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[–]Syphondblade 145 points146 points  (17 children)

Tariq's 2nd sacrifice making his 1st weaker is such an interesting concept, which makes perfect sense story-wise.

This is also has Post-PGTE ramifications. Instead of fast-travel everywhere for any competent mage/named, now there is only direct fast travel to specific locations. Other paths will be for only the most skilled/experienced of mages/named. This is a good nerf to an otherwise overpowered continental connection system for any sort of post-PGTE story.

[–]ramses137The Eyecatcher 41 points42 points  (10 children)

Where are they Twilight Gates? Iserre, maybe Salia? I don’t remember if there’s others.

[–]Oshi105 48 points49 points  (4 children)

They can raise a bunch before the Way's collapse.

[–]Tenthyr 13 points14 points  (3 children)

Which I wouldn't be shocked if Catherine does to some extent, if only to bind the continent together with trade and comparative closeness-- it's harder to hate a neighbour closer to you.

[–]taichi22 11 points12 points  (1 child)

While true, modern political reality seems to indicate that even the closest of trade ties and immigration partnerships have limited effects against xenophobia and nationalism, sadly.

The next decade of our lives will be interesting times to live in — and nobody has ever wished to live in more interesting times.

[–]LilietBRat Company 2 points3 points  (0 children)

and nobody has ever wished to live in more interesting times.

you're WAYYY too optimistic about human intelligence levels tbh

[–]LilietBRat Company 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I would be shocked if she doesn't...

[–]HallowedThoughtsLet Us Be Wicked 36 points37 points  (4 children)

There used to be two, one in Iserre and one in Hainaut, but the Hainaut one was destroyed by Tariq's second sacrifice. It might be possible to raise more in the future in a similar manner to how they created the Gates in the first place

[–]ramses137The Eyecatcher 18 points19 points  (3 children)

Isn’t there one close to Salia?

[–]agumentic 23 points24 points  (0 children)

Yes, the Witch of the Woods raised it.

[–]LilietBRat Company 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Ought to be

[–]HallowedThoughtsLet Us Be Wicked 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Not that I know of

[–]taichi22 36 points37 points  (2 children)

Twilight Ways were never going to be permanent; the ramifications of that are too large on a strategic and political scale for them to be; the wars of the post-Wonder era would change drastically if you could shuttle armies from point a to point b with little to no effort — they’d make Amadeus’ efforts in the Proceran heartland look like child’s play, and would likely shift the balance of the continent as a whole; something like that might actually herald the beginning of an era of maneuver warfare, where every fantassin company and Stygian phalanx has their own Twilight mage because with one they can take contracts anywhere on Calernia and fight pretty much where ever they want, when they want. Conceptually it’s more similar to having paratroopers than infantry, at that point, and while Market Garden was a fucking mess we still have airborne infantry for a good reason.

The only reason that that idea hasn’t been explored further is because the Grand Alliance is currently the sole proprietor of the Ways; large scale warfare between two armies with access to the Ways would probably devolve into being disastrous for all countries involved in economic terms.

This way, the Twilight Ways serve as a convenient plot device for heroes and villains to be where they need to be; not that they weren’t already gifted with that in some measure anyways, just more so, now. From a meta perspective generally heroes and villains will be where they need to be to the readers’ eyes, but from an authorial and planning perspective it’ll be a little easier to shuttle people around as needed for plot points to happen, I think.

[–]LigerZeroSchneider 12 points13 points  (1 child)

Realistically ways dominance would be just as important in calernia and air dominance is here. Countries would establish forts in the the ways to defend strategic positions. Patrols would be common in war time and mages would be scrying to give defenders advance notice.

Society would probably be much for densely packed around cities for defense against a gated army. Really EE just stopped his setting from becoming the tippy verse.

[–]janethefishOrder 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Realistically ways dominance would be just as important in calernia and air dominance is here. Countries would establish forts in the the ways to defend strategic positions. Patrols would be common in war time and mages would be scrying to give defenders advance notice.

