Changing vote. Hopefully sending the Rassit creates some good PR.
[X] Send a hundred Rassit together with what soldiers can be scraped together, though the journey will take some time, time in which the company would be weakened, even if they all came back, which they might not depending on the dangers.
[X] Word has come that some of the passes that would be taken to go north have been hit by fortunate and yet unfortunate late-winter rain. It'll be slower going.
[X] Send a hundred Rassit together with what soldiers can be scraped together, though the journey will take some time, time in which the company would be weakened, even if they all came back, which they might not depending on the dangers.
[X] There have been reports of strange spirits wandering across Xissand, and while it may be nothing, no threat at all to the Caravan… one never knows.
You know I wonder if at the end of this quest the Rassit will have turned into something like the Varangian guard, provided of course we stay in the emperors good graces and manage to not get them all killed...
[X] Spend his own money to hire out soldiers, and pay for all of the trouble and fuss, even if it left him surprisingly invested in such a seemingly small detail.
[X] There have been reports of strange spirits wandering across Xissand, and while it may be nothing, no threat at all to the Caravan… one never knows.
[X] Send a hundred Rassit together with what soldiers can be scraped together, though the journey will take some time, time in which the company would be weakened, even if they all came back, which they might not depending on the dangers.
[X] Word has come that some of the passes that would be taken to go north have been hit by fortunate and yet unfortunate late-winter rain. It'll be slower going.
Adhoc vote count started by The Laurent on Aug 7, 2018 at 4:39 PM, finished with 4306 posts and 8 votes.
[X] Send a hundred Rassit together with what soldiers can be scraped together, though the journey will take some time, time in which the company would be weakened, even if they all came back, which they might not depending on the dangers.
[X] There have been reports of strange spirits wandering across Xissand, and while it may be nothing, no threat at all to the Caravan… one never knows.
[X] Word has come that some of the passes that would be taken to go north have been hit by fortunate and yet unfortunate late-winter rain. It'll be slower going.
[X] Spend his own money to hire out soldiers, and pay for all of the trouble and fuss, even if it left him surprisingly invested in such a seemingly small detail.
Kiralo of lineage Ainin served the Emperors, and served the Empire. He had to make that clear, had to make it understood just who was in charge, and that it wasn't him. He needed it to be understood that he wasn't going to become Emperor Dai'so for the Emperor. That as favored as he was, he was still a servant.
No servant, however close or trusted, is the same as a lord. No servant can claim to be or else they will be pulled down.
So it was an outward sign when he fasted for three days straight. He knelt before the idol of the Emperors--made carefully generic, since the new Emperor was young yet--and thought of the Gods, mediated on them, for several hours. When he strode out of the chamber, it was to write, in full view of others, documents, petitions, or in other words do the work, the service, that he did for the Emperor.
That's how it was, for three days. Only water, and only just enough of it. And all in public, where all could see.
Three days wasn't truly much time, and he knew that there were people who spent weeks fasting. But he didn't have the time for that, and just as importantly, he was weak. There was a time when he might have gotten through a few days on low food without noticing, caught up in his work or exhausted. But he hadn't missed but a single meal in his time back in Csirit, and that was after the battle.
So it was a little tougher than it should be. A little tougher, and as always, the same worries came up. Would there be a time when he was forty and sedentary, overweight and weak? He hated the idea of it, hated that he was becoming coddled. It felt like a sort of failure, a sort of betrayal of the man he'd been less than two years ago. He'd been happy in the Southlands, could have spent his whole life happy in the Southlands.
He didn't need to be here, and so… so. And now he was sending some of his own Rassit away. That too was another question, he thought, before he went to bed on the third day. That, how could he be their Captain if he was so busy with other things? He could promote Kueli, and he might have to. But Kueli was older than him, but more importantly--
He just couldn't. Imagining giving that up, of becoming just an employer, just someone who used to work with them, it hurt. It hurt to imagine, it hurt to see, it was nothing that he would ever be able to go through. Yet he couldn't allow them to wither away, or get complacent. He had to risk them, if only to see how they were able to take to the tasks.
And just as importantly, it'd give him a chance to show them off. He intended to continue his plans to improve the Csiritan cavalry. And as part of that, he could use the Wind-Dancers as an example. Perhaps even as an ideal, something to be sought after. He didn't know how he'd do it. But he had had thoughts, about eventually returning with them to the Southlands. Not for that long, but long enough to go through a recruiting process. A month or two down south, once he felt comfortable enough in his position to find people, delegate, and not fall to pieces in doing so.
Recruit new people every decade or two, and it'd keep going… but that was a long time off. It was a long time, and he didn't want to overthink it.
Truthfully, as he returned to court, trailing stories of his immense piety, he didn't want to think of it at all.
******
He woke up with Ayila staring at him in the dark. He'd arrived late in the day, and decided to wait. And now, his spirits all quiet as if they trusted her, he sat up slowly. "Ayila. Is it even past midnight?"
