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Choose your path to greatness, obscurity or death. A multiple choice LP

Smashing Axe

Arcane
Patron
Joined
Dec 29, 2011
Messages
2,835
Divinity: Original Sin
We're going into the ancient ruins of a mostly forgotten magical empire, he may be able to translate writing, if there is any, or identify symbols of warning as we press on in the excavation. We don't know if we're going to face magical traps, we don't know what we'll face, we're dealing with the unknown, we're dealing with his area of expertise. We may face a situation where a prompt response is necessary, and the scholar could provide us with essential information required for our decision-making. Why did we bring him if not for this anyway?
 

TOME

Cuckmaster General
Joined
May 25, 2012
Messages
1,820
I don't see scholar as a field-guy, and certainly not as someone who is in front lines as we explore. I see him exploring the ruins after we have made sure that they are safe. What will the general think if we take the scholar with us and he is horrible raped by a trap/undead/centipede/fallen roof?

My suggestion is: take the soldiers and explore the courtyard, don't enter buildings yet. Once courtyard is deemed safe, bring in the mason/miner to examine the stability of the buildings. Then search the buildings without civilians. If at any point we find writing/symbols, copy them and show to the scholar or make sure it is safe for the scholar.

Come to think of it, I don't know if your divisions meant that the scholar is actively participating in the exploring. It should be Kyoss and soldiers only, and civilians are brought in when it is safe and when they are needed.
 

Smashing Axe

Arcane
Patron
Joined
Dec 29, 2011
Messages
2,835
Divinity: Original Sin
Soldiers are all well and good if the threat is a physical living enemy, but we're not entering the ruins for battle, we're entering to investigate, reconnaissance for threats. Don't get me wrong, the soldiers would be useful in case there's that sort of threat, but it's kind of reckless to discount other factors that could jeopardise all our lives. We're entering a dangerous magical ruin, and the scholar is most likely to recognise a supernatural threat and its weakness, it's a very real possibility that we'll come across something of that nature. In that sort of situation, the soldiers would be next to useless.

And if we do encounter living foes in the courtyard, the civilians can retreat while the soldiers advance. It'll be difficult to surround us, and I don't think any denizens would be intelligent enough to cut off our retreat.

I'm also kind of tempted to vote for taking the spy with us, since he has experience with traps.
 

Stygian Lurker

Liturgist
Joined
Jan 28, 2011
Messages
577
A3

Central Courtyard:
Kyoss, Irene, miner, mason, smith, scholar, 2 horsemen (who can run for backup), 2 polearms, 2 of Kalz's men (12 people)
Spies/Centipedes:
spy, hunter, cook, healer, 1 heavy, 1 light infantry (6 people)
Public task:
Kalz leading everyone else (13 people)

This
 

GameOver

Educated
Joined
Aug 11, 2012
Messages
41
Location
Idaho
I choose to switch to Vipers slight changes to mine so it can hopefully make a difference in the votes. You guys do realize that under Vipers proposal, the scholar, miner, smith, and mason were apart of the inspecting the buildings? It is apart of our public task which is why they were put into a separate task force under that proposal. Also, we wrote down that we wanted them to explore the outer courtyards with us and then search the central courtyards after the main task force clears it out.
 

Collage

Educated
Joined
Jul 13, 2012
Messages
59
Really looking forward to seeing where this goes. I love ruin-exploration scenes, especially if there's the chance for magic and DANGER.
 

Vernydar

Learned
Joined
May 6, 2012
Messages
579
Location
Italy
Very interesting discussion here, thanks for the interesting posts XD. Almost unanimous vote for A. For division of men, I already worked out a happy medium between your proposals based on votes.

But we have a tie between 1 and 3 for the second choice.

First flip flop or new vote breaks the tie.
 

Anabanana

Augur
Joined
Jul 31, 2012
Messages
1,061
Gah, too late to vote for personnel organization. Oh well.

A1.

EDIT: Just caught up, by the way. Apart from some minor writing style nitpicks, this is an amazing, amazing LP. Love that you've put so much thought into this.
 

Vernydar

Learned
Joined
May 6, 2012
Messages
579
Location
Italy
EDIT: Just caught up, by the way. Apart from some minor writing style nitpicks, this is an amazing, amazing LP. Love that you've put so much thought into this.

English is not my native language :P So from time to time I will obviously make mistakes :D

Very well, the winning choice is A1. You will explore the surrounding courtyards before moving to the central courtyard.
After counting all your votes, personnel distribution will be as follow (copy-pasting and editing GameOver's post to save time XD). I tried to merge all your suggestions as usual.
Basically the people from task 4 will come in after the courtyard has been first scouted by the group working on task 1. Irene insists that a courtyard and all its buildings should be inspected before moving to the next courtyard, so the people from task 1 will help with task 4 once the courtyard is secured.

