[LP CYOA] Epic

[Esquilax]

Holy shit, this is fucking dreadful.

Great, so we basically traded the possibility of a threat to Edem's life for the certainty of Zeus doing dumb stuff with the Vajra. We epicaly fucked up.

Yeah, it was too good to be true. The idea of being able to zap Marduk with one of Zeus' thunderbolts and get away with killing him so easily was incredibly dumb.

Now we're confronted with another dilemma: the two biggest threats to Earth are the rift (the new Master doesn't concern me right now. If anything, we should avoid them altogether) and the impending Gieloth invasion of China. treave, what's the ETA on their arrival?

Personally, I am in favour of going into the rift in Greece and dealing with the Terasphagos. First, because I think it's the in-character option: Ean's actions inadvertently broke open a rift in reality, he wants to fix things. However, there's another motivation here that China doesn't provide: knowledge. Look at the alternate 5.20 update when we chatted with Zeus:

"Unacceptable. We do not exist solely to entertain your desire to learn. My offer stands as such; you will return Vajra to us, and we will send you to one of the countless worlds where your aberration is an acceptable... no, desirable existence. We can learn a lot from your growth, but not here. You are a rare specimen that is undesirable on this control world."

If we go into the Eye of Terror, we're going to encounter strange and terrifying beings that might teach us of our nature, how to cure it, alternative sources for our hunger, dealing with the rage, etc. Fighting the Gieloth in China doesn't deal with the issue of our hunger.

Edit: Oh yeah, another thing, treave: are you saying that eating evil people corrupts us and makes Ean more prone to rage? Have he or Sekhenun found out anything new about his condition yet?

 

[kazgar]

Poor Ares.

 

[treave]

If we go into the Eye of Terror, we're going to encounter strange and terrifying beings that might teach us of our nature, how to cure it, alternative sources for our hunger, dealing with the rage, etc. Fighting the Gieloth in China doesn't deal with the issue of our hunger.

I suppose if you want to have an adventure in strange and wondrous dimensions, you could. I'll say this: if you can track down the other two pieces, you will have enough power and knowledge to close the rift. The Tentaculos Mexicano aren't going to be in China for another decade at least.

Edit: Oh yeah, another thing, treave: are you saying that eating evil people corrupts us and makes Ean more prone to rage? Have he or Sekhenun found out anything new about his condition yet?

Everyone is a bit bad so eating corrupts. Eating badder people corrupts you more. Devouring Marduk would've made you almost as bad as Marduk himself, or worse, depending on how you look at things (cue Emperor Ean siring children and selecting only those who carry on his nature to survive). There'll be an option or two to deal with the hunger in the coming update, which involves a time skip.

Because, uh, I'm assuming you guys want to sort things out and make sure they stay sorted before you jump into a portal to hell or run off to China.

edit: Also, Zeus was talking about sending you off to one of their Earth-like worlds in your dimension, not into the strange imaginary space between dimensions and the weird planets that populate that space, but eh, close enough.

 

[Esquilax]

Poor Ares.

Wow. Yeah. He'd be the only Olympian left after the Cataclysm. Who knows, maybe Artemis, Athena and Aphrodite survived, though.

I'm actually kinda hoping to pose as a Greek warrior and go into the rift with him. He might have been a petty, arrogant douche back in Egypt, but an experience like this has a way of changing people. I dunno, I'd like to see how Ares might develop in a post-Cataclysm world as the last of his kind.

 

[Azira]

We need to chat with Edem and Sekh and research our condition before we enter the rift. That shield Zeus had would be a nice power to unlock in the future.
And then we should enter the rift to search for the missing two pieces of the Vajra. We need knowledge as well as power, and if we have the power to close the rift, we should have the power to learn more about our condition, maybe change some of the particulars about it.

Also, eating corrupts, eating bad people corrupts more. Is Sekh's dietary restriction part of the explanation that she's become nicer?

 

[treave]

Hm, to be fair, if Zeus didn't come and stop you from finishing off Marduk, you would be the one with two pieces of Vajra. That'd put you slightly above a Zeus with one piece, once you managed to figure out some of the more esoteric powers that Vajra has in the heat of battle. The play was a good one, it was just unfortunate that Zeus isn't as dumb as Ares.

 

[Baltika9]

Poor Ares.

Wow. Yeah. He'd be the only Olympian left after the Cataclysm.

I'm actually kinda hoping to pose as a Greek warrior and go into the rift with him. He might have been a petty, arrogant douche back in Egypt, but an experience like this has a way of changing people. I dunno, I'd like to see how Ares might develop in a post-Cataclysm world as the last of his kind.

