[Exalted, ?] Most High
- Thread starter Rihaku
- Start date
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- Tags
- exalted (white wolf)
- Location
- The savanna.
Do not underestimate the willpower of Sesus Ulyssian. The option states that the only times he is likely to emerge is if we let him do so.
- Location
- The savanna.
Actually, essentially as planned is the one where Lord High Murderhobo's plans go off without a hitch, and his goals and priorities are integrated into ours. Totality is where Ulyssian remains himself, except for a few rare occasions.
Less than twice a campaign will he even appear, according to Rihaku.
Totality is also pretty useless if we don't use it a lot. If we only use it 2 or 3 times, it's not very useful.
If we use it a lot, it risks Bad End.
I don't like those odds.
Even ignoring the fact that it's all of the worst parts of reincarnation wrapped in one. Evil split personality, supermode, etc. It's not only overdone but it's also a monumental failure on Odyssial's part to achieve his goal.
If we use it a lot, it risks Bad End.
I don't like those odds.
Even ignoring the fact that it's all of the worst parts of reincarnation wrapped in one. Evil split personality, supermode, etc. It's not only overdone but it's also a monumental failure on Odyssial's part to achieve his goal.
Alectai
Speaks Words of Wisdom... On occasion
Or if Ulyssian is sufficiently stressed, taxed, or pushed beyond his limits.
Like, say, in the middle of a fucking tournament of honor with all the dragon blooded, and Anys Syn not too far off.
Plus, let's not forget that Odyssial ended the First Age at Heartlessness 10, I really, really don't want that fucker transmigrating intact. He'd very much try to establish circumstances to encourage us to draw on him more so he could gain more influence.
Let's not forget what Rihaku said, that even if severely nerfed, if you dropped Odyssial into the Nasuverse, he would bootstrap his way into omnipotence within femtoseconds. And as things stand, he would essentially realize "Oh hey, I just basically reincarnated at full possession of my intellect. Okay, time to set things up to get started again".
He wouldn't give a single fuck about being "Helpful" at all.
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Rihaku
The Internet
It doesn't deny the sword, or Ivory, and you didn't get the city so there's no city. Lea is likely to still help you, though she'll be a little sad, unless you commit the spectacularly bad decision of letting Odyssial out while she is standing right next to you or something. Odyssial's reputation is still more-or-less fully available to you, and even easier to exploit since the few times he does break loose, his exploits will certainly spread that legend far and wide. You can possibly even still meet the Fairest, if Odyssial seeks her out or recalls her location during his scene in control, since you retain memories of Odyssial's episodes.
That's pretty much all the benefits.
I want to see Deathlords cry tears of bitter blood as they realize that all their plans have amounted to nothing, less than dust in the wind of one infinitely greater than they. I want to see the Fae who see Creaton weak and ripe for the plucking despair as they realize that in the face of Odyssial, there is no hope or chance. I want to see the Yozi piss themselves in fear as their greatest foe walks the earth once more. I want to see the petty schemes of dynasts seeking a mere throne of jade dissolve like a hungry ghost at high noon.
- Location
- The savanna.
So you vote for his plans to go without a hitch?
I mean, we have word of Rihaku that he isn't going to show up often; you underestimate Ulyssian's competence if you think he can't deal with that shit on his own. Man's a determinator in his own right.
How does Essentially as Planned affect the Fairest, Lea, and Ivory?
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Alectai
Speaks Words of Wisdom... On occasion
Hey? Guess what, Rihaku offers rewards for taking bad and shortsighted decisions, and then he devil's advocates for them until the voting period is closed or they're decisively in the lead. That's what he does to encourage players to not take the optimal route, and most players are short-sighted or easily swayed enough that they'll dive right in.
Totality is not "Lol this is the best outcome for Ulyssian", it's not, it's literally the best outcome possible for Odyssial--as in it was literally so unlikely that he never planned for it, because there is no way he would get that close to True Resurrection. If you think that fucking Odyssial will not capitalize on a single Mote of advantage with access to his full, transcendent intellect, then you're insane.
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Guile
Having a really great time right now
Well, Totality is fairly tempting, if only because Odyssial emerging right there in the middle of the arena, near fully - if briefly - intact. To look into Shogun Feng's eyes with the full and realized might of the Strategos of old...
The only issue is that 'the alternate personality wants to take over my life!' is fairly common in literature, which makes it feel less fresh and novel.
