Orc Quest; or, A Critical Examination of Agency Through in Interactive Fiction (Warcraft)

Trying to use an elemental we do not control against one of the best shamans in modern times seems very risky, so that will be one light for me please.

[x] Call on the Pure Flame
 
[X] Call on the Pure Flame

Yeah, fuck calling on the bound pissed off giga elemental against the incredibly old and experienced Shamen.
 
This is a trick dilemma. We know relying on a captured elemental for help is not liable to go well.

Is there any possible reasons we could use it without getting away in one piece?
 
[X] Call on the Pure Flame

Nothing more appropriate to show him that we don't rely on the Fel than to call on the Light.
 
Is there any possible reasons we could use it without getting away in one piece?
Myzenthal is really really powerful.

Like that's the reason. My hope is that one is more certainty and ease, but has much worse potential blow back (solidifies his opinion of Grok, damage to the enviroment, he frees Myzenthal ontop of us) that sort of thing.

The other is less certainty, but hopefully would at least cause him to go WTF? I'm not sure of his reaction exactly, since he's a vet of the first and second wars. It might be a sign to him that Grok is subordinate to the humans, or it might be something to make him go "hol up a minute."

Cause...Drek'thar that prophecy fucking sucks!
Nothing more appropriate to show him that we don't rely on the Fel than to call on the Light.
Eh, according to WoW, that'd be arcane surprisingly. Fel and the light don't have innate beef in the magic system :p
 
Eh, according to WoW, that'd be arcane surprisingly. Fel and the light don't have innate beef in the magic system :p
Good to know, not the most informed about WOW lore. Then again, we've got to work with what we have. I'm just betting that calling on the Light will make him go more WTF than summoning a bound elemental.
 
Myzenthal is really really powerful.

Like that's the reason. My hope is that one is more certainty and ease, but has much worse potential blow back (solidifies his opinion of Grok, damage to the enviroment, he frees Myzenthal ontop of us) that sort of thing.

The other is less certainty, but hopefully would at least cause him to go WTF? I'm not sure of his reaction exactly, since he's a vet of the first and second wars. It might be a sign to him that Grok is subordinate to the humans, or it might be something to make him go "hol up a minute."

Cause...Drek'thar that prophecy fucking sucks!
I wouldn't use it unless I have a save slot to reload to which means absolutely never unless I feel like a YOLO moment but I don't.
 
[x] Call on the Pure Flame

If we want to somehow talk him down, doing something crazy that he can't expect is a good bet
If we want to wreck his face, doing something crazy that he isn't the preeminent specialist of is a good bet
 
I wouldn't use it unless I have a save slot to reload to which means absolutely never unless I feel like a YOLO moment but I don't.
Yeah this is just kinda bitter. Not a yolo moment.

Real self fulfilling prophecy kinda stuff.

If we want to somehow talk him down, doing something crazy that he can't expect is a good bet
If we want to wreck his face, doing something crazy that he isn't the preeminent specialist of is a good bet
Not sure talking him down is even an option at this stage TBH. He's working through stuff, this hits his issues, he's got "confirmation" via his sight and what's more he's committed. If this doesn't work and word does get out, Drek'Thar's likely in quite a lot of trouble.
 
Tell me, has this game ever had a nat 100 happen though? Because I think this is the second Nat 1 that's rolled in and completely upturned everything by now.
A couple times. Once during our preparations to deal with Vok'fon which resulted in his return to the Darkspear tribe, and once during the campaign against the centaurs which resulted in an almost complete wipeout of their forces in the area, fueling the desperation that followed. Both were not very significant in the grand scheme of things, only contributing to the events that were already in motion.

I also think that FractiousDay's quests and mechanics are not ones where Nat1 or Nat100 are indicative of good or bad things. They just show how well a certain action goes, but an action going too well may not be necessarily a good thing.

Basically, all rolls in this quest lead to more hardships that Grok has to overcome, but that's how heroic stories work.

[x] Call on Myzrael

The Light will stay out of this; this is orc business!
 
Yeah this is just kinda bitter. Not a yolo moment.

Real self fulfilling prophecy kinda stuff.
Yeah I just can't.

I am curious of summoning the Earth momma just to see what would happen but I don't want to test that likely outcome.

Of course with the binding done with the sword she's effectively bound. It is Pandora's box of what could happen.
 
