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1: E, D, C
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Apr 20, 2016 16:50
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"I'm willing to wait on trying these out til we get to Uchuam," you say. "The caravan city will make a nice debut." "We don't know precisely what they'll do, madam," Pacitar says. "And I fear for the stability of Strix's spellcraft." "How admirable it is that you worry for me, darling Pacitar," Strix says. "I know that if your geriatric enchantments were to unravel I would do nothing but laugh and laugh." "If I can't trust my mage trust who can I trust?" You wink at them (well it's more like a blink but the intention is there). "We want to keep the element of surprise, don't we? Anyway thanks for your sterling weaponcrafting today as usual, gang. You're all dismissed for the evening." "The pleasure and the pain is mine, milady." Strix bows from the workshop. Pacitar pats Volter on the shoulder as he goes. "Our Void Mage is a quick study." "You dismissing me too?" Volter asks. You touch his forearm. "You are still on mission, Mr. Quick Study." "Yknow normally the element of surprise means you surprise the other guy," Volter says. "Well it's no fun if you can predict everything," you say. "And when you're a genius warlord you gotta give yourself handicaps." Year 19 Post-Flood, day 316 Morning You squint through your spyglass. "I didn't predict this."  Below the Rumbler, which crouches out of sight, a matte bronze automaton trudges languorously through a narrow strait between two peaks. In its left hand is its right hand, which is connected to its right arm, which has been torn off at the elbow. "And we're sure that's an Uchuam auto," you say, lowering the spyglass.  "We are very sure." Ghostly Anastasi stands next to you in the cold still air at the Rumbler's crown. "I hope I am forgiven my intrusion. This seemed important." "Oh, I don't mind," you say. "Please pass my apologies to Mr. Kepral." "He just has to get used to the hazards of sleeping with a Praetor," you say. "Chief among them her spooky sidekicks. This is the kind of thing you interrupt someone for." "I'm glad you are not upset." "There is this thing called knocking you might want to look into, though, Stasi." "I did knock." "The point of knocking is so that people hear you," you say. "I am unpracticed at being heard." You raise the spyglass again. "So what do you figure this guy's doing out here." "Well," Anastasi says, "I imagine an invasion force would bring more of its own limbs." 1 How will you deal with this? A Just wait until it passes by. It hasn't seen you and obviously has its own problems. B Slide down into the valley and point a cannon at it; demand it stop. C Prepare to fire on it. D Test one of your new shells on it. E Follow it from a distance. See where it's going. F Send Ghostly Anastasi and her infiltrators to steal into the Automaton and hold its praetor at knifepoint. G Do some magic fuckery. LordVonEarlDuke fucked around with this message at 21:35 on Apr 20, 2016 |
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Apr 20, 2016 21:15
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##vote 1. B; E; F; A let's get us some delicious intel Anastasi is so much fun 
Ralith fucked around with this message at 21:37 on Apr 20, 2016 |
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Apr 20, 2016 21:22
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##vote 1. B
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Apr 20, 2016 21:33
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B
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Apr 20, 2016 23:53
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##vote 1. BC; F; E; G
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Apr 21, 2016 01:00
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##vote 1. B
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Apr 21, 2016 01:20
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1. F
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Apr 21, 2016 04:58
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##Vote 1. G Let the mages decide on their own what fuckery they want to do and to implement it. Call it a team building excersise.
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Apr 21, 2016 05:04
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##vote 1. B
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Apr 21, 2016 05:31
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E + F Get Stasi's team out there ready to hit 'em, smack 'em with one of our disabling shells. We want prisoners because we need to know what's going on Uchuam, so that means survivors. Give 'em the Neutralizer, and while they're shut down and helpless, Stasi's team boards and captures the command crew. Also if the Neutralizer doesn't work, Stasi and company still execute the takeover, just without as much of an advantage.
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Apr 21, 2016 06:39
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Let's please not kill the people who might otherwise tell us what they're fleeing.
