"Speaking my truth": wrong answers and success
Posted: 09 Apr 2021, 18:17
In Series 4, more than one adviser told their dungeoneer to "say that you're on a quest for truth and justice". While that may have been because they couldn't remember their quest object, it's hardly an unreasonable code to quest by, especially when a quest could succeed or fail on the basis of saying what was correct and true.
That is, until Dickon's quest (Series 4 Team 6), when - with the "neutral" Dungeon Master's encouragement - a team presented something as being true when they knew it to be potentially false. [Video clip] They answered Mellisandre's question with whatever they felt like saying and were rewarded for it.
(That reward was being told the name of Oakley's son. Was it a consequential reward? In theory, yes: Oakley might otherwise have crushed Dickon for not being a "tree friend" or at least denied him a clue object hint. In practice, I doubt it: no Series 4 team ever failed to get through Level 1 safely, and Dickon's "Etruscan brandy" side-quest - bigger lie, bigger rewards - was arguably one that was not going to be wasted.)
I may have treated this as a joke in the past...
There was more to come in Series 7. This series was not content just to undermine the Knightmare tenet of "now your advisors will be your eyes" with sight spells and potions; if "truth accepted" was going to be trashed then Series 7 had to have a piece of that action too.
In early Series 7 quests, the Brollachan revealed that he could detect lies even when he didn't know the truth; as the series went on, that stopped mattering. This was demonstrated when Team 6 (Julie) found they didn't know the answer to one of his questions. We got a strong echo of Dickon and Mellisandre:
Treguard: "Remember, he knows nothing."
Helen: "Say it convincingly as if you know what you're talking about, Julie."
Julie: "[Castor was one, the other was] Receiver."
Brollachan: "Knowledge returned."
Some watchers may think that scenario is alright. Personally, I think it's Pollux. (Or Polydeuces.)
Back in Series 3, another Julie (Team 10) had given a single falsehood ("flying fox") and paid for it with losing status and a humiliating demise. Series 7 Julie went on to win, as Dickon had.
We live in a world where a distinction isn't always drawn between speaking the truth and "speaking my truth". Knightmare, it seems, saw it coming.
That is, until Dickon's quest (Series 4 Team 6), when - with the "neutral" Dungeon Master's encouragement - a team presented something as being true when they knew it to be potentially false. [Video clip] They answered Mellisandre's question with whatever they felt like saying and were rewarded for it.
(That reward was being told the name of Oakley's son. Was it a consequential reward? In theory, yes: Oakley might otherwise have crushed Dickon for not being a "tree friend" or at least denied him a clue object hint. In practice, I doubt it: no Series 4 team ever failed to get through Level 1 safely, and Dickon's "Etruscan brandy" side-quest - bigger lie, bigger rewards - was arguably one that was not going to be wasted.)
I may have treated this as a joke in the past...
...but now I'm not so sure. Much as I like this team, this quest and the Crazed Heifer, I think something about Knightmare broke in that scene.Drassil wrote: ↑27 Sep 2011, 18:28 [Setting: the Dirty Duck pub quiz.]
Motley: And the answer is... Camulodunum. Which means that by one point, Ogres N' Egg'eads 'ave beaten Smelly Melly And The Staid Maids - and they win our jackpot!
[Applause. Grimwold high-fives Grimaldine.]
Motley: 'Ard luck, girls, but I still loves ya! Congrats to the baldies and thanks for playin', everybody!
Gretel: You cow. You swore it was Caledonia.
Mellisandre: He... he lied to me...
Milly: Aye, whatever. Talk to the hand.
Molly: That's your foot, Milly.
[Mellisandre stands up.]
Mellisandre: I tell you he LIED TO ME!!
[She smashes a stool. Silence.]
Mellisandre: Go forth, everyone. [Twitch.] Don't let me keep you. [Cold laugh.] And if you ever see a boy by the name of Dickon, or anyone dear to him, you tell them, you kindly tell them, that MELLISANDRE MAKEPEACE PERHAPPENSTANCE WILL HAVE HER BLOODY VENGEANCE!!!
[Grimwold burps.]
Motley: [To himself] Fink I'll see who I can pick up in the Greenwood.
There was more to come in Series 7. This series was not content just to undermine the Knightmare tenet of "now your advisors will be your eyes" with sight spells and potions; if "truth accepted" was going to be trashed then Series 7 had to have a piece of that action too.
In early Series 7 quests, the Brollachan revealed that he could detect lies even when he didn't know the truth; as the series went on, that stopped mattering. This was demonstrated when Team 6 (Julie) found they didn't know the answer to one of his questions. We got a strong echo of Dickon and Mellisandre:
Treguard: "Remember, he knows nothing."
Helen: "Say it convincingly as if you know what you're talking about, Julie."
Julie: "[Castor was one, the other was] Receiver."
Brollachan: "Knowledge returned."
Some watchers may think that scenario is alright. Personally, I think it's Pollux. (Or Polydeuces.)
Back in Series 3, another Julie (Team 10) had given a single falsehood ("flying fox") and paid for it with losing status and a humiliating demise. Series 7 Julie went on to win, as Dickon had.
We live in a world where a distinction isn't always drawn between speaking the truth and "speaking my truth". Knightmare, it seems, saw it coming.