The Ark can kill your pretender?

[Cainehill]

There's still something wrong with the ark of god's power being okay with god's priests, but blinding and diseasing god.

Yes, the reason this happens because of game mechanics makes sense - pretender isn't sacred, ark burns all that is not properly sacred. But it's still bogus, and really ought to be changed. Actually, IIRC, the ark _also_ nails God's Prophet, if the prophet didn't start out sacred?

[Arryn]

Cainehill said:
There's still something wrong with the ark of god's power being okay with god's priests, but blinding and diseasing god.

Indeed. It's wacked. Badly.

Cainehill said:
Actually, IIRC, the ark _also_ nails God's Prophet, if the prophet didn't start out sacred?

Correct. That is *so* not right ...

[Alneyan]

Arryn said:
Holy water damages the unholy. It has no adverse effect upon those who are not supernaturally evil.

*Toys with the notion of pouring holy water on Arryn* A hunch about the good involved in becoming Empress of the World, and in various tortures. Actually attempting to cast that handy "Holy Water from afar" spell might not be such a good idea though, especially if the spell happens to reveal the identity of the caster.

Thus there is only one way of checking both the properties of the spell and Arryn's nature. *Casts the "Holy Water from afar" spell, and gets ready to run like the winds should something go awry*

I think, but may be wrong, that the Ark's effects are based on MR. At least, it is what I recall having read somewhere on the forums. I will be checking, provided my odds of survival are anything better than a few heartbeats.

[Cainehill]

Arryn said:
Holy water damages the unholy. It has no adverse effect upon those who are not supernaturally evil.

Um, holy water burns nuns. Well, boiling holy water does.

[Arryn]

Alneyan said:
Thus there is only one way of checking both the properties of the spell and Arryn's nature. *Casts the "Holy Water from afar" spell, and gets ready to run like the winds should something go awry*

AAEEEII!!! I'm melting, I'm melt ... oh, wait. I'm wet. Silly me, forgot to come in out of the rain. {shakes fist in air and mutters curses at lousy weather report} {meanwhile, far overhead, the pilot of a firefighting tanker plane goes "Oops! Sure hope no one caught that on video, or my *** is toast."}

[Alneyan]

That "Slightly more stealthy than a swarm of drunken elephants" upgrade for this plane was certainly worth its grain of salt after all; at least it managed to escape and was only spotted by half the country. Hindsight seems to tell removing most of its cargo space was a poor idea though; somehow, a single small vial of second-hand holy water was not enough.

And then the plane had an unfortunate accident and crashed, while the pilot is nowhere to be found. How inconvenient. I have not even been able to bring him back to my modest dwelling; surely he should have been a permanent guest of the house, and would have enjoyed the hand-made cell waiting for his arrival.

Well, at least it isn't as if I had blown up my cover. Arryn cannot possibly know what has truly happened, let alone pinpoint the responsible for this... erh... small happenstance. Hey! Why is that red button labelled "Now recording" blinking?

[Arryn]

Alneyan said:
Hey! Why is that red button labelled "Now recording" blinking?

Perhaps to distract you from the less-obvious five hidden cameras and Dolby 6.1 surround-sound recording mics nestled in the potted plants ...

The knock you hear at the door is that of the courier delivering the blackmail terms. The low hissing sound you hear is that of a natural gas "leak" that will be found to be the cause of an unfortunate accidental explosion should said courier fail to return. The tiny red dot on your chest is ... insurance lest you contrive something truly ingenious to escape from the other contingencies.

[Alneyan]

I must say I am honoured by all the attention you are giving to someone as minor as myself. I am humbled by your cleverness; I had not expected you to deploy more than one backup scheme.

Being the living incarnation of courage et al, I will not be falling for your ploy. Instead, I will be gladly helping your schemes, and open the door for the courier to enter. What are the exact terms your minion wishes to deliver? We shall not call such pleasant conversations a "blackmail"; we are merely conducting a mutually profitable agreement, as, well, as friends are wont to do.

Oh, and should you wonder, it isn't sweat that you can see on my forehead. In fact, it is but a trick of the odd light in this place, which makes my head glitters. *Coughs*

[Arryn]

Alneyan said:
I must say I am honoured by all the attention you are giving to someone as minor as myself.

Don't be. I'm merely practicing to prevent getting rusty. Live targets are sometimes more intriguing than computer sims, although they often don't ... live up to their potential.

Alneyan said:
I am humbled by your cleverness;

Of course you are. You may bow and scape at any time. I'd suggest sooner, rather than later.

Alneyan said:
I had not expected you to deploy more than one backup scheme.

Obviously. Shortsightedness is why humans also are so short-lived.

Alneyan said:
Being the living incarnation of courage et al, I will not be falling for your ploy.

Too late for that, my dear.

Alneyan said:
What are the exact terms your minion wishes to deliver?

Unconditional surrender and worship, of course. Sacrifices are optional, but welcome.

Alneyan said:
we are merely conducting a mutually profitable agreement, as, well, as friends are wont to do.

Naturally. You agree to obey and I agree to not squash you like a bug. A most friendly arrangement. A "win-win". I gain a minion and you get to live, at least for a while.

[Nagot Gick Fel]

Cainehill said:
There's still something wrong with the ark of god's power being okay with god's priests, but blinding and diseasing god.

Makes sense to me. Faith is what saves you. Pretender gods may instill faith in their followers, but do they share their followers's faith? Or, in other words, did Jaysus 'believe' in Jaysus - or Brian, in Brian? I don't think so: Pretenders are merely a bunch of ambitious egocentrists with oversized egos, and the Ark has been brought into the game to punish them for their misdeeds.