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src/epistolary/00067.md
src/epistolary/00068.md
src/epistolary/00069.md
src/epistolary/00070.md
src/notes.md
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---
title: 00070
created: Sat, 04 Mar 2023 12:23:14 -0700
updated: Wed, 08 Mar 2023 21:18:05 -0700
public: yes
syndicated: yes
---
### 00070 {#00070}
> Alex scrambles up from the pile of blankets and pilows kicking things
> away from him in haste as he grabs at his shoulder holster, pulling
> out a sleek looking m1911 pistol.
>
> "Marvelo! Hang on mate I've got you!" Alex yells as he empties a clip
> into the side of the creature. *click* *click* "Fuck out." Alex pulls
> the clip from the pistol and chucks it at the creature "Hey you ugly
> fuck! Right here, I'm right the fuck here!" Alex shouts as he slams
> another clip into the reciever and starts to fire away at the
> creature.
>
> Despite the yelling and flurry of lead Alex delivered to it the
> creature continued it's macabre dental work. Marvelo's whimpers and
> groans of pain becoming gradually fainter as life leaves his body.
>
> "Goddamit!" Alex yells in desperation. Another death on his hands,
> another agent lost on his watch. Another member of HIS team gone.
> This job never gets easier.
>
> Alex continues to fire away at the creature as he attempts to
> formulate a plan.
>
> "Inky, look, I don't know what the hell that is. But it's intent on
> tearing us to pieces insofar as I can tell. Marvelo and I rigged the
> entire goddamn building to blow though, just in case shit went to
> hell. Unless you've got a better idea I'll tackle the goddamn thing
> and try and keep it distracted long enough for you to bug the hell
> out, preferably through the window if you can stomach it. And then
> I'll level the place on top of it" Alex grimaces as he pulls a
> detonator from his pocket and shows it to Inky.
>
> "If you have any better ideas I am ALL ears. Not sure if I can really
> pull this one off and get out unscathed.."
~
<!-- Meta: CW for graphic violence. -->
> Inky stares at the creature in their midst in all its exquisitely
> monstrous glory for a brief moment that seems much longer amid the
> creature's ear-splitting screeches. Eventually coming to, Inky turns
> to check the birdhouse. More specifically, the pattern of circles
> next to the doors. Through the dim red glow, they could make out
> three circles alternating between dark and light. The door had been
> bolted from the inside, the interior was empty and the secure drop
> back to the lab had been triggered. Fuko had already left then.
>
> Suddenly recalling the witch's warning, Inky yells, "Bread! Run!
> We'll catch up later!" They grab the bouquet of dried herbs from the
> floor and spring to their feet, walking stick in hand, and dash
> towards the Nyxmaer candle. On the way they drop the bouquet into an
> unlit brazier that stood off to one side, only pausing briefly to
> strike a match and toss it through the opening.
>
> Between the loud bangs of gunfire and muffled screams, they bring the
> steel-reinforced stick down hard on the mummified hand and eye
> several times quickly. Pushing the remains off the tin plate with the
> walking stick then tucking the stick under one arm at the handle,
> they run a kitchen knife through the eye and hand with both gloved
> hands into the wooden surface beneath.
>
> The flowery scents of sage, thyme and rosemary permeate the room.[1]
>
> Looking over to the sysorcerer when he spoke but still keeping the
> creature within their line of sight, Inky replies, "No, Master Alex.
> You have a team to lead and an uncle to rescue. Allow me to do the
> demolition honours. Go grab Marvelo and run. Here," they toss a small
> packet of pain relievers in powdered form wrapped in wax paper from
> their first-aid kit, along with a small cheesecloth pouch filled with
> nilgiri tea leaves — still sopping wet from the flask of iced tea in
> which it had been steeped — to Master Alex. "This should help with
> the bleeding, just watch out for shock."
>
> They smile at the sysorcerer. "All dreams end eventually, as do
> nightmares. And what is darkness without light?" While speaking, they
> drop a bundle of twigs and sweet grass[2] on top of the candle
> remains that still sat on the thick wooden slab of a rusty metal
> office desk. They pour a flask of a clear liquid over it. The pile
> suddenly erupts like a bonfire over a pyre, throwing shadows on the
> walls that dance and lick away with the crackling flames.
