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Myth: A New Age CYOA

Fangshi

Arcane
Joined
Jan 9, 2014
Messages
1,997
Jester said:
How "loud" are spells we will use in D?

They are fairly quiet since everything is in the target's mind. You can't guarantee that the target won't make noise but you should be silent.

Current Tally:

Smashing Axe 1D 2B
Kipeci 1D 2B
Baltika9 1D 2B
GreyViper 1D 2B
Zero Credibility 1D 2B
asxetos 1D 2B
Kz3r0 1D 2B
Jester 1D 2B
Azira 1B 2B
Grimgravy 1A 2B

Looks like we have a bandwagon and I have time so I will give it another eight hours or so and close things up if DB remains this popular.
 
Last edited:

Azira

Arcane
Patron
Joined
Nov 3, 2004
Messages
8,519
Location
Copenhagen, Denmark
Codex 2012
Hey, I have an idea! Why not link up mentally with Thaïs to cast an experimental spell while both she and Derryth are still under the influence of the bracers?! It'll be a smashing idea I'm sure! +M

BB
 

Fangshi

Arcane
Joined
Jan 9, 2014
Messages
1,997
Well it seems 1D 2B has a fairly commanding lead so I may as well close things up (a shame really 1B would have been amazing... it would have blown your cover but it would have done it in spectacular fashion...) .

I should have an update out in six to eight hours or so.
 

Jester

Arbiter
Joined
Mar 24, 2013
Messages
1,493
Well it seems 1D 2B has a fairly commanding lead so I may as well close things up (a shame really 1B would have been amazing... it would have blown your cover but it would have done it in spectacular fashion...) .

I should have an update out in six to eight hours or so.
Included mind wipe? Or just "opps i blow him up"?
 

Fangshi

Arcane
Joined
Jan 9, 2014
Messages
1,997
Chapter 7: Fishing in the Dark

Huddled together in the dark you consider your options. Part of you wants to go big. To try out a new spell you have been working on. You are sure it would be fun... but fun will not get the job done. You have managed to make it this far without alerting anyone and you would like to pull this off without creating a scene.

Better to stick with what you know.

You will draw each of these men out, a suggestion here, a compulsion there and you will incapacitate each in the comfort and safety of the darkness. It is painfully dull work, their minds prove incapable of resisting you. You will succeed but it will take time. You seize upon the first mind and begin the process of fashioning the perfect suggestion... a late night rendezvous will do the trick you think... as you work you lean closer to Thaïs.

"Thaïs?" you whisper.

You decide that your bait will be young but not too young... early twenties should do...

"What?" she responds, her voice barely audible.

Brunette? No... you think your target would prefer blonde....

"Have you ever been fishing?" you can not see her face but you know the exact look she is giving you right now.

Blue eyes? Too conventional. Brown then...

It is the same look she gives you whenever you ask her one of these 'deep and probing questions'. It is a look that says 'You are mad' with an undercurrent of 'But I know you are up to something' and just a hint of 'Will you tell me already'. In the almost half a year you have known Thaïs it is without a doubt your favourite.

You decide she will be a new servant. That way you do not have to worry about fabricating a past for her... though to be honest you doubt the guard would even stop to think about it. Still simply because you do not have to try does not mean you should not do your best.

"Fishing?" her tone is muddled... confusion... curiosity... a little annoyance perhaps... in a word, perfect.

Now you just need the background. Drawing on your memory of the servants' quarter you begin to fill in the details...

"Yes, fishing. Have you ever been?" you restate the question as if she is a little slow.

Table, chairs, cupboards... what else...

"No Derryth I have never been fishing," seems she has settled on a tone... amusement... good as anything you suppose, "I assume you have some reason for asking?"

Ah that's it, you remember a small chest in one corner with a very strange lock. It is the small details that truly make the difference...You send off your suggestion and within a moment the first guard stands up and strides off into the darkness. As soon as he is out of view of his companions Thaïs drops him with a single assault spell. This is going to be easy, you begin fashioning the next suggestion as you continue your conversation.

"Oh, well you do not know what you are missing then..." you trail off.

You remember the odd summer here and there in the Province... in between runs. Henry would take you out to this little creek from his childhood. Ass end of nowhere... no people... no towns... just the two of you and the fish...

Thaïs gives you a playful swat, "Derryth, do not just raise the subject and drift off like that."

