Ziggurat: Game Thread

[Leeksoup]

Ziggurat:
Nightmare in the Jungle​

Welcome to the Ziggurat game thread! This is a game which, I'm told, resembles DD0, which spawned Snakes and Foxes. Here's how it plays. Each turn you will search and enter another room. This room will be voted on in the thread. Hopefully we'll get three updates in a week, which means three rooms a week.

During the voting phase, not only will you vote on which room to enter but you will vote on four people to enter said room. The rest of you will stay behind, reasonably safe. These four people are tasked to enter and secure the new room. As recompense, these people are the only ones who have any claim to any loot found in the room. As this is an ancient temple, expect each room to be dangerous at best.

I must say this about rooms you can enter. Say you're in room D. It connects to two unexplored rooms, plus the one you came from. You can vote to explore one of the unexplored ons adjacent to this room, or any other room you've explored. So if D is adjacent to C, which is explored, and E and F, which aren't, you can choose to explore room B, which is unexplored yet adjacent to room A, where you started. I'm not sure if that makes sense, but there it is.

After the room and battle team are chosen, people will automatically use their stats and optionally their items or abilities to discern hints about the room. Using these hints, the battle team will elect a leader and he/she will PM me with the general strategy they will use. Then everyone watches what happens.

Anyway, that's the meat of the game. There will be details that yield loot if you explore. Abilities, items, motives and danger abound. Can you survive the Ziggurat?

Player list:

Arquebusier: Stuck in Pi
Health: Perfect
Morale: Excellent
Musketeer: lutzj
Health: Perfect
Morale: Excellent
Crossbowman: zxcvbnm
Health: Perfect
Morale: Excellent
Flag-bearer: Catharsis
Health: Good
Morale: Excellent
Conquistador: D'Artagnan59
Health: Perfect
Morale: Excellent
Tercio Pikeman: gandhi rules
Health: Perfect
Morale: Excellent
Surgeon: Chandrasekhar
Health: Perfect
Morale: Excellent
Supplymaster: Niklas
Health: Perfect
Morale: Excellent
Clergyman: Lightfang
Health: Perfect
Morale: Excellent
Lieutenant: Backwards Logic
Health: Perfect
Morale: Excellent
Swordsman: Pinman
Health: Perfect
Morale: Excellent
Nobleman: Rheinmetall
Health: Good
Morale: Strong
Peasant: taillesskangaru
Health: Perfect
Morale: Excellent
Engineer: Merciary
Health: Perfect
Morale: Excellent
Native Scout: Tasslehoff
Health: Perfect
Morale: Excellent
Native Soldier: Izipo
Health: Good
Morale: Excellent
Native Shaman: thomas.berubeg
Health: Perfect
Morale: Excellent



I won't be making a map, since that's part of the challenge, though if any of you want to take a whack at it I'll post it here.

 

[Leeksoup]

The party assembled outside the ancient temple. There were sixteen brave explorers, all told. Fourteen were proud Spaniards, here to claim yet more land for their King, and two were Tlaxcalan natives, hired as mercenaries. Lieutenant Backwards Logic was giving an inspirational speech to his already excited troops. As he talked, he paced up and down their line. He even almost managed to retrain his own excitement! As he finished and they began to walk towards the vine-wrapped giant structure, a form burst out from the jungle.

Musketeer Lutzj brought his musket to bear, but the Native Scout Tasslehoff put a hand on his chest. "Wait, that's our Shaman! Don't kill him!"

After a rapid conversation in Nahuatl, the Scout agreed to translate for the Shaman. "He says that this temple has long been held evil by our people. He warns that it will kill you if you enter."

Conquistador D'Artagnan scoffed. "Your people have said that many things are evil or sacred, and Spanish arms have conquered them all. Why should this temple be any different?"

Tasslehoff ground his teeth at the mention of the Spaniards in his holy places, but he translated for the Shaman. The reply came quickly. "He says that he takes no responsibility for your deaths, but that Izipo and I must return to our village."

At this the Supplymaster became indignant. "We paid you good money for your services, and you would abandon us here? No!" With that, Swordsman Pinman and Tercio Pikeman Gandhi Rules each grabbed a native and dragged them along as the party entered the temple.

Despite their protests, they were no match for the armored Spaniards. The Shaman ran after them, screaming curses in Nahuatl, until they stood in the very entrance of the temple. Backwards Logic took one last look at the blue sky, a deep breath, then walked inside. The Shaman stood in front of him and blocked the entrance, digging his hands into the walls on either side. His face was set in a rictus of determination.