Hey, he's angry at Runi. Ean can take him under his wing for apprenticeship. I like the idea of having an apprentice.

snip

Bear with me here, these are my thoughts on the situation so far, serious business:

The new Master seems a far more dangerous adversary than Zeus was (who apparently was the Village Idiot, like me, only for real). More cunning, stronger and, most importantly, more experienced. The Northern Empire is something that must, must be investigated. I fear the new Empire is his way of "observing by other means."

Of course the other possibilities are that either Naram or Shulgi broke free of the voices and are teaching Mankind how to fight Gieloth. Very plausibly Shulgi, since if we had impersonated him and died/lost at Olympus, that would somehow triggered "War in the North", for some reason. Whatever the case, this Empire troubles me greatly.

As to the Eye of Terror: since we're going dungeon crawling, we'd better get a good party together (Zeus was wiping the floor with us, and both him and Marduk are inside the anomaly), and that means tracking down as many leads as we can, and having Sekhenun power herself up (yes, walking encyclopedias are very useful, from a practical perspective). I'm not a fan of teaming up with Naram, because time might have changed him, unless he was Zeus' Avatar all along, but closing this rift would gain us knowledge and help stabilize our planet. Of course, I certain that this would call full attention from the masters, because of Vajra. Also, there is a remote possibility that we will be stuck on the other side when/if we fix it. Better make sure we've sorted Terra out before we leave. And we'll also have to level up quite a bit, plus fixing our hunger would be optimal. Don't want to get infected with multi-Xeno sentiments/Corruptions/STDs on our intergalactic romp.

Speaking of knowledge, if Sekhenun doesn't fork some over voluntarily/automatically or in negotiations, then we'll have to grab her by the throat and make an ultimatum: "Talk, or I walk." Why? Because she may be playing Ean (a small chance, and one that I doubt is the case, but still, never eliminate possibilities without thorough research), but more importantly it's about trust and running blind. I get that the Masters are bad. Very, very bad, and don't care about Man. But what is going on and much more importantly WHY? Why does Ean fight, for what?

In conclusion, I have one thing to say: I get that everyone is wanting to fix Olympus. However, we are gearing Mankind to challenge countless horrors and abominations across the Universe and Dimensions. The Eye of Terror could be our training ground for the future wars. And Greece could be our local Cadia, producing the highest quality soldiers for the world.
So, why not have the Babylonian Empire stabilize itself, kick the dissenters in the nuts, retake the Indus, colonize Greece and put the EoT to good use? I mean, after a man has faced horrors beyond imagining, what battlefield can terrify him?

Besides, we can also use the rift to travel to other worlds and find more species to ally against the Masters.

 

[treave]

Chapter 6.1: What Happens Next

Your return to Babylon was greeted joyfully by Gudersu and Sekhenun, though there was still much to do. Iltani was sent to her room immediately for sneaking off, and she went reluctantly, casting you glances over her shoulder. In your absence, Nabuchasar had adopted Gudersu as an uncle, making him real royalty and Iltani a real princess of Sumeria.

A feast was thrown in your honour, and King Nabuchasar proclaimed you god and saviour of Babylon over your protests. Some began to openly wonder whether you were not the real Marduk after all. However, there was no time to rest on your laurels. Unrest was spreading throughout the empire, no thanks to the appearance of the Terasphagos. The war had been stressful on the lucrative trade routes, and their arrival have not made things better. Certain segments of the population have started to spread rumours that the Terasphagos were unleashed by the spiteful false god when the Babylonians saw the light and turned away from him.

A. You continue to assist the Empire as a walking avatar of all the principles you wish the Babylonian Empire to exemplify. You will strive to have your presence banish the shadows of fear and doubt from the minds of the citizens and become an inspiring figure to lead them into this new future.

B. You assist Nabuchasar from the shadows, taking little credit for your deeds. You want an empire that does not rely on one single person to save them whenever they are in trouble. Doing everything for them will only increase their reliance on you, and if you are not around, then what?

***

Besides the Terasphagos, you have received news that the Gieloth were preparing to invade the Far East with all of their might. The destruction of Olympus appears to have left them fearful that the Masters might destroy this planet at any moment, and they have stepped up the speed of their plans. The immortals in the Far East were known to be strong, but you are unsure whether they can hold up against the full might of the Gieloth.

A. You direct the Babylonian Empire to focus on the threat of the Terasphagos. You send aid and men to relieve the hapless Greeks. If you cannot get rid of the threat, at least you can attempt to control it. You will start by building outposts to monitor Olympus for any Terasphagos incursions, and if things go well, begin the construction of a wall around the rift.

