Recently, I got into a bit of a disagreement with someone about the way Death Knights "must" be played. This person said that all Death Knights must be up in Northrend fighting the Scourge, or else they will be hunted down by the Ebon Blade and killed. For starters, this just seems ridiculous to me. It removes the opportunity to have all sorts of engaging RP. Now, my Death Knight is not all about fuzzy bunnies and sunshine. He will be played as one who has been through so much should be. Still, however, he is his own person and will be played accordingly.
This concept of Death Knights having to be up in Northrend to be accepted into the Alliance (as I was told) seems silly. For one, not all members of the Alliance are fighting the Scourge currently. There are civilians. I would think that there would be Death Knights who have had enough killing and battle for a lifetime, and thus would try to go back to lead a normal life.
Being punished for not playing a certain way, despite the IC reasons, seems very restricting and harsh. After all, the draenei aren't being hunted for not fighting the Legion in Outland, and the sin'dorei aren't being hunted just because they're sitting around in an inn instead of taking the fight to the Lich King. In fact, blood elves make up a very insignificant portion of the Horde forces in Northrend. I'd also like to add that every one of our characters who sit around socializing or fighting in the Arena is not fighting in the war against the Scourge. It should be no different for Death Knights.
So, what are your thoughts?
Yeah, whoever said that the Ebon Blade would only be in Northrend seems a little too harsh. I can't really say more than that since I don't know a huge amount of Death Knight lore compared to most.
All Death Knights MUST be ready to support that cause. If they're not in Northrend, that is fine. But they must be ready to fight one day, or else they'll be called rogue. Now, you can lead a normal life, or try, and not go out and fight undead (anywhere really not just Northrend), but if a high ranking member of the Ebon Blade calls you to come fight, you had best be ready to do that. That's just my feelings on the matter, but I'm pretty behind on lore when it comes to Death Knights.
It seems almost hypocritical to be a death knight who just had his free will restored from the Lich King only to be denied the opportunity to do anything other than be a member of the Ebon Blade, no? It would just be another form of enslavement then.
I may be a bit biased since I don't play my death knight as actively fighting in Northrend (she's a member of the Ebon Blade, yes, but she's definitely not mucking about in Northrend), but I don't feel that participating in the fight against the Lich King is the only thing that we can do as death knights. Lore aside, it
does seem unusually restrictive, especially in an environment where we should be
fostering roleplay.
The quest line
does finish with
Where Kings Walk/
Warchief's Blessing, in which
Highlord Darion Mograine states:
Quote:You are now, and forever will be, a Knight of the Ebon Blade, <name>, but know this: you were once a hero of the Alliance.
Quote:You are now, and forever will be, a Knight of the Ebon Blade, <name>, but know this: you were once a hero of the Horde.
However, I've never taken it to mean that every member of the Ebon Blade should be up at arms in Northrend.
I don't know. I think it still comes down to the fact that we should be encouraging roleplay. If we're going to unnecessarily restrict an entire class to only being able to one thing and one thing only, what's the point of having the class available to us at all? Worse, the series of events leading up to the Lich King's demise hasn't even been started on this server, which means that death knights wouldn't even be able to do anything
significant for the time being.
I can't help but feel that the argument may be prompted by anti-death knight sentiment, perhaps in response to the high numbers of the class currently in-game.
I'd say that if 25% of a DK's year is spent in service up in Northrend (IE 3 month/year), the Ebon Blade'd never call the said DK rogue.
I just RP having the papers to back it up as fact. (In a GM-as-NPC situation-resolving in the Ebon Hold this was also agreed upon as a very acceptable means)
Now, that the EB would think you're an idiot for spending time in Ratchet... That's to be expected. But they won't call you rogue.
I think people should focus on the much cooler and subtle restriction in RPing a death-knight: That it is a creature that -feeds- on death while (usually) trying not to be a bad guy anymore.
Something to remember is that the Ebon Blade is a militaristic bunch of crusaders hellbent on the Scourge's destruction, so most of them expecting their commrades to aid in their righteous struggle isn't unrealistic. Also, they are death knights, I doubt anyone want many of them running around without anyone keeping them in check, not long ago they were some of the most fearsome enemies the Horde and Alliance faced from the Scourge.
