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Through the Ages (Exalted CK2 Style Empire Builder)

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Hazard said:
Anyway, Chapter 4 is probably going to be 'Wyld Hunt without a dozen or more Legions,'
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You mean "with", not "without", right?

Also, I think the most we can hope to expect in terms of "support" from any organization of Lunars is their willingness to take advantage of the Realm being distracted by us, and this keeping the Realm from committing an undefeatable number of troops to destroy us.
 
That's an interesting plan, Hazard. A little risky and ambitious, but interesting.

Rather then going for a big one like that, given a year or two on as they investigate, having Neiya kill a few of the lower-level investigators as they check out different stories near our border with our most convenient scapegoat. If in each case a scenario is set up that suggests some piece of an over-arching plot (ie, the deaths connect in such a fashion), we might be able to redirect the hunt.

But we'll see what options we get.

It'd be really convenient if a Raksha noble decides that now's a great time to start raiding... that'll pull quite a bit of attention.
 
Jorlem said:
You mean "with", not "without", right?
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... You saw nothing. Nothing I say!

Jorlem said:
Also, I think the most we can hope to expect in terms of "support" from any organization of Lunars is their willingness to take advantage of the Realm being distracted by us, and this keeping the Realm from committing an undefeatable number of troops to destroy us.
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Depends on the circumstances, but I'm fairly certain we can convince parts of the Silver Pack to cause trouble in the Treshold by selling them on the idea that the Realm is going to focus most of its attention on us, which creates opportunities, risky ones admittedly, that a clever Lunar might be able to exploit.

We should also be able to convince a chunk of the Pack to stand with us more directly.

ryuan said:
@Hazard, I rather not sacrifice Neiya to save our asses.
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Note the parantheses around 'screw up' and the lack of them around escape. If we can manage it I have every intent of having Yilali murder its way through the Wyld Hunt while Neiya keeps them focused on her, and she should be quite capable of running them ragged on her own.

CircleTheSkies said:
That's an interesting plan, Hazard. A little risky and ambitious, but interesting.
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Of course, this is just one possibility, planned on what we know now. I've no doubt that we can go for something less risky if we can get our hands on more information.

CircleTheSkies said:
Rather then going for a big one like that, given a year or two on as they investigate, having Neiya kill a few of the lower-level investigators as they check out different stories near our border with our most convenient scapegoat. If in each case a scenario is set up that suggests some piece of an over-arching plot (ie, the deaths connect in such a fashion), we might be able to redirect the hunt.
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Also an option, and a very good one. What we really need though is the time necessary gauge the Wyld Hunt. We can chip away at its strength once we've got a better idea of what we're dealing with.

CircleTheSkies said:
It'd be really convenient if a Raksha noble decides that now's a great time to start raiding... that'll pull quite a bit of attention.
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Distracting us, probably. I think the Hunt is going to drag its feet so that the Anathema has to show themself or run the risk that Yilali falls to the Wyld. They win either way.
 
Well, we don't want to push too many narratives, that'd just look like we're looking to cover our ass, but otherwise we should be able to waste the Wyld Hunt's time by having them chase red herrings for a while, and work our way towards figuring out their force structure and hitting critical but not obviously so targets in their rank structure.

I mean, if we can kill their highest ranked mortals the Legion is going to lose a fair bit of leadership, and they are comparatively easy targets when you consider the Dragonblooded officer corps.
 
Alectai said:
Nothing is more terrifying then a man who accepts that all things are secondary towards killing the demon, and has hardened his heart to adamant for the greater good.He's also not the scariest figure that can show up this Chapter. Pray you do not meet the Knife
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There are plenty of things more terrifying than that. Being locked in a room with the Ebon Dragon, being a ghost who has royally, royally pissed off several Deathlords, and being a mortal slave who is about to be sold to the Fae.

Hazard said:
Well, we don't want to push too many narratives, that'd just look like we're looking to cover our ass, but otherwise we should be able to waste the Wyld Hunt's time by having them chase red herrings for a while, and work our way towards figuring out their force structure and hitting critical but not obviously so targets in their rank structure.

I mean, if we can kill their highest ranked mortals the Legion is going to lose a fair bit of leadership, and they are comparatively easy targets when you consider the Dragonblooded officer corps.
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I would have them investigate our Neighbor, then have Neiya murder a handful of people while they are doing so.
 
