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Myth: A New Age CYOA

Nevill

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Shadorwun: Hong Kong
They may not be our enemies, but we really don't need "allies" who'll abandon us without a word whenever they feel it's convenient.
Well, then you'd have to have a word with Gareth, too. Miosguinn did a good job for our team so far, and we can not afford to throw away resourses like that. If they are not our enemies, they'll have to do. Just keep an eye on them, and don't leave them on sentry duty or something.
 

Fangshi

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Messages
1,997
Nevill said:
nitpicking

;)

Sure, each choice has a variety of possible motivations but they still work together to a certain effect which is all I am saying. Had Derryth made different choices your introduction to and interaction with the Damned would have been quite different or you may not have met them at all. The choices exist within a larger matrix of ideas, they are not simply binary decisions of "good and bad".

Don't worry too much, Derryth is no pacifist or anything. If someone tries to kill her she will have no problem killing them. The choices will still reflect the current situation and she is admittedly rather spiteful.
 
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Erebus

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Well, then you'd have to have a word with Gareth, too. Miosguinn did a good job for our team so far, and we can not afford to throw away resourses like that. If they are not our enemies, they'll have to do. Just keep an eye on them, and don't leave them on sentry duty or something.

Remember : their stuff is gone. That clearly suggests they had decided to leave us and pursue their own goals before the attack happened. Our company may have been useful to them, but odds are they're now doing their own thing and don't care if we live or die. At the very least, if they do come back to us, we should ask them to show us everything they've found since the beginning of this mission, in order to check that they're not hiding something major.

We don't know yet why Gareth and Brigit weren't there during the battle. Maybe they were facing other dangers or maybe they didn't even realize the battle was happening. Neither can be true of Miosguinn.
 

Nevill

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Shadorwun: Hong Kong
Erebus said:
We don't know yet why Gareth and Brigit weren't there during the battle. Maybe they were facing other dangers or maybe they didn't even realize the battle was happening. Neither can be true of Miosguinn.
I am pretty certain they didn't realise the battle was happening:
Thaïs gives you a sly smile, "Well... Brigit and Gareth went off to check the building so we probably won't see them till tomorrow..."
In the end, the result is the same - because of their private reasons, they are not there when we need them.

I am fine with the Children doing their own thing and not caring about us, as long as their 'thing' is not targeted against us and does not directly endanger our expedition. This does not preclude us from working together until it is beneficial for both our teams.
 

Fangshi

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Messages
1,997
Chapter 13: Revelations

"Thaïs, I need more light here!" she brings the lantern closer to your patient, Jori the dwarf, currently resting on death's door. As she does so Amena hands you another mandrake root. Nine has been guiding you in their use but you are still wasting about half the energy in them, you simply do not have the skill that Serpent does.

You crack the root open and the magical energy pours forth into your hands, already it is dissipating. As Nine explained it, healing spells are bound up in notions of sacrifice, empathy and life. You think of spring, you think of fields in bloom, of the natural world under a warm sun and you cast. Ivory strings extend from your fingers, worming their way into the dwarf's wounds. As they clean the wounds and sop up the blood they shift in tone to a light seashell, the slightest tint of pink bleeding into the spell. The strings work quickly to remove debris and to close the wound. You are left a little tired but you have much more work to do before you can rest.

Three quarters of an hour have passed since you sent Bari running off but finally Gareth and Brigit limp into camp. Seems Bari managed to find them after all. She is limping, injured, her leg bandaged and Gareth supports her with one arm. You will have to get the story later, for now you order him to clean his hands and help you with the wounded. With the help of both Gareth and Amena you manage to save considerable time. Ithapi is up and moving, even if a bit slowly, Jori and two of his companions are back in full health and you even managed to stabilize the two lieutenants that the Damned left behind.

After the day you have had, you want nothing more than to sleep but first you need answers and there are plenty of questions to ask.

----------------------------------------------------

"Alright, so which one of you is going to tell me what happened?" you lean against one of the fallen pillars as Gareth and Brigit exchange glances. Part of you wants to really lay into them but you know that would do no good.

Gareth starts, "Well we were exploring the far side of the building looking for supplies..."

Brigit chimes in, "And we might ha gotten a little distracted..."

They look at one another, "We lost track of time but then we heard the explosions coming from below and we hurried back."

"Well what happened then?" you know that the answer will be nothing good.

The veteran sighs, "Well, Isolde was waiting for us... she attacked..."

"You mean Misoguinn's girl? How did his apprentice manage to stop both of you?"

