An ace on Durkula's sleeve

[D.One]

I've been thinking: what if Hel (and, through her, Durkula) gained access to Durkon's prophecy?

Should they reveal to him such knowledge? That he wasn't send in some mission, that he was set up by the High Priests, the same ones that couldn't or wouldn't help his mother.

Durkon being Durkon, he might probably shove that in the "Dwarven Duty bag" and be even more motivated to stop them from bringing death and destruction...

But what if he cracked? What if he said "ta Hel wif this, let' save ma mam an tha othars don't matter"?

[SirKazum]

Durkon "Makes-Judge-Dredd-look-Chaotic-by-comparison" Thundershield? Nah...

[kivzirrum]

Durkon "Makes-Judge-Dredd-look-Chaotic-by-comparison" Thundershield? Nah...

Have to agree with this. It would take a LOT to make Durkon crack to that extent.

[Ellye]

Durkon might crack to the point that he would call someone some bad name. At most.

[Porthos]

Durkon seems to be the type who, if presented with incontrovertible proof of wrongdoing by those in power that he trusted, would turn reformer, rather than turn rebel. That is, he'd seek to Make The Situation Right, rather than Watch It All Burn Down.

His personal loyalty to Roy and his general loyalty other dwarves who had nothing to do with this would make me think that a Screw This, I'm Outta Here wouldn't be the first thing for him to think of.

[kivzirrum]

Agreed with all the others. Durkon is tough and stubborn when it comes to morality. It would take extended psychological torture and manipulating and god knows what to break him down that much. Even then, I don't think he'd make a complete personality shift like that.

[Jaxzan Proditor]

I think that Durkon wouldn't turn his back in his people like that. I agree with the others that it would take far more to make Durkon crack. I wonder if he might even agree with the reasoning of the High Priest.

[D.One]

Yeah, I agree with the reasoning here, that's why I said "Durkon being Durkon, he might probably shove that in the "Dwarven Duty bag" and be even more motivated to stop them from bringing death and destruction..."

[xroads]

Agreed with all the others. Durkon is tough and stubborn when it comes to morality. It would take extended psychological torture and manipulating and god knows what to break him down that much. Even then, I don't think he'd make a complete personality shift like that.

Well, one could say he is already facing quite a bit of psychological torture. Maybe he already is at the breaking point?

[BrotherMirtillo]

Ooh, let's take this a bit further... [happy ending powers: activating!] Maybe this is how Durkon will escape vampirism. It won't just be that not-Durkon slips up on the impersonation -- it'll be a righteous rebellion. Confronted with the imminent death and destruction of his kin, Durkon neither hates nor resents them. Instead, he becomes determined to save them all by refusing to let himself go back home. He finds untapped willpower to resist the vampire, break away from his path, and drag himself back into the wilderness rather than allow his people to die.

That might be a bit cheesy of a twist, but I like to think there's a chance. If nothing else, he might get a moment to break the control just long enough to show that he's not himself, and that breaks up the impersonation.

[theasl]

Heck, I think it might be more likely to happen the other way around. Now, I'm not saying or even predicting this will happen, but Durkon could somehow eventually persuade the HPOH to abandon Hel's mission and they'd work together to help the team. Still less likely than HPOH being discovered, killed, and Durkon rezzed after causing a ton of "death and destruction" (or whatever the prophecy said), but probably more than Durkon breaking.

[kivzirrum]

Well, one could say he is already facing quite a bit of psychological torture. Maybe he already is at the breaking point?

Fair enough, but if so, he's hiding it like a champ. While he doesn't exactly seem thrilled, he doesn't seem to me to be anywhere near the "mind breaking, personality changing" point.

[Rogar Demonblud]

Let's look at it a different way. Durkon's resisting, and the vampire reveals the prophecy, showing that it is Durkon's dwarfly duty to return home and inflict Death and Destruction.

And what does Ultra-LAWFUL Durkon do in that situation?