"A little past," Ayila said. "I needed to tell you something. It's very, very important. In fact, it's a little terrifying." The girl with a third eye was terrified, and Kiralo could see it. She almost looked her age, and that's why Kiralo knew it was a bad situation. "It's something I can't be seen talking to you, which is why you're here. Also, you should be careful. A skilled assassin could make their way through."
"And instead, you did. Well, tell me the security vulnerabilities," Kiralo said. "And I'll try to fix them. But, tell me, what is it?"
"I had to use a mirror, and several other tricks. It was, to say the least, hard," Ayila whispered. "Down there, there's a secret room filled with ancient lore, some of it heretical or forbidden, and over a hundred Great Spirits. Some weaker than Eyes, some far stronger. All of them kept in scrolls, and sealed up, and yet there to be used."
"A… hundred?"
"Or more. There were rooms… I watched it all through the eyes of some of the Mages who worked down there in secret, even from most of their members. Hundreds, that's--"
"That's enough to overthrow the Emperor. To destroy the city, if used right. That's more power than…" Kiralo stared at Ayila in horror. How had they gotten so many? And binding such powerful spirits like that?
Csiritan religion was skeptical of it, not because they were worthy of worship, but because they were under the aegis of the Gods. The most powerful of spirits was weaker than the weakest of the Gods, but…
But. The most powerful spirits were often assumed to be… something more. Something connected, often, to the Gods.
"By the Gods. This is obscene," Kiralo whispered. "They've had them the whole time? When were… how was."
"I don't know," Ayila said. "But it's a threat. We need to find a way to stop this. It's, you're right, it's obscene. I cannot leave while allowing this to happen. Perhaps there is no way to truly free them. But… can the Emperor sleep soundly knowing how much power the Academy has?"
Kiralo could picture it, knew exactly how bad of an idea having all that power would be. In anyone's hands, truly, but out of the Emperor's?
Clearly, there was a balance of powers, of course. They had this secret, with which if all was lost they could destroy the city, destroy the Empire… but then what next? Even with all this power, their grip would extend only so far. They could be Kings (not Emperors, never Emperors) of some chunk of a ruined Empire… or they could balance themselves against the Emperor, who was the reason they had people from all over the Empire clamoring to join the Imperial Mage Academy. The main one, the one that everyone spoke of in hushed tones.
And now it turned out that. That.
Kiralo felt the betrayal settle in his stomach, the way that heresy and distrust apparently were rampant between the two. He'd thought he understood the Academy, its strength and weakness, the way it would refuse to get involved if the walls came down and a pretender rolled in.
But then there was this. Hidden strength, given not to the good of the people or the Emperor, but to their own security. In a way, then, it was completely understandable. Completely typical of the Court.
Completely unacceptable. And in the darkness of that strange morning back in Court, he had no idea what he would do about it. Had no idea if there was anything he could do about it? It was so quiet, just laying there as Ayila watched him, waiting for him to think it through, for him to decide.
There was a question, and there was an answer. It was as simple as that. It was a rhetorical question, until you thought about it, until you considered what it could risk. Until one considered just what saying 'yes' meant. It'd mean setting oneself up against one of the foremost players in the game of Imperial politics. Not the foremost… and finding a way to do it without starting a war. Tell the wrong people, and the entire game ended. Someone would panic, if the Emperor knew about it directly. Instead, there had to be some form of… and there the thought ended, and he tried to push past it.
"Yes," Kiralo said, his voice a terrified, almost hopeless whisper.
Yes, but he didn't know how.
******
"By all the fucking spirits," Kueli cursed, as he pulled out his flask and began to pour alochol in the perfectly good tea. "Really? I knew they were bastards."
"Most of them don't know about it," Kiralo pointed out. "Most Mages just believe its their own power that protects them. But many of them don't believe in the Gods in the same way other Csiritans do. Not all of them… maybe you agree with that."
After all that time praying, he wasn't going to accept it. The Gods were real, he'd felt it in those quiet moments, in the way it all just made sense, in the strange dreams he'd had. He couldn't remember them, but he knew what they meant. To disrespect that, to act in such a manner...
"I don't. This is obs--"
"Obscene, yes," Kiralo said. "We all agree. Do we all agree on Maoh?"
"I think he's a slimy snake saying what he needs to slither into power," Kueli said. "But you're Csiritans, so I'm pretty sure it'll be okay."
Kiralo smiled at that, faintly. "You've ruined the tea."
"Improved, you mean," Kueli said, draining the tea bowl and then filling it with more of the rice wine, before drinking that down. "Oh, and I think I have a solution to your problem. A real one, though you'd need to work on it. But that paramour of yours--"
"My what?"
"Cs-Jiahao."
"He's not any such thing," Kiralo said.
Kueli smiled softly. "You're right, he isn't. But you're having him followed? Why. Because you're attracted to him, but like every person between eighteen and twenty-four, he's a slick, witty operator."
"Not everyone," Kiralo said, thinking of the sardonic comments that Jiahao had made so easily, and the vulnerability and youth beneath them. He could pretend to be effortlessly sophisticated, but Kiralo could see the labor beneath the surface, mining clever comments to be carefully spent. "But, yes. Do you think I'm somehow compromising myself?"
