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A Vision in Bronze; A Sidereal quest

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Status of ongoing relationships, mysteries, training projects New
  • Informational
    • Over the course of this quest, important relationships and ongoing projects will be developed. This space is for tracking their progress, and the information you currently have on them.

    Relationships:

    Flowing with jade and silver
    Teresu Hari, Chosen of Mercury

    Intimacies:
    Major: Her children (wounded devotion)
    Minor: Amilar Larias, her husband (slight regret)
    Minor: Singular Grace (trust)

    - Hari is an independent Sidereal, still practicing Lookshy's version of Immaculacy and professing loyalty to her family and homeland, but mistrusting the Realm and the motivations of the Bronze Faction
    - Hari is a scion of Gens Teresu of Lookshy in the Scavenger Lands. She married into Gens Amilar
    - She is the oldest member of your circle, and the newest Sidereal
    - She had a family before Mercury Chose her. You have attempted to steer her toward reconnecting with them, despite the difficulties of doing so.

    Until he shattered the wall
    Scattered Silver, Chosen of Mars

    Intimacies:
    Minor: Singular Grace (disappointment)

    - Silver is a Gold Faction Sidereal, his negative views on imperialist powers formed by the excesses of the Azurite Empire, and extending easily to the Realm
    - Silver is a Tya from Brightwork, in the Auspice Isles, part of the Coral Archipelago in the West
    - Silver respects Grace as a moral actor enough to find her adherence to the Bronze Faction frustrating, leading them to frequently argue

    Not one of them struck free her chains
    Sapphiria the Night-Lily, Chosen of Jupiter

    Intimacies:
    Major: Open-Handed Yasza Love and devotion

    - Sapphiria is a Gold Faction Sidereal, mistrusting Prasad, the Realm, and other centralised Immaculate powers. Within the Gold Faction, she aligns herself with the "Empty Thrones"
    - Sapphiria was the slave-apprentice and lover of a Ys sorcerer-prince named Open-Handed Yasza, and was training to become a sorcerer-prince of Ysyr herself before Jupiter Chose her. Her feelings for Yasza are somehow frozen or fixed in place as a result of her training in Black Claw Style, a demonic martial art
    - Sapphiria seems to like Grace despite their political and social differences, although Grace remains uncertain as to her motives
    - Grace was the one who recruited her to the Bureau of Destiny, rescuing her from Open-Handed Yasza's dungeons in the process. They have never spoken of this.

    Blood in place of wine
    Lew Stojca, Chosen of Saturn

    Intimacies:
    Minor: Singular Grace (exasperated affection)

    - Lew is a Bronze Faction Sidereal, believing that the Immaculate Order and the Realm are necessary for fighting the dark forces of the world
    - Lew is from a greater vojvadas of the Northern satrapy of Clovina, as well as a "moroi" monster hunter, born with the capacity to wield thaumaturgic powers against ghosts and dark creatures, as well as being a warrior exorcist trained in the divine Golden Jannisary Style martial art
    - Lew both looks up to Grace as his senior Circlemate and companion of three years, but also finds her fussiness and nurturing instincts stifling at times
    - At twenty years old, Lew is the youngest of Grace's Circle, and is kind of a horrible twink with bad taste in men

    The Last Daughter
    V'neef Ambraea, Chosen of the Elemental Dragons

    Intimacies:
    Defining: Her lovers (love, protectiveness)
    Major: Her Sworn Kinship (fierce devotion)
    Major: Lohna Prince's Scribe (worry)
    Major: Singular Grace (???)

    - Ambraea is the youngest daughter of the Scarlet Empress, as well as the adoptive daughter of Matriarch V'neef and a powerful young sorceress
    - She was Grace's milk sister, and the lady who she served for all her life before being Chosen by Venus
    - Ambraea has shown no signs of remembering Grace's existence, and Grace has deeply mixed feelings about her

    Mysteries

    The Lunar Saboteur

    The Solar Circle that Grace stopped from destroying Bittern were working with a mysterious Lunar who is still at large. Who is she, and what does she intend?

