>>2496911
Demand to know just what is going on here.

>>2496911
just stand there enjoying the hilarity of the situation

laugh it up, and cooperate with anyone who gives you a command

>>2496956
unless they tell you to stop laughing, if they do then just ignore that

Rolled 2 (1d2)

>>2496922
>1
>>2496956
>2
Usually I would roll dice under the table to get through a tie breaker, but I'm gonna try to be more transparent this time and see how far that gets us.

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>>2496911
You know, you've been in a lot of crazy situations so far in the Underworld, trying to sneak into a demon boy band's concert, fighting over lightbulbs in Nada, you even got your ass saved from a demon by a sentient mountain just a little while ago. But this situation, right here? This is making you laugh up a storm!

The man holding you hostage doesn't know what to make of this. "W-What the hell?! Why are you laughing? You better shut up before I cut you!"

As you try to stifle your laughter (poorly), the demons look back and forth at each other, equally confused. Then, the demon completely made of fire speaks.

"He's laughing because he's not afraid of you. The worst you can do to him is slice him with that cheap knife, even if it hurts he'll be up again before you know it. But we can do far worse to you if you end up hurting him. So let the man go and give up."

The man brings the knife closer to your throat.

"N-Never! I'm not letting you freaks touch me!"

The man starts to slowly drag you down the road with him, keeping his eyes on the demons.

>Be compliant, move with him.
>Be defiant, go limp.
>Be REALLY defiant, start struggling.
>Be EXTRA defiant, try to stab him with your pitch fork.

>>2496983
>Be compliant, move with him.
step on his spear or his foot if you get a chance, but make it look like an accident

>>2496983
>>Be defiant, go limp.

Rolled 2 (1d2)

>>2496999
>1
>>2497055
>2

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>>2496983
This situation might be funny, but it's this guy that's going to be the punchline, not you. You immediatly go limp and try to be as heavy and unresponsive as possible. You can hear the man physically straining as he pulls you along, a challenge made all the more difficult by the fact that he still has a spear lodged through his body.

"Get up you sonofa--"

He stops for a moment, lifts the knife, and drags it down your cheek, leaving a long, thin cut! Ouch!

"Yeah, that hurts, doesn't it? Get moving!"

You grit your teeth and de-limp yourself just a bit to make him think you're helping, and as you do, you, and him, notice that one of the four demons down the road (one of the red skinned, horned ones) is missing!

"Fuck fuck fuck! Where'd he go!?"

In a burst of strength, the man spins around left and right, looking for the demon and taking you with him.

>Just stay quiet and let the demons do their thing.
>Try to reason with the man; surrendering is the only easy way out of here.
>Try to get answers from the man; why are the demons after him?
>Try to belittle the man; he's doomed!

>>2497076
>>Try to get answers from the man; why are the demons after him?

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>>2497076
As long as you're stuck in this situation, you might as well ask your captor just what is going on. I mean, what do you have to lose? You ask the man why the demons are after him.

"They're crazy. Buncha crazy cultist demon fucks or something, they want to lock me up in a room and torture me forever, and I won't let that happen, even if that means I need to fuck you over to get away."

"You must be punished for your crimes," yells the demon on fire, "every minute you prolong this only makes it worse for you."

"Hey, screw you--"

Before the man can even finish, a spear sails across the sky and pierces the man right through the head!

He falls to the ground, gurgling in pain, his screams coming out of his mouth like phantoms and dissipating into the air. You breath a sigh of relief as the demons come down the road and circle around you. You look up to see the missing demon, who obviously threw said spear, jump down and join the group.

"Are you okay?" asks the flame demon.

>Thank them for saving you.
>Demand to know their side of the story.
>Accuse them of being some "crazy cultist demons"
>Run away!

>>2497200
Ask politely for their side of the story.

>>2497200
>>Thank them for saving you.

Rolled 1 (1d2)

>>2497220
>1
>>2497222
>2

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>>2497200
You want to know more details about just what is happening, but it's best if you ask about them politely so as to not offend the demons who just saved your life. Panting a bit to, you calmly ask them if they can explain just why they're after this man. The flame demon bends his knees and looks down at you, like a father about to speak to his child.

"This is a very bad man, my friend. In life, he brutally kidnapped and murdered men and women for sport. And now that he's down here, he needs to pay penance for his crimes. We are simply the ones here to help him do that."

You look to the man splayed out on the ground. His eyes meet yours, but he is in too much pain to speak beyond gurgles.

The demon extends his flaming hand to you. "I'm Rarzas. Pleasure to meet you."

Before you can do anything, he pulls his hand back. "Don't worry, that was just a formality, I don't want to burn you. Me and my friends here are going to take this man back to where he belongs. You're welcome to come along if you'd like. You seem a bit...lost."

>Agree to follow the flame demon and his friends.
>Politely decline.
>Ask for more details about who these demons really are.
>Ask for more details about what they plan to do to this man.

>>2497351
walk along with them as you ask them what kind of pizza topping they would be, and what they do for fun

make nice nice

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>>2497351
You decide that you might as well try making a few friends, and accept Rarzas' offer to tag along.

"Good, good. Once we get this man locked up, we'll sit down together and have a nice chat about things."

The three horned demons lift up the speared' man's body, and follow the flame demon as he walks down the road. You follow close to his side.

As you pass more near-identical buildings, and catch the glimpses of many strange and bizarre demons from inside their homes, you try to make casual conversation with Rarzas. Comments on the heat, questions about what they do for fun, what type of pizza toppings they would be, ect. Some of these questions are so odd that the other demons join in and try to answer them. All in all it's nothing too memorable, but it gets a good laugh out of the flame demon and his buddies. The speared man, reasonably so, stays quiet, silently fuming at you.

