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The Last Daughter; Dragon-Blooded Sorcery School Quest

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Calico J said:
I'm not sure why people are so interested in the idea of riding a giant battle snake...okay, now that I've typed that, nevermind. It's awesome. But it still seems to me to be the least valuable of all the options, we aren't a calvary unit here.
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It's good for travel in general, tanking AOE sorcery for Ambraea's less unbreakable earth exalt sorceress friends and acquaintances, useful for facing off against larger than ambraea enemies, and a good place to stash dead bodies that no one with remotely faltering determination is going to want to check inside, and fangs the size of if not bigger than most swords typically have enough venom that they more than inconvenience powerful beings.
 
Randino Treviani said:
It's good for travel in general, tanking AOE sorcery for Ambraea's less unbreakable earth exalt sorceress friends and acquaintances, useful for facing off against larger than ambraea enemies, and a good place to stash dead bodies that no one with remotely faltering determination is going to want to check inside, and fangs the size of if not bigger than most swords typically have enough venom that they more than inconvenience powerful beings.
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Sure, I can see many uses where it would be good. They're all solid vote choices, honestly. But I could sit here and come up with quite a few situations where pure size would be useless, if not actively detrimental (big snakes make for big targets, can't transform in a small confined space with Ambraea there, etc.) I'm not at all sold that it's the most versatile or useful of the options.
 
Calico J said:
Sure, I can see many uses where it would be good. They're all solid vote choices, honestly. But I could sit here and come up with quite a few situations where pure size would be useless, if not actively detrimental (big snakes make for big targets, can't transform in a small confined space with Ambraea there, etc.) I'm not at all sold that it's the most versatile or useful of the options.
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It's not. There all roughly equally useful in different ways. Venoms is of course, mostly combat with some utility. Concealment meanwhile, has a great deal of utility and a lesser degree of combat application. Enlargement is the more balanced of the three in terms of combat and Utility. I agree there all fair choices, and am more just highlighting enlargements strengths.
 
Maugan Ra said:
[x] Venom

Big fan of the attitudes on display in this piece, very Realm.

"Have a bottle of wine to consider" indeed.
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I admit that L'nessa being a bad influence on Ambraea in terms of encouraging casual sexism is one of my favourite parts of their dynamic. Barring individual relationships, Ambraea just kind of barely thinks about men in general unless she's like, talking to one or she needs something from one. L'nessa is worse, because she's also the cast's token straight.
 
We already got a dragon for the "dangerous big snake" position.

[x] Concealment

Invisible assassin snake. Very nice "Nagini... Kill!" energy there.
 
[X] Concealment

I do not have many words right now, but I have enjoyed this update greatly and kind of want to come back when I have more time and spoons to do one of those bundle-of-quotes reaction posts because there were a lot of small moments I loved here, even by Last Daughter standards.
 
[x] Concealment

I feel like the snitch (snake witch) theme is most strongly advanced by making it so our number one snake is never parted from us, rather than making it a big or spicy snake; we can summon big or spicy snakes when we need them, anyway. It also feels like a less invasive change to make, that alters Verdigris' nature less (while still being interesting as an exercise in sorcery - indeed, it might well be the most sorcerously interesting option, by the sound of it); also, not liking to be separated from Verdigris is the thing that came up when talking to Fish, and about our work, no less.

Axel Fones said:
Today, one invisible serpent familiar. In the future, an entire army of invisible venomous snakes. Subtlety is its own reward, and a special kind of horror.
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My favourite part was when Ambraea said "it's snakin' time!" and snaked all over those guys.

Orbmorb said:
I'm left wondering if V'neef would go tot the trouble of arranging an opportunity for Darting Fish to do a heroism
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I wonder whether technically this is considered a detrimentto Fish's marriage prospects:
Gazetteer said:
I should hope an impromptu display of heroics wouldn't give you too bad an impression of a young man.
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Since such action would be considered an excessively masculine display of hotheaded impulsiveness, as I understand Realm gender norms. Of course, it's probably the sort of character "flaw" that's considered appealing, and so wouldn't be beyond V'neef to arrange... but I expect in this case it's simply organic.

