Empowered Woedica

[Skazz]

 

He'd be a hypocrite if he held it against you, really.

Implying he isn't a total hypocrite? 

 

His whole concept of a slave god seems paradoxical to say the least.

 

 

I don't know. He always struck me as the god who'd probably have plenty of worshippers in real life. The jealous neighbor, the underappreciated office worker, Chris Avellone - they'd all be prime candidates for devoted Skaenites.

 

What he represents tends to get a bit too real for me. Which, admittedly, is also the most terrifying thing about him.

[Fredward]

So I never actually finished PoE, are Skaen and Woedica working together or does she have some kind of hold over him? Or is the implication that he's doing exactly what his portfolio implies and it's just a long game? 

[Juodas Varnas]

So I never actually finished PoE, are Skaen and Woedica working together or does she have some kind of hold over him? Or is the implication that he's doing exactly what his portfolio implies and it's just a long game? 

Well, according to the wiki, one of his aliases is literally "The Queen's Slave"

.

.

.

Woedica is the queen.

[Voss]

 

I know right?

It's NOTHING compared to Hylea's boon you get.

 

She bakes you a cake.

I love cake.

 

Cake is a lie, you know?

.

It isn't. It's just not for you.

[The Sharmat]

So I never actually finished PoE, are Skaen and Woedica working together or does she have some kind of hold over him? Or is the implication that he's doing exactly what his portfolio implies and it's just a long game? 

It's never explicit but I got the impression he's playing a long game with his double dealing.

[Dr. Hieronymous Alloy]

Skaen's purpose in the pantheon is to be a bad outlet for anyone who's fighting the system. 

 

Remember, these gods were designed to reinforce Engwithan colonialism. Skaen's job is to make sure any rebels or anyone who disputes their place in society 1) engages in strategically useless random violence instead of collective action, and 2) is universally scorned and hated. 

 

If Eora were a high school, Skaen would be the god of nerds, except his job is to tell everyone else that it's ok to beat up the nerds.

[Skazz]

If Eora were a high school, Skaen would be the god of nerds, except his job is to tell everyone else that it's ok to beat up the nerds.

 

So, the patron saint of the internet.

Edited May 16, 2018 by Skazz

[morhilane]

Woedica is a backdoor app that lost admin access before the system started meant to keep everything in order.

Skaen is an honeypot trap.

Berath is the process that keep the system running.

Ondra is the process that periodically empty the trash and defrag the hard drive.

Abydon, Magran, Galawain and Hylea are apps in charge of upgrading the system.
Wael is an obfuscating app.

Eothas is the start up application.

Rymrgand is "rm -r /."

Edited May 16, 2018 by morhilane

[Ciphys]

Woedica is a backdoor app that lost admin access before the system started meant to keep everything in order.

Skaen is an honeypot trap.

Berath is the process that keep the system running.

Ondra is the process that periodically empty the trash and defrag the hard drive.

Abydon, Magran, Galawain and Hylea are apps in charge of upgrading the system.

Wael is an obfuscating app.

Eothas is the start up application.

Rymrgand is "rm -r /."

How fortunate that Rymrgand doesn't have sudo privileges.

Edited May 16, 2018 by Ciphys

[Mikeymoonshine]

the key thing to remember here is that they already mentioned that your actions in PoE1 may not come back in PoE2 in ways you were expecting. So unless you've done 100% of every possible thing multiple times using different backgrounds, it may be a bit hard to notice.

 

So Theos has this elaborate plan to empower Woedica to become ruler over the other gods by feeding her a whole bunch of baby souls,  the Watcher foils that plan only to give her the baby souls anyway and then it just never comes up again or matters at all? Even in direct conversations with Woedica and the gods who overthrew her in the first place?

 

This is the kind of choice you don't put in if you aren't going to do anything with it becaue not doing anything with it is in and of itself a retcon.

[SleepyTemplar]

 

 

I know right?

It's NOTHING compared to Hylea's boon you get.

 

She bakes you a cake.

I love cake.

Cake is a lie, you know?

.

It isn't. It's just not for you.

 

 

I don't know, considering what Hylea does if you betray her I'm hesitant to accept a cake from her. I've seen The Help. This won't end well.

[Ryz009]

Least berath gave me a cool bell. And I didn't even have to promise her first

[SleepyTemplar]

Least berath gave me a cool bell. And I didn't even have to promise her first

 

I got a curse from Berath that required me to kill people to break it. Joke's on her, I'm using my super evil murderhobo playthrough!

