[LP CYOA] Epic

[Omicron]

A

 

[Esquilax]

So I don't worry about the siege engine if we trigger our fire trap right. The Gieloths are more worrysome. Especially the general. Sure there is a hole in our wall, but who is to say that the general is so stupid to use it. He might use if he doesn't know about Ean. But if we go punching down the siege engine with bare hands or burning it in mere seconds with our magic, then they might suspect our presense. And that would make then cautious and rely on ranged Gieloth magic which we can't counter.

But imagine the morale boost our troops get and their's lose when we throw their general's head over the wall. Sure we might not be 100% after that figth, but are we only relying on ourselves? We have more than thousand soldiers defending the walls. They probably can hold it a few days while we regen.

They'll suspect our presence either way regardless of what we do here. If we assassinate the general, the other Gieloth leading the forces isn't going to think "Hmm, he hasn't gotten back all night. I guess it was nothing", so we will reveal ourselves a little bit, that's unavoidable. We aren't relying on ourselves this fight, but that makes the odds even worse against us. We have just under 2,000 men, they have 8,000.

And no, resting to recuperate from an ill-advised assassination attempt on the first day of a siege is a bad idea. It's essential for morale to be out there regardless of the condition that we're in so that we can inspire the men.

The way I see it we have 4 separate problems we have to deal with to get out of this victorious (and in one piece): Gieloth general, the tower, one more unknown Gieloth and an army of 8000 elite troops. The question is, which of the first two are we going to have more problems neutralizing later on? And I think it's the general - he has unknown abilities and next time might be in the middle of the attacking army, beyond our reach, while he unleashes his powers on us. The tower on the other hand is a comparatively known variable (even if we are not aware of its full abilities) - we presume they will try to roll it up to our walls, and even if they avoids the traps we set it will still be vulnerable to fire. It's possible that doing what we did in the temple (only this time amplified by the honourblade) would set it ablaze.

Sounds reasonable.

Since it looks like we're going A, we could make a battle plan for tomorrow that would be appropriate given the fact that we've taken out the general. Since he'd (hopefully) be gone, the exposed wall in the fortress would remain unknown to the enemy tomorrow. Being aware of that, it would be wise to divert most, if not all of our forces to the front gates. We could lead the defense on chariot, making a beeline for the siege tower to destroy it. With enemy morale already diminished and their siege tower destroyed, it may be enough to force a rout straight into the fire traps.

 

[Bloodshifter]

We could lead the defense on chariot, making a beeline for the siege tower to destroy it. With enemy morale already diminished and their siege tower destroyed, it may be enough to force a rout straight into the fire traps.

yes while we are in the chariots the enemy Gieloth would rain down flowers and daisies to help us along in routing his forces... not mention that he can whip that lovely moat of ours into a nice wave in which he would gently release upon our men and not the fire traps... (warning EXTREME sarcasm detected!!!)

don't be a fool defenders must keep the wall UNLESS WE outnumber them and in this case we don't.

 

[TOME]

They'll suspect our presence either way regardless of what we do here. If we assassinate the general, the other Gieloth leading the forces isn't going to think "Hmm, he hasn't gotten back all night. I guess it was nothing", so we will reveal ourselves a little bit, that's unavoidable.

Thats the point. We make ourselves known to the enemy and lose the element of suprise. I would rather make ourselves known by killing the general or the other Gieloth than taking out single war machine.

 

[Esquilax]

Ah, gotcha, that makes a lot of sense now.

Bloodshifter: Not quite, the text makes it clear that the trapped path is designed for a chariot charge:

The craftsmen and builders were ordered to construct traps all in front of Tjaru. The fortress had been designed into the lay of the land well, and the Babylonians would have no choice but to head into trapped territory if they wanted to pass. There were pitfalls concealed under the ground, and carefully constructed fire traps which could be lighted by some brave scouts. You had designed their orientation so that if the Babylonians stayed still and hunkered down, you had a clear path for a chariot charge, crushing them between your wheels and the flames. If they moved backwards the fire would cut off their retreat; forward, and they walked into a funnel, ripe to be picked off by rocks and bows.

If this tower is out there tomorrow, we have to do something other than sitting behind our walls if it can't be destroyed easily. Besides, if one Gieloth is dead, that limits their tactical abilities, does it not?

 

[TOME]

If we know how the fire traps are laid out, couldn't we set them so that the siege engine burns, or atleast is forced to follow path we want it to take? Separate it from the main army with firewalls?

 

[a cut of domestic sheep prime]

Well, when we light the fire traps it'll make a winding path to the fort. (Sans pitfalls it sounds like or else how would we charge?) So it may be best to hold off on them and let the tower get stuck on it's own.

It'll likely be the first thing into battle anyway as the gate is the only logical point of entry due to the moat.