A look of terror creeps onto Brigit's face, "She was fast Derryth, too fast and strong too. She moved at odd angles and her teeth..."

Brigit shakes, Gareth puts an arm around her, "She had us dead to rights Derryth. She had Brigit by the leg, bit right into her and was about to finish her off when Miosguinn showed up. He ordered her to let Brigit go, she really did not want to. She said something in a language I have never heard before. They argued, he struck her... the look she gave him... it was like she wanted to rip him in two."

Brigit looks back up at you, "He gave us this," she hands you a crumpled piece of paper on which is scribbled a short note.


To Miss Derryth ó Foghladh

I can not begin to express my shame at being unable to live up to my end of our agreement. You have dealt fairly with me, far more so than I deserve in fact, and it is my hope that you do not think unkindly of me despite my failings. Due to the courtesy you have extended to me I wish to offer you but one piece of advice.

Turn back. Destroy this letter, pretend you have never set eyes upon this place and leave those dwarves to whatever end they make for themselves. I beg you, turn back.

You have no reason to believe me or to trust me save for the fact that I have never done you wrong but I ask you to follow my advice. If you value your life and those of your friends turn back before you lose everything. There are other paths to take to reach your goal, pursue them instead.

M-

I hope you will not hold it against me if I pray we never meet again


Sound advice, you might even normally take it but those people have Serpent and you are loathe to leave without him.

"Then what happened?" you ask as you look up from the note and motion them to continue.

Gareth rubs Brigit's shoulder and looking you in the eye as he answers, "Well then they both disappeared, Bari found us shortly after and sent us down here."

"Alright then. Brigit, get some rest. Gareth, go help Tyrvard keep watch. The last thing we need is to be hit by a surprise attack," they both nod as you walk away.

There is a certain dwarf that owes you answers.

----------------------------------------------

Ari sits with Jori and the two argue over something that must be terribly important. It seems that this time he wants to do something and she is cautioning against it. The two other dwarves sit slightly back from them, they are listening to the argument but express no opinion. They notice you and Ari greets you as you approach, "Greetings Derryth, I am afraid that at the moment my Lord Jori-"

Jori raises one hand to stop her. He mumbles something in Dwarven and the three other dwarves nod, they get to their feet and leave the two of you alone.

He motions for you to sit and you do. In awkward silence you stare at one another, each passing second feel like an eternity. He pokes at the small fire before him. He seems like a completely different man, his confidence and arrogance gone, he is battered and only time will tell if he is beaten as well.

For a moment you are curious as to how the two of you will communicate given the language barrier.

Then Jori begins to speak, his tone steeped in regret, his face coloured by shame. What he is about to say must be difficult for him but what really catches you off guard is that when he speaks it is in perfect Bruig, "I am a fool... the son of a fool... and the grandson of a fool. Human, no... I hope you will let me call you Derryth. Twice now you have saved my life and I have done nothing but heap ever greater shame upon myself and my people. You have fought with us, bled with us and you have lost your friend to these madmen. I will withhold nothing more now. Ask and I shall answer."

A little overwhelmed by the dwarf's speech you ask the first thing that comes into your head, "Who are you Jori and what are you after?"

The smile he gives you is a grim one, "Two questions then? Very well I shall give you two answers, one short and the other long. I am Jori, the sixth son of Albrecht VII, King of all the Dwarves," he can sense your scepticism as he says these words and so he removes one mailed glove to reveal the royal signet of the House of Albrecht. Either he really is a prince or he killed one as the ring looks real.

Replacing his mailed glove he continues, "As to why I am here, that is a long story. My people have been allies of the Cath Bruig for thousands of years. In fact dwarven ingenuity is responsible for many of the great works that litter this city. A little over a century ago, my grandfather lost our kingdom in a war with the ghôls and their new ally Balor. The twin capitals Myrgard and Stoneheim were sacked and my people fled to the lands of men. My father came to Muirthemne to petition the Emperor for aid but none was forthcoming, and within a few short decades we were forced to flee again as Balor sacked the city above. I was little more than a child at the time but I remember the chaos and the terror and in that chaos my family lost an artefact important to my people."

He pauses to stir the fire, it reflects in his eyes, the fear of a child in a time of war, "Much as you humans have the Ibis Crown to serve as a symbol of your empire, we too have a symbol of leadership. A great maul, a hammer, encrusted with enchantments and protective runes. When my father reclaimed the throne after the Great War we began searching for it. We knew it was only a matter of time before the noble houses began asking to see it, if it is revealed that the maul is lost well..."