I'm not saying you can't have your death knights anywhere but Northrend, but you shouldn't expect people to just accept, ICly, that you aren't there doing what is expected of the Ebon Blade.
As far as I know and please correct me if I'm wrong, the terms of the treaty between the Alliance/Horde and the Ebon Blade Knights is that the death knights would be fighting the Scourge in Northrend, not lazying around and chatting up pretty blood elves in Silvermoon for instance - haha!
Quote:Being punished for not playing a certain way, despite the IC reasons, seems very restricting and harsh. After all, the draenei aren't being hunted for not fighting the Legion in Outland, and the sin'dorei aren't being hunted just because they're sitting around in an inn instead of taking the fight to the Lich King. In fact, blood elves make up a very insignificant portion of the Horde forces in Northrend. I'd also like to add that every one of our characters who sit around socializing or fighting in the Arena is not fighting in the war against the Scourge. It should be no different for Death Knights.
Your arguement about how there are civilians is very strong of course; however, I should think that it does not apply to death knights since death knights are not
exactly "civilians" in the true sense of the word. They are soldiers: the Ebon Hold is a militaristic group of death knights whose sole purpose
as a group is to kill the Lich King and wipe out the Scourge.
Naturally, this "idea" would really inhibit the scope of role-play death knight players would be able to enjoy but I think it is only logical for it to be so. When it comes down to it (excluding the odd exception or two), all classes are hindered by one or more aspect of their class. Druids for example, would probably not be seen running around rampant through Ashenvale Forest, chopping down trees here and there. A paladin would probably not be sitting around in The Slaughtered Lamb talking about the latest gossip with all the warlocks. And neither could a warlock go stampeding down into Cathedral of Light with his assortment of demons. Essentially, all classes and races are restricted by one or more things
if you want to role-play by the lore.
Personally and I think many people would agree with me, I really don't mind if people push the lore this way and that for the sake of more role-play, as long as it's done within reason :p! Obviously, in the end you as a player could do whatever you want with your character regardless of what I or anyone else says ;). As long as you're having fun and everyone else is, do whatever the heck you want!
I can't believe this still hasn't been decided? A Death Knight, is an unholy, unfeeling beings, who was betrayed by the very same man who tortured, and brought them back from a restful after life or whatever. It doesn't make any sense to me, why you would want to go back to a normal life? You can't feel, you can't eat, you don't look at men and women the same way, you don't have feelings of love and joy.
Your desires as a living being are not what they were, so why? If you can't live, what's the point of trying to live again? Fight the Scourge, save everyone else from dealing with the undead, but I'm certain the Ebon Blade didn't vow service to Tirion to have them all lay around Cartel towns -where they can't spend money- because they don't eat, or sleep, or drink, or shop for fancy nick-nacks and the like.
I honestly have no problem with death knights not being in the Ebon Blade, one of mine isn't in fact, but to hang around, in public, in a town with living beings around you, invites trouble. If your death knight wanted to go back to a normal life, they're likely going to need to be very subtle about what they are, not carrying a runeblade and walking around with ghouls, they're likely going to be hiding and I know (Well doesn't that cripple the RP?) Yeah, and that's the price of being a death knight. People don't like death knights, death knights have been killing their family and friends since the second war, Scourge monsters since the third, they won't be accepted by the greater part of society, what kind of existence do they have left? Being a death knight tends to bring tighter restrictions on RP, because the characters have very special circumstances.
I'd just like the GM teams to post a rule once and for all, outlining how death knights are supposed to be dealt with ICly, because even if I don't like it, I'll at least know how to handle the situation.
It would be a little too limiting to restrict a death knight's RP to Northrend. I think it would be reasonable for a death knight to do something non-combat every once in awhile, but they only purpose DKs can effectively serve is fighting the Scourge.
But, what about evil death knights? If a character was too malevolent to even support the Alliance/Horde against the Scourge, should he care about what he does with his time?
Not at all, but that again, makes him a big target, I don't have a problem with how people play death knights, just don't look at me like I'm shooting your dog when my character comes around trying to enforce what death knights should and shouldn't be able to do with their freedom. Again why I call for a set response, a final word, on how to handle death knights.
[IMO] I'm'a just show my papers showing that I've recently served in Northrend just plenty.
Also, seeing how screwed up a Death Knight is indeed, I might just roll one that psychotically wants to pretend it's not really corrupted and half-dead.
