Let's Play Estra: Interactive

[Blayze]

Comic 0036: Tempting Fate

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Rugar: Decide you don't care, it's not as if you're going to survive this anyway.



You give up. Things couldn't possibly get any worse. No sooner do you think that fate-tempting sentence, than the video feed of the Archmage cuts off -- and you hear the irritating, incessant beeping of an incoming emergency call.

This looks cool. How does it work? Do I just write what I want the character to do and then you draw that?

That's exactly how it works.

Nice to see a little thought going into magic mechanics elsewhere than Remember

Thank you. I do my best to avoid "EXPELLIARMUS SAVES TEH DAY AGAIN".

[smuchmuch]

Accept the call.

[Blayze]

I tried doing this as a comic, but there was too much text. Therefore...

Text Update 0002: Lost in Transcription

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The following is a transcription of an audio-only conversation that took place on 24/09/2774 between Captain Rugar Cairne, Executive Officer Ahma Oren and Tiger Squad Leader Jerel duPlen shortly before the Bloodhammer lost air worthiness.

This is not the original automatically-created transcription file, this is the cleaned-up version. The original contains proprietary information belonging to the Durrollian government, and is not available for external viewing. If you need access to it and don't already have said access, you have no business viewing it.

Any attempt at subversion or illegal acquisition of either this or the original file will be met with legal action and excessive force.

---

[Connection established: 2774.24.09//0731]

Jd: Captain!

RC: Jerel, report.

Jd: We found a [indecipherable]gineering. Reque[static]

RC: Jerel? What did you find? Repeat!

Jd: [static] bomb. Captain, you're br[static]

AO: I'll find Lem[static] Squad and tell them myself, Captain. I don't [indecipherable, static] the message to get [static]wise.

RC: See if you can get Kerena to [static] the communi[static] too, while you're at it. In the meantime, I'll[static]

Jd: It gets worse, Captain. [static] found that Pyro[indecipherable] messing with [static] bomb, think he set it. Got him pinned [static] in the reactor room, need [static, radio silence]

[Connection failed: 2774.24.09//0734]

Comic 0037: Cold-Blooded Killer

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You are now Jerel duPlen, Squad Leader of Tiger Squad -- the Bloodhammer's security forces.



You and your men have surrounded one of the ship's current 'passengers'. You didn't trust them when they boarded, and were you a lesser man you might have considered the possibility of not being right.

The Council might profess to being a neutral entity, but they're as much a superpower as your own beloved Durrol. No doubt those agents are on a mission to destroy this fine vessel, which means that his allies are working against yours elsewhere.

No matter. You're too cool for such worries. Your men have this one penned in, there's nothing he can do. You do know, of course, what he can do -- you always have a plan to kill everyone you ever see, let alone meet -- but he'll find it difficult to melt your bullets when he learns you're all using laser weaponry.

While you wait for your men to bring him in -- or kill him, you don't care either way -- you decide to pose in an awesome manner with a spare gun you brought along. Not that fighting with two rifles is impossible for you, but it just makes the rest of the squad look far too inferior by comparison.

Replicas of ancient gun designs that look strangely identical to guns we know from real life? Bestial Elves, normal Orcs and now lizardmen? Yep, that's Estra alright -- say hello to the Salamanders.

[Blayze]

Text Update 0003: Cry Havoc

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Jerel: Continue looking cool.

You maintain your maximum level of coolness. You're pretty sure you can keep this up perpetually if need be. The only problem, though, is that you don't appear to have an audience -- all your men are busy dealing with the traitor in the reactor room. It seems they've even been too busy to radio in updates. You haven't even heard any radio chatter, they've been so busy...

...a thought just occurred, as thoughts are wont to do -- and it's not a good one.

[smuchmuch]

Thinking ?! who need thinking ! Just dash handsomly into that room and deal with that guy yourself.

[Blayze]

Comics 0038-0041: Showdown

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Jeren: Thinking ?! who need thinking ! Just dash handsomly into that room and deal with that guy yourself. / Run into the room prepared to shoot somebody.



You don your finest manly glare, one known for its ability to incite jealousy in men and swooning fits in women, and charge toward your destiny.



As you pass over the threshold, the RUNIC AMMO contained within one of your rifles reacts to the presence of an Arcane spell -- possibly an illusion, which would explain why you weren't able to hear anything coming from within this room.