B. You prepare the Babylonian Empire for an expedition to the Far East. The impending Gieloth attack concerns you, and leading an army to the rescue might be your best bet to protect the people of the east from their predations.

C. You have the Babylonian Empire focus on internal strength. You need to ensure all remnants of Marduk worship unauthorized by the king are stamped out, lest the trouble revives. Having your military police the other city states will also ensure they stay in line.

***

Soon after your return, the Pharaoh of Egypt himself appeared for a visit. He wanted to meet you, having learnt that you were the same legendary person that fought alongside his grandfather, Akil I. The appearance of the Terasphagos concerns him too, and his visit also served another purpose: he proposes a permanent alliance between the two kingdoms, creating greater and closer ties. You would be the god-emperor that ruled over the two kingships of Egypt and Sumeria. Nabuchasar, apparently idolizing you even more than before, was fully behind the idea. This was part of Marduk's ambition, and now you have let it stumble into your lap.

You said that you would think it over.

The next day, he attempted to ask you for Iltani's hand, now saying that a union of the two kingdoms would be even better should he marry a Sumerian princess. He had spent some time talking with her during the meeting, and was instantly smitten.

A. You agree to his proposal. Akilhotep was a smart, young man, and Iltani would be much happier with him than she would be sticking to you. You live forever. She wouldn't. With her by his side, he would be able to bring Egypt to new heights of prosperity. This was a proposal that benefited him, Iltani, and both the kingdoms of Sumeria and Egypt.

B. You agree to his proposal, but you tell him that you would have to let Iltani decide whether to marry him or not. You are not in the habit of commanding people into marriage, only into battle.

C. You reject his proposal: you already (kind of) promised to marry her. What kind of person would you be if you pushed her off on another man?

1. You accept the title of emperor.

2. You don't. It's too heavy a burden to bear. An emperor has no freedom.

***

In the meantime, between all that work, you realize you have to improve yourself; the challenges to come are only going to increase.

A. Over your period of powerlessness, you had begun to realize that you have could instinctively read the minute movements in all manner of people and beasts that betray their next action. Although you've scarcely needed that ability now that you have your telepathy back, you train to create a school of swordsmanship, the first of its kind, designed at reading and defeating the opponent even for those with no special powers. The increased discipline from this training improves your skill in combat to even greater levels.

B. You have a piece of Vajra still remaining with you. With Sekhenun and Edem's help, you work to unlock the various powers slumbering within. Although with one piece you are unable to exercise Vajra's full strength, you become able to access the lightning powers that Zeus wielded so easily, calling lightning as you willed. You will also be able to shift yourself through space-time over very short distances, although every shift stresses your mental condition considerably.

C. A wandering visitor from the Near East has introduced to you the concept of meditation. You have discovered that by performing this training of the mind and exploring your concept of self, you are able to instil part of your hunger within your blade instead of letting all of it slumber in your core like some dangerous beast. Although Anbar-Shi will no longer be able to be returned to its scabbard once unsheathed, without tasting blood, you will achieve vastly increased control over your hunger, wielding it as you see fit. Anbar-Shi will gain the ability to feed on your behalf.

D. Sekhenun works with you to delve through what remains of Pahnrath's mind so that her knowledge may benefit you. There is not much left that you had not already pieced together yourself, but you find inside understanding of the basic physics of light and how you might bend it to your will. You can do little with it at first, but it is a start. Full invisibility is impossible for you right now with your level of power, but you find that you are able to warp light ever so slightly that you can appear to be half a metre away from where you actually are, and concentrate light in a flash to blind your enemies.

***

All of the choices can be taken as standalone. Feel free to suggest further options.

 

[Smashing Axe]

edit: Also, Zeus was talking about sending you off to one of their Earth-like worlds in your dimension, not into the strange imaginary space between dimensions and the weird planets that populate that space, but eh, close enough.

"Unacceptable. We do not exist solely to entertain your desire to learn. My offer stands as such; you will return Vajra to us, and we will send you to one of the countless worlds where your aberration is an acceptable... no, desirable existence. We can learn a lot from your growth, but not here. You are a rare specimen that is undesirable on this control world."

For some reason I'm imagining a D&D-esque campaign setting where we'd be walking around and facing off wizzards, I have no clue how close that'd be to the case, but the thought makes me laugh.

 

[treave]

For some reason I'm imagining a D&D-esque campaign setting where we'd be walking around and facing off wizzards, I have no clue how close that'd be to the case, but the thought makes me laugh.

I swear I wasn't going to toss Ean into a full-blown Dragon Age fanfic.

