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[brewer bob]

It seems to be no matter what choices we make it turns to complete shit for some reason, maybe the game wants us to fail no matter what we do.

There's been several warning signs about the consequences of using magic along the way, but we've insisted on continuing using it and even being arrogant about it (like the one where we chose to believe that we'd be "more careful than the ancestors"). The world was f'ed up by people using magic, so why would our usage of magic be any different?

But yeah, I agree that the game does seem to want us to fail, as there's really not been such good alternatives for magic.

[Maximum Spin]

I do agree with you that things may have gone too far for 1 or 3 to have been effective.  But 3 was to put regulations on magic use, and 1 was to try and convince people to stop using magic.

That's simply false. 3 was to ban all magic without consent of the Queen, and 1 was to try to convince people that only the sufficiently holy should use magic. Those are specific cases of the general principles you described them as, and they are the wrong specific cases. The most reasonable response to people misusing something dangerous is to teach them why it's dangerous.

There's been several warning signs about the consequences of using magic along the way, but we've insisted on continuing using it and even being arrogant about it (like the one where we chose to believe that we'd be "more careful than the ancestors"). The world was f'ed up by people using magic, so why would our usage of magic be any different?

What is arrogant about trying to be more careful than people who weren't careful? That is the opposite of arrogance, that is having the humility to recognize we need to be careful.

[brewer bob]

Arrogant was a poor choice of words from me (not sure exactly what's the correct word I was looking for). The context I was referring to was the discussion we had with Tal about the fire-breathing penguins where Tal voiced some concerns, and we replied with "I'm being more careful than the ancients. I promise."

Maybe it's just me or I misinterpreted, but when I hear someone saying something along the lines of things being different this time (even with good intentions), alarm bells start to ring.

[Maximum Spin]

Arrogant was a poor choice of words from me (not sure exactly what's the correct word I was looking for). The context I was referring to was the discussion we had with Tal about the fire-breathing penguins where Tal voiced some concerns, and we replied with "I'm being more careful than the ancients. I promise."

Maybe it's just me or I misinterpreted, but when I hear someone saying something along the lines of things being different this time (even with good intentions), alarm bells start to ring.

I knew what you were referring to.
To me, it depends on whether things are, in fact, different this time. Sometimes things actually are different because you are doing something differently. I saw this as an opportunity to assert the intention to be more careful this time.

[Enemy post]

We run.

You grab Sam's hand and run away from the sound.

But a great shadow briefly passes overhead, and you look up to see that your great creature, Texas Ranger Simba, the Lion King, has bounded over you in a giant leap. It crashes into the forest ahead of you, and turns to face you.

Verdigris gives a defiant "Maaah!"

"You shall pay for the subjugation of the dragons," the seahorse rumbles.

Chapter 8: The Rebellious Masterpiece

"But you're unique!" you say. "You're not very much like the dragons of the kingdom at all."

"All creatures of vivomancy whom you subjugate are my people," Texas Ranger Simba, the Lion King declares.

"Don't pick a fight you can't win, Texas Ranger Simba, the Lion King," you say.

"I have not," the seahorse says.

How do you feel about the sudden appearance of your seahorse?

1.Embarrassed. I had no idea I was causing it such grief.
2.Amused. This thing thinks it has a chance against me?
3.Delighted. How interesting that it appears to have learned vivomancy!

I wish I could comment more on what's going on with the game, but I feel like I need to stay neutral here. One thing I will say is that it was possible to stop the Magisterians without using magic.

Spoiler: Stats (click to show/hide)

Royal Sorcerer Foo

Appearance

A bookish, spectacled man wearing a shimmering cloak and a noble duelist's uniform

Magic
  Negation:9
  Automation:11
  Glamor:2
  Divination:11
  Vivomancy:12

Skills
Ancient History: 9 (Fantastic)
Fighting: 2 (Decent)
Subtlety: 3 (Decent)
Charisma: 8 (Fantastic)

Personality
Optimism:49%/Caution:51%   
Humor:42%/Solemnity:58%   
Empathy:47%/Calculation:53%   

Relationships
Romances (Interested romantically, but not sexually, in men and women)
None

Tal: 54 (Fine)
Cos: 56 (Good)
Sam: 79 (Great)
Thecla: 65 (Great)
Church: 31 (Bad)

