Current Events > CYOA: You are Merlin the Muscle Wizard

(+) Yeah! (+)

teepan95 posted...

A

It was fine, not info-dumpy at all

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A

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A) Cast Fist

The traders lets out a deep sigh, then quickly switches to a serious face. He springs off his horse and whips his sleeve forward, revealing a small wand. You got balls to face this old man in a Wizard Battle. Ive been in this business for a long time, kiddos! Dont think youll be robbing me that easily!

He points his wand forward and draws a triangle in the air. Squire-class: Delta Flame!

3 fireballs emerge, flying forward to each of the bandits.

They all respond by pulling out wands out of their sleeves as well. The leader, licking his wand, lines up between his allies. Weve been in this business for quite a while too!

The three of them wave their wands together and chant simultaneously. Knight-class: Super Barrier!

The fireballs dissipate after colliding with the blue translucent wall that materialized in front of the bandits.

The leader smirks. Youll need a lot more firepower than that to defeat the bond of three brothers!

They all point their wands forward and chant together again. Knight-class: Flame Barrage!

Dozens of fireballs fly forward.

However, the trader had already long been mumbling something while drawing rapid circles with his wand. ...and let the wind sail forward! Lord-class: Storm Cannon!

A huge spiral of air erupts out of the traders wand, extinguishing all the fireballs and drilling a hole through their magic barrier.

The three brace themselves through the wind, taking a few cuts.

The leader catches his breath, then spits on the ground. Ill admit, I wasnt expecting a simpleton like you to know Lord-class magic. In that case!

The three of them hold up their wands, touching them all together and start chanting a long phrase. Heed our call, Apollo

The trader widens his stance and starts chanting something equally long. Heed my call, Athena

The chanting goes on for a solid minute.

You twiddle your thumbs. Pardon me, but is this supposed to be a theatre play of some sort?

Gundilf takes out a rag and starts polishing his staff. Fraid youre lookin at a good ol Wizard Battle.

You lay your head against your hand. That cannot be right. They havent moved from their starting positions at all! And they keep yelling out their spells like looneys! Am I missing something here?

Well, it is pretty difficult to cast magic while moving, he says while admiring the sheen on his Wizard Staffs barrel. Normal magic, that is. Aint no problem for Blackpowder.

Difficult?! Since when?! You facepalm. And theyre still chanting! Oh, I cant bear to watch this anymore, you say before hopping out of the wagon.

The chanting stops for the three bandits as they keep a giant sphere of fire hovering above them. Destruction-class: Extinction Meteor! they yell, throwing the giant ball of flames forward.

The trader also stops chanting. Destruction-class: Divine Protec--

FIST!!! you yell, shoving the trader out of the way and uppercutting the giant fireball, sending it into the sky where it explodes into a massive display of fireworks.

Both parties stare at you dumbfoundedly.

You massage your temples. What. In blazes. Is all this?! Are you two really Wizards?!
You glare at the bandit leader. You. Where did you all learn to use magic?!

The leaders jaw drops. Hold up. Did this huge grandpa just deflect a Destruction-class spell--

You jump forward, crashing right in front of him and cracking the ground a bit, which causes them to lose footing a bit. Magic. Where learn.

He quivers a bit. We...were alumni of the Natit Wizard Academy--

You grab his shoulder and shake him. What in BLAZES is a Wizard Academy?! Did your parents not teach you any magic?!

N...no? I never met anyone whose parents have done that--

FIST!! you yell, uppercutting the 3 of them into oblivion.

You stomp your way back to the trader. Pardon me. But where is this Natit Wizard Academy?

He blinks. Its, uh, actually where were headed right now. To deliver some school supplies. He shakes his head to re-orient himself. Sorry, but what did you just do?

Youve already hopped back into the wagon. I punched em.



The trader unloads the boxes from his wagon as he talks to a man in a uniform. I could have sworn there was more bread than this he mumbles.

The two of you stand before the wooden entrance of a gigantic stone building, composed of multiple other buildings. Banners hang all around the walls to show off its grandiosity.

A myriad of young students in various colors of robes pass by you, walking in and out of the entrance, and giving you weird looks.

Gundilf crosses his arms. Whatever happened to going after Titan?

