[LP CYOA] Epic

[Computer Gamer Refugee]

Fun fact:

In the 1600's in Germany/Potato Land the worst crime of all was sucide; since it meant dying before you could confess and be shriven. So enterprising people took the next best option, a variant of sucide by cop. They would kill a child/infant so that they could confess their crimes before being executed.

Killing a child was ideal because said child was free from sin so also got a quick trip to heaven as well, so all-in-all it was considered a win-win situation.

This problem became so bad that they offically changed the law to no longer make killing a child be a capital crime. Yep, killing kids as a means of sucide was so bad that they made it no longer punishable by death to kill a child.

Funny how morals in different times can be radically different. Also, religion leads people to do strange things.

 

[Esquilax]

Wow, that's pretty fucked up.

This is also fucked up:

In Greek mythology, a miasma is a contagious power that has an independent life of its own. Until purged by the sacrificial death of the wrongdoer, society would be chronically infected by catastrophe. [1]



An example is Atreus who invited his brother Thyestes to a delicious stew containing the bodies of his own sons. A miasma contaminated the entire family of Atreus, where one violent crime led to another, providing fodder for many of the Greek heroic tales. However, attempts to cleanse a city or a society from miasma may have the opposite effect, that of reinforcing the miasma.

This is a different setting and mythology, so it might not be the case here, but it's still very shitty for us if true. Just about the only way that I can see this getting resolved with Earth and Ean still in one piece is by going through the rift and reassembling Vajra. Easier said than done.

If we get another power training option in this chapter, we should try to unlock more of our piece's powers. We know that one piece and knowledge of Vajra's esoteric powers unlocked teleportation powers for Zeus over short distances, but maybe three pieces would allow us to teleport ourselves a vast distance. Maybe it would even be powerful enough to have us teleport to China - we already know exactly where to go because of our connection to the Gieloth network.

With this in mind, I think we should be even more determined and single-minded in stopping the Terasphagos threat. If we try to solve both problems at the same time, we'll end up solving neither of them. We need to find out what's on the other side of the rift, and we need to acquire Vajra. I don't see any other way of dealing with both threats. It all comes back to that fucking sword.

With regards to feeding, I think Baltika9 is on the right track. Eating some sort of entropic being might reduce our corruption. We would need to go riftwalking to find such a creature, there is nothing that exists on Earth that would reduce Ean's corruption. Any thoughts, bros?

Oh, and I think it goes without saying that Terasphagos burgers would be a horrible idea; from what we know about them, their sole desire is to devour biomass.

 

[Bloodshifter]

A okay so last update B was the right choice but the Xeno's are spreading far and wide now let the Harvest commence on the planet and we shall all become Biomass

Also in conclusion to Ean's err Feeding habits... Desires are added to our own *Even animals have Desires sadly* eat a Murderer become bloodthirsty, eat a rapist well lets say Maidens would be in short supply, eat a mentally insane person we start flinging poop at ghost Shugi, and eating Sek might make us wish to tinker with things. Amongst other things with these being the most prominent changes thus we can technically eat some one who is a complete PARAGON *mind read ftw* eat him and gain HIS DESIRES stopping our Grimdarky Descent into Asshole-ness turning us into a noble being *who eats other Noble People/Animals (cough) pet breeding program (cough)* just saying something we COULD do. Not really an question more like a proposition I am making so treave you don't have to confirm/deny.

Edit!

The cells that make up the synthetic meat have, or had, a desire to be alive.

I am not one to Double post so I'll Edit my 1st one Synth Meat doesn't have desires if it was completely manufactured IE:Stem cells from a fetus *there has been debate but if the brain has yet to form then it is considered thoughtless meat Desires are wants that a human has thus removing the brain or removing the cells before thoughts are sent removes "desire" *Treave seem to see the spirit as holding the "desire" of the human thus it is what we seem to eat along with the flesh regardless of what has happen to the brain/body which is reasonable* still removing the "meat" before a brain has formed will yield "meat" with no "desire".

but we DON'T eat the meat it is the soul or spirit that Ean feasts upon most likely eating a person who is "filled" *so to speak* with "desires" would yield a "greater" meal then one without *Immortals / Gieloths would yield only slightly more then Humans depending on the said person (IE Marduk would be tasty while Edem might be a little bland simply because Edem is satisfied with life while Marduk wishes to run the world / get the heck outta dodge)* looking at it in this respect our "cultists" could very well be a perfectly "delectable" meal *with the side effect of shugi / self worship*

to this you can simply say no Treave don't tell me how wrong I am seeing as it would blow the mystery wide open in either a denial or saying I got it half right

 

[Azira]

... the only way that I can see this getting resolved with Earth and Ean still in one piece is by going through the rift and reassembling Vajra. Easier said than done.

