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[LP CYOA] Epic
- Thread starter treave
- Start date
- Joined
- Jul 6, 2008
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- 11,370
Overwhelming victory for B.
***
Chapter 4.7: The Labyrinth of the Minotaur
With Theseus’s aid, you disguised yourself and swapped places with another Athenian youth. Standing along with the other Athenians, you were lowered into the Labyrinth’s entrance by means of a platform.
Minos stands proudly at a parapet as he watches you descend. You notice his daughters looking on besides him, their faces full of concern and worry. Sekhenun stands by Mehrune’s side, who had been invited to spectate at the event. She had steadfastly refused to come along when you asked her, saying that there were preparations to be made for when you returned with the statuette. She seemed confident that you would. Minos’s voice booms, “Brave young men and women, should we meet again, you will no longer be an Athenian cur, but as good as my own family! If you die, it is as penance for the sins of your fathers! Survive, and show that you have cast away the stain of Athens!”
What a crock of bull, you think. The Gieloth must be particularly deranged. Soon the audience drops out of your sight, and only the dim light of torches holds the gloom at bay. You have entered the Labyrinth.
Once within, Theseus brings out the ball of thread. It pulses with light, and he presses it against the floor. Like a stream of water, the thread snakes into one of many grooves on the floor, and begins moving off into the dark, into one of the many corridors that exit the entrance chamber.
“This path will bring us to the Minotaur. The rest of you should stay here until we get back. Be careful, and keep your voices down.”
He appeared to be much more adult and responsible now that he was not in Ariadne’s presence. With a wave of his hand, Theseus walks off, following the thread. You fall in behind him, matching his footsteps.
***
The path through the Labyrinth was utterly confusing. You could do nothing but follow the thread laid out before you. Corridors and hallways split and joined up again and again, and you know that without the thread you would have a slim chance of finding your way anywhere in the Labyrinth. You frequently spot shadows skittering off in the corner of your eye, yet when you turn to look nothing is there. You wonder why the monsters that Sekhenun warned you about do not attack.
As you continue following the thread, you notice that it occasionally makes big berths around particular stones on the ground. “Best to follow the thread closely, Runi. Ariadne told me that the thread also ensures you don’t step into one of the thousands of traps Minos had laid in this maze.” Theseus muttered, noticing that you were glancing at the path. Just then, you hear a loud bellow coming from the hallways in front of you. It goes on for many seconds, before fading away.
“The Minotaur!” gasps Theseus. “It is close. Prepare yourself and remember, the one that strikes the killing blow will gain Ariadne’s hand.”
You don’t need reminding – you’ll be sure to let him have the last strike on Minos’s pet beast. All you want right now is what you came here for.
The thread comes to an abrupt end, and Theseus stops. You are in a large, round chamber. The smell hits you before your eyes see anything – you know this scent well. Death and decay. All around you lie piles of bones and slightly rotting flesh. In the center of the chamber stood an enormous stone slab, and atop it sat the Minotaur, staring straight at you. It bellowed again, eyes glowing red in the gloom.
The Minotaur stood up. It was a veritable giant, nearly twice your height, and almost as wide. In its hands it wielded a double-headed axe almost the size of a small tree. Huge, powerful muscles rippled down its entire body as it stretched.
You gulp. Even at your peak this thing could’ve been a problem for you. Theseus stands unmoving in front of you, frozen in fear. He had not expected such a beast. The Minotaur takes one step forward, its head lowered and its horns pointed threateningly right at you. You scan the area, trying to figure out a way to defeat this monster, when Theseus turns to you. His face is pale, and his eyes are slightly unfocused. He seems angry, and then confused, but suddenly yells a battle cry, “For Ariadne!” and charges right at the Minotaur.
The kid has guts, you’ll have to give him that.
He came flying back the next second, batted away by a blow from the Minotaur. It thundered towards him without delay. You step in and slash at the Minotaur’s legs as it charges past you single-mindedly, towards the fallen Theseus. With a roar of anger, it stumbles and pauses its charge. The huge axe goes up above its head, and falls upon you, powered by the monster’s mighty muscles. Luckily such a blow was easy to predict; you roll to the side easily. Springing to your feat, you duck under another wild swing and inflict more cuts on the Minotaur with your sword. Though your blade sinks into its flesh, you can feel a lot of resistance, and you are unable to cut deeply. This is not a monster you can fell with mortal strength. Suddenly, the Minotaur bellows loudly and swings its axe at you again. Unable to dodge this one, you raise your sword to block it. There is a loud ring of metal, and you are flung backwards, stopping only when you hit the wall. Your sword arm trembles. If it had been any other weapon other than the Honourblade, that powerful blow would have shattered it. You stagger to your feet. The Minotaur begins striding towards you, snorting.
