Myth: A New Age CYOA

[Zero Credibility]

Can we talk to the creature without TFM hearing us? Maybe we could release it but tell it "drop the gate spell when he is inside it" while we are doing so. The creature should have finer control over when the spell ends than we could by attacking the gate, and if it fails it wasn't us directly trying to kill the guy. If the creature doesn't listen to us and attacks immediately we would still be no worse than we would be in D. Maybe?

 

[Nevill]

Thinking about it even further, D can play out in a variety of ways, depending on whether or not GM and his dice are in a sadistic mood. There are things to consider, though:

- First, it needs the creature to listen to us and drop the spell. The good signs are that this spirit is more intelligent and more reasonable than its brethren. He is also more calm - he stoically accepts his fate instead of threatening the ones he initially thought to be his captors. He also does not appear to be deceptive, since one of the things he asks for is death. As far as we know, these creatures have no business in our world - it's the Oneiroi that tried to invade theirs, so there seem to be no reason for them to keep the gate open. There are indications that this part of the plan will work. Not a guarantee, but better than nothing.

Or the creature can let TFM go, since it would be the safest way to get rid of him. Then we are in deep shit.

- TFM can't afford to kill the creature if he wants his freedom. So he is at a disadvantage there.

- Shutting the gate that way lacks the air of finality that destroying it has. He might think he can bargain Lyssa's life for the way back with us if we tell the creature to raise the spell again. He can't, but as long as he thinks it will work, he'll keep her alive. That grants us enough time to remind him how stupid it is to kill a necklace bearer when Mazzarin is out there and TFM is still a pair of bracers. Or he might think about subjugating the creature, but in that case making us into definite enemies is unwise, too. If he kills us and fails to deal with the spirit, he is stuck here or worse. If he does not kill us, we can destroy the gate, and then he is stuck. There is a reason to keep the hostage, as not all is yet lost for him.

- Finally, if there is a battle, we can hopefully affect its outcome, depending on whom we want to help. And yes, there is a chance that we want TFM to win that one.

I think I'll flop to D.

Maybe we could release it but tell it "drop the gate spell when he is inside it" while we are doing so.

I thought that was the point of D. And I doubt TFM will not be able to link his threat and us releasing the prisoner immediately afterwards. It would be obvious what and why we did.

Fangshi how quickly we can destroy the body of theguardswoman, will this prevent him to pass through the gate?

I thought it's her blood and guts around his heck that fool the spell.

Edit: I was mistaken. She is dying, but not dead. But why kill her instead of destroying the gate? Isn't it going to produce the same effect - no living body for TFM to return to?

Kz3r0, what is the plan you are thinking of?

 

[Kz3r0]

Edit: I was mistaken. She is dying, but not dead. But why kill her instead of destroying the gate? Isn't it going to produce the same effect - no living body for TFM to return to?

Kz3r0, what is the plan you are thinking of?

Her body is the key to pass though the portal, no body no key, futhermore even if would be possible to pass through the gate he needs her alive to have a body to host him, in short, killing her probably would be enough to destroy his plan.
We should first shout to him "Remember Mazzarin if you kill Lyssa" and then kill the guardswoman, possibly with a spell that will destroy her body.

 

[Nevill]

But how is it technically different from killing the creature in C?

It destroys his plan in the same way - he can't return to the physical body.

Edit: Oh, nevermind, I am being stupid. The creature stays alive.

...Ok, so why do we need it alive?

 

[Kz3r0]

But how is it technically different from killing the creature in C?

It destroys his plan in the same way - he can't return to the physical body.

Edit: Oh, nevermind, I am being stupid. The creature stays alive.

...Ok, so why do we need it alive?

If we deprive the Faceless Man of his host that's enough to make him reasonable and this is why takes priority, itìs quicker and safer, I don't really know how fast freeing or killing the creature would be, besides I would like to freeing it.

 

[Kz3r0]

All right guys here is my plan:
G)Blow off the head of the Guardswoman and push The Faceless Man through the gate.

The reasons for this plan are:
-We deprive him of his host, seems he neeeds her alive, this makes his plan utterly fail.
-It's the less risky option, we are not sure if we can surely destroy him by destroying or depowering the portal when he is in there.
-We are even less sure that the creature can defeat him, it has been enslaved by lesser mages after all.
-If we push him through the gate after killing his host, or better, at the same time we almost surely will destroy him, throughout the LP we have seen that even the most powerful archmage, Mazzarin, needed a physical connection to this world, sending him through the portal with no host will probably annihilate him, in fact:
Fangshi Do we know, or have a reasonable certainty that if he passes through the portal with a not suitable host that will destroy him?
Also, do we have a spell thatcan both kill the guardswoman and send him through the gate?
If not, is possible to kill the guardswoman when he is passing through causing him to be trapped and destroyed?