"So you and nine of your fellows came to retrieve it?" you ask, intrigued by the opportunities this story presents, provided it is true.

"Well, there were more than ten of us in the beginning. I set out from Myrgard with a sizable force of sixty dwarves. But it is a long journey and we were forced to constantly battle against the ghôls. Still we arrived with thirty strong souls but we were not prepared for what we would find, the shadows, the creatures, the spiders. I led the survivors to the Dwarven Quarter in search of answers but we were constantly hounded by hordes of spiders, had you not arrived when you did we certainly all would have perished."

You prod him with another question to keep him talking, "What do you intend to do now?"

"We will press on, we will avenge our dead, we will try and save your friend, we will reclaim the maul or we will die. There is no other acceptable outcome. I hope that I can count on your support in this Derryth. Should we succeed the house of Albrecht will owe you a great debt, I will owe you another debt... I failed my people, I hope that you can succeed where I failed," as he finishes his sentence his gaze drifts up to the ceiling, contemplating his future or his failures.

With nothing more to say you leave the dwarf to his thoughts. Ari scurries back over to Jori and the two of them fall back into conversation. Well, she talks and he stares into the fire.

---------------------------------------

"Any luck with our guests?" Ithapi is guarding the prisoners. They are in stable if weak condition.

He sighs, grunts and delivers his report, "They refuse to talk, just name and rank that is it. Though every now and then they say something when they think I am not listening. Turns out they are related, sisters in fact, the older one that was wielding a sword is named Biliku, the younger one that was doing her best to murder me is called Uttu. They are captains of something called the Red Order but beyond that they refuse to speak. I have tried kind words and threats and nothing seems to work."

You frown, "So they are professional soldiers then?"

He stops for a moment considering the idea, then lets out a single short laugh, "I don't think so Derryth, they can't be more than fifteen or sixteen. They are dumb kids nothing more."

You give your ward a little punch, "Dumb kids he says. Ithapi your just a kid yourself," he cracks a grin as you start to think out loud, "So they are not professionals, maybe we can spook them into talking then..."

Yes that could work, you give him a sly smile, "Well then we will just have to do a little convincing. Go get Thaïs and Amena, I have a plan."

A few moments later everyone is present, you fish Nine our of your bag and after a few moments of surprise and the proper introductions you lay out you plan...

---------------------------------------

You and Thaïs walk into the makeshift infirmary and she drags an old table over. You sit Nine on the table, her eyes closed.

The two girls first look at the two of you, then the head, then each other. You can hear them gulp.

Thaïs begins, "Now then girls, perhaps we got off on the wrong foot here. There is no reason why we all can not get what we want is there?"

The older girl blurts out, " Biliku, Captain of the Red Order!"

The younger girl follows her lead, "Uttu, Captain of the Red Order!"

Thaïs continues in a soothing tone, ignoring the outbursts, "Well it is a pleasure to meet you both, I am Thaïs second in command of the Lost. This is Derryth and she is our commander, an archmage of great power and ancient magics."

The two girls look at you, they are uncertain though the younger one probably remembers the beating you gave her. The older one works up the courage to continue, "She... she does not look like an archmage she looks-"

You raise your left hand and give the signal for Amena, hiding nearby, to begin. Flames burst to life on either side of you as sparks fly through the room. The girls scream. You lower your hand and Amena stops casting. Given their reaction you now know that neither of them are mages, they can not tell whether or not you are casting. Perfect.

Thaïs assumes a fake expression of fear, "Oh, girls you must not doubt my mistress she has killed for less. She is a terrible and fell mistress capable of harnessing all of the powers of darkness. Please let me help you, tell us what you know and no harm will befall you. We may even be able to spare those you care about. But if you anger my mistress she will kill you or worse!"

The older girl is putting on a brave face despite her terror, it is all you can do not to burst out laughing, "We... we will tell you nothing. We are brave, we are loyal, we are not afraid of death or of you. Father will-"

The younger girl is visibly shaking now, she squeaks and asks, "What... what could be worse than death sister?"

Well that is your cue, you step forward and place one hand on either side of Nine's head and you shout. Amena, from her hiding spot lets off another volley of sparks and flames around you. Nine opens her eyes and screams the rune on her head shifting red as she channels just a little power for effect.

The girls see all of this and scream as well, the younger one even passes out.

Thaïs makes a big production out of soothing you, "My mistress! Oh dark and fell mistress please spare these girls! They will talk, they do not wish to join your grand head collection!"

