Sprigg, when referring to the things he might have wanted at the time of meeting them, calls Percy Secrets. As the key to Ioun, Sprigg would not want Secrets, but at the time he also didn’t want Intelligence. He wanted Power, the Power to get out of his prison, mentally of course, before he could give them Intelligence. Never at any point did he talk to Percy for a length of time unless specifically addressed by Percy, never paying mind to Secrets unless Secrets payed any attention to him.
Oh wow, you wrote this just as I wrote the complete opposite! Cool.
Though I have to fundamentally disagree on most of the things you say about Percy and secrets. The fact that his full name and Whitestone ever mattered that way was because the narrative caused that to happen, and once it was apparent that it was going to become relevant, he told them all he knew about it.
Same goes for Orthax. Percy had no idea what was going on until Orthax literally appeared. Yes, the dream not being just that should have been apparent at some point. And that point was when he started smoking, the names vanished from the gun, and finally when Orthax manifested himself. All within a timespan of three days.
And he never actively tried to conceal any of that. He just didn’t know what was going on there himself, not to mention that Orthax was also seriously affecting his mental state and judgement at the time, something he admitted to in the extent he was capable of, and asked the others to be on the look-out for.
The point about Craven Edge is fair. That was pretty shitty of him. But that is another case in which Percy didn’t really lie when asked about it or tried to conceal anything, even bringing it up when Grog started acting strange about the skull. Also, he didn’t try to conceal it afterwards and tried to help in whatever way he could – same as Scanlan. Still, that one is fair as far as Percy being callous when it comes to knowledge is concerned.
The marriage was not only Percy’s secret to keep. We don’t know their reasons yet. But much like his name and personal trauma, those are secrets I think everyone is entitled to keep. You don’t owe anyone insight into your personal matters.
And you say that all of these things fucked the party over, yet the only thing Percy really is to blame for here/had any influence over was the Craven Edge situation. Whitestone could have been just as irrelevant as Scanlan’s mother’s name, depending on where the narrative took them. It wasn’t, so Percy explained it.
The marriage reveal would have been humorous or at least not even remotely as big of a deal as it is if the plot hadn’t exploded. And it didn’t really come out during the confrontation with Pelor, that still sounded like a betrothal, it came out when Scanlan forced the issue while Percy and Vex were completely content to just not to spare Vax and Keyleth whatever pain could be spared at this point.
So most of these things – Craven Edge excluded – were either very personal matters that Percy always did share once they became relevant, or was just simply never asked about.
Much in the same vein as Scanlan was never asked about his secrets (until he was, repeatedly actually). We don’t know what happened pre-stream, but it sure doesn’t seem like he volunteered any information on his background or mother. NO ONE in the group did, for that matter. The twins never mentioned their mother’s connection to Thordak, Keyleth only mentioned her visions and backstory as it became relevant, and Pike was the only one who knew about Grog’s backstory in regards to Kevdak until it became relevant. Anyone’s personal business has always been shared according to a “need to know” policy.
And if we are willing to extend this courtesy to everyone else, why not Percy?
In addition, saying that keeping his Suude business secret didn’t affect the group is also purely circumstancial. Consuming drugs before getting into a combat situation in which other people rely on you in not a harmless secret to keep. Neither is the extent of your dealings with who you assume to be criminal drug dealers. Sure, no one died directly because of that, but taking unknown substances before a combat situation is almost as callous as handing out a speaking sword.
And Scanlan’s secrets did harm the party, in a big way, and for a very long time. Everyone was positively devastated after he unloaded on them prior to his departure. More people were hurt when he concealed himself when he returned.
So in that regard, I don’t think the scales are tipped in either of their favor, really. And to be fair, I think Ioun is a less than ideal fit for either of them. Erathis is better for Percy but has somehow vanished from the narrative, and there are plenty other gods and domains more fitting for Scanlan than academical knowledge. His kind of intelligence is more related to streets than to libraries.
While I didn’t really expect this, I can’t say I’m not happy about getting a response in return.
I know I missed things, and might not have seen everything regarding both of them and their respective narratives. I forgot some instances of each of them doing something and kind of blanked at other things because I am honestly really shit at analyzing things. I kind of just wanted to try it out, even if I failed.
I feel as though Erathis is either not a god here at all, or she is Ioun. Thats the only vibe im getting, but usually I tend to be wrong.
I don’t really have anything to debate you with right now, I’m just happy to have gotten some form of debate and a deeper analysis of both people as well as the group on things.
I kind of just want Ioun to choose, since she is injured and the most in danger if she gives someone her power. I want a god to actually have a choice, interestingly enough, because Pelor was impassive and creepy.
Yay, I’m happy to get responses as well 🙂 especially when they are actually civil.
And I don’t think you fail at analysis at all, we just have different points of view on this issue.
Erathis was mentioned as a goddess, she’s the one Keeper Yennen is a priest to (The Lady’s Chamber temple), but the fact that she was brought up so little that you assumed her and Ioun were the same person is kind of the reason I don’t think she’s going to matter in this arc. If she does, I’m all for it.
And yes, choosing would be nice. Pelor was… I mean, I will defend Vex as his champion with my dying breath, but that was mostly a result of her never getting a character arc herself and this is the best she got. Well. And the fact that shitty, disapproving father figures are kind of her thing. What a great theme that is.
Overdressed & Underappreciated 