Myth: A New Age CYOA

[Nevill]

Spoiler

The Pathfinders used up quite a bit of their remaining weaponry and you lost about a dozen people in total between the charioteers, your Stoneheim group and the Arrows.

Spoiler

Did they at least do something useful with it? I haven't noticed them throughout the update.

Also, could you please detail the losses a bit more? I am mostly concerned about our own company here - we've lost over 30 people from our Myrgard division, so every man stings a bit. It also would be nice to know if the Arrows didn't lose too many of their elites. I grew quite fond of them.

Overall, not too shabby for a battle with 6-to-1 odds... or how many of our people were there?

A pair of questions.

The simplest way through it would be to exhaust her opponent, keep up a stream of fire that would burn through her reserves as quickly as possible. It would eat up a lot of her power though. Alternatively she could try out her aphids though it is likely that they too would be blown off course. No, this is not a problem she can easily solve on her own, but then maybe she does not have to.

Is it a poor tactical assessment on Lyssa's part, or do I not understand something about our aphids? If she stopped dropping cocktails for a minute, the enemy would have to drop the spell, as they were maintaining it for the sole purpose of protecting themselves. Then the aphids would have had a clear shot at the whole bunch of enemy mages. Are they really that noticeable that the mages would have time and wits to recognize them and blow them away? I thought they were just flies.

Deumus made him light as a feather

Is it a physical spell, is it a popular (as in 'not obscure') spell, and where one might learn it? I have some wicked ideas. :D

She [Gullveig] drew up a list this morning, a habit she developed long ago, to better stoke the flames of her anger, to sharpen the edge of her ambition.

My understanding is that the enemy fled immediately after Gullveig's death and didn't have time (or reason) to pack their things. Is Gullveig's command tent still standing? Can we check what's inside? The late Shade had a habit of writing some of her thoughts down to motivate herself, and perhaps it might shed a light on our situatiuon here.

It should not take long to see if there is anything of value in there.

 

[Grimgravy]

F
Ai

 

[Jester]

1) H) Derryth, girls and spell casting mice to D [Ring Bestial Tongue to communicate with mice, girls in case we need help able to keep secret to do something there (we want that room to remain secret)]
Thais, slow forces and part of arrows as backup to B (Ring Heal if either Bari or best tracker were in need of medical attention)
Lyssa, Berthy, Argus, pathfinders, chariots and mobile forces to little undead hunting game [one eagle here, Argus and pathfinders are occupied so we can investigate secrets privately (they are part o king forces alter all)]
Rest of arrows as fort garrison in case of new arrivals

2)A I - Mazzarin? know something we dont. Still i am not sure if he is correct about king, lets check it shall we?

Yep maximum free forming babe.

 

[Fangshi]

Can't we ask Calaeno who gave her the second letter, how did they get their hands on her, and where has she been all this time?

She says Mazzarin gave her the letter. She was flying back to the fort a few days ago when she was gently plucked out of the air and brought to the archmage. The next thing she remembers she was flying over the fort with two letters instead of just one.

Also check her for unusual mental activities indicating false memories or perhaps some triggers.

You probe her mind and can safely say that her memories of the last few days are not false. You know this because she has no memories of the last few days, her mind has been wiped clean and there is not even a trace of what she experienced since she was brought to Mazzarin.

As for triggers they might be there but you can not detect anything which proves nothing as Mazzarin is far more skilled than you are. You are confident that if he wanted to he could easily hide a trigger from you, alternatively he might have done nothing and instead wants you to distrust your eagle to reduce your confidence in your animal agent, or maybe- Thaïs puts a quick stop to your paranoid musings before things start to get out of hand...

Spoiler

Did they at least do something useful with it? I haven't noticed them throughout the update.

Also, could you please detail the losses a bit more? I am mostly concerned about our own company here - we've lost over 30 people from our Myrgard division, so every man stings a bit. It also would be nice to know if the Arrows didn't lose too many of their elites. I grew quite fond of them.

Overall, not too shabby for a battle with 6-to-1 odds... or how many of our people were there?

Spoiler

Ah, sort of. They slowed down the enemy's retreat by quite a bit as the thrall columns could not simply march through your minefields so there was that. They also are responsible for a decent chunk of the enemy's dead though they did not get very many mages. They had no real way to tell the real thralls from the fake ones so most of what they achieved was simply luck.

You did not lose any of your Myrgard people but you did lose a few from your Stoneheim reinforcements, you lost two human sellswords and about six dwarven warriors all told. Most died to the javelins of the soulless.

