#regill critical

[lukedanger]

I made a previous post calling out how Regill's spiel against Irabeth was complete nonsense, and two things were brought up in reblogs: wondering what achievements the Hellknights have to their names without the Knight-Commander or crusaders helping them, and interest in looking at their tactics further.

To summarize the first one: as far as I am aware, the only achievement the Hellknights make on their own is taking that outpost near the Gloomy Gorge, which was described as an abandoned ruin. Everything else they succeed at - even escaping from the Lost Chapel - is either done with the Knight-Commander or with the help of other crusaders like Sosiel. And even then, sometimes with the KC's help they're counter-productive, not to mention hypocrisy that I didn't realize until digging through my screenshots for this.

So, let's actually go down what the Hellknights contribute. I will be focusing specifically on Act II as this is where the "Hellknights are uber competent" nonsense is at full blast.

This is a long post, so the most of it will be under a 'Read More' for the sake of scrolling. TLDR, the Hellknights aren't actually that useful, especially when looking at these four sections:

The Siege of Drezen - Another Way In?

Leper's Smile - Vescavor Fodder

Lost Chapel - Hypocritical Murder is the Best Dumbest Solution

Reliable Redoubt - Regill's Folly

===

The Siege of Drezen - Another Way In?

During the Siege of Drezen at the climax of Act II, if you saved him at the Reliable Redoubt, Regill offers another way into the city to target the giants manning the artillery. He wants the Knight-Commander to accompany him in taking out the artillery to clear the way for the rest of the army, just in case they run into a mythic demon again. And to be entirely fair, on paper and as presented this is an entirely reasonable recommendation! Taking out the artillery quickly is a good way to mitigate casualties, and this is exactly the kind of task that the Knight-Commander and their lance is best at doing. Leper's Smile was overcome exactly through this tactic.

However, in practice... what it actually does is let you skip one skill check to get to past the first gate (crossing the gap to the barracks) or the dungeon path that Nurah could send you down (which you probably want to go down anyways to recruit Arueshalae). Otherwise, you still have to either skill check your way up the walls or fight through the cathedral... and you probably want to clear those anyways just for the loot and XP.

All while costing you morale if you don't have Galfrey and Irabeth to provide leadership to the main army, and locking you to hauling Regill around the entire siege. Quite frankly, I'd rather have Seelah and her noble steed Iomeneigh.

Either way, Regill's "big tactic" at Drezen is basically a wash, all things considered. It lets you skip one skill check at a potentially very high cost, a cost that Regill sneers at not understanding the value of morale in a siege assault. While some of this could be chalked up to level design not lining up with the narrative (would not be the first time - take a look at the stats of units in Crusade Mode), I can't help but wonder if Regill was hoping to swipe a lot of credit for the liberation of Drezen with this.

And this is the most positive contribution the Hellknights offer to the campaign.

===

Leper's Smile - Vescavor Fodder

Leper's Smile is the first 'big' challenge that you face, by this point having either abandoned the Hellknights to their fate or taken the time to rescue them. Faced with the challenge, you need a unit to act as bait to pull the swarm out so the Knight-Commander can take a lance and drive it through the Vescavor Queen's thorax. You get five options of who to pick, the best being Sosiel where his troops hold their ground so he can quickly heal anyone who is overwhelmed - otherwise anyone who scatters too far can't be healed in time.

To focus on the Hellknights, first of all we should remember why Regill is volunteering his forces: "My superiority over the crusaders will not permit me to cower behind them."

Yep. Mister "emotions are a useless distraction" himself wants to feed his own men to vescavors because his ego won't let him allow others to do it. And if they hold their ground, this gets a lot of Hellknights killed. Better them than crusaders, but that's the kind of thing that you expect out of a gentleman officer in Sharpe, not someone who prides himself on pragmatism. His alternative tactic is actually pretty sound - his best protected troops draw aggro, then the rest of the Hellknights hurl acid and fire into the swarm. It costs him some of his best troops, though. Even adamantine doesn't make you invulnerable, whether it's to a vesvacor who gets through one poor sod's visor, or the acid hurled at them.

Either way though, Regill is specifically putting his own troops forward without any of the support that could open up other options because his ego won't allow him to stay behind while others distract the swarm.

The grand irony? The "ideal" solution in this situation is probably to have Sosiel's contingent consist of Hellknights: the Hellknights are a disciplined force who are most likely to hold their nerve and among the most well-armored of the troops on hand. That heavy protection and discipline would merge with Shelyn's miracle through Sosiel to completely minimize casualties - even more so than Sosiel alone and a KC who doesn't delay going after the queen.

Then again, the Hellknights will throw away a perfectly fine Armiger if they can't actually make it to Hellknight, wasting all the resources that went into their training and losing a competent warrior or spellcaster in the process. Why are we surprised?

===

Lost Chapel - Hypocritical Murder is the Best Dumbest Solution

So first of all, the Hellknights get more or less completely captured during this. Even though they presumably would have had their own men on watch due to not considering the crusaders competent. Now, the Hellknights do manage to break out on their own, but they are far from the only ones - other crusaders are able to as well such as one Iomedean paladin who CPEs an entire squad of ghouls or the guy who might lose more than his tooth you can rescue along the way.

Of course, we inevitably meet Yaker at a mixed lance of Armigers and Crusaders, and after some bantering if you comment on the fight in the Hellknights, Yaker will want to execute one of the Mendevan soldiers for panicking. The dialogue in the fight prior does show the Mendevan men-at-arms are at the breaking point, but none of them actually flee the engagement despite escape being the primary goal at the time. And Yaker wants to execute them because Chelaxian law demands an example be made of those who flee when none of them actually have.

Forget the fact that it's somehow "Lawful" of the 'acceptable for a paladin' variety to murder a Mendevan under Chelaxian law while in territory where Mendevan law has jurisdiction. We're trying to rescue as many soldiers as possible, and you want to execute one for being at the end of their rope and about to panic but not actually running away? And yes, doing this will increase your casualty counter for the entire sequence, potentially costing you quite a few soldiers in a portion of the game where they're hard to get!

