Could you please elaborate on this? Even if Rena doesn't have a head for accounting (and I suppose you want to keep this quest away from 10+ Excel spreadsheets of financial planning) it's kind of important we, the readers, get a clearer idea of Rena's means. (And I don't mean sorcerous ones).
[Exalted] The Dragon's Spite
- Thread starter EarthScorpion
- Start date
- Mature Fantasy
Well, put simply, if people pick the option explicitly called out as expensive and not a place that came to mind for Amigere as "a place to stay", that means they're setting themselves up for complications or obstacles based on "shit I lack money", especially when she currently doesn't have an income stream. Just like the Algari House flags itself as "you'll find it harder to obtain things from the bazaar and the centre of the city, because it's out of the way and the flow of people there are mostly travellers just passing through".
Financially, she has what savings she has left (not much by her terms, but enough that she was planning to support herself down to Gem until she found another source of income), plus the pearls she
[X] You'll take Amigere's suggestion, and lodge in one of the dwellings that advertise themselves as traveller's rests. You can probably find one that is tolerable. You're sure you can browbeat whoever you grace with your presence to wait on you and find out more about what you're looking for, but it'll be in the heart of the city and noisy.
[X] Only until you have your strength back. He doesn't need to know about the map - but maybe you can take advantage of him (in more than one way) while you prepare for an expedition down into the valley. He's only a dalliance, and you don't yet trust him with something this precious.
[X] Only until you have your strength back. He doesn't need to know about the map - but maybe you can take advantage of him (in more than one way) while you prepare for an expedition down into the valley. He's only a dalliance, and you don't yet trust him with something this precious.
[x] You'll take Amigere's suggestion, and lodge in one of the dwellings that advertise themselves as traveller's rests. You can probably find one that is tolerable. You're sure you can browbeat whoever you grace with your presence to wait on you and find out more about what you're looking for, but it'll be in the heart of the city and noisy.
[X] Yes. Bring him in on the secrets of the map. He's a self-proclaimed scavenger lord, and for all that he clearly isn't one of the most prosperous, he might be useful while you investigate it. He might only be a dalliance, but you might as well make him useful than merely in the bedroom.
[X] Yes. Bring him in on the secrets of the map. He's a self-proclaimed scavenger lord, and for all that he clearly isn't one of the most prosperous, he might be useful while you investigate it. He might only be a dalliance, but you might as well make him useful than merely in the bedroom.
[X] You'll take Amigere's suggestion, and lodge in one of the dwellings that advertise themselves as traveller's rests. You can probably find one that is tolerable. You're sure you can browbeat whoever you grace with your presence to wait on you and find out more about what you're looking for, but it'll be in the heart of the city and noisy.
[X] Yes. Bring him in on the secrets of the map. He's a self-proclaimed scavenger lord, and for all that he clearly isn't one of the most prosperous, he might be useful while you investigate it. He might only be a dalliance, but you might as well make him useful than merely in the bedroom.
We went to an awful lot of effort to keep Amigere around. May as well go for the payoff on that.
[X] Yes. Bring him in on the secrets of the map. He's a self-proclaimed scavenger lord, and for all that he clearly isn't one of the most prosperous, he might be useful while you investigate it. He might only be a dalliance, but you might as well make him useful than merely in the bedroom.
We went to an awful lot of effort to keep Amigere around. May as well go for the payoff on that.
[X] The Cerulean Lotus, which huddles in the shadow of the fortress of the lords of this city. The sound of the ancient cold-air pumps are audible from some distance away, keeping the stench of the lake away from this place. Built in richer times, and half-empty. Lovely and well-situated, yet expensive and might draw attention.
[X] Yes. Bring him in on the secrets of the map. He's a self-proclaimed scavenger lord, and for all that he clearly isn't one of the most prosperous, he might be useful while you investigate it. He might only be a dalliance, but you might as well make him useful than merely in the bedroom.
[X] Yes. Bring him in on the secrets of the map. He's a self-proclaimed scavenger lord, and for all that he clearly isn't one of the most prosperous, he might be useful while you investigate it. He might only be a dalliance, but you might as well make him useful than merely in the bedroom.
