In Progress [LP CYOA] Tower

this guy gives us similar vibes as Rasputin - and do you think shooting him with a sling pebble would have helped?

for better or worse, we're marked and arcanists of the Tower show an interest in us - and they all seem refreshingly Neutral and centered on their own goals, unconcerned with mortal prattle - perhaps they all seek apprentices, but are forbidden (by what dreadful Authority?) from taking one without consent?

if we need to fight this dude and die in the swamp (as we did back in 'nam), that's fine - but how about we stick to our steady character and not lash out at the first conjured provocation? that is the low CHA option if you want to force that angle though

 

People who are voting for using the sling against John Bull better be the same people who wanted to attack Raspy. Consistency!

If Raspy was too big of a mouthful to chew, then John Bull is too. Better to either decline, or try to engage him in conversation.

 

Gentlemen, the idea with C isn't that we defeat John Bull, but that we distract him enough that he either drops the mist, or that Tlalli realizes that something is amiss and finds us. I get the sense that she's the only one who's a match for him here, and that this situation with the surprise shifter is, in fact, an trap designed by Mr. Bull to kill our gram-gram.

Bro, I was all down for becoming Father Grigory's apprentice, but that was before we met Grandma Tlalli. She's perfect for us, it's not even a contest. Not to mention that she's rad as hell and a total badass. It sounds like she's past fifty, and yet she's still throwing monsters in headlocks and doesn't afraid of anything. I'm confident that she is a direct spiritual descendant of the Great Fist God, Our Lord Zhang Jue.

Grandma Tlalli all the way, till the day I die.




Also, Mr. Bull doesn't have the trustworthy facial hair that Father Grigory had. Handlebars are dubious at best, refer to this handy infographic:

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A sling is a lethal weapon, dude.

Besides, again, we aren't planning to fight, we're planning to attack and run, if possible.

Also, there's a difference between acknowledging a serious threat and assuming that we have no chance of escape. You are doing the latter. If attacking won't help, then logically refusing won't either.

This is a lot of assumption on your part.

The mark we bear is some sort of wound from our battle with the beast. Maybe it gives us special powers or maybe it just makes us "smell" like they do and attracts nasties like this guy. Who knows? (Not us, for the moment.)

 

The situation is completely different.

Using the mist on us is a hostile act. We didn't know that Rasputin or the knights were going to be so hostile when we encountered them.

He also clearly sees us and is directly interested in abducting us, not in seeing the gate on the 30th floor the way Rasputin was.

We also don't have the option of hiding and any delay could cause the mist to affect us further. Again, attempting to delay could cause us to be drugged or otherwise have our senses altered so that we agree whether we like it or not.

 

Also, I think you are all forgetting an important meta hint:

treave said that I would have had "I told you so ammo" had we chosen another option.

It's pretty clear that this guy would have tried to abduct Sophie if we weren't here. And with Sophie's naive attitude and desperation to get home, she might have agreed.

For anyone doubting that he wants to abduct us, this should be an obvious proof that he most certainly does.

 

I MEAN FOR FUCK'S SAKE

The guy could be the real shapeshifter Tlalli has been hunting all along!

 

These LPs are all in good sport and I don’t want to be mean, but this is a post that puts at shame sphere diplomacy, really.

 

The guy talks about fairy tales and forgets that in half of them the monsters lie in order to try to EAT CHILDREN.

 

Also the reasons for lying are quite obvious, avoiding a ruckus that can attract Tlalli attention and the fact that we are armed savages, basically a rapist telling a scared woman with a gun to be quiet and don’t shoot.

 

Exactly. Look at the creature’s actions, not his words, sheep!!!

This is a life or death situation. We need to treat it as such, even if this guy wants us to believe that it is some conveniently more comfortable alternative.

 

D>B

 

yes, i'm kinda the first that wondered about that

i'm still in favor of calmly looking him in the eye and telling him we'll find our own way home

 

This whole thing reminds me of the Rick and Morty episode where shapeshifting aliens that look like wacky characters.

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Hear me out:

Maybe this guy looks like John Bull because he's part of Sophie's culture. Part of her memories. As is her desire to go home. Don't you think it's AWFULLY CONVENIENT that someone should suddenly show up IN THE MIDDLE OF A SWAMP WITH SHAPESHIFTERS and offer Sophie INSTANT travel back home?

The fact that John Bull is make believe is irrelevant to the shapeshifter. He just senses some familiarity or trust concerning her image of the man.

This, btw, would also explain his creepy expressions:

So, Tigranes, it is important that the guy's name is John Bull. Because John Bull isn't fucking real. Which should tell us that this guy isn't really John Bull and maybe not even a human at all.

He's not a fucking fairy, not some magic user seeking an apprentice, he's a higher-level shapeshifter and intends to literally eat us.

 

But does it happen before or after the abduction?

I still think he wants hostages. Or a hostage. I suppose he can always... split the difference.

