If we think an Enlightenment 7 Lunar or assassination focused Second Circle is involved we should put any serious investigation on the backburner, because we'd get turned into a nice coat of paint upon being ambushed.
However we should totally check if there's any working/blessing/curse on the Water Fleet, either from the Fellowship or someone else. If not, we should go ahead and lay blessings of the Rising Smoke (adapting to new environments) and the Captain (authority) on Kuzan, swapping out the Rising Smoke for one of the Spear (practiced mastery)/Banner (impressive reputation)/Quiver (strategic genius) once he's a bit more settled, hit the relationship between the Merchant/Water Fleets with the Pillar (stable relations), hit Kuzan/Amora with either the Ewer (adoring romance) or the Peacock (practical alliance) or both, and then follow it up with the Pillar (long lasting marriages) once they're more established.
It won't solve our problems, but it'll give us an edge.
We might try switching out one of our destinies for one who can introduce or announce him to the important people. that should help ensure he at least starts on a good footing.
If we think an Enlightenment 7 Lunar or assassination focused Second Circle is involved we should put any serious investigation on the backburner, because we'd get turned into a nice coat of paint upon being ambushed.
Speaking of help, we have Backgrounds for that very purpose.
Does anyone have any ideas on mundane equipment or Artifacts we might need (and could also get)?
Also, which gods are most likely to be relevant? Because Blue Crest Merchant seems like one obvious target, what with his relationship with the West and trade in general, and our optional mission of improving the relationship between the Merchant Fleet and the Water Fleet. It seems only natural to turn to him for tips or favors.
We might try switching out one of our destinies for one who can introduce or announce him to the important people. that should help ensure he at least starts on a good footing.
I wasn't intending for us to kill it ourselves regardless, but if, say, a Lunar spots us through whatever destiny we're using and arranges an ambush? We're dead. We should minimize any risk of us getting spotted by Lunars, which includes doing in-person investigation of any leads we pick up.
Mmm, actually that might be a good reason to hold off on using a wide-scale blessing on the relationship between the Water and Merchant fleets. That might draw attention from a Lunar Sorcerer.
Edit: Speaking of asking for help, we might want to reach out to people in the Convention of Water and see if there are any flare-ups on the horizon, hotspots to look out for etc. that might upset the transfer of power and put Kuzan into the fire before he's ready.
Edit 2: Verumpira might have some idea of demonic involvement. We could get some advice for whipping an Admiral into shape from our friends in the Crimson Panoply. Blue Crest Merchant, of course, is probably full of useful knowledge about the fleets.
Minora's house is ridiculously oversized for the sort of lifestyle she leads, but occasionally all of that extra space comes in handy. For example, she has more than enough room to store the library that she has accumulated over the past few years (with much help from Luxana, Daimyo of Recorded Knowledge), and that in turn allows her to dedicate a small side chamber entirely to holding her astrological charts and associated notes.
Yorzen is currently out delivering a few messages for her, requesting the assistance or consultation of a variety of important individuals that she has made acquaintances of during her time in Yu-Shan. Preparation is key here, after all - she does not want to make a serious mistake on her first true assignment, for while the Bureau has too few agents to blacklist her entirely for such a failure she would likely spend decades with it hanging over her head. Thus, her resplendent destinies, just to start with.
Carefully she moves her hands through the air in front of her, plucking at invisible threads and weaving them together into persistent forms, eyes focused on the maps and charts spread out in front of her. The motions are not strictly necessary - her sifu has demonstrated the ability to weave such things into existence through sheer force of will before - but they help to calm and focus her mind.
Ragara Soras, Admiral of the Water Fleet, has been assassinated in his own quarters. His replacement is new, untested and has no naval experience, which will probably mean that he makes mistakes and cannot count on any real respect from the literally thousands of officers under his command. Her job, then, is to make sure this all doesn't come apart in some horrifically destructive way and that the business of the Water Fleet continues unimpeded. If she can also arrange for said replacement to get himself happily married to the captain of his flagship and strike up a productive and appropriately professional relationship with the Merchant Fleet, that would be even better.
She smiles thinly to herself. Sesus Amora... it has been some time since she has been truly clued in with the latest goings on in her extended family, but Amora was making a name for herself even before Minora originally retired. Fire Aspects do not go into the Imperial Navy very often, but Amora was one of the few exceptions. Bold, brilliant and with a keen understanding of how to use overwhelming force to banish all thoughts of resistance from the minds of a populace... unless this Kuzan was much stronger willed than she was expecting, a marriage between the two of them would all but hand House Sesus the Admiralty. An alliance with a dedicated administrator and socialite might even do her distinctly militant relative some good, both personally and professionally. Well, she'd just have to wait and see.
