A Conversation Overheard

[VengeanceX]

<p>I was in the Freeport Militia building the other day and I thought I would head down to the cells to see if the traitor, Opal Darkbriar, had been disposed of yet.  When I got down there I walked in on this conversation:</p><p>Captain Maganus says, "Calm yourself, Darkbriar.  No one is buying into your theatrics."</p><p>Opal Darkbriar says, "You threaten the entire city of Freeport by detaining me.  Neriak will not stand for this!"</p><p>Captain Maganus says, "Is that so..."</p><p>Opal Darkbriar says, "Queen Cristanos Thex, herself, will see to my release."</p><p>Captain Maganus says, "I believe you are sadly mistaken, Opal.  You see, it was the queen who allowed us to enter Neriak and apprehend you, traitor."</p><p>Opal Darkbriar says, "You are lying!"</p><p>Captain Maganus says, "Am I?  There were certain conditions that were agreed upon when the Darklight Pact was signed, your arrest was one of them.  The Overlord doesn't take kindly to having his property stolen."</p><p>Opal Darkbriar says, "I didn't steal anything!  Secondly, Neriak would go to war before allowing itself to sign a treaty with the likes of that madman."</p><p>Captain Maganus says, "Fortunately, Queen Thex has a wiser head than you.  You sadly overestimate the strength of Neriak.  The queen was in no position to do much bartering."</p><p>Opal Darkbriar says, "You are delusional, human.  Neriak has been, and will always be one of the greatest empires on Norrath!"</p><p>Captain Maganus says, "I am afraid it is you that is out of touch of reality, my dear Darkbriar.  Thex couldn't sign the treaty fast enough... what with the multiple legions camped on her doorstep once the Commonlands tunnel was completed."</p><p>Opal Darkbriar says, "Make no mistake, it is just a temporary convenience."</p><p>Captain Maganus says, "Lord Razon Blayze has been assigned permanently to Hate's Envy to oversee the relations between Neriak and Freeport.   He'll make sure Neriak upholds their part of the longstanding treaty."</p><p>Opal Darkbriar says, "My nation will not be held to such conditions for long.  I will see to that personally as a loyal and powerful ally of the Teir'Dal Empire!"</p><p>Captain Maganus says, "Ah, well there is that as well.  Your allegiance is something of suspect these days."</p><p>Opal Darkbriar says, "How dare you!  I am Teir'Dal!"</p><p>Captain Maganus says, "The queen wasn't aware of such theft, and it was your hasty escape that led us right to Neriak's hidden doorstep.  We have you to thank for Freeport's present political gain."</p><p>Captain Maganus says, "What we want to know is who you were working for when you stole Soulfire."</p><p>Opal Darkbriar says, "I wasn't working for any-!"</p><p>Captain Maganus says, "No, don't protest... I wouldn't expect you to divulge any information... and it would save our ears from your screeching.  Rest assured my spellsplitter division will discover the answers we seek."</p><p>Opal Darkbriar says, "A division you wouldn't have if it wasn't for me and my academy's training.  You owe me, Maganus."</p><p>Captain Maganus says, "If we relied on your faulty training we'd still be searching for the clues of your theft... something I have no doubt you intended."</p><p>Opal Darkbriar says, "Listen... we can work something out!  I... I can make it worth your while.  What is it you want?  Power?!  Money?!  Love..."</p><p>Captain Maganus says, "You are getting desperate, Darkbriar...  and you insult me.  We will get to the bottom of this, and then the time of your trial will be at hand.  Good day, Opal."</p><p>Opal Darkbriar says, "Maganus!  Maganus!  You can't leave me here!  He'll have me executed!  He'll do it himself!"</p><p>Captain Maganus says, "I believe that's the plan."</p><p>I found this conversation to be mildly interesting.  I have never met Captain Maganus before in all my time in Freeport.  I gather that he is the commander of the Spellsplitter division of the Freeport military.  Also, I noted that despite her strong words against Freeport, Darkbriar still refused to confess to the crime of stealing Soulfire.</p><p> Still, no one seems all that interested in this little ornate dagger I found all the way out in the Nektulos bear caves...</p>

[troodon]

<a href="http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/posts/list.m?topic_id=363559" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Yep</a>

[Rainmare]

