A Practical Guide to Evil (Web Serial) Discussion and Ideas Thread

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Oshha

Oshha

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Since we have a fanfic of it here on SB and there isn't a thread for discussion it that I can find, I decided to create a thread to discussion the web serial A Practical Guide to Evil. I apologise if there is already a thread.

A summary of it by the author which I feel is quite fitting for the story and is better than what I could describe.
The Empire stands triumphant.

For twenty years the Dread Empress has ruled over the lands that were once the Kingdom of Callow, but behind the scenes of this dawning golden age threats to the crown are rising. The nobles of the Wasteland, denied the power they crave, weave their plots behind pleasant smiles. In the north the Forever King eyes the ever-expanding borders of the Empire and ponders war. The greatest danger lies to the west, where the First Prince of Procer has finally claimed her throne: her people sundered, she wonders if a crusade might not be the way to secure her reign. Yet none of this matters, for in the heart of the conquered lands the most dangerous man alive sat across an orphan girl and offered her a knife.

Her name is Catherine Foundling, and she has a plan.

–

A Practical Guide to Evil is a YA fantasy novel about a young girl named Catherine Foundling making her way through the world – though, in a departure from the norm, not on the side of the heroes. Is there such a thing as doing bad things for good reasons, or is she just rationalizing her desire for control? Good and Evil are tricky concepts, and the more power you get the blurrier the lines between them become.
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To start off discussion, I particularly like the use of Names and how tropes have an actual impact on how things play out to the point that in-universe, different characters take them into account. I'm sure that sort of thing has been done before, but this web serial is my first exposure to it.
 

OmniscientQ

I gotta say that the world-building of A Practical Guide to Evil is top-notch. It feels like the author made a list of all common fantasy tropes and justified every single one rather than eliminate them. It should be considered an authorial Crowning Moment of Awesome that when Heiress praises the Villain Ball as the highest of Praesi virtues, it is completely believable and persuasive and not at all a strawman of any kind.

Plus: Undead suicide goats. How can you top that? You can't. To quote a Robber, "For the record, I don’t care whether we lose this one anymore. This is already a victory in every way that matters."
 
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Reads-By-Lamplight

Reads-By-Lamplight

Call Me Lampy
Honestly for me the most interesting part of PGTE has been the way in which characters exemplify hubris good and bad. Take the Tyrant for example. The Tyrant firmly believes in the same kind of Evil that Faisili Mirembe and Heiress believe in.(If you haven't read it or even if you have I strongly recommend rereading the latest villainous interlude) But here's the thing, and the genius thing at that. Despite being evil, they are still working as agents of order. Far from "Spitting in the face of creation" they're actually the ones keeping the game on track by removing rouge elements. For all that heiress is dangerous to the heroes it's a familiar kind of danger. Heiress's very presence breeds heroes like radiation breeds tumors. The calamities, and to a lesser extent Catherine, however. They're a lethal fucking danger to the game because they don't want to play. They want to smash the board, set it on fire, and piss on the ashes. They are creating a system in which neither heroes nor villains will exist. Not because they aren't needed, but because they won't be able to have an effect like they used to. Rather than eradication it's obsolescence.
 
UberJJK

UberJJK

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Having discovered A Practical Guide to Escalation a couple days ago I decided to go and read through A Practical Guide to Evil first since it sounded interesting and I wanted to avoid spoilers. While I'm only just starting the third book I had to track down this thread for two reasons.

First to simply say: A Practical Guide to Evil is without a doubt the best story I've read all year.

Secondly though to put forth my suggestion for something I saw mentioned in the comments.
People have been wondering about Hakram becoming the Adjutant and the first Orc in millennia to receive a Name. My theory is that Catherine was dead on the money with her suspicion it was the Reforms:
Book II - Chapter 5 said:
I’d never heard of an Adjutant before and that was a little worrying, but there was also the fact that for the first time in a millennia and a half a greenskin was coming into a Role. That was… shit, the political ramifications of this alone went way above my head. Black always said that Names were a reflection of the people they sprang from: was something changing with the orcs, or was this about my own burgeoning influence? This is about the Reforms, has to be. But why was the Role appearing here and now instead of forty years ago, when they’d first been implemented?
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Names arise from a given culture and are influenced by the stories told by that culture. This is the reason why Orcs haven't received Names since the Miezan occupation; their culture was influenced in such a way it doesn't generate Names anymore and Orcs can't receive foreign Names because they are still apart of Orcish culture.

This is where the Reforms come in. Before the Legions were just an extension of Praesi culture but thanks to Black the Legions are forming their own culture. Influenced heavily by the races it draws upon sure but then aren't all cultures influenced by their neighbors? Catherine notices this herself back in Book I:
Book I - Chapter 22 said:
“Look, Callow,” she addressed me flatly. “If he was cut out for that kind of command the Rats wouldn’t have lost as much as they did. It was right for him to be replaced. One sin, one grace.”
The last four words she’d said with the fervour of a woman at prayer, which would have gotten a pained grimace out of me if I weren’t already working on keeping my expression neutral. I was as good as apprenticed to the man who’d introduced that philosophy to the Legions, and that was why I could grasp how utterly terrifying it was. Black had indoctrinated the better part of a generation into thinking that morality was irrelevant to the battlefield: the only things that mattered when the swords came out were victory and defeat. When the next war came, and I had no doubt that one was coming, there would no blundering generals at the head of the Legions. The coming generation of Evil would not fall apart on its own. They’ve been taught that winning matters more than anything else, and they’re not above breaking the world if that’s the only way to own it.
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but she's too focused on the moral implications of "One sin, one grace." to realize that this is a sign of the new culture forming inside the Legions.

