Gentlemen, I think that going on this expedition is, put simply,
stupid.
First of all, we aren't in top shape. Our DEX is still at 4/6.
treave, I'm assuming that this isn't a typo and we still haven't recovered fully.
Codexian bipolarity never ceases to amaze me: we want to play a more serious and withdrawn character, but look over there at the shiny ruins!
Being adventurous won the previous vote. So buckle up.
Something has been bothering me about this, and I finally figured out what it is: just because we chose to become an adventurous lad, this doesn't mean that we have to be a
stupid adventurous lad. And this little excursion sounds extremely fucking dumb to me.
Let's take it from the top:
As you leave the school, you spot a large, white thing soaring through the sky. Seeing you stop and gawk at it, Sophie explains what it is.
“That is an Astra airship. Only the Council of Orders are allowed to operate them within the Tower, so there must be knights on board. What are they doing all the way up here on the 20th floor?”
...
Placing her hands on her hips, Elizabeth eyes Sophie, and then you. “Going on a stroll… and is that Wrinkly I see behind you? Oh, I wonder what the two of you were doing?”
Sophie flushes and protests to Andrew. “We weren’t doing anything, Andrew. My father wanted his help with the groceries. You know how my father is… he doesn’t have a bad thing to say about this boy.” That much was true; you got the impression that Father McClellan favoured you. He was always telling Sophie about how hard of a worker you are, and how seriously you take your studies.
Andrew laughs, brushing off Sophie’s protests. “No need to be so worried, Sophie. Come here. You too, Wrinkly,” he grins. “I have some fun news to share. It might interest even you.”
Staying as reticent as usual, you move closer to the circle of children, though you stand a bit further away from them. You glance at Sophie, who is looking raptly at Andrew with a silly smile on her face. Rain chooses that moment to smack you on the head with her hands, babbling her baby language. She seems displeased about something.
“Still lugging that baby around, aye?” chuckles a portly, bespectacled boy. “You’re almost a town legend, Wrinkly. The burnt boy with a baby slung over his back.”
“Don’t tease him, Scotty,” interjects Andrew calmly. “Now’s not the time for that. No, we have grander things in mind. You’ve seen the airship passing above our village earlier, haven’t you? Well, Scotty knows what they’re here for.”
“Aye. Me dad’s found some ruins, you see,” grins Scotty, adjusting his spectacles. If you remember correctly, his father is an explorer based out of the village. A Mister Nathaniel Howell, all tall and bearded with a jovial glint in his eye and a constant smile on his lips. “Well, I know where those ruins are,” Scotty continues, “and I know how to get us in without being noticed.”
“Fun, isn’t it?” adds Andrew. “We might be able to find an Astra or two on our own… we might even become knights!”
You believe that he is talking about the tradition where those who track down an Astra on their own and demonstrate the proficiency to wield it can be accepted into one of the Orders. A tall order, to be sure.
“But don’tcha already have an Astra of your own?” ventures John, and his twin, Jane, agrees. The dark-haired duo nod and point to the short sword hanging from Andrew’s belt. You know about Andrew's Astra - he is considered to be rather talented even compared to the adults in the village. There are perhaps all of three Astra in this entire village of hundreds, and Andrew is considered good enough to be granted one of them. The boy gives a self-depreciating laugh, and says, “Well, I didn’t find this one after all. My father gave it to me. Besides, none of you have one, do you? This could be your big break!”
“Isn’t it dangerous?” asks Sophie nervously.
“Not at all.” Andrew’s reply is confident. “According to Scotty, Mr. Howell found nothing particularly dangerous in those ruins. We would just have to watch our step, but it would be as easy as talking a walk through the forest. If anything does go wrong, I have my Astra. Don’t worry, Sophie. I’ll protect you.”
Sophie’s blush deepens as Elizabeth jumps in. “And me too, right? You’ll protect me, right?”
“I’ll protect all of you,” grins Andrew, full of surety. “I’ve handled wolves and the like with my Astra, you know that. Why, I dare say that I shall take to the ruins like the heroic Theseus took to the labyrinth! And we don’t have to worry about getting caught, not with Scotty around.”
“Yeah,” Scotty drawls lazily. “If the knights find us, I’ll just use me dad’s name and get us out of it. We’ll say we were lost or something. Nothing to worry about, it’s not too far. We’ll be back by dinner.”
The excited children swiftly agree to go together. As if realizing that he forgot about you, Andrew turns to face you. “You’re coming too, right, Wrinkly?”
Let's get this straight: a special airship filled with Knights flies up to the twentieth floor to investigate ruins
potentially filled with Astra. These chuckleheads then decide to go play hero and go down into these ruins to retrieve the Astras...for what, exactly?
Several items don't add up.
1. If the ruins are safe, why is there a special detachment of knights coming in by ship to investigate them? Could they be full of the Hentai Nazguls?
2. What, exactly, are they taking us along for? Andrew has the muscle to protect his group. Either he isn't confident in his ability to do so and is lying to them to make them feel safe, or he has an ulterior motive for bringing us along (I'm not saying he's Theseus-Shulgi,
but...). Of course, there's a third option: he's a decent guy who's trying to help out the weird loner. It happens, good people exist.
3. Why does Andrew want to go there in the first place? He already has an Astra and, given his noble birth and talent, should have no difficulties in getting admitted into an order of his choice. Is he doing it out of concern for his friends, for adventure, or (much more plausibly) some hidden goal?
4. As others have mentioned, if things do go to shit, we are the odd one out: we have no serious connections in this village. The priest may like us, but will he stick his neck out for us in front of the Knights? And can we even afford to put ourselves in such a situation to begin with?
ItsChon, you mentioned that you don't want to put our life on hold to take care of the child, but I think that this is exactly what we ought to do in this situation. Part of being a good parent/guardian, which is what we are to Rain, means that sometimes we need to put the child's needs ahead of our own.
Edit: also, I fear that we will be the first one to get ditched in the ruins if things do go wrong. Again, we are a no nobody in this village, so these children will value their own hides way ahead of ours.
5. What's their emergency plan? If there is, say, a cave in, what are they going to eat? Each other? More importantly, who are they going to call for help?
TL;DR
In other words, this whole adventure is
stupid. These children want to go into ruins they know nothing about, for goals that are unclear and with a support network that is unreliable. Considering our tenuous social situation in the village, our injured leg and the infant that we need to take care of, I don't think we should be joining this expedition at all.
Hence, 2B is the smart choice for a
smart adventurer.
In fact, I think we should tell Father MacClellan what it is they're trying to do, so that we don't have to set out on a search-and-rescue party when they get in trouble, which is exactly what I think will happen with 2B. However, this is the bitch snitch option, so I don't think it has a chance of winning.
1. D>Anything not G - We have wisdom, so being thoughtful and methodical would suit us. There's a great deal to be learned from Sherlock Holmes in that regard.
I agree with the Sherlock Holmes choice. Edited my original post.
Those of you falling for the trap that is the Prince etc are going to get a well-deserved slap in the face. The choice flat out says you don't understand it and are just pretending. If you wanted a character that could actually use such books to his advantage, you should have gone with ambassador's child, scholar's scion or merchant's heir for the background, and not burnt wood hermit with a bow.
