Putting the 'role' back in role-playing games since 2002.
Donate to Codex
Good Old Games
  • 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

Baltika9

Arcane
Joined
Jun 27, 2012
Messages
9,611
Last question for now, what exactly were the crimes. does he remember them?
 

Smashing Axe

Arcane
Patron
Joined
Dec 29, 2011
Messages
2,835
Divinity: Original Sin
You guys are being far too rational about the choices. She insulted our manly honour! We must lead the sports club to victory!

Think about it, we ourselves won't necessarily need to participate in the sport, we're essentially sports managers, all we need is an understanding of the rules and our players' capacities. That, and through MYSTICAL long-forgotten martial arts techniques, we will improve our strength and rise to the heights of godhood!
 

Esquilax

Arcane
Joined
Dec 7, 2010
Messages
4,833
Hey, fuck it, maybe the pretty girl is going to appreciate our protagonist's effort, as pathetic as he is on the court. That's a pretty good rationale, Smashing Axe: we might not make a good player, but we could become a hell of a coach.

Flopping to A.
 

Kipeci

Arcane
Joined
May 22, 2012
Messages
3,027
Location
Vicksburg
I vote A! It'll make us hopefully less wimpy, we aren't totally screwed if we stick to the more Smashing Axe sort of plan, and we avoid pissing off the girl who has the ability to get us killed or worse at a mere whim. Besides, what else are we going to do if we don't join up with anything? That is the exact sort of inaction that leads to a lethal fall following a manly picnic.
 

Baltika9

Arcane
Joined
Jun 27, 2012
Messages
9,611
Are we getting illustrations? EPIC, the manga, that I would read.

Also, does Kyrie look anything like Itlani? Kinda reminds me of her if I forget all the conspiracy theories.
 

treave

Arcane
Patron
Joined
Jul 6, 2008
Messages
11,370
Codex 2012
Sure, if you want your mental image of Ean et al. defiled, I can whip something up.
 
Joined
Feb 20, 2011
Messages
845
Goddamnit, first chick the poor bastard meets is one of those types. Ugh.

The spirit of a true man cries out for C, but any revolt would only lead to brutal reprisals. We must be cunning, and undermine her authority and assert our independence from within. A.
 

treave

Arcane
Patron
Joined
Jul 6, 2008
Messages
11,370
Codex 2012
A - 7
B - 6
C - 2

edit: Never mind, leaving it open for another 6 hours.
 

Baltika9

Arcane
Joined
Jun 27, 2012
Messages
9,611
Kendo club, eh? So begins our transformation from this
l.jpg

into this
images

Well, as a wise man once said, "to defeat the weeaboo, you must first fuck the weeaboo," and "rape is the only answer."
carry on.:salute:
 

m4davis

Scholar
Joined
Jan 20, 2012
Messages
557
flopping to A however pointless that is at this point
EDIT: just wondering but what are the lyrics to flowers of Inanna
 

TOME

Cuckmaster General
Joined
May 25, 2012
Messages
1,820
And here I was thinking of flopping to C after what treave said, but you guys just had to flop to A. :butthurt:
 

Bloodshifter

Educated
Joined
Jul 7, 2012
Messages
542
Location
Somewhere with dead bears
Hmm I did search the Codex for my beloved Epic and what do I find that its tag had changed to Anime and Treave andding ~desus.

THIS CALLS FOR BRO-I-FICATION!!!
(Which I am too slewpy to pull out night see ya in the afternoon ya damned Morning Workers.
 

oscar

Arcane
Joined
Aug 30, 2008
Messages
8,036
Location
NZ
A, fuck this dweeb.

Jesus Christ, missed a notification and had to do about half an hours reading to catch up. Great ending though Treave. Europe outside of Spain seems to be irrelevant in the timeline though, not getting involved in any of the wars or seeming to play much role in anything.
 

