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Hmmph... this junior is a good seed [Cultivation Management Quest]

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  • Threadmarks
    • Here's my view of things.

    We need to succeed in these trials and succeed in a big way. If we do we'll be in a much better position to funnel resources into Good Seeds to get them even more powerful by the time the next trials roll around, and have a better position to go to war with the Jingshen after.

    If we strike out at them now, not only do we "tip our hand" (in quotes because everyone knows we're at odds but we're still waiting for one or the other to strike the first blow for plausible deniability) but we give them advance warning as we go into the trials. We also risk that assault going poorly and weakening us for the trials or the trials themselves going poorly and giving them time to recover from whatever the raid could have accomplished.

    Unless we're guaranteeing the Jingshen a major setback from this attack such that even if we have to recover from trials we'd still be in a better position or we have reason to believe they'll complete their Nascent before trials are over and we can do something to stop that, it doesn't make sense to strike before the trials. We just create a lot of trouble right when we don't want trouble and likely won't be in a position to follow up and reap real benefits immediately.

    Consolidate gains, preserve what we've already taken, set the clan up for accelerated gains before NEXT trials and outscale whatever the other sea sects can think to send. If knowing the Jingshen's status is so imperative that it must be done now it would be a better use of time to have Manuel take on an intrigue and spying action himself in my opinion, rather than take up the clan and go blind raiding.
     
    Just pointing some stuff on why i think Raiding this turn is OK before i sleep.

    - We have the luxury of knowing where to target and information needed to tilt the Raid Odds thanks to the mission. Postponing it means that even if we go at turn 11, the Jingshen have 40 years to patch up their defenses. They may or may not know we know the weakness considering the sabotage to the drills, but with 40 years things should have been fixed up

    - Raid is a chance for us to gain money if the roll is successful. Given next turn would be a recovery turn, any additional funds to aid in that would be neat. And if we have more, we can funnel it to the Flood Dragons (even if the give them the funds left options doesn't win.)

    - Lastly. I don't see the mechanical benefits of lecturing or the options that work on preserving numbers for the Clan. Because honestly? Since the quest began, it's been tilting from one where numbers play a part to something more narrative driven. When was the last time we even care about the number of cultivators in the clan or had a lack of particular cultivator beyond when Occi brought up the lack of Cores and what it entails last trials?

    Number of cultivators just don't play that big a factor in our decision making process in the quest. None of the options have anything to do with the number of cultivators in the Clan and more cultivators doesn't tilt the odds in any meaningful manner. Right now the only concrete numbers that affect how the Clan is being run is the number of spirit stones we have access to.
     
    Falconis said:
    Here's my view of things.

    We need to succeed in these trials and succeed in a big way. If we do we'll be in a much better position to funnel resources into Good Seeds to get them even more powerful by the time the next trials roll around, and have a better position to go to war with the Jingshen after.

    If we strike out at them now, not only do we "tip our hand" (in quotes because everyone knows we're at odds but we're still waiting for one or the other to strike the first blow for plausible deniability) but we give them advance warning as we go into the trials. We also risk that assault going poorly and weakening us for the trials or the trials themselves going poorly and giving them time to recover from whatever the raid could have accomplished.

    Unless we're guaranteeing the Jingshen a major setback from this attack such that even if we have to recover from trials we'd still be in a better position or we have reason to believe they'll complete their Nascent before trials are over and we can do something to stop that, it doesn't make sense to strike before the trials. We just create a lot of trouble right when we don't want trouble and likely won't be in a position to follow up and reap real benefits immediately.

    Consolidate gains, preserve what we've already taken, set the clan up for accelerated gains before NEXT trials and outscale whatever the other sea sects can think to send. If knowing the Jingshen's status is so imperative that it must be done now it would be a better use of time to have Manuel take on an intrigue and spying action himself in my opinion, rather than take up the clan and go blind raiding.
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    We have actionable intelligence that their forts, including one of their big Nascent soul level treasures, are massively understrength for this specific 20 year period. That is specifically because the Jingshen know that the trials typically take all our attention and they think they're safe to do so this turn. If we wait until next turn this opportunity will be gone.

    They will be at full strength next turn.

    The entire point of the raid is to act as a spoiling attack. If we can destroy that Nascent soul relevant cannon (or better take it for ourselves) then we force them to spend massively to replace it and/or pin down the location of one of their Nascents next turn or risk us taking the territory entirely. That's ignoring entirely the potential wealth gain we're looking at from raiding the big spirit stone mine.

