>>2404152
>What did you do to deserve this

>>2404152
>Do you think there will ever have a chance to head back to that Cry Demons concert and hear what a boy band made entirely of fire actually sounds like?

Oh wait, I almost forgot!

Archive for the previous thread: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/2371411/

Discord to chat and discuss this quest and questing in general: https://discord.gg/mNkHtC

>>2404157
>20+ mins later
>no tie breaker

changing to

>What did you do to deserve this

I guess...

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>>2404152
There are many questions you have on your mind, but there is one that nags at you more than the others...when in the world are you going to get another chance to see that Cry Demons concert? Sure, you only learned about the band recently, and you haven't even heard their music before, but come on, they seemed so hype! And if you're going to be living (undeading?) in the Underworld for the rest of eternity, you might as well figure out what music to listen to soon.

CRRRRRRRRRRRRrrrrr

The train is starting to slow down to an unpleasant sound of grinding gears. A voice comes in from the speakers around the train.

"Last stop, Nada."

This has been the only stop. You can't even tell who could be speaking right now, as from what you've seen there is no one else on this train, not even a conductor. It's all self regulated. Still, you're at your destination. You take one last look out the window (it is all darkness), and head out.

---

Oh wow, it's even darker outside the train! You literally cannot see anything outside of a single ticket booth lit by soft candles. With no where else to turn to, you approach the ticket taker.

"Hey there," says the corpse looking fellow behind the booth, "welcome to Nada. Not sure why you'd want to visit, but welcome all the same."

>Introduce yourself.
>Ask the ticket taker what this place is.
>Ask the ticket taker why this place is so dark.
>Ask the ticket taker where the nearest town is.
>Ask the ticket taker how his day is.

>>2404188
Don't worry, when there is a long lasting tie I roll some dice to determine which one to go with, no need to change your vote. This is a pretty slow burn quest, so just sit back and relax.

>>2404201
>Introduce yourself.
>Ask the ticket taker how his day is.
>Ask the ticket taker why this place is so dark.

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>>2404201
You introduce yourself to the ticket taker, saying your name is Faust and that you are new to the area.

"Yeah, pleasure to meet you, name's [g]Jared.[/g]"

You head pounds when you hear his name, as it does whenever you think about any demon's name, but it doesn't really sound like the standard name for a creature of the Underworld.

"Don't worry about it, I'll be getting my full demon name soon, I'm still in transition."

You then ask the ticket taker how his day has been.

"Uh...good, I guess? It's hard to tell when it's actually 'day' or not down here, as you can tell." He motions to the perpetual darkness all around you.

This is a good transition into your next question, why is everything so dark?

"You bought a ticket here without even knowing that? You need to be smarter about your vacation spots, buddy. This is Nada, as in NOTHING, NADA, ZILTCH! It's a land in perpetual darkness, where the souls of those who hid their dark crimes without any action taken to redeem themselves are damned to stay in that darkness forever, yada yada yada, you probably should have been able to piece that together. Point being there ain't much to do here except walk around blindly all the time."

Well that doesn't sound fun at all.

>Ask the ticket taker for a ticket out of here.
>Ask the ticket taker what being "in transition" actually means.
>Ask the ticket taker where the nearest town is.
>Wander off into the darkness.

>>2404247
>>Ask the ticket taker what being "in transition" actually means.

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>>2404247
Haha, and only now do I realize I messed up the name colors again.

You might as well ask this question now while it's been mentioned, just what exactly does "in transition" mean. Are human souls really being turned into demons?

"You're right on the money, friend. I've been working for the Demon Lords for ages, and I'm finally being rewarded. Soon, I will be completely transformed, no longer Jared, but a full, complete demon. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em, I always say. Sometimes if you do something really great in the name of the Demon Lords, they'll transform you right then and there, but that almost never happens. It takes hard work and dedication over a loooooong amount of time."


So this confirms it. Human souls can become demons. Though if you ever decided to try becoming one, it may take awhile.

The candles around the ticket stand begin to fade more.

>Ask the ticket taker for a ticket out of here.
>Ask the ticket taker where the nearest town is.
>Wander off into the darkness.

The can

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>>2404353
>the can
I just can't catch a break here, can I?

>>2404353
>>Ask the ticket taker where the nearest town is.

>>2404353
>>2404406

truly the can is the superior option

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>>2404353
You ask the ticket taker if there are any nearby towns you can go to.

"Towns? Ha! I wouldn't call anything down here close to a town. My advice? Just keep walking until you find some light, then give me that light and buy yourself a ticket home."

The candles are now just barely flickering.

"My shift's over, friend. Good luck out there."

The ticket taker takes out a small "closed" sign and puts it on his booth shelf, before slinking into the darkness. Looks like you're on your own now.

>Go off into the darkness.
>Demand more information on where to go.
>Wait around and hope another train comes by for you to leave on.

>>2404446
>follow the ticketman
>"I think I might just follow you. I mean, it can't be worse than darkness forever."

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>>2404446
You try to follow the ticket taker to wherever he's trying to slink off to, telling him that you might as well go where he's going since it's better than just wandering off to who knows where. The ticket taker won't respond to you, however, and it is now so dark that you cannot see a thing. All you can do is listen to the proto-demon's footsteps and try to follow them. That is until those footsteps simply stop, and you are completely alone in the darkness.

Well, this isn't good. There has to be some hint as to where to go next. You stand still, and try to think.

You feel a cool breeze cross your cheek from the left.

You smell a dusty, sulfur like stench to your right.

You hear the soft pitter patter of...something...straight ahead. Maybe it's the ticket taker?

>Follow the breeze to the left.
>Follow the smell to your right.
>Follow the sound up ahead.
>Just sit on the ground in the dark and think about your sad existence.

>>2404505
>attempt to tackle the sound ahead

>>2404505
You decide to head towards the noise up front, ready to confront whatever might be coming towards, or moving away, from you. It's honestly hard to tell with whatever this thing is. Yet no matter how far you go, you can't seem to actually get to the thing. The noise gets louder for sure, going from a pitter patters to stomps, but the source is no where to be found.

Then you see something. A single light that hurts your eyes the first time you see it, but a light all the same. It bobs up and down with each stomp you hear. Is it the lantern of some kind of demon? You can't really tell. Whoever, or whatever, that light is, it is moving away from you.

>Chase after it.
>Call after it.
>Run away from it.
>Sneak around and follow it.
>[Write in]

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>>2404581
An image for your troubles.

>>2404585
>Sneak around and follow it.
Demon-bro wouldn't lead us astray, right?
Right?

>>2404581
>>Sneak around and follow it.

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>>2404581
You decide to slowly follow the light from a safe distance, trying to make sure that whoever has the light doesn't actually see you. You follow the foot steps and the bobbing light for some time, always making sure never to get too close. Unfortunately, this doesn't seem to lead you anywhere. It's still just pure blackness outside of the light, and you can't even catch a glimpse of what you're actually following.

That is until, in the glow of the light, you see another human form. A dark purple spirit who just barely stands out form the blackness. The very moment that this soul is caught in the light, it runs away. What's wrong?

You soon find out when the white light turns bright red, and you see just what the light is connected to. A massive, fish like demon with razor sharp teeth, who chases after the terrified soul.

What do you do?!

>Just hang out here and let nature take its course.
>Try to distract the demon so the soul can get away.
>Try to fight the demon so the soul can get away.
>Try to sneak up and attack the demon while it is distracted.
>"Hey you two! Can't you just get along!?

>>2404696
>>Try to sneak up and attack the demon while it is distracted.

>>2404696


>>2404703
This but also shout
>"Help me! It's our only chance!"

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>>2404696
You try to sneak up on the demon as it chases the soul around in circles, snapping its massive mouth left and right. Just one wrong move, and that thing is going to see you for sure. And oh geez does it have some big biting teeth. But you need to help this person out, and this is the best way you'd be able to do it.

Miraculously, you are able to get right behind the creature just as it knocks down the fleeing soul. It is about to lunge on top of it, and in one quick motion, you leap onto the back of the beast.

"Grraaah?"

You hold on tightly to the slimy, wet body of the demon. Unsure of what to do next. You look down at the person you're trying to save, his purple body illuminated under the red light.

