The wind buffets your face as you get off the cab, which speeds off into the distance. The street is a post-war reject: grey, cracked, and faded, like the people who make their homes in it, a few eucaliptus trees providing what few scarce bits of color you can see. It's the sort of place that is permanently stuck in autumn, with falling brown leaves and a chilly breeze presaging the arrival of winter.
The building is nothing special. Small, a single-story, and ugly, made of one block of concrete. There is nothing inviting about it, and you feel an urge to turn back for a moment, but decide against it. You've made it this far. It would make no difference if you didn't enter now. Resolutely, you open the door (of course it was open; Just as they told you it would be), and step into an empty room, the far end's door covered with a blue curtain. You briefly wonder whether you should just step through without announcing yourself, but then a voice speaks.
"Come in."
The tarotist doesn't belong in this place. With her blue robe and faded gold curls framing her aging face, she is too remarkable for it. Her eyes are the color of honey, surrounded by wrinkles. She probably was beautiful earlier in her life. Today, she is merely commanding.
"You didn't wander in here by accident. Somebody recommended my services to you. Who it was, it matters not." Her voice is cold, and determined, as if all traces of warmth or softness in it had been long since purged out. She locks her eyes with yours from behind the small table she currently sits behind, and gestures for you to take a seat on the only other chair in the room. She begins to shuffle a deck of cards, her eyes still on you.
"Why did you come here? What drove you to this place?" She asks.
[Basic CYOA setup: first to three, or five votes wins, or whatever has the most votes after 24-48 hours. You can suggest other choices than the ones offered, but please try to keep them from being suicidal, stupid, or excessively silly. Think Persona Series, if you need a guideline for the mood a choice could set.]
1) Why did you come to the tarotist?
A) "A friend told me to pay you a visit." B) "I was curious about this sort of thing." C) "I wanted to know what's in my future." D) "I wanted to do something adventurous." E) Other [Specify]
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In the midst of the darkness. A path of light exists--outside of the light, nothing can be seen, nothing exists. I--am one who runs in the midst of that light.
muddersmilk posted... Well there goes any chance of this being a serious CYOA.
Or perhaps it calls for a little improvisation. Who knows?
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Currently playing: League of Legends, Chrono Cross. Current Projects: Fool's Overture, CYOA: http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/8-gamefaqs-contests/59835001
"Hm. I don't receive too many visitors, these days. Your friend must have come here a long time ago." With a fluid motion, the tarotist finishes shuffling the cards, and splits them into three piles. The one on the right towers over the other two piles, as the leftmost pile is perhaps half its size, while the middle pile is quite tiny, lacking enough cards for a Bridge hand.
"Pick the pile that feels right to you. Take as long as you like."
You look at the piles, one by one, hoping for a flash of insight as to which pile you should pick, but nothing happens. It seems that you'll have to make a premeditated choice. Your mind begins to drift as you consider the choices open to you. What would William Ray do? He is your school's star student: smart, confident, popular, and an excellent fellow, he's adored by the teachers, chased by the girls, and the boys look up to him. He's quite dreamy...
...You snap back to reality. With the help of a little outside perspective, you've made your choice.
2) The pile you've picked is... A) The big pile (right side pile). B) The small pile (left side pile). C) The tiny pile (center pile).
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Currently playing: League of Legends, Chrono Cross. Current Projects: Fool's Overture, CYOA: http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/8-gamefaqs-contests/59835001
The fortune teller pockets the piles you did not select, then moves the remaining one to the center of the table.
"Since this is your first time consulting the Tarot, we shall do a simplified reading. First, we will determine who you are, Seeker." With a sure hand, she draws the first card and placed it on the table. A young man carrying a pack on a stick, standing at the edge of a cliff, unaware of where his step will lead him next. A little dog is barking beside him.
"The Fool. A card of endless possibilities, and new beginnings, a loser in the beginning and a winner in the end. This card represents you, and the paths that lay open to you. Have you moved here recently? Or perhaps considered beginning a new relationship? No, don't tell me." She says, forestalling your words. "Reflect on its meanings silently, without the corruption of an outside perspective. We are looking for the answers the cards offer as they pertain to you, and no one else."
Before you can fully begin to digest the significance of the card, the fortune teller places a second one down.
