[LP CYOA] 傳

[Nevill]

Imagine that it's a demon, who's, say, been wronged by a horny guy in the past and this is a test of sorts to see whether or not we're a horny bastard who should die horribly.

And I guess if we aren't, it would say sorry and let us go, like it did with the others. Dude, it kidnaps people, and not because it wants to check their libido. It does not mean us well, and I doubt we would part cordially. If everyone until this point, no matter how different they may have been, incurred its wrath, the problem might lie not in the manner in which they had conducted themselves.

I recall no 'diplomacy' with WiB who had started the whole "ALL MEN SHOULD DIE" thing. Why should there be now?

I could only see the point in contacting the girl if she is an entity separate from what is causing these incidents. But then, if she isn't a malevolent ghost, we just risk spooking her with our voice and risk being left with nothing to show for our efforts.

If it's going to deceive us anyway, I'd rather choose the route that is less likely to turn them immediately hostile.

If it is going to deceive us, I'd rather not give it a chance.

 

[Baltika9]

This is more ridiculous than "DRAGON!" "NO, GOAT!" "TSUNDRABBIT 4 LYFE!"
Demons, punishments, ghosts that want you to watch them bathe? WIBs? Let me guess, the Imperial palace is also involved, right? Or is that Yunzi inside?
If there's anything I learned about CYOAs is that basing your vote on baseless speculation doesn't end well. Where is this coming from?

 

[Absinthe]

If it is going to deceive us, I'd rather not give it a chance.

...So you're voting C now?

 

[Nevill]

Where is this coming from?

Don't ask me, I am just trying to answer hypothetical questions.

The only thing we know for sure is that no one have returned from this place yet. That makes active contact with its inhabitants somewhat less desirable.

But who can resist the lure of a pet sphere ghost?

 

[Anabanana]

Dude, it kidnaps people, and not because it wants to check their libido.

Mmhmm, and of all things they could've shown to us, they present us with a scenario of "naked bathing young woman". Nothing to do with sex at all. Nope.

If everyone until this point, no matter how different they may have been, incurred its wrath, the problem might not be the manner in which they had conducted themselves.

So you're arguing that whatever choice we make here doesn't matter, then?

I'm not saying that B is going to get us off the hook, just that it seems the least likely to make the ghost go immediately hostile. It might at least buy us some time and give us more information with which to make our decisions.

If she IS indeed just another human girl, which I doubt since all the people kidnapped have been young men, why would knocking and talking to her in a normal, polite voice spook her? Actually, either A or B would work just fine since she's human and presumably harmless.

If it is going to deceive us, I'd rather not give it a chance.

A might be an illusion. We've been over this.

It does not mean us well, and I doubt we would part cordially.

Huh. That actually reminds me. If it was going to kill us and eat us (demons' typical MO apart from seducing guys they find attractive), wouldn't it have done so before now? The fact that we didn't wake up inside a large steamer or boiling wok of oil means that they wanted to have this encounter, and our response to the situation does, in fact, matter.

 

[Nevill]

Mmhmm, and of all things they could've shown to us, they present us with a scenario of "naked bathing young woman". Nothing to do with sex at all. Nope.

Imagine that it's a demon, who's, say, been wronged by a horny guy in the past and this is a test of sorts to see whether or not we're a horny bastard who should die horribly.

I meant that it have managed to find faults with everyone who had been here so far, if it needs to find a fault to begin with.
It is a malevolent ghost that kills or traps its victims. If it forcibly puts people through its 'test', and everyone fails at it, that means the 'test' is just an excuse.

So you're arguing that whatever choice we make here doesn't matter, then?

No, I am arguing that it not worth trying to appease it, if what is inside this room is the culprit. If so, then yes, as far as our relationship with it goes, it does not matter. I certainly didn't choose A to have a theme for a conversation with it.

In fact A almost seems too obviously like the bad end choice to me.

That's just fear-mongering. If anything, C looks much more like it, but I doubt any choices here are outright game-enders.

B might at least buy us some time and give us more information with which to make our decisions.
[...]
A might be an illusion.

I don't think it can influence our mind to such an extent - so far its tricks were more subtle. And B does not even need to be an illusion to be useless/false. But I guess this is just going in circles - everything that is being said here was already said before.

