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A Cappella Part 68 - Shadows


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#21 Guest_Silrana_*

Posted 17 January 2002 - 04:25 PM

> Even though I don't like Mazzy: AWWWWWW! And, I must give her that, this

> is her at her best.

I think Mazzy is a lot like Anomen, they both are overcompensating to cover their insecurities. In the game, Mazzy comes off a lot of times as 'too perfect', but there are plenty of dialogues that show she has massive problems. She knows that a lot of people don't take her seriously because she's a halfling, and she can be very touchy about it. If she were human, she'd be able to let her guard down more, but since she's not, she feels that she has to be the perfect paladin, otherwise people will say "see, she's not good enough to be a paladin." It's like Anomen with his how-many-monsters-I've-killed stories... it's not the listener they are trying to convince, it's themselves.



#22 Guest_Lord E_*

Posted 17 January 2002 - 04:53 PM

> I think Mazzy is a lot like Anomen, they both are overcompensating to

> cover their insecurities. In the game, Mazzy comes off a lot of times as

> 'too perfect', but there are plenty of dialogues that show she has massive

> problems. She knows that a lot of people don't take her seriously because

> she's a halfling, and she can be very touchy about it. If she were human,

> she'd be able to let her guard down more, but since she's not, she feels

> that she has to be the perfect paladin, otherwise people will say

> "see, she's not good enough to be a paladin." It's like Anomen

> with his how-many-monsters-I've-killed stories... it's not the listener

> they are trying to convince, it's themselves.

A very good point. In Anomen's case it is just more obvious. Perhaps I should give her some slack.



#23 Guest_Silrana_*

Posted 17 January 2002 - 05:24 PM

> A very good point. In Anomen's case it is just more obvious. Perhaps I

> should give her some slack.

A good chunk of it is that halfling adventurers have traditionally been thieves. So she knows (and it's reflected in some of the dialogues) that most people she encounters expect her to try to lift their wallets, not fight for justice and good. Seeing a halfing walking around in heavy armor and behaving as a warrior is not something people are used to seeing, and it is something that some people are going to laugh at.

The halfling-as-thief stereotype is deeply ingrained. Under 1E, the only class options for a halfling were Fighter, Thief, and F/T. Considering that the Fighter levels topped out at *4th* level, most people weren't willing to waste the XP so they played just straight thieves. 2E added a straight cleric option, but you could still advance much higher as a thief than for any other class. They did improve the fighter maximum, so you saw more F/T, but still hardly ever saw a halfling single-class fighter, and certainly nothing like Mazzy with extra abilities.

Throw in with all that that she's struggling against the knight/paladin stereotype of Sir Lancelot-on-steroids. And another factor is that she has been hand-picked by her god to be something new and different. That's a heck of a burden to carry around. She has to feel that everything she does is being weighed and measured by Arvoreen, and if she screws up she will have destroyed the chance for other halflings to follow in her footsteps and become true paladins. Very heavy stuff.



#24 Guest_Lord E_*

Posted 17 January 2002 - 05:48 PM

Another good point about paladins is that they are *called* by their god. A person like that in RL would be considered a lunatic.

You have just made me more sympathetic to Mazzy. That is an accomplishment. But that's the way it goes, isn't it. A character instantly strikes like/dislike chord, and we never bother with him/her further to find out what s/he is really about.



#25 Guest_Silrana_*

Posted 17 January 2002 - 05:58 PM

> Another good point about paladins is that they are *called* by their god.

> A person like that in RL would be considered a lunatic.

> You have just made me more sympathetic to Mazzy. That is an

> accomplishment. But that's the way it goes, isn't it. A character

> instantly strikes like/dislike chord, and we never bother with him/her

> further to find out what s/he is really about.

*grin* Then my work here is done.

*Silrana climbs up on her white horse and rides off into the sunset*



#26 Guest_Ursula_*

Posted 17 January 2002 - 06:26 PM

> Anomen said eagerly, “Excellent! We will have the element of surprise on

> our side.”

Can hear Xan's response now: "Looks like our resident suicide-monger Aj-, ahem, Anomen, lives in a black and white world."

