Flipz

"Strange. I wonder why they became such cowards? Did the Pogs kill one of their important leaders?" Arthur hands the man his arm shield and 91 Gold, enough to upgrade the shield to SP:7. "I'd appreciate some work done on this--I know it's getting late, but I'm willing to wait--I'll even help if you'd like," he says Diplomatically.

Exactly. In Q70, we saw the Syndicate's records of helping the poor, and the members explained how they were doing good--and note that those records weren't intended for Heroes' eyes, so that made the claims more credible. We also saw them fighting the Wolfgang thugs and busting their drug-runners--the Syndicate seems to be doing a better job of helping the poor than the Wolfgang at this point. Right. "Show, don't tell," as it were. That disappearance cost him his life, you know...it was Arthur's exact point: "You're trying to help Eubric? Where were you when [Quest 53] happened? You liar." If he'd shown up on 53, it probably would have been enough for Arthur to side with the Wolfgang--getting kicked out of the Watch, of course, but still. Of course, then we wouldn't have learned that Violetta was Karie's sister, and we wouldn't have gotten Quest 70, so... I agree with this. Look at Quest 70, after all. Exactly. Collateral is collateral. Quest 44, the riot. Even if the Heroes hadn't been there, innocent civilians would have been killed by the Bonapartes, in justified self-defense--the Bonapartes have every right to try to save their own skin if someone's trying to murder them. Funny--no one took that opinion of Arthur when he was trying to bring chaos into the world so he could use its power to save the city. It's basic ethics: "Act in such a way that you treat humanity, whether in your own person or in that of another, always at the same time as an end and never merely as a means." --Immanuel Kant, Groundwork of the Metaphysic of Morals Ulric violates that. Big time.

Son of a-- I'm going to miss the Shadeaux reputation, aren't I?

The whole situation of "rebels are scum" has had a major influence on Arthur as well. His failure to redeem/join Wren seems to be another factor in that trend on a larger scale; if Wren had won, I have no doubt that there would be more "rebel"-type groups taking their cues from her, and Arthur himself would have sided with the Wolfgang had the events of Quest 53 not convinced him that "Chaos is evil!!1!" and that the Hero's rightful place is in service to "the man". Of course, that's eating away at him, because deep down he knows that he's gone too far in the other direction; he has a strong will and strong opinions, and that makes him inherently dangerous to any established authority--and he knows it. He might do well as a leader of an organization, but a mere footman? He's very obviously not cut out for that. ----------------------- Unrelated question: where is Nova Tertia in relation to Xu? What about to Dastan? I have an awesome idea that could go either way, depending on which nation (or potentially, both nations, if it's midway between the two) would have an interest in it.

So the Hinckwells (crownies, one of the core factions) and the Lion Knights (lions, see Quests 4, 17, and 31), who have been known to work together in the past. For ease of reference, let me make a list of existing LEGO factions whose symbols have been co-opted by in-game factions: *Hinckwells (blue crownies), rivals to the Shadeaux *Lion Knights (modern red-and-white lion knights) *Shadeaux (Fright Knights), rivals to the Hinckwells *Empire of Dastan (Dragon Knights, other forms of dragon imagery) *Bonapartes (black falcons, though rarely used) *Wolfgang (Wolfpack) *Paladin Order of Ennoc (Jayko's minifig-scale shield) These are just the ones off the top of my head, I'm sure there are more that I'm forgetting--and remember, these are mainly just jumping-off points; there have been plenty of characters from these factions that don't wear their faction's livery.

"Your services are well-priced. I will be back soon when I have more time to calculate my current back-room deals and know what I can afford spare." "Any idea why the elves are failing to defend you? And is there anyone else in R'kliff who'd be willing to pick up the slack?"

This. There's only one item so far from Q75 that I'd want, as compared to the "I want EVERYTHING" stuff from Q50. I just know that the Pongcanis king will drop hundreds of thousands of Gold, and Level-up mushrooms, Grating Stones, and Zoot's Cookies galore. Considering that our poor Level 1 character has been playing actively for a month and is still only Level 2.

