>>5281599
>Tell Loretta to horse-kick the goblin in the cart ahead (the one with dynamite)
>Drink Bonk
Let's turn into the stuntman
>Throw empty can at the goblin to your right (left of the screen)
>Pump the goblin ahead of you full of lead
>While you dive into car behind you to dodge bullets

>Harvest a mushroom

>>5281620
>>5281756
+1, but also
>After diving into back minecart, attempt to toss Loretta the spare shotgun

>>5282541
Oh wait nvm she has a gun already. Tell her to horsekick the dynamite gremlin then shoot the gun out of the headdress one's hands.

>>5281599
>Have Scite catch up to the modelling clay cart, shoot the guy ahead of him then model away to make something wonderful.

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>>5281620
>>5281756
>>5282542
>>5282631
You down the can of Bonk. It tastes absolutely awful, but you feel a strange sense of power welling up within you. Suddenly, there's a flash of light, and all becomes one.

The weird little guys fire their derringers at you, but you're too fast. You leap into the air, watching the bullets move at a snail's pace, and effortlessly maneuver your body around the shots like a limbo champion.
You whirl your body in slow motion and fling your empty Bonk at one of the aggressors, and the metal can slowly impacts the little bastard right in the teeth. Then you pull out your pistols and empty both chambers right into the dude in front of you, riddling his squat body with bullet holes.
Still on a massive Bonk high, you gracefully swan dive into the minecart, swimming majestically past the supersonic shockwaves of flying lead.

And for some reason, you spend a bit of Bonk time grabbing a handful of mushroom.

(1/2)

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You crash into the minecart like 50 pounds of lard and lay there for a few seconds, shivering. That Bonk stuff is no joke.

Blam! Scite takes down one of the little gray guys and knocks him off his cart. But a bunch of his allies crash into Scite from behind and wrangle him with a lasso. Scite is incapacitated!
He struggles mightily, but at least four of those things are holding him down tightly and pushing gun barrels into his face. They cackle in a gurgling, unpleasantly moist timbre, and jabber to one another in some language. One of them turns towards you and shrieks, in an impenetrable accent, something about you being a poopoo head.

You see the tracks ahead twisting and turning in a tangle of rails. There's a few levers that can be used to control the direction of the rails, which you might be able to leap onto.
Worryingly, some of the tracks lead directly into a cascade of bubblign magma.

What do?
>Negotiate with the little monsters
>Connect the tracks to yours and handle the enemies yourself
>Try to derail the minecarts
>Something else?

(2/2)

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>>5283809
>Flip the levers to the middle positions!

>>5283809
Loretta doing god's work back there.
>Shoot the rope binding Scite
Both tracks are set correctly, lol.
>>5283803
That was beautiful, thank you QM.

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>>5283877
You bend over to the lever platforms and wrench the levers into the center, causing the switches to bend out of position. Up ahead, you hear screaming as two carts full of little guys derails and plummets into the lavafall. Scite looks like he might suffer the same fate if you don't pull back the lever soon!

>>5284115
You yell at Scite to hold still.

Shootin’ check to shoot away his bindings:
Roll 1d20 +4 (Shootin’) +1 (alcohol bonus) -4 (wriggling target) +3 (hatred of rope). At least 10 to pass.

Rolled 2 + 4 (1d20 + 4)

>>5286091

Rolled 12 + 4 (1d20 + 4)

>>5286091

Rolled 19 + 4 (1d20 + 4)

>>5286091

Rolled 4 + 4 (1d20 + 4)

>>5286091

Rolled 4 + 4 (1d20 + 4)

>>5286091
I forgot if I already rolled or not.

>>5287710
we did

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>>5286137
You shoot wildly, but your shots fail to cut Scite's ropes. The shorties take notice, though, and they retaliate with some gunfire of their own! You juke and jive out of the way, but the same can't be said of lever 2, which takes a bullet to the stem.

Scite's cart train derails, sending him and his captors plummeting! Miraculously, another minecart train passes just below and catches everyone safely. Less miraculously, the train is full of more of those little guys, who wrangle Scite into submission and ride off into the distance, cackling.

You've just lost your tour guide! You have scant moments to contemplate how you're gonna get out of here without your Leadkeeper companion - when you suddenly realize that, with lever 2 stuck in derailing position, Loretta is about to suffer a very warm fate. You leap from the platform and tackle Loretta to safety as her minecart falls into the magma below.