I still think that the Queen is going to have Opal rescued. and I think part of this is to teach Opal a lesson. she allowed them to come in, take Opal, and leave, and signed the pact that everyone who has ever heard of dealings with a dark elf knows is in her favor.the civil war has been brewing since EQ1. the problem is really, neither side has a clear advantage and those in power won't risk attempting a civil war because they know good and well thier subordinates would be working to make sure they are casualties to usurp thier positions.I think Opal Darkbriar's surrender is a ruse. it was to further make sure that Lucan feels that Cristanos is not a danger to him. after all, if she was, or was even planning to be, why would she let such a powerful source of intimate information go? but of course, she didn't let Darkbriar in on this, because she has to be completely shocked. while she could put on a show to fool a most, a tier'dal guard might catch the little details that would hint that she's not as scared about her impending trial as she might be.Neriak would win a war with freeport. I have no doubt in my mind about that. Neriak itself is a huge city, built in a manner that has several points that an invading force would be corraled into places. Neriak has the D'morte vampire clan on it's side, and underground, there's no sunlight to force them back. a single vampire is more powerful than many militia.Neriak's empire expands further into the underfoot, rather than the surface. which means the tier'dal can, if need be, rely on supplies from underground and potentially other exits to the surface that no one else knows about.D'vinn may even strike a blow or two for his former country if prompted, and he has the crushbone orcs at his command, that also have alliance with the Rujarkians.but then why the ruse..if Neriak is so powerful, why not sweep aside Freeport. Because it's in their interest not to. not becuase they are weak, but because Freeport makes for a vast source of information on what is happening in the world, and acts as Neriak's smokescreen. While Qeynos and Kelethin worry about freeport, Neriak can consolidate and expand it's influence without worry from them. and the 'alliance' with freeport means they don't have to worry about freeport right now either.there's a movie quote from Independence Day that I think sums up Christanos' political agenda right now to a T."It's like in chess...first, you carefully position your pieces on the board, and then, when the moment's right, you strike."and right now, Christanos is moving her pieces on the board. she has the patience, and experience of centuries on the world stage. Lucan also has centuries of experience, but his is very limited compared to Christanos. Outside of the tyrannical governing of Freeport, Lucan is a novice. while christanos has learned from centuries of working her empire through the underfoot, through anontica, and through Faydwer, even to Kunark, her empire's influence has been spread and carefully overseen and developed. (through EQ1 at least)She probably has either completely documented, or at least studied, every Tier'dal dealing with Mayong as well. from the ones in Lesser Fay to Najena's case. I wouldn't be surprised if she had personal dealings with him herself. Neriak was teh primary city involved in the Highpass Hold slave trade. and if Highpass has become the Far Seas Trading Company, I'd bet my fabled sword that Neriak has it's hooks firmly into it.The very fact that Lucan called Mayong a coward shows that either his inflated ego is so great he's bound to self destruct, or he's completely incompetent when it comes to the political and physical assessment of people outside Freeport's direct control. Both of which don't bode well for the Freeport Empire when Christanos decides this pact is no longer in her best interest.

[VengeanceX]

<cite>troodon wrote:</cite><blockquote><a rel="nofollow" href="http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/posts/list.m?topic_id=363559" target="_blank">Yep</a></blockquote><p>My apologies.  I like to think I read this section pretty thoroughly but I must admit, I either missed this little event entirely or my memory is even worse than I feared. <img src="http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/images/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" width="15" height="15" /></p><p>I do have to point out though that a developer has stated that Freeport's military might is far greater than represented in game.  How that compares to Neriak's forces, I do not know, although it is enough to give them pause.</p>

[Rainmare]

but numbers only count if you can use them effectively. look at 300. that battle is a real one. though it was more like 1300 vs the 10k + persians. funneled into the hot gates, thier numbers didn't mean anything. it came down to skill and ability more than numbers. in fact, had they not been betrayed, they probably could have held the persians off.look at the layout of Neriak. there are several key points, even if you use the teleporters, that would require any advancing force to funnel through a tunnel, or across a bridge. there's only 1 known way into neriak, and you'd have to funnel your troops through that gate. there's no water access to Neriak atm, so Freeport's navy is useless except are more footsoldiers. so you take freeporters army, and try to funnel it into the gates of neriak. your using soldiers that have a lviable military lifespan of what? 18 to 45..50 maybe? against soldiers that live and experience and train for easily two or three centuries.1 vampire could probably take on 18 militia soldiers and still have an even shot at victory. I base this on the idea that we adventurers are far better equiped then the common military man, and there are vampires in the d'morte caves that are challenges for groups of us. and they certainly hadn't had years of Tier'dal military training.I also think alot of Freeport's Tier'dal residents, if it came to war, would defect to Neriak. and probably in the middle of the campaign. they march out to Neriak, and then turncoat the first opportunity. and considering how many Tier'dal are high ranking officers, that would lead to many big, if not decisive, losses on Freeport's part. not to mention lucan is so...bullheaded, and arrogant when it comes to battle. I mean he literally nearly cost freeport the Battle of Defiance because of a personal grudge with the Knights of Truth.He strikes me as the kind that would take his massive army, and try and march it right down Christanos' throat, to use his numbers to just swarm over her like a flood. and she'd sit back, with a big smile, and let him try, before patiently sending out the Dead and the D'morte with her vanguard, and tripling her forces by using his dead, or turning his troops.and I use the scenario of Freeport marching on Neriak because the Tier'dal aren't as much about brute force as they are subversion and division. I imagine the dissolving of the pact would be her saying that she's withdrawing from it, him telling her to keep the bargain or else, her giving him the finger, and then him marching to war on her.without Lucan bringing the Academy with him, and using them far more than he would use his iron fist, I can't see his forces, no matter how great, besting Neriak. He'd have to beat them magically, and I don't see Lucan bringing enough of the Academy's potential force to do that, because he wouldn't want to have to give credit to his new Foci and the academy over his own leading of his militia forces. even if it was only in his own mind.