>
> [1] It is said the ancients began the practice of burning sage to
> ward off evil or cleanse negative energies, thyme to induce courage
> and guard against nightmares, and rosemary to clear and focus the
> mind.
>
> [2] The elder aunties commonly use sweet grass for purification, such
> as when helping their young relatives move into a new home for the
> first time with a housewarming ritual.
~
> Alex glances at Inky as he takes the offered medicines, "only use
> that as a last resort, got it? We've got a couple of innocents in
> here too, hard to keep track of with that big ass monster in here."
>
> Alex continues laying down covering fire as he advances on the
> monster. He casts a glance over his shoulder to see Inky begin
> smashing the eye and hand that were embedded in the candle. "Strange,
> but I guess it makes about as much sense as the rest of this
> situation."
>
> Alex lunges forward, teeth gritted, as he tackles the monster pushing
> it off of Marvelo. He struggles with it, attempting to blast the eye
> of the beast with his pistol.
Alex rains bullets down on the nightmare until he finally gets its
attention. It turns from its bloody work and glares at him with its
single emerald eye, teeth dribbling from the tiny face in the middle
of its oversized, bulbous head. There is a grinding noise like rocks
in a tumbler as it tries to roar at you around a mouthful of loose
molars.
From its crouch over Marvelo, it leaps high into the air and spreads
its limbs, pulling its wings taut and gliding through the air.
It lands on the ceiling, digging in with its hind claws, reaching
down and swinging at Alex from behind.
Bread staggers out of the sleeping circle looking exactly as hungover
as somebody who has had several interlopers gallivanting around
inside their head. They swing a bardiche and bury the blade between
its shoulders, striking bone so hard that it rips the weapon from the
toque's hands.
The Nyxmaer squeals and falls to the floor, spilling a few more teeth
when it hits. It knocks Bread aside and frantically scrabbles after
the loose teeth, scooping them up and cramming them back in its
mouth.
Just then Inky stabs the artifacts and the creature clutches its head
and falls in a heap at Alex's feet.
It howls and writhes, and looks at Alex with a dazed look. He raises
his gun and fires directly into the nightmare's eye.
The eye shatters like glass and a howling, screaming, putrid wind
screams from the wound, rising and filling the room. The nightmare
seems to deflate and pool at Alex's feet.
Its flesh sloughs off, revealing Rind and the marketing manager in
the center of its torso, and leaving them in an unconscious pile.
Marvelo babbles incoherently where he lies, wide-eyed and in shock,
his jaw hideously broken.
The hemogoblin hops over and gently pats Rind and the duck on their
faces.
Gliftwrip is the only one still asleep, face down in the pillows in
the center of the circle.
A malevolent force rides the still howling wind and hovers screaming
up near the ceiling of the fish market.
WHAT DO YOU DO?

132
www/index.html
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@ -297,6 +297,7 @@
<li><a href="#00067" id="toc-00067">00067</a></li>
<li><a href="#00068" id="toc-00068">00068</a></li>
<li><a href="#00069" id="toc-00069">00069</a></li>
<li><a href="#00070" id="toc-00070">00070</a></li>
</ul></li>
<li><a href="#afterword" id="toc-afterword">Afterword</a></li>
<li><a href="#appendix-a-dramatis-personae"
@ -370,10 +371,10 @@ into the <a href="#current-story">current story arc</a>.</p>
you can <a href="https://tilde.town/~dozens/quest/rss.xml">subscribe to
the rss feed</a>.</p>
<h2 id="stats">Stats</h2>
<p>Total length: 89395 words / 382 minute read. (Mind you, that’s the
<p>Total length: 90664 words / 387 minute read. (Mind you, that’s the
length of this entire page, including all the extra bits and bobs. Not
just the story.)</p>
<p>There have been 238 messages posted over 233 days since the first
<p>There have been 243 messages posted over 238 days since the first
post on July 13, 2022 for a daily post rate of 1.02.</p>
<h2 id="chapter-1">Chapter 1</h2>
<p>This is the first installment of BASEMENT QUEST.</p>
@ -7532,6 +7533,133 @@ hands into his mouth. Marvelo’s muffled screams become pitiful whimpers
as the creature pulls out teeth by the handful and crams them into its
own mouth.</p>
<p>WHAT DO YOU DO?</p>
<h3 id="00070">00070</h3>
<blockquote>
<p>Alex scrambles up from the pile of blankets and pilows kicking things
away from him in haste as he grabs at his shoulder holster, pulling out
a sleek looking m1911 pistol.</p>
<p>“Marvelo! Hang on mate I’ve got you!” Alex yells as he empties a clip
into the side of the creature. <em>click</em> <em>click</em> “Fuck out.”
