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Kiray Nastayo (King of the Zempk) - This quest was honestly the first time I actually got to QM Kiray and like Hoke she comes across as a very consistent and logical character. That being said, I think your willingness to allow her to be adaptable to the quests around her speaks volumes to your ability as a RP'er. The romance between her and Dianna, while not one I had really read very much of, truly showed how comfortable you were with allowing your character to grow and progress in her own storyline perhaps free form any preconceptions. As a fellow QM it was an honor to be able to make the scenes for your quest and like Cutcobra, I've got to congratulate you on undertaking the harrowing job of providing other peoples entertainment, you did it well and you definitely grew over the years. 

@Waterbrick Down First, I want to give a huge THANK YOU for hosting this monster of a final quest. A year long quest (and while many quests towards the end were long and close to a year), you did it in a year and had the dozens of player characters, NPCs, battles, etc to juggle. So for that, as I've said, thank you, but also incredibly good job. You made a whole world that came from the minds of hundreds of people and lore come together in a satisfying way for everyone (I'm only speaking for myself, but I think everyone is happy). You are as instumental as @Sandy to make this game happen. If anyone was to be nominated for a Henry, it's you.

Second, thank you for your comments on Kiray. Quick (or possibly not) digression: I started this game maybe a year or two after it started. I was kind of a member of Historica, and @Capt.JohnPaul (seriously, I texted you for about the ending multiple times and you never showed up? I'm seeing you this week, Alexandre/Leufwein!) invited me to join. I was unsure of what it was, thinking it was a different version of Historica. Eventually I joined, finding it much more of DnD (which I was glad about), but I was so busy with high school I didn't join until I was about to finish. I had my first quest with Sandy, and then I disappeared (very mini dark ages) for a bit before coming back, and I'm so glad I came back. I mean, I was checking EB every day during the mini dark age, and I was still an AFOL, but I just couldn't get into Heroica, or anything. I was just building LEGO on my floor and making my own stories when I came home from school. I wasn't getting into the community, I was stressed, dealing with cyberbullies, etc.

While #66 was Kiray's first quest (and thank you Sandy!), I really do consider @Flipz's ACE ASSASINS to be Kiray's true first quest, especially because as soon as Kiray went questing, she really didn't stop, and that quest was the catalyst for Kiray's story towards the end. When I started, Kiray came to Heroica looking for her former lover, who I planned to be my second character after my five hostings/whatever the ruling was, and he would have been shapeshifted into another race/creature, and they would never know until the ending. While a bit sad I left off that storyline, I'm really happy how Kiray ended up thanks to how interesting of a character Diana was. I never expected for Kiray to be in love with Diana, but it happened. Kiray is bi (or at least the character evolved to that, and this isn't meaning to start a discussion on attraction, politics, etc). But wow, as similar in mentality and personality/morals Kiray is to me, wow she changed up a lot, and honestly, I felt she was inconsistent at times, partially to me going through my own RL mentalities and issues that unfortunately popped into the game (I could probably point them out if we did a post-by-post-replay).

Also, I want to apologize to everyone for how I dropped out a bit during #159. Some was due to real life, some was due to the game. Real life: I had a fantastic job I loved and was doing well in, was laid off for budget, was hired at a new place, and then I quit for mental health because the new place was hell on earth, and unfortunately the stress of everything leaked over to where I would check the threads but just couldn't will myself to participate. The in-game reasons are because the game became so complex (if you ever saw me run a battle you understand why, my math is atrocious), and the lore was so difficult to follow at times (I should have read the wiki), I just couldn't keep up, and to be honest, without Diana, Aceton, Siercon, or a few others, Kiray really didn't have any skin in the game. So for that, I'm sorry I didn't participate as much and dropped off. Once Diana (and Ulric in the beginning) showed up (for real), my goal was to finish that, be it a happy ending for the two of them or not.

So again, thank you to everyone for this amazing journey. I hope everyone still sticks around EB (I know I will), and I hope we can do a Heroica 2.0 (my thoughts for that will follow below at the way bottom)

Characters are mainly that Kiray interacted with or I hosted (and I know I'm missing a few):

Arthur Justus Regulus VII Ziegfried (Flipz) - Arthur was always great. You were in my first quest (66), and while we didn;t interact much, I do remember it was fun, partially because you played Arthur so well. On the questing side, there's not much more that needs to be said, especially for the Kiray/Diana arc. I so wish you could have done the quest you outlined some time ago with Diana coming back, but her returning was good enough for me :laugh:  You are a phenomenal roleplayer and made quests fun (both when playing and QMing). If there's a Heroica 2.0, dear lord I hope you're there.

Karie Alderflask-Cour/Annie (Kintober) - I mainly DM'd Annie, and while I wish she had a more important role in #159, at least saying hi or something, I'm glad you played her, and she was cer

Lord Lawrence Boomingham (Zepher) - Like Arthur/Flipz, we quested together on 66. I also QMed for Bobby on #110 (maybe another). You always were participating, and Boomingham was/is a great character. Clearly your storytelling talents have shown through with him.

Monk Pretzel/Petaldan Parfenius (Palathadric) - Monk and Kiray quested a few times, and I'm really glad Monk was such a moral figure. Monk always seemed strong and the voice of reason. QMing for Petaldan, he was such a joy to watch grow.

Vindsval Half-Born (Asphalt) - I'm just going to come out and say it: Vindsval is my favorite character. You were so dedicated to everything about this character. This is partially because you were in all but one of the quests I hosted. You have always been up to RP, and you even QM'd a Fields run if I'm not mistaken. You absolutely are one of the best. My epilogue for Vindsval is Luke coming to Eubric wanting to be a Hero like the person he looks up to, Vindsval. As soon as he finds Eubric in shambles and Vindsval a Veteran, all the half-giant says is something like "You don't need to be a Hero to be good" or something. Honestly, Vindsval made me want to be a better person. No matter what was thrown at him, he stayed the course. Bravo!

The Demon Germ (samurai-turtle) - As WBD said, you were difficult to relate to/quest with. But by god you became an important part of Heroica and I wouldn't have it any other way. I know Kiray and Germ butted heads, both due to the RP and possibly our own personalities, but I'm glad you stuck along until the end. When/If there is a Heroica 2.0, I fully expect Germ 2.0 to be there.

Edited by KotZ

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A-hoy, monster post ahead. Player thoughts first, Dyric essay after. Now, there's a lot of people and lots to keep track of. To keep things organized I've divided it up between questlines. Only PC missing is Nerwen, but unfortunately I don't really have anything interesting to say there anyways. It was good seeing you, though!

