OotS 414

[Darklone]

So you can cleave into ninjas you don't see?

I'm waiting for the return of the skyship.

 

[Kahuna Burger]

Lord Hinjo should send his paladins on a good old cliché Detect Evil - Smite tour thru the noble ranks of Azure City. The one´s who aren´t evil will probably fall in line afterwards.

If by fall into line you mean "unite against the psychotic tyrant", I agree entirely.

I don't see the actions of the lords in this strip as evil at all actually. Its just another example of Soon's oath being a BAD IDEA. I mean, the lord of your city just told you that the invading force about to destroy you and your homes wants something specific from your city - but he won't tell you what that thing is that he wants you to lay down your lives for, he won't discuss why he's decided this thing is worth the lives of every soldier in his city (though his personal force of gaurds is in on it) and he has a hired mercanery trying to school you on the right way to deal with an army attacking your city (from his vast expereince leading a whole 5 other people at a time.) Would any intelligent person say "OK lord Hinjo, we will all lay down our lives not for our people, who you want to evacuate, or our city which you are willing to have destroyed, but for a Maguffin you won't even tell us about that we've been building our lives around unknowing."

Hinjo should have told them the truth about the gate the moment the army's motivation came up. Instead, he continued a failed strategy started by an angry adventurer before he was born.

 

[Pbartender]

Which I can only imagine would look like the death star... with many little death stars on stalks.

That was, actually, the basis for the very first AD&D Spelljammer adventure module.

No. Really. I'm not joking.

 

[Henry]

Would any intelligent person say "OK lord Hinjo, we will all lay down our lives not for our people, who you want to evacuate, or our city which you are willing to have destroyed, but for a Maguffin you won't even tell us about that we've been building our lives around unknowing."

I agree, it's not evil, but it's not good either, just neutral. Their main focus is power and self-interest; while it's kind of low of them to desert their city in time of crisis, it's also understandable.

Hinjo should have told them the truth about the gate the moment the army's motivation came up. Instead, he continued a failed strategy started by an angry adventurer before he was born.

On the other hand, if they were good, they might have trusted in their paladin leader to do what's best for the community and the world. Hinjo's failing is not giving the nobles what they need to hear, which is what Shojo was really good at. Hinjo is going to have to learn some new skills himself, if he survives. (I'd say his Diplomacy bonus somewhere around a +6 or 7, and needs to be around a +20.)

 

[Quasqueton]

I agree, it's not evil, but it's not good either, just neutral. Their main focus is power and self-interest; while it's kind of low of them to desert their city in time of crisis, it's also understandable.

Don't forget some of them sent the ninjas -- both for Shojo and Hinjo. Some must be evil to hire assassins to murder the legal ruler of the city (especially when they know at least one of them is a true paladin).

Quasqueton

 

[diaglo]

I agree, it's not evil, but it's not good either, just neutral. Their main focus is power and self-interest; while it's kind of low of them to desert their city in time of crisis, it's also understandable.

the odds were already laid out to them.

this is a fight they could/might/probably will lose.

live to fight another day.

 

[Kahuna Burger]

I agree, it's not evil, but it's not good either, just neutral. Their main focus is power and self-interest; while it's kind of low of them to desert their city in time of crisis, it's also understandable.



On the other hand, if they were good, they might have trusted in their paladin leader to do what's best for the community and the world. Hinjo's failing is not giving the nobles what they need to hear, which is what Shojo was really good at. Hinjo is going to have to learn some new skills himself, if he survives. (I'd say his Diplomacy bonus somewhere around a +6 or 7, and needs to be around a +20.)

I agree they are acting in a neutral fashion. I'm not sure unquestioningly obeying even a paladin without being given the facts yourself is good, though. As the story has made painfully clear, paladins can and do make mistakes, have incorrect priorities and take their own goodness to mean that anyone who doesn't agree with not just their goals but their methods is bad/wrong/evil.

Hinjo could have said "What he wants is not a movable item, but a location of great magical power in the city. If he gets it, he will use it in a fashion that could destroy our world, and certainly won't leave our city intact." He might get some hard questions about why such a powerful location/target wasn't something they should have known about to begin with (as well he should) but it would have been a lot better than "Because I (a guy with the annointing oil still drying from my corenation) say so, but won't explain."

 

[Quasqueton]

“My samurai and men-at-arms will join me on my personal ship with as many members of my house as I can fit.”
“Indeed! My forces will not participate either!”
“May the Twelve Gods forgive you if Azure City falls while under your rule, Hinjo!”

Regardless of their possible alignments, they are all s.

Quasqueton

 

[brehobit]

I must say, Rich has created about the worst D&D situation imaginable.

- Artifact of global destruction.
- Giant hobgoblin army at the gates.
- Evil lich wizard commander.
- Wise leader of city killed by madwoman.
- Most skilled paladin in the city flips out & falls.
- Nobles of city refusing to fight.
- Internal ninja mass attack on what's left of leadership.

Geez, what else could get piled on?!?

Humm... City defenses taken out by a Scoundrel?

 

[Henry]

Regardless of their possible alignments, they are all s.

I agree.