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Apr 21, 2016 06:48
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Remember when we pitched the ransom-able guy off the Rumbler? Then conquered his dad's city and pitched HIM off the Rumbler? We don't ask people nicely when we can slip into the control room and capture the guy who matters most and hold a knife to his throat. That way you can be pretty sure he won't say "no." 
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Apr 21, 2016 06:54
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Oh, right, the neutralizer is non-lethal. I guess the world has delivered unto us a nice safe testing environment! Assuming it's not bait. ##vote 1. Plan jng2058; B; E; F; A
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Apr 21, 2016 07:50
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jng2058 posted:Remember when we pitched the ransom-able guy off the Rumbler? Then conquered his dad's city and pitched HIM off the Rumbler? We don't ask people nicely when we can slip into the control room and capture the guy who matters most and hold a knife to his throat. Killing all of your enemies and then demanding their surrender has a sort of poetic niceness to it.
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Apr 21, 2016 09:17
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##vote 1. Plan jng2058; B; E; F; A
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Apr 22, 2016 05:18
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You toss Ghostly Anastasi your spyglass. "I'mma go say hi."  The Rumbler skids down the cliff face. He lands in a cloud of clay and rust effluvium. Two hand cannons and one massive Jackpot Jane are all leveled directly at the cyclopean auto from Uchuam 1 And over the loudspeaker you say: A Drop the arm and everyone come out with your hands above your heads. Your auto is now property of the Iron Mantis. B Pretty dangerous out here for a crippled auto on its own. You look like you need a new friend, friend. C This is the Tyrant Argus XI. We're not here for your lives; we just want to know why you're here and what happened. How about we agree I can lower these cannons and talk? D We're sending some people onboard. Attempting to stop them would be a really bad idea. E Attention Auto. Please send your Praetor out, alone. We need to talk to them. F nothing at all. You just shoot it with that Neutralizer shell. G nothing at all. You just open up on it with everything. LordVonEarlDuke fucked around with this message at 06:48 on Apr 23, 2016 |
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Apr 23, 2016 06:45
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##vote 1. F; C; E; B; A; D - I mainly want the intel, but why waste a perfect testing opportunity?
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Apr 23, 2016 06:49
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##vote 1. C; D; E; B; A; F; G Intel is a limited resource. Test targets are not.
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Apr 23, 2016 06:51
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##vote 1. A; E; B; C; D; F; G
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Apr 23, 2016 07:00
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##vote 1. B;C;A;F why not?
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Apr 23, 2016 07:06
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##Vote 1. B Let's make friends and influence people.
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Apr 23, 2016 07:07
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##Vote 1.C,B. D On foot recon in case of ambush - maybe leave off the threatening second portion.
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Apr 23, 2016 07:34
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 Goddamn this art.
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Apr 23, 2016 07:58
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F- We need to test these shells under a controlled condition
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Apr 23, 2016 13:49
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##Vote 1. C
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Apr 23, 2016 17:35
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F
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Apr 24, 2016 03:22
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##vote A - The question you want to ask yourself is, is whatever I'm trying to get away from worse than the sweetass mech in front of me right now?