"No, not at all. I think, from what I've seen, that he's perhaps charmed you slightly, and attracted you slightly more, and so you're doing what you do with courtiers," Kueli said, "who flirt with you and are attractive. I've seen that song and dance often enough to know how it usually works. You trust them less than you would some ugly nobody pestering you about political favors. You know that you might be biased, and so you assume that there's scheming going on, and watch them closer. Trust them less."
Kiralo frowned, and thought about it. There might be some truth to that, perhaps not to the same degree that Kueli thought, but it didn't sound entirely foreign, as far as thought processes went. It was something he would have done, a way to protect himself. "Either way, what impressed you about him?"
"That I don't trust him, but that he's smart," Kueli said. "He's why I have an idea. He went on a tour of the Academy, and in the library he asked what they'd do if the Emperor took a tour and started demanding some of the books, or the spirits, they had."
"And they said?" Kiralo asked, his fingers moving as he thought about it.
"That they'd have to give it to him."
"Of course," Kiralo said, slowly. "They… wouldn't give up all of those Great Spirits. But they could give up some of them. If the Emperor came across them on a visit and demanded them. If he saw and thus could hold them accountable."
Kueli nodded slowly. "Exactly."
"Does he…"
"No. The boy's asking everybody all sorts of questions. How often they clean rooms, how often they clean the floor, which gardens are best and worse, how to cook a meal with mushrooms, how to ride a horse." Kueli spread his arms. "He's testing the boundaries and limits. He's learning little facts, in a way that reminds me of the way a criminal might pace around a house to see how to get in first. He's establishing the walls, the boundaries, the ways he can move forward and can't. And eventually he's going to do something with it. Maybe small, maybe big. I don't know. So I'd say keep on watching him, if you can. He seems determined to show up to see you. Maybe he does have a childish crush."
"I doubt it," Kiralo said, frowning. Establishing the walls, Kiralo thought. Very interesting, or rather what was interesting was how.
Little details. The details a spy would care about, like when cleaning staff would be in a location, or… what do mushrooms have to do with anything? Besides poison. But there's a pattern there. Learning small things to build up to something larger.
An interesting mindset. And he'd intuitied that Kiralo wasn't someone who lusted after young boys after having heard just a few rumors, and watched him. Watched him and been correct in some of his judgements.
"Well, time will tell, I suppose," Kueli said with a shrug, and then he poured more rice wine into the teacup.
******
His father, under pressure of the false-concern he was getting better at projecting, had agreed that the last week before the years' end started, he'd start sleeping on a bed and staying in it until an hour or two before noon. Of course, being Kuojah, that meant he still got plenty of work done, and he worked even harder in the afternoon, but his health truly was precarious, and it seemed as if it wasn't yet on the upswing.
Of all the times for that stubborn old man to die, this was the worst of them. This was not the right time. Kiralo came as he always did, only an hour later, after his own morning rituals.
"Out, out, all of you!" Kuojah had yelled at the healers, physicians, secretaries, scribes, and all of the hanger-ons that filled the surprisingly large back room. He had a four-poster raised bed, in the style used only be invalids and the Anlan, who might as well be, as far as most Csiritans were concerned. "So you've won, have you heard?"
"Should I be… what did I win?" Kiralo asked. "You don't look well, father. I… cannot believe it, but I'm actually slightly concerned, in truth."
"You get this old, and you struggle week by week, sometimes. It's simply the way of the world," Kuojah groaned.
"I wonder someday if I'll be like you. Weak, exhausted. I already was more bothered by three days of fasting than I should have been," Kiralo said.
"Is that all? Fearing that you're losing your edge. The greatest living general?"
"I'm… I'm not sure that I am, even in Csirit," Kiralo said. "I'm a very good general, but--"
"People are already talking about how you should make a book," Kuojah said. "I don't understand your obsession with… such barbarity, but you are very good at it, Cs-Kiralo, and so long as you are good at it, you will keep on doing it. Your victory was in reaching out to the Southlanders."
The disdain and doubt in his voice wasn't new, but Kiralo had had reason to hope that perhaps they were past that, that Kuojah would accept his decisions as he had earlier.
"We've talked this to death," Kiralo said, softly, stepping closer to his sick father. Wasn't it strange? He spent most of his life away from Csirit, grew up hating his father, and yet here and now he couldn't find it in himself to completely hate the man.
"No, we haven't. I've been thinking about this," Kuojah said. "I had a dream which helped me realize why I've been so skeptical. It's simple, you're building up the army, are you not?"
"Yes, of course. We need to be stronger to maintain internal unity and keep the Bueli from conquering Hari-Bueli. Plus, there may be other outside threats one day."
"A very pat answer when what it actually means is an invasion of the Southlands, the Bueli, or even the Sea-Raiders."
"I would never allow that to happen," Kiralo said, fiercely.
