-
Welcome to rpgcodex.net, a site dedicated to discussing computer based role-playing games in a free and open fashion. We're less strict than other forums, but please refer to the rules.
"This message is awaiting moderator approval": All new users must pass through our moderation queue before they will be able to post normally. Until your account has "passed" your posts will only be visible to yourself (and moderators) until they are approved. Give us a week to get around to approving / deleting / ignoring your mundane opinion on crap before hassling us about it. Once you have passed the moderation period (think of it as a test), you will be able to post normally, just like all the other retards.
[LP CYOA] Epic
- Thread starter treave
- Start date
Esquilax
Arcane
- Joined
- Dec 7, 2010
- Messages
- 4,833
Well, depends. I figured that we would use a shipment of modern firearms to bolster the forces of our soldier friend so that he could have an easier time of putting the cults down (and to earn more brownie points with our bro). I don't know how many men he has at his command, but I would like to at least get enough weapons to replace a good chunk of the outdated weaponry his men have. I don't even care if the guns are old, if they're better than what we've got anyways, it's still a net win in my book. As for the quantity, I'd want as much as we could comfortably smuggle through.
Pushing Zhang too hard is a bad idea. Old weapons that are better than what we have at the moment are still better than having no weapons at all. I don't want to prolong this debate, so I guess I'll just go with whatever makes the update go faster.
Pushing Zhang too hard is a bad idea. Old weapons that are better than what we have at the moment are still better than having no weapons at all. I don't want to prolong this debate, so I guess I'll just go with whatever makes the update go faster.
I'd say a quality over quantity emphasis should be made, as early muskets (and arguably muskets in general) aren't that big of a military advantage. Higher quality ones also give our craftsmen a better model to work off.
I wonder if the Concordiat is using pike and shot formations or has progressed to Revolutionary/Napoleonic style line and column formations of musket infantry.
I wonder if the Concordiat is using pike and shot formations or has progressed to Revolutionary/Napoleonic style line and column formations of musket infantry.
OH GOD ITS HEAVAN
Baltika9
Arcane
- Joined
- Jun 27, 2012
- Messages
- 9,611
- Joined
- Jul 6, 2008
- Messages
- 11,370
Chapter 7.10: Guns and Glory
“You ask for the impossible, Sir Camna. The latest firearms we have? I am just a middling bureaucrat in the cogwheels of the Concordiat. I would not be able to procure them, even if I desired to.”
“Well then, the deal is –“
“But,” Zhang cut you off swiftly, “I can see if certain places might have some surplus of old equipment that they had lost. Who knows, some enterprising, greedy foreign trader might have picked them up somewhere.”
“Not too old, I hope? I’m sure even the Concordiat does not keep antiques in its military storage.”
“You would be surprised at the things we keep for posterity, Sir Camna. As the saying goes, the Tree in winter wastes not a leaf. But you need not worry about that.”
“I certainly hope not, Officer Zhang. Now, about that door you were talking about…”
***
“The governor was eaten by the walking dead,” sighs Runikylos, waving the latest missive he had received from Greece. “The island is lost.”
In hindsight, opening the Labyrinth might have been a bit risky. The door was somewhere in the interior forests of the island, far away from the palace. It had been a neat little stone affair, with a receptacle set squarely in the center. Zhang had asked you to make a pinprick on your thumb to draw blood and then press the digit firmly into the receptacle. You did so, and the door swung open. What happened next you did not know, as you were not keen on following him into the dank depths. By the time the first reports of dried corpses wandering around eating people alive appeared, you were already back in Ankida for some time.
“Are you sure? We haven’t had a case of the dead coming back to life since… well, since the gods walked with men.” You had nothing to do with it, you were sure. At least, you had to convince yourself so. After all, where was the proof that opening the door led to the emergence of the undead? In fact, it really didn’t matter to you what happened to Crete anyway. People come and go, and it was only a moderately important trading post.
“At any rate,” continued the prince, “at least you had discovered the Concordiat’s intentions behind Tamur’s recent actions.”
“Yes, further reports after that confirmed the officer’s story. For now the Concordiat appear to be holding Tamur back, but there’s no telling whether he will do something stupid.”
“I’m assuming you had something to do with that?”
