaves, burdened by rain, on the trees lining the edges of the yard. The moving figures in the house. And beyond it all... a subtle, nearly undetectable white noise. You concentrate on it, sharpen your eyes to see what is causing it. As if a veil... no, a hidden quality present throughout the world, you see a layer of particles travelling here and there. As you concentrate even more, the familiar feeling of nausea overcomes you and you snap out of the trance.

You have reached 1/3 progress towards the [Mana meditation] skill

Several hours have passed, judging by the evening sun at the horizon. The fights are still ongoing, but with much less intensity and less observers. The rats are waiting for you, some wounded, evidently having participated in the circle fights. You emerge out of the gate to the training yard together. Time to decide what to do next.
>The rats seem to be heading to the industrial area now. Perhaps there's something of note there?
>Explore on your own. [encounter]
>Return to the sewers and move on to other stuff.
>Write-in
>>
>>5292035
>Explore on your own. [encounter]
The lone rat wanderer.
>>
>>5292035
>The rats seem to be heading to the industrial area now. Perhaps there's something of note there?
>>
>>5292035
>The rats seem to be heading to the industrial area now. Perhaps there's something of note there?
>>
>>5292035
>>The rats seem to be heading to the industrial area now. Perhaps there's something of note there?

Let's stick with our boys.
>>
>>5292035
>The rats seem to be heading to the industrial area now. Perhaps there's something of note there?
>>
>>5292035
>>5292078
This
>>
>>5292035
>Return to the sewers and move on to other stuff.
>>
>>5292842
>Return to the sewers and move on to other stuff.

>>5292037
>Explore on your own. [encounter]

>>5292050
>>5292076
>>5292078
>>5292123
>>5292748
>The rats seem to be heading to the industrial area now. Perhaps there's something of note there?

Industrial zone it is.
Update soon.
>>
You scurry through streets washed clean by the rain, passing the incongruous, varying homes of the slum folk, little puddles reflecting the lantern lights escaping the windows. The pathways are a bit livelier now with people returning home after a day's work. Some of them are cautious of you, some too tired to care. You pass through less-known streets and side alleys, guided by your leader rat.

With the cramped housing shifting to large buildings, now standing empty and silent after working hours, with guard presence increasing, forcing you to evade notice by both men and protector golems, you know you've reached your destination. Your path stops being straight and becomes much more erratic; you start systematically covering the area, seeking gaps and holes where you may access something valuable.

Most of the storage is impervious, as is to be expected of places full of highly-valued magical goods. However, this is not what you're looking for. Much more interesting are the botched, defective goods that may be of subpar quality for the city people, but remain great boons for the ratkind. You find one storage that happens to be accessible.

Probing the discarded potions and elixirs, both you and the rats are hit with varying, sometimes contrasting effects. You feel cold once you take a lick of a frosty blue potion, burn your tongue on another, sizzling yellow one, your perception of time is slowed for a few minutes when you swallow something of a deeper blue hue. The tests go on...

Eventually, you find 3 concoctions of interest: a swirling blue one, from which you got a boost to your magic, but making your control of it slip a bit, white, increasing your agility, but also accelerating your perception of time, and deep red, sharpening your instincts and senses, but making you feel a bit bloodthirsty. You've tasted a lot and feel like you're going to vomit if you take more that one of these, though. The other rats seem to have already taken a sip out of one of their choice and await you near the exit.
>Magic chaotic potion
>Agility accelerator potion
>Perception bloodthirst potion
>>
>>5293295
>Perception bloodthirst potion
>>
>>5293295
>Agility accelerator potion
>>
>>5293295
>Perception bloodthirst potion
>>
>>5293295
>Agility accelerator potion
>>
>>5293295
Agility
>>
>>5293295
>Perception bloodthirst potion
>>
>>5293295
>Magic chaotic potion
>>
>>5293295
>Agility accelerator potion
>>
>>5293763
>Magic chaotic potion

>>5293308
>>5293346
>>5293692
>Perception bloodthirst potion

>>5293334
>>5293400
>>5293452
>>5293982
>Agility accelerator potion

Agility potion it is.
Roll 1d100 Bo3 DC:55 against an unforeseen enemy.
>>
Rolled 59 (1d100)

>>5294670
>>
Rolled 60 (1d100)

>>5294670
>>
Rolled 7 (1d100)

>>5294670
>>
>>5294672
>>5294677
>>5294683
>60 - Success

Taking a sip of the agility potion, you feel your sense of time compress, yet yourself moving faster as well to match this new pace of the world.

