Trial By Fire - Exalted 2e IC Thread

[Rykon]

"Grand gestures can often feel hollow." Ragnar mused. "Many a times high lords bestow tokens to their lessers in order to gain favor. And many times the lessers see it for what it is."

"Think like the common man. What brings them joy? Good food, purpose, and appreciation. Such things can make a soldier fight ten times harder than the shiniest of medals."

"Upheaval is one way to look at it. But another way to look at it, is the opportunity of a return to First Age Splendor. Give them their mountain, assure them of their autonomy, and ask them to help you honor the mission of their ancestors."

It appeared that Ragnar misunderstood Aredin's statement, at least as far as the king could tell. It seemed a poor time to pontificate on the finer matters of his rule, but enlightening his fellows was something he took seriously. If he wanted to avoid a return to the tyranny of decadence he had to make sure everyone understood what righteous rule looked like.

"Bribing a handful of people with shiny toys to shut them up isn't how we operate. It diminishes the rewards I personally give my vassals and makes everything I've done prior feel cheap to those who have earned the boons they receive. The way I operate is through deeds or gifts that change the quality of life of the people. Solving problems, dispatching threats, treating the sick, upholding the law... those are the gifts a solar should offer. Those that bring naught but the 'gift' of their presence and wisdom are a blight upon our host."

"I want whatever we deliver to the Metagalapans to be more than a one time bribe. I want them to know they are cared for, treated fairly, and supplied with what they need to prosper. They are our people now. Even a selfish man should realize that the state of his subjects reflects not only his compassion but his competence. Alas, in the face of all of this, the best I can come up with on such a short time period is relocating some doctors and delivering foodstuffs they may not have right now. If we have to arrive with such a small and temporary measure to placate them, I want a plan at the ready to help them adapt as we move into the future. Especially when they inevitably have to come to terms with what the future holds... War... and a big one at that." Aredin finished, wetting his throat with a healthy application of wine.

 

[D. Rex]

Ragnar nodded. And Aredin was right in the barbarian misunderstanding. With many of the topic of discussion being above his head, half attention was the best he could give at the moment.

"Of course, my lord. But that sort of repertoire takes time to build up. With them being relatively new to your ways, they may not yet see your generosity. As such, it could not be blamed if they do see you like another Lord. And sadly, with the quickening pace of this coming war, peace time to show them just that is limited."

Ragnar thought for a moment. "What about my people? At my behest, I am sure many would raise their hands to volunteer to help them with whatever they need. And a mingling of civilians, especially ones also new, could do well in making some positive ties."

 

[Psychie]

Darian smiles at Ragnar. "I believe that is an excellent idea, having a blending of peoples and ideas from multiple locations, all working together."

 

[Rykon]

"Hm... I will give them the dignity to make that choice themselves. I don't want to swarm them with outsiders without giving them a time and place to let their voices be heard. So, I suppose let's proceed with the supplies and doctors. We'll offer bringing volunteers to help them move, clean, and get their fresh start well underway. Other than that I reckon the best we can do is bare our hearts and listen to what their pains are." The king sighed, truly wishing there was more he could do. Time was just too short and too precious in the wake of hell's unraveling conspiracies. "It will take us time to get everyone over there anyways. We can make our case while volunteers are getting ready."

 

[D. Rex]

Ragnar nodded. "I shall let them know. They are good people, and hardly intrusive. We are used to living off the land and sleeping outdoors. As well as labor."

"But what of us. You sent the messages. Surely there is more we can do aside from wait."

 

[Rykon]

"If you could do me the favor of gathering basic supplies and food we can deliver, it would be a big help. Meats, sweets, and spices especially." Aredin said to Ragnar.

"Annika, could you speak with the physicians guild and see if we can get a volunteer to make a somewhat extended house call to Metagalapa?"

 

[jaydude]

"You got it." said Annika, with a little nod of her head that she considered a good enough bow to a superior. Once that was done, she turned around and headed towards the headquarters of the physician's guild.

 

[D. Rex]

Ragnar nodded, "I shall see it done at once."

"By your leave, my lord." He said, excusing himself.