Eventually you are brought towards a bizarre set up of buildings unlike the ones you've seen before. The simple square shapes of each building are the same, but they are now all stacked and connected together, like a mismatched staircase.

"Home sweet home," says the flame demon, heading inside one of the buildings. Just as you are about to follow in with him, he stops in place, and you need to stop yourself before you get a face full of flames.

"You know, we've been having lots of fun getting here, and I haven't even asked your name yet. My apologies, just who exactly are you?"

The other demons look you over curiously, waiting for an answer.

>Be brief; Your name is Faust, you're a relatively new soul to the Underworld.
>Be more honest; Your name is Faust, you're new to the Underworld, and you have a bit of amnesia as to who you really are.
>Be deceitful, these demons can't be trusted yet; Make up a name and a story for yourself.
>Be silent; those details are for you and you alone.

>>2497484
Ask them how important my name really is to them. We're just casual walking buddies, after all. If they really need a name, others call us Faust, they may do the same.

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>>2497484
You want to be friendly, but you don't want to be an open book either. You simply tell him that friends call you Faust, though really, what's so important about a name anyway?

The flame demon does not move from the doorway. He simply turns to you and begins to speak.

"A name is a powerful thing, Faust. The power a name can give someone is immense."

Okaaaaaaay?

The flame demon enters the building, and you soon follow along with the other demons.

The inside of the building is NOT what you expected. Comfy looking chairs, televisions, a bar, sports memorabilia on the walls, along with posters of various people and demonic entities you don't know. This is a regular man cave! The only thing off from here is the strange, dark hole in the corner of the room...where the three horned demons drop the captured man down!

"There," spits out one of the demons, "that takes care of that." The demons all laugh and pat each other on the back for a job well done. The screams of the man can be heard growing farther and farther away as he falls.

"So," says Rarzas, "now that we've got that out of the way, we can finally relax. You want something to drink?"

>Ask why this place looks so casual.
>Ask for more details on who these demons are and why they're torturing people.
>Ask if they know any places where humans will be safe in Old Hell.
>Ask if there's any place, besides the Red Library, where someone could learn some history about this realm of the Underworld.
>Ask if they know anything about the Resistance (RISKY QUESTION TO ASK)

>>2497907
I'm not thirsty, thanks. How did that guy excape from his hole in the first place?

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>>2497907
You decline the drink, as there is a more pressing issue on your mind beyond thirst. Just how in the world did that man escape that hole in the ground?

Rarzas gives you a chuckle. "He didn't get out of there before. He was on the run from a brutality barge, and we were hired to find him. This is the first time he's been down there, and he's not getting out until he's good and ready to be let out."

Brutality barge? What in the world is a brutality barge? Eh, whatever, you'll ask about that later.

"Listen," says the flame demon, "I want you to know that we don't plan to do anything to you." The other demons nod as he says this. "You see, we get what it's like to be a human soul trapped here. Most of us actually WERE humans at one point. So we're not just going to torture people for no reason."

Wait, what? These demons used to be humans!?

>Ask them how they turned into demons.
>Ask them WHY they turned into demons.
>Ask them why their house is so oddly made.
>Ask them what a brutality barge is.
>Ask for more details on who these demons are and why they're torturing people.
>Ask if they know any places where humans will be safe in Old Hell.
>Ask if there's any place, besides the Red Library, where someone could learn some history about this realm of the Underworld.
>Ask if they know anything about the Resistance (RISKY QUESTION TO ASK)

>>2498147
Ask them if becoming a demon means that they paid their debt for their sins. Ask them if a demon can sin.

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>>2498147
This actually could serve to be a good opportunity to not only learn a bit more of "demonification" or whatever the process of becoming a demon is called, but also potentially learn a bit about what's happening to your Soul Scroll!

Very casually, you ask if becoming a demon is a way that humans can be redeemed for their sins, and if demons in general can still sin.

"Excellent question, Faust," says the flame demon, "becoming a demon is one of the most common ways that souls try to redeem themselves. They can't really be tortured anymore if they're doing the torturing right? I'm not going to lie, once you pledge yourself to one of the Demon Lords, things do get better for you. But that doesn't mean that demons are free from sinning themselves. If anything, it becomes somewhat easier to track if a demon is doing something wrong, as they are now a small part of the Demon Lords themselves."

So wait...could that be an explanation? Are you a demon? No no, that doesn't make any sense, there has to be more to this.

>Ask for further details.
>Ask them why their house is so oddly made.
>Ask them what a brutality barge is.
>Ask if they know any places where humans will be safe in Old Hell.
>Ask if there's any place, besides the Red Library, where someone could learn some history about this realm of the Underworld.
>Ask if they know anything about the Resistance (RISKY QUESTION TO ASK)
>Get out of here.

>>2498315
You say this is the most common method, what are the others?

>>2498315
Also, do you know a Delgrimok? Ran into him on the road back there, strange fella.

>>2498315
Gotta head out for a bit, will be back in a few hours.

>>2498373
Love your quest, btw. Shame the participation is so spotty.

>>2498373
going to sleep, myself

>>2498342
This

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>>2498315
You need to look into this further, so you ask the demons if there are other ways that souls can be redeemed beyond becoming demons. There is a silence in the room, before one of the horned demons speaks up to answer the question.

"Um...you do know 'redemption' is a relative thing, correct? There are no angels looking down on you waiting to wipe your sins away. Once you're down here, that is it. Getting redemption is just a personal thing."

"Still," says Rarzas, "if you are looking for a way to atone for sins, we would be more than happy to help you do some good. Don't worry, there's more you can do in Old Hell than hurt people."