The second guard wanders off into the dark and Thaïs drops him not two meters from the first as you begin work on the third suggestion.

You turn and try to look at her but it is simply too dark to properly read her, you shrug, "Hmm... sorry. As I was saying you do not know what you are missing. There are few things as relaxing as a day spent fishing. Just you, your line, and the fish. Henry used to take me out to this small stream in the south of the Province... some of the best days of my life were spent out on the water or up to my hips in a creek... hmm... I have never told that to anyone..."

The place was paradise... no war... no danger... no magic... just peace and a sky that went on forever. You have never seriously considered giving up your path in life. For you it is greatness or bust, but if you did... if you did it would be for that little creek and that endless sky.

"Sounds dull," she is baiting you now.

She drops the third guard as you get to work on the fourth, the Berserk.

You should rise above... you don't, "Well admittedly it is not as interesting as fucking people for a livi- Oww..."

She gives you another swat across the back of the head, "You know damn well, that is not what I did."

"Not all of what you did," you correct her.

She lets out a muffled laugh of her own, "Alright, not all of what I did. But you are right, even if you meant it as a joke. It is an interesting job. You meet all sorts of people, keep all sorts of hours. Yes you have intercourse, no sense romanticizing it and calling it love, but a lot of the time the clients just want company. You read to them, you sing for them, you talk to them, you listen, you probably do more listening than anything else... sometimes you just have to smile for them... you would be surprised how many of them just need a smile. You are the shoulder they cry on. What I did Derryth... I was a rock for them, I was a safe haven... I suppose you could say I was their stream. I am not saying they were all good people, Wyrd knows, most of them were probably monsters but they were good to me after a fashion..."

You stare at her in the darkness, as you study her an odd question pops into your mind, "Do you miss it?"

She does not have to think for a moment, "No. No, I can not say I will ever miss it. I miss some of the people, some of the time, but I would not want to go back. I think I have found a better future..." you think she gives you a brief smile though it is a bit hard to tell, "Provided you do not get me horribly killed..."

You are about to reply when you hear footsteps. The Berserk is coming over and Wyrd is he a big one. You both hit him with an assault spell just to be sure. He drops to his knees and lands flat on his face. The two of you scavenge up some rope and cloth to act as gags as you set to work binding the men.

Kneeling next to the men you check your knots. Everything seems to be in place, they should not get loose, "Well that should take care of it then. Shall we go rescue your friend?"

"Yes, lets," she stops short as you turn to go, "Oh Derryth?"

"Yes?" you stop and turn to her.

"If you are willing, I would like to go fishing with you one day," her voice sounds uncertain but hopeful.

You reply enthusiastically, "Sure. I would like that and I doubt Henry would mind. It truly is a beautiful spot and I need someone to share it with."

"Alright then, I had better get practicing," she responds in a joyful tone.

You take her by the arm and gesture to the four guards, "Well that is what we just finished doing. Quite the catch too, though I doubt any of them are worth keeping."

She stifles a melodic laugh as the two of you make for the office.

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

"I don't hear anything," you whisper to her.

"Should we go in?" she replies, uncertain of what course to take next.

"Well we are not going back empty handed. So yes we are going in," you take a moment to bind a strip of fabric around the bottom of your half of your face. It is not as good as a full mask but it should help to obscure some of your features. Thaïs follows suit.

You check the door, it is unlocked. With one fluid motion the two of you burst into the room. Your silence thus far is rewarded. There in a tiny office sits Meletē, she is drinking wine. Across from her is the captain, a look of shock and outrage written plainly on his face.

It takes him a moment to master himself but all things considered he shows remarkable self control, calmly he begins, "I do not know who you are but you are making a substantial mista-"

He gets no further before you hit him with an assault spell. This man has a stronger will than average but you take the time to incapacitate him without doing any lasting damage. A firebolt would be quicker you are forced to admit but it would not feel right. This man has not wronged you and you have no wish to take his life. Hopefully he realizes the kindness you have extended to him.

"Are you here for me by any chance?" Meletē considers the two of you from her seat.

Thaïs steps towards her friend, "Oh Meletē, it is so good to see you again!"

