📀Wermz Hallow-realm📀 Tailored Antiques

[Layamell]

I'm bartering with Taylor!
User + ID Layamell 987626
Prompt: "What's under Ronnie's mask?"
Prompt response: It may sound surprising, but his face. The man probably used it once to protect his face from the dust of wastelands; someone asked him about it and he decided to be dramatic. A stranger always wearing mask sounds mysterious after all and it raises all kinds of conspiracy teories he can laugh on. Maybe he is wanted criminal. Or just ugly.

[Kitsune.]

I'm bartering with Taylor!
User + ID Kitsune. + 577255
Prompt: "What's under Ronnie's mask?"
Prompt response: can be read from Taylor's or 'your' perspective !

You approach the first werm you see hanging around the Antiques shop- an orange, eggy fellow who seems a bit ruffled. He is slightly startled by your voice as you ask your question, and answers with a shrug. As you head out in search of more clues, you see the eggy werm shift nervously, his eyes darting about as if worrying someone might've overheard. How odd...

You quickly come upon another werm, this one much less approachable than the last. Nonetheless, you call a greeting and pose your question to them. "Under Ronnie's mask? Tch, you don't know? I guess not everyone has as much experience as me... Ronnie is actually an alien shapeshifter, but his powers got all messed up after the war, because of all the magic. He used to be able to copy the face of any members of his species, which are weird, tall aliens or whatever. He came to Eaden a long time ago to explore for his homeland... but when the war broke out his face got changed by the magic, and he was stuck between faces!" Here, the pink werm pauses dramatically, as if expecting a chorus of shocked and appalled gasps from a non-existent crowd. Despite your silence, she presses on; "Due to his grotesque and broken form, Ron (that's what I call him, since I trade with him so much while scavenging) was too ashamed to return to his species, and so he took to covering his face and trading with the wermz of Eaden. A sad story indeed, but one often lost to time..." By this point, you are fairly certain that Amaranth has no idea what is under Ronnie's mask either, but you thank her anyway and continue on.

After walking for some time, you find a much less, well... dramatic looking werm ahead. You pose your question to them, to which they pause thoughtfully. "Well, I think Ronnie is secretly a robot. Now, here me out! Why would he always be wearing those weird shirts...? To cover his gears and metal and stuff! That's where his robot heart is. I think it runs on fruit- I've been nearby his stall and seen an uneaten fruit sitting on the counter. I look away, and when I turn back? There's a bite taken out! Plus, I've seen his fur up close, and it looks all greasy and fake." Her eyes suddenly brighten, and you can almost see the light bulb go off over her head. "No! What if Ronnie is a robot, but it's controlled by wermz! And the wermz were the ones taking bites out of the fruit. A robot can't eat fruit, I don't think. That also explains why the mask is just scribbles- scavenging wermz aren't great artists, you see. They must have built the Ronnie-bot to intimidate the other wermz into respecting them so they could trade in peace. The mask is probably like, one way glass so that only the wermz inside can see out." Orchid seems satisfied with her answer, and offers you a pawful of berries she found. You gratefully accept, thank them for their... unhelpful answer, and continue on.

Tired from your long journeying for elusive answers, you are glad to see a tavern in the distance. Within, you hear the voices of many wermz. As you enter, you spot the largest werm you've ever seen behind the bar. Curious, you approach and ask your question (after ordering a drink). "Oh, Ronnie? We-e-ell, do Ronnie and I go waaay back! I mean, I'm not the youngest sprout in the ground, so I've known Ronnie since before he wore the mask!" Finally! A werm who seems like he has answers. "Now, kid, don't go blabbin about all this to Ronnie, alright? But he started wearin the mask because he was ugly. That's right! Ugly as could be. And it wasn't his fault, of course, it was just the way he was made- it didn't help that he walked on his back legs and all. But his face, it was completely hairless, and just... well, you had to see it." Here, Snagg bursts into a bellowing laugh. "The reason he started wearin the mask was to attract more customers instead of scarin so many off. Now, you may be wonderin, if he was that ugly, how come no werm remembers what it looked like? Well, when he first decided to wear a mask, he asked a mage to cast a spell so that everyone who had seen his face before forgot what it looked like! That crazy kid..." Snagg sighs, reminiscing. After thinking a moment, you ask Snagg how he remembers what Ronnie's face looks like still. "Ha! You are one curious fella. Full a questions! I used to be like that once. Back in the day..." Quietly, you slip away from the bar, leaving a handful of gummies behind. Disappointed, you continue on.

With the sun beginning to set, you decide to look for shelter for the night. Finding a ramshackle building, you head inside, poking around until you discover a cellar door. Someone is speaking down bellow. You head down, hoping that whoever you found is friendly. In the dim light, you spot a red werm holding a small flame in its paws. "Greetings, stranger. What business do you have here?"Taken a bit aback, you ask your question. The werm'z voice is smooth and cool. "Hm. Under Ronnie's mask? You look quite tired- it seems you've asked around already. Well, I must inform you that no werm you can speak to knows the true answer. As much as he has been a thorn in my side, Ronnie and I have come to some sort of agreement with one another. Before this was reached, let's just say... I've seen what is underneath the mask, after great difficulty- Ronnie is a powerful, powerful mage. You do not wish to know what I've seen. Run along now, stranger. This place is not safe for you." The red werm turns around as it finishes and resumes its examination of the basement. As you strike out into the sand once more, behind you you see a large fireball consume the old shack. As soon as the flame and smoke clears, you see that there is nothing there any longer.