(1/2)

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You skid to a stop on the warm bedrock as steel minecarts crash all around you, scattering coal and random junk.

What do?
>Interrogate the short guy
>Try to scale the rock wall back up to the rails
>Throw stuff in the lava
>Something else?

>>5288149
>Interrogate the short guy
Use your mask to intimidate

>>5288149
>Immediately fail an effective DC of 6
Love that.

>>5288240
+1, also

>Make sure Loretta's okay
>See what the weird cones are
>See what the weird bag(?) with the cancel sign is
>Ponder about what an accordion would do (could we for instance multiclass as Accordion Thief)
>If accordion is unappealing, pocket the booze
>Pour water onto lava to create cobblestone bridge across, just like in my vidya games

>>5288245
And when I say "water" I mean the water jugs by the right wall. Pour the "apple juice" too if the jugs aren't enough.

>>5288245
NVM the cones are those little paper drinking "cups." Still want to know about the bag (the one right below the water jugs).

>>5288149
>Interrogate the short guy
>Shoot his kneecaps
>Throw HIM into the lava
Those fucking caveniggers are gonna pay for kidnapping Scite.

>>5288146
What? We had 19+4!

>>5288663
Best of 1.

>>5288693
This should've been stated desu.

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>>5288245
>Make sure Loretta's okay
Loretta is fine, just a little banged up.

>See what the weird cones are
Those are shitty paper cups. Guaranteed to disintegrate within 3 minutes, or your money back!

>See what the weird bag(?) with the cancel sign is
Scite looks to have dropped this bag during his capture. It's full of white powder. You take a quick lick – tastes like potassium nitrate.

>Ponder about what an accordion would do (could we for instance multiclass as Accordion Thief)
You inspect the accordion. Playing music improves your teammates' morale and puts enemies off their game, but you lack the training to really soothe the savage breast.

(1/2)

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>>5288245
You dump a water jug on the lava and cool it into a nice little patch of cobblestone. For your next trick, you’ll beat a tree down using only your fists.

>>5288240
>>5288663
You grab the little man while he’s still disoriented, lift him up by the neck, and shake him like a rattle while screaming into his face about shooting off his kneecaps and chucking him into the magma. Then you remember that you wanted to ask him something.

What do?
>Ask him where you are
>Ask him how to leave
>Ask him why he’s so short
>Shoot his kneecaps and chuck him into the magma
>Something else?

(2/2)

>>5289234
>Ask him how to leave
>Ask him what dangers we might run into on the way
>Ask him what species he is, what species Scite and the other guys are, and what beef they have
>Ask him if he knows about the Architechum
>Ask him where they took Scite
>Threaten harder to shoot him unless he leads you to Scite
>If uncooperative or untrustworthy-seeming, shoot his kneecaps and chuck him into the magma

don't worry about drawing panels for all of these, it's a lot of questions

>>5289314
Oh, and no matter what,
>Cross cobblestone bridge

>>5288699
Probably, but this quest nearly always uses Bo1.

>>5289234
>>5289314
>potassium nitrate
>Ask them what the fuck they want to use the potassium nitrate for
>Threaten to play the accordion...badly

>>5289234
>Shoot his kneecaps and chuck him into the magma
c:

>>5289234
he probably speaks gremlin or something so screech autistically like a gremlin would, THEN shoot his kneecaps and dunk him into the magma… or is it lava?
Ask him if it’s magma or lava, because you can’t remember the difference

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Got too much stuff to do. Pushing back update by 3 days.

>>5291829
>average old ways enjoyer

>>5291829
>too much stuff to do
>finds time to paint a beautiful portrait of himself

>>5292086
His nose was off somewhere sniffing pussy

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>>5289314
>>5289354
>>5290152
>Ask him how to leave
The wriggling little man doesn’t cooperate until you give him a good pistol whip. Then he says that you’re not getting out of these twisting caverns unless you’ve got the ballistic spirits running through your veins, which is something that you don’t understand, so you pistol whip him again, and he clarifies by saying that you need one of his kind to lead you out.

>Ask him what dangers we might run into on the way
Your captive gleefully warns you that you might encounter some nasty fellas on your way out. His employers wouldn’t want nosy surfacedwellers poking around in their territory, eh?

