A Practical Guide to Evil II: The Last Thread's On Fire, But It's Not Our Fault

[Fable Wright]

While the last is something only Goblings can manufacture. When noone else has gunpowder, despite rich alchemical traditions, then i call BS on that.

For the record, on a reread, I noticed that the Goblins received a Red Letter early on in the story. For "experimenting with powders." It's pretty clear that they're working around the limitations that the gnomes set, and also a reason no one else has gunpowder for their rich alchemical traditions.

They are explicitly a crutch. If they are not a crutch, nothing is.
They are a vital thing the entire operations of the legions of terror more or less runs on. If someone bombs goblings, or the bombs run out, it affects the way the legions operate.
If the named vanishes meanwhile, the armies of Proccer will not change its working.

So if the fundamental nature of reality changes, Procer will not be affected. This is a brilliant argument.

Procer's army relies very heavily on the crutch of the nobility. If the nobility vanished overnight, the First Prince has no direct authority over peasant levies, and no state-wide apparatus to collect taxes. Also, of course, there's the fact that they are heavily reliant on a crutch of a First Prince, because without one, there is no unified army—the nobles will immediately descend to infighting. All it takes is one assassin against an unNamed ruler and the entire army falls apart. At least Old Callow could be plug-and-play with the Heroes they relied on.

On that note, I'd rather argue that Old Callow would be the most crutch-dependent army, being reliant on both Named and Callow's Knights in addition to masses of untrained conscripts. No other nation has the rune-carved full plate, for it is a plot device. Procer doesn't use heroes in their army, because plot device, despite them being an obviously efficient force multiplier.

And the are absolutely not a technology. They are a plot device. That in fact are impossible to replicate.
We have been told all such attempts end in "and then it exploded".

Let's think for a moment of the Colonial period of our world. When Conquistadors used guns that couldn't be replicated by native populations and slaughtered everyone involved. Where the largest and most powerful nation in the world, China, got carved up into 'spheres of influence' because of technology that kept blowing up when they tried to replicate it.

Guns, we must conclude, are plot devices.

Let's not even get into the Roman Legions and how they worked. Those dudes using advanced technology like siege engines on local populations who didn't have a technology budget? Come on, pure plot device.

Oh, and the mongols. We're not even talking about how one plot device let the Mongols take over. Yeah, no, basically everyone had horses and bows at that point, and yet only the Mongols were really able to combine them? Pure, unmitigated bologna. Devs, this is completely unrealistic.

We're not even going to talk about how 13 ships were able to be beat the entire Japanese armada at the height of their power by a complete amateur at naval warfare who never lost a ship in his entire career. The less that's said about Admiral Yi and his obvious plot armor, the better.

[tyckspoon]

I'm not sure why you're pressed about the Goblin Munitions. They explain why those aren't made by anyone but goblins, and it's because the Goblins use devils as ingredients. Do you think Good Nations are going to let you get away with summoning the legions of hell with the excuse 'But I wanted to chop them up and make them into explosives! Honest!'

Only the goblinfire, as I recall - it's probably what gives it that ability to burn/feed on magic. Catherine stopped using it when she discovered that little factoid. The sharpers and flashbangs do not, so far, appear to be anything other than good chemistry and engineering. They probably could be replicated, if some other nation was dedicated to doing so; I'm sure substances that explode or burn rapidly with a blinding light are not unknown to the alchemically-inclined community of Calernia. But there is a rather large distance between knowing that there are substances that do this, and turning them into a weapon that is 1: stable enough to be transported in an army and carried by a soldier without going off unintentionally, 2: can still be triggered reliably when they need to, 3: can be manufactured economically enough to outfit armies with them, and finally 4: can fit into a container or delivery device that both contains enough active component to be useful and is still small enough to reasonably be usable by infantry.

Also I could speculate that 'all attempts to replicate goblin munitions have ended up in exploding the researchers' might be a nod toward something sabotaging them, and not just because the very nature of the weapons requires experimenting with things that make lab accidents very easy. The goblins are very jealous of their secrets and already pretty good at cloak-and-dagger stuff, and they might be supported by Praes' top-class spy network. Black would have a strong interest in maintaining the tactical advantages the Legions get from being the only army with munitions support, and we already know they're not at all shy about arranging 'accidents' or straight out murdering people they consider to be harming Praes' interests.

