Remove ads

On the Road to Elspar [Book 1] (Dryad Mercenary Schoolgirl Quest)

Reader mode
So, yeah. Poor Lucy. Is anyone adverse to helping her if the opportunity arises? Like, we can't make her be a leader, let alone a good one, but we can help her work out how she's gonna lead by being a sounding board at the very least.
 
Frankly, I have half a suspicion that Lucille is secretly ninja-sneaky and is suffering for being in the limelight because Caldrean Princess. Mainly because it doesn't...Gel, if that makes sense?
Like everyone else has their own competency by Lucille is the only person that comes off as weak. I think we're all hung up on how bad a leader she is and I'm all wait a second what even is her weapon what does she do? And I'm coming up blank, which is weirding me out.
 
Lazy Minx said:
So, yeah. Poor Lucy. Is anyone adverse to helping her if the opportunity arises? Like, we can't make her be a leader, let alone a good one, but we can help her work out how she's gonna lead by being a sounding board at the very least.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
I guess this really depends upon how much prior education she received in leadership. You'd think her family position would result in a strong focus in it but there are various ways she could have avoided it. If she just feels uncomfortable leading and skipped out on those classes then we can try our best to help her and hope that the leadership classes here (which I hope she's taking) help.

If Lucille is actually this bad after receiving tutoring in leadership her entire life; well maybe she should consider running away from home. She honestly doesn't seem to enjoy any of the aspects of being who she is and really seems like she is just going through the motions. Sometimes, as much as it may hurt, you just have to accept that you can't fix things and that the only winning move is to leave.

Yes she does have a duty to her family and her country due to her bloodline but if she is actually incompetent then it is her duty to abdicate.

Hopefully that isn't the case and Lucille can continue her time here, figure out what is holding her back, and begin to flourish. But as things currently stand it really looks like she's stuck between suffering, and letting her incompetence cause others to suffer, a job she can't handle or leaving everything she knows behind.
 
Brainwasher said:
It's the quickest weapon to switch to if someone ambushes us or they get past our buster into super CQC.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

The dagger doesn't do particularly much for us in any situation where we want something more compact than a giant slab of metal (anywhere with a low ceiling or narrow corridors), but with more reach than a dagger (against literally any opponent who is wielding something with better reach than a dagger).

If we need to switch weapons in the middle of combat because someone got inside our guard, I'm having some trouble picturing a scenario where we have the time to get our very unwieldy buster sword out of the way and draw a dagger, but don't have enough time to draw a full length sword. Not only that, but the instincts/fighting styles needed are diametrically opposed and Neianne would need to be able to switch seamlessly between the two in a life-or-death situation without metaphorically tripping over her feet.

Like, the use cases for daggers are a) as a concealable weapon that can be pulled out in an emergency or used to stab unsuspecting opponents, b) poking at chinks in body armour to get at the squishy flesh inside. The problem with this is that a concealed weapon is kind of pointless when you have a giant slab of sharpened metal strapped to your back. It basically has anti-synergy with our main weapon.
 
Last edited:
Arcus said:
The dagger doesn't do particularly much for us in any situation where we want something more compact than a giant slab of metal (anywhere with a low ceiling or narrow corridors), but with more reach than a dagger (against literally any opponent who is wielding something with better reach than a dagger).

If we need to switch weapons in the middle of combat because someone got inside our guard, I'm having some trouble picturing a scenario where we have the time to get our very unwieldy buster sword out of the way and draw a dagger, but don't have enough time to draw a full length sword. Not only that, but the instincts/fighting styles needed are diametrically opposed and Neianne would need to be able to switch seamlessly between the two in a life-or-death situation without metaphorically tripping over her feet.

Like, the use cases for daggers are a) as a concealable weapon that can be pulled out in an emergency or used to stab unsuspecting opponents, b) poking at chinks in body armour to get at the squishy flesh inside. The problem with this is that a concealed weapon is kind of pointless when you have a giant slab of sharpened metal strapped to your back. It basically has anti-synergy with our main weapon.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
I chose the dagger (as my second option admittedly) with the understanding Neianne would never be pulling it out on the battlefield unless things had gone disastrously wrong.
I chose it because I wanted Neianne to have an option for cramped spaces (like indoors) and/or surprises (like the bandit attack) and/or any other ocassion where she couldn't get awat with having a large slab of metal on her person.
 
