Civil War Aftermath OOC #4

[The Good Doctor]

Just now, TheCzarsHussar said:

Honestly that feels too much like he'd fit in with Saruman's Uruk Hai host.

I don't see it.

[BigBossBalrog]

Just now, The Good Doctor said:

I don't see it.

I don't see it either; you have a nice mix of thick plating, hides, and furs with an oriental steppe theme. Perfect for the Orismer 

[TheCzarsHussar]

Just now, The Good Doctor said:

I don't see it.

All the pointed segmented plates makes me think of that.

[TheCzarsHussar]

Yall think it's time for a new OOC?

[The Good Doctor]

25 minutes ago, TheCzarsHussar said:

Yall think it's time for a new OOC?

Not just yet.

[BigBossBalrog]

BTW, I was looking at TES Total War's new stuff; I think they got an actual modeler, cause there stuff has really improved. Some stuff I liked

Roscrean Client Soldiers 

Dagoth's Death Robot 

Ayleid Lich 

Dominion Special Forces 

Tsaesci Ronin

And my favorite, 

House Sadras Honor-Guard 

[The Good Doctor]

2 minutes ago, BigBossBalrog said:

House Sadras Honor-Guard 

To make this on-topic, I’ve got a character from House Sadras prepped for chapter 4.  

I like most of those. The lich and Dominion bowmen are probably my favorites. They look like something taken straight from the games. Sadras will probably be the coolest once it’s completed. 

[TheCzarsHussar]

57 minutes ago, The Good Doctor said:

They look like something taken straight from the games.

What you have to realize is that this team is Russian. And that some old models were literally taken out of the game and posted to Med2's engine. They denied it when I asked some years back though

[BigBossBalrog]

14 minutes ago, TheCzarsHussar said:

What you have to realize is that this team is Russian. And that some old models were literally taken out of the game and posted to Med2's engine. They denied it when I asked some years back though

I would imagine when they were using those hideous Morrowind models 

[BigBossBalrog]

"During the Oblivion Crisis, the Bosmer were going to call a Wild Hunt to end all Wild Hunts, with every single mer in Valenwood going full monster. Afterwards, it would've become a haunted forest nation, closed off by both the Dominion and the Empire. I forget the exact name, but it was something like Ada-mor, the "spirit forest".
 

https://www.imperial-library.info/content/posts-kirkbride-2014
 

Fuck why didn't we get this? 

[The Good Doctor]

31 minutes ago, BigBossBalrog said:

Fuck why didn't we get this? 

Maybe we still will. 

[The Good Doctor]

@BigBossBalrog

Uzgakh is awesome man. Like, he’s quickly growing into one of my favorites of yours. Logical, competent, capable of ferocity but level-headed enough to not jump to extremes like you’d expect from an Orc. And I find his expressions of loyalty and commitment endearing. His final line:

“I won’t fail like her like we failed His Majesty Mede.” The Orc’s eyes narrowed, “On this old orc’s honor, I will not fail her.”

- says it all. And I feel is going to be the core of his motivation. You stuck to that well, like at first I thought the way he chewed out the Bosmer was just being written for laughs (because we made fun of the sexytime before), but by the end of the post was clear that he was dead serious in that moment and that he took it as a personal embarrassment that one of his agents would dishonor the person he was so deeply committed to. The commitment doesn’t feel as personal as it did with Lorgar or even Gracchus, which I also like. Dales has enough "father"-figures in her life.  

My favorite bit was when the Bosmer was all "how did you know-" and he just silenced her and never answered. The implication that he had an additional agent watching Dales the whole time, who neither Dales nor the other agents are even aware of, is a little unnerving but it does speak to his competence as a spy. I suspect the next assassin who makes an attempt on her life is gonna be in for a nasty treat (that was also some good "show don’t tell" writing).

That tiny mention of him being a Trinimacian Orc was a nice touch. We almost never get to see those.
 

The way the "Shadows" squeezed and compressed himself through the arrow gap was just the right amount of disturbing. In fact, the way he moved in general was really creepy and off-putting. He’s a pretty damn cool character, and I like how you used him somewhat minimally, letting others do most of the talking while he just kinda lurks in the background. I’m curious what his full name is, though. Being an Argonian, I’m guessing "Shadow" is only part of it.

