WESTCOAST MORELL CRYPTIDS - 1203
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You: "And Lena's sighting of the Phasmid. Is that..."
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Morell, the Cryptozoologist: "Confirmed," he replies quickly. "It's 100% verified and meets all the standards of an authentic cryptid sighting."
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IsKimHere()
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IsKimHere()
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!(IsKimHere())
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Kim Kitsuragi: "Of course you do."
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Morell, the Cryptozoologist: "You're right to." He gives you an approving tip of his hat. "The bodies found in the forest are just one piece of physical evidence. We also have sightings in Vaasa, reaching back *four centuries*."
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Variable["tc.cryptozoology"]
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Variable["tc.cryptozoology"]
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!(Variable["tc.cryptozoology"])
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166
Suggestion: You need to ask him about specific cryptids -- cryptids you've heard about from Lena, or his friend Gary. He won't *just* talk.
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morellcryptidhub
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Suggestion: Layman? You always have to prove yourself with this man. Which means -- *you* have to provide the cryptids. *Maybe* he'll answer.
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Morell, the Cryptozoologist: "Did you?" He seems incredulous. "It is almost as difficult to confirm a hoax as it is to confirm a sighting..." A cough.
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Jump to: [morellcryptidhub]
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You: (Lie.) "Yes."
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Morell, the Cryptozoologist: "Remarkable! When?"
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Morell, the Cryptozoologist: "Believe me, you won't *guess* it. You either know, or you don't." He corrects his hat and says -- as if it's the most sensible thing in the world...
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Morell, the Cryptozoologist: "The most dangerous cryptid is a carnivorous ruminant, known colloquially as the *dread moose*."
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Morell, the Cryptozoologist: "I know you think we were snacking on funny mushrooms. It's easier to mock someone than to admit that the world might be more interesting than you've imagined."
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Morell, the Cryptozoologist: "Furthermore," he raises his finger. "I am not saying it was a *confirmed* sighting. I am painfully aware of what goes into verifying such things. There is a serious possibility that I saw a squirrel, or a trick of the light. I am my own harshest critic."
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Morell, the Cryptozoologist: "Of course you haven't." He seems satisfied.
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You: "Have *you* seen it?"
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You: "When did she disappear?"
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Morell, the Cryptozoologist: "Oh, decades ago. In the Thirties. I didn't know her personally, of course. A chasm of academic pretension still stood before us, even though she had unusual courage for someone from the other side."
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Variable["coast.morell_cryptids_hub_reached"]
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Variable["coast.morell_cryptids_hub_reached"]
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!(Variable["coast.morell_cryptids_hub_reached"])
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Morell, the Cryptozoologist: "Okay..." He eyes you sceptically. "I already did my best to inform you. I don't really know what else I could discuss with a layman..."
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Morell, the Cryptozoologist: He eyes you sceptically. "All right -- what cryptids, precisely? I usually discuss these things with *specialists*, so I don't know what..."
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Morell, the Cryptozoologist: "All right." He remains guarded.
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You: "Your friend Gary told me about the burning rhino."
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Morell, the Cryptozoologist: "Did he?" He lowers his voice. "That one's a hoax. Some Seraise rice farmers set fire to rhinoceros cadavers and used them scare tourists."
"Did he? Well -- that one's a hoax. Some Seraise rice farmers set fire to rhinoceros cadavers and used them scare tourists."
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You: "I know all about the kind green ape!"
"I know all about the kind green ape! Look, I even have a kind green ape pen!" (Take out the pen)
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Morell, the Cryptozoologist: "I'm guessing you heard about it from Lena," he smiles. "The kind green ape is one of her favourites."
"I see you've been talking about cryptids with Lena," he smiles. "The kind green ape is one of her favourites."
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Morell, the Cryptozoologist: "You probably have!"
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You: "How did you almost catch a willow person?"
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Morell, the Cryptozoologist: "I chased it with a net -- not very elegant, but you can't be elegant in the field -- and, well, it was faster than me!"
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IsKimHere()
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Morell, the Cryptozoologist: "The bodies found in the forest are just one piece of physical evidence. There's more -- sightings in Vaasa, reaching back *four centuries*. But, of course, nothing satiates the scepticism of..."
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Kim Kitsuragi: "A *detective*." He finishes the sentence for him, then his tone turns surprising mild. "Pardon me, I did not wish to seek conflict. It's simply my training to question things."
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Morell, the Cryptozoologist: "Understood, lieutenant." The man tips his hat slightly and then looks to you.
