Ashes Scatter (RWBY/CKII, After the End)
- Thread starter Powerofmind
- Start date
Powerofmind
In Madness Fallen
- Location
- United States
Silly. You can't get kinslayer from killing your step-father.
- Location
- The Shrine of the Muse
- Pronouns
- She/They
He's a stepfather, he's not related to you.
Icipall
Don't worry, we can fanfix that!
- Location
- Cold snow fields of Finland
@Powerofmind
What is the regular punishment for royals for attempting to assassinate your sibling? What would be Atlas' final fate in the current situation? Execution? Exile? Stripped of their position and claim to the throne?
Edit.
Heading back to work, so putting this here:
[X] Plan Put Out The Fire
What is the regular punishment for royals for attempting to assassinate your sibling? What would be Atlas' final fate in the current situation? Execution? Exile? Stripped of their position and claim to the throne?
Edit.
Heading back to work, so putting this here:
[X] Plan Put Out The Fire
Last edited:
Powerofmind
In Madness Fallen
- Location
- United States
You're sort of mistaking how things work. Megara is, effectively, the highest authority and is the law. Being arbitrary and whimsical is obviously bad, so precedents tend to be set and a certain basic level of eye for an eye is viewed as a good guideline, but ultimately, Megara herself chooses whether or not a given person is punished and how severe that punishment is. As a few examples...
You vote to kill Atlas. Megara justifies this as meeting the standard of retribution, though it may be a bit harsh considering his status as your brother.
You vote to banish Atlas, seizing a number of his personal belongings (though not his entire dynasty's warchest). Megara justifies this as prevention, though there may be an element of sibling loyalty involved due to how lenient it appears to me.
You vote to imprison Atlas for the remainder of his life. Megara justifies this as retribution, and personally, my own sense of justice finds this the most appealing.
You vote to pardon Atlas. Megara justifies this as Atlas' poor judgement and the foolish, snap decision of a teenage boy (considering a number of communities still have 'boys will be boys' laws specifically allowing lenience towards adolescent idiocy, this wouldn't be without precedent).
I can justify any punishment in the eyes of the character. The question is what you, the voters, feel is most appropriate.
It is, in a sense, basically impossible to strip a claim from a claimant. A person can be denounced, making any successful attempt to claim the title be viewed as less legitimate, but might makes right, and possession is 9/10th's of legitimacy in a claim; the other 10th is having the ability to continue possessing it.
Spectrum
Tell me a secret~
- Location
- Behind you~
How does this interact with Atlas as head of the Isiphus Dynastry? Which options would strip him of that and immediately make Medea the head?
Powerofmind
In Madness Fallen
- Location
- United States
As head of his dynasty, and due to his nature as your current heir, stripping his claim or status is effectively impossible, especially in the 'reduce legitimacy of the claim' example. You will have to execute or banish him to bar him from pretender and inheritance, though only execution will make Medea the head of the dynasty.
Powerofmind
In Madness Fallen
- Location
- United States
Alright. I'm trying to maintain a particular pace, here, and leaving the vote open only for the occasional statement or speculation is kind of a waste.
Given people were voting for the plan, and not individual components, I'll assume the modified Spectrum plan wins.
Given people were voting for the plan, and not individual components, I'll assume the modified Spectrum plan wins.
Powerofmind
In Madness Fallen
- Location
- United States
Hmmm. Deez drama-mama dice.
Icipall
Don't worry, we can fanfix that!
- Location
- Cold snow fields of Finland
RedrumSprinkles
The Fun Inquisitor
Are there any other kind?
Turn 1 Final Results
Powerofmind
In Madness Fallen
- Location
- United States
Bloody Ruination
"Polybia, if you could turn your efforts towards my courtiers," you begin. "My own sister admitted to being approached to assist in my assassination, I would like it if you ensured the others have no reason to say yes, or at least convince them to change their mind if they already have... Please, start with Kalinas."
The woman nods, heading out to, hopefully, conduct herself with some dignity on your behalf. You move on. "Ciskophis, if you could look through Atlas' things?" you ask, mouth suddenly very dry. You've never been good at getting one over on your father. "With him imprisoned, I cannot help but worry this conspiracy against me is much greater than it first appeared."
The snake nods in understanding, though you don't like how sharp his gaze seems to be. "Dephis, Aristos, if you could ensure order and look over your records?" you ask, as Ciskophis walks out. "Whoever is plotting against me has also made an effort to turn the tellers and speakers against me. I can only hope that they do not take up arms in revolt if the plot is revealed..."
