In Progress [LP CYOA] Tower

[Non-Edgy Gamer]

Maybe Rain will be picked up by the Hound and spirited away, to be schooled in the art of Fucking Over The Protagonist.

Yes, I had a bad feeling about that.

However, I kind of figured that Rain would wake and know that we would have gone to help Liz.

Plus, the fire and the fact that this weird "doctor" is still alive made me want to try to save Liz first.

 

[ChumBucket]

Maybe Rain will be picked up by the Hound and spirited away, to be schooled in the art of Fucking Over The Protagonist.

Things like that never happen in treave stories....

 

[Egosphere]

i dont even know whats happening anymore

 

[treave]

Bedlam (II)

The Tome of Theseus allows you to track Elizabeth on your mental map. You sigh in relief; she still remains in the same room that she has lived in for the past few years. Hurrying out into the corridors, a strange feeling comes over you. It is as if the world has thinned, like ice on a winter lake melting away enough that one might glimpse that which swum in the dark depths of the waters beneath. Like it could crack with a single misstep. Flames flicker in and out of existence along the walls, and there is a thick, cloying, bestial stench in the air. You rush towards Elizabeth's ward. Despite the howls echoing in the distance, you don't run into anyone - or anything - on your way there. You reach the ward without any further incident and throw open the doors.

Elizabeth continues to slumber inside. Yet, bathed in the silvery moonlight, she looks paler than ever, yet somehow revitalized. Though her features remain gaunt, her hair seems to have regained some of its luster. The sight is enough to give you pause, but only for a moment. There is no time to waste. As you approach her bed, she opens her eyes and turns her head towards you. A dull glint of red dances in her dark pupils as she stares at your face. Was that always there?

"You... why are you here? Wait, where am I?" mutters Elizabeth.

"You're in the hospital," you reply uncertainly, not knowing what else to say.

"Oh, that's right, I've fallen ill, haven't I?"

She struggles to get up as you tell her that the hospital is no longer safe and that it might be better to evacuate.

"Trouble? Oh, would it be of that sort?" A cheeky grin flashes briefly and you are reminded of the energetic girl she once was, and the adventures you once had. Still, she seems in much better health today compared to recent months. "Wait... where's Rain?"

"We'll go get her right after this." You make to scoop her up in your arms but she shakes her head, indicating that she might be able to walk on her own.

Just then, you hear footsteps right outside the ward, accompanied by a deep, guttural breathing almost like a growl. Almost reflexively, you call upon the Astral Amulet of Akasha. The small silver disc manifests in front of you, hovering at the ready to block any attacks that may come.

The owner of the footsteps pokes its head around the doorframe, and then crawls into full view on all four limbs. Clearly, it was once human. The nose and mouth have elongated into a snout, from which a long, red tongue lolls amidst rows of sharp teeth. Straggly blonde hair hangs over its glistening blue eyes. Its legs have distorted and twisted into the hindlegs of a beast, yet the forearms remain unnervingly human. You can tell from the remaining tatters of clothing and her pendulous breasts that she once served as a nurse at this institute. She might even be someone you knew. She howls, in pain and in hunger, as she crawls towards you.

You have hunted animals aplenty and every bit of your instincts screams at you this: naught more than a beast. The former nurse, formerly human, is now nothing more than a voracious animal seeking its next meal. Poorly armed as you are, with nothing more than a small shield to defend yourself with, you know this will not be an easy obstacle.

Do as beasts do. Prey, or be preyed upon.

You can hear the Hound laughing in your mind, wherever he is. At the same time, you can sense a dark strength welling up within you, a power that seeps out through the thinness of the world and is thick with the stench of blood and beasts, of hunger and the hunt...

***

A. You tell Elizabeth to run for the door while you distract the beast.

B. You tell Elizabeth to stay behind you while you distract the beast.

---

1. You tap into the power freely; you will need every advantage you can get not only to survive, but to keep Elizabeth and Rain safe.

2. You tap into the power reservedly; however advantageous it may be, there may be a price you are not willing to pay. All you can do is try to minimize that price.

