- Pronouns
- They/Them
Though it should be noted, only certain raw materials. Mostly ones that are rare, hard to find, or highly valuable as component parts for technology. There aren't people shipping marble and iron across the vast reaches of space.
A Hive for The Galaxy (Sci-Fi CK2-style Quest)
- Thread starter The Laurent
- Start date
- Original
-
- Tags
- science fiction ck2 quest
Though it should be noted, only certain raw materials. Mostly ones that are rare, hard to find, or highly valuable as component parts for technology. There aren't people shipping marble and iron across the vast reaches of space.
- Pronouns
- They/Them
I did some math for your rolls. On the next update, you rolled an average of 50.5. Like, you could not have rolled more average if we just flipped a coin. And I could even tell.
You got three different rolls of 49. Exactly 49 on a 1d100. It was a little ridiculous
You got three different rolls of 49. Exactly 49 on a 1d100. It was a little ridiculous
- Location
- Canada
I did some math for your rolls. On the next update, you rolled an average of 50.5. Like, you could not have rolled more average if we just flipped a coin. And I could even tell.
You got three different rolls of 49. Exactly 49 on a 1d100. It was a little ridiculous
Sol's opinion of us, after these rolls
In the Sun's Orbit, Part the Second To Last
- Pronouns
- They/Them
In Sol's Shadow, Part Second To Last
[X] 1 - Intergalactic Treaty Negotiations.
[X] 2 - Setting up a mutual ambassadorship.
[X] 3 - Other forms of help?
[X] 4 - Trade Deals.
[X] 5 - Galactic Political Information?
[X] 6 - Direct economic aid.
[X] Where rulers rulered: The White-House, Versailles, and other such monuments to now superseded or dysfunctional government are open for tours, and it would no doubt be quite informative on the political history of Sol, at least its more past history. They've always been fascinated with that sort of thing, and it'd make an excellent way to unwind, and might give them a few ideas.
[X] A Cultural Bonanza: Festivals, plays at the Globe Theatre, food all across the world, dancing, music and singing, this tour package promises to show the full range of Sol culture over a program of a week or three, and is apparently well-regarded. Yet another thing Kikkizit would be eager to do and explore, and it might give them an idea or two...or it might not.
The first matter at hand were the treaties. Slavery was a dark and vile abomination against the will of sentients and the sanctity of cloning technology not to be abused in horrific ways for the pleasure of abusive sentients. More than that, being part of the Intergalactic treaties seemed like it was a good start to any attempt to get involved in galactic affairs. And, Kikkizit reasoned further, sitting in a room for a few hours before yet another meeting, this time with a sub-functionary who was an assistant for the Sol Ambassador to one of the several intergalactic bodies.
[Roll: 1d100+28+30 (Priority #1)=88+59=146, hot damn.]
"I come here today because a vow of silence shall be ended, or so I hope," Kikkizit said, poetically.
"Silence?" the woman asked, looking at them for a moment.
"All sentients should have a peaceful voice in the affairs of the galaxy, to let their voices enter into the song and tumult of peace and spreading understanding. To learn not to sing off key, to know when a song must be the same and when it must change. Gazinitah has denied its citizens and itself this joy, and this duty. Its reasons are inscrutible, and they are not our own. Our own are those of all free sentients, longing at last to speak up. For ourselves and those who cannot speak."
"Those who--?"
"Slaves. The oppressed. The weak, the meek, whom some human books once said shall inherit the earth. I read it once, just a blurb in a class, and yet it and your own culture and all that you have done got me thinking. I kept on thinking and kept on raising my voice, and you can see where it got me. Jail, yes, it was the voices of the people raised in glorious song that overthrew a dynasty that had misruled for centuries. Slaves cannot, and often are programmed so that they will not, speak for themselves, and we share the guilt of Gazinitah, of not being part of that treaty. We wish, you understand, to make amends, not only for that but in all of the hundreds of ways we can."
"Then why," the woman asked, shuffling some papers, "Did you… uphold the prior treaties."
"Because at the time we trusted a government to keep its word, had hope that the former ruling dynasty had not bound us to elements so odious as it turned out they had. They lied to us, sang songs whose words were false. Now we come to you asking to share the burden, asking for the responsibilities and the privileges, that all sentients may someday know peace, prosperity, and diversity. There is little we can offer you, truly, we are no richer- and in many ways worse off- than other Xvorzit Hives, but we can offer you our voices, raised justly in righteous song, and we can offer our hands, turned at last towards just labor. Our legs marching towards the words of Sol's founder: "A world where none may fear and all may hope." All I ask is for a chance, a chance to sign onto the treaties, to join the organizations, that we may prove ourselves worthy of the great honor that is to be of service to all the galaxy."
The woman was looking at him strangely, and she nodded once. "And you need my help?"
"Yes, and all I can yet do is ask it, it is for you to decide," Kikkizit said, simply, lowing their arms slightly and dipping their legs in a polite bow before sitting.
"If only half of the people involved took it…" the woman muttered and said, "Come, we have much to speak of."
It was a long meeting, and Kikkizit was glad they had studied their whole case so thoroughly, as there was a lot they had to show, and where rhetoric fell away, legalistic analysis of the clauses and subclauses, the difficulties imposed by the treaties of the Iashec which might make any attempt to join into certain groups flounder were slowly chipped away at and then disposed of, and work continued over the next few days, devouring time and energy, and yet it was worth it. Ultimately the final say was Vorzhan's, despite the power granted to Kikkizit, but they could make the work easy and simple when the time came.
Free Action next turn to join the intergalactic community. Increased chances of success, though not quite 100%. Sol's mighty impressed with you. +5 to all other negotiation rolls after this one.
*****
[Roll 2: 1d100+28+20 (Priority #2)+5 (Crit Success (and not just because of bonuses))=102, crit success, very good. ]
After that, setting up an ambassadorship is pretty easy. There are a few difficulties, since the building that had been in use by the ambassador before as a secondary meeting area away from their official office had been sold, but another was found, and credentials were exchanged, the information sent, everything ready and needing only Vorzhan's stamp of approval, though only Kikkizit knew that it might be a while before the leader saw it.
Free Action next turn to set up embassies. The Good times continue to roll in terms of their overall opinions of Kikkizit.
*****
[Roll 3: 1d100+28+10+5=115]
Compared to that, Kikkizit stepped a lot more cautiously in terms of actually asking for help directly. It felt like it could backfire, and their sense of the political pressures was incomplete, and thus he hesitated a long time before bringing it up in a message, just a hint that this was a direction they'd be willing to expand the talks towards. It was very subtle, and they weren't entirely sure whether it would bear fruit.
The professor was honestly a little startled by the strength of the response. And so they followed it up, for the moment focusing on education. Sol promised to send some educational advisors, and mentioned the potential of technology sharing, though they were careful not to promise too much. Certainly, though, any help at all would be appreciated, and their circumcision seemed to be respected, as did Kikkizit's focus on less material or obvious forms of aid.
+5 to the other 'Aid' rolls. +10 to all Learning rolls next turn. Increased chances for certain technological actions you already have unlocked. No new options at this time, maybe later.
*****
[Roll 4: 1d100+28+0+5+5 (Other Aid Crit)=87, pretty good, of course.]
Trade, on the other hand, was far more complicated. As it turned out, there wasn't, as Kikkizit had feared, much for Gazinitah to offer Sol in terms of trade. However, there were things they could offer their immediate neighbors, and Sol could help to set up such trades. It was all rather complicated, and Kikkizit had to rely on programs and looking up information on the very day of each discussion in order to get any sense of things, and the trades were complex and multifaceted, careful deals that were perhaps a little too fragile, but would work at the moment. While for Sol these were small deals and small agreements, the amount of money involved staggered Kikkizit, and it'd certainly impress Vorzhan. And of course, diversifying the trade would make them less reliant on Iashec sources.
200 Wealth in trade income per turn. In 3-4 turns, if the economy doesn't pick up, the deals might fall through, however. But for the moment, it's golden.
*****
[Roll 5: 1d100+28-10+5=48, huh, there we go.]
On the other hand, no matter how hard they tried, requests for information didn't seem to be getting anywhere. Perhaps Sol didn't want to admit whatever the situation was, but Kikkizit was getting rather tired of going to meetings with nothing more than platitudes, especially since it wasn't something Kikkizit was focused on. He had gotten back from another stage of his tour of landmarks when he'd made his big push, and all he'd gotten was a basic rundown of the various states in relation to Sol, and even that honestly felt a little deceptive. Or perhaps they were pressed by time, working with him around the clock and also having to deal with his desires- honestly his need considering how stressful the whole thing was- to play tourist.
Ultimately they got out what they put in, in terms of effort. Which, as it was, wasn't much.
+5 to Diplomacy Rolls involving non-Sol human powers next turn...yes, this is really specific, and limited.
******
[Roll 6: 1d100+28-20+5+5 (Other Aid Crit)=87, pretty good!]
The oddest blessings are those that aren't expected. They hadn't even asked about it, instead being offered by a dark-eyed man in a meeting, all of a sudden.
"Say again?" Kikkizit chittered, leaning forward.
"The Prime Minister is willing to offer direct economic aid to Gazinitah if you want it. It'll come from the aid we had sent Evlon 6 after the earthquake. It's small, a pittance," they said absently, "But it's all he can shake loose at the moment without agitating for it, and you've proven surprisingly undemanding in that regard, so he has decided not to use the political capital needed to expand it. But he still wishes to offer you what help he can, monetarily."
"We will be grateful for anything at all we recieve," Kikkizit said honestly.
"It's not much," the other ambassador said, absently, "Only [500 Wealth] a year, and it'll probably run out in four or five years unless we top up the funds."
Only? Kikkizit very carefully said, "We thank you for-"
"Well, there's a bit more. It can't be spent towards the security state, and it can't be spent on debt-servicing, and until...well, until your regime separates its police from its military, it cannot be earmarked towards those matters either. These restrictions will be upheld as best we can, and if you don't wish to accept them, that is perfectly fine.
I suspect I know the answer, but a vote is required: accept the deal? It'd be 250 Wealth a turn.
[] Yes.
[] No.
****
[Where Rulers Rulered: 1d100+27=93]
With all of this, it seemed incredible that they had time to galavant around the world, and yet they found the time. They made it. They were used to making time, to allowing their life to exist when it could be buried by studies and paperwork, and as it turned out, it was completely worth it.
Earth was beautiful up above, and down below, and everywhere in between, so vibrant and full of life, and at three places they learned something truly significant, and at many more they thought deeply and studied closely. The history of Sol was a history of systems of thought and control, progressing and changing and being overwhelmed, and yet bits and pieces of them surviving.