The older girl turns white as fine linen, "She... she has a whole collection?" she glances at her unconscious younger sister, "Please, please don't hurt Uttu, I will tell you everything I know!"

You scowl at the girl, snatch up the head and march out of the chamber. Now it is Thaïs' turn to really lay on the charm.

As you and Nine meet back up with Amena the head chatters away, "That was sooo much fun!" she snorts, "I have not scared someone like that in oh, probably one hundred years! You are so much fun Derryth, I am never going to leave you ever!"

Well at least she is happy...

---------------------------------------

You sit at your command post, Jori's old office, it has been five hours since the battle and you have a lot to do before you can give pursuit. No point running off into the dark after Serpent, if you are going to do this you will do it right. Gareth, Ari and Thaïs sit across from you and give their reports, Nine is propped up in the corner humming and counting the cracks in the ceiling, it is doing nothing for your headache.

Gareth steps forward first, "Seems Bari found the two missing dwarves, they were in an adjoining building looking for supplies when they found an old dwarven mortar and a few cases of shells. I took the liberty of having them bring it over and set it up to cover the entrance to the tunnels. If they launch another attack they will be in for a surprise."

You smile at the thought of Christine taking a mortar shell to the face, "Good, what about the dead?"

Thaïs answers, "The dwaves are handling their own," Ari nods, "As for the Damned I asked Biliku and they normally feed them to the spiders but burning is fine as well. Tyrvard is working on it as we speak."

"Good, just as long as he makes sure that the smoke vents, we don't need to add suffocation to our list of concerns," you rub your temples, "Did the dead have anything on them we could use?"

Thaïs lets Gareth answer, "A couple days worth of rations each and their weapons. Some personal effects not really worth much so we left them on the bodies. On the bright side their lack of equipment means they must be based nearby-"

Ari cuts in, "They are probably making use of some of the secondary access tunnels which would shave a day or two off the trip but we won't be able to get the wagon down those. My husband has been out scouting the tunnels and we think we found the passage they took but it has recently been collapsed, we won't be able to follow them through it. There is another nearby passage that may link up to the one they took but we have not had time to fully explore it. Also if we want to take the side passage we will have to abandon the wagon I am afraid. Alternatively we could always stick to the main tunnel though it will probably put us a full day behind them at this point."

"How likely are we to catch them if we abandon the wagon?" you ask as a series of improbable plans roll through the back of your mind.

Thaïs answers this time, "Ithapi is still injured and we do have the girls-"

"The prisoners," Gareth corrects.

"They are just children Gareth!" Thaïs snaps.

"They were all children Thaïs!" you raise an eyebrow at that, "Ah sorry... sorry both of you, just a little high strung. I was coming to that point before I was interrupted, the Damned are all young. Maybe between fourteen and eighteen. None of the bodies I saw were over twenty."

You sigh, your headache is getting worse, "Damn... a shame but not really uncommon."

Gareth nods, "What is surprising is that even their officers are quite young. From what Tyrvard told me the only one that seemed to have actual experience was the enemy commander."

Ari speaks up, "Yeah I can confirm that, they had bravery but really lacked organization."

You turn to Thaïs and ask about what she learned from the prisoners, "From what the girls have told me their "order" only numbers about eighty all told and many of those that are left are children and the elderly. It seems that constant skirmishing with the other inhabitants of the old city is wearing them down quicker than they can repopulate. I think we may have broken them here, but I don't know for sure."

You tilt your head, "What do you mean?"

"Well, there seems to be some sort of rift that has formed within the Damned. That Red Order the girls were shouting about, it is one of three that formed a few years ago and it was the largest. From what they told me it all comes down to faith, each group worships their bizarre goddess in a different way. They have been involved in a simmering dispute for something like the last three years with the other two orders. They were told that a great threat was coming their way and they mobilized everything they had to resist it. The girls are quite concerned about what will happen to their order now."

You move to the heart of the matter, "What about Serpent?"

"They told me that this Christine that took him belongs to the Silver Order, the smallest of the three. She came to them and gave them the warning that caused them to mobilize and she accompanied them as a show of good faith. The Silvers seems to be comprised mostly of mages and naturally they are rather secretive though the girls believe there are less than twenty of them all told. There is also a Blue Order but they know very little about it I am afraid."

You lean back, and rub your eyes, "Well... better than nothing I suppose. Are they worth anything to the Reds?"

She flashes you a smile, "They are the high priest's daughters. They were meant to lead the Reds to glory here and ensure their future. They may be worth an awful lot."

