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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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yrsillar said:
She was sure it would be menacing, if Ling Qi had not seen the girl's expression scrunched up in frustration or embarrassment before. Xia Anxi was with her too. It looked like he'd finally given in to the climate, wearing a fine fire lined jacket instead of flowing robes. Meizhen and Xiao Fen's dresses were similar, a touch of thicker material, and color appropriate ruffs of fur at the hems and necklines.
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[ ] Discuss the Jin further, they are close allies of the Throne, and through them the west, and their representative here was not the most available, for numerous reasons.

I'd prefer that our view of the Zheng was not so heavily influenced by the bias of the Bai. While they are more relevant in this moment, we will also have more opportunity to learn about them and interact face-to-face. Also, the actions and motivations of the Zheng are just so opposed to that of the Bai that talking to Meizhen about them just isn't a good way to learn their motivation. On the other hand, the Jin are a group of raiders and plunders. I'm fine if we view them with the same contempt as the Bai.
 
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[ ] Discuss the Jin further, they are close allies of the Throne, and through them the west, and their representative here was not the most available, for numerous reasons.

I would prefer to talk about the Jin on this excursion. Elder Jiao reminded us to be mindful that there will be people working against us and who want to see the project fail. The Jin are likely in that camp. Getting more information on them will be useful in trying to work out approaches to mitigate their ambitions.
 
tigertail said:
I'd prefer that our view of the Zheng was not so heavily influenced by the bias of the Bai. While they are more relevant in this moment, we will also have more opportunity to learn about them and interact face-to-face. Also, the actions and motivations of the Zheng are just so opposed to that of the Bai that talking to Meizhen about them just isn't a good way to learn their motivation. On the other hand, the Jin are a group of raiders and plunders. I'm fine if we view them with the same contempt as the Bai.
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I think you're assuming we take Meizhen and the Bai's views at face value here which seems deeply incorrect to me. Sure, they're biased, but we know mostly what their biases are and can take them into account. Knowing what they think of the Zheng in detail seems extremely informative about the Zheng and Bai alike, as well as the relationship between the two as long as we read between the lines.
 
[ ] Discuss the Zheng further, they at least sent someone, however lax and indecorous they are. And that means being able to understand and steer their interests was more important.

While the Jin are a group I desperately want to know more about OOC due to how vanishingly little info we've seen about them compared to even the Zheng, the Zheng definitely strike me as the more importantly player, being as much older as they are, with a present Sacred Ancestor and everything (and, y'know... being present). I think that Ling Qi needs to know more about them.

As for the bias, it's a fair point that that could be a problem, but not only can information still probably be picked out, but the way the Bai talk about the Zheng is likely to be useful as a bellwether of how exactly the Bai are feeling about the Zheng right now, something we may want to be abreast of - if even Meizhen, somebody who has every reason to want to make sure that Ling Qi is getting useful information both personally and due to wanting to see the project succeed on the Bai Reformer end, is still unable to furnish her with anything useful due to the strength of her dislike, that tells us that it is a Problem, capital P. If that isn't the case, we can read into exactly what she says and how to pick on subtleties.
 
[ ] Discuss the Jin further, they are close allies of the Throne, and through them the west, and their representative here was not the most available, for numerous reasons.
The connection the Jin have to the Throne makes them a huge concern.
 
The Bai and the Zheng are ancient rivals, and thus they can give a reasonably fair judgement of each other even through their biases, because to have a rival that stood the test of time means understanding how they work.

By contrast the Bai barely respect the Jin at all, which poses certain issues with getting a fair shake at them, beyond their percieved role as patsies for the Throne. Which I doubt is truly the case, you can't hold the Ducal Seat for that long based just on external sponsorship, you still need to raise your own Whites.
 
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[ ] Discuss the Jin further, they are close allies of the Throne, and through them the west, and their representative here was not the most available, for numerous reasons.

The current Zheng inner conflict is so divergent with their historical behavior that I'm not sure Meizhen will be able to give us much accurate info.
Did Ling Qi heard about the 2 groups with bandanas of different colors or did we learn that OoC? I didn't expect those groups to be on the level of figthing over the ducal seat.