3. You refuse to tap into that power; nothing good ever comes of dealing with such things. The Hound being freed thanks to your actions is testament to that.

 

[hello friend]

B2

Doggy is right. Prey or be preyed on. It's time to be taking care of business, and Wrinkly is a businessman.

 

[Kalarion]

A2. Even a reserved use of that power likely carries the danger of our losing control of our faculties. We don't want to risk injuring Elizabeth in a beastly rage.

 

[ERYFKRAD]

A3

 

[Tigranes]

A doesn't seem much less risky in that there could be other dangers/prospers, and 3 seems odd again that it doesn't igve us much a chance of survival depending on how strong this is. B2.

 

[Baltika9]

B3

 

[Non-Edgy Gamer]

B2

Man's best friend is never wrong.

 

[Non-Edgy Gamer]

A2. Even a reserved use of that power likely carries the danger of our losing control of our faculties. We don't want to risk injuring Elizabeth in a beastly rage.

I doubt this. And letting Liz run out into the hallway instead of staying behind us is more likely to get her injured.

Things are messed up, but without the Hound, they'd be worse, I have little doubt of that. And somehow, I think bringing him into this world is what woke Liz up.

The statement in 3 is flat out wrong. And frankly, I find it a greedy concept. We already have the Hound within us. And we brought him into this world along with a ton of zombies. This idea that we need to resist using his power at all, even in dire circumstances, is likely to make those circumstances that much more dire, until l we're forced to use it in earnest and forfeit our control.

And I will remind you all that we still need to get Rain. How are we going to do that if we're busy in a life or death struggle?

edit: I misremembered that we took his bargain originally when we refused it, so I edited my post. I'm team doggo as usual, but from past experience, it seems we can't resist him when push comes to shove. So, trying to proceed with limited use of his power may be better. But I will say that having reviewed our original choice, I can understand 3 a little better. Even though I think it will make things more difficult. It is consistent with our character, though so would be using the power.

 

[ChumBucket]

B1>2 the urge to go evil is just too great. (yes I know 1 will never win).

 

[Azira]

Devour soul?

I get the feeling that whatever choice we make, Liz will join in on the fun, mangling the nurse herself if need be. Maybe it's not too good an idea to keep her behind Wrinkly...

Anyhoo, where's the fun in playing it safe all the time? I missed out on the brown wedding and Yuhe finger. I'll play this however I feel like.

B1>B2

 

[Kipeci]

A1

Let’s wow with the bow and whatnot, but I’d rather Elizabeth not be in the same zipcode when that happens what with the possible becoming a dog demon and all. She’s not useless, now that she’s up she can figure things out but let’s not eat her or anything

 

[Non-Edgy Gamer]

I'm pretty sure tapping the power freely is basically just asking the dog to take over fully and twist the heads off of all our friends. It's his nature after all.

I may like doggy, but even I know dogs belong on a leash.

 

[Nevill]

Were Liz in a better shape I'd send her ahead to look for Rain, but she seems to be just strong enough to walk on her own.

B. You tell Elizabeth to stay behind you while you distract the beast.
2. You tap into the power reservedly; however advantageous it may be, there may be a price you are not willing to pay. All you can do is try to minimize that price.

I wonder what is the reason for her sudden recovery. There was talk about the summoning, and Uridimmu said that much...

Things certainly did not seem well right now. Sensing your displeasure, Uridimmu howls in mirth and shakes his creaky old head. "It would have been worse if you had not intervened. This city and its inhabitants would have been no more in a matter of moments. As it is, you certainly have prevented a true disaster by allowing me the temporary use of this fine vessel instead of... something else."

From the outside, you can hear faint screams.

"Alas, there are side effects to an impromptu summoning of my mighty soul without the proper containment. Pleasing as it is to the alternative, I suppose you humans might still find it troubling. Some of the dead now walk the earth, transformed after their bestial true self and giving into their baser instincts of wanton violence."

But why would the city be ruined if we didn't summon him? Perhaps it was something Harold did to weaken the reality fabric between the dead and the living?Is this what we perceive as a thinned world?

