[X] Xia Lin
Threads Of Destiny(Eastern Fantasy, Sequel to Forge of Destiny)
- Thread starter yrsillar
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- Location
- the internet
I'm having trouble imagining what info the parasite and the person who crafted would be seeking from Bai Anxi who, no offense to him, is fairly low level diplomat.
Astronomer Wu has all the info they need to really sabotage things--the telescope construction which the Empire sunk so much work into, the secrets of the very sky if they're looking for that.
Astronomer Wu has high enough level clearance, is of high enough esteem that he will be around other high level individuals the parasite can jump to--and I'm sure Wu helped build other things around the summit. He is after all a formations expert.
[X] Astronomer Wu
EDIT: after seeing arguments and the way things are headed, im making a change.
[X] Xia Lin
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- Location
- Staring into the void
[X] Bai Xia Anxi
[X] Astronomer Wu
Really unsure here so I'm going with the two whose heads I'd like to see the inside of. Bai because it'll give us more insights into Bai things. Astronomer for Cyan things.
[X] Astronomer Wu
Really unsure here so I'm going with the two whose heads I'd like to see the inside of. Bai because it'll give us more insights into Bai things. Astronomer for Cyan things.
I'd expect Zheng Fu to go after Bai Xia Anxi should Ling Qi not do it as the two clans have history that gives him plausible deniability for any incident that occurs compared to CC something everyone in this meeting while want to maintain the illusion of a unified front, and more importantly a capture isn't really going to give us all that much useful information.
Because even the reformist faction of the Bai are doing it to support their alliance with the Cai instead of being invested in the summit itself meaning there isn't a whole lot of utility from reading their mail in respect to sabotaging the summit itself, and but bluntly there isn't a whole lot of utility over learning that someone wanted to influence the secretary of the Bai representative as the list of clans with a grudge against the Bai is very very long. Well CC will view it as further evidence of a Meng plot, but such is life.
In regards to the parasite in Astronomer Wu in theory it might be of higher quality due to him being 4th realm, and there is utility if the plotter is planning to do long-term sabotage on the infrastructure. In addition to this LQ getting a live parasite to look into would help with learning how it managed to infect a 4th realm, and that knowledge would help other 4th realms insulate themselves against further attempts by this, which would be especially useful if this isn't a Meng plot like CC believes.
The reason for Xia Lin being useful is that if the parasite was given instructions to gather information that Xia Lin would have access to it that would indicate a desire on the part of our foe to create an incident by leaking said information to a third party. This is useful to have foreknowledge about as it permits Ling Qi to negotiate with Xia Ren on a response plan that avoids higher realms getting involved, and that seems likely to result in favor hits for WS/PT that we can't negate.
In addition to this a secondary benefit would be to find out how it got passed the defenses the White Plumes have against Hui shenanigans to plug that hole. Because the WP were used as justification for the Horned Legion, and if this isn't the Meng any future incidents among the White Plumes would be a pretty nasty hit for Cai alongside their project to build up a standing army.
[X] Astronomer Wu
[X] Xia Lin
Edit In Short the information LQ would get from capturing a parasite that probably had to target the victim indirectly as useful compared to how it got into a 4th realm, or the details on what military information our foe was after as that would indicate any overt action they might be taking against the summit.
Also beyond what I said above why Zheng Fu would take the Bai... if he went after Astronomer Wu he'd need the talisman from CC, and there is no way he is giving hands on access of a talisman presumably meant for 3rd realm MoI agents to an agent working for a Zheng Spymaster.
Because even the reformist faction of the Bai are doing it to support their alliance with the Cai instead of being invested in the summit itself meaning there isn't a whole lot of utility from reading their mail in respect to sabotaging the summit itself, and but bluntly there isn't a whole lot of utility over learning that someone wanted to influence the secretary of the Bai representative as the list of clans with a grudge against the Bai is very very long. Well CC will view it as further evidence of a Meng plot, but such is life.