If she IS indeed just another human girl, which I doubt since all the people kidnapped have been young men, why would knocking and talking to her in a normal, polite voice spook her?

No, I don't think she is human. But it may be another ghost, different from what have been kidnapping the villagers. Maybe there are two ghosts, the girl and her lover. Maybe it is the place itself that is killing them, and the girl is innocent. This is just speculation, but the point is - there are ways for her not to be directly responsible for this mess.

If it was going to kill us and eat us (demons' typical MO apart from seducing guys they find attractive), wouldn't it have done so before now? The fact that we didn't wake up inside a large steamer or boiling wok of oil means that they wanted to have this encounter, and our response to the situation does, in fact, matter.

Or it simply can't, and there are conditions that have to be met first. I don't want to do anything with the girl, I just want to have a look at her and the room she is in. No talking, no entering, a quick look and a retreat, if possible.

 

[Anabanana]

Mmhmm, and of all things they could've shown to us, they present us with a scenario of "naked bathing young woman". Nothing to do with sex at all. Nope.

Imagine that it's a demon, who's, say, been wronged by a horny guy in the past and this is a test of sorts to see whether or not we're a horny bastard who should die horribly.

I meant that it have managed to find faults with everyone who had been here so far, if it needs to find a fault to begin with.
It is a malevolent ghost that kills or traps its victims. If it forcibly puts people through its 'test', and everyone fails at it, that means the 'test' is just an excuse.

There's also the possibility that everyone so far has peeked. And even if they want to kill us regardless, there may be degrees of pissed-off-ness. Making them wanting to kill us NOW for being a pervert vs little bit later might mean the difference between getting nommed on and escape.

If it was going to kill us and eat us (demons' typical MO apart from seducing guys they find attractive), wouldn't it have done so before now? The fact that we didn't wake up inside a large steamer or boiling wok of oil means that they wanted to have this encounter, and our response to the situation does, in fact, matter.

Or it simply can't, and there are conditions that have to be met first. I don't want to do anything with the girl, I just want to have a look at her and the room she is in. No talking, no entering, a quick look and a retreat, if possible.[/quote]

Conditions? Nothing in my experience of the genre indicates that you need any kind of condition for a demon to kill an unprotected human being OH WAIT WE HAVE TALISMANS. Huh, I wonder if it's going to try and get us to discard those somehow, next update. Or if they're actually useless. In any case, we should be clinging onto them tightly regardless of which choice we go with on this update.

Haha, really. Wording of A implies quite strongly that you're going to be perving on her. Remember that treave mentioned fox spirits in connection with the supernatural. What do fox spirits do? They present themselves as pretty young women to seduce men. That seems to fit the precise scenario here which is why I reaaally don't want to go with A. Of course there are benevolent fox spirits, but haha none of the young men came back, and really, even the most benevolent fox spirits are famed for chastity, monogamy, and being loyal to their one true human love till the very end, so A would piss them off more likely than not.

If you really don't want anything to have to do with her, for the love of treave pick C. That's the quickest retreat we have available to us right now. Let's not engage, let's not play this game on her terms, let's just go and hopefully group up with the rest of our party members, one of which hopefully knows what the fuck he's doing, and then deal with the situation from there. I'm sure we'll get plenty of chances to interact with the ghost even if we choose C, but let's do it with backup? Please? I'll flop back to C if that's what it takes.

 

[GreyViper]

Meh not sure what the fuss is about. Its like courting phase before combat. That thing wants to have a chat then depends on choice probably combat. C probably goes to combat straight Grudge style. Wonder where the antagonist corpse/remains are? Ste them on fire and be done with it.

 

[Nevill]

There's also the possibility that everyone so far has peeked.

Well, I think only Jing that is accustomed to the sight of blood and violence would have the guts to be horny in such a place. My point in this discussion is that it doesn't necessarily have to be pissed at us to nom us. It does what it does anyway - it takes a proactive position with all the kidnappings.

Haha, really. Wording of A implies quite strongly that you're going to be perving on her.

Well, the wording of B implies that we are scared shitless, but are trying to prove otherwise. By the words alone, B is just a stupid bravado. But words are not all there is to it.
Jing will be perving in A, but he is also trying to justify it with reconnaissance, so it will be there, too. And that is enough for me.

They present themselves as pretty young women to seduce men. That seems to fit the precise scenario here which is why I reaaally don't want to go with A.

