Threads Of Destiny(Eastern Fantasy, Sequel to Forge of Destiny)
- Thread starter yrsillar
- Start date
- Original Users' Choice!
Voted best in category in the Users' Choice awards.
[X] Yes, so many potential ties are made difficult by the sheer distance involved, but not this. Knowing the White Sky is a center of research for the polar nation only makes it a better choice.
Lady_Story
Humble Teller of Stories, Villainess of Legend
- Pronouns
- She/Her/They/Them
[X] Yes, so many potential ties are made difficult by the sheer distance involved, but not this. Knowing the White Sky is a center of research for the polar nation only makes it a better choice.
[X] Yes, so many potential ties are made difficult by the sheer distance involved, but not this. Knowing the White Sky is a center of research for the polar nation only makes it a better choice.
- Location
- FR
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X] Yes, so many potential ties are made difficult by the sheer distance involved, but not this. Knowing the White Sky is a center of research for the polar nation only makes it a better choice.
Gonna have to commit to throwing bones to the MoI and try to secure their military help against the Clouds to satisfy the Meng when we negotiate the treaty, but it's worth it
Gonna have to commit to throwing bones to the MoI and try to secure their military help against the Clouds to satisfy the Meng when we negotiate the treaty, but it's worth it
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[X] Yes, so many potential ties are made difficult by the sheer distance involved, but not this. Knowing the White Sky is a center of research for the polar nation only makes it a better choice.
I'm always up for science.
I'm always up for science.
[X] Yes, so many potential ties are made difficult by the sheer distance involved, but not this. Knowing the White Sky is a center of research for the polar nation only makes it a better choice.
[X] No adding more factors is a poor decision, minor deals on the side can be made, but anything more intensive should come later.
Aliya
Someone I might become
- Location
- Kazakhstan
- Pronouns
- They/She/It
[X] No adding more factors is a poor decision, minor deals on the side can be made, but anything more intensive should come later.
I am not against yes vote, but out of solidarity for people who don't want to over-complicate the summit, I will vote no.
I am not against yes vote, but out of solidarity for people who don't want to over-complicate the summit, I will vote no.
Since Jiao confirmed that they're the enemy the MoI have been getting on my nerves more and more. Pissing them off too much is a fail-state, but Ling Qi's ideology and real goals for the summit (instead of the watered down stuff she tells the Peakaboos) are exactly the kind of things that would make Cao Chun go GRAAAARGH!
I'm not sure how we can thread that needle.
[X] Yes, so many potential ties are made difficult by the sheer distance involved, but not this. Knowing the White Sky is a center of research for the polar nation only makes it a better choice.
magic astronomy is cool and i want more of it.
magic astronomy is cool and i want more of it.
- Location
- USA
- Pronouns
- He/His/Him
[X] Yes, so many potential ties are made difficult by the sheer distance involved, but not this. Knowing the White Sky is a center of research for the polar nation only makes it a better choice.
I see this as a beneficial choice for all. It allows us to have ongoing positive contact with the white sky, while controlling their access to the empire. It helps ongoing research, by them giving us decades if not centuries worth of their own data while we only give them access to a (admittedly expensive) telescope. We can play this as exposing barbarians to our highly advanced knowledge and technology. It could possibly encourage them to trade with us so that they could build their own telescopes; after all I doubt that they have access to sands that are as pure as what the empire has or experts who can forge lenses.
The MOL need to have explained to them that by allowing "barbarian" experts into a incredibly controlled environment WE retain most of the cards. Instead of having the white sky send spies to sneak around any defenses we set up, we can concentrate them into focusing on a "weak spot" -- the telescope. The telescope doesn't have any strategic value, only scientific. This also allows the empire to better control any information. Both sides will spy on each other, but this gives us far more than we would lose.
I see this as a beneficial choice for all. It allows us to have ongoing positive contact with the white sky, while controlling their access to the empire. It helps ongoing research, by them giving us decades if not centuries worth of their own data while we only give them access to a (admittedly expensive) telescope. We can play this as exposing barbarians to our highly advanced knowledge and technology. It could possibly encourage them to trade with us so that they could build their own telescopes; after all I doubt that they have access to sands that are as pure as what the empire has or experts who can forge lenses.
The MOL need to have explained to them that by allowing "barbarian" experts into a incredibly controlled environment WE retain most of the cards. Instead of having the white sky send spies to sneak around any defenses we set up, we can concentrate them into focusing on a "weak spot" -- the telescope. The telescope doesn't have any strategic value, only scientific. This also allows the empire to better control any information. Both sides will spy on each other, but this gives us far more than we would lose.
[X] Yes, so many potential ties are made difficult by the sheer distance involved, but not this. Knowing the White Sky is a center of research for the polar nation only makes it a better choice.
- Location
- Rivendell
Pushing for shared research will create tons of longterm benefits, and would likely cement the whole diplomatic venture as a net positive even if other talking points turn out to be a slow burn (which is not likely due to respective trade interests, unless some very active interference does occur).
