Shape the Fate of a Ruined World With Your Choice of Magics! (CoG CYOA)

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achtungnight: Oct 5, 2014; I get my fun here. Enjoy!

Grr... Hopefully, those fires were at a perfect temperature of 451 degrees Fahrenheit. Grr... Hopefully, those books were all by terrible authors and/or preaching terrible awful no-good very-bad messages. Grr...

[slaps Adventurer Ron across the face with a leather glove] 2. I'm in the mood for a duel!

achtungnight fucked around with this message at 12:07 on Sep 26, 2019

# ? Sep 26, 2019 10:44

Adbot: ADBOT LOVES YOU

# ? Jun 9, 2024 13:46

Arcanuse: Mar 15, 2019

3 Glamour up. Begone, adventurer, begone.

# ? Sep 26, 2019 13:52

ultrafilter: Aug 23, 2007; It's okay if you have any questions.

# ? Sep 26, 2019 15:39

LightWarden: Mar 18, 2007; Lander county's safe as heaven,
despite all the strife and boilin',
Tin Star,
Oh how she's an icon of the eastern west,
But now the time has come to end our song,
of the Tin Star, the Tin Star!

Town's only big enough for one monster-hunting ruin-delver.

quote:

While glamored, I command Ron to leave town forever.

You cast a glamor, then confront Ron in the tavern, where he's busy pestering people.

"Ron, go now," you boom. "Leave this town and never come back."

"Okay," Adventurer Ron says agreeably.

And just like that, Adventurer Ron heads out of the tavern, never to return. You vaguely wonder whether he would have done the same thing if you had just very forcefully told him what he had to do next. You make your exit before the glamor wears off.

The townsfolk are impressed, and glad to see Adventurer Ron go. (Increased Adoration.) (%+5 Adoration = +1% Adoration)

quote:

Just when you've gotten to expect that life in Bonton will be the only life you ever know from now on, everything changes.

It is midautumn, and the weather has begun to turn cold. When you come inside the church from another day of miracles and dispensing advice, Saint Sam is there, talking to the pastor. He stops when you enter.

"It's good to see you again," Sam says. "I have a message from the hierophant." The saint's eyes widen at what he says next. "You�have done well, and you have a new mission."

"Yes?"

quote:

"You are to be the queen's new blessed advisor."

Chapter 6: Blessed Advisor Kris

Achievement: Blessed Advisor Became the queen's blessed advisor

We survived! We were right on the edge for getting the torches and pitchforks out for us at one point, but we managed to press on and turn things around.

quote:

You await Queen Thecla in her great throne room, a large hall festooned with banners of various important noble houses and busy with gossiping courtiers. The courtiers' main topic of conversation at the moment appears to be you, as you catch darting glances from around the room. But they are subtle; you never quite catch a direct stare.

You get the sense that your reputation has preceded you and that they're aware of your popularity in Bonton. But some of them are also simply commenting on your clothing.

What have you decided to wear to court?

1. My leather armor. (+Fighting)
2. My duelist uniform. (+Charisma)
3. My black robes. (+Subtlety, +Negation)
4. My saint's garb. (++Charisma, +++++Adoration, Church Rel)

New appointment, new look?

# ? Sep 27, 2019 05:54

ultrafilter: Aug 23, 2007; It's okay if you have any questions.

Saint's garb

# ? Sep 27, 2019 05:56

Maugrim: Feb 16, 2011; I eat your face

Santa's garb.

# ? Sep 27, 2019 08:55

achtungnight: Oct 5, 2014; I get my fun here. Enjoy!

3. Nah, same old look.

# ? Sep 27, 2019 14:21

LightWarden: Mar 18, 2007; Lander county's safe as heaven,
despite all the strife and boilin',
Tin Star,
Oh how she's an icon of the eastern west,
But now the time has come to end our song,
of the Tin Star, the Tin Star!

Keep looking the part then.

quote:

My saint's garb. (++Charisma, +++++Adoration, Church Rel)

You decide your saint's cowl will continue to serve your purposes just fine. The courtiers seem somewhat disappointed to see that the new blessed advisor, rumored to be so idiosyncratic, looks like just another Church saint. But you think the Church will appreciate your emphasis on continuity. (Increased Church Relationship.) (%+5 Church = +1% Church 2% Charisma)

The courtiers' own outfits are highly exaggerated, with long pointed shoes that curl at the tips, and giant feathered hats that must make it a challenge to navigate a crowded room. You suppose they're advertising the fact that they are too important to ever do anything menial.

It's hard not to get caught up in the romance of the throne room. You can easily imagine the weddings of monarchs past: the processional down the red carpet toward the throne; well-wishers strewing petals from the balconies; the lovers' retreat through the doors in the back to the royal bedrooms. But then you remember the royal family has had more funerals than weddings of late; Queen Thecla has seen only the bleaker kind of ceremony in her lifetime.

The throne, a large gilded seat flaking at the edges but still commanding, is accompanied by a second seat made of what appears to be pure alabaster. The back of the chair is engraved with a flame, an eye, and a sun. This must be your new seat as the queen's spiritual advisor.

quote:

A servant in the queen's navy-blue-and-gold livery emerges from the back door behind the throne and beckons to you. You follow him through the back door and into a passage that seems not to be intended for the public, judging from the old stone walls that appear dusted but unadorned. Burning torches provide the light; there are no windows.

quote:

The servant knocks on a plain-looking wooden door.

"Come in," commands an alto from within.

The servant opens the door, and you're surprised to find yourself being led into the queen's bedchamber.