    That puts a major spanner in their big plan to make a new nascent soul, because they have to to divert resources back here instead of exploiting their new territories or earning money.

    Simon_Jester said:
    To be fair, the Elder of Day was dealing with an attack on his own stronghold, as I recall. What really fucked over the plan was that the Demonic alliance was fielding five Nascent Souls in an operation where the Righteous Powers only fielded two. That gave them the numbers to present an overwhelming threat that the Elder of Day had to respond to, taking the planned reinforcemnts out of action and leaving Yao Zhihao outnumbered two to one.
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    Nah. The fact his sect was under attack is the figleaf he's hiding behind, but you'll note he made no moves at all to do anything despite still being present and able to intervene while Yao was in discontinuity and the Flood Dragon Cores and Foundation buildings were massacred. His betrayal was always planned, he just was going to watch her death happen rather than fleeing until he found out how bad old cannibal was flexing on him.

    What he didn't expect was for Yao to live to give her side of the story.
     
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    The Builder 3 - Meet the brotherhood. Part 1. The first brother.
  • Sidestory
    • Meet the brotherhood. Part 1. The first brother.​

    The first thought that comes to mind when looking at the builder when the onlooker is a mortal is 'wow, he is tall', for those of the clan this can still be the first thought which is an impressive give how tall/larger some in the clan are.

    The second thing one can observe is how 'leathery' is his skin. A live of honest work would that to a mortal. A live of trying to fulfill as many (mortals) duties as possible to give his juniors and members of the brotherhood time to train/cultivate would that to even someone in the clan with a strong bloodline. And the builder has not one of those. He can regenerate but is slow, he can endure impacts, but the skin gets marks. And certainly, working in the sun, on the sand, on the dust and among piss and shits of stronger cultivators than him to work in the sewer in places where the mortal workers would not, could not work also helps to the 'leathery' impression. Those, well paid, works had given him time to train himself and money to allow others in the brotherhood to do the same.

    One can assume that looking at a large cultivator, with pronounced muscles, with a face and body marked by time and trials, that got 'green patina' way early than it should, and with a wild look with longer hairs and beard. One could assume that it would be difficult to approach. That one would be wrong. That face is most of time is showing a big smile, full of white teeth. Which the first brother attribute to the care takers, elder brothers/sisters teaching and the only place where the bloodline regeneration is pronounced as the reason. The skin around the eyes shows marks of those easy to come smiles, the eyes usually shiny and show focus on anyone speaking to him. Usually with him bending his knees or even sitting or resting in the dirt to allow someone to talk while having eye contact at the same height. When possible, the entire posture and even some of the speech of the 'giant' will change to the speaker(s) like a social chameleon using instincts that comes from his good nature and teachings, said lessons mostly coming from fourth brother 'rapport' teachings. Said brother also teach him how to module his tone from many kinds of baritone and, thanks from all members of both sex in the brotherhood, had help select many tones that are pleasing to ears.

    The fact that those that knows him (mostly mortals and/or members of the brotherhood) have only good things to say about him helps. Even the insults, without heat, that they throw at him sometimes are in good nature. Stuff like 'big goofy', 'smiling brute', 'barbarian', 'workaholic' are usually said with smiles that reach the eyes.

    But if one is to say the biggest reason one can approach him easily is the fact that kids usually use his beard and hairs to climb. In fact, he braids his hairs in a way to make easy to them to hold. And his work clothes can easily endure the pulls. And if a 'giant' can handle multiple kids talking to him at same time, asking multiple questions and using him as a ship/mount/giant beast in their games of make believe while laughing their lungs out, then one would not fear said giant.

    The fourth brother enhanced that easy to approach believe with other good PR experiences. Which was good. And the 'social savant/big oaf' absorbed those like water. The same for any good lessons from people from all kinds of lives. Which had the bonus of making the first brother better at tuning and talking in any kind of 'normal' circumstances. From what to say or ask to continue a talk with the sewer workers, from what gossip the old ladies would like to hear (that are not mean) to how to make a making believe adventure truly epic.

