Putting the 'role' back in role-playing games since 2002.
Donate to Codex
Good Old Games
  • Welcome to rpgcodex.net, a site dedicated to discussing computer based role-playing games in a free and open fashion. We're less strict than other forums, but please refer to the rules.

    "This message is awaiting moderator approval": All new users must pass through our moderation queue before they will be able to post normally. Until your account has "passed" your posts will only be visible to yourself (and moderators) until they are approved. Give us a week to get around to approving / deleting / ignoring your mundane opinion on crap before hassling us about it. Once you have passed the moderation period (think of it as a test), you will be able to post normally, just like all the other retards.

[LP CYOA] Epic

Jester

Arbiter
Joined
Mar 24, 2013
Messages
1,493
caught up but my vote wouldn't change anything still
BC
 

treave

Arcane
Patron
Joined
Jul 6, 2008
Messages
11,370
Codex 2012
Crossroads of Life and Death

The first thing that Kyrie and I learn from the library is that this is, in fact, Earth, or at least an Earth. The moon had looked rather familiar, but an archived picture of the planet from outer space had left no doubts in my mind. Although the language is different and there are some differences in terrain, particularly in the Concordiat lands and the Grecian archipelago, it is definitely the planet I had just left not a week ago. Of course, if this truly is the place where the Observer was born, and thus the Masters, my Earth is just a copy.

This is the original.

Kyrie couldn’t stop freaking out over it, but I can’t say that I was that surprised. The similarity in technology and architecture had made me suspicious.

Struggling with the foreign – I couldn’t really call it alien anymore – language, we manage to dig up fragments of news. Nothing in it indicates that the world was preparing for a crisis before it froze. Although there were references to an IAE, it seemed to refer to a corporation: Innovative Advanced Electronics, rather than the Idea of All Existence. Its corporate headquarters were here, in this city – the other building I had identified for a map. The company seemed rather powerful, almost analogous to the ISC which had once dominated the world economy. Besides that, there is little of interest; most of the news were about the economy, long-gone political issues and scandals in the entertainment world. I do not have enough of a grasp of the language to determine their exact content, but I figure out enough to know it was not relevant to our current situation.

If there truly was some extinction-level crisis, like the old man said, details about it are not available here, nor is there anything about the Observer. There are three possibilities:

1) There was no crisis.

2) The crisis was unknown to the public.

3) The existence of the crisis was revealed after the last dated news I could find.

Of the three, I consider the third to be the least likely; books could be outdated, but the articles I peruse on the computer are likely to be recent, or as recent as can be. Furthermore, there are no signs of a riot or any other disturbance in the city itself; in the face of impending doom I would think there would be at least some chaos frozen in time for me to witness.

The second possibility has a variable likelihood; an existential crisis of a nature such as the universe switching off like a light would come quickly, leaving no time for anyone to react. It would also be possible to keep a secret, as no one would really believe it. Something like a giant asteroid headed towards the planet, however, is a different matter. News of that cannot be covered up, and it is easy to confirm and to believe. That would cause panic, and from the evidence seen thus far in the city, is thus less likely.

The first possibility has the greatest likelihood of being correct due to being the simplest explanation. The old man was lying to me, and there just wasn’t any crisis.

Of course, I could be wrong.

“Time’s up,” says a female voice. It’s the woman who has been following me – she’s standing by the door of the library. “The preparations are complete. I hope you’ve been satisfied with your tour of the city, but you’ll have to come with me now.”

I tense myself and she shakes her head. “Don’t bother running. We can disable your body any moment we choose. I just don’t want to have to drag you there if you can walk by yourself.” To prove it, she flashes a gadget identical to the one the old man had used to knock me out. I’m not too keen to repeat the experience, and thus far I don’t have any way to counteract its effect. I nod.

“Good boy.” The woman smiles, but behind those sunglasses I’m sure her smile does not reach her eyes. “Follow me. I’ll escort you to where you need to go.” \

As we travel through the silent city frozen in eternal midday, the woman falls silent. She replies to any question I ask her with “I’m not authorized to divulge that information” and a sly smile. She’s probably hoping to frustrate me. We pass by the I.A.E building, which the woman glances at – the first building she’s actually looked at on this little walk. I notice that there’s a small badge on her coat that resembles the emblem of the corporation. She sees me looking at her and waves me on.