You dismiss Gareth and Ari as Amena and Brigit enter the room and Nine begins to lecture about the finer points of blowing things up and breaking your enemy.

Time for a few magic lessons, you have a feeling you will need them and Nine even lets you pick the topic...

-------------------------------------------

With everyone ready to leave you have a few choices to make:


1.You are not going to abandon Serpent but you have a few options on how to pursue his captor:

A) Use the side passage that Bari discovered. You will have to leave the wagon but it may speed up the trip, you do not know if you can still catch them.

B) Stick to the main passage. You can keep the wagon but it will be slower going and you may meet more resistance.

C) freeform


2. Now that you have your information what do you want to do with the prisoners:

A) Kill them.

B) Use them as hostages against the Reds. (If you abandon the wagon you will have to carry them.)

C) Let them go?

D) Try to win them over and turn them into your emissaries to the Reds (you would probably have to untie them and return their weapons though)

D)freeform


3.Nine gave you a very instructive magic lesson what was it about?

A)Controlling flame and throwing fire.

B)Electricity, lightning and other shocking topics.

C)Frost and the cold.

D)Poison, acid and corrosive spells.

E) Domination, and mental control.

F) Controlling the rocks and stones of the earth

G) Something else? Freeform (she has a fairly broad knowledge of magic so just ask and I will tell you whether or not she can teach it to you).
 
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Smashing Axe

Arcane
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Dec 29, 2011
Messages
2,835
Divinity: Original Sin
Any changes will be gradual but change will still occur, she does place value on the lives of her allies and is headed in the general direction of an Alric when she could easily have gone the other way and become more like the Deceiver or the Watcher. As a result she is less likely to go full on devour soul based upon previous decisions. It is still very much possible but the general impression I get is that people are not too interested in playing a villain.
I very much want to play a villain, but the only time the Codex ever went that way was starting with an already very morally reprehensible Diogenes Canma in treave's Epic, and they wanted to abandon the character as soon as they could. So yeah, probably not.

I think the way to get her going down that path would be to offer a very tantalizing enemy to torment, someone who made the conflict personal.

Edit: Voting

B (Not sure on this one yet)
B (Okay, I'll admit it. The hostages were worth saving. We might be able to broker an alliance with the reds against the silver so we can recover Serpent)
E>C (We can be the future Dominator. Alternatively, frost and cold have a lot of applications beyond combat, ice castles etc. Besides, who needs charisma when you can mentally compel people to do what you want? )

Also Fangshi, can we ask her what sort of magic she used to preserve her body? Learning regenerative/preserving/anti-aging magic, while maybe not immediately useful and something we shouldn't learn right now, would be good to know for the future.
 
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Baltika9

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Jun 27, 2012
Messages
9,611
1-B: we have the manpower to deal with any ambushes and attacks, and I would rather not force the injured to walk or have us carry the hostages on our backs.
2-B naturally, we will use them.
3-B:

A curious thought struck me: what if Serpent is actually enjoying himself by the time we get there? I wouldn't want to murder the dude's wife because of a misunderstanding, Serpent's nerdrage is nothing to take lightly.
She is a double-edged sword, and I would not hesitate to throw her away if she starts getting ideas.
:lol: She is a talking head. All she can do is get ideas.
 

Fangshi

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Jan 9, 2014
Messages
1,997
Smashing Axe said:
Also Fangshi, can we ask her what sort of magic she used to preserve her body? Learning regenerative/preserving/anti-aging magic, while maybe not immediately useful and something we shouldn't learn right now, would be good to know for the future.

She says the blood of virgins... lots of virgins and she gives you a wink and a smile. You are not quite sure if she is telling the truth or not though.
 

Nevill

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Messages
11,211
Shadorwun: Hong Kong
A curious thought struck me: what if Serpent is actually enjoying himself by the time we get there? I wouldn't want to murder the dude's wife because of a misunderstanding, Serpent's nerdrage is nothing to take lightly.
That's a valid concern. I think based on Christine's reaction that he will not come to harm, and we are in no rush rescuing him. Still, that's his choice to make. Until we hear the man, I am in favor of giving Tyrvard all of the stones and letting him go wild.

Miosguinn's letter is quite foreboding. Seeing as how the names of the orders are reflected in their clothing, silver is a constant (spiderwebs?), and Miosguinn was described as having a blue-greyish theme, we can assume he belongs to that Blue Order the girls mentioned. And it seems they are not too keen to let us pass, either.

That's a second warning to 'turn back, or you'll lose everything', and this one looks like it was made in good faith, which makes it more than a little disturbing.