"Uh...hold on, I can help!"

The soul pulls out what looks like a pocket knife and lunges at the light stalk of the demon! It begins to cut at the creature, who roars out in pain!

GRAAAAAAAAH!

With one long swing, it slams a massive hand into the soul and shakes his body enough for you to fall right off. But in its rage, it shook the freshly cut light stalk so much that the light fell off.

Both you and the soul are now on the ground, and the bleeding demon is angry. What do you do?

>Keep distracting the demon and tell the soul to attack it again with the knife.
>Leave the light and hide back in the darkness, trying to avoid the creature.
>Grab the light and run for it; didn't the ticket taker say you needed to find a light anyway?
>Get the knife and fight the demon yourself, you can take it.

>>2404801
Grab the light and run

>>2404801
>>Grab the light and run for it; didn't the ticket taker say you needed to find a light anyway?

Who want's to bet this was the ticket taker and that he's a massive asshole?

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>>2404801
You gotta get out of this place, and you're taking that light with you! You pull yourself off the ground, grab the organic bulb of light, and run your ass out of there!

"Wait," yells the soul, "that's mine!"

"GRAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!"

The demon runs right at you, getting down on all fours like an animal. You run with all your might, the light held tightly in your grasp. You're getting out of here no matter what-- and you are immediatly tackled by the demon. Thick blood from the stalk drips on your face as the demon grabs the bulb and pulls it from your hands. It tries to stick the light back into place to no avail, and then looks down on you.

Uh oh...

The beast gets down again and bites right into your face! It shakes you like a mad dog, tearing into your body like a piece of meat. It doesn't take too long for the pain to become unbearable, and for you to fall unconscious again.

---

You wake up sometime later, though for all you can tell your eyes could still be closed; it's pitch black and there is no more light. You are moving, but not on your own. Someone has lifted you up on their shoulder, and you can only imagine that it is the purple man.

"You son of a bitch, I can't believe you tried to steal that light from me. I should have just left you lying there, but noooo, I gotta be a big softy."

>Thank him for saving you.
>Apologize for stealing the light.
>Argue that you needed the light more than he does.
>Ask him why that demon was so crazy; every other demon you've met so far has at least knew how to talk.
>Get off of him, you don't need his charity.
>Ask him where you're going.

>>2404916
>"Last I checked, you were running away before I showed up. The way I see it, I had as much right to it as you did. But I appreciate you returning the favor and saving me."

>>2404916
>>Thank him for saving you.

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>>2404916
You're not going to let this guy shame you. You saved his life with that distraction, and you had just as much of a right to the light as he did. If anything you're even now.

"Yeah, well now neither of us has the light so...shut up."

The purple man continues to drag you along for some time. You rest your eyes a bit, and try to ignore the splitting pain in your head.

---

You open your eyes to see the darkness of Nada make way for a soft, warm glow. A collection of candles, light bulbs, and other things leading to what looks like some kind of blanket fort. Only this isn't any child's blanket fort. This is a fort that seems to just stretch on and on and on! Must be some big sleepover.

"Welcome to the Home," says the purple man, "safest source of light in all of Nada...but that's really not saying much."

The purple man lets you down and then gets on his hands and knees, crawling into the entrance of blanket fort.

"You can rest up here for awhile. Just play nice and if you do anything stupid, don't drag me into it."

>Follow the purple man.
>Go into the blanket fort, but start exploring on your own.
>Take one of the lights and just leave.
>"Are you serious? You live under a bunch of blankets?"

>>2405118
>You have tons of lights, why so mad?

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>>2405118
The purple man turns around, and gives you the biggest "are you kidding me" look you've seen in a long time.

"You gotta be joking if you think this puny amount of light, much less that single orb you tried stealing, is enough to buy a ticket out of here. We need those lights more than you do."

He scoffs in your general direction and continues crawling away. What an asshole.

>Follow the purple man.
>Go into the blanket fort, but start exploring on your own.
>Take some lights and just leave.
>Pull down some blankets. You know, just cause.

>>2405212
>Follow the purple man.

>>2405212
>Follow the purple man.

>>2405212
Follow the purple man

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>>2405212
You follow the purple man into the blanket fort, following his behind as he makes twist and turns trough all kinds of makeshift hallways. The purple man turns to you.

"You know, you don't have to follow me."

You ignore him and continue following. As you move though the Home, you notice other people, men and women, in their own little "rooms", branches of the fort where they rest by their own little candle or Christmas lights that seem to glow without a power source. It's honestly fairly cozy considering the lack of anything else around here.

Soon enough, the purple man brings you over to a woman sitting on a collection of pillows, wearing some kind of robe...or maybe that's just a very elegant blanket.

"Chief," says the purple man, "I couldn't find any lights this time, but I found this guy over here." He points to you. "Not sure why he isn't connected to Nada, but you know, he's here now, so I guess we gotta deal with him."

The woman waves you closer. "Strange. Your body is as black as Nada itself. That means you haven't been assigned to a realm of the Underworld. Just who are you?"

>Introduce yourself, and nothing more.
>Introduce yourself and explain your full story so far.
>Introduce yourself and say that you were never assigned, but say nothing else.
>Cut the introductions; ask her how you can get out of Nada.
>Cut the introductions; ask her if she knows where the Resistance is.
>Cut the introductions; ask her where she got all these blankets.

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>>2405464
Time for me hit the hay. Tomorrow will most likely not have nearly as many updates, but I'll do what I can. Can't wait to see what strange situations Faust winds up in next.

>>2405464
>>Introduce yourself and explain your full story so far.

>>2405464
>Introduce yourself, and nothing more.
can't trust her right away

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>>2405464
You decide that honesty will get you farthest here, and sit down to tell your story. The blank scroll, the prison break, the occasional visions you get, all of it. The purple man watches on, completely confused and somewhat embarrassed that he dragged some kind of looney nutcase to his leader, but the Chief listens on in complete fascination, nodding her head to every crazy detail you tell her.

"And just to be clear," she asks, "you really are clueless as to how this is all possible?"

You are clueless, so you say yes.

"That makes both of us then." The Chief turns to the purple man. "Do you think this man can be trusted?"

"Uh..." You can tell that the purple man could tell her about you trying to take that demon's light for yourself, but that would mean admitting that he did have a chance to get a light, and failed. Plus you did save him, so that might be weighing on his mind too. "Trust is a hard thing to really prove, but...he seems okay."

"Good," says the Chief, "then let me ask you something, Faust. After everything you've seen and done so far, what do you think of the Underworld. Be honest with me."

>The Underworld is a terrible place, and you'd much rather not be here.
>Despite the obvious cruelties here, you can't help but be fascinated by it.
>Flying trains? Boy bands? A million different lands to explore? And nothing can kill you anymore? The Underworld is great!
>It will be great once you become a demon.
>You haven't really explored it enough to make a final call.

>>2406183
>You haven't really explored it enough to make a final call.

>>2406183
>Despite the obvious cruelties here, you can't help but be fascinated by it.

>>2406183
>Despite the obvious cruelties here, you can't help but be fascinated by it.
Just caught up, I like the quest so far

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>>2406183
You cannot lie, even though you can't ignore there are painful and unnerving sights and sounds that haunt the Underworld, there is something compelling about it all. Maybe it's the complexity, or maybe the mystery, but you are fascinated.

The Chief nods her head in agreement. "I know exactly what you mean. There is something beautiful amid this place. If circumstances were different, maybe existence down here would be something to look forward to."

The purple man scoffs. "Couldn't disagree with you more, Chief. Nothing could make sitting in the dark all the time worth while."

The Chief waves him off, "I need to speak to Faust in private now, Edward. Please, leave us be."

Edward, the purple man, crawls away. The Chief pulls down one of the blankets to create a makeshift door between where you are and the rest of the fort.

"I will be simple and clear with you, Faust. The situation with your soul scroll gives you an advantage so many othere down here lack. The moment you are assigned to a realm of the Underworld, you don't just change colors. Your very essence becomes connected to that realm. Every action you take that effects the world around you is marked on your scroll and watched by the countless authorities that now rule you. No matter how far you go, you are always on record, always tracked. But you, Faust, are not bound to any realm. You could go wherever you like and no one would be the wiser. This could help so many."