In regards to the parasite in Astronomer Wu in theory it might be of higher quality due to him being 4th realm, and there is utility if the plotter is planning to do long-term sabotage on the infrastructure. In addition to this LQ getting a live parasite to look into would help with learning how it managed to infect a 4th realm, and that knowledge would help other 4th realms insulate themselves against further attempts by this, which would be especially useful if this isn't a Meng plot like CC believes.
The reason for Xia Lin being useful is that if the parasite was given instructions to gather information that Xia Lin would have access to it that would indicate a desire on the part of our foe to create an incident by leaking said information to a third party. This is useful to have foreknowledge about as it permits Ling Qi to negotiate with Xia Ren on a response plan that avoids higher realms getting involved, and that seems likely to result in favor hits for WS/PT that we can't negate.
In addition to this a secondary benefit would be to find out how it got passed the defenses the White Plumes have against Hui shenanigans to plug that hole. Because the WP were used as justification for the Horned Legion, and if this isn't the Meng any future incidents among the White Plumes would be a pretty nasty hit for Cai alongside their project to build up a standing army.
[X] Astronomer Wu
[X] Xia Lin
Edit In Short the information LQ would get from capturing a parasite that probably had to target the victim indirectly as useful compared to how it got into a 4th realm, or the details on what military information our foe was after as that would indicate any overt action they might be taking against the summit.
Also beyond what I said above why Zheng Fu would take the Bai... if he went after Astronomer Wu he'd need the talisman from CC, and there is no way he is giving hands on access of a talisman presumably meant for 3rd realm MoI agents to an agent working for a Zheng Spymaster.
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- Location
- Space between realms
- Pronouns
- He
[X] Astronomer Wu
- Location
- Finland
[X] Bai Xia Anxi
Mainly because i think we can weather whatever fallout the best.
Having the MoI and Zheng go rooting in the head of a Bai would not go down well, but a trusted ally, lot less of a problem.
Also, short of direct attack on Renxiang, having the Bai delegation suddenly go up in flames somehow (attack the White Sky, attack the Sun, attack Cai, something sneakier, i dunno) would seem like the biggest potential disaster, not just for the summit, but in our political goals in general.
Mainly because i think we can weather whatever fallout the best.
Having the MoI and Zheng go rooting in the head of a Bai would not go down well, but a trusted ally, lot less of a problem.
Also, short of direct attack on Renxiang, having the Bai delegation suddenly go up in flames somehow (attack the White Sky, attack the Sun, attack Cai, something sneakier, i dunno) would seem like the biggest potential disaster, not just for the summit, but in our political goals in general.
Allegoriest
Entomology Enthusiast Extraordinaire
- Pronouns
- It/She
tricky decision, so im just gonna go with xia lin cause i like her the most as a character and she has an interesting dynamic with LQ. hopping in her head will make for a fun scene at the very least
[X] Xia Lin
[X] Xia Lin
CedeTheBees
Probably high right now
- Location
- Somewhere
- Pronouns
- They/Them
[X] Bai Xia Anxi
I also just wanna see more of him. He was my favorite new Bai and I was disappointed we left him behind.
I also just wanna see more of him. He was my favorite new Bai and I was disappointed we left him behind.
minimap_op
plsnerf
- Location
- Lower Lefthand Corner
[X] Bai Xia Anxi
Really can't blame her for thinking this and she's even right.
Yeah this is going way to smoothly.
Nice to see Ling Qi be wary about her.
SHIT!!!!!
Well at least it isn't as bad as I thought.
[X] Bai Xia Anxi
Okay so I'm starting to think this is actually the Meng Reactionary Faction mimicking the methods of the Hui. And if it is them then a Bai is the perfect target.
Lady_Story
Humble Teller of Stories, Villainess of Legend
- Pronouns
- She/Her/They/Them
[X] Xia Lin
I'd like to point out that the Bai present have an incentive to not start anything as they're aligned with the Bai Reformists, and based upon how the ambassador reacted to Shenhua being delayed they should understand the Cai prioritizing their subordinates over an outsider. This is especially true when you factor in the other two individuals is knowledgeable on the security of the summit meaning details on what they were looking into is potentially crucial for a summit held by the Cai, or a 4th realm in charge of an observatory whose purpose is to look into what might be weird GS matters compared to a secretary of a ducal representative whose there to show the flag of the Bai in support of the Cai.