>Ask them how they can help you "redeem yourself."
>Ask them where you can learn more history about Old Hell
>Ask them if they know anything about the Resistance
>Ask them [write in]

Really sorry for the late reply, things stretched on longer than I expected. That's about it for updates tonight, but I'll try to get more in tomorrow where I can.

>>2499301
>Ask then if they know anything about the Resistance

>>2499301
>Ask them how they can help you "redeem yourself."

Rolled 1 (1d2)

Apologies for the late updates.

>>2499301
1
>>2501484
2

>>2501737
whenever, it's like a game of chess through the snail mail back in the day

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>>2499301
You've been beating around the bush for too long. You came here to find a group of demons that are helping the Resistance, and so far these demons, despite their...interesting line of work, seem pretty friendly to you. And if they were former humans, they NEED to know something!

As casually as you can, you briefly ask if the Resistance members are trying to be redeemed.

If the room was quiet before, now it's downright soundless. The demons look back and forth between each other, and then all eyes (and flames that might be eyes) are on you.

"Faust," says the flame demon, "what do you know about the Resistance? Do you know how...dangerous they can be."

Uuuhhhh...

The demons begin to encircle you.

>Tell them Night Mother sent you!
>Tell them you know that the Resistance is a threat!
>Tell them you don't know anything about the Resistance!
>Tell them that you are a friend to the Resistance!
>Tell them you're just joking!

>>>Tell them you don't know anything about the Resistance!

heard about them from delgrimok, btw guys, do you know him because he's supiciously conspicuous

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>>2501797
Resistance!? You? Know anything about the Resistance? Naaaaah, no way, you wouldn't know anything about something like that. You try to make it as clear to these imposing demons as you can that you have never, in no way, shape, or form, know anything about the Resistance.

When they just slightly judge you, you quickly try to shift the discussion over. You bring up Delgrimok, the demon who told you some crazy rumor about Resistance members being in this town, and ask if anyone here knows anything about him.

"No," says Rarzas, "can't say I have." He slowly walks over to the wall, next to a picture of some Underworld sports star (you can't make out a name or whatever sport this is, as the writing is all in demonic), and flips it over, revealing, of all things, a crude map of the Underworld, just like the one you saw back in the Nada Resistance base!

"But he sure sounds like a crazy guy. Haven't heard of any Resistance members here." One of the horned demons winks at you.

It looks like these demons ARE part of the Resistance...or maybe they're trying to trick you!

>Relax, tell them about your connections to the the Resistance group in Nada.
>Ask them if the REALLY are Resistance members.
>Cut to the chase; you need help figuring out why your Soul Scroll is blank.
>Play dumb; you still have nooooo idea what a resistance even is.

>>2503129
just ask, "what do you guys get out of the deal?"

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>>2503129
Okay, now you need some explanation. These guys might have been humans before, but they're demons now! Why would they be fighting for humanity if they gave their humanity up? Put simply, you ask them what they get out of the deal.

One of the demons makes sure the door is closed. Another demon closes a metal lid over the hole where they threw in the speared human. Rarzas clears his throat and speaks.

"Revenge."

The demons all nod, agreeing silently.

"The Demon Lords are corrupt, and so is how they run the Underworld. They don't want to punish the wicked, they want to prolong their suffering indefinitely and get off on the power it gives them, keeping demonkind above humanity forever. We gave up our humanity so that we could take a little piece of their power and turn it against them."

The demons hoot and holler in agreement.

"We work on the inside, sowing chaos wherever we can. And one day, when the Demon Lords are toppled, demonkind and humankind can finally live equally."

That's one lofty dream they've got there.

>Tell them about your Soul Scroll.
>Tell them you want to help the Resistance.
>Point out the flaws; shouldn't the Demon Lords, or any demon in power, know you're up to something?

>>2503338
>Point out the flaws; shouldn't the Demon Lords, or any demon in power, know you're up to something?
also ask if they know how scrolls are accessed, who can access them, who can write on them and how

>>2503338
"isn't the revenge motive just two steps back? wrath in another form? are there penalties to motive for demons?"

Oh shit. This quest is picking up!

Good on you for running DM!

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>>2503338
Wait, there's some holes in their plan here. They just told you a few moments ago that demons are PART of the Demon Lords, and that watching them is actually easier than watching a human soul. So where's the logic in turning into demons if you're going to fight against demons?

Rarzas sighs. "You are...correct, in a sense. We can't just run around tearing down walls and calling for revolution, but the Demon Lords and their lackies in the Demonic Bureaucracy are not omnipotent. You aren't being judged by bad thoughts or a nasty comment, you're judged for sins that's effects cause great change for you and those around you. A little misplaced tool here or an escaped resistance member there won't draw their attention. So we can do a lot...just very slowly, over a very, very long time..."

"But," says one of the horned demons, "you could help us--"

Another demon quickly shuts his mouth. Hmmm...

>Ask how you can help.
>Ask for more details about Soul Scrolls.
>Talk about YOUR Soul Scroll.

>>2503676
Thanks man! I appreciate the morale boost. I know this quest is pretty barren so far but I'm gonna try to keep it up.

>>2503702

>>Talk about YOUR Soul Scroll.
>Ask how you can help.
Give a little history about yourself, your experience at the gate, and mention that you're a helpful sort, if there's not too much trouble involved.

>>2503702
Ask them if they can see the color of my soul like I seem to be able to with other humans. And if they are linked to Old Hell, or if they can leave.

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>>2503702
Well, they're rebels, so telling them about your situation wouldn't be too bad. You immediatly tell them the skimmed down version of your adventures so far; being dropped into the Underworld, going to Vice City, helping the Resistance in Nada, and most importantly, the fact that your soul scroll is completely blank. As you tell your story, the demons cannot help but listen intently to every word, giving you their fullest attention.

