- Location
- Ohio
Or by having Captain Kirk sleep with the Alien.
I am watching Star Trek with my parents, and am thinking of a Gryphon expy of Kirk.
Who Needs Harmony?: An MLP Empire Quest
- Thread starter Questor
- Start date
I am watching Star Trek with my parents, and am thinking of a Gryphon expy of Kirk.
- Location
- sweden
semi-relevant, i did at one point consider making an omake of a preacher in a square yelling the glory of our Divinely appointed Emperor and how the Glorious Griffin race was made to Humble the arrogant sorcerer and Bring Low the Warlock! for magic exists to serve, not to serve under. and griffins exist to destroy those who falls under it's corruption.
however, i didn't make it because 1. that a can of worms im not opening and 2. i couldn't figure out the speech
Also as an idea came to me rereading this I wanted to share.
If we ever need a symbol after we are done fighting after so many years to signify a return to peace I recommend that we go for a grand ceremony of taking our ornate kingly sword we got in the beginning and having it literally beat into a plowshare. Preferably with a forge lightened by a torch ignited in the fires of the Imperial war memorial with the opposite done in order to really signal that that war is back and we are ready to fuck some shit up.
We never use the thing and we will get a better Orichalcum one soon so it isn't really a loss. We might even be able to turn the fact it never was actually used to hurt anyone as a part of the symbolic value of how even when a king is not using it on the battlefield the fact he has a sword at his side means he is still fighting or something like that instead of it being an avenue insult about the fact we never fight the big baddies personally.
- Location
- Back in Cali
Our old sword is a symbol of our office. It is a masterwork sword at that. You do not destroy something like that it is an artifact of our rule and Empire.
- Location
- A house
Yeah, that's a can of worms I'd also not touch...
I personally just go with most just accept that it exists and get on with their lives, just generally be pragmatic about it, as with most things that are tossed their way. Some decry it, some are curious about it... if it had just been sombra, it would have sucked and probably would have gone the way of just outright hating it, but now we have seen yaks and quilin, so I'd think they'd more go along the idea of "shadow/ice magic = bad" and "fire/mysticism is pretty good."
Especially fire. Fire the big good.
Destroy it? that is making it into a new symbol, a stronger one.
- Location
- Maryland
Probability of success increased as a result of intelligence gained from the Crystal Ponies you freed.
- Location
- Back in Cali
Turning it into a plowshare is destroying the symbol. If you want a new symbol you make a new symbol not get rid of your old one. Also you are very optimistic if you think this is going to be the end of our wars. There are still many dangers and hostile powers out there. And if I remember the QM did say that Tarturus is still open and it is somewhere nearish to us.
- Location
- California
That could be a crit-fall on the rumor mill. Actually, if the Empire were to face more hostile magical powers than friendly magical groups over the course of this quest then our QM could make that into an arc.
- Location
- Maryland
It's mixed. On the one hand, with the Yaks and the Neighponese, it can clearly be useful and beneficial. But with the examples of Discord and Sombra, it can also be horrifically, unfathomably dangerous.
Most Griffons adopt a rather pragmatic and cautious attitude regarding it. Seeing as how they can't actually use magic themselves, they don't have much cause to think about it. They'll probably wind up looking down upon people who rely upon magic for everything though, and prefer technology that anyone can use over the mystical arts.
- Location
- A house
Going to have to agree with advent on this one. Melting down the sword representing our kingship into something like that can send all sorts of wonky messages. Maybe, since it's relatively new and not artifact level yet, itd be fine to melt it down and turn it into a better sword with some orichalcum mixed in, but taking a sign of kingship and metaphorically, to some, turning into something common may not have the effect youd think.
Dont know about that... at the end of the day, magic is just a tool. A tool we cant use (at least for now), but a tool we can work around. Plus, we have magic users in our empire right now and the flow of academic information on the nature of magic down to the people should really mitigate the effect, since its akin to science. And on science, I think we'll have the edge on that, at least.
Oh, neato, seems I was right on the money.
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Okay please don't add words I didn't say and put them in my mouth. I never said anything about this being an end to all fighting, in fact a major part of my post was detail the possibility of reforging it into a sword again for future wars as another symbolic gesture . Demonstrating that I did not think that at all if you actually read it carefully. Also you have offered no justification of your point over why it is destroying a symbol beyond say it is with no explanation to it.