Meletē gives Thaïs a confused look, between the mask and the uniform she must not recognize her but you can tell she knows the voice. It takes her a moment but when she does figure it out she springs out of the chair and rushes towards her friend, "It is you! Oh thank Wyrd, I did not know if you received my message. These sons of bitches broke into my workshop and stole me away maybe two hours after you contacted me. Oh Tha-"

You cut her off as politely as possible, "No names please. We do not know who is listening."

Meletē gives you an appraising look, seems she is unsure about you and is about to say as much before Thaïs interjects, "She is right Meletē, no names until we are safely away."

The inventor turns her attention back to her friend, "If you say so. Is she trustworthy?"

"I would, no have, trusted her with my life. If not for her I would not have made it here," that seems to convince the inventor.

She gives you a nod, "Well then I guess I owe you as well, whoever you are. So how do we get out of here?"

"Same way we got in," you reach under your tunic and pull out a third servant's uniform. It takes a moment for Meletē to get changed but you are on the move and out of the compound within half an hour.

You wind your way northward as the three of you laugh and chatter like old friends. Everyone is in high spirits following this unqualified success. You slip into an alleyway and out of your costumes before reaching the city proper. You do not know how much time you have before the mercenaries realize what has happened.

You need to find a place to lay low and escape their attentions.

Meletē explains the basics of the situation to you as you walk. She has a bounty on her head for the death of a high ranking noble in the empire. Naturally she claims innocence. The family of this man has money and connections through much of the empire and even within the kingdom. She cautions you that the Black Arrows, the mercenary company you just humiliated, will be out in force as soon as they realize she has escaped. There are also a number of private bounty hunters that are still looking for her as well. She warns you not to trust anyone unless you know them very well.

It seems you have really stirred up the proverbial hornets' nest.

You need a plan...


1. Split up or stay together. You have managed to steal the inventor away without anyone realizing it. When the mercenaries realize she is gone they will naturally start searching for her. Your first decision should be whether you stay together as a group or split up and go your separate ways.

A) Stay together. You did not go through all this trouble only to cut her loose now. You will find a safe house together and guard her until you can contact Bari.

B) Split up. You will decide upon a safe house and she will proceed to it alone. You will then contact her once you find Bari and arrange to pick her up.

C) freeform


2. The Safe House. There are a few places she could hide, each has advantages and disadvantages you are sure.

A)The Inn - perhaps an obvious choice but you could always hide her in your room. If you slip in unnoticed and before daybreak you will have a great alibi should the mercs come sniffing around. Of course if they force their way in...

B)The warehouse - Meletē knows of an abandoned warehouse out on the west side of town. It is isolated and uninhabited as far as she knows so it should be easy to reach. Of course if the mercs figure out she is there they could easily move in, in numbers.

C)The Academy Basement - Meletē is on good terms with some of the enchanters as she works with them regularly. You could try and convince them to hide her. It would be a fairly safe location given the number of mages and guards on hand however it would be difficult to get her in undetected and she would not be able to slip in until morning. She would have to spend the night mobile.

D) The Palace - A bit of a gamble really but you could take her right to the Royal Palace and demand an audience with the king. You might get it or at least get Bari's attention or you might get the attention of bounty hunters and mercenaries...

E) Trakk's family home - The dwarf mentioned the location of his home in passing. It would be a less likely target but that is a lot of heat to bring down on his family, his children and grandchildren.

F) Mayer's Estate - you have an offer for the man anyway. You will simply make hiding Meletē part of the deal. He won't do it for free... hell it will cost you a lot and probably more than gold but he understands this city like few others. You are certain he can hide Meletē.

G) Give her to Trakk - hire Trakk and his team at whatever rate they require and tell him to hide and guard her for the next few days wherever he thinks it's best. Once you find Bari you can go from there.

H) Freeform - somewhere else? Where?


3. Meletē's Workshop. From what you understand she has a number of very useful inventions stored at her workshop. Crossbows, explosives, all sorts of things really. You might want to secure them now rather than later. If you vote to stay together then she will come with you, if you vote to split up then she will head to the safe house while you secure her inventions.

A) Loot the workshop.

B) Leave the workshop.

C) You will leave the workshop for now. You will inquires into purchasing the workshop and all attached property with Mayer's aid. Hopefully no one will loot or destroy the place in the meantime.

