## [RT][HF] A Practical Guide to Evil: Book 4: Chapter 25: Edge * Author: u/Zayits * * URL: https://practicalguidetoevil.wordpress.com/2018/07/02/chapter-25-edge/ * Score: 70 * Created: 2018-07-02T04:04:59 ### Post: [Link to content](https://practicalguidetoevil.wordpress.com/2018/07/02/chapter-25-edge/) ### Comments: > **u/TideofKhatanga** [+21] (2 hours later) > > Shower thought: what if Akua, being positively certain that Cat is the next Dread Empress, is willingly putting herself in a position of complete submission to her in exchange for being her most useful tool in political regards? She's already replaced Aisha as Cat's closest political advisor and now she has found a way to directly interact with others while holding this same position of political right-hand to the crown. All this while also strengthening Cat's leash over her, which she knows is a prerequisite condition to her continued existence. > > Said another way, what if Akua is building her claim to the Name of Chancellor? >> **u/cyberdsaiyan** [+13] (3 hours later) >> >> Interesting theory... we know that Chancellor's eventually betraying their rulers and taking up the throne is a common plot in Praesi stories, so with such a move she eventually paves the way for her own path to becoming Dread Empress... >> >> I'm curious as to how Cat views the Name of Chancellor, we know the Calamities and Malicia are actively destroying any trace of the Name but we don't know what Cat thinks of it. Adjutant, to her, feels like the same role a chancellor might take, but without the chronic scheming/backstabbing inherent to Praesi culture. But honestly I think if Akua gains any *overt* power, Cat will just wipe her soul and be done with it. >>> **u/TideofKhatanga** [+16] (4 hours later) >>> >>> Remember that Akua has a specific view of what Praes is. >>> >>> >“Praes is a story,” she said. “A Tyrant to lead us. A Black Knight to break heroes. A Warlock to craft wonders. A Chancellor to rule behind them. And an Empire like clay, to shape into the tool they need: an entire nation built to empower the ambitions of a single villain.” >>> >>> Cat is currently building something that look a bit like that (though it's not her endgame) and there's no one that quite fits the Chancellor role yet. Hakram doesn't rule, he administrates (the current "chancellor" of Callow is Kendal). He's also too important to Cat to stay on purely political duties. Besides, his lack of backstabbing tendancies is a point against him here, Chancellors are supposed to treacherous. Kendall, Ratface and Talbot would be contenders but they all lack the narrative weight that Akua has. >>> >>> Akua is currently working on two things: making herself useful and make herself untouchable. My theory is that, by becoming one with Winter as she's shown to be, Akua hopes that Catherine can't easily kill her anymore. Doing so would damage her too much. And if it makes Akua absolutely enslaved to Cat's will, well, then she's not a threat anymore and can be worked with. She only needs to keep her game under wraps until she can't be easily removed anymore, which she is more than capable of given that it was her main scheme for two entire books. >>> >>> That said, while I think that's her plan, I don't think it will work out quite like that. >>>> **u/cyberdsaiyan** [+10] (7 hours later) >>>> >>>> It's one of those typical akua style plots where she always misses something important. In this case, probably the Liesse accords, whatever they are... >>> **u/xland44** [+2] (a day later) >>> >>> >Cat will just wipe her soul and be done with it. >>> >>> I'm not sure if that's still possible. >>>> **u/cyberdsaiyan** [+1] (a day later) >>>> >>>> If it's not, I think they should be very very wary of moving forward. I think currently Cat has much more control over Akua's soul since she has bound herself as an entity using winter. >>>>> **u/xland44** [+2] (a day later) >>>>> >>>>> More control, but that's because Akua is closer to being a part of her. Cutting off Akua would be cutting off herself >>>>> >>>>> > “She devoured part of the mantle, I would say, and wove herself into its very fabric,” >>>>>> **u/cyberdsaiyan** [+1] (a day later) >>>>>> >>>>>> Reminder that Cat's an expert at self mutilation towards the pursuit of her goals. Even if Akua was a part of her, she wouldn't mind just destroying that part of her soul to get rid of her if it becomes necessary. > **u/CouteauBleu** [+20] *We are the Empire.* (6 hours later) > > > “Might want to do that again, just to be sure,” Thief said, smiling viciously. > > > > “If you want to tear out butterfly wings, do it on your own time,” Juniper grunted. “Sahelian, do you have knowledge of the Dead King?” > > I love Juniper. She's having none of that supervillain crap. > **u/cyberdsaiyan** [+10] (an hour later) > > wow, just... wow... cat's finally recognised that playing nice isn't really getting them anywhere, but holding the dead king as a knife to procer's throat... that could have story implications which might tie in with cat's "redemption" story that is ongoing. This entire plan is super high risk, so exciting! > > Also Akua is slowly progressing her schemes as well, whatever they are... at least she's being useful for now. >> **u/Empiricist_or_not** [+6] *Aspiring polite Hegemonizing swarm* (9 hours later) >> >> Is it Cat's redemption story or Akua's. I've never seen a single point that makes me think