Update 19 - Returning to Space
[] Head Into Orbit. Obviously you need to give closer supervision to the Benefaction Mission and whilst their technology is impressive they are not really able to content with relics from the last era or magic wielding dragons on even terms. Added to that they have just lost one of their only real warships and a good portion of their fighters. They need help with uplift. Also the admiral may have sort of tried to kill you.
A short update given this could end up going in multiple directions, but I did throw in a little of the 'Grand Tour' runner up choice when working out how Etorix gets back into orbit.
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Whilst you have any number of pressures on your time, you decide to first settle things with your strongest 'allies', the Benefaction Mission. Not only has the admiral shown a certain cavalier attitude toward your own life but their technology is running into obvious issues when confronted with dragons able to utilise significant magic and you are going to need them to survive and prosper, under your guidance of course.
Are are ,however, not willing to expend huge quantity of magic to return to the ark or give away the location of your lair, you take your time over emerging then fully exploit shape shifting to make your way a few hundred miles west. It is only when you reach the capital of the Alheri States as a bird that you resume your true form and descend upon the city, glowing, healed, whole again.
Whilst smaller than Hatwar the city of Alheri is probably the second or third largest urban center on the planet, a teaming and stinking metropolis with a vast natural harbour and build upon the ruins of your own capital in the previous era of magic. Habitation clings to the lower quarter mile of so of the vast habitation blocks looming over the breakwater and as the historical locus of your faith you are gratified to find a temple nearly as substantial as the one you visited in the north.
You are greeted by prop planes, a mixture of panic, awe and reverence, descending to a massing crowd and shortly after a delegation of senior priests.
This is only going to be a brief visit though and so you do not linger on more than the pleasantries, establishing that yes you are Etorix, yes you have graced them with your presence and no you have not officially allied with Hatwar, your goal is to further your faith and the mission begun by the Benefactors as your emissaries.. You of course pose for photographs and heal the faithful brought before you, though without any significant tapping of your stored power.
There are questions from one of the senior priests as to if, following your victory over Sulqeum, you will be aiding the Alheri in reconquering cities lost to her 'Dragonarchy' to the north, but you assure that this is merely an initial visit, you are about to head into space to visit the Benefactors in person.
Then the fusion drive of their shuttle comes into view before dropping down, you make an impressive and completely unnecessary light show of assuming human form before stepping inside, flanked by the missions dragon form drones.
Then you have a not particularly pleasant trip into orbit cramped within the shuttle. It is clean, it is comfortable, but you are not fond of being in flight not under your own power, at least in space where you are actually reliant upon the craft. A few hours later you are docking with the Ark in orbit and emerge into the weird cylindrical world. You are somewhat relieved not to have been victim of an 'accident in the point defence weapons' or similar though you did have your precognitive magic straining to anticipate such an event.
Now though? You have to face the council and decide how to further your goals now that you are in orbit. What do you prioritise?
[] Crucify Admiral Whyte. Figuratively or literally, he interrupted your parley and even if Sulqeum was planning to try to murder you that was not his call to make. One wrinkle is that his military rank put him outside the direct chain of command of the council itself and the communications lag with anyone who can fire him is at least 20 years each way. On the other hand if you get him thrown into a cryo pod for fifty years his replacement would be much more malleable.
[] Build More Power. Exploit the political and moral capital you have from the debacle to try to leverage greater influence and power over the Benefaction Mission. Demand executive control over things, get people in your debt, ensure people need your sign off before interrupting in matters that might impact your faith, etc. This will be greatly aided by your previous mental influencing of large portions of the leadership.
[] Magical Uplift. The pure technology of the Benefaction Mission is one step below the technological plateau (though you believe this might be deliberate, a civilian mission not given the best stuff by their home civilisation), but it is also a case of being largely 'printed' locally off pre existing designs and thus not adapted at all to the return of magic. Work with Avelina Beauchamp, their head of research, to advance the ability of their own mages and the sophistication of their technology whilst integrating with magic.
A short update given this could end up going in multiple directions, but I did throw in a little of the 'Grand Tour' runner up choice when working out how Etorix gets back into orbit.
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Whilst you have any number of pressures on your time, you decide to first settle things with your strongest 'allies', the Benefaction Mission. Not only has the admiral shown a certain cavalier attitude toward your own life but their technology is running into obvious issues when confronted with dragons able to utilise significant magic and you are going to need them to survive and prosper, under your guidance of course.
Are are ,however, not willing to expend huge quantity of magic to return to the ark or give away the location of your lair, you take your time over emerging then fully exploit shape shifting to make your way a few hundred miles west. It is only when you reach the capital of the Alheri States as a bird that you resume your true form and descend upon the city, glowing, healed, whole again.
Whilst smaller than Hatwar the city of Alheri is probably the second or third largest urban center on the planet, a teaming and stinking metropolis with a vast natural harbour and build upon the ruins of your own capital in the previous era of magic. Habitation clings to the lower quarter mile of so of the vast habitation blocks looming over the breakwater and as the historical locus of your faith you are gratified to find a temple nearly as substantial as the one you visited in the north.
You are greeted by prop planes, a mixture of panic, awe and reverence, descending to a massing crowd and shortly after a delegation of senior priests.
This is only going to be a brief visit though and so you do not linger on more than the pleasantries, establishing that yes you are Etorix, yes you have graced them with your presence and no you have not officially allied with Hatwar, your goal is to further your faith and the mission begun by the Benefactors as your emissaries.. You of course pose for photographs and heal the faithful brought before you, though without any significant tapping of your stored power.
There are questions from one of the senior priests as to if, following your victory over Sulqeum, you will be aiding the Alheri in reconquering cities lost to her 'Dragonarchy' to the north, but you assure that this is merely an initial visit, you are about to head into space to visit the Benefactors in person.
Then the fusion drive of their shuttle comes into view before dropping down, you make an impressive and completely unnecessary light show of assuming human form before stepping inside, flanked by the missions dragon form drones.
Then you have a not particularly pleasant trip into orbit cramped within the shuttle. It is clean, it is comfortable, but you are not fond of being in flight not under your own power, at least in space where you are actually reliant upon the craft. A few hours later you are docking with the Ark in orbit and emerge into the weird cylindrical world. You are somewhat relieved not to have been victim of an 'accident in the point defence weapons' or similar though you did have your precognitive magic straining to anticipate such an event.
Now though? You have to face the council and decide how to further your goals now that you are in orbit. What do you prioritise?
[] Crucify Admiral Whyte. Figuratively or literally, he interrupted your parley and even if Sulqeum was planning to try to murder you that was not his call to make. One wrinkle is that his military rank put him outside the direct chain of command of the council itself and the communications lag with anyone who can fire him is at least 20 years each way. On the other hand if you get him thrown into a cryo pod for fifty years his replacement would be much more malleable.
[] Build More Power. Exploit the political and moral capital you have from the debacle to try to leverage greater influence and power over the Benefaction Mission. Demand executive control over things, get people in your debt, ensure people need your sign off before interrupting in matters that might impact your faith, etc. This will be greatly aided by your previous mental influencing of large portions of the leadership.
[] Magical Uplift. The pure technology of the Benefaction Mission is one step below the technological plateau (though you believe this might be deliberate, a civilian mission not given the best stuff by their home civilisation), but it is also a case of being largely 'printed' locally off pre existing designs and thus not adapted at all to the return of magic. Work with Avelina Beauchamp, their head of research, to advance the ability of their own mages and the sophistication of their technology whilst integrating with magic.
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