You have gained [Agility I] and [Time acceleration] for 24 h

You are out of the warehouse with your lads in seconds, only to find someone waiting for you.

Three guards, mixed humans and elves, armed with magic-accelerated repeater crossbows, and six protector golems face off against your group. Immediately, they let loose a barrage of bolts that tear through two of your allies as they squeak in terror. However, those with boosted agility swiftly evade, making the enemy waste ammo.

It is enough for the rest of you to start your attack. Phaseshifting past the golems, leaving them to the Vicious Rat, regular vermin of the party and your crystalline servants, you directly assault the guards. Surprised by your impossible manoeuvre, they let you slip through their defence and strike two of them with venom. They attempt to fight back, but are quickly incapacitated as the neuroparalytic liquid finds its way through their veins. You only need to rip through their throats to finish the job.

You have gained 40 EXP [x2]
LEVEL UP!


The remaining guard is trickier to deal with. He unsheathes a sabre -- a weapon possessing more reach than your claws, to your disadvantage. But he seems to have forgotten one thing -- your teleporting ability. You phaseshift behind his back -- nothing personnel, kid -- and infect him with your plague. He tries swinging his weapon, tries shooting you with the crossbow, but the fight is decided when he bends over to throw up from the deadly disease taking hold within his body. You finish him off, tearing through his light leather armour with your crystalline claws.

You have gained 40 EXP

You look back at your allies. The golems are dealt with, not without casualties -- you have only one crystal to back you up now and two rats hit with crossbow bolts have died -- but the entire confrontation ends in your victory. You scurry back to the sewers before anyone else can interfere. The team parts ways. You try to remember who you were with to perhaps call upon their help in the future, but for now, you are left to your own devices again. You should still have 28 HP and 9 MP left, with [Strength II] and [Agility I] boosting your performance.
>Rest in a lair [restore 15 HP and 10 MP] [can be taken with other options]
>Assemble a rat squad [can be taken with other options]
>Kill a quest monster [which?]
>Kill other stuff [where?]
>Try to find resources in the lower caves. [hordes of shadowlings]
>Seek out useful roots in the garden underground.
>Raid one of the alchemical workshops.
>Attempt to make contact with the upper cave-dwelling being.
>Explore more of the city.
>Find a way beyond the city limits.
>Write-in
>>
>>5294709
>Rest in a lair [restore 15 HP and 10 MP] [can be taken with other options]

>Try to find resources in the lower caves. [hordes of shadowlings]
>>
>>5294709
>>5294712
Support
>>
>>5294709
>Explore more of the city.
>>
>>5294712
+1
>>
>>5294712
+1, I wanna check out the shadowlings.
>>
No update today and possibly in the coming days due to rangeban issues.
>>
>>5294709
>Find a way beyond the city limits.
>>
>>5294712
+1
>>
I'm back, hope there's still someone to vote and roll.

>>5295943
>Find a way beyond the city limits.

>>5294735
>Explore more of the city.

>>5294712
>>5294717
>>5294739
>>5294741
>>5297826
>Rest in a lair
>Try to find resources in the lower caves.

So you'll be making a stop at the lair, then diving into the dark depths.
Roll 1d100 Bo3 DC:30/50/80 for how much you find.
>>
Rolled 17 (1d100)

>>5298077

QM lives!
>>
Rolled 92 (1d100)

>>5298077
Still here!
>>
Rolled 19 (1d100)

>>5298077
YOU LIVE
>>
Rolled 33 (1d100)

>>5298077
>>
>>5298089
>>5298091
>>5298103
>92 - Great Success

You scurry back to the nearest lair. While sleeping piles are no go for you now, it is still warm and comfy inside this little hiding hole. You curl into a ball and let sleep overtake you...

You have restored 15 HP
You have restored 10 MP


You awaken refreshed, so it is time to put this new strength to good use. Quickly making your way for the cave entrance, you then run through the caverns down, down, deep down into the endless dark. Finding your way through these twisting tunnels and caves would've been pretty hard for your regular human, but you're a rat -- blessed with an inherent ability of pathway navigation from your sewer life.