You also cross your arms. Oh I have a strong hunch that this has Titan written all over it, you say, glaring at the huge banner in front that says NATIT.

He tilts his head. Oh yeah? What makes you say that?

It is way too strange for magic to have evolved backwards after a millennium. If anyone is corrupting the youth, its that damn beard-hater.

The King, still bound and gagged and hoisted over your shoulder once again, mumbles something.

You lower the gag on his mouth.

You! The Lightning Kingdom wasnt enough for you?! Now you seek to destroy the most prestigious academy in the nation?!--

You put the gag back on his mouth.

How will you investigate?

A) Stealth: Pretend to be part of the youth and gather info from your fellow youths
B) Stealth: Pretend to be part of the staff and gather info from your fellow faculty
C) Force your way to the head honcho of this accursed place


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I'm having too much fun with FIST for stealth

So c)
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A because it's funny, then C when that fails/when Merlin gets bored/angry.
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A.

It's not stealth, it's "stealth."

Like the Solid Snake "Can't Pull an Alarm When You're Dead" School of Sneaking.

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That's fair enough. I'd be happy with that "dead men tell no tales" stealth
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As much fun as fisting our problems away is, I want to see more so gonna go with

A

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A

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A is the most amusing

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B.

A

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Up

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A) Pretend to be part of the youth and gather info from your fellow youths



So, Gundilf begins, as he puts on the black school uniform you just acquired from the trader, Cant say I was expecting to back to school like this, he says as he somehow hides away his staff under the uniform.

You try to put on the school robes, but in the process you rip up the long sleeves with your massive arms. The bottom of the robes only reach up to your knees, rather than reaching the ground like it does for Gundilf. It feels like a dress more than anything.

He looks you up and down. Well, Ill probably fit in just fine since Im short, but youre lookin to be a whole different story, brother.

You put on the school hat, which is bigger than your other hat, so youre able to put on the hat over your hat. Worry not. I was an infant before.

He looks to the side. Uhhh, these aint infants, brother. They look to be teenagers.

Ive lived for over a thousand years, Gundilf. Youre all infants to me. Now are we all ready?

King Goldius struggles around in his robes like someone trying to escape a potato sack. This...is...embarrassing! Why must I have to go along with your criminal acts?! He finally gets his head through the robes, revealing his glare to you. I could run away right now and have you arrested, you know.

You sigh and take off your hats, then put your face right up to his, making you bend down to meet his eyes. But you wont. Because youre a damn coward. A pathetic, spineless weakling.

You inch closer, making him back up a bit. Go ahead and call whoever you want. But know that I WILL. Punch. Them. All. You say, poking his chest with each punctuated word. And then you will be next.

He gulps.

You put your hats back on. Oh well, why not think of this as a learning opportunity? Clearly you still have much to know to truly become a Grand Wizard.

He looks to the side, frustrated. Fine. Ill play by your rules for now, you fiend.



The three of you walk through the entrance. Across from you is a T-intersection, with a counter manned by a lady in a more official-looking uniform.

Just like we practiced, alright? Gundilf whispers to you as the three of you approach the counter.

She gives a customer-service smile. Hi! Are you three guests?

You stare her down with your massive height. No. We are students.

She raises an eyebrow. Um...no offense sir, but you look a bit too old to be a student here.

That is because of puberty. Which I am currently going through. Because I am a student here.

She sweats a bit. Uhhh...okay. Well, which element are you studying? I can direct you to where your elements building would be.

You blink. Pardon me, but what are you talking about?

She pulls out a diagram with a pentagon on it. Each of the points of the pentagon have different colors on it. Well, as you can see on this map, this school is divided into 5 other buildings, all connected by hallways. Theres one for each element: Fire, Water, Wind, Earth, and Lightning!

You blink even more. You...focus on a single one?

Why of course! Mastering one element is difficult as it is! And can even take a whole lifetime to do!

You facepalm. By the gods. This is embarass--

Gundilf starts pushing me away. Well just be wanderin around, thanks miss!



The three of you walk through the very wide hallway, passing by crowds of students. You notice that the ones around this hallway are mostly wearing red badges, which you assume mean these are the Fire students. Some lean against the brightly-lit windows, casually talking before their next class.

Merlin, was it? Goldius asks casually. Why do you act so appalled by common knowledge?

