Behind the Serpent Throne (CK2)
- Thread starter The Laurent
- Start date
- Original Fantasy
- Pronouns
- They/Them
Tally Please.
Vote Tally : Original - Fantasy - Behind the Serpent Throne (CK2) | Page 46 | Sufficient Velocity
##### NetTally 1.7.4
[X] Write a letter to Song and her husband, in Hari-Su.
No. of Votes: 7
[X] Talk with Yanmae.
No. of Votes: 5
[X] Have dinner with Aia, her husband, and her daughter and son.
No. of Votes: 1
Total No. of Voters: 13
##### NetTally 1.7.4
[X] Write a letter to Song and her husband, in Hari-Su.
No. of Votes: 7
[X] Talk with Yanmae.
No. of Votes: 5
[X] Have dinner with Aia, her husband, and her daughter and son.
No. of Votes: 1
Total No. of Voters: 13
Bah. I'd much rather have that Kiralo got a little sister than another political ally.
- Pronouns
- They/Them
To note, a few things: you'll only get a reply to the letter next turn, so look forward to that!
Second, you'll have a chance to do it as an action. I mean, all of the options provided will be turned into actions.
You'll just not get to talk to Yanmae without the cost of an Court Influence (or more, I suppose?).
Turn 3--Results, c
- Pronouns
- They/Them
Turn 3--Results, C
Kiralo looked around the room, aware that at some point he'd made a mistake. The problem was that like a man charging through enemy lines at high speed, there was no single point at which he could say that he'd made the fatal mistake, not at the time, and yet afterwards it was clear that he'd certainly done so.
"You are impudent," the middle-aged man said, looking around the room for support. There were a dozen men in the room, and one of the partitions was open to reveal another room. All of them were men of stature and worth in poetry, and more than that, they were people whose school was ascendent.
There were three or four schools of poetry, forms and subtle variations, some of which were born of differences of dialect and language. And there were plenty of poets who moved beyond that level: the dabbler nobles for whom the differences mattered only a little.
So perhaps this wasn't the best audience. The Petal School was focused very closely on describing nature.
"There is more to nature than just a flower?" Akeho, a Hari-Os native who had risen up the ranks on, it must be admitted, no inconsiderable skill. His poetry was sometimes a little staid and boring to Kiralo's tastes, but there was a definite precision, and at its best there was even a passion to it. "We know this. You think we don't? You think that your Southern ways are entirely unknown to us?"
"Not at all," Kiralo said, soothingly, "I was merely saying that there was more to the style than some of the poems I have heard tonight."
"And you can do better?" another, younger man asked.
Kiralo knew that saying yes would be challenging their authority and so he evaded, "I was merely saying that I could do differently. Not better."
But was that any better? The Petal School, the Single Boulder school, the Glass Fountain school and the Western School all vied and competed for power and position, and the Petal School had seemed the most likely source of a contender. The Single Boulder supported that incompetent who currently taught the Emperor, the Western School was unlikely to gain much, being entirely a fancy of the young for forms that didn't translate well into Csiritan, and the Glass Fountain, while most similar to the Southlander poetry he was used to, was also entirely without narrative heft, and lacked a few things he preferred.
Ultimately, his was his own style, and while thinking about this had gotten his brush back to writing…
Well, if this was how it was going to go? Then he definitely needed to work on it. The meeting ended inconclusively, and others ended with at least as much friction.
Which left Kiralo to consider his options doing what some would say was the proper action for any poet. Walking in the gardens, besides the Emperor and his rather smug Poetry Tutor, who was ever so polite in offering introductions, as if he didn't know the names of those that Kiralo had burned bridges with.
It was an act of very polite and pointed gloating, and Kiralo had to smile and know that he still could resolve this.
So, he walked in the garden, and even the stone garden when the weather began to turn even worse, and thought about just what he could do. He could attempt to mend bridges with one of the other major factions, he could search out one of the more minor' schools' that were far less prestigious and attempt what would essentially be a gueurilla campaign against them.
Or, always a possibility, he could create poetry and challenge them at their own game. Proving his skill might be seen as an arrogant act, but it might break through the problem.
This was a community that gathered around winners, that hosted banquets in the names of good poets and sought always the patronage of powerful nobles. And, Kiralo understood as he continued his careful plunging into the depths of waters that had turned out far icier than he'd hoped they'd be, they were quite willing to shut someone out, just as they were willing to appease a noble or important figure by complimenting his work.
His breath misted as he considered what he'd learned, and what he hadn't.
It was enough to frustrate any man, and that was before the matter of the forts.
******
He sent off the letter with a very careful letter to Cs-Song, his half-sister. The idea of having a half-sister at all was odd to Kiralo, and for a while he wanted to meet Yanmae or one of the others, but he also knew that there was hopefully time, and more than that, there were political concerns.
He wrote the most formal introduction he could, and then said.
"Less formally, I am sending a greeting that I never expected to make. I knew, I believe, that father had daughters. But it was mere theoretical knowledge, and for all that physically I was far closer to you than any of his other daughters, I knew nothing of your situation or your existence. There are not bonds of long memories and growing up together, and I do not necessarily assume that there is any obligation between us.
It is said that the bond of family is the strongest and most lasting of all bonds, and yet certainly there are limits to it.
So, I send this letter both as a man concerned with policy and as a distant relation, of sorts. In obligations think of me at most as some distant cousin, unless it would please you to think more of me.
I hope that you are doing well in Hari-Su, and send greetings to your honorable husband as well. There is a point of commonality between us, I would like to think, for both your husband and I are people who have interacted with and between the borders. If it is not presumptuous, I would be pleased to discourse with him on Hari-Su, whether on its past, its present, or its future.
And as for you, Cs-Song, I merely wish to know of you. What your interests are and whether you are fully happy, and if not whether there is anything I might do to ease your way. Of course, Cs-Kuojah is also quite soliticitous of you, I have been told, but as he is currently ill, he might yet be unavailable.
His sickness seems as if it might linger, and yet also does not seem to be liable to be fatal, and for this we must all be grateful to the Gods and the Ten Judges, and hope that all will go well.
This is, being blunt, a time of great uncertainty for many people. This letter is written in that spirit, and many things could happen in the next year that might rob us of a chance to learn of each other.
The world is a river and we float on down it, but we need not raft alone.
Signed and Written by Kiralo, son of Kuojah, of lineage Ainin, Captain of the Wind-Dancer Rassit."
******
The alms went out, protected by the army in small batches, and the work seemed to be going well. The Empire was a rich land, and the Emperor had the wealth, power, and influence that cloth and food and those who had skill in the healing and growing spirits could all be sent forth. They even managed to find, somewhere, several important Mages who were willing to travel to northern Irit to treat with the spirits, or perhaps merely overmaster them.
For, after all, all of the new arrivals would likely disturb local spirits that were used to generation after generation walking their steady way from life to death. Sudden influxes of people created tension, tore villages apart. Kiralo had seen all of that and more before in the Southlands, when bandits destroyed a village and the villagers had to make their way to some new place. Peasants didn't have much, but what they did have they clung onto with all that they had.
Out came the help, and in came several letters expressing gratitude. It was enough that the people of Northern Irit wouldn't starve, and some of the alms were even reaching some of the contested areas of southern Irit, beyond where the Governor had set up his own forts.
Only a little at this point, and the matter of extending the alms into the afflicted areas without merely granting bandits more to steal might have been easier with a few forts in the right places, though even that would have had to wait.
As it were, however, this gratitude was quite refreshing. There was even a letter from Siyu, though disappointingly it was highly formal and distant. There was something reserved, if quite intelligent, about the nature of the work with the alms as well as being highly learned. Certainly, she was an indication that Kuojah had practiced what he'd preached in educating his daughters as practice to educating a son.
That did make Kiralo wonder at just what she had suffered, but whatever it was seemed to have made her coldly intelligent and passionate in her duties, a passion only partially hidden by the layers of formality she threw up, like a woman dressed in twenty layers of silk for modesty.
Kiralo did not know whether to be concerned or not, but the letter did bear glad tidings for several small makeshift villages that were even now trying to work out winter crops and other important matters as they appease the local spirits for their aid in this matter.
Siyu seemed quite knowledgable in matters of spirits as well, quite unlike her father in that regard.
******
Drinking up late in a crowded room singing songs and telling stories: there were worse ways to spend one's life. There were better ones, perhaps, Kiralo reflected, but he'd learned a lot about the sort of people who partied all the time.
There was refinement, and he sat in small private gardens, or examined a new vase that had been comissioned. He sang songs by men who had made them up on the spot and yet found beauty in the rough speed of their task. He discussed philosophy and even poetry (with rather more success on the whole), he talked about the sorts of things that fascinated people. This man, a minor official, had a love of athletics, and loved the summer demonstrations that the old Emperor had put on.
"He was a great man, greatest of all. An appreciator of what matters," the drunken man had said, and then he'd called for a toast to the late Emperor. And of course everyone had to nod along and tell about the old Emperor...in a way, of course, designed not to cast any shadows on the new Emperor.
But this crowd, of course they know far more and care far more for the old Emperor. The old Emperor had been an adult who could drink more than one small cup of rice wine (and that watered somewhat heavily for the boy's own good) at the start of a ceremony, who could ride and hunt and party, who appreciated all of the things that a child didn't always grasp.
Even if a child liked a good song and a nice poem, even if they were studious (and Kiralo knew far too little about how the Emperor's education was going), it wasn't the same as discussing it with an adult.
So, Kiralo learned quite a bit about the late Emperor from watching these men who had once been his companions and those who angled to be close with him. And more than that, they discussed affairs of state casually, marriages their families were planning or, increasingly, their sons and nieces and other figures that could, in theory, be Cs-Dai'so's companions. Many princes had been raised up with the men who would come to serve them, after all.
But it was in a dark corner that Kiralo learned the most. Or rather, it was there that he received an offer that might be poison and might be life. It was like the snakes themselves that the ancient heresies had once worshipped rather than seeing merely as a symbolic and important animal.
Life and death, balanced in a department that didn't exist, that nobody had heard of and everyone knew existed.
The Department of Secrets.
Women were not usually allowed in these gatherings, or at least not except as someone's wife or a beautiful daughter whose job was to very carefully show not even the least hint of a mind or will, in the hopes that a family might make an advantageous match.
But widows were an exception, and the Widow Chunhia of Lineage Cheni was a very proper woman indeed. She had children and even very young grandchildren, and in her late forties she styled her hair and wore her clothes of white and black to indicate her widowhood. Slightly plump, she said quietly to Kiralo, "There is no scandal in talking, I do not think."
