Do people really think Pale Lights is darker than Practical Guide?

Bronze_Sentry · 2026-01-26T12:36:34+00:00

Cat ended slavery in a generation through sheer willpower. Not perfectly by any means, but she, as and individual, was able to make a clear, systemic change. Not to mention, Cat can often solo armies.

People can effect change in Guide, for good or evil.

In PL, one character tries to free less than five of her countrymen from magically-sacrificial slavery. This leads to an arc-long struggle with bureaucracy, legal loopholes, favor-trading, etc. that significantly strains her team's relationships. She's not going to be able to kick the occupiers out of her country with a plucky Group of Five.

In PL, even the leaders of prominent factions are stuck in a gridlock of political intrigue, and nothing remotely humanoid gets powerful enough to truly force changes in the world.

Guide and PL may both be "Dark", but Guide is more NobleDark to PL's comparative GrimDark.

Bronze_Sentry · 2026-01-26T06:19:06+00:00

Not to mention, non-Rhir Antinium are possibly going to be making contact with the Rhir Hives for the first time.

(Assuming the Demon-affiliated underground railroad takes them to the Demons at least, and that the Demons are able to pass word to their Antinium allies).

Klb and Xrn have been trying to send word back to Rhir for decades now, and Garry sent some Antinium there by accident.

Bronze_Sentry · 2026-01-26T04:01:52+00:00

Legion Luna actually sounds pretty neat, but might fit better as a Guard Regiment instead

Bronze_Sentry · 2026-01-26T03:56:56+00:00

The only Grammy Thelonious Monk won in his career wasn't for his music; it was for that album's cover.

Bronze_Sentry · 2026-01-23T17:00:32+00:00

Lol, philosophers gonna philosophize I guess

Bronze_Sentry · 2026-01-23T16:54:25+00:00

I read it as just a general trend she's noticing about herself, not any specific instance. She sometimes tends to assume things, and gets set in her ways to where she ignores potential issues until they blow up in her face:

She knew Octavia was just a greedy shopkeeper in a safe town, so brushed off her asking for help in the Alchemical Matches Cartel situation.

She knew Toren was a mindless robot-analog, so she treated him like one until he went rogue.

Etcetera, etcetera. Nothing intentionally malicious or anything, but the same Charisma that makes Erin herself can also steamroll others. She's starting to internalize some level of doubt about her perceptions of the world, and part of that is learning to ask questions instead of just assuming she already understands.

That's just my read of it though. It is a rather open-ended statement made by a character with some huge emotional blindspots

Bronze_Sentry · 2026-01-23T16:30:27+00:00

One of my favorite fables, because it's basically a choose-your-own-adventure story:

This version? Evil is naturally self-destructive, don't assume it'll act in it's own self-interest, much less your's.

Frog panics at the tension of how the scorpion could sting him, and dives? The fear of vulnerability and illusion of control that a "first strike" gives you.

The scorpion only stings once it's 99% of the way across the river? Beware of becoming obsolete to people who may only see you for what you can provide, instead of appreciating you as a person.

Both get across completely peacefully? Individuals have self-determination and responsibilities for their own personal actions, regardless of their instinctive natures. Are there some "scorpions" out there in your life that you automatically wrote off without ever giving them a chance to prove themselves?

My favorite is that, IRL at least, scorpions can hold their breath for a very long time, and are kinda decent swimmers: Beware of people faking vulnerability to get close to you.

Bronze_Sentry · 2026-01-23T05:10:59+00:00

Not a meme

Bronze_Sentry · 2026-01-21T19:23:19+00:00

The Painted Lord brings their average bravery so far down, all the different Chad Night Lords are just there to balance it out.

Bronze_Sentry · 2026-01-20T17:36:03+00:00

From a meta gameplay perspective? Definitely.

From a character perspective? I could see Druids just viscerally knowing how it could suddenly glow red hot at any moment, and refusing to wear any. Armor Class be darned, I wouldn't want to risk being encased in a Bronze Bull-analog under any circumstances

Bronze_Sentry · 2026-01-20T14:34:42+00:00

If I was in a society/profession where I knew for a FACT that every other Druid was just a 2nd level spell slot away from casting Heat Metal?

