11 KiB
[RT][HF] A Practical Guide to Evil Book 3: Chapter 64: Solo
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Author: u/Yes_This_Is_God *
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URL: https://practicalguidetoevil.wordpress.com/2018/02/14/chapter-64-solo/
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Score: 58
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Created: 2018-02-14T05:04:10
Post:
Comments:
u/Ardvarkeating101 [+26] Father of Learning (20 minutes later)
Robber is now Greater lesser lesser footrest to the Black Queen of Callow
u/akaltyn [+4] (4 hours later)
since he seems to have managed to bypass the various wards does this mean he now has a name aspect or something?
u/leakycauldron [+8] Imperium of Man (5 hours later)
He could just be crafty.
Or maybe he was in Liesse before they were up?
Or maybe it doesn't work on goblins?
Or maybe she forgot to do ALL the roofs, not just this one?
Maybe he just pokes the wards with a 10ft pole.
u/CeruleanTresses [+13] (9 hours later)
He also presumably wouldn't be impeded by the wards crafted against fae.
u/paradoxinclination [+24] (29 minutes later)
It has to be said, Cat has a real flair for naming minions. Too bad they didn't last very long. You will be missed, Should Have Ducked.
u/TideofKhatanga [+22] (3 hours later)
In this chapter, Catherine Foundling casually and effortlessly:
destroys an army by looking at it funny
makes sentient and intelligent undead that can use magic
walks through a fortified castle, litterally at some point
tanks a couple blows from magical lasers that can blow up stone
does so while having a weak transitional Name
notices nothing unusual with any of the above
No wonder people find her absolutely terrifying. She rants about her past but she's come a long way from the girl that slept hungry because bread got too pricy.
u/melmonella [+14] Tremble, o ye mighty, for a new age is upon you (10 hours later)
There are some big transitional flags going all over this chapter though. She is pretty clearly angling for a power-up.
u/aeschenkarnos [+4] (16 hours later)
This series has the best depictions of the RPG trope of levelling-up, that I've ever read.
u/None [+2] (a day later)
I think you've got it backwards. The levelling up trope was always based on fantasy tropes. Think Rand from Wheel of Time, Kaladin from Stormlight Archive, etc. As you journey and adventure, you train, you quest, you learn techniques, you unlock inner reserves, etc. Fantasy RPGs codified that, but it's a trope as old as storytelling.
u/Flamesmcgee [+2] (2 days later)
Well yes, but you gotta admit, it's rare that fiction hits the higher levels in ways that feel credible.
u/Mgmtheo [+35] The Dread Empire of Praes (32 minutes later)
“Three can keep a secret, if two are dead. Unless you’re a necromancer, anyway, then the world is your blasphemous undead oyster.”
—Dread Emperor Sorcerous
u/rumblestiltsken [+13] (an hour later)
Very culture-esque naming.
So, her zombies can do magic? What?
Definitely on track for zombie Akua joining Cat's army with all her powers intact, alongside a few hundred thousand intelligent winter zombies.
u/akaltyn [+9] (4 hours later)
At the rick of borrowing too much gaming lingo her new ice zombies seem ridiculously OP. Being able to kill someone and resurrect them with all their knowledge intact and accessible breaks basically any conspiracy or attempt at secrecy. Imagine how useful it would be to capture an enemy scout and get all their knowledge about the army instantly.
I wasn't very clear from how it was phrased whether her zombies did magic to set eachother on fire or what. But if so then seriously broken pz nerf. Imagine her doing that on a battlefield slaughtering a whole mage line then having it turn against their own side :O
Based on how this story normally goes and the general rules of the world there is probably going to be some sort of cost or limitations to it though. Possibly using it forces her more and more into Fae mode. Or she can only raise the zombies in that manner because the pocket dimension links to her Domain of starless night, and she wouldn't be able to do it in normal circumstances.
u/None [+11] (9 hours later)
We've seen the Dead King do something very similar with his undead named in the Ranger interlude. Yes, it's OP, but not world breaking. Though the casualness with which she does it may be something.
I agree with /u/haiku_fornification the stage is set for Black to be resurrected as a Winter Zombie. We know Named Undead can exist, We know Cat has Undead powers that bring back the dead with personalities and knowledge. Liesse is the place where the first "resurrection" story happened.
It fulfills the story of Cat killing her master, allowing her to transition, presumably to Black Queen, by taking ownership of Black. It also set her in direct conflict with Malicia, suddenly owning her Black Knight and a good chunk of the remaining Legions. It also sets her in direct conflict with the rest of the Calamities for having power over Black.
There are three important cards left to be played that I think are relevant here, though maybe not all in this conflict.
