DMAW02: The Magnficent Seven

[pholkhero]

also, here's a OOC [out of character] tidbit re: this game ~ i have no ultimate plot in mind. I prefer to let the game and our stellar cast of players to workout the storyline as the game progresses, as i did w/the first few contacts i had.

Of course, our goal is to find out who was behind the brutal attack on the Widower, but, as I said, I don't "know" who that will be (hint: it'll be whomever we kill last). So, i'd like to have reports that move along this storyline whenever time permits for ya'll. Like I said, not every report should be role-played but every 2nd or 3rd should be...esp. if we're eliminating someone...describe the blow-by-blow fight scene!!

That is all...

 

[patagonia]

Patch?? I vote yes!

Is patching a started game likely to have any ill effects?

If not, I'm happy to play with the new AI.

 

[Rex Tyrannus]

Patch?? I vote yes!

Patch me, Amadeus.

 

[GreyFox]

Geez ... we are talking abt patching here also ... now I ave to go cut-n-paste what I said in RotQM .... wait .... standby .... cutting ... pasting:

I can play Warlords with patching, but as things goes, my DVD drive on my soon-to-be replaced laptop is spoiled, so if you guys decide to patch, I may really have to be OoP for my business trip to US next week (for 2 weeks) ... unless the respected black hats did their job by then ... I can still play regardless of whether patched or not if I can access my home computer (its DVD drive is NOT spoiled).

In essence, no big deal, really. Worst case scenario if patched is I will really be OoP from 4~18 Nov, that's all.

 

[Cabledawg]

Im patching...worst case scenario is we roll a new start...hint hint

 

[patagonia]

In essence, no big deal, really. Worst case scenario if patched is I will really be OoP from 4~18 Nov, that's all.

Would using the exe in the version of the patch from http://www.direct2drive.com/patches/index.aspx work?
(You'll need to register an account to access the download page, but that's easy enough with a made-up mailinator.com email address)

Direct2drive claim their patches only work for games downloaded via their service and the patch there is only 14.1MB compared to the 64.1MB one posted here by Thunderfall, which is a fair difference in size, but by definition it won't require a functioning DVD drive to work.

Scrub that, their patch said I didn't have Warlords installed when I went to test it.

 

[Rex Tyrannus]

Crack!

The whip's tounge kisses my worthless hide in a gentle reminder that my sacrifice to the Shogun is not great enough. The master is good to me, his sacred duty is my salvation. His whip the only medium through which I may know the Shogun's wishes of me. Crack! Thank you, master. I strenghten my resolve and my tired legs struggle through the pain. The grain wheel turns faster.

This is my life. An old man, I serve the Shogun in the only way I can. I have sons. They will be His Worship's tools of vengence. Not I. I am not fit for ought else than pushing the grain wheels that feed the Shogun's amassing host. I only pray to His enlightened being that I will last--that my back and legs will not give out, forcing the kind master to expose me to the elements--that I will last long enough to see the victory of my sons. Glory of glories to behold an enemy's blood on a son's blade, or even to cradle the limp shell of a son, fallen in the Shogun's service.

Crack!

Daydreaming again. I mustn't. The only worth I have to the Shogun is this wheel. The master is kind to remind me.

News comes slowly to my dark cell beneath the granary, floor covered in matted straw with the vague stench of piss from the oxen who once drove the machinery. Sheigi, my long-time companion at the grind, spoke yesterday of a wretched blasphemy arissen in the east, beyond the edge of the known world.

These thoughts provoke fear in my heart, as I know they will for the entire Japanese people. We are strong-willed, though. We will see through these glamours for what they are: lies conjured by evil-doers to lend false credence for their whicked purposes. We Japanese are stronger than the fools of other nations. We will not be culled as easilly.

To be continued...

 

[Rex Tyrannus]

Our heart is of the tiger. We will not be intimidated. Nor subjugated. The tiger knows no equal and so the lesser, baser animals scheme from envy to bring down the tiger's magnificence. Fools! Pulling at the tiger's tail will not make the panther any fiercer, only more aware just how mortal he is.

But the idiocy of our great Shogun's foes is legendary and they fail to learn from their mistakes. I may only be a lowly cog in His Imminence's works, but even I see the futility of this. The kind master, between whippings, tells us that the definition of insanity is to do the same thing twice and expect a different result.

The minions of the Assassin are awesome in their stupidity.

To be continued...

 

[Rex Tyrannus]

In the evening, while breaking my fast on cold oat porridge, my goodwife tells me that our daughter, the jewel of her mother's eye, has been granted the gift of service. She is to soon work in the bowels of the earth, extracting cold, hard materials from the ground. Mining, she calls it, this new alchemy of earth and stone. May the Shogun bless her, and may the earth bow to our Shogun, spilling forth its bounty such that the Assassin's end be hastened.