"No, there isn't," Kiralo said, a little baffled.
"There isn't scandal in paying attention, either." She said it primly, with a slight Xissand accent, though she had no doubt had her whole life to carefully smooth it away.
"Paying attention?" Kiralo asked.
"Yes. There are certain matters that it would be wise to pay attention to," she said, quietly. "You have been observed."
"By whom?"
"The tongue darts out and tastes the air, and knows whether it is safe, or whether to beware," Chunhia said.
Kiralo very carefully did not react. That was a saying he'd heard before in an old poem, a very old poem. It compared the court to the parts of a snake, and as all wise men knew, a snake's tongue could taste the very air itself, and its fork was similar to how a man might walk in two directions at once.
It was only the wisest policy to have spies and agents, the poem had suggested, to taste the air of the court.
"But the poison might come or it might not," Kiralo said, looking at her for a long moment as he did.
"I can be your friend, Cs-Kiralo. Do you care for friends?"
"Of course," Kiralo said, "You are lucky that my companions are here to distract the others."
"Luck plays only a small role in my day to day life. The gods play more of one, as does the Emperor." She covered her mouth with her sleeve and continued very quietly, "Though I am but a meek woman, I would think that I myself have some small portion of control over my actions."
Kiralo flushed, looking at the woman for a moment, quite aware that this was a test and more than a test. Chunhia was well aware that to speak so boldly and out of turn was dangerous for someone like her. The fact that she was a widow gave her some license, but it only went so far.
"No doubt," Kiralo said, easily, "As do I."
"Then, consider this possibility: we can be friends, but friends help each other. The Tongue is concerned that a number of matters might slip beyond their taste." Then she muttered something under her breath.
Kiralo heard the low whine of a spirit, as it slipped out from under her sleeve. It was hairy and black, with big wide white eyes and a long, thin tongue that it lashed without sound in the air. When he looked at it, his mouth went dry, and the tastes seemed to fade away as it crawled around the small side room, darting its tongue out to taste for secrets and listeners.
"And?"
"There are doctors whose failure might have been punished harder. They treated the Emperor, and yet he died. Is this not strange?"
"Is it?" Kiralo asked.
"It might be. We do not know, and so we were asking if perhaps you would look into it."
Kiralo opened his mouth, but she shook her head.
"If you leave a single character, the character 'A' in the dead tree of the Pleasant Blossom Garden, we shall know just what you shall do next month. If you do not, that will be it."
What does Kiralo do?
[] A scarlet Letter: Agree to the action 'Doctor, Doctor' next turn, potentially get involved in some very tricky business, might have advantages, might have risks.
[] No, it's too much of a risk and too likely to backfire, getting involved, at least on someone else's time.
******
The bed smelled of decay, though Kuojah wasn't laying on it. Instead, in this private chamber, he was at a much smaller desk working when Kiralo stepped in and blanched. His father didn't look like he should be out of bed, and yet the old man was ceaselessly writing.
"Cs-Kuojah," Kiralo said.
"I can see you, Kiralo," Kuojah said, "What is it?"
"I have received a letter from Prince Jinhai that might be of interest to you," Kiralo said, stepping forward, each stride slow and sure before he deposited the letter.
"What does it say?"
"What doesn't it say?" Kiralo asked.
Kuojah picked it up and read through it, pausing several times to cough. He was pale and even sickly, but his eyes were fever bright by the time he finished.
"He thinks us fools and easy prey."
Kiralo frowned, "Beg pardon?"
Kuojah sighed, "War must be averted at any cost, but the Prince has only increased the chances that he shall have to be humiliated and put into his place."
Kiralo nodded, realizing it in the air. If things continued like this, then Prince Jinhai, no matter what happened, would have to die.
"Perhaps I shall outlive him," Kuojah said, his face impassive, but now those bright, vicious eyes looked as if they were picturing it.
"Perhaps you shall," Kiralo said, and in that moment he believed it.
*****
A/N: And so after this vote, it's Rumors next, and then Turn 4. So, here we go! I hope you enjoyed.
Kiralo looked around the room, aware that at some point he'd made a mistake. The problem was that like a man charging through enemy lines at high speed, there was no single point at which he could say that he'd made the fatal mistake, not at the time, and yet afterwards it was clear that he'd certainly done so.
"You are impudent," the middle-aged man said, looking around the room for support. There were a dozen men in the room, and one of the partitions was open to reveal another room. All of them were men of stature and worth in poetry, and more than that, they were people whose school was ascendent.
There were three or four schools of poetry, forms and subtle variations, some of which were born of differences of dialect and language. And there were plenty of poets who moved beyond that level: the dabbler nobles for whom the differences mattered only a little.
So perhaps this wasn't the best audience. The Petal School was focused very closely on describing nature.
"There is more to nature than just a flower?" Akeho, a Hari-Os native who had risen up the ranks on, it must be admitted, no inconsiderable skill. His poetry was sometimes a little staid and boring to Kiralo's tastes, but there was a definite precision, and at its best there was even a passion to it. "We know this. You think we don't? You think that your Southern ways are entirely unknown to us?"
"Not at all," Kiralo said, soothingly, "I was merely saying that there was more to the style than some of the poems I have heard tonight."
"And you can do better?" another, younger man asked.
Kiralo knew that saying yes would be challenging their authority and so he evaded, "I was merely saying that I could do differently. Not better."
But was that any better? The Petal School, the Single Boulder school, the Glass Fountain school and the Western School all vied and competed for power and position, and the Petal School had seemed the most likely source of a contender. The Single Boulder supported that incompetent who currently taught the Emperor, the Western School was unlikely to gain much, being entirely a fancy of the young for forms that didn't translate well into Csiritan, and the Glass Fountain, while most similar to the Southlander poetry he was used to, was also entirely without narrative heft, and lacked a few things he preferred.
Ultimately, his was his own style, and while thinking about this had gotten his brush back to writing…
Well, if this was how it was going to go? Then he definitely needed to work on it. The meeting ended inconclusively, and others ended with at least as much friction.
Which left Kiralo to consider his options doing what some would say was the proper action for any poet. Walking in the gardens, besides the Emperor and his rather smug Poetry Tutor, who was ever so polite in offering introductions, as if he didn't know the names of those that Kiralo had burned bridges with.
It was an act of very polite and pointed gloating, and Kiralo had to smile and know that he still could resolve this.
So, he walked in the garden, and even the stone garden when the weather began to turn even worse, and thought about just what he could do. He could attempt to mend bridges with one of the other major factions, he could search out one of the more minor' schools' that were far less prestigious and attempt what would essentially be a gueurilla campaign against them.
Or, always a possibility, he could create poetry and challenge them at their own game. Proving his skill might be seen as an arrogant act, but it might break through the problem.
This was a community that gathered around winners, that hosted banquets in the names of good poets and sought always the patronage of powerful nobles. And, Kiralo understood as he continued his careful plunging into the depths of waters that had turned out far icier than he'd hoped they'd be, they were quite willing to shut someone out, just as they were willing to appease a noble or important figure by complimenting his work.
His breath misted as he considered what he'd learned, and what he hadn't.
It was enough to frustrate any man, and that was before the matter of the forts.
******
He sent off the letter with a very careful letter to Cs-Song, his half-sister. The idea of having a half-sister at all was odd to Kiralo, and for a while he wanted to meet Yanmae or one of the others, but he also knew that there was hopefully time, and more than that, there were political concerns.
He wrote the most formal introduction he could, and then said.
"Less formally, I am sending a greeting that I never expected to make. I knew, I believe, that father had daughters. But it was mere theoretical knowledge, and for all that physically I was far closer to you than any of his other daughters, I knew nothing of your situation or your existence. There are not bonds of long memories and growing up together, and I do not necessarily assume that there is any obligation between us.
It is said that the bond of family is the strongest and most lasting of all bonds, and yet certainly there are limits to it.
So, I send this letter both as a man concerned with policy and as a distant relation, of sorts. In obligations think of me at most as some distant cousin, unless it would please you to think more of me.
I hope that you are doing well in Hari-Su, and send greetings to your honorable husband as well. There is a point of commonality between us, I would like to think, for both your husband and I are people who have interacted with and between the borders. If it is not presumptuous, I would be pleased to discourse with him on Hari-Su, whether on its past, its present, or its future.
And as for you, Cs-Song, I merely wish to know of you. What your interests are and whether you are fully happy, and if not whether there is anything I might do to ease your way. Of course, Cs-Kuojah is also quite soliticitous of you, I have been told, but as he is currently ill, he might yet be unavailable.
His sickness seems as if it might linger, and yet also does not seem to be liable to be fatal, and for this we must all be grateful to the Gods and the Ten Judges, and hope that all will go well.
This is, being blunt, a time of great uncertainty for many people. This letter is written in that spirit, and many things could happen in the next year that might rob us of a chance to learn of each other.
The world is a river and we float on down it, but we need not raft alone.
Signed and Written by Kiralo, son of Kuojah, of lineage Ainin, Captain of the Wind-Dancer Rassit."
******
The alms went out, protected by the army in small batches, and the work seemed to be going well. The Empire was a rich land, and the Emperor had the wealth, power, and influence that cloth and food and those who had skill in the healing and growing spirits could all be sent forth. They even managed to find, somewhere, several important Mages who were willing to travel to northern Irit to treat with the spirits, or perhaps merely overmaster them.
For, after all, all of the new arrivals would likely disturb local spirits that were used to generation after generation walking their steady way from life to death. Sudden influxes of people created tension, tore villages apart. Kiralo had seen all of that and more before in the Southlands, when bandits destroyed a village and the villagers had to make their way to some new place. Peasants didn't have much, but what they did have they clung onto with all that they had.
Out came the help, and in came several letters expressing gratitude. It was enough that the people of Northern Irit wouldn't starve, and some of the alms were even reaching some of the contested areas of southern Irit, beyond where the Governor had set up his own forts.
Only a little at this point, and the matter of extending the alms into the afflicted areas without merely granting bandits more to steal might have been easier with a few forts in the right places, though even that would have had to wait.
As it were, however, this gratitude was quite refreshing. There was even a letter from Siyu, though disappointingly it was highly formal and distant. There was something reserved, if quite intelligent, about the nature of the work with the alms as well as being highly learned. Certainly, she was an indication that Kuojah had practiced what he'd preached in educating his daughters as practice to educating a son.
