Downtown Khazan: Ice Cold Utopia

[Sub-Zero MKA]

[Guy1]

"Hey Vega! Up for a rematch?"

[Nik Hasta]

Felt a bit creatively blocked this evening but managed to push this out while half paying attention:

[Iron_Twister]

Felt a bit creatively blocked this evening but managed to push this out while half paying attention:

Nice work there, Nik.

[Guy1]

[Tami]

Interesting mesh of scenes and action.

[Gryphon]

How did I not know Dragonforce made a song about skyrim?

[Guy1]

Interesting mesh of scenes and action.

I immediately like this villain. She's so crazy she flat out tried to hold onto the space ship while forcing it down with the force!

[KingofPie]

Finally got an official name as well as another reveal at the very end

[Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh]

How hard they strive tho.

[Lord Falcon]

How so? I’m curious.

If Asha'rah holds anything sacred, it is that all things strive. To strive first requires desire. The choices people make, the goals they set, the sweat they shed, their successes and their failures, Asha'rah treasures these things. She treasures them for how they shape people's characters, how these struggles help them grow and progress. She holds these struggles in such esteem that she wants them enshrined in time forever, a marker for all that ever happened for good or ill. And she believes a key role of gods is to shape the laws of the universe to channel such desires indirectly down paths of inspiration while interfering directly as little as possible. It's a philosophy that transcends her own personal sense of right and wrong. I am not a religious man by nature, and Asha'rah is the closest I have ever come to writing a religious zealot.

When Erosa lost her drive and started chilling out for months at a time, Asha'rah was at a loss when she found the Id in such a state. Erosa was simply...in a funk. But Asha'rah could not comprehend such a prolonged loss of desire from a being whose very essence was based on desire. And so she started treating a mild depression as a matter of life and death of a loved one.

Asha'rah is different from the Queen in the Promised Neverland in that she has a greater sense of fulfillment and contentment day to day. She strives for things greater than herself, and is happy to be inspired by the striving of others. But Asha'rah's philosophy faces its own narrowness in the face of acceptance - of being content within the flow of the world. It's not that Asha'rah can't appreciate the quiet moments, but that she can't square that appreciation with her philosophy of "all things strive." Asha'rah led a hopeless rebellion against a childish omnipotent being, Zeno, despite knowing the massive risks such a rebellion had of inciting the end of all existence as we know it. Asha'rah had noble reasons in mind - to restructure the universe in service of enlightenment rather than simple martial might - but on a deep level she wishes she had been wise enough to find a better way. Outside forces manipulated both sides into war, but it was still ultimately Asha'rah's choice to pull the trigger. Like the queen, Asha'rah's actions fueled by her own desires led her down a path of ruin.

Allowing Asha'rah's philosophy to grow would have been a slow, gradual process. Gods live forever and are not wont to change on a dime. But with much interaction and meditation, I like to think Asha'rah would have grown her philosophy to encompass the gentler aspects of herself. She would become less an all-consuming blazing sun against all opposition, and become better able to attract people to the warmth of a campfire to affect the change she seeks. She'd still be just as stubborn, but her patience and drive would channel her down a much more sustainable, productive path in future struggles.

[Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh]

Asha'rah's actions fueled by her own desires led her down a path of ruin.

So like ... this was one of the things Ishtar called her out on, yes. But hey. Would've been swell to see develop.

Far as it goes, Cleric's had Asha'rah reach a similar realization, and it's left her in about the same funk Erosa was in come to think of it.

[Lord Falcon]

So like ... this was one of the things Ishtar called her out on, yes. But hey. Would've been swell to see develop.

Far as it goes, Cleric's had Asha'rah reach a similar realization, and it's left her in about the same funk Erosa was in come to think of it.

If you're referring to her suddenly laying into Asha'rah out of (to Asha'rah) nowhere about hypocrisy, then I'm sure it was in the exchange somewhere. If you go up to a priest who considers you a friend in the middle of his sermon and start laying into him about how his worldview on the topic he cares most about is bullshit, I don't think you'll find a more receptive audience than Asha'rah gave Ishtar.

As I've always said, Asha'rah had plenty of aspects worthy of criticism. I thought, and still think, your central charge of hypocrisy is based on a flawed premise. But that's neither here nor there. It's not like Asha'rah somehow believes her rebellion didn't set off a change of events that led to ruin. But the charge of hypocrisy has nothing to do with the results of that rebellion, so if it was thrown around in the argument I imagine it was properly dropped.

[Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh]

Well, nothing's changed it seems.

At least Asha'rah's in good hands with Cleric.

[Lord Falcon]

Well, nothing's changed it seems.

At least Asha'rah's in good hands with Cleric.

I'm a little less resentful and angry nowadays. I don't find myself immersed in a mix of dread, outrage and frustration every time I think of posting in the Dragon Ball RPG. Your acknowledgment that you went hard, even if you understandably maintain your intellectual conclusions, did help a lot.

But I'm not investing time and energy into the game any more, and am happier and more relaxed for it. I realized halfway through our argument that I just didn't have even half the time and passion for keeping track of every happening and writing a dozen quality roleplay posts a week the way you do. So as I said before, have at it.

Outer Worlds is where I'm getting my roleplaying fun lately, and I imagine Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 and Cyberpunk 2077 will give me that joy next year.

You're still a character in Sharp's Bright Lights, Black Hearts RPG aren't you?