sketchyquest !50qq4/3dkY 2011/07/19(Tue)01:41 No. 327977 ID: 885ee8
File 131106490687.png - (208.78KB , 720x720 , 02.png )

Mustering what little strength still resides in your emaciated frame, you shamble over to the side of the door.

With a small click, the door begins to swing open, obscuring your position.

You hear someone take a step inside, a small click as they kick one of the gold discs. You hear her heart begin to beat faster.

"Nope, room's empty. Why don't you check down the corridor, just to make sure. I'll check in here for more hidden doors."

"Yeah, sure."

You hear one of them taking a few steps down the hall outside and the other one step into your room and laugh quietly to herself. She bends down over the pile of gold discs and starts to feverishly shovel them in a small bag.

sketchyquest !50qq4/3dkY 2011/07/19(Tue)01:42 No. 327978 ID: 885ee8
File 131106495487.png - (308.92KB , 720x720 , 03.png )

The hunger in your gut pushes you to act. With strength you didn't know you had, you lunge forward and grab her. There is a rushing in your ears as your tentacle-arms lash out and wrap around her as if they have a mind of their own. Some instinct in you tells you to cover her mouth, and she lets out a muffled cry.

You unceremoniously shove her down into your waiting stomach and feel a wave of relief wash over you. You feel energy flooding back into your aching muscles, but the hunger still lingers. You hear the prey in the hall call out "Daewyn?", the voice full of uncertainty.

Your body starts to recover slightly. You may direct your growth to a degree. You may recover your ability to walk on walls and ceilings, improve your senses, or increase your speed. You will have the ability to recover other attributes the more you eat.

sketchyquest !50qq4/3dkY 2011/07/19(Tue)01:43 No. 327979 ID: 885ee8
File 131106503925.png - (183.19KB , 720x720 , 04.png )

You feel your tentacles, formerly the texture of old parchment, ooze some sticky fluids. You instinctively crawl up the wall onto the ceiling and peek out into the hallway. You see another figure further down, holding a torch whose light does not extend to your position.

You can hear his heartbeat quicken and he draws his weapon. You suspect he knows you're there. How do you proceed?

This is where you pick up.

Anonymous 2011/07/19(Tue)01:47 No. 327980 ID: 692e92
File 131106522389.jpg - (20.57KB , 500x375 , 1311061255049.jpg )

>>327979
Approach him stealthily, and when you're right above him, drop down and eat his face!

>>327980

Second.

I say follow him. He may lead to more prey.

>>327980

This, but if spotted retreat back into the darkness. That looks like a mighty big axe.

sketchyquest !50qq4/3dkY 2011/07/19(Tue)02:17 No. 327991 ID: 885ee8
File 131106705578.png - (181.17KB , 720x720 , 05.png )

You slink across the ceiling as quietly as you can. The man whirls around and brandishes his torch, swinging it side to side, his head darting left and right. You try your best to remain still and quiet as the light from his torch illuminates you fully.

The man does not look up. Just a few more feet and you will be able to drop down on him and devour him...

sketchyquest !50qq4/3dkY 2011/07/19(Tue)02:18 No. 327992 ID: 885ee8
File 131106712226.png - (157.77KB , 720x720 , 06.png )

In your anticipation, a single drop of drool drips from your mouth. The man leaps back as he sees you and yells loudly. He drops his torch to the floor and brandishes his axe with both hands.

"Daewyn! Come quick, there's a monster in the hall! Daewyn! D-"

You can see anger flash across his face.

"Daewyn! Damn you beast, what are you and what did you do with Daewyn?"

His face erupts in a sneer of utmost hatred and he bellows loudly at you. You can almost see the veins in his head bulging. Practically frothing at the mouth, he leaps at you with his axe, but does not appear to be able to jump high enough to reach.

What do you do?

(Gonna go for the night, I think.)

Flee back into the darkness, and hopefully we can try again when he tries to leave.

