[LP CYOA] Epic

[Baltika9]

Tigranes: So, instead of doing A or B, you are pretty much proposing an Icewind Dale-style party. It could work and I am loathe to let go of their talents, but my only misgiving is that, with the power of the players we will be taking on they may just get in the way.

Solid idea, though.

Edit: thought about it some more, flopping to A for the Christmas update. Shulgi at least seems like a proper BRO, instead of Naram's popamole decline.

 

[treave]

Probably that's why you wander around doing random quests fighting trolls and bandits and doing fetch quests to level up first.

 

[Tigranes]

Well, let's make it a proper option:

Tigranian C: Persuade the successors to join Ean as he ventures South, arguing it is the only real way to achieve short-term power and long-term peace. Propose to take on 'mercenary' work as appropriate during the journey while gathering information and resources.

Oh, and for Christmas, C.

 

[Esquilax]

A Very EPIC Christmas! Voting C.

Tigranes, I agree that we should try to avoid casting the Yellowstreaks aside, I don't agree with your solution at all. Going with a band of twenty people is not something that can be easily hidden. To make matters worse, probably half of them are like Tenebrae - completely unfit for combat. The whole point of the C option is to find different opportunities and factions to work with because we aren't impressed either by the Yellowstreaks or the Martyrs. If you don't want to burn bridges with them, fine, that's reasonable, but we can't look for opportunities among different factions that are probably hostile towards them and bring the Yellowstreaks along at the same time, that's foolish. Bringing Dario with us and perhaps teaching him how to hide his presence is a good idea, but that's it, don't bring anybody else.

If you want to try maintaining relations with the Yellowstreaks, your best bet is to either tell them to sit tight and continue operating as a pacifist group so as to avoid courting attention from the Martyrs, or to join up with the Martyrs. After all:

Joan agreed readily enough to your proposal, that you would provide information on the Yellowstreaks to her. You told her that depending on the circumstances, you might also be able to convince them to throw in with her side. The Lady of the Martyrs now considered you an ally.

Forging an alliance with the Martyrs will strengthen our relationship with Joan. Meanwhile, we look for more allies down south as well. I see this as a major benefit with war looming on the horizon. It will be far more beneficial to us to go south to seek allies and take them away from Dio before the war actually begins, because we won't have the opportunity to do so once the battle lines are drawn and the war is in full swing. We've got a very narrow window of opportunity, and I'd like to take advantage of it while we still can. We can only do that before the conflict has begun.

What exactly is it that you plan on doing when we leave? Where do you plan on going to, what do you intend on doing, and how are you going to accomplish it? I can't quite see how it 'cost us dearly' to forgo signing up as a grunt for that Lady/declaring our Eanhood like the other dozen guys, but it would be a pretty steep cost to just ditch one fifth of the known Successors as they intend on submitting to our leadership to just hope that treave will give us some other opportunity.

At the very least if you're planning on going, you should contemplate on having at least some follow you. I would think that the mercenary group sort of thing is actually a pretty good idea, since it allows us to pick up military experience and cash, will undoubtedly take us to the people most in need of mercenaries within a short time (that is to say, the big players in this conflict) and the adjoining aid group would build support for us among the common people. Nothing about the idea said that we'd be piddling around in Britannia forever.

It just seems to me that entering the battleground of the major powers here would be much easier with a fifth of the existing Successors, modern military experience and public sympathy from those we've helped rather than just waltzing in by our lonesome and declaring ourselves Ean just like everyone else.

Yes, the weakest, most ill-equipped, and poorly organized of the original 100 Successors - they have none of the resources or raw power that individuals in the other factions do. You're not considering the opportunity cost here: the time we invest in making something of these guys is time that we've lost in seeking out allies from the South before the war has actually begun. I just don't see that much potential in the Yellowstreak cause, nor do I see much potential among the Martyrs. I don't like our options here, so I want to look elsewhere - this whole buddying up with the Yellowstreaks thing just reeks of sunk costs.

Here is how I see the various options:

A) This plays to our strengths and gets Ean up to date on tactical advances - he's a quick study on that field. A war is brewing, so this would prepare us for it. The downside is that becoming a mercenary band would attract attention and might lead to a potential conflict with the Lady of the Martyrs that we'd have to diffuse in the future. The main problem is that even as a tough Knights Hospitallers style force, the Yellowstreaks really aren't a serious threat. And it'll cause potential conflict with Joan, unless we manage to ally ourselves, of course.