Ceannard lost a few more men, mostly recruits, and a few more charioteers died but like I said, casualties were low.

Well you had the reinforcements, the Pathfinders and Berty, your group of mounted archers and the like, and Lyssa's team up in the balloon so you were quite outnumbered.

Is it a poor tactical assessment on Lyssa's part, or do I not understand something about our aphids? If she stopped dropping cocktails for a minute, the enemy would have to drop the spell, as they were maintaining it for the sole purpose of protecting themselves. Then the aphids would have had a clear shot at the whole bunch of enemy mages. Are they really that noticeable that the mages would have time and wits to recognize them and blow them away? I thought they were just flies.

Aphids are quite small and not terribly heavy. They would not fall straight down if thrown from that height which means she would likely have to drop the entire container of them if she wanted to actually hit her target and that would be enough to provoke another casting of Strong Wind.

Is it a physical spell, is it a popular (as in 'not obscure') spell, and where one might learn it? I have some wicked ideas. :D

It is a physical spell and it is common enough I suppose, depending on which exact variety of the spell you want. Lazy mages often use it to avoid having to climb stairs and the like. Different versions have different secondary effects as well but Derryth is not really an expert (or even terribly knowledgeable) about that field so you would need to seek out someone that could give you a bit of guidance.

One would learn such a spell from one of the schools that specializes in it though most schools guard their spell lists quite jealously. It might also be possible to find a scroll in the right markets but that largely comes down to luck. There are likely other ways of learning such a spell as well.

My understanding is that the enemy fled immediately after Gullveig's death and didn't have time (or reason) to pack their things. Is Gullveig's command tent still standing? Can we check what's inside? The late Shade had a habit of writing some of her thoughts down to motivate herself, and perhaps it might shed a light on our situation here.

It should not take long to see if there is anything of value in there.

Let's see...

Yes, you find what look to be a large number of lists composed of names and numbers. You think a few of them are casualty reports and some of them seem to be the usual mage 'Enemy Lists'. You will never understand why some people feel the need to write down who they hate, are they really going to forget? You push away the lists and find what looks to be a diary or a spellbook buried underneath. However, everything is written in a language you are unfamiliar with, if you want to study the papers you can but it might help to locate a linguist to help you translate them first.

1) H) Derryth, girls and spell casting mice to D [Ring Bestial Tongue to communicate with mice, girls in case we need help able to keep secret to do something there (we want that room to remain secret)]
Thais, slow forces and part of arrows as backup to B (Ring Heal if either Bari or best tracker were in need of medical attention)
Lyssa, Berthy, Argus, pathfinders, chariots and mobile forces to little undead hunting game [one eagle here, Argus and pathfinders are occupied so we can investigate secrets privately (they are part o king forces alter all)]
Rest of arrows as fort garrison in case of new arrivals

Added.

 

[archaen]

I'm pretty sure the rings are instant spells only and the bestial tongue spell will only last for one word Jester.

I vote G Ai Aii

 

[Jester]

I'm pretty sure the rings are instant spells only and the bestial tongue spell will only last for one word Jester.

If true scratch that part of plan.

 

[Fangshi]

Yeah, the rings are limited to instant spells so I will remove that part.

 

[Nevill]

She says Mazzarin gave her the letter. She was flying back to the fort a few days ago when she was gently plucked out of the air and brought to the archmage. The next thing she remembers she was flying over the fork with two letters instead of just one.

Wait, do I read it correctly? She was flying to the fort several days ago with the letter from Albrecht?

The same letter that said his forces would be with us in a day or two? When Argus said there were problems with sending us reinforcements three days ago?

It does not add up. Unless the army was sent our way right after we sent out our representatives, but never reached us for some reason. Or unless it was never sent to us in the first place. Or unless Calaeno's perception of time is majorly screwed. Or unless there is a mistake somewhere.

Aphids are quite small and not terribly heavy. They would not fall straight down if thrown from that height which means she would likely have to drop the entire container of them if she wanted to actually hit her target and that would be enough to provoke another casting of Strong Wind.

Hey, I don't disagree with the results, and I think we were very successful, all things considered. Still, I'd like to better understand this bit. It might affect some of our future plans.

I though of the aphids as a sort of a homing missile that locks on its target after being released. Why would they need to be dropped? Why couldn't they just fly straight down to their targets? It makes no difference if they have to travel the distance horizontally (if we were on the ground) or vertically (as was the case here), right? Unless I am misunderstanding some basic principle they work on.