Smashing Axe

Arcane
Patron
Joined
Dec 29, 2011
Messages
2,835
Divinity: Original Sin
Hey treave, I've never really gotten into anime, but if you have any suggestions for series similar to Epic in tone (Ean's adventures, I don't think I'm ready yet for high school teens), I'll give them a watch.
 

treave

Arcane
Patron
Joined
Jul 6, 2008
Messages
11,370
Codex 2012
Home Invasion

Track 11

The proper thing to do would be to accept her offer to lead an academics club. The answer is so obvious that I shouldn’t even have to think about it, but yet…

I know very well that smarts are important in this world, but despite all the civilization humanity had wrought, people are still primal creatures. Violence is a universal language that everybody understands. It’s not enough to be clever. To avoid getting physical I would have to be prepared for every last eventuality, and that is just impossible. Those who would take advantage of you are deterred only by strength. That strength might be your own, or it might be borrowed strength… the police, armies, and the governments that control them. The very order of our civilization is enforced by the threat of force. No law is respected without the power to back it up.

I know that very well.

That is why I cannot endure any more insults from her.

“Fine, I’ll do it. I’ll take athletics.” I mutter.

“You will?” She blinks, clearly caught off guard.

“I’ll do it. Athletics. Do you think I can’t? Do you think I’m that weak?”

“Wait a minute, why are you the one getting angry? I’m the one who should-“

“I’m not angry. You made me an offer and I’m taking it. All I need to know next, princess, is the name of the club.”

My condition isn’t something I can help. I have exercised for years, and yet my body has never improved. The doctors found it a mystery. None of the treatments they prescribed worked. No one has any idea what is wrong with me.

So there is nothing more I can do to change myself.

The world is wrong. In a just world, my weakness would not matter. My weakness would not result in others getting hurt. I wouldn’t have to stand here, getting insulted by some sheltered princess that has inherited her strength instead of earning it. Everything is in my file. If she knew enough to insult my physical ability she should know enough to understand how I would feel about that, especially after what I did. She is the same as the others, isn’t she? She’s part of the problem.

“…are you okay?”

A strange question to ask, coming from her. There is a mixture of concern and worry in Kyrie’s voice. I would never have expected such a soft, timid question from her. Does my face really look that scary right now?

Perhaps I should say something… perhaps I should thank her for her concern, but I am unable to get a grip on my emotions.

“Why do you care?”

That came out much ruder than I had wanted it to. Kyrie shrinks back almost imperceptibly, and then a look of bored arrogance settled on her face.

“You… Hm. Fine, as you wish, you piece of shit.” The insults came again like a reflexive quirk, but her heart didn’t seem to be in it. She sniffs haughtily and looks through a folder on the student council president’s desk. “Here. Since you’re an Easterner, you should appreciate this. You will be joining the kenjutsu club.”

Higashi fencing? I suppose it was not too popular here. I have seen shows about those, but I have never practiced it myself. I’ll figure out how to fulfill her conditions when I visit the club. In the mean time, I’m eager to leave the room.

“Thank you, Ms. Kyrie. We are done here?”

“Yes, we are done. Do not forget the terms I have given you… now get out.”

I say nothing more and do so.

***

Track 5

When I returned to the classroom, I’m immediately surrounded by my new classmates, eager to know what had happened between me and Kyrie.

“You survived the Tyrant!”

“Whoa, dude, you’ve got balls, ditching her on the first day like that. I’m surprised you’re still here.”

“What happened with her?”

“You look kinda down, bro.”

“Cheer up, the Tyrant has that effect on everyone… though I must say this is the first time I’ve seen her take that much interest in one student…”

I try to smile, bewildered by the sudden attention. After leaving Kyrie my mood had gradually gotten better, but I was still not feeling good enough to talk to them.

“Senya! Hoshikawa Senya!” The Higashi girl I’d seen before pushes her way to the front of the crowd. “It’s me, Keiko! Do you remember me?”

I do remember a Keiko from middle school, but that Keiko was shy and awkward. She’d never have tried to get to the front without apologizing a thousand times. Still, that bob cut and that little mole under her left eye… yeah, it had to be her.

“Fujisawa?”

