7.5 KiB
[RT][HF] A Practical Guide to Evil: Book 4: Chapter 18: Cradle
-
Author: u/Zayits *
-
URL: https://practicalguidetoevil.wordpress.com/2018/06/08/chapter-18-cradle/
-
Score: 92
-
Created: 2018-06-08T04:01:08
Post:
Comments:
u/paradoxinclination [+25] (24 minutes later)
This chapter was actually rather pleasant- with all the crusading and battles it's been a while since we've had a real conversation between Catherine and her band of merry men that didn't revolve around killing people.
u/IDKWhoitis [+19] (49 minutes later)
What are the odds Masego is organizing his mind within his dream, and is willingly staying shut down to sort through it?
u/18scsc [+26] (2 hours later)
Honestly, 50/50 chance he's doing experiments on the nature of Name dreams or something.
u/Ardvarkeating101 [+19] Father of Learning (an hour later)
He's just using this as an excuse to be lazy.
Clever bastard.
u/ahd1903 [+13] Neo-Victorian New Atlantis (2 hours later)
Meh. He brought a remote connection amulet and is currently surfing the Observatory, because Callow does not have an Internet yet. (:
u/Empiricist_or_not [+1] Aspiring polite Hegemonizing swarm (7 hours later)
You've given me a new desired superpower for D&D
u/signeti [+13] (2 hours later)
I was originally a bit disappointed when I realized this is just kind of intermission before negotiations. But it turned out to be actually quite a great chapter. I really liked that author has shown more about Cat's thought process and reasoning.
Even since first time her idea of Liesse Accords was mentioned, I seriously doubted their feasibility. They could work, if she fought traditional war. But what she has against her is religious Holy Crusade, backed (and directed?) by angels them self. And it has been shown that Choirs are not really that big on forgiveness or compromise.
This chapter also got me thinking about Malicia again. I'm actually starting to like idea of Cat getting back into some sort of alliance with her. If she could negotiate some kind of equal partnership. Like it or not Malicia is actually kind of mild and rational villain. If Praes gets destroyed and population purged, there could rise someone much more worse from the ashes.
u/Ardvarkeating101 [+11] Father of Learning (36 minutes later)
We're so close to the fucking negotiations I can taste it and the battle of the camps is going to be over and things will get complicated AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
u/ahd1903 [+11] Neo-Victorian New Atlantis (an hour later)
Nah, the Saint will lose it during negotiations.
u/Ardvarkeating101 [+6] Father of Learning (an hour later)
She's the reason we have Liesse Accords.
Wait.........
u/ahd1903 [+4] Neo-Victorian New Atlantis (2 hours later)
"The Heavens will it." (:
u/cyberdsaiyan [+6] (3 hours later)
DEUS VULT
u/Chesheire [+6] (6 hours later)
In the name of God,
In the NAME of GOD,
IN THE NAME OF GOD WE GO TO HEEEAVEEEENNN
guitar riff
u/RynnisOne [+1] (16 hours later)
"Cast in the name of God, ye not guilty."
Winter powered magitech mechs confirmed.
u/HPMOR_fan [+8] (an hour later)
The enemy is heading home under truce. Larat is still owed crowns and we still need a princes' graveyard. It would be a shame is someone were to betray Cat and attack Procer as they left. Especially if the heroes were not with the army.
u/RynnisOne [+2] (16 hours later)
Did it say she had to hand them over personally?
If not, she could just point and say "Fetch".
u/None [+2] (a day later)
Did she promise not to pass up every opportunity to kill a prince? If not Larat doesn't have much to bitch about.
u/HPMOR_fan [+1] (a day later)
It's been mentioned repeatedly that Larat will betray Cat. Killing the princes against Cat's orders should count as that betrayal.
u/PoorFarnham [+9] (8 hours later)
I always get frustrated by Cat's arc right now. It's well written... It's fun.
But it keeps on showing that she and Black should still be working together closely.
Black broke with Malicia because she tried to pull a capital E EVIL move for the first time.
This is also why Cat doesn't like Malicia.
But here's the thing... it's a sunk costs fallacy. Liesse is gone. It's done. There is a crusade coming.
Why does Cat still hate Black?
u/PrettyDecentSort [+8] (13 hours later)
Because Black betrayed her, personally, by destroying the array, thus ruining her plans for peace and her bid for the Name of Black Queen.
u/PoorFarnham [+2] (19 hours later)
Except she knows Black was right. The reason Black destroyed her array is similar to her reasons for not doing the portal hopping campaign. Cat hates the array too. She hates Malicia for allowing Akua to build it.
u/None [+7] (a day later)
Black lied to her repeatedly, gave Assassin the code phrase she and Black use to determine they are each other so that Assassin could fool and manipulate her to further Black's plots.
Black deliberately drew up a battle plan which would end in her being enslaved by Diabolist after Akua murdered an entire cities worth of Callowans. Catherine ultimately had to resort to abandoning her humanity and Name, becoming a magical construct with an imprint of the old Catherine's personality instead of the values for which she was willing to sign on with evil.
"Compassion’s not my wheelhouse, but whoever made her into what she is deserves a slow and painful death. She’s been twisted. No one sane would ever do what she did to her own soul.”
-The Saint of Swords
Even the crustiest, saltiest old bitch in the world can't help but wince at the sight of where Black's mentorship has led Cat. She has mutilated her own soul in ways that that impress fucking Diabolist. Because of Black's influence.
u/rumblestiltsken [+5] (18 hours later)
why does cat still hate black?
I feel like the truest answer here is "because he wants her to."
u/Croktopus [+8] (18 minutes later)
the calm before the shit
u/HPMOR_fan [+6] (2 hours later)
For this entire story I have had no idea what's coming next. But I might know now. An agreement is reached. Procer returns home. Heroes head off to another fight, maybe against Black. Both are promised safe passage by Cat. Larat betrays Cat and attacks the army, now without heroes to protect them.
u/CouteauBleu [+4] We are the Empire. (33 minutes later)
Great chapter. Like all the philosophy.
u/Empiricist_or_not [+4] Aspiring polite Hegemonizing swarm (6 hours later)
I feel like I just read a Masterful rendition of Jim Butcher's Mab's origin story. As I'm a big Dresden files (books) fan this is intended as a huge compliment to EE.
u/None [+2] (9 hours later)
as someone that love the battles chapter, this one must be one of my favorite chapter ever. this a deep look at both Indrani and Catherine that makes it feel so private and personal, it truly has been a while since we saw such a human side of Catherine