Dead walk the earth again, so half-dead Liz now is able to walk as well. Still, she didn't transform in her "bestial self". What's the glint of red in her eyes, though?

 

[Non-Edgy Gamer]

I wonder what is the reason for her sudden recovery. There was talk about the summoning, and Uridimmu said that much...

Yes, I had theorized as much in the last update.

Even though I am, as always, on Team Hound, I wonder if Liz has been razed back to consciousness along with the dead?

One of two things has happened. Either she's now her true self, or bridging the gap between Uridimmu's dream world and reality has allowed her unconscious mind/soul to find its way into our world again.

Or both.

Which is why the best place for her is behind us. If she's not fully her "true self" yet, we can protect her, and if she is, maybe she'll

Spoiler

help herself to a little nibble on our neck.

I can see advantages to either scenario.

edit:
Well, I guess I should also come out and state my other theory for transparency sake:
It may be that Liz can help us in this fight if she stays in the room and it may not be necessary to rely on doggy's power.
This is only a theory though. I don't want to depend on a Deus Ex Liz I don't even know for sure exists yet.

 

[ItsChon]

B2.

We just reached Liz, leaving Rain alone to fend for herself. The last thing we should do is let her out of our sight.

 

[Absinthe]

Elizabeth can't run, and the hospital is full of dangers, while we have a protective astra. A is a terrible option.

I'm pretty sure that 1 will turn Cloud into a monster, even if only momentarily, and a probable danger to the ones he wants to protect and 3 will leave us too weak to save both Elizabeth and Rain. Cloud just isn't strong or fast enough to bail out Elizabeth and save Rain with just his own power, not under these circumstances. We have to use the power, but do so sparingly so we don't just lose ourselves in this hunt or be hunted mess.

Voting B2.

 

[treave]

A1 - 1
A2 - 1
A3 - 1

B1 - 2
B2 - 6

B3 - 1

In hindsight I should probably have done it as separate choices (AA, AB etc) but B2 seems to take it either way. Let's go with that then.

 

[Orbit]

This LP is moving again? Nice.

 

[Absinthe]

Yes, I had theorized as much in the last update.

One of two things has happened. Either she's now her true self, or bridging the gap between Uridimmu's dream world and reality has allowed her unconscious mind/soul to find its way into our world again.

Or both.

Which is why the best place for her is behind us. If she's not fully her "true self" yet, we can protect her, and if she is, maybe she'll

Spoiler

help herself to a little nibble on our neck.

I can see advantages to either scenario.

edit:
Well, I guess I should also come out and state my other theory for transparency sake:
It may be that Liz can help us in this fight if she stays in the room and it may not be necessary to rely on doggy's power.
This is only a theory though. I don't want to depend on a Deus Ex Liz I don't even know for sure exists yet.

Let me give you my theory:

“Good grief, that was a risky thing to do at your age. There was no need to play along with the Al’tayyih. You could’ve died.”

“Died?”

“The Astra that they use for walking the dreamlands is facilitated by use of a particular incense. It’s safe for their people, but there are the rare outsiders who have a nasty reaction to that sort of drug,” explains Tlalli dryly. “Anyway, the trial’s over, but you won’t ever need to speak to them again. Get up and go over to the tent. We’ll rest the night, then set out for the stairs.”

Liz suffered aftereffects.

That would also explain why Uridimmu's assistance would be necessary to heal her, unless we get some other dreamlands expert to help out.

 

[Non-Edgy Gamer]

Liz suffered aftereffects.

And what if there are no aftereffects of the incense? What if they're really the effects of things from the dreamlands, or at the very least things that occur there?

Had Uridimmu killed us on first meeting us, would anyone have known it was him that did it? Or would we have just fallen into a coma and never woken up?

 

[Absinthe]

I think it's clear aftereffects would be related to dreamlands. We're pretty much agreed on the problem, just less on the exact cause.

Uridimmu referred to it as an illness, for whatever that's worth.

 

[Egosphere]

B2