In Progress [LP CYOA] Tower

[ERYFKRAD]

B sounds smart. We owe the lady a fair turn, but that's one dude with an iffy leg and a senior citizen against a sneaky git.
I don't like it, but it's damned stupid to risk the other two. They're no good in a fight.
If the boy says no, will Elizabeth volunteer to help anyway, treave?

 

[ERYFKRAD]

I'm not voting for B though. Fuck no.

 

[baud]

A. You agree to help Tlalli out. If she finishes the hunt more quickly, she can guide you back more quickly.

When I talking about a test, I wasn't expecting travelling so far

 

[Grimgravy]

A

 

[Azira]

Oh boy. I like this monster hunter a whole lot more than Raspy. Which isn't saying much by the way.
But yes. Take risks or not?

I'm game. Let's do this. A

 

[a cut of domestic sheep prime]

For a second, you are rather certain that if the girls could read your mind, your reputation would plummet.

Scotsfield Village: 0

Mindreading powers confirmed.

You decide to change the subject before things get any weirder and answer the old woman’s question. “Well… We were attacked, and we jumped into the river, and we ended up here,” you explain briefly, without giving too many details – not that you would be able to give much details about how exactly you arrived on the twenty-sixth floor, of all places. How did you jump into a river underground and end up higher than you were?

“Towerspace,” shrugs Tlalli, sensing your confusion. “These things happen from time to time. Best not to think too much about it, boy. What floor are you from?”

Called it.

“Indeed, my quarry this time is a shapeshifter. Do you want to know more?” Tlalli leans towards the girls, grinning ferally.

Uh oh. Hopefully one of our girls hasn't been replaced already. Liz is sounding uncharacteristically gung ho about all of this.

*sigh*

I supposed we do need to gain some power and what better way than to apprentice ourselves to a genuine monster hunter with a heart of gold?

Once more into the breach: A

 

[Baltika9]

Oh boy. I like this monster hunter a whole lot more than Raspy. Which isn't saying much by the way.

I renounce the beard-dream! Teach us, Tlalli-sensei!

Father Rasputin is also a monster hunter, lol. But Grandma Tlalli is awesome, we need to introduce her to Rain.

Remember Father Rasputin's words:

You think he meant being stranded all alone in the jungle with a stepsister and a kinky girl?

Among other things, yes.

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come.
Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And do not bring us into temptation but rescue us from evil.
For the kingdom and the power and the glory are yours forever.
Amen.

There is to be no thottery.

 

[Kz3r0]

A

 

[Baltika9]

Lambchop19, Tigranes:

 

[Tigranes]

Baltika, buddy, you're off your rocker. Soon you'll be writing Rasputin erotic fan fiction every single upda- who am I kidding, you're there already.

As I thought, we aren't showing up back in the village anytime soon. That's not a terrible thing. I'm sure people will talk about Wrinkly kidnapping two girls or some nonsense, but the knights should be long gone by the time we get back. If we get back.

For now, might as well focus on what we can do. The woman seems to think that us tagging along doesn't mean certain death, at least.

A

 

[Nevill]

In before the knights are off to explore the jungle for another reported lever.

(Wild speculation: is the shapeshifter a Nazgul? Are there elves sightings on the level? Maybe elves have something to do with the gates after all!)

 

[Baltika9]

Baltika, buddy, you're off your rocker. Soon you'll be writing Rasputin erotic fan fiction every single upda- who am I kidding, you're there already.

Eight years, and our relationship hasn't changed a bit.

We already pulled a Theseus of sorts by deciding to fight a hundred pugilists and three masters in the name of Cool Ninja Dude.

What began as an Athenian Democracy, shall end in Demagoguery. Nevill is our Demosthenes, and Baltika is the crazy dude in the back.

Spoiler

I don't hate you guys, really

 

[Absinthe]

A but let's focus on protecting the girls. If one of them dies we're in deep shit. Still, we're a hunter that's fought monsters, so I feel like a monster hunt led by an expert should be within our capabilities.

 

[baud]

As I thought, we aren't showing up back in the village anytime soon. That's not a terrible thing. I'm sure people will talk about Wrinkly kidnapping two girls or some nonsense, but the knights should be long gone by the time we get back. If we get back.

For now, might as well focus on what we can do. The woman seems to think that us tagging along doesn't mean certain death, at least.

Though if the hunt is successful, we'd be back at the village much quicker than if we just wait at the outpost

 

[Zerafall]

A.