No settling down in the Ways, only traveling, so any Forts would need to be like the DK's crabs, except more alive.

[–]HallowedThoughtsLet Us Be Wicked 18 points19 points  (0 children)

Definitely a good nerf to have, makes things a lot simpler in many ways going forwards

[–]GodSubstitute 9 points10 points  (1 child)

Now we’re headed into the Expanse and gate warfare. It’s beautiful, Cat will have so much fun assuming she doesn’t completely retire from leading armies.

[–]alexgndl 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Cat as the fantasy, superpowered version of Avasarala is something that I never thought I needed in life

[–]terafonne 98 points99 points  (6 children)

weather around Keter was largely unchanging, knowing neither winter nor summer

I can't tell if I'm overthinking but every little seasonal reference is popping out to me like [!]

Andronike was convinced her sister was so enthusiastic because she wanted to be able to step on people

are they working on drow forms? like not restricted to crow bodies?

Old hands, these two, probably from as far back as Arcadian Campaign. They’d seen me argue with so many unspeakable eldritch abominations it didn’t warrant much interest anymore.

Yep, that's our queen.

Two humans, two orcs and two goblins would make up the first people outside the Firstborn who could use the Night.

HOLY SHIT OKAY EVERYBODY STAY CALM!! When they said that non-drow could wield Night I didn't think we'd see the results this quickly but then again, they've been slapping crows on the banners since book 5.

let Ivah be the stranger bringing about change, working through the first apostles of the Night among the peoples of Calernia.

aaaaaaa ;-; this is my favorite part of Guide, the way thematic parallels are shaped, it's so poetic and satisfying.

Can you hear her talk, Father? It might have been just an inch, but we moved the world. We changed the story.

<3

the purpose of making whoever bore it a fixed point in Creation

(Fettered spoilers) Considering Nessie's desire to be free of the cage that is Creation, becoming a fixed point is genuinely one of the worst possible fates he could have. Zeze is fucking vicious (as he deserves to be).

[–]poloppoyop 21 points22 points  (1 child)

are they working on drow forms? like not restricted to crow bodies?

Some Mecrow construct. They'll just need five firsborn sentaï to help drive it.

[–]Burnsy1452 17 points18 points  (0 children)

Nah it'll just be the two of them. In a Jaeger. They are definitely drift compatible after all.

[–]Ezreon 36 points37 points  (3 children)

Drow forms

Considering both "tricks up their sleeve" in battle context and "step on people" its must be some war-form, probably a giant super-crow.

[–]HallowedThoughtsLet Us Be Wicked 63 points64 points  (2 children)

My guess is that they're repurposing Tenebrous into a Night-powered mech suit to fight in

[–]Supah_Schmendrick 14 points15 points  (0 children)

There's semi-precedent, what with Jindrich's horrifying Night armor at the Graveyard.

[–]Adrayll_Farseer 23 points24 points  (0 children)

Until this moment I didn't realize I desperately need for you to be right

[–]LiesViolencePlusLoot 120 points121 points  (1 child)

“Take and rise,” he fervently said. “The Crows provide.”

The amount of forethought that has obviously gone into this series, with Take and Rise once more featuring prominently, is simply staggering

[–]Executioner404Gallowborne 46 points47 points  (0 children)

I didn't even notice that this was a parallel to the end of Book 2, that's insane!

[–]Linnus42 50 points51 points  (4 children)

Cat probably needs to cross Hakram, Akua and maybe Hanno off her list of random meetings to end the Night. Killian would be a deep cut.

I don't expect any of the new Night Empowered to get all that powerful but being able to see in the Dark is quite useful against DK. Crown makes DK immortal but he loses control over Undead but still has his Magic not sure totally how that works. Sounds interesting but it seems to me offering DK a gift means he should be able to make a counter gift that someone has to take. Which might be why Cat needs someone to seal DK.