It must have been an illusion -- the exit behind you appears to have vanished. No matter, you'll deal with disbelieving that properly as soon as your mission in here is over.

You don't even need to look to deal with scum like this. You're a Salamander, you're a magical being -- you can sense magic, even if you can't use it yourself. Detecting other magical beings is a piece of cake, whether they're Elves... or Elementals, if the extreme level of magic you sense in front of you is anything to go by.



Kerena's been busy. She's even fitted a scrolling sign to the reactor to provide a constant update as to whether or not the ship is about to blow up at any given moment. There's no sign of your men -- or of the traitor, for that matter -- although you have found a sports bag. It's one of those cheap and nasty knock-offs, an "authentic copy of an original fake", as it were.

[Fay Graydon]

Rip off shirt in a manly fashion and give a battle cry!

[Blayze]

Comics 0042-0044: Confrontation

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Jerel: Quickly disbelieve everything in the room so you can see what is really happening. Or if, say, the reactor was about to explode or something. / Rip off shirt in a manly fashion and give a battle cry!



CENSORED FOR FATAL LEVELS OF MANLINESS.



You combine your two current urges in the only way you know how -- the manliest disbelieving of an illusion ever.



Wait... that light...

[smuchmuch]

That look a lot like a laser pointer and that would be the sign to duck and run for cover very fast.

[Blayze]

Comic 0045: CAPSLOCK

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Jerel: That look a lot like a laser pointer and that would be the sign to duck and run for cover very fast.



He's holding that rifle steady -- the targeting laser isn't even quivering. It would probably be best not to move. You're not sure where your guns are -- in your haste to display your manliness with a battlecry, you may have accidentally... thrown them away.

Oops.

Edit:

In other news, I'm currently working on an information bible for all of Estra -- ever. It will be available once I get it up to date, for those who might want a glimpse into my thought processes. I'll warn you now, it's full of snark and cynicism.

[Blayze]

Text Update 0004: Now is the Time

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Jerel didn't dare move -- his manly physique and peerless brain would do him no good were they splattered on the wall behind him, thanks to his enemy's rifle. What trick is this? he thought. Something about a bomb...

Then he heard it -- a raucous, immediately offensive tune that seemed to come from nowhere. For an instant, the gun-wielding man seemed distracted. His phone! Jerel thought.

NOW IS THE TIME
WHAT WILL YOU DO?

[smuchmuch]

Leap to the engine and take cover against it. then swiftly move around, reach the crazy mage and neutralize quickly before he fries you (if you can leave him alive for questioning later, it's probably better)
Hope very hard the bag is empty and he was bluffing about that thermonuclear thing.

[Blayze]

Comics 0046-0050: Justice

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Jerel: Leap to the engine and take cover against it. then swiftly move around, reach the crazy mage and neutralize quickly before he fries you





You leap for cover, aiming for the other side of the reactor.



You are now Yezzik Oren. You-



-barely have the time to react before the demented salamander is upon you.



Once again, you are now Jerel du'Plen. You have overpowered the criminal responsible for the murder of your entire squad, as part of a terrorist attack. The hows and whys are unimportant at the moment -- all that matters is the question of your revenge.

The Council will no doubt want him for questioning, but he could always be made to have an unfortunate *accident* while nobody is around to see.

[smuchmuch]

Okay, here as a player, I'm not sure what to do
I guess it would perfectly current character to kill the mage right on the spot, but I get the impression the long term consequence of that would be dire (and more importantly, we'd miss somme of the story later if we kill that guy now))

[Blayze]

If you kill him, his impact on the story stops -- that is, his direct impact. Nothing stopping someone saying 'Hey, remember that dead guy?', but that's about it.

[Blayze]

Comics 0051-0052: CRISIS

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Jerel: Consider ramifications of murder.



While your desire for revenge struggles with your desire to not get courts-martialled, your target stirs. Evidently he's tougher than he looks.

He speaks slowly and carefully, resting one hand on your gun. Your flying dropkick probably damaged his jaw, yet you're surprised he can still actually talk properly.



Suddenly, a blast of extreme heat envelops you, seeming to emanate from his hand. You are almost blinded by the light that accompanies it.

You know this spell. Corona, a mid-level fire spell. In the hands of even a B-Class Pyromancer, it's nothing special. In the hands of one who is the literal source of all Fire magic, however...

Were you not a Salamander, a being born of Fire magic and thus of fire itself, you would be fried instantly. Even so, you have precious little time to act before your body starts melting.