 

[Bloodshifter]

unless the Gieloth's power dries out the moat or they can move some terrain around *a.k.a. earth element*

Anyway A charge into 8000 well trained soldiers won't break them especially since they are expecting Egyptian cavalry since its the thing we are known for at the time... Not to mention we cant field even a third of our numbers

 

[newcomer]

Well, after this tell some of our people to gather materials to make these
Will solve future problems caused by siege towers

 

[Tigranes]

So... A wins?

 

[treave]

Yes, A wins, 11 to 7.

Let's go meet General Genocide.

 

[Baltika9]

Yes, A wins, 11 to 7.

Let's go meet General Genocide.

 

[Azira]

Tsk tsk. Well, better bring out the popcorn.

 

[Esquilax]

I hope I'm wrong and this goes well. We picked traps and we went out alone so we wouldn't get caught fucking shit up in the camp - this sort of flip-floppery smacks of something that Limpwrist McFaggot from root's LP would do.

 

[Azira]

Let's hope we won't get BLAM!'ed then.

 

[treave]

Don't worry, you're getting power upgrades!



Update will be up in minutes.

 

[Smashing Axe]

Wouldn't it be funny if Sekhenun designed the Honourblade to be powerless against true Gieloth? Huh, that would be hilarious!

 

[Azira]

Wouldn't it be funny if Sekhenun designed the Honourblade to be powerless against true Gieloth? Huh, that would be hilarious!

 

[treave]

Chapter 3.20: Deadly Desert Deathmatch

The tower could wait. It was huge, ungainly, and likely to topple into one of your traps tomorrow. You turn from the camp, and go after the Gieloth general instead.

Approaching from an angle, you catch up with them before they reach the fortress. You leap, pouncing on the closest scout with your bare hands. As he falls from his horse, his neck broken, you land and draw your sword in a circle. The unnamed Honourblade flashes darkly and takes off the legs of another scout. Without pausing, you run at the general, who has reined his horse back. He is tall and commanding, with piercing eyes that almost seem to shine in the dark. Before you can reach him, his remaining men jump in front of him, the three of them attempting to take you on. You don’t even allow them the time to reflect upon their folly.

As the last of the scouts collapse in a bloody heap, you hear the Gieloth speak. “That was beautiful. Your skill is unmistakeable.” He - or she, you really are never sure with these things - claps loudly, having gotten off his horse. In the dim starlight, you can barely make out a smug smirk on his face. “You fight as well as the rumours say, Ean.”

You do not bother to retort. This man… no, this thing just sacrificed his own men to watch you fight them. You grip your sword tightly. It responds to your anger, pulsating rapidly in your hands. You keep a calm head, however. The Gieloth knew of your Sumerian name. This makes him dangerous in more ways than one. You step back from the general and take up a defensive posture.

He draws his own sword, a large, gleaming silvery crescent that reflected the moon’s light as though it was the moon itself. His eyes shone with a gleam. “I am Baran, son of the god Marduk and High Commander of his armies.” He pronounces the name Marduk slowly, as if savouring the taste.

I think… this guy is bad news.

“Lord Marduk himself is completing the subjugation of the Assyrians, so I fear I will have to be the one who kills you, dog.” Baran points his sword at you, grinning, and moves. He turns into a blur; you could barely follow his movements before his sword clashes against yours. Even if you could read his intentions, you’d defended just in the nick of time – his speed is superior, and so is his strength. That one clash had left your arms shaking. Blow after blow comes raining down on you, and it is all you can do to deflect them.

“What is wrong, Ean? Are you not the man who slayed the Three Sisters of House Me’kras?” laughs Baran, as he brings his sword down on your head. You sway to the left, allowing the blade to graze your shoulder – but that leaves you open for the follow-up kick to your ribs, coming from the right – you bring your elbow down and deflect the kick – it lands harmlessly into the sand, Baran does a pivot with that foot, and he is suddenly within your guard, face to face. He smashes his sword hilt into your chest and you tumble backwards, sprawling into the sand. You recover and roll away just as his sword slices into the ground just where you were moments before, and then lunge forward as fast as you can. This time, you catch him off-guard, and he barely manages to bring his sword back up to block a ferocious strike from your Honourblade, executed at full strength. Baran almost sinks to his knees momentarily, before giving a grunt and pushing you back almost casually. He slashes at your chest with a loud yell. You put up your sword to parry, and use the momentum from his slash to guide your own blade towards his chest in one swift, fluid movement. Baran’s eyes widen, and his left hand swings up and grabs your sword by its blade. His brute strength stops your slash entirely, and tendrils erupt from the wounds of his hand, wrapping around the Honourblade. His mouth twitches smugly.

“I caught you.”

You give him a smirk, mirroring his own.

“I caught you.”

Channeling your powers through the Honourblade, you unleash a psychic assault upon the arrogant Gieloth. He screams as his mind unravels. Pressing your advantage, you attempt to scramble and shatter his brain… and your assault rebounds on you. You reel from the full force of your own attack, but luckily you had your own defences up – you avoid scrambling your mind this way. You step back, temporarily disoriented.

