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OLLIE: “You, uh—you doin’ okay?”

CINDERELLA: “Well, I’m doing a lot better now that all the witnesses are dead.”

OLLIE: “Yeaaaah, about that. Listen, I’ve been digging the whole mischief and mayhem thing you’ve got going—believe me, it’s great—but…”

CINDERELLA: “But?”

OLLIE: “I just think maybe—maybe you should take a moment, and just, you know, think things through a little. Things, like, your moral compass, maybe?”

What will you do?

Rolled 6 (1d6)

>>3527426
>Heroes beating villains with lies and trickery is a longstanding tradition in folktales and mythology all around the world, only looked down upon because modern fantasy absorbed too much chivalric Arthurian tradition.
>Now, to steal Noctura's stuff (I mean the Elvenstones)

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CINDERELLA: “I don’t see what the big deal is. Heroes have been using lies and deceit to get their way since like the ancient Greeks.”

OLLIE: “Are you, by chance, referring to Odysseus?”

CINDERELLA: “Who?”

OLLIE: “Hero of the Odyssey? Known for his guile?”

CINDERELLA: “Huh. Sounds like a nobody to me, and anyway, Street Fighter is for nerds. But I guess that’s basically what I’m talking about. The only reason it looks like I’m doing anything wrong is because everyone’s heads are too stuffed full of romantic fairy-tale shit, like honesty and being a good sport and playing well.”

OLLIE: “Having your head stuffed full of romantic fairy-tale shit must be such a completely unrelatable concept for you, Cinderella.”

CINDERELLA: “I know! But I guess some people are just easily manipulated like that.”

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CINDERELLA: “Anyway, if anyone needs to resynchronize their moral compass or whatever, it’s you. What I’m doing is, like, a deconstruction of the modern heroine topos. Inverting the syllologistic paradigms and all that. You’re just too stuck in the old ways to see what I’m getting at.”

OLLIE: “I don’t even know where to begin with that.”

CINDERELLA: “Aw, what’s the matter? Is it too intellectually complex for you?”

OLLIE: “Hmph! Not in the slightest. I understood everything you said perfectly well.”

CINDERELLA: “Great, then we’re in agreement! Let’s go stab Noctura and steal all her shit.”

OLLIE: “Wait, that’s not what I—“

CINDERELLA: “It’s a deconstruction! Deconstruction!”

That shuts him up pretty quick.

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With both of the more annoying sentries sleeping with the Scala potties, you creep through the tower and out to the front. Noctura is still at her cauldron, brewing away. Neither she nor Myzo seems to have noticed you. However, you don’t see anything matching Ollie’s description of the folio on her person. Perhaps she left it somewhere?

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Aha! There it is. But the phantasmal chariot is being watched by her coachbat, and who knows whether Noctura’s got a car alarm on that thing or what. Better act carefully.

What will you do?

>>3527636
>Well, since this is the lair of a villain associated with darkness, it surely is full of implied shadows. Use them to sneak up to the chariot and find something we could throw to distract the coachbat.

Rolled 5 (1d6)

>>3527701
Gah

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You creep through the implied darkness toward the far side of Noctura’s carriage. It’s so dark that you can barely see ten studs ahead of you. The whole place is just absolutely filthy with shadows and gloom and tenebrosity and whatever. Gosh, the Land of Eternal night sure does live up to its name.

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???: “Mrrmm, yes, the roof’n’top seems to be in the order, yes indeed. And I must say, what a fine evening for a-watching the garage door. Ohhh, if my goats weren’t at the market… What’s that, Lewis? No, I couldn’t possibly have seconds…”

The coachbat doesn’t seem to have noticed you either. In fact, you kinda doubt he notices very much of anything.

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He certainly doesn’t notice you steal the crossbow off the side of the phantasmal chariot. You can think of all sorts of things this might be good for—distractions; murder; competition archery—if only you had some ammunition. Or, say, a small, troublesome rodent.

What will you do?

Rolled 4 (1d6)

>>3527740
>Just throw the whole crossbow for distraction, then steal the folio and sneak away or hide under the chariot.

+

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You chuck the whole crossbow off to the side.