It's about good RP, not bashing people with lore. [/IMO]
Personally, I would really like Death Knights to become active in Northrend. To be honest, every time I log onto CotH and see Death Knights hanging around Ratchet, or in particular, Booty Bay, I rage. A lot.
Now, some of you may call me narrow-minded and idiotic, but I am one of the firm believers that Death Knights, as a GROUP, should be combating the Scourge, where-ever. It seems, from what I've seen, that Malth is quite frankly one of the only few, if that, currently in Northrend, fighting against the Scourge. Now, I know that there are some Death Knights off, hunting down Rogue Death Knights, and reinstating some into active duty (Vincent <3). That I can understand. It has it's benefits towards the main goal of the Ebon Blade.
Now, I understand some Death Knights following trails of their former lives, etc.. But drinking ale isn't revisiting your former life.*
And for those of you who say "Well, if I'm not allowed to RP my Death Knight here, the way I want, then that sucks!"
I say, wipe up the tears. You can do Tavern-RP with ANY other character at your disposal, effectively.
/endrant
*Excluding Dwarves
Thank you Pies... thank you.
Nostra Wrote:Something to remember is that the Ebon Blade is a militaristic bunch of crusaders hellbent on the Scourge's destruction, so most of them expecting their commrades to aid in their righteous struggle isn't unrealistic. Also, they are death knights, I doubt anyone want many of them running around without anyone keeping them in check, not long ago they were some of the most fearsome enemies the Horde and Alliance faced from the Scourge.
I'm not saying you can't have your death knights anywhere but Northrend, but you shouldn't expect people to just accept, ICly, that you aren't there doing what is expected of the Ebon Blade.
No, they are not. I have no idea where people are pulling this from, other than this is what Piken made the guild out to be like. The Ebon Blade shows no sign of being militaristic, and if anything they -aid- Deathknights into getting adjusted into their new positions in the world.
They are an organization that works with the Horde, Alliance, and Argent Dawn to fight against the Scourge, but I've yet to see anyplace that says "This is something you have to do, or you are rogue."
I used to head up the Ebon Blade guild a long while back, and nothing peeved me off more than when people used to say and do this to others. Why? Again, there is -no- official lore to back up that they are a military group. A scattered band of newly formed, and possibly confused Knights who till now were driven by a strong mental force, but not a tactical unit by any means.
Quote:Horde and Alliance
Thrall and That human king guy both had opened up their arms to the Deathknights, and have made them into a group that's -openly- welcome to both factions. Sure, people are unnerved by them, but they surely don't go around stoning every Deathknight they see. Why? Well, in the case of Thrall he literally said "If you have a problem with it, you can face me."
The humans also feel the same way, seeing them as powerful allies. The human guards would probably suppress any sort of blunt racism that comes their way.
This has all been discused before, in great detail. Grakor has a guide someplace where people tried to debate him on all of this. Sadly, it seems there are still a great deal of people that are misinformed, and I appologize for that.
Play you Deathknight how you like, and the Ebon Blade won't have to be something you should worry about unless you are killing hundreds of innocents and living in a hole in Darkshire.
As for people playing in places like Rachet, can you -really- blame them? That's where everyone flocks to RP, and to say to them "Oh you should be in Northrend" really sucks. Why? -Noone will RP with them there-, especially when there is RP in Rachet. Realistically here, -how- can you OOCly expect someone to follow the standards -you- set for their character? That's a poor, poor habit to have, especially since a part of good roleplaying is being able to implement a character into a roleplay, by figuring out a reason they should be there, -not- a reason they shouldn't be. That's even something in Kretol's signature, pertaining to quests, but can apply to all forms of roleplay.
One of the things I think we need a definition for is a Rogue Death Knight. Some people view a Rogue Death Knight as a Death Knight who splits from their faction and kills innocents. Others view them as people who choose not to fight the Scourge like their brothers.
In my opinion, I think they're the first one but this is something we kind of need a whole consensus for. Rogue Death Knights are hunted (Making some nice Death Knight adventure RP) and thus they would need to be more dangerous then a simple Death Knight choosing to, for an example, cook like the chef they were. A Rogue Death Knight should be the name of someone who chooses to go against their faction, killing innocents and allies without remorse and without reason.
This is just something I think I should bring up while we're on Death Knights.