You think a few of them are casualty reports and some of them seem to be the usual mage 'Enemy Lists'. You will never understand why some people feel the need to write down who they hate, are they really going to forget? You push away the lists and find what looks to be a diary or a spellbook buried underneath. However, everything is written in a language you are unfamiliar with, if you want to study the papers you can but it might help to locate a linguist to help you translate them first.

Let's keep both the enemy lists and the casualty reports, too. The first ones might provide us with a list of potential allies (though it is likely to consist mostly of the other Shades ), and the second might come in handy to determine the overall composition of the Watcher's forces prior to the attack. This information can be extrapolated if we come upon his other armies.

2)A I - Mazzarin? know something we dont. Still i am not sure if he is correct about king, lets check it shall we?

Why not ask Albrecht directly, too, then? At the very least you would be able to see if he is lying to you or not.

Also, guys, if we end up sending away all three of our eagles, I suggest establishing shifts and having a pair of our men on patrol in the air balloon with a spyglass. We don't want to be caught unaware if anything interesting happens.

 

[Baltika9]

E X

 

[Absinthe]

G

Aii Aiv Av

We need to inform Albrecht and the army. That army will not be happy to arrive on a battlefield where they're no longer needed.

Also:

To My Dear Associates,

I would love to see you again and catch up a little.

That does not sound like Mazzarin. That sounds like The White Mage.

Aii is the only option right now since our eagles are getting intercepted, and I don't want The White Mage to learn our condition (Ai) or have an eagle fly right into his hands (Aiii).

 

[Fangshi]

Wait, do I read it correctly? She was flying to the fort several days ago with the letter from Albrecht?

The same letter that said his forces would be with us in a day or two? When Argus said there were problems with sending us reinforcements three days ago?

It does not add up. Unless the army was sent our way right after we sent out our representatives, but never reached us for some reason. Or unless Calaeno's perception of time is majorly screwed. Or unless there is a mistake somewhere.

Well by a few days she means three so she left on the same day that your representatives arrived. Other than that possible misunderstanding there is no mistake.

I though of the aphids as a sort of a homing missile that locks on its target after being released. Why would they need to be dropped? Why couldn't they just fly straight down to their targets? It makes no difference if they have to travel the distance horizontally (if we were on the ground) or vertically (as was the case here), right? Unless I am misunderstanding some basic principle they work on.

The problem with using them came mostly from Lyssa's own Strong Wind spell which was necessary to ensure the enemy could not hit you with their spells (now they did not really have anything they could hit you with anyway even if Lyssa had not used the spell but there was no way for her to know that), however there were also more mundane factors as well and the height she was operating at did alter things a fair bit.

My understanding is that aphids are more likely to glide on strong winds than try to fly against them and Lyssa was operating at a decent height in a high wind (wind gradient and ridge lines play a role here alongside more magical factors). To get those aphids anywhere close to where they needed to be they would need to be shielded somehow until they neared the surface and could properly try to fly toward their target. Now anything that could get them to their target was also likely to be blown off course by the enemy caster's Strong Wind spell. So she decided against using them.

Let's keep both the enemy lists and the casualty reports, too. The first ones might provide us with a list of potential allies (though it is likely to consist mostly of the other Shades ), and the second might come in handy to determine the overall composition of the Watcher's forces prior to the attack. This information can be extrapolated if we come upon his other armies.

Sure, you can keep all of the documents if you want unless there are any objections (for example if someone just wants to burn them all).


Current Tally:

Spoiler

asxetos 1.F 2.Ai,Aiii
Nevill 1.G 2. Ai,Aii,Aiv
Kz3r0 1.G 2.Aii,Aiv,Av
Grimgravy 1.F 2.Ai
Jester 1.H 2.Ai
archaen 1.G 2.Ai,Aii,Aiv
Baltika9 1.E 2.x
Absinthe 1.G 2.Aii,Aiv,Av

1.
A)
B)
C)
D)
E) 1 vote
F) 2 votes
G) 4 votes
H) 1 vote

2. 1 abstain
A) 7 votes
i. 5/7 votes
ii. 4/7 votes
iii. 1/7 votes
iv. 4/7 votes
v. 2/7 votes
B)

 

[Absinthe]

Fangshi, I'd like to add Av so we send two eagles to Albrecht by different paths.

Paging Nevill, Kz3r0, Grimgravy, Jester, archaen: This letter seems to have been written by The White Mage. (Seriously, we pissed off Mazzarin pretty big last time we met. There is no way he would be so fond of us.) If TWM is intercepting our mail, the only eagle(s) we should send is Aii/Aiv/Av (ie. make sure they know about our situation). Everything else risks the eagles and the information they carry.