The Chief extends her hand.

"I am willing to take you to the Resistance in Nada, the ones who seek to stand up against the oppression of the Demon Lords. I will not lie, they will want to use you, and put you in great danger, but if you are seeking answers they are your best option I can think of, outside of the Heavens themselves. What do you say?"

>Take her hand; go with her to the Resistance.
>Refuse. You don't want any part in any rebellions.
>Barter; they probably don't know anything, so what's REALLY in it for you?
>Honestly going to the Heavens doesn't sound like a bad idea, why can't you do that?

>>2406525
Happy to hear it. Always nice to get a new player involved.

>>2406870
>Take her hand; go with her to the Resistance.

>>2406870
>>Take her hand; go with her to the Resistance.

>>2406870
>Barter; they probably don't know anything, so what's REALLY in it for you?
Just a home and a safe place.

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>>2406870
You take the hand of the Chief, who smiles softly as you do. "Let's get going," she says, "the trip may take some time.

Crouching through the tunnels, you move through the almost labyrinth like passageways, taking in the surprising amount of people all comforting one another, laughing, or sleeping. You are taken towards an exit on the other side of the fort, being watched by some kind of guard.

"It's nap time," says the Chief to the guard. The guard grabs onto a tightly tied rope made from rags hanging in the corner (which you now notice stretches throughout the tunnels), and gives it a firm tug. You hear faint rings with each tug.

You and the Chief leave the Home and enter the darkness. You turn around to see each of the lights coming out from the blankets being snuffed out. "We can't keep the lights on for too long," says the Chief, "we're not the only ones looking for light, and most of the things down here aren't going to try sharing it."

---

You keep walking through the nothingness until the Chief puts an arm forward and stops you in place. "Shh. Something's coming..."

You wait, and listen. Something isn't just walking through here, it's talking.

"Don't worry Delgrimok, you're gonna be just fine. There ain't nothing a little spooky darkness can do to you. Everything's gonna be peachy keen."

You know this demon! He was back in the Vice City prison, and actually seemed like a nice guy!

>Say hello to the demon.
>Stay silent and just let him pass.
>Tell the Chief who this is to calm her down, then let her decide to do.

Sorry again for such a low amount of posts today. I'm gonna head off to bed, but tomorrow should have a more lively amount of updates.

>>2408662
>Tell the Chief who this is to calm her down, then let her decide to do.

>>2408662
>Tell the Chief who this is to calm her down, then let her decide to do.

>>2408662
>>Tell the Chief who this is to calm her down, then let her decide to do.

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>>2408662
You whisper to the Chief, explaining that Delgrimok (ow ow ow ow ow) is a friendly demon with sympathies towards the rebels. You're not sure how he could have ended up in Nada from Vice City so quickly, but you do not think that he's someone to be worried about.

"It's still too risky," says the Chief, "you can never tell where a demon's loyalties really lie. We should keep moving."

While you think that the Chief might be acting a bit more paranoid than she needs to be, you give into her ruling and ignore the kind demon, continuing on the path to the Resistance. As you go, Delgrimok continues to speak to himself.

"I sure hope I don't wind up walking into a wall or nothing. That'd be inconvenient."

---

After another long and silent period of waking, the Chief pulls out a small match from her robes and lights it. She had a light this whole time? Why didn't she light it earlier? That would have at least given your eyes something to focus on. She brings the match down to reveal a single wooden hatch standing out from the inky ground. She proceeds to knock on the hatch in a peculiar, rhythmic way.

Suddenly, the door swings itself open, as if on its own. There doesn't appear to be any ladders or ropes or any way to get down without jumping, and it looks like a long drop.

"After you."

>Jump in.
>"No no, I insist, after you."
>"If that's how you get in, how do you get out?"

>>2409639
Oops, forgot the name.

>>2409639
>"If that's how you get in, how do you get out?"

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>>2409639
You share your concerns about how you don't really see how anyone can reasonable get out of a hole in the ground with no obvious passageways, but instead of answering your question, the Chief pushes you into the hole!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!

AND THUD!

---

You wake up at the bottom of the hole, your limbs twisted in ways they really shouldn't be. But considering the drop, it honestly doesn't hurt as much as you thought it would. With a bit of effort you're able to pull yourself up, and your arms and legs feel fine.

The Chief drops in right behind you, and SLAMS into the ground. You can hear the audible cracking of her neck when she makes impact. That should kill her outright!

But this is the Underworld, and it doesn't kill her, at least not for long. You wait five minutes, and the Chief's bones start to snap back into place. She pulls herself off the ground and looks you in the eyes. "Don't worry, the way out isn't nearly as painful. Let's continue."

>Keep following her silently.
>Call her out for pushing you to your not!death.
>Ask her why souls are so durable in the Underworld.
>Run away! This bitch is crazy!

>>2409748
>>Ask her why souls are so durable in the Underworld.

>>2409748
>Call her out for pushing you to your not!death.

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>>2409748
You are amazed at just how much damage you can take, to the point where you have to ask the Chief just why you can't actually be killed in the Underworld. She has a knowing smile, as if this is not the first time someone's asked her this.

"The Underworld is where you're supposed to make eternal penance for your crimes while alive. How could they punish you forever if you could die again? There are terrible things that can be done to you down here, but a human soul can never be completely destroyed unless..." She stops herself. "We can discuss this later, we're almost where we need to be."

You move through the dimly lit hallway until you arrive at an open room filled to the brim with souls. Men and women all going about their business, some trading goods for lights, some discussing recent attacks and strange sightings, and some even playing with some of those organic guns you saw back in Vice City. Eyes turn to you in confusion and caution, but the moment they spot the Chief, their worries are gone with. Clearly this woman has some influence here.

"I need to talk to some people," she tells you, "you won't be able to meet with anyone important until I've had my say. Feel free to explore until I come back for you." The Chief continues on her way, leaving you with a bit of free time to explore.

As you noticed before, there are makeshift merchant stands lying about, and perhaps you could get something yourself from them. There is also a small group gathered around a map of Underworld pinned to a wall, that might be something worth investigating. There are also plenty of people just minding their own business that you could most likely talk to. It's your call what to do next.

>Go to the food stand.
>Go to the light stand.
>Go to the weapon stand.
>Go to the map wall.
>Sit back and look for interesting people to talk to.
>Continue exploring.

>>2409885
>>Go to the map wall.

>>2409885
>>Go to the map wall.

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>>2409885
You make your way over to the wall with the map pinned on it. The map isn't anything impressive to look at, just some paint in a color wheel, nothing you haven't seen before, but you do take note of the bizarre symbols of the demon language placed on each section. Maybe you can use what you already know about the lands of the Underworld to start piecing together the tongue.

"Hey," spits out a gruff man's voice. You turn to see an old looking soul sitting on a wooden box, holding a stick of a bright blue chalk-like bar in his hand. "It's a little rude to ease drop, you know." You didn't even hear what these people were talking about. The moment you got up close to the map, your mind was focused just on it and it alone.

"I know that little lady from the Home came in with you, and she's good people, but you're really starting to freak me out with the not talking thing."

>Ask what they're using the map for.
>Ask what the symbols on the map mean.
>Ask for general information of the layout of the Underworld.
>Investigate the map itself further.

>>2409885
>Go to the food stand.
We had nothing to eat since we "woke up".
I still wan't a greasy meat stick.

>>2410208
Faust may check out that stand and the potential sugary meat sticks that it may have once he checks out the map mysteries ahead.

>>2408662
Hey! It's THIS mother-fucker! Glad to see he's back in it!

>>2410175
>>Ask for general information of the layout of the Underworld.

He's not back in it after all. Oh well. Do this.

New thread when? This is on the cliff of 404 ing

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>>2410175
You're eventually able to spit out the question on your mind. What are these places in the Underworld? What really is this map? The Underworld is just such a strange, confusing place. The old man seems sympathetic.

