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C - A would just result in them fleeing and getting killed anyway.
 

Baltika9

Arcane
Joined
Jun 27, 2012
Messages
9,611
Chapter Eight: The Divine Throne

The Shin'Ar Empire, long the wellspring of peace and prosperity, is shattered. On it's throne sits a coward and deceiver, a mere puppet for a much more dangerous and ambitious man, who holds the cursed prison-blade of a maddened mind, one that may very well have the most important answers

In the north, a child grasps for the Imperial Crown, his claim coming from the most ancient of lines, his plans advised by the most ancient of powers and his armies utilizing a technology never before seen. Beyond lie their distant cousins, longing to reunite their own once-glorious Empire, circling the Boy-Emperor as a pack of unseen vultures, harmless while he is strong, but one slip could prove fatal.

Farther to the West, two kings dared raise their banners in defiance of Imperial authority, upheld by their Holy Matron and guarded by her Shadow, ever loyal. And perhaps the Holy one hides a deeper secret still?

In the East, a jealous scion of a humiliated dynasty yanks at his chains, thinking if this is the moment to correct slights past and retain lost glory? And farther still lie his masters, patiently observing the brewing storm through hidden eyes and cautiously readying their bullets.

From the dark shadows and secret places of this world strange new creatures come, for the first time, into the light of this Sun, watching and biding their time to find a home.

In the desolate wastes of a once prospering land, now long dead, in the citadel built at the heart of catastrophe, on the blood and bones of countless men, sits an inhuman, maddened aberration, it's very nature shunned by it's kin, as it tinkers and toils for it's own, private, goals, gazing into the space between realities, driven by reckoning.

On a remote, forgotten island, far removed from the troubles if this world, a Legend of ages past is roused by it's "children," whose innocence is fast coming to an end, and is once more called to raise it's sword and right the wrongs of it's world, to save those it considers it's brethren, although it very well may not be human anymore.

And in the background, unseen, unheard and unknown, the most powerful of beings are making way to this unsuspecting realm, carrying two different fates: slavery or annihilation.

This is the Third Millennium AC and a new era is dawning on Terra and Mankind. Through the coming age of strife they shall either find strength to face the darkest secrets of their universe and, perhaps, win their independence from the unseen Masters, or forever be damned to live a life of survival on a barren, forgotten planet.

Their fate is in our hands, bros. Don't let good scotch and thirty minutes go to waste: let's not fuck this up. As much as I love bitching, butthurt and trainwrecks, there is always a way.

Edit:
Wasn't going to have dragons, but I suppose if there's demand for it, why not? I can work in a murder of dragons.
Only if there will be a DraQ, a Todd and a Pete. The last two being our most dire of antagonists, of course.
 

GreyViper

Prophet
Joined
Jan 10, 2011
Messages
1,523
Location
Estonia
Well think about it we are in Britannia, who knows maybe we can reencat the King Arthur 2 campagin.
As to the lady, my first thought was Lady British.
images
 

Esquilax

Arcane
Joined
Dec 7, 2010
Messages
4,833
I think that the reason that the unreal is becoming real is that the barrier between our world and the Master's dimension is beginning to fade. treave, before these soldiers interrupted us, where were we heading to with Dario? I'm assuming some kind of hideout.

I believe that this Lady might know exactly who we are already:

"Our Lady of the Martyrs has foretold your coming and requests your presence." growled the soldier. "There will be no lies where she is involved."

So she knows that our new bros are independents, and she knew exactly where they'd be. This tells me that the Lady probably knows precisely who we are as well. I want to parley with her, but I also don't want to give her hostages to use as bargaining chips. If she doesn't know who we are, even better - fake a human presence then take her out when the opportunity presents itself.

I think that the Yellowstreaks (that's a pretty damn pejorative nickname for our bros, btw) who went to New Athens were followed by her people, which is why her soldiers were able to anticipate our arrival here. The question remains as to whether she knows that we're Ean or not. I am leaning towards her not knowing exactly what's going on, otherwise she wouldn't have tried to apprehend us to figure out our motives. And I don't think she would have sent a mere sixteen soldiers if she knew we were the real Ean.

