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Mr Apollo
Jan 1, 2013
A

Now is probably not the best time to be experimenting.

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rex monday
Jul 9, 2001

Pisk. Pisk. Piiiiiiisk!
Now us the perfect time to be experimenting. Voting C.

Sogol
Apr 11, 2013

Galileo's Finger
I feel it is unclear the extent to which unanimity of the vote is the key thing. I have been considering our conversation with ourselves about being able to 'take one more step' as an example of bold speaking, though not in High El. I have no idea if this is right or not. If it is, it might be an example of us 'imposing our will' on reality, where that reality was simply the limits of our own body. Our Sandals are an artifact that apparently help us do that. presumably our Flute is something similar. We were not unanimous in ourselves at the time of the 'one more step' scene. The 'imposition' of will might require motive and 'faith' in some way and it might be a bit like a muscle that requires practice. It might require our attention extending well beyond concerns of a personal or selfish nature. This could also mean that even when we do not noticeably succeed in altering something about our reality (like calling forth light or fire) we might still benefit from practice. All of this is random theory though.

It is probably worth noting that we know all these things can in some way be fueled by blood sacrifices and we are trying to work out how to do them without that. In those cases blood might be the reagent or 'fuel'. In the case of not using blood it might be more like tapping into some larger 'divine' source of fuel or energy. So far I think we may have been using ourselves and so knocking ourself out. Either that or we are a 'channel', but unused to it or something like that.

All just random, random theory and speculation. Diog recently distinguished between adults and children saying that children are not considered to have 'moral agency' which given that we are currently undertaking a manhood rite seems worth thinking about.

I initially voted A since I did not want us to knock ourselves out on the night of the full moon and I am hoping this current C approach is something that might give us more of a chance without ending up violently unconscious.

I still want us to do an El rite appropriate to the full moon, see if we can enter the dream space without being knocked out or ending up on the beach again and go for a moonlight swim, but one thing at time really I guess.

Sogol fucked around with this message at 17:06 on Oct 19, 2013

Lanky Coconut Tree
Apr 7, 2011

An angry tree.

The angriest tree
I brought up the unanimity factor because it was one of many important factors influencing the successful vote. Additionally, it hadn't received as much attention as before, and I thought emphasizing the vast difference in our voting, before, after and the degree of confidence in a particular choice, would be useful.

Especially since Diog has indicated that we are Enkidel's mind, and any dissenting votes, voices or opinions are registered as minor doubts in the back of our mind, much like any normal person.

BoneMonkey
Jul 25, 2008

I am happy for you.

C all the way, lets do some magic! We can do it!

A Terrible Person
Jan 8, 2012

The Dance of Friendship

Fun Shoe
I don't really think now is the right time to do it but, since voting's still open, I'm changing my vote again. Sorry! I'm just getting a strong feeling this vote is less about whether we succeed but, rather, the method by which we use the ability in the future.

Changing my vote to this:

the_steve posted:

C - Sheer force of will/authority. This Vayahi WILL Or because we El-damned told it to.

My theory: I think it works for Tudiya, not only because of his bloodline, but because he knows it will work.

Also, diog, I just want to make it clear that I'm not voting this route because it makes tactical sense or anything; I know our honest opinion is an important factor in your games. I'm just thinking that the ritual itself doesn't matter so much as the faith involved in it working. Need may play a part in the success of Vayahi Or, but the ritual method is purely faith and not some fancy hand placement or anything. Hell, do the words themselves even matter?

OrangeOrbit
Apr 27, 2008
Fun Shoe
I just see no reason for us to be doing this magic successfully. If it takes a completely disciplined mind with no/little doubts then that's not gonna happen to a 16 year old unless he's in really dire straits like the last time we did it. I don't think it's out of character to experiment, but I just don't see us succeeding without a long time and a lot of effort, especially when we're not in trouble.

Ralith
Jan 12, 2011

I see a ship in the harbor
I can and shall obey
But if it wasn't for your misfortune
I'd be a heavenly person today

OrangeOrbit posted:

I just see no reason for us to be doing this magic successfully. If it takes a completely disciplined mind with no/little doubts then that's not gonna happen to a 16 year old unless he's in really dire straits like the last time we did it. I don't think it's out of character to experiment, but I just don't see us succeeding without a long time and a lot of effort, especially when we're not in trouble.

Well then let's experiment and find out if this is true. Even if so, then now's the perfect time to get started on that effort.

Diogines
Dec 22, 2007

Beaky the Tortoise says, click here to join our choose Your Own Adventure Game!

Paradise Lost: Clash of the Heavens!

Voting closes in 40 minutes.

Edit: Closed.

Diogines fucked around with this message at 20:16 on Oct 19, 2013

Diogines
Dec 22, 2007

Beaky the Tortoise says, click here to join our choose Your Own Adventure Game!