B) Remaining as is allows us to increase our support networks and lets us continue flying under the radar and working from the shadows, playing both sides as we see fit. We use the Yelowstreaks to gather information about the outside world, while we maneuver the Martyrs into a more martially-oriented direction. It's the most consistent choice.

C) Neither the Martyrs nor the Yellowstreaks present great opportunities. If they allied themselves with each other and had us maneuvering them from the shadows, Brittania-Gallia might be on par with Skane... maybe. But that's not enough - I want to gain an edge over the competition before the war has begun.

Kipeci, I don't know what kind of opportunity will present itself with C, all I do know is that I'm not satisfied with what's currently on the table, and I see this brief time of peace as a real chance to get an edge on our rivals (specifically Dio) before the battle has begun. We probably shouldn't leave the Yellowstreaks out in the cold because they might end up working against us in the future, but I don't want to waste an opportunity to get some skilled, highly effective people on our side before we've even stepped on a battlefield.

 

[a cut of domestic sheep prime]

Esquilax, the Yellowstreaks can BE that edge against Dio. With proper training and the growth in power that will come with feeding, these guys could grow into a major asset.

Also, out of the 100 orphans how many were hunted down or killed in some other fashion? We may be sitting on as much as 1 third of the current successor population. Even if that's not the case, 1 fifth of them is still nothing to balk at.

Lets not get discouraged by the lack of instant gratification this choice presents and throw it away on a gamble that something better might come up. If we pass on them now, I doubt we'll have this opportunity again. We've been playing quite a while and "have your cake and eat it too" is rarely a consequence...

 

[Esquilax]

Esquilax, the Yellowstreaks can BE that edge against Dio. With proper training and the growth in power that will come with feeding, these guys could grow into a major asset.

Also, out of the 100 orphans how many were hunted down or killed in some other fashion? We may be sitting on as much as 1 third of the current successor population. Even if that's not the case, 1 fifth of them is still nothing to balk at.

Lets not get discouraged by the lack of instant gratification this choice presents and throw it away on a gamble that something better might come up. If we pass on them now, I doubt we'll have this opportunity again. We've been playing quite a while and "have your cake and eat it too" is rarely a consequence...

I'm not convinced that they can become that edge, even if they ally themselves with the Martyrs. We've already figured out that the Lady, despite what she's saying, is rather desperate to bolster her forces:

“They have power… some power, but power still… yet they refuse to use it to fight for good. Instead they stay hidden and lend their aid in insignificant ways. If they joined us, it could tip the balance in our favour.”

You run through Meyes’s memories, checking her words. It seems that the Empire had held the advantage throughout the conflict, but they had never pressed it. You weren’t sure whether the situation was balanced enough to be tipped in her favour, but you let it pass.

At best, even when bolstering the Lady of the Martyr's forces, they'd probably be roughly on par with Skane, not counting Shulgi's support from the shadows, of course (who at this point, is significantly more powerful than us). I'm taking a gamble here precisely because I feel that our opportunities are lacking in the potential to give us an edge, and I think that your estimation of the Yellowstreaks is too optimistic. You're voting for them to become a pacifist group - how exactly do you expect a group like this to morally questionable things like eating people? If they become more martially inclined (A) then maybe we can steer them in that direction, otherwise, it isn't going to happen.

I think that this is one of those times when we need to take a chance on a gamble. The war has not started yet, so I feel that now is the time to look for opportunities in Ankida to take away from the Empire's power base before the battle has begun. Dio has a ten year head start on us, and we aren't going to catch up to him by pissing our time away training a rag-tag bunch of misfits.

But hey, maybe you're right and we won't find shit down South. However, this whole thing with the Yellowstreaks just screams of a sunk cost to me.

 

[Baltika9]

Esquilax, the Yellowstreaks can BE that edge against Dio. With proper training and the growth in power that will come with feeding, these guys could grow into a major asset.

