Choose your path to greatness, obscurity or death. A multiple choice LP

[TOME]

That, or we don't tell anyone unless getting superior upperhand. After all, the shard was our parents and the voice talks to us (could be other reasons, not just the shard). I think we have better chances unlocking avarlonian secrets than anyone else. Remember, that Eskal has used this fortress for centuries, but they have never bothered to explore the central courtyard and it's wonders. If shit hits the fan and the centipede cavalry attacks, they are not going to spend valuable resourcess tied to central courtyard. They are going to seal it and send the shard somewhere far away.

I'm not actually all opposed to the idea of telling about the shard. I just don't like sharing our secret to middle men like Irene. I suggest that if we tell someone about the shard, it is Lord Medah or the general, which ever has higher authority inside the fortress.

 

[Baltika9]

Call it a hunch, but I've a feeling that, if we play our cards right, we'll eventually come to the point where we'll be offered magic...in exchange for the lives of all the soldiers in the outside courtyard.
And if we play 'em wrong,they'll die anyway.

 

[TOME]

Call it a hunch, but I've a feeling that, if we play our cards right, we'll eventually come to the point where we'll be offered magic...in exchange for the lives of all the soldiers in the outside courtyard.
And if we play 'em wrong,they'll die anyway.

Nooo! I hope Vernydar won't make me choose between power and moral principles like Treave and Curufinwe.

 

[Baltika9]

You can bet your ass he will. Difference is, when he does, I'm taking power. I'd rather have demonology, but necromancy will do, too.

And for the record, if we want magic, telling Irene about the shard is stupid. First thing she'll do is take it from us, even if to only safeguard us from it. And if it does leave you empty inside, we might be starting to have a Gollum-like attachment to it. That would be really bad. I don't want to crawl around in a loincloth and having choices between "Preciousssss..." and "PREEEEEECIOUSSS!!!"

 

[Stygian Lurker]

C)

4) Propose to keep the artifact yourself. Reason that if you leave it in camp it can be stolen, and if you give it to someone else it can affect them.

C)

 

[Curufinwe]

Call it a hunch, but I've a feeling that, if we play our cards right, we'll eventually come to the point where we'll be offered magic...in exchange for the lives of all the soldiers in the outside courtyard.
And if we play 'em wrong,they'll die anyway.

Nooo! I hope Vernydar won't make me choose between power and moral principles like Treave and Curufinwe.

Hey, I never made you choose between power and morality. I just made you choose between power or no power. :D Not my fault you decided to commit suicide.

 

[Absinthe]

Since it only takes half an hour, let's get the scholar back in to transcribe before we leave this mansion behind us for now.

+1 to this.

I think that we still need to keep the scholar around in order to translate stuff - unless Kyoss and Irene can learn the language in a reasonable timeframe, I think it'll be easier if we just copy down all the writings and have him work on translation. It seems that we've discovered a graveyard dedicated to magic-users... perhaps we might be able to learn more about our ancestry and clues about why the hell our parents have a metal shard imbued with Avarlosian magic. Do we have a family name? How about our mother's name? Maybe we can find our ancestors' names and exploits on these tombstones...

It's confirmed our characters already understand the language. Avarlos's language just sounds archaic to our ears. All we need to learn is how to read it.

If we tell them that the voice told us that the shard will "eat" its owner, I don't think anybody will keep it on their person.

Ditto. This is why I voted option 3.

That, or we don't tell anyone unless getting superior upperhand. After all, the shard was our parents and the voice talks to us (could be other reasons, not just the shard). I think we have better chances unlocking avarlonian secrets than anyone else. Remember, that Eskal has used this fortress for centuries, but they have never bothered to explore the central courtyard and it's wonders. If shit hits the fan and the centipede cavalry attacks, they are not going to spend valuable resourcess tied to central courtyard. They are going to seal it and send the shard somewhere far away.

And the voice told us they won't trust us because we carry the shard. So we're not going to be able to talk if we keep it on us. If we still need the shard later for our mission, we can always ask for it back.

