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Author Topic: [Suggestion game]Choice of Magics  (Read 32439 times)

Yellow Pixel

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Re: [Suggestion game]Choice of Magics
« Reply #615 on: November 11, 2021, 12:27:19 pm »

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Enemy post

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Re: [Suggestion game]Choice of Magics
« Reply #616 on: November 11, 2021, 11:31:43 pm »

We want to create something.

Quote
"Something really marvelous…" The queen looks wistful for a moment. "Do you understand I've never had that option? It must be grand to have the freedom to devote to an art. I've tried to take up painting in my spare time, but I've come to accept I will never have the time to become truly great. But good for you."

You've become slightly more harmless in Queen Thecla's eyes, for better or worse.

"And now, I've saved the most important question of this interview for last," the queen says. "To whom do you owe your utmost allegiance? Is it me, or someone else?"

The queen says this lightly, as if any answer will do. But you doubt that.

1."I shall be your loyal subject first and foremost."
2."My highest loyalty is to the Church."
3."My highest loyalty is to a higher power, Abraxas."
4."My first loyalty is always to my own conscience."
5."I serve nobody, but I will ally with you for now."

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Glass

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Re: [Suggestion game]Choice of Magics
« Reply #617 on: November 12, 2021, 12:14:28 am »

It's definitely not 2 or 3, which I think is pretty obvious to all of us.

I'm split between 1 and 4. 1 is the obviously correct answer, but I like 4. And, ah, we've kinda shown that we're not one to just say "okay" to a higher authority.

4. But I definitely wish there was an option for "my highest loyalty is to the people of this country" or something to that effect. Not to any one person or organization in the nation, but to the country as a whole.
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Quote from: FallacyOfUrist (on Discord, 11/15/21)
Glass is, as usual, correct.
Yep, as ever, I bestow upon Glass the expected +1
I'm gonna say we go with whatever Glass's idea is.

King Zultan

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Re: [Suggestion game]Choice of Magics
« Reply #618 on: November 12, 2021, 01:37:05 am »

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The Lawyer opens a briefcase. It's full of lemons, the justice fruit only lawyers may touch.
Make sure not to step on any errant blood stains before we find our LIFE EXTINGUSHER.
but anyway, if you'll excuse me, I need to commit sebbaku.
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Yellow Pixel

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Re: [Suggestion game]Choice of Magics
« Reply #620 on: November 12, 2021, 09:53:39 am »

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Re: [Suggestion game]Choice of Magics
« Reply #621 on: November 12, 2021, 10:54:15 am »

Our own conscience.

Quote
"Ah," Queen Thecla says, and she grimaces slightly. "Just like the nobles who try to hold on to their taxes, because their 'consciences' declare that taxation is theft. No, I've a dim view of those who claim their own conscience is the final arbiter. It's just a claim you can do whatever you please." (Decreased Thecla Relationship.)

"That's not it at all," you protest.

"Hmph." Queen Thecla still regards you skeptically. "But at least you profess to have morals. That's worth something to the public, I suppose."

Queen Thecla concludes your meeting by saying, "I think you're more presentable than I could have hoped, if a little disappointing as well. I shall publicly announce that from this point forward, I have two advisors—one from the Church, and one magical advisor."

The same liveried servant who escorted you before is waiting at the door.

"Servant Pons can show you to your new quarters and provide you with your first payment," Queen Thecla says. (Gained 300 Gold.) "Oh, and one more thing. Since yours is a new position, there is no traditional title for you. What would you like to be called?"

1.Court Wizard Foo.
2.Royal Sorcerer Foo.
3.Court Scribe Foo. I've grown fond of my misleading title.
4.Royal Scribe Foo. I've grown fond of my misleading title.

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brewer bob

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Re: [Suggestion game]Choice of Magics
« Reply #622 on: November 12, 2021, 11:03:39 am »

I think I hate the Queen more and more each time she opens her mouth. I still don't understand why we didn't get an option not to go to the court.