    - The Lunar's name is Bitter Cherry, a Changing Moon infiltrator and assassin, originally a Realm slave
    - The Lunar was Flotsam's lover, and possibly his Lunar mate
    - The Lunar has a dog spirit shape
    - The Lunar has designs against the Merchant Fleet and House V'neef

    Training

    Time
    Emerald Gyre of Aeons Style

    - Grace is training to wield the Sidereal Martial art, Emerald Gyre of Aeons Style under the direction of her mentor, Chejop Kejak
    - She has honed herself in its physical movements, but struggles with its supernatural techniques still
     
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  • New
  • Informational
    • Gazetteer said:
    Grace was the one who recruited her to the Bureau of Destiny, rescuing her from Open-Handed Yasza's dungeons in the process. They have never spoken of this.
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    Oh. Juicy unresolved discussion point.
    Gazetteer said:
    The Last Daughter
    V'neef Ambraea, Chosen of the Elemental Dragons

    Intimacies:
    Defining: Her lovers (love, protectiveness)
    Major: Her Sworn Kinship (fierce devotion)
    Major: Lohna Prince's Scribe (worry)
    Major: Singular Grace (???)

    - Ambraea is the youngest daughter of the Scarlet Empress, as well as the adoptive daughter of Matriarch V'neef and a powerful young sorceress
    - She was Grace's milk sister, and the lady who she served for all her life before being Chosen by Venus
    - Ambraea has shown no signs of remembering Grace's existence, and Grace has deeply mixed feelings about her
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    It's interesting that the majority of Ambraea's relationships are major. Ambraea loves few but she loves deeply. I really hope we get to see her relationship with V'neef and S'thera defined.
     
    Randino Treviani said:
    I really have no clue. All the V'neef daughter's are there. Ambraea is too considerate of a gentlemen's need to potentially have a lover, as she demonstrated in one of the last chapters of the last daughter, so eloping is fully unnecessary if it was her, which leaves S'thera or L'nessa.

    Also like, I don't think Ambar died yet? Or married someone else? That plus Cynis dude still being among the living is pretty telling.
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    To be clear, the Cynis groom is not in danger of eloping. You're thinking of the groom's cousin, a mortal wedding guest who is going to be present at the wedding, who is at risk of falling in love with the wrong person and eloping. He's not the one who is going to be marrying the bride at this wedding, he's engaged to someone else.
     
    Gazetteer said:
    who is at risk of falling in love with the wrong person
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    Gazetteer said:
    People want what they can't have: you appear more beautiful and desirable than normal to everyone other than your mistress.
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    I actually was thinking it at the time, but this (that the "falling love" is implied not to have happened yet) makes me think it's slightly more plausible for Grace having the potential to completely accidentally make this a self-fulfilling prophecy and becoming that wrong person.

    Though I don't think that's how it works. It also wouldn't really explain the elopement risk since there seems to be zero chance of Grace being interested so who would they even be eloping with?
     
    [X] [Destiny] The Lovers
    [X] [Prep] In-depth knowledge of the estate
    [X] [Prep] Complete guest list
     
    Alcor said:
    Though I don't think that's how it works. It also wouldn't really explain the elopement risk since there seems to be zero chance of Grace being interested so who would they even be eloping with?
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    The aversion of the mortal in question's destiny is already happening before Grace even received permission to go. It has nothing to do with graces destiny and everything to do with overly sentimental young men and their strange moods.
     
    So, let's set out the parameters for Grace's mission here.

    1. Make sure this artist goes along with the arranged marriage.

    Obstacles: No active opposition that we know of. He's a mortal artist in a room full of strong-willed and quite pretty people.

    Consequences of failure: Grace's direct boss will be pretty angry.

    2. Prevent Bitter Cherry from carrying out her plans.
    2a. If at all possible, kill Bitter Cherry.

    Obstacles: A Lunar with thirty years of experience in infiltration and assassination. Limited information on her specific plans.

    Consequences of failure: At least one person is likely to die. Probably more. Depending on how things play out, may result in the civil war beginning.

    That said, we can look at her known skillset and modus operandi and make some educated guesses. Her specialties, as said, are assassination and infiltration. Her targets of special interest are House V'Neef and House Peleps. Now, the focus is on V'Neef, but the narrative explicitly calls attention to the presence of Peleps forces:

    Gazetteer said:
    The timing was selected to avoid the worst of the Peleps presence in the neighbouring islands. Still, more than few of their ships are moored at some of them, their flags glaring across the cold waves in a distinctly unfriendly manner.
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    I think an attempt to false flag is distinctly possible, if Bitter Cherry can get away with it.

