2011-03-24: Earth Shaking

[Itterind]

Without a clear chain of command there would have been chaos (though you are right it is in the past tense), but thanks for saying my idle fancy is more important than their serious discussion. ^_^

On a note I didn't have time to edit (internet cafee zonked out two threads ago when I was posting) I think her looking upwards as she did before she frowned makes her look a lot better. It seems angles are much more important for faces with straight hairstyles (or you end up with the Ring?).
Sarine otoh looks good from all angles. Meji looks good from all angles too, but much better from some than others, and she looks bad if her hair is swept back.

PS. I hope that's not Ian yet, but maybe he's trying to bring the mountain down on them...

[ChunLing]

The chaos that now exists is largely a result of the established chains of command in place. Not that there would not have been chaos if there were no chains of command around, but I think it less than useful to point out that there would have been chaos otherwise when there is chaos anyway.

From the point of view of having as many elves survive as possible, I say that their best "strategy" at this point is to leave every elf to his or her own devices...scatter and try whatever each elf thinks is the best plan. Of course, executing or even suggesting such a plan involves admitting that most of them are going to die, which some parties would rather not do.

[Itterind]

The chaos that now exists is largely a result of the established chains of command in place. Not that there would not have been chaos if there were no chains of command around, but I think it less than useful to point out that there would have been chaos otherwise when there is chaos anyway.

From the point of view of having as many elves survive as possible, I say that their best "strategy" at this point is to leave every elf to his or her own devices...scatter and try whatever each elf thinks is the best plan. Of course, executing or even suggesting such a plan involves admitting that most of them are going to die, which some parties would rather not do.

Ian has the area saturated with zombies of the majority of the Elven population (I'm guessing 80% is dead and maybe 50% zombified and not rekilled) and some Ensigerum scouts. Scattering would allow him to simply avoid the Paedagogusi in the relief force and concentrate on mopping up those who survive the zombies and Ensigerum scouts for hours before help that has a good chance of defeating him arrives.

[ChunLing]

Why does Ian need to avoid the baka fairies? If he tells them that killing the elves is Anilis' idea, they'll probably cheerfully help. Even if he doesn't have the wit left to remember them and how easy they are to fool (leaving aside the question of whether this would count as a deception), they have already admitted that they have no idea what to do about him or Meji. They have also pretty clearly indicated (to anyone not totally blinded by their "save the elves" agenda) that they have no particular interest in not killing elves and they are pretty much willing to go along with whoever happens to be in current possession of a god. Why Sarine is including them in her trump count is beyond any possible rational explanation other than that she's playing "the magic whatsit" game to try and keep everyone from realizing just how desperate the situation is.

[Graybeard]

Why does Ian need to avoid the baka fairies? If he tells them that killing the elves is Anilis' idea, they'll probably cheerfully help. Even if he doesn't have the wit left to remember them and how easy they are to fool (leaving aside the question of whether this would count as a deception), they have already admitted that they have no idea what to do about him or Meji. They have also pretty clearly indicated (to anyone not totally blinded by their "save the elves" agenda) that they have no particular interest in not killing elves and they are pretty much willing to go along with whoever happens to be in current possession of a god. Why Sarine is including them in her trump count is beyond any possible rational explanation other than that she's playing "the magic whatsit" game to try and keep everyone from realizing just how desperate the situation is.

At least Nookie and Continuity know better than that. They know the ol' bitch and the ol' bastard are on the loose when they shouldn't be, and somehow wound up personified in Ian and Meji. That isn't the way things are supposed to be. The Paedagogusi may be weird, but they do have a sense of how the universe is supposed to work. Kawaii, now ... one wonders.

[Rakshasa Taisab]

At least Nookie and Continuity know better than that. They know the ol' bitch and the ol' bastard are on the loose when they shouldn't be, and somehow wound up personified in Ian and Meji. That isn't the way things are supposed to be. The Paedagogusi may be weird, but they do have a sense of how the universe is supposed to work. Kawaii, now ... one wonders.

Kawaii is the wisest of them all.

[Itterind]

I respect your view Chunling, and actually look up to the strong logic in your statement, however I believe I am far from alone in my views that the faeries have good and largely conventional morals (Anilis and Senilis seem to have been fairly reasonable people/collective entities (even the deception is grounded in logic), if possibly self-centered), and I am very certain the story will prove me right.

If I was approaching this without considering literary reasoning, the values Poe exhibits, etc., I'd be much closer to your view though still on this side coz of the personalities the faeries have displayed.
I don't think they're about to kill tons of their students because someone who possessed Anilis tells them to do so.

[ChunLing]

They might not kill the twenty or so elves it would take to make "tons" and it is also clear that they are more keen on making threats than actually carrying them out (Concussion being the exception). On the other hand, I see no evidence that Anilis and Senilis were 'reasonable' in the sense of actually understanding the value of sentient life, they saw the elves as a means to an end, and communicated that to the bakas, and while the bakas apparently never got the message that the elves didn't work out and were considered nonessential, the bakas do clearly get that helping the elves is no longer their responsibility.

If the bakas were morally centered, they would have already figured out that eliminating the remaining "purist" faction elves is essential to the future of the human and half-elf populations. So they would already be biding their time and waiting for the maximum advantage point to betray Sarine...but they don't seem smart enough to do that or morally aware enough to do the math on killing a thousand-odd elves who have killed millions and will continue this pattern indefinitely if they are not wiped out.

Regardless, they are not designed to be so stupid as to actually directly challenge the will of either of their creators. They are likely to interact with Ian the same way they have interacted with Meji, ineffectual and annoying "cooperation". Which might actually distract Ian enough to save a few elves, but only by accident.