So you’re telling me the difference in whether or not someone chooses to kill you when there is no question or not of whether they are capable of doing so is a provocation? That ignores the material reality that you are in possession of an artifact that the person has made their main focus and you refuse to give it up peacefully and you are in their territory. Vlaketh has the ability to smite you right there and take the prism but just doesn’t for… reasons? That’s bad writing in my opinion. Either don’t allow Vlaketh to encounter the player at the creche, don’t give her the ability to insta kill the PCs, or make the deadly mistake to march into the heart of the creche against your guardian’s wishes.
I love the game, but it’s not without it’s flaws in the writing and I think this is an example of that.
It’s crystal clear by that point that just killing Tav and party and taking the prism is Plan B, considering they weren’t killed on sight at multiple points upon arriving. As is revealed much later,
spoiler
with the prism out of her control, she’s in a race against Orpheus and the stakes couldn’t be higher for her. If she loses, her empire and likely her existence are forfeit. Killing everyone puts her back at square one, and she may not have time for that. Once provoked, she uses a Wish on the party (hell of a way to go out). Obviously, she’s either already tried that as soon as she lost the prism, or she dares not risk it because Wish is notorious for backfiring. Monkey’s Paw scenarios and all that.
Or maybe Wish was just something fun they wanted to include. 🤷♀️
So you’re telling me the difference in whether or not someone chooses to kill you when there is no question or not of whether they are capable of doing so is a provocation? That ignores the material reality that you are in possession of an artifact that the person has made their main focus and you refuse to give it up peacefully and you are in their territory. Vlaketh has the ability to smite you right there and take the prism but just doesn’t for… reasons? That’s bad writing in my opinion. Either don’t allow Vlaketh to encounter the player at the creche, don’t give her the ability to insta kill the PCs, or make the deadly mistake to march into the heart of the creche against your guardian’s wishes.
I love the game, but it’s not without it’s flaws in the writing and I think this is an example of that.
It’s crystal clear by that point that just killing Tav and party and taking the prism is Plan B, considering they weren’t killed on sight at multiple points upon arriving. As is revealed much later,
spoiler
with the prism out of her control, she’s in a race against Orpheus and the stakes couldn’t be higher for her. If she loses, her empire and likely her existence are forfeit. Killing everyone puts her back at square one, and she may not have time for that. Once provoked, she uses a Wish on the party (hell of a way to go out). Obviously, she’s either already tried that as soon as she lost the prism, or she dares not risk it because Wish is notorious for backfiring. Monkey’s Paw scenarios and all that.
Or maybe Wish was just something fun they wanted to include. 🤷♀️