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CYOA: The Dying Kingdom


DragonFlames
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Personally, I first thought of Rey from Star Wars at seeing staff as an option. After debating if the option really meant using them physically than how FE uses them.

Though it's more due to Star Wars and that it's been a recent thing.

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Just now, Shrimperor said:

A Franchise half the forum apparently played xD

Legend of Heroes: Trails. She's the first protag.

Seems legit.

NGL, killing things with staves with Laura and Oliver in the tower of judgement is really fun.

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14 minutes ago, Acacia Sgt said:

Personally, I first thought of Rey from Star Wars at seeing staff as an option. After debating if the option really meant using them physically than how FE uses them.

Though it's more due to Star Wars and that it's been a recent thing.

In terms of writing, Estelle beats Rey by a parsec.

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Male staff lord with an older sister along with an older brother.

I just imagine him being the black sheep prince of the family. Not 'disliked by everyone' kind of black sheep but just absolutely awful in combat compare to his older siblings.

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24 minutes ago, Cure Naga said:

What happends if we get a three way tie?

That is an excellent question.
Since it's a Choose Your Own Adventure, I hesitate just going with one of the two or more equally voted options.

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1 hour ago, DragonFlames said:

I'm currently debating with myself on what to do when two things get equal votes.

Give the lord two weapons?

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Female Staff Lord with an additional Onee-chan it is!
Love how nobody wanted a lance or a sword for a weapon. Take that, all other lords!

You guys wanted it, you guys will get it!

CYOA - The Dying Kingdom Chapter 1: Dawn

As the sun rises over the western horizon, you look around at the broken wooden crates and training dummies. Staff clutched tightly in your hands, you slump to your knees in exhaustion, the roar of the wyverns living in the surrounding peaks reminding you that this was another sleepless night spent in the Knights' training hall.

Since you were but a young girl, your desire was to use a staff to heal others' wounds, just like your late grandmother used to do. But try as you might, you could never squeeze out any healing powers from the staff or use it for other magical purposes. And so you opted to find different uses for it, which is what brings you here, exactly twelve years after inheriting your grandmother's beloved staff. A beautiful silver shaft, a blue crystal ball at the end, held in place by gorgeous wing-shaped ornaments. You had loved this object since you first laid eyes on it, and your grandmother gifted it to you on her deathbed when you were but six years old.

It was for this reason you vehemently refused to train in any other weapon, though you did give axes and bows a look, the former because your father was famous for his axe while he was still in his prime, and the latter because your favorite fairy tale hero uses a bow in battle. Ultimately, you chose to stick with the staff, despite apparently lacking the magical talent to make full use of it. And thus, with much persuasion on your part, you, Sophia von Vales, youngest child of King Gwendal von Vales, ruler of the kingdom with the same name, got your wish, and trained in the usage of staves as makeshit clubs.

Again, you glance at the wooden splinters, broken crates and dead dolls strewn across the floor. On one hand, you feel some pride in your handiwork, after all, smashing wood like this takes some measure of physical strength, but on the other hand, you really do not envy whoever will have to clean up this mess later...

"Milady"
A stern voice grabs your attention. You turn your head to see your mentor standing before with his arms crossed. His wrinkled, bearded face bears a kind, yet strict, expression.
"It seems this is enough for today."
You give a heavy sigh.
"'Today', you say, Sir Richard? We trained through the entire night."
Richard laughs. It sounds dry, reminding you that neither of you have had anything to drink since you started training last night.
"I tried to stop you multiple times. It is not my fault if you just refuse to listen to my words..."
The hint of accusation in his tone is not lost on you.

The man standing before you is an old, retired knight named Richard von Lohenheim. An accomplished veteran, he has been your families' combat instructor and mentor figure for as far back as you can remember. He was a close friend of your father's and studied the mighty great axe under your grandfather. He once held the title of Supreme Commander of the Royal Army, which is the highest rank any knight of Vales can achieve, only given to those who prove themselves on an actual battlefield, something you had yet to see.

"Look at you, all sweaty", the old knight speaks, helping you to your feet with one hand. "His Highness, Prince Elliot, will be returning today. Do you really wish to face him looking like this?"
You eyes widen.
Elliot von Vales. Crown prince of the Valessian Kingdom and current Supreme Commander. He has been away on a diplomatic mission to the Empire of Raganor, and would be returning today.
Something which completely slipped your mind.
"Oh no! I completely forgot! I'm sorry, Sir Richard, but I have to go. Thank you for today!"

