Now, I apologize for the double post, but referencing three different things in the same reply didn't sit well with me.
Okay, so, regarding the vote! Managed to find the previous action descriptions for the two projects.
Wang Clan Solutions: You have many reasons to pursue strong connections with the Wang Clan. Their knowledge of the Wall and its environs, their proximity to your project and eventual lands, and even their dependable reputation. You have already made a connection here and now it is time to leverage that. Begins the Mountain Halls Quest line. Advances the Old Road/New Road Quest. Chance of Raising Wang Clan reputation.
Diao Clan conciliation: You have earned some minor ire with the counts of the central Emerald Seas, they took the implied connection to foreigners and the older people of the Emerald Seas as an insult. See if it is possible to sooth some feelings and shore up your reputations. Begins Garden of Sinners Questline. Reveals faction information on the Diao. Stabilizes reputation at current level
Now, these are from TURN 13, so they might change, but looking at the descriptions for both, Wang Clan Solutions is about leveraging the Wang clan support for our project, while Garden of Sinners is about soothing perceived offenses with the project.
Secondly, I'll like to bring attention to the second part of the current votes.
Events and chances to improve reputation will focus on these factions for turn 17 and 18)
This vote is about which clan we want to focus on in regards to the SUMMIT, specifically, which clan and region we want more opportunities to gain support with for the summit. We're trying to gather support for not just US, but also CRX since the summit is ultimately her project. That's why it's only limited to the turns leading up to the summit and our departure from the sect. So while voting is for which clan to focus on, it's also in relation to the Summit.
In that regard, I think the Wang and Foundations are better. Let's look at our narrative for each of them.
- First of all, our current narrative with them is NOT focused on the summit. It's focused on our Weilu nature, the Diao cutting off their spirit blood, and their generational trauma. That's why we talked to Hualing about it. That's why she decided to help us with Long Arm of the Law, etc. This is NOT related to the summit, at all. This is related to their generational trauma, and I find the thought that we'll be able to affect something that's been going on for years when we're still a baby baron, amusing. As Abeo said, we've been exploring this line, but it's not related to the summit at all, and I don't want to vote for something that'll further another thing when we're starting to focus on the summit this turn.
For this same reason, I also find the idea of voting for ships frustrating. Su Ling and the fox kiddies are NOT related to the summit, at all. They're related, yet again, to the generational trauma of the Diao, which is not related to the summit and will take a long while to unpack.
- Next up, we have Central Valley. Our current narrative with them is related to building up a general network with them, and the recent attack. That's why I voted for it because I agree that this can create some xenophobia against our project.
On the other hand, the Central Valley had been upturned, there was a chaos and alarm there. Dozens of letters asked for advice on spotting and combatting ith-ia spies and impurity. There was a great deal of panicked alarm there, but also a deep well of anger. The central valley was safe. Not since the Duchess had risen had they faced Cloud tribe raids. This was not how things were supposed to be.
A grudge, in its infancy, coming screaming into the world. It made her wonder about the ones the Duchess had subjugated, and in her replies, she was careful to emphasize the name of those responsible, as a tribe and government. She shared what she knew freely, described the methods and ways she had experienced.
But, after thinking about it more, I think that's a bit of a reach since it's related to the Ith-ai, not the White Sky and the summit. This thread can and will be continued with Long Arm of the Law III.
- Now, for the Wang. Lots of people have brought up our contact with them and how they don't have any interesting narratvies. I disagree.
"So, I am Wang Lian, third daughter of the Clan Head of Wang, you are Baroness Ling, who has provided my little brother with a great deal of assistance. You are also the retainer to the heiress of Cai, who has taken on a project many say is beyond her. What is it you want from the Wang Clan, Baroness? Our building expertise, our support in word, the backing of our warriors?"
"Any or all of those things would be most welcome," Ling Qi replied carefully. "But I do not want to overstep myself."
Firstly, we have a higher contact with the Wang, the daughter of the current Clan head. I don't exactly remember Hualing's position in the secct. but if we're going to focus on something related to the summit, I'd rather we focus on someone who has MORE pull and supports us and the summit, rather than someone who has less political pull and wants us to help deal with the Diao generational trauma, which IS NOT related to the summit.