I really liked the hideout segment. It was cool seeing the events of Skyrim get mentioned, and for the number of agents who died in that questline to be addressed. Tbh, I hadn’t even thought about the ramifications of that, but it makes a lot of sense that the Oculatus would be short-handed after the Dark Brotherhood killed so many of them.
 

As far as criticisms go, I don’t have many.

One thing is that Uzgakh mentioned "Trevis’s escapade into Skyrim" but nobody who is alive in Cyrodiil knows that he went to Skyrim. Trevis’s final report would have said they were intercepting Sibbi’s killers en route to Hammerfell. And after that, no more reports and no sign of the ship they departed on. So at best, he would say "escapade into Hammerfell".

Another, even smaller thing is that you mentioned Shadow's ears a couple times, and even mentioned that they "peaked" at one point. Argonians don’t have ears.  

My biggest issue is less a criticism of this specific post itself and more a question about the storyline overall. I don’t understand why Dales is remaining in Sutch now that there are concerns for her life. Why not just tell her about it, take her somewhere safe, and then continue the investigations while she’s out of harm’s way?

Actually, I’m not entirely sure what the objective is with Sutch. Why bother with it? Do they have some secret plans for it to serve a purpose during the Great War?

[The Good Doctor]

Another thing I liked.  

 

I enjoy Uzgakh having a couple veteran agents but then otherwise commanding a bunch of newbies who he has never met. It’s a less common dynamic, and makes sense with the point made about how short handed the Oculatus is after Skyrim.

Moreover, I feel like you’ve handled it well so far. The way Uzgakh interacted with them felt genuine. Being a grizzled Orcish commander in charge of a elite-but-green agents who probably think they’re hot shit, the way he asserted himself seemed pretty natural.

I look forward to seeing them develop as a team.

[BigBossBalrog]

15 minutes ago, The Good Doctor said:

@BigBossBalrog

 

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Uzgakh is awesome man. Like, he’s quickly growing into one of my favorites of yours. Logical, competent, capable of ferocity but level-headed enough to not jump to extremes like you’d expect from an Orc. And I find his expressions of loyalty and commitment endearing. His final line:

“I won’t fail like her like we failed His Majesty Mede.” The Orc’s eyes narrowed, “On this old orc’s honor, I will not fail her.”

- says it all. And I feel is going to be the core of his motivation. You stuck to that well, like at first I thought the way he chewed out the Bosmer was just being written for laughs (because we made fun of the sexytime before), but by the end of the post was clear that he was dead serious in that moment and that he took it as a personal embarrassment that one of his agents would dishonor the person he was so deeply committed to. The commitment doesn’t feel as personal as it did with Lorgar or even Gracchus, which I also like. Dales has enough "father"-figures in her life.  

My favorite bit was when the Bosmer was all "how did you know-" and he just silenced her and never answered. The implication that he had an additional agent watching Dales the whole time, who neither Dales nor the other agents are even aware of, is a little unnerving but it does speak to his competence as a spy. I suspect the next assassin who makes an attempt on her life is gonna be in for a nasty treat (that was also some good "show don’t tell" writing).

That tiny mention of him being a Trinimacian Orc was a nice touch. We almost never get to see those.
 

The way the "Shadows" squeezed and compressed himself through the arrow gap was just the right amount of disturbing. In fact, the way he moved in general was really creepy and off-putting. He’s a pretty damn cool character, and I like how you used him somewhat minimally, letting others do most of the talking while he just kinda lurks in the background. I’m curious what his full name is, though. Being an Argonian, I’m guessing "Shadow" is only part of it.

I really liked the hideout segment. It was cool seeing the events of Skyrim get mentioned, and for the number of agents who died in that questline to be addressed. Tbh, I hadn’t even thought about the ramifications of that, but it makes a lot of sense that the Oculatus would be short-handed after the Dark Brotherhood killed so many of them.
 

As far as criticisms go, I don’t have many.

One thing is that Uzgakh mentioned "Trevis’s escapade into Skyrim" but nobody who is alive in Cyrodiil knows that he went to Skyrim. Trevis’s final report would have said they were intercepting Sibbi’s killers en route to Hammerfell. And after that, no more reports and no sign of the ship they departed on. So at best, he would say "escapade into Hammerfell".

