As long as Moon approve,I don't have anything against it.
[Exalted, ?] Most High
- Thread starter Rihaku
- Start date
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- exalted (white wolf)
Ridiculously Average Guy
I'm you, but stronger
- Location
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Fuck it:
[X] Finish It.
[X] Finish It.
Well, if the Elemental Dragons didn't exist in some form or other, the Dragon-Blooded couldn't have been Exalted. The names and Immaculate legends are just Sidereal lies, of course, but the actual Dragons are thought to be slumbering within the various Elemental Poles. Nobody knows what they're actually like, whether they're rational actors or primordial forces of nature equivalent to the Kukla on steroids. It would be interesting to see their reaction to the cult that has sprung up around them, but probably not good for our health.
Basically, you're right.
Aren't they just 3CD of Gaia?
Yeah, though 3E seems to be placing less emphasis on that.
[X] This is Madness
Ok, here's some arguments for 'Finish it!'
1) We nearly double our power immediately. Getting another Solar-tier combatant is huge. And with our throne of time, she'll be usable very, very quickly.
2) The apocalypse mostly hits our enemies. We will be able to weather it without significant effects. This will weaken them much more than us.
3) If we don't, we get a random defining intimacy. Two involve people on the other side of the world, and the last one probably has us hating one of our closest allies. Even if we stunt it and choose one, they're all pretty bad right now.
4) It will make us many enemies, but the vast majority of them were either already our enemies or about to become them. By taking a sudden and immediate power boost, we surprise them and any immediate response will be relatively uncoordinated. In the longer term the sheer power gain of another solar-tier combatant in our time chamber should be enough to counteract the gains our opponents get from having a clear and immediate enemy.
Probably not enough to win out on its own, but hopefully it'll start closing the argument gap.
1) We nearly double our power immediately. Getting another Solar-tier combatant is huge. And with our throne of time, she'll be usable very, very quickly.
2) The apocalypse mostly hits our enemies. We will be able to weather it without significant effects. This will weaken them much more than us.
3) If we don't, we get a random defining intimacy. Two involve people on the other side of the world, and the last one probably has us hating one of our closest allies. Even if we stunt it and choose one, they're all pretty bad right now.
4) It will make us many enemies, but the vast majority of them were either already our enemies or about to become them. By taking a sudden and immediate power boost, we surprise them and any immediate response will be relatively uncoordinated. In the longer term the sheer power gain of another solar-tier combatant in our time chamber should be enough to counteract the gains our opponents get from having a clear and immediate enemy.
Probably not enough to win out on its own, but hopefully it'll start closing the argument gap.
We also have to deal with Odyssial manifesting as in the Totality scenario. Which is pretty bad.
That's a significant detriment to the "don't do it" choice for me -- being opposed to the Ghost of Odyssial Past.
Meanwhile having an Immaculate Dragon on our side -- well, it has some uses for political maneuvers and shields. ((It will also piss off Resolute Flame. Or at least confuse him or something.))
Also, a Moon buffed by Sorcery becomes strong; thus gaining more survivability/viability in a Celestial-tier fight.
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Hmm... If/when we go ahead with this, would we be able to escape the blame of being responsible for what happened in other's eyes? i.e. Can we spin it so that rather than a "You asshole, you did this?!" it's instead something more like "Creation will give greatly of itself to bring forth the Immaculate Dragon of Wind" -- or alternatively, "When the Winds of the North falter, the Immaculate of Wind will return, heeding the cry of the pained world."
Also... Apologies if this has been brought up before, but -- what kind of Sorcerous Working would it take to gain powers that would let us better emulate the abilities of a Fire-Aspected Dragonblooded?
Because I mean... I don't see why we can't use a working to buff ourselves, after all...
Adding fire and heat to our Anima. Giving us powers that emulate Dragonblooded Charms, rather than just "Fuck You, I Win" Solar power.
Maybe we can explain away our Sorcery as being a result of "Fuck-powerful Fire Aspect" + "Fuck-powerful Artifact sword". I mean, Ambition does give you a "Can get a Charm 1 Essence above your own" Evocation... who's to say it might not have a potential for Cap-Breaking Sorcery? Or at least Cap-Breaking for a Dragonblooded.
We can't be Hesiesh Reborn because that spot is unfortunately taken, but... -- or, uh, can we? Anys Syn has been gone for a while... I bet she's had to let things slide on her Immaculate Dragon persona... What if we start up a Prophet of Seventeen Cycles with "she vanished suddenly for a while" as the backing fact, and usurp her?