I'm not actually all opposed to the idea of telling about the shard. I just don't like sharing our secret to middle men like Irene. I suggest that if we tell someone about the shard, it is Lord Medah or the general, which ever has higher authority inside the fortress.

Irene already has an appropriate level of authority, and I thought we were trying to score relationship points with her, plus I reckon Irene would be a very useful ally.

 

[Vernydar]

A few answers and clarifications

- Your family name is Kyoss Vackel. As written in the character sheet Your mother's family name is Delasniv.
- You do understand Avarlos' language. But with difficulty. Basically, both you and the other person must be striving to understand each other. Less than optimal to be honest. As I said, reading it is going to be a rather large undertaking.
- As far as magic, power and morals go, I will just say what I wrote earlier, I think in two occasions. I do not particularly like cartoonish, good vs evil settings where everything is good or evil. Good and evil do exist, but there are also a lot of shades of gray. That said, about magic, morals, what Baltika wants (demonology!), and anything else you will have to discover the truth for yourself in this lp.

Whether you want to live as "good", or "evil", or "something in between", I hope you will be well prepared, because your enemies (once you make them) will not cut you some slack, no matter who they are. Sorry but nobody becomes important and powerful by being stupid. There will not be good idiots letting you grow evil and powerful if they can stop it. There will not be cartoonish evil overlords letting you live because "you are beneath my notice". Nope sorry, won't happen.

Interesting discussion here by the way. If you have other questions feel free to ask them, I will try to answer. I will let this go another day, as I am too tired to write an update tonight. Update tomorrow.

 

[Baltika9]

That said, about magic, morals, what Baltika wants (demonology!), and anything else you will have to discover the truth for yourself in this lp.

Succubi, man. Succubi. Can you blame me?

 

[Absinthe]

- You do understand Avarlos' language. But with difficulty. Basically, both you and the other person must be striving to understand each other. Less than optimal to be honest. As I said, reading it is going to be a rather large undertaking.

Right, figured it wouldn't be perfect, but we should be able to figure shit out, at least with our high literacy and int. I'm not suggesting we become fluent in ancient Avarlos (not a bad idea, though), just that we quickly learn the basic skill for reading. All we need to learn is the Avarlos script (or just get a scroll detailing which Avarlos characters roughly correspond to which Eskal characters). This should be doable, right?

Also...

Question: Does our knowledge of Eskal myths tell us anything about the magic, Third House, etc. here?
Note: Character sheet book list needs updating for which books we have on us.

 

[Monty]

Sorry but nobody becomes important and powerful by being stupid. There will not be good idiots letting you grow evil and powerful if they can stop it.

Yes, I understand your position and it arguably makes for a better LP, but history does give us examples of this. There is often a tendency to not want to get involved or make the sacrifices conflict demands - look at the appeasers of Hitler before WW2 for example. Hitler was allowed to grow strong for years because noone wanted another war and they did everything possible not to confront him until they had no other choice.

I'm not disagreeing with the direction you want to take the LP, just pointing out that there are not always 'good' people willing to take down the evil and powerful unless they are forced to!

 

[Vernydar]

Question: Does our knowledge of Eskal myths tell us anything about the magic, Third House, etc. here?
Note: Character sheet book list needs updating for which books we have on us.

Not really, of Avarlos only legends are left. Or, were left. Most people were afraid of even investigating it. Yes, even the various kings. But it seems things have changed now. You live in interesting times
Also, I updated the book list. I forgot to before

I'm not disagreeing with the direction you want to take the LP, just pointing out that there are not always 'good' people willing to take down the evil and powerful unless they are forced to!

Of course not. But I am thinking much smaller scale than you are. Hitler had a nation behind him, more or less from the start. They allowed Germany to grow strong, but stopping it was not so simple anyway because it was a nation, and so it would have meant a war. What I mean is that they will not let you get that powerful by stopping you much earlier.

If Kyoss builds a tower and starts abducting people from a nearby village to study necromancy, expect the royal army to come and visit you way before you can raise an army of undead.

