- Location
- The Great Beyond
- Pronouns
- He/She/They
So. How much does this have to explode for us to solve all the empires problems in one day?
-
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Behind the Serpent Throne (CK2)
- Thread starter The Laurent
- Start date
- Original Fantasy
- Pronouns
- They/Them
So. How much does this have to explode for us to solve all the empires problems in one day?
Infinitely. I'm trying to avoid making crits solve all your problems, and so at a certain point there's diminishing returns and 'Whelp, you analyzed the fuck out of that wall, and upon further analysis, it's a wall."
Zeitgeist Blue
Currently Made of Metal
- Location
- Manila, Philippines, GMT +8
It's the bonuses mechanic used. With it it isn't a 1% chance to roll a number across the board. It'd be more biased towards higher numbers. For example, with our godly martial or diplomacy, instead of having a 5% chance in getting critical rolls we'll have something closer to 35% or 30% chance to get critical. We'd have a zero chance to get a critical fail. Of course this doesn't account the net of the positive and negative modifiers but we'll always have a bias towards higher rolls and success unless the modifiers cancel our stats, which doesn't happen.
It's a failing in CK2 systems, you could probably tell I think, since this turns a lot of these kinds of games into power fantasy-lites. But The Laurent seems determined to bypass this problem, one way or the other, as seen in his latest post, like many other problems of CK2 quests and I'm sure he'll be successful.
- Location
- ?
I like my power fantasy-lites. *hides under the floorboards*
- Pronouns
- They/Them
Also, I only give crits/rerolls if the actual roll, without bonuses, is a 95 or better. Like, getting over a 100 is a good thing and gives good things, but a reroll is given only if you get a 95 before any modifiers happen.
Ridiculously Average Guy
I'm you, but stronger
- Location
-
So we're seducing the uncle, right?
- Pronouns
- They/Them
The only annoying thing about...what Uncle?
The only annoying thing about the first Turn is because for reasons there are not a lot of low probability actions. Which is why I'm definitely going to be leaning on @Crilltic 's variable success sort of thing.
As far as you know, you don't have an Uncle.
The only annoying thing about the first Turn is because for reasons there are not a lot of low probability actions. Which is why I'm definitely going to be leaning on @Crilltic 's variable success sort of thing.
As far as you know, you don't have an Uncle.
notanautomaton
I've got 99 quests, I've finished one
The Emperor's Uncle
- Location
- ?
He's the old emp's cousin. Pretty sure it makes him new emp's cousin as well.
pantherasapiens
you were always my best friend
- Location
- somewhere over your shoulder
It doesn't matter whose cousin he is, we're still seducing him, right? And taking over the education of all his heirs?
- Pronouns
- They/Them
I'm really confused.
What Uncle? Where?
The new Emperor does not have an Uncle. At least I'm 99% sure he doesn't.
What Uncle? Where?
The new Emperor does not have an Uncle. At least I'm 99% sure he doesn't.
They're referring to Jinhai, I think.
- Pronouns
- They/Them
Oh, well I suppose...I'd have to actually make up a family tree.
Your father's (somewhat distant) cousin...is your uncle?
I thought that an Uncle was, and could only be, a father's brother.
- Location
- The Great Beyond
- Pronouns
- He/She/They
That or a mother's brother, as I understand. Sibling of a parent.
I'm fairly sure a parent's sister's husband is your uncle too. If you have an aunt, then whoever she's married to is your uncle, and if you have an uncle whoever he's married to is your aunt.
- Location
- ?
I'm.. fairly sure it ain't so?
pantherasapiens
you were always my best friend
- Location
- somewhere over your shoulder
It can get even worse: in some Asian cultures, you just call every older man "uncle" and every older woman "aunt", unless they have some other title (teacher, doctor, governor...).
But yeah , Bommelom's use is I think also valid.
But yeah , Bommelom's use is I think also valid.
- Location
- USA
- Pronouns
- He/Him
I for one call my parent's sisters' husbands Uncles, though I don't have any parent's brothers to confuse them with.
A parent's cousin I wouldn't call an uncle, though, personally. Probably call them a cousin, or my parent's cousin.
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Turn 1 (Mid-Fall)
- Pronouns
- They/Them
Turn 1 (Mid Fall)
Initial Reaction: 1d100+15+1 (Attractive)=115+1d100=212+1d100=230
Kiralo is housed where the officials somewhere between mid and high level lived. By the standards of anything Kiralo has seen, based on what was described, this means that high officials lived like the Princes themselves, and made it impossible to even begin to quite grasp how the Emperor and those closest to him lived.
His housing complex, because that's what it was, had almost two-dozen rooms, fulfilling the Southlander stereotype that Csiritan rooms were tiny and numerous. There were multiple rooms to dine, multiple rooms for conversation depending on the level of formality, a huge kitchen currently staffed with Kuojah's servants, who were no doubt watching him for even the least sign of tricky behavior. He'd have to deal with that at some point.
Either way, Kiralo began setting out to learn the layout of the building, and he admitted that being back in Csirit was still very odd, for all that it had in theory been weeks. Now that he had settled down, it felt as if he were trying to force his mind into patterns that he'd only half-known. He'd lived in a somewhat Csiritan way in some senses as a boy, and even that was more than he'd carried with him later on. A small habit of manner, a way to bow, an accent that he made sure not to lose but instead adapt to the way normal people spoke, a few religious habits, a slight preference in manner of dress, a taste for certain foods: the things that had marked him as Csiritan in the Southlands had been few enough, and there was this strange divide.
Even the thought 'the way normal people spoke' was no longer true. If he adopted the Southlander accent that felt even more real than the accent he was maintaining with some care, then he'd be the one who didn't speak how normal people spoke. And now he knew that any Southlander habits he peppered into what he did would be seen as startling marks of foreignness, however small and token they felt, however much he could no more discard them than he had his taste for Baozi and his religion in the Southlands.
He knew there was perhaps judgement there, but what actually surprised him is that his meeting seemed to have slipped the bounds of secrecy, but in ways that were not at all what anyone could expect.
Just five hours after he had arrived, still settling in and making sure to unpack what he could, a dark-haired serving girl stepped up and said, her voice trembling, "Cs-Kiralo, there are young men here to see you." He had no place in this court, and he wasn't a lord, and it was obvious that this serving girl was nervous around him, but there was no chance that she'd open up if he tried to confide in her, and she'd be gone soon enough if he hired his own men, and if not there would be time.