I think that A is the worst choice. For one, it'll almost certainly lead to her fleeing:

You glance at the soldiers again. Tenebrae seemed on the verge of cracking and fleeing, and that would certainly draw an armed response from the soldiers.

She's already scared, and if we pick A, I'm certain that she's going to run away and get picked off by the guards. Worse yet, if the Lady is a powerful telepath she'll be able to figure out exactly what's going on quickly once Dario is taken prisoner with us. If we are the only one with her, we can use our ability to project a human presence to get her to put her guard down.

Voting C willing to flop to B.
 

treave

Arcane
Patron
Joined
Jul 6, 2008
Messages
11,370
Codex 2012
Yeah, you guys landed in Donegal, Ireland, and were going to take a carriage to Dublin. Ean knows where to go, thanks to Meyes's memories, so finding them again won't be a problem either... as long as they make it to the meeting point safely.
 

Baltika9

Arcane
Joined
Jun 27, 2012
Messages
9,611
Flipping to C because of solidarity with Esquilax, since our reasons cross, and also because I foresee massive lulz when Big Papa Ean gives Aodh and Joan a spanking. Kids these days.

treave, are the major cities still historically accurate (Paris, London, Toledo, Copenhagen, etc)?
 

Azira

Arcane
Patron
Joined
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Messages
8,518
Location
Copenhagen, Denmark
Codex 2012
Flipping to C because of solidarity with Esquilax, since our reasons cross, and also because I foresee massive lulz when Big Papa Ean gives Aodh and Joan a spanking. Kids these days.

treave, are the major cities still historically accurate (Paris, London, Toledo, Copenhagen, etc)?

Copenhagen a major city? :roll:
Well, yes, it has been around since about year 900, at least according to the latest research, and was probably an important trade center. But I don't think it ever qualified as major, not even now. And I live here.

That aside, it's an interesting question. :hmmm:
 

treave

Arcane
Patron
Joined
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Messages
11,370
Codex 2012
Well, I'm just using placeholder names while I figure out what to call them, but there are differences in city and population distribution compared to the real world.
 

TOME

Cuckmaster General
Joined
May 25, 2012
Messages
1,820
C

Hopefully our little bros can make it back safely without us. Let's project human presence and gather some intel.
 

treave

Arcane
Patron
Joined
Jul 6, 2008
Messages
11,370
Codex 2012
C – 10
B – 3

***

Chapter 8.2: Our Lady of the Martyrs

“When it happens, run. I’ll meet up with you at the hideout,” you whisper to Dario and Tenebrae.

“What are you planning to do?” she replies nervously, as the soldiers begin to close in.

“Something to buy you time. You’ll know when to act.” You sense a small glimmer of satisfaction flit across Dario’s mind as he nods.

“What are you whispering about?” shouts one of the soldiers as he puts a gauntleted hand on your shoulder. You smile at the soldier. “It’s nothing, sir. Do we really have no choice but to come with you?”

“What do you think, prick? You Yellowstreaks do love trying to talk your way out of things, don’t you?” The soldier laughed as he looked back at his jeering comrades. A second soldier came forward with an ugly leer on his face. “Heard Yellowstreaks prefer fucking to fighting,” he grinned, his eyes fixed on Tenebrae. “Maybe that’s what it takes to get you guys to come with us nicely, eh?”

You notice Tenebrae’s hand slowly moving to her back, where you knew that she had a dagger hidden. You turn to Dario. “They’re supposed to be Imperial soldiers, right? Is that what passes for discipline in the army these days?”

“I’m sure these men signed up after Britannia left the Empire. Standards certainly have fallen.” Dario had a slightly bemused smile on his face. His words were greeted with howls of rage from the soldiers, and the grip on your shoulder tightens.