[InvisibleBison]

Only the goblinfire, as I recall - it's probably what gives it that ability to burn/feed on magic.

No, regular munitions are made from devils. Goblinfire is made from demons.

[tyckspoon]

No, regular munitions are made from devils. Goblinfire is made from demons.

Huh. Went searching for the quote reference, this appears to be correct. I only remembered the Goblinfire mention. Well, yes, that would provide another explanation why nobody but the Goblins has this stuff - you need to be willing and able to bind devils, you need to know how to turn devil bits into bombs, and you need the reckless disregard for safety to do so on an industrial level.

[aguaracu]

I thought that was actually pretty well-explained, actually. It's a backlash thing. The way Creation is set up, Villains are supposed to eventually lose. So if you keep winning, more powerful (and more specifically-anti-you) heroes get thrown at you. As a result, Black was able to win on pure competence at first, but as he kept winning, the Above put a heavier and heavier hand on the scales. The conversation between Black and Tariq spells out the opposite effect as well: because Pilgrim and Saint kept squashing any villain before they rose, he was able to put a big win on the board in compensation.
--SNIP--
Yeah. Remember that for the last couple of decades, there haven't been any major villains outside of Callow (exactly where Pilgrim and Saint didn't operate). None of the heroes currently alive have been in any kind of major confrontation, and Above is not really the side of careful preparation.

For the last 20 years Procerans have been killed in droves because half of Procer's royalty was in the pay of a Villain - and those that weren't got assassinated by Assassin, another Villain.
So, while it's nice that the Barrow Botherer got eviscerated and the Dogbreath Mutilator got put down (thus saving a couple of small villages), it's more than a little disappointing that Providence couldn't even arrange for a chance meeting between Assassin and the Saint of Swords.

I like both Tariq and Laurence personally but the truth is that Good has been losing badly on the surface of Calernia for decades (including in Procer), and millions have died as a result. The people turning this around were Cordelia and Agnes, at least until Alaya and Catherine invited the Dead King to the slaughter.
Writing this makes me appreciate why Frederic is such a loyal member of Team Cordelia.

The Wandering Bard had another spin on it though (of course she did :-). She argued that the Villains were winning through the dark arts of good governance and constructive effort; which was good news in the long term:

https://practicalguidetoevil.wordpre...-prise-au-fer/
“These are some of the most successful villains in the history of the Empire,” she said. “And they became that by going through the motions of being Good.”
...
“Day by day,” she said. “Year by year, century by century – we’re making Creation a better place. Even the bottom of the barrel is pulled up when you hoist the whole thing.”

It's always been both in equal measure. Even in the first few books Black is weaving a narrative. It's why he Chose Catherine at all.

Also, because dwarves are themselves ludicrously OP? Or have you forgotten the whole 'dwarves will destroy all of Callow over one drop of dwarvish blood being spilled'? Or the siege engines that shot volcano-balls? Or the lanterns that literally burn gold?

The dwarves are basically an insanely advanced magitech civilization.

Agreed on both points. Amadeus put up with an incredible amount of trouble from Catherine because a Callowan Villain ruling Callow could permanently flip Callow's character and stories to Below, a danger Tariq recognised when he saw Catherine.
On the dwarves I would add that, for example, it took the Levantines a few days to come up with their first counter to the Drow and start fighting back. The dwarves had the measure of the Drow several thousand years ago and have spent the lull in the war expanding their kingdom, improving their magitech and refining their tactics (Amadeus eat your heart out). The Drow spent that time eating each other in the dark.

Spoiler: Random thoughts while reading Campaign

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Aww, now I want to meet the Affable Burglar and the Forgetful Librarian.

Good on Indrani for admitting that the Silver Huntress can shoot Unravellers when she can't.

Catherine is still the bad idea fairy, the Red Axe gambit shows hilariously bad judgement IMHO.

So some of the undead can stroll across the lake bed but others can't? The living can march quicker than the dead in general or only through the Twilight? It's still not clear how logistics work for any and all of the Dead King's forces.
Did Nessie intentionally create a Death Star for the coalition to attack or does he think the bridge is a boring but useful piece of civic infrastructure?

[NigelWalmsley]

For the last 20 years Procerans have been killed in droves because half of Procer's royalty was in the pay of a Villain - and those that weren't got assassinated by Assassin, another Villain.