Also, out of the 100 orphans how many were hunted down or killed in some other fashion? We may be sitting on as much as 1 third of the current successor population. Even if that's not the case, 1 fifth of them is still nothing to balk at.

Lets not get discouraged by the lack of instant gratification this choice presents and throw it away on a gamble that something better might come up. If we pass on them now, I doubt we'll have this opportunity again. We've been playing quite a while and "have your cake and eat it too" is rarely a consequence...

All fair points, but as I've said many times, this will cost us time and the possible outcomes aren't all that obvious either: A makes them a "Knights Hospitaller," but will also increase our visibility on the grand campaign map(which is what we should be worried most about now. Zeus/Naram isn't oblivious to what's going on and neither are the other big players) and possibly lead to a conflict with Joan; B has them continuing to be the local Red Cross, while in the background they will be like Shulgi's cult back in chapter five. The problem is, this is too little too late and splits our attentions between babysitting them and running around doing important shit (and you can forget about them getting power-ups by eating, B makes them more "nice." Given the situation, this is rather redundant and harmful).

C just has us flip them off and go our own way (though I'm sure Tenebrae will stalk us, like Itlani did), and abandoning them just doesn't sit right with me, hence the freeform options, although if that's what's going to win, I'll do it (not to mention that doing this will probably shift Ean's morality into more murky waters, but on the other hand this planet is going to Hell in a handbasket real fast, so worrying about that may cost us a lot).
Why? We still have our element of surprise, something that will not be there long enough to train these guys, but long enough that, if we move quickly, we may be able to make a bold move and/or secure a great advantage over our enemies, particularly Dio and Naram/Zeus. And it won't be around for very long, the hunger is beginning to awaken.

But hey, maybe you're right and we won't find shit down South. However, this whole thing with the Yellowstreaks just screams of a sunk cost to me.

There is minimal chance of this, we know of two opportunities that will definitely present themselves in one form or another: Dio and Dagrun, simply by the clout they built up around themselves.
So, yes, C will lead us to find something, perhaps that something will be even better than those two.

 

[Kipeci]

Alternatively, we could devour their souls.

 

[Azira]

Alternatively, we could devour their souls.

Use our mighty oratory skills and convince them that the only way their way of thinking stands a chance is that if they merge with their parent (Ean), empowering him, while also giving him all their memories and skills, but giving up their individual lives for the greater good?

...

I like it. I don't find it very likely they will acquiesce, but I like it.

 

[Esquilax]

Azira, I'm sure that will be a distinct possibility down the line should we stick with the Yellowstreaks or get close to a particular faction. Sounds good, but it will present issues of its own even if it works, such as "who are our lieutenants and apostles going to be?" We can't exactly lead an army composed of average Joes when the opposite side has the X-Men, y'know? And they can do stuff for us right now, such as gaining support for our cause. Having them merge with Ean might be a very good goal if you vote for B as Lambchop and others have. Sounds like a very good strategy in the long-run, but I still would rather go South in search of other opportunities before the war begins and the hunger becomes a problem.

 

[Baltika9]

By the by bros, I think we need a new pseudonym, Runi is kind of worn and will be familiar to our older adversaries.

I propose "Marius."

 

[TOME]

I like the devouring soul idea but it is way too soon. We just met them and the world isn't about to end just yet. But that is why I want to take them with us when we go south looking for more promising opportunities.

What is it that you guys are hoping to find in the south? All the Successor there have made their bed already are going to difficult to convert to our cause. They might be a level higher than our Yellowstreaks but if they'll flop once on their master, who is to say they won't make it again? And if we leave the Yellowstreaks, I'm pretty sure that the group is going to disperse. The point is, we have something here and we might not find better opportunities. Don't abandon the Yellowstreaks so lightly.

 

[Baltika9]

Having them merge with Ean might be a very good goal if you vote for B as Lambchop and others have. Sounds like a very good strategy in the long-run, but I still would rather go South in search of other opportunities before the war begins and the hunger becomes a problem.

See, I'm not convinced that B is the best choice for a merging: it makes them stay at approximately their current power level and that will directly translate into the power Ean will receive when he does merge. If you want that, then vote for A I'd say.

I like the devouring soul idea but it is way too soon. We just met them and the world isn't about to end just yet.

