[Gulnyr]

Though nothing about the death system of the MMO has been reported to the public, it has been stated that the Soul Mother and bindstones are an integral part of Layonara, and the work done on the new cosmology and (so far mysterious) consequences of binding would seem to be wasted effort for the remaining months of the NWN incarnation if something else were going to be created anyway, so it seems they have a good chance of being carried over into the future of Layonara. That concept - that there will always be bindstones or something equivalent - is the basis for this question:

Can we expect to see bound NPCs?

I thought about this while considering all the renewed perma-death chatter. Our PCs are actually amazingly lucky to have so many chances, but none of the enemies we ever fight ever seem get another chance, unless they happen to rise as undead somethings later. No NPCs ever seem to be bound to the stones. I don't know what the consequences are so it's hard to judge, but if all these hero types and adventure-seekers have bound, how bad can it be? Why aren't there more villains who just never seem to stay dead? It would be a lot easier to accomplish those evil plans with a pocket full of round-trip tickets instead of a single one-way ticket, y'know?

I understand the concept of defeating the final baddie and bringing closure to the story arc, but, when NPCs are never bound, it seems to make the bindstones seem like an OOC mechanic for the benefit of the PCs more than an integrated part of the IC world that various people take advantage of.

I posted this here because it seems more important to the future than to the present.