Chromeknight

Nerwen continues speaking, aware that the dark swirl of regret yet hovers nearby. Before you asked me to step aside, Avertine had asked me, and I had agreed, to stand beside him insofar as doing that would preserve his life. I interfered, as you put it, because he asked me to, in asking us to protect him from harm and death, a task we failed to complete. Perhaps he ought not have asked to be protected, perhaps I might have suggested he had no right to have us there. Perhaps if we had spent more that half a day with him over this week we would have seen who he was and so not defended him at the end. All these are but maybes. If you had asked me to kill him I would have or I would have told you why I chose not to. Why should killing him and protecting him not both be good and right actions. Your insistence of thinking in dualities, good and evil, strong and weak, right and wrong is perverse. It assumes you know all, that you can definitively assign everything to one or the other. Granted there are things that can be so assigned, but it is false thinking to assume that because some can, all can. It sounds that you are indeed upset we fought against you however much you protest that you are not and only want to understand. Let me spell it out again. The amulet was a tool of fear, the threat of failing the quest was a tool of fear. What overcomes fear? Either more fear or love. Alexis and Russel, because they knew you, loved you more than they feared Avertine. But they did not share that love. Having no love for you, not knowing you, nor any greater fear, I remained where my word had placed me, beside Avertine. Does it reflect badly on me that I acted out of fear not love? Perhaps. But what was I to love in this circumstance? My friends? Russel and EcksEcks and Matthias? Did I not act in love toward them, prepared even to abandon Avertine if it meant their life? What of you? Did you act from fear or love when you killed Avertine?

Addressing Chauncey Nerwen replies, I held Alexis a friend and a fellow quessir, if friends cannot express disappointment in their fellows then what good is friendship? Yes, the choice was hers, but it was not without consequence. Consequences that could have been avoided, not if she chose differently, but if she communicated her choice well and in a timely manner. Why did we do what we did? I did what I thought best, having no information from Alexis that you were trustworthy or faithful to your word. As it was I gave my word that I would protect Avertine until the end of the seventh day. My word was sealed by oath and bound by this medallion, Nerwen tosses the now inert object at Chauncey's feet, a reminder of the cost of choices. Avertine's contract was accepted by our organisation. Had we not attempted to fulfil it, here, Nerwen looks sharply at Alexis, attempted to complete the quest we were set, then what would become of Heroica, if a prospective employer could never be sure if those he had engaged would actually complete their assigned task. Was Avertine 'better' than you? or more 'evil'? Such was not my place to judge. I have performed quests where I have been asked to make such a determination, and I have made them, clearly and without regret. I have ended the life of a Dark General, I have exiled an Emperor and brokered peace between Orcs and Men. All these decisions have had costs and consequences. But I was not engaged on this quest with a free hand, it was not my choice to make. Had I been free, I would happily have stood by and let you both dual with no interference. You will point to Alexis as evidence that I was, in fact, free. That I could have stood out or even joined you. But that was not a step that would have been right. I had no reason to trust you, no reason to support you and to forsake my task, no assurance that the penalty that I would incur for dishonouring my word would be worthwhile. Why did I stand by Avertine? I was not presented with a compelling reason not to.

Seeing XX begin to fall and now free of combat, Nerwen tries to heal him, expending as much ether as necessary. Nerwen heals XX She also heals Matthias and Russel, helping the latter to their feet. Nerwen heals Matthias Nerwen heals Russel She says gently, <You chose the winning side, but I do not think you will gain much satisfaction from it.> She rounds on Alexis, who is quietly gloating. Yes, you won a battle. Well done. But you failed the quest. Why did you even accept the quest, knowing that we were employed by a man bound to kill Chauncey? Surely you are neither ignorant nor stupid, which leaves only that you are selfish beyond measure. That you would knowingly betray your employer and give your fellow party members no warning, no arguement or inducement to accompany you in your faithlessness, no reason to excuse your untrustworthiness. You are more edain than quessir.

Bother, it's me isn't it. Sorry everyone! Matthias. One shot each at Alexis and Chauncey please. > Matthias v. Chauncey - Peashooter > Matthias v. Alexis - Peashooter

Dark minion summoned, not light. No big deal, just confusing. Alexis gets one free hit on Purpearl as she was untargetted. Matthias in back row for free hit on Alexis Nerwen and Matthias take counterstrike damage from Alexis. Nerwen makes no reply to the younger elf, merely turning to heal their fellow questmate. Nerwen v. Matthias -Heal

No, it wasn't unclear. I understood it was to Matthias and Nerwen. That was my point, he went from threatening to begging for assistance, all after not seeming to care one way or another. As for fleeing, aside from saving NPCs from perma-death, there is nothing for us in the battle, all we've done is waste consumables for no XP/quest completion gain. We can't beat a buffed chauncey, not even with a run of miracle rolls. And now I've just posted another OoC only post, something I try to avoid...

Actually, it was a bit of a dig at Masked, who has seemed distant and disconnected for a lot of this quest. Have a look at the reply numbers, you're on 264, Zeph on 253 and masked on 167. Not that post count is the sole measure, but it is an indicator.

Ouch! Mood whiplash! I get that you're trying to play multiple NPCs and with unpredictably shifting relations between three and a half player characters, but I gotta say, this just paints Avertine as an opportunistic liar. Letting PCs play is all fine and good, but if you'd said this in response to PPJBs original battle order 36 hours ago, we'd've run the round by now. Or you could have responded to Nerwen's plea direct to Avertine on the topic 18 hours ago. In the confusion of Purpearl's nurderous hissing in Avertine's ear and his seeming indifference to Nerwen's plea before finally responding to the drastic action she had prompted Matthais to take, she had to change her intent again. Matthias! hold the bomb! Nerwen heals Avertine if RuffPig is not attacked and Avertine raises XX Now we need to wait again for Stickfig and PPJB to respond and change their actions. As a pointer, perhaps Avertine might say what he thinks he should do too.