[littlebum2002]

Let's look at it a different way. Durkon's resisting, and the vampire reveals the prophecy, showing that it is Durkon's dwarfly duty to return home and inflict Death and Destruction.

And what does Ultra-LAWFUL Durkon do in that situation?

Go chaotic.

I would love if this arc meant that Durkon became Neutral or even Chaotic.

[Porthos]

I would love if this arc meant that Durkon became Neutral or even Chaotic.

Why? :smallconfused:

[Buckethead]

Let's look at it a different way. Durkon's resisting, and the vampire reveals the prophecy, showing that it is Durkon's dwarfly duty to return home and inflict Death and Destruction.

And what does Ultra-LAWFUL Durkon do in that situation?

Odin's prophecy doesn't WANT to create "Death and Destuction™", or insist it's needed for the dwarven people, it just IS. Avoiding prophecy isn't unlawful, even if it is your gods. Durkon would never willingly spread death and destruction and it certainly wouldn't be his dwarfly duty to harm dwarves. Just IMO.

[Porthos]

Go chaotic.

I would love if this arc meant that Durkon became Neutral or even Chaotic.


Why? :smallconfused:

To follow up on this, isn't this like saying, "I would love it if as the result of the last arc, Elan became Neutral or even Lawful"?

I get people wanting Durkon to "grow" as a part of this arc (whatever the hell, "grow" means). But why should he fundamentally change the outlook of his character?

[littlebum2002]

To follow up on this, isn't this like saying, "I would love it if as the result of the last arc, Elan became Neutral or even Lawful"?

I get people wanting Durkon to "grow" as a part of this arc (whatever the hell, "grow" means). But why should he fundamentally change the outlook of his character?

I wouldn't want to see Elan change alignment, though. Or Roy, or Haley, or V for that matter. But I think it would be a pretty interesting way to end the arc if DUrkon realized that the only way he could solve this crisis is by violating the rules, then again realized that sometimes violating rules isn't THAT bad because it might be for the greater good, and maybe a more Neutral outlook on life is warranted.

Roy already has it down pat, he's lawful but has no qualms with breaking himself out of jail to save the world. Durkon does. It just seems to me that Durkon's lawfulness is a big hindrance to his character, and therefore I wouldn't miss it if it were lost.

[Porthos]

It just seems to me that Durkon's lawfulness is a big hindrance to his character, and therefore I wouldn't miss it if it were lost.

"-he was patient and kind and loyal. The sort of man you can always count on, even if he doesn't always stand out in a crowd."
- as long as we're talking about subtext here.....

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Durkon's lawfulness is almost as core to his character as Elan's Chaoticness. And there are plenty of people who think that it hinders Elan, as the innumerable threads during BRitF showed. In fact, that was kinda my point. Sure, these things might "hinder" Elan and Durkon. But they are also a long way to show that they are make them them.

Roy? Ultimately, he's a pragmatist. Same too for Haley. Roy bends toward structure and Haley independence, sure. But ultimately both are pragmatists. Elan and Durkon, on the other hand, are optimists, IMO (though after it came after a bit of character development for Durkon in Origins). The way they show their optimism is different, yes. But ultimately they believe in the best for people and that by following their current paths, they'll make the world a better place.

And it's not like either Elan or Durkon are unwilling to bend their philosophies when necessary. Durkon is perfectly willing to lie, if the situation calls for it. Elan is willing to let someone plummet off an airship if he thinks it needs to be done. Durkon is willing to tear down structure if it is hurting people, while Elan is willing to follow people if he thinks they are doing the right thing.

Durkon becoming a pragmatist, or worse, cynic, is just about the only way I can see him going Neutral or Chaotic, as we are talking about altering core personaity traits. And that is something I do not want to see for him. Or, to put it another way, taking Durkon's lawfulness away I think would make it almost impossible for him to stay an optimist. And, again, that is something I do not want to see happen to him.