[CYOA] Underground Kingdom

Kyle · Post by **Kyle** » Mon Nov 30, 2020 4:28 pm

Let's play an obscure Choose Your Own Adventure. This one is Underground Kingdom by Edward Packer! I'll give y'all adequate time for all people playing to vote/decide on the decision to make, then I'll advance the story accordingly.

Kyle · Post by **Kyle** » Mon Nov 30, 2020 4:29 pm

Kyle · Post by **Kyle** » Mon Nov 30, 2020 4:30 pm

Kyle · Post by **Kyle** » Mon Nov 30, 2020 4:31 pm

Tahlvin · Post by **Tahlvin** » Tue Dec 01, 2020 4:19 am

Skip the ledge. Let's keep falling.

Post by **Mike** » Tue Dec 01, 2020 6:19 am

Yeah, I say keep falling. Look for a softer ledge.

Kyle · Post by **Kyle** » Tue Dec 01, 2020 9:32 am

Post by **Mike** » Tue Dec 01, 2020 9:59 am

I am a coward. My inclination is to run and then figure out things from a better vantage point. But I also know that CYOA doesn't work that way.

But I still say run.

Tahlvin · Post by **Tahlvin** » Tue Dec 01, 2020 2:50 pm

Sure, let's try running.

Kyle · Post by **Kyle** » Thu Dec 03, 2020 10:56 am

Post by **Mike** » Thu Dec 03, 2020 12:45 pm

Buh-wha??

Tahlvin · Post by **Tahlvin** » Thu Dec 03, 2020 4:07 pm

WTF, let's try to make it to the top.

Post by **Mike** » Thu Dec 03, 2020 4:20 pm

Yeah okay. I can roll with that.

Kyle · Post by **Kyle** » Fri Dec 04, 2020 10:52 am

Post by **Mike** » Fri Dec 04, 2020 11:43 am

Well... life or death moment here. I say doing something is better narratively than doing nothing. So I vote for going out swinging. Push on!

But I can be swayed.

I bet it's too late and we freeze to death no matter what we do.

Tahlvin · Post by **Tahlvin** » Fri Dec 04, 2020 12:18 pm

Yes, let's force ourselves to keep moving.

Kyle · Post by **Kyle** » Fri Dec 04, 2020 12:36 pm

Kyle · Post by **Kyle** » Fri Dec 04, 2020 12:39 pm

So I don't read ahead. I only read after I've posted what your decision was. I've done plenty of these to know when I think y'all are fucked no matter what you do, but this pleasantly surprised me.

Post by **Mike** » Fri Dec 04, 2020 12:58 pm

I vote go.

Tahlvin · Post by **Tahlvin** » Fri Dec 04, 2020 3:17 pm

Yes, let's go. Although it would be interesting to know what happens if we refuse to go.

Kyle · Post by **Kyle** » Mon Dec 07, 2020 10:46 am

Post by **Mike** » Mon Dec 07, 2020 11:11 am

So many chances to back out, and yet... I think we should shoulder on.

Tahlvin · Post by **Tahlvin** » Mon Dec 07, 2020 1:03 pm

Is it shoulder on or soldier on? Regardless, I agree we go with him.

Post by **Mike** » Mon Dec 07, 2020 1:50 pm

Definitely soldier. I got caught up in should and shoulder.

Kyle · Post by **Kyle** » Mon Dec 07, 2020 2:01 pm

It's "sold her on..." Back in the day when women were chattel, you would sell them on the market price. But eventually they dropped the "market price" because that was always understood. So you might say to your drinking mate about your wife/chattel, "Being married to her is a chore, so I guess I'll just sold her on."

Kyle · Post by **Kyle** » Mon Dec 07, 2020 2:03 pm

Post by **Mike** » Mon Dec 07, 2020 2:18 pm

This is the weirdest CYOA.

Kyle · Post by **Kyle** » Mon Dec 07, 2020 2:40 pm

You didn't play the others, which were also written by Packer (the original author). These are all before he "perfected" the formula. The last series we did were even weirder because you couldn't die- it was a weird "open world" setting where you eventually got to the end.