For now, though... preparations.
You have woven Resplendent Destinies under the Mask, the Key, the Pillar, Five Dragon Style and Falling Petals style, as outlined in the post that @NonSequtur made.
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Chejop Kejak prefers weak tea, without much flavour. It's one of the little facts that few outside his immediate friends are privy to, and while Minora certainly does not qualify on that score her position as his student (and effective secretary in many ways) brings them close enough together that she can pick up on those sorts of things.
The two of them are currently seated inside his office in the Forboding Manse, sharing a brief moment of peace before she departs and he returns to work, a small pot of tea sitting on the desk between them. She has just finished outlining her assignment and plans in brief, clipped notes while he listened, and now they are both enjoying their tea as they wait for him to finish parsing things and offer his own advice.
"You have your cover established?" He murmurs, not opening his eyes.
"Liaisons, for the most part." Minora confirms. It's an old tactic, hiding an infiltrator among the surge of staff transfers and new arrivals that accompany any change in senior authority, and the fact that the Bureau has the connections to make her identification documents legitimate will be a tremendous help.
"We have safe houses in Eagle's Launch. I will have the details forwarded to you." Chejop observes, and Minora inclines her head in thanks. Carrying all of her equipment in person would be impractical, but if she can stash some of it in useful backup locations she can open up her options. "The assassin?"
"Outside Fate." She replies, drawing a faint frown from the elder Sidereal. It is nothing he hasn't seen before, but that doesn't make it any less annoying to deal with. "I had thought a Lunar, or perhaps a demon."
"I will make enquiries. It will take time." Her sifu says calmly. "You may need to coordinate with follow-up agents."
"Of course." If she is going to be assigned to this job for a year she will have plenty of time to liase with other agents of the Bureau operating with respect to the Water Fleet. "The rest, I can handle."
"Naturally." Chejop says with a faint smile.
What else, if anything, do you ask Chejop Kejak?
[ ] Write in
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Blue Crest Merchant is one of the more human deities she has ever come across, which makes sense given his origin as a god-blooded mortal. His physical appearance - a fit, lightly tanned human with the dark blue hair common to those born in the West - is part of this, naturally, but more than that he still thinks like a mortal. It makes dealing with him much easier, though that is not to say he is easy to manipulate or read. One simply does not advance as high as he has within the Celestial Bureaucracy with such a weakness.
"You've uncovered my cunning scheme, then." He says with a roguish grin as the two of them walk along the outer hull of the Golden Barque, the shining grandeur of Yu-Shan stretching out to the horizon in every direction far below.
"Friendly relations between the Water and Merchant fleets? You might as well have signed it with your name." Minora observes dryly. "Is such a thing currently in doubt?"
"No, but it could always be better." The god returns, utterly shameless. "At present, the Water Fleet guards the Merchant Fleet when they're collecting tribute, but there's no common policy for protecting them when they sail on other business."
Minora is hardly surprised by that. House Peleps commands the Imperial Navy, after all, and they have very little incentive to help their fellow Houses conduct trade that isn't being done by Imperial command.
"And you wish there to be?" She asks neutrally.
"Of course. If the Navy were to universally protect the Merchant Fleet, the Merchant Fleet becomes the safest and most reliable means of transportation in the West." Blue Crest Merchant notes. "Trade flows between the islands, strengthening each in turn, and the populace learns that working with the Realm makes them safer and more prosperous than trying to oppose it. I've been arguing for this for a while, but it would result in a much less violent West and... well, Siakal."
Of course, Minora thinks to herself dryly, the fact that this plan would also vastly enrich and empower the God of Naval Trade himself is surely a coincidence. Still, there is potential there.
What else, if anything, do you ask Blue Crest Merchant?
[ ] Write in
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There are always more things to do, Minora thinks to herself, but unfortunately the world is not content to wait for her. Peleps Kuzan is moving to join his new command at Eagle's Launch even now, and she needs to be there when he arrives or her mission will fail at the start.
Time to get to work.
Note that if you have other people you wish to speak to or preparations you wish to make, write-in stunts are still acceptable, and I will be permitting retroactive enquiries/actions and such within reason. I'm just looking to keep the Quest going at a decent clip. With that in mind...
Where do you meet Peleps Kuzan?
[ ] Before he leaves the Imperial City. More time with him, but much more restricted movements and options.
[ ] En route to Eagle's Launch. Easy to join without a fuss, but hard to establish yourself as anyone important/worth speaking to.
[ ] On arrival at Eagle's Launch. Plenty of time to prep for his arrival and lay the groundwork, much less time to get to know him before he steps into the new role.
