In Progress [LP CYOA] Tower

[treave]

treave, serious question: are our ears burned off?

You're about to face a demon that is also known as the Hound in some circles.

 

[Baltika9]

treave, serious question: are our ears burned off?

You're about to face a demon that is also known as the Hound in some circles.

Calling it now: we're an elf.

 

[ERYFKRAD]

treave, serious question: are our ears burned off?

You're about to face a demon that is also known as the Hound in some circles.

Hunter against hunter. This should be good.

 

[Nevill]

Shutting her eyes tightly, the blonde girl clasps her hands over your own desperately, covering the pendant. In that instant, you know what can be done… what must be done.

I was wondering what this scene reminds me of...

Spoiler

Spoiler

 

[Absinthe]

Voting A>C because our guy can already take one hell of a beating but is rather lacking when it comes to the ability to fight back.

 

[Life of the Party]

C>A>B

 

[Baltika9]

With seventeen votes cast, it seems unlikely that A will eke out a win, even though it is congruent with our desire to be a monster hunter.

But I'm also undecided on stealth vs. defence. Sell me on them; make me believe in your vision.

 

[asxetos]

A > C > B. I dont like focusing on defense.

 

[Nevill]

I am not very invested in this vote, but.

* CON is one of the central points our character is based around. He is tough and hard to kill, but at the moment it's all there is to it. We won't die, but we'll be roughed up and limping for the next year after a good scrap. Picking defense would give us some real, continuous staying power against supernatural threats.
* We are bringing quite a few dependents with us. Present company aside, it will take a while before Rain is ready to adventure. If we have a way to keep her reasonably safe, we wouldn't need to part with her again. Futhermore, the idea of taking nomads up on their offer encountered resistance not in the least because we are on an escort mission. You would probably hear less about it if it weren't such a big concern.
* We always take "be a rock to your friends" to heart, but never come through on the actual "rock" part. We tend to sacrifice our characters a lot, and for once we can choose a build that is actually designed to take the amount of punishment we subject them to.
* I have said it before that we should have invited the shadowbeast to a fistfight and tired it out, and now we can!

 

[CappenVarra]

But I'm also undecided on stealth vs. defence. Sell me on them; make me believe in your vision.

Spoiler

 

[Tigranes]

Given that this entire thread is everybody pushing the particular vote that they think is smart/cool (myself included), it seems pretty dumb to throw around the agenda button everywhere. We all shillin' folks

I like the idea that we'll play someone who's not your standard "I go in break shit but somehow things work out because this is a hero story" guy. I like a picture of Wrinkly as the quiet stoic calm guy who will take a hit to protect what's important to him, such as Rain.

Being super-powerful at anything will obviously help us achieve our aims. But Defence and Stealth are obviously more direct ways to make sure we can keep people like Sophie, Elizabeth and Rain with us in our adventures without needing to bail on fun sidequests for fear of collateral damage.

 

[Kipeci]

C

 

[Life of the Party]

I actually went with C because of mutability, in case anyone here even remembers any of that stuff.

 

[Nevill]

Types of Astra

This has to do with the types of abilities present for each Astra. Picking an Astra Sign basically dictates your compatibility with these Astra thingies you'll be finding. You'll be given a more in-depth lore dump within the story but I'll give a quick rundown here of what each trait does. Bear in mind that these are just generalizations and there'll be exceptions to the rule.

Dynamism: the Astra is of a type that emits its power externally. A sword firing sword beams, or a hoe that carves an entire furrow with a single swing, or manipulation of external objects ala telekinesis, among others.
Fixation: the Astra enhances the target. A sword that makes the user faster, a hoe gives the user more stamina, or targetable abilities such as enhancing the natural regeneration of a patient.
Mutability: the Astra's power is based in transformation and conjuration. A cloak that can change to act as active camouflage, bracelets which enable the user to transform into a wolf, or the conjuration of objects out of thin air.

You think this is an Astra choice? But wasn't Tome of Theseus inert and not responding to our calls in soulscape?

 

[Tigranes]

O rite

I mean, we don't know how these things work yet, right? It could be that this entire trial is the work of some superpowerful astra embedded into this area, or whatever, for all we know.