 

[Zero Credibility]

I'm not sure. Will killing the guard outright do anything to stop him, or is it just her blood and guts on him that is important? It seems like an awful gamble for him to take if she absolutely need to be alive - he eviscerates her, then wastes time talking to us while she is dying? What if she died during his speech? He'd be fucked.

 

[Kz3r0]

I'm not sure. Will killing the guard outright do anything to stop him, or is it just her blood and guts on him that is important? It seems like an awful gamble for him to take if she absolutely need to be alive - he eviscerates her, then wastes time talking to us while she is dying? What if she died during his speech? He'd be fucked.

He needs a host, a living host for when he is on the other side, her function as a key is less important.
And probably he is keeping her alive with his magic, this is why we should go for the most destructive spell as possible.

 

[Smashing Axe]

This guy has the right attitude. Indifferent to us so long as we don't get in his way. I can deal with that. Even if he wants to turn us into servants or whatever, he sounds like he'll still give us good instruction. Why can't we be friends? So he threatens to kill useless Lyssa, so what? If he takes over the fallen officer it'll be another woman to add to the lesbomancy trio.

I'd be willing to release a thousand fallen lords so long as they don't mess with us. Moar power, and survival. That's all that's important.

I don't trust this creature thing. It's shifty. Better kill it.

A>B>E>F>C>D

 

[Nevill]

I don't really know how fast freeing or killing the creature would be, besides I would like to freeing it.

If we have time to free it, we have time to kill it.

How long freeing it would take?

You have time to do it before he crosses.

But I'll wait for the GM's answers, though.

 

[Jester]

B she is a friend to all magical things.

 

[archaen]

How about you let faceless through, free the creature and shove him through the gate after telling him his freedom is dependent on taking the body from faceless? While they are fighting all three get back to the physical and try to strike the body down as they are fighting for control. Worse case scenario one or the other wins and levels the area. Medium case scenario, their minds combine and a new insane fallen lord come out and escapes. Best case we kill two archmages with one assault spell.

 

[Nevill]

The spiritual creatures likely can't go in the physical world.

How do you shove it through the gate? Where would it end up?

How would it even go through the gate that is powered by it being here? That's like telling Nine to jump out of her own mindscape.

 

[archaen]

The plan is to have it try to fight for the officers body against faceless. I assume the spiritual creature can inhabit a mortal form which may be a bad assumption. Basically need a knowledge arcana check.

 

[Nevill]

Alright, suppose this is possible, but we have to free the creature to have it follow TFM, right?

How would we then be telling it that its freedom is dependant on something if he already got it?

 

[archaen]

You are most likely right Nevill. I vote C H>D

 

[Kz3r0]

Seeing that my proposal doesn't get much support I amend my vote to:
G>D

 

[Nevill]

It is very similar to F/E, in that even if it workable (on which we still have to wait Fangshi's response - can't really vote for it without one), you still have to time it just right, or we are fucked beyond repair.

 

[Kz3r0]

It is very similar to F/E, in that even if it workable (on which we still have to wait Fangshi's response - can't really vote for it without one), you still have to time it just right, or we are fucked beyond repair.

True, but a fireball probably would do the work quite nicely, killing the guardswoman and sending him through the gate.

 

[asxetos]

D > F.

3 Archmages in a week is just too much.

 

[Nevill]

True, but a fireball probably would do the work quite nicely, killing the guardswoman and sending him through the gate.

We don't know Fireball (it is a powerful spell unique to Warlocks who are rather protective of their secrets and tend to kill those who try spreading the knowledge), and I was of an opinion it does not quite work that way.

Though an explosion is an explosion, I guess.

 

[Fangshi]

Fangshi how quickly we can destroy the body of the guardswoman, will this prevent him to pass through the gate?

She is lying prone with her feet towards you. A head shot would be difficult. You would need to take her out with a single spell. Firebolt might do it but your best bet is to act as a battery for Thaïs and let her cast Greater Energy Bolt. Derryth just does not have the sort of area effect direct damage spells to pull that off and even Thaïs' best spell will only hit a single target. Lyssa could do it actually, she has an area effect spell that would be perfect but she can not cast anything at the moment. The Faceless Man is still paying attention to her and if she even begins to cast off comes her head.

The real problem is that physical damage is largely irrelevant in a realm of pure thought. This is why the officer is still alive despite missing most of her blood and internal organs (well that and the spells the Faceless Man has woven into her). She is desperately willing herself to live and the Faceless Man is taking advantage of that, he has essentially created a bridge between them using her 'blood' and 'intestines'. You need to hit her hard enough to convince her that she has 'died' at which point she likely will. One caution though, you know nothing about the spells he is using on her. It might be possible that any damage you do to her will simply pass over to him while keeping her 'alive'. If that is the case he will retaliate with extreme prejudice.

