Welcome To Dungeons and Drengin
Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Grant Edonin. As majordomo of entertainment, I would like to welcome you to a one-of-a-kind gaming experience. Please, have a seat by the fire. You must be tired from your journey! No, don't sit there. Sit over here--that's our comfiest log. Here, take this mug. For resting the limbs and soothing the aches of weary travelers, there's nothing like hot Corrasian cider! It goes down hot into the belly and then. . . well, there's no reason for me to describe what it does when you can already feel it, is there? Let's see, before you arrived I was in the middle of making a stew. I'll have to keep stirring it while we talk. You don't mind?
Now then. . . you are probably wondering about this place. It's a meeting-of-ways, it is--or was. It's practically its own jurisdiction now. For a long time, travelers such as yourself have been coming here. At first, they just came to get to wherever it was they were going; but now they come here to trade, to gamble, to have a good time! Some come just to avoid paying taxes! But whatever their reasons, they keep coming. And while they are here, I entertain them. What, you didn't recognize me? Yes, that sign by the road advertises my operation here. I am the Magnificent Mister Edonin, at your service.
I see that you've emptied your mug. That's good. It means that it's time for me to tell you about, uh, a little detail that I may have failed to mention before. You see, that wasn't just Corrasian cider in you mug. I mixed in a little, ah, something extra. Don't worry! It's nothing dangerous. It's just a little concoction I discovered that will make your experience here more. . . well, more interesting. You'll see. Just relax, and let it do its work. Really there's nothing to worry about. It's something I give to all my patients--er, clients.
You should be feeling very mellow and happy right now. Yes, that dopey grin on your face confirms it. Now then, I want you to tilt you head back and look up at the stars. Just like that. I want you to imagine that each of those stars has a name. No, more than that--I want you to see the names. See the names of each of the stars in the sky above you. Got it? Now while you are busy naming the stars, I'm just going to insert this itty, bitty attachment through the back of your neck into your spinal column. Nothing, ehhhh, to worry about. See? You can barely, ehhhhh, feel a thing. I am doing this because (though you are probably barely even aware of it at this point) you can't move--and because you can't move, ehhhhh, you can't speak. If this is going to work, though, I have to know, ehhhhh, what's going on in that head of yours. I have to, ehhhhh, see what you see. Like those pesky, ehhhhh, stars. Woooh! Got it! Just give me a moment... I have to catch my breath. I swear, this gets more nerve-racking every time! It's just like threading a needle, if the needle had a soul that could be extinguished with just one small error. Not to worry though. . . I'm pretty sure you won't remember this part anyway.
Alright, well I've got my end connected. We just have to get your end connected. That's easy. The drug I gave you makes it incredibly easy to dissociate from yourself, giving you an entirely new self. Or hundreds of them! You just need to imagine some scenario in which you (and however many selves you have) must give some answers. You could see yourself as taking some sort of test. You could see yourself as a data entry clerk on one of the scientific starbases. Or--I dunno--you could imagine yourself as a bunch of different people on an entirely mythical, alien world communicating electronically using primitive machines and voting to determine the next step to take on a genre-bending, role-playing, fantasy-filled spin off of a game that is new to their digital sphere, so that their incredibly brilliant game master can concoct the perfect brew, the Corrasian cider of storytelling, by layering in the flavors and aromas of a cohesive and compelling storyline. That's not too different from what I do, I suppose. Hmmm, something to reflect on later.
Where were we? I want you to see yourself sailing in a ship among the stars, leading your people to a bright future. Good, good! Can you picture yourself? Good! Now, I need you to tell me, which of these characters do you see yourself as?
A.
This guy looks like he needs a mug of Corrasian cider. I mean the good stuff.
B.
I'm sure this guy knows all the uses for Corrasian cider.
C.
Just look at how many mug-holders this guy has.
D.
Seeing this guy pop up in your imagination, I realize that I probably should have asked you if you were hungry before we got started.
E.
I don't think she has a sense of humor.
F.
He seems like he would make a nice uncle.
G.
Whatever you do, don't ask it to leave the hot tub.
H.
This elusive species is known to some as Fred. Long held in suspicion, its appearance has often coincided with high profile abductions and burglaries. If you have any information about Fred, please contact the Galactic Authorities. It is not known for certain if Fred is actually a species or a single lonely guy acting out of his deceased grandmother's basement.
I.
He'll make you wonder why it's called Dungeons and Drengin.
J.
"Why the long face?" asked the former ambassador.
"Are you sure you're not Fred in disguise?" asked the other former ambassador.
"That's okay, I don't need to know where you mouth is." -- Current ambassador
K.
If this is how you see yourself, I have a lot more questions.
L.
Does anybody else hear that squishing sound? Seriously, what is that?
M.
Known to many as the worst photographers in the galaxy.
N.
She just lost her boyfriend. No, I didn't ask how.
O.
Monkey see, monkey do. Turtle half-see, turtle half-do.
P.
If you think your imagination can pull off that hair style, go for it.
Q.
People think robots can't feel pain. They actually feel a great deal of pain.
OR. . . . . . . . . . . . .
R. Something else entirely.
You'll notice that your imagination would not allow you to view yourself as something like this:
That is because as majordomo of entertainment I made an executive decision and have reserved this spot of your brain. This spot belongs to EVIL. The creatures who live in this spot (like this one) are the big baddies. They are what in the gaming world people might call a FINAL BOSS. This is what you will have to face in the experimental laboratory test ahead. [Memory edit. Should read: "wonderfully entertaining scenario I have prepared for you."] But don't worry. When you fail--and I do mean when--you can always try again. That is, until your overstressed brain stops functioning. It's a good thing there are so many useful specimens in a place like this. [Memory edit. Should read: "I'm sure you'll do great! Good luck!"]