    The reason why the first had to be so good at being social kind of 'creature'. Other than his good nature. Was that, even before the first brother becomes a cultivator, and certainly after he broke any expectations that the brotherhood had for how high one can reach without using the evils stones. He was the 'flag ship' to bring business to the brotherhood. Is one thing to see someone building a wall, is another to see a 'giant' building a wall. A certainly an experience to see one 'giant' laughing with a baritone voice with two kids holding his hair commanding the 'ancient and giant bronze golem' to build the great walls that will hold the cannibals. He was easily request for more work and those that use the brotherhood services usually appreciate their good nature and good talk. And the brotherhood uses those paid works to allow members to cultivate for many days per work.



    Now that the first brother is a cultivator and one that is reasonable strong for his age all those impressions are reinforced. The fact that he doesn't use the 'evil stones' and had trained his breathing/gathering QI skills as much as he had allowed him to be far freer with the use QI than a traditional cultivator in the clan of same rank. For breathing is still free. So, one can see the 'giant' muscles expanding while raising giant rocks, listen to laugh that scary nightmares away from small kids minds, see absurd amounts of backbreaking work being done day by day.

    And the now that the clan is using his work, with the impressive (in his eyes) salary/rewards for missions that a 6th​ heavenstage cultivator he can help so many more people to ascend and easy some of weakness, sickness and other dangers of mortal life for a lot of people.

    If only his wife, his first born and his unborn baby girl could live to see this day 'xxxxx' would have a perfect life.

    word count: 1035 (counting all words)
    @TehChron one more omake for the omake throne (of shadows) ^^.
     
  • Sidestory
    • BadAtScreenNames said:
    Actually, no. I can see your plan has trial mitigation in it. When I raised the issue previously, @ReaderOfFate pointed out I'd missed the mortal network. The only real issue I have is that you're using a raid action which will lose us cultivators when we are already going to lose them. It's why I suggested the alternative write-in, which grants a similar effect with a lower chance of losses as it's focused on deniability.
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    I'm just confused as to why you seem to think the losses matter more than our ability to bounce back from them. It's a marathon, not a race.

    Except for dealing with Jingshen, which is entirely a race.

    BadAtScreenNames said:
    I get that. I get that a third jingshen nascent is a serious problem. But I'd rather gamble and deal with that next turn when we can devote ourselves to it than try and do two things at once and risk fucking up both, especially given how badly trials have hit us in the past, AND have so much to lose.
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    And I'd rather gamble losing more from the non-existential threat in order to stave off the actual existential crisis as much as possible.

    We can bounce back from the Trials. We can't bounce back from the Jingshen obtaining their win condition. You're phasing it like I wouldnt be trying to double down on screwing over the Jingshen next turn as well

    And the turn after that

    And the turn after that

    And so on and so forth until we're confident they no longer pose a serious threat to us.

    Its not a binary choice. Treating it like one is baffling to me.
     
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    TehChron said:
    ...we have two interludes from her perspective. If I'm wrong on my read of her, I'm all ears for the evidence to the contrary.
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    I don't have time or energy to re-research the question right now, but to be clear, I wasn't so much questioning your assessment as asking you to clarify it.

    My take is that all high-level cultivators are at least somewhat Machiavellian and opportunistic, regardless of whether they care about protecting mortals or not. Manuel Konstantinos cares as much or more about protecting mortals than almost any other Nascent Soul in this region... and he is definitely cunning, Machiavellian, and opportunistic about how he goes about it.

    Charging forward into battle at the earliest possible moment after getting used, abandoned to be injured by the enemy, watching her entire army get slaughtered, and being forced to expend a life-saving treasure? I don't think she'd do it, because anyone predisposed to do that would be too reckless to have survived through Qi Condensation, Foundation Establishment, and Core Formation.

    So sure, she's motivated by a desire to protect mortals, but she's not "honor before reason" about it, and after all the shit she just went through, she's going to be predisposed to say "you know what, I'm calling this a good faith effort, I'm done here for now, call me fifty or a hundred years from now."

    Quest said:
    She is that, I think. IIRC we won over her group as an ally because we defended a weak power against the Devil Bees even when the righteous path abandoned them. That's also what won us the Saber Palace as enemies because we showed them up.
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    That's fair. On the other hand, it's not like there's no benefit to be had for her attempting to defend people here after forming an alliance with us. Just because she values protecting weak groups doesn't mean she's going to endanger her life by charging back into a war zone where the allied leadership just badly messed up and screwed her over.
     
    [X] Plan The Scorpionquisition is Always Unexpected

    I just like that we're not spending all our money with this and we can get even more money by raiding and weakening Jingshen.
    The last trial's had the chance curse and had no protection in order to get rid of it, this trial we don't have to worry about that and are actively defending in a cost effective manner in this plan.

