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

[The Glyphstone]

Spoiler: So many moments!

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I just want to say, this is a great chapter.

Rumena destroying the door.

The Herald summoning Fire Drakes up and destroying the underground parts of the city.

The Hierarch being part of the Tribunal, and then on being resurrected immediately destroying the Serenity. The Hierarch and Bellephron are my favorite faction so that was the highlight of the chapter for me. Also the Angels refusing to resurrect Hierarch as a reward, and then being like "I am all for being exiled into life."

Spoiler: Awesome

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Every bit of it, yes.

I read the Heralds spirits as fire elementals, myself. But I'm more curious about Greed...it sounds like dwarves suffer from it the way Orcs feel rage, you can channel it productively or be driven mad by it.

The Bards game plan seems definitely aimed at nuking Calernia to bedrock with angel lasers. I'm betting Cordelia is all set to do it, then Agnes's note says to wait.

Anaxares is back! I want to see DK unleash his demons of Madness only to have them curl up into whimpering balls in the face of Heirarch's lunacy.

Bellerophon is scary. Its a good thing they are so chaotic, that sort of utter relentless conviction backed eith actual competence would be terrifying.

Hanno+ Mirror Knight and Indrani+Akua were bland but mildly interesting mirror images.

[HolyDraconus]

Spoiler: Awesome

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Every bit of it, yes.

I read the Heralds spirits as fire elementals, myself. But I'm more curious about Greed...it sounds like dwarves suffer from it the way Orcs feel rage, you can channel it productively or be driven mad by it.

The Bards game plan seems definitely aimed at nuking Calernia to bedrock with angel lasers. I'm betting Cordelia is all set to do it, then Agnes's note says to wait.

Anaxares is back! I want to see DK unleash his demons of Madness only to have them curl up into whimpering balls in the face of Heirarch's lunacy.

Bellerophon is scary. Its a good thing they are so chaotic, that sort of utter relentless conviction backed eith actual competence would be terrifying.

Hanno+ Mirror Knight and Indrani+Akua were bland but mildly interesting mirror images.

Spoiler

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about that. Notice that during that part it’s mentioned that Cat has a band of her own… which doesn’t include Akua, who’s not Named anyway, Hanno, who is technically in the same boat, OR Archer, who’s transitioning. Or even Hakram. So it’s not a band of Woe. And it’s almost certain that Ranger is with Cat, and I bet Zeze is as well. So who is it…

[The Glyphstone]

Spoiler

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about that. Notice that during that part it’s mentioned that Cat has a band of her own… which doesn’t include Akua, who’s not Named anyway, Hanno, who is technically in the same boat, OR Archer, who’s transitioning. Or even Hakram. So it’s not a band of Woe. And it’s almost certain that Ranger is with Cat, and I bet Zeze is as well. So who is it…

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Huh, yes. And neither of their DK-killing superweapons are with Cat's mysterious band either.

[lord_khaine]

Well. And now we got a better idea of why none of those super weapons were with Cat.
She seems to be on a unexpected sneaky backdoor mission. Just sadly one the Bard predicted by the look of it.

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But yeah an awesome couple of chapters in rapid succesion here.
Significant development for everyone.

Except Abigail the Fox. Please newer change.
I know she is massively inspired by Mat Cauldron. But sufficiently different that i like her.

Also quite the tense ending with Hanno finally leaving the silver coin behind.
And the question of what his new Name will be lingering.

[Rynjin]

Hey, given that the WoT tv show is set to probably butcher Mat's character like everyone else', I'll take as much good Mat-adjacent material as I can get, damn it.

[halfeye]

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I wonder which Name Hanno is closing in on.

[lord_khaine]

Reasonable point. This is likely the best Mat we will get in a while.
Honestly Abigals final lie cracked me up :D

With Hanno im more interested in what Aspect he gets actually.
As his final revalation were about needing power it seems like it will be a kickass aspect on a person who already have the reflexes to catch a hawk arrow in flight.

[Dragonus45]

It's clear from his conversation that he will still be the White Knight he just won't have Judgement as an aspect anymore.

[The Glyphstone]

Spoiler: Legends III

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I gotta say, Rozala Malanza clobbering skeletons in her custom-fitted baby-bump plate armor is an awesome mental image.

[tyckspoon]

So Hanno's new Role is.. being All Might. Definitely did not predict that.

[Dragonus45]

It suits him though.

[Thomas Cardew]

So who/what do people think he was listening to? Choir? A new aspect that tells him where he's need/ hear cries for help similar to Receive? Some new narrative super sense or aspect?

[tyckspoon]

So who/what do people think he was listening to? Choir? A new aspect that tells him where he's need/ hear cries for help similar to Receive? Some new narrative super sense or aspect?

