Ex Nihilo

[MalkyTop]

You don't really remember lying down in a cave.

show spoiler

hide spoiler

Here's a stupid adventure about something that I got the general gist of but I suppose everything's still in the works and in the process of being built and stuff so I dunno. It is supposed to be at least a semi-serious adventure, so I suppose, please keep that in mind?

There will be puzzles. Like, straight-up puzzles. Probably not well-designed ones, considering that I've never made a puzzle in my life before. Sorry about that. Maybe I'll figure out a way to make non-intrusive puzzles or something, or puzzles that are necessary to the plot. Or something.

[Whimbrel]

Malky-venture, yay~

>Get up, and take stock of where you are and what you have.

[MalkyTop]

>Get up, and take stock of where you are and what you have.

You take a quick once-over of your pack and decide that nothing's missing. Or at least, nothing that you care about is missing. You still have your cooking pan, all your rations, your casual sword, your fancy sword (really, you don't know how to use any sword), your flask, extra rope for tying all this junk to your pack, random things you've picked up on your journeys....Yeah, it's all there.



You stand up and quickly put everything on.

You thought before that this was a cave, but it doesn't really seem natural. As a wanderer, you certainly have been in your fair share of caves, and this one, though made of rock, is shaped eerily like a man-made room. There is no cave opening leading outside. Also, there is a door.

You definitely remember where you were before, though. You spent the night seeking shelter from the snow and ended up camping underneath a tree. You slept soundly, judging by the fact that you were moved in your sleep.

...Come to think of it, it's pretty warm in here compared to where you were before. Oh well. You like the warmth, anyways. And it's pretty troublesome to take off your cloak and everything, so they might as well stay on.



The pillar or podium or whatever it is seems to be made of some black material. It has a symbol carved on it that you recognize. It's definitely the symbol for fire.



...And you're a fire elemental. This seems to be strangely coincidental.

show spoiler

hide spoiler

Shut up Malky doesn't equal quality.

[hugmetwenty]

retrieve arms from shoulders

[Ixcalibur]

> Do the obvious thing and push the pedestal over.

> If that doesn't work I guess you could cast a fire spell on it.

[Wessolf27]

> Blow a plume of fire into the pedestal

[Dragon Fogel]

>Go back to sleep. Maybe whoever moved you will get bored and move you back.

[Wojjan]

> Get out (deeper inside?) the cave. Keep your casual sword ready so they know you mean business.

[MalkyTop]

> Do the obvious thing and push the pedestal over.

You pretend, for a moment, that you are a highly regarded Furnaceman.

"It's a big 'un! Gotta open the doors wide enough! Shield yourselves, men, I'm pushing the lever!"

> Blow a plume of fire into the pedestal

...Yeah, that's enough nonsense.





As soon as you set a small flame upon the pedestal, the stone door rumbles and sinks down. Behind the door is an inky blackness that you cannot see through.



It...worries you slightly.



A faint yet chilling scream echoes its way out of the doorway. It does not soothe your nerves.

> Get out (deeper inside?) the cave. Keep your casual sword ready so they know you mean business.

You push your way through. It feels as though you're pushing through draped curtains and thick water at the same time.



...

...There is no sign of the screamer. Or any sign of what would make someone scream.

You put away the casual sword and get to work figuring out what this room's all about.



The door on the other side of the room is locked. Of course.



This plate appears to be pressure-sensitive. As soon as you step on it, you hear a sound.



But going off to investigate the sound means you deactivate the switch. At least, judging by the 'click' sound. And the lack of any change in the room.



The only real thing that's out of sight is that ledge up there. It definitely seems rather out of place. It doesn't seem too high up, at least.

So...what to do next...?

[Dragon Fogel]

>You've got a rope. Maybe you can use it to help you climb up there?

[Ixcalibur]

> Burn the door?

> Can you fashion a grappling hook from your rope and... your fancy sword I guess. Whatever you have that seems the most hooky.