    I just wish we had something to better protect our upcoming nascent, I could be mistaken but I don't believe the mortal network will account for her when protecting our elites.
     
    TehChron said:
    I'm just confused as to why you seem to think the losses matter more than our ability to bounce back from them. It's a marathon, not a race.

    Except for dealing with Jingshen, which is entirely a race.


    And I'd rather gamble losing more from the non-existential threat in order to stave off the actual existential crisis as much as possible.

    We can bounce back from the Trials. We can't bounce back from the Jingshen obtaining their win condition. You're phasing it like I wouldnt be trying to double down on screwing over the Jingshen next turn as well

    And the turn after that

    And the turn after that

    And so on and so forth until we're confident they no longer pose a serious threat to us.

    Its not a binary choice. Treating it like one is baffling to me.
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    ...

    I am not treating it like a binary choice. I never made *any* comment on how you are planning on voting in future turns. I have told you why I'm voting the way I am, but to reiterate and clarify, I think previous trials (both in and out of play) have crippled us and while we are now starting to bounce back it was a death by a thousand cuts for a very long time. Assuming this one won't be bad enough to recquire our full attention is not something I agree with, and I want to do everything we can to deal with it. As I've stated in previous posts, I think the best way to do that is the forts. We can't afford that and the scorpion cavalry or mortal network, so I prioritised.

    I am aware the Jingshen nascent is dangerous as hell, to the point of being their win condition. I just think that if we tske bad losses in the trials *AS WE HAVE PREVIOUSLY* then it won't matter if we slow it down because we won't be able to do anything about it. By contrast, turtling and focusing on it next turn is more likely to be effective because we won't be splitting our energy doing two things at once.

    Now if you could do me a favour and stop talking to me like I'm an idiot because I've come to a different conclusion to you, I'd appreciate it.
     
    nothingtoseehere said:
    I just don't think anyone thinks flipping their vassals is as easy or valuable than you perceive it to be, especially on a trial turn. Also lecturing is Cool and Good.
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    Humbaba said:
    Secondly, they've probably got at least 1 nascent down in their new lands to stomp on any trouble. Their 2 nascents are Old Jingshen, who is noted to be an old monster and so good at intrigue, and Jiao, their super diplomat. Both are in a good position to detect or crush such a scheme to forment discontent among their vassals.
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    All we really need is the bare minimum, which is fucking up the transport of goods through the vassal territories. If this means that Jingshen are forced to waste a Nascent action or two hunting down bandits or tipping over fortresses in order to get their goods rolling in, that's not a bad trade, as long as goods are disrupted. That's a full third of their territory.

    It's fair to say that it's best to not do it on a trial turn, but what I'm worried about is not doing it now, then having to spend a turn recovering before we do anything else.

    I'm glad we're focusing on stealing Jingshen wealth, but I'm worried it won't be impactful enough. Cleaving off three of their southern territories would be. If we do manage to flip them, it would be expected that we defend our own vassals, right? They'd be wary of Nascent reprisal if they sent their own Nascent.

    If they didn't want to swear to us, they'd just have to make their own decision of how much chaos Jingshen would be willing to accept before sending in a Nascent. Play smash-grab-run instead of setting up fortresses against Foundation or Qi Condensation. I'd assume the Bandit Kingdom would be more willing to steal caravans of wealth than the subjugated Scorpion Sect.

    Humbaba said:
    The issue is that I don't think this attempt to flip their vassals will provides a great deal of value on a trial turn. Firstly, we're demonic and the Jingshen are righteous, which means their vassals are as well. That is actually a very steep divide to bridge. See the reaction of the Storkblood elder. So getting them to even think we might be better overlords is a huge ask.
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    They can see how we're treating their nearby neighbors, the Storks, who were also formerly Righteous. They know how their Righteous masters treated them as ablative shields against people who ate them. They're not far from then Shen Kingdom. They can see how we treat our own vassals, it's not that hard to tell. Also, we'd be bribing them pretty damn well. Jingshen is forced to keep them weak so they're not disruptive, they chose subjugation at character creation.
    occipitallobe said:
    [ ] As Servants

    They serve you, simply put. Tools in your hands. If you require them to perform a task, they perform it. Keep them weak so they cannot rebel, and snatch much of their wealth. Friendship is good, but strength is better.

