I don't understand the obsession with granting Mathews the mantle.
Because it solves multiple problems that Mathews is likely to have with the White Council and Thule Society both, and with ensuring the security of the newly Awakened granddaughter(s). And because the best hunter of human necromancers is someone with recent experience of humanity and human society.
A human is unlikely to have made the mistake Arawn did about human technology's destructiveness; the American Civil War killed around three quarters of a million soldiers and unknown numbers of civilians barely 40 years previously.
I don't like that idea at all, dude. The very fact that we could provide information valuable to Mab that she wants and didn't already have would make us much more interesting than we already are. At the very least she would want our source, which we could not provide, and at worst she could decide to co-opt us entirely.
1) Usum's shard was buried in the heart of Arctis Tor for centuries, if not millenia. We are already of extreme interest to her.
2)She has eyes and magical senses. She can see what we are.
Remember, supernatural superpower. Her intelligence network is superb.
There are very few things she doesnt have some idea about.
The thing is Arawn might not want to say how it would affect him, particularly in front of his daughter if the price is high. That would be a roll. I do not like slowing things down, but I think that is is very much the lesser evil to just dropping important information (or the awareness that he is not going to give it to you) in a comment. Also this whole thing takes place against the clock, other people are moving so the choice to try to get more information comes with its own costs, which you guys may or may not want to pay.
Fair.
I think we need to know . If we transfer the Mantle to someone else and Arawn starts melting down into a puddle of goo, Lydia is likely to try to make a deal for her father's life anyway. Only from a weaker position.
We still have the Empathy Excellency running, so we should use it.
VOTE
[X]Write-in: Ask Arawn what the effects on him, his daughter and his divinity of shedding the Mantle would be.
-[X]If he balks, Crown of Eyes using the museum dead as a focus. Ask about the consequences to the current bearer/wielder if the Mantle that was present when their ghosts were laid to rest is transferred.
-[X]Ask Arawn if he has some idea of preferred successors among the lesser Ankou
-[X]Ask Harry if he thinks Mathews can carry the responsibility of the Mantle; he's Soulgazed the dude, so he has the best independent assessment of Mr Mathews in the building.
-[X]STUNT: You close your eyes briefly, multiple scenarios running through your head simultaneously as your mind races. Finally, you open your eyes, the multitudinous eyes of your anima banner focusing on the old god before you. "I think Im going to need some clarifications."
REASONS
Front page says we still have 5 Essence. 3-4 Essence is my safety level for Mab Diplomacy.
That means we can, if absolutely necessary, spare 1 Essence to use Crown of Eyes.
We still have 2 turns of the social Excellency running, so we can use it.
Asking what happens to Arawn if Mantle is swapped is Important.
If he is going to deteriorate, we could very well have Lydia trying to make a deal anyway, only with less leverage. She already blundered into a disastrous one with the Corpsetaker. We dont want a scion of her strength making deals in desperation.
An ounce of prevention, et cetera.
