O Brave New World - IC

[Psychie]

If Morrolan was a giant cat, he'd be growling at this sudden outburst. Renna, my girl, you are getting into some very dangerous territory here. We have lots of Din around us, not to mention the elemental forge workers and the King himself. If things go bad, its going to go really bad. He clenches his jaw tight enough to make his teeth hurt, wondering how long it will take for the Din in the outer room to swarm over them when the King starts to fight.

 

[Random Word]

The Eight-Forged King's face is consumed first by anguish, then by fury, but he quickly restores his composure, the flames trailing from his eyes going from orange to white hot and cooling back again. "So. You are not my daughter. You are the ones who took her from me, and now you wear her skin. Are you here from the Lady? Is this some sort of message? Is she displeased? Have I failed to uphold our compact?" he laughs derisively at some private joke. "If you are here to chastise me for failing to report the rumours of a Lawgiver, you may tell your mistress that of course I intended to let her know the next time we spoke. Some time early next Age, I imagine. She has sent you to chase shadows. All know Lawgivers are gone from this world. The Ruby Bey was clearly taken in by a Lunar trick, and if you cannot keep track of your own, I cannot help you."

His eyes are again white hot as his anger is rekindled. "As to my people," his voice is a deep, menacing sound that you feel in your bones more than hear, conjuring a hatred like a magma pocket slowly building pressure and heat under the earth for millennia as he stalks towards you, the precipice quivering with every thunderous footfall, "You DARE pretend compassion after centuries of callous disregard? I and I ALONE have fought to save my people while your mistress sulks in her jungle! YOU stole my daughter and knowingly heaped yet more pointless misery on those who bled and died for you before you tossed them aside. My daughter will restore them the Crown of Eternity, as is their birthright. You will return her IMMEDIATELY, unharmed, or I will wreak such vengeance upon you your next incarnations will feel it."

The forge attendants look on fearfully, many seeking cover behind anvils or furnaces, while the red eyes of the Dev outside the gates surreptitiously watch with rapt attention as they remain bowed, shining bronze spears grasped tightly in anticipation.

 

[Sherwood]

Renna lets out a small chuckle, showing that she is not afraid of the ranting spirit. "No, my dear King. The Lawgivers are not gone from Creation. We have returned!" She then spends a mote of her Essence to flare her anima in its bright display. "I am here for one reason. To stop the bloodshed that you have started, by any means that I have to. So, why don't you put yourself in check and realize that this is the most important moment in your life, a moment that might be the last one of your life."

"I have heard from the people you are trying to slaughter as to why they think this war is going on. Tell me, why have you started this war? Why shouldn't I just bare my daiklave and end your existence right now?"

 

[Psychie]

Morrolan looks up at the King (not a thing he his used to; in his Beastman form, he is over eight feet tall), and he adds, "We are not here to do violence, but we are prepared to defend ourselves against any aggression towards us. If you know what is good for you, you will answer the questions posed. We wish to end the fighting between your Din and the people. How can we do that?"

 

[Random Word]

The King, despite his imposing stature, stumbles back at your rebuke, the illusion around you dissolving like morning mist in the light of your soul. As it does, you feel your speech slipping back into your native flametongue. Your anima could perhaps be mimicked by illusion, but you can see in his eyes he remembers the terrible fury of the Dawn, how even the most resolute of souls cannot deny the fact here stands a weapon that could lay them low as it once did the titans that built the world, the feeling that one's life is a precious candle in a storm and the all consuming fear of death that comes with it. Though not the subject of your ire, such is the force of your presence the Dev fall back down the hallway to regroup into a defensive formation.

"It cannot be, and yet it is," he rumbles in functional but archaic flametongue, awestruck and pensive. He plants his feet, drawing on the strength of the earth to steel his resolve, though you still see a flicker of fear and uncertainty in his gaze as he looks between you. "I have broadcast my will far and wide with no pretense. There is no war, Lawgiver. Someone has kidnapped my daughter and the boy. Whosoever returns them to me shall earn my gratitude," the implication is clear - you knew enough to craft an illusion to impersonate Gem and Dalisay, and are the most likely kidnappers, but he is willing to grant you amnesty if she is returned safely, and even pay a ransom. "I have commanded the Dev to scour the mountains and leave no stone unturned until she is found. If the Hisari conceal her from me, or grant the boy succor, they are wayward children in sore need of discipline. They know not with what they meddle. The moment she and the boy are returned safely to the fortress, so too shall the Dev return to their duties."

 

[Sherwood]

Renna's tone softens as she replies to the King. "I do not have children of my own, so I can only imagine the level of discord you felt when your daughter vanished. But let me reassure you that both Gem and Dalisay are safe and healthy, and are not being held by anyone's hand. I will say that no one took them. Instead, the two fled together, fearing for the life of Dalisay, a life that Gem was not willing to let go of. If you are willing to talk, we can discuss the reasons why that the two felt that Dalisay was in danger, and find a way to reunite your daughter to you sooner rather than later. Can we have a peaceful discussion? Or are you too angry to consider my words and to listen?"

 

[Psychie]

Morrolan nods, adding to Renna's voice with, "We only wish peace to be restored. How can we go about that to appease all sides and address any wrongs that have been done?"

 

[jaydude]

Months later...​

In time, Atusa thought, scribes might describe that faithful explosion as the spark. One which grew into a firestorm that consumed the Fayum Clan, with the bad blood between Chuma's children being the kindling.

Whether Chumiren's planned war with the Fair Folk had been a gambit to try and eliminate his political enemies, or a genuine effort to deal with a foe that existed outside the scope of clan politics, his hopes were lost that day. Kotahmun and Sakhomet both ended up siding against him, with Kotahmun claiming the loyalty of roughly half the Fayum vassal clans, and Sakhomet somehow managing to carve his name onto the tablet in place of Chumiren's. This move earned him the reluctant allegiance of the Fayum Djinn - and thus the means to power the clan's sandships - but it also enraged many of the Fayum vassals, most of whom subsequently sided with who they considered to be the rightful Nomarch. Chumiren ended up in command of about half the fleet and half the vassal clans, with the rest banding together under Kotahmun and Sakhomet after the two brothers decided to become reluctant allies.

Months of small skirmishes and larger battles between the clans followed, most of them as happy to try and resolve old rivalries and blood feuds as they were to fight for their preferred Nomarch, until the armadas of both sides finally met each other in a ferocious clash upon the desert sands, a battle that would claim the lives of all of Chuma's children. Hasani and Sakhomet were the first to die, and according to one eyewitness, Chumiren and Kotahmun had sunken into a pool of quicksand while trying to strangle each other to death. Many non-romantics saw this as dramatic embellishment, but whatever the case, the corpses of both men had been among the many others found after the battle.

