Myth: A New Age CYOA

[Grimgravy]

Hmm. Giving him Nine seems monumentally shprt sighted and foolish. I'd say the Black Arrows are connected to the person or people behind the crows. This is an important decision. More input is needed.

 

[Nevill]

For some reason I think that their current employer is the guy behind the eagles. Again, I've no reason to think this beyond the fact that the eagles and the crows have been the only known observers of us during our journey here, and the Black Arrows don't seem like the Watcher's style.

Ceannard does seem like the Deceiver's style, and given the hatred between those two, it would make sense. If the Watcher is 'alive' after being shattered into hundreds of stone pieces, then why the Deceiver couldn't be? Immortality in this setting is a truly terrifying power.

It would also explain their interest in Nine, given that the Deceiver was the one who made her into a talking head.

However, weren't crows associated with the Soulblighter, first and foremost?

I am leaning towards B. Fangshi, can we ask Nine's opinion on this?

 

[Fangshi]

If we agree to go with these guys, do we get to choose the destination, or do they?

As far as you know once you are all clear of the compound they will tell you where to meet them in two days time and they will simply leave. They have no intention of following you back to the Pathfinder safehouse and Bari would not let them even if they did.

Do we get to set terms on how many of their side meet with us?

Sure. Ceannard is willing to meet you alone if required as well. He knows a nice little restaurant if you require a public meeting place as well.


Feel free to suggest as many stipulations as you like. I will tell you if the Arrows agree to them or not. They only seem concerned with getting Nine really, whether that should be cause for concern or comforting well we will see...

Also the Arrows do not know you currently have Nine with you. Derryth is fairly certain it would be bad if they found out.

More input is needed.

Feel free to ask the Arrows whatever you want. They might even answer some of your questions.

Fangshi, can we ask Nine's opinion on this?

Not right now unless you want the Arrows to find out you have her.

 

[Smashing Axe]

However, weren't crows associated with the Soulblighter, first and foremost?

Crows were associated with Soulblighter before, but, you know, they're a fairly common tool of the scheming wizard. That and the only time we've seen them, they've been in service to the Watcher's people. Unless we're talking about an alliance with multiple Fallen Lords here.

 

[Nevill]

Not right now unless you want the Arrows to find out you have her.

Huh, I thought Ceannard have caught on to this fact.

Then I guess it might be better to just leave? They will not kill/betray us just to lose this precious information, although we will be setting ourselves for the meeting on their terms later.

 

[Fangshi]

They will not kill/betray us just to lose this precious information,

I wonder how grateful House Eberhardt would be if they helped catch you? Grateful enough to give you to the Arrows? I wonder...

 

[Smashing Axe]

Do you wish to simply meet with my charge, or do you wish her to depart from my company permanently?

What guarantees do I have that you and your employer will not resort to violence during the meeting?

Can you identify your employer? If not, can you give an indication of their capabilities?

 

[Grimgravy]

What do you think our chances of getting out of here without their help are? If we've got a good chance, there's no sense incurring a debt with them.

 

[Fangshi]

Do you wish to simply meet with my charge, or do you wish her to depart from my company permanently?

"Well my employer is not the most trusting individual. I simply know that he wishes to meet with her, what happens after that is none of my concern unless further payment is forthcoming."

What guarantees do I have that you and your employer will not resort to violence during the meeting?

"None," he grins.

Can you identify your employer? If not, can you give an indication of their capabilities?

He scratches the back of his head and gives you an embarrassed smile, "Well, he has never actually given me a name. He is quite wealthy though and he seems quite powerful," he pauses for a moment, "He is always muttering about crows though... it is a bit weird to be honest."

 

[Smashing Axe]

Do you wish to simply meet with my charge, or do you wish her to depart from my company permanently?

"Well my employer is not the most trusting individual. I simply know that he wishes to meet with her, what happens after that is none of my concern unless further payment is forthcoming."