>Ask him what species he is, what species Scite and the other guys are, and what beef they have
You’re curious as to the nature of this scrawny little guy, so you ask him what he is. He puffs out his chest (as much as he can while you’ve got him by the throat) and proudly declares himself to be a member of the derrong race.
You ask the gray gnome what he thinks of Scite and the Leadkeepers. He spits and calls them smug, condescending losers who think they’re better than everyone else. News flash, he says: just because you’ve got a talent for black magic, and you have massive industrial capabilities, and you set up the rail system that every man, woman, and gelatinous cube relies on to survive in these blasted tunnels, doesn’t mean you get to pretend like you’re above us.

>Ask him if he knows about the Architechum
He doesn’t know who your daffy pals are.

>Ask them what the fuck they want to use the potassium nitrate for
He doesn’t know what the fuck potassium nitrate is. You gesture to Scite’s little baggie, and your captive tells you that he doesn’t work with the powder, he just fires it.

>Ask him where they took Scite
Sick of the questions, the derrong squirms in your hands and tries to reach for his gun, but you hold him over the bubbling lava and he stops resisting. You get right up in the greasy little man’s face – where did you take Scite? He sputters out that his buddies probably took your stupid friend back to their employers’ territory; they’ve been looking for a Leadkeeper to snatch for a while now.

>Threaten harder to shoot him unless he leads you to Scite
The derrong (whose name is Pin) reluctantly promises to direct you to Scite. In turn, you promise not to give him a warm lava bath, or to play the accordion in his vicinity.

>Ask him if it’s magma or lava
Unprovoked, Pin tells you that it’s actually magma, because it’s underground. You give him a wedgie.

(1/2)

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You cross the cobblestone bridge and climb up the rock wall until you reach the minecart rail again. Here's where you last saw Scite – the only question is how you're gonna get to him.

Pin informs you that this rail just goes straight for quite a distance. You could just walk, but that'll take a while, and who knows what those guys are doing with Scite. Plus you're on a time crunch to get to the Leadkeeper base, which is the whole reason you're here.

You hear the rumbling of rails somewhere nearby.

What do?
>Walk down the rail
>Try to fix up a minecart
>Stick out a thumb and hitchhike
>Something else?

(2/2)

(Next update will be in another 3 days.)

>>5295697
>Stick out a thumb and hitchhike
>Fill the little shit with booze so he doesn't try anything stupid
>Feed hin mushroom to see what happens

>>5295697
Okay, by 3 days I mean 4 days plus about 12 hours.

>>5295826
+1 but
>Ask the dude about the mushrooms first, don't feed it if they're poisonous or something

>>5300101
kek

>>5300101
you really need to make hell quest already, it’s a better form of accountability than this imo and it’d be easy references

>>5300388
Hell Quest is vaporware by now

>>5300388
I think the filler quests always sort of balloon out of OP's control and end up taking time away from this quest. Not that I wouldn't enjoy it.

>>5300388
>>5300407
At least one of you hasn't voted, baka.

>>5300433
I'm the vote you +1'd.
I feel like hell quest could be a good idea under the current circumstances. To keep the players who stopped voting once the delays started popping off interested.

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>>5300365
You ask Pin if the bioluminescent mushrooms are edible. He asks you if you're an idiot. You fresh from the spawning ground or something? Everyone knows that the mushrooms just make you glow and give you diarrhea. Anyway, it doesn't matter if your pathetic surfacedweller eyes can't see down here, because he can see just fine, and he'll bring you to where you need to go, you great dumb overgrown meatwad.

You don't trust this guy, and you don't appreciate his attitude, so you make him a little more useful by forcefeeding him a handful of mushroom, turning him into a portable nightlight. Then you chase his fungal snack with a quaff of Ooze-O. Pin is a lot more compliant once he's got a stomachful of fermented sewage juice.

>>5295826
With your unwilling traveling companion rendered docile, you stick out a thumb as a minecart train rumbles through. You come face to face with one of the disturbing denizens of this realm - this one has the distinct smell of the fish market at 4 PM.

You ask the piscine pilot if you can bum a ride. He responds with some kind of burbling language that you can't figure out. The two of you do some impromptu charades until you determine that he'll let you on if you can make it worth his while.