The only problem is the shadowlings. They are something between a wolf and a rat -- strange beings dwelling in the depths. They lurk in packs of up to ten, wandering the caves with unknown purpose. They attack you when they see you, though, so their aggressiveness is certain. But you've got a great deal of battle experience by now, and with your crystalline ally throwing its shards, you bite and tear and poison them until anyone who dares threaten you is dead.

You have gained 10 EXP [x4]
You have lost 2 HP
You have gained 10 EXP [x4]
You have lost 2 HP
You have gained 10 EXP [x2]


They are as agile as you are, so they make a couple hits, but with the great health you've acquired upon evolution they are negligible. You simply evade most using phaseshifting.

Finally, you find something interesting. Amid a great cavern, shedding light upon the mighty walls, stands a bonfire. You do not know who made it or how it keeps burning, but it seems... entrancing. The memories you've partly recovered recently flash before you. The bonfire's flames illuminate the unknown, half-erased carvings and drawings on the ancient stone. They tell a story of a great number of people coming into the caves, building a city, then... then the drawings briefly stop and end with the people abandoning the city and ascending to the surface once more, poor and weak. Not much details, but perhaps the ruins of that city may still be found somewhere here? You also note that there are no shadowlings around the bonfire. They must be afraid of the flames.

QUEST ISSUED
NAME: THE UNDYING FLAME
OBJECTIVE: Find 6 Utterflame bonfires. [1/6]
COMPLETION REWARD: 300 EXP, ???
ACCEPT QUEST? Y/N


Y. You keep roaming the tunnels, both in search of the bonfires and maybe to find something else of interest. And your search yields results. In the upper tunnels and caves, where the shadowling hordes travel rarely, you find deposits of shifting, strange metal. It doesn't seem aggressive, but it's... living? Kind of like those crystals you defeated, except it's more like a liquid than a floating solid form.
>>
>>5298146
You do not stop, diving down into the depths again. The shadowlings make their attack once more, impeding your progress. Your deft usage of venom and acid repels them once again.

You have gained 10 EXP [x3]
LEVEL UP!
You have lost 2 HP
You have gained 10 EXP [x3]
You have lost 2 HP


You find one more object of interest. Something is glimmering, giving off a soft glow in the dark of the deep tunnels. What looks like nuggets of gold, but actually holds some magical power. You have no idea what they do, and there's no quest to collect them, but every time you touch them it feels like some of your memories are pulled at, surfaced from the murky dark of forgetfulness.

It is time to decide whether you go deeper or return to the sewers.
>Keep exploring. You want to find the City. [this will lead to loss of health due to increased presence of shadowlings]
>Return. Move on to other stuff.
>>
>>5298148
Status check?
>>
>>5298148
>Keep exploring. You want to find the City. [this will lead to loss of health due to increased presence of shadowlings]

We havnt lost a lot of hp yet we havnt even tapped into what we had before we healed and we have mp to heal plus persseverance so we GOOD KEEP GOING
>>
>>5298151
"Status." -- you squeak out to review yourself.

NAME: [LOCKED]
RACE: Plague Rat
RANK: F+
LEVEL: 6/15
SKILLS: [Scurry away] [Strength in numbers] [Perseverance] [Phaseshifter] [Viscous regeneration] [Acid spit] [Venomous strike] [Infect] [Curse of the Terrifying Night]
TRAITS: [Poison immunity I] [Crystalline claws]
EFFECTS: [Crystal command]
STATS:
HP: 35/60
MP: 11/20
STR: 30
MAG: 27
DEF: 21
RES: 15
SPD: 21
>>
>>5298151
We should be at 35hp and thats not including perseverance and our healing ability
>>
>>5298157
Also wait is agility and strength gone i dont see them here shouldnt we still have them
>>
>Keep exploring. You want to find the City. [this will lead to loss of health due to increased presence of shadowlings]
>>
>>5298148
>Keep exploring. You want to find the City. [this will lead to loss of health due to increased presence of shadowlings]
>>
>>5298162
Strength = STR
Agility/Speed = SPD
or are you talking about something else?
>>
>>5298162
>>5298176
Oh, fuck, I remembered.
>>5298157
Yes, you also have [Strength II] and [Agility I] in EFFECTS.
>>
>>5298148
>Keep exploring. You want to find the City. [this will lead to loss of health due to increased presence of shadowlings]
>>
>>5298148
>Keep exploring. You want to find the City. [this will lead to loss of health due to increased presence of shadowlings]
>>
>>5298148
>Keep exploring. You want to find the City. [this will lead to loss of health due to increased presence of shadowlings]
>>
>>5298148
>Keep exploring. You want to find the City. [this will lead to loss of health due to increased presence of shadowlings]
>>
>>5298148
>Keep exploring. You want to find the City. [this will lead to loss of health due to increased presence of shadowlings]
>>
>>5298148
>Keep exploring. You want to find the City. [this will lead to loss of health due to increased presence of shadowlings]
>>
>>5298148
>Keep exploring. You want to find the City. [this will lead to loss of health due to increased presence of shadowlings]
>>
>>5298152
>>5298166
>>5298173
>>5298190
>>5298205
>>5298212
>>5298213
>>5298261
>>5298269
>>5298995
>Keep exploring. You want to find the City.