Cat misses the redemption story (her I ternal monologue is noticibly blank of rejecting it outright) and many beats where she's almost as outraged as Black by heroic hax, Akua would see that as more power and Cat needs an opposite number enfocing the Liesse accords. If I'm mistaken please point out the quotes, but I think Cat is reluctantly crafting a hero who she can have soulbound to the accords. >>> **u/cyberdsaiyan** [+2] (13 hours later) >>> >>> A heroic redemption arc is only possible for people who were only token villains/victims of circumstance etc. in case of villains like Akua who have committed mass atrocities on a grand scale without even a shred of regret/remorse, the best that can be done with is redemption equals death, along with the fact that I don't really see *any* of the choirs willingly granting Akua fucking Sahelian their power to "do good". >>> >>> Unless there was a bigger threat that they would need her *specifically* for... like the Dead King. >>> >>> And Cat has precedent in cheating the "death" part of the narrative by technically dying... >>> >>> But even with all that, the very idea of Akua as a hero would change pretty much everything about the endgame... like, if the choirs get super desperate and make Akua their champion, it could have far reaching implications regarding the whole Good v Evil story that calernia is modelled on. If someone who has murdered a hundred thousand people as a *distraction* can qualify as a "good" person, then what is Evil anyway? >>> >>> I could totally see it happening though, that's scary... >>>> **u/Empiricist_or_not** [+2] *Aspiring polite Hegemonizing swarm* (a day later) >>>> >>>> >I could totally see it happening though, that's scary... >>>> >>>> With apoligies to /u/ErraticErrata if I am stealing his thunder, let's reinforce your statement with some context. This is a story is which the *Woe* are superseding/replacing/*upsurping?* the *Calamities*, and our protagonist? Catherine **the foundling** is in her early twenties and was born after the conquest; in that time: >>>> >>>> * Maliciea, who is not a member of the Calamities has ruled over Praes and Callow ruling via noble infighting, Black and her unstated but overt (to Black and Cat) condonement of the Lies tragedy on top of the no doubt larger slaughters she has caused as well as ultimate responsibility for the bleeding to expand the green stretch by ritual magic. >>>> >>>> * Black who has been Malicia's red right hand uprooting rebellion in Callow, and in which capacity has (reluctantly) established the rule of governors, his death toll is less then Malicia's only because he isn't responsible for Liesse, or anything else he didn't know about, but the rape and murder we see in the first chapter are explicitly *his fault* even if he is cleaning it up and inducts Cat i n the progress *after all that was his goal*, or did you think he allowed the governors without a good cause? >>>> >>>> * Tyrant, tyrant has no redeeming qualities other than raising Hierarch to a **Name**, I am saddened to say that may spare him. >>>> >>>> * Trismegistus(sp?) The dead king. The guy has been a litch for more than two thousand years, zombified the entire nation he ruled, and may only have not conquered the rest of creation because he 1) is now bound by demon rules for conquering a hell 2) was bound by the empress Triumphant *may she never return* 3) Is busy studying like Warlock or Hierophant to become a big G God, or something else >>>> >>>> * William who was going to **soul rape** a major city (I'm assuming a million plus but an archive dive may provide a lower number; but this isn't murder, it's *soul rape* aka fucking mind crime, something maybe deserving true death even after we defeat death) >>>> >>>> In this larger context Ubua really does qualify as a: >>>> > token villains/victims of circumstance >>>>> **u/cyberdsaiyan** [+3] (a day later) >>>>> >>>>> This kind of ignores the morality of the Gods Above. To them, it's not mind rape, it's the call to arms for people to fight for a "good" cause, and apparently it's a weapon given to William by the Gods themselves, so we can be assured that they're fine with mindraping innocents as long as it's for a "good" cause, i.e. fighting "evil". And they accepted the sacrifice of William's life as the penalty for doing so, basically redeeming him of any notion of "crime" by his death. >>>>> >>>>> Ubua is *definitely* not a "villain of circumstance", you can see that in the 3 stories trap that she laid for Catherine. Every single different story ended with Akua murdering her way to power and asking Cat to kneel before her. Which kinda means that she would've been a villain no matter the circumstance, because it's a part of her. >>>>> >>>>> Maybe before second Liesse she maybe, might have had a very very microscopic chance to get a mantle from the heavens, if she expressed contrition or mercy or whatever other choir qualities there are (consider if she would even be capable of doing so). But after the massacre, Akua is an abomination to the gods, because not only did she kill those people, she turned them into undead that can't be killed with priestly healing, which is basically an *insult* straight to the faces of the gods above, basically defying their authority over undead, and she herself is a soul in a cape, going against the concept of life and death that the Above preaches. >>>>> >>>>> So, no, I