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Malevolent: Chapter 218 [POLL] (Patreon)

Published:
2024-06-20 11:57:35
Imported:
2026-06
Tags:

Poll

Malevolent: Chapter 218 [POLL]

  • Forest 214
  • Road 183
  • 2024-06-20
  • 397 votes
{'title': 'Malevolent: Chapter 218 [POLL]', 'choices': [{'text': 'Forest', 'votes': 214}, {'text': 'Road', 'votes': 183}], 'closes_at': None, 'created_at': datetime.datetime(2024, 6, 20, 11, 57, 10, tzinfo=datetime.timezone.utc), 'description': None, 'allow_multiple': False, 'total_votes': 397}

Comments

Heather Bruce

Look, the forest is a bad time. But they have literally killed 100% of the people they've met. Maybe we risk it.

sendts

‘As the woodcutter brought the axe back into the woods, the trees whispered, “At least the handle is one of us.”’

Marknado

Can we get an 8 ball when we’re all happy too? Imagine Arthur, John, and Yorick all breaking out into song after that last chapter. But I say we go road maybe we meet someone helpful. No way everyone is evil

hoon

the road, at least he has period appropriate clothing now so he'll be less of a standout. I'd say better to face "whoever" is on the road than "whatever" is in the forest but that hasn't proven safer in the past lol

Positive

Forest. They're sopping wet and probably stinking, Art prolly looks chewed up and scruffy and is carrying a talking skull (hidden in a bag but still talking) and wearing a breatplate belonging to the local prince, presumably assumed either dead or missing. This isn't New York, they can't afford to hope the locals will be friendly to them (p42 has taught us that.) Out in the forest meanwhile, they can stumble into a fairy ring, follow some will o wisps, get chased by the wild hunt or stabbed by an aggressive unicorn. Or more! Forest all the way!

Liz

There is plenty to be considered here, and it's important to remember the time period that we find ourselves in as well as Arthur's current appearance. This is what we know: 1) We are currently in 1200s England. The exact location and exact year is unknown, but that still places us in the medieval period. 2) Arthur's appearance and his belongings: a) Arthur is currently wearing "stately" clothing, possibly taken from the corpse of the Prince or some other "noble" victim of the witch. b) Arthur is currently wearing the Prince's breastplate, according to Yorick's identification of it. c) Arthur has on his person: several items that could not be made during this time period (particularly the gun), the severed left hand of a witch (which presumably just looks like the severed hand of an old woman), and the severed, potentially mummified looking head of the Prince himself. -- On the first point, the time period implies that the roads may not be entirely safe for travel. While it's difficult to guess if we should base our assumptions on historical fact (the presence of the witch suggests we should not) or if we should instead base our assumptions on the commonly held beliefs about travel during the medieval period (as is common in fantasy novels and indeed in D&D), it is possible that we should assume that traveling alone, without guards or visible companions, while dressed in a manner that advertises us to be "wealthy" or "important" at a glance would mark us as an easy target for assault and theft and ransom on the road. Additionally, if any of us did watch the video from a while back from a historian considering how best to safely time travel and be a tourist in the middle ages, we might recall that people did not often travel long distances during this time period, so strangers were rare. Although that historian believed that a stranger would be more likely to be approached with curiosity rather than hostility, as source of novelty in a time period with few sources of entertainment or contact with a wider world, it remains that being a lone traveler would make us vulnerable to anyone who spots us and means harm (especially should someone get it in their heads that we'd be easy to rob). On the second round of points, it is important to note that Arthur is not only wearing clothing that marks him as a "noble". He's also wearing the specific breastplate that belonged to a missing and probably presumed dead Prince, whose body was never found. Although it's difficult to guess how long the witch kept the Prince's zombified corpse, it's reasonable to believe that the locals would know that the Prince went missing and might recognize his breastplate. Especially if it was ornate in order to mark the Prince as someone to capture alive for ransom rather than to just kill. -- In the event that Arthur (who is clearly not the Prince) is recognized as wearing the armor of the Prince, that would raise questions I do not think we wish to answer, especially given that - if he were to be searched - they would find the severed hand of an old woman and the desiccated head of the Prince himself. It would be very, very easy and reasonable for most people to conclude from these findings that Arthur killed the Prince, stole his armor, and is carrying around his head as a trophy. (And maybe also killed some other person and chopped off their hand for some reason.) I think, for all these reasons, it would be wise to avoid traveling in clear sight of anyone. At least until we have a better idea of their intentions.