They weren't really "in the pay of" Malicia. She had to use cutouts and plausible deniability to get them to take the money, and they could have stopped if they wanted to. The issue was, fundamentally, that Procer was entirely willing to tear itself apart if given the opportunity.

Spoiler: Random thoughts while reading Campaign

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So some of the undead can stroll across the lake bed but others can't? The living can march quicker than the dead in general or only through the Twilight? It's still not clear how logistics work for any and all of the Dead King's forces.

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Basically, the Dead King has his crappy horde zombies (Bones), which have crappy gear, and they can march across the lake bed because their gear is crappy enough not to suffer much from water damage. But he also has elite troops (Binds), which have better gear, and have to go over the lake. Normally they go by turtle ship, which is low-volume and can be sunk by such measures as Unravelers or throwing the Mirror Knight at one. So he's building a bridge so they can march over in force.

At least, that's my recollection from the chapter where the bridge was first mentioned.

Twilight is like Cat's fae gates from when she had Winter, they have some kind of dimension magic that lets you cover a large real-world distance in a shorter time. And the Dead King's forces can't enter Twilight.

[tyckspoon]

Charlatan IV is up in Extra Chapters, btw, if you haven't thought to look.

Spoiler: Charlatan IV

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And of course Olivier is the Rogue Sorcerer, who came into his Name when he found it necessary to put down his own brother.. well, mostly. He couldn't find it in himself to actually kill him. So we have a Hero who is driven by his own guilt over not being quite good *enough*, who thinks everything could have been avoided if he'd just made slightly better choices, and whose formative experiences involve herding cats to try to find good solutions for everybody until somebody regrettably has to be put down because they just won't play nice with the plan.. no wonder he works with Cat and the Practical Evil agenda so well. Her vision for reigning in the extremes of supernaturally-powered bad behavior and providing a framework for Named to live in relatively peace with the non-Named community is basically his whole Role, and they have similar frustrations about getting the people they're trying to lead to stop effing it up.

[Forum Explorer]

Charlatan IV is up in Extra Chapters, btw, if you haven't thought to look.

Spoiler: Charlatan IV

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And of course Olivier is the Rogue Sorcerer, who came into his Name when he found it necessary to put down his own brother.. well, mostly. He couldn't find it in himself to actually kill him. So we have a Hero who is driven by his own guilt over not being quite good *enough*, who thinks everything could have been avoided if he'd just made slightly better choices, and whose formative experiences involve herding cats to try to find good solutions for everybody until somebody regrettably has to be put down because they just won't play nice with the plan.. no wonder he works with Cat and the Practical Evil agenda so well. Her vision for reigning in the extremes of supernaturally-powered bad behavior and providing a framework for Named to live in relatively peace with the non-Named community is basically his whole Role, and they have similar frustrations about getting the people they're trying to lead to stop effing it up.

Spoiler: Chalatan IV

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The first comment really nails the tragedy of Oliver's story the most. Oliver didn't really make some obvious mistake that led to disaster or trusted the wrong person. I mean, it basically comes down to is that he didn't take his brother fully under his wing and raise him himself. Which I feel is a pretty high expectation for someone to put on himself.

[Eurus]

Spoiler: Charlatan IV

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Yeah, agreed. Are there things that he could have done differently and maybe averted the disaster? Sure, probably, with the benefit of hindsight. And of course that's a possibility that will always bother him. But he didn't do anything ragingly stupid or incredibly unethical, he was just a relatively normal dude trying to balance personal fulfillment and responsibility in tough circumstances. It's nice to see a Hero that's actually a decent person (Hanno's still borderline, in my book. :P).

[HolyDraconus]

another chapter is out >.>

[Mith]

another chapter is out >.>

Didn't see this to respond prior to today's chapter.

On that note: If I were writing this, I would use the next chapter as an epilogue to see what was happening with Praes, the Proceran plot, and Mirror Knight joining with the Pilgrim and end the book. Then you have a book that's really the gathering storm before the final push. The next book is the final assault to push back the dead, with bands of 5 taking on the various sub plots. Perhaps Cat uses Twilight like Gandalf with Shadowfax to keep the groups coordinated.

[Noldo]

Didn't see this to respond prior to today's chapter.

On that note: If I were writing this, I would use the next chapter as an epilogue to see what was happening with Praes, the Proceran plot, and Mirror Knight joining with the Pilgrim and end the book. Then you have a book that's really the gathering storm before the final push. The next book is the final assault to push back the dead, with bands of 5 taking on the various sub plots. Perhaps Cat uses Twilight like Gandalf with Shadowfax to keep the groups coordinated.