It's worth noting that this is after Regill had formed a rearguard further up the mountain to buy time for troops to escape and await reinforcements. So not only do we have the above, Yaker is pissing away the objective here. Of course, Regill also claims he will always strive to preserve allied forces, but we've already seen how much of a lie that is at Reliable Redoubt and Leper's Smile... can't believe I missed this line in my first playthrough.

Funnily enough, Regill also makes a lot of noise about how the standing orders for scouts is to not be taken alive and that it was better to kill the wounded than let them be taken even though he had no idea why the gargoyles wanted prisoners. The only Hellknight who chose to die was Marenta, the Armiger who had Trever's shield. Even then, she was acting as a rearguard to allow allies to escape after breaking out of captivity. So much for "never allow yourself to be taken alive" and "deny the enemy prisoners".

(Thank you @forestdragoncat for pointing that out in your reply to my other post!)

===

Reliable Redoubt - Regill's Folly

I could honestly do an entire post dissecting this for how much of a complete failure it is on part of the Hellknights at every level even as the narrative tries to convince us it was cold, ruthless rationality. In the interest of not dissecting the sequence line by line here, I think there's five points that really sum it up well:

The gargoyles specifically went after the supplies of the Sunrise Sword knights in the earlier engagement, retreating once they had completed that objective. The gargoyles didn't even bother with this kind of harassment against the Hellknights: they just overwhelmed them. And that's with them being reinforced by the now-exhausted Sunrise Sword!

Regill had full warning that the gargoyles were coming thanks to the Sunrise Sword, the Sunrise Sword didn't and were ambushed. Yet Regill's troops still had their asses hanging in an undefendable position that they then retreat from to a more defensible location rather than having prepared for the attack.

Even knowing another attack was coming, he gave the Sunrise Sword no supplies and did nothing to bring them back up to full combat effectiveness in anticipation of the attack. This wasted not only the warning they gave but troops he actually thinks had potential! This is the same Hellknight who later says that he will "always preserve the lives of allied forces" because he is thinking in terms of "efficiency and achieving your goals".

The only way the Hellknights win the encounter is if the Knight-Commander diverts the entire campaign to take Drezen to save them. Without that, the Hellknights are crushed. And the Knight-Commander only knows because Yaker disobeyed orders and fled the battlefield... the exact thing he says warrants execution in Lost Chapel.

On top of that, Regill had others killed to stop them from being taken prisoner despite explicitly admitting he doesn't know why the gargoyles wanted them. He and a number of his troops are quite alive should you not reinforce him and find him in Lost Chapel on the hook next to Irabeth.

In short, Regill had every opportunity to put together a better defense thanks to the Sunrise Sword's efforts getting to him, and he pissed it away. I'm not going to say that he could have won the battle outright without the KC, but at close examination it becomes clear that he had failed beyond "competent but up against something where that isn't enough". And then has the audacity once the battle is won to act as if it was the Sunrise Sword who were weak for their "excess of morality" and needed to be remade into Hellknights.

I wonder if Regill realized in his Reckoning after the Reliable Redoubt that he had fucked up and that's why he's so eager to prove himself at Leper's Smile - to hide his folly from his superiors and his new comrades.

===

In the final tally... in Act II, for all the Hellknights acts superior and say they have to teach the Crusaders everything, they either don't contribute much, are outright counterproductive, or they only succeed because the Knight-Commander bails them out. Regill's suggestions in particular tend to be only "better than the default options", and even then not by much.

At least in the councils he gets his act together and starts making some good suggestions, or at least pragmatic ones if ruthless... along with the expected bad suggestions.

Either way actually digging into this makes the sheer hypocrisy of the Hellknights in Wrath of the Righteous come out even more. And I can't tell if this was intended as a subtle criticism of Lawful Evil that a lot of people - myself included - missed because of how much is going on, or if they had genuinely wanted to write the Hellknights as competent Lawful Evil and ended up making them only good at looking like they were competent for making "hard" decisions.

And the sad thing is? Even with all this, Regill is a fascinating character because he actually seems to believe in what he says for the most part - a few exceptions regarding allied forces aside. He's a different kind of Lawful Evil than the usual corruption of Hell as we see in Aeon->Devil, and that contrast would work really well if they leaned into that more.

[goddevouringserpent]

kind of obsessed with the juxtaposition between Irenni and Kaija's core parties

Irenni's party: kind, honourable people fighting for a better world. and Daeran is also there

Kaija's party: nightmare blunt rotation

[yunessa]

Saw a meme that was about Critical role (Here) that @thesaintofnevergettingitright posted and immediately wanted to make a similar one. I think I nailed Regil.

[rollofleaf]

Saw this so uuuh, stealing it from @mountainashfae and making it a tag! Give your KC’s first impression and final opinion of each of their companions!

Hilde:

First Impressions

Seelah: “She’s eager, tough, and friendly, I might get along with this paladin!”

Camellia: “That’s an unusual necklace, especially in Mendev.”

Lann: “The horn and lizard body is certainly a look, but at least he seems friendly and honest.”

Wenduag: “This woman looks like she’d stab me in the back for a piece of bread.”

Woljif: “Ugh, a thief. Why am I even bothering with one of those?”

Ember: “She doesn’t even seem to realize the danger she’s in, I have to keep her safe.”

Daeran: “He has a very punchable face and personality.”

Nenio: “Oh, this girl is going to get herself killed looking after knowledge.”

Ulbrig: ���At last, another barbarian, I was getting lonely among all these city folk!”

Galfrey: “Yet another ‘civilized’ noble trying to use me as their sword and shield.”

Sosiel: “Another artist, maybe he’d let me watch him paint while I write.”

Regill: “How are you even worse than the Hellknights that arrested me?”

Arueshalae: “She’s so beautiful… In a way I’ve never seen from a succubus.”

Greybor: “An assassin who pretends he has any honor is disgusting.”

Trever: “Please, Desna, don’t let what happened to me happen to him.”

Aivu: “She’s adorable, I will never let anything bad happen to her.”

Final Opinions

Seelah: “She’s my best friend, I want to travel the world with her.”