>>327992
Laugh at him. Taunt him. Tell him how delicious his partner was. You had not eaten for so very, very long... and promise him that he will be your next meal.

Essentially we want him to try to throw the axe. Dodge it and then take him unarmed, we win.

>>327992
Retreat. It's too dangerous now that he's seen you. He'll drop his guard eventually...

He can't reach us? Don't get near him while he's got his guard up. Make funny faces and rude gestures at him.

Is it possible to extinguish his torch by vomiting onto it?

It's quite possible that we're not the only threat this guy faces in this dungeon... Perhaps there are other 'monsters' and his outburst may attract some to serve as distractions. However, it's also possible that you were the only one left alive, behind your secret door, and that the rest of the 'dungeon' has been 'cleared', in which case we could not expect any sort of reinforcements.

retreat into the dark. stalk him. let him know he's hunted. revel in patience. the more you wait, the better he'll taste.

sketchyquest !50qq4/3dkY 2011/07/19(Tue)12:17 No. 328096 ID: 885ee8
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You consider spitting or vomiting on the torch. You have no problem seeing in the darkness, but this man clearly does. The action feels familiar, and you think it may be possible, but you can't seem to find it in you right now. Perhaps if you ate some more.

The man makes a few more frantic leaps in your direction. You can hear his breath getting more ragged with every attempt.

You open your ancient mouth and a low rumble comes from your throat.

"What am I? I am hungry, and I am old. The other one, the Daewyn? In my stomach. Delicious. Dead. Part of me. You will never get her back."

You coil the muscles in your tentacles, preparing to leap down from the ceiling the moment the man throws his axe to devour him. Then, you laugh at him. Your body retches as you do, and a noise erupts from you like a hundred footsteps in gravel.

You can hear the man's heart practically pumping out of his chest, and his body heat raises even further. He tightens his grip on his axe and levels it at you.

sketchyquest !50qq4/3dkY 2011/07/19(Tue)12:17 No. 328097 ID: 885ee8
File 131110304837.png - (270.85KB , 720x720 , 08.png )

With a vicious scream, he charges down the hall. He leaps up at the wall, and with another yell, kicks off of it with all of his might. You begin to shrink backwards further down the corridor.

sketchyquest !50qq4/3dkY 2011/07/19(Tue)12:17 No. 328098 ID: 885ee8
File 131110306601.png - (327.95KB , 720x720 , 09.png )

The axe swings. You feel a tearing pain in your shoulder, and your arm feels weaker. The man lands, and his muscles quiver. You can smell the sweat pouring off him, his breath coming now in short gasps. He seems weaker now, somehow.

sketchyquest !50qq4/3dkY 2011/07/19(Tue)12:18 No. 328099 ID: 885ee8
File 131110308215.png - (156.24KB , 720x720 , 10.png )

Before you can overcome the pain and react, he scoops up his dropped torch and flees into the darkness, further into the ruin.

What do you do?

you follow.

Dang. I didn't expect him to be able to do that.

We follow, yes. At a distance. Stalking him. Try to keep out of sight when possible.

he used a limit break. he used too much power. drop from the ceiling and follow him on foot so you can let your arm recover.

Follow him, keeping your distance.

>>328099
How hungry are you still? Is this meal worth the trouble?

Follow at a distance. Be WARY. You are still weak.

I'm not sure I can find it in myself to approve of the taunting. That's just cruel.

>>328115
Well, someone really wanted to give the raging barbarian a circumstance bonus on that jump check for some reason. Who am I to deny them?

I have to go to work now.

>>328115
Are you kidding me? I love it. Be the ancient beast. Pursue him, make the shadows your ally. Keep him scared. Do things like throwing pebbles into places that are in the opposite direction of you, so that he thinks you are where you aren't. The guy's already terrified. Use this to your advantage.

also if you can, regurgitate the knife the elf had.