What guarantees do I have that you and your employer will not resort to violence during the meeting?

"None," he grins.

Can you identify your employer? If not, can you give an indication of their capabilities?

He scratches the back of his head and gives you an embarrassed smile, "Well, he has never actually given me a name. He is quite wealthy though and he seems quite powerful," he pauses for a moment, "He is always muttering about crows though... it is a bit weird to be honest."

Then after the meeting begins, we will be fully free to employ you on our behalf? Could we do that... pre-emptively?

 

[Fangshi]

Then after the meeting begins, we will be fully free to employ you on our behalf? Could we do that... pre-emptively?

His eternal grin widens exposing his teeth, "Hypothetically speaking... yes," however as he considers the idea he seems a bit less certain of himself then you are used to, "What sort of contract would we be talking about here. It might cost a lot if you are thinking what I am thinking..."

What do you think our chances of getting out of here without their help are?

Bari is supremely confident that his ploy will work though he does think you should kill or incapacitate the Arrows right away. Thaïs is less certain but will go with it if you tell her to. Derryth thinks it could work but this is her first political 'kidnapping' so she is a bit nervous and does not really know how good her odds are.

 

[Grimgravy]

Would gold be enough to buy the Black Arrows non interference?

 

[Smashing Axe]

The way I see it there are three things they could do for us.

Defend us if their former employer tries to take Nine away from us
Attack their former employer on our command
Non-interference

How would he price each of these options?

 

[Fangshi]

Would gold be enough to buy the Black Arrows non interference?

Now or in the future?

They won't knowingly violate a contract as far as you can tell.

If you pay them well they could probably be convinced not to interfere at whatever hypothetical meeting they take you to. If you do hire them they will do everything in their power to honour the deal. The flip side of that is that they will do everything in their power to hurt you should you betray them.

Defend us if their former employer tries to take Nine away from us
Attack their former employer on our command
Non-interference

How would he price each of these options?

Here is the price list he gives you (I am just using the scale we already set up of abstracted wealth points):

To defend you, about 300 abstracted wealth points, enough to get far, far away as quickly as possible. (He will want 100 WPs up front, he will wave the remaining 200 WPs if he does not have to act).

To attack his current/former employer, 500 WPs and two favours. Provided he is still alive to collect them. (He will expect 250 up front, and the other 250 to be paid to him or the highest ranking, surviving, Arrow upon successful completion of the job. If you do not order the attack then he will wave the favours and remaining 250 WPs).

Non-Interference would be about 100 WP, enough to relocate to the empire.

The prices are high as he does fear the guy quite a bit, just not enough to turn down a job.

 

[Nevill]

His eternal grin widens exposing his teeth, "Hypothetically speaking... yes," however as he considers the idea he seems a bit less certain of himself then you are used to, "What sort of contract would we be talking about here. It might cost a lot if you are thinking what I am thinking..."

"That depends... What is is that you are able to do? What is there to pay for? Are we talking just you or people under your command?"

"My apologies to you both. It is not a test I like to administer but one I felt was necessary given the sort of job we are discussing."

"What did you mean by 'necessary'? I don't quite see why do you need to test us if all we need to do is to give you a talking head. So what was that about?"

Edit: too late, huh.

Though I'd like to know if Ceannard's powers we observed so far are his own or granted to him by his employer.

 

[Nevill]

Oh, and another one.

"Are you under a contract to bring my charge to your employer, or is that simply a wish he stated?"

 

[Fangshi]

Though I'd like to know if Ceannard's powers we observed so far are his own or granted to him by his employer.

He refuses to tell you. You are almost certain it is some sort of magic (though it might simply have magic-like properties) however you have not been able to sense him casting at all. Derryth is not sure what to make of it and Ceannard seems to be enjoying her confusion.

"That depends... What is is that you are able to do? What is there to pay for? Are we talking just you or people under your command?"

He tells you he is not willing to break a contract but that everything else is for sale... for the right price.