"Aye. That's a lot of info to drop at once, but I'll give you the basic run down. We're in Nada Obviously. Darkness far as the eye can see. Then there's The Arcane where the witches and the wizards go, you know, the people messing with things they really shouldn't. There's the Demonic Bureaucracy where everything is managed and run, and after that is Old Hell. Fire, brimstone, and lots of torture. Past that is Vice City where most souls wind up going. Just let your life go by? You get to keep that up forever. Carnage is all mountains and canyons, where all those killer and warrior types go to duke it out all day and night. Dune is desert far as the eye can see. Not sure why people are damned there, but try to bring a water bottle if you ever need to visit. Raijin Valley is the power house of all the Underworld, where the harness the lightning that keeps all the machines running. Then there's Dú where all the backstabbers and the tricksters go, never trust anyone from there. The Evergrowth is a big jungle with bigger beasties looking for their next meal; it's also where most of the food is grown. Then we got Styx, which is just nothing but rivers and rivers and rivers that go off to who knows where, but that's where the drinking comes from. And finally there's Cocytus. Nothing but cold. Once again, not sure why people live there."

With each new name that is mentioned, you feel something click inside of you. Like a faint memory just on the tip of your tongue, now given life. You suspect that everyone besides you already knows all of this, yet they don't seem annoyed to rehear it.

>Ask what they're using the map for.
>Ask what the symbols on the map mean.
>Investigate the map itself further.
>Leave and check out something else.

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>>2410772
That's enough posts out of me for tonight. I'll be back tomorrow with more updates to Faust's journey. Here's hoping that this lore update has been enjoyable, see ya'll tomorrow.

>>2410739
What do you mean? It's gonna be awhile before this thread 404s. It might wind up not bumping soon, but I'm pretty sure last reply is what most people use for this catalog, so the thread should be okay fro awhile.

>Ask what the symbols on the map mean.

>>2410866
My bad, I thought my filter was on bump order not last reply, so when I saw the catalog, this thread was at the very end.

>>2410866
sick quest op, enjoying it so far

>>2410772
>Ask what the symbols on the map mean.

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>>2410772
As long as this guy is answering questions, you decide to ask him another one. What exactly are those strange symbols on their map? You've seen them around the Underworld, and you can't decipher them, yet everyone else seems accustomed to them.

"Oh those? That's just the Demon Language, you probably pieced that part together by yourself. But there's more to it than just letters and words. You ever notice how you've been able to talk to everyone just fine even though everyone down here should be speaking a million different languages? Well that's because you're not really speaking or hearing what you think you are. Down here, you're speaking Soul Language. We're all on the same playing field now, everyone gets each other, and that's why the demons usually speak it. Actual Demon language, however, is what the demons spoke before human souls started to arrive. It's ancient and not built like anything we spoke back when we were alive. It's connected to emotions and ideas and the realm itself, and good luck trying to actually pronounce it the way it's supposed to be said. That's part of why your head probably hurts when you hear a demon share its name, or well, the name translated into Soul Language. But the longer you're down here, the uh...easier it is, to just sort of get Demon Language. Like you just sort of know what it means, even though you don't."

Aw man, two different languages working on spiritual logic? What a headache! But once again, no one seems annoyed to hear any of this retold to them. You're not positive if you fully get it just yet, but you'll mull over it.

The Chief returns to the area and spots you. "Come on Faust, they're ready to see you."

>Go with the Chief to the Resistance members.
>Ask what they're using the map for.
>Investigate the map itself further.
>Leave and check out something else.

>>2411392
Why thank you! Always glad to know people are enjoying the quest.

>>2411561
>>Go with the Chief to the Resistance members.

>>2411561
>Go with the Chief to the Resistance members.

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>>2411561
You thank the map man for his time and walk over to the Chief. "It looks like you've been getting along with the locals," she says. She urges you to follow her down the hall, and you do so.

You are taken to a small office away from the hustle and bustle of the rest of the camp. It is guarded by a man and a woman both armed with organic guns, who let you pass without a word. Despite the ramshackle nature of everything else you've seen before, this room honestly looks fairly nice. A smooth wooden table, a working desk lamp, even a fuzzy carpet. How'd they get all this stuff down here?
Waiting for you in this room is an old woman, wearing similar robes to the Chief's.

"So this is the boy, isn't it Martha?" asks the old woman.

"This is him," says the Chief, looking somewhat embarrassed to have her name said aloud like that.

"Well, he's unregistered, that much is true." The old woman eyes you suspiciously. "Please, sit down." You take a seat across from her in the wooden chair.

"Tell me," the old woman says, "you've come all this way to see us. Just what do you expect to get out of this?"

>Answers about what's going on with your scroll.
>Answers about who you are.
>A way out of the Underworld.
>A sense of purpose serving the Resistance.
>Just a place to stay for awhile.

>>2411938
>>Answers about what's going on with your scroll.

>>2411938
My name will forever elude me.

>>2411938
>Answers about who you are.

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>>2411938
You tell it to her plain. This mystery surrounding your soul scroll is bizarre, and you are driven to figure out just what is going on with it. You don't know if there's some grand conspiracy or not, but you want answers.

The old woman taps her fingers on the desk. "This camp doesn't have the answers, but the Resistance has connections. We can contact our fellow camps across the Underworld to help find this information. But as Martha told you, this would need to be give and take. You do something for the Resistance, the Resistance does something for you."

You wait to hear what she wants.

"It doesn't take a genius to recognize that this isn't the happiest place to be. It's dark and cold and everything is out to get you. The only source of comfort is light and company. That is where the torture comes in. Get too much light, or gather too many together, and the wild demons come after you. Maybe you've seen them before."

You have a feeling that she's referring to those strange fish-like demons with the glowing bulbs.

"They leave out the lights as bait, and then when you draw too much attention to yourself, everything is taken from you. Just carving out this little hovel of safety took ages. This suffering, however, could all be changed."

The old woman takes out a strange schematic from the desk, and places it in front of you.

"Rumor has it that an immense generator from Raijin Valley somehow found itself in Nada, just like the other lights and devices scattered around. Only this isn't like an old flashlight. The machines from the valley are as unstable as they are powerful. If it turned on, none of the demons down here would want to be anywhere near it. But a few blown up bodies or life ending shocks wouldn't mean much to a few souls, now would it?" The old woman lets out a wild and somewhat unnerving cackle.

"So what do you say? We send you on the path to find it, you sneak past the demons that are definitely defending it, and you turn it on. Then we can try to get you all the answers you need. Sounds good, right?"

>Accept.
>Decline.
>Demand more information before deciding (feel free to write a specific question).

>>2412274
>>Accept.

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>>2412274
Without question, you accept the mission. Just turn on some big machine, how hard can that be?

"I like your spunk," says the old woman. "Spunk gets you far in our little club. The back of the schematic is a shadow map to where our agents believe the device should be located, based on wild demon sightings and the occasional spark in the dark. " She hands you the schematics for the device and then points to Martha and calls her over. "Martha, send him out. You did a good thing bringing him here."

Martha puts a hand on your shoulder. "Yes, Night Mother."

Is that the old woman's code name? Neat.

"My agents here are all registered to Nada. If I sent one of them to the device, the demons would instantly know it. But you are off the grid, Faust. They won't know what to expect. Now go, and do us proud."

You are taken back to the general area by Martha, still busy with life. She suddenly gives you a very stern look. "You call me Chief, got it?"

You nod your head.

"Good. I'll take you out whenever you're ready to go."

You've got a little time before you need to actually head out on this adventure. What do you want to do.

>Go to the food stand.
>Go to the light stand.
>Go to the weapon stand.
>Head out with Martha.

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>>2412686
Apologies for the lack of posts today, this weekend is turning out busier than I expected. Still, I'll be back tomorrow and try to update where I can. Looks like Faust is on a real mission for once, so let's hope it goes well.

when are we returning to "FFaust" journey?
(fake faust)

>>2412806
I'll most likely be able to post an update or two around noon to three, and then from there I'll need to wait until later that night to really get the updates going. I admit that my posting schedule is a bit all over the place, but if you have any more questions feel free to check out the discord.

>>2412686
>Go to the weapon stand.

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>>2412686
You tell Marth-- uh, the Chief that you just want to check out the shops, and move over to the rickety weapon stand. The counter is lined with all kinds of strange weapons that squirm and beat as if they are alive. The merchant speaks to you.

"Oi stranger. Lookin' to buy? Got all kinds of pain makers right here, just give me some bulbs or some grub and you can pick and choose."

