I just curious why he don't finish his job.:lolAren't UCS is the most determinator on the creation?.
[Exalted, ?] Most High
- Thread starter Rihaku
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meianmaru
The Devourer of Fiction
Okay, those facts kind of make it less than appealing way to gain more power for me. Maybe I'll come up with something else...
Well, it did have a considerable support in the end of the vote. If we go for getting a Working, hopefully the favor she asks isn't too costly for our cause.
Rihaku
The Internet
Are you guys sure you're ready for Luseng? Anys knows you three-shotted Polem and she's still sending you there. Those death knights are E4, and the behemoths are no joke. There is an E5 Lunar semi-elder backed by the Bull's forces as well. That is a huge concentration of powerful Exalts, way higher than almost any other hotspot in the satrapies except maybe Faxai itself.
A good working to accelerate training time could benefit you enormously XP wise, but temporal effects and Creation don't mix well, so it'll have costs and be unconventional. Otherwise every Sorceror would use it.
A good working to accelerate training time could benefit you enormously XP wise, but temporal effects and Creation don't mix well, so it'll have costs and be unconventional. Otherwise every Sorceror would use it.
The Godspear was part of the Panoply of the Unconquered Sun, the deity that created the Solar Exaltations in the first place; it was one of four sacred items that each represented a facet of his divine power, in this case his martial prowess and valor. The spear was supposedly unblockable, indestructible, and capable of doing infinite damage. In destroying it, we both did the impossible and irrevocably crippled the being that empowered us.
Whatever gave you the impression that it does that? It doesn't make super-Exalts. No, anyone, Exalted or not, who wields the blade gains both an Odyssian drive for advancement and the ability to learn a Sidereal Martial Art, the most esoteric and dangerous level of kung fu present in the setting, that expresses the themes of the king Odyssial wished to be. Powerful beyond measure, merciful, righteous... the one person who can't learn it is us, sadly; perhaps there's a lesson somewhere in that, that no matter how strong we grow we can't rule with justice and forethought. Or perhaps I'm just being fatalistic.
Anyway, the perception that it makes super-Exalts just exists because Exalts have more room to exploit Ulyssian's nigh-psychotic desire for advancement. Half the reason I want to give the blade to someone else is because having the sword driving us to the heights of glory is somewhat redundant, because Ulyssian already possesses that conviction. We've also proven that we're unwilling to utilize the sword's guidance, the harnessed metis of the greater Odyssial, to its fullest extent.
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You guys realize taking the setrapy position will mostly consume most of the quest and lea will most like suffer a bad end as a result of us not finding her in time.
An interesting theory. Do you have any evidence to support that conclusion? What little we know of the HMK suggests that he is contained for the foreseeable future.
meianmaru
The Devourer of Fiction
I just remembered something: Saery. Have we told her already about our true nature? I'm expecting not, as it hasn't even gotten a nod in the latest update. Maybe omake time again, to optimize the way we break it for her? Could also possibly work as Stress reduction, as I expect we will likely be thrown into a situation where we start accumulating it at worrying rate.
I have already a few ideas on how to break up the non-aggression pact, which is likely the biggest issue in a pile high as a mountain. One way could be disguising ourself as an agent of one of the factions, then striking one of the other factions to hopefully get them to strike back, optimally immediately by pursuing forces so that they won't get a chance to communicate with their leadership, which might rein them in. For the most effect, do this after seemingly retreating to just conserve our forces, and thus create a situation where they are likely less worried about the Realm striking back, and more worried about their "allies" deciding to betray them.
I feel that this has just made SCS even more of a priority than it already was, to allow us to unlock those memories faster without (hopefully none, or at least not great) detrimental side-effects. Or maybe make some other equivalent Working for that delicious training speed boost. Considering how pro-transhuman Ulyssian is, this seems the kind of thing he would go for as soon as possible.
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Emerald Oracle
Chaos, yet harmony. Death, yet the Force
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This seems like a really good idea, and possibly necessary if we don't want her turned against Ulyssian by 'Hesiesh'. At present she's still theoretically a follower of the Immaculate Faith. I am not on board with her getting manipulated by evil. I'm kinda glad that that's not an issue for Moon anymore.
Rihaku
The Internet
The Star-Crown of Morning Charms are almost identical to Ambition's native Adamant Evocations, or at least a subset of them, of which you have learned the first, I believe.
It will be important to stage such an attack in a realistic manner, and towards a target that one such faction would have an actual strong incentive to destroy, else the plot may be seen through as transparent - or at least suspected to be, at which point simple communications could discredit it and maintain the alliance.
Rihaku
The Internet
There're still two months till you have to tell her
meianmaru
The Devourer of Fiction
Hmm. Another way that I thought about earlier, which is also quite risky, would be abusing PoSC to manufacture a situation where one of the factions would stand a good chance of conquering the satrapy completely and driving away the other factions, if the Realm's forces fall. Quite dangerous, as it could involve actually weakening defenses against that one faction, but it could maybe cause them to truly betray each other, especially if we do some prodding to make them more suspicious of each other.
Maybe we should do it now, if Zao approves, so that she doesn't get turned against us...