Dephis nods gravely, while Aristos seems a little out of his depth, but follows after your capable marshal regardless.
"Gnostras," you say, garnering the elderly teller's attention. "I am sure that whoever is trying to kill me is poisoning the minds of your tellers. If you could remind them that the geist on their shoulder is no saint, that would do wonders for calming the people down. Organize a meeting, gathering, whatever it takes. I will be along shortly to assist you myself."
The old teller quirks an eyebrow, nodding only to himself as he leaves the room.
Now things get tricky. "Sophocles, Pantakon, I have something special in mind for you," you say, tone mournful. "I need my father killed."
Pantakon hesitates only a second, nodding in assent, but Sophocles is more trouble. "Your fath- Majesty, why would you-" he begins, only for you to interrupt.
"My suspicions have been growing since the first assassination, but now I am nearly certain," you explain, mustering the will to quash your doubt. "Ciskophis has orchestrated the attacks against me, the unrest in the city. His pause in the council room two months ago, the ease with which the last assassin bypassed the night guard, how Atlas knew which server would take a bribe... Only Ciskophis could ever tease these things out of people so well."
"Only him," you say again, quietly to yourself. Sophocles seems squeamish, but Pantakon is ready. "Make it look like a bad arrest. Killing him outright will look bad, possibly make trouble with his network. So long as it looks as though he was caught red-handed and killed in the aftermath, nobody should make trouble."
The two nod once more, preparing to do their duties to you, their Queen. You sigh heavily, steeling yourself. You have a clergy to sway.
~~~~~
You are in the midst of chastising the tellers responsible for listening to Ciskophis, who confessed that the man himself sowed the seed of doubt in their minds, when the door bursts open, revealing Pantakon and Sophocles, covered in sooty ash.
"Queen Megara, Ciskophis is surely a traitor!" shouts Pantakon, sounding more pained than he appears. "He had rigged Atlas' room to explode in flames when we arrived, and only the timely intervention of Sophocles saved my life."
You pale. "And Ciskophis himself?"
Sophocles speaks this time, head hung and shaking slowly. "Escaped. The gatesmen reported he entered the city nary a minute after we questioned them."
You glance back to Gnostras and his clergy, who by now wear identical expressions of shock and horror. "I am sorry, Gnostras, I'm afraid we'll have to continue this later."
You sling a sword about your waist and a javelin at your back, preparing for the worst reports from Dephis as you approach the city with your honor guard. Relief floods you when you spot Dephis, Ciskophis chained behind her, approaching from the acropolis roadway.
~~~~~
Ciskophis had apparently expected greater assistance in the city, but your surprise gathering of his pet tellers, which he wasn't aware of, and Dephis' enthusiastic containment of trouble, which he wasn't prepared for, found him captured trying to find asylum in one of the tellers' homes. The man himself was silent as the grave for the time you held him before his execution at sunrise the following day, and as you read the charges against him.
"Treason against the Crown of Letum. Attempted murder of the Crown of Letum. Conspiracy against the Crown of Letum. Attempted murder of members of the Crown's Court. Bribery," you list, looking down at the man from your place on a raised platform in town. "Ciskophis Mora-Isiphus, have you anything to say in your defense?"
Your father does not speak, jaw set and flinty eyes boring into you, even as the headsman forces him to his knees, even as his head is placed in the groove of the chopping block. You swear, in nightmares of this moment, that even as his head rolls into the basket, until the last light dies, he stares, hating.
Medea is in shock, still. When she became aware, she asked, over and over, if he could explain this, prove it wrong, throughout the night. Before the execution, she came to you, sorrowful, defeated, asking only for denial and receiving none.
Kalinas openly sobs. You cannot bear to give a speech decrying the just due of traitors or murderers, you feel too much like one yourself. You make to leave, but a wail turns your attention to Kalinas again, who has drawn her weapon on you, swinging it with powerful, yet sloppy strikes. Your honor guard moves to intercept, but you bark at them to back away.
You draw your shortsword, never having left your hip since yesterday, and meet Kalinas' next strike with a parry of your own. A shower of sharp glass rains onto your aura-encased body, plinking off uselessly as you drive the tip of your blade directly into your sister's chest. She stumbles back, clutching the likely bruise, and her aura flickers on the verge of uselessness. Her master tries to grab hold of her, pull her back, but she dodges his grip and her glass mace melts into a mockery of a living thing.