#4. They have WMD's ...
4
Outcome (4):
Apronda 24, 2307
The press conference went off without a hitch, and billions tuned in to hear you speak. Now instead of questioning your motives, media figures are repeating your words endlessly. As a consequence, public approval for rapid mobilization is rising and your people now see you as an extreme hardliner in matters of war. Although it may take some time to attain the technological prerequisites for an invasion of this magnitude, your people expect that you will make this a top priority and may feel disappointed if you fail to follow through.
You have gained Personal Reputation points: Militant (2), Outspoken (1).
You have gained Esteem with the Warforged Guild (+2).
You have lost Esteem with the Sentientists (-3).
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Apronda 28, 2307
Time: 13:01
You meet with a group of mathematicians, astronomers, and tech wizards. They assure you that they can use the data acquired through recent space exploration and the discovery of Arken to develop a computer that can accurately predict the presence of life in the galaxy. You will have to wait several months for results, but the nerds say they are ready to begin the project as soon as they have completed their eleventh playthrough of Feeding Fantasy 5: Xtreme Tactical RPG.
What would you like to do?
#2
Option #5
Fence sitting emperor.
Date: Mayonda 2, 2307
Time: 2:07
You look down at a vast ocean. A violent ocean. Though there is not a cloud in the sky, the sea foams at you with seething fury. Giant waves crash into one another with unimaginable force, spurting massive quantities of water into the air. Though you must be miles up, you feel droplets of the spray reach you. A few land on your maxillae and taste overwhelmingly of salt. Afraid that one of the larger spurts might knock you from your perch, you look about and notice for the first time that you are floating on air. You immediately begin to fall. You are too terrified even to scream. As you plummet toward the ocean, its vast arms reach up and engulf you. Inside the vortex, you quickly lose all sense of direction. You shut your eyes to keep out the stinging salt. The torrents buffet you relentlessly, drowning all thought. Then suddenly you feel yourself flung up into the air. You open two eyes to see the ocean already several hundred meters below you. The surface is surprisingly calm. You could almost sigh in relief. You notice that you have stopped going higher–in fact you are falling; but the ocean still seems to be shrinking away from you. You hear something behind you, and turn your head just in time to see the megawave before it hits and everything goes black.
As you slowly emerge from unconsciousness, you notice something gently tugging at you and a soft song in the distance. It takes a few minutes for you to recognize the current’s pull. By then the singing seems to have stopped. You look about and are struck by the dimness of the light and the seeming thickness of the water. You must have drifted far below the ocean’s surface. You notice the current’s pull has shifted in the last few minutes, dragging you downward. You look down and notice small lights gleaming peacefully far below. Before long, you notice that you are approaching some kind of tall structure. In the dim light, it is impossible to make out, but the current seems to be drawing you towards it. Up close, you see that it is a pipe just wide enough for you to fit through. It pulls you in, and you do not have the strength anymore to resist. Darkness engulfs you, and you descend for what feels like an eternity. As you reach the bottom, you notice the water starts to feel warmer. Up ahead you see the exit revealed by a pale blue light.
You step out of the pipe and the current dissipates around you. A great chamber opens up before you beneath a tall arched dome. Intricate geometric carvings run down the walls and fluted columns. Strange stone figures, arrayed in ranks like soldiers, guard the center. On either side, short tunnels adjoin the chamber to other rooms. Your antennae detect minute vibrations coming from the room on the right, and you slowly make your way to the tunnel entrance. On the other side, you see three figures like the ones made from stone, but you can tell from the movement of their limbs and the rapid clicking sound they make in turn that these three are very much alive. You realize in a moment of complete shock that you have seen these creatures before, that night you got the tingling. You let out a soft gasp. Although you don’t think they could possibly have heard, one of them turns and looks right at you.
You wake from your dream, feeling cold and numb. For a moment, everything feels out of place. You feel out of place, as if your body were a remote planet. The feeling passes, and you remember where you are. Such a strange and disturbing dream. More like a nightmare. Was it just the product of an overactive imagination? Once more, you find yourself questioning your own sanity. But no. The dream felt too real–too important. You comb through your foggy memory and try to piece together the details, even though they make you shudder.
You don’t think you’ll get much more sleep tonight, so you decide to get some work done. As you climb up to your work-shelf, you notice the by now familiar sound of Psi’s whooshing approach. You look down at the robot. “What are you doing up? I thought you’d be charging at this hour.”
“What am I doing up? What are YOU doing up? I’m programmed to sense movement around the palace even when I sleep. It’s part of my Bodyguard Protocol! Whenever I detect a threat, I turn myself back on! In this case, it turns out that YOU were the threat. I thought you might be an assassin. . . .”
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you up. I just couldn’t sleep. I’m going to get some more of this work done; you should go back to sleep.”
You turn down the little fellow’s offers of sleeping pills and robot-guided ASMR. He whooshes back over to his charging station, and you settle down to go over the documents that need attention.
You have new Tactical Information.
Tactical Log and Journal updated.
Mayonda 13, 2307
Ever since your press conference last month, the stock market has soared in anticipation of future gains. Military contractors, which had seen their market shrink every year since Unification, suddenly saw an opportunity to expand. Their lobbyists have swarmed after Assembly officials ever since.
You have just learned through your personal network of spies that several officials in charge of overseeing contracts have taken bribes. While you could have all the officials arrested, many are junior members of powerful noble families. What would you like to do?
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