In Progress [LP CYOA] Tower

[Kz3r0]

I guess I'll vote B - and point out to Sophie that if she joins Elizabeth for this now, she can get Elizabeth to join for practicing etiquette later. Sophie seems like she'd make a decent tutor for a rank of etiquette. We may as well pick up a rank in both skills and see if we can get the girls to get along. Sophie seems like she'd be game to get Elizabeth to join her etiquette lessons.

How to get dumped by girls 101.

 

[Kz3r0]

Let’s clarify something here, Sophie is our big sis and Elizabeth the perspective waifu, they should be treated accordingly unless some emergency happens.
Protecting Sophie during the hunt and comforting her after a trauma were the only sensible options not love declarations.

 

[Baltika9]

===Tally===

A - 12

B - 1

C - 5

Votes

hello friend - A
Kz3r0 - A
Baltika9 - A>B
Nevill - A
ItsChon - A
Egosphere - A
CappenVarra - A
Kalarion - A
Grimgravy - A
Zerafall - A
Lambchop19 - A>B
MoistCloister - A

Absinthe - B

ERYFKRAD - C
Orbit - C
Kipeci - C>B
Tigranes - C
Oscar - C

 

[treave]

Huh, so Tlalli didn't try to finish off the one that got away? I figured we could just follow up and off it, since she'd been hunting them so long. It felt a bit abrupt that she would just drop her quest right before the finish, after the time and effort she put into it.

There are more important things to do now as she suspects something else at play, but that's not actually for you to know or notice.

 

[oscar]

C - we are darkcel

 

[Nevill]

Why is there no option to invite Bernard? Did we miss our chance for kitty points?

...yes, I am jonesing for the update. How did you tell?

 

[treave]

Closing votes for A.

 

[Orbit]

Developing speech is the first step to sphere diplomacy. Don't disappoint me.

 

[baud]

I missed the vote, but I don't think it would have changed anything.

Huh, so Tlalli didn't try to finish off the one that got away? I figured we could just follow up and off it, since she'd been hunting them so long. It felt a bit abrupt that she would just drop her quest right before the finish, after the time and effort she put into it.

She also kinda collapsed at the end of the fight, giving the surviving shapeshifter ample time to skip town.

 

[Nevill]

Sophie is our big sis and Elizabeth the perspective waifu

Liz is better than a prospective waifu, she is a prospective companion. The girl has a thirst for adventure, and a very mercenary attitude, being interested in lizards, shapeshifters, and whatever benefits a faith could bring her. A true munchkin after the collective Codexian heart. She seems to have taken a liking to Wrinkly the moment it became apparent he gets to have cool adventures, and she wants in on this.

I wonder if she isn't bothering Tlalli to teach her something as well.

 

[Baltika9]

I'm all for it, but we'll see if her father will allow her to go 'adventuring' with the weird single parent, instead of learning the family business:

Elizabeth is a short, red-haired girl about your age. You think she is the daughter of a travelling merchant, though you can’t be sure. At least, her clothes usually look better than the other children in the village – or so she claims. Again, you can’t be sure.

I suppose we could try to impress the man with our diligence and maturity. But then, I think we may have to leave Scottsfield sooner rather than later.

To that end, the modern day Association collaborates with various religious organizations holding sway in the Tower, and of course, the higher-ups of the Council, who have also become privy to this knowledge. However, they remain careful about their activities. Tlalli did not give you many details, but she impressed upon you that the fundamental rule that the Association follows is to conceal its actions as well as the monsters under a masquerade of sorts. It seems that the founders of the Association suspected that widespread knowledge of these monsters would, for some reason, give rise to even more of them.

Tlalli is a chill old grandma, she likes whisky and chocolate and fighting monsters. She does what she wants and doesn't afraid of anything. That doesn't change the fact that the Society are the Paranormal Affairs Bureau and she's a really experienced detective. If she sees Rain, I expect that she will feel compelled to act, but I don't expect her to go full 'REMOVE ELDARIN FROM PREMISES!' If her action will be to offer us and Rain a spot in the Society, without strapping our waard to a table and running experiments on her, then I think we should accept. We'll get room and board, a job, training and access to people who have a better idea of what is going on.

I think there's a good leading question we can ask Tlalli: 'are there any good/nice paranormal creatures?'

Unless the Society are the ones who organized the slaughter of her family. They were founded by perfidious Albion, after all, and are thus connected to John Bull, who is actually Shulgi.

