10 KiB
[RT][HF] A Practical Guide to Evil: Book 4: Chapter 29: Sixth
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Author: u/Zayits *
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URL: https://practicalguidetoevil.wordpress.com/2018/07/11/chapter-29-sixth/
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Score: 75
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Created: 2018-07-11T04:02:16
Post:
Comments:
u/sparkc [+23] (an hour later)
Well, Pilgrims argument that Winter is influencing those around Cat got a rather large boost via Vivienne in this chapter. The sort of calculated sadism she proposed seems right up Winters alley.
No doubt now that Cat the mostly Fey has struck a bargain the whole ordeal will backfire when Cat’s forced to follow through on the promise but doesn’t want to any more for some reason.
u/chloeia [+7] (4 hours later)
Oh my god! I hadn't thought of the ramifications of the formal-ish deal.
u/BlackKnightG93M [+15] (5 hours later)
It occured to me as well. Given Akua's utility, Cat should have been hesitant in commiting to that kind of agreement since this will limit her future options. But there was time pressure present, which did not afford her the time to consider the implications of this agreement. Her hesitance would have likely rubbed Thief the wrong way, since she has an almost manic desire to see Akua suffering. She said it herself that it was a line.
But given that Cat is known for self mutilation for the greater good, her going back on this agreement because the situation demanded it and suffering the appropriate backlash is now all but certain to happen. She wouldn't be Catherine Foundling otherwise.
u/Empiricist_or_not [+5] Aspiring polite Hegemonizing swarm (6 hours later)
So you are on board with the ubua redemption hypothesis then?
u/BlackKnightG93M [+3] (8 hours later)
Can you explain the hypothesis to me?
u/Empiricist_or_not [+4] Aspiring polite Hegemonizing swarm (19 hours later)
My running theory, as in its so foul you should run away very fast too, is Akua is going to be redeemed, probably by Grey Pilgrim who is a narrative redemption bomb aimed at Cat. I think Cat is setting it up to have a Hero she controls, via soulbinding, or Masego carving them into Akua's soul, enforcing the accords.
If you look at the Kaladescope VI
If Akua had always known heroism was this entertaining, she would have begun dabbling years ago.
Akua Sahelian was no stranger to otherworldly influences, and so she embraced Winter eagerly.
And in Chapter 18 Cradle Cat discusses the accords with Archer
“And what’s our shore?” Indrani asked.
“I call them,” I softly said, “the Liesse Accords.”
“They worth the swim?” Archer said, eyebrow quirking.
“They’re why I still have a crown on,” I replied. “Because for them to work, someone needs to enforce them from this side.”
The unstated other side is someone has to enforce rules against, say angels mindraping cities, on the heroes side and the Gey pilgrim is obviously mortal . . .
Cat's deal with Vivian kind of throws a spanner in my guess, but I could see Cat paying the price of being foresworn, or being fey enough to say that they (her and Akua) aren't done until the Liese accords are a groove in creaton, but that's the points I'm extrapolating into a Hero Akua line.
u/BlackKnightG93M [+5] (a day later)
It has a degree of symmetry to it. But Akua (being a villain) being redeemed ensures her death as was mentioned by Cat during the aftermath of the negotiations with Malanza. How can Akua enforce the Liesse Accords from the heroic side if she's dead?
Furthermore, what political backing does Akua even have? She can't become anything of import in Callow because of the same gripes Thief has. If Cat introduces her to the other party's signing the Accords as a Hero redeemed, half the people in Callow will rise up in open rebellion, love for Cat or no. It's been repeatedly stated that Callowans are legendary in holding grudges and a 100k+ of their own countrymen mutilated and sacrificed is a pretty big hatchet to bury.
I'm sorry but I'm not seeing how this hypothesis can succeed.
u/narfanator [+2] (13 hours later)
Prediction: Ubua redempt's instead of Cat via Pilgrim, but under such circumstances that she's now an enemy of Callow and welp. Those get stabbed.
u/Nic_Cage_DM [+2] (a day later)
I thought he was saying that it's because she's a Villain, not winter specifically.
u/Weebcluse [+19] (22 minutes later)
Ha. Sixth Ranger. I get it.
u/None [+20] (an hour later)
[deleted]
u/werafdsaew [+13] (an hour later)
More like the author sinking a ship.