What identity do you meet him under?
[ ] Agent of the All-Seeing Eye, here to make sure he doesn't get assassinated as well. (The Mask)
[ ] A member of Sesus Amora's own retinue, sent to liase between the Admiral's staff and that of his flagship. Note - can only be chosen if you meet him at Eagle's Launch. (The Pillar)
[ ] A liaison from the Merchant Fleet, sent to assist in any joint operations such as gathering the tithe. (Falling Petals)
[ ] A young and competent member of his personal guard (Five Dragon Style)
[ ] A brilliant logistical assistant, sent to generally help him out in his new role. (The Key)
[X] Before he leaves the Imperial City. More time with him, but much more restricted movements and options.
[X] A brilliant logistical assistant, sent to generally help him out in his new role. (The Key)
I think this puts us in the best position to make sure the initial transition is smooth.
[X] Before he leaves the Imperial City. More time with him, but much more restricted movements and options.
[X] A brilliant logistical assistant, sent to generally help him out in his new role. (The Key)
Makes sense, he has administrative experience so this is one part of his team that he'll feel confident in putting together early and recognise that he needs to. The earlier we join the more opportunity we have to vet the rest of the team as it forms.
Since we won't be claiming naval expertise ourselves, once we impress him then we can serve as an example of how to take expert advice without diminishing oneself in the process.
[x] A brilliant logistical assistant, sent to generally help him out in his new role. (The Key)
Fundamentally, this is our main goal, and the identity deliberately made to serve as the primary point of contact with Kuzan. The Mask is a spy and our excuse to be sneaking about sneakily identity, but it can't be the biggest influence on our target over the course of his day to day job. The Pillar is useful for influencing Amora and his relationship with her, but who'd listen to the elderly trusted servant about military matters? The Five Dragon Stylist is a mortal soldier - useful for feeling out the lower ranks and any time we need to bust out the techniques of the Spear, but it's not part of the command staff, and the Falling Petal attache is our ear to the Merchant Fleet connection, and is an outsider to the Water Fleet.
As to the other vote, I'm still undecided.
[x] Ask Blue Crest Merchant about person's of interest and influence in the Water, and to a lesser extent, Merchant Fleets. What do they like, what do they hate, how can we influence them and make sure the transfer goes smoothly.
[X] Before he leaves the Imperial City. More time with him, but much more restricted movements and options.
[X] Agent of the All-Seeing Eye, here to make sure he doesn't get assassinated as well. (The Mask)
-[X] Inform him that the All-Seeing Eye has noted that his predecessor died under... suspicious circumstances, and that as such the Realm has an interest in ensuring that he does not require replacement due to similar events. A small number of extra agents has been assigned to the Water Fleet high command for this purpose, and one of them will be his principle contact there. Then leave for Eagle's Launch.
[X] Meet him again on arrival at Eagle's Launch. Plenty of time to prep for his arrival and lay the groundwork, much less time to get to know him before he steps into the new role.
[X] A member of Sesus Amora's own retinue, sent to liase between the Admiral's staff and that of his flagship. Give the appropriate passphrase to identify yourself as his contact.
There are multiple reasons for this. The first is to help calm Peleps Kuzan in case he fears another assassination attempt; the Realm has his back in that case. The second is to make clear that just because they won't let him be assassinated they're still expecting him to his job right. The third is to give him a way to get in contact with us in case of problems. And the fourth is to give the identity we are going to use the most, the skilled assistant send to teach him, a way to identify itself if necessary as a friendly without immediately blowing her 'cover.'
[X] Before he leaves the Imperial City. More time with him, but much more restricted movements and options.
[X] Agent of the All-Seeing Eye, here to make sure he doesn't get assassinated as well. (The Mask)
-[X] Inform him that the All-Seeing Eye has noted that his predecessor died under... suspicious circumstances, and that as such the Realm has an interest in ensuring that he does not require replacement due to similar events. A small number of extra agents has been assigned to the Water Fleet high command for this purpose, and one of them will be his principle contact there. Then leave for Eagle's Launch.
[X] Meet him again on arrival at Eagle's Launch. Plenty of time to prep for his arrival and lay the groundwork, much less time to get to know him before he steps into the new role.
[X] A member of Sesus Amora's own retinue, sent to liase between the Admiral's staff and that of his flagship. Give the appropriate passphrase to identify yourself as his contact.
There are multiple reasons for this. The first is to help calm Peleps Kuzan in case he fears another assassination attempt; the Realm has his back in that case. The second is to make clear that just because they won't let him be assassinated they're still expecting him to his job right. The third is to give him a way to get in contact with us in case of problems. And the fourth is to give the identity we are going to use the most, the skilled assistant send to teach him, a way to identify itself if necessary as a friendly without immediately blowing her 'cover.'