Actually, it's getting there. We screw up/act too passive, and shit will hit the fan and then

The eventual outcome of a "shit hits the fan" scenario would be a toss-up between post-apocalyptic Renaissance society and space-faring Renaissance society. Probably the former, judging from the track record.

What is it that you guys are hoping to find in the south? All the Successor there have made their bed already are going to difficult to convert to our cause. They might be a level higher than our Yellowstreaks but if they'll flop once on their master, who is to say they won't make it again? And if we leave the Yellowstreaks, I'm pretty sure that the group is going to disperse. The point is, we have something here and we might not find better opportunities. Don't abandon the Yellowstreaks so lightly.

I fell like I'm beating on a dead horse, but we know of exactly TWO opportunities that will present themselves: Dagrun/Fenrir and Dio?Sekblade, all due to their personal clout. From then on in, we can decide what to do with them (my preferred solution of whacking the latter, or Esquilax's more subtle approaches of undermining them from within (Ban immediately comes to mind), or something else entirely, like contacting Fenrir/Shulgi/Nabu).

I can see that many don't like the idea of a gamble here, but given the shitty choices presented, going down south-east is our best chance to hit hard before Ean's awakening is realized. Yes, we will probably lose access to this group, but considering that some of them will join Joan, some will find their way to Skane and/or Ankida, it will not be such a terrible loss.

Then again...

Alternatively, we could devour their souls.

I can feel the Warp overtaking me!

 

[Esquilax]

I like the devouring soul idea but it is way too soon. We just met them and the world isn't about to end just yet. But that is why I want to take them with us when we go south looking for more promising opportunities.

What is it that you guys are hoping to find in the south? All the Successor there have made their bed already are going to difficult to convert to our cause. They might be a level higher than our Yellowstreaks but if they'll flop once on their master, who is to say they won't make it again? And if we leave the Yellowstreaks, I'm pretty sure that the group is going to disperse. The point is, we have something here and we might not find better opportunities. Don't abandon the Yellowstreaks so lightly.

Consider that we chose to play both sides of the Yellowstreaks and the Martyrs. This is what we voted for:

B. You offer to become a spy, going back to Dario and Tenebrae and reporting on their group for the Lady. Of course, you actually plan to be a double agent, gathering information and making connections from both sides for your own purposes.

Like I said, this whole Yellowstreak thing reeks of a sunk cost. I understand the sympathy for the Yellowstreaks (they did wake us up, after all) and they have the whole scrappy underdog thing going for them, but the bottom line is that they aren't winners. If we drop them in favour of looking for other opportunities/have them ally with the Martyrs/whatever, then we still have our connections with the Lady to fall back on. Seriously, fuck 'em.

Obviously, I don't know exactly what those opportunities entail, but the Yellowstreaks are not a winning ball club. I don't see much potential in them (at least without an alliance with the Martyrs) in that a militant approach creates the potential for conflict with the Lady and will likely not be all that effective, while a pacifistic approach clearly hasn't worked for them thus far, so I don't see why we should keep going with that - especially on the eve of a war.

As for what I hope to find elsewhere, other Successors, yes, but also clues as to what the Empire or Skane are planning. We have yet to strike, so surveying the situation and learning more about the enemy seems to be a wise thing to do. I really think that now is the time not to bog ourselves down with this group unless we're intent on joining them with the Martyrs. It all boils down to the fact that I don't think that this is a group of winners. Our opportunities aren't good, so let's look for new ones.

As far as I see it, our best options are to either (a) have them sit tight and bring Dario with us due to his skills at subterfuge (the man who fooled Athena will no doubt be useful to us) or (b) have them sign up with the Martyrs and go south, in an attempt to undermine the Empire and give the edge to the Lady.

 

[Storyfag]

Esquilaxian C

 

[a cut of domestic sheep prime]

I like the devouring soul idea but it is way too soon. We just met them and the world isn't about to end just yet. But that is why I want to take them with us when we go south looking for more promising opportunities.

What is it that you guys are hoping to find in the south? All the Successor there have made their bed already are going to difficult to convert to our cause. They might be a level higher than our Yellowstreaks but if they'll flop once on their master, who is to say they won't make it again? And if we leave the Yellowstreaks, I'm pretty sure that the group is going to disperse. The point is, we have something here and we might not find better opportunities. Don't abandon the Yellowstreaks so lightly.