Panicking, you make for the exit, but the door opens by itself and you bump into a young man about a head taller than yourself, the force of the impact strong enough to make you land on your backside. You look up and see a familiar person shaking his head at you, recognizing your older brother immediately. The left side of his face is covered by a golden mask, though you can see some burn marks and scars showing from underneath it in places, reminding you of the day you almost lost an important family member.

"What has gotten you so riled up early in the morning, little sister?", asks the crown prince's soothing voice.
"Elliot! Y-You're already back?!?" Trying to cover up your dark thoughts and the fact that you are still a mess from training, you fumble your words anyway.
"I got back just now, in fact. I wanted to see what you were up to before giving my report to father and mother. I knew I would find you here."
He turns to face Richard, who bows his head in respect.
"It does my heart good to see you, Your Highness."
Elliot smiles.
"Same to you, Sir Richard. I trust Sophia has not made any trouble while I was away?"
"Of course not, Your Highness. She has been the same as ever."
"So I see..."
Bemused, your older brother looks around the training hall and the carnage therein. His expression is something you cannot help but take offense to.
"If this keeps up, all the wood in the kingdom will have fallen by your hand. I take pride in knowing that 'The Merciless Woodcrusher' is part of my family!" He laughs and ruffles through your long hair.
"Stop that! I'm not a child anymore!" you protest. But at the same time, you realize that that is only going to make him tease you even more, as per usual.
"Suuuure you're not", Elliot says sarcastically and laughs again.

Richard, who has been standing there in silence, smiles at the both of you.
"No matter how many years pass, you two are always the same", he says, his voice carrying a hint of nostalgia. "It warms my heart to see."
You swear you just saw him suppress a tear. You had hoped that he would finally make good on his image as a hardened veteran general, but that hope is crushed in an instant.
"You're too sappy, Sir Richard", you scold him, putting extra emphasis on sounding disappointed with him.
"Excuse my boldness, but you two are as children to me". Richard dramatically wipes the corner of his eyes, showing that he is unfazed by your jab, which does bother you.

"In any case", you hear your brother's rather impatient voice. "I will go make my report to father and mother now." He then turns to face you. "Sophia, what will you do?"

What will you do?

Choice 1: Go with Elliot to meet the king and queen. You want to know what Elliot experienced in a foreign nation.
Choice 2: Take a bath. Facing your older brother in this state was embarrassing enough.
Choice 3: Help Richard clean the training hall. The other Royal Knights will come by soon.

Ending it here for now in order to avoid getting too lengthy. And I think making the first split here is a good idea, as I have something in mind for all three scenarios.

Vote for your preferred option, let me know what you think, feel free to discuss stuff, and see you in the next one!
(The Older Sister character you asked for will be introduced when the time is right.)

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34 minutes ago, DragonFlames said:

"Excuse my boldness, but you two are as children to me". Richard dramatically wipes the corner of his eyes, showing that he is unfazed by your jab, which does bother you.

I'm getting some serious Chrom, Lissa, and Frederick vibes from their interactions. Nice job! Female staff lord sounds really interesting with how you wrote it.

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1 minute ago, twilitfalchion said:

I'm getting some serious Chrom, Lissa, and Frederick vibes from their interactions. Nice job! Female staff lord sounds really interesting with how you wrote it.

Thanks! ^^

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Well here we go with Staff Lord. Shame she can't do magic with it too, but maybe that'll change. I wonder if that's why she's relentless enough to pull an all-nighter.

Sweeping that aside, Spohia can learn about what's going on later, she'll probably get more trouble being unkempt than with the broken wood. Might as well get clean for the day.

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You guys are suckers for hygiene and bath scenes, I see!
Joking, of course. XD

Anyway, I hope you enjoy the second Chapter!

CYOA - The Dying Kingdom Chapter 2: A talk with Melissa

You mull over your options a bit before an unpleasant smell reaches your nose. Seems exhaustion was not the only thing a whole night's worth of training has left you with.
"I... think I'm going to take a bath now", you decide with little hesitation, though you give Richard an apologetic look.
"You can leave the training hall to me, milady", he says with a knowing smile.
Nodding, you follow after Elliot, who had already left after you made your choice known. It seems he was in quite a hurry to report his experiences after all. Did something happen...?

