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[RT][HF] A Practical Guide to Evil: Book 4: Fatality II
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Author: u/Zayits *
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URL: https://practicalguidetoevil.wordpress.com/2018/09/03/fatality-ii/
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Score: 67
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Created: 2018-09-03T04:04:48
Post:
Comments:
u/CouteauBleu [+12] We are the Empire. (5 hours later)
I was wondering why Cordelia sounded surprised in her viewpoint chapter if she already knew about the Dead King, but re-reading it, I realize she wasn't surprised, just really tense. The reason she sounded desperate was that, for a moment, she thought Catherine had intelligence on the Dead King and might give it to her.
u/FeluriansCloak [+6] (10 hours later)
My impression was that she didn’t know about the dead king per se, just the somewhat vague prophecy from Agnes. Then when Cat told her, it clicked into place.
u/cyberdsaiyan [+9] (an hour later)
Ah, sweet, sweet worldbuilding.
Also I was laughing my ass off as each one of Cordelia's counters was met with a swift end.
u/Zayits [+11] (50 minutes later)
“I am told this is to be a closed session,” Brother Simon said. “By the request of a Chosen.”
Is it bad that I only now notice that Grey Pilgrim didn't actually promise at any point to help in making peace with the Grand Alliance and to assist Callow in turning against the Dread Empire? Catherine thought a redemption plot was implied, but we know that in a given story Creation doesn't go for the same plot twice, and that Akua is the one going for redemption now.
Did anyone pay attention to the timetable? I want to understand when Tariq must have called together the conclave: ather negotiations in chapter 8, after the ones in the wake of Battle of Camps (whenh he effectively threw Cordelia under the bus), or after she came to him when the Dead King invited her?
u/werafdsaew [+19] (an hour later)
Why are you assuming that GP is the Chosen? It can't be him unless he can be in two places at once. But you know who can always be at the right place at the right time? The Wandering Bard.
u/Zayits [+5] (an hour later)
He was told (by the angels, presumably) about the details of Catherine's encounter with the Stalwart Paladin. He could have used the same way to contact the priests.
Edit: The main reason I consider this to be a possibility is because the priests seem to have organized it through some channel Cordelia managed to pass up, and the only Named who displayed anything close to that kind of means of communication before is Grey Pilgrim.
u/melmonella [+6] Tremble, o ye mighty, for a new age is upon you (12 hours later)
What, bard's teleportation not good enough for you? She could have appeared in front of the three disparage factions of priests and told them what to do.
u/Zayits [+1] (14 hours later)
It's just that Bard doesn't meddle so directly. It would be in character for her to pop up in front of one or two people and "advise" them to head to a particular place for some vague purpose, but this is a huge gathering of priests that all treat its conclusion as foregone.
Remember, the only times she gives an explicit and immediately relevant order is when she's about to write off the hero in question, like when telling William to summon the angel, or when telling the Exiled Prince how to kill Catherine (though even then it was an advice rather than a direct instruction, and she didn't outline the exact actions he should take, resulting in a pivot where the more pragmatic Named would survive). It's why I believe she's baiting Neshamah out to rebuild large parts of the board, including the ones that his pieces are currently occupying.
Compare those cases with her ensuring Capitain's death: she gave Kairos the Stygian slaves so he would turn the blind eye to the convoys and she wouldn't ever come into the direct contact with Capitain, then suggested to the Champion that she should go deeper into the city once the walls are breached. Yes, she prepared Rafaella for the altercation (see "Do you happen to like monster stories?"), and the Champion certainly expected to make contact with the Capitain at one point or another, but she didn't actually know how exactly or when it would happen.
I'm not saying the Bard couldn't or wouldn't have done it, but the point the spymasters seemed to make was that all those priests managed to discreetly organize a conclave through unknown means, which suggested that someone actually stuck for seeing it through. Bard doesn't stay in one place/scene for long enough or speak directly enough for the result to look this way.
u/Praise_the_Omnissiah [+3] (a day later)
when telling the Exiled Prince how to kill Catherine (though even then it was an advice rather than a direct instruction, and she didn't outline the exact actions he should take, resulting in a pivot where the more pragmatic Named would survive)
Well, you just sent me on an archive dive. It's...weird seeing names pop up that have long since died in the various wars against the Fae and Akua, like Alfobai and Sacker (or "Aunt Sackie"), as well as that period when not only was Catherine a lot less powerful and much happier (see zombie goats, simply shooting the Prince), the Empire was a great deal more stable and able to cope with the Liessan rebellion and Heiress (downright weird hearing her called that) was protected by the Truebloods (that Catherine ended up crucifying) and was just "taking Dormer for some unknown purpose". Oh, you poor fools...
u/GeeJo [+3] Custom Flair (9 hours later)
Fatalism, not Fatality, fwiw.
u/CeruleanTresses [+4] (17 hours later)
Am I right in thinking this chapter implies that Brother Simon is a trans man? It's been a good week for LGBT+ representation.
u/ATRDCI [+7] (17 hours later)
FWIW, the Tyrant's head general is a trans woman.
u/CeruleanTresses [+3] (18 hours later)
Oh nice, I either missed that or forgot about it so I'm glad you reminded me. I love that explicitly LGBT+ characters can exist in this setting without it being a whole controversy.
u/ATRDCI [+6] (18 hours later)
I mean, it's not extremely explicit. Just pretty much a blink and you'll miss it line where Abraxas notices her Adam's apple. But yes it will be nice when such character can exist in fiction and it not be any more note worthy than having a person with say blond hair
u/CeruleanTresses [+2] (18 hours later)
Oh, shame it wasn't made clearer then, but still nice that it was included. I'm glad that this time it was closer to being explicit--saying that his name used to be Simone, and that his masculine face was unattractive as Simone's but attractive as Simon's, is pretty much as good as saying "Brother Simon was a trans man" and more organic to boot.
u/Razorhead [+2] (18 hours later)
/u/ErraticErrata confirmed this in the thread over at /r/PracticalGuideToEvil, so yes you are correct.