Task 1: Securing the courtyards
  • Kyoss
  • Irene
  • 1 Light
  • 1 Heavy
  • 3 Archers
  • 2 Horsemen
  • 2 of Kalz's men
Task 2: Spy Hunting
  • Spy (Lead on the spy hunting)
  • Hunter (Track down potential suspects if they run)
  • Healer/Herbalist (Look out for anything unnatural with the sick)
  • Cook (Have him keep tabs on the food situation)
  • 2 Horsemen (Assist the spy and potentially run down any troublesome individuals)
Task 3: Inventory Stuff
  • Kalz + 4 of his men
  • Clerk (Lead on Inventories)
  • Merchant (Assist on Inventories)
  • Miner (Assist on Inventories only because I don't see him being useful elsewhere)
Task 4: Inspecting buildings after courtyard has been secured. The people from task 1 help with this.
  • Mason (Lead on Inspecting Buildings)
  • Smith (Assist in Inspecting Buildings)
  • Scholar (Assist in Inspecting Buildings, perhaps finding more information out about the buildings and their origins)
  • 2 Archers (Assist in Inspecting Buildings)
  • 2 Polearms (Assist in Inspecting Buildings)
Off to write the update, might take 1-2 hours as I have other things to do as well.
 

Vernydar

Learned
Joined
May 6, 2012
Messages
579
Location
Italy
The results are in the above post, too long to write it here.

68 – Of courtyards, buildings, and wells

After much discussion you decide that four groups will be formed. One, led by Kalz, will keep working on the inventory, because it is necessary and it is also a mean to hide your other activities. Another smaller group, comprising mostly civilians, will keep searching for possible spies. The rest of the people, led by you and Irene, will take care of inspecting the courtyards and the buildings, leaving the central courtyard for last.

This exploration/inspection group will be further divided in two. At first you, Irene and nine soldiers will secure the courtyard and perform a cursory inspection. After that the rest of the men will come and together you will inspect the buildings. The mason, the smith and the scholar will obviously be of great help here. Who knows what you can find inside this fortress...

Irene also insists that each courtyard should be completely inspected along with all its buildings before the next courtyard is started. This way you can be sure you're not leaving any possible hazard behind you while you advance. With this plan in mind Irene goes to inform the general, and then you're ready to start.

With a bit of trepidation you set out along with your companions for your task....

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Excerpt 12: Knowledge (Legends and Myths) – Foreign opinions about Avarlos
... obviously such a mighty Kingdom as Avarlors influenced the legends and myths of all the nations of the continent of Wakul. After all, Avarlos ruled over the entire northern half of the continent. Amongst the nations whose territory was once part of Avarlos many legends still remain, along with some superstitious fear of that great nation. But they also look back with great respect, as Avarlos was without doubt the greatest nation to ever rise on these lands.
But there are consistent news that the southern nations of the continent, though so far away that we basically have no contact with them, still look upon our lands with fear. Avarlos may be no more, but they still remember the awe and the fear of being conquered that their ancestors felt. This has sometimes proved to be a problem in the few diplomatic dealing with these nations....
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


A week has passed and you have completely explored all the outside courtyards. Irene was correct when she said that this place had been searched already during the centuries. The buildings have been completely stripped of all furniture, there are no bodies around. Just empty buildings. Also, the other groups found no sign of centipedes or spies. You kept practicing and reading, and you feel you have learned the basics of dodging at least.
(You have gained a skill: Dodging 1 (Very Basic)

A few details were really interesting though. You all couldn't help but notice just how intact the entire fortress still is. The buildings still rise proudly, in perfect conditions. They are spacious, practical, and cool even in the sweltering heat of summer. Even the doors are still standing, completely undamaged. This is an amazing feat of construction, this fortress is more than five thousand years old! How could they build it so well, for it to stand untouched by time after all these years?
Another thing you noticed is that each of these courtyards seems to have been designed to be self-sufficient. You talked about this and came to the conclusion that they were built this way in order to be harder to conquer in the event of a siege. Every courtyard has barracks, stables, various generic buildings for everyday tasks, forges, storage areas and a few wells. Should a courtyard be conquered in a siege the surrounding ones would still be able to keep fighting.

And finally you noticed the amazing wells of this fortress. They are deep and filled with crystal clear water. Ingenious contraptions allow you to effortlessly bring up even large quantities of water. For that matter your mason thinks that these wells all have a very large supply of water. You have no idea of how they managed to dig so many wells so close to each other. And they're all so full, even though it's summer!

Only the central courtyard remains now, and you can't deny you're shaking a bit in trepidation at the though of entering that place. However the general has summoned Irene, and she wants to bring you and Kalz along. With your head already thinking about that courtyard you are admitted to general Ritgard's presence.

The general asks Irene how the exploration is proceeding, and Irene gives him a detailed report of your progress. The general nods, and then asks an unexpected question.

"Very well then, I want to know if the external courtyards are safe. The men are starting to talk a bit because we're still keeping them in tents instead of using all the comfortable stone buildings of the other courtyards. This is not good for morale and might also seem suspicious. So, can I order my men to start using the other courtyards as well? Or should I wait until you are finished with the central courtyard?"

