... Such as?
Not heroic=\=villainous
Pretty sure Akane hasn't done anything evil.
Deep Red (Avatar: The Last Airbender)
- Thread starter kosm
- Start date
Not heroic=\=villainous
Pretty sure Akane hasn't done anything evil.
Terran Imperium
[French]
- Location
- Southern France
Villainous doesn't equal evil. Evil is just evil, as in doing cruel things for evil's sake and nothing else. It's a poor way to see the definition of a villainous protagonist when it has much more to it than the 'cackling cruel evil'.
A villain protagonist generally does whatever it takes to better their lives. They're what you call a ruthless pragmatic. Well, there are different shades including the 'evil for evil's sake' but Akane falls under the ruthless pragmatic to better her life and the ones closest to her kind.She is specifically not an Anti-Hero. An Anti-Hero does whatever it takes to better others' lives not their own. A standard Hero takes the idealistic ethical way to better others' lives. I'm just generalizing but you got the gist here.
As for citations? Just read the story. There are plenty of them in nearly every chapter, I'm not really in the mood as to go over 80k words. Look for one specifically where Akane is meditating with Azula and where they're talking about their ambitions and how they'll rule the world.
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- Location
- sweden
Much like Akane's heart.
- Location
- US
Maybe I've been reading too many Chinese webnovels about court intrigue and tall poppies, but it seems like giving these people even more power by marrying their heir to Akane is the last thing you'd normally want to do.
They're a threat--you don't go and give a threat a position as a consort like this, unless you're deliberately raising them up to cut them down, and the timescale on this is way too fast, the "cutting down" is going to happen before Akane actually rises to power, and she could easily get caught up in it.
Like, I'd have half a mind to ask father what I did wrong that he's so obviously setting me up for a giant disaster.
They're a threat--you don't go and give a threat a position as a consort like this, unless you're deliberately raising them up to cut them down, and the timescale on this is way too fast, the "cutting down" is going to happen before Akane actually rises to power, and she could easily get caught up in it.
Like, I'd have half a mind to ask father what I did wrong that he's so obviously setting me up for a giant disaster.
- Location
- Somewhere!
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Akane marries into the family, the guy is killed / Akane is told to kill him, maybe? She's kind of explicitly there to spy.
It could be that he dies before the actual wedding, too, so it doesn't sully Akane's reputation or anything.
- Location
- US
I mean if we want to play it where Akane justifies it to herself "okay so I'm going to kill this guy some day, got it" that would be fun.
It simultaneously appeases father and neatly slides the marriage question off our plate. Nobody asking irritating questions about "when are you going to get married," no wooing from suitors, etc. etc.
Heck if things turn out a little less murder-y (or significantly more murder-y but with a different target) we could even keep him around as a beard. Just need to make sure he can get with the program, a lot depends on meeting him and making some judgments.
It simultaneously appeases father and neatly slides the marriage question off our plate. Nobody asking irritating questions about "when are you going to get married," no wooing from suitors, etc. etc.
Heck if things turn out a little less murder-y (or significantly more murder-y but with a different target) we could even keep him around as a beard. Just need to make sure he can get with the program, a lot depends on meeting him and making some judgments.
- Location
- Philippines
He needs to
WinterLantern
Smoked bird
- Location
- North England
He might end up being a chill dude who we recruit as part of the gang, whilst basically running a friends with benefits scenario in regards to kids, staying w/ best bodyguard
Crake
I AM THE STORM THAT IS APPROACHING
- Location
- USA
My guess? His wife, who had ready access (slaves had access to the Firelord, enough that he had one whom he was frequently abusing serving him tea) to him, was increasingly feeding him some kind of herbal cocktail that "imbalanced his humors". Why do that instead of say, poisoning him outright? Possibly because she didn't have many friends at court, and just about the only thing protecting her kids was Ozai's umbrella of soft power (he wasn't some military genius with a bunch of generals and soldiers directly loyal to him, he just wielded leverage over people in governmental and economic positions). As for why she didn't kill him after he took the throne, she probably didn't want Akane to succeed him, either ("for her own good").
Well, he was getting ready to turn her kids into tools as he steadily and competently maneuvered to place himself on the throne. Maybe she hoped the badass Iroh and Lu Ten would return from the front once news had reached them that he was becoming unhinged.
Of course it's hard to predict that the geriatric Azulon was also becoming homicidal and insane in the background. I actually readily believe that while Ozai's disposition was somewhat manufactured, Azulon sincerely was just that crazy. For a little "seeing plots within plots" on the players' part, because court intrigue isn't fun if there isn't an element of chaos in there somewhere.
I also think the whole implied "the insanity runs in the blood" subplot is false and Akane actually just an abused child who is being told conflicting information and heaped with unreasonable expectations by either Ozai) must exceed all expectations, and Ursa) must actually act like a normal human being. And obviously it doesn't work out, because when she gets a little affirmation from either party it infuriates or causes an extreme negative reaction in the other one.