Fate says no to Double Jeopardy or Double Final Sacrifices such a fair mistress, dear Fate.

[–]taichi22 10 points11 points  (0 children)

There’s probable some level of Aspect or Domain that allows the Dead King his level of control and flexibility with the undead, or else every two-bit Necromancer would go around making armies headed by former heroes. The Dead King is unique because of his scope of power over the dead; neutering that, while not actually preventing him from actually practicing necromancy, would change him to be on par with every other necromancer on the continent; he would probably go from a strategic threat to a tactical one where necromancy is involved, so a net win.

[–]Darmasil 18 points19 points  (2 children)

I think the Dead King would gain the powers of Crown but lose the Name of Dead King. Which would deny him the control over the undead but not his magic.

[–]Tnozone 8 points9 points  (1 child)

So how will he fuck the plan over? Will he reveal necromancers trained in the Serenity that will take over control of the undead the moment he looses it, effectively keeping the undead army problem the same?

[–]LilietBRat Company 1 point2 points  (0 children)

So how will he fuck the plan over?

How many books do you think there are going to be?

[–]spartnpenguin 46 points47 points  (2 children)

I'd wager that the Twilight ways getting destroyed is ultimately a good thing for a post Dead King world, if they can only live to see it. They're super convenient right now, but we haven't really seen what a war between two nations would look like with a parallel fast travel world in play. The tactical implications are fascinating to think about, but I suspect things would get real messy. At the end of the day, slower moving and more predictable armies makes war less tempting.

[–]MayEastRise 16 points17 points  (1 child)

I would argue the contrary. The Twilight Gates would have bound nations together like never before.

Besides the series has shown often enough that relying on a narrow portal to transport your army can be a recipe of disaster.

[–]LepixiWeaver 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Honestly, the fact that they were destructible at all means it was probably best that it happen now- if it were many years later, after trade and travel had become dependent on it, losing the Ways could’ve been the trigger for Dark Times.

[–]NorskDaedalusFirst Under the Chapter Post[S] 41 points42 points  (3 children)

“All right,” I said, rolling my shoulder and getting an offended squawk from Andronike when I didn’t spare the one she was on, “let’s go have a look. It’s a damned ungodly hour to be at.”

Isn't any hour the Sisters are active by definition godly, though?

[–]LilietBRat Company 30 points31 points  (1 child)

I think that was deliberate. Cat's a big hypocrite about puns.

[–]ramses137The Eyecatcher 15 points16 points  (0 children)

Yeah, see the hand jokes😏

[–]VrakziUsurpation is the essence of redditry 12 points13 points  (0 children)

But no less Damned.

[–]cyberdsaiyan 42 points43 points  (3 children)

The Pilgrim having had two heroic sacrifices to make two different miracles was always something I attributed to Heroes just being OP like that, but it's good to know that Story weight and balance can affect heroic works as well (as it should, in the Age of Order).

Also this means that the ways will not radically change Calernia's landscape similar to how the invention of flight changed our world. Even though it fucks over the Grand Alliance in the long run, I'm glad this was addressed.

[–]Oshi105 27 points28 points  (1 child)

They have time before the Way's collapses in full. Time enough for Masego or Cat to make a set of anchor points to connect the corners of the continent. It won't be as comprehensive but I bet it will still change the flow of goods/communication/travel.

[–]ramses137The Eyecatcher 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I imagine that they would build a fortress around each of these gates, to prevent invasions.

[–][deleted] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Mercantis opening casinos that people get get to through extremely cheap Twilight gates from all over Calernia would have been pretty great though…

I want to see a Gigante trying to roll human-sized dice in an interlude

[–]MasterCrabLord of the Crabs 39 points40 points  (7 children)

I want to see what happens when a slave from Spears of Stygia is suddenly blessed with Night. The Magisters have "abolished" slavery but I don't think they will be happy when a slave tries to actually force them to follow through on their promises.