WHAT DO YOU DO?

[smuchmuch]

Leap backward to safety. While doing so, somehow break this guy neck with your foot (hey it's not like you didn't give him a chance)

[Blayze]

Comic 0053/Text Update 0005: Let it Begin

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Jerel: Leap backward to safety. While doing so, somehow break this guy neck with your foot (hey it's not like you didn't give him a chance)/Pull the trigger.



You don't even need to jump to end this scum's miserable life. You kick out and crush his neck with one foot, shooting him in the head for good measure -- and making sure not to shoot yourself in the foot. That would be a stupid thing to do.

With Yezzik dead, there is nobody to keep his Corona spell together. It fades away, and the temperature starts to fall to its usual level. It would seem as if he was somehow -- God only knows, being an Elemental-type and not an Arcane-type -- responsible for the illusion that affected this room.

You spot bloodstains everywhere, as well as piles of ash and dust. You can't say for certain, but you believe you know what happened to your squad. He's lucky he's dead, you just wish you could kill him again -- slower, this time.

Thanks to Jerel's actions, the Bloodhammer Incident finally came to an end. And yet it was only the beginning, for every cause has consequences...

[PROLOGUE -- END]

[ACT I -- BEGIN]

Now, the story diverges. Pick one of the following stories to form Act I, please.

(1) Damaged Goods

With recent events turning public opinion against magic, the technologically-advanced Krenyan Empire increases scientific funding in an attempt to find new ways to protect its citizens in case of magical assault. They call it...

...Project Spellbreaker.

(2) Outcasts

With recent events turning public opinion against magic, the Council of Magic attempts to win the hearts and minds of the general public. Yet the worst is yet to come, as with their fear and distrust of magic comes a fear and distrust of Orcs and "sentient nonhumans" in general...

...including Elementals.

(3) Dirty Politics

With recent events turning public opinion against magic, the Bloodhammer's surviving crew are reassigned to keep them "out of trouble" as much as possible while repairs take place on the airship. Yet the military is ruled by big business in Durrol, and big business is all about appearance and PR...

...which equals problems for any "embarrassments".

[smuchmuch]

Do we get to do them all eventually (asuing the game last this long that is), or are they mutually exclusive ?

[Blayze]

As many as you want.

[Blayze]

The archive now has a new format -- it's a single Word document with pictures, which allows me to trim the first post down further.

Available here.

So far, we have one vote (On MS Paint Adventures) for Outcasts. Looks like that's going to end up being what gets done first, which is good since I've been working on character stuff today.

[smuchmuch]

personaly my preference would go to dirty politics since we're already familira with part of the crew of the bloodhammer, I kinda took interst in them, but if you have started with Oucast, then please by all mean, go with it.

also a question to other eventual readers:
Am I the only one on these forums who is still interested in this IW ? I mean it actualy has chraracters (admitedly thair life esperance has been pretty short so far), a complex world, a storyline and it regulary updates. I'm surpirsed there aren't more people posting

[Blayze]

It's a tie for now, it seems.

As for the vote, this whole world is really just one big excuse to waste time at work typing stuff into Notepad open and call it a "writing exercise". I'll gladly write whichever.

I'm surpirsed there aren't more people posting

Possibly lurkers, possibly not. Guess I'll just have to improve and see what happens. ;)

[Blayze]

Right, let's get to it. I flipped a coin. The winner?

Comics 0054-0056 (Jumping the Shark)

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You are once again Jerel duPlen, sole survivor of Tiger Squad. Having just avenged your men by killing the man who slaughtered them, you seem to have taken out the illusion covering the room. As a result, you can see things you previously couldn't -- such as the ashen remains of your men and their blood smearing the walls and floor.

For metagame purposes, information is key. At any time, you may request information on: Your character's STATUS and physical wellbeing, their available ABILITIES and spells if applicable, their carried INVENTORY and/or their MAP of the known area. You may also opt to CHANGE character, if you find a particular scene boring.



If I am at home, I can whip up a picture in Inkscape to provide you with said information -- if I'm at work, pure text will have to do.

STATUS is your character's overall physical condition, and provides information on any injuries or debilitating effects they may have acquired somehow.

INVENTORY is whatever your character is holding, wearing (Minus their normal clothing) or storing on their person. Maximum inventory storage space is theoretically only restricted to what the character -- in this case, Jerel -- can stuff in their trousers.

