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[LP CYOA] Epic
- Thread starter treave
- Start date
A
a cut of domestic sheep prime
Guest
Baltika9
Arcane
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And what if, by eating these Specters, these Giant Balls enter into Ean? I think that will make the situation worse.
Anabanana
Augur
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- Jul 31, 2012
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Yeah, switching to B. *goes to edit original post*
Esquilax
Arcane
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- 4,833
TOME's theory seems to be spot-on, but I don't think you can really weasel your way out of this one with some sort of cunning plan. Besides the consequence of potentially absorbing the spheres into Ean if you kill the children by other means, the whole purpose of this "diplomacy" was so these spheres would have the upper hand no matter what we decided to do.
I guess you could say that the balls... have us by the balls.
You either kill the children and kill the old Ean along with them, or you stand firm and maintain your principles, consequences be damned.
I guess you could say that the balls... have us by the balls.
You either kill the children and kill the old Ean along with them, or you stand firm and maintain your principles, consequences be damned.
Baltika9
Arcane
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Esquilax
Arcane
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Well, I guess we'll just have to show these Big Balls...whose balls are bigger.
Hmm... I guess you could say that with this choice, the ball's in our court.
Baltika9
Arcane
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Hmm... I guess you could say that with this choice, the ball's in our court.
Indeed. If we survive this...we will be known as the Emperor of Giant Balls.
Bloodshifter
Educated
a cut of domestic sheep prime
Guest
Meta: treave said we'd go back to normal in a few updates or sooner depending on what we pick. I'm thinking A get's us out of it uninjured, but with long term consequences in the form of taking the sphere with us inside Anbar-Shi - unless we don't eat them or absorb them in any way.
I think B gets us sent home in a body bag - sure we can recover, but there'll be a time skip in which the gieloth are building the tree and the masters are considering wiping the planet...
A without eating them or absorbing them in any way - ie, no anbar-shi - may get us out of this without serious harm or a time skip - albeit with the risk of damage to Ean's persona.
I think B gets us sent home in a body bag - sure we can recover, but there'll be a time skip in which the gieloth are building the tree and the masters are considering wiping the planet...
A without eating them or absorbing them in any way - ie, no anbar-shi - may get us out of this without serious harm or a time skip - albeit with the risk of damage to Ean's persona.
Computer Gamer Refugee
Learned
- Joined
- Mar 9, 2012
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- 382
This situation really reminds me of the computer game that Ender played in Ender’s Game once he got past the giants drink.
Ean has never been one to do something wrong to avoid personal cost and I don’t see him starting now. Killing the children is wrong, regardless of how he rationalizes it as being part of his imagination or some kind of cruel game.
While telling the giant space ball to go fuck itself is indeed in his character, I don’t think it is the smartest option either.
I propose option C. Let’s put some of this meditation and maturity to use and play with the children instead of killing/refusing to kill them. Let’s try to replace some of this cold hate, and devour with some joy and empathy. Worst case I see it being as bad as straight up refusing, with perhaps a little extra punishment for the insult, but I see this as the only option that has the chance of ending well.
When I was thinking of the situation I remembered when Ender was at the top of the tower at the end of the world and facing the snake. We need to do something different to try to break out of the script.
Ean has never been one to do something wrong to avoid personal cost and I don’t see him starting now. Killing the children is wrong, regardless of how he rationalizes it as being part of his imagination or some kind of cruel game.
While telling the giant space ball to go fuck itself is indeed in his character, I don’t think it is the smartest option either.
I propose option C. Let’s put some of this meditation and maturity to use and play with the children instead of killing/refusing to kill them. Let’s try to replace some of this cold hate, and devour with some joy and empathy. Worst case I see it being as bad as straight up refusing, with perhaps a little extra punishment for the insult, but I see this as the only option that has the chance of ending well.
When I was thinking of the situation I remembered when Ender was at the top of the tower at the end of the world and facing the snake. We need to do something different to try to break out of the script.
Bloodshifter
Educated
pretty sure their version of playing is the "player" ending up scarred either mentally or physically its blatant that the goal here is to 'corrupt' / 'subvert' Ean in some way why else take all this time to troll Ean's Memories and bring up such an event Pre-Immortalization despite having hundreds of years to pick from *my theory here is that the Teras want Ean to feel powerless for what reason? I don't know*.
There are few events in Ean's life that we can say really shaped him is it not true that Humans are influenced the most during their childhood? *which brings me to me Second Guess they want to 'tarnish' Ean's memories. Again I don't know to what end*
There are few events in Ean's life that we can say really shaped him is it not true that Humans are influenced the most during their childhood? *which brings me to me Second Guess they want to 'tarnish' Ean's memories. Again I don't know to what end*
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That's right, you can't.
