Huh. So we don't need LoS to the target? Kinda expected that we'd have to be in someone's presence in order to target them, tbh; my line of thinking was more that we'd find out about Skotia's plans by finding out what the crony he sent here to deal with us would least want us to know.
Not that I'm gonna complain about the result, mind you.
It's a combination of what I said and the Word of Knowledge.
As long as you have the Word of Knowledge, you can learn just about anything that would be considered easy for a mortal to learn. And, based on what I checked up on with Skotia, his plan isn't all that complicated.
It was basically, "Kill Zash's Apprentice and make her look bad". That's about it.
It's a combination of what I said and the Word of Knowledge.
As long as you have the Word of Knowledge, you can learn just about anything that would be considered easy for a mortal to learn. And, based on what I checked up on with Skotia, his plan isn't all that complicated.
It was basically, "Kill Zash's Apprentice and make her look bad". That's about it.
... Having not played SWTOR, or at least for more than an hour, I had no idea about this plot.
I was hopeful, I was optimistic, I was excited for how it might turn out, and how Faust might troll hostile sith for mad keks.
But now, it feels empty. The plot that we would unwind and subverting the pawns being used... Banal.
Skotia. I am disappoint.
Welp, I can but hope that when we find Skotia we express our displeasure.
Edit: As in literally, tell him how disappointed we were with how boring his plot was, (before we kill him), and ask if it was too much to ask for him to have tried to have it for some goal a bit more interesting that mere force/political power.
And I once again request a short break in the narrative where we can use our words to ask question about our enimies, boss, our selves, and from learning context about ourselves, asking about other godbound, in detail, and creation engines.
Big question, if we were to "meditate" and used our gifts/words to find stuff out, would the time taken be measured in hours or seconds? Or does it depend on the word?
And I once again request a short break in the narrative where we can use our words to ask question about our enimies, boss, our selves, and from learning context about ourselves, asking about other godbound, in detail, and creation engines.
Big question, if we were to "meditate" and used our gifts/words to find stuff out, would the time taken be measured in hours or seconds? Or does it depend on the word?
1. That's coming, as you'll have a chance to do so on the transport to Dromund Kaas.
2. Depends on what you want to know. If it's something simple that wouldn't require much effort, a few seconds. If it's attempting to find out a galaxy wide conspiracy, hours or even days.
Very good. It will not be an idle journey to Dromund Kaas, as Faust still has much to learn. Now that we have learned Skotia's plans, we have peeled away the first layer of intrigue, but there are many more we must continue finding and learning of. Forewarned is forearmed, and we need to learn all of Zash's plans next to decide the best way of managing her. Furthermore, once we learn IC of Thanaton's existence, we need to learn all of his plans as well.
Actually, there may be an opportunity to derail things even further there. At the current time, Darth Arctis is still the head of the Sphere of Ancient Knowledge. In the midst of the Inquisitor's story, Arctis suddenly dies, allowing for Thanaton's ascent. Mind, Arctis' demise came after the Dark Council decided against Thanaton in the matter of Skotia's death and gave Zash his position.
Of course, Arctis could have died of natural causes, but being Sith and given Thanaton's situation, I doubt any of us believes Thanaton did not somehow arrange for his superior's death. For all his incessant prattling of order and tradition, he proved often enough how willing he is to violate those selfsame traditions for his own benefit or when his hide is on the line. Thus, if we learn of how Thanaton is planning to eliminate Arctis and take his place, then reveal such to Arctis and stop Thanaton in the process, well, it might be grounds for Arctis to handily dispose of Thanaton for us. Earning the gratitude of a Dark Councilor is no small thing. In the process, it could bring Faust much closer to being the power behind the throne.
In any case, the most crucial matter on the journey to Dromund Kaas is for Faust to learn IC everything he can about the nature and meaning of the Godbound and their powers, about the events that led to his apotheosis, the nature of reality, the Celestial Engines especially, and the shards scattered all across the galaxy and how important they will be for repairing the Celestial Engines.
Very good. It will not be an idle journey to Dromund Kaas, as Faust still has much to learn. Now that we have learned Skotia's plans, we have peeled away the first layer of intrigue, but there are many more we must continue finding and learning of. Forewarned is forearmed, and we need to learn all of Zash's plans next to decide the best way of managing her. Furthermore, once we learn IC of Thanaton's existence, we need to learn all of his plans as well.
Actually, there may be an opportunity to derail things even further there. At the current time, Darth Arctis is still the head of the Sphere of Ancient Knowledge. In the midst of the Inquisitor's story, Arctis suddenly dies, allowing for Thanaton's ascent. Mind, Arctis' demise came after the Dark Council decided against Thanaton in the matter of Skotia's death and gave Zash his position.