It shouldn't be all that hard to spin this to the MoI, since it pertains the possibility of an apocalyptic event which could potentially threaten the security of the entire Empire.
Even being able to rule out such a thing from being true is positive for an agency such as the MoI, and if if turns out that yes, this is a threat, and yes, the White Sky is actively helping with it's suppresion, all of a sudden WS's value skyrockets form a potential nuisance to an asset which has to be sponsored and assisted if at all possible. Comfirming such things will take time, and due to their xenophobic nature the MoI will have a negative gut reaction at first, but that's just the nature of the political games LQ is currently playing.
The Meng are the bigger issue here, and it's difficult to see potential benefits at first: they get undercut from being one of the leading sponsors of the facility, and would stand to lose value and face as a result. Yet, they are the ones who could gain the most. It's simple really: let them be the second ones to get word of any new findings due to academic cooperations with WS, after Shenhua (who will of course want to be the first to hear about anything even remotely interesting).
They will hardly complain about the Duchess getting the first look, and they would be free to do whatever they want with any spicy new information. Hoard it, use it to raise a new generation of academic cultivators, sell it to the competition, use it as proof that they are more knowledgable than the other non-ducal clans. (As long as it doesn't induce unreasonable amounts of existential dread in the population).
If we manage to get this through, it will grant long term benefits for practically all parties involved, even the ones that don't really like it right now.
It shouldn't be all that hard to spin this to the MoI, since it pertains the possibility of an apocalyptic event which could potentially threaten the security of the entire Empire.
Even being able to rule out such a thing from being true is positive for an agency such as the MoI, and if if turns out that yes, this is a threat, and yes, the White Sky is actively helping with it's suppresion, all of a sudden WS's value skyrockets form a potential nuisance to an asset which has to be sponsored and assisted if at all possible. Comfirming such things will take time, and due to their xenophobic nature the MoI will have a negative gut reaction at first, but that's just the nature of the political games LQ is currently playing.
The Meng are the bigger issue here, and it's difficult to see potential benefits at first: they get undercut from being one of the leading sponsors of the facility, and would stand to lose value and face as a result. Yet, they are the ones who could gain the most. It's simple really: let them be the second ones to get word of any new findings due to academic cooperations with WS, after Shenhua (who will of course want to be the first to hear about anything even remotely interesting).
They will hardly complain about the Duchess getting the first look, and they would be free to do whatever they want with any spicy new information. Hoard it, use it to raise a new generation of academic cultivators, sell it to the competition, use it as proof that they are more knowledgable than the other non-ducal clans. (As long as it doesn't induce unreasonable amounts of existential dread in the population).
If we manage to get this through, it will grant long term benefits for practically all parties involved, even the ones that don't really like it right now.
- Pronouns
- Viewer
- Location
- Chicago
- Pronouns
- She/They
So, what outcomes are we going for?
It looks like four big win/win things available.
1) maps with borders from the proposed survey
2) iron for timber trade establishment
3) white sky sharing research with the astronomers
4) non-aggression treaty backed up by hostage exchange, marriage, or at very least paths on paper.
It seems like getting these things should make this a success, what are the situations we really want to avoid?
It looks like four big win/win things available.
1) maps with borders from the proposed survey
2) iron for timber trade establishment
3) white sky sharing research with the astronomers
4) non-aggression treaty backed up by hostage exchange, marriage, or at very least paths on paper.
It seems like getting these things should make this a success, what are the situations we really want to avoid?
SleepyCaterpilar
Just a Rapariga
This will be hell to set up, the MoI won't like people marrying barbarians (not that most people would even consider doing so). And choosing someone to give as a hostage won't be easy.
Honestly, this will probably be the hardest point to negotiate around.
- Location
- Finland
MoI may not like marriages, but hostage exchanges should not be that difficult.
It's a fairly, standard, practice, and as long as nobody starts get uppity, it is also safe way to provide a not super important, but not completely worthless either, scions opportunities to meet new people and forge potential trade/political connections.
Edit-
Also, another word for hostage in this situation is diplomat/spy.
It's a fairly, standard, practice, and as long as nobody starts get uppity, it is also safe way to provide a not super important, but not completely worthless either, scions opportunities to meet new people and forge potential trade/political connections.
Edit-
Also, another word for hostage in this situation is diplomat/spy.
- Location
- FR
- Pronouns
- He/Him
The plan seems to be to create a foreigner's district in Snowblossom and/or a shared settlement/ logistical and scientific center/ primary diplomatic center at the summit location, so the hostages are quite literally everyone living there
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- Location
- Finland
That's more casual interaction and trade.
Agreements would almost certainly still require specific hostage exchanges where the people traded are perceived to have some value to the one trading by the one they are traded to.
Noble scions, specifically, or whatever Polar Nation equivalent would be.