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[CYOA] Seven Wizards for Seven Apocalypses: Now with an ending slapped on

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Posts

  • DelmainDelmain Registered User regular
    Ok, awesome!

    Continue with the explorinating!

  • CelebrimCelebrim Registered User regular
    edited December 2015
    If we explore the cave, I'd say bring everything. If we lose too much we can call Neph next turn and buy a few replacements. A little combat may bump our research more than sitting at home studying would, anyway.

    edit: Worst case we lose both units, we could spend next turn recruiting a new militia and buying a skeleton unit (or more).

    Celebrim on
  • jakobaggerjakobagger LO THY DREAD EMPIRE CHAOS IS RESTORED Registered User regular
    D 9(skeletons) fortune

  • zekebeauzekebeau Registered User regular
    edited December 2015
    E(SW) 9(Skellingtons&militia) Fortune

    since the more we bring, the better the militia fights. Probably a max +1 to each of them, but still something.

    zekebeau on
  • AuralynxAuralynx Darkness is a perspective Watching the ego workRegistered User regular
    D 4 Fortune

    That trading guild could save a lot of trouble in the long run and further positions Cinders as a political entity instead of some weirdo in a cave or with a caravan. It should only help popularity.

    Also we're potentially finishing Summoning off that roll. Good thing to have before scary mine exploration imo.

    kshu0oba7xnr.png

  • zekebeauzekebeau Registered User regular
    Pfft, it probably isn't even gonna be a big fight. Old man jenkins just found a horde of pirate treasure in that cave and is trying to scare off visitors. And he would have gotten away with it if it wasn't for that meddling wizard being burned alive with magma.

  • TipharethTiphareth Registered User regular
    edited December 2015
    D4 - Fortune

    Let us not venture into the mine yet, instead we should see what the sultan has to offer us. When we got a new apprentice and some magma worms visiting the cave sounds more prudent.

    Also, I want to wait with visiting the sultan too actually, incase the fistcaster has once again set a trap.

    Tiphareth on
  • PolaritiePolaritie Sleepy Registered User regular
    When we see the sultan, we should turn rhe main road from the gate to the palace to glass or something. Show of power and gift all in one.

    Steam: Polaritie
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  • InvictusInvictus Registered User regular
    D4 - Fortune

    Generalísimo de Fuerzas Armadas de la República Argentina
  • CelebrimCelebrim Registered User regular
    edited December 2015
    E-SW 9-Skeletons+Militia Fortune

    I'd rather hold our silver for a turn in case we need it to buy new units.


    edited to match zekebeau since I'm not sure how "subvotes" work if 9 wins.

    Celebrim on
  • AnialosAnialos Collies are love, Collies are life! Shadowbrook ColliesRegistered User regular
    E-SW 9-Skeletons+Militia Fortune

  • CelebrimCelebrim Registered User regular
    So I looked through some old information, and cave may contain the Pious Servant of the Bound Giant.
    "For instance, all knew The Pious Servants of the Bound Giant. Clad in bells and chains they'd shamble through the city at odd hours, all droning in a long dead language."
    "And in that moment revelation and power flowed into her ... Deep within a cave, a man sings a funereal dirge and jangles his chains. A fleshy growth with chains of its own covers the wall beside him."

    Also, I think I have a summary of the seven (in order of appearance):
    Cinderella the Foreseen Lavashaper
    Nephroditi the Wandering Bonemancer
    Axion the Loyalist Fistcaster
    Ingvar the Possessor Mechano-Sage (Instigator of the event)
    Selin the Silver-Tongued Spirit Weaver (based on the initial vision)
    ??? the Undying Pious Servant of the Bound Giant
    ??? the Warrior Stormlord (based on the initial vision)

    It also seems Ingvar may be the best scryer given he saw us watching him in the first revelation. So hopefully the Ashvent and imprisonment is protecting us from seeing anything through his golem, but it might be good to dissect it sooner.

  • jakobaggerjakobagger LO THY DREAD EMPIRE CHAOS IS RESTORED Registered User regular
    I already figured that out!