The queen herself sits at a cluttered writing desk. She wears a puffy white dress that sparkles in the light from the barred skylight above. She looks younger than you expect; you knew she was thirty-three, eight years older than you, but somehow you had expected her to look more middle-aged. Her smooth skin and lustrous long hair admit no ravages of time, but her eyes bespeak hard-earned wisdom and a touch of amusement.

You wonder at first where you're supposed to sit�the canopied four-post bed? The queen pushes her chair away from the desk slightly, and the servant drags a cushioned chair out from behind the veiled bed and into position across from the queen.

"Have a seat," Queen Thecla says. "Unless Abraxas intends to summon you a better one." Her attitude is pleasant but slightly sardonic.

You have the strange sensation of being watched from elsewhere, and you notice tiny embrasures on three of the walls where arrows could pass. Protection from assassination seems to have trumped aesthetic concerns at nearly every stage of the palace's design, and you have no doubt you would be full of arrows in a moment if you made any sudden moves. You slowly and deliberately take the seat opposite the queen.

"You must be the town wizard of Akriton," Queen Thecla says. "And saint of Bonton."

"That's correct," you affirm.

"Your reputation precedes you," Queen Thecla says lightly. "And that's nice�it's awkward when a blessed advisor turns out to be secretly corrupt or deranged. But I'd still like to ask you some questions."

"Of course," you say.

"Are the magics of the saints and the magics of the ancients one and the same?" Queen Thecla asks you.

1. "Yes. The Church is engaged in a grand deception."
2. "Yes, but for the good of humanity, this must not become widely known."
3. "No, my miracles come from Abraxas."

What do we tell the queen?

# ? Sep 28, 2019 05:11

ultrafilter: Aug 23, 2007; It's okay if you have any questions.

# ? Sep 28, 2019 05:19

achtungnight: Oct 5, 2014; I get my fun here. Enjoy!

# ? Sep 28, 2019 05:48

Maugrim: Feb 16, 2011; I eat your face

# ? Sep 28, 2019 07:14

LightWarden: Mar 18, 2007; Lander county's safe as heaven,
despite all the strife and boilin',
Tin Star,
Oh how she's an icon of the eastern west,
But now the time has come to end our song,
of the Tin Star, the Tin Star!

quote:

"Yes, but for the good of humanity, this must not become widely known."

You agree that the saints are mages, but you come to the Church's defense. "This is a natural way of ensuring that magic is used in a controlled way that benefits humanity," you say. "The problem with the ancients was that they let power become unmoored from morality. Magic combined with goodness is the formula the Church has tried to preserve."

"Interesting," says Queen Thecla. "I suppose the Church does serve an important role in our society. It speaks well of you that you would come to its defense." A smile plays at the corner of her mouth. "I trust you feel similarly about all institutions that add to the stability of our society." (Increased Thecla Relationship.) (%+10 Thecla = +5% Thecla +2% Charisma)

"Indeed," you say, because it is the obvious thing to say.

quote:

"And what kind of�miracles do you specialize in?" Queen Thecla asks. "I'm sure you can do many things, but what are you best at?"

1. "I heal the sick and injured."
2. "I'm good at impressing a crowd."
3. "Abraxas blesses me with visions of the future and faraway places."
4. "I'd like to think my sage advice is my greatest power."
"Actually, my best miracles are similar to an ancient school of magic."

quote:
5. "Negation. I can destroy your enemies if you wish."
6. "Automation. I prefer creating wondrous inventions above all else."
7. "Glamor. I prefer the power to impress."
8. "Divination. Knowledge is power."
9. "Vivomancy. The power of life itself is indispensable."

What do we tell her about what we can do?

quote:

Saint Kris

Appearance
A rugged, adventurous man with an enormous beard wearing a white saint's cowl

Magic
Negation 6
Automation 11
Glamor 10
Divination 6
Vivomancy 7

Skills
Ancient History: 5 (Good)
Fighting: 4 (Good)
Subtlety: 2 (Decent)
Charisma: 11 (Amazing)

Personality
Optimism: 63% Caution: 37%
Humor: 47% Solemnity: 53%
Empathy: 59% Calculation: 41%

Relationships
Romances (Interested in men and women)
None

Tal: 68 (Great)
Cos: 66 (Great)
Sam: 79 (Great)
Thecla: 57 (Good)
Church: 63 (Very Good)
Undiscovered relationships: 1

Kingdom
Kingdom Power: 2 (Decent)

Adoration: 71% Vilification: 29%

Inventory
Gold: 20 gold
Sword
Bracers of Stealth
Torc of Life and Death
Golem Manual

Students
Blessed Sam

Pets
None

The Dead
Nobody

Plot Points
Chapter 1

You and Tal stumbled on an ancient magic academy.
You discovered a book of vivomancy, and an inquisitor chased you.
You found an ancient dueling ground.
You glamored yourself and ordered the inquisitor to leave and never report you.
You explored the academy library.
A divination revealed a potential ally in the form of a golem, so you took a manual on the operation of golems from the library.
You gained control of the golem.
You found a laboratory with a trapped specter.
You saw a vision of someone else becoming a specter and betraying the trapped specter.
You befriended the specter, who offered you gifts.
You freed the specter.
You went around the back way into the auditorium.
You retrieved the rings of the lead actor.
You went around the back way into the arena.
The fire from the dragon's breath began to consume the academy.
You rescued a dragon egg from the ancient airship that you used to drill your way out of the ancient academy.
You escaped the magic academy and headed for your hometown of Akriton.

