I think that it’s their competition in the hotel business. If people have saved your business and driven you crazy, you can reward them and punish your enemies at the same time.
Like the YMCA without, you know, the ‘Men’ part. ‘Young Orc’s Cult Association’: YORCA. As the song says, you can hang out with all the …orcs. For totally non-sexual reasons. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
Yeesh, these corporate types. Always willing to sacrifice the quality of their product to boost the bottom line. I mean, slow weapon sharpening? Really?
“Zombies are the future of the hospitality industry!”
I see she isn’t the one who has to pick-up fallen rotten fingers (those roll everywhere) and clean-up the stains of flesh-decaying fluids. Compounds in these fluids have evocating names like putrescine, cadaverine…
After a while, one gets used to the smells, but still.
Back in the late 90’s, most of my high school gaming group worked fast food. Our GM – also a fast food employee at the time – either came up with or relayed (from other sources) the idea of using re-animated skeletons in fast food. If you can get people over the “ick” factor, it actually made a lot of sense. They’re loyal, tireless, and arguably less subject to damage… and unlike zombies, they should be easier to sanitize. No one wants bones or bone flake in their food, but if you keep your animated skeletons clean and well-maintained, that shouldn’t be a problem.
Just read something this week that ties into that perfectly:
———-
“It’s nothing special. You know some of it already. I belonged to a…cabal in Terandria. While I was growing, before I left for Wistram. They were a group of [Necromancers]—and a few other irregulars with similar interests. They taught me necromancy. I ran away from home to join them. I don’t know—I doubt if they are still extant. I have never inquired. Some members may remain.”
“Mhm. And?”
Pisces scratched at his head. She didn’t even blink at him having been part of a [Necromancer] cult in Terandria. He almost missed the outrage and shock of the old days.
“We lived in hiding, learning, teaching each other, experimenting. And, well, among other things, we ran a—a sort of commune, you might say. And we even had a farm.”
Yvlon stopped again.
“You. Had a farm. Run by undead?”
She was trying not to laugh. Pisces folded his arms sullenly.
“Is it hard to imagine? Of course, we were emulating Khelt. And Az’kerash, who had created similar places in Terandria before he was reviled. Ours was quite small; only a few hundred undead at most. Undead tilled the fields, performed menial chores, even mined and cut wood. It was an experiment.”
“It sounds like it failed. What was the cause?”
“Er…”
“Wait, let me guess. Infighting? Undead going rampant? No—creating stronger undead by all the death magic?”
She had been listening to his lectures to Ksmvr! Pisces smiled. Then he was embarrassed again.
“Er…wild dogs.”
The blonde-haired woman just stared. Pisces threw up his hands.
“They’d attack the skeletons for bones! It got so that we had to ward the undead and patrol the commune. Zombies started rotting and attracted birds, insects, and so forth—we even lost a Ghoul to the wildlife one time. And the undead would lose their binding spells, wander off, or do something inane like cut down every tree in a ten mile radius until we caught up to it…”
When I worked in retail, and there was a particularly problematic customer, I would say :” We hate that we are not meeting your needs. I understand XYZ pharmacy in town may be able to serve you better.”
I mean, to be fair, having them stay in their hotel where the guests that are now free from the spell can ask what happened would probably be bad for their business. Coulda been less rude or explained just that, but what can you do?
Still, they do essentially have a free vacation to another hotel and managed to get the artifact (I think; it was never revealed where the real one went), so they’re not leaving empty-handed.
When I worked fast food, if a customer caused enough trouble without – for example – obviously violating the law, we would invited them to try the rival chain down the street. Never went to the trouble of paying for them to go there… but probably only because of the fear it would become public knowledge so grifters would try to exploit it.
But wait – what ever happened to the artifact? Is the Council truly against Antropa, or are they in on it and just disposing of the one who got caught? Are the vouchers just an excuse to get our heroes out of the hotel so the Council can continue using the artifact unimpeded?
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“Y’know what…just this once, you CAN leave.”
Yup, kinda subverted that last line a bit.
It’s still dead on.
“You can check out any time you like” … (at Rusty’s group)
“But you can never leave!” – (Myrnmarch Antropas)
Would even that hotel let those three hang out?
You can never not leave
It’s the zombies who never leave.
I wonder what the Hotel Yorca is like – run by Orks? Or Orcas?
Yodeling Orkas?
Orcs riding giant Yorkies.
I think we all know it’s Yorkies riding yodeling Orks
…and they have New Yorker accents.
Full marks, everyone.
+2 Internets, each.
I think that it’s their competition in the hotel business. If people have saved your business and driven you crazy, you can reward them and punish your enemies at the same time.
Maybe this one will be modeled after the Last Resort from Luigi’s Mansion 3.
They should open a branch in Majorca. They could call it the Majorca Yorca.
Like the YMCA without, you know, the ‘Men’ part. ‘Young Orc’s Cult Association’: YORCA. As the song says, you can hang out with all the …orcs. For totally non-sexual reasons. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
But is it fun to stay at the Y-O-R-C-A?
Thanks for the help; now buggeroff!
[meta] Will there be a{n} hotel New Yorka in future?
If they can make there, they can make it anywhere!