Spoiler: Atusa reconsiders

Alone in her bedchamber onboard the Manzil-Hematti, Atusa whispered another silent prayer for Sakhomet, expressing a hope that he would have a comfortable afterlife. The Nomarch of the Hematti had ended up declaring for him in the early stages of the civil war, their old friendship and her disdain for Chumiren winning out over any feelings of loyalty and obligation she had towards her supposed liege. Not that that meant much now that all of Chumiren's sons were gone from this world, she thought with a hint of bitterness. In the end, the civil war had been nothing more than a pointless conflict; any riches and glory that had been won by the Hematti meaningless against what they'd paid in blood and ships. It was no doubt the same - if not worse - for the other clans who'd taken part.

The more she'd thought about it since the battle, the more she'd realized that the war would have been meaningless even if one of Chumiren's children had survived it. It had been a struggle for power, equivalent to a fight between siblings over a chest of toys or a bowl of sweets, only on a much more destructive scale. And how many of these wars had been waged by the Faqari before Atusa had been born? How many would take place in the future as long as the status quo remained? The Sassarid Principate certainly didn't do much to try and stop them; if anything, the infighting was a convenient way of keeping the Faqari divided and weak, and thus making them easy to keep in line. And as for Acekara and the rest of that wretched Court of Bleached Bone, the fighting prevented the Faqari from becoming more than a weak source of prey, and it no doubt provided a source of amusement for them.

Atusa was almost tempted to defect to the Ur-Pharaoh, but even if he was able to keep his vassals in line, she couldn't help but distrust the powers he wielded. Besides, she thought, in the vision she'd experienced during her Exaltation, the Unconquered Sun himself had tasked her with unifying the Faqari. Most of the Hematti might have been ignorant or unsure about him, but Atusa had done her research on the greatest of the Incarnae, seeking out scholars from other lands who could tell her more about the god in question, and searching ancient tombs for lost knowledge when the lore of the present day was insufficient. And after everything she'd learned and experienced, being subservient to anyone but another Celestial Exalt no longer felt right, or even in her nature.

I am done with serving others, she thought. From now on, I will work only for myself, my clan and my people. And I will not perpetuate the madness that has afflicted our people for so long. Instead, I will become what I was meant to be; a beacon that will unify the Faqari. Against the Principate and the Ur-Pharaoh, if necessary.

She was a Zenith. She was meant to unify and rule. Thus, that was what she was going to do. She had wasted enough time doing otherwise.

[Giving Atusa two brand new Defining Principles based upon the thoughts she's had above: "Never again will I be subservient to another Faqari" and "I am the woman most suited to rally and rule the Faqari".]

A few weeks later...​

According to folklore, the mesa of Apporuna Rise was the birthplace of the original Faqari civilization. Millenia ago, the man who would become the first ruler of his people had gathered representatives from dozens of the disparate tribes in the area upon this flat-topped hill of stone, and convinced them all to unify for the sake of both safety and prosperity. Since that day, countless prophets and would-be empire builders had come to Apporuna Rise in order to attract followings of their own, as if the first ruler's alleged success here would serve as a talisman of good luck for them. So while Atusa didn't know how much truth there was to the legend, it seemed as fitting a place as any for her to begin her own endeavour.

One good thing that had come out of the Fayum civil war, Atusa had to admit, was that with all of Chuma's heirs now dead, the Fayum Clan had effectively collapsed as a faction, rendering her and every other one of their vassal Nomarchs liegeless. Naturally she had taken great pleasure in that fact, but she also knew that it was far from the end of the Hematti's troubles. The newly independent clans would soon turn to squabbling among themselves, and as word of the war spread, Faqari clans who'd been uninvolved in the conflict would come to start fighting over the Fayum remains like vultures on a fresh corpse. To say nothing of opportunists among the Court of Bleached Bone. There would be more fighting, and Atusa was done with Faqari lives being squandered in pointless conflicts.

Thus, for the last couple of weeks, the Zenith had spent her time sending messages to the various Nomarchs who had fought under Kotahmun and Sakhomet, as well as the more reasonable ones who'd been under Chumiren's banner. In each of those letters, she'd informed the recipient that she was inviting them, and many other clans, to Apporuna Rise in order to discuss the future of the Faqari. And now, as her small fleet of sandships sailed towards the mesa, Atusa found herself surprisingly pleased with the turnout once she caught sight of it. Dozens of banners could be seen flying from the many vessels gathered at the base of Apporuna Rise, some of which she recognized on sight, while others belonged to clans she'd only ever heard of. There were even some banners belonging to clans she definitely didn't remember invited to this gathering. Presumably they had heard of what Atusa was planning, and decided to check it out for themselves.

"Are you really so surprised, Radiance?" the first officer of the Mandjet asked with a twinkle of amusement upon catching Atusa's expression. He was a youngish man with messy brown hair and the name of Kherab; Jabari had recently given birth to her child, and Atusa - being the kind of Nomarch who valued the wellbeing of her subjects - had given her leave to both recover from the birth and attend to the care of her newborn, while promoting her son Mudada to acting captain of the ship.

"I can't say I was expecting to get as many listeners as this." admitted Atusa, the two of them standing together at the Mandjet's bow and looking towards the approaching mesa. "I suppose I must have gotten pessimistic over the last few months."

"What can I say, Radiance? You distinguished yourself during the civil war, fighting and inspiring us the way you did. I can only imagine that many of those who battled alongside you - and in some cases against you - cannot help but respect you, and look to you as a future leader. To say nothing of what you did with the Thunderbirds during the final battle."

Atusa allowed herself a little smile at that. The memory was still fresh in her mind; at one point in that battle, Chumiren had sent four of his ships and a whole flock of his Thunderbirds after her, clearly recognizing her as the most dangerous threat of the battlefield. With blood running down the side of her head from a wound on her left temple - now a faded scar - the Zenith had taken one look at the latest group of approaching foes and channelled the last of her power, her anima erupting into the form of a great, roaring golden lion. She had resigned herself to death and had intended to take as many of the enemy with her as she could, but instead, the Thunderbirds had broken off their attack and turned on Chumiren's forces, with the rest of them soon doing the same upon seeing Atusa blazing with the power of the Unconquered Sun.

It was a moment that ended up turning the tide of the battle, with Kotahmun rallying his own warriors and leading them in an assault against his brother's now disarrayed forces, with both brothers soon dying afterwards. At some point after the fighting had ended, one of the Thunderbirds had approached Atusa, and explained that it and its kin were in fact emissaries of the Unconquered Sun who had previously been banished from Achaea. Having identified the Zenith as one of the Unconquered Sun's champions, they could not fight against her or her allies, hence why they had suddenly switched sides in her favour. Atusa almost couldn't believe her luck, but she wasn't going to complain about getting a flock of Thunderbirds as allies. Another benefit of the civil war, she thought to herself.

"You have a point." she said to Kherab, before turning and giving him a smile. "It would seem the fates are finally on our side. Let us hope that I can capitalize on them."