Camellia: “I should have known she was lying from when we first met.”

Lann: “His heart is in the right place, he’ll make a good chief.”

Wenduag: “I saw her betrayal coming from minute one but it still hurts.”

Woljif: “I’m so proud of how far he’s come and how he’s held onto his soul.”

Ember: “I never saw myself wanting a daughter, but I want to take care of her.

Daeran: “It’s nice knowing another aasimar who’s wrong in the crusaders’ eyes.”

Nenio: “Maybe she’d let me write a few entries for her Encyclopedia? Or we could go for a drink when she publishes it.”

Ulbrig: “The last true Sarkorian… He has a lot to pass on.”

Galfrey: “I guess you weren’t so bad… I know I didn’t make things easy on you.”

Sosiel: “He deserves a man who loves him so much…”

Regill: “For all my criticisms of him, at least he’s good to have in a fight.”

Arueshalae: “My love, I will fight the entire Abyss for you.”

Greybor: “Go be the father your daughter needs.”

Trever: “He deserves a long rest.”

Aivu: “Where would I be without my dragon?”

Tagging @the-raging-tempest and @kaleido-scope-lady

[dujour13]

10, 32 and 28 for Sia?

Thanks Harper! 💕💕

10. What lie do they most frequently remember telling? Does it haunt them?

Answered here. Basically - “I promise” and yes.

32. Do they have a go-to story in conversation? Or a joke?

He has so many stories there isn’t exactly a classic he trots out for every occasion, but there are a couple he’s especially fond of.

He often comes back to this one from his pre-Crusade days in the Andoren diplomatic corps. (It would take some retrofitting but I like the idea that he may have met Daeran before the Crusade.)

A couple of years ago there was a Taldan Duchess who claimed that a certain young Mendevian Count had put her in a delicate condition at her debutante ball, and via the royal family was pressuring his cousin, the Queen of Mendev, to force him to marry her, escalating the political stakes when he categorically refused. He protested his “innocence,” claiming he gained entrance only by the back door, metaphorically speaking.

As a neutral 3rd party an Andoren diplomatic delegation was called in and Siavash drew the short straw to have a chat with the Count.

He never tells exactly what they said to each other, but they both came out of the sitting room wine-drunk and Siavash informed the delegation there was nothing for them do; the Count had it all under control.

The Count proceeded to make himself at home with his new fiancée.

He hired some unsavory types to burgle the estate and deliver to him the family’s sensitive documents, perhaps in an attempt to dis-inculpate himself and prove the whole pregnancy was a sham to begin with, but stumbled upon the dire secret that the Duchess’ gambling habit had frittered away most of the family fortune. This the Count released to the press, but not before drawing the Duchess into a pyramid scheme that finished the job.

He also proceeded to:

Encourage the servants to unionize; train the family dogs to hump guests’ legs; purchase a shocking quantity of love elixir in the Duchess’ name; encourage certain salacious habits in the Duchess’ teenage brother, which ended in minor injury when he slipped off a window-ledge; and, as the cherry on top, seduce his fiancée’s father, the Duke.

The family sent him packing back to Mendev within a month.

As Siavash does hilarious imitations, especially of nobility, this story gets a lot of traction.

28. Would they prefer a lie over an unpleasant truth? 

On trivial matters he’ll take a pleasant lie over an unpleasant truth anytime, and he’s more than willing to return the favor. Tell him how great he looks in those green striped bard trousers.

But when it comes to more important matters he puts a lot of stock in honesty, because owning up to his mistakes and using them as a chance to improve is important to him. He hates letting people down. He can accept constructive criticism because he’s always been good at appearing to take it gracefully. (I should say, from anyone except his dad and Regill.)

[thesolemnhour]

🍎 🎂 🍩 for Agria 💕

Dolly!! Thank you for asking!!

🍎: Do they share any features or traits with any family members?

Physically, I like to imagine the peri-blood influence makes it so she doesn't really look much like anyone in her family. She is like a single-generation lightning strike. There are a few notable exceptions, though! If she looks like any of her relatives, it's definitely her mom: she has Alase's upturned nose and eye shape, though Agria never quite achieves her mother's air of sophistication. On the other side, she distinctly shares her dad's square jaw and face shape.

🎂: Has your OC have any contradictory interests or traits to the first preception people have of the? How do they surprise people?

Agria has both an intense desire for self-improvement and an absolute, burning hatred of being criticized in any way. The nicer you try to be about it, the stronger the hatred becomes. She begs for constructive criticism then chews you out when you give it to her. Eventually, she will quit being a baby about it and apply the critiques, but you have to have thicker skin than she does. Regill Derenge, you are braver than any paladin of Iomedae, and she will never forgive you for it.

🍩: What's a crime your OC is most likely to commit? What's a crime they're most likely to get arrested for?

I answered here that I think Agria would send Hulrun anthrax (not a secret, he is supposed to know it was her), which is true, but I think there are really a number of crimes she could get in trouble for because she is so used to getting away with things. She would get so many parking tickets.

[silversiren1101]

Do tell us: ⚔ : Does your muse have any specific kinks? 👀 (for Mino!)

[Prompts from here] Yesss oh this is such a good one for her

⚔ : Does your muse have any specific kinks?

Praise Kink and Following Orders: Both ways. Look this girl is a lifelong soldier in the most regimented and strict knighthood in all Golarion. She lives to fulfill orders and loves to be praised for it, just as there's a small part of her that enjoys giving orders and making her subordinates feel appreciated for their own good work. You call Mino a "good girl" in bed and she's gushing even harder than usual. You give her very specific things to do or not do and she succeeds (don't come/don't make a noise/come for me/swallow it) and you cup her jaw and say what a good job she did and it's all over. She knows Regill has a bit of the same in him, though not nearly as much. A well-placed "good boy" is a critical hit which she uses sparingly to maximum effect when she's the one taking charge.

Vocal Kink: She absolutely needs to hear her partner enjoying themselves. She really can't come easily unless she knows they're into it as well. Regill moans or groans or gasps or grunts and it's like a sweet music to her ears and pushes her ever closer to the edge.