>Say that you have nothing to trade.
>Say that you are on an important mission from Night Mother and should get a weapon for free.
>Say that you are on an important mission from Night Mother and if you get a weapon, you'll return it later.
>Ask what these organic weapons even are.

>>2413550
>Ask what these organic weapons even are.

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>>2413550
You ask the merchant just what these guns even are, and why they look so...meaty.

"Glad you asked, stranger. You see, stabbing and shooting might have killed a man on the surface, but down here souls don't really go down easy. The demon's figured that if you can't kill a soul, you might as well make things as painful as possible. So down in Carnage, they started to grow wild demon hives into the convenient shape of weapons, and bred the baby monsters inside into wee bullets of suffering. Fire a shot into someone, and you don't have to worry about them getting up for awhile, they'll be in too much pain for any of that. Still, works just as good on demons as it does on souls, so we use 'em all the same. You want one or not?"

>Say that you have nothing to trade.
>Say that you are on an important mission from Night Mother and should get a weapon for free.
>Say that you are on an important mission from Night Mother and if you get a weapon, you'll return it later.
>Leave the stand.

>>2414063
>Say that you have nothing to trade.

>>2414063
>>Say that you have nothing to trade.

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>>2414063
The merchant's smile quickly turns into a frown. "Man, you newbies. Don't you remember how business is supposed to work?" There is a long silence as you just stand there and he looks at you, confused.

"You're just gonna get eaten out there unless I give you something, aren't you?"

Before you can say anything, the merchant passes you over a small, organic looking knife. It's about the size of any average pocket knife, but it still looks like it could leave a nasty scar.

"Here, you can have this just so you're not completely done for. It's just made from the spare bits these things spit out sometimes, so don't expect it to last you very long."

>Thank him and leave the stand.
>Ask for a bigger weapon.

>>2414252
>>Thank him and leave the stand.

>>2414252
>>Thank him and leave the stand.
Faust got a free knife, no need to provoke the friendly merchant.

>>2414252
>Thank him and leave the stand.
hah, that paid off

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>>2414252
With your new organic knife in hand, you thank the merchant and leave his stand. Martha taps her foot somewhat impatiently, waiting for you to be ready to leave.

What do you do?

>Go to the food stand.
>Go to the light stand.
>Head out with Martha.

>>2415500
>>Head out with Martha.

Rolled 1 (1d100)

>>2415500
>Channel the mystic energies of the number one-hundred

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>>2415500
You go over to Martha and tell her you are ready to leave. With a nod, she leads you back to the hall where you came from. You keep walking until you reach the dead end wall, the hatch you fell in from far above you. Martha gets on her hands and knees and digs into the corners of the wall and floor until she seems to grab onto something. With a pull, she drags out a comically large ladder! There was a hidden compartment!

"See? They can get out, then put it away when they're done."

---

You are now outside of the base, the world pitch black again. Your shadow map glows shifting shape left and right like it was liquid.

"The shadow map is a complex tool," says Martha, "it records the very forces that keep this place in perpetual darkness, and its markings dissipate whenever there is something that interrupts it. Simply follow the spaces through the markings and keep your eyes out for demons and sparks. When you find it, turn it on, and eventually someone will come for you."

Seems like a fancy way of saying 'just walk forward until things seem weird', but okay. You thank Martha for her help, making sure to call her Chief, and get walking, your eyes on the shifting map looking for any irregularities.

---

Uuuuuhhhhh! You've been walking forever! The map seems the same, you've seen nothing interesting, and you're not even sure if you remember how to backtrack. Maybe just focusing on one thing for awhile will help you out.

>Focus on watching the map and moving forward.
>Focus on seeing any light that breaks up the darkness.
>Focus on just entertaining yourself so you don't go crazy from boredom.

>>2415811
Unfortunately, you channeled practically nothing from the mystical number one-hundred. You require more faith.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrJMzeh7Shk

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>>2415881
>Focus on seeing any light that breaks up the darkness.

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>>2415881
You can't stand trying to read this map thing, so you decide to just trust your eyes. You will look for anything that stands out in the darkness, and then run right towards it. You put down the map and continue moving ahead slowly, trying to see anything that could lead you in the right way.

---

This has probably been your 50th resting stop so far, or maybe 51st. Time is hard to track, so you've resorted to try remembering every time you take a rest. The amount of time you're walking between those rests is always different, of course, but...whatever. You start to wonder, again, if this was all some elaborate trick to mess with you, when...

CRACK!

A great big spark in the sky! You can feel the warmth from here! Hallelujah! But before you can immediatly go running to it, you hear something...wrong.

ጎረሠዐዕሁዐፕክዐረረዐቻሠቻጎጎዪቿቿሠዐሁሃ

You freeze up. What the hell was that?!

"Excuse me. I could never get used to your language. I said, you should not follow that."

The voice is right behind you. It is deep and burrowing.

>Run towards the spark and away from the voice.
>Stand perfectly still, maybe it will leave you alone.
>Say hello to whatever is behind you.
>Attack whatever is behind you.

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>>2416512
And that's enough posts for me tonight. As always, thanks to everyone who got to participate today. I don't expect to be doing too many posts tomorrow, but we'll see what happens. Hopefully Faust has prepared himself for whatever happens next.

>>2416512
Oh shit! Red demon right behind us and an ominous "hopefully Faust is prepared".
We failed outrunning a demon last time, and he certainly won't just leave us alone.
He didn't just attack Faust so maybe we are lucky.
>Say hello to whatever is behind you.
>Keep your Knife ready.

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>>2416512
You decide that it would be smartest to try staying calm and speaking with whatever has snuck up behind you. You great the creature, but are too struck with worry to actually turn around. You probably wouldn't be able to see it anyway.

"And hello to you too. I am Valvethad. And don't worry, I'm not here to hurt you."

You've already thought about his name too much, so he's already hurt you a bit, unfortunately.

"I'm just warning you that going after that spark machine isn't going to do you any good. If it doesn't fry you to bits, the guards will get you. You're not the first human to go there, and I haven't met any humans who have returned."

>Ask him for more details on the others who have gone to the machine.
>Ask for help getting to it in one piece.
>Ask him why he cares to warn you.
>Assure him that you can handle yourself, then leave.
>Leave without a word.
>Attack.

>>2418140
>>Ask him why he cares to warn you.

>>2418177
This.

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>>2418140
You ask the demon why he would care about warning you. It lets out a smooth chuckle.

"Maybe I just feel like that spark maker makes things a little too easy. You should be wandering the dark until you go mad, not locked away in some electric cell being zapped constantly. There's no artistry in that at all."

You can feel his presence getting closer to you.

>Ask him for more details on the others who have gone to the machine.
>Ask for help getting to it in one piece.
>Assure him that you can handle yourself, then leave.
>Leave without a word.
>Attack.

>>2418486
>>Ask him for more details on the others who have gone to the machine.

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>>2418486
You need to know more. You ask the demon about the others who have gone after this "spark maker."

"Oh you know, the usual. Humans tired of not being able to see, curious treasure hunters, adventurers...and rebels, of course."

You can't help but look further into this. He's seen rebels go there before?

"Oh yes, I have. They think that they can use it as some kind of weapon, so I hear. They'll blow it up before that ever happens though. It's a doomed journey, really."

You thought they weren't sending rebel agents directly to the machines. Just what's going on here?

You feel the demon getting closer to you.

>Ask for help getting to it in one piece.
>Assure him that you can handle yourself, then leave.
>Leave without a word.
>Attack.

>>2418998
ask him for help in being able to see and if we know hes coming towards us, ask him why he is- it seems weird he warns us( to stop us from moving) then he comes to us like a predator

>>2419488
This. I'm getting suss af.

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>>2418998
You ask the demon if he can help you get to this machine, either by acting as a guide or, if possible, telling you how to better navigate the darkness.

"Still want to go there? Curiosity still driving you forward? My eyes are far better suited for this place than yours are, so I could lead you to the spark maker. But then again, I could also lead you astray. Why would I warn you not to go someplace, then show you how to get there?"

The demon is even closer to you now. You demand to know what he's doing, preparing to grab your knife.

"Are you scared? Don't be, human. I'm simply trying to get a closer look. Where I'm from, we don't often get to see humans act so boldly. I want to take it all in."

