Question for the Giant RE: Villian Workshop

[ReaderAt2046]

This question is primarily for the Giant, and will be written to him, but anyone else who knows/guesses the answer is welcome to respond.

In your "Villian Workshop" article, you stated that the Fire King had to be the only elf in that world for his ritual to work, but also established that he had a half-elf, half-fiend sister and that his personal boundary was:

"The Fire King was intensely loyal to his friends. Growing up as basically an outcast wherever he went, he was not about to throw away friendships over something as minor as world domination. Thus, he was not ever going to betray anyone who was within his inner circle of confidence, and he did not consider any of them expendable. "

However, are these three conditions not contradictory? Wouldn't success in the Ritual require that his sister first die? Had the Fire King simply not thought of this? Did he have a plan to get around it? I'd love to know the answer to this, as I'm sure it will be very insightful.

[Arathnos]

I do not claim to have any insight on to how the Giant intended that character to run or think, but here is my own take on it:

Does that not add a beautiful layer of depth to the character? The Fire King refuses to throw away his personal connections, but above all else he seeks world domination. He plots and he plans, he manipulates armies and maneuvers his followers into place, always working towards his goal.

In the back of his mind, the Fire King knows exactly what he must do. He knows he must kill her (his sister), but his inner demons (or devils maybe?) won't allow it.

He has voices in his head constantly, bickering with each other whenever his sister ventures into his thoughts. One voice urges him to kill her, ordering him to do it, get it over with...the ritual is more important. Right? But the other voice is always suppressing it. Saying, "No! Not her! Everyone else, but not her, never her...I can't...how could I?"

So he suppresses the thoughts, hides them away in the darkest corner of his mind and throws himself into his "work", never allowing himself to consider the implications of what he plans to do. If he were to ever get that far into his plan though....

[ReaderAt2046]

I suppose that would make sense, and perhaps it does add the most to the Fire King's character, but it doesn't quite seem to fit in with a character as strategically skilled as he's been extablished to be. I personally have wondered if he intends to send his sister to another plane just before starting the Ritual. That should allow it to work, if i understand the rules on this correctly.

[Doorhandle]

... Maybe she's adopted?

[Friv]

I suppose that would make sense, and perhaps it does add the most to the Fire King's character, but it doesn't quite seem to fit in with a character as strategically skilled as he's been extablished to be. I personally have wondered if he intends to send his sister to another plane just before starting the Ritual. That should allow it to work, if i understand the rules on this correctly.

There are various magical ways for him to transform her as well, making her no longer an elf. Presumably a rather expensive way, but one he can use for any key elven lieutenants as well, turning them into demons or vampires or whatever. Possibly searching for such ways is one of his side missions as he goes about his quests, and the characters can slow his goals by capturing his sister before she stops being a half-elf. He won't complete the ritual until he can recover her and render her immune.

(Alternately, half-elves aren't elven enough to count, but that doesn't allow for nearly as many stories.)

[Anecronwashere]

... Maybe she's adopted?

She is still an Elf. Something that would mess with the ritual


Considering apparently both Fire King and she are 1/2 Elf 1/2 Fiend I think that they DO count.
Both of them could potentially complete the ritual given the right magical knowledge and the slaughter of all Elves and 1/2 Elves

More likely he asks her to sacrifice her life for the time it takes to complete the ritual, then uses a Scroll of True Resurrection when he has absorbed All the Magics!!

[Debihuman]

She went plane hopping and temporarily "left the world."

Debby