“I might have, but state secrets must be kept secret, no?”
“Well,” laughed Runikylos, “I’m glad you’re on my side, Dio.”
You were glad he thought that way. You had not heard from Zhang after he entered the Labyrinth, but seeing as Tamur was posturing but not attacking, you were relatively certain your bargain had been upheld. There was still a part of it to be fulfilled, and your sources have told you that it would be fulfilled tonight.
“By the way, you have heard about Skane?” asked Runikylos suddenly. You nod.
“The young First Prince Dagrun is missing, and the Cult of the Returned Emperor are claiming responsibility. Things are tense up there. I… maybe I should have just let you go north.”
“There is no time for regret, my prince. How about Aodh?”
“That is another problem. The last dispatch I had from him stated that he had successfully infiltrated the Martyrs. That was a month ago.” The prince sighs heavily. It seems as if he had aged years in the couple of months since you last saw him. “I’m sorry to ask this of you, but could I trouble you to help me with Aodh? We need to make sure the Martyrs don’t gain any more influence after what has happened in Skane.”
“I’ll have to think about what to do first, Runikylos. Can I let you know tomorrow? I find that I do my thinking best in the bar. Are you coming?”
“No, there’s still plenty of work today. I hear Ban is back though. You might find him there.”
“I know.”
***
“Ban! I hope you enjoyed your little trip to the barbarian tribes?”
The rising star of the Imperial Army and the man who faced off with the Madman of Anatolia, Ban of Heliopolis, was a boy even younger than Aodh. He was, however, old enough to drink and whore, and it was with those vices that you tempted him into your company. He had fallen under your spell soon enough, even before your Watchers had let you know that he was one of those who possessed powers, like you and Aodh.
“It was crap.” Ban shook his head sadly. “The weather was horribly cold, and the Madman of Anatolia as cunning as ever. I managed to track him down but once, and he got away during the fight.”
Ban had been sent out with two dozen soldiers, among them the Prince’s Watchers, to hunt down the lunatic that had dared lead his rabble to storm Ankida, an action that had previously been regarded to be as impossible as touching the moon. It looks they returned empty-handed. “Ah, we’ll get him next time. Don’t be down on yourself, kid.” You slap him on the back. He grins boyishly, going back to his drink. “Next time you should be there to help me.”
“You know I can’t fight.” It was true. You had sparred with Ban once before, and he knocked you flat on your back before you even landed a single hit. “Remember what happened the last time we fought?” Hearing that, Ban denies your lack of fighting ability. “That’s not true. I’m just… better? You’re fast and you don’t hesitate to strike. Most of my fellow soldiers would find it hard to beat you.”
“Ha, fair consolation, that, coming from the Hero of Korinthos and Ankida. I hear they’re already writing a play about your exploits. Maybe you can bring a girl along to watch it.”
At that, he blushed, his ears turning deep red. You knew which girl he was thinking about – the young prostitute that took his virginity, Mirsani. You knew her well and in fact had hired her for just this purpose, as she possessed the right blend of innocence and seduction to conquer an untried heart just like Ban’s. You are reminded yourself that you haven’t visited the princess since you returned from Crete, and make a note to do so tomorrow. For now, however, you had a shipment to inspect.
***
After saying your goodbyes to Ban at the bar, you conclude the last part of the deal that Zhang had offered; the weapons. It had not been hard to bring them in, hidden under a pile of oranges. You knew which of the customs officers were more lax in their duties, and you knew men who knew how to discreetly encourage them to be laxer. One of your Watchers, a scholar named Fearling who had specialized in the study of firearms back at the Academy, was here to inspect the weapons with you. Once in a while you do need people with various expertise in fields you were not an expert in.
“How is it?”
“These are interesting, Master Ean. Fifty long muskets of good craftsmanship. By the handiwork and shape I estimate the base model dates back to the 320th Border Skirmish of 2956. Our current muskets are patterned after this model and would have matched it were they sent back in time to be used then, but it appears that they have made several slight modifications that might have improvedthe capabilities of the firearm. The barrel and grip are slightly different from the war relics our predecessors managed to scavenge. Judging from the slight rust and discoloration, these have been mothballed for quite a few years too.”