With this Mining learnt, my son Taka tells me that the Army of the Annointed gives him assignment, learning to wield axes of a different sort than the stone my father once slew with. The thought is terrifying. The bloodlust runs strong in Taka and his brothers. They will do me proud.

I return to the wheel on the morrow. I must sleep so the Shogun might make the best use of my back.

To be continued...

 

[Rex Tyrannus]

Crack!

Blood runs down my back, telling me that a new day begins. "Masa," whispers Sheigi between whipstrokes. "Did you hear about the lion?"

I had, as it turns out. The lion was all the local folk could speak of when I poured my morning's soil into the river before dawn. "The arrogance of our enemy astounds, Sheigi," I reply. "A panther is not a lion, but a lion is still not a tiger."

Crack, sounds the master's whip on my raw, bloodied calf as he tells Sheigi and me: "The Shogun--may his honor guide us all--has given his new favorite pawn a promotion I hear." Crack! "You two would do well to follow his example. The tiger rewards his loyal cubs."

To be continued...

 

[Rex Tyrannus]

"The enemy is desparate, father," Taka and his brothers tell me.

"Why else waste their strength attacking separately?" Their minds were trained for battle, mine for labor. I can only agree.

A desparate enemy can be a dangerous enemy, though. I urge my sons for dilligence. They cannot shame their family--or lose ground in the Shogun's struggle--by letting their guard fail for even an instant. They are good men, though. They don't need to hear that from me.

After that night's meal, my youngest, Hideiki, tells me that he's been given assignment to the city guard. His newly-formed unit of archers will begin on the wall this night.

To be continued...

 

[Rex Tyrannus]

I am proud of my sons. They are all good men. Soldiers, they are, willing in His Grace's cause. The enemy, I hear, raises an army of slaves.

A slave will break at the first moment of opportunity. A tiger, loyal to his master, will fight to the death. Taka tells me that, should his unit ever withdraw from combat, the Shogun will kill each man and that man's neighbor as well. My sons would never shame me such. None of Japan's sons would. This war is all we have, vengence the only thing that drives my bones and muscles. Still, I fear that my time is neigh. Soon, I will save my family the embarrassment of dealing with this old man. Soon, I will walk into the mountains, devote my last breath to the Shogun, and never worry a soul again.

Long live the Shogun. May his honor guide us all.

The end. I appologize to any and all for my crass butchery of Japanese names. These were name of classmates of mine from college, the smokiest brace of drunken saxophonists you'll ever meet. Great guys all. I just wish I could remember how to spell their names.

 

[Rex Tyrannus]

I did not patch for this set, leaving that burden for my successors.

Roster

Pholkhero > Our Shogun
Masahiro Rex > Gladly laid down his life for his Shogun.
GreyFox > Unpatched, cracked, and lovin' it.
Imhotep > Sharpening his story-teller pencil as we speak.
Patagonia > Wondering why he signed up with such loonies (or just me).
Cabledawg > Getting gettier by the moment.
OPEN > Not yet a real person, so I can't make fun of h(er)im.

 

[pholkhero]

Great write-up! Nice story ~ an overview map for dotting would be nice

Well, as some may know, something went wrong w/my dual-install, and i've only got the patched version now...but we can wait to patch until after Fox plays

 

[Rex Tyrannus]

an overview map for dotting would be nice

What would Masahiro know of the outside world? You're the Shogun, you put it up.

Though, to be honest, I managed to move the warrior about three squares total. He was hunkered down on that jungle hill fending pussycats my entire set. I learned nothing new of the world. Sorry.

 

[·Imhotep·]

I've patched and am ready to pick up the slack...

 

[Cosmichail]

Upon the encouragement from Rex I was drafted to this game. I would like to play but didn't sign up as the variant states we could have not played with any player on the roster before. I have played with Greyfox in numerous SG's so that does leave me out. PS. Greyfox you make howl with your cutting and pasting comment. How many times did you have to tell your opinion on the patch. (mmmm four times.)

I like the variant of this game btw and if you will have me I would be glad to join since I always wanted to play on one of Pholkhero's SGs. If having played with Greyfox is a problem I certainly understand and will lurk. Perhaps there is always another SG Pholkhero has to join at a later date.

 

[pholkhero]

With the lack of any other sign-ups, how could i turn down such shameless flattery of me ~ you're in! We are now 7!!!

OP changed!

 

[Cosmichail]

Yes but the shameless flattery is coming from a duplicitious "dark lord" so beware. I do like being number 7. Yeah lucky seven. You do come up with many good ideas on SG's Pholkhero which I have been following for some time. Looking forward to playing with this bunch. Thanks Pholkhero.

 

[pholkhero]

You do come up with many good ideas on SG's Pholkhero which I have been following for some time.

aww shucks I try . . .

really, this one came from a flash of insight ~ at DM, we had too many sign-ups for the Dirty Dozen all-war game so I came up with this concept on a whim, and the storyline aspect just came while i was writing it. to me, i see it as the Civ-version "Kill Bill"