Dice Exalted 3E - Tale of a Falling Empire OOC

[jaydude]

Eh, he was really just saying "hold that thought for a bit, I think there are a few more questions we should ask him first". I didn't intend to write him as trying to order you five around. I was basically just trying to get the rest of my intended exposition out.

 

[Rykon]

Makes sense. This character has lost a lot of respect for officials since the disappearance of the Empress, between that and the volatile temper I was trying to figure out an appropriate response without drawing out the scene unnecessarily.

 

[jaydude]

Alright with this post being the last checkpoint I can find for XP...

Here's what I'll throw out for Dragon XP claims since then...

• Manato's performance in the conference hall, drawing on his Defining intimacy, love of music to inspire the crowd before being persuaded.
• Manato's speech in the Gala drawing on his Defining intimacy, people are at their best when they smile, aiming to unify disparate factions in the Empire for a prosperous future.
  • Additionally supported this defining intimacy when having tea with Satori, lining up a shared goal of prosperity for all people in the Realm.
• Also in the speech seen, engaged on Manato's Major Appreciation of wine intimacy to help soften resistance to the call for aid with the cherry wine.

• I wouldn't say it was a major risk of harm, but I'd call it a significant challenge to stand against the Speaker in public to protect his kin and country (Major intimacy Loyalty to Comrades) in light of the obstacles in the social landscape, while still sticking to the shared prosperity note for the people at large (Defining intimacy as noted above).

• I'd definitely call Manato's gloating during the attempted arrest of the speaker a needless, if calculated, risk.
• (2?) I'd also say both of Manato's encounters with the Speaker (during the arrest and the debate in the square) called for the Speaker to question his intimacies in a way that furthers our goals.
• Another call for questioning intimacies is Manato instilling gratitude in Satori for mortal supporters, again in a way that furthers the goals of the group at large.
• Contingent on whether the results of the debate counts as a defeat for the Speaker, the debate did uphold and engage the emotions associated with one of his Defining Intimacies.

I highly doubt I'll be allowed all of the potential claims listed here (18-22 DXP potentially?). That said, I have put a great deal of effort into keeping the character on track, and I'm satisfied with the result and direction. So, I don't mind being told no for a lot of these. Still, might as well ask.

Hey. Sorry for taking a while to get to this.

The max amount of dxp you can earn per session is 2. I've awarded everyone 15 regular exp and 2 dxp so far, but on the other hand, I could probably have broken this game up into more "sessions", so to say. Thus, I'm gonna go ahead and give you 8 dxp for everything you've described here.

 

[Rykon]

Just want to clarify a couple things.

I had thought our prior reward up to the last two sessions was 4dxp. Looking at characters, that's what most of our sheets reflect. It may only be 2xp, but it does make the difference on whether Manato can pick up an evocation for Seething Drake or not.

Also, my understanding for normal session by session play is that the max is 2 awards of 2xp each, so up to 4DXP in a 5XP session timeframe. At this point, I'm wondering if there's a difference in splat XP awards between splats and I'm just running with how Solars work or if I'm just altogether wrong (it wouldn't be the first time). Alternatively, is the limit of 2 merely where you'd personally prefer to keep it for this game?

Not trying to pressure or anything just want to make sure I'm on the same page. I know selfishly hoping to secure 2 evocations before the big fight is a bit ambitious.

 

[Random Word]

You have it right. By default all splats so far have a 5 normal XP and up to 4 special XP award, in two groups of 2, per session.

 

[jaydude]

You have it right. By default all splats so far have a 5 normal XP and up to 4 special XP award, in two groups of 2, per session.

Oh, right. I didn't see that. In that case, I'll give you 12 dxp.

Also Rykon , can I assume that Manato still wishes to go to the Immaculate Temple? Only I'm not too sure what that vessel of clay he's got is for.

 

[Rykon]

Oh, right. I didn't see that. In that case, I'll give you 12 dxp.

Also Rykon , can I assume that Manato still wishes to go to the Immaculate Temple? Only I'm not too sure what that vessel of clay he's got is for.

Yes, Manato intends to go to the Temple. The clay vessel is a pendant flute.

 

[Random Word]

Oh! Interesting. I didn't realize that the Water Aspect Great Curse was:

A Water Aspect’s Great Curse makes her perseverance a liability as she goes to unnecessary extremes to overcome obstacles or protect allies, or faces down impossible obstacles refusing to believe she can be defeated.

I'm going to rewrite that post a bit. I've been playing Asuna all wrong. I was thinking being lazy plus the forlorn odds would make her despondent and thus do less, but the Great Curse actually means the impossible situation should drive her into a flurry of activity. Time to go do a bunch of stuff instead of lazing around in the pool.

 

[Random Word]

Okay, post edited. Doing lots of stuff in a manic frenzy now instead of being lazy and passive. Let me know which things I should roll, and with what pools.