Randino Treviani said:
Does this make Darting Fish, with his good looks, commoner background, altruistic inclinations, and spontaneous partial nudity, the incredibly dense male lead who understands neither Romance or Sex?
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A handsome, good-hearted, talented scholar of humble origins who throws themselves into danger without hesitation to rescue innocents? That's fully the plucky female lead in an adventure story.

I have no idea what to make of Fish vs Ambar now. I'm in more or less Ambraea's position: Fish is a more comfortable option who I like more but who brings fewer new advantages, while Ambar carries more opportunity but also more hassle and potential friction (which might be narratively interesting or might be mostly a headache).
 
Gazetteer said:
Whoever you marry, you're keeping Maia no matter what he thinks.
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That's sweet <3

Gazetteer said:
It's the sort of thing that a good, Immaculate Dragon-Blood should be prepared for, theoretically, protecting mortals with your divinely granted abilities in exchange for their deference and obedient service. Still, there are many Dynasts who would not have gone out of their way like this.
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A point in his favor. So wz have to choose between the one whose personality is more suitable, and the one with more connections. The heart and the head.

Gazetteer said:
A flock of hunting austrechs have been gathered, the flightless birds slower and more temperamental than horses, but braver and more surefooted over difficult terrain.
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That's just awesome, I'd love to ride an ostrich.

Gazetteer said:
Ambar, who has pushed himself up to a kneeling position, one shaking hand still outstretched from where he'd hurled the bolt of flame.
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Isn't that sorcery? Or is it just his regular Exalted powers? Because if it's the later, being afraid of sorcery sounds a bit like a double standard.

[X] Venom
 
K von Carstein said:
Isn't that sorcery? Or is it just his regular Exalted powers? Because if it's the later, being afraid of sorcery sounds a bit like a double standard.
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Elemental Bolt is a trick any Dragon-Blood can learn. It's like how Amiti can shoot lightning -- the Dynasty considers the natural magic of Dragon-Blooded to be fine and like, righteous and upstanding, it's been gifted to them by the Dragons

Sorcery requires you to learn to channel foreign Essence, it often involves making strange pacts with spirits or other powers, it's associated with demon summoning etc.
 
The bias makes a degree of sense, honestly, from a religious perspective. According to the Immaculate religion Dragon-Blooded are holy, so powers that come directly from them are innately good. Sorcery is bringing in outside forces, and as always beliefs based on the concept of purity will have issues with "foreign" things getting into the mix. Thus Sorcery could be seen as a Chosen of the Dragons polluting their sacred power with icky worldly energies, or worse if the sorceress in question starts doing demonic stuff. There is a degree of logic to the sorcery hate if you accept Immaculate ideas as a premise.
 
Potato Anarchy said:
Also I understand she has a specific and well planned role in the narrative and everything, but can we just have a Singular Grace quest after this one is over? she is an icon
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I like her well enough, but not more than the large majority of Ambraea's friends and confidants combined in who would likely have little involvement in a Singular Grace quest. Frankly Singular Grace retaining her agency free of voter influence is just as worthwhile for me, and could be an interesting side story to any quest.

Some ideas that would feel more like sequels than off shoots would be Maia quest, Ambraea husband quest, or possibly a quest based in her fathers home land as a native who joins her service.

Regardless, it's a little early to be suggesting such, and odds are there will be some time to figure out what nature and direction a follow up quest could take.
K von Carstein said:
A point in his favor. So wz have to choose between the one whose personality is more suitable, and the one with more connections. The heart and the head.
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Pretty much.

Darting Fish is Less friction over who Ambraea is and what she does. More shared goals in common(travel, sorcery, serving the role of an exalted wielder of sorcery does in a noble household. Some potential clash between Maia's over protectiveness and Darting Fishes sense of Noble Obligation, but hopefully there infrequent.

Ambra is better for Ambraea of the future's ambitions. Strong ties to an entire different circle of dynasts than Ambraea, more approachable and with training in bureaucracy and politics, better bloodline which does matter to the dynast elite who might favor the rise of a new house and aren't already strong allies or enemies. Some issues with leaving the realm for an extended period of time which might grow with the turmoil to come, but that would only escalate friction rather than be a deal breaker.
 
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I feel Darting Fish could be better for coming crisis, but I have a bit of difficulty justify not going for Ambar. He has the goods, and what he wants would be what Ambrea wants for her nascent House anyway.
 
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