Hovels Party:

You guys had a real fun and interesting dynamic, at least before people got busy and your side slowed down. The contrast between Boomingham and Eric’s partnered leadership and the friendship of the younger heroes, plus Germ for some extra spice, brought about some real unique interactions. Unfortunately, it seems like you guys ran out of a fair bit of steam once you hit the underground section.

Side note, @WBD, I see that link to the Hollow Knight OST. As someone just finally starting to wrap up his playthrough of that game, much approved. :laugh:

Spoiler

Boomingham/Zepher: Boomingham is one of the few characters who Dyric didn’t particularly like coming into this quest, mainly because of the kingship thing, though I’m surprised the two have never really talked beforehand. Honestly for the amount of your quests I’ve been on, it’s a shock our characters really haven’t interacted at all! They’re both prominent, well-spoken heroes with a background in the Kingdoms, and I’m glad they were able to finally butt heads a bit here. Boomingham is sure-fire and confident, but it’s a very weary confidence that comes from experience. He has a very unique voice amongst Heroica, and I think it was heard loud and clear in this quest. He did a good job in his corner balancing the old and new heroes, and making sure everyone was involved, which still playing the indignant older veteran. I also like the unique angle he brings, having actually seen the Founders in their prime and fighting alongside them. Boomingham, as always, was an invaluable voice in this quest, and I think you closed him out with style.

Eric/Khorne: Dyric doesn’t have a lot of experience with Erc, and… well, he still doesn’t :laugh: . Eric does have a Sapphire he owes Dyric, though! :tongue: From what I can tell, you played a good right-hand man to Boomingham, which seemed a pretty cool dynamic. His weary sarcasm and cynicism set him as a strong voice against some of the younger heroes he was paired with.

Demon Germ/samurai-turtle: I actually like Germ quite a bit! I always love the ‘contrary’ Heroes who are willing to strike out and do their own thing, it usually creates a good bit of flavor to the quest. Germ is definitely a unique voice, but I really believe this quest would be lacking without it. For example, Dyric and Germ seem to fundamentally not understand each other, but that brought out a lot of solid humour, at least from my perspective. He’s a really fun character, and brings out a fresh sort of dynamic with a lot of the heroes, so don’t feel too discouraged! He definitely made his mark on me (smile)!

Torald/Alfadas: Like everyone else, Torald is a very strong personality, and I like the personal involvement he put into this quest. Your whole arc with the Pandemonicon was really cool and unique, and gave you a lot of extra pull in the larger events. I also really love the friendship between the younger three heroes in the Hovels party. I get pretty used to seeing the dynamics between the older guys, and confess that I often didn’t follow quests Dyric wasn’t directly involved with, but you guys have reminded me that I really need to give those other quests a read at some point. Again, Torald not someone Dyric interacted with very much, but a really cool character with an excellent ending. Great work!

Petaldan/Pathaldric: Petaldan didn’t seem to do very much, especially in comparison to Pretzel, but I do like his young, energetic vibe. He brings a certain freshness to Heroica that may seem lacking with so many Boominghams and Atramors around! His optimism really shone in the Hovels party against the bleak landscape and the weariness of some of his quest-mates. He’s a very different character than Pretzel, but you do a great job with both!

Ezeran/MysticModulus: Dyric didn’t interact a lot with Ezeran, but he’s a lot of fun. I admire the friendship he’s built with the guys around him, and I also enjoyed seeing him interact with the group as a whole. I also like the amount of magic wisdom he was able to supply the Hovels party, making himself an invaluable part of the dynamic. You were a pretty consistent heart for the Hovels group, and always made your voice heard when everyone joined together.

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Sewers Party:

This corner of the quest was probably my biggest surprise, once I started catching up. I think you guys had some of the best RPing in 159, debating a lot on the morality and ethics of the political situation. You all have really strong, developed characters, and seeing the slight differences rubbing against each other and sparking tensions is a great deal of fun. I also feel you guys took one of the most ‘clear-cut’ paths, really digging into the ‘why’ of everything.

Spoiler

Karie/Kintober: Dyric and Karie finally made up, right at the end. Karie’s always been a headstrong character, and I’ve loved playing out her and Dyric’s rough friendship. At the end of the day, they make a killer team, so I’m glad we were able to play that through. Karie herself did a stand-up job taking charge through the sewers, as well as making her voice heard amongst Atramor and Boomingham. She’s a fantastic leader for the ‘younger’ group of Heroica. Karie does a good job at standing up against some of the bigger names in Eubric, and doing it in a way that feels very earned. She has a lot of strength, and her choosing not to attack Ulric or Patricia shows that she is learning patience with that strength. She’s a great choice for Veteran, and this quest was a fantastic way to show off how much she’s matured since walking through Heroica’s doors.

Pretzel/Palathadric: Pretzel’s always fun. He very much feels like a staple of Heroica at this point, and always brings a certain degree of almost cockeyed wisdom to the group. He’s definitely matured in that time, though, and I think that shows with him being one of the more level-headed characters in this quest. While he and Dyric didn’t get to interact a lot in this quest, I enjoy the shared respect they have for each other. I really like his subtle struggle with where to stand on the turn of Heroica, especially now seeing his conversation with Asa. It lends a lot of depth to his choices through the quest. Good job as always!

Vindsval/Asphalt: Vindsval’s always loomed large over Heroica, so it’s good to have him around one last time. He’s a very consistent character, but a level-headed one, and a great contribution. A powerhouse on the team, and a surprising diplomat. All-in-all, a great job.

Kiray/KingoftheZempk: Kiray’s a solid character. Seizing the tower together at Fort Freedom was a lot of fun. She seems pretty undaunted by some of the older members of Heroica, and it’s always great hearing out some of the ‘younger’ voices. Something this quest did really well was lend power to everyone’s experiences, and you shone in the Sewers party with your past connection to the Fae. You were an excellent contribution to this quest, so thank you!

Throlar/Lord Duvors: Throlar’s a lot of fun. Once again, I’m impressed – you held your own in a quest with a lot of bold personalities, and always made sure you were heard. I worry Dyric can become a bit choosy in who he addresses, but let me assure you that Throlar was definitely noticed, and he’s a character I really enjoy. He’s stubborn and head-strong, but has a clear-conscience and is pretty good-tempered with everyone. At the same time, he still had a clear struggle through this quest, working out what it meant to be a Paladin, to be a Hero. I love anyone willing to be a well-spoken, dissenting voice, and Throlar was great at calling people out when he perceived any hypocrisy. That’s always a great type of character to have, and he definitely forced Dyric to reflect a little bit.  All in all, a great personality to have around.

