Will Save World for Gold

[Draconi Redfir]

kiiinda jumping to conclusions there Ana :/

[stsasser]

Looks like to conclusions is not the only thing that Ana will be jumping...

[The Glyphstone]

Looks like to conclusions is not the only thing that Ana will be jumping...

I'm not getting that vibe. I think Ana assumed he was also just someone wearing an orc costume, and it's just hit her that there is an actual live orc in her dressing room.

[Draconi Redfir]

Can't say i beleive the same glyph, if you're talking about the "is this real fur you're wearing?" page at least. Looks more to me like she was aware he was an orc from the start, but her materialistic desires might just end up with her at least tolerating him a bit more then she has been thus far. maybe a relationship, probably not.

[stsasser]

I'm not getting that vibe. I think Ana assumed he was also just someone wearing an orc costume, and it's just hit her that there is an actual live orc in her dressing room.

I see two possibilities:

The fallen, embittered Ana can fascinate this young, naive and lonely chieftain and, doing whatever it takes, including wearing greyface to avoid scandalizing the Bloodf's tribe to become queen of that tribe. As a side benefit, she can acquire the means to wreak gory vengance on South Cross and Ardon's Army for her humiliations.

or

LSN, whose avatar was just seen outside the strip club, soliciting tricks in Ana's castoff dress, can take the high road.

Bonus Wild Speculation: This being Nightmare's whispered plan, Ardon unmasks her before the outraged orc tribe, which then kills the Chieftain, earning the bounty for his assasination that Ardon will not have forgotten is the whole point of the quest.

[Anteros]

I'm not getting that vibe. I think Ana assumed he was also just someone wearing an orc costume, and it's just hit her that there is an actual live orc in her dressing room.

I'm getting a "fur is murder!" vibe off of her.

[Douglas]

I'm getting a "fur is murder!" vibe off of her.

I'm getting a "wait, are your clothes actually high class/expensive?" vibe. She assumed he was, like most orcs, crude and unrefined, and now she's reassessing that.

[Anteros]

Turns out I was wrong. First time for everything I guess.

[stsasser]

Who the heck is this guy who gets a dialog avatar??

[Panzer]

It's a PC.

[Chives]

Hmmm... Could the Nightmare Spirit be sitting back at the orc camp giving out orders?

[SZbNAhL]

Hmmm... Could the Nightmare Spirit be sitting back at the orc camp giving out orders?

I thought only Ardon could see and hear the spirit, even when it's possessing Bobo.

[Chives]

I thought only Ardon could see and hear the spirit, even when it's possessing Bobo.

That would make sense, explain why no one's asked about Bobo turning Purple.

[Lizard Lord]

I know that's a necklace, but does anyone else have a hard time not seeing Anaviera as always having her mouth open?

[stsasser]

Very well done.

[Lizard Lord]

Is Odie going to quit after this? If I were Odie this would be the point where I quit the party.

[Emperor Time]

Is Odie going to quit after this? If I were Odie this would be the point where I quit the party.

I agree since it feels like Ardon has finally past the moral event horizon with no hope of ever turning back.

[Anteros]

I'm a bit torn. On the one hand, the methods are evil and it's hard to think of mass slaughter as anything but evil. On the other hand, they're a bloodthirsty invading army, and wiping them out is probably for the best.

[Lizard Lord]

But now he is also intentionally driving a genuinely good member of the tribe to attack just so that he can kill him for the reward.

[Anteros]

The guy who started a war in order to try getting a girlfriend? He's not exactly an innocent.

I'm not saying Ardon isn't evil though. What he's doing currently is definitely evil. I'm just torn on whether he's passed the moral event horizon or not.

[Lizard Lord]

The guy who started a war in order to try getting a girlfriend? He's not exactly an innocent.

I'm not saying Ardon isn't evil though. What he's doing currently is definitely evil. I'm just torn on whether he's passed the moral event horizon or not.

That's....not exactly how it went.


Mostly though its that Odie and Ell tried to make a peaceful solution and Ardon undermined that for his own self interest. Sure they knew that about Ardon, but now they should see what kind off path their adventuring careers will take as long as Ardon leads them.

Mind you I am sure Ell won't quit just because of her insane philosophy of unconditional loyalty for no real reason. But I would like to think Odie will at least try to quit before the narrative forces him back into the party.