Treating Luseng as something that would be relatively easily dealt with is a massive underestimation of them. While we did win against Polemgaos and the Brotherhood, do note that those battles were won at least in part due to good luck. If nothing else, they can afford to wear us down by drowning us in manpower. Of all our allies, the only ones who would not be a liability in battle against them would be Pearl and Zao, and I'm pretty sure that they are a match for Ivory, at the very least. Also, they have E4 Solar Tier capabilities not only in combat, but also in other areas, since they have several Solaroids so they can actually afford to spend their charms on shoring up their capabilities in areas other than combat, such as war and investigation. Basically, assume that they have the equivalent of EotUS in their own areas of expertise. Speaking of which, do Abyssals have a mirror of EotUS, because if they do, its going to get relatively inconvenient for us.
Also, I rather interact more with our friends and allies, which Serenti would give us more opportunities for, being more of a political/mystery challenge than a combat one. Being hyper lethal in combat means that when combat is appreciably threatening to us, the rest of the allies usually cant contribute.
I would also expect them to recognize the effects of solar charms such as Prophet. The Deathlord is almost certain to do so unless she far more incompetent then I give her credit for. The Lunar is E5 and has contact with the Bull of the North, and thus should have quite a bit of exposure to it. The Fae would really depend on their leaders, and thus their knowledge can vary wildly.
Also, I rather interact more with our friends and allies, which Serenti would give us more opportunities for, being more of a political/mystery challenge than a combat one. Being hyper lethal in combat means that when combat is appreciably threatening to us, the rest of the allies usually cant contribute.
I would also expect them to recognize the effects of solar charms such as Prophet. The Deathlord is almost certain to do so unless she far more incompetent then I give her credit for. The Lunar is E5 and has contact with the Bull of the North, and thus should have quite a bit of exposure to it. The Fae would really depend on their leaders, and thus their knowledge can vary wildly.
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Yes, I think our previous successes have given us a somewhat inflated view of our own prowess; we're strong, it's true, but let's not buy into our own hype and succumb to overconfidence. Syn knows the capabilities of Solars better than almost anyone still living; killing them has been an appreciable fraction of her life's work. She's aware of the measure of a Solar's capacity, knows what we've done so far, and knows Ulyssian's own nature (if not the identity of his past life) almost as well as he does. And you know what? In light of all that knowledge and experience, she's still sending us to Luseng. That tells me that we should be a hell of a lot less optimistic about our chances than we currently are.
No matter what we think of Anys, she is the most powerful and knowledgeable Sidereal Exalt that is still active in Creation, since both Carjack and Fairest seem nowhere to be found. If she makes a plan, we can assume that the plan's execution is done well, even if the plan itself is insane due to other factors.
The only things Uly has access to that I really see being capable of blindsiding her is Ambition, Nilul and the Infernals. By going to Serenti, we have a higher chance of being able to bring Nilul along with us, while having Ambition would help us to deal with the surprise that is unquestionably hiding there.
The only things Uly has access to that I really see being capable of blindsiding her is Ambition, Nilul and the Infernals. By going to Serenti, we have a higher chance of being able to bring Nilul along with us, while having Ambition would help us to deal with the surprise that is unquestionably hiding there.
Reading the update again, I have to wonder whether I missed the discussion on this or whether I'm the only one thinking that Anys Syn's musings over Zao together with some earlier Rihaku comments heavily imply Zao is Chejop Kejak's son?
In hindsight I feel kind of foolish for not thinking of this sooner:
In hindsight I feel kind of foolish for not thinking of this sooner:
Which reminds me, why is the Wracking still such a mystery to us? You'd think Ivory would know all about it!
Because Odyssial doesn't have nearly as much reason to care as we do, aside from how exactly it limits Any Syn's combat capabilities, which she'll have kept a tight lid on.
For anyone, whose last involvement with Siddies was in the Age of Glory, the fact that there was a Wracking and that Siddies are barred from heaven is not any more relevant than the fact that there was a Balorian Crusade and how the Shogunate was structured.
As long as he knows the Elders were largely lost or diminished during the Wracking and that Siddies are no longer welcome in Heaven, digging into details isn't particularly productive, just like knowing Creation is incredibly diminished and that the Shogunate was replaced wit the Realm is enough for the other stuff.
Not to mention that we don't atually know how much Ivory knows about it and whether she's even able to share here knowledge of it or comfortable with bringing it up at all.
Unless we have some specific in character need to know, it probably won't come up.
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Luseng would only be that bad if we go with the goals and methods of a normal DB. We don't have to destroy the Lunars, Fair Folk, Deathlord etc. We don't want to drain the Satrapal of every Obol to feed the Realm's coffers.
Instead, just hanging on and delaying the inevitable end (while improving our personal power) is enough. Remember that Syn can't maintain this state of affairs for much longer. Once she overextends, we can abandon the posting and start a civil war.
If we can actually turn them on each other? Then, great, we have a power base to work with. But it is not necessary.
Instead, just hanging on and delaying the inevitable end (while improving our personal power) is enough. Remember that Syn can't maintain this state of affairs for much longer. Once she overextends, we can abandon the posting and start a civil war.
If we can actually turn them on each other? Then, great, we have a power base to work with. But it is not necessary.
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Rihaku
The Internet
Looking over some previous strategy arguments, there are some salient points here - while the specifics are not identical, the fact that you appeared remorseful over Polemgaos' death might help you be seen as perhaps the Dragon-chosen successor of Polemgaos, whose time had come. He was known as an ornery and spirited general, and he died with a smile on his face - was that, perhaps, the mercy of the Dragons?
I think we probably won't have another Sorcery point until the next stop of efficiency, which would be immediately or soon after getting E5. That lets you benefit from the Solar Circle Working XP reduction and is thus both time and XP efficient.