1B 2B 3E for the choices. I trust that Derryth practices safe sex magic, and the choice of domains will not bite us in the back? Practicing mind control with Nine is not the safest of ideas, but we have some spells in this department, like Suggestion, and if we are going to engage in diplomacy further, we will need it.

She says the blood of virgins... lots of virgins and she gives you a wink and a smile. You are not quite sure if she is telling the truth or not though.
Well, by the sound of it, there is no lack of that ingredient where we are going. Add it to the roster! :P

By the way, what were the timings for if we didn't move out of there immediately? Or did we avoid making a choice where they mattered?
 
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Erebus

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Messages
4,763
How many subplots does this story have ? :)


Do the prisoners know who could be behind the two talking spiders ? And do they know anything about the ring ?

Given our environment, I'm thinking it might be a good idea to study Rock/Earth Magic. While it wouldn't be as destructive as fire or lightning, it could have much broader and more creative uses. Would it be possible ?
 

Kz3r0

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May 28, 2008
Messages
27,012
1.You are not going to abandon Serpent but you have a few options on how to pursue his captor:


B) Stick to the main passage. You can keep the wagon but it will be slower going and you may meet more resistance.



2. Now that you have your information what do you want to do with the prisoners:


B) Use them as hostages against the Reds. (If you abandon the wagon you will have to carry them.)



3.Nine gave you a very instructive magic lesson what was it about?

A)Controlling flame and throwing fire.
 

Fangshi

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Messages
1,997
Smashing Axe said:
I think the way to get her going down that path would be to offer a very tantalizing enemy to torment, someone who made the conflict personal.

Well there are ways to go about it. There are settings where it simply is not possible to play the heroic type. At best you are the lesser of two evils. There are also a few settings were you have a compelling reason to do evil. I once mentioned Better Angels where the player takes on the role of a supervillian and winds up doing evil whether they really want to or not. There is also a table top wargame called Hell Dorado that could work quite well in that regard, essentially Europeans find a path to hell during the Thrity Years War and all of Europe unites to invade and conquer the place. There are no real good guys in that setting.


Nevill said:
By the way, what were the timings for if we didn't move out of there immediately? Or did we avoid making a choice where they mattered?

The times listed made a difference but I don't really want to get into what they did while you are in the middle of it. Let me put it this way, earlier I said that even if you sat completely still and did nothing events would still play out around you. The times were tied to that as events are still moving around you. Ask me again when you are done with the Damned and I may be able to say more about what could have actually happened.

Erebus said:
How many subplots does this story have ?

:D I was going to call the update "20 subplot pileup", a dungeon this big contains dozens of different groups living in what amount to dozens of semi-hostile villages. I laid out subplots for them all and motivations for each individual that was relevant to the story. Instead of just discarding these plots when you don't pick them, they continue to play out and sometimes they pile up and crash into each other.


Do the prisoners know who could be behind the two talking spiders ?

Well according to the girls there are a number of subtle differences in the colour and behaviour of the spiders that would help a careful observer determine who owned each spider but Derryth does not have the ability to identify them just by a single encounter. To her they just look like spiders. Based on the little information you give them (naturally you do not mention the contents of the messages you received) the first spider was probably from someone in their order while the second, being unmarked, could have been from anyone.

And do they know anything about the ring ?

You have not asked them about the ring. Something in your gut makes you feel it would be a bad idea. If they think you are communicating with one of the other orders they may raise their guard again. As it stands right now they get along quite well with Thaïs and Amena and they are completely terrified of Derryth. If you want to ask them though I will add it to the next vote.

You did however ask Nine to examine it (I just did not want to make the update even longer). She can not sense anything magical about it but it may be enchanted to only work if you put it on. From what she can tell it is just an ordinary ring. She is quick to say though that she is no enchanter and it may be wise not to wear the ring all the same.

Given our environment, I'm thinking it might be a good idea to study Rock/Earth Magic. While it wouldn't be as destructive as fire or lightning, it could have much broader and more creative uses. Would it be possible ?

Sure, it is not her specialty but she knows more about it than some masters. I will add it to the list.
 

Jester

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1) C use quickest way to get to red hq and work a agreement to defeat silver girls.
2) D talk to them to be our emissaries with reds.
3) F telepathy and mind magic i guess or is it under E?
 

Erebus

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Joined
Jul 12, 2008
Messages
4,763
1B - Use Ari and Bari to scout ahead. If they detect danger, we can decide whether to look for a secondary passage in order to avoid it.