Based on writer’s prior comments this is already the final book although based on size of the prior books we should be quite close to midpoint in this book so this is the breather between the early pivot (around Arsenal) and final assault. Interesting to see if we will be served another time skip.

[tyckspoon]

Based on writer’s prior comments this is already the final book although based on size of the prior books we should be quite close to midpoint in this book so this is the breather between the early pivot (around Arsenal) and final assault. Interesting to see if we will be served another time skip.

We'll cut through the preparation and travel time to the Hainaut offensive, would be my bet, possibly with a couple more Interlude chapters to fill the time. A look in on what happens with Red Axe in Procer or what's going on with Praes, Black, Ranger, and the pretender Dread Empress (..completely forgot what name she assumed. The High Lady in charge of that one Praes city that didn't get completely exploded yet.)

[Mith]

Based on writer’s prior comments this is already the final book although based on size of the prior books we should be quite close to midpoint in this book so this is the breather between the early pivot (around Arsenal) and final assault. Interesting to see if we will be served another time skip.

We'll cut through the preparation and travel time to the Hainaut offensive, would be my bet, possibly with a couple more Interlude chapters to fill the time. A look in on what happens with Red Axe in Procer or what's going on with Praes, Black, Ranger, and the pretender Dread Empress (..completely forgot what name she assumed. The High Lady in charge of that one Praes city that didn't get completely exploded yet.)

I am aware yes.

It's more that this feels like a good breakpoint for a book to end, and then use the time skip to the Proceran trial of the Red Axe as a prologue.

[-D-]

What is Rapacious Troubadour about? Is it rape? He seems very... predatory.

[PoeticallyPsyco]

What is Rapacious Troubadour about? Is it rape? He seems very... predatory.

"Rapacious" in this case likely means hunger/greed, both for power/influence and for the souls of his victims.

[Forum Explorer]

What is Rapacious Troubadour about? Is it rape? He seems very... predatory.

I think he eats the souls of his victims.

[Rydiro]

Does anyone know why cat feels guilty for hakrams injuries? I mean its not like she intended for him to be crippled.

[Tvtyrant]

Does anyone know why cat feels guilty for hakrams injuries? I mean its not like she intended for him to be crippled.

She sent him off to babysit Mirror Knight and he was crippled while in the safest place in the world. Not to mention survivors guilt over her dying and coming back largely unharmed several times and her best friend becoming more and more ruined over time, he is lack hand for a reason.

[Rydiro]

She sent him off to babysit Mirror Knight and he was crippled while in the safest place in the world. Not to mention survivors guilt over her dying and coming back largely unharmed several times and her best friend becoming more and more ruined over time, he is lack hand for a reason.

Sure, but thats what Commanders do, they send people into the fight. She even fought herself. Really, hakram would have been insulted if she had kept him in safety.
And unlike other times, this was not a battle for vanity nor glory nor petty revenge, it was a defense against serious attackers.

[MammonAzrael]

Does anyone know why cat feels guilty for hakrams injuries? I mean its not like she intended for him to be crippled.

Do you remember Cat playing Affray with the Wandering Bard (Interludes Set Them Up and Knock Them Down)? Cat placed Hakram in the affray revolving around Severance, conceded the affray to WB after the Fae were about to break in and tried to save Hakram, but WB played out the Maddened Keeper, doubling down on the affray and turning Hakram's retrieval into triage. Cat feels guilty because she put Hakram in that position. He was a pawn in her game against WB (OK, probably more of a Rook, but still).

Sure, but thats what Commanders do, they send people into the fight. She even fought herself. Really, hakram would have been insulted if she had kept him in safety.
And unlike other times, this was not a battle for vanity nor glory nor petty revenge, it was a defense against serious attackers.

And since when does logic have anything to do with feeling guilty and blaming yourself for a loved one's suffering?

[Grey_Wolf_c]

On one hand, I am deeply saddened by Robber's ageing. On the other, it'd be nice if at least one of Cat's friends manages to die of old age instead of warfare and/or assassination.

Grey Wolf

[The Glyphstone]

Spoiler: Association

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If Hakram loses Stand, what might his Name create in its place that better suits his new support role?

