Zenos: The Big Bad (The Feedback Thread, Part 1)

[Bright-Flower]

The attack on the Reach drives the narrative, but the attack was actually Fordola's idea and she's even the one that kills Meffrid or whoever the c-list named character there was.

Zenos doesn't really do much himself besides beat us and then leave, Fordola does more to actually drive that point. But I'll grant that maybe if Zenos hadn't been there the WOL could have repelled the attack.

In Doma, us attacking Zenos should have been a moment that had negative consequences with us picking a fight we weren't ready for. But instead the only thing that actually comes of it is Grynewaht accidentally helps us rally the Xaela to fight the empire.

[Vyrerus]

The attack on the Reach drives the narrative, but the attack was actually Fordola's idea and she's even the one that kills Meffrid or whoever the c-list named character there was.

Zenos doesn't really do much himself besides beat us and then leave, Fordola does more to actually drive that point. But I'll grant that maybe if Zenos hadn't been there the WOL could have repelled the attack.

In Doma, us attacking Zenos should have been a moment that had negative consequences with us picking a fight we weren't ready for. But instead the only thing that actually comes of it is Grynewaht accidentally helps us rally the Xaela to fight the empire.

And who made her speak her mind to voice and take that plan into action? She kills Meffrid and then gets molly whopped by Lyse and then the WoL. Without Zenos, the tide would have turned in the Resistance's favor, since Lyse would have beaten Fordola into the dirt before she knocks out Conrad. Raubahn and his reinforcements would arrive and push the Garleans out. Casualties would still be pretty high, but the Empire would lose.

Your Doma statement lumps and jumps about a bit. The assassination attempt on Zenos is driven by Yugiri, and the Domans overhear it. It's the final tender for the flame, though it wasn't intentional on our part. The keystone moment comes after we've just lost to Zenos again. His horn breaks, and he goes on a tirade about how he was right to let us live at Rhalgr's Reach. Then that very bold boy takes a pot shot at him while shouting, "Get away from him, you imperial dog!" If Zenos were other antagonist, he may have elected to kill all of the Domans then and there. He's Zenos though, and the unexpected resistance makes him walk away with a smile. His choice to do nothing(except be extra mean to Yotsuyu later) allows the rest of the plot to occur.

It's only after that, that we go to Hien in the Azim Steppe, who has the idea of using the Naadam to gain the Xaelan Alliance. We secure that alliance and consummate it with the scriptwriter's time convenient Garleans showing up right on queue right after we took the Ovoo. Grynewaht didn't do jack except get his butt beat again.