The fate of Praetorian Earth in Dark Astoria? (spoilers)

I finally got a chance to give Dark Astoria a shot, and for the most part, the stories were consistent, events followed logically and every plot which referenced previous in-game events I'd mostly heard about. Right up until I finished Duncan's arc, then I was told that Praetoria is in ruins, the Toiler Paper Network is broadcasting anti-Cole propaganda, most of the Praetoris are either dead or missing and on and wait, what? I was in the Magistrarium yesterday and everything looked fine. Hell, I fought all of the Praetors and their sidekicks to stop Tyrant from using a duplicate of (a distinctly alive) Statesman to shut down the war walls. Then today I set foot in Dark Astoria and suddenly everything's gone to hell? Did I fall into a coma and miss, like, half a year?

Then I was informed that this is taking place after the TPN Trial. Ignoring the fact that the guy who sent me to Dark Astoria popped up the SECOND I unlocked my Alpha slot, which I did the minute I hit 50, this still leaves a ton of plot that I really have no way of knowing about. No, I haven't run many of the Trials, but I highly doubt I'd know more if I did. The few Trials I've run have passed before my eyes like a drunken memory of blur and haze that I can glean no meaning or understanding out of, so this REALLY leaves me out of the loop. Who's dead? What has happened?

To this effect, I wanted to ask if anyone can give me at least a basic explanation of just what the devil I'm supposed to already know about to "get" the situation in Praetoria just so I'm not so unprepared. At the very least, I'd like to see a body count so I know who's supposed to be alive and who's supposed to have gone down to feed the writers' obsession with death. It doesn't seem like this is vital to understanding Dark Astoria, but so long as we're involving Praetorians in it, I still want to know.

If at all possible, I'd like to keep this to spoilers JUST about Praetoria and NOT about Dark Astoria.

Mod Edit - Fixed the title as it was making me twitchy - Z

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arcanaville Samuel_Tow is the only poster that makes me want to punch him in the head more often when I'm agreeing with him than when I'm disagreeing with him.

Basically the stuff in Dark Astoria technically takes place after the last released trial (TPN) but before the upcoming Trial and takes place after the Signature Story Arc IIRC.

So the 'body count' is all the Praetors we've faced in the iTrials up until that point (Siege, Nightstar, Marauder, Antimatter, Mother Mayhem, Malaise and whatshisface...Maelstrom) the ones still alive at the time of Dark Astoria are Dominatrix, Praetorian Infernal (who nobody knows what on earth happens to him even with the new trial, he never appears outside of Maria Jenkins arc) Diabolque, Chimera and Shadow Swan being the key Praetors IIRC.

Of course Diabolique is killed off in her own Trial and the last two are killed off along with Tyrant...leaving Praetor Duncan and the mystery that is Praetorian Infernal.

Though the ones from the iTrials may not be 'killed' but 'arrested'.

The new Belladonna Incarnate arc also happens after DA and DD, followed by Tyrant's personal story mission, which takes palce a few hours before the Tyrant Trial.

Since the Praetorian zones are starting areas, don't expect to see them updated with everything that's going on. They can't really update stuff everytime some new big event changes things, otherwise we'd see stuff like Steel Canyon wrecked up from battle Maiden's attack.

And, really, the DA arc pretty much just sums up the trials. The big points in every trial is pretty much we're taking down one or more praetors.

BAF - We beat up Siege and Nightstar, at the least disabling them, and wrecking the Empire's mind control facility

Lamnda - We take down Marauder and the Empire's biggest Weapons Depot.

Keyes - We take down Anti-matter (Though it's explicitly revealed in MoM we do not -kill- him, as we have Metronome lamenting we didn't) and stop the Keyes Island Reactors from going nuclear.

Underground Trial - Vanessa DeVore has uncovered -extremely- important information and is being hunted down by IDF and Devouring Earth. Taking Desdemona, we find DeVore's battered and lifeless body next to the avatar of Hamidon, an agent sent by the Hamidon to monitor the empire and ensure that Cole was keeping his deal.

TPN - Given the revelation from the Underground, we now seek to broadcast the news to Praetoria and alert the citizenship that Cole never stopped the Hamidon, merely brokered a deal with it. Maelstrom is put down.