Rereading the chapter with Neeru, what a blast from the past!
"The Warchief has summoned me several times. He refused to say what he wanted at first and I refused so Saurfang came and gave various promises which I didn't believe… If I leave this place they'll strike, whether they strike here while I'm away or they seek to get me on my own is irrelevant. I have delayed so far, I've moved our people underground through the tunnels and the secret ways that remain open after the earthquakes but my excuse was always that you were still injured and I refused to leave you, Thrall could hardly forsake his honour so publicly by forcing the issue. Now though they know you're awake and I guess they'll use this against us."

"How?"

Neeru comes to kneel by your bed and cups your face with one mutated hand "My son your fascination with honour blinds you. Do you remember when you returned to the city? How the Warchief had his spies waiting for you? How he used you? He knows you hold honour dear to your heart, he will call for you and you'll go. He knows I'll follow to protect you and in that time when we're out of the Cleft he'll make his move."

But you shake your head, "I cannot believe this. I can't."

"Thrall wears a mask of honour only to deceive you. He claims all dishonourable acts are those of renegades and disavows and exiles those who commits them, pretending he doesn't know about them. You should ask that girl you know in the Shattered Hand next time you see her, ask her how her clan finds employment in these times."

"You've always seen conspiracies in the shadows and you've always warned me against the Warchief. The shaman are still weak from what you say, what defence will be left if he tries to strike at you?"

Your father's eyes burn, "I have seen it before. I was there the last time! You know this, don't pretend it can't happen."
FelDad was right about everything! Again! :mad::lol:
 
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The issue at hand is that the outcome seems already decided, what we're doing is revealing the specific form of Grok's alleged treachery as far as Thrall's faction is concerned.
 
Also the way I see it this isn't about thrall or even drak'thar but using Myzrael is likely going to cause collateral damage like our allies or the non frostwolve members here afterall look at what happened at stromegarde
 
[x] Call on the Pure Flame

I really would rather not go into collateral damage by unleashing Myzrael. The elder Farseer shaman might just pull out administrative privileges and usurp control of the elemental. Pure Flame is also narratively sound - he accuses us of falling to the darkness while we champion light. It will make his defeat more interesting to write.
 
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Rereading that it no doubts reinforce the position that using dark shamanism practices would be detrimental towards the current fight.
You mean, another proof that shamanism practices can not be relied upon? Nor can shamans, for that matter.

I knew Grok would come around the idea that warlocks are the future. :cool:
 
Well, obviously we will defend our troops, but what response do you see our honor demanding? Contacting Neeru because of possible treachery against him and our clan? Razing whatever we can reach of Horde resources in Hammerfall? Going back to demand an explanation?

Can we defend ourselves without pursuing vengeance?
So there's different bits of honour which requrie different responses. You have obligations as a warrior yourself, to honour your own code of ethics, you have obligations to your subordinates to avenge attacks against them, and then you have upward obligations toward your clan. You I suppose also have obligations to the Horde in general, or the wider world.

In chargen you chose 'For Azeroth' in general, so that potentially will come first, and you're aware this has the potential to lead to civil war, which isn't really good for anyone. As such, your ethics wouldn't 'require' you to maximise the damage you could do to Thrall wtih this. You could do that if you were more selfish or something, but Grok wouldn't be inclined to.

I'd also note that your obligations are all snarled up with each other. Akinos gave Grok various ethical codes to live by, Grok is a Blademaster, therefore he has to abide by the ethical codes of his profession, whoever, this profession is inextricably linked to his clan, who he also has obligations toward.

There can be further discussion on this, but yes you'd have to talk to your clan to warn them, no you wouldn't have to go raiding in retribution, you might go back to Orgrimmar and demand an explanation, but keep in mind that Feldad is in Org anyway, so he'll probably be handling the internal Horde stuff. Feldad knows that he probably doens't want to get into a magic duel with Thrall, but naturally being on the other side of the world you can't really control what Feldad does. If you used the firephone to tell him 'we just got betrayed, likely on the Warchief's orders, can you not take any vengeance plz' he'd just laugh at you and hang up.

I'm aware that the thread won't necesasrily want to go murder Thrall immediately, but I'm also not going to allow the ques to just ignore the characterisation and cultural stuff that's been a big element so far.

Did that happen ingame though? I remember Blackrock banners over Horde towers and over Thrall's throne, but the clan was so ingrained into the new all-Horde identity that its name was easily re-associated by Blacktooth Grin and whatever the heck Blackrock&Roll was.
In this quest we've had lots of Orgrimmar warlocks being affiliated with the Burning Blade, while in game their affiliation and leadership is less certain, and you mostly hear of "Burning Blade" when fighting cultists.
It happens to an extent, notably with the BB as you note. They have culturally specific practices and items like a Searing Collar or Blazegrease. Other things are more like inferences, for example the Iron Horde is powered by the Blackrock, so I think we might reasonably assume that the True Horde was as well. The Blackrock are, after all, the only Orcs who have any experience of industry or advanced blacksmithing. Yes other clans might have the ability to make personal weapons for example, but almost none of them are making or wearing metal armour, apart from the Blackrock.