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Jump to: [morellcryptidhub]
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Composure: This is a gruff man who's been ridiculed too many times to feel comfortable talking about what's dearest to his heart. It's in his shoulders, his face, his... everything.
159
Variable["TASK.report_to_cryptozoologists_1"]
27->159
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You: "I knew it can't be real." (Conclude.)
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You: "Hold on... Does it also attack people?"
154
Morell, the Cryptozoologist: "Human remains *have* been found deep in the forest, torn apart, then trampled into the mulch by large hooves. Infer from *that* what you will."
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Morell, the Cryptozoologist: "They're very, very thin, almost flat, in fact, and can camouflage themselves easily, wrapping themselves around trees and blending in with the tree bark. In that way, they're not too dissimilar from the phasmid we are looking for here."
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willowhub
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You: "What are willow people?"
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Morell, the Cryptozoologist: "They're not people, really -- some argue that they're not even animals, as they seem to have evolved directly from trees." He says it in a self-explanatory, every day manner.
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Morell, the Cryptozoologist: "Mijanou liked *extreme* animals, you see. One of the few figures of the academic establishment I respect. Really a shame she disappeared."
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You: "What's the other evidence?"
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Morell, the Cryptozoologist: "The recent surge in the moose population. As hidden carnivores, the dread moose are effectively removing competition for both themselves and their evolutionary cousins."
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mooseevidencehub
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You: "What exactly is the relationship between carnivorous moose and regular moose?"
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You: "But why would it need to hide its carnivorous nature?"
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You: "Are there any reliable eyewitness accounts of a moose killing other animals for food?" (Conclude.)
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Variable["TASK.report_to_cryptozoologists_1"]
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Variable["TASK.report_to_cryptozoologists_1"]
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!(Variable["TASK.report_to_cryptozoologists_1"])
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Lena, the Cryptozoologist's wife: The woman nods, thoughtfully, while her hands smooth over the plaid covering her knees.
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Jump to: [morellcryptidhub]
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Morell, the Cryptozoologist: "No. I will not *get* out of anywhere." He lashes immediately. "The dread moose is a widely reported cryptid from Arda. It subsists entirely on flesh, and has even been known to dig up fresh graves in search of sustenance."
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moosehub
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Gary, the Cryptofascist: Gary obliviously stares at the stage -- safe in the knowledge the burning rhinoceros exists.
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Untitled hub
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Morell, the Cryptozoologist: "Many times. It always turns into an argument. I don't want to repeat it. The rhino holds a special place in his heart -- let it. Myths are part of my field."
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Endurance: It's a *gut feeling*. He knows it exists, fuck the so-called *specialists*.
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Morell, the Cryptozoologist: "It makes sense that such a majestic animal with natural weapons -- antlers -- would come to rule the forest. The only strange thing is that it took so long."
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Inland Empire: He sees in the dread moose something perversely beautiful and just.
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Untitled hub (03)
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You: "Get outta here!"
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You: "The... dread moose?"
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Morell, the Cryptozoologist: "Me -- I'm not a people person, unless you haven't noticed. And I don't make a good lecturer. My strength lies in field work and *persistence*." He brushes an errant strand of hair from his eye.
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Jump to: [Morell, the Cryptozoologist: ""All right." He remains guarded."]
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Jump to: [mainhub]
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JUMP OUT to WESTCOAST / MORELL
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Empathy: A warm wave passes him. Of course the *kind* green ape is her favourite, he thinks.
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You: "Wait, so I may have seen these willow people without knowing it?"
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You: "I'm not completely sure about this *dread moose*..."
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Morell, the Cryptozoologist: "The bodies found in the forest are just one piece of physical evidence. There's more..."
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Morell, the Cryptozoologist: "Yes. I know it sounds like we were snacking on funny mushrooms -- but I did see motion and colour. Mine is not a *confirmed* sighting of a cryptid, however. Much goes into *verifying* these things, and my account comes short of a few standards."
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Rhetoric: He makes it a real point here -- to sound falsifiable.
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Morell, the Cryptozoologist: "That's what I thought. You haven't *actually* seen it. In fact, I can't imagine how you could either -- the Samarskilt desert region has been embroiled in a civil war for the last eight years."
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Morell, the Cryptozoologist: "I fear this mindless barbarism may have wiped out the elusive creature entirely. Sightings of *towering luminosities* have grown rare recently. While they once used to be constant..."
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Electrochemistry: A bit of jealousy there. He'd want that glory, truth be told. Even if he'd have to inject *himself* with bacteria to get it.