Identity Crisis costs us 150k xp over the other option, which is painful, but at least there will be no struggle for control. Uly and Ody can trade off, with difficulty, and we could maybe build up to Essentially As Planned. This would have some great personal drama with people who know Uly - primarily, the members of Feng's class.
Essentially As Planned is, of course, the most impressive option. We're talking pretty much all the XP we have accrued, but he'll make back some of that through the first point (equivalent to 1 year of training). He'll still be Uly with a Solar Exaltation, and with something like x4 the starting xp of a standard newbie Solar (who is assumed to be Exalted for 3 months), at a guesstimate. But he won't have Totality's overwhelming strength, and considering we just outed ourselves in front of all the luminaries of the Age of Sorrows...
That's pretty damn worrisome.
It's still hard to turn down Essentially As Planned though.
The only issue is that 'the alternate personality wants to take over my life!' is fairly common in literature, which makes it feel less fresh and novel.
Identity Crisis costs us 150k xp over the other option, which is painful, but at least there will be no struggle for control. Uly and Ody can trade off, with difficulty, and we could maybe build up to Essentially As Planned. This would have some great personal drama with people who know Uly - primarily, the members of Feng's class.
Essentially As Planned is, of course, the most impressive option. We're talking pretty much all the XP we have accrued, but he'll make back some of that through the first point (equivalent to 1 year of training). He'll still be Uly with a Solar Exaltation, and with something like x4 the starting xp of a standard newbie Solar (who is assumed to be Exalted for 3 months), at a guesstimate. But he won't have Totality's overwhelming strength, and considering we just outed ourselves in front of all the luminaries of the Age of Sorrows...
That's pretty damn worrisome.
It's still hard to turn down Essentially As Planned though.
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Yes, luckily his plan was quite sane and he wanted to integrate his past life with his reincarnation so that he would remember the lessons of being a mortal. If we hadn't ended character creation with heartless 10, i would totally consider that option. But let's face it, Ody is a gawd damned monster at heartless 10. He may be practical and not slaughter people for the lulz, but I'm willing to bet he has long since forgotten how to mercy
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- Location
- The savanna.
So, what, Rihaku's lying when he clarified the benefits in the above posts? Um, ok. I can see you're not gonna be convinced by anything I have to say.
Rihaku
The Internet
It's essentially as planned. I think the consequences are in the previous choices.
Beating virtually any force isn't very useful? You could be facing a Realm Legion and emerge unscathed. You could beat the Mask of Winters to death in single combat, assuming he doesn't run for his unlife. You could put down that disgraceful Desus once and for all!
Alectai
Speaks Words of Wisdom... On occasion
No, he's not lying, he's just underlining the benefits while completely glossing over the flaws. Or more accurately, not addressing them at all.
He does this, it's how he encourages players to make bad decisions and then encourage them to figure out how to mitigate them.
Again, you should know this if you've participated in any of his Quests at all, this is what he Does.
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Guile
Having a really great time right now
I actually really want the Identity Crisis, but it lacks the overwhelming firepower of Totality and even the free year of training from Essentially As Planned. We'd have 200k xp over Essentially As Planned, but it's not like we can buy charms with it immediately, right?
We could well be fucked, in that case.
We could well be fucked, in that case.
- Location
- The savanna.
Wait. Desus lived? What the hell?
Usernames
Merc gonna merc ya
I shall not be tempted by you RIhaku!
It's not worth a bad end. It's not worth a conflict with Odyssial.
Yep. It's how he rolls. A lot of the worst decisions in the previous Quests have been directly instigated by Rihaku doing this.
Rihaku
The Internet
Remember this: Zao was planning for you to Exalt as a Solar. He thought it was super likely. Zao is not beholden to the tiresome superstitions of the Immaculate Philosophy. He was around when the invented the Immaculate Philosophy.
Zao has absolute power in the Acdemy.
I'm not saying it'll be smooth sailing. But there are certainly ways you get out of this alive.
If mechanics hold, we might buy favored and caste charms, or is that different in 3e? If we can only insta-buy Supernals, then Supernal Stealth would get us out of this jam instantly.
- Location
- The savanna.
Except it isn't a bad decision. Odyssial only gains ground if we let him out intentionally; if we just ride the tiger, he gets his couple of epic victories that spread our legend, we get most of our benefits. If we never cave, this problem never emerges. That's a fact.