Chase him down, kick his ass, nom his brains, escape the dungeon, and then conquer the world.
In the meantime, you know, go down that hallway.

sketchyquest !50qq4/3dkY 2011/07/20(Wed)00:30 No. 328530 ID: 885ee8
File 131114700048.png - (283.15KB , 720x720 , 11.png )

>>328122
Regurgitate? You don't think that's possible.

You drop to the floor and pursue the man down the hallway, but your slow lumbering makes it difficult to keep up with him. Before long, he is a distant speck. You follow him through the twists and turns of the corridors by listening for his fottsteps, passing many strange doors along the way.

sketchyquest !50qq4/3dkY 2011/07/20(Wed)00:30 No. 328531 ID: 885ee8
File 131114702336.png - (357.49KB , 720x720 , 12.png )

After what seems like an hour of slow plodding, you find a place where the smooth stone corridor gives way to a rough-hewn tunnel that appears to continue downward. The smooth stone hallway continues on to the side. Listening intently, you can hear sounds of life in both directions, but your senses are not yet acute enough to determine which side leads to your current prey.

As your mind churns over the decision, something else bubbles to the surface. The last prey was an elf. You're not sure how you know that, but you do. It was not a Daewyn, and you realize that was a specific name for that specific elf. You think you'd like a specific name for your specific... whatever you are.

Choose a name and a direction.

Desirous of a name... Well how about Voracious Victor? Or maybe you'd do better with a more 'monstrous' name... Like Sar'hagath. Whatever. Anyway, I'd select going down the rough-hewn tunnel, as it's more likely to have random wildlife that you could consume versus the smooth man-made surfaces down the hallway.

>>328534
Viktor, and go down the rough stone passageway.

We can only call ourselves Victor when we get the spoils, and I don't see any spoils yet. Until then, we're Mud. Or maybe Jester.

sketchyquest !50qq4/3dkY 2011/07/20(Wed)02:46 No. 328548 ID: 885ee8
File 131115517727.png - (309.70KB , 720x720 , 13.png )

Viktor. It is not yet a fitting name, but you aspire to make it so.

Clutching your injured arm, you begin to plod down the rough-hewn tunnel. It slopes and spirals downward at a sharp angle. You can hear the sounds in front of you getting closer, and your hunger rises again.

The sounds stop ahead. As you move closer, you hear the familiar heartbeat, the ragged breath. You begin to salivate again.

The tunnel opens before you, but your starved mind can only focus on one thing.

sketchyquest !50qq4/3dkY 2011/07/20(Wed)02:46 No. 328549 ID: 885ee8
File 131115520087.png - (338.54KB , 720x720 , 14.png )

With expert silence and staggering speed that defies your weary limbs, you lunge forward and take your meal. His skull yields easily to your powerful jaw, and you have him in your stomach in mere moments.

sketchyquest !50qq4/3dkY 2011/07/20(Wed)02:47 No. 328550 ID: 885ee8
File 131115522015.png - (235.28KB , 720x720 , 15.png )

Relief washes over you and your injury begins to knit itself back together. Your surprise is stifled as your mind begins to clear. This seems right. Half-memories well up from a forgotten pool of your mind. You remember pain, and pride. You see a vast coral city floating on an ocean of stars, and recall your body rebuilding itself from nothing in a pool of blood.

Your hunger, while still present, is no longer paramount in your mind. the nourishment from the man's body quickly courses through your body, and it swells and stretches. You can feel formerly-dehydrated tentacles budding on your skin. You may direct your growth to a degree. Would you like to augment your stretchiness, increase your speed, heighten your sensory acuity, or something else?

Let's do something so we don't have to necessarily prey on PEOPLE for nutrition... adapt to better hunt animals or to more efficiently absorb their nutrients. And of course mental facilities are a must, as a mindless beast of a monster is hardly worth bothering with. Aside from that, from the recommended growth paths I'd say favor Perception and Stealth above Speed or Strength or anything like that... We seem more of a Lurker-type creature than a Brawler.