Unanimous. You're going deeper.
Roll 1d10 for how much HP you lose.
Roll 1d100 Bo3 DC:80 for seeking the City.
>>
Rolled 4 (1d10)

>>5299161
Rolling for hp loss
>>
Rolled 70 (1d100)

>>5299161
>>
Rolled 14 (1d100)

Let's goo
>>
Rolled 75 (1d100)

>>5299161
>>
>>5299167
>>5299170
>>5299171
>>5299176
>4
>75 - Failure

You roam the vast network of caverns and tunnels, looking for your objective -- the elusive abandoned city -- yet your search yields no results. Luckily, there aren't as many shadowling packs as you've expected. Still, they trouble you once in a while and land a few hits through sheer number pressure, even with your phaseshifting ability and boosted Strength and Agility. Nothing serious, though, nothing that can impede your progress. Their deaths are a welcome source of EXP, that's for sure. You conserve your mana reserves for now in case you need to pop a couple [Viscous regeneration]'s in the future.

You have lost 2 HP
You have gained 10 EXP [x3]
You have lost 2 HP
You have gained 10 EXP [x3]


You are not done just yet.
Roll 1d10 for HP loss.
Roll 1d100 Bo3 DC:65 for seeking the City.
>>
Rolled 89 (1d100)

>>5299183
>>
Rolled 8 (1d10)

>>5299183
Rolling for hp loss
>>
Rolled 7 (1d10)

>>5299183
>>
Down to 23 HP if my math holds?
>>
Rolled 87 (1d100)

>>5299183
We all ready pass so lets see if we can crit Fail
>>
>>5299199
Yea correct. Though we need 2 more d100 rolls right now i think but idk if i can do one after doing the hp roll
>>
Well 1 more now
>>
Rolled 14 (1d100)

>>5299183
>>
>>5299199
Yes.
>>5299186
>>5299188
>>5299201
>>5299204
>8
>89 - Success

The shadowling attacks increase in intensity as you descend deeper. Several packs attack you at once when you make an unfortunate turn, and it's a tough battle to defeat them all while you're alone.

You have gained 10 EXP [x6]
You have lost 2 HP [x3]
You have gained 10 EXP [x6]
LEVEL UP!
You have lost 2 HP
You have gained 10 EXP [x2]


It seems they held the local territory in their claws, and you don't stumble upon any other packs for a while -- all the time that's necessary to reach your goal.

The City. In a vast cavern, massive column-buildings stretch from the far ceiling to the uneven floor. Some are ruined, disconnected stone spikes hanging from somewhere or pointing up into the space between. Once, they probably were luminous, powered by unknown force, giving life to the cavern. Now, they stand in the dark -- or so you'd say, if there wasn't something splitting apart this black abyss.

In the centre of the City, there is a lighthouse of great proportions illuminating the cavern. You feel naturally drawn to it -- could it be the Utterflame? -- but ultimately decide to scout the areas of the City first.

Some of them house what must've been some kind of crafting and industrial quarters. Broken equipment, strange machines fill the numerous floors. Several areas contain finished industrial goods -- tools, weaponry, alchemical reagents, now expired, clothes and other stuff.

Some are housing districts -- vast arrays of rooms, both big and small, covered in layers of dust, filled with broken furniture and irreparable devices. Nearby are what must've been the administration and possibly cultural buildings, judging by the higher quality of half-erased decorations and rows of seats inside.

There are also several massive elevators, reinforced to stand the test of time, leading presumably to the surface.

