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On the shoulders of giants: a new multiple choices LP!

Hirato

Purse-Owner
Patron
Joined
Oct 16, 2010
Messages
3,954
Location
Australia
Codex 2012 Codex USB, 2014 Shadorwun: Hong Kong
A
toss him a bone, before he rebels!
 

TOME

Cuckmaster General
Joined
May 25, 2012
Messages
1,820
C

The wielder could have explained him better if he wanted to go. Let's keep him cleaning animal shelters until he can be reasonable.
 

Monty

Arcane
Joined
Mar 24, 2012
Messages
1,582
Location
Grognardia
A - He saved our tribe in battle, we can't have him shoveling shit for ever, even our own people would rebel against that eventually as I'm sure he earned respect defending us. If you were part of a primitive tribe surrounded by dangerous enemies would you rather have someone like him in or out of the tribe? I know what I'd choose.
 

oscar

Arcane
Joined
Aug 30, 2008
Messages
8,038
Location
NZ
A, though it would have been nicer if letting him join had won the first time around so we don't look weak or foolish.
 

Vernydar

Learned
Joined
May 6, 2012
Messages
579
Location
Italy
As always, you people are not paranoid enough :roll: And when he's back with fire elementals, or having converted all the scouting party, or having pocketed some more artifacts, what are you going to do? Peacefully submit to your new overlord? :decline:
 

Kipeci

Arcane
Joined
May 22, 2012
Messages
3,027
Location
Vicksburg
As always, you people are not paranoid enough :roll: And when he's back with fire elementals, or having converted all the scouting party, or having pocketed some more artifacts, what are you going to do? Peacefully submit to your new overlord? :decline:

You know what, why not? I doubt that he'd do such a thing since he hasn't bothered to revolt despite us giving him every reason to do so, but we ultimately are playing through this as a collective sort of tribe mentality, not as any specific leaders. It's best for our tribe if he takes over; he could teach fire magic to all minus the annoying fetters from the current leadership, he has already proved himself to be a hero, has in fact bolstered our numbers by converting a couple members of the weaker tribes around us, and he seems to be a pretty cool guy, too. The worst thing I can say about him was that he was too rash in wanting to pursue those other guys, but evidently that trait's been toned down since he hasn't decided to rebel against our retarded leadership after years of being forced to devote his incredible powers to only the task of shoveling shit.

As long as we keep him in this nonsense role he currently occupies, it introduces instability, anyway. If I'm the average tribesman, I see that what is pretty much a physical god for our religion who has said that he only wishes to help and teach our people and has in fact demonstrated this, a hero on the battlefield, etc. etc. being demoted to a lowly, embarassing task that's a complete and utter waste of his skills by a jealous council of crusty old folk who don't want to see any threat to their current stranglehold over power. Which one do I want to support? The latter, obviously.

Killing him would probably not work, either, since even if it went off without a hitch suspicions would probably fall on our leaders for obvious reasons. If it was bungled, well, whichever persons were responsible for it would be drifting as ashes in the wind.

I say we let him go on the trip, not because he's likely to overthrow us (he's put up with so much bullshit from us already, and you think he'd only rebel when he actually kinda gets his way for once?), but because I think that any magical artifacts or whatever else he might find would be incredibly useful. That, and he'd probably have a better idea of the layout of the volcano and resistance against being burned up than anyone else, considering his history and current state.
 

Clotstein

Augur
Joined
Jul 17, 2012
Messages
128
Location
At the back of your skull.
If possible:
D_ Ask him to explain what he knows about what we are walking into and geave the council reasons on why he should go.
if not possible or if he refuses: C_

Bitch gonna cooperate and obey the council or he's gonna keep shoveling shit and making small shit fires.


Also, good to have you back, oh great italian smoking centipede.
 

ScubaV

Prophet
Joined
Feb 20, 2011
Messages
1,022
Look like A is going to win. I'm tempted to vote for it, but I think we should stay consistent. C
 

treave

Arcane
Patron
Joined
Jul 6, 2008
Messages
11,370
Codex 2012
I was in support of A, but changing our minds now just makes us look like little shits that backed down when threatened.
B.

Don't give him any attention.
 

Curufinwe

Learned
Joined
Apr 7, 2012
Messages
271
Location
Italy
It seems the votes were 7-1-4-2 (I considered the Ds as well. Would have bunched them with Cs if it had mattered, but it didn't, really). The Wielder will go, very well.