Well Kyoss, do you want to say something? The general asked all three of you, you can give your opinion.
A) The external courtyards are safe. The soldiers can move in.
B) The external courtyards are likely to be safe, but it's best to explore the central courtyard first, even if it takes some days.
C) The external courtyards could be unsafe. You simply cannot tell before exploring the central courtyard. If the soldiers start to talk and be suspicious, so be it.
D) Other, write what you want to tell the general.

Also if you want do so something else write it down, if not next update the exploration of the central courtyard begins.
 

ScubaV

Prophet
Joined
Feb 20, 2011
Messages
1,022
A, but considering the self-sufficient nature of the courtyards I would keep all the men in one courtyard (or as few as will hold them). Just in case there's an attack or secret tunnels spewing forth undead from the central courtyard or some other emergency, it would be good to not be spread out. It will also allow us to more easily keep tabs on suspicious activity.

B seems like the safe middle-ground choice, but it's also hedging. I think the general might appreciate a more assertive stance.
 

TOME

Cuckmaster General
Joined
May 25, 2012
Messages
1,820
B) The external courtyards are likely to be safe, but it's best to explore the central courtyard first, even if it takes some days.

Soldiers have waited this long, a couple days more won't hurt.
 

Vernydar

Learned
Joined
May 6, 2012
Messages
579
Location
Italy
Oh, best to answer the implied question by ScubaV. A courtyard can very well hold a measly 500 soldiers. This fortress could maybe house 10000 people... :D
 

GameOver

Educated
Joined
Aug 11, 2012
Messages
41
Location
Idaho
Well Kyoss, do you want to say something? The general asked all three of you, you can give your opinion.
B) The external courtyards are likely to be safe, but it's best to explore the central courtyard first, even if it takes some days.
It is better to be safe than sorry. I would inform the general that they can move in to the outer courtyards only if it is absolutely necessary, like someone invading. Otherwise, it is wise for them to stay out until we have fully completed the task.
 

Anabanana

Augur
Joined
Jul 31, 2012
Messages
1,061
A, but considering the self-sufficient nature of the courtyards I would keep all the men in one courtyard (or as few as will hold them). Just in case there's an attack or secret tunnels spewing forth undead from the central courtyard or some other emergency, it would be good to not be spread out. It will also allow us to more easily keep tabs on suspicious activity.

This. In addition, I'd recommend putting them in the external courtyard furthest from the north entrance to help preserve the secrecy of the mission.

(If B wins, I'd like Kyoss to tell the general to tell the men that his team is still exploring the outer courtyards to make sure it's absolutely safe. Pull a few men from Kalz's team to make a survey of the outer courtyards, close to the North entrance, so if anybody looks inside it isn't suspicious. They can also act as backup if something happens in the ruins.)

In either case, can we have at least one horseman at the entrance of the ruins to run for backup if anything happens?
 

Kashmir Slippers

Magister
Joined
Apr 23, 2011
Messages
1,018
Location
Here, obviously
A. It sounds like they are alright. I doubt that there will be a switch, or something, in the middle courtyard that will make all the buildings explode. Unless I am completely misreading something, the buildings all seem fine, or have we not been making a thorough search?
 

Smashing Axe

Arcane
Patron
Joined
Dec 29, 2011
Messages
2,835
Divinity: Original Sin
A - Think we're being a tad over-cautious in regards to the external courtyards, unless the kingdom of Avarlos had a fail-safe installed in their fortress that decimates the outer-courtyard from the centre in case the external walls are taken.

Also, the possibility of encountering traps in the buildings seems much more likely now that we know there has been no decay at all over thousands of years.
 

Anabanana

Augur
Joined
Jul 31, 2012
Messages
1,061
A - Think we're being a tad over-cautious in regards to the external courtyards, unless the kingdom of Avarlos had a fail-safe installed in their fortress that decimates the outer-courtyard from the centre in case the external walls are taken.

Also, the possibility of encountering traps in the buildings seems much more likely now that we know there has been no decay at all over thousands of years.

...is it too late to reassign the spy to the exploration team? The hunter can take over as leader of the spy-busting team. I think we really should have somebody who can check for traps with Kyoss.
 

GameOver

Educated
Joined
Aug 11, 2012
Messages
41
Location
Idaho
A - Think we're being a tad over-cautious in regards to the external courtyards, unless the kingdom of Avarlos had a fail-safe installed in their fortress that decimates the outer-courtyard from the centre in case the external walls are taken.

Also, the possibility of encountering traps in the buildings seems much more likely now that we know there has been no decay at all over thousands of years.

Honestly, with all of the other high tech stuff around (water that never runs out & architecture not going bad ever), this would not surprise me one bit.

Also, wouldn't the hunter be best for catching traps?
 

Baltika9

Arcane
Joined
Jun 27, 2012
Messages
9,611
C. I also very much dislike our conditions. It's all too good. Like a sweet poison.

If A wins, +1 to keeping all the men in one courtyard.
 

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