“You’re saying that the Concordiat likely has better nowadays?”
“That is a given, Master Ean. They are the experts in this field. We have already seen better weaponry from them in the 331st Border Skirmish of 2987, though that skirmish was so brief that we could not manage to get any research materials.”
“That was very informative. Thank you, Fearling.”
The Watcher bows to you and steps back into the shadows. The capabilities of the weapons were not as important to you as their origin, but it did not hurt if they were actually of good quality. It goes without mention that Fearling would be getting one for research purposes, and the Watchers rarely questioned where one of their own managed to obtain illicit items. You still had more to hand out, though.
***
A. You give them to Ban and his squad. They will be pleased to have these weapons particularly since they would not know their actual origin.
1. You do so in your own name, letting him know that you continued to care for him.
2. You do so anonymously. It would be extremely stupid to be linked to Concordiat weaponry.
3. You do so under Runikylos’s name, through several proxies. Hopefully any investigation will stop with his name.
4. You can use these Concordiat firearms to frame numerous connected political foes and rivals of your friends in the more seedy side of town as traitors, and begin sowing the seeds of a plot to do so. You link them to the weapons you give to Ban.
B. You will use these firearms to frame your enemies, but you do not give them to your soldier friend. You will find another way to use them in your plots without involving Ban.
C. It is too risky to have these smuggled goods lying around as proof of your dealings with the Concordiat. It is a waste, but you get rid of whatever Fearling doesn’t bring back for research in a permanent, untraceable manner.
D. You do something else with the weapons. (Free-form)
***
A. You decide to track down Aodh. If you are lucky, you can get rid of Aodh and also accomplish his mission at the same time.
B. The Skane issue cannot be left unsolved. You go north to find out what the Cult of the Returned Emperor are up to.
C. You do not go anywhere. You need to focus your attentions on Ankida while Aodh is not around.
“You ask for the impossible, Sir Camna. The latest firearms we have? I am just a middling bureaucrat in the cogwheels of the Concordiat. I would not be able to procure them, even if I desired to.”
“Well then, the deal is –“
“But,” Zhang cut you off swiftly, “I can see if certain places might have some surplus of old equipment that they had lost. Who knows, some enterprising, greedy foreign trader might have picked them up somewhere.”
“Not too old, I hope? I’m sure even the Concordiat does not keep antiques in its military storage.”
“You would be surprised at the things we keep for posterity, Sir Camna. As the saying goes, the Tree in winter wastes not a leaf. But you need not worry about that.”
“I certainly hope not, Officer Zhang. Now, about that door you were talking about…”
***
“The governor was eaten by the walking dead,” sighs Runikylos, waving the latest missive he had received from Greece. “The island is lost.”
In hindsight, opening the Labyrinth might have been a bit risky. The door was somewhere in the interior forests of the island, far away from the palace. It had been a neat little stone affair, with a receptacle set squarely in the center. Zhang had asked you to make a pinprick on your thumb to draw blood and then press the digit firmly into the receptacle. You did so, and the door swung open. What happened next you did not know, as you were not keen on following him into the dank depths. By the time the first reports of dried corpses wandering around eating people alive appeared, you were already back in Ankida for some time.
“Are you sure? We haven’t had a case of the dead coming back to life since… well, since the gods walked with men.” You had nothing to do with it, you were sure. At least, you had to convince yourself so. After all, where was the proof that opening the door led to the emergence of the undead? In fact, it really didn’t matter to you what happened to Crete anyway. People come and go, and it was only a moderately important trading post.
“At any rate,” continued the prince, “at least you had discovered the Concordiat’s intentions behind Tamur’s recent actions.”
“Yes, further reports after that confirmed the officer’s story. For now the Concordiat appear to be holding Tamur back, but there’s no telling whether he will do something stupid.”
“I’m assuming you had something to do with that?”
“I might have, but state secrets must be kept secret, no?”
“Well,” laughed Runikylos, “I’m glad you’re on my side, Dio.”
You were glad he thought that way. You had not heard from Zhang after he entered the Labyrinth, but seeing as Tamur was posturing but not attacking, you were relatively certain your bargain had been upheld. There was still a part of it to be fulfilled, and your sources have told you that it would be fulfilled tonight.