Lind Whisperer/Lind Whisperer: Of course, the Whisperer. RPing with you has been a blast this quest, Dyric’s so often the nice mediating guy and it’s great to have someone he feels ‘justifiably’ irritated with (laugh). There’s not a lot that can set Dyric off, but everything relating to the ‘election’ is definitely a hot spot for him, and Lind manages to trigger that oh so well. Still, Lind managed to prove himself to Dyric, and it looks like the two are making amends. Similarly, you’ve come a long way since you first came around, and I’m proud of you for stepping up your game. It took a while, but I think Lind’s earned his spot in Heroica.

Heckz/Cutcobra: Sad you weren’t able to stick around, Heckz is always a fun, controversial character in Heroica. Dissenting voices, as I’ve said, are always fun, and in the midst of all the clear-cut heroism of this quest, it’s great to see someone who’s honestly just in it for the fame and wealth.

Benji/Flare: You weren’t around a lot, as far as I can tell, but I liked your entrance into the quest and the initial perspective that you brought to the group. Benji’s been in a lot of different places, and it’s always interesting to see where he goes next. His development to an elven prophet defending the Fae is a cool direction, and gave him a lot of wisdom to his side of the quest.

Skrall/WBD: Skrall definitely felt more NPC than Hero this quest, but you had a lot on your plate so that’s not honestly all that surprising. Still, it’s good to see Skrall show up for the big finale, he was one character I was hoping Dyric would run into one last time, and I’m glad he did.

Dragon House Party:

Hey, it’s us. I’m mostly really pleased with our corner, at the very least in terms of dynamic. You’re all people I’ve quested with before, and uniting for one last go was a great joy. As I sort of mentioned in my broader quest post, I think our side had probably the ‘lowest’ stakes, which in turn allowed us to have a lot of fun with it. I also feel like we were some of the keenest to utilize past knowledge of the city, which wound up tying figures like the Ziegfried and the Guild back into the narrative in a cool way. We were also an absolute powerhouse, being the only party to successfully kill a Founder. All-in-all, it was a lot of fun, and a perfect party for Dyric’s last quest.

Spoiler

Althior/K-Nut: Unfortunately, life got busy, but it was fun having you around while you were able. Althior is someone who goes pretty far back for Dyric, but the two have never really been able to watch each other develop, so coming back for this quest was pretty neat. The two shared a cool moment in the Dragon House, so I’m pleased we got that at least. Other than that, when you were available, you continued to prove pretty capable and showed some great insight. Dyric still owes him that drink, at some point. It was great having you around, however limited!

Atramor/CMP: Atramor’s surprisingly consistent. Like Althior, he’s changed since Dyric last saw him, and yet a lot of what makes Atramor Atramor is still fundamentally there. You stepped up to being quite the leader of this quest, maneuvering battles with ease and providing a steady core to Heroica. I don’t think you’d ever expect Atramor to become to moral center of the group when he first walked through Heroica’s doors, but you did a good job making it feel natural. Atramor truly believes in Heroica, despite how flawed it is, and I think that provided a good amount of drive for our side of the quest. I also like finally giving him the chance to reflect back on Triad, and return to his roots for a moment. Atramor sums up a lot of Heroica in him, and a big part of that is his willingness grow from the past. You were a huge asset to the team, thanks for coming back one last time.

Hoke/MDM: Hoke and Dyric have been through a lot together, and I don’t think that gets acknowledged very often. I love the quiet friendship I think they showed each other through this quest; I definitely think they respect each other a great deal, but they’re not really the kind to sit down and talk about it. Hoke continues to be a rock through this quest as always, though I always enjoy the moments when his patience runs out and his anger flares up. Hoke is a solid, solid character, and I’ll honestly miss questing with him every second quest.

Matthias/Stickfig: If I’ve said it once I’ve said it a thousand times, I love Matthias. He’s a very specific kind of character, but you play it to perfection. He really rounded out our party in giving a younger yet more cynical voice, but at the same time his romance with Chesterine was so much fun to play off of. Dyric has just as much of an affinity for Matthias as I do, so I really tried to make sure Dyric was keeping him involved. Matthias definitely made his presence known this quest; like many of the others, I’m glad I got to quest with him one final time.

Arthur/Flipz: In hindsight, I actually really love the role Arthur played here. Arthur has always kind of had his own thing going on, be it the Ziegfried or the Town Watch or whatever, so it was perfect that he sort of stayed on the sidelines for the most part. Him balancing family duties with Hero calling is also very central to his character as well. I love that him and Dyric got to fight side-by-side again, and I also enjoy the arc you were able to give Arthur this quest despite his few appearances.

 

Edited by The Legonater

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5 hours ago, Waterbrick Down said:

It was simply a task for Torald to complete, nothing more. The book definitely had its own agenda, mainly making it to the city between worlds and potentially causing havoc there. Torald actually did a really good job of unknowingly thwarting both Rosier and the book by stepping into the portal. :laugh:

I knew the lack of much intelligence and a certain recklessness would come in handy some day 

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On 11/1/2018 at 6:15 AM, Lind Whisperer said:

 

Ezeran Yavarr (MysticModulus):

Shame that Heroica's ending - he's a neat character! Thanks for playing along with all of the Crescent stuff - it was fun bonding as a crew!

 

I totally agree! The faction lore and RP:ing was a real interesting feature that helped out in character development, Lind and Ezeran never interacted much but it always felt like there was a degree of mutual respect between them.

15 hours ago, Waterbrick Down said:

 

Ezeran Yavarr (MysticModulus) - Not many people can claim to have such an odd character. Even then not many can claim to have not milked that oddity to death in their portrayal of their character. You did a superb job of allowing Ezeran to become his own character without ever allowing the symbiot to overshadow his development. Along with Petaldan and Torald, you helped to cement the newest block of heroes in the game and I'm glad you were able to play so much in 159. Even though Ezeran was slightly undergeared in comparison to some of the other heroes, the fact that he held his own against several enemies was impressive and your writing of him was top notch.

All this begun with me scratching through my collection of minifigs trying to come up with something interesting, I found the torso of an Atlantica-sharkman and then I had this idea of a demonic symbiont etc. As you point out the symbiont was never really the central theme in Ezerans character, it was just a symptom of his past. I am so glad I joined Heroica and went with Ezeran as my character! The friendship with Torald and Petaldan has been so valuable and interesting to follow and it really has meant much to me on a personal level, those three characters has really made an interesting journey both as a strange rag-tag team but also on an individual level. There really is an interesting dynamic between them! 

