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

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[X] Plan, Alrighty know thyself.
-Survey
-Help the Village
-Patrol
-Recovery
-Socialise "Mirador" get to know him and ask for any advice he may have, either for an orc socialising with humans without violence, or as a warrior against the undead.
-The Fire Blade
-Meditate

Focusing 3 actions on the warband, trying to make it work together as a cohesive unit, want to focus on more ambushy tactics since again fighting the undead in a straight battle will eventually lead to tragedy, but might be convinced to change it. Doing a patrol to try and make it work together as a whole and a survey so we know our forces properly.

On the personal end doing a recovery action to speed that up, I want to investigate the mystery of the fire blade which will hopefully synch up with on with the meditation as will talking with "totally not Tirion guys."

I would want to ask him about paladins and the light etc. but I think it'd be a better idea to get to know him first, before we jump into that ya know. As well as unloading all of Grok's baggage, though I imagine he'll be able to see that rapidly.

Subject to change especially the socialise action ATM, but @FractiousDay any issues?

Edit

FractiousDay said:
Troll's Load
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Loa me thinks :D
 
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Hrrm...Tirion Fordring.
He's going to be VITAL for figuring out how to deprogram from Burning Blade nonsense...But at the same time, Sesk went and did...A THING...Which I find HIGHLY concerning. I have a feeling it might be wise to speak to... Mirador about his experiences in the Second War, and talk about the Blademasters. Mainly because I smell one of two dickeries happening with Sesk:
Dickery A: Sesk goes and gets himself a skin suit and shows it off to nearby Silver Hand outposts- we need to get to the Scarlet Monastary and PRONTO!
Dickery B: Sesk informs the Scarlets so they can add their angle on the whole 'take the fel' thing.
 
Doomed Wombat said:
[X] Plan, Alrighty know thyself.
-Survey
-Training the Warband, try to see if we can integrate more skirmishing and ambush into our tactics
-Patrol
-Recovery
-Socialise "Mirador" get to know him and ask for any advice he may have, either for an orc socialising with humans without violence, or as a warrior against the undead.
-The Fire Blade
-Meditate

Focusing 3 actions on the warband, trying to make it work together as a cohesive unit, want to focus on more ambushy tactics since again fighting the undead in a straight battle will eventually lead to tragedy, but might be convinced to change it. Doing a patrol to try and make it work together as a whole and a survey so we know our forces properly.

On the personal end doing a recovery action to speed that up, I want to investigate the mystery of the fire blade which will hopefully synch up with on with the meditation as will talking with "totally not Tirion guys."

I would want to ask him about paladins and the light etc. but I think it'd be a better idea to get to know him first, before we jump into that ya know. As well as unloading all of Grok's baggage, though I imagine he'll be able to see that rapidly.

Subject to change especially the socialise action ATM, but @FractiousDay any issues?

Edit


Loa me thinks :D
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I'm mostly down for this, but what if we did a write in about searching for places of elemental significance. Big mountains, rivers, etc. I imagine these would be better places to try to reconnect.
 
If we're going to that spot the paladin pointed out make a lot of preparations first before setting out. Training, information research, a guide that sort of thing.
Netos said:
It raises the question: what can change the nature of an Orc Orc society? Adaptability in the face of a crisis, more precisely finding new answers.
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Like a settler game from Glorantha. King of Dragon Pass or the Six Ages.

[X] Plan, Alrighty know thyself.
 
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Uhtread said:
I'm mostly down for this, but what if we did a write in about searching for places of elemental significance. Big mountains, rivers, etc. I imagine these would be better places to try to reconnect.
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What counts as a place of elemental significance in this case?

Besides as pointed out this is a problem internal to Grok. A therapist would probably help a lot more. Then again helping the elements may help him break through, but also might not address the core issue.

Thoughts?

rx915 said:
If we're going to that spot the paladin pointed out make a lot of preparations first before setting out. Training, information research, a guide that sort of thing.
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Yarp. In canon there's nothing too bad there, but it is filled with dark hounds, giant vampire bats with a white rare one.

No idea what's in there ATM.

Also presumably the scarlet outpost he mentioned is the Scarlet Tower.

Edit: also I think we managed to find the Soliden farmstead.
 
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[X] Plan, Alrighty know thyself.

This plan looks good. Nice balance of consolidating our military power/political leadership, self-improvement, and not getting ganked by surprise enemies or problems in the area.
I'd like for the fortify base action to be included, but I must admit that surveying the area advances our short and long-term goals better. Guess I have too much "spindly tool-user human needs fortifications" perspective and not enough "shield wall beefy orc bois can reliably 1v1 any peer opponent" mindset.
 
Taijutsu_ said:
I'd like for the fortify base action to be included, but I must admit that surveying the area advances our short and long-term goals better. Guess I have too much "spindly tool-user human needs fortifications" perspective and not enough "shield wall beefy orc bois can reliably 1v1 any peer opponent" mindset.
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TBF I'd also want fortifications if nothing else so the people who come in after us have less work (assuming they're not Scourge.)