The demon seems to move past you.

"But back on topic, why should I help you?"

>Because you can make sure he is payed for his service.
>Because you can help save the souls that might be trapped there, and make things "fair" again.
>Because you have a feeling he wants something from the machine.
>Forget it, you'll go off on your own.
>Attack.

And with that, I gotta sign off for tonight. Busy day tomorrow, but I'll post where I can. Here's hoping everything works out for Faust!

>>2419810
>>Because you have a feeling he wants something from the machine.

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>>2419810
You can read this guy like a book...you think. Clearly he wants something from the machine, and he's just trying to keep people away so he can keep it for himself. Or maybe he's goading you on to go so that HE can have help getting to the machine. You're honestly not sure. But you accuse him of wanting something from it anyway.

"What could I ever want from that half-working thing? It's more likely to explode than anything else. Though...I suppose it could be stripped for parts here and there. I could make myself a fancy little frier from it."

The demon lets out another chuckle.

"Alright then human. Follow me. We shall go to the spark maker together. You will get what you want, and I will find something useful in return."

The demon starts to slither off in the direction you saw the spark, and you follow behind.

---

CRACK!

After another long trek, another bright explosion lights the darkness, only this time you see more than just some sparks. The silhouette of a massive factory stands before you, only a short walk away. But in that view you can also see the odd forms and shapes of figures moving throughout it, and though you have no time to count how many there are, you know you would be outnumbered.

"So," says Valvethad, "you now see just what you stand up against. How would you confront it?"

>You have no idea, what plan does the demon have?
>Have the demon lead you into the factory as a prisoner, and then sneak through it.
>Just sneak through it now and hide whenever it lights up.
>Just go up and turn it all on, demons be damned. You can do it fast enough before they get you.
>Go around the factory until you can find an easier way to enter it.

>>2420375
>Just sneak through it now and hide whenever it lights up.
let's go full stealth

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>>2420375
You tell the demon that you're going to try to sneak to the machine while it's dark and hide whenever it's about to light up.

"The towers of the spark maker will surge with power before bursting, so you may use that as a signal. I must warn you though, you will only have so much time to find a place to hide."

Noting his comments, you and the demon set out.

Slowly, methodically, you creep through the ground, trying to stay away from any low hanging glows, the glows of those wild demons with the light bulbs hanging from their heads. You are able to avoid them well enough, but their numbers are growing. You're just lucky that Valvethad continues to warn you whenever you're about to walk into a wall or trip over some wire. This is the most cluttered part of Nada you've found yet.

In a dark spot where the glowing bulbs of the wild demons are far off, you try to take a minute to rest, when...

crkcrkcrkcrkcrkcrk CRACK!

The world lights up, and in front of you is a man in a cage, SCREAMING!

"ARRRRGGHH HELP ME!"

It takes all your power not to shout in surprise and draw attention to yourself. Valvethat whispers to you.

"It looks like we have a friend."

The man in the cage, who you can no longer see, weakly calls out to you.

"Please...while the power is off...break the lock...free me..."

If you try to get this man out of here, there is a risk that you will be spotted in the open while the other demons are moving about. What do you do?

>Try to free the man.
>Ask him who he is and why he's here.
>Go ahead while leaving your demon companion to try saving the man.
>Send your demon companion ahead while you try to free the man.
>Leave him.

>>2420916
>Valvethat
Valvethad. Valve-Thad. Like Valve-Chad.

>>2420916
>>Ask him who he is and why he's here.
Knowledge is power.

>>2420916
>Ask him who he is and why he's here.

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>>2420916
You whisper to the man in the cage, asking him who he is and how he ended up here.

"I was just...following the light...they jumped me...been shocking me in this cage ever since...please..."

Valvethat whispers in your ear, quiet enough so the man won't hear him. "The moment you bring the spark machine to full capacity, the demons will leave, and then you can spend all the time you like freeing those trapped here. But getting him out now would only be wasting your time."

A thought crosses your head. If you turn on everything like you said you would, it might wind up driving a constant shock to this caged man. Yes, you might be able to get him out later, but who knows how long he might be frying in there...and who knows how many others are trapped in a situation just like his in this factory.

>Try to free the man.
>Go ahead while leaving your demon companion to try saving the man.
>Send your demon companion ahead while you try to free the man.
>Leave him.

Sorry again for the lack of posts, but I have got to snooze. Tomorrow will be a lot more free. I will leave you with this moral dilemma.

>>2421881
>said Valvethat again
I have failed you again, readers.

>>2421881
>>Go ahead while leaving your demon companion to try saving the man.

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>>2421881
You tell Valvethad to free the man from his cage while you go ahed and figure out how to turn this machine on.

"Are you sure? You would be losing my eyes."

You see more light bulbs bobbing towards your direction. Do they see you? You can't be sure. You just repeat your plan and run off, hoping you're heading in the right direction.

cluBOOM

As you run off, you can hear what you only imagine is Valvethad slamming himself against the cage. That's one way to try opening something, you suppose.

As you run, more and more round balls of light appear from the darkness. Some closer, some farther, but all coming to either investigate the noise your demon friend just made, or, if you're unlucky, you. You need to keep moving, you need to make sure you-- and BAM! You slam right into something metal and hard.

You fall onto your back and rub your throbbing skull in a weak attempt to ease the pain. Getting up to your knees, you try to feel around the area. To you left is what feels like a ladder. To your right is what feels like a staircase. Good thing you didn't fall to your right.

This creates a new question. Just where would the on switch of this thing be? Up above, or down below? You try to check the schematic of the thing, which glows softly thanks to the power of the Shadow Map, but even with that brief bit of vision the thing is so complicated that you can't tell at all where the on button would be.

Guess you have to guess, and soon, before these wild demons find you.

>Climb the ladder.
>Go down the stairs.

>>2422715
>>Climb the ladder.

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>>2422715
You cling onto the ladder in front of you and quickly, but carefully, try to climb up it. You have a good feeling that if you're gonna get away from these demons, it'd be better for you to head up to where you know the light will be, than down where you have no idea what might be waiting. As you look up, you see more faint crackles all above you, an atmosphere of electricity just waiting for another moment to strike. You keep climbing until your arms fly up and have nothing else to grab on. You almost lose your balance before getting hold of the platform above and pulling yourself on top of it.

CRACK!

Another burst of light! You use it to take in everything you can. Before you is a long metal walkway, followed by more ladders that lead up to some kind of massive electrical tower. Loose wires hang above you from other platforms, shooting out sparks at random intervals. To your horror, you think you can see the limp bodies of souls hanging from some of them, the wires wrapped around their necks. You shift your head away, only to see something worse.

Ahead of you, coming down the ladder in a panic, is one of the wild demons. Despite its intimidating stature, you can tell that it does not want to be up here, so close to danger. It turns in your direction.

Then everything goes dark again, save for the single, now red bulb of the demon.

>Attack it with your knife!
>Run away down the ladder!
>Try to run past it!
>Hang from the walkway, try to shimmy and sneak past it!
>Find some way to electrocute it!
>Call for help from your demon companion!

>>2423217
>Scream at the demon, make sure it knows you won't go down without a fight!

>>2423217
>>Hang from the walkway, try to shimmy and sneak past it!

>>2423217
>>Hang from the walkway, try to shimmy and sneak past it!
Metal Gear Underworld.

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>>2423217
Fighting this demon head on will do you no good, you already tried fighting one of these things and it turned your head into a chew toy. You quickly get low and slide off of the walkway, holding onto the edge as best as you can in the hopes of sneaking past the monster. It is killer on your arms, but you hold on with all your might, taking it one hand at a time, hoping you will not fall.

The demon above walks towards where it saw you, moving its head left and right. You can hear the thing sniffing for your, hungry. But it has not looked down, and outside of a brief moment where it's red light shined on the tips of your fingers, you think you might make it past him.

Then you bump into something heavy, and almost drop from the surprise alone. Luckily, you keep quiet. You just need to keep moving and--

CRACK!

The lights are back on, and in front of you is the hanging body of a woman held up by wires. Her glazed eyes are set on you.

"Help...me..."

This one is too much. You let out a yelp, and the demon is heading straight towards you.

What do you do?