Another, even smaller thing is that you mentioned Shadow's ears a couple times, and even mentioned that they "peaked" at one point. Argonians don’t have ears.  

My biggest issue is less a criticism of this specific post itself and more a question about the storyline overall. I don’t understand why Dales is remaining in Sutch now that there are concerns for her life. Why not just tell her about it, take her somewhere safe, and then continue the investigations while she’s out of harm’s way?

Actually, I’m not entirely sure what the objective is with Sutch. Why bother with it? Do they have some secret plans for it to serve a purpose during the Great War?

 

I'll edit the mistakes I made; I was unsure if Trevis had reported he was heading to Skyrim, so i'll change it. And the ear part. 

Glad you like him; I wanted to make an Orc character for awhile, so I thought it would an good showing for them by making them an atypical one. Uzgakh , he displays the trappings of his race, but tempered, and a bunch of devitations. I kinda designed him to be a little like the DB Orc assassin, but Imperial aligned and smart  Like he mentioned; he's aware of the geopolitical situation in Sutch, and how Dales is trying to mend relations that her father caused, so he thinks he the hearsay from guards is not enough to escalate it, and ruin her attempts. Though I think I made it clear he's taking the threat seriously, and will be ready to respond to it.

He has a line of thinking; it's best not to show your enemies how much you know of your activity until your in a proper position to strike. Instead of informing them he's aware of there treason, he's going to look for more of it. 

23 minutes ago, The Good Doctor said:

Another thing I liked.  

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I enjoy Uzgakh having a couple veteran agents but then otherwise commanding a bunch of newbies who he has never met. It’s a less common dynamic, and makes sense with the point made about how short handed the Oculatus is after Skyrim.

Moreover, I feel like you’ve handled it well so far. The way Uzgakh interacted with them felt genuine. Being a grizzled Orcish commander in charge of a elite-but-green agents who probably think they’re hot shit, the way he asserted himself seemed pretty natural.

I look forward to seeing them develop as a team.

It let me use a "greenskin" pun, so hell yeah I like it 

[The Good Doctor]

Meanwhile, in the White Gold Tower

Krojun and Liliana, sitting alone at a comically large and empty dinner table

"Hey, have you seen Dales lately?"

"Nope."

"Huh." *continues eating*

[BigBossBalrog]

1 minute ago, The Good Doctor said:

Meanwhile, in the White Gold Tower

Krojun and Liliana, sitting alone at a comically large and empty dinner table

"Hey, have you seen Dales lately?"

"Nope."

"Huh." *continues eating*

Dales is literally squatting in a destoryed ruin with her distant relatives who want to kill her, while tripping out with Uncle Sheo and her goon squad 

[The Good Doctor]

1 minute ago, BigBossBalrog said:

Dales is literally squatting in a destoryed ruin with her distant relatives who want to kill her, while tripping out with Uncle Sheo and her goon squad 

"Think we should send someone to look for her?"

"Has she apologized for breaking my soul-bind yet?"

"I don’t think-"

"She'll be fine."

[The Good Doctor]

@TheCzarsHussar

Badass fight. Though I might have to try reading that post again during the day when I'm not so tired. The lack of proper nouns for the people or places made it a little confusing for my sleepy brain to keep up with.  

[The Good Doctor]

@BigBossBalrog

 

It’s neat how this Sutch story is playing out through so many perspectives. Though I am hoping to see more of the plot advancing soon. You’ve been teasing some conspiracy for like a year and I’m anxious to see it begin to play out. Also, the Penitus Oculatus. That is all.  

Dales using a Dunmer sword-grip like Lorgar was a nice little detail. I enjoy little bits of continuity like that, especially after so much time has passed and it’s easy to lose those sorts of details. And I feel like I could see a little of that Ghost of Tsushima you’ve been playing leak into the post with the duel scene.  

Being honest, I find it a little hard to believe Dales could have clowned on the Countess like that. Valeria is way more experienced and trained in combat than she is. Dales was worthless just a few years ago, and she presumably would have to readjust to not having her strength amped by Yornar’s soul-bind.