> Mazzy frowned. “Surely you do not wish to attack the beast? A dragon is

> not to be taken lightly.”

> Anomen started to say something, then checked himself

Ya know, if only he showed such circumspection in his romance options...

> “And I don't like leaving an enemy behind me.

Priceless line, reminescent of Dirty Harry. Absolutely priceless, lol!

> Jarran considered the problem for a few minutes. “I think we should handle

> things a little differently. When we fought Firkraag, one person took the

> brunt of the injuries because he was always in close combat with the

> dragon. Since we have the luxury of the wardstone, we should surround the

> dragon and then take turns distracting it. We'll keep it on the run, and

> maybe that way nobody gets too badly hurt.”

D'oh! Never thought of it that way. ;) Always did the "Hasted-Arrows-o-Piercing-R-Us," a strategy inspired by Kivvy.

> The plan seemed to be working well. ... But then the battle changed.

Man, don't it always.

> The bard was horrified to see the dragon's jaws closing on Anomen's torso.

Ah yes, the newly reported perils of a high iron diet. Otoh, Ano's armor might help w/ tartar removal.

> It lifted the priest far into the air as Anomen howled with pain and rage.

> His weapon arm was trapped inside the creature's mouth, so that all he

> could do was try to pound on its nose with his shield. The dragon shook

> its head sharply, and Jarran was reminded in a strange way of a dog

> worrying a bone. Anomen shrieked louder as the creature crushed his chest

> in its mouth.

Such vivid imagery. You sort of wonder what happens when someone takes 40 damage. Will they still be able to fight, or has a limb been crippled? Etc.

> The halfling's sword was bloody, showing that she had put her position to

> good use.

Realistic. You wouldn't imagine someone whomping on a dragon, um, down under...just like you wouldn't figger Elvis would keel over in the bathroom.

> Mazzy's eyebrows rose as she studied the sleeping knight. “So, young one,

> you can learn. Perhaps there is hope for you yet.” Her expression

> softened, and she gently pulled him down onto a blanket, and covered him

> with a second one. “Perhaps there is hope.”

Nice, warm-n-fuzzy ending. Also impressed how you're building Valgyar & Mazzy's cameraderie bit by bit.


#27 Guest_Ursula_*

Posted 17 January 2002 - 06:32 PM

> You have just made me more sympathetic to Mazzy. That is an

> accomplishment. But that's the way it goes, isn't it. A character

> instantly strikes like/dislike chord, and we never bother with him/her

> further to find out what s/he is really about.

Hi! If you don't mind my cutting in...?

Yeah, hated Minsc, really disliked Jaheira...and then who do we meet up w/ at the beginning of SOA? 2nd chances


#28 Guest_Lord E_*

Posted 17 January 2002 - 06:37 PM

> Hi! If you don't mind my cutting in...?

> Yeah, hated Minsc, really disliked Jaheira...and then who do we meet up w/

> at the beginning of SOA? 2nd chances

Oh, feel free, always!

There's always private email if others are not wanted to participate.

Anomen was a character I really disliked first, but then I started sort of liking him. The insecurity and inner fight and all that...

In BG1 I hated Jaheira, but in BG2 she has some really good points too: a perfect goal for love/hate relationship.



#29 Guest_Silrana_*

Posted 17 January 2002 - 07:28 PM

> Can hear Xan's response now: "Looks like our resident suicide-monger

> Aj-, ahem, Anomen, lives in a black and white world."

Ah, Xan, always good for a cheerful thought.

> Ya know, if only he showed such circumspection in his romance options...

Hehe, in the romance he doesn't have a leader that'll smack him down for being a twit.

> Priceless line, reminescent of Dirty Harry. Absolutely priceless, lol!

Glad you liked it. It was the philosophy of one of my players back in my DMing days.

> D'oh! Never thought of it that way. ;) Always did the

> "Hasted-Arrows-o-Piercing-R-Us," a strategy inspired by Kivvy.

Hey, whatever gets them dead.

> Man, don't it always.

The best laid plans of mice and men...

> Ah yes, the newly reported perils of a high iron diet. Otoh, Ano's armor

> might help w/ tartar removal.