 

so if the dude is a shapeshifted monstrosity, why don't Sophie's glasses see through the illusion - why isn't she screaming but listening to him?

maybe she doesn't see the fog at all?

fog or no fog, i expect our minimap book can show us the way towards grandma and the others (we're not so dumb not to have remembered the relative positions) - but it doesn't guarantee they'll be able to perceive us if the Malk put lotsa points in Obfuscate

if we attack every sleazy guy we meet, we'll soon be quite famous

if we had the revolver (btw, Strelok Wrinkloff would not fail to disengage the safety - because it most probably doesn't have one; cock the hammer, pull the trigger, bang) i'd joke about being the quick or the dead, but with a slingshot (not very effective at point blank, btw) i only see dead people

 

Because it isn't an illusion and/or because the mist is affecting her.

The shifter's form can physically change. As we saw, one became like a seal to slither out of Tlalli's grasp. True seeing may not help you see if a form really does change. It would just help you see under the murk of the swamp etc.

Untrue. Grip safeties and the like were common. Simply not holding it right would be a big problem.

All things being equal though, I suppose I should have simply asked treave if we could have a quick bit of training with it, but these two part choices are a bit hectic and I imagined it as if she just handed it to us without instruction and we went right into the second part oft he update.

 

Those two situations have nothing to do with one another. If you want to talk consistency, then maybe the people who voted to protect Sophie last update (which was most of us) should take steps to protect her again.

Well, there's plenty of reason why Sophie wouldn't be able to see John Bull's "true form", assuming he's a shapeshifting monster using mental-based abilities rather than Tzimisce-like physical metamorphosis. One is the mist, but the other, more compelling reason is that she's still trying to get a handle on using her Astra, just like we are.

For reference, this is where we're at in terms of proficiency with our Astra:

Much like how we don't really have a popamole quest compass of The Tower yet, Sophie is a novice at using her Astra too. So I'm not expecting her to spot Nyarlathotep or some master shapeshifter whose abilities are vastly greater than our own at this point.

But regardless - that's all irrelevant. This guy is preventing us from leaving or calling for help. He knows Tlalli and it's apparent that there's a thinly-veiled tension/conflict between them. Lastly, he is somewhat desperate and tight on time. So guys, let's PLEASE chuck a rock at his head and call out for Grandma.

I haven't seen a single argument for B that hasn't been based on wishful thinking thus far.

 

Nah mate, in the previous update it was discussed that Sophie's glasses help her see through all forms. What good would the glasses be in identifying the shifters if they were just walking around as a randoms swamp animal than huh? Let's be honest with ourselves, this proves that Bull isn't a shifter. He is definitely a human that is of the same creed as Rasputin and Tlalli.

Swapping my vote to B. The more I think about it, the more I start to think shooting at him could lead to some bad outcomes. B is the safest bet.

Lmao. The guy is obviously strong enough to kill us and catch us if we run. He magically appeared behind us for Gods sake and he has an aura about him that can do god knows what. Perhaps it can manifest itself into physical objects or grab people/things? How is people saying B because we don't want to piss him off by shooting a rock at his head wishful thinking? If anything, picking C is wishful thinking because we're assuming our lowly sling launched rock will be enough to kill/disrupt Bull long enough for us to call out to Tlalli. Nevermind the fact that it's highly possible he can kill us or chase us around while keeping up this aura and isolating us from Tlalli if we piss him off.

 

Jesus christ. Whether he is a shifter or not, he is not our friend, and 2A isn't just "let's hear this guy out", it's "rape us, eat our organs, whatever, we completely entrust all our lives to you!"

A dude who just happens to pop out in the midst of a battle in the middle of nowhere dressed for a ballroom party decides to make a five second "too good to be true take it or leave it trust me with your life" offer. That is the very epitome of a drive-by pedo kidnapper.

If dude was a trustworthy friend why is he teleporting us away with nary a word to grandma while she fights against a dangerous enemy? Why doesn't he help grandma? What's she going to think when battle is over and the kids have disappeared?

If you vote 2A by god I have some cruise company stocks to sell you

 

2A is so last update.

People are voting for B, Tigranes. No one wants to accept the offer... except Kipeci, but he's a bird.
The question is whether to refuse him politely, or smack him with a bullet between the eyes.

I do think that it makes no difference what Mr. Bull is, so long as he behaves like he does though.

 

it's a minor point in the larger scheme of things, but

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show me the grip safety?

 

Guys, the creep is stronger than us obviously and we are at its mercy, the point is that C is the only proactive option that can achieve anything, all the other options are various grades of “be nice mister creep, pretty please”.

 

idk, you show it to me here:

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Not that other forms of safeties didn't exist.

Maybe you could show me the safety here:

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Or here:

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Or here:

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It's almost like not all revolvers are the same and have the same features.

I know it's a minor issue though.

Not that I'm trying to be an expert here. I just remember reading an article on revolver safeties being somewhat of a fad during this period or around this time.