"Who did they say they were?" Kiralo asked.
"Cs-Fa'shu of lineage Nekti, son of Governor Lord Cs-Si'ong, Cs-Kiralo," she explained.
"Very well, take him...no, I shall meet him," Kiralo said, deciding in a single moment and rising, stepping through several small rooms until the warrens opened up into the small greeting room. Sitting there were four or five young men, around his age or only a few years younger and older. Cs-Fa'shu might have been the one with a slight Bueli-like look about his eyes, and some of the others were perhaps not pure Iritian, but all of them seemed like well-bred young men, in body if not in habit, and their dress was carefully skirting the edge of propriety and fashion, the cuts showing off their physique and the colors bold and eye-catching.
He had known many such young men as this in every court he had been, and he suspected they were common the world over.
"Greetings, welcome to my new home for the moment," Kiralo said, then realized that he'd said the wrong thing. Rassit spoke like that, 'home for the moment' but non-Rassit were supposed to be less permanent.
Fa'shu just laughed, his dark eyes sparking with emotion, and then asked, "Is it true that you said that Kuojah had no good judgement as to what to expect of anyone?"
Kiralo considered it and said, "I may have said something like that. I am Kiralo, and are you Fa'shu?"
"I told you," one of them said, slightly plumper than the rest, his robes a bit more ragged, "I have good sources."
"You do, Hano," Fa'shu said, "And yes, I am he. It is a pleasure to meet a man who has...lived up to your mother's good example despite the misfortunes of parentage."
"Yeah," said a third man, the tallest of them, and clearly pure Iritian, classically handsome except for a broken nose and a scar across his lips, which perhaps explained the dueling sword at his side, "You are now the most interesting Kiralo at court."
"There are others?" Kiralo asked, lips twitching.
"Two others that share your name," Fa'shu said, "But none of them are going to be invited to go on a spree with us. Think of it: rice wine, women, and song, going from house to house, and then to the official brothels in this lil' city of ours...maybe we'll even slip out into the big city."
He said it as if he were proposing the grandest adventure, and the others cried their assent.
"Perhaps I will do so," Kiralo said, "Though now I have ridden far and wish to drink wine and rest."
In fact he planned to be sober today, he had far too many things to do, but their grins told him he'd said the right thing.
"I'll leave you to it, then," Fa'shu said. "Know though, that you said what any man wished they could say to that man."
*****
This could have been a problem. Should have been one, even. A reputation among the young who disliked Kuojah's traditionalism could be helpful, but he had known the young before: was one of the young. It wouldn't be how one gained power, if that is what one sought instead of a good time. It was merely one route, and considering he relied on his father's goodwill, the rumors being spread all throughout the court could end badly.
Yet, somehow two sets of rumors caught and mixed and passed to two different sets of people. Those who were favored by Kuojah heard the full story, with the emphasis on the piety and not the disrespect, and so when they heard the disrespect they discarded it. And those who heard the insults thought the piety a mere show, or at the very least thought it was outweighed by his willingness to insult one of the most powerful men in the world to his face.
It was not a dual reputation that could not last, any more than his newness and strangeness would always be a tool that could be used as a weapon, but perhaps it would help him early on, and perhaps it would open doors that might have otherwise been closed.
He could only hope. The next morning, upon waking there was a letter for him, the handwriting proper if far less beautiful than Kuojah's. It was in the formal style that they taught calligraphy to clerks, the sort that anyone could have written, and yet there was a strength to the brush-strokes that suggested a hint of urgency.
"To: Cs-Kiralo, son of Kuojah of lineage Ainin and Jia of lineage Faru; being a mercenary captain of a band of Rassit, and other titles unknown but respected.
From: Yonu of lineage Yon, junior, sub-minister to the third division of the Bureau of the Masses and Governence, submitted to the Liason office as a head clerk of the Csrae unit.
Greetings and all respectful salutations to you. I would introduce myself and would request that in the future we talk. There are bonds and ties that are shared that mean it is only respectful and polite, under the Gods and Judges to make your acquaintance.
If this is not pleasing to you, I shall desist any unnecessary communication.
With sincerity,
Yonu of lineage Yon."
Who...who knew his mother's lineage? Not many people in court, not many people in the world, truly, though it was hardly a secret. It was something that could be looked up given a day and being willing to ask the right questions, and yet the way it asked and yet also offered to go away...whoever this Yonu was, Kiralo almost wanted to find out.
*****
*****
******
A/N: Oh my god, that was exhausting. I'm going to repeat this three times because it's pretty obvious.
VOTE BY PLAN
VOTE BY PLAN
For the sake of all of the Gods and the Judges and the Great Spirits or whatever else you worship…
VOTE BY PLAN!
Also, apologies for having so few options. I'm going to be expanding it over the next few turns, but I wanted to start small.
Initial Reaction: 1d100+15+1 (Attractive)=115+1d100=212+1d100=230
Kiralo is housed where the officials somewhere between mid and high level lived. By the standards of anything Kiralo has seen, based on what was described, this means that high officials lived like the Princes themselves, and made it impossible to even begin to quite grasp how the Emperor and those closest to him lived.
His housing complex, because that's what it was, had almost two-dozen rooms, fulfilling the Southlander stereotype that Csiritan rooms were tiny and numerous. There were multiple rooms to dine, multiple rooms for conversation depending on the level of formality, a huge kitchen currently staffed with Kuojah's servants, who were no doubt watching him for even the least sign of tricky behavior. He'd have to deal with that at some point.
Either way, Kiralo began setting out to learn the layout of the building, and he admitted that being back in Csirit was still very odd, for all that it had in theory been weeks. Now that he had settled down, it felt as if he were trying to force his mind into patterns that he'd only half-known. He'd lived in a somewhat Csiritan way in some senses as a boy, and even that was more than he'd carried with him later on. A small habit of manner, a way to bow, an accent that he made sure not to lose but instead adapt to the way normal people spoke, a few religious habits, a slight preference in manner of dress, a taste for certain foods: the things that had marked him as Csiritan in the Southlands had been few enough, and there was this strange divide.
