santaclaws01 Posted August 30, 2017 Report Share Posted August 30, 2017 . . . . . . . So yeah, having read the Arcanist story now that's definitely Witness' prison. Looks like all the Tyrants except for the other half of the Dragon, Nameless and Fortune are in play now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Franchute Posted August 30, 2017 Report Share Posted August 30, 2017 20 minutes ago, santaclaws01 said: . . . . . . . So yeah, having read the Arcanist story now that's definitely Witness' prison. Looks like all the Tyrants except for the other half of the Dragon, Nameless and Fortune are in play now. I can't wait to receive my book! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spooky_squirrel Posted August 30, 2017 Report Share Posted August 30, 2017 . , ; , ; . Kang's a solid dude. I love his appearance and the manner in which it was executed. It really helps drive home why the people who work with him aren't affected by terror and why they'll work harder for him than anyone else. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Champignon Posted August 31, 2017 Report Share Posted August 31, 2017 Thanks @tomjoad for your answer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parker Barrows Posted September 1, 2017 Report Share Posted September 1, 2017 . . . . . . . . . . . . . I'll start out with the bad: No vignettes. While it didn't matter for some, we heard absolutely nothing about some Masters (Molly and Reva off the top of my head) other than stuff we already knew. Wyrd, please make the vignettes a standard thing. Other that, I was quite happy with the stories overall. Honestly, with some of the drastic changes, I feel like we're getting a 3.0 soon. McMourning is no longer Guild. Lilith is possibly becoming undead. Zoriada has been more or less kicked out of the Gremlins. That's not even considering that Nicodem or Lady Justice will soon meet their end. This book has probably bigger changes within the story than any other book. Kudos to Wyrd for keeping Malifaux a dynamic story instead of a permanent status quo. Also, I love the implications of the Outcasts story. I always like a theme Crew. But I don't have problem mixing in elements most of the time. All the Masters within a Faction are allies. So, themes mixing makes some sense. Master X can always borrow Master Y's followers (at least, that's what I tell myself). Except the Outcasts. There really isn't a reason Parker should be running around with Void Wretches. Thanks to the newest Outcast story, there now is. Oh. Regarding some of the previous posters. I totally buy Ironsides selling out Ramos to get the Guild to end slavery in America. It's a big deal. Though I wonder if she'll wind up helping Ramos out now that she got what she wanted. Also, I wouldn't consider Witness in play. S/he's still trapped. We just know where Witness is now. Though I do find it odd that Witness and December are pretty much in the same place. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomjoad Posted September 1, 2017 Report Share Posted September 1, 2017 ............................................................................................................................................................................................ ............................................................................................................................................................................................ ............................................................................................................................................................................................ ............................................................................................................................................................................................ ............................................................................................................................................................................................ So my issue with her selling out Ramos wasn't about whether or not it was a good deal. Certainly, if I could sell out one person to have racial justice rule the land, I think I could do that, or at the least make an argument for why it is a good idea to do so. My problem is that it seems inconsistent for Toni to believe that the deal would be upheld, that she would carry out her end before the GG did his part, and that she would believe that the Americans would just roll over for the Guild. Like, I would expect it to go more like Goodfellas; The GG says "We'll end slavery and prejudice (I guess), but we need Ramos first" and Toni says "Fuck you, pay me." