Inactive [LP CYOA] Overlord

[Baltika9]

Look, I know you think you're right, and you can be smug about it all you want, but at least acknowledge that we have legit reasons to disagree with you.
As for my goals (loaded question, by the way, I didn't want to go on this retarded thing in the first place), milk him and the kingdom for all their worth, corrupt the prince if possible and then fuck off until they fuck us.

 

[Esquilax]

But I seem to recall saying that a prince of Methuss does not equal Methuss. Yeah, that's not an easy concept to grasp.

A prince is the representative of a nation. Now, we might go the mercenary route, as Elfberserker suggested, I think that's an interesting route to take. We do favours for various powers in exchange for gold and wenches.

However, to say that a member of royalty doesn't represent their country in some way is just crazy. Sure, he's not a King or a Queen, but it's not nothing either. He wouldn't have the authority to offer a title if he did not "equal" Methuss to some extent.

Your consistency isn't worth much. You don't involve yourself with any battle with the intention to win and NOT use your power. So what? I am using it, don't I?

Forgive me for not descenting to the depth of retardation by showing absolutely everything where it is not necessary.

Thank fucking Christ, an actual argument for once. Now we're getting somewhere. Okay, so let's try to speculate on how much power we really need to take these guys out. This is something I can work with. I don't have time to look it up just now, but how much power do you think we need to ensure the Prince's survival?

On another note, as Baltika said, all the powers clearly don't like non-humans.

“We are Galbaldian forces sent here to spy on Methuss. If… if you are in any way a sla... a subject of Methuss, by the Concord of Loum we submit to your forces as prisoners of war, and expect to be treated accordingly.”

“Hm. Interesting.” You look over at the goblins, where wounded Robust has cut Boss down and is freeing his comrades. “Were the goblins signatories to that concord?”

“Gob… what do you mean? Of course not!” the commander shouts, offended by the very thought. “To have non-human scum be present at the signing of a holy pact… that is unthinkable!”

However, Gigadyne != not-human. We were human when we used Gigadyne, after all. Sure, using the ability will tip off that we are incredibly powerful, but is the problem revealing that we're powerful, or that we're an angel? It seems like the latter might be more of an issue, so maybe it's okay to err on the side of using more power?

 

[Nevill]

Look, I know you think you're right, and you can be smug about it all you want, but at least acknowledge that we have legit reasons to disagree with you.

Of course I do.

But can we please not act as if IT IS OVER, WE ARE DONE FOR, ABANDON SHIP, MIGHT AS WELL DO [something ill-advised] BECAUSE THE END IS NIGH?

Thank you.

As far as I see, there are a few ways open to us. If we compare the leading (so far) options of B3 and D6 it is continuing to play a powerful mage who may or may not be connected to the Ion Cannon, or an outright display of overwhelming force.

If you present your argument like you want to intimidate them with your power, or you want to show the prince your hands in a gesture that you don't mean him harm and thus solidify the alliance, or you have anything else in mind - then I would have no problem with it.

If, however, you are banging your head against the wall and screaming 'WHAT HAVE YOU FAGGOTS DONE, SUDOKU IS THE ONLY WAY NOW BECAUSE WHY NOT?' then forgive me for not taking you seriously.

 

[Elfberserker]

Wait a minute, I am confused.
Are we just trying to help the prince escape or are we trying to destroy the enemy force?
I think 3 or 4 should be sufficient, so we can save dragon spell or gigadyne as secret ace of sleeve....Not to cover our identity, but to have nasty trick to use someone actual powerful

Edit: Bros, BROS!
We need to remember to let rin have her happy chopping time also.

 

[Nevill]

Thank fucking Christ, an actual argument for once.

That's still one more than you have.

He wouldn't have the authority to offer a title if he did not "equal" Methuss to some extent.

...and he doesn't.

It may not be in my power to grant you a full title of nobility, but I can assure you some riches, at least...

But that's not the point. The point is that he is an individual, not a state. There are at least six more individuals who 'represent' the state in no less measure than he does, and all might have different agendas. This is not locking us in a path where we are loyal to Methuss, though it might lock us out of Barzam route... which I am sure you know I am fine with, by now.

Each and every citizen is a representative of Methuss 'to some extent', but you can't apply your logic to, say, the kids, with a straight face.

