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[Phalla] CYOP: The Fourth Planet From Phaltair (Students Win!)

ArtuxArtux Registered User regular
edited January 2008 in Debate and/or Discourse
The year is 1986. In elementary schools across the nation, the Read Around The World program has been gaining popularity as a way to get children to read more books. Young boys and girls check out books, read them (supposedly), and count up the pages in their monthly tallies. At the end of the year, those with the most pages read are recognized for their fortitude and love of the written word.

You are one of those lucky few.

"Forty thousand pages! Parents, I have to say that this has got to be some kind of record--just imagine how many books this young prodigy must have devoured to reach such a mark. As a principal, this kind of aptitude is not something you see ever..."

God, assemblies are so boring.

Forty thousand pages, so what? You read fast. The homework at this place is laughable--you have it done by the time class ends--and you probably know more than any of the stupid teachers here, including that rambling principal. There would be something wrong with you if you didn't get first place. You even read all the way through those dumb choose-your-own-path books, the ones with the 'turn to page 94, oops, eaten by a grue, back to page 45'. You couldn't sit and read them once, though--oh, no--you just had to go through and try to find every path. In every book.

Some people would find this weird. Obsessive. To you, it's just another attempt to stave off boredom.

Then, a few weeks later, your parents get a letter in the mail.

---

You are dreaming.

Before you, the suggestion of a palace squats monstrously in your path. Its spires, its towers, the mere profile of the thing work ceaselessly to offend the part of your brain that recognizes the work of human hands. Mere mercy, then, that no sign of the builders remains to your eyes; however, you know that you cannot contently wait here. Not with the past dangers still so close behind you. Not after so many deaths.

In your dreams, yes, your men die--never quietly, never simply not-existing in the imprecision of dream/reality; they fall under blade and beast, succumb to horrors which elude the reckoning of man, and fall beneath the elaborately mundane ends which claim so many on expedition. You remember them all. You used to grieve. Were this the first time you had dreamt this, your voice would be screaming into the empty air.

But it has been too long--too many times--and the mind has become jaded to the terror and the sadness. It is what-has-gone-before, a recollection which becomes blunted in the face of fresh, imminent danger. The castle is there, taunting you through the driving waves of...of...

...it's always the same. Tonight is no different.

Then why does it feel different?

This place is why you are here. It is why your companions are not. Your hand grabs at your chest, at the secret kept safe there. No, it's different this time. Perhaps it's no longer a dream. There is a way forward, if you can only see it. Inside. Into the depths. It must be done. You no longer have any other purpose that matters in the eyes of man.

The dream begins to recede as you step forward. Awareness pulls you up and away, hiding the castle once again--like every other time, except for the sense that this time, you will finally see this scene again with your waking eyes. You stare down into the depths, seeking to remember the place, recall its location--look! Think! Remember! Don't let them die!

But always...always below you...you see nothing, but the...


If you see the stars, fill in 'A' along with your consent form.

If you see the sands, fill in 'B' along with your consent form.

If you see the seas, fill in 'C' along with your consent form.

---

Your parents look at you strangely, holding up a blank consent form attached to the excerpt.

"Do you know anything about this?" asks your father. "It says it's an in-school activity, some all-day reading workshop in the auditorium, but I've never seen anything like this before."

"It's a little scary," Mother confides. "Even if it's a story, all this talk about death and killing..."

"Anyway," Dad continues, turning his attention back to you, "Do you know anything about this? We'll sign it if you want, as long as it's for school."

All you can do is nod. As your parents write their signatures on the forms, the wheels inside your head are already at full spin. Reading workshop? In the auditorium? Not a chance. What could this really be? Is it about the contest?

The question resounds inside your mind all through dinner. You take the form up to your room, and mull over your options. A, B, or C? You think about it for a minute, considering what this introduction could be about, and scribble in your choice. That's that, you think. We'll see what this is about tomorrow.

Artux on
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Posts

  • ArtuxArtux Registered User regular
    edited January 2008
    Rules

    - There are fifty students here. Six of you are playing 'cheaters'.

    - Every day, you vote for one person to be placed in special seating. You do so by entering their name on your keypad.
    o People placed in special seating can only vote on story choices. They may not use any abilities or discuss the game.
    o The students want to send all 'cheaters' to special seating.
    o Other students will go to special seating on a daily basis, through either cheater actions or other methods.
    o The cheaters want to survive until a point where the number of cheaters equal the number of players.
    o There may be other groups with their own goals in this game.
    - If you want to change your mind on who you vote for, just enter another name.