... Hmm, no, that'll run into the fact that she'll eventually return and challenge us on that, that doesn't work.. It would put things in a head-on conflict between our word and her word and that'd be tricky. Okay, so! Instead of usurping her spot, maybe just stick to calling her out as being a fake? Undermining her power and legitimacy rather than trying to steal it. And we wouldn't even have to go head-on in confronting her this way; because we'd just be spreading rumors via Prophet.
(Alternatively, we just use Perfect Mirror (or whatever the Disguise Charm is called) to take her place?)
Also... Apologies if this has been brought up before, but -- what kind of Sorcerous Working would it take to gain powers that would let us better emulate the abilities of a Fire-Aspected Dragonblooded?
Because I mean... I don't see why we can't use a working to buff ourselves, after all...
Adding fire and heat to our Anima. Giving us powers that emulate Dragonblooded Charms, rather than just "Fuck You, I Win" Solar power.
Maybe we can explain away our Sorcery as being a result of "Fuck-powerful Fire Aspect" + "Fuck-powerful Artifact sword". I mean, Ambition does give you a "Can get a Charm 1 Essence above your own" Evocation... who's to say it might not have a potential for Cap-Breaking Sorcery? Or at least Cap-Breaking for a Dragonblooded.
We can't be Hesiesh Reborn because that spot is unfortunately taken, but... -- or, uh, can we? Anys Syn has been gone for a while... I bet she's had to let things slide on her Immaculate Dragon persona... What if we start up a Prophet of Seventeen Cycles with "she vanished suddenly for a while" as the backing fact, and usurp her?
... Hmm, no, that'll run into the fact that she'll eventually return and challenge us on that, that doesn't work.. It would put things in a head-on conflict between our word and her word and that'd be tricky. Okay, so! Instead of usurping her spot, maybe just stick to calling her out as being a fake? Undermining her power and legitimacy rather than trying to steal it. And we wouldn't even have to go head-on in confronting her this way; because we'd just be spreading rumors via Prophet.
(Alternatively, we just use Perfect Mirror (or whatever the Disguise Charm is called) to take her place?)
- Location
- The end of all things
Moon will be buffed regardless. The question is whether rough Lunar/Sidereal equivalence is enough or whether she really needs that Solar edge(albeit in a very limited set of fields). The latter is obviously preferable, but it will have immense and apocalyptic consequences while the former is essentially free.
Van Ropen
Angry, angry about elves.
Woah there. Let's not be hasty.
In a choice between millions of lives and apocalyptic consequences or our trout the choice is clear.
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Indeed, though perhaps not in the way that you meant it.
meianmaru
The Devourer of Fiction
On self-buffs, there is one that must be acquired before anything else: the one that lets Uly to train faster. Even with our time chamber, every second we spend not accomplishing something is wasted, even if it is to become more powerful. The ability to get the benefits of flash-buying things (or training at the rate that is nearly the same) without costing double the amount in XP and 50% of that XP not counting towards a higher Essence level should be quite devastating, even if it has some drawbacks that Rihaku has hinted about. Especially now that we won't have the luxury of time to spend months training in relative safety.
Even if people find out that Ulyssian caused the disaster Odyssial himself has reasoned that some of his enemies would move to protect him as Ulyssian's foreknowledge combined with his prophecies would make him one of the best hopes to minimize the destruction. Though it will cause a massive amounts of hatred we would still get the Realm on our side since we will minimize the destruction happening on the realm, have the Sword of Creation to enforce our will, and hopefully have the Empress Moon assisting us.
I thought the Self Chilling Trout is from an enchantment placed on Luseng?
I had been under the impression that it was generated by a demesne in or near the city, which we would be draining to power up Moon if we took the other option.
meianmaru
The Devourer of Fiction
##Fanwork 777 words
Just a short omake to boost the benefits and reduce the damage from our frankly horrifying plan. Here's hoping that everything goes as well as it can...
***
Preparations
The soft noice of a brush swiftly and surely marking the paper with ink was loud in the silence that permeated the throne room. Plans, backup plans, counter-plans, counter-counter-plans and more were flowing from Ulyssian's mind to paper. The decades lasting disruptions caused by consuming the essence from an Elemental Pole would be enormous, which in turn required exceptional measures to be taken to mitigate the damage to Creation and its people. It also offered him a chance to excert his influence on a scale that would be otherwise impossible, so it was necessary have his plans ready to be implemented as soon as possible after he completed elevating Moon beyond her Terrestrial Exaltation. Some of his schemes actually required them to be already being rolled out before the Northern Pole was shut down.
