Flipz

"Mad I may be, but I have my principles, and I try to stick to them...even when those principles come into conflict. Surely you can understand that? Surely you've stood in a similar position to mine at some point in your life?" "The city is already saved; it was so when Cronk ended the being of Chaos. Wren is ascended now, she has nothing to gain from destroying Eubric. Killing her, while the barrier between this realm and the Void is so weak, serves nothing but to risk releasing Zoot. And that would destroy all. I have made no secret of my beliefs, of my goals. Since the beginning of this Quest I have constantly stated: My goal is to protect this city and the people I love. Fighting Wren, now that she is Ascended, runs contrary to that cause."

Take A Third Option. Split command of the fleet between the two, with Hestia (the closest the family has to a neutral party) controlling the port itself and other land-side operations in Eubric. Both make a solemn vow never to interfere in each others' affairs. This way, neither brother has to see each other ever again, but there is no bloodshed, and Eubric improves under the watchful care of Hestia. Also, leave it to Sandy to send you three on a Quest that's actually about "finding Nemo."

I have a very important thought about this playstyle, but it's rather late here and I'm very tired; thus, I'm having trouble thinking of the proper way to explain my...compliment? Observation? Critique? Critservament? insight (that was the word I was looking for!)...in a way that would not be totally confusing and/or potentially unintentionally insulting to those who don't follow the same practice. I'll try again in the morning. Don't let me forget, it's a powerful insight, and I'd really love to see how it affects future Quests!

Yes, I'm sure if people keep yelling at Arthur we can outstrip 48 in a day or two. I plan to, they will have a LOT to discuss at that time.

"I signed up to protect my city and the people I care about. I have not changed in my goal, I have been transparent about what I believe from the very beginning. I may not have been certain the entire way whether Wren is a blessing or a curse for this city, but I have weighed my options, and made the choice I feel is best. We all shape the world the way we think is best." Arthur was at a loss for words. "I...thank you Skrall. Rest assured, I will continue with caution all the way. I do not wish to bring harm to the innocent, neither by callousness nor by carelessness. If you need my healing, you need only ask."

Just in case that's not hyperbole, I'm talking about the Court of Demons battle in Q53, not the Drakencourt battle.

NOTE: I'm editing Arthur's last action, it was unnecessarily rude, even if it was in-character. Sorry, Scorpiox! He did, after the Court battle. No one listened.

See, and that's where everyone is TOTALLY WRONG. Man, I can't wait for Zeph to show you guys that PM side-quest... ZOOT wants to destroy everything. Not Wren. Zoot. The two are SEPARATE entities. Seriously. Wren's harped on it enough, it's almost as bad as me constantly calling Zane a Chaos-user. OK, rant over.

Arthur calmly wipes the saliva off his face, but does not retaliate. "Wren is not Zoot. She does not want to destroy anything. That alone makes her better for this world than Zoot will ever be. I do not expect you to understand, you are a man of passion and purpose. To see Wren as anything other than a menace would make you someone other than who you are. I am saddened, however, that you would attack a noncombatant just for disagreeing with you." "Let me put it more simply. Out of loyalty to you Heroes, I will not attack you. Out of loyalty to Wren, I will not attack her. Does that make my position clear for everyone?" "Thank you for understanding, brother."

See above. Though I AM calling that by fighting Wren, we're stupidly releasing what control she has over Zoot, meaning we'll have to fight a Splinter of him, too. Just to rub it in that you can't win against a Zepher villain Wren's not completely evil.

I'm not; Arthur could really use the backup... Ah, I see. The thing is, I'm an artist; my job, no matter which field(s) of art I ultimately decide to work with, is to put those uncomfortable truths in front of people, because everyone needs to wrestle with them for themselves. It's the ultimate point--and struggle--of art. Or, to put it another way, I take things way too f*cking seriously because it's my mission in life, and I need to learn to not be surprised when people don't like it.

^^This. I'm honestly uncomprehending of having prejudice (even IRL), so I honestly don't understand why people can't GET this concept, in Heroica or in the real world. Can someone enlighten me? Well, he IS healing people who treat him with respect...and Free Hits are by no means a problem...and the party is already mega OP for everything EXCEPT Wren...

Zepher knows my character worships Chaos and intended to worship Wren if she succeeded, we had an in-character chat about it. Hell, Arthur mentioned several times that he was only in the fight as long as Eubric was directly threatened by the summoning ritual, and now that Wren is Ascended, he has no reason to oppose her. Did people actually think that Arthur's speeches were a bluff? At least Arthur didn't decide to just start attacking party members...he SAID he was not going to interfere... On a serious note, is Arthur seriously that unsympathetic? I'd think people might understand him, even if they didn't agree with him. Or have I completely misunderstood the whole point of the Wren Saga: that everything is Gray, good people do bad things and bad people good ones, and even villains have traits that should be admired.

Why not just drop the elemental gems themselves, then?