Chapter 2

You flew up the coast of the Negative Sea back to Akriton.
Saint Ann, who seemed to be dying, told you that you might become hierophant, or a saint, or you might heal the sky.
You made your parents think your finds in the academy were purely of historical interest.
You stopped a thief who stole from Fruitseller Fran.
You saved a little girl by animating a gargoyle.
You saved an old man by animating his bed.
You saved a swineherd from the death cloud.
You agreed to hunt a dodecapede with Tal.
You went to Cos's place to play a board game.
You and Tal beheaded the dodecapede.
You sneaked around Banker Sara's place.
You had Banker Sara arrested for her role as leader of the antishapeshifter group, the Twilight Band.
Mayor Cos publicly declared you Automator Kris.
You heard a pair of inquisitors had come to town.

Chapter 3

Two inquisitors came to your door: the more aggressive Blessed Jacob, and the kinder Blessed Sam.
An old man intervened, claiming you weren't home.
You cast a divination and learned the old man was Mayor Cos, shapeshifted.
The inquisitors discovered that Cos was a shapeshifter.
You offered to go peacefully with the inquisitors.
Blessed Sam asked you to heal his pet dragon, Thomas.
You agreed and healed Sam's dragon.
You offered to teach Sam vivomancy, and he agreed.

Chapter 4

You rode to the capital in a wagon with Sam and Jacob.
While Sam and Jacob fought, you waited patiently to be presented to the hierophant.
You and Sam became saints.

Chapter 5

You briefly returned to Akriton to prepare for sainthood.
You turned over all your magical items to the Church.
You traveled to the town of Bonton.
Many people came for advice, among them a couple wondering whether they should move to the capital for the woman's hat-selling career.
You advised the couple to divorce.
You discovered Bonton has a working copper tree for protecting the town from lightning.
You had the tree dismantled for your own study.
You encountered a fledgling wizard named Pir in Bonton.
You turned Pir over to the inquisitors.
Sam motivated you to work harder and be a better saint.
You remained a faithful saint until you were named the queen's blessed advisor.

Chapter 6

You returned to the capital, summoned by the queen for an interview.

# ? Sep 29, 2019 07:09

achtungnight: Oct 5, 2014; I get my fun here. Enjoy!

6 is our highest score.

# ? Sep 29, 2019 07:36

Maugrim: Feb 16, 2011; I eat your face

That's a 6. Hey, we're pretty universally well liked and haven't killed anyone yet - not bad Santaing!

# ? Sep 29, 2019 09:35

ultrafilter: Aug 23, 2007; It's okay if you have any questions.

6. We make toys.

# ? Sep 29, 2019 15:54

LightWarden: Mar 18, 2007; Lander county's safe as heaven,
despite all the strife and boilin',
Tin Star,
Oh how she's an icon of the eastern west,
But now the time has come to end our song,
of the Tin Star, the Tin Star!

Has she heard of our wondrous creations?

quote:

"Automation. I prefer creating wondrous inventions above all else."

"Oh, I see," Queen Thecla says, seeming slightly disappointed. "Things to amuse and delight. I suppose I find that a little charming."

She doesn't really, though.

Oh...

quote:

The queen leans forward and steeples her fingers. "Now, tell me about your hopes and dreams," she says. "What is at the end of this road for you?"

You find it a bit difficult to answer honestly when it's clear she's trying to evaluate your character and usefulness. But she seems like the sort who finds honesty refreshing�to a point.

1. "I'm just taking things one step at a time."
2. "I want to create something really marvelous."
3. "I want power, of course. Power is freedom."
4. "I find magic fascinating. I just want to learn all I can."
5. "I want to do good, however I can, for as long as I can."
6. "I believe Abraxas has a special destiny for me, but it has not yet been revealed."

quote:

"And now, I've saved the most important question of this interview for last," the queen says. "To whom do you owe your utmost allegiance? Is it me, or someone else?"

The queen says this lightly, as if any answer will do. But you doubt that.

1. "I shall be your loyal subject first and foremost."
2. "My highest loyalty is to the Church."
3. "My highest loyalty is to a higher power, Abraxas."
4. "My first loyalty is always to my own conscience."

What do we want and who do we serve?

# ? Sep 30, 2019 09:57

achtungnight: Oct 5, 2014; I get my fun here. Enjoy!

6,3. Please the church!

# ? Sep 30, 2019 10:33

Slaan: Mar 16, 2009; ASHERAH DEMANDS I FEAST, I VOTE FOR A FEAST OF FLESH

achtungnight posted:

6,3. Please the church!

# ? Sep 30, 2019 11:37

Maugrim: Feb 16, 2011; I eat your face

5, 3

# ? Sep 30, 2019 13:11

Rogue AI Goddess: May 10, 2012; I enjoy the sight of humans on their knees.
That was a joke... unless..?

Maugrim posted:

5, 3

# ? Sep 30, 2019 14:49

ultrafilter: Aug 23, 2007; It's okay if you have any questions.

6, 3

# ? Sep 30, 2019 14:58

LightWarden: Mar 18, 2007; Lander county's safe as heaven,
despite all the strife and boilin',
Tin Star,
Oh how she's an icon of the eastern west,
But now the time has come to end our song,
of the Tin Star, the Tin Star!

We're the hero of Abraxas!

quote:

"I believe Abraxas has a special destiny for me, but it has not yet been revealed."

"Hmm," Queen Thecla says. "Forgive me for saying so, but that seems like a dangerous line of thinking to me. How would you know your calling when you saw it? What keeps you from deciding any random thought that pops into your head is the word of Abraxas?" (Decreased Thecla Relationship.) (%-5 Thecla = -2% Thecla)

"I will know it when I see it," you insist.