[Ouroboros]

> Pull down the ledge, then place it on the plate

[MalkyTop]

> Burn the door?

Obviously the door's just gotta



GET ITS BURN ON.







...

Yeah you're gonna stay away from that extremely hot doorknob now until it cools down.

>You've got a rope. Maybe you can use it to help you climb up there?

You're gonna be needing both arms for this, looks like.













Well, you can't say that it's the best view, but at least it's a nice high place to sit on. You can't help but like looking down on things. Strangely relaxing.



Oh also you found this thing. It apparently comes apart.



...To reveal two imprints of...some sort of shape. A triangle on a stick? Strangely shaped bottle opener?

There's nothing else to be found on this ledge.

[Ixcalibur]

> I don't suppose it would be a good idea to jump down onto that pressure plate? No don't do that. Got anything heavy you could drop down onto it?

[Wessolf27]

Look around the ledge and see if there's anything there

[Kaynato]

> It's probably a mold. Anything around you?

[MalkyTop]

> I don't suppose it would be a good idea to jump down onto that pressure plate? No don't do that. Got anything heavy you could drop down onto it?

Something heavy? Why, that gives you an idea!













Now to see what that 'click' is all about.



It's...



...A secret roo--





Fire poker.



You really don't like this place.

[ch00_bakka]

>Stop being a baby.
>Put COAL in FURNACE
>Heat up furnace
>Cut up COOKING POT or FLASK
>Use (obviously fireproof) FANCY DRINKING HORN to hold in flames to melt scraps of metal
>Fill MOLD
>Win

[Ed]

> Wonder why the pressure plate says "dick" every time you press it.

[Doorhandle]

>exposit on hatred of fire poker.

[Whimbrel]

show spoiler

hide spoiler

Malkyventure=quality 'strue :3

Well there's no one to use it on you, right? If there's no one to wield it, it's not a threat! EXACTLY LIKE A SWORD ...well you can still step on the sword and hurt yourself BUT NEVERMIND THAT PICK IT UP

[Chwoka]

See if there's anything important in the oven before anything.

[MalkyTop]

>Stop being a baby.
>Put COAL in FURNACE
>Heat up furnace
>Cut up COOKING POT or FLASK
>Use (obviously fireproof) FANCY DRINKING HORN to hold in flames to melt scraps of metal
>Fill MOLD
>Win

Uh-huh. Well, you can't take anything off the pressure plate or it'll close the door. And you don't understand how filling a mold will win anything.

...Are you supposed to win something?

> Wonder why the pressure plate says "dick" every time you press it.

"Dick" is, in fact, the universally agreed onomatopoeia of levers, switches, buttons, and the like. Like so:

>exposit on hatred of fire poker.

Don't you know?! Fire pokers are just dangerous! I mean, for one thing, they're sharp! They can poke your eyes out and stuff! And then if they happen to be red-hot from pushing some coals or fire around or whatever, it's doubly dangerous! You just don't trust metal pokers, tongs, shovels, whatever, in general. I mean, what if they got near your face?!

Well there's no one to use it on you, right? If there's no one to wield it, it's not a threat! EXACTLY LIKE A SWORD ...well you can still step on the sword and hurt yourself BUT NEVERMIND THAT PICK IT UP

Um. That's actually true. You suppose.







It's not getting any closer than this. If it gets any closer you're gonna scream.

See if there's anything important in the oven before anything.

Good thinking. The oven doesn't seem to be hot at all. You open 'er up.



Woah, a key!



Zoop!



Zzzzooooooo--oops.



It broke.

show spoiler

hide spoiler

I could've used choo-bakka's command and actually make this thing progress but I got lazy this is all the panels you get today plot progresses later

Why is this so silly all of a sudden I don't even know

[Dragon Fogel]

>Bash the door down with the poker!

[Whimbrel]

Use your FIRE to heat up the end of the key and stick the broken off bit back on

Also take that shovel and the bucket of coals out of the room and then get all your stuff back together