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.

In Progress [LP CYOA] Tower

treave

Arcane
Patron
Joined
Jul 6, 2008
Messages
11,370
Codex 2012
Vienna Blues (II)

The Marx Institute is a dull, grey affair, a stark contrast to the beautiful and ornate architecture usually found in New Vienna. It used to be a warehouse in an earlier life, but its owner bequeathed the premises to the Institute, and now it serves as the headquarters of a group of supposed philosophers who discuss how the world should be governed, and how the economy should be.

You are not particularly excited about their musings, being a rural urchin more inclined to fictional adventures, and neither do they seem inclined to tone down their conversations to a level that you can understand. For the most part, you keep out of the way of the bearded men, and perform your duties best as you can.

Your duties involve the cataloguing of the Institute's inventory. For the most part, these are circulars and pamphlets, opinion pieces from the thinkers that work here. There are also theses and books, rather significantly heftier in volume. Your limited understanding of the text leaves you with the impression that this 'Marxist' system they discuss involves all people being equal, with all property being equally shared. Besides the texts directly pertaining to the Institute's core purpose, there are also large volumes of scientific and philosophical books, as well as a few moth-eaten tomes pertaining to astrology. All in all, it's a herculean task that doesn't seem like it would end anytime soon.

Today, a light shower is falling across New Vienna. The light patter of the raindrops is in perfect harmony with Rain's shallow breaths as she sleeps. As you file away another newspaper - an issue of "Iskra" - you hear footsteps approaching. Lifting your head, you see an older gentleman with a frown behind his beard. His name was... Georgi Plekhanov, if you remember correctly.

"Ah, boy, have you seen Vladimir around?" asks Plekhanov.

There are a lot of Vladimirs around here - in fact, for some reason the Institute had more people of Russian descent than any other - but you knew that Plekhanov was looking for a particular Vladimir. You have seen the both of them conversing frequently in the tea room of late. As for Plekhanov's question, you shake your head. You had not seen the man around here.

Plekhanov's frown deepens for a brief moment, but he shakes his head and shrugs it off. "Very well. How goes the work, then?"

"It's fine," you offer. "I'll try my best to finish it quickly."

"There is no rush, but it would be preferable if you could finish before the end of the year. We are planning some other activities, you see, and I would dearly like to have an index of our library before then," says Plekhanov. "Now then, I shall excuse myself, for there is something else I need to take care of..."

Giving you a nod, Plekhanov leaves, and you return to your work.

It is not long before another person interrupts you. Coughing nervously, the blonde-haired man sidles in front of you, hands in his pocket. You have seen him in the Institute before, but his name isn't something you have had the occasion to hear.

"I need you to do something," he begins. "It won't take long."

He draws out a parcel from his coat. "Could you help deliver this? I have the address on a separate piece of paper, it won't take long."

"I still have work with the catalogue," you say.

"It won't take long," he insists. "I'll pay you for your time upfront, double that of your current pay. And the parcel is nothing suspicious, it's just some papers."

As if to prove it, he waggles the parcel in front of you. It certainly doesn't look like there's anything else besides documents in there, although you can't be sure.

"Why don't you deliver it yourself?"

The man wrinkles his brow at your unexpected question. "I have a very important meeting to attend to and the destination is at the other end of the city. That should be reason enough."

You return his frown. "This isn't something dangerous, is it?"

"Of course not, it does not endanger the Institute in any way," scoffs the man.

***

You decide to:

A. Deliver the package for him, as he asked. The money is good and there's no real reason to refuse.

B. Refuse the delivery and focus on your cataloguing work. You don't want to bring Rain out into the rain, and you wouldn't want to leave her here on her own either.
 

Tigranes

Arcane
Joined
Jan 8, 2009
Messages
10,350
In late April 1919, at least 36 booby trap dynamite-filled bombs were mailed to a cross-section of prominent politicians and appointees, including the Attorney General as well as justice officials, newspaper editors and businessmen, including John D. Rockefeller.[1]

The mail bombs were wrapped in brown paper with similar address and advertising labels.[URL='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1919_United_States_anarchist_bombings#cite_note-AVR1-1'][1] Inside, wrapped in bright green paper and stamped "Gimbel Brothers-Novelty Samples", was a cardboard box containing a six-inch by three-inch block of hollowed wood about one inch in thickness, packed with a stick of dynamite.[1][/URL]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1919_United_States_anarchist_bombings#cite_note-AVR1-1

Just sayin'
 

a cut of domestic sheep prime

Guest
So much for caring about Rain or the girl we came here to save. We’re a communist terrorist now because reasons.