    60% regional control at start.
    + Wealth
    - Vassal Strength
    - Vassal Opinion

    [ ] As Enemies

    None but you are fit to rule. Lesser sects and clans are driven out, mortals bow to you alone. Mines and herb fields and beast cores, all belong to the clan. You brook no compromise in this.

    70% regional control at start.
    ++ Wealth
    No Vassals. Instead, Rebel Factions exist and must be fought. They will persistently act against your will.
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    BadAtScreenNames said:
    ...

    I am not treating it like a binary choice. I never made *any* comment on how you are planning on voting in future turns. I have told you why I'm voting the way I am, but to reiterate and clarify, I think previous trials (both in and out of play) have crippled us and while we are now starting to bounce back it was a death by a thousand cuts for a very long time. Assuming this one won't be bad enough to recquire our full attention is not something I agree with, and I want to do everything we can to deal with it. As I've stated in previous posts, I think the best way to do that is the forts. We can't afford that and the scorpion cavalry or mortal network, so I prioritised.

    I am aware the Jingshen nascent is dangerous as hell, to the point of being their win condition. I just think that if we tske bad losses in the trials *AS WE HAVE PREVIOUSLY* then it won't matter if we slow it down because we won't be able to do anything about it. By contrast, turtling and focusing on it next turn is more likely to be effective because we won't be splitting our energy doing two things at once.

    Now if you could do me a favour and stop talking to me like I'm an idiot because I've come to a different conclusion to you, I'd appreciate it.
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    Fair is fair.

    There's a lot going on this turn that didn't happen last time.

    1) There is no Curse of Karmic Luck that'll turn a bad roll into an apocalypse.
    2) It's not like we're doing no mitigation, we are, in fact, investing significant resources into mitigation this turn (To the level of 14 Wealth), the last Trial had historically bad rolls on top of no mitigation at all.
    3) We've got a lot more FE+ level Good Seeds this time around who'll have significant influence on our losses.

    Raiding is--on the whole--generally considered to be expected between neighbouring powers--it's a relatively low scale engagement that is effective this time because they're not expecting it while we're warming up to the Trials. As long as we're not openly marching Legions into their territory, if they complain "Oh hey they hit a mine we abandoned!" Their answer is going to be "Then why the fuck did you strip your border empty and literally invite them in that a very limited incursion cost you so much, you're clearly not hurting for cash."

    Unless it turns out to Sekritly Be A Trap and Lady Jiao is camping there ready to Soul Crush anyone who attacks--but we took a mission, and it gave us pretty good info that she's not around tard wrangling them. Even if it is a trap, a blowout of the forces committed is... Honestly pretty affordable even now. Not desirable, but we can afford it.

    This is a significantly reduced risk compared to the last time we were in a set of Trials, and it's why it's worth doing--because a full turtling up turn might still be a disaster if the dice are against us--but if we let the Jingshen reach their wincon without having a response--we lose immediately. This either pushes that back or potentially gains us a response (A Nascent Soul level cannon might very well be enough to deter the Jingshen, or we can trade it to the Battlefield for considerable wealth and concessions, and that completely dismisses the possibility of raiding in deep enough to capture their mega drill and putting it to use to exploit the Ten Thousand Pits)
     