"Well," says the flame demon, "that does explain a few things. No wonder you haven't been damned to a realm yet."

This brings up another question of yours. You're the only black soul that you've seen outside of the souls back at the gates of the Underworld, and yet most of the time people don't even comment on how much you stand out. What's the deal with that?

The talkative horned demon speaks up. "Listen, enough weird stuff happens in the Underworld that most of the time you just don't question it. Sure, you being a black soul was a little weird, but it's not like it's the FIRST time one's been down here."

Woah woah now, what now?

"Forget about that," says Rarzas, "if you really are willing to help us in exchange for information, I believe we can work something out."

>Agree to help with whatever; you want information.
>Agree to help with whatever; you want to support the Resistance.
>You need to know what they want you to do before you agree to anything.
>You've helped the Resistance enough, can't they just help you figure out what's up with you?

>>2504409
>Agree to help with whatever; you want information.

>>2504409
>You need to know what they want you to do before you agree to anything.

Rolled 1 (1d2)

>>2504433
>1
>>2504605
>2

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>>2504409
Almost immediatly, you agree to help the demons, not even asking what it is they want you to do. All you ask in exchange is for any information that can help explain the bizarre circumstances surrounding you and your soul scroll.

"I tell you this now, Faust," says Rarzas "I do not have the answers. But over the course of our many years in Old Hell, we have accumulated many historical texts of all varieties, anything that could help us know the enemy. And I assure you, while you are working with us, we will go through everything in our possession to find the answers you seek."

The demon heads back to the crude map of the Underworld, and points a singular burning finger (it looks like more of a flaming clump than anything else) to where Old Hell is.

"Old Hell is the vision of the Demon Lords burned down to its essence. A place where demons profit on the suffering of humans, and brutality reigns supreme. The more we can destabilize Old Hell and what it stands for, the more we will break down that vision."

He then points down to the hole in the corner of the room.

"This man down there was from a torture barge sailing across Lake Languish. But under Lake Languish and its molten lava is a prison and torture center unlike any other in Old Hell, where those the Demon Lords want hidden away are sent. They call it the Agony in hushed whispers. "

The other demons shutter at the mention of the name.

"One of our allies, a demon by the name of Mannath, is trapped down there. We have been trying to rescue him for ages, but there is no way that any of us could go directly after him. We need you to be taken down into Agony, free him from his cell, and escape the prison with him."

>You're ready to do it as soon as possible.
>Ask why they can't save this guy themselves.
>Ask how you're supposed to get to it.
>Ask for the right tools to pull that off.
>Information first, than you'll help them.
>Decline.

>>2504680
Ask how they expect the escape to work and if we have time to recruit help. Maybe Delgrimok can help us out.

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>>2504711
A prison break, huh? Well, you've technically been part of a prison break before back in Vice City, so that shouldn't be too bad. Still, this place is apparently at the bottom of a lake of lava, so that would make getting out of it pretty difficult. You ask Rarzas just how this escape should work.

"You must forgive me, but I can't reveal all the details yet. Secrecy is important, and if someone or something were to catch you too soon, I can't have you revealing our plans to them before they've even started. Just know that you will be given the instruction needed, and that once Mannath is free from whatever cell they've placed him in, leaving the prison will be nothing to worry about."

You then ask him if there is enough time for you to potentially recruit help of some kind before this mission begins.

"We won't send you down to that place until you are good and ready, but I strongly advise you not to go looking for others. This needs to be a subtle job. The more people who know about it, the more dangerous it will get."

>You're ready to do it as soon as possible.
>Ask for some time to prepare before going.
>Ask for tools to pull this off.
>Decline.

>>2504919
Well let's ask how they can help us to get ready, whether it's tools or some kind of Intel they have on the site or extraction process, we don't wanna go in blind here.

BTW good job OP thoroughly enjoying this quest!

>>2504919
supporting p revious post and adding that we don't understand how to properly threaten a demon, should we get in a confrontation, if there's no death then where do demons hold their value? is it in their strength or power? if so, how can a human even stand a chance against any demon who would do him harm? ask that kind of stuff.

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>>2504919
You ask Rarzas if there is any tools you'll need for the job. Weapons, intel, anything that will make it so you won't be going in blind.

"Intel won't be an issue. We have ways of getting messages in and out when needed, so don't concern yourself. Tools are an issue though, we can't send you in with that pitch fork of yours, too obvious, they'd take that right away. But that knife you have there, it could do us some good. Human souls may lack the raw strength that demons do, but they make up for that in durability. Demons die and become one with the Demon Lords, humans just keep getting back up. If you can get that fatal blow in with your little knife, you'll be set. And I believe we can apply some...special materials to it so it's not all on you. Still, if all goes well you won't need to be fighting anyone until the break out, and Mannath will be able to take care of you then."

Is he implying some sort of poison tip to your lame organic knife? Sweet.

>You're ready to do it as soon as possible.
>Head out a bit to prepare.
>Decline

let's do it!

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>>2505808
Well, you're convinced. Another dangerous mission with the promise of answers at the end, you can handle this.

---

The process of getting prepared is easy enough. The demons strip you of all your gear, telling you they will keep it safe. They lace your organic knife with a strange, sparkling liquid out of small pot, and give it back to you. And then from there, you leave Devil Housing with you and travel to Lake Languish.

If there was any iconic image of Hell in your head, Lake Languish would be it. A massive and burning sea of lava, filled with the screams of who knows how many people burning alive inside of it. Large, rusty ships sail across the hot lake, covered in barbs and spikes on all sides. This...is pretty fucked up.