The creating of a symbol in this case is not to do with what the object is, you can't just order a plowshare made and call it a symbol. The symbolic strength comes from the fact that it is a plowshare that used to be a sword, the first sword of the first king, and when his work was done he turned it into a tool of civil development because at last! peace was won! the true goal of war for a just king! The story done with the object makes it a symbol and we have not used this sword for anything. It will be an artifact as it is yes... but at best it will sit in a museum being interesting to school kids, this could turn it into a part of national the national founding myth.
In all honesty I have to respectfully question whether you are arguing in good faith here given your lack of explanation and misrepresentation of what I have said then attacking it. It looks an awful lot like creating a strawman just to win.
If that isn't what you were trying to do and this is a mistake I apologize but please put more thought into your responses if so.
Edit: Responding to @Lisain who didn't see:
I see your point but I still disagree. The Sword is and always will be a simple of how our Kingship is tied to martial prowess not our kingship itself like our crown. "Look how fancy the emperor's sword is isn't her awesome for it! because fancy means good and good fighter means strong right?!". Though frankly not a strong one in my opinion since we have never used in an epic manner like how Excalibur was pulled from the stone.
By turning it into a plowshare, a symbol of peaceful development recognizable to many we sow our kingship being a force that is tied to peaceful building as well. Which frankly is more representative of Garrick's actually kingship style then anything else. It part of making our martial culture from getting into the problem of being overly militaristic by reminding them or the value of peace.
Since we are starting to transition to industrialization I think its a good idea to stress the kings state authority being linked to civilian matters as much as military as those become so much more defining as it takes hold.
As for the hybrid sword idea.. eh we don't even know if that is possible or if it would even be better then a normal Ori sword. At that point it would be better to keep the sword normal in my opinion.
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Inclinedtoserve
Towering Star
- Location
- Up above the world so high
It's a sword, and a good one at that. I don't think the kingdom being run here is very big on symbolism. We get the job done, we do it well, people like us. A fancy show of destroying a weapon and turning it into a plowshare doesn't feel like how we do things. Besides, there are uses for a weapon that doesn't destroy all magic near us. For all we know, we might develop some sort of magic based buffing sort of thing down the line that orichalcum would ruin. Or get enchantments on our armor. There are feasible scenarios in which an anti-magic sword might have drawbacks for the user.
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- Location
- Back in Cali
For the record, we have used the sword to fight. We used it against Sombra at Redpass. The sword is our symbol of office not of our martial might. We made it because that is what our people are a warrior and martial people. Just because we are making a new sword that might work on Sombra doesn't mean you get rid of your old symbol of power. Honestly the whole swords into plowshares is only a metaphor for letting your levies return to their farms and former lives. It is not a literal thing that is done. And since we are not using levies but a volunteer professional army it is even less applicable. You want to show people we are returning to peace then do it by improving other things instead of the military after the war is over.
Incredible how such a small thing can become a multi-page argument that slowly poisons the willingness to read the thread while waiting for the update.
- Location
- A house
Eh, personally just found it off to turn our sword into something like that. Some could see it that way, others could see it another, that was more to what I was trying to get at. Like, I'm all for doing cool stuff for whatever reason, even if its impractical or not cost effective (vs what some other people in this thread might say), But that just seems kind of... I dunno, meh? As a symbolic act, feels tame and can come off as off-putting, as I said before.
On the impractical but totally cool side of things, feels like it'd be better to just make something like an imperial gardens (something like the hanging gardens) and then plant our sword mastersword style in the center. So its more, we fought and laid down our arms, but if push comes to shove, we'll pick it up again, that kind of thing.
Was originally just tossin' in my two cents on 'that seems like a weird idea that may come off as strange.' I'm not the kinda person who puts things in boxes and anything that doesn't fit in the box is heretical, and like I said, I can see where you're coming from... as an action, would probably be the same as the brewery, in a chance to raise or lower opinion.
I'd really just put the matter to bed, since I don't see much of a point in discussing what to do with our sword at the moment. Tossed in the reforging of the sword as a possible alternative, since I like compromise.
Not sure if you wrote this before I made an edit to my post to respond to Lisian so I'm going to restate my argument for why the sword isn't a symbol of our office.
Our symbol of office is our crown. Our sword is one of our martial might primarily and through that Kingship. A sword is always going to be a symbol of martial might because it is a weapon, you can see sword in symbols unrelated to kingship but to the military the same is not sad of crown which are a symbol of royalty alone. Having a fancy sword say that I am a good fighter because I have a fancy sword and fancy=good therefore good fighter and I should be King because King=best fighter.