???: “Oh my! Whatsoever may that have been? A bird? A chandelier? Mmm, my good Mabel, the opera has never suited my sensitive colon…”

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grab

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You quickly hide beneath the phantasmal chariot before the coachbat notices. Another rousing success for Cindy Elison, master of stealth.

You open up Noctura’s folio.

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Even her journal looks evil.

What will you do?

Rolled 1 (1d6)

>>3528905
ask the skull for some insight

>>3528905
>Ask the folio about Noctura's secret weakness.

Rolled 4 (1d6)

>>3529009

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CINDERELLA: “Hey, any idea what I should do here?”

OLLIE: “Hmph. How should I know? This is your deconstructionist/escapist fantasy rampage, after all. I’m just an old fossil who can’t keep up with the times.”

CINDERELLA: “Fine, be that way. I’ll do this myself.”

You place your hand on the page.

CINDERELLA: “I want to know about the Abyssal Guardian’s weakness. Got anything useful for me?”

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Wow, that’s a lot of worldbuilding that you can only be bothered to skim. But the gist of it is this: Noctura’s shit at combat, she gets her power from the Elvenstone, and she and Ollie probably played too much Street Fighter. Should be an easy win for you.

What will you do?

Rolled 3 (1d6)

>>3529201
Run and tell Noctura that you're pretty sure two of her bats just made off with the Elvenstones

Then see where she goes to check on them I'm not very good at guile and lying to minidolls makes my tummy hurt

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Based on her notes, Noctura must think she’s pretty clever. Unfortunately for her, she’s come up against the most brilliant trickster in all of Elfland. It’s time to enact your master ruse. You set the book back where you found it, tuck Ollie and the sword behind a wheel so as not to arouse her suspicions, and mosey over to the cauldron.

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CINDERELLA: “Hey, Noctura!”

NOCTURA: “Oh? If it isn’t Allerednic. I trust the chair inspection has been going well?”

CINDERELLA: “About that…”

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CINDERELLA: “While I was inspecting that chair, I saw something really alarming! It was two of your bats, and I think they were running—uh, flying away with the Elvenstones!”

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NOCTURA: “Well now. That would be alarming indeed. Which bats were these, where were they, and where did they take the Elvenstones?”

CINDERELLA: “It was the orange one, and like, the kinda pink one. They were in the tower, but I didn’t see where they went.”

NOCTURA: “Hippo and Phyll, then. Well, if it was truly them, then I have ways of dealing with that.”

CINDERELLA: “You should probably check in on the Elvenstones, though. You know, make sure they’re still there. I’ll go with you, as backup!”

Noctura chuckles faintly.

NOCTURA: “That won’t be necessary.”

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~magic~

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NOCTURA: “Ah, what a relief. I sense that the Elvenstones are exactly where I left them. Perhaps those two were simply moving a replica.”

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NOCTURA: “However, if it would assuage your concerns any, I would be happy to summon them here so that they can give a full account of what transpired. Would you like me to do that for you, Allerednic?”

What will you do?

Rolled 6 (1d6)

>>3529201
It almost reads like Abyssal Guardians aren't actually villains. The nerve!

>>3530010
>Oh wow! So if I learned this magic, I could know whether my wicked stepsisters stole my underwear again from any corner of Elfland?
>(Lowkey trying to find out the range of this ability)

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CINDERELLA: “Ha, ha, no, uh, that won’t be necessary.”

Or possible.

NOCTURA: “No? Well, it’s a comfort to have that cleared up, isn’t it?”

CINDERELLA: “Yep! Totally!”

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CINDERELLA: “Aside from that, you know, it’s pretty neat how you can just magically know where the Elvenstones are. How’d you learn to do that?”

NOCTURA: “It was only partly a matter of learning. It was necessary to bond my essence to that of Elvenstar—a labor of many years, and considerable sweat and blood.”

Something about her makes you kinda doubt it was her own blood. You’d say she’s giving you serious Voldemort vibes, but a Warner Bros. reference would be off brand.

CINDERELLA: “So, uh, what all does that let you do?”

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NOCTURA: “Through the Elvenstone, I have gained a sense for the flow of magic itself—a sort of second sight.”

CINDERELLA: “So can you use that to, like, secretly spy on people from afar?”