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[X] Accept the Offer (Permanent Piety Advisor secured, new Hero Unit. +1 Piety Action, Starting Wyld Hunt Suspicion at 5%)

Takes time to flip him, but with 20% lower suspicion and one more action we have time to try.
 
Robotninja said:
I would have them investigate our Neighbor, then have Neiya murder a handful of people while they are doing so.
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A few select individuals who are given the unfortunate role of "found out the wrong thing". Several more should be misdirected or confused.

useofstrike32 said:
is it possible to exposed the sidereal?
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There may not be one in the retinue. And, if there is, it might be tricky to find out whom it is.

That said, if a public revelation *can* be arranged, it would certainly distract the Hunt - an unknown kind of Exalt hiding in the Hunt? It probably isn't in a position of "one that directed them here" - that would be too much to hope for.

But if Neiya *does* luck out and discover such an individual, perfect :p

Another thing is to, of course, keep an ear out for *actual* other Anathema. Nothing like a real horse to be a stalking horse, no? :p
 
All that said, while I'm hopeful about us surviving this chapter and the next, as it seems we may just be able to pull it off...
what happens if we do die? Does the game just end, do we get a chance to repick some other game types maybe, or reincarnate as the next guy who Altren's Exaltation passes onto? Just so we know what to expect in case the worst should happen, @Alectai?
 
Well yeah, but what after that. Do we start over as another Solar? Do we pick the Alchemical expedition? Do we do something entirely different?
 
Hmm. If I were a vile, evil and treacherous GM, how would I twist this situation against the expectations of my players...

GM: Plot twist! Hey, remember about that Siderial hidden within the Hunt? The one about who I mentioned wayyy back?
Players: ...Yeah?
GM: And how you have spent the last five turns turning your "middling level" piety advisor "Dragonblood"?
Players: ...Oh, you son of a-!
 
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meianmaru said:
Hmm. If I were a vile, evil and treacherous GM, how would I twist this situation against the expectations of my players...

GM: Plot twist! Hey, remember about that Siderial hidden within the Hunt? The one about who I mentioned wayyy back?

Players: ...Yeah?

GM: And how you have spent the last five turns turning your "middling level" piety advisor "Dragonblood"?

Players: ...Oh, you son of a-!
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That would just make the adviser an even better double agent.
That's not an evil plot twist, that's a fucking bonus.
(Seriously, a Solar spending 5 years slowly eroding your faith in the cause and inspiring loyalty to them is going to work.)
 
azoicennead said:
That would just make the adviser an even better double agent.
That's not an evil plot twist, that's a fucking bonus.
(Seriously, a Solar spending 5 years slowly eroding your faith in the cause and inspiring loyalty to them is going to work.)
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Not so much if the Solar is working with a wrong assumption about the one he is trying to turn.
 
We must accept the advisor, that much is clear. But whether we should try to flip him/her, that's a different story. As Alectai said, it would take a lot of effort and success by no means certain. Worse, failure would be absolutely catastrophic.

It might seem heartless, but "murdered by the Anathema under circumstances that leave no doubt that Altren Karamat and Yilali had nothing to do with it" may very well be a more practical outcome regarding our new piety advisor.
 
Won't that be even more suspicious? Because if the Anathema is murdering dudes, why just the Immaculate advisor without anyone else in the country?
 
wingstrike96 said:
Won't that be even more suspicious? Because if the Anathema is murdering dudes, why just the Immaculate advisor without anyone else in the country?
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Well, yeah, the aforementioned circumstances may turn out to be non-trivial to create. Nevertheless, it's arguably less risky than trying to turn them. Though just keeping the advisor on for now without trying to turn them and instead merely using them as a way to feed misinformation to the Hunt may also be worthwhile.
 
Easiest way to justify killing the piety advisor? Have some of the gods start complaining about the Immaculate Faith doctrine inconveniencing them, and Yilali responding by putting some pressure on the gods to play along. Of course, it's just a show put up for the Realm, but the Realm doesn't need to know that.

With that justification however the Anathema might just show up and kill the guy who's making it possible for the Realm and Yilali to coordinate, so that he can put the gods and the kingdom back under his sway...
 
Wasn't there that one country with the nebolous protector?

Neiyla could moonlight a bit and direct the Hunt in that direction. Yilali can then march as backup and secure the area as a bonus.


But yeah, brute force turning the advisor is a bad idea. Better to have him become a personal friend over tme and win him over by showing that Altren is a good man.

Or Plan B: Neiyla steals his form after figuring out how to impersonate the guy.
 
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