[Emperors of the Fading Suns] [Emperors of the Fading Suns] OOC Thread

[cyl]

Yeah. Our first step should be a test/demonstration. Then come the threats.

The demonstration has already been made.


Mirunda was claimed back. The Widow has been infected it seems. The undead know better than to go to Mirunda.


Working on another demonstration will be too slow to help Malek or save Cross from Juggernaut once he starts marching.

If the Mask develops a way to counter it, then it doesn't matter what the Bloom can do.

Yes it does, because Mask is not the only one with power he can lose to the Bloom.


He will not likely share the counter agent he has developed with his peers because it gives him a clear advantage over them. And they will go to war with him to obtain him, or to get Malek from him and earn their peace of mind.


The only other thing they can do is to get to the Library first, and let them know that it is ready to be blown up (no bluffs, prepare the bombs).


Even if we lose the Library and the labs, the Bloom alone will be enough to win the war vs the dead... and Siham can recover a technology he has already invented in the past.

If he doesn't have the plans, he wants to get Agatha's library and reverse engineer a solution.

It is more likely, but you can't use that argument as your pcs do not know what comes next. It is predictable, but you cannot have any certainty, and the priority is to get Malek back for now.


When Juggernaut is on the move, and the Circle is informed, the priority will be to stop the Juggernaut and by that time, Malek will probably be lost anyway.

Really, it's in the Mask's best interest to be highly aggressive and smash current opposition, because he's not dumb. He knows the Bloom is going to be worse as it has time to spread and grow. His best bet is find a counter-measure, and if he doesn't have the notes, the next best place is the Library.

I agree, but our forces are not nearly enough to stop the Juggernaut.


Nothing is besides perhaps the old defense grid.


And since time is of the essence, the only sound strategy is to turn other powerful players on the map against Mask so he has to give Malek up.


The only ones who are powerful enough to stop a Deathlord are other Deathlords...


And we do have an anti undead biological agent.


The other option is to use the Three of Great Forks who could tell the tale of Mask's defeat... but even then I fear Malek does not have much time for you to do anything else.

 

[JayTee]

I need 21 more XP to get every charm worth taking in the craft tree.


So close, yet so far

 

[JayTee]

Oh snap, that's a lot of discussion that happened without me realizing it. ops:


/goes back to read it all

 

[JayTee]

Okay, so, it seems that if the Mask needs to get the Library, then we should likely find it first. (unless we already have it and I didn't know this thanks to my coming in late >.>)

 

[Feantari]

Okay, so, it seems that if the Mask needs to get the Library, then we should likely find it first. (unless we already have it and I didn't know this thanks to my coming in late >.>)

Agatha's Library.. the big ass manse under the behemoth that you guys are fixing up.

 

[JayTee]

Goddamnit, this is like the fourth time I've been told this. Why do I always forget? D:

 

[Feantari]

Man, solars really need some more leader keywords. I think argis might have to train a war excellency.

 

[Kacie]

My point about the Mask being aggressive regarding the Bloom isn't to suggest we don't act right away - the opposite in fact. I'm saying everything is incredibly time sensitive, and the Mask knows it.


Therefore - don't think that threatening him with the Bloom is going to stop him. Nor is he going to accept any deal that lets you have 200 years to develop a more virulent strain of the Bloom.

 

[Arynne]

So,


(1) set the Library to blow if anybody not us comes near it and


(2) get Malek before the Mask has himself a new deathknight.

 

[JayTee]

So,
(1) set the Library to blow if anybody not us comes near it

Siham: Hahahaha. No.

 

[Arynne]

Flicker: You'd better be prepared to set the library to do something if any undead come near it. They've been in there once before, and once was one time too many.

 

[JayTee]

The Bloom 2.0, natch

 

[JayTee]

Hey @xarvh, would it be possible to treat Object Strengthening Touch and Durability Enhancing Technique as the same charm? They both do more or less the same thing, and likewise provide fairly niche benefits. They seem like arbitrary prereqs more than anything else.


EDIT: They also seem to become obsolete once you get The Art of Permanence, which is on my "To buy" list.

 

[cyl]

My point about the Mask being aggressive regarding the Bloom isn't to suggest we don't act right away - the opposite in fact. I'm saying everything is incredibly time sensitive, and the Mask knows it.
Therefore - don't think that threatening him with the Bloom is going to stop him. Nor is he going to accept any deal that lets you have 200 years to develop a more virulent strain of the Bloom.

Hence my point about threatening others with the Bloom so they can force him to surrender Malek.


Besides the Library, there is also the Mother of Essence to protect.


Also, consider that this Juggernaut going to Cross might just be a bluff to get Malek to crack.


Still, it would make sense to carefully watch the Juggernaut through the allies network.

 

[Kacie]

That is a possibility, but there's no guarantee the Walker will respond that way. It injects more uncertainty into the equation.


