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

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Perhaps I just now realized how effective the accelerated aging tool is.

Of course, it terribly cripples public and family social institutions, but the opportunity to deceive demography - a heartless science, is really priceless.
 
Taliys said:
Perhaps I just now realized how effective the accelerated aging tool is.

Of course, it terribly cripples public and family social institutions, but the opportunity to deceive demography - a heartless science, is really priceless.
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Magic allows all sorts of possibilities even necromancy if someone feels they need to continue living so as to see an objective done past their mortal lifespan.
FractiousDay said:
In a ceremony of adulthood, the om'riggor ritual common among your people, several adolescents had competed in a show battle for your and Haomarush's viewing. Following this, the victor of the battle, and last one standing, had been offered the Fel. Haomarush's attendant warlock had stepped forward, sending a torrent of green energy into the boy.

Immediately something seemed to go wrong, for when the warlock had finished the child was grossly mutated, and you saw Haomarush curse immediately.

"Control it, girl!" the Blademaster had roared, readying his blade. He sat, ready to spring, but as the smoke cleared the mutant roared, struggling with themselves, clawing at their own flesh and ripping gouges of muscle away.

"Too weak." One of Haomarush's wives had remarked, stroking her belly with one hand, "End it, my chief."

With a snarl the Chief of the Demonsword leapt from his seat, his sword flashing down on the girl in the arena, severing her neck with one precise blow.

You'd drawn your own sword, but as Haomarush ordered the child's body be thrown into the furnaces to give strength to the clan's swords, you'd set your own weapon down, staring at the patch of cracked earth where the young orc had died.
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I'm confused was the child who won to receive the fel but unable to control it was a boy or girl?
 
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rx915 said:
The scourge never considered using the orcs for deathknights until Grok came. Varithmithras was also unaware.
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It's not that they weren't thinking about the orcs specifically, it's just that they weren't thinking in the same ways. For example, the Lich King can still use mass infantry, but he's also at this point developing his tech base and moving toward Gen 4 DKs, perfecting the processes of the Gen 2s like Arthas and Gen 3s like the Ebon Blade. This means he's looking more and more at incredible individuals, as well as incorporating additional features, rather than just rezzing a guy and giving him a runeblade.
Taliys said:
Perhaps I just now realized how effective the accelerated aging tool is.

Of course, it terribly cripples public and family social institutions, but the opportunity to deceive demography - a heartless science, is really priceless.
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Indeed, somewhat what I was going for. Also inspired by the communist Tharks in Barsoom though too.
rx915 said:
I'm confused was the child who won to receive the fel but unable to control it was a boy or girl?
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I changed it halfway through to be a girl as I wanted to further demonstrate how societal norms were breaking down. Corrected now
 
It's even worst than that. Growth and development are just so important to making healthy adults. Think about all the experiences from babyhood onwards that make a person. To just have that all taken from them and then being forced to commit horrible violence or be sexually exploited is just wrong on a whole other level.
 
Redgamer026 said:
It's even worst than that. Growth and development are just so important to making healthy adults. Think about all the experiences from babyhood onwards that make a person. To just have that all taken from them and then being forced to commit horrible violence or be sexually exploited is just wrong on a whole other level.
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That is what doomhammer horde did. Do not use so much of human morals here, no one really like moral crusading.

Regardless quickening is a problem but may be an pratice that can be made fall out of use. The real issu is the fell infusion process, it's terribly wasteful.
 
MrRobot said:
That is what doomhammer horde did. Do not use so much of human morals here, no one really like moral crusading.

Regardless quickening is a problem but may be an pratice that can be made fall out of use. The real issu is the fell infusion process, it's terribly wasteful.
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Ok guy, I wasn't 'moral crusading' just acknowledging that shit is fucked. I can comment on a scene and still act with the roleplay that the orks would give far less of a shit than humans would about all this nastiness.
 
Redgamer026 said:
It's even worst than that. Growth and development are just so important to making healthy adults. Think about all the experiences from babyhood onwards that make a person. To just have that all taken from them and then being forced to commit horrible violence or be sexually exploited is just wrong on a whole other level.
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There's some ambiguity in terms of what the fel infusion actually does. Rend (and therefore presumably Maim) are clearly able to act in a normal fashion. Rend is a Warchief, and presumably, there are many others of his demographic who are doing fine.