Kosm did really well here making a weird voting poll work out well.
Kosm: Uncle has a legitimate claim on the throne, your knowledge of what happened has a much more real chance of causing a civil war and are you coming back to a court on the verge of civil war?
What do you talk about?
Players: Let's talk about mommy issues and admit to killing gramps.
Kosm: [rolls saving throw], it's a critical success.
Ha! We all know the answer to this one.
Yep, this practically confirms it. Looks like he's worried about Akane and Iroh teaming up.
I'm a bit worried about the Tanaka thing though. Why just hand us a powerbase unless he's already in control of it and is just messing with us. It seems unlikely that he trusts Akane enough to just give her the keys to power.
Looks like Ozai probably has a pretty strong handle on Tanaka, I very much doubt Ozai thinks of them as at all threatening to his Throne. Time to do some economic studies and get to know how these merchant families work.Kosm said:
- Location
- California
That's against the Evil Overlord Rules.
- Location
- Site 19A4
Yeah, but we're the soon to be "Lord of the Eternal Flame." Fire is the element of passion, of glory! We got to embrace the ham! Love it! Thrive off of it!
But in all seriousness I'm totally ok with a fitting quip instead of the whole dramatic monologue as it as long as it's poignant. Something like this maybe...
He coughs up blood, every bit of his body shuddering with each and every increasingly labored breath. Even as you loom over the soon to be corpse of your father, he refuses to break eye contact, his lips struggling to form words. Ignoring the stares of your Dai Li operatives, the shuffling of your guard's armor, and Mitsuko's hurried breaths, you drop to one knee and strain to make out the faint words.
"Weakness. . ." Even in death, your Lord Father's voice drips with venom and condescension. "She has corrupted you, seeded your mind with poisonous treason. She has made you weak. . ." Another hacking cough interrupts his last sentence, and you feel a spray of warm droplets on your face, sense the faint hint of copper in the air.
(Foolish foolish foolish to think he could take what was yours?!)
"No Mi'lord." For a moment, the world has condensed into the ruins of your father's study, and as you stare into his fading golden eyes, you feel... something... raw and dark, crawling up your throat and clouding the edges of your vision. "She has made me strong."
(What are you going to do Akane?!)
Father's eyes widen as your hand settles on his burnt chest, and for a moment he seems to struggle desperately against his earthen restraints.
(Weakness. . .)
"Strong enough to do this."
Your hand flashes with cold fire. The sack of flesh beneath you shudders once, then stills, steam slowly wafting upwards. The air is heavy with the acrid stench of ozone.
(No Fire Lord ascends without blood.)
One of the Dai Li steps forward, reaching down to lay a pair of pale fingers on the (ex) Fire Lord's neck. Satisfied, he stands up again, wordlessly nodding at his compatriot as the two men dive back down underground, smoothing out the holes in the floor as they descend. You stare for a moment at your father's face, smoke blurring your vision, before shaking your head once and standing up, turning to face Mistuko.
She steps forward without hesitation, ignoring the cooling corpse to encircle you in her arms. As you bury your face in the crook of her neck, one of your guards outside the room calls for the royal physician.
"Weakness. . ." Even in death, your Lord Father's voice drips with venom and condescension. "She has corrupted you, seeded your mind with poisonous treason. She has made you weak. . ." Another hacking cough interrupts his last sentence, and you feel a spray of warm droplets on your face, sense the faint hint of copper in the air.
(Foolish foolish foolish to think he could take what was yours?!)
"No Mi'lord." For a moment, the world has condensed into the ruins of your father's study, and as you stare into his fading golden eyes, you feel... something... raw and dark, crawling up your throat and clouding the edges of your vision. "She has made me strong."
(What are you going to do Akane?!)
Father's eyes widen as your hand settles on his burnt chest, and for a moment he seems to struggle desperately against his earthen restraints.
(Weakness. . .)
"Strong enough to do this."
Your hand flashes with cold fire. The sack of flesh beneath you shudders once, then stills, steam slowly wafting upwards. The air is heavy with the acrid stench of ozone.
(No Fire Lord ascends without blood.)
One of the Dai Li steps forward, reaching down to lay a pair of pale fingers on the (ex) Fire Lord's neck. Satisfied, he stands up again, wordlessly nodding at his compatriot as the two men dive back down underground, smoothing out the holes in the floor as they descend. You stare for a moment at your father's face, smoke blurring your vision, before shaking your head once and standing up, turning to face Mistuko.
She steps forward without hesitation, ignoring the cooling corpse to encircle you in her arms. As you bury your face in the crook of her neck, one of your guards outside the room calls for the royal physician.
Or keep blaming the merchant princes while subtly leading him to a prearranged spot where the floorboards above will catastrophically fail and drop a heavy table on his head.