The eldest brought again the matter of the Wielder in front of the council the night before the expedition was to board the boats and head upriver. A debate once again started, with many expressing outrage to the threatening tone taken by the shaman and some going as far as proposing to drown him in the lake for his new violation. In the end, though, the majority decided his words had to be weighted carefully, assuming he knew what he was talking about, so he would be let go with the expedition, although not in a command role.
There was alot of grumbling within the council anyway, many fearing that backing down on the decision would weaken their authority in the eyes of the tribe.
The eldest took to himself the duty to approach the Wielder with the news. The bald man was waiting near a fire, gazing at the flames. When he was informed, he merely nodded, without reacting further, his eyes still locked on the fire.

Dawn came and the expedition finally left. The twenty-one men took six boats and several stone and earthen containers with them, to facilitate transportation of samples back to camp. Joint leadership would go to the fire keeper and the water shaman accompanying the men, while the Wielder would stay in a supporting and advisory role.

The first day passed without incident. The water was a bit muddy but otherwise clean, the hills were verdant and full of wildlife (you stop to hunt along the way, you don't want to exhaust the supplies you brought with you) and the sky was clear. Only a small tendril of black smoke came from behind the hills. Everything seemed fine.

The next day passed very much the same way, hills, hunting, clear sky, muddy water.

The following day... was different.

You reached the end of the hills on the side of the Fiery Mountain. The moment you got out of their shadows, the world... changed.

The first sign something was wrong was an overpowering stench that everyone could immediately smell.

Then the water shaman shouted in disgust and pointed at the waters. Where just minutes ago they were muddy, but otherwise clear, now you're navigating on an ash-choked, grey slime. Paddling suddenly became harder, as if the water was pulling at your tools.
Then a second, equally horrified shout came from the front boat. The men there were pointing to the sky and the mountain, now fully exposed to your sight.

You looked, and a nightmarish scenery presented itself to your eyes. The sky was dark. Very dark. Where previously a tiny whisp of smoke rose beyond the hills, now a thick column ponderously, ominously covered a whole quarter of the horizon. The land was blackened, lifeless. All vegetation is dead, covered in ash. Nothing can survive in this territory.

You quickly pulled to the shore and convened.

The water shaman wailed: "Horror! Abomination! - he turns towards the Wielder – Look! Look what your arrogance, your lust for power brought to the land! The water spirit is crying in despair! All life has been taken from this land! We must turn back and warn the camp of what we've seen! We can't stay here a moment longer!"

The Wielder didn't react to the shaman's words. He merely surveyed the horizon, nodded to himself, then turned to the rest of the expedition: "Yes. This is what I was afraid of. This is what I warned the council about. Without me, this land would have killed you, mercilessly. The fire spirit is unleashed here, as powerful as I ever felt it. But with me, you stand a chance. We need to leave the boats here, take our supplies with us and go nearer. I can keep you safe from the poisonous air, but we won't find any food in the area."

The men were terrified, but many found solace in the Wielder's words. They dind't want to leave the boats behind though. Although the stench coming from the river was awful, going by foot would be slower and the boats would still provide a quick mean of escape, if the situation warranted.

So, choice time:

A. Listen to the water shaman. Turn back on this nightmare and report to camp. From there, the council can decide what to do.
B. Listen to the Wielder. The expedition still has a mission. Going on foot would provide more versatility, and you can't stand navigating the disgusting river anymore.
C. Keep going by boat. Although the river is as dead as a river can be, it still is the most convenient trail to the mountain's neighborhood.
 

Vernydar

Learned
Joined
May 6, 2012
Messages
579
Location
Italy
A
Come on people, what the hell do you want to go there for? No coal, no obsidian, no animals. What IS the point? Why send these man on a fool's errand in such a place?
I can only see this voyage strengthening the Wielder of fire, which we do not WANT.

By the way, we need to relocate. This river is NOT safe anymore, and it's going to poison the lake and our people if we drink from it. Our tribe needs to go far away from this area I think
 

Hirato

Purse-Owner
Patron
Joined
Oct 16, 2010
Messages
3,954
Location
Australia
Codex 2012 Codex USB, 2014 Shadorwun: Hong Kong
voting B
Just make sure to pull our boats onto land so the river doesn't carry them away.

I'd be willing to vote for a D option where we sent a group of 2-4 people back via boat with a day's worth of supplies to tell of the area's current state, but otherwise push forward with the fire wielder...
 

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