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[LP CYOA]The Hyborian Age

Kz3r0

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While I am preparing the update can some of the refined dames and gentlemen here please vote in the Wulfen's thread, we are in a bit of a pinch there, thank you. :M
 

laclongquan

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I am slightly interested in this shit.

Not a Barbarian archetype, though. I'd like a warlord who conquer the known world, in the mold of Genghis Khan. I trust that this path shall have enough rapine, pillaging, arsons, etc... enough for the bloodthirsty soul of Codex.

Such as it is, I dont think we have other choice. Turn back now would be not as advantagous as forcing forward. Still and all, it's dumber than dirt to (try to) kill an adult in an important clan meet like this. So the obvious choice is BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB.
 

oscar

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Yeah the Conan of the books is a lot different to Arnie.
 

Breaking Axe

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oscar said:
Yeah the Conan of the books is a lot different to Arnie.

I think one of the main problems with his portrayal was that while Arnie looked the part (Aside from the black hair), he had trouble learning his English lines, so was given very little dialogue. In contrast, the Conan of the books was quite verbose, a polyglot and expert tactician.
 

Kz3r0

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The Gray King



Kairn ignored the man at his side and directly addressed the rest of the men around the fire.
"I, Kairn, son of Dhurgal, ask to seat as a man among other men, and to fight in war as warrior among other warriors."

"Isn't too soon for your initiation ceremony Kairn, son of Dhurgal?What do you think allows you to address this council in such disrespectful manner?"
That was the calm response of the chieftain while he looked at Kairn with eyes hard and cold as an iron blade.

Kairn sustained that stare for long moments before opening his arms with the palms facing up.
"I have no intention to offend my elders, my only desire is to offer my life for the sake of my people, for this I ask to sustain the trial of the wooden ring, let me honor Crom with my strength and courage, if not with my own blood."

This last words made a profound impression on the men hearing them.
"Bold words, Words that Crom would never allow you to take back now son of Dhurgal."
The voice cometh from a dark corner in the back, a man which black hair time tuned white as snow was intensely looking in Kairn's direction.

"Come near me blacksmith' son"
Said the shaman indicating the place in front of him.
Silently Kairn seated nigh the old man, in doing so he noticed that despite the age the weathered body was still brimming with ferine vitality.

The shaman pointed his eyes straight in his interlocutor's face.
"Tell me, are you a fool who doesn't fear death?"
"Death whispered her lullabies in my ear since when I was a newborn child, sang her song for me during the stormy nights when I was venturing forth on the mountains as a kid, and kissed me with the bite of ferocious beasts during long hunts as I came of age .She is my second mother, that I shall meet at the end of my days"
Kairn said these words with glacial impassibility.

The shaman continued his scrutiny.
"And don't you fear the gods?If you die during the trial Crom could be offended by your rashness, and instead of welcoming you between the gray halls of his palace he could precipitate you at the center of the earth, where the eternal worm dwells feasting upon the dead."
Without hesitation Kairn answered:
"I fear that he will be more offended by me not answering the call of the fire that burns in my heart that could have been lit only by him."

After few moments, the shaman stood up."Follow me to my abode son of Dhurgal."
They walked in the snow until reaching a dwelling dug in the foothill above the village.
While entering Kairn was set aback from the green phosphorescence emitted by the walls, as many Cimmerians superstitious fears still lingered in his barbarian soul.
"Something is wrong son of the blacksmith?"
Inquired the shaman with renewed duress in his voice.

Out of the spur of pride Kairn stepped inside with decision.
There was no fire but the digging had a uneasy warmth in it that made the young Cimmerian uncomfortable.

The shaman indicated a rock at the enter of the handcrafted room.
"Seat here."Commanded.
Kairn obeyed the intimation sitting with his legs crossed, while the elder seated in front of him and began to mix in a mortar some dessicated herbs and mushrooms he took from a leather bag he wore around his neck, muttering a litany for all the time, of which Kairn couldn't clearly make the words, then from a bottle on the ground poured root beer in a cup adding the mixture in the mortar.