Did a quick Google search and found there is a song called “Hotel Yorba” that was featured in a deleted scene from “28 Days Later”.
Well just roll two D4
Take the one that’s greater
For a slight of hand check as you attempt to tip the waiter
Hope those vouchers are interagency
(apologies to the White Stripes, people who know the rules about slight of hand checks, and anyone who actually read this)
So, the myrnarch is … “programmed to receive” :-)P
Well, at least our three friends will be able to leave ^.^
Well that was slightly rude. I’d think after their valuable service, they would at least merit a “Please leave”.
They’re definitely getting a bad review now.
Yeesh, these corporate types. Always willing to sacrifice the quality of their product to boost the bottom line. I mean, slow weapon sharpening? Really?
I prefer using blunt weapons, anyway.
“Zombies are the future of the hospitality industry!”
I see she isn’t the one who has to pick-up fallen rotten fingers (those roll everywhere) and clean-up the stains of flesh-decaying fluids. Compounds in these fluids have evocating names like putrescine, cadaverine…
After a while, one gets used to the smells, but still.
Also, zombies are terrible tippers.
No consideration for the small staff.
Or worse, they consider the fallen off fingers as the tips.
Back in the late 90’s, most of my high school gaming group worked fast food. Our GM – also a fast food employee at the time – either came up with or relayed (from other sources) the idea of using re-animated skeletons in fast food. If you can get people over the “ick” factor, it actually made a lot of sense. They’re loyal, tireless, and arguably less subject to damage… and unlike zombies, they should be easier to sanitize. No one wants bones or bone flake in their food, but if you keep your animated skeletons clean and well-maintained, that shouldn’t be a problem.
Just read something this week that ties into that perfectly:
———-
“It’s nothing special. You know some of it already. I belonged to a…cabal in Terandria. While I was growing, before I left for Wistram. They were a group of [Necromancers]—and a few other irregulars with similar interests. They taught me necromancy. I ran away from home to join them. I don’t know—I doubt if they are still extant. I have never inquired. Some members may remain.”
“Mhm. And?”
Pisces scratched at his head. She didn’t even blink at him having been part of a [Necromancer] cult in Terandria. He almost missed the outrage and shock of the old days.
“We lived in hiding, learning, teaching each other, experimenting. And, well, among other things, we ran a—a sort of commune, you might say. And we even had a farm.”
Yvlon stopped again.
“You. Had a farm. Run by undead?”
She was trying not to laugh. Pisces folded his arms sullenly.
“Is it hard to imagine? Of course, we were emulating Khelt. And Az’kerash, who had created similar places in Terandria before he was reviled. Ours was quite small; only a few hundred undead at most. Undead tilled the fields, performed menial chores, even mined and cut wood. It was an experiment.”
“It sounds like it failed. What was the cause?”
“Er…”
“Wait, let me guess. Infighting? Undead going rampant? No—creating stronger undead by all the death magic?”
She had been listening to his lectures to Ksmvr! Pisces smiled. Then he was embarrassed again.
“Er…wild dogs.”
The blonde-haired woman just stared. Pisces threw up his hands.
“They’d attack the skeletons for bones! It got so that we had to ward the undead and patrol the commune. Zombies started rotting and attracted birds, insects, and so forth—we even lost a Ghoul to the wildlife one time. And the undead would lose their binding spells, wander off, or do something inane like cut down every tree in a ten mile radius until we caught up to it…”
———-
From The Wandering Inn, an ongoing web fiction here:
https://wanderinginn.com/
@[Kellandros]:
Perhaps you’re familiar with this game:
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Give_Me_the_Brain]
“And while you’re at it, try to cause as much trouble as possible in their hotel, too.”
When I worked in retail, and there was a particularly problematic customer, I would say :” We hate that we are not meeting your needs. I understand XYZ pharmacy in town may be able to serve you better.”
I mean, to be fair, having them stay in their hotel where the guests that are now free from the spell can ask what happened would probably be bad for their business. Coulda been less rude or explained just that, but what can you do?
Still, they do essentially have a free vacation to another hotel and managed to get the artifact (I think; it was never revealed where the real one went), so they’re not leaving empty-handed.
In case I have not already done so, I would like to express my suspicion that YT swallowed an artifact-stuffed turkey.
When I worked fast food, if a customer caused enough trouble without – for example – obviously violating the law, we would invited them to try the rival chain down the street. Never went to the trouble of paying for them to go there… but probably only because of the fear it would become public knowledge so grifters would try to exploit it.
“You can check out anytime you’d like. In fact, we encourage it. Right now!”
No, no, ‘get out’ sounds about like how the world works.
Definitely shorter than the last adventure!
Technically, this adventure is going to be in several “mini-adventure” parts, so we’ll see about that.
A case of “I didn’t hear no bell.”
But wait – what ever happened to the artifact? Is the Council truly against Antropa, or are they in on it and just disposing of the one who got caught? Are the vouchers just an excuse to get our heroes out of the hotel so the Council can continue using the artifact unimpeded?
Thank you Mike for The White Stripes reference. I got that.
Hotel YoRCa? Like the YoRCa Android 2B, protagonist of Nier Orcomata?
That has to be GREAT!!!