>Climb up and run for the ladder!
>Keep trying to shimmy, you're already so close!
>Grab onto the hanging woman, the demon can't reach you from her.
>Drop.

>>2423611
>Climb up and run for the ladder!

>>2423611
>>Keep trying to shimmy, you're already so close!

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>>2423611
You need to get up this tower, and fast! With all your might, you drag yourself back on top of the walkway and run for it to the ladder, the wild demon fast approaching! You leap into the air to avoid the grasp of the creature and grab on tight to the bars ahead, then begin climbing them as quickly as possible. The red light gets closer and closer to you, but right as you think the demon is about to reach for you, it stops.

The sparks in the sky are growing more active. The demon steps back, afraid. You can see small sparks burst out from something above you, and then run down through metal through the ladder itself. You feel a short shock, nothing too intense, but you know that you should get out of here soon...

---

You find a place to rest midway up the tower. Constant darkness is no longer an issue, as the sky is constantly crackling with electricity. You are amazed that you haven't been fried to bits at this point. For as shoddy and dangerous as this place is, it somehow works well enough to give you places of safety. You still have a lot more of a climb to go before you reach the top of this tower, where all the storms being generated seem to be gravitated towards, so you take a moment to consider what you should do next.

>Continue climbing the tower.
>Take a minute to study the workings of the factory.
>Look down and check to see if your demon companion is alright.
>Just lie down and rest.

And once again, I must rest. Even on my free-er days, I can't seem to find the time to just sit down and pop these things out. Still, I appreciate all of your patience. We are almost to the end of this mission, who knows what might happen next!

>>2424338
>Continue climbing the tower.
Probably best we don't dawdle.

>>2424338
>>Take a minute to study the workings of the factory.

>>2424338
>Take a minute to study the workings of the factory.

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>>2424338
Running around left and right is tiring stuff, so you might as well take what respite you can. You walk over to the edge of the tower platform and look out at the factory around you. Wires spanning far as the eye can see, going from building to building, tower to tower, all sparking and bursting for the sole purpose of just creating more energy. The entire labyrinth has to be self automated, as none of the demons guarding the area actually want to be near it, much less keep its gears moving. You wonder just what could be powering such a complex system, even with half of it seeming to not even function. And of course, you wonder how in the world a massive complex like this could even end up in the middle of a dark void like Nada, and what the point of it all is. You could ponder for hours if you wanted, but your thoughts are interrupted by a sudden BOOM!

You turn to the noise. The ground of the platform ahead of you is now scorched. Before you can figure out what to do next, a long spear, sparking with electricity, comes up from the air and arch down towards your feet. You jump back and narrowly avoid the burst of bolts! The demons might be too afraid to climb up after you, but it looks like they've found a way to try to get you down!

>Get out of here, keep climbing!
>Hide and wait for the spears to stop coming.
>Get low and look over the platform, get more information on the attacks.

>>2425108
>Get out of here, keep climbing!

>>2425108
>>Get out of here, keep climbing!

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>>2425108
No time to think, just climb! You get onto the ladder and speed up it, electro spears slamming the ground below. You try not to look down or back towards where the spears are coming from, but you need to look up, and despite how far you get, a spear always finds some way to pierce right into the tower walls around the ladder. These monsters have some insane throwing arms!

You pick up the pace, praying that nothing stabs you or zaps you as the air gets thinner and the electricity in the air gets more intense.

You are so close to making it to the top, when a spear, launched from who knows how far back, arches down above you and EXPLODES into the top of the ladder. It begins to shake and wave, bolts belted and blasted apart from the impact. You scramble to grab the platform before the ladder comes down with you on it, and make one last JUMP...

You grab onto the last platform on the tower and drag yourself up, the ladder now falling down and clanking against metal as it does so, leaving you stranded at the top of the bright, constantly crackling structure. A single, rusty switch connected to countless wires stands before you. If this doesn't turn everything on, nothing will.

>Flip it on.
>Flip it on!
>FLIP THE THING ON NOW!
>No wait, let's think about this for a bit first.

>>2425672
>>FLIP THE THING ON NOW!

>>2425672
>>FLIP THE THING ON NOW!
Fire everything.

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>>2425672
NO TIME FOR THINKING, ONLY FLIPPING!

You fling the switch up, and are immediatly blinded by immense white light! Your body is burning, seizing up all the energy bursting from the device. You hear the guttural screams of demons and the pained cries of human souls all tangled together in a chorus of chaos. You fall on your back, your eyes rolling to the back of your head.

Everything goes dark again, and all you see is a scroll.

"With the flip of a switch, brought pain and
suffering to the souls of Nada."

---

You feel like you are in an oven when you awaken. You are surrounded by men and women you vaguely recognize from the rebel base.

"Man, you did a number on this place," says one woman, "we had to get our ladder from home just to get to you."

---

The trip back to the ground is all a haze to you, but now you are sitting on the ground, resting on a metal wall, watching as rebels move all around the factory. Some are pulling down hanging souls from their wire nooses, and others are pulling out strange machines from the inner workings of the complex.

In the distance, you can see what looks like Night Mother and Martha talking to one another. Even farther of from them, where the darkness starts to take over again, you think you can see the outline of Valvethad just...standing there.

What do you do?

>Ask the nearest rebel what's going on.
>Go to Night Mother and Martha and talk to them.
>Go speak to the demon.
>Explore the factory, now that it's monster free.

>>2426639
>>Go speak to the demon.
Clearly he either knows some shit OR has something to say. Let's find out what.

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>>2426639
I really wanted to write one more post for tonight, but I just do not have the time right now. We'll have to save it for tomorrow. Still, congratulations! You've finally turned the lights on!

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>>2426639
You have to speak with Valvethad. His presence and role in all of this all seems too fishy, something is going on with him. Or, if he really is just here to help, you can figure out what happened to him and that soul you told him to rescue.

You pass by Night Mother and Martha on your way to the demon. They try to speak with you, but your mind is too focused on the task at hand to hear what they were saying.

In the darkness, you see him.

"There you are, human. Congratulations on powering the spark maker. I must say, I am surprised you allied yourself with the rebellion, but perhaps I should have expected it."

>Ask what happened to the imprisoned soul.
>Ask what happened to himself after you left.
>Demand to know just what game he is playing here.

>>2427517
>>Ask what happened to the imprisoned soul.
>>Ask what happened to himself after you left.

>>2427517
>>>Ask what happened to the imprisoned soul.
>>Ask what happened to himself after you left.
>>Demand to know just what game he is playing here.
All three. Let's go!

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>>2427517
You've got a lot of questions to ask the demon, but you calm yourself and ask him the most pressing one first; just what happened to the trapped man in the electric cage.

"More worried about him than you are me, are you? Typical. You need not worry though, I freed him from bondage and gave him enough time to run off into the darkness. Those hungry animals tried to stop me, but I know how to handle those mindless things."

You are about to ask your next question, when Valvethad asks one of his own.

"Do you plan to continue working with the rebels, or was this merely a one time fling?"

>You will stand by the rebels whenever they need you.
>Working with them is just a means to an end.
>Refuse to answer his question until he answers more of yours.

>>2428455
>>Refuse to answer his question until he answers more of yours.

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>>2428667
You're not answering the demon's questions until he answers your own, and you make that as clear to him as you can with your firm tone. You're not playing games with him.

"Hm. You're letting your victory get to your head. How bold. Are all humans like this when they're let out of their cages?"

Once again, you demand to know just what exactly he did after you left, and what he really wants from all of this.

"I don't have to answer questions for someone who chooses to be so rude, even after I so kindly brought them here in the first place. I'll leave you to your little celebration. Perhaps next time you meet, you'll have time to think about your attitude. Goodbye, Faust."

You can't remember if you actually told him your name or not.

Valvethad slinks off into the darkness. You try to go after him, but he is far quicker than you realized, and in a moment he is gone.

>Ask the nearest rebel what's going on.
>Go to Night Mother and Martha and talk to them.
>Explore the factory, now that it's monster free.
>Keep looking for the demon.

>>2428808
BWHAAAAAAAA! BWEEEHHH! I DID NOT MEAN FOR THAT TO OCCUR! COME BACK!