    The part about the cave/mine at least.

    But also I thought the other things even if I didn't post them. Basically I am the best at lava-divination.

  • see317see317 Registered User regular
    edited December 2015
    H4 -fortune
    H because want of resources is holding up back. Everything we can try to build winds up costing us hugely in Mana.
    4 because I think mastering the whole "summoning" thing may help us out with the resources thing. I mean, sure a lava golem may not be too helpful in the lumbermill, but we rarely use wood for any building projects anyway. If we could put them to work making stone walls or stacking and fusing rocks into secure fortifications...
    If not, showing up in New Thett with a pet lava golem or two is certainly one way to make an entrance, and leave more of an impression than our second hand skeletons or our peasants.

    Quick question RE: Mercantile guild, will we be able to upgrade it in the future? Just seems like a huge investment for a relatively small (possibly 0) return per turn. But if it gets better returns over time, it may not be such a bad investment.

    see317 on
  • discriderdiscrider Registered User regular
    edited December 2015
    Celebrim wrote: »
    Cinderella - The Best
    Nephroditi - Rude
    Axion - Hate this guy so much
    Ingvar - Hahaha no
    Selin - Do I even know you?
    ??? - Weird
    ??? - Needs to take a chill pill

    Fixed the list

    discrider on
  • discriderdiscrider Registered User regular
    D4 Fortune

  • PolaritiePolaritie Sleepy Registered User regular
    discrider wrote: »
    D4 Fortune

    Seems prudent for sure. I think getting a farm down should be on the list too - more peasants and we can start running up our militia some.

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    PSN: AbEntropy
  • wiltingwilting I had fun once and it was awful Registered User regular
    D 9 (Skellingtons) Fortune

  • Mojo_JojoMojo_Jojo We are only now beginning to understand the full power and ramifications of sexual intercourse Registered User regular
    Turn 19

    Decision D 9: Merchant guild and minevestigation
    Bonuses: +11 Fortune

    Things
    Mana: 47 [+11/turn]
    Fortune: 25/50 [+1/turn]
    Growth: 2/10 [+2/turn]
    Peasants: 12
    Population: 18
    Shelter: 25
    Food: 25
    Resources: 7 [+2*/turn]
    Silver Pieces: 26 [+3*/turn]
    Study: 19/25 Summoning [+2/turn]

    *+1d4-1 to lowest total

    The Obsidian Tower
    Fused shards: Foreseen, Loyalist
    +11 mana / turn, +1 resource, / turn, +1 growth / turn, +1 study / turn, +1 fortune / turn
    [Ashvent] - Prevents scrying in the region
    [Scholar's Hall] - Allows research, +1 study/turn

    Glassalia
    [Fertile Farm] = +25 food
    [Glass houses] = +25 shelter
    [Lumber yard] = +1 resource / 10 peasants / turn)
    [Tavern] = +1 growth / turn
    [Mercantile Guild] +1d4-1 / turn to lowest of silver pieces or resources
    [Scouting] = Difficulty 15 check when exploring to uncover additional bonuses

    Individuals & Armies
    Cinders, The Foreseen Lavashaper
    Combat: 5 dice, 4+ strength [Lucky] [Battle Scholar] [Wizard] [Ranged(short)]
    Equipment: Vulcanus
    Vote bonuses: +1 Mana or +1 Fortune per vote

    Militia [5 Peasants]
    Combat: 2 dice, 7+ strength, [Swarmfighting]

    Skeleton Warriors
    Combat: 2 dice, 8+ strength, [Hard to kill]

    The Apprentice, Geomancer
    Combat: 2 dice, 6+ strength [Adaptable] [Wizard]


    Sanders, The Magma Wyrm [adds +25 to fortune threshold. Improves fortunes]

    Ingvar's Machine [Imprisoned]
    Combat: 3 dice, 5+ strength, [sluggish]

    [Adaptable] During a round, one positive trait of the target is cancelled
    [Lucky] One reroll per round
    [Ranged(short)] Make one attack without retaliation before melee
    [Wizard] Must spend 1 mana / round or lose all but one dice
    [Swarmfighting] +1 on rolls when targeting an enemy targeted by another ally
    [Hard to kill] If beaten in combat make a difficulty 8 check. On success the unit is not destroyed
    [Sluggish] Only rolls dice every second round
    [Battle Scholar] +1 study / round and +1 study on a natural 10

    Artifacts
    Vulcanus
    Grants Ranged(short) to the bearer
    Intelligent(?)