If we get another power training option in this chapter, we should try to unlock more of our piece's powers. We know that one piece and knowledge of Vajra's esoteric powers unlocked teleportation powers for Zeus over short distances, but maybe three pieces would allow us to teleport ourselves a vast distance. Maybe it would even be powerful enough to have us teleport to China - we already know exactly where to go because of our connection to the Gieloth network.

With this in mind, I think we should be even more determined and single-minded in stopping the Terasphagos threat. If we try to solve both problems at the same time, we'll end up solving neither of them. We need to find out what's on the other side of the rift, and we need to acquire Vajra. I don't see any other way of dealing with both threats.

I couldn't agree more. We need Vajra in our possession, completely assembled and its powers unlocked. Not only because of the powers it would bestow, but also because treave alluded that it'd increase our wisdom/knowing of ourselves, possibly also our problem. Maybe it will eventually let us cure ourselves, but that's a big maybe. What we do know is that it's our best bet for sealing the rift.
I'll jump on whatever bandwagon let's us do this.

 

[Bloodshifter]

With regards to feeding, I think Baltika9 is on the right track. Eating some sort of entropic being might reduce our corruption. We would need to go riftwalking to find such a creature, there is nothing that exists on Earth that would reduce Ean's corruption. Any thoughts, bros?

Oh, and I think it goes without saying that Terasphagos burgers would be a horrible idea; from what we know about them, their sole desire is to devour biomass.

Agree with the Teraphagos Idea but Entropic "beings"? not only does that very statement a oxymoron *in our dimension* but the mere fact that if such a thing exists its "desires" would still be absorbed into us if eaten *if we didn't die attempting to eat such a odd and otherworldly meal* what type of "desires" *if any* would such a thing exhibit?

how do you feel that such a thing cleanse Ean?

after finding such a being how would you subdue it with its very nature acting against us and filled with what can be attributed to the power of death / decay?

 

[Baltika9]

Esquilax: something tells me that in investigating a cure for the Gieloth condition we will also help Ean's, as well. That being said, we should look into the Terrasphagos, on an individual level, maybe even take one bite to test the effects. See, if the Terrasphagos are on a hivemind level, then an individual Terrasphagos should have no desires in regards to itself, only the hivemind defines it's purpose. We may even try psionically cutting it off from the outside world.

About the miasma thing: if it is true for this setting, then Zeus is the that should die. Seriously, he's the one who fucked this shit up, big time.

Also, treave, can Ean go downstairs and talk to Sekhenun about the entropy theory and eating Terrasphagos (and "eating" her too), it should be worth it just to hear (read) her say "No shit, Sherlock. I've been trying to figure out how to do that for ages. Fucking Immortals, think they're so smart, I swear." Also ask her if she made any progress on the Gieloth cure. If she did, I'd like Ean to take a peek at her notes. Have her translate if it's in space-squid.

Edit:

how do you feel that such a thing cleanse Ean?

after finding such a being how would you subdue it with its very nature acting against us and filled with what can be attributed to the power of death / decay?

Because an entropic being is one with a desire of death, opposite to that with a desire for life. Hence, if we should absorb equal measure of one and the other, Ean could balance the effects out.

 

[Bloodshifter]

Edit:

how do you feel that such a thing cleanse Ean?

after finding such a being how would you subdue it with its very nature acting against us and filled with what can be attributed to the power of death / decay?

Because an entropic being is one with a desire of death, opposite to that with a desire for life. Hence, if we should absorb equal measure of one and the other, Ean could balance the effects out.

Entropic beings simply don't mean that they have a desire for death it would be what they are and all living beings wish to keep living only the truly suicidal ones don't *and I mean truly suicidal ones not only those with the wish to end life but an all consuming passion for death (IE Victims that have truly been "broken" or "distorted" even Mass Murders who kill to "see" death)*

thus what we be receiving from such an impossible paradox *a being who SOLE purpose in life is to end life not like a robot or tyrinad but a TRUE death god no "feelings" no "remorse" its sole objective would be nothing to reduce whatever it sees into nothing past simple death this is a true nature of an "entropic" being IF it existed it would change everything it touches into nothing there is no on off switch it is by its IMPOSSIBLE nature *I can't stress this enough* to equalize everything constantly.

if and when it "dies" it would be a scar in the place it "died" constantly equalizing everything that comes in contact with *btw when I mean equalize I mean breaking things down to atoms not even a element simply "free" electrons, photons, and neutrons.