As you exit the training hall, you are greeted by a cold gust of wind that immediately takes you out of your thoughts on what Elliot could have seen in the Empire. You stand your ground against the strong wind until it subsides, taking a step unto the large bridge that connects the Royal Knights' living quarters to the main building of the castle of Vales. Though it is a scenery you have seen nearly every day, you still can not help but be in awe at the large fortress before you, seemingly suspended in the air above the Royal Capital of Vales, Fabunil.

What you initially perceived as a warm and sunny summer morning quickly turns out to be the opposite of that, as dark clouds quickly block the light and a low rumbling noise echoes from the walls of the cliffs the castle you call home was built into. The buildings beneath are covered in a thick fog and only a few roofs could be seen. Surrounded by steep, mighty peeks, the Royal Capital of Vales was a natural fortress, one that could not be conquered. Indeed, no enemy of Vales has so far managed to invade the city in the kingdom's a little over four centuries-spanning history.
You hasten to the main building, want to avoid getting wet from the inevitable downpour that would soon follow before even reaching your room and manage to reach the main building just as the black rock flooring of the bridge behind you gets soaked in thousands of raindrops. Panting, you go through the door, content that you avoided getting wet from the rain, but also frustrated that you had to run to get here when you were already exhausted from training through the night.

You head to your room, which requires climbing a few flights of stairs from here. On your way, you meet a number of soldiers on guard duty as well as some maids and butlers who are busy cleaning the halls and the few sparse decorations therein. You greet them as you pass them by, and they give a courteous greeting back, though you feel that they only do so out of obligation than friendliness.

By the time you reach your room, you feel exhaustion catching up to you. Your small, but comfortable bed looks all too inviting right now, but you resist the temptation of throwing yourself into its fluffy embrace. You place your precious staff where you always do when you return here: in a specially made holder that hangs on the wall underneath a portrait of your grandmother during her youth from around the time of her own coronation. Her smiling face in turn makes you smile as well.

"I haven't mastered it yet, grandma. But I will. I promise you." Looking at her picture, determination fills your spirit, but your body is too tired to act on it. You have to practically drag yourself to you bathroom and it takes a lot more effort than you would like to turn the faucet. Water splashes into the tub and you wait for it to fill up.
"This new technology is pretty amazing", you think to yourself.

Running water, faucets, and individual bathrooms have not been around for very long, you recall from your countless history lessons with Richard. In fact, Vales is the last of the great nations of Kendr to adopt this system of hygiene since its invention in the neighbouring nation Liphia. The water you are currently drawing comes from a lake within the cliffs surrounding the capital that, along with the river it supplies, acts as the main source of water for the entire city. Due to the frequent heavy rains and the way the waterways have been built, there is little danger of it drying up any time soon.

You recall this as well as the many hours you spent memorizing it, then you hop into the bathtub, immediately feeling refreshed by the water around you, even if it is a little cold. This does make you wish someone would invent some sort of heating system to go along with the convienence of having private bathrooms.

After you finish cleaning and drying yourself, you leave the bath and put on a simple purple dress, a hand-me-down from your older sister, who made it herself. As you exit your room, your are immediately greeted by another familiar face.
"Sophia! I was just about to knock at your door. Are you finished training?", your older sister asks, her voice calm and gentle, as usual.
"Good morning, Missy. Yeah, I just got out of the bathtub. Elliot came by after I finished training, so I couldn't take one before that. So... you know. That was a little embarrassing."
You recall your earlier run-in with your older brother.
"I'm sure he doesn't mind". Your older sister giggles a bit.

Melissa von Vales, whom you have taken to affectionately calling Missy. She is the kingdom's best swordswoman and known as the Purple Tempest. From a young age, she was recognized as a prodigy when it comes to swordfighting, able to hold her own even against seasoned fighters. And even though she is younger than Elliot by two years, you usually turn to her for advice, finding comfort in her gentle aura.

Though one question is on your mind.
"Wait, how did you know I was here?"
"I passed by Elliot earlier and he told me that you would be in your room", she answers. "And so, I came to look for you."
After a pause, she continues, her expression stern.
"If you spend night after night training, it will take a toll on your health. You should take care not to overexert yourself. I wouldn't want you to collapse."
Though you appreciate her concern, you feel like you have heard this same sermon at least a thousand times before.
"I know! You don't have to tell me that!"
"Apparently, I do have to tell you or else you would have followed my advice by now." She gently pats your head.
"Missy, stop treating me like a child!", you protest, experiencing déjà vu. At least Melissa was more gentle than Elliot...
"I know, I know. Sorry." She withdraws her hand from your head after gently combing your hair back into place. "It's just... you will always be my sweet little sister. No matter how old you get. That's all." A warm smile forms on her lips, but you see a hint of sadness in her eyes. "After we nearly lost Elliot on that day, I can't help but be a little overprotective."