    The Archive
    Reflections on the twin shards and their ultimate connection to the artifact once known as The Weir
    Lowers difficulty of drawing by 2
    Increases output of drawing by +1/dice
    Increases mana income by +1 / turn
    Allows shard fusion/destruction

    A detailed consideration of the entities which lurk below and how to effectively bind them into perpetual servitude

    Diplomacy
    The Drowned Lady: Caldeot, the town by the Drowned City
    Relations: Respectful and amiable

    Sultan Ofan: New Thett, the merchant hub
    Relations: Besotted

    Nephroditi: The Bonemancer Wanderer
    Relations: Business-like
    Trade route: +1 silver piece / turn

    Selin:The Spirit-Weaver
    Relations: Unsettling, but positive

    Tzo'lin: The Undying Pious servant of The Bound Giant

    Axiom: The Fistcaster Loyalist
    Relations: Hatred
    Missing an arm
    Shardless

    Ingvar: The Instigator Mechano-Sage
    Relations: Unknown

    Summary
    Cinders strode along at the head of her troops. It probably was not enough to be called an army but the small unit of spearmen and the clattering bunch of skeletons would do. At the very least they would buy her time if there was to be conflict. She had more of less convinced herself now that it was Tzo'lin lurking within the mine. They had previously got along well enough before, or at least as well as it was possible with such a major gulf in religion. The servants of the Bound Giant had had a relatively straight-forward set of beliefs: Once all living souls had been one, a perfect gestalt form. That was not to say the Giant was alone in the world though, they were soulless abominations all around. Chief amongst these were the dragons. The dragon Kxkzrilexk, a being which had already been old when the world was born, was incredibly jealous of the Giant's unified soul and more or less seemed to devote its existence to tormenting the Giant and attempting to seed it with inner existential conflict.

    There were several books of Kxkzrilexk's torments. Cinders knew a few passages herself, such was the notoriety of the religion. Eventually, the giant was tricked into holding up the sky and the dragons united and attacked it. Unwilling to let the sky fall and crush the world, it was torn into shreds. The lumps of gore were stolen away by the dragons and spread across the world. Each lump of flesh was bound with unbreakable chains preventing the Giant from reforming itself. From each piece of the Giant came a nation of humanity and ever since then there had been those who claimed to remember unity and sought to break the unbreakable chains and thus reform the Giant.

    At the Institute, the faction had been focused on various forms of magically enhanced vivisection and stitching. Life was split open and rearranged to better fit their image of the original perfect world. There had been a few composite magi at the Institute, grotesque fusions of meat, bone and soul. They claimed to be the first step on the long road back to complete unity. Most just found them unsettling.

    Cinders and her warriors passed by quite a bit of traffic as they left Glassalia behind. Trade was ever increasing and the new rough path through the wood was slowly being paved with iridescent scale-shaped slabs of glass. It amused the lavashaper to see her little band of beached survivors becoming so much more than they had been. Arcbeth had found her calling when it came to managing the many threads of trades. It had gone from ad-hoc loading of barrels of whatever they had for what they could get into something more directed. Shortages and market crashes were being planned to ensure the future property of the village. The new head of what was being called the Mercantile Guild was doing an excellent job, but she was limited by the flow of intelligence. The more they knew about their trading partners, the more they could manipulate the marketplace.
    [Mercantile guild completed. +1 to the output from it for each other settlement containing a spy]

    Substantially later, Cinders was standing at the entrance to the mine. There was no pretending that it was not a sinister place. A howling wind came from within the blackness carrying the scent of purification and sulphur. She stepped over the threshold, the portal cut into the cliffs, and into the gloom within. As she walked, she traced her hand along the sidewall. The earth there glowed softly in response as it was superheated, but at her command it was prevented from flowing and collapsing the shaft around her. Vulcanus took the lead, a tiny flicking candle of light guiding the way.

