Also, reducing Heartlessness towards those we rule has great synergy with ruling the entire West and the Exalted host (who rule Creation).
[Exalted, ?] Most High
- Thread starter Rihaku
- Start date
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- Tags
- exalted (white wolf)
DarkLight140
Credit to Team
- Location
- Lost in my thoughts
[X] Protector of the West
[X] The Conquering King
[X] The Rose Blossoms
Odyssial needs to build his perfect world, but at the same time he needs to know his own limits. Being assigned to wrangle all the other Exalts into a coherent fighting force is a thankless honor that attracts attention and takes up enough time that he could better spend working on building something new and better. He'd be on top on the short term, but in the long term he needs to have a closer handle on a smaller number of things to succeed in his objectives. A Direction is about the size of what he can be realistically expected to manage with flawless success.
Conquering King ensures that said success is indeed flawless. The West is Odyssial's, and he builds it into an unstoppable, shining jewel which he wards from harm and lets stand as an example of what every other Direction should be- and would be, if the rest of the Solars weren't a bunch of slackers.
I care vastly more about his relationship with his perfect counterpart than I do with a Sidereal, even one we'll meet the reincarnation of later. Further, I couldn't care less about the sword, even an N/A one; ultimately Odyssial's focus should be on his people, not his person, and pouring tons of time and energy into a personal weapon like a sword distracts from that. Nor does Ulyssian need a ridiculous artifact sword to succeed in the future.
[X] The Conquering King
[X] The Rose Blossoms
Odyssial needs to build his perfect world, but at the same time he needs to know his own limits. Being assigned to wrangle all the other Exalts into a coherent fighting force is a thankless honor that attracts attention and takes up enough time that he could better spend working on building something new and better. He'd be on top on the short term, but in the long term he needs to have a closer handle on a smaller number of things to succeed in his objectives. A Direction is about the size of what he can be realistically expected to manage with flawless success.
Conquering King ensures that said success is indeed flawless. The West is Odyssial's, and he builds it into an unstoppable, shining jewel which he wards from harm and lets stand as an example of what every other Direction should be- and would be, if the rest of the Solars weren't a bunch of slackers.
I care vastly more about his relationship with his perfect counterpart than I do with a Sidereal, even one we'll meet the reincarnation of later. Further, I couldn't care less about the sword, even an N/A one; ultimately Odyssial's focus should be on his people, not his person, and pouring tons of time and energy into a personal weapon like a sword distracts from that. Nor does Ulyssian need a ridiculous artifact sword to succeed in the future.
This is quibbling, but considering Odyssial's interest in ensuring that his next iteration was as perfect a reincarnation as possible and Lytek's responsibility for his Exaltation, I would expect Lytek to have had significant- not necessarily numerous, but significant- interactions with him.
This argument has convinced me, I'd forgotten my previous conviction to not assume the Usurpation is inevitable and that the great curse can't be beaten. I've decided that dropping The Sword of Endings from my choices is for the best. Odyssial has more important things to deal with while he's making creation better and it's not like she or the Sidereals in general are guaranteed to be unhappy if we don't choose The Sword of Endings. It will simply mean we won't get the sword and it's not as if Odyssial requires a fancy sword to slaughter anything that gets in his way.
[X] The Conquering King
[X] Lord Strategos
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Usernames
Merc gonna merc ya
Uh Odyssial would LIKE to have a N/A sword you know.
He is melee. He likes swords.
Hey! Voting Lord Strategos ensures he gets the best sword: The Sword of Creation!
Suck it Mnemon, a Sesus is taking the throne!
[X] The Conquering King
[X] Protector of the West
[X] The Sword of Endings
[X] Protector of the West
[X] The Sword of Endings
Does not picking Lord Strategos mean Ody didn't distinguish himself through "the thoroughness and genius of his tactics"?
Alectai
Speaks Words of Wisdom... On occasion
I'm sure he did either way, he just never actually lobbyed to be made the Lord Strategos because for one reason or another, he considered it to be secondary to other concerns.