That did make Kiralo wonder at just what she had suffered, but whatever it was seemed to have made her coldly intelligent and passionate in her duties, a passion only partially hidden by the layers of formality she threw up, like a woman dressed in twenty layers of silk for modesty.
Kiralo did not know whether to be concerned or not, but the letter did bear glad tidings for several small makeshift villages that were even now trying to work out winter crops and other important matters as they appease the local spirits for their aid in this matter.
Siyu seemed quite knowledgable in matters of spirits as well, quite unlike her father in that regard.
******
Drinking up late in a crowded room singing songs and telling stories: there were worse ways to spend one's life. There were better ones, perhaps, Kiralo reflected, but he'd learned a lot about the sort of people who partied all the time.
There was refinement, and he sat in small private gardens, or examined a new vase that had been comissioned. He sang songs by men who had made them up on the spot and yet found beauty in the rough speed of their task. He discussed philosophy and even poetry (with rather more success on the whole), he talked about the sorts of things that fascinated people. This man, a minor official, had a love of athletics, and loved the summer demonstrations that the old Emperor had put on.
"He was a great man, greatest of all. An appreciator of what matters," the drunken man had said, and then he'd called for a toast to the late Emperor. And of course everyone had to nod along and tell about the old Emperor...in a way, of course, designed not to cast any shadows on the new Emperor.
But this crowd, of course they know far more and care far more for the old Emperor. The old Emperor had been an adult who could drink more than one small cup of rice wine (and that watered somewhat heavily for the boy's own good) at the start of a ceremony, who could ride and hunt and party, who appreciated all of the things that a child didn't always grasp.
Even if a child liked a good song and a nice poem, even if they were studious (and Kiralo knew far too little about how the Emperor's education was going), it wasn't the same as discussing it with an adult.
So, Kiralo learned quite a bit about the late Emperor from watching these men who had once been his companions and those who angled to be close with him. And more than that, they discussed affairs of state casually, marriages their families were planning or, increasingly, their sons and nieces and other figures that could, in theory, be Cs-Dai'so's companions. Many princes had been raised up with the men who would come to serve them, after all.
But it was in a dark corner that Kiralo learned the most. Or rather, it was there that he received an offer that might be poison and might be life. It was like the snakes themselves that the ancient heresies had once worshipped rather than seeing merely as a symbolic and important animal.
Life and death, balanced in a department that didn't exist, that nobody had heard of and everyone knew existed.
The Department of Secrets.
Women were not usually allowed in these gatherings, or at least not except as someone's wife or a beautiful daughter whose job was to very carefully show not even the least hint of a mind or will, in the hopes that a family might make an advantageous match.
But widows were an exception, and the Widow Chunhia of Lineage Cheni was a very proper woman indeed. She had children and even very young grandchildren, and in her late forties she styled her hair and wore her clothes of white and black to indicate her widowhood. Slightly plump, she said quietly to Kiralo, "There is no scandal in talking, I do not think."
"No, there isn't," Kiralo said, a little baffled.
"There isn't scandal in paying attention, either." She said it primly, with a slight Xissand accent, though she had no doubt had her whole life to carefully smooth it away.
"Paying attention?" Kiralo asked.
"Yes. There are certain matters that it would be wise to pay attention to," she said, quietly. "You have been observed."
"By whom?"
"The tongue darts out and tastes the air, and knows whether it is safe, or whether to beware," Chunhia said.
Kiralo very carefully did not react. That was a saying he'd heard before in an old poem, a very old poem. It compared the court to the parts of a snake, and as all wise men knew, a snake's tongue could taste the very air itself, and its fork was similar to how a man might walk in two directions at once.
It was only the wisest policy to have spies and agents, the poem had suggested, to taste the air of the court.
"But the poison might come or it might not," Kiralo said, looking at her for a long moment as he did.
"I can be your friend, Cs-Kiralo. Do you care for friends?"
"Of course," Kiralo said, "You are lucky that my companions are here to distract the others."
"Luck plays only a small role in my day to day life. The gods play more of one, as does the Emperor." She covered her mouth with her sleeve and continued very quietly, "Though I am but a meek woman, I would think that I myself have some small portion of control over my actions."
Kiralo flushed, looking at the woman for a moment, quite aware that this was a test and more than a test. Chunhia was well aware that to speak so boldly and out of turn was dangerous for someone like her. The fact that she was a widow gave her some license, but it only went so far.
"No doubt," Kiralo said, easily, "As do I."
"Then, consider this possibility: we can be friends, but friends help each other. The Tongue is concerned that a number of matters might slip beyond their taste." Then she muttered something under her breath.
Kiralo heard the low whine of a spirit, as it slipped out from under her sleeve. It was hairy and black, with big wide white eyes and a long, thin tongue that it lashed without sound in the air. When he looked at it, his mouth went dry, and the tastes seemed to fade away as it crawled around the small side room, darting its tongue out to taste for secrets and listeners.
"And?"
"There are doctors whose failure might have been punished harder. They treated the Emperor, and yet he died. Is this not strange?"
"Is it?" Kiralo asked.
"It might be. We do not know, and so we were asking if perhaps you would look into it."
Kiralo opened his mouth, but she shook her head.
"If you leave a single character, the character 'A' in the dead tree of the Pleasant Blossom Garden, we shall know just what you shall do next month. If you do not, that will be it."
What does Kiralo do?
[] A scarlet Letter: Agree to the action 'Doctor, Doctor' next turn, potentially get involved in some very tricky business, might have advantages, might have risks.
[] No, it's too much of a risk and too likely to backfire, getting involved, at least on someone else's time.
******
The bed smelled of decay, though Kuojah wasn't laying on it. Instead, in this private chamber, he was at a much smaller desk working when Kiralo stepped in and blanched. His father didn't look like he should be out of bed, and yet the old man was ceaselessly writing.
"Cs-Kuojah," Kiralo said.
"I can see you, Kiralo," Kuojah said, "What is it?"
"I have received a letter from Prince Jinhai that might be of interest to you," Kiralo said, stepping forward, each stride slow and sure before he deposited the letter.
"What does it say?"
"What doesn't it say?" Kiralo asked.
Kuojah picked it up and read through it, pausing several times to cough. He was pale and even sickly, but his eyes were fever bright by the time he finished.
"He thinks us fools and easy prey."
Kiralo frowned, "Beg pardon?"
Kuojah sighed, "War must be averted at any cost, but the Prince has only increased the chances that he shall have to be humiliated and put into his place."
Kiralo nodded, realizing it in the air. If things continued like this, then Prince Jinhai, no matter what happened, would have to die.
"Perhaps I shall outlive him," Kuojah said, his face impassive, but now those bright, vicious eyes looked as if they were picturing it.
"Perhaps you shall," Kiralo said, and in that moment he believed it.
*****
Poetical Exercises
Need: 22, Rolled: 1d100+14=25, huh, very bare success, made a number of enemies, that's going to complicate things a lot, actually.
Effect: New options, made quite a few enemies.
Doing the Rounds
Need: 30, Rolled: 1d100+13=107 (Wow, one off from a crit)
Effect: Options, a choice, as seen above.
Alms So far
Rolled: 1d100+14 (seven degrees of success x2, bonus from last turn)=91
Effect: Good progress, bonus for next roll (⅓ Alms complete) of +24.
Governor's Own Forting
Rolled: 1d100+8=43, very partial and very deceptive 'success.'
Need: 22, Rolled: 1d100+14=25, huh, very bare success, made a number of enemies, that's going to complicate things a lot, actually.
Effect: New options, made quite a few enemies.
Doing the Rounds
Need: 30, Rolled: 1d100+13=107 (Wow, one off from a crit)
Effect: Options, a choice, as seen above.
Alms So far
Rolled: 1d100+14 (seven degrees of success x2, bonus from last turn)=91
Effect: Good progress, bonus for next roll (⅓ Alms complete) of +24.
Governor's Own Forting
Rolled: 1d100+8=43, very partial and very deceptive 'success.'
A/N: And so after this vote, it's Rumors next, and then Turn 4. So, here we go! I hope you enjoyed.
- Location
- ?
[X] A scarlet Letter: Agree to the action 'Doctor, Doctor' next turn, potentially get involved in some very tricky business, might have advantages, might have risks.
Go big or go home. Let's get involved with the Unspeakables. Or whoever they are
It's funny, but it kind of feels like our rolls are worse than they are. They aren't that bad, really, we got some good stuff. But those near successes sure are costly.
Go big or go home. Let's get involved with the Unspeakables. Or whoever they are
It's funny, but it kind of feels like our rolls are worse than they are. They aren't that bad, really, we got some good stuff. But those near successes sure are costly.
- Pronouns
- They/Them
[X] A scarlet Letter: Agree to the action 'Doctor, Doctor' next turn, potentially get involved in some very tricky business, might have advantages, might have risks.
Go big or go home. Let's get involved with the Unspeakables. Or whoever they are
It's funny, but it kind of feels like our rolls are worse than they are. They aren't that bad, really, we got some good stuff. But those near successes sure are costly.
They definitely are. It's not really a fatal setback, but it does make the next stage of 'charm the poets and find someone to replace the poetry tutor' somewhat more difficult, and the failure of the Fort is certainly frustrating to Kiralo.
- Location
- The Great Beyond
- Pronouns
- He/She/They
[X] A scarlet Letter: Agree to the action 'Doctor, Doctor' next turn, potentially get involved in some very tricky business, might have advantages, might have risks.
I think I'll go with this.
I think I'll go with this.
Very close calls there, and we're making lots of enemies even as we make progress in carving out our own little chunk
[X] A scarlet Letter: Agree to the action 'Doctor, Doctor' next turn, potentially get involved in some very tricky business, might have advantages, might have risks.
Involvement with the spies is opportunity, and one we need. Their favor greases many wheels.
And also gives us the courtesy of at least SOME warning before we cross lines we shouldn't, instead of starting with the poison.
[X] A scarlet Letter: Agree to the action 'Doctor, Doctor' next turn, potentially get involved in some very tricky business, might have advantages, might have risks.
Involvement with the spies is opportunity, and one we need. Their favor greases many wheels.
And also gives us the courtesy of at least SOME warning before we cross lines we shouldn't, instead of starting with the poison.
Zeitgeist Blue
Currently Made of Metal
- Location
- Manila, Philippines, GMT +8
Of course there's a Department of Spies, how could there not be? It's a staple. Next thing you know and we have Dai Li agents knocking on our door.