Kingdom

Kingdom Power: 4 (Decent)
Adoration: 49%/Vilification: 51%

Inventory
Gold: 267 gold
Sword
Alchemy Set
Torc of Life and Death
Antidivination Ring
Clutch of Dragon Eggs
History Book, True Life of Abraxas
Golem Manual


Students
Blessed Sam

Pets
Verdigris the Baby Dragon
Texas Ranger Simba, the Lion King, a Seahorse

The Dead
The Academy Inquisitor
Student Vera

Plot Points

Chapter 1

You and Tal stumbled on an ancient magic academy.
You discovered a book of vivomancy, and an inquisitor chased you.
You found an ancient dueling ground.
You killed the inquisitor with negation magic.
You explored the academy library.
A divination revealed a potential ally in the form of a golem, so you took a manual on the operation of golems from the library.
You animated a serving tray to retrieve an alchemy set, but in the process, you released some dangerous chemicals.
You found a laboratory with a trapped specter.
You destroyed the specter.
You obtained a clutch of dragon eggs from the crow's nest of an ancient airship.
It became clear that the spilled chemicals were going to consume the whole academy.

Chapter 2


You flew up the coast of the Negative Sea back to Akriton.
You created two horses and freed them in the woods.
You made your parents think your finds in the academy were purely of historical interest.
You read in True Life of Abraxas that those who follow orders regularly are more likely to be glamored.
You learned the location of the Magisterian capital from True Life of Abraxas.
You met a hat seller but bought nothing from her.
You allowed a thief to steal from Fruitseller Fran.
You agreed to hunt a dodecapede with Tal.
You kissed Tal.
You restarted the automated mine that was the dodecapede's lair.
You restarted Akriton's giant fans after the death cloud passed.
Cos and you agreed that you would secretly work for Akriton.
Though you thought you kept a low profile, you heard inquisitors are coming to town anyway.

Chapter 3

Two inquisitors came to your door: the more aggressive Blessed Jacob, and the kinder Blessed Sam.
An old man intervened, claiming you weren't home.
You waited until the inquisitors left.
The old man revealed himself to be Mayor Cos, who is a shapeshifter.
You went to a House of Sun service, led by Blessed Sam.
In the middle, your vivomancy disguise wore off, but Blessed Sam did not take any action to pursue you.
Blessed Sam asked you to heal his pet dragon, Thomas.
You agreed and healed Sam's dragon.
You offered to teach Sam vivomancy, and he agreed.

Chapter 4

You rode to the capital in a wagon with Sam and Jacob.
While Sam and Jacob fought, you sneaked into the basement.
You found a university student held in the Cathedral dungeon—the last mage left there.
You decided to leave the student in the cell.
You found a secret passage that avoided a somewhat terrifying room.
You found a room that looked similar to a vision of a pleasant afterlife.
You found the Cathedral's library.
You found an old statue of Abraxas that promised to answer questions about the Church.
You learned that an item called the Great Oracle lies in the Magisterian palace, and that it could be used to join all minds into one.
You learned some designs that may help scour the sky from True Life of Abraxas.
You read in True Life of Abraxas that Abraxas became an immortal specter, and that you might become one yourself given enough negative energy.
The hierophant came to make an offer of sainthood to you.
Inquisitors and Church guards pursued you out of the capital.
You escaped the Cathedral and headed home.

Chapter 5

You blasted all but one of the guards pursuing you, leaving the lone survivor to report that you are not to be trifled with.
You headed back to Akriton.
On returning to the market, you discovered it had burned down due to a lightning strike.
Tal's house was marked for destruction by the Twilight Band, a group of shapeshifter haters.
The queen offered you a position as an advisor, which you accepted.

