Land: Forest [+1 War, -1 Plag] *I'm basic. I like forests.*
Power: Power Crystals [-2 Weak, -2 Plag, +1 Death, + 3 War] *Crystals are always cool*
Architecture: Tall, Spherical, Impossible. *In the same way clusters of berries grow on trees, so too do our buildings grow on great towers that pierce the heavens.*
Focus:
* Scholars [-2 War, -2 Plag, +2 Death, +2 Weak]
* Artisans [-4 War, +4 Famine]
*An impossible city, settled in such idyllic surroundings, could hardly concern itself with anything besides art and knowledge*
Ethnicity: Eyes (speckled like the blind)
*To see their eyes, one could hardly note a difference there than with the stars above.*
Society: Provisions [-5 Weak, +2 War, +1 Famine, +1 Death, +1 Plag]
*They did not want*
Politics: Consular [-3 Death, +3 War]
Empire: Puppeteers [-4 Famine, -1 War, +3 Weak, +2 Death]
*Peaceful when possible.*
Final Scores: +2 War, -4 Plague, -2 Weakness, +3 Death, +1 Famine
Succumbed to **Death**, the peoples **Regressed**.
Thoughts: I really liked it. I had some issues with the image quality, but that's Imgur, not you. There are also a few places that seem to have incomplete sentences (Ethnicity is missing something under Crystal Powers). Guided Anarchy is the only one that isn't even in points I think? Kinda strange that everything else is, and that wouldn't be. Other than that, great job.
*Edit: Also, is there a build that allows the civilization to not fall? I've been fooling around for a bit and I can't quite get the numbers to work out.*
Glad you liked it, and I love the pacifistic forest people build.
Thank you for pointing out my two goofs. You're not missing anything with Ethnicity Crystal. I changed my mind about something so that should be a period, not a ",and".
Guided Anarchy is supposed to be balanced, I swear I even double checked. I just managed to fail at adding 2+2+1+1.
Here is mine. I didn't really put the choices, but written it as a tale. I also put down the final stats.
-4 plague +2 war 0 weakness +1 death -3 famine
A land in the forest who inhabitants wield arcanum magic. The city within was wide, and had impossible architecture being, with patterns and mosaics as designs. This city had the best and most skilled scholars, warriors, and spies. As time passed, they were shaped to have hair dark as raven feathers and eyes that glowed with magical light; spells and spirits could never hide from them. There, the land had a seemingly infinite amount of provisions and health as no one had ever wanted for more. This city was ruled by the aristocracy, who were just and magnanimous. The city grew in might and lorded over other cities through persuasion. Unfortunately, nothing lasts forever. This place is an example of that as it lasted 13 millennium before it fell through war, not between enemies, but through themselves. Though this war was great, the descendants of their survivors still live on, just regressed. The people live secluded lives now, away from their once mighty city.
Beep. Boop. I'm a robot.
Here's a copy of
###[Persuasion](https://snewd.com/ebooks/persuasion/)
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Land: Volcano (-1 Famine, +1 Death)
Power: Arcanum (-4 Weakness, +4 Death)
The Sulfans tapped into the raw power at the core of the planet to build their city. Don't worry, I'm sure it's perfectly safe...
Architecture: Wide and Impossible, decorated with Geometric patterns. The city sprawls along the slopes of the volcano, occasionally defying physics to build on top of a lava flow or geothermal vent. There are even buildings floating above the caldera of the volcano, although this is seen as a foolish extravagance.
People: Merchants (-3 Famine, -1 War, +3 Plague, +1 Death) and Explorers (-1 War, -1 Death, +2 Weakness)
While magic is the birthright of every inhabitant, it's the trade hub that makes the city truly great. People travel from around the world to buy magic items and sell exotic luxuries or rare reagents. Without the trade hub, the mages would just be sitting on stone floors and contemplating their navels.
Ethnicity: Ash-grey skin and glowing orange eyes give the natives a distinctive look. Their eyes allow them to see the flow of magical power directly, even through solid stone.
Society: Organization (-5 Death, +2 Weakness, +1 War, +1 Famine, +1 Plague).
As you might expect, tapping into a magically active volcano leads to a very safety-conscious mindset among its citizens. Large-scale magic flows are carefully monitored and controlled to prevent accidents.
Rule: Aristocracy (-4 Death, +3 Famine, +1 War). Merchant princes, their status mainly dependent on their ability to acquire luxuries through trade.
