- Location
- Mid-Atlantic
Might I make a specific suggestion about a way to structure votes that might help avoid problems like this? One that is specifically directed, not at arguing with you, but at recommending a possible approach to solving the problem you've identified and asking what you think of it?Okay, folks, apparently me announcing after reading the discussion that I was pushing the update back a day didn't do it, so let me make it very obvious: that will be enough, thank you. You all aren't even arguing with me at this point, counterproductive as that would be with your current tactics. If you want to argue about default options versus essay-length write-ins in general, take it elsewhere.
If no, would you be interested in PMs on this subject?
Because I think my idea kind of got lost in the shuffle, and I like it well enough to be willing to try it myself in the semi-likely event I wind up running quests at some point, so I was hoping to discuss it.
...Are we sure Dandeer isn't as strong as Babidi? I mean, do we really know that for certain? Maybe she's not actually weaker, just specced differently and/or less experienced.A thought on the chapter: given the conceptual basis of the exiles' magic (i.e. sealing) how is Dandeer able to do this kind of direct mind control? We know she can seal away memories, but the mc we seen her do before, while terrifying, is different from the kind of puppetry she is doing now.
Heck even Babidi, who was incredibly powerful compared to exile's magicians, only managed to control those who had evil in their hearts, and it still wasn't anything like this enslavement.
Among the ways Dandeer may be accomplishing mind control:
1) Sealing away every memory of why someone shouldn't listen to Dandeer, leaving only the reasons to do as she says. I mean, imagine if Yammar just lost all his many memories of why Dandeer is terrible, and remembers only that she's the regent for his grandson, and loves the boy very much, and is being attacked by a conspiracy formed by the Gokun House. Yammar, knowing only this and not the enormous pile of context that justifies why we came to arrest Dandeer, might well "rationally" decide that the correct course of action was to trust her and defend her.
2) Sealing away a person's critical thinking skills from their decision-making process: might make them weaker in some ways, but would certainly make them obedient. In this case they might obey anyone's orders, so Dandeer might have to slap on a secondary Seal of the form "seal away your ability to listen to anyone but Dandeer." Brute force, but arguably a lot simpler than "seal away every one of a jillion memories."
3) Sealing away the memories of why someone SHOULD trust the people opposed to Dandeer's agenda. This is more or less a mirror image of (1). Berra, right now, may honestly have no idea that Dandeer lied to him about Jaffur attacking her, have no idea Jaffur's been tortured, and have reverted entirely to what he thought he knew about the situation shortly after the Sealing. Namely, "Jaffur is dangerously insane, my daughter is inexplicably/foolishly willing to support him against his own mother and for that matter ME, and seriously why the fuck is Mom in on this!?" From his perspective at the moment, squaring off against Jaffur (a dangerous lunatic who damn near killed him once before) or Kakara (who is obviously making a very bad choice) might actually seem like a great idea, while listening to Dandeer (who's a very skilled sorceress and who's been a valuable ally to him for several years) might seem likewise.