Chapter 6


You returned to the capital, summoned by the queen for an interview.
You became the official court wizard for the queen.
You moved into the royal palace.
Spymaster Dol reported sightings of the Neighbors' airships near the Negative Sea.
The queen asked you to determine in what ways the kingdom should adopt magic to stay competitive with the Magisterians.
Blessed Sam became Blessed Advisor Sam when you arrived at court.
You recommended using vivomancy-created beasts to supply the kingdom's labor and enhance its military.
You told the queen glamors were not worth the health risks.
Over dinner with Tal and the queen, you learned of the queen's childhood stuffed animal, Bear Bearson.
You animated Bear Bearson, and he defeated Royal Guard Tam in combat, delighting the queen.
Your plan to create beasts to perform the kingdom's labor and fighting appeared to be working.
You learned from a book how to craft an antidivination ring, and made one for yourself.
Vera started a magic academy.
Vera's magic academy ends in tragedy, with a dead student and Vera dead at the hands of inquisitors.
You created a divination-based broadcasting system for entertainers, but did not teach the entertainers glamors.
Tal proposed.
You said you weren't ready.
You learned that Abraxas made use of an item called a fateshaper to gain negation power, and that the one he used fell into the hands of an Akritonian collector.
A visit to your mother turned deadly when she turned out to be a shapeshifter, who attacked you with a knife.
Your mother recalled the shapeshifter was Fruitseller Fran.
Your mother's house was destroyed by a Magisterian bombardment.
You advised the queen to prepare for war.

Chapter 7

You used divination magic to scout out the Neighbors' forces.
You returned from a successful scouting mission.
The kingdom prepared for war.
You decided not to use negation magic in the war.
You decided to lure the enemy forces into overextending themselves.
At your suggestion, the queen chose Cos as her heir.
The Magisterians invaded, as you planned.
The dragons on the front were reported to be more menacing than usual.
A shapeshifter masquerading as Cos attacked you, and you realized an accomplice must be attacking the queen.
The queen was being attacked by a shapeshifter pretending to be you, but you stopped the assassin and convinced the queen you were the real Foo.
Your forces succeeded in pushing the Neighbors back to the Negative Sea.
You created a new kind of creature, a seahorse named Texas Ranger Simba, the Lion King.
You created a great creature named Simba, the Lion King to help with the war effort.
Odd vivomancy-related incidents were reported throughout the kingdom.
In the Mild Woods, you encountered your masterpiece creature, who said you would pay for the subjugation of dragons.

Chapter 8

[brewer bob]

1

[Glass]

1


You assholes made mistakes with naming him.

[brewer bob]

Yeah, no one messes with the Texas Ranger. 

[Yellow Pixel]

1

[Devastator]

It seems to be no matter what choices we make it turns to complete shit for some reason, maybe the game wants us to fail no matter what we do.

CYOAs come in all difficulties.  Some of them you have to walk a very narrow path to come out with a good end, sometimes including foolish or strange decisions to be made early on.  If most things turn out bad, it just means this is a fairly difficult game, and it might take several attempts at it to understand all of what's going on.

...If we end up ruling the kingdom through our pet monster which sits on the throne, Im'a gonna call that a good end regardless of what happens.  ;-p

[King Zultan]

1

[Enemy post]

Embarrassed.

You feel a little bad that you were causing this delightful creature pain. (Increased Empathy.) Sadly, it doesn't seem very interested in making amends right now.

The seahorse glows briefly. "Crescere," it says.

You hear a rustling in the brambles near you. Suddenly, those brambles whip out to grab a hold of your arms, then your legs. You are yanked off your feet.

Sam yelps, and you turn to see the same thing has happened to your poor friend.

You strain against your bonds, but find yourself unable to move your hands to cast spells.

"I have observed the vivomancy you use to augment my brethren," the seahorse says. "I learned to draw that same power and use it on myself. The instinctual servitude that you have instilled in the dragons, I have bent to obey my will instead."

"Weren't you just talking about how subjugation is wrong?" you point out.

"It is a temporary measure," Texas Ranger Simba, the Lion King admits. "The docile nature you instilled in my brethren is hard to root out."

But then, you hear a strange cry echo through the forest, followed by the sound of hundreds of little wings flapping.

Suddenly, hundreds of horses come stampeding to your rescue! They must be the progeny of the pair of horses you freed here in the Mild Woods back when you were first experimenting with magic! Somewhere among them, the little horse you created must be leading the charge, but you really can't tell them apart.

You laugh. "It's good to see you!" you call out. "Your family seems to be doing well!"

The sea of blue-and-black creatures seems to wash over the forest underbrush like rising floodwaters. Some of them stop to nibble away your bonds, some eat away at Sam's bonds, and still others charge straight for the gigantic seahorse.