A couple of hours later...​

The crowd of assembled Faqari parted ways for Atusa, Sirocco and her small group of captains once they emerged onto the top of Apporuna Rise. Many of them murmured among themselves at the sight of her, no doubt wondering why this figure - by now a local legend of sorts - had gathered them all here. The Zenith paid them no mind and instead approached a raised outcropping near the mesa's edge, upon which she would be seen - and heard - by everyone in attendance. Scattered across the top of the mesa were a number of natural rock pillars, each one having one of Atusa's allied thunderbirds perched on top of it, the elementals watching the crowd and serving as an open reminder of the Hematti Nomarch's newly-gained power.

As Atusa crested the top of the outcropping, a hushed, expectant silence fell over the attendees. The Zenith looked over the crowd, took a breath to centre herself, and then began to speak.

Spoiler: Charm usage

Atusa will have activated the 7m version of Harmonious Presence Meditation prior to her arrival at the mesa, giving her Essence enough time to recover to full, as well as giving her three bonus dice to her social influence rolls, and reducing the costs of her Social Influence Charms by one mote. Tiger's Dread Symmetry gives her another bonus dice for Presence rolls.

"My brothers. My sisters. My fellows." she called out solemnly, her voice reaching across the mesa. "We have all spent most of the last few months at war. But we have fought not to protect ourselves from a dread foe, nor to obtain resources we so desperately needed. No, we have fought and died solely at the behest of men who once called themselves our betters, who sought to use us to further their own interests. Men who are now all dead."

A pause to let the words sink in, and then she continued. "Chuma's bloodline is no more. Anyone who could have succeeded him and rewarded us for our service and sacrifice is gone from this world. With this being the case, can anyone here truly say that the war we fought in on behalf of his children has been anything but pointless? If anything, we have weakened ourselves and become easier prey not only for the Court of Bleached Bone, but anyone else who would seek to take advantage of us. All because we fought each other at the whims of now dead men."

Spoiler: Mechanics

Attempting to Instill a Minor Principle of "It is pointless for us to fight amongst ourselves". Rolling Charisma + Presence. 9 base dice, plus 2 from one point stunt, 3 from Harmonious Presence Meditation, and 1 from Tiger's Dread Symmetry. That's 15 total.

Spoiler: Atusa Stats

Essence: 1
Personal Essence: 13/13
Peripheral Essence: 28/33

Committed Essence: 5 (Short daiklaves)

Willpower: 5
Join Battle: 5
Health Levels: -0, -1, -1,-1,-1, -2, -2, -2, -2, -4, Incapacitated
Resolve 3, Guile 3

Attacks
Orichalcum Short Daiklaves (Withering 15 dice, Decisive 10 dice, Raw Damage 12, Overwhelming 3)

Actions
Rush: 7
Disengage: 7

Evasion 4, Parry 5
Armor: Buff Jacket (Soak 3, Mobility Penalty 0)
Natural Soak: 2
Armored Soak: 3
Hardness: 0

 

[Random Word]

Atusa

Spoiler: Metagame Notes

Alright, I'll take that as spending a Fate Point to ensure your ideal outcome in the skip. Flaring mid battle will add two ticks to the clock for the Principate catching on to your Solar-ness, putting you at 3/4. Allowing the thunderbirds to flock to your banner will draw the Lady's attention, setting her clock to 1/4.

I'll offer a complication: While Bahadur was forbidden to participate in the conflict directly, a spirit loyal to him was at the battle where you flared, and he holds you partially responsible for allowing Sakhomet to die. If you accept, claim the usual 3 Solar XP and a Fate Point.

The setup for this scene is worth a Major Stunt at least, and it's in furtherance of a Defining Intimacy, upgrading it to Defining. It's hard to judge when to upgrade stunts in PbP because the writing quality is consistently good and so everything seems like a higher level stunt, but I think I'll start using intimacies as my guideline and be less wary about handing out higher level stunts more generously. That puts you at 7 successes, enough to overcome an average resolve of 2 plus any Major or even Defining intimacies of antipathy towards one another. Only the unusually strong willed with Defining grudges will be unswayed, and even there the general principle will land.

That's got to at least count as overcoming one obstacle, so everyone gets 3 XP.

Minor correction: No shadowland formed, no matter how bloody and terrible the battle. In fact, if Atusa knows what a shadowland is, it's only as a rumour of terrible places of death in foreign lands. Sassarin scholars interested in the subject theorize shadowlands don't form in Achaea for the same reason hungry ghosts never stalk the living: Merecheas, Sassarin goddess of life and death, forbids it. Scholars in Locura posit instead it is the Lady who judges all souls, and prevents them from rising to torment the living, precluding the formation of shadowlands.

The only thing that burns hotter than the relentless desert sun is the hunger for vengeance in the heart of faqari wronged. There are blood feuds and vendettas born of wounds to pride and heart at once fresh and centuries old, ragged holes where loved ones stood mere months ago and tales of egregious wrongs nursed over generations. Yet for all the brilliance of fury and the noonday southern sun, in this moment you outshine them both, your words ringing true in hearts where the seeds of secret fears of growing weakness and encroaching enemies have long been sown. The Raksha have become more brazen, the clans held in check by Fayum might making more daring raids against poorly defended trade routes by the day. The wealth of the Fayum has been spilled across the sands and their vassals scramble to claim it in disarray. Uncertainty looms large, for without a definitive victor security and stability look like a distant mirage.

Yet those fires are not so easily quenched. The crowd seems receptive, but if they are not to fight each other, then at who shall they direct their fury?


Renna & Morrolan

The King looks sceptical, but does not move. "We are speaking, Lawgiver. So speak. I do not believe your claim my daughter left, and certainly not for the boy, but I do believe you know where they are. I believe I have made my terms clear: Return them to me, or reveal to me where they are held that I might fetch them myself, and the Dev will immediately resume their eternal vigil and you will be rewarded. Conceal them from me and name yourself my enemy."

 

[Sherwood]

The King looks sceptical, but does not move. "We are speaking, Lawgiver. So speak. I do not believe your claim my daughter left, and certainly not for the boy, but I do believe you know where they are. I believe I have made my terms clear: Return them to me, or reveal to me where they are held that I might fetch them myself, and the Dev will immediately resume their eternal vigil and you will be rewarded. Conceal them from me and name yourself my enemy."

Renna stands a little bit more at ease as she stands before the King, but does not let her guard down all the way. This has a real potential of getting ugly, and she does not wish to be caught flat footed. "You tread a dangerous path, your Majesty. Best watch your tongue with me. You might get it cut out. Now, Gem and Dalisay are both safe, and are now under my protection. They escaped from here of their own free will, and do not wish to return. Yet. I can offer to bring you to a neutral location to meet with them to hear this from her lips to your ears. If you agree to this, there will be restrictions on how many of your Din you can bring along as an escort, just as I will limit the number of men I will have with me."

"When this meeting takes place, and you learn the truth that Gem is looking for her freedom from being locked up here in this palace, will you then end this war? I want an end to this needless bloodshed, and will do what I must to get to that goal."