My favorite part was definitely the flashback where we got to see Count Corporeal Punishment backhand his brat like three times even though he kind of agreed with what he was saying.  Jokes aside, I did like that sequence, and the implications of it. It has me hoping that one or both of the men in this family survive because they are very interesting politically, and I feel like they could be more relevant in the future than it seems. The reveal about the witches in Chorrol contributing to the restoration of Sutch was intriguing as well. It seems as though a third of Colovia at least was not satisfied with the Motierre dynasty. I have a feeling their attitude hasn’t improved that much since Krojun married Dales. It clearly hasn’t in Sutch, at least.

The suicide/initiation ritual was some gnarly shit. Sutch is so weird.  The Nord was my favorite. "Fuck your pansy letters. I’d say I’m eager to see you in Sovngarde, babe, but we both know that aint happening. Aight I’m ready, let’s do this!" Kinda rude of them to kill him before burning the elves, though. I feel like he would’ve enjoyed that.

I don’t understand why they called Valeria brother instead of sister… Do the rolling pins make it that hard to tell?  

Also, little nitpick. Morihaus is not a minotaur. He is a straight up winged bull. Minotaurs are his half-breed children with human Alessia. If these guys are all about recognizing his 'true' form where other Imperials portray him as a man (which is awesome, by the way), they’d probably know this. Also, considering that Morihaus was Pelinal’s best friend and partner-in-elf-slaying, I feel like this was a fitting sacrifice.  

Sounds like Valeria is gonna remain on the obvious good guys’ team despite all her silly 'empathy' and 'mercy' nearly getting the better of her. I almost thought she was gonna betray them. Good on her. 

Also, were her powers inspired that girl from Haunting of Hill House?

[BigBossBalrog]

6 minutes ago, The Good Doctor said:

@BigBossBalrog

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It’s neat how this Sutch story is playing out through so many perspectives. Though I am hoping to see more of the plot advancing soon. You’ve been teasing some conspiracy for like a year and I’m anxious to see it begin to play out. Also, the Penitus Oculatus. That is all.  

Dales using a Dunmer sword-grip like Lorgar was a nice little detail. I enjoy little bits of continuity like that, especially after so much time has passed and it’s easy to lose those sorts of details. And I feel like I could see a little of that Ghost of Tsushima you’ve been playing leak into the post with the duel scene.  

Being honest, I find it a little hard to believe Dales could have clowned on the Countess like that. Valeria is way more experienced and trained in combat than she is. Dales was worthless just a few years ago, and she presumably would have to readjust to not having her strength amped by Yornar’s soul-bind.

My favorite part was definitely the flashback where we got to see Count Corporeal Punishment backhand his brat like three times even though he kind of agreed with what he was saying.  Jokes aside, I did like that sequence, and the implications of it. It has me hoping that one or both of the men in this family survive because they are very interesting politically, and I feel like they could be more relevant in the future than it seems. The reveal about the witches in Chorrol contributing to the restoration of Sutch was intriguing as well. It seems as though a third of Colovia at least was not satisfied with the Motierre dynasty. I have a feeling their attitude hasn’t improved that much since Krojun married Dales. It clearly hasn’t in Sutch, at least.

The suicide/initiation ritual was some gnarly shit. Sutch is so weird.  The Nord was my favorite. "Fuck your pansy letters. I’d say I’m eager to see you in Sovngarde, babe, but we both know that aint happening. Aight I’m ready, let’s do this!" Kinda rude of them to kill him before burning the elves, though. I feel like he would’ve enjoyed that.

I don’t understand why they called Valeria brother instead of sister… Do the rolling pins make it that hard to tell?  

Also, little nitpick. Morihaus is not a minotaur. He is a straight up winged bull. Minotaurs are his half-breed children with human Alessia. If these guys are all about recognizing his 'true' form where other Imperials portray him as a man (which is awesome, by the way), they’d probably know this. Also, considering that Morihaus was Pelinal’s best friend and partner-in-elf-slaying, I feel like this was a fitting sacrifice.  

Sounds like Valeria is gonna remain on the obvious good guys’ team despite all her silly 'empathy' and 'mercy' nearly getting the better of her. I almost thought she was gonna betray them. Good on her. 

