But Elan, it'll be fun!

[participating]

You want to take me on an adventure? But I already have to try to defend this gate and kill Xykon again and defeat my dad's evil empire and probably Nale.

A side quest? Well I suppose that any good hero can always use a few more side quests...

Wait, you have to apply for this side quest? I don't think you're very good at this adventuring thing, Mun.

Comments

[seafoodsoup]

[Creep creep SPLOOSH and a giant purple octopus springs out of the ground.]

Y'know, you look kind of familiar, kid.

[participating]

[Oh man, this looks like a boss monster, and he's all alone]
Have we met? I don't think we've met. I'd remember a big purple squid thing.

You're not gonna eat me, are you?

[seafoodsoup]

Something about that clothing..nah maybe not.

Eat you? I could use a tasty snack!

[participating]

Well, I did steal it from...I mean, it's probably just a coincidence!

And, uh, you really shouldn't eat me. Roy's always saying I make him feel sick, and that's just from talking to me.
Persuade, persuade, persuade the squid not to eat me

[seafoodsoup]

I'm sooo hungry! [sigh]...But you're all skin and bones anyway.

[participating]

What do you normally eat? You don't look like you'd fit in a tavern.

[seafoodsoup]

Oooh just the odd tasty morsel that happens to wander by. Gwee hee hee

[participating]

Have you tried swimming around like you're going somewhere important?

If you're in a hurry dozens of monsters always pop up to try and stop you. One of them will probably be tasty.

[seafoodsoup]

That'd be great! But monsters know better than to attack a fine specimen of octopus royalty such as myself.

[participating]

Hmm...

What about pirates? They don't tend to respect royalty, and they're already marinated.

[seafoodsoup]

Surprisingly few of those. ...Hey, you're not a pirate, are you?

[participating]

Nope! I'm a bard! And a dashing swordsman.

Dashing swordsbard? What do you call yourself if you're multi-class?

[greatcleavage]

It's less of a "sidequest" and more of a "entirely new campaign".

[participating]

A new campaign?

But I like adventuring with you and Haley and sometimes the others!

[greatcleavage]

...That was surprisingly well-put, my greater appreciation for Durkon aside, but that's exactly the problem. I've never seen anyone familiar any place I've been. Heck, you're the first of the party I've seen around even out here in this greater mingling ground.

[participating]

Aw man, she lied to me.

Wait, how many places have you been without us? And when?

[greatcleavage]

Two so far. One was a while back... the other is now, but I'm not really anticipating it'll last longer.

It's a bad sign when Xykon has more luck than I do in games.

[participating]

Oooooh, you're almost done? Go Roy, fight that villain!

[greatcleavage]

No, this is less 'end of an epic campaign arc' and more 'the comic died around strip #25' kind of 'over'.

[participating]

Oh....

Well, maybe you can come on my sidequest campaign! [Pause] Or our original adventure with the gates and everything.

[greatcleavage]

Given where the original adventure just went, I'm not certain I want to do that any more either!

[notbloodylikely]

In experience, a good side quest always ends up somehow mixing you up in the main event.

...Kinda like a side dish and the main course, now I think of it. Wonder if that's why they call it that...

[participating]

Hey, you're right. Those chefs are sneaky.

That's probably why all those shadowy strangers hang out in taverns!

[notbloodylikely]

You might not be far off the mark, Skinny. Personally I always suspected it was because they have way more corners than anywhere else.

And usually exposes rafters so they can stalk if they're that mysterious.

[participating]

But then wouldn't one of those labyrinth mazes be even better? They're nothing but corners. Some even have multiple levels.

[notbloodylikely]

Nah. To go in one of those things you'd have to already be on a quest, so every time someone turned up they'd all 'sorry fella, I'm busy.'

[participating]

But if you're giving out sidequests you want them to already have a quest. That's how you know they're real adventurers.

[notbloodylikely]

I'll give you that... But not when they're actually doing it. You gotta get them during a lull in the action so a dungeon is right out. Like, are you gonna talk this stuff out in the middle of a crawl?

[iome]

An adventure where? I don't know if we need any more side quests at this point!

At least not if they're not profitable. I'm willing to make exceptions for the profitable kind.