I had that reaction when I realized I was turning down a unique Scroll in Quest 77. I'm not sure whether I should be delighted or appalled. (Incidentally, when I said "Sandy used Mind Reader", I meant that one of those items is a perfect fit both thematically AND mechanically for an Expert Class I have in the works--and I think the risk-takers we have in Heroica will really enjoy said class. )

Sandy used Mind Reader! It's super effective!

Arthur opens his mouth for a greeting, but pauses, mouth open. "Greetings, sir, I...erm...I'm sorry, do I know you? I feel like we've met somewhere before." Bric'bay Writeboard He shakes his head to clear it, then resumes his earlier speech. "Anyway, I'd like to browse your wares, and I'd also like to ask your opinion on the state of things in R'kliff. What's wrong, what could be done better, that sort of thing."

Or like the Spider Leg dropped in Quest 44 that I have, yes?

"I see. Thank you for your honesty. Few people respect me with such candor these days. I truly appreciate it." The strength of his respect rings forth through his tone as clearly as the bells of the Cathedral of Commerce on a still day. "On that note, I must be off...but there is a strong chance I will return. I hope to see you again, and soon." With this final exchange, Arthur leaves the Magic Shop and heads for the blacksmith.

Ah, good one, I didn't even recognize it. I should re-read those as well--just finished reading the first and third Thrawn Trilogy books (I sadly do not own the second ). "...I hold much admiration for you, Lady Dala. And no small measure of envy. 'Tis a shame that the choices made early in life--even in childhood--may conspire to conscript one permanently into larger events. I hope that the people of this town--and, for that matter, all people in general--may have more freedom in their own choices." Arthur's voice is heavy with the twin burdens of sadness and shame. Arthur feels a twinge of surprise at how easily he was trusting this witch with information on his own life, but he pushes his distrust--irrelevant at this point--away. "So, of the Rebellion, the Brobric, and the Mopags, who would bring such peace and freedom to the others of this town?" He pauses, considering. "And is there anyone in R'kliff you know of who would be well-qualified to rule, but who would feel a healthy amount of reluctance to perform such a task?"

I'd say "no"--that's why Health Cores exist. Ditto, happy birthday, Pandora! (Will today be Nyx's birthday as well, or...?)

OOC: Apologies for the OOC only post, but I'm having trouble parsing this sentence. Does she approve of Arthur asking, or disapprove? Translation please?

"Hmm...speaking of which, what did bring you to set up shop here? If that's not too personal a question," he diplomatically amends hastily.

OOC: What exactly would that Scroll do if imbued into an artifact? "Tell me more of this Dread Pirate Indiacca. Why has he chosen this place at this time? And has he any relation to a Pongcanis warrior by the name of Vonnetate?" "And what of you? Were it your decision, who would you put in charge of R'kliff?"