    There were dozens of forks and twists but the path was obvious to Cinders: She followed her destiny.

    Every step made the foul stench stronger and the air became heavy and thick. Occasionally, Vulcanus would flare brightly as it encountered a pocket of explosive mine gas. The walls around them glittered with rich metallic veins. Copper, tin and even a little silver. Abandoning the mine must be costing Lord Laren a substantial amount. A little deeper and Cinders was having to stoop as the ceiling became substantially lower and the passage narrowed. Dendritic patterns of a slick transparent film decorated the rough stone walls now. Whatever it was, the slime seemed responsible for the smell. The militamen were looking noticeably greener from the unpleasant surroundings.

    Very suddenly the way ahead opened up. The mine shaft had hit some natural cavern. And standing a little way off was a figure. A figure in a filthy looking robe with chains wrapped around it.

    "Ciiiiiiindeeeeeeeerelaaaaaaaaa"

    The word was long and laboured. Behind her the milita and skeletons spread out, to have some room if violence was called for. Cinders herself was close enough now to see the figure's face. It was not Tzo'lin the Pious Servant of Bound Giant.

    "Gooooooood tooooooo seeeee yooou again."

    With each word the slurring was reduced. The robed figure was ankle deep in a stinking skin-coloured quivering mass, where it fused seamlessly. The slime-growths on the walls and floor all led to that horrible plug of flesh.

    "It taaaakes a little time to focus ourselves on just one part of the avaaaaatar, but we are here now. We are glad you seem to have survived the transition from our old prison. And you seem to have moved beyond just a single school of the arcane. That is very impressive. Or were they a gift from our mutual friend, Nephroditi? We would be pleased to know if the others had also made the crossing. Of course, we know of Ingvar. He sends his pitiful little creations from time to time. The old scheme is no longer important and this upsets him. He drones on and on about the fractured shards of The Weir like it matters. We can do it here, Cinderella. We can reform the original. The Giant will walk the world once more. Do not fear though, we remember your lack of faith and we have accepted that. You are no longer part of the original unity."

    "A proposition for you and yours we have. The Giant requires offerings of flesh. We are so close. Provide these and we will remove this part of the avatar to leave you the mine. The minerals here are interesting you, do they not? We have no need for such things."

    As the composite entity that involved Tzo'lin spoke, Cinders looked into its fate. Tzo'lin was close to achieving something monumental. And that would only accelerate if she helped. She also saw that Tzo'lin's plan involved shattering his crystal shard.

    [Tzo'lin will destroy his crystal and reawaken his god on turn 30]

    [Also, remember the Axiom event on turn 20 (next turn)]


    Decision Time
    (A letter and a number and specify Mana/Fortune for your vote bonus)

    Peasant action:
    A*: Build houses (shelter for 25 peasants) (costs 15 resources)[/s]
    B*: Build a farm (+20 food) (Costs 15 resources)[/s]
    C: Build a ship (allows contact with Drome and whaling) (costs 100 resources)
    D: Scout the mainland [specify southwest, south, east]
    E : Send a spy to Caldeot/New Thett (specify which) (costs 1 peasant, 10 silver pieces and 1 silver piece / turn)
    F: Raise militia (produces a [Militia] unit, costs 5 resources and 5 peasants)
    G : Work a double shift on the sawmill (produces 5+1d6 resources)

