[LP CYOA] Epic

[treave]

I think... with all the flipping around, D seems to have won by just a few votes? Considering that some would flip from C to D if C wasn't going to make it.

 

[Esquilax]

If and when it comes down to traveling to a new region of the world, you guys may want to consider the Indian subcontinent or Far East instead of Europe as everyone defaults to. I believe in the world status update treave said the East has plenty of immortals but few to no Gieloth. Whether that is better or worse for our development, I don't know, but it would certainly be interesting. And who knows, perhaps we could find a like-minded immortal and make a bro for life eternity.

I wasn't defaulting to Europe, I just figured it would probably be smart to stay away from both Gieloth and immortals. I'd hate to run into Naram or another brainwashed hunting dog who would like nothing better than to put us out of commission for destroying the Sceptre or Ra and delaying the return of our shadowy masters.

Ean could certainly use a vacation. The dude has been awake for only five years after a 290 year slumber, and he's thrown himself into one risky situation after another. Laying low where nobody, immortal or Gieloth, could find us seems to be a smart move.

treave: The results say A, and that's the closest we'll get to some kind of consensus this century between the various camps of different people, so A, I suppose. We'll never reach an agreement, so veto accordingly I guess.

 

[treave]

m4davis D/C
Lambchop19 D
Bloodshifter A
Smashing Axe C
Urist McLurker C
Tigranes D/C
Zero Credibility D
newcomer C/D
Esquilax D
Baltika9 A
Kipeci D
Azira C
CappenVarra D
Storyfag A
Arpad C/D
Computer Gamer Refugee A
ScubaV A
Omicron A
oscar A
kazgar D
TOME B
Stygian Lurker A

A - 8
B - 1
C - 7
D - 6

Uh... right.

So assuming that Esquilax stuck to D and didn't cause m4davis and Tigranes to flop, C would be 5 and D would be 8. Then newcomer and Arpad would both add to D further, making D 10. Smashing Axe might also flop to make D the clear winner.

Now, if I ignore that, then C is ahead with all the flops, but won't be getting any further flops from the D side, which means A would win.

So... what do you guys want, exactly?

 

[Smashing Axe]

I'll flop to what ever makes it easier, C is my preference. But then, preferential voting like this is hard on the tallier, if you'd prefer to ignore it, just give the vote to A.

 

[Tigranes]

.....
I flop to D now, which will make D ahead of C; and since Arpad & newcomer already stated that thyeir vote should count for D if it is winning, that makes it 9 for D.

 

[treave]

D it is then. Update incoming. I must say, this was an excellent round of voting. There was some speculation that was a bit off, but quite a bit of correct ideas as to what was going to happen. Great arguments all around. :brofist:​

 

[newcomer]

I'll join the people who wants to take vacation from all this madness : D

 

[ScubaV]

Esquilax, I didn't mean you specifically, but pretty much everyone talks about Europe when thinking of where to go next. I'm just trying to play the devil's advocate. I can see your point about a vacation of sorts though.

Also, treave, after such heated debates you'll have to let us know what the alternatives would have been at some point.

 

[Esquilax]

Guys, if we unleash the Mass Shadow Generator Honourblade at Malachor V Tjaru, we will become cut off from Force lose all our powers. I predict that within 5 years a few centuries, we will be under the tutelage of the enigmatic Kreia Sekhenun, a dark mentor who is amoral yet who loves us in a twisted way, and who will use our unique status as an immortal to destroy the Force both the Masters and her fellow Gieloth, allowing for true freedom to finally flourish within the galaxy, no matter what the cost.

If our Honourblade survives this, the name we pick for it must be tied to what happened at Tjaru. Something like Sacrifice, or to tie it back into the Sumerian culture of our character, Enki's Lament.

I prefer Enki's Lament because Enki is the Sumerian god of the Earth. The lamenting is for all the soldiers that died, swallowed up by the Earth, a pawn to a game that they did not understand. So the sword we carry is in mourning to remind us of what happened on that day.