However, Gigadyne != not-human. We were human when we used Gigadyne, after all.

Sure. But Gigadyne = S rank spell and a boatload of Mana. Why give away the extent of your abilities? Why not keep them guessing, or intrigued? It also disincentifies a potential enemy from acting if he thinks you have something hidden behind your back.

I am similarly opposed to using a Dragon, though slightly less so.

Are we just trying to help the prince escape or are we trying to destroy the enemy force?

It will depend on the choices:

Anyway, here's a few questions that can guide your decision:

The Prince: more useful to you alive or dead?
The Prince's Knights: more useful to you alive or dead?
The Twins: more useful to you alive or dead?
The Villagers: more useful to you alive or dead?
The Barzamites: Kill them all, or let them report to their country? And will you be able to take the prince away without them noticing, if you choose to?

 

[Baltika9]

If, however, you are banging your head over the wall and screaming 'WHAT HAVE YOU FAGGOTS DONE, SUDOKU IS THE ONLY WAY NOW BECAUSE WHY NOT?' then forgive me for not taking you seriously.

That's not at all what my point was.
All I'm saying is that we're going to be revealed eventually, so might as well play to their expectations and let them think that they've got us pegged for character and power level.
Sure, as an added bonus they'll be more cautious in approaching us and take more time to plan it out, but our angelic nature will be revealed at some point. It's game over in the human kingdoms after that.
That being said, I love Elfberserker's idea: we merc while the going is good, get acclimated, make some contacts and then move east.

 

[Rex Feral]

ABB1>ABB3

I can't say I care very much for the kids. They should start pulling their weight around if they are to become our Royal Assassins.

For the second choice we better keep in character.

For the third and last, it was my idea that if we help we stand out as little as possible so as to not make the prince to interested in us or give the enemy too much info.

 

[lightbane]

Massive butthurt shitstorm

That was a fun read. By the way people, in case you have forgotten, even Gygadine doesn't have to be necessarily dangerous to use here. Mostly because it can be as powerful or as weak as much as we want: from small lightning that may hurt an elderly man, to HYPER GIGA ION CANNON COLUMN OF DOOM!!!!!!

As long as we don't do the latter (especially if these electric golden wings show up), I think we'll be fine no matter what happens nor we'll be considered anything more than a very powerful mage.

 

[Nevill]

All right, I am back at my keyboard, bitches! This might take a while, I am going to address this in order.

However, a good argument for Gigadyne would be that they already saw our lightshow before and the prince is probably expecting us to do it again (he seems the type to play stupid to get you off your guard).
I think he already connected the dots and is just waiting for confirmation, so we might as well do what's expected of us right now.

Okay, so this is the thing that made me roll my eyes hard.

'This guy knows something, we must conform to his expectations to lull him into a false sense of security!'

How about considering that the guy might not have any expectations in the first place? He literally doesn't know what to expect of us, and that is why he approached us, because he is stupid brave like that!

All right, people have seen a Pillar of Light, and there is a powerful mage lurking in the forest. Obviously, they will connect the dots and make a brilliant conclusion.

But is there even a conclusion to be made? I am fairly confident there were no first-hand witnesses to us casting the spell except for us, Rin and the gobbos. Here are five potential explanations, from the top of my head:

- The flash of light signified our arrival. We can't actually do anything on that level. In fact, any commoner transported from another realm will result in exactly the same devastating effect. This is only veeery tangentially related to us and in no way indicative of our capabilities.
- The flash of light signified the arrival of a powerful artefact that Barzam is after. The artefact is said to influence the fate of the world, so it is reasonable to assume everything that concerns it is AWESUM. This is unrelated to us at all. Maybe we were a hermit in the forest all along and the flash drove us out. There is no way to confirn this.
- The flash was a result of someone interacting with the artefact in the wrong (or right) way. Not even the Barzamites whose Princess has seen it in her dreams know what it actually does. This, again, is completely unrelated to us.
- The flash was a result of an explosion in the ruins. They are ancient, standing here from the times of the first war - who knows what could have lurked there?
- The flash was a result of battle that raged there between powerful entities. It does not mean we were one of these entities, and even if they do suspect it, it does not mean we were the ones who cast it and not the ones on the receiving end.