 

[Fangshi]

Fangshi, I'd like to amend my second vote to 2C - send two eagles to Albrecht by different paths.

Sure, I will add the option.

 

[Nevill]

I suspected the White Mage, too, until I read this line.

You pop the letter open to the sound of horns, actual horns, and let out a slight groan.

He would have to know Mazzarin quite intimately if he can nail down that little detail.

I mean, who would even have an imagination to assume someone's manners can be that gaudy?

Though there is an implication that we should go there because of the mystery, a sense of adventure, and a promise of a surprise. No thank you.

Still, I don't think it makes sense for us to send an eagle there. Even if it really is Mazzarin, if he wants to tell us something, he evidently has the means to contact us. If he wants to meet us in person, which is what is written in the letter - well, we aren't going, so it's useless. If he wants to keep whatever happens there a secret, he can mindwipe the eagle without much problem like he already did.

I understand the curiosity, but I can see no reason to indulge it. If the mage thinks we need to be told certain things, he can tell us (though I don't think he would if we continue to ignore his advice). If he doesn't, he can hide them. I don't see us having a say in the matter.

If it isn't Mazzarin, then it is the White Mage, and I don't want our eagles near that.

Still, I'd like to know what happened to the army if they are more than a day late.

I suppose I'll add
Aiv. Send an eagle to search for the army supposedly heading our way, and if they find it, contact Lords Welf and Hesse to inform them that the undead threat is dealt with. Request an update from them, too. The more people we receive information from, the easier it is for us to get an objective picture.

 

[Absinthe]

Mazzarin has been around for ages and The White Mage is a pretty big fan of his:

Then came my first meeting with those delightful mages. My first defeat in an age, only true mages, only minds honed and trained by the greatest of archmages (the 'master's' pride be damned for the Enemy is the greatest of mages indeed), I say only minds trained by Mazzarin himself could have been so devious, so clever, to trap me with a truth presented as a lie and meant to be more than a mere distraction! A trap within a trap, a brilliant deception!

Knowing The White Mage's obsessions, I would not be surprised if he would know these kinds of details. And despite Mazzarin's sense of flamboyance, after the ridicule we gave him for it last time, I think he might send us something more austere. Plus, I cannot imagine Mazzarin suddenly being so very fond of us. We pissed him off something fierce last time we met (we ridiculed him, denied him the opportunity to eradicate three of his archenemies, and then took his apprentice). On top of that, if the watcher's amulet is any indication, Mazzarin could just contact us through our amulets instead of bothering with mail.

Also, flopping to Aii, Aiv, Av.

 

[Nevill]

Well, the letter is written ambiguously. There isn't anything in it that would suggest a sincere fondness, and Mazzarin fancies himself a gentleman - a mask that quickly comes off in a moment of anger, but he still found it in himself to 'thank' his saviors (while putting a leash on them) and part graciously. It is how he does things.

Still, the tone of the letter is unusual, the contents even more so, and mindwiping Calaeno so that she has no memory of the event is too suspicious to accept it as a legitimate warning.

I can see two possibilities here.

That the letter from Albrecht is fake and the army was never sent out. I can't see a reason behind this except for maybe make his word look worthless in our eyes. I find it highly unlikely, though, since the siege is now over and we are not reliant on Albrecht to survive - so we can have a luxury of verifying it with him instead of acting on impulse.

And that the letter from Albrecht is real, and the army got into an ambush. I can hardly imagine what forces the Watcher (?) have left to even make it possible. Yes, there is a Hound on the loose, and there are robed figures on the roads, but are there enough to take on an army?

Since the eagle was intercepted on the way to us, an interference from another force seems likely. That lends more credit to the version where the sender of the second letter was the TWM, especially coupled with his continued absense when we know there is no place he would rather be but near us.

I feel that we need to send an eagle there in case they need our help. Nevertheless, instruct her to be wary of potential foul play. These reinforcements may not be what they seem.

Also, I would like to amend Aii to also include informing Albrecht that his reinforcements didn't arrive even after 3 days. I think he needs to know that.

 

[Absinthe]

I don't want Ai to win right now because we cannot afford to have that kind of confidential information leak to The White Mage. Could you drop that vote, Nevill?

 

[Nevill]

No. I don't see the harm unless you explain it to me.

There is nothing confidential in our dealings with Mayer. Everyone in the city knows about our cooperation, wihat with him fighting over the property with the Great Houses on our behalf. It really does not harm us if someone learns he invested 600 WPs of our money to gain further 120 WPs of monthly income, or whatever it would be in his letter.

