Living with yourself after Kazg

[Evnissyen]

Ugh, I'm so conflicted... . I do suspect that the Takers are not quite so "powerful" and "knowledgeable" as they claim to be... but it seems they're allied with Trajkov and, not knowing anything of him, I'm interested in the idea of meeting him on peaceful terms rather than hostile ones. I don't want to take the detour through the Control Three area because, honestly, I'd rather kill Control Three than help him. The Takers want me to kill him, so that's a plus for them.

 

Also, I like the idea of assassinating another Shaper, which is probably what the Sholai will want me to do.

 

On the other hand, I don't want to kill the "Outsider rebels", whoever they are (haven't found out yet) . . . I've yet to find out if the game will let me save them even as a Taker. I could simply not join them (yet) and then rush my way through the Eastern Gate, since I probably don't need to return to Kurit, or for that matter anyplace in East Kazg, for anything.

 

Well, I suppose I'll join the Takers and scout ahead and see if I can see if I can still free the rebels and thereby get Sniff to let me through that secret door in the Wooded Valley. I want to see what's in there, I want to see!

 

What bothers me, though, is what areas will close to me if I leave the Awakened for the Takers -- whom I don't like, anyway, considering how crazed and murderous they've become.

 

...but even though I prefer the Awakened (as I'm supposed to, I guess), I've always been suspicious of moderation, politically speaking. So I suppose I should just go ahead and join the Takers, and see what they have to offer -- if much of anything -- even though I hate them and even though their philosophy is sure to get them (and the rest of the poor serviles) killed. Really, in real life: joining the Takers would be the dumbest move imaginable, even for a power-hungry shaper (since it would get said shaper killed, eventually, anyhow).

 

I'm glad this isn't real life!

 

(Or is it?)

 

The only thing that bugs me is that certain people controlling certain areas in the game are forcing me toward one faction or another. Obviously it's intentional, and I know I've been saying I want more of this stuff: accountability. Well, I guess I'll go ahead and make my foolhardy, dumb-a choice.

 

I was never much of a fan of sanity, anyhow.

 

[AnarhIztok2511]

There might be some point, some people would regard as spoilers, especially about the outside rebels, but since you asked:

Fist things first:

There is nothing you are supposed to do (other than finish the game ) and there can be a satisfiable ending for every sect - I found the most satisfiable the one I didn't count to be so, so be ready for surprises - the game deserves at least one playthrough, so you can try different factions. And when you say Takers are murderous and insane, if you think thoroughly, no faction is really sane (Obeyers want to worship and obey someone, who they've not even seen and probably doesn't even care about them in the slightest, Takers want to kill those who they believe oppress them even if it means their doom, and Awakened want to be equal to the at that time strongest force in the world, to which they may be so insignificant it could just step on them for fun.), and no one is really clean.

I myself prefer to join the Takers (But only after I visit and do everything I want at the outsider rebels and wooded alley, and never return there. You can get past East Kazg even if you're not a Taker, I don't remember, but there IS a SIMPLE way.). They may seem mad, but they are just and play openly without hiding their emotions etc.

Once I also joined the Awakened, but never Obeyers - as I've never joined any Shaperish faction in latter games - I don't know, I just can't .

 

Some things that even some (very little) more people could consider spoilers:

 

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here it is:

 

Click to reveal..

Furthermore I must warn you that "the other Shaper" is quite strong and not too easy to kill without any cheating - I managed it after a lot of reloads.

 

Btw: You don't even need to join any faction, even if you want to meet with Trajkov, although it is quite hard, since there are a lot of misstrustful Sholai in the way.

Also, you can join all the factions - the easiest being first to talk down to serviles (I avoid talking philosophy with the Vakkirians and wait 'till Pentil) and joining the Obeyers. And then, after getting as much as you can from them, join the Awakened and the the Takers.

 

Click to reveal..

ps: A warning - when heading to Pentil, come from the south (Pentil woods?), since coming from the west (killing a lot of artilas and thahds) will prevent you a quest (and therefore a reward).

[Lilith]

You know that there are spoiler tags that you can put spoilers in now, right? Like this:

 

Click to reveal..

At the end of "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead", Rosencrantz and Guildenstern die.

[AnarhIztok2511]

Sorry, I didn't know, but I wouldn't've actually count them as spoilers, I just wrote a warning if someone might ...

 

Oh, I saw it now.

[Evnissyen]

Anarhlztok:

Yes, that's what I've been thinking, except that I was going to try joining the Takers before going into the Refugee Cave, and see if I could still, somehow rescue them (I don't see how I do that without massacreing (sp?) a lot of Takers... I'll find out soon, next time I open up the game). I know I can rush through the gate and not anger the Takers in Kazg, but I won't be able to return to East Kazg... and I don't want to sacrifice a trading partner (since my trading partners are too quickly running out of money). Well, I might not have a choice.