[X] A scarlet Letter: Agree to the action 'Doctor, Doctor' next turn, potentially get involved in some very tricky business, might have advantages, might have risks.
And so deeper into the abyss of secrets we go.
[X] A scarlet Letter: Agree to the action 'Doctor, Doctor' next turn, potentially get involved in some very tricky business, might have advantages, might have risks.
And so deeper into the abyss of secrets we go.
[X] A scarlet Letter: Agree to the action 'Doctor, Doctor' next turn, potentially get involved in some very tricky business, might have advantages, might have risks.
We should put several dice into this.
We should put several dice into this.
- Pronouns
- They/Them
Vote closes on Saturday.
Bakkasama
There is always a greater fool
- Location
- Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Pronouns
- He/his
[X] A scarlet Letter: Agree to the action 'Doctor, Doctor' next turn, potentially get involved in some very tricky business, might have advantages, might have risks.
I think that next turn might be good time to get bodyguards?
I think that next turn might be good time to get bodyguards?
- Pronouns
- They/Them
Vote closes in 3 hours.
Probably yes. We're getting involved enough to need them now.
Turn 3--Rumors and Gossip
- Pronouns
- They/Them
Turn 3--Rumors and Gossip
Rumors:
Bring out the White?: The Governor of Rerin has fallen even further into his sickness, and this at a rather bad time for all. It is now almost sure, many say, that within a month or two at most he will be dead, and as bandits try to invade Rerin from the Iritan valleys. And, more than that, there have been rumors of a strange man in the northern forests who has been seen journeying deep into the mountains and returning alive.
These rumors have spread like wildfire, and there arem any peasants that have made the journey to try to find this man, to no avail. Many nobles as well, which is more of a problem. The fact that Yeadalt is not directly connected to the area does decrease the chance that it is a heretic of some kind in hiding, but how does one even know? Even in the most loyal province there are those who are not good subjects, and more than that, whatever is going on, it has drawn the attention of the court.
At the Pass: At the pass in Hari-Nat, the last search party of the year was turned away. At the moment, the son of the Governor of Hari-Nat is to be considered dead. His last hope has been dashed, and the Governor has gone into mourning, and will likely be indisposed for the next month or two at what might otherwise be a critical time.
Of course, all times are critical in truth, but this is definitely a bad time for the man to be mourning, and yet who could tell him he is wrong to grieve?
A Visitor to Court?: The Governor of Hari-Bueli is sending a large delegation towards the end of next month to the court, likely to press for more support along the borders, but also possibly for any number of other important reasons. But there is a lot of mystery and gossip surrounding the matter, and Kiralo can figure out little else.
Gossip:
A Hero in Our Midst: Kiralo, son of Kuojah, is apparently some sort of barbarian hero! A man of wit, taste, and a certain vulgar power who has won many battles, perhaps dozens or hundreds, and might well have drunk the skulls of his enemies, or whatever it is that Southlanders do. But, despite all of that, while a little blunt he seems the perfect picture of Csiritan good manners and ambition, and his knowledge in these matters certainly cannot be doubt.
Now, if only he could learn a little more tact...
A Sick Chancellor, A New Era?: Chancellor Kuojah is sick, and the whole court is buzzing about it. If he dies, everything changes, and even sick his grip slackens a little bit. Every moment of illness, every second of weakness gives his enemies heart and his allies worries, and perhaps that is why if anything Kuojah has begun to act more aggressive in making sure his allies hold the course and his enemies back off, humiliating several enemies and showing off his might by personally taking charge of the latest rewrite of the mid-level Imperial Exams. On top of that, to draw focus to the Emperor, it has been announced that the name of the next era shall be announced at the end of next month, rather than at the exact end of the year.
Thus shall end the Era of Vigorous Hope in Imperial Splendour, which lasted eight and a half years, and begin a new Era for a new Emperor, one which might last as many as ten years before a new Era must be chosen.
Liar's Palace: Count Shan of northern Nesterin has been on the war-path since it was found that renovations to his rooms have been delayed by spiritual malfeasance and common corruption. The laborers involved have of course been beaten and stripped of their Emperor-given clothes and kicked out into the city, and the supervisor has claimed that he knew nothing of it. But there are others that speak of how Count Shan was a supporter, in fact, of certain policies that most of the court, especially Kuojah, was an enemy of. And considering that some of the spiritual attacks on his building and his dignity were so subtle as to almost be suspicious…
And yet, from an outsiders view, it was clearly an overreaction, vicious and rude even if they were servants and thus not worthy of much concern. The effort and capital the Count has spent to get them dismissed could have been turned towards quite a few other areas, and thus has he been distracted and tied up in scandal.
And all while Kuojah lay (or didn't, as Kiralo could testify) in his sickbed.
*****
A/N: Alright.
Rumors:
Bring out the White?: The Governor of Rerin has fallen even further into his sickness, and this at a rather bad time for all. It is now almost sure, many say, that within a month or two at most he will be dead, and as bandits try to invade Rerin from the Iritan valleys. And, more than that, there have been rumors of a strange man in the northern forests who has been seen journeying deep into the mountains and returning alive.
These rumors have spread like wildfire, and there arem any peasants that have made the journey to try to find this man, to no avail. Many nobles as well, which is more of a problem. The fact that Yeadalt is not directly connected to the area does decrease the chance that it is a heretic of some kind in hiding, but how does one even know? Even in the most loyal province there are those who are not good subjects, and more than that, whatever is going on, it has drawn the attention of the court.
At the Pass: At the pass in Hari-Nat, the last search party of the year was turned away. At the moment, the son of the Governor of Hari-Nat is to be considered dead. His last hope has been dashed, and the Governor has gone into mourning, and will likely be indisposed for the next month or two at what might otherwise be a critical time.
Of course, all times are critical in truth, but this is definitely a bad time for the man to be mourning, and yet who could tell him he is wrong to grieve?
A Visitor to Court?: The Governor of Hari-Bueli is sending a large delegation towards the end of next month to the court, likely to press for more support along the borders, but also possibly for any number of other important reasons. But there is a lot of mystery and gossip surrounding the matter, and Kiralo can figure out little else.
Gossip:
A Hero in Our Midst: Kiralo, son of Kuojah, is apparently some sort of barbarian hero! A man of wit, taste, and a certain vulgar power who has won many battles, perhaps dozens or hundreds, and might well have drunk the skulls of his enemies, or whatever it is that Southlanders do. But, despite all of that, while a little blunt he seems the perfect picture of Csiritan good manners and ambition, and his knowledge in these matters certainly cannot be doubt.
Now, if only he could learn a little more tact...
A Sick Chancellor, A New Era?: Chancellor Kuojah is sick, and the whole court is buzzing about it. If he dies, everything changes, and even sick his grip slackens a little bit. Every moment of illness, every second of weakness gives his enemies heart and his allies worries, and perhaps that is why if anything Kuojah has begun to act more aggressive in making sure his allies hold the course and his enemies back off, humiliating several enemies and showing off his might by personally taking charge of the latest rewrite of the mid-level Imperial Exams. On top of that, to draw focus to the Emperor, it has been announced that the name of the next era shall be announced at the end of next month, rather than at the exact end of the year.
Thus shall end the Era of Vigorous Hope in Imperial Splendour, which lasted eight and a half years, and begin a new Era for a new Emperor, one which might last as many as ten years before a new Era must be chosen.
Liar's Palace: Count Shan of northern Nesterin has been on the war-path since it was found that renovations to his rooms have been delayed by spiritual malfeasance and common corruption. The laborers involved have of course been beaten and stripped of their Emperor-given clothes and kicked out into the city, and the supervisor has claimed that he knew nothing of it. But there are others that speak of how Count Shan was a supporter, in fact, of certain policies that most of the court, especially Kuojah, was an enemy of. And considering that some of the spiritual attacks on his building and his dignity were so subtle as to almost be suspicious…
And yet, from an outsiders view, it was clearly an overreaction, vicious and rude even if they were servants and thus not worthy of much concern. The effort and capital the Count has spent to get them dismissed could have been turned towards quite a few other areas, and thus has he been distracted and tied up in scandal.
And all while Kuojah lay (or didn't, as Kiralo could testify) in his sickbed.
*****
A/N: Alright.
Last edited:
- Location
- The Great Beyond
- Pronouns
- He/She/They
many peasants, not 'any peasants'.
Interesting and amusing to see the "skull drinking barbarian warlord" stuff.
Hmm, any signs of Kuojah being attacked by spirits rather than naturally falling sick in his old age, or maybe multiple factors building into it?
Well if we had time...
Turn 4--Planning
- Pronouns
- They/Them
Turn 4 (Mid-Winter)--Planning
*****
A/N: So, here we go, I hope it isn't too short to qualify for the 'OP update alert. Vote by plan, of course.
Influence: 5 (Kuojah's Power)+2 (Kuojah's Wealth)+1 (Kuojah's Need)-5 (New to Court)+1 (Strange and Foreign in the right ways)+1 (Not Entirely His Father's Son)+1 (Diplomatic Might)+1 (The Man Who Tells Stories to Emperor's)+1 (Party Animal)+1 (Warrior General)=9 Influence
One Influence must be spent on an action that has 'Martial' as the primary or secondary dice rolled.
Kiralo has agreed to do Doctor, Doctor.
This month, as can be seen below, is the midwinter festival, and thus he'll be expected to do something in relation to that.
Trouble is multiplying, and his ability to influence the world is coming into focus, as he hits up against the limits of his current popularity. The world moves, and Kiralo must act to win his place in it. Winter is half over, and with spring comes the risk of war engulfing the land and destroying all that his father has worked for and all that the mercenary dreams of for Csirit.
Also, a group from Hari-Bueli is arriving at the end of the month, so anything involving that might or might not have priorities.
Title: Largess of the Emperor
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy
Chance of Success: 50%, success by degrees really matters.
Time: 1 Turn.
Text: Kiralo's funds are not even close to depleted, but there is certainly a certain tightness to just what he has to spend, and more than that, all courtiers have lands or grants or jobs given by the Emperor that allow them to live a lifestyle that lets them fight the polite battles of the court. Kiralo knows the Emperor, and is known to have a certain amount of power and expertise in certain matters, it is possible he could be granted a small stipend for some excuse or another, and that this might help him in the future.
Title: A Position of Some Worth
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy
Chance of Success: 35%
Time: 1 Turn
Text: Kiralo could get a position within the court as well. It would need to be one that was at once important without imposing too much on his time and energy. It needed to be a job that grants access without restricting scope, and finding one like that that isn't already taken is certainly a difficult task in the crowded court, but a worthy one, indeed.