[Tvtyrant]

Sure, but thats what Commanders do, they send people into the fight. She even fought herself. Really, hakram would have been insulted if she had kept him in safety.
And unlike other times, this was not a battle for vanity nor glory nor petty revenge, it was a defense against serious attackers.

Thank goodness they are ants lacking in personal affections and not people then, eh? Cat's whole worldview is about her feelings, it's why she is set on punishing Akua instead of seducing/forgiving her and why she wants the common people to do better out of this instead of being satisfied just winning.

[Grey_Wolf_c]

Spoiler: Association

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If Hakram loses Stand, what might his Name create in its place that better suits his new support role?

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Isn't the whole point here that he's hoping to guilt Cat into strengthening it back up so he can use it to support himself in combat? That's the kind of foreshadowing that should work, too, so I'd imagine that, if antyhing, he's going to get ghost limbs from it.

GW

[Tvtyrant]

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Isn't the whole point here that he's hoping to guilt Cat into strengthening it back up so he can use it to support himself in combat? That's the kind of foreshadowing that should work, too, so I'd imagine that, if antyhing, he's going to get ghost limbs from it.

GW

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Yeah I think part of it is she doesn't want him to be in combat anymore, which is subconsciously blocking him from recovering. They could make a story about him coming back with all ghost limbs driven by his devotion to her, but she has to really believe/want it.

[aguaracu]

Sure, but thats what Commanders do, they send people into the fight. She even fought herself. Really, hakram would have been insulted if she had kept him in safety.

It's what commanders do. It's what story weavers do. It's not what the leader of a Band of Five does. Catherine spends that scene lecturing the Bard on the subject while the latter sneers at her naivety.
And yes, Hakram wants to be on the frontline, particularly when the odds are desperate.

On one hand, I am deeply saddened by Robber's ageing. On the other, it'd be nice if at least one of Cat's friends manages to die of old age instead of warfare and/or assassination.

Observation: The only survivors out of the frontliners who were part of Catherine's circle at War College have a Name or are an Ogre - apart from Robber. This is despite him taking insane risks: playing with devils at Marchford, infiltrating Liesse - twice, ambushing the Binders etc.

Observation: Robber is visibly ageing.

Deduction: Robber must have a Name and a Story to have survived as he does but he cannot be a Villain; so logic compels us to admit that he must be a Hero. He obviously needs to keep this quiet for the sake of his reputation.

[Forum Explorer]

It's what commanders do. It's what story weavers do. It's not what the leader of a Band of Five does. Catherine spends that scene lecturing the Bard on the subject while the latter sneers at her naivety.
And yes, Hakram wants to be on the frontline, particularly when the odds are desperate.


Observation: The only survivors out of the frontliners who were part of Catherine's circle at War College have a Name or are an Ogre - apart from Robber. This is despite him taking insane risks: playing with devils at Marchford, infiltrating Liesse - twice, ambushing the Binders etc.

Observation: Robber is visibly ageing.

Deduction: Robber must have a Name and a Story to have survived as he does but he cannot be a Villain; so logic compels us to admit that he must be a Hero. He obviously needs to keep this quiet for the sake of his reputation.

Brilliant. He doesn't even hide it. He's the Goblin Robber.

[tyckspoon]

Deduction: Robber must have a Name and a Story to have survived as he does but he cannot be a Villain; so logic compels us to admit that he must be a Hero. He obviously needs to keep this quiet for the sake of his reputation.

What, he can't be a Goblin Hero? Going on the kinds of stories and acts his culture values he can absolutely be a Hero.. it's just a Goblin Hero would probably be considered a Villain in any other part of Calernia.

But part of the culture he would be exemplifying is 'hide stuff from the Matrons so they don't kill you for being too powerful', so.. I guess that still works?

[Tvtyrant]

What, he can't be a Goblin Hero? Going on the kinds of stories and acts his culture values he can absolutely be a Hero.. it's just a Goblin Hero would probably be considered a Villain in any other part of Calernia.

But part of the culture he would be exemplifying is 'hide stuff from the Matrons so they don't kill you for being too powerful', so.. I guess that still works?

They have implied that Names can change from hero to villain or otherwise based on circumstances. The various Independence names are shady at best when their country is fighting their independence wars, but if they own the country they would be heroes. Likewise the White Knight would probably be a Villain if conquering a country but a hero defending the system imposed by the conquerer (see Grey Pilgrim flashback previously.)