2B - They're worth something as hostages after all. The Red Order may be willing to negotiate in exchange for their safe return. And, if we feel liking scoring some Evil points, I guess the other two Orders might be interested in buying some hostages.


3F - Let's rock !
 

Fangshi

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Messages
1,997
Jester said:
telepathy and mind magic i guess or is it under E?

Mind magic in general falls under E so yeah. Telepathy is not a well developed branch of magic though, it is very difficult to read the minds of others or transmit information over large distances. The most you would usually get are impressions and emotions. As mentioned earlier mental communication may be possible but you would have to pretty much develop it yourself.


Most mental spells that exist have to do with manipulation, they are spells like suggestion, false memory, compulsion and dominate. They are spells that control or influence a target, and essentially manifest as mental "attacks". Something like a communication or telepathy spell would require a mental link which would need a great deal of skill and a lot of trust on the part of both parties involved since it would go both ways. Now it could also be very useful, for example picture a squad of mage commandos that communicate solely through thought, they would be faster than their opponents, more organized, and very quiet. Quite lethal but that would have to be a very long term project.

Now this goes a long way to explain why conventional messengers, spies and the like are so important. One mage can not simply steal the secrets of another through magic and orders on a battlefield have to be delivered by hand. These elements of common logistics also help explain why archmages despite great personal power tend to lose wars against actual military men. Magic as it currently stands has no real way to solve a lot of the concerns that make warfare so difficult and it is quite possible for even the greatest archmage to be outmaneuvered, drawn out and killed.

This was in fact a deciding factor in both of the last wars, the Watcher was a horrible general, Shiver and Soulblighter were not much better really and the Deceiver while skilled enough was too insane to really care. Of the Fallen Lords only Balor really had the military mind necessary to make him dangerous as a general but even he had a number of flaws that Alric mercilessly exploited.


Also another important note, Nine is teaching all of you at once. This is not a private lesson so if you pick lightning then you all learn to throw lightning bolts, if you chose mind magic then all of the girls learn how to cast such spells. I only mention it so that you are aware of what your peers are learning here.

But you trust your friends so no problem right? :troll:


Current Tally:

Smashing Axe 1B 2B 3E>C
Anabanana 1A 2B 3E
Baltika9 1B 2B 3B
Nevill 1B 2B 3E
Kz3r0 1B 2B 3A
Jester 1A 2D 3D
Erebus 1B 2B 3F
tuluse 1B 2B 3B
Absinthe 1A 2D 3E
Zero Credibility 1B 2B>D 3E>A

1.
A) 3 votes
B) 7 votes

2.
A)
B) 8 votes
C)
D) 2 (3) vote

3.
A) 1 (2) votes
B) 2 votes
C) (1) vote
D) 1 vote
E) 5 votes
F) 1 vote
 
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Baltika9

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Jun 27, 2012
Messages
9,611
But you trust your friends so no problem right? :troll:
Y'know, speaking of trust: I get the feeling that the Warlocks were the better and more trustworthy companions for this trip, for some reason. :lol:
 

Fangshi

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Messages
1,997
Baltika9 said:
Y'know, speaking of trust: I get the feeling that the Warlocks were the better and more trustworthy companions for this trip, for some reason.

I have no idea what you mean... :lol:

The Warlocks would have been more direct about their goals but you may still encounter them out in the world so that is all I will say.
 

Jester

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1,493
hmm does those control magic need to pass wisdom check or smt on defence?
 

Fangshi

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Messages
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Jester said:
hmm does those control magic need to pass wisdom check or smt on defence?

Yeah, most mental spells are a test of wills. You essentially force your target to experience or remember something. At the highest levels though are things like domination which permanently make a target your slave by forcing them to view you as their master*, similar to what the Deceiver would do (or the Dominator if you are familiar with the Black Company books). Though a powerful enough mage could attempt to free or subvert the target as well.

Now there are a number of factors at play here, WIS plays a role as does the willpower of the target and any magical or natural defenses they may have. Also if the target is aware of what you are doing they get a bonus to resist you as well.

If your will is stronger than the targets then you can influence them, if you are weaker they will shake the attack off. Also for most of the spells you have to maintain the spell or it will fail. (Some of the stronger spells will last longer while the strongest maintain themselves.)

Besides the deception based spells there are also damage dealing spells, essentially you would just cut loose and flood the target's mind with energy essentially frying their mind. No physical damage would be done but you could render the target comatose.