"Before we depart to find our first Names, and set the foundations of our Way, we are brought before the Matriarch," Wang Lian said, her eyes drifting shut. "There we are shown her vision. I can't describe it too you, not fully, but it is the vision of a far greater future, of teeming cities carved into the mountains, stretching over the rivers, filling the forests, not in the rigid imperial style, or the outdated ways of the past, something that is both of them, made better in the fusion. People are the engines of prosperity and growth. Where they gather they sharpen one another, and greater heights are reached. So much of that has been wasted in the Emerald Seas, pointlessly grabbing at lands when we had scarcely made use of what we had."
She spoke with absolute confidence, and for a moment, Ling Qi felt a shadow in her mind the silhouette of a mountain gleaming with the lights of a city from top to bottom, spilling out into the gentle hills and valleys at its foot, following the natural lines of the land.
"Dreams by any other name," Sixiang chuckled.
"We build Miss Ling, and there is already so much of the Emerald Seas to be built yet," Wang Lian finished.
"That is why you take in Cloud Nomads I suppose," Ling Qi said. "Someone must fill those cities, and few wish to come so far south."
"Nomads are human," Wang Lian grunted. "We may be called fools for that, but it is true. A man is a man, he may be valorous or cowardly, cruel or kind. The young and the willing can be taught the proper ways of living and cultivation, we can take their strengths for ourselves. It is as simple as that. You're White Sky seems to understand that. A hopeful thing."
Secondly, the Diao do not support us. We're at rep -1 with them. The Wang support us. They're willing to help with the summit. They're willing to help is with our fief, which we're only building now because we're going to be working with the White Sky long-term. They don't see the White Sky as barbarians. They see them as people who we can work with, which is helpful in regards to the summit and their support.
Secondly, some people have brought us Renxiang and her opinion on which clan we should focus on. She told us to focus on the Wang and Meng. Plus, the Wang are new and small, only about 200 years old. We have a higher chance of influencing them than we do with the Diao. The Diao is imperial-aligned. Half of the Wang are Weilu-aligned, and I think it'll be significantly easier changing Weilu Moderates to Weilu reformers than it'll be to change Imperials to Weilu reformists. Plus, again, no generational trauma to go through to make things extra difficult.
- Now, onto Foundations. Foundations is the region closest to us, and the one we have the most rep with. We have an upcoming project related to them anyway. The Foundations also show the most approval for our project.
She found that her support was strong among the Foundations region, the southernmost part of the Emerald Seas, consisting of the foothills of the Wall and much of the Wang lands. There was much praise, but she could see a great deal of opportunism. New against old, the young clans seeking her associating to raise their own status.
And there was no wrong in that, she supposed, if they stood with her on the right matters, if they could be brought to support Renxiang. There was, as Shu Yue would say, a grudge there. There was an undercurrent of being hard put upon, a resentment for the more northerly regions. They saw themselves as injured by the endless raiding, and blame for that spread north.
Yes, some part of it is opportunism, but they support us, and they support CRX, something that's good for the summit. Foundations is also kinda new, full of new baronies and others trying to make up for the damages done by Ogodei, the Thousand Wing Incursion, and continuous raids. The project is a boon to them, something to bring back prosperity and peace. We've also mainly sent letters to them for HZG iirc. So focusing on them is the perfect continuation for HZG.
And lastly, they're our neighbours. Yes, they can help with the fief. But apart from that, they're the closest ones to the Wall and the summit. Having their support will mean that the southern part of the ES and the Wall will be focused and unified in our response to the White Sky, which is good because, you know, this vote is related to the Summit!
So, based on all this, I'm going for
[X] Mountain Halls-Focus your efforts on building reputation and cachet in the Foundations and Wang lands(Events and chances to improve reputation will focus on these factions for turn 17 and 18)
Because, looking at it in relation to the summit, it looks like the best choice. Yes, we just Central Valley helped with the Ith-ai attack, but that's another plotline related to the war (so after the summit) and the unpacking the Diao's generational trauma and their past, which is not related to the summit. So I'm voting for Mountain Halls to help with the summit, rather than hoping that Garden of Sinners will suddenly help us get more info unrelated to the summit. Plus, we have un upcoming action related to Foundations already. I'll rather we tied that into the narrative with Mountain Halls and finish that before focusing another region.
Plus, focusing on your allies and your strengths is good civ. The Diao might not like us, and that's okay for now. We can't plese everyone. I don't want to focus on them and bringing them to neutrality, when we're going somewhere we need strong allies to support not just us, but CRX too.
As for Central Valley, we have good support from them. I think it's best to focus on them during the war arc, when the Ith-ai attack will be more relevant. Right now, their attention won't be focused on us or the summit, but rather the attack.