ABILITIES is a list of specific maneuvers a character is known to have. In Jerel's case, he has two: Dynamic Entry and Magesight.

What do they do? You'll have to ask those questions yourself. :)

Anway. You are now Jerel duPlen. You have just avenged your squad, but that may not be the end of the matter. What will you do?

[smuchmuch]

-Kick the corpse once again. It won't resurect your men but it will definively make you feel a lot better.
-Second, check that bag you saw earlier. While it may have been part of the ilusion casted by the mage, you dodn't really see while he would have made thart storry about a thermonuclear engine up.
-Three contact those pansies up at the bridge, if you have a radio or there is an intercomm or something similar near, and inform them about the situation.

[Blayze]

Comics 0057-0060: GO TIME

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Jerel: Kick the corpse once again, check that bag you saw earlier and contact those pansies up at the bridge.



It's just not as theraputic when they can't scream. Ah well, you'll take what you can get--



--which in this case is a mobile phone. It's nowhere near Kerena's level of craftsmanship but it'll do.

Anyway, it's time to take a look at the reactor.



...oh God, not this again.



That does it. It's time to get MANLY.

Edit: Forgot bloodstains (That makes twice tonight).

[Blayze]

Comics 0061-0073: What Now?

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Jerel: Shoot everything.



If you're going to die, you're going to take down as many of these Elves as you can. You take careful aim, not wanting to waste any bullets unless necessary...



...It would appear you are out of ammo. Ah well, this model also fires lasers. You'll be fine.



That is, if that blasted Pyromancer hadn't taken the energy pack out *either*. Seems he gets the last laugh in this little situation.



Doesn't matter, though. If you can't use it as a gun, you'll use it as a club.



You greet the first Elf to reach you by slamming the stock into his chin, with enough force to knock him off-balance.



Looks like the reactor might end up taking revenge on the Elves for you.



Too bad this isn't a case of disarming a bomb he may or may not have been bluffing about -- this is something technical, beyond your manly gruntiness.



This is the Durrollian military airship called the Bloodhammer, flying along a mountain range.



It has just lost power -- and as a result, altitude.









You are now controlling Executive Officer Ahma Oren. It has been a tiring day so far, what with your brother attempting to kill you and everyone around you, and it's not even midday yet.

You don't know where you are, the Council agents who arrived to take those blasted Elementals home refused to help and -- last you heard -- the ship was on fire.

What do you do?

[smuchmuch]

Take a few seconds to comlpose yourself (understandably, you have a lot on your mind) then go organise the crew in order to estinguishy the fir and save what's left of the ship

[Blayze]

Comic 0074: Taking Stock

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Ahma: Take a few seconds to compose yourself (understandably, you have a lot on your mind) then go organise the crew in order to extinguish the fire and save what's left of the ship. Also, stare at the sun until your eyes hurt.



You're not sure where the urge to blind yourself came from -- what good would that do you, exactly?

Either way, though, it seems you've stumbled upon the one person best suited to help you at the moment, whether with help putting out the fire or borrowing the use of her special goggles: the Dwarf Kerena Nogard, the Bloodhammer's self-professed "Technical Warlord" and something of a mechanical and electronic savant.

She's busy handing out what look to be fire extinguishers -- probably some of her own creations -- to a queue of crewmembers. They seem to be milling around waiting for something to happen -- possibly for someone to take charge of the situation.

Having left the Captain to do whatever it is he's going to do, you could begin herding these metaphorical cats if you wish. If not, there's certainly other ways you can help out around the crash site. As long as you can think of a way of helping out, the sky's the limit.

Well, that and logical physical limitations. They always seem to crop up whenever they're not wanted.

[Blayze]

Comic 0075: Recruitment Policy

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Ahma: Order them to help put out the fire.



As the most senior crewmember present, you take command of the situation -- as well as a fire extinguisher. Kerena offers you her special goggles to help you. You'd ask her about them, but fear she will blind you with science.

It also seems that a prisoner of some sort has also survived the crash. From the heavy iron chains restricting the movement of her arms and legs, as well as the rune-inscribed ball attached to said chains, you gather she must be a dangerous magical criminal.

You didn't even know there was a prisoner on board. She must have been captured by Yezzik's team. Why the Council agents who came to collect them ignored the prisoner, you don't know. Perhaps they forgot about her, or assumed she was dead. Either way, it appears she's either volunteered or been forced into helping put out the fire.

What will you do?