You have a feeling that Queen Thecla will be less thrilled about your speaking in public now. But you wonder whether your insistence that you have a special destiny might be appreciated by the hierophant and others back at the Cathedral. (Increased Church Relationship.) (%+15 Church = +6% Church +2% Charisma)

And we pledge our loyalty to him!

quote:

"My highest loyalty is to a higher power, Abraxas."

"Interesting," Queen Thecla says. "So you make a distinction between the Church and Abraxas?"

"I do," you say. "The Church is only a human invention, designed to reflect the will of Abraxas. But like a tarnished mirror, the Church is not perfect."

"An interesting point of view," Queen Thecla murmurs. "Especially for a saint." (Decreased Church Relationship.) (%-10 Church = -7% Church)

quote:

Queen Thecla concludes your meeting by saying, "Well, I must admit you've exceeded expectations. Most saints are rather stodgier than you, I think. I shall endeavor to follow your example and remember that the Church is but a fallible mortal invention, a crude imitation of the divine. I can tell already you're going to get along quite well here."

The same liveried servant who escorted you before is waiting at the door.

"I believe the Church will have a stipend waiting for you in your room," Queen Thecla says. "Welcome to the palace, Blessed Advisor Kris."

quote:

Your new room at the palace is a surprisingly lovely tower room with a view of the capital. You were expecting something much more monastic for a saint, but the beautiful antique mahogany furniture with velvet upholstery suggests that the Church aims to impress here in the palace.

An envelope left on your desk contains a letter of marque worth seven hundred gold�quite a generous stipend. (Gained 700 Gold.)

It would appear your days of asceticism are at an end. A blessed advisor must impress.

You're surprised further as you're examining your new room when another liveried servant comes by with a cart. You recognize its contents�surprisingly, it contains the magical items you surrendered to the Church.

"Delivery from the hierophant herself," the servant says. "And a message: 'Those who keep faith with the Church are rewarded many times over by Abraxas. Remember this.'" The servant shrugs as if disavowing any understanding of the hierophant's implication.

You're just glad to have your things back. (Gained Subtlety.) (Gained Charisma.) (Gained Divination.) (+2 Subtlety, +2 Charisma, +2 Divination)

All our loot is back!

quote:

Your other things arrive from Akriton in a week. Your furniture and possessions remain roughly the same even if your locale has changed, and you decorate your new room with the sentimental curios that once adorned your old basement room.

quote:

When you are nearly done moving in to the palace, you find a note at the bottom of the wagon bed. Your mother's neat calligraphy is unmistakable.

She must have slipped it under a box while she and your father were helping you move.

Kris,

We will always be proud of you no matter what you do. But remember what Grandma always said: that the greatest magics in the world are love and hope. (And a good joke, your father wants me to add. I suppose she did say that once.) You are dear to us, magical no matter what you do. Try to do good. Eat healthy. Meet someone nice. Preferably wealthy. You might think that doesn't matter, but it does. (Your father is acting all insulted now, but of course I mean that if you find true love you should marry whomever you choose, and if on the other hand you are indecisive�and I know how long you take to make choices sometimes�then it couldn't hurt to have a little more income in the family.)

Love and hope!

Mama

quote:

As a result of your move to the capital, Tal has decided to move there as well. She applies to be a special envoy for the queen, and her impeccable record as a hunter in Akriton gets her accepted. She spends much of her time away from the capital on missions, but when she is back in the capital, she spends what time she can with you.

Sam continues to be a saint in Akriton, and sends a letter along wishing you well in the capital.

quote:

Shortly after you have moved in, you receive a summons from the hierophant.

A Cathedral servant escorts you to the hierophant's candlelit chambers. The grim-faced hierophant waves away the servant and offers you a seat across from hers. She seems more tired than when you saw her last, and dour as ever.

"I suppose you may wonder why I was so keen to make you blessed advisor," the hierophant says. "Well. We have a problem. The Neighbors are coming. I have seen it in a vision. They'll invade soon�perhaps two years from now, or perhaps two months. But when they do, this kingdom will be crushed utterly, and the Church with it. Unless the kingdom uses some kind of magic in its own defense."

You take a moment to absorb this information. "How will they cross the Negative Sea?" you ask.

"I have foreseen airships that are immune to its corroding influence," the hierophant says.

"What do they want from us?"

"That I could not tell you."

"And�what do you want me to do?"

"Ah," the hierophant says, folding her hands in her lap. "Here we come to the crux of the matter. You were chosen because you understand magic better than any of us. Somehow, you have a knack for it. It speaks to you as to no other. But you also proved in Bonton that you can do the will of the Church without blasphemy and heresy."

You begin to understand. "We need to bring back some magic to survive," you say. "Or the Neighbors will destroy us."

"But it is a very slippery slope," the hierophant warns. "You will be free to advise the queen with the Church's best interests at heart, but you will not be free to advise as you please." She regains her composure. "I do not have your amazing knack for magic, and I admit that. But I do know what the Church has always done. I know what tradition dictates. You will have my advice on what I would do. And you can disobey�to a point." She points an accusing finger at you. "But mark my words, if your decisions erode the power of the Church and the faith of the people, I will see to it that your canonization is declared a mistake. You know where that road leads."

"You want me to bend the faith, but not break it."

"Precisely," the hierophant says with a curt nod.

quote:

The next day, you begin the task of deciding just how far the Kingdom of Eirinia should advance in magic in a short time.