You exhale. This is not knowledge. This is the complete opposite of knowledge. Forcing yourself to one element is like only walking on a single leg when you have two.

In the corner of your eye, you see a young boy sitting and reading on a bench, secluded away from everyone else who is socializing. Instead of people, he is accompanied by a stack of books. You approach him out of curiosity, thinking he should be a safe target to get info from.

The extraordinarily skinny boy adjusts his comically large glasses as he looks up to your overbearing figure. H...hello. Who are you?

Greetings fellow youth. I am, uh You think back to Gundilf, who earlier told you not to reveal your real name just to be safe. However, he did not specify what name to use instead. I am Pew Bertie. What is this activity you are doing?

He clears his throat. Im...Terry Thotter. And Im currently memorizing spells for my next class.

Memorizing? Why would you need to memorize spells?

Goldius crosses his arms. You idiot, dont you know the basics of spellcasting? You have to know the correct sequence of words to chant! With so many spells, why do you think its so difficult to master an element?!

You massage your temples. By the gods. This cannot possibly look any worse--

Suddenly, a fanfare bursts out of the hallway as a grandiosely long red carpet rolls down the hallway. A young boy in a fully red-colored school uniform walks on it, accompanied by two robed guards.

Everyone, please clear the way for Prince Firebong! Son of the Grand Wizard of Fire! says one of the guards.

Goldius immediately hides behind you. Oh shit. That boy might recognize me, since I know his father quite well.

Well, I must say I recognize the way he presents himself, you say. Reminds me a lot of your son.

Well of course he would! Goldius says smugly. Both that boy and my son are royalty after all! Something you wouldnt know, you dreaded commoner.

You roll your eyes. Commoner this, royalty that. The only royal thing that happened to you is that I royally defeated you.

Goldius doesnt have a retort for that one.

In the midst of your exchange, Terry had gotten up from his seat to get on the carpet. The moment his shoe formed a dirt print on it, everyone gasped.

Um, excuse me, Terry says nonchalantly while adjusting his big glasses, But theres already a carpeted area in the middle. And this hallway is quite large. No one has to make way.

Firebongs hair immediately bursts into flames. Oi. Commoner. The SHIT did you just say to me? Get your filthy feet off of MY carpet! he says while pushing Terry down.

Terry shakes his head to re-orient himself. Hey! Violence isnt allowed in the school rules.

Firebong holds up his hand, forming a small fireball. My father IS the rules, shithead.

A) Defend Terry
B) Teach Terry to CAST FIST
C) Ignore this and move on


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B
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B, and A if shit hits the fan with that

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teepan95 posted...

B

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B.

B. This child seems promising

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B

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B.

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safety bump

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B

The first disciple of Merlins dojo.

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First update that i've had to split for the CYOA, woo
B) Teach Terry to CAST FIST

Firebong stops casting midway. "Oi, wait a sec. I recognize those stupidly large glasses now," he smirks. "You're that dumbass who ranks at the bottom of this entire academy! A pitiful commoner who can barely use magic."

You squint your eyes. Now I DEFINITELY know hes exactly like your son. Is this just what it means to be royalty, Goldius?

Goldius looks to the side. I...suppose not.

Firebong lets out an ominous chuckle. Im not gonna waste a mere pebble of fire for trash like you. He raises both of his hands and forms a much larger casting circle. No, Ill be giving you an example you wont forget!

Every other student in the area backs off.

The growing ball of flames can be seen on the reflection of Terrys glasses. He starts mumbling to himself. This is...a Destruction-class? Which means Ill have to...ack, but I wont be able to finish chanting it in time. Maybe I could--

Punch him. You say frankly.

Terry gets up and looks behind to meet your eyes. Do...what now?

Hes fixated on chanting, Terry. Punch him.

Gundilf nods. I agree. Slug him in the kisser, lad!

Terry looks at his pathetically scrawny hands. But...Ive never heard of a Wizard punching another--

Hurry! Do it Terry, cast your FIST at him!! you yell.

He grits his teeth and runs full speed ahead. EEEAAAAAGH!! he screams incoherently, throwing a punch with all of his might aimed for the face. However, he trips a bit on the way, causing his fist to change its target...