Even the thought 'the way normal people spoke' was no longer true. If he adopted the Southlander accent that felt even more real than the accent he was maintaining with some care, then he'd be the one who didn't speak how normal people spoke. And now he knew that any Southlander habits he peppered into what he did would be seen as startling marks of foreignness, however small and token they felt, however much he could no more discard them than he had his taste for Baozi and his religion in the Southlands.
He knew there was perhaps judgement there, but what actually surprised him is that his meeting seemed to have slipped the bounds of secrecy, but in ways that were not at all what anyone could expect.
Just five hours after he had arrived, still settling in and making sure to unpack what he could, a dark-haired serving girl stepped up and said, her voice trembling, "Cs-Kiralo, there are young men here to see you." He had no place in this court, and he wasn't a lord, and it was obvious that this serving girl was nervous around him, but there was no chance that she'd open up if he tried to confide in her, and she'd be gone soon enough if he hired his own men, and if not there would be time.
"Who did they say they were?" Kiralo asked.
"Cs-Fa'shu of lineage Nekti, son of Governor Lord Cs-Si'ong, Cs-Kiralo," she explained.
"Very well, take him...no, I shall meet him," Kiralo said, deciding in a single moment and rising, stepping through several small rooms until the warrens opened up into the small greeting room. Sitting there were four or five young men, around his age or only a few years younger and older. Cs-Fa'shu might have been the one with a slight Bueli-like look about his eyes, and some of the others were perhaps not pure Iritian, but all of them seemed like well-bred young men, in body if not in habit, and their dress was carefully skirting the edge of propriety and fashion, the cuts showing off their physique and the colors bold and eye-catching.
He had known many such young men as this in every court he had been, and he suspected they were common the world over.
"Greetings, welcome to my new home for the moment," Kiralo said, then realized that he'd said the wrong thing. Rassit spoke like that, 'home for the moment' but non-Rassit were supposed to be less permanent.
Fa'shu just laughed, his dark eyes sparking with emotion, and then asked, "Is it true that you said that Kuojah had no good judgement as to what to expect of anyone?"
Kiralo considered it and said, "I may have said something like that. I am Kiralo, and are you Fa'shu?"
"I told you," one of them said, slightly plumper than the rest, his robes a bit more ragged, "I have good sources."
"You do, Hano," Fa'shu said, "And yes, I am he. It is a pleasure to meet a man who has...lived up to your mother's good example despite the misfortunes of parentage."
"Yeah," said a third man, the tallest of them, and clearly pure Iritian, classically handsome except for a broken nose and a scar across his lips, which perhaps explained the dueling sword at his side, "You are now the most interesting Kiralo at court."
"There are others?" Kiralo asked, lips twitching.
"Two others that share your name," Fa'shu said, "But none of them are going to be invited to go on a spree with us. Think of it: rice wine, women, and song, going from house to house, and then to the official brothels in this lil' city of ours...maybe we'll even slip out into the big city."
He said it as if he were proposing the grandest adventure, and the others cried their assent.
"Perhaps I will do so," Kiralo said, "Though now I have ridden far and wish to drink wine and rest."
In fact he planned to be sober today, he had far too many things to do, but their grins told him he'd said the right thing.
"I'll leave you to it, then," Fa'shu said. "Know though, that you said what any man wished they could say to that man."
*****
This could have been a problem. Should have been one, even. A reputation among the young who disliked Kuojah's traditionalism could be helpful, but he had known the young before: was one of the young. It wouldn't be how one gained power, if that is what one sought instead of a good time. It was merely one route, and considering he relied on his father's goodwill, the rumors being spread all throughout the court could end badly.
Yet, somehow two sets of rumors caught and mixed and passed to two different sets of people. Those who were favored by Kuojah heard the full story, with the emphasis on the piety and not the disrespect, and so when they heard the disrespect they discarded it. And those who heard the insults thought the piety a mere show, or at the very least thought it was outweighed by his willingness to insult one of the most powerful men in the world to his face.
It was not a dual reputation that could not last, any more than his newness and strangeness would always be a tool that could be used as a weapon, but perhaps it would help him early on, and perhaps it would open doors that might have otherwise been closed.
He could only hope. The next morning, upon waking there was a letter for him, the handwriting proper if far less beautiful than Kuojah's. It was in the formal style that they taught calligraphy to clerks, the sort that anyone could have written, and yet there was a strength to the brush-strokes that suggested a hint of urgency.
"To: Cs-Kiralo, son of Kuojah of lineage Ainin and Jia of lineage Faru; being a mercenary captain of a band of Rassit, and other titles unknown but respected.
From: Yonu of lineage Yon, junior, sub-minister to the third division of the Bureau of the Masses and Governence, submitted to the Liason office as a head clerk of the Csrae unit.
Greetings and all respectful salutations to you. I would introduce myself and would request that in the future we talk. There are bonds and ties that are shared that mean it is only respectful and polite, under the Gods and Judges to make your acquaintance.
If this is not pleasing to you, I shall desist any unnecessary communication.
With sincerity,
Yonu of lineage Yon."
Who...who knew his mother's lineage? Not many people in court, not many people in the world, truly, though it was hardly a secret. It was something that could be looked up given a day and being willing to ask the right questions, and yet the way it asked and yet also offered to go away...whoever this Yonu was, Kiralo almost wanted to find out.
*****
Influence: 5 (Kuojah's Power)+2 (Kuojah's Wealth)+1 (Kuojah's Need)-6 (New to Court)+1 (Rassit Race)+1 (Strange and Foreign)-1 (Strange and FOREIGN)+1 (Not Entirely His Father's Son)+1 (Diplomatic Might)+1 (But Not too Foreign)=6 Influence
Kuojah is requiring Kiralo to formally introduce himself to the Emperor. Kuojah has told him to do so at the throne room, dressed properly and done in the most formal way possible, but while Kiralo does have to introduce himself to the Emperor, it is his choice as to how this comes about.
In addition, Kuojah has been ordered to liaise with the Council of Generals, and might be advised to do so.
As well, on his own logic Kiralo knows he needs to prepare himself to settle down into the court and begin worming his way into the right places at the right times.
Title: Before the Serpent Throne
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy
Chance of success: 80%
Time: 1 Turn
Text: The serpent throne is famous throughout the world, a marvel of craftsmanship, and while the Emperor often makes decisions in many other more comfortable places, it is here he receives audiences and declares decisions, or otherwise publically rules for several hours of every day. Kiralo would prepare carefully and prostrate himself before the Emperor and speak the words of submission and then the Emperor would speak the words of welcome.