>>328550
I have to ask, is it possible to gain acidic spit? Something to cripple prey from a distance to prevent them from running or weakening obstacles would be handy.

Hmm, perhaps it is a good idea to stop eating people, as they might be inclined to come together and kill us if we prove to be a sufficient threat.

Better and more versitile digestion and nutrient storage systems. Being able to obtain food from as many sources as possible?
You will never starve again.

speed.

>>328551
>more efficiently absorb their nutrients
Efficient digestion isn't going to be a problem for this guy; his stomach breaks down bodies, clothing and even metals in seconds.

>mental facilities are a must
He could talk even when his mind was clouded with hunger, so he isn't some mindless monster. I'd say he was pretty stealthy already, and he doesn't really need the extra strength, so go for speed. That way you wont have to lumber after anyone.

>>328550
I'd vote for stretchy so that we don't have to get so close, but it seems I'm already outvoted.

speed

Stretchy.

Let's horn in on Alex Mercer's racket some more.

Changing my vote to stretchy.

Stretchy works for me, too.

Speed.

sketchyquest !50qq4/3dkY 2011/07/20(Wed)13:39 No. 328623 ID: 885ee8
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You feel your slimy hide grow more pliable and you force mobility into growths you didn't know you had. Your muscles feel coiled and tense, ready to strike. To test your newfound power, you lash out with several tentacles down the side of the column.

sketchyquest !50qq4/3dkY 2011/07/20(Wed)13:39 No. 328624 ID: 885ee8
File 131119439480.png - (206.21KB , 720x720 , 17.png )

For the first time since entering, you stop to take in the scenery. the tunnel you followed led you into an immeasurably vast cavern with a river flowing through a ravine in the center. stretching off into the distance you can see many pillars similar to the one you currently stand on, each with paths winding up their sides.

Looking around, you see several signs of civilization. Many of the stalagmites have been hollowed out into some sort of primitive housing. Though you do not see many living creatures about, you can see a few unidentifiable beings milling about in the distance. A bit closer to you, you can see four of them surrounding a fire.

sketchyquest !50qq4/3dkY 2011/07/20(Wed)13:40 No. 328625 ID: 885ee8
File 131119441475.png - (221.48KB , 720x720 , 18.png )

In the center of the ravine, you can see a single massive column structure with several bridges leading from the sides of the chasm to a bulbous structure along the middle of the column. It is lit from the inside, and you can see a few creatures moving inside.

Nearby, you see four small hunched beings surrounding something cooking over a fire. You think that, given the cover from the rocks around them, you could make easy prey of them.

While you're looking around, you also hear a sudden, shrill scream from one of the stalagmite-dwellings, followed by a whistle. You can hear a female voice screaming something, and you see several of the hunched figures like those surrounding the fire run towards the dwelling.

What do you do?

>>328625
Curious. I say go eavesdrop at the commotion before we catch another meal.

>>328625
Snatch the food and then follow them. Something going on.

see what it is making the commotion.

>>328627
Agreed
You need more information.

yoink their chikins.

Yes yes, learn more and try not to behave in any way that makes hostilities necessary. I so dislike the notion of eating civilized creatures...

You need to eat more. I want to see what you can do at 100%, I'm sure it'll be grand. Follow these guys, pick them off silently if you can. Otherwise, just listen in.

>>328679
this

>>328679
Why not? We're absolutely terrifying, and I think we should play that up. I want Viktor to grow into some legendary beast of horror, spoken of only in hushed tones. It'll be great!

>>328679
I agree. the first two can be chalked up to hunger, but civilized creatures make poor long term prey. they tend to react to being prey upon by forming hunting parties and murdering the hell out of the predator. they also tend to be smaller and have less meat on them than most non sentient creatures.

Frankly, we're too horrific to be friendly. It's not worth the trouble. Eat some dudes.