Firebong did not know how to react at all. In the next moment, his concentration is interrupted with his groin being caved in from a fist, stumbling him to the ground.

A few boys in the crowd let out a pained Ooooo!

Immediately, his guards run up and point their hands at Terry. Mr. Thotter, you are under arrest for--

Firebong puts his hand up. Thotter. You really fucked up now, he says with traces of flames seeping out of his mouth. As you know, well be having magical duels at Professor Gundledorfs class in an hour. Small flames shoot out through his nose as he exhales. Say your fucking prayers, because Ill fucking EXECUTE you in front of the entire fucking class.

With that, he gets up and walks away, covering his royal jewels. The guards follow suit, rolling the carpet back up.

The rest of the crowd disperses, giving Terry some ostracizing glances.

Gundilf breaks out in a sweat and starts to walk away.

Whats wrong? you ask.

He takes a deep breath. That lad mentioned the name of an old friend o mine. You two continue the investigation, Ill be taking care o some business real quick, he says with a brisk stride out of the hallway.

Terry runs up, look up at you in a panic. By the gods, Pew! What am I gonna do?! Ill have to start writing my will!

Silence, boy! Goldius says sharply. It would be foolish for a Prince to commit a murder publicly.

You roll your eyes. Oh yes, most foolish indeed.

Goldius glares at you. And YOU need to stop corrupting the youth, damnit! That was a sorry excuse of a Wizard Battle! This barbaric method of yours sullies the reputation of our most sacred tradition!

You grab him lightly by the collar. You are a failure if you cannot recognize the difference between a battle and humiliation. You let him go and look back to the young boy, whose breathing starts to speed up. Please calm down, Terry.

How can I possibly stay calm?! he yells.

You shrug. You won this battle, did you not?

That was clearly a fluke!

You hold up your fist. By my word, I assure you it was no fluke. In fact, I can show you how you can turn this entire situation around, you say funnelling Chi to your fist, making it glow blue.

Terry gets starry-eyed. Whoa. Most curious. Ive never seen such magic before.

Goldius grumbles. You wouldnt dare spread that awful technique of yours!

You give him a threatening glare, causing him to shrivel a bit. Youll be partaking in this lesson too, if you really want to live up to your title.

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Terry accompanies you guys to an open field in the school grounds. A row of straw-dummies stand at the edge of the field.

We came at a good time, Terry says with a smile. Usually, students would come here to practice their magic. But it looks like everyone is busy.

You stretch out your arms. Perfect! Tell me Terry, how do you cast a spell?

He adjusts his glasses. Well, first you construct a magic circle, making sure to use the correct incantation on the circle--

Wrong! you interject.

Goldius blinks. The fuck do you mean thats wrong? Thats exactly right!--

Wrong!! you say even louder. This way of doing magic by the book is, simply put, BORING! And therefore, it is INEFFICIENT!

They both tilt their heads.

Terry, could you try casting a spell for me?

He looks at his hands nervously. I...I can try. He puts his palms forward, narrowing his eyes in concentration. A magical circle forms in front of his hands. He starts mumbling something, with each movement of his mouth causing a new symbol to form on the edge of the circle.

He fully opens his eyes. Squire-class: Flame sphere! he yells. However, a small explosion occurs instead, blowing him backwards to the ground. He punches the dirt. Curses! I used the wrong word again! Im...Im just not cut out for magic, Pew!

Tears start forming in his eyes. Ive been reading these magic books from dusk til dawn, for weeks on end! Sacrificed the pursuit of friendship to memorize all these spells! And yet! He punches the ground again. Im a cursed failure who cant even memorize the simplest fire spell!

Goldius stares in awe. Amazing...for a mis-cast to lead to an explosion like that, you would need an oceans worth of mana! You clearly have potential, boy!

He glares at Goldius, silently communicating the face of Not helping.

You squat down to match Terrys level. You are not the one who has failed. No, it is your mentors who have failed you. You stand, helping Terry up as well. I want you to forget everything youve learned and close your eyes.

Terry hesitates, then closes his eyes.

Alright, now what do you see?

He furrows his brows. Uh...nothing?

You scratch your head. You sure you dont see weird blue strings?

Oh! Yes, of course I do. He tilts his head. Isnt that just a normal thing to see when you close your eyes, though?