But yeah, for now I'll stick to trying to proactively killing things in the area. Could do a write-in for what we're looking for in the area while patroling.

Also view of thread for maybe throwing in a learning tactics action for the synergy?
 
Doomed Wombat said:
What counts as a place of elemental significance in this case?

Besides as pointed out this is a problem internal to Grok. A therapist would probably help a lot more. Then again helping the elements may help him break through, but also might not address the core issue.

Thoughts?
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Find people who can provide interesting locations of note to check out?

It would be easier if Grok brought a shaman with him but I don't think the warband has one.
Netos said:
Well, Thrall is kinda trying to do just that. And we could always start a colony somewhere. But we wouldn't be able to brainwash our colonists...
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Blizzard's magic handwavium is so much fun.

There's clay to be had through the power of magic handwavium to start a second Orgrimmar somewhere. You really need powerful magic for that one. Nerzhul destroyed Draenor looking for a new world only to be caught by the Burning Legion to become the Lich King.

Bronze dragon time magic was the good stuff. Garrosh really could have stayed there but no, he had to avenge his loss and come back to show Thrall he could do it and the rest is history.
 
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rx915 said:
It would be easier if Grok brought a shaman with him but I don't think the warband has one.
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One of the blademasters has an elemental connection, but yeah.

Also paranoid about what they're doing.

rx915 said:
Find people who can provide interesting locations of note to check out?
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As for that crusade/forsaken are our best bets.

Off the top of my head the only place of elemental "power" I can think of is the whispering forest. Getting to it is probably...tricky at best. And instead of elemental power we may find something much worse.
 
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Doomed Wombat said:
What counts as a place of elemental significance in this case?

Besides as pointed out this is a problem internal to Grok. A therapist would probably help a lot more. Then again helping the elements may help him break through, but also might not address the core issue.

Thoughts?


Yarp. In canon there's nothing too bad there, but it is filled with dark hounds, giant vampire bats with a white rare one.

No idea what's in there ATM.

Also presumably the scarlet outpost he mentioned is the Scarlet Tower.

Edit: also I think we managed to find the Soliden farmstead.
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in my mind it is impressive pieces of terrain. These are associated with more potent elementals and are by extension easier to interact with.

I think it could give us a goal to work towards in terms of regaining our connection.
 
Uhtread said:
in my mind it is impressive pieces of terrain. These are associated with more potent elementals and are by extension easier to interact with.

I think it could give us a goal to work towards in terms of regaining our connection.
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How so?

Again the problem is an internal one from Grok's psychology and recovering from his traumas, so I'm not sure if I'm seeing the link between "place of elemental power" and fixing Grok's own mental block.

Side note, I forgot that the scourge had managed to get an alliance with the Razorfen quill boars. If I were to guess that's where Jub was making a base.
 
Uhm, wouldn't it be better to go look for information first? Discovering the lay of the land, the different factions, their problems, their conflicts. We can polish the uniforms of the warband and our sitting-under-a-tree meditation skills later.
Apart from the fact that there is not even a good (i.e. surely non-corrupted) place to find elements. I do not want Grok'mash & co. get deceived by some party and trapped into a War of the Five Kings Factions while the Scourge army prepares to attack.

Even more importantly: we are relatively unknown, which means that for a short while we are still under the radar. Soon Grok'mash will be a "guest" in the Scarlet Monastery or at least have an agent of the Scarlet Crusade watching his every move.
We can start on the road of getting to know the Warband. Then, we'll train them knowing what to look for and who can teach what. We can do that better from the turn after this one.

[X] Plan: Get ready, get info.
Warband actions:
- Survey
You're father's given you a collection of new members of the clan, survey and interview them to see if any might have particular skills.
- Patrol
Accompany your warriors on patrol around the Manor.
Other actions:
- Cold Hearth Manor
Explore the estate and grounds.
- Undercity
Apparently shrouded in green fog, the capital of the Forsaken is still worth a visit, take a small party and head there to see what may be seen.
- Brill
Take your company and head to Brill, the largest settlement of the province apart from the Undercity. This will be an essentially diplomatic mission as you expect to find people there, though who they might be you don't know.
- The Scarlet Crusade
The Paladin indicated that the Scarlet Crusade have an outpost nearby, head there to introduce yourselves.
- Recovery
You remain weaker than you might like from your injuries, and haven't yet worked off the stiffness. Take some time to get yourself back to full capacity. Unlocks physical conditioning training and combat training options.
 
FractiousDay said:
"The Sentinels had been skinned and then chopped up into pieces, left for carrion feeders. Whether or not they had been alive when they were skinned was debatable. The skins of the murdered night elves were hung on trees that had painted Horde symbols depicted on them; written with elven blood. Since the night elves have ceased to allow Horde members into Ashenvale in protest of the incident at the Wrathgate, many orcs celebrated this attack."
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OH!