"The Tower." She shakes her head, as her face grows grim. "There was a terrible event in your past, wasn't there? Something that shook the foundations of your life to their very core. My, my. You are too young to experience such a sad thing. "
Your feel your heart sink, as the fortune teller's words strike a chord within you. It's been nearly six months since the accident...six difficult, lonely months. The old house was so cold and empty that you couldn't stand to stay in it, and moved away a few months ago. It still feels like you don't belong in the new house, but at least it's been an improvement...the two cards have been right, so far, predicting parts of your life, but you're not sure whether to believe this or not. That first card's meanings were so broad that they could have applied to almost anyone, after all.
"Ah. Interesting." Having drawn a third card, the fortune teller puts it above the Fool, and to the side.
3) The card the fortune teller drew was... A) The Devil (Represents: Power, Influence, Base Desires) B) The Emperor (Represents: Aggressiveness, Alertness, Energy, Bravery) C) The Magician (Represents: Guidance, Thoughts Taking Form, Confidence) D) The Hierophant (Represents: Tradition, Belief, Tranquility, Order)
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Currently playing: League of Legends, Chrono Cross. Current Projects: Fool's Overture, CYOA: http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/8-gamefaqs-contests/59835001
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Will not remove this line of my signature until the Seahawks, Jazz or Rockies win a title (Started 5-16-09) Yes, I know I'm never getting rid of this signature
Bump. One vote for each option...interesting. Looks like everybody has a different adventure they want to pick!
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Currently playing: League of Legends, Chrono Cross. Current Projects: Fool's Overture, CYOA: http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/8-gamefaqs-contests/59835001
Gonna let this run its full 48 hour course, since it's an important decision. Assuming no further votes come in, I'll roll the bones to decide whether A or D come up.
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Currently playing: League of Legends, Chrono Cross. Current Projects: Fool's Overture, CYOA: http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/8-gamefaqs-contests/59835001
"Somebody is interested in you. Somebody in a position of power, perhaps also someone who deals with those governed only by their animal instincts and impulses. You might have an opportunity to improve your life in a big way, but you may also make a bad decision and lose yourself, or be forced to forsake a dream in favor of more tangible things. As the Fool, you stand on the edge of a precipice, between heaven and hell, and the Devil might be the one to lead you to it." The fortune teller places the card down on top of the Fool, a grinning half-beast with horns protruding from its head, watching over two figures held close to it by the chain around their necks.
The next card is placed directly above the Fool and the Devil, and shows a proud-looking man standing on a chariot, his robe embossed with symbols of the sun, the moon in the background.
"The card in this position represents upcoming events. This specific card is the Chariot. It is an union of individual parts unable to accomplish much on their lonesome, but fearsome and successful when working together. It also represents strife if the parts do not put aside their own desires and submit to a singular will. Given that we are trying to divine your immediate future, this card suggests you may be in for a difficult struggle soon. Now, all that remains to discover is what the end result of that struggle will be."
The fortune teller explains this all as she shuffles the little pile you chose again, concentrating on the deck. After she finishes speaking, she puts it back down, and prepares to draw a card, but hesitates, as if something had caught her attention. Closing her eyes for a moment, she puts the last card on the table: the dead rise and the seas rage within it, as an angel blows on a trumpet from far above.
"Judgement. All Major Arcana." The fortune teller seems worried. "After you are done with your struggles, you will have a very hard, painful choice to make, and something will change for you, permanently. Perhaps an old wound shall heal, or a previously steadfast friendship shall be broken. Whatever happens, you will have to face it head-on or be consumed by it." She gazes at the cards, as if attempting to coax them into telling her something more, but to no avail. Then, she turns her attention to you. "The Major Arcana all foretell events and meetings that cannot be avoided or prevented: they must be dealt with. To be presented with such a certain path can both be a blessing and a curse, and in any case always a rarity. Your ability to make the most out of the knowledge of what is coming will be crucial to avoiding the grief that upcoming events could otherwise cause you."
"And now, it is time for you to leave, as there is nothing else I can do for you until you've progressed a little further in your journey." Producing a piece of paper and a pen from her dress, the fortune teller writes down the fee of the consultation (66.91) on one side, and a mockup of the layout and name of the cards currently on the table on the other. After paying her, she nods you off, an inquisitive look softening her harsh features somewhat as you leave the house.