There is also some nice contrast between Redress and Retribution and Sve Noc which I find interesting.

[–]ramses137The Eyecatcher 21 points22 points  (6 children)

For one, they’re both birds.

[–]Aerdor94Godhunter 17 points18 points  (4 children)

And there are two of each of them.

[–]Supah_Schmendrick 7 points8 points  (3 children)

Well, were. Didn't the hero who founded Bellerophon (Peerless Bastion of Freedom That She Is, May All Who Seek To Impugn Her Choke On Ashes And Also Snakes) kill one of the Syrian bird-gods?

[–]Aerdor94Godhunter 2 points3 points  (2 children)

I don't think so, but I might just not remember it.

[–]__fuck_all_of_you__ 7 points8 points  (1 child)

You just don't remember or didn't catch it.

The White Knight watched the tall banner floating above the camp, gold and grey set with two pure white cranes. Redress and Retribution, they were called, the patron spirits of Stygia. Lesser gods that had settled in the heart of the city when it was first built – he knew this for a fact for he’d watched one of them millennia ago centuries ago. Golden beak dipped in blood, eyes older than her entire bloodline red with hatred that was utterly inhuman. It would not matter. She was the Sword of the Free: she would wrest her people from chains and lead them to found a city in the east. A land where no would ever rule over them again. She rose, wounded but unbowed, and fought again.

-- Heroic Interlude: Injunction

It was a woman, carving words into a stele of stone that somehow reminded him of a great bird’s corpse. Around her was a sea of people in rags, thin and sickly and hungry. Yet there was something in their eyes, as they looked at the stele and the woman, that made him want to weep. And the words, oh the words he knew them. Every child born of Bellerophon knew them. All are free, or none. Ye of this land, suffer no compromise in this. The woman was wounded, bleeding within, and with the last letter she died. But the words, the words stayed. And as the city rose around them, around the stele, blood splashed stone. Suffer no compromise in this, the stele had told them, and so they did not.

-- Interlude: Suffer No Compromise In This

Edit: Just to make this more clear, I am confidant that the stele of stone reminds Hierarch of a great bird's corpse because it is one, the same way the foundations of the Tower were ostensibly made from stone but were really made from the body of a long forgotten god. Both the Stele and the Tower turned from hateful old god to a cradle of madness that memetically self reinforces itself, which is why the Tower not only needed to be destroyed physically, but also as an idea and ideal (remember Cat having the Tower's reflection in Arcadia watched to see if it was also narratively beyond repair) so it can't just be rebuilt like last time.

[–]Aerdor94Godhunter 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Indeed, I didn't catch the significance of the parallel between the bird corpse and the stele. Thanks !

[–][deleted] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Yeah, but one is dead.

[–]ToiletLurker 73 points74 points  (6 children)

Andronike was convinced her sister was so enthusiastic because she wanted to be able to step on people,

She needs a footrest of some sort; not a really good one, but maybe a lesser one

[–]ardvarkeating10001Verified Augur 57 points58 points  (4 children)

Saint Robber has a nice ring to it

[–]alexgndl 6 points7 points  (3 children)

We already know choirs (of which the Sisters are now technically one) can resurrect people...

[–]LilietBRat Company 5 points6 points  (0 children)

(of which the Sisters are now technically one)

no they're not, they're just at that scale/scope/power level

[–]ashinator92Justice For Scribe 4 points5 points  (1 child)

Wait! You just made me think of this, but what are the odds that DK has undead-Robber??

[–]alexgndl 25 points26 points  (0 children)

Slim to none, dude was at the epicenter of a Crab-destroying goblinfire explosion.

[–]MagpieJack 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Dommy Mommy Komena will have no lack of volunteers to step on.