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Morell, the Cryptozoologist: "Although -- probably because her life ended as a result of her work in Katla -- no one remembers her contributions to the search for the Nnong Okk."
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Jump to: [morellcryptidhub]
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You: "Let's talk about a different cryptid."
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Morell, the Cryptozoologist: "Honestly, I doubt you'd find any of it comprehensible."
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Kim Kitsuragi: "Which one?" He hasn't been paying attention.
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You: "The burning rhinoceros."
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Variable["TASK.report_to_cryptozoologists_1"]
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Variable["TASK.report_to_cryptozoologists_1"]
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!(Variable["TASK.report_to_cryptozoologists_1"])
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You: "I know about the most dangerous cryptid -- the Gnome of Geroma."
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Morell, the Cryptozoologist: "*Formerly* the most dangerous, yes... But do you know the most dangerous *living* cryptid?"
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Authority: He does not want to make it feel like you knowing it is some big deal.
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Morell, the Cryptozoologist: "A willow person. It's a long story, one non-specialists would find rather dull."
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Conceptualization: Willow people? Not at *all*.
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You: "Okay. What does the dread moose look like?"
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Morell, the Cryptozoologist: "Just like an ordinary Ardan moose."
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You: "Just tell me about a cool cryptid. Any cryptid."
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Morell, the Cryptozoologist: "No offence, officer, but I'm not much of a *pedagogue* -- I don't know what I would've done if Lena hadn't persuaded me to go back to field research. You should ask her, if you want interesting stories."
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You: "I think I've heard enough about the dread moose. Let's pick another one."
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Drama: There is *some* uncertainty in that motion, no? Smoothing the fabric like that, as if looking for some kind of confirmation...
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Authority: Here is a man who has had more than his fair share of heated arguments -- and would, surprising as it may seem, prefer not to have any more.
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Jump to: [morellcryptidhub]
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Jump to: [morellcryptidhub]
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You: "Have you told Gary this?"
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Morell, the Cryptozoologist: "I doubt that. Once confirmed a hoax, so-called sightings of the rhino stopped." A cough. "Was there anything else, or..."
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172
Variable["TASK.inspect_traps"]
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Morell, the Cryptozoologist: "Oh, everyone knows about that one, thanks to professor Mijanou being the talk of the town for a time..." He coughs in his fist.
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Morell, the Cryptozoologist: "One slaughterhouse at the outskirts of the woods in Vaasa reported that its staff kept seeing moose in the distance."
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Morell, the Cryptozoologist: "The moose would just stare at the building, as though they were waiting for something. Its eyes bloodshot and full of *cruelty*."
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Morell, the Cryptozoologist: "Moose are already being hunted for sport. Can you imagine what would happen if they came to be viewed as predators?"
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Jump to: [mooseevidencehub]
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Rhetoric: *...we would have to discuss?* he wants to say, but decides against it since you've offered to help.
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You: "I am 100% behind the dread moose. I *utterly* believe it exists."
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Untitled hub (04)
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Morell, the Cryptozoologist: "Yes. Probably." Another cough. His face grows reddish from it.
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Jump to: [morellcryptidhub]
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Variable["tc.cryptid_willow"]
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Variable["tc.cryptid_willow"]
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!(Variable["tc.cryptid_willow"])
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Gary, the Cryptofascist: Gary obliviously stares at the stage -- safe in the knowledge the burning rhinoceros exists.
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Jump to: [Untitled hub]
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You: "I know about *Cryobacter katlensis*."
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Morell, the Cryptozoologist: "After waiting in hiding for hours, I saw a figure slip from one of the trees, a lavender shadow dashing through the grove..."
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You: "And then?"
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Morell, the Cryptozoologist: "And that's not all! Some of the slaughterhouse apprentices went hiking by a nearby creek and saw a moose nibbling on an unidentified carcass!"
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Encyclopedia: This isn't something unique. Various species of deer have been known to scavenge when plant food is scarce.
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Jump to: [Morell, the Cryptozoologist: "He eyes you sceptically. "All right..."]
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Gary, the Cryptofascist: "WHAT? SOUTH SAFRE?! THEY'RE JUST ON A DIFFERENT RUNG OF THE LADDER, MORELL! I HAD NO *PROBLEM* WITH THEM!"
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Morell, the Cryptozoologist: "REALLY? You kept complaining how dirty everything is, but we digress..."
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Rhetoric: It remains unclear what this has got to do with *you seeing it*, as he was inquiring before. He was just being defensive.