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Apr 24, 2016 05:34
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Heartlock dropping some knowledge bombs on you: ON DRAGONS Valleyland tradition tells us the Dragon is the manifestation of a great Warrior's soul, who was cut down before his blade was slaked and has risen in bestial form to collect his fated slate of lives. The Xiaying believed Dragons were spun by the Divinity from the clouds to visit corrective retribution unto their subjects below. The Zestal Courts saw them simply as massive wild monsters to be speedily dispatched whenever prudent. And yet by the lateness of their indulgent age and height of their martial power, all the prostelyzers and statesmen who looked upon the dragon saw nothing more than profit. And so by perverse alchemy the hunter became the prey, and the aeries where once beat monstrous wings were wreathed in cannon-smoke. Automaton kill-teams ventured into the mountains to bring the sky kings to the ground. Many were led by veteran dragonslayers, who chased drakes five times the size of the largest Automaton. Some were led by eager nobles and knight errants swept up by the romance of the hunt-- and returned in tatters and pieces. For even in the corners of the world, and even at the barrel of an Automaton's gun, the Dragon remains the most dangerous living creature ever written into the Book of Creation. There was a time, barely remembered, when all of Humanity was beholden to the Dragon. And in this age of want and scavenge, it has reattained its nightmare apex in the scarified survivor's mind. Heed these words, traveler and praetor: if face to primordial face with a dragon, treat it with fear,respect, and not a shred of mercy. And if you defeat it for Inkiros’ sake: make sure it is dead before you move along. The legends of what will happen if it rises again are true. LordVonEarlDuke fucked around with this message at 21:46 on Apr 24, 2016 |
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Apr 24, 2016 21:43
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Beholden to the dragons? Are dragons sentient? Capable of communication?
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Apr 24, 2016 21:57
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Waci posted:Beholden to the dragons? Very, very limited nonverbal communication of the Violent variety. Just enough to terrify a community into submission and tribute.
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Apr 24, 2016 22:32
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Awwwww. No contracts?
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Apr 24, 2016 22:47
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We can't enter Faustian bargains with every incomprehensible entity we find, Waci.
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Apr 24, 2016 23:30
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F
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Apr 24, 2016 23:38
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Tran posted:We can't enter Faustian bargains with every incomprehensible entity we find, Waci. We're the Iron Mantis, we can bloody well try.
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Apr 25, 2016 00:07
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C, E. We have established a position of strength, now we can talk
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Apr 25, 2016 02:05
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You step to your loudspeaker. "This is the Tyrant Argus XI. We're not here for your lives; we just want to know why you're here and what happened. How about we agree I can lower these cannons and talk?" An uncertain pause. You squint into the monoculous of the automaton across from you. Red-bodied candles burn dimly in its depths.  "Tyrant Argus, this is the Uchuammic Line Automaton Spyridon." A figure appears at the bottom crest of the monoculous. His thaumaturgically amplified voice has the distinct lilt of the merchant princes. "You can lower your cannons. We know of your reputation. If as I suspect you intend to conquer Uchuam, you'll have to accept its surrender from me." He draws his colorful cloak about him. "Uchuam is gone. Spyridon and his crew are all that remains." "Gone?" Your brow furrows. "Whaddya mean, gone?"  "As I say," the praetor replies. His eyes are glassy. "It is gone. I returned from my last sortie and the entire caravan city had vanished into a massive sinkhole in the Tidal sands. There were no survivors and barely anything to salvage. I was forced to flee from the scene by a dragon which removed Spyridon's arm. "Uchuam has been completely destroyed." 1 You say: A Take me there and I'll deal with the dragons. I want to see this for myself. B Keep on the path you were taking until you reach Anabas. Surrender yourself there and we'll see about getting you relieved. I'm going to see this for myself. C Well then there's no reason for me to be out in Dragon country. Come with me, Spyridon. I'll escort you back to Anabas. D Sounds like you and your boys need a new boss, then. You're working for the Iron Mantis now. E Bullshit, it's just gone. Assign a temporary pilot to your automaton and come aboard the Rumbler. I want a sword at your back for whatever it is you're planning going forward. F You have my sincere condolences. What's your name? G gently caress it. Shoot 'em. LordVonEarlDuke fucked around with this message at 08:54 on Apr 27, 2016 |
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Apr 27, 2016 08:52
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Oh snap. Hmmmm, I'm thinking verify. Can we make the other guy undergo a truth spell or something? Trust no-one, but verify everything. ##vote 1. E, D
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Apr 27, 2016 08:58
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Hexenritter posted:Oh snap. Same
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Apr 27, 2016 09:00
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##vote 1. A Might want to point out that we had reports Uchuam was gearing up to attack us, and this was a planned pre-emptive strike. Possible someone played us as insurance.
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Apr 27, 2016 09:15
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