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| - 10:47:05: Test 11:11:59: So, Lost, where would you take the party to talk more comfortably? 11:13:12: "Hmm...well there is the dining hall. All the other areas are still in various states of ruin. If it is acceptable to the two of you, then we can discuss things there over some food or drinks." 11:19:29: "Wonderful, let's discuss then." 11:19:44: Spider bounces up and down on the balls of her feet like a hyperactive child who just discovered a new kind of candy. 11:19:50: "We apologize for the inconvenience, but we simply can't clear this place up, since preliminary scouting expeditions, courtesy of Lost, revealed...undesirable elements in the complex." 11:20:04: Despite the age, the large room is still functional. Much like the rest of the manse, it is mostly bare - there's a large, elaborately carved stone table at the center, plus several roughly-shaped rocks that may serve as chairs. There's a few debris here and there, however - it appears Lost only recently claimed it. 11:24:32: "I may not have said this before but welcome to my humble abode." I gesture to a number of boxes with intricate carvings on them. "We have saved up some food in them so feel free to help your selves. I will warn you though, that they are primarily military rations, so I cannot vouch for taste." 11:24:54: Spider hops up on a chair, perching effortlessly on the top of the chair's back and wrapping her hands around her knees. "Food later, talking now!" 11:27:47: "I will abstain for now, I ate recently. But as Spider says, I am interested in talking." Dragon declines the offer. 11:28:16: lost Nods. "Very well, then. Let us get to the heart of the matter. As I have mentioned before, Peerless and I are among the handful of survivors from the expedition into the ruin complex. Thankfully, our exaltations have gone unnoticed as far as we can tell and the other survivors are comrades of Peerless and thus still friendly." 11:31:07: "Our current plans are as this. We want to repair the manse and secure the area to prevent further deaths. Any more is unknown as we have to see what the fates have planed for us before we can say anything. But what about the two of you?" 11:34:39: "And of course, getting a source of income for ourselves so we can buy any needed supplies." 11:34:45: Peerless added. 11:36:42: "Wandering mostly, in and around, wherever the road takes me. Though I haven't seen anything this interesting in quite a while." 11:38:03: "I don't know." Dragon admits. "Do you need help? I am not knowledgeable about manses but I am willing to help. This place has proven that it is dangerous." 11:41:27: "So, what do we do with it?" 11:41:32: "It is as Peerless asid. Further I thank you for the offer to help with the manse, but we have that part handled. What our real problem is supplies. I have the knowledge to repair the manse and the magic to summon the workers, but what we currently lack is the ability to generate resources." 11:41:56: "This manse is filled with ruins that I can salvage and make something out of, but selling it without arousing any suspicion is the main problem." 11:40:13: Peerless cracked a small smile at Dragon_'s question "Of course, Dragon, we will need all the help to make this area safe again." 11:43:09: "And we can't let the agents of Lookshy and the Realm know of this location, or things will get...bad." 11:43:57: dragon_ nods. "That would indeed be ill-fated." 11:44:26: "Wherever you sell them it's suspicious." 11:45:43: "So, let's change the terms of the discussion. What resources do you need?" 11:45:17: "A large number of similar materials appearing on the market at once and someone will notice. People do like collecting their toys. You could split it up, sell them over months or years, but that means being tied down here and not having the resources you need to make it defensible." 11:56:21: "A very good question and one without a fixed answer. Primarily, we need wood and stone to fix the masonry. Beyond that? We need rare material and exotic ingredients to repair the more delicate and occulted parts. I have salvaged all that I can from the manse itself and now our only current source of rare ingredients is the complex itself." 11:57:07: "But it is dangerous to venture there and we are hoping to find alternative sources." 12:05:11: "Assuming you don't want people to know you're rebuilding that is." 12:05:38: "Some discretion is preferable, yes." 12:04:38: "Anyway, the main problem is getting things of bulk here without attracting attention." 12:06:04: "Acquiring the rarer materials is easy enough, but if you want large quantities it may be just as easy to mine it ourselves with your demon army. I doubt anyone's done a survey of the land though." 