I've taken Ezeran on three quests hosted by @Waterbrick Down (#142, #149 and #157) and they have all been utterly amazing!  I see them as the main trilogy for the character-development of Ezeran and WBD has been so generous in hosting these quests by giving him good opportunities to develop as a character. I am very grateful for that! In #142 the friendship between Ezeran, Torald and Petaldan really blossomed. The ending of #149 was one of the more interesting moral dilemmas played out that I've witnessed in any game and Ezerans connection to his past was made possible in #157 by connecting the story to his fathers fate. So really, Ezerans development and riches in character is very much a result of some really clever and empathetic QM'ing on your part WBD! :wub:

Torald

What can I say? I really felt a friendship with @Alfadas as much as Ezeran has with Torald. We enrolled in Heroica almost at the same day and Ezeran and Torald became friends almost instantly. Torald really has evolved during these year and has become a complex character. He has this inherent wisdom to him even though he doesn't come across as intelligent. He also seems to have tackled his alcohol-addiction in a good way during this time. :laugh:

I don't know exactly why he became a battlemage but it was a really nice move RP-wise since it brought Ezeran and Torald even closer. 

Petaldan

Petaldan is a really well played character! It's so fresh to have this innocent boy with pure ideals being able to take part in an adult complex world were most characters are flawed and jagged. He brought insights and perspectives that no other characters could have provided and he truly has a heart of gold. I rememeber when he got the "Gloves of the Boy wonder" I designed for him at a Grogmas-event, it felt like giving a christmas-gift to a real kid. :sweet: I just want to thank @Palathadric for his patience with this character!

#159

Well, I guess I need to say something about the final quest of this whole enterprise! It was an interesting journey even though I had trouble to follow all of the politics, relations, characters and lore. I really feel like I'm still a newcomer to Heroica in a sense and to be honest it's not really all that interesting to try and research and follow all of the other characters relations and all the politics going on. It also reflects in Ezeran as a character really being an outsider (not as much as The Demon Germ) more interested in his close relationships than the bigger schemes at hand. It also comes down to RP-philosophies I guess, I'm a bit allergic to the wall of text-approach that was pretty common in this quest, it's just not something for me. :shrug_oh_well:

With that being said it's fantastic to have played a small part of this final chapter and it was fun seeing all of the characters in the same context.

 

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26 minutes ago, MysticModulus said:

 

Torald

What can I say? I really felt a friendship with @Alfadas as much as Ezeran has with Torald. We enrolled in Heroica almost at the same day and Ezeran and Torald became friends almost instantly. Torald really has evolved during these year and has become a complex character. He has this inherent wisdom to him even though he doesn't come across as intelligent. He also seems to have tackled his alcohol-addiction in a good way during this time. :laugh:

I don't know exactly why he became a battlemage but it was a really nice move RP-wise since it brought Ezeran and Torald even closer. 

 

You. You are the reason I decided to go for Battlemage with Torald. I fully intended him to be a Berserker, you know, throwing yourself at the enemy with even less care for self preservation.I even bought a shield for him already. But Torald became friends with Ezeran. He looked up (even though he was over a head taller) to you. Some may call it more than friendship. So it just felt better to go with Battlemage. 

 

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7 minutes ago, Alfadas said:

You. You are the reason I decided to go for Battlemage with Torald. I fully intended him to be a Berserker, you know, throwing yourself at the enemy with even less care for self preservation.I even bought a shield for him already. But Torald became friends with Ezeran. He looked up (even though he was over a head taller) to you. Some may call it more than friendship. So it just felt better to go with Battlemage. 

 

Fantastic! :wub:

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20 hours ago, Waterbrick Down said:

Eric (Khorne) - Sorry you weren't able to commit yourself fully to the quest, but thank you for keeping me updated. Eric is a great example of a somewhat selfish character that people still don't mind rooting for. He's passionate about very few things, but he still manages to be relatable to readers. Ever since he walked into the hall I wondered what niche he would fill, I think you carved out his style quite nicely and did a great job of setting up a fantastic grudge against the Bonapartes that while it never overwhelmed his portrayal it healthily influenced it. I would have definitely been interested in more quests from you as I think you had an excellent QM style, but I know how life can get busy. I will say your contributions to the Nord lore were top notch and I really think it helped to flesh out a rather under-represented part of the game!

Thanks! I never really had much of a backstory planned out for Eric, only his Norse heritage and being banned. Other than that, he mostly grew and reacted to the world around him. Looking back at Heroica, I'm glad with the parcours he's had. I am glad how the character turned out and how he was indeed slightly more "Chaotic Neutral" or whatever than most. I never wanted to go full antagonistic though, since that would kind of the ruin the experience for everybody. I always viewed Eric more like a cat or a kid. Playing around in the world, mostly caring about yourself and not paying heed to the consequences of your actions but not in a way to purposefully cause pain to others just for fun.

I've said it several times before, but I have tons of background stuff I worked out for the Norse over the years on my computer. I should really really get to uploading or posting it here sometime :tongue: . The Norse background just grew and grew to give Eric a sense of belonging and to RP consequently. I also wanted to do a full Nordic Quest at one point, but I could barely manage the small Quests I ran. Much respect to all QM's. I don't know how you pull stuff lik #159 off. Absolute madness :grin: . Hats off, truly.

9 hours ago, The Legonater said:

 

  Reveal hidden contents

Boomingham/Zepher: Boomingham is one of the few characters who Dyric didn’t particularly like coming into this quest, mainly because of the kingship thing, though I’m surprised the two have never really talked beforehand. Honestly for the amount of your quests I’ve been on, it’s a shock our characters really haven’t interacted at all! They’re both prominent, well-spoken heroes with a background in the Kingdoms, and I’m glad they were able to finally butt heads a bit here. Boomingham is sure-fire and confident, but it’s a very weary confidence that comes from experience. He has a very unique voice amongst Heroica, and I think it was heard loud and clear in this quest. He did a good job in his corner balancing the old and new heroes, and making sure everyone was involved, which still playing the indignant older veteran. I also like the unique angle he brings, having actually seen the Founders in their prime and fighting alongside them. Boomingham, as always, was an invaluable voice in this quest, and I think you closed him out with style.

Eric/Khorne: Dyric doesn’t have a lot of experience with Erc, and… well, he still doesn’t :laugh: . Eric does have a Sapphire he owes Dyric, though! :tongue: From what I can tell, you played a good right-hand man to Boomingham, which seemed a pretty cool dynamic. His weary sarcasm and cynicism set him as a strong voice against some of the younger heroes he was paired with.

Demon Germ/samurai-turtle: I actually like Germ quite a bit! I always love the ‘contrary’ Heroes who are willing to strike out and do their own thing, it usually creates a good bit of flavor to the quest. Germ is definitely a unique voice, but I really believe this quest would be lacking without it. For example, Dyric and Germ seem to fundamentally not understand each other, but that brought out a lot of solid humour, at least from my perspective. He’s a really fun character, and brings out a fresh sort of dynamic with a lot of the heroes, so don’t feel too discouraged! He definitely made his mark on me (smile)!