Liz

TL;DR (if you'd prefer not to read a wall of text) This is a time period when traveling alone and without guards is unwise, especially if you look like you may have items of value on you, or if you could be worth a ransom. Arthur currently has on clothes that make him look like someone who is wealthy / could be ransomed. Additionally, his breastplate could be recognized, making anyone he encounters reasonably wonder if he was behind the disappearance of the Prince. An impression that would only be worsened if someone discovered the Prince's severed head and the severed hand of an unidentified woman, from which one might wonder if Arthur is a serial killer (yes, I know that concept wasn't really a thing yet) who takes trophies from his victims' bodies.

Kara

Forest is still hugging the road but being stealthy about it! Dressed in the prince’s clothes, we’re bound either to meet similar bandits who killed him in the first place, or someone who accuses us of killing him and arrests us (and the medieval justice system used some TRULY barbaric torture methods to gain lawful confessions) . We just got a whole season of friendly NPCs and socializing, and now we have Yorick. I don’t hold out hope for friendly encounters on the road. Keeping to the shadows is safer

Jones

My pitch for road: I want them to run into and interact with other people. Don't get me wrong, I like beasties and ghoulies, but character interactions are personally much more interesting to me. I've seen the fact that Arthur looks incredibly suspicious put as a downside to road but for me that makes it so much more entertaining. I want to see this sopping wet possessed man from 700 years in the future try to blend in with the medieval populace! Will whoever they meet on the road be friendly? Not necessarily, but again, that doesn't mean it wouldn't be *interesting* Also, we know that the three soldiers are around, and potentially some other characters from one of Harlan's campaigns (curse you lack of spoiler bars). I really want to maximize the odds that Arthur and John run into them.

Anusia Battersby

OK, first instinct: Road. 1. Matches the tapestry. EDIT: The road and wooded area are BOTH mentioned as being part of the tapestry. The soldiers are in the woods, the figure is on the road. Maybe if we go where the soldiers are, we will see the figure? Maybe we will encounter her as we journey towards the road? I'm not sure. 2. I would like them to meet people and have to deal with that. 3. Potential to discover Prince's carriage and find out more about him and therefore part of Yorick. 4. Easier journey. 5. The first time Arthur was in a forest, he legged it and crashed a car. The second time (?), he had to sacrifice a finger. Nothing good has happened to this man in woodland.

Onyx

Regarding the “partially burned” part of that description of the tapestry: Who burned it? Why? Did they try to destroy it because it tells us something about the future, or to erase the past? I think our decisions should ultimately be based on the tapestry.

Thomas Hegarty

The Road Not Taken BY ROBERT FROST Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both And be one traveler, long I stood And looked down one as far as I could To where it bent in the undergrowth; Then took the other, as just as fair, And having perhaps the better claim, Because it was grassy and wanted wear; Though as for that the passing there Had worn them really about the same, And both that morning equally lay In leaves no step had trodden black. Oh, I kept the first for another day! Yet knowing how way leads on to way, I doubted if I should ever come back. I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference. I ain’t goin on no road in this world

SavageIvyy

I'm currently inclined to say forest. We could stay close enough to the road to keep it in sight. But we are wearing the armor of the missing prince. And we are carrying his head, who won't stop yapping btw. Even if we are wearing period appropriate clothes we'd still be really concerning to anyone we come across. Sure there's the odd chance we'd stumble upon someone who wants to help, or even knows about the witch, but I think the odds are greater that we'd stumble on someone who wants to rob us or recognizes the armor

Rook
>>141369349

Lol I think about this poem every time we have to vote. It does get misinterpreted a lot tho because the speaker is lying at the end of it. The paths were equally worn down and he's trying to make his choice seem more adventerous by saying it was a less traveled. But the way the poem is set up you only remember the lie at the end and forget the first 3 stanzas That said I'm going for the forest. I'd rather run into animals more than people with prying questions.