12:07:02: "As for rare goods, black markets, we could take a detour up to the river, or try to seek out a guild presence too." 12:07:24: "We could have raw materials delivered somewhere else out of the... Ah ha!" 12:07:43: Spider starts giggling. 12:08:32: "Okay, so the only one around here who could really afford this has to be the guy in charge." 12:09:23: "So first we convince him to empty the treasury to build some big secret project he doesn't want to unveil to the public, then we steal all the supplies in the night, then we shame him so much on the sheer financial cost and how weak it makes him look that he can't ever bring himself ot mention it." 12:09:50: "Do you think he should want a new palace or a giant temple?" 12:10:48: Peerless said dryly "I think he prefers having a pleasure house instead, Spider." 12:12:51: "I believe that it would be better to work with people rather than steal from them." 12:13:11: "Okay, serious question, do you want to stay here long term or not?" 12:13:14: "A temple would be unrealistic, but what if he has been approached by a monk? A shrine to appease the ghosts of the murdered Dragon Blooded? After all, with how many Dragon Blooded have died a violent death,conti... 12:13:38: "the people must be faraid of the hungry ghosts that may raise." 12:15:11: "Ah...their corpses were returned to the elements of their caste and their weapons to their respective families." 12:15:32: "Though we could raise a shrine...just to be sure." 12:15:45: "I have some experience with the restless dead." Dragon nods. "So you have handled that properly." 12:15:59: "Anyway, as I was saying, do you want to stay here long term?" 12:16:08: "Or just stop things from breaking down?" 12:18:50: "And if it is something that huge? How do you hold it?" 12:18:07: "This manse is just one part of a much larger complex. I suppose it all depends on what the complex powers. If it is something even remotely like the Realm's manse complex, then I will have no choice but to stay, seeing as I have already attuned myself." 12:21:16: "That's beside the point for now. Regardless, assume you're the ruler of a kingdom some hundred miles from the Yanaze, and thus one of the largest trade-routes in Creation. YOu don't have a powerful army or vast riches. You're, in the big scheme of things, completely irrelevent. That's good, it makes you safe.... 12:20:32: "I have no plan at the moment. But I am handling it as it comes. That problem is a more long term one and will have to be given the proper time to solve." 12:21:34: Now, imagine that someone discovers something incredily valuable in your territory and they want it... And a group of anathema set up shop right there giving everyone and their cousin an excuse to attack for 'your own good' and quietly take over your kingdom. Who is your biggest enemy in this scenario, who is the one group you have to keep away at all costs?" 12:22:38: lost "I hate politics." I murmur under my breath. 12:22:44: "Who just happen to be a bunch of incredibly powerful 'monsters' you absolutely can't trust." 12:23:19: "Oh they're great fun! Far more entertaining than Gateway at any rate." 12:23:22: Peerless murmured "Same for me too, my friend," patting Lost's back. 12:24:53: "Let me say it simply. Rulers like living, they like to keep what they have and this kind of small kingdom values security above all else. Our very presence undercuts everything this monarch values. Fundamentally, cooperation, much less coexistence is impossible in the long term." 12:25:05: "If you want money, just take over the kingdom." 12:25:43: "Without getting outed as anathema obviously." 12:26:35: "Lost and Peerless there are too easily recognized. I'm obviously a shiftless sort who can't be trusted... Dragon! Ever wanted to be a queen?" 12:27:28: Spider idly tips her chair, shifting to balance it on one of its front legs as she talks. 12:29:46: "Well, would you be ready for your coronation next week?" 12:28:59: "I can't say I have ever thought of it." Dragon responds uncertainly. 12:31:43: "Seems fun! Besides, I've never met another 'nathema before." 12:31:17: lost coughs "Firstly are you two so freely supporting us? I mean the two of you have just met us. Secondly conquering a kingdom and ruling it are two different things though." 12:32:36: "I'll stick around at least until it starts to look too much like work." 12:32:30: lost ......I am going to need a lot of headache potions aren't I? 12:33:00: "And how much work is too much work, Spider?" I asked, curious. 12:33:18: "Not sure about coronation. And we have to take care of a kingdom. Sounds like a lot of work, and I have no idea of what a queen should do." Dragon turns to Lost. "You seem like ok people. And I like to help." She say with a smile. 12:33:27: "Whenever it gets boring." 