 

[Monty]

If Kyoss builds a tower and starts abducting people from a nearby village to study necromancy, expect the royal army to come and visit you way before you can raise an army of undead.

Damn, was looking forward to designing that tower. Guess we'll have to play the long game and get a nation behind us first!

 

[Vernydar]

If Kyoss builds a tower and starts abducting people from a nearby village to study necromancy, expect the royal army to come and visit you way before you can raise an army of undead.

Damn, was looking forward to designing that tower. Guess we'll have to play the long game and get a nation behind us first!

The point is: careful planning! Don't let them know you are doing it!

 

[GameOver]

Which is why I wanted to tell her before, but nobody would listen! Better we do it now and deal with the consequences, than wait till later when the damage will be even greater. If we come clean with everything now, I doubt we'll look too bad in her eyes. What do you think will happen if you don't tell her now, and then wait until even LATER to tell her?

Yes, it is easy to say that things will get worse if we don't tell her now. Problem with this is that you are eliminating the option of never telling her or anyone else. Just because she has a nice pair of legs doesn't mean she needs to be privy to this information.

She's going to magically trust us or something? This is the point where we have to tell her, or risk ruining the trust we have with her and Lord Medah, perhaps forever.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it. She already trusts us, why mess with something that already seems to be going good.

If we tell them that the voice told us that the shard will "eat" its owner, I don't think anybody will keep it on their person.

Yes, the voice seems like a very reliable source too (To us sure, to others no guarantees). Do you think Medeh's superiors will care about a boy hearing a voice? If we give up the stone, who knows how high up it will go. Besides, it belongs to Kyoss' family and somehow is connected to Kyoss' family, I would like to figure out how it is.

And the voice told us they won't trust us because we carry the shard. So we're not going to be able to talk if we keep it on us. If we still need the shard later for our mission, we can always ask for it back.

It really is not that difficult to leave the shard with your things wherever you are staying. You are dreaming if you think we can just ask for it back and actually get it. We don't really know what it does so saying we need it for any aspect of the mission will not fly.

Irene already has an appropriate level of authority, and I thought we were trying to score relationship points with her, plus I reckon Irene would be a very useful ally.

How would revealing the shard score relationship points? Lets think about dating in terms of reality rather than mechanically, where any positive interaction whatsoever provides a +5 points to our relationship with her. Also, Irene already is an ally. I am fairly certain she isn't an enemy.

I still think we do not show the shard.

 

[Absinthe]

Yes, it is easy to say that things will get worse if we don't tell her now. Problem with this is that you are eliminating the option of never telling her or anyone else. Just because she has a nice pair of legs doesn't mean she needs to be privy to this information.

She's the boss of the mission and this is now highly relevant to the mission. That's why she should be privy to the info.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it. She already trusts us, why mess with something that already seems to be going good.

For the off-chance we get found out, and 'cause I don't see the need in keeping it anymore.

How would revealing the shard score relationship points? Lets think about dating in terms of reality rather than mechanically, where any positive interaction whatsoever provides a +5 points to our relationship with her. Also, Irene already is an ally. I am fairly certain she isn't an enemy.

Because showing her the shard indicates we trust her with this important information. Showing it to superiors without telling her says we didn't trust her with this info. I'm not saying she'll want to fuck Kyoss for telling her (and frankly, I don't give a rat's arse about RP sex). I'm saying she won't give a cold shoulder.

 

[GameOver]

Showing the shard is not highly relevant to the mission. We are to investigate this courtyard and determine whether it is safe or not. As far as I can tell, the central courtyard should never be entered especially now that we know there are magical inhabitants here that are capable of stopping time just to say hi. I know it is intriguing to continue searching the central courtyard but we fulfilled our mission as far as I'm concerned and this courtyard needs to be locked up. Additional searching might just reveal even more stuff that will prove further that this courtyard should be off limits.