Then he took various sips of the liquid he obtained washing his mouth with it and spitting it back in the cup.
"Drink all."
Was the intimation of the shaman handing the cup.
Kairn drank in one gulp, despite the vile odor and taste.

After that the elder draw a circle around Kairn versing red ocher from a jar.
Completed this task the shaman continued his chanting sitting in front of his young host.

After a while Kairn thought to understand the words, something stirred in the most remote recesses of his memory, the ancient record of his race engraved in his body and soul, in that moment a sense of vertigo caught him, through his obfuscated sight he couldn't make anymore the facial features of the man looking at him, only the eyes of the old Cimmerian were clearly visible until they commence to spiral in circles of fire, growing bigger and bigger until the son of Dhurgal fell into oblivion.



The ghost kings are marching; the midnight knows their tread,
From the distant, stealthy planets of the dim, unstable dead;
There are whisperings on the night-winds and the shuddering stars have fled.

A ghostly trumpet echoes from a barren mountainhead;
Through the fen the wandering witch-lights gleam like phantom arrows sped;
There is silence in the valleys and the moon is rising red.

The ghost kings are marching down the ages' dusty maze;
The unseen feet are tramping through the moonlight's pallid haze,
Down the hollow clanging stairways of a million yesterdays.

The ghost kings are marching, where the vague moon-vapor creeps,
While the night-wind to their coming, like a thund'rous herald sweeps;
They are clad in ancient grandeur, but the world, unheeding, sleeps.

Kairn found himself wandering in a thick fog, unaware of his surrounding and why he was there.
After a time that seemed eternal a vast gray hall appeared in front of him, it was as he had been wandering in there until that moment.
Walking among giant pillar of stones he looked at the distant volutes disappearing in the ceiling high as the sky.
An imposing figure was seated on the throne at the end of the hall, an iron band circled his forehead, he looked like a Cimmerian but different at the same time.
His eyes displayed a profound sadness that Kairn never observed before in other men.

"Is this another of your magic trick Gonar, or I am definetly lost in the maze Tuzun Thune built for me?"
He narrowed his eyes while observing Kairn.
"Are you just a figment of my imagination mirror image of my youth or am I the memory of a future that never was?"
"No, wait, now that I can see clearly you are very similar, but very different too."

The forgotten king raised himself and advanced towards Kairn.
"Maybe you can't see it, but now I recognize the bond between us."

Kairn looked around with ferocious eyes as a caged beast.
"What foolishness is this, am I lost with a madman in a place that I don't recognize, where are we, answer to my question or you will answer my fist."

The king erupted in a resounding laughter at these words.
"Such fiery attitude young wolf."
After that unexpected moment of hilarity he regained his grave look.
"From what I understand from my previous experiences we are at a place stranded in space and time, but I feel that the magic sustaining it is wearing off by the minute."

Now that he was near Kairn could see that he was shadowed by the mere physical presence of the man, but his words sounded as a distant echo.

"I feel that my days are growing short, maybe the gods gave me the opportunity to relieve my shoulders from the burden of the struggle against the accursed sons of Seth, a struggle ancient as the race, for there never will be peace between the serpent and Man."
After a moment of hesitation he asked.
"But are you willing to take this burden upon yourself?"

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

A)Accept your ancestral heritage.Bonus

B)Refuse, only present counts, you have no obligation to none.

C)Remain silent.(The option that has won)




References for this story:
The Ghost Kings
Worms of the Earth
The Mirrors of Tuzun Thune
 
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oscar

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An interesting decision and a highly important one I believe. Refusing could definitely give us more moral leeway and allow us to become a Genghis Khan type.

But we have a duty to our race and to man. A
 

lightbane

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I vote for C, remain silent, let's see if the King has something else to tell us.
 

laclongquan

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B sounds like the choice of a dumbass teenager full of come.

A also sounds like the choice of a dumbass teenager full of come who doesnt know what he's in .

