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Comments
Always good to see stuff happening, I just wish you would stop killing the things I love most in this game!
Excited.
Scared, but excited.
This is a big deal, and anyone who cuts it down with "this happens every blah blah" is a douche. If that's you, shoosh. Shushush. Shhhhh.
I just hope I can find a reason for my character to be less gloomy IC. She's been such a sourpuss lately with all this, as well as everything else.
Maybe she needs some processing to get over it.
[KIDDING IMMA DUANATHAR AWAY FROM ANY TSOLTETH I SEE GET OUTTA HERE]
And you won't understand the cause of your grief...
...But you'll always follow the voices beneath.
I admire the work of those who have developed this and are putting it on. It's been interesting to watch.
Aegis, God of War says, "You are dismissed from My demense, Astarod. Go forth and fight well. Bleed fiercely, and climb the purpose you have sought to chase for."
From an in-character perspective, watching Cyrene fall into enemy hands was absolutely crushing for Synthus. It was always a place where he felt safe, always a place he considered home. Now though, even when or if Cyrene comes back into Cyrenean hands, he will always be terrified of it falling again. In the meantime, he's joined the Resistance, will serve in whatever capacity he can, and if given the chance to throw caution to the wind and attack, no one is going to be able to hold him back.
From a player perspective... guys... What in the world are you thinking? You have guys with plot armor so thick even Sir Mix-a-lot is going "That's too big for me" kicking down the doors of the city with the most non-combat citizens, laying absolute waste to anyone inside with that Litany, and then you lock the entire city off. I wouldn't be as mad about this if walking into Cyrene from the Muurn had an insurmountable spawn of Tide-warped guards just eviscerate the ever-loving hell out of you, or hell, even a dominated Blu if you really want to drive that home, but no, you warp us off to the resurrection cave with no prompt or anything to explain it. At least throw in something like "The visage of reality bends and warps around you as the Tide begins coalescing around your body. You struggle for breath as the amaranthine fog eventually washes over you, darkness filling your vision as you feel a sudden weightlessness. Moments later you open your eyes, and find yourself sitting outside a familiar cave."
The fact that for the most part I was getting one or two shotted by everything, even with all the healing and defenses I had going, also really soured the whole event. I can stand toe-to-toe with Tide minions, but the second I square up against Hailqas'an, nope, game over, along with everyone else standing beside me.
The "Demonstration" may have been badass from a story perspective, and if this were a D&D campaign or something like that, sure, I'd agree, this is the "shit just got real" moment in the campaign. With Achaea though? No. You just cut a portion of your player base off from their main hub without any equivalent replacement or the ability to actively continue their efforts to retake it. Players can't access their banks, houses, or any of the various city NPCs that tie into their tradeskills. In my book, that's a really shitty move.
I'm sorry, I know I'm being really critical of the event and of the turn it has taken, but I cannot state just how much of a really disappointing and upsetting outcome that was.
thing is coding doesn't happen overnight. There has to be a certain amount of railroading to move the story along and things can't be as responsive as we would like because it takes a ton of effort to do this stuff, and if they coded scenarios out for every possibility it'd never end.
Mechanically speaking though, locking off the entire city is not fine. It also makes me terrified that Cyrene is about to become Shallam 2: Tide Pod Boogaloo(now available on DVD)
She also doesn't view the tsol'teth as any worse than the chaos court or Mhaldor. They're less accepting of recruits, but that's about it really.
They're more dangerous, but I'm pretty sure Penwize or Seragorn could kill Lenn nearly as easily.
The tide isn't much worse than a great hunt to her, and so far it's left the only property she cares about protecting alone, probably for mechanical reasons if it hasn't been a fluke.
OOCly, I feel accomplished having taken all those pictures. If I had an insta-kill as cheesy as theirs, that'd be five dead tsol'teth, but instead I've immortalized them.
But I do wish the admin were a bit less kill happy. I know I knew what I was getting into, but it cost me all the wheel exp I got this month, and since I barely break ahead on PVP EXP, that's my main source.
It was fun, but I don't see why I'd participate in such endeavors any more, though that's partially because albums are pretty awful. Can I even display them? I'd love to put those images on display, but as far as I can tell, it's just a really specialized container.
Though I heard they disabled WALK TO CYRENE, so it might just be an oversight (or technical constraint) that they don't make people who logged off in a litany-besieged city log in elsewhere.
Then again, if they Shallam Cyrene, who's to say they won't Shallam any of the other cities?
I realize this may sound antagonizing, so let me preface this by saying I'm asking out of genuine curiosity and not trying to antagonize you: If Ashtan got obliterated by the Tsol'Teth, how would you feel about that as both a player and your character?
If you don't want a PvE Achaea, do your part now and save Cyrene before it's too late.
Riven by some malevolent external force, the tunnel-entrance to Cyrene collapses violently into ruin alongside a deafening crash.
A pair of dark figures appear in the mountains overlooking Cyrene, twin silhouettes cast into sharp relief by the moonlight as they tread with nonchalant indifference over the newly sundered debris.
The fractal barrier surrounding Cyrene glows with renewed purpose, surging and swirling with radiant defiance.
Undeterred, the voice of Ama-maalier rises to an imperious timbre of command, intoning with utmost clarity, "Elud'hailqad."
Countless writhing shadows churn to life, roiling about the Tsol'teth women in ominous waves of un-light, the haggard faces of Adrik, Mezghar, and Tynil visible amidst the gloam.
Ama-maalier utters an unspoken command and touches the tip of her sword to the blazing barrier. The shield flickers and the shadow stirs, blank visages coalescing in vague fascimiles of Taryius, Lii, and Iloisee before deliquescing and reforming anew.