Of course people would be suspicious towards anything unusual that is happening around the place, since it is about to become a battlezone between two countries, but to say that they expect you to be that guy when they have no idea what happened is to vastly overstate your case.

Does it make sense for them to be interested in the topic, ask you about it, and watch you carefully? Hell, yes! Does it mean they *know* anything substantial? Hell, no!

Essentially, until you do a pose and scream at people, 'HEY, CHECK OUT WHAT I CAN DO!!!', there is no way for them to confirm their suspicions beyond that you are a powerful mage of unknown allegiances, and that you might have been involved in the rival country invading theirs somehow.

When people seriously argue to do just that I can only wonder if they are being... unwise... on purpose.

They don't know what you can do unless you go ahead and do it.

 

[profreshinal]

I think the prince is hiding something. He was very nonchalant when he was told there were a lot more enemies around, enough to kill him. I want to lure him out and provoke him to use whatever he may be hiding. To do this B2 would best. Fighting the enemy from the side without enough firepower to signal that we might be the biggest threat. Possibly failing the diversion.

If the prince has an ace up his sleeve we find out and we qualify for the reward with minimal effort. If he hasn't, well sometimes when you roll the dies you lose.

 

[Jester]

A - lets see what they are made of.
C > A - Don't split main party.
D > B - Duck hunt.
2 - magic misualll

edit flop 3rd part to D2>B3

 

[Nevill]

Next, addressing the question of 'the prince of Methuss is totes the same as Methuss because he represents Methuss'.

We're allying ourselves with a Prince of Methuss to fight the evil Barzamites and curry favour with the nation of Methuss. However, seeing as they will likely eventually betray us, we can't appear too powerful, or else we will be killed because they can prepare for the full extent of our abilities.

Can you make this sound not retarded? I'm trying, but it's impossible.

No, you can't make it sound not retarded, but that has nothing to do with what it is actually about.

To say that the prince is a representative of the country is to say that Xu Jing is a representative of China. Sure, he might have a pull with the Emperor and make things happen - say, employ an isle woth of foreign pirates into Imperial service and make a no-name scholar a Senior Advisor - but the idea that he is somehow more than that is, quite simply, ridiculous. The prince only represents his faction, if that. Depending on the current political status in the kingdom our 'alliance' might be completely inconsequental - it would all depend on how big of a fish he is, and there is nothing preventing us from saying goodbye after our business is concluded and walking our way.

The only choice we've made here is to side with one faction against another faction in a skirmish, for a reward. That's all there is. I don't see any mythical 'commitment' that 'locks us on a path' unless you think that these two factions are the only ones in this world.

I can't even say that it locks us out of a Barzam route (is there even such a thing as a 'state route '? was Man Tiger Pig on a 'Shaolin route' or 'Ashina route'?) if we ever find it worth our time to side with these losers. It might make it more difficult to see eye to eye with them, but I can always remind you of Xu Jing's turbulent history with the Emei faction.

Which brings me to my next point.

Why would they come for our ass if we're helping them? I'm sorry, this situation is so bizarre.

Yeah, yeah, we are TOTES ALLYING WITH METHUSS, I get it. But if we suppose - for a second, just hypothetically - that Methuss is not a monolithic entity, and that there are five more Princes and one whole King between Farland and the throne, and that not everyone might be happy with us helping him? What if we suppose that whoever prepared this ambush knew that the Prince was coming, suggesting the involvement of someone close to him or his father? Does it make sense not to drool and grin 'FRIENDZZZ!!!' like an idiot because all Methussians are now in love with us and want to hug us, but behave ourselves with a little more caution, keeping at least a few things secret? Such as our lightning form, for example, that makes us impossible to tie up? Or a freaking dragon that makes us capable of flying and can level a small castle all by itself?

Even if the Prince is as friendly as he seems and his knights are all mute, all it takes is a copious amount of wine to loosen his tongue and make information about you available to a few people that you would have preferred to keep away from it. Is it not a common sense not to flash your personal information around if there is no necessity? Is that really such a strange notion that if you show somebody your passport you do not have to also show them your credit card, PIN code, and the social security number because 'MIGHT AS WELL'?

I am fucking appalled by the level of in this thread.

It's not that I am against 3D6 on principle, there are good reasons that it is one of the contenders, but the rationalizations that some people make are so far beyond logic that they can be used as a kill-switch against sentient computers.

