Will we be able to retire in Irduin, after all of this is over?
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Rebuilding Rim Square would also be a nice retirement option 
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My mc effing hates that place. It’s just a reminder of the piece of livestock he used to be. If anything my mc would rather see it razed to the ground to become a new patch of forest again, save for a single clearing with a singe simple monument on the spot of the fourth harrowing where it all began.
Anyway given the heavy reconstruction efforts likely to be needed there’d be no resources to waste on building up a new or building a backwards, backwoods town like Rim Square into a national capital. In the Western option, depending on how much of Shayard he can seize in addition to Wiendrj and hopefully at least a part of Nyral the most likely candidates for the national capital would be either Grand Shayard, or well not technically Grand Shayard but its port town Osterport (which my mc would rename just Eastport in that case), Corlune or a more central, inland location, in Wiendrj.
If there is a far future my mc survives into to actually retire he’d rather retire to Sojourn than back to Rim Square.
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Do the Angels play a role like that of Plato’s Demiurge in Xthonic theology, ie are they the ones who take formless matter and shape it according to the eternal forms they see in the mind of Xthonos?
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I’d personally retire to Scarthe Island I think. Build myself a nice manor there, away from all the chaos of the post Hegemony world. 
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ca. 70 XE: Various prophets of the Shayard Reach begin to receive revelations from the Angels of Compassion. These are eventually written down and compiled into a Codex.
Is this a potential theo-historical underpinning of the Inner Voice? Looking through every reference to the founders of Xthonism, they are only ever referred to equally and in the plural, with no one “Eclect” given primacy until Hera comes along. The only one named is the Prophet Lerea, and she’s only noted for her literacy campaigns. I feel like an MC trying to push the Shayarin Codex as the one true text alongside the Inner Voice could point to the collective nature of the original prophets, pushing the idea that man’s relationship was never meant to mediated by chosen ‘Eclect’, but rather granted to all willing to listen. Some have better ears than others, but all can hear.
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Yay I found a song for my pacifist mc (number 5 mc)
Also one for the worst possible outcome for my main XOR mc (Also my main Sidestep, more him then XOR with the whole mass mind control thing but enough parts of the lyrics fit for me for XOR too)
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That’s right–Hera was born into a religiously conflicted environment, and was decisive in imposing a resolution. A high-INT character when talking with Maurs can have this thought:
“You think of the old stories of the Oracles of Aekos and the riddles they’d receive in trance from the pre-Xthonic gods of Karagon. The Codex treats that as if it’s a genuine rivalry with Xaos-powers, not fakery.”
You’re pretty much right on. Aguise 18, Auche 15 (but will turn16 in the winter), Alac 13.
In a great creator god, somewhat remote from everyday life, that worked through local gods, hallowed ancestors, and powers of nature. The theology of Xthonism built on a monotheism that was already developing.
I don’t want them to have no character growth. 
I’ll look for hooks in the main story when that’s done.
This really can’t be emphasized enough.
He can sense light and dark, but nothing beyond that–no real distinguishable shapes.
If Breden survives Game One, and has a physical relationship with Ciels, Ciels will refuse to be your companion into Xaos: “The young tracker looks at Breden, then shakes ${his} head. ‘I can’t, ${addressu}. Choose someone else.’” If Breden died or ran off, Ciels can go with you, and you can have conversations about Breden, but it’ll be about a strange relationship that ended with Breden’s departure.
Good call. I’ll see about delaying that to the end of Irduin.
Hmmmaybe. Not any time soon. It won’t be super game-relevant for a while, and I’d like to keep full freedom to revise it without upending people’s future plans.
This is the only (pleasant) surprise for me on the list. I’d been worried that the priest section would feel like a lot of infodump with a milquetoast “nice priest” character in the middle of it. The fact that multiple people have responded well to Ulmey’s drama is a definite relief.
Korren has a few big-bang ending possibilities; let’s see how he feels when we’ve got some of those on the page, particularly with the helot dissenters.
Ah, thanks for catching that!
Good point, will belatedly add a tracker for that to the next update…
He’ll be fully blood-stocked, unlike Chirex, and you’ll have no real advantage of surprise or cover, unlike the survivable clashes I can recall at High Crag.
