Jail Quest: a text adventure occasionally illustrated.A night of drinking and a failed attempt to cheat on cards had landed you the strangest job slash community service sentence you've ever had: ensuring Gongalla Gaol survives the reality storm called Singularity.Now you travel around with your employer and a handpicked crew to survey the four Reality Anchors. Hey, beats being tarred and feathered, right?Previous thread:https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/2026/6428026/Gongallaverse:https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive.html?tags=Gongalla%20GaolYou are Rosa Montagni, and you've managed to get three-fourths of your job done! Not only did you perform maintenance on the Eastern Reality Anchor, but you've also hooked up Homusubi - AKA Kagutsuchi, principal of Hexbourne and the deity of the East anchor - with Lugal's smuggling network, for a side project of Kagutsuchi's. And you get to learn how to shoot straight out of it! Not a bad deal, all things considered.Then again, you have to deal with a Captain Cynthia when she and her pirate crew attacked Lugal - turns out she's Don Bosco's sister. You've got intel on the Singularity Cult's activities through her, so it wasn't a total bore.A sighting of Orville on the West-bound train had you scrambling to tail him before the train departs, but an accidental encounter revealed that he's become disillusioned about the cult. As you board the train together and gained insight on the cult's goals, unknown raptor-riding gunmen shot up your passenger cabin!
>>6477476So here you are, crouching with Orville behind a bulletproof door (so far), bullets whizzing by - and the only thing standing between your crew and the safety of the armored first-class train car in front of you is a sizable gap. One that lacks suitable cover too, unless you have the bodytype of a stick."So, vat is ze plan, if any?"Orville's accented question got your mind to start thinking out loud."Too bad we can't bring the door with us... can we? We just need a cover from those bullets, or a distraction! And then there's the door on the other side... what if it's locked? We could be sitting ducks, stuck outside.""Perhaps ze hinges can be dismantled. Also, I can pick ze lock, if you want...""Good to know, but you'll be exposed to all those bullets flying around."Hmm, he wasn't a cultist cell leader for nothing, after all. As you mull over your options again, you can hear the sound of an approaching engine - an autowagon one! It's awful familiar..."Hey, are you seeing this??"On the other side of the train, shielded from gunfire by the armored train car, an autowagon races up until it's at shouting range."OIII, ROSAAA!! Guess who I persuaded to join you Westward?""LIV?! Didn't you say you had a job lined up elsewhere?! And is that Grins with you?!"Indeed, Liv's riding shotgun with Ling, while your sniper friend Grigory 'Grins' sits in the carriage, loading his trusty rifle."Aye, Rosa! Mayhaps you require some percision shooting?""Yeah, we'll talk later, you seem to be in trouble..."Hmm, more reinforcements, this does open your options further.> CHOOSE ONE>□ Try to shoot the hinges off the near door, use debris as bullets>□ Get Valencio to loosen up the screws and bolts in the hinges>□ Use Craig's magic to shield the crew>□ Leave the door alone>□ Other (fill in)>ALSO CHOOSE ONE>□ Shoot the hinges off the other door, use anxiety as bullets>□ Get Orville to pick the lock>□ Get Ling to get close and have some of your crew get in the autowagon>□ Other (fill in)>ALSO CHOOSE ONE>□ Get Liv to take the gunmen out>□ Get Grins to shoot down the gunmen>□ Give covering fire as your crew rush the gap>□ Other (fill in)
>>6477487>□ Get Valencio to loosen up the screws and bolts in the hinges>□ Get Ling to get close and have some of your crew get in the autowagon>□ Give covering fire as your crew rush the gap
>>6477685+1
>>6477685+1 welcome back
>>6477685+1 Welcome back! Yay!