Title: In the Garden of Snakes
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy
Chance of success: 70%
Time: 1 Turn
Text: The Emperor is of course not allowed to exercise overmuch, especially because of his age, but he does take walks in gardens to contemplate nature and compose poems, and for the good air that this brings. Kiralo could 'happen' to be walking in the garden at the same time and then humbly and respectfully introduce himself to the Emperor.
Title: The Education of an Emperor
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy and Learning
Chance of success: 70%
Time: 1 Turn
Text: Kuojah has said not to interrupt the Emperor's education. Kiralo might well do just that, and introduce himself to the boy, perhaps counterbalance his father's influence early, though failure could be particularly dangerous in setting himself up against his father's designs, but at the same time...the Emperor is a boy of seven.
Title: They Guard My Body...
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy
Chance of success: 70%
Time: 1 Turn
Text: Arimi and Vedal need to be allowed into the court. One way they could be is if they were presented as bodyguards. They would make decent temporary bodyguards, and this would mean that for the moment Kiralo would not have to search for any bodyguards, but it would mean convincing them to act in that role, and convincing others to allow them to do so, foreigners that they are.
Title: Constant Companions
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy
Chance of success: 75%
Time: 1 Turn
Text: Instead he could also attempt to have Arimi and Vedal count as hangers-on, and slip them in that way with words about 'companions' and the like, though if that was done their place in the court would be even more nebulous than his would, if potentially higher when and if things solidify.
Title: To Protect...
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy (primary), Stewardship and Martial (Secondary)
Chance of success: 80%
Time: 1 turn.
Text: Kiralo needs bodyguards, and it is certainly an expense that his father can hardly object to, all things considered. Choosing a proper bodyguard detail is a matter both of judging people to be loyal and faithful, as well as skilled, and making sure to hire them at the proper expense.
Title: To Serve...
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy and Stewardship
Chance of success: 80%
Time: 1 Turn
Text: A staff is required, dedicated and at least no more likely to gossip and slip secrets away than any other servant. There are meals to be cooked, rooms to maintain, and otherwise manage. While no doubt Kuojah could personally provide some staff...they'd be his people, men, women, boys and girls that would be employed. There are obvious reasons why Kiralo is skeptical of such a thing.
Title: Pious Wishes
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy
Chance of success: 85%
Time: 1 Turn
Text: Kiralo should visit the shrine of the Emperor and make the proper sacrifices and rituals, and perhaps meet with a few of the prominent priests in order to discuss matters of faith and better understand the religious situation here.
Title: A Place to Ride
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy
Chance of success: 85%
Time: 1 Turn
Text: A Rassit should no more go more than a day without riding than a man should fast themselves unto death. While ad hoc arrangements might be able to be made, Kiralo will want to find a place that he can ride. Perhaps it will draw positive attention, or perhaps it will draw negative attention from the foreign nature of what he was doing, but either way the results of doing this will be interesting.
Title: Doctor, Doctor...
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy
Chance of success: 70%
Time: 1 Turn
Text: The doctors that treated the Emperor are still alive despite his death. Kiralo could talk to them about the previous Emperor, and see if there are any hints there as to how his death had gone down, and whether there is any chance it could be a result of foul play.
Title: Hunting Season?
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy and Personal Combat
Chance of success: 55%
Time:
Text: Kiralo is not particularly an enthusiast of the hunt, though of course he has skill. However, if he did want to look into and ask about the death of the Emperor, it might be helpful to make friends among those in the court who do hunt, and see whether anything could be gleaned from them as to what had happened to the Emperor. As well, hunting is certainly one way to make friends or allies, at least in the Southlands.
Title: Clothes Make The Man
Dice Rolled: Stewardship
Chance of success: 75%
Time: 1 Turn
Text: Getting custom-tailored clothing that is fitting in the most modern and recent Csirit fashions could certainly go a long way in allowing him to fit into the court once his novelty wears off, and would likely increase the chance of acceptance, especially among those who are tied to traditional clothing...as well as those who are fashion trendsetters.
Title: A Matter of Honor
Dice Rolled: Personal Combat and Diplomacy
Chance of success: 40%
Time: 1 Turn.
Text: In the Southlands, duelists and duels were common, for all that Kiralo had avoided it as much as possible. However, like any sensible man he had carried a sword. Here up north, the only people who carry a sword about court are those who fancy themselves duelists, which is frowned upon by a great many people in the court. Kiralo could cultivate a fake reputation as someone who has fought duels and keeps himself as a duelist in order to justify having his sword at his side at all times.
Title: Poetical Exercises
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy
Chance of success: 70%
Time: 1 Turn.
Text: Kiralo could explore just who the prominent living poets are in the court, and go to their gatherings and learn more about just what the culture is like in Csirit when it comes to poetry. Perhaps he could even make a stir, if he does well enough.
Title: An Unfinished Play
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy
Chance of success: ???
Time: 2 Turns.
Text: Kiralo has a play that has yet to be finished, a classic Southlands house-drama of a sort that he had begun to practice writing, having made two of them in the previous year and each a clear improvement over the last (the first being quite dreadful). He could continue his work on this, a link to the Southlands he has left behind.
Title: Letters to a Poet
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy
Chance of success: 80%
Time: 2 Turns.
Text: The old man is still in the Southlands, and still no doubt writing the horrible verse that he calls poetry. Perhaps he could write to the man, and see just what has been happening in the Southlands courts, though it would take a while for the letter to make the round trip, especially the first time, unless means are eventually acquired to speed the journey.
Title: The Council of Generals
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy
Chance of success: 75%
Time: 1 Turn
Text: Kiralo might as well attempt to meet with the Council and learn more their varied desires. Any council and any group of men is likely to vary just as widely as expected, and diving into their affairs will be very important. (Note: Gates a lot of the Martial-y options).
Title: Courier Services
Dice Rolled: Intrigue
Chance of success: 60%
Time: 1 Turn.
Text: Keeping messages secret and safe is always a difficult matter, as is making sure that they remain so. The Imperial courier service is known to be hard to corrupt, or at least rumored to be, but perhaps it was possible to tighten or (eventually) to loosen the hand which hides the message. First, though, it's making sure that Kiralo's own letters are as secret as they can be, since he can hardly, as Kuojah did to summon him, have a personal ally with a powerful spirit seal carry his every message.