1.) Adjutant's transition, I thought it would be to Black Knight, but if Black is sticking around, probably not.
2.) Ubua's got to have an inkling of SOME of this, and still has yet to use Cat's Fae nature against her for a real attack, especially since Daddy Dearest is waiting in the wings.
3.) Malicia's attempt to take control of the Greater Breach Array, (Maybe Cat can Take this, or Winter Zombie Ubua, although the latter strikes me as extremely dangerous, even more than Take which would likely backfire immediately.)Edit: I wonder if Ubua's captured Fae will make an appearance here. This is based on the speculation that there must be a Summer counterpart to Cat's Duchess, and that this particular Summer Fae was outside of Creation and Arcadia at the time the Queen and the rest of the Fae transitioned. It would also be thematically fitting for Ubua to have a Fae, being the representative of the Old Guard as she is.
u/haiku_fornification [+7] (11 hours later)
You also have to consider that the Greater Breach is powered by the Gestalt - a necromantic construct formed from the souls of Cat's ancestors. Given Cat's affinity with necromancy this could definitely come into play.
u/None [+3] (14 hours later)
Yeah, the pieces add up for her to be able to do it, necromantic power, Deorathie blood, Take, and Ubua presumably not being aware of the winter zombies because those are recent to this battle(the horse being a subtle version of it). It also ties up The Watch storyline in that they potentially become bound to her.
u/Ateddehber [+2] (2 days later)
The undead aren't named anymore. The ones Ranger encountered still had some name tricks, but they said that they used to have those names
u/haiku_fornification [+13] (3 hours later)
What are the chances Black will be resurrected as a Winter Zombie after Cat is forced to kill him? Seems a bit cliche but at the same time the foreshadowing is real.
I love the imagery of Cat embracing her hatred as literal darkness consumes the sky. Also, Robber getting a Name - yae or nay?
u/leakycauldron [+9] Imperium of Man (5 hours later)
Nay. If it happens, I'll eat my pricey bread.
u/M3mentoMori [+2] (17 hours later)
Pretty high, I'd say. I'm betting on Cat's first Aspect after transitioning into Black Queen to be Command, that can be used similar to Rule (though I don't think we know what Rule does, outside of Malicia being able to use it to Speak silently), but also what she does with Winter Zombies. That, or she gets Rule and keeps her mantle as Duchess.
As for Robber, I hope he doesn't get a Name. It feels like it'd detract from the character, though I can't quite articulate why.
u/Rheklr [+3] (a day later)
As for Robber, I hope he doesn't get a Name. It feels like it'd detract from the character, though I can't quite articulate why.
Because names have significant narrative weight, and as Cat said to be named is to want the world to be a certain way. That doesn't really apply to Robber as he's just there to have a blast.
u/Empiricist_or_not [+1] Aspiring polite Hegemonizing swarm (a day later)
Robber wants the world to be exciting. This is a reason everyone in that world should fear him transitioning into a name.
u/Zayits [+10] (40 minutes later)
So those are the fabled revolving wards, huh. Kind of funny, if one recalls that most of Summer's heavy hitters Akua had met before the siege were stuck in a cycle of hitting them and getting hit back.
u/akaltyn [+10] (4 hours later)
I think this is the first time we’ve seen her fully embrace her title as Duchess of Moonless Nights. Previously she has just been using standard winter powers of ice and cold, but she now seems to be controlling her Domain in the same way as an aspect.
(I'm capitalising Domain because I assume it works similarly to an Aspect or Name. But iirc we haven't had much information about what it means in practice. Seems she has been pretty reluctant to delve deeper into it.)
u/TheEngineer923 [+2] (a day later)
Well, if Black dies and gets resurrected as an undead zombie he would be the Ur example of a Death Knight, freeing up the Name of Black Knight for Hakram.
Remember Black knows the likely outcome for him and his prized student assaulting the fortress of the Enemy.
True enough, Ubua claims she caught Black and Squire must race to save him. She comes in at the last second to see Diabolist killing her mentor before her eyes. A heated battle ensues which ends with Squire being defeated and near death. In her last throes she gains a bullshit power up and defeats the sinister Diabolist. As she kneels over the soon to be corpse of her mentor, words of gratitude/encouragement is spoken before Black dies, finishing the student surpassing mentor theme.
Cat screams at the heavens, saying she won't accept that and promptly uses her power to bring him back to life. Because fuck the narrative that's why.
Black is probably counting on this. Because I simply cannot see how Ubua could outsmart and overpower the Black Knight to capture him. Killing him is one thing but subduing him? Priors for that are too low. He definitely planned to get captured. Or Ubua killed him, but the story wouldn't allow for Black to just get killed off screen. There's just not enough dramatic effect.