Title: Education of a Ruler
Dice Rolled: Learning and Diplomacy
Chance of Success: 60%
Time: 1 Turn.
Text: Who teaches the Emperor? That, truly, is an important question. Kiralo knows that Kuojah is the ultimate master of this, the one driving all of it, but just who are the tutors and how is the Emperor coping with his scholarship? Perhaps a polite visit is in store, if done just right. Perhaps not, it all remains to be seen. But the Emperor's education is a matter of great importance, at least so long as he sits upon the throne, may that be a long time indeed.
Title: South-Bank Scholars
Dice Rolled: Learning and Diplomacy
Chance of Success: 55%
Time: 1 Turn
Text: The South Bank Philosophy Club aren't the only group that actively opposes Kuojah's philosophy and scholarship, but they are the most prominent critics, and visiting their club and their printing presses and reading more about their beliefs might give Kiralo a way in with them, whether as an envoy between them and Kuojah, as unlikely as that is, or as an ally of theirs against some of Kuojah's policies.
Title: Young Snakes, Sharp Fangs
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy
Chance of Success: 70%
Time: 1 Turn.
Text: The young and ambitious, unmarried noblemen of the court are a sharp bunch. Kiralo declined in a way their companionship earlier, and they're not going to be easy to befriend, and he'd have to balance their friendship with the possibility that they might be trivial people whose goals will not align with his. Yet at the same time, they are the people his age and younger, and their fathers and uncles, their brothers and cousins, are important people, as are they by reflection.
Title: Unseating the Poet
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy, secondary Intrigue
Chance of Success: ???
Time: ! Turn
Text: At the moment, Kiralo knows not a single other poet who could possibly replace Hari, but if he knew...or if he was willing to bet on literally anyone being better than Hari, he could replace Hari with someone else, someone more willing to teach the Emperor properly, and also willing to be Kiralo's ally on certain matters. Mostly involving giving him access to the Emperor, at least at the moment.
Title: To Protect...
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy (primary), Stewardship and Martial (Secondary)
Chance of success: 83%
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 the West
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy
Chance of Success: ???
Time: 1 Turn
Text: Juae of the West is a wild card, just as Kuojah has said, and that means that his support is very important. In order to even know how to gain it, one first has to know the man himself, both what he wants and what sort of man he ultimately is. He needs to be felt out delicately, else others notice and understand Kiralo's game and beat him at it, or any other number of possible bad outcomes.
Title: Going South
Dice Rolled: Military and Diplomacy
Chance of Success: 50%
Time: 1 Turn
Text: Qing'lu of the South is an enemy of Kuojah, but is he an enemy of the Emperor? More than that, what if anything can he do to aid Kuojah and the Emperor, and Kiralo as well. They do not have to be enemies, at least not in theory. There is never going to be a case for the man being a friend, but there are such things as grudging allies, and building on the goodwill gained over the last month could be very helpful
Title: A Survey of Military Preparedness
Dice Rolled: Military
Chance of Success: ???
Time: 2 Turns.
Text: Kiralo needs to understand the state of the military, and that means understanding just what is said on paper. A lot of it is beyond the reach of the court, represented only by the bureaucrats and generals of the Council, but even that matters greatly since any reforms or even any usage of the army must first involve being able to understand just what exists. It is not the season yet for Spring and any possible maneuvers, even if that would tell much except the state of preparedness for the local forces, so all that remains are to stay huddled up in the winter and read, write, and convince.
Title: Building the Case, Part 1: I'm Good Enough
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy and Military
Chance of Success: 65%
Time: 1 Turn
Text: If Kiralo is going to attempt to aim for a liason position between the Council of Generals and the Emperor (and Kuojah), it will take a lot of work to obtain. It's not something that is simple to 'deserve' and politics and popularity both matter a great deal.
Title: Rationed Off
Dice Rolled: Stewardship and Military
Chance of Success: 60%
Time: 1 Turn
Text: Soldiers have had their pay in arrears for months, and to a large extent that isn't going to change. At the very least, there's a certain mindset that has settled over both sides of the disputes that isn't likely to change any time soon. But up until that point, there is still something that could be done. If money could be found, the soldiers could be given extra rations both of food, rice wine, and perhaps even inducements such as the visits of prostitutes and the like. Anything at all is possible when the goal is undermining the direct link between the Generals political aims and the soldier's actual needs.
Title: Ride Along Friends
Dice Rolled: Martial and Diplomacy
Chance of Success: 65%
Time: 1 Turn
Text: Perhaps they merely haven't gotten off on the best foot. Either way, Kiralo is not particularly friendly with many of the stableboys, managers of the stable, and riders of the court, and these are people who in theory should at least have some bond that ties them together with him. Repairing the relationship will be difficult, and probably involve trying to break down the barriers using their common ground.
Title: From a High Horse
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy and Martial
Chance of Success: 60%
Time: 1 turn.
Text: The entire state and nature of the light horseman of Csirit is currently unknown. While it certainly risks coming across as arrogant and more than that of alienating those who are already somewhat resentful of him, testing the skill and prowess of the light cavalrymen who are stationed and posted at the court could make a good first move in evaluating just what talent is on display to work with on a small scale, perhaps as a first step towards larger scale reforms without the difficulty inherent in such a proposal.
Title: Out on the Town
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy
Chance of Success: 80%
Time: 1 Turn
Text: Arimi and Vedal are certainly growing a little bit listless, trapped her and as of yet unable to either spread rumors of Kiralo's heroism or truly check out all of the fine living that the court promises--drinks and dancers and parties that Kiralo has mostly avoided--and so they've expressed a desire to perhaps go and see just what Csrae proper has to offer. It certainly wouldn't be very proper.
Title: Yanmae's Seclusion
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy
Chance of Success: 65%
Time: 1 Turn
Text: Just why are they being kept separate, and just what is she like? Yanmae is the half-sister of Kiralo's who is closest to his age, and perhaps it is a mere curiosity, but he does want to meet her at some point.
Title: Letters to distant relatives
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy
Chance of Success: 80%
Time: 1 Turn
Text: Sne out letters to Meilin, the widower of Kuojah's second daughter, and to her daughter, in Rerin, a place that Kiralo is not yet fully familiar with.
Title: Family Affairs
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy
Chance of Success: 70%
Time: 1 Turn
Text: The oldest daughter, Aia, and her children and her family are of some import, and more than that, they might be a close tie that could be used. It all depends on where they stand, but they need someone to stand with them if Kuojah dies, because without him they are nothing. Kiralo understands that, being in the same boat.
Title: A Confused Code
Dice Rolled: Intrigue
Chance of Success: 55%
Time: 2 turns
Text: Arimi's strange pidgin Anlan-Bueli-Csiritan-Southlander is hard to understand when he switches into it, and seems to share the grammatical composition of absolutely none of them. That could make it a surprisingly useful language if one wanted to convey coded messages, since Arimi doesn't switch into it often, and the odds of anyone being able to work it out are actually somewhat slim, and the odds of anyone taking the time to do so are even slimmer. It'd take some studying and work, though.
Title: The Cook Knows
Dice Rolled: Intrigue
Chance of Success: 60%
Time: 1 Turn
Text: When one is a man's cook, they learn something. In fact, they learn a lot, and they know a lot of people. Hieng owes Kiralo, and with a little convincing, probably he could spill a few secrets, potentially even useful ones, and talk to some of his old friends. Servants like him, but ones who might at least push a little bit of gossip his way.
Title: The Music Men
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy
Chance of Success: 75%
Time: 1 Turn
Text: In every court Kiralo has known the musicians and entertainers, if not itinerant (and they couldn't be in such a large and powerful court, or at least not many) have their own culture, and their own standards. In a court that is obsessed with ritual and beauty, knowing these musicians could prove useful in the future...and at the very least would make it easier to snag a few if and when he had a need for them.
Title: Dancers in the Dusk
Dice Rolled: Intrigue
Chance of Success: 60%
Time: 1 Turn.
Text: Dancers hear a lot, and what they hear they can pass on. Kiralo would avoid pressuring Han in this regard, especially considering just where some of this information comes from, but like servants, the dancers and entertainers of the court see far more than they say.
Title:A Miracle. With Knives.
Dice Rolled: Martial
Chance of Success: 50%
Time: 2 turns
Text: Xialon, the knife juggler, was actually surprisingly impressive. And there were signs, here and there, that he...knew how to use those knives for more than just juggling, and knew a few very useful spirits. The two biggest dangers are that it would be too expensive, considering Kiralo's father is somewhat skeptical of his spending, and that Xialon would refuse. The training too difficult? Kiralo is a Rassit, surely it can't be that hard.
Title: The Opener of Letters
Dice Rolled: Intrigue
Chance of Success: 60%
Time: 2 Turns
Text: Perhaps a courier or two could be convinced to sometimes tell tidbits of the information they are transferring. It is not likely that they will provide huge levels of details, not on the budget Kiralo currently has, strained as he is by his father's careful management of his money, but a few details at the right time could begin to reveal some of what the webs of messages outwards say and mean.
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 be very, very helpful.
Title: Judge Not
Dice Rolled: Stewardship
Chance of Success: 70%
Time: 1 Turn
Text: The Ten Judges are mysterious beings, whose judgements and whose worship are both central to Csiritan religion and yet their own mysterious side-path. Speaking with the Judge-Priests of the Court might help Kiralo understand them more, and their own influence on matters of morality is very strong in the heart of the court, where life, death, and what comes after are so important. As well, they might possess some knowledge gleaned from the previous Emperor's funeral, which they would have helped preside over.
Title: At Beating Hearts
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy
Chance of Success: 80%
Time: 1 Turn
Text: The monastery at the very heart of the empire is a holy place, and many wish to visit it. Some are allowed the privilege, and some who go learn something more both about magic and faith itself. Oh to talk to Spirits that have seen the passing of two-hundred years as if in the blink of an eye, and talk to the holy men of that blessed place. It would be an important religious experience, and one that Kiralo would be loathe to miss.
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: 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: Perhaps A Wrong Foot?
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy
Chance of Success: 40%
Time: 1 Turn.
Text: Kiralo has made a number of enemies that he can't afford. More than that, he's not impressed certain very important people who might be the key to gaining acceptance in the poet community. The balancing act is to find the line between abasement and pride, between winning their respect and proving that he was not worthy of their respect.
Title: Outcasts in the Society
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy.