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    [X] Plan The Scorpionquisition is Always Unexpected
    Adhoc vote count started by TheCount on May 19, 2021 at 2:37 PM, finished with 89 posts and 37 votes.
    • [X] Plan The Scorpionquisition is Always Unexpected
      -[X] Don't
      -[X] Raiding Jingshen Territories: Haoshen and Wangshen Forts- Better to weaken an enemy. Send teams of cultivators to go raid an enemy for resources and to kill them where possible. Minor conflicts, with minor rewards. At best, you can seize minor territorial gains. This will worsen your relations, of course. Gains widely variable Wealth (0-10, excluding crits). May seize territory and gain Income in extreme cases. Loses Cultivators - around 5,000 Qi Condensation cultivators, 50 Foundation Establishment cultivators, and potentially 1 Core Formation Elder.
      -[X] Lecturing - You can simply lecture your many juniors on cultivation. Spend your time helping them grow, using less resources and ensuring better growth for the Clan.
      -[X] Broadcast from the Mortal Artifact Network (6 Wealth)
      - [X] Build the Scorpion Cavalry Brigade (8 Wealth)
      [X] Plan Buckle The Hell Down
      -[X] No
      -[X] Training Soldiers - Raising Disciples to higher Realms is all well and good, but training them to be perfect members of Formations is better. Ensure your Clan is trained and ready for war. Your readiness to go to war will increase significantly, though this fades over time.
      -[X] Lecturing - You can simply lecture your many juniors on cultivation. Spend your time helping them grow, using less resources and ensuring better growth for the Clan.
      -[X] Prepare the Ten Million Forts (20 Wealth this turn)
      [X] Plan: The Desert will be ours!
      - [X] Send the Clan's best Array-Engineers to the Great Battlefield.
      -[X] Raiding Jingshen
      -[X] Lecturing
      -[X] Refound the Flood Dragon Gang (15 Wealth)
      -[X] Broadcast from the Mortal Artifact Network (6 Wealth)
      [X] Plan Treat Your Vassals Well
      -[X] Both Manuel and the Clan will work together to befriend and empower Jingshen Clan's southern vassals enemies, the Grand Scorpion Sect and the Heavenly Bandit Kingdoms, in an attempt to make passage to and colonization of Jingshen's new southern territories as difficult as possible. And if they decide they would prefer to be our vassals instead of Jingshen's, all the better.
      -[X] These stones, formations, fortifications, arts and arrays we gift to you do not come with the demand that you attack Jingshen lands directly, only that you do what you would have done anyway. Make Old Jingshen weep tears of frustration as supplies disappear, as roads are blocked, as borders are enforced. How long have they kept you between their walls and the hungry cannibal armies? How long have they mistreated you, stolen your wealth, humiliated your elders? With no other option, you were forced to serve as their disposable shields, and now they demand passage through your lands to reap the wealth of a war they did not participate in. No longer are the Battle Blood Cannibals your alternative. Consider how the Jingshen have treated you, and consider how well we treat our own allies.
      -[X] Don't
      -[X] Lay the Foundations of Recovery (10 Wealth)
      - [X] Build the Scorpion Cavalry Brigade (8 Wealth)
      [X] Plan Scorpionquisitors and Gangsters and Mortal Snitches, Oh My!
      -[X] Don't
      -[X] Raiding Jingshen Territories: Haoshen and Wangshen Forts- Better to weaken an enemy. Send teams of cultivators to go raid an enemy for resources and to kill them where possible. Minor conflicts, with minor rewards. At best, you can seize minor territorial gains. This will worsen your relations, of course. Gains widely variable Wealth (0-10, excluding crits). May seize territory and gain Income in extreme cases. Loses Cultivators - around 5,000 Qi Condensation cultivators, 50 Foundation Establishment cultivators, and potentially 1 Core Formation Elder.
      -[X] Lecturing - You can simply lecture your many juniors on cultivation. Spend your time helping them grow, using less resources and ensuring better growth for the Clan.
      -[X] Broadcast from the Mortal Artifact Network (6 Wealth)
      - [X] Build the Scorpion Cavalry Brigade (8 Wealth)
      -[X] Refound the Flood Dragon Gang (reduced) (7 Wealth)
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    [X] Plan The Scorpionquisition is Always Unexpected

    Should I be concerned that our Raiding focus only has general targets but doesn't mention any mission objectives pike the Nascent Soul cannon?
     
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    Insane-Not-Crazy said:
    [X] Plan The Scorpionquisition is Always Unexpected

    Should I be concerned that our Raiding focus only has general targets but doesn't mention any mission objectives pike the Nascent Soul cannon?
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    Because the intent is to poke Jingshen in the eye and cost them money, grabbing treasures is a stretch goal to be gained from good results.
     
    Honestly, if the raiding just reduces Jingshen wealth by 5 points and gives us more actionable intel on what the situation is like over there, I will be happy.

    Delaying them by making them bleed wealth is damn good for slowing down the doomclock.

    If it actually gets us some Wealth (rather than just destroying Jingshen wealth) or carves off territory or makes vassals rebel or gets critical intel or something? I will be very happy. (If it backfires I will of course be sad. But then, nat 1s can make everything go bad, so.)

    Maybe if we're very lucky, we'll see some Robin Hood-esque Raptor Banditos show up too or something. :V
    Mochinator said:
    Just gonna throw a vote.

    [X] Plan The Scorpionquisition is Always Unexpected
    -[X] Use reminder Wealth for Flood Dragons.