Also, were her powers inspired that girl from Haunting of Hill House?

 

Yes Theo I think her name was That scene were she goes into the child molestors basement and feels the assualt was really unsettling to me 

It was because the Count's Daughter was subconciously trying to show off with her fancy Swordsmanship (either to her men, Dales, or both), if it was a regular fate, she would have punted Dales ass up to the sky  If you couldn't tell, Valeria was also in a really in a bad mood, and her mind was peeling apart from glimpsing all of the Empress's and her old memories 

He meant Minotaur as a general term for "bull-men", they know the difference  I was going to use "Cannibal Bull God" but I felt like that sounded like a knock off Dark Souls boss name 

Since the Empire always had some Japanese influence (albeit mostly in the blades) I thought I could willfully throw it without it seeming out of place; The Rubrum Guard are more Norse Warrior-Lodge/Cult then Knightly Brotherhood (despite calling themselves "Knights") but there "warrior's code" I based off Bushido (which Valeria, at the least, relegiously follows). So when I thought of the idea there members can only leave by ritual sucide, I'd give it the trappings of Sepuku even if they don't call it that. 

 Sounds like Valeria is gonna remain on the obvious good guys’ team despite all her silly 'empathy' and 'mercy' nearly getting the better of her. I almost thought she was gonna betray them. Good on her.

 

 I mean, it's a dog-eat dog world. The Count's right the Thalmor want to more or less exterminate the human race, they need to kill them first. 

[BigBossBalrog]

BTW

Rather then it being a moral objection to their treason, I hope I made it clear, the Tribune's problem with her father and brother is there being "Imperial Snakes" in her words; she dosen't like scheming (it's part due to her father's ubringing. She was raised as a warrior/soldier, while her brother was groomed as her father's successor as well as a soldier, she dosen't have his pragmatism, and things should be solved with violence 

[The Good Doctor]

3 minutes ago, BigBossBalrog said:

BTW

 

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Rather then it being a moral objection to their treason, I hope I made it clear, the Tribune's problem with her father and brother is there being "Imperial Snakes" in her words; she dosen't like scheming (it's part due to her father's ubringing. She was raised as a warrior/soldier, while her brother was groomed as her father's successor as well as a soldier, she dosen't have his pragmatism, and things should be solved with violence 

No, it was very clear. She obviously doesn’t object because she thinks the current Empire are good guys or out of loyalty to Dales.  

As of the ending of this post, I feel like she’s pretty close mentally to where her brother was in the rebellion flashback. Angry at what her family is doing but reluctantly accepting it out of duty. Only he’s had years to accept it whereas she has only just stepped over that line.

[BigBossBalrog]

6 minutes ago, The Good Doctor said:

 

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No, it was very clear. She obviously doesn’t object because she thinks the current Empire are good guys or out of loyalty to Dales.  

As of the ending of this post, I feel like she’s pretty close mentally to where her brother was in the rebellion flashback. Angry at what her family is doing but reluctantly accepting it out of duty. Only he’s had years to accept it whereas she has only just stepped over that line.

 

I guess when you let your father burn a child alive to appease his Bull-God, your past the point of no return 

[The Good Doctor]

Just now, BigBossBalrog said:

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I guess when you let your father burn a child alive to appease his Bull-God, your past the point of no return 

"Let" is a little harsh. I don’t see anything she could’ve done. 

Well, I guess she could’ve loosed an arrow on the kid, but that’s hardly gonna make her feel better.  

[BigBossBalrog]

Just now, The Good Doctor said:

"Let" is a little harsh. I don’t see anything she could’ve done. 

 

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Well, I guess she could’ve loosed an arrow on the kid, but that’s hardly gonna make her feel better.  

I always thought people trying to rationale death to make themselves feel better by saying "it's a quick death"  to always rub me the wrong way, so I made it an equally horriftying option to her. Yeah sticking an arrow in his neck means he dies somewhat quickly, but that still would tramautize anyone, especially someone who considers their honor-code, their lifeblood.

When I was writing it, I thought the Count was trying to permeantly seal her loyalty to her family by taking that final step (And to mankind in his mind) by killing an Elven child for it.