>>328869
not saying we go the friendly route. but getting a reputation for not eating sentient creatures would be useful.

sketchyquest !50qq4/3dkY 2011/07/21(Thu)01:18 No. 328890 ID: 885ee8
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You use your newfound agility to descend from the column with impressive speed, but the plodding walk to the dwelling takes you a while. During the trip, you can hear the sounds of battle inside, and as you get nearer, you can hear a pained growl like that of an animal. It shifts in pitch to become the same female voice you heard before, also yelling in pain.

You can hear some more indistinct noises like a shrill chittering, but you can't make out the words.

sketchyquest !50qq4/3dkY 2011/07/21(Thu)01:19 No. 328891 ID: 885ee8
File 131123637321.png - (354.32KB , 720x720 , 20.png )

You quietly approach the door to the structure and peer inside from around the corner.

You see four small, squat creatures with large, light eyes and strange noses surrounding another...creature? You hesitate to call it that; based on its smell it would seem to be more like a plant or a fungus. It is not appetizing, at any rate. It appears wounded, and the other creatures surrounding it seem to be taking the upper hand in the battle.

The central creature seems to be chittering to the other creatures in a language you can't understand, but appears to be doing so with some difficulty. The other creatures are speaking the same language with ease. Frustration growing on her face, she lets slip "just let me go!" in a tongue you recognize.

What do you do?

>>328891

Eat the food, starting with the one with the wand. You should only have to eat one or two of them before the others run.

Then talk to the not-food thing. "I am Viktor. Who are you, and how did you attract the attention of such loathsome little creatures?"

Leap on the one with the wand, then snatch the creature who looks like he is about to stab the plant thingy in the back.

This is a tough one... We don't know enough about either group to really say which is proper to ally with. Are these mole-people creatures that attack all others on sight? It would seem that the underground dwellings are theirs and so was the fire. They're at least SOMEWHAT civilized, and if indeed they are some kind of mole-derivative then they're well suited for their chosen habitat. It might be prudent to ally ourselves with them, as being 'monstrous' (in form at least) the human world may prove to be too resisting to allow us to coexist with them. On the other hand, the female human...oid... is someone 'we' can understand and communicate with in at least one language. Plus she's at a disadvantage and, well, everyone loves a hero.

Ultimately I think we should list the pros and cons of each potential alliance.

Ally with the Molemen?
PRO
-They have an established society with numbers
-They are small and may appreciate a large protector
CON
-They have no reason to trust us
-We do not share a language
-We may not be able to eat the girl even if we kill her

Ally with the Fungi-Woman?
PROs
-She will be indebted to us
-We can communicate with her
CON
-She is of questionable utility

>>328895

PRO
We will never be tempted to eat her, since she doesn't smell like food.
She knows at least two languages, and appears to be a traveler of some sort, perhaps a merchant.

Eat the... things that look tasty. Block the entrance and use your stretchiness to disarm them before eating them.

I think that we should speak to the unappetizing person in a creepier manner than has already been suggested, however. "You aren't made of meat. Fill the emptiness in my mind instead, and I will feed on your foes."

Basically make her feel that the only reason she's not dead is because she's a plant.

>>328898

No, no, Viktor's a monster but he's not an uncouth monster. He'll be polite to the plant thing.

>>328900
We now abso-fucking-lutely have to make our primary goal to obtain a tophat, a cane, and a black longcoat with tails.

And I suppose I'll admit that eating the molemen and saving the plant lady is the best thing to do. Hopefully they don't outnumber us enough to do too much terrible damage..

eat the molemen. the woman... let her go, she's not food.

use stretchiness to rip weapons from several at once.

>>328905
seconded. the plant creature could be a useful ally. she was able to hold of the mole men on her own for some time. nom the mole men. start by grabbing the two molemen who appear to be unarmed. they are probably magic users.

>>328891
Eat the one with the staff. Toss around the one behind her first and and then try and pin the others.

and the one in the armor needs the armor pulled off before eating, otherwise you could get some bad indigestion from all that metal.