This also explains why it took forty years after the Reforms for first new Name to appear. Culture isn't something that just happens over night. It takes generation after generation of people believing in the same, roughly, things. Anything less is just a passing trend or fad. The forty years and generations of new legionaries since the Reforms have allowed the new culture to sink in and for the new stories to be told again and again. I fully expect that more new Legion specific Names will start appearing over the course of the story.
 
arsdraconis

arsdraconis

Well there is also that implication that Captain kinda sorta murdered one of the Orc deity, that sort of things might fuck up the metaphysics of Name
 
Artalam

Artalam

Recently mentioned this on a fic thread, has anyone else noticed similarities between the observed powers (and the traditional roles) between Scribe and Bard?
Both have been seen to appear and disappear, usually at suitably dramatic times, Bard knows things due to her name and Scribe is Black's information source.
Role wise, a Bard is someone who spreads and passes down stories whereas a Scribe records history.
It seems (at least in my headcanon) that Scribe/Bard is similar to Black/White knights- serving the same roles for their respective sides in the good/evil conflict.
 
Oshha

Oshha

Subscriber
Artalam said:
Recently mentioned this on a fic thread, has anyone else noticed similarities between the observed powers (and the traditional roles) between Scribe and Bard?
Both have been seen to appear and disappear, usually at suitably dramatic times, Bard knows things due to her name and Scribe is Black's information source.
Role wise, a Bard is someone who spreads and passes down stories whereas a Scribe records history.
It seems (at least in my headcanon) that Scribe/Bard is similar to Black/White knights- serving the same roles for their respective sides in the good/evil conflict.
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Interesting idea. I wouldn't call them counterparts like Black Knight/White Knight, but do seem to fulfil the same place as their respective teams. Especially given how they are opposites in loyalty. Scribe is very personally loyal to Black and wouldn't betray him while the Wandering Bard holds no loyal to her team and serves the goals of 'Good'.
 
Apathy+Peeves

Apathy+Peeves

Just a Muse.
So I've got about halfway through book two and just had a thought I wanted to share. What would Catherine have been like if she was born around the same time as Black and the Calamities? Would she still be a Villain? If she was would she still want to destroy the system, that Good, in the end, wins out? If she was a Hero would she be like the Anti-heroes or the obedient heroes who just follow the patterns? Would she be able to recognize the truth of the world, that the Gods had rigged the game? Would she make a name for herself as she fought against the Calamities, made the war more then a slaughter lead by Black and his friends? I'd even enjoy Mary Sue where Catherine was spent back to be a mentor to Black in the form of Ranger or as a true Black Knight to teach him. Just a muse giving out tokens of inspiration that hit me but that I can do nothing with. Hell I'd like to see some stories about any or all of these ideas. I'd especially like to see Catherine with a proper Name, not just a transitory name like Squire, but something like Conqueror, that really resonates rightly to me.
 
erraticerrata

erraticerrata

Catherine born pre-Conquest would most likely have been a heroine. Her current mindset if very much the result of over two decades of Praesi occupation following a famously one-sided war.
 
Apathy+Peeves

Apathy+Peeves

Just a Muse.
She is the daughter of a Deoraithe and someone else in Callow, abandoned nearly from birth. She would still be an orphan, but the racism, (even as they were invaded for a second time Black was able to separate them because of petty feuds and racism) and corruption was blatant in the kingdom even before Black and his calamities captured it. These would have seen her abused and unable to live in a place like the Home for Tragically Orphaned Girls. It is not nearly as likely that she would have been a named but she would still have a notable impact and harsh life that leads to Villains. She might hate herself for her Evil, but the evil that she saw in everyone else that they dared to call Good would be more then enough to motivate her.

I personally see it from the perspective that the Kingdom of Callow was the premiere battleground for good and evil within the entire continent. They hated all of the other countries for it, but most especially the Deoraithe who were officially a part of them but were basically another country. The Deoraithe never answer to Callow, never helped in their wars besides token gestures or as other nations trampled over them with their crusades. The knightly orders did help especially against Praes but even then their people were discarded as unimportant or as the wall that keep the Dread Empire of Praes from attacking and killing in the other countries. The Deoraithe were exceptional, people who were more powerful then nearly anyone without a Name, but they were so concentrated on the Elves that they would never turn their focus from it except to defend themselves. So an orphan Deoraithe raised in Laure before the Conquest, perfect for the start of a Villain. With the corruption that the Kingdom was facing as well and we could get a person who brings civil war or a new age of ruler to Callow. Edit: was confusing the Deoraithe with just the Duchy of Daoine, my apologies.