 

[hello friend]

Obscurity is the best defense. Assuming the concealment option is something we can somehow extend to others - a similar assumption to the one that protection will enable us to protect others beyond being able to delay foes by physically standing in the way (what if there are many of them?) - I have a suspicion Rain would attract unwanted interest from many parties in the tower. Also, being hard to kill doesn't prevent you from becoming a target, whether from powerful enemies or administrative harassment and so on. What do we do if unsavoury hunters hunt us? We might be able to survive a fight, but in my opinion the ability to vanish when necessary is a lot more versatile, and a lot more useful, on balance. Whether we need to break in somewhere, perform a stealth kill, or skip town it'll always come in handy. What if someone were to be captured, and it's all on us to get them out from some guarded location? We could loudly announce our presence, and wade in to get beat on a lot, or we could just sneak around, get the keys, drugs the guards etc and actually get shit done.

 

[Baltika9]

* We always take "be a rock to your friends" to heart, but never come through on the actual "rock" part. We tend to sacrifice our characters a lot, and for once we can choose a build that is actually designed to take the amount of punishment we subject them to.

All of your points are good, but this one stands out to me the most. Esquilax said something about us becoming a Knight in the true (romantic) sense of the word, and that idea germinated with time. This is why I'll flop to B>A.

My good blade carves the casques of men,
My tough lance thrusteth sure,
My strength is as the strength of ten,
Because my heart is pure.
The shattering trumpet shrilleth high,
The hard brands shiver on the steel,
The splinter'd spear-shafts crack and fly,
The horse and rider reel:
They reel, they roll in clanging lists,
And when the tide of combat stands,
Perfume and flowers fall in showers,
That lightly rain from ladies' hands.

Rest of the poem

How sweet are looks that ladies bend
On whom their favours fall!
For them I battle till the end,
To save from shame and thrall:
But all my heart is drawn above,
My knees are bow'd in crypt and shrine:
I never felt the kiss of love,
Nor maiden's hand in mine.
More bounteous aspects on me beam,
Me mightier transports move and thrill;
So keep I fair thro' faith and prayer
A virgin heart in work and will.

When down the stormy crescent goes,
A light before me swims,
Between dark stems the forest glows,
I hear a noise of hymns:
Then by some secret shrine I ride;
I hear a voice but none are there;
The stalls are void, the doors are wide,
The tapers burning fair.
Fair gleams the snowy altar-cloth,
The silver vessels sparkle clean,
The shrill bell rings, the censer swings,
And solemn chaunts resound between.

Sometime on lonely mountain-meres
I find a magic bark;
I leap on board: no helmsman steers:
I float till all is dark.
A gentle sound, an awful light!
Three angels bear the holy Grail:
With folded feet, in stoles of white,
On sleeping wings they sail.
Ah, blessed vision! blood of God!
My spirit beats her mortal bars,
As down dark tides the glory slides,
And star-like mingles with the stars.

When on my goodly charger borne
Thro' dreaming towns I go,
The cock crows ere the Christmas morn,
The streets are dumb with snow.
The tempest crackles on the leads,
And, ringing, springs from brand and mail;
But o'er the dark a glory spreads,
And gilds the driving hail.
I leave the plain, I climb the height;
No branchy thicket shelter yields;
But blessed forms in whistling storms
Fly o'er waste fens and windy fields.

A maiden knight--to me is given
Such hope, I know not fear;
I yearn to breathe the airs of heaven
That often meet me here.
I muse on joy that will not cease,
Pure spaces clothed in living beams,
Pure lilies of eternal peace,
Whose odours haunt my dreams;
And, stricken by an angel's hand,
This mortal armour that I wear,
This weight and size, this heart and eyes,
Are touch'd, are turn'd to finest air.

The clouds are broken in the sky,
And thro' the mountain-walls
A rolling organ-harmony
Swells up, and shakes and falls.
Then move the trees, the copses nod,
Wings flutter, voices hover clear:
"O just and faithful knight of God!
Ride on! the prize is near."
So pass I hostel, hall, and grange;
By bridge and ford, by park and pale,
All-arm'd I ride, whate'er betide,
Until I find the holy Grail.

