Gems in the Wastes (Exalted/Warhammer Fantasy/CK2)

Apologies for the delay in making this warning, I should have been paying better attention. In less than 9 hours, the vote for Turn 2, Part 3 will close. Currently, both of the Fumnanya votes are in the lead, with the Sorcerer vote ahead by only 1 vote. If you'd like to see something different take the stage, please do so soon.

Well, it was a close one, but the time has come to finish it up. By a lead of 1 vote, Fumnanya over the course of the next month or so will train to become a Sorcerer of the First Circle.

I will have the Fount of Glories vote up in about .5-1 hour, so be on the lookout for when that appears.

It was difficult to describe the Fount of Glories to an outsider. Yes, the gems coating every surface almost like a glaze brought to mind images of unbelievable wealth. Yes, the pool of white blood with a rainbow flame coating the surface could be best similarized as a custard with the top set on fire. Yes, the crystalline corpse large enough to stand as tall as 3 men could be seen as the most beautiful individual to have ever lived, and the open chest wound it bore the most horrifying desecration ever committed. You had been amazed the first time you had seen this astonishing sight, back when you had ordered the Fount's extraction, and even now it took your breath away upon first viewing.

Inside the rock-and-gem sphere that was the Fount of Glories, 6 individuals stood a few paces away from the pool, observing the surroundings for any changes within. This pool of blood and flame was the legacy of Cantata-of-the-Depths, of the mysterious god Aurora, of the royal family of Uluiru. Any signs that it could potentially be failing due to a lack of Essence support would need to be spotted immediately if they had any hopes of fixing it. Were the gems still as shiny as ever? Were the rainbow will'o'wisps still present, still entrancing? The demons which once patrolled its boundaries were gone, having been freed from their posts upon the deaths of their summoners as precautionary measure from them roaming unbound inside. The elementals sometimes slept within these walls, to recuperate from the energy flows of the strange land which surrounded you.

So far, nothing of the wrong sort made itself apparent to your eyes, but you needed to remain vigilant. You were already pushing things with the Fount not being immediately resettled into a proper demesne, but there just wasn't the time or resources necessary for resettlement, not yet. You would just need to hope that the flame didn't die out as you took your time. Moving a massive structure such as this would take an enormous amount of time, let alone resources, to pull off.

In any case, that topic was just one of several which you would be discussing today. With the army coming in from the mainland, figuring out what to do with the Fount while it still remained in the middle of your homestead like a gigantic target was a priority. You looked to the five remaining Sovereigns of Uluiru, all gathered here today as they did for centuries. The Fount was a sacred place for discussion, where no violence between family could be done for fear of disrupting whatever unknown processes fueled it. And now, you would be discussing its future.

Your people's future.

"So, I take it that we're trying to find a good place to relocate the Fount?" Chinasa asked, opening the discussion up before you did. That was fine, you were less a king here and more a family member trying to gain crucial advice.

"Among other things, yes," you stated. "I have a few ideas for that which I would like to share with you, but first, I have a question of my own to ask." You turned to your elder brother and gave the inquiry bouncing around your head. "Gwai, did Mother ever give any sort of hint as to what the Fount of Glories looks for in its candidates? Any hint of who precisely will survive the process of Exaltation?"

He worked his jaw around in thought. "If there was some kind of secret to the process, Mother never told me. I have, however, made my own observations on the matter." That drew not just your attention, but the gaze of everyone else present. The publicly known answer regarding the process by whether someone survives Exaltation or dies was that it wasn't known. No one had any definitive idea over how to guarantee success, even if plenty of rumors abounded. Did a candidate need a strong enough will? 'No, so-and-so's child was a coward who passed just fine!' The same went for other stories on what to do. Was a great grasp of Sorcery required? Obviously not, or else only Abioye might be standing here before you. It couldn't be martial arts, Uluiru did not have a strong tradition there. While artistic talent was suggested by some, it was immediately countered by the fact that several of the more boring individuals out there were able to Exalt. So, what was needed?

Gwai continued to speak as you thought about this. "Before I say anything, I must caution that this is just what I have personally witnessed of all the candidates who attempted the process. This is neither a proof nor a truth as to how our divine gift works." Fair enough.