You subtly smile. Normal for us Wizards, yes. Now, try drawing a picture of a fireball with those strings. Doesnt have to look good.

Um, okay. He furrows his brows even more, straining his mental strength just to visualize it. To him, moving the strings around the way he wants is like trying to fit a thread through a needlehole.

After a bit, he exhales. Okay, I drew a circle with spikes on it. Now what?

You grin. Open your eyes.

Terrys vision returns, only for him to witness a boulder-sized ball of flames floating in front of his hands. Magic circles are present on his palms, complete with a bunch of words.

Goldius jaw drops. Impossible...Destruction-class: Extinction Meteor? And without chanting?!

You stroke your beard with pride. Dont you see? Wizards have always been able to PLAY with mana like it was art! These magic circles are just the fingerprint of the spell, not the source of it!

Goldius falls to his knees. So youre telling me...Ive been wasting my whole life writing FINGERPRINTS?! It was this easy?! He closes his eyes and tries it out, but the blue strings that should have been there are blurry and faded.

You shake your head. Unfortunately for you, this backwards way of spellcasting is ingrained tightly into your mind. Itll take effort to unlearn a lifetime of bad habits.

He grits his teeth in frustration.

Uhh, Pew? Terry asks nervously, What do I do with this thing? I feel like it could blow at any moment!

You hold your palm against the giant fireball, then funnel Chi to your hand. In an instant, the fireball dissipates. No worries. For now, you should

A) Just keep casting spells for practice (skip to duel with Firebong)
B) Spar with me
C) Try fighting Goldius, totally normal student who is not the Grand Wizard of Lightning

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C.

C
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C because Goldius needs practice too.
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C. Yeah. This will help both of them.

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C

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C
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Kircheis posted...

C because Goldius needs practice too.

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C

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A, just for the combo breaker.

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Bump

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safety bump

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Oh how I missed writing actual fights :D
C) Let Him Fight Goldius

"How about the two of you spar?"

Goldius springs up and tiptoes up to your ear. "Are you daft?! You want me to fight a child?!" He angrily whispers.

You smile smugly. "Well, you act like one, do you not? Besides, I advise you stop underestimating your opponents."

He huffs up in frustration, then glares at Terry, who is busy staring at his hands in awe of what he had just done.

I cant believe it...I really am a Wizard! Terry says with a giant grin. Im not a failure!

Boy! Goldius shouts, are you still with us?

Terry looks up and blinks. Wuh--oh! Yes! What are we doing next, sir?

Sir? Goldius says as he puts down his hood, Thats King to you, boy! His voice echos, ringing with the boom of thunder.

He scratches his head. Um...who are you again? Sorry, that sounded really rude. Im Terry Thotter! He walks forward and extends his hand with a smile. Whats your name?

Goldius stands with a blank face. I he says with his hand slowly moving forward, ...am your opponent! He yells, grabbing Terrys hand and quickly mumbling a chant.

Terry spasms in pain due to lightning surging through his veins, then falls to his knees.

Goldius kicks him away.

You step forward. Hey, what are you--

Goldius raises his hand. Get up, boy. Ill be doing the lesson now.

Terry tries to scuttle away. Wh...whats going on?!

You should be honored, boy. You get the privilege of fighting A flash of lightning strikes his hand, forming his staff, ...The Grand Wizard of Lightning, Goldius! He slams his staff on the ground. Now, get up, boy! he says before beginning to chant quietly.

Terry shuffles to his feet. A Grand Wizard?! Werent you just a student?!--

Knight-class: Heavenly Smite!

A huge streak of lightning crashes right at Terry, who managed to jump away at the last second.

Terrys eyes start to water. I dont like this lesson very much!

Lesson One. Goldius slowly walks forward as he talks. A Wizard needs two things to thrive. The first He draws a small circle on the soil, quickly scribbling some markings on it, ...is Power! he yells, slamming his staff in the center of the circle.

A giant sphere of lightning forms above the staff.

Terry tears up. What did I do wrong?! I showed power earlier, didnt I?!

I dont doubt your power, boy. But power is useless He slams his staff into the ball, launching it forward, ...without Resolve!

The young Wizard tries to shield his face, covered in tears.

Come on, boy! Cast a spell! You must have the resolve to face magic head on!