Title: Gossip of Servants
Dice Rolled: Intrigue
Chance of success: 55%
Time: 2 Turns.
Text: Kiralo is not in any way a spymaster, but he knows the ways of servants and secrecy at least well enough that he could attempt to create a network of servants who share gossip with him and pick up the juiciest tidbits from their employer's rooms. They wouldn't be anything like a full spy network, and will be unwilling to risk all that much, but it could still
Title: Local Spirits
Dice Rolled: Magic
Chance of success: 60%
Time: 1 Turn.
Text: There are many local spirits whose names and nature Kiralo does not know, and whose parallels he doesn't understand. He could attempt to give himself a crash course in the matter, for future reference and knowledge.
Title: Academy Days
Dice Rolled: Magic+Diplomacy
Chance of success: 70%
Time: 1 Turn
Text: The Imperial Magical Academy is located in Csrae as well, though it is outside of the Palace City for reasons both moral, political, and practical. A visit could be made to ascertain their situation and whether there is any aid and friendship to come from this quarters. It is also a prerequisite for any number of actions involving the academy in the future.
Title: Eunuchs!
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy
Chance of success: 65%
Time: 1 Turn.
Text: The Eunuchs of the Imperial Court are the servants and officials that nobody notices, at least until they rise to power and prominence. In earlier eras they were far more powerful than they are now, and far more united, but the Head Eunuch is still a middle-high ranking member of the taxation bureaucracy, and an ally of Kiralo's father, so making his acquaintance would be one way to build on his ability to influence the government.
Title: Csrae Bound
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy
Chance of success: ???
Time: 1 Turn
Text: One of the sub-ministers in the Bureau of Masses and Governance is a certain Yonu of Lineage Yon, born low and risen high by luck and skill, a man whose ambit is crafting the link between the city as a whole and the Court City within it. Befriending such a man may be important in the future, and more than that, he has sent a letter of introduction mentioning some bond or tie, though its nature is kept obscured.
Title: The Fast-Set
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy
Chance of success: 70%
Time: 1 Turn
Text: Kiralo's insults towards his father in modified and softened form have made the rounds, and there are those who would likely be better inclined towards him for having made them, especially those who are young, impressionable, and quite a bit more irreverent than Kiralo is. Perhaps they will be fooled into thinking that a lack of care for his father represents a lack of piety, or that this means they are opposed. Even if they aren't planning anything against Kuojah, making their friendship could certainly open some doors.
Title: Welcoming Party
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy
Chance of success: 35%
Time: 1 Turn
Text: It would be highly ambitious, but Kiralo could organize a party to celebrate his own arrival, large and complicated by the dozens of factors that would have to be involved including entertainment, food, drink, guest lists...it could go very wrong very easily, but could also have considerable advantages of properly done.
Title: A Letter to A Friend
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy
Chance of success: 90%
Time: 2 Turns.
Text: Kiralo can send a letter to Kueli, not so much giving orders as asking after him and seeing just what is going on down in the Southlands from his perspective. May start a longer-term/automatic correspondence.
Title: Family Matters.
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy.
Chance of success: 100%
Time: 1 turn.
Text: Just so, family matters. Kiralo could ask around and learn about just who his step-sisters are, who their family is, and other such matters. It would not take long to learn a little about them, and the more he knows the more he might be able to interact with them once he is finally settled.
[] Write-in. If you have a suggested option, most likely of a personal nature, you can say it, or say, 'Hey, does X official exist?' or the like. I'm willing to hear it out, and I'll make a vote option based on it if it gets popular/etc.
Kuojah is requiring Kiralo to formally introduce himself to the Emperor. Kuojah has told him to do so at the throne room, dressed properly and done in the most formal way possible, but while Kiralo does have to introduce himself to the Emperor, it is his choice as to how this comes about.
In addition, Kuojah has been ordered to liaise with the Council of Generals, and might be advised to do so.
As well, on his own logic Kiralo knows he needs to prepare himself to settle down into the court and begin worming his way into the right places at the right times.
Title: Before the Serpent Throne
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy
Chance of success: 80%
Time: 1 Turn
Text: The serpent throne is famous throughout the world, a marvel of craftsmanship, and while the Emperor often makes decisions in many other more comfortable places, it is here he receives audiences and declares decisions, or otherwise publically rules for several hours of every day. Kiralo would prepare carefully and prostrate himself before the Emperor and speak the words of submission and then the Emperor would speak the words of welcome.
Title: In the Garden of Snakes
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy
Chance of success: 70%
Time: 1 Turn
Text: The Emperor is of course not allowed to exercise overmuch, especially because of his age, but he does take walks in gardens to contemplate nature and compose poems, and for the good air that this brings. Kiralo could 'happen' to be walking in the garden at the same time and then humbly and respectfully introduce himself to the Emperor.
Title: The Education of an Emperor
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy and Learning
Chance of success: 70%
Time: 1 Turn
Text: Kuojah has said not to interrupt the Emperor's education. Kiralo might well do just that, and introduce himself to the boy, perhaps counterbalance his father's influence early, though failure could be particularly dangerous in setting himself up against his father's designs, but at the same time...the Emperor is a boy of seven.
Title: They Guard My Body...
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy
Chance of success: 70%
Time: 1 Turn
Text: Arimi and Vedal need to be allowed into the court. One way they could be is if they were presented as bodyguards. They would make decent temporary bodyguards, and this would mean that for the moment Kiralo would not have to search for any bodyguards, but it would mean convincing them to act in that role, and convincing others to allow them to do so, foreigners that they are.
Title: Constant Companions
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy
Chance of success: 75%
Time: 1 Turn
Text: Instead he could also attempt to have Arimi and Vedal count as hangers-on, and slip them in that way with words about 'companions' and the like, though if that was done their place in the court would be even more nebulous than his would, if potentially higher when and if things solidify.
Title: To Protect...
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy (primary), Stewardship and Martial (Secondary)
Chance of success: 80%
Time: 1 turn.
Text: Kiralo needs bodyguards, and it is certainly an expense that his father can hardly object to, all things considered. Choosing a proper bodyguard detail is a matter both of judging people to be loyal and faithful, as well as skilled, and making sure to hire them at the proper expense.