What do?
>Give him some items he might want
>Shell out (your wallet. Unfortunately, you don't have any actual shells, which you suspect this guy might appreciate.)
>Shove the fishman into the abyss and hijack his cart
>Something else?

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You have $0.12.

>>5300388
>>5300459
>>5300433
(I actually do have a lot more free time now. Filler stuff might make a comeback.)

>>5300888
>Offer him Lecithin

>>5301122
+1
And also our 12 cents, that's a nominal fee. Maybe also a drink of Ooze-O? He seems like the kind of guy who'd like sewer sludge.

Also, I kind of thought we spent our BOGO coupon last thread, but I'd have to check.

>>5301570
We haven't. That action was cancelled.

>>5301594
Aha. (See, that's why I wanted to double-check.)

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>>5301122
>>5301570
You offer the smelly creature a jar of lecithin, a handle of Ooze-O, and 12 cents.
He doesn't have much use for the lecithin, and the 12 cents is almost an insult, but he takes them anyway. On the other hand, your fishy friend's eyes light up with glee once he spots the Ooze-O; it's a kuo-shoota delicacy, and this one bottle costs about a month's salary of blood sacrifice duty. He takes the booze and gladly allows you to hop in the back.

You ride with the fishman through long stretches of tunnel until Pin tells you to get off at a certain ledge. Your gracious driver opts to take a moment to savor his drink.

Surrounded by lavafalls is what appears to be a small village, walled off by stone barriers and a small moat.
You throw rocks at the drawbridge until someone comes to the door. It's another derrong, who asks for your identification, passport, and reason for coming.

What do?
>Bribe the guard
>Go round the back and try to sneak your way in
>Ask Pin about the village
>Something else?

>>5303081
>kuo-shoota
kek

>Ask Pin about the village
Ask him how best to get in, and if we even need to go through here to leave. If he refuses to answer remind him that we have plenty of ammo and he only has two kneecaps.

>>5303081
>Ask Pin about the village
Remind him that if he tries to alert the guard he gets the bullet to the brain treatment

>>5303081
>Bribe the guard

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>>5303083
>>5305225
>>5305342
You ask Pin about the village and why he brought you here. He tells you that this is the town of Belson, populated by derrongs and ruled over by the enigmatic mine flamers. This is where his buddies took Scite, so if you want to get your Leadkeeper friend back, this would be the place to start.

You ask Pin how to get in, and about bribing the guard. Pin replies that the guard is pretty much only there to be bribed; the mine flamers certainly don't want anyone other than a derrong under their employment to be skulking around Belson. Barring an active siege, the guards really have nothing better to do than watch TV all day.

If you want to get in without anyone noticing, Pin tells you, it may be possible for you to loop around the back and hitch a ride through the material shipments. Coal, oil, steel, and other commodities enter the village via minecarts. However, derrong raiding parties leave the same way, so you may run into some trouble if you're detected.

What do?
>Grease some palms
>Penetrate through behind
>Something else?

>>5305412
>Penetrate through behind
Hopefully the penetration goes smoothly, like we lubed ourselves up beforehand, not roughly and painfully. We sort of used up most of our bribing on the fish guy, imo.

>>5305412
>Penetrate through behind
Pick metal shipment. We're gonna work some rods and get ready to impale every goddamn midget in this town.
>>5305414
It doesn't have to go smoothly cause it's not us who's getting penetrated.

>>5305412
>penetrate through behind
hot.

>>5305412
>>Penetrate through behind

>>5305822
Good point. Let's make the penetration a fun surprise. If we come from behind we'll be in before they can resist us.

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>>5305414
>>5305822
>>5305844
>>5306028
You sneak around behind the village walls, sidling along a precarious rock ledge to avoid detection. Above, you notice a few gates leading right into the derrong town. Unfortunately, there seem to be quite a few of the little guys hanging around here. Plus, two of the doors are locked; you’ll probably need a key to get in those ones.

The gate marked “Travel” appears to be for derrongs entering and leaving the city, particularly for raiding teams. Two derrongs sit in front of the doorway chatting about rising rent prices and cleaning their derringers. They seem about to leave on some important errand.
Pin recognizes the two derrongs – he hates their guts! Those two always grab the best loot and bring in the most valuable captives. Pin and his gang work their asses off, but those guys put in zero effort and somehow get everything handed to ‘em. He’d sure like to see the pair get their comeuppance someday.