"Kalinas, stop!" you yell, backpedaling as far as you can, but she only seems angrier for it, glowing red glass approaching that you deflect away as she leaps in behind the attack. Without the glass, her shortsword is smaller than yours, made for a child and not a grown woman. You brandish your blade threateningly, forcing her to abandon her reckless swing...
~~~~~
Pantakon becomes Wounded
Sophocles is no longer Craven
Ciskophis is dead
Kalinas is Maimed (Left Arm)
Sophocles is no longer Craven
Ciskophis is dead
Kalinas is Maimed (Left Arm)
Gain 14 Lien, gain .5 Dust, gain 1 Food
Gain 25 Prestige: Won a duel against a Huntress Apprentice
Lose 5 Piety: Executed a courtier
Realm Morale shifts to Discouraged (-1)
Your vassals accumulate Lien (+17 Aristos, +14 Dephis)
Gain 25 Prestige: Won a duel against a Huntress Apprentice
Lose 5 Piety: Executed a courtier
Realm Morale shifts to Discouraged (-1)
Your vassals accumulate Lien (+17 Aristos, +14 Dephis)
Passive Event: Train Intrigue - Gained 1 Intrigue, to 10.
Opinions fluctuate
Grimm Fluctuate
Scouting Report (Letum Grimm): Horde Size 6/10
Opinions fluctuate
Grimm Fluctuate
Scouting Report (Letum Grimm): Horde Size 6/10
How do you deal with Atlas?
[] Leave him in prison - You can always change your mind.
[] Pardon him - It was father's fault anyway.
[] Banish him - The temptation to usurp you will always be with him, he must leave.
[] Execute him - He will attempt to rise against you, someday. Medea would be a better leader of the dynasty.
[] Other - Something peculiar, but effective?
Last edited:
- Location
- Nebraska
Well that could have gone better but all in all a good result.
- Location
- The Beach
Probably the best we could have expected, to be honest.
IMO, we should spread the tale of Ciskophis as someone who's hatred and malice drowned any sense of duty to his family, willingly allowing his son to rot in jail for a chance to kill his step-daughter.
As for Atlas, I'm thinking some kind of work or hard labor for a period of time or something; something to support the idea that he was manipulated by an uncaring man but his actions still have consequences. I'd rather not have him rot in a cell to stew in his anger, and sending him off could bite us in the ass later. Executing him would damage our relationships with our sisters even more.
IMO, we should spread the tale of Ciskophis as someone who's hatred and malice drowned any sense of duty to his family, willingly allowing his son to rot in jail for a chance to kill his step-daughter.
As for Atlas, I'm thinking some kind of work or hard labor for a period of time or something; something to support the idea that he was manipulated by an uncaring man but his actions still have consequences. I'd rather not have him rot in a cell to stew in his anger, and sending him off could bite us in the ass later. Executing him would damage our relationships with our sisters even more.
Icipall
Don't worry, we can fanfix that!
- Location
- Cold snow fields of Finland
Aside from Kalinas trying to kill us, this turn went very well.
[X] Leave him in prison - You can always change your mind.
Holy shit, Sophocles did something useful! And he seems to have started to grow a spine! I think we should keep him.
And good riddance.
Things to deal with next turn.
A good idea. Should stop him from causing trouble and maybe he'll actually learn something useful from it (though I doubt it).
No. He tried to assassinate us, he doesn't get away with a slap on the wrist.
No, no, absolutely no! He'll just run into one of our neighboring city states and pledge himself to them to get rid of us.
No. This would most likely ruin our reputation with our remaining family and make us seem cruel, since in the end he was manipulated by Ciskophis.
Last edited:
Raiu
Per Aspera Ad Astra
- Location
- United States
If you kill an important person and you want to make sure their family is on your side, the one thing you don't do is prop him up as an example of "this guy was bad, don't be like him." That's called salting the wound.
Give him a funeral worthy of his station. We need to reconcile if we want to ensure our sisters won't try this shit. (Oh look, relation with siblings down. Plan Sisterhood was wasted. What a shame.)
Give him a funeral worthy of his station. We need to reconcile if we want to ensure our sisters won't try this shit. (Oh look, relation with siblings down. Plan Sisterhood was wasted. What a shame.)
Icipall
Don't worry, we can fanfix that!
- Location
- Cold snow fields of Finland
It is down with Kalinas, not with Medea. Our relationship with Medea has risen. Plan Sisterhood was a partial success.