 

[Random Word]

Renna & Morrolan

The King's craggy brows furrow and his eyes narrow, indignation stoking the flames within to consume his fear, "You are young and impetuous, as your kind always is. I have crossed blades with Dawns older and wiser than you. They are long gone, and yet I, like this mountain, remain." You don't hear this last word so much as feel it as the whole mountain shakes. "Because we are speaking, and you are young, I will forgive your provocations, but you test my considerable patience."

"There is no war to end, child, but that this bloodshed is needless we agree. The Hisari are my people, and I have protected them through the turning of Ages. That they would dare to bar their meagre gates and raise arms against me only serves as further indication of how lost they have become," the volume of his voice rises with the intensity of the fires in his eyes as he speaks until it shakes the ground beneath your feet, "They scrabble in the dirt for baubles to exchange with lowlanders for table scraps! They whose blood and iron once defied Shoguns and crusades from beyond the world! High in their towers the lowlanders live indolent lives of excess, lives they owe to my people. To me. All because I cannot neglect my duty, will not leave this accursed place. Ungrateful wretches!" He pauses, contemplative, as the echoes fade, is voice returning to a volume that passes for quiet, if only by comparison, "You of all people ought understand my pain, Lawgiver. The world does not remember your sacrifice. Forgets everything you have done for it. Struck you down with treachery in darkness. Curses your name. And yet you cannot help but continue to do your duty. It is what you are."

"Will I permit my daughter to walk away? NO." Small rocks shake free and careen down the walls of the cavern or plummet into the caldera below at this thunderous declaration. "My daughter is the only hope my people have to seize the glory that is their birthright. I will no longer permit them to wallow in mediocrity and misery. One day she will lead them until they remember themselves and no longer need her, but today she is incomplete, and as yet a danger to herself and others. If she wishes to leave, her design is flawed and must be corrected. Your protection is misguided, and only prolongs the suffering brought about by this miserable debacle. Return my daughter and the boy to me so I may resume my work in peace, and soon the Hisari will rise again."

 

[Sherwood]

Renna looks up at the mighty King and says, "That is an argument you can present to her yourself, if you abide by the rules and do so honorably and not try deceit or betrayal. I am a foreigner to these lands, so I don't know the history of your interactions with these people. But I do know that your Din have been slaughtering people left and right over what is basically a temper tantrum over having Gem leave your side. I don't understand how she is incomplete or flawed, and honestly, I don't rightly give a damn. I have promised her my protection, and she will have it."

"Now, my next question is, why the boy? What interest does he hold for you? Why do you 'need' Dalisay brought back here? Explain it to me so I can understand."

 

[jaydude]

The only thing that burns hotter than the relentless desert sun is the hunger for vengeance in the heart of Faqari wronged. There are blood feuds and vendettas born of wounds to pride and heart at once fresh and centuries old, ragged holes where loved ones stood mere months ago and tales of egregious wrongs nursed over generations. Yet for all the brilliance of fury and the noonday southern sun, in this moment you outshine them both, your words ringing true in hearts where the seeds of secret fears of growing weakness and encroaching enemies have long been sown. The Raksha have become more brazen, the clans held in check by Fayum might making more daring raids against poorly defended trade routes by the day. The wealth of the Fayum has been spilled across the sands and their vassals scramble to claim it in disarray. Uncertainty looms large, for without a definitive victor security and stability look like a distant mirage.

Yet those fires are not so easily quenched. The crowd seems receptive, but if they are not to fight each other, then at who shall they direct their fury?

Atusa took note of the mood among her audience, considering her next words accordingly. Then she spoke again, this time projecting the confident, authoritative tone of the natural ruler.

"Many of you know of me by now. You know that in the past I have defeated powerful Raksha in combat. You know that throughout this civil war I have fought and led my clan from the front, risking my life for my people and allies without hesitation. You know also that I have been blessed with a great power, one granted by the greatest of gods and feared by the Principate."

An astute listener would easily be able to tell that Atusa was trying to play up her strengths to the crowd, and make herself look like a natural figure they might want to gravitate towards.

Spoiler: Mechanics

Aiming to Instill a Principle of "Atusa is the one most suited to rule the Faqari". Rolling Charisma and Presence, claiming one-point stunt, and taking a -3 dice penalty for trying to influence more than one person at a time.

Regarding Charm usage, the combination of the ongoing Harmonious Presence Meditation and Tiger's Dread Symmetry gives four bonus dice to the Presence Roll before any Essence is spent. Harmonious Presence Meditation allows Atusa to use both Listener-Swaying Argument and Impassioned Discourse Technique for 4m Peripheral Essence total, giving her an automatic success and a bonus die for every two points a target's Resolve is boosted, and four more bonus dice for arguing from her Defining Principle of "I am the woman most suited to rally and rule the Faqari".

So at minimum, Atusa has 12 die with which to make her roll, and a single automatic success. And according to my roll, that's six successes total.

Spoiler: Atusa Stats

Essence: 1
Personal Essence: 13/13
Peripheral Essence: 24/33

Committed Essence: 5 (Short daiklaves)

Willpower: 5
Join Battle: 5
Health Levels: -0, -1, -1,-1,-1, -2, -2, -2, -2, -4, Incapacitated
Resolve 3, Guile 3

Attacks
Orichalcum Short Daiklaves (Withering 15 dice, Decisive 10 dice, Raw Damage 12, Overwhelming 3)

Actions
Rush: 7
Disengage: 7

Evasion 4, Parry 5
Armor: Buff Jacket (Soak 3, Mobility Penalty 0)
Natural Soak: 2
Armored Soak: 3
Hardness: 0

 

[Psychie]

Morrolan continues to maintain his guard over Renna, hoping that this play of hers is going to work and it won't fall apart into violence.

 

[Random Word]

Atusa

Though the former vassals of the Fayum make up the lion's share of the ships in attendance, in addition to the crocodile-emblazoned kites of the Shedyet, hawks of the Teudjoi, wolves of the Asyut, and bulls of the Yamu, are small contingents from the ibis of the Bintanath and jackals of the Setite, vassals of the Yafeu and Amarna, respectively. The wind has caught your legend and spread it far and wide, and many are curious to see the goddess who walks in human skin amongst the Hematti. Your words do not disappoint. There's a feeling in the air, a look shared between the djinn, a quiet certitude radiating from silent thunderbirds, that this is a moment the lorekeepers will weave into tales for countless generations to come. Even your enemies cannot deny your regal bearing, nor discount the well known tales of your prowess and admirable character, especially when experienced first hand.

There is risk in tying oneself to a thing feared by the Principate, for it is not kind to things it fears, but there is also the allure of power, of a better life, but most of all revenge, for what the Principate fears can hurt it. It as a heady cocktail and wins over much of the assembled crowd.