By turning it into a plowshare in a fire from the temple which honor our fallen troop we ritually signify how the sacrifice of those solider created peace and transform, not destroy, it into a symbol of the value of peace as the desired end of war. Meanwhile we also show our power to be the one who commands either war or peace through it. The reverse of reforging it back to a sword shows that by our actions peace has ended and it is time to rise.
In regards to using it against Sombra… did we really? Konrad actually hit him and got the kill his sword is the symbol there. If we had used this sword to beat Sombra that would be a different story.
As for it being a metaphor.. yes that is what symbols are metaphors through pictures. The statue of liberty hold a torch metaphorically giving I light of freedom to those who come. Also we did extensively use militia levies in Redstone pass.
Now the part about this being what our people wanted is the part I agree with the most. They do want a warrior king because they are a warrior culture but that may change. We are advancing into a more modern economy with our central banks and steam engines where civilian matter will become more important culturally long term, starting to establish our power being linked to that is a good idea.
It also important to define what our martial culture is. The best martial culture are those that like and value war but acknowledge the nobility and goal of creating a better peace. The Greeks where some of the best warriors ever but when Hesiod and Homer have a poetry contest Hesiod is triumphant because Homer is a poet of war and Hesiod one of peace and in the end peace is better than war. When the Peloponnesian war starts the Spartans, mythologically focused on martial culture, are worried because they refused arbitration and are therefore risk the displeasure of the gods. I don't want us to become a militaristic society that for example subscribes to a social Darwinist view that war makes us stronger because that is self destructive and promotes over aggression.
I apologize for damaging anyone's experience I only ever wanted to make everyone reading the thread have a better one by presenting what I thought was a useful idea like the war memorial turned into. I will drop the matter since it was asked and I haven't done what I intended by posting.
Thank you both for your understanding, I can't tell you how much I appreciate you both being so reasonable in your discourse.
- Location
- Back in Cali
It is called the Blade of the King for a reason since you seem to want to keep on your idea that's fine I'm not going to keep trying to convince you.
Edit: also here is all the entries on the sword.
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- Location
- South Carolina
Lisain said:
Now I am imagining us getting an enchanter to put a spell on the blade or the stone, so that only one of our bloodline (and Gwyndlyn) may pull it from the stone. Start a new tradition for coronation by basically combining the Sword in the Stone and the Dragonfires from The Elder Scrolls.
- Location
- A house
originally wanted to push the idea of an imperial garden as somewhere that can grow crops year round regardless of weather conditions/as a place to grow things that only grow in specific locations once we have some more knowledge on magic, but I forgot about it until now. Sounds like it'd be a fun idea! unless we switched over to another system of government... although, given its the land of ponies and magic the system hasn't changed in a long time for many nations show wise, we might just keep our emperorship for a good long while.
- Location
- South Carolina
Now that I am thinking about it, what kinds of hypothetical enchantments would be cool and reasonable for a wizard to acomplish? If we are starting from an enchantment on a stone to keep anyone not of our blood, or someone not worthy of ruling from drawing it (though that sounds much harder to implement), a spell to return the Sword to the Stone on the event of the wielder's death like the Sword of Gryffindor would be cool. Some enchantments that mimic the Master Swords abilities like some kind of Evil's Bane and indestructability would probably be invaluable as well.
- Location
- Germany
We currently have three magic users in the entire country, and
- Location
- Ohio
We could just keep our sword, and save up money to get a floating island like in Terraria/minecraft made or find one from the Discord era if it is not too dangerous.
That is a better symbol for literally everything. And practical for making a self-sustaining fortress with a high ground advantage.
If it is too expensive or impractical for magic in the next ten turns still, I can wait till a super science era or a lot of magic users move here/gryphs get magic (I like how we are though as the best muggles, so I ser it more as the gravy on something nice)
...
Scratch that, I want a future project for after the quest is over to be to make a phobos-like second moon.
We could call it Turn 1000.
That is a better symbol for literally everything. And practical for making a self-sustaining fortress with a high ground advantage.
If it is too expensive or impractical for magic in the next ten turns still, I can wait till a super science era or a lot of magic users move here/gryphs get magic (I like how we are though as the best muggles, so I ser it more as the gravy on something nice)
...
Scratch that, I want a future project for after the quest is over to be to make a phobos-like second moon.
We could call it Turn 1000.
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