Title: To Serve...
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy and Stewardship
Chance of success: 80%
Time: 1 Turn
Text: A staff is required, dedicated and at least no more likely to gossip and slip secrets away than any other servant. There are meals to be cooked, rooms to maintain, and otherwise manage. While no doubt Kuojah could personally provide some staff...they'd be his people, men, women, boys and girls that would be employed. There are obvious reasons why Kiralo is skeptical of such a thing.
Title: Pious Wishes
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy
Chance of success: 85%
Time: 1 Turn
Text: Kiralo should visit the shrine of the Emperor and make the proper sacrifices and rituals, and perhaps meet with a few of the prominent priests in order to discuss matters of faith and better understand the religious situation here.
Title: A Place to Ride
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy
Chance of success: 85%
Time: 1 Turn
Text: A Rassit should no more go more than a day without riding than a man should fast themselves unto death. While ad hoc arrangements might be able to be made, Kiralo will want to find a place that he can ride. Perhaps it will draw positive attention, or perhaps it will draw negative attention from the foreign nature of what he was doing, but either way the results of doing this will be interesting.
Title: Doctor, Doctor...
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy
Chance of success: 70%
Time: 1 Turn
Text: The doctors that treated the Emperor are still alive despite his death. Kiralo could talk to them about the previous Emperor, and see if there are any hints there as to how his death had gone down, and whether there is any chance it could be a result of foul play.
Title: Hunting Season?
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy and Personal Combat
Chance of success: 55%
Time:
Text: Kiralo is not particularly an enthusiast of the hunt, though of course he has skill. However, if he did want to look into and ask about the death of the Emperor, it might be helpful to make friends among those in the court who do hunt, and see whether anything could be gleaned from them as to what had happened to the Emperor. As well, hunting is certainly one way to make friends or allies, at least in the Southlands.
Title: Clothes Make The Man
Dice Rolled: Stewardship
Chance of success: 75%
Time: 1 Turn
Text: Getting custom-tailored clothing that is fitting in the most modern and recent Csirit fashions could certainly go a long way in allowing him to fit into the court once his novelty wears off, and would likely increase the chance of acceptance, especially among those who are tied to traditional clothing...as well as those who are fashion trendsetters.
Title: A Matter of Honor
Dice Rolled: Personal Combat and Diplomacy
Chance of success: 40%
Time: 1 Turn.
Text: In the Southlands, duelists and duels were common, for all that Kiralo had avoided it as much as possible. However, like any sensible man he had carried a sword. Here up north, the only people who carry a sword about court are those who fancy themselves duelists, which is frowned upon by a great many people in the court. Kiralo could cultivate a fake reputation as someone who has fought duels and keeps himself as a duelist in order to justify having his sword at his side at all times.
Title: Poetical Exercises
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy
Chance of success: 70%
Time: 1 Turn.
Text: Kiralo could explore just who the prominent living poets are in the court, and go to their gatherings and learn more about just what the culture is like in Csirit when it comes to poetry. Perhaps he could even make a stir, if he does well enough.
Title: An Unfinished Play
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy
Chance of success: ???
Time: 2 Turns.
Text: Kiralo has a play that has yet to be finished, a classic Southlands house-drama of a sort that he had begun to practice writing, having made two of them in the previous year and each a clear improvement over the last (the first being quite dreadful). He could continue his work on this, a link to the Southlands he has left behind.
Title: Letters to a Poet
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy
Chance of success: 80%
Time: 2 Turns.
Text: The old man is still in the Southlands, and still no doubt writing the horrible verse that he calls poetry. Perhaps he could write to the man, and see just what has been happening in the Southlands courts, though it would take a while for the letter to make the round trip, especially the first time, unless means are eventually acquired to speed the journey.
Title: The Council of Generals
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy
Chance of success: 75%
Time: 1 Turn
Text: Kiralo might as well attempt to meet with the Council and learn more their varied desires. Any council and any group of men is likely to vary just as widely as expected, and diving into their affairs will be very important. (Note: Gates a lot of the Martial-y options).
Title: Courier Services
Dice Rolled: Intrigue
Chance of success: 60%
Time: 1 Turn.
Text: Keeping messages secret and safe is always a difficult matter, as is making sure that they remain so. The Imperial courier service is known to be hard to corrupt, or at least rumored to be, but perhaps it was possible to tighten or (eventually) to loosen the hand which hides the message. First, though, it's making sure that Kiralo's own letters are as secret as they can be, since he can hardly, as Kuojah did to summon him, have a personal ally with a powerful spirit seal carry his every message.
Title: Gossip of Servants
Dice Rolled: Intrigue
Chance of success: 55%
Time: 2 Turns.
Text: Kiralo is not in any way a spymaster, but he knows the ways of servants and secrecy at least well enough that he could attempt to create a network of servants who share gossip with him and pick up the juiciest tidbits from their employer's rooms. They wouldn't be anything like a full spy network, and will be unwilling to risk all that much, but it could still
Title: Local Spirits
Dice Rolled: Magic
Chance of success: 60%
Time: 1 Turn.
Text: There are many local spirits whose names and nature Kiralo does not know, and whose parallels he doesn't understand. He could attempt to give himself a crash course in the matter, for future reference and knowledge.
Title: Academy Days
Dice Rolled: Magic+Diplomacy
Chance of success: 70%
Time: 1 Turn
Text: The Imperial Magical Academy is located in Csrae as well, though it is outside of the Palace City for reasons both moral, political, and practical. A visit could be made to ascertain their situation and whether there is any aid and friendship to come from this quarters. It is also a prerequisite for any number of actions involving the academy in the future.
Title: Eunuchs!
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy
Chance of success: 65%
Time: 1 Turn.
Text: The Eunuchs of the Imperial Court are the servants and officials that nobody notices, at least until they rise to power and prominence. In earlier eras they were far more powerful than they are now, and far more united, but the Head Eunuch is still a middle-high ranking member of the taxation bureaucracy, and an ally of Kiralo's father, so making his acquaintance would be one way to build on his ability to influence the government.
Title: Csrae Bound
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy
Chance of success: ???
Time: 1 Turn
Text: One of the sub-ministers in the Bureau of Masses and Governance is a certain Yonu of Lineage Yon, born low and risen high by luck and skill, a man whose ambit is crafting the link between the city as a whole and the Court City within it. Befriending such a man may be important in the future, and more than that, he has sent a letter of introduction mentioning some bond or tie, though its nature is kept obscured.
