Episode Number: (TG408)
Original Airdate: 3/2002
The situation with the dwarves, revealed as paladins, after Tierney, escalates. Gryff refuses to help them. Timus tries to stop them, obliquely. And when Aldea returns, a new-and-improved Sendant, ready for questing, comes out to fight.
This episode was done in an online format, as a viewer-experience experiment. It was therefore shorter and had a lot more ninjanoting... :)
Either Aldea the insectile monster is bluffing, or there's a real Aldea somewhere, either trapped inside the monster or somewhere else, and the real Aldea can speak through the fake one.
Oh, and also, Gryff is screwed. While it's unlikely that he'd be subject to the same kind of punishment as if he'd attacked the dwarven paladins WITHOUT being under a domination effect, the fact that he refused to help them real doesn't help lend him credibility. Neither one on its own was a killer, but both together paints an ugly picture of our friend Gryff. According to what the party knows of dwarven law, something like that domination spell gives Gryff a fair amount of leeway, if he can convince them that he was fighting it as best he could. But the Knights' current experience with Gryff makes them less likely to cut him the slack they otherwise would.
Parallax: the perceived change in direction or location of an object due to different observational position.
From one perspective, we know that Tierney is good. No doubt in our minds.
From one perspective, we know that Arly drinking that ashwine to become undead is necessary to help stop the coming darkness.
Sendant knows exactly where and what Aldea is.
But from other perspectives... it can get a bit murky.
That Aldea-monster is too powerful
Not too powerful. Specialized. It requires the party to plan a bit. Once Sendant had himself buffed up, he was hitting for some rather intense damage.
And I wouldn't be surprised if he took spell penetration as his next feat -- he's been burned on Spell Resistance three times tonight.
Gryff was set up. He had no chance.
Being dominated is not a crime. No argument. Refusing to help the dwarven PALADINS go after what they said was an evil artifact? Um, that's a bit shaky. He'll certainly want to justify that with the mistaken-identity bit, but at this point in time, Gryff KNOWS that Tierney is a pretty good liar, and not a bad thief, and he knows that those are paladins... and he still sided with Tierney. It's a powerful moment for party loyalty, but it will definitely come back to haunt him.
Let's ignore the whole mental domination thing for a moment. (Blasted bug-thing. I have more than half a mind to torture it...if I can find it.)
If I had sided with Tierney, I would have rushed to his defense. I did not. Yes, Tierney is a liar, a cheat, a pansy, and a thief, and I don't trust him much. He probably has seventeen secret identities that I don't know about. He may be a freakin' bug-thing in disguise. But is he evil? I don't know, the jury's still out on that one. He's had plenty of opportunities to eliminate me if he wanted. He hasn't.
And as long as I was in my right mind, I wasn't doing anything to physically prevent those Foundation knights from arresting Tierney. I questioned their sources of information. They took it as a personal affront. That's something wrong with them. (What is it with these law-and-order types, anyway?)
And then bug-bitch messed it all up. I will agree with ye that I'm screwed. May as well try to enjoy it, then...
MUSH >> IRC for this sort of thing.
Wait. None of you know MUSH.
Never mind.
Elven harlot? What?
I mean... I'm not reacting this way because I missed out on what sounded like a n interesting experience... er. I mean... damn.
Geordan: Bigby's Molesting Hand?
Tony: No.
Geordan: Bigby's Groping Hand. Bigby's Interstitial Hand.
Lea: Bigby's Internicine Hand.
Geordan: Bigby's International Hand.
(Sendant walks through a Greased area)
Arlemis: It is my sworn duty to go forth and slay those abominations. By the
power of the Bright Blade, may all those abominations tremble before
the might of mya-HOY!
Arlemis: Where's sendant and stuff?
Sendant: sorry I had to do lots of math
DMP: Middle of the street, basking in holy radiance, fierce look of determination on his face. Or doing math, yeah.
Aldamar: Spell focus, BABY
DMP: SF: Evocation? Right.
Arlemis: ooh.
Gryffid: makes those flame strikes that much more...flaming?
Aldamar: Yep!
Arlemis: he IS an elf...
Aldamar: And I'm moving as much as I can this round before possibly wildshaping. Okay, here's the rest:
Aldamar runs off down the street in the direction he was headed, then yells out, "WonderTwin powerz, ACTIVATE! Form of... a BAT!"
Timus: um
Arlemis: hahahahah
Aldea: what?
Gryffid: dude, lay off the drugs.
Tierney: wackiness can continue over email
DMP: Aldamar is BLIND and chasing Aldea. :)
Aldea: ok
Sendant: I'll get you my not so pretty
DMP: Arly is drinking ashwine.
Arlemis: i am?
Aldea: hey, YOU SLEPT WITH ME
DMP: Tierney is running from dwarves.
Arlemis: wait
Timus: licking ash?
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