But anyway, I'll go for option 3.

Glass

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Re: [Suggestion game]Choice of Magics
« Reply #623 on: November 12, 2021, 12:13:55 pm »

She lives and breathes politics. Oh well, that’s how she’s been raised, that’s how she’s going to think. I knew that saying we follow our conscience would be a crapshoot as far as her opinion of us goes.

Also those nobles are idiots. But here is probably not the place to rant about the economics of taxes and government spending.

3. We’re still very much capable of doing scribely duties, and many people still are unlikely to appreciate a wizard. And “Court” scribe is less pretentious than “Royal” scribe.


I’ll note that I’m a bit surprised we’ve kept our personality scores so near the center.
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Quote from: FallacyOfUrist (on Discord, 11/15/21)
Glass is, as usual, correct.
Yep, as ever, I bestow upon Glass the expected +1
I'm gonna say we go with whatever Glass's idea is.

Yellow Pixel

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Re: [Suggestion game]Choice of Magics
« Reply #624 on: November 12, 2021, 03:37:40 pm »

1
« Last Edit: November 12, 2021, 04:31:35 pm by Yellow Pixel »
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Maximum Spin

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Re: [Suggestion game]Choice of Magics
« Reply #625 on: November 12, 2021, 03:52:44 pm »

I like 2.
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Yellow Pixel

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Re: [Suggestion game]Choice of Magics
« Reply #626 on: November 12, 2021, 04:29:32 pm »

I like 2.

I change my vote. I'm with you.
« Last Edit: November 12, 2021, 04:31:16 pm by Yellow Pixel »
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King Zultan

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Re: [Suggestion game]Choice of Magics
« Reply #627 on: November 13, 2021, 01:49:47 am »

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The Lawyer opens a briefcase. It's full of lemons, the justice fruit only lawyers may touch.
Make sure not to step on any errant blood stains before we find our LIFE EXTINGUSHER.
but anyway, if you'll excuse me, I need to commit sebbaku.
Quote from: Leodanny
Can I have the sword when you’re done?

Enemy post

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Re: [Suggestion game]Choice of Magics
« Reply #628 on: November 13, 2021, 01:58:03 am »

Royal Sorcerer Foo.

Quote
"Very well," the queen says with a nod. "Welcome to the palace, Royal Sorcerer Foo."

Your new room at the palace is a spacious room on the ground floor, which you understand used to belong to a beloved servant who passed away recently. It contains amenities such as a fireplace with a very recently dusted mantle, a skylight that lets in more light than even the queen's, and its own stair to a cool and dark basement storage area, which still holds some old wine casks. The room is off a very central corridor, and you think it is the queen's intention that you mingle. You're certain you will. (Gained Charisma.) (Increased Adoration.)

Your things arrive from Akriton in a week. Your furniture and possessions remain roughly the same even if your locale has changed, and you decorate your new room with the comfortable, pillow-strewn food advertisements of the ancients that you've grown accustomed to.

Verdigris the dragon finds a favorite spot on the windowsill, watching the birds in the palace courtyard.

When you are nearly done moving in to the palace, you find a note at the bottom of the wagon bed. Your mother's neat calligraphy is unmistakable.

She must have slipped it under a box while she and your father were helping you move.

Foo,

We will always be proud of you no matter what you do. But remember what Grandma always said: that the greatest magics in the world are love and hope. (And a good joke, your father wants me to add. I suppose she did say that once.) You are dear to us, magical no matter what you do. Try to do good. Eat healthy. Meet someone nice. Preferably wealthy. You might think that doesn't matter, but it does. (Your father is acting all insulted now, but of course I mean that if you find true love you should marry whomever you choose, and if on the other hand you are indecisive—and I know how long you take to make choices sometimes—then it couldn't hurt to have a little more income in the family.)

Love and hope!