There's a couple of other notable bits with the other potential clans, obviously the Warsong and Frostwolves as pvp factions wear their appropriate uniforms, and the Shattered Hand npcs (though not many) wear purple leather, that sort of thing.

I would also though infer that all the flight masters wearing leather and wielding spears are Thunderlords, this isn't mentoined anywhere but no clan other than the Dragonmaw and Thunderlords have the experience with such a thing, and obviously they're not Dragonmaw.

But yea, I don't think Blizz were massively interested in building up the clan system tbh.
I'm kind of treating this more as a fiction than a quest given how virtually everything is decided by dice rolls that are all over the place
A valid way to treat it, but would also be interested in comment on this as a story. Obviously a story translated from a quest will sometimes have weird bits because things are necessarily planned out in advance, but yes still interested.
because Dreadlords are memetic manipulation masters who effectively make free will an illusion because none of their plans actually fail in execution no matter how complex they become-
To be fair, they're good planners. Yes the Scourge didn't work, well, not really a big deal, it almost did and it caused lots of destruction along the way etc
Tell me, has this game ever had a nat 100 happen though? Because I think this is the second Nat 1 that's rolled in and completely upturned everything by now.
Two it seems, as mentioned by others. You've had other just quite high rolls, but I suppose it just happened that this one for Thrall was especialyl significant.

So Grok finally gets IC hints that he is being manipulated by dark forces
I mean he knows that to an extent, he just assumes they're on his side (eg he knows both Feldad and Dathrohan are manipulating him)
I didn't except Drek'thar to walk up to Grok and try and ice him. I thought he'd be more clever about it and use his visions to try and orchestrate Grok's death, you know like a smart person.
One of the issues of being a Farseer I suppose, and fighting somoene else with prophetic abilities. Drekthar knows Grok knows that Drekthar is going to attack him. Now, partly this is cyclical, because if Drekthar wasn't planning to attack anyway, maybe Grok wouldn't repsond as he did, but that's the way prophecy goes, most of the time it's self fulfilling. Drekthar is seeing stuff like the Legion end cutscene and Sageras stabbing the world and he's fixating on the burning sword part.

Also I suppose it's not out of the realms of possibility that Drekthar is also suffering from some sort of cognitive issue. People think he's senile in later expansions etc.
Grok really got Drek'thar with the you begged on your knees for the Fel.
I can't actually remember where I got this from, I think it was canon, btu I can't actually remember. In any case though it's evocative so I'll certainly keep it. Maybe it's from one of the Chronicle books.
Is there any possible reasons we could use it without getting away in one piece?
Not sure watyou're referring to here
or it might be something to make him go "hol up a minute."
Could also be perceived as Spirit, rather than Light etc,
Good to know, not the most informed about WOW lore
Tbh Blizzard isn't either lol, but yes, Fel is 'chaotic' rather than 'dark', which means it's combatted by Order/Arcane rather than Light/Light
I also think that FractiousDay's quests and mechanics are not ones where Nat1 or Nat100 are indicative of good or bad things. They just show how well a certain action goes, but an action going too well may not be necessarily a good thing.

Basically, all rolls in this quest lead to more hardships that Grok has to overcome, but that's how heroic stories work.
So I use rolls for various things, to simulate randomness or agency, In this specific case the roll was for, 'what does thrall think of you adn thereofre what are his orders to drekthar' which was a 1, meaning that his opinion/orders are the worst they could possibly be for Grok etc. If it was a 'how well did it go' then it would have been Thrall trying to write some orders and fatally stabbing himself int eh face with his quil or something. Ultimately though my job as Gm is to arbitrate the rolls and their meaning, and interpret them, so as long as I have an idea of what I'm rolling for we're fine.
FelDad was right about everything! Again! :mad::lol:
Which is a deeply uncomfortable thing for Grok to realise, given he's been somewaht naive before.
The issue at hand is that the outcome seems already decided, what we're doing is revealing the specific form of Grok's alleged treachery as far as Thrall's faction is concerned.
Not sure what specfically you're referring to here, do you mean Thrall/Drekthars actions? Because yes they've been decided by the rolls etc?
 
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