Last edited:
Frankly, a dagger doesnt use Neianne's strengths as a dryad.

Dryads are supposed to be High Strength Low Stamina build with High Magic Affinity. It is frankly confusing why anyone would want Neianne to invest her limited time on daggers.
 
Arcus said:
The dagger doesn't do particularly much for us in any situation where we want something more compact than a giant slab of metal (anywhere with a low ceiling or narrow corridors), but with more reach than a dagger (against literally any opponent who is wielding something with better reach than a dagger).

If we need to switch weapons in the middle of combat because someone got inside our guard, I'm having some trouble picturing a scenario where we have the time to get our very unwieldy buster sword out of the way and draw a dagger, but don't have enough time to draw a full length sword. Not only that, but the instincts/fighting styles needed are diametrically opposed and Neianne would need to be able to switch seamlessly between the two in a life-or-death situation without metaphorically tripping over her feet.

Like, the use cases for daggers are a) as a concealable weapon that can be pulled out in an emergency or used to stab unsuspecting opponents, b) poking at chinks in body armour to get at the squishy flesh inside. The problem with this is that a concealed weapon is kind of pointless when you have a giant slab of sharpened metal strapped to your back. It basically has anti-synergy with our main weapon.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

...but neither does the staff?

Edit: Unless the nature of that vote has been changed when I wasn't looking.

Edit 2: Honestly, I do admit that aesthetically I'm just not interested in a magic-focused Neianne. And in theory we can just take it this one year to get better at it and then drop it (other than maintaining it at its current level like we would have with the Buster Sword if we hadn't chosen it), but I suspect in practice, uh. That won't happen? Voters will argue for sunk-cost in Year 3, I believe.
 
Last edited:
The Laurent said:
...but neither does the staff?

Edit: Unless the nature of that vote has been changed when I wasn't looking.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

I'm not okay with the staff winning either. I mentioned this earlier.

Honestly of the leading options the only acceptable option at this point IMO is to specialize in rapiers.

buli-buli said:
I chose the dagger (as my second option admittedly) with the understanding Neianne would never be pulling it out on the battlefield unless things has gone disastrously wrong.
I chose it because I wanted Neianne to have an option for cramped spaces (like indoors) and/or surprises (like the bandit attack) and/or any other ocassion where she couldn't get awat with having a large slab of metal on her person.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

So like, the Squirrels' attack, where we needed Stephanie to buy us time against the direwolf with her flaming katanas?

Or the carriage ambush, where all the students, all of them armed with weapons larger than daggers but smaller than a buster sword, had no issues getting their weapons out to fend off the bandits?

I'm not saying we don't need a backup weapon, I'm saying there's a middle ground between "literally the biggest blade possible" and "literally the smallest blade possible" and people have just kind of been... overlooking that, if they haven't been ignoring the need for a more compact weapon entirely.
 
Last edited:
A rapier would be the WORST THING though. It isnt reall a strength based weapon, isnt any easier to use in confined spaced due to its specialized nature, and a rapier would not do anything better than a Buster sword other than Pierce things.


Would be kinda cool look to pull off though. A rapier sized for Neianne would be adorably confusing to everyone else if they assume its her main and then see her pull out her door-on-a-stick
 
Okay, kind of late for it but in the interest of vote consolidation because holy crap so much vote splitting:

First Preference:
[X] Bow
[X] Tactics and Command
[X] Buster Sword
[X] Bestiary
[X] Alchemy and Botany

Second Preference:
[X] Mace
[X] Tactics and Command
[X] Buster Sword
[X] Trade and Commerce
[X] Strategy and Logistics
 
Last edited:
UberJJK said:
Yes she does have a duty to her family and her country due to her bloodline but if she is actually incompetent then it is her duty to abdicate.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
It's not that she's incompetent. Looking at it like that is no better than her family and the headmistress, valuing politics over her worth as an individual. The problem is that she's not up to par by their standards, and rather than let her find something else she's good at and gain confidence in, they put her down and demand she become better at what they want her to be, which isn't helping at all. There's responsibility, yes, but she never asked for them, and insisting that she try to fulfill them anyway rather than let someone better suited step up, which in the end not only harms her but those around her. But they want to avoid a "scandal" of a noble daughter not being talented and stepping down in social class to grow as an individual instead of as a leader, and so they push her until they get the results they want or she breaks, even if those she's forced to lead get hurt.