 

[oscar]

A. Fucking this. The people need us right now to keep up the faith and not revert to the old gods.
A. While I usually support more internal-building options I think at the moment that would be a bit sticking-our-heads-in-the-sand move
A1. Doesn't seem like we're going anywhere with her. She's been more than enough trouble. Definitely accept the title of emperor. Time to become the benevolent BRO Emperor of Mankind.
B. All options here are interesting and I could be persuaded either way.

Fantastic update Treave!

 

[Smashing Axe]

The first choice, for me, depends on whether there's a difference in how much of Ean's time it eats up. I like the idea of us being remembered for once, and although creating dependence on us might not be for the best if we're planning to go galivanting about Europe, it will help in uniting an already fractured Bablyon. Humanity needs to develop, and it needs to develop fast, if the price of expediency is dependence on us temporarily, then so be it. This will also help in keeping the city states in line. Who wants to face the wrath of a god?

A

+++

We need to keep the Terasphagos in line. True, the Gieloth impending attack is a major threat, but we might be able to use Sek to change them independently if she somehow manages a breakthrough in her research. At least we know we can deal with the Gieloth through diplomacy sometimes, where as far as mindless shambling horrors from beyond are concerned, I don't think we have a chance. The Chinese immortals have been competent so far, and I doubt they'd welcome us with open arms if we went to their assistance, given our nature and the Masters' view on us. Also, I think the city states can be handled through our godly reputation.

Besides, keeping the horrors from beyond in check when we are not directly threatened will help in our diplomacy with outside mortal nations.

A

+++
Indifferent between A and B here, I like the idea of us having sons to keep the empire going if we need to go gallivanting about the world, but they'd be weak compared to immortal/immortal children.

Alternatively, let's find an immortal woman and convince them to sleep with us constantly in the hopes of siring a demi-immortal heir.

B

1

Mankind needs to unite. This will be the start of our empire, one to encompass all the corners of the globe and beyond. If we manage to sire some children they can look after the place while we're off doing our thing.

+++

I can already tell that the majority is going to vote for C. It's too good to pass-up. It lets us control our hunger and up our feeding count, all without changing our nature. Theoretically this also means we'll increase our power progressively more by being able to feed on more people a day.

Edit: We could make a law that we have to execute everyone sentenced of capital crimes. Think of the powar!

treave, does option B help us at all if we somehow loose Vajra, or will it be useless to us? Also, if you're looking for more power options, maybe something to do with that idol we stole from Minos' lair?

I'm going to tentatively vote for C right now.

C

 

[treave]

Smashing Axe , if you lose Vajra... well, basically you're going to bind to it like how Zeus bound to his pieces. You can teleport it back to you as long as you know where it is. If it's not in hand or in contact with you (in your sword, etc) you will not be able to use its powers... for now. Things may change as you master more and more of its power. The statuette will be used up to help you force a better connection with Vajra because of your current nature.

By the way, this update will lead into a 5 year time skip. Something happens after that.

 

[Azira]

B. You assist Nabuchasar from the shadows, taking little credit for your deeds. You want an empire that does not rely on one single person to save them whenever they are in trouble. Doing everything for them will only increase their reliance on you, and if you are not around, then what?

We will be leaving through the rift at some point. The empire will need to go on without us. Having them to be too reliant on Ean is a mistake, in my opinion.

***

A. You direct the Babylonian Empire to focus on the threat of the Terasphagos. You send aid and men to relieve the hapless Greeks. If you cannot get rid of the threat, at least you can attempt to control it. You will start by building outposts to monitor Olympus for any Terasphagos incursions, and if things go well, begin the construction of a wall around the rift.

See above. We want to eventually enter the rift. We need to close down this threat. Before we actually enter it though, any kind of intel on it would be priceless.

***

B. You agree to his proposal, but you tell him that you would have to let Iltani decide whether to marry him or not. You are not in the habit of commanding people into marriage, only into battle.

Settling down with Iltani? ... No, we don't know enough about our nature, nor does Iltani for that matter. But let her choose. She'll not accept that we order her, her actions in Greece shows her to be willful.

***

2. You don't. It's too heavy a burden to bear. An emperor has no freedom.

Again, we'll be leaving through the rift for who knows how long. It would be poor form naming Ean emperor, and then have him leave.

***

C. A wandering visitor from the Near East has introduced to you the concept of meditation. You have discovered that by performing this training of the mind and exploring your concept of self, you are able to instil part of your hunger within your blade instead of letting all of it slumber in your core like some dangerous beast. Although Anbar-Shi will no longer be able to be returned to its scabbard once unsheathed, without tasting blood, you will achieve vastly increased control over your hunger, wielding it as you see fit. Anbar-Shi will gain the ability to feed on your behalf.