Hm, I think SV is not that opposed to doing reprehensible things, but they are almost never likely to betray anyone they see as a friend, which can be extremely dangerous when realpolitik is involved...
You would probably have more luck using Po17C to directly improve your own chances.
Yes, it's too bad that Serenti has the least support of the options, it's a very interesting setting, next to the Dreaming Sea and all the stuff there.
In general, in Exalted it is much easier and more reliable to buff one's self than to try to nerf one's enemies. Avoid enemy defenses.
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Fade Away... For Now
Ulyssian had spent the day in a furious study of the available intelligence reports and records of the long-term performance of the Realm's individual ministries. He was no more focused than he would normally have been which said nothing because a higher level of focus was completely impossible. Data rattled through his brain and he made connections among the patterns by instinct. And when he examined that web of insight he could find nothing wrong with it. His projections were, as ever, unerring and grim in their implications.
He sat aside the last scroll among a pile covering the library table and considered his conclusions.
The resurgence of the Imperial Navy had bought the Realm time. And the underlying factors were not unfavorable to it. The Blessed Isle was the most densely populated and productive stretch of Creation. The inevitable Civil War would have squandered the Realm's wealth, manpower, and productivity after a time in which the Navy had been worn down by its ceaseless struggle against chaos. Political disunion, rampaging armies, raids by Anathema warlords, and worse atrocities would have slowly broken the Blessed Isle, and without a decisive victory it would never have been made whole again. That was the future that Admiral Zao had feared.
Anys Syn had cobbled the Realm back into comparative unity. The Great Houses were no longer at each other's throats. Women and men of talent were being assigned to positions based on their merit rather than their family loyalties. The Thousand Scales were functioning at a greater efficiency than they had at any time since the first weeks of the Empress' disappearance. It was a fragile unity, but it was real, and if nothing upset it then the Bronze Faction's plan would solidify into a new order. And Zao's invigorated Navy would be buying the Sidereals the time they needed for it to do so.
But then he factored in another variable. Resolute Flame. Pearl and Zao knew Anys Syn held him as a cornerstone of her efforts. His meteoric rise in power spoke of a latent talent in his bloodline, brought to full bloom by their rivalry. And bloodline powers were inheritable. If Flame had been raised from birth with a deliberate regime to optimize his development and power… well, he would be a threat to Shogun Zao right now. And the Dragonblooded, unlike all other Exalts, could produce more of themselves by the most human of means.
And if that means were twisted into something inhuman, it would take roughly twenty years before the first cadres of a new Dragonblooded host were ready. They would form the steel point of a spear of conquest breaking out from the Blessed Isle. Supported by the masses of the Great Houses, the Immaculate Order, with more following every single year, they would be a power not seen since the Empress consolidate the Realm. And more would follow as the first males of the program reached maturity and bred true; the number of females who could be impregnated would increase iteratively. Within another twenty-year cycle the old Dragonblooded Host would find itself obsolete and Anys Syn could sweep aside whatever had remained of their influence.
It would be an ugly world for mortals. Ulyssian knew that in his bones. Flame was convinced that the Dragonblooded could do no wrong. The most radical and extreme of the Immaculate Texts would be used to justify the breeding program, the ever-tighter strictures on mortals, and eventually his public dictatorship. He would not care what suffering he brought to the un-Exalted because needs coincided with his religious beliefs. And while Flame would, he admitted grudgingly, not indulge in the excesses of hedonism, sadism, and cruelty that he had seen in other Dragonblooded, his brood would inevitably slip. Some among them would take what they saw as their rights, and he would never gainsay them. In time abuses would become institutionalized, made worse by the regimentation, indoctrination, and discipline the Dragonblooded Host would be subjected to among themselves.
And such a monstrous Realm would have the power to spread all over Creation and impose this iron-fisted regime indefinitely. The future was a Dragonblooded boot stomping the face of humanity, forever.
Anys Syn preferred that to a future of dissolution and death.
Ulyssian knew he had to find another way.
Anger leapt up from his breast. Anger at himself for failing to heed the warning of Ambition, for underestimating Anys Syn, and for not slaying Resolute Flame when he had the chance. But that anger at his own failings was nothing beside the white-hot fury he felt toward Anys Syn. What would the difference between a Dragonblooded and a Second Circle Deva be, in such a world? Someone else's Nio would be casually cut down for sport, or abused or degraded for some trivial petty reason by Syn's shock troops. It would happen countless times. A too-cruel Creation would become far crueler as it was gripped tighter in a single brutal regime.
But as he had so many times, he restrained his fury. It would power him. It would serve him. He would direct it to serve his ends. And with it, he would find a way.
He searched his mind, and the web he had put together. Twenty years was a rough estimate. He needed more data to get a precise estimate. But one thing was clear. The sooner Anys Syn began her breeding program, the better for her plan. The sooner that Resolute Flame was seated on the Dragon Throne, the sooner he could procure the enormous harem of noble Dragonblooded females needed to make sure his bloodline bred true. The sooner that Flame was in power, the sooner the Bronze Faction could begin to re-establish their influence through all levels of Realm society and the sooner the resources of the Realm could be stockpiled to prepare for the day of conquest.
He stood up from the table and stalked out of the library.
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Zao was in his office with Pearl, as Ulyssian had expected. Both looked up from a map on the headmaster's desk as Ulyssian stalked in.
