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

[Rydiro]

Spoiler

Show

The potion thing was one of malicias most illogical diabolus ex machinas. How can you trick THE CONCOCTOR on her masterpiece? You dont even know enough about what she does. How do you make sure Cat uses the good potions on the way in and not the ineffective ones?

Also boo, barred bonus chapters.

[Tvtyrant]

Spoiler

Show

The potion thing was one of malicias most illogical diabolus ex machinas. How can you trick THE CONCOCTOR on her masterpiece? You dont even know enough about what she does. How do you make sure Cat uses the good potions on the way in and not the ineffective ones?

Also boo, barred bonus chapters.

Spoiler

Show

Because the narrative guided Cat's hand to the right potion is the in universe answer.

One thing I love about the different chapter intro quotes is they show you the rules of narration were discovered by trial and error. People were throwing people off ledges and noticing they weren't dying over the course of thousands of years.

[Rydiro]

Spoiler

Show

Because the narrative guided Cat's hand to the right potion is the in universe answer.

One thing I love about the different chapter intro quotes is they show you the rules of narration were discovered by trial and error. People were throwing people off ledges and noticing they weren't dying over the course of thousands of years.

As I understand it, the stories which the common folks tell directly shape creation. The heroes that survived were vividly talked about, which led to more heroes surviving. Chicken and egg, really.
This whole episode nicely had the same narrative structure Black explained way back "What to expect when entering a villains lair."

[Tvtyrant]

As I understand it, the stories which the common folks tell directly shape creation. The heroes that survived were vividly talked about, which led to more heroes surviving. Chicken and egg, really.
This whole episode nicely had the same narrative structure Black explained way back "What to expect when entering a villains lair."

That's how Names work for sure. But if narrative worked that way you could change the rules by just spreading enough rumors and propaganda.

[Rydiro]

That's how Names work for sure. But if narrative worked that way you could change the rules by just spreading enough rumors and propaganda.

That is the goal of the Cats accords. Rig the game so that people "know" the rulebreakers/superweapons always fail. Which brings a self-reinforcing story-pattern on creation. Subsequent rulebreakers will find it harder and harder to pull off their stunts.

[InvisibleBison]

That is the goal of the Cats accords. Rig the game so that people "know" the rulebreakers/superweapons always fail. Which brings a self-reinforcing story-pattern on creation. Subsequent rulebreakers will find it harder and harder to pull off their stunts.

Where are you getting that from? As far as I can recall, the goal of the Accords has always been presented as regulating the behavior of Named. I don't think Cat said anything about trying to create a story shift even when she was discussing the Accords with Black, who'd be the most likely to actually understand the concept.

[Rydiro]

Where are you getting that from?

If I could just find the chapter...
As far as I remember it was one of the earlier ones. Admittedly, it was more of a side effect of the accords that long-term superweapons would be doomed to fail by story.

[AmberVael]

That is in fact a purpose of the Accords. Hanno is actually the one who picks up on it.

“If the flying fortress crowd and the Contrition-ritual crowd always die, always fail? People will remember that,” I quietly agreed. “Gods know it’ll be public enough when the hammer’s brought down. And when it’s been happening for long enough, well, everyone will ‘know’ that sort of thing doesn’t work. Same way heroes don’t die when they’re thrown down cliffs or villains don’t get beaten on the first step of their plan.”

It's part of their conversation during their very first meeting.

https://practicalguidetoevil.wordpre...ter-75-analog/

[Mith]

I think that the effect of 'everyone knows these things happen' is an effect of the fact that Creation is a wager of the Gods. So if Above is allowed to save Heroes from dying form falling off cliffs ('They are not dead until you have a corpse') then Below gets something in exchange. Over time, these quirks of narrative become the the 'common arguments' that are no longer contested.

The Accords is a institution that forces the 'rules' to be rewritten. Below aligns well with it because it is hte mortals self actualizing beyond what the Gods have given them, and Above can see merit in binding the Named to laws that lie at least in part with the the Laws of the Heavens.

I know that no one 'speaks for the Heavens' in a way to get the Gods perspective on this, but I do think there is some merit with Tariq's reflection on the Accords to deem them acceptable. Since if Mercy accepts it, then at least some of the virtues that Above seeks would arise from this as well.