Size Play: Something she was pretty damn embarassed about at first but she's so very into it and not shameless at all with him. Take a potion to make her small or make him big. It just adds so much to the bedroom and while it's definitely not an everyday thing (maybe 10%) it's frequent enough for them! She very much likes being picked up and manhandled about and held down :3

Blowjobs: Oh to be a girl with very sharp fangs that loves making her male partners tremble and weak in the knees... Even careful as she reassures them she is, it was rare anyone braved the offer from her. Lucky for her, Regill has full trust in her and, honestly, the added danger turns him on a little bit even lol. Added bonus, her tongue has rougher pads on the side to protect it from her fangs, which adds quite the sensation to whoever she lavishes it upon. She also loves to swallow.

And the most risque one of all...

Anal: This one was discovered as a bit of an accident. She figured out early on that there's a soft spot on the underside of her tail right where it connects to her body that is extremely sensitive and feels good to knead and touch. A partner grabbed her there in the middle of things and it surprised them both how she responded. Slipped thumbs or misplaced grabs later on then told her she was into more.

She has a hard time admitting it or asking for it, but nothing else gets her face redder and entire body trembling than anal play. Even just a thumb pressing against her hole and rubbing makes her a mess. Full on anal will turn her into a pliable puddle (and leave them in one, given how much she drips during with no friction in that area to dry any of it up). Discovered on accident also by Regill, and carefully exploited when he can tell she's in the mood for it but much too self-conscious to ask for it. Requires additional aftercare, and she usually wants it when she's overly stressed and really needs to be shut off and taken care of.

[dmagedgoods]

6, 10, 28 (I really wanna know what Daeran thinks of Sal's family...), 30 for Sal/Daeran for the OTP ask please 👀

6. When did they realize they loved each other? Salvadore had already struggled a while with an inability of getting this insolent count out of his head and a weird, hard-to-place pain at the thought of him leaving. He fully realized that he was hopelessly in love with him during not-a-date when Daeran let his masks down – and for the very first time deliberately instead of only giving glimpses of the man behind the barbed comments and proudly worn cynism. There was no doubt for him anymore at his point, but Salvadore got confronted with a new level of intensity regarding his own feelings during the moment in the Nexus when Daeran had gathered stones to stage a dinner with them. He seemed so vulnerable and lost, Salvadore knew for sure he would do anything to gain his trust, keep him at his side, and protect him from any harm. For Daeran the full realization hit in the Abyss. Afraid of allowing the intensity of those feelings and where they could lead in the worst of cases, he still started to give them room in his mind as well instead of only having them linger underneath the surface in an attempt to disguise them as mere passion. 10. What are some non-sexual activities they do together? The long, but definitely incomplete list is here. 28. Do they get along with each other’s friends and family? You want to know about the family drama, I see. 😁💕 They both are terrible at making friends and have been even more so in the past. The people from their lives before the Crusade that are important enough for them to still be in contact with are still kept at distance and they meet some of them at parties and during events in Drezen, Nerosyan and Absalom sometimes. Nothing of it has enough meaning for them to be worth mentioning in detail. One of the few people reaching a deep friendship status with them actually managed it with both: Woljif! So, they basically share their best friend, or well, Sal has two, but we all know if / how well Daeran gets along with Regill. 😂 Regarding future friends, I’m pretty sure both of them will be open-minded and supportive regarding whoever the other one views as worthy and causes him to let his guard down, each knowing that the other one is careful with trusting and that it takes a lot to get there. Family … well … That’s a different topic. Salvadore spent much time in front of the painting of Daeran’s mom, wishing intensely he could have met her. Daeran always gets in a gloomy mood when he catches him staring at it again and tries to drag him towards other topics and activities while Salvadore may try to talk to him about her. In sentimental moods Daeran allows it, in most though he blocks the attempt. Salvadore’s relationship with Galfrey was … complicated beyond compare. He harshly criticized and judged her for her shortcomings while he also saw strength in her, an intense sense of duty, ambition, a love for her position as leader, and some other abilities reminding him of himself. With his own growing power – among the nobles in Nerosyan too – and the strong admiration of the people after his accomplishments and radiant reputation as Iomedae’s chosen one, he realized that the throne of Mendev would be in his reach if it wasn’t for the fact that Galfrey still had very strong support as well. He played a game for power and influence against her, quite aware she knew it too. Daeran’s crush on her added a petty layer of jealousy of a different nature to it all. When she finally died in Iz – and Salvadore couldn’t help but wonder if it had been a deliberate decision of his, a secret hope it would come to this if he’d aid her last – he didn’t feel any victory, but only shame instead, intensified by Daeran’s quiet suffering. Daeran and Salvadore’s family is a combination even more explosive … Salvadore himself has problems keeping things civil during meetings. They can’t touch him in his position as commander and no one of them would be nearly powerful enough to harm him in the state he reached, but they attempt to use his influence in their favor, pretending he owes them that much. Salvadore blocks those efforts but has to find compromises here and there because he still is interested in Absalom’s political situation. Daeran shows much less interest in diplomatic solutions in this very regard. Especially with Sal’s father and his cousin Hemera, it comes to sharp debates as soon as they meet. They all are intelligent, merciless, and conceited and don’t draw back. If Sal joins the discussion too the heated trade of barbs can go on for quite some time and end with threats of quite an unpleasant nature. While Salvadore would prefer not to think about it further as soon as he’s rid of them again and to focus on more important issues, Daeran lets him know that he (Salvadore) would not allow anyone else to speak with him like that without destroying first their reputation, then their whole life. He gets a pained look for it. Daeran may start plotting against Sal’s family behind his back sooner or later. If Salvadore finds out, he won’t stop him unless his plan contradicts one of his own and unless it involves his mother. She is the only one out of the bunch he’d actually protect. Speaking of her, Eleanor, stays out of it all or as best as she can. When Daeran tries to hit her with a commend too, she smiles her calm smile, maybe even answers with a compliment instead of an insult in return. (She secretly likes his son’s husband and is glad he found him, just, as usual, incapable of truly showing so.) 30.  What is their favorite place to kiss the other? (Cheek, hand, closed eyelid, neck, nose, etc.) Salvadore loves to kiss Daeran’s hands: Above the knuckles in devotion, his fingertips or palm. It’s always a gesture of worship, sometimes playful and light, sometimes with almost heavy sincerity. In a submissive mood, Salvadore may kiss the top of his foot. It’s always a delight to find his most sensitive places to kiss. He enjoys to caresses his belly and inner thighs with his mouth for a small eternity until he struggles underneath his ministrations. The skin is so soft and responsive there. When he kisses his wrist, he has to be careful and needs to gather his self-control. It often becomes terribly tempting to sink his fangs into those veins. Daeran knows that Salvadore’s neck is quite sensitive. If he finds the right spot it will cause a delicious shiver. Should he overdo it, he’ll grow aroused. (What a dangerous weapon to use in public too.) The inside of Sal’s thigh’s hides many very kissable spots too in Daeran’s opinion and it will cause some strong reactions. Daeran highly enjoys kissing his way down the little trail of dark hair from Sal’s navel to his crotch. Sometimes in a cozy moment when he finds his ambitious husband exhausted from his day or when he still works and reads through documents, he kisses his hair in soft affection. They both can’t get enough of each other’s lips and while they leave no spot of the other one unkissed, they definitely are among their favorite places always.