Not a Choir, I think, unless he's made a connection with one that has not previously been mentioned - definitely not Contrition and he rejected Judgement. Compassion doesn't do combat heroes, especially not when Hanno has shown no inclination to forswear fighting other people and only try to destroy literal monsters.
Endurance has been noted as being related to more passive/support-focused Named, which doesn't match well to his story arc of deciding for himself that he wants to take a more active hand in things. Although it is certainly possible EE wants to feature them and they could easily be bent to a more active take on their area of responsibility - shielding others and taking on their burdens by actively destroying threats instead of passively defending against them. The whole "I will be the one that takes the risk and the danger so others do not have to" bit could also fit into Mercy pretty easily.

..so actually I guess it could be a Choir? Endurance or Mercy, and Mercy has already been shown to be a pretty active group with their interactions with Grey Pilgrim (.. but just meta-thinking, we also already have -seen- Mercy a lot with Grey Pilgrim, and I don't know what further story purpose would be served by also attaching them to Hanno.)

My guess would be he's either tapping into a story-sense, as he's associated with the Warden and he always had a pretty strong feel for storycraft, or he's using Name-sharpened senses to pick out the places he needs to go to. Probably feeling for a story, finding the places that fit the Role he is making for himself.

[The Glyphstone]

It feels a lot like Kingfisher Prince and Aid.

[Rydiro]

I do not think he rejected Judgement. Just the idea, that Judgement makes all decisions for him. "I want to be just" is still his motivation. Thats where his faith/light comes from.
I think that makes him a champion of Judgement, whether he likes it or not. His only question until now was if he should take up the Name again.

[lord_khaine]

.. yeah..
This does about cover it. had not seen it come.

So Hanno's new Role is.. being All Might

He honestly does a pretty badass job of it to.
If anything his ability to use light has seemingly been empowered even further?
If it has gotten to the point where he accidentially blind people.

Personally my money would have been on mercy having found a new champion.
Tariq were basically guided the same way. Subtle whispers telling him in what direction he was needed the most.
But im uncertain about how well it fits his sworn role as enforcer of the accords.

I really dont think he is back with judgement though.
basically the entire thing about being the Sword of Judgement. Was the realisation that human perspective were flawed.
So that they cant judge fairly. Hanno rejected that premise.

[Forum Explorer]

I do not think he rejected Judgement. Just the idea, that Judgement makes all decisions for him. "I want to be just" is still his motivation. Thats where his faith/light comes from.
I think that makes him a champion of Judgement, whether he likes it or not. His only question until now was if he should take up the Name again.

I'd describe it as embracing uncertainty and imperfections. He's going to try and be just and do the right thing. But he's not going to let not necessarily knowing what that is stop him from acting at all.

[lord_khaine]

I'd describe it as embracing uncertainty and imperfections. He's going to try and be just and do the right thing. But he's not going to let not necessarily knowing what that is stop him from acting at all.

I see it more as accepting the responsibility for his own choices that he initially became the Sword of Judgement.
And i do look forward to hearing his name.

[Rynjin]

And his Name is...

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JOOOOOOHN CENAAAAA BABADUMBAAAAAAAAAA BABADUMBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

[HolyDraconus]

And his Name is...

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JOOOOOOHN CENAAAAA BABADUMBAAAAAAAAAA BABADUMBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

You are evil.

[Thomas Cardew]

Gods above I love Hanno; it was worth waiting for that alone. And today it would not be enough.

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Straight up video game PC now. Speed running the battle complete with a once per day console command hack. 1V5 against the Scourges and he's just annoyed that they ran away instead of letting him solo them.

[The Glyphstone]

I hereby award myself 1 Internet for correctly guessing the nature of Hanno's aspect. It really is a super Light powered version of Aid.

And he got a super powered version of Forgive to go with it. Tariq could resurrect one person, Hanno could theoretically resurrect an army if they all died simultaneously to one calamity.

[lord_khaine]

Fair. Hanno did in fact become White Knight again.
Its also hard to see if his new aspects actually help him in combat.
It does not seem like its the case he needed anything other than a full name charging his Light to solo juggernauts like the Prince.

It also seems like Akua's redemption is taking shape.
Quite likely it now involves one of the greatest mages of the current age giving up her magic.

[Rydiro]

Gods above I love Hanno; it was worth waiting for that alone. And today it would not be enough.

Spoiler

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Straight up video game PC now. Speed running the battle complete with a once per day console command hack. 1V5 against the Scourges and he's just annoyed that they ran away instead of letting him solo them.

It really seems Named do get more powerful as they accumulate experience. And Hanno has been in a lot of conflicts.
He doesn't even need aspects to weave most miracles, he simply uses his light.

[The Glyphstone]

It does seem like Save juices him up when he's Saving someone, though.

Nim is actually more interesting to me. We knew she could body-puppet her soldiers already, but now we know the name of the Aspect behind it. Survey, Delegate, and Commission are a very interesting set of Aspects, especially in contrast to the previous Black Knight's trio of Lead, Conquer and Destroy. Amadeus was a squishy human with a brilliant mind, his Name gave him the raw might needed to lead the Legions to victory. Nim is an ogre and has might in spades, her Name helps her abilities as a commander and tactician.