In a way, it's not surprising that Cordellia and Cat are so close in alignment on many things and yet so diametrically opposed in others. The scope of what they wish to achieve (The setting of boundaries and rules on a continent wide accord) are the same. Hells, Cat's use of the War on Keter to bind the Accords is the same reasoning as Cordelia using the Crusade against Callow and Praes in this framework.

[Rydiro]

That is in fact a purpose of the Accords. Hanno is actually the one who picks up on it.
It's part of their conversation during their very first meeting.
https://practicalguidetoevil.wordpre...ter-75-analog/

Thanks AmberVael. How did you find it?

[Mith]

Thanks AmberVael. How did you find it?

Potentially by just having the major moments of the story memorized in terms of what else was happening around that time. I know I apprently can pull some pretty minor scenes out that way.

[AmberVael]

My memory is good at stuff like this. That said, I also just completed a full reread, so everything is pretty fresh in my mind.

[The Glyphstone]

The only thing that frustrates me about Practical Guide is the lack of any sort of practical index or search. The chapter titles are fun but its impossible to easily go back and re read stuff like this.

[Thomas Cardew]

If you can remember a specific line from the scene you're interested in, I've had decent success with a site specific Google search.

[halfeye]

Spoiler

Show

And with a single bound, she was free.

[The Glyphstone]

Apparently they underestimate Cat as much as they do her father/teacher.

[Tvtyrant]

Spoiler

Show

I guess her Name trumps the Empress' Name. That's some fire power, the DE is one of the strongest Names as far as I know.

[The Glyphstone]

Spoiler

Show

I guess her Name trumps the Empress' Name. That's some fire power, the DE is one of the strongest Names as far as I know.

Spoiler

Show

Considering the Dead King is all but regarded as a god, and he considers her an eventual peer to himself, yeah. She's going to be a powerhouse.

Plus, Malicia was pitting Name vs. Name at a disadvantage, because Rule specifically gives her dominion over non-Named. Catherine is technically not Named, but her building Name is, at this point, clearly something with authority over other Named. So even in its slumbering state, it's reflexively fighting back with the advantage.

[Mith]

Spoiler: New Chapter

Show

Well those two bombshells landed more or less where I had expected hem too and still blew me away.

1) I had figured Assassin was a puppet managed by Scribe. Vivienne's description of her encounter with them had a lot of hints of Scribe-esque features (hints of Fade), and when Assassin has been explicitly depicted on screen, (especially with his death at Second Liesse), there were similarities to that and corpse puppets we have seen elsewhere in the series. What I am curious about is if Scribe has to retrieve the body every time, or does she at some point have it just return to her with it's new mutations (basically it's a genetic algorithm approaching the 'perfect' assassin.)

2) And now the final stage of Cat's plan is enacted in all it's bloody glory. We love to hate to see it.

By final stage, I mean that now Akua is on her own at the top of the hill deciding which way she will go. She got one last time by the fire, but now the hearth has gone cold. Cat has no influence over what Akua does now.

There is interesting point that 'The Girl who Climbed the Tower' seems to align very close to Akua's own path at the moment, potentially indicating that she will climb the Tower as her own person, and that Cat's plan for Black to take the Tower will not bear fruition.

[Tvtyrant]

Spoiler: New Chapter

Show

Well those two bombshells landed more or less where I had expected hem too and still blew me away.

1) I had figured Assassin was a puppet managed by Scribe. Vivienne's description of her encounter with them had a lot of hints of Scribe-esque features (hints of Fade), and when Assassin has been explicitly depicted on screen, (especially with his death at Second Liesse), there were similarities to that and corpse puppets we have seen elsewhere in the series. What I am curious about is if Scribe has to retrieve the body every time, or does she at some point have it just return to her with it's new mutations (basically it's a genetic algorithm approaching the 'perfect' assassin.)

2) And now the final stage of Cat's plan is enacted in all it's bloody glory. We love to hat to see it.

Spoiler

Show

1. I totally missed the beats on this one, caught me entirely by surprise. I was expecting assassin to just be Ranger tbh.

2. This scene was so painful I wish it had been its own chapter, because it overshadows everything else.

[Mith]

Spoiler

Show

1. I totally missed the beats on this one, caught me entirely by surprise. I was expecting assassin to just be Ranger tbh.