“We’re not going in?” I ask.

“It’s not here,” she responds, after a short pause. “The facility is further down the street.” That makes sense. They wouldn't have the facility itself displayed on a tourist map.

That facility that she refers to is a flat, white building inside a walled compound. Its walls are entirely smooth, with no windows marring the surface. The woman places her hand onto a gray slate next to the only entrance I can see. Her name appears briefly as it verifies her identity: Stella Goodman. Then, the door opens, and she beckons me in. I glance at Kyrie, standing by my side.

“I won’t let you go in there alone,” she says with an air of finality. And that was that, as far as she is concerned.

Inside the facility, the old man awaited us. There is a large dog lounging by his feet. His back faces a thick, sturdy metal door that was lined with bright warning symbols. He looks at me with a grin of victory. Of course he would. That old bastard.

Rei is strung up by her hands, unconscious, her feet just as tightly bound. My actual body is there too, tied up in a similar fashion. I call out her name.

“Oh, no point doing that. I’m afraid she won’t awaken without our permission. I am so glad you could join us, Senya. How did you like your little tour of the city?” he asks, making a creepy little bow.

“It was rather stale, to be honest.” I reply dismissively.

“Ah, you are still keeping calm. Excellent. I do puzzle over what I must do to provoke you. Are you wondering how I came by this pair of marvellous bodies?”

“The Council gave them to you, I expect.” That would be the logical conclusion.

“Ah, but they almost didn’t. Cooper here –“ the old man snaps his fingers, and a man gagged and tied is dragged out by two other men in suits. I recognize the face of the gagged man – it is the Master that spoke to me before. “- was trying to betray us. Weren’t you, Cooper?”

Cooper shakes his head furiously, denying the old man’s accusation. His eyes were fearful. The old man makes a cluck of disappointment.

“Oh, Cooper. You have been very naughty. Sure, you might have had all our well-being in mind when you tried to hide them from us, but we found out, didn’t we, Cooper? What did you say then? When I asked you about him?”

Cooper’s desperate shouts are muffled by the gag in his mouth as the old man watches in amusement. “What did he say, Rory?” he asks one of the men holding the struggling Cooper down.

“He said that this kid was harmless. Didn’t know what he was capable of, useless for our purposes. Would be good to pick up as experimental material at the end of this session, but best to be left alone until then,” shrugged the man. “I think that’s what he said.”

Cooper stops moving, his eyes pleading at his former comrades.

“Yes, that is what you said,” sighs the old man sadly. His wrinkled hand moves, much faster than I would expect from someone as aged as him, and an ornate dagger flashes into view between his fingers. The artwork and pattern allows me to identify it as that of Imperial Shinar origin, of a design that dates back roughly a thousand years ago. Either the old man picked up a souvenir, or he’s from the same world that I hail from. Perhaps…

“Don’t make a move, or I’ll drop you.” warns Stella.

I nod and relax. Now would be a bad time to black out.

The dagger is pressed against Cooper’s throat, point first. “I know who you are working with, Cooper. Do you take me for a fool?” The old man speaks so quietly that I have to strain my ears to pick up his voice. Cooper’s protestations grow frantic as he screams unintelligible words from behind the gag. Leaning close to Cooper’s ear, the old man whispers a single word that causes the bound man to freeze.

Then, the dagger is driven into his throat, slowly, until the entire length of its blade is buried within. The old man twists the blade, sawing it to one side and another, before pulling it out quickly. A spray of bright red blood wets the white tiled floor as the Master, a being that is supposed to have mastered time and space, gurgles and dies like any normal human.

He turns to me suddenly, his prune-like face spread in a wide grin. “So, Senya, it looks like ghosts can die here after all. Would you like to be next?”

“I’d rather not,” I say with a smile that matches his.