[KniteShayd]

<p>Let us not forget that, although the may be far less in number, she also has the Arasai on her side.</p><p>Small they may be, but highly adept and tactful.</p>

[Cusashorn]

I'm beginning to wonder if they actually plan to get it over with an execute Opal, or if Neriak will actually try to rescue her or what. The Soulfire storyline is long over now, so they really have no reason to keep her around anymore.

[Nocturnal Aby]

<p>If Neriak, and all Teir'Dal were unified, you're right, they'd most likely win, if nothing else, than superior tactics, training, and positioning.  However, even within Neriak, the Queen does not have the full support of her people.  The clergy are quietly against her, since she began claiming herself a goddess, and the Indigo Brotherhood resent her for their underuse, and for some, they likely suspect her in the assassination of King Naythox, one of their strongest benefactors.</p><p>We also have a rightful heir to the throne out there, to whom a large faction of Teir'Dal are loyal to, including, if I'm not mistaken, Emperor D'Vinn.</p><p>So now the Queen doesn't have one enemy to worry about, she has two unsettled factions from within, and two power-hungry leaders from without.  What are her odds now?</p>

[DrkVsr]

<span style="font-size: medium;color: #993300;font-family: comic sans ms,sand;">The Teir`Dal may have infighting and factions at each others throats, but ah don't doubt for a moment they would not pull together against any outside force (unless it's D`Vinn or the heir to throne) as they hate every other race on the surface of Norrath (that's not to say there won't be a few opportunistic strikes between factions during the battles)</span>

[PassingStranger]

<p>People seem to be favoring Neriak in this theoretical confrontation, but I wonder if that stance is more based on personal favoritism because people have an attachment to the teir'dal, or because people have a tendency to have a personal dislike of Lucan and/or Freeport, rather than a fair look at things.</p><p>It's something I've seen before. Just because the teir'dal are sneaky and evil, doesn't mean that everything is an intended ruse. Sometimes it is an "I meant to do that" situation, but not always. It is entirely possible that the queen really did have her back to the wall when Lucan's soldiers showed up at her doorstep.</p><p>That being said, I'm not implying that Freeport is definetly stronger, I really don't know. But just because some of us really like Neriak, doesn't make them flawless in their strategies or invincible on the battlefield.</p>

[Rainmare]

the reason why most of us feel that Opal's situation is a ruse is from two things. Opal herself states that she has friends in high places, or a direct link to the Queen. So I don't doubt for a second that if Cristanos didn't want her in Neriak, that she'd have got in. obviously they know of each other at the least, and cristanos could have easily said don't let her in.and, lets face it, if cristanos had thought Opal was dangerous, she could have had her killed with relative ease herself. the idea that the ebon mask is still relatively under her command, and Opal hasn't been in Neriak for a long time. so the terrain, and numbers, and skill advantage is on all the Queen's court. Or she could have simply told Lucan that she'd taken care of it herself, and Opal was dead.Why would they let Opal go, with how much valuable and intimate information she could give them, if there wasn't a reason that was more than being scared of Lucan's army. I mean if I had Lucan's right hand woman under my thumb, Lucan could threaten all he wanted. this is the woman that stole Soulfire under his nose. that kind of knowledge of the twilight citadel or lucan's personal habits would make me want to protect her even if lucan wanted to threaten war.Lucan's own ego is his achillies heel. pander to him a bit, give him a little show to make them think he's the baddest leader on Norrath, and you can do anything you want around him as long as he thinks he's the big boy on the block. this is the same man that thinks Mayong Mistmoore is scared of his 'radiance'.Lets say though that her back was against the wall, she was thrown offguard and agreed to these terms just to get Lucan off her back. Opal had a residence, she had her connections. now that cristanos has had some time, and breathing room, I would not doubt for a second that she'd break that pact with the rescue of Opal. she's just too valuable a source of information to let go.then we have our dead investigator. it seems rpetty obvious that she was murdered, then dragged to the bear caves. that to me says it wasn't Lucan's forces that killed her because she learned something she shouldn't, but Neriak's. unless her death is the simple annoyance of cristanos for finding Opal in neriak, then my guess is this investigator found out something a little more prudent about the situation with opal that made neriak want her silenced before she could report back.