Zao's control over the winds would be instrumental in the efforts in warding of the catastrophes caused by the cataclysmic effects unleashed on the weather patterns because of their elemental lynchpin being removed. While he was still unsure how he would react to Odyssial's plan, there was no doubt in his mind that Zao wouldn't do his best to preserve Creation and the Realm to the best of his ability. And as they had already developed a structural approach in communicating instructions for manipulating the winds with their last success in weather manipulation, he didn't even need to invent one to relay his instructions to his old master. Also, as soon as Moon started mastering her powers, she could too contribute to the effort. In the long years to come as she grew in power, this would be on a scale completely above even the former Shogun.
To the Bull, he would deliver the analysis of how the weather patterns would emerge from the chaos of the disruptions under the careful manipulations of Zao and Moon, as well as the likely large-scale movements of the Raksha who would try to take advantage of the opening. While the proud fellow Dawn would likely... dislike the help of his enemy, especially after the likely reveal that the same enemy was behind the deactivation of the Elemental Pole of Wind, it would be very unfavorable and unfeasible for him to completely discard correct situational information. From there, it should become easier to influence him and his Circle on other matters too.
And the Grand Heresy in the Immaculate Faith, the acceptance or at least tolerance of the Solar and Lunar Anathema? Surprisingly, people were much more willing to make compromises with their beliefs if the end of the world loomed over the horizon. Especially if influenced by the the invisible hand of directed by the mind capable of Solar predictionism. The Bull would become a prime example of the Realm's vital need to make compromises, a formerly conquering barbarian Anathema king, who was holding back the Northern tide of the Wyld.
Following willing cooperation between the Exalts, going back to the status quo would have been difficult even if the Scarlet Empress sat on her throne, and the Sidereals had been in a position to manipulate the opinion. Also, a gate once opened would allow other ideas to pass through to the previously impenetrable fortress of the Realm culture.
Finally, he would have to carefully handle how to expose Moon's new powers to the world. Her connection to him would make things somewhat hard to handle, but Nilul should be able to handle this matter. With the proper preparations, seizing the reins of the Realm from within would become possible.
All this, and he just had to be one responsible for millions of innocents dying in catastrophe he would be unleashing. It was a bitter medicine to swallow, but the path with most chance of succeeding for changing this cruel world was to abide by its logic until the time came.
But even if he had to to abide by this monstorous logic to seize all the advantages, even if it was necessary for him to become a monster, he wouldn't sell the lives of others cheaply. Every morsel of information had to be exploited to the fullest of his capability, the damages from the execution of his plan mitigated as far as he could, and the gains maximized.
The only question was that after this, how much more blood would stain his hands, while he walked his path towards the impossible dream? How much more he would have to sacrifice to attain his ultimate goal?
Because in the end, he was willing to pay nearly any price that was required. The Lathe would turn, until the world would finally be as it should be.
Just a short omake to boost the benefits and reduce the damage from our frankly horrifying plan. Here's hoping that everything goes as well as it can...
***
Preparations
The soft noice of a brush swiftly and surely marking the paper with ink was loud in the silence that permeated the throne room. Plans, backup plans, counter-plans, counter-counter-plans and more were flowing from Ulyssian's mind to paper. The decades lasting disruptions caused by consuming the essence from an Elemental Pole would be enormous, which in turn required exceptional measures to be taken to mitigate the damage to Creation and its people. It also offered him a chance to excert his influence on a scale that would be otherwise impossible, so it was necessary have his plans ready to be implemented as soon as possible after he completed elevating Moon beyond her Terrestrial Exaltation. Some of his schemes actually required them to be already being rolled out before the Northern Pole was shut down.
Zao's control over the winds would be instrumental in the efforts in warding of the catastrophes caused by the cataclysmic effects unleashed on the weather patterns because of their elemental lynchpin being removed. While he was still unsure how he would react to Odyssial's plan, there was no doubt in his mind that Zao wouldn't do his best to preserve Creation and the Realm to the best of his ability. And as they had already developed a structural approach in communicating instructions for manipulating the winds with their last success in weather manipulation, he didn't even need to invent one to relay his instructions to his old master. Also, as soon as Moon started mastering her powers, she could too contribute to the effort. In the long years to come as she grew in power, this would be on a scale completely above even the former Shogun.