"No, you wouldn't. And you're powerful and well-known enough that perhaps you can stop it, for your lifetime. But history marches on, that's what I saw, time and decay, a flower going from new blooming to dead. A symbol. All things pass, even my reforms will one day be dust. It couldn't be any other way in this world under Heaven. You will die, and someone will use your army as a tool for their ambitions. Or, perhaps the ideal outcome, they will fail to maintain it and the world will forget what marvels you will no doubt perform." Kuojah shook his head. "And now we're going to be trading with the Southlands within a few years, and there's the Bueli... you know why the invasion failed? Besides a foolish attack in the desert?"
"Because it didn't have enough commitment from the cities that they made," Kiralo said. "Because they gave far too few reasons for anything else." Kiralo grit his teeth. "I know you don't think it, but the Southlands has a valuable and beautiful culture, and its people are worth fighting for. If I stayed, I could have been happy. I was happy, in fact. You pulled me in, and I can't even predict year to year at this point. I don't know if I like it. I don't know if I'll ever be able to fully cope with it."
"And if you befriend them, then what happens when Csirit moves south? If it moves south but doesn't try to destroy the Southlands, respects it at least enough to win some of them over?" Kuojah asked. "What you begin, you never see the end of, any of us. If you keep on this path, it won't end in your heartache, though you will be old and tired one day, watching people make mistakes and wishing that you'd made more."
Kuojah started coughing, and it was a dozen seconds before he stopped.
Kiralo watched him, concern warring with dismay at the idea that his reforms, that opening up potential trade with the Southlands, could ever be wrong. Could ever be a mistake. He was right, he knew he was. "You're sick, and you're dying. But don't ever accuse me of that. Yes, history erases things, but I'm doing what's best for the Empire. Isolation leads to decay, and more than that, ignorance. You are a man who is so intelligent in so many things, yet you allow yourself to be ignorant."
"I have agents down south," Kuojah said.
"Yes, you do," Kiralo said. "You could have found me and taken me back, and yet you didn't." Kiralo stepped closer, realizing that… no. It couldn't be, Kiralo thought, working his jaw as he looked at him.
"I… didn't," Kuojah said.
"You're stubborn, traditional, and at times cruel in your way. But you taught Yanmae all the same, and you didn't compound the mistake you made," Kiralo admitted, softly. "I don't think I'll ever like you. In fact I think I still hate you. But I respect you, and perhaps I... "
"Ah," Koujah said, looking at Kiralo with shining eyes. "Ah. I'm sure that you'll succeed in anything you do. I almost believed it, Cs-Kiralo."
"No, I mean it. I don't know how I feel about you, but I think I'll miss you when you're dead. I won't feel like celebrating any more. And that means that now more than ever, Mom needs to come home."
"I was going to send word for it to be done with the announcement," Kuojah said. "Or earlier, but I correctly guessed your plans."
Kuojah looked very smug for a sick old man.
"I am very predictable, to you," Kiralo admitted. "I've been doing a lot, I just hope the wrong people haven't predicted it."
"I know you better after the last month than I have in a long time," Kuojah said. "You're getting everything, you know that? The rest of my family, they're married, they're someone else's problem. I will let you be the provider of goods if they want it. And I know you'll care for your half-sisters, especially Cs-Yanmae. It isn't natural, a woman being such a scholar. But she has a mind, like your mother did."
Kiralo winced and said, carefully, coldly. "Still don't use her name. We're not at that point, and perhaps we'll never be."
"Perhaps," Kuojah said. "You wouldn't have come back for anything less than a disaster. I knew you were a powerful general, and perhaps that influenced my decision to send for you. Your victory, which I read about third-hand," Kuojah said. "The skill you showed. The intelligence. I wish I'd had longer with you." Kuojah shrugged. "But it was surprisingly useful, having you as a new and sudden piece on the board."
Kiralo laughed. "Yes, it was very useful. I was very useful, you were very useful. Let nobody say we aren't a useful family."
Kuojah nodded, thoughtfully, and Kiralo smiled. "No, I'm not speaking of that now. But if you'd like to discuss how the Emperor is going to feel, getting a spirit-blessed shrine puppy…"
Kuojah managed to smile, just a little, as they talked. Wary, yes, and still awkward, but something had changed. Somehow the insult, the look into Kuojah's soul, had revealed something unexpected.
Something worth knowing.
******
[X] Plan Neptune
-[X][Land] Allow the Village Headmen and the current managers to run things, at least for now. (0 influence.)
Result: N/A
-[X][Land] Pay A Visit (2 Actions)
-[X][State] Supplicants (2 state influence)
Need: 58, Rolled: 1d100+13(Half Diplomacy)+3 (Victorious General Mystery Perk)=35, and then 98
-[X][State] Major Shipments (1 state influence)
Need: 50, Rolled: (Average half of Martial/Stewardship)=78
-[X][General] Father Dearest (1 influence)
Need: Variable, Rolled: 1d100+8 (Half Diplomacy minus penalties)=287
-[X][General] Due Diligence (2 influence)
Currently at 52/200, roll 4d50=106, hmm, actually pretty average, new total: 158/200
-[X][General] The Perfect Puppy (1 influence)
Auto-Sux
-[X][General] The Expedition North, Part 2 (1 influence)
Need: 35, Rolled: 1d100+(Stewardship)=55
-[X][General] The Many Banquets Of An Up And Comer (1 influence)
Need: 30, Rolled: 1d100+ 13(Diplomacy)+ (Bonuses)=60
-[X][General] The New Councilman (1 influence + 1 Keuli influence)
-[X][Poetry] An Unfinished Play (1 poetry influence)
Need: 10, Rolled: 1d100+12 (Diplomacy)+3 (Poet)=103
-[X][Ayila] Mage Academy Secrets (1 Ayila influence)
Need: 30, Rolled: 1d100+17=49, rather narrow success, for this level of stakes.
