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Threads Of Destiny(Eastern Fantasy, Sequel to Forge of Destiny)

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Ling Qi's not his mother, she's not responsible if he can't make friends. She can help set up the topic, and if it fails, it fails.

It's worth a try.
 
yrsillar said:
He was very handsome, a good balance between the bulk of someone like Guangli or Lao Keung and the aristocratic type like Han Jian. Ling Qi blinked a moment after that thought completed, frowning as she circulated her qi to dispel anything untoward.
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So that's Ling Qi's type: the soldier noble. Pity that we dislike the Jin for geopolitical reasons. Just have to look at clans like, I guess, the Luo (the old Count clan focused on the military) for Ling Qi's eye candy.

yrsillar said:
Celestial Hills: -2
North River Jing: -1
Central Valley: 1
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I want to point out these two things. The Celestial Hills and the North River Jing are part of the Bao lands, and Ling Qi has a negative relationship with them even as she has a positive relationship score with the ruling Bao. In other words, the positive relationship is driven completely by the Bao clan in specific; their vassals are probably universally Peakaboos and therefore dislike Ling Qi.

In more interesting news, however, the Diao-ruled Central Valley has a positive relationship score of +1, even as the Diao in particular has a negative score. Therefore, in a reverse of the Bao, the vassal clans of the Diao seem to like Ling Qi despite the cultural conflict from the ruling Diao. As such, any real dislike from the Diao faction is probably from the Diao clan in specific rather than any of their vassal clans, as part of the internal Diao cultural conversion to Imperial over the native Old Tribe traditions. Thus, it'd probably be a member of the Diao clan in particular for the sabotage of Hanyi's performance, rather than any of the vassal clans.

(Or, in other words, it seems like the Diao vassals are proportionally less Imperial Conservatives/Moderates than they are Weilu. Probably easier for Ling Qi to approach the lesser clans rather than the Diao proper, if she wants influence in the Diao regions.)


[] Push on the current topic, ask about the Xuan and Jin, and their history together, let Xuan Shi talk about his kin, which he seems more comfortable in talking up.[80% Success, Increase Xuan Shi confidence with your group. Minimal increase on failure, higher increase on success]
Failure only is minimal increase rather than any loss, and comes a higher base chance of success. Topic is on the rivalry with the Jin, which may set Wang Chao against them. (Not that it'll matter too much? Wang Chao is getting some influence via Ling Qi using him to get influence, but the Wang and their friends in general are focused on mining rather than the wood industry that the Jin probably focus on with their shipbuilding industry.)

[] Switch back to the previous topic, exploring talisman work applied to vehicles and buildings and the difference between them, Wang Chao seems interested, even if partly goes over his head. [60% Success. Increase Xuan Shi's confidence in your group, with small decrease on failure. Success grants Xuan Shi bond with Wang Chao]
Failure decreases Xuan Shi confidence (and might feed into a quicker Kongyou tragedy, maybe), and comes with a failing grade of 60% base chance of success. Topic is on the talisman work of the Xuan and Wang, in particular the construction of mobile fortresses. Ling Qi might be able to interject with the flying ice sleds of the White Sky, and thus maybe get some more buy-in from the Wang via their 'land-ship' crafters. Xuan Shi probably gets bowled over by Wang Chao's enthusiastic praise and maybe starts up an actual friendship.

The guiding principle, for me, is that we picked this action for the Wang clan synergy and to get Xuan Shi another friend. Only the talisman talk fulfills the two goals.
 
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[X] Switch back to the previous topic, exploring talisman work applied to vehicles and buildings and the difference between them, Wang Chao seems interested, even if partly goes over his head. [60% Success. Increase Xuan Shi's confidence in your group, with small decrease on failure. Success grants Xuan Shi bond with Wang Chao]
 
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We must help Wang Chao and Xuan Shi form a bond; as far as we know Xuan Shi has zero male friends. It is a tragedy for a man to be without bros.

…of course, when I put it like that, it makes Xuan Shi sound like a failed harem protagonist or something.
 
I love Wang Chao. It feels like there is a kindness in his core.

Can he be our husbando in a few decade when Ling Qi is ready for that sort of thing?
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Ngl, I kinda started reading the bit with the disciple as Xuan Shi fancying him.
SassyAsses said:
the point of this exercise is to get Xuan Shi some friends right?
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It is now!
 