The four demons stand by your side. You are all a good distance away from the lake at this point, just scouting it out, determining the best course of action. Rarzas speaks.

"There are two ways we can get you into Agony. The easy way is simple enough. We turn you in as rebel spy and send you onto one of the brutality barges, where they send you down into Agony. We'll need to find a way to better hide that knife of yours, and you will be there as a prisoner, but it is the simplest way to do it."

Okay, sounds good enough. But what about the other way?

"The other way is, well...Agony is under this lake. The reason we need to use brutality barges to get around is because demons would die if they touched the lake. Humans, though...."

The talkative horned demon interrupts.

"He's saying he wants you to dive into the lava and keep swimming down until you find the place."

Rarzas shoves the demon aside, scorching his shirt.

>You want to be taken in as a prisoner.
>You want to swim through the lava.
>BOTH OF THOSE OPTIONS SOUND TERRIBLE!

>>2506091
enjoying the quest DM, but I feel sometimes that our decisons dont have much of an effect, because u already have the whole story planned out.

that said,
>swim through the lava

>>2506553
support

I have been intrigued with the idea, but with the removal of real consequences, it seems a little flat. So far, nothing Faust does seems to matter. The only thing we have affected is our Soul Scroll and we don't know enough about it to understand the consequences. That's why I want answers. If we don't get them soon, then it's an eternity of wandering in a surreal shitshow or throwing in the towel and trying to become a demon ourselves, neither of which are appealing to me.

>>2506593
Also, what happens to a demon when they die? Is there a Hell for Hell?

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>>2506553
Oh no, the whole story is not planned out. Story beats elements are known, and I admit this section was a little narrow in focus, but if you want to just walk away from what's going on and do something else, I will not stop that.

>>2506091
I apologize for that sense of aimlessness, as that is not my intention at all. The choices that Faust makes do indeed have lasting effects. They just aren't seen yet because he has moved from different place to place. If you would like to stick around and see more things play out in the realms you are in, by all means suggest so. Still, I will try to make the impact of what you are doing more clear.

>>2506091
After some thought, you decide that a little pain in order to keep your freedom wouldn't be so bad, and say that you'll take the swim. The demons look at you, concerned.

"Um...are you sure?"

You nod your head. You've been stabbed, electrocuted, lit on fire, what's some lava to you?

"Um...okay, if you're sure."

The demons lead you along, to the burning lake.

---

You sit in a small, makeshift rowboat carved out of metal and other strange scraps. This heat is UNBEARABLE! How does this little boat keep from melting? You try not to think about it too hard. The demons told you where to dive and to just keep swimming down until you made contact with the metal walls of Agony. You step up, take a deep breath, and dive-- DEAR GOD YOU'RE ON FIRE!

IT BURNS! IT BURNS! YOU'RE SINKING AND ALL YOUR FLESH IS MELTING AWAY! YOUR BONES ARE BURSTING INTO FLAMES! WHY DID YOU DO THIS WHY WHY WHY?! YOU ARE BLIND!

>GET OUT GET OUT GET OUT
>KEEP SWIMMING

>>2506593
Sorry, meant to directly link you to >>2506742

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>>2506742
just keep swimming, just keep swimming!

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>>2506742
WHY!? WHY!? WHY ARE YOU STILL SWIMMING? YOU ARE BEING MELTED DOWN INTO NOTHING! YOU ARE DROWNING IN FIRE!

Everything goes black.

You wake up sometime later and EVERYTHING IS STILL BURNING WHY

And then everything is black again.

You wake up-- NOTHING BUT PAIN!

---

This continues for who knows how long. Pain, then death, then pain, then death, then pain, over and over again. This is by far the greatest torture that you have yet endured in the Underworld. You can no longer think, as it is far too great of an effort. You simply sink.

Suddenly, you feel something! It's burning hot, but it is solid, it is metal! You are blind the moment you come back to life again, but this has to be Agony, it has to be!

>BANG ON THE METAL!
>FEEL AROUND THE METAL FOR ANYTHING TO HOLD ONTO!
>SINK FARTHER, FOLLOW THE METAL!

>>2507045
Feel around, its probably a handle to a hatch or something. Banging just draws unnecessary attention and following a metal structure in the flow of lava probably isn't a good idea since it might just be moving forever...

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>>2507045
You slap your scalded, boney hands all over the metal structure, hoping, BEGGING, for there to be something to grab. A hatch, a valve, a door, anything! You just need to...

GRAB
ONTO
SOMETHING!

Greeeeeeeeeeeeeenk

You are pulled forward with the lava.
You face slams against hot, but comparatively much cooler, metal.
And you are dead again...

When you wake up, all the lava is all gone, save for a few sizzling puddles on the ground. Porthole windows on the the metal walls show nothing but the blinding bright lava. There are strange, large devices scattered about that almost look like...washing machines?

A long, stretchy looking skeleton stands over you.

"Um...who the fuck are you?

>ATTACK!
>Make up some sort of excuse.
>Beg for help, you are in immense pain still.
>Take him hostage.
>Ask who HE is.

>>2508065
>>Make up some sort of excuse.
Faust seems to lie frequently.

Tell him we're here to inspect the premises. Make sure everything's on the up and up. Hush hush like. Internal Affairs so secret you don't even know they exist.

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>>2508814
You try to tell the skeleton creature that you are building inspector sent to make sure that this place is up to quality.

What it comes out as is "AAAAAAGGGGHHH INSPECTOR GRAAAGAGAHGGH INTERNAL AFFAAAAAAIIIRS!"

The skeleton drags you up and gives you a slap across the face.

