Part 77: Governor Boris and the Adventures in Blowing People Up

Governor Boris and the Adventures in Blowing People Up

Welcome back! Last time on Tyranny we stopped the Disfavored's evil plan to blight the land and killed the Archon of Stone. Today we're going to ruin Graven Ashe's whole career in a completely different manner!



Octave has some stuff to say to us.



: [Lore 52] I could explain the intricacies of geo-triadic temporal energy channeling, but you still wouldn't understand, so what's the point?

Bold words for a guy who didn't know stone magic until an hour ago.

It's also notable that the Scarlet Chorus Fatebinder - and you are deeply immersed in the Chorus at this point - is just going along for abusing subordinates now. If you're not getting that the Chorus changes you more than you change the Chorus, you're missing the entire point of this route.



Of course, Octave has to take it, but it's still kind of a shitty thing to say.



: Thanks, I'll snag a piece of Cairn before I inform Nerat of our success in breaking the Edict.

: If you're going to be giving a report to the Voices, feel free to name drop me, boss. Me and the gang were pretty instrumental to the cause, wouldn't you say?

: With a final rasping laugh, he waves you off.




We get these convos again. Now, at this time I grab the strength amulet, claim the last two spires, and set up some research and forges offscreen. We've seen it before so I'm skipping it.



Along the way, we get jumped by a bunch of angry Disfavored and kill them.



Back to the plot! Poor Hundred-Blood has been skinned and used as a chair. We are responsible for all of this. We have not changed the Chorus. Matthias tried and look where it got him.



All we've achieved is enthroning Nerat. Good job Boris!



: You're back! What do you think of our throne? As much as we hate a cold, unmoving chair, this one suits us. Without a spot to plant ourselves, we would pace the length of the Oldwalls every day in our contemplation.



: I've successfully resolved the Edict of Stone.

: And Cairn the insufferable is vanquished from the lands! As much as that rebellious simpleton of an Archon amused us, an Edict resolved is more important to our purposes. He will not be missed, and our gangs will feast on the fruit of these lands.



: [Leave] Excellent. They've saved me the effort of bringing the fight to them.



: I watch eagerly for your bird.

Rhogalus wants to know about killing Cairn, so we give him an honest description. I'm pretty sure the other two options read as a threat to Tunon and violating the will of Kyros, respectively.



The Fifth Eye is here to help us instead of our Fatebinder friend.

: The massive sculpture rumbles, shaking the masonry of the Spire, and sending him off balance.





: The Spire is now fully awake, its long-dormant currents of energy dance to your presence.



: The Spire often communicates in visions. Perhaps this is its way of saying it has something to discuss?



: When I shattered the Edict of Stone, I was struck by a flood of visions - mystic wisdom about the Edict. I could try proclaiming it without Kyros' words.

: THAT is your plan? You think playing pretend Overlord will save you? He waves his hand at you dismissively. By all means, shout your words to the winds. I'd wager every ring I have that it can't be done!



: There's still so much that doesn't make sense.

: I would agree. The Archon of Secrets has shared much with me, but this is... beyond even my erudite mind.



: The Spires in the Tiers are linked - just how far does this connection go?



: [Athletics 57] [Reach out as far as you can.]



: You issue a soft hum into the Resonator and then fall silent, stretching your senses across the Tiers to hear how far your voice can be felt.

: Your voice becomes a trivial squeak against the raging torrents of the Edicts[sic] of Storms in the Blade Grave.

Oh, and now that Amelia's dead the only way to end that Edict is to kill the baby.

: While your voice echoes throughout most of the Tiers, no echo can be heard in the Contested Lands. The raging crackle of Kyros' Edict of Fire seems to drown out your call.

Because we didn't decide to go to the Library we missed that Edict as well. Oops! Anyway, if there are still Edicts left over you didn't break you can't cast an Edict on that area.





Fifth Eye kind of has a point that there's a legion of fascists outside waiting to kick our ass.

: The Spire can't seem to reach where Kyros' Edicts still churn, but otherwise, I think this Spire can reach out anywhere in the Tiers.

: Fascinating... the Spire contains such power... the Voices of Nerat will be most intrigued.



: [Touch the Resonator and concentrate.] What could possibly go wrong?





By siding with the Scarlet Chorus, we are actually weaker than in the Anarchist playthrough as we have one and only one Edict to deal with the situation. We could have had Fire as well to be fair, and we can research Malediction in Act 3.