To the Bull, he would deliver the analysis of how the weather patterns would emerge from the chaos of the disruptions under the careful manipulations of Zao and Moon, as well as the likely large-scale movements of the Raksha who would try to take advantage of the opening. While the proud fellow Dawn would likely... dislike the help of his enemy, especially after the likely reveal that the same enemy was behind the deactivation of the Elemental Pole of Wind, it would be very unfavorable and unfeasible for him to completely discard correct situational information. From there, it should become easier to influence him and his Circle on other matters too.
And the Grand Heresy in the Immaculate Faith, the acceptance or at least tolerance of the Solar and Lunar Anathema? Surprisingly, people were much more willing to make compromises with their beliefs if the end of the world loomed over the horizon. Especially if influenced by the the invisible hand of directed by the mind capable of Solar predictionism. The Bull would become a prime example of the Realm's vital need to make compromises, a formerly conquering barbarian Anathema king, who was holding back the Northern tide of the Wyld.
Following willing cooperation between the Exalts, going back to the status quo would have been difficult even if the Scarlet Empress sat on her throne, and the Sidereals had been in a position to manipulate the opinion. Also, a gate once opened would allow other ideas to pass through to the previously impenetrable fortress of the Realm culture.
Finally, he would have to carefully handle how to expose Moon's new powers to the world. Her connection to him would make things somewhat hard to handle, but Nilul should be able to handle this matter. With the proper preparations, seizing the reins of the Realm from within would become possible.
All this, and he just had to be one responsible for millions of innocents dying in catastrophe he would be unleashing. It was a bitter medicine to swallow, but the path with most chance of succeeding for changing this cruel world was to abide by its logic until the time came.
But even if he had to to abide by this monstorous logic to seize all the advantages, even if it was necessary for him to become a monster, he wouldn't sell the lives of others cheaply. Every morsel of information had to be exploited to the fullest of his capability, the damages from the execution of his plan mitigated as far as he could, and the gains maximized.
The only question was that after this, how much more blood would stain his hands, while he walked his path towards the impossible dream? How much more he would have to sacrifice to attain his ultimate goal?
Because in the end, he was willing to pay nearly any price that was required. The Lathe would turn, until the world would finally be as it should be.
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[X] Finish It
If choose to follow through means the deaths that are caused are our fault then the opposite is true. If we choose not to follow through then everyone lost in the realms many wars that would have lived otherwise are our fault. We should not value one mortals life more than the next when we have no information about either. Following through just means we have more control over the situation and that moon is capable of fighting on our level.
If choose to follow through means the deaths that are caused are our fault then the opposite is true. If we choose not to follow through then everyone lost in the realms many wars that would have lived otherwise are our fault. We should not value one mortals life more than the next when we have no information about either. Following through just means we have more control over the situation and that moon is capable of fighting on our level.
AZATHOTHoth
༼ つ ☀️_☀️ ༽つ
My spirit is not ready for this~
Nothing Eternal
Rihaku
The Internet
Nothing Eternal
Without calculation, failure.
Without ruthlessness, tragedy.
It was hubris to take the lives of so many into his palm. But it was greater hubris still to think that he could save them all. Not when he was this weak still, and to rise to his previous heights required time that not even the Sundial Throne could buy him. Better to sacrifice, and succeed, rather than gamble it all on some interminably lengthier plan with longer odds. The Exalted could grasp far beyond mortal men, but their reach was was not infinite.
Not when the Exalted were but twilight stars, dimming in the final hour of the gods. A frail shadow of what had been, but that was all they had.
He would trust Odyssial's design, this time.
Ulyssian stood, and committed the map and its annotations to memory. The parchment curled and singed under his regard, burning away into twisted tatters of ash, black like dragon coils.
---
"I'm going to turn off the Pole of Air," he announced later, after the plans were made and the prophecies sent rippling across Creation's surface.
Moon and The Lily both looked up from what they were doing to stare at him. Nilul continued to crochet coquettishly, while the Celestine paused in the doorway.
"Understood," the jade construct said. "You needn't worry, father. I shall prepare Luseng for this occurrence!" She turned around and marched swiftly out of the throne room, humming the Lusengese national anthem.
"Um, Uly," Moon ventured, "why?"
"It's the only way I can think of to efficiently unite the Exalted host while removing our present problems," he replied, preparing for the storm of counter-arguments. He was resolved; they would not sway him now. Still, he far preferred to undergo this with his friends rather than alone.