    - You will also receive a choice of story options. You will enter the page number you want to choose on your keypad.
    o The winning choice will be used in the next night's narration.
    o Your choices have effects on the story, both good and bad, and may affect your chances of winning.
    o Note: If you choose a bad end, you will spend one non-cheating player to automatically choose a valid path.
    - Voting and special actions end at the end of each class period (6:00PM PST, based on forum time).
    o You perform a special action by sending a message to Artux on your pad.
    o The message MUST have in the SUBJECT: (ACTION) <target>
    * Example: VIGILANTE Phallard, GUARD Artux
    * Some actions do not have targets. You can activate these with just the ACTION, e.g.: WIDGET
    * Again: This must be in the SUBJECT! We don't guarantee reading the body of your action mails.
    o If you want to change your action, send another mail to Artux with the updated command.
    * NOTE: Some actions cannot be revoked.
    - We do not announce vote close. Votes and actions received after 6:01PM on are for the next day.

    Things To Remember

    - Don't share role PMs in any form (text, quote, screenshot, Morse code, lolcat).
    - You can claim whatever you want about your role, though.
    - You must especially keep the information in your PRIVATE message to yourself, unless otherwise dictated.
    - Players in special seating can continue to vote on story choices!
    - However, these players cannot otherwise talk or influence the game for the people still playing.

    Clarifications

    1) Your first envelopes describe your role. You cannot share the literal contents of those envelopes (PMs) with anyone. That doesn't mean you can't claim whatever you want.

    Your second, PRIVATE envelopes (which are coming Very Soon Now) should not be discussed at all unless the instructions specify otherwise.


    2) You have enough information to start voting for people. At least in the Superintendent's opinion. Roles, if any, do not change substantially with the PRIVATE PM.

    3) When you choose a bad end, you will lose one random non-cheater.

    4) In the event of ties, winners are chosen randomly. This includes story choices and voting.

    5) Not all actions you take get responses.

    6) The people who have the 'cheater' role are not circumventing anything with their killing actions.

    7) There are, however, people who cheat who are.

    Artux on
  • ArtuxArtux Registered User regular
    edited January 2008
    Narrations
    Prologue
    Day 1
    Day 1 (story)
    Day 2
    Day 2 (story)
    Day 3
    Day 3 (story)
    Day 4
    Day 4 (story)
    Day 5
    Day 5 (story)
    Day 6
    Day 6 (story)
    Day 7
    Day 7 (story)
    Day 8
    Day 8 (story)
    Day 9
    Day 9 (story)
    Finale

    Player List

    1. DevoutlyApathetic - Student, Day 6
    2. cheez - Student, Day 4
    3. James - Cheater, Day 9
    4. Oboro - Student, Withdrew Day 4
    5. RBB - Student, Day 1
    6. Qorzm - Student, Day 3
    7. Meister - Student, Day 5
    8. TehSpectre - Student, Day 1
    9. BobCesca - Student, Day 8
    10. Obbi - Student, Day 4
    11. Zzulu - Teacher's Pet, Day 1
    12. Sepah - Student, Day 3
    13. Grundlterror - Student, Day 6
    14. Mr. Embarkation - Student, Day 5
    15. precisionk - Student, Day 7
    16. LaOs - Victorious Supergenius
    17. Seriously - Subgenius, Day 7
    18. Burnage - Student, Day 2
    19. Squashua - Student, Day 4
    20. Romantic Undead - Dodgeball Hero, Day 5
    21. Plutonium - Student, Day 2
    22. Unearthly Stew - Student, Day 7
    23. Saburbia Tattletale, Day 7
    24. Gumpy - Cheater, Day 3
    25. El Skid - Science Geek, Day 2
    26. iamtheaznman - Student, Day 4
    27. B:L - Grand Poobah Cheater Student, Day 9
    28. Medopine - Dodgeball Hero, Day 8
    29. Stew_stick - Cheater, Day 8
    30. visiblehowl - Math Whiz, Day 8
    31. gundam470 - Student, Day 8
    32. JPants - Student, Day 7
    33. Chamberlain - Student, Day 6
    34. Inquisitor - Student, Day 2
    35. Hylianbunny - Student, Day 6
    36. DasUberEdward - Cheater, Day 9
    37. Buzz Buzz - Student, Day 3
    38. Frosteey - Cheater, Day 6
    39. Toxic Toys - Withdrew
    40. Egos -Withdrew
    41. Zerinan - Student, Day 1
    42. Quoth - Student, Day 3
    43. cj iwakura - Victorious Student
    44. Satan Himself - Student, Day 5
    45. Maximus - Student, Day 1
    46. logogog - Student, Day 2
    47. variable - Student, Day 7
    48. Shamus - Math Whiz, Day 6
    49. Rend - Cheater, Day 6
    50. Richy - Student, Day 5
    51. durax - Student, Day 9

    Reserves:
    1.
    2.
    3.

    Artux on
  • ArtuxArtux Registered User regular
    edited January 2008
    Instructions:

    To sign up, please give your consent below. You must also note your choice below in yellow: A, B, or C. This game will have many such choices, and they will help steer you along a path--sometimes good, sometimes bad. However, if you make a wrong choice, just like in the books, we can always go back and try again.

