Lia's BK tweets archive - 2020-11-16: Azha

Lia @liareplaysbk · 12:13 AM · Nov 17, 2020 Permalink

Tonight’s session was most of the Azha dialog, i.e. “one logical consequence of fascism is genocide and workers’ oppression and we’re not going to be subtle about it.”
So er, blanket content warning for that today, heh?

Lia @liareplaysbk · 12:17 AM · Nov 17, 2020 Permalink

It’s all windswept rock spires in the desert. Could be pretty, but... yeah.
LORE DUMP TIME, fascists and stuff that starts with “Operation” is always good news right?

A near-empty desert village of rock spires. Title card: “Azha Village”.

Lyude: “You heard about it in Mintaka, right? About Operation Sweep...”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 12:23 AM · Nov 17, 2020 Permalink

Classic setup for bad stuff: a mining village, a miners’ strike.
(There are weird issues with this bit, holes in the VO and the “a year ago” timeline doesn’t line up. Missed in editing?)

Lyude on top of a sepia flashback: “Azha used to well known for its mining of iron ore. They would mine from Lava Caves and sell their [cont]”

Lyude: “But about a year ago, the villagers reduced their shipments to the Empire a great deal. The reason [cont]”

Lyude: “[cont] being simple fatigue from working day after day in such harsh conditions.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 12:29 AM · Nov 17, 2020 Permalink

And what do we do with miners’ strikes? Slaughter, what else.
It’s even mentioned that complaints got filed through the proper channels, and ignored, before work stoppage!
Teen me saw this as cartoon villainy. Adult leftist me who’s learned some history knows it is not one bit.

Lyude: “Enraged at the villagers’ defiance, the Emperor ordered his army to execute all dissidents as a warning.”

Lyude, above a red flashback of soldiers and dead villagers: “I objected to the mission...”

Lyude: “But the mission, known as Operation Sweep, was carried out as planned.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 12:33 AM · Nov 17, 2020 Permalink

At which point Savyna decides to come clean as... having been in charge of the massacre.
(Could probably have done with non-neutral portrait choices here)

Savyna: “I led the operation myself. We wiped out all those in rebellion against the Empire.”

Lyude: “That means... Savyna! You were head of the Mad Wolf Unit?”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 12:37 AM · Nov 17, 2020 Permalink

Conveniently Timed Rando Imperial Soldiers show up chatting about Lady Death (who we heard in Mintaka was leading the Mad Wolf Unit i.e. is Savyna).
Not subtle. Also why the “a year ago” doesn’t line up, everything else points at two.

Soldier 1: “I heard Lady Death has been hiding out in Anuenue.”

Soldier 2: “You mean, the one they used to call “killing machine”?”

Soldier 1: “Some of the troops apparently saw Lady Death out there.”

Soldier 2: “Are you serious? It’s been over two years since she disappeared.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 12:40 AM · Nov 17, 2020 Permalink

They get one glimpse of her and run the hell out of town.
Gibari proceeds to, er, not be the sharpest tool in the shed.
Savyna then wants to stop talking? Which kinda reads as having blurted the confession out due to sheer stress.

Soldier 2: “Wha... It can’t be! Let’s get outta here!”

Gibari, looking confused: “What was that all about?”

Savyna, eyes closed: “We’d better hurry.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 12:46 AM · Nov 17, 2020 Permalink

Not like she gets to do that though, between we’ve got one party member specialized in starting shit who miraculously doesn’t get a “I WAS RIGHT ALL ALONG YOU JERKS” line.
Kalas acts as the Plot Loose End Tie-Up Prompt this time ‘round.

Lyude, looking shocked: “”Lady Death” of the Mad Wolf Unit... Is that who you are?”

Kalas: “Savyna, you told us you were not an Imperial soldier back in Anuenue.”

Savyna: “Because I no longer am... ...that’s all in the past.”

Savyna: “It’s not something I’m proud of.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 12:48 AM · Nov 17, 2020 Permalink

The exchange being referenced is this one:

Lia @liareplaysbk · 10:02 PM · Oct 28, 2020 Go

She stops the fight before it goes too far, TECHNICALLY doesn’t lie (it’s missing an “anymore”), and kinda distorts the part where she didn’t exactly try to defuse anything.
A nice touch is how much more military her language turns right after this fight, hah.

