Myth: A New Age CYOA

[Fangshi]

Just when did this thing turned into L4D the LP?

Heh, nature will provide. All the types you will come across are some variation on naturally occurring species. There is actually quite a wide variety of hunting methods used by arachnids and the process the Blues use is quite unpredictable...

Current Tally:
Kz3r0 1c 2a 3biv 4a
Anabanana 1c 2c 3biv 4-
Nevill 1c 2d>c 3biv 4a
Zero Credibility 1c 2a 3biv
Azira 1c 2a 3biv
Smashing Axe 1c 2a 3bii>3biv 4a
Baltika9 1c 2c 3bi 4a
tuluse 1c 2c 3biv 4a

1.
A)
B)
C) 8 votes

2.
A) 4 votes
B)
C) 3 (4) votes
D) 1 vote

3.
A)
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
B)
i. 1 vote
ii. 1 vote
iii.
iv. 6 (7) votes

4.
A) 5 votes
B)

 

[Nevill]

Let's see our current state of morale:

By this point the entire room has collapsed into chaos...

"You have no right-"
"Return to us our relic-"
"Father what should we do-"
"Serpent wants to stay-"
"He wants to go-"
"We have to go-"
"We have to stay-"
"Please ladies-"
"The relics stay, as do we-"

Not a good one for a fight.

Let's see what our military expert thinks:

He continues in a tone that allows for no dissent, "I want to know the floor plan of the building, entrances and exits, chokepoints, all of it. We need to clear firing lanes and set up the artillery if we are staying. If we are going then we need a proper plan of retreat or we will be butchered. Does everyone understand?"

Gareth says that if we do not prepare, we are going to die. I'd listen to the man who must've been in these situations before.

Zero Credibility, no matter how simple the plan is, we can't keep them out if we do not know where they can crawl in. We need the floor plans. We need to set up ambushes. We need a lot of things, and first of all, we need more time. I am amending my vote.

 

[Erebus]

While the Blues are certainly not our friends, we should remember that the Silvers told the Reds to attack us. We still don't know why.

What? When?

You tilt your head, "What do you mean?"

"Well, there seems to be some sort of rift that has formed within the Damned. That Red Order the girls were shouting about, it is one of three that formed a few years ago and it was the largest. From what they told me it all comes down to faith, each group worships their bizarre goddess in a different way. They have been involved in a simmering dispute for something like the last three years with the other two orders. They were told that a great threat was coming their way and they mobilized everything they had to resist it. The girls are quite concerned about what will happen to their order now."

You move to the heart of the matter, "What about Serpent?"

"They told me that this Christine that took him belongs to the Silver Order, the smallest of the three. She came to them and gave them the warning that caused them to mobilize and she accompanied them as a show of good faith.

I have to say, we're becoming a little too forgiving, trusting and altruistic to my taste. What reason do we have to fight for people who tried to kill us or to meddle in their religious war ? We're not UN peacekeepers. We wanted to save Serpent from the silver lady, but (unless he's under some sort of spell) it appears that's no longer necessary. And I don't see the Reds or the Silvers offering us anything in exchange for our help.

The only things that deserve our interest here are the relics. But the Reds won't give them to us, the Blues want to have them and the Silvers are probably also plotting to get their hands on them.

 

[tuluse]

Guys why are we staying for this fight? This is not our fight. Let's just bug out (no pun intended).

 

[Nevill]

There is no guarantee that the Blues will leave us alone once they deal with the rest, and I don't see Derryth as the type to cover her retreat with children. Futhermore, we came here for Serpent, and he will not leave without Christine.

But the real reason, of course, is that there is a lot of cute girls here, and the gay harem tendencies are strong with the 'Dex.

 

[Baltika9]

Guys why are we staying for this fight? This is not our fight. Let's just bug out (no pun intended).

Our chances of staying alive and getting through this dungeon crawl are much higher if we help these guys out. For one, they're natives of this place, so they know the lay of the land. Then there's the fact that being hounded by the Blues and Peter Parkers Spidermen isn't good for our continued survival, and since we have an excellent defensive location and all that we need to make use of it, we'd better deal with these guys here and now.

Also, I don't particularly fancy stealing Serpent from his waifu and then having to face his nerdrage later down the road.