Having said that, in various ways I'm sure it does affect them, it probably makes them less mature, worse at decision making, presumably less knowledgeable, all that sort of thing.
 
MrRobot said:
doomhammer horde
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it wasn't doomhammers horde that did it, it was blackhand's horde before doomhammer hey I should be in charge and went and purged most of the warlocks leaving gul'dan and cho'gall alive then made death knights from said slann warlocks and as far as I am aware doomhammer never did the aging. rends horde most likely does though

now onto thoughts on this hole bit interisting to see polygamy in this clan but I suppose the need for numbers would push it forward
I do wonder about the infantise cause we see they are allowing women fighters (if I am reading that right) so why are they killing children they need.
and I agree with grok hao dying is most likely enough for this whole clan to fall apart
 
FractiousDay said:
It's not that they weren't thinking about the orcs specifically, it's just that they weren't thinking in the same ways. For example, the Lich King can still use mass infantry, but he's also at this point developing his tech base and moving toward Gen 4 DKs, perfecting the processes of the Gen 2s like Arthas and Gen 3s like the Ebon Blade. This means he's looking more and more at incredible individuals, as well as incorporating additional features, rather than just rezzing a guy and giving him a runeblade.
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I dunno. We know his death knights but they never seem to be like the horde ones yet.
 
Thanatosra said:
I do wonder about the infantise cause we see they are allowing women fighters (if I am reading that right) so why are they killing children they need.
and I agree with grok hao dying is most likely enough for this whole clan to fall apart
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Well from what i understood they don't just kill kids for the lolz they do when the kid lose control of the fel, demonsword as a whole is basically devoted to make fell blademasters without them becoming fell orcs.
Introducing the arcane or the light is probably something they actually want from gork, or at least figuring an way to separate the demonic corruption part from fel use.
 
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Death Knight generations and innovation
  • Informational
    • On Death Knight generations, we have:

    1st Gen: Horde shamans turned warlocks, potentially mostly Shadowmoon and Stormreaver, resurrected by Gul'dan using void magic in Alliance knight bodies. Largely just mounted spellcasters, limited necromantic and martial abilities. Turn out to be extremely weak to Light magic use by Alliance paladins. Notable are Teron Gorefiend et al.
    2nd Gen: Mostly paladins, warriors and other martial individuals. Chosen by the Dreadlords to lead the Scourge. Either dead or highly corrupted human nobles mostly. Primarily generals and leaders of undead, with emphasis on individual martial prowess. Potentially also a response to the need to have a counter to Alliance Paladins. Led by Arthas, but with other notable individuals like Mograine.
    3rd Gen: Start of mass produced DKs in the Ebon Blade. Codification of DK traditions, aescetics. Technological development within the Scourge, use of more advanced alchemic preservations, use of DK techniques and abilities eg use of bone stuff for anti-magic abilities, use of Runeforging. Less individually powerful than previous generations, because they aren't exceptional people anymore, but still formidable combatants. Includes Player character DKs.
    4th Gen: Late stage Scourge DK development. Combination of final technological development of the Scourge. Use of both exceptional individuals, and also tech like Saronite equipment or rare reagents. People like Bolvar or Deathbringer Saurfang. Was the Lich King's plan for Icecrown raid.
    4 and a half Gen: Darion Mograine's innovations and continued development in the independent Ebon Blade. No significant changes, but some development during Legion in the pursuit of artefacts and various other learnings for example, just like the other Class Orders developed technologically. Relatively few examples of these, mostly just the new 4 Horsemen. Also though in my Peggy Sue Saves Azeroth fic I've got Vark as a DK doing this sort of thing.
    5th Gen: Some sort of Shadowlands nonsense I don't know they can use fire now or something.
     
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  • Informational
    • FractiousDay said:
    "It is easy to bargain and compel the Elementals of this place." Haomarush said, drawing his finger in a circle, "You see, the Earthblood flows up from deep underground, and carries elementals and minerals both. They are often curious and unused to life beyond the Elemental Planes, we often harness them for a time, and while they break free, they flee for safety, so unused to existence on this Plane. I know you hold a powerful Spirit in your thrall, Grok'mash. Would that we had such a servant, for with it each of my warriors would have warplate, where only my guards do now."
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    That sounds like a ruthless business opportunity to be had should the mines get more orcs to handle the extraction.
     