Of course, Arctis could have died of natural causes, but being Sith and given Thanaton's situation, I doubt any of us believes Thanaton did not somehow arrange for his superior's death. For all his incessant prattling of order and tradition, he proved often enough how willing he is to violate those selfsame traditions for his own benefit or when his hide is on the line. Thus, if we learn of how Thanaton is planning to eliminate Arctis and take his place, then reveal such to Arctis and stop Thanaton in the process, well, it might be grounds for Arctis to handily dispose of Thanaton for us. Earning the gratitude of a Dark Councilor is no small thing. In the process, it could bring Faust much closer to being the power behind the throne.
In any case, the most crucial matter on the journey to Dromund Kaas is for Faust to learn IC everything he can about the nature and meaning of the Godbound and their powers, about the events that led to his apotheosis, the nature of reality, the Celestial Engines especially, and the shards scattered all across the galaxy and how important they will be for repairing the Celestial Engines.
Rather than give in to the obvious emotional response and annihilate this annoying Apprentice, you take some time to think about the situation. Killing him wouldn't trouble you in the slightest. He made sure no prying eyes would see any battle that would occur here, which means you don't have to worry about getting in trouble for fighting inside the Academy. That's not mentioning your own powers which already put you well above him and the weaklings he brought as back up.
However, it wouldn't do anything to help you either. It'll eliminate a potential headache certainly, but that is it. It was blindingly obvious that, for all his bluster, this man was a sacrificial lamb. Either he kills you and returns to his master to continue his training, or he dies and there's no real consequence for it. However, if you could to not only talk him down but convince him to turn on his Master for a perceived slight….
Now, if only you knew more about this "Skotia". Any argument you could make right now would be pure speculation. If you had an inkling of his ideas, you could form a more cohesive speech. Even a small hint of his plans for you would allow—
You blink.
And it all becomes clear.
And it is…disappointing.
The power you gained once you left Naga Sadow's Tomb has proven its worth already. Through its application here, you were able to discover what Skotia's plans for you were. It happened in an instant and with very little indication that you even willed it into being. All it took was you picturing Skotia in your mind and directing the curiosity you felt towards any machinations he might have set in motion.
You had expected an intricate web of tricks and lies that you would have to sort through. This was a Darth you were dealing with. Surely, they would not have such a simple plan that you could see through it with a single scry?
Sadly, that was the case.
Skotia truly did believe that his Apprentice could kill you here and now. The plan was to kill you here and make Zash look bad for it. That was it.
If that didn't work, he would merely attempt the same on Dromund Kaas. No more, no less.
It truly took the wind out of your sails. Matching wits with a Darth would be an appropriate test of your powers. However, it seems that won't happen here.
At the very least, you can prepare for anything Skotia throws at you once you get to the planet.
Now then, on to this fool.
"Pay attention when I am speaking to you, slave!" looks like he's finally figured out that you've been ignoring him this whole time, "You are nothing compared to—"
"Let me ask this, how much did your master tell you, exactly?" you start by reaching for information that he might not have, "He did tell you about the massive beast that feeds on Force Users that has pledged itself to me, yes?"
You indicate Val with a wave of your hand. The creature growls at the man when he glances Val's way. He does his best to hide it, but you can see that you've planted doubt into his heart.
Perfect.
"That's none of your business, slave! Draw your blade and—"
"If you would, hear me out," cutting him off might anger him, but you need to press on that doubt before it's gone, "If your Master truly wished for you to succeed, wouldn't he have told you everything you needed to know before coming here? Or maybe, given you more than just two weak Acolytes who haven't even gotten their lightsaber's yet as assistance?"
The two in question scowl at you, readying their electroblades until the Apprentice glares at them. They stand down and so does he to an extent, "What are you saying? Trying to talk your way out of this?"
You shrug, "It all just seems strange to me. After all, if your master really wanted you to kill me, he would've helped you stack everything in your favor. Unless he's afraid of you?"
The hall is silent for a few moments. The Apprentice stands there scowling at you…then lets his guard down while crossing his arms, "You've got a silver tongue, slave. But what you say has merit. I will admit, I found this whole situation strange from the moment my master assigned it. Kill an upstart Sith that the pitiful Zash took pity on? Why would he send me to do that?"
You ignore the jab at your Lord, "That's exactly why. You knew something was up with this mission before it was given. You must be an exceptional Force User, which is why Skotia sent you. He was hoping you'd come here to fight me, then the Dashade would finish you off. Two birds, one stone as it were."
"Flattery will get you nothing, but you're right. Hmm, maybe I should go pay my master a visit?" the Apprentice rubs his chin with one hand while smiling.