There was a place in Sol for Versailles, and the Kremlin, even though nobody had ruled from there in over six-hundred years. Kikkizit skittered about the opulent if strange wealth, identifying the painting styles from an online guide they'd gotten, taking notes for a colleague of theirs. In fact, a lot of what they were doing was just that: helping out their fellow faculty members, even now. He also had time to think about the palaces of the Ruler Caste. They shouldn't be destroyed, but should be preserved, as part of history, that much had occurred to them when looking at these buildings, now so much more important than any 'revenge' against the past. But that, similarly, the Ruler Caste couldn't be allowed to hold onto the public funds, they should be cut off in order to wither on the vine.
In muggy India they thought more about this and started to think about how these systems broke down. They worked for a time to a certain definition of working, and then they fell apart. Their systems oppressed, they enslaved, they changed and fell apart almost constantly. In that regard, over five hundred years of Ruler Caste rule, and of mostly the same dynasty at that, was far too much to expect to be any good. Systems which didn't allow for change or allowed them only violently; these systems were of great interest, if only for what didn't work, and Kikkizit would definitely need to talk to Vorzhan about perhaps setting up some method of succession. It would be too easy for things to get bad, otherwise. At least they didn't have children- though there was still time for that to potential change- to increase the risks of something like what was just eliminated creeping back in…
It was a lot to think of, and a lot of data, and then they'd seen the White House, and several other buildings, and he'd seen that there was an art to certain things. An art to knowing when to let go. There was no longer any President of the United States. No longer any United States, at least as a discrete governmental institution. But they hadn't lost, had they? Instead they had adapted themselves towards a better future, had understood that few governments last forever, and if the happiness of its citizens and the world was the goal, they'd won.
It was a lot for the professor to take in, honestly.
A few thoughts, ideas, and other things that will eventually (not for a while) become options. Potential other bonuses at end of Diplomacy turn.
[A Cultural Bonanza #1, Learning: 1d100+27=55]
Learning about human art forms could have gone better. They did pick up a little, and the styles of artwork, especially in the old monuments, all things that they could tell their friends who were studying such things. Helping out others was a gift in itself, and he couldn't say it wasn't a worthwhile time, even if he hadn't come across any great revelations in the world of art other than that human art was as varied as Xvorzit art, and as fascinating, if in a strange and unfamiliar way.
[A Cultural Bonanza #2: 1d100+28=67]
Making contacts, on the other hand, is rather easy. Meeting holonet stars and musicians, artists and game-makers of all sorts, and turning them into friends after only a meeting or two, even an incidental meeting… it's a talent that a sufficiently clever Xvorzit can use to great effect. While most Xvorzit were in earnest, that didn't mean they didn't know something about social psychology, and even with their official status obscured, kind words and careful hints allowed them to meet people who would normally avoid contact with the average bug… or human for that matter. The contacts would need to be followed up on, but it was something. Or perhaps it could be, with work.
And honestly, talking to actors and painters and other such people about their lives and works was worth it in the first place.
Potential gains, right now mostly just possibilities. Possibly something at the end of the Diplomacy turn.
*****
Just as pressingly, a meeting with Prime Minister Ankit Mutumbo was approaching. It would be the end, the final step of the negotiations, the last chance to make a good impression or get more out of the meeting. A lot rode on this, and they were already trying to work out how best to go about it. And what to talk about.
What sort of meeting does Kikkizit push for?
[] Beer Summit?: An informal sort of meeting in which the two parties have a drink (though Xvorzit don't drink alcohol) and talk through a few things, it might be too informal, or it might be just right.
[] Bottled Poetry: On the other hand, you could go to a fancy restaurant or pushing for a formal state dinner, more time to talk but in a more formal setting
-[] Restaurant (Any preferences? Just know that all of the cuisines that existed now exist then, and more, complete with tons of new fusion options and intergalactic forms of eating.)
-[] Formal State Dinner
[] No fighting in the war room: A formal conference is best. Long tables, official times, schedules, this formality is a shield of sorts, and it makes one look less like a thief scurrying around in the night, perhaps.
[] He will see you now: On the other hand you could slip into the capitol building and talk to them in their office, between meetings and work. It'd be a little quick, but there is something to be said for the idea.
[] Other: Got an idea? Share it and I'll tell you if it's possible.
What are his priorities? To note, the higher a success already, the more a topic is already tapped out in terms of gains, though depending on the topic bringing it up might or might not give a bonus or penalty to other things, depending. Things that weren't a great success have a chance to be tried again via this. (Pick one Primary and one Secondary, this isn't a long meeting, after all!)
[] Setting up a mutual ambassadorship.
[] Direct economic aid.
[] Trade Deals.
[] Intergalactic Treaty Negotiations.
[] Other forms of help?
[] Intergalactic Political Situation?
Kikkizit has time, or has made time, for one final bit of leisure-activity before they must return to Gazinitah. Where do they go?
[] Nature in all its splendour: Parks and wilderness have their own beauty, and while Kikkizit isn't the most outgoing and outdoorsish, Earth is said to be very beautiful, parts of it still quite wild despite the population levels, and all of it available for round-the-planet tourism. Perhaps it might give Kikkizit something to think about involving parks, wilderness, and land-use.
[] Ancient bones and dank tombs: There are tour packages that instead go to the 'Middle East' and all around the world, to the ancient sites of human battles, life, love and death. It's all very fascinating stuff and is on Kikkizit's bucket list, if Xvorzit had that concept. Their fascination with ancient forms of Xvorzith culture extends in a similar way to human culture.
[] Walking the Streets: No need for a guide! Just explore some. Visit cities using a brochure or two for interesting places, walk, shop, see how people live. Where do they go? How often do they recharge their hovercars? What's it like to live on Sol? Something of anthropology, and something of aimless wandering and questioning, it could turn up something, or it might not, but it'd definitely be touristy.
[] You belong in a Museum!: Earth has thousands of fascinating museums, and Kikkizit could choose to go to some of them, whether by category or location. Perhaps they'd learn something important, or perhaps not, either way it'd certainly be a fun enough way to spend a few weeks. (Will vote on what sorts of places you go if this is selected.)
[] The News is where it is: Watch the news. Read the news. Feel the news. Be the news. Absorb all of the political, social, and other news you can find on Sol, about the galaxy at large, about the Solish perspective (at least the perspective of the newscasters) on things. It's not really that relaxing, more a bit of studying, but it could be useful. Or it could teach you nothing except what a Talking Head is. Or something in between. Who knows? This, like all of the options, could lead to something interesting...or nothing much at all.
[X] 1 - Intergalactic Treaty Negotiations.
[X] 2 - Setting up a mutual ambassadorship.
[X] 3 - Other forms of help?
[X] 4 - Trade Deals.
[X] 5 - Galactic Political Information?
[X] 6 - Direct economic aid.
[X] Where rulers rulered: The White-House, Versailles, and other such monuments to now superseded or dysfunctional government are open for tours, and it would no doubt be quite informative on the political history of Sol, at least its more past history. They've always been fascinated with that sort of thing, and it'd make an excellent way to unwind, and might give them a few ideas.
[X] A Cultural Bonanza: Festivals, plays at the Globe Theatre, food all across the world, dancing, music and singing, this tour package promises to show the full range of Sol culture over a program of a week or three, and is apparently well-regarded. Yet another thing Kikkizit would be eager to do and explore, and it might give them an idea or two...or it might not.
The first matter at hand were the treaties. Slavery was a dark and vile abomination against the will of sentients and the sanctity of cloning technology not to be abused in horrific ways for the pleasure of abusive sentients. More than that, being part of the Intergalactic treaties seemed like it was a good start to any attempt to get involved in galactic affairs. And, Kikkizit reasoned further, sitting in a room for a few hours before yet another meeting, this time with a sub-functionary who was an assistant for the Sol Ambassador to one of the several intergalactic bodies.
[Roll: 1d100+28+30 (Priority #1)=88+59=146, hot damn.]
"I come here today because a vow of silence shall be ended, or so I hope," Kikkizit said, poetically.
"Silence?" the woman asked, looking at them for a moment.
"All sentients should have a peaceful voice in the affairs of the galaxy, to let their voices enter into the song and tumult of peace and spreading understanding. To learn not to sing off key, to know when a song must be the same and when it must change. Gazinitah has denied its citizens and itself this joy, and this duty. Its reasons are inscrutible, and they are not our own. Our own are those of all free sentients, longing at last to speak up. For ourselves and those who cannot speak."
"Those who--?"
"Slaves. The oppressed. The weak, the meek, whom some human books once said shall inherit the earth. I read it once, just a blurb in a class, and yet it and your own culture and all that you have done got me thinking. I kept on thinking and kept on raising my voice, and you can see where it got me. Jail, yes, it was the voices of the people raised in glorious song that overthrew a dynasty that had misruled for centuries. Slaves cannot, and often are programmed so that they will not, speak for themselves, and we share the guilt of Gazinitah, of not being part of that treaty. We wish, you understand, to make amends, not only for that but in all of the hundreds of ways we can."
"Then why," the woman asked, shuffling some papers, "Did you… uphold the prior treaties."
"Because at the time we trusted a government to keep its word, had hope that the former ruling dynasty had not bound us to elements so odious as it turned out they had. They lied to us, sang songs whose words were false. Now we come to you asking to share the burden, asking for the responsibilities and the privileges, that all sentients may someday know peace, prosperity, and diversity. There is little we can offer you, truly, we are no richer- and in many ways worse off- than other Xvorzit Hives, but we can offer you our voices, raised justly in righteous song, and we can offer our hands, turned at last towards just labor. Our legs marching towards the words of Sol's founder: "A world where none may fear and all may hope." All I ask is for a chance, a chance to sign onto the treaties, to join the organizations, that we may prove ourselves worthy of the great honor that is to be of service to all the galaxy."
The woman was looking at him strangely, and she nodded once. "And you need my help?"
"Yes, and all I can yet do is ask it, it is for you to decide," Kikkizit said, simply, lowing their arms slightly and dipping their legs in a polite bow before sitting.
"If only half of the people involved took it…" the woman muttered and said, "Come, we have much to speak of."
It was a long meeting, and Kikkizit was glad they had studied their whole case so thoroughly, as there was a lot they had to show, and where rhetoric fell away, legalistic analysis of the clauses and subclauses, the difficulties imposed by the treaties of the Iashec which might make any attempt to join into certain groups flounder were slowly chipped away at and then disposed of, and work continued over the next few days, devouring time and energy, and yet it was worth it. Ultimately the final say was Vorzhan's, despite the power granted to Kikkizit, but they could make the work easy and simple when the time came.
Free Action next turn to join the intergalactic community. Increased chances of success, though not quite 100%. Sol's mighty impressed with you. +5 to all other negotiation rolls after this one.