Theseus, having recovered, jumps on the Minotaur’s back while it is still preoccupied with you. He hooks his sword under the Minotaur’s neck and pulls back on it hard. The blade cuts into the Minotaur, but again it fails to go deep enough to do any harm. Theseus continues clinging on as the Minotaur sways its body violently from side to side. He is smashed against a wall with a loud crash, and he loses his grip. As he falls, you see the ball of thread drop from his body.
***
A. This is your chance! You grab the thread and head for the treasure vault immediately. There is no time to waste attempting killing such a huge and tough monster. Sekhenun had told you, before you left, that just getting near to the statuette would awaken a bit of your powers, so you can always come back to confront the beast afterwards, when you are on more equal ground. You cannot take too much of a risk now, so close to your goal.
B. You grab the thread… to prevent it from getting lost in the battle. Then, you attack the Minotaur again. This is foolhardy, yes, but if you leave Theseus now he will surely be killed. Abandoning a brave soul to the Minotaur leaves a bitter taste in your mouth – if this is the price to pay for regaining immortality, you do not want it. You might get seriously injured, or even die a foolish death, but you cannot go against your heart.
***
Chapter 4.7: The Labyrinth of the Minotaur
With Theseus’s aid, you disguised yourself and swapped places with another Athenian youth. Standing along with the other Athenians, you were lowered into the Labyrinth’s entrance by means of a platform.
Minos stands proudly at a parapet as he watches you descend. You notice his daughters looking on besides him, their faces full of concern and worry. Sekhenun stands by Mehrune’s side, who had been invited to spectate at the event. She had steadfastly refused to come along when you asked her, saying that there were preparations to be made for when you returned with the statuette. She seemed confident that you would. Minos’s voice booms, “Brave young men and women, should we meet again, you will no longer be an Athenian cur, but as good as my own family! If you die, it is as penance for the sins of your fathers! Survive, and show that you have cast away the stain of Athens!”
What a crock of bull, you think. The Gieloth must be particularly deranged. Soon the audience drops out of your sight, and only the dim light of torches holds the gloom at bay. You have entered the Labyrinth.
Once within, Theseus brings out the ball of thread. It pulses with light, and he presses it against the floor. Like a stream of water, the thread snakes into one of many grooves on the floor, and begins moving off into the dark, into one of the many corridors that exit the entrance chamber.
“This path will bring us to the Minotaur. The rest of you should stay here until we get back. Be careful, and keep your voices down.”
He appeared to be much more adult and responsible now that he was not in Ariadne’s presence. With a wave of his hand, Theseus walks off, following the thread. You fall in behind him, matching his footsteps.
***
The path through the Labyrinth was utterly confusing. You could do nothing but follow the thread laid out before you. Corridors and hallways split and joined up again and again, and you know that without the thread you would have a slim chance of finding your way anywhere in the Labyrinth. You frequently spot shadows skittering off in the corner of your eye, yet when you turn to look nothing is there. You wonder why the monsters that Sekhenun warned you about do not attack.
As you continue following the thread, you notice that it occasionally makes big berths around particular stones on the ground. “Best to follow the thread closely, Runi. Ariadne told me that the thread also ensures you don’t step into one of the thousands of traps Minos had laid in this maze.” Theseus muttered, noticing that you were glancing at the path. Just then, you hear a loud bellow coming from the hallways in front of you. It goes on for many seconds, before fading away.
“The Minotaur!” gasps Theseus. “It is close. Prepare yourself and remember, the one that strikes the killing blow will gain Ariadne’s hand.”
You don’t need reminding – you’ll be sure to let him have the last strike on Minos’s pet beast. All you want right now is what you came here for.
The thread comes to an abrupt end, and Theseus stops. You are in a large, round chamber. The smell hits you before your eyes see anything – you know this scent well. Death and decay. All around you lie piles of bones and slightly rotting flesh. In the center of the chamber stood an enormous stone slab, and atop it sat the Minotaur, staring straight at you. It bellowed again, eyes glowing red in the gloom.
The Minotaur stood up. It was a veritable giant, nearly twice your height, and almost as wide. In its hands it wielded a double-headed axe almost the size of a small tree. Huge, powerful muscles rippled down its entire body as it stretched.
You gulp. Even at your peak this thing could’ve been a problem for you. Theseus stands unmoving in front of you, frozen in fear. He had not expected such a beast. The Minotaur takes one step forward, its head lowered and its horns pointed threateningly right at you. You scan the area, trying to figure out a way to defeat this monster, when Theseus turns to you. His face is pale, and his eyes are slightly unfocused. He seems angry, and then confused, but suddenly yells a battle cry, “For Ariadne!” and charges right at the Minotaur.