Mama


As a result of your move to the capital, Tal has decided to move there as well. She applies to be a special envoy for the queen, and her impeccable record as a hunter in Akriton gets her accepted. She spends much of her time away from the capital on missions, but when she is back in the capital, she spends what time she can with you. She makes a few dissatisfied noises about not being allowed to move in with you, but she stays overnight in the palace so much that she may as well have.

You learn from palace gossip that Blessed Sam has been promoted from being an inquisitor and Blessed Jacob's partner to being the queen's own blessed advisor, replacing Blessed Advisor Armand. Apparently, the hierophant believes that your position as the queen's magical advisor would be best counterbalanced by someone from the Church who knows you and knows magic.

You expect to disagree with him—cordially—about a number of things.

Shortly after you move in to the palace, the queen calls you to her chamber once again. The queen this time wears a shimmering blue dress with black lace, as formal as the last dress you saw her in.

A solemn man in a gray tunic and black cape is bent over to whisper in her ear. He reflexively straightens as you enter.

"I believe it's time to let you know why I contacted you," the queen says. "This is Spymaster Dol." She nods to the man in gray and black.

"We received some reports of unusual flying objects near the Negative Sea," Spymaster Dol says. "Our spies have now confirmed that small metal vessels have flown out of the Negative Sea, their hulls apparently impervious to the corrosion of that black cloud. They have flown over several towns near the Negative Sea now. We believe they are scouts."

"We haven't had an invasion in over two hundred years," Queen Thecla tells you. "With the mountains to the north and south, and the Negative Sea to the east, our army has only had to deal with the Domitians and their ships from the west. And the occasional insurrection, of course. But we're basically out of practice at warfare, while the Magisterian Empire…they probably never gave up either magic or war, and have been practicing since the Negative Sea separated us."

"Let's not be hasty," the spymaster says with a raised hand. "We don't know that they desire war at all. These vessels were magical, certainly, but they were not visibly armed."

"But they have the technology of the ancients, and we do not. And they can readily see that." Queen Thecla turns to you. "And that is where you come in. You must advise us on how to best catch up to the Magisterians. Tell us which magics we need to convince them we aren't backward."

You blink at the sudden responsibility. "You're asking me to shape society itself."

"Oh, you don't get free rein like that," the queen says. "I am bound to listen to the Church as well, and they will like none of this. If the people turn against me as a witch, then the kingdom will surely burn. So we must move subtly but swiftly, so that the Church cannot turn back the clock."

The queen concludes the meeting, asking you to think about what she has said and to prepare for debates on the subject with her blessed advisor, who shall act as the voice of the Church and tradition.

Your mind reels as you make your way back to your room. What magics should the kingdom revive, and which should stay buried? It is a big responsibility. But if the Magisterians have only sent scouts so far, you may have a little time yet.

The very same evening, you find that a letter has been slipped under your door.

You have proven to be a wily snake indeed, slithering up to sit at the queen's side. You'll be pleased to know that my interest in you personally has dropped dramatically since we last crossed paths. I thought you were…something else.

But here's a secret for you: I am not so bound to tradition as you might think. I'm told your magic is necessary to defending the kingdom from the Neighbors. So be it! I am more practical than you might realize. But the moment I believe you are a bigger threat than they, I will see you dead, magic or no.

Show some respect, and try not to overdo it. That's all I ask of you, wizard.

Sincerely,

Blessed and Most Holy Hierophant Elizabeth

So it appears inquisitors won't be trying to abduct you in the night anymore—probably.

You heave a relieved sigh and crumple the letter.

The next day, you begin the task of deciding just how far the Kingdom of Eirinia should advance in magic in a short time.

Your appearance at court is not greeted with any kind of fanfare, but you have a nice mahogany chair next to the throne on the queen's left-hand side, while the alabaster chair of the blessed advisor is on the right. It does seem to be the queen's strategy to try to make your appearance seem to be business as usual, though the courtiers point in your direction and whisper in an unsubtle way.