"Manually attempting to conquer, convince, or reliably ally with all the other Solars and Lunars is a fool's errand," he continued, "and to do so with the support of the Dragon-Blooded as well is nearly impossible, not without decades of work. However, so long as those Exaltations run free, they will constantly work at cross-purposes, doing far more damage to Creation than they repair. The Lunar Dominions attack the Realm, and the result is that both of Creation's major defenders are weakened."
"So you want to create a common enemy," The Lily asked, "yourself?"
"That is one possible outcome," Ulyssian hedged, maintaining his confident tone. "though I'm hoping that the extinguishing of the Air Pole will serve as a better unifying threat. I chose the Pole of Air because it's the closest save for the Earth Pole, which is too important, and we have a master of air manipulation that might be able to benefit from the gathered energies."
He nodded towards Moon.
"Aha!" Nilul exclaimed, throwing aside her horribly mangled sewing-work to point the needles at him. "So, it's just an elaborate scheme to power up Moon! I knew it!"
Moon blushed.
"Nilul!" She protested. "T-this is no time for jokes!"
"I'm not joking," Nilul soldiered onwards, "and I approve wholeheartedly. Good job, Uly!"
"...Somehow I feel worse about this than I did coming in here," Ulyssian muttered.
"Anyway," he said, recovering slightly, "You've all seen how hard Moon works. There's no one that deserves the power more than her, and I admit it's a desirable side-effect. However,"
"Trying to justify your denials just makes the whole thing more transparent," Nilul said, arching an eyebrow.
"However," Ulyssian continued, resolutely ignoring Nilul, "Moon is right. This is absolutely not something we can make light of. If successful, my plan will kill tens of millions of mortals. If the wars of the Exalted continue unabated, far more than tens of millions may die, but we can't judge hypothetical lives saved against the real cost of this spell."
"Only tens of millions?" Moon asked. As he'd spoken, she'd been writing with her usual clear alacrity. "My calculations say at least a hundred million- ah! Uly must have created plans to minimize the damage already, right?"
"Just so," He said. "Plans that, when implemented, will also heavily incentivize the Exalted involved to stop their infighting and turn towards the threats that really matter against Creation."
Moon placed a gentle palm atop his. "If you think it's right, Uly, then I'll always support you."
"Aww~" Nilul bounced in her seat with amusement.
"N-not like that!" Moon yelled, rearing on her, cheeks flushed.
"Hm?" Nilul asked. "Like what? I was just admiring my handiwork," she indicated the stitching on her desk.
"Y-you!" Moon pouted, furious with the trembling rage that was symptomatic of extensive exposure to Nilul.
The Lily, on the other hand, was smiling sadly. The room dimmed at her gentle melancholy.
"You are resolved to do this," she said.
"I hope this doesn't make us enemies," he cut to the point.
"We can't be allies if you do this," she replied, shaking her head. "but... I don't want to fight my friends, either."
"I told you I would be a terrible friend," he said. "You shouldn't have expected anything less. For what it's worth, Lily, I'm sorry. No one could ask for a truer friend than you, especially not me."
"You are a man of your word," she said wryly. "I understand. I know you don't have bad intentions at heart. I can't help you, but I won't stand in your way."
"I still owe you a major favor, I won't-"
She shook her head again.
"A good friend may repay his favors, but a great friend never counts them in the first place, and I told you which type of friend I am as well." She smiled kindly at him, a smile which still caused his heart temporarily to stop-
"Nothing's owed between us, Uly. I was happy to help you while I could. It was nice to be among Exalts without crossing blades. But nothing beautiful in this world is also eternal."
The Lily nodded at Nilul and Moon as well. "Girls, I'll miss-"
"Oh, come here, you," Nilul said, wrapping her in a hug. When she was done, Moon approached as well, taking her in a sisterly embrace. The Lily had gotten along well with both of them, though their mutual conspiracies against him had sometimes been maddening.
And then she turned and walked out of the Throne room, her shadow a knife splitting stone, the inklike spill of her ponytail swaying from side to side. The Lily of the Valley was gone, and Ulyssian felt a strange void within himself, like the hollow against which an imprint might once have been laid.
Onwards.