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mason Posted September 1, 2017 Author Report Share Posted September 1, 2017 We're talking away I don't know what I'm to say I'll say it anyway Today's another day to find you Shying away I'll be coming for your love, okay? Take on me, (take on me) Take me on, (take on me) I'll be gone In a day or two With regards to Ironsides, note that the document that Marlow gave her wasn't just a scrawled note; it was a formal declaration of Guild law. He gave her the ammunition and let her decide whether she wanted to pull the trigger on it, so in that regard, at least, she had all the proof that the Guild would carry through on its side of the bargain in her hand. As for believing that America would roll over for the Guild... with very few exceptions (Abyssinia and, very recently, England), everyone rolls over for the Guild back on Earth (and America isn't even all that much of a world power atm, comparatively speaking). 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retnab Posted September 1, 2017 Report Share Posted September 1, 2017 (edited) S. P. O. I. L. E. R. I really enjoyed the Arcanists story partly for Ironsides (it felt interesting seeing her trying to fill Ramos' boots and hating the change from how things used to be between her and the people of the union), partly for Rasputina, Ramos, and Sonnia's interactions (felt good to see Raspy's still not taking any crap from nobody ), but especially because of all the implications it has for everything. Are there M&SU workers loyal to Ramos? How's Joss going to take this? Kaeris is likely going to freak right out, is there going to be Arcanists vs Union stuff going on? How about Colette, who's been more buddy-buddy with Kaeris in book 4 but kind of hates Ramos? Tons of cool things to see take place. Also seeing the Guild bully more countries into doing what they say (even if it's a good thing here) makes me wonder how the other countries Earthside are going to take that, what with several countries starting to show their unwillingness to just have the Guild in charge of them. Also, +1 vote to vignettes in each book, I really love being able to just get a bite of story about the big players, even if it's just "while x and y were stopping z Tyrant, Colette was trying to make Cassie and Carlos get along backstage" or something Edited September 1, 2017 by retnab proper spoiler spacing (oops!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gnomezilla Posted September 1, 2017 Report Share Posted September 1, 2017 39 minutes ago, retnab said: Also, +1 vote to vignettes in each book, I really love being able to just get a bite of story about the big players, even if it's just "while x and y were stopping z Tyrant, Colette was trying to make Cassie and Carlos get along backstage" or something Spoiler spacing for the preview box is a matter of characters used, not lines occupied, but thank you for trying. And (but this is my headcanon) I wouldn't hold my breath on that particular vignette being successful. 2 hours ago, Mason said: ...As for believing that America would roll over for the Guild... with very few exceptions (Abyssinia and, very recently, England), everyone rolls over for the Guild back on Earth (and America isn't even all that much of a world power atm, comparatively speaking). Now that spoiler spacing made me smile. I cannot imagine that this is wholly reflective of the situation in Malifaux. I'm convinced that Marlow has made it very clear that the King's Empire and any agents thereof are wholly subordinate to him. ...Come to think of it, if he can get leverage over Ironsides, that would also signal to his satisfaction that Abyssinia and any agents thereof (I know, I know...do you think the average person on the street knows?) are also subordinate to him. Ah well. Next month. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-Loki- Posted September 1, 2017 Report Share Posted September 1, 2017 On 31/08/2017 at 3:29 AM, santaclaws01 said: . . . . . . . So yeah, having read the Arcanist story now that's definitely Witness' prison. Looks like all the Tyrants except for the other half of the Dragon, Nameless and Fortune are in play now. The other half of the Dragon is on Earth turning Buddhist Monks into vessels for itself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
santaclaws01 Posted September 2, 2017 Report Share Posted September 2, 2017 1 hour ago, -Loki- said: The other half of the Dragon is on Earth turning Buddhist Monks into vessels for itself. That's Shenlong, the half we know about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parker Barrows Posted September 2, 2017 Report Share Posted September 2, 2017 ............................................................. .................................................. ................................................................ ................................................... .......................................... ................................................. ................................................. ......................................................... .............................................................. ...................................... .................................. 