In Progress [LP CYOA] Tower

[Nevill]

We reeeeaaally have to change that name...

No, no, it's perfect! It's a sign that when you do not choose to do something with a cute elven girl in mind fate steps in to connect you to a guy with a dreamy beard instead.

(still butthurt over Cloud)

 

[a cut of domestic sheep prime]

(still butthurt over Cloud)

I will vote for Cloud over Wrinkly.

 

[treave]

Votes will be closed in 3 hours.

 

[Azira]

I wanna flop. Gonna do so. Just because we think we hear clanking of chains, and there might be some beast, I think we should check it out first. Flopping my vote.
Wet girl contest can wait.

 

[a cut of domestic sheep prime]

I wanna flop. Gonna do so. Just because we think we hear clanking of chains, and there might be some beast, I think we should check it out first. Flopping my vote.
Wet girl contest can wait.

Votes will be closed in 3 hours.

The fact that treave isn't just closing the vote even though the bAndwagon is so strong makes me suspect that A is a bad end spent starving to death underground.

I am going to flop to B as well. I don't have a good enough reason to and you men can discuss it more when I'm gone, but I wanted to at least open the door to discussion before the vote closes.

 

[Absinthe]

The faint sound of chains honestly suggests that the beast there is chained, but it's an unpleasant risk alright. This party of ours really isn't suited for combat if the beast is in fact a danger.

 

[Esquilax]

The faint sound of chains honestly suggests that the beast there is chained, but it's an unpleasant risk alright. This party of ours really isn't suited for combat if the beast is in fact a danger.

I was under the impression that it's loose.

There is a giant hole in the metal wall. The metal has buckled outwards, indicating that whatever caused that hole did it from within the corridor. But what could have done such a thing? The metal corridors of the ruins were said to be as hardy as the Tower’s walls itself, reputed to be indestructible. You stand there, pondering the implications.
...
One path leads downwards, and you can tell that the sound of water is louder from that direction. The other path heads upwards towards the surface, but… you can pick up a beastly smell in that direction, and though you are not sure if you were just imagining it… a faint jangling of chains.

If the beast is unchained, then it's no wonder that it tore a hole into the wall. I think that the chains are still hanging off the beast's body, but that it's not tied to those chains any longer. Maybe I'm wrong?

 

[a cut of domestic sheep prime]

The faint sound of chains honestly suggests that the beast there is chained, but it's an unpleasant risk alright. This party of ours really isn't suited for combat if the beast is in fact a danger.

I was under the impression that it's loose.

There is a giant hole in the metal wall. The metal has buckled outwards, indicating that whatever caused that hole did it from within the corridor. But what could have done such a thing? The metal corridors of the ruins were said to be as hardy as the Tower’s walls itself, reputed to be indestructible. You stand there, pondering the implications.
...
One path leads downwards, and you can tell that the sound of water is louder from that direction. The other path heads upwards towards the surface, but… you can pick up a beastly smell in that direction, and though you are not sure if you were just imagining it… a faint jangling of chains.

If the beast is unchained, then it's no wonder that it tore a hole into the wall. I think that the chains are still hanging off the beast's body, but that it's not tied to those chains any longer. Maybe I'm wrong?

This was my impression as well.

Whatever caused the cave in (possibly Rasputin activating the orb?) caused the beast to be released.

It may even be that the beast was meant to be released if the orb was activated. A sort of trap meant to slay whomever activated it if they didn't first deal with the guardian.

I agree that there's no way we could prevail in a fight with the thing.

 

[Absinthe]

That's a reasonable take, although the hole could have been caused by something else. Either way, we're not going near it. Not with our current crew.

 

[Esquilax]

This was my impression as well.

Whatever caused the cave in (possibly Rasputin activating the orb?) caused the beast to be released.

It may even be that the beast was meant to be released if the orb was activated. A sort of trap meant to slay whomever activated it if they didn't first deal with the guardian.

I agree that there's no way we could prevail in a fight with the thing.

Unfortunately, now I'm paranoid as well - if this is indeed a test from God delivered by Rasputin, then we ought to find a way to trick the beast or get around it, not avoid it. How would we get to the surface by going deeper and deeper down? Perhaps there's another passageway down there? I have a feeling that if we just go deeper down we risk dying of immurement.

Flopping to B, in the hopes that we can find a way to avoid or trick the monster there. Just because we're heading upstairs doesn't mean we'd be fighting it.

Hoping to induce some DISCUSS/flops on this.

 

[Baltika9]

I'd also like to point out that we haven't been underground before this, ever. I'm not sure that our experience with ranging applies there.

Whatever caused the cave in (possibly Rasputin activating the orb?) caused the beast to be released.

I'm not so sure that this is the case. There was a shift of the floor, yes, but wouldn't we hear something if there was a cave-in and if that thing was trying to punch through a solid metal door?

(still butthurt over Cloud)

I will vote for Cloud over Wrinkly.

I told you so. I'm seeing a pattern here.

Whether it is smart to put Rasputin and common sense in the same sentence remains an open question.

* Raspy and Wrinkly. That couple was just meant to be. *sigh*

Thanks for covering my reasons for thinking of Rasputin as the good guy. As an orthodox christian religinut, you have to have a special amount of cognitive dissonance to associate a tentacle monster with yellow eyes with Angels and the elves with Devils.