Time for some impressions from someone who was actually at the panel. The Good Dinosaur: Eh...it's clear the people working on it have put a lot of love into it, but it's not looking that great, unfortunately. Zootopia looks like it's going to hit a lot of the same notes (as far as the world itself goes) in a more interesting way, and I'm finding the main characters more annoying than endearing, surprisingly. Monsters Inc. Party Central: Pure Awesome. This is more along the lines of what we wanted out of Monsters University--it's a shame we had to wait for the short films phase to get it. This will likely be the only reason I'll buy The Good Dinosaur on Blu-ray, just so I have this short. Finding Dory: There was not much info for this one, unfortunately. I'm pleased with the casting for Dory's parents, though--a perfect fit. After all, who else could successfully play Ellen DeGeneres' parents? Planes Fire and Rescue: Eh. I was disappointed by the announcement--considering it was made on the same day that the movie opened, they should have been more careful discussing the plot. I'm pretty sure the ending for Planes was just casually spoiled for anyone sitting in on the panel--and unless you were at a midnight screening of Planes and then went straight to the line for the panel, there is no way anyone in that arena could have seen the first film before having it spoiled for them. As for the movie itself, most of the characters seem likeable enough (we got a short clip from the film, with a cool mix of finished animation and various in-progress shots--I honestly found the switches between complete and incomplete more interesting than the scene itself), but it didn't really grab me. But while we're on the subject of grabbing me... Frozen: Oh. My. God. YES. I knew next to nothing about Frozen prior to the panel, and it is now number one on my "Must See" list for this year. I actually have a sneaking suspicion that Frozen is actually going to be an implied sequel to Tangled--Anna and Elsa share a number of physical similarities to Flynn and Rapunzel that go beyond the general similarity of art style, including (most importantly) the golden hair--Elsa, the sister with magical powers, has golden hair, while her sister Anna has hair much closer to Flynn's and (more potentially spoilery stuff ahead) Additionally, one of the clips we saw featured a horse with striking similarities to Maximus, both in appearance and in behavior. I'm almost certain that if Frozen isn't a sequel to Tangled, then at least the two take place within the same universe. Oh, did I mention getting to hear Idina Menzel live was awesome? Because it was. "Let It Go" is an amazing song, and I'm hungry for more. Get A Horse: Must be seen to be believed. The amount of work that went into this project is truly awe-inspiring. The animators who worked on restoring the piece spoke of having to "unlearn what they had learned about animation over the years" in order to match the style of the animation they already had--it was fascinating to hear them talk about how much animation has changed since those early days. Definitely worth a look--especially since it's running before Frozen. The Tinkerbell movies: Gah, why am I consistently underestimating these? Having seen the first two, and now some previews for the latest two (yes, I know, I'm missing some--didn't you hear me say I keep underestimating them?), I am forcibly impressed. They're underappreciated, and are really quite good. Also, we managed to convince Tom Hiddleston to sing "The Bare Necessities", so I'm pleased about that as well. Big Hero 6: I'm suspending judgment until later, when we have more info. I do have to say that I love the concept of "San Fransokyo", though--this needs to become a real thing. Make it happen, San Francisco/Tokyo! Zootopia: Now this one seems interesting. I was a big fan of the Disney animated Robin Hood when I was little, and there's something about this project that seems to evoke a similar feeling. I can see it crashing and burning if it goes off-course, but if it keeps to the concepts that were presented at the Expo, it'll be fantastic. Inside Out: Other than being upset that the title was changed (seriously, the old title was MUCH better), I'm really excited about this one. We got a fully-voiced storyboard sequence from the movie, and it is perfect. #2 on my "Most Excited about" list, after Frozen. Also, I think John Lasseter was stalking me. Seriously, after the Broadway panel on Friday night, he walked right past me on his way out, and then at the Alan Menken and Richard Sherman musical presentation he walked past me on his way to his seat--both times just feet away. Fun times, fun times.

Fair warning: you'll probably want to take pics of the other shops as well.

Witch? Arthur thinks worriedly to himself. Well, best not to judge prematurely... "Greetings. My name is Regulus, and, as you have said, a Mystic Knight. I was hoping to browse through your wares, as well as to ask you about the state of R'kliff. Who the important people in town are, what they want, the problems the city faces, that sort of thing."

OOC: Back from D23, but really, really wiped. Will likely be struggling to catch up tomorrow and Tuesday. "Why don't we check the magic shop?" Arthur offers, leading the group that direction.

"Actually, I'm going to move ahead on my own, I'll meet you guys there. You know, reinforce the 'hired by you but independent' thing. May be a waste of time, but you never know." Arthur shrugs, then heads to the Marketplace. OOC: I'll be at the D23 Expo all weekend, which means no activity from me during that time. I'm fine visiting the marketplace without pics, I'd just like to get a little more done before tomorrow (first day of the expo).