And as for the situation, TWM knows it far better than we do, with the army of the Watcher's cultists in the city. There is not much information we can leak to him.

The way I see it, we diversify our news sourses and make sure at least some of the information will reach us unaltered. It isn't much different from sending several eagles to Albrecht that you proposed, except we also send them to different targets as well.

Also, for the moment we can easily see which of our eagles were tampered with, so there is that.

 

[Absinthe]

What is confidential is the exact list and state of our assets, along with whatever more secret information Mayer can inform us about the situation on Myrgard. Our assets are important because if we cannot pay off our debt we become persona non grata fast. It's an easy way to busy and possibly even get rid of us. The bigger issue is that Ai asks Mayer for confidential information on Albrecht and the state of Myrgard. If this information falls into TWM's hands, then considering TWM tried to kill Albrecht before, he would definitely use this info to inflict as much damage as possible.

 

[Kz3r0]

Amended my vote to send two eagles to the king and send another to intercept reinforcements.

 

[Nevill]

We don't need an exact list and state of our assets, and even if we did, this information can easily be procured by interested parties.

And there is no 'secret' information Mayer could know about that we need to be in the letter. We aren't requesting some evidence that would compromise the crown. We just need an opinion of a man who isn't involved in political plays. Much as I respect Albrecht, I can not, and will not, completely trust everything he says, as he have manipulated us to his own benefit and will undoubtedly do so again.

In this case, Mayer is a neutral party, so I'd like to hear his take. His version of the events is unlikely to be coloured by his own political affiliations, for he, unlike Albrecht and his loyal Lords, has none.

Sorry, I am not convinced that we should refuse an independent opinion just because it can be read by our enemies.

I am afraid, though, that the option to send two eagles to Albrecht interferes with the option to send even one, creating a scenario where neither C, nor Aii wins. I propose renaming C to:

Av - Send a second eagle to Albrecht by a different path.

That way those who agree with your points could vote Aii Aiv Av, and we can at least compromise on Aii.

 

[Absinthe]

Nevill, the letter to Mayer is asking for a candid update on the situation in Myrgard and information about our finances and investments. Yes, we are going to get specific info. That's what Ai is asking for. And Mayer is the sort of man who knows secrets because that is a good part of how he stays on top in his line of work.

Now, I am not saying we shouldn't talk with Mayer. I'm saying we should talk in person, not over mail we know is getting intercepted.

Fangshi, can we interpret C votes as Aii+Av like Nevill suggests?

 

[Nevill]

Hey, I was the one who suggested Ai, you know? I am saying that I do not need the specifics about our investments.

I see no harm in a general report like this:

Mayer has sent you his report on his efforts to secure property for you. He has spent 200 WPs worth of the funds you gave him and has secured properties that should bring in an estimated 45 WPs monthly while only annoying a couple of competitors.

There is a chance that we'll have to remain in the fort for a while longer, so I think there is a benefit in being able to alter Mayer's strategy if we find out things aren't going according to our plan.

Regardless, I added this bit as an afterthought, as the main reason to send an eagle to Mayer for me was his complete honesty with us and the lack of diplomatic embellishments. If there is a pill for us to swallow, we can be sure he won't sugar-coat it.

Of course Mayer knows 'secrets' and has information that can be harmful to Albrecht, he told us as much. The thing is, we aren't asking for it, and we have no need of it. So I find these fears about Mayer a bit premature. He isn't too stupid to understand that an eagle can be intercepted even via mundane means - anyone can shoot a bird down if they luck out, for example. We knew as much when we wrote our letter to Gareth, that's why we avoided mentioning certain topics.

So, no, we are not receiving anything scandalous.

I view being able to communicate over large distances as more important than mail security, simple as that.

I suppose you can give your recipients hints - or an outrght warning - that the mail can be viewed by outsiders. For the purposes I am using it for, it makes no difference at all.

Also, Fangshi, is there a 'Bullshit Tactics' skill? Because I feel like we are steadily becoming more and more proficient with it.

 

[archaen]

For my vote add Aiv. Has Berty finally warmed to us? We have shown him loyalty to our troops and is probably thinking "Why do they need me as an insurgent tactical tutor when they got this shit down pat?

 

[Nevill]

I'd like to remind everyone that we still need the army to garrison our fort. I would feel very uneasy leaving about 40 mercs to defend it with the TWM and his Hounds around. We've lost enough people already.

I still think we should turn in into an outpost.

Therefore, even if there is nothing to fight, I think we might want Welf and Hesse to make it to the fort. Only then I would feel confident enough about the safety of our mercenaries to return to Myrgard.