*****
[Roll 2: 1d100+28+20 (Priority #2)+5 (Crit Success (and not just because of bonuses))=102, crit success, very good. ]
After that, setting up an ambassadorship is pretty easy. There are a few difficulties, since the building that had been in use by the ambassador before as a secondary meeting area away from their official office had been sold, but another was found, and credentials were exchanged, the information sent, everything ready and needing only Vorzhan's stamp of approval, though only Kikkizit knew that it might be a while before the leader saw it.
Free Action next turn to set up embassies. The Good times continue to roll in terms of their overall opinions of Kikkizit.
*****
[Roll 3: 1d100+28+10+5=115]
Compared to that, Kikkizit stepped a lot more cautiously in terms of actually asking for help directly. It felt like it could backfire, and their sense of the political pressures was incomplete, and thus he hesitated a long time before bringing it up in a message, just a hint that this was a direction they'd be willing to expand the talks towards. It was very subtle, and they weren't entirely sure whether it would bear fruit.
The professor was honestly a little startled by the strength of the response. And so they followed it up, for the moment focusing on education. Sol promised to send some educational advisors, and mentioned the potential of technology sharing, though they were careful not to promise too much. Certainly, though, any help at all would be appreciated, and their circumcision seemed to be respected, as did Kikkizit's focus on less material or obvious forms of aid.
+5 to the other 'Aid' rolls. +10 to all Learning rolls next turn. Increased chances for certain technological actions you already have unlocked. No new options at this time, maybe later.
*****
[Roll 4: 1d100+28+0+5+5 (Other Aid Crit)=87, pretty good, of course.]
Trade, on the other hand, was far more complicated. As it turned out, there wasn't, as Kikkizit had feared, much for Gazinitah to offer Sol in terms of trade. However, there were things they could offer their immediate neighbors, and Sol could help to set up such trades. It was all rather complicated, and Kikkizit had to rely on programs and looking up information on the very day of each discussion in order to get any sense of things, and the trades were complex and multifaceted, careful deals that were perhaps a little too fragile, but would work at the moment. While for Sol these were small deals and small agreements, the amount of money involved staggered Kikkizit, and it'd certainly impress Vorzhan. And of course, diversifying the trade would make them less reliant on Iashec sources.
200 Wealth in trade income per turn. In 3-4 turns, if the economy doesn't pick up, the deals might fall through, however. But for the moment, it's golden.
*****
[Roll 5: 1d100+28-10+5=48, huh, there we go.]
On the other hand, no matter how hard they tried, requests for information didn't seem to be getting anywhere. Perhaps Sol didn't want to admit whatever the situation was, but Kikkizit was getting rather tired of going to meetings with nothing more than platitudes, especially since it wasn't something Kikkizit was focused on. He had gotten back from another stage of his tour of landmarks when he'd made his big push, and all he'd gotten was a basic rundown of the various states in relation to Sol, and even that honestly felt a little deceptive. Or perhaps they were pressed by time, working with him around the clock and also having to deal with his desires- honestly his need considering how stressful the whole thing was- to play tourist.
Ultimately they got out what they put in, in terms of effort. Which, as it was, wasn't much.
+5 to Diplomacy Rolls involving non-Sol human powers next turn...yes, this is really specific, and limited.
******
[Roll 6: 1d100+28-20+5+5 (Other Aid Crit)=87, pretty good!]
The oddest blessings are those that aren't expected. They hadn't even asked about it, instead being offered by a dark-eyed man in a meeting, all of a sudden.
"Say again?" Kikkizit chittered, leaning forward.
"The Prime Minister is willing to offer direct economic aid to Gazinitah if you want it. It'll come from the aid we had sent Evlon 6 after the earthquake. It's small, a pittance," they said absently, "But it's all he can shake loose at the moment without agitating for it, and you've proven surprisingly undemanding in that regard, so he has decided not to use the political capital needed to expand it. But he still wishes to offer you what help he can, monetarily."
"We will be grateful for anything at all we recieve," Kikkizit said honestly.
"It's not much," the other ambassador said, absently, "Only [500 Wealth] a year, and it'll probably run out in four or five years unless we top up the funds."
Only? Kikkizit very carefully said, "We thank you for-"
"Well, there's a bit more. It can't be spent towards the security state, and it can't be spent on debt-servicing, and until...well, until your regime separates its police from its military, it cannot be earmarked towards those matters either. These restrictions will be upheld as best we can, and if you don't wish to accept them, that is perfectly fine.
I suspect I know the answer, but a vote is required: accept the deal? It'd be 250 Wealth a turn.
[] Yes.
[] No.
****
[Where Rulers Rulered: 1d100+27=93]
With all of this, it seemed incredible that they had time to galavant around the world, and yet they found the time. They made it. They were used to making time, to allowing their life to exist when it could be buried by studies and paperwork, and as it turned out, it was completely worth it.
Earth was beautiful up above, and down below, and everywhere in between, so vibrant and full of life, and at three places they learned something truly significant, and at many more they thought deeply and studied closely. The history of Sol was a history of systems of thought and control, progressing and changing and being overwhelmed, and yet bits and pieces of them surviving.
There was a place in Sol for Versailles, and the Kremlin, even though nobody had ruled from there in over six-hundred years. Kikkizit skittered about the opulent if strange wealth, identifying the painting styles from an online guide they'd gotten, taking notes for a colleague of theirs. In fact, a lot of what they were doing was just that: helping out their fellow faculty members, even now. He also had time to think about the palaces of the Ruler Caste. They shouldn't be destroyed, but should be preserved, as part of history, that much had occurred to them when looking at these buildings, now so much more important than any 'revenge' against the past. But that, similarly, the Ruler Caste couldn't be allowed to hold onto the public funds, they should be cut off in order to wither on the vine.
In muggy India they thought more about this and started to think about how these systems broke down. They worked for a time to a certain definition of working, and then they fell apart. Their systems oppressed, they enslaved, they changed and fell apart almost constantly. In that regard, over five hundred years of Ruler Caste rule, and of mostly the same dynasty at that, was far too much to expect to be any good. Systems which didn't allow for change or allowed them only violently; these systems were of great interest, if only for what didn't work, and Kikkizit would definitely need to talk to Vorzhan about perhaps setting up some method of succession. It would be too easy for things to get bad, otherwise. At least they didn't have children- though there was still time for that to potential change- to increase the risks of something like what was just eliminated creeping back in…
It was a lot to think of, and a lot of data, and then they'd seen the White House, and several other buildings, and he'd seen that there was an art to certain things. An art to knowing when to let go. There was no longer any President of the United States. No longer any United States, at least as a discrete governmental institution. But they hadn't lost, had they? Instead they had adapted themselves towards a better future, had understood that few governments last forever, and if the happiness of its citizens and the world was the goal, they'd won.
It was a lot for the professor to take in, honestly.
A few thoughts, ideas, and other things that will eventually (not for a while) become options. Potential other bonuses at end of Diplomacy turn.
[A Cultural Bonanza #1, Learning: 1d100+27=55]
Learning about human art forms could have gone better. They did pick up a little, and the styles of artwork, especially in the old monuments, all things that they could tell their friends who were studying such things. Helping out others was a gift in itself, and he couldn't say it wasn't a worthwhile time, even if he hadn't come across any great revelations in the world of art other than that human art was as varied as Xvorzit art, and as fascinating, if in a strange and unfamiliar way.
[A Cultural Bonanza #2: 1d100+28=67]
Making contacts, on the other hand, is rather easy. Meeting holonet stars and musicians, artists and game-makers of all sorts, and turning them into friends after only a meeting or two, even an incidental meeting… it's a talent that a sufficiently clever Xvorzit can use to great effect. While most Xvorzit were in earnest, that didn't mean they didn't know something about social psychology, and even with their official status obscured, kind words and careful hints allowed them to meet people who would normally avoid contact with the average bug… or human for that matter. The contacts would need to be followed up on, but it was something. Or perhaps it could be, with work.
And honestly, talking to actors and painters and other such people about their lives and works was worth it in the first place.
Potential gains, right now mostly just possibilities. Possibly something at the end of the Diplomacy turn.
*****
Just as pressingly, a meeting with Prime Minister Ankit Mutumbo was approaching. It would be the end, the final step of the negotiations, the last chance to make a good impression or get more out of the meeting. A lot rode on this, and they were already trying to work out how best to go about it. And what to talk about.
What sort of meeting does Kikkizit push for?
[] Beer Summit?: An informal sort of meeting in which the two parties have a drink (though Xvorzit don't drink alcohol) and talk through a few things, it might be too informal, or it might be just right.
[] Bottled Poetry: On the other hand, you could go to a fancy restaurant or pushing for a formal state dinner, more time to talk but in a more formal setting
-[] Restaurant (Any preferences? Just know that all of the cuisines that existed now exist then, and more, complete with tons of new fusion options and intergalactic forms of eating.)
-[] Formal State Dinner
[] No fighting in the war room: A formal conference is best. Long tables, official times, schedules, this formality is a shield of sorts, and it makes one look less like a thief scurrying around in the night, perhaps.
[] He will see you now: On the other hand you could slip into the capitol building and talk to them in their office, between meetings and work. It'd be a little quick, but there is something to be said for the idea.
[] Other: Got an idea? Share it and I'll tell you if it's possible.
What are his priorities? To note, the higher a success already, the more a topic is already tapped out in terms of gains, though depending on the topic bringing it up might or might not give a bonus or penalty to other things, depending. Things that weren't a great success have a chance to be tried again via this. (Pick one Primary and one Secondary, this isn't a long meeting, after all!)
[] Setting up a mutual ambassadorship.
[] Direct economic aid.
[] Trade Deals.
[] Intergalactic Treaty Negotiations.
[] Other forms of help?
[] Intergalactic Political Situation?
Kikkizit has time, or has made time, for one final bit of leisure-activity before they must return to Gazinitah. Where do they go?
[] Nature in all its splendour: Parks and wilderness have their own beauty, and while Kikkizit isn't the most outgoing and outdoorsish, Earth is said to be very beautiful, parts of it still quite wild despite the population levels, and all of it available for round-the-planet tourism. Perhaps it might give Kikkizit something to think about involving parks, wilderness, and land-use.
[] Ancient bones and dank tombs: There are tour packages that instead go to the 'Middle East' and all around the world, to the ancient sites of human battles, life, love and death. It's all very fascinating stuff and is on Kikkizit's bucket list, if Xvorzit had that concept. Their fascination with ancient forms of Xvorzith culture extends in a similar way to human culture.
[] Walking the Streets: No need for a guide! Just explore some. Visit cities using a brochure or two for interesting places, walk, shop, see how people live. Where do they go? How often do they recharge their hovercars? What's it like to live on Sol? Something of anthropology, and something of aimless wandering and questioning, it could turn up something, or it might not, but it'd definitely be touristy.
