Drowtales: The Info Dump

[HandofShadows]

Seems she was talking to someone. And a important bit of info got slipped in there today.

[Hamilkar]

Seems she was talking to someone. And a important bit of info got slipped in there today.

Oh yes indeed. The monologue made sense so I take everything back.

So Zala is Empress and Sarv'swati is hunting the Black Sun? Hmmmmmmmmmmm didn't Sarv'swati had a deal with the BS and didn't Snadya suggest to Sarv'swati to let Zala waste her armies in order to subdue her?

Well I don't want to state the obvious but: It's a trap!!!

[HandofShadows]

New Empress: It could, be Zala but why didn't she say "her mother" then? Snad likes to stay in the background so I doubt it's her. Sarv might be ruling.

Wonder how Diva is taking this. She is dead TWICE now. Hmm. Just occured to me. She is one character whe have not seen in the "future art" yet.

[Hamilkar]

New Empress: It could, be Zala but why didn't she say "her mother" then? Snad likes to stay in the background so I doubt it's her. Sarv might be ruling.

Wonder how Diva is taking this. She is dead TWICE now. Hmm. Just occured to me. She is one character whe have not seen in the "future art" yet.

1. Well yes however then even more happened off screen. I thought Zala's family, because of her love for children and grandchildren and so one, is the most numerous and therefore the most powerful one in the Sharen clan. (Nice strategy btw )

Zala being Empress would fit into the story nicely. The other two sisters letting her play queen for a limited time only to make her walk into a trap.

2. Well there could be a very early one. I know not much to see but I bet that long blue haired being is Diva. (Now she is purple of course!)

[Hamilkar]

I don't quite understand here what the objective of the Sharen expedition is? There are riots and a coup in a neighboring nation so the Sharen intervene, but what do they want to achieve? To expand Sharen influence, to subdue the rebellion to restore the former Illhardro Illharess, or all the things together?

The fact that the Sharens we've seen so far are all of Zala's bloodline while Sarv'swati's people are possible far away, is only strengthening my theory.

Even the expert nether summoner Yamini is here. Well she starts quite aggressive by suggesting to open a nether gate. I bet with her fierce temper, as she demonstrated in the demon painter side story, she will display a “burn them all” attitude when things get nasty.

Now I really wonder what the trap will be like...

[Miklus]

It is not clear if Balsii's coup was sponsored by the Sharen or not, but it does not really matter. Chrys' goal is to find out who is in charge now and support that person. If Balsii rules, support her and win influence. If the old queen has twarted the coup, come to her rescue.

In either case, the Sharen don't want the people to win. The people ruling themselves without Vals? Who ever heard something so absurd?!

It could all be a double-cross to destroy Zala, of course. But can the Sharen really afford more infighting at this point? They really need to pull together or Quain will flatten them. I think they all realize that by now.

[HandofShadows]

Someone took a LOT of levels in Diplomacy during the time skip.

[Hamilkar]

It could all be a double-cross to destroy Zala, of course. But can the Sharen really afford more infighting at this point? They really need to pull together or Quain will flatten them. I think they all realize that by now.

While I agree that the thread of Quaintana should be the glue that forces the three sisters to work together, Snadhya seems to think otherwise. Maybe Sarv'swati thinks that with the help of the Black Sun, that she can conquer any opposition. I believe we will see some serious Sharen internal power plays soon.

It is obvious that the partnership of the Triumvirate can, like all Triumvirates, only work for a limited amount of time. It must break at some point.

Someone took a LOT of levels in Diplomacy during the time skip.

Good to see that Chrystel is over her valerian tea addiction now and returned to her old resourceful self. Well she had always a more diplomatic side to her like her attempt to help Faen to get better along in the school. Still for Drow standards she must be extremely young for her position. It's like to send an 20 year old as an ambassador to the United Nations for the Security Council.

On the other hand despite her inexperience she is obviously doing a much better job than her older sister Yamini would do. If Zala is indeed empress then I think that her second in command, Saphala is staying in Chel to oversee the rest of her forces.


By the way at the DrowWiki they created a Story Guide now to see what character is doing what in each chapter. It says the comic has now six parallel story arcs, no wonder that the story feels more and more complex.
Is that useful to you Gez?

[HandofShadows]

Well, it looks like the next page will show who the New Empress is.

I wonder though. Might it be a charcter we are NOT at all expecting?

[Miklus]

Well, it looks like the next page will show who the New Empress is.

I wonder though. Might it be a charcter we are NOT at all expecting?

10 Zorkmids says it's Shinae! She has ruthlessly fought her way to the top and Chrys is now her b****!

...No I don't really belive that!

[max_black0]

I suffered major Syphile withdrawal after her death. I'd her to be reavealed as alive and Empress. That would be AWESOME!

[Gamall]

I agree.

If by "awesome" you mean "utterly nonsensical", that is.

[HandofShadows]

And the new Empress is Zala. Some poeple called it right and deserve cookies. Diva is officialy dead and I expect she will get a good laugh out of that.