“Oh? Really? That’s too bad then. I only need one of you. Having both would be too dangerous.” He twirls the blood-stained dagger in the air, very nimbly for such an old man, and points it at me hilt first. I glance quickly at Stella, then at Rory and the other man. They seem slightly perturbed at their comrade’s death, but I can’t be sure. The old man cackles. “If you’re concerned about whether Cooper’s unceremonious demise has affected their resolve, don’t worry. What do you think, Mikey?”

“It was necessary,” muttered the last man. “Cooper was being erratic. He was compromising us all.”

“Unfortunate, isn’t it? Now, Senya, I planned to kill you, then use the girl to open the door. But if you’re willing to cooperate, I’ll let you kill her. Then you can help me.” The old man smiles, waving the dagger’s hilt.

“That is rather unnecessarily cruel of you, isn’t it?” I frown. “Why not kill her yourself? Or better yet, why not let me convince her so that we can help you together?”

He just laughs. “If I had to kill one of you myself, it would be you. She would be more malleable to my needs.”

“Kill me then. Why offer me the choice?”

“Why, indeed, I wonder…” The old man’s voice trails off, his eyes pinned on me. “To be truthful, perhaps I’m getting old and sentimental, but you remind me of my younger self. Perhaps I want to give you a chance. It won’t be the first time you’ve killed, right? And I can tell it won’t be the first time you’ve killed someone close to you.”

There is a pained look in his eyes as he hefts the dagger in his hand, sighing. “I know how it is. We are not so different, except that you have far more power than I ever did. When I was young I dreamt of making a better world. Putting myself in your shoes, I can understand your frustration. It’s your show now. I want to let you save the world instead. Do what I can’t do.”

I stare back at him. “I can help you if you agree to spare her.”

“Oh, Senya,” he says sadly. “Didn’t I just say that you remind me of myself back in the day? I wouldn’t trust the young me if I made such an offer, naive, brash and impetuous as I was back then. I only need one of you. No, sacrifices are needed. I can see that you are a person who understands the importance of sacrifice; of remembering those who lifted you up at the cost of their own lives and honouring their memory by not giving up. I made my own to get where I am, and so have you. Just one more, and we can fix everything. Do you really want to waste this opportunity? After all you’ve suffered? Are you going to give up now?”

The old man tosses the dagger. It clatters at my feet, the blade still red with Cooper’s blood. I judge the distance between him and me… no, I probably won’t be able to make it in time. Should I play the willing martyr? Should I sacrifice Rei? Or should I go for his throat anyway, even though I know it won’t succeed? Would dying cause a reset here? Maybe, but then again I’ve just seen him kill a Master, and I know death when I see it.

Kyrie grabs my hand nervously, shaking her head. She doesn’t seem to know what to do. Funnily enough, neither do I.

***

A. I sacrifice Rei. Rei has the chance of being invulnerable to anything he does, if her regeneration still holds true in this place, and I am likely the only person who can possibly kill her. However, if I choose to do anything else he will kill me. And I have no doubt that the old man is confident he can manipulate Rei better.

B. I sacrifice myself. I trust that Rei won’t be manipulated so easily… maybe… but more than anything, I’m banking on a reset happening, to get me out of this predicament.

C. Fuck it. If I’m going down, I’m not going down watching him smile his smarmy, wrinkled smile. I take the dagger and go after the old man. If I can take him, or any of the other Masters down…
 
Last edited:

Azira

Arcane
Patron
Joined
Nov 3, 2004
Messages
8,521
Location
Copenhagen, Denmark
Codex 2012
Let's get on with it, shall we? Treave has already said the optimal outcome has come and gone. Too bad about Rei though.

A

Flippity-flop, let's just say no, right?

C
 
Last edited:

Baltika9

Arcane
Joined
Jun 27, 2012
Messages
9,611
Oh, Dio, Dio, Dio... whom are you trying to bullshit, old chap? Saving the world, Selflesness and sacrifice, riiight.
:lol:
 

TOME

Cuckmaster General
Joined
May 25, 2012
Messages
1,820
Well guess we derped this time real bad. Or earlier when you guys decided to go through the door to Master's dimension:M

I say C. It's not going to work but what can you do in this situation.
 