Alex pulls the clip from the pistol and chucks it at the creature “Hey
you ugly fuck! Right here, I’m right the fuck here!” Alex shouts as he
slams another clip into the reciever and starts to fire away at the
creature.</p>
<p>Despite the yelling and flurry of lead Alex delivered to it the
creature continued it’s macabre dental work. Marvelo’s whimpers and
groans of pain becoming gradually fainter as life leaves his body.</p>
<p>“Goddamit!” Alex yells in desperation. Another death on his hands,
another agent lost on his watch. Another member of HIS team gone. This
job never gets easier.</p>
<p>Alex continues to fire away at the creature as he attempts to
formulate a plan.</p>
<p>“Inky, look, I don’t know what the hell that is. But it’s intent on
tearing us to pieces insofar as I can tell. Marvelo and I rigged the
entire goddamn building to blow though, just in case shit went to hell.
Unless you’ve got a better idea I’ll tackle the goddamn thing and try
and keep it distracted long enough for you to bug the hell out,
preferably through the window if you can stomach it. And then I’ll level
the place on top of it” Alex grimaces as he pulls a detonator from his
pocket and shows it to Inky.</p>
<p>“If you have any better ideas I am ALL ears. Not sure if I can really
pull this one off and get out unscathed..”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>~</p>
<!-- Meta: CW for graphic violence. -->
<blockquote>
<p>Inky stares at the creature in their midst in all its exquisitely
monstrous glory for a brief moment that seems much longer amid the
creature’s ear-splitting screeches. Eventually coming to, Inky turns to
check the birdhouse. More specifically, the pattern of circles next to
the doors. Through the dim red glow, they could make out three circles
alternating between dark and light. The door had been bolted from the
inside, the interior was empty and the secure drop back to the lab had
been triggered. Fuko had already left then.</p>
<p>Suddenly recalling the witch’s warning, Inky yells, “Bread! Run!
We’ll catch up later!” They grab the bouquet of dried herbs from the
floor and spring to their feet, walking stick in hand, and dash towards
the Nyxmaer candle. On the way they drop the bouquet into an unlit
brazier that stood off to one side, only pausing briefly to strike a
match and toss it through the opening.</p>
<p>Between the loud bangs of gunfire and muffled screams, they bring the
steel-reinforced stick down hard on the mummified hand and eye several
times quickly. Pushing the remains off the tin plate with the walking
stick then tucking the stick under one arm at the handle, they run a
kitchen knife through the eye and hand with both gloved hands into the
wooden surface beneath.</p>
<p>The flowery scents of sage, thyme and rosemary permeate the
room.[1]</p>
<p>Looking over to the sysorcerer when he spoke but still keeping the
creature within their line of sight, Inky replies, “No, Master Alex. You
have a team to lead and an uncle to rescue. Allow me to do the
demolition honours. Go grab Marvelo and run. Here,” they toss a small
packet of pain relievers in powdered form wrapped in wax paper from
their first-aid kit, along with a small cheesecloth pouch filled with
nilgiri tea leaves — still sopping wet from the flask of iced tea in
which it had been steeped — to Master Alex. “This should help with the
bleeding, just watch out for shock.”</p>
<p>They smile at the sysorcerer. “All dreams end eventually, as do
nightmares. And what is darkness without light?” While speaking, they
drop a bundle of twigs and sweet grass[2] on top of the candle remains
that still sat on the thick wooden slab of a rusty metal office desk.