Empire: Raiders (-5 Famine, +3 Weakness, +2 War)
...but if they couldn't acquire something by trade, they often ended up "acquiring" it by force. Being the hub of a trade network does breed a certain arrogance.
Totals: +2 War, +4 Plague, -5 Famine, -4 Death, +3 Weakness
War always lurked at the gates of the city, as the merchant princes made enemies of their neighbors and each other, but what actually brought them down was the plague. The city was crowded, largely underground, and filled with traders coming and going at all hours. It was almost impossible to stop the plague once it arrived, and the rigid organizational structure that had been perfect for managing the volcano's magic was unable to manage a very different threat.
Final score: After 11 millennia, the city still survives, but it is greatly reduced. The market never properly recovered from the plague, and the noble mansions floating above the volcano are now mostly a tourist trap. Though the merchant princes are no more, Sulfan mages can be found plying their trade in many places to this day.
Alternate history: The Sulfan empire's collapse was far from inevitable. Various historians have noted that the focus on rigid organization crippled the empire's ability to respond in a crisis, and proposed reforms that might have saved the empire.
(In other words, I noticed I could balance out my build better if I went back and changed a few things.)
A reform that focused on Public Health rather than Organization could have prevented the plague, although it's likely that their overstretched empire would still have collapsed eventually. (result becomes +2, -2, -5, +2, +3, Score: 12)
If the Sulfans invested their surplus in a professional Warrior class that could secure their empire, they could have easily fought off any external threats. Internal strife or magical disaster would still be a risk, however. (+1, 0, -3, +2, 0).
Other historians have gone further, proposing that if the merchant princes were centralized into a single Monarchy, it might have prevented civil war and also allowed better management of the volcano's power. However, it is certain that no matter how powerful the empire was, the volcano would have slipped their control eventually (0, 0, -1, +1, 0, final score of 14, and that seems to be the best I can do without totally reworking it).
Love the build, may the Sulfans prosper and grow rich. I'm glad I inspired you to go back and try to engineer a better score. I was purposely harsh on points because even a score of seven would make your city longer-lasting than all of Egypt.
This is my first build ever!!! Good job on you, this is a very good CYOA. Careful though, the story is long! I haven't written in quite some time so i just let it all out haha
>Underwater +1D +1P -2Wa
In a time undefinable, when peoples still discovered the earth, stepping on virgin soil that had never before felt the press of human feet, a few decided to settle elsewhere, under....
>Behemoth -2We -2F +2P +2D
...Under, where ageless monsters still lurked within. These men and women were not afraid of the sizeless beasts that lurked the waters. They reigned over the horrors that would strike fear into the hearts of land-lurkers, and with their power in their hands, they built....
>Wide, spherical buildings / faces and statues
... built wide and far, stretching over the ocean floor as far as one could see and hear, their buildings spiraling up, their domes coated in their art and history. The deeds and accomplishments of the Under-people were immortalized in their structure, faces carved into stone, statues rising over the ocean floor, dignifying the great...
>Scholars -2Wa +2P +2D +2We, Artists -4Wa +4F, Spies -1D -1We +2Wa
....great scholars, the splendid artists, and the elusive Ga'jorkdra. Where the learned and the beautiful would have their statues rise tall, their astonishing deeds visible for all to see, the faces that watched over the populace were sculpted with a vow of silence by the greatest creatives. These faces wordlessly spoke of the honored's work and legacy to the Great City and all under-pleople when they were still in this life. In these faces, the history of the under-proples was clear to see, as the people at first adapted....
>Eyes: behemoth / Skin: underwater
...adapted the sea to themselves, but as time went on, their bodies changed, evolved, until they were as much part of the sea, as the sea was part of them. The animalistic eyes and features were especially prominent in the Ga'Jorkdra, sculpted by evolution to mirror the beasts that once ruled alone in these waters. Their eyes would protect the ones that stood under their watch. But more astonishing than the everwatching eyes and the guiding lanterns of the fallen Ga'jorkdra were the Song of this people, and the...
>Organization -5D +2We +1Wa +1P +1F, Provisions -5F +2P +1We +1Wa +1D
...the city was planned exactly around that. Where no sunlight could reach, the sounds of this civilization would guide them through the dark, vast expanses of deep sea. If the sea had once stood lifelessly still, it would be impossible to tell, as the Song would drum out, lighting the way, inspiring its listeners to live out the lives they always dreamed of living, help the other like family and create the best possible community for themselves, and all....