    For a price.

    Artux on
  • JamesJames Registered User regular
    edited January 2008
    James is allowed to attend the all-day reading workshop in the auditorium. He chooses "C" because he is bored and it rhymes with "seas."

    James on
  • OboroOboro __BANNED USERS regular
    edited January 2008
    Oboro scribbles her father's signature onto the line -- she'll be good to go, same as always. She throws the slip aside and stares from bed up at the glow-in-the-dark applique night sky on her ceiling; "A", for stars, for a girl thoroughly one, she remarks with a smirk...

    Oboro on
    words
  • Aroused BullAroused Bull Registered User regular
    edited January 2008
    Please allow RBB to attend this seminar/workshop/sadistic mockery of a game in which we are slowly killed one by one."A" because they're the only one of the three I can actually see right now.

    Aroused Bull on
  • JamesJames Registered User regular
    edited January 2008
    Girls are icky!

    James on
  • OboroOboro __BANNED USERS regular
    edited January 2008
    Boys are ickier!

    Oboro on
    words
  • QorzmQorzm Registered User regular
    edited January 2008
    !Qorzm's mother will do anything to get him out of the house. Qorzm thanks her as he heads to school, dreaming about choosing C on every multiple choice question on his upcoming test.

    Qorzm on
  • cheezcheez Registered User regular
    edited January 2008
    Please allow cheez to participate in this marvelous seminar.

    cheez on
  • MeisterMeister Registered User regular
    edited January 2008
    Meister picks, statistically speaking, the most common answer on multiple choice tests: C

    Meister on
    3DS friend code friend code: 4485-1155-2584
  • TehSpectreTehSpectre Registered User regular
    edited January 2008
    "Ugh, someone thinks they're clever."

    The youth named MacSpectre rolls his eyes and waves a hand back at his parents as he makes his way towards the school, scrawling his name into the consent form and circling the B option.

    He smirked; it wasn't as if he had anything better to do today.

    TehSpectre on
    9u72nmv0y64e.jpg
  • BobCescaBobCesca Is a girl Birmingham, UKRegistered User regular
    edited January 2008
    Dear Sir, Please allow BobCecsa to participate in the reading workshop. Yours, Mr. and Mrs.......

    Since I'm always looking at my feet, I pick B.

    BobCesca on
  • ObbiObbi Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited January 2008
    Obbi, spending far, far longer than any child should spend on such a form where it asks such a simple question, continued to scan off into the distance not actually looking at the piece of paper. Right from the start he couldn't remember what it was he saw in that dream last, and now it's gotten to the point to where he couldn't even remember what the dream was about.

    So he did what he always did in a situation like this, he flipped a coin for a three-way decision.

    It came up, B, apparently.

    Obbi on
  • ZzuluZzulu Registered User regular
    edited January 2008
    Consent


    'B'

    Zzulu on
    t5qfc9.jpg
  • SepahSepah Registered User regular
    edited January 2008
    Sepah rolls the dice. Frowning, he rolls them again, and nods as they thunder quietly to a stop.

    C

    I do live on an island after all.

    Sepah on
  • GrundlterrorGrundlterror Registered User regular
    edited January 2008
    I, Grumbles, give my consent and stuff

    Also A

    Grundlterror on
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  • M.D.M.D. and then what happens? Registered User regular
    edited January 2008
    Mr. E filled out his consent form and hoped with all his heart he'd get closer to those lovely stars he always sees.

    M.D. on
  • precisionkprecisionk Registered User regular
    edited January 2008
    I, GOD-EMPEROR PRECISIONK, MASTER OF THE IMPOSSIBLE, GIVE MY CONSENT TO ALLOW YOU TO HAVE ME GRACE YOUR PRESENCE.


    I choose C

    precisionk on
  • LaOsLaOs SaskatoonRegistered User regular
    edited January 2008
    !Consent with a dash of A for flavour.

    LaOs on
  • SeriouslySeriously Registered User regular
    edited January 2008
    Though he told his parents no that night, when he got to school the next morning !Seriously could no longer resist the pull and forged their signature on the consent form reasoning if they would have signed it then they probably would have signed it now, right?

    Of Course they would have. <.<

    Seriously on
  • BurnageBurnage Registered User regular
    edited January 2008
    B for !Burnage's consent

    Burnage on
  • SquashuaSquashua __BANNED USERS regular
    edited January 2008
    Squashua concedes and quickly realizes not only is C for cookie, but it's good enough for him.

    Squashua on
  • Romantic UndeadRomantic Undead Registered User regular
    edited January 2008
    !Romantic Undead squirms in his mother's grasp as she drags him to school, signed consent form in hand.