Of course if you launch the spell and it does not kill her you won't get a second chance and he will keep his promise and take it out on your allies.

Can we talk to the creature without TFM hearing us?

If you can keep it quick sure. The Faceless Man is not really paying attention to you right now so as long as you are not yelling you should be fine.

Maybe we could release it but tell it "drop the gate spell when he is inside it" while we are doing so. The creature should have finer control over when the spell ends than we could by attacking the gate, and if it fails it wasn't us directly trying to kill the guy.

Sure if you want to do it that way you can try but the creature may decide to immediately drop the gate as soon as it can. The spell does hurt it a fair bit.

G)Blow off the head of the Guardswoman and push The Faceless Man through the gate.

I can add it as an option but a headshot will be quite difficult.

If we have time to free it, we have time to kill it.

But I'll wait for the GM's answers, though.

Yes, I am not going to troll you that way here. You have enough time to kill it or free it, that part of the plan will work. It is what comes after that is in doubt.

How about you let faceless through, free the creature and shove him through the gate after telling him his freedom is dependent on taking the body from faceless?

That... that might work. The officer believed that only a person keyed to the gate could pass through but the Faceless Man has demonstrated that the gate can be tricked so yes, you can try that if you want. You will need to convince the creature though. You would also need to keep the officer alive so that the gate stays open. You would then need to cover the creature in enough of her to trick the gate without killing her but the creature is of the dream realm, deception is what it does, it could probably fool the gate if you helped it along.

One problem might be the gate itself, it can not power the gate and cross over at the same time but it knows a way around that limitation so that should not be a problem.

The most likely outcome of that would be something like Nine, a mixture of the Faceless Man and this creature. It goes without saying that it would not be particularly stable though.

Adding as option H.

Current Tally:

Baltika9 D
Grimgravy B
Kipeci A>B
Nevill D
Kz3r0 D
Smashing Axe A>B>E>F>C>D
Jester B
archaen C
asxetos D>F

A) 2 votes
B) 2 votes
C) 1 vote
D) 3 votes
E)
F)
G) 1 vote
H)

Post Flop:

A)
B) 4 votes
C) 1 vote
D) 4 votes
E)
F)
G)
H)

 

[Nevill]

The most likely outcome of that would be something like Nine, a mixture of the Faceless Man and this creature. It goes without saying that it would not be particularly stable though.

Adding as option H.

That's sneaky as hell, but I'd rather not release this horror with the mind of a madman and the powers of a Fallen Lord upon the world, let alone drop it on top of our allies.

If there was a possibility for Derryth to turn into an omnicidal maniac when the mind meld happens, I am afraid to think what this would turn TFM into.

Fangshi, if the spell is dropped, can the officer get to her world, or is she stuck here?

 

[Kz3r0]

Fangshi how quickly we can destroy the body of the guardswoman, will this prevent him to pass through the gate?

She is lying prone with her feet towards you. A head shot would be difficult. You would need to take her out with a single spell. Firebolt might do it but your best bet is to act as a battery for Thaïs and let her cast Greater Energy Bolt. Derryth just does not have the sort of area effect direct damage spells to pull that off and even Thaïs' best spell will only hit a single target. Lyssa could do it actually, she has an area effect spell that would be perfect but she can not cast anything at the moment. The Faceless Man is still paying attention to her and if she even begins to cast off comes her head.

The real problem is that physical damage is largely irrelevant in a realm of pure thought. This is why the officer is still alive despite missing most of her blood and internal organs (well that and the spells the Faceless Man has woven into her). She is desperately willing herself to live and the Faceless Man is taking advantage of that, he has essentially created a bridge between them using her 'blood' and 'intestines'. You need to hit her hard enough to convince her that she has 'died' at which point she likely will. Onc caution though, you know nothing about the spells he is using on her. It might be possible that any damage you do to her will simply pass over to him while keeping her 'alive'. If that is the case he will retaliate with extreme prejudice.

Of course if you launch the spell and it does not kill her you won't get a second chance and he will keep his promise and take it out on your allies.

G)Blow off the head of the Guardswoman and push The Faceless Man through the gate.

I can add it as an option but a headshot will be quite difficult.

Here goes my plan, fine D all the way.

 

[Fangshi]

Fangshi, if the spell is dropped, can the officer get to her world, or is she stuck here?

Well unless you actively try to save her she is likely going to fade away within ten minutes at the most.

But yes if she somehow recovers and the gate is closed then she is stuck. There is no body for her to return to, no where for her to go.

Edit:

Well, actually there is one place for her to go. If the Faceless Man is not around you could put her in the bracelets for the time being. That might work.