How does this work? I am genuinely curious. I mean, sure, it is easy to seduce an unsuspecting person, but we are fully aware that the place is haunted. I don't think Jing is stupid enough to just go for it. What prevents a seduction attempt in B?

If you really don't want anything to have to do with her, for the love of treave pick C.

No, I am not walking away into the darkness empty-handed. If I am to flee, I want to at least see what she looks like and tell this to our companions - they have more experience with these things and they would know what to do with the information.

I'm sure we'll get plenty of chances to interact with the ghost even if we choose C, but let's do it with backup? Please? I'll flop back to C if that's what it takes.

Even if we both flop, it would put C at 9 against B at 12. It would not change anything. The choice is between A and B.

 

[treave]

Absinthe - B
Zero Credibility - B
Nevill - A
ERYFKRAD - B
Smashing Axe - B
The Brazilian Slaughter - C
Esquilax - B
Baltika9 - C > A
Elfberserker - C > A
Ifeex - B
Lambchop19 - A
Kipeci - C > A
asxetos - B
Stygian Lurker - A
Rex Feral - C > B
XenomorphII - A
Jester - A
m4davis - B
Omicron - A
Random Word - A
Anabanana - B
Kashmir Slippers - B > C
Azira - A
Tigranes - B
TOME - B
ScubaV - B
Nim - A
a bear named spigot - B
Helly - A

***

Current tally:

A - 10
B - 14
C - 5

Post-flop:

A - 13
B - 15
C - 1

edit: If you guys are going to flop, make a note of it by posting when you decide to flop. I usually don't go all the way back to the start of the discussion to count after I've already posted a checkpoint tally.

 

[Baltika9]

Won't it be hilarious if it turns out that we never were in any danger anyway because our spiritual energy is so screwed up?

 

[Nevill]

I am not afraid to die here. Not in this choice, at least.

I am afraid not to learn anything. I want to see the ghost and I want to listen to the melody some more, dammit!

The girl might turn out to be our twin sister, or someone we know. This might be a huge clue that we would not be able to pick by her voice alone.

 

[Anabanana]

I don't think Jing is stupid enough to just go for it.

I don't know, Jing sounds pretty horny in A.

My point in this discussion is that it doesn't necessarily have to be pissed off at us to nom us.

If it's pissed off, I think we're less likely to get information from it too.

The girl might turn out to be our twin sister, or someone we know. This might be a huge clue that we would not be able to pick by her voice alone

Ah, so we peek on someone who could turn out to be our little sister. Yay Codex!

It's true that the melody is intriguing, but can't we just, you know, ask about it? Huh. It might be in our favour too, if the ghost realizes that we have a connection to her, as opposed to all those other faceless young men.

Won't it be hilarious if it turns out that we never were in any danger anyway because our spiritual energy is so screwed up?

Our neigong has nothing to do with ghosts.

Or it could be! It's pretty unusual for wuxia to feature legit ghost stories.

 

[Anabanana]

Actually, rereading the update:

It seems to be that of a girl, and the tune is strangely familiar to you; though you do not remember where you have heard it before, it must have been before you left the palace.

Seems like this could also be referring to somebody in the palace, not necessarily our life BEFORE the palace.

 

[Nevill]

I don't know, Jing sounds pretty horny in A.

Trust those 7 INT, will you?

If it's pissed off, I think we're less likely to get information from it too.

That might have concerned me if I wanted to talk to it. I don't.

Ah, so we peek on someone who could turn out to be our little sister. Yay Codex!

How are we supposed to know that?
For that matter, any woman our age can be our sister. I am not about to walk with eyes closed from now on.

It's true that the melody is intriguing, but can't we just, you know, ask about it?

Well, she might not answer. I'd rather try and recognize it by myself, and for that, I need her to continue singing.

It might be in our favour too, if the ghost realizes that we have a connection to her, as opposed to all those other faceless young men.

It might be the other way around, the ghost is just messing with our memories, digging up a tune that we find enchanting and comforting. Does not make me want to remember where we have heard it any less.

 

[Anabanana]

How are we supposed to know that?

The girl might turn out to be our twin sister, or someone we know.

I don't know, Jing sounds pretty horny in A.

Trust those 7 INT, will you?

