In Progress [LP CYOA] Tower

Ok, I'll lay off of fanboying over Rasputin for now. Especially since we have a better candidate for our coach in Tlalli. I hope there's a way of impressing her enough that she will decide to take us under her wing. She may already be scouting us out:

That, and I like her Zhangian vibes:

Ah-ha. So that monster that we encountered has a direct analogue in human folklore, as does this changeling that we'll be hunting. Does any one of you gentlemen know which tradition the shadow beast is from?

It's almost a given now that Mr. Bram Stoker did not lie about the vampire:

The question I'm asking myself now is this: could Rain also be one of these creatures birthed by the tower? Elves are a little bit older than Tolkien's work, and if the Tower reflects the darker myths, then why wouldn't it reflect the noble ones as well? We really need to talk to our Jesuit friend Thurston.

treave, before I ask my questions, I want to thank you for putting together a setting that incorporates so many historical, cultural and mythological traditions. I'm positively salivating at all the independent research I will do thanks to this.

Now, I have two question for you: if we want to start making stuff like craft beers and exotic hooch, what skills should we develop? Alchemy as our primary skill, to make sure that we make the right stuff, and a higher Drinking skill to make sure we make the good stuff, right?

Does Scottsfield have any whisky distilleries?

I will.

Edit: dude, I'm sorry, but if you're not joking, then I think that it's just too tryhard; a name like that is exactly what gets people to want to give you shit.

 

Might as well get the name of Thunder. Ties in with Rain too.

 

Baltika9 of course I'm joking man. Doesn't mean I'm not serious, but I like ridiculous things.

But I have a much better idea. Since Tlalli brought it up, we should use the chance to get a badass ancient mexican name. Btw Cloud in Nahuathl is Mixtli. No thunder, but there are about a million different variants of lightning.

 

Worked out fabulously. We get to further some of our hunter training, establish a better relationship with the girls, and we still have a really good chance of being able to go back to the twentieth floor to see Rain again.

A. Our help will be invaluable, I just know it.

 

Something Greek or Latin.

Let's go for Uranus. No one will dare to go after Uranus.

 

Oh shit. Michin is fish. Let's go with that.

 

A.

Unnecessary risks is what we’re built for. I’m sure Sophie won’t mind when she gets back home all the sooner for it... or never does, either way it’s resolved quicker.

 

Guess it's a bAndwagon. Still better than a Bandwagon.

 

hello friend, where would hunt3r boi even have heard of any Aztec words for those things? I dunno, I think our name should be earned. I'd love it if, after having us under her wing for a while, Tlalli would give us a name like that. But if we have to pick one, then I think a Biblical name would be a more in-character choice, since we're being raised by a priest and all.

I even have a suggestion: Gabriel, the guardian angel of Israel, to parallel our role as Rain's guardian.

Or is it too cliche?

Unless you're Andrew.

 

Well, we didn't know he was unable to swim until I asked, and at that point, the waterfall trip up to the 26th floor was a foregone conclusion. Besides, it isn't that crazy to assume that an avid outdoorsman knows how to swim.

Anyways, I think it's really important that we take a nice, relaxing stroll through the woods with Grandma. Spending time with Grandma is important. A

 

George is probably the most Victorian name one could think of and we did go with Wells as our favorite writer and his full name is Herbert George Wells.

Alternatively, we could use a middle name of one of his characters although his works weren't really famous for their names.

I'd still rather have our name fall into our lap, though. Let it be bestowed upon us by the Providence instead of just picking a random word.

 

Well, wrinkly face has done just fine without a name all his life. It's feasible that he doesn't identify strongly with it like most people do. I kind of like the idea of him changing names like changing haircuts. Not something you do very often in life, but it happens once in a rare while and it's not terribly important. Be mighty convenient, too, if we're ever on the run or have to be clandestine.

 

Another note on this: it seems that these creatures keep to the themes of their surrounding communities. Dracula for the Romanians, and elves for the Celts? That would make Rain one of the Tuatha dé Danann, mythic original inhabitants of Ireland, or a Seelie* Faerie of Scottish myths. Her assailant could then be a Fomorian.