 

[Smashing Axe]

It's taking a chance, but Fangshi has said it's a mutually exclusive choice. We can't fire the cannon at the assembled commanders, and stall for prep time at the same time, and I'm willing to take a chance for a relatively bloodless victory. (I'm fairly sure taking out the commanders will completely disband the enemy). The alternative is a long siege, and probably dead companions.

I also think it will take a while for them to penetrate the outward gate, giving us time enough for Gareth to plan our defenses.

 

[Nevill]

They are not undead, though. These things have a mind of their own, albeit a primitive one, and we can not be sure this is the only commander they have.

If they charge us as we are now, we may lose. If we repel them successfully, then we may leave.

I also think it will take a while for them to penetrate the outward gate, giving us time enough for Gareth to plan our defenses.

If there are multiple exits from the building, then there are multiple entry points, as well. And you do not want to find them by accident.

Fangshi, how much time Gareth thinks he will need to set up the defenses?

 

[Smashing Axe]

They might have other commanders (I very much doubt it though, it sounds like they're almost fully assembled), but it definitely sounds like this commander is their leader. I don't think these creatures will have any direction once we cut off the head. Hell, we might find a way to control them and make them our slaves (Please, please, please)

 

[Baltika9]

Yeah, but that's the sucky part about it: firing the mortar is basically gambling with our lives. If it doesn't take out all of their commanders, we're basically screwed.

 

[Fangshi]

Fangshi, how much time Gareth thinks he will need to set up the defenses?

Honestly he does not know. He still needs to see the floor plans and everything, at the very least he wants to see where the entrances and best choke points are. The more time you can buy the better from his perspective. Ten minutes would at least let him get people organized and in place, if you can buy more than that you might be able to get proper defenses up but there are just too many unknowns for him to accurately guess what would be needed.

 

[Nevill]

They might have other commanders (I very much doubt it though, it sounds like they're almost fully assembled), but it definitely sounds like this commander is their leader. I don't think these creatures will have any direction once we cut off the head. Hell, we might find a way to control them and make them our slaves (Please, please, please)

Okay, let's take a look at our ranks, then.

If Casgair dies, then Biliku and Uttu can take over the Reds. If Neith dies, then Christine can take over the Silvers. If Gareth dies, there is still Derryth and then Thais. Our success does not hinge on a well-being of a single person.

Why would the Blues be any different? I don't think you can defeat them like that.

Honestly he does not know. He still needs to see the floor plans and everything, at the very least he wants to see where the entrances and best choke points are. The more time you can buy the better from his perspective.

We have the opinion of the only expert here. We have to resist the urge to do the awesome stuff, and do the practical thing instead.

There is complete chaos in our ranks right now. At the very least we need to organize ourselves.

For some reason, this reminds me of a scene in the Seven Samurai movie, where Kikuchiyo, jealous of how Kyūzō retrieved the rifle from the bandits, abandons his post to repeat the glorious deed. He even succeeds, but in doing so, he leaves his people without a leader and gets a lot of them killed.

The war is the antithesis of awesome.

 

[Baltika9]

There is complete chaos in our ranks right now. At the very least we need to organize ourselves.

No, not anymore. Gareth put his foot down and everyone snapped back in place. We owe the dude a beer after this, seriously. I feel like he does most of the work and gets the least rewards.

 

[Nevill]

No, not anymore. Gareth put his foot down and everyone snapped back in place

No, not really. He never assumed leadership, the others did not acknowledge him as such yet, and none of his commands bore fruit, since he was interrupted mid-sentence:

He continues in a tone that allows for no dissent, "I want to know the floor plan of the building, entrances and exits, chokepoints, all of it. We need to clear firing lanes and set up the artillery if we are staying. If we are going then we need a proper plan of retreat or we will be butchered. Does everyone understand?"

In complete silence you all nod, "Good, now we-"

A voice calls out from the front of the building, "Casgair! Neith! Do you yet live!"

The chaos is not gone, and if we don't let him work his magic, this will get out of control. There is no single leader among our people, and there will be no coordination.

