Recent entries

    Cradle ()
    #1822 Copy

    Questioner

    Wait, so Elder Whisper is a level above Underlord?!! That is CRAZY AWESOME!

    Will Wight

    No no, Whisper isn't THAT strong. He's several levels under Li Markuth, it's just that Markuth would be relying solely on the brute force of his spiritual senses to find Whisper, whereas Whisper has hundreds of years of experience as an illusionist for running and hiding.He is, however, by far the strongest active being in Sacred Valley.

    Cradle ()
    #1824 Copy

    Questioner

    I was quite disappointed at Kelsa disappearing from the story given she was probably my favorite Unsouled character :p

    Will Wight

    Early on in development, I had considered having Kelsa traveling with Lindon, and Yerin's character being a guy. But I couldn't justify Kelsa's presence, really, and I thought Yerin worked better as a woman. So Kelsa got left behind.

    That's...certainly not the last we'll see of her, though. Spoilers.

    Cradle ()
    #1825 Copy

    Questioner

    The people who have been asking how strong Simon would eventually become in the grand scheme of things have been making me think that it would actually be really interesting to see the Cradle universe from the perspective of a character that isn't from Cradle eventually. Especially given how broad the outside world's powers seem to be, compared to the relatively narrow set of powers Travellers have. So it would be interesting to see Simon go beyond the Traveller's Gate world (how does the limitation of Valinhall's chains interact with the seemingly unlimited power in the outside universe?)

    Will Wight

    Mild spoiler alert, but if you're this deep into this thread and you still care about spoilers...RIP you.

    Eventually, we'll get to see how the Cradle magic system stacks up against others.

    Also, Valin gathered the Valinhall powers essentially by running around outside.

    Cradle ()
    #1826 Copy

    Questioner

    Are Cradle characters stronger than any other Iteration?

    Will Wight

    No, but they have the best average growth rate. It's extremely rare for someone of another Iteration to ascend past their starting power scale, but with Cradle it happens reliably 2-3 times per generation.

    Cradle ()
    #1827 Copy

    Questioner

    Metaphysical Great Elders can rip one apart on the molecular level. You said the strongest Cradle character could solo them. Do they have defenses against that?

    Will Wight

    Yes, they do have a defense against that. At a certain point, your spirit gets strong enough that your madra gives you essentially complete control over your own body. You can resist forces that would affect you directly.

    Also, at that level, they have access to powers other than madra that can fight against the Great Elders.

    Cradle ()
    #1828 Copy

    Questioner

    What qualities did Yerin have that made the Sword Sage take her on as a disciple?

    Will Wight

    This gets into spoiler territory, because I will be answering that question thoroughly in the series, but suffice it to say that she was born strong. And she demonstrated that at an early age.

    Cradle ()
    #1829 Copy

    Questioner

    Eight-Man Empire versus Sha Miara...

    Will Wight

    She'd have more difficulty dealing with them as opposed to Northstrider, because they're relying on individual power and a formation that manipulates aura when they fight. In the end, it's roughly even, and it depends on a bunch of variables, but here's the bottom line: if Sha Miara can figure out and break their formation quickly, she wins. If she can't, they're sharing and pooling power, and they will overwhelm her.

    Cradle ()
    #1834 Copy

    Questioner

    Underlords vs. Underlord+

    Will Wight

    The Sword Sage and Li Markuth are both roughly two stages above Underlord.

    The three entities listed by Suriel as the top of the Cradle food chain are FIVE stages above Underlord, including one big leap (like the difference between Truegold and Underlord, it's only one stage, but it's a big one). The Dreadgods are a threat on THEIR level--and notice that Suriel said the 8-Man Empire, Sha Miara, and Northstrider could save Sacred Valley from them. She didn't say they could destroy the Dreadgods.

    The BF Emperor is the one person in the Empire who is a level over Underlord.

    The EE Emperor is about his level, although since they're using different magic systems, it's less about stages and more about what they can and can't do to counter one another.

    Footnote: Will has since changed his mind about the 5 stages between Underlord and Monarch, As it stands now, it goes Underlord, Overlord, Archlord/Sage, Herald, Monarch.
    #cradle #li markuth #naru huan #sword sage
    Cradle ()
    #1836 Copy

    Questioner

    Northstrider vs. the Eight-Man Empire

    Will Wight

    This would be a huge, destructive conflict with lots of collateral damage, but eventually I think Northstrider would probably win. The EME don't really have the firepower to beat him quickly, so they would be relying on a drawn-out contest, but he would be coming at them as hard and as fast as possible.

    Cradle ()
    #1838 Copy

    Questioner

    How does the Presence work? Is it a construct. A drudge? Both? Does Suriel even have a Remnant? I think not as she can't die.

    Will Wight

    A drudge is a particular type of construct. A Presence is something like a construct, only much more advanced.

    You could think of it as a magical computer made of thoughts.

    And Suriel did not grow up in Cradle. The FIRST Abidan came from Cradle, and MANY Abidan still do, but not ALL of them do.

    Cradle ()
    #1839 Copy

    Questioner

    I find it more interesting to delve into what Suriel and the Abidan court actually is... are they "gods" or "architects" ???Will we ever know? 

    Will Wight

    They're like rulers and guardians of an interdimensional system that's sort of like a government, designed to keep the Iterations under their control safe, separated, and as free from outside intervention as possible.

    Cradle ()
    #1840 Copy

    Questioner

    What about Yerin with Valinhall powers VS. Calder with Valinhall powers?

    Will Wight

    Man, that's a cool question.I'll still give it to Yerin, for the reasons stated above. Calder has training in fencing and experience using a saber, but it's not like he was trained as the disciple of a wandering swordsman.If they can use their previous powers, Calder being a Reader adds an interesting dimension to the Valinhall powers, but it doesn't touch having an Iron body on TOP of the ability to call steel, plus Striker and Ruler techniques.