This is extremely subtle as most players are going to be focused on THE POWER or the army outside the door, but this is the point where the player character accepts damnation. The entire game the Fatebinder has used the system to survive and gather power, and in this route especially has sacrificed their integrity and loyalty on behalf of the Voices of Nerat to gain less than they would have gained on their own.

Nevertheless, whether you form an alliance with the loyal boyars, the fascist army, the insane trauma indoctrination show, or the secret police running interference so you can legitimize yourself as the Monarch Of The Totally Real Unified Tiers, you're still working within the system Kyros designed, and thus you're railroaded into seeking more and more power. What else are you going to do? Hide? Take a boat and gamble on another continent like Occulted Jade? There is no America to flee to because all is Kyros.

It's brilliant. The game railroads the players into crossing the final line while making it seem like a great and cool idea that is born out of necessity. The Disfavored aren't even attacking you, they're attacking your powerbase which as far as I can tell has 3 dudes in it who have access to an escape teleporter. On some level the Fatebinder wants this kind of power, otherwise they would never have gotten this far in the Kyrosian hierarchy. Remember, every Fatebinder, no matter how well intentioned, opens the game by dropping an Edict on an area, which either burns people alive or slowly petrifies them. The cruelty is the point.



: I had a feeling that might work.



The Fifth Eye is not stupid. This can - and will, if you make the choice to do so - cause an apocalyptic hellwar so two egotistical assholes can play Dictator Theater.

: Distant shouts and roars draw the Fifth Eye's attention to the army amassing below. But first things first. Your Edict has sewn fear and disorder throughout the Disfavored. We must strike now, at the zenith of conusion!

: The Fifth Eye struts toward the portal with a twirl of his spear. Their suffering has just begun! Join us, Fatebinder - I'd hate for you to miss the fun.



As before, we exit the tower to a scene of devastation.






The Disfavored run the fuck away.



Aww, that's cute, he thinks he has a shot in hell.

: He turns to his warriors and lifts his hand in the air. Moving in rehearsed unison, the warriors snap to formation and ready their weapons.



I will never not take the Lore option here.

: [Lore 52] Fools, did you not hear me proclaim that Edict? Either I cast that Edict by myself, or did so with the Overlord's blessing - think that through very carefully.



: Enough prattle. Advance! Slay this aberration of 'justice,' and bring glory to Graven Ashe!

: Ceveus gives the signal to attack, and rushes forward with a roar.



It's Tyranny combat. The only thing different here is that we have Fifth Eye and a Blood Chanter helping us out. It's on easy baby difficulty, though the only thing that would really change is how many times I have to click the launch CC button on the mages.



: We've done it! They're- stumbling over a slight tremor, he plants his spear into the ground to catch his balance. They're falling back! So much for Disfavored courage, your Edict of Stone has them terrified!

: We have the courtyard under our control - leave the clean-up duty to me and my gang. Make haste the top of the Spire[sic] - no doubt you'll want a bird's ey view of the Disfavored turning and running in shame.




I love this art and wish there was more of it.





The game unfortunately doesn't make a big deal about this, but there are also a ton of civilians who live in the valley and probably lost homes and lives as well. Of course, it's highly likely that's not something our Fatebinder cares about, because to get as far as we have we've had to deal in slaughter and torture just to survive this horrible system.





The dialogue with Calio is the same. I tell her we're not using the Edicts frivolously, because we have a limited power bar and we just uncursed the region we need to feed our "allied" army. We get a bit more because we're allied with the Scarlet Chorus.



I have a much better plan than assaulting Iron Hearth, and I think Nerat will love it too.



I'm sure we're still totally useful and Nerat isn't planning to betray us.

: Very well. Tell the Voices I'll meet him at Cacophony.



Yea we're totally fucked.



This is, at least, good advice.




Rhogalus replies to our earlier message, and we get a new missive.



If we had Favor 3, we could arrange a duel in Ashweald. This skips the Archon trial as Tunon is pissed, so we're not going to do that. We'll be polite instead.

My guess as to what Mark is thinking here is that you are not nearly as useful to him because you fell in with Kyros' schemes - and his end goal is to get rid of Kyros, Nerat, and Ashe because they're all soulless monsters with no principles.

Of course, he falls into the same trap the player does and uses the weapons of the tyrant to become the tyrant.



On to the Bastard City...next update.