Savyna, exhausted: “Enough sparring. I saw we stop now. It’s no use going on. The last thing we want is casualties.”

Savyna: “At ease, all of you. I don’t belong to the Empire.”

Kalas: “What? Then why did you fight us?”

Savyna: “You jumped to a conclusion, and attacked me. I merely returned the favor.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 12:51 AM · Nov 17, 2020 Permalink

Look we can’t waste time processing the fact that one of us led a major slaughter, there’s more important things to do!
(This is becoming a pattern with Xelha and I don’t like it)

Xelha: “Let’s not talk about it anymore.”

Xelha: “We should just focus on getting to the Lava Caves.”

Xelha: “Geldoblame could be unsealing the last End Magnus as we speak.”

Kalas: “All right, Xelha. Let’s move on.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 12:55 AM · Nov 17, 2020 Permalink

As has been established, shutting up is not Lyude’s forte, frankly for good reasons here.
Gibari’s shutdown of the convo is a touch more nuanced than Xelha’s at least?

Lyude: “It’s hard for me to talk since I don’t know your whole story, but that mission was just...”

Gibari, looking serious: “That’s enough, Lyude.”

Gibari: “Everyone’s done something they’re not proud of. No use digging it up now.”

Gibari: “If Savyna has something she’s gotta make right, let her do it her own way.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 12:58 AM · Nov 17, 2020 Permalink

We could, however, MAYBE tell her to wait outside while we explore? And same with Lyude since he’s got his darn uniform on? So we don’t retraumatize kids? No? OKAY

Inside the spire, a kid standing in the corridor: “!”

The child has ran off to hide in the room.

Lia @liareplaysbk · 01:02 AM · Nov 17, 2020 Permalink

The NPCs inside don’t mince their words.
It’s a neat touch that they have their own name for the “events”, calling them the Azha Massacre rather than using the clinical codename.

NPC 1: “...Do you know about the Azha Massacre? The girl’s parents died in it. No trial, just immediate [cont]”

NPC 2: “I don’t think it’s a serious crime to complain about our treatment.”

NPC 2: “And yet my husband was killed... just for a small complaint. How could the Empire be so cruel to us?”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 01:06 AM · Nov 17, 2020 Permalink

The last room is blocked by kids who will absolutely not let us through, because, well.
Again, no gloves on this whatsoever.

Kid: “What’s that on your back? A winglet, huh? You must be from the Empire!”

Kid: “And that guy behind you... I’ve seen that uniform before...”

Kid: “That day... I saw many men wearing that same uniform...”

Kid: “They came and did horrible things... My mom and dad - you killed them!”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 01:10 AM · Nov 17, 2020 Permalink

We get yelled out, and yelled out again when exiting by the same child who hid earlier.
This gets us a flashback of what I assume is the point where Savyna broke during the “operation”: punched a kid (dead, I assume) and froze. We’ll be meeting this Azdar guy way later.

Girl: “Get out of our village, you murderer!!”

Savyna, in a flashback, over the corpse of a child, looking horrified: “...”

Azdar, in the flashback: “Savyna!! Snap out of it! We’re on a mission here. Don’t let your emotions interfere!”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 01:13 AM · Nov 17, 2020 Permalink

Guards were blocking the cave’s entrance (note to self: load an older save and go check what they say if you haven’t gone through the scenes).
A very determinate Savyna pulls Lady Death rank on them and clears the way.

Imperial Soldier: “I, I can’t let you... pass...”

Savyna: “My own battle is waiting up ahead. If you don’t move, I’ll be forced to remove you.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 01:15 AM · Nov 17, 2020 Permalink

This about wraps up Azha itself. It’s... harsher than I recalled, and unpleasant how not one bit exaggerated it looks now that I know more history.
I don’t have super-clear memories of how Savyna’s arc gets tidied up, but it better not suck, that’s A LOT to redemption away.

Lia @liareplaysbk · 01:17 AM · Nov 17, 2020 Permalink

I went through a bunch more dialog and started the Lava Caves, but that’s a ton more screenshots, it’s very late, and I’ve got some (masked, necessary, infuriating) travel time to fill tomorrow, so. Catch you then with MOAR LORE DUMP.