That's a lot of important information there. I'm incredibly happy that we got that information now so in the coming turns we can be more focused with diplomatic efforts and goals. It feels really good to get some meat to chew on and concrete markers to look at in terms of where we want to spend our efforts.
 
yrsillar said:
Celestial Hills: -2
North River Jing: -1
Western Fens: -1
Eastern Plains: 0
South River Jing: -1
Foundations: 2
Thundering Hills: 1
Central Valley: 1
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yrsillar said:
Under this conception, the lower clans of the Emerald Seas could be divided into eight geographic and cultural regions. The Celestial Hills, a thin slice of the far north on the border of the capital, who saw themselves as little different from their neighbors a few score miles north in the Peaks. Below them the North Jing river valley, most of the Bao lands, which abutted the part of the great continent cutting spanning river until it flowed into the Thousand Lakes. Then there were the Western Fens, the core of the Meng's territory, where the Red Jungle met the woodlands of the Emerald Seas. The Central Valley Region where the Diao reigned, whose southern edge she had visited with Hanyi, was the heartland of the province. East of that was the Southern Jing river region, where the Jia clan was concentrated in what had been the lands of the Chu before Ogodei. Beyond that was a long stretch going from the Celestial Peaks down to the Wall in the south, the Eastern Plains, the dry and grassy plains where the Emerald Seas bordered the Golden Fields province. Last was the Foundations, the still sparsely settled lands in the south where she had spent the last year, encompassing the Wang territories, the Argent Peak and Blue Mountain Sects and the southern gains of the Meng, and a small region marked out as the Thundering Hills after its many waterfalls, as well as the site where Ogodei had died, which caused a great deal of extra rainfall in the region. It was the other half of the Jia Clan's territory, along with the Rushing Cloud Sect.
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OK, let's play conspirology.
1. Some disparities between map and descriptions - Luo had taken most of the Southern Jing river region, so possibly former Chu lowers were not so fond of Jia. Also they seems to be not so fond of us.
2. Lowers do not correspond to Clans in opinions sometimes Bao+ versus north -,Diao- versus central+, Luo+ and south river - in first point.
3. Apparently Celestial Hills bias is cultural, also maybe north river, but with south river I see possible explanation: transport of goods from barbarians. Most trading would be made by count clans without lowers, also trading itself lies in Foundations and Thundering Hills. And inevitable increase in river traffic would crush monopoly of existing houses. More trade, different goods, and Southern Jing suddenly not the final stop for most big traders, but pit stop. So, Interesting times.
4. Center apparently OK with making more goodies for trade.
5. South is already living in interesting times and totally goes for all that (well, some of them are former barbarians, possibly even lower nobles).
 
We're planning on building our fief and having some insight into construction, especially Wang's ideas on fortifications, sounds like it could be useful. Especially Xuan style mobile fortification which could open up ideas for Zhengui.

It's not that surprising that the Central Valley has a +1 rep with CRX and the White Sky project. The Diao would have approved of the original expedition to the Land of Always Winter had we appealed to trade instead of culture and the Counts inform and are informed by their vassals. This is good for our Old/New Road quest, if both the Diao and Central Valley clans are interested in trade with the White Sky and the Wang want to open up trade with the rest of the Emerald Seas we might now have the wind in our sails in pushing through the block keeping the Old Road from being exorcised.
 
[X] Switch back to the previous topic, exploring talisman work applied to vehicles and buildings and the difference between them, Wang Chao seems interested, even if partly goes over his head. [60% Success. Increase Xuan Shi's confidence in your group, with small decrease on failure. Success grants Xuan Shi bond with Wang Chao]
 
[X] Push on the current topic, ask about the Xuan and Jin, and their history together, let Xuan Shi talk about his kin, which he seems more comfortable in talking up.[80% Success, Increase Xuan Shi confidence with your group. Minimal increase on failure, higher increase on success]

Xuan Shi being more confident with the group is a sufficient outcome, because he'll come to our spars and he'll make a bond there. No need to risk failure when we could instead improve the next roll. Not every risk has to be taken!

Candesce said:
Hmm.