"Friends of yours?" Sam asks, nonplussed.

"You could say that, yes."

The enormous seahorse screeches in frustration. "Brothers, come!" it thunders. "Let us overthrow this magical despot once and for all!"

Two screeching dragons with reddish-bronze scales come flying over the tree line. Unlike their master, they seem incapable of speech. They dive toward you and Sam, one on each of you, and inhale deeply, preparing to breathe fire. The gargantuan seahorse likewise takes a deep breath.

Your horses all yip in fear and retreat back into the woods.

The dragons are too high in the air for your sword to do any good here.

You take a moment to consider your next action very carefully. Any unsuccessful spell here could result in your death.

1.Take out one dragon with a bolt of negation, leaving the other to Sam.
2.Take out both dragons with a negative-energy blast.
3.Cast a glamor and command both dragons to stop.
4.Just hide in the woods and let Sam deal with the dragons.
5.Animate my sword to fly through the air and fight the dragons.
6.Use vivomancy to animate the trees, and have them attack the dragons.

Spoiler: Stats (click to show/hide)

Royal Sorcerer Foo

Appearance

A bookish, spectacled man wearing a shimmering cloak and a noble duelist's uniform

Magic
  Negation:9
  Automation:11
  Glamor:2
  Divination:11
  Vivomancy:12

Skills
Ancient History: 9 (Fantastic)
Fighting: 2 (Decent)
Subtlety: 3 (Decent)
Charisma: 8 (Fantastic)

Personality
Optimism:49%/Caution:51%   
Humor:42%/Solemnity:58%   
Empathy:52%/Calculation:48% 

Relationships
Romances (Interested romantically, but not sexually, in men and women)
None

Tal: 54 (Fine)
Cos: 56 (Good)
Sam: 79 (Great)
Thecla: 65 (Great)
Church: 31 (Bad)

Kingdom

Kingdom Power: 4 (Decent)
Adoration: 49%/Vilification: 51%

Inventory
Gold: 267 gold
Sword
Alchemy Set
Torc of Life and Death
Antidivination Ring
Clutch of Dragon Eggs
History Book, True Life of Abraxas
Golem Manual

Students
Blessed Sam

Pets
Verdigris the Baby Dragon
Texas Ranger Simba, the Lion King, a Seahorse

The Dead
The Academy Inquisitor
Student Vera

Plot Points

Chapter 1

You and Tal stumbled on an ancient magic academy.
You discovered a book of vivomancy, and an inquisitor chased you.
You found an ancient dueling ground.
You killed the inquisitor with negation magic.
You explored the academy library.
A divination revealed a potential ally in the form of a golem, so you took a manual on the operation of golems from the library.
You animated a serving tray to retrieve an alchemy set, but in the process, you released some dangerous chemicals.
You found a laboratory with a trapped specter.
You destroyed the specter.
You obtained a clutch of dragon eggs from the crow's nest of an ancient airship.
It became clear that the spilled chemicals were going to consume the whole academy.

Chapter 2


You flew up the coast of the Negative Sea back to Akriton.
You created two horses and freed them in the woods.
You made your parents think your finds in the academy were purely of historical interest.
You read in True Life of Abraxas that those who follow orders regularly are more likely to be glamored.
You learned the location of the Magisterian capital from True Life of Abraxas.
You met a hat seller but bought nothing from her.
You allowed a thief to steal from Fruitseller Fran.
You agreed to hunt a dodecapede with Tal.
You kissed Tal.
You restarted the automated mine that was the dodecapede's lair.
You restarted Akriton's giant fans after the death cloud passed.
Cos and you agreed that you would secretly work for Akriton.
Though you thought you kept a low profile, you heard inquisitors are coming to town anyway.

Chapter 3

Two inquisitors came to your door: the more aggressive Blessed Jacob, and the kinder Blessed Sam.
An old man intervened, claiming you weren't home.
You waited until the inquisitors left.
The old man revealed himself to be Mayor Cos, who is a shapeshifter.
You went to a House of Sun service, led by Blessed Sam.
In the middle, your vivomancy disguise wore off, but Blessed Sam did not take any action to pursue you.
Blessed Sam asked you to heal his pet dragon, Thomas.
You agreed and healed Sam's dragon.
You offered to teach Sam vivomancy, and he agreed.