Title: The Fast-Set
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy
Chance of success: 70%
Time: 1 Turn
Text: Kiralo's insults towards his father in modified and softened form have made the rounds, and there are those who would likely be better inclined towards him for having made them, especially those who are young, impressionable, and quite a bit more irreverent than Kiralo is. Perhaps they will be fooled into thinking that a lack of care for his father represents a lack of piety, or that this means they are opposed. Even if they aren't planning anything against Kuojah, making their friendship could certainly open some doors.
Title: Welcoming Party
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy
Chance of success: 35%
Time: 1 Turn
Text: It would be highly ambitious, but Kiralo could organize a party to celebrate his own arrival, large and complicated by the dozens of factors that would have to be involved including entertainment, food, drink, guest lists...it could go very wrong very easily, but could also have considerable advantages of properly done.
Title: A Letter to A Friend
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy
Chance of success: 90%
Time: 2 Turns.
Text: Kiralo can send a letter to Kueli, not so much giving orders as asking after him and seeing just what is going on down in the Southlands from his perspective. May start a longer-term/automatic correspondence.
Title: Family Matters.
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy.
Chance of success: 100%
Time: 1 turn.
Text: Just so, family matters. Kiralo could ask around and learn about just who his step-sisters are, who their family is, and other such matters. It would not take long to learn a little about them, and the more he knows the more he might be able to interact with them once he is finally settled.
[] Write-in. If you have a suggested option, most likely of a personal nature, you can say it, or say, 'Hey, does X official exist?' or the like. I'm willing to hear it out, and I'll make a vote option based on it if it gets popular/etc.
*****
Influence=1 (Father's reflected glory)
Title: Hired Bows
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy (Primary), Martial (Secondary)
Chance of success: 5%
Time: 1 Turn
Text: Attempt to get permission for the Wind-Dancers to come into the empire as hired mercenaries employed by the state. This would mean they'd be partially out of Kiralo's control, or that he'd be classified as the head of these mercenaries, which might significantly change his position at the court, and not necessarily for the better...but it's easier than the alternative.
Title: Household Retainers
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy
Chance of success: 1%
Time: 2 turns.
Text: Kiralo could also try to get the Wind-Dancers declared 'Household retainers' and thus under his supervision and control and not that of the state, except that of course he would loan their services to the Empire. A neater solution, but rather more difficult and unlikely.
Title: At the corner of Empire.
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy
Chance of success: 65%
Time: 1 Turn
Text: Hari-Bueli is a far-off province, and the governor has his own concerns. There have been rumors that Bueli has been raiding extensively, perhaps Kiralo could establish contact with him to learn more.
Title: Where My Mother Lived
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy
Chance of success: 75%
Time: 1 Turn
Text: Irit and most of all the shrine are important places to Kiralo. He could learn more about any concerns that Iritan leaders like the Governor have, as well as try to get in contact with the shrine.
Title: True Lords of the Clipped Coin
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy and Stewardship
Chance of success: 70%
Time: 2 turns
Text: Kiralo knows people who know people. In Hari-Os, they say that the people who truly rule that province worship only money, and he knows bankers who could put pressure on them to learn more about their concerns and any possibility that they might be...backing Prince Jinhai, though it will take time.
Title: A Letter To A Prince
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy
Chance of success: 65%
Time: 1 Turn
Text: Prince Jinhai is at least at the moment keeping open the idea that he is friendly to the throne, so Kiralo could attempt to open up a correspondence to him. Secrets won't be shared of course, but perhaps Jinhai might trip up or reveal some small aspect of himself. Even if he doesn't, learning about the potential enemy can be helpful.
Title: Between South and North
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy
Chance of success: 75%
Time: 1 Turn.
Text: Hari-Su is a province composed of people of both Southlands and 'Csiritan' stock, a place that is of some interests both to Kiralo and to those who have interests back in the land where he was born. He could discreetly inquire as to the news and events of Hari-Su, and send a polite letter to their governor, in an attempt to open up dialogue.
Title: Farthest North
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy
Chance of success: 70%
Time: 1 Turn
Text: Hari-Nat is the province that borders the vast and barely passable in the best of times mountains of the far north. It is often the province that stands out of the way of the major conflicts, waiting and seeing what happens, not strong enough to ever declare independence as some have during times of conflict, but not so weak as to be conquered and subjugated. Even its people are a little different, altered by the cold and harsh climate. Investigate into them more fully.
Title: Supplicants
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy
Chance of success: 5%
Time: 1 Turn.
Text: Begin the long bureaucratic process of opening up the distant possibility of perhaps having court ambassadors. At this stage, it's making the argument that other local powers should be allowed to send a train of supplicants to give and exchange gifts with Csirit, whom they would acknowledge as the center of the world and the greatest power that has ever lived, paying homage as their inferior status makes the only right action and the only just thing. It would be a first step on the road to slowly opening up Csirit, even if it would be fraught with perils on both sides of the negotiation: both the chance of offense and the chance of rejection are high, though the odds might grow better with events.
Title: Hired Bows
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy (Primary), Martial (Secondary)
Chance of success: 5%
Time: 1 Turn
Text: Attempt to get permission for the Wind-Dancers to come into the empire as hired mercenaries employed by the state. This would mean they'd be partially out of Kiralo's control, or that he'd be classified as the head of these mercenaries, which might significantly change his position at the court, and not necessarily for the better...but it's easier than the alternative.
Title: Household Retainers
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy
Chance of success: 1%
Time: 2 turns.
Text: Kiralo could also try to get the Wind-Dancers declared 'Household retainers' and thus under his supervision and control and not that of the state, except that of course he would loan their services to the Empire. A neater solution, but rather more difficult and unlikely.
Title: At the corner of Empire.
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy
Chance of success: 65%
Time: 1 Turn
Text: Hari-Bueli is a far-off province, and the governor has his own concerns. There have been rumors that Bueli has been raiding extensively, perhaps Kiralo could establish contact with him to learn more.
Title: Where My Mother Lived
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy
Chance of success: 75%
Time: 1 Turn
Text: Irit and most of all the shrine are important places to Kiralo. He could learn more about any concerns that Iritan leaders like the Governor have, as well as try to get in contact with the shrine.