"All right, then, let's try the Marketplace. The merchants might have a better perspective as to what's good for the town--they're the ones we need to convince to stay if R'kliff is to prosper, after all."

Why not make the Damage roll of the thrall reduce enthrallment time by 1 Round, and Special Damage snap the enthrallment entirely, a la Revert for the Beast Warrior?

"Question, Lady Arbour: what exactly are we going to say to the Elves even if we manage to gain an audience with them? From what my new friend back at the bar told me, I could easily lambast them for their failure to properly lead the city as a way to inspire them to do better...but that sort of thing won't help us get inside, and I should probably try to demonstrate my expertise first so that my words will be truly credible." A stray thought, unusually reminiscent of older days, floats through his consciousness, but Arthur ruthlessly clamps down on it. No. I would definitely not be the right choice...would I? "And meanwhile, all the philosophy in the world won't close that gap in the city walls. Indeed, nothing we accomplish here will do any lasting good if we do not establish some means to keep the city safe..." Arthur looks around. "Why do I get the feeling I'm missing something incredibly obvious?" he asks the world at large. "We should make a list of the city's troubles so we know we won't miss anything. Speak up if there's anything to add--I wasn't with the rest of you in the bar, so I didn't hear anything that was said." Arthur produces some parchment and pens, and pulls over a crate on which to write as he sits down beneath the tree. The Problems of R'kliff: *Pongcanis raids *City defenses are shot *The Pogs apparently have a hidden way inside the city. *No one faction is in charge. Arthur pulls out a small journal, not paying attention to which one it was, and begins to pen down his own impressions. Feel free to let your characters read over Arthur's shoulder. Observations: This city is in an awful state--the Pogs are raiding the town, murdering and pillaging at will, and no one can stop them. Saunterton said they likely have a contact inside the city--we need to figure that out, and put a stop to it. Oh, geez--the dwarf started a barfight, of all things. Thank heavens I've kept myself distanced from the Heroes--I don't know if anyone in town would trust me if I'd gotten roped into the fight. Note to self: ask the Heroes what they each learned in the bar. We're going to need all the info we can get if we're to accomplish anything of note. There are too many blank spaces in our knowledge of the situation--we don't know what anyone wants, and until we know that, we can't figure out who the city should go to. Something weird is afoot here--I can feel it--but we just don't have enough information. Hell, I don't even know where to go next. This whole thing is so confusing... People: I like Sergeant Saunterton. He shares my name. Seemed pretty reasonable to me--good point of contact for the Mopags. We'll likely have his support if we have to ask the Mopags for help. Commander Pinnock seems stern and strict, but otherwise fully devoted to his Duty. An admirable trait...or is it? Do I really see myself being like him, advancing through the ranks of the Watch over the years until Duty is all I know? ...I should keep an eye on him, see what his life is like. A-Turburtus--a mercenary who hires himself out to passing merchants seeking protection. Quiet, but keen. He says the Elves think they control the town, even though they don't, and that they rely too much on their supposed infallibility. From what I know of this lot, that's fairly accurate. Definitely want to chat with him sometime when the Dwarf is not tearing someone to shreds in the same room. Factions: The Mopags seem to be the most militarily-minded folks we've met so far. They hate the Pogs, at least. Could be good muscle to defend the town, if they're willing to work with or for one of the other factions. The Pogs care only about rampaging and killing--they don't want to rule R'kliff, they want to rob it of everything of value and then raze it to the ground. This is one faction we'll need to eliminate if the city is to have any hope of survival--and I have to admit, getting vengeance for Triad will be well worth it. The mercenary in the bar said that the Mopags are indifferent to what's going on in the city. That indicates to me that as soon as the Pogs are dealt with, they'll happily go home. We may need to look at other options for a defensive force... Keveak's elves are all holed up in their keep. We won't get much out of them unless we can convince them we're here to help them--and I'm not certain whether or not we are.