Minds of Mayhem - The TPN broadcast is actually unsuccessful because Mother Mayhem turns on the seer network and basically mind controls all but a handful of -every living person in Praetoria-. Desdemona aids us in opening portals into the network where we pull out Penelope Yin, the conciousness of the real Aurora Borealis, kill Malaise (explicitly revealed in night Ward) and seal Mother Mayhem inside the network, effectively killing her.

So, ya, most of the Praetors, dead or missing. The populace aware of Cole's indiscretions and lies and in a panic. basically we've been systematically disabling a lot of the empire's key personnel and facilities. And then Dark Astoria happens. And then Dilemma Diabolique happens. Followed up by an upcoming incarnate arc in I23 that sets up the finale trial against Cole.

Edit: Oh and we can't forget the Apex and Tin mage task forces, which set up that we incarcerate Battle Maiden. No known word about whether Neuron and Boobcat were killed or arrested yet.

Did DD really die, I didnt get the impression, though I got the impression that was suppossed to be the impression. Maybe it's just me thinking DD should be stronger than that, and enemies dieing left and right is just a terrible thing for a comic book game

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!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! PRAETORIAN SPOILER ALERT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Praetors and their cronies:

- Neuron - Killed by PC villains in Tin Mage TF
- Bobcat - Killed by PC villains in Tin Mage TF
- Anti-Matter - Killed in Keyes iTrial
- Battlemaiden - Arrested by PC heroes in Apex TF
- Marauder - Killed in Lambda iTrial
- Siege - Disabled in BAF iTrial
- Nightstar - Destroyed in BAF iTrial
- Mother Mayhem - Killed by Malaise off-game
- Aurora Borealis - Freed from Tilman's spirit in MOM iTrial, joined the Resistance
- Malaise - Killed in Minds of Mayem
- Diabolique - Ghosts can't die, can they?
- Infernal - Arrested by hero PCs in Maria Jenkins' arc
- Chimera - Alive
- Black Swan - Alive
- Dominatrix - Alive
- Miss Liberty - Killed off-game
- Emperor Cole - Alive

Small Fries:

- Maelstrom - Killed in TNP iTrial
- Sorceress Serene - Killed in First Ward
- Col. Duray - Killed by Emperor Cole off-game
- Col. Duray, clone - Arrested by hero PCs during Admiral Sutter TF
- Fusion - Arrested by hero PCs during Admiral Sutter TF
- Jane Tremblor - Arrested by hero PCs during Admiral Sutter TF
- Riptide - Arrested by hero PCs during Admiral Sutter TF
- Reese - Survived 3 attempts at his life by the Power Loyalist, apparently redeemed
- Stern - Arrested by hero PCs at the end of Twinshot's arc
- Zane - Arrested by hero PCs at the end of Twinshot's arc
- Aria - Arrested by hero PCs at the end of Twinshot's arc
- Warrant - Killed by Reese
- Provost Marchand - Alive
- Hamidon - Alive and pissed

Good guys:

- Calvin Scott - Revealed to be a mental patient, his "marriage" to Aurora was only a delusion
- Vanessa DeVore - Killed in the Underground iTrial
- Desdemona - Took Vanessa's mask and became the leader of the Resistance
- Penelope Yin - Joined the Resistance in MOM iTrial
- Metronome - Took control of Siege's robotic frame, joined the Resistance in MOM iTrial
- Noble Savage - Alive and in First Ward
- Palatine - Alive and in First Ward
- Katie Douglas - Trapped in the Seer Network after the events of First Ward

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!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! PRAETORIAN SPOILER ALERT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Hope this helps

considering that the Dream Doctor used the Dagger of Jocas on her, I'm pretty sure she's dead.

Why is Miss Liberty listed as a Praetorian?

EDIT, thanks d and 37, good on ya both.

off topic slightly, but you mention finally doing da. how far have you gotten? having just finished it tonight,based on stuff you have said, id like to hear your reaction. shoot me a pm when you finish with your thoughts sam .

Take the Magic: The Gathering 'What Color Are You?' Quiz.

And now I remember why I told myself to stop going to the general forums after I get into a beta.

Fortunately that was probably the least spolierish thing about Night Ward.