 

[newcomer]

Guys, if we unleash the Mass Shadow Generator Honourblade at Malachor V Tjaru, we will become cut off from Force lose all our powers. I predict that within 5 years a few centuries, we will be under the tutelage of the enigmatic Kreia Sekhenun, a dark mentor who is amoral yet who loves us in a twisted way, and who will use our unique status as an immortal to destroy the Force both the Masters and her fellow Gieloth, allowing for true freedom to finally flourish within the galaxy, no matter what the cost.

If our Honourblade survives this, the name we pick for it must be tied to what happened at Tjaru. Something like Sacrifice, or to tie it back into the Sumerian culture of our character, Enki's Lament.

I prefer Enki's Lament because Enki is the Sumerian god of the Earth. The lamenting is for all the soldiers that died on the battle on both sides, swallowed up by the Earth, a pawn to a game that they did not understand. So the sword we carry is in mourning to remind us of what happened on that day.

Achievement unlocked : Tentacle-lover (Requirements: Date a tentacle)

For the sword, when will we get the chance to vote for a name btw?

 

[Smashing Axe]

Enki's Lament sounds good. Let's go with it.

 

[treave]

Chapter 3.23: Dawn of the Middle Kingdom

"Let me think about this while I get some fresh air." you think to Nabu, and to your men, you say, "I'm going up on the walls for a bit." Your men nod at you, subdued; a few dozen more of their comrades had been lost tonight to their wounds. Many would not live to see the day... and if Nabu attacked, all of them wouldn't. At the walls, you look at the tower in the distance. In the night it looked even more monstrous than it was in the daytime. You could just about make out a faint human figure at the top of the tower. Nabu, probably. You wave at him.

Ah, so there you are. I am looking forward to being able to meet you in person. One way or another.

"I don't think it's going to work out, Nabu. Your offer is much appreciated, but I have another option here."

Which is?

You do not respond, but instead raise the Honourblade aloft.

You sure you want to do this?

"Yeah."

I guess we'll see you around, then. In a thousand years or so.
Don't get killed before then, kid.

You close your eyes, and focus on the Honourblade again. For just an instant, you can feel the earth. You feel every grain of sand, every rock, every little critter hastily burrowing away from the area, knowing what comes next. You feel the fault, an ugly, jagged line snaking across the land. You feel the pits that you have dug... and you bring down the full force of your will on the fault, The Honourblade wails, and so does your body and mind, screaming in protest at the stress you are putting them through. You can almost feel your body trying to tear itself apart from the forces you are playing with. Still, it works. The earth quakes.

Oh shit. This was well played, immortal.

You steel your mind, waiting for the parting shot, but it never comes. Instead, you watch as the rumbling ground opens up with a hideous, cracking noise and the tower tumbles into the depths, along with the screaming Babylonians. All around you, the Egyptians have rushed to the walls to see what has happened. It takes a few minutes for the fact of the matter to sink in... but when it does, they begin cheering and celebrating. "Master Runi!" You hear Netzi behind you, and you turn to meet him.

"... who are you? Why are you dressed in the general's armour?" he hisses.

You put a hand up to your face. You must have lost control of your shape-shifting, reverting back to your Sumerian appearance. You see Netzi putting his hands on his sword, ready to draw. No one else seems to have noticed you yet, lost in their celebrations. "Netzi." you whisper. His eyes widen. "How do you know my name?" He is caught off guard for a second, and you take that chance to run past him. He does not order your men - no, his men now - to chase after you.

You would not see him again.

***

After leaving Tjaru, you drifted from town to town. The first thing you realized was that you could no longer hear the voices. The second thing you found out was that your wounds no longer healed faster than normal men. You were powerless. You had none of your former capabilities to call open. You were still very fast and strong for a human, but you no longer surpassed human limits. Your telepathic abilities were similarly gone, leaving the world a darker, less comfortable place for you.

As for what happened after...

Your Egyptian persona, Runi, became hailed as a demi-god, a son of Osiris who defeated a demonic cult and then escorted a 10,000 strong Babylonian army to meet his father in the underworld. These tales spread far and wide across Egypt thanks to your old companions. Astarth himself encouraged the myth of once having a demi-god that served under his command. You attended your own funeral in secret - you had no corpse for them to bury, but a carving of you was entombed in a small pyramid near Heliopolis, along with all the wealth you'd earned in Astarth's service. Your companions grieved dearly for your departure, but you knew you could not reveal yourself, not while Astarth was alive.