“Yeah!” she grinned. “I was so surprised when I saw you come in. You haven’t changed one bit, but I wasn’t sure…”

Before I can reply, the girls of the class fell upon her almost immediately.

“You know him?”

“Who is he, an old flame?”

“Any juicy stories?”

Ah, girls and their gossip. Scratch that, the guys were joining in too. I sigh and sneak off to take my seat, near the back of the class. I suppose Keiko will keep them entertained with tales of my ineptitude for a while. She really has grown, though. Not just physically, but mentally – she barely had any friends in middle school. I recall my conversation with Kyrie and immediately feel bad. When am I going to get past feeling sorry for myself?

“…”

I feel someone staring at me. It was the girl from the bookstore, the one with the sword. My seat was besides hers.

“Uh, hello.” I smile awkwardly. “I’m Senya.”

“I know. You introduced yourself earlier.” Her voice indicated that she was utterly disinterested in me, but her blue eyes were fixed on me nonetheless.

“Oh… right. What’s your name?”

“Erika.”

“Well, nice to meet you, Erika. I hope we will get along well, being neighbours and all.”

“You smell… different.”

“…huh?” That came out of nowhere. How did I smell? Had she been sniffing me? Why did this sound like that crazy vampire story written by a certain popular female author that has recently sold millions worldwide?

“...” Apparently that was all she had to say to me, and she turned away, looking out of the window again.

***

I head to the kendo clubroom immediately after class. The vice-president had sent some trembling sixth year student to pass me a dossier about the club. The first and only page in the dossier was sufficient to inform me of the bad news. I open the door with some trepidation.

Track 7

“Oh! Oh, you’re here! This is boss! The vice-president was right! You’re really from Higashi! This is awesome! My first club member! Konnichiwa!”

Imperial Academy Kendo Club.

Formed: Six months ago.

Current members: One.

“Ah… you are… Michael Islington?”

Hai desu! But you can call me Michael-kun, Destroyer of a Thousand Blades!”

Oh, gods.

Third year student Michael Islington.

Extreme fan of Higashi culture. One could call him a true Higashi-maniac.

Founder of the Imperial Academy Kenjutsu Club, not to be confused with the more popular Imperial Academy Kendo Club which has won many trophies in international school championships.

He was short, red-haired and slightly chubby, and he looked even weaker than I am. First impressions could be deceiving, however.

“Well, if I may ask something,” I venture, “what does the club usually do?”

“Of course, every day I practice my way of the warrior, Senya-dono.” Michael draws a wooden sword from the sash around his waist and starts to flail about.
It appears that my first impressions are correct.

“I am barely trained in the Art of the Killing Blossom, but now that you are here I am sure that my training will improve by leaps and bounds!” His smile is so trusting that it hurts. “Desu!”

You… you just added that on didn’t you? You’re not supposed to use it like that! I feel like shouting out my inner thoughts, but I have had enough loss of control for one day. This is the club I’m supposed to lead to glory? Thankfully, Kyrie had inserted a note detailing the exact conditions for my victory in the dossier. All I need to do is recruit three more members in addition to me and Michael, and defeat the Imperial Academy Kendo Club in a match.

I look at Michael, who spins around and takes on a fairly dashing pose with his sword. “My sword is yours, Senya-dono! Tell me, who shall I cut first?”

At first glance the conditions seem lenient, but perhaps this might not be so easy after all…

After some time looking around and taking inventory of the equipment (mostly worthless toys), I conclude the first club session I have and go back early, demoralized by my first day at school.

***

Track 8

“Welcome back, Master! Did you get into trouble today?”

“Mm, I suppose so. Did anything happen while I was out?”

“The neighbours came by. Mrs. Fairlady dropped by with her two daughters. I greeted them and told them you were out, so I couldn’t let them in.”

“Good job.” It was the right thing to say – from a distance or a view-screen, Yua would be indistinguishable from a normal human being. Given that she looked ten right now, people would probably assume she was my little sister… I hope.

“Wait, you didn’t say that you were my daughter, right?”

“Of course not.”

