Quoted By:
A defiant grin slips onto your face as you meet the mage’s stony stare! You will, you reply, sending a jolt of life flickering through Trier’s eyes, on a few conditions!
For the briefest of moments you feel an uncanny smothering sensation–almost as if something had dropped a mountain on your skull for a fraction of a second! A blink later, however, and it’s gone… and Trier looks <span class="mu-i">none</span> too pleased!
<span class="mu-b">”... PRoCEeD witH… NEGoTIAtiONSsSs….”</span>
D’aww, see? He <span class="mu-i">CAN</span> play nice! First thing’s first you begin with renewed confidence, your friends! You couldn’t care less about what happens to you, but them? You want his guarantee that they’ll be able to move around without getting gunned down in the streets! No assassination attempts on shopping trips! No murders in the lavatories! And if they want to leave Umberal, well, they’d better be allowed to! No ifs, ands, or buts about it! Hell, maybe he can get a few Teksouls to cover them while they-
<span class="mu-b">”AppROVeD.”</span> Drones the wizard in machinelike assent! O-okay!
Next, you add in a slightly shakier tone, you know he’s keeping Vhale alive… and if he wants your power–unfiltered and all–he’s gonna have to revoke that! No more special Spice Cartel treatment!
<span class="mu-b">”APPrOVED.”</span>
Well too bad, you croon, because if he doesn’t agree then neither will y-
Wait a second… Did he say ‘yes’?
<span class="mu-b">”SemAnTIcS: APpROVED.”</span> Hisses the mage as a gutwrenching ‘<span class="mu-i">CRACK</span>’ echoes from his back! <span class="mu-b">”YIEld.”</span>
Errr, sure, hold on a sec, you stammer, trying not to focus on the fact that you didn’t even need to pass a contrived dice roll to convince the mage, you… you have one last request!
Trier’s eyes burn brighter at your response, no doubt fueled by his rapidly-dwindling patience! <span class="mu-b">”...PRoCeED…”</span>
You want the rest of the day, you reply, fists balled at your sides as your face is once more flooded with determination! Until <span class="mu-i">DAWN!</span>
<span class="mu-b">”DEnIED!”</span> The mage roars as his unseen head violently rocks back and forth with growing displeasure! <span class="mu-b">”UnAcCEPtABLE! IT SlINks! iT StEALs!! DEnIED! DENIEdddd!”</span>
The sudden shift in his demeanor knocks you off-balance, but you trip and tumble all the time… you know how to catch yourself! <span class="mu-s">FINE</span>, you snarl back, then the deal’s OFF! Does that compute in his freaky head, huh!? <span class="mu-s">OFF!</span>
Trier’s head reels back as an earsplitting <span class="mu-i">HOWL</span> shakes the chamber–Teksoul tanks included! Eldrich explosions rock the room, some even eviscerating a few Teksouls caught in the crossfire! Despite his fearsome fury, however, the Archmage leaves you and your cell unharmed…
>CONTD.