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meianmaru
The Devourer of Fiction
[X] The Cerulean Lotus, which huddles in the shadow of the fortress of the lords of this city. The sound of the ancient cold-air pumps are audible from some distance away, keeping the stench of the lake away from this place. Built in richer times, and half-empty. Lovely and well-situated, yet expensive and might draw attention.
[X] Yes. Bring him in on the secrets of the map. He's a self-proclaimed scavenger lord, and for all that he clearly isn't one of the most prosperous, he might be useful while you investigate it. He might only be a dalliance, but you might as well make him useful than merely in the bedroom.
[X] Yes. Bring him in on the secrets of the map. He's a self-proclaimed scavenger lord, and for all that he clearly isn't one of the most prosperous, he might be useful while you investigate it. He might only be a dalliance, but you might as well make him useful than merely in the bedroom.
- Location
- Dreiländereck
[X] The Cerulean Lotus, which huddles in the shadow of the fortress of the lords of this city. The sound of the ancient cold-air pumps are audible from some distance away, keeping the stench of the lake away from this place. Built in richer times, and half-empty. Lovely and well-situated, yet expensive and might draw attention.
[X] Yes. Bring him in on the secrets of the map. He's a self-proclaimed scavenger lord, and for all that he clearly isn't one of the most prosperous, he might be useful while you investigate it. He might only be a dalliance, but you might as well make him useful than merely in the bedroom.
Hm, I would prefer the Cerulean Lotus as a nice setpiece where we can see more of Rena's social loadout. It is a significant investment but she is more likely to make an impression upon the people who rule this place or posess the ressources necessary for her to get her expedition. Besides it will bring Rena in a better headspace, you know, indulging in luxury and no smelly peons in sight.
Amigere I would like to make our partner in crime, or at least buisness for now. He knows the area and the people more than us. He can help us more if he knows what we want to do and Rena saved his live at least once, that should count for something.
Aside from the vote, Rena reminiscing about her home made me imagine that her old fortress looked a bit like the swiss fortress in Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows.
[X] Yes. Bring him in on the secrets of the map. He's a self-proclaimed scavenger lord, and for all that he clearly isn't one of the most prosperous, he might be useful while you investigate it. He might only be a dalliance, but you might as well make him useful than merely in the bedroom.
Hm, I would prefer the Cerulean Lotus as a nice setpiece where we can see more of Rena's social loadout. It is a significant investment but she is more likely to make an impression upon the people who rule this place or posess the ressources necessary for her to get her expedition. Besides it will bring Rena in a better headspace, you know, indulging in luxury and no smelly peons in sight.
Amigere I would like to make our partner in crime, or at least buisness for now. He knows the area and the people more than us. He can help us more if he knows what we want to do and Rena saved his live at least once, that should count for something.
Aside from the vote, Rena reminiscing about her home made me imagine that her old fortress looked a bit like the swiss fortress in Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows.
- Location
- The sixth circle of Hell (second on weekends)
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Guys.
Guys.
We know nothing about this guy. He is a complete unknown. We have a priceless map in our hands. You're acting like he'll be buddy-buddy with us if we reveal it and will be a loyal minion until we get rid of him. He's a fucking scavenger lord, not a bishie blushing uke husbando! He has definitely straight-up murdered people before. You know what else might happen if we bring him in? He sells the fact we have the map to the Cahzorite deyha and gets them to hire him to check the locations. Oh look, suddenly we can't dispose of him because we just got mauled to death by a dozen giant hyenas.
I mean, for fuck's sake; we are an evil sorceress who already canonically had to betray and murder one lover-fiancee when he became a serious threat to our efforts to gain power. This is that exact situation again. Rena has known Amigere for a matter of days, she has no idea what his goals or beliefs or drives or values are; he could be hiding anything and has every reason to be. She got them out of the deyha ambush and rescued him from the goddess - you know what that might invoke apart from gratitude? Playing along with the submissive pretty boy expectations until he can get something valuable out of her. Being nice to people doesn't always magically work out, especially not when you're blatantly in an "evil sorceress" wuxia genre.