You take the alabaster chair next to the throne, the one reserved for the blessed advisor.

Queen Thecla wears the most elaborate dress you have seen her wear yet, a floor-length deep-blue dress with puffy silhouette and black-lace embellishments, and a giant navy-blue collar accentuated with tiny sapphires. When she takes the throne, the deliberations begin.

"As you now know, we need to advance the kingdom in a hurry," Queen Thecla says. "For those of you who know what is about to happen, let us not grieve the old ways."

The court begins to murmur, but the queen silences them with a steady look.

"I have no patience for myths, nostalgia, or fantasy right now," the queen says. "The truth is, there never was a time the world was not changing out from under us. The world has always been in crisis. The old ways are always dying. The world is always being born anew."

quote:

"Let us start with the creation of�impressive ships." You can tell Queen Thecla intends to talk around the Magisterian Empire for as long as possible, just in case the courtiers decide to pay attention to someone besides themselves. "Blessed Advisor Kris, how is it done?"

"Automation magic, Your Majesty," you say. "Not only to power the ships themselves but also to create magical factories that achieve a speed of production unmatched by human hands."

It suddenly dawns on you that even though conventional wisdom blames the ancients for the perpetual thunderheads above you, the Magisterians may have been using automation for two thousand years since then, making the storms worse. But if so, they have shown enough restraint to avoid bringing about the end of the world.

"Can we do the same?" the queen asks. "Use magical power instead of animals or human labor, to increase production?"

"It's dangerous, because the world is already on the brink of disaster with the storms wrought by automation magic," you say. "But certainly, automation is the most time-tested source of magical power."

"Well, do you have any other suggestions?" the queen asks.

You know the Church would not be happy with any kind of magical power whatsoever. But perhaps they would object less to using magical beasts instead of automation.

1. Let's harness the power of storms, as the Neighbors do.
2. Let's create beasts of labor that will gain their energy from enhanced foods.
3. We don't need a magical power source; it'll displace human labor and cause chaos.

What road to power will the kingdom take?

quote:

Blessed Advisor Kris

Appearance
A rugged, adventurous man with an enormous beard wearing a white saint's cowl

Magic
Negation 6
Automation 11
Glamor 10
Divination 8
Vivomancy 7

Skills
Ancient History: 5 (Good)
Fighting: 4 (Good)
Subtlety: 4 (Good)
Charisma: 13 (Amazing)

Personality
Optimism: 63% Caution: 37%
Humor: 47% Solemnity: 53%
Empathy: 59% Calculation: 41%

Relationships
Romances (Interested in men and women)
None

Tal: 68 (Great)
Cos: 66 (Great)
Sam: 79 (Great)
Thecla: 55 (Good)
Church: 62 (Very Good)
Undiscovered relationships: 1

Kingdom
Kingdom Power: 2 (Decent)

Adoration: 71% Vilification: 29%

Inventory
Gold: 720 gold
Sword
Bracers of Stealth
Charisma Ring
Alchemy Set
Torc of Life and Death
Antidivination Ring
Crystal Ball
Golem Manual

Students
Blessed Sam

Pets
None

The Dead
Nobody

Plot Points
Chapter 1

You and Tal stumbled on an ancient magic academy.
You discovered a book of vivomancy, and an inquisitor chased you.
You found an ancient dueling ground.
You glamored yourself and ordered the inquisitor to leave and never report you.
You explored the academy library.
A divination revealed a potential ally in the form of a golem, so you took a manual on the operation of golems from the library.
You gained control of the golem.
You found a laboratory with a trapped specter.
You saw a vision of someone else becoming a specter and betraying the trapped specter.
You befriended the specter, who offered you gifts.
You freed the specter.
You went around the back way into the auditorium.
You retrieved the rings of the lead actor.
You went around the back way into the arena.
The fire from the dragon's breath began to consume the academy.
You rescued a dragon egg from the ancient airship that you used to drill your way out of the ancient academy.
You escaped the magic academy and headed for your hometown of Akriton.

Chapter 2

You flew up the coast of the Negative Sea back to Akriton.
Saint Ann, who seemed to be dying, told you that you might become hierophant, or a saint, or you might heal the sky.
You made your parents think your finds in the academy were purely of historical interest.
You stopped a thief who stole from Fruitseller Fran.
You saved a little girl by animating a gargoyle.
You saved an old man by animating his bed.
You saved a swineherd from the death cloud.
You agreed to hunt a dodecapede with Tal.
You went to Cos's place to play a board game.
You and Tal beheaded the dodecapede.
You sneaked around Banker Sara's place.
You had Banker Sara arrested for her role as leader of the antishapeshifter group, the Twilight Band.
Mayor Cos publicly declared you Automator Kris.
You heard a pair of inquisitors had come to town.

Chapter 3

Two inquisitors came to your door: the more aggressive Blessed Jacob, and the kinder Blessed Sam.
An old man intervened, claiming you weren't home.
You cast a divination and learned the old man was Mayor Cos, shapeshifted.
The inquisitors discovered that Cos was a shapeshifter.
You offered to go peacefully with the inquisitors.
Blessed Sam asked you to heal his pet dragon, Thomas.
You agreed and healed Sam's dragon.
You offered to teach Sam vivomancy, and he agreed.

Chapter 4

You rode to the capital in a wagon with Sam and Jacob.
While Sam and Jacob fought, you waited patiently to be presented to the hierophant.
You and Sam became saints.