I actually think we should talk to Penelope as well. It would help her more if the most contentious part of their squad was calmed down and convinced to open up a bit. Maybe convince them to talk to each other about their shitty home lives, different as they may be in class and what's wrong about it. That, and and get some ammo so Neianne can refute what Elizabeth said about people not changing.
 
Spectrum said:
That's going to be an occurrence that happens faster than she'll be able to drop weapon and draw dagger.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

Arcus said:
If we need to switch weapons in the middle of combat because someone got inside our guard, I'm having some trouble picturing a scenario where we have the time to get our very unwieldy buster sword out of the way and draw a dagger, but don't have enough time to draw a full length sword.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

I've fought spear/dagger in multi-person spars, and I can say that you can pull a dagger fast enough to counter someone who slips under your guard. It's not even that hard, if you are willing to take a step back during. (Which doesn't usually free your main weapon, because they are moving forwards too.)

On the other hand, an extra foot or two of weapon length DOES substantially slow down a draw, largely because angles are more limited in terms of where ulyour limbs need to be. I would not expect anything bigger than a small sword to be useful as a backup like that.

But mostly I voted for staff because I want healing and alchemy wasn't really part of most votes, and dagger because my expectation was that if we can use the buster sword, we should. That leaves daggers for extremely restricted spaces, low-key environments, and inside guard defense. War hammer or sword could fill one and a half or those roles but really- if we have enough space for a sword or a war hammer then buster sword is what we probably should be using. There is a very narrow band of situations that are both roomy enough to swing a Warhammer and restricted enough to preclude buster sword.
 
Zaealix said:
Frankly, I have half a suspicion that Lucille is secretly ninja-sneaky and is suffering for being in the limelight because Caldrean Princess. Mainly because it doesn't...Gel, if that makes sense?
Like everyone else has their own competency by Lucille is the only person that comes off as weak. I think we're all hung up on how bad a leader she is and I'm all wait a second what even is her weapon what does she do? And I'm coming up blank, which is weirding me out.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Shortbow. It's mentioned early on when everyone's weapon is, then again during the exercise that ends with wyvern attack, then during the Squirrel infiltration, where it with training arrows doesn't have the penetration to even hurt the wolves.

Edit:
Kei said:
It takes a while for any of you to get into formation, what with everyone fleeing in every possible direction - except straight at the direwolf - but you soon find yourself just slightly behind Sieglinde and a girl with a lighter sword. Having that little bit of breathing room means you're mostly aware of a soft thrum and something arcing over your heads, until the practice arrow strikes the wolf's shoulder and glances aside without great effect. Lucille, having extricated herself from Lani's roommate, apparently thought to bring her bow and quiver. It's not a bad shot under the circumstances, and ordinarily a Caldan shortbow would be deadly at such a range, a broadhead put into the meat of the shoulder would likely have at least hobbled it. But with their blunt, padded heads, training arrows are unlikely to do much short of a superb shot striking a particularly vulnerable area.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
 
Last edited:
So just to try and get a better picture of things I went and got a tally of votes by line.

EDIT: Ignore the [ ] Smol Magic Murderblender, that was basically a consolidation of all the plan names that were cluttering things up.
Adhoc vote count started by Arcus on Feb 5, 2019 at 8:46 AM, finished with 499 posts and 63 votes.
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
Arcus said:
Okay, kind of late for it but in the interest of vote consolidation because holy crap so much vote splitting:

First Preference:
[X] Bow
[X] Tactics and Command
[X] Buster Sword
[X] Bestiary
[X] Alchemy and Botany

Second Preference:
[X] Mace
[X] Tactics and Command
[X] Buster Sword
[X] Trade and Commerce
[X] Strategy and Logistics
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Pretty sure votes were closed?

Its normal to air grievances but by now might as well wait for Kei's desicion.
 
The intent to do it this way was to negate the salt inducing strategic vote shuffling. We got the natural result as it were.
 
Arcus said:
I mean, sure, but the way things are being tallied basically half the votes are being discarded due to vote splitting. Not blaming anyone, but it's a mite chaotic and vote consolidation would help a lot.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Actually, amusingly enough, it is exactly a third of votes being discarded. 16 votes for Dagger, 16 votes for Staff, and 16 votes discarded due to not voting for one of the two winning plans.
 
Reader mode
You must login or register to reply here.
Remove ads
Back
Top