Chance of Success: 55%
Time: 1 Turn.
Text: There are poets who are known to be part of still more obscure schools. People who often challenge the normal forms, and for it win a little fame, but none of the prominence that more traditional poets gain. One way to gain a path towards power would be to be a patron of one of them, learn more about them and see just how much of their style fits with his own. Kiralo could then lead them to greater prominence, with the ultimate prize of course being the position of Poetry Tutor.
Title: The Hero Stands Alone?
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy
Chance of Success: ???
Time: 2 Turns.
Text: May vipers devour their bodies! They are proud, and they think they know what poetry is. But Kiralo was trained in the hard south, where poetry was a way of life just as much as in the north. Kiralo could write and write, could release poems like arrows shot on the wing against the enemy. Send them to rout. He doesn't need a school, he doesn't need 'allies.' When he is a prominent and important poet, others will flock to ape his style. And among those who do, there could perhaps be a friend or ally who could become the Poetry Tutor.
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. An impressive play can often be a very good way to make a mark among the right sort of community...such as the poets.
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: Money in the City
Dice Rolled: Stewardship and Diplomacy
Chance of Success: 65%
Time: 1 Turn.
Text: As nobles and bureaucrats are to the Imperial City, so are merchants and petty officials to Csrae the city. The important men that are behind most of the power in Csrae the city are men whose opinion matters, not least of which because the relationship with the Imperial City is highly symbiotic. Through Yonu, Kiralo has a chance to get to know them. Shake the tree, and see what comes out.
Title: Guards, Guards
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy
Chance of Success: 60%
Time: 1 Turn
Text: The city guards take care of both crime and any civil disorder. When the people riot, or criminals attempt to hurt the profits of merchants, or in any case where authority in the city needs a strong arm, the city guards are there, and on the few occasions in which the city has been under siege, they have been important...one way or another, for more than once has the Csrae City Guard been bribed to open the gates for a man who will soon be Emperor, pushing past the last beleaguered defenses of a fool. It has happened...and it might happen again. History rhymes, and sometimes paying attention to the words matters. Kiralo can learn a bit more about them and their concerns, and see where it goes from there.
Title: Secrets and Lies in the Viper Court
Dice Rolled: Intrigue
Chance of Success: 50%
Time:
Text: Kiralo could try, as carefully as possible, to learn about the Department of Secrets. Not being acknowledged to exist makes it difficult, but he could at least gather a few rumors and try to understand just what, if anything, was going on with them. What were their plans, and what were their ideas? Was it folly to work with them, or was it
Title: The Old Emperor's Men
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy
Chance of Success: 75%
Time:
Text: The Old Emperor had men of his age who shared in his fate and in his glory, and yet not in his death. They know the character of the Old Emperor, perhaps, and maybe in their cups they could reveal the old battle lines of the court, and thus cast light on how and why the situation has turned into what it is.
Title: The New Emperor's Boys...Part 1
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy
Chance of Success: 55%
Time: 1 Turn
Text: Perhaps an Emperor should have companions? The next generation would need to step up, and then only in very controlled and precise ways, but in theory boy Emperors of the past have, for their short and often truncated reign, indeed had young playmates. Figuring out just who is being proposed and what the odds are of Kuojah accepting outside influence of that kinda is the first step to perhaps building influence towards the Emperor for other people. After all, access is itself a form of power, and a very potent one at that.
One Influence must be spent on an action that has 'Martial' as the primary or secondary dice rolled.
Kiralo has agreed to do Doctor, Doctor.
This month, as can be seen below, is the midwinter festival, and thus he'll be expected to do something in relation to that.
Trouble is multiplying, and his ability to influence the world is coming into focus, as he hits up against the limits of his current popularity. The world moves, and Kiralo must act to win his place in it. Winter is half over, and with spring comes the risk of war engulfing the land and destroying all that his father has worked for and all that the mercenary dreams of for Csirit.
Also, a group from Hari-Bueli is arriving at the end of the month, so anything involving that might or might not have priorities.
[Default, 0 cost] Walk Amid the Revelry
Dice: Diplomacy.
Chance of Success: 100%, dice roll to see if anything interesting/good/bad happens.
Time: 1 Turn
Text: Walk amid the galleries of ice, through the banquets and the feasts and the ceremonies, and merely partake in this festive occasion.
Title: Made of Ice and Dreams
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy and Learning
Chance of Success: 60%, variable effect
Time: 1 Turn
Text: Each year, craftsman from around the world come to show their skill at certain crafts, most famously this time of year ice sculpture, a Hari-Nat specialty brought south by an Emperor's beloved courtesan a century ago. Kiralo could no more be a famous ice sculptor than he could flap his arms and fly, but such men need patrons and resources. Kiralo's own budget is rather low and so he'd have to choose carefully, but there is some prestige in being a patron of the arts.
Title: Every Special Little Snowflake
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy
Chance of Success: 60%
Time: 1 Turn
Text: There are banquets all over the city and all over the palace in the week leading up to the big imperial ceremony and the invocation of the proper Gods. And at these banquets, poems to winter are not only typical, they're expected. Kiralo is a poet, and this could be a chance to win a reputation for himself, one that might aid in other endeavors.
Title: A Duel of Ice and Snow
Dice Rolled: Magic and Learning
chance of Success: 100%, effect variable
Time: 1 Turn
Text: Every year, the Imperial Mage College puts on a display of their students prowess in a sense. The spirits of ice and snow and wind and water are all put to taxing effect in duels and battles and moving panoramas. Some students have what might be called a snowball fight, though it's far more involved than that, and spirits weave vast pictures in the ground or surround audiences in blizzards that show within their depths scenes of warmth and power. It is a sheer display of might and skill, mastery even, that is not to be missed, and going to see it might teach Kiralo a few things, too.
Dice: Diplomacy.
Chance of Success: 100%, dice roll to see if anything interesting/good/bad happens.
Time: 1 Turn
Text: Walk amid the galleries of ice, through the banquets and the feasts and the ceremonies, and merely partake in this festive occasion.
Title: Made of Ice and Dreams
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy and Learning
Chance of Success: 60%, variable effect
Time: 1 Turn
Text: Each year, craftsman from around the world come to show their skill at certain crafts, most famously this time of year ice sculpture, a Hari-Nat specialty brought south by an Emperor's beloved courtesan a century ago. Kiralo could no more be a famous ice sculptor than he could flap his arms and fly, but such men need patrons and resources. Kiralo's own budget is rather low and so he'd have to choose carefully, but there is some prestige in being a patron of the arts.
Title: Every Special Little Snowflake
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy
Chance of Success: 60%
Time: 1 Turn
Text: There are banquets all over the city and all over the palace in the week leading up to the big imperial ceremony and the invocation of the proper Gods. And at these banquets, poems to winter are not only typical, they're expected. Kiralo is a poet, and this could be a chance to win a reputation for himself, one that might aid in other endeavors.
Title: A Duel of Ice and Snow
Dice Rolled: Magic and Learning
chance of Success: 100%, effect variable
Time: 1 Turn
Text: Every year, the Imperial Mage College puts on a display of their students prowess in a sense. The spirits of ice and snow and wind and water are all put to taxing effect in duels and battles and moving panoramas. Some students have what might be called a snowball fight, though it's far more involved than that, and spirits weave vast pictures in the ground or surround audiences in blizzards that show within their depths scenes of warmth and power. It is a sheer display of might and skill, mastery even, that is not to be missed, and going to see it might teach Kiralo a few things, too.
Title: Largess of the Emperor
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy
Chance of Success: 50%, success by degrees really matters.
Time: 1 Turn.
Text: Kiralo's funds are not even close to depleted, but there is certainly a certain tightness to just what he has to spend, and more than that, all courtiers have lands or grants or jobs given by the Emperor that allow them to live a lifestyle that lets them fight the polite battles of the court. Kiralo knows the Emperor, and is known to have a certain amount of power and expertise in certain matters, it is possible he could be granted a small stipend for some excuse or another, and that this might help him in the future.
Title: A Position of Some Worth
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy
Chance of Success: 35%
Time: 1 Turn
Text: Kiralo could get a position within the court as well. It would need to be one that was at once important without imposing too much on his time and energy. It needed to be a job that grants access without restricting scope, and finding one like that that isn't already taken is certainly a difficult task in the crowded court, but a worthy one, indeed.
Title: Education of a Ruler
Dice Rolled: Learning and Diplomacy
Chance of Success: 60%
Time: 1 Turn.
Text: Who teaches the Emperor? That, truly, is an important question. Kiralo knows that Kuojah is the ultimate master of this, the one driving all of it, but just who are the tutors and how is the Emperor coping with his scholarship? Perhaps a polite visit is in store, if done just right. Perhaps not, it all remains to be seen. But the Emperor's education is a matter of great importance, at least so long as he sits upon the throne, may that be a long time indeed.
Title: South-Bank Scholars
Dice Rolled: Learning and Diplomacy
Chance of Success: 55%
Time: 1 Turn
Text: The South Bank Philosophy Club aren't the only group that actively opposes Kuojah's philosophy and scholarship, but they are the most prominent critics, and visiting their club and their printing presses and reading more about their beliefs might give Kiralo a way in with them, whether as an envoy between them and Kuojah, as unlikely as that is, or as an ally of theirs against some of Kuojah's policies.
Title: Young Snakes, Sharp Fangs
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy
Chance of Success: 70%
Time: 1 Turn.
Text: The young and ambitious, unmarried noblemen of the court are a sharp bunch. Kiralo declined in a way their companionship earlier, and they're not going to be easy to befriend, and he'd have to balance their friendship with the possibility that they might be trivial people whose goals will not align with his. Yet at the same time, they are the people his age and younger, and their fathers and uncles, their brothers and cousins, are important people, as are they by reflection.
Title: Unseating the Poet
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy, secondary Intrigue
Chance of Success: ???
Time: ! Turn
Text: At the moment, Kiralo knows not a single other poet who could possibly replace Hari, but if he knew...or if he was willing to bet on literally anyone being better than Hari, he could replace Hari with someone else, someone more willing to teach the Emperor properly, and also willing to be Kiralo's ally on certain matters. Mostly involving giving him access to the Emperor, at least at the moment.
Title: To Protect...
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy (primary), Stewardship and Martial (Secondary)
Chance of success: 83%
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 the West
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy
Chance of Success: ???
Time: 1 Turn
Text: Juae of the West is a wild card, just as Kuojah has said, and that means that his support is very important. In order to even know how to gain it, one first has to know the man himself, both what he wants and what sort of man he ultimately is. He needs to be felt out delicately, else others notice and understand Kiralo's game and beat him at it, or any other number of possible bad outcomes.