---
Ulyssian summoned the Chariot of the Sun, pulled by the Odyssian Horse. Conjured into reality by sheer force of Sorcery, the Horse stood seven feet at the shoulder and gleamed with the lethal shine of dawn. Its hoofbeats thundered like diamond against the invisible flagstones of the sky. Upon such a steed, a party could travel near the full span of the world in a single day's ride, though the Chariot would only persist while the sun was still present. Aided by such tremendous speed, the journey to the Pole of Air was a brief one, and Ulyssian and Moon made good time. They encountered marauding fae and stranger guardians still, a bleak and numberless army of Pole-twisted monstrosities, but such foes dissolved like morning dew before the might of the Dawn Caste. Ulyssian had grown as strong as a Solar of his age would conventionally become, a threat against which the Scarlet Empress would have mustered a full dozen Legions and the Sword of Creation besides. No lesser force could bar his path for long.
The die was cast. For the first time in centuries, all Creation hung in the balance of one Exalt's hubris.
What was the nature of Ulyssian's prepared Prophecies?
[ ] Fortress Luseng - Focus on additionally fortifying and sheltering Luseng from all forms of disruption, military or climatic, creating strong incentives for immigration and bringing millions of additional mortals under your sway. Luseng, having spent much of its supernatural preparation towards exactly this contingency of overpopulation, is very well-equipped to provide for more mortals - it's a simple scaling-up of existing systems, now that your sorcerous might suffices to feed the nation entire. By forging Luseng into an indestructible citadel, a shining jewel of military and supernatural might, you will empower your own future sorceries, as well as your divine allies. Further, you'll severely disincentivize attacks on your person or the state of Luseng, given the immense concentration of forces within it.
This does not mean your prophecies will neglect populaces in areas that can not contribute population to Luseng, just that your main focus will remain on the Kingdom.
Perhaps your ambitions are greater than one kingdom, no matter how brilliant. Then, will you choose War, or Peace?
[ ] Open The Path - Inspire a great spirit of civic duty and concern for mortal welfare (grounded in either morality, condescension, or stark economic pragmatism, it matters little) among the Dragon-Blooded of the Realm, diverting much of their attention towards reconstruction, large-scale terrestrial engineering, and other non-combat projects. This will leave the Realm relatively vulnerable to a decisive alpha strike towards the Sword of Creation, with which you can obliterate the invading Fae and stake out a claim for rulership of the Blessed Isle and adjunct territories. You initiated this plan to gain influence and power; it's time to go all-in. What legions are not directed towards earthmoving projects will be directed to defend against Lunar incursion, and their weakness to an attack by one of their own Satraps will be more evident than ever.
Of course, you will also weaken the Realm against any Exalts that wish it ill, such as the Lunars and Infernals. Zao will be furious as well. But all that matters little in face of the greater prize... there is a significant chance you will die in the attempt to capitalize on this plot. But if you succeed, oh, if you succeed...
[ ] Pax Odyssial - Truly the most ambitious of the potential projects in scale, you will attempt to fully unite the defenders of Creation against an external threat. That means adjusting ten thousand histories of hostile interaction across all Thirteen Great Houses and seven hundred Lunar or Lunar-allied dominions; the mass disincentivization of inter-Exalt war, and the casting aside both of ancient grudges and religious ideology to stand together against ecological devastation on a titanic scale. Of course, you cannot force Exalted action, only penalize certain routes and reward others. The peaceful will prosper and the pragmatic will seek (at least temporary) peace, but fanatics and warmongers both are fully capable of powering through your interdict, severe as it would be against a mortal army.
More will die under this plan than any other, and there is a significant chance you will simply fail. There is also a significant chance that they will unite against you. But if it succeeds, you will have writ large the legacy of Odyssial that is Ulyssian across the face of the cosmos, and none will be able to deny that Creation was forever changed by your prowess and your will. While many will die, hundreds of times their number will be saved over time, as decades of relative peace fall over the domains of the Exalted. Of course, such only applies for those Exalts with Creation's best interests in mind.
Without calculation, failure.
Without ruthlessness, tragedy.
It was hubris to take the lives of so many into his palm. But it was greater hubris still to think that he could save them all. Not when he was this weak still, and to rise to his previous heights required time that not even the Sundial Throne could buy him. Better to sacrifice, and succeed, rather than gamble it all on some interminably lengthier plan with longer odds. The Exalted could grasp far beyond mortal men, but their reach was was not infinite.
Not when the Exalted were but twilight stars, dimming in the final hour of the gods. A frail shadow of what had been, but that was all they had.
He would trust Odyssial's design, this time.
Ulyssian stood, and committed the map and its annotations to memory. The parchment curled and singed under his regard, burning away into twisted tatters of ash, black like dragon coils.
---
"I'm going to turn off the Pole of Air," he announced later, after the plans were made and the prophecies sent rippling across Creation's surface.