NOCTURA: “That sounds rather villainous, doesn’t it? I am merely attuned to the natural order of Elfland and any disturbances that may arise in it. If someone truly were to try to steal the Elvenstar, I would know immediately. But of course, who would dare undertake such a futile venture?”

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NOCTURA: “Now then, can I assist you with anything else? After all you’ve done for me, I do hope I can be the host you deserve.”

What will you do?

>>3530398
I am getting a decision paralysis here. Help me anons!

>>3530398
If you don't mind if I can borrow one of your guest rooms? *Shyly jerk your feet* i haven't had any money to rent a place here and my ride was one way. And maybe can you give me a map of this place so I won't get lost?

Rolled 4 (1d6)

>>3530435
>I am getting a decision paralysis here.
I went to bed last night without posting because I was having the same problem

>>3530575
Let's go for this and see where it takes us

>>3530273
>It almost reads like Abyssal Guardians aren't actually villains. The nerve!
Urge to metagame rising

>>3530677
Don't forget to grab Ollie and the lightsaber before anyone finds them

>>3530879
+

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CINDERELLA: “Well, see, I’m sort of in a rough spot. I need some more time for my inspection, but it’s getting rather late and I don’t have a ride home.”

NOCTURA: “Ah, so you require lodgings for the night, so to speak.”

CINDERELLA: “Would you be willing to let me stay in one of your guest rooms?”

NOCTURA: "Hmmm."

You dial up the puppy-dog eyes.

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CINDERELLA: “Pleeease?”

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NOCTURA: “It would be callous of me to decline you my hospitality. You’re welcome to sleep in the guest room for as long as you require. It’s in the hallway behind the laboratory.”

CINDERELLA: “Uh, could I get a map to that?”

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NOCTURA: “Certainly. I keep such a map under the chest in the side-cave. You may take the map with you, if you like, but the contents of the chest are not to be touched.”

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NOCTURA: “But of course, I’m sure that you don’t need such basic instruction in etiquette—isn’t that right, Allerednic?”

CINDERELLA: “Nope, not me! ‘Excellent houseguest’ is my middle name! Uh, names. Blame my parents.”

NOCTURA: “I see. Well then, have a pleasant eternal evening.”

CINDERELLA: “Ha, ha, you too…”

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After grabbing Ollie and the lightsaber, you head back to the side-cave to add the map to your overfull hands. You pass by Molo in his airship on the way, and give him a polite wave, but don't stop to chat. Probably best you don’t mention mention how you just murdered two of his friends. You’d almost feel bad if you had to kill him too.

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You find the map exactly where Noctura said it was, and follow it back through the Abyssal Tower to the guest room.

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“Room” is sort of a generous description. Good thing you aren’t seriously planning on spending the night.

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As you hunker down amidst the cobwebs, you mull over your current predicament. It's likely that, in an uncertain amount of time, the Potion of Glamor will finally wear off for good—a serious problem, since it sounds like you need to still be a princess when you get back in order for Hurdygurdy to make the transformation permanent. On top of this, although you’re pretty sure you know where the Elvenstones are, you can’t figure out a way to move the bat statue shielding them, and the moment you do, Noctura will know and probably try to stop you. And after that, you still need to find a ride back to Disneyland© to wrap everything up.

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CINDERELLA: “Got any ideas, bonehead?”

OLLIE: “…”

The silent treatment, huh? Or maybe he’s just asleep. Do talking skulls even need to sleep?

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Whatever. You’ll get your way out of this mess the same way you always do: alone.

What will you do?

——————

I’ll probably only have enough time for one or two more updates today. After that, I’ll be heading abroad again. I’m pretty sure the quest won’t be wrapped up by the time I leave, but in mid-July, I’ll be able to pick this quest up again from wherever we leave off.

>>3534284
Is that a Jojo reference?

>>3534326
We need to either murder Noctura or get her blind drunk. I vote we try drunk first.
She must be lonely here, with no one to share a drink with.

Rolled 3 (1d6)

>>3534736
backing

Status update: final update for the thread should drop in ~13 hours.

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Rolled 4 (1d6)

>>3534326
Time for some night creepin'!
Gotta be some loot/helpful clues/play features somewhere around here!