Learn to control the hunger, if getting a Zeus-like shield for ourselves isn't an option.

 

[Smashing Axe]

I'd be okay with going into the rift, but I'm tired of traveling for the moment, I want a civ management chapter, the last one was too short because we inadvertently died. I'd like us to get the chance to build something and see how it works out, also I want a legacy to return to for when we decide to go adventuring again. Not that there's anything wrong with jumping through a portal into the Warp.

Oh, another power suggestion would be trying to delve deeper into that Gieloth's mind we absorbed to increase our knowledge and light manipulation.

 

[treave]

Oh, another power suggestion would be trying to delve deeper into that Gieloth's mind we absorbed to increase our knowledge and light manipulation.

Granted.

 

[Storyfag]

Damnation, treave, why do ALL the power choices have to be so appealing?

A
A - here I'd like to stress the additional importance of keeping an eye out for any surviving Olympians (potentially Ares, Artemis, Aphrodite and Athena - AAAA CRPG squad :D ) and attempting to forge an alliance with them in order to protect their homeland.
A1
C

 

[Kattze]

B, You know if we weren't aware of the imminent threat from the Gieloth and the Masters, I would rather have Ean wander aroundand be some kind of semi-mythological figure to the ancient peoples.

A, The monsters from the rift were the immediate threat to the stability of both Egypt and Babylon, it would only be fair to concentrate here. We might also gain some insights on what the Terasphagos are.

B, Best possible outcome for all parties involved, Akilhotep can still pursue Iltani but she will have a choice to marry him or not, at the same time we would not tangled with Iltani.

2, Same reason as the first B

C, If we manage to control our hunger, we can direct our hunger to complement our fighting abilities instead of flaring up when we're emotionally stressed.

 

[Azira]

So treave, researching the shield Zeus had up as a possible power for Ean to pursue, is that outside our league for the moment?
Hopefully, having Edem test it out as well with his telekinesis and fireballs means we have at least a cursory idea of how it works?

 

[treave]

Azira , you'd need at least two pieces. Zeus could only throw it up after he took the second piece from Marduk.

 

[Azira]

Duly noted. Even more reason to try and find those missing pieces, even if we do have to take them from a partially/fully healed Zeus/Marduk entity.

 

[Anabanana]

B. A is appealing and all, but we have bigger fish to fry. A.
Smashing Axe makes sense.

A. Let's deal with the immediate risk first. Sounds like a good way to gather more information as well.

B. I kinda suspect that waffling will just risk pissing off both parties, but hey. Still the best way to get rid of Iltani.

2. Yeah, we don't need more responsibilities shackling us down. 1. As long as we don't have to do much actual paper pushing, I'm all up for it.

C. All the choices are appealing, but I think this is quite significantly the most beneficial optionfor Ean right now. Being able to feed more and feed safer? This just might be the key to avoiding the inevitable BLOOD TO THE BLOOD GOD somewhere down the line. The rest, while tempting, seem to be generic superpowers that can be made up for in other ways. Except maybe for Vajra. Not voting for that though, because I reaaaallly don't like the sound of that "stresses your mental condition with each leap" thing.

 

[Smashing Axe]

I don't think a God Emperor's day to day life would be that demanding, really. Think about it, there's very little that would be required of us since the king/pharoah assumes most of the national roles. There's greater foreign policy, and that's about it. This just gives us legitimized authority to intervene in the nation whenever we see fit. We'll also keep our two favourite nations from destroying each other and minimise non-approved Gieloth influence. I don't see much disadvantage to us in taking the role, and once/if we have a child they can take over for when we decide to piss off somewhere distant.

 

[Storyfag]

People voting B for the first choice and then going 2 on the third choice, are you insane? We have to have responsibilities if we want to be responsible for the betterment of Mankind! We might have stayed in the shadows if we haven't opened the Warp rift. But since we fucked up, it is our grave responsibility to deal with the consequences of our fuckup. And that's best done through leading the area's best developed nations.

 

[oscar]

Can you imagine how devoted and loyal people would be to a benevolent warrior-king who never fucking died or aged. Consider how loyal people have been to mortal kings and emperors and how people kill for religious figures that no has ever meet or seen. Hell even think how much the idea of the God-Emperor of Mankind from a tabletop wargamecaptures people's imaginations. An undying, paternal and benevolent king is the best imaginable form of government.

I don't see A as making humans weaker and dependent but uniting and uplifting them with the perfect king and something to genuinely believe in and fight for. As shown in this update, it is even possible we can gift humans with some of our powers.