“By the way, you have heard about Skane?” asked Runikylos suddenly. You nod.
“The young First Prince Dagrun is missing, and the Cult of the Returned Emperor are claiming responsibility. Things are tense up there. I… maybe I should have just let you go north.”
“There is no time for regret, my prince. How about Aodh?”
“That is another problem. The last dispatch I had from him stated that he had successfully infiltrated the Martyrs. That was a month ago.” The prince sighs heavily. It seems as if he had aged years in the couple of months since you last saw him. “I’m sorry to ask this of you, but could I trouble you to help me with Aodh? We need to make sure the Martyrs don’t gain any more influence after what has happened in Skane.”
“I’ll have to think about what to do first, Runikylos. Can I let you know tomorrow? I find that I do my thinking best in the bar. Are you coming?”
“No, there’s still plenty of work today. I hear Ban is back though. You might find him there.”
“I know.”
***
“Ban! I hope you enjoyed your little trip to the barbarian tribes?”
The rising star of the Imperial Army and the man who faced off with the Madman of Anatolia, Ban of Heliopolis, was a boy even younger than Aodh. He was, however, old enough to drink and whore, and it was with those vices that you tempted him into your company. He had fallen under your spell soon enough, even before your Watchers had let you know that he was one of those who possessed powers, like you and Aodh.
“It was crap.” Ban shook his head sadly. “The weather was horribly cold, and the Madman of Anatolia as cunning as ever. I managed to track him down but once, and he got away during the fight.”
Ban had been sent out with two dozen soldiers, among them the Prince’s Watchers, to hunt down the lunatic that had dared lead his rabble to storm Ankida, an action that had previously been regarded to be as impossible as touching the moon. It looks they returned empty-handed. “Ah, we’ll get him next time. Don’t be down on yourself, kid.” You slap him on the back. He grins boyishly, going back to his drink. “Next time you should be there to help me.”
“You know I can’t fight.” It was true. You had sparred with Ban once before, and he knocked you flat on your back before you even landed a single hit. “Remember what happened the last time we fought?” Hearing that, Ban denies your lack of fighting ability. “That’s not true. I’m just… better? You’re fast and you don’t hesitate to strike. Most of my fellow soldiers would find it hard to beat you.”
“Ha, fair consolation, that, coming from the Hero of Korinthos and Ankida. I hear they’re already writing a play about your exploits. Maybe you can bring a girl along to watch it.”
At that, he blushed, his ears turning deep red. You knew which girl he was thinking about – the young prostitute that took his virginity, Mirsani. You knew her well and in fact had hired her for just this purpose, as she possessed the right blend of innocence and seduction to conquer an untried heart just like Ban’s. You are reminded yourself that you haven’t visited the princess since you returned from Crete, and make a note to do so tomorrow. For now, however, you had a shipment to inspect.
***
After saying your goodbyes to Ban at the bar, you conclude the last part of the deal that Zhang had offered; the weapons. It had not been hard to bring them in, hidden under a pile of oranges. You knew which of the customs officers were more lax in their duties, and you knew men who knew how to discreetly encourage them to be laxer. One of your Watchers, a scholar named Fearling who had specialized in the study of firearms back at the Academy, was here to inspect the weapons with you. Once in a while you do need people with various expertise in fields you were not an expert in.
“How is it?”
“These are interesting, Master Ean. Fifty long muskets of good craftsmanship. By the handiwork and shape I estimate the base model dates back to the 320th Border Skirmish of 2956. Our current muskets are patterned after this model and would have matched it were they sent back in time to be used then, but it appears that they have made several slight modifications that might have improvedthe capabilities of the firearm. The barrel and grip are slightly different from the war relics our predecessors managed to scavenge. Judging from the slight rust and discoloration, these have been mothballed for quite a few years too.”
“You’re saying that the Concordiat likely has better nowadays?”
“That is a given, Master Ean. They are the experts in this field. We have already seen better weaponry from them in the 331st Border Skirmish of 2987, though that skirmish was so brief that we could not manage to get any research materials.”
“That was very informative. Thank you, Fearling.”