"Get a hold of yourself, human! Save that screaming for the torturing, you're wasting good screams!"

He places you down again.

"Listen, if you were really some kind of inspector guy, you'd have some papers. And if you're swimming through lava to get here, I don't think you'd want to carry papers on you. So, let me ask you again, who the fuck are you?"

>ATTACK!
>Double down; you're an inspector and you needed to inspect the lava.
>Come clean; you're here looking for a demon named Mannath.
>"Come clean"; make up a new lie about yourself.
>Just chill out for awhile.

>>2508889
>Double down; you're an inspector and you needed to inspect the lava.

Theres been reports that resistance peeps have found a way to not be burned by the lava and are hiding in it.

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>>2508906
No no, this plan is going to work. You continue to explain that you're an inspector not only here to check for any faults in the structure, but specifically threw yourself into the lava to make sure that resistance members couldn't easily make it down here this way.

What it actually comes out as is something more like "Huh...lava...inspecting way down the lava...resistance...in pain...I'm an inspector."

"Alright alright, whatever you say 'Mr. Inspector.' You're gonna have to come with me though. The boss is gonna need to see your papers, or whatever you've got on your uh...half burned up self."

The skeleton takes your hand and drags you out of the laundry room. You don't really put up much resistance.

Outside of the room, you find yourself standing on top of a large walkway, looking over a long, rectangular room filled to the brim with countless human souls! Not all of them red either. Some blue, some green, even a few purple ones here and there...but mostly red. What is strange is that these souls seem to be casually communicating with one another, among other things. Laughing, playing with cards; in short, they don't seem much like prisoners.

Looking around this second floor you are on, you see many closed cell doors, some empty, some with one or two men or women inside. They seem annoyed, but not necessarily in any agony.

"Come on now, 'Inspector', quit your sight seeing, come along."

>Follow the skeleton.
>Sneak away, try to get down into the crowd below.
>Sneak away, try to talk to the souls in the cells.
>Sneak away, get back into that laundry room; there might be some disguise or something you can get in there.

>>2509275
feign compliance and when he's sufficiently distracted, make way to the crowd

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>>2509275
You just nod and follow the skeleton while looking for the best way to get away from this guy and start doing your own bit of exploring. The skeleton honestly doesn't seem too attentive to you, he's more like a lazy janitor than anything else. It's really not too hard for you to start to slow your pace and step away from him once he's convinced you're actually following him the first place. You quickly look around the walkway and find a way down; a ladder of all things, no staircase. No matter, you go down it, and then find yourself lost in the crowd of souls.

You were not mistaken, these souls do NOT look upset. Oh sure, they're not all having the best time, clearly, but you expected a lot more screaming and agony than is on display here. None of the people down here seem to pay you any mind.

What do you do?

>Talk to the nearest red soul you see to get info.
>Talk to one of the other colored souls you see (green, blue, pink)
>Walk through the crowd and try to scout out the area.

>>2511267
>>Talk to one of the other colored souls you see (green, blue, pink)
Ask them how they got here.

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>>2511267
You shift through the crowds and go over to the souls that stand out to you. Seems odd that they'd have souls from outside this realm in this super prison place. You go over to a green looking soul and strike up a conversation.

"Oh hey, a black soul. Don't see a lot of freshie's down here. Nice to meet you, call me Snake Eyes."

...alright. You ask Snake Eyes what a green soul is doing down in a place like Agony.

"Eh, The Evergrowth was getting kind of old. Too many bugs, not enough ways to make a living. Decided that a scream job might do me some good."

A...scream job?

"They say Agony's the best place to get some quick profit. I've been torn up and spit out more times than I can remember, so it's all cool to me."

So...they went to this place where he's going to be tortured...willingly.

"That's right!" He points to the blue and pink people in the distance, "same as those folks. Why are you here?"

Uh...

>Lie; You were taken as a prisoner.
>Lie; You want some screams too.
>Lie; You're an inspector!
>Avoid the question; do you know a demon named Mannath?
>Tell the truth; you were sent in by Resistance members.

>>2512626
>>Lie; You're an inspector!
I'm so fresh I don't even know how you expect to pocket your screams. They asked me to do this inspection job, so here I am. How do you collect and carry your profit?

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>>2512626
Snake Eyes laughs. "I can't believe they're using new guys as inspectors now! Man, that Demon Bureaucracy, let me tell you, always making things harder than they need to be."

The blue soul seems to notice you and Snake Eyes talking and walks his way over to you. "You guys pointing at me?"

"Don't worry Tim," says Snake Eyes, "this guy's just asking about why we're here. He's an inspector or something."

"Really? Well I'm just here for some side cash while I'm vacationing. Cocytus is colder than sin so I thought a few weeks in Old Hell would do me good."

This brings up a good question. Just how in the world are they "making money" here? How does this all work.

"Well," says Snake Eyes, "Agony's a simple set up. They have the tools to hurt people, and we have the bodies. We get ripped apart, they collect most of the screams, and once we leave we get a cut of the profit. 22%, last time I checked."

"I thought it was 23%," says Tim.

"Whatever. Point is, my account in the Old Hell bank is going to be loaded."

...you're starting to think this isn't quite the place the demons made it out to be.

>Ask if either of them know a demon named Mannath.
>Ask why this place is so deep under the lava if anyone can just go here.
>Ask for any interesting places to check out in Agony.
>Ask if you can see someone in charge.

>>2513544
Let's ask if we can see someone in charge, seems like an indirect approach to helping us achieve our goals. But maybe instead of the being, we ask for the location of the office (or equivalent), that place likely holds more info as to where Mannath is being held. We can snoop around for that info without looking too suspicious by asking to approach someone directly since we don't know any official names in this place.