 

[a cut of domestic sheep prime]

To say that the prince is a representative of the country is to say that Xu Jing is a representative of China.

So the prince of the country does not represent the country at all. I'm sure that's why the prince has been given command of troops. I'm sure that's also why there is currently a small army of his country's enemies trying to murder him. Probably has nothing to do with his country, right? Gambling debts - yeah, that's probably it.

And btw, it'd be more appropriate to compare Jing to this prince's adjutant if anyone. If you are going to compare this prince to anyone in Legend, it would be Prince Shun.

Is it not a common sense not to flash your personal information around if there is no necessity? Is that really such a strange notion that if you show somebody your passport you do not have to also show them your credit card, PIN code, and the social security number because 'MIGHT AS WELL'?

First off, no one is giving "social security numbers" or whatver, so quit exaggerating. We're talking about one spell.

It's too late to go under the radar. We've already given these guys enough to establish who we are to anyone that meets us in the future. A lightning spell or two - btw almost every option except hand to hand seems to have lightning spells - isn't going to make much of a difference.

Again, if you wanted secrecy, you shouldn't have picked A.

I am fucking appalled by the level of in this thread.

Should you be, seeing as how you are the one spewing most of it?

 

[Storyfag]

ACD6

 

[Nevill]

So the prince of the country does not represent the country at all.

What a surprise, eh?

No, you are right, of course he does. Every prince does. Next time one of his brothers wants to stab us in the back for helping him, we should declare total war on Methuss seeing how they have attacked us first.

Hmm, is the commander who killed our gobbos representative of Barzam? I think Rin was onto something when she said about the destruction of the 'rest of their people'.

I'm sure that's why the prince has been given command of troops.

Whole ten of them! That is quite an army!

I'm sure that's also why there is currently a small army of his country's enemies trying to murder him.

It certainly couldn't be because he is one of the players.

If you are going to compare this prince to anyone in Legend, it would be Prince Shun.

Prince Shun was a Crown Prince and then Emperor. He was the absolute power. But until he actually became one he was just the first one of many. Had it come to a civil war with his brothers, he'd be one of the competing warlords and little else.

Farland does not even have the power to make you a noble... for the moment.

Now, if we could make the dude King from behind his back, we would be able to talk about allying with the country.

We're talking about one spell.

We are talking about logic. Or the lack of thereof in certain arguments.

 

[Esquilax]

So the prince of the country does not represent the country at all. I'm sure that's why the prince has been given command of troops. I'm sure that's also why there is currently a small army of his country's enemies trying to murder him. Probably has nothing to do with his country, right? Gambling debts - yeah, that's probably it.

I actually agree with what Elfberserker said about this - helping the Prince won't lock us into being Methuss' bitch. You could still play the part of a freelance mercenary, and you could end up aiding or aligning with one of the other powers down the road. Plus, given that we have a situation with three powers that are apparently tense with one another, I'm sure that there are a lot of shifting alliances and political scheming behind close doors. In that sort of situation, nothing is permanent. One skirmish isn't going to dictate our fate for the entire LP.

However, I don't see how Nevill can be so obtuse as to deny that a Prince does not represent Methuss. I suppose if we kidnapped him, they would not have a problem with it, since he doesn't represent Methuss, after all. At the very least, allying with him does mean that our power base in the next little while is going to be situated in Methuss. If this works out well (who knows, we might get betrayed), we'll have a royal ally within the country and likely some local fame in the area:

Erise Village: 0 (Neutral)

If you'll notice, the village is a faction. So, should things work out and we have minimum collateral damage (which is what ACD6 should result in), we'll have grassroots support and a friend in high places who is fairly influential. That means that we will be somewhat friendly with Methuss for the time being, at the expense of the Barzamites.

 

[Nevill]

I suppose if we kidnapped him, they would not have a problem with it, since he doesn't represent Methuss, after all.

I suppose they would still have a problem with it if we kidnapped one of their generals, or the King's personal maid.

Does... does the maid represent Methuss as well? I am sorry, I am a bit new to this logic.

One skirmish isn't going to dictate our fate for the entire LP.

Thankfully, this is one thing we can agree on.

 

[a cut of domestic sheep prime]

I actually agree with what Elfberserker said about this - helping the Prince won't lock us into being Methuss' bitch.