Re: Tanaka betrothal. Instead of killing the poor bastard, why not just heavily damage his family's reputation? Strip them of their power and support, while making the betrothal a poor prospect. No one wants the heir married to a family who's been cast down.
Because that is missing the point and would be the same thing the Firelord has always done, which is exactly what Ozai, and we, want to avoid. It would change nothing.
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Fanart: Fire Nation Colonial Flags (S-159A1)
- Location
- Site 19A4
Ok, so after an hour of editing and debating, coupled with some sketchbook fun, I've managed to put together a couple of hypothetical flags for the Fire Nation Colonies in the Earth Kingdom. As we gradually expand our administration there, I found it fitting for us to give these regions their own flags as well. The colors are designed to be a fusion of Earth Kingdom green and gold with the black and red of the Fire Nation. I did the base flag design and some of the color work.
Credit to all of the Anons over on AnonKun who contributed, plus that one guy's particular shade of gold, as well as @Antix_Shadows, @Redshirt Army, and Graham.
Edit: Also I think I got the first Fan Art post for Deep Red! Go me!
Credit to all of the Anons over on AnonKun who contributed, plus that one guy's particular shade of gold, as well as @Antix_Shadows, @Redshirt Army, and Graham.
Edit: Also I think I got the first Fan Art post for Deep Red! Go me!
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- Location
- Massachusetts
I fully agree, she needs to work on her personal power base. The reckoning with Ozai is coming, and we need as much power as possible.
Also, another asset is Uncle Iroh and Zuko. We're forbidden from interacting with Uncle Iroh directly, but there's nothing wrong with spending time with Zuko, and slipping very select details to him, and planting the idea that Iroh would make a far kinder caretaker Fire Lord.
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Also, Oazi is paranoid about Iroh. The more time he wastes worrying about Iroh and the less attention on us, the more breathing space we have to build our powerbase.
Also on the meta level, when the Avatar appears, holding influence with a merchant family with lots of ships will give us a huge headstart in the search and chase. And meet the Avatar early and experience Air Bender culture first hand.
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WinterLantern
Smoked bird
- Location
- North England
We're probs gonna be throwing down with Aang you know. So any experience is going to be brief and violent.
Iroh is also opposed to the ultimate goal of a fire nation victory, so it's actually probably best we don't interact with him.
RadiantPhoenix
Trudging up the Hill
- Location
- USA, Earth
- Pronouns
- She/Her
There's still like two years to roast marshmallows with Iroh and try to maybe melt things down in the colonies to the point where when Aang stops chilling out at the south pole and starts blowing around the world it doesn't look like the fire nation's expansion is actually that bad.
You can't hope to build a better world if you're too afraid of opposition to learn what it means for the world to be better.
Terran Imperium
[French]
- Location
- Southern France
In war, there are inevitable losses. A war will result in the loss of lives whenever innocent or not.
Random Member
Gardener of Human Happiness
- Location
- Behind You
Meaning war is bad, meaning that the Fire Nation is bad for continuing the war.
Reminder that the Avatar is an Air Nomad. He's not going to look kindly upon any continuation of the war that killed everyone he knew and loved and continues to cause death and destruction everywhere. No matter how the Fire Nation treats its Colonies or what kind of inane excuse Akane will come up with to justify the war.
Cetashwayo
Lord of Ten Thousand Years
- Location
- Across the Horizon
When Aang traveled around the world he met examples of the cost and cruelty of the Fire Nation literally almost every other episode. Like, a big part of season 1 is underlining the damage the FN has done and why it needs to be fought.
RoninSword
Sky God
- Location
- Canada
And then we ask him to explain how he will get rod of the colonies. Force? That will just be more bloodshed.
Its also possible to interact with Aang without him knowing Akane is princess, at least at first. It would allow Akane to get a better grasp on hos psych then pure antagonist.
Its also possible to interact with Aang without him knowing Akane is princess, at least at first. It would allow Akane to get a better grasp on hos psych then pure antagonist.
Terran Imperium
[French]
- Location
- Southern France
Exactly. You came up with the conclusion I wanted. I don't think anyone in their right mind would call war 'good'.
Aye, everyone got that part. FN is not a nation you would call a good, benevolent one but nations generally rarely are. If ever. Although, just meanless cruelty; that's just rampant corruption. Akana would almost certainly stomp that down harshly.
The interesting part is that we're on the side of the big imperialistic and ruthless faction which makes for an interesting read. Especially since we're seeing things from an imperialistic ruthless protagonist who is loyal to that faction but not the point as to antagonize the people. There is no point in that but a weakened standing or basically, shooting yourself in the foot.
We could but why would she do it herself? I mean if she was anything but a Princess or maybe a Fire Lord at that point. She has much better things to do than travel with Aang and get to know him then do a dramatic reveal.
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