A Practical Guide to Evil III: A Series of Unfortunate Peace Treaties

[Forum Explorer]

It is a weakness when your current fight fail to cause your aspect to emerge.

And your kinda missing out on this going both ways with aspects. Both sides unlock them as they need them.

I'd disagree with that. If the Aspect didn't arise, then you don't need it in the first place. Assuming you only have 1 Aspect missing anyways.


But I'd say that the weakness of not having them is that you won't have a chance to practice with the aspect. We've seen that they can have a lot more depth then they initially appear to have. But when you just get them you likely only have that surface level to use.

[lord_khaine]

I'd disagree with that. If the Aspect didn't arise, then you don't need it in the first place. Assuming you only have 1 Aspect missing anyways.

Its not that reliable. You dont always get an Aspect just because you need it. It seems clear some kind of effort is needet.
Im certain we can find enough examples of people dying with just 1-2 Aspects in the story.

And the Saint of Swords spend what an decade? forging her final aspect though repeatedly swording rats.
(there is a grinding joke to be made here)

[Dragonus45]

An unformed aspect probably is a powerful tool to swing into place at just the right moment... so long as the Named is sticking to their role and story for it to have that effect.

[PoeticallyPsyco]

An unformed aspect probably is a powerful tool to swing into place at just the right moment... so long as the Named is sticking to their role and story for it to have that effect.

And it's no guarantee. See the temporary goblin Squire getting stabbed through the brain immediately after unlocking Survive, and the Stalwart Paladin getting iced in the process of forming a pact with the Choir of Endurance (presumably he would have gotten an aspect out of the deal, but even if not it's the same general principle).

Getting an aspect tailor-made for your current circumstance is great, but a serious opponent might kill you before/as you unlock it.

[Tvtyrant]

And it's no guarantee. See the temporary goblin Squire getting stabbed through the brain immediately after unlocking Survive, and the Stalwart Paladin getting iced in the process of forming a pact with the Choir of Endurance (presumably he would have gotten an aspect out of the deal, but even if not it's the same general principle).

Getting an aspect tailor-made for your current circumstance is great, but a serious opponent might kill you before/as you unlock it.

That is why there are mentor-heroes like Tariq and SoS that let the newbies fight and get mauled like at the Battle of the Camps. They can cultivate Aspects on new Named while keeping them "safe." Imagine if the Saint had intervened to keep the Stalwart Paladin alive and he got the indestructible ghost-armor upgrade or whatever.

[lord_khaine]

Getting an aspect tailor-made for your current circumstance is great, but a serious opponent might kill you before/as you unlock it.

Oh yeah or not give a &%¤# at all, like when the Warlock blew out the brain on the Bumbling Conjurer.
For that matter. Getting a aspect tailored to what your facing is good. But we have also seen aspects can become stronger with practice.
Or help practice make you a lot stronger (Recall or Learn for a quick example).

That is why there are mentor-heroes like Tariq and SoS that let the newbies fight and get mauled like at the Battle of the Camps.

Well yeah i think i came around this at the previous subject of OP aspects. And on how Tariq's ability to ressurect newbies and give them a new chance was pretty OP when looking at the effect it has on the overall balance between Above and Below.

Its just Tariq who are the mentor though. SoS are the executioner. Thats why she became a touch messed up in the end.
Her story were generally about ending other peoples story.

[The Glyphstone]

For anyone who doesn't check the Reddit, apparently it's just a seasonal bug and updates will resume Monday.

[Rynjin]

...Yes, that's what the announcement in place of the most recent chapter said.

[The Glyphstone]

Hey!

I’m currently pretty brutally sick, to the extent that I’ll be taking a Covid 19 test in a few hours, so tomorrow’s chapter will be delayed. I would like to say it’ll be on Friday for sure, but there’s no telling how things will be going for me. I’ll be keeping you posted, and hoping it’s just a seasonal bug.

E.E.

It was ambiguous/unknown what the sickness was, as per the announcement. A more recent post on the Subreddit gave an update.

[Iruka]

It was ambiguous/unknown what the sickness was, as per the announcement. A more recent post on the Subreddit gave an update.

Huh? That's the most recent announcment on the page:

Hey!

So I got the test back and the good news is it’s not Covid. It appears to be some strong seasonal bug instead, which is somewhat of a relief. My condition’s improved but I’m not really fit to work yet so I’m playing it safe: updates will resume as usual from next Monday (the 18th) onwards.

Thanks for your patience and understanding,

E.E.

[The Glyphstone]

Huh? That's the most recent announcment on the page:

Oh, there is an Update after the Announcement. I stand corrected then.

[uncool]

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And that makes the Band. I'd been wondering.

All but Masego accustomed to some sort of rulership. Which might mean we're going to hit another 4 rulers along the way.

[Dragonus45]

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On occasion, I mention that Masego still spooks me something fierce in spite of all his character growth, but the people I talk to about the book always say things about what an adorable dork he is and seem to think he is harmless. I feel vindicated once more.

