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The Last Daughter -- Dragon-Blooded Sorcery School Quest

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Gazetteer said:
So many autumn leaves have already fallen out of her hair that they're crunching underfoot.
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Does L'nessa drop more leaves when she's stressed?

This chapter made me reflect on the ways that the Scarlet Empress being a shitty mom ties into the overarching exalted theme of all the power that can make you a skilled ruler but not a good one

[x] A strange memory
 
[X] A familiar turn of phrase

"Where would I be without your singular grace and dedication?"

"You'd be somewhere, I imagine."

Have to go with turn of phrase. Ambraea defining her entire exaltation is just such an epic part of the quest. If anything should be the key to Ambraea developing the ability to resist the effects of the fade, it should be this.



Well, on one hand I honestly would have preferred Ambraea being wined and dined, particularly with the looming heart wrenching scene ahead, not to mention her distress made getting a clear idea of what's on the table to counter balance Mnemon Sorcery mentorship left unclear, but at least we got some emotional honesty out of L'nessa and a hint at possible Hearthmate status.

I'm vaguely annoyed at V'neef for not approaching herself. I think Ambraea might have been able to move past her enmity if she had. Put it behind her.

I really hope the others aren't so Vague in what there offering. It makes weighing the offers harder.

Gazetteer said:
Excited or stressed or agitated in general.
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That's funny. She must have been incredibly cross when she realized her exaltation came with such an obvious tell. Ruins her poker face entirely.
 
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…Between V'neef's fears and paranoia and thread chatter on how her claim only works because Memenon is such an uncompromising monolith…?
I think I'd perfer the Monolith. I'm team Mnenmon, but only for now…Let's see what other options open up.
 
[X] A familiar turn of phrase

Oh, L'nessa...

This was such a good convo. I'm loving the drama, and I'm excited to see where things go from here.

It makes sense that Ambraea and her father are both drawing similar conclusions about the nature of the Scarlet Empress' affections.
 
L'nessa actually stops short, turning to glare at you — a more heated expression than you've ever earned from her before. "Ambraea. Mnemon hates her." Then, in a quieter, more frustrated tone, she adds: "Not that you're any better, sometimes."

You recoil a little. "Excuse me?" You didn't think you'd been so obvious about it.

"All of you do!" L'nessa says, her voice rising in volume as she draws herself up to her full height. The top of her head barely clears your eye level. "All of you! Like children. Is it her fault that your mother actually loved her and not you?"
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GODDDDDDDD as someone who has grown up in both sides of a similar situation it's... exactly like this. You become crueler simply by all the cruelty around you. L'nessa is honestly entirely right in collapsing to the grounds and banging her fists like a child asking why the fuck these people, this family, can't get along. Why is the person she loves the most so hated by people who should hold her close. She can't afford to truly do it as part of her station, and it's honestly something much much much bigger and older than her and even that the people involved (but it still as small as a looming bad parent), but fuck if she isn't completely right. This is fucked. Fucked fucked fucked. But that's immortal essence fevered families I guess. Genuinely loved and was refreshing to see this angle of the conflict after all the tense posturing and geniality olympics.

As for the vote... I know that Vague is technically on the right that the most interesting and heterodox option is the one that gives her a "problem to solve"... but...

[X] A familiar turn of phrase
 
Also, for people rapidly underestimating V'neef, this first half of the house's pitch has already underlined one of its advantages: to V'neef, Ambraea will truly and profoundly matter. They do not have enough proud noble daughters to go around; it is stepping into a role at the front of a vanguard instead of the third backup plan in the third formation of an army assembled long ago. That's something Mnemon can't offer.
 
Yeah, V'Neef isn't in the greatest of positions, considering she's made so many powerful enemies just by existing, basically. I'm pretty sympathetic to her, honestly.

[X] A strange memory
 
Randino Treviani said:
Well, on one hand I honestly would have preferred Ambraea being wined and dined, particularly with the looming heart wrenching scene ahead, not to mention her distress made getting a clear idea of what's on the table to counter balance Mnemon Sorcery mentorship left unclear, but at least we got some emotional honesty out of L'nessa and a hint at possible Hearthmate status.

I'm vaguely annoyed at V'neef for not approaching herself. I think Ambraea might have been able to move past her enmity if she had. Put it behind her.
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I mean, I think we got the answer for why V'neef didn't do it herself pretty clearly here? The daughter who's spent more than half a decade making friends with Ambraea is more likely to make a good pitch to Ambraea than the House matriarch whom Ambraea doesn't like.

This is the most emotionally turbulent time for... any of these women in their entire life, though. Why would we expect V'neef to make a more restrained and put-together pitch? If anything, V'neef might think that doing it herself instead of asking L'nessa would a) show a lack of faith in her daughter, b) be more likely to paint more of a target on Ambraea (meeting one House matriarch happens sometimes, two who are rivals in immediate succession? the gossips won't let that go easily), and c) be less likely to work.

V'neef couldn't possibly make an emotional "I need you" appeal. She can't. She's vying to be Empress and must project strength and confidence at all times or potential allies will think she's too weak to back. V'neef doing it in person is a waste of a dutiful daughter's mostly-successful efforts for worse outcomes. V'neef doesn't have a connection that can make that work.

One of the long-running themes of this quest is very much that Exalts are as emotional and occasionally irrational as anyone else. Everything with Maia was a hundred percent emotions over rationality. Ambraea took a dislike to V'neef not for rational reasons, but for irrational ones. The three Anathema all could have done something better for their actual goals if they were just more practical and less emotional. Rulinsei makes a pitch to Ambraea that's about emotional bonds. Deizel and his boyfriend was emotion over cold calculation. The Empress' emotions drove... most of the background of the Dynastic society Ambraea grew up in. Her dad's love for the Empress is genuine love over clinical detachment. Even Mnemon's monologue wasn't driven by "this is a necessity": Mnemon cannot imagine not succeeding her mother's throne.

Some of these can be partially or even mostly supported by rational thought, but I think it's been extremely clear that that's an afterthought, not the driving force. V'neef cannot give a rational, dispassionate explanation for why Ambraea should totally just get over her emotional reactions and sign on that has any hope of working. The one who can maybe reach Ambraea really is L'nessa. And probably zero of V'neef, Ambraea, or L'nessa expected L'nessa's outburst until it happened, because it would be irrational and unhelpful to have it, but it still happened because months and years of stress and uncertainty have widened cracks in a society that is missing its lynchpin. We're all messy, complicated people, and having massive magical powers and privilege wouldn't make us inherently any better people. We still forgive our friends and respond to emotional needs in those we care about. Exalts are very human.

That's the story of the last daughter in a nutshell.
 
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