OK, I understand your reasoning, but as a general principle when I put something up for a vote I'd prefer it if you didn't try to pick multiple options at once. It just makes my job harder and confuses the voting tally.
...it's also probably worth noting that trying to play two different archetypes at once will break your resplendent destinies. And again, I really need to type those rules up.
OK, I understand your reasoning, but as a general principle when I put something up for a vote I'd prefer it if you didn't try to pick multiple options at once. It just makes my job harder and confuses the voting tally.
...it's also probably worth noting that trying to play two different archetypes at once will break your resplendent destinies. And again, I really need to type those rules up.
Oh, that was not the intent. The idea was to get a short meeting with Peleps Kuzan as an agent of the All-Seeing Eye in the Imperial City, where one would presume a seniorish agent of the organisation tells him 'shit happened, we're ready in case that same shit happens.' Ideally that agent won't be seen by Kuzan again, but could be reported as active in Eagle's Launch but busy.
Then we immediately skip town for Eagle's Landing, where our liaison identity between Sesus Amora and Peleps Kuzan prepares the field and when Kuzan arrives introduces herself as his 'primary' contact. This gives us an excuse and cover to be around irregularly as well as doing a lot of official and important travel throughout the city. It also gives Peleps a way to get in contact with us without it being very suspicious.
The identity which we would actually use the most is the logistical assistant who is by design going to fade into the background but as often present as we can arrange. We'll swap Resplendencies, identities and disguises as needed.
This nesting and tying the stories of our different Resplencies together in a way that doesn't necessarily tangle their fates will let us cover up mistakes or 'drop' one without making a mess of things, Fate wise.
Oh, that was not the intent. The idea was to get a short meeting with Peleps Kuzan as an agent of the All-Seeing Eye in the Imperial City, where one would presume a seniorish agent of the organisation tells him 'shit happened, we're ready in case that same shit happens.' Ideally that agent won't be seen by Kuzan again, but could be reported as active in Eagle's Launch but busy.
Then we immediately skip town for Eagle's Landing, where our liaison identity between Sesus Amora and Peleps Kuzan prepares the field and when Kuzan arrives introduces herself as his 'primary' contact. This gives us an excuse and cover to be around irregularly as well as doing a lot of official and important travel throughout the city. It also gives Peleps a way to get in contact with us without it being very suspicious.
The identity which we would actually use the most is the logistical assistant who is by design going to fade into the background but as often present as we can arrange. We'll swap Resplendencies, identities and disguises as needed.
This nesting and tying the stories of our different Resplencies together in a way that doesn't necessarily tangle their fates will let us cover up mistakes or 'drop' one without making a mess of things, Fate wise.
That's not the Pillar identity's job either. That identity's job is to be a point of contact between Sesus Amora and Peleps Kuzan, the All-Seeing Eye co-opted that freedom of movement to inform their actual agents.
The whole idea here is to create a shell game; the Mask identity is a spy and the 'actual' person involved in the thing. This spy has a number of subordinates and auxiliaries the All Seeing Eye has pulled together in short order to cover the apparent hole in their network and to prevent an assassination. The Sesus/Peleps liaison is one such auxiliary, as is the Water/Merchant fleet liaison.
They are actually smokescreens for the agents that have been deployed. These agents are the Mask identity, who is the senior agent in command, the 'genius logistics assistant' who is pretty much always near Peleps Kuzan doing a critical job and the 'young personal guardsman' keeping him safe.
And, well, the Mask identity is a spy. And with a bit of explanation and careful planning, a mistress of disguise. So yeah, those auxiliaries? Fake identities used by a skilled infiltrator. One so skilled that she stays in her legend even when it shouldn't be possible. Those other agents? Just as fake legends, and the genius logistics assistant is an identity worn by the Sesus/Peleps liaison identity, which is worn by the Mask identity which is the actual person involved.
The entire structure here is designed to give a reasonable explanation that is in Fate and can be used by the Pattern Spiders as well as Sesus Minora herself to give excuses for slip ups without actually dropping any identity as well as giving a way to cover it up without a messy tangle.
That's not the Pillar identity's job either. That identity's job is to be a point of contact between Sesus Amora and Peleps Kuzan, the All-Seeing Eye co-opted that freedom of movement to inform their actual agents.
The whole idea here is to create a shell game; the Mask identity is a spy and the 'actual' person involved in the thing. This spy has a number of subordinates and auxiliaries the All Seeing Eye has pulled together in short order to cover the apparent hole in their network and to prevent an assassination. The Sesus/Peleps liaison is one such auxiliary, as is the Water/Merchant fleet liaison.