That would count as not killing them, so I'm putting your vote down as a B.
A - 5
B - 10
Update incoming.
- Joined
- Jul 6, 2008
- Messages
- 11,370
Chapter 6.18: Home is Where the Heart is
You can't do it. Even though you don't remember their names, they are - they were - your first friends. Even if they weren't real, you cannot bring yourself to do it, not after what had happened to them. Losing them had brought you to where you stand today. If you cut them down, you would be killing a part of yourself. Releasing your hand from the hilt of Anbar-Shi, you look the girl straight in the eye and state your refusal.
"No, I'm not playing this game."
"Why not? Why?" The children begin crying. "Play it. Play with us. Kill us."
The crybaby runs over to you, pulling at your hand. The next thing you know, he has bitten into it. Shocked and angry, you try to shake him off, but he is strong. He looks up at you with his blood-stained teeth and grins. "Kill me, Ean." Then, he bites again, and the swarm of children descend upon you. You have no choice - you fling them away with your mind, but these were not real children; they would not be hurt by that. You knew that, but you couldn't act. They come again, and again, each time ripping away strips of flesh from your body.
You could've killed them. You would've killed them, once they started attacking. You don't even know why you didn't, as every time you raise your hand it is slowed by some unknown force. Your blows become taps. The crushing force of your mind becomes nothing more than a squeeze. Desperate, you attempt to figure out how they are restraining you, when the realization hits home. Somehow, your choice was being magnified, to a ridiculous extent. A refusal to kill had become a refusal to kill no matter what, and had you decided to kill them, you had no doubt you would have lost control over yourself almost immediately. Though you had not sensed their psychic presence, somehow they were affecting your mind.
Standing here was no option either. You finally manage to free yourself from the jaws of the children, and you flee into the corridor, hoping that you would be able to think better if you were not being chewed up. As you ran, the colour faded from the walls, and the texture turned smooth. Your face emerged from the ceiling, its teeth bared.
"KILL. PLAY."
"No!"
"THEN. LOSE."
Your next step is taken into emptiness. The ground had opened up into a giant, human mouth - if you looked at it from further away, you would have recognized it as your own. As you fall, the teeth close over your body; it closes over your neck, and your head pops off.
"Ah."
***
You woke up with a start. You were in your own bed, back in Ankida. Fukayna was besides you, holding your son in her arms.
"Your majesty, did you have a bad dream?"
You shake your head. You don't remember what happened when you were asleep, but something was... ah.
"This is not Ankida." you sigh.
"Clever man." Fukayna grins. "You lost the first game. Now for the second. I am infinitely patient. I am infinitely kind. You have infinite chances to win the game."
"It's not a very fun game. I refuse."
"Ah, so you lose again."
The room turns white and melts down all around you. Then there was ripping, and tearing, and blood... your blood.
***
You are in Heliopolis. Akil comes through the door, smiling. "So, you woke up."
"How many times are we going to do this?"
"What are you talking about?"
"Don't play dumb."
"Ah, well... Forever, if that's what it takes for you to win."
"Never going to happen. If I win, I lose."
"Yes," agreed the fake Akil. "If you win, you will lose. If you lose, you win. You get to enjoy this wonderful home I've created for you. I will show you all the precious people and places you know, and remind you of your memories with them. Over, and over, and over."
"Ha, sorry, but I've no interest in fakes."
"Then end it. Kill me."
"No."
"It's your loss, then."
Great white spikes shoot out from the walls and floor and ceiling and impale you, tearing your body apart.
***
Akkad. Sargon sits before you on his throne, a big grin on his face. "You are a wonderful toy. No matter how many times I play with you, you never break. Now then, you've killed me before. You can kill me again."
"I've killed you once, I don't see the need to kill you again."
"Fool."
Before you realize what has happened, your arms are gone. And then, your legs. The walls took them. The soldiers descend upon you, mouths wide open, teeth bared...
***
You won't surrender. You won't allow your spirit to be broken. The sphere can torture you for as long as it wants, but as long as you still draw breath, you have not truly lost. Eventually, you will find a way to win - you will find a way to return home.
In the never-ending cycles of death and revival, pain and anguish, you bide your time, waiting for your chance...
----CHAPTER END----
You can't do it. Even though you don't remember their names, they are - they were - your first friends. Even if they weren't real, you cannot bring yourself to do it, not after what had happened to them. Losing them had brought you to where you stand today. If you cut them down, you would be killing a part of yourself. Releasing your hand from the hilt of Anbar-Shi, you look the girl straight in the eye and state your refusal.