*An important note, if you successful dominate someone powerful they will often be aware that they are being dominated. They won't be able to refuse your orders in letter or spirit but they will resent you for it and if they get free...
 
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Smashing Axe

Arcane
Patron
Joined
Dec 29, 2011
Messages
2,835
Divinity: Original Sin
Oh man, I really want domination spells. It has great combat application, both potentially destroying enemy morale and causing havoc in the enemy ranks, but also has a whole lot of utility. (Convincing the enemy locksmith who hates us with all his heart that it'd be a good idea to unlock the safe he designed, etc.) The future prospects of the spell is also great. (Forging an empire with "loyal" vassal slaves, ala the Taken. A network of unwilling spies. It helps us get over our charisma disadvantage. Let's be the Dominator/Lady)
 

tuluse

Arcane
Joined
Jul 20, 2008
Messages
11,400
Serpent in the Staglands Divinity: Original Sin Project: Eternity Torment: Tides of Numenera Shadorwun: Hong Kong
1) B

We're already behind, no reason to rush in. Might as well take a little bit more time, prepare and and go in an organized fashion.

2) B

We don't kill without a good reason. Also, D sounds like a terrible idea after we just scared them half to death making them think we're some super sorceress.

3) B

I can understand the desire for domination magic, and strictly speaking it does seem like the most useful category available to us. However, domination is a subtle thing. It's a behind the scenes puppeteer. That's not Derryth's style. She's a direct kind of gal. So I'm voting for the most direct style of magic.


Regarding Derryth's morality and state of mind. This is my reading of her through process.

She feels a responsibility for those under her command and enjoys the fellowship of a group*. She is not afraid of killing or a pacifist by any means, but prefers to avoid unnecessary deaths. Not the least because it usually means increased danger to the group. She's also cautious and always looking for an edge to help her achieve her goals. So not killing things can mean reasoning with them or cajoling them into helping her cause. She also takes a live and let live approach to others*. If one of our group wants to keep his secrets, it's no skin off our back. Indiana Jones is a good comparison, I know I've been voting along those lines specifically.

*Given Derryth's low charisma, this might be the only group of friends she's ever really had.
 

Absinthe

Arcane
Joined
Jan 6, 2012
Messages
4,062
Votes:
1A
2D (Thais, please work your magic)
3E: "picture a squad of mage commandos that communicate solely through thought, they would be faster than their opponents, more organized, and very quiet" Yes. Fuck yes.
4 Freeform: Nine, could you please inspect the ring and tell us what's up with it?

Some speculation here: The second spider probably came from the blue order (could be a 4th party, but I'm leaning blue) since the red and silver orders want us to leave. Miosguinn, as a mage who knows what's up and wants us to go back wouldn't be from the blue order and is thus most likely affiliated with the silver order. With Thais we might be able to diplomacy the silver order into giving us back Serpent. I suspect our goals don't particularly conflict (dwarves want their maul back, we want our friend, and other than that we're just in it for the loot), so we might be able to help each other.

Actually, Miosguinn could be affiliated with whatever force the orders were mobilized against in the first place. Hm. In any case, diplomacy with the orders would be best.

As for not being villains, well, I'd say we're leaning more neutral to be honest. We help people out if it helps us mostly, and we try not to backstab our own buddies because that hurts us as a group and opens us all up to backstabbing shenanigans. Backstabbing in general is also bad because a trustworthy reputation is more useful in the long run. Not because we're suckers for honor. And I'm not so sure we'll leap in to save people just because we can. We saved the dwarves because whatever they're up against isn't good for us either.

Y'know, speaking of trust: I get the feeling that the Warlocks were the better and more trustworthy companions for this trip, for some reason. :lol:
Dude, Miosguinn left politely and even made sure our buddies weren't killed when Isolde went apeshit. He left us a note expressing his concern for good measure. The Warlocks might be more straightforward folks, but we all know that when it comes to the Halcyon Stone, they would would try to murder us and take it. Which means from the very beginning we're already plotting how to dispose of each other. That's not exactly trustworthy.
 

Fangshi

Arcane
Joined
Jan 9, 2014
Messages
1,997
Absinthe said:
4 Freeform: Nine, could you please inspect the ring and tell us what's up with it?

You did however ask Nine to examine it (I just did not want to make the update even longer). She can not sense anything magical about it but it may be enchanted to only work if you put it on. From what she can tell it is just an ordinary ring. She is quick to say though that she is no enchanter and it may be wise not to wear the ring all the same.

Was there anything in particular you wanted to know about it? Feel free to ask.
 

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