Threads Of Destiny(Eastern Fantasy, Sequel to Forge of Destiny)
- Thread starter yrsillar
- Start date
- Original Users' Choice!
Voted best in category in the Users' Choice awards.
- Location
- The Maple Syrup Mountains
[X] To establish that there were more methods, more tools that could be used to build the Empire out than sword and fire, even as they showed the Emerald Seas was lacking in neither.
- Location
- United States of America
[X] To establish that there were more methods, more tools that could be used to build the Empire out than sword and fire, even as they showed the Emerald Seas was lacking in neither.
- Location
- Washington
[X] Showing that the Wall could be tamed and that the Emerald Sea could pacify its own borders, and conduct itself as a province of the Empire no less than any other.
[X] To establish that there were more methods, more tools that could be used to build the Empire out than sword and fire, even as they showed the Emerald Seas was lacking in neither.
Looking back on the choices (all of ~2 hours after I made my vote), I feel that the current 26-2-1 landslide vote in favor of Option 3 is due to the other two being 'wasted' options, in that they offer a range of solutions that we do not under pressure to trade off against. We've previously covered our own reasons for what we are aiming for to various audiences; ourselves, the Ministry, General Xia, the White Sky, to Rexiang, to the larger Cai court. In those votes we've clarified our own understanding of our goals and navigated the biases of more powerful cultivators under the pressure of trying to hone towards truth while juggling priorities in what to emphasize, elide, or leave undefined.
With this audience, most of those present are either on our side and/or subordinate to powers that we've already addressed ourselves to. The primary challenge was posed to us by Sun Liling, who suffers from having the aura of threat and power that her adaptation and close link to her grandfather. With a lack of secondary Sun characters, my image of what the factions within the Sun family that we might have theoretically influenced/made our case to is Sun Liling -> Sun Shao/Red Garden. We're caught between either lying to an unknowable distant force for nebulous gain and certain penalties, or running against our own points made to our allies superiors.
I found it hard to imagine how the first two options would gain us anything with the Sun or our allies in exchange for running counter to arguments that we previously made to more powerful figures, so I decided to just be honest with what sounded the most like 'our true' goals.
With this audience, most of those present are either on our side and/or subordinate to powers that we've already addressed ourselves to. The primary challenge was posed to us by Sun Liling, who suffers from having the aura of threat and power that her adaptation and close link to her grandfather. With a lack of secondary Sun characters, my image of what the factions within the Sun family that we might have theoretically influenced/made our case to is Sun Liling -> Sun Shao/Red Garden. We're caught between either lying to an unknowable distant force for nebulous gain and certain penalties, or running against our own points made to our allies superiors.
I found it hard to imagine how the first two options would gain us anything with the Sun or our allies in exchange for running counter to arguments that we previously made to more powerful figures, so I decided to just be honest with what sounded the most like 'our true' goals.
[X] To establish that there were more methods, more tools that could be used to build the Empire out than sword and fire, even as they showed the Emerald Seas was lacking in neither.
More to the point, The Emperor didn't create the Empire JUST by punching things. He became a sworn brother to the Zheng, He managed to Talk the notoriously insular Bai that instead of going alone as they are EVER wont to do, working together was better. In point of fact his largest failing was where talking was not approached at all. He tried to TAKE the Jungle, and in so doing sundered any peace there could have been, creating a tireless foe on the border and earning his own demise.
Because punching things is all well and good, but only punching thing leads to someone saying "F*** it let's ball" and being willing to die to drag you to hell with them. Like what happened with the Sage and Flower Goddess or the Death of the Sun.
More to the point, The Emperor didn't create the Empire JUST by punching things. He became a sworn brother to the Zheng, He managed to Talk the notoriously insular Bai that instead of going alone as they are EVER wont to do, working together was better. In point of fact his largest failing was where talking was not approached at all. He tried to TAKE the Jungle, and in so doing sundered any peace there could have been, creating a tireless foe on the border and earning his own demise.
Because punching things is all well and good, but only punching thing leads to someone saying "F*** it let's ball" and being willing to die to drag you to hell with them. Like what happened with the Sage and Flower Goddess or the Death of the Sun.
Last edited:
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X] To establish that there were more methods, more tools that could be used to build the Empire out than sword and fire, even as they showed the Emerald Seas was lacking in neither.
EternalObserver
eYe Gaze baCk
- Location
- The Void
[X] To establish that there were more methods, more tools that could be used to build the Empire out than sword and fire, even as they showed the Emerald Seas was lacking in neither.
- Location
- The Beach
Haven't caught up yet in the thread so maybe it was mentioned, but Option 3 is also a rather direct reference to how the Sun family got the Western Territories. It is, it's its own way, a rather direct admonishment of Sun Liling('s family). Not sure if that's what we want to say at this juncture, if it motivates her to stir any shit she comes across.
[X] To establish that there were more methods, more tools that could be used to build the Empire out than sword and fire, even as they showed the Emerald Seas was lacking in neither.
[X] To establish that there were more methods, more tools that could be used to build the Empire out than sword and fire, even as they showed the Emerald Seas was lacking in neither.
I just would like to reiterate how delicious it is for Zheng Fu to just give no fucks about anything Liling is putting out there. She tries to poke back but he's just like lol sure thing kid.
[X] Settling the wall with the aim of ending the raiding that has killed so many of her people since time immemorial. That is the frontmost goal.
[X] Showing that the Wall could be tamed and that the Emerald Sea could pacify its own borders, and conduct itself as a province of the Empire no less than any other.
[X] Showing that the Wall could be tamed and that the Emerald Sea could pacify its own borders, and conduct itself as a province of the Empire no less than any other.
- Location
- South Africa
[X] To establish that there were more methods, more tools that could be used to build the Empire out than sword and fire, even as they showed the Emerald Seas was lacking in neither.
[X] To establish that there were more methods, more tools that could be used to build the Empire out than sword and fire, even as they showed the Emerald Seas was lacking in neither.