don't think the gods above will gift a heroic mantle to Akua unless there is a much much bigger threat and they're very very desperate. And if/when they do this, it will be a turning point in the history of calernia. >>>>> >>>>> And I think the Above knows this, and won't make that mistake. >>>>>> **u/Empiricist_or_not** [+2] *Aspiring polite Hegemonizing swarm* (a day later) >>>>>> >>>>>> >Unless there is a much bigger threat >>>>>> >>>>>> How big of a threat do you think the foundling is going to get? I think we agree on how evil a monster Akua is, but differ on what the tyrant God's above will be forced to choose as Cat continues to ramp up. Cat doesn't go through a book without achieving a *significant* power-up, and with The Dead King, and The Grey Pilgrim on the board there is a choice of redemption; or Eldritch power usurpation; or establishing precident for diplomatic peace with things athetical to the gods if she can get him roaming and leaving outside his borders, and at a negotiation table. Cat doesn't want redemption it'd just put her on the side of the light psycos instead of the dark ones, and her last power up while of winter/unseelie court is far not magical or divine (generally an other thematically at right angles or at least skewed off axis to the good evil poles). Someone is probably going to get redeemed with the Grey Pilgrim in the heart of Callow but it's a fools move for Cat, and then there's the Dead King and Cat is carrying the soul of the only other practicioner to create a greater breech . . . Who really got invited? >>>>>>> **u/cyberdsaiyan** [+2] (a day later) >>>>>>> >>>>>>> However much of a threat Catherine eventually becomes, as long as she holds on to her ideals of achieving lasting peace for her people, there is no real danger to anything that the Gods Above proclaim, other than just the changing of the status quo of Callow with regards to the eternal conflict in Calernia. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> And if, for the Gods Above, status quo is greater than all else, then yeah they will be super desperate to destroy Catherine. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> Buuut recruiting Akua Sahelian, whose evil deeds are known throughout Calernia, would present a very similar dilemma. If she becomes a "hero" or acquires a "heroic mantle" then that means that the Gods Above condone her actions, and then that means they no longer have justification to go on crusades against Malicia OR the Dead King... THAT seems like a much more certain death of the status quo than anything Catherine can do just by sitting in Callow... > **u/serge_cell** [+5] (4 hours later) > > Akua eating Cat's mantle may led to complete merge of Akua and mantle. Cat will effectively have sentient but somehow treacherous artifact mantle. >> **u/CouteauBleu** [+13] *We are the Empire.* (6 hours later) >> >> Just so we're clear, she ate the metaphorical "winter" mantle, not the physical cloak with all the stripes. >>> **u/dashelgr** [+6] (9 hours later) >>> >>> Haha now I've got an image of a Dr strange like cape for Cat, that only occasionally tries to strangle her >> **u/signspace13** [+7] (17 hours later) >> >> Imagine if that becomes the case, I keep imaging Akua as some Hero's spirit guide in 1000 year. Trapped in the mantle of woe and buried with Catherine, some hero goes to the site of this great evil for loot and treasure, they stumble upon this dark cloak, covered in patches of banners and magic resistant. He puts it on and is filled with cold hungry power that they must learn to control without it controlling them, and then a beautiful Woman appears from nowhere telling them that now that he owns the cloak she will teach him to master it's power. Years down the line when they are moments from victory and at the height of their power, she rips it away from them, their power having failed they die, only hearing the laughter of their closest friend as she watches. Would be a great tragedy. >>> **u/earnestadmission** [+2] *Singular "they" user* (a day later) >>> >>> Especially if Akua is the last remaining artifact from the Age of Wonders (which Malicia claims is ending). > **u/JdubCT** [+3] (17 hours later) > > So, anyone else seeing Akua setting herself up as the Dead King to Catherine's Triumphant? > > She's not even being subtle about it. > **u/PastafarianGames** [+3] (17 hours later) > > Is it just me, or has Akua gotten less snide in the time of her tenure? Iron sharpens iron, so Akua might be going all subby for Cat... genuinely, not just as a power play, until such time as Cat fucks up enough that Akua can't resist trying for the backstab. > **u/needs_discipline_bad** [+3] (a day later) > > Is it just me that thinks that an invitation for the Dead King is just what Triumphant needs to return? This chapter repeated the fact of their alliance several times, it makes me suspicious that any invitation offered to the Dead King and his allies might extend to her as well... > **u/TaltosDreamer** [+2] (15 hours later) > > I think we have Akua working to become the Black Queen. This means that at a key moment, Cat can step out of the role and let Akua take the fall for it. > > I am imagining a deal where the Black Queen swears to give up her life at a predetermined event or time, and Cat later agrees to let Akua take that mantle. We already know Akua is unaware of things that occur when she isn't freed. ---