Baran gasps for breath as he drops to his knees. He clutches his head and chuckles. “Nabu, you bastard. I didn’t even know you put a shield on my mind. I guess I owe you one, brother.” You pant and stare at the Gieloth. His brother must be a tremendously powerful psychic to create a defense capable of actually rebounding an attack on the attacker. You cannot try one as long as it is up… which means you will have to find another way to take Baran down.

Your opponent yells and comes at you again, more ferocious than before. This time, however, you have begun to adapt to his attacks. There is no time to concentrate and use your other powers; you will have to take him down with your physical prowess. You match him blow for blow, your attacks grazing each other as you desperately deflect and strike back with all you have. Dark steel met bright as the speed and strength of the attacks delivered by him and you begin to increase, sending the sand around you flying. From a distance, it looked like a small sandstorm had started up. All of a sudden, you notice an opening on his right. In the fast-paced heat of battle, you instinctively take it before your telepathy can even warn you of the danger – and almost immediately you pay for your mistake. As you slice off his right arm, Baran’s crescent sword comes screaming in from your left and tears your abdomen open, as you step backward just in time to prevent him from cutting you into two at the waist. Your guts spill out into the sand as you scream in pain. Black tentacles shoot from Baran’s arm socket and wrap themselves around your throat. He laughs again, mocking you.

“Not good enough. You don’t think fast enough, dog!”

You choke on your reply. Your consciousness was fading fast.

Well, that was stupid of you!
Maybe you might want to stop fighting at high speeds if you can’t handle it?

If you’d slowed down for an instant during the exchange of blows, you’d have been dead, but you can’t even concentrate enough to tell the voices that.

At least that Gieloth bitch gave you something to work with.
We’ll do something to help you out, but this is not going to be pretty for your body afterwards. Hope you can take it, kiddo.

It’d probably be better than dying here without defeating Baran. Guided by the voices, you focus on the Honourblade, willing your sense of self to merge with the blade borne of your own body. It shrieks, flaring with power…

***

A. Your long neglected telekinesis powers come to life with a vengeance. Instead of using them to push or smash, you focus it into a hold… a hold strong enough to crush stone. You hit Baran with all you have. He barely has time to scream before you compress him into a little meat ball the size of a human head.

B. The air crackles with an intense charge. You concentrate it into a pillar calling the heavens... and the lightning replies. You sustain the lightning strike with the last remnants of your flagging consciousness. The Gieloth general is fried to a crisp as a billion volts light up his body for long, agonizing seconds. His body bursts into flame, and you can see the black tendrils turning into ashes within the blinding light.

C. Your focus creates a giant spear of bright energy, seemingly out of thin air, in front of you. The dark desert glows as if illuminated by the sun. Baran’s eyes widen in surprise. As it shoots towards him, he brings up his sword to deflect it – to no avail. The spear burns through his raised arm and weapon without stopping and pierces his core. As the spear dissipates into the cold desert air, the body of the Gieloth cracks and crumbles into ash.

 

[Smashing Axe]

Is C light manipulation? If so I'll be tempted towards it. However, we have all the makings of Thor, if we wanted to become the Thunder God, well, B sounds like a good option.

Edit: Also, could we use telekinesis to fly? It seems like we could.

 

[treave]

Light... I suppose in a sense it is emitting light. I guess you could call it energy manipulation. You can think of this as approaching light/electromagnetic manipulation, but from another end.

These showings are desperate displays of your power right now, pushing yourself to the limit. Don't expect to pull off anything of this scale after this for quite some time.

Yeah, you can fly with telekinesis if you have the fine control and the power to do it.

 

[Esquilax]

I'd be a little cautious here, keep in mind what happened when we chose to harness our Psionic abilities last time. This battle really hurt us, and I think we need to pick a power based on how useful it will be during the battle tomorrow. Elemental powers are going to allow Ean to easily light up the fire traps and funnel the enemy soldiers where we want them to be. It will make burning down the siege tower a whole hell of a lot easier.

I really wanted C, but we are wounded and we need every advantage we can get once the battle begins. Once we kill off this guy's brother, perhaps then we can get light/energy manipulation. I don't want to risk it with so much at stake.

Voting B

 

[Smashing Axe]

Voting B for now, simply because I like the idea of us being Thor or Zeus, willing to change with a good argument.

 

[Azira]

You know what? Throwing lightning around sounds very useful indeed, but I'd rather we improve our telekinesis. Spreading points around is nice and all, but I'd much rather improve the powers we've already tapped into, however slightly.

...

I mean, we did tap into the telekinesis branch before, did we not?

Ohwell, A it is.

 

[CappenVarra]

A because the flashier options are likely to draw too much attention from cca 8000 angry soldiers?