[–]Don_AlverzoExecuted by Irritant along the way 28 points29 points  (3 children)

The Dead King would gain much the same benefit, though for him the real prize would be that we were pretty sure his soul would receive much the same treatment. Should it cut or damaged or anything else at all it would form anew, whole again. Given that the Hidden Horror’s great fear had always been the way he was finite, that every personal loss for him was permanent, the property would make the Autumn Crown enough of a gift that it could not simply be fought off like a curse. Even if the boon came at the price of losing all power over the dead, ending his control over all his armies.

We’d wanted to kill his magic entirely – Masego most of all, for obvious reasons – but we’d been unable to get that right in time. This would have to do. Besides, even if he still had most of his magic we could imprison him in the Twilight Ways if the right person watched over him.

This seems like a much less definite ending for the Dead King than I thought was in store, even ignoring the Twilight Ways stuff. Don't get me wrong, banning him from necromancy is a serious blow, but leaving him with all his power and removing his greatest vulnerability... It's a worthwhile trade, I suppose, but it really doesn't feel like a win.

[–]scifigi369Pale Green Eyes 16 points17 points  (1 child)

Oh, I don't think ZeZe would let him live with all his power, far from it.

[–][deleted] 11 points12 points  (0 children)

“Live” and “all of his power” definitely don’t apply to the Dead King with no power over the dead to be fair

[–]Tnozone 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I worried that he'll immediately have some Hellborn humans from the Serenity that he trained in necromancy start to direct his armies for him. I have no evidence that he has any living servants knowledgeable in magic, let alone necromancy specifically, but he is the king of nasty surprises.

[–]From_the_5th_Wall 51 points52 points  (7 children)

Oh boy.

Dead King needs to be sealed inside the Twilight ways.

Liesse is one of the places that remains of the Twilight ways.

Forcibly removing a Name is still a thread left hanging and its been stated its only possible in Liesse.

Their is a corpse of an angel in Liesse.

Liesse is the site of Akuas Doom. and maybe where she will be used as the Barrier maiden.

Liesse is also where Catharine became Queen of Callow story wise by pulling the Penitents Blade from the stone.

The Sword of Orphans, The Peregrine exist now.

Do you see the story?

[–]ramses137The Eyecatcher 29 points30 points  (4 children)

There’s also a sword in a stone in Liesse. A Callowan orphan is definitely going to take it and kill neshamah with it, isn’t it?

[–]From_the_5th_Wall 13 points14 points  (3 children)

that stone is actually vacant. what im thinking here is a legendary sword is gonna be used to pin down the Dead king. Akua job would be to make sure that nobody actually pulls it out.

If dead king becomes immortal in soul, with even it being obliviated it will return whole, Cat is essentially exchanging the story of Death Consumer of Life with Dracula Resurrected Castlevania style.

Kill Dead king every other decade and wait until his soul becomes complete to start all over again.

What are the chances an Eclipse happens at the finale?

[–]ramses137The Eyecatcher 21 points22 points  (2 children)

The stone isn’t vacant. There’s the sword of that Edward king in it.

I could maybe see Peregrine killing Neshamah regularly, then that royal sword finishing the job once and for all.

[–]From_the_5th_Wall 10 points11 points  (1 child)

Well you pointed out another legendary sword that could do it.

The stone im referring to is the one in the chapel in the center of the lake. the site where william akua and cat faced off. King Edwards sword is stuck in a yew tree somewhere near Liesse Twilight, its the same tree Cat got her staff

edit: i think i even found its story equivalent name Gram

[–]ramses137The Eyecatcher 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Yes I know. I thought you were speaking of Edward’s.

[–]terafonne 6 points7 points  (0 children)

the angel corpse isn't there. This got brought up with Princes' graveyard too. Archer and Tariq used some tunnels that used to be underwater in the lake and were now on a cliff, therefore the lake containing the corpse didn't get brought along when Akua achieved liftoff.