Entropy is seen as a power of Decay because of this horrendous power anything that comes in contact with it simply "melts" or "withers" *most times when we "see" what is called entropic power is really just actual "decay" / "removal of lifeforce"* away into nothingness *great for removing trash*

So as you can tell True Entropic Beings would be a BIG no-no to eat what your REALLY looking for is beings that CAN tap into this power or something that uses what we consider Entropy *chaos, necromancy, death, or time(imagine fast forwarding some human 100 years that can be seen as entropy its not "true" entropy but can be listed as such) magics*. Such beings must hold the desire of "death" in its heart but such beings are so corrupt any snacking on them would simply cause us to be corrupted *ala Dark God*

btw I am sorry if this is boring but you must understand Physics major and having done some research papers on Entropy makes me see this differently.

 

[Baltika9]

Also something that just occurred to me: we need to find out how the masters are nuking the worlds and find Edem's daddy. How are they reaching through dimensions/time to do this. In addition to this, we need to know the concept behind Marduk's power amplifiers. Why? We'll need to crank Ean's juices to the max when the masters decide to nuke Terra.

"And the Ground did begin to tremble. The Rivers raged with Fire and the Storms shook the Seas and Oceans. Man turned against Man, Brother trampled his Brother underfoot as he ran. And the Skies turned red as Blood and did open and the Four did descend, intending to wreak havoc upon this Earth."

AND LO! The Emperor ascended to his Throne. The Emperor did close his eyes and the ground shook no more. The Fires stopped raging and Man was calm once more. The terrible Four, with murder in their eyes, tried to reach Man and Earth, but the Emperor would not allow them. He sat on his Seat of Glory, his face serene, like a Fortress against a Storm, like a Shield agains the Onslaught. Like the Bulwark of Man, he saw the Power of his Enemy and denied him Victory. "

"And when the Storms did calm, when the Fire did subside and the Four departed to their Dread Masters, the Emperor did not rise from his Seat. And there he remains, to this day, awaiting the to ascend when the Time is Ripe, to lead Mankind to Glory once more."
"But, until then, he remains there, dreaming."

"In his house of Shin'Ar, The God Emperor sits upon His Golden Throne. And waits, dreaming."

So, yeah, use the amplifier to raise a psychokinetic barrier to separate Earth from the Masters. Difficult as hell, but if we strike a deal with the Gieloth, I think it is rather doable.

snip

Consider the concept of Nurgle. Nurgle is the personification of human despair. Whereas hope gives man, well, hope to survive, live and prosper, despair is the exact opposite of that, hence where hope would be the desire to live, despair would be the desire to die, hence entropic. Now, all we have to do is jump into the Eye of Terror, find Nurgle's twin brother and eat it. No problem.

 

[Bloodshifter]

snip.

that is actually a good point but would the towers work for us?

also remember even Nurgles are corrupted they "bring" despair *ala Deimos Phobos* but what do they Embody? surely not the "desire" of despair

 

[Baltika9]

snip

They're basically a pimped-out Anbar-Shi. We just need to know how to make them. For that we need the very people who created and used them.

Edit: also, we really must get Brodersu's genetic material to later make the first Astartes chapter. He deserves the goddamn honor.

 

[Bloodshifter]

snip

but Anbar-shi took our entire arm to be made the second time now imagine an entire tower or worse a building to create a world shield

 

[Baltika9]

snip

but Anbar-shi took our entire arm to be made the second time now imagine an entire tower or worse a building to create a world shield

Well, Marduk did make them from something. What we need is to know the how. The rest we'll figure out as we go. Needless to say, psykers will be fed.

 

[Bloodshifter]

snip

Marduk had Children ever would why they had so little scamps running amok in all the years of his rule? besides the lack of tentacle nests and best broodmother of the year *Sek*

 

[Baltika9]

snip

Marduk had Children ever would why they had so little scamps running amok in all the years of his rule? besides the lack of tentacle nests

Well, I'm sure that some Gieloth would gladly make a patriotic sacrifice for their kind. Or, that's what we'll tell them.
Edit: And by "some", I mean "all except those that are on our side."