Torald/Alfadas: Like everyone else, Torald is a very strong personality, and I like the personal involvement he put into this quest. Your whole arc with the Pandemonicon was really cool and unique, and gave you a lot of extra pull in the larger events. I also really love the friendship between the younger three heroes in the Hovels party. I get pretty used to seeing the dynamics between the older guys, and confess that I often didn’t follow quests Dyric wasn’t directly involved with, but you guys have reminded me that I really need to give those other quests a read at some point. Again, Torald not someone Dyric interacted with very much, but a really cool character with an excellent ending. Great work!

Petaldan/Pathaldric: Petaldan didn’t seem to do very much, especially in comparison to Pretzel, but I do like his young, energetic vibe. He brings a certain freshness to Heroica that may seem lacking with so many Boominghams and Atramors around! His optimism really shone in the Hovels party against the bleak landscape and the weariness of some of his quest-mates. He’s a very different character than Pretzel, but you do a great job with both!

Ezeran/MysticModulus: Dyric didn’t interact a lot with Ezeran, but he’s a lot of fun. I admire the friendship he’s built with the guys around him, and I also enjoyed seeing him interact with the group as a whole. I also like the amount of magic wisdom he was able to supply the Hovels party, making himself an invaluable part of the dynamic. You were a pretty consistent heart for the Hovels group, and always made your voice heard when everyone joined together.

12
12

 

Eric is no-one right hand man! :tongue: I did enjoy his friendship with Boomingham however and how it just grew over the course of having Quested together several times.

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Sorry for the double-post, but I figured it'd be easier if I dumped all my Nord lore and what have you in a new post. Easier for the overview and easier to place the post somewhere else if this isn't the correct topic.

Since this'll be a huge post, I'll split this up in different parts:

  1. Värtland: the Land of Chill - Home of the Nords
  2. Religion of the Nords
  3. Politics of the Nords
  4. Artwork

1. Värtland: the Land of Chill - Home of the Nords

Right, just posting what the Wiki says about it:

"Värtland is the northernmost continent in the world of Olegaia. It is the home of the Vikings, a warlike breed of Humans who prey upon the surrounding nations and themselves. Despite its large size, Värtland is only sparsely populated with most Vikings living along the southern shores. Some live deeper inland and to the even more barren regions to the north, but mostly those regions are left to the wilds.

Värtland is a harsh land, where warmth is rare and sunlight a welcome everyday gift. It is a frigid land, ruled by coldness. Most of the north is covered by a permanent, thick layer of snow and only a handful of small tribes make their living there. The southern parts are home to thick forests and knows periods of thaw. Värtland is mountainous and its soil little fertile, which often leads to violent disputes and internal warfare amongst its inhabitants. The brutal reality of Värtland's nature is a main reason for the Nords' raiding lifestyle and bleak outlook on life. What they cannot grow or make, they simply take. As it is in nature, so it is in Viking culture: the strong survive at the cost of the weak."

Obviously, the inspiration for Värtland was the same as the inspiration for GoH's Mitgardia or any other fantasy Viking trope land, namely Scandinavia (extended to Iceland, Greenland and Svalbard). In my mind, Värtland was definitely more Icelandic/Norwegian than Danmark. Mountains, deep foreboding forests ice, snow and tundra. Over the years, I made several maps of Värtland, some of which I've posted before. The most recent one I made dates from some years back and never really got finished:

Spoiler

45046733275_4d647fdafb_c.jpg

 

2. Religion of the Nords

Like the land itself, Nordic religion was also heavily influenced by real-world Norse and Germanic mythology, but suitably adapted to the LEGO universe and specifically tailored to Heroica. A lot of this information can be found on the Wiki already. I'm just putting it here again for completion's sake.

Main pantheon

Wartan - The central deity of the Norse pantheon. He is the All-Father and chief of all Norse gods. Other nicknames include the Blind God, the Giant-Slayer and Demonsbane The domains over which he presides are many and varied, but he is mainly attributed with being the god of War. He is always depicted as an old, yet strong and powerful man with a flowing beard. He is always accompanied by his two bats Forbi and Framtid (Past and Future) who tell him all the goings-on in the world. Bats are also his spirit animal, for like them too, Wartan is blind and has to depend on his surroundings and enlightened state to find his bearings. Wartan lost his eyesight when tried to see beyond the Great Dark into the Void. Instead of wisdom, he found only madness. Unable to ward off his gaze, he burned out his own eyes with a torch given by Helvetia to put an end to it. He then accepted the fact that darkness cannot be banished, but it can be mastered, harnessed and learned to live with.

Helvetia - The Ice Mother. The second most important deity of the Nords and wife of the Wartan King. She takes care of the souls in the afterlife, which is a central part of Norse culture. Unlike the southern goddess, Helvetia is mostly seen as a benevolent, if fickle, deity in the North. The Vikings worship her as a motherly deity and invoke her name to protect them from the coldness of their homeland. Vampires are seen as being touched by Helvetia and gifted with the eternal life to feast and battle forever on. Therefore, Nords harbor no dislike of Vampires. On the contrary, Vampires garner great respect in Nordic communities and many chieftains rely on Household Vampires of millennia old relatives for their guidance and wisdom. Many prisoners taken on Norse raids serve as "food" for these Vampires.

Torrik (or Thoric) - The son of Wartan and Helvetia and God of Thunder and Battle. In imitation of Helvetia, who created the Nôrn, Torrik created the Norse. Therefore, he is regarded as the Creator God. He is also associated with thunder and judgment, and thus strength, so Torrik is by-far the most widely worshipped and popular deity of the Nordic pantheon.

Secondary pantheon

Njordon - the God of the Seas and King-Dweller-of-the-Depths is the main Nordmaritime deity. He rules his oceanic fief from his great underwater hall, built from the bones of the Olegardsormr. He is the greatest ally of Wartan and protects the Vikings on their oceanic voyages. Once a Human, he was deified by Wartan after the godlike feat of slaying the Olegardsormr, the World-Serpent. So great is his standing with Wartan and Helvetia that Vikings who drown at sea are brought to his hall instead of being claimed by Helvetia. There they feast and serve Njordon instead, manning one of his many eternal longships. 

Njordon is usually depicted wielding Beringar, his Bear-Spear and bearing upon his head a crown made from the gilded teeth of the World Serpent. The Slaying of the World-Serpent is his most famous saga. Eric recounted this in Quest #42.

Little known to outsiders of Nordic culture, Njordon has divine offspring with an unnamed Sea-Wife (while others claim their mother was the Storm Godess). These twins are commonly referred to as Njordon's Brood and reflect a darker facet of the great oceans.