[] You belong in a Museum!: Earth has thousands of fascinating museums, and Kikkizit could choose to go to some of them, whether by category or location. Perhaps they'd learn something important, or perhaps not, either way it'd certainly be a fun enough way to spend a few weeks. (Will vote on what sorts of places you go if this is selected.)
[] The News is where it is: Watch the news. Read the news. Feel the news. Be the news. Absorb all of the political, social, and other news you can find on Sol, about the galaxy at large, about the Solish perspective (at least the perspective of the newscasters) on things. It's not really that relaxing, more a bit of studying, but it could be useful. Or it could teach you nothing except what a Talking Head is. Or something in between. Who knows? This, like all of the options, could lead to something interesting...or nothing much at all.
Dark Ness
Rises Where Silence Dies
- Location
- The Primordial Soup
- Location
- Dreiländereck
[X] Yes.
Very nice meeting. Better as I imagined.
[X] Bottled Poetry: On the other hand, you could go to a fancy restaurant or pushing for a formal state dinner, more time to talk but in a more formal setting
-[X] molecular gastronomy
I am spitballing here but I think this allows us to be more informal than a regular meeting without appearing irreverent. But I'm not sure.
[X] Intergalactic Treaty Negotiations.
[X] Intergalactic Political Situation?
I think we should take these two, they are both our greatest success and our greatest 'failure' during the negotiations as of now.
For the negotiations it would be nice to capitalize on our success there, an even better relationship with Sol etc. and I think a not entirely formal meeting between Kikkizit and the President makes this ideal to ask for his opinion on the situation.
[X] Walking the Streets: No need for a guide! Just explore some. Visit cities using a brochure or two for interesting places, walk, shop, see how people live. Where do they go? How often do they recharge their hovercars? What's it like to live on Sol? Something of anthropology, and something of aimless wandering and questioning, it could turn up something, or it might not, but it'd definitely be touristy.
I admit it, I simply love the image.
@The Laurent can you tell us how Sol is structured, politically and instituionally?
Very nice meeting. Better as I imagined.
[X] Bottled Poetry: On the other hand, you could go to a fancy restaurant or pushing for a formal state dinner, more time to talk but in a more formal setting
-[X] molecular gastronomy
I am spitballing here but I think this allows us to be more informal than a regular meeting without appearing irreverent. But I'm not sure.
[X] Intergalactic Treaty Negotiations.
[X] Intergalactic Political Situation?
I think we should take these two, they are both our greatest success and our greatest 'failure' during the negotiations as of now.
For the negotiations it would be nice to capitalize on our success there, an even better relationship with Sol etc. and I think a not entirely formal meeting between Kikkizit and the President makes this ideal to ask for his opinion on the situation.
[X] Walking the Streets: No need for a guide! Just explore some. Visit cities using a brochure or two for interesting places, walk, shop, see how people live. Where do they go? How often do they recharge their hovercars? What's it like to live on Sol? Something of anthropology, and something of aimless wandering and questioning, it could turn up something, or it might not, but it'd definitely be touristy.
I admit it, I simply love the image.
@The Laurent can you tell us how Sol is structured, politically and instituionally?
- Pronouns
- They/Them
Probably, in what sense? Like, do you mean how elections work and how large the parliament is, for instance?
Night_stalker
Slava Ukraini!
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X] Yes.
[X] Bottled Poetry: On the other hand, you could go to a fancy restaurant or pushing for a formal state dinner, more time to talk but in a more formal setting
[X] Intergalactic Treaty Negotiations.
[X] Intergalactic Political Situation?
[X] Walking the Streets: No need for a guide! Just explore some. Visit cities using a brochure or two for interesting places, walk, shop, see how people live. Where do they go? How often do they recharge their hovercars? What's it like to live on Sol? Something of anthropology, and something of aimless wandering and questioning, it could turn up something, or it might not, but it'd definitely be touristy.
[X] Bottled Poetry: On the other hand, you could go to a fancy restaurant or pushing for a formal state dinner, more time to talk but in a more formal setting
[X] Intergalactic Treaty Negotiations.
[X] Intergalactic Political Situation?
[X] Walking the Streets: No need for a guide! Just explore some. Visit cities using a brochure or two for interesting places, walk, shop, see how people live. Where do they go? How often do they recharge their hovercars? What's it like to live on Sol? Something of anthropology, and something of aimless wandering and questioning, it could turn up something, or it might not, but it'd definitely be touristy.
- Pronouns
- They/Them
If you have that information, yes.
How work elections, what kind of democracy it is (parliamentary or presidential)?
It's parliamentary, based on districts that are carefully designed to be directly related to population and update with reasonable frequency. For each world other than Earth itself (not counting the colony worlds and the like, which have a slightly more complex administration) they have, in addition to the Parliamentary seats, a sort of miniature 'House' with an executive/governor to run some of their day to day affairs, though these are not states, and more like provinces in the sense that they don't have some separate and sovereign rule of law. Parliament is relatively large and riven with many parties, though I do admit I haven't figured out the exact 'voters per Parliamentarian' ratio.
- Location
- Dreiländereck
Thanks, and that is already a lot thought about the political make up of a fictional setting.
- Pronouns
- They/He
[X] Yes.
[X] Bottled Poetry: On the other hand, you could go to a fancy restaurant or pushing for a formal state dinner, more time to talk but in a more formal setting
[X] Intergalactic Treaty Negotiations.
[X] Intergalactic Political Situation?
[X] Ancient bones and dank tombs: There are tour packages that instead go to the 'Middle East' and all around the world, to the ancient sites of human battles, life, love and death. It's all very fascinating stuff and is on Kikkizit's bucket list, if Xvorzit had that concept. Their fascination with ancient forms of Xvorzith culture extends in a similar way to human culture.
Kikkizit shares my fascination with ancient things. I like this better than potential anthropological studies, personally. There's something to be said for it, of course, but I like the idea of Professor Kikkizit being someone who respects and indulges in human culture, but has less of an idea of how the average human of today lives.
[X] Bottled Poetry: On the other hand, you could go to a fancy restaurant or pushing for a formal state dinner, more time to talk but in a more formal setting
[X] Intergalactic Treaty Negotiations.
[X] Intergalactic Political Situation?
[X] Ancient bones and dank tombs: There are tour packages that instead go to the 'Middle East' and all around the world, to the ancient sites of human battles, life, love and death. It's all very fascinating stuff and is on Kikkizit's bucket list, if Xvorzit had that concept. Their fascination with ancient forms of Xvorzith culture extends in a similar way to human culture.
Kikkizit shares my fascination with ancient things.
I like this better than potential anthropological studies, personally. There's something to be said for it, of course, but I like the idea of Professor Kikkizit being someone who respects and indulges in human culture, but has less of an idea of how the average human of today lives.
Arkatekt
Harbinger of Shitluck
[X] Yes.
So then, that money is going straight to education or the economy, yes?
[X] Bottled Poetry: On the other hand, you could go to a fancy restaurant or pushing for a formal state dinner, more time to talk but in a more formal setting
[X] Primary - Intergalactic Political Situation?
[X] Secondary - Trade Deals.
[X] Ancient bones and dank tombs: There are tour packages that instead go to the 'Middle East' and all around the world, to the ancient sites of human battles, life, love and death. It's all very fascinating stuff and is on Kikkizit's bucket list, if Xvorzit had that concept. Their fascination with ancient forms of Xvorzith culture extends in a similar way to human culture.
So then, that money is going straight to education or the economy, yes?
[X] Bottled Poetry: On the other hand, you could go to a fancy restaurant or pushing for a formal state dinner, more time to talk but in a more formal setting
[X] Primary - Intergalactic Political Situation?
[X] Secondary - Trade Deals.
[X] Ancient bones and dank tombs: There are tour packages that instead go to the 'Middle East' and all around the world, to the ancient sites of human battles, life, love and death. It's all very fascinating stuff and is on Kikkizit's bucket list, if Xvorzit had that concept. Their fascination with ancient forms of Xvorzith culture extends in a similar way to human culture.
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[X] Yes.
[X] He will see you now: On the other hand you could slip into the capitol building and talk to them in their office, between meetings and work. It'd be a little quick, but there is something to be said for the idea.
[X] Primary - Intergalactic Political Situation?
[X] Secondary - Trade Deals.
[X] Nature in all its splendour: Parks and wilderness have their own beauty, and while Kikkizit isn't the most outgoing and outdoorsish, Earth is said to be very beautiful, parts of it still quite wild despite the population levels, and all of it available for round-the-planet tourism. Perhaps it might give Kikkizit something to think about involving parks, wilderness, and land-use.
[X] He will see you now: On the other hand you could slip into the capitol building and talk to them in their office, between meetings and work. It'd be a little quick, but there is something to be said for the idea.
[X] Primary - Intergalactic Political Situation?
[X] Secondary - Trade Deals.
[X] Nature in all its splendour: Parks and wilderness have their own beauty, and while Kikkizit isn't the most outgoing and outdoorsish, Earth is said to be very beautiful, parts of it still quite wild despite the population levels, and all of it available for round-the-planet tourism. Perhaps it might give Kikkizit something to think about involving parks, wilderness, and land-use.
Ok, we got a reroll opportunity here, so looking at our rolls for the non-crits
Trade: Base 49, could be better, could be worse. Currently unstable, if we don't boost the economy a lot within 3 turns we lose the money.
Intel: Base 25, could be a LOT better. We might as well try rerolling this. We got shit all.
Direct aid: Base 69, pretty good, we don't want to reroll this.
*twitch*
[X] Yes.
[X] Bottled Poetry: On the other hand, you could go to a fancy restaurant or pushing for a formal state dinner, more time to talk but in a more formal setting
-[X] Fancy restaurant, try to go for food which you can eat, but is also commonly consumed by humans.
[X] Primary - Intergalactic Political Situation?
[X] Secondary - Trade Deals.
[X] Nature in all its splendour: Parks and wilderness have their own beauty, and while Kikkizit isn't the most outgoing and outdoorsish, Earth is said to be very beautiful, parts of it still quite wild despite the population levels, and all of it available for round-the-planet tourism. Perhaps it might give Kikkizit something to think about involving parks, wilderness, and land-use.
Ok, for the meeting type, we're looking to eat something which won't squick the human. Remember we like raw black widow spider pizza, and the like.
For the two reroll attempts, I'd say go for our low rolls to make it up. The treaty obligations have already been maxed out, but surely we can find more information, and more importantly, more stable trade deals. A trade route that collapses in 3 turns is pretty shoddy.
For the final tour site...we hadn't done anything for proper land use. Probably want to research that, especially if we contrast it with past damaged land restored to productive use.
After all, from what I can tell our planet is extremely population dense. Land use optimization is worth more than gold.
Trade: Base 49, could be better, could be worse. Currently unstable, if we don't boost the economy a lot within 3 turns we lose the money.
