My point was, and you damn well know it, that you are either severely underestimating kakuri faction, or overhyping naagloshii to high heavens.
1)No, I do not know it. If that was your intent, it didnt come through.
2)No exaggerations here.
Its canon for Dresden Files that naagloshii are semi-divine messengers in origin, and there's half a dozen in the minimum security wing of Demonreach. Its canon for Kindred of the East that Yama Kings are vastly weaker outside their Hells than inside them, that the Wan Xian were designed to break Yama King plots, and that parties of Wan Kuei have killed Yama Kings.
Its canon for Kindred that at least one Yama King was mortal. Wasnt even a Wan Kuei, just a geomancer.
Its also canon for this Quest that naagloshii are Incarna, same as Yama Kings, but their power does not come from their domain.
The math seems pretty straightforward.
There's working similarities between them, but naagloshii seem way more unrestricted.
Higher minimum power, and all of their power is personal, not from their minions
It will be. You are proposing negotiating from a position of desperation and absolute weakness with both Eiko and Gard. And if Gard might, by word of Jim, be considered benevolent, if not nice, Eiko isn't. She's evil, whether it's for her own sake or for Emma-O's. We don't have tools to ensure her loyalty, and that's assuming she is a traitor. Because that's far from a given.
In fact, dealing with us right now would be very, very stupid of her. Deal with Greater Akuma first, then talk to her. If she's a traitor, shestay out of the confrontation. If she's not, she backstab us. There's no benefit in going to her now, and plenty of downsides.
See what Artemis said. We can walk away.
We arent desperate. If we were desperate, we would still have no choice but to seek help whatever the cost because the alternatives are worse. Advice is to try to avoid negotiating from a position of weakness, it does not say that you should reject a disadvantageous deal if the potential consequences are worse.
I will remind you that we were in a vastly worse negotiating position when we asked for Gard's help with Kattrin. We only had our Dad for backup, and Dresden was in jail. She could have named her price.
The fact that she had a grudge against Kattrin didnt change that.
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As for Eiko, yes? She has undoubtedly done lots of evil things, regardless of how Emma-O lured her into service.
Can she be redeemed? Other shikome canonically were, apparently. If we can do so for her, great.
At the very least she can be turned against her employer with judicious amounts of social fu.
And I will remind you that you are on record here as talking about attempting to social-fu Lasciel as a goal.
Not Lash, but her progenitor. To redeem a Fallen Angel.
Nothing Eiko's done will be on the scale of what Lasciel has pulled in just her two thousand years in a Coin.
Our father's job is literally to offer forgiveness to people like Nicky.
And here's the thing:
If she tries to deceive us, she has very little chance of success against ATB and an Empathy Excellency.
We have the option of killing or otherwise disabling her.
Regardless, she has to be dealt with.
Because you dont get stuck into a fight and leave enemy reserves to come in behind you and your allies.
Especially not a stealth assassin build.
No we would just be tipping our hand that there are traitors in their midst. We don't know that Eiko is a traitor. That's wishful thinking and rationalization.
Going to Eiko is a waste. Backing us right now would be stupid of her IF she is a traitor.
1) Im not sure why you care after declaring them all evil.
Even if your every assertion is accurate ie Eiko isnt a potential traitor, and we cant convince her to turn, and we cant kill her?
Either she doesnt believe us about there being traitors, and it doesnt matter, or she believes us and start a witch hunt among their own forces in hostile territory, degrading their own ability.
2)Backstabbing is a way of life in much of Yomi Wan. Emma-O in particular cultivates it
There are no ideological loyalties here. No greater ideal to be followed or cultivated, just personal loyalties.
Noone is going to be surprised at the idea of someone looking out for themselves.