2. This scene was so painful I wish it had been its own chapter, because it overshadows everything else.

Spoiler

Show

On the other hand, this mirrors Cat's previous interaction with Killian as I recall: an aside after good times with friends, with the bindings cut quick and clean. I don't know what more would need to be said between them.

And I would think the overshadowing is part of the point. All the interesting lore/fun fire side interactions smothered in a few paragraphs.

[Tvtyrant]

Spoiler

Show

On the other hand, this mirrors Cat's previous interaction with Killian as I recall: an aside after good times with friends, with the bindings cut quick and clean. I don't know what more would need to be said between them.

And I would think the overshadowing is part of the point. All the interesting lore/fun fire side interactions smothered in a few paragraphs.

Spoiler

Show

She even calls back to her conversation with Killian in this conversation so we know the link is being made deliberately.

Yeah, but since the author adheres to conservation of details and peppers later plot points into these chats, I would prefer my emotional response be separated a bit. I'm not goin to recall anything from the sideplots in this chapter.

[Mith]

Spoiler

Show

She even calls back to her conversation with Killian in this conversation so we know the link is being made deliberately.

Yeah, but since the author adheres to conservation of details and peppers later plot points into these chats, I would prefer my emotional response be separated a bit. I'm not goin to recall anything from the sideplots in this chapter.

That's entirely fair. I'm usually good at keeping track of those details, but I do see what you mean about keeping key events separate to keep things separate. I think I am looking at this more from a final book perspective, where I think the one-two sitting read of a novel makes it easier to retain information than the webserial method. Plus, I am pretty sure Maseago will have more insight into Assassin as well, so those details will be revisited to refresh the readers memory and improve our understanding of the other bits of information.

[Rydiro]

Did Akua just become good to boink Cat or did I misread something here?

[Tvtyrant]

Did Akua just become good to boink Cat or did I misread something here?

Spoiler

Show

I think it is more she fell legitimately in love with Cat as she became less evil. Remember she loved her Dad, which was the only part of her life untainted by competition. Essentially Akua pretended to be less evil to try to weasel out of her situation, but as she did she became better and more vulnerable, and Cat rewarded her vulnerability with companionship and hope. Then once Akua was fully vulnerable Cat slapped her down, hurting her in a way that killing her never could. The side problem is, Cat loves Akua as well and didn't expect to.

Basically as I see it: Akua was always attracted to Cat, and saw it as a game. Then she proved she was loyal to Cat when Cat was beaten by the Twins and she fought deities so protect her. Then Cat freed Akua, and Akua was free to turn her interest into love. By this time she had become a better person, and she focused that into Cat. Cat was in a sense her hope of being forgiven, if Cat forgave her she could forgive herself. But Cat denies her, and now she is left with no room but to look full open her actions.

[Forum Explorer]

You know, when Cat swore that her revenge against Akua would be talked about in song for a thousand years, I didn't expect it to be because of the tragic romance.

[Tvtyrant]

You know, when Cat swore that her revenge against Akua would be talked about in song for a thousand years, I didn't expect it to be because of the tragic romance.

Cordelia agrees apparently :P

Spoiler

Show

So things are double ++ bad as we knew, and the war effort is doomed. We are going to test the angel gun and see how it works.

[Rydiro]

You know, when Cat swore that her revenge against Akua would be talked about in song for a thousand years, I didn't expect it to be because of the tragic romance.

Sigh ... Akua making the dumb choice and falling for the betrayal trap. Instead of leaving this dumpster fire to begin a life of her own.
At least Kilian made the smart choice of abandoning the control-freak Cat.
I guess this will lead to interestig character-development for Akua, but i thought she was further than this on the road to not-capital good.

[Mith]

Sigh ... Akua making the dumb choice and falling for the betrayal trap. Instead of leaving this dumpster fire to begin a life of her own.
At least Kilian made the smart choice of abandoning the control-freak Cat.
I guess this will lead to interestig character-development for Akua, but i thought she was further than this on the road to not-capital good.

I mean, she still thought that the death of the boy who showed her the cave was a humourous aside...

[Tvtyrant]

Alright, so we have the classic setup in place. A bunch of actors moving towards each other, all but one with scrutable actions and motives. Ranger's probably going to try to kill Masego to "fix" Archer and Cat is going to try and stop her.