    Especially if she can false flag her distraction, which I would put money on being interfering with the manses that protect the Sideshores from the winter storms.

    Gazetteer said:
    Then come the winter storms — the individual islands are protected from the worst of it by ancient artifice, but few want to be trapped there through the worst of the gales. Most Dynasts depart by late autumn.

    It's the very edge of spring, winter reluctantly releasing its grip on the island.
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    Why would she need a distraction? Well, for one, there's going to be a fuckton of Dragonblooded around, and she'll want them to be busy while she does whatever she's planning - she presumably doesn't want this to be a suicide mission.

    From there, she will likely try and target the bride's family - that is, V'Neef.

    [X] [Destiny] The Lovers
    [X] [Prep] In-depth knowledge of the estate
    [X] [Prep] Trusted contact
    I think this option is very fun, and I also think it synergises nicely. It allows Grace to deal with Objective 1. easily, as the vote itself notes.

    Gazetteer said:
    It will not be very difficult to come up with excuses to interact with and guide your primary target.
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    And it gives her a reason to stay very close to V'Neef side of the family: Cherry's almost certain targets.

    In-depth knowledge of the estate allows her to move around with more ease, and also could help her cut off Cherry's likely plan to disrupt the operation of the manses.

    A trusted contact is invaluable, because it not just provides Grace with an additional information source, it's also an extra pair of hands. Grace can most likely tap Ambraea if the need arises, but having an extra person Grace has an "in" with means she has even more ability to work - especially if it's someone with more "official" access than Grace has in her role as a handmaiden.

    The major weaknesses here are that Bitter Cherry could be targeting the Cynis side instead - Bitter Cherry was born to slaves, so it's not unlikely she has some opinions on House Cynis, and the fact that without a weapon Grace's killing ability is limited.

    That said, this event is taking place on an island at a wedding full of Dragonblood - if Grace can force Cherry to go loud, the problem becomes at least somewhat self-solving.
     
    [x] [Destiny] The Lovers
    [x] [Destiny] The Peacock

    Question on the Peacock: this would be a different resplendence than the one Grace used back on the Wyld Hunt she participated in alongside Ambraea, yes? That was a Yueh, this would be a Cirrus? Part of my interest in this option is the potential to fight alongside the Dragon-Blooded present as we did then, but it's not quite as appealing if there isn't continuity.

    [x] [Prep] In-depth knowledge of the estate
    [x] [Prep] Flawless credentials
    [x] [Prep] Weapon

    Agreeing with an earlier post that avoiding getting caught up in any paranoia about infiltrators would be a really good idea.

    Gazetteer said:
    Up close, the tents are revealed for what they truly are — larger than life, each carved from solid red jade so finely that they appear to be made of cloth billowing in the breeze. Between the tents are broad avenues and training yards.
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    God, this is so stupid (affectionate). They could just make it a big fortress, but no, the wargames nerds want to play at being minis with mismatched scale.

    Gazetteer said:
    In particular, a symbol of Mars dangles ostentatiously from one ear in rose gold, glittering in the afternoon sun.
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    Huh. Does that have the connotation it might IRL?

    Gazetteer said:
    Incarnadine Chorus, Warden of Unrighteous Slaughter
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    I was sadly disappointed to find when googling that Bill and Ted apparently don't call things unrighteous. It was a very entertaining mental image while it lasted.

    Gazetteer said:
    The goddess behind the desk rises to greet you, the movement made in eerie silence. She's taller than most men, statuesque and powerful. Her facial features possess a pale, sharp beauty, but are devoid of heroism: A Wàn warrior ideal brought to life and then betrayed by the horrors of war. Hair the colour of dried blood falls loose past her shoulders. Black eyes take you in with the flat, unfeeling stare of a jaded executioner. She dresses in the style of a late-Shogunate soldier — beside her desk, currently unworn but within arm's reach on a wooden stand, are her other trappings of office. Antique officer's plate armour flecked in red, paired with a dark mantle. Beside them, a spear with its point permanently wetted with fresh blood.
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    Would

    Gazetteer said:
    Chorus blinks slowly. "For how long?"

    "For well over two-hundred years!..."