 

[hello friend]

A

 

[treave]

If the boy says no, will Elizabeth volunteer to help anyway, treave?

Can't say. Maybe, maybe not.

 

[hello friend]

treave

Can we change our name now?

Seeing as names have power in the tower, I suggest Strong. Now no one will laugh at us.

 

[Baltika9]

Ok, I'll lay off of fanboying over Rasputin for now. Especially since we have a better candidate for our coach in Tlalli. I hope there's a way of impressing her enough that she will decide to take us under her wing. She may already be scouting us out:

You wait in silence, as does the old woman, enjoying her chocolate bar without offering you any. Her cat purrs contentedly, its eyes closed.

“By the way, boy,” she speaks up suddenly after a while. Peering at you from behind her glasses, she asks, “Do you hunt?”

That, and I like her Zhangian vibes:

“Alright, children, if you want to help out I’m not going to say no. You certainly have the tools to be of assistance. But I’ll warn you this – leaving you to die on your own is one thing, but I won’t take any responsibility if you willingly follow me into danger and lose your life,” Tlalli says solemnly. “I’m not that kind of person. Once you embark on a hunt, there is no unfairness in death.”

“Cave dwellers,” mutters the old woman under her breath. “Which stories might those be from, I wonder? Thurston will want to know of this. The twentieth floor has been of concern…”

“Stories?” you ask.

She nods. “That’s right. Stories. Tales of fancy and fiction. That is what we do, child. As the light of civilization grows within the Tower, so does its shadow. Many strange and terrible things are born in that darkness, things that bear malice towards humanity. It is our job to hunt them… well, the blasted Jesuit can explain why all this is happening better than I can, but thankfully he’s not here to bore us all with his droning exposition.” Tlalli snorts and shakes her head. “Let’s just say that I’m a monster hunter.”

“Monsters!” squeals Elizabeth. “You mean, like vampires? Werewolves?”

“I have killed a few of those in my time, yes,” says Tlalli proudly.

Ah-ha. So that monster that we encountered has a direct analogue in human folklore, as does this changeling that we'll be hunting. Does any one of you gentlemen know which tradition the shadow beast is from?

It's almost a given now that Mr. Bram Stoker did not lie about the vampire:

1897: Bram Stoker writes Dracula while residing in Neo Carpathia, and claims it to be based off a true story. It swiftly becomes the most popular novel in the Tower.

The question I'm asking myself now is this: could Rain also be one of these creatures birthed by the tower? Elves are a little bit older than Tolkien's work, and if the Tower reflects the darker myths, then why wouldn't it reflect the noble ones as well? We really need to talk to our Jesuit friend Thurston.

treave, before I ask my questions, I want to thank you for putting together a setting that incorporates so many historical, cultural and mythological traditions. I'm positively salivating at all the independent research I will do thanks to this.

Now, I have two question for you: if we want to start making stuff like craft beers and exotic hooch, what skills should we develop? Alchemy as our primary skill, to make sure that we make the right stuff, and a higher Drinking skill to make sure we make the good stuff, right?

Does Scottsfield have any whisky distilleries?

Seeing as names have power in the tower, I suggest Strong. Now no one will laugh at us.

I will.

Edit: dude, I'm sorry, but if you're not joking, then I think that it's just too tryhard; a name like that is exactly what gets people to want to give you shit.

 

[ERYFKRAD]

treave

Can we change our name now?

Seeing as names have power in the tower, I suggest Strong. Now no one will laugh at us.

Might as well get the name of Thunder. Ties in with Rain too.

 

[hello friend]

Baltika9 of course I'm joking man. Doesn't mean I'm not serious, but I like ridiculous things.

But I have a much better idea. Since Tlalli brought it up, we should use the chance to get a badass ancient mexican name. Btw Cloud in Nahuathl is Mixtli. No thunder, but there are about a million different variants of lightning.

 

[ItsChon]

Worked out fabulously. We get to further some of our hunter training, establish a better relationship with the girls, and we still have a really good chance of being able to go back to the twentieth floor to see Rain again.

A. Our help will be invaluable, I just know it.

 

[Life of the Party]

Something Greek or Latin.

Let's go for Uranus. No one will dare to go after Uranus.

 

[hello friend]

Oh shit. Michin is fish. Let's go with that.

 

[Kipeci]

A.

Unnecessary risks is what we’re built for. I’m sure Sophie won’t mind when she gets back home all the sooner for it... or never does, either way it’s resolved quicker.