    *requires choosing option 1 due to a lack of resources

    Cinders action:
    1: Help the peasants (Pay 2x resource cost in mana and 0 resources on build, or pay 5 mana on production to obtain +1d8 resources) [Make sure the peasant action chosen makes sense]
    2: Try to draw more mana from the crystal shards (difficulty 11: Success gains 3d8+3 mana, Failure is bad)
    3: Construct a mana focus (costs 50 mana. Reduces drawing difficulty by 3 and adds +1d8 to drawing)
    4: Accelerate the experiments (costs 3 mana to obtain +1d8 study)
    5: Call for an audience with Nephroditi (costs 3 mana)
    6: Boil the lake to expose the drowned city (costs 100 mana)
    7: Attack/Annex Caldeot/New Thett (choose one and specify units)
    8: Personally travel to New Thett to accept the Sultan's hospitality (specify any units to accompany Cinders)
    9: Release the automaton and follow it to the tundra and Ingvar's reunion (specify units)
    10: Muse quietly on your throne (effectively a turn skip)

    £: Attack the composite entity right now (moves Tzo'lin's destiny event back 5 turns if you win)
    $: Accept Tzo'lin's offer (the mine produces +2 resources and +1 silver piece / turn and improves the double shift action) (costs 10 peasants, moves Tzo'lin's destiny event forward 5 turns)
    %: Leave the mine for the moment, the offer remains open if you run into some unwanted extra peasants

    (the fight is effectively part of this turn, so don't worry about getting caught away from Glassalia for the Axiom thing)

    Homogeneous distribution of your varieties of amuse-gueule
  • AuralynxAuralynx Darkness is a perspective Watching the ego workRegistered User regular
    E (New Thett) 4 %

    I vote that long-term we try to talk the Sultan and / or some equally-unpleasant guy into "investigating the mine."

    kshu0oba7xnr.png

  • CelebrimCelebrim Registered User regular
    edited December 2015
    I'm a bit concerned about the Sultan's "hospitality" actually. Selin was there before us and may have swayed him to her side. If we go, we may want to be prepared for a fight. Auralynx makes a good point, though. If Axiom is at all willing to talk, we definitely have a target for his wrath, in Tzo'lin's construct. Axiom seems to want to undo the event and a shattered shard would make that impossible.

    If we fight this thing ourselves, it seems we only delay Tzo'lin at the cost of angering him, and we no longer have the funds to purchase enough units if we lose badly.

    I'd like to either fight or experiment since either would probably net us enough research to prepare a summoning.

    E (New Thett) 4 % Fortune
    Overall this should help our preparations, we learn more about New Thett, possibly have a summonable minion if Axiom wants a fight and causes no permanent shifts in diplomacy with Tzo'lin.


    edt: Also, if Tzo'lin has his own shard and there were only 4 shards left when we fused, then Ingvar allied with/conquered the Stormlord.

    Celebrim on
  • DelmainDelmain Registered User regular
    E (New Thett) 4 %

    We need to try to find Tzo'lin's shard and take it before he destroys it.

    The mine isn't open (politically) for us to just trade for. Even if Tzo'lin evacuated it, Laren would be angry at us and it would affect our political standing in the area.

  • InvictusInvictus Registered User regular
    edited December 2015
    E (New Thett) 4 % Fortune

    Invictus on
    Generalísimo de Fuerzas Armadas de la República Argentina
  • zekebeauzekebeau Registered User regular
    edited December 2015
    E (New Thett) 4 % fortune[/quote]

    zekebeau on
  • see317see317 Registered User regular
    G5% -Fortune
    More resources
    Let's call up Nephroditi, at the least we can let her know what we've learned, maybe get her input on the situation.
    She might still have that "bring back the dead" juice while we're talking. I mean, sure, our first apprentice is dead, but is he really that dead? Alternatively, it might be nice if our next apprentice winds up dead to have the option. Now that we've got some income rolling.

  • discriderdiscrider Registered User regular
    edited December 2015
    E (Caldot) 4 % Fortune

    Because if we're going to provoke someone to attack this fledgling god, the religious fanatics seem like a better bet.

    discrider on
  • CelebrimCelebrim Registered User regular
    If we can't convince Axiom to attack the mine, I can get behind calling Neph next turn. It'll mean we probably had to fight him and may need a new unit anyway. Also next turn we'll have 29 (or 18/19 with a spy) silver. The turn after we'll get past the next "10" silver threshold which seems to be how she was pricing, plus another turn's worth of mana to sell.