[Rydiro]

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On occasion, I mention that Masego still spooks me something fierce in spite of all his character growth, but the people I talk to about the book always say things about what an adorable dork he is and seem to think he is harmless. I feel vindicated once more.

He is a villain after all. That usually means he has a strong motivating goal and no morals to stand in that way. And don't forget DK killed the two things he loved most. Archer and his magic.

What happened to Zezes magic, again? Did they store it somewhere after it was CUT off?

[Dragonus45]

He is a villain after all. That usually means he has a strong motivating goal and no morals to stand in that way. And don't forget DK killed the two things he loved most. Archer and his magic.

What happened to Zezes magic, again? Did they store it somewhere after it was CUT off?

I think it either got digested and added to the sum total power of the DK or Hierophant's magic was just totally burned out by his insane experiments.

[MammonAzrael]

It happens here, Book 5 - Interlude Reverberation

The sudden pulse of sorcery caught them all by surprise. The Hierophant rose from his throne, gasping a breath, and the Grey Pilgrim beheld the rotten orb that was the Dead King’s hold being torn out of him. It still held by threads, and was slowly its way back into the villain’s soul, but if they acted now. Laurence was already moving, the Black Queen dismissed the power at the end of her staff and began shaping Night anew. Roland was halfway through a spell, but quickest among them would be Tariq. Until his eye caught a slender, dark-haired woman leaning against the wall. In the blind angle of everyone save him. Though she held her usual silver flask in one hand, she was not drinking. It was the other hand that drew his attention, wagging a finger disapprovingly. One, two, three, she counted out and only then mouthed now. The Pilgrim struck out with Light, just as Saint began to carve away at the Dead King’s rot, but the Hierophant only screamed.

—

Trismegistus leaned over Masego’s shoulder looking into the distance.

“Did I not tell you?” the Dead King said. “You overestimate yourself. To be rid of me there will be a price.”

And though the Hidden Horror’s hold was ripped out of him, it did not go alone. For the all the power and sorcery the Hierophant had been holding vanished into smoke, and there was not a single piece of it left.

Masego reached for his magic, and found nothing at all.

—

There were exactly two things within It: instructions, and a secret witnessed through another’s eyes. It waited inside the corpse, and only slithered away under cover of the souls when all Foes were distracted. It crawled and crawled and crawled, as instructed, until it reached the edge of a cliff and fell. Far, far below a large creature opened its mouth. The Skein swallowed whole the animated shard of sorcery, and in the moment that followed fell apart in a shower of dust.

[lord_khaine]

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On occasion, I mention that Masego still spooks me something fierce in spite of all his character growth, but the people I talk to about the book always say things about what an adorable dork he is and seem to think he is harmless. I feel vindicated once more.

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Masego is just as much a monster as any of the Woes, likely more than most.
He has no moral boundaries. He has boundless curiosity. He might look like an adorable dork until he starts disecting your soul to see how it works.
And i absolutely think you deserve to feel vindicated.

[Rydiro]

Aaand we arrive in a drow semi-arc again, where anything-goes-bs is abundant.
The handling of drow power-levels is really poor. It has a strong "whatever I feel like" vibe.
Will they be something more than a cheap powerup for Cat this time?
Nope, they have "whetstone" written over their faces.

[lord_khaine]

Yeah.. unlike the uniform human power levels that include a random spearman and the White Knight.
Oh wait

[Rydiro]

Yeah.. unlike the uniform human power levels that include a random spearman and the White Knight.
Oh wait

You're not wrong. But at least you can place those. What they can and can't do. There is still a sense of realism there. Even if the author wants us to believe that normal people could threaten Named or even Cat. Drow otoh have absolutely random powers countered (or not) by random things. Usually they grab the idiot ball hard and forget about most of their powers to attack the wrong person or to die in a mundane fire or to the ten people who can actually use light offensively.

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Cat just murdered the equivalent of 8 Named and a major villain (or so we were told in the underground-arc) without sweating.

None of the drow feel like real characters. They are all props for Cats next powerboost.

[Forum Explorer]

You're not wrong. But at least you can place those. What they can and can't do. There is still a sense of realism there. Even if the author wants us to believe that normal people could threaten Named or even Cat. Drow otoh have absolutely random powers countered (or not) by random things. Usually they grab the idiot ball hard and forget about most of their powers to attack the wrong person or to die in a mundane fire or to the ten people who can actually use light offensively.

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Cat just murdered the equivalent of 8 Named and a major villain (or so we were told in the underground-arc) without sweating.

None of the drow feel like real characters. They are all props for Cats next powerboost.

I wouldn't say none of the drow feel like real characters. In fact, Ivah and Rumena are some of my favorite minor characters, probably just edging out Abragail. And the Goddesses are a delight as well.

