> ASK who XHK'YINK is.

>Ask what they serve at BANQUETS.

You do so, and the PRIEST says that they provide many WONDROUS DELICACIES and MUSHROOMS. Neither sound particularly mind-blowing to you, but, eh...

>Ask them how they spell XHK'YINK.

The PRIEST looks at you oddly, and then promptly snaps its FINGERS. Your BEETLE GUIDE marks out a bunch of WEIRD SYMBOLS in the DIRT.

...

That was helpful!

>Ask if they know anyone by the name K'Z'K.

The PRIEST shakes its head sadly.

"Alas, the arch-fiend, he who must not be named... fated brother and shadow of the light."

>Ask who XHK'YINK is for more information about XHK'YINK.

You already know who he is (some PROPHET or something), but you don't know much about him. You ask, and the PRIEST remarks that he was just KIND OF REMARKABLE, apparently. His CARAPACE was a DEEP BLACK, marked in GOLD, and his MANDIBLES were always FIERCE and SLIGHTLY SEGMENTED. He was quite STERN, but HONEST and COURAGEOUS.

The PRIEST then turns to you anew.

"Do you mind if some of us ask you questions? We're very intrigued!"

You're still feeling a tad HUNGRY, a tad TIRED, and you can be sure you feel something STRANGE, at the very PIT OF YOUR STOMACH.

>What do you do?

> ASK if said QUESTIONS can wait until the BANQUET.

>Attempt to memorize the pattern of said scratches to the point that you'd recognize it if you saw it.

>Ask if said QUESTIONS can wait until the BANQUET.

They say yes.

...

That was quick.

>Attempt to memorize the PATTERN of said SCRATCHES IN THE DIRT to the point that you'd recognize it if you saw it.

You immediately begin staring intently at the DIRT MARKINGS, and everyone just feels really AWKWARD because you're stood there for the next FIVE MINUTES in TOTAL SILENCE.

You eventually nod, and another WEIRD ANT PERSON comes over to the PRIEST and CLICKS NOISEILY. The PRIEST excitedly says into the STRANGE STICK:

"Ah, the banquet is ready!"

This could be one of the first PROPER MEETINGS between the ATASHDEY and the OOLABEC. It would be a GOOD IDEA to stay on your BEST BEHAVIOUR, especially since they have FOOD, which right now is the PRIMARY FACTOR in who you're loyal too.

>What do you do?

> Repress ANY and ALL behavior that might be DIMINISHING of the OOLABEC's opinion of the ATASHDEY.

> Take a remotely NORMAL PORTION of FOOD, then EAT in a RESPECTABLE MANNER (by which I don't mean eating at a speed that a speed-eater would respect.).

> ASK what THEY wanted to ASK YOU ((Edited in to prevent shenanigans)) without your mouth full.

Good save. >_<

edited 1st May '12 12:32:16 PM by neobullseye

>...without your mouth full.

>Repress any and all behavior that might be DIMINISHING of the OOLABEC's opinion of the ATASHDEY.

Aww, but the large BANQUET TABLE has so many WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITIES to ruin everything! D:

Speaking of which, they take you to another part of the VAST CAVERNS, where a huge series of METAL TABLES and BENCHES that have been carved into the STONE GROUND are arrayed, covered in all kinds of STRANGE FOOD on TRIANGULAR PLATES. You look on in wonderment as the assortments of WEIRD ANT PEOPLE, GIANT BEETLES and FLY-HEADED OCTOPUS SPIDER BLOBS take their various SEATS, tucking into the FOOD.

You sit between the PRIEST and your BEETLE GUIDE, and notice an EMPTY PLATE in front of you. There's no CUTLERY, and nearby are three BIGGER PLATES, though there are others on different tables: one contains a PILE OF TINY INSECTS, still squirming, and another contains a VARIETY OF MUSHROOMS. The THIRD PLATE contains some ROUND SHELLED CREATURES with SPIKES of GLOWY BITS OF CRYSTAL emerging from their SHELLS. It seems to be that everyone is taking BITS AND PIECES from the VARIOUS LARGE PLATES.

>Take a NORMAL PORTION of FOOD, then EAT in a RESPECTABLE MANNER.

But, but... what should you take?!

>Ask what it was they wanted to ask you, without your MOUTH full.

You do so, and you get asked a few questions.

• "Where do you come from?"
• "What is it like?"
• "What gender are you?" (this question gets a few ODD LOOKS from some of the OTHER OOLABEC, though most of them are too busy eating to care)
• "Why did you want to know how to kill light dragons? Isn't that kind of barbaric?"

>What do you do?

edited 1st May '12 1:52:09 PM by Eventua

> Do the SAME as the OOLABEC, and take a BIT of EVERYTHING

> Answer the first three questions honestly and to the best of your ability. (AKA: I don't really know how to ruin this >=D)

> Say that the LIGHT DRAGONS wanted to KILL YOU first and that you're only acting in SELF-DEFENSE.

>Do the same as the OOLABEC, and take a BIT OF EVERYTHING

You do so, and your PLATE is soon piled up with MUSHROOMS, a CENTIPEDE or THREE, and one VERY DOCILE looking CRYSTAL SPIDER CRAB THING. You tuck in, eating with your HANDS just like the OOLABEC, but you find yourself feeling ODDLY ATTACHED to the SPIDER CRAB, as it stares up at you with its HUGE EYES.

>Answer the first THREE QUESTIONS honestly and to the best of your ability.