Oh I remember now its from the shattering. This wasn't the horde. Well that makes me feel a little more hopeful.

Yeah no this wasn't the horde although it is terrible that many orcs still celebrated it, but this attack was done by the Twilight Hammer to undermine the peace between the two factions. I thought I remembered something was off!

mmm...I do like to think Thrall was making some progress due to inertia if nothing else until he put Garosh in charge who basically super charged orc racism.

Netos said:
I do not want Grok'mash & co. get deceived by some party and trapped into a War of the Five Kings Factions while the Scourge army prepares to attack.
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? That's not a risk I would have been expecting + the reasons some were cautious of associating with the Forsaken still stand for now.

If nothing else I think going to the undercity and brill is over doing it and potentially dangerous. One is fine, preferably Brill since it gives fewer indications that we're dealing with the Scourge leadership and keeps us far away from Varimathras.

Netos said:
agent of the Scarlet Crusade watching his every move.
We can start on the road of getting to know the Warband. Then, we'll train them knowing what to look for and who can teach what. We can do that better from the turn after this one.
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Let them and let them find our conduct beyond reproach (hopefully.)

As for we can do that better from the turn after...yeah I get the logic, although I do see the synergy of doing them simultaneously. With that said @Uhtread @Taijutsu_ @Thule view on changing the train action to something else?
 
i think that we should help the humans and kill some undead before we meet with the Scarlet Crusade so that we have some rep as doing good and being good, we could maybe get some humans to join the warband, maybe even the Paladin
 
Yeah, we can train them better when we are aware of any pre-existing knowledge among the troops.
I would keep the patrol, so we don't need to investigate our surroundings further and we can see if there is anything coming our way. Although I would visit Brill instead of meditating (or checking the blade).

Doomed Wombat said:
the reasons some were cautious of associating with the Forsaken still stand for now.
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I don't know the setting very well, so I don't know those. Apart from them being Necromancers and independent Undead, ofc.
 
Doomed Wombat said:
How so?

Again the problem is an internal one from Grok's psychology and recovering from his traumas, so I'm not sure if I'm seeing the link between "place of elemental power" and fixing Grok's own mental block.

Side note, I forgot that the scourge had managed to get an alliance with the Razorfen quill boars. If I were to guess that's where Jub was making a base.
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because I think our path back to the elements is through serving them. All this scourge nonsense has to have them hurting. Offer to be a champion to set things right and earn acceptance. I think this could be the process for working through our block.

As for swapping training, I'm fine doing so
 
Netos said:
I don't know the setting very well, so I don't know those. Apart from them being Necromancers and independent Undead, ofc.
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Crusade (in canon) were a bunch of nutters about any and all undead (with reason) and the forsaken are probably the most evil playable race in the setting, which is saying something.

As for what I've done with the real Wombat...well I am the real Wombat I don't know what you mean :p

Regardless, the issue with the shadow games is that the shadow games involve the horde, but also Varimathras, and I'm not sure how to handle him beyond give him no opportunities to sink his greesy lil vampire fangs in.

Anyhow, I think we can try to get information out of Norion :p about the current situation and maybe the villagers., and they might be less biased sources than either the forsaken or the crusaders (this doesn't necessarily mean they know a lot of course.)

Uhtread said:
because I think our path back to the elements is through serving them. All this scourge nonsense has to have them hurting. Offer to be a champion to set things right and earn acceptance. I think this could be the process for working through our block.

As for swapping training, I'm fine doing so
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mmm...I'm cautious of a servile relationship. I'm also not sure it fixes Grok's problems. At best its simply pushing them down and away to bubble up again later.
 
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Doomed Wombat said:
Crusade (in canon) were a bunch of nutters about any and all undead (with reason) and the forsaken are probably the most evil playable race in the setting, which is saying something.

As for what I've done with the real Wombat...well I am the real Wombat I don't know what you mean :p

Regardless, the issue with the shadow games is that the shadow games involve the horde, but also Varimathras, and I'm not sure how to handle him beyond give him no opportunities to sink his greesy lil vampire fangs in.

Anyhow, I think we can try to get information out of Norion :p about the current situation and maybe the villagers., and they might be less biased sources than either the forsaken or the crusaders (this doesn't necessarily mean they know a lot of course.)


mmm...I'm cautious of a servile relationship. I'm also not sure it fixes Grok's problems. At best its simply pushing them down and away to bubble up again later.
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fair! I mean serve them in the sense that serving others (doing charity, preserving or restoring land, building institutions) can provide meaning to ones life. No an actual formal subjugation.
 
The only other closest place to explore actual shamanism requires travelling much longer to where the Frostwolves refused to go with Thrall and stayed behind in Alterac Valley.
 
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