“Shut your piehole, you bastard! Looks like we gotta do this the hard way!” The soldier raises his fist. You steel yourself, waiting for the blow. The metal fist lands square in your face, knocking your head back. There was – as expected – some pain, but not even a tooth of yours was shaken loose, and your feet remained firmly on the ground. You look at the soldier straight in the eye and grin.

“I see.”

Dario took that as their cue to run, dragging Tenebrae behind him. The perplexed soldier tries to punch you again, but you shrug off his grip easily and drive your elbow into his armoured chest. The movement comes to you naturally, rising from your old memories and instincts. He tumbles to the ground, shouting. Now you knew the metalwork in this time had really improved. You were holding back, but you had expected to make a dent in the armour at least. It looks like you would have to employ more strength. Needing no further encouragement, the rest of the soldiers jump on you, starting the brawl.

That was their mistake. The armour restricted their range of movement, and in their rush to get to you, they got in each other’s way. You nimbly weave your way around them, sending them to the ground with a simple push or sweep of your leg. You still needed them to lead you to their Lady; you’d have to leave them being able to walk, at the least.

“Goddamn it, you prancing coward! Stand still and fight!” screamed the first soldier. As you turn to face him, prepared to grant his wish, you gaze into the barrel of a pistol. You knew of these firearms from Meyes’s memories, but this was your first time seeing one for yourself.

“Stop, Captain Tross! Our Lady wants them alive!” shouted one of his friends. It came a bit too late, as the good captain had already pulled back his finger. There was a loud bang. Instinctively your head ducks to one side and you feel the lead pellet graze your cheek, drawing blood. It flew faster than an arrow – had you not known what the weapon did, you might not have been able to avoid the shot… though it probably wouldn’t have made any difference to you. There was a brief, stunned silence from the soldiers around you as the smoke from the gun cleared.

“Alright, that’s enough. A man knows when he’s beaten.” You call out to the soldiers, raising your hands, smiling as you do so. “I can’t fight against a pistol. You have me. Well done.”

Tross shouts at you in a rage, his brutish face uncomfortably close, and hits you with his gun. You feel the soldiers grabbing you, some of them shouting at Tross to put the damn weapon down. Clapping manacles and chains around your wrists, they lead you away.

***

The Lady of the Martyrs was ensconced in a very comfortable chair in a private room at the local inn. Her pretty, girlish looks were perhaps only a few years older than your own apparent age, but her demeanour spoke of experience and confidence. She possessed the calm of a person that knew that what they had to do in life was right.

“Who is this man, Captain Tross?” Her voice was as composed as her looks.

“My Lady, he is one of the Yellowstreaks. We caught them coming back from New Athens, as you predicted, but the other two escaped.”

Her eyes turned to you, slightly puzzled. “The other two? I see. This man must be just one of their associates. He’s not what I seek.”

“My Lady?” grunted the bewildered Tross, who had suffered the indignity of being pushed around in his heavy armour and would not have it be in vain.

“Ah, yes. Apparently he is a very good fighter. That is what I surmised from your report.”

“But I didn’t –“ Tross grimaced, catching himself.

“The Martyrs of Ean always welcome skilled men…?” She trailed off at the end of her sentence and inclined her head, awaiting your name.

“You may call me Runi. You’re… Joan? Did I pronounce that correctly?”

Tross exploded with rage. “You insolent whelp!” He started towards you, arms raised. The Lady held up a hand and shook her head. “That is fine. Tross, leave us. You are being disruptive.” Grumbling and muttering under his breath, the soldier stomped out of the room.

Joan sighed. “He’s a loyal man, but extremely temperamental.”

“So I see.”

“You are an interesting man, Runi. A man of your skills would be a great asset with us in our battle against Skane and the Empire. Why do you stay with those pacifists?”

“They haven’t given me any reason to leave them, I suppose?” This was technically true. “You and your men seem to hold them in very low regard. Why is that?”

“They have power… some power, but power still… yet they refuse to use it to fight for good. Instead they stay hidden and lend their aid in insignificant ways. If they joined us, it could tip the balance in our favour.”