I agree with everything you wrote. At the very least the Yellowstreaks offer us the chance to boost our power through merging - especially later on when they've leveled up a bit. Not to mention that - once trained and having increased their power by feeding - they may be an asset as an armed force alone.

Speaking of devour soul though: Has anyone considered that we take no corruption from merging? So what if we encourage our successors to each go and devour a small city? When we merge we'd gain awesome power with no corruption! *minmaxing in a lp ftw*

I fell like I'm beating on a dead horse, but we know of exactly TWO opportunities that will present themselves: Dagrun/Fenrir and Dio?

Um, and what if they prove too much for us to handle right now? I mean, we have no clue as to Dagrun or Fenrir's true power levels or how they'd react to Ean. Dio bit off much more than he could chew with them and only survived because they were toying with him. Granted we're stronger than he was at the time, but my point is that it'd be unwise to underestimate them again. As for Dio, he may have hero status, but I'm betting he still has to answer to Naram so we might end up exposing ourselves to frankly the most powerful immortal in the world before we're ready. Just because Ean is awake now doesn't mean he can just run around and pwn everything that moves. He's been out of the game for 3000 years. His power isn't even equal to Athena and she and most of the other true immortals are being subdued by Naram's will alone. Who knows how powerful he is at this point. We need to prepare and figure out what's going on, not run off half-cocked and gamble that the "win button" of opportunities will drop into our laps. For Pete's sake - folks, this is what too much Bioware does to the brain.

 

[Baltika9]

Um, and what if they prove too much for us to handle right now? I mean, we have no clue as to Dagrun or Fenrir's true power levels or how they'd react to Ean. Dio bit off much more than he could chew with them and only survived because they were toying with him. Granted we're stronger than he was at the time, but my point is that it'd be unwise to underestimate them again. As for Dio, he may have hero status, but I'm betting he still has to answer to Naram so we might end up exposing ourselves to frankly the most powerful immortal in the world before we're ready. Just because Ean is awake now doesn't mean he can just run around and pwn everything that moves. He's been out of the game for 3000 years. His power isn't even equal to Athena and she and most of the other true immortals are being subdued by Naram's will alone. Who knows how powerful he is at this point. We need to prepare and figure out what's going on, not run off half-cocked and gamble that the "win button" of opportunities will drop into our laps. For Pete's sake - folks, this is what too much Bioware does to the brain.

Yes, they are well entrenched and fortified, but consider this: Naram will know Ean wakes up sooner or later anyways, striking now will let us do it before he can move to block us. And assassinations aren't the only opportunities I meant: we can also undermine their power structures or infiltrate them (as you say, pyschic blank ftw) or act on opportunities as they arise. Risky, yes, but worth it, considering the ones we have now are "glorified bandits" and "food for the homeless." Also, who said I want to kill Dagrun and/or Shulgi? Those two are our most reliable chances for allies (which is why we should be contacting ASAP, but I'm getting ahead of myself)

Having them merge with Ean might be a very good goal if you vote for B as Lambchop and others have. Sounds like a very good strategy in the long-run, but I still would rather go South in search of other opportunities before the war begins and the hunger becomes a problem.

See, I'm not convinced that B is the best choice for a merging: it makes them stay at approximately their current power level and that will directly translate into the power Ean will receive when he does merge. If you want that, then vote for A I'd say.

Speaking of devour soul though: Has anyone considered that we take no corruption from merging? So what if we encourage our successors to each go and devour a small city? When we merge we'd gain awesome power with no corruption! *minmaxing in a lp ftw*

That still makes it a morally fucked-up thing to do. If you want to keep Ean's morality intact, then that's not the way. Not to mention that absorbing them may lead to Ean having split personalities, a-la Tzeentch...

...now that I think about it, though, that does sound good. I guess I win either way
Edit: also, Dio isn't stronger than Ean. He's close, but without the Sekblade he's nothing in terms of personal power.

 

[a cut of domestic sheep prime]

Yes, they are well entrenched and fortified, but consider this: Naram will know Ean wakes up sooner or later anyways, striking now will let us do it before he can move to block us.