Renna & Morrolan

The King grinds his teeth. "My daughter is incomplete. Do you explain to human children in the workshop of their mother's belly that they cannot survive if they leave? Do you protect them from their parents? She is not ready to make these decisions on her own. The boy is raw materials for her construction. Though they squander it, the blood of pharaohs runs through their veins. They will do more for their people as part of my daughter than they ever would have on their own. This one wants to become a poet," the King all but spits, disgust evident. "There is a time for poets: after you have accomplished great things."

The King's eyes are wary and frustrated. Your nature has frightened him, and he is clearly looking for a way to avoid fighting you, but is quickly running out of options. He wrestles with his next words. Clearly this is a card he is reluctant to draw, for it is humiliating to have to invoke a power greater than his own to drive you away. He speaks reluctantly, "You say you are a foreigner; if you will not return my daughter to me, then return to your foreign lands and do not look back. You are not welcome here, Lawgiver. Neith has forbidden your presence. She fears... no, hates your creeping madness, and I see no sign your reincarnation has done anything to rid you of it." He looks at Morrolan, "Seneschal - I see the way you stand to ward her. Make her see sense. You know an elder of your Pact is not someone she wants to cross."

 

[Sherwood]

Renna looks at the King with visible distaste. "Raw materials? You plan on sacrificing the boy to be . . . what? Parts? No wonder they ran. They love each other. The two of them will not submit to you, and I see no reason why I should force them to do so. Surely there must be another way to complete the work that needs to be done to Gem? If not, we have reached an impasse."

 

[jaydude]

Atusa

Though the former vassals of the Fayum make up the lion's share of the ships in attendance, in addition to the crocodile-emblazoned kites of the Shedyet, hawks of the Teudjoi, wolves of the Asyut, and bulls of the Yamu, are small contingents from the cranes of the Bintanath and jackals of the Setite, vassals of the Yafeu and Amarna, respectively. The wind has caught your legend and spread it far and wide, and many are curious to see the goddess who walks in human skin amongst the Hematti. Your words do not disappoint. There's a feeling in the air, a look shared between the djinn, a quiet certitude radiating from silent thunderbirds, that this is a moment the lorekeepers will weave into tales for countless generations to come. Even your enemies cannot deny your regal bearing, nor discount the well known tales of your prowess and admirable character, especially when experienced first hand.

There is risk in tying oneself to a thing feared by the Principate, for it is not kind to things it fears, but there is also the allure of power, of a better life, but most of all revenge, for what the Principate fears can hurt it. It as a heady cocktail and wins over much of the assembled crowd.

"And I know that it isn't entirely fair of me to ask you to follow another leader, after what we have all been put through in the war between Chuma's children." continued Atusa. "But even as we stand here, word of the Fayum line's destruction spreads among the other nomadic clans and the Court of Bleached Bone. With us divided, they will smell weakness like a sandshark smells blood when it bursts out from beneath the dunes, and come here in the hope of making slaves or corpses of us."

She paused again, to allow her listeners to take in that statement, and then she resumed speaking. "But if we stand together, under the rule of one both strong and wise, we can not only beat these marauders back, we can become something far richer, and far greater, than a horde of desert dwellers who fight among themselves."

The Zenith didn't say who the "strong and wise" leader was, of course. The way she saw it, her listeners would have figured it out for themselves. She was the one who was calling for unity, and also presenting them with the vision of a greater future.

Spoiler: Mechanics

Attempting to boost the crowd's Principle of "Atusa is the one most suited to rule the Faqari" up to Major, using the Principle of "It is pointless for us to fight amongst ourselves". Once again rolling Charisma and Presence, claiming a one-point stunt, and taking a -3 dice penalty for trying to influence multiple people.

As before, using the benefits from Harmonious Presence Meditation and Tiger's Dread Symmetry to get four bonus dice to the Presence Roll before spending any Essence is spent. Using both Listener-Swaying Argument and Impassioned Discourse Technique for 4m Peripheral Essence again, thus gaining an automatic success, bonus dice against boosts to the target's resolve, and four more bonus dice for arguing from her Defining Principle of "I am the woman most suited to rally and rule the Faqari".

12 dice to roll with, and a single automatic success. Seven successes this time.

Spoiler: Atusa Stats

Essence: 1
Personal Essence: 13/13
Peripheral Essence: 20/33

Committed Essence: 5 (Short daiklaves)

Willpower: 5
Join Battle: 5
Health Levels: -0, -1, -1,-1,-1, -2, -2, -2, -2, -4, Incapacitated
Resolve 3, Guile 3

Attacks
Orichalcum Short Daiklaves (Withering 15 dice, Decisive 10 dice, Raw Damage 12, Overwhelming 3)

Actions
Rush: 7
Disengage: 7

Evasion 4, Parry 5
Armor: Buff Jacket (Soak 3, Mobility Penalty 0)
Natural Soak: 2
Armored Soak: 3
Hardness: 0

 

[Psychie]

Morrolan looks up at the King and rumbles out, "Your Majesty, I am not sure that I can do or say anything right now to change the course of Renna's charge. She is my Captain, and my friend, and I must confess that I, too, find myself troubled by the news that Dalisay is set to be used as some sort of spare parts for your work on Gem. Surely there is some other way, because we will not stand idly by and let you kill the boy."

 

[Random Word]

Renna & Morrolan

The Eight-Forged King stands silent and unmoving for so long you begin to wonder if he hopes that ignoring you for long enough might cause you to disappear before suddenly erupting into laughter, a deep rumbling sound that seems to emanate not from his belly but from the depths of the mountain itself. "You are mad, both of you. Brave, but mad. I know not why you care so much for this boy, but yes, there is another way. I designed my daughter to lead my people to glory where I cannot. The boy has no special value to me beyond what he contributes to her construction. Without him, and more like him, I cannot complete her. Although she is a magnificent tool, any tool fit for purpose will serve, and before me stand two of the finest tools ever forged. Crafted by the Incarnae themselves for this express purpose."

"If the boy means so much to you, swear to me upon the sun and moon that you will lead my people to their former glory and greatness, enough to shame the ungrateful lowlanders and awe Creation, then step aside and allow them to govern themselves. In return I shall open my grand armouries to you, place my armies at your command and my forges at your disposal, and have my people swear fealty to you. The boy will be unharmed and left for you to do with as you see fit, and my daughter will slumber until the day my people have need of her. I will conceal your existence from the Lady and Heaven for as long as I am able."

"Refuse," an immense orichalcum and bone dragonsigh wand, a grand daiklave of red jade and obsidian dripping magma, a massive brass hoplon decorated with a mosaic of onyx and ruby depicting an erupting volcano, and a tetsubo of white jade and rough-hewn granite materialize to join the orante orichalcum hammer in his many hands, "and we shall let our panoplies speak, for words will have failed us. Should you destroy me, you shall take up my eternal vigil over this prison. Fail in this, and Heaven shall curse your name for the horrors you unleash upon the world."

"Decide."

