DUCKSWAP: VERSE ONE

A young drake waits in their SLEEPCUBICLE. Though they were born some 12,000 aquatic cycles ago (1,000 aquatic cycles equals approximately one earth year) today is the day that they will be evaluated by the COUNCIL OF THE ELDER MALLARDS. Only the COUNCIL OF THE ELDER MALLARDS can judge whether this young drake should be accepted to join THE FLOCK or else be cast out into the DRY WASTES beyond the HOLY POND and a new fresh young drake should be brought in as REPLACEMENT. (They might even deign to give our young drake protagonist a NAME.)

In this section of the story you the reader play the role of the COUNCIL OF THE ELDER MALLARDS. So tell me esteemed COUNCILLORS, should we SWAP this DUCK?

>_

We can do better

One COUNCIL MEMBER summons into existence a REALITY WARPING PRESENCE. The RWP is promptly escorting from the HOLY POND for CRIMES against EASE OF DRAWING and thus once again it falls to the COUNCIL OF ELDER MALLARDS to pluck a duck from the AETHER that is imagination.
> _

Can we just use that doodle on the wall, that looks way easier to draw.

Tiddy

Can we just use that doodle on the wall, that looks way easier to draw.

Yeah, swap the reality-warped duck for the duckdoodle on the wall

A DEBATE rages in THE COUNCIL OF THE ELDER MALLARDS. Eventually faced with an OVERWHELMING MAJORITY the CHAIRDRAKE against their BETTER JUDGMENT is forced to conjure the PHYSICAL MANIFESTATION OF THE GROBBLER into EXISTENCE.



MAY GOLDUCK HAVE MERCY ON OUR SOULS.

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SpoilerALMOST TWO THOUSAND AQUATIC CYCLES LATER

THE GROBBLER, once just a FAIRY TAIL to SCARE YOUNG DUCKS into completing their FLOCK RESPONSIBILITIES, has become too dreadfully real. Since its PHYSICAL MANIFESTATION it has GROBBLED hundreds of ducks of all ages. Even the COUNCIL OF ELDER MALLARDS were unable to stand before this NIGHTMARE MADE FLESH. In DESPERATION the survivors PLEDGE GOOD BEHAVIOUR in an attempt to be spared their DREADFUL FATE.



A young duck awakes in her WRETCHED BOLTHOLE. Her name is PRINCESS ANNICH of the UTOPIAN ISLES. Once she had been the PUREST, SWEETEST, most WELL-BEHAVED young DUCK you could ever hope to meet. That was before her friends were GROBBLED one by one. Sensing that she had to DO SOMETHING she ran away from home, her goal to STOP THE GROBBLER once and for all.

Since then, lacking any CLEAR IDEA on how to proceed with her STATED GOAL, she has mostly hid in this UNPLEASANT SLEEPERCORP INDUSTRIAL WASTE DISPOSAL UNIT and PLAYED VIDEO GAMES. But today is the day that she FINALLY PULLS HER WING OUT and gets on with BANISHING THE GROBBLER once and for all.

> _

stick your ass up on the air and do a funny dance. like you're searching for worms at the bottom of a trash bin pond

First figure out what the heck grobbling even is. You need to know what you're up against.

First figure out what the heck grobbling even is. You need to know what you're up against.

grobbling is when the grobbler [REDACTED] and [REDACTED] to whoever is unlucky enough to [REDACTED] while [REDACTED]. so dont [REDACTED] while [REDACTED]. you'll know when you [REDACTED] while [REDACTED].

stick your ass up on the air and do a funny dance. like you're searching for worms at the bottom of a trash bin pond

You pretend that the 'WORMS' are CLUES that you are dutifully gathering in order to learn enough to defeat THE GROBBLER. In reality the only things down at the bottom of this TRASH BIN POND are DISCARDED JUNK FOOD WRAPPERS and CRUMPLED UP DOODLES OF YOU DEFEATING THE GROBBLER.

First figure out what the heck grobbling even is. You need to know what you're up against.

Before you can get out there and turn your FANCIFUL DOODLES into TRIUMPHANT REALITY, you will probably need to know a little more about THE GROBBLER than its name. And where better to learn than ONLINE? You turn your attention to your computer. AX is messaging you again. AX was always kind of creepy and not much fun to talk to but he's become especially so since he was GROBBLED.

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Show Quacklog
AX [6:35]: hello morning annich
AX [6:38]: happy day do all my chores
AX [6:40]: enjoy do my chores happy day annich
AX [6:42]: good lovely morning
AX [6:47]: enjoy annich chores happy day annich
AX [6:48]: responsible citizen celebration happy day of chores annich
AX [6:50]: hello morning annich

and it goes on like that for three more hours

You log onto THE DARKPOND and read up on recent news. Here in LOWER BEAKFORD there hasn't been a confirmed sighting of THE GROBBLER in the last couple of months. Several options on how to learn more about THE GROBBLER present themselves to you:

• If anyone is an expert on THE GROBBLER it is ADMIN RAZORDOWN. You could try to message her and find out if she has any useful information for you.
  
• Firsthand interactions with THE GROBBLED may give you some insight into the process of GROBBLING. You could try to find LOCAL INFECTED or if you don't mind a little travel perhaps visiting one of your GROBBLED FRIENDS would be less suspicious.
  
• You dimly recall the ROYAL STORYTELLER reading you THE FAIRY TAIL OF THE GROBBLER when you were a HATCHLING. Further research into the FAIRY TAIL may reveal more information. You know for a fact that the books containing the FAIRY TAIL have become something of a RARITY recently, though you would bet that THE UTOPIAN ISLES PALACE (your FORMER HOME) still has a copy. Going home would be RISKY though and perhaps it would be easier to try local libraries and bookshops and hope you get LUCKY.
  

>

Take a peek out of the alleyway and see if you spot anyone who's been grobbled. Approach and ask how they are feeling since being grobbled.

Attempt to commune with AX by copy/pasting their own messages and replacing your name with his own

annich: inspect your surroundings