Yes, He knows we're away, but not where exactly we are or what we are doing. Plus, he's far away right now. We're not worth him traveling all the way out here himself. But if we were closer... And it's not just about keeping our distance. We need to build up our knowledge of this world, while also strengthing ourselves and gaining new allies - allies like the Yellowstreaks.

Also, who said I want to kill Dagrun and/or Shulgi? Those two are our most reliable chances for allies (which is why we should be contacting ASAP, but I'm getting ahead of myself)

Dagrun is insane, so I think he'd make a rather risky ally (edit: not that I'm saying we shouldn't reach out eventually - just that he's not the sinch for an ally you're making him out to be). And as for Fenrir/Shulgi(?) - well, don't you think we'd be able to make a more tempting offer to him if we had some power and allies of our own to bring to the table?

Edit: also, Dio isn't stronger than Ean. He's close, but without the Sekblade he's nothing in terms of personal power.

Maybe, or maybe he's grown in the last ten years. Maybe the Sek blade was formed especially to kill us. And even if he's still weak, we have no idea what kind of backup will be supporting him. He's at the heart of the empire. An empire controlled by Naram, who controls most of the immortals on earth. We have no idea how many immortals we might face if we reveal ourselves on his turf.

 

[Baltika9]

Yes, they are well entrenched and fortified, but consider this: Naram will know Ean wakes up sooner or later anyways, striking now will let us do it before he can move to block us.

Yes, He knows we're away, but not where exactly we are or what we are doing. Plus, he's far away right now. We're not worth him traveling all the way out here himself. But if we were closer... And it's not just about keeping our distance. We need to build up our knowledge of this world, while also strengthening ourselves and gaining new allies - allies like the Yellowstreaks.

Indeed we do, and traveling into the heart of the Empire will provide that knowledge for us, significantly more knowledge, in fact, than if we stay in Gallia-Britannia, which is as far removed from the places of power and intrigue as can be without moving to the Americas, for a significant risk, of course, which will be worth it.

Dagrun is insane, so I think he'd make a rather risky ally (edit: not that I'm saying we shouldn't reach out eventually - just that he's not the sinch for an ally you're making him out to be). And as for Fenrir/Shulgi(?) - well, don't you think we'd be able to make a more tempting offer to him if we had some power and allies of our own to bring to the table?

Yes we would, and twenty semi-leveled successors are about the worst deal we can offer him. We need power, yes, personal power, something that this bunch will not be able to easily provide without us jumping through many hoops (especially if you want to devour them and are going for B right now, pacifists will not eat people, much less cities, without us forcing them to do it), so what we need to do for that personal power is to look for it elsewhere.

Maybe, or maybe he's grown in the last ten years. Maybe the Sek blade was formed especially to kill us. And even if he's still weak, we have no idea what kind of backup will be supporting him. He's at the heart of the empire. An empire controlled by Naram, who controls most of the immortals on earth. We have no idea how many immortals we might face if we reveal ourselves on his turf.

If he's grown in the last few years, the worst thing we can do is leave him alone to grow even more. If the Sekblade really is made to kill Ean, then the worst thing we can do is leave him alone with it. If he has backup, the worst thing we can do is let him build it up more. We are in a decent position to make a bold move, exclusively because he hasn't noticed the hunger yet and hence isn't prepared for Ean. And considering that Sek is an, ahem, "walking" encyclopedia on all things Ean, letting him prepare for us will lead to a trainwreck, and not the fun kind.

 

[Esquilax]

I agree with everything you wrote. At the very least the Yellowstreaks offer us the chance to boost our power through merging - especially later on when they've leveled up a bit. Not to mention that - once trained and having increased their power by feeding - they may be an asset as an armed force alone.

Speaking of devour soul though: Has anyone considered that we take no corruption from merging? So what if we encourage our successors to each go and devour a small city? When we merge we'd gain awesome power with no corruption! *minmaxing in a lp ftw*

This won't work. It looks like the majority has decided to keep our group as a peace organization, so you can't really encourage our guys to just go out and cleanse an entire city. However, our enemies will be more than willing to indulge in these tactics, and soon, which is all the more reason to go South in search of other opportunities. We have to put ourselves in the best possible position before the battle begins. If we keep going with these guys (though why on Earth would you do such a thing) then our best bet will be earning lots of goodwill with the people and potentially having lots of recruits and loyal soldiers on our side.