    Mainly because it would still have a effect, just that the efficiency rate in terms of Goodwill is less then the 50%. Also because on a more sentimental front, i like the idea of Manuel providing what Aid he could despite the desperate situation for the Clan.
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    Yeah, same reasoning here. Only thing is, now I'm a bit confused whether I should be voting for this, or for Simon's which is a copy of this but just uses a different plan name.

    [X] Plan The Scorpionquisition is Always Unexpected
    -[X] Use reminder Wealth for Flood Dragons.

    [X] Plan Scorpionquisitors and Gangsters and Mortal Snitches, Oh My!

    Ah well, I'll figure it out or edit things eventually, whatever works. I mean, it's still basically voting for literally the same thing, and there aren't hundreds of voters that would confuse things.
     
    I noticed for some reason the flavor text details for the winning plan was excluded for some reason?
    @nothingtoseehere The winning plan is currently linked to your vote as it was the first, is there a reason you didn't 'X' the extra write-in details?

    nothingtoseehere said:
    --[] "Most unfortunate, that due to the Jingshen's continued oppression and wealth extraction in their southern territories, a radical offshoot of the Great Scorpion Sect -- Though no concrete connection appears to exist, perhaps they are simply inspired by them -- seems to have come north in order to wreak vengeance for the plights of their fellows far from where the yoke falls heaviest upon them.
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    Cao Wei 1 - The Tale of the Twin-Horned Ram
  • Sidestory
    • The Tale of the Twin-Horned Ram​

    Once upon a time, there were many goat tribes who lived in a harsh land. Their fields were choked in dust, and many monsters would regularly descend upon them and devour their young. Very few among them were born as Spirit Beasts, and those few were inevitably weak, hunted down and consumed by those far stronger than them. All the goats could do was endure, for even the skies would randomly strike their most promising bucks down.

    One day, a Ram among these goats found a Three-Spirit Leaf, a Spirit Herb that would sometimes bloom within their fields. Though it could ascend any goat who ate it into Qi Condensation, it was rarely eaten, for the leaves were bitter and disgusting. However, the Ram did not care, and began to eat it anyway.

    "Why do you eat me?" The Three-Spirit Leaf asked, even as it was consumed. "I am bitter, and my leaves are revolting. Do you really need power that would crush you?"

    But the Ram did not listen, and ate the entire Three-Spirit Leaf, for he was very stubborn.

    Having consumed the Three-Spirit Leaf, the Ram found his horns having grown long and curled, even as he ascended into Qi Condensation. The Ram continued on, until one day he entered a mountain path where a Silver Spirit Wolf had consumed most of a goat herd. "Ah, another meal," the Wolf stated, spitting out a bone. "I will feed on your empowered flesh, and continue to ascend."

    "Why did you slaughter this entire herd?" The Twin-Horned Ram asked.

    "A foolish Question. They existed and were weak, so they were consumed," The Wolf replied, standing up. "And now, I will consume you."

    The Wolf attacked, but he had gorged too much on the flesh of the goats, and had become slow. The Goat was able to avoid his lunges, and for three days and nights they did battle, until at last the Twin-Horned Ram had gored the Wolf and spilled his blood across the rocks.

    "How could you do this?" The Wolf asked, as it bled out. "I am a Silver Spirit Wolf, a superior existence to you!"

    "I am very stubborn," the Twin-Horned Ram replied, before crushing the Wolf's skull.

    Gathering the survivors of the herd, the Twin-Horned Ram continued on, now seeking a place where they would not be hunted. Through mountains and valleys he traveled, until he found a great wall of clouds barring their way. The clouds burned with sky fire, and Heaven looked down on the goat herd and dismissed them. "You may not pass. You do not belong here," the Heavens stated. "Return to the hard lands, and be grateful we allow you that."

    "There are better lands beyond your wall, yes?" The Twin-Horned Ram asked.

    "They are lands that you are not allowed to," the Heavens replied.

    In response, the Ram lowered his horns and charged the walls. Lightning fell - once, twice, thrice - and the Ram was blown back, falling to his side. However, the cries of the herd reached his ears and he stood up. He charged again - once, twice, thrice - and each time Heaven's skyfire met his charge and blasted him back. And yet, he did not fall again, and prepared himself for one last charge.

    "Why do you challenge us?" The Heavens asked. "You have no place, beyond this wall. Return to the place we have designated for you!"

    "I am very stubborn," The Ram replied, and charged.

    -A Goatman Children's Tale.

    @Kaboomatic @TehChron @Alectai I would like an LST for this omake, if at all applicable :V
     
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