Annotated 2-11
Bandit acts as something of a bridge between Best’s and Syr’Nj’s sequences, and this chase will start pulling other story threads closer together. But it is worth asking, from a character point of view, why there needs to be a chase. For a master thief, Bandit has picked a public target of little value and attracted as much attention as possible doing it. The only advantage she has, besides speed and her small size, is that the market is a busy place and easy to lose people in. Perhaps she recognized that Syr’Nj was a wood elf and therefore not a target that anyone else in this human-filled market would defend? Even so, she could have stolen Syr’s purse while she was distracted bending the vendor’s ear, and Syr wouldn’t have noticed.
If you take the “in-game” view, which I started resisting almost immediately but Phil (who wrote this scene) was more prone to do, then Bandit’s actions make more sense. Somewhere, Bandit’s player is picking a chase scene with this other player’s character as a way of introducing herself. Why would she take the theft any more seriously than that? It’s just a game. But whatever remains of Syr’Nj’s player is fully immersed in Syr’Nj, and feeling the sting of this society, even its nonhuman members, casually victimizing her.
Out of game, the best explanation I can give is that Bandit is getting bored and needs to prove she’s still got it by giving herself a handicap.
I can buy that last part. I remember kind of picking up a very ‘shit’s n’ giggles’ air about her behavior.
I mean, if I had the opportunity to pilfer a rare item from a major storyline character, I’d take it.
Tom and Jerry image on the side…?
Bandit is being chased by Syr’Nj?
Bandit is small and nimble…
Jerry is small and nimble…
Jerry always bests Tom…
Jerry confirmed Best’s alt!!
Actually, Jerry didn’t always best Tom, especially in the Chuck Jones’ era.
I’d say, out of game context, the best reason for her doing this, other than boredom, would be as a distraction so other thief-y types can get their rogue on.
Thieves don’t just avoid attention for their job. They control it. Guide it.
Yeah, I’m think out of game context. Even if the item is just binary code (or imaginary), people grow connected to their stuff. So introducing yourself by stealing said stuff just wouldn’t go over very well.
Plus Bandit admits to being bored later on anyways. So it fits perfectly.
This feels like the start of a beautiful friendship…
Maybe Bandit’s player has a quest that requires hats to finish?
It is later established that around the Five a deeper/more interactive gameplay was possible.
Perhaps Bandit got a option she never got before or didn’t think possible and thought “Ooh, that’s new! Let’s try it!!”.