Intel: Base 25, could be a LOT better. We might as well try rerolling this. We got shit all.
Direct aid: Base 69, pretty good, we don't want to reroll this.
Holy shit they're loaded.
It's fine. We'll just dump all the cash into economic rebuilding.
*twitch*
[X] Yes.
[X] Bottled Poetry: On the other hand, you could go to a fancy restaurant or pushing for a formal state dinner, more time to talk but in a more formal setting
-[X] Fancy restaurant, try to go for food which you can eat, but is also commonly consumed by humans.
[X] Primary - Intergalactic Political Situation?
[X] Secondary - Trade Deals.
[X] Nature in all its splendour: Parks and wilderness have their own beauty, and while Kikkizit isn't the most outgoing and outdoorsish, Earth is said to be very beautiful, parts of it still quite wild despite the population levels, and all of it available for round-the-planet tourism. Perhaps it might give Kikkizit something to think about involving parks, wilderness, and land-use.
Ok, for the meeting type, we're looking to eat something which won't squick the human. Remember we like raw black widow spider pizza, and the like.
For the two reroll attempts, I'd say go for our low rolls to make it up. The treaty obligations have already been maxed out, but surely we can find more information, and more importantly, more stable trade deals. A trade route that collapses in 3 turns is pretty shoddy.
For the final tour site...we hadn't done anything for proper land use. Probably want to research that, especially if we contrast it with past damaged land restored to productive use.
After all, from what I can tell our planet is extremely population dense. Land use optimization is worth more than gold.
lkmcclenahan
That which doesn't kill me, only makes me stranger
- Location
- UK
Yeah, Sol are loaded- probably known space's strongest, most vibrant economy. Their budget and economy are such that, if they were to be played in a quest like this one, an influence point system would be in operation. Essentially, they don't even need to ask the question 'can we fund this?' Expending the political capital to try and make something happen is more of an issue than funding ever is.
The Barsamen Confederacy's central Council of the Wise would probably be in a similar situation, though naturally with a lot less control over their domain. Of the three major powers, the Ilwari are the odd one out in that respect- they really don't have that kind of budget freedom, despite the fact that their economy has entirely recovered from the Overturning by now and has been seeing some decent growth besides. The reason why can be entirely chalked up to the fact that their defense spending makes the RL People's Republic of China look unambitious and parochial by comparison. Becoming owners of known space's largest collection of dreadnoughts is not exactly a cheap endeavor.
The Barsamen Confederacy's central Council of the Wise would probably be in a similar situation, though naturally with a lot less control over their domain. Of the three major powers, the Ilwari are the odd one out in that respect- they really don't have that kind of budget freedom, despite the fact that their economy has entirely recovered from the Overturning by now and has been seeing some decent growth besides. The reason why can be entirely chalked up to the fact that their defense spending makes the RL People's Republic of China look unambitious and parochial by comparison. Becoming owners of known space's largest collection of dreadnoughts is not exactly a cheap endeavor.
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- Pronouns
- They/Them
I need a vote tally and I need some more votes so I can close this tonight, m'kay?
Arkatekt
Harbinger of Shitluck
Vote tally:
##### 3.21
[X] Yes.
[X] Bottled Poetry: On the other hand, you could go to a fancy restaurant or pushing for a formal state dinner, more time to talk but in a more formal setting
-[X] molecular gastronomy
[X] Intergalactic Treaty Negotiations.
[X] Intergalactic Political Situation?
[X] Walking the Streets: No need for a guide! Just explore some. Visit cities using a brochure or two for interesting places, walk, shop, see how people live. Where do they go? How often do they recharge their hovercars? What's it like to live on Sol? Something of anthropology, and something of aimless wandering and questioning, it could turn up something, or it might not, but it'd definitely be touristy.
No. of votes: 1
Wellhello
[X] Yes.
[X] Bottled Poetry: On the other hand, you could go to a fancy restaurant or pushing for a formal state dinner, more time to talk but in a more formal setting
[X] Intergalactic Treaty Negotiations.
[X] Intergalactic Political Situation?
[X] Walking the Streets: No need for a guide! Just explore some. Visit cities using a brochure or two for interesting places, walk, shop, see how people live. Where do they go? How often do they recharge their hovercars? What's it like to live on Sol? Something of anthropology, and something of aimless wandering and questioning, it could turn up something, or it might not, but it'd definitely be touristy.
No. of votes: 1
Night_stalker
[X] Yes.
[X] Bottled Poetry: On the other hand, you could go to a fancy restaurant or pushing for a formal state dinner, more time to talk but in a more formal setting
[X] Intergalactic Treaty Negotiations.
[X] Intergalactic Political Situation?
[X] Ancient bones and dank tombs: There are tour packages that instead go to the 'Middle East' and all around the world, to the ancient sites of human battles, life, love and death. It's all very fascinating stuff and is on Kikkizit's bucket list, if Xvorzit had that concept. Their fascination with ancient forms of Xvorzith culture extends in a similar way to human culture.
No. of votes: 1
Deathstorm50
[X] Yes.
[X] Bottled Poetry: On the other hand, you could go to a fancy restaurant or pushing for a formal state dinner, more time to talk but in a more formal setting
[X] Primary - Intergalactic Political Situation?
[X] Secondary - Trade Deals.
[X] Ancient bones and dank tombs: There are tour packages that instead go to the 'Middle East' and all around the world, to the ancient sites of human battles, life, love and death. It's all very fascinating stuff and is on Kikkizit's bucket list, if Xvorzit had that concept. Their fascination with ancient forms of Xvorzith culture extends in a similar way to human culture.
No. of votes: 1
Arkatekt
[X] Yes.
[X] He will see you now: On the other hand you could slip into the capitol building and talk to them in their office, between meetings and work. It'd be a little quick, but there is something to be said for the idea.
[X] Primary - Intergalactic Political Situation?
[X] Secondary - Trade Deals.
[X] Nature in all its splendour: Parks and wilderness have their own beauty, and while Kikkizit isn't the most outgoing and outdoorsish, Earth is said to be very beautiful, parts of it still quite wild despite the population levels, and all of it available for round-the-planet tourism. Perhaps it might give Kikkizit something to think about involving parks, wilderness, and land-use.
No. of votes: 1
wingstrike96
[X] Yes.
[X] Bottled Poetry: On the other hand, you could go to a fancy restaurant or pushing for a formal state dinner, more time to talk but in a more formal setting
-[X] Fancy restaurant, try to go for food which you can eat, but is also commonly consumed by humans.
[X] Primary - Intergalactic Political Situation?
[X] Secondary - Trade Deals.
[X] Nature in all its splendour: Parks and wilderness have their own beauty, and while Kikkizit isn't the most outgoing and outdoorsish, Earth is said to be very beautiful, parts of it still quite wild despite the population levels, and all of it available for round-the-planet tourism. Perhaps it might give Kikkizit something to think about involving parks, wilderness, and land-use.
No. of votes: 2
veekie, Dark Ness
##### 3.21
[X] Yes.
[X] Bottled Poetry: On the other hand, you could go to a fancy restaurant or pushing for a formal state dinner, more time to talk but in a more formal setting
-[X] molecular gastronomy
[X] Intergalactic Treaty Negotiations.
[X] Intergalactic Political Situation?
[X] Walking the Streets: No need for a guide! Just explore some. Visit cities using a brochure or two for interesting places, walk, shop, see how people live. Where do they go? How often do they recharge their hovercars? What's it like to live on Sol? Something of anthropology, and something of aimless wandering and questioning, it could turn up something, or it might not, but it'd definitely be touristy.
No. of votes: 1
Wellhello
[X] Yes.
[X] Bottled Poetry: On the other hand, you could go to a fancy restaurant or pushing for a formal state dinner, more time to talk but in a more formal setting
[X] Intergalactic Treaty Negotiations.
[X] Intergalactic Political Situation?
[X] Walking the Streets: No need for a guide! Just explore some. Visit cities using a brochure or two for interesting places, walk, shop, see how people live. Where do they go? How often do they recharge their hovercars? What's it like to live on Sol? Something of anthropology, and something of aimless wandering and questioning, it could turn up something, or it might not, but it'd definitely be touristy.
No. of votes: 1
Night_stalker
[X] Yes.
[X] Bottled Poetry: On the other hand, you could go to a fancy restaurant or pushing for a formal state dinner, more time to talk but in a more formal setting
[X] Intergalactic Treaty Negotiations.
[X] Intergalactic Political Situation?
[X] Ancient bones and dank tombs: There are tour packages that instead go to the 'Middle East' and all around the world, to the ancient sites of human battles, life, love and death. It's all very fascinating stuff and is on Kikkizit's bucket list, if Xvorzit had that concept. Their fascination with ancient forms of Xvorzith culture extends in a similar way to human culture.
No. of votes: 1
Deathstorm50
[X] Yes.
[X] Bottled Poetry: On the other hand, you could go to a fancy restaurant or pushing for a formal state dinner, more time to talk but in a more formal setting
[X] Primary - Intergalactic Political Situation?
[X] Secondary - Trade Deals.
[X] Ancient bones and dank tombs: There are tour packages that instead go to the 'Middle East' and all around the world, to the ancient sites of human battles, life, love and death. It's all very fascinating stuff and is on Kikkizit's bucket list, if Xvorzit had that concept. Their fascination with ancient forms of Xvorzith culture extends in a similar way to human culture.
No. of votes: 1
Arkatekt
[X] Yes.
[X] He will see you now: On the other hand you could slip into the capitol building and talk to them in their office, between meetings and work. It'd be a little quick, but there is something to be said for the idea.
[X] Primary - Intergalactic Political Situation?
[X] Secondary - Trade Deals.
[X] Nature in all its splendour: Parks and wilderness have their own beauty, and while Kikkizit isn't the most outgoing and outdoorsish, Earth is said to be very beautiful, parts of it still quite wild despite the population levels, and all of it available for round-the-planet tourism. Perhaps it might give Kikkizit something to think about involving parks, wilderness, and land-use.
No. of votes: 1
wingstrike96
[X] Yes.
[X] Bottled Poetry: On the other hand, you could go to a fancy restaurant or pushing for a formal state dinner, more time to talk but in a more formal setting
-[X] Fancy restaurant, try to go for food which you can eat, but is also commonly consumed by humans.
[X] Primary - Intergalactic Political Situation?
[X] Secondary - Trade Deals.
[X] Nature in all its splendour: Parks and wilderness have their own beauty, and while Kikkizit isn't the most outgoing and outdoorsish, Earth is said to be very beautiful, parts of it still quite wild despite the population levels, and all of it available for round-the-planet tourism. Perhaps it might give Kikkizit something to think about involving parks, wilderness, and land-use.