Powerofmind, our increase in Intrigue hasn't been updated yet.
Powerofmind
In Madness Fallen
- Location
- United States
Huh, coulda swore I fixed that
No, wait, that was an accounting error. You should have ten, I mistakenly double-assigned the increase
Cmd. Frost
The last one standing.
- Location
- The Summer Stretch
[X] Other: give him a mission or a quest of repentance.
This punishes him, but also allows him a chance at forgiveness.
"I could have let you rot, or have you exiled even killed, instead I'm giving you a chance to redeem yourself, make no mistake if you run away or fail this mission my men will hunt you down. However should you die in the attempt you will be given a funeral as befitting a prince and all records of your misdeeds will be destroyed, if you succeed, then all will be forgiven and you'll be welcomed back with open arms. What is your choice, Brother?"
This punishes him, but also allows him a chance at forgiveness.
"I could have let you rot, or have you exiled even killed, instead I'm giving you a chance to redeem yourself, make no mistake if you run away or fail this mission my men will hunt you down. However should you die in the attempt you will be given a funeral as befitting a prince and all records of your misdeeds will be destroyed, if you succeed, then all will be forgiven and you'll be welcomed back with open arms. What is your choice, Brother?"
Last edited:
Alectai
Speaks Words of Wisdom... On occasion
Huh, looks like he ended up outsmarting himself. He might have still manged to skate away with a "Lol what evidence" if he didn't sabotage his room and then seek sanctuary with the people who are undermining us--and get caught doing so.
Looks like his sheer fucking hate for us overcame his skill, since the 'Lol my room explodes' was either to try nailing us if we tried to do it ourselves, or deprive us of our few loyalists otherwise. But it ended up killing neither of our people and basically cemented him as a traitor, which gave us Just Cause to remove him.
Looks like his sheer fucking hate for us overcame his skill, since the 'Lol my room explodes' was either to try nailing us if we tried to do it ourselves, or deprive us of our few loyalists otherwise. But it ended up killing neither of our people and basically cemented him as a traitor, which gave us Just Cause to remove him.
Last edited:
Spectrum
Tell me a secret~
- Location
- Behind you~
That...actually kind of worked out? Either poor planning or bad luck with Kalinas still, but can't have everything.
[X] Write-in: Give him a gilded cage suitable to his station, but one that he will never leave. Ensure it is as escape proof as possible, the visitor list is heavily screened, and the full security precautions are taken (all entering and exiting are thoroughly searched with no exceptions, all interactions are recorded and monitored, etc...).
-[X] Make sure the family knows that this is mercy because he is still your brother and you did just have to kill your father.
Guys, this isn't Bretonnia quest, quit being weird. He's not going to be a Questing Knight to regain his honor or any such foolery.
---
In semi-related news, some of you may benefit from watching this. I don't necessarily agree with everything or how things are structured, but it is a viewpoint to consider.
Just according to keikaku.
[X] Write-in: Give him a gilded cage suitable to his station, but one that he will never leave. Ensure it is as escape proof as possible, the visitor list is heavily screened, and the full security precautions are taken (all entering and exiting are thoroughly searched with no exceptions, all interactions are recorded and monitored, etc...).
-[X] Make sure the family knows that this is mercy because he is still your brother and you did just have to kill your father.
Guys, this isn't Bretonnia quest, quit being weird. He's not going to be a Questing Knight to regain his honor or any such foolery.
---
In semi-related news, some of you may benefit from watching this. I don't necessarily agree with everything or how things are structured, but it is a viewpoint to consider.
Spectrum
Tell me a secret~
- Location
- Behind you~
And just so people don't have to go track them down, here should be all of the ones that changed:
Powerofmind
In Madness Fallen
- Location
- United States
Ah yes, the rules for rulers. Very good quality example of how things tend to work at a basic level, if you can be bothered to watch the whole thing. I wholeheartedly agree with everything in here.
Raiu
Per Aspera Ad Astra
- Location
- United States
It is an interesting video, but when it comes to this setting, I have some key problems with it. The first is the threat of the Grimm. With the Grimm, suddenly your kingdom has as many keys as a democracy, because if too many people aren't either happy or neutral, the Grimm smell it like blood in the water and the hordes grow.
If you guys understand that, playing as a Carrion Lord is a balance between pissing off your court in order to help your people and pissing off your people to keep your court happy. Good luck.