"Ulyssian," Zao gruffly acknowledged. "Have you made your choice?"
"I have," he said, nodding. "To take up the satrapal post is intended to be suicide. It would not be, but I would remain in the shadow of the Realm where Anys Syn has her greatest resources. When I succeed, I will become too powerful for her to tolerate. And we have underestimated her capacity for brute force before. She will take whatever steps are necessary to eliminate me as her plan for the Realm enters its next stage, because the political fallout will be irrelevant."
"Resolute Flame!" Pearl made the connection right away. "Her plan has always been for him to take control of the Dragonblooded Host and launch a breeding program to sustain his bloodline. If she puts him on the throne he'd have to have enough force to cow all the Houses anyway."
Zao nodded thoughtfully. "I did not think she would be so crude as to imitate Hesiesh. But it is clear that brute force is a resort for her. We should prepare for further drastic actions on her part."
"And so I am uncertain how much time I would be able to buy with a satrapal posting," Ulyssian admitted. "Flame is not ready to take the throne. He will need to complete his training. Anys Syn will want to provide many astrological support and sorcerous workings to his benefit and must prepare the groundwork for the emergence of a new messiah. It will take time, but twenty years is the point at which the new Dragonblooded Host must act. We will have time, but not much of it. And even if I am a beloved hero of the Realm she will seek to destroy me with all of her fury, as his ascension renders the attitudes of the Houses irrelevant."
Zao frowned, and looked back down at the map. "We could strike before then. Your tours in the satrapies will allow you to build a following and a loyal army. My hold on the Navy can be rebuilt."
"Mnemon and V'Neef, at least, must know the true nature of this 'Hesiesh'," Pearl volunteered. "We might be able to sow dissension with Immaculate rule among the Great Houses. Passing the throne to an Outcast, no matter how powerful he is, will infuriate many descendants of the Empress."
"Undermining the Immaculate Order at every turn is now necessary," Ulyssian noted. "And if we can make secret allies among the Houses it will be good. But the Realm is not the only power in Creation. And sacrifices must be made to preserve Creation. Is that not right, Shogun Feng?"
Zao scowled darkly, but nodded.
Ulyssian stepped over to the desk and placed a finger in the center of the map. "River Province, were it united, could exceed the Blessed Isle for manpower and resources. The Dragonblooded Host is a formidable power, but they can be matched by other means. Nor is the Realm the only Dragonblooded power. A united River Province drawing in Celestial Exalted, Exigents, Godblooded, Outcastes and defectors from the Realm may yet produce a power capable of standing against a united Realm."
"You know the Seventh Legion hated me, boy," Zao said through gritted teeth.
"They hated the Scarlet Empress more," Ulyssian replied, and shrugged. "My plan is simple. I will take up the offer of a tour of Serentidopolis. Along the way I will be ambushed and killed by Infernal Exalted. And then someone who is not Sesus Ulyssian will make his way to the River Province and use predictionism to gather resources and claim influence among the city-states of the region. To those who are useful and trustworthy among their power structures I will claim to be an envoy from Admiral Zao, who has seen the Realm fall under an Immaculate dictatorship and wishes to resist it but cannot do so from within. So he seeks to build a power to challenge the Realm from without."
"There is an alternative," Pearl suggested. "Lealope still lives and is still loyal to you, unless matters have very greatly changed. We could seek her out. She'll have all of your artifacts, and a decisive voice in the Silver Pact. You could strengthen River Province as you pass through it to insure the Realm doesn't get too adventurous in the meantime, and then emerge later to claim their allegiance as the mightiest Exalted alive."
"I fully intend to send feelers out to Lealope," Odyssial replied. "That she has not sought me out suggests she is very busy with the defense of Creation. It would be a difficult and time-consuming search. And the unification of the River Province will be a task that requires my full attention."
"My student is very ambitious," Zao said sourly. "But this is what I had encouraged you to look to." He sighed and shook his head. "You are advanced enough in your training. Trying to keep you leashed now would be counterproductive. The point was to create an agent who could act with initiative where I could not. But how will you see through this unification?"
Ulyssian brought his finger back down on the map and pointed to the darkly colored Shadowland standing out like a cancer at the southern end of River Province. "Thorns. The Mask of Winters must be removed from the face of Creation. If he is allowed to gather strength while he poisons his enemies with lies and secret assassinations he will fracture and then conquer the River Province. He won't be able to stand up against the full might of the Realm when Emperor Flame leads it outward, but he will inflict terrible horrors on Creation before that time."
"There are several Lunars trying to build a coalition against Thorns," Pearl noted helpfully. "They lack a central figure powerful enough to rally around so they're busy hashing that out among themselves with ritual combat, favors-trading, and negotiations. They might fall apart if they don't work it out, but they could be powerful allies in your effort there."
Ulyssian nodded. "Assembling a diverse coalition to tackle Thorns will be a necessary first step in any attempt to save Creation. An example of what must be done, on a smaller scale."
"Very well," Zao said, and thoughtfully stroked his beard. "It would be a useful course of action, if you succeed. And I have learned not to underestimate my students. But how will you make your disappearance? She will suspect that flight is on your mind and be suspicious of any reported death."
"I have a plan for that as well," Ulyssian noted. "Though it will require owing a great favor to the Infernals, I believe I can convince them to aid me in disposing of the minders Anys Syn will attach on my journey to the Satrapy. It will be made to look like an ambush by servants of the Yozis, powerful servants. Anys Syn will be less suspicious of that than any other scenario; I think she is even likely to believe the Infernals would take the opportunity to eliminate me as a threat to their plans for the Realm."