    Hopefully signing him up for this seminar will keep the little truant out of trouble.
    When asked to make a choice, little RU at first declines to answer, but, finally, when pressed, he yells B! FUCK! Thus earning himself a swift rap on the ears from his nearby mother.

    Romantic Undead on
    3DS FC: 1547-5210-6531
  • PlutoniumPlutonium Registered User regular
    edited January 2008
    Plutonium dashes to school with his newly signed consent form - simple to obtain from his hung-over father, who in his hair-of-the-dog fueled rage mumbled something angry about a C average being good enough for him and do you thing you're better than me and your mother was a whore and oh god fuck no don't open the blinds.

    Plutonium on
  • Unearthly StewUnearthly Stew Registered User regular
    edited January 2008
    Unearthly Stew forges a signature on the consent form. After all, this is his only chance to become part of the A-Team.

    Unearthly Stew on
  • Look Out it's Sabs!Look Out it's Sabs! Registered User regular
    edited January 2008
    Please let our boy Saburbia join, we really really need a break from him, C sounds good because we feel like drowning him right now.

    Look Out it's Sabs! on
    NNID: Sabuiy
    3DS: 2852-6809-9411
  • GumpyGumpy There is always a greater powerRegistered User regular
    edited January 2008
    Gumpy's robotic sensors can read words faster then any humans! He takes this consent form from his robotic family and marks down the letter A, since Robots have little love for the sand or sea.

    Gumpy on
  • El SkidEl Skid The frozen white northRegistered User regular
    edited January 2008
    El Skid is such a lonely child ever since is imaginary friend died. Please accept him into your little group so that he might have friends to play with and/or bullies to teach him what happens to nerdy little snots who don't make friends.. Signed, 'B'onnie and 'B'rad Skid.

    El Skid on
  • iamtheaznmaniamtheaznman Registered User regular
    edited January 2008
    I give the consent and choose C

    iamtheaznman on
  • ArdorArdor Registered User regular
    edited January 2008
    This should be a fun game to watch, if the sign up posts are any indication.

    Ardor on
  • B:LB:L I've done worse. Registered User regular
    edited January 2008
    !B:L didn't have any time left and forced by the sands of the hourglass, he signed the sheet himself and instinctively chose B, hoping it was the right choice.

    If I don't go, they'll find out that I don't have any parents and then...

    B:L on
    10mvrci.png click for Anime chat
  • MedopineMedopine __BANNED USERS regular
    edited January 2008
    Today's word is consent. Brought to you by the letter C.

    (Medopine has been watching too much Sesame Street).

    Medopine on
  • Stew_StickStew_Stick Dinner UKRegistered User regular
    edited January 2008
    Stew_stick forged a consent form from the ashes of the letter 'A'.

    Stew_Stick on
  • Hi I'm Vee!Hi I'm Vee! Formerly VH; She/Her; Is an E X P E R I E N C E Registered User regular
    edited January 2008
    There was an audible thump at the door of the auditorium as visiblehowl once again tried to push it open. The kids in the auditorium had been giggling for 10 minutes as the poor kid tried to get in; nobody wanted to help him because they were laughing too hard. Fortunately for visiblehowl, another kid wanted to get in and pulled the door open. A smile on his face, visiblehowl darted through before the door could close again. He immediately went up to the sleeping chaperone and shoved his consent form in her face. She didn't respond, so he began blowing on her hair until she woke up. "Oh, um, thanks visiblehowl, are you...are you sure you'll be able to participate properly in this activity?" The boy nodded vigorously and exclaimed "A!". "Um...right, okay, why don't you have a seat over there." "A!" visiblehowl responded, and took a seat next to Plutonium. He glanced side to side, then leaned over conspiratorially and whispered softly into Plutonium's ear, "Aaaaaay."

    Hi I'm Vee! on
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  • gundam470gundam470 Drunk Gorilla CaliforniaRegistered User regular
    edited January 2008
    gundam470 decides to pencil in A

    gundam470 on
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  • JPantsJPants Registered User regular
    edited January 2008
    JPants has permission to join this seminar, even though it will be his first time in something like this.

    B And i'm not telling why.

    JPants on
  • chamberlainchamberlain Registered User regular
    edited January 2008
    Please take Chamberlain and keep him as long as you would like. It will be nice to have him off of the couch for a weekend. And if he gives you and trouble, throw him in the C.

    chamberlain on
  • DevoutlyApatheticDevoutlyApathetic Registered User regular
    edited January 2008
    Please allow DevoutlyApathetic to attend this special seminar, scribbled afterwards is choice: A.

    DevoutlyApathetic on
    Nod. Get treat. PSN: Quippish
  • InquisitorInquisitor Registered User regular
    edited January 2008
    *fidget, mumble, mumble*

    Inquisitor

    *hands a piece of paper with a B scribbled on it *

    Inquisitor on
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