C is interesting, contrary, and potentially lead to the label of "coward". Yet I cant help but wonder: Do I need to take up this futile struggle to complete a circle? When I have a chance like this, the choice should lead to a spiral whirl of fate...

In the end, the fate of Genghis decide my choice. He's a conqueror, not a hero.

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Kz3r0

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In case you are interested in the consequences of the previous vote, smashing the skull of the man that stopped Kairn would have him banished from the village, forcing him to wander the borderlands with the risk of been caught as a slave by Hyperboreans, backing off, instead, would have made Kairn the laughing stock of the tribe, a situation rectifiable only with great difficulty.


Edit:
Breaking Axe said:
C, screw destiny.
Out of curiosity, why you chose C instead of B?
 

Breaking Axe

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Because it's not accepting or rejecting, it's ambivalent. The other two choices require commitment to or away from destiny, recognizing that it has influence over you. C is ignoring it altogether.
 

laclongquan

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C is not screwing destiny, it's more like We dont want to step onto the same old path tread by our other self. King or Conqueror it's a given we will achieve that. What matter is that we dont necessarily use the same way as in our fated life.

B is the dumbass "FUCK YOU! I WANT MY STUFF MY WAY!"

A is the hasty answer of a dumbass who dont know what's he going to face. A hero's answer maybe, but we are not going to be a hero.
 

oscar

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for there never will be peace between the serpent and Man.."

hague1.jpg
 

Kz3r0

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I am bumping this thread to inform you that he vote will stay open until Sunday night, the update probably will be on Monday morning. :salute:
 

Kz3r0

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The Eyes of the Serpent


The words of the king stirred a feeble reminiscence in the soul of the young Cimmerian, but doubt and uncertainty clouded his judgment, making him hesitate.
For the first time his indomitable heart couldn't provide a sure direction into the tumult of the conflicting desires that animated his spirit.

Even if few steps separated them Kairn had the impression to observe the figure in front of him from a remote distance, a figure that now was discoloring into the indistinct fog that wrapped all of the surroundings.

"Your answer young man."
To Kairn's ear these faint words were almost inaudible.
For long moments he remained silent while everything around him was completely enshrouded in an uniform gray.
"Maybe you were only a mirage after all, maybe both of us are."
Murmured Kull of Valusia, briefly awakening in his bed before returning to sleep, casting away the bad dreams that plagued his restless nights.



Now Kairn was completely encircled by spiraling tongues of thick fog that coiled around his body, sending cold chills down his spine.
Finding that humid contact repulsive he tried to dispel that ominous fog to no avail.
The more he waved his arms the more the spires seemed to gain consistency, after few seconds he was struggling to breathe under the suffocating embrace of steel of the insubstantial fog.
Then, he saw, deep into the mist, as from a distant galaxy, the green of two giant slit eyes pointed at him, at that moment he was invested by a wave of such malevolence that made him sick.

"You were wise in not accepting the constrictions of the delusions of long dead fools."
These words resounded in Kairn's mind as sibilant whispers.
"Heed my proposal young Cimmerian, I can grant you the fulfillment of your wildest desires, riches and power beyond the grasp of the most powerful emperor or daring conqueror, you have only to provide me the blood sacrifices that I will request of you."

The fight was continuing from the breaking of dawn, now the sunset was drawing long shadows over the battlefield, for interminable hours the enemy armies clashed, Kairn clad in his black armor couldn't recount all the enemies his axe felled that day, he continued to advance towards the enemy commander, leaving behind a bloody trail of mutilated corpses.

"The blood of your enemies will satisfy me."

Covered in robes richly embroidered with gems and gold adequate to his status of emperor Kairn entered the royal seraglio were his concubines were eagerly awaiting for him, their bodies covered only by semitransparent veils of the finest silk that enhanced the glittering of perfumed oils and exotic essences with which they coated themselves in preparation of the games of love they were ready to perform for their king.

"We are allies, not adversaries."

The horse calmly advances through the destroyed village, Kairn observed the signs of carnage all around him with sinister satisfaction, his orders had been carried out with admirable zeal.