Title: Going South
Dice Rolled: Military and Diplomacy
Chance of Success: 50%
Time: 1 Turn
Text: Qing'lu of the South is an enemy of Kuojah, but is he an enemy of the Emperor? More than that, what if anything can he do to aid Kuojah and the Emperor, and Kiralo as well. They do not have to be enemies, at least not in theory. There is never going to be a case for the man being a friend, but there are such things as grudging allies, and building on the goodwill gained over the last month could be very helpful
Title: A Survey of Military Preparedness
Dice Rolled: Military
Chance of Success: ???
Time: 2 Turns.
Text: Kiralo needs to understand the state of the military, and that means understanding just what is said on paper. A lot of it is beyond the reach of the court, represented only by the bureaucrats and generals of the Council, but even that matters greatly since any reforms or even any usage of the army must first involve being able to understand just what exists. It is not the season yet for Spring and any possible maneuvers, even if that would tell much except the state of preparedness for the local forces, so all that remains are to stay huddled up in the winter and read, write, and convince.
Title: Building the Case, Part 1: I'm Good Enough
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy and Military
Chance of Success: 65%
Time: 1 Turn
Text: If Kiralo is going to attempt to aim for a liason position between the Council of Generals and the Emperor (and Kuojah), it will take a lot of work to obtain. It's not something that is simple to 'deserve' and politics and popularity both matter a great deal.
Title: Rationed Off
Dice Rolled: Stewardship and Military
Chance of Success: 60%
Time: 1 Turn
Text: Soldiers have had their pay in arrears for months, and to a large extent that isn't going to change. At the very least, there's a certain mindset that has settled over both sides of the disputes that isn't likely to change any time soon. But up until that point, there is still something that could be done. If money could be found, the soldiers could be given extra rations both of food, rice wine, and perhaps even inducements such as the visits of prostitutes and the like. Anything at all is possible when the goal is undermining the direct link between the Generals political aims and the soldier's actual needs.
Title: Ride Along Friends
Dice Rolled: Martial and Diplomacy
Chance of Success: 65%
Time: 1 Turn
Text: Perhaps they merely haven't gotten off on the best foot. Either way, Kiralo is not particularly friendly with many of the stableboys, managers of the stable, and riders of the court, and these are people who in theory should at least have some bond that ties them together with him. Repairing the relationship will be difficult, and probably involve trying to break down the barriers using their common ground.
Title: From a High Horse
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy and Martial
Chance of Success: 60%
Time: 1 turn.
Text: The entire state and nature of the light horseman of Csirit is currently unknown. While it certainly risks coming across as arrogant and more than that of alienating those who are already somewhat resentful of him, testing the skill and prowess of the light cavalrymen who are stationed and posted at the court could make a good first move in evaluating just what talent is on display to work with on a small scale, perhaps as a first step towards larger scale reforms without the difficulty inherent in such a proposal.
Title: Out on the Town
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy
Chance of Success: 80%
Time: 1 Turn
Text: Arimi and Vedal are certainly growing a little bit listless, trapped her and as of yet unable to either spread rumors of Kiralo's heroism or truly check out all of the fine living that the court promises--drinks and dancers and parties that Kiralo has mostly avoided--and so they've expressed a desire to perhaps go and see just what Csrae proper has to offer. It certainly wouldn't be very proper.
Title: Yanmae's Seclusion
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy
Chance of Success: 65%
Time: 1 Turn
Text: Just why are they being kept separate, and just what is she like? Yanmae is the half-sister of Kiralo's who is closest to his age, and perhaps it is a mere curiosity, but he does want to meet her at some point.
Title: Letters to distant relatives
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy
Chance of Success: 80%
Time: 1 Turn
Text: Sne out letters to Meilin, the widower of Kuojah's second daughter, and to her daughter, in Rerin, a place that Kiralo is not yet fully familiar with.
Title: Family Affairs
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy
Chance of Success: 70%
Time: 1 Turn
Text: The oldest daughter, Aia, and her children and her family are of some import, and more than that, they might be a close tie that could be used. It all depends on where they stand, but they need someone to stand with them if Kuojah dies, because without him they are nothing. Kiralo understands that, being in the same boat.
Title: A Confused Code
Dice Rolled: Intrigue
Chance of Success: 55%
Time: 2 turns
Text: Arimi's strange pidgin Anlan-Bueli-Csiritan-Southlander is hard to understand when he switches into it, and seems to share the grammatical composition of absolutely none of them. That could make it a surprisingly useful language if one wanted to convey coded messages, since Arimi doesn't switch into it often, and the odds of anyone being able to work it out are actually somewhat slim, and the odds of anyone taking the time to do so are even slimmer. It'd take some studying and work, though.
Title: The Cook Knows
Dice Rolled: Intrigue
Chance of Success: 60%
Time: 1 Turn
Text: When one is a man's cook, they learn something. In fact, they learn a lot, and they know a lot of people. Hieng owes Kiralo, and with a little convincing, probably he could spill a few secrets, potentially even useful ones, and talk to some of his old friends. Servants like him, but ones who might at least push a little bit of gossip his way.
Title: The Music Men
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy
Chance of Success: 75%
Time: 1 Turn
Text: In every court Kiralo has known the musicians and entertainers, if not itinerant (and they couldn't be in such a large and powerful court, or at least not many) have their own culture, and their own standards. In a court that is obsessed with ritual and beauty, knowing these musicians could prove useful in the future...and at the very least would make it easier to snag a few if and when he had a need for them.
Title: Dancers in the Dusk
Dice Rolled: Intrigue
Chance of Success: 60%
Time: 1 Turn.
Text: Dancers hear a lot, and what they hear they can pass on. Kiralo would avoid pressuring Han in this regard, especially considering just where some of this information comes from, but like servants, the dancers and entertainers of the court see far more than they say.
Title:A Miracle. With Knives.
Dice Rolled: Martial
Chance of Success: 50%
Time: 2 turns
Text: Xialon, the knife juggler, was actually surprisingly impressive. And there were signs, here and there, that he...knew how to use those knives for more than just juggling, and knew a few very useful spirits. The two biggest dangers are that it would be too expensive, considering Kiralo's father is somewhat skeptical of his spending, and that Xialon would refuse. The training too difficult? Kiralo is a Rassit, surely it can't be that hard.
Title: The Opener of Letters
Dice Rolled: Intrigue
Chance of Success: 60%
Time: 2 Turns
Text: Perhaps a courier or two could be convinced to sometimes tell tidbits of the information they are transferring. It is not likely that they will provide huge levels of details, not on the budget Kiralo currently has, strained as he is by his father's careful management of his money, but a few details at the right time could begin to reveal some of what the webs of messages outwards say and mean.
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 be very, very helpful.
Title: Judge Not
Dice Rolled: Stewardship
Chance of Success: 70%
Time: 1 Turn
Text: The Ten Judges are mysterious beings, whose judgements and whose worship are both central to Csiritan religion and yet their own mysterious side-path. Speaking with the Judge-Priests of the Court might help Kiralo understand them more, and their own influence on matters of morality is very strong in the heart of the court, where life, death, and what comes after are so important. As well, they might possess some knowledge gleaned from the previous Emperor's funeral, which they would have helped preside over.
Title: At Beating Hearts
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy
Chance of Success: 80%
Time: 1 Turn
Text: The monastery at the very heart of the empire is a holy place, and many wish to visit it. Some are allowed the privilege, and some who go learn something more both about magic and faith itself. Oh to talk to Spirits that have seen the passing of two-hundred years as if in the blink of an eye, and talk to the holy men of that blessed place. It would be an important religious experience, and one that Kiralo would be loathe to miss.
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: 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: Perhaps A Wrong Foot?
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy
Chance of Success: 40%
Time: 1 Turn.
Text: Kiralo has made a number of enemies that he can't afford. More than that, he's not impressed certain very important people who might be the key to gaining acceptance in the poet community. The balancing act is to find the line between abasement and pride, between winning their respect and proving that he was not worthy of their respect.
Title: Outcasts in the Society
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy.
Chance of Success: 55%
Time: 1 Turn.
Text: There are poets who are known to be part of still more obscure schools. People who often challenge the normal forms, and for it win a little fame, but none of the prominence that more traditional poets gain. One way to gain a path towards power would be to be a patron of one of them, learn more about them and see just how much of their style fits with his own. Kiralo could then lead them to greater prominence, with the ultimate prize of course being the position of Poetry Tutor.
Title: The Hero Stands Alone?
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy
Chance of Success: ???
Time: 2 Turns.
Text: May vipers devour their bodies! They are proud, and they think they know what poetry is. But Kiralo was trained in the hard south, where poetry was a way of life just as much as in the north. Kiralo could write and write, could release poems like arrows shot on the wing against the enemy. Send them to rout. He doesn't need a school, he doesn't need 'allies.' When he is a prominent and important poet, others will flock to ape his style. And among those who do, there could perhaps be a friend or ally who could become the Poetry Tutor.
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. An impressive play can often be a very good way to make a mark among the right sort of community...such as the poets.
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: Money in the City
Dice Rolled: Stewardship and Diplomacy
Chance of Success: 65%
Time: 1 Turn.
Text: As nobles and bureaucrats are to the Imperial City, so are merchants and petty officials to Csrae the city. The important men that are behind most of the power in Csrae the city are men whose opinion matters, not least of which because the relationship with the Imperial City is highly symbiotic. Through Yonu, Kiralo has a chance to get to know them. Shake the tree, and see what comes out.
Title: Guards, Guards
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy
Chance of Success: 60%
Time: 1 Turn
Text: The city guards take care of both crime and any civil disorder. When the people riot, or criminals attempt to hurt the profits of merchants, or in any case where authority in the city needs a strong arm, the city guards are there, and on the few occasions in which the city has been under siege, they have been important...one way or another, for more than once has the Csrae City Guard been bribed to open the gates for a man who will soon be Emperor, pushing past the last beleaguered defenses of a fool. It has happened...and it might happen again. History rhymes, and sometimes paying attention to the words matters. Kiralo can learn a bit more about them and their concerns, and see where it goes from there.