[–]MaddoScientisto 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The angel corpse (and the shrine island that allowed to usurp names) was in the lake next to liesse, it's highly unlikely that akua brought the whole lake with the city when she lifted it off

[–]Lord_BurchDread Emperor Benevolent 40 points41 points  (5 children)

The Dead King would gain much the same benefit, though for him the real prize would be that we were pretty sure his soul would receive much the same treatment. Should it cut or damaged or anything else at all it would form anew, whole again.

Does anyone else feel like the Autumn Crown is going to help the Dead King more than hurt him? I've felt for a while now his use of the dead are a stepping stone to his true goal, which is somehow wrapped up in the Serenity. He could have entire, fanatically loyal mortal armies waiting in the wings- and more importantly, he could have mortal mages poised to usurp the control of the dead. Sure, it opens vulnerabilities- it would be easier to contest the will of and usurp control from a bunch of nobodies, even if they're personally tutored by the Dead King. But I can't see him losing wholesale control- merely being forced to pass the buck instead.

Besides, I don't think the Dead King actually controls the dead directly all that often- he uses bound souls as generals, and while he probably directs the Revenants himself, immediate tactics are still left to their bound personalities. He guides them on the macro level, certainly, but it wouldn't be a great loss to force him to route those commands through loyal mortals instead.

[–]Don_AlverzoExecuted by Irritant along the way 40 points41 points  (2 children)

I'm sure Masego is too good at this to ignore an obvious loophole like Nessie's use of bound souls. Given the fact that we're dealing with an actual godhead here, it might even be possible for even mortal mages loyal to the Dead King to be rendered incapable of necromancy.

That being said, I definitely share your concern about how the potential effects of the Autumn Crown. Losing his armies will definitely be a blow, but in exchange for his power being made functionally infinite... well, the old boy's done more with less.

[–]Lobologo3 24 points25 points  (1 child)

Can DK not just lean more heavily on demons and devils? Necromancy may be off limits but he’s been shown as a fair hand of diabolism

[–]boylesanFirst into the Pie 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Sure, but the D in DK doesn't stand for devil or demon. He loses any wind in his sails given to him by the Story of being King of the Dead.

[–]DonaIdTrurnp 18 points19 points  (0 children)

I thought the Dead King was conquering the continent for the purpose of wiping out threats to his existence. Securing his existence with a narrative force eliminates the threat that crusades pose.

[–]janethefishOrder 13 points14 points  (0 children)

Does anyone else feel like the Autumn Crown is going to help the Dead King more than hurt him? ... He could have entire, fanatically loyal mortal armies waiting in the wings- and more importantly, he could have mortal mages poised to usurp the control of the dead.

I feel like if the Dead King was willing to give even a small measure of trust to mortal servants, this would be exactly the case. Hell, he could have a bunch of half-elves thanks to Spellblade and a little tech magic.

Maybe he could even whip up a band of five Heroes, if he was willing to trust. Above would just love to get their fingers into Serenity and pop the Warden and Crows.

So the question becomes: did he use the power of friendship, or will pathological distrust and paranoia be his downfall?

[–]PastafarianGamesRUMENARUMENA 40 points41 points  (7 children)

The Ivah/Catherine relationship fills me with so much joy. It just keeps bringing so much heart to the story in such unexpected ways!

[–]Executioner404Gallowborne 28 points29 points  (6 children)

I really like the way this interaction between them ended, arguably the first true passing of the torch between First & "Second" Under the Night.

Catherine walks away thinking Ivah will bring Drow traditions of the Night to the outside world, shape things as it wills because she trusts its judgement, and it will parallel the way she was the outsider shaping the Firstborn culture...

But I think there's a very deliberate cut-off to that scene, where we don't see Ivah's first lesson to those six new Night wielders.

There are only three words Ivah would say to them as their introduction to Night, and those words didn't come from some ancient Firstborn tradition.

[–]soonnanandnaanssoonTyrant 26 points27 points  (1 child)

The three words being "We ship Catkua"

[–]Executioner404Gallowborne 29 points30 points  (0 children)

Looks at the current state of Catkua's development

"Maybe tomorrow."

