Oots #461

[frankthedm]

Elan is obviously a Jedi in bard's clothing. He senses disturbances in the plot quite accurately!

The bard is the most likely cantidate to sense a disturbance in the farce.

 

[Celebrim]

A paladin who has lost her moral groundings but maintains fanatical devotion to a cause is a prime candidate to become a blackgaurd. I'd love it if Xykon somehow recruited her. THAT would be a great disturbance in the force. . .I mean plot.

Hardly unexpected though. I use to think that that was highly unlikely to happen because Rich had a great sense for steering away from cliche's, but I'm not so certain anymore.

 

[Presto2112]

Given the scene in the throne room, let's try to discern Miko's possible paths of action.

1) Help Soon's spirit defeat Xykon.
Unlikely, since she was the one that did Soon in to begin with.

2) Help Xykon defeat Soon's spirit
This course of action is more logical to me. Xykon is evil, no doubt, but Miko could see Soon as a greater evil, since he was deceitful in dealing with her and Azure City (plus he dealt with the OotS). This path will, of course, lead her down an irredeemable path.

3) Destroy the Sapphire Gate
The whole reason Xykon's even in Azure City, if it doesn't exist, he leaves, and she's the saviour of the city (what left of it).

4) Remove the gate from the throne and depart the city.
The gate is important - it's the whole reason Azure City exists. If she can lift it while both Redcloak and Xykon are busy, they won't notice that the whole reason for their being there - isn't there anymore.

5) Commit ritual suicide.
The situation looks bleak. While the most unlikely of situations, it's not unthinkable.

A couple of things I noticed:

- I expected the hobby cleric to last a little longer
- What monk level does the Vorpal Kick feat become available?
- Where's the hooded ghost thingy?

 

[Aloïsius]

Given the scene in the throne room, let's try to discern Miko's possible paths of action.

1) Help Soon's spirit defeat Xykon.
Unlikely, since she was the one that did Soon in to begin with.

2) Help Xykon defeat Soon's spirit
This course of action is more logical to me. Xykon is evil, no doubt, but Miko could see Soon as a greater evil, since he was deceitful in dealing with her and Azure City (plus he dealt with the OotS). This path will, of course, lead her down an irredeemable path.

You are confusiong Soon with someone else...

 

[Grog]

Given the scene in the throne room, let's try to discern Miko's possible paths of action.

1) Help Soon's spirit defeat Xykon.
Unlikely, since she was the one that did Soon in to begin with.

Not unless she's a time traveler, she's not.

 

[DreadPirateMurphy]

Given the scene in the throne room, let's try to discern Miko's possible paths of action.

1) Help Soon's spirit defeat Xykon.
Unlikely, since she was the one that did Soon in to begin with.

2) Help Xykon defeat Soon's spirit
This course of action is more logical to me. Xykon is evil, no doubt, but Miko could see Soon as a greater evil, since he was deceitful in dealing with her and Azure City (plus he dealt with the OotS). This path will, of course, lead her down an irredeemable path.

3) Destroy the Sapphire Gate
The whole reason Xykon's even in Azure City, if it doesn't exist, he leaves, and she's the saviour of the city (what left of it).

4) Remove the gate from the throne and depart the city.
The gate is important - it's the whole reason Azure City exists. If she can lift it while both Redcloak and Xykon are busy, they won't notice that the whole reason for their being there - isn't there anymore.

5) Commit ritual suicide.
The situation looks bleak. While the most unlikely of situations, it's not unthinkable.

A couple of things I noticed:

- I expected the hobby cleric to last a little longer
- What monk level does the Vorpal Kick feat become available?
- Where's the hooded ghost thingy?

Soon is the founder of the Sapphire Guard, not Lord Shojo, the currently dead former ruler of Azure City with the cat. You're confusing them.

Also, the gate cannot be moved, so #4 is no good.

Why would she commit suicide? That would imply taking responsibility for her actions, something she hasn't been so good at doing in the past. She might still become a positive energy construct, but if that was the goal, she would be better off fighting until death and then changing -- and since she is no longer a paladin, even that might not work.

 

[Henry]

Point of clarity for Presto: Soon and Lord Shojo aren't the same people. Soon Founded the order, Lord Shojo was just the latest caretaker, and not really a paladin, if I recall correctly.

 

[dmccoy1693]

3) Destroy the Sapphire Gate
The whole reason Xykon's even in Azure City, if it doesn't exist, he leaves, and she's the saviour of the city (what left of it).

4) Remove the gate from the throne and depart the city.
The gate is important - it's the whole reason Azure City exists. If she can lift it while both Redcloak and Xykon are busy, they won't notice that the whole reason for their being there - isn't there anymore.

These make the most sense to me. But if I were a betting man (and I'm not), I'd bet against destroying the gate. It's 1) been done, and 2) fails to cement miko's status as a long term villian. Stealing the gate means she could harness the power of the snarl herself and become a super-villian worse then xykon.

 

[Celebrim]

Likely, she's going to be the one to destroy Soon. In her current state, she's likely to decide that the Order is corrupt (for seeking to destroy the Sapphire) and Xykon is the good guy (because he wants to protect it). One way to take this story from here is Xykon completing his plans here, moving on to the next Gate (after discovering that one just is not enough for the phenomenal cosmic power he wants to wield), and the OotS has to fight there way through his 'minion' Miko in order to get to the Sapphire.

I still see that as the most likely scenario. In her insane state, this is how Miko understands the sitation:

• The leadership of the Sapphire order has been subverted. Thus, because her lawfulness leads her to top-down thinking, the entire sapphire order is also suspect and likely has been corrupted. Only she has remained pure. The defeat of the Sapphire order is proof of thier fallen state.
• As if any further proof was needed, the souls of the sapphire order have returned as vile undead ghosts! This is clear proof of thier evil. As ghosts, they are no better and are perhaps worse than the cleric or Lich.
• Faced with two potential evils which she must choose between, she can judge which is good and which false by thier actions. And what do we see? The Sapphire order is trying to destroy the very thing which she has sworn to protect, and Xykon and co. are fighting desparately to preserve and protect it. It is clear where her duty lies. She must help Xykon protect the throne.
• All of this has clearly been orchestrated by the dastardly Roy Greenhilt. He has clearly been trying to destroy all the portals, and Xykon has been trying to stop him. Everything makes sense now. This is why Redcloak compared her to Xykon - they have the same goal! And this is why Redcloack told her she was wrong when she said he was a soulless nihilist - they are on the same side, protecting the planet, not trying to destroy it. She must forge an alliance with Xykon, and in doing so, she will 'regain' her power - clear proof of the rightness of her actions!
• And her newly gained powers will able her to destroy Soon and save Xykon.

Expect Miko to be wearing black in her next transformation.

 

[dmccoy1693]

Also, the gate cannot be moved, so #4 is no good.

http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0411.html