If we don't gain massive, explicit positives from bringing him in - and we don't, there's nothing to suggest that he's vital or crucial in exploring the map locations when we can do it ourselves - then taking the massive, explicit risk of bringing him in is stupid. Trusting blindly and ceasing to watch her back is how Rena lost her home, her research, her materials, her harem, her artifacts, her servants and her health. If we discover a map location that specifically needs Amigere in particular to take full advantage of, then we can think about bringing him in. We can always tell him later if we don't tell him now. But there's no way to walk back having given him that secret for free, with no guarantees of loyalty save killing him. And he has seen us brutalise a god, so if we tell him and he decides to stab us in the back with the information, he will calibrate his efforts to work on a woman who can brutalise a god.
Save money. Play our cards close to our chest. And don't drop our guard to the first pretty face we meet in the quest.
[X] You'll take Amigere's suggestion, and lodge in one of the dwellings that advertise themselves as traveller's rests. You can probably find one that is tolerable. You're sure you can browbeat whoever you grace with your presence to wait on you and find out more about what you're looking for, but it'll be in the heart of the city and noisy.
[X] Only until you have your strength back. He doesn't need to know about the map - but maybe you can take advantage of him (in more than one way) while you prepare for an expedition down into the valley. He's only a dalliance, and you don't yet trust him with something this precious.
Guys.
We know nothing about this guy. He is a complete unknown. We have a priceless map in our hands. You're acting like he'll be buddy-buddy with us if we reveal it and will be a loyal minion until we get rid of him. He's a fucking scavenger lord, not a bishie blushing uke husbando! He has definitely straight-up murdered people before. You know what else might happen if we bring him in? He sells the fact we have the map to the Cahzorite deyha and gets them to hire him to check the locations. Oh look, suddenly we can't dispose of him because we just got mauled to death by a dozen giant hyenas.
I mean, for fuck's sake; we are an evil sorceress who already canonically had to betray and murder one lover-fiancee when he became a serious threat to our efforts to gain power. This is that exact situation again. Rena has known Amigere for a matter of days, she has no idea what his goals or beliefs or drives or values are; he could be hiding anything and has every reason to be. She got them out of the deyha ambush and rescued him from the goddess - you know what that might invoke apart from gratitude? Playing along with the submissive pretty boy expectations until he can get something valuable out of her. Being nice to people doesn't always magically work out, especially not when you're blatantly in an "evil sorceress" wuxia genre.
If we don't gain massive, explicit positives from bringing him in - and we don't, there's nothing to suggest that he's vital or crucial in exploring the map locations when we can do it ourselves - then taking the massive, explicit risk of bringing him in is stupid. Trusting blindly and ceasing to watch her back is how Rena lost her home, her research, her materials, her harem, her artifacts, her servants and her health. If we discover a map location that specifically needs Amigere in particular to take full advantage of, then we can think about bringing him in. We can always tell him later if we don't tell him now. But there's no way to walk back having given him that secret for free, with no guarantees of loyalty save killing him. And he has seen us brutalise a god, so if we tell him and he decides to stab us in the back with the information, he will calibrate his efforts to work on a woman who can brutalise a god.
Save money. Play our cards close to our chest. And don't drop our guard to the first pretty face we meet in the quest.
[X] You'll take Amigere's suggestion, and lodge in one of the dwellings that advertise themselves as traveller's rests. You can probably find one that is tolerable. You're sure you can browbeat whoever you grace with your presence to wait on you and find out more about what you're looking for, but it'll be in the heart of the city and noisy.
[X] Only until you have your strength back. He doesn't need to know about the map - but maybe you can take advantage of him (in more than one way) while you prepare for an expedition down into the valley. He's only a dalliance, and you don't yet trust him with something this precious.
Imrix
Periodically Malevolent QM
Frankly Aleph, I think you're assessing the risks poorly. Yes, we have no guarantee that Amigere isn't an untrustworthy brigand who'll sell us out the moment he gets wind of the prize.