Marduk did not act after losing his army at Tjaru. Having lost his two most powerful lieutenants to you, not to mention nearly all of his 8000 men, he seemed content to rebuild his strength and bide his time in Babylonia. Astarth, however, was not so patient after crushing Thebes. Five years after the siege of Tjaru, he launched an assault into Sumeria. You were not there with the army - somehow you didn't feel like getting involved - but you know, from the tattered, limping remnants of the Egyptian army hobbling back home, that it ended badly. Netzi lost his life leading the troops against the cities of Sumer. The campaign had went well at first, but once they entered the Sumerian heartland, a year after they set off from Egypt, Marduk had struck back. Rumours told of vast armies of shadow, though of course, you couldn't confirm it.

Astarth survived, but he was a broken man. The wounds from Sumeria left him in constant pain and sickness. He was never able to go to war again. Ten years after his disastrous campaign, he died in his bed, as his wounds finally took their toll. Before he passed on, he did one surprising act - he adopted your old friend Akil as his son. Akil had been working tirelessly to administer Egypt while he was off campaigning and during his frequent periods of sickness. There was no struggle for power from his generals, no horrible civil war tearing Egypt apart again. The memory of the last one was still fresh in everyone's minds, and Akil had already proven himself capable of running the kingdom.

He ascended as Pharaoh after Astarth's passing, with Mutyre as his consort. That was another thing that surprised and pleased you - you had no idea they had become that close. Around that time, a Child of Sekhenun, who had escaped Thebes before its fall, raised its head trying to start a cult near Heracleopolis. You were close to that city at the time, having visited Memphis to witness your friend's coronation. You decided to try to destroy it before it could grow into a big problem for Egypt.

You overestimated your human strength. The attempt succeeded, but it nearly cost you your life. It took months for your wounds to heal, but at last Egypt was totally free of any Gieloth influence. Before you left the villagers who had nursed you, grateful for your help in stopping the cult, you gave them the name "Runi", so that people would know that the myth was still alive. You spent the next twenty years travelling around Egypt, slaying bandits and helping people under that name, but you never stayed around to take credit for your deeds personally. After all, you still didn't age - it seems a bit of power still lies within you, keeping you eternally young. The Honourblade, your faithful companion, too remained perpetually sharp. You could not change its shape, or get it to perform any of the feats you could have done before, but at least you didn't need to waste precious coin keeping it well-maintained.

You knew that by using the name "Runi", Akil would know you were still alive, and be comforted. He sent out men to look for you, but always you managed to slip away, leaving behind nothing but your deeds. If he met you, you would have to explain it all to him. It was simpler to stay away.

And so, time passed...

***

The port city of Pikuat was bustling. You had ended up here, trying to find work - bandits were rare nowadays, and with it, grateful villages who would offer food and shelter as thanks. Akil's grandson proved to be an even more capable ruler than his grandfather was, and Egypt was thriving. You muse that you might have to raid your own tomb for treasures to sell if this goes on. You think it might be time to move on from Egypt - maybe back to Sumeria. From what the voices have last said, it would take at least a thousand years for your powers to recover in full. It would be a long wait.

Today you were headed to meet a noble lady, who had sent out a call for able warriors to escort her on a trip. It appeared to pay very well, enough to last you at least another season, so this was a job that you could not miss. You reached the meeting point at an inn - there were many, many other strong men from all over Egypt and elsewhere gathered. Competition was going to be strong. You had registered under the name of Runi; it was a very popular name nowadays. There were little step pyramids devoted to you all around the Nile Delta.

"Master Runi?" You turn and see a slender, young girl looking up at you. "Yes, that's me."

"Ah, I didn't get the wrong person after all! I am a handmaiden of Lady Mehrune. She'd like to meet you now." Mehrune... that was the noble lady that had put out this job notice. It looks like you were in luck today. You follow the handmaiden.

She leads you to a room upstairs. "Lady Mehrune is right in here, please head in." You do so... and as you enter, you hear the girl step in after you and bolt the door. You feel your skin prickling.

"I see you are utterly oblivious without your powers, dog."