"I do not like that idea," Zao replied firmly.
Pearl looked over at him. "You know how she is about the Yozis, sensei. Hypervigilant for any sign of their interference. And Serentidopolos likely is within their sphere of operations. The South has been lousy with Yozi cults from centuries. The recent assassinations look like the work of Lucien and there are only so many Exalted who could bind him. An Infernal summoning would be more likely."
"They will know not to redeem that favor for anything stupid," Ulyssian argued. "Because once it is discharged I would be free to hunt them down and make them pay for it. But I will negotiate limits to the favor beforehand to bias it in favor of their personal interests rather than those of the Yozis."
"I will have no choice but to trust in your judgment," Zao said, still obviously unhappy. "What will you need to make this work? Resources? More artifacts?"
Ulyssian paused and considered the matter. "I will need a scroll with your personal seal vouching for myself as your agent. And…" he paused and shook his head. "I'll need Nilul to help with the negotiations. But she'll be safer moving around with me, under a new disguise, than here at the academy. Her presence makes it a target of the Yozis if they ever discover her."
"If you can convince her," Zao said, waving his hand. "She'll miss the exams. That will damage her cover as a Tepet."
"Oh, but I took the exams early," Ulyssian said and grinned. "She can too. I'll help her cram. It's the least that I owe her. The very least."
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"She does not talk until we clear her to do so," Ayala demanded as soon as she saw Nilul approach alongside Ulyssian.
Ulyssian nodded and settled into the seat across from Nio. The teahouse was been a small provincial establishment on the mainland shore opposite Seacrown. It was deserted at the early hour and with some effort on the owner by Nilul, making it a suitable place to discuss business.
Nilul bowed sarcastically and took off to the kitchen to arrange a tea service. Fei Ling, standing behind Ni… no, Ayala, shot her a passing glance before turning her attention back fully on Ulyssian. He noted that with interest.
"I need assistance faking my death and blaming the Infernal Exalted," he began. "In exchange I will owe the two of you a significant favor. Are you interested?"
Ayala cocked her head and looked at him, scrutinizing his face as if trying to read his thoughts. "And why would you want that, Lord Odyssial? More to the point, why would we agree to take the blame for it?"
"You know about the emergence of 'Hesiesh' to the heads of the Great Houses, don't you?" There was no denial from Ayala or Fei Ling, which Ulyssian took as proof he was correct. "This Hesiesh is Anys Syn, the head of the Bronze Faction. She is determined to kill me with suicidal postings. When that does not work, she will likely bring together a massive hunt to kill me and consequences be damned. I have no intention of playing her games but first I must secure freedom to act."
"Anys Syn?" Fei Ling spoke quietly. "That explains why we can't find this Hesiesh to kill him."
Ayala looked a little annoyed by her companion's admission of a weakness, but swiftly rounded back on Ulyssian. "We have a common enemy, then. But that doesn't make us allies. Why not just unite with us to take her out?"
"The enemy of my enemy is merely that," Ulyssian replied coolly. "More to the point assassination isn't feasible, yet. Neither is exposing her. If it were I would have acted on them. It may become possible later, and at that point one of us will probably be contacting the other."
Ayala nodded. "And why do you need to blame us for killing you?"
"She is concerned about the plans of the Yozis," Ulyssian noted. "Something about the Wracking, perhaps. I have heard but do not yet know the details. My allies were quite clear that her hatred for the Yozis may be a weakness in her judgement. She would be alert to the possibility that I would fake my death to have a freer hand. She expects it, I'm certain. But if it were very clearly the work of Infernals in a satrapy she already believes the Infernals to be at work, she'll consider the possibility I may be dead. That was the whole point behind sending me there in the first place, after all."
"And then she turns on us and roots out our agents in the Realm," Ayala finished. "Seems like a bad deal to me."
"She may initiate a purge," Ulyssian conceded. "She might not. But you'll know it is coming. You can remove your agents and secure their safety. You can sacrifice… well, perhaps not all Infernals would be missed? But if there is just enough evidence of Infernal activity to stoke her paranoia she will unleash the Immaculate Order in a grand witch hunt. If nothing beyond the usual level of Yozi worship and infernalism is detected, the Great Houses will not be pleased. And she is not yet ready to run roughshod over them. It will delay her timetable and weaken her plans."
"That may be the case," Ayala conceded, whetting her lips with her tongue. "But it's still very risky."
"If Anys Syn secures control over the Realm and proceeds with the next phases of her plans, nothing either of us plan for the Realm can occur," Ulyssian laid out bluntly. "And she will be prepared to move within the near future. Not today, not tomorrow, but within a year or two? Yes, she has to, for the sake of her timetable to save Creation."
"Perhaps we can come to an arrangement," Ayala said, trailing off. "But you still owe us. A really big favor. And no turning it down later if you don't like it."
Ulyssian smiled. It was not a pleasant smile. "We will discuss what kind of favor you may ask in return," he conceded. "I believe you smarter than to trifle with me, or to ask something I would be obliged to refuse. Woe to you if you are not. But let us come to terms and allow Nilul to sanctify this exchange. She will only talk in relation to the terms of the exchange of favors, and to voice the oath."
Ayala winced but nodded. "Only about the terms. She will not try to sway myself or Fei Ling."