You finally continue on towards the lighthouse. It is actually not really a lighthouse, just a regular building repurposed to be one. Inside, there is indeed an Utterflame bonfire, large and luminous. In its light, someone is sleeping. A cloak of fur draped over it as a makeshift blanket, a helmet oddly enough still fashioned on its head. You nudge the figure, risking its attack, preparing to phaseshift somewhere should it prove to be aggressive.
>>
File: owl_king_bone_dust.jpg (83 KB, 800x784)
83 KB
83 KB JPG
>>5299275
"Hm... What? Who's here?"

It rolls over towards you, revealing a knight's armour underneath the cloak. It struggles, lifting its heavy form onto its feet, towering over you.

"Ah, what is this? What do you seek here, little rat?"

Well, at least the Knight isn't trying to kill you on the spot. You stand on your hindlegs, and in practiced motions point at your new acquaintance, then spread your arms in question.

"You seek me?.. Seek the Left City?.. Or want to learn about it? What an odd rat... But I guess I can entertain your curiousity."

The Knight sits down, facing you, legs crossed.

"There is not much of a story to tell. My people came down into the caves a long time ago and built this city, fed from the surface, yet protected with stone and earth from any invader from above. Until we dug too deep. We found the Whispering Dark, the Devouring Dark, or simply, the Dark. You must've seen the shadowlings on your way here -- they are its spawn. Our people were not skilled in pyromancy or light magic; we could not defeat it, however hard we tried. In the end, all we could do was ward off the Dark with these bonfires of Utterflame. Others left, but I remained to make sure the bonfires are lit and the Dark is kept in check. It all happened nearly a hundred years ago. My name is Ilral, I am the Last Knight of the Left City."

QUEST ISSUED
NAME: THE LEFT CITY
OBJECTIVE:
One of:
1. Defeat Ilral, extinguish the Great Bonfire and set the Dark free.
COMPLETION REWARD 1: 800 EXP, Blessing of the Dark
2. Help Ilral, the Last Knight, defeat the Dark and set him free from his task.
COMPLETION REWARD 2: 800 EXP, [Utterflame] skill, Ilral's Gratitude
ACCEPT QUEST? Y/N


Seems like it's up to you to decide the fate of this city. Y.

You consider asking other questions, however, with your limited sign language, it's bound to be difficult.
>Ask another question [write-in signs]
>Bid the Last Knight farewell for now and return to the sewers.
>Attack Ilral.
>Write-in
>>
>>5299278
>Bid the Last Knight farewell for now and return to the sewers.
>>
>>5299278
We're pretty hurt still have a quest to find all the fires so before we kill anyone/thing

>Ask another question [write-in signs]
try to get Ilral to bring us to all the Utterflame bonfires. Point to us then the bonfire then make a walking motion maybe draw a diagram in the floor with our claws if need be.
>>
>>5299278
Alright btw mind me asking what our current quests are. Cause im having issue tracking all of them. I know we have a lot.
>>
>>5299278
>>5299292
+1
>>
>>5299292

Also

+1
>>
>>5299292

Support. Might be able to get us a simple map anyway.

Might be wise to come back when the shadows aren't swarming to scout the area out, find all the fires, figure out how to kill the dark. If a city couldn't kill it I'm not sure how we would.
>>
>>5299292
support
>>
>>5299278
>>5299292
Support. Man, I want that [Utterflame] to help our reincarnated arsonist recall his old, evil self.
>>
>>5299296
Well, it doesn't like fire or light magic. If we can pick up a skill for one of those we might be able to damage it. The bonfire quest has a mystery reward so maybe that might help.
>>
>>5299293
From what I remember it's the BIG FUCK OFF MAIN QUEST OF MYSTERY, Apex Sewer Rat Quest, Find some mutes in the woods to learn how to talk Quest, Bonfire Quest, & the one we just got to kill Ilral or Darkness
>>
>>5299306
theres also the tree quest
>>
>>5299293
"Quests." -- you squeak out, to Ilral's surprise.

"What are you?.."

Active quests:
1. Apex predator of the sewers
2. [ERROR CODE211:QUEST.NAME UNAVAILABLE]
3. Devourers of words
4. Heart of the woods
5. The undying flame
6. The Left City


basically >>5299306 and >>5299307
>>
>>5299319
Oh i love the extra bit of other characters reacting to us being like QUEST STATUS

Confused knight is confused
>>
>>5299289
>Bid the Last Knight farewell for now and return to the sewers.