"What did you mean by 'necessary'? I don't quite see why do you need to test us if all we need to do is to give you a talking head. So what was that about?"

He shrugs and tells you that he has no time for fools or weaklings.

He won't come out and say it but you are fairly certain he wanted you and Thaïs to incapacitate one another while he dealt with Bari. With the Pathfinder out of the way he would interrogate the survivor(s). As you reflect upon it you note one obvious flaw with his plan; that you are both armed and know some direct damage spells. If his plan had worked it is likely you would have killed each other and he would have lost his lead unless he bothered to search your pack.

Of course he did not know that you had direct damage spells until now as you were quite careful not to use anything but non-lethal tactics against his organization.

You are fairly certain that if he could control one or both of you he would not even bother to negotiate. It would be quicker to just demand Nine but he does not really have a choice at the moment.

"Are you under a contract to bring my charge to your employer, or is that simply a wish he stated?"

He tells you it is one of the contracts he is currently pursuing... one of many, many contracts (seems he is trying to impress you the old fashioned way now).

He has received a sizable down payment and the promise of a massive bonus if he delivers her 'unharmed'. You are not sure if he realizes she is essentially immortal or not as it is unclear just how much his employer has told him.

Derryth for her part does not want to volunteer any information she does not have to.

 

[Nevill]

Damn, they'll just keep coming for us, won't they?

Killing or betraying them is extremely unwise. Even though it might impress their current employer, this is an organisation that is not afraid of the House Eberhardt or the King Albrecht, and scoffs at the money Brannors have to offer. They are not to be taken lightly.

The way I see it, B or E is our way out of here, unless someone comes up with a better plan, like hiring their services as a safeguard. The gold is really of no concern when dealing with threats like these.

Their employer is a major headache. There are mixed signals in the information we gleamed so far. His talking about crows and the mind tricks Ceannard employs can be taken both ways.

 

[asxetos]

We definitely cannot turn our back on these guys since we already confirmed to them that we have Nine.
Fangshi, can we ask him if his boss would be willing to meet up with us and Nine on our own terms?
Preferably when the Pathfinders will be able to assist us if things turn bad and at a place picked by Bari.

 

[Baltika9]

D. Fuck these guys.

 

[Jester]

Where is your employer, or where and when are you scheduled to meet him? - important and helpful
Does he use other mercenaries or personal army?
When and how he employed them? - important
How much for help in escape from his employer if things will go sour?
When they was told we got their objective? - very important, wish to find out when he find out about nine


The guy is either hawk or crow. Kinda expect hawk.

 

[Kz3r0]

B) With thais and the girls, I would also want to hire in advance the black Arrows to defend us from their employer when we meet.


On a side note I am quite certain that his empoyer is the Watcher or an associate, remember when we 'investigated' that stone and get in contact with Watcher's mind?
That is when he got knownledge about us and Nine, who else could know?

 

[Nevill]

That is when he got knownledge about us and Nine, who else could know?

Anyone who keeps tabs on us or on the immortals for some reason.
The one who placed the rune on her forehead or their allies might know, too.

 

[Kz3r0]

That is when he got knownledge about us and Nine, who else could know?

Anyone who keeps tabs on us or on the immortals for some reason.
The one who placed the rune on her forehead or their allies might know, too.

How?
Only the girls and our circle know, Bari doesn't, if he did would have already killed us.

 

[Nevill]

How?
Only the girls and our circle know, Bari doesn't, if he did would have already killed us.

Really? I thought the talking head does not immediately equal necromancy. We were pretty open about it, showing it to the girls when they were our enemies. They told their father about the whole collection of heads in our posession.

I expect all people in our group back from Muirthemne to know about her.

As to how they would know... I have no idea. Maybe there is a way to know if the seal on her tomb is broken. Maybe the rune has some other properties that we don't know about. Maybe the person who knows is spying on the Watcher who spied on us.

There is no way to tell yet.