Atusa

[7 hits is enough to sway most of the crowd, leveraging your existing Minor.]

Murmurs ripple out across the assembled crowds, a susurrus of whispers like flowing sand, and pulled as unerringly towards an inevitable conclusion. Sese Asyut, heir apparent of the Asyut, shields her hard topaz eyes against the brilliant sun with one hand as she steps forward with more confidence than she feels. Her short black hair is beaded with glass and painted ceramic, the light blue sash of a kite pilot cinched around her waist. Despite their smoldering resentment towards the Fayum, the Asyut fought against you in the civil war after Chumiren promised the return of the trade routes taken from them and given to the Hematti by Chuma. The Asyut abandoned Chumiren the moment they saw the thunderbirds desert him and have aggressively sought to reassert their old power in the vacuum left in the wake of the Fayum's collapse.

"What good is a strong and wise ruler who courts the ire of the Principate? Will your wisdom protect us when sorcerers rain death from the skies or send their brass colossi to occupy our trading ports? You were at the Silesian Gate. You saw. My kite is swift and deadly, but it is no skyship. My brothers are strong, and think highly of themselves, but even they are not fool enough to raise their swords against a colossus. How will we win?"

The vision you offer is compelling; she wants to believe.

 

[Sherwood]

The Eight-Forged King stands silent and unmoving for so long you begin to wonder if he hopes that ignoring you for long enough might cause you to disappear before suddenly erupting into laughter, a deep rumbling sound that seems to emanate not from his belly but from the depths of the mountain itself. "You are mad, both of you. Brave, but mad. I know not why you care so much for this boy, but yes, there is another way. I designed my daughter to lead my people to glory where I cannot. The boy has no special value to me beyond what he contributes to her construction. Without him, and more like him, I cannot complete her. Although she is a magnificent tool, any tool fit for purpose will serve, and before me stand two of the finest tools ever forged. Crafted by the Incarnae themselves for this express purpose."

"If the boy means so much to you, swear to me upon the sun and moon that you will lead my people to their former glory and greatness, enough to shame the ungrateful lowlanders and awe Creation, then step aside and allow them to govern themselves. In return I shall open my grand armouries to you, place my armies at your command and my forges at your disposal, and have my people swear fealty to you. The boy will be unharmed and left for you to do with as you see fit, and my daughter will slumber until the day my people have need of her. I will conceal your existence from the Lady and Heaven for as long as I am able."

"Refuse," an immense orichalcum and bone dragonsigh wand, a grand daiklave of red jade and obsidian dripping magma, a massive brass hoplon decorated with a mosaic of onyx and ruby depicting an erupting volcano, and a tetsubo of white jade and rough-hewn granite materialize to join the orante orichalcum hammer in his many hands, "and we shall let our panoplies speak, for words will have failed us. Should you destroy me, you shall take up my eternal vigil over this prison. Fail in this, and Heaven shall curse your name for the horrors you unleash upon the world."

"Decide."

Renna looks over at Morrolan as she ponders the King's words. "Your Majesty, I would much rather walk out of this fortress prison with you as an ally instead of an enemy. I will say this to answer your offer. I am a Solar, chosen by the Unconquered Sun, standing along side my Lunar bondmate, ready to lay our enemies low with our power. It is in my blood to make great changes in Creation, in an effort to bring forth the righteous rule of the Celestials once more. With that goal in mind, I see no reason that this cannot start here in this land, unifying the people under my banner, raising up these people to reflect my vision of what Creation should be. I accept the mantle of the responsibility for these people, but I would ask for your input as an ally and advisor. You have important insight to these lands that I lack, and I would be foolish to not look for this resource."

She looks around the room at the assembled elementals and Din, and then turns her attention back to the King. "Let us work together to make this land and its people a shining image of what this Second Age should be. I am not one of those Solars that can seal a bargain, so you will have to just trust me when I say I will not shirk this responsibility. Will you work with me, mighty Eight-Forged King?"

Renna drops her martial stance and holds out a hand to the King, offering up her handshake to seal the deal.

 

[Psychie]

Morrolan can feel the hope rising up in his chest at the possibility that there will be a peaceful conclusion to this stand-off. "Your Majesty, I will also swear to this, as I stand beside Renna in our work to bring forth a better Age for all people. I must confess that I am no diplomat, but from what I have learned of the Exalted, we will have plenty of time to learn. Let us walk away from this encounter as allies instead of enemies."

 

[jaydude]

Murmurs ripple out across the assembled crowds, a susurrus of whispers like flowing sand, and pulled as unerringly towards an inevitable conclusion. Sese Asyut, heir apparent of the Asyut, shields her hard topaz eyes against the brilliant sun with one hand as she steps forward with more confidence than she feels. Her short black hair is beaded with glass and painted ceramic, the light blue sash of a kite pilot cinched around her waist. Despite their smoldering resentment towards the Fayum, the Asyut fought against you in the civil war after Chumiren promised the return of the trade routes taken from them and given to the Hematti by Chuma. The Asyut abandoned Chumiren the moment they saw the thunderbirds desert him and have aggressively sought to reassert their old power in the vacuum left in the wake of the Fayum's collapse.

"What good is a strong and wise ruler who courts the ire of the Principate? Will your wisdom protect us when sorcerers rain death from the skies or send their brass colossi to occupy our trading ports? You were at the Silesian Gate. You saw. My kite is swift and deadly, but it is no skyship. My brothers are strong, and think highly of themselves, but even they are not fool enough to raise their swords against a colossus. How will we win?"

The vision you offer is compelling; she wants to believe.

"A valid question, Sese. Especially when coming from the lips of a woman who will one day rule a clan of her own." replied Atusa. "That being said, the Sassarin Princes cannot act as freely against us as they might like, not if they wish to avoid drawing the attention of the Ur-Pharaoh in turn. If they marshal their forces to attack us, they will open themselves up to a foe who came close to destroying them at the Silesian Gate. If they choose to leave us be, we can use that hesitation to build up our own power, unmolested."

"And it is not just the presence of the Ur-Pharaoh that the princes have to worry about..."

Spoiler: Flashback

The young woman currently sat on the edge of Atusa's bed was very pleasing to the Hematti Nomarch's eyes. She was a Djala, one of those bald, short and black-spotted people from lands east of the Achaea river valley, so often enslaved within other parts of Creation. This made her a rarity, and subsequently enhanced the Zenith's appreciation of her.

"Do I please you, Radiance?" the Djala asked softly, having no doubt been coached on how to address Atusa by the one who had given her away. At the same time, she leaned forward a little in her seat, deliberately emphasizing the beautiful and slender form hidden beneath her short and sleeveless lavender tunic.

"You please me very much." assured Atusa, the Nomarch currently sat down on a divan opposite the bed in order to put herself on eye level with her newest concubine. "The man who gave you away knew that you would do so. No doubt he is hoping to earn my favour before we negotiate the renewal of his trading rights onboard the Manzil-Hematti."

