Vlast and wasted opportunities [Spoiler Warning]

[Boogiepop Void.6473]

Vlast was the most wasted McGuffin of the story. I say mcguffin because he wasn't really a character as he was handled so badly.

* Vlast only appears twice, in one instance, once crashing and once dying.

* His sacrifice for a random person he has never met contradicts later story given about how he doesn't care about people.

* We barely care about him as he is nothing but a disembodied voice in a recording.

* His only real place in the plot is to be mourned by Aurene, and to force Balthazar to care about her. It's a reverse Girlfriend in the Refrigerator.

 

He could have been so much more if we had gotten to meet and interact with him before his death. Even just a single short instance where we get to meet him would have vastly improved not only his part in the story but would have made the story surrounding Kesho make more sense.

* Having him as a character we interact with would have made his death more meaningful.

* It would have made his sacrifice more meaningful if our character weren't just an abstract to him.

* He could have guided us to Kesho instead of us being the most successful lazy archaeologists in history. Seriously, we ask 4 people things and manage to find a legendary lost city. It's just lazy, and it could have been much better by having Vlast guide us there.

[Malthurius.6870]

I don't think his sacrifice was a contradiction. He saved the player character based on your connection to the legacy and Aurene, and probably nothing more.

[Shirlias.8104]

Commander was connected to aurene, and Vlast knew it cause he also was connected to aurene.

 

It's obvious we don't care about him, we didn't know him at all, and as said the exalted talking about Vlast behavior, he couldn't care about the humans after years of imprisoning. But Aurene still could and still she's learning with the commander.

[Boogiepop Void.6473]

> @Malthurius.6870 said:

> I don't think his sacrifice was a contradiction. He saved the player character based on your connection to the legacy and Aurene, and probably nothing more.

 

Like I said, you are an abstract. It's not as meaningful as if we knew him and he told us "I don't give a damn about you as a person, but..." Then we would have our own complicated feelings about his sacrifice. It's lost character development for both him and us.

[LucianDK.8615]

yep, totally wasted character. Setting up the new dragon, only for him to end so suddenly with a flat thud.

[phandaria.4891]

His story is explained further when collecting his crystal and the pedestal, which he mentions about seeking "freedom" and death. I see it as he fights the branded not because he cared about the people, but because it is his duty which was instilled by the Exalted since young. His "sacrifice" might also not be act of heroism, but him chasing freedom.

 

I do agree about the Legendary Lost City though. Felt too rushed, did not feel anything legendary about it. Maybe should have added Balthazar/Forged traces leading there as they ransacked the place.