Like if this is the Meng Reactionaries doing this it is 100% their opinion of the Bai making them certain the Bai will respond disproportionately over something that is minor thus making it seem like a good investment of resources to get back at LQ, and will be rather perplexed when Meizhen simply moves on.
Hmm, straight back into the spy games, eh? Shame we're not doing the stealth/infiltration cultivation project while dealing with such sensitive matters, and personages. Anyway, I'm going to trust Cao Chun here that the perpetrator is most likely Meng. Working from that, I'm going to vote for...
[X] Bai Xia Anxi
There's a few reasons.
The Meng faction most likely to be behind this sabotage is staunchly, regressively isolationist. They don't even like dealing with their provincial peers, much less outsiders. Of the three targets, Anxi is from another province, and the Meng have a deep grudge against the Bai for their slaughter of refugees fleeing from Ogodei's invasion. The regressive faction feels this (objectively reasonable) grudge most keenly. Sabotaging the summit via the Bai serves the Meng faction's aims of shutting down provincial engagement with "barbarians" and damages the warming relationship between the Emerald Seas and Thousand Lakes, which they also oppose.
It's also worth looking at the nature of the enemy actor. Still Waters Deeping, Archivist of the Reviled is apparently a Meng spymaster. Going by the name, probably cultivated as a Hui countermeasure, in part by learning their methods and tools. The Hui were pretty good at spy shit, after all. In any case, the focus on the "reviled" makes me believe it's likely this sovereign's mindset will bend towards prioritizing those who are counted as enemies to the Meng. We know the Bai fit into that category, so it's reasonable to expect this actor to prioritize messing with the Bai given the opportunity. Straining relations between the Bai and the Cai, possibly endangering their new economic cooperation, is a solid way of pursuing that. But more than that, I just expect the Bai to be more visible and prominent in our Archivist friend's perspective.
On the failsafe side of things, Ling Qi's friendship with Bai Meizhen means she's really the only person who can go poking around the head of a member of the Bai entourage without it exploding into a giant political fight if it's discovered or admitted to. Ling Qi has her trust and good faith in a way that others don't, so Meizhen can act at what's probably close to the limit of her authority to put the matter aside, if necessary. A Zheng, or spirits forgive MoI agent, would be trespasses demanding Bai reprisal, for institutional reasons.
In terms of our cultivation project, if it does come into play during this mini-arc, then Xia Anxi is the best bet. SNR is an art of Bai origins. Ling Qi has had some preliminary thoughts about it, including the night sky. Anxi is a Bai and a trained astronomer(in case anyone forgot). Plus maybe a secret backstory? If SNR philosophy is going to be refined in this arc, then Anxi's mindscape seems like the most likely place to find relevant materials to work with. I'm not sure I think the chances are high, but higher than the other two.
Lastly, there's the aftermath of rooting out the Meng saboteur to consider. Depending on how things go, there's a decent chance we'll be extracting favors/guarantees from the Meng/Meng faction in a relatively quiet manner that avoids embarrassment and political complication for our side of the negotiating table. It's also possible things blow up. But if it doesn't, then we're going to be getting some things out of the Meng. Focusing on Bai Xia Anxi here strengthens what I think is an interesting narrative throughput. Bai Xia Anxi is an astronomer, but he is denied access to the observatory that was built at the embassy because it's a joint project with Meng funding, and they hate the Bai. Getting Anxi access to the observatory could be in the cards as reparations. It's not immediately obviously coerced, it's likely enough for Meizhen to put aside the insult of the parasite, and it boosts the advancement of a member of our friend's entourage. Would also put him more on the map of future stellar developments, which is a big looming genre of plot stuff. Longer-term, could even cultivate some neutral-to-friendly interaction between Meng and Bai in the youngest generation. Iffy but not out of the realms of Ling Qi's possibilities.