>>2515013
supporting, but just ask about what they know of the layout
also
>Ask why this place is so deep under the lava if anyone can just go here.

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>>2515013
You need to speak with someone in charge here. That will give you the answers you need, both for where Mannath is and just what exactly Agony is all about. You ask the two men if there is an office you could go to so you can speak with management.

"Go up there," says Tim, pointing up at the platform, right in the direction of the skeleton that had found you in the first place, looking around and scratching his head. "The office is just a few doors down from there. Guy in charge is the type of dude who likes to look down on his empire, you know, smug type."

Huh. I guess sticking with that skeleton would have gotten you to the office sooner. But maybe it's better if you meet that guy on your own terms, rather than the skeleton's.

>Ask for any interesting places to check out in Agony.
>Thank the men for their time and scout out the nearby areas.
>Go to some of the men in the cells and see what's going on with them.
>Just stay hidden in the crowd until the skeleton leaves, then go to the office.
>Go to the office now.

>>2515439
>>Go to some of the men in the cells and see what's going on with them.

>>2515439
Leaving the souls to their business, you go over to one of the many locked cell doors you find. A red soul sits on his bed, moping about with his hands on his head. You call out to him, and he turns to you.

"What do you want?"

You ask him why he's in a cell.

"Because I just love enclosed spaces so much, it's a great way to-- WHY DO YOU THINK!? I HAVE DEBTS TO PAY!"

Wow, touchy.

"They caught me smuggling supplies in and out of Old Hell, and now I gotta pay off all these fines they're drowning me in. They rip off my skin day in and day out, and I don't get to keep any of my screams! It sucks!"

>Offer to help him escape.
>Ask him if he knows where Mannath is.
>Ask for info on anything useful in Agony.
>Ask him who he was smuggling for.
>Leave him, go do something else.

apologies for such a long time between updates, I kept trying to get a picture along with this post and it wouldn't work.

>>2516424

>Ask him who he was smuggling for.
Intimate that they might be interested in smuggling him out of Agony. He just has to help us find Mannath.

>>2516424
You get up close to the bars and speak softer, just in case this guy wants a bit of privacy. You ask him just who the man was smuggling for.

"I don't know, whoever was paying. Resistance, demon extremists, didn't matter. Point is, I got caught and now I gotta pay for it, and I hate every fucking minute of it. Can you believe there are people who actually come here themselves? It's fucking nuts."

Damn. It seems they're a smuggler without allegiances, so you may need to get creative if you want his help with finding Mannath. Or not very creative at all, if you think you can either pay him off or get him out of here.

>Offer to help him escape.
>Lie; You're an agent from one of his customers, and if he doesn't help you, you're gonna punish him.
>Ask him if he knows where Mannath is.
>Ask for info on anything useful in Agony.
>Leave him, go do something else.

>>2516562
Was initially tempted to lie and say that we were an agent... But I have a feeling this guy is too pissed to bother.

Let's go with asking him about any useful info about Agony, I'm guessing he doesn't have an incentive to tell us where Mannath is at this point.

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>>2516562
You ask the man in the cell if he can give you a quick run down of what's what in Agony. Places to go, people to see, that sort of thing. It is evident from the man's increased sighs that he's getting tired of answering your questions, but he obliges you with some information.

"Okay, so right now you're in holding. It's where all the free souls get to lounge around waiting to get tortured and the souls with debt need to watch from their cells. It extends all the way through the upper and lower left halls until you get to the boiler. It's a big generator room where they use to lava to power up the rest of Agony, along with...well you now, throwing people into it. Bottom floor, right hallway, we've got the scream rooms. Just all the different types of torture devices you can think of, they bring people in and out of there at random times. Upper floor to the right is the offices where the demons in charge are held. And past them you can find the demon cells where they keep the demons who have debts...oh, and there's also the exit all the way above us, but you're not going to get there until the demons say you can go there."

Extensive list.

"Now go on whatever quest or mission or whatever it is you're on, because you're clearly up to something, and get out of here, unless you need me to explain every single other room in this place."

>Thank the man and keep exploring the general area.
>Go to the boiler room.
>Go to the scream rooms.
>Go to the offices.
>Go to the demon cells.
>Keep exploring holding.
>Ask him to explain every single other room in this place.

>>2518327
ask him how you can help him pay his debt, can you give him some scream? also, go to demon debt room

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>>2518327
You feel sympathy for this sad, caged man, and ask him one last question; how can you help him pay off his debts?

He looks at you with sad eyes. "Closer," he whispers.

You move your face to the bars.

"Closer."

You push yourself against them.

"Little closer."

This is as close as you can get. He brings his face right up to yours, and...

"GET LOST!"

He doesn't need to tell you twice. You wanted to go check out the demon cells anywhere. I mean, Mannath's gotta be around there somewhere, right? You climb back up the ladder, tiptoe past the skeleton (who searches for you with very little passion), go through the walkway past various offices with demonic writing over their glass doors, and find yourself entering a long, arched hallway of what you presume to be demon holding cells. You presume this because you can't actually see anything past these doors. You can only hear the strange grunts and growls of whatever creatures are behind them. Three doors stand out to you in particular, each one written in a different colored demon text.

Door number one: ዕዪቿ
Door number two: ሁረቿጌ
Door number three: ክቿዪቿኗ

Could one of these contain Mannath?

>Knock on door 1
>Knock on door 2
>Knock on door 3
>Put your ear to each door and listen
>Go explore somewhere else.

>>2520271
knock door 3

>>2520271
knock door 3

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>>2520271
Considering your mind is filled with the abject nature of green whenever you mention Mannath's name, it only makes sense to check the green door to see if he's in there.