12 hours ago, Gnomezilla said: I cannot imagine that this is wholly reflective of the situation in Malifaux. I'm convinced that Marlow has made it very clear that the King's Empire and any agents thereof are wholly subordinate to him. ...Come to think of it, if he can get leverage over Ironsides, that would also signal to his satisfaction that Abyssinia and any agents thereof (I know, I know...do you think the average person on the street knows?) are also subordinate to him. Ah well. Next month. I'm confused of what you're saying. I don't think anyone is saying that the countries that broke away don't have to follow the Guild in Guild controlled lands. Just that the Guild does not control their countries anymore. Also, Toni is American. I don't see the Abyssianians caring one way or the other that she's playing ball with the Guild anymore than anyone else. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rathnard Posted September 2, 2017 Report Share Posted September 2, 2017 I'm a Barbie Girl, In a Barbie World,Life in plastic, It's fantastic! You can brush my hair, Undress me anywhere, Imagination, Life is your creation,,, --- So for a story that was the arguably least impactful on the Malifaux lore, the Guild story was actually one of my favourites this book. I enjoyed it purely for the the character interactions. Stuff like how Perdita and Hoffman share a degree of social ineptitude, or the contrast between Lady Justice and Nellie. The only disappointment for me was Lucius's bit, which didn't really seem to add anything and felt a bit tacked on at the end. Yeah he's grumpy about no longer being in charge of everything, we get it. Maybe there's more to it than what I read, but it felt like a let down given the rest of the tale. The Resser story was my favorite. It was a big plot development for McMourning, but I also enjoyed the element of wackiness, especially with McMourning trying to convey the imminent camel attack and the trio's increasingly chaotic plan to foil it. Nicodem is one of my least favourite characters, but his role as the "straight guy" was an excellent contrast to the utter insanity of Saemus and McMourning. But the best part was the climax of the story, where McMourning regains his mind for long enough to choose between fame and fortune or creative insanity. That, to me, has made him a much more interesting and engaging character. Ironsides is my favourite Masters in the Arcanists, and her story only further cemented that. I loved her portrayal in this one, and I might be in the minority but her choice to betray Ramos felt justified given what she got in return. Sure, as we all know from history equal rights, universal sufferage and emancipation was not the end of America's problems, but she doesn't necessarily realise that and even if she did, it's still a major step forward on an issue she clearly cares deeply about. Anyway, the story was cool, and not just because Ramos (the other Master I don't like) got his ass thrown in prison! The Tyrant reference was cool too - I'll be interested to see where that eventually leads. The Neverborn story was another good piece. As one of my favourite Masters it was a little sad to see Zoraida just fail at everything, but I can see it's necessary for her character development. Having someone who just knows everything gets tired, so I hope this low point for her will eventually lead to some real growth later on. Lilith's imprisonment has some interesting implications too - the possibility of her becoming another undead master later on is intriguing. The only real disappointment was the absence of Pandora. I know not everyone can be in every story, but I'm very curious as to where she and her Box has wandered off to. The Outcast story, ugh. I'm very sorry to the author but I didn't like this one at all. To me, the whole thing felt really contrived. It doesn't make sense to me that these VERY different groups would just decide to set up their own town in the Badlands. Sure, I can see Von Schill and the Mercs doing it. Possibly Parker and Tara although that's really stretching it. But Levi's got a legitimate business that he's been running for years, and Hamelin surely cares more for the ruins of Malifaux City and its high population density for His plagues. But the lowpoint for me was the reason for Jack Daw coming to this new town - Parker's going to steal the Hanging tree? Really? Like I said before, it felt really contrived. Not only that, but the major plot point, all the Outcasts joining together, feels like an erosion of the Faction's identity. To me, the Outcasts are defined not by their unity (like other Factions) but their independence. They might occasionally work together out of necessity (or money), but each group is otherwise an island - beholden to nobody, with all the strengths and weaknesses that entails. Clearly the folks at Wyrd have a plan with this, either in terms of plot development or in what they want to do with the Faction in future editions (or both). But it nonetheless doesn't sit right with me. The one shining moment, though, was Karina. I swear, that girl just makes everything