Paradise Lost: Clash of the Heavens!

It is the afternoon. You build a pile of kindling. Snarls sits in the sand a few feet away. You raise two sticks as you did before. You grip them tightly.

You draw back one stick to strike the other...

"Vayahi Or!"

Nothing.

You raise the sticks and strike them together, trying again.

"Vayahi Or!"

Nothing.

You try several more times. Each time the sticks remain unlit and no hint of anything supernatural is evident.

You try again.

"Vayahi Or!"

Nothing.

"VAYAHI OR!"

Nothing.

You try a final time.

"Vayahi or!"

Nothing.

Play





Snarls walks back over to your side and gives you a consolatory sloppy lick on the side of your face, then wags his tail excited. He picks up a stick in his mouth and looks up at you pleadingly with it. Well, you could not make fire, but at least you have Snarls to make you feel better.

You continue with your routine for the rest of the day. That night, it is indeed a full moon.





If you had feared some sort of terrible danger might rear it's head upon the night, no such horror rises. It does not rain. You sleep in your small primitive shelter, Snarls beside you, with a full stomach and fairly warm.




That morning, you rise with the sun, catch breakfast and then, go pearl diving. This is your fifth day at the beach. Somewhere along the way before you reached the beach, you lost track of the days. It might have been a month since you left Zepath? You left under a fool moon and last night was as well... so yes, a month?

It is the early afternoon. You have done well so far today and found 8 more pearls, bringing the total up to 28.

You are about sixty feet from the beach and perhaps 20 feet down, having just dived down again, to search for more clams and oysters. Snarls is waiting for you on the beach, sleeping, playing, keeping an eye out or licking his genitals, as dogs are want to do.






Small fish swim by, some larger ones as well, perhaps lunch for later? The kelp stalks drift lazily in the currents. You have seen a few large fish, but nothing which has so much as taken a nip at you.





Suddenly you are disoriented as a large school of fish go by you, smacking into you and continuing to pass by you.




All around you, fish descend into holes in-between rocks on the sea bed, or follow in the school which has gone by.

As you reorient yourself, you look around and realize you are alone. The teeming fish around you are now all gone.


You hear some sort of strange noise coming from the south west, further from the coast, deeper below. It is far off but it seems to be coming in this direction. You have only just come down, having grown up in the sea and otherwise being in excellent shape, you can hold your breath for perhaps two minutes? You have spent much time in the sea before but never heard any noise quite like that. It sounds almost like a whale song but it is very obviously not like any whale you have heard before.

You are nude and carrying only your cloak, bawled up in one hand. It has been your routine to dive down, gather up as many clams and oysters as you can and store them in the cloak as an improvised bag. You carry your catch up, dump them on the beach and then pop them open when you are done diving, to see if any had pearls in them.


1. You....

A. Remain still and see what happens next.
B. Wait just a few moments to see if you can hear anything else, or hear anything else.
C. Swim towards the sound to investigate,
D. Swim towards the sound to investigate, quickly
E. Swim towards the sound to investigate, at a panicked pace
F. Swim towards the beach.
G. Swim towards the beach, quickly
H. Swim towards the beach, at a panicked pace
I. Swim straight up to the surface.
J. Swim straight up to the surface, quickly
K. Swim straight up to the surface, at a panicked pace.
L. Yell something towards the origin of the sound.
M. Something else. Fill in.



The next update will happen when we have enough votes to proceed, so we will have at least one more update today if we get enough votes and if we get more, it is entirely possible we could get 2 or maybe even 3 by the late night.




If you want to, feel free to join us on irc #madgod on synirc.net. The channel tends to always have some people in it and is especially active when updates go up.

If you do not know what IRC is, here is a web based chat version which will not require you to register or download anything: http://chat.mibbit.com/

Diogines fucked around with this message at 21:22 on Oct 19, 2013

dyzzy
Dec 22, 2009

argh
G Time to :getout:

BoneMonkey
Jul 25, 2008

I am happy for you.

A when in doubt freeze!

jazzyhattrick
Jul 1, 2010

by Jeffrey of YOSPOS
Omar comin' y'all. Omar Comin!

When we get to the beach we should definitely run the gently caress away, but we need to get there first.
M: Take the path of least time, it's faster swimming on the surface, due to being able to breath naturally and also because there is slightly less resistance, however if we swim straight up we'll be further from the beach therefore our journey will take longer, if we head straight for the beach it'll be less distance to travel but we'll be slower due to losing oxygen and having more resistance from the water. Swim upwards diagonally at our best estimate of the Path of least time.

SerSpook
Feb 13, 2012




dyzzy posted:

G Time to :getout:

Yup, this.

Sogol
Apr 11, 2013

Galileo's Finger
A conserve breath. If we have sufficient breath just hang still and orient. If we need breath surface and come back to this depth and wait. Remain oriented up/down and toward the beach.