The blessed advisor is already seated in his chair—and, just as you heard from the palace gossip, it's none other than the erstwhile Blessed Sam.

He gets up to greet you.

"I heard you were the new advisor," he says. "Congratulations. I'm sure we'll get along splendidly, even if we don't always agree."

Queen Thecla wears the most elaborate dress you have seen her wear yet, a floor-length deep-blue dress with puffy silhouette and black-lace embellishments, and a giant navy-blue collar accentuated with tiny sapphires. When she takes the throne, the deliberations begin.

"As you both now know, we need to advance the kingdom in a hurry," Queen Thecla says. "For those of you who know what is about to happen, let us not grieve the old ways."

The court begins to murmur, but the queen silences them with a steady look.

"I have no patience for myths, nostalgia, or fantasy right now," the queen says. "The truth is, there never was a time the world was not changing out from under us. The world has always been in crisis. The old ways are always dying. The world is always being born anew."

"Let us start with the creation of…impressive ships." You can tell Queen Thecla intends to talk around the Magisterian Empire for as long as possible, just in case the courtiers decide to pay attention to someone besides themselves. "Royal Sorcerer Foo, how is it done?"

"Automation magic, Your Majesty," you say. "Not only to power the ships themselves but also to create magical factories that achieve a speed of production unmatched by human hands."

It suddenly dawns on you that even though conventional wisdom blames the ancients for the perpetual thunderheads above you, the Magisterians may have been using automation for two thousand years since then, making the storms worse. But if so, they have shown enough restraint to avoid bringing about the end of the world.

"Can we do the same?" the queen asks. "Use magical power instead of animals or human labor, to increase production?"

Blessed Advisor Sam looks thoughtful, as if he's genuinely considering the benefits of this proposal.

"It's dangerous, because the world is already on the brink of disaster with the storms wrought by automation magic," you say. "But certainly, automation is the most time-tested source of magical power."

"Well, do you have any other suggestions?" the queen asks.

"The Church's recommendation would be to encourage people to discover the power within themselves," Sam says. "But I think that may not be incompatible with this proposal. Perhaps inventions will only redirect the people's effort and creativity. I'd be more worried, though, about the permanent damage such inventions may cause to nature."

"In a less metaphorical sense, negative energy could also be used as a source of power," you say. Ignoring the sense of general approbation in the room, you continue: "The dark sun is not inherently evil—its power is just most commonly turned into blasts using negation magic. But it doesn't have to be so uncontrolled. The negative energy beneath the surface of the earth could potentially provide a source of power that has none of the climate-altering drawbacks of automation. And our mastery over negation would also prove an advantage in the war." You know that general superstition about the dark sun is still rampant, so you decide to close on a brighter note: "Or, finally, we could engineer beasts to take the place of what the machines might have done. Dodecapedes. Dragons. Their food would be a very safe source of energy."

You sense general distaste for this proposal as well. Everybody knows the monsters roaming the countryside are the result of ancient hubris.

"And what is your recommendation?" the queen prompts.

1.Let's harness the power of storms, as the Neighbors do.
2.Let's harness the energy of the dark sun: greater power without damage to the skies.
3.Let's create beasts of labor that will gain their energy from enhanced foods.
4.We don't need a magical power source; it'll displace human labor and cause chaos.

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Glass

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Re: [Suggestion game]Choice of Magics
« Reply #629 on: November 13, 2021, 02:33:22 am »

I feel that ultimately, vivomancy is the safest option here that still actually accomplishes things. If monsters need to be killed, well, people know how to kill monsters. It's a much easier problem than dealing with the storms, or the fallout of negation usage.

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Quote from: FallacyOfUrist (on Discord, 11/15/21)
Glass is, as usual, correct.
Yep, as ever, I bestow upon Glass the expected +1
I'm gonna say we go with whatever Glass's idea is.
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