Chapter 5

You briefly returned to Akriton to prepare for sainthood.
You turned over all your magical items to the Church.
You traveled to the town of Bonton.
Many people came for advice, among them a couple wondering whether they should move to the capital for the woman's hat-selling career.
You advised the couple to divorce.
You discovered Bonton has a working copper tree for protecting the town from lightning.
You had the tree dismantled for your own study.
You encountered a fledgling wizard named Pir in Bonton.
You turned Pir over to the inquisitors.
Sam motivated you to work harder and be a better saint.
You remained a faithful saint until you were named the queen's blessed advisor.

Chapter 6

You returned to the capital, summoned by the queen for an interview.
You became blessed advisor for the queen.
You moved into the royal palace.
The Church returned all your items.
The hierophant told you she had a vision that the Neighbors would invade, and she wanted you to help modernize the kingdom without going too far.

# ? Oct 3, 2019 05:19

ultrafilter: Aug 23, 2007; It's okay if you have any questions.

2. Keep the church happy.

# ? Oct 3, 2019 05:24

achtungnight: Oct 5, 2014; I get my fun here. Enjoy!

ultrafilter posted:

2. Keep the church happy.

It would be surprising and impressive if we could somehow beat the Neighbors without using magic. I�m going to vote 2 but I wonder if there�s a way.

# ? Oct 3, 2019 07:20

Maugrim: Feb 16, 2011; I eat your face

1. We need to learn all we can about the storms if we are to ultimately put an end to them. And we did the vivomancy path in another run.

# ? Oct 3, 2019 08:14

Cthulhu Dreams: Dec 11, 2010; If I pretend to be Cthulhu no one will know I'm a baseball robot.

Maugrim posted:

1. We need to learn all we can about the storms if we are to ultimately put an end to them. And we did the vivomancy path in another run.

I'm with this, new content!

# ? Oct 3, 2019 12:23

achtungnight: Oct 5, 2014; I get my fun here. Enjoy!

New content, right. Also we don�t need our animals going rogue on us. Change vote to 1.

# ? Oct 3, 2019 13:41

Deadmeat5150: Nov 21, 2005; OLD MAN YELLS AT CLAN

I really want to try the human labor route, but I fear that may just not work.

1 So instead let's learn as much as we can about the Storms. We have the copper tree and battery design, after all.

# ? Oct 3, 2019 14:53

LightWarden: Mar 18, 2007; Lander county's safe as heaven,
despite all the strife and boilin',
Tin Star,
Oh how she's an icon of the eastern west,
But now the time has come to end our song,
of the Tin Star, the Tin Star!

Let's call down the thunder and chain the whirlwind.

quote:

Let's harness the power of storms, as the Neighbors do.

"I think we have no other choice than harnessing storm energy as a well-tested source of power," you say. "We can figure out later how to repair the skies."

"I suppose if even the Church's emissary recommends it, it must be done," Queen Thecla says. "Since you are the only one with the requisite knowledge, I leave it to you to design our magical factories, if the Church will allow it."

"They will," you say, although you know that the hierophant will not be pleased with your sweeping changes right out of the gate. (Lost Church Relationship.) (%-10 Church = -6% Church)

A murmur goes up from the courtiers at the queen's decision. The magic of the ancients! Coming back! And the Church even suggested it! But they actually seem to think the brewing scandal mildly titillating, and show no sign of actually condemning you.

quote:

"It will not be easy to convince the people that magic is suddenly acceptable," the queen says. "Perhaps some glamor magic is in order to ensure that the people are willing to follow where I lead."

You hesitate. You don't think the Church would approve of the queen using glamor magic at all. "I think the Church would really prefer glamors to be the domain of us saints alone," you reluctantly point out.

"Who's to say who can be a saint and who can't?" Queen Thecla says. "I do have some connections."

Since you would not want the queen to use a glamor blindly, you also explain the effects of rot to her.

The queen blanches at your explanation of rot's effects. "Maybe not, then."

1. Suggest using a glamor, rot and Church be damned.
2. Suggest using divination to communicate with her subjects, building bonds of trust.
Tell the queen she needs no glamor; she's already strikingly beautiful. (Flirt.)
Tell the queen she needs no glamor; she's already most impressive.
3. The drawbacks of glamors aren't worth it�old-fashioned charisma must win over the people.

Well, we've got a power source, but are we bolstering the queen? And are we adding any compliments to the mix?

# ? Oct 4, 2019 08:06

Rogue AI Goddess: May 10, 2012; I enjoy the sight of humans on their knees.
That was a joke... unless..?

3. Charisma is our best stat for a reason.

# ? Oct 4, 2019 08:43

Maugrim: Feb 16, 2011; I eat your face

What's up with the numbering here? Are the compliments not separate options?

# ? Oct 4, 2019 08:43

Regallion: Nov 11, 2012

We did it last time, complimenting just goes "Yeah okay, but what about that glamor magic though?"
3

# ? Oct 4, 2019 09:11

achtungnight: Oct 5, 2014; I get my fun here. Enjoy!

3 and compliment but don�t flirt.

# ? Oct 4, 2019 11:43

ultrafilter: Aug 23, 2007; It's okay if you have any questions.

# ? Oct 4, 2019 15:06

Arcanuse: Mar 15, 2019

3. Nobody gets to be more glamorous than us. Er. "Glamor is bad for your health." Yes. That.

# ? Oct 4, 2019 15:31

LightWarden: Mar 18, 2007; Lander county's safe as heaven,
despite all the strife and boilin',
Tin Star,
Oh how she's an icon of the eastern west,
But now the time has come to end our song,
of the Tin Star, the Tin Star!