The kid has guts, you’ll have to give him that.
He came flying back the next second, batted away by a blow from the Minotaur. It thundered towards him without delay. You step in and slash at the Minotaur’s legs as it charges past you single-mindedly, towards the fallen Theseus. With a roar of anger, it stumbles and pauses its charge. The huge axe goes up above its head, and falls upon you, powered by the monster’s mighty muscles. Luckily such a blow was easy to predict; you roll to the side easily. Springing to your feat, you duck under another wild swing and inflict more cuts on the Minotaur with your sword. Though your blade sinks into its flesh, you can feel a lot of resistance, and you are unable to cut deeply. This is not a monster you can fell with mortal strength. Suddenly, the Minotaur bellows loudly and swings its axe at you again. Unable to dodge this one, you raise your sword to block it. There is a loud ring of metal, and you are flung backwards, stopping only when you hit the wall. Your sword arm trembles. If it had been any other weapon other than the Honourblade, that powerful blow would have shattered it. You stagger to your feet. The Minotaur begins striding towards you, snorting.
Theseus, having recovered, jumps on the Minotaur’s back while it is still preoccupied with you. He hooks his sword under the Minotaur’s neck and pulls back on it hard. The blade cuts into the Minotaur, but again it fails to go deep enough to do any harm. Theseus continues clinging on as the Minotaur sways its body violently from side to side. He is smashed against a wall with a loud crash, and he loses his grip. As he falls, you see the ball of thread drop from his body.
***
A. This is your chance! You grab the thread and head for the treasure vault immediately. There is no time to waste attempting killing such a huge and tough monster. Sekhenun had told you, before you left, that just getting near to the statuette would awaken a bit of your powers, so you can always come back to confront the beast afterwards, when you are on more equal ground. You cannot take too much of a risk now, so close to your goal.
B. You grab the thread… to prevent it from getting lost in the battle. Then, you attack the Minotaur again. This is foolhardy, yes, but if you leave Theseus now he will surely be killed. Abandoning a brave soul to the Minotaur leaves a bitter taste in your mouth – if this is the price to pay for regaining immortality, you do not want it. You might get seriously injured, or even die a foolish death, but you cannot go against your heart.
Zero Credibility
Arcane
- Joined
- Feb 11, 2007
- Messages
- 2,952
Well fuck.
B i suppose. We did vote overwhelmingly to support this guy so now abandoning him is going against Ean's previous choices. Of course, a smarter thing to do would be to take the thread and head for the vault, but also get the Minotaur to follow us and away from Theseus. Then once we get close to the artifact we might get a better chance at killing him.
B i suppose. We did vote overwhelmingly to support this guy so now abandoning him is going against Ean's previous choices. Of course, a smarter thing to do would be to take the thread and head for the vault, but also get the Minotaur to follow us and away from Theseus. Then once we get close to the artifact we might get a better chance at killing him.
- Joined
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Agh. Conflicted, you cunning bastard, treave. A choice between honour and power. I'll need to think on this, leaning towards B at the moment, A isn't really classical hero.
newcomer
Learned
- Joined
- May 23, 2012
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- 919
We also have to consider that historically Theseus killed that monster. If we choose A we might have to fight the angered Theseus instead of the minotaur, and currently we are wondering whether he is an immortal...
treave how is Theseus's combat capabilities? anything seems like exceeding normal human strength limit?
treave how is Theseus's combat capabilities? anything seems like exceeding normal human strength limit?
Quetzacoatl
Liturgist
B
Bros don't abandon eachother.
Bros don't abandon eachother.
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I'd rather get the beast's attention and beat a tactical retreat to the treasure trove with the rope whilst pursued leaving Theseus alone to recover. But I don't think that's the point of the choice here.
I hate to do this, I really do. If only we were Shulgi...
B
I hate to do this, I really do. If only we were Shulgi...
B
Anabanana
Magister
- Joined
- Jul 31, 2012
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- 1,061
Perfect! Let's go with A. I strongly, strongly suspect that B may lead to permadeath, given our current weakened state. (We don't have regen anymore, remember?) Theseus isn't fighting smartly, so we can't rely on him. Ean has been showing signs of leaning towards pragmatism/cautiousness recently, so this choice would be in character for him. Besides, why do we even give a fuck about Theseus? It's not like we're bosom buddies or anything
TOME
Cuckmaster General
- Joined
- May 25, 2012
- Messages
- 1,820
Really difficult choice. The more I think about it the more I see it as a sacrifice-one-save-million kind of choice. If we go B, we save Theseus and our honor but might be out of the game for a long time. If we go A, we sacrifice Theseus and honor for powers and live to fight for humanity for another day.