7 INT will do nothing if we actively choose to be seduced i.e. option A.

If it's pissed off, I think we're less likely to get information from it too.

That might have concerned me if I wanted to talk to it. I don't.

I do. Sorry.

It's true that the melody is intriguing, but can't we just, you know, ask about it?

Well, she might not answer. I'd rather try and recognize it by myself, and for that, I need her to continue singing.

There is nothing that indicates that she will continue singing if you choose A. And even if she does, see my point below.

It might be in our favour too, if the ghost realizes that we have a connection to her, as opposed to all those other faceless young men.

It might be the other way around, the ghost is just messing with our memories, digging up a tune that we find enchanting and comforting. Does not make me want to remember where we have heard it any less.[/quote]

Possible! But you can't deny that the other possibility exists either. I really doubt that any of the options are going to lead to more information just by listening to the tune, otherwise treave would've revealed it by now. "It's something that we heard before leaving the palace" is the extent of what we'll get by listening; if we want more we should ASK.

 

[Baltika9]

treave, when will polls close?

 

[GreyViper]

The physical danger might come from the corpses/zombies, you know the men who disappeared. What they lack in skill they make up in resilience and quantity, wonder if pulling a spine out of zombie destroys it? Guess well see soon.

 

[treave]

Polls will close in an hour or so, I suppose.

 

[Nevill]

How are we supposed to know that?

Annnnd... how are we supposed to know that, unless we look? It was just a suggestion, after all. Nevermind, you were probably joking anyway.

7 INT will do nothing if we actively choose to be seduced i.e. option A.

Looking at a girl does not mean we are going to jump her bones. Jing isn't that desperate. Both Cao'er and Qilin are trying to seduce him daily, with zero results. No, Jing is yet another ever-virgin protagonist, following in the footsteps of Ean and Senya. In that regard, he is completely safe.

As for the tune, if we recognized it as a familiar one after several years, it must mean a lot to us. I don't think we will get immediately discovered in A, which is why I think that she will continue singing. I bank on us being able to remember if we listen more. It surely helps me to identify songs.

Remind me, why are we arguing, again? You made it clear that you won't budge, and I won't, either. We have run out of facts long ago, and are just speculating. Not that I don't enjoy it.

 

[Baltika9]

GreyViper, you have any preference on the vote?

 

[Nevill]

Polls will close in an hour or so, I suppose.

And the last hope of humanity, The Brazilian Slaughter, the only person still voting for C, is offline. Woe is me!

 

[Nevill]

GreyViper, you have any preference on the vote?

Because if not, let's go with a steamy ghost bathing scene! :D

 

[Helly]

A

 

[Anabanana]

How are we supposed to know that?

Annnnd... how are we supposed to know that, unless we look? It was just a suggestion, after all. Nevermind, you were probably joking anyway.

that was not meant to be a serious point, no

7 INT will do nothing if we actively choose to be seduced i.e. option A.

Looking at a girl does not mean we are going to jump her bones. Jing isn't that desperate. Both Cao'er and Qilin are trying to seduce him daily, with zero results. No, Jing is yet another ever-virgin protagonist, following in the footsteps of Ean and Senya. In that regard, he is completely safe.

So confident. This is the guy who constantly had orgies with the palace maids, I believe. If he's allowing himself to peek even in this obviously dangerous situation, I wouldn't be so sure about him being completely immune. And since these are fox demons, you know, they might even have seduction spells on their side. Again, speculation on both our ends though.

As for the tune, if we recognized it as a familiar one after several years, it must mean a lot to us. I don't think we will get immediately discovered in A, which is why I think that she will continue singing. I bank on us being able to remember if we listen more. It surely helps me to identify songs.

Ehhhhhhh, the lights went out as soon as we stopped nearly her door, which indicates that she knows our movements anyway. If she does keep singing it'll be because she wants to keep up the illusion of being a pretty girl singing, but even if that's the case you'll most likely be pre-occupied with whatever you see in there. It's wishful thinking to think that we'll get more information just by listening. Memories are notoriously unreliable and how do you even measure time in an LP like this anyway?

Remind me, why are we arguing, again? You made it clear that you won't budge, and I won't, either. We have run out of facts long ago, and are just speculating. Not that I don't enjoy it.

This is true! And looks like we have a tie yet again. Hurray. At this point I think maybe treave should just flip a coin and be done with it.