See Sandy's post in Q&A, but everyone goes. And since I suggested it as a way to save Ruffpig, it needs to happen first, before the undead kill him, interrupting my action and sadly leaving XX dead.

Gnomes Need Ordinary Mannish Equaliy?

I would have said Berthadhiell and Nerwen have been opposed more often than in agreement, and Matthias and RuffPig have been tight the whole quest, but yes I see the gnome being oppressed.

I, personally, am sorry to have put you in that spot Stick.

As she promised, Nerwen turns on Purpearl. Nerwen v. Purpearl - Sword of light

Given that, aside from denying her XP for the battle (which she won't get anyway), there isn't anything that can be permanently done to another player character. So any whacking is an RP event, which she can't hide from.

But if it doesn't save RuffPig, the whacking can occur anytime. After all revenge has an optimum temperature of presentation.

Yes, but attacking Purpearl won't save RuffPig, since it doesn't interupt the undead. So the solution to Purpearl's 'attack' has to be diplomacy rather than force. But I've imagined it. In detail.

Argh! I'm sure we're at lynch or lose. Matthias is townie, I am certain, Cop RuffPig told me before he was iced. But the four remaining can't all be scum, one of them is just rogue. Fairly sure Avertine is scum, he converted the SK, zelphie. And Purpearl is aligned with Avertine, especially discrediting RuffPig. But Avertine has been after Chauncey. Does that mean he's the other townie or is it deep wifom to disguise the last town. Is Alexis playing Chauncey or he playing her? Or are they both scum and Purpearl is the one sucked in? argh! I don't know who to vote for!

So be it. I remain standing by you as I gave my word to do. But I ask you, do not send the dead on a pointless, petty task of killing Russel and Pigley. The choice is not so straightforward. It could well be, Avertine, Russel and Pigley and XX all dead, or only Avertine. Matthias! If you would save Russel and Pigley, throw your smoke bomb!

Do you think the death of those who came with us, who fought by our side and shared our task will be a blow to him? Will it not be a blow to us, that we should be so faithless to those we call friends? Does it not prove Chauncey's opinon of you and harden his resolve to stand against those who would do such? Russel and Pigley are no-ones pets, they are people themselves. Change your order girl or you will not survive this battle.

Nerwen scrambles to the front shield ready to take a blow from Alexis that would otherwise fall on Avertine and make their weeks work meaningless. Hearing Purpearl order the undead against the prone form of Russel and Sir Pigley she yells Stop! What are you doing? They are no threat! Notes: Russel is effectively KOd. There is no gain to targetting him except for killing the character, which you should at least argue for and allow to be discussed rather than just slipping it in. Also, at this stage, Avertine's percentage move is to pop Zelphie for the HP and hold the rezzing of XX over us as an incentive to keep fighting, so don't be surprised if Zephs NPC-AI overrules you on either or both counts. And unless it goes into effect before Chauncey/Alexis act (and I've no reason to think it would, since it's next round) a shield roll for Nerwen would actually be bad for us. Suggested Battle Order Undead Horde vs. Russel Nerwen - Heals Aventine >Purpearl - Neutraliser >Aventine - Revive XX >XX - Nostrum on Nerwen[/b] >Matthias - Peashooter vs. Chauncey >Matthias - Peashooter vs. Chauncey

Breaking my contract with him? I seek to fulfil it! And in a way I cannot if this battle continues, for Chauncey will kill Avertine shortly, despite my efforts. You can see I can be trusted. As for breaking your contract with Chauncey and Avertine, neither will quibble over another day of freedom, I have no doubt. This renegotiation of terms benefits them as well as you. Turning to Avertine she says. Consider your position, you are losing this battle, and cannot be saved despite our best efforts, there is no doubt you will die today if this continues. But tomorrow? Who knows? Perhaps you will find some who defend you from love rather than fear. Perhaps having measured Chauncy's strength you will be better prepared to counter his wiles. Perhaps without Alexis standing against you, a hero you brought here, you will stand more than the sliver of chance you have now.

Sophistry. Nerwen snorts. It is not the duality that you find hard to grasp but its application. Yet you commit the same error labeling yourself good and your opponent evil. That you have done some good with a power given to you for purposes most clearly seen in the instruction that pits you one against another, the command to kill. Nerwen pauses then calls out, her words ringing with all the persuasion and diplomacy she can muster. Demon! Two and a half thousand days and more have you waited for this fight? Will you not wait one more?We were bound by these amulets to keep this servant of yours alive until the end of today. That is the only reason we interfere in your sport. Hear my bargain. Have these men return tomorrow and they will do so alone, as you intended, that one may forfit his life, the other his soul for the power you have given them. Give the doomed man one more day and you shall have one of mine. A day of one of the Tel'quessir, where any fruits of labours undertaken on that day accrue to you. What say you?

:shrug: We've already got portals and planes in the canon, why futz about with gravity wells and transits when you can just go to another place?

I've written and discarded half a dozen posts since masked posted her battle order... Will respond properly later. Nerwen heals Avertine

I'm qualified for cannoneer already. You? But he's not dead yet, and can be brought back by Avertine. I'd be more worried about RuffPig.