>>6477487While there's no screwdriver between the five of you, you do have someone who can vibrate things. And screws can be shaken enough off the hinges, right?"Valencio, can you shake them screws off the hinges?""Of course!"Immediately, he presses his palm on the upper hinge, and sends his vibrations through. While he works his magic, you tell the crew your plan."We'll all run to the other door and pick its lock - as soon as the hinges are off. Except Nemo and Craig, you two stay put. I'll call Ling to move the autowagon closer so Nemo and Craig can get in. Got it?"A chorus of positive vocalizations from the crew - just as Valencio shook the last screw off both hinges."It's off!""Go! go!!""LING! PULL UP!!"You, Orville, and Valencio move into action. The hare and the priest holds on to the unmoored door and uses it as a mobile shield - based on the sound of bullets ricocheting off it, it's working. You, on the other hand, have grabbed a couple of sizable debris as ammo. Instinctively you know that such insubstantial offerings will do very little damage - was that the gun itself that told you that? But those mounted shooters don't know that fact as you fire a couple of shots in their general direction."Craig, Nemo, get in, get down!"At the same time, Ling races the autowagon closer, just as you started your sprint. She managed to close the gap, and went near enough so that Nemo and Craig can jump into the autowagon."Cover fire, Grins! We'll meet at the next station!""Will do, Rosa! You doth owe some debt erasure after this, yea?"You scarcely have time to grunt an approval as your trio approaches the other door. As expected, it is locked - but Orville's already pulled out his lockpicks."It is gut zat your welt lacks advanced locks... sometimes ze ones in meine need electronics to crack. Annnd voila, it's open!""C'mon, let's get in!"With no time left to waste, the three of you pile into the first-class passenger car, only to be greeted by the double barrels of a hell-made shotgun, wielded by a hulking demon that you guess is the bodyguard to a smaller demon. Which makes sense, as the supposed boss is cradling a briefcase while at the same time brandishing a small gun."Heh?! Who are you?! Are you after this damned heirloom, too?!"Wait, the weedy one's got three horns - is this Matteo, who is the target of the other raiders you encountered in the previous car? You better choose your word carefully, lest you fancy knowing the pellet spread pattern of this infernal shotgun with your body, if not your face.>CHOOSE ONE AND ROLL 3D20, BO3>□ "All we're looking for is shelter from those guys shooting at us! Nothing more.">□ "Hey, uh, we're your reinforcements. From the cult, yeah.">□ "We're not after the heirloom, but there's someone in the next car over that does.">□ "Ah, whoops, wrong cabin! We'll get out of your hair real quick.">□ Other (fill in)
Rolled 8 (1d20)>>6479078>□ "All we're looking for is shelter from those guys shooting at us! Nothing more."Lull them into false security
Rolled 15, 1, 14 = 30 (3d20)>>6479078>"Hey, uh, we're your reinforcements. From the cult, yeah."
>>6479078>□ "Ah, whoops, wrong cabin! We'll get out of your hair real quick."
>>6479244Choosing the one that rolled correctly; drawing, writing.
>>6479078No time like the present to bamboozle, you think. Hopefully this will defuse the situation."Hey, hey! We're on the same side! We're from the Singularity Cult!"You make sure you stow your gun in your inventory, and make it be seen well by Matteo."Oh, is that so? Then why do you have a Crossbone PRIEST with you, heh?! Heh?! You know they're doing their best to dismantle us!!"A shot rang out from Matteo's palm gun, grazing Valencio on his right shoulder. Shit! You did not expect him to be that paranoid! Seems like the big demon haven't perforated you and your crew by shotgun - a testament to his trigger discipline."You have made a mistake, herr Sect-Chief. Zat mensch you shot was meine agent in Ossuary. See zis?"Orville pulls his right sleeve down - you swear you saw a like of salmon-colored scar tissue on his right arm - showing some kind of cult identification, maybe. Hard to tell from this angle."Ah, fuck me then, you're also a sect- chief target, huh? Stand down, Marlowe."Matteo then taps on the big lug's arm, and Marlowe obliges by lowering his shotgun."Apologies. No harm no foul - except for your guy there."Even as he apologizes, not a single hint of remorse can be heard going out that mouth of his. He then cradled that briefcase like he'll die if he loses it."So, allayou better tell me why you're coincidentally here, or sit down and shut up."As you help Valencio sit up and staunch the bleeding, your mind mulls over a good response.>CHOOSE ONE>□ Stick with the reinforcement story>□ Point out that we're being shot, and the closest safe space is this train car>□ We were going West and took the train, duh>□ Sit down and shut up>□ Other (fill in)
>>6480385>□ We were going West and took the train, duh