 

[Bloodshifter]

snip

Mass Genocide of all un Bro'ed Tentacles?

now that's one Idea I can spin especially since we are quite the talker

Ean: "I have a proposition for ya all"
Gieloth Horde Spokeperson: "Oh what would that be your unconditional surrender or some help in ousting the chinese?"
Ean: "nah not that bro's" *glances around for spies (in the middle of a building full of Gieloth)* "I have a plan to keep the master's from taking the planet"
Gieloth Horde Spokeperson: "whelp he's Insane" *murmurs of agreement*
Ean: *kills Spokeperson* "now listen to me or you all" *points at horde* "will be joining him"
Gieloth Horde: *shifting and muttered threats*
Ean:*explains world shield plan* *kills 16 Gieloth that attempted to say something* "So how about it?" (note this Ean is uberpowered)
Gieloth Horde: *shifts nervously* "surrreee we will just be a minute" *Ean closes all exits and stops teleports / phasing*
Ean: *smiles sweetly* "sure we got all day" *2 days later*
Sek: "well?"
Ean: "they agreed after I killed half of them we can use the dead right?"
Sek: "so long as they aren't mushed too badly."
Ean: "no worries me strong not that strong" **

 

[Tigranes]

A. a choice so obvious I can only tremble in terror at how treave will fuck us over.

 

[Kipeci]

The obvious answer is A, so undoubtedly it'll screw us over somehow.

I'm still voting for it, though. Since Greece did bear the brunt of the problems from our deciding to beat up on Anatolia first, we may as well continue focusing our resources there, especially to fight off abominations from other dimensions.

 

[treave]

O, ye of little faith. A bandwagon rides to glorious victory.

 

[Smashing Axe]

Our bandwagoning tends to lead to us being bruised and beaten, while the stuff we argue over constantly seems to have no dire consequence

 

[Esquilax]

Our bandwagoning tends to lead to us being bruised and beaten, while the stuff we argue over constantly seems to have no dire consequence

Now I'm having traumatic reminders of the near unanimous vote where everyone thought zapping Marduk was a bright idea even though we already had Edem watching our backs and the element of surprise already.

This situation is different, though. We've decided to stay in the Empire, we've already dealt with any short-term internal problems with our appearance in Hattusa, and getting involved in China would result in the Terasphagos problem getting worse. It would also alienate Athena, Artemis and Sekhenun. As I said in my previous post, our best bet is to find Vajra ASAP on the other side and close this rift down. We must dedicate ourselves to solving one problem, or we'll solve none of them.

Furthermore, because of the choices we've made so far, our Empire has fantastic administration to counter the instability caused by absorbing the Hittite Empire. We've got rising literacy rates and a road network, which is going to do wonders for trade and organization. That'll offset a lot of the problems caused by the war and allow easier integration of the Hittites through the spread of prosperity in the region. Once the Hittites see all that trade coming in, they won't be as eager to revolt.

And even if there's unrest, that's what we have the Watchers for. They can monitor the situation and either discredit or assassinate any potential rebels.

Becoming God-Emperor was probably the best decision we've made. We needed a fast way to unite the region without wasting our valuable time with political bullshit and internal strife, and having supreme authority provided that.

 

[Kipeci]

We really need to look into establishing some sort of council between the autonomous kingdoms that make up the empire, though. We are one of the only unifying factors in our empire currently, aside from the marriage connecting the royal families of Egypt and Babylon (through their adopted Gutian daughter in Iltani). If we ever need to leave for anything, it wouldn't take all that much for the empire to fragment into several pieces, and the ultimate idea is that eventually we're preparing our own Empire to be capable of standing on its own.

 

[treave]

Chapter 6.8: The Rift Incursion

In the intervening years, the best minds of the empire devoted themselves to discovering more about the rift and the Terasphagos. Guided by Sekhenun, they cast away the misconceptions about the rift held by the common citizens and soldiers. What they found made it hard not to run back and cling to the safety of myth.

For starters, the miasma was not a mere cloud of gas. A band of five brave scouts had managed to trap some of the miasma in a jar, though only one managed to make it back alive with the prize in hand. The sample of miasma was stored in a small glass container that had been made to Sekhenun's specifications; a year later, you needed two. It seems that once taken far from the rift, it began to increase in volume at a very slow rate. The miasma around the rift itself did not appear to grow in any appreciable manner even twenty years after it had first appeared. Terasphagos specimens kept in the miasma could last indefinitely, but died weeks after being removed from it. Animal specimens exposed to a high concentration of the miasma began biting and clawing at themselves, and their condition did not recover even after removal. The exact mechanism by which the miasma affected them was unknown, but Sekhenun theorized that inhalation would be the most possible vector.