That seems to be implying that the collective Exalted host went, "You're the best tactician ever, and the most qualified person to lead us, but nah."
So... Which vote won previously? Because Odyssial didn't seem to do much explicit commanding in the last update, and the Obliterator was said to have armies too. I'd be more happy with the Greatest General Ever(tm) vote not winning if previously the Greatest General Ever(tm) vote hadn't won, as that would fit my "aloof from the Hosts" idea, but if people voted for Ody to be a great general, they should probably back that up.
Alectai
Speaks Words of Wisdom... On occasion
He demonstrated a lot of the War Powers, and he mentioned that "This is the first time the've battled without me at the front".
That, or he was offered, and refused for one reason or another. Such as "I'll have my hands full doing justice to my own domain, I'd rather not add oversight of the Hosts to that as well"
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Ah, missed that. Still, it does fit with the "perceived weakness" plan he had going.
So why, when we have specifically chosen the leader of the Hosts option over the Obliterator (which I preferred and advocated for) are people turning down the leader of the Hosts position to get a better sword?
Alectai
Speaks Words of Wisdom... On occasion
I'm not, I just don't consider going to Heartlessness 9 (Which is DANGER WRONG BAD given how Heartlessness 8 was already a horror) in the first two Epochs to be worth the title.
I also prioritize Protector of the West, because I like the thematics, especially with the synergy it has with Conquering King. We can make the West into a shining jewel of Creation rather then the afterthought it is in canon Exalted (Where it's the obligatory Adventure Town for Nautical Adventures, rather then a more fleshed out area), and it also increases the chances of the Odyssian Legend surviving to the Age of Sorrows (Which would increase our chances at gaining powerful lieutenants--a Dragon Blood in Third Edition is no longer just chaff against a Celestial, unless that Celestial is grossly more powerful then most ever get in their first century. Essence above 3 is uncommon for a typical Exalt, and it's considered absolutely bugfucking heroic to pull Essence 5 off before your first century, let alone in your first five or ten years since Exalting like a PC can! 6+ are explicitly the realm of ST Fiat and practically unheard of. It's something you can never, ever achieve by mechanics alone, and purely a story reward.)
On the topic of Essence. One interesting detail about Third Edition with regards to it--you never Buy Essence up, it just increases naturally as you grow more experienced. An Exalt who puts themselves through hell and applies themselves will quickly rise up to the 5 "Soft Cap" at around 300 XP spent. They'll reach Essence 3 by 125 XP, and that's where most non-PCs stagnate for a while, because getting higher then Essence 3 takes either a lot of time or a lot of experience. All Exalts start at Essence 1, but they quickly hit 2 with a bit of experience (50 I think). Solars are cheaty bastards though because they get to pick one Caste Ability where their Essence is always "5 or more, whatever is the greater number", which opens up the whole category of Essence 5 Bullshit that most Charm Trees now have!
EDIT: Found it, here's the entry on Essence and how it scales, might be useful for Rihaku?
Third Ed said:
Do note, that this means there is no longer a "Hard Cap" on how badass a Terrestial Exalt can be in terms of Essence Cultivation. Someone who applied themselves just as insanely as Ulyssian does could quickly achieve Essence 5 at the sort of speed that would blow minds, and could reach even further beyond. The only thing that holds them back is a shorter average lifespan, but given how Essence Cultivation is now tied to experience growth and storyteller whim, that's not really a significant detail either!
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If that vote wins he was given the Title during the Primordial War. It would literally be "We are fighting for our existence, let's purposefully choose a sub-optimal leader."
We're currently as Heartlessness 7. If we got Lord Strategos, Protector of the West and Conquering King we'd be a Heartlessness 8.
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Alectai
Speaks Words of Wisdom... On occasion
EDIT: You assume that the Primoridal War was one coherent blob of pain, or that he didn't willingly suborn himself to a more capable administrator, or accepted a figurehead to be the "On Paper" commander while he provided the actual strategy.
Probably not going to happen, making Lea happier or getting Proto-Ivory as an ally are too potent to ignore.