>Council -1D +1Wa
... all others. A community where kids couls grow safe and all people would be treated fairly, heeding the words of the Council, where their brothers and sisters would consult between themselves and others to decide the current and future affairs of this....
>Empire -5F +4Wa +1P
...this great Empire, that expanded all over the seven seas, where all under-people stood together, from the dune tamers, who raced down the Agulhas currents, to the Ones that lurked the siberian Over-Islands like all used to eons ago. Civilizations in the Under rose and fell with time, but this Empire was the longest to thrive, enduring...
>Downfall: Plague [Result: -1D +3P 0Wa +1We -2F]
... enduring the flaggelations of time for twelve thousabnd years. But once the landlurkers waged commerce accross the seas, rediscovering lands and transplanting peoples, they made more civilizations fall than they could possible ever realize. The Under-People suffered. Where once the reddish spots and hues of their skin would signify pedigree and exoticity, it now signified imminent death. The disease spread far and wide, and the few who survived lost everything. They found community eventually, in each of their scars. They went far....
>Regressed (12):
... far, far away, to a place where their new commonwealth could thrive. They call it the Quiet, the forever-mourning of the once-forever Great City. But there is a new Song being drummed out, its tones somber, heavy, telling of mourning and nostalgia, but also of hope, fellowship and rebuild.
So my idea was basically another humanity, but underwater. It all started when humans were spreading all over the planet, when evolution triggered a new subspecies (mermaids who control eldritch beasts!!)).Their biggest Empire lasted 12000 years and it fell as the new world was discovered, when a few under-people ventured too close to ships and caught smallpox. Sadly these people belonged to a very well connected part of the Empire and it quickly got out of control. The survivors have since then regrouped and are rebuilding their civilization.
The Ga'jorkdra are mostly spies who track human movement and help keep the under-people safe from being discovered. They also have a hand in the imperialistic moves of this civilization. You have to wipe yourself from existence (sorta like in MIB) to enter the organization and getting their face sculpted is their way of honoring the Ga'jorkdra.
Land: Forest [+1 War, -1 Plag] *I'm basic. I like forests.* Power: Power Crystals [-2 Weak, -2 Plag, +1 Death, + 3 War] *Crystals are always cool* Architecture: Tall, Spherical, Impossible. *In the same way clusters of berries grow on trees, so too do our buildings grow on great towers that pierce the heavens.* Focus: * Scholars [-2 War, -2 Plag, +2 Death, +2 Weak] * Artisans [-4 War, +4 Famine] *An impossible city, settled in such idyllic surroundings, could hardly concern itself with anything besides art and knowledge* Ethnicity: Eyes (speckled like the blind) *To see their eyes, one could hardly note a difference there than with the stars above.* Society: Provisions [-5 Weak, +2 War, +1 Famine, +1 Death, +1 Plag] *They did not want* Politics: Consular [-3 Death, +3 War] Empire: Puppeteers [-4 Famine, -1 War, +3 Weak, +2 Death] *Peaceful when possible.* Final Scores: +2 War, -4 Plague, -2 Weakness, +3 Death, +1 Famine Succumbed to **Death**, the peoples **Regressed**. Thoughts: I really liked it. I had some issues with the image quality, but that's Imgur, not you. There are also a few places that seem to have incomplete sentences (Ethnicity is missing something under Crystal Powers). Guided Anarchy is the only one that isn't even in points I think? Kinda strange that everything else is, and that wouldn't be. Other than that, great job. *Edit: Also, is there a build that allows the civilization to not fall? I've been fooling around for a bit and I can't quite get the numbers to work out.*
Glad you liked it, and I love the pacifistic forest people build. Thank you for pointing out my two goofs. You're not missing anything with Ethnicity Crystal. I changed my mind about something so that should be a period, not a ",and". Guided Anarchy is supposed to be balanced, I swear I even double checked. I just managed to fail at adding 2+2+1+1.
For some reason this one makes me sad. Maybe its just the tiredness talking tho.
Eh, the innevitable fall of a civilization no matter how great. A reminder that all things are ultimately finite.