Tahlvin · Post by **Tahlvin** » Mon Dec 07, 2020 4:51 pm

Yes, this one seems to be forcing us to be wimpy. There's no option for "fall faster!"

I vote for trying to reason with Dr. Bruckner, since I definitely do not want to push the button. Let's get this thing moving!

Post by **Mike** » Mon Dec 07, 2020 6:07 pm

Do that! Yes.

Kyle · Post by **Kyle** » Tue Dec 08, 2020 10:29 am

Kyle · Post by **Kyle** » Tue Dec 08, 2020 10:37 am

I have so many questions about the physics of this world. Wouldn't the gravity on the earth's surface be the same as the gravity on the inner shell?

Tahlvin · Post by **Tahlvin** » Tue Dec 08, 2020 11:31 am

And what exactly is the source of light, if this black hole is black?

Anyways, I say we face the creatures. No time like the present to get ourselves good and truly screwed!

Post by **Mike** » Tue Dec 08, 2020 12:53 pm

Kyle wrote: ↑Tue Dec 08, 2020 10:37 am I have so many questions about the physics of this world. Wouldn't the gravity on the earth's surface be the same as the gravity on the inner shell?

This is going to sound very counterintuitive, but given the configuration (hollow shell, with the remaining mass of the interior compressed into the "black hole" at the center), gravity here would be exactly the same as it would be in this exact spot if the planet was NOT hollow. That is, still considerable, and pulling us towards the center of the earth. At a wild guess, I'd say we'd be experiencing something like half a G.

Tahlvin · Post by **Tahlvin** » Tue Dec 08, 2020 12:57 pm

But it would be half a G pulling us towards the black hole, not half a G pulling us towards the shell. But this is like complaining about the physics and plot holes in the old D&D cartoon, or ThunderCats. So let's just go with it.

Post by **Mike** » Tue Dec 08, 2020 1:01 pm

Correct. Again, at least as I understand it. Because the shell above all around us effectively cancels itself out no matter where we are inside the shell, therefore, the black hole is the only thing acting on us.

And yes... face them.

Kyle · Post by **Kyle** » Tue Dec 08, 2020 2:54 pm

Post by **Mike** » Tue Dec 08, 2020 3:45 pm

Who am I to be rude to my hosts? I'd like to follow.

Tahlvin · Post by **Tahlvin** » Tue Dec 08, 2020 4:35 pm

Sure, why not. Follow blue-fur.

Kyle · Post by **Kyle** » Wed Dec 09, 2020 9:05 am

Tahlvin · Post by **Tahlvin** » Wed Dec 09, 2020 10:31 am

I say we tell him to go f himself. This "if you're not with us, then you're against us" BS isn't something I want to cower to. Sure, the Arton are making war boats, but the Raka are making bombs, so it sounds like both sides are trying to provoke the other, and I want time to figure out if I'm supporting the Axis or the Allies. So I say, do you worst, I will not take part in your war.

What say you, Mike? You're the other aspect of this split personality.

Post by **Mike** » Wed Dec 09, 2020 2:24 pm

I'm with you. Vivaldi's alive over there and is behind whatever non-aggressive thing the Archpods are actually up to.

Kyle · Post by **Kyle** » Wed Dec 09, 2020 3:04 pm

Kyle · Post by **Kyle** » Wed Dec 09, 2020 3:06 pm

That's a sucky ending. I feel like you didn't actually get to participate in the story.

Post by **Mike** » Wed Dec 09, 2020 3:47 pm

Dangit! Shoulda been bloodthirsty.

Kyle · Post by **Kyle** » Wed Dec 09, 2020 3:47 pm

That's what sucks about a lot of Packer's books. He rewards swashbuckling and seeking reckless adventure and punishes pragmatism.

Tahlvin · Post by **Tahlvin** » Wed Dec 09, 2020 4:07 pm

That was a steaming pile of nothingburger.