You know that amused, mocking tone of voice. Turning around, you see you weren't wrong. The young handmaiden had taken on a familiar form.

"Sekhenun."

"It's been a long time, hasn't it? It's a good thing to see you haven't aged a day."

She hasn't, either. You wonder what she wants with you, after all this time.

"It looks like you've made good use of the weapon I taught you to make, too." she continues, glancing at the Honourblade hanging from your waist. "Have you named it yet?"

"No, not yet. Why are you here?"

"Looks like time hasn't cured your lack of manners."

"I prefer to find out what I'm getting into before I start being polite."

Sekhenun sighs. "I'm here to ask for your help."

"I don't think -"

"Yes, I know what has happened to you. I'm telling you that I have a way to fix it. Now, will you shut up and let me tell a story?"

You shrug.

"Anyway, there is something happening with the Gieloth. I am not sure what is going on myself, but there have been... problems."

You know what she is talking about. Despite the loss of your powers, you still had access to the Gieloth network, and recently you had caught many flashes of encrypted messages you could not decipher, though those messages were tinted with feelings of panic.

"At any rate, I need your help to look into this - consider this a plea. In return, I will show you how to get your powers back. I mean, I do need your strength in this - so it's not like I'm doing this out of the goodness of my own heart."

"Your own black heart, you mean."

"Ever the charmer, I see."

"So, how do you propose I get my powers back?"

"It's simple. Lady Mehrune is hiring some armed escorts to go to Crete. We will go along with her, and there we will find the artifact that will revive your powers."

"That sounds really mysterious and shifty. How can I trust you?"

"Oh for Me'kras's sake, you -"

There is a knock at the door, interrupting Sekhenun. "Are you there, Sekhe? Lady Mehrune is calling for you."

"I'm coming!" she calls, in a young, innocent voice. Then she turns back to you, irritated. "Look, dog, take my offer or not. I don't care, but decide quickly. You can have fun waiting a thousand years trying to evade death for all I care." You guess the choice is simple...

A. Go.

B. Don't go.

 

[treave]

I'll have some updates on the state of the world as Ean knows it, as well as the other choices that might have been, so don't worry about that.

 

[Urist McLurker]

A

For the update man, very much enjoyed.

Also I think now is the perfect time to name the sword Sekhenun

 

[oscar]

A. Better than wasting a thousand years.

 

[m4davis]

A

 

[Smashing Axe]

A

 

[a cut of domestic sheep prime]

A

edit:

Enki's Lament sounds good. Let's go with it.

Agreed.
Nah. Flopping back to Anbar-Shi.

 

[anus_pounder]

EDIT :

Flip-flopping to A

Its not northern europe, so its all good.

 

[newcomer]

I see... Sekhenum is romanceable after all

A

 

[anus_pounder]

Hopefully thats not what it has to come to. I like to think we have more important things to do.

 

[newcomer]

I wonder how will the child of an immortal & a Gieloth looks like

We'll breed a new race of creatures which will take over the Earth & slay our "twart" master

 

[ScubaV]

A

As for the sword name, either Anbar-Shi or Enki's Lament sounds good. Ean isn't a lulzy character, so I'm not excited about trying to mock Sekhenun with the name. She's been rather straightforward in her dealings with us, even when she wanted to kill/capture us. I guess that comes from being a scientist.

Also for the LP treave. It's truly living up to its name.

 

[Esquilax]

Fucking awesome update.

We've established an amazing legacy in Egypt and made the country great again. Thousands of years from now, people will speak of Runi the same way they do of Hercules. Our sacrifice did some good, it seems. I'm assuming roughly 50-60 years have passed since the Battle of Tjaru.

I'm VOTING A. Waiting a thousand years to get our powers back is just as dangerous as going on this mission, and I'd rather not have a millennium of updates involving Superman without any powers. I'm speculating that the Gieloth are panicking because this artifact that Sekhenun is referring to is similar to the Sceptre of Ra in that it would summon our masters again. If so, it's in both our best interests to find this thing.

Expect a friendly encounter with Naram as well. Maybe he's forgiven us.

 

[newcomer]

Expect a friendly encounter with Naram as well. Maybe he's forgiven us.

Oh great, now let's ask for a vial of poison when we have the chance