Flipz

Yeah, noticed that when you ninja'd me with the round. Previous post edited.

OOC: For future reference, the Scroll action has to border the ordinary action. Also, I think our Paragon (sorry, Doc, I just can't spell his name ) should go at the end of the Order, just to make sure we don't shoot ourselves in the foot again. "Again!" Eleryian also repeats.

"Lady Nerwen, if you put Lord Boomingham first in the Order and myself second, we could counter both of the swordsmen (though if we go with that plan, I'd appreciate if you could make the Spearman Fragile instead of the Crossbowman). To that end, Master Elerylian, you and your fellow compatriot ought to strike the Spearman from the Back Row--though if Lady Nerwen chooses not to put me first or second in the order, you should instead take Swordsman B from the Back Row." "For Triad!" he roars.

OOC: Arthur slept in the Inn, so I have no idea why his Health still hasn't regenerated. "I've got the crossbowman. If you could make him Fragile, Lady Nerwen, that would be great." Arthur casts Darkness through Sir Roderick's Sword at the Pongcanis Crossbowman from the Back Row. OOC: I actually forgot how to submit battle actions. Also, if I roll Enchantment, I'd prefer it to go to my shield, thanks.

See Quest 14, the Heroes explored it pretty well there.

Docken wins.

It's a shame the convo in 77 ended before Arthur could give his speech on Balance...had a nice quote from a great book in it. Maybe we'll get back to it at some point. I almost had a setup for myself that would have allowed me to take on Guts in the Arena, but things changed, unfortunately. Still SUPER excited for my Expert Class setups, though--Doc and Swils can attest to how completely broken it is. I vote that we all band together to rename Docken "Deadpool".

Pie, Zeph handled the Orderly-Chaotic thing by listing it like an immunity after the class name (so Level 30 Regulator *Orderly* ) in Q53. Trying...not...to die...from Docken's roleplaying.

Arthur hears the scattering of the humans' feet and knows the time for diplomacy is over. "With me," he says to the Elves and the blue-clad Knight. He turns the corner just in time to hear Boomingham's remark. "The Paladin is right. I'll give you one simple chance to change." The Mystic Knight's face contorts with rage and disgust, a black pit of despair and hatred that would frighten any mortal being. "Run." Without waiting for an answer, he unsheaths Ammit and leads the charge into battle.

Piro was trying to use his Venom to poison his staff the way modern Heroes do it, instead of just Venom-ing someone directly the way the old Heroes do. :P So, he didn't spell phenomenally phenomenally?

"Blast! They could be conspirators...or some could be innocents. Should we wait for the Pogs to move off and then capture the others?"

Yes. And there are a lot of people like him--who just happen to be a little more subtle about it.

"I did indeed see the arboretum. And in a hundred years, despite all its wonders, there is exactly one thing it will still be: lonely." "A century alone in a gilded cage is still just that: a century alone in a cage. It is hard enough to be confined with the same people for a few months--no matter how much you care for them--let alone years, decades, or longer. I cannot imagine spending a hundred years with the same few folk, even the fair folk, with no respite. Could you, Lady Nerwen, bear that long, with naught but those same few dozen faces for company?" "Know this, Nerwen: there is one thing mortal men fear above all else, even death: loneliness. Women can withstand it both better and longer, but males in particular are susceptible to it. I can only truly speak on behalf of the humans, but from what I've seen, it is a shared fear, common to all living things--even elves. Functionally, all would be well if the elves kept to their fortress of solitude and the humans kept away, but in time the hearts of the elves would wither and die. The races of this world were never meant to live apart; rather, they were meant to commingle in harmony, to revel in their differences and celebrate their cooperation. In that way, by encouraging the Brobric Elves to reach out, we are in a way saving them from themselves." "And as the races are meant to support each other by their differences, so too individuals' uniqueness ought to be celebrated. If we had not any differences, we could not show how much we care by setting them aside to unite together in one cause, nor could we indeed stand together. Were the Hall only Knights, there would be none to heal; if all Clerics, none to fight; all Barbarians, none to understand the arcane. Were we all one race, or one gender, time would inevitably bend us towards prejudice; one philosophy, and our mistakes would be universal and inevitable. I intend no offense, but the way of the lawful seems one of unification; too often I see those devoted to Order seeking to mold others to their own image, to force all to adopt a singular way of mind. I cannot condone those who seek to take away others' freedom--for without the freedom to stand up in the first place, how could anyone stand together? If even one person is not free, then in truth we are all in chains. All must be treated fairly." "I know not if I can inspire others to follow me, but still I struggle on, trying to do what good I can, in the hopes that it will make a difference. It is not an easy road, nor a liberating one, but still I gladly walk it. And I suspect--or rather, hope--that there are others in Heroica who do the same. I simply fear what happens when no one is around to do it anymore--if we ought not to follow the Shadeaux's example and prepare a way to keep our tradition of service alive." "Lord Boomingham, you speak as if in jest, but you know not what I've seen of these creatures, the toll they've taken--on Dastan, on Eubric, on me. One of my dearest friends is dead and dust--less than dust--because of what they've done. Yes, still I will offer them a second chance, but it will be in the form of a single word--and those that fail to heed that word will be taken down without further mercy. If they want to sue for peace, then they will turn against the ways of their kind and come to me; if not, they will be shown exactly as much mercy as they showed Triad. People earn their fates, of that much I am still certain." "I don't believe in the gods as solely individuals. It's far too simplistic--but for the sake of conversation, I'll often refer to or even think about them as such. Language is a funny thing--it will often fail you just as you attempt to speak of the most important things." He shrugs. "That's all I can really say about that."