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Currently playing: League of Legends, Chrono Cross. Current Projects: Fool's Overture, CYOA: http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/8-gamefaqs-contests/59835001
Outside, the air has become much colder, and grown still. You check your watch, and see that less than ten minutes have passed since you arrived here. Good thing, as you are on a schedule, and should head for school soon. For most people, school starts during the morning. For you, and people like you, it starts past four o'clock, and continues until late at night. Unless your memory of the city's layout has failed you, there should be a subway entrance not too far away from here. You should be able to take the train to the school's area and get there before classes start.
The subway station is crowded. This doesn't surprise you, as empty stations are approximately as rare as ancient holy grounds, but it doesn't make navigating it any less of a pain. So many people, breathing the same suffocating air, bumping into each other in their rush to get somewhere...it makes you feel a little trapped. At least you're able to bypass the endless queues thanks to your subway pass. There's almost no place in the platform to stand on without being crushed, but you notice a blissfully empty spot next to the tracks, and quickly make your way there. You feel relieved to have found enough room to at least move your arms, if only for a moment. A few minutes pass as you relax and wait for the train to arrive.
As you hear the telltale chug-chug sound in the distance, a wind begins to blow, forcing people to grab hold of their hats to stop them from being sent flying. Strange...the station is not so far underground that some wind is impossible, but this is almost a gale. Meanwhile, the train approaches at a steady pace, and having noticed its arrival, people begin to cluster all around you, your previously open space lost to the horde of people eager to get on the train and on with their day.
Ah well..easy come, easy go.
As usual, people begin to push and pull others around, looking for a better place so that they can land one of the few unoccupied seats. Behind you, people jockey for a position and exchange words both harsh and polite. Rapidly, however, the latter sort disappears, replaced by angry yells. You pay them no mind, even as you hear the sounds of rapid steps. This makes the push that sends you tumbling forward, right into the speeding train's tracks all the more unexpected. As you begin to fall, desperately trying to grab on to somebody to stop yourself, you realize that you're about to get crushed. You briefly (very briefly; you have perhaps less than a second to articulate the thought) muse that the fortune teller's predictions won't ever come to pass at all. All for nothing.
"No...", you hear a voice whisper, determinedly.
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Currently playing: League of Legends, Chrono Cross. Current Projects: Fool's Overture, CYOA: http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/8-gamefaqs-contests/59835001
The wind intensifies, growing into a mighty gale. You feel it slam into you forcefully, sending you flying across the tracks and onto the station's middle platform, taking your breath away and leaving you lying on your back. Slowly, you stand up, panting, noticing the way your heart's beating speed has increased tenfold. You're alive. You're alive! That wind propelled you over the small gap between platforms! What an incredibly lucky break.
"Yes, very lucky. But not for long." A voice says, from behind you. Turning around, you see what looks like a suit of sleek black armor, the various portions of it hanging in mid/air with nothing to keep them together, with two oversized gauntlets hanging from the sides, almost low enough to drag on the floor. Cruel, vicious spikes and bits of scrap adorn them.
"You must be disposed of. Good bye, whelp." Its voice is emotionless, a monotone that sends chills down your spine.
With a slow and heavy motion, the armor lifts a gauntlet, swings it around its head twice, then launches it at you. It disengages from the invisible structure holding it together with the rest of it and lazily flies through the air toward you.
You don't even have time to think. Moving by reflex, you manage to get ouf of the way...but only just barely. The gauntlet crashes past you, ripping strips of your shirt and coat to pieces, and drawing blood from you, the deafening sound it makes drowned out by the two trains whooshing past the platform. The wounds it has opened hurt, a LOT, but even the blood now oozing from your side won't be enough to kill you...yet. Lifting its now-gauntletless left arm, the gauntlet zooms back to its place in less time than it takes to blink.
"Can you hear me, youngling? Listen to me. This creature is dangerous and abominable, and does not belong to your world. It was granted access into it by a deranged mind, and given orders to hunt you down and kill you. It will follow those orders remorselessly, and there is little you can do to stop it as you are now. I can give you the tools to vanquish it, but not if you do not allow me to do so. If you wish to live, grant me permission to intervene, and align yourself with one of the Four Elements!"
4) "Quick! Will you allow me to grant you the powers to dispatch this creature?" A) "Yes." B) "No."
5) "You must align yourself with one of the Elements. Choose!" A) Fire/Wands (Abilities related to: Spells, Knowledge, Zeal, Passions) B) Water/Cups (Abilities related to: Persuasion, Leadership, Command, Manipulation, Emotions) C) Air/Swords (Abilities related to: Combat Techniques, Cunning, Foresight, War) D) Earth/Pentacles (Balance, Reality, Persistence, Growth)
[NOTE: Even if you vote NO on the first choice, please remember to vote on the second choice. I also wish to take this opportunity to stress that no choice here will result in an unwinnable adventure. For now, it is all about the choices you make and not about 'proper play' of any sort.