The Watcher bows to you and steps back into the shadows. The capabilities of the weapons were not as important to you as their origin, but it did not hurt if they were actually of good quality. It goes without mention that Fearling would be getting one for research purposes, and the Watchers rarely questioned where one of their own managed to obtain illicit items. You still had more to hand out, though.
***
A. You give them to Ban and his squad. They will be pleased to have these weapons particularly since they would not know their actual origin.
1. You do so in your own name, letting him know that you continued to care for him.
2. You do so anonymously. It would be extremely stupid to be linked to Concordiat weaponry.
3. You do so under Runikylos’s name, through several proxies. Hopefully any investigation will stop with his name.
4. You can use these Concordiat firearms to frame numerous connected political foes and rivals of your friends in the more seedy side of town as traitors, and begin sowing the seeds of a plot to do so. You link them to the weapons you give to Ban.
B. You will use these firearms to frame your enemies, but you do not give them to your soldier friend. You will find another way to use them in your plots without involving Ban.
C. It is too risky to have these smuggled goods lying around as proof of your dealings with the Concordiat. It is a waste, but you get rid of whatever Fearling doesn’t bring back for research in a permanent, untraceable manner.
D. You do something else with the weapons. (Free-form)
***
A. You decide to track down Aodh. If you are lucky, you can get rid of Aodh and also accomplish his mission at the same time.
B. The Skane issue cannot be left unsolved. You go north to find out what the Cult of the Returned Emperor are up to.
C. You do not go anywhere. You need to focus your attentions on Ankida while Aodh is not around.
TOME
Cuckmaster General
- Joined
- May 25, 2012
- Messages
- 1,820
I like the idea of using the weapons to frame Dio's enemies. I'm not sure if I should go with A4 or B.
As for the second one, A is out because Aodh had managed to infiltrate the cult. Either he takes care of the cult or the cult takes care of Aodh, win-win situation. For now, voting A4B.
As for the second one, A is out because Aodh had managed to infiltrate the cult. Either he takes care of the cult or the cult takes care of Aodh, win-win situation. For now, voting A4B.
This
However, I believe that C for the third choice provides the best synergy with A4. We have to be on the spot to properly manage the framing buisness, should we wish to carry it out. I am not that sure we should, though. Will have to meditate on the proper course of action.
Esquilax
Arcane
- Joined
- Dec 7, 2010
- Messages
- 4,833
I have very little to base this on, but I think that we may have unleashed more than just undead from the Labyrinth. Maybe there was some powerful being in there, and the safeguards on the door were there to ensure that it wouldn't be let out. On the plus side, if it's just a basic zombie invasion, it shouldn't affect the rest of the Empire. Crete is an island, so it's not like they could migrate to the mainland - they're pretty much stuck there for the moment.
Anyways, I think I have a free-form plan:
Our weapon shipment provides a tempting opportunity for infiltrating Jannik Inge's cult. Perhaps we could pose as an Etruscian crime lord with sympathies to the northern cultists. I'm not sure if our underground connections in the capital would be enough to fabricate such an identity, though. The bad weather has affected Etruscia as well, so I'm pretty sure that a few of the cults hold some sway there. Maybe we can infiltrate the cult, then tell them that we've gotten wind of a shipment of Concordiat weaponry, providing them with a time and place to intercept it. We can use this as a way to earn the cult's trust quickly and take out Inge. We ignored Inge for the last few updates, so I think we need to take him out as quickly as possible, especially since I don't know about the long-term consequences of opening the Labyrinth.
If this doesn't sound feasible, I'd go with A3. Sending it anonymously wouldn't work too well IMO, because once a shipment of Concordiat weapons ends up in the hands of our closest ally after we've just had a meeting with one of their diplomats, it won't take long for a suitably savvy individual to figure out it's us. If we say Runikylos authorized it, it keeps people off our back. If we get caught, no biggie - we've earned enough good will with the prince that we'll be able to explain the deal as a necessary evil for the good of the Empire. We've explained away much worse shit to him.
For the second choice, it's either B or C (mostly because I'm worried that we've unleashed Pandora's Box). Giving a tentative vote for A3B, although I'm open to flopping.
Baltika9
Arcane
- Joined
- Jun 27, 2012
- Messages
- 9,611
While I am convinced of 2B, as letting the situation get too out of hand would be catastrophic, domino effecTand all that, using the muskets as blackmail fodder is simply foolish and a waste of resources.