[Anteros]

That's exactly what happened. Maybe he didn't intend to start a war, but he didn't stop it either. He certainly hasn't stopped his orcs from attacking travelers like we saw earlier either.


For your other point...sure. Odie and Ell should have abandoned Ardon a long time ago if we're being reasonable about it. It's actually getting a little frustrating to read. Every time it seems like Ardon is getting character development and the story might actually go somewhere, he does something like this and we're back at square one.

[dancrilis]

It's actually getting a little frustrating to read. Every time it seems like Ardon is getting character development and the story might actually go somewhere, he does something like this and we're back at square one.

I kindof like it - kindof reminds me of 8-Bit Theater except with the quote being: 'This whole goddamn adventure has been nothing but pointless build ups towards character development that never happens'.

At this point I think meaningful character change might actually annoy me (happy with minor elements i.e growing and learning to realise you were always right, or items that change someone only for them to than change back).

[stsasser]

Is Odie going to quit after this? If I were Odie this would be the point where I quit the party.

Did Odie have any moral qualms about exterminating an entire goblin tribe or slaughtering all the skeletons at the acid party? Originally, Odie expected they would be fighting the entire orc army and, while questioning the feasibility of it, was good to go. It was only en route that he learned it was an assassination thwart job.

[random11]

Think of a table with a group of people playing D&D.
All the group takes the game seriously (in healthy levels), but one of the players is annoying and while the others try to role play, he treats it only as a game with points and statistics, knowing that it's unlikely the party will split regardless of what he does, and behaves like he is the most important thing in the world since in a way, player characters ARE the most important thing in the world that was created for them.

In the end, it's not moral issues that will cause other players (characters) to throw him out of the party, it will be the way he acts against the other characters in the group as well as the players behind them.


So bottom line, Ode and El should have kicked him out long ago, less because of his morals and more because he was never a team player, and certainly not a leader.
For me, a long time ago it felt like the only reason they are still adventuring together is because the player behind ardon brought pizza to the session and the other players feel bad kicking him out after that.

[LoneStarNorth]

the only reason they are still adventuring together is because the player behind ardon brought pizza to the session and the other players feel bad kicking him out after that.

This is a valid strategy.

[Anteros]

I kindof like it - kindof reminds me of 8-Bit Theater except with the quote being: 'This whole goddamn adventure has been nothing but pointless build ups towards character development that never happens'.

At this point I think meaningful character change might actually annoy me (happy with minor elements i.e growing and learning to realise you were always right, or items that change someone only for them to than change back).

Well, I think with 8-Bit Theater it was more palatable because the entire universe existed to hurt Black Mage. Sure, he was a horrible person, but he was constantly getting his karmic retribution. Plus, the characters in 8-Bit were naturally more shallow so you don't really expect them to grow.

The frustrating thing with Ardon is that he actually does show occasional signs of (slight) growth, but just throws it away anyway.

Just my .02. I obviously still enjoy the story enough to read it every day.

[ImperatorV]

...And there is the moral event horizon cross people were talking about.

[Chives]

That's exactly what happened. Maybe he didn't intend to start a war, but he didn't stop it either. He certainly hasn't stopped his orcs from attacking travelers like we saw earlier either.


For your other point...sure. Odie and Ell should have abandoned Ardon a long time ago if we're being reasonable about it. It's actually getting a little frustrating to read. Every time it seems like Ardon is getting character development and the story might actually go somewhere, he does something like this and we're back at square one.

I'm not sure Ardon isn't getting character development, everyone seems to be growing and learning and coming into their own as adventurers. This isn't a story about people becoming better, nicer, kinder. This is a story about an absolute monster who kills things for fun and the people pulled along with him. We're watching Ardon's rise to power in a world that, literally, cannot stop him. I fully expect the party to fight (and possibly kill) the Sons of Solemnity later on and for Odie and Ell to justify it to themselves afterwards. The more they adventure the more horrible they get.

[Anteros]

Well, my point was that he does get flashes of morality. Like when he saved Peanut, or baby El. It's almost like reading about two entirely different people at times.

But yeah, this isn't a good look for him right now. It's right up there with the time he murdered the halfling.