Tony! Toni! Toné!

Yeah idk why but my guy is telling me road, I have no argument for it. The woods definitely seems like the smarter bet, but if he walks close enough to the forest edge and sees someone suspicious up ahead or hears something he could very easily pop into the woods and hide.

charles

road is good for civilization and all that but 1. they don’t exactly look inconspicuous?? there’s a much higher chance of having a negative interaction what with the clothing, the head, and arthur’s overall demeanor. but, imo, civilization is a much more complex foe if it comes to it. i.e. we don’t know what kinds of people are traveling this road, and it would be much easier for them to be lured somewhere with the promise of smth else. while the woods are a tad safer in the sense that big bads are a bit easier to know what to expect of. but also i think whichever one john is inclined to (can’t recall off the top of my head) bc im worried about arthur continually siding w yorick due to a lack of trust w john </33

SavageIvyy
>>141390388

I just relistened to the end of the episode and John wants to go with the road and it's Arthur who suggested the forest. Yorick only said the forest would be slower. But I do agree siding with Yorick too much could be a problem later

Heather Bruce
>>141390388

Oh, come on, you don't think Mr. Gunthrie would keep track of that stuff, do you? ... I think I just answered my own question. *gulp*

Jeanne Doré
>>141366673

My main reason for leaning towards the road is I just want them to meet people from this time that aren’t evil maggot witches

RigorMortisRiot

This man has had zero luck in forests....car crash, wraith, finger loss, weird faceless flying beasts, hypothermia, wolves, invisible creatures, you name a forest and I promise something bad has happened. Please, Arthur, just listen to John for once.

ClockworkPhoenix

I think if they do run into something, it would be more fun running into something that would be on the road than something that would be in the forest, good or bad. So I’m going road.

Anusia Battersby

OK. The Road was my first instinct. It remains my choice. Here's why: 1. The road seems to promise an easier journey, with a more direct route to the castle. If this is the road the Prince was travelling along, then it is reasonable to believe that it is a straightforward path back to Castle Kerringford. If we end up being redirected further into the forest (which, to my mind, seems a pretty likely risk), then our journey could be significantly delayed, as there is no guarantee that the castle can be accessed through the woods. Remember, we don't know where the castle is, only its supposed appearance - we really have nothing to go on *other than* that it can be accessed via the road. 2. On the subject of the Prince: it could be that Yorick is referring to the Prince's memories when saying that the route along the treeline would be safer. If so, there's an obvious bias - what happened to the Prince will not necessarily happen to us. Additionally, if we come across the remains of the carriage, it's possible we could find out more about him and therefore about Yorick (personally, this is a pretty major draw). 3. The tapestry found in the inner sanctum depicts soldiers in a wooded area and a female figure on the road before them. It's possible that this figure could be Lilith - if so, it's possible that we too could encounter her on the road. Meanwhile, crossroads deals are well established with other figures like Hecate, many of whose symbols (keys, statues, labyrinths, snakes, and torches) have already featured and have some crossover with Lilith (the two are mentioned in virtually the same breath in Lovecraft's Red Hook). I definitely think it's worth seeing if we can figure out the relevance of the tapestry, and I think we are far more likely to be able to do so if we stick to the place where the mysterious figure is depicted as standing. 4. Speaking of meeting people: I think it would be fun to have that as a thing. Let them deal with it. We haven't had many people to talk to this season. Let Yorick yap too much and have to be unceremoniously shoved into a bag. I just think it'd be neat. 5. The first time Arthur was in a forest, he legged it and crashed a car. The second time (?), he had to sacrifice a finger. Nothing good has happened to this man in woodland. Let's not keep testing that, especially after he literally just died and was reborn. 6. Finally, Boothy talks about "the crushing weight of Kayne's promise", with the number one priority now being to find the Blackstone. The woods may be "lovely, dark, and deep", but the boys do indeed "have promises to keep", and the road, to me, seems the more promising route forwards towards that goal.