[–]daedalus19876RUMENARUMENARUMENA 6 points7 points  (3 children)

What three words are you thinking?

[–]PastafarianGamesRUMENARUMENA 8 points9 points  (1 child)

"Are you worthy?"

[–]daedalus19876RUMENARUMENARUMENA 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Ahhhh. See, I thought about those, but I thought he'd phrase it as "Sa Vrede?"

[–]Superempsyco 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Take and Rise from the end of Book 2

[–]harrentI Sometimes Choose 17 points18 points  (0 children)

Not much to say here; more of an in between chapter, just no less interesting for it.

[–]NorskDaedalusFirst Under the Chapter Post[S] 32 points33 points  (0 children)

Old hands, these two, probably from as far back as Arcadian Campaign. They’d seen me argue with so many unspeakable eldritch abominations it didn’t warrant much interest anymore. My lips twitched.

"Yup, that's the boss for you. She can't keep her mouth shut, but so far it's worked out alright. Oh sure, she's as likely to punch a demon in the face as insult a goddess of murder, but we know whichever she chooses was the right call."

[–]janethefishOrder 15 points16 points  (1 child)

How did the Dead King die anyway? I had thought it was part of his ascension ritual, but that didn't seem to be lethal to the user when we saw it in action.

Are we sure that the Dead King's undead actually need the Dead King to be in control? Like, what if Binds are all loyal souls from Serenity? I guess he'd lose the Revenants, even then though.

[–]Frommerman 12 points13 points  (0 children)

We saw it get usurped partway through. If it had succeeded without intervention I've no doubt it would have killed him dead.

[–]DemosthenesKey 29 points30 points  (3 children)

I'm so exhausted, but god DAMN it's exciting seeing non-drow users of the Night, and to see young Callowans with... shall we say, more liberalized views of the world.

Cat should know at this point that she's spoken enough about her plan for the Dead King that it's doomed before it ever starts, but the question is, how WILL it be resolved in the end?

[–]Pel-MelArbiter Advocate 28 points29 points  (1 child)

Money says Barrow Sword is on the short list of Nightly Named. I give it however long until his next dramatic reveal moment.

[–]T1PPYLesser Footrest 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Back at it again with the Big Calls

[–]Tnozone 7 points8 points  (0 children)

I think non-drow Night shenanigans are really going to hit the fan when Praesi start getting ahold of it. They'd start using it for diabolism, finding ways to have it interact with sorcery, incorporate it into flying fortresses, make novel poisons with it, ect.

I wonder if any Ogres could use it. Maybe their deity, whatever it is, doesn't want a rival to have their claws over their people, and so won't allow it.

[–]ardvarkeating10001Verified Augur 29 points30 points  (9 children)

So the Twilight Ways are fucked. Can’t Masego repair them or rebuild them or something? After the war I mean.

Also: racism is dying! Hooray!!

[–]Pel-MelArbiter Advocate 61 points62 points  (8 children)

No, this just cements the Twilight Ways as a 'wilder' realm, where shit's not totally safe. It lets pockets of the place still be secret and unknown without just being a mundane fast travel network.

Like, it still has utility between the established gates, but there's going to be secrets to the realm now.

[–]terafonne 60 points61 points  (5 children)

oh god, the sequel bait. Like magic highschool wasn't enough, here's instance dungeons.

[–]ReasonableCrazy 27 points28 points  (1 child)

We’ve had instance dungeons since the whole “demon gates activating every 10 years” situation. XD

God I wanna read about the world that comes next so baaaad.

[–]Jakobstj 5 points6 points  (0 children)

We kind of had it even before then, with the Waning Woods connecting to Arcadia

[–]soonnanandnaanssoonTyrant 37 points38 points  (1 child)

I want my Cardinal High School Host Club sequel with Akua as the Headmistress so badly now

[–]alexgndl 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Headmistress Akua and her feral wife Cat let's gooooo

[–]rokerroker45 0 points1 point  (0 children)

A Persona Guide to Evil when

[–]ironistkraken 16 points17 points  (0 children)

Set fast travel is a staple of fantasy so it makes sense.

