Were you lost?

Because even if the dice gods had been on their side and the Magpies kicked ass, they still attacked two Halovars and a member of the Revolutionary Council. The rebellion would be officially kicked off, and they still don’t have the supplies they’re waiting on from Timmony. Azune and Hal would have to go into hiding. There would be no chance of getting backing from the Council, because one of their members had been caught in the crossfire.

And in terms of public sentiment, none of the witnesses would have any context for what happened. All they saw was the Halovar forces walk up to a tavern and get met with a hail of crossbow bolts. The Photarch could spin that any way she wanted, and the Magpies would have a hard time countering that narrative.

But instead, what everyone saw was two Halovars, forty soldiers, and a Council member get sent scrambling by a stern word and a bit of lightning from Thaisha. There’s no way for the crowd to interpret that beyond “The Halovars don’t have as much control of the city as they want us to think. The Lloys, and the Druids, still hold more sway here.” It’s an incredibly humiliating setback for the Halovars, and it’s caused friction between them and the Council that the Schemers can exploit. And for the Magpies, it’s bought them crucial time to wait for reinforcements and continue laying the groundwork for the rebellion.

You would've raised one of your family in the fallen absence of the god of the sun, to do what? To fell the Golden Orchard? Divvy up its prizes for yourself? And I suppose when you had this ultimate weapon, you would have stopped there, yes? Would you like to lie again in front of me?