I think I'm inclined to the conversation about kin - the rewards are a lot lower, but it won't go wrong, and I think learning more about Xuan Shi's family situation might give us quite a bit of insight into him.

But that's also pretty much committing us to having a follow-up to this event, and I don't know how many chances we're going to get to make Xuan Shi some friends.
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AFAIK we're definitely getting a follow-up, as he was just invited to our spars.
 
[X] Switch back to the previous topic, exploring talisman work applied to vehicles and buildings and the difference between them, Wang Chao seems interested, even if partly goes over his head. [60% Success. Increase Xuan Shi's confidence in your group, with small decrease on failure. Success grants Xuan Shi bond with Wang Chao]
 
[X] Switch back to the previous topic, exploring talisman work applied to vehicles and buildings and the difference between them, Wang Chao seems interested, even if partly goes over his head. [60% Success. Increase Xuan Shi's confidence in your group, with small decrease on failure. Success grants Xuan Shi bond with Wang Chao]
 
[X] Switch back to the previous topic, exploring talisman work applied to vehicles and buildings and the difference between them, Wang Chao seems interested, even if partly goes over his head. [60% Success. Increase Xuan Shi's confidence in your group, with small decrease on failure. Success grants Xuan Shi bond with Wang Chao]
 
[X] Switch back to the previous topic, exploring talisman work applied to vehicles and buildings and the difference between them, Wang Chao seems interested, even if partly goes over his head. [60% Success. Increase Xuan Shi's confidence in your group, with small decrease on failure. Success grants Xuan Shi bond with Wang Chao]
 
[X] Switch back to the previous topic, exploring talisman work applied to vehicles and buildings and the difference between them, Wang Chao seems interested, even if partly goes over his head. [60% Success. Increase Xuan Shi's confidence in your group, with small decrease on failure. Success grants Xuan Shi bond with Wang Chao]
 
[X] Switch back to the previous topic, exploring talisman work applied to vehicles and buildings and the difference between them, Wang Chao seems interested, even if partly goes over his head. [60% Success. Increase Xuan Shi's confidence in your group, with small decrease on failure. Success grants Xuan Shi bond with Wang Chao]
 
[x] Switch back to the previous topic, exploring talisman work applied to vehicles and buildings and the difference between them, Wang Chao seems interested, even if partly goes over his head. [60% Success. Increase Xuan Shi's confidence in your group, with small decrease on failure. Success grants Xuan Shi bond with Wang Chao]

They could do so much good for each other.

lioli said:
So that's Ling Qi's type: the soldier noble. Pity that we dislike the Jin for geopolitical reasons. Just have to look at clans like, I guess, the Luo (the old Count clan focused on the military) for Ling Qi's eye candy.
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Ling Qi's type is Abs. She's had a number of men who've piqued her interest along the way, and not all were soldiers.

BeepSmile said:
Ngl, I kinda started reading the bit with the disciple as Xuan Shi fancying him.
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Same.
 
I kinda hope Jin ends up being an actually great guy. Just a great dude who unfortunately happens to have been born in a clan with bad reputation. Him and Xuan Shi can have a crafter rivalry going on which continues for a while, until eventually they become respectful of each other which finally blossoms into beautiful bromance friendship transcending clan boundaries. Like Romeo and Juliet, but with less romance and death. Then the two can go adventure together and make new friends throughout the Empire and beyond.

Please just give Xuan Shi a break.

I post this for posterity, such that those years from now can laugh at me and my ignorance. You know who you are.
 
[X] Push on the current topic, ask about the Xuan and Jin, and their history together, let Xuan Shi talk about his kin, which he seems more comfortable in talking up.[80% Success, Increase Xuan Shi confidence with your group. Minimal increase on failure, higher increase on success]

Sirrocco said:
Ling Qi's type is Abs. She's had a number of men who've piqued her interest along the way, and not all were soldiers.
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I think she's gotten shier about checking guys out since that discussion with Quingge; she used to be ... more open? less defensive? about looking.
 
[X] Switch back to the previous topic, exploring talisman work applied to vehicles and buildings and the difference between them, Wang Chao seems interested, even if partly goes over his head. [60% Success. Increase Xuan Shi's confidence in your group, with small decrease on failure. Success grants Xuan Shi bond with Wang Chao]
 
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