"Join me." Suavely said the voice of the Serpent.

The arena where Kairn was seated was in an uproar, never such a magnificent spectacle had been offered to them, a parade of beautiful dancers and courageous gladiators, exotic animals, and the display of the most exquisite tortures inflicted upon innocents and culprits alike for the enjoyment of Kairn' subjects.

"Join me." Ringed in his ears as the toll of thousand bells.

The mouth of the concubines were caressing the statuary body of Kairn, inflaming his virility, in front of him a nude slave was bound to the bed supine.
"She is the virgin daughter of the foolish ruler that opposed you my king, I asked the guards to bring her here for your leisure."
The one who spoke was Kairn's favorite.
"And here are the tools for you to fully enjoy yourself."
She said while indicating an array of whips and other instruments displayed on a rack against the wall.


"Join me." Commanded the voice.

As a thunder the voice of uncounted legions greeted the appearance of the king, Kairn watched from the top of the hill where he was the ocean of steel blades honoring him.

"Join me." Roared the snake.

After delirious moments Kairn regained his lucidity, and observed in horror that the fog was quickly dispersing revealing the contour of the abomination Man knows as the Serpent.
In few moment it would have been fully visible, a sight that would have cost the Cimmerian his soul, of this Kairn became acutely aware every passing moment.

"Join me, or pay the price." Said the voice hissing viscidly.


25030.jpg

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

A)Accept the offer, and the world will be yours.

B)Spits in its face, you are no one pawn.B Won.

C)Try to wake from this nightmare before is too late.
 
Last edited:

oscar

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No we should have listened to Kull! :(

B! Death to the reptilians!

(though I am curious to see what would happen..)
 

Jick Magger

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PC RPG Website of the Year, 2015 Serpent in the Staglands Shadorwun: Hong Kong Divinity: Original Sin 2 Bubbles In Memoria
In my experience with High Fantasy deals with demons rarely go our way, especially if the demon in question is a snake.

I'll go with C, I'd rather remain unaffiliated with anybody for now, while at the same time not pissing off any demonic forces.
 

Kz3r0

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Jick_Magger_101 said:
In my experience with High Fantasy deals with demons rarely go our way, especially if the demon in question is a snake.

I'll go with C, I'd rather remain unaffiliated with anybody for now, while at the same time not pissing off any demonic forces.
Welcome and thank for your vote.
However, more than high fantasy the reference for this LP is Howard's work, even if demons and gods make their appearance this doesn't mean that they rule the day, also, I thought that maybe Players would have been interested in becoming a bloodthirsty barbarian who sacrifice young virgins to the nether gods.
And just to clarify, for the non initiated, in Howard's work the struggle between the Serpent and Man is more about conflicting species than good and evil in the usual sense.


PS:
While we are at it, Wulfen's thread is open to vote too, just saying. :M
 

laclongquan

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Why on Earth would we want to ally with the Serpent? Power? Conquest? We will have all that. Just rejecting the ancients' way doesnt mean we will fully capitulate to ancients' enemy. Fallen into their grasp is just the same as accept the ancient way, though to the opposite extreme.

No no, we are not the hidebound conservative that fight/surrender to the Serpent. We are the new blood that will find another road.

And of course we are not the teenager acting rashly, either. before we know what we are doing, acting extreme might well get us killed.

Wake up, you!
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Breaking Axe

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laclongquan said:
Why on Earth would we want to ally with the Serpent? Power? Conquest? We will have all that. Just rejecting the ancients' way doesnt mean we will fully capitulate to ancients' enemy. Fallen into their grasp is just the same as accept the ancient way, though to the opposite extreme.

No no, we are not the hidebound conservative that fight/surrender to the Serpent. We are the new blood that will find another road.

And of course we are not the teenager acting rashly, either. before we know what we are doing, acting extreme might well get us killed.

Wake up, you!
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC

I'm kind of hoping that we loose our soul and have to journey far to the south into the heart of Stygia in order to wrest it from the grasp of some foul sorcerer.
 

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