In any case, the conflict seems to stem from some Zheng wanting to involve themselevs with the events of the Empire at large instead of letting things keep happening without them (they didn't like how the Bai could have dissapeared eventually).
But to do that they have to "properly" interact with the other provinces. Thus a lot of messengers being sent out and embassies being constructed and so on.
Other Zheng don't like this property as it brings too much structure to the Ebon Rivers. That's fine for their Count clans but not the actual Zheng.

In any case, I don't think the Zheng representative is going to cause trouble or made unreasonable demands. They just want to be present so they can be "a part of it" and further their relation with the other ducals.

On the other hand, we know very little of the Jin, and what we know isn't good.
They have strong ties with the throne and are shifty courtiers. Xiao Fen had a couple of things to say about them.
They are raiders and care little about externinating foreign tribes to plunder them.
They want to have a monopoly of the Empire's coast, taking every opportunity to expand.
They are on odds with the Xuan, Bai and I think Guo as well. There are info about that on the Alabaster Sands Sects info promotional, I believe.

All the things we don't want on the Summit.
So, while it will be biased, it would be good to inquire if they would actually try anything funny to sabotage the Summit, or if that would be too risky for them.
 
[x] Discuss the Zheng further, they at least sent someone, however lax and indecorous they are. And that means being able to understand and steer their interests was more important.

If you think the Bai are blinded by their rivalry, go read The Lady and the Brute. The Zheng are a faction LQ knows way too little about. Most of our information so far has come out of sidestories.
 
[X] Discuss the Zheng further, they at least sent someone, however lax and indecorous they are. And that means being able to understand and steer their interests was more important.
 
I think the most important thing to consider is the personal. Ling Qi has been heavily cultivating community, and faced with questions of power and power dynamics. She doesn't like, and has good reason not to like, the hierarchy of the dragon-derived central peaks, while the Bai came to a very similar system. But the Zheng have what looks to be as close to an equality based society as we've seen.

So I think that looking at how the Zheng have answered the questions she is asking herself, she will find insight.

[X] Discuss the Zheng further, they at least sent someone, however lax and indecorous they are. And that means being able to understand and steer their interests was more important.

Plus, after the heaviness with sixaing and the yet to happen dive into how she feels about the physicality of romantic love, I think looking at community in a way that sparks joy would make a good narrative beat on her way.
 
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[X] Discuss the Zheng further, they at least sent someone, however lax and indecorous they are. And that means being able to understand and steer their interests was more important.
 
[X] Discuss the Zheng further, they at least sent someone, however lax and indecorous they are. And that means being able to understand and steer their interests was more important.
 
[ ] Discuss the Jin further, they are close allies of the Throne, and through them the west, and their representative here was not the most available, for numerous reasons.

I feel like the Zheng are straightforward enough we can learn what they want when their rep opens his/her mouth.
The Jin we need to do the game with to learn about though.
 
[X] Discuss the Zheng further, they at least sent someone, however lax and indecorous they are. And that means being able to understand and steer their interests was more important.
 
[X] Discuss the Zheng further, they at least sent someone, however lax and indecorous they are. And that means being able to understand and steer their interests was more important.
 
[X] Discuss the Jin further, they are close allies of the Throne, and through them the west, and their representative here was not the most available, for numerous reasons.
 
[X] Discuss the Zheng further, they at least sent someone, however lax and indecorous they are. And that means being able to understand and steer their interests was more important.
 
[X] Discuss the Jin further, they are close allies of the Throne, and through them the west, and their representative here was not the most available, for numerous reasons.
 
[X] Discuss the Zheng further, they at least sent someone, however lax and indecorous they are. And that means being able to understand and steer their interests was more important.

I just think it will be more entertaining to hear Bai Meizhen talk about the snake-monkey gap.
 
[X] Discuss the Zheng further, they at least sent someone, however lax and indecorous they are. And that means being able to understand and steer their interests was more important.
 
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