===Tally===
A - 3 (1)
B - 8
C - 9 (11)

Votes

ERYFKRAD - A
Absinthe - A>C
asxetos - A>C>B

Nevill - B
Azira - B>C>A
Tigranes - B>C
Grimgravy - B>C
baud - B
Kz3r0 - B
Kalarion - B
Baltika9 - B>A

Orbit - C
CappenVarra - C>B
hello friend - C>B
Oscar - C>B
Lambchop19 - C>B
Life of the Party - C>A>B
Kipeci - C
ItsChon - C
a bear named spigot - C

===

You think this is an Astra choice? But wasn't Tome of Theseus inert and not responding to our calls in soulscape?

Actually, we're inside of our mind. Our mapping Astra isn't working because there's nothing there for it to map.

I actually went with C because of mutability, in case anyone here even remembers any of that stuff.

I don't think that the mutability of our new power is as important as the power we'll be getting from this. Comaptible with us or not, we're about to use it to stop a giant Sumerian dog-monster from killing us. So, yeah...

But I'm also undecided on stealth vs. defence. Sell me on them; make me believe in your vision.

Spoiler

So C is good for skipping VtMB's shitty combat? I'll concede that point, but we're also not playing VtMB. And I'm a Tremere fan, myself.

 

[ItsChon]

I flop to C, that shit sounds fucking dope now that I think about it.

 

[a bear named spigot]

C

 

[Baltika9]

My desire to RP a 20-th century Galahad aside, I think that taking the protection skill will mesh with our style rather well. We can extrapolate and fantasize about the prospects that will be made available to us through stealth, but a solid defense and the ability to extend it to our loved ones will be quite valuable, considering that we're going to face ancient Sumerian deities. Especially if we have to protect more than one person at the same time.

And, yeah, going invisible may be handy, but if our antagonist is a dog monster known as 'the Hound,' then it can probably track down us and/or our loved ones in the future regardless. A solid defense will permit us to keep them safe and even the playing field, so that we can square up with them and come out no worse for wear.

Lastly, I agree with Nevill in that I think that it will be cool to try out a Wang 'the Iron Shaft' Zhengchong character, instead of Gao Ying's 'silent and deadly shadow.' Even though Gao Ying is a p. cool dude.

 

[ItsChon]

The reason stealth is more attractive to me is because y'all are right, we're already quite durable and we will continue to get more durable as we get older and train. What we're not is super stealthy. We'll get the most bang for our buck if we go the stealth option, and plus, I think the idea of a stealthy spy that's also really fucking durable is very interesting and cool.

And, yeah, going invisible may be handy, but if our antagonist is a dog monster known as 'the Hound,' then it can probably track down us and/or our loved ones in the future regardless. A solid defense will permit us to keep them safe and even the playing field, so that we can square up with them and come out no worse for wear.

Nah mate, option C was described as,

C. Conceal. So that no vile intentions may find you and those you hold dear.

which seems to imply that it doesn't matter whether or not they can smell us.

 

[Tigranes]

"Guys, I found the stealthy infiltrator! We've got him now!"
"Wait, I already hit him in the face, why isn't he going down?"
"Guys, something's wrong, he's still standing"
"Guys? GUYS?"

 

[Nevill]

Well, the thing with Stealth is, you can only hold this advantage once. If for some reason you are forced out in the open, your advantage is gone.

Obscurity is only best defense so long as you can maintain it. And we are pretty happy to step forward for a multitude of reasons, be it to save a baby from a shadowbeast, or to get involved when there is a sidequest to be found. Threaten something we can't conceal, and we'll be forced to reveal ourselves to act.

 

[a cut of domestic sheep prime]

Well, the thing with Stealth is, you can only hold this advantage once. If for some reason you are forced out in the open, your advantage is gone.

Obscurity is only best defense so long as you can maintain it. And we are pretty happy to step forward for a multitude of reasons, be it to save a baby from a shaowbeast, or to get involved when there is a sidequest to be found. Threaten something we can't conceal, and we'll be forced to reveal ourselves to act.

Yep. And if someone has those true seeing glasses or similar, maybe they'll see us anyway.

Flopping to B>A

 

[Nevill]

Would you clarify what that "U SIRIUS" was about, Lambchop?

Actually, we're inside of our mind. Our mapping Astra isn't working because there's nothing there for it to map.

Yes, but even if all of this is in our head, we are not making this pick to improve our mental fortitude or develop a psychic attack to surpass Etherials, are we?
We think the dream is real enough that decisions made here would carry over to the real world and affect our build, but not real enough that a dream version of our Astra would map the dreamscape?

It is possible, just counter-intuitive.