"The first observation I have seen, and likely Mother noticed as well, is that those who shared blood ties with Mother have a slight, I must emphasize, a slight advantage to succeeding than those who do not. It's very possible that it could just be a coincidence with how small of a percentage it is, or that my own biases are working against me. If it is a true factor, then it is likely a result of Cantata's influence, as he was quite fond of the Queen until his sacrifice. Undoubtedly, he would be able to sense our blood connection even in death and thus have an easier time blessing us with Exaltation if that is the case.

"The second observation I have seen, which I would be shocked if the Queen did not notice, is that those who are all-around exceptional individuals have a much higher chance of success compared to those who are mediocre or only exceptional in one specific area. This is ultimately why Uluiru is such a meritocratic nation, and why overall expertise in the 44 Distinctions is needed for approval. Some of the earliest Exaltation candidates died horribly because they did not possess the talent required to survive.

"Outside of those two factors, I have not seen any noticeable factors for Exaltation," he concluded. Well, that both told you more and less of what you wanted to know. And taking those theories into account…

"Do we have any family members still alive who are possessed of general Excellence?" You asked. Your family looked amongst each other, before looking away in thought.

Family Roll (d100, small numbers): 50, just barely enough for 2!

"Well," began Abioye, "There are my boys…"

"The twins?" Chinasa asked, looking contemplative, stroking her chin in thought. "...Actually, I could see it. They're still only adolescents though, right?"

"Yes, but you know how much they are proving themselves already. They've already succeeded at several of the Distinctions with flying colors, and even though they certainly have their own individual strengths, I think they might be able to survive the process." As Abioye explained her reasoning, you tried to recall your interactions with your grandnephews. Which was… very little. You might need to spend a bit more personal time with your family members. Or at least interview the boys beforehand to get your own judgment.

"And any individuals who are not of our family who might meet the qualification for supreme skill?" At this point, you might not be able to afford being picky, even if it resulted in higher chances of death. Again, your relatives looked down in thought.

Outsider Roll (Best of 2d100, bigger numbers): 18, 100, NATURAL CRITICAL SUCCESS!

"Well, let's be honest," Ekundayo said after a moment to think, "Who among our people wouldn't qualify?" Before anyone could interrupt her, she pushed on, "No, really, is there anyone out there in the general populace who was not already great at least ONE of the 44 Distinctions, if not several? Disregarding the children I mean, the majority of the people we took with us to this new land were from the capital, which generally housed the best and brightest among our people. With the education available in the capital, combined with easy access to the testing grounds for the Distinctions, anyone who wouldn't have qualified wasn't there to be taken with us. So, yeah," she concluded, "I don't think we'll be wanting for people outside of the royal family who could try."

"But we cannot test everyone," Gwai immediately countered. "There is still a large chance of crippling injuries or death. Assuming that the Fount is truly unlimited like some believed, and not just a very large supply, you could be consigning hundreds to die or be maimed because they were not worthy enough. Could you live with yourself if so many died under your orders?" Your sister lost her smile at that prod. No one would really like a question such as that directed towards them, but you couldn't deny the validity of it. You made choices on this scale every day, and it was something you always, ALWAYS had to consider when making any large decision.

"Does the Fount need to be situated in a demesne to work?" Everyone turned to look at Fumnanya, who was uncharacteristically quiet during this discussion. She frowned as her next question clarified what she meant. "Would it not being inside of one right now have an effect on the chances of success?" It was a good question, one which you had not considered. But there were so many possible unknown factors at play here that it might not even matter. And besides,

"We might not have the time to relocate the Fount before the enemy arrives," you offered. "It's possible that even if a lack of Essence flow has a negative effect, that we will need to test some candidates anyways, just to have more Sovereigns ready at the helm."

Regardless of your own opinions, a decision needed to be made among the six of you. Normally, as the King, you could dictate this choice as you pleased, but you weren't a Sovereign Exalt. This wasn't technically speaking YOUR legacy, it just fell under your domain as overall leader. So, you would rather work together with your relatives to reach a mutual agreement.