No. of votes: 2
veekie, Dark Ness
Vote tally:
##### 3.21
[X] Yes.
No. of votes: 7
Wellhello, Night_stalker, Deathstorm50, Arkatekt, wingstrike96, veekie, Dark Ness
[X] Bottled Poetry: On the other hand, you could go to a fancy restaurant or pushing for a formal state dinner, more time to talk but in a more formal setting
No. of votes: 6
Wellhello, Night_stalker, Deathstorm50, Arkatekt, veekie, Dark Ness
-[X] molecular gastronomy
No. of votes: 1
Wellhello
[X] Intergalactic Treaty Negotiations.
No. of votes: 3
Wellhello, Night_stalker, Deathstorm50
[X] Intergalactic Political Situation?
No. of votes: 3
Wellhello, Night_stalker, Deathstorm50
[X] Walking the Streets: No need for a guide! Just explore some. Visit cities using a brochure or two for interesting places, walk, shop, see how people live. Where do they go? How often do they recharge their hovercars? What's it like to live on Sol? Something of anthropology, and something of aimless wandering and questioning, it could turn up something, or it might not, but it'd definitely be touristy.
No. of votes: 2
Wellhello, Night_stalker
[X] Ancient bones and dank tombs: There are tour packages that instead go to the 'Middle East' and all around the world, to the ancient sites of human battles, life, love and death. It's all very fascinating stuff and is on Kikkizit's bucket list, if Xvorzit had that concept. Their fascination with ancient forms of Xvorzith culture extends in a similar way to human culture.
No. of votes: 2
Deathstorm50, Arkatekt
[X] Primary - Intergalactic Political Situation?
No. of votes: 4
Arkatekt, wingstrike96, veekie, Dark Ness
[X] Secondary - Trade Deals.
No. of votes: 4
Arkatekt, wingstrike96, veekie, Dark Ness
[X] He will see you now: On the other hand you could slip into the capitol building and talk to them in their office, between meetings and work. It'd be a little quick, but there is something to be said for the idea.
No. of votes: 1
wingstrike96
[X] Nature in all its splendour: Parks and wilderness have their own beauty, and while Kikkizit isn't the most outgoing and outdoorsish, Earth is said to be very beautiful, parts of it still quite wild despite the population levels, and all of it available for round-the-planet tourism. Perhaps it might give Kikkizit something to think about involving parks, wilderness, and land-use.
No. of votes: 3
wingstrike96, veekie, Dark Ness
-[X] Fancy restaurant, try to go for food which you can eat, but is also commonly consumed by humans.
No. of votes: 2
veekie, Dark Ness
##### 3.21
[X] Yes.
No. of votes: 7
Wellhello, Night_stalker, Deathstorm50, Arkatekt, wingstrike96, veekie, Dark Ness
[X] Bottled Poetry: On the other hand, you could go to a fancy restaurant or pushing for a formal state dinner, more time to talk but in a more formal setting
No. of votes: 6
Wellhello, Night_stalker, Deathstorm50, Arkatekt, veekie, Dark Ness
-[X] molecular gastronomy
No. of votes: 1
Wellhello
[X] Intergalactic Treaty Negotiations.
No. of votes: 3
Wellhello, Night_stalker, Deathstorm50
[X] Intergalactic Political Situation?
No. of votes: 3
Wellhello, Night_stalker, Deathstorm50
[X] Walking the Streets: No need for a guide! Just explore some. Visit cities using a brochure or two for interesting places, walk, shop, see how people live. Where do they go? How often do they recharge their hovercars? What's it like to live on Sol? Something of anthropology, and something of aimless wandering and questioning, it could turn up something, or it might not, but it'd definitely be touristy.
No. of votes: 2
Wellhello, Night_stalker
[X] Ancient bones and dank tombs: There are tour packages that instead go to the 'Middle East' and all around the world, to the ancient sites of human battles, life, love and death. It's all very fascinating stuff and is on Kikkizit's bucket list, if Xvorzit had that concept. Their fascination with ancient forms of Xvorzith culture extends in a similar way to human culture.
No. of votes: 2
Deathstorm50, Arkatekt
[X] Primary - Intergalactic Political Situation?
No. of votes: 4
Arkatekt, wingstrike96, veekie, Dark Ness
[X] Secondary - Trade Deals.
No. of votes: 4
Arkatekt, wingstrike96, veekie, Dark Ness
[X] He will see you now: On the other hand you could slip into the capitol building and talk to them in their office, between meetings and work. It'd be a little quick, but there is something to be said for the idea.
No. of votes: 1
wingstrike96
[X] Nature in all its splendour: Parks and wilderness have their own beauty, and while Kikkizit isn't the most outgoing and outdoorsish, Earth is said to be very beautiful, parts of it still quite wild despite the population levels, and all of it available for round-the-planet tourism. Perhaps it might give Kikkizit something to think about involving parks, wilderness, and land-use.
No. of votes: 3
wingstrike96, veekie, Dark Ness
-[X] Fancy restaurant, try to go for food which you can eat, but is also commonly consumed by humans.
No. of votes: 2
veekie, Dark Ness
- Pronouns
- They/Them
Thanks. I've been working on the update, though I've also been sick. I'm about 1.2k in and just about halfway done with the dinner, or so? Maybe a bit less. Then the nature stuff. Just need the time and energy for it.
In the Sun's Orbit, Finale
- Pronouns
- They/Them
In the Sun's Orbit, Finale
[X] Yes.
[X] Bottled Poetry: On the other hand, you could go to a fancy restaurant or pushing for a formal state dinner, more time to talk but in a more formal setting
-[X] Fancy restaurant, try to go for food which you can eat, but is also commonly consumed by humans.
[X] Primary - Intergalactic Political Situation?
[X] Secondary - Trade Deals.
[X] Nature in all its splendour: Parks and wilderness have their own beauty, and while Kikkizit isn't the most outgoing and outdoorsish, Earth is said to be very beautiful, parts of it still quite wild despite the population levels, and all of it available for round-the-planet tourism. Perhaps it might give Kikkizit something to think about involving parks, wilderness, and land-use.
Meeting: Prep Work roll (Learning): 1d100+27=50, no bonuses either way.
Kikkizit spent a lot of time looking up conversation topics, trying to figure out just what to say and just where to offer. The first looks didn't find much more than political information, and the professor utterly failed to find their favorite food, for all that they knew that was something that should be recorded somewhere in news archives, even if in a 'Politician X had a meeting at Restaurant Y' sort of way. Instead, they just didn't find much.
On the other hand, they were able to look up popular restaurants, and found one that was well known, in South America, towards the tip. Translated roughly it was the 'Jungle and Stream.' A vegetarian restaurant, known for its exceptional service, the gimmick of its holographic tours of old or decayed rainforests that were run during the dining, and its fresh, well prepared ingredients. It was a safe choice, which is the most that could be said for it, other than by all accounts they'd both enjoy the food.
Getting the meeting set up wasn't hard, and the name of the place caused nods rather than stares or confusion, and Kikkizit would spend a little time getting dressed. A short, tight shirt, shorts redesigned to fit a Xvorzit, and some highlights (as the various stick-on bits of art and jewelry were called) on their pants-legs and short, though very understated. They arrived a little early, waiting in the lobby. Inside, thousands of holographic plants and real ones hung intermixed, the long tables filled with food. They had a system of delivery that allowed customers to see the products first, and since a number were uncooked as per certain dietary preferences, this worked. All along the walls were vines and leaves, and they'd step inside, saying, in their buzzing speech, translated into the language most common in the area, "Two for a booth...in the corner?"
"Ah?" the woman said, scratching her nose with her cybernetic arm, "Very well, this way--" There was a pause, and they looked Kikkizit over and said, "Sir." The professor was impressed by their ability to recognize the cut of their shirt as being male, before they realized that humans tended to 'gender segregate' their clothes somewhat, and so perhaps he just fell within those parameters.
The table was made from a very good form of imitation wood, and while a booth was a bit awkward for a four legged being, he sprawled himself across his half of the booth, hands both resting on the table. It was soft, relaxing and shifted to fit his form. At least to an extent, though it was made for humans and it showed. They glanced over at the table, the sound of rain and the call of birds filling the air as they thought about what they wanted. A menu was brought, and the waiter asked what he wanted.
Water, just water. The universal, the constant. Here on the little blue marble, as some tour guides still called it, or in Gazinitah, ultimately water was a constant, essential to pretty much all sentient life.
After another minute, a man with peach skin stepped in. He was holding one of those holo fans, and wore a vest-robe in a style and cut that had some popularity among businessmen, the material good quality from what Kikkizit could tell. Certainly, it didn't look like Ankit Mutumbo, but he'd talk briefly to the waiter before stepping over and then sitting down, heavily. He was a heavyset looking man, and then he was not.
Out came the fan, to cover his face. It closed once and the hologram, the illusion as it were, was broken. And now a rather less heavyset (though still a bit overweight) man with dark brown skin sat there, still dressed the same way. Clever. The waiter paused, eyes bugging out, and Ankit said, with remarkable fluency in the local tongue, "I trust you can keep this somewhat private. We have heard good things about the privacy this place affords." Of course, there were other people there, and tons of recording devices, no doubt. What mattered is that the secret would be kept long enough to not be interrupted.
The waiter nodded and asked, "What would you like to start with?"
Ankit glanced over at the table and said, "How about the Baswani Salad with the Greco-Italo dressing? And add some veg-meat to it?"
"The noodle salad with chips," Kikkizit said, looking at it with appreciation. It looked delicious, salsa, lettuce, noodles, spicy corn-chips, several vegetables, and cheese from the personal dairy of this restaurant...quite a treat indeed.
The food came and Mutumbo said, "It is good to see you, and in such fine health. I've heard much of your talks so far, and I apologize for not being able to see you sooner."
[Meeting: Diplomacy 1: 1d100+28=112]
"That is no problem at all. I've enjoyed talking with those officials I have met, and I've even had time to explore your planet. It is most fascinating, and I was able to talk to some of your artists and developers--"
"Ah, I assume you got the chance to meet Janice McQueen?"
"Oh, yes, the game developer? She showed me the latest game she'd made, some sort of gunner-spy sort of thing, but with a dozen worlds? One of those really big, complex things?"
"Exactly. I got to play a demo of it a few weeks ago," Mutumbo said, "Though don't tell anyone else. The rest of parliament might try to vote themselves PM out of jealousy, though my uncle complains that it's too abstracted, the latest games, and unrealistic in the wrong ways. Of course, he's a naval officer, not a spy, so I take his words with a grain of salt."
"I've played a few games, though I've been kept busy these last few years," Kikkizit admitted, which was a good way to get around admitting that the Gazinitah gaming industry was all but dead in the water and hadn't released anything interesting in years, even if he'd had time.