[Miklus]

It's Zala indeed. With no less than seven spikes on the crown! Swanky!

[Hamilkar]

*eats the cookie* Yam yam
Thanks for the cookie!

So Zaless strategy is likely to solve the situation at Nuqrah as quickly as possible. If she's manages to bring decisive peace and stability to the neighboring nation, her popularity will rise which would stabilize her position as Queen back home. If the rulers of Nuqrah would also publicly acknowledge her rule over Chel as legitimate, she would profit from that as well. This PR stunt plan would make sense since Zaless is considered the diplomat, so she naturally has the public opinion in mind.

Zaless didn't say that Sarv did approve the decision to declare her to be empress. This is not a reassuring information. Maybe Zaless had even the fake Diva assassinated to made this possible? The question is how her sister will react to this grasp for power. Since Sarv is primarily a military leader her logical step would be to try to subdue Zaless by force. Sarv will try to wait for a good opportunity and will use surprise and brute force when she would decide to strike at her sister.

[HandofShadows]

Looks like the New Empress is looking to cut and run from the Underworld. Bit of a surprise for her to be doing that though we have seen a number of otehr characters (Snad even) talk about it.

Why do I get the feeling that the "ancient weapons" Zala spoke of are Bad News(tm) for everyone? Sometimes I think Diva kept the elves underground so they would not destroy the planet.

[Miklus]

Looks like the New Empress is looking to cut and run from the Underworld. Bit of a surprise for her to be doing that though we have seen a number of otehr characters (Snad even) talk about it.

Why do I get the feeling that the "ancient weapons" Zala spoke of are Bad News(tm) for everyone? Sometimes I think Diva kept the elves underground so they would not destroy the planet.

Going to the surface is probably a wise choise. Staying would be death. Sarv is probably too proud to run and Snad thinks she can still win with her secret demon army.

It was the biodynamic elves that had the Fungus of Doom (tm). So this must be yet another doomsday machine. That makes, what, four of them? If we count Kharla and Snad as one each.

[HandofShadows]

It was the biodynamic elves that had the Fungus of Doom (tm). So this must be yet another doomsday machine. That makes, what, four of them? If we count Kharla and Snad as one each.

Yep, it's the Val'Jaal'darya that have the bioweapon.

I would count Diva as a potential Person of Mass Destruction as well. She has most of Sharass's knowledge and well over 1000 years of experience in the mana arts. Right now she just lacks a large mana pool to draw on. I wonder if she came up with some new tricks during the time skip? Be surprised if she didn't actually.

[Fion MacCumhail]

I would count Diva as a potential Person of Mass Destruction as well. She has most of Sharass's knowledge and well over 1000 years of experience in the mana arts. Right now she just lacks a large mana pool to draw on.

she's got the large mana pool created by the (fae) population of chel'el'sussoloth. the real problem is her weak young body.

[Miklus]

The Drow politicians tells it straight, they don't sugarcoat it. How refreshing! If only real politicians would do that.

And some dude is going to have his head cut off in a minute, it would seem.

[HandofShadows]

Say it with me folks: "LUNCH TIIIIIME!" Those two are Dragon Chow. And frankly I don't feel at ALL bad about it.

[Hamilkar]

He, judging from the color of the scales, it's Chrystels dragon. So she is leading a submerged commando team of dragon riders. Now that will be shocking for the cost guards, when – without warning – the dragons materialize out of the lake. Surprise!

[Miklus]

Holy handgrenade! Chrys kicks butt! What was in that thing anyway? A neither demon? Nasty stuff!

Would that make it a unholy handgrenade...?

[Gamall]

A neither demon? Nasty stuff!

Neither demons... are those the kind that's spawned out of NOR Gates ?

[HandofShadows]

Chrys specialized in Blood Magic. And she seems to dislike nether summoning now. Her Dragon isn't tainted and may be named for a famed "demon killer". So I suspect it's a mana/blood bomb of some sort (not a nether summon). From the sounds of things, being Dragon Chow might have hurt less and been faster.

Looks like the dragon attack from the water is working well. A lot of the golems seem to be out of commission (or their pilots are. Munch, munch) and the rebal forces seems to have been tossed into utter confusion and are reacting poorly, if at all. Surprise can do a LOT to win a battle.

[Miklus]

It is most likely a "blood bomb". A huge improvement over the futile blood arrow that Chrys tried earlier. I can see now that it does not break from hitting the floor, but because Chrys is concentrating on it.

And I think they are taking over the golems. That is why they are pulling the corpses out.

[blackjack217]

Just in case the playgrounders have missed it, A new book is available for preorder.

Spoiler

Show

[Fion MacCumhail]

it will only be printed if there are enough preorders, though.

[blackjack217]

it will only be printed if there are enough preorders, though.

It got 27% of the way there on its first day.

[Miklus]

Woah, what just happened here? Did they just get "purged"? I can't see this any other way? Or was this untainted Jie'yen troops? If so, where did the red mana come from?