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@Rihaku Does the Heartlessness increase occur when we get the additional perk, and can we buy it down with XP simultaneously?
Also, can I just copy and paste your arguments for Field Commander here, and use them as an argument for Lord Strategos? If so, do I win irony points?
As opposed to following the theme that you chose (stealing the chance for a loner Odyssial who was a master of Sorcery from me), gaining leadership over all of Creation, gaining access for Uly to the Sword of Creation (and thus making him Emperor), and gaining a few hundred thousand XP when we do pick up a Heartlessness point?
Also, can I just copy and paste your arguments for Field Commander here, and use them as an argument for Lord Strategos? If so, do I win irony points?
Alectai
Speaks Words of Wisdom... On occasion
Don't be a prick. My chief concern is, and always has been, making Odyssial the Once and Future King, that does Not require him to be the Lord Strategos, but Field Commander actually Does fit with that thematic, since the Obliterator was known chiefly by the ruined Daevas and Titans in his wake, rather then a man who lead from the front for all to see (When he wasn't doing something sneaky anyway)
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Nor does it require him to have a wife that will be sappy about his reincarnation, or a Sidereal follower who wants to craft artifacts with him. However I'd argue that being formally recognised as the greatest among the Exalted and given control over them is quite helpful towards any imperial aspirations. Especially considering that it opens up choices in further epochs; I wonder what options are opened by being given total control over Creation and access to the Sword of Creation.
[X] Protector of the West
[X] The Sword of Endings
[X] The Rose Blossoms
Just kind of value the allies and people to interact with much more from a narrative perspective than I do conquering a Direction.
Might have also something to do with the fact that I never really cared that much for being a general, conquering and ruling anyways, but those artifacts, loyalist cells and more people Odyssial can not be a complete sociopath with sound worth it from a mechanical perspective anyways.
I might be convinced to squeeze in Conquerer as well, simply because the Conditional Heartless reductions for subjects on top of the one with Lea could 'make up for' H9 especially since they'd probably apply to the Loyalist cells that are now even more common in the West, but Alectai raises a good point with hamstringing us for further choices being a notable risk, though since I don't mind paying XP for less Heartlessness too much and us being able to hold back during the next rounds is possible (if not likely) I'd still be willing to go for that compromise.
In no case do I want to drop Rose Blossoms though, since Ody neglecting relationships with those he's closest to for more greatness sets a terrible precedent for Uly and a Lea that is more bitter than affectionate because Ody wasn't there for her for millennia even though death apparently never really stopped him makes it seem all the more likely she'd lash out at any new waifus in anger/jealousy/wyld induced insanity.
And Sword of Endings gives a way too awesome artifact, absolutely hilarious relationship and feeds back into an equally hilarious relationship with our hot teacher.
No way I'm giving that up.
[X] The Sword of Endings
[X] The Rose Blossoms
Just kind of value the allies and people to interact with much more from a narrative perspective than I do conquering a Direction.
Might have also something to do with the fact that I never really cared that much for being a general, conquering and ruling anyways, but those artifacts, loyalist cells and more people Odyssial can not be a complete sociopath with sound worth it from a mechanical perspective anyways.
I might be convinced to squeeze in Conquerer as well, simply because the Conditional Heartless reductions for subjects on top of the one with Lea could 'make up for' H9 especially since they'd probably apply to the Loyalist cells that are now even more common in the West, but Alectai raises a good point with hamstringing us for further choices being a notable risk, though since I don't mind paying XP for less Heartlessness too much and us being able to hold back during the next rounds is possible (if not likely) I'd still be willing to go for that compromise.
In no case do I want to drop Rose Blossoms though, since Ody neglecting relationships with those he's closest to for more greatness sets a terrible precedent for Uly and a Lea that is more bitter than affectionate because Ody wasn't there for her for millennia even though death apparently never really stopped him makes it seem all the more likely she'd lash out at any new waifus in anger/jealousy/wyld induced insanity.
And Sword of Endings gives a way too awesome artifact, absolutely hilarious relationship and feeds back into an equally hilarious relationship with our hot teacher.
No way I'm giving that up.
