Consumption
- Thread starter Alivaril
- Start date
- Original
- Location
- Actually pretty lost
Hmmm, this is actually quite tricky. We're likely to run into more lower-class people in the short term, purely due to how many more of them there are... but in the long run, longer times between being portal-ed and an increase in personal power mean we're likely to make our way to the upper echelons of wherever we go faster, and remain there longer.
Also, frankly, Delight's not wrong when she says the upper class are generally more important to impress. Scholarly types also fall into this category, and they're who we likely need to impress to get that increased personal power anyway.
Have we told her about the randomness of our method of travel? I suppose ideally we'd avoid specialising too heavily in either direction, but if we have to pick one I'm leaning towards looking upper-class. We've been told we'll retain all the ability (strength etc.) we get from our real upbringing anyway.
[X] Hide/remove the marks of your labor. (Higher apparent upbringing?)
Voting for this unless a better write-in appears, I suppose.
EDIT: Also, appearing upper class also helps impress lower class people in many cases. It's almost only in situations where our ability to do manual labour is called into question that a lower class background is seen as preferable. Yeah, definitely leaning towards upper class.
Also, frankly, Delight's not wrong when she says the upper class are generally more important to impress. Scholarly types also fall into this category, and they're who we likely need to impress to get that increased personal power anyway.
Have we told her about the randomness of our method of travel? I suppose ideally we'd avoid specialising too heavily in either direction, but if we have to pick one I'm leaning towards looking upper-class. We've been told we'll retain all the ability (strength etc.) we get from our real upbringing anyway.
[X] Hide/remove the marks of your labor. (Higher apparent upbringing?)
Voting for this unless a better write-in appears, I suppose.
EDIT: Also, appearing upper class also helps impress lower class people in many cases. It's almost only in situations where our ability to do manual labour is called into question that a lower class background is seen as preferable. Yeah, definitely leaning towards upper class.
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If this is the case, then I think the answer is obvious.
[X] Leave the marks of hard work. (Actual apparent upbringing?)
Our appearance is how we present ourselves to the world. Changing our apparent upbringing, with the explicit intention to have people make incorrect conclusions about us, is manipulative. Much more so than changing our appearance in general - which manipulates people only by virtue of making them enjoy our presence.
- Location
- Europe
[X] Hide/remove the marks of your labor. (Higher apparent upbringing?)
Like with the other choice, half-measures are going to spoil the effect. She does have to modify other things to fit whatever we choose.
While I don't like the idea of her hiding her upbringing, I also don't like her getting screwed over by the place of her birth. I could go either way.
I suppose Delight does have more experience with the upper-class version. Not that I expect her to do a bad job, but it's a marginal enough benefit to tip me.
[x] Hide/remove the marks of your labor. (Higher apparent upbringing?)
Oh. Sure. I am extremely easily swayed.
[] Leave the marks of hard work. (Actual apparent upbringing?)
e: super easily swayed
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[X] Leave the marks of hard work. (Actual apparent upbringing?)
It's hard to say, but I'm choosing this. Having marks of hard work should do a bit to reduce the appearance of incompetence/innocence and make it easier for others to treat us seriously.
As such, this decreases both the benefits and the penalties of choosing "cute". I suspect the penalty reduction will be worth more than the benefit reduction, but it's hard to really say.
It's hard to say, but I'm choosing this. Having marks of hard work should do a bit to reduce the appearance of incompetence/innocence and make it easier for others to treat us seriously.
As such, this decreases both the benefits and the penalties of choosing "cute". I suspect the penalty reduction will be worth more than the benefit reduction, but it's hard to really say.
- Location
- US
[X] Hide/remove the marks of your labor. (Higher apparent upbringing?)
- Location
- United States of America
[X] Leave the marks of hard work. (Actual apparent upbringing?)
- Location
- Actually pretty lost
I edited my above post with this, but I'll post it again: appearing upper class will also impress lower class people, because we look up to our nominal social superiors. We will only be looked down on in cases where our ability to perform manual labour is called into question.
It depends on who is supposed to be taking us seriously. Other Arcanes, like Delight mentioned, will definitely take us less seriously if we look like we used to be a peasant.
Of course, we're going to be constantly surrounded by an ever-growing, ever-strengthening swarm of elementals, so I'm not sure how much that will matter.
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- Location
- Bowling Green
[X] Hide/remove the marks of your labor. (Higher apparent upbringing?)