There was an amused note in the Zenith's voice at that statement, but the Djala woman got a nervous twitch when she heard those words, as if fearing her value as a gift had been irrevocably tainted by the purpose behind it.

"Do not fear, Kila." the Solar said kindly, remembering the name the Djala went by. "If I felt any displeasure at your presence, I would take it out on the one who offered you to me. You on the other hand could not help the circumstances in which you ended up here, so it would not be fair for me to blame you for them. And in any event, Saleem and I understand each other very well. He is respectful to me, but always open and honest about his intentions, which I very much appreciate. And very rarely will I blame a man for wanting to do right by his family."

Her reassurance was enough for Kila to relax, any tension in her body banished as she became certain of her guaranteed wellbeing here, and Atusa stood up. Kila leaned back slightly, assuming her new mistress intended to 'sample' her for the first time, but the Zenith smiled and shook her head.

"I have negotiations with your former master to handle, alongside the other duties of my station. Once those are cleared, then I will attend to you, provided of course that you are willing."

Kila returned the smile. "You do not need to ask, Radiance. I will always be willing."

"Perhaps, my dear. But the enjoyment and consent of those in my bed is something I value very much." replied Atusa, before she left her chambers and headed towards the meeting room where she'd once met with Ambassador Sebua, and where Saleem was waiting for her. Two of the guards currently on duty within the Canyon of Blessed Wind watched her go.

"That was...quick." remarked one of the guards, this one a man.

"Aye, well, you'd know plenty about that, Nesu." replied the second guard, a disgruntled-sounding woman. The remark caused Nesu to give her a glance.

---

"Is Kila to your liking, Radiance?" asked Saleem al-Hashim, he and Atusa sat down at either end of the room's table. Like his father and grandfather before him, he was a desert trader and adventurer of sorts, and had done much of hisbusiness with the Hematti.

"Most certainly." replied Atusa. "I've only looked at her so far, but I have no doubt that we'll both enjoy me having her in my bed later."

"Ah, to be young again, and not yet bored of love." Saleem lamented theatrically, for he was overweight and starting to go grey in his hair and magnificent black beard, and he had been a married man for most of the two decades he'd spent trading on the Manzil-Hematti. His girth was a sign of wealth that could draw the attraction of women in this part of Creation, but his declining physical abilities made it harder for him to satisfy them in the bedroom, which had in turn dampened his own enthusiasm for such acts.

Atusa spared him an apologetic look. "Anyway, shall we get down to our negotiations?"

"Not just yet, Radiance." replied Saleem. "I have one more gift I would like to give you. One that I intended for you first and foremost, hence why I did not reveal it before the rest of the court."

That got an intrigued-looking eyebrow raise from the Nomarch. "Go on."

"You know of course that I seek your approval, Radiance. And that news of you being Sun-Chosen has reached me, what with the events of the Fayum Civil War." Saleem began, the merchant deciding to start by establishing context.

Atusa nodded, and indicated for him to continue.

"Thus, I feel you would like to know that some time not long in the past, I was trading in the region around Kabir, a mining town located on the Diamond Road, and a protectorate of the Principate. While in the area, I learned that an unruly mountain god had been causing trouble, sending his forces to attack various settlements. He and his forces were ultimately repulsed by a small mercenary company hired by one of the Principate's Magisters, but as it turned out..."

The Hematti Nomarch had only a vague familiarity with the area around the Diamond Road, but she doubted Saleem would tell her of events taking place there if he didn't think them relevant to her.

"...the company was said to have been led by two champions of two great gods. One of them with powers similar to yours, Radiance."

All of a sudden, the negotiations on Saleem's trading rights became less important to Atusa.

"I said before that I have been blessed with the power of the greatest of gods. But I am not the only one who has been granted such a stroke of fortune." Atusa continued, once again addressing the gathering as a whole. "Sources I trust with my life have told me that there are two others like me in this region. They are foreigners, outsiders to our culture and way of life, but with similar gifts to mine that will have made them enemies of the Principate as well. One is said to be a foremost war leader, the other a man who can transform into a beast of unassailable power. With luck, they will see the value in unity as you have all done, and together we will have the means to resist any who would seek to subjugate us."

The Hematti Nomarch took a breath, centring herself and getting ready for the final part of her speech, the endgame, as it were. When she next spoke, it was with a voice louder and more emphatic than before.

"I will force no-one here to follow me! If any of you fear the wrath of the Principate, you may leave this place, and I will not stop or scorn you! If any of you wish to join me in becoming far more than what we are now, I ask only that you put aside your past squabbles for the moment, heed my words and wisdom, and fight our enemies alongside me!"

Spoiler: Mechanics

Persuade roll, aiming to round off this social section by convincing the gathered Nomarchs to pledge allegiance to Atusa, leveraging their mostly collective "Atusa is the one most suited to rule the Faqari" Major Principle.

Charm and dice mechanics are the same as in the last post, though this time the Essence being spent is Personal, and I'm also going to spend another 4m Personal motes on my Presence Excellency. I really don't want to fall at the final hurdle here. That, and odds are I'll have regained all my Essence by the time Atusa's next scene takes place.

One auto success + 8 dice successes, three of which came from the last four dice. I'm feeling vindicated.

[Pass, assuming this is enough.]

Spoiler: Atusa Stats

Essence: 1
Personal Essence: 5/13
Peripheral Essence: 20/33

Committed Essence: 5 (Short daiklaves)

Willpower: 5
Join Battle: 5
Health Levels: -0, -1, -1,-1,-1, -2, -2, -2, -2, -4, Incapacitated
Resolve 3, Guile 3

Attacks
Orichalcum Short Daiklaves (Withering 15 dice, Decisive 10 dice, Raw Damage 12, Overwhelming 3)

Actions
Rush: 7
Disengage: 7

Evasion 4, Parry 5
Armor: Buff Jacket (Soak 3, Mobility Penalty 0)
Natural Soak: 2
Armored Soak: 3
Hardness: 0

 

[Random Word]

Renna & Morrolan:
The King relaxes infinitesimally before stepping forward and descending to one knee to extend the lower of his two hands to each of you to clasp your own. "Then let it be so," he thunders. "The pact is sealed before the lords of earth and stone, and sanctified by Gaia eternal. Know that my protection is not without limit. Should you be too overt in the execution of our oath, Neith will surely learn of your presence, and from her wrath there can be no protection. Baring your soul as you did before Kabir again while outside my lands would be... unwise."

He rises and addresses the Din assembled on the promontory, "Be at ease, and spread the word: The Lawgiver Renna and Seneschal Morrolan are my heralds, and their orders are to be obeyed as if they were my own. Break off the search and recall the legions." The Din bow low, saluting all of you before several of them dissolve into the earth to deliver their messages.

"I would ask that you bring me my daughter, that I may restore her to her slumber. As agreed, with the boy you may do as you please." He turns to look at the elemental forge attendants cowering behind, "Smolderseam! Attend my heralds, and see them provided with all they wish." All the elementals turn to look fearfully behind a large anvil, and after several seconds the King bellows, "NOW!"