 

[Baltika9]

That's all semantics. For now, Gareth got everyone to shut up and pay the fuck attention, and whether or not we capitalize on it is up to us. Anyway, I think that letting Thais do her CHA 10 thing and buying us time is the way to go. Let Gareth do his NCO thing, and us organize our Circle and we'll be good. I don't fancy spending everything we have, since we're in a fortress, our ranged attacks will thin out the runners and the cannon fodder, and our heavy hitters can take down any surprises the enemy can send after us. If our Circle can cause the attackers to slip and fall to make things easier for our shooters, all the better.

 

[tuluse]

1) C
Everyone else seems convinced this is the way to go.

2) C
We need time to setup. Firing the motor is temping, but something tells me cutting off the head won't disperse this group. Let's buy time and organize our defense.

3) B iv
If we're in, we're in all the way.

I just want to point out that Misoguinn tried to warn us, and that we were given the ring as a sign of good faith. We're throwing both of these away.

4) A
I guess Serpent finds a waifu and we have to follow.


As an aside for Fangshi I sort of expected a 7 INT, 7 WIS character to not act like a jealous highschooler when trying to convincer her friend that his 2 day engagement might not be the best idea. I like to picture Derryth as both a little more collected and a little more world weary compared to the last update.

 

[Nevill]

I just want to point out that Misoguinn tried to warn us

Well, he didn't know we could not follow up on his advice, since Serpent was captured.

and that we were given the ring as a sign of good faith.

No. No, I don't think the ring was given to us in good faith. Miosguinn said to steer the fuck away from this place, and he was genuine. Everyone who invites us there does not have the best of intentions.

As for Seprent, well, I would not have expected an INT 9/WIS 6 character to get married to the first tramp who kidnaps him in the middle of the battlefield in just two days, either. This is insane.

 

[Zero Credibility]

Zero Credibility, no matter how simple the plan is, we can't keep them out if we do not know where they can crawl in. We need the floor plans. We need to set up ambushes. We need a lot of things, and first of all, we need more time. I am amending my vote.

But that also means we forfeit our one chance at a decapitation strike. If these things really are as animalistic as they seemed in the battle we just fought, removing their leadership will greatly impact their performance as an unit. Also, if they could have penetrated defences of this place that easily, why are these people still alive? The fact is, they took the front doors, but this place stood up to whatever they threw at it. That tells me this place is fortified - the doors we have seen them attacking before is their probable way in and windows here are too small for them to climb in. So man the defences they have set up, start piling stuff up against the doors we have seen them attacking before and tell our mortar team that will already be in position to fire at will. Even if they charge us the moemnet we take our shot, it will still take them some time before they start banging on the doors.

Oh and here's a quick and dirty plan that we would probably have enough time to pull even during assault - have our explosives experts thoroughly mine the chamber we just fought in. Then have someone open the outer doors and run like hell back in (or maybe even just wait for them to break them down). Then when a whole bunch of them charges in to start banging on the doors again - boom. This plan would actually work a lot better if we manage to take out their leaders, as they would probably sense a trap like that. Without them we could take out a significant part of their army this way.

 

[Fangshi]

As an aside for Fangshi I sort of expected a 7 INT, 7 WIS character to not act like a jealous highschooler when trying to convincer her friend that his 2 day engagement might not be the best idea. I like to picture Derryth as both a little more collected and a little more world weary compared to the last update.

Well she is and she isn't.

In ideal circumstances she would probably try and reason with Serpent and if she took a step back and analysed why she hates Christine she would probably even admit that a large part of it is not rational but given the circumstances she is not terribly inclined to be that introspective.

In my years I have met some very intelligent, and yes very wise individuals that have done some immensely stupid things from time to time. She was deeply moved by Serpent's gesture, she really does feel a strong antipathy towards Christine, and she is under a lot of stress so given the situation she is not behaving terribly rationally. I suppose if I had to give a justification for Derryth's behavior it would simply be this, a high WIS score does not protect a person from their emotions and those same emotions can cloud even the best minds. Provided they do not all die horribly it is not unreasonable to think that Derryth will come to many of the same conclusions eventually but some things just take time.

 

[Nevill]

If these things really are as animalistic as they seemed in the battle we just fought, removing their leadership will greatly impact their performance as an unit.

If they are animalistic, they can not be commanded very efficiently, now, can they? I expect the Blues to use them as a zombie horde, and when there are hundreds of them, the numbers make up for the lack of strategy. This is a really risky gamble.

Also, if they could have penetrated defences of this place that easily, why are these people still alive?