Truly dejected, you almost don't notice the small wermling wandering up ahead. You call out, and the tiny creature turns towards you with a delighted look. You hesitate, but ask your question anyway. To your surprise, the wermling nods and rummages about in its tiny, tiny satchel. She pulls out a photograph- not a drawing, but a true photograph. In it, you see Ronnie posing with the wermling on his shoulder. The wermling had snatched Ronnie's mask away playfully... you begin to shake, nearly dropping the photo. Where Ronnie's face should be was instead something ever-shifting, impossible to perceive- it danced before your eyes, mesmerizing even though you can see nothing. Despite your attempts to make sense of this visual barrage, you feel a void opening in your brain. Your veins began to run cold, your eyes begin to twitch- suddenly, the image is gone. You take a shaky breath as the wermling stuffs the photo back into her satchel, clearly amused. She chatters at you before turning and bouncing away.

[Saeli]

I'm bartering with Taylor!
User + ID Saeli 102202
Prompt: "What's under Ronnie's mask?"
Prompt response:
Under Ronnie's mask is just a face. A normal, slightly more hairy than usual face. Ronnie appears to be a mutated human from the war. Perhaps his face is just a handsome hairy face as well.

[niveiru]

I'm bartering with Taylor!
User + ID niveiru + 109846
Prompt: What's under Ronnie's mask?"
Prompt response: Undiscovered yet colors. Each time the mask gets lifted a new color stirs up the world's understanding of colors existence. Very powerful and mindwrecking, so better don't do it unless really sure or curious.

[ob0321drxzx]

I'm bartering with Taylor!
User + ID ob0321drxzx 701565
Prompt: "What's under Ronnie's mask?"
Prompt response:

"Mirscren sniffed a soot and dirt on the tile, triangulating which turns to take. She could map out the large tracks from the dust of the desert moors that the treads left behind, lingering with the scent of ink and fire. She danced artfully over the prints, not disturbing a single crucial speck of sand. Determined to find the source of the scent, she barely registered the tremors in the tile below her.

Alma felt her claws bumbling between the sporadically strewn tile, filling with dirt, impressed with the way Mirscren strafed perfectly between them. She was truly a sewer rat.
The tremors added to her sense of unease. She’d never seen either of her friends so quiet. Mirscren, dedicated to her silent cause- but something in Pumpkin’s eyes seemed deeply concerned. Clouded by childhood doubts. Alma braved a quivering breath as they rounded a tight corner, stretching deeper into the bunker.

Pumpkin saw all the hallways blend together. Flimsy tiles melding with mud splattered steel frames. It grew an all too familiar knot in her stomach, heavy with dread. In the longest hallway yet, she spotted a sliver of light. It reflected long shadows on the aging metal as she saw Mirscren shoot up, Her ears seemed to pick and twitch at every sound. With the knot bubbling fear into her chest, she padded behind Alma as the three young Wermz tentatively approached.
Pumpkin rose up straight, overtop of Alma who trembled with every sound. The lights were warm and dim behind the door. Shadows moved and flickered. She could only really see silhouettes. A low desk glistened with wood grain as two figures moved between it. It reminded Pumpkin of the Vendor Stalls in the Shopping District on sunny days. The man behind the table was straight backed, with perfect posture on two legs. The figure in front felt more casual, resting half his large hand in the belt loop of blackened pants with many pockets. Large tufts of fur outlined his form, and underneath she caught glimpses of large veins. He had a wide mouth with fangs that shone in the oil lamp’s flashes, just as sharp as his great horns. Pumpkin wondered if Mirscren could hear what they said. She hoped she could. For her own closure.
Pumpkin watched the man’s posture shift as he slid a mask across the table. The furred figure flipped it around. Under waves of yellow light, the shadows revealed a crudely drawn cat face. His footing shifted. They locked eyes.



Mirscren yelped as her tail caught under Pumpkin. The moth was barreling them out. Without so much as a word. Mirscren’s senses blurred in the frenzy. Alma was shouting. Pumpkin just kept running. And so, they ran.
The surface was quiet, without so much as a second thought to the bunker below. The girls panted heavily. Suddenly, the structure above ground rattled. The earth below began to quiver. Pebbles would shake. Soon boulders would fall. As they sprinted out into the Wastelands, the bunker collapsed.”

[OverheartBlue]

I'm bartering with Taylor!
User + ID OverheartBlue 1051172
Prompt: What's under Ronnie's mask?
Prompt response:

Huh? Huh Ronnie? Who's Ronnie? What's Ronnie? Where Ronnie?? Help -- oh, okay. Okay uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Ronnie has no face. Just a... mask? Y'know when they say that the beauty of mystery lies in mystery.

[EeeeeeejDoge]

I'm bartering with Taylor!
User + ID EeeeeeejDoge + 1013055
Prompt: “What’s under Ronnie’s mask?”
Prompt response: Ronnie

[Goji ✦ Dragon]

I'm bartering with Taylor!
User + ID Goji ✦ Dragon - 875950
Prompt: "What's under Ronnie's mask?"
Prompt response:



Who knows how many (・・;)

[Melsride]

I'm bartering with Taylor!
User + ID Melsride + 932041
Prompt: What's under Ronnie's mask?
Prompt response: There is one of every item from Taco Bell under Ronnie's mask.

[BPlusSupernova]

I'm bartering with Taylor!
User + ID BPlusSupernova 1034205
Prompt: What's under Ronnie's mask?
Prompt response: Another mask, but this one is covered in glue and duct tape so I don't think we'll be able to pull that one off without some effort,,