Of course it won't, we could always tell them to piss off. However, it does put it out there that we helped them - which will likely make the Barzamites want to kill us and Galbaldia distrust us to some degree (mercenary or no, working for a competing power tends to make people trust you less). Also, unlike Baltika, I wanted to learn more about the Barzamites before utterly demonizing them and assuming what we've seen so far is representative of their entire leadership and culture.

 

[Elfberserker]

Well, if anything this will show people how good mercenaries we are. Who knows maybe confessor princess has little sister called whippy steel maiden who secretly wants to usurp her older sister.

i have a feeling that each kingdom will have its own little internal strife.
On plus side, galbadians should like us since we will stop them being framed by barzamians.

 

[a cut of domestic sheep prime]

I suppose they would still have a problem with it if we kidnapped one of their generals, or the King's personal maid.

Does... does the maid represent Methuss as well? I am sorry, I am a bit new to this logic.

What seriously? Do you not see the difference between the royal family and an employee of the royal family? Bro, your argument hit rock bottom a while ago, give it up.

Let's go back a few updates:

You recall Runde’s brief report on the countries surrounding your village. The ruins are in Methussian land, which is a kingdom bordered by Galbaldy, Dijeh, and the Holy Barzam Ecclesiocracy. This could be risky: if it turns out that it is a trap, you would be revealing your presence for a poor reason - especially if some of them get away - and it might also embroil you in complicated geopolitics that you have little knowledge about.

So if killing a bunch of soldiers in a camp without ever revealing who we are or why we did it would embroil us in complicated geopolitics, how much more so would killing more than twice that amount of soldiers in the service of a Methuss prince do it?

Again, give up on it: the fact is that this would associate us with both the prince and Methuss. As Esquilax said, that doesn't have to be a permanent association, but it will affect our reputation.

How do we know that Barzam doesn't have an alliance with one of the other kingdoms and now instead of pissing off just Barzam - whom we know very little about - we piss of one or more other countries whom we know nothing about?

I just don't get why this is so painful for you to admit. Just own up to the fact that we are fighting on the side of a particular faction in this struggle - even if it is only for one battle - and that this will affect our reputation in the future.

 

[Nevill]

As Esquilax said, that doesn't have to be a permanent association, but it will affect our reputation.

Wow. Now it is Esquilax who said that when my argument dates back to the previous update.

I just don't get why this is so painful for you to admit. Just own up to the fact that we are fighting on the side of a particular faction in this struggle - even if it is only for one battle - and that this will affect our reputation in the future.

I don't know. Maybe it is painful for me to admit because that is what I have been saying from the beginning and I've been hearing 'NO WE ARE LOCKED IN FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE' in response which has only subsided by now. I mean, there are only so many ways to interpret this line of argument:

We do a favour for the heir to the throne of Methuss, killing a raiding party of Barzamites (disguised as Galbadians) in the process. How the hell will this not lock us into a friendship path with Methuss? We've allied ourselves with royalty, for fuck's sake.

Fuck this dude's gratitude. A petty distinction and a trip to the library isn't worth limiting our future options like this.

That is certainly a possibility, eh?

Anyway, I think our energy would be better spent discussing the actual options of offer.

 

[Esquilax]

Of course it won't, we could always tell them to piss off. However, it does put it out there that we helped them - which will likely make the Barzamites want to kill us and Galbaldia distrust us to some degree (mercenary or no, working for a competing power tends to make people trust you less). Also, unlike Baltika, I wanted to learn more about the Barzamites before utterly demonizing them and assuming what we've seen so far is representative of their entire leadership and culture.

Bingo, and that's the crux of why we're so butthurt. We took sides in a conflict we had no stake in for the first cunt who simply said "pretty please", without knowing any of the facts beforehand.

Well, if anything this will show people how good mercenaries we are. Who knows maybe confessor princess has little sister called whippy steel maiden who secretly wants to usurp her older sister.

i have a feeling that each kingdom will have its own little internal strife.
On plus side, galbadians should like us since we will stop them being framed by barzamians.

Well, as Nevill pointed out, Methuss has six princes, so I'm sure that there is a lot of internal scheming.