Oakland

vote forest. let john play with fireflies

Aebriel

Spooky forest, spooky forest, spooky forest, spooky foresttttt

Queen

To those who have not yet voted: please do so soon! Poll is closing Sunday 7AM EST!

Courtney Wathne

Harlan is probably cackling maniacally at his desk right now...

gaylienz

ROAD! We might meet allies and we’re already injured, it will be hard to trek through the woods and getting even more lost is the last thing we need.

Nicky

They will be going the same direction /following the road from the trees, not just wandering around randomly. It comes down to personal preference really. I’d rather they get the chance to observe any other travels and decide whether/how to engage with them, and any other challenges posed by the forest are more compelling to me than the road. If it were me, I’d 100% be walking in the woods. But then on any given day I’d 100% prefer to be in the woods/walk among the trees vs road/sidewalk. Season 4 was in a city, now they’re in a completely new country and time - let them get their bearings a bit while being able to somewhat openly communicate with the bit of cover the forest provides rather than having to be prepared to run into completely unknown folks and immediately navigate interacting with them at any moment. They can be themselves (a man from the future with a voice in his head and their talking skull friend) while on guard for critters much more easily than human strangers

Marknado

Cmon guys not a tieeeeeeeee

Marknado

We finally get free and fuck up the first decision

Skye

Oh no okay wait im new what happens if theres a tie?

Megs

Oh my god, we’re going to get him killed again 😂

Liz
>>141548949

A tie is always the worst possible outcome, as it represents indecision (and also requires Harlan to write something completely different from the options he's presented to us). There have been three historical ties: The indecision over whether to introduce ourselves as Arthur or with a fake name in Ackerman's bookshop, which resulted in Arthur being shot at by a cultist and very little information being forthcoming from the bookshop itself. The indecision over whether to leave or wait for the Lighthouse keeper to return, which resulted in the Lighthouse light going out, the Lighthouse keeper being killed and the entire island becoming filled with monsters of some sort, and potentially waking the Widow. The last and only intentional tie was during chapter 99 leading into chapter 100 (the final chapters of Part 20), where the choice was Arthur or John. It resulted in Arthur stabbing himself in throat and John still going back to the King, and ultimately resulted in Yellow existing, the Dreamlands being in chaos, John's deal with Kayne, and the "amnesia" arc.

Fisher

road will leave us exposed to anybody and anything else skulking about. reminder that we aren’t going INTO the woods we’re going to be flanking the road from the tree line and moving in the exact same direction, just with some more cover and caution.

Skye
>>141548949

Wow oh no i hope we dont tie who knows what horrors will happen

Amanda Nicole
>>141548949

Thanks for saying this, I was wondering what ties there'd been in Malevolent's history and what choices they were

Aebriel

FYI Poll is closing at Sunday 7 am EST this week

Bird
>>141548949

There most likely wont be. We have folks in the discord server who are willing to flip their vote one way or the other in order to avoid ties this time around

Raven Fritz

I think it's time we meet someone, let's take the road

Rook

yeesh two close votes one after the other. you guys are gonna give me a heart attack lol

Marknado

Can’t wait for the Hags children to take a couple pieces out of Arthur in the woods

Bri
>>141505170

I went back and changed my vote because of this. All really valid ideas and points. Plus, I think the boys need as many allies as they can get.... and I'll always lean the way Arthur is least likely to be maimed (again).

Sam

Please tell me it didn’t end in a tie 🥲 (seeing the results Monday PM)

Thea Bell
>>141548949

Honestly can’t imagine how different things would be if we hadn’t tied that one.