Where is Snarls during our dives?

What are we carrying on the dives?

Mr Apollo
Jan 1, 2013
Let's Get out of here.

jng2058
Jul 17, 2010

We have the tools, we have the talent!







Marines, we are LEAVING!

A Terrible Person
Jan 8, 2012

The Dance of Friendship

Fun Shoe
Voting for 1F.

A RICH WHITE MAN
Jul 30, 2010

See them other chickenheads? They don't never leave the coop.
Time to go.

Diogines
Dec 22, 2007

Beaky the Tortoise says, click here to join our choose Your Own Adventure Game!

Paradise Lost: Clash of the Heavens!

Sogol posted:

Where is Snarls during our dives?
On the beach, sleeping, playing, keeping an eye out or licking his genitals, as dogs are want to do.


Sogol posted:

What are we carrying on the dives?
You are nude and carrying only your cloak, bawled up in one hand. It has been your routine to dive down, gather up as many clams and oysters as you can and store them in the cloak as an improvised bag. You carry your catch up, dump them on the beach and then pop them open when you are done diving, to see if any had pearls in them.

Diogines fucked around with this message at 21:22 on Oct 19, 2013

Zybourne Clock
Oct 25, 2011

Poke me.
G. It's got to be pretty scary if it can scare away the fish like that.

Sogol
Apr 11, 2013

Galileo's Finger
Sharks and such don't hunt with sound though. Like a whale sound, but not a whale sound, so something we never encountered further south. Maybe scary to fish, but not us. Maybe a beastie for whom we are a tasty morsel. Aren't we curious? A little?

SerSpook
Feb 13, 2012




Sogol posted:

Sharks and such don't hunt with sound though. Like a whale sound, but not a whale sound, so something we never encountered further south. Maybe scary to fish, but not us. Maybe a beastie for whom we are a tasty morsel. Aren't we curious? A little?

After killing a three eyed fire throwing jackal, no. Discretion is the better part of valor. This is a whale monster, or perhaps even a child of Asherah.

BHB
Aug 28, 2011
H. No. gently caress this like the gently caress champion of the fucklympics. Get the gently caress out of the water.

Neraren
Sep 15, 2006
Random Nerd #753897

dyzzy posted:

G Time to :getout:

Yup.

Althair
Jul 26, 2006
words are weapons

Watuhboy posted:

H. No. gently caress this like the gently caress champion of the fucklympics. Get the gently caress out of the water.

H

Xun
Apr 25, 2010

Get out

Nettle Soup
Jan 30, 2010

Oh, and Jones was there too.

dyzzy posted:

G Time to :getout:

Seconding :frogout: Let's not panic guys, we don't wanna get turned around and swim the wrong way!

Nettle Soup fucked around with this message at 21:45 on Oct 19, 2013

Sogol
Apr 11, 2013

Galileo's Finger
Looks like there is no chance in the vote to stay. I was just thinking we are more at home in the sea than either desert, forest or jungle. The Great Fish are mostly benevolent. We have positive feeling about things that make whale-like noises.

Also, if it is a human eating predator, thrashing about is not necessarily a good thing.

Vote already has some momentum going though.

paragon1
Nov 22, 2010

FULL COMMUNISM NOW
You guys are cowards! C

sotary
Sep 11, 2001
Going with A for curiousity's sake.

Task Manager
Sep 5, 2008

A weird time in which we are alive. We can travel anywhere we want, even to other planets. And for what? To sit day after day, declining in morale and hope.
Let's vote to try Vayahi Or again!

I think this time it will work for sure. The trick is you have to be underwater. :ssh:

Voting C

ShotgunWillie
Aug 30, 2005

a sexy automaton -
powered by dark
oriental magic :roboluv:
G for me, please. Panicking will only make more noise and attract attention.

Tsyni
Sep 1, 2004
Lipstick Apathy
C

Whale sounds good sounds. The tiny fish are slow witted and easily startled. Maybe there is a fish altar with magic flippers that let us swim forever.

Pump it up! Do it!
Oct 3, 2012

Sogol posted:

Looks like there is no chance in the vote to stay. I was just thinking we are more at home in the sea than either desert, forest or jungle. The Great Fish are mostly benevolent. We have positive feeling about things that make whale-like noises.

Also, if it is a human eating predator, thrashing about is not necessarily a good thing.

Vote already has some momentum going though.
Yes the great fish are mostly benevolent in our world but in the world of Paradise lost we know that people who live near the coast worships a constantly hungry god/demon, so I think it's best to get the hell out of the water so G

Diogines
Dec 22, 2007

Beaky the Tortoise says, click here to join our choose Your Own Adventure Game!

Paradise Lost: Clash of the Heavens!

You swim as quick as you can towards the beach.