    Chorus nods slowly. "Creation moves very fast, sometimes."
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    Oh honey, you are not prepared for the pace of the next few years.

    Gazetteer said:
    She holds up a hand, and the lesser goddess appears again, this time holding a sheath of rose coloured paper dense with Old Realm characters written in what you know is blood.
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    Oh god, it's like Amiti went into the Thousand Scales.

    Gazetteer said:
    My purview will be fine regardless. Humans will always go to war and no war is ever as clean as they hope.
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    Yeah fair enough. Few gods probably have as much confidence in their job security.

    Gazetteer said:
    "It's just about the painter boy," you say. "We're encouraging mortals to undermine Immaculate teachings about iconic artwork."
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    Grace, you're such a dork.

    Toboe said:
    I guess you mean "causal" laws, not "casual"?
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    They're more guidelines, really.
     
    kamikasei said:
    Question on the Peacock: this would be a different resplendence than the one Grace used back on the Wyld Hunt she participated in alongside Ambraea, yes?
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    That was a destiny of the Quiver to appear to be a resourceful young cadet house Dynast warrior. This is one of the Peacock, to appear to be a more established, mature Dragon-Blooded patrician. The Quiver is a Battles constellation, the Peacock Serenity. Very different vibes, and it's a different identity.
     
    Who knew the goddess of war crimes was pretty chill? Also there are so many good choices!

    [X] [Destiny] The Lovers
    [X] [Destiny] The Peacock

    Grace back in her most known role with, potentially, Ambraea again sounds like a good time. But I'm also interested by how Grace would look with Dragon-Blooded aspect markings. I can't chose, so both this time.

    [X] [Prep] Complete guest list
    [X] [Prep] In-depth knowledge of the estate

    Knowledge is power, and Grace should have as much as she can get.
     
    And so it begins... hehehehe

    I loved the lines used for each of the relationships, and it's nice to know Hojok's stash netted Nettle a wife.

    [X] [Destiny] The Lovers

    Gazetteer said:
    coming back to something so close to your old role is a little like returning to a childhood haunt — a mix of easy familiarity and forgotten discomforts. Somewhere that looks larger in your memory than it really was.
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    This is so juicy and up my alley I have to vote for it... but to be honest that has been most of my votes in this quest and the previous one.

    That said, I do wonder how well GCE would hold up against Bitter Cherry, who was born in the exact same circumstances as Grace, except with an axe to grind against them. Would she see a handmaiden as an inferior, I wonder?

    [X] [Prep] In-depth knowledge of the estate
    [X] [Prep] Trusted contact

    Who? has already made the case for these choices. Let's do spy shit.
     
    HBInquirer said:
    That said, I do wonder how well GCE would hold up against Bitter Cherry, who was born in the exact same circumstances as Grace, except with an axe to grind against them. Would she see a handmaiden as an inferior, I wonder?
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    She likely wouldn't; which could well help narrow things down, depending on how Gaz depicts the way GCE works. If Grace realises "hey, I can't read this Dynast *nearly* as well as I should be able to", that could be telling in and of itself.

    Or they just be harboring remarkably egalitarian impulses. Stranger things have happened.
     
    [X] [Destiny] The Peacock
    Having a DB cover identity is just so much more vastly useful than the alternatives in terms of not needing to make excuses for anything you're doing. Plus, if Ambraea is there, this means Grace will be re-encountering her as a quasi-peer, which will be fun.
    [X] [Prep] In-depth knowledge of the estate
    [X] [Prep] Trusted contact
     
    Yesman said:
    Who knew the goddess of war crimes was pretty chill?
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    Now, now - she's not a goddess of war crimes, she's a goddess of unrighteous slaughter. There are lots of war crimes that doesn't cover, and plenty of slaughter that isn't a war crime. There's some poor god of deception by perfidy whose whole reason for existence you're erasing here!

    HBInquirer said:
    That said, I do wonder how well GCE would hold up against Bitter Cherry, who was born in the exact same circumstances as Grace, except with an axe to grind against them. Would she see a handmaiden as an inferior, I wonder?
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    Worth noting that Bitter Cherry's circumstances were markedly different in that she actually was a slave. Grace, Lohna, and Ambraea all found that distinction very meaningful. Bitter Cherry almost assuredly had a significantly worse time and would presumably have been a handmaiden's social inferior.
     
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