Ulyssian nodded in agreement as Nilul emerged with a try of tea. "Very well then."
~3,250 words
Ulyssian had spent the day in a furious study of the available intelligence reports and records of the long-term performance of the Realm's individual ministries. He was no more focused than he would normally have been which said nothing because a higher level of focus was completely impossible. Data rattled through his brain and he made connections among the patterns by instinct. And when he examined that web of insight he could find nothing wrong with it. His projections were, as ever, unerring and grim in their implications.
He sat aside the last scroll among a pile covering the library table and considered his conclusions.
The resurgence of the Imperial Navy had bought the Realm time. And the underlying factors were not unfavorable to it. The Blessed Isle was the most densely populated and productive stretch of Creation. The inevitable Civil War would have squandered the Realm's wealth, manpower, and productivity after a time in which the Navy had been worn down by its ceaseless struggle against chaos. Political disunion, rampaging armies, raids by Anathema warlords, and worse atrocities would have slowly broken the Blessed Isle, and without a decisive victory it would never have been made whole again. That was the future that Admiral Zao had feared.
Anys Syn had cobbled the Realm back into comparative unity. The Great Houses were no longer at each other's throats. Women and men of talent were being assigned to positions based on their merit rather than their family loyalties. The Thousand Scales were functioning at a greater efficiency than they had at any time since the first weeks of the Empress' disappearance. It was a fragile unity, but it was real, and if nothing upset it then the Bronze Faction's plan would solidify into a new order. And Zao's invigorated Navy would be buying the Sidereals the time they needed for it to do so.
But then he factored in another variable. Resolute Flame. Pearl and Zao knew Anys Syn held him as a cornerstone of her efforts. His meteoric rise in power spoke of a latent talent in his bloodline, brought to full bloom by their rivalry. And bloodline powers were inheritable. If Flame had been raised from birth with a deliberate regime to optimize his development and power… well, he would be a threat to Shogun Zao right now. And the Dragonblooded, unlike all other Exalts, could produce more of themselves by the most human of means.
And if that means were twisted into something inhuman, it would take roughly twenty years before the first cadres of a new Dragonblooded host were ready. They would form the steel point of a spear of conquest breaking out from the Blessed Isle. Supported by the masses of the Great Houses, the Immaculate Order, with more following every single year, they would be a power not seen since the Empress consolidate the Realm. And more would follow as the first males of the program reached maturity and bred true; the number of females who could be impregnated would increase iteratively. Within another twenty-year cycle the old Dragonblooded Host would find itself obsolete and Anys Syn could sweep aside whatever had remained of their influence.
It would be an ugly world for mortals. Ulyssian knew that in his bones. Flame was convinced that the Dragonblooded could do no wrong. The most radical and extreme of the Immaculate Texts would be used to justify the breeding program, the ever-tighter strictures on mortals, and eventually his public dictatorship. He would not care what suffering he brought to the un-Exalted because needs coincided with his religious beliefs. And while Flame would, he admitted grudgingly, not indulge in the excesses of hedonism, sadism, and cruelty that he had seen in other Dragonblooded, his brood would inevitably slip. Some among them would take what they saw as their rights, and he would never gainsay them. In time abuses would become institutionalized, made worse by the regimentation, indoctrination, and discipline the Dragonblooded Host would be subjected to among themselves.
And such a monstrous Realm would have the power to spread all over Creation and impose this iron-fisted regime indefinitely. The future was a Dragonblooded boot stomping the face of humanity, forever.
Anys Syn preferred that to a future of dissolution and death.
Ulyssian knew he had to find another way.
Anger leapt up from his breast. Anger at himself for failing to heed the warning of Ambition, for underestimating Anys Syn, and for not slaying Resolute Flame when he had the chance. But that anger at his own failings was nothing beside the white-hot fury he felt toward Anys Syn. What would the difference between a Dragonblooded and a Second Circle Deva be, in such a world? Someone else's Nio would be casually cut down for sport, or abused or degraded for some trivial petty reason by Syn's shock troops. It would happen countless times. A too-cruel Creation would become far crueler as it was gripped tighter in a single brutal regime.
But as he had so many times, he restrained his fury. It would power him. It would serve him. He would direct it to serve his ends. And with it, he would find a way.
He searched his mind, and the web he had put together. Twenty years was a rough estimate. He needed more data to get a precise estimate. But one thing was clear. The sooner Anys Syn began her breeding program, the better for her plan. The sooner that Resolute Flame was seated on the Dragon Throne, the sooner he could procure the enormous harem of noble Dragonblooded females needed to make sure his bloodline bred true. The sooner that Flame was in power, the sooner the Bronze Faction could begin to re-establish their influence through all levels of Realm society and the sooner the resources of the Realm could be stockpiled to prepare for the day of conquest.
He stood up from the table and stalked out of the library.
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Zao was in his office with Pearl, as Ulyssian had expected. Both looked up from a map on the headmaster's desk as Ulyssian stalked in.
"Ulyssian," Zao gruffly acknowledged. "Have you made your choice?"
"I have," he said, nodding. "To take up the satrapal post is intended to be suicide. It would not be, but I would remain in the shadow of the Realm where Anys Syn has her greatest resources. When I succeed, I will become too powerful for her to tolerate. And we have underestimated her capacity for brute force before. She will take whatever steps are necessary to eliminate me as her plan for the Realm enters its next stage, because the political fallout will be irrelevant."