>>5299292
>>5299294
>>5299295
>>5299296
>>5299299
>>5299300
mc isn't evil, just depressed
>Ask another question -- Utterflame bonfires

So you'll ask Ilral to guide you to the bonfires.
Update soon.
>>
Little interlude that I've been working on for a while.

The plasma containers were heavy. It takes a lot of endurance to carry these around the streets, and the Lamplighter's shirt was drenched with sweat. The hot summer air didn't help. The lamplighters of central quarters had golems to back them up; his area had enough only for about half of the workers. He put his backpack down for a moment, catching his breath. The sewer vents were puffing out smoke today; it would seem the Sewer Cleansing Corps were on a raid. They always talked how sewer infestation was a major problem for the city, but their operations always ended up chasing all the horrible beings lurking below straight onto the streets.

The Lamplighter has seen a lot of things happening in the night, a consequence of working in the less-developed parts of Orbrin. The people here weren't exactly bad, just tired, jaded, struggling after a day's hard work. He wasn't unlike them, after all, was he? He tried fighting in the underground, but that wasn't really his style. The Lamplighter touched the knuckle scars he got there. Somehow, it felt reassuring.

The Lamplighter lived alone. Well, that wasn't exactly true, he lived in the same dormitory with a lot of people, just none that he was close to. He enjoyed playing cards and board games with some of them in the evenings between the end of their shifts and the beginning of his, but he knew that neither them nor him thought much of it or the stories they lazily exchanged while playing. The cards they used were old and marked, but everyone knew about this and didn't really care.

He heard news of a demonic invasion somewhere nearby, purging the creatures of the Wild, disrupting the Harvesters' work. It must have become hard for some of the mages and alchemists to find resources now. Not for him, though, the plasma came from the elementals toiling away during the day, so the lamps would have remained lit.

Some would turn to faith in times like these, but not him. The Lamplighter was old enough to realize how little gods cared about their world; almost everyone around him were, too. They still called upon them when swearing, still offered dry prayers once in a while, but these were the kinds of forlorn actions which you place no emotional weight into, which you do out of habit, only to rely on yourself when times are truly making you tighten your belt.

At least the summer festivals were around the corner. It was nice watching plays the actors prepared for the common man, they always had that improvised charm you wouldn't find in performances for the people from the central city. The fireworks were also great, and he heard that new ones arrived from the east. A minor perk, but there also were discounts on most dishes, so you could eat out for once without emptying your pockets.

The Lamplighter stood in the dark for a moment, then picked up the backpack, the plasma balloons clanging inside, and continued his way down the street.
>>
You point to the bonfire, then make a walking motion, emphasizing the steps. Will this be clear?

"You want to walk to the bonfires?.. Want me to show them to you?.. I guess I can. It's about time to light some of them."

Your explanation worked. The Last Knight stands up, picks up his weapon -- a massive sword -- and beckons you to follow him. His steps are long, and you have to run to keep up with his walking pace.

Descending from the shard that has been repurposed as a lighthouse, you go up into the dark tunnels once more. Ilral takes out a makeshift lantern with an ember of intense radiance glowing inside. As he leads you from one bonfire to another, he takes out the ember with his armoured hand and gently touches the wood (?) of the bonfire with it. It renews the flame's power. Then, you continue your journey.

"I believe I forgot to mention" -- Ilral says in one of the passages. -- "but the city itself was called Tramerene, and my people the Seari. I doubt these names mean anything to most people, much less a rat, but I thought I should mention it. Perhaps if I fail..." -- he doesn't finish his sentence.

Sometimes the shadowlings attack, in spite of the ember's light. Ilral lifts his heavy sword and cleaves them in half with a single swing, one after another. He is untouchable to the enemy; you need not interfere. If what he says is true and he is indeed over a hundred years old, he must've belonged to an ancient race, or aged really well. Perhaps yet he is a golem clad in armour? You don't know, but his voice certainly doesn't sound mechanical.

He shows you many more bonfires than six. You wait until the last one to confirm the completion of your quest.

You have completed THE UNDYING FLAME quest.
You have gained 300 EXP
LEVEL UP!


Now, the mystery reward... Suddenly, the bonfire lights up fiercer than before. You can barely look at it -- so strong is the light. In a ball of flame, something shoots out of it and rolls to your feet. An Ember. It is... entrancing. Calling to you. In spite of the pain, you take it into your claws. It burns, but you don't want to let go and after a minute or so, the pain passes and is replaced by a pleasant warmth. You feel... powerful.