[quenthel]

don't go here at all but 🛡💍? :-)

Hiii Jon thank you!! :^)!! 🛡: favourite build, or party setup? Honestly I just love having Daeran (blonde cheekbones guy) with me because he can heal people and unleash swarms of spiders from his hands that can kill everything (esp if Seelah's around w her Mark of Justice) On my current run I have Regill, Woljif, Daeran, Wendu and Greybor with me and it works pretty well with my Eldritch Archer commander (on core). I like having lot of melee hitters and then stacking weapon specializations and critical focuses so they deal 100-120 dmg a lot with single attacks hehe 💍: favourite magic item?

There's a belt that summons a shadow demon every time you cast a high spell to be your buddy that one is very fun. I looted a ring also that activates and aura that summons a big spider every time somebody gets reduced to low health so i usually end up having a million of them in hard fights which is also very fun

[teddybaeran]

Mix loves the hellknights

Do you remember when I said Mix doesn't like the spotlight? How this game forces him to be in it and it's uncomfortable but cute to watch him be forced? Well. Here. This. I found where he would be in the game if not the Commander, I think. He would be a hellknight, and definitely at least this same rank.

Well, he really feels like he gets Regill. He is honored to have him by his side. And it is not lost on me that he specifically respects people who remind him of himself. This is doubled and tripled later when Regill assesses Mix's very reaction to everything he does, studying him, testing him. As that's exactly what Mix is doing.

OOH GOD AND THEN THIS HAPPENED

Mix audibly "hnnnngggg"s

Mix really fucking loves regill oh my god. They could be brothers. someone he sees as a brother and not in a way that he needs to protect him??? Is this possible? Hello?

Then later, circling back to reprimanding Regill for reprimanding Daeran:

Mix follows this up with "And that includes any sort of criticism, which you are not permitted to give to my advisory unless he specifically requests it."

Mix even appreciates his disapproval of the queen.... fuck, move over Sosiel, Mix has a new bestie and this one feels SO RIGHT.

GOD HE RESPECTS HIM SO MUCH HOLY FUCK

HHHHHHHHHH

[bimney424]

Ok ok ok ok. So confession time. Here it goes. I miss these characters. A lot. There is no question that I miss them. I have been watching episodes over & BYsupercut videos & looking at art. Miss the awkward moments between Beau & Yasha. The moments with Jester & Marion. The back & forth with Veth & Fjord. The slow drawl of Caduceus. *sigh* Just miss the Might Nein in general. And until we get a one-shot rewatches of C2 will have to do. Just wish a one-shot would hurry the hell up.

** art by Max Dunbar. Color by Malkamok**

[bimney424]

I am sure I will write my own thing, but knowing from both Ashley & Marisha that they are both awkward individuals in real life & in the game & yet felt safe enough with the others at the table to RP the fuck out of this date is one of the greatest things. Everyone let them have their time & no one interrupted or said anything until they kissed. The respect & love they all have for one another it beyond reproach!! Truly.

putting aside the wonderfulness that was beau and yasha finally getting together for just a moment, i would like to say that it was so nice to have uninterrupted rp from ashley who is such a quiet player and whose pc is one of such few words. it warmed my heart to see marisha create that space for her at the table. yasha has such a depth and warmth to her character and a backstory that’s only just barely been peeked at! and it was so nice to see a little bit more of it. i hope that yasha and beau’s relationship will give her more chances to open up like that in the future 🌹

[siennadraws]

Knight-Commander as a Companion

Taken from @dragonologist-phd 's prompt list in this post

Name: Eliana

Race: Aasimar (Angel-blooded) (later revealed as Half-Angel)

Class: Bard (Thundercaller)

Appearance:

In front of you is a tall and young aasimar. Eliana is about 2.20 meters tall (7'3) and has a solid and curvy frame.

Her eyes are solid orange, and her skin is light blue, filled with freckles. She has scars on her face, one on her right cheek, another on her lip, while those caused by burns frame it, and a stray orange lock falls in front of it. Her hair is long, shaved on the sides and styled into a high braid that reaches her hips.

You see glinting on her ears mismatched golden earrings, on her right cheek, below the eye, a golden dot and on the left side of her nose, a golden hoop.

She is wearing a poet blouse with a sleeveless green leather coat. Her leather pants are black, and so are her knee-high boots. On her neck are various necklaces made of different materials, some golden, others silver, some pendants, others simple chains or beaded necklaces.

In battle, you'd see her wearing heavy armour, coloured green. Her longsword would be a two-handed sword for an average person. Its hilt was golden, with a curling handguard and an egg-shaped pommel.

Favoured Weapon/Equipment:

Longsword, Heavy Armor

Top Skills:

Persuasion, Perception, Lore (Religion)

Alignment:

Chaotic Good (can change to Lawful Good or True Neutral)

General Personality:

Eliana is a cheerful person and an almost contagious optimist. She's flirty, confident, and someone who enjoys making fun of nobles, agents of the law and those that would take themselves too seriously.