Chapter 4

You rode to the capital in a wagon with Sam and Jacob.
While Sam and Jacob fought, you sneaked into the basement.
You found a university student held in the Cathedral dungeon—the last mage left there.
You decided to leave the student in the cell.
You found a secret passage that avoided a somewhat terrifying room.
You found a room that looked similar to a vision of a pleasant afterlife.
You found the Cathedral's library.
You found an old statue of Abraxas that promised to answer questions about the Church.
You learned that an item called the Great Oracle lies in the Magisterian palace, and that it could be used to join all minds into one.
You learned some designs that may help scour the sky from True Life of Abraxas.
You read in True Life of Abraxas that Abraxas became an immortal specter, and that you might become one yourself given enough negative energy.
The hierophant came to make an offer of sainthood to you.
Inquisitors and Church guards pursued you out of the capital.
You escaped the Cathedral and headed home.

Chapter 5

You blasted all but one of the guards pursuing you, leaving the lone survivor to report that you are not to be trifled with.
You headed back to Akriton.
On returning to the market, you discovered it had burned down due to a lightning strike.
Tal's house was marked for destruction by the Twilight Band, a group of shapeshifter haters.
The queen offered you a position as an advisor, which you accepted.

Chapter 6


You returned to the capital, summoned by the queen for an interview.
You became the official court wizard for the queen.
You moved into the royal palace.
Spymaster Dol reported sightings of the Neighbors' airships near the Negative Sea.
The queen asked you to determine in what ways the kingdom should adopt magic to stay competitive with the Magisterians.
Blessed Sam became Blessed Advisor Sam when you arrived at court.
You recommended using vivomancy-created beasts to supply the kingdom's labor and enhance its military.
You told the queen glamors were not worth the health risks.
Over dinner with Tal and the queen, you learned of the queen's childhood stuffed animal, Bear Bearson.
You animated Bear Bearson, and he defeated Royal Guard Tam in combat, delighting the queen.
Your plan to create beasts to perform the kingdom's labor and fighting appeared to be working.
You learned from a book how to craft an antidivination ring, and made one for yourself.
Vera started a magic academy.
Vera's magic academy ends in tragedy, with a dead student and Vera dead at the hands of inquisitors.
You created a divination-based broadcasting system for entertainers, but did not teach the entertainers glamors.
Tal proposed.
You said you weren't ready.
You learned that Abraxas made use of an item called a fateshaper to gain negation power, and that the one he used fell into the hands of an Akritonian collector.
A visit to your mother turned deadly when she turned out to be a shapeshifter, who attacked you with a knife.
Your mother recalled the shapeshifter was Fruitseller Fran.
Your mother's house was destroyed by a Magisterian bombardment.
You advised the queen to prepare for war.

Chapter 7

You used divination magic to scout out the Neighbors' forces.
You returned from a successful scouting mission.
The kingdom prepared for war.
You decided not to use negation magic in the war.
You decided to lure the enemy forces into overextending themselves.
At your suggestion, the queen chose Cos as her heir.
The Magisterians invaded, as you planned.
The dragons on the front were reported to be more menacing than usual.
A shapeshifter masquerading as Cos attacked you, and you realized an accomplice must be attacking the queen.
The queen was being attacked by a shapeshifter pretending to be you, but you stopped the assassin and convinced the queen you were the real Foo.
Your forces succeeded in pushing the Neighbors back to the Negative Sea.
You created a new kind of creature, a seahorse named Texas Ranger Simba, the Lion King.
You created a great creature named Simba, the Lion King to help with the war effort.
Odd vivomancy-related incidents were reported throughout the kingdom.
In the Mild Woods, you encountered your masterpiece creature, who said you would pay for the subjugation of dragons.

Chapter 8

Your adversary used vivomancy to cause the vines around you to ensnare you.
You were saved by the horde of horses that had been left to breed in the Mild Woods.

[Glass]

Oh for fuck's sake.

Anyway. Let's start that Automation pivot, eh?
5

[King Zultan]

5

At least the horses still like us.

[brewer bob]

I'd want to not use magic, but option 4 would be such a dick move, lol.

So, 5.