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    Vote closed
  • Voting
    • Scheduled vote count started by FractiousDay on May 24, 2023 at 3:21 PM, finished with 47 posts and 14 votes.
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  • Voting
    • Hey all! Since it appears to be very appropriate considering this quest, I will link this storygame:
    An Unexpectedly Green Journey - on DashingDon

    Your MC is an Orc; Baborcs sprout from plants, and are taken care of by the tribe. You specialize a bit with pup activities, then you grow up and can go in different directions:ninja::eyeroll::D:rofl:...
    After good tactical showings in the training, and traipsing through the forests as a scout, I got my MC arrested and executed in the city of humies. Can you do better?
    It can probably be replayed more than once, but it's fun if everyone (including @FractiousDay :wink:) does 1 playthrough and then we make a poll of the endings and compare notes...
     
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    Is the game unfinished? I think I've done all there was to do, at least with my character's build. Killed a dragon, slain the demonic orc, won the tournament, served some time against the dwarves to little effect, won a monster costume contest (they never suspected a thing), served a sentence in a human settlement (got bailed by goblins), survived an assassination attempt by poisoning, even saved the human emperor's daughter (and they still won't let me into the palace). My orc is over 40 and is suffering from a demonic curse himself, but there is no hope of buying the amulet to stave off corruption (I don't think there's enough loot left in the whole game to afford the cure), and the quest to find a shaman to lift the curse seems unfinished. The option to challenge the tribe chief is marked as incomplete.
     
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    rx915 said:
    How's Goldir taking Grok's new position?
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    Well, ultimately, it's probably not even that problematic for him. His job has been to try and spy on the Syndicate to help Thrall's Horde's position, and yknow, the Syndicate are gone now. Now, by ironic coincidence, actually the situation of Thrall's Horde is actually somewhat worse, and the Frostwolves in particular are not doing so well. However, Gol'dir can't go back in time or anything so presumably he's just trying to sort stuff out really.

    I suppose he'd be relatively happy with the state of affairs, but will have a lot of concerns generally.
    Netos said:
    Hey all! Since it appears to be very appropriate considering this quest, I will link this storygame:
    An Unexpectedly Green Journey - on DashingDon
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    That was an amusing game. Clearly not done though. I killed a dragon and then was building up the tribe, but couldn't challenge for leadership or remove a curse. Cool idea though, hopefully such things will continue. I also think they could be improved with more media etc. But yes cool idea.
     
    FractiousDay said:
    Well, ultimately, it's probably not even that problematic for him. His job has been to try and spy on the Syndicate to help Thrall's Horde's position, and yknow, the Syndicate are gone now. Now, by ironic coincidence, actually the situation of Thrall's Horde is actually somewhat worse, and the Frostwolves in particular are not doing so well. However, Gol'dir can't go back in time or anything so presumably he's just trying to sort stuff out really.

    I suppose he'd be relatively happy with the state of affairs, but will have a lot of concerns generally.
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    I tend to see him as Thrall's inside orc now by dint of volunteering to be Grok's handler and spy sort of. He keeps tabs on him and Grok knows it when Drek Thar did the ambush which left quite a diplomatic mess.
     
    Events
    Missed coronation of Onyxia
    Foreign influence situation degrades

    Non actions
    Stormwind situation 58, actually doing alright, Defias chilling for a bit
    Gregor stewardship? 78, actually pretty good, Syndicate nobles settled, bribed with estates etc
    Gilneas holdouts, 90, holding the capital, situation somewhat improved.
    Scourge holdouts, 22, Scourge resurgent in Plaguelands
    LK plans, 61, improving but not notably.
    Trolls, 82, troll raids decreased
    Lack of resources, 78, nobles who have been given mines etc ordered to help out
    Syndicate holdouts, 90 no news of syndicate

    Actions
    [X] Clear the Roads, 94, exceptionalyl successful
    [X] Survey the Demonsword doesnt need a roll
    [X] Supervise the Army of Alterac, 22, poorly, situation not really changed.
    [X] Warlocks, 35, can't lcoate.
    FractiousDay threw 11 100-faced dice. Reason: D100s Total: 710
    58 58 78 78 90 90 22 22 61 61 82 82 78 78 90 90 94 94 22 22 35 35
     
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    Yeah honestly the army sucking may work well for gork power base but we probably will need help from an human trainer it we want to do our job. Maybe the church can lend a pladin teacher?
     
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