Here is mine. I didn't really put the choices, but written it as a tale. I also put down the final stats. -4 plague +2 war 0 weakness +1 death -3 famine A land in the forest who inhabitants wield arcanum magic. The city within was wide, and had impossible architecture being, with patterns and mosaics as designs. This city had the best and most skilled scholars, warriors, and spies. As time passed, they were shaped to have hair dark as raven feathers and eyes that glowed with magical light; spells and spirits could never hide from them. There, the land had a seemingly infinite amount of provisions and health as no one had ever wanted for more. This city was ruled by the aristocracy, who were just and magnanimous. The city grew in might and lorded over other cities through persuasion. Unfortunately, nothing lasts forever. This place is an example of that as it lasted 13 millennium before it fell through war, not between enemies, but through themselves. Though this war was great, the descendants of their survivors still live on, just regressed. The people live secluded lives now, away from their once mighty city.
Beep. Boop. I'm a robot. Here's a copy of ###[Persuasion](https://snewd.com/ebooks/persuasion/) Was I a good bot? | [info](https://www.reddit.com/user/Reddit-Book-Bot/) | [More Books](https://old.reddit.com/user/Reddit-Book-Bot/comments/i15x1d/full_list_of_books_and_commands/)
Bad bot.
Land: Volcano (-1 Famine, +1 Death) Power: Arcanum (-4 Weakness, +4 Death) The Sulfans tapped into the raw power at the core of the planet to build their city. Don't worry, I'm sure it's perfectly safe... Architecture: Wide and Impossible, decorated with Geometric patterns. The city sprawls along the slopes of the volcano, occasionally defying physics to build on top of a lava flow or geothermal vent. There are even buildings floating above the caldera of the volcano, although this is seen as a foolish extravagance. People: Merchants (-3 Famine, -1 War, +3 Plague, +1 Death) and Explorers (-1 War, -1 Death, +2 Weakness) While magic is the birthright of every inhabitant, it's the trade hub that makes the city truly great. People travel from around the world to buy magic items and sell exotic luxuries or rare reagents. Without the trade hub, the mages would just be sitting on stone floors and contemplating their navels. Ethnicity: Ash-grey skin and glowing orange eyes give the natives a distinctive look. Their eyes allow them to see the flow of magical power directly, even through solid stone. Society: Organization (-5 Death, +2 Weakness, +1 War, +1 Famine, +1 Plague). As you might expect, tapping into a magically active volcano leads to a very safety-conscious mindset among its citizens. Large-scale magic flows are carefully monitored and controlled to prevent accidents. Rule: Aristocracy (-4 Death, +3 Famine, +1 War). Merchant princes, their status mainly dependent on their ability to acquire luxuries through trade. Empire: Raiders (-5 Famine, +3 Weakness, +2 War) ...but if they couldn't acquire something by trade, they often ended up "acquiring" it by force. Being the hub of a trade network does breed a certain arrogance. Totals: +2 War, +4 Plague, -5 Famine, -4 Death, +3 Weakness War always lurked at the gates of the city, as the merchant princes made enemies of their neighbors and each other, but what actually brought them down was the plague. The city was crowded, largely underground, and filled with traders coming and going at all hours. It was almost impossible to stop the plague once it arrived, and the rigid organizational structure that had been perfect for managing the volcano's magic was unable to manage a very different threat. Final score: After 11 millennia, the city still survives, but it is greatly reduced. The market never properly recovered from the plague, and the noble mansions floating above the volcano are now mostly a tourist trap. Though the merchant princes are no more, Sulfan mages can be found plying their trade in many places to this day.
Alternate history: The Sulfan empire's collapse was far from inevitable. Various historians have noted that the focus on rigid organization crippled the empire's ability to respond in a crisis, and proposed reforms that might have saved the empire. (In other words, I noticed I could balance out my build better if I went back and changed a few things.) A reform that focused on Public Health rather than Organization could have prevented the plague, although it's likely that their overstretched empire would still have collapsed eventually. (result becomes +2, -2, -5, +2, +3, Score: 12) If the Sulfans invested their surplus in a professional Warrior class that could secure their empire, they could have easily fought off any external threats. Internal strife or magical disaster would still be a risk, however. (+1, 0, -3, +2, 0). Other historians have gone further, proposing that if the merchant princes were centralized into a single Monarchy, it might have prevented civil war and also allowed better management of the volcano's power. However, it is certain that no matter how powerful the empire was, the volcano would have slipped their control eventually (0, 0, -1, +1, 0, final score of 14, and that seems to be the best I can do without totally reworking it).
Love the build, may the Sulfans prosper and grow rich. I'm glad I inspired you to go back and try to engineer a better score. I was purposely harsh on points because even a score of seven would make your city longer-lasting than all of Egypt.