You have acquired EMBER OF THE UNDYING FLAME
>>
>>5300328
"It's been a while since I saw another one..." -- Ilral says. -- "What exactly are you, little rat?.. You should treasure it. These Embers are powerful artifacts that helped us ward off the Dark. There were only a handful, and we were eventually defeated in spite of their power on our side, but they were one of the only hopes we had in battle against the great enemy." -- he pauses for a while. -- "I believe it is time for me to return to my slumber. I do not know what drives you, but if that Ember is a mark of change to come, I hope it's for the good. Farewell."

You are left with the Ember to illuminate your way. It is time you returned to the sewers. The shadowlings do not disturb you, perhaps with their numbers fallen due to your expedition, perhaps in fear of what the Ember may bring upon them. On your way up, you ponder what to do with the it, ultimately deciding to stash it away for now. Perhaps the necrogirl can investigate its power for you.

However, you aren't allowed rest just yet. It would seem the exterminators are on a raid again, however, the denizens of the sewers aren't escaping to the caves, oddly enough. The reason is revealed as you take cautious steps into the sewers -- the hunters have established a ring, advancing little by little, pressuring the basilisks, the rats, the toads and whatnot into one place, probably so they can incinerate them all at once. You think you see some of the old gang, the Vicious Rat and the Rat King there... They're trying to break through, but the perimeter is tough, and anyone daring approach the knights gets chopped up or pierced by crossbow bolts. There's just no coordination, only panic... Perhaps you can turn the tide?
>Single operation, go in guns blazing, use phaseshifting to launch a sudden attack on the weakest exterminator squad.
>Attempt to communicate with signs with those inside the circle for a pincer attack from both sides.
>There's a lot of them, you're sure they can break through on their own.
>Write-in
>>
Ahh fuck, should've probably outlined the end of the Lamplighter interlude and the beginning of the update itself. Well, it is how it is, post split works I guess.
>>
>>5300330
>Attempt to communicate with signs with those inside the circle for a pincer attack from both sides.
[Strength in Numbers], y'know?
>>
>>5300330
>Attempt to communicate with signs with those inside the circle for a pincer attack from both sides.
we're still hurt from the shadowlings so I think we should stick with mostly ranged attacks to harass and spilt focus
>>
>>5300330
>Single operation, go in guns blazing, use phaseshifting to launch a sudden attack on the weakest exterminator squad.
>>
>>5300330
>Attempt to communicate with signs with those inside the circle for a pincer attack from both sides.

Teamwork makes the dream work.
>>
>>5300330
>Attempt to communicate with signs with those inside the circle for a pincer attack from both sides.
>>
>>5300330
>Attempt to communicate with signs with those inside the circle for a pincer attack from both sides.
>>
>>5300330
>Attempt to communicate with signs with those inside the circle for a pincer attack from both sides
>>
>>5300330
>Attempt to communicate with signs with those inside the circle for a pincer attack from both sides.
>>
>>5300343
>Single operation, go in guns blazing, use phaseshifting to launch a sudden attack on the weakest exterminator squad.

>>5300336
>>5300339
>>5300360
>>5300361
>>5300418
>>5300475
>>5301037
>Attempt to communicate with signs with those inside the circle for a pincer attack from both sides.

So you'll try showing your intentions to the creatures inside.
Roll 2d100 Bo3
1st DC:70 for communication (whether they notice you and understand).
2nd DC:85 or 95 depending on whether you succeeded in the previous roll.
>>
>>5301386
Actually 85/75 for the second roll, fucked up and didn't account for boosters there.
>>
Rolled 61, 78 = 139 (2d100)

>>5301386
>>
Rolled 55, 83 = 138 (2d100)

>>5301386
>>
Rolled 91, 44 = 135 (2d100)

>>5301386
>>
So eyyy we succeeded with the modifiers
>>
>>5301397
>>5301403
>>5301405
>91, 83 -- Full Success

You quickly scout out what seems like the weakest link in the squad chain and sneak as closely as you can with the exterminators not noticing you, then stand up on your hind legs. You wave your front claws for what feels like the longest of minutes, but ultimately manage to catch the rats' attention. Their movements calm down, their eyes stuck to you. You point at the exterminators, then make a cutting motion. They seem to understand you. The rats and basilisks amass near the pathway the targets are taking, then, when you give a sign, they rush forth.