D) freeform

Also for those that are curious:

You had to roll for every segment of hallway you crossed going in and out. Whenever you passed a servant or guard you had to roll to maintain your disguise. You did not have to roll to bait the guards. None of them had a WIS over 3 or any modifiers. The captain was given one check to see if he noticed the silence outside while you were disposing of the guards. None of the rolls were particularly difficult though and you easily passed them all. All and all it was a reasonable task to expect these two characters to pull off.
 
Last edited:
Joined
Feb 11, 2007
Messages
2,951
I'm not sure what would be the best way to hide her, but I am for looting the shop. The quiet way we pulled this rescue off has given us a little time before someone wakes up or finds guards unconscious and they charge for the one place they know she could be, her workshop. A little time, but enough for us to get there first and grab the most valuable items we can. Later the place will almost certainly be staked out in case we are dumb enough to return there. Just make it very quick.
 

asxetos

Augur
Joined
Feb 11, 2009
Messages
820
Location
Greece
1B
2F
3A


Lets use our Mayer connection to hide the inventor. We will also find out how much his services cost and that will be good to know in the future.
Also we should definately loot the workshop after we hide Melete. It is somewhat risky but i am pretty sure it will worth it.
 

Nevill

Arcane
Joined
Jun 6, 2009
Messages
11,211
Shadorwun: Hong Kong
I am afraid that Mister Mayer can reveal Melete as easily as he can hide her. He should be able to use her safety as a bargaining chip in any negotiations considering our future prospects. Still, I believe he will profit more from cooperating with us, and will not push us. Doing so with a mage seems unwise.

I do not feel good about splitting up, though it might be safer for us. However, if we do not split up, it is best not to loot her workshop. That's the first place they will look for her in.

Secure the inventor, not her inventions. The items come and go. As long as the mind that conceived them is intact, you can always make more.

AFB.
 

Jester

Arbiter
Joined
Mar 24, 2013
Messages
1,493
B - easier to hide one person.
E - she is friend of dwarfs and if she stay low it will be very hard to track.
B - expect mercenaries to be there, mby asking Bari to check it later with friend or two.
 

Nevill

Arcane
Joined
Jun 6, 2009
Messages
11,211
Shadorwun: Hong Kong
Say, Fangshi... Before (if) we split up with Melete, can we ask her what plans does she have for a foreseeable future and if she would be interested in becoming a private artificer for our group? We have enough wealth to supply her with whatever resourses she needs for her crazy inventions, and it would not be much different from what she had been doing so far. We can offer her protection and the potential to realize her wildest dreams. Surely this prospect might intrigue her?

Also, what kind of inventions she specializes in and how costly and time-consuming it would be to make an upgrade, say, for Thais' crossbow? Basically, if she is going into hiding, I'd like to give her something to do in the meantime.

By the way, what race is Melete? I assumed she was a dwarf, but now I am almost certain this is not the case. Is she human?
 

Cassidy

Arcane
Joined
Sep 9, 2007
Messages
7,922
Location
Vault City
1 - A
2 - E
3 - B

Abandoned warehouses will be the first places they will search for. Same for Inns. While it may be not so nice to Trakk, it is the most reasonable option and the most likely one to succeed.
 

Fangshi

Arcane
Joined
Jan 9, 2014
Messages
1,997
Jester said:
Included mind wipe? Or just "opps i blow him up"?

Exploding heads, blood and brain matter everywhere and a lot of screaming. If any of them survived they would have been 'vegetables'.

Nevill said:
Say, Fangshi... Before (if) we split up with Melete, can we ask her what plans does she have for a foreseeable future and if she would be interested in becoming a private artificer for our group? We have enough wealth to supply her with whatever resources she needs for her crazy inventions, and it would not be much different from what she had been doing so far. We can offer her protection and the potential to realize her wildest dreams. Surely this prospect might intrigue her?

So long as you can protect her she has no problem working for you. Give her food, housing and materials and she will remain happy. It also helps that you are part of a very small group of people not trying to kill/capture her. ;)

Also, what kind of inventions she specializes in and how costly and time-consuming it would be to make an upgrade, say, for Thais' crossbow? Basically, if she is going into hiding, I'd like to give her something to do in the meantime.

She does not have a specialty. Instead she works on whatever she thinks up. Her "process" goes as follows:

1.Get exceedingly drunk.

2. Utter the phrase "Wouldn't it be useful if ________?"

3. Set to work scribbling out notes.

4. ????