"Resolute Flame!" Pearl made the connection right away. "Her plan has always been for him to take control of the Dragonblooded Host and launch a breeding program to sustain his bloodline. If she puts him on the throne he'd have to have enough force to cow all the Houses anyway."
Zao nodded thoughtfully. "I did not think she would be so crude as to imitate Hesiesh. But it is clear that brute force is a resort for her. We should prepare for further drastic actions on her part."
"And so I am uncertain how much time I would be able to buy with a satrapal posting," Ulyssian admitted. "Flame is not ready to take the throne. He will need to complete his training. Anys Syn will want to provide many astrological support and sorcerous workings to his benefit and must prepare the groundwork for the emergence of a new messiah. It will take time, but twenty years is the point at which the new Dragonblooded Host must act. We will have time, but not much of it. And even if I am a beloved hero of the Realm she will seek to destroy me with all of her fury, as his ascension renders the attitudes of the Houses irrelevant."
Zao frowned, and looked back down at the map. "We could strike before then. Your tours in the satrapies will allow you to build a following and a loyal army. My hold on the Navy can be rebuilt."
"Mnemon and V'Neef, at least, must know the true nature of this 'Hesiesh'," Pearl volunteered. "We might be able to sow dissension with Immaculate rule among the Great Houses. Passing the throne to an Outcast, no matter how powerful he is, will infuriate many descendants of the Empress."
"Undermining the Immaculate Order at every turn is now necessary," Ulyssian noted. "And if we can make secret allies among the Houses it will be good. But the Realm is not the only power in Creation. And sacrifices must be made to preserve Creation. Is that not right, Shogun Feng?"
Zao scowled darkly, but nodded.
Ulyssian stepped over to the desk and placed a finger in the center of the map. "River Province, were it united, could exceed the Blessed Isle for manpower and resources. The Dragonblooded Host is a formidable power, but they can be matched by other means. Nor is the Realm the only Dragonblooded power. A united River Province drawing in Celestial Exalted, Exigents, Godblooded, Outcastes and defectors from the Realm may yet produce a power capable of standing against a united Realm."
"You know the Seventh Legion hated me, boy," Zao said through gritted teeth.
"They hated the Scarlet Empress more," Ulyssian replied, and shrugged. "My plan is simple. I will take up the offer of a tour of Serentidopolis. Along the way I will be ambushed and killed by Infernal Exalted. And then someone who is not Sesus Ulyssian will make his way to the River Province and use predictionism to gather resources and claim influence among the city-states of the region. To those who are useful and trustworthy among their power structures I will claim to be an envoy from Admiral Zao, who has seen the Realm fall under an Immaculate dictatorship and wishes to resist it but cannot do so from within. So he seeks to build a power to challenge the Realm from without."
"There is an alternative," Pearl suggested. "Lealope still lives and is still loyal to you, unless matters have very greatly changed. We could seek her out. She'll have all of your artifacts, and a decisive voice in the Silver Pact. You could strengthen River Province as you pass through it to insure the Realm doesn't get too adventurous in the meantime, and then emerge later to claim their allegiance as the mightiest Exalted alive."
"I fully intend to send feelers out to Lealope," Odyssial replied. "That she has not sought me out suggests she is very busy with the defense of Creation. It would be a difficult and time-consuming search. And the unification of the River Province will be a task that requires my full attention."
"My student is very ambitious," Zao said sourly. "But this is what I had encouraged you to look to." He sighed and shook his head. "You are advanced enough in your training. Trying to keep you leashed now would be counterproductive. The point was to create an agent who could act with initiative where I could not. But how will you see through this unification?"
Ulyssian brought his finger back down on the map and pointed to the darkly colored Shadowland standing out like a cancer at the southern end of River Province. "Thorns. The Mask of Winters must be removed from the face of Creation. If he is allowed to gather strength while he poisons his enemies with lies and secret assassinations he will fracture and then conquer the River Province. He won't be able to stand up against the full might of the Realm when Emperor Flame leads it outward, but he will inflict terrible horrors on Creation before that time."
"There are several Lunars trying to build a coalition against Thorns," Pearl noted helpfully. "They lack a central figure powerful enough to rally around so they're busy hashing that out among themselves with ritual combat, favors-trading, and negotiations. They might fall apart if they don't work it out, but they could be powerful allies in your effort there."
Ulyssian nodded. "Assembling a diverse coalition to tackle Thorns will be a necessary first step in any attempt to save Creation. An example of what must be done, on a smaller scale."
"Very well," Zao said, and thoughtfully stroked his beard. "It would be a useful course of action, if you succeed. And I have learned not to underestimate my students. But how will you make your disappearance? She will suspect that flight is on your mind and be suspicious of any reported death."
"I have a plan for that as well," Ulyssian noted. "Though it will require owing a great favor to the Infernals, I believe I can convince them to aid me in disposing of the minders Anys Syn will attach on my journey to the Satrapy. It will be made to look like an ambush by servants of the Yozis, powerful servants. Anys Syn will be less suspicious of that than any other scenario; I think she is even likely to believe the Infernals would take the opportunity to eliminate me as a threat to their plans for the Realm."
"I do not like that idea," Zao replied firmly.
Pearl looked over at him. "You know how she is about the Yozis, sensei. Hypervigilant for any sign of their interference. And Serentidopolos likely is within their sphere of operations. The South has been lousy with Yozi cults from centuries. The recent assassinations look like the work of Lucien and there are only so many Exalted who could bind him. An Infernal summoning would be more likely."