"No, I'm not playing this game."
"Why not? Why?" The children begin crying. "Play it. Play with us. Kill us."
The crybaby runs over to you, pulling at your hand. The next thing you know, he has bitten into it. Shocked and angry, you try to shake him off, but he is strong. He looks up at you with his blood-stained teeth and grins. "Kill me, Ean." Then, he bites again, and the swarm of children descend upon you. You have no choice - you fling them away with your mind, but these were not real children; they would not be hurt by that. You knew that, but you couldn't act. They come again, and again, each time ripping away strips of flesh from your body.
You could've killed them. You would've killed them, once they started attacking. You don't even know why you didn't, as every time you raise your hand it is slowed by some unknown force. Your blows become taps. The crushing force of your mind becomes nothing more than a squeeze. Desperate, you attempt to figure out how they are restraining you, when the realization hits home. Somehow, your choice was being magnified, to a ridiculous extent. A refusal to kill had become a refusal to kill no matter what, and had you decided to kill them, you had no doubt you would have lost control over yourself almost immediately. Though you had not sensed their psychic presence, somehow they were affecting your mind.
Standing here was no option either. You finally manage to free yourself from the jaws of the children, and you flee into the corridor, hoping that you would be able to think better if you were not being chewed up. As you ran, the colour faded from the walls, and the texture turned smooth. Your face emerged from the ceiling, its teeth bared.
"KILL. PLAY."
"No!"
"THEN. LOSE."
Your next step is taken into emptiness. The ground had opened up into a giant, human mouth - if you looked at it from further away, you would have recognized it as your own. As you fall, the teeth close over your body; it closes over your neck, and your head pops off.
"Ah."
***
You woke up with a start. You were in your own bed, back in Ankida. Fukayna was besides you, holding your son in her arms.
"Your majesty, did you have a bad dream?"
You shake your head. You don't remember what happened when you were asleep, but something was... ah.
"This is not Ankida." you sigh.
"Clever man." Fukayna grins. "You lost the first game. Now for the second. I am infinitely patient. I am infinitely kind. You have infinite chances to win the game."
"It's not a very fun game. I refuse."
"Ah, so you lose again."
The room turns white and melts down all around you. Then there was ripping, and tearing, and blood... your blood.
***
You are in Heliopolis. Akil comes through the door, smiling. "So, you woke up."
"How many times are we going to do this?"
"What are you talking about?"
"Don't play dumb."
"Ah, well... Forever, if that's what it takes for you to win."
"Never going to happen. If I win, I lose."
"Yes," agreed the fake Akil. "If you win, you will lose. If you lose, you win. You get to enjoy this wonderful home I've created for you. I will show you all the precious people and places you know, and remind you of your memories with them. Over, and over, and over."
"Ha, sorry, but I've no interest in fakes."
"Then end it. Kill me."
"No."
"It's your loss, then."
Great white spikes shoot out from the walls and floor and ceiling and impale you, tearing your body apart.
***
Akkad. Sargon sits before you on his throne, a big grin on his face. "You are a wonderful toy. No matter how many times I play with you, you never break. Now then, you've killed me before. You can kill me again."
"I've killed you once, I don't see the need to kill you again."
"Fool."
Before you realize what has happened, your arms are gone. And then, your legs. The walls took them. The soldiers descend upon you, mouths wide open, teeth bared...
***
You won't surrender. You won't allow your spirit to be broken. The sphere can torture you for as long as it wants, but as long as you still draw breath, you have not truly lost. Eventually, you will find a way to win - you will find a way to return home.
In the never-ending cycles of death and revival, pain and anguish, you bide your time, waiting for your chance...
----CHAPTER END----
- Joined
- Jul 6, 2008
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- 11,370
Honestly, I'm trying to think of a 'fuck yeah!' way to do so while not invoking a deus ex machina. You guys were fucked when you stepped through the rift and tried to talk to the thing. Maybe I didn't make it weird and disturbing enough to give off that "RUN THE FUCK AWAY" vibe.
Esquilax
Arcane
- Joined
- Dec 7, 2010
- Messages
- 4,833
No, you did, treave. I tried to steer people away, but apparently, they completely lost their fucking minds after the whole empire-building thing. So much thought put into building an empire, yet so little thought on actually achieving our goal. I can't believe how everyone collectively went full-retard.
What would have happened had we used Vajra on the rift?
What would have happened had we used Vajra on the rift?
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