However, we could form a black-ops squad from our Watchers, those trained with muskets and teach Dio how to use one.
Esquilax's crime-lord sounds like a magnificent idea and will work well with this.
Also, I think I know what happened to Aodh. RK sent him to deal with this:
I guarantee he will be found around the area of her bed.
However, we could form a black-ops squad from our Watchers, those trained with muskets and teach Dio how to use one.
Esquilax's crime-lord sounds like a magnificent idea and will work well with this.
Also, I think I know what happened to Aodh. RK sent him to deal with this:
I guarantee he will be found around the area of her bed.
Bloodshifter
Educated
CB
Its too risky to use the weapons in any manner. So soon after meeting the guy I would like to train some Watchers in its use but they probably already use this rifle
Also anyone noticed the undead supposely ate the ambassor but we still got the deal? Can someone say the first battle of eygpt *as king*?
Its too risky to use the weapons in any manner. So soon after meeting the guy I would like to train some Watchers in its use but they probably already use this rifle
Also anyone noticed the undead supposely ate the ambassor but we still got the deal? Can someone say the first battle of eygpt *as king*?
Stygian Lurker
Liturgist
- Joined
- Jan 28, 2011
- Messages
- 577
A3B
Yeah, A3B seems to be the most reasonable choice. Either that, or arming our very own Musketeer Guards.
Baltika9
Arcane
- Joined
- Jun 27, 2012
- Messages
- 9,611
I like this idea much, much more. We'll be better off using these muskets in dealing with Skane, so creating a black ops/ irregular warfare unit is much smarter.
The soldier is, by no means, on our leash. He answers to the prince. We need a unit that answers to us.
With success, and luck, the Empire will adopt it as a doctrine after we're done.
Zombies, as not needing to breathe, wouldn't they be able to simply shamble along on the bottom of the seabed? Perfect surprise attack.
Esquilax
Arcane
- Joined
- Dec 7, 2010
- Messages
- 4,833
Absolutely not. These are all illicit weapons and the whole point of this update was to demonstrate that no matter what, we ought to get rid of them. Keeping them is kind of like driving around in a stolen Ferrari with fucked up headlights and no license plates. The way I see it, we should either use it to cement our power base in Ankida, hand it off to Ban so that he can finally capture the madman for us (and earn brownie points with our bright-eyed, naive bro), or use it as a resource to infiltrate and gain the trust of the northern cultists that kidnapped the kingdom's Prince.
The way I envision it would be to place the shipment onto an unsuspecting caravan with the aid of our Watchers, then once we infiltrate the cult, tell them that we know of a secret shipment of modern rifles that the cultists could use.
Baltika9
Arcane
- Joined
- Jun 27, 2012
- Messages
- 9,611
Which would place him under scrutiny and, after he is questioned, us. And then we have the jolly task of explaining to RK where did we get Concordiat firearms and why did we hand them off to Ban, under his name? There is only so much bullshit a person will buy.
If you are afraid of being discovered, the only two ways are either forming our own black ops unit, in secret, or destroying it.
The former has much more potential.
- Joined
- Jul 6, 2008
- Messages
- 11,370
Oh, ok then. So Dio will train them personally?
edit: I'm going to need a lot more details than just "lol musketeer black ops" before it's a viable free-form choice.
At the minimum, I need to know who will be recruited, who will be training them, what missions are they going to undertake for Dio (what are they formed for), and why it is so important that they are equipped with Concordiat firearms in an empire where guns are still rare enough that not every soldier in the army has one.
I can be convinced to agree - actually I could answer those questions myself, but don't be a lazy thinker.
edit: I'm going to need a lot more details than just "lol musketeer black ops" before it's a viable free-form choice.
At the minimum, I need to know who will be recruited, who will be training them, what missions are they going to undertake for Dio (what are they formed for), and why it is so important that they are equipped with Concordiat firearms in an empire where guns are still rare enough that not every soldier in the army has one.
I can be convinced to agree - actually I could answer those questions myself, but don't be a lazy thinker.
As an Amazon Associate, rpgcodex.net earns from qualifying purchases.