 

[Nevill]

I'm all for it, but we'll see if her father will allow her to go 'adventuring' with the weird single parent, instead of learning the family business:

You know she is exactly the type to run away from home when she is a bit older.

...if she doesn't dismiss her inclinations as a childish fancy, which is also entirely possible.

 

[treave]

The Sea of Sand (III)

“That’s great! Now then, shall we begin?”

You nod, handing her the initiative.

“Now, the first thing to remember about talking is this,” Elizabeth says proudly. “Talk about the weather should you have nothing else to talk about!”

“I see.” Taking it seriously, you ask her, “How is the weather?”

“It’s… really hot, isn’t it?”

“It is.”

“Do you prefer the weather when it’s hot, or when it’s cold?”

“…Hot is better.”

“Oh, do elaborate, please?”

“Well, you can strip if it’s hot. You need to find more clothes if it’s cold.”

“I’m afraid I don’t quite follow. What would be the problem with the latter?”

“My old master would rather sell the fur for money than give it to me for clothing.”

“I, I see… Your old master, he’s the vampire Scotty spoke of, right?”

“No, he wasn’t.”

“So who was the vampire then?”

“There’s no vampire.”

“Oh, that’s a shame.”

You’re pretty sure you have had a similar conversation with her before, and you bring that up.

“Haven’t we talked about this before?”

“Now that you mention it, I suppose you might be right. I’m sorry. Still, I just really love stories of the supernatural, or, well, just stories of any sort. My father would bring back stories from all over the floors, and I just about grew up listening to them! I find them really exciting! When I’m older, I want to travel all over the Tower too, and maybe even the world outside! I’ve never been out of the Tower before, you know. But there’s so many interesting things out there to see and it’s not like the Tower itself is any short of amazing sights, right?”

Elizabeth suddenly bursts into a string of words that overwhelms you, and you find yourself unable to do anything but nod and go along. Even though she is saying some rather amusing things, things that you think you would agree with yourself, you are unsure how to reciprocate in words.

“You know, Tlalli has been giving you some training, but do you think she’d train me too if I asked?”

“Maybe,” you reply. You can’t speak for Tlalli after all.

The conversation slows down to an awkward pause. It looks like you still need more practice at being social. Though you can think of a few topics as a continuation, you feel like you have missed the timing to bring them up.

Just then, you hear approaching footsteps, grinding the soil underfoot. Not one person, but many.

“Elizabeth, Sophie, someone’s coming,” you warn them. Sophie looks up in alarm while Elizabeth looks around curiously. They sidle closer to you out of reflex. Warily, you ready your slingshot. Tlalli had said that this place would be safe. Besides, there should be no one else on the floors above twenty… or at least, that is what the textbooks said. These could be hunters like Tlalli, or strange, suspicious people like John Bull. Either way, it would not do for you to let down your guard.

Someone calls out in an unknown language. The voice is male, a rough and deep growl that makes you flinch. The tone is unfriendly, and they know that you are here – that much you can understand.

“Who’s there?” Elizabeth responds, having come to your side together with Sophie.

The newcomers to the oasis reveal themselves. There are about twelve of them; men and women, adults and children. At least that is what their silhouettes seem to be – you cannot be sure, as all of them are cloaked in ragged clothing that reveals little of their figure. Their heads are shrouded in ragged, brown strips that leave only their eyes uncovered. What little you can see of their skin appears to be tanned. Each of them is carrying a large backpack; even the little ones.

“English, then?” says a tall man haltingly, stepping out in front of the others. You notice a spear strapped to his back, and a wickedly curved sword at his side. “This watering hole is ours. Leave.”

“What? You can’t just claim this place for yourself!” shouts Elizabeth indignantly, stamping her foot. “Besides, we were here first! And there’s plenty of space for everyone anyway!”

“We have known of this place for years. Our tribe visits regularly.”

“This is the first time I have heard of people living so high up,” says Sophie doubtfully. “Just who are you?”

“Leave now. I will not repeat myself. You do not have the right to be here.” The man is firm, and his posture threatening. You get the feeling that he would resort to violence if he has to.

“Oh, that means you have the right to be here?” asks Elizabeth.

“Yes. You do not.”

“How do we go about earning that right, then?”

The man falls quiet while his people murmur amongst themselves. One of the smaller figures, a child of about your height, steps forward with a shout, shaking their fist. The man holds the child back firmly, muttering some words in his language. Then, he speaks once more to you, with an air of finality. “We have our traditions. But I doubt ones such as you would succeed. I will say no more. Leave.”