Eli is steadfast in her defence of goodness but struggles with its definition.

Despite her worship of the Lady of Graves, or as she says, because of it, Eliana lives in the moment, not wanting to waste too much time scared of possible consequences or the future.

What traits/values do they admire?

Freedom, Goodness, Hedonism, Selflessness, Mercy.

What traits/values do they disapprove of?

Lawfulness, Cruelty, Pessimism, Lack of Critical Thinking.

Are they affiliated with any deities?

She worships Pharasma. Her self-appointed title is "Pharasma's Chosen".

What do they think of their role in the Crusades, and of sharing the Commander’s Mythic powers? What are their reasons for joining the Commander’s party?

Eliana is determined in helping the Crusades and in closing the Worldwound, by sword or by inspiring her comrades. She likes the Mythic powers given to her, as they are useful to help the cause and people. Eli hopes they weren't given by Iomedae, due to her personal dislike of the goddess.

Eliana joined the party because Pharasma sent her, but she'd like to think she'd join them anyway. The death caused by the Worldwound is unnatural and breaks the cycle of life and death in Golarion.

Who are their friends among the other party members?

Seelah, Woljif, Ember, Daeran, Sosiel and Arueshalae.

What about rivals?

Camellia, Regill and Wenduag.

Are they on any councils? If so, what sort of advice do they give?

Eli is in the War Council due to her past as a gladiator. She advises the Commander to minimize the army's losses at all costs. She hates seeing the soldiers being used or seen as pawns.

Where do they hang out in Drezen? In the Abyss?

In Drezen, she's hanging out in the Tavern, sitting next to the countertop. In the Abyss, she's next to the Herald.

What are their idle animations?

She plays with her braid or violin.

If they’re taken to Areelu’s lab, what is their dream?

Her dream shows her sitting at Pharasma's feet, she doesn't look uncomfortable, and her position suggests familiarity and trust. Pharasma fixes her braid and tells her that now she can finally understand what is good or evil.

Her reaction to this varies between her actions in her personal quest thus far and her relationships.

If Eli has been prompted to understand morality as something fluid, or at least very complicated, she'll say that her dream is tempting, but in the end cowardly.

If she's been prompted to view morality as something fixed, Eliana will laugh, saying that she's on her way to making her dream true.

If she's romancing an evil/neutral Commander, or a good Commander and Daeran, she'll say that she wishes her dream was true, because life would be much simpler.

Do they advise the Commander to abandon or keep their mythic powers?

Eliana advises the Commander to keep it, making a joke about Iomedae and Nocticula and how the powers obviously are a reflection of the Commander thus, out of control of Areelu.

How/when do they join the Commander’s party?

She joins the Commander at the Defenders' Heart. Eliana will be waiting for them to wake up at their bedroom door. Once they do, Eli will announce she's Pharasma's Chosen to help them close the Worldwound.

Describe their companion quest:

Her companion quests determine her final alignment, ending and relationship status. She can continue Hopeful (Chaotic Good) or become Stern (Lawful Good) or Paralyzed (True Neutral).

Eliana's first quest happens after Kenabres. She'll tell the Commander she had a dream. In it, she was told to go to a certain place. Eliana says she thinks the dream was sent by Pharasma and wants the Commander to accompany her. By walking through the world map, a random encounter will happen. They will find a woman crying by the bodies of Hellknights.

Eliana will question the woman and find out she fleed the order not a day before the massacre. She wanted to join them to fight demons but found that the order was filled with equally awful people. She got lost and found her group again, all killed by demons.

Eliana will tell the Commander she doesn't blame the woman for fleeing or for the deaths of her former comrades, but she wonders if the knights would be dead if the woman had remained to fight by their side.

The Commander can reassure Eliana that the woman is innocent (Hopeful), mention that the woman had sworn vows to the Order (Stern) or either dismiss the ordeal or complain the dead soldiers could have helped in the Crusade (Paralyzed).

In her second quest, she'll get a similar dream, and ask for the Commander's help again.

This time they'll find a thief about to be executed for stealing from a noble.

The thief will confess to the crime but explain that their family was hungry and the noble had enough wealth to feed the beggars of an entire city. The agents of law will mention they will join the Crusades if the Commander lets them execute the thief.

Eliana will want to defend the thief, although with more hesitation if the Commander choose the Stern option in the last quest.

The Commander can choose to fight the agents of law (Hopeful), let them execute the thief because they broke the law (Stern) or let them execute the thief because the agents will join the Crusade (Paralyzed).

In the Abyss, she'll be talking with the Herald, who will reveal that Eliana is actually a Half-Angel. Eli will be surprised but seemingly take the news well since it would explain her mother's absence.

Her third quest will happen in the Abyss. After talking to the Herald, Eliana will receive another dream that tells her to go to the Arena. A gladiator will be fleeing its doors. The man will run into Eli and fall to the ground. She will ask him what happened and he will tell her of his life as a gladiator and how he's sick of killing.

Eliana will offer him protection, having fled from the life of a gladiator too. The Commander can support her (Hopeful), tell her not to trust the gladiator and to finish him before he can kill anyone else (Stern) or tell Eliana he can't come to the Nexus since he has a target on his back (Paralyzed).

If most or all of the quests gained points to one of the endings, she'll gain her new alignment or remain chaotic good. If they were all different, Eliana will be Paralyzed. If she's Stern, and she's in the throuple route, the Commander will have to choose between her or Daeran.

In her fourth and final quest, Eliana will invite the Commander to a place she found in her travels, near Drezen. In the meadow, an indigo skinned black haired angel will be waiting. The angel will reveal she's Eliana's mother, Atropos.

Eli and her will have a conversation, where Eliana will ask Atropos why she left her father, Ezra and her. If she knew he was dead and if she cared.

Atropos will explain that despite her duties as an angel, she always watched over Eliana, helping her find strength in herself when she needed it most. She will also reassure her daughter she will always love her and her father.

If Eliana is Hopeful, Atropos will say Eliana reminds her of Ezra.