"Your…what is Vorzhan's official position?" the Prime Minister asked, politely, as the salads came.
"At the moment, we're mostly just calling him," there was a pause and a dozen sounds came out, "Which translates as something like leader. But we probably do need to be more specific in the future," Kikkizit said politely. "You were saying?"
"Your leader, Vorzhan, on the other hand, is said to have experience with intelligence agencies. Perhaps I could send along the games and see what he has to say. An impartial jury of sorts?"
"Oh, he's quite busy, but no doubt he'd love to have something to do when he finds some off time…"
The conversation continued, light and polite, a little playful, perhaps, but it lasted through Ankit ordering some wine and then into the main course, after the salads were done--amazing, the noodles perfectly cooked, the salsa the right blend of spiciness--where the Prime Minister ordered a dozen small meals in a style known as Muqueno, and the professor decided to get a mushroom steak.
[Meeting: Political Situation: 1d100+28+10 (success before in the meeting)-5 (Not so hot the first time)=107]
"So, I was trying to get a grip on something," Kikkizit suddenly said as the waiter stepped away. "Intergalactic politics, just where we're resting and what the Iashec have to do with all of it."
"The thing is, galactic hegemony rests partially, for us and for the Barsa, on the assumption we will not use it too strongly. If people feared every Sol businessperson was an agent looking for expanded conquest, we would not be nearly as rich as we would, and Barsa's disunion is practically a point of policy. But I wish to take a stronger position for Sol, galactically, the Ilwari have stepped onto the stage in the last decades, punching above their weight militarily if not economically, and the Barsa council is trying to centralize powers again. It's all very unstable, and most of all, a lot of it seems to threaten the Iashec's place in things. And the place of all marginal members. Would the Hexamari be as economically viable with a united Barsa next door, its economic power truly realized? Would the other human planets be able to live in peace if we seem to be able to act at any time to express our will? Would the Ilwari seek to expand militarily?"
He let out a breath, "And so many fear both change and the current status quo. And Gazinitah was part of that dance, a smaller part, but an important one in some ways. And now you meet me. The Iashec will be desperate to find a way to discredit your people, or marginalize them. It's another cold war all over again, but…" he shrugged, grinning with his white teeth, "There are a dozen sides and none of them trust each other. I certainly don't trust the Ilwari, and they don't trust you. The Barsa have their own ideas, the Rorrox remain as hard to guess as ever, and the Entat have been inscrutable since before the first human walked on the moon."
"It's not a situation I would envy your leader to navigate through, but I'm willing to provide as much help as I can. For the moment it seems the path we are walking converges, and we might be not only allies but friends."
"Mutual goals are certainly a foundation for any sort of relationship of the like, and I'm sure there is more that we can both do for each other, though I admit that Gazinitah might yet be most of all in the position of a supplicant for the immediate future…"
"That is fine, that is fine," he said, with a chuckle, "We all have our moments of weakness, and I know that you've been through a repressive regime, so feel free to ask of me what you can."
"The trade deal we had set up was excellent, but there are some worries in the programs I ran that it'd fall apart before we had time to build up a strong enough base to make it worthwhile."
Meeting: Trade?: 1d100+28+15-5 (Deals made)=116, well now.
"Well, I can get economists onto this sort of thing, see if we can't offer some incentives for trading as well as fall-back positions, so that even if the main deal falls through you don't lose all of the volume of trade. It would be complicated though…" he frowned and brought up the data-slate, and began to run some numbers as the food came. It was a long talk, and it got pretty technical. Mutumbo turned out to have gone to school for economics for a while before switching majors several times, and he'd wound up pretty well rounded, but with a head for numbers and managing organizations that seemed to be coming in handy. Certainly Vorzhan would have had to rely on someone else for some of those calculations, but by the time dessert came around, various crisps, fritters, and interesting genetically engineered fruit combinations, they were deep in talking not only about trade but about their respective cultures and interests.
[Meeting: Over Desserts?: 1d100+20 (bonuses accrued over the dinner)+14 (½ Diplomacy)=65, nothing super-duper special!]
Kikkizit didn't learn everything about them, but there was certainly some interesting parts of their past, and while they were long past their student activist days, they were still as sharp as everyone had said, and at the end of the dinner they were given a contact location, for if they ever wanted to exchange messages- all but mail with the size of the galaxy- between each other. It wasn't a friendship, perhaps, but it certainly was the start of something.
******
Nature: Learning: 1d100+27=53
Nature: Stewardship: 1d100+20=63
The planet was beautiful, its parks and its jungles, the lovingly restored wetlands, bits of the old world that was preserved or recreated. They even had some sort of park involving dinosaurs, apparently a vanity project of some rich guy based on an ancient pre-holovid movie. It was a world of wonder, and was it any surprise that Kikkizit, de-stressing from the negotiations, paid far less attention than they might have to the genetic manipulations and the terraforming technology involved? So instead they enjoyed, and hiked, saw nature as it once was and remembered their own far more barren planet. Stripped clean. Certainly something could be done there, they think after a little bit. They had a few ideas for managing those few resources left, though they'd have to wait some, and they had an appreciation of how a sentient race might steward their land and resources without either wasting them or halting economic progress.
But most of all they had fun, spotting hundreds of bird species, watching whales journey through their giant aquarium, which had been built in the middle of the ocean and was rather large. Or the "Jurassic Park" or the...well, it was a world of wonders, and of wealth, and it managed to be both at the same time. He'd have to be cautious and frugal, but perhaps he could do something.
Ideas, and little more, yet.
Spoils:
Free Action to join the Intergalactic community next turn. Improved opinion by Sol.
Free Action to set up embassies with Sol.
+10 to all Learning rolls next turn, and increased chances for several of the options, now.
250 Wealth in Trading income, deal will begin to fall apart in 8-10 Turns, if the economy is not sufficiently improved, but even then its value will decrease rather than dropping to zero (IE, if your economy isn't good enough by then it might become a 150 Wealth trading deal, instead)
+5 to Diplomacy rolls with non-Sol Human powers.
250 Wealth a turn in direct aid, cannot go to military or spy-budget or paying off debt.
Information, and ideas!
New Traits! See the Stat sheet below.
Name: Kikkizit
Gender: Either, leans male
Species: Xvorzit
Age: 41
Position: Advisor on Education and Sciences to the Leader of Gazinitah
Stats:
Martial: 12
Diplomacy: 31
Stewardship: 22
Intrigue: 11
Learning: 31
Old Traits: Temperate, Humble, Just, Gregarious, Advisor-Advised, Bazkhiti, Voice of a Revolution, Professor, Workers Association, Being a Xvorzit.
New Traits!
Diplomat: +1 Diplomacy, +1 Stewardship, +1 Learning--Kikkizit did a magnificent job as a diplomat, and learned much both about economic trade deals and also how to play the political game. They're now quite recognized by Sol's bureaucrats and diplomats as, in a sense, one of their own.
Cultural Explorer: +1 Diplomacy, +1 Learning. They've met the greats and not so greats of the art world on Sol, from videogame designers to old-fashioned painters. These contacts will no doubt come in handy.
Where Rulers...: +2 Learning. Kikkizit learned a lot about political science from the trip, and also gained important contacts and helped some of their fellow scholars, who will now combine their might and help out Kikkizit with his new position!
Correspondence: +1 Diplomacy. While they aren't friends, at least not yet, few enough people can say they have regular correspondence, of the friendly sort, with one of the most powerful men in the galaxy. Kikkizit can say that about Ankit Mutumbo.
An Idea of Conservation: +1 Stewardship, Kikkizit has an idea as far as increased conservation of natural lands on Gazinitah, though it's not yet fully formed.
A/N: No vote! Just please discuss and such while I work on the KCS update and then start off the Intrigue Turn.
[X] Yes.
[X] Bottled Poetry: On the other hand, you could go to a fancy restaurant or pushing for a formal state dinner, more time to talk but in a more formal setting
-[X] Fancy restaurant, try to go for food which you can eat, but is also commonly consumed by humans.
[X] Primary - Intergalactic Political Situation?
[X] Secondary - Trade Deals.
[X] Nature in all its splendour: Parks and wilderness have their own beauty, and while Kikkizit isn't the most outgoing and outdoorsish, Earth is said to be very beautiful, parts of it still quite wild despite the population levels, and all of it available for round-the-planet tourism. Perhaps it might give Kikkizit something to think about involving parks, wilderness, and land-use.
Meeting: Prep Work roll (Learning): 1d100+27=50, no bonuses either way.
Kikkizit spent a lot of time looking up conversation topics, trying to figure out just what to say and just where to offer. The first looks didn't find much more than political information, and the professor utterly failed to find their favorite food, for all that they knew that was something that should be recorded somewhere in news archives, even if in a 'Politician X had a meeting at Restaurant Y' sort of way. Instead, they just didn't find much.
On the other hand, they were able to look up popular restaurants, and found one that was well known, in South America, towards the tip. Translated roughly it was the 'Jungle and Stream.' A vegetarian restaurant, known for its exceptional service, the gimmick of its holographic tours of old or decayed rainforests that were run during the dining, and its fresh, well prepared ingredients. It was a safe choice, which is the most that could be said for it, other than by all accounts they'd both enjoy the food.
Getting the meeting set up wasn't hard, and the name of the place caused nods rather than stares or confusion, and Kikkizit would spend a little time getting dressed. A short, tight shirt, shorts redesigned to fit a Xvorzit, and some highlights (as the various stick-on bits of art and jewelry were called) on their pants-legs and short, though very understated. They arrived a little early, waiting in the lobby. Inside, thousands of holographic plants and real ones hung intermixed, the long tables filled with food. They had a system of delivery that allowed customers to see the products first, and since a number were uncooked as per certain dietary preferences, this worked. All along the walls were vines and leaves, and they'd step inside, saying, in their buzzing speech, translated into the language most common in the area, "Two for a booth...in the corner?"
"Ah?" the woman said, scratching her nose with her cybernetic arm, "Very well, this way--" There was a pause, and they looked Kikkizit over and said, "Sir." The professor was impressed by their ability to recognize the cut of their shirt as being male, before they realized that humans tended to 'gender segregate' their clothes somewhat, and so perhaps he just fell within those parameters.
The table was made from a very good form of imitation wood, and while a booth was a bit awkward for a four legged being, he sprawled himself across his half of the booth, hands both resting on the table. It was soft, relaxing and shifted to fit his form. At least to an extent, though it was made for humans and it showed. They glanced over at the table, the sound of rain and the call of birds filling the air as they thought about what they wanted. A menu was brought, and the waiter asked what he wanted.
Water, just water. The universal, the constant. Here on the little blue marble, as some tour guides still called it, or in Gazinitah, ultimately water was a constant, essential to pretty much all sentient life.