They are actually smokescreens for the agents that have been deployed. These agents are the Mask identity, who is the senior agent in command, the 'genius logistics assistant' who is pretty much always near Peleps Kuzan doing a critical job and the 'young personal guardsman' keeping him safe.
And, well, the Mask identity is a spy. And with a bit of explanation and careful planning, a mistress of disguise. So yeah, those auxiliaries? Fake identities used by a skilled infiltrator. One so skilled that she stays in her legend even when it shouldn't be possible. Those other agents? Just as fake legends, and the genius logistics assistant is an identity worn by the Sesus/Peleps liaison identity, which is worn by the Mask identity which is the actual person involved.
The entire structure here is designed to give a reasonable explanation that is in Fate and can be used by the Pattern Spiders as well as Sesus Minora herself to give excuses for slip ups without actually dropping any identity as well as giving a way to cover it up without a messy tangle.
Normally I'd preface something like this with 'well, you'd have to ask @Maugan Ra to be sure, but...'. Not here.
You're not going to be able to game the Mask like that.
Edit: By which I mean, trying to do that will probably end up breaking the other destinies, because, for instance, the sign of 'trusted relationships' doesn't play well with 'secretly working for the All-Seeing Eye'. Now, there's nothing stopping her as the Mask from claiming that they are, but trying to use it is asking for trouble, because it's out of theme for the other identities and will probably bring whatever consequence Maugan Ra's planning on using down on our heads.
[X] Before he leaves the Imperial City. More time with him, but much more restricted movements and options.
[X] A brilliant logistical assistant, sent to generally help him out in his new role. (The Key)
[X] Before he leaves the Imperial City. More time with him, but much more restricted movements and options.
[X] A brilliant logistical assistant, sent to generally help him out in his new role. (The Key)
Normally I'd preface something like this with 'well, you'd have to ask @Maugan Ra to be sure, but...'. Not here.
You're not going to be able to game the Mask like that.
Edit: By which I mean, trying to do that will probably end up breaking the other destinies, because, for instance, the sign of 'trusted relationships' doesn't play well with 'secretly working for the All-Seeing Eye'. Now, there's nothing stopping her as the Mask from claiming that they are, but trying to use it is asking for trouble, because it's out of theme for the other identities and will probably bring whatever consequence Maugan Ra's planning on using down on our heads.
I'm just going to step in here and reinforce this point.
Resplendent Destinies are self-contained identities, and must constantly reinforce and conform to their own archetypes in order to remain valid. 'Is actually a secret agent' is a very specific sort of identity, one typically associated with the Mask, and unless your Resplendent Destiny is of the Mask then acting like a secret agent undercover will lead to problems. Specifically, Paradox.
Points of Paradox are basically my license to make your life interesting. They are the representation of snags in the Loom of Fate which you have created, and which will primarily effect you when they are resolved. I'm still working on finalizing the precise scale, but they start at 'unfortunate coincidences' and work all the way up to 'natural disaster centered on you'.
Third Circle Demons count as natural disasters. You are hereby warned.
Points of Paradox are basically my license to make your life interesting. They are the representation of snags in the Loom of Fate which you have created, and which will primarily effect you when they are resolved. I'm still working on finalizing the precise scale, but they start at 'unfortunate coincidences' and work all the way up to 'natural disaster centered on you'.
I'm just going to step in here and reinforce this point.
Resplendent Destinies are self-contained identities, and must constantly reinforce and conform to their own archetypes in order to remain valid. 'Is actually a secret agent' is a very specific sort of identity, one typically associated with the Mask, and unless your Resplendent Destiny is of the Mask then acting like a secret agent undercover will lead to problems. Specifically, Paradox.
Points of Paradox are basically my license to make your life interesting. They are the representation of snags in the Loom of Fate which you have created, and which will primarily effect you when they are resolved. I'm still working on finalizing the precise scale, but they start at 'unfortunate coincidences' and work all the way up to 'natural disaster centered on you'.
Third Circle Demons count as natural disasters. You are hereby warned.
[X] Before he leaves the Imperial City. More time with him, but much more restricted movements and options.
[X] A brilliant logistical assistant, sent to generally help him out in his new role. (The Key)
We really want this guy to trust us. This gives us the best lead up to him doing so.
[X] Before he leaves the Imperial City. More time with him, but much more restricted movements and options.
[X] A brilliant logistical assistant, sent to generally help him out in his new role. (The Key)
Will fill in questions to Kejak or Blue Crest Merchant later.