Title: True Lords of the Clipped Coin
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy and Stewardship
Chance of success: 70%
Time: 2 turns
Text: Kiralo knows people who know people. In Hari-Os, they say that the people who truly rule that province worship only money, and he knows bankers who could put pressure on them to learn more about their concerns and any possibility that they might be...backing Prince Jinhai, though it will take time.
Title: A Letter To A Prince
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy
Chance of success: 65%
Time: 1 Turn
Text: Prince Jinhai is at least at the moment keeping open the idea that he is friendly to the throne, so Kiralo could attempt to open up a correspondence to him. Secrets won't be shared of course, but perhaps Jinhai might trip up or reveal some small aspect of himself. Even if he doesn't, learning about the potential enemy can be helpful.
Title: Between South and North
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy
Chance of success: 75%
Time: 1 Turn.
Text: Hari-Su is a province composed of people of both Southlands and 'Csiritan' stock, a place that is of some interests both to Kiralo and to those who have interests back in the land where he was born. He could discreetly inquire as to the news and events of Hari-Su, and send a polite letter to their governor, in an attempt to open up dialogue.
Title: Farthest North
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy
Chance of success: 70%
Time: 1 Turn
Text: Hari-Nat is the province that borders the vast and barely passable in the best of times mountains of the far north. It is often the province that stands out of the way of the major conflicts, waiting and seeing what happens, not strong enough to ever declare independence as some have during times of conflict, but not so weak as to be conquered and subjugated. Even its people are a little different, altered by the cold and harsh climate. Investigate into them more fully.
Title: Supplicants
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy
Chance of success: 5%
Time: 1 Turn.
Text: Begin the long bureaucratic process of opening up the distant possibility of perhaps having court ambassadors. At this stage, it's making the argument that other local powers should be allowed to send a train of supplicants to give and exchange gifts with Csirit, whom they would acknowledge as the center of the world and the greatest power that has ever lived, paying homage as their inferior status makes the only right action and the only just thing. It would be a first step on the road to slowly opening up Csirit, even if it would be fraught with perils on both sides of the negotiation: both the chance of offense and the chance of rejection are high, though the odds might grow better with events.
******
A/N: Oh my god, that was exhausting. I'm going to repeat this three times because it's pretty obvious.
VOTE BY PLAN
VOTE BY PLAN
For the sake of all of the Gods and the Judges and the Great Spirits or whatever else you worship…
VOTE BY PLAN!
Also, apologies for having so few options. I'm going to be expanding it over the next few turns, but I wanted to start small.
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- Location
- Spain
214 in a d100? I was hoping for more.
- Location
- Australia
[X] Plan I'M SO FASHION
-[X] Before the Serpent Throne
--[X] 2 dice
-[X] The Council of Generals
--[X] 2 dice
-[X] Clothes Make the Man
--[X] 1 die
-[X] Constant Companions
--[X] 1 die
-[X] Between North and South
--[X] All the 1 die.
This, admittedly, is kind of a 'let's not screw up' plan. Playing it safe by throwing two dice at the most important actions, and trying to capitalize on our recent popularity by looking FABULOUS. Clothes may seem like a petty concern, but they can win us favor with both the young firebrands and old fossils without us having to alienate anyone.
It's tempting to ignore Kuojah's demands, but right now without his backing we'd feel the loss of influence dice.
-[X] Before the Serpent Throne
--[X] 2 dice
-[X] The Council of Generals
--[X] 2 dice
-[X] Clothes Make the Man
--[X] 1 die
-[X] Constant Companions
--[X] 1 die
-[X] Between North and South
--[X] All the 1 die.
This, admittedly, is kind of a 'let's not screw up' plan. Playing it safe by throwing two dice at the most important actions, and trying to capitalize on our recent popularity by looking FABULOUS. Clothes may seem like a petty concern, but they can win us favor with both the young firebrands and old fossils without us having to alienate anyone.
It's tempting to ignore Kuojah's demands, but right now without his backing we'd feel the loss of influence dice.
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[X] Plan Riding Around The Inner Courts
-[X] In the Garden of Snakes
Required action. I'd prefer the subtle, man to man approach of meeting the emperor, and get to know the kid directly, rather than under the scrutiny of the whole court and our manners yet to be refined. We have time yet for our official introduction, so long as we ARE introduced to the Emperor, and the boy-Emperor sees a lot of people bowing and scraping at court, whereas meeting him in a less than formal setting gives us more of an in.
-[X] Pious Wishes
Not quite required, but time limited opportunity to pay respects to the last Emperor and show that we're properly pious is important, more so than even fashion, in overcoming our foreign mannerisms.
-[X] The Council of Generals
Also advised, and something we should do.
-[X] Constant Companions
Get our friends in close to where they can support us in what we do. They're more valuable as companions than bodyguards.
-[X] Courier Services
Any of the long distance messages really should wait for this to be done. Otherwise they just take too long, and are insecure to boot.
-[X] A Place to Ride
And finally, we cannot give up the horse and still be Rassit.
-[X] Where My Mother Lived
Not a whole lot of national influence, so we need to correct that. It seems they reached out to us first, so we could reciprocate and gain an open ear...and thus more influence
-[X] In the Garden of Snakes
Required action. I'd prefer the subtle, man to man approach of meeting the emperor, and get to know the kid directly, rather than under the scrutiny of the whole court and our manners yet to be refined. We have time yet for our official introduction, so long as we ARE introduced to the Emperor, and the boy-Emperor sees a lot of people bowing and scraping at court, whereas meeting him in a less than formal setting gives us more of an in.
-[X] Pious Wishes
Not quite required, but time limited opportunity to pay respects to the last Emperor and show that we're properly pious is important, more so than even fashion, in overcoming our foreign mannerisms.
-[X] The Council of Generals
Also advised, and something we should do.
-[X] Constant Companions
Get our friends in close to where they can support us in what we do. They're more valuable as companions than bodyguards.
-[X] Courier Services
Any of the long distance messages really should wait for this to be done. Otherwise they just take too long, and are insecure to boot.
-[X] A Place to Ride
And finally, we cannot give up the horse and still be Rassit.
-[X] Where My Mother Lived
Not a whole lot of national influence, so we need to correct that. It seems they reached out to us first, so we could reciprocate and gain an open ear...and thus more influence