After another minute, a man with peach skin stepped in. He was holding one of those holo fans, and wore a vest-robe in a style and cut that had some popularity among businessmen, the material good quality from what Kikkizit could tell. Certainly, it didn't look like Ankit Mutumbo, but he'd talk briefly to the waiter before stepping over and then sitting down, heavily. He was a heavyset looking man, and then he was not.
Out came the fan, to cover his face. It closed once and the hologram, the illusion as it were, was broken. And now a rather less heavyset (though still a bit overweight) man with dark brown skin sat there, still dressed the same way. Clever. The waiter paused, eyes bugging out, and Ankit said, with remarkable fluency in the local tongue, "I trust you can keep this somewhat private. We have heard good things about the privacy this place affords." Of course, there were other people there, and tons of recording devices, no doubt. What mattered is that the secret would be kept long enough to not be interrupted.
The waiter nodded and asked, "What would you like to start with?"
Ankit glanced over at the table and said, "How about the Baswani Salad with the Greco-Italo dressing? And add some veg-meat to it?"
"The noodle salad with chips," Kikkizit said, looking at it with appreciation. It looked delicious, salsa, lettuce, noodles, spicy corn-chips, several vegetables, and cheese from the personal dairy of this restaurant...quite a treat indeed.
The food came and Mutumbo said, "It is good to see you, and in such fine health. I've heard much of your talks so far, and I apologize for not being able to see you sooner."
[Meeting: Diplomacy 1: 1d100+28=112]
"That is no problem at all. I've enjoyed talking with those officials I have met, and I've even had time to explore your planet. It is most fascinating, and I was able to talk to some of your artists and developers--"
"Ah, I assume you got the chance to meet Janice McQueen?"
"Oh, yes, the game developer? She showed me the latest game she'd made, some sort of gunner-spy sort of thing, but with a dozen worlds? One of those really big, complex things?"
"Exactly. I got to play a demo of it a few weeks ago," Mutumbo said, "Though don't tell anyone else. The rest of parliament might try to vote themselves PM out of jealousy, though my uncle complains that it's too abstracted, the latest games, and unrealistic in the wrong ways. Of course, he's a naval officer, not a spy, so I take his words with a grain of salt."
"I've played a few games, though I've been kept busy these last few years," Kikkizit admitted, which was a good way to get around admitting that the Gazinitah gaming industry was all but dead in the water and hadn't released anything interesting in years, even if he'd had time.
"Your…what is Vorzhan's official position?" the Prime Minister asked, politely, as the salads came.
"At the moment, we're mostly just calling him," there was a pause and a dozen sounds came out, "Which translates as something like leader. But we probably do need to be more specific in the future," Kikkizit said politely. "You were saying?"
"Your leader, Vorzhan, on the other hand, is said to have experience with intelligence agencies. Perhaps I could send along the games and see what he has to say. An impartial jury of sorts?"
"Oh, he's quite busy, but no doubt he'd love to have something to do when he finds some off time…"
The conversation continued, light and polite, a little playful, perhaps, but it lasted through Ankit ordering some wine and then into the main course, after the salads were done--amazing, the noodles perfectly cooked, the salsa the right blend of spiciness--where the Prime Minister ordered a dozen small meals in a style known as Muqueno, and the professor decided to get a mushroom steak.
[Meeting: Political Situation: 1d100+28+10 (success before in the meeting)-5 (Not so hot the first time)=107]
"So, I was trying to get a grip on something," Kikkizit suddenly said as the waiter stepped away. "Intergalactic politics, just where we're resting and what the Iashec have to do with all of it."
"The thing is, galactic hegemony rests partially, for us and for the Barsa, on the assumption we will not use it too strongly. If people feared every Sol businessperson was an agent looking for expanded conquest, we would not be nearly as rich as we would, and Barsa's disunion is practically a point of policy. But I wish to take a stronger position for Sol, galactically, the Ilwari have stepped onto the stage in the last decades, punching above their weight militarily if not economically, and the Barsa council is trying to centralize powers again. It's all very unstable, and most of all, a lot of it seems to threaten the Iashec's place in things. And the place of all marginal members. Would the Hexamari be as economically viable with a united Barsa next door, its economic power truly realized? Would the other human planets be able to live in peace if we seem to be able to act at any time to express our will? Would the Ilwari seek to expand militarily?"
He let out a breath, "And so many fear both change and the current status quo. And Gazinitah was part of that dance, a smaller part, but an important one in some ways. And now you meet me. The Iashec will be desperate to find a way to discredit your people, or marginalize them. It's another cold war all over again, but…" he shrugged, grinning with his white teeth, "There are a dozen sides and none of them trust each other. I certainly don't trust the Ilwari, and they don't trust you. The Barsa have their own ideas, the Rorrox remain as hard to guess as ever, and the Entat have been inscrutable since before the first human walked on the moon."
"It's not a situation I would envy your leader to navigate through, but I'm willing to provide as much help as I can. For the moment it seems the path we are walking converges, and we might be not only allies but friends."
"Mutual goals are certainly a foundation for any sort of relationship of the like, and I'm sure there is more that we can both do for each other, though I admit that Gazinitah might yet be most of all in the position of a supplicant for the immediate future…"
"That is fine, that is fine," he said, with a chuckle, "We all have our moments of weakness, and I know that you've been through a repressive regime, so feel free to ask of me what you can."
"The trade deal we had set up was excellent, but there are some worries in the programs I ran that it'd fall apart before we had time to build up a strong enough base to make it worthwhile."
Meeting: Trade?: 1d100+28+15-5 (Deals made)=116, well now.
"Well, I can get economists onto this sort of thing, see if we can't offer some incentives for trading as well as fall-back positions, so that even if the main deal falls through you don't lose all of the volume of trade. It would be complicated though…" he frowned and brought up the data-slate, and began to run some numbers as the food came. It was a long talk, and it got pretty technical. Mutumbo turned out to have gone to school for economics for a while before switching majors several times, and he'd wound up pretty well rounded, but with a head for numbers and managing organizations that seemed to be coming in handy. Certainly Vorzhan would have had to rely on someone else for some of those calculations, but by the time dessert came around, various crisps, fritters, and interesting genetically engineered fruit combinations, they were deep in talking not only about trade but about their respective cultures and interests.
[Meeting: Over Desserts?: 1d100+20 (bonuses accrued over the dinner)+14 (½ Diplomacy)=65, nothing super-duper special!]
Kikkizit didn't learn everything about them, but there was certainly some interesting parts of their past, and while they were long past their student activist days, they were still as sharp as everyone had said, and at the end of the dinner they were given a contact location, for if they ever wanted to exchange messages- all but mail with the size of the galaxy- between each other. It wasn't a friendship, perhaps, but it certainly was the start of something.
******
Nature: Learning: 1d100+27=53
Nature: Stewardship: 1d100+20=63
The planet was beautiful, its parks and its jungles, the lovingly restored wetlands, bits of the old world that was preserved or recreated. They even had some sort of park involving dinosaurs, apparently a vanity project of some rich guy based on an ancient pre-holovid movie. It was a world of wonder, and was it any surprise that Kikkizit, de-stressing from the negotiations, paid far less attention than they might have to the genetic manipulations and the terraforming technology involved? So instead they enjoyed, and hiked, saw nature as it once was and remembered their own far more barren planet. Stripped clean. Certainly something could be done there, they think after a little bit. They had a few ideas for managing those few resources left, though they'd have to wait some, and they had an appreciation of how a sentient race might steward their land and resources without either wasting them or halting economic progress.
But most of all they had fun, spotting hundreds of bird species, watching whales journey through their giant aquarium, which had been built in the middle of the ocean and was rather large. Or the "Jurassic Park" or the...well, it was a world of wonders, and of wealth, and it managed to be both at the same time. He'd have to be cautious and frugal, but perhaps he could do something.
Ideas, and little more, yet.
Spoils:
Free Action to join the Intergalactic community next turn. Improved opinion by Sol.
Free Action to set up embassies with Sol.
+10 to all Learning rolls next turn, and increased chances for several of the options, now.
250 Wealth in Trading income, deal will begin to fall apart in 8-10 Turns, if the economy is not sufficiently improved, but even then its value will decrease rather than dropping to zero (IE, if your economy isn't good enough by then it might become a 150 Wealth trading deal, instead)
+5 to Diplomacy rolls with non-Sol Human powers.
250 Wealth a turn in direct aid, cannot go to military or spy-budget or paying off debt.
Information, and ideas!
New Traits! See the Stat sheet below.
Name: Kikkizit
Gender: Either, leans male
Species: Xvorzit
Age: 41
Position: Advisor on Education and Sciences to the Leader of Gazinitah
Stats:
Martial: 12
Diplomacy: 31
Stewardship: 22
Intrigue: 11
Learning: 31
Old Traits: Temperate, Humble, Just, Gregarious, Advisor-Advised, Bazkhiti, Voice of a Revolution, Professor, Workers Association, Being a Xvorzit.
New Traits!
Diplomat: +1 Diplomacy, +1 Stewardship, +1 Learning--Kikkizit did a magnificent job as a diplomat, and learned much both about economic trade deals and also how to play the political game. They're now quite recognized by Sol's bureaucrats and diplomats as, in a sense, one of their own.
Cultural Explorer: +1 Diplomacy, +1 Learning. They've met the greats and not so greats of the art world on Sol, from videogame designers to old-fashioned painters. These contacts will no doubt come in handy.
Where Rulers...: +2 Learning. Kikkizit learned a lot about political science from the trip, and also gained important contacts and helped some of their fellow scholars, who will now combine their might and help out Kikkizit with his new position!
Correspondence: +1 Diplomacy. While they aren't friends, at least not yet, few enough people can say they have regular correspondence, of the friendly sort, with one of the most powerful men in the galaxy. Kikkizit can say that about Ankit Mutumbo.
An Idea of Conservation: +1 Stewardship, Kikkizit has an idea as far as increased conservation of natural lands on Gazinitah, though it's not yet fully formed.
A/N: No vote! Just please discuss and such while I work on the KCS update and then start off the Intrigue Turn.
That ha certainly been an impressive meeting, especially with all those new and intriguing traits. Those are interesting marks for the stats to stop at, at the very height of amazing and noteworthy. He'll certainly be applauded when returning, and there is a certain temptation to switch although I wouldn't at this stage of the game.
Reading the front page of our stats I couldn't help but notice that the patient one is weird on our character sheet. It's squashed between two others without any stat indicators so I'm not sure if it's being counted or it's just formatted poorly.
Great couple of chapters anyway.
Reading the front page of our stats I couldn't help but notice that the patient one is weird on our character sheet. It's squashed between two others without any stat indicators so I'm not sure if it's being counted or it's just formatted poorly.
Great couple of chapters anyway.
And a Jurassic Park.