  • TipharethTiphareth Registered User regular
    E(New Thett)5%

    Let us see if we can get Nephroditi to run some rumours for us. Fighting Tzo'lin is all well and good, but I'd rather our other enemies fight him for us. And she would want to run those rumours for us, probably some good coin involved if she can entice with it.

  • see317see317 Registered User regular
    Celebrim wrote: »
    If we can't convince Axiom to attack the mine, I can get behind calling Neph next turn. It'll mean we probably had to fight him and may need a new unit anyway. Also next turn we'll have 29 (or 18/19 with a spy) silver. The turn after we'll get past the next "10" silver threshold which seems to be how she was pricing, plus another turn's worth of mana to sell.

    It looks like we'd have enough mana to sell regardless of when we call her, unless we start figuring out ways to spend it beyond "let's build stuff for the peasants".

  • DelmainDelmain Registered User regular
    We still need to raise the drowned city at some point because of course we do

  • wiltingwilting I had fun once and it was awful Registered User regular
    Talking to Nephroditi and Axion about what is going on seem like excellent moves at this juncture. She might be willing to help and may have a lead on where Tzo'lin's shard is. And she's travelling with someone else now?

    E (New Thett) 5 %

  • AnialosAnialos Collies are love, Collies are life! Shadowbrook ColliesRegistered User regular
    E (New Thett) 4 Pound +Fortune[/quote]

  • jakobaggerjakobagger LO THY DREAD EMPIRE CHAOS IS RESTORED Registered User regular
    E(Caldeot) 4 %

  • RoonieRoonie Registered User regular
    E (New Thett) 4 % Fortune I think at some point soon we need to attack Tzo'lin, not sure if we want him to start his event. Seems like a bad idea to let someone else reawaken a god...

  • AuralynxAuralynx Darkness is a perspective Watching the ego workRegistered User regular
    edited December 2015
    Roonie wrote: »
    I think at some point soon we need to attack Tzo'lin, not sure if we want him to start his event. Seems like a bad idea to let someone else reawaken a god...

    It seems to be implied that the thing in the cave is not Tzo'lin himself, so I suspect we have to find him first.

    Auralynx on
    kshu0oba7xnr.png

  • zekebeauzekebeau Registered User regular
    Yeah, attacking him would only delay the god thing by 5 turns, so likely this thing in the cave is just a manifestation of the whole and his shard is elsewhere. Hopefully Axiom can be guided toward him like a fist-based missile, but I kinda feel the guy who's arm we cut off won't be eager to help. Summoning bone lady next turn does sound good, she seems like a type to have info.

    I'd like to say I am very wary of the sultan, what kind of person is so eager to meet with a wizard face to face? Have you seen what wizards do? Burning down forests, pulling peasant eating lava creatures from the earth, stealing babies, etc. Why, they are monsters!
    As a great man one said "I don't want to be associated with any club that would have me as a member."

  • CelebrimCelebrim Registered User regular
    My idea with Axiom was not to convince him to help as much as give him something to hate more than us.

  • Mojo_JojoMojo_Jojo We are only now beginning to understand the full power and ramifications of sexual intercourse Registered User regular
    No update today guys as I'm travelling and the idea of phone updating fills with two thumbed terror

    Homogeneous distribution of your varieties of amuse-gueule
  • zekebeauzekebeau Registered User regular
    edited December 2015
    Sounds like a day to fill with conjecture and hopefully someone can make some concept art. (I can barely draw stick figures, sadly).

    zekebeau on
  • DelmainDelmain Registered User regular
    Mojo_Jojo wrote: »
    No update today guys as I'm travelling and the idea of phone updating fills with two thumbed terror

    that makes 100000% sense

    phone posting is the worst

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