The gate marked “Oil” is open, but the whole procession of fluid tanks is closely monitored by derrong inspectors. You’re not sure if you could get through without some very convincing excuse, complicated by the fact that you’re twice as tall as anybody here. Hiding in an oil tank might work – if you could get your hands on one without being noticed.

The gate for “Steel” is under repair, with a neat line of scrap metal-filled minecarts waiting patiently. The track curves down near the ledge you’re standing on, so it’d be trivial to sneak into a cart, but there doesn’t seem to be much utility without a door for the cart to go through.

The last door is for miscellaneous imports. You see a couple of derrongs pushing a minecart full of coal down the rail. Pin doesn’t know them.

You notice that the travelling track has a side rail leading back to the front entrance. You could get your fishman friend to drive back around here, if you wanted to. He and his stuff are still idling at the front gate. For that matter, you could still go back and bribe the front gate guard with items.

What do?
>Approach the two derrongs about to leave
>Pretend to be a traveling trader
>Disguise as one of the maintenance workers
>Unleash battle cry, shoot wildly
>Something else?

>>5306574
>Pretend to be a traveling trader
Get the fishman to come back around and help. Enlist Pin's help as well with the promise we'll kick the two guys' asses in short order.

>>5306574
Sniper Elite genocide run:
>Order Pin to cap the Sombrero
>Tell Loretta to kick the Oil worker off the cliff
>Pick up the rifle and snipe the 5 guys in the line from behind a barrel
(Briefcase, wrench-warrior, worried-one and two on the carts in the distance)

Then we grab the fool from Oil entrance.

>>5306945
We still don't have Rifle Handling.

>>5306988
(We do have our silenced gun, though, if you think it'd work with that.)

>>5306990
ill +1 if you figure out a stealth path, anon

>>5307413
It wasn't my plan, this guy already had one: >>5306945

>>5307418
both me: >>5306945 >>5307413
im just too busy to figure out another course of action rn

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>>5306945
You prepare to execute a super badass plan to take out all of these guys at once.

Shootin' check for cleaning out the back entrance:
Roll BO3d20 +4 (Shootin') +1 (alcohol bonus) +2 (surprise attack) +2 (silenced gun) +2 (Pin hatred) -4 (distance) -3 (derrong raiding team experience) +2 (woke up on the right side of the bed). At least 18 to pass.

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Rolled 16 + 6 (1d20 + 6)

>>5308345

Rolled 16 + 6 (1d20 + 6)

>>5308345
Not that it matters much with >>5308373 this sick roll.

>>5309040
Or, uh, that could happen.

>>5309040
We got 666 twice. Based.
https://youtu.be/n_E__SUxsy4

this is badass that this quest(ern) is still going after a year of being away. Good job QM

Rolled 10 + 6 (1d20 + 6)

>>5308345
You can ignore this if someone else comes along, but here's a 3rd roll to speed things up.

Rolled 20 + 6 (1d20 + 6)

>>5309968
My bad partner

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>>5308373
>>5309040
>>5309968
Pin pops the broad-brimmed derrong a new neck hole while Loretta roundhouse kicks a worker off the ledge. Immediately, the alerted derrongs whirl towards you and fire off a hail of bullets, but you dodge and weave while returning fire with your revolver, and your impeccable aim effortlessly disables all of your foes!

Except for the one guy in the shades, who gets away in the chaos. Surely you won't see him again.

(1/2)

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You storm through the open door, nabbing the lone worker in your way and jamming your revolver down his mouth.

You find yourself surrounded by a sea of oil drums, the cylinders of concrete and metal glittering in the light of glowing mushrooms and gas flares. In the distance is a processing plant belching out noxious smoke - especially pernicious, considering the lack of air circulation in this cramped cavern. Pin tells you that your Leadkeeper friend was almost certainly taken there, since it's the mine flamers' headquarters.

Speak of the devil! You duck behind a barrel when you spot one of the mine flamers Pin was talking about. It appears to be a tall squid-faced humanoid, clothes scorched with countless battle scars. Even from here, you can feel the tingle in the back of your mind indicating the presence of powerful magic. This guy is dangerous.