 

I was friendly to the Awakened early on since they seemed the most sensible (even though, obviously, I knew their descriptions of the other factions were prejudiced), and I ended up joining the Awakened just after entering Pentil. I didn't like the mindless groveling of the people there or their spies.

 

The only opinion-dialogues I backed away from were the ones from the Obeyers who wanted me to say nice things about their foolishness; I didn't want to make them sad. (Especially Learned Dayna: I mean, how do you tell a woman that her entire life has been wasted as a useless copyist? And then she says something like, "I guess I'll put myself to better use now and work in the fields." ...I mean, hell, I didn't want to break the woman's heart and then drive her into hard labor.)

 

I tried to join the Obeyers just for the XP boost, but they wouldn't let me 'cause they accused me of being a false shaper. (They'll find out eventually, I suppose.)

 

Luckily the Takers will take me even though I aligned myself as an Awakened. (Apparently they have a political need to get me on their side, as with Trajkov.)

 

As for the other shaper... difficulty doesn't bother me, it's actually more realistic in the case of enemy shapers who're supposed to be more powerful than me (their being better trained, of course). (In fact: So far this game seems more difficult, on Normal, than G3 & G4 were on Tricky. Which is good.)

 

[Dikiyoba]

Both the Awakened and Takers require you to have a pro-independence opinion but the Obeyers require a pro-obedience opinion before they'll accept you as an ally.

 

I'm pretty sure you can get through East Kazg peacefully, then meet with the outsiders, do their quests, open up the Wooded Valley, and then kill them to fulfill the Taker's quest. You can't ever rescue them, since you're stuck on the island too.

 

You can also meet with Trajkov peacefully even if you aren't a Taker, but you'll have to kill pretty much everyone else in your path. And if you work for Trajkov, Dikiyoba thinks you get the same ending regardless of whether you are allied with the Takers or not.

[Men are from Slars]

Didn't G1 have an one-shot instant-reputation-changing servile like Darian did in G2 and G3? I can't remember if it was Clois or Darian or someone else, though.

[Dikiyoba]

It was Darian.

 

Although the way reputation works in G1 means he might not be necessary. I think it's only opinions that change it, and you don't need to give a lot of opinions to change what the sects think of you. So there should be plenty, if you hold off on answering the ones you don't need.

 

Dikiyoba.

[Evnissyen]

Well, it turns out either I was mistaken or there's a bug that made the situation different the first time than the second. Explanation: The second time that I ran right through the guards into the East Gate: I immediately went back to Kazg and was attacked. Oh well!

 

Of course I could've taken the long route around and gotten to the rebel Shaloi without going through the Taker blockade, but I was impatient.

 

So... I joined the Takers. I got through the East Gate, went to the rebel Shaloi, chatted them up, did their quest, got their letter, went to their friends in the Wooded Valley. So all's well. Next I'll head down to the Servile Warrens and kill Control One. Whee!

 

So... I have mixed feelings about the Takers. My first thought of Trajkov and the Sholai was that they were seeking to use the Kazg serviles as leverage to help them gain power and ultimately take over the island and wage war against the Shapers... . I know more now I see Trajkov must be killed. I suppose I'll get to do that eventually.

 

The Takers, I have to admit -- although it was really probably just fortune that Trajkov ran into them first (or else, in his power-crazed madness he simply found them most agreeable, but the Awakened didn't seem to know much about him) -- they did have the political sensibility to see what an alliance with the Shaloi would mean for them and chose to use this to their advantage... they've also been more active in exploring and in gaining information elsewhere on the island, unlike the Awakened. All of this seems to make them a better ally than the Awakened . . . although I've to see, later in the game, just how far the Awakened really have managed to extend their influence.

 

Interesting. I have to admit: Although G3 & G4 were prettier and more fun (and more streamlined; one thing I hate in G1 is having to click on the living tools 7 times if a lock needs 9 or 10 living tools (before I can use the unlock spell), as opposed to G3 & G4 which simply ask me how many tools I wish to use)... G1 does have its advantages as far as political intricacies.

 

The Obeyers really don't like me anymore. They won't trade with me. Sigh... but they're too scared of me to not talk to me.

 

[Sudanna]

If you kill Trajkov, the Takers become hostile.

[Evnissyen]

Then I'll wait until I'm ready to kill him... unless it turns out to be advantageous to consort with him and the Takers.

 

To date, although I've joined the Takers, I've found myself secretly helping the rebel Shaloi. Best to double- or triple-agent, in interest of my own ends, whatever they[i/] turn out to be. Too bad the game (I assume) won't let me write my own ending. ...Oh, well.