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Threads Of Destiny(Eastern Fantasy, Sequel to Forge of Destiny)

Voted best in category in the Users' Choice awards.
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[X] Seek out information on history and culture to better understand the forces at play here. (better understanding of the factions within the White Sky their disposition, and potential cultural flashpoints)

Persuaded by Abeo, it's a better RP choice for Ling Qi. Renxiang will focus on the material side of things, and it's not like we're not going to have future opportunities to learn the rest.
 
[X] Seek out information on material things, structures of government and institutions at play here.(better understanding of the likely material demands and potential flashpoints of conflict between your institutions)
 
I would like to point out that, in the material option, we aren't going to solve the WS's materials problems in this interaction. It's not like we can make promises or reach agreements on our own, so our lack of expertise in administrative labor is hardly going to be an impediment.

We are going to gather vital information about what are going to be the WS's posture and demands in the summit proper.
You know, which is also Ling Qi's job as Cai Renxiang's "spymaster". We aren't just the expert on White Sky's culture.
It's true that Renxiang is better than Ling Qi at resolving administrative conflicts. But to do so she needs to be properly informed and so is our duty to bring her the information she needs.
Instead of just focusing on Ling Qi's PR with the White Sky.

For example, they could want their Nomads to be able to fly over a mountain the Wang want ownership over.
Even if there will be other meetings, the sooner we discover these points of comflict the more time we'll have to speak with the involved parties and search for a solution.

It's not like learning more about their culture right now will be all that benefical. We can already avoid the really important fracture lines.
Even if we learn more minor costumed, it's not like we can instruct the ES's representatives to follow them. And there is only so much a third party appeasement can achieve.

I just don't believe that the WS feeling that Ling Qi appreciates their culture is so important.
 
Identifying internal factions and differences of opinion between them, here on cultural/historical levels, also neatly fits into "spymaster" business. It should also give us higher resolution when poking our noses into more material and systemic/governance issues. Having a bit of background in who the different factions are ahead of time means we can assign the info on material interests more accurately to the relevant parties. Hopefully even better understand fault lines, etc. between parties, on both sides of the negotiating table.
 
[X] Seek out information on history and culture to better understand the forces at play here. (better understanding of the factions within the White Sky their disposition, and potential cultural flashpoints)
 
[X] Seek out information on history and culture to better understand the forces at play here. (better understanding of the factions within the White Sky their disposition, and potential cultural flashpoints)
 
[X] Seek out information on history and culture to better understand the forces at play here. (better understanding of the factions within the White Sky their disposition, and potential cultural flashpoints)
 
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Doramas said:
It's not like learning more about their culture right now will be all that benefical. We can already avoid the really important fracture lines.
Even if we learn more minor costumed, it's not like we can instruct the ES's representatives to follow them. And there is only so much a third party appeasement can achieve.

I just don't believe that the WS feeling that Ling Qi appreciates their culture is so important.
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We've learned some fracture lines. It's not at all about "appreciating their culture", but about making sure the other side doesn't walk away from the table.

Material disagreements will be expected (by both sides!) and can be worked out later. But if we accidentally call someone's wife a cow, that's not going to be forgotten.
 
[X] Seek out information on material things, structures of government and institutions at play here.(better understanding of the likely material demands and potential flashpoints of conflict between your institutions)
 
[X] Seek out information on material things, structures of government and institutions at play here.(better understanding of the likely material demands and potential flashpoints of conflict between your institutions)
May change my vote later.
 
Both approaches look like they have viable results for us, so I don't mind what wins too much.

That said, IMO if two cultures find to each other and understand each other, the institutions within these cultures will have a harder time obstructing friendly progress.
On the other side, if institutions from two different cultures work together despite said cultures not seeing eye to eye ... it will probably work from a mercantile perspective but not much more.