A/N: Rumors turn next, when I have time. Also, I'll be on hiatus again after this turn, sorry
Grad School starts up again soon. I'd hoped to make three turns completed, but. Uh.
Can you imagine the great and terrible work that went into it, the many, many, many long years of paranoia and esoteric tedium and closed casket burials for the failures to reach any number of Great Spirit bindings, let alone hundreds? It's like if the foundations of the Library of Alexandria secretly doubled as a kabbalistic focusing chamber for the Mirror of Archimedes to vaporize entire armies. It's an insane investment of resources.
Can you imagine the great and terrible work that went into it, the many, many, many long years of paranoia and esoteric tedium and closed casket burials for the failures to reach any number of Great Spirit bindings, let alone hundreds? It's like if the foundations of the Library of Alexandria secretly doubled as a kabbalistic focusing chamber for the Mirror of Archimedes to vaporize entire armies. It's an insane investment of resources.
"I had to use a mirror, and several other tricks. It was, to say the least, hard," Ayila whispered. "Down there, there's a secret room filled with ancient lore, some of it heretical or forbidden, and over a hundred Great Spirits. Some weaker than Eyes, some far stronger. All of them kept in scrolls, and sealed up, and yet there to be used."
"A… hundred?"
"Or more. There were rooms… I watched it all through the eyes of some of the Mages who worked down there in secret, even from most of their members. Hundreds, that's--"
Wow, that really is an incredible secret they're hiding. What's interesting about this though is just how long they've been gathering these Great Spirits, the reasons why, and what their absence does or doesn't do to the wider world. It wouldn't surprise me if they've been doing this for centuries, nor if it was an order from an Emperor way back in the day but was kept secret. Likewise it'd be very interesting to know if this is causing changes, given we've been shown that the spirits have phenonmnal capability and can interact with even greater spirits and what they (or perhaps they just use the term humans do) also call God's.
These posts are very informative with regards to the political implications though, as it includes Kiralo's visit to the Academy and it's descriptions. Notably it's referenced as similar to a court itself, and so undoubtedly have various internal factions, so it's not like the Academy is just this monolithic thing looming large, it's an organization with people with a wide variety of interests and believes within it. Notably, those who are actually spiritual, would likely be grossly offended too at this. As would the actual temples and priests, who should be even more influential than the Mages. Something to note also, is that the Academy isn't the only one within Csirit, so it may be worthwhile investigating the others and seeing what they're up too. OOC it may be too much narrative information, so it may not be a good option to over complicate things too much.
Secondly is that the current Head of the Academy and Kuojah are themselves allies, and the Head stated, and his reasons are sound, that if Jinhai had arrived before the walls of Csrae he would have acted. The two points above gives credence to the idea of if the Emperor went to the academy and gave requests/orders as indicated in this chapter, it would be followed.
"Good," Kiralo said, "I have to ask, what is your policy on leaving the Academy? It occurs to me that Jinhai might withdraw some Mages at the last moment…"
"We will not allow such requests as have been made, but we cannot force--" Jin paused and said, quite firmly, "If you think us a master of this Academy, know that we are like the Emperor, in that we have vast power but must use it cautiously."
Thirdly is that it's pointed out that spirits within scrolls are unruly and hard to control, this will undoubtably be greatly amplified when you consider the power of Great Spirits. So they may not currently be all that usable, so it could effectively just be a containment repository; as if they're used it could end up a murder-suicide scenario.
Title: Hunting For Heretics
Dice Rolled: Intrigue, Magic
Chance of Success: 50%
Time: 1 Turn
Text: Among all of the priests and believers of the imperial court, there are some people who are rumored to use or steal holy and sacred spirits, and practice versions of spirit lore that are forbidden by both custom and sense. Finding out who these people are, and perhaps applying pressure to ruin them...or to blackmail them, might be possible, but it would involve stepping on some toes.
The follow on votes for after that chapter add a new take though. Holy and sacred spirits being stolen ... shit could hit the fan if any are among those scrolls. Mages and Academy vs Priests and Temples and Spiritual Mages would be a severe shit show.
Title: Is it Possible?
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy
Chance of Success:
Time:
Text: Ask around about the idea of tattooed scrolls. Very carefully, making sure to indicate that this is polite and respectful curiosity, more than an actual desire to know. But the first step of any question is knowing whether it is a proper one to ask.