They pour a flask of a clear liquid over it. The pile suddenly erupts
like a bonfire over a pyre, throwing shadows on the walls that dance and
lick away with the crackling flames.</p>
<p>[1] It is said the ancients began the practice of burning sage to
ward off evil or cleanse negative energies, thyme to induce courage and
guard against nightmares, and rosemary to clear and focus the mind.</p>
<p>[2] The elder aunties commonly use sweet grass for purification, such
as when helping their young relatives move into a new home for the first
time with a housewarming ritual.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>~</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Alex glances at Inky as he takes the offered medicines, “only use
that as a last resort, got it? We’ve got a couple of innocents in here
too, hard to keep track of with that big ass monster in here.”</p>
<p>Alex continues laying down covering fire as he advances on the
monster. He casts a glance over his shoulder to see Inky begin smashing
the eye and hand that were embedded in the candle. “Strange, but I guess
it makes about as much sense as the rest of this situation.”</p>
<p>Alex lunges forward, teeth gritted, as he tackles the monster pushing
it off of Marvelo. He struggles with it, attempting to blast the eye of
the beast with his pistol.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Alex rains bullets down on the nightmare until he finally gets its
attention. It turns from its bloody work and glares at him with its
single emerald eye, teeth dribbling from the tiny face in the middle of
its oversized, bulbous head. There is a grinding noise like rocks in a
tumbler as it tries to roar at you around a mouthful of loose
molars.</p>
<p>From its crouch over Marvelo, it leaps high into the air and spreads
its limbs, pulling its wings taut and gliding through the air.</p>
<p>It lands on the ceiling, digging in with its hind claws, reaching
down and swinging at Alex from behind.</p>
<p>Bread staggers out of the sleeping circle looking exactly as hungover
as somebody who has had several interlopers gallivanting around inside
their head. They swing a bardiche and bury the blade between its
shoulders, striking bone so hard that it rips the weapon from the
toque’s hands.</p>
<p>The Nyxmaer squeals and falls to the floor, spilling a few more teeth
when it hits. It knocks Bread aside and frantically scrabbles after the
loose teeth, scooping them up and cramming them back in its mouth.</p>
<p>Just then Inky stabs the artifacts and the creature clutches its head
and falls in a heap at Alex’s feet.</p>
<p>It howls and writhes, and looks at Alex with a dazed look. He raises
his gun and fires directly into the nightmare’s eye.</p>
<p>The eye shatters like glass and a howling, screaming, putrid wind
screams from the wound, rising and filling the room. The nightmare seems
to deflate and pool at Alex’s feet.</p>
<p>Its flesh sloughs off, revealing Rind and the marketing manager in
the center of its torso, and leaving them in an unconscious pile.</p>
<p>Marvelo babbles incoherently where he lies, wide-eyed and in shock,
his jaw hideously broken.</p>
<p>The hemogoblin hops over and gently pats Rind and the duck on their
faces.</p>
<p>Gliftwrip is the only one still asleep, face down in the pillows in
the center of the circle.</p>
<p>A malevolent force rides the still howling wind and hovers screaming
up near the ceiling of the fish market.</p>
<p>WHAT DO YOU DO?</p>
<h2 id="afterword">Afterword</h2>
<p>I don’t know what I’m going to put here, but I didn’t want this
document to just abruptly end. So here you go: a kind farewell and a

1462
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132