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[X] Protector of the West - As one of the most formidable of the Host, Odyssial was granted the mandate of a Directional Protectorate. With authority to monitor, investigate, and defend an entire Direction of Creation, his rightly paranoid self was able to install countless caches of arms, equipment, and loyalist cells throughout the archipelagos and beyond.
[X] The Conquering King - Acquiring much territory in the countless conflicts of this Era, Odyssial learned how to conquer and rule. In the millennia to follow, his peoples would want for little, and never suffer the deprivations of a triumphant aggressor, not even as a part of Odyssial's schemes.
[X] The Sword of Endings - Sepulchral Pearlescence was a spry, slight Chosen of Endings, violet of eye and black of hair, with a crooked (and knowing) grin ever present on her face. Her delicate alabaster fingers, unblemished by even a single day's hard work, were threaded through with prayer strips to the Haywain and the Sword. In her right hand she held mourning, and in her left hand she held death. She began following Odyssial in the Primordial War, to manage and observe the effects that his storm of endings sent through Fate. Later, that was made her permanent assignation, after it was determined that this was cheaper than setting up a separate sub-Bureau to handle endings of which Odyssial was the cause
[X] The Conquering King - Acquiring much territory in the countless conflicts of this Era, Odyssial learned how to conquer and rule. In the millennia to follow, his peoples would want for little, and never suffer the deprivations of a triumphant aggressor, not even as a part of Odyssial's schemes.
[X] The Sword of Endings - Sepulchral Pearlescence was a spry, slight Chosen of Endings, violet of eye and black of hair, with a crooked (and knowing) grin ever present on her face. Her delicate alabaster fingers, unblemished by even a single day's hard work, were threaded through with prayer strips to the Haywain and the Sword. In her right hand she held mourning, and in her left hand she held death. She began following Odyssial in the Primordial War, to manage and observe the effects that his storm of endings sent through Fate. Later, that was made her permanent assignation, after it was determined that this was cheaper than setting up a separate sub-Bureau to handle endings of which Odyssial was the cause
A note on Lord Strategos, remember that the option gives +20% for each point bonus option (and thus point of heartlessness we take) as such it will likely pay for itself, right now we're at about 700k XP and since most the majority of voters desire to take at least three options that's at least 140k XP and in the future that will likely be boosted to 280XP. That XP could then presumably be used to directly buy off the heartlessness required for picking the option in the first place making it very nearly free.
More importantly becoming Lord Strategos gives access to the most powerful sword in creation the aptly named Sword of Creation and of course control over Creation's armies. Sure being Protector of the West means that Odyssial can protect a quarter of Creation but becoming the Lord Strategos wil mean he can protect all of it and there's nothing anyone can do to stop him.
More importantly becoming Lord Strategos gives access to the most powerful sword in creation the aptly named Sword of Creation and of course control over Creation's armies. Sure being Protector of the West means that Odyssial can protect a quarter of Creation but becoming the Lord Strategos wil mean he can protect all of it and there's nothing anyone can do to stop him.
[X] Lord Strategos
[X] The Rose Blossoms
[X] The Sword of Endings
I'm picking the Elder Lunar and Elder Sidereal options because that is some serious firepower and help as Ulyssian, the sword is extremely useful too but not as much as having two Elder Celestials working on our side. Lord Strategos for the xp multiplier and I'm not fussed about a sailing adventure in the West much. And it leaves space to pick another awesome option in another Epoch (Cus you just know Rihaku is gonna give us more of these tempting options, its what his quests are best known for, hard choices between different shiny things.)
[X] The Rose Blossoms
[X] The Sword of Endings
I'm picking the Elder Lunar and Elder Sidereal options because that is some serious firepower and help as Ulyssian, the sword is extremely useful too but not as much as having two Elder Celestials working on our side. Lord Strategos for the xp multiplier and I'm not fussed about a sailing adventure in the West much. And it leaves space to pick another awesome option in another Epoch (Cus you just know Rihaku is gonna give us more of these tempting options, its what his quests are best known for, hard choices between different shiny things.)