>Go to Night Mother and Martha and talk to them.
Hopefully we can make up with him later. I just wanted more meta/info.

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>>2428848
You turn back and go over to Night Mother and Martha, who both look at you, quite confused.

"Are you okay, Faust?" asks Martha.

"That tower must have fried your head harder than we thought" says Night Mother.

Not sure of what to exactly say, you simply state that you've done what you were told to do.

"You sure did," says Martha, "this is going to help a lot of people. Now when people are damned to Nada, they'll at least have a true place to be safe. You should be proud."

"He should be more than proud," says Night Mother, "he should be payed, and paying him is what I'm going to do." She throws a wrinkly arm around your shoulder. "You want information? You got it. With this much light at our disposal, we can buy you a trip out of here easily, and you can go straight to a real rebel base where they can tell you what you want to know."

Speaking of what you want to know...
>Ask where you'll be going next.
>Ask what the rebels plan to do with the factory.
>Ask what the rebels plan to do with all the prisoners.
>Ask if the rebels have sent people to this factory before you, despite being told you were the first person to be sent directly.

>>2429275
>>Ask where you'll be going next.
>>Ask what the rebels plan to do with the factory.
>>Ask what the rebels plan to do with all the prisoners.
>>Ask if the rebels have sent people to this factory before you, despite being told you were the first person to be sent directly.
ALL OF IT.

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>>2429275
You lost your chance to ask Valvethad what you wanted to, so you're just gonna take your chance now. You blurt out each of your questions one after the other, much to Martha and Night Mother's surprise.

"Hold your horses," says Night Mother, let's take this one at a time.

>Where will you be going next.
"Well that's entirely up to you," says Night Mother, "we've boiled it down to a few key rebel bases we think might be able to help you the most, but if you just want to get a ticket and go wherever you want, be my guest."

>What do the rebels plan to do with the factory?
"Step one is just making sure the place can function long term without blowing up in our faces. Step two is using it to make tools for our boys out in the front."

>What do they plan to do with all the prisoners.
"I can answer that one," says Martha, giving Night Mother a coy look, "just like my followers from the Home, every prisoner that is found here will be free to stay in the safety of this light if they wish."

Night Mother sighs.

"Yes, that is the case. Though we've found so many already. Taking care of them all isn't going to be easy."

>Did the rebels send agents here, even though you were told you were the first.
Night Mother is silent for a moment before waving your suggestion off. "Of course not," she says, "what in the world are you talking about?

You get a feeling like while this has given you a little bit of info on everything, there is still more that can be learned.

>Ask to know the three locations Night Mother has in mind for you.
>Tell them that a demon suggested that rebellion members had been to this place before.
>Insist that Night Mother is hiding something from you without mentioning the demon.

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You know the drill by now. Heading off to bed, will be back sometime in the morning, I'll try to update where I can. But for real, congratulations on making it to this point. It looks like the second chapter of Faust's big adventure is coming to a close soon.

>>2429753
>>Insist that Night Mother is hiding something from you without mentioning the demon.
Know before you go.

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>>2429753
You continue to press Night Mother about the issue of agents going to the factory, but try not to actually mention what Valvethad told you. You don't want a group that's probably anti-demon to think you're making friends with anything non-human.

"I already told you, boy, there would be no point in sending agents who were already damned to Nada. The demons would know they would be coming, or at least be able make a good guess."

You tell her that there are too many prisoners here for none of them to be rebels.

"Maybe some are, but not any that I would have commanded. The Resistance is far larger than just me. Some think they are part of the Resistance without actually knowing anyone official."

You're not going to get anything out of her like this.

"Now," she says, "should we discuss where you'll be going next?"

>Ask to know the three locations Night Mother has in mind for you.
>Explore the factory for a bit first.
>Tell Night Mother that a demon told you about the rebels coming here.

>>2431919
>>Tell Night Mother that a demon told you about the rebels coming here.
Yup. Press her Law n' Order style.

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>>2431919
Okay, no more playing around. It's time to just come out and say it. You tell Night Mother and Martha that while going to the factory, you met a demon who told you that there had been rebels who came here before you did, and judging by the sheer amount of prisoners there are, you are inclined to believe him. You make sure not to reveal too much beyond that, such as the demon helping you get to the factory in the first place, but you can already tell that you've created an immediate shift of mood. Martha takes a few steps back, and Night Mother stares at you with daggers in her eyes.

Suddenly, Night Mother grabs your shoulders and pulls you close, digging her nails into your black, wispy skin.

"Listen to me, boy. Never trust anything a demon tells you. They're liars and tricksters who will say anything they can to sow doubt and confusion. They want nothing more than to destroy our cause from the inside, to have us rip each other apart."

If she doesn't let go of you soon, you're afraid she might just rip YOU apart.

"You're new to all of this, so I'm going to go easy on you, but never, and I mean NEVER, take a demons words of a humans. Even the lowest demon benefits from how the Underworld is run, and the moment the pressure is put on, they would turn on you in a minute."

You're not sure if she's still talking about the same thing anymore. Then, she let's you go.

"You have places to be. Let's discuss where you're heading next."

Then, everything goes black.

You see the wheel of the Underworld, and hear Night Mother's voice.

"The Arcane would be the first place I'd recommend going if you want information. If your condition is caused by the magical forces of the Underworld in any way, shape, or form, those nutjobs living there will know what to do. Just try not to get turned into a toad."

"Your condition might not be magical though. It could be some problem caused by the bloated system that runs the Underworld. There are rebels in the Demonic Bureaucracy who could help figure that out. But as it's more or less a demonic capital, I might be worried about heading there."

"Finally," she says, "there's Old Hell. In any other case, I'd say NEVER go to Old Hell, but the knowledge and history there is ancient, hence the name. Maybe what's happened to you has happened before, and if it has, the rebels there will know."

"You could also go anywhere else you want," she suggests, "if you just want to get out of this now. There are rebels everywhere, though I don't know if they'll know as much as the three I've just told you about."

Where do you want to go?
>NOTE: This will determine the mood and direction of the next stage of your adventure. Make your choice wisely.

>The Arcane
>Demonic Bureaucracy
>Old Hell

>Vice City (been here before)
>Carnage
>Dune
>Raijin Valley
>Dú
>The Evergrowth
>Styx
>Cocytus
>Nada (YOU ARE HERE)

>>2441963
>>Old Hell

>>2441963
>>The Arcane
So curious, QM. So curious.

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>>2441963
"Old Hell," you say, only seeing the wheel ahead of you, "I will go to Old Hell."

---

Martha is looking at you with wide eyes, like you've just made the dumbest decision in your life. Night Mother lets out a cackling laugh.

"You've got balls, Faust. First you deep fry yourself to help us out, and now you want to go to the land of fire and brimstone. I won't lie to you, you're gonna get hurt real bad down there, but I have a feeling you're gonna find what you need, especially if you keep up that can do attitude."

For a second, you reconsider what you've chosen. If Old Hell is what you think it is, you may wind up being stabbed by pitchforks and cooked over coals. But something deep inside you tells you that this is where you need to be.

"Come on now," says Night Mother, "you need to pay for that ticket before you go anywhere."

---

With everything from candles to flashlights and glowing organic bulbs of light all in a bag, you ask to buy a ticket from Jared, the half-demon ticket taker back at his post in the train station. You want to go to Old Hell.

"Wait wait wait, hold on there friend. You go down to Nada, a void of nothingness and wild demons who just wan to eat your damned face. You somehow, beyond all expectations, find all this light. And you decide to buy a ticket to a place where people are actually tortured...ah whatever, I'm not payed to ask questions. It's your damnation."

You give up the light.

He gives you a ticket.

Soon after, a great train chugs down the track that hangs above the pit. Flames and smoke seem to bellow from all corners. The doors fling open for you. You step inside, and prepare for whatever the future has in place for you.

And that is the end of Episode 2! Thank you all so much for contributing and exploring this strange world with me. Episode 3 will most likely come up within the next few days, after I give myself a bit of time to prepare the sights and sounds that await you in Old Hell.

For anyone new checking this out, feel free to talk with me and other fans of this quest on the discord channel. It's a real casual chat, so if you have any questions or suggestions to better improve the quest, feel free to share them here. https://discord.gg/BScByX