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Myth: A New Age CYOA

Fangshi

Arcane
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Jan 9, 2014
Messages
1,997
Jester said:
Oh and Fangshi i demand update of all rodent factions we met in here: "Known Organizations and their Relations with the Lost (based on last known information):".

Nevill said:
I second this. :)

Sure, I will add them sometime today when I have a moment to flip through the file.

Edit:
Alright, I have added the rodents of the Fort to the faction list. Though doing so has probably raised more questions than it answered... If anyone has any questions then feel free to ask.

Kipeci said:
Will this improve our mercenary company's reputation, by the way? The caliber of foes here seems a bit higher up than highway robbers, so playing up the role of our men in this would probably turn out to our benefit.

It might. It will depend on how the story gets told and who is doing the telling. Some of the Lords might argue that there never was a danger to begin with and that you were only fighting lesser talents. They will demand physical proof of the presence of a Shade which will be difficult for you to provide, however you do have a lot of witnesses (though none of them are neutral parties) and Albrecht might be interested in spreading your story through his network of agents.

Jester said:
Hmm when we wake up inventor mby we can ask her to make miniature gliders and invigilator tools for rodent commando. We could find some plant wizard to make uber crops yields plants, might be nice business.

I will add them to the R&D list when you next get a chance to advance the timeline provided you have the time and resources necessary.

Current Tally:

Azira DD
Nevill DD
Kz3r0 DD
Jester DD
Grimgravy CC
archaen DD

1.
A)
B)
C) 1 vote
D) 5 votes

2.
A)
B)
C) 1 vote
D) 5 votes
 
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Jester

Arbiter
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Mar 24, 2013
Messages
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Hmm other idea of mua is to ask Lyssa to research anti-undead spells based on her knowledge of necromancy. They tend to be our dates usually. Still it need secret, secure facility with no second guessers of ethical implications of said pursuit. Usually people who cant say FOR SCIENCE! end up messing everything.
 

archaen

Cipher
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At this point we just need to rout the enemy forces and get back to the city. I have a feeling any plans we make are going to be dashed fairly quickly.
 

Nevill

Arcane
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Messages
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Shadorwun: Hong Kong
I just want to see what our money situation is.

inb4 Mayer acquired a property that gives us 500 WPs a month and we are at -100 with all the major houses. :lol:

I also hope dealing with the merchants will prove easier than with the mercs and no Fallen Lords will be involved this time.
 
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Nevill

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Shadorwun: Hong Kong
Alright, I have added the rodents of the Fort to the faction list. Though doing so has probably raised more questions than it answered... If anyone has any questions then feel free to ask.
The Soft Paws: neutral (+5)
The Long Tails: neutral (+5)
The Blind Brothers: neutral (+5)
The Three Families: neutral (+5)
The Ratguard: neutral (+5)
The Observers: neutral (+5)
The Clan of the Coin: neutral (+5)
The Clan of the Shell: neutral (+5)
The Clan of the Seed: neutral (+5)
The Ninety Nine Thieves: neutral (+5)
The Greys: neutral (+5)
I don't even. :? Who are these guys and what are their relations to each other?

Do we have a rat infestation problem? With names like Ninety Nine Thieves around I think we do. Perhaps we should rethink rat diplomacy. :lol:

Which factions do our mice belong to?
 

Jester

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Suddenly i am more interested in rat factions than main plot. I love P&P games and creative solutions.
 

Nevill

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Shadorwun: Hong Kong
Next chapter should all be about rat politics. Let's take micromanagement to an unprecedented level!
 

Kipeci

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Vicksburg
Remind me again, why are we giving the rats fancy cheese and so on instead of threatening them with our various powers, eagles, and so on? Maybe we could establish some sort of competition between them and other animal servants; whoever serves best gets more resources, instead of just promising the moon to everyone for doing something.
 

Nevill

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Shadorwun: Hong Kong
Remind me again, why are we giving the rats fancy cheese and so on instead of threatening them with our various powers, eagles, and so on?
Jeez, I don't know.

Maybe because we have established for ourselves that the best allies are the ones who serve willingly ever since we released Amena and Ithapi back in Chapter 1.

Or maybe because we've spent a whole week trying to establish a working relationship with them, which won us the siege in the end.

Or maybe because we might want our agents to come back next time we send them on a mission instead of deserting us.

Or maybe because threatening the ghols with various powers and the Hounds didn't turn out all that well for the Watcher.

Or maybe because we are about to breed intelligent spell-casting mice that might not take kindly to the enslavement of their lesser brethren.