A platonic reminder of her skills should suffice...

quote:

Tell the queen she needs no glamor; she's already most impressive.

Queen Thecla blinks in surprise. "That was�unexpected, coming from you." (Increased Thecla Relationship.) (%+5 Thecla = +2% Thecla + 2% Charisma)

You hope the queen will take your compliment in the platonic way you meant it. You hope the hierophant will as well. (Decreased Church Relationship.) (%-5 Church = -2% Church)

Queen Thecla's glance darts toward the assembled whispering courtiers, and frowns slightly. You can tell she does not like being put on the spot in public in this way. (Decreased Thecla Relationship.) (%-5 Thecla = -2% Thecla)

"I am very interested in this line of thinking," Queen Thecla says, a slight smile playing at her lips. "Perhaps over a private dinner you can continue to sing my praises."

"I would like that very much," you say.

...because we really don't want her destroying herself with this.

quote:

The drawbacks of glamors aren't worth it�old-fashioned charisma must win over the people.

"Unless you want your health to deteriorate, I suggest you stick to old-fashioned charisma," you advise the queen. "Everyone who uses glamor will eventually die from it."

"So then the saints are all dying as well?" the queen says.

"Just so," you say.

The queen purses her lips, seeming upset.

"What about you?" the queen asks you. "Have you used this magic, too?"

"A fair amount, I'm afraid," you say. "I sometimes have pains in the middle of the night, even when I haven't cast a glamor for a while."

The queen looks sympathetic. (Increased Thecla Relationship.) (%+5 Thecla = +2% Thecla +2% Charisma)

"Very well, then no glamors for me," the queen declares. "Thank you for warning me." (Increased Thecla Relationship.) (%+5 Thecla = +2% Thecla +2% Charisma)

"Of course," you say.

quote:

That night, you have dinner with Queen Thecla in a small windowless chamber with a circular table fit for dinner for two. A crystal chandelier illuminates the room with candlelight that causes shadows to dance on the walls.

The queen still wears the elaborate sapphire-blue dress she wore earlier, suggesting she has not really let her guard down around you.

You begin a seven-course meal, which includes such culinary feats as a delicious consomm� that has been filtered through dragon eggshells, a turduckimera�a turkey inside a duck inside a small chimera, all deboned and heavily spiced�and sourdough bread from a starter that is over a hundred years old.

The queen asks you a little about your history, and so you tell her about your beloved parents, your obsession with magic from a young age, and all that transpired in Akriton and the Cathedral recently. She nods at all this. You suspect her spies have already told her as much, and she was just making polite conversation.

"What about you?" you ask. "What was it like growing up?" You know both of Queen Thecla's parents are dead now, her father to an assassination and her mother to a plague that the hierophant herself could not cure.

"I was protected, but not sheltered," Queen Thecla says. "Both my parents wanted me to see the pains of the people, and I would make tours of the countryside to see what their lives were like. But I was under heavy guard, and I wonder in retrospect whether I gave the wrong impression. In parading opulence before more common folk, it's easy to accidentally provoke jealousy and hatred. My royal guard seemed only to frighten folk, even though they were meant to protect me. And I admit some of them got a little�overprotective."

She seems troubled by the memory, so you try to cheer her up. "Well, but there must be some good things about being a ruler as well, right?"

Queen Thecla appears to think about what you just said. "What do you think it's like being a ruler?" she asks. "Do you think you would enjoy being one?"

You don't get the impression she's offering; it just seems to be an idle question.

1. "I would enjoy the freedom to do as I please."
2. "I think I'd be good at it and take pleasure in that skill."
3. "No, I think the responsibility would be a heavy burden."

What do we think about ruling?

# ? Oct 5, 2019 10:39

Maugrim: Feb 16, 2011; I eat your face

# ? Oct 5, 2019 10:47

LightWarden: Mar 18, 2007; Lander county's safe as heaven,
despite all the strife and boilin',
Tin Star,
Oh how she's an icon of the eastern west,
But now the time has come to end our song,
of the Tin Star, the Tin Star!

Good King Kris, right here.

quote:

"I think I'd be good at it and take pleasure in that skill."

Queen Thecla laughs darkly. "Oh, many people think like you until they actually take the reins of rulership. But mark me, this profession has no easy answers, and those monarchs who think they have such answers can do plenty of damage before they realize otherwise."

"I meant only that I would rule with compassion, and that would be better than many rulers do," you say. Queen Thecla's family has not been the royal family very long, so you hope she assumes you're talking about other monarchs.

"Well, a little compassion plus the conviction you're going to change the world may sit well with the public, at least," Queen Thecla says. "Perhaps I'll let you take a little more of the limelight. I find it hard to hide my jaded nature these days."

It seems you've convinced Queen Thecla you're presentable, but not that you understand her particularly well.

quote:

Queen Thecla discovers that you don't know many of the important noble families of the capital, and the conversation takes an educational tone until dessert, which is an impressive cr�me br�l�e with sherry-flavored sherbet in the center. You notice that the queen is actually quite a good storyteller, embellishing her anecdotes about the noble families with little details about their clothing and expressions, and pantomiming them in ways that almost make you chuckle.

You compliment the queen on her storytelling ability, and she smiles. "I had a nanny who encouraged me when I was young," she says. "I would make up stories, and she always told me they were excellent. But she also asked questions that made me fill in the details. 'What was he wearing?' 'Why did she do that?'" She looks wistful. "I miss her. She was really, really smart, and nobody thought so because she was a nanny."

"What were your stories like when you were young?" you ask.