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Lena, the Cryptozoologist's wife: "Oh," the woman chimes in. "Any time -- just ask. I know those critters in and out. Not quite at the level Morell does, but still..."
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Jump to: [morellcryptidhub]
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You: "Living? No."
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Morell, the Cryptozoologist: "Gary and I painted an entire grove's worth of trees in slow-drying paint. It was a bright lavender colour. I was hoping one of the willow people would get paint on it and not be able to camouflage itself."
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You: "A lavender shadow?"
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Untitled hub (02)
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You: "I can try to guess."
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You: "That must be the evil apes dukin' it out on the giant ball."
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Jump to: [morellcryptidhub]
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Morell, the Cryptozoologist: "The what?"
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You: "We are descended from evil apes and to apes we shall return."
169
Morell, the Cryptozoologist: "Oh, you're just talking about *humans*. Well, yes, we are quite dangerous, but we're hardly cryptids." He corrects his hat and says -- as if it's the most sensible thing in the world...
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You: "I'm having trouble remembering..."
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Morell, the Cryptozoologist: "That's what I thought. You haven't *actually* seen it. And I can't imagine how you could either -- the Samarskilt desert region has been embroiled in a civil war for the last eight years."
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Gary, the Cryptofascist: "Those people were on a different rung of the ladder of civilization, that's all."
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Morell, the Cryptozoologist: "You kept complaining about how dirty they were."
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Suggestion: Yes. Back to cryptozoology. You don't want to sow disagreement between friends.
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Jump to: [morellcryptidhub]
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Kim Kitsuragi: "Mhm. The *burning rhino* is where they draw the line." He's unimpressed.
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You: "The evil apes. I suspect I may be one myself."
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You: "Then how can you tell if it's the ordinary or the dread kind?"
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Morell, the Cryptozoologist: "The search was fabulously unsuccessful -- but the people were very nice. I'm glad they didn't understand what Gary was saying about them..."
148
Variable["TASK.find_phasmid"]
116->148
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158
Morell, the Cryptozoologist: "Anyway..." He settles down. "There is *more* than enough evidence to justify a thorough *search* for the dread moose. Let's close the subject, before it turns into an argument."
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Gary, the Cryptofascist: "And I realize that their hygiene habits were completely appropriate for a nascent culture... I just didn't feel comfortable. Let's change the topic."
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156
Morell, the Cryptozoologist: "The carnivorous moose are a very young species, the result of a genetic mutation that fared well in the process of natural selection."
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Suggestion: You need to ask him about specific cryptids -- cryptids you've heard about from Lena, or his friend Gary. He won't *just* talk.
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Gary, the Cryptofascist: "THEY'RE A *NASCENT CULTURE*. I just didn't feel comfortable, and... Let's change the topic, okay? Talk about your critters or whatever..." He mumbles something.
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Morell, the Cryptozoologist: "Yes. The dread moose subsists entirely on flesh. It has even been known to dig up fresh graves in search of sustenance."
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Morell, the Cryptozoologist: "Another one?" he seems angry for a second, but then settles down.
140
Jump to: [morellcryptidhub]
127->140
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182
Variable["TASK.find_phasmid"]
129->182
130
You: "See Kim, one of them is a hoax."
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132
You: "The Nnong Okk?"
222
Morell, the Cryptozoologist: "A flightless *cursor owl* found in the Semenine isles. Its long legs permit the Nnong Okk to run faster than any other avian, perhaps any other *animal*, who knows?"
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IsKimHere()
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!(IsKimHere())
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Kim Kitsuragi: "A lavender shadow..." He smirks.
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Variable["TASK.report_to_cryptozoologists_1"]
138
Variable["TASK.report_to_cryptozoologists_1"]
137->138
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!(Variable["TASK.report_to_cryptozoologists_1"])
137->139
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Variable["coast.morell_sugegstion_prove_cryptid_boss"]
143
Variable["coast.morell_sugegstion_prove_cryptid_boss"]
142->143
144
!(Variable["coast.morell_sugegstion_prove_cryptid_boss"])
142->144
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You: "What if the other cryptids are hoaxes too?"
217
Morell, the Cryptozoologist: "Many of them probably are. Statistically speaking, about 20% of all cryptids are verified hoaxes. Uncovering falsehoods deliberately fabricated to fool the public is just as much my calling as finding new species."
146->217
147
Rhetoric: If perhaps *slightly* less enjoyable.