Nah, must be because we are a friend to all living things and to spite Smashing Axe. That's all there is to it.
 
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archaen

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I agree with kipeci that the rats/mice demands are getting ridiculous. We should breed our own as familiars, reward the ones that killed the shade, and tell the others to get in line or we can make some weasel friends instead. We are willing to work with them and let them be if they will take the initiative to help defend their home. If the keep would have fallen then they would have quickly turned into dominated undead rats like the ones in the wagons. No more offspring and all their so called culture wiped away. We merely drafted them into the defense of their home and they treat us like we are asking for their next 100 unborn children for simple tasks.
 

Nevill

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Shadorwun: Hong Kong
If the keep would have fallen then they would have quickly turned into dominated undead rats like the ones in the wagons. No more offspring and all their so called culture wiped away.
Not quite. Rats are beneath anyone's notice, and they prosper under the Fallen Lords just as well as they do under us. The fort have fallen twice in the last two weeks, and nothing have changed for them significantly.

We aren't sure what happened to the rats in the wagons or to our hares, so we can't argue that point. The hares weren't undead, that much is certain. And for all we know, the sieging equipment in those wagons would not have been stationed in the fort (what for?), so nothing would have happened to them.

They are not particularly interested in which side wins, so the most obvious way to make them side with us is to promise them payment.

Now, their demands may be unreasonable, but no one forces us to make use of them.
 

archaen

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I am still pretty convinced the TWM walking around with that giant piece of the watcher would have been bad for their health. And if the caster mice would have been caught by TWM you know the entire mouse population would have been dominated and experimented on to just relieve his boredom for five seconds.
 

Nevill

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I am still pretty convinced the TWM walking around with that giant piece of the watcher would have been bad for their health.
We didn't sense it until he took it out, and our dwarves are absolutely fine even after being exposed to it. No, it isn't the Watcher's fragment that have affected the zombie rats and our hares, but that thing we sensed behind the Drowned Dead:
The signal Thaïs is fighting splits, first into two, then three, then six and finally nine. Nine incredibly weak signals. Each of the new signals would barely be worth your attention, such weak signals hardly even rate as actual talents, and yet you sense danger here. There is something else as well, something dark, watery, deep and eternally hungry.
[...]
It takes everything the signals have to keep your friend contained, to drag her slowly towards the wet, looming darkness.
What that thing is, though, is yet remains to be seen.

The caster mice are a special case, and they have demands of their own, which are far from unreasonable. They have promised us their service in return for the drug. The ones who are 'getting out of line' are regular rats - and they aren't all that bright to think too far ahead about their futures and weigh all the risks. You want something from them, they want something from you - that's as far as their brain can work.

It's your right if you don't like their attitude, but to antagonize them after they have proven their worth as agents would be exceptionally stupid.
 
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archaen

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I am not saying we should antagonize them, but for a special order of stinky cheese we should get all the information they have about everyone in the keep for as far back as their communal memory goes. Their terms are just ridiculous.
 

Nevill

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Shadorwun: Hong Kong
Well, yes. It is also stupid to allow rodents dictate us terms.

I guess if we pose it as 'either this, or nothing', they might come to their senses. Or not. I don't have a degree in rat psychology. :lol:
 
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archaen

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So you would get behind the cheese for the answers to both questions or go pound sand?

I also have no problem with Nevills additions for Lyssas balloon run in case Fangshi is counting.
 

Nevill

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Shadorwun: Hong Kong
2. For question two they want 10kgs of cheese imported from Bibbiano in the south of the Province. You could probably acquire some in Myrgard though it would be a bit expensive. Since you have been fair with them so far they will accept your 'word of honour' on the deal. If you agree they will give you three weeks to acquire the cheese, or else...
I didn't even consider it, as I thought it was an obvious over-the-top demand, like the one we received when we asked them to check the crates. I felt it was the DM's way of saying 'stop making animals do your job for you and do your own research'. :)

1. For question one they want your assurance that no cat or feline aligned party will be allowed access to the fort without at least two guards and a forty eight hour notice given in advance.
This, however, I didn't see as all that outrageous, since I didn't intend to introduce cats to the fort with our spellcasting mice.

If you want to haggle down the price on the basis that they can get what we offer or scram, that's fine with me, too. I figured it isn't too hard for us to find out the fate of the missing dwarves - they likely fled to Myrgard if they are alive, - so I am alright with either outcome.
 

Azira

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Codex 2012
I wouldn't give up on introducing cats to the fortress, given it's the right type of cat.