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Based on what Noctura’s said, it seems like you’re down to two main options: distract or trick Noctura so that she doesn’t notice you jacking the Elvenstones, or simply kill her. You decide to try the former first; after all, if that fails, you can always go back to murder instead.

But how to distract her? Channeling the arcane, subliminal energies of the dearly departed chaise lounge, you take a deep delve into Noctura’s psyche to hunt for secret weaknesses.

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You start at the surface level. Noctura’s clearly super into the whole gothic horror thing, though you find it pretty tasteless. People who base their entire personalities on a mass-marketed aesthetic are totally lame and creatively bankrupt. You hold yourself to a higher standard—after all, if you want to be a Disney© princess, you’ve got to have a bit of class.

You’ve also noticed that she’s kind of prissy. Not in an overbearing way, really, but in a way that gives the impression that she probably doesn’t relax very often. Or, like, ever. She also lives alone with like a dozen pets, which suggests to you that she has absolutely no friends or social life.

Your totally legitimate and well-founded psychological assessment is that she’s basically a shut-in workaholic who clings to her tacky home decor as a way to make herself look interesting. And for someone like that, you can only think of one way to distract them from their work.

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A copious amount of alcohol.

And you’d be happy to join her, of course. Although underage drinking is a national concern in Elfland, you’re technically old enough, and that’s never really stopped you before either.

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You just need to figure out where to get said drinks, and a pair of cups. You remember seeing one goblet on the phantasmal chariot, and another in the living room, the latter of which now resides at the bottom of Leg Slemt. That might be a problem. Considering that you drank literally everything there was to drink in the Abyssal Tower (aside from the laboratory), you also might have some trouble locating any suitable beverages.

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RUMPELSTILTSKIN: “Ho, ho, ho. Perhaps this will help.”

CINDERELLA: “Agh! Could you not?”

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RUMPELSTILTSKIN: “I thought you might be happy to see me, considering I come bearing a gift specially tailored for your particular predicament.”

He passes you his mug.

CINDERELLA: “Huh. That’s… actually pretty helpful.”

RUMPELSTILTSKIN: “I live to serve. However, I’ll be needing the cup back when you’re done. It will be necessary for your gala, after all.”

CINDERELLA: “Fair enough. And hey, while you’re here, know where I might be able to find something to fill this cup?”

RUMPELSTILTSKIN: “I’m not your personal libations vendor, despite appearances.”

CINDERELLA: “Oh come on; it’s all part of my plan to get you the Elvenstones. You’re a dwarf; haven’t you got some mead or ale or whatever?”

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RUMPELSTILTSKIN: “For that, I’m afraid I can’t be of much direct assistance, but perhaps I could point you in the right direction. Noctura’s cauldron is a powerful artifact, forged with countless charms to assist in brewing. If you could gain access to it, even briefly, it may be of use in your plan.”

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RUMPELSTILTSKIN: “But that you will have to manage on your own. I cannot tarry here long, and I have much to attend to.”

CINDERELLA: “But what if I need to contact you again?”

RUMPELSTILTSKIN: “If the situation arises, I shall, as they say, give you a ring. Best of luck, ho, ho, ho.”

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It’s uncanny how he just disappears like that. And you’re still not sure how he keeps going through all the implied walls. Must be a dwarf thing.

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Regardless, with the mug in hand, your plan is now set: grab the other goblet, brew some potent drinks, and get Noctura thoroughly sloshed enough that she doesn’t notice you sneaking off with the Elvenstones. Basic, but effective.

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What could possibly go wrong?

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To be continued…

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And with that, unfortunately I must pause this quest for the time being while I tend to some school matters out of town. I plan to be back around the second week of July, at which time I’ll post a new thread and run the quest for another two weeks or so, ideally to its conclusion. When that’s done, I’ll begin the grand finale of the Quest for Playability, probably in small chunks over various holidays for the next year. Any significant news will be posted on @LegSlemt, and I’ll be around /lg/ on /toy/ in the meantime.

Thank you all for playing!

>>3534736
No anime (this time); just a particularly unhinged Belville set.

>>3537115
Oh shit, man, your cliffhangers and foreshadowing and hints of an overarching plot.
I can't wait for the continuation!
Thanks for running and good luck wherever you have to go!

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>>3537116
Can't wait for the next part!

I don't know whether this quest is cursed or extremely based.