As for the relationship points, I think we both agree that is dumb. I am not suggesting we show the shard to her superiors either. I am suggesting we investigate it ourselves without anyone else's help. Lets be honest, only people that can help us are those that know magic.

 

[Anabanana]

I'm personally in favor of figuring out the mystery of the shard and gaining magic, which is why I'm voting in favor of maintaining good working relationships with people who will be useful to us with the former (we could get help figuring out our parents' past, for example) and maybe even the latter (Lord Medah may have classified information re: magic that he will share with us if we tell him that magic inhabitants are in the courtyard). If we investigate it ourselves, all that we can rely on are written records. It'll be inefficient, and there's no telling if we'll ever get the information we need to figure this out while we get distracted by other things like assignments. Didn't Verynydar just confirm that learning how to read Avarlos writing is a difficult task that will take a while? The world, including those people who know magic that you mention, may just move on without us. Remember that magic users are extremely rare in this world... making contact with these magical entities may be our best/only shot at getting magic for this playthrough, really. And we should be trying to make contact sans shard so we don't piss them off anyways. Like others have said, if we need the shard for getting back into the mansion or whatever, I'm sure Irene will be reasonable about it.

I'm switching from C to GreyViper's E, by the way, unless something else other than C or E is winning, in which case I'll be sticking with C.

Tell her about everything, including the metal artifact and what the child told you. Then explain that you were not aware of the nature of the artifact, seeing it as a old family heirloom. But in light of recent revelation, you'd rather not doom anybody else because your already carrying that thing for some time now. Ask her to trust your judgment and tell her you will not hide anything you now learn from the shard and maybe it will be the key to getting past the magical traps. Explain to her that Kyoss has a theory that the shard can detect maybe disable wards.
Then recount the whole conversation with the voice and ask her to go meet with the general and revise the plan.

 

[Collage]

I'm personally in favor of figuring out the mystery of the shard and gaining magic, which is why I'm voting in favor of maintaining good working relationships with people who will be useful to us with the former (we could get help figuring out our parents' past, for example) and maybe even the latter (Lord Medah may have classified information re: magic that he will share with us if we tell him that magic inhabitants are in the courtyard). If we investigate it ourselves, all that we can rely on are written records. It'll be inefficient, and there's no telling if we'll ever get the information we need to figure this out while we get distracted by other things like assignments. Didn't Verynydar just confirm that learning how to read Avarlos writing is a difficult task that will take a while? The world, including those people who know magic that you mention, may just move on without us. Remember that magic users are extremely rare in this world... making contact with these magical entities may be our best/only shot at getting magic for this playthrough, really. And we should be trying to make contact sans shard so we don't piss them off anyways. Like others have said, if we need the shard for getting back into the mansion or whatever, I'm sure Irene will be reasonable about it.

I'm switching from C to GreyViper's E, by the way, unless something else other than C or E is winning, in which case I'll be sticking with C.

Tell her about everything, including the metal artifact and what the child told you. Then explain that you were not aware of the nature of the artifact, seeing it as a old family heirloom. But in light of recent revelation, you'd rather not doom anybody else because your already carrying that thing for some time now. Ask her to trust your judgment and tell her you will not hide anything you now learn from the shard and maybe it will be the key to getting past the magical traps. Explain to her that Kyoss has a theory that the shard can detect maybe disable wards.
Then recount the whole conversation with the voice and ask her to go meet with the general and revise the plan.

This. It gives us the best opportunity for future POWAH.

 

[GameOver]

If magic is so rare what makes you think that Medah has any knowledge whatsoever in magic. If he had confidential files that would be helpful, more individuals would have magic and not just crappy magic. I understand the desire to get connections but we are already doing that. I would say we have impressed Medah and other high up dudes. We are pretty well connected right now. I am willing to bet we can ask Lord Medah about magic when we get back to that one city, I forgot the name of, and he might be able to shed some knowledge on the subject anyways. Showing the shard seems like a big stretch to get us to the point where we can get magical powers as you outlined. It might work out but it still seems like a stretch to me.