In fact, spellcasting rodents are awesome. But why stop there? Why not get spellcasting felines as well? Canines? Why not extend the experimentation upon the eagles too?
I understand the short lifecycles of rodents make them interesting testbeds, but once you get the theory down, you'd be silly not to expand your menagerie zoo circle of allies.
 

Nevill

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Shadorwun: Hong Kong
xD. Because I want to see the Ratguard putting filthy cats in their place.
A new era is coming!


In fact, spellcasting rodens are awesome. But why stop there? Why not get spellcasting felines as well?
Because if we don't make sure the experiment dies with us, we'll soon have a scenario where intelligent spell-casting species will displace their less able kinsmen. The effect it can have on an eco-system, hell, on the well-being of the species that are currently considered sentient (humans, dwarves, ghols and the like) is hard to predict. Given that Myth races tend to exterminate one another fighting for dominance more often than not, I'd rather not tempt the fate too much.

The option to kill the mice outright is not there for nothing.
 
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Baltika9

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Messages
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xD. Because I want to see the Ratguard putting filthy cats in their place.
A new era is coming!
Well, it is a New Age, after all.
1294314009_rat-attacks-cat.gif
 

Fangshi

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Jan 9, 2014
Messages
1,997
Nevill said:
Who are these guys and what are their relations to each other?

Okay, get ready for a lot of info you will never need to know... :lol:


Blackrock Rodents 101:

First off the clans can be divided into two large groups based on species:

The Soft Paws, Long Tails, Blind Brothers, Three Families, Ratguard and Observers are all mouse clans.

The Clan of the Coin, Shell, Seed, Ninety Nine Thieves and the Greys are all rat clans.

These clans are also further divided by geography into Inner and Outer clans. The Inner clans tend to be wealthier but the outer clans tend to be more hardy.

The Soft Paws, Long Tails, Blind Brothers, Three Families, Observers and the Clan of the Coin are all Inner Clans.

The Clan of the Shell, the Clan of the Seed, the Ninety Nine Thieves, the Greys and the Ratguard are all Outer Clans.

As should be clear the mice dominate the compound while the rats rule the outer buildings and courtyard. Each group is ruled by the head of the largest family in the clan. Leaders are chosen by popular acclaim and can be deposed by a majority vote. Sex is irrelevant when it comes to choosing a leader but all leaders must at least have one litter of pups. The logic is that a mouse or rat without children has no stake in the future of the clan and so can not be trusted to lead the clan.

Clan Specifics:

Inner Clans:

The Inner Clans tend to be wealthier and have access to specific resources that grant them an important place in the larger rodent society.

The Soft Paws are a large clan that claims the kitchens and adjoining storerooms of the compound as their territory. This grants the clan a great deal of power within the larger rodent society which they do not hesitate to exploit when they deem it necessary. They are big on soft power though and you will rarely see them go to war with another faction as they have far more to lose from hostilities than they have to gain. They were the driving force behind ending the war and establishing the Rodent Commonwealth that would govern the fort as a whole.

The Long Tails claim the cellars as their own and this gives them access to all the alcohol stored in the fort. They have built upon this fact to become the entertainers of the Rodent Commonwealth, they are master performers (singers, dancers, jugglers and the like). If a clan or group of clans plan to hold a festival or party then they will contract the Long Tails to provide the beverages and the entertainers. Some whisper that the Long Tails also have a darker side to them, it is said that if someone wants an assassin or a poisoner then one only has to go to the cellars and wait. If the Paws are the face of the Commonwealth then the Tails are its hands, they keep everything running smoothly.

The Blind Brothers occupy the fort's library and archives. They are not actually blind though most of them suffer from myopia to one degree or the other. They are the storytellers and the memory of the Fort, while most of the Clans know their own histories to a degree it is the Brothers (and Sisters) of this clan that keep the old stories of the mouse clans alive. They maintain strict neutrality in political affairs as they are often required to serve as judges and arbiters in matters that effect multiple clans or the fort as a whole. They are another 'pro-Commonwealth' faction.

The Three Families used to be the leaders of the entire fort. Each of the families controlled a single section of the fort (the towers, the compound and the courtyard). The Rat Invasion, the wars the followed and the new peace brought by the Commonwealth all served to greatly reduce their power base and they have lost all their territory with the exception of the armoury. At one point they attempted to reignite the wars and drive out the rats using dwarven explosives. Commonwealth agents, the Ratguard in particular, managed to stop this plot and secure the peace of the fort. The old leaders of the Three Families were exiled into the wilderness for their crimes and new leaders were elected. The new leaders have attempted to reform the reputation of their faction by utilizing the scrap metal they have easy access to, to improve the lives of all rodents. Their first invention 'the kernel popper' has been a resounding success.