*Wouldn't it be funny if our choices in how we raise Rain will determine what kind of fae she will grow up to be: seelie or underlie.

I was referring to our choice to pursue adventures, instead of being a responsible big brother. We are YOLOFISH now, Rain should buckle up.

I'll stoke Codexian paranoia this time: what are the odds that this kindly stranger is a charlatan?

 

Ah yes, the fabled Codexian maximalism. If one can't have things their way, then it must be a 100% reversal. If Ean developed a devouring streak, mash that Devour Soul button. If we lost a fight with a demon swordsman, never do anything you want for fear of DEMONZ whispering temptations in your mind. If we can't be with the baby all the time, ditch the baby for the Tsardom and/or traipsing the land with mentors bearded and not.

Well, we dodged the first two bullets (although they grazed the discuss and some of the decisions a little), and I have no doubt we can dodge the third one too.

What do you mean? She has the skills, the gear, and the kitty. Kitty wouldn't lie to us!
(What do we have to do to get our own animal companion, since the book one didn't seem to pan out? I want full benefits from the Ranger class!)

Re: Name. Don't want to pick one. Either we wait until the mentor bestows one on us, or we drift through life with whatever people call us.

Not with our face.

 

On the whole this is likely a better option. If names have power then knowing someone's name is apt to give you power over them.

 

ffs. Bigus Dickus would be humbler, and frankly more imaginative.

I say we ask the girls to help us choose one or suggest some options. I think they feel a little better about us now.

Failing that, I would vote for Cloud, even though it doesn't make as much narrative sense now, to heal Nevill's butthurt.

 

We should ask what it means to have no name if names have power.

 

Better question:

What can change the nature of a man?

 

I imagine being named Bigus Dickus would be a good candidate!

Nah, what's done is done. It was good for an impulsive pick, now that we are doing fine without one I want to milk this situation for what it is worth until we get a big enough narrative impetus to change things.

And hey, I am not opposed to "it's just a name" outlook. Sticks and stones can break my bones sort of thing. People who have a reason to care would come up with names that are not insulting, and we don't have a reason to care about what other people think.

Baltika fancies Wrinkly as proto-Geralt, and I find it a reasonable role model to strive for.

Show Spoiler Hide Spoiler

Besides, if we can't be tracked through divination Astras/magic because we don't have one "true" name, wouldn't it be cool in itself?

Edit: Remember the Fire Temple! When you are at your most butthurt, always consider that there may be a secret option accounting just for the set of retarded decisions that led you to that outcome, and push to its logical conclusion!

 

A good argument.

Sign me up for The Nameless One bandwagon!

 

Shall we lock votes? A is winning overwhelmingly, 15 to 1.

 

A in for a penny, in for a pound - forest critters be damned

 

B

Three kids who haven't sprouted their first pubes yet in unfamiliar jungles will be more hindrance than help to her

 

off-topic

 

I resent that.


I meant that I'll embrace the direction in which we've been developing our hunt3r boi*, instead of fighting it at every turn, and that Rain should prepare for the consequences. Since we are choosing to live life as an adventurer, maybe even a monster hunter, this will obviously impact our life and, by extension, hers. I'd rather avoid repeating the 'Cao'er Mistake' with Rain, where our ignoring her led to Cao'er becoming more and more unhinged: her creepiness was only endearing because she was a fictional character in a wuxia setting, whereas IRL she would be locked up in a psych ward. This means we will have to spend quality time with Rain, which will mean she may start adventuring with us at an early age.

Think big: we can finally get the pet sphere that treave promised us eight years ago, all the way back in EPIC.

*The way I see it, Wrinkly is very quickly becoming a hardcore bastard, which is fine, without any regard for his own life, which is worrying:

How many ten-year old boys take down shadow beasts, giant lizards, almost drown in rivers when escaping troglodytes and come out cool like cucumbers?