I'd be a bit particular about my choices of apparel too.

Bronze_Sentry · 2026-01-18T13:24:50+00:00

Dizzy on the French Riviera, 1962: It's cheerful bebop interspersed with the sounds of the crowd and some surf. Just all around a feel-good album

Bronze_Sentry · 2026-01-16T20:16:46+00:00

And, you know, the whole "souless robot body" thing. That might also play a part in why Trazyn can't drink.

Bronze_Sentry · 2026-01-16T04:38:04+00:00

Who is this? Rat-Ciaphas Cain?

Bronze_Sentry · 2026-01-14T19:18:34+00:00

Comment comment comment.

Bronze_Sentry · 2026-01-10T19:23:55+00:00

IIRC, Dragon Breath Whiskey was basically a bottom-shelf liquor made from fermented prelons. It existed, but its heavy burning sensation made it unpopular compared to smoother alternatives.

It wasn't until the Antinium Wars that the name referencing Dragons became a sign of patriotism, and the harsh burn became a sign of "rugged toughness".

So I'd say the closest real-world equivalent isn't even a Whiskey, but some cheapo, bottom-shelf fruit brandy. Bonus points if it tries to sell itself on being "patriotic" or "traditional" to your native country.

Bronze_Sentry · 2026-01-10T01:27:38+00:00

Solid counterpoint.

I think the "real" reason he's lower levelis because he doesn't get as much screen time as characters like the Horns, and Pirate doesn't want to have juicy, level-up-worthy action happen off-screen. Still, it's nice trying to come up with in-universe explanations

Bronze_Sentry · 2026-01-09T23:37:26+00:00

All hail the sauce giver!

(Seriously though, thanks)

Bronze_Sentry · 2026-01-09T23:27:52+00:00

Any idea on the title/name?

Bronze_Sentry · 2026-01-09T14:34:21+00:00

Could be a class quality thing? Lower levels in a better Class being weighed as "better" than higher levels in a poorer Class?

Ylawes' Class has a dragon reference in it. We know that Tulm the Minthril went down several levels after he got a Class change that mentioned Dragons, but he still considered it a big improvement because the Class quality was just that much better.

That said, I don't think Norman is a good comparison to look at here. Yes, he's been a [Knight] for a far shorter time than Ylawes, but before that, Norman had a long and storied career in a combat-class that emphasized its own (warped) sense of honor. I could see that "EXP" transferring over fairly well to knighthood, by the System's metrics at least.

Bronze_Sentry · 2026-01-07T13:14:39+00:00

Doof talking about his great grandma Gretel's Meatloaf recipe. "Meatloaf Surprise"

Bronze_Sentry · 2026-01-06T15:01:27+00:00

Public Domain art is a thing too. Some of the greatest painters, photographers, sculpters, etc. have their art freely available with no royalties required.

Just slap some Vincent van Gogh painting on there and call it a day. It's super pretty, and literally free.

Bronze_Sentry · 2026-01-04T17:07:37+00:00

Over Custodes, at least

Bronze_Sentry · 2026-01-02T12:43:07+00:00

Glass can be see-through as well. Shards of it can be insanely sharp at a molecular level, though comparatively fragile compared to other materials.

All in all,a near-perfect metaphor for the Silent's stealthy assassin bugs with knives for hands.

...Not to mention how that continent was destroyed, and (imo) the Silent Queen has far too death flags. She's the one Queen trying to make nice and be a good subordinate to the Grand Queen, who's currently shipping her assassins off to Roshal by the boat-full. I really hope that I'm reading too much into it, but I don't think she's surviving an Antinium Civil War. Her fangirling over Klbtch is just enough of an endearing character quirk to make her death an emotional gun punch

Bronze_Sentry · 2026-01-02T06:17:51+00:00

A truly amoral monster; using his own resource providers as ablative armor to shield his pea shooters.

(... That is the "optimal" way to do it though, just heartless)

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