Why do the Asura tolerate the Inquest?
Short answer: it’s mostly due to the ridiculous bureaucracy of their society. Nothing the Inquest do is wrong in the eyes of the Arcane Council. Easy to draw analogies to the real world.
Besides, it’s just you, the protagonist, who gets on their bad side and ends up fighting them. Many Asura don’t see them as evil, just efficient.
I think Zojja actually explains that in one of the personal story lines – the Inquest may be everything you described: liars, murderers, thieves, but their inventions are genius, which is why the Arcane Council decided to keep them around. Even if a lot of the asura don’t tolerate the Inquest, well, I guess the Council still has the last word in this matter.
I actually wish we could choose the inquest as a college at the start… i rather like them to be honest.
I think Zojja actually explains that in one of the personal story lines – the Inquest may be everything you described: liars, murderers, thieves, but their inventions are genius, which is why the Arcane Council decided to keep them around. Even if a lot of the asura don’t tolerate the Inquest, well, I guess the Council still has the last word in this matter.
Much like the reason there’s a Svanir camp in Heolbrak. They may be evil jerks, but you can respect how well they fight. The inquest might be evil jerks, but you have to admit they pull off some serious progress.
I think Zojja actually explains that in one of the personal story lines – the Inquest may be everything you described: liars, murderers, thieves, but their inventions are genius, which is why the Arcane Council decided to keep them around. Even if a lot of the asura don’t tolerate the Inquest, well, I guess the Council still has the last word in this matter.
Much like the reason there’s a Svanir camp in Heolbrak. They may be evil jerks, but you can respect how well they fight. The inquest might be evil jerks, but you have to admit they pull off some serious progress.
The two situations are much alike, yes, but the reasoning is entirely different. Inquest is protected by Asuran laws and governing system that chooses to let their lawless (or rather, amoral) behaviour slide. The Norn don’t even have a government. Their society is made up of individuals. They don’t judge people that are part of a given group based on the group’s reputation. Instead they judge each individual based solely on the individual’s actions. Hoelbrak is a place for hunters to rest and recuperate (and drink and boast, obviously). If someone wants to come there, they are welcome. They are only kicked out if they make trouble.
The Inquest produce results. The Arcane Council is concerned with one thing only: Asuran domination over all of Tyria. They see the Inquest as the Asura’s best chance of achieving that, and it’s true.
Basically, the Arcane Council itself is very shady. That’s why it allows and even curries favour with the Inquest.
“The ends justify the means.”
— The Inquest
Basically what everybody has been saying. Asura who are moral do not like the Inquest but the Arcane Council is not moral and don’t even pretend to be moral. I mean, trying to kill each other is considered part of how council politics works. They have a secret police force for crying out loud! With the Arcane Council being so shady themselves, is there any wonder that they turn a blind eye to the Inquest?
That said, the Peacekeepers of Rata Sum do seem to have some measure of independence from the Arcane Council and so they fight the Inquest. Of Course, almost all the Krewes do not like the Inquest and so fight them as best they can.
My brain is shagging under the weight of changes… having six characters was not a good idea!
In other words, don’t think the Arcane Council necessarily represents Asuran interests as a whole. Remember that members of the Council are either forced into the position (most Asura would rather do research than deal with bureaucracy) or are power-hungry.
I think Zojja actually explains that in one of the personal story lines – the Inquest may be everything you described: liars, murderers, thieves, but their inventions are genius, which is why the Arcane Council decided to keep them around. Even if a lot of the asura don’t tolerate the Inquest, well, I guess the Council still has the last word in this matter.
The exact lines, spoilered for those that haven’t done the quest yet.
Zojja: If the Inquest want to play rough, we’ll play rough. Possession might be nine-tenths of the law, but the other tenth is my fist!
You: What’s the Inquest’s problem, anyway? Why are they such jerks?
Zojja: They’re completely amoral, bent on world domination, and they only care about results…which they often get. That gives them sway with the Arcane Council, which gives them free run of Rata Sum.
You: But they’re dangerous. And criminal. Why does the council allow them in the city at all?
Zojja: The council is all about long-term asuran supremacy. As long as the Inquest delivers spectacular and effective new inventions, the council turns a blind eye to their worst offenses.
The very first part of the story between them is like Apple and Samsung patent trolls.
Stormïe ~ Tarnished Coast | My little monster <3 – http://valid.canardpc.com/6nbdeq
The inquest are awesome and if i could i would have picked that as my college.
I think it’s because the inquest aren’t bad in the eyes of most Asurans. One of the earlier quests after you decide to save someone instead of going off and killing a guy, Zojja talks about how you are being soft and that it’s not looked highly upon in Asuran culture.
They are a very get it done at whatever costs it takes kind of culture, even if it means killing their own.
In one of the personal stories, the Council is actually attacked by killer golems and at the end even though they knew who did it, they didn’t bring them to justice, they just were going to send their own killer golems after them too. Basically, the council sends inventions to kill each other all the time, it’s probably the only reason they like their job. They tolerate the Inquest because hell some of the council is probably a part of the Inquest.
What really annoyed me about the personal story in this game though is the fact that there was no really evil choices. At best you could make your character angry, but still trying to save the world and protect the innocent.
Would’ve loved to have made a necromancer/theif/etc as part of the inquest and had an entirely new story devoted to stopping Destiny’s Edge from succeeding etc. After all everyone the personal stories take place in instances for the most part. Would it have been so hard to let people be evil instead of good?
Anet should’ve let people be evil and join the Inquest, or joined the Flame Legion, the Nightmare Court. (My Sylvari even looks like he belongs in the Nightmare court, but sadly “I’m not allowed to be evil”)
If only just for our personal stories. I’ll write off my hero work while leveling as a means to my evil ends.
(edited by Nokturnal.8973)
I think they’re kind of like Slytherin. I personally like them, I mean Asuras aren’t exactly nice people anyway – they treat the Sylvari pretty badly and experiment on practically everything so it makes sense that there’s even a faction that goes even more extreme.
The Arcane Council doesn’t give a hoot what goes on outside of Rata Sum. The Inquest could blow up half of Metrica Province, but its only krewes in Metrica, not working for the Council. So why should they care?
The Asura barely have a government at all. Krewes are expected to keep themselves in order. If they can’t protect themselves from Inquest attacks, it’s their fault. If the Inquest can’t protect themselves from retaliation, it’s their fault. It’s a loose state of individual society. The very first conversation you have is about how ineffectual the Peacemakers are. You basically beat the Arcane Eye to death but the Council doesn’t punish you for it, because they were too weak to stop it. You can consider the Council and the Arcane Eye to be its own large krewe, the krewe devoted to the maintenance and safekeeping of Rata Sum and Rata Sum alone.
Be loyal to your krewe. You don’t have to be loyal to anything else.