I’m afraid it’s too early for me to make any promises about MC retirement plans…
Exactly.
The prophets were considered Eclect, collectively, and some of the Codex talks about them explicitly in those terms. The Latter Books distinguish between the Eclect who are chosen to receive revelations and the ruling Eclect who are chosen to both hear the Angels and to wield power. The primacy of a subset of the Eclect (and of the Eclect more broadly over ordinary humanity) becomes pretty explicit there. But the Shayarin Codex’s references to the Eclect can be plausibly interpreted in terms of small-e election, with the prophets as early examples of the universal human capacity to hear Angelic revelations.
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Yay! This was spurred on by noticing that Irduin must be like, insanely triggering for K. Everyone so nice with the helots, loving them and asking them for input at times, they must be so on edge waiting for the other shoe to drop. I’m curious how… proactive the Gamgees will be, if they’ll say go off to infiltrate the Yeomen (Ciels) and provide you info or assistance in pushing that faction, or if they’ll just stay more passive and quiet.
I think the reason Korren doesn’t quite hit right is that he’s never the main character. Everyone else listed can be the focus of their own path, but he never gets to shine on his own. He’s always subordinated to Ulmey or Cyneve, or suppressing himself for the general scenes. Makes him seem less interesting.
I wonder if this can be finagled to implement a democratic priesthood 
Probably not a path I’m over keen to pursue, but would be interesting. Something that does feel like it’s sort of missing is Ulmey commentary on the MC vis-a-vis religion, and to get an idea both of what the priesthood writ large is thinking and his personal takes on our potential heresies, especially as we start to engage him about his heresies. Seems a worthwhile add.
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Hmmm. Would you say it was really Hera and the Hegemony then, that spread Xthonos worship? Horion seems confident in G1 that it would happen regardless because of Shayardene influence but I am not so sure.
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Got done with making a bio for my main (what I tend to call the frist one I make for a game/series) mc
Taras de Khorobirit (Yes I know it was just the first family name to come to mind for some reason) the Open Hand Elect Theurge
Theurge of the First Kyklos and apprentice in the Seracca way of egye
Devout/Compassion (for now)/Cosmopolitan medium Anarchy (18-27 most runs)
Deputy Breden Reaper
Temporary Leader Korszata
As both a child and teen Taras spent a lot of time thinking about a happy world for everyone spurred on by his mother’s ideas, what Olynna preaches to him and what he has read in the many books he got his hands on together with Ganelon. He dreamed and thought about it when his mother died, during the many beatings his father gave him, when Olynna yelled for him to run while being beaten, when he first met Breden, when he figured out the meaning behind the scroll, and when he had the horrifying realization that children were going to be Harrow right in front of him.
Killing someone for the first time broke something in him and when Lious brings up the possibility of him being the Elect (help with what seems to him the impossibility of him finding out how to be a Theurge and not being killed yet) he caught on to it hard like a liferaft.
He believes himself to be one of the angels chosen, assigned to better this dark world together with his soldiers of the angels.
Despite his heavy belief in the Angels, his belief of a happier world matches up with (what he knows from what M’kyar told him) Seeacca culture, a community-driven world where everyone helps each other but also one in which people are free to be who they want to be. (I’m up in the air about whenever he will try to turn himself into a Seeacca on the runs through the series where his Compassion doesn’t freefall into a deep hole. Also thinking about making him genderfluid)
While he truly hopes for members of all castes to be part of his dream world he knows that out of all of them, his “fellow” Nobles will be the hardest to convince even with pressure applied and while he is supposedly very accepting of all who want join even those who are directly part of the Hegemony main institutions who want to repent, he dreams (just like probably most of his follower base) of harrowing most Theurges (He feels really tempted with Cerlota in the future if she doesn’t stop treating Herots like trash in his eyes) and the other higher-ups of the Hegemony. For the Nine and the Thaumatarch himself, if he somehow gets his hands on them alive, would Slow Harrow them all. One of the few things that he seems to have truly inherited from his Father is some of his angry issues which might cause some problems later on.
