Silvereagle21
Soaring through the Sky
- Location
- United States
- Pronouns
- He/Him/His
[X] Request adoption
[X] Accept a marriage contract
[X] Accept a marriage contract
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Rock the Cradle: A cultivation story
- Thread starter VagueZ
- Start date
- Fantasy Action
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X] Request adoption
The merit of maintaining distance from the clan leading to new ideas being presented to them is a little intriguing, but not enough to overshadow the benefits of a higher status; I'm hoping an adoption would make it even more socially acceptable for Meira and maybe Kiro to strengthen bonds with Keras; besides Keras, Meira is probably the most interesting and potentially significant player on a bigger stage, so the more they can associate, the better. Higher status could mean Keras eventually lands at the palace and meets Charity during Underlord. Keras catching sight of Charity's owl thanks to Etaja is something that I'm fairly sure will come up later, ironically getting themself on her radar too.
I like Forzana's and Venkata's interactions, along with the private thoughts at the end when the former lets her mask slip a bit. Venkata had some nice dialogue in both her scenes this chapter.
The merit of maintaining distance from the clan leading to new ideas being presented to them is a little intriguing, but not enough to overshadow the benefits of a higher status; I'm hoping an adoption would make it even more socially acceptable for Meira and maybe Kiro to strengthen bonds with Keras; besides Keras, Meira is probably the most interesting and potentially significant player on a bigger stage, so the more they can associate, the better. Higher status could mean Keras eventually lands at the palace and meets Charity during Underlord. Keras catching sight of Charity's owl thanks to Etaja is something that I'm fairly sure will come up later, ironically getting themself on her radar too.
I like Forzana's and Venkata's interactions, along with the private thoughts at the end when the former lets her mask slip a bit. Venkata had some nice dialogue in both her scenes this chapter.
So if we join the Luxe fully here, do we think we're fully locking ourselves into trying to make the Seishan kingdom win the challenge against the Blackflame Empire and get on that team for the uncrowned king tournament? I know there was a certain amount of the thread that was hoping to find a way to get onto one of Northstrider's teams, and that feels less likely the more we settle down into one faction instead of being a wandering sacred artist.
- Location
- USA
[X] Request adoption
I understand why some people may be reluctant to tie ourselves further to the Luxe, but Venkata has been pretty clear she rejects her mother's philosophy and is intent on repaying Keras more fairly.
As Etaja said way back when, everybody already assumes we're tied to the Luxe, so the lack of formal contract only gives them leeway to ignore the benefits, while their enemies would target us regardless.
Really I think the difference between adoption and marriage is severability. Marriage, in 5-10 years, Keras can go "nah, don't wanna marry any of you" and end the contract. Whereas adoption means they'll always be a Luxe.
Venkata seems like an Underlord I wouldn't mind working for, and working alongside once Keras makes Underlord.
I understand why some people may be reluctant to tie ourselves further to the Luxe, but Venkata has been pretty clear she rejects her mother's philosophy and is intent on repaying Keras more fairly.
As Etaja said way back when, everybody already assumes we're tied to the Luxe, so the lack of formal contract only gives them leeway to ignore the benefits, while their enemies would target us regardless.
Really I think the difference between adoption and marriage is severability. Marriage, in 5-10 years, Keras can go "nah, don't wanna marry any of you" and end the contract. Whereas adoption means they'll always be a Luxe.
Venkata seems like an Underlord I wouldn't mind working for, and working alongside once Keras makes Underlord.
No no, we gotta get Eithan to adopt us first. Then we can be Akura Aurelius Luxe Forrester Keras.
Quest
The Great One
- Location
- Everywhere
Nah, Arelius comes at the end so Akura Luxe Forrester Keras Arelius.
- Pronouns
- They/Them
At a systemic level this is frustrating, the process of adoption and other similar practices mean that the system can never really change, at most slightly reform, because anyone of talent that might at least change things up, even to the extent of creating new clans (which hardly changes the beat, but might change the tune a little bit), often just gets... swept up?
I am also deeply skeptical that it'll be "alongside" rather than some bullshit where Keras is subordinate as an outsider adopted in or etc. Like, not even because Venkata is a shithead (for now, at least, things can change), but just because that's usually how these systems work?
At the same time, it is nonetheless a promising offer, which is why this sort of shit keeps on happening.
- Location
- England
is it worth trying to get the marriage arranged the other way round? not us marrying into the Luxe clan but one of their lower or retainer families marrying into ours
[X] Keep your distance
[X] Discuss these options with your family first, this will impact their life heavily too
[X] Keep your distance
[X] Discuss these options with your family first, this will impact their life heavily too
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- Location
- USA
We can wander within the Akura territory, which seems plenty big. It's a bit unclear how mad the Akura would be about us competing for Northstrider -- Northstrider is an ally, and working for him is way better than working for the Dragons or Dreadgod cults.