But I shouldn't argue with the Author. I quite like what you've done with the story and hope to see more of it. I would like a better idea of what the countries look like, in size and shape.

Mostly what comes after this is my brain connecting varies parts of the story so that I can make a better understand of what I'm imagining, it's unlikely to be accurate. I get that there is a large northern section that has the Dead King, the Chain of Hunger, and the Underdark. This is in turn connected to Praes, Callow, and Procer. Mostly around Procer, since they share a border with the Dead King and The Chain of Hunger repeatedly attacks them every spring. Praes is largely rich in minerals and metals, with very little farm lands. Praes is large for a country with Orcs and Goblins not being involved with one another in ancient feuds because they were on opposite ends of the country during the time before the Miezan. Callow is in turn separating Praes from the rest of the continent along with a sea or maybe an ocean and consists mostly of fields, forests, rivers and hills. Procer is the then closest after Callow, being the other connection to Praes from the rest of the continent, and is mostly farmland. The North of Procer is The wall against the Chain of Hunger, and the Dead King. The Other two areas are the more arrogant and boastful proclaiming themselves the great Procer and starting wars across the continent throughout the ages. I think that's most of what I've got.

edit: some grammer some spelling. added some more.
 
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varoksa

varoksa

how do i get one of these?
What i really want to know is what sort of name she will transition into, will be really disappointed if its black knight.
 
Sir

Sir

I'm trying to write a thing and I realised it would be really useful if there was like a collection/list/thing of Names you guys think could possible fit into the APGTE universe. Not just for me but for other fanfic writers.
 
Oshha

Oshha

Subscriber
Sir said:
I'm trying to write a thing and I realised it would be really useful if there was like a collection/list/thing of Names you guys think could possible fit into the APGTE universe. Not just for me but for other fanfic writers.
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Could you be more specific? Because what you are asking is too open-ended to be done as you could literally add any Name into the list.
 
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Sir

Sir

Oshha said:
Could you be more specific? Because what you are asking is too open-ended to be done as you could literally add any Name into the list.
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I was just hoping for some Names that haven't yet appeared in cannon with possible Aspects like how Worm has Alt-power discussion, I left it as open ended as possible because I wanted as many responses as possible sorry.
 
List of known Names in Canon
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    • Oshha

    Oshha

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    Sir said:
    I was just hoping for some Names that haven't yet appeared in cannon with possible Aspects like how Worm has Alt-power discussion, I left it as open ended as possible because I wanted as many responses as possible sorry.
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    First of all, we should come up with a list of Names used in canon. Once we got that, we can work from there.

    Evil/Villains
    The Squire (can be good or evil)
    The Black Knight
    The Captain
    The Warlock
    The Assassin
    The Scribe
    The Apprentice
    The Adjutant
    The Heiress/Heir
    The Diabolist
    The Chancellor
    The Dead King
    The Tyrant of Helike
    The Dread Empress/Emperor, but is commonly called the Tyrant as an archaic shorthand.
    The Cursed (gets born with it due to a curse)
    The Pirate Queen (assuming it is Villainous name, might be a neutral name)

    Good/Heroes
    The White Knight
    The Wandering Bard
    The Lone Swordsman
    The Bumbling Conjurer
    The Augur
    The Exiled Price
    The Page
    The Valiant Champion
    The Ashen Priestess
    The Hedge Wizard
    The King/Queen of Callow (Callowan)
    The Wizard of the West
    The Sage of the West
    The Exarch (Nicean)
    The Holy Shield
    The Blood Sword
    The Unconquered Champion
    The Sword of the Free
    The Thief of Stars
    The Shining Prince (Callowan?)
    The Grey Wizard (might be neutral)
    The Troubadour
    The Magnificent Minstrel

    Neutral
    The Hierach (Might be villain as both holders are from Evil aligned cities)
    The Thief
    The Ranger
    The Archer
    The Hunter
    The Hierophant (unknown if Evil, Good or Neutral as per Word of EE)

    Defunct Names
    The Warlord (former Orc name and the holder has to be an Orc)
    The Red Fox (former Taghreb name)
    The Grey Lion (former Taghreb name)
     
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    UberJJK

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    arsdraconis said:
    I suppose they can, but in book 1, Cat mention that Squire is a traditionally Praesi name
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    I think there is a pretty clear explanation. Squire traditionally evolves into Black Knight but it's also a Name that is very susceptible to redemption arcs that conclude in transitioning to White Knight instead.
     
    Apathy+Peeves

    Apathy+Peeves

    Just a Muse.
    Conqueror seems like a good villainous name and maybe a counter to King or Tyrant, like how Black Knight is counter to White Knight.
     
    Oshha

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    veteranMortal said:
    Wouldn't the opposite of Conqueror be like... Crusader?

    When Evil invades, it would be a conquest. When Good invades, it would be a crusade.
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    I would go with this if it was up to me. Crusader would be the good counterpart of Conqueror, but they would be foes or opponents like the Black Knight and the White Knight are. A Crusader would have their foe be a Tyrant while a Conqueror would have their foe be a King or Queen. And the Tyrant and King/Queen would be counterparts of each other.
     
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