Knock knock knock. You wait for an answer.

"ዘልፕሠ ዐዕ ዐሁሃ ክፕልሠ, ነልረቿዪሀነ?"

Um...you're not sure how to respond to that, other than you're not here to torture him...or her...or whatever they are.

"Hmmm? A human? What do you want?"

The demon's voice is rough, yet interspersed with smoothness. Like nails running down a stream...okay maybe that's not the best analogy. Whatever, point being you ask if this demon knows the name Mannath.[/green.]

"Mannath? I know that name fairly well...what do you want with him?"

>You're here to bust him out of Agony.
>That's none of this demon's business.
>Lie; You're a friend of his here to see him.
>Other [write in]

Rolled 51 (1d100)

>>2521029
>Lie so good we belive it ourself

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>>2521165
Time to turn on that classic Faust charm. You're a really close friend of Mannath who just can't stand the fact that he's been so cruelly locked away done here, and you came all this way just to talk with him again! You sing this lie with such passion that, if only for a moment, you actually believe it yourself...but just for a moment.

"Bah, as if. Mannath doesn't have friends, he eats friends. And if you really knew the guy, you would know that they'd only keep a giant like him in the..."

He stops himself.

"You know what? I'm not gonna sell that guy out. Not without some incentive."

Crap. You'll need to win this guy over somehow.

>Offer to break him out of Agony.
>Offer to get him connections with the Resistance.
>Offer to do him a favor.
>Threaten him; specify how.
>Plead; PLEASE HELP YOU'RE OUR ONLY HOPE!
>Forget this, you'll find Mannath yourself.

>>2521213
No. 2 here, forget him, go to the boiler room, it's the biggest site there is. (I'm assuming all the demon cells aren't holding him based on what this demon is saying.)

>>2521213
knock on door 1 before we go, just in case

Rolled 1 (1d2)

>>2521489
>1
>>2521616
>2

>>2521643
damn


i am disapoint

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>>2521213
Forget this guy! It's obvious that Mannath is in the boiler room, that seems to be the biggest place where they'd keep a "giant", so what's his face in the cell has nothing else to offer you. You quickly leave the hall, tiptoe your way past the offices and the skeleton (who's now sweeping floors and seems to have completely forgotten about you), and keep moving until you make it to the other side of the facility to a MASSIVE set of stone doors that stretch up from the ground floor and the second floor that you are on. Stone doors on a nearly metal, under-lave construction. Sometimes you just need a little bit of style, you guess.

A small intercom near the door cracks to life.

"Uuuhhhhhh state your business, please."

You can't seem to find a button on the device, so you say out loud that you'd like to get into the boiler room.

"Uhhhhhhhh we can't let you come in without a proper reason, sir."

Looks like you'll need to come up with something again...

>Lie; you're a technician here to work on the boiler.
>Lie; you're an inspector here to inspect the boiler.
>Lie; you're here to get some screams and get thrown into the lava--

NO NO NO NO NO NO NO

Your mind immediatly seizes up, and you fall back in terror. The very THOUGHT of throwing yourself back into the lava, even if you're lying about it, is too much! It looks like that terrible swim down to Agony has left you with a debilitating fear of lava! That might come to bite you in the ass later.

"Uhhhhhhh sir?"

>Lie; you're a technician here to work on the boiler.
>Lie; you're an inspector here to inspect the boiler.
>You're here to see Mannath, and say nothing else.
>Leave the area; you'll come back later with a plan.

>>2521676
>Lie; you're an inspector here to inspect the boiler.
might as well keep the lies consistent

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>>2521676
You've got a character established already, so keeping your story straight should be a good idea. You get back off, recovering from your momentary bit of panic, and say that you are an inspector sent to make sure everything is running smoothly, and you need to inspector the boiler.

"Uhhhhh no one told us there'd be an inspector. Can I uhhhhh see your ID or something?"

You look around a bit. Just where is this guy seeing you from anyway? No matter, you don't really HAVE any ID to show, but maybe you could convince this guy to let you in anyway?

>Your papers burned in the lav-
No no not that one.

>You left your papers at home.
>Intimidate; the Demon Lords aren't going to be happy that he's holding you up.
>Show him your knife; that's the only ID you need!
>Leave; come up with a way to create a fake ID later.

>>2521942
Leave and say something along the lines of "SONOFABEELZEBUB I dropped the damn papers again, I'll be back later..."

Grumble all the way till we are out of sight from wherever the heck that surveillance demon is, then make contact with our group to get some Intel on how we can proceed without any ID.

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>>2521942
The only logical thing to do now is retreat and reassess the situation. You kick your feet on the ground, curse like a sailor, say that you misplaced your papers yet again, and run off to go "find them." You head back all the way to holding again, which remains mostly the same as you left it, save for a few souls being taken in a line by a group of particularly burly demon guards. Some souls look terrified, and others couldn't seem to care even if they wanted to.

Anyway, you were told by Rarzas that you would have contacts in Agony to work with, but so far you've found none. Still, you've only just got here recently, maybe you just need to wait a bit for someone to find you.

What do you do?

>Get down into holding and associate with the other souls until you find your contact.
>Keep prowling around Agony to scout things out until you find your contact.
>Investigate how you'll actually get out of this place until you find your contact.
>Stay hidden somewhere (like the laundry room, perhaps?) until your contact finds you.
>Forget this; figure out some other way to fake an ID [write in].

>>2522729
Hmm seems like the others haven't appeared yet, I'm the only one.

I go for investigating how we'll get out of this place while waiting for our contact to appear. I'm at a lost of what else we can do that will contribute to our progress anyway.