I think we ought to remember this list:

The Prince: more useful to you alive or dead?
The Prince's Knights: more useful to you alive or dead?
The Twins: more useful to you alive or dead?
The Villagers: more useful to you alive or dead?
The Barzamites: Kill them all, or let them report to their country? And will you be able to take the prince away without them noticing, if you choose to?

Given the circumstances, I think that the Prince and the Villagers are most useful to us alive, if we're going to improve our reputation in the Kingdom of Methuss and get some local support. Ideally, we want the Barzamites all dead so that they can't go back to their superiors, but it seems more trouble than it's worth to find and kill every single soldier out of a 100. It would also probably involve a lot of collateral damage in the village as well, which would be detrimental to getting some support from local humans.

The Twins aren't particularly useful or useless to us. We'll see how they prove their worth. As for the knights, probably more useful to us dead if we're going to use some nifty powers, but I'm not sure that the Prince would appreciate that.

 

[lightbane]

Random question: How would Barzam know who we are and what we have done to begin with? There were no survivors left with the ruins' incursion, so they couldn't be able to report back to their base nor be aware of who was responsible for their annihilation (unless one of them was under a spell that somehow worked like a recording camera). What's more, what the prince pressumedly only knows about Mercant is that he's a mysterious, hooded mage who hasn't given his name nor shown his face yet. In fact, our current clothes are made from the cloak the general from that expedition wore, which may cause some confusion if people notice (and giving us a reason to find/make a replacement as soon as possible, just to be sure).

In any case, unless the Prince starts shouting to everyone who comes across about who we are and what we did to save him, it's unlikely the Barzam guys will know much about us except that we are a mysterious wizard who came out from nowhere, and who helped the sixth prince of Methus for some reason, which is not much to work with.

Lastly, once/if we manage to find out a way to conceal/remove our angelic features more consistently (through the use of an illusion spell, for example), Barzam nor anyone else will be able to recognize us for what we are for some time.

 

[a cut of domestic sheep prime]

Wow. Now it is Esquilax who said that when my argument dates back to the previous update.

Then what in the fuck are you arguing about?

I don't know. Maybe it is painful for me to admit because that is what I have been saying from the beginning and I've been hearing 'NO WE ARE LOCKED IN FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE' in response which has only subsided by now. I mean, there are only so many ways to interpret this line of argument:

And I supposed you missed that Esquilax said that he agreed with Elfbeserker that it wouldn't lock us in to an alliance?

The problem is you are being much to aspergers-literal as usual. The entire concept of being truly and literally "locked in" to anything doesn't exist in these LPs. There is usually room to screw up relationships and betray friends or make friends with old enemies. Yes, we are effectively "locking in" that for the moment we are friends with the prince and Methuss. Could we change that and "lock in" that we are their enemies in the next update? Maybe, but we'd still have the fact that we fought in their defense in our history and that would affect what the other factions think of us to some degree. To what degree we don't know, but that's what you get when you dive head first into a geopolitical conflict you know nothing about.

 

[Esquilax]

Random question: How would Barzam know who we are and what we have done to begin with? There were no survivors left with the ruins' incursion, so they couldn't be able to report back to their base nor be aware of who was responsible for their annihilation (unless one of them was under a spell that somehow worked like a recording camera). What's more, what the prince pressumedly only knows about Mercant is that he's a mysterious, hooded mage who hasn't given his name nor shown his face yet. In fact, our current clothes are made from the cloak the general from that expedition wore, which may cause some confusion if people notice (and giving us a reason to find/make a replacement as soon as possible, just to be sure). In any case, unless the Prince starts shouting to everyone who comes across about who we are and what we did to save him, it's unlikely the Barzam will know much about us except that we are a mysterious wizard who came out from nowhere that helped the last prince of Barzam for some reason, which is not much to work with.

Lastly, once/if we manage to find out a way to conceal/hide our angelic features more consistently (through the use of an illusion spell, for example), Barzam nor anyone else will be able to recognize us at all if we want it that way.

There is probably a lot of skulduggery and conflict between Methuss and Barzam. Wouldn't be a surprise if they both had spies in each other's ranks. In any case, if the mission proves to be a smashing success and we return with the prince to get a reward of some sort, obviously that's going to tip Barzam off that it was because we stopped the raid. 100 of their men die, then some mysterious, powerful mage is suddenly rewarded and given a small position/some money/wenches by the Prince? Gee, I wonder why?