The Observers are the scouts and spies of the Commonwealth. They are a small and nomadic clan that has been given the right to freely roam through the compound as they see fit by ancient rights. They know the tunnels better than any mice and if one needs to get around the fort quickly and avoid its dangers then one needs to hire an Observer. Beyond that little is known of them as they are very secretive. During the war with the rats it was their presence alone that prevented the fall of the compound when the fort was breached but no one knows how they fought off the much larger and more numerous rats and the Observers are not telling.

The Clan of the Coin is the only rat clan to live in the compound and they claim the treasury as their own. Most rodents care little for gold as it has few actual uses for them but the Gold-diggers love it. Supposedly they are the descendants of an expedition that attempted to dig into the compound during the wars. They got as far as the treasury and have spent years down their alone hunting insects and the like. They actually do quite a good trade digging out insects from the tunnels in the mountain and trading them to the mice above them for stolen gold and other necessities. As they rely on the mice to get them more gold they are strong supporters of the Commonwealth.

Outer Clans:

The Outer Clans tend to be the 'warriors' of the Commonwealth. They protect the fort and the other clans from cats, birds and other 'hated enemies', they also prevent infiltration or invasion by 'foreign' species.

The Clan of the Shell and the Clan of the Seed are the largest of the 'warrior' clans and they guard the walls in exchange for food and ale from the Inner Clans. They are large, fierce, but not terribly bright. In most other aspects they are completely average though they have historically occupied slightly different roles (The Clan of the Seed were at one point scavengers while the Clan of the Shell were robbers). They suffered heavy casualties during the war and are only now, nearly recovered.

The Ninety Nine Thieves are exactly what their name implies. The Thieves are small for rats and quite cunning, they are old rivals of the Observers and their battles during the war are the stuff of legend. These days if the Commonwealth wants something stolen, they contract the Thieves and the job will be done. They tend to hide in the walls of the servant quarters and the barracks, they are likely responsible for most of the items 'lost' by the mercenaries in the last few years.

The Greys are the most independent of the rat clans and they earn their name by having a disproportionate number of grey haired members. They occupy the stables and they were the leaders of the rat factions during the war. They mostly keep to themselves but enjoy good relations with most of the Inner Clans for the time being.

The Ratguard are the only mouse faction to be found outside of the compound and this fact has a lot to do with their name. They are a clan of dormice that used to serve one of the Three Families and that have inhabited the fort's gatehouse since rodent prehistory. Through much of their history they have been warriors by necessity; cats, falcons, eagles, lizards, they fight all comers and they have never given ground. So when the rats came they did what they have always done and dug in. They stood their ground as the other mouse clans were either wiped out or pushed back into the compound and they were largely successful.

For a year and a half they fought against the rats outnumbered and isolated without giving an inch. Three times the Greys offered them safe passage to the inner compound and three times they refused. Their captains vowed that no living rat would set foot within the gatehouse and they were true to their words, earning their new name as well. For this they have earned the eternal respect of their rat neighbours. The rats and mice might now be allies but the only mouse that a rat would consider their equal is a Ratguard mouse.

Generally speaking one Ratguard is seen as the equivalent of three rats or seven regular mice.


So that is a brief overview of the Rodent Commonwealth of Fort Blackrock. Any more questions? ;)



Re: the Rodent's demands

You can of course try to negotiate, some would even say that it is expected for you to haggle a little if you want their respect at all...
 
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Baltika9

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Jun 27, 2012
Messages
9,611
The Clan of the Coin is the only rat clan to live in the compound and they claim the treasury as their own. Most rodents care little for gold as it has few actual uses for them but the Gold-diggers love it. Supposedly they are the descendants of an expedition that attempted to dig into the compound during the wars. They got as far as the treasury and have spent years down their alone hunting insects and the like. They actually do quite a good trade digging out insects from the tunnels in the mountain and trading them to the mice above them for stolen gold and other necessities. As they rely on the mice to get them more gold then are strong supporters of the Commonwealth.
Let me get this straight. These dudes dig up insects and trade them for actual gold, which they then add to our treasury?
 

Fangshi

Arcane
Joined
Jan 9, 2014
Messages
1,997
Yes, but that is not how they see it.

For them they are trading fine delicacies for 'foreign' gold to add to their treasury.

However from a human perspective what is happening looks more like this:

The other clans steal gold from your employees which they then trade to the rats for bugs. The stolen gold is then deposited back in your treasury. Derryth finds it to be quite funny really... though your employees would not be terribly happy if they found out where their money was disappearing to.
 

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