Dark Cubicles

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Encounter Conditions

I was sober if it matters

Initial Text

Not far from the stairs up, the floor is dark and quiet. A few cubicles still have tiny personal touches, printed jokes or forgotten pictures that just make the place feel more desolate.

This seems like a good place to start decorating.

Later:

Not far from the stairs up, the floor is dark… and quiet except for the occasional creak of chains. Whoever decorated this area when all out on the spooky. It already feels like the pinatas they're mounting to the ceiling will come down and gore you.

Summary of Choices

1. Dig in desks - You find retention memos or fight Pile of Secrets if Etheric
2. Take a nap - Gain 30 HP
3. Hang crepe paper - Add to decorations, lose 1 crepe paper
4. Hang a motivational tombstone - Add to decorations, lose 1 motivational tombstone
5. Hang hooked chain - Add to decorations, lose 1 hooked chain
6. Hang a(nother) boar pinata - Add to decorations, lose 1 boar pinata
7. Sprinkle refined petrol - Add to decorations, lose 1 refined petrol
8. Check the wiring (With electrical kit equipped) - unlock Disconnected Camera encounter
9. Wander out (If sober) - Walk away
10. Run away (If etheric)- Fight Tusked Shadow

Choice Text and Results

Dig in desks

Digging through the darkened desks, you find a pile of forgotten documents. Judging by the dates, they've been here for years, but they look otherwise indistinguishable from current documents.

You found: retention memos

Or, if Etheric:

You find some old documents in the desk and begin glancing through them. As you glance over a long-forgotten document, you realize the rest have begun to gather… taking a hulking shape and reaching out to prevent you from reading further.

It's hard to guess what motivations might drive it, but the way it reaches out reminds you of a human driven to the absolute edge of fear and desperation.

(Fight a Pile of Secrets)

Take a nap

Nobody seems likely to bother you here, so you get a quick rest under a desk. It's surprisingly comfortable.

You regain 30 hit points!

Hang crepe paper

You brighten up the cubicles by hanging a few lengths of crepe paper. It helps quite a bit, actually.

You've earned 4 XP in Will
(Lose 1 crepe paper)

Hang a motivational tombstone

You hang the tombstone on a cubicle wall. It seems less ironic against the backdrop of an abandoned office floor and more a celebration of small victories.

You've earned 6 XP in Will
(Lose 1 motivational tombstone)

Hang hooked chain

Where a crepe paper streamer might signify a friendly "scary" party, a length of hooked chain draped over the wall suggests something totally different. You can almost see the slaughterhouse and feel its hopelessness permeating the place.

You've earned 4 XP in Will
(Lose 1 hooked chain)

Hang a(nother) boar pinata

Normally a pinata would be a cheerful surprise any party and a great addition to Halloween, but there's something about the looming boar's design that reminds you more of a slaughterhouse than a children's game.

You've earned 6 XP in Will
(Lose 1 boar pinata)

Sprinkle refined petrol

Nobody seems to be around, so you easily douse the cubicle walls with petrol. The smell might give it away, but it's ready to go up easily enough now.

(Lose 1 refined petrol)

Check the wiring

You dig around in the wiring conduits for a bit, finding a way to restore power to some of the lights It'll be easier for everyone to see and, frankly, less scary with the lights back on.

While you're digging around, you also find a wire that looks like it's supposed to connect to a security camera. From what you can tell, it isn't live, but you'd need to find the camera to make sure.

(Unlock Disconnected Camera encounter)

Wander out

something

Walk Away.

Run away

If etheric:

You back up carefully, finding it hard to shake the feeling you're being followed. For a moment, it feels like you've found your way out, but you realize you're back in the depths of the maze.

A dark shape keeps its distance behind you, matching your steps until you realize there's no hope of escape.

(Fight Tusked Shadow)

Otherwise?

You back up carefully, finding it hard to shake the feeling you're being followed. It comes as a small shock when you find your way back to the lighted areas of the floor.

Walk Away.