But riddle me this, O Stabby One: How is this not true of anyone we might hire to form an expedition to investigate the treasures? We need to hire at least some minions to support us, and 'trustworthy treasure hunter' is the sort of fellow I suspect will be uh... somewhat thin on the ground, in a quest of, as you say, evil sorceress wuxia stories. Amigere is here, he's already been paid (by saving his life), and he has useful talents. By goon standards, that already makes him a pretty good deal! Is he loyal? Well he's not an enslaved soul with his mind broken to our every whim, so not sufficiently, no, but vagabond villains overthrown from their power bases aren't really in a position to be picky, you know?
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[X] You'll take Amigere's suggestion, and lodge in one of the dwellings that advertise themselves as traveller's rests. You can probably find one that is tolerable. You're sure you can browbeat whoever you grace with your presence to wait on you and find out more about what you're looking for, but it'll be in the heart of the city and noisy.
[X] Only until you have your strength back. He doesn't need to know about the map - but maybe you can take advantage of him (in more than one way) while you prepare for an expedition down into the valley. He's only a dalliance, and you don't yet trust him with something this precious.
We could just do the expedition like we don't know whats up except we do?
[X] Only until you have your strength back. He doesn't need to know about the map - but maybe you can take advantage of him (in more than one way) while you prepare for an expedition down into the valley. He's only a dalliance, and you don't yet trust him with something this precious.
We could just do the expedition like we don't know whats up except we do?
- Pronouns
- They/Them
It's not that you're wrong, it's just that I think that trusting him for the moment is going to lead to good story payoffs.
This is distinct from "good for Rena".
- Location
- PA
I'm of two minds about beaky. I'm...Thinking I DON'T want to trust him, but it's more down to his skillset-he's too independant, too stifled by a proper 'Order' the likes of which Rena would want to set up. Good boy toy but a keeper?...Ehh, he'd just be a pretty slave with ideas, something that would do him nor us any good.
Unless we teach him his place, and he proves to be smart enough not to push his luck.
Personally? I think I'm with Aleph, and don't want to trust him.
I DO Want the Lotus. attention gathering? Darling, we Thrive when the spotlight is on us! It's what we do~. And the luxury will serve to help replace our now-soured memories.
[X] The Cerulean Lotus, which huddles in the shadow of the fortress of the lords of this city. The sound of the ancient cold-air pumps are audible from some distance away, keeping the stench of the lake away from this place. Built in richer times, and half-empty. Lovely and well-situated, yet expensive and might draw attention.
[X] Only until you have your strength back. He doesn't need to know about the map - but maybe you can take advantage of him (in more than one way) while you prepare for an expedition down into the valley. He's only a dalliance, and you don't yet trust him with something this precious.
Unless we teach him his place, and he proves to be smart enough not to push his luck.
Personally? I think I'm with Aleph, and don't want to trust him.
I DO Want the Lotus. attention gathering? Darling, we Thrive when the spotlight is on us! It's what we do~. And the luxury will serve to help replace our now-soured memories.
[X] The Cerulean Lotus, which huddles in the shadow of the fortress of the lords of this city. The sound of the ancient cold-air pumps are audible from some distance away, keeping the stench of the lake away from this place. Built in richer times, and half-empty. Lovely and well-situated, yet expensive and might draw attention.
[X] Only until you have your strength back. He doesn't need to know about the map - but maybe you can take advantage of him (in more than one way) while you prepare for an expedition down into the valley. He's only a dalliance, and you don't yet trust him with something this precious.
- Location
- Canada
[X] You'll take Amigere's suggestion, and lodge in one of the dwellings that advertise themselves as traveller's rests. You can probably find one that is tolerable. You're sure you can browbeat whoever you grace with your presence to wait on you and find out more about what you're looking for, but it'll be in the heart of the city and noisy.
[X] Only until you have your strength back. He doesn't need to know about the map - but maybe you can take advantage of him (in more than one way) while you prepare for an expedition down into the valley. He's only a dalliance, and you don't yet trust him with something this precious.
[X] Only until you have your strength back. He doesn't need to know about the map - but maybe you can take advantage of him (in more than one way) while you prepare for an expedition down into the valley. He's only a dalliance, and you don't yet trust him with something this precious.