If Eliana is Stern, Atropos will say she reminds her of herself.

If Eliana is Confused, Atropos will reassure Eliana sadly that Eli is still young and can still find her way.

Afterwards, if Eliana is Confused and romancing the Commander, she'll talk to them, saying that she needs some space to put her thoughts in order. The romance will end.

Are they romanceable? Describe their romance quest/scenes if you want!

She is, regardless of gender! She can also enter a throuple with the Commander and Daeran.

Upon meeting, Eli will flirt with the Commander. Later on, the Commander can flirt with her again, either by talking to her at the Defender's Heart or through scene dialogues.

Provided the Commander flirted with her and Daeran both, Eli will overhear the Commander and Liotr talking about Heaven's Edge, and ask to help them out. She'll accompany them and see the visions.

In Drezen, she'll invite the Commander for a drink at the tavern. There, she'll flirt with the Commander and invite them to sleep with her. The romance won't stop if they don't wish to sleep with Eli. If the Commander is also romancing Daeran, she'll mention it, joking that she doesn't mind sharing, the Count she means. Daeran will also mention this in his romance.

Later on, a scene will unlock during camping, where Eli is struggling to find the chords for a song. The Commander can question her about it, and Eliana will say that the song is about them, it's coming from the heart but she can't unlock it. The Commander can invite her to their tent, to "inspire" her, or keep talking, to clear her head. (if it's a throuple romance, the song is also about Daeran, she'll mention not wanting to take the relationship as fast with him, for fear of scaring him away.)

In the Abyss, after her dialogue with the Herald, she'll ask the Commander to come with her. The couple will go to the lower section of the cave. Eliana will joke about the Abyss smelling like shit but let out a sob. The Commander can reassure her, and Eli will say that as long as they're together, they will be safe and that there's hope. She'll also insult Queen Galfrey for sending them here.

Her convo after the last personal quest, in the throuple route, will only happen after Daeran's quest.

In the throuple route, she'll appear in the conversation with Daeran after his final quest, and he'll appear in her final conversation too.

If Eli's aware of Daeran's curse, she'll be with the Commander when they talk to Liotr about setting the trap. If she's still in the throuple route, she'll be worried for Daeran's safety. After Liotr leaves, Eli will confess that she joined the Commander and Liotr at Heaven's Edge because she wanted to stop her feelings for him, and hoped to find something incriminating. Her guilt has been eating her away ever since. She's scared of Daeran's reaction to all of this but just wants him to be safe in the end.

If the Commander chooses to kill the Inquisitor or Daeran, Eliana will ask Daeran and them to talk to her in private, before making rash decisions. Eliana will say that even if the tribunal decides to institutionalize Daeran, she can still help him run away from the Inquisition and there is still hope the tribunal will decide Daeran is free to go, considering the circumstances he was in when the Other attached itself to him.

If the Commander insists on killing Daeran, Eliana will defend him with her life. If Eli is Hopeful, and if the Commander insists on killing the Inquisitor, Eliana will be hesitant but will agree on doing it if they pass a Persuasion check reminding her of the injustices of the Inquisition. Otherwise, she won't fight. She'll help kill Liotr if she's Paralyzed.

In her final conversation, she'll invite the Commander to sleep with her again. Afterwards, she'll talk to them. Eliana will explain that before meeting them, she wanted to do the right thing, but didn't know what that meant.

If Hopeful, she'll confess that she doesn't know what right or wrong really means, but maybe, no one knows, and she has hope she'll make, or try to, make the right decisions anyway. That freedom and knowledge help her.

If Stern, she'll thank the Commander for helping her find what it meant to be right and wrong. With them, she no longer feels adrift. She's secure she'll make the right decisions.

What would their ending slides be like?

Hopeful ending: After the war, Eliana spent her life helping the needy. She achieved this by the strength of her hands and the power of her words. Rumours of Eliana inciting rebellion against the nobility were never denied. Still, her fame as a companion of the Commander made her untouchable. In the end, Eliana left the world better than it was and deemed her ending satisfying.

Stern ending: After the war, Eliana decided to embody her duty as Pharasma's Chosen by becoming a judge for the Inquisition. She became known as an incorruptible person, steadfast in her values. Despite her ferocity in her fight against evil, all her executions would be as swift and painless as possible. This rule would later be implemented by the Inquisition in her honour.

Confused ending: After the war, Eliana was left more lost than she was at the start. Without a path to walk upon, Eliana walked on a pilgrimage across Golarion. Many travellers would talk about a kind-hearted bard who would try to help the needy and the angel of Pharasma who walked alongside her.

Apotheosis ending: Apotheosis didn't worry Eliana in the slightest. On the contrary, she couldn't get enough of her new powers. Despite the quickly growing number of prayers sent her way, Eliana tried her best to help every single one of her worshippers, even if in unexpected ways. A numerous army of Azatas and Devas would soon join her efforts, moved by her dedication. Thanks to their help, Eliana found time to herself. Eliana dedicated part of it to know her mother and Pharasma better. She'd often be found trying to get the Lady of Graves to laugh.

Time Travel ending: Without the Worldwound, Eliana was no longer Pharasma's Chosen. A family made up of a human, an angel, and their child would arrive in Drezen before the child was ten. Eliana grew to become a famous musician. Her most famous piece was the tale of a wounded world, its saviour and their companions.

Left behind ending: Being left out of the Crusade didn't stop Eliana from helping people affected by the Worldwound. Units of Crusaders would sometimes report hearing an inspiring melody on the battlefield. Eli's body would later be found in the middle of a deserted village where she protected the evacuating citizens from demons.

Romance ending: Despite her busy life, Eliana always found time for her beloved. In the Commander's arms, Eli would always find peace and certainty in an ever-changing world. The bard would write hundreds of songs about her lover, few of which would be heard by someone other than the couple.

Throuple ending: Despite her busy life, Eliana always found time for her beloveds. In her lovers' arms, Eli would always find peace and certainty in an ever-changing world. The bard would write hundreds of songs about her lovers, few of which would be heard by someone other than the three. Love songs weren't the only songs her lovers inspired, however. Daeran would often prompt Eliana to write irreverent songs mocking every noble either could remember, Queen Galfrey and even some gods. Those ones the public knew and became favourites of the disfranchised or otherwise impious public.