Yeah TBH I'm metagaming a bit. Even as an Underlord, Keras would likely be second to Venkata, given they're an outsider adopted in. On the other hand, getting official commendation and massive renown for doing well in the UKT would shift the scales a bit
The whole benefit of this is (a) to legitimize Keras by publicly having them join a powerful clan and (b) to legitimize the reforms by having a popular figure join the Luxe. Neither party really benefits from having a Luxe marry into the Forresters.
- Pronouns
- They/Them
...though if we're Metagaming, I'm pretty sure the intent is for Keras to become an Overlord eventually, and by eventually I mean, "The Quest might end before it happens, but not that much before" because from what I can tell a lot of it is just figuring out the secret and putting in the work?
And frankly there the Luxe solution would be to make sure that Keras doesn't, tbh.
- Location
- [REDACTED]
Farzana's trying to improve the advancement of someone on a Path of freedom and agency by confining her and punishing her whenever she fails; she should probably not be surprised at the lack of progress.
Doesn't seem like Farzana's great at building a support base, actually.
- Pronouns
- She/Her
So. If this was Charity, then that means that Keras, a Lowgold, just pierced the stealth of a Sage's madra construct. We know it was Etaja, but Charity most certainly does not. News of Keras's weird omniscience seems poised to spread among the Akura now, lol.
Hmmmm.
On the one hand, Farzana is still at least a performative sociopath. On the other hand, it seems like her act to paint herself as a villain to help the reforms along wasn't just pointed at the populace to turn public opinion around, but also specifically at Venkata? Specifically for the sake of pushing Venkata towards pursuing a better path, in opposition to her.
Makes me wonder how much of her pushing the reforms is actually just a PR move, versus something she actually wanted to do as much as Venkata and Risshon did. What she did with Keras's leg was absolutely a dick move, but it's sort of looking like she genuinely wants other people to pursue a better path than she did?
- Location
- United Kingdom
I think it was more that with Venkata taking over the clan, she needs to be strong willed. What she stood up to Farzana for was less important than that she stood up in the first place IMO.
Should this be Advanced now?
I don't think taking your partner's family name is mandatory when marrying like it is when you're adopted, so there's a good chance we'd stay as Luxe Forester Keras.
- Location
- Somewhere
[X] Keep your distance
[X] Discuss these options with your family first, this will impact their life heavily too
I think if we do get adopted, we need to discuss this with our parents before. both to try to get a second/third look at this and to let them know whats happening
[X] Discuss these options with your family first, this will impact their life heavily too
I think if we do get adopted, we need to discuss this with our parents before. both to try to get a second/third look at this and to let them know whats happening
- Location
- USA
Based on her conversation with Dakata, I think she's at least smart enough to realize that you can only push for so long before you get pushback. Given she seemed to support Venkata taking over eventually, it wouldn't surprise me if she had always planned for Venkata to be a reformist Underlord, it's just that her recent bad PR forced her to step down early.
I will note that I think LotNS's mentality works a lot better when she was younger than now. When she was younger, it was all about aggression, claiming as much spoils from Dakata's conquest as possible. Now in a more settled time, it's about slow growth and not pissing off the lower class since you're no longer at war.
How much is her genuine beliefs vs. manipulating Venkata vs. simply the changing times is hard to say.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X] Request adoption
[X] Request adoption
Honestly, that would be great help, not just for Keiras, but their higher social position would allow him to help their friends to a greater degree.
Edit: my bad, got confused with their pronouns
Honestly, that would be great help, not just for Keiras, but their higher social position would allow him to help their friends to a greater degree.
Edit: my bad, got confused with their pronouns
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- Pronouns
- She/Her
*their
Keras is a they, not a he (or a she, for that matter).
Otherwise sound logic, though.
[X] Request adoption
Eternal_0bserver
(Unverified Bookworm)
- Location
- Earth, Northern Europe
[X] Request adoption.
New family members? Well, why not, it sounds fun and Lady Venkata seems like a nice person. If it also helps people, so much the better.
New family members? Well, why not, it sounds fun and Lady Venkata seems like a nice person. If it also helps people, so much the better.
unObservant
Just drifting along, really
- Location
- USA
[X] Request adoption
It felt like Farzana's tone shifted very deliberately when the conversation moved on from general succession information and Venkata started digging deeper into what had happened with her little sister and Keras, two people that Farzana knows she had a strong personal connection to and felt responsible for. Farzana may not have outright misrepresented her motivations for how she'd treated them, but even then I can very much see her cranking up the callousness a notch or two further for the sake of provoking a reaction.