Hmm, if the shadow dragon had swallowed any pieces of the red dragon plate, would that have made it a cannibal?

> Such vivid imagery. You sort of wonder what happens when someone takes 40

> damage. Will they still be able to fight, or has a limb been crippled?

> Etc.

Well, in the game you can still fight right down to 1 hp, but for fiction I think some debilitation is more realistic.

> Realistic. You wouldn't imagine someone whomping on a dragon, um, down

> under...just like you wouldn't figger Elvis would keel over in the

> bathroom.

Well I don't think Mazzy made it to any *cough* sensitive areas, but the underbelly would have made a tempting target.

> Nice, warm-n-fuzzy ending. Also impressed how you're building Valgyar

> & Mazzy's cameraderie bit by bit.

Thanks.



#30 Guest_Anonymous_*

Posted 22 January 2002 - 09:11 AM

> Jarran said, ?What do the rest of you think??

> ?More dragon treasure!?

Now, who said that I wonder?

> She smiled. ?And I am, but Arvoreen has given me a few small gifts. She

> has granted me the ability to grow stronger, at least for a while.?

I wonder if that would impress Anomen.

> Jarran was about to break off his bardsong so that he could begin a spell

> when he saw Mazzy dart forward. ?For Arvoreen!? she cried as she drove her

> sword into the creature?s foot. As the dragon yanked its foot back, she

> called out, ?Face me, you foul monster!? She waved her sword at it, daring

> it to attack.

Go Mazzy!

> The bard once again debated breaking off his song, but he was afraid that

> without it his group would suffer. The battle was wearing on all of them,

> and he decided that they needed the aid his song gave them.

I'd love a description of how Jarran feels when he sings.

> Jarran looked at Anomen. The priest was watching him glassily. ?I?m sorry,

> my friend, but she?s right. Valygar, would you help me??

Ouch, brave Anomen.

> She healed his wounds enough that he could cast his own spells, but after

> the long battles against the undead and shadow creatures of the forgotten

> temple, they had few left among them. Seeing that his companions were

> battered and exhausted, Jarran declared that it was time to rest.

I bet none sleep very well down there though ;)

> Mazzy?s eyebrows rose as she studied the sleeping knight. ?So, young one,

> you can learn. Perhaps there is hope for you yet.? Her expression

> softened, and she gently pulled him down onto a blanket, and covered him

> with a second one. ?Perhaps there is hope.?

There is hope. More than one battle was won

How old is Mazzy?

-Meg.


Darkstar

#31 Guest_Silrana_*

Posted 22 January 2002 - 12:39 PM

> Now, who said that I wonder?

*grin*

> I wonder if that would impress Anomen.

It does after he settles down.

> Go Mazzy!

She's small but she's tough.

> I'd love a description of how Jarran feels when he sings.

After the Shade Lord battle, he leveled up and now his song makes an even bigger difference, so he'll probably be doing more of it in the future.

> Ouch, brave Anomen.

Adventuring can be a painful business.

> I bet none sleep very well down there though ;)

At least in that big a room they'll see anything coming.

> There is hope. More than one battle was won

Yes, indeed.

> How old is Mazzy?

> -Meg.

I've never found anything that pins down her age, but from her dialogues she does seem to be older than some of the characters. I think she is supposed to be like Jaheira and Valygar, an older and wiser adventurer, but not in someone like Keldorn's league. I would probably set her age as around the halfling equivalent of 30, or at least later 20s.



#32 Grainey

Posted 22 January 2002 - 04:35 PM

It was close to 4 am in the far south when I received a parched piece of paper from a letter runner. It told of your exploits near Umar Hills. I was rivetted, speechless as I followed the interpretation of your battle. My thanks to the bard who scribed this, and good luck in your coming adventures.

Grainey


#33 Guest_Silrana_*

Posted 23 January 2002 - 12:13 AM

> It was close to 4 am in the far south when I received a parched piece of

> paper from a letter runner. It told of your exploits near Umar Hills. I

> was rivetted, speechless as I followed the interpretation of your battle.

> My thanks to the bard who scribed this, and good luck in your coming

> adventures.

> Grainey

Ah, good to see the letter got through. I'm glad to hear that you enjoyed it.






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