The flamethrower claims many lives, yet many more dive into the filthy water to escape the fire. The crossbowmen try to snipe those drifting on the water's surface, but that's where you come in, phaseshifting amid them to the enemies' surprise, then hacking away at them with your claws. You don't have quite enough mana to use the Curse, but you make up for it by shooting out acid and inflicting venom and plague upon the adversaries. By the time the frontline knights pull back to protect them, over half of the ranged men are either dead or incapacitated by status effects.

You have lost 3 HP
You have been inflicted [Bleeding]
You have gained 80 EXP [x2]
LEVEL UP!
You have gained 70 EXP [x2]
LEVEL UP!
You have lost 1 HP


This isn't to say you emerged unscathed from the confrontation. They stabbed you with what must've been enchanted daggers; while your phaseshifting rescued you from most attacks, they managed to somehow spread out to counter your eldritch ability and land a single hit -- that was all it took to make you bleed. There was another dangerous stab, but your last remaining crystalline ally took the hit for you, valiantly protecting its master. Rest in peace, little crystal.

You have lost 1 HP

The mayhem you brought with your swift phaseshifting attack was enough for the rats and basilisks to emerge from the water and catch up with you. The whole sewers' fury is upon the exterminators now -- basilisk venom, hordes of rats overseen by the Rat King, slippery Vicious Rats cracking open enemy armour and breaking apart their shields -- once united, they are a fearsome force. You thrive in this chaos, teleporting here and there, delivering last hits to reap the well-deserved EXP.

You have lost 1 HP
You have gained 30 EXP [x3]
You have lost 1 HP
You have lost 3 HP


Ouch, that hurt. A knight took a swing at you in a last resort to at least avenge his comrades' deaths, but you're tougher than that. You finish him off with your crystalline claws.

You have gained 30 EXP [x2]
You have lost 1 HP
You are no longer under the effect of [Bleeding]
>>
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488 KB JPG
>>5301460
Once the exterminators are defeated, the denizens of the sewers spread out to their hiding places. This battle has been a lesson in teamwork for them. Perhaps they'll manage to fend the cleansers off without your help in the future. For now, you lurk in the slum underground part of the sewers, as previously, biding your time while the hunters rampage. It is here that you meet an interesting fellow.

"Watch your step, little rat." -- says a... frogman? tapping the wet sewer floor with his staff, activating an alchemical trap. -- "Lots of traps here. Damn alchemists trying to catch any lab rat they can... Wait a second. Haven't I seen you already? You ever went to the Tsuraidzu dojo?"

You nod. You actually don't know, but that time when you joined another rat squad must've been it, right?

"Ahh, I see, I see. A fellow fighter, it seems."

You point at him, then spread your arms. Who is he?

"Ah, I'm just going somewhere, picking up moves they do in the fighting pits along the way. Fights there are mostly clumsy, but there's some diamonds in the rough occasionally, y'know?.. Ha, what am I doing, telling a rat about my business. But you... I see a spark of intelligence in those eyes. Well, I'm a magimechanist myself, if you happen upon some curious goods, drop by Moonseeker Street, 67, we may strike a deal. Though it'll be troublesome without speech... Well, whatever. Never hurts to spread word of the trade. See you."

The frogman quickly waves you goodbye and walks away, flappy feet slapping against the sewer floor, leaving you in the dark illuminated only by the discharged trap.

----------

This will be the end of the thread. Thanks for playing with me so far, hope you enjoyed it, if there's any criticism I'm here to listen. The next thread won't arrive for a while, because I want to run a Civ and I've got another quest (Living Armour) to continue, so it's at least two threads' time before Reincarnated Monster Reincarnation returns. I'm not the best at giving concise descriptions, so I'm asking one of you anons to archive the thread. If no one does, I'll so it myself once it falls of the board.
>>
>>5301461
Whelp ill miss it i was wondering when wed archive. Ill be sure to keep checking the board for whenever thread 2 pops up hopefully see you in the future
>>
>>5301461
Good stuff, my only complaint that it's a bit slow-paced, but that's perfectly acceptable.
>>
>>5301461
See you guys next thread! I enjoyed this one very much.
>>
>>5301461

Excellent thread, looking forward to the next one.
>>
>>5301461
Thank you for sticking with it all the way, QM! Looking forward to your next quest. Its been real fun.
>>
>>5301461
Its been really fun playing this quest. Looking forward to the next thread!
>>
>>5301461
Thanks for running.



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