And the fact that he didn't rat us out suggests that he's rather cool with us, or he has plans for us.

So stop slandering our future instructor, yeah?

 

[Nevill]

Whatever caused the cave in (possibly Rasputin activating the orb?) caused the beast to be released.

I don't think so. A fresh cave-in would be noticeable, and the party activating the orb left through the door, while the beast is currently outside the vault.

if this is indeed a test from God delivered by Rasputin, then we ought to find a way to trick the beast or get around it, not avoid it.

The test from God Rasputin is whether we get to the surface at all. If the beast eats us, or if we drown - well, such was the will of God who does not have time for losers.

It's possible Rasputin doesn't even know which exact path leads to the surface and what dangers lie there, only that it exists based on the existence of the secret passage.

No reason to assume that either path is much safer than the other.

Edit:

I told you so. I'm seeing a pattern here.

Well, I'd listen to you more if I didn't know you'd consider being bumfucked by a Grand Duke a side benefit of getting conscripted in Tsar's service.

 

[ERYFKRAD]

he's daughter cool

Think you mean Daddy Cool yo. He's crazy like a fool.

 

[a cut of domestic sheep prime]

I'm not so sure that this is the case. There was a shift of the floor, yes, but wouldn't we hear something if there was a cave-in and if that thing was trying to punch through a solid metal door?

I don't think so. A fresh cave-in would be noticeable, and the party activating the orb left through the door, while the beast is currently outside the vault.

We did hear/notice something:

There is a loud rumbling that sounds like it is coming from far, far away, and tremors shake the floor. The girls grab onto each other, stifling back a scream of surprise while you steady yourself calmly. It is as if the entire ruins is about to collapse in on itself. Thankfully, that does not happen.

The ruins felt like they were about to collapse. Indeed they may have, though only partially. And the rumbling, was that something to do with the gate or the release of the thing held prisoner here? Whatever its cause, if it was enough to make us think this mighty structure would collapse in on itself, it was probably loud enough to mask the creature punching and/or tearing its way through the metal wall.

Let’s make some logical deductions:

No one knew there as a beast here, so the locals didn’t imprison it. Therefore who did? Someone here before the locals. Who was here before the locals? Whomever built this ruin. Ergo, the creature escaped from the ruin. When would it have escaped? Probably recently, or else why hasn’t anyone seen or heard of it even though they know about the ruins and why has it made the place of its imprisonment it’s lair? Therefore, the beast probably escaped just now.

 

[Nevill]

Probably recently, or else why hasn’t anyone seen or heard of it even though they know about the ruins and why has it made the place of its imprisonment it’s lair?

It is not in the ruins proper. It escaped (?) outside and is separated from it by the caved in section and a secret entrance.

(Oh, and the ruins themselves are a relatively recent find, I think. Scotty mentioned dad was meant to bring in people to investigate them)

Leaving Sophie and Elizabeth to argue it out, you investigate the corridor ahead. Unlike the hallways you traversed to reach this room, there are no automatic lights appearing here. You keep your lantern out and begin advancing… but your exploration is quickly cut short but a wall of rocks and soil barring your way. A cave-in has happened here, cutting this path off from the rest of the ruins. However, besides the cave-in you spot something most curious and interesting.

There is a giant hole in the metal wall. The metal has buckled outwards, indicating that whatever caused that hole did it from within the corridor. But what could have done such a thing? The metal corridors of the ruins were said to be as hardy as the Tower’s walls itself, reputed to be indestructible. You stand there, pondering the implications.
[...]
Beyond it, the floor and walls are no longer metal. Judging from the rocky surroundings, you have entered a natural cave system.

It is possible it did so just now, but Rasputin said "devils" were noticed nearby a few months ago, presumably when we met Rain. It could have been here since then.

If this is the beast that can punch out walls, well... things might get a liiiittle complicated if we go check on it.

 

[ERYFKRAD]

If this is the beast that can punch out walls, well... things might get a liiiitle complicated if we go check on it.

Have it punch an exit for us.

 

[treave]

A it is then. Let's see where we wash up.

 

[Life of the Party]

"Oh no, Wrinkly, my clothes are wet! You don't mind... do you?"

And then a plumber walks in.

 

[Azira]

Ruh roh.

 

[Baltika9]

"Oh no, Wrinkly, my clothes are wet! You don't mind... do you?"

And then a plumber walks in.

The plumber is Alexei. And he's not here for the girls.

 

[Life of the Party]

And then he reveals he's actually two hairy midgets on top of each other.

 

[Azira]

And then he reveals he's actually two hairy midgets on top of each other.

 

[Baltika9]

And then he reveals he's actually two hairy midgets on top of each other.

Both of those midgets are also named Alexei. It's Alexei all the way down.

 

[Life of the Party]

One of them is holding a wet celery, the other an egg whisk, but both are wearing flying helmets.

And then they put their nun's habits on.

 

[Nevill]

I am Andrew and what is this.

Also, to return to the more wholesome matters of bearded strangers and Baltika's speculation in perticular.

Indeed, an Angel of God told me of devils intruding onto this floor some months back… ah, but I ramble.

Have you considered that this might have been his way of saying "a little bird told me", i.e. a source that he would rather not identify? Instead of "literal" angels.