These people were covering in fear while the attackers pummeled the door. They are alive because we managed to strategically dispose of the enemy.

The fact is, they took the front doors, but this place stood up to whatever they threw at it.

The only place that stood up is the inner chapel, and there is no exit from there but the one through which we came in. If they cut it off and siege us there, we are dead. Even if we hold, we will just run out of supplies. And there is no water source.
We do not know anything about the integrity of the rest of the building. This is what the plans are for.
We know, though, that the enemy managed to get through the front gates somehow (maybe they were wide open since the beginning - but we don't know that). We also know there are multiple entries, but we do not know where they are.

If you learn anything from zombie apocalypse games, it's that you check and double-check the building for weak points before you make the place your base of operations.

Oh and here's a quick and dirty plan that we would probably have enough time to pull even during assault - have our explosives experts thoroughly mine the chamber we just fought in.

Not if they find a way in first.

Preparation is called that because you do it before the main thing starts. Trying to prepare the trap during the battle means that our dwarves won't be elsewhere, and it might very well become meaningless if they manage to break through to the Inner Court through other means.

 

[Zero Credibility]

My point is if they are that animalistic then removing their leadership will turn them into nothing more than an undirected mob. So they will just charge the first target they see, climbers swarming the walls (but they can't get in through windows), others will go for the obvious doors. Hell, a part of them might just wander off or start fighting each other. If their leadership is intact, that's when we have to start worrying about what they are planing and weak spots in the building (not to mention possible magical attacks).

And the inner chapel is the only thing we can reasonably defend anyway - that's where defences are already set up and we don't have the manpower for anything else. How are we going to defend the chamber we were in before for example? There are no windows for us to fire at them from inside, so the only thing we could do is open the doors (or wait for them to break it down) and then fight them there. And that is suicide. The only thing we can do with that place is mine it. We need to hunker down in the chapel and ride this through, there is no other way if we are going to fight them here.

 

[Nevill]

Hell, a part of them might just wander off or start fighting each other.

We didn't see it happen with those 20 we fought. I'd say they have some intelligence.

If their leadership is intact, that's when we have to start worrying about what they are planing and weak spots in the building (not to mention possible magical attacks).

The enemies we fought had enough intelligence to keep the gates open. They are not animals.
The weak points are bound to be found when the enemy can surround the building three times over with their numbers. Once they find them, they will pour in.

And the inner chapel is the only thing we can reasonably defend anyway - that's where defences are already set up and we don't have the manpower for anything else.

Dude, if you let them occupy the Inner Court, you are dead. The wagon will not fit through the door. You will have no food. You will have no water supply. You'll just slowly die with no way out while they camp outside of the door. That is if they don't tear it apart, like they originally intended.

You have to protect the building as a whole, to slip out after the initial charge.

 

[Zero Credibility]

Again, how are we going to defend the court? With what? We can't shoot at them from inside, we can't fight their numbers in melee. Fuck, all they have to do is send some of their forces to the lower tunnels and they can just march in even if we can hold the doors (and you can bet if their leaders are intact, that's exactly what they are going to do).

 

[Nevill]

Again, how are we going to defend the court? With what?

With fighters set up at strategic chokepoints. Several melee fighters and a dwarf can hold one indefinitely if it is small enough, while the mages provide support.

Fuck, all they have to do is send some of their forces to the lower tunnels and they can just march in even if we can hold the doors (and you can bet if their leaders are intact, that's exactly what they are going to do).

It takes several hours. We can slip out by then.

Even better, we can mine the tunnels, too.

 

[Zero Credibility]

What chokepoints? It's a courtyard with two door and a tunnel. If we are fighting them in melee that means they are already inside the courtyard. A whole army of poisonous monsters that can climb walls and ceilings. We are so dead it's not even funny. Defending the courtyard is probably exactly what the defenders tried before. Before they were eaten that is.

If we are planing to slip away then we are voting for the wrong option, that's 3A and nobody is voting for that. And why would you prefer mining the tunnel over mining the courtyard? If we mine the tunnels all we can hope to catch in the trap are those that are coming through the tunnel. If we mine the courtyard we can take out both them and anyone coming through the gates as well.

The simple fact is that the courtyard is not defensible no matter how much time we have to plan.