Ammar, Zugath, and Krizal manifest in the darkness, twisted faces bound by ancient magic as the animate shade leaps forward as one abhorrent unit, hammering at the glowing shield in a silent frenzy of unrelenting blows. In moments, the barrier groans a sickening death knell before exploding in a shower of prismatic shards.
The figures of Silon'ukia and Terrin'tuuran appear, flanking the Dark Hate and Secret Storm as the Tsol'teth quartet look down over Cyrene from their mountainous vantage.
Morose silence descends, and Ama-maalier steps forward, beckoning her cadre of three to follow and observe.
Primal terror is all you know as the indomitable tones of The Dark Hate thunder throughout Creation, "Hwarak alshamar osang rach haahl! Kwarak alshamar osang rach haahl! In the name of the eternal darkness, you will all obey ME! Turn on your brethren! Turn on those you love! Slay them all! Hwarak alshamar osang rach haahl..."
Enraptured by the dread litany, the guards of Cyrene fall to confusion, eyes filled with shadow and smoke. Imperial guardsmen, venerable monks, runic knights, and mountain archers ready themselves for battle, dashing troubadours crooning a baleful anthem in the Tsol'teth tongue all the while.
An ear-splitting roar thunders across Sapience as the Guardian Dragon attempts to resist the litany's call.
Unfurling his mighty wings, Blu attempts to take flight but it is in vain: coils of living shadow twine about the draconic figure, suffocating the anguished, agonised howl he looses as captivity takes hold.
The unyielding tones of Gattan'bahar exude preternatural conviction as she calls out, "Begin."
-After much slaughter in Cyrene, with only one or two Tsol'teth deaths-
The unyielding tones of Gattan'bahar exude preternatural conviction as she calls out, "Victory is at hand. Do not falter."
The maddening buzz of a faint and unintelligible hum underlays the currents of besieged life as sovereignty of the City of Cyrene is claimed on behalf of Tlalaiad, the Genesis.
The unyielding tones of Gattan'bahar exude preternatural conviction as she calls out, "Secure the city."
The unyielding tones of Gattan'bahar exude preternatural conviction as she calls out, "The weapon of the line of Nicator has fallen into my grasp. Terrin'tuuran has command."
Plumes of smoke trail into the sky over Cyrene as the entire city weeps under the weight of protracted battle. In the ruinous aftermath, Ama-maalier and Silon'ukia descend from the mountains, pacing lock-step through the streets as they survey their newly conquered lands.
Primal terror is all you know as the indomitable tones of The Dark Hate thunder throughout Creation, "Hwarak alshamar osang rach haahl! Kwarak alshamar osang rach haahl! In the name of the eternal darkness, you will all obey ME! Turn on your brethren! Turn on those you love! Slay them all! Hwarak alshamar osang rach haahl..."
Deadly intent is manifest in every word as Kaama'lier decrees, "Few qualify for processing. Failure is abject."
Traversing Ministrickle Road, Gattan'bahar joins the parade of conquest, the three Tsol'teth turning their eyes upon the Icerune Crater. Ama-maalier simply nods.
Primal terror is all you know as the indomitable tones of The Dark Hate thunder throughout Creation, "Bring the Dragon."
Acquiescing to the Dark Hate's command, waves of living shadow drag the bound and captured form of Blu before the Icerune Crater, his once-majestic form diminished from the Tsol'teth onslaught.
Opening her mouth a mere fraction, Ama-maalier directs a portion of her might at the Guardian Dragon, her expression cold and remorseless as she imposes her will upon the helpless prisoner.
A wan, fatigued roar echoes across the City of Cyrene as Blu, the Guardian Dragon once more attempts and fails to resist the litany's call.
Primal rage manifests in the Dragon's eyes, a rabid frenzy absent of all conscience or mercy. The shadows binding him withdraw, and, drawing himself up to his full height, Blu swiftly manoeuvres his massive draconic form, bringing his immense tail crashing into the Icerune Crater, shattering the font with a single explosive blow.
His initial purpose served, the Guardian Dragon howls as he finds himself once more inexorably bound in shadows, shackled and ignored amid a nest of font fragments.
Apparently satisfied, the Dark Hate and her retinue withdraw to the Imperiate's chambers. In their wake, the forces of Anzari-tarin dispatch their guards and begin to establish a perimeter.
Deadly intent is manifest in every word as Kaama'lier decrees, "Your shields will not save you."
If that happened to Ashtan I'd probably be a lot more mixed in how last night's event went.
Aegis, God of War says, "You are dismissed from My demense, Astarod. Go forth and fight well. Bleed fiercely, and climb the purpose you have sought to chase for."
Last night everyone was so busy trying to kill guards, we didn’t even notice what they were doing in the city. By the time we noticed it was too late. The opportunity was there for us to win, we missed it.
Penwize has cowardly forfeited the challenge to mortal combat issued by Atalkez.
Aegis, God of War says, "You are dismissed from My demense, Astarod. Go forth and fight well. Bleed fiercely, and climb the purpose you have sought to chase for."
I just didn't point it out, because Cyrene enemied me.
I can say everything that has happened so far has been directly influenced by player actions (the entire Cyrene invasion was plotted and implemented over the course of Wednesday). We definitely missed a couple of things like the log in though, and I agree that cave teleport could use a message. Unfortunately its typically the price we pay if we want to be responsive - we have to crank out the reactions very quickly, so occasionally things do get overlooked. We can plan out everything in advance, but typically people are less a fan of those.