The cloud of miasma was extremely dense and could not be scattered except by the strongest winds. This in itself was a curse and a blessing. It made exploring further into the rift almost impossible due to the lack of sight within. On the upside, it meant the miasma could not be spread. Sekhenun spent most of her time looking into ways to protect a person from the miasma. She experimented with various forms of filters at the cost of hundreds of animal lives. Finally, she hit upon a formula that seemed to work...

As for the Terasphagos themselves, their once dormant activity began increasing year after year until, in the twenty-fifth year of the empire's founding, the largest swarm of Terasphagos on record poured out of the miasma. The Hittites, who had been ambivalent about the Terasphagos threat before, were finally fully convinced of the danger they posed. Tens of thousands of Terasphagos smashed past your fortifications, which were capable of handling mere thousands but hard pressed to hold against dozens of times that number. You led from the front, battling against the crazed horde. Despite your best efforts, thousands of soldiers died, with thousands more taken by insectoids. Old Gudersu, brave in battle despite his age, was one of them. When the incursion happened, he was one of the first to answer the call of arms, citing boredom as the reason. You suppose it was how he would have wanted to go, abducted by a hundred shrieking insect monsters to an unknown fate possibly worse than death.

The Terasphagos possessed extremely strong vitality, and would not be stopped by a mere rain of arrows. As the fight progressed, new improvements had to be made to the weapons of the empire to increase their effectiveness. Iron-making was still unreliable, but your weaponsmiths and armourers began shaping heavier equipment for your soldiers. Against the Terasphagos, the agility of a human would never amount to much. Your soldiers learnt to present a metal wall to the enemy. Nets and traps would be used to stifle Terasphagos movement, and heavy weapons utilized to finish them off. The veterans of the incursion developed discipline like no other - nothing taught you to hold the line better than seeing a comrade falter one time too many and having your entire band wiped out by monsters.

***

The fight against the horde lasted long enough for you to relocate your fortifications further away from Olympus, ceding some ground to the seemingly limitless numbers of the Terasphagos. The increased distance would allow you to get more advance notice of incoming Terasphagos as they bounded out of the rift. As they could not venture far from the miasma without weakening and dying, their range was limited. A few years after the incursion, their activity began to decrease again.

A. You take this chance to reclaim the lands that you had ceded to the Terasphagos during your retreat. You will not let one inch of human soil be left to those vile creatures.

B. The lands in between your new fortifications and the old were already a blasted wasteland nearly devoid of life. Spending lives and effort to retake them would be futile.

***

It was at this time that an emissary from the north arrived again. The years that had passed since first contact was made had been quiet on their side, but more and more northerners had begun coming south to engage in trade, while not a few people of your own empire had enterprisingly ventured north. This time the northern emissary brought an interesting proposal: they desired to establish their sacred forges in your cities, which would make it easier for them to engage in trade with the rest of the known world. In return you would be granted a gift of a certain amount of high quality steel equipment every year, made to your specifications. The quality of the items they made was beyond that of any of your own craftsmen, who have pored over them for ages yet failed to succeed in recreating the material.

A. You accept their offer. For years your watchers had strived to infiltrate their northern forges, but failed to make any headway. The steel artisans were a very reclusive group. Having them open up their forges here would make it easier for your men to discover their secrets.

B. You refuse the offer. They appear to be keeping too many secrets; it would be risky to allow them to set up shop in your cities until you know who is behind them, and what their true motive is. Surely they can't be here just for trade.

***

Sekhenun's filter has been tested in battle, as some of your scouts suicidally volunteered to put it on and sneak into the miasma. One of them managed to come out alive with his sanity intact, though his arms were less so. According to the scout, it was too dark within to see anything, though lighting up a torch helped provide some dim light to find your way. Meanwhile, your connection to Vajra had been built up steadily over the years and strengthened with the bull statuette you had obtained from Minos's vault, and now you were confident you can use the piece to do almost anything Zeus could've done with it. You also found that you could connect to your piece of Vajra far more easily when you used it in conjunction with Anbar-Shi.

A. It was time for an expedition - you lead one into the miasma, to explore it and find the actual rift within the rubble of Olympus.

B. You wait for more scouts to be sent in before you go in yourself. It's too risky to dive head-in after only one proof of success.

(Not using block voting, each choice weighed separately)

 

[treave]

We really need to look into establishing some sort of council between the autonomous kingdoms that make up the empire, though.

Option C in the previous update would have lead to the introduction of a more unified system of government (i.e. an official council, official responsibilities and delineations of power), as well as fast-tracking the beginnings of a common identity among the people.

 

[Kipeci]

BAB

 

[m4davis]

BAB