Bloodshifter

Educated
Joined
Jul 7, 2012
Messages
542
Location
Somewhere with dead bears
Hey guys I'm...
*reads 42 updates and 220ish pages*
Sooo

That's a thing.

Well I feel like I should smash SOME peoples faces in but overall it went well.

Well I'm back arm and ribs in one piece jaw isn't wired anymore.

And wow you guys did a lot woot for Ean+Sek. Sad about Sek Clone. Lol at Family and Cult. Epic battle. And now we are aproachhing the epic ending to this? Well...
...

Shall we pull one last Ean for old time sakes?
C
 

Esquilax

Arcane
Joined
Dec 7, 2010
Messages
4,833
Guys we really ought to reconsider A for Ean - it is simply too fucking slow. We came here to consolidate, and now we need to attack before the remaining League fleets manage to arrive at Carneus Beta. We won't get there in time before we either take losses along the way, or they fortify themselves at Carneus Beta to the point that they become unstoppable. Yes, D has massive drawbacks, but we gotta go after them now and strike while we have our forces together.

As for this choice, I've yet to really formulate a theory, but if we pick C, we'll probably get zapped by the remote and Dio will do whatever it was he wanted anyways. However, it was really important for him to get us to do things willingly, and C is not us giving consent, so maybe that would affect things? Not sure yet.
 

Baltika9

Arcane
Joined
Jun 27, 2012
Messages
9,611
D for Ean: it's becoming increasingly obvious that the Masters are regular humans in the Real World (something tells me that these multiverses are just endless copies of the real one, with the Masters sifting through infinite options at a time, trying to find their salvation), so we won't really need a bomb, just the threat of one to get our forces through. Ean, even without his powers, should be able to kick their asses from there.

As for Senya, the one thing we don't want to do is play into Dio's hands, otherwise we'll get fucked over in the end. Inclined to go C. Will wait for arguments.
 

treave

Arcane
Patron
Joined
Jul 6, 2008
Messages
11,370
Codex 2012
You do have two bodies there. They'd have to kill both, technically, or you'd just possess your old one. Of course Dio knows he has to kill both, but I'm just pointing that out.
 

Baltika9

Arcane
Joined
Jun 27, 2012
Messages
9,611
I was actually thinking about that: Dio gets stabbed by Senya, his guards take him down, only for us to posses the otber body and finish him off/gtfo.

I know Senya will never be as skilled at punching faces in as Rei or Ean, but all of his fuck yeah-stly experiences should have beaten the wallflower out of him by now: how good are our chances in a straight-up fight?

I can't believe they killed Cooper, man. He's one of the five characters I actually like. :(
 

ScubaV

Prophet
Joined
Feb 20, 2011
Messages
1,022
Ean choice: C

It's too bad the vote closed early for the shadowy figures. I definitely would have chosen to not go through the portal. Oh well.
 

a cut of domestic sheep prime

Guest
:hmmm:
edit: I need more time to think about this.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Baltika9

Arcane
Joined
Jun 27, 2012
Messages
9,611
Dio said that we remind him of a younger him. Just this once, I think that the "least expected" option, just this once, is the most expected.

On the other hand, self-sacrifice is a foreign concept to him, so killing ourself will be completely unexpected. Hopefully, it will create enough shock to give us time to get back into our tentacle body and take them on. We're no Ean, so fighting 3-1 without any aces, I think, is idiotic no matter how fuck-yeahstly we are.

And I'm not killing Rei, fuck no.
 

a cut of domestic sheep prime

Guest
On the other hand, self-sacrifice is a foreign concept to him, so killing ourself will be completely unexpected.
Are you kidding me? He knows that he has to kill both bodies for us to really die. That in and of itself is an important hint. He wouldn't view it as self-sacrifice, just a somewhat cunning ploy - exactly what he might try in our situation.

Btw, Rei is a terminal of the Observer too. If we kill her and everything works normally (not certain), SHE would be the one to provoke a reset. Whereas killing our self would pop us back into our currently tied up body.