12:34:59: "A bunch of /Anathema/ openly ruling a nation, using a first age manse complex that may or may not be a super weapon. Yes, I can safely say that we are going to be living in interesting times from now on." 12:35:49: "We can keep out nature secret. It's not as if we have to tell every soul about it." 12:35:49: "Oh no, none of us can get outed as Anathema, not for at least a year or two." 12:36:40: "Anyway, are we agreed then? Take over the current regime, use their funds to rebuild this complex and put it to use doing... whatever!" 12:39:57: "I have no objections, provided the current king has proven himself corrupt. I apologise, but the world is harsh enough without us adding to it. Still, if it absolutely necessary then I will support this." 12:40:29: "Anyway, violent revolution or a peaceful transition?" 12:41:51: "It depends, anyway, on the current king's personality" 12:41:52: "Through peace is far better than through violence." 12:41:53: Peerless shrugs 12:42:44: "I would prefer peaceful, but will it draw undue attention? Most transactions of this sort are always violent unless the exalted are involved. Depending on how we do it, even a peaceful solution may give us away." 12:43:56: "Well, it's easy enough to bring the citizens to riot over something, the question is do you want it to come to a war or emerge as heroes before then and simply oust the current administration ourselves?" 12:45:45: "Wouldn't we need a longer presence to justify ourselves being heros? We all are after all strangers in this land." 12:47:17: "Could get an easy cult out of it too...." 12:47:04: "Nah, Dragon just has to like... die and come back from the dead or something! Easy enough to fake!" 12:48:31: "Ooh! We can totally impersonate the Unconquered Sun and come and resurrect her personally and then...." me almost slips off of her perch as she produces a notepad and starts writing something... 12:48:30: "Please... no fake deaths. Honesty works best." 12:49:19: "...No impersonating the Unconquered Sun -.-" 12:50:20: "It'd work perfectly!" Spider glances around the room then hunches her shoulders a bit at everyone's unamused faces, "Anyway, the details will all work out once we start getting people upset. As long as we swoop in and take charge naturally it won't be hard, and does anyone really doubt Dragon has the... 'talents' to earn popularity with the people here?" 12:50:41: "Alright. Then, how shall we approach this? I mean that the manse still needs some repairs before we can use it as anything more than a place to sleep. Will we need a base to operate from or is it not necessary for what we have planned?" 12:52:00: dragon_ raise an eyebrow. "'Talent'? I have never been in charge of anything." She says with bemusement. 12:52:42: lost coughs, "that is not the....talent she is talking about." 12:52:48: Spider starts to laugh so hard she loses her balance entirely at that. 12:53:22: Peerless raises an eyebrow on Spider's laughter. "What's so funny, Spider?" 12:56:32: Spider rolls on the floor laughing 12:58:16: Peerless rolls eyes "Should I go get a doctor for you, Spider, considering you laughed out of nowhere...when we're planning to take over a country...should I laugh as well?" 12:59:15: dragon_ shakes her head. "I do have medical knowledge, but unless it's some abscure sickness I suspect that she simply has a strange sense of humor." 13:00:54: "K-k-killing me here." 13:00:25: "Let's just say, it is humor and leave it at that." 13:01:38: "Would you like me to release you from your apparent pain, then, or would Dragon_ do it?" 13:00:47: "..." 13:01:29: lost sighs and palms his face 13:02:18: "Ahem!" 13:02:36: "......I think this has gone on long enough. Can we please get on with it? As it is we have a lot of planning to do." 13:04:19: "Anyway," Spider sits normally at the table as if that didn't just happen, "The first step is to get the people angry enough to want him gone. Then we need to introduce Dragon." 13:05:18: "I can definitely get people angry, but controlling the riots is another story altogether." 13:05:29: "And how are we gonna do so, Spider? Scandals? Airing his dirty laundry?" 13:06:03: "And if the king is a genuinely nice (ahaha) person, how then, should we go on it?" 13:06:48: "If he is a good person we will let him be." Dragon says firmly. 13:06:18: "Well, then we get him corrupted first so people won't feel guilty!" 13:09:19: "No, Spider, we do not corrupt the king to do bad things...unless if it is to make him naughty." 13:10:21: "...By the way, that's just a joke" 13:12:02: "Drat." 13:12:10: "Well, we investigate then?" 13:13:17: "Why not? You in, Dragon_, Lost?" 13:13:36: dragon_ nods "sounds like a plan." 13:21:28: "I am more of a thinker then a sleuth. But I will help in what ever way I can."
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