"They will know not to redeem that favor for anything stupid," Ulyssian argued. "Because once it is discharged I would be free to hunt them down and make them pay for it. But I will negotiate limits to the favor beforehand to bias it in favor of their personal interests rather than those of the Yozis."
"I will have no choice but to trust in your judgment," Zao said, still obviously unhappy. "What will you need to make this work? Resources? More artifacts?"
Ulyssian paused and considered the matter. "I will need a scroll with your personal seal vouching for myself as your agent. And…" he paused and shook his head. "I'll need Nilul to help with the negotiations. But she'll be safer moving around with me, under a new disguise, than here at the academy. Her presence makes it a target of the Yozis if they ever discover her."
"If you can convince her," Zao said, waving his hand. "She'll miss the exams. That will damage her cover as a Tepet."
"Oh, but I took the exams early," Ulyssian said and grinned. "She can too. I'll help her cram. It's the least that I owe her. The very least."
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"She does not talk until we clear her to do so," Ayala demanded as soon as she saw Nilul approach alongside Ulyssian.
Ulyssian nodded and settled into the seat across from Nio. The teahouse was been a small provincial establishment on the mainland shore opposite Seacrown. It was deserted at the early hour and with some effort on the owner by Nilul, making it a suitable place to discuss business.
Nilul bowed sarcastically and took off to the kitchen to arrange a tea service. Fei Ling, standing behind Ni… no, Ayala, shot her a passing glance before turning her attention back fully on Ulyssian. He noted that with interest.
"I need assistance faking my death and blaming the Infernal Exalted," he began. "In exchange I will owe the two of you a significant favor. Are you interested?"
Ayala cocked her head and looked at him, scrutinizing his face as if trying to read his thoughts. "And why would you want that, Lord Odyssial? More to the point, why would we agree to take the blame for it?"
"You know about the emergence of 'Hesiesh' to the heads of the Great Houses, don't you?" There was no denial from Ayala or Fei Ling, which Ulyssian took as proof he was correct. "This Hesiesh is Anys Syn, the head of the Bronze Faction. She is determined to kill me with suicidal postings. When that does not work, she will likely bring together a massive hunt to kill me and consequences be damned. I have no intention of playing her games but first I must secure freedom to act."
"Anys Syn?" Fei Ling spoke quietly. "That explains why we can't find this Hesiesh to kill him."
Ayala looked a little annoyed by her companion's admission of a weakness, but swiftly rounded back on Ulyssian. "We have a common enemy, then. But that doesn't make us allies. Why not just unite with us to take her out?"
"The enemy of my enemy is merely that," Ulyssian replied coolly. "More to the point assassination isn't feasible, yet. Neither is exposing her. If it were I would have acted on them. It may become possible later, and at that point one of us will probably be contacting the other."
Ayala nodded. "And why do you need to blame us for killing you?"
"She is concerned about the plans of the Yozis," Ulyssian noted. "Something about the Wracking, perhaps. I have heard but do not yet know the details. My allies were quite clear that her hatred for the Yozis may be a weakness in her judgement. She would be alert to the possibility that I would fake my death to have a freer hand. She expects it, I'm certain. But if it were very clearly the work of Infernals in a satrapy she already believes the Infernals to be at work, she'll consider the possibility I may be dead. That was the whole point behind sending me there in the first place, after all."
"And then she turns on us and roots out our agents in the Realm," Ayala finished. "Seems like a bad deal to me."
"She may initiate a purge," Ulyssian conceded. "She might not. But you'll know it is coming. You can remove your agents and secure their safety. You can sacrifice… well, perhaps not all Infernals would be missed? But if there is just enough evidence of Infernal activity to stoke her paranoia she will unleash the Immaculate Order in a grand witch hunt. If nothing beyond the usual level of Yozi worship and infernalism is detected, the Great Houses will not be pleased. And she is not yet ready to run roughshod over them. It will delay her timetable and weaken her plans."
"That may be the case," Ayala conceded, whetting her lips with her tongue. "But it's still very risky."
"If Anys Syn secures control over the Realm and proceeds with the next phases of her plans, nothing either of us plan for the Realm can occur," Ulyssian laid out bluntly. "And she will be prepared to move within the near future. Not today, not tomorrow, but within a year or two? Yes, she has to, for the sake of her timetable to save Creation."
"Perhaps we can come to an arrangement," Ayala said, trailing off. "But you still owe us. A really big favor. And no turning it down later if you don't like it."
Ulyssian smiled. It was not a pleasant smile. "We will discuss what kind of favor you may ask in return," he conceded. "I believe you smarter than to trifle with me, or to ask something I would be obliged to refuse. Woe to you if you are not. But let us come to terms and allow Nilul to sanctify this exchange. She will only talk in relation to the terms of the exchange of favors, and to voice the oath."
Ayala winced but nodded. "Only about the terms. She will not try to sway myself or Fei Ling."
Ulyssian nodded in agreement as Nilul emerged with a try of tea. "Very well then."
~3,250 words
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I find it interesting that her description of the horrible life living under a Mad Solar King is pretty much like life in any major city in modern creation.
I also find it telling is that a city with orphans lacking a childcare system is her horror story for the first age not anything involving mass mutilation based art or mad science. Was Oddysial going around killing Solars that cross to many lines?
He can't learn the SMA because it is a style based off of mimicking his own goals. For him it is a just being himself.