147->85
149
Variable["TASK.find_phasmid"]
148->149
150
!(Variable["TASK.find_phasmid"])
148->150
181
Empathy: He's a good and loyal man despite his ramblings, the elderly cryptozoologist thinks to himself.
149->181
150->137
151->107
151->114
152
Morell, the Cryptozoologist: "That's impressive, I guess." He does not seem that impressed. "But have you *seen* it with your own eyes?"
152->11
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220
You: (Truth.) "No."
152->220
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160
Variable["TASK.report_to_cryptozoologists_1"]
159->160
161
!(Variable["TASK.report_to_cryptozoologists_1"])
159->161
194
Variable["whirling.lena_white_check_cryptids"]
160->194
161->141
162
Suggestion: Now the man feels embarrassed. Time to move on perhaps?
162->141
163
Morell, the Cryptozoologist: "You can't! That's what makes it so dreadful... and hard to identify."
185
Logic: A moose that looks like any other moose... What's going on here? He's kidding right?
163->185
164->75
165
Rhetoric: *...we would have to discuss?* he wants to say, but decides against it.
213
Variable["tc.cryptozoology"]
165->213
166->168
167
Morell, the Cryptozoologist: "By all means..." He coughs and wipes his mouth.
167->46
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186
You: "Which cryptid did you *almost* catch? You said before, that you almost caught one."
"Tell me about willow people again."
168->186
208
You: "Enough tales then. Let's change the subject."
168->208
225
You: "I know the biggest cryptid -- the Giant of Koko Nur."
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170
Morell, the Cryptozoologist: "I haven't had a chance to travel to *Koko Nur*, no. And I likely never will. The Samarskilt desert region has been embroiled in a small civil war for the last eight years."
170->211
190
Variable["tc.lena_saw_phasmid_morell"]
171->190
173
Variable["TASK.inspect_traps"]
172->173
174
!(Variable["TASK.inspect_traps"])
172->174
173->77
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200
Morell, the Cryptozoologist: "In fact, we may be close to capturing a live specimen. Modern genetic methods may prove *crucial* in differentiating the dread variant from the herbivorous one. Anyway..." He gestures for you to continue.
175->200
176
Morell, the Cryptozoologist: "When it's not hunting its prey in this manner, the Okk hangs from tree branches, like a bat, waiting to dive on hapless prey below, on the jungle floor."
176->32
177->31
177->56
178
Lena, the Cryptozoologist's wife: "Be friendly, dear," the woman says. "The detective really likes these critters, we've talked about them in great *detail*."
178->162
179->28
179->70
179->130
179->146
203
You: "What if you're wrong? What if it's real?" (Conclude.)
179->203
180->113
218
Rhetoric: Their relationship transcends Gary's politics. It must -- to work. Plus, a guy like Morell knows a thing or two about being on the fringes himself, though his fringes are... different.
181->218
183
Variable["TASK.find_phasmid"]
182->183
184
!(Variable["TASK.find_phasmid"])
182->184
183->179
184->58
185->79
186->81
187->170
188->119
189
You: "I'm not sure I'm buying it."
204
Morell, the Cryptozoologist: "But that's not all! Some of the slaughterhouse apprentices went hiking by a nearby creek and saw a moose nibbling on an unidentified carcass!"
189->204
191
Variable["tc.lena_saw_phasmid_morell"]
190->191
192
!(Variable["tc.lena_saw_phasmid_morell"])
190->192
191->2
224
You: "Let's talk about a different cryptid."
191->224
192->103
219
Morell, the Cryptozoologist: "We travelled to South Safre to look for it once. Gary and I got stuck in a rainstorm, though, and had to spend most of our time there in a little village."
193->219
195
Variable["whirling.lena_white_check_cryptids"]
194->195
196
!(Variable["whirling.lena_white_check_cryptids"])
194->196
195->178
196->94
197->13
198->132
212
You: "Better not to go into the Nnong Okk."
198->212
199
You: "That does sound suspicious."
199->88
200->26
201
Logic: Yes. Sightings of *mirages* are constant. A mirage is a constant phenomenon that people have no time to *report* when a war is going on.
201->93
202->85
203->71
204->118
205->168
206->98
207->168
208->167
209->29
209->64
210->163
211->201
212->80
214
Variable["tc.cryptozoology"]
213->214
215
!(Variable["tc.cryptozoology"])
213->215
214->123
215->168
216->142
217->147
218->205
219->116
220->14
221->30
222->176
223->102
224->45
225->152
226
You: "I was lying. I haven't actually seen it. I just wanted to impress you."
226->53
227->108
227->226
228->189
228->199