Also within the two chapter linked above is the idea of tattooed scrolls, and combining Southlander and Csirit magic to create a better union. With Ayila's example of her combining with a Great Spirit, the fact it'd be heretical not overtly bothering a large segment of the Mage population given their beliefs are already heretical, Southlander diplomacy and trade opening up, and the ability to actually make use of the Great Spirit scrolls; it wouldn't surprise me if this started to be pursued within a decade independently of Kiralo given the sheer advantages it offers. Great Spirits have been shown to be phenomenally powerful and capable of deciding wars and politics of nations, a hundred of them actually capable of being used ... changes everything.
"No. The boy's asking everybody all sorts of questions. How often they clean rooms, how often they clean the floor, which gardens are best and worse, how to cook a meal with mushrooms, how to ride a horse." Kueli spread his arms. "He's testing the boundaries and limits. He's learning little facts, in a way that reminds me of the way a criminal might pace around a house to see how to get in first. He's establishing the walls, the boundaries, the ways he can move forward and can't. And eventually he's going to do something with it. Maybe small, maybe big. I don't know. So I'd say keep on watching him, if you can. He seems determined to show up to see you. Maybe he does have a childish crush."
The spy and intelligence gather suggestion was already put forward, and does make a great deal of sense. Knowing how often a room is cleaned, how often gardens are looked after are valuable information for infiltration; cook a meal with mushrooms has all sorts of possibilities, as does riding a horse. This could be a very lucky break that he happened to get our interest and we put someone on him in the early stages before he found his footing and it became much harder, so it could easily be dangerous, though it's not a given that his political ambitions are a rival to ours. He could be an recruit for the intelligence agency though (forget it's name).
"Ah," Koujah said, looking at Kiralo with shining eyes. "Ah. I'm sure that you'll succeed in anything you do. I almost believed it, Cs-Kiralo."
"No, I mean it. I don't know how I feel about you, but I think I'll miss you when you're dead. I won't feel like celebrating any more. And that means that now more than ever, Mom needs to come home."
"I was going to send word for it to be done with the announcement," Kuojah said. "Or earlier, but I correctly guessed your plans."
"looking at Kiralo with shining eyes" - aww. Still, that's an incredible triple critical on what is an invaluable action given Kuojah is still the most powerful man in Csirit and our father. It's nice to know our mother is being brought back too, and that he was the one who arranged it which should be very beneficial in helping improve Kiralo's image of his father.
I'd like to say that Kuojah leaving all his to Kiralo was a surprise, but really, in this culture and what his personality and beliefs are
and only possessing a single son; it's unfortunately not that surprising. It'd undoubtably be very helpful, though not as helpful as Kuojah living longer, as while we'd get his wealth and assets we wouldn't necessarily get his political connections and allies given how different we are.
Kuojah nodded, thoughtfully, and Kiralo smiled. "No, I'm not speaking of that now. But if you'd like to discuss how the Emperor is going to feel, getting a spirit-blessed shrine puppy…"
A spirit-blessed shrine puppy - he certainly didn't go for something common. I wonder what sort of spirit it'll be that blessed it though given the large variety of options. A hunting dog would be the top choice normally, but his age and the fact I doubt he'd be allowed to do it, makes that seem unlikely.
@The Laurent Can't quote it right now, but we did do Due Dilligence in Turn 15, bringing the counter to 100/200, as well as At the corner of Empire, but I suppose there is still more we could learn from that.
I didn't really see anything in the narrative with regards to this, was it missed or is it going to be prominent in the next update when it's presented at New Years?
Wow, that really is an incredible secret they're hiding. What's interesting about this though is just how long they've been gathering these Great Spirits, the reasons why, and what their absence does or doesn't do to the wider world. It wouldn't surprise me if they've been doing this for centuries, nor if it was an order from an Emperor way back in the day but was kept secret. Likewise it'd be very interesting to know if this is causing changes, given we've been shown that the spirits have phenonmnal capability and can interact with even greater spirits and what they (or perhaps they just use the term humans do) also call God's.
These posts are very informative with regards to the political implications though, as it includes Kiralo's visit to the Academy and it's descriptions. Notably it's referenced as similar to a court itself, and so undoubtedly have various internal factions, so it's not like the Academy is just this monolithic thing looming large, it's an organization with people with a wide variety of interests and believes within it. Notably, those who are actually spiritual, would likely be grossly offended too at this. As would the actual temples and priests, who should be even more influential than the Mages. Something to note also, is that the Academy isn't the only one within Csirit, so it may be worthwhile investigating the others and seeing what they're up too. OOC it may be too much narrative information, so it may not be a good option to over complicate things too much.
Secondly is that the current Head of the Academy and Kuojah are themselves allies, and the Head stated, and his reasons are sound, that if Jinhai had arrived before the walls of Csrae he would have acted. The two points above gives credence to the idea of if the Emperor went to the academy and gave requests/orders as indicated in this chapter, it would be followed.
Thirdly is that it's pointed out that spirits within scrolls are unruly and hard to control, this will undoubtably be greatly amplified when you consider the power of Great Spirits. So they may not currently be all that usable, so it could effectively just be a containment repository; as if they're used it could end up a murder-suicide scenario.