Eat the wand guy first, then the one with the dagger behind fungus lady. Chase down the other two and eat them. Then talk to the non-food sapient. Be friendly.

sketchyquest !50qq4/3dkY 2011/07/21(Thu)15:27 No. 329109 ID: 885ee8
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You're not sure if you act out of desire to help or because only one group is edible, but you quickly step through the doorway and swing your arms wide, slamming all the small, chittering creatures against the wall.

sketchyquest !50qq4/3dkY 2011/07/21(Thu)15:27 No. 329110 ID: 885ee8
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Some instinct tells you to neutralize the caster first and you quickly begin shoving her down your throat after flinging her staff to the ground. As you do so, the robed one in the far corner grabs your tentacles and wrenches himself free! You try to grab him again, but he leaps from your grasp and flings himself at you in a vicious kick.

sketchyquest !50qq4/3dkY 2011/07/21(Thu)15:28 No. 329111 ID: 885ee8
File 131128729368.png - (287.79KB , 720x720 , 23.png )

Fortunately, in his haste, he did not aim true. With a quick jerk of your torso, you dodge his blow and he hits the wall behind you. The caster finishes her trip into your ever-waiting stomach. She is not as filling a meal as the human and elf were, but she is delicious nonetheless.

sketchyquest !50qq4/3dkY 2011/07/21(Thu)15:29 No. 329112 ID: 885ee8
File 131128736335.png - (328.85KB , 720x720 , 24.png )

The mushroom creature picks up the small staff and quickly brings it down on your attacker's head with all her might. The end of the staff connects squarely with his skull with a loud crack, and his body falls limp. You disarm the other two and quickly begin to devour the unarmored one.

sketchyquest !50qq4/3dkY 2011/07/21(Thu)15:29 No. 329113 ID: 885ee8
File 131128738256.png - (356.59KB , 720x720 , 25.png )

You shove him down your gullet, then bring the armored one up over your head. Rather than trying to manipulate all the clasps and buckles to remove the clunky armor from him, you simply constrict him with your powerful arms and crush the meat out of the metal shell. You hear the girl chant something unidentifiable, and there is a quick flash of white light.

You sling the excess metal, blood, fur, and pulverized tissue to the side and survey the scene, as you feel your body swelling and feeding from the three fresh bodies in your stomach.

The fungus girl has backed up against the far wall and is holding the staff defensively. She does not look injured anymore. She looks at you, then the door behind you, then back down at the one remaining unconscious furry creature. She prods the limp body towards you with the end of the staff and looks at you expectantly, breathing heavily. "Alright girl, how're you gonna get out of this one?" she mutters to herself under her breath.

You decide to be friendly towards this inedible creature, but you are not sure how to begin. What do you do?

you DANCE.

>>329113
"I apologize for my manners. You're the first person I've met since I've awoken that I didn't want to eat." Bow. Introduce yourself as Viktor.

>>329113
Wave. Say, "Hiiiiiii..."

Stand there awkwardly. Ponder how Drow taste.

>>329113
Speak to her. Tell her she is not meat and you have no wish to eat her... but that last morsel there looks delicious. Suggest that if she comes with you, you could get her away from the meatbags that want to hurt her. If she asks why you want her to come with you, simply state that we want information.

If she is pacified, then we should reach and gingerly take that final slab of meat and eat it. Om nom.

>>329116
this. acting the gentleman is both amusing, and so out of tune with our appearance that it will get most people to stop and think, witch is useful since most things first instinct on seeing us will involve fire, and lots of it.

"Oh, settle down. I am not going to eat you. You don't smell like food."

"Hello. My name is Viktor. What's yours?"

Don't bow. Putting your head out like that might be too tempting a target for the frightened girl to resist. Simply explain that you have rescued her and have no desire to eat her, but instead believe there can be mutual benefit in cooperation.