With a disgusted sigh, Backwards Logic slammed his shoulder into the Shaman's chest. The shaman fell on the ground with a horrible scream, and the party stepped around him into the temple.

Nobleman Rheinmetall stopped. "What is that horrible noise?" The party looked around, and realized with horro that the entrance was caving in. They rushed for the exit, but before they made it a great sheet of stone fell and blocked any hope of escape.

They stood petrified with horror, staring blankly at the new wall. Except the Shaman, who was slowly getting back up and rubbing his head.

Backwards Logic looked at his men, then nervously turned around to face the darkness of the temple...

 

[Pinman]

Well saaah, it looks likee we are trappped in this here temple.
You have my blade at your service, and I am one of the finest troops in all of spain- the Swordsman.
If you wish, I will lead the way into the unknown.

 

[merciary]

*The Engineer walks into the temple with a pad of paper and a writing stick. He spends several minutes just at the doorway, jotting notes and sketches. He soon walks actually in the Temple, without going more than a few feet he spots something else and rushes over there*

This temple is amazing, just to think that they did this all without tools. It must of took them decades. I could learn so much here, but I've heard that these places are filled with traps, that could be quite a damper. Argh..... if only I could bring a cannon....

*He precedes to wonder around taking notes and talking to himself.*

 

[Catharsis]

We're trapped in a pitch-black temple full of unknown tribal horrors, with limited supplies and already-fractious relationships building up between us?

...

Thank God I still have my flag, then! I tell ya, we'd be sunk without this.

...

I am useful.

 

[Chandrasekhar]

The Surgeon gives the Shaman a cursory examination, which bears an uncanny resemblance to a disdainful glance. However, he seems to have reached a diagnosis for the native's chest.

It looks pretty bad, I'm afraid. We'll probably have to amputate.

 

[Catharsis]

{Hey Leeksoup, I have a very important question. What colour are our shirts?)

 

[Leeksoup]

{Hey Leeksoup, I have a very important question. What colour are our shirts?)

(Red, and your pants are brown. )

(But seriously, why?)

 

[Catharsis]

Red? Ah, that's good to know.

If you see anyone wearing a blue shirt, protect the flag.

 

[thomas.berubeg]

(translated by your nice little gods, for your pleasure


Bloody morons... Now i'm stuck in here with you...

Good luck getting out alive...

 

[Rheinmetall]

"Luck? There is no such thing. There is only what fortune one chooses to make. I am destined to greatness and therefore shall prevail."

 

[thomas.berubeg]

Keep telling yourself that... we are but ants in the eyes of the Gods... and they will crush us like ants!

 

[Stuck in Pi]

The tall man with the gun stands proudly, and swings his arquebus around, looking for where to shoot.

"Aye, a little jumpy I am today. But I shall protect all. Don't fear, don't fear. We will get out of here yet."

OOC: Am I allowed to speak in Spanish if possible?

 

[merciary]

I believe most of us will be fine as long as we stay calm and trust our tools. There's nothing that can't be solved by well used tools.

 

[Pinman]

Vous pouvez parler Francais, mais je ne comprends pas l'espangnol.

 

[Stuck in Pi]

El swordsman habla Frances? No esta comun para un Spaniard.
(english words left for understanding and I don't know how to say them in Spanish)

 

[Tasslehoff]

*The Scout mutters under his breath in rapid Nahuatl, then begins to speak in English*

Very well. Since we are here, trapped, we must make the best of it.

 

[Backwards Logic]

The Lieutenant looks over at his men. A few of them are nervous, but that is to be expected. He prepares a small speech for the group.

"Good morning men. Now, I'm sure a few of us are nervous while the rest of us are looking forward to this adventure. So I've heard there are dangers with entering this fine temple. But we are strong, and will be even stronger by working together. Sure, every man here has strengths and weaknesses alone, but together we shall be unstoppable! Loot and riches await us all!"

 

[LightFang]

The Clergyman sighs, aquiline nose quivering ever-so-slightly. It's pretty disdainful, but it's just pleasant enough so that you would have to second-guess as to whether or not he was looking at you like you were but ants - which really he says you are, since you are but ants before the glory of God - but that's a different story.

"I dare say, you frightened mortals, that God provides for all. So," he said, crossing his arms that made the sleeves of his robes resemble those heathen Chinese emperors in a land far away, "we should obviously pray to God that the incompetence of the Lieutenant does not doom us all to death."

 

[merciary]

Give the poor man a brake. How could he have known that the place would cave in like that. Now see if I was allowed a cannon I could blast through this rubble with ease. Bahhhh... no use trying to change the past, but I rather trust the the sweat of man than waiting around to be helped so lets see what we can find.