Maribel Hearn Quest: ACT III - Part 2

[Monarda]

>Turn around to our group.
>"Let's go, watch your step everyone."
>Head down with Renko by our side.

[Evil_Nazgul0616]

>Turn around to our group.
>"Let's go, watch your step everyone."
>Head down with Renko by our side.

>You let Renko get next to you and she holds your hand as your group descends, following Alice.
>"I-It won't be long now." you hear Rengeteki say.
>When you reach the bottom of the staircase, you are treated to the sight of a truly gigantic doll slumped on over on the floor against the wall. It would easily be taller than Alice's house in height, if it were standing up.
>Several human-sized dolls are standing in neat rows in the rest of the cellar.
>_

[Monarda]

>How do they look ?
>"So many of them... and they're all hand-made ? That is a lot of effort and talent."
>Turn to Rin.
>"So how do we do the soul transfer ? I saw the big magic circle in the cave, will we have to go back then ?"

[Evil_Nazgul0616]

>How do they look ?

>Most of them look pretty generic, being mostly identical, however, there are a couple that look like blank slates of some sort.
>You also notice that one of them looks exactly like Marisa, and is wearing an identical outfit.

>You also notice one, isolated from the others, that looks exactly like Alice, and seems to be lying on a bed, rather than standing like the rest of the dolls.

>"So many of them... and they're all hand-made ? That is a lot of effort and talent."

>"Thank you." says Alice, accepting your compliment.

>Turn to Rin.
>"So how do we do the soul transfer ? I saw the big magic circle in the cave, will we have to go back then ?"

>"I think... it'll be as simple... as fusing my soul... to a doll... And maybe... I'm not sure... if the circle is necessary."
>_

//Note my laptop is about to die, so my next parsing will be delayed depending on how much there is to parse.

[Monarda]

>"Then we should hurry, Alice, could you help us prepare ?"

[Evil_Nazgul0616]

>"Then we should hurry, Alice, could you help us prepare ?"

>"Sure." Alice replies.
>_

[Monarda]

>"Thanks."
>Look again at the Alice doll, can we see any more details ?
>"Huh..."

[AzyWng]

>Make a mental note to ask Alice about the Marisa dolls.

[Evil_Nazgul0616]

>"Thanks."

>"No problem."

>Look again at the Alice doll, can we see any more details ?
>"Huh..."

>From this distance, no. But it appears to be exactly the same size and appearance as Alice herself.
>"Hmm? What is it, Merry?" Renko asks, "See something interesting?"

>Make a mental note to ask Alice about the Marisa dolls.

>You do so.
>_

[Monarda]

>"Ehh ? No, not really, i was wondering why that doll is on a bed unlike the others..."
>Turn back around.
>"So which one do we take ?"

[Evil_Nazgul0616]

>"Ehh ? No, not really, i was wondering why that doll is on a bed unlike the others..."

>"Oh, that one?" Alice asks, "That's just one of my experiments, the bed is so that I'll have a nice place to wake up on in the event I ever have to use that doll."

>Turn back around.
>"So which one do we take ?"

>"Whichever one you need, aside from the one on the bed."
>"One... of similar... size and proportions... to me... should do..." says Rin.
>_

[Monarda]

>Search for a doll that matches Rin's size.
>"Experiment ? Like use that body for something that would otherwise be potentially life-threatening ?"

[Evil_Nazgul0616]

>Search for a doll that matches Rin's size.

>You begin searching the dolls.

>"Experiment ? Like use that body for something that would otherwise be potentially life-threatening ?"

>"No, not really." says Alice, "It's purpose is essentially to be my backup in case something bad ever happens to me. Though, the enchantment I'm using to transfer my conscious over to it is experimental, and I can't really test it out either, due to how it's supposed to work..."
>_

[Monarda]

>"So you are basically seeking immortality ? Defying the laws of nature huh...."
>Shrug.
>"Sounds both tricky and double-edged."

[Evil_Nazgul0616]

>"So you are basically seeking immortality ? Defying the laws of nature huh...."
>Shrug.
>"Sounds both tricky and double-edged."

>"Well, no... I wouldn't want to live that long... It's more of a one-time backup plan in the unlikely event I die. Though, again, I'm not even sure if the enchantment will work as intended, so it's mostly experimental."
>_

[Monarda]

>"Well, if you are as careful as you are organized, i see no reason to worry so much, then again... this is a signal that you are careful."
>Anything ?

[Evil_Nazgul0616]

>"Well, if you are as careful as you are organized, i see no reason to worry so much, then again... this is a signal that you are careful."
>Anything ?

>"Hey, when you're dealing with magic, dolls, and several metric tons of gunpowder, anything could happen," Alice shrugs.
>You've found two dolls so far that might work. One of them is generic, while the other one is one of the blank slates.
>_

[Neovereign]

>"The one we pick won't have gunpowder in it, will it?"

[Monarda]

>"Wait... why the heck are you using gunpowder on dolls ?!"
>Look a bit surprised while we grab the generic one.
>"This one should do, we can always make a specially made one for Rin later i guess."

[Evil_Nazgul0616]

>"The one we pick won't have gunpowder in it, will it?"

>"Maybe... About half of the ones in here do." Alice replies.

>"Wait... why the heck are you using gunpowder on dolls ?!"
>Look a bit surprised while we grab the generic one.

>You grab the generic one.
>"To use them as explosives, of course. However, even the ones I don't detonate have it, since they can also use the potential energy in the gunpowder to make their attacks more efficient. It's actually what made Goliath over there so effective in combat, since she contains a massive amount of it..." Alice gestures to the gigantic doll against the wall, "Unfortunately, she was prone to exploding catastrophically during testing and had to be decommissioned because using her wasn't practical..."

>"This one should do, we can always make a specially made one for Rin later i guess."

>"So... How do we know it doesn't have gunpowder in it?" Renko asks, studying the doll you chose.
>_

[Monarda]

>Look to Alice.
>"Only Alice knows how, it's her work after all."

[Evil_Nazgul0616]

>Look to Alice.
>"Only Alice knows how, it's her work after all."

>"Bring it to me and I'll be able to tell." says Alice.
>_

[Monarda]

>Attempt to do so.

[Evil_Nazgul0616]

>Attempt to do so.

>You drag the doll over to Alice. She closes her eyes and puts a hand on it.
>"This one does have gunpowder in it." she says after a second.
>_

[Monarda]

>Sigh.
>"So what do we do now ? The only other one that matches her size is that blank one."

[Evil_Nazgul0616]

>Sigh.
>"So what do we do now ? The only other one that matches her size is that blank one."

>"It... should still... work..." says Rin, "Layla... said... only the size matters... for empty vessels..."
>_

[Monarda]

>Will she even be able to talk with that body ?

[Evil_Nazgul0616]

>Will she even be able to talk with that body ?

>You're unsure. Then again, almost all of the dolls in here don't have mouths anyway...
>_

[Monarda]

>Grab that one then.

[Evil_Nazgul0616]

>Grab that one then.

>You place the doll back and grab the blank one.
>_