We should have taken the dog’s offer. This is a fate worse than anything he could do to us.
 

ChumBucket

Augur
Joined
May 16, 2010
Messages
349
In late April 1919, at least 36 booby trap dynamite-filled bombs were mailed to a cross-section of prominent politicians and appointees, including the Attorney General as well as justice officials, newspaper editors and businessmen, including John D. Rockefeller.[1]

The mail bombs were wrapped in brown paper with similar address and advertising labels.[1] Inside, wrapped in bright green paper and stamped "Gimbel Brothers-Novelty Samples", was a cardboard box containing a six-inch by three-inch block of hollowed wood about one inch in thickness, packed with a stick of dynamite.[1]

Just sayin'

Yeah, not delivering any bombs unless it is addressed to Lenin or Stalin. B.
 

Baltika9

Arcane
Joined
Jun 27, 2012
Messages
9,611
We should have taken the dog’s offer. This is a fate worse than anything he could do to us.
Should we have? Yes. Did we? No.

I love the cake treave is serving us and the references he's throwing out: Plekhanov, Uncle Vladimir, Iskra. I want every last crumb of it.

As Comrade Commissar Nevill said, the Revolution has a beginning but has no end.

So, yeah, let's go do some terrorism deliver some newspapers and get Lenin-senpai to notice us. Plus, we could use the cash.

:happytrollboy:

A
 

a cut of domestic sheep prime

Guest
Recall that one of the most prolific and famous anti-communists was Dostoevsky and he started out a Marxist, but repented and found Jesus.

With the assistance of our based capitalist doggo and the Spear of Commie Slaying, we can stop Communism before it takes root in this world.

Let's paint the world red with commie blood:

Flopping to C>B. treave, tell Doggo I want the deal. Let's save the girl and save ourselves from communism.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Baltika9

Arcane
Joined
Jun 27, 2012
Messages
9,611
With the assistance of our based capitalist doggo and the Spear of Commie Slaying, we can stop Communism before it takes root in this world.
I'm thinking Uridimmu is more of a Divine Right Monarchist/Theocrat, really, with him being at the top of the food chain. But I do appreciate your desire to (once again) accept the nice doge's offer. It's a real shame we didn't do it the first time, though.
:shittydog:

B. No need to get ourselves involved in something like this.

I change my mind, why not. A.
Now that I think more about it, I get the sense that A will really piss off Plekhanov and his circle; those guys were of the opinion that children belong in the classroom, and not in terrorist schemes.

I'm also wondering if this nice blonde gentleman is one Gavrilo Princip, the one who Did Nothing Wrong. We are in New Vienna, after all.
;)

Or maybe he's 'just' an SR or Bakuninite Anarchist terrorist.
Recall that one of the most prolific and famous anti-communists was Dostoevsky and he started out a Marxist, but repented and found Jesus.
:lol:

Dostoevsky was a liberal at first, and then a bootlicker for the monarchy.

Edit: I'm only voting A for the lulz, I don't expect it to actually win.
 
Last edited:

Tigranes

Arcane
Joined
Jan 8, 2009
Messages
10,350
You sound very upset Lambchop, very upset

All we did was write some slogans

d150539d0abd4d87a9d4df213c2373e1.jpg
 

Nevill

Arcane
Joined
Jun 6, 2009
Messages
11,211
Shadorwun: Hong Kong
Lambchop sounds very upset, very upset.
You know what they say about resistance and penises
A. Deliver the package for him, as he asked. The money is good and there's no real reason to refuse.

It looks like the leib-guard will be coming soon to pay us a visit.
Uncle Vladimir, or Uncle Alexei, which is better and why?
 
Last edited:

Kalarion

Serial Ratist
Patron
Joined
Jan 30, 2015
Messages
1,008
Location
San Antonio, TX
Strap Yourselves In Codex Year of the Donut Shadorwun: Hong Kong BattleTech Steve gets a Kidney but I don't even get a tag. Pathfinder: Wrath I helped put crap in Monomyth
B.

Bunch of walking corpses supporting gommunizm ITT. The shame of it.

We left Rain behind once before. Never again (or at least, not until we're like, telepathically linked or something :D ).
 

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