  • Norran is Njordon's daughter and is usually depicted as a beautiful, if somewhat sinister, young woman. She is responsible for collecting the drowned and bringing them to Njordon's Hall. However, at times she also lures men to death herself by singing and bewitching her victims. Unlike her father, she is not bound solely to the sea and has the ability to come to land one time per year.
  • Donnar is the tempestuous son of Njordon. He is known for his temper and easy to anger, turning the oceans into storms as he does. He is responsible for crafting his father's longboats. Nordic depiction does not favour the young deity, as he is often shown as an amalgamation of sea creatures with a tentacled face and kraken-like lower body. Donnar is more feared than worshipped and offerings to him are generally done as a favor.
Spoiler

45046734185_9da3f0bfe3_z.jpg

Sasooti - the Nordic variant of Azazot and Zoot. He rules the Darkness and is Master of the Void. He is known as the Great Devourer or the Great Evil. Those who die unvaliantly are consumed by Sasooti and their souls are lost forever. During Winter Solstice the North is covered in perpetual darkness and many Nords light bonfires to ward away the evil. The Shaman King is the only true servant of Sasooti in the North.

Sarfangr - the Wolf Who Eats the Moon or the Packmaster. Sarfangr is the God of the Hunt and patron god of the werefolk, specifically werewolves. He is a very neutral god and can hardly be classified as either good or evil. He is very loyal to Wartan and takes care of the King's hunting dogs on a Wild Hunt.

Sindri - the Trickster God.

 

3. Politics of the Nords

Nordic politics revolve around the power struggle between the Five Great Nordic Clans. These are most powerful clans who trace their lineage way back to times of myth and legend. Many of the lesser clans are either branches of the great clans or are affiliated to one in one way or another. Below are my ideas and my general outline for them as I would've portrayed them and how they fit into my general concept of the Norse. During the making of the potential Värtland Saga, other QM's came up with their own stories as well.

The Great Clan Eldurling

  • Colors: Black and red
  • Sigil: Dragon
  • Head: Elduwein
  • Origin: claims descendance from the god Torrik through his mortal bastard son Eldur. According to legend, Eldur was the offspring of Torrik and the dragon Elstrid, which made Eldur some sort of were-dragon or Dragonborn. This trait runs through clan Eldurling and many of its members are either full were-dragon or have a great affinity for fire in a way. Unlike many other Nordic clans, Eldurling has no qualms with magic and they are very proficient pyromancers. They have an affinity for gold and gems. Their domain includes many hot springs and (dormant) volcanoes. Members of clan Eldurling are known to enjoy sauna much more than most of the other Nords. This, coupled with their love of gold, makes them a snobbish and arrogant in the eyes of some other rival clans.
  • Trivia:
    • The current elected ruling High King is Elduwein of Clan Eldurling
    • However, their current power base is weakend by the kidnapping of Astrid, the High King's daughter
      • This was a political maneuver by Clan Sindrung, one of its greatest rivals
      • Astrid now sails the seas as a corsair after having escaped her situation. She appeard during my Polkung Quest as an enemy
    • The High King entertains a small body of Orcish warriors to serve as his protection after his daughter was kidnapped

The Great Clan Njorrling

  • Colors: Sand-blue, copper and grey
  • Sigil: World Serpent
  • Head: Lokhir Kinslayer
  • Origin: claims descendance from the god Njordon. When the Serpent-Slayer was deified and retreated to his ocean fief, he left behind his wife and daughters on land. Following in her father's footsteps, Ygritte Njordonsdottir traveled the world in order to find mythical monsters and beasts to slay. She was the true founder of the clan.
  • Trivia:
    • They rule the Howling Isles, which are a bleak set of isles on the eastern shore of Värtland. They contain little arable land so those of clan Njorrling mainly live off fishing, trading and raiding.
    • Even tough their homeland is bleak and meager, they are a relatively rich clan because of raiding
    • They sport the biggest fleet in Värtland and are able to mount the biggest raids
    • Warriors of Clan Njorrling are legendary beast-slayers and often travel the world in search of legendary monsters. Sometimes they work as sellswords to a village or whoever pays in order to take care of "rodent problems". The propensity for beast-slaying often puts them at odds with Clan Eldurling, which has great respect for dragons
    • Lokhir is nicknamed 'Kinslayer' because he killed Siggerd, the husband of his sister. Siggerd was an abusive man who often beat Liv. In a fury Lokhir slew him without paying respect to traditions. In order to reconcile both families, Lokhir's son Eric had to marry Amelina, Siggerd's daughter. Obviously, that didn't work out.

Eric belongs to Clan Njorrling. His father is Lokhir Kinslayer. I even made a family tree in the beginning of Heroica to keep track of everything.

Spoiler

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The Great Clan Sindrung

  • Colors: Green and yellow
  • Sigil: Stag
  • Head: Bran
  • Origin: Sindri supposedly tricked the god Wartan into giving him a title, land and later a divine status during one of the King's Wild Hunts, through a game of riddles. Being a rather sore loser, Wartan "cursed" Sindri's lineage with raven-black hair so all would know they cannot be trusted.
  • Trivia:
    • Filthy rich clan due to owning most of the flat and arable land in the south of Värtland. They also control the lumber trade there and have several fishin fleets.
    • They control the most populous lands and thus generate most tax income
    • Most open-minded of all Viking Clans, but mainly because they gain an advantage through welcoming southern ways
    • Arn, The Drowned, the priest of Njordon who appeared during my Polkung Quest is a banished member of this clan

The Great Clan Isengrim

  • Colors: Purple
  • Sigil: Wolf
  • Head: Fenrir
  • Origin: They claim descendance from Valkia, the Bride of Sarfangr, through Ulf Iron-Arm. When she was a wee kid, Valkia was left to the wild as an offering to Sarfangr. She was found and subsequently raised by a pack of wolves. Later in life, she became the matriarch of the pack. During her lifetime, she was most likely bitten by a wolf or somehow caught a sleeper variant of lycanthropy. Valkia got possession of her hereditary land by rescuing a Vampiric nobleman who gifted her his land and title in return which marked the founding of Clan Valkung. Upon her death, Valkia was unable to favor one of her two sons from different fathers and gifted half her land to Ulf Iron-Arm, who founded Clan Isengrim. Ulf caught lycanthropy from his mother and was known to be a powerful werewolf and servant of Sarfangr.
  • Trivia:
    • Clan Isengrim is one of two "savage" clans. They are somewhat looked down upon by the other Great Clan for being barbarians, but are greatly respected as warriors and loyal Norsemen
    • Clan Isengrim boasts a very high number of werewolves among its ranks
    • Its clanlord is also often referred to as the Packmaster
    • They all share strong bonds of loyalty and family
    • Many warriors go bareskin into battle, or are clad in wolf pelts to instill fear in the enemy. The other great clans often include men from clan Isengrim on their raids to serve as shock troops to break enemy morale