What do?
>Wear the captured derrong's clothes and pretend to be an oil worker
>Try to ambush the mine flamer
>Ask the mine flamer his opinions of different fuel types
>Something else?

(2/2)

>>5309968
QM can't just cancel rolls, anon.
>>5310372
Ah fuck, wasted opportunity to wear our mask. Fuck!
>>5310375
>Mask on
>Worker clothes on
>Ask the mine flamer his opinions of different fuel types
>Complain about them fuel prices going up

>>5310375
resist the urge to shoot the barrels.

>>5310516
+1

>QM can't just cancel rolls, anon.
I mean, he can. He's the QM. I know a few QMs who prefer rolls by new IPs over rolls from people who already rolled.

>>5311104
I was referring specifically to you requesting QM to ignore your result if another result comes in. There are no "ifs" with limited dice rolls.

>>5311742
>I was referring specifically to you requesting QM to ignore your result if another result comes in. There are no "ifs" with limited dice rolls.
Yes? We're referring to the same thing? I have had QMs ignore my result if another result came in? I don't mind if OP doesn't do it in his quest, it's not the totally wild unreasonable thing you're making it out to be.

>>5311750
QM didn't ignore your second roll.
As for why, it's because it can be fucky if you roll nat 1 but then someone rolls nat 20, or vice versa depending on situation. It's basically a re-roll with "if" condition and it shouldn't be a thing.

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>>5310516
You dress up in the worker’s clothes (they’re surprisingly stretchy) and approach the cephalopod disguised in your hannya mask. You sidle up to him and casually chatter about the price of fuel.

It’s like you flipped a switch. The mine flamer instantly starts ranting about the insane price of oil these days. It’s unbelievable! Back in his day, gas was three bucks a gallon maximum. Now a simple flame warrior can’t fill up a tank without having to shell out a month’s worth of pay. It’s mind-boggling. And it’s all because of the begolders, raising the prices of their fossil fuels to ridiculous levels while putting tariffs on the mine flamers’ precious metal exports! Someone oughta teach those spherical bastards a lesson.

The mine flamer seems to think you’re a child of one of his kind. He regales you paternally with all sorts of stories about the begolders and mine flamers fucking with each other, mostly economically. You zone out for the bulk of his monologue, but there is one moment that catches your ear – the mine flamer briefly tells you about this new coal liquefaction process that the fellas in R&D came up with, which might allow the mine flamers to break away from begolder oil and fuel up on Leadkeeper coal instead.

What do?
>Ask the mine flamer about any Leadkeepers he’s seen recently
>Ask for a tour of the facility
>Tell him you’re here to negotiate trade routes
>Something else?

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>>5310789
You fight every video game instinct you have to shoot the red barrels.

>>5313151
>Ask the mine flamer about any Leadkeepers he’s seen recently
>Ask about Architechum
>>5313161
You this is a funny joke, but I 100%ed Just Cause 2 and the skin on my back is all tingly now.

>>5313170
+1
>Ask how the begolders got so much power
>Keep an eye on Pin, he seems distressed

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>>5313170
>Ask the mine flamer about any Leadkeepers he’s seen recently
Just a few minutes ago, the derrongs dragged a Leadkeeper into the Hall of Ignition to face the Council. The Hall's right over there, next to the processing plant.

>Ask about Architechum
You try to fish for info on the Architechium. He’s heard the name before from some higher-up, but that’s it.

>>5313728
>Ask how the begolders got so much power
The begolders are conniving gasbags that got their wriggling eyestalks on a rich petroleum deposit, and have been wringing every cent out of the mine flamers for generations. They've got a monopoly on the very fuel that powers the mine flamers' entire culture.
Fortunately for the mine flamers, there happens to be a hefty vein of precious metals beneath their territory, allowing them to strike back against the bloated blobs by instituting massive tariffs on the gold they use for everything. Within a few years, the mine flamer declares, the begolders' lust for shiny things will surely be their downfall. Surely.

>Keep an eye on Pin, he seems distressed
You watch passively as Pin runs to a nearby mine flamer and frantically warns him about a human saboteur. You look around for the saboteur before you realize he’s pointing at you.