Title: Secrets and Lies in the Viper Court
Dice Rolled: Intrigue
Chance of Success: 50%
Time:
Text: Kiralo could try, as carefully as possible, to learn about the Department of Secrets. Not being acknowledged to exist makes it difficult, but he could at least gather a few rumors and try to understand just what, if anything, was going on with them. What were their plans, and what were their ideas? Was it folly to work with them, or was it
Title: The Old Emperor's Men
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy
Chance of Success: 75%
Time:
Text: The Old Emperor had men of his age who shared in his fate and in his glory, and yet not in his death. They know the character of the Old Emperor, perhaps, and maybe in their cups they could reveal the old battle lines of the court, and thus cast light on how and why the situation has turned into what it is.
Title: The New Emperor's Boys...Part 1
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy
Chance of Success: 55%
Time: 1 Turn
Text: Perhaps an Emperor should have companions? The next generation would need to step up, and then only in very controlled and precise ways, but in theory boy Emperors of the past have, for their short and often truncated reign, indeed had young playmates. Figuring out just who is being proposed and what the odds are of Kuojah accepting outside influence of that kinda is the first step to perhaps building influence towards the Emperor for other people. After all, access is itself a form of power, and a very potent one at that.
Influence=1 (Father's reflected glory)+1 (Alms Success)
Title: Hired Bows
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy (Primary), Martial (Secondary)
Chance of success: 15%
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 (primary), Martial (Secondary)
Chance of success: 11%
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 Spirits Nest
Dice Rolled: Magic
Chance of Success: 65%
Time: 1 Turn
Text: Nestirin is a land rich in spiritual potential, as well as more than a little power. While not as well placed and wealthy as their neighbors Basrat, their magic-users and spirits all make it a very important place, especially if war comes knocking. Basrat, after all, is where the Prince is, waiting and waiting still as fall turns to winter.
Title: Mountains and Forests
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy
Chance of Success: 70%
Time: 1 Turn
Text: Rerin is a heavily mountainous province whose forests are said to contain much of wonder and more of terror. Bordering more than a few provinces, with its governor sick and its succession in doubt, it might be far more important than one might think at first. Yet the opening gambit to talk to them is simple: a letter of concern and hopes for improvement to the Governor, and then see just what turns up.
Title: An Old Seat of Empire
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy
Chance of Success: 60%
Time: 1 Turn
Text: Once, Xissand was the seat of a rival Empire, formed in the breakup, classic history says, that followed the Fourth Emperor and led to the age of darkness in which the Emperor was forgotten. It has long since been conquered, its heretics purged, or at least as purged as any being on the planet, and it has long been loyal and fully Csiritan, lacking much of the blood (though there is some) of Xissand. Yet there are still many ruins that to this day remain guarded by powerful spirits or more powerful superstitions, or are hidden far away beneath rivers and within the craggy hills of West-Xissand.
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: A Stirring in the South, Part 1
Dice Rolled: Intrigue and Diplomacy
Chance of Success: 60%
Time: 1 Turn.
Text: Messages can be sent, thoughts can be had, on just what to do about the matter of Hari-Su and the Southlands. Their loyalty is neither sure nor unsure at this point, and more than that, figuring it out will be difficult, to say the least. But collusion with the Southlands, as long as it is not found out, has its own advantages in these matters.
Title: People of the Sea
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy and Learning
Chance of Success: 55%
Time: 1 Turn
Text: The Sea-People did Csirit an uncertain good when they helped Hari-Os, but it is a good that might be appreciated. Often regarded as both less bad and worse than the normal barbarians, the Sea People are those who have done what is pure heresy, made strange mystical congress with the spirits of the sea, and so many of them are not entirely human in appearance or even outlook, and in addition to the Islands that house the large majority of their population, they are said to have underwater cities where those 'too far gone' rest. Of course, many things are said and only some are known, but Kiralo has seen men with gills or strange colored skin, or webbed toes or hands, and even the most 'normal' of the Sea People has a tie to the ocean and water far greater than even the most experienced Southlander sailor. Learning more about them, and perhaps cautiously contacting them, could be useful.
Title: Supplicants
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy
Chance of success: 7%
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: I have a List
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy
Chance of Success: 65%
Time: 1 Turn
Text: The Governor of Irit has very carefully not made certain claims about the corruption and complicity of certain nobles in Irit in the chaos that is now threatening to spill beyond the borders and seriously damage Csirit as a whole. The first step is to compile the list of such figures and try to get him to more fully explain his views...or at least dance around them in a way Kiralo can use.
Title: Put Down
Dice Rolled: Martial, Diplomacy
Chance of Success: 30%
Time: 1 Turn
Text: An army is what is needed to lance the boil of the banditry, but beyond any difficulties with planning the campaign, and the fact that the army hasn't been paid and winter will set in and so it will have to wait months, most likely, is convincing everyone to go along with it. It will be a difficult process at the best of times, and this is far from the best of times, and yet what other option is there?
Title: Fort Up
Dice Rolled: Martial, Stewardship
Chance of Success: 40%
Time: 1 Turn
Text: The Governor has requested obliquely that perhaps a few more forts could be paid for and made. This would perhaps allow his troops to fight bandits more effectively, or perhaps it would wind up falling through, but the first step is to unlock the funding and resources to begin this process. Perhaps once he has his feet under him, the Governor and his generals can handle the situation on their own? Perhaps he could even try again despite the failure, though the risks are now far greater if he again pushes and is again rebuffed.
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: The Silver Gong
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy, Martial, and Learning
Chance of Success: 45%
Time: 1 Turn
Text: The Silver Gong for conquering generals. It is a risk, but while it might be that the victors of the battle over a month ago were firmly in Prince Jinhai's pocket, and there was also a chance that this effort would end in Kuojah and others refusing to act, especially since they had allied with the hated (and feared) Sea People, even if it was against the even more hated Sea Raiders. But if all worked out, it could be a genuine chance to figure out more about this victory, and also undermine Prince Jinhai's base of support.
Title: Hired Bows
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy (Primary), Martial (Secondary)
Chance of success: 15%
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 (primary), Martial (Secondary)
Chance of success: 11%
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 Spirits Nest
Dice Rolled: Magic
Chance of Success: 65%
Time: 1 Turn
Text: Nestirin is a land rich in spiritual potential, as well as more than a little power. While not as well placed and wealthy as their neighbors Basrat, their magic-users and spirits all make it a very important place, especially if war comes knocking. Basrat, after all, is where the Prince is, waiting and waiting still as fall turns to winter.
Title: Mountains and Forests
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy
Chance of Success: 70%
Time: 1 Turn
Text: Rerin is a heavily mountainous province whose forests are said to contain much of wonder and more of terror. Bordering more than a few provinces, with its governor sick and its succession in doubt, it might be far more important than one might think at first. Yet the opening gambit to talk to them is simple: a letter of concern and hopes for improvement to the Governor, and then see just what turns up.
Title: An Old Seat of Empire
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy
Chance of Success: 60%
Time: 1 Turn
Text: Once, Xissand was the seat of a rival Empire, formed in the breakup, classic history says, that followed the Fourth Emperor and led to the age of darkness in which the Emperor was forgotten. It has long since been conquered, its heretics purged, or at least as purged as any being on the planet, and it has long been loyal and fully Csiritan, lacking much of the blood (though there is some) of Xissand. Yet there are still many ruins that to this day remain guarded by powerful spirits or more powerful superstitions, or are hidden far away beneath rivers and within the craggy hills of West-Xissand.
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: A Stirring in the South, Part 1
Dice Rolled: Intrigue and Diplomacy
Chance of Success: 60%
Time: 1 Turn.
Text: Messages can be sent, thoughts can be had, on just what to do about the matter of Hari-Su and the Southlands. Their loyalty is neither sure nor unsure at this point, and more than that, figuring it out will be difficult, to say the least. But collusion with the Southlands, as long as it is not found out, has its own advantages in these matters.
Title: People of the Sea
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy and Learning
Chance of Success: 55%
Time: 1 Turn
Text: The Sea-People did Csirit an uncertain good when they helped Hari-Os, but it is a good that might be appreciated. Often regarded as both less bad and worse than the normal barbarians, the Sea People are those who have done what is pure heresy, made strange mystical congress with the spirits of the sea, and so many of them are not entirely human in appearance or even outlook, and in addition to the Islands that house the large majority of their population, they are said to have underwater cities where those 'too far gone' rest. Of course, many things are said and only some are known, but Kiralo has seen men with gills or strange colored skin, or webbed toes or hands, and even the most 'normal' of the Sea People has a tie to the ocean and water far greater than even the most experienced Southlander sailor. Learning more about them, and perhaps cautiously contacting them, could be useful.
Title: Supplicants
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy
Chance of success: 7%
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: I have a List
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy
Chance of Success: 65%
Time: 1 Turn
Text: The Governor of Irit has very carefully not made certain claims about the corruption and complicity of certain nobles in Irit in the chaos that is now threatening to spill beyond the borders and seriously damage Csirit as a whole. The first step is to compile the list of such figures and try to get him to more fully explain his views...or at least dance around them in a way Kiralo can use.
Title: Put Down
Dice Rolled: Martial, Diplomacy
Chance of Success: 30%
Time: 1 Turn
Text: An army is what is needed to lance the boil of the banditry, but beyond any difficulties with planning the campaign, and the fact that the army hasn't been paid and winter will set in and so it will have to wait months, most likely, is convincing everyone to go along with it. It will be a difficult process at the best of times, and this is far from the best of times, and yet what other option is there?
Title: Fort Up
Dice Rolled: Martial, Stewardship
Chance of Success: 40%
Time: 1 Turn
Text: The Governor has requested obliquely that perhaps a few more forts could be paid for and made. This would perhaps allow his troops to fight bandits more effectively, or perhaps it would wind up falling through, but the first step is to unlock the funding and resources to begin this process. Perhaps once he has his feet under him, the Governor and his generals can handle the situation on their own? Perhaps he could even try again despite the failure, though the risks are now far greater if he again pushes and is again rebuffed.
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: The Silver Gong
Dice Rolled: Diplomacy, Martial, and Learning
Chance of Success: 45%
Time: 1 Turn
Text: The Silver Gong for conquering generals. It is a risk, but while it might be that the victors of the battle over a month ago were firmly in Prince Jinhai's pocket, and there was also a chance that this effort would end in Kuojah and others refusing to act, especially since they had allied with the hated (and feared) Sea People, even if it was against the even more hated Sea Raiders. But if all worked out, it could be a genuine chance to figure out more about this victory, and also undermine Prince Jinhai's base of support.
*****
A/N: So, here we go, I hope it isn't too short to qualify for the 'OP update alert. Vote by plan, of course.
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