You run through Meyes’s memories, checking her words. It seems that the Empire had held the advantage throughout the conflict, but they had never pressed it. You weren’t sure whether the situation was balanced enough to be tipped in her favour, but you let it pass.

You reply. “They’re doing insignificant things right now, wasting their strength?”

“Yes, exactly.”

“Why, then, did you send sixteen armoured soldiers to bring them before you?”

She did not waste time with her response. It was prompt and curt. “That is a matter for the Martyrs to know.”

“If I want to know, join you,” you muse.

Joan smiled. “Exactly. You are a smart man.”

“If I don’t?”

The smile became a frown, and she sighed again. “Then you are free to go, though there will always be a place in the ranks for you. I am not in the habit of murdering people just because they are not on my side.”

***

A. You join the Martyrs of Ean. The organization does bear your name after all, and from Meyes’s memories you think that the Lady is probably the most scrupulous of the three powers right now. They are the ones you have decided to be deserving of victory in this conflict.

B. You offer to become a spy, going back to Dario and Tenebrae and reporting on their group for the Lady. Of course, you actually plan to be a double agent, gathering information and making connections from both sides for your own purposes.

C. You reject her offer and walk away. Meyes woke you up at the cost of his own life, and you will focus your efforts on helping out his group and carrying out his wishes that way.

D. Fuck all this sneaking around. You reveal yourself to the Lady of the Martyrs and let her taste your divinity.
 

Azira

Arcane
Patron
Joined
Nov 3, 2004
Messages
8,518
Location
Copenhagen, Denmark
Codex 2012
I still think it would be prudent to not go in blind. Fighting her here and now might be good for lulz, but I'd rather we try and play this savvy. Let's not let everyone in on who we are just yet. This means we have to go back to the Yellowstreaks and impose this demand on them (tell them to wait until we're in the proper positions and whatnot), and what better way to do this than while serving as a double agent?

B
 

Esquilax

Arcane
Joined
Dec 7, 2010
Messages
4,833
Storyfag, just curious, why do you want to attack her? What do you hope to get out of it? I am pretty sure we could take her. We have the element of surprise, and I very much doubt that she matches us in terms of skill - she won't see it coming. The question is whether it's worth it or not, and I'm not convinced that it is. When we reveal ourselves, I'd rather do so against Shulgi or Dio instead of the weakest player of the three.

The Yellowstreaks and the Martyrs would not fare too well even if they joined forces. The might of the Empire and the hidden presence of Shulgi in Skane don't bode well for Brittania-Gallia. We should get as much info as possible and then ditch these losers. The fate of the planet is at stake, so I don't care about helping a bunch of scrappy underdogs win out unless it really works in our favour.

With B, I think there's a risk of getting caught (playing both sides is a dangerous game) but the upside is that we can learn a lot without showing our hand. I don't see either faction as really viable, and I'm more interested in saving Earth.

On a side note, I am beginning to distrust Dario:

As you help Dario to his feet, he mutters to you quietly, "I have no desire to be brought before the Lady. She is one of us, except quite a bit more powerful. I don't think she will let us go freely if we come into her grasp."
...
“Something to buy you time. You’ll know when to act.” You sense a small glimmer of satisfaction flit across Dario’s mind as he nods.
...
“If I don’t?”

The smile became a frown, and she sighed again. “Then you are free to go, though there will always be a place in the ranks for you. I am not in the habit of murdering people just because they are not on my side.”

This guy told us that the Lady would likely not let us go, while in reality she's been quite civil to us. The glimmer of satisfaction is also curious. It's important to remember that Dario is quite intelligent and a very savvy talker - after all, this is the guy that fooled Athena, so there's no reason why he can't do the same to us. I think Dario might be a little fed up with the fact that he's hanging out with a bunch of pussies.

A wild theory I've got is that there might be ways to increase our powers without corrupting ourselves further by having our Successors merge with us and absorb into us. I'm hoping that this doesn't increase our corruption because they were formed from our own flesh, so it would be like putting back a part of ourselves that was already there. I dunno, maybe that might be a compelling reason to pick a side, perhaps?

Flopped to D again
 

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