The sound is getting louder and closer, it sounds less like whale song and more like... something is churning the water swiftly.

You steal glance back towards the deep sea as you kick your legs as hard as you can. You catch a glimpse of something far behind you, deep in the inky black.





You swim on. Harder.

You are almost to the beach, you steal a glimpse behind you.





You can hear Snarls terrified barks before you even reach the surface and then hear him barking frantically as he runs back and forth. You pant as you climb onto the beach.

You are safe. Surely that monster can't survive on land.

Right?






















With a high pitched screech of agony unlike anything you have seen before, something very large bursts through the surface of the sea about half a mile from the shore.

As it screams it... it is still coming your way, the sea churning before it.


1. You...

A. Stay here.
B. Talk to it.
C. Ask it if it wants to be your friend.
D. Swim out towards it.
E. Vayahi Or it!
F. Run.
G. Run!
H. RUN!!
I. RUN!!!!!!!
J. Scream.
K. Scream while running.
L. Run while screaming.
M. Die.
N. Die while screaming.
O. Scream while dying.
P. Die with style.
Q. Die with flair.
R. Die.
S. I lift my spiked club off the beach, turn and prepare to fight.
T. I am overwhelmed by that thing. I fall down in shock and horror.
U. Die.
V. Die.
W. Die.
X. Die.
Y. Die.
Z. Something else, fill in.



2. Do you yell, pray, plead, beg or otherwise ask for help? If so, to who?
A. No, I do not.
B. El!
C. Azzazel!
D. One of the Ophanim! Which?
E. Asherah! Beg for mercy under the theory that is Asherah or Asherah sent that... thing, or that you are near the sea so maybe Asherah can help you?
F. Yes! To that monster!
G. Ishamal!
H. Your mother!
I. Tudiya!
J. Ask that El make your climb up the mountain easy, a traditional prayer for those about to die.
K. WHAT!?!?! I AM A LITTLE BUSY HERE! I AM RUNNING FOR DEAR LIFE! I DON'T HAVE TIME TO WASTE ON PRAYERS!
L. Something else. Fill in.


You are about three hundred yards north of your camp. You made it near the stream but found a good kelp bed further north to dive for pearls. You have your cloak with you, you were using it as a bag to carry clams and oysters. The cloak is empty, you were on your way down to get more clams. On the edge of the beach is a pile of oysters you brought up on previous dives this afternoon. On the beach is also your spiked club, robe, belt and your sandals.

At your camp are all of the pearls you have collected so far, as well as your stone knife, your shelter, the altar and the firepit.


3. If you are running for it... where are you going?
A. North, up the beach!
B. STRAIGHT towards the forest!
C. STRAIGHT towards the forest and I just keep going as quick as I can, towards the scrubland!
D. Towards my camp so I can get what I left there!
E. South, down the beach!
F. To the altar!
G. Someplace else, fill in!


If you want to put as much distance between you and that... thing as possible, going straight into the forest be the quickest. Every action which does not involve running for your life, is going to take precious seconds.

4. Which of the following things do you do, each of which will slow you down? Pick as many as you want to
A. Grab my sandals.
B. ...and put on my sandals..
C. Grab my clothes and belt.
D. ...and put on my clothes.
E. Grab my club.
F. Some of the clams you already collected this afternoon, which lay in a pile.
G. All of the above.

(If you are going back to your camp...)
H. Grab the pearls. You are storing them in a large shell you found on the beach.
I. Grab the knife
J. The jackal skull.
K. All of the above.

Diogines fucked around with this message at 22:42 on Oct 19, 2013

Basscop
Jun 4, 2010

Lightnin? HA! Thats a good 'un!
Now why dontcha
come o'er here and
GET

IN

MY

BELLY!!!
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGET OUT

Edit: Update posted while i was posting.

1. I

2. B

3. D

4. B

We need the sandals to RUUUUUN

Basscop fucked around with this message at 22:39 on Oct 19, 2013

Rahul
Dec 10, 2004

1:I
2:B
3:D
4:ACFHI

It's time to hit the road. Lets grab our poo poo and run.

Rahul fucked around with this message at 22:50 on Oct 19, 2013

Nettle Soup
Jan 30, 2010

Oh, and Jones was there too.

Basscop I expected better of you!

1:S - Come at me!
2:B - El!
3:X - Back up the beach a little, but otherwise stand our ground!
4:AB E - Put on our boots, grab our club and wait.

Guys, if we run it'll eat our dog! Let's make squid!

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BoneMonkey
Jul 25, 2008

I am happy for you.

Nettle Soup posted:

Basscop I expected better of you!

1:S - Come at me!
2:B - El!
3:X - Back up the beach a little, but otherwise stand our ground!
4:AB E - Put on our boots, grab our club and wait.

Guys, if we run it'll eat our dog! Let's make squid!

This guy knows what is up!

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