Good quote about Lawful/Orderly characters: "Lawful types do have a tendency to try to make everyone else think the same way they do--or else." --Haley Starshine

"Chaos" isn't the same as "anarchy". At its core, the Chaotic alignment is about self-reliance and personal freedom. Instead of relying on Orderly institutions and governments, the Chaotic user focuses on using their free will and personal intellect to solve their problems. They despise institutions that try to control what people think and do (like all organized institutions do to some extent). Robin Hood is the best-known popular example of a non-villainous Chaotic outlook. Robin Hood espouses reliance on the individual and your own personal friends, in opposition to Prince John and the Sheriff of Nottington, who control the populace through a combination of bullying and over-taxation. Two even better examples of Chaotic Good and Lawful (Orderly) Evil characters are Elan (Chaotic good) and General Tarquin (Lawful Evil) from Order of the Stick. Arthur's plan was to release Chaos--in controllable, reasonable amounts (he underestimated Wren) so that, when the time came and Eubric faced destruction, the people would have adapted to a life of Chaos and thus been able to fend for themselves/survive anything. ...or we could just go with the simple, TL;DR form.

There you go, Pie, the long-awaited reasoning behind Arthur's siding with Chaos.

"It's more of what they haven't done, really. And while that's despicable...everyone deserves second chances. If we can just show the Elves that interaction with the transient races can be its own reward, perhaps we can start a change that their children--and the humans' great-grandchildren--will benefit from for generations to come." "I know some of us were worried about the Shadeaux wanting a safe haven for them to be able to regroup from. Frankly, I don't think it's a bad idea at all, and I think Heroica should look into doing the same. Eubric is going down in flames, Boomingham--maybe not tomorrow, maybe not even within the mortal lives of anyone living today, but it will happen. I have seen it--in the Pandemonicon, in my own visions...even the literature of the established gods--Isiris, Mercutio, even the Wizard Priests of Ennoc--speak of a coming reckoning of days, when darkness eclipses the light. There are forces at work far larger than any of us, and though we are mighty to resist them, that strength is unique to Heroica alone--we don't commonly realize it, but we are heir to and bolstered by grand, ancient magicks that grant us far more power in the great affairs than small beings like us can possibly comprehend, or handle, or deserve. We will falter. And when that happens, Eubric will fall. I don't want the end of Eubric to be the end of Heroica as well. I've seen the remote corners of the world where Heroes never walk, where there might as well be no Heroica. And I don't like it." "I used to think that I could spread the philosophy of Chaos among the people, that when that day came, they would be prepared to live in the coming Chaos. That dream is dead now. All I can do is try to delay the inevitable as long as I can, and sow the seeds of succession in hope that somehow, when the time comes, there will be one last bastion of hope, of Heroes, who might guide the people to a better life--or at least stand in the way, ere all things end utterly."

Oh, so you're willing to work with this lot, but not with me, huh? (I'm just kidding, you've already been more than generous with your permissions. Still, I'd love any input you have on what you-know-who and I have so far. )

flickr's been having problems for days, unfortunately.

Oh crap. I just realized some things about the imminent futures of two of my favorite characters. Time to burn Eubric to the ground, I think...

So the problem wasn't that there weren't enough Quests going on, it was that there were too many?

I could...go and brutally slaughter all the Pogs and Mopags by myself for the loot and xp? I want to see a Sandy-run Quest that reunites Guts and Captain Patricia, preferably involving the two of them travelling to Strivvi and delving a bit into Guts' past. (Or better yet, Scuba could write a non-Quest story that takes the two there--considering he already has the sets for Strivvi built, now would be an ideal time to work on it. )

"Exhibit A, Sleepmaster Scamander. I rest my case."

"Wai'--framer'd work jus' fine, even if 'e did visit ya. I don't see why 'e couldn' be a framer--unless ya know somethin' I don', which is plenty poss'ble." "'Nother poss'bility tha' came ta mind'd be tha' o' a Cult, but tha' don' seem righ', consid'rin' tha' tha Nephilim are technically cultists 'lready. (Tho tha' does s'pport tha 'bility ta convert--hopef'lly tha converter, if there was/is one, is among tha dead already." "Hmm...fair 'nough. Like I said, I'll try thinkin' 'gain after I've had some sleep an' can think clearly."

"Ah, 'n tha' case, 't's even more importan' tha' he not waste 'is action on me. Hmm...does it work if tha person ya convinced is dead? P'raps ya could use it on one o' tha condemned, get some good use out o' them." "A younger me'd 've 'greed wi' ya. The me o' tha present? Not so much. Time, an' life, can change a man's perspective. Can change it a lot, actually, an' faster'n ya'd ever 'magine." "...I'm suddenly glad I didn' decide ta change my action ta let 'im whisper ta me." "Obv'ously, you'd be like ta trust 'im, but what about those he hasn' spoken ta? I hadn' been considrin' tha possibility o' conversions...wha' if tha's wha tha Nephilim've been doin' tha Nigh's they di'n't kill?" "Arr...just gave meself a headache tryin' ta figure out tha' possible cand'dates. I'll try again in tha mornin'."