ToME: the Tales of Maj'Eyal

Who do you sympathise with, the dragon or the naga? Is Ukllmswwik the real evil? Or is that just a sneaky excuse from Slasul?

Or do you simply kill them both for loot?

Both are squamous horrors from the deeps who have an inexplicable need to meet my sword.

But more importantly, by the time I'm clearing out the East, I'm getting kind of bored and I usually don't do the side-quests any more.

Both because it gives the most loot and xp.

I'm a man of simple pleasures.

Slasul's a jerk so he dies pretty much always. The dragon I generally let off since I did technically break into his house.

And you didn't break into Slasul's? Or kill his brothers and sisters before his eyes?

The Revanchist wrote:And you didn't break into Slasul's? Or kill his brothers and sisters before his eyes?

What speaks in the dragons favour is that his servants don't attack you, while the nagas (except Slasul) attack you on sight. Of course you are entering their sanctum on a mission to kill their leader, but still.. I would expect at least a warning first.

On the other hand, Slasul has a more convincing story. He says that the dragon has been set up against him by some dark plot from the remaining Sher'tul. Sounds plausible, the Sher'tul are the ultimate puppeteers behind everything wrong in Eyal it seems. And all the dragon says is "I want you to kill Slasul because he's a jerk". Then again, Slasul is supposed to be a glib talker, maybe it's just an excuse? I was pretty confused about who to side with.

grobblewobble wrote:I was pretty confused about who to side with.

I think that's the point.

For the record, though, killing both for the loot and experience seems like the wrong choice on all but the most base levels. Except maybe for a Ghoul or Skeleton; they might not have all the taboos about wanton murder that the living would.

Not that my reasoning is any better.

The Revanchist wrote:all the taboos about wanton murder

Have you actually PLAYED this game?

Or, uh, any Roguelike game?

The side of the box reads "includes over 10,000% US RDA wanton murder".

Doctornull wrote:

The Revanchist wrote:all the taboos about wanton murder

Have you actually PLAYED this game?

Or, uh, any Roguelike game?

The side of the box reads "includes over 10,000% US RDA wanton murder".

I didn't bother with the fine print, on this particular game...

I seem to be the odd one out, regardless.

The Revanchist wrote:And you didn't break into Slasul's? Or kill his brothers and sisters before his eyes?

Not on a whim, no. You get sent there by the dragon, so clearly my characters are absolved of any moral wrong-doing or bloody slaughter that they may have allegedly done.

Danton wrote:

The Revanchist wrote:And you didn't break into Slasul's? Or kill his brothers and sisters before his eyes?

Not on a whim, no. You get sent there by the dragon, so clearly my characters are absolved of any moral wrong-doing or bloody slaughter that they may have allegedly done.

You know, I think most of the actions we (or at least I) find questionable (anything to do with Zigur, or... more than I care to list here... ) are written off as "not their fault" or "excusable". Are there any factions that are evil just because, or is that up to just the player and the Master of Dreadfell?

EDIT: I apologize for this derailing of the conversation. I think it's pretty clear who I side with, though.

Well...certain mage-twins and the Grand Corruptor DO want to destroy the known world (full of sapient creatures) so as to let their respective objects of worship take over. That's kind of evil. Likewise the background on Slasul suggests that he wants to destroy the Sun Wall without any real (to my knowledge) provocation. Again, fairly evil in my book.

The orcs seem almost saintly by comparison. Which I kind of like.

It's not really an excuse, it's fairly well hinted at that Slasul was right, and the dragon really is working for... outside forces.

Kill the dragon, save Slasul. Always.

Unless I'm a mage and want that shiny shiny ball.

Morally, the Naloren just want to survive, the dragon is motivated (like all his foul kind) by greed and power, not out of any proper morality.

And finally, to be completely fair, the Naloren aren't the most trusting, given the life they've led. After the events of the spellblaze, and things leading up to it, they have suffered enough, and a certain amount of paranoid isolationism and xenophobia is probably to be expected.

Crim, The Red Thunder wrote:And finally, to be completely fair, the Naloren aren't the most trusting, given the life they've led. After the events of the spellblaze, and things leading up to it, they have suffered enough, and a certain amount of paranoid isolationism and xenophobia is probably to be expected.

I may be mistaken, but something about every other race abandoning them after the Spellblaze (or was it the quake after?), no? I'd say that's fair grounds for not liking any of them.

Crim, The Red Thunder wrote:It's not really an excuse, it's fairly well hinted at that Slasul was right, and the dragon really is working for... outside forces.

Kill the dragon, save Slasul. Always.

Unless I'm a mage and want that shiny shiny ball.

Morally, the Naloren just want to survive, the dragon is motivated (like all his foul kind) by greed and power, not out of any proper morality.

Bah, nothing more than anti-dragon propaganda!

He is ukllmswwik the wise! It's clear that this magnificent creature is only fighting against the evil and xenophobic nagas.

You know what other race were evil xenophobes? Pre-orc evil halflings.
Do you want to be an evil halfling? I didn't think so.

Won't somebody please think of the drake hatchlings!