A lanky creature of soot and black coal shot through with faintly glowing embers grudgingly rouses itself from behind an anvil where it was taking the cessation of their collective labours prompted by your interruption as an opportunity to nap. It slouches towards you, muttering something under its breath all the while. It would be as tall as Morrolan if it weren't hunched over. "Ye's'r'm'j'sty," it mumbles as it stands hunched beside the King, giving you a desultory glance.

"There shall be none of that!" he declares as he clasps one of his huge hands on Smolderseam's shoulder, his fingers almost long enough to wrap around its narrow torso, "These are Celestial heroes, here to rekindle the glorious spirit of the Hisari and cast off the tyrannical yoke of the Principate! They will restore the justice of the Unconquered Sun and wreak Luna's great and terrible vengeance upon the enemies of Creation! You will be instrumental in ushering in a glorious new age that shall see our court restored to its former glory!"

As he speaks a remarkable transformation is wrought in Smoulderseam, the embers catching and fire rippling across its skin, engulfing it and expanding as its posture rises until it stands tall, a buff and imposing figure with a proud and noble bearing, a roaring humanoid inferno. "Yes your Majesty! At once your Majesty!"

The King smiles, "Keep him motivated and he will serve you well."

Smoulderseam turns to you with an infectious grin, "It's an honour to serve you, Heralds. Justice and glory, is it? Let's get to it, then, shall we? How about a tour?" Such is his strength and enthusiasm you're all but swept along as he ushers you out into the fortress, "I can answer any questions you might have while we walk. We have the finest armouries in the South! Our soldiers are second to none! The war manses of these hills were once the scourge of Shoguns! ..." You get the feeling he's quite capable of going on like this at length.

• Do you attempt to return Gem to the King?
• What do you do with Dalisay?
• How do you wish to introduce your authority to the Hisari? The King could announce you as his heralds to everyone through the earth, though word would spread very quickly and you would be associated with his reign. The King could provide you with tokens of authority to present if you wished to be a bit more subtle. You could command Din to accompany you, or leave them behind in the fortress.
• You've made a powerful ally and the Fortress is full of armaments, artefacts, potent elementals, so if you want to expand your panoplies, so each of you can feel free to assign 4 dots of new backgrounds if you can justify how they're related to your new alliance or your dominion over the Hisari. You can buy more dots for 3 XP each (of either type, though if you spend Regular XP on something that can be bought with Special XP you can always trade them one for one in the future when you get more Special XP.) if you can explain how they're narratively justified.
• Once you've established your authority, I think we'll skip to when Atusa comes calling to investigate the new kids on the block.
• The Principate will contact you in your dreams at some point now that they know you're Celestials and not DBs, but I think that can wait until the night after you meet Atusa.

 

[Random Word]

Atusa:

Sese nods. She isn't entirely certain how many living gods it takes to challenge the might of the Principate, but three is surely a good start. She glances back at her father before replying, "The Asyut are not ruled by fear. We will hear your terms." One by one representatives of each of the clans steps forward to agree to negotiations in turn, except the Setite who take the opportunity to bow out. You suspect they were only here to weigh their options and keep tabs on their new neighbours. The thunderbirds perched above exchange an inscrutable look.

What follows is many hours of tense negotiations, only the first of what you are certain will be several days. Much mistrust and ill will remains to be overcome, but you have kindled in all the parties present a genuine desire to reach an agreement, and your lenient approach to centralization and taxation do much to ease the process.

Not everyone is as pleased by your negotiation position as your vassals to be. As you watch the sunset on the upper deck of the Mandjet, a ceramic cup full of blessedly cold ice water - you can scarcely believe it - clasped in your hands courtesy of the Khera Moswen with her request for an audience this evening, Rume and Zaia, the two thunderbirds the flock seems to have designated interlocutors, descend to perch on the rails some distance away. It isn't easy to tell them apart, even in their humanoid forms, but these are the only two that ever speak with you so you have some practice. Sirocco looks at them suspiciously but does not stir from her vigil at the stairs. They ignore her entirely, their soul-piercing gazes entirely fixated upon you. Rume - you're pretty sure - speaks in Old Realm with a voice like quiet thunder rolling at a great distance, "Your primacy is absolute. You must have the authority to dispense the Sun's justice, and yet you permit your flock to wander aimlessly, like untended sheep. Why?"

You've come to learn this is about as close to high praise as you're liable to hear. They seem to expect perfection, and so do not even comment on your successes. The fact that they have no 'questions' about your speech this morning implies they are pleased with your efforts to unify the clans. Sirocco clearly wants to reprimand them for questioning your will in this manner, but bites her tongue as this is a road you've sailed many times before.

Atusa will rise to Influence 4 at the conclusion of the negotiations, but will not rise to Resources 4 unless she pushes for more centralization and taxation, unifies many clans under the current terms, or introduces the Hematti/her vassals to significant new profitable ventures.

Do you accept the Bintanath as vassals, knowing it will provoke war with the Yafeu? Your people are war weary, but hawks remain, hungry for plunder and glory.

 

[jaydude]

"The authority of the Unconquered Sun has only so much meaning to the Faqari people as a whole. And those who have agreed to join me have already spent months fighting and shedding blood for little reason beside the command of Chuma's children. It would hardly be fair of me to demand blind obedience of them right now." Atusa replied to Rume's question, sitting upon a wooden chair that had been set up for her on the upper deck. "You might believe my primacy absolute, but most of the clans here - including my own - chose to remain loyal to the Sassarin Princes when the Ur-Pharaoh made his play. If my own offer was not pleasing enough to them, they may well have done so once again, and I might not have a flock at all."

Once she had drunken the last of the blissfully cool ice water, she placed it upon a table next to her seat and stood up, before heading down to her cabin to await the meeting with Moswen.

[I'm going to hold off on starting a war with the Yafeu until I've gotten a good idea of their military capabilities compared to mine. So for the moment, I'm not going to accept the Bintanath as vassals.

Also, what form is the meeting with Moswen going to take? Something akin to a formal audience? Or a clandestine chat out of general view?]

Spoiler: Atusa Stats

Essence: 1
Personal Essence: 5/13
Peripheral Essence: 20/33

Committed Essence: 5 (Short daiklaves)

Willpower: 5
Join Battle: 5
Health Levels: -0, -1, -1,-1,-1, -2, -2, -2, -2, -4, Incapacitated
Resolve 3, Guile 3

Attacks
Orichalcum Short Daiklaves (Withering 15 dice, Decisive 10 dice, Raw Damage 12, Overwhelming 3)

Actions
Rush: 7
Disengage: 7

Evasion 4, Parry 5
Armor: Buff Jacket (Soak 3, Mobility Penalty 0)
Natural Soak: 2
Armored Soak: 3
Hardness: 0