www/spoilers.html
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@ -297,6 +297,7 @@
<li><a href="#00067" id="toc-00067">00067</a></li>
<li><a href="#00068" id="toc-00068">00068</a></li>
<li><a href="#00069" id="toc-00069">00069</a></li>
<li><a href="#00070" id="toc-00070">00070</a></li>
</ul></li>
<li><a href="#spoilers" id="toc-spoilers">Spoilers</a></li>
<li><a href="#acknowledgements"
@ -373,10 +374,10 @@ into the <a href="#current-story">current story arc</a>.</p>
you can <a href="https://tilde.town/~dozens/quest/rss.xml">subscribe to
the rss feed</a>.</p>
<h2 id="stats">Stats</h2>
<p>Total length: 89395 words / 382 minute read. (Mind you, that’s the
<p>Total length: 90664 words / 387 minute read. (Mind you, that’s the
length of this entire page, including all the extra bits and bobs. Not
just the story.)</p>
<p>There have been 238 messages posted over 233 days since the first
<p>There have been 243 messages posted over 238 days since the first
post on July 13, 2022 for a daily post rate of 1.02.</p>
<h2 id="chapter-1">Chapter 1</h2>
<p>This is the first installment of BASEMENT QUEST.</p>
@ -7535,6 +7536,133 @@ hands into his mouth. Marvelo’s muffled screams become pitiful whimpers
as the creature pulls out teeth by the handful and crams them into its
own mouth.</p>
<p>WHAT DO YOU DO?</p>
<h3 id="00070">00070</h3>
<blockquote>
<p>Alex scrambles up from the pile of blankets and pilows kicking things
away from him in haste as he grabs at his shoulder holster, pulling out
a sleek looking m1911 pistol.</p>
<p>“Marvelo! Hang on mate I’ve got you!” Alex yells as he empties a clip
into the side of the creature. <em>click</em> <em>click</em> “Fuck out.”
Alex pulls the clip from the pistol and chucks it at the creature “Hey
you ugly fuck! Right here, I’m right the fuck here!” Alex shouts as he
slams another clip into the reciever and starts to fire away at the
creature.</p>
<p>Despite the yelling and flurry of lead Alex delivered to it the
creature continued it’s macabre dental work. Marvelo’s whimpers and
groans of pain becoming gradually fainter as life leaves his body.</p>
<p>“Goddamit!” Alex yells in desperation. Another death on his hands,
another agent lost on his watch. Another member of HIS team gone. This
job never gets easier.</p>
<p>Alex continues to fire away at the creature as he attempts to
formulate a plan.</p>
<p>“Inky, look, I don’t know what the hell that is. But it’s intent on
tearing us to pieces insofar as I can tell. Marvelo and I rigged the
entire goddamn building to blow though, just in case shit went to hell.
Unless you’ve got a better idea I’ll tackle the goddamn thing and try
and keep it distracted long enough for you to bug the hell out,
preferably through the window if you can stomach it. And then I’ll level
the place on top of it” Alex grimaces as he pulls a detonator from his
pocket and shows it to Inky.</p>
<p>“If you have any better ideas I am ALL ears. Not sure if I can really
pull this one off and get out unscathed..”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>~</p>
<!-- Meta: CW for graphic violence. -->
<blockquote>
<p>Inky stares at the creature in their midst in all its exquisitely
monstrous glory for a brief moment that seems much longer amid the
creature’s ear-splitting screeches. Eventually coming to, Inky turns to
check the birdhouse. More specifically, the pattern of circles next to
the doors. Through the dim red glow, they could make out three circles
alternating between dark and light. The door had been bolted from the
inside, the interior was empty and the secure drop back to the lab had
been triggered. Fuko had already left then.</p>
<p>Suddenly recalling the witch’s warning, Inky yells, “Bread! Run!