If only we had voted differently with the whole love potion affair...
Edit: Flopped to B.
Tigranes
Arcane
- Joined
- Jan 8, 2009
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- 10,374
Let's face it, the way it's set up, it's unlikely for Theseus the mortal to survive without our help (and without the thread). If Theseus were to die, I'm not sure what serious repercussions it would have for us, short of the Minotaur chasing us all over the bloody Labyrinth. He could win, I suppose, but then afterwards we would have our powers back and the thread.
I loathe to choose A because it is a pretty damn dickish thing to do, but it certainly seems the smarter choice.
I loathe to choose A because it is a pretty damn dickish thing to do, but it certainly seems the smarter choice.
Anabanana
Magister
- Joined
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- 1,061
If only the Codex didn't have a totally irrational distaste for
newcomer
Learned
- Joined
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- 919
Fuck honour! Ean has to learn to be a little realistic on the whole thing. A
And for B voters, remember that most likely we will be the one landing the killing blow considering how Theseus fared so far, provided that we are not killed. That or Theseus might bring the rivalry to a completely new level (letting the minotaur butcher us)
And for B voters, remember that most likely we will be the one landing the killing blow considering how Theseus fared so far, provided that we are not killed. That or Theseus might bring the rivalry to a completely new level (letting the minotaur butcher us)
Zero Credibility
Arcane
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- Feb 11, 2007
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- 2,952
I think that saving his ass and then letting him have the girl would easily overrule any resentment he might have towards us if we manage to kill Minotaur.
Zero Credibility
Arcane
- Joined
- Feb 11, 2007
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- 2,952
Hey treave, why exactly this isn't an option here? It seams like an obvious smart thing to do and just because Theseus isn't fighting smartly doesn't mean we can't. We'll be picking up the thread in either case, so why not use it and then lure the Minotaur towards our goal where we can have a chance of taking it out (and at the same time buy some time for Theseus to recover).
Anabanana
Magister
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I would support this option if it's possible. It's just a slight modification of A anyway.
ScubaV
Prophet
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- Feb 20, 2011
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- 1,022
I think it's because this is mostly a personality C&C. We can choose B and reinforce our honorable nature (and probably get seriously injured/knocked out for a long time as I don't think either option is going to kill us outright). Or we can choose A and become more pragmatic/cold-hearted with the main consequence of Theseus dying. I would prefer a modified A as you described, but that somewhat defeats the C&C that I think treave is aiming for.
Esquilax
Arcane
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- Dec 7, 2010
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- 4,833
In the epilogue to the Sands of Egypt chapter, we know that Ean was able to kill a Child of Sekhenun with only his mortal skills. It nearly killed him, but he survived. This thing is tougher, but with Theseus and Ean working together, victory is possible. I am hoping that we'll be able to defeat the Minotaur, then get to the statue to recover any wounds we sustain in battle.
What Shulgi would do is leave Theseus to die, then once he found the statue, shapeshift into his form to usurp his legacy and become King of Athens.
ScubaV, I don't see why we wouldn't be able to heal if we get to the statue after facing the Minotaur. Our powers are not completely gone after all, only dormant. All they need is the right artifact and ritual to revive them, which Sekhenun is preparing right now.
Very tough choice. Fuck it, VOTING B.
A
Flopped back to B
What Shulgi would do is leave Theseus to die, then once he found the statue, shapeshift into his form to usurp his legacy and become King of Athens.
ScubaV, I don't see why we wouldn't be able to heal if we get to the statue after facing the Minotaur. Our powers are not completely gone after all, only dormant. All they need is the right artifact and ritual to revive them, which Sekhenun is preparing right now.
Very tough choice. Fuck it,
Flopped back to B
Bloodshifter
Educated
A Helping Theseus should not be our goal we came to get our powers through underhanded means so lets get them if he dies so what we can at least save the other Athenians from death its what he came for anyways he should not be thinking with his Man part over his quest.
Face it the moment we bartered with Sekhenun for power instead of pulping her to bits we sealed our fate Honor is a thing the old Ean Believed in the new one things about how can I *and my peeps* get moar power WITHOUT DYING
Face it the moment we bartered with Sekhenun for power instead of pulping her to bits we sealed our fate Honor is a thing the old Ean Believed in the new one things about how can I *and my peeps* get moar power WITHOUT DYING
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