The follow on votes for after that chapter add a new take though. Holy and sacred spirits being stolen ... shit could hit the fan if any are among those scrolls. Mages and Academy vs Priests and Temples and Spiritual Mages would be a severe shit show.
Also within the two chapter linked above is the idea of tattooed scrolls, and combining Southlander and Csirit magic to create a better union. With Ayila's example of her combining with a Great Spirit, the fact it'd be heretical not overtly bothering a large segment of the Mage population given their beliefs are already heretical, Southlander diplomacy and trade opening up, and the ability to actually make use of the Great Spirit scrolls; it wouldn't surprise me if this started to be pursued within a decade independently of Kiralo given the sheer advantages it offers. Great Spirits have been shown to be phenomenally powerful and capable of deciding wars and politics of nations, a hundred of them actually capable of being used ... changes everything.
The spy and intelligence gather suggestion was already put forward, and does make a great deal of sense. Knowing how often a room is cleaned, how often gardens are looked after are valuable information for infiltration; cook a meal with mushrooms has all sorts of possibilities, as does riding a horse. This could be a very lucky break that he happened to get our interest and we put someone on him in the early stages before he found his footing and it became much harder, so it could easily be dangerous, though it's not a given that his political ambitions are a rival to ours. He could be an recruit for the intelligence agency though (forget it's name).
"looking at Kiralo with shining eyes" - aww. Still, that's an incredible triple critical on what is an invaluable action given Kuojah is still the most powerful man in Csirit and our father. It's nice to know our mother is being brought back too, and that he was the one who arranged it which should be very beneficial in helping improve Kiralo's image of his father.
I'd like to say that Kuojah leaving all his to Kiralo was a surprise, but really, in this culture and what his personality and beliefs are
and only possessing a single son; it's unfortunately not that surprising. It'd undoubtably be very helpful, though not as helpful as Kuojah living longer, as while we'd get his wealth and assets we wouldn't necessarily get his political connections and allies given how different we are.
A spirit-blessed shrine puppy - he certainly didn't go for something common. I wonder what sort of spirit it'll be that blessed it though given the large variety of options. A hunting dog would be the top choice normally, but his age and the fact I doubt he'd be allowed to do it, makes that seem unlikely.
That was very fortunate.
I think you forgot Random's previous post, @The Laurent . This should actually have finished.
I didn't really see anything in the narrative with regards to this, was it missed or is it going to be prominent in the next update when it's presented at New Years?
It's going to be prominent for the New Years post... which as I said, will, uh. Take a while? Also, let me add Diligent to the character sheet. Grad School is nice, but it's a jealous mistress.
1-4: Mediocre
5-8: Subpar.
9-12: Average (for a courtier or other trained/educated/etc person in the field)
13-16: Skilled.
17-20: Exceptional.
21-25: Renowned.
26-30: Master in the area.
31-35: Legendary.
35+: All but unheard of.
The Emperor's Decrees: On top of the agricultural and bureaucratic reforms, rumors abound that the Emperor is going to sign a decree inviting some Southlander cities to send delegations to pay tribute and receieve basic hospitality from the Emperor. Others think this is impossible, but through pushing and negotiation, much has already been decided, or so they say. And what a surprise, others mutter, that Cs-Kiralo is in the center of it. He's everywhere, it seems, acclaimed as deeply spiritual, as deeply and stunningly clever, as a force to be reckoned with, and somehow closer to his father than ever. Jealousy abounds, people whisper, but it's gratifying, really.
Kiralo hadn't thought it would be, but people whispering in helpless, hopeless hatred makes him feel powerful, that they can dislike him, that they can curse him, and yet do nothing about it. It's selfish, and petty, but that's how it feels, to have this sort of power.
That Jiahao Boy: If Kiralo is no revelation anymore, except for the depths which people now ascribe to him, Cs-Jiahao is. He's charmingly, cannily two-faced. Polite to widows, formal but charming to girls, kind to servants, joking with young courtiers and discussing grain stores with bureaucrats. It's clearly all some sort of front, but it's a delightful one, and apparently he was like that in the Rerin Court, as well as--startlingly--the Irit Court. At twelve he spent almost a year there, a playmate of a close friend of the Governor's son, very indirectly influential, but valued. Then at thirteen he spent time on the family estates, apparently in no sort of disgrace, if rumors of his tutors were to be believed. Then at fourteen, to the Court of Rerin, where he charmed and slipped and slided, the perfect snake, a charming young man that one could imagine marrying well and doing quite handsomely.
Then, suddenly, he disappeared, rumored to be exiled, but to where? Kiralo knew, but the court doesn't, not yet. Exiled or gone for a year and a half, and now he was back, but in the Imperial Court, playing some sort of bigger game. It's amusing, and interesting, to watch and try to figure out what it is, or so the court thinks. 72
Fires of Rebellion: Despite the loss of their leader, Jianglong, the rebellion in Yeadot continues on, having managed to sack a dozen more mansions. While they aren't picking up steam, and seem unable to unite all of the disparate heresies within the province, they have managed to beat back any attack sent thus far from local forces. The rebellion doesn't seem to be tearing down the whole province, but… it's surprising. They must have either the luck of a heretic, or someone with at least some intelligence taking over after Jianglong's failure. There's been no word about whether or not Hung and his team are alright amidst all that, which was disconcerting, to say the least.