Any other fun facts?

Eliana was a gladiator from Pitax, once upon a time. Her father was already poor, so after his death, when she was ten, Eliana had no choice but to accept a noble's offer of food and housing in exchange for training and becoming a gladiator.

Sometime before joining the Crusades, Eliana was killed in the Arena but resurrected by Pharasma, who asked her to become her Chosen.

If she's asked about her beliefs on death, or why she is so cheerful and a hedonist despite worshipping a Death goddess, Eliana will reply that life and death are interconnected, there can't be death without life, but there can't be life without death either. The ever ticking clock reminds her of what's important, and that in the end all that matters is what you did, not what you wanted to do, so might as well do it all.

Provide some dialogue/bark examples!

Conversation start: Eliana grins at you while twirling a stray lock between her fingers "Hi there, came to see little old me?"

Conversation end: "It's always nice to talk!" She drops her head to the side while giving you a goodbye wink.

Selection: I can do anything you ask me to. / Did you see the fungi coming out of that corpse? So pretty!

Skill Check Success: Confidence is all that is needed. / Who's gonna give me a kiss?

Skill Check Failure: Mh, let me try again. / Well, fuck you too.

Combat Start: Who's gonna meet Pharasma? / We can do this!

Low Health: Hope the scar is worth it. / Chin up, Eli.

Knocked Unconscious: Last time I got better. / Fucking damn it!

Provide some examples of companion banter

Eliana: You know, Count, I think I could ignore my conscience for one night, just to see you in my bed.

Daeran: Just to see me in your bed? Ana, my dear, you know we could indulge in so much more.

Eliana: Ember, have you noticed we are matching? Although you have so much more scars than me. I wish I was there to protect you.

Ember: When you look at yours you seem happy, why would you be sad for mine?

Camellia: Brute, I have taken notice of how you freeze when I am near. Are you truly that much of a coward that you would fear such a gentle, inexperienced girl?

Eliana: Have you ever watched a predator hunt its prey? They don't make a noise until the time is right then... BANG! Ahahah, I've slain dragons, princess, a rattlesnake could never scare me.

[dujour13]

🛡️ ⛺ 🎼 please 👀

🛡: favourite build, or party setup?

I was overwhelmed with the mechanics and got into the lazy habit of Casual mode, so not proud of my build skills. In my most recent playthrough I tried to make Siavash a little less useless in melee by giving him higher Str and the azata power Heroic Might, but this is going against my RP instincts – I just don’t picture him coming in swinging? The things that are more in line with my image of him are Skill Focus – Persuasion 😏, Lingering Performance, and Metamagic Heighten with Believe in Yourself. He has Abundant Casting for buffs like haste and blur and Ever Ready for those AOOs.

I stuck with Eldritch Scoundrel for Woljif and gave him all the AOO feats and talents along with two-weapon fighting and improved critical and he’s in there stabbing everything that moves, it’s great. Love that “I didn’t know I had it in me!” moment. I use him for a lot of buff spells so he’s not casting in melee combat.

My party comp is also boring – never go anywhere without Woljif of course, but that’s pretty much true of Seelah, Lann and Daeran too. Mostly the last slot goes to Ember starting in Act V, but before that it varies, with a preference for Regill this time around because he’s hilarious.

⛺️: what’s your favourite camp banter?

People have posted a bunch of my favorites already but here are a few:

Daeran: "If you dressed up a little and scrounged up some saucy impudence, you could be a kept man in some noble's house. Easy work with very little risk. I hear they pay a premium for curls." Woljif: "What's that, sit in a house all day waitin' for the lord or lady to swan in? No way! I may be a cur, but I ain't house-broken!"

(PS in my headcanon his Gran was an anarchist so that spirit runs in the family)

Woljif: "You're just as dumb as you've always been... but I'm not embarrassed to be seen talkin' to you anymore. Actually the opposite, I'm embarrassed I turned my back on you. And now I've got this weird ache inside." Ember: "I'm happy it hurts, that means your heart that froze from loneliness is starting to thaw."

And the infamous cherry roll incident 😡

Woljif: "Looks like it's just you and me, cherry roll, alone at last! I've had to hide you from everybody for so long, but now I can finally enj… hey!" Wenduag: "Such a tasty treat you stashed away for me, runt. Today I'm going to act like you don't exist. You're welcome."

🎼: opinions on the ost?

Superb! There’s obviously a special place in my heart for Starward Gaze / the azata theme (it had me sobbing at Threshold), but some of the other mythic path themes are frankly better – angel, demon, aeon… well, I could go on. As I’ve mentioned before the mythic transformation theme still gives me goosebumps after all those listens on repeat. Some of the ambient dungeon music is just awesome too.

[thesolemnhour]

agria just doesn't like that regill stoutly refuses to tell her how great she is. she cannot forgive him for this. she is not accepting constructive criticism at this time (or any other)

[silversiren1101]

uhhh can i get uhhh C, I, and O? (Mino Regill obv)

Hello!! Of course you can, anon~

These answers come from this NSFW ask game btw!

C - Control - How dominant they are? Who is more dominant?

Already answered, but they're 35:65 switches with him more often in charge!

I - Innuendo - How good is their dirty talk game?

This a weird one, because it's not something they both consciously do or try to do. It comes entirely naturally as part of their experience giving and taking orders, lol. Like, Regill is not deliberately trying to talk dirty when he says something like "Now get your armor off if you want my mouth on the real thing" (in my fic 'Contrafacfum') he's just saying a literal statement in his mind... it just happens to be extremely sexy especially in his voice lmao.

The only exception is the well placed critical hit "good boy" / "good girl" which are entirely intentional (most of the time).

O - Oscar - Do they enjoy role-playing?

Nope! This is probably the first "nope" I've answered for these, too! They just have no need to be anyone other than themselves, and they only love each other. The most is just some dominant issuing orders type of play but that just comes with the territory of their jobs and history!