B looks interesting, but it plays into Dio's hands...then again, the way to beat Dio seems to be to play into his hands up to a point and then surprise him at the last moment... Ugh. I don't have enough information!
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Baltika9

Arcane
Joined
Jun 27, 2012
Messages
9,611
Oh, yeah, this is a fucking sucky situation, we really are between a rock an a hard place, with a rusty spike sticking out of it.

However, my opinion on killing Rei is a solid Fuck! No! She's one of Senya's morality tethers, for one. She's also one of the only people Senya genuinely cared about, and she for him. She's been with us through thick and thin. She trusted us unconditionally and she's an awesome co-pilot to boot.

I already lost Cooper, man! I can't give them Rei too, Senya is the only one capable of permakilling her.
Not her too. :(
 

a cut of domestic sheep prime

Guest
We merged with our other self. We have a "somewhat different perspective" now, remember? *cough*We wanted to destroy an entire dimension with a bomb made out of the sun.*cough* We're past "morality tethers". This choice wouldn't be an option if Senya didn't consider it one.

Besides, I'm NOT in favor of permakilling her, I'm simply suggesting that as a way to provoke a reset. Both A & B suck though. Ugh. C seems so stupid, but it's the only option that doesn't directly play into Dio's hands, so that's my vote for now.

C

PS - Doesn't this feel a bit like the choice Dio was once offered when he unknowingly met Shulgi in the north? And wasn't rushing in and attacking the best option as it turned out? Ugh. I really have no clue what else to vote.
edit: for now I'll vote B, just to tie things up a bit so Esquilax can think it through. I'm not getting any strong insticts either way on this.
edit: flopping as promised
C
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Baltika9

Arcane
Joined
Jun 27, 2012
Messages
9,611
Except that we're attacking THE Diogenes Camna here. "Attack a Sekblade-Powered Ban," "Rip out my own eye" and "Bullshit Naram-Master" Diogenes Camna.
That Diogenes Camna.
And we remind him of him. And this is exactly what he would do in this situation.

Also, resets are Very Bad, because they advance the Ghostpocalypse.
 
Last edited:

a cut of domestic sheep prime

Guest
Who said we remind him of him? Dio. As you said, "Bullshit Naram-Master" Diogenes Camna.". What makes you think he's not BSing us about that too?

You wanna know what's worse than a Ghostpocalypse? Dio as a god. (See his reign of terror as the Master of the Masters for more on this.)

Also, Dio said something interesting. That he knew who Cooper was working with... Are there other players in this game we don't know of?

C is still looking pretty good at this point. I'll flop to it tomorrow unless someone convinces me otherwise.
 

Baltika9

Arcane
Joined
Jun 27, 2012
Messages
9,611
Who said we remind him of him? Dio. As you said, "Bullshit Naram-Master" Diogenes Camna.". What makes you think he's not BSing us about that too?
Because Senya is a more socially and morally normal Dio, by virtue of sheer balls, for one.

And we might not have a choice in permakilling Rei. Dio wants her d-e-d dead. Anyway, waiting to hear input from the others.
 

Jester

Arbiter
Joined
Mar 24, 2013
Messages
1,493
When you're unsure of what to do, think; what would Diogenes Camna do? :lol:
emmm back stab everyone in the room, while telling them they are his beloved friend, while selling their families into slavery?
 

treave

Arcane
Patron
Joined
Jul 6, 2008
Messages
11,370
Codex 2012
Exactly.

Food for thought.

By the way,

You wanna know what's worse than a Ghostpocalypse? Dio as a god. (See his reign of terror as the Master of the Masters for more on this.)

This is like asking which is better, existence or non-existence. Life under Diogenes Camna's watchful eye, or an eternity of mindless white goo, forever. :lol:

Also, Ean D wins.
 
Last edited:

treave

Arcane
Patron
Joined
Jul 6, 2008
Messages
11,370
Codex 2012
Senya choice ends tomorrow, and I'm currently writing up the update for Ean's. D won, so we're jumping in deep and slugging it out with the Carneus defenses. It's the absolute best way to maximize casualties on both sides. Doesn't mean that we're losing though. No worries there.

:thumbsup:
 

As an Amazon Associate, rpgcodex.net earns from qualifying purchases.
Back
Top Bottom