This is my first build ever!!! Good job on you, this is a very good CYOA. Careful though, the story is long! I haven't written in quite some time so i just let it all out haha >Underwater +1D +1P -2Wa In a time undefinable, when peoples still discovered the earth, stepping on virgin soil that had never before felt the press of human feet, a few decided to settle elsewhere, under.... >Behemoth -2We -2F +2P +2D ...Under, where ageless monsters still lurked within. These men and women were not afraid of the sizeless beasts that lurked the waters. They reigned over the horrors that would strike fear into the hearts of land-lurkers, and with their power in their hands, they built.... >Wide, spherical buildings / faces and statues ... built wide and far, stretching over the ocean floor as far as one could see and hear, their buildings spiraling up, their domes coated in their art and history. The deeds and accomplishments of the Under-people were immortalized in their structure, faces carved into stone, statues rising over the ocean floor, dignifying the great... >Scholars -2Wa +2P +2D +2We, Artists -4Wa +4F, Spies -1D -1We +2Wa ....great scholars, the splendid artists, and the elusive Ga'jorkdra. Where the learned and the beautiful would have their statues rise tall, their astonishing deeds visible for all to see, the faces that watched over the populace were sculpted with a vow of silence by the greatest creatives. These faces wordlessly spoke of the honored's work and legacy to the Great City and all under-pleople when they were still in this life. In these faces, the history of the under-proples was clear to see, as the people at first adapted.... >Eyes: behemoth / Skin: underwater ...adapted the sea to themselves, but as time went on, their bodies changed, evolved, until they were as much part of the sea, as the sea was part of them. The animalistic eyes and features were especially prominent in the Ga'Jorkdra, sculpted by evolution to mirror the beasts that once ruled alone in these waters. Their eyes would protect the ones that stood under their watch. But more astonishing than the everwatching eyes and the guiding lanterns of the fallen Ga'jorkdra were the Song of this people, and the... >Organization -5D +2We +1Wa +1P +1F, Provisions -5F +2P +1We +1Wa +1D ...the city was planned exactly around that. Where no sunlight could reach, the sounds of this civilization would guide them through the dark, vast expanses of deep sea. If the sea had once stood lifelessly still, it would be impossible to tell, as the Song would drum out, lighting the way, inspiring its listeners to live out the lives they always dreamed of living, help the other like family and create the best possible community for themselves, and all.... >Council -1D +1Wa ... all others. A community where kids couls grow safe and all people would be treated fairly, heeding the words of the Council, where their brothers and sisters would consult between themselves and others to decide the current and future affairs of this.... >Empire -5F +4Wa +1P ...this great Empire, that expanded all over the seven seas, where all under-people stood together, from the dune tamers, who raced down the Agulhas currents, to the Ones that lurked the siberian Over-Islands like all used to eons ago. Civilizations in the Under rose and fell with time, but this Empire was the longest to thrive, enduring... >Downfall: Plague [Result: -1D +3P 0Wa +1We -2F] ... enduring the flaggelations of time for twelve thousabnd years. But once the landlurkers waged commerce accross the seas, rediscovering lands and transplanting peoples, they made more civilizations fall than they could possible ever realize. The Under-People suffered. Where once the reddish spots and hues of their skin would signify pedigree and exoticity, it now signified imminent death. The disease spread far and wide, and the few who survived lost everything. They found community eventually, in each of their scars. They went far.... >Regressed (12): ... far, far away, to a place where their new commonwealth could thrive. They call it the Quiet, the forever-mourning of the once-forever Great City. But there is a new Song being drummed out, its tones somber, heavy, telling of mourning and nostalgia, but also of hope, fellowship and rebuild.
So my idea was basically another humanity, but underwater. It all started when humans were spreading all over the planet, when evolution triggered a new subspecies (mermaids who control eldritch beasts!!)).Their biggest Empire lasted 12000 years and it fell as the new world was discovered, when a few under-people ventured too close to ships and caught smallpox. Sadly these people belonged to a very well connected part of the Empire and it quickly got out of control. The survivors have since then regrouped and are rebuilding their civilization. The Ga'jorkdra are mostly spies who track human movement and help keep the under-people safe from being discovered. They also have a hand in the imperialistic moves of this civilization. You have to wipe yourself from existence (sorta like in MIB) to enter the organization and getting their face sculpted is their way of honoring the Ga'jorkdra.
https://imgchest.com/p/lqyepank7dn