...and here it comes. Before anyone starts yelling at Arthur, be glad he's not attacking you, or Fleeing completely. There's no mechanical reason for him to stick around through this fight, he's sticking around for Alexis and Dyric. Feel free to try to get Arthur to do something--I'm sure he can be convinced to do SOMETHING if people press the right points...just know that deliberately pissing him off is counter-productive.

"My Lady." Arthur bows serenely. "This is where I leave you, Heroes. My Goddess' ascention is complete. No more will her actions threaten the city or the people I love. It is finished." "I will remain until those I love are safe--or at least, the ones I love who may still be saved. I mean no disrespect to you, Wren Hunters, I love you dearly, but I will not insult your beliefs by suggesting you betray them in flight. I neither blame you, nor judge you; here we simply part ways, I hope as friends. I hope with all of my heart that you understand. The same holds for you, Skrall, Hoke, Haldor. To those who hate me, I do not expect you to change your ways; just know that I do not hate you, and neither do I wish you to meet your demise. I will neither hinder you, nor bother you further. May you find your own way." "No, I speak to those dearest to me: my brother, and my love. Dyric. Alexis. You may both Flee. I encourage you to do so. I will cover your escape. If not, I will remain until you decide to leave, however long that takes. I will devote all of my effort to protect you both from harm. But do not ask me to raise my weapon against the Goddess I now serve. I do not agree with all she did to get here, but now that She has risen, She shall be a force for good. Even if you do not agree with me, I beg of you, please respect my beliefs enough not to interfere with my decision." Arthur's heart rent with the weight of his decision. His uncertainty was etched upon his face--was he really making the right choice here? The die was cast long ago. I don't have all the answers. But I must trust my own path. I want Chaos, and I want it to be a force for good. I must reach out and take it. And I must not interfere with the others as they follow their paths. Arthur stands stoicly in the Back Row, using his Healing Staff on Dyric or Alexis (whoever is in most danger of being KO'd) and holding his Staff of the Cultist Battlemage in front of him (doing nothing) if neither is in danger of being KO'd. I'm going to say that Arthur's thoughts are transparent enough that most of you should be able to guess what he's thinking, if you want to try to turn him. At the very least, Vipera and Wren should hear them.

Finding it SO hard not to quote Fallen London here, since I know nobody will get it. Go join so I can start making in-jokes! "I've no qualms with eliminating her. She can be redeemed...but she won't be, unless she does it through death. I do have qualms about cutting off her head and mounting it on a wall, though." "Then you are equals with Wren, as we all are. No more, no less. If we're going to stop talking, then stop and think about what that means for a moment, hm?"

Sorry, Pie, I know that was a cheap shot, but...in-character, in-character. (I know you know the distinction, but that was mean enough I feel I should make note of it for all the new players and outside observers. ) At least now you know what playing with Atramor was like for everyone else.

While I DO like the idea of permanent upgrades, I'd really, REALLY like to see some effect-based Venoms popping up more often. Just sayin'.

"Atramor, are we talking about Wren...or you?"

I so want Atramor to roll Special Mirror against Wren now, just so Atramor can crack a remark about Wren's latest comment. Incidentally, Zeph, thanks for being willing to roleplay even during battle. You're one of the QMs who's most dedicated to roleplaying their NPCs, and I really appreciate that. It makes it all the more difficult when we lose them.

"Oh, she felt it, I defy anyone who was with me in that Valley to deny that; she simply didn't let it stop her. She let her mission carry her past her emotions...like we have with every ally we have left behind. We are the same, only different. Wren is a mirror of our future, if we are not mindful of our present." And that is a mistake I cannot--will not--make. Arthur looks to Alexis for a moment before returning to the subject of Wren. "I'll also say this: Wren has fed the Master of Regret just as much as any of us, and more than some. Regret does not make one righteous...but it does make them redeemable. Like it or not, there is redeeming value to her villainy, just as there is in all of our mistakes. Is it likely she will redeem herself? Not in most eyes, not even through a noble death. But it is possible." "Lady Wren, have you any input to this discussion?"

I like it, but it makes me think of Toothless (from the How to Train Your Dragon film) wearing a Jedi robe.

Aw, come on, let Pie get the kill in, it's not like he's got much of a chance to do it otherwise... Oh, and @WBD, I'm not arguing in-character because my character made a promise to shut up about his beliefs. And he doesn't like Atramor. Actually, if it comes to it, I don't like Atramor, but I do like Pie, so... Arthur rolls his eyes. "Really, Dyric? Vonnetate was a monster, his actions earned him his fate. Wren is ruthless, but not unfeeling--a Hero, just fallen. What if it was my head you were talking about?" Arthur, remembering his promise, decides to stop there, lest Nyx or one of the Others actually start talking about taking his head as a trophy.

Interesting... I'm not 100% happy with the eyes or the mouth, but the rest of it turned out surprisingly well!