The Great Clan Hallbjorn

  • Colors: Blue, light blue
  • Sigil: Bear
  • Head: Torfin
  • Origin: They claim descendance from Valkia, the Bride of Sarfangr, through Bjorn Stoneskin. Bjorn was the brother of Ulf and son of Valkia. Like his brother, Bjorn was also werefolk but a werebear rather than a wolf. 
  • Trivia:
    • "Culturally" Clan Hallbjorn is closest to Isengrim and thusly is often also viewed as inferior and backward
    • Boast many berserkers in their ranks
    • A high number of werebears can be found withing Clan Hallbjorn
    • They are know to tame bears for usage in battle

 

 

Phew, that was it for now. I will update this further tomorrow *huh* :sweet:

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End of an era, isn't it?

I've typed and re-typed the starting sentence of this paragraph about three times now, so I think that I will just go full stream of consciousness at this point, coherence and logic be damned. There's a lot of things I wish I did for this game that I didn't. I wish I participated more as a player, but I was busy QMing. I wish I did better as a QM, because really, out of a catalog of 15 quests, I can only go back and read maybe five of them and say they were good. And I wish I was around for the end more, just to see it off, because this game was a thrice-a-day ritual for me for more than five years.

WBD, 159 was a grand undertaking from every possible perspective. And you handled it masterfully. I feel like the deeper analysis is better left to those on it, but as a (mostly) silent watcher... well done, truly.

And another big thank you to those I quested with, those I quested under, and those who quested under me. I hope I left you guys some memories. You left a lot for me.

And to Sandy, who started the game: I don't think you've been tanked enough. There's 159 quests on this message board that wouldn't exist without you, and that'd be a damn shame.

Y'all better PM me if you make a Heroica 2 or something. I want in. :tongue:

Edited by Endgame

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Before I trail off on what'll like be a stream of conscious, I want to say thank you to everyone who participated in the game in whatever capacity. Heroica wouldn't of been the same without you, at all. Whether you played a knight, a wizard, a thief, or a cleric, this game, and this community, welcomed you with open arms, and what this group did in seven years some groups could only dream of. I love the setting of Heroica, warts and all, and it was built by this great community. Thank you everyone.

My thoughts on the finale have been covered by just about everyone already, but I'll add that I thoroughly enjoyed it. The idea of bringing back the Founders for one final go was a really clever idea and I'm glad we got to have one last quest in Eubric, which probably is up there with Waterdeep as one of my favourite RPG cities. It almost felt like a love letter to the city in a lot of ways, and I'm glad we got to cap this game off here.

I'm going to go over a complete post-mortem on the stuff I did and didn't enjoy with the game when I get a chance, as well as my thoughts on Karie and Annienal, since I'm not 100% done telling Annienal's story. :classic: I think there's a bit of unfinished story I wish to tell with her and I may do something to tell it, just not sure what yet.

On November 18, 2018 at 11:48 PM, KotZ said:

Karie Alderflask-Cour/Annie (Kintober) - I mainly DM'd Annie, and while I wish she had a more important role in #159, at least saying hi or something, I'm glad you played her, and she was cer

It seems like you cut off here, but I'll add my thoughts on why I chose not to have Annienal participate in 159, and it mainly came down to not wanting to run two characters at the same time. I think the only PC left that Annie was really close to was Vindsval, and I came up with a logical reason why Annienal wouldn't go on 159: to find Warlen and see through her journey to become a dragon. It's not that I disliked Annie as a character, far from it. She grew on me a lot, and I wound up finding Annienal's voice as I played her more. Studious, well mannered, soft spoken, but loyal to a fault. Some of my favourite moments with her involved playing off of Bobby and correcting spelling mistakes in character. :laugh: Part of my goal with Annienal was to get her to Winged Warrior and inevitably retire her and use her as an NPC dragon to show up and wreck things when a QM needed something of that caliber. Even in a draconic state I imagine she'd be more into hoarding books than shiny objects, although shiny object would still be used as a bed. She's a dragon, she's going to relish doing dragon-related things. :tongue:

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On 11/18/2018 at 4:39 PM, Waterbrick Down said:

Atramor Gibbin (CallMePie) - From the moment this game started you have never been afraid to have Atramor embrace the rogue with a heart of gold trope. You never really strayed from that mold, but I don't think any of us would have ever wanted you to. You really showed how the trope can be played without allowing it to become stale or predictable. Like K-Nut, I'm really happy you were around for the finale and as I mentioned in a previous post I can't express how fitting it was for Atramor to be the last one to leave the Hall at the beginning of Quest 159. In quest you pulled off your leadership roll swimmingly and I don't think anyone would disagree that no one was more deserving of the position of overall party leader and Atramor's eventual veteranship. Like Althior, Atramor's relationship with McCaffery was amazing and really highlighted how to elaborate on someones background to other players without having Atramor ramble on to the other characters. I really wished we could have gotten a little more closure around McCaffery's story, but I think leaving some of the mystery helps maintain some of the coolness of the arrangement. Mechanically I think Atramor may have played the most interesting advanced classes. Between Witch, Regulator, Decamon Drafter, and Rogue Thief, Atramor's loadout made him a significant threat to any enemy and always a challenge to balance for. At somepoint I think I gave up trying to purposefully create enemies to take him out and simply let him do his thing. :laugh: Watching him play the first expert class I created was always a joy and it's cool to see how certain mechanics you invent in theory get applied by someone else. As one of the oldest players in the game, I got to not only host you, but be hosted by you, and play along side you in so many quests that it's hard to boil them all down into a single sentiment, but I've got to say, over the years you have been one of my favorite players to have in this game. Your insights into mechanics, storytelling, RPing, and your attitude with which you shared those is something that kept me coming back to this game again and again. It's been absolute thrill playing with you!

Thanks a ton. :blush:

I really can't think of any other GM that could've accomplished what you did with 159. You wrapped up the entire game to everyone's satisfaction in one giant finale that did a great job of rolling together plot lines from all over Eubric, while somehow also managing to keep every player engaged with the story and action in the process. I was consistently impressed with the variety of puzzles, battles, and situations that unfolded, and nothing ever really felt trivial in a thrilling race to save Eubric. I knew from Quest 11 you were one of my favorite GMs, and finishing out the whole damn game is such an impressive manner proves why. :thumbup:

I can't stress how crazy it is that this whole thing got concluded. 7 years of world building and character development. I never imagined it'd go that long or that someone would be able to step up and actually tie it all together. It's been a hell of a journey, and I am extremely happy to have been part of it. I'm afraid I can't put it as eloquently as WBD did, but Heroica too has had a pretty significant impact on my life; tabletop RPGs continue to be my favorite hobby, and it all started here. 

