Reaction post and wives breakdown!
Luckily, your mansions staff managed to politely disabuse you of that notion long before it became a problem. You had honestly never considered if it would be difficult or not to get two hundred partridges for the first course, or in which precise order you would have to buy the cheeses for the symposiums snacks to make sure they were all ripened just right at the date of the event. It was showing that this was your first time hosting such a feast and you had much to learn in that regard. It took a good two months before the plans were fully drawn up and you spent more then one evening slaving over the finer details of everything, last but not least how to stretch your dwindling funds too.
This kind of thing is great. So far the protagonist seems completely disconnected from polite society, so it would make perfect sense for him to never even have thought of this before. And I pity the poor servants who're trying to manage him without seeming like they're overstepping.
The first few guests to arrive were all from the lesser houses, the people eager to congratulate and compliment you. It was easy to see that they had come to rub shoulders with those above their own status, though you could hardly begrudge them that desire. They made for a very good company though and when the bulk of the guests arrived there was already the smell of spiced wine and the buzz of pleasant conversation in the air.
Is this because they're good conversationalists, or just because anyone who (positively) cares about his house's social status will be appreciated by our vainglorious protagonist?
The hall had already filled nicely when the guest arrived that you had almost feared to overshadow you at your own banquet. And for good reason at that.
Ghaliya bint Nur bint Hasna was not at all what you had expected. She arrived in a swirl of Deucallin silk dyed a deep purple, but patterned after Alumahi fashion, on her shoulders a modest saffron veil and on her face an easy smile. Her greeting of you was polite, almost deferential, and she even brought a gift to thank you for the invitation, an Ealim water clock wrought from finely spun gold and clearest glass. As she began to mingle while you waited for the last few guests to arrive, you began to worry over the tales of her cutting tongue and sharp wit, but whenever you spotted her in the crowd, there was laughter and smiles around her. For someone whose mere presence had driven away some of your guests, she now sure seemed to look like the reason most of them had come.
IDK if this was deliberate, but she comes across not only as someone who's a bigger deal than us, but also as someone who's significantly more skilled when it comes to socials/politics.
The feast itself was almost an afterthought.
This is probably the absolute best outcome when the food itself isn't amazing (for our status). A very lucky outcome.
"It was. Do not lie to me. It is rude and the truth always serves you better."
Instant way to get liked by readership
I've noticed that people who disdain or ignore "courtly protocol" tend to get liked by voters, as long as they don't do so in a manner that disrespects the MC too much. It woks even better when they also compliment the MC's achievements (which she does two lines later). I haven't checked out the vote totals yet, but I bet that options which involve deepening our burgeoning relationship with her House are doing quite well.
What you would have given in that moment to flee the banquet and to spend some time in the library. Just an hour or two to have the demons banished from your thoughts for a short while.
Poor baby. You were thrown in well over your head, weren't you?
Don't worry, we'll pick good learning actions for you soon enough.
"Marry one of my adopted daughters
Huh. Well then, I had completely misunderstood her age.
"And what do you expect in return?"
"Nothing.", she spoke without hesitation.
Yeah, this is a suspiciously good offer. This is the start of something, isn't it? I can't tell if it's a good something or a bad something, but a relationship with her family is likely a slippery slope that's hard to back out of (if only for rep reasons) and she must know that.
A year ago, you would have shocked at the brazen proclamation, but after all the time at the Madrasa, it was just another passionate speech of an Ealim wishing to see this city take on their ways. For once, words eluded you.
It's the first turn, and our actions are already changing the character a little.
Rumours about bankruptcy lessened.
Malus for Ealim association removed for Trade Houses.
Very nice!
[] Look for a Wife (1 AP)
As the last known Lipern, it is up to you to make sure that your houses legacy does not end with you. Look for a prospective bride.
You know, it might have been fun to see our MC muddle his way through conversations about that... This doesn't feel like a topic (or social environment) he knows much about, somehow. I hve him begged as the bookish child who wouldn't have gotten the appropriate socialisation to handle this deftly.
On the other hand, that sounds difficult to write - and if you only wrote one option and gave the others as blurbs, that might influence the vote in ways you don't intend...
Hiritt Sin
She is the sole heiress of a minor house of Demadi descent, owning a small settlement of fishers and divers on the Apagnu Islands. Her father passed some years ago without a male heir and she has since fought off many suitors, seeking to stay independent. By now though, she has apparently been worn down as many houses refuse to do business with her without demanding a marriage in return. You have not met her, but word is that she is a skilled administrator and negotiator, but somewhat lacking in social graces. If married, she would bring all her assets into the union, though it is hard to judge their value from afar. Word is though that she is sitting on a veritable hoard of pearls and precious coral that she was too stubborn to sell under their value.