Maybe because she saw an opportunity to firm up Venkata's convictions by portraying herself as an example she knew Venkata'd want to avoid; maybe because after all this time and all her mistakes she really did consider herself deserving of becoming a pariah, even to her family; maybe because she wanted to ensure that Venkata really could agree with the 'Farzana was a horrible person' cover story on some level higher than being one of the ones to set up the lie, for the sake of her having convincing reactions whenever it came up in the future. Whether it was any or all of those, if there was any benefit that could come from once again showcasing her callousness to her daughter... well, demonstrably she just proved herself willing to push her heir away from herself in hopes that she would achieve it.
That's definitely the impression I'd gotten from the ending of that scene too, yeah.
It felt like Farzana's tone shifted very deliberately when the conversation moved on from general succession information and Venkata started digging deeper into what had happened with her little sister and Keras, two people that Farzana knows she had a strong personal connection to and felt responsible for. Farzana may not have outright misrepresented her motivations for how she'd treated them, but even then I can very much see her cranking up the callousness a notch or two further for the sake of provoking a reaction.
Maybe because she saw an opportunity to firm up Venkata's convictions by portraying herself as an example she knew Venkata'd want to avoid; maybe because after all this time and all her mistakes she really did consider herself deserving of becoming a pariah, even to her family; maybe because she wanted to ensure that Venkata really could agree with the 'Farzana was a horrible person' cover story on some level higher than being one of the ones to set up the lie, for the sake of her having convincing reactions whenever it came up in the future. Whether it was any or all of those, if there was any benefit that could come from once again showcasing her callousness to her daughter... well, demonstrably she just proved herself willing to push her heir away from herself in hopes that she would achieve it.
- Location
- Massachusetts
Huh. When I read the title of "the offer" and then we started off with a visit with Meira, I honestly thought we were going to get a second chance at Ryusai sponsorship. I'm kinda bummed that we're not, actually. I recognize that I'm metagaming and that the Luxe sponsorship is a huge deal for Keras in-character, but it feels like small potatoes in the grand scheme of things when we have the direct ear of direct royal vassals and the friendship of someone with Akura eyes on them.
- Location
- United States
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X] Request adoption
I don't think that the bonds of adoption will preclude being able to wander about looking for stuff. Keras has a dispensation from the king himself to gather in Crown-owned land, and everyone would likely expect them to be away on hunting expeditions for months at a time. The nature of social restrictions changes the higher up one goes, but i think the opportunity cost is worth it.
I don't think that the bonds of adoption will preclude being able to wander about looking for stuff. Keras has a dispensation from the king himself to gather in Crown-owned land, and everyone would likely expect them to be away on hunting expeditions for months at a time. The nature of social restrictions changes the higher up one goes, but i think the opportunity cost is worth it.
Well I guess that Keras will need to become such a cool older sibling that Venkata's children-to-be just won't be able to resist their charm.
- Location
- USA
I'm not actually sure that would be better? The Ryusai are a servant clan. A very valuable servant clan, but ultimately they are still gardeners, they just managed to produce a prodigy that Kiro befriended.
The Luxe meanwhile are a noble clan that co-rule a major city. And we're getting adopted by the current clan head, vs. Meira... well as an Underlord she probably could become clan head, but she's too busy assisting Kiro to deal with clan stuff.
- Location
- United Kingdom
I think her father's the clan head right now, and he's only Highgold, so we already get a lot of the benefits of our association from being friends with Meira?
It'd be one thing if we went with them way back when but right now most of our connections are inside the Grand Crevasse, so yeah it makes more sense to stay.
This was cute though. Shame we couldn't introduce her to Beti, but I imagine we'll get another chance for that.
Mmmm. The big question here I think is how much we want to tie ourselves to the connections we've made here and the Seishunn Kingdom? If we do want to stick with them and build on them further, then I think adoption is the best call. Don't vibe with marriage here.
Otoh, if we're kind of over people here, and want to keep our options open for going further afield, then not doing so is probably the best option. Part of the issue here I guess is that we, the readers, know the Seishunn kingdom is kind of trash tier and don't want to be stuck here long term. That being said, this is also basically the path that Lindon went down too - commoner from the weakest area -> adopted by the aurielus clan in the Black Flame Empire -> get sponsored by Akura -> throw down with everyone, so it is arguably viable. That being said, that was also due to Eithan so not really standard.
Damn Venkata for not being a jerk. She's making sticking with them much more appealing
Otoh, if we're kind of over people here, and want to keep our options open for going further afield, then not doing so is probably the best option. Part of the issue here I guess is that we, the readers, know the Seishunn kingdom is kind of trash tier and don't want to be stuck here long term. That being said, this is also basically the path that Lindon went down too - commoner from the weakest area -> adopted by the aurielus clan in the Black Flame Empire -> get sponsored by Akura -> throw down with everyone, so it is arguably viable. That being said, that was also due to Eithan so not really standard.
Damn Venkata for not being a jerk. She's making sticking with them much more appealing