Moon and The Lily both looked up from what they were doing to stare at him. Nilul continued to crochet coquettishly, while the Celestine paused in the doorway.
"Understood," the jade construct said. "You needn't worry, father. I shall prepare Luseng for this occurrence!" She turned around and marched swiftly out of the throne room, humming the Lusengese national anthem.
"Um, Uly," Moon ventured, "why?"
"It's the only way I can think of to efficiently unite the Exalted host while removing our present problems," he replied, preparing for the storm of counter-arguments. He was resolved; they would not sway him now. Still, he far preferred to undergo this with his friends rather than alone.
"Manually attempting to conquer, convince, or reliably ally with all the other Solars and Lunars is a fool's errand," he continued, "and to do so with the support of the Dragon-Blooded as well is nearly impossible, not without decades of work. However, so long as those Exaltations run free, they will constantly work at cross-purposes, doing far more damage to Creation than they repair. The Lunar Dominions attack the Realm, and the result is that both of Creation's major defenders are weakened."
"So you want to create a common enemy," The Lily asked, "yourself?"
"That is one possible outcome," Ulyssian hedged, maintaining his confident tone. "though I'm hoping that the extinguishing of the Air Pole will serve as a better unifying threat. I chose the Pole of Air because it's the closest save for the Earth Pole, which is too important, and we have a master of air manipulation that might be able to benefit from the gathered energies."
He nodded towards Moon.
"Aha!" Nilul exclaimed, throwing aside her horribly mangled sewing-work to point the needles at him. "So, it's just an elaborate scheme to power up Moon! I knew it!"
Moon blushed.
"Nilul!" She protested. "T-this is no time for jokes!"
"I'm not joking," Nilul soldiered onwards, "and I approve wholeheartedly. Good job, Uly!"
"...Somehow I feel worse about this than I did coming in here," Ulyssian muttered.
"Anyway," he said, recovering slightly, "You've all seen how hard Moon works. There's no one that deserves the power more than her, and I admit it's a desirable side-effect. However,"
"Trying to justify your denials just makes the whole thing more transparent," Nilul said, arching an eyebrow.
"However," Ulyssian continued, resolutely ignoring Nilul, "Moon is right. This is absolutely not something we can make light of. If successful, my plan will kill tens of millions of mortals. If the wars of the Exalted continue unabated, far more than tens of millions may die, but we can't judge hypothetical lives saved against the real cost of this spell."
"Only tens of millions?" Moon asked. As he'd spoken, she'd been writing with her usual clear alacrity. "My calculations say at least a hundred million- ah! Uly must have created plans to minimize the damage already, right?"
"Just so," He said. "Plans that, when implemented, will also heavily incentivize the Exalted involved to stop their infighting and turn towards the threats that really matter against Creation."
Moon placed a gentle palm atop his. "If you think it's right, Uly, then I'll always support you."
"Aww~" Nilul bounced in her seat with amusement.
"N-not like that!" Moon yelled, rearing on her, cheeks flushed.
"Hm?" Nilul asked. "Like what? I was just admiring my handiwork," she indicated the stitching on her desk.
"Y-you!" Moon pouted, furious with the trembling rage that was symptomatic of extensive exposure to Nilul.
The Lily, on the other hand, was smiling sadly. The room dimmed at her gentle melancholy.
"You are resolved to do this," she said.
"I hope this doesn't make us enemies," he cut to the point.
"We can't be allies if you do this," she replied, shaking her head. "but... I don't want to fight my friends, either."
"I told you I would be a terrible friend," he said. "You shouldn't have expected anything less. For what it's worth, Lily, I'm sorry. No one could ask for a truer friend than you, especially not me."
"You are a man of your word," she said wryly. "I understand. I know you don't have bad intentions at heart. I can't help you, but I won't stand in your way."
"I still owe you a major favor, I won't-"
She shook her head again.
"A good friend may repay his favors, but a great friend never counts them in the first place, and I told you which type of friend I am as well." She smiled kindly at him, a smile which still caused his heart temporarily to stop-
"Nothing's owed between us, Uly. I was happy to help you while I could. It was nice to be among Exalts without crossing blades. But nothing beautiful in this world is also eternal."
The Lily nodded at Nilul and Moon as well. "Girls, I'll miss-"
"Oh, come here, you," Nilul said, wrapping her in a hug. When she was done, Moon approached as well, taking her in a sisterly embrace. The Lily had gotten along well with both of them, though their mutual conspiracies against him had sometimes been maddening.