[Skazz]

 

the key thing to remember here is that they already mentioned that your actions in PoE1 may not come back in PoE2 in ways you were expecting. So unless you've done 100% of every possible thing multiple times using different backgrounds, it may be a bit hard to notice.

 

So Theos has this elaborate plan to empower Woedica to become ruler over the other gods by feeding her a whole bunch of baby souls,  the Watcher foils that plan only to give her the baby souls anyway and then it just never comes up again or matters at all? Even in direct conversations with Woedica and the gods who overthrew her in the first place?

 

This is the kind of choice you don't put in if you aren't going to do anything with it becaue not doing anything with it is in and of itself a retcon.

 

 

You're right, but in this case I think that, perhaps, they weren't really sure whether they would be making a sequel down the road - after all, PoE was something of a financial risk for Obsidian. The "let the bad guy win" options aren't really problematic if you don't intend to go beyond just one game.

[Tagaziel]

Skaen's purpose in the pantheon is to be a bad outlet for anyone who's fighting the system.

I disagree. From the perspective of stability, Skaen is an outlet for people so low on the social ladder that the piss coming down from above feels like a cold rain. It gives them one final recourse against the abuses of the powerful in the form of the Effigy - and keeps them from rebelling every time by killing those most devoted to the cause in vain attempts to summon it.

 

Skaen isn't the god of change. He's the god of scheming. Magran, Galawain, or Hylea would be much better candidates for the gods of social change.

[The Sharmat]

Skaen's purpose in the pantheon is to be a bad outlet for anyone who's fighting the system. 

 

Remember, these gods were designed to reinforce Engwithan colonialism. Skaen's job is to make sure any rebels or anyone who disputes their place in society 1) engages in strategically useless random violence instead of collective action, and 2) is universally scorned and hated. 

 

If Eora were a high school, Skaen would be the god of nerds, except his job is to tell everyone else that it's ok to beat up the nerds.

I thought of it more as his job is as a release valve for people suffering under the absolute worst kind of torture to the extent that the extinction of their lord and his entire family is something people are willing to look the other way on, so it kind of caters to both sides. It maintains status quo in that unless something is so bad you're willing to become the Effigy you're supposed to just shut up and take your licks, but it does give an alternative other than mass slave uprisings for guys that just like to torture their serfs for sport. Besides, I think the Engwithans were beyond mere colonialism in the sense we'd understand it. I mean, they all killed themselves to make these gods. I think they believed in what they were doing as more than a pragmatic way to spread an empire.

[The Sharmat]

 

 

the key thing to remember here is that they already mentioned that your actions in PoE1 may not come back in PoE2 in ways you were expecting. So unless you've done 100% of every possible thing multiple times using different backgrounds, it may be a bit hard to notice.

 

So Theos has this elaborate plan to empower Woedica to become ruler over the other gods by feeding her a whole bunch of baby souls,  the Watcher foils that plan only to give her the baby souls anyway and then it just never comes up again or matters at all? Even in direct conversations with Woedica and the gods who overthrew her in the first place?

 

This is the kind of choice you don't put in if you aren't going to do anything with it becaue not doing anything with it is in and of itself a retcon.

 

 

You're right, but in this case I think that, perhaps, they weren't really sure whether they would be making a sequel down the road - after all, PoE was something of a financial risk for Obsidian. The "let the bad guy win" options aren't really problematic if you don't intend to go beyond just one game.

 

None of Deadfire's endings will matter in Pillars 3 either and I'm sure they have one of those in mind.

[Mikeymoonshine]

 

 

the key thing to remember here is that they already mentioned that your actions in PoE1 may not come back in PoE2 in ways you were expecting. So unless you've done 100% of every possible thing multiple times using different backgrounds, it may be a bit hard to notice.

 

So Theos has this elaborate plan to empower Woedica to become ruler over the other gods by feeding her a whole bunch of baby souls,  the Watcher foils that plan only to give her the baby souls anyway and then it just never comes up again or matters at all? Even in direct conversations with Woedica and the gods who overthrew her in the first place?

 

This is the kind of choice you don't put in if you aren't going to do anything with it becaue not doing anything with it is in and of itself a retcon.

 

 

You're right, but in this case I think that, perhaps, they weren't really sure whether they would be making a sequel down the road - after all, PoE was something of a financial risk for Obsidian. The "let the bad guy win" options aren't really problematic if you don't intend to go beyond just one game.