Delight is the expert here, so we should probably accept her advice on which is better for us.
Delight is the expert here, so we should probably accept her advice on which is better for us.
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Vebyast
Nascent Transhuman
On planes that're even sorta post-industrial, having callouses will notably odd, with the level of oddness gradually rising with the tech level. On the other hand, if we do land somewhere particularly advanced, not having callouses will probably be the least of the things that'd give away that we're a medieval refugee.
- Location
- United States
Fairly disheartened by Melia's reasoning. Valuing her body little and willing to change it so drastically to get people to pay attention to her.
As for Delight's "upper-classes", almost certainly true in this world aside from maybe a few isolated packets. On the otherhand, I'm certain there's worlds/locations where high-class women who are physically fit are considered ideal. If you include elite-warrior classes, then a good amount of them. That's also not getting into smaller groups which tend to have different standards, anyway I'll refrain from going on.
[X] Hide/remove the marks of your labor. (Higher apparent upbringing?)
She's already planning on changing almost everything else about herself aside from the hair and facial features for appealing to posh academics or certain upper-classes/mages who don't value working with their hands. No reason not to continue on, especially since calluses would definitely stick out on her new body.
As for Delight's "upper-classes", almost certainly true in this world aside from maybe a few isolated packets. On the otherhand, I'm certain there's worlds/locations where high-class women who are physically fit are considered ideal. If you include elite-warrior classes, then a good amount of them. That's also not getting into smaller groups which tend to have different standards, anyway I'll refrain from going on.
[X] Hide/remove the marks of your labor. (Higher apparent upbringing?)
She's already planning on changing almost everything else about herself aside from the hair and facial features for appealing to posh academics or certain upper-classes/mages who don't value working with their hands. No reason not to continue on, especially since calluses would definitely stick out on her new body.
- Location
- West Michigan
I've played enough Exalted quests to understand that manipulation isn't inherently bad. This post itself is a sort of manipulation.
/is very disappointed that Cute won
[X] Hide/remove the marks of your labor. (Higher apparent upbringing?)
/is very disappointed that Cute won
[X] Hide/remove the marks of your labor. (Higher apparent upbringing?)
Vebyast
Nascent Transhuman
Melia right now is concerned about not dying more than she is about her appearance.
I still think that your idea of "drastic changes" needs work.
Nixeu
Lord of Madness, Harbinger of Llamas
- Location
- Your nightmares.
Adventurers generally have sword or weapon calluses, which work calluses are not. And yes, some people know the difference. Mostly people who swing hunks of metal at monsters (or other people) for a living, admittedly, but some nobles will have seen enough sellswords to know the difference. We also lack the nicks and other tell-tale scars of an adventurer. I don't think we'll quite be able to pull off 'grizzled adventurer/veteran fighter' for some time, if at all.
That's also a pretty good point. And just because we can't manage that now, doesn't mean we won't be able to later. Blending in is good.
[X] Hide/remove the marks of your labor. (Higher apparent upbringing?)
Helps with blending in amongst many academic (read: well-off) circles, as well as nobles. While certainly some societies will have rural geniuses picked up for their mental acuity or talents, they're not always well liked, and getting pigeon-holed too specifically is bad. Our calluses would also, as V said, be unusual on high-tech (or high-magic, potentially) worlds. I'd rather not stand-out more than we absolutely have to.
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- Location
- United States
Wouldn't really look out of place on her body, I agree. They'd still stick out and cause issues in trying to interact with people who don't like them, as was the main point in the rest of the paragraph that you snipped that from.
Perhaps, not the reason she chose cute though as you see here:
Chose it so people would stop blowing her off when she asks questions because she's a real curious girl and wants to learn.
Nixeu
Lord of Madness, Harbinger of Llamas
- Location
- Your nightmares.
Given that information can be the difference between living and dying, I'd say that it aids in her survival, whether or not she intends for it to.
But whatever, this debate seems fairly pointless. And, honestly, yeah, that being the point that sold her makes perfect sense. Hell, it'd be enough to sell me, were I in her shoes. Curiosity is like that.
Conversely, I'm quite happy. It looks like Melia is secure enough not to define herself by her appearance and doesn't have the hangups you've expressed with adjusting when it comes with advantage (in this case, people being more willing to answer questions).
[X] Hide/remove the marks of your labor. (Higher apparent upbringing?)