"Why were they trying to harm you? What did they want from you?"

sketchyquest !50qq4/3dkY 2011/07/21(Thu)20:35 No. 329282 ID: 885ee8
File 131130570968.png - (259.95KB , 720x720 , 26.png )

"Excuse me," you say, your voice a deep rumble. "I apologize for my manners." You bow your head politely and flick an errant bit of meat off your chin. "Please do not be alarmed. I have no intention of eating you. You are not meat. My name is Viktor."

sketchyquest !50qq4/3dkY 2011/07/21(Thu)20:35 No. 329283 ID: 885ee8
File 131130575409.png - (313.58KB , 720x720 , 27.png )

You look up and see the girl's face shift through a chain of about seven conflicting expressions. A moment passes in silence. She swallows audibly.

"Ivet," she finally says, lowering the staff somewhat.

"A pleasure," you reply, your voice monotonous and guttural. "You're safe now. Tell me, why were those creatures attacking you? What did they want?"

She lifts her hand to her head and takes a deep breath, her face finally settling on a combination of anxiety and confusion. "Harak possess me, this is surreal. I'm still shocked you can talk, wow. No wait, that was probably offensive, but I mean look at you! What the hell are you? I thought I was going to die! For the second time today!" She starts to pace back and forth along the back wall of the dwelling, gesticulating animatedly as she speaks. "Here I am, stuck in this damn cave, trying to hide from all of these Talpids, I mean I spent pretty much all damn day melded into stone! Do you have any idea how uncomfortable that is?"

"Excuse me," you say, cutting her off. You point to the unconscious creature on the ground. "May I?"

"Oh, yeah, by all means," she replies. You scoop the figure up. "What was I talking about?" She looks back at you expectantly.

"Why were they attacking you?" you reply, before you begin sucking the unconscious creature down your throat headfirst.

"Right! Right. I didn't come from here, I used to live in the next cave over. Source of that river out there, domain of Mother Oasis. We and these Talpids all used to be fine with each other. I mean, we got along. Then all of a sudden, some guy from the surface shows up in there, and then they're all 'oh this guy is great, oh he's so powerful, oh you should follow him too or you SUCK and should DIE.' and they're going on and on, all the time, about how their gods are better than our gods and they keep expanding their tunnels and digging further down and they collapsed the tunnels connecting our caves and now I'm stuck over here. And they-" she starts to choke up a little bit but plows forward, "-they killed my friend Avara and they tried to kill me and then this giant tentacle monster showed up and I am rambling at you SO HARD right now and-" she sobs audibly and covers her eyes. "I'm sorry. This is REALLY WEIRD. I mean..." she gestures toward you and sighs.

Incidentally, all four of the... Talpids, were they? The Talpids have all digested. You feel your mind becoming clearer, and the aching in your joints that you didn't know existed until it was gone has faded. You feel like you can move more quickly now. In addition, you feel like you have enough energy to direct your growth in another way. Would you like to be able to camouflage, spit acid, or hone your senses? Additionally, do you have any suggested courses of action?

Upgrade Senses.

I'm not entirely sure what 'honing your senses' consists of so I'm going to go with camouflage, as the element of surprise is your best weapon. First attack + grapple everyone = Viktory. However, it's best if you and your new 'friend' get to someplace safe. If she knows of a haven that'd be appreciated, but if not you can always go back the way you came. It's unwise to discuss too much while in enemy territory. What exactly was she doing here anyway?

>>329283
Camouflage. It should work nicely with our new ally?'s stone-melding ability.

Suggest that if she wished she could take revenge, with your help. You get to eat all the corpses, she gets satisfaction.

>>329283

Camouflage seems like a good choice.

Say "Religious extremists, their minds polluted by filth from the surface. This is what happens when a community stops practicing good social hygiene. Oh well. More meat and grist into the war machine.

"Sorry to hear about your friend. Two of you would make a more convincing case to your elders that the Talpids have become more than just bad neighbors, but now that task falls on you alone. If your people have friends, friends who can fight, now is the time to call on them and prepare to wipe out the Talpids."