To summarize, Bai Xia Anxi makes sense as a prioritized target for our enemies when you consider the psychology of the Meng faction behind it, the Named sovereign carrying it out, and Ling Qi is uniquely suited to taking the social risks with the mental infiltration effort, as well as shaping the political fallout towards her preferred ends.
[X] Bai Xia Anxi
There's a few reasons.
The Meng faction most likely to be behind this sabotage is staunchly, regressively isolationist. They don't even like dealing with their provincial peers, much less outsiders. Of the three targets, Anxi is from another province, and the Meng have a deep grudge against the Bai for their slaughter of refugees fleeing from Ogodei's invasion. The regressive faction feels this (objectively reasonable) grudge most keenly. Sabotaging the summit via the Bai serves the Meng faction's aims of shutting down provincial engagement with "barbarians" and damages the warming relationship between the Emerald Seas and Thousand Lakes, which they also oppose.
It's also worth looking at the nature of the enemy actor. Still Waters Deeping, Archivist of the Reviled is apparently a Meng spymaster. Going by the name, probably cultivated as a Hui countermeasure, in part by learning their methods and tools. The Hui were pretty good at spy shit, after all. In any case, the focus on the "reviled" makes me believe it's likely this sovereign's mindset will bend towards prioritizing those who are counted as enemies to the Meng. We know the Bai fit into that category, so it's reasonable to expect this actor to prioritize messing with the Bai given the opportunity. Straining relations between the Bai and the Cai, possibly endangering their new economic cooperation, is a solid way of pursuing that. But more than that, I just expect the Bai to be more visible and prominent in our Archivist friend's perspective.
On the failsafe side of things, Ling Qi's friendship with Bai Meizhen means she's really the only person who can go poking around the head of a member of the Bai entourage without it exploding into a giant political fight if it's discovered or admitted to. Ling Qi has her trust and good faith in a way that others don't, so Meizhen can act at what's probably close to the limit of her authority to put the matter aside, if necessary. A Zheng, or spirits forgive MoI agent, would be trespasses demanding Bai reprisal, for institutional reasons.
In terms of our cultivation project, if it does come into play during this mini-arc, then Xia Anxi is the best bet. SNR is an art of Bai origins. Ling Qi has had some preliminary thoughts about it, including the night sky. Anxi is a Bai and a trained astronomer(in case anyone forgot). Plus maybe a secret backstory? If SNR philosophy is going to be refined in this arc, then Anxi's mindscape seems like the most likely place to find relevant materials to work with. I'm not sure I think the chances are high, but higher than the other two.
Lastly, there's the aftermath of rooting out the Meng saboteur to consider. Depending on how things go, there's a decent chance we'll be extracting favors/guarantees from the Meng/Meng faction in a relatively quiet manner that avoids embarrassment and political complication for our side of the negotiating table. It's also possible things blow up. But if it doesn't, then we're going to be getting some things out of the Meng. Focusing on Bai Xia Anxi here strengthens what I think is an interesting narrative throughput. Bai Xia Anxi is an astronomer, but he is denied access to the observatory that was built at the embassy because it's a joint project with Meng funding, and they hate the Bai. Getting Anxi access to the observatory could be in the cards as reparations. It's not immediately obviously coerced, it's likely enough for Meizhen to put aside the insult of the parasite, and it boosts the advancement of a member of our friend's entourage. Would also put him more on the map of future stellar developments, which is a big looming genre of plot stuff. Longer-term, could even cultivate some neutral-to-friendly interaction between Meng and Bai in the youngest generation. Iffy but not out of the realms of Ling Qi's possibilities.
To summarize, Bai Xia Anxi makes sense as a prioritized target for our enemies when you consider the psychology of the Meng faction behind it, the Named sovereign carrying it out, and Ling Qi is uniquely suited to taking the social risks with the mental infiltration effort, as well as shaping the political fallout towards her preferred ends.
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