better. The Gremlin story was...alright. I absolutely love that Lenny became Gremlin General but I'm still confused as to how it all happened. As I read through it sounded like all the tribes had decided on Lenny, in their own ways. But then it's a 3-way tie between Lenny, Ophelia and Brewy? I just kind of struggled to understand how that matched up with the previous 2/3rds of the story. Other than that it was a fun read - Gremlins always make for good reading in that sense. Finally, we have the Ten Thunders story. To be honest I don't feel strongly about it one way or another. It was a good story, but I've been expecting Misaki's coup for a while now. It would have been nice to see more from at least some of the other 10-T Masters though. They all got a cameo (aside from Brewmaster) but as has already been said, this really was the Misaki show. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-Loki- Posted September 3, 2017 Report Share Posted September 3, 2017 16 hours ago, Rathnard said: I'm a Barbie Girl, In a Barbie World,Life in plastic, It's fantastic! You can brush my hair, Undress me anywhere, Imagination, Life is your creation,,, But the lowpoint for me was the reason for Jack Daw coming to this new town - Parker's going to steal the Hanging tree? Really? Like I said before, it felt really contrived. For some reason this felt a lot like Felonius Gru from Despicable me. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clockwork_Fish Posted September 4, 2017 Report Share Posted September 4, 2017 I certainly hope Lilith doesn't become undead, as there's already one Neverborn master with that schtick and we don't need two. Also, it was her link to the grave spirit that made Titania undead, not being thrown into Nythera. Also-also, having a master who's just straight up enslaved by another kind of diminishes them somehow. That doesn't feel very master-y to me. Nor do I think people would be thrilled with Lilith getting downgraded to henchman status, even if it meant Nekima got the bump. I can however see a number of faction shifts cropping up, either in the next book or even in the January errata. Ironsides is getting chummy with her once mortal enemies, so maybe a red faction icon will join the blue one on her card. Molly's back at work, so maybe dual faction Guild for her too; just have to keep an eye on what the field reporters are photographing. Assuming Lilith breaks free, she'll probably be on the run, so maybe dual faction Outcasts? Dougie's secret is out, so you can argue taking away his dual faction status, but I'd imagine either Sonia or Lucius would be underhanded enough to set him up somewhere else in exchange for some freelance work. I can see Lucius passing McMourning a photograph across a table "This is the governor general's favourite dog Pongo. He made me take him for walkies this morning. Make him disappear and be creative about it." 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-Loki- Posted September 4, 2017 Report Share Posted September 4, 2017 2 hours ago, Clockwork_Fish said: I certainly hope Lilith doesn't become undead, as there's already one Neverborn master with that schtick and we don't need two. Also, it was her link to the grave spirit that made Titania undead, not being thrown into Nythera. Also-also, having a master who's just straight up enslaved by another kind of diminishes them somehow. That doesn't feel very master-y to me. Nor do I think people would be thrilled with Lilith getting downgraded to henchman status, even if it meant Nekima got the bump. . . . . . . . My hope is Lilith come out in her true form, utterly pissed off. Good excuse for an alt model for her. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pyrflamme Posted September 4, 2017 Report Share Posted September 4, 2017 000 001 010 011 100 101 110 111 I was just kinda speculating on the undead thing since I had assumed that enough necromantic mojo had steeped into the place over the years of imprisonment that Lililth might not come out unchanged. I doubt we'll see any outright faction losses~ like with McMourning reflected in the game rules, namely his losing his Guild identity, since Wyrd doesn't want to invalidate purist Guild players having purchased him (well, Purist insofar as they're not interested in exploring Rezzers beyond what McMourning brings), and not sure we'll see faction additions either. At best, we'll probably see things along the lines of Hoffman's Arcanist Assets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fog Posted September 5, 2017 Report Share Posted September 5, 2017 . . . . . As the world's #1 Ramos fanboy, it's good to see him in trouble. He's been too slick, too cool, too bulletproof for too long. He needed to be put on his back foot. It's better for the story than every single thing goes his way always. This twist gives Toni some better character beyond "hits things for the boss" and gives her a sturdier place in the story. I felt like it was telegraphed a little too much, as folks were calling this turn when last book was released. On another note, I think it feels a little disrespectful to the entire history of American slavery and the fight for emancipation that literally nothing matters except for a backroom deal offered by the metaphorical devil. A white guy buys another white guy, paying for it with the freedom of the slaves. I don't think it's too awful, just a tad insensitive. I can't wait to see what Kaeris does when she gets a chance to react to this nonsense. If she could do half of what she does in the fluff on the table, she'd be amazing. I'm sure she won't take this lying down. And I feel like Colette has to get involved in some way, otherwise she's no longer got a purpose in the story. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
santaclaws01 Posted September 5, 2017 Report Share Posted September 5, 2017 6 hours ago, Fog said: . . . . . the freedom of the slaves.. . . . . . . . . . Uh... what? What she was promised was universal sufferage, not the end to slavery. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malkirk Posted September 5, 2017 Report Share Posted September 5, 2017 - - - - - - - - - - Just some thoughts on Toni and Universal Suffrage. I think the fact that it's suffrage rather than just emancipation is important and maybe not fully appreciated. It demonstrates the Guild's absolute control over certain countries, and also the fact that they don't really care about cultural norms. The only standard the Guild cares about is power, right? The rest is just window dressing. Anyone can be in charge, anyone can vote, anyone can be free, as long as they have the power to take it. Remember the origins of the Guild. Not that real history actually matters in this timeline, but it is worth looking at where emancipation was globally. America was really a backwater, and sharply divided, but Malifaux's history is different. A lot of the strife of the 18th and 19th centuries were subsumed by the breach and the Blackpowder Wars, the tensions directed and controlled by the Guild. For the US, and emancipation in particular was affected by the apparent lack of a Civil War. Something had to happen. Just to clarify, whenever I talk on here, I'm talking just as me, speculating. Anything I know about the world that isn't public knowledge is covered by an NDA, and I'm not going to get close to violating that. But there are a lot of fascinating gaps in the history of the world that change the direction of society. They're worth looking at. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Wallace Posted September 5, 2017 Report Share Posted September 5, 2017 It would be interesting if (and this is pure speculation) the Guild deciding to press down on slavery in the USA resulted in the American Civil War. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomjoad Posted September 5, 2017 Report Share Posted September 5, 2017 I think a big problem we (or, at least this is true for me) are having with understanding the full implications of the Arcanist story is that we have an incomplete understanding of where and how history has differed in Malifaux's Earth from our Earth. Did it take a civil war to end chattel slavery in the United States? Is there an Earthside civil/women's rights movement? Is the specter of communism hanging over Europe? Is the Guild the only Western power exerting control of the 3 Kingdoms? For that matter, how and why are there a "3 Kingdoms" to begin with, rather than separate Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Korean and etc states? Is the political map of North America the way we all know it to be? Is anybody from South America? So, not knowing the answer to so many questions does, I guess, leave open the possibility that Toni did the right thing and I am wrong. Who knows. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Franchute Posted September 5, 2017 Report Share Posted September 5, 2017 - - - - - - - - - - I read yesterday the arcanist fluff. I feel really exited about what will come in the future! Just one thing: the writer forgot arachnids are evasive when one of the stalkers exploded. Ramos should have called the TO 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fog Posted September 5, 2017 Report Share Posted September 5, 2017 5 hours ago, santaclaws01 said: . . . . . . . . . Uh... what? What she was promised was universal sufferage, not the end to slavery. That's what happens when I go by memory of a story I read three weeks ago! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fog Posted September 5, 2017 Report Share Posted September 5, 2017 1 hour ago, Franchute said: - - - - - - - - - - I read yesterday the arcanist fluff. I feel really exited about what will come in the future! Just one thing: the writer forgot arachnids are evasive when one of the stalkers exploded. Ramos should have called the TO I got mad at that too. Also, he wasn't healing as his spiders dropped. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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