We’ll catch up later!” They grab the bouquet of dried herbs from the
floor and spring to their feet, walking stick in hand, and dash towards
the Nyxmaer candle. On the way they drop the bouquet into an unlit
brazier that stood off to one side, only pausing briefly to strike a
match and toss it through the opening.</p>
<p>Between the loud bangs of gunfire and muffled screams, they bring the
steel-reinforced stick down hard on the mummified hand and eye several
times quickly. Pushing the remains off the tin plate with the walking
stick then tucking the stick under one arm at the handle, they run a
kitchen knife through the eye and hand with both gloved hands into the
wooden surface beneath.</p>
<p>The flowery scents of sage, thyme and rosemary permeate the
room.[1]</p>
<p>Looking over to the sysorcerer when he spoke but still keeping the
creature within their line of sight, Inky replies, “No, Master Alex. You
have a team to lead and an uncle to rescue. Allow me to do the
demolition honours. Go grab Marvelo and run. Here,” they toss a small
packet of pain relievers in powdered form wrapped in wax paper from
their first-aid kit, along with a small cheesecloth pouch filled with
nilgiri tea leaves — still sopping wet from the flask of iced tea in
which it had been steeped — to Master Alex. “This should help with the
bleeding, just watch out for shock.”</p>
<p>They smile at the sysorcerer. “All dreams end eventually, as do
nightmares. And what is darkness without light?” While speaking, they
drop a bundle of twigs and sweet grass[2] on top of the candle remains
that still sat on the thick wooden slab of a rusty metal office desk.
They pour a flask of a clear liquid over it. The pile suddenly erupts
like a bonfire over a pyre, throwing shadows on the walls that dance and
lick away with the crackling flames.</p>
<p>[1] It is said the ancients began the practice of burning sage to
ward off evil or cleanse negative energies, thyme to induce courage and
guard against nightmares, and rosemary to clear and focus the mind.</p>
<p>[2] The elder aunties commonly use sweet grass for purification, such
as when helping their young relatives move into a new home for the first
time with a housewarming ritual.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>~</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Alex glances at Inky as he takes the offered medicines, “only use
that as a last resort, got it? We’ve got a couple of innocents in here
too, hard to keep track of with that big ass monster in here.”</p>
<p>Alex continues laying down covering fire as he advances on the
monster. He casts a glance over his shoulder to see Inky begin smashing
the eye and hand that were embedded in the candle. “Strange, but I guess
it makes about as much sense as the rest of this situation.”</p>
<p>Alex lunges forward, teeth gritted, as he tackles the monster pushing
it off of Marvelo. He struggles with it, attempting to blast the eye of
the beast with his pistol.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Alex rains bullets down on the nightmare until he finally gets its
attention. It turns from its bloody work and glares at him with its
single emerald eye, teeth dribbling from the tiny face in the middle of
its oversized, bulbous head. There is a grinding noise like rocks in a
tumbler as it tries to roar at you around a mouthful of loose
molars.</p>
<p>From its crouch over Marvelo, it leaps high into the air and spreads
its limbs, pulling its wings taut and gliding through the air.</p>
<p>It lands on the ceiling, digging in with its hind claws, reaching
down and swinging at Alex from behind.</p>
<p>Bread staggers out of the sleeping circle looking exactly as hungover
as somebody who has had several interlopers gallivanting around inside
their head. They swing a bardiche and bury the blade between its
shoulders, striking bone so hard that it rips the weapon from the
toque’s hands.</p>
<p>The Nyxmaer squeals and falls to the floor, spilling a few more teeth
when it hits. It knocks Bread aside and frantically scrabbles after the
loose teeth, scooping them up and cramming them back in its mouth.</p>
<p>Just then Inky stabs the artifacts and the creature clutches its head
and falls in a heap at Alex’s feet.</p>
<p>It howls and writhes, and looks at Alex with a dazed look. He raises
his gun and fires directly into the nightmare’s eye.</p>
<p>The eye shatters like glass and a howling, screaming, putrid wind
screams from the wound, rising and filling the room. The nightmare seems
to deflate and pool at Alex’s feet.</p>
<p>Its flesh sloughs off, revealing Rind and the marketing manager in
the center of its torso, and leaving them in an unconscious pile.</p>
<p>Marvelo babbles incoherently where he lies, wide-eyed and in shock,
his jaw hideously broken.</p>
<p>The hemogoblin hops over and gently pats Rind and the duck on their
faces.</p>
<p>Gliftwrip is the only one still asleep, face down in the pillows in
the center of the circle.</p>
<p>A malevolent force rides the still howling wind and hovers screaming
up near the ceiling of the fish market.</p>
<p>WHAT DO YOU DO?</p>
<h2 id="spoilers">Spoilers</h2>
<details>
<summary>