New Governors, New Problems: While southern Hirand and Basrat are actually doing surprisingly well, with the appointed Governors thus far quite loyal, Hari-Os has apparently had something of a learning curve, as the new Governor, Ja-Ri, desperately tries to balance his loyalty to the Emperor with his lack of power in Hari-Os, and thus reliance on the people of the province. At the moment there is very little that can be done at this point, except hope that he grows into it.
Another Turn For the Worse: Rerin was thrown in chaos once more as the Governor, who has been struggling and holding onto life for over a year and a half, again worsened. He had managed, rather adroitly, to fight off everyone who was trying to seize power from him earlier. It was surprising, but gratifying. But now that he sickens again, again the nobles descend, including Kuojah's daughter and her husband. If he dies now, there will be knives and arguments for the next year, to say the least.
Spirited Days: Rumors of spirits so powerful that they're taking over the bodies of humans abound in Xissand, as dozens of peasants go missing across a surprisingly broad swath of the strange province. Thus far there's little evidence either way as to what could be causing the spirits to act thus, and how the spirits are doing so. The local Mage Academy (one of the more prominent of the lesser branches) has sent people to deal with it… but thus far unsuccessfully.
News and International Gossip
Bueli War Updates: In a not so stunning development, the war continues to go somewhat poorly. Ground has been lost, villages have been burnt, and thus far all Hari-Bueli has been able to do is slow the tide of burnings and killings. The only good news is that they seem unable to hold onto at least some of their gains, and the Bueli's disorganized structure means that there are competing claims over territory taken back. Still, that even in the heart of winter there's chaos and struggle.
Men of the Mountains: Rumors of the strange, inhuman monsters beyond the Hari-Nat borders have begun to spread, especially when a few of them have been seen signalling shepherds and others. There have been no fights, and the strange monster-men are friendly, thus far, but… it's created tension.
Farthest South: Old news is very exciting, for Kiralo heard the rumors, and a lot clearer than the court, four months ago. Apparently about thirteen months ago, invasions and incursions began to come from South-West of the Southlands, from a land which--if rumors are true--believes that humans can become spirits, somehow, when they die. Or perhaps they are animal-men, who shapeshift, or perhaps they are Great Spirits given human form. Each rumor is more and more absurd, but all that's really known is that the Southern Kings have shifted their focus away from the Seventeen Cities to try to fight off these incursions. Rumors range from it being a successful invasion that will soon overrun the Kings and then the Cities, to barely a skirmish, and soon run off.
This far away, it's actually impossible to even be sure, in the fog of war.
The 'Man With The Metal Arm': Thus is called the strange Anlan and his people who have arrived, fierce and furious, and begun to squabble with their own kind. It's bizarre, truly. All Anlan are Anlan, how can they fight amongst themselves? Does a hand fight against itself? Is this some form of civil war from the country of Anlan? And the arm? What is it, is it some form of metaphor? Strong-armed man? Or… there's a lot that one doesn't know, including the relationship between the Bueli and the Anlan.
******
A/N: And with that, we're temporarily going on hiatus. I'm really sorry, and I know this isn't really Best-practices, but, uh. Grad School is hell. And yes, your rolls for the Bueli war have been really terrible.
The 'Man With The Metal Arm': Thus is called the strange Anlan and his people who have arrived, fierce and furious, and begun to squabble with their own kind. It's bizarre, truly. All Anlan are Anlan, how can they fight amongst themselves? Does a hand fight against itself? Is this some form of civil war from the country of Anlan? And the arm? What is it, is it some form of metaphor? Strong-armed man? Or… there's a lot that one doesn't know, including the relationship between the Bueli and the Anlan.
And as with all empires, we look to that which threatens the empire and make concessions and tradeoffs until eventually, one of these bites you in the ass in a cumulative way that you cannot offset onto something else anymore.
Something like that, yes, or at least that's the inspiration. They are, honestly, not your problem. But I thought they'd be of interest to the Csiritan court, in a, "Strange things are happening in foreign lands" sort of way.
Fires of Rebellion: Despite the loss of their leader, Jianglong, the rebellion in Yeadot continues on, having managed to sack a dozen more mansions. While they aren't picking up steam, and seem unable to unite all of the disparate heresies within the province, they have managed to beat back any attack sent thus far from local forces. The rebellion doesn't seem to be tearing down the whole province, but… it's surprising. They must have either the luck of a heretic, or someone with at least some intelligence taking over after Jianglong's failure. There's been no word about whether or not Hung and his team are alright amidst all that, which was
Bueli War Updates: In a not so stunning development, the war continues to go somewhat poorly. Ground has been lost, villages have been burnt, and thus far all Hari-Bueli has been able to do is slow the tide of burnings and killings. The only good news is that they seem unable to hold onto at least some of their gains, and the Bueli's disorganized structure means that there are competing claims over territory taken back. Still, that even in the heart of winter there's