 

[Random Word]

Let's see, how does this Dragon XP thing work...

Thanks to Rykon I have 4/12 of the available XP, I think. So I'm currently trying to sell you on awarding Asuna the remaining 8?

So it's 2 XP for:

• Expressing, supporting, or engaging a Major or Defining Intimacy such that it reveals something about the character, develops her personality, or provides a character moment that everyone at the table enjoys.
• Facing significant challenges, danger, or harm in the course of protecting or upholding a Major or Defining Intimacy.

So I need two examples of that.

Then there's:

• Intentionally ceding the “spotlight” of the scene’s focus to another player’s character to set them up for an exciting and dramatic moment, or directly supporting them in such a moment.
• Roleplaying the effects of the Great Curse (p. 159) in a way that reveals something about the charac- ter, develops her personality, or provides a charac- ter moment that everyone at the table enjoys. [Water Aspects: A Water Aspect’s Great Curse makes her perseverance a liability as she goes to unnecessary extremes to overcome obstacles or protect allies, or faces down impossible obstacles refusing to believe she can be defeated. She might take any underhanded shortcut or employ any plans, no matter how convoluted, in the pursuit of her own triumph.]
• Water Aspects: Solving a significant problem or defeating a powerful enemy using a new approach after failing before; removing a major impediment to the character’s or her allies’ goals using uncon- ventional or underhanded means; exploiting the rules or customs of a government, bureaucracy, or criminal association to support a Major or Defining Intimacy; helping an ally recover or learn from a major defeat or setback in a way that grants a sig- nificant advantage.

And I need two of those.

Well, Asuna hasn't personally faced much danger or significant challenge, but if I can count trying to infiltrate the Cult of the Illuminated and potentially having to face off against Preacher Man that could be one. I think she expressed, supported, and engaged her Major tie of affection for Manato, and over the timeskip has now stepped up to better express her defining principle of 'known as best strategoi, unknown as best spy'.

For the second group, I don't think I really ceded the spotlight to anyone. I didn't try to assassinate Preacher Man when Manato was besting him in a duel of wits and words, but that's more not seizing the scene rather than ceding it. Over the recent timeskip I've started properly playing the Great Curse, but her plans have to be an inconvenience - maybe releasing those prisoners comes back to bite her, or her underworld connections become problematic, but they haven't quite yet.

Haven't solved any significant problems or defeated a powerful enemy, let alone after failing before. Could invoke that later if I manage to seriously harm Preacher Man. Maybe using her spies to investigate Jinlong counts as 'through underhanded means removing the major impediment of knowing next to nothing about the enemy before a major battle'. Haven't really had any major defeats or setbacks yet to help allies recover or learn from, unless we count the Lunar horde tearing up our army, and Asuna suggesting we use that as propaganda to expose the horror of the Anathema. Oh, maybe setting up the council to shield Satori from the public's ire and move through positive reforms faster might count as both underhanded and exploiting the customs of a government or bureaucracy in support of her Major intimacies towards hearthmates and her personal Defining intimacy about being best strategoi (and thus winning this battle).

So maybe there's two of each over the last two standard XP awards to qualify for the remaining 8 Dragon XP.

 

[D. Rex]

Man, I really need to keep track of dragon xp stuff.





Also, I could have sworn Asuna sent a message to Fel and Larissa.

 

[Random Word]

She did in the original post, but I cut that out when I edited it on the assumption all these things she was doing might lead to learning other things worth reporting when she met you in person again.

 

[D. Rex]

She did in the original post, but I cut that out when I edited it on the assumption all these things she was doing might lead to learning other things worth reporting when she met you in person again.

Cool beans. Then fel is still asleep on his workbench lol.

 

[jaydude]

Random Word
Based on the arguments you've given, I'm willing to grant you the 8 Dragon xp that you requested.

As for your post, I don't know if Socialize would be appropriate for the parade grounds scene, given what Asuna's trying to do there. That said, I'll go ahead and allow you to move your Dodge points into Presence, should you wish (though bear in mind you'll still take a -3 penalty for trying to influence more than one person). And as for the rolls, you can use War with either Appearance or Intelligence, though I don't think Asuna will be able to do much with regard to drill in what little time she's got.

For the Cult of the Illuminated scene, I'll let the roll succeed, but it's up to you whether or not Asuna's too busy to personally join. As for the gambling den scene, you can use Intelligence + Larceny, since the handbook mentions being able to use Larceny for "navigating a society’s criminal underworld".

 

[Random Word]

Rolled for everything.

Asuna doesn't want to mechanically improve their drill, she just wants to establish her authority and encourage them to have faith in her power as a commander so they don't break and run.

If you want something done right, do it yourself - Asuna will go personally, but we don't have to spend on screen time on it if it's going to hold things up.

 

[jaydude]

Hmm. I kinda want to provide something for Psychie to do, seeing as I haven't really given her much focus lately, and every other PC has found a way to occupy their time. Perhaps some incident in the city that she has to respond to, while everyone else is busy?