Honestly, the only way I would be willing to go with the showing of the shard is if it was some elaborate plan to get back to this mansion without it in our possession i.e.: in someone else's possession. Why would we seek after magical powers from lord Medah when a little boy just paused time to talk to us right in front of our faces? Seems to me, the best route to learn magic is right in front of our faces, we just need to figure out how to get a good relationship with this boy and the woman he is talking about. Screw Irene and Medah, these people at this mansion are the solution to learning magic. On top of that, it would be the easiest way for us to learn about our past since we have some connection to the stone and this boy knows about it.

 

[Anabanana]

And? What makes you think having the shard in our possession would get us in a good relationship with the child and the woman? The child is hostile towards us precisely because we have the shard. Actually... this just gave me an idea...

Revision to GreyViper's suggestion: After telling Irene about all of this, put down the shard in plain sight, back away from it with arms raised, and attempt to make contact with the child again. Assure it that we're not a bad guy and try to talk with it some more, maybe coax more information about the Third House, Avarlos, and "She" out of it.

(I really don't want to use the shard's power to find the mansion again - we might really piss "She" off if we come trampling into the grove again AND we don't know if the mansion or the keep is the Third House the kid keeps referring to.)

 

[Monty]

Let's be clear, once we give up the shard we won't see it again. Imagine you're Lord Medah - a 16 yr old boy who's done a few errands for you reveals he's come into a powerful relic of Avarlos. Before you can say 'national security' that would be confiscated and entrusted to the study of the top scholars of the land, or the King's personal possession. The idea that if that 16 yr old later asks for it back "to help with my investigation" that anyone in power would be 'reasonable' and hand it back has no logic whatsoever.

I'm not necessarily against discussing this with Irene (still considering the pros and cons), but we need to keep it in our possession as our heirloom - and understand the risks that if she goes to her superiors with this (as she most likely will) we will probably lose it forever. Our parents may have spent their lives guarding this shard or finding it - we don't know yet but before just handing it over we should think it over carefully. It could change the whole course of this LP and the artifact is currently the only thing that elevates us above the thousands of other peasants out there.

Also we should be careful not to believe everything a mysterious voice tells us, just because it poses as a child does not mean it is telling the truth and has our best interests at heart. Perhaps it is, but we can't be sure. And noone else was spoken to at all, probably because they had no shards. So the idea that the powerful entities in the courtyard will trust us and provide us with knowledge if we go back without the shard is not likely either. Else they would have done the same with Irene already.

 

[Baltika9]

Monty has a point. The shard actually saved our lives three times. It's like a guardian stone. And that is not something you give away easily. The voice might just be lining us up for a trap.

And if we say anything about the shard, say buh-bye to magic for a long time. Besides, it's a family heirloom. Anyone asks, it's a good luck charm.

 

[GameOver]

And? What makes you think having the shard in our possession would get us in a good relationship with the child and the woman? The child is hostile towards us precisely because we have the shard. Actually... this just gave me an idea...

Comprehension. I said someone else would have it in their possession, not us.

I second what Monty and Baltika has said. This shard has saved us on top of it being in Kyoss parents possession. Did this shard eat the parents up inside? Who is to say these people in this mansion aren't misinformed and/or crazy?

 

[Zero Credibility]

Monty has a point. The shard actually saved our lives three times. It's like a guardian stone. And that is not something you give away easily. The voice might just be lining us up for a trap.

And if we say anything about the shard, say buh-bye to magic for a long time. Besides, it's a family heirloom. Anyone asks, it's a good luck charm.

Yeah, I'm also for keeping the shard a secret. I mean, even if we give the thing to our superiors, what are they going to with it? I somehow doubt there are any experts around capable of telling us much more then we already know about it - it's an ancient, magical, powerful and possibly dangerous artifact. Plus, it really might be family heirloom for all we know - let's not throw it away. If we are worried about the effect it has on us (although did it really had any bad effect so far?), let's just put it away somewhere safe instead of carrying it with us.

Edit: Voting B 1 c