After several hours of debate, eventually a conclusion was reached. And that conclusion was-

[] You would begin testing candidates now (Choose as many below as you'd like. More options creates a greater likelihood of obtaining more Sovereigns, but also more potential loss of life. By default, you will test 1 candidate from each of the voted-upon groups each turn, which can potentially be increased or decreased with time.)
-[] You would test your grandnephews (2 tests)
-[] You would test your best students (2 tests)(Incompatible with below)
-[] You would test all of your students (5 tests)(Incompatible with above)
-[] You would test the elderly populace (5% of Populace)
-[] You would test the adult populace (60% of Populace)
-[] You would test the teenage populace (8% of Populace)

• All newly Exalted Sovereigns will of course be Essence 1 with no Advantages. It will take time for them to fully ramp up to "normal" Exalt levels in terms of stats, minimum 1 turn.
• Your grandnephews have a better chance of surviving the process compared to most teenagers, but only by a slight amount. If they become adults, then they would have better odds of survival.
• Some of your students (Taiwo, Nkiru) would have better odds of surviving compared to the rest. Choosing to admit some and not all might make the remainder jealous.
• The Elderly have the highest chance of death (quite a number of deaths guaranteed), but the least to lose for trying. If they succeed, then they will have their youth restored to them over the course of the next 4 turns, but they're really only penalized the 1st turn of activity.
• The adults have the best chances of the non-family members, but they also make up the majority of your workforce. Losing a large portion of them could have negative ongoing effects.
• The teenagers have better odds than the elderly, but your future lies with them. Losing a great number of them will result in a few years without sufficient replenishment for your adult populace.

[] You would begin testing candidates as an emergency order (Choose as many below as you'd like. More options creates a greater likelihood of obtaining more Sovereigns, but also more potential loss of life. By default, you will test 2 candidates from each of the voted-upon groups on Turn 3, and then pause on tests until another decision can be made.)
-[] You would test your grandnephews (2 tests)
-[] You would test your best students (2 tests)(Incompatible with below)
-[] You would test all of your students (5 tests)(Incompatible with above)
-[] You would test the elderly populace (5% of Populace)
-[] You would test the adult populace (60% of Populace)
-[] You would test the teenage populace (8% of Populace)

• As above, but only a 1-time deal. Will discuss again once the battle is won.

[] You would hold off on testing until the upcoming battle was won

• Will do the vote again once the battle is won, has no effect on safety or complications.

[] You would hold off on testing until the Fount of Glories was relocated
-[] Above ground, in the homestead
-[] Below ground, in the homestead
-[] Below ground, in the mountains

• Will slightly improve the odds of success, and slightly reduce the odds of complications to the Fount.
• Relocating the Fount inside of the homestead will likely require Sango to twist some leylines around to make a new Demesne. Burying it below ground there will also displace a sizable amount of your people, and require extensive work in your future mines.
• Burying it in the mountains will be easier when it comes to finding a good Demesne, but runs the risk of underground monsters and ships discovering the structure. Thus, you will need a number of defenses protecting the Fount, and likely a guard patrol or three.

[] You would hold off on testing until the blood of the Fount was analyzed

• Requires a Diplomacy roll (Unknown DC) on Sango's part to convince the others, since this could be seen as violating the sanctity of the Fount.
• Will improve the odds of successful candidates and allow you to focus on more specific traits beyond "Excellence."
• Runs the risk of complications to the Fount.

[] You would hold off on testing until the proper Shrines are constructed

• Will require you to build shrines to both Cantata-of-the-Depths AND Aurora to gain both dead god's favor. As part of this, you will also need to relocate the Fount first, which will require a sub vote later down the line.
• Success in these endeavors will greatly reduce the risk of complications. Might have other effects depending on how well you do.

And before you ask, No. You will NOT get definitive mechanics until the rolls begin. You are going in as blind as the characters are. Sovereign Exaltation is not a guaranteed process by any means, but the benefits it brings could significantly improve your citizens.

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Author's Note: Well, it's here. If you have any questions about the Fount in general, or about the voting options, let me know. As mentioned above, I'm not answering questions about specific mechanics here until the rolls for Exaltation start pouring in. Otherwise, please cast your vote, and have a nice day.