You do so. The first TWO ANSWERS seem to surprise the OOLABEC: some of them seem ANGRY, and others seem FEARFUL or DEPRESSED.

Your answer to the THIRD QUESTION leads to nothing more than a few shrugs. Speaking of which, you wonder how GENDER relates to the OOLABEC. After all, they all seem to refer to themselves as OOLABEC, even though the three 'varients' you've seen are remarkably distinct from each other.

>Say that the LIGHT DRAGONS wanted to KILL YOU first and that you're only acting in SELF-DEFENSE.

The PRIEST seems unsure.

"Surely, " it says, "If they are no longer a threat, then it's revenge, as opposed to self-defence?"

>What do you do?

>Briefly imagine the spider crab holding a cigarette case.

>Tell them that you think the Light Dragons (or dragon; you've only actually seen one) are/is still after you.

edited 2nd May '12 7:39:50 AM by Artemis92

> Talk about how Carl fought a Light Dragon and bravely sacrificed himself for you and Pella.

> Realize that you haven't seen Pella since coming here, and start to worry about her.

> Realize that you have MORE FRIENDS and ask where TERRA 2.0 and GAIA are.

>Briefly imagine the CRYSTAL SPIDER CRAB holding a CIGARETTE CASE.

You have NO IDEA what one of those is. It's quite a funny image though, and you decide to not eat the CRYSTAL SPIDER CRAB. Yet. Or at all, who knows?

>Tell them that you think the LIGHT DRAGONS are still after you.

>Talk about how Carl fought a LIGHT DRAGON and bravely sacrificed himself for you and Pella.

You do so, and the PRIEST seems shocked, before nodding slowly.

"Very well, " it says, "We shall take your word for it. The sacrifice of a friend should be remembered and respected."

>Realize that you haven't seen Pella since coming here, and start to worry about her.

Oh no, of cour-

>Realize that you have MORE FRIENDS and ask where Terra 2.0 and Gaia are.

Ah, good point! You immediately ask the PRIEST about the ROCKS you were carrying, and your BEETLE GUIDE shrugs. It seems that Terra 2.0 and Gaia must have both been lost amongst the HUNDREDS OF OTHER ROCKS scattered throughout these TUNNELS!

...

They're probably glad to be away from you, too be honest.

>What do you do?

edited 3rd May '12 8:38:05 AM by Eventua

> OH NO! AS SOON as you have TIME, go SEARCH for Terra 2.0 and Gaia!

> For now, ACT LIKE a REMOTELY SANE person and ATTEND the BANQUET.

>Accept this imaginary rejection with dignity.

>Ask if they've seen any other Atashdey recently.

>Accept this IMAGINARY REJECTION with DIGNITY.

You do so.

...

Okay, not really! Oh by THE ONE WHO RULES, this is gonna suck! The back of your BRAIN weeps TEARS OF SORROW at this CRIPPLING REJECTION, but you are determined not to let your SADNESS ruin the BANQUET.

...

Say, the SPIDER CRAB's CRYSTAL SPIKES glow BLUE, and look kind of like the GLOWY BLUE CRYSTAL CYLINDERS from these TUNNELS. For some reason you only noticed that just now. It looks up at you with its BEADY EYES, and shivers in ADORABLE ABJECT TERROR before BACKPEDALING a little when one of the nearby CENTIPEDES tries snapping at it.

>Ask if they've seen any other ATASHEDEY recently.

You do so. The PRIEST tells you that they have not, though there are RUMOURS of movement near the SURFACE. The PRIEST tells you that the OOLABEC rarely journey up there save in the most DIRE of SITUATIONS, for fear of the FAIR FOLK.

...

Those sound EXTREMELY PLEASANT and FRIENDLY.

>What do you do?

edited 19th May '12 6:31:52 AM by Eventua

> Silently awww at the crab. Take it up in your hand, find a safe place for it and call it Steve.

> Inquire about the GLOWING BLUE CYLINDER from earlier.

edited 3rd May '12 4:42:43 PM by EndarkCuli

>Silently awww at the CRAB. Take it up in your HAND, find a SAFE PLACE for it and call it STEVE.

You do so, hiding STEVE in your POUCH as if he were some HIDEOUSLY DEFORMED ATASHDEY CUB. This is STEVE, and anyone who tries to touch him will be PHYSICALLY ASSAULTED and such. You also eat the CENTIPEDE that threatened him, just for good measure. Your BEETLE GUIDE looks at you oddly, while the PRIEST hasn't noticed (probably because he doesn't have any EYES).

>Inquire about the GLOWING BLUE CYLINDER from earlier.

Ah, good idea! As you continue to eat the FOOD on your PLATE, you ask about the BLUE CYLINDERS. The PRIEST tells you they came from the STAR CHARIOT, which he says brought the OOLABEC and their GIFTS OF STEEL to this WORLD and the CAVERNS they now reside in.

...

Wait, other WORLDS?

>What do you do?

> inquire as to the location of the star chariot.

>Inquire as to the location of the STAR CHARIOT.

You ask the PRIEST about it, and he tells you that it no longer exists, unfortunately. No one is sure where it went or when, but it disappeared mysteriously at some point in the past.

You sneakily feed STEVE a PIECE OF MUSHROOM, before eating up the rest of the stuff on your PLATE.

>What do you do?

>Ask if they've seen your traveling companion, Pella

>Remind RIVUX that they have already told you they haven't.

>Ask who the Fair Folk are.

edited 5th May '12 1:07:39 PM by Artemis92