Yes, most of the Successors are already spoken for, but nevertheless, Ean is the True Emperor, and that means something. There are dozens of people claiming to be Ean, but we're the real deal, and not only that - we can prove it. We chose not to reveal our divinity to the Lady, but that doesn't mean we can't reveal ourselves to someone else who might be willing. I am also willing to bet that many people decided to speak for the Empire not out of any great loyalty to Dio, but rather because they don't want to end up being hunted down like the Yellowstreaks.

You've asked me and Baltika "why go south?" My question to you is, "why stay here?" What do you see in the Yellowstreaks? What qualities in them are there that will allow a limp-wristed, desperate pacifist force to go toe-to-toe with the Empire and Skane?

Dio may have parlayed his success in Rus into divinity, but our name and our hunger mean something to our progeny. When it comes time to reveal ourselves, will they follow the true First Emperor whom they are the children of, or merely another sibling of theirs?

Um, and what if they prove too much for us to handle right now? I mean, we have no clue as to Dagrun or Fenrir's true power levels or how they'd react to Ean. Dio bit off much more than he could chew with them and only survived because they were toying with him. Granted we're stronger than he was at the time, but my point is that it'd be unwise to underestimate them again. As for Dio, he may have hero status, but I'm betting he still has to answer to Naram so we might end up exposing ourselves to frankly the most powerful immortal in the world before we're ready. Just because Ean is awake now doesn't mean he can just run around and pwn everything that moves. He's been out of the game for 3000 years. His power isn't even equal to Athena and she and most of the other true immortals are being subdued by Naram's will alone. Who knows how powerful he is at this point. We need to prepare and figure out what's going on, not run off half-cocked and gamble that the "win button" of opportunities will drop into our laps. For Pete's sake - folks, this is what too much Bioware does to the brain.

Nobody is saying that we're going to head off into a suicidal one-man raid into Ankida, that's insane. This coming war will take time, and it will be costly and bloody. What I am saying though, is that the current opportunities are weak and that I don't see much potential in hanging around with these losers, no matter what we do with them. The Yellowstreaks are worthless and even with our backing, are nowhere near the Empire or Skane in terms of power. If they ally with the Martyrs, then perhaps that puts them roughly even with Skane, but really - they don't have potential.

War has not yet started, and the hunger hasn't yet caused a tremendous amount of chaos, and our current opportunities are somewhat lacking - now is precisely the time to strike out on our own and try to find others who might be receptive to following us.

 

[Kayerts]

The 'Streaks Hospitaller provide a fairly good cover story for Ean while he DEVOURS SOULS and generally involves himself in the struggle. Until he's ready to reveal himself as the returned God-Emperor, he can don a Zorro mask and pose as an unusually powerful Yellowstreak.

I've read Baltika and Esquilax's arguments, but at this point, the opportunity cost of sticking with the Yellowstreaks seems small. We can take them with us, albeit with some attrition, into most every plan we could realistically pursue solo. Perhaps there'll be some conflict between the Yellowstreaks and some future new opportunity, but why not deal with that choice once it arises, rather than preemptively turning away resources that plopped into our lap? If we want to get picked up by Dio or Dagrun, isn't leading a band of psychic mercenaries a pretty good way of doing that?

The other problem with abandoning them is that, once the hunger kicks in, Dio and Dagrun may regard twenty undefended successors as a pile of power-ups waiting to be claimed.

 

[TOME]

The other problem with abandoning them is that, once the hunger kicks in, Dio and Dagrun may regard twenty undefended successors as a pile of power-ups waiting to be claimed.

This. We can't abandon them and give the opportunity of devouring them to someone else. But we can't stay in Gallia-Britannia for long either. We need to reel in as many Successor as we can before others realize the hunger. Once they do, there will be a few who will start devouring others for power. Dagrun will be among the first since Fenrir is aiding him.

My suggestion is that we take the Yellowstreaks with us and go to Skane to stop Dagrun, either by devouring him or by alianiting him with other Successors. And no, I'm not too worried about traveling with such a large party since Ean's telepathy should allow us to avoid any unwanted attention.