And then she turned and walked out of the Throne room, her shadow a knife splitting stone, the inklike spill of her ponytail swaying from side to side. The Lily of the Valley was gone, and Ulyssian felt a strange void within himself, like the hollow against which an imprint might once have been laid.
Onwards.
---
Ulyssian summoned the Chariot of the Sun, pulled by the Odyssian Horse. Conjured into reality by sheer force of Sorcery, the Horse stood seven feet at the shoulder and gleamed with the lethal shine of dawn. Its hoofbeats thundered like diamond against the invisible flagstones of the sky. Upon such a steed, a party could travel near the full span of the world in a single day's ride, though the Chariot would only persist while the sun was still present. Aided by such tremendous speed, the journey to the Pole of Air was a brief one, and Ulyssian and Moon made good time. They encountered marauding fae and stranger guardians still, a bleak and numberless army of Pole-twisted monstrosities, but such foes dissolved like morning dew before the might of the Dawn Caste. Ulyssian had grown as strong as a Solar of his age would conventionally become, a threat against which the Scarlet Empress would have mustered a full dozen Legions and the Sword of Creation besides. No lesser force could bar his path for long.
The die was cast. For the first time in centuries, all Creation hung in the balance of one Exalt's hubris.
What was the nature of Ulyssian's prepared Prophecies?
[ ] Fortress Luseng - Focus on additionally fortifying and sheltering Luseng from all forms of disruption, military or climatic, creating strong incentives for immigration and bringing millions of additional mortals under your sway. Luseng, having spent much of its supernatural preparation towards exactly this contingency of overpopulation, is very well-equipped to provide for more mortals - it's a simple scaling-up of existing systems, now that your sorcerous might suffices to feed the nation entire. By forging Luseng into an indestructible citadel, a shining jewel of military and supernatural might, you will empower your own future sorceries, as well as your divine allies. Further, you'll severely disincentivize attacks on your person or the state of Luseng, given the immense concentration of forces within it.
This does not mean your prophecies will neglect populaces in areas that can not contribute population to Luseng, just that your main focus will remain on the Kingdom.
Perhaps your ambitions are greater than one kingdom, no matter how brilliant. Then, will you choose War, or Peace?
[ ] Open The Path - Inspire a great spirit of civic duty and concern for mortal welfare (grounded in either morality, condescension, or stark economic pragmatism, it matters little) among the Dragon-Blooded of the Realm, diverting much of their attention towards reconstruction, large-scale terrestrial engineering, and other non-combat projects. This will leave the Realm relatively vulnerable to a decisive alpha strike towards the Sword of Creation, with which you can obliterate the invading Fae and stake out a claim for rulership of the Blessed Isle and adjunct territories. You initiated this plan to gain influence and power; it's time to go all-in. What legions are not directed towards earthmoving projects will be directed to defend against Lunar incursion, and their weakness to an attack by one of their own Satraps will be more evident than ever.
Of course, you will also weaken the Realm against any Exalts that wish it ill, such as the Lunars and Infernals. Zao will be furious as well. But all that matters little in face of the greater prize... there is a significant chance you will die in the attempt to capitalize on this plot. But if you succeed, oh, if you succeed...
[ ] Pax Odyssial - Truly the most ambitious of the potential projects in scale, you will attempt to fully unite the defenders of Creation against an external threat. That means adjusting ten thousand histories of hostile interaction across all Thirteen Great Houses and seven hundred Lunar or Lunar-allied dominions; the mass disincentivization of inter-Exalt war, and the casting aside both of ancient grudges and religious ideology to stand together against ecological devastation on a titanic scale. Of course, you cannot force Exalted action, only penalize certain routes and reward others. The peaceful will prosper and the pragmatic will seek (at least temporary) peace, but fanatics and warmongers both are fully capable of powering through your interdict, severe as it would be against a mortal army.
More will die under this plan than any other, and there is a significant chance you will simply fail. There is also a significant chance that they will unite against you. But if it succeeds, you will have writ large the legacy of Odyssial that is Ulyssian across the face of the cosmos, and none will be able to deny that Creation was forever changed by your prowess and your will. While many will die, hundreds of times their number will be saved over time, as decades of relative peace fall over the domains of the Exalted. Of course, such only applies for those Exalts with Creation's best interests in mind.
AZATHOTHoth
༼ つ ☀️_☀️ ༽つ
Lily left us.
[X] Pax Odyssia
Go big or go home.
[X] Pax Odyssia
Go big or go home.