u/None [+31] (an hour later)
[deleted]
u/BlackKnightG93M [+2] (5 hours later)
It seems like quite a leap. Please elaborate your reasoning as to how you came to that conclusion.
u/xland44 [+13] (6 hours later)
Cat has a clear dislike of being a ruler and has mentioned on multiple occasions that if she could step down from the throne without throwing Callow to the wolves, she would. obviously the council idea didn't work, so who would be the ruler/highest-ranking after she steps down? it'd have to be someone she trusts.
this sentence seems like a clever way of instilling foreshadowing clues, as it can be a double meaning:
Thief is straight (not homosexual)
Thief is morally straight (cat's definition of it, anyways), so much so that she could be a Ruler
u/HeWhoBringsDust [+10] (10 hours later)
Vivienne has a ton of other reasons why she’d be a great successor:
She’s callowan by blood and was from a semi-important family. This will win over the heroes and nobility
She hates corruption and cares for Callow above all else. She’s also unwilling to compromise on this stance.
She was a (former) hero meaning she could win over the side of good by claiming to have always been in the side of good.
She basically runs Callow’s underground.
The other members of Catherine’s group are on decent terms with her.
Catherine trusts her enough to allow her to have control over herself. That’s a pretty big thing
All in all, Vivienne would make a good successor.
My theory is (Unless EE blindsides us which I’m expecting) that at the of the story if Catherine becomes Dread Empress, she’ll place Thief as Queen of Callow only for Thief to “betray” her (Not really) and “push out” Praes. This isn’t really what happens of course. Thief never betrayed Catherine and they’ll still remain close friends. However, to the sight of the gods above, Callow is now ruled by a Hero who stole the crown from an evil Queen, thereby keeping Good from burning Callow to the ground.
However, if the Woe do succeed in breaking the story in half, I can totally see Catherine just allowing Callow to become its own kingdom with Thief at the head. Praes and Callow maintain a good trading relationship, and everything is fine
u/Nic_Cage_DM [+1] (a day later)
Praes needs Callow not just as a trading partner but as a part of the Empire, otherwise it starves.
u/BlackKnightG93M [+3] (6 hours later)
I see, thank you for clarifying. Indeed, it would seem Viviene is shaping up to be her successor. If she survives this arc...
u/cyberdsaiyan [+18] (an hour later)
We have seen Masego completely destroying his enemies so thoroughly that we forget that he still has yet to come into all of his aspects, that he still has much room to grow... erraticerrata brilliantly makes us forget the important stuff for reveals like these.
Amazing!
u/NotACauldronAgent [+17] Probably (9 minutes later)
Witness
I like it. It is the job of a hierophant, is it not?
u/Iconochasm [+18] (16 minutes later)
Natural thematic upgrade to Glimpse. What were Apprentice's other Aspects?
u/HeWhoBringsDust [+13] (33 minutes later)
Wiki (Which is in desperate need of love) says that his other aspect was Deconstruct. It allowed him to understand and turn magic against its user.
If we go with thematic upgrades it may have turned into Dissect or Vivisect to fit with his speech when he transitioned.
u/FormerlySarsaparilla [+9] (12 hours later)
Calling it now:
Akua is redeemed, somehow, becomes Cat's hot new undead goth gf.
Cat is later forced to kill Akua due to winter bargains being struck.
Drama!
u/signspace13 [+1] (a day later)
Honestly, I don't think I can see Cat and Akua in any kind of relationship, their opinions on the work are drastically differing, it's basically a religious divide, and even if Akua is subservient, she still definitely considers herself as superior, as can be seen from her perspective during the battle of the camps.
u/rumblestiltsken [+4] (19 hours later)
Anyone else getting serious "it's a trap" vibes from this whole endeavour?
We know the tower and dead king were in contact. We know that the woe are cut off from creation, where anything could be happening. And all of a sudden, they stumble across first pure masego bait and now pure cat bait, making them take days/weeks longer away from callow.
Unrelated: cat taking a trapped soul to see the dead king, who we know can resurrect named, seems highly risky.
u/None [+1] (a day later)
Yes.
u/Aegeus [+4] (a day later)
It's a bit concerning that Cat is aroused by Vivienne asking her to kill Akua slowly and painfully. That feels like one of those Villain things.
u/Nic_Cage_DM [+3] (a day later)
Could be the Winter title, too.
u/Esryok [+3] (2 hours later)
Dangit, Dartwick, you're just as bad as Gandhi!