The two mine flamers regard you with suspicion. Pin opens your workcoat with a flourish, revealing your inventory.
See? The human’s armed to the teeth, ready to plug any mine flamer that gets in his way. There’s a bag of fertilizer – clearly for repurposing into an improvised explosive, to take out the oil silos! He’s got a glowing orb with the symbol of sulfur, another obvious bomb, and he’s stashed a strange metal object on his horse, probably another bomb! And how can he possibly explain why he and his horse single-handedly wiped out every derrong in the import depot, then disguised himself as a worker? He's working for the begolders! Pin cries out for incineration, right here, right now!

What do?
>Talk your way out of this (requires a good argument, or hard Tootin’ check)
>Start blasting
>Make a run for it (hard Rootin’ check)
>Bribe them
>Something else?

>>5315795
Oh, crud, I didn't realize that Loretta was holding some other derrong. Thought that was Pin. Serves me right.

Uhhhhh we look pretty guilty here. The bomb thing is BS, but we did just murder like 5 people, and I don't think these guys like the Leadkeepers very much either.

Maybe we can
>Protest that the various metal orbs are not bombs, and the fertilizers is for making our chicken grow up strong
>Demand a fair trial in the Hall of Ignition
?

>>5315795
the barrels!
it’s time!

>>5315795
>Talk your way out of this (requires a good argument, or hard Tootin’ check)
We're a derrong disguised as a human, disguised as a demon. An undersupercover private detective (UPD for short), investigating a massacre committed just nearby (how could've you missed it?!), and this psycho (point at Pin) is our primary SUSPECT. He had a motiff to kill those guys - he hated their guts! The smoking guns are what we found on the crime scene. Now, the uzi is a keepsake from our grandpa, who was half-Uzong, and we carry it for protection.
>>5315823
>Oh, crud, I didn't realize that Loretta was holding some other derrong. Thought that was Pin.
same

Update may be delayed by up to 24 hours.

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>>5316022
You consider blowing yourself to kingdom come, but that seems like a waste given the price of gas these days.

>>5315823
>>5316306
You try to deflect the accusations by denying the bomb-ness of your myriad bomblike objects. You also point out that Pin participated in the slaughter; his derringer is still warm!

The mine flamers peer at Pin warily - they know that the derrong crews can be competitive in their tasks, but to massacre the whole intake depot is on another level. They decide to just take you both in for questioning.

You're dragged into the Hall of Ignition, which seems to be a large stone building. Bright lights shine down upon you, and you look up to see a panel of grim-faced mine flamers staring down. This must be the Council.

The mine flamer escorting you says that the case with you and Pin will be handled once they get this hearing out of the way. He gestures in front of you...

Your Leadkeeper buddy Scite is here, tied to a chair and surrounded by guards. But oddly enough, he doesn't look too perturbed - just kind of pissed off.
You watch as the Council taps on dry infographics and makes meandering speeches to try to get Scite to sign off on some sort of trade agreement. It seems to involve the Leadkeepers blocking off begolder trade routes and selling the mine flamers cheap coal.
The Council doesn't look like they're getting through to Scite; they're practically on their hands knees, despite offering an insultingly crappy deal.

Scite notices you. He shoots you a look that says "get me out of here". Not in the "I've been abducted and fear for life and limb" kind of way, but the "I've been stuck in the line at the DMV for 5 hours and the guy behind me keeps trying to make small talk" kind of way.

What do?
>Tell the Council that you're part of this Leadkeeper's diplomatic entourage
>Propose a counteroffer to Scite on behalf of the begolders
>Pull out your thermal detonator

(The next update will be in the next thread, which might not be for a week or two. I have another quest idea I might want to run.)

>>5320076
>Pull out your thermal detonator
...yeah we spent too much time on this midget circus.
what quest?

>>5320076
>Tell the Council that you're part of this Leadkeeper's diplomatic entourage

What kind of quest?

>>5320636
We can't say we're part of the entourage. Our escort is standing right there and will just go "yeah also he murdered 5 guys" and either they'll ignore us or it'll make Scite look bad.

>Propose a counteroffer to Scite on behalf of the begolders

May as well play into the misconception. Try and encode some stuff into the offer that makes it clear we should both try and bust out together.

>>5321581
Also
>Point out to the flamers that kidnapping a guy is not the best foundation for a successful business deal
>Something something timeshares
>Ask why they couldn't just negotiate normally