His legs start to shake. The ball approaches fast.

Goldius sighs. So this is all you are capable of. In the end, youre still a failure.

Failure. That one single word pierced Terrys ears like a needle through his head. He has heard it countless times in the past. But hearing it now, after being armed with the knowledge that he was capable of great things this whole time...

He peeks through his arms and sees Goldiuss condescending stare. The same eyes as the arrogant prince that belittled him.

But looking to the side, Terry meets your gaze. Your eyes that acknowledge he exists. Eyes that have seen what he can do.

Your mouth creases a bit; a subtle proud smile.

He takes a deep breath and closes his eyes to focus on the blue strings around him. Then...

Terry bursts out into a scream, sending out a roaring shockwave that blows away the sphere and staggers Goldius back a bit.

I refuse to stay like this! Terry adjusts his glasses, keeping his eyes locked against the King. Please dont hold back, Mr. Goldius. Ill show you my resolve! he screams, conjuring flames on his hands.

Goldius grins. Thats King to you, boy!! He slams his staff into the circle again, conjuring the giant sphere of lightning. A bead of sweat rolls down his face.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kj5x_7S3DXc

The moment the bead hits the ground, the King dashes forward.

Terry shoots one fireball at the ground to launch himself into the air, then aims the other downwards with his other hand.

Goldius whips the sphere of lightning in reply. He uses the momentum of that whip and his running to slide forward, spinning around to draw a large circle around him with the tip of his staff. He continues that motion into another spin, drawing symbols on the edge of the circle at breakneck speed.

The sphere of lightning erases Terrys fireball and fast approaches him, but he blasts flames forward to propel him back, barely dodging the sphere. He then shoots another blast through his feet to launch himself down towards Goldius.

But the King finishes drawing the last symbol and slams his staff into the center. With a flash, his staff erupts and forms a colossal hammer made of lightning. Goldius screams as he swings it at Terry with full force.

The young Wizard is struck with fear once again. Hes only seen a spell like this in the upper echelons of his books. One of the few spells able to fell a dragon. At this rate, hes bound to meet the same fate as one.

He briefly shifts his gaze to meet Goldiuss eyes once more, who has noticed his fear. In them, Terry still sees a very regal ego that thinks this fight is decided. He still sees the face of the Prince of Fire.

And in the back of his head, he thinks back to your face, who had once told him exactly what to do to that very Prince.

Terry balls up his hand and covers his entire body in fire, blasting flames behind him that ramp up in intensity to the point of turning blue. His speed erupts to the point of breaking the sound barrier, zipping past where the head of the hammer wouldve hit him.

The arrogant look on Goldius quickly turns to wide-eyed fear. The only thing on his eyes is the growing silhouette of fire.

FIST!!! Terry belts out with all his lungs, crashing his punch right into the Kings face with the intensity of a thousand suns.

Goldius barrels backwards like a tumbleweed.

However, Terry exhausted himself too much and couldnt break his momentum, causing him to also barrel down the ground.

You catch both of them, yanking them by their robes.

Normally, youd be pissed that Goldius almost killed the boy. But the only thing on your face is giddiness. Hahaha! Yes!!! Splendid! THIS is what a Wizard Battle should be! You turn to Terry. That was an excellent display of Wizardry--

No response. Hes passed out from exhaustion. Looking at the King, hes also unconscious after taking an attack like that.

You proudly shrug and gently lay both of them on the ground.

Now for the next problem: how is Terry to fight Firebong in this state, with their next class fast approaching?

A) Pretend to be Terry
B) Wear a paper bag and maneuver Terry like a puppet, somehow convincing everyone you are not there
C) Firebong can go fuck himself; Find the dorms and get Terry to his bed, and also letting Goldius rest


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Damn, I'm proud. Brings a tear to my eye

C)
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B

We continue the proud traditions of The Solid Snake School of Stealth.

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B

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C.

C
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B
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Kakapo posted...

A

This has a very Robert Rankin or Tom Holt feel to it!

Duuuuude.

I wish I could get rankin books in the states, fuck I could probably just buy them online couldnt I?

I feel old as shit suddenly.

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C

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C

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up

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Taggin' this MFer!
Good writin'!

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Bump!

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Another one!

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