Edited by CMP

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The Dyric Rone Discussion

So, I didn't intend this to be a literal essay, but I have a lot to say and wound up writing a lot. I'll truncate it as best as I can. This is basically going to be the definitive break-down of Dyric Rone, particularly in relation to #159 but also as a whole. 

Dyric Rone. In all honestly, finally saying goodbye is truly bittersweet. Dyric's been a big piece of me ever since I joined Heroica back in 2011 during high school. I like to believe the journey Dyric's been on has in some way been a reflection I've been on, both as a person, and a writer. Dyric's risen from a cocky but broken, hurting kid, to the Assassin of the Light, to a bonafide Hero and now a Veteran of Heroica. He started as a headstrong young rogue who eventually found a passion in diplomacy and negotiation, despite somehow never finding himself in a class that would make the best use of such skills. He’s gone from a guy who could barely keep his feet under him in battle to an absolute monster with his crossbow. Trying to find a way now to tie all that up was daunting. I know I’ve bounced around the idea of a heroic death for Dyric ever since #53, but the time never felt right. Dyric always had more, new avenues to grow in. Veteranship felt like a pretty natural step, and I'm glad he got there.

That said, the initial concept for Dyric in #159 isn't quite what wound up coming through. Initially, I felt I needed to ask where Dyric had been. I wanted something dynamic and different, and coming off his recent developments, it seemed natural for him to have stepped out of Heroica at some point (likely after the failure of the Guts election) and playing Robin Hood in the streets. Between a loss of hope in Heroica as a system and the arrival of the Founders, judging Heroica just as he believed they would, Dyric found himself in probably an all-time low. Dyric's usually a pretty diplomatic guy, so being able to play him as a little hot with the Veterans and some other characters while still feeling in-character was cool. Still, I quickly remembered why I try to avoid playing brooding characters, which is that they're exhausting. :laugh: 

So, with that in mind, I carved out my general direction for Dyric. That is, I decided I wanted to get Dyric back on his high horse, and in the end, I wanted this quest to be the 'most Dyric' Dyric had been. I wanted to have some genuine fun with him. So, I played him off a wide range of people in a wide range of ways, had some good humour with him, and also was finally able to let him use the Assassin class to its fullest measure. Like WBD said, Dyric has stuck Assassin for a long time, mostly because he just works as the steely, snarky bowman calling targets from the back. But I've always felt like there was reach potential in the Assassin class that had never quite been fulfilled, and I set my mind on breaking it to the best of my ability. I think we finally got there with this quest.

A big asset in breaking Dyric's class was Bellanotte, and I loved their little side-arc together. She's been pretty unmentioned so far in the reflections, but I loved the way Dyric was able to encourage her and how that reflected Dyric's own character as someone who just essentially sees good in people. I never felt super comfortable just leaving her as window dressing, and so I made sure Dyric kept involving her, and it wound up working out in a cool way. Tied to that was Dyric's side-quest with the town watch and paladin soldiers. That whole exchange is peak Dyric democracy, and so I tried to double-down by alluding to as many of his quests as I could. You really get the sense of the growth and history behind this guy now. And then, the four kids being on the chopping block gives him a great motivation for the endgame, especially paired with his fascination with the Miracleworker. More than that, his dead-set motivation also gave him a cool license to be wrong. Dyric's done picking middle roads at this poitn and chooses a side; and as Throlar justifiably calls it, that might be the wrong move. But it wouldn't be true to Dyric's character to do anything else, and that was a lot of fun.

This is already getting long, but there was one more major thread I wanted to address, and it really sums up his entire path. I mentioned a few times the lower stakes I felt through my part of the quest, and I think that gave Dyric a chance to be the funniest he’s possibly ever been. I didn’t really think anything of it initially, but in looking through his full growth, I think it’s perfect. Quest 19 Dyric is a cocky, over-confident, hurt kid who ran his mouth off and ran into fights. Encounters with Wren and genuine warfare broke him, and despite all the bravado of being the Assassin of the Light, I think his confidence was genuinely shattered for a while. I think that really comes out in his interactions with Thothwick in #53, and his self-doubt in #65. His damaged connection to Karie in #84 stung, and coming to blows with his countrymen and almost with fellow heroes in Baltarok clearly shook him. I don’t think any of this really stands out in isolation, but reflecting on his broader arc, it seems a pretty clear theme. He’s definitely grown in a lot of areas in that time, especially as a negotiator, but I don’t think that early confidence has quite come back in full until he finally sees Eubric starting to heal in #159. And while a lot of his best humour came from my mistakes, I think they were pretty successfully spun into Dyric’s bravado falling on his face in a sort of Thor-in-Ragnarok sort of fashion. And it works. In #19 his confidence was him overcompensating for whatever hurt he was going through, but in #159 his confidence is hard-won and earned, and he just seems sure of himself for once. And while he blunders, that never keeps him down. There are definitely many serious Dyric moments through this quest that I’m quite proud of, but I think what I’m fondest of is bringing Dyric full circle, and letting his optimism finally pay off. He can sit under his own vine and fig tree now because he’s fought to get there.

And then, of course, buying a place for himself. I think you for the comments you’ve already given regarding his epilogue, the quiet simplicity of it really does just feel right. I don’t think I need to expand on that anymore than is there; after years of searching and years of fighting, Dyric’s finally found his home.

Man. That’s the end of Dyric Rone. Again, it’s hard to say goodbye to a character who’s been alive for so long, but I can’t think of a better place to let go of the snarky, idealistic, burdened assassin who could talk his way out anything and refused to stay down. I want to give thanks to Sandy, of course, for building the sandbox for this amazing world and letting us play in it, and especially letting me create my own little corner in Duplovia. Maybe one day I’ll be able to go back and explore it in full. (By the way, that city build in Dyric’s epilogue was originally the set for Delfrin in the third quest that wasn’t to be. Most of the background character were going to be NPCs at one point or another!) I also want to give huge thanks to WBD, for orchestrating this powerful finale, to Zepher letting me into an ungodly number of quests and constantly challenging me both as a player and a writer (seriously, your storytelling is like crack, tell me you’re still working on a story of some kind. And post your damn ending synopsis :laugh:), to Flipz for giving me solid build advice through the years and being a solid friend to me and Dyric, and to all the other players who I’ve been able to bounce Dyric off of through the years. It’s been an incredible ride, and one I don’t think I’ll forget. Thank you.

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