“Thank-“

“I told them I was your wife.” giggled Yua, blushing and fidgeting again. I stared at her. It is going to be terribly awkward when I finally meet my neighbours.
“Yua.”

“Yes, Master?”

“Reflect on what you did.” I send Yua away despite her puppy-dog eyes, locking up the hologram function. Next, I check my computer. Anna had sent a message titled: LOL you pissed her off! I deleted it without looking at the contents.

Next, there was a message from Chinatsu. Opening it, I see the same stuff about how her friends keep asking her to get a boyfriend already, but she doesn’t want to. Only at the very end was there a line asking about my new life all the way in Olympia. It looks like she is doing fine. I can’t help but smile to myself. I was worried whether or not she would recover from that incident, but it looks like my little sister is far stronger than I am.

After taking a bath and eating dinner, I let a repentant Yua out and begin my work. I had been too rattled last night to do anything about it, but the Indus Confederation blueprints were still there in my computer, awaiting my attention.

They were… interesting, to say the least.

The concept detailed the use of a large humanoid robot as a weapon of war in urban areas. Though previously they had been considered too unwieldy for terrestrial use, it appears that an Indus scientist named Krishnashankar had come up with a more flexible way of tying carbon nanotubes together to act as synthetic muscles on an unprecedented scale. His method offered increased strength, durability and flexibility, allowing the robots to achieve performances beyond any other mechs currently in existence.

This strikes me as odd.

Such a breakthrough would make waves around the world. Improvements in carbon nanotube technology would be extremely useful in so many fields; it’s not possible that the Indus Confederation would keep it a highly-guarded secret just for use in war machines. Even by mass-producing their new high-performance robots and with support from the Higashi, they would not be able to win in a war – all this would achieve would be to get the Imperials and the Shulgilanders to ally together against them. It would be a futile war with much lost for little gained. Something is off here, but I still can’t figure out what it is.

Just as I was searching for more information about the current status of the Indus Confederation, the lights in my room begin flickering. My computer shuts down by itself. “Yua, what’s going on?”

“I’m falling back on emergency power supplies, Master. Something is… disrupting…” Yua’s form wavers for a while. “Something… interfering with… in the area, Master.”

Track 4

There is a faint stench in the air. It is the smell of rotten meat.

During the day I had almost forgotten about it, but the memory of the night before comes rushing back to me. I had wished that it was just a dream, but it looks like my wish fell flat on its face. “Yua, bring up all the security cameras.”

“Right away...” Her voice is faint. She had deactivated her hologram to conserve power. The security footage begins appearing in front of me, and I scan them quickly.

Nothing… nothing… there.

I spot a shadow at the corner of the garden that is noticeably darker. As I peer at it, it begins moving… crawling. Its limbs bent at unnatural angles as it did so, looking more like a four-legged spider despite its overall humanoid shape. It looked slightly different from last night. Also, the thing I encountered had caused the park’s light to flicker, but even though it followed me to my house, my systems had been unaffected by its presence. Perhaps it had changed, behaving differently… or perhaps there is more than one. Cold sweat drips down the back of my neck. My heart seems to freeze in my throat.

“Yua, activate the security systems.”

“I’m sorry, Master… insufficient power.”

I curse. What is going on here? Just as I debate whether or not to just grab Yua’s server and make a run for it, there is a loud crash. That… was probably the door. I think through my options. If they had reached the door, I could go through the windows. But…this house didn’t actually have windows, just blocks of plastic that could turn transparent as needed. They were quite a bit tougher than glass, and I didn’t have the tools to break them.

Ah, Anna, you thought you were being funny when you assigned me to this place, but you’ve just gotten me killed. Perhaps I should spend my last moments sending her a cursed message blaming her for my death, but my phone is also acting weird, strange symbols appearing all over the screen as if it had been hacked. There’s no way for me to reach anyone for help.

I’m all out of options.

I remember what I thought earlier about being powerless. It only took an evening to continue proving my thoughts right. I am nothing without actual strength to defend myself. This world is inherently unfair.

“Master… it’s coming. Run…” Indeed, I could hear a squishing sound coming from the corridor, growing ever louder.