[X] You'll take Amigere's suggestion, and lodge in one of the dwellings that advertise themselves as traveller's rests. You can probably find one that is tolerable. You're sure you can browbeat whoever you grace with your presence to wait on you and find out more about what you're looking for, but it'll be in the heart of the city and noisy.
[X] Only until you have your strength back. He doesn't need to know about the map - but maybe you can take advantage of him (in more than one way) while you prepare for an expedition down into the valley. He's only a dalliance, and you don't yet trust him with something this precious.
[X] Only until you have your strength back. He doesn't need to know about the map - but maybe you can take advantage of him (in more than one way) while you prepare for an expedition down into the valley. He's only a dalliance, and you don't yet trust him with something this precious.
- Location
- Spain
This, uh, seems rather unlikely Aleph. Since that would require Amigere to trust the deyha more than he likes Rena.
And we actually know that he distrusts the Cazhorites, unless he was lying about that in this update, which again, seems unlikely.
More than that, he offered his own maps to Rena before, because he was looking for a patron to finance an expedition- Which means he currently lacks someone to sell the maps to!
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Just to clarify something, that shouldn't be counted as chipping in on one side or another:
Actually showing the map is considerably more than you'd do for hirelings, not least because the map as it stands is a valuable object. Yes, you'd be hiring underlings for an expedition and you'd tell them you're treasure-hunting in the ruins, but Rena already knows that scavenger lords are a thing in the area. A hireling would expect you're after something - and probably ask for at least part payment in advance, just in case it's a dead end.
By contrast, the Amigere thing is letting him know that, yes, you have a very valuable ancient holomap that has potentially even more valuable information on it, in the hope that'll make it easier to prepare the expedition or if he has anything else to contribute. And showing it to him, to see if he can help you extract more info from it.
The choice here with Amigere is a choice between "make use of his knowledge for this expedition" vs "I'm not prepared to tell someone I barely know about something of this value". That choice would be sort of rendered moot if you were just going to show it to all your hirelings, yes?
Imrix
Periodically Malevolent QM
Well sure, but by the same token, given that scavenger lords are a thing in the area, putting an expedition together is going to require offering at least some indication that Rena has reasonable cause to suspect there will be some form of treasure where she wants to look. That doesn't mean showing them the map, but we'll need to give them something, otherwise potential goons are liable to look at this strange foreigner looking for people to help her wander around ruins for Reasons and decide, "ehhh, I'll pass, there's other scavenger lords that seem like they're more likely to be on to something, and I want treasure."
Then, in turn, whatever we tell them is liable to give them reason to betray us - hirelings turning on a shady employer to extract the secrets of treasure they were enticed to sign on for is well-trodden ground, after all. Given that, I genuinely don't see Amigere as especially untrustworthy compared to the general calibre of treasure-hunting goons.
There's a great many answers to "how do you know there's loot over there?" that can't be stolen by an ambitious minion.
Sure, there's no answer that doesn't invite treachery - after all, any good answer means there's loot over there - but I'm quite sure Rena would prefer for the treachery to be delayed until after the expedition has succeeded; that gives her the chance to get her own knives in first.
- Location
- The sixth circle of Hell (second on weekends)
- Pronouns
- She/Her
I'm not even saying never tell him. I'm saying we have no reason to tell him now, as opposed to "after we check out two or three of the locations and explain them away as 'following up on sorcerous insights that I gained from scrying the weave of Creation' or whatnot, and using those to check how trustworthy he is".
- Location
- NYC
[X] You'll take Amigere's suggestion, and lodge in one of the dwellings that advertise themselves as traveller's rests. You can probably find one that is tolerable. You're sure you can browbeat whoever you grace with your presence to wait on you and find out more about what you're looking for, but it'll be in the heart of the city and noisy.
[X] Only until you have your strength back. He doesn't need to know about the map - but maybe you can take advantage of him (in more than one way) while you prepare for an expedition down into the valley. He's only a dalliance, and you don't yet trust him with something this precious.
[X] Only until you have your strength back. He doesn't need to know about the map - but maybe you can take advantage of him (in more than one way) while you prepare for an expedition down into the valley. He's only a dalliance, and you don't yet trust him with something this precious.