Ragnar would go find his people, and rally them to his needs. Food of good faith to lift up the spirits. A veritable feast he would help bring them.


His hunters and gamesman he would call. Sending them out to bag a variety of animals. The shepherds among them, that have started their life here, he asked of them to donate a fat cow or pig or sheep.

"The nation of Gwynnin has treated us most kindly! And it is by their generosity that we live as we do now. Friends await us in the sky mountain, let us show them the same generosity that King Aredin had shown us. Let us ease the burden of diplomacy of this city, and spread the good nature so they too will know that we are all blessed by the Unconquered Sun."

As the men got to their work, Ragnar would ask the mothers and children to bake fine sweets and gather dried fruits and nuts of the season that they could spare. After all, sweetroll or nutball made by a child was always sweeter than anything a Baker could produce. And may also carry the good nature of the people from one city to another.

Spice were a bit more tricky. While most herbs were easy to grow, and a good bushman could find no end of wild spices. The true tell of such a gift came from honey, peppers, garlic, and salt. Should any be in season, he could probably ask for small donations from farmers.

Honey and, most importantly, salt, however, he would need to ask from the city itself. Should there be reluctance, Ragnar would pay for it himself, as well as a promise to work off any loss himself. After all, the productivity of a muscular Solar like Ragnar was nothing to scoff at.

 

[Sherwood]

It takes a few days to gather up the supplies for the people of Mount Metagalapa, but you are now ready to return to the Titan.

Not long after your arrival, there is another new arrival; a airship comes flying up and settles down in the large clearing, and it opens up to reveal several dozen highly trained maintenance workers from the Aerial Legion from Yu-Shan, sent with the best wishes of Dunbar. The lead technician approaches Aredin, and with a respectful bow, he offers up a letter of introduction to you. It is written by Dunbar. It says that these people are engineers that will be able to help get the needed repairs done to the Titan and get it up and mobile once more.

The man says, "Lord Aredin, I am Amurro. We have been sent by the Sidereal Dunbar Holst to help you get this machinery running smooth once more." He looks around at all the rock and earth covering the Titan and asks, "M'lord, do you have any plans in the works to remove all of this from the exterior of the Titan? I suspect that this will be the hardest part of the job we were sent here to do."

 

[Rykon]

"I have a few plans for that, but I'm not willing to set any of them in motion until the people here are satisfied with the relocation and ready to discard the old mountain exterior." Aredin replied with a smirk. "Follow me, I need to get an update from the elders here and let them know we brought some extra help and supplies."

Sherwood , can we get some details from the locals on where they are in repairs, relocation, and overall morale?

 

[Sherwood]

@Sherwood, can we get some details from the locals on where they are in repairs, relocation, and overall morale?

Everything is proceeding along with surprising speed. Over the past three months, about half of the population of Mount Metagalapa has moved permanently into the Titan, and work to get the rest of the people into the massive structure is underway. The biggest factor in keeping them from moving more people into the structure faster is the need for power relays to be replaced to get all the interior powered up once more. Lights and climate control is an important thing, especially when you don't have windows that can look outside, since at the moment they are all covered in rock.

There are many power relays that still have to be replaced, but the main power core is now running at 75% of full strength, and TARU is monitoring the slow build-up to full power.

 

[D. Rex]

How do the Mountain people feel about moving into and staying in the titan? And how are their views on the Solars and Gwynnin?

 

[Sherwood]

How do the Mountain people feel about moving into and staying in the titan? And how are their views on the Solars and Gwynnin?

There are three general groups forming in the population on the mountain.

The first group are the ones that see this as the culmination of their destiny, that fate has brought them to this point as the guardians of the Titan and it is their right to be the first ones inside it. This group represents the bulk of the new population inside the Citadel, doing what they can to get it repaired and ready to go. Their thoughts of the Solars that helped them to discover this wonder that they are moving into is one of thanks, and they are willing to be allies to you and the people of Gwynnin.

The second group is much smaller, but very vocal in their dislike of the whole situation. They don't want to abandon their homes and everything that they and their ancestors have worked so hard to build on the Slope, and they are quite resentful of the Circle for bringing about this change to their lives.