One of the Acolytes steps up to him, "Ortosin! Don't listen to this slave! Lord Skot—urrgh!" The Acolyte is cut off as his feet lift off the ground. He starts to clutch at his throat, his face rapidly going blue from lack of oxygen. There's a wet snap and he falls to the ground next to Ortosin's feet, dead. The Apprentice's hand quickly goes to his lightsaber and he cuts down the other Acolyte before he can even step back in fear.
He sheathes his lightsaber while walking out of the hallway, "Couldn't let them inform Skotia that I'm coming back without your head. We'll meet again, slave. Be sure of that."
You listen to his footsteps recede into the Academy. Once you are sure he is gone, your palm hits your mask. You groan at how easy it was to trick that man and having to deal with his pompous nature.
Val gives a deep, throaty chuckle, "Well done, little Sith. While I would've liked to have eaten him, turning him into your own unwitting tool was a fantastic choice."
You take slight pride in receiving Val's approval. Then you compose yourself and begin walking out of the Academy. Val follows behind you as you prepare to take your first steps off this planet in years.
As you approach the transport, the sun beating down on you from above, you notice two figures getting ready to board the spacecraft.
One is a female Pureblooded Sith with the armor and lightsaber that identifies her as a Warrior. If she has a lightsaber, then she has likely passed her trials the same as you and is now on a mission for her Lord.
The other is a female Twilek and while you can't make out the finer details, you recognize the glint of the collar around her neck anywhere. You had to live with those slave collars for most of your life before you finally got picked to be an Acolyte after all.
Outside of that, you can't make out anything specific from here. You'll have to get closer to get the finer details. Since this is the transport to Dromund Kaas, that's very likely to happen. Well, firstly you'll hit the Imperial Fleet then you'll get a transport to Kaas. You're transport doesn't have enough fuel to get to the planet itself.
However, should you bother interacting with the two? It's no stretch of the imagination to conclude that you'll be on the same craft for a time. Talking to the two of them now could afford you some much-needed conversation for the trip. Or you could simply ignore them and ruminate on your current situation, as well as your powers and otherwise.
[] Speak to the two women. There's no real harm in doing so.
- [] Be polite and friendly. No reason not to.
- [] Be terse and succinct. You're not here to make friends, just talk.
- [] Write in...
Well, Faust will be expecting Skotia once he lands on Dromund Kaas. Perhaps Skotia will sarcastically thank Faust for the "gift" he is sending in Ortosin?
A bit of patience would be advised. If Faust wants a proper duel of wit and intellect, it is coming all too soon, in the form of Thanaton if not Zash.
Hm, I am a bit conflicted about the meeting. I had hoped there would be nothing else to do so that Faust could use his Godbound abilities in peace to learn and unravel as much of the webs of intrigue and higher strata of Sith machinations and politics as he could, to say nothing of the truly important concerns of the Godbound, their nature, powers, and their potential to save reality before it collapses.
Pity that the Godbound do not possess the ability to innately sense one another. Still, it is important to lay the groundwork here. As a Light-leaning Godbound, the Sith Warrior will be quite useful in the future pantheon that Faust will be part of. Considering the foes that Faust will be facing as a Godbound, the vengeful angels, the scions of the Uncreated Night, and so on, well, it is important to start developing the framework now.
Still, while the Sith Warrior proves that they possess a certain sly cunning, for the purpose of the higher abstract and esoteric mysteries and intrigues that Faust is pursuing, well, the Sith Warrior will not be of much help there. Talk to the Sith Warrior and Vette then, but I would prefer it be kept as brief as possible. Just enough to learn that the Sith Warrior is also a Godbound, perhaps form the foundation for an agreement of cooperation that paves the way for the Sith Warrior joining our Godbound pantheon party. Afterwards, we really do need the time to ourselves to learn Zash's plans and guide Faust to understand as much about the Godbound as possible, especially how important they are regarding the shards scattered across the galaxy and the Celestial Engines.
Also, while Faust does not yet know of Thanaton's existence, it can potentially be learned here if Faust wonders about whom Skotia answers to and uses his Words to answer the question. In that case, we could start early in learning and unraveling Thanaton's plans.
That went quite nicely. We're starting to get manipulation down; now we just need to work on our snarkiness. (Because snarky Inquisitor is best Inquisitor. )
Hm, I am a bit conflicted about the meeting. I had hoped there would be nothing else to do so that Faust could use his Godbound abilities in peace to learn and unravel as much of the webs of intrigue and higher strata of Sith machinations and politics as he could, to say nothing of the truly important concerns of the Godbound, their nature, powers, and their potential to save reality before it collapses.
[...]