TenfoldShields
Lounging on a Hoard of Words
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Aaaaaand caught up on Wuxia Darkest Dungeon Elizabeth Bathory quest: directed by Taika Waititi (starring Dante from Devil May Cry)and god you're having fun aren't ya @EarthScorpion? That description of Cahzor was pure scenery porn and i am 100% 👏 here 👏 for 👏 it 👏.
[X] The Cerulean Lotus, which huddles in the shadow of the fortress of the lords of this city. The sound of the ancient cold-air pumps are audible from some distance away, keeping the stench of the lake away from this place. Built in richer times, and half-empty. Lovely and well-situated, yet expensive and might draw attention.
[X] Yes. Bring him in on the secrets of the map. He's a self-proclaimed scavenger lord, and for all that he clearly isn't one of the most prosperous, he might be useful while you investigate it. He might only be a dalliance, but you might as well make him useful than merely in the bedroom.
The Lotus provides something pretty invaluable on its own for all that it's wildly outside of Rena's sustainable means: an opportunity to network, to leverage those scary as shit social skills and the Perfected Art Of Martial Lounging. It gives us access to the air-conditioned halls of power, lets us immediately make waves, and sets up a dynamic where Rena is desperately trying to keep the half-a-con going and fake, kill, or shenanigans her way through the first few expeditions so her creditors don't figure out she is supremely full of shit. And I'm pretty onboard with "tomb raiding but run like a Silicon Valley start up by a Wyld Vampire".
And re: bringing in Amigere for me it's... part of it is that I largely agree with @Imrix 's assessment, and part of it is that I think it gives us the opportunity to do that excellent villain thing of kinda shackling someone to us by making them complicit. It highlights, definitively and kinda irrevocably, that Rena isn't just more than she lets on. She's ambitious and mad, bad, and dangerous to know. And that if Amigere wants to get what we've got he's going to have to support that habit. And in general like...Amigere isn't as canny and successful as he styles himself, and he keeps trying to hit up Rena for dosh and funding, pretty transparently so even. And so giving him what he wants but in a poisoned, kinda-off way is a really flavorful and fun character thing.
It's a golden opportunity, one that he's probably not in a position to pass up, and it means that he's got some kind of investment in us for the long haul (and I really doubt he's just going to knife Rena and make a break for it, not because he's unwilling necessarily but because he doesn't have anyone lined up to cover his pretty, pretty ass and the guy's got a noted tendency to just roll over for whoever's got him by the balls until he can make a break for it). But more than that: it makes him our untrustworthy mercenary muscle! Which every ruins-plundering villain needs!
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TenfoldShields
Lounging on a Hoard of Words
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Also double posting 'Cause I'm a sloppy bitch but I think it's worth noting that taking the Tell The Gorgeous Ass Attached To The Unreliable Guy in conjunction with the Cerulean Lotus option creates a fun dynamic/set up of "Rena is operating far beyond her means to get a massive leg up, has to take a shortcut and semi-trust the untrustworthy boytoy to make sure she can hit the ground running". Which is the barely-controlled recklessness with a plan and a prayer behind it which, after mainlining most of the quest in a few sit-down sessions, feels very profoundly Rena overall.
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Imrix
Periodically Malevolent QM
@TenfoldShields has somehow even more sold me on the thing I was already doing.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X] The Cerulean Lotus, which huddles in the shadow of the fortress of the lords of this city. The sound of the ancient cold-air pumps are audible from some distance away, keeping the stench of the lake away from this place. Built in richer times, and half-empty. Lovely and well-situated, yet expensive and might draw attention.
[X] Yes. Bring him in on the secrets of the map. He's a self-proclaimed scavenger lord, and for all that he clearly isn't one of the most prosperous, he might be useful while you investigate it. He might only be a dalliance, but you might as well make him useful than merely in the bedroom.
[X] Yes. Bring him in on the secrets of the map. He's a self-proclaimed scavenger lord, and for all that he clearly isn't one of the most prosperous, he might be useful while you investigate it. He might only be a dalliance, but you might as well make him useful than merely in the bedroom.