 

 

Fair but i never expected the choice would affect the game in some major way, maybe it didn't work as well as Theos thought? Maybe despite Woedica being empowered she still isn't strong enough to take on all the other gods and this Eothas stuff kinda puts all that on the back burner? They can easily just pospone the major consiquences of that choice to not play out until after they end the series. It should be aknowledged though and there should be some way to explain it in game. Other than these very cryptic tiny hints that don't even show up for everyone.

[TempMcGuy]

Empowering Woedica, with the souls of the Dyrwood, like Thaos wanted (the whole plot of the first game), and making her powerful to restore her broken crown amounted to.... nothing. Absolutely nothing. Bravo Obsidian, Bravo!

[Dr. Hieronymous Alloy]

 

Skaen's purpose in the pantheon is to be a bad outlet for anyone who's fighting the system.

I disagree. From the perspective of stability, Skaen is an outlet for people so low on the social ladder that the piss coming down from above feels like a cold rain. It gives them one final recourse against the abuses of the powerful in the form of the Effigy - and keeps them from rebelling every time by killing those most devoted to the cause in vain attempts to summon it.

 

Skaen isn't the god of change. He's the god of scheming. Magran, Galawain, or Hylea would be much better candidates for the gods of social change.

 

 

 

RIght -- he's a *bad* outlet. His job isn't to be a god of social change; his job is to discredit those who want social change, as terrorists and rebels and murderers etc. He's the Slave of the Queen. Ultimately, Skaen's existence serves to reinforce the aristocratic social order: he's the eternal scapegoat, and his Effigies serve to rationalize and justify every brutal authoritarian crackdown.

[SleepyTemplar]

Empowering Woedica, with the souls of the Dyrwood, like Thaos wanted (the whole plot of the first game), and making her powerful to restore her broken crown amounted to.... nothing. Absolutely nothing. Bravo Obsidian, Bravo!

 

Of course it amounted to something. Her crown is fixed now so she doesn't have to buy a new one. If it took fifteen years of children's souls to fix it, can you imagine how much it would cost for a new one? 

[Tagaziel]

 

 

Skaen's purpose in the pantheon is to be a bad outlet for anyone who's fighting the system.

I disagree. From the perspective of stability, Skaen is an outlet for people so low on the social ladder that the piss coming down from above feels like a cold rain. It gives them one final recourse against the abuses of the powerful in the form of the Effigy - and keeps them from rebelling every time by killing those most devoted to the cause in vain attempts to summon it.

 

Skaen isn't the god of change. He's the god of scheming. Magran, Galawain, or Hylea would be much better candidates for the gods of social change.

 

 

 

RIght -- he's a *bad* outlet. His job isn't to be a god of social change; his job is to discredit those who want social change, as terrorists and rebels and murderers etc. He's the Slave of the Queen. Ultimately, Skaen's existence serves to reinforce the aristocratic social order: he's the eternal scapegoat, and his Effigies serve to rationalize and justify every brutal authoritarian crackdown.

 

Is he? I never got that impression - rather, I got the impression that Skaen acts as a check against the powerful, rather than the powerless. The Effigy isn't an excuse for crackdowns (which would only generate more followers of Skaen and potential Effigies), but a threat against those in power, that they can - and sometimes do - choke on their whip, to quote the lore book. 

 

In other words, his job can't be to discredit those who want social change, because he's about retaliation, not changing things. Was the War of Defiance dedicated to Skaen?

[Porcelyn]

I always pair up Skaen with Wael because I think they would have the most LOLs. Like The Skaen & Wael show! A variety hour of insane hilarity.

[Powerslacker]

After reading other people's thoughts on this, my best guess is that empowering Woedica is a mistake. Sure, Skaen promises that she will be grateful; but based on what we know about her, her notion of "gratitude" is probably along the lines of "I won't seek 'justice' against you for meddling in my plans, killing my favored servant and uncovering the secret truth bout the gods."

She's just not the type to feel like she would owe you any more than that, because in her view, it is the duty of kith to serve the gods and not question; so everything you did in PoE 1 before you empowered her would be viewed as transgressions against her law that -you- owe -her- for. Empowering her means that you're even; nothing more.

[etno]

Aright, so Woedica's story about being "the Queen of gods" seems to have been retconned. That's disappointing.