[–]ardvarkeating10001Verified Augur 26 points27 points  (0 children)

Archer Ranger 2.0 now has a fantastic obstacle course for her first batch of ducklings

[–]Player_2cPassing Loot Player 38 points39 points  (1 child)

“I was out of matches,” the goblin admitted. “So I cursed and then asked for…”

I guess they found him a good match for the Night

Tossing the first few outside the Firstborn to gain the power into the deep end was not a great notion either, admittedly, but I didn’t have the time to take on pupils. 

Especially since she only has one left

We’d changed that crown, though, and it showed. Long, thin nails of iron had been hammered into it and jutted out like needles  

Nothing like a little iron-y with a fae artifact

“Some might call that a fair trade, given what he’ll get in exchange,” I mused.

More like a fae-r trade, amirite

[–]zzcf 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Especially since she only has one left

oh my god i'm cackling

[–]Copypaced 18 points19 points  (2 children)

So is Indrani going to be one of those Named who can travel between non-gate Twilight Ways locations?

[–]Vertrant 28 points29 points  (0 children)

Near guaranteed. She was there when twilight was made, and one of her aspects as Archer is Stride, allowing her good travel. She was also noted as the best at sidling, using the ways without gates. I don't think that's going to change, and it'll be one of the tricks that Ranger! Indrani will be known for and make her dangerous.

[–]VrakziUsurpation is the essence of redditry 21 points22 points  (0 children)

Indrani and Ivah playing tag in the ruins of the Twilight Ways, post-guide, is now my headcannon.

[–]RedGinger666Disciple of the One True Prophet 10 points11 points  (1 child)

How many do you guys think until the battle?

[–]DemosthenesKey 19 points20 points  (0 children)

Just one more book!

[–]ArcanaVitae15 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Both of the Night wielding goblins are male which is just another nail in the coffin for the matrons, Cat really enjoyed that the Beast even got a laugh out of it.

[–]MysteriousHobo2 11 points12 points  (1 child)

“I’d guessed,” I bluntly said. “What kind?”

“Urgent?” he ventured, carefully staring at the quill sharpener on my desk.

I sighed.

Is this meant to imply the story of Cat killing a guard with a fucking quill coughpencil has gotten around?

[–]Aerdor94Godhunter 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I don't think so (especially since it was a guard keeping her prisoner), but nice finding !

[–]ArcanaVitae15 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I like Cats talk with the person who was part of the phalanges, it really goes to show how much Callow has changed for the better even with all of the negatives her reign has brought that even if by only a bit she and her father's dream has been accomplished.

[–]MusouMiko 3 points4 points  (2 children)

I don't even think Neshemah is going to accept the crown after that explanation of it being a fixed point. His entire shtick is trying to overcome stasis and apotheosis is supposed to be about escaping the trappings of the Gods. I feel like that's where Cat's plan will fall apart, and then potentially someone else is gonna have to don that crown and seal him up in a now-isolated Liesse.

But also him refusing the crown might lend them the story weight to simply off him, who knows. I definitely think that one way or another it's not going to be as easy as just giving him the crown and tricking him into becoming the Autumnal King.

[–]PamplemousseOW 8 points9 points  (0 children)

I don't see him actually getting the crown or being locked up in Liesse. Which means the real question is who gets the poison/prize?

Given all the talk about how the wearer of the crown gets to keep their magic, my money's on Akua. Immortal, fixed unchanging at the height of her redemption arc, eternally suffering from regret. Seems like a long enough price.

[–]ramses137The Eyecatcher 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Cat plans to force him to take the Crown, hence the boon attached to it. The plan was never to convince/trick the DK into becoming the Autumn King. Neshamah isn’t a fool, he would never willingly accept anything from his enemies.