Trying to connect our cultures is probably way more ambitious than just trying to get our institutions to not kill each other and have a successful mercantile relationship.

sooo

[X] Seek out information on history and culture to better understand the forces at play here. (better understanding of the factions within the White Sky their disposition, and potential cultural flashpoints)
 
[X] Seek out information on history and culture to better understand the forces at play here. (better understanding of the factions within the White Sky their disposition, and potential cultural flashpoints)
 
[X] Seek out information on material things, structures of government and institutions at play here.(better understanding of the likely material demands and potential flashpoints of conflict between your institutions)
 
I have a hard time choosing anything here, I think they are both good. May change my vote later if I hear anything particularly convincing.

[X] Seek out information on history and culture to better understand the forces at play here. (better understanding of the factions within the White Sky their disposition, and potential cultural flashpoints)

[] Seek out information on material things, structures of government and institutions at play here.(better understanding of the likely material demands and potential flashpoints of conflict between your institutions)

Edit: Changed to culture after some talking in the Discord. Still like both, but lean this one more.
 
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[X] Seek out information on history and culture to better understand the forces at play here. (better understanding of the factions within the White Sky their disposition, and potential cultural flashpoints)
 
[X] Seek out information on material things, structures of government and institutions at play here.(better understanding of the likely material demands and potential flashpoints of conflict between your institutions)
 
Ilmarinen said:
I have a hard time choosing anything here, I think they are both good. May change my vote later if I hear anything particularly convincing.

[X] Seek out information on history and culture to better understand the forces at play here. (better understanding of the factions within the White Sky their disposition, and potential cultural flashpoints)

[] Seek out information on material things, structures of government and institutions at play here.(better understanding of the likely material demands and potential flashpoints of conflict between your institutions)

Edit: Changed to culture after some talking in the Discord. Still like both, but lean this one more.
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One argument for cultural flashpoints is that when higher Realms are involved, finding out what's liable to make them hit the roof because it conflicts with their Ways is damn useful. The Polar nation has side-stepped this problem by developing the custom that higher Realms don't involve themselves in politics, but that's not the case in the Empire.
A while ago I posted this on discord:
Another reason why the Polar nation might be horrified by higher realms ruling in the empire just struck me. It's not just that they have so much power, or that their thinking becomes inhuman - it's that their thinking becomes fossilized. Stuff like "fuck the Cloud Nomads" gets baked into their Way. Think of how much talk there is in our world today of waiting for conservative geezers to die so there can be social progress, and now imagine that said geezers can break mountains by flexing their biceps, are in charge for centuries, and literally cannot change their minds/update their views without breaking their brains.
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And Yrsillar commented with:
you have correctly identified a theme :p
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There's been a lot of talk about the importance of not offending the White Sky, but in my opinion it's also vital to find out what kind of stuff they consider everyday business that might cause fifth realm+ Imperials like Cao Chun to go REEEEE! so we can avoid a scenario where he or others like him try to capsize the summit in a fit of moral outrage.
 
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It's going to be a headache and a half for the White Sky to figure out why we have 5th+ realm cultivators running around like people, but at the same time this allegedly important and taken-seriously diplomatic summit is most prominently staffed by a gaggle of teenagers.
 
AbeoLogos said:
It's going to be a headache and a half for the White Sky to figure out why we have 5th+ realm cultivators running around like people, but at the same time this allegedly important and taken-seriously diplomatic summit is most prominently staffed by a gaggle of teenagers.
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Meeting Cai Shenhua is going to be such a mindfuck for them. Like how we would react in real life if it was revealed that a country considered a constantly erupting volcano its chief of state.
 
I would love a commission of when Jaromila told her colleagues from the other confederations that high realms rule in the empire. Their reactions were probably akin to these:



Or maybe not, dammit, now that I think about it. They're already familiar with the concept from the Cloud Tribes.
Ah, but now that I think about it some more, they could be shocked and appalled that such a large polity, consisting of several confederations, had such a horrifying custom!
 
Adhoc vote count started by flazeo25 on Oct 15, 2022 at 5:55 PM, finished with 128 posts and 76 votes.
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[X] Seek out information on history and culture to better understand the forces at play here. (better understanding of the factions within the White Sky their disposition, and potential cultural flashpoints)
 
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