 

[Baltika9]

The other problem with abandoning them is that, once the hunger kicks in, Dio and Dagrun may regard twenty undefended successors as a pile of power-ups waiting to be claimed.

Which is why I want to combine them with Joan's group.

The 'Streaks Hospitaller provide a fairly good cover story for Ean while he DEVOURS SOULS and generally involves himself in the struggle.

Only that DEVOUR SOUL will not work well with B: I doubt the Yellowstreaks will agree with it if we make them more "moral," hell, I doubt they will easily agree to it with A. And another thing, wantonly eating people has never been Ean's MO, we avoided it because of corruption and have built up a character that relies on abstinence and "purity" as a result. I'm not convinced that flopping on that choice is a Good Idea, since willpower is one of Ean's greater strengths and, as we know, indulging in the hunger decreases said strength.

Perhaps there'll be some conflict between the Yellowstreaks and some future new opportunity, but why not deal with that choice once it arises, rather than preemptively turning away resources that plopped into our lap? If we want to get picked up by Dio or Dagrun, isn't leading a band of psychic mercenaries a pretty good way of doing that?

Because why go looking for trouble in the first place, especially in our situation: Ean is the underpowered underdog, trying to save a world going down the shitter.

 

[Esquilax]

The 'Streaks Hospitaller provide a fairly good cover story for Ean while he DEVOURS SOULS and generally involves himself in the struggle. Until he's ready to reveal himself as the returned God-Emperor, he can don a Zorro mask and pose as an unusually powerful Yellowstreak.

I've read Baltika and Esquilax's arguments, but at this point, the opportunity cost of sticking with the Yellowstreaks seems small. We can take them with us, albeit with some attrition, into most every plan we could realistically pursue solo. Perhaps there'll be some conflict between the Yellowstreaks and some future new opportunity, but why not deal with that choice once it arises, rather than preemptively turning away resources that plopped into our lap? If we want to get picked up by Dio or Dagrun, isn't leading a band of psychic mercenaries a pretty good way of doing that?

The other problem with abandoning them is that, once the hunger kicks in, Dio and Dagrun may regard twenty undefended successors as a pile of power-ups waiting to be claimed.

This makes a lot of sense. A compelling reason to stick with the 'Streaks is to prevent them from getting chewed up (literally) by Dio and Dagrun's forces. However, I'd like to point out that I was never really into leaving them out in the cold completely - they can still be very useful. I was always in favour of having them join the Martyrs until we return to lead them again.

This. We can't abandon them and give the opportunity of devouring them to someone else. But we can't stay in Gallia-Britannia for long either. We need to reel in as many Successor as we can before others realize the hunger. Once they do, there will be a few who will start devouring others for power. Dagrun will be among the first since Fenrir is aiding him.

My suggestion is that we take the Yellowstreaks with us and go to Skane to stop Dagrun, either by devouring him or by alianiting him with other Successors. And no, I'm not too worried about traveling with such a large party since Ean's telepathy should allow us to avoid any unwanted attention.

It's not Dagrun I'm worried about, it's the guy behind him. I'd like to point out that I never suggested we go on a one-man raid to destroy one of the factions before the war begins, we have neither the personal power nor the resources to do something like that. All I've been saying is that I don't see much potential in them, and that I'd rather seek opportunities and potential allies elsewhere. I don't like the idea of ditching them completely and I'd like to hedge our bets a little, which is why I suggested using our clout to encourage them to ally with the Lady of Martyrs until we return to lead them once again.

treave, I've set up a tally:

Esquilax: C - alliance w/ Martyrs
Baltika9: C - alliance w/ Martyrs
GreyViper: B
Lambchop19: B
Kipeci: B
Arpad: A
oscar: C - Dario as assistant (I think? Is this still what you're going for, oscar? )
Omicron: B
Tigranes: C - go south with all the Yellowstreaks
TOME: I'm not sure about this one. TOME, do you want B or to go to Skane with our Yellowstreak buddies?
Kayerts, I'm assuming you're voting A based on your post, correct?
Storyfag: C - alliance w/ Martyrs

 

[Storyfag]

You managed to miss my vote:

Esquilaxian C