Though it appears Delegate and Commission are very similar, I wonder why the differences are...

[Thomas Cardew]

Fair. Hanno did in fact become White Knight again.
Its also hard to see if his new aspects actually help him in combat.
It does not seem like its the case he needed anything other than a full name charging his Light to solo juggernauts like the Prince.

It also seems like Akua's redemption is taking shape.
Quite likely it now involves one of the greatest mages of the current age giving up her magic.

Hanno calls out that it does: "It felt natural to step in, to break the Revenant’s arm and boil its inside in a flash of Light. Never before had the Light come so easy to his call or his body been so light. The aspect, he decided. It was not simple sight."

Black Knight is interesting because it really show how much she thinks of herself as part of the Army while Amadeus did not. There's no possibility of her leaving command with someone else, like Amadeus did with Grem at Red Vales. Amadeus was still formed in the old mold of a 'Black Knight to break heroes' while Nim is in the one he shaped of 'leader of the Praes' Army'.

[lord_khaine]

Oh yeah alright. So it is the Aspect that turns him into All Might whenever there are people to save.
He becomes a pretty big problem to deal with then. Cant really target lesser heroes around him as that pushes him to an absurd level of power.
And well.. almost everyone except for perhaps Mirror Knight is "lesser" when it comes to a slugging match.

[Alandra]

Nim is actually more interesting to me. We knew she could body-puppet her soldiers already, but now we know the name of the Aspect behind it. Survey, Delegate, and Commission are a very interesting set of Aspects, especially in contrast to the previous Black Knight's trio of Lead, Conquer and Destroy. Amadeus was a squishy human with a brilliant mind, his Name gave him the raw might needed to lead the Legions to victory. Nim is an ogre and has might in spades, her Name helps her abilities as a commander and tactician.

Though it appears Delegate and Commission are very similar, I wonder why the differences are...

Amadeus' aspects fit the person he was pretending to be (an evil, remorseless killing machine) a lot more than the person he actually was (he stepped aside to let Malicia lead the empire, he conquered Callow only because he was literally forced to do so, he hated destroying anything because he thought it was a waste). I wouldn't be surprised if he had permanently changed the Role of the Black Knight and that is part of the reason why Hume's aspects are so different from his.

Also, it looks like the Bard has again managed to be utterly misleading with her inner monologue - it sounded like she wanted to destroy the Crown of Autumn when apparently she only wanted to change its nature and make it a prison that the Dead King wouldn't be willing to accept.
Do you think that Archer is currently a villain? Saving her friend instead of the crown seems like a fairly "heroic" thing to do.

[lord_khaine]

Amadeus' aspects fit the person he was pretending to be (an evil, remorseless killing machine) a lot more than the person he actually was (he stepped aside to let Malicia lead the empire, he conquered Callow only because he was literally forced to do so, he hated destroying anything because he thought it was a waste). I wouldn't be surprised if he had permanently changed the Role of the Black Knight and that is part of the reason why Hume's aspects are so different from his.

You dont get aspects according to who you pretend to be. You got them according to who you are and what you stand for.
Honestly i think the only thing that really set him apart from previous Black Knights, is his intellect and story sense.
He was still a emotionless monster of staggering proportions. Only.. his crimes were so big they become statistics. We cant comprehend the amount of pain and suffering he is responsible for.
But just to put things into perspective. He is the person who kills children to avoid them growing into heroes as adults.

Hume's aspects are different because she is a different person.

Also, it looks like the Bard has again managed to be utterly misleading with her inner monologue - it sounded like she wanted to destroy the Crown of Autumn when apparently she only wanted to change its nature and make it a prison that the Dead King wouldn't be willing to accept.
Do you think that Archer is currently a villain? Saving her friend instead of the crown seems like a fairly "heroic" thing to do.

Else have i overlooked something with Bard? why would we think she was able to predict that Akua could salvage something from the pieces of the crown?

And i would say absolutely Archer is a Villain. Saving Someone you have grown to like really isnt a heroic deed.

[Dragonus45]

Else have i overlooked something with Bard? why would we think she was able to predict that Akua could salvage something from the pieces of the crown?

And i would say absolutely Archer is a Villain. Saving Someone you have grown to like really isnt a heroic deed.

Before Cat took her eyes she probably easily could have done so, now it feels like she is flailing a little. Either outcome is good for her though so I think it is a moot point.

As for Archer, she has grown a whole ****ing lot as a person over this story and she certainly is still not a hero and probably won't be in her new name unless her whole thing about wanting to wander the world and see the sights and explore accidentally slots her into some wandering anti hero Clint Eastwood archetype where she wanders in helps people despite being kind of an ******* about it because she has a conscience now and then leaves before people get sappy about it. Now I kind of want to see the Name "Man With No Name"