Additionally, keep in mind that you can (though it's not necessary by any means) suggest abilities you would like to have access to in conjunction with your other choices. These do not have to fall within the portfolio of your chosen element at all, though external abilities may manifest in unexpected ways. Please try to keep the suggestions reasonable: things such as "Create Objects", "Pierce Illusions", "Break Arts", or even "Incite Emotions" would be fine; "Reality Warping", "Time Stop", or "Unlimited Blade Works v6" would not.
EDIT: This choice will run for 24 hours regardless of the number of votes, with the most voted options being chosen. No first-to-X here.]
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Currently playing: League of Legends, Chrono Cross. Current Projects: Fool's Overture, CYOA: http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/8-gamefaqs-contests/59835001
Charisma is not a dumpstat in this game, to use RPG terms. There's no "worse" choices here, just different styles to approach a problem.
PS: Though if you just meant that those going for water were picking a lame choice, that's a fair opinion. Just want to make sure nobody votes while having a bias!
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Currently playing: League of Legends, Chrono Cross. Current Projects: Fool's Overture, CYOA: http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/8-gamefaqs-contests/59835001
Quickie bump for the night crew. I gotta fix those odd updating hours, nobody will ever catch the updates without tagging otherwise.
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Currently playing: League of Legends, Chrono Cross. Current Projects: Fool's Overture, CYOA: http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/8-gamefaqs-contests/59835001
"So shall it be. Your power lies with your emotions and the bonds they help you establish, youngling. Receive water's blessing!"
The station seems to quake as the voice speaks, and even the suit of armor is taken aback, forced to stop attacking to stabilize its footing. You feel something warm at your side, and when you turn your head down you see a cocoon of water enveloping your wounds. You feel a brief sting of pain, and then the water drops down to the ground with a splash, leaving no trace of injuries behind.
"Your ability to reach deep into the hearts of those around you and bring out the best in them shall make you mighty, youngling, and it will be an aegis that will protect you from all harm. Make good use of the Empathic Sprite your blood has given birth to, youngling, and you may survive what is to come. Good luck!" And with that, the voice is gone. You don't quite know how to put it into words, but it is clear it has broken contact with your mind. You don't have the time to wonder about it, anyway: the armor has recovered its balance and is preparing itself to strike. It throws its gauntlet at you, but you manage to duck under it just in time. Odd...you feel swifter on your feet than you did before, and could clearly see the attack coming before it struck.
As the gauntlet is recalled, you hear a strange sound coming from the pool of water next to you. It rises up through the air without being lifted by any hand, and coalesces into a hand-sized ball of translucent water. It then falls back down, but when it touches the floor again it has taken a new shape: beside you now stands a tiny humanoid creature made entirely out of water, with stubby limbs and a round head. Its body ebbs and flowing slightly, and two small red specks in the middle of its head are the only part of it that doesn't seem to be in motion. As the armor readies itself to throw down the gauntlet again, the tiny creature looks up at you, inquiringly.
Begin Combat Phase:
Combat is very simple: You select an action to do each round for each character that is a part of your party, then the actions are processed in whatever order is most favorable unless you wish to follow a specific order of execution. Each character has five stats and an element, as well as an array of special abilities that will grow over time. Additionally, all characters have access to a basic attack that deals their STR value in damage. For info on what the stats do, consult the character sheet linked below. Battle moves have a deadline of one-hour or first vote (whichever comes latest) for the sake of speed unless otherwise noted.
Ally Team:
Name: Main Character Element: Water HP: 70/70 MP: 30/30
Name: Empathic Sprite (Newborn) Element: Water HP: 60/60 MP: 30/30
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Currently playing: League of Legends, Chrono Cross. Current Projects: Fool's Overture, CYOA: http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/8-gamefaqs-contests/59835001
You only need to glance at the armor, then back at the little creature for it spring to action. Almost as if it knew by instinct what you want it to do, it raises its arms and a stream of water flows from it, hitting the armor in the chest. The Sprite then lets out an ululating cry, and the armor is covered by dents as the water explodes with tiny sparkles.