Marrying her to immediately ask for her money to settle her debts? Oh yes, that's something that will go over well
On the other hand, the player base is unlikely to ask her to stop being independent and doing business (as long as it's for both of us, and not wrecking us to her advantage) so that could go well.
Melite Diaxu
This daughter of the house Great House Diaxu has recently been accused of having slept with no less than three different men. Allegedly, whenever her father was debating in the Council with the other Sibu, she would try and seduce the heirs of other houses for nefarious purposes that ranged from intrigue to blood magic, depending on who was telling the tale. While many consider the rumours overblown, if not even completely manufactured slander spread by House Diaxus enemies, they have still tarnished her reputation irrevocably. If you were to marry her, it would be the first union between House Lipern and another house of Deucallian descent since the exile and while the rumours would hurt your reputation, her father has been heard to offer prospective grooms a rather preposterous dowry to make up for it.
If we're going to tank our Rep, we may as well marry Ghaliya's daughter and get some foreign contacts out of it... And if any of the rumours are true, she sounds like the kind of wife who'd cause issues and/or Rep loss we're ill-equipped to deal with. If they're untrue, she may need support we can't provide. Not great.
Aiuru Sariti
While House Sariti is not overly prestigious or wealthy, they are still well respected. Aiuru is the current patriarch's younger sister and in the brief talks you had with her during your banquet, you found the rumours that she is shy to be grossly wrong. She is rather bookish, but was animatedly joining the discussion in the symposium and seemed far more attentive to events around her then many others, merely preferring to listen in while others did the talking. Her family is heavily invested in the coastal trade around Alumahi, making their money mostly with salt and foodstuffs. You carefully had indicated an interest to her brother and he seemed rather open to the idea, indicating only a modest dowry, but also a willingness to share business contacts.
She sounds like someone we could get along with - at the very least we have shared interests, and unless we have massive philosophical differences we could bond over that.
And shared business contacts sounds very useful to make new revenue streams: if we take the offered loan and it's enough to resolve our current scalping, this could be a very good long-run option.
Menodora bint Ghaliya bint Hasna
The adopted daughter whose hand you were offered by Ghaliya bint Hasna. While you had no chance to meet her, some people at the Madrasa have mentioned her when you had inquired about her family. Born as a third daughter to the Panikean House Tetaros, she left her family to study in the great Madrasa of Damerisu, where she met her future adoptive mother. She impressed the matriarch with the knowledge in strategy, seamanship and administration. By nature she seems to be a rather free spirit and values her independence greatly. If you were to marry her, Ghaliya bint Hasna has promised to get House Lipern a trade license for Damerisu, which would allow you to buy spices there directly, and a small trade galley with a hold full of myrrh, incense and pepper worth more then enough to set up a trade route immediately. However, marrying an Ealim by choice might still be ill received by the people of Alumahi.
This could be a big pile of money, at the cost of large Rep loss.
Zayna bint Ghaliya bint Hasna
Or you could make this alliance as deep as possible, by marrying Ghaliya bint Hasnas trueborn daughter Zayna. In many things the opposite of Menodora, she has been groomed all her life to navigate courtly politics and allegedly has been acting as a spy for her mother more then once already. Others claim that is vile slander of a woman described often as the perfect and graceful princess found otherwise only in stories. While the dowry would be the same, your ties to House Hasna would be much tighter if you were to marry her, for good or ill. It would give you more leverage among the Ealim, but likewise would it be poorly received in Alumahi.
The
fun option. Now this sounds like a wife who'd wind us around her finger, and play her family's games in the city while using our name to gain better entrance.
On the other hand, that does sound like a big pile of cash... Still not worth it, IMO. And I don't want to lock ourselves into this path without knowing much about it, about the alternatives, and about the setting.
Current Wealth: 0
Outstanding Costs: 4 Wealth for loan interest
Hehe. We really beggared ourselves to hold this event, didn't we? Quite a gamble. Thankfully it seems to have paid off!
[X] [Tenements] Keep them for now.
This really should be part of a plan vote... All the options cost money, but it's entirely possible that the way the vote goes will result in us not having money.
[X] [Loan - Qaypanu] Do not take the deal. (loan remains 8 Wealth owed to Sillaniu Qaypanu with 3 Wealth interest per turn
[X] [Loan - Hasna] Take the loan. (gain loan of 10 Wealth owed to House Hasna with 1 Wealth interest per turn)
Would it be possible to repay the 8 wealth owed to Qaypanu right now? Or do we have to keep paying interest until a specific date before we're allowed to pay back the whole thing?
[X] [Marriage] Hiritt Sin (gain several businesses and at least 4 Wealth)
[X] [Marriage] Aiuru Sariti (gain 6 wealth, gain trade contacts in Alumahis hinterland)