Queen Thecla regards you with curiosity, as if nobody has ever asked her that before. A slight smile plays at the corner of her lips.

Then she tells you a story.

quote:

Once upon a time there was a princess who was made of glass. She was beautiful, and everybody thought so, but her parents would not touch her, for fear they would shatter her. They created a palace of iron for her to stay in, surrounded by guards who would keep out anyone who might shatter the princess.

One day, the princess crept out of her iron palace and went exploring. She explored until she found an old witch's cave. The black-shrouded crone was in the middle of a dark rite, and dark power coursed up and down her body.

When the crone saw the glass girl, she cackled. "Well, look who it is!" she said. "It's the girl I cursed. You must have followed the whiff of injustice back here."

"You do smell funny," the girl admitted. "Why did you curse me?"

"I hate pretty, shiny things, such as those your parents hoard," she said. "So wasteful and useless! I wanted their heir to be the prettiest and most useless of all."

Just then, one of the royal guard entered the cave. He was strong and brave, and had always tried to protect the princess. He had followed the princess all the way from the castle.

"Who are you?" asked this guard of the crone.

"I am your undoing," the crone said, and she began to cast a spell to turn the guard into glass as well.

Queen Thecla pauses in her story as servants take your empty plates away. Then she says, "Can you guess the ending?"

1. The girl slew the witch herself, took all her books, and learned magic.
2. The guard forced the witch to undo the curse, and the princess, no longer glass, fell in love with him.
3. The guard turned into glass, and the guard and princess retreated to the iron castle to live together forever.

Here's a story, how does it end?

# ? Oct 6, 2019 08:20

Maugrim: Feb 16, 2011; I eat your face

I think we said 3 last time? Try 1.

# ? Oct 6, 2019 09:03

Adbot: ADBOT LOVES YOU

# ? Jun 9, 2024 13:46

LightWarden: Mar 18, 2007; Lander county's safe as heaven,
despite all the strife and boilin',
Tin Star,
Oh how she's an icon of the eastern west,
But now the time has come to end our song,
of the Tin Star, the Tin Star!

The queen might not be learning magic, but this girl can.

quote:

The girl slew the witch herself, took all her books, and learned magic.

Queen Thecla laughs with surprise. "Ha, no, though I like the way you think. I was a good churchgoing girl, and it never would have occurred to me that my princess would fall to practicing dark magic." She raises a placating hand. "No offense." (Increased Thecla Relationship.) (%+5 Thecla = +1% Thecla + 2% Charisma)

"None taken," you say.

"No, I was not yet the way I am now when I was young." Queen Thecla smiles. "But a little piece of the glass princess remains. Hidden in an iron castle of my own creation."

"How did the story actually end?" you ask.

"You'll figure it out in time, I think."

Queen Thecla smiles. "You know, Kris, I don't have many friends. It's hard to find someone I could consider my equal. But I think�you might be. You are quite special, I think."

"Thank you," you say. "I'd like to get to know you better, too, Th�Your Majesty."

You half expect Queen Thecla to tell you you can call her Thecla. But she doesn't. You suppose she might never do that.

"We are agreed, then," Queen Thecla says. "You are officially my new friend, Blessed Advisor Kris." Again the slight smile. "Until next time, then."

New friends!

quote:

Over the next few months, as the days get colder and the first snow begins to fall, you furiously work in private on new spells powerful enough to change the fate of a kingdom. With your newfound experience in magic, the advanced book you took from the sunken library, Megali Mageia, or "Great Magic," now seems at least somewhat intelligible to you, and you concentrate on the parts that deal with automation magic.

In a laboratory in a high tower supplied to you by the queen, you conduct magical experiments designed to draw immense power from the skies above. (Gained Automation.) (+1 Automation) You use this power to make gears spin, axles turn, and levers lift in increasingly large models of factory machines.

quote:

Something else you realize, as you study the Megali Mageia more and more, is that the ancients knew tricks to make magic safer that are lost to you. The book makes passing reference to the precautions every wizard takes: apparently, wizards are supposed to draw runes and magic circles before casting big spells that reduce the negative side effects of the magic. But you have no idea what these runes and circles should look like or how they work.

Oh well. The ancients were a whole civilization that used magic. Surely one person can't be as dangerous as that, even if that person doesn't really know how to use magic safely.

Right?

quote:

Meanwhile, the queen continues her official business largely as before, as if denying that anything big is about to change in the kingdom.

quote:

Attending the queen's court is often unpleasant business, as you need to be near a variety of people who radiate contempt and disdain for you.

It's perhaps no surprise that some of the oldest and most powerful guilds don't like you. You represent a threat to their monopolies and influence; magic is an axis on which they can't fight. The oldest dames and dukes also lean conservative, and therefore your implicit heresy does not sit well with them either.

On the other hand, many of the younger nobles and smaller guilds welcome your threat to the established order. They hope you'll use magic to upend monopolies, bust trusts, and essentially bring the destabilization that the old guard fears, so that they can have a shot.

You could play their games�it might bring you a bit more security at court to reduce the power of the old guard. But you must admit, you have little taste for manipulation.

1. Use glamors to build bridges between the old guard and new.
~~Sow the seeds of discord among the old guard. (Requires calculation.)~~
2. Cast tricky divinations that reveal the old guard's secrets to each other.
3. I don't need to get involved in this.

Time for some office politics, what do we do?

# ? Oct 8, 2019 07:46

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Video Games > Let's Play! > Shape the Fate of a Ruined World With Your Choice of Magics! (CoG CYOA)

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