“Yua, I’m sorry.”

I resolve myself to confront the thing standing. There might still be a way out. I tell Yua to turn the flickering lights off and back into the corner of the room, putting as much distance between myself and the entrance as possible. This should give me more time to react, and the shadows might hide me for a while. The moon was bright tonight. The sky was cloudless. The panel of plastic that I had kept transparent let in silvery streams of moonlight, dimly illuminating the room.

Track 9

Then, it was here.

The creature dragged itself into my sight.

There was no way it could be natural.

The legs were human. The arms were human. The torso was scaly and definitely not human. It had the texture of crocodile skin. Each of its limbs were mismatched, as if they had been sewn together from different parts. There were three elbows on its left arm, two on its right. Each hand had seven fingers. One of the legs had no knee, just a seam joining the thigh to the shin.

The head was that of a fish. I recognize it as a bluefin tuna; a rather expensive delicacy in Higashi. I laugh to myself half in terror, half in bewilderment. Whoever made this must’ve been rich. The fish opens its jaws, revealing a horrendous white worm wriggling in an oral cavity full of sharp teeth. There appears, strangely, to be a human eyeball attached on a pink stalk to the end of the worm.

The eyeball is staring right at me.

Found. You’re. It.

I grasp my head. I had heard that in my mind.

When I look up next, the fish-headed monster was leaping at me, its seven-fingered hands outstretched. It overpowers me with ease, pinning me to the ground. I don’t even have the time to fight back. My head bounces against the floor. I think I can hear Yua screaming, but I can’t make out the words.

The worm inside the fish elongates and tightens itself around my neck. As my mouth opens reflexively to gasp for air, it curls up and begins to slither down my throat. I try to struggle, but my arms are weak. I begin to choke, and my sight grows dark.

Is it going to end like this?

If only I were stronger.

If only I had not gone out last night.

Could this have been prevented?

A torrent of memories flood my mind as I begin to lose consciousness. This might be what they call seeing your life flash before your eyes.

Arguing with Kyrie. Signing that contract with the ISC. Dealing with the bastards that dared assault Chinatsu. Hacking for cheap thrills. Getting the top grades in my class. Meeting friends, old and new. Getting kicked around for being the weakest boy around. Entering middle school. Graduating from elementary school. The sight of the brilliant blue Earth. Meeting Chinatsu. Learning how to speak from my parents. The stark white hospital ceiling.

And then, there is nothing but a deep, terrible darkness. My brain hurts. It feels like it has split in two. On one side there is a searing heat, on the other a freezing cold.

My mind burns in an unimaginable blaze, shriveling up in the intense heat of a star’s plasma.

At the same time, it freezes as if in the void of space; in the dark, cold depths where not even the brightest sun could warm.

Dost thou fear death?

The voice is that of my own, younger but unfamiliar.

Dost thou yearn for immortality?

There is no need to even think about it.

Then accept this gift, with mine blessings.

I am unable to resist the voice. My hand reaches out, of its own accord…

***

A. I grasp the bright inferno, seeking the strength to burn all existence to ashes.

B. I seize the dark void, desiring the power to bring eternal stillness to the world.
 

treave

Arcane
Patron
Joined
Jul 6, 2008
Messages
11,370
Codex 2012
There is plenty of mature anime out there, and the Codex itself has a somewhat good thread for stuff that is considerably less weeaboo than what I'm putting you guys through. :lol:

http://www.rpgcodex.net/forums/inde...or-people-past-the-emotional-age-of-10.20452/

I'm not too sure if I can recommend any that are similar to the stuff I wrote in the previous chapters, though. I need someone objective and more removed from the process to look through it and make a call, I don't think I'd be able to pinpoint the similarities well enough.
 

Zwist

Learned
Joined
Jun 6, 2012
Messages
236


A Baby
Because B is Emo.
Changed my mind, a Kergan-like player character could indeed be fun.
So Bandwagon.
 

As an Amazon Associate, rpgcodex.net earns from qualifying purchases.
Back
Top Bottom