***


A. You stay where you are. If they want you to leave, they will have to make you move.

B. You offer to earn the right to be here by following whatever tradition they have. Perhaps that will convince them more peaceably.

C. You are not about to give up your spot without a fight. You shoot at the man with your slingshot.

D. You leave as they ask, but set up camp again within sight of the oasis. Tlalli is supposed to meet back up with you here later after all.

E. You head out into the desert with Elizabeth and Sophie, trying to catch up to Tlalli. You know the general direction she went in, so you should be able to meet up with her.


***

 

[Nevill]

It's fremen!

The Codexian response would be to try and ride a bull sandworm, but I'd like to comply and see what happens next.

D. You leave as they ask, but set up camp again within sight of the oasis. Tlalli is supposed to meet back up with you here later after all.

 

[Baltika9]

The man falls quiet while his people murmur amongst themselves. One of the smaller figures, a child of about your height, steps forward with a shout, shaking their fist. The man holds the child back firmly, muttering some words in his language. Then, he speaks once more to you, with an air of finality. “We have our traditions. But I doubt ones such as you would succeed. I will say no more. Leave.”

A fight, then? Or a desert survival course? Either way, Grandma Tlalli prepared us for this.

Let us Begin. It will be a nice test of our new skills.

“You know, Tlalli has been giving you some training, but do you think she’d train me too if I asked?”

“Maybe,” you reply. You can’t speak for Tlalli after all.

There's your answer, Nevill

It's fremen!

No, these are either Arabic or Maghrebi desert nomads.

 

[Nevill]

No, these are [...] Arabic [...] desert nomads.

Who do you think Fremen are?

Whatever these desert nomads are, their traditions likely have something to do with desert survival challenges, and not a fight. Outsiders can fight just fine. They can't live in the desert.

 

[Baltika9]

No, these are either Arabic [...] desert nomads.

Who do you think Fremen are?

Whatever these desert nomads are, their traditions likely have something to do with desert survival challenges, and not a fight. Outsiders can fight just fine. They can't live in the desert.

If that's the case, then I think we can manage. It would be lame, though, I'd rather we settle it over a wrestling match and an arranged marriage.

 

[Nevill]

Yes, it isn't a Codexian LP without us making a marriage promise during childhood and then disappearing off the face of the Earth for years.

But jumping camels just isn't as exciting as jumping horses.

 

[asxetos]

B. lets ride the worm.

 

[Tigranes]

D.

We are three kids in an unknown place against a large unknown group who are quite probably in the right. It would be dumb as fuck to just start shooting.

I assume we filled our waterskins.

 

[Egosphere]

D

 

[hello friend]

B - Wrinkly is ruff and tuff

 

[CappenVarra]

The man falls quiet while his people murmur amongst themselves. One of the smaller figures, a child of about your height, steps forward with a shout, shaking their fist. The man holds the child back firmly, muttering some words in his language. Then, he speaks once more to you, with an air of finality. “We have our traditions. But I doubt ones such as you would succeed. I will say no more. Leave.”

so baby muhammed wants to be beneath our delicious wrinkly fists?

we do need to keep the sand...uhm...people away from our 10yo girls before they marry them

fighting (C) or ghandi-ing (A) is pretty dumb, and i doubt we'd make it to grandma (E) without getting lost in the desert; our dude would survive, but think of the girls

we can try the hard, glorious option - or, i guess, the easy, neutral one


B. You offer to earn the right to be here by following whatever tradition they have. Perhaps that will convince them more peaceably.

>

D. You leave as they ask, but set up camp again within sight of the oasis. Tlalli is supposed to meet back up with you here later after all.

 

[Nevill]

so baby muhammed wants to be beneath our delicious wrinkly fists?

inb4 it's a baby Jamila instead and the daughter of the leader to boot.

There are about twelve of them; men and women, adults and children. At least that is what their silhouettes seem to be – you cannot be sure, as all of them are cloaked in ragged clothing that reveals little of their figure.

All treave LPs are anime in some way. You have to be suspicious! The way she cuts in while he was talking makes me raise an eyebrow.

 

[ItsChon]

B>D let's hear the challenge out. If it's something ridiculous we'll leave and set up camp within sight of the oasis so Tlalli can come scoop us. If it's within the realm of possibility, we must give it a go.