But in general? Yeah, this feels like a place and time to show off Cat's new abilities, rather than a situation with actual tension in it. Well there is some tension, as I said, some of my favorite minor characters are drow, and they could very well end up dying here. But nothing for Cat's crew. Cat's got a shiny new Name and oh, look here's some disposable goons for her to show off/practice against.

[Tvtyrant]

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They already showed the biggest thing she has, which is that only the perspective of godhead prevents Cat from Silencing someone as Warden. The Drow guy is as strong as a god, but he is still a person and so under her auspices as opposed to Sve Noc who have the perspective of Gods and so aren't.

This brings up an interesting questions about Four Seasons. Is Neshamah having a human perspective a weakness to Cat's Silence?

[tyckspoon]

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They already showed the biggest thing she has, which is that only the perspective of godhead prevents Cat from Silencing someone as Warden. The Drow guy is as strong as a god, but he is still a person and so under her auspices as opposed to Sve Noc who have the perspective of Gods and so aren't.

This brings up an interesting questions about Four Seasons. Is Neshamah having a human perspective a weakness to Cat's Silence?

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The entire purpose of trying to force Warden of the East to be a thing was for Cat to create a Name that would give her authority over the Dead King, so.. presumably, yes, Warden will provide at least one Aspect that can override Neshamah.

[Tvtyrant]

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The entire purpose of trying to force Warden of the East to be a thing was for Cat to create a Name that would give her authority over the Dead King, so.. presumably, yes, Warden will provide at least one Aspect that can override Neshamah.

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Its quite the trick really. Of they can get stories back they have him over a rock, either he becomes a god and loses due to Plot or he doesn't and Cat mangles him.

[lord_khaine]

You're not wrong. But at least you can place those. What they can and can't do. There is still a sense of realism there. Even if the author wants us to believe that normal people could threaten Named or even Cat. Drow otoh have absolutely random powers countered (or not) by random things. Usually they grab the idiot ball hard and forget about most of their powers to attack the wrong person or to die in a mundane fire or to the ten people who can actually use light offensively.

Can we place those? Well we could likely also place drow we had followed closely. Only drow are highly individualistic. And closer to some weird cleric-sorcerer/fighter hybrid than anything else.
So yeah its absolutely impossible to know what tricks a given drow will know.

But i dont know why you think normal people are suposed to be able to threaten a battle-focused name?
As i recall we have repeatedly been shown the opposite from as early as the Lonely Swordsman. Who supposedly could kill a regiment of veteran soldiers on his own.
Or Cat who could survive having her throat cut from an ambush. Well unless by normal people you either mean battlemages or sappers with goblingfire.

Also, i generally mix around in drow names. But as i recall it was generally first around Mighty level drows could stand up to a named.
The rylleh is closer around battlemage/priest level.

Else. As for the last bit. I think its being overestimated by how serious this was.
Cat had to get in and put a hand upon its chest before she could use Silence on its "magic".

[The Glyphstone]

Personally, I'd be disappointed if the drow were still a threat to Cat at all. She's grown from a mostly ordinary person drunk on the power of Winter into a top-tier Named meant to wrangle with the Dead King. If anything short of a high level Mighty wasn't a speed bump it would be weird.

[lord_khaine]

I got the impression that raw power-wise Cat peaked as Winter Cat.
Only that power came with a hefty price on her sanity/free will.
So she traded down for something less blunt object, and more subtle.

[tyckspoon]

I got the impression that raw power-wise Cat peaked as Winter Cat.
Only that power came with a hefty price on her sanity/free will.
So she traded down for something less blunt object, and more subtle.

She may have had access to similar levels of power as First Under The Not Yet Ruined Night, especially being able to call for a shard of the Sister's direct attention to help guide her, although having to access it as a channel for somebody else's power usually meant doing it via rituals, artifacts, and preparation rather than being able to just bludgeon somebody with the raw power of a fae crown. Holding Winter was definitely the top potential power, but was also the part where Cat had the least idea of how to actually employ it. Everything since then has been a step down in brute force but also a process of Cat learning how to more fully employ the power she actually has, resulting in an overall more effective Cat.

(And of course she has been trading raw power for shaping herself into a tool better fit to what she actually wants to achieve. Winter!Cat might have been able to arm-wrestle Neshamah. Warden!Cat intends to kick the table out from under him instead.)

[lord_khaine]

Yep, as i said. Less blunt force, more sublety
The biggest problem with the Winter Crown was of course it influenced Cat's thinking. The more she drew on it the closer she got to being a Fae Noble.
With all the baggae of reduced free will that brings.

Personally i do suspect that Winter Cat could have become Triumpant 2.0 or something.
But also that it would lead to her eventually making a classical villian mistake of some kind.
I certainly dont think she could have beaten The Bard like that.

[McNum]

When thinking of how Cat is the most dangerous, I like to roll all the way back to the moment that started it all.

She was given a knife.

Not a sword, not a hammer, not some key to a fantasy nuke. A knife. She's always been at her most dangerous when she has a focused amount of power to be used with finesse. Whenever she starts tossing out big power moves, she loses.