Still, while the Sith Warrior proves that they possess a certain sly cunning, for the purpose of the higher abstract and esoteric mysteries and intrigues that Faust is pursuing, well, the Sith Warrior will not be of much help there. Talk to the Sith Warrior and Vette then, but I would prefer it be kept as brief as possible. Just enough to learn that the Sith Warrior is also a Godbound, perhaps form the foundation for an agreement of cooperation that paves the way for the Sith Warrior joining our Godbound pantheon party. Afterwards, we really do need the time to ourselves to learn Zash's plans and guide Faust to understand as much about the Godbound as possible, especially how important they are regarding the shards scattered across the galaxy and the Celestial Engines.
I don't get why you think making nice with the Sith Warrior will somehow prevent us from meditating on our new nature and powers as a Godbound.
We're guaranteed to get that time even if we do make nice with her, because she isn't going to cling to us 24/7. If nothing else, she'll want time to rest and meditate herself, during which we can do the same.
[X] Speak to the two women. There's no real harm in doing so.
- [x] Be polite and friendly. No reason not to.
[X] Speak to the two women. There's no real harm in doing so.
- [x] Be polite and friendly. No reason not to.
-[X] If you have any godbound powers that allow one to learn more that can't be noticed, even in failure, and require short-rest effort, use one
Hopefully establishing this contact with the Sith Warrior leads to some new connections with important figures. Namely, establishing Darth Vowrawn as a contact would be very useful for Faust. Then, there was Baras' entire plot to take Vengean's place as head of the Sphere of Military Offense. Granted, it will mostly be the Warrior's problem, but if Faust helps in a few key places and times to expose Baras to Vengean, well, having Vengean's ear would be very instrumental as well. There would be no such thing as Faust having the ear of too many Dark Councilors.
Then again, Vengean wants to reignite the war, which may not serve Faust's interests in the long term, especially once Faust discovers Vitiate's endgame and ultimate goal, hopefully sooner rather than later. Perhaps it might suit Faust better to let Vengean be disposed of and then arrange for Baras' downfall as well, hopefully integrating both steps into ensuring Vitiate's final destruction. With the Words Faust has, he is best suited to becoming the Godbound with the longest view and clearest understanding of the greater scheme of things and thus plan accordingly.
As a bit of speculation, if Faust were Baras' apprentice, I recall that there were warning signs from the very beginning that Baras was probably going to dispose of the apprentice, given how he was seen treating his other assets and agents, so Faust would have probably been very suspicious from the start.
As for Jaesa, if Faust ever crosses paths with her once the Sith Warrior has recruited her, it should prove interesting. Unless one takes more than cursory surface scan, one would not realize Faust's relationship with the Force or lack thereof is not normal. Given Jaesa's particular ability, I wonder if she will be able to pierce the Force Cloak more easily than most.
As for Jaesa, if Faust ever crosses paths with her once the Sith Warrior has recruited her, it should prove interesting. Unless one takes more than cursory surface scan, one would not realize Faust's relationship with the Force or lack thereof is not normal. Given Jaesa's particular ability, I wonder if she will be able to pierce the Force Cloak more easily than most.
She might be able to feel that *something* is up. But that's about it.
Since you guy's put Dominion down on the Force Cloak, no one will be able to see it unless they either use some Dominion of their own (which only Godbound, Parasite Gods, Actual Gods, and Made Gods can do), or try and force something to happen. Which will probably hurt them more than help them.
Any quick godbound powers that we can use to learn more that does not have a save?
I mean, I'm all for the balanced path, but it's cool looking at someone and reading their fate.
[X] Speak to the two women. There's no real harm in doing so.
-[x] Be polite and friendly. No reason not to.
-[X] If you have any godbound powers that allow one to learn more that can't be noticed, even in failure, and require short-rest effort, use one.
If it's a Lesser Foe, they usually don't get a Save.
If it's a Worthy Foe, then no.
Godbound are always considered Worthy Foes. This goes for you two though. Anyone considered a Lesser Foe can't really do much to do, and any Worthy Foe needs to get passed your Save first. And, even if you fail, you spend 1 Effort to automatically succeed. Granted, enemies can do this two, but I won't do it unless it's someone who is actually dangerous.
If it's a Lesser Foe, they usually don't get a Save.
If it's a Worthy Foe, then no.
Godbound are always considered Worthy Foes. This goes for you two though. Anyone considered a Lesser Foe can't really do much to do, and any Worthy Foe needs to get passed your Save first. And, even if you fail, you spend 1 Effort to automatically succeed. Granted, enemies can do this two, but I won't do it unless it's someone who is actually dangerous.
I just want some to be able to get a gift based read on these two without a chance of them noticing somehow, even if they are a godbound . Reasonable that we can't do such though.
@LinkOnScepter, IIRC "Influence" represents the character regularly spending time, effort, possibly Effort, etc. on something? Could we spend Influence to learn or improve Force abilities?
@LinkOnScepter, IIRC "Influence" represents the character regularly spending time, effort, possibly Effort, etc. on something? Could we spend Influence to learn or improve Force abilities?