'That day', she said.
Five years ago, Elliot was brought home, barely clinging to life. You still remember it vividly. The disfigured left side of your older brother's face, covered in burn marks and gashes, blood flowing from other wounds, as well. That picture still makes you shiver even now. To this day, all you know is that he and twenty other knights were ambushed while out on a mission. The identity of the attackers is completely unknown, even now. And you know that only your brother and two others were able to make it back home. Everybody else had passed away on that day.

Melissa pulls you into a warm embrace.
"It's okay", she says softly. "It's in the past now. Just promise me that you'll be more careful from now on, okay?"
"Okay..." you say, your voice subdued by the moment and the heavy atmosphere the memory has brought with it.

After she pulls away from you and you have settled down a bit, you are approached by a young man wearing leather armor over dark green clothing.
"Excuse me, Your Highness, but there is something I need to tell you", he says. You recognize your childhood friend immediately.
"Hello, Fiffy!", you greet the young man, who immediately cringes at his embarrassing nickname.
"'Morning, Sophia. As spry as ever, I see", he greets back, forcing a smile. "And could you please stop calling me that?"
"Hmm... Nope." You triumphantly grin at him.

"Finley, is something the matter? You had something to talk to me about, yes?", asks Melissa.
"Yes, of course!" Finley kneels down before her and continues: "His Majesty, King Gwendal, wishes to speak with you, Your Highness. I do not know any details, but it most likely concerns the report the Crown Prince brought with him from Raganor. It seemed urgent, so please, if you would go meet him?"
"I see. I will be there in just a moment. Sophia, do you want to come along with me?"
"If not, I could keep you company in the meantime", Finley offers with a smile. "It's been a while since we had the chance to sit down and talk.
"Um..."

What will you do?

Choice 1: Go with Melissa and see what the king wants.
Choice 2: Hang out with Finley and catch up.

Vote for your preferred option in the poll!

---

Hope you enjoyed this one!
I wanted to flesh out the world a bit more before we get into the nitty-gritty of the plot. Hope you didn't mind the little excursions.

One thing I just realized: Our protagonist Sophia uses a staff, has two older siblings, a brother and a sister, one of which is the heir to the throne...
Oh my god, we made Lissa.

Also, I hope the length of these is okay for you. If it's too long, we can go with shorter chapters from now on. Or if it's too short for you, I'll try to make 'em longer.

Let me know what you think, and I'll see you in the next one!

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23 minutes ago, DragonFlames said:

Choice 2: Hang out with Finley and catch up.

I'm sure Sophia and "Fiffy's" interactions will be hilarious.

23 minutes ago, DragonFlames said:

Oh my god, we made Lissa.

Yep.  tumblr_osmmwd40gx1tewh4uo3_400.gif Now all she needs to do is play frog pranks on her servants.

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10 minutes ago, twilitfalchion said:

Yep.  tumblr_osmmwd40gx1tewh4uo3_400.gif Now all she needs to do is play frog pranks on her servants.

Is this why so many voted for axes and staves and an older sister?
Not that I mind, of course.

Edited by DragonFlames
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Just now, DragonFlames said:

Is this why so many voted for axes and staves and an older sister?

I voted for a female axe lord because that would be very attractive.

I voted for a female axe lord because the idea is very interesting.

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8 minutes ago, twilitfalchion said:

I voted for a female axe lord because that would be very attractive.

Sadly, I can't draw to save my life or else I would have given you a picture of Sophia with an axe.

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31 minutes ago, DragonFlames said:

You guys are suckers for hygiene and bath scenes, I see!

I'll confess that you have me on the first one.

28 minutes ago, DragonFlames said:

Is this why so many voted for axes and staves and an older sister?

On the female axe part, I must confess I picked staff initially, but hey why not both eventually?

As for the sister, I wanted there to be a sister and younger just had me going "It might be another of a certain stereotype" and I just avoided it mentally.

Accidentally making Lissa was a surprise to be sure but a welcome one.

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