The third group is more reserved, being the most neutral of their opinions, seeing both sides of the arguments of the other two groups. They are willing to be swayed to one side or another, depending on how the offers are presented to them.

 

[Psychie]

I am thinking that with my emotion and memory changing Charms, if I am able to get a meeting going with the various negative faction people I may be able to slowly convince them of the righteousness of our cause and get them on board with us.

 

[Sherwood]

That could work. It is up to you to try.

 

[Psychie]

Darian will go ahead and try to arrange a meeting with the most outspoken of the dissenters, and hopefully I can sway their opinions with a few well worded arguments (and a bit of Essence spent, too!).

 

[Rykon]

Aredin will assist, for whatever dice bonus that may grant. Let me know if you need a roll for that.

 

[D. Rex]

Ragnar is more or less assisting by offering good food. And sweets.

 

[Sherwood]

When you return to the Titan, Darian is able to get a meeting with some of the discontented populace of the locals. They are not happy, almost overtly hostile, and any efforts to sway them from this point of view will be quite difficult. What is your plan?

As for the rest of you, the aid in the form of the foodstuffs and spices are well received, and the mechanics from Yu-Shan are already hard at work aiding the native Dragon Blooded in the repairs.

What else are you doing at this time?

 

[Psychie]

As Darian sits down to speak with the most vocal of the dissidents, she will use a combination of Charms to try and calm them down, then tweak their memories to make things a little easier to work with them.

First, Heart Compelling Method to ease their anger and put them in a more easy going frame of mind, followed by Memory-Reweaving Discipline to slowly tweak their thoughts and memories to add the belief that this has been the plan of their ancestors from the beginning. This has been their sacred duty to guard the Titan until it is time to once more reveal it to Creation, and now is that time.

EDIT Forgot to add that I'm using all Personal Essence for this.

 

[Sherwood]

Psychie You need to make a Performance + Manipulation roll for me with the two Charms, please.

 

[Psychie]

Rolling now. I will also spend a Willpower point on each roll to give me the extra success.

5 successes on my roll to ease their anger.
5 successes on the roll to edit memories.

Not my best rolls here.

 

[Rykon]

For Aredin's effort to assist Darian, he reminded the individuals of the crisis that was averted. The fact was, agents of death were perfectly content to put the whole mountain to death to obtain what they wanted. It was the very prize in which each of them now shared a spoil of.

What came next was obviously going to be perilous times for them, their children, and their neighbors. What the Solars sought was to keep these people safe and prosperous in the shadow of one of the greatest wars creation had ever seen looming on the horizon. It was not the circle that inflicted change like a disease upon the people here. It was the circle that used the tumult to uncover a better way of life. One that each of these men and women were openly invited to take part of.

He tried to absorb their pain and understand their fear, their rage, at what had completely overturned their way of life. If they wanted to resume their trades as farmers, artisans, soldiers, merchants, or whatever fate had handed them, there would still be a life for them. They would still live in defiance in the forces of Death, Malfeas, and the Realm.

Ultimately, Aredin did his best to ensure them that the circle would make every effort to hear their concerns and make a way for them to pursue their dreams and prosperity. For now it meant reviving the ancient city that lay beneath their old home. It would mean the destruction of their old mountain in the end, but they would never be abandoned.

OOC: Using a full Presence Excellency and Irresistible Salesman Technique to try and support Darian.

14 successes.

 

[Sherwood]

With Aredin and Darian working together, you are able to convince most of the dissenters away from their open hatred of the whole situation, with only a few angry holdouts keeping their heads clear from the manipulations of the two of you. It seems that either Darian will have to try again to rewrite their memories, or let them go, with the handful of people planning on leaving the mountain with their things.

 

[Rykon]

Aredin consults his wife in private in a low whisper. "If all they want is to just leave, we can send them off with enough silver to buy new land and property elsewhere. That seems fair enough to me. Otherwise we can keep trying to convince them to stay. Seems a bit risky to keep such stubborn dissenters around though. All will be under our authority soon enough though. How would you prefer to handle it, my love?"