[Feyslaughter Armor HP remaining: 92/100]
While your new ally is busy bombarding the armor with miniature explosions, something stirs within you, something cold yet hot, determined and dangerous. Today isn't the day you'll die, and a walking piece of Ren Fair equipment will not send you to the afterlife. This thing is going to die.
You don't even have to raise a hand, or try to attack it. The armor is simply sent hurtling backward, the chest and right shoulder parts of it buckled inward, as if they had been smashed with a hammer. You grin. Is this water's blessing? If so, this should be a cinch.
[Feyslaughter Armor HP remaining: 72/100]
The armor proves that our confidence was unfounded immediately afterward, however, as its super-sized fist hits you dead-on. The air escapes your lungs, and you fight to repress the urge to shout as the spikes on the gauntlet tear at your flesh.Dozens of minor cuts cover your chest, and you struggle to breath. Looks like you can't count that thing out just yet.
[MC HP remaining: 56/70]
[End Round 1]
Ally Team:
Name: Main Character Element: Water HP: 56/70 MP: 22/30
Name: Empathic Sprite (Newborn) Element: Water HP: 60/60 MP: 30/30
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Currently playing: League of Legends, Chrono Cross. Current Projects: Fool's Overture, CYOA: http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/8-gamefaqs-contests/59835001
Upon seeing you injured by the armor, the Sprite intensifies its attacks on your aggressor, slapping it with a potent gout of water that makes a ringing noise when it strikes metal. The water splashes everywhere, coating the windows of the train carts passing by, just before they're whisked out of view.
[Feyslaughter Armor HP remaining: 64/100]
You need to keep the pressure up. In spite of being outnumbered, the armor doesn't seem to be in truly bad position, what with that blow it just threw at you. Maybe another application of your new talents will change that, however...
Concentrating, you manage to make a crack appear near the center of the armor's chest plate...
[Feyslaughter Armor HP remaining: 49/100]
...But can't do more before the armor brings its fists down on the ground with tremendous force, creating powerful shockwaves that cause bits of the station's platform to fly at you like shrapnel. The Sprite lets out an oddly pitched whimper as it is hit too. You're lucky enough to avoid anything more serious than a few cuts to the face, but the platform now looks like a war zone, with broken floors and chipped lights. Once again, the armor speaks.
"Hm. You dare resist me, whelp? That was but a sample of my powers. You would do best to accept your doom and stop prolonging your agony."
[MC HP remaining: 40/70 Empathic Sprite HP remaining: 44/60]
[End Round 2]
Ally Team
Name: Main Character Element: Water HP: 40/70 MP: 14/30
Name: Empathic Sprite (Newborn) Element: Water HP: 44/60 MP: 30/30
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Currently playing: League of Legends, Chrono Cross. Current Projects: Fool's Overture, CYOA: http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/8-gamefaqs-contests/59835001
Dare to resist? How is that even a question? It's time to take out the trash. With a gesture, you command the Sprite to prepare itself to attack. To your surprise, it instead jumps onto you, dissolving itself into a watery shell around your body. You feel something touch your cheek, and notice little trails of blood flow out of your many wounds, though you don't feel anything.The shell that surrounds you briefly turns crimson, and then several tendrils of blood rush out of it and pummel the armor into submission, leaving its whole body covered with cracks. The attack complete, the Sprite reforms, and looks up at you before turning its attention back to the armor.
[Feyslaughter Armor HP remaining: 15/100] [New Combination Attack Found! Combination Attack Turn The Tides has been added to character sheet.] [New Combat System Discovered! Combination Attacks have been added to the Glossary.]
The armor teeters on the brink of defeat. It can't take much more, but it seems to have one final ace up its sleeve as its gauntlets begin to glow with a sickly grey colour.
"A nice trick. But this ends now, fool." Rushing forward with incredible speed, the armor rams you with a sideways hammerblow that sends you flying until you crash against one of the platform's pillars. Your vision blurs for a moment, and you feel something is out of place around your chest area...a strange pain pressing up against your skin. You recover, and barely manage to stand up, however. Something tells you that if you let the pain distract you, you will soon never have to worry about pain again.
[MC HP remaining. 16/70]
[End Round 3]
Ally Team
Name: Main Character Element: Water HP: 16/70 MP: 8/30
Name: Empathic Sprite (Newborn) Element: Water HP: 44/60 MP: 24/30
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Currently playing: League of Legends, Chrono Cross. Current Projects: Fool's Overture, CYOA: http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/8-gamefaqs-contests/59835001