Let's say the threat is delivered to the Walker: "Free Malek from Mask (somehow) or we release the Bloom on your lands!"


The Walker already knows about the Bloom, thanks to Legion. Legion has protective armor, so he has to be aware of it.


Option 1: The Walker goes "oh shit. I better: a) go to war with the Mask, um never mind he loaned me some Deathknights who will turn on me, or b) I better go beg a favor from the Mask, as big as gaining another Deathknight."


Option 2: The Walker says to himself, "The Bloom is already next to my lands, and is going to spread here anyway. Screw them. If I can pull off my next big plan, this swamp won't matter anymore."


Option 3: The Walker thinks, "Hey, they just told me the Cross is down one Solar right now, and they're probably going to try a stupid rescue to get him back. I'll give them a few days to move out, then I'm crushing their base from behind. Maybe I'll even find out something about this Bloom of theirs."


It's certainly possible the Walker would fall into Option 1. However, I think telling someone who hates you that you're down one is an invitation for them to come invade.

 

[cyl]

You forget a few things:


1- if he makes a move you blow up the whole library before he can get to it


2- he will never be safe if he fails to kill one of you


3- since he learned about the Bloom, failed to get the notes and lost a few knights, he pretty much left us be.


Legion was not sent back to Cross (even with her armor on) and she did all she could to sap us from the outside, killing Justicars and cutting us off from our supply lines.


Argis & Malek managed to void her efforts by doubling theirs, but his forces never invaded our perimeter again.


He must still fear the Bloom, else he would have sent us everything he had the moment the Mother of Essence was struck, or any time since.


He built a ring and armors to protect his knights, bartered it for additional knights, and built a demoralization campaign, giving it a bad rep.


IMHO he knows he can't beat the Bloom, only minimize its effect on his servants and do anything he can to stop us from using it.


But he still fears us using it against him and if he hasn't moved against us like he did in the past, he knows he can't push us too far or we will retaliate this time.


So you should be able to negotiate the rescue, and he should give in, because he does not have another choice as long as he does not have the notes.


You can destroy all his lands over a few weeks or months and he can't do a thing about it.


All he can hope for as long as he does not have the notes is statu quo, or he would have to kill everyone that knows about the Bloom and can eventually deploy it... and the risk is too great, he can't kill so many before one of us manages to poison his lands.

 

[xarvh]

@Feantari: AFAIK you guys have two freights.


Pulling a number out of my ass, that's 100 soldiers each.


@Kacie: You are out of the Project Posts system.


You will have time to rise your Essence after your current Scene.

I agree, but our forces are not nearly enough to stop the Juggernaut.

Hey, you DO have your own dying behmoth. =D


@JayTee: this game started with Siham findingthe Library.


(*Entering* it was another business entirely...)


Also, no, you'll have to wait for more XPs like anyone else.

 

[xarvh]

@Kacie, @CrazyIvan: just in case, Fangs and Mirror did not receive Argis' Message.


If you are not reading "Fading Suns", continue NOT reading it (hell, even if you are reading it).

 

[JayTee]

Fair enough. I'll see about solving that whole "Library" problem, then

 

[Kacie]

@xarvh : Is it okay to continue reading Fading Suns and firewalling what they're doing from Mirror? There are plenty of ideas running around in OOC, and I'd like to be able to help plan, even if Mirror hasn't the slightest idea of what's up.


(at everyone)


Remember, the Cross isn't the center of Creation. Walker has other plans - the PCs know something went down in Great Forks, and in Nexus. Walker could very well decide to let the Cross alone to pursue other projects with better cost/benefit ratios.


I'm not saying "Don't Threaten the Walker" -- I'm saying think about how the various big actors could respond.

 

[cyl]

Remember, the Cross isn't the center of Creation.

Yeah but... Big K + The Library...


I'm not saying you should threaten him like bullies.


He tried diplomacy once before mounting a black op that failed.


A mutually beneficial exchange "you get us our friend, and we will leave your untouched alone as long as you don't conquer the lands of the living" could interest him.


Your other option is to find an elder lunar who would sniff Malek's trail from Lookshy and risk sneaking him out of wherever the hell he is, or a powerful sidereal, or the Widow.

 

[xarvh]

@Kacie: I trust you guys can keep meta-knowledge away.


Also, you can't buy necromacy (or sorcery) without proper intiation rituals.

 

[xarvh]

Also, remember that between JayTee and Norts you have 4 Project Posts worth of Twilights.


It's powerful stuff, use them wisely.

 

[Kacie]

@xarvh : understood. I'm blocking out the xp in advance, waiting for the initiation ritual before adding it to my sheet officially.

 

[JayTee]

Also, remember that between JayTee and Norts you have 4 Project Posts worth of Twilights.
It's powerful stuff, use them wisely.

@Norts: I kinda want to build an orbital laser defense system for Cross using those Project points, thoughts?