Sunday, November 20, 2005

Epic: The Locust Chaser

In a nearby village here was a fool who could do nothing well. His father sent him away after the fool had plowed a planted field one too many times. The fool then collapsed a wall while working for a builder, and overturned a wagon while working for a merchant. While begging on the street, the fool met a group of traveling entertainers who decided they could use a clown in their act. They gave the fool a badly tuned sitar, and when the fool played it was music so dissonant that all rats, scorpions and other vermin fled their holes in terror. Although the sound was also terrible to the ears of men, the troupe became known for dispersing pests and were summoned to the City of Uruk to deal with a plague of baby-eating locusts. The King of Uruk paid the fool his weight in gold, but the fool was not to keep this wealth for long.

posted by smith at 20 Nov 2005 18:39:57 UTC Comments (11)

Comments

smith:

20-11-2005 23:09:30 UTC

Angra Mainyu claims the plowing of the planted field, the collaped wall, the overturned wagon and, of course, the plague of baby-eating locusts, as part of his domain.

Excalabur:

21-11-2005 11:23:46 UTC

Let me look up the mechanics for what I’m supposed to do, and I’ll get back to you in a minute.

Excalabur:

21-11-2005 11:35:16 UTC

Oh, apparently I don’t have to do anything as long as you’re on the level.  Cool.

ChronosPhaenon:

21-11-2005 15:28:46 UTC

As time passes while the story unfolds, Chronos claims domain on it.

Hix:

21-11-2005 15:40:55 UTC

I don’t think Angra Mainyu can claim domain on an Epic unless it contains “Evil, Suffering, AND the Negative side of Polar Opposites, such as Darkness, Cold, and Hate.”  This would require the negative side of every possible polar opposite, for example.  The ruleset clearly states that an incarnation may only have one domain—so a domain with multiple parts linked by “and” is a very specific one that is only exercised when all of its parts are included in the epic.

Cayvie:

21-11-2005 16:18:21 UTC

Cliffhanger!

smith:

21-11-2005 21:27:53 UTC

Hix - So you are saying I should have used an OR statement instead? I don’t think we have to use Strict Mathematical sets to describe domains. For instance, I think a Domain of Life AND Death is understood to include both, not be a null set.

smith:

21-11-2005 21:30:13 UTC

Do you see that a broad domain is a liability? If an Incarnation had a domain of ‘Death and Chipmunks’ then Baron Samedi’s domain of ‘Death’ would always be more specific and could steal away the quintessence.

smith:

21-11-2005 21:42:28 UTC

Chronos - You are basically claiming all elements of the story, and so will conflict with any other claims on it. That’s dangerous: if another Incarnation’s domain is found to be more specific, they could steal your quint.

Between Chronos and Angra Mainyu I’m not sure whose domain is more specific, so I say we both get 2 quint. Does that sound right?

Hix:

22-11-2005 00:16:04 UTC

I see now that it is more natural to interperet Angra Mainyu’s Domain as a very general one, which may be triggered on any one of the many parts it involves (evil, suffering, cold, hate, etc.).  Mostly I just wanted to point out that it is only _one_ Domain; which matters when determining whether another Domain is more or less specific.

smith:

22-11-2005 03:13:43 UTC

This Epic is now Closed. I believe Chronos and myself may both claim 2 quintessence from it, but the Archon or Other may decide for sure. I’m taking 2 if they don’t say anything.