He doesn’t have any set ideas (Mostly thanks to me not having any either ) on a post Hegemony government (Xaos he would be perfectly fine with leaving it in other hands if he didn’t distrust the nobility or more power-hungry rebel leaders once they start showing up on not being Harrowing back) outside no more harrowing (Or as Apple greatly put it “We don’t negotiate with people-chippers.”) once the worst offenders are dealt with and there will probably be a state religion of Xthonos though heresy won’t be punish since he will be reforming it hard on the virtues of Companion and Justice.
While he is very suspicious of Breden after the poisoning “incident” he wasn’t sure enough to act on it, especially with his feelings for them but there is a good chance if he gives him any more evidence he is at the very least going to remove him from his deputy position
Will the ever-increasing horrors of this dark world drive him into madness and the belief that the angels want him to kill all who stand against him and turn the survivors into the new helots regardless of who they are, or into disbelief and the desire to climb to the top of power using whatever tools he has, or will he hold on to his idealize world no matter the cost.
Now for something less serious his love life is a bit out of a drama so far he has feelings for Breden, Suzane, M’kyar and depending on how well he hides his assholeness, probably Teren too. Also of course he used to be in love with Hector.
(Rep at the start of Irduin so far)
HELOTS:
You are on the way to becoming a helot folk hero.
YEOMANRY:
You are on the way to becoming a folk hero to the yeomanry.
FREE URBAN POOR:
Don’t venture into the slums of the great cities. Anyone who recognizes you is likely to try to strangle you and toss you into a sewer. (Thanks Have😄)
ARISTOCRATS:
You are unpopular with your fellow aristocrats—those who have heard of your little rebellion, anyway. (Hopefully, I can improve this in GS)
PRIESTS:
The priests of Xthonos dislike you for your impious offenses against the Hegemony and its religion. In particular, your public displays of Theurgy have led them to accuse you of trafficking with dark powers. (From my calculations I’m only a few points off from the next rank)
MERCHANTS:
The few merchants who have heard of your rebellion regard you as a bandit and hope the authorities take care of you quickly. (Thanks Have again )
Ask any questions if you want about them or their plans (and mine for them)
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How does the hegemony recruit theurges, especially because a certain level of native brilliance is required?
How many theurges are there across the hegemony at any one time, and what percentage of those advance to the second or third rank?
How does a child end up with more aether than its parents combined, and when does that become true, will distant future Ivf embryos turn out to be endless theurgy fuel?
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Hnm if that’s really going to be a option then I hope that there is a way to do it that doesn’t turn into a public spectacle otherwise things do not look good for Alasais de Irde and Irduin as whole on most of my runs with my main even if they try to kill them
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Two more (Though the pervious one was more speculation😄) questions Have
- Will the faction hangouts work the same way in GS as they do in Irduin
- By the end of (now) game 3 can we have some small parts of the nobility publicly joining our rebellion (Outside of Suz) not just the two already existing noble rebel groups which I’m pretty sure will be making their moves more public by then
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Just posting to say that I have started, in earnest, writing up my “Savage Warrior” guide on Steam: the minmaxed 2COM/1INT “Red Bars Build” (Ruthless/Skeptical/Homelander) Helot that both wins Ch4 flawlessly, while also killing Horion and showing off his body (even the 2INT build can’t do that, trust me we tried).
Will also do a bonus Xaos section, for those who want a quick and easy way for this build to go through the Reivers Path.
I will try to finish writing the minmaxed Pacifist guide later, but this is more fun.
WIP
For those who want to see the Winter Guide:
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TBH I don’t think thisd be a bad thing to include in Stormwright for very noble friendly and successful Rim Commotions. If people like de Rose are already helping you and you show you can wipe the Hegemony and keep spreading, I wouldn’t be shocked to see a handful more nobles raising the flag of rebellion. Goes double if you are noble and left S in charge.
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Eh well I did work with de Rose (if I’m not getting my names mixed up) with the tax raid but my current rep with the nobility isn’t exactly great plus since my main is shit at fighting he took Suz along with them. In any case I do agree it would be interesting if Suz manages to get some more small minor nobles if you rep is good and you leave them in change
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Quick note that some excellent Plektos art just popped up on Reddit:
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Oh wow that’s so cool, I love it. Way more like what the text describes than the angy wolf on the Uprising cover, super super cool.
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@Havenstone was Hera’s assassin a man or a woman? This is important for Discord reasons.
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Aww. Cute doggie!
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