Let me know if you have any requests.

 

[Psychie]

I hate to be the sick in the mud here and make you have to do something different for me. I just didn't make up a politically based character. Xandra is probably going to be spending her time with the troops, doing what she can to bolster their morale.

 

[jaydude]

I hate to be the sick in the mud here and make you have to do something different for me. I just didn't make up a politically based character. Xandra is probably going to be spending her time with the troops, doing what she can to bolster their morale.

It's okay. I just want to try and give everyone something to do until Manato and Larissa are done with their respective tasks, as I don't know how long each of those will take to resolve in real-time.

 

[jaydude]

[Is there anything Asuna can roll to try to use her supergenius intellect and nigh-peerless expertise in spycraft to guess what Jinlong's spies might be doing here? If not, Asuna apparently literally cannot give up on finding these spies nor defeating Jinlong, and has to go to incredibly convoluted lengths to succeed, so she'll get Satori to quietly arrest her for treason and leak different rumoured reasons to different groups she's worried might have spies. I know if I were an Anathema spy in the city I'd take the bait and at least be curious about whether the prisoner could be flipped.]

You can roll Larceny with either Intelligence or Wits to try and make such a deduction, should you wish.

 

[jaydude]

Sherwood
Not to push you, but I kinda need a response regarding what you want to do now. Do you want to continue searching for Jinlong's camp? Do you want to investigate one or both of the large groups moving towards the city? Or do you want to do something else?

 

[Sherwood]

Sorry I must have missed that post, and had to backtrack to read it real quick. I'm going on to Jinlong's camp.

 

[Random Word]

Alright, Asuna is offended at the notion that someone would send two Anathema spies to the city just to sit around in taverns and listen to gossip, and now has more things to add to her list of 'Things to say to Jinlong some day'. That aside, the Great Curse is pushing Asuna to up the ante. She's can't do go big or go home - she has to just keep going bigger every time she should go home until she wins or crashes and burns. Lacking an obvious path forward to strike at Jinlong or find the spies, I feel like Asuna has to start going to really absurd lengths to succeed, but that could also derail things significantly.

Currently I'm thinking her plan has to be to impersonate one of Satori's handmaidens and frame herself for treason - probably an assassination plot, or stealing secrets to pass to the enemy. Somehow ensure Satori sentences her to execution by public flogging, and either enacts the sentence swiftly or at least publicizes that the plot has been foiled, the perpetrator imprisoned, and the details of the sentence.

That's bait so tempting that Asuna cannot imagine the other side won't take it and try to break her out.

Now, the question isn't whether this is a terrible idea, but will this result in anything dramatically interesting, and will it unduly delay the story for everyone else?

 

[Rykon]

Well, something Asuna might consider would be whether the current handmaiden staff was already compromised. They'd recognize a new addition to the roster all of a sudden and possibly see it as suspicious unless you were going to specifically impersonate a specific one.

As a betting man, I'd wager at least one servant to a dynast is either a spy or at minimum an unwitting asset to a spy. Who's to say these spies aren't also juggling multiple personas in the pursuit of their mission also. Perhaps we could try and work backwards from there. Though that approach is far less theatrical.

As for spies within bars and taverns... I'd also wager there would be some contingency to take a gate if the people didn't try and throw it open almost immediately. Using bars and taverns to make in roads with guards and commons isn't out of the realm of possibility. Other critical targets for the spies would be the implosion bows, once they are revealed. So as far as working backwards, one could use strategic assets, or rumors of strategic assets as bait to draw one out.

 

[Random Word]

Agreed, I did intend to impersonate a specific handmaiden, and ideally a handmaiden who joined after Jinlong left. Anything less would be too suspicious, and this is already going to look suspiciously on the nose. It sort of screams bait, but it may be such good bait that the enemy have to take it anyway. Jinlong probably couldn't stomach the idea of being wrong.

Agreed - after all Asuna has spies in the palace, so she hardly thinks it's uncompromised. The problem is all her efforts so far, and her network in the palace, have yet to yield any leads. If she could just beat her head against the palace a little bit more and get somewhere she would, but so far she's failed miserably and her curse demands she escalate when she fails.

Rumours of strategic assets are a great idea, but she doesn't know where to leak them. Random taverns is too indiscriminate. She's being reckless because she needs to put time pressure on the enemy spies. Right now they're kicking back drinking mai tais by the pool and waiting for the siege to start. They're being so passive she can't catch them. She wants to force them to act.

 

[jaydude]

Hmm. As much as I don't mind this latest intrigue of Asuna's, I do have another twist planned once the matter of Larissa's reconnaissance has been resolved. Without getting into spoilers, depending on how you all decide to react to it, any such plans may turn out to be redundant and unnecessary, if you wish to protect Kandara from Jinlong and her people.