5. Profit!?!

As a result it may be a bit difficult to get her to work to commission. It would be a change of pace for her. But if you want to suggest a project you can... it might help to bring some alcohol though.

By the way, what race is Melete? I assumed she was a dwarf, but now I am almost certain this is not the case. Is she human?

She is human but very 'dwarf-like', hence the confusion.

She is 'the Inventor' background from the start of the CYOA. All of those characters were present in and around the tent city though most of them have scattered to the four winds by now.


Current Tally:

asxetos 1B 2F 3A
Kz3r0 1A 2A 3B
Nevill 1A 2F 3C>B
Jester 1B 2E 3B
Azira 1B 2B>C>D>E 3A
Cassidy 1A 2E 3B
Baltika9 1A 2D 3A
Zero Credibility 1B 2G>C 3A
GreyViper 1A 2G 3C
Grimgravy 1A 2G 3A>C
Smashing Axe 1A 2G>E 3B>C

Pre-flop:

1.
A) 7 votes
B) 4 votes

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

3.
A) 5 votes
B) 4 votes
C) 2 vote

Post Flop:

1.
A) 7 votes
B) 4 votes

2.
A) 1 vote
B)
C)
D) 1 vote
E) 3 votes
F) 2 votes
G) 4 votes

3.
A) 5 votes
B) 5 votes
C) 1 vote
 
Last edited:

Azira

Arcane
Patron
Joined
Nov 3, 2004
Messages
8,519
Location
Copenhagen, Denmark
Codex 2012
Good thing we still have Tyvard's still, and took up professional drinking. That'll help in future brainstorming sessions.

See? Professional drinking is good for Derryth. +M
 

Nevill

Arcane
Joined
Jun 6, 2009
Messages
11,211
Shadorwun: Hong Kong
We are, but we still need to get to the King for the dwarves to lift a finger.

I still think we should resolve this with our own resourses, and that an inventor that can create mechanical birds (middle-ages UAV, anyone?) is worth a potential loss of profits/shares that could result from turning to Mayer for help.
 

Baltika9

Arcane
Joined
Jun 27, 2012
Messages
9,611
I don't trust Meyer too much in regards to personal issues right now. I wouldn't rely on him too much when our partnership hasn't even started.
 

Jester

Arbiter
Joined
Mar 24, 2013
Messages
1,493
I don't trust Meyer too much in regards to personal issues right now. I wouldn't rely on him too much when our partnership hasn't even started.
I agree and i dont want him to know that we got a head scientist pursued by some powerful people. Owning him sound like very bad idea imo.
 
Joined
Feb 11, 2007
Messages
2,951
I too don't want to deal with Mayer over this. Sure, he could hide her easily, but at what cost? And if he got a better offer, I don't think he would hesitate very long before betraying us (it's not like we are even partners yet). If we really have to deal with him I would prefer not to show any weaknesses for him to exploit. Unfortunately that doesn't leave many options. I don't want to hide her at our place, it's too obvious and two female mages can't be that difficult to track down, especially since we are (or will be) famous.

I propose option 2 G - hire Trakk and his team (double or triple the wages if necessary) and tell him to hide and guard her for the next few days wherever he thinks it's best. His team knows the city and will do as good a job as any would.

Voting:

1 B - I would like for us to stay at the inn, if we suddenly disappear it's as good as admitting we were behind it. Why do that when we pulled it off so perfectly?
2 G > C - because the academy sounds like a safe enough place - even if they know she is there they won't risk storming a place full of mages and guards, especially not when we haven't killed any of them yet.
2 A - we do have a small window of opportunity to grab some valuables thanks to our stealthy rescue, if we do it right now and leave quickly.
 

Fangshi

Arcane
Joined
Jan 9, 2014
Messages
1,997
Zero Credibility said:
I propose option 2 G - hire Trakk and his team (double or triple the wages if necessary) and tell him to hide and guard her for the next few days wherever he thinks it's best. His team knows the city and will do as good a job as any would.

Sure, added. Just to make sure I understand you will get in contact with Trakk and hand her off to him. He will stash her somewhere he thinks is safe and you will retrieve her after you have found Bari. Is that the gist of it?
 
Joined
Feb 11, 2007
Messages
2,951
Yes. It's something like E I suppose, only instead of hiding it at his place he can stash her wherever he thinks it's safe both for her and for his family. And with his whole team guarding her.
 

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