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| Action Id: 4426 | Crisis: | Participants: Cassiopeia, Cesare, Arman, Orland, Nina, Baldessare, Andromeda, Maharet, Giorgio(RIP), Savio, Zakhar(RIP) and Markos | |
| Status: Resolved | Submitted: Jan. 8, 2022, 1:54 p.m. | Public: True | GM: Herja |
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Action by Cassiopeia
Before the Reckoning, shamans would take a pilgrimage to the south-eastern part of the Saffron Chain. They would go to where the dreamtrees grew, smoke up and keep the Blood Beast asleep. While this no longer happens, Proscipi wants to trace these footsteps, and confirm the route.
As we trace this pilgrimage route, we want to work with the local "Abandoned" tribes to:
1. Get information from them regarding the Blood Spirit, if they have any
2. Prepare them for the danger to come if Kal'kul'raja wakes
3. Establish friendly relations with them so that if outsiders sanctioned by House Proscipi arrive in their lands, they will allow these sanctioned outsiders to travel unimpeded along the pilgrimage route.
Action by Andromeda
Andromeda is here for physical protection, and to help make hostiles back down. Additionally, she might be able to help train people for war.
Action by Savio
Savio has secured 1 million silver from certain allies in order to help finance the expedition. The money is to be used for travel, supplies, paying a trustworthy crew, repair of equipment, first aid for group, gifts/bribes for the Abandoned, whatever is needed. He will also go along on the mission in order to help with combat/survival/sailing skills.
Action by Orland
Orland will be supporting goal number 1. with bringing gifts! Gifts of artistry from Bravura! It's always good to ply your wanted allies with gifts! He will be aiding with goal number 2. by committing military resources as needed, likely from Bravura as well. To support number 3, Orland will once again sweeten the deal with trade deals with Bravura
Action by Nina
Nina wishes to assist on the pilgramage and learning more about the spirit and its slumber. She has heard about the prayers said to the spirit, and wonders what she can learn about this from speaking to shamans. She wants to both aid in diplomatic relations with these folks and learn about their ways so she can help in the cause of keeping the blood spirit happy and sleeping. Maybe there are some spiritual lullabies she can learn about to assist the cause, but she also believes her natural charm and persuasiveness will be useful on this venture.
Action by Zakhar(RIP)
Zakhar will make use of his rank in the Crimson Blades and bring a small army with to the Saffron to help ensure that while they are not seeking to be an occupational force, that they are not to be toyed with and seek to befriend and help the Abandoned. In this he will join the expedition and help talk with those Abandoned as one that is still very much a shav, and barely having taken knee to the Compact to help explain the position that they are in.
Action by Markos
Markos isn't much of a diplomat but he's good outdoors and will partake in the scout for the expedition, acting as an advance scout and range ahead of the rest of the group to blaze a trail for them, as well as keep an eye out for any dangers.
Action by Giorgio(RIP)
Giorgio will be assisting with the expedition in the diplomatic efforts of goal one and two. He is a seasoned diplomat and native of the Saffron Chain from the wealthy Pontelaeus banking family, and he will seek to use those connections to find those with the information they seek regarding Kal'kul'raja. Beyond this, he will use his mercantile abilities to attempt and parlay deals profitable enough to the Abandoned to garner their cooperation with gifts and treasures.
Action by Cesare
Cesare will be assisting in the diplomatic portion of these goals, as a seasoned diplomat with experience under his belt who has spent a bit of time in the Chain and is considered an ally of House Proscipi. He'll use his effortless charm and knowledge to convince the native peoples of the area that it is very much in their best interests as well as the interests of like, everyone in the world, to allow these missions to happen, and will also take his time to learn anything about dreamwalking and particularly any Jayus-related rites that he can.
Action by Arman
Arman is a seasoned diplomat and experienced in negotiating with Abandoned. He will travel with the expedition and lend his expertise in diplomacy and persuasion to learn what they can about the Blood Spirit and smooth over any incidents that are likely to occur when outsiders land on strange islands.
Action by Maharet
As Cultural Emissary of Tremorus, and a commoner to boot, Maharet will be focusing all of her attention on the social aspects of the pilgrimage, with more focus on #3 than on #1, though both will be part of her duties. She will attempt to broker any deals honestly with them through Proscipi, Whisper, and Suspire contacts, relying on her natural charm and status among the people.
Action by Baldessare
Baldessare is no diplomatic but has spent years running a diplomatic escort, so he will join to keep an eye on the safety and security of the diplomats. While he is not the person you want handling the negotiations, he is extensively skilled at being able to interact with others in a non-threatening and polite way, while also keep tracking of the situation. Escorting dipomatics has been his bread and butter for years.
Result
Trying to negotiate with the Abandoned is never an easy endeavor, even when they -want- to cut a deal with the Compact. It is even more so when said Abandoned aren't just suspicious as to the motives of those that approach them, but have more than a few very good reasons to want to avoid the citizens of the Compact as much as possible. The Abandoned of the Saffron Chain have every reason to eschew contact, much less negotiating, with those of the Compact. How much destruction have they been witness to? The battle with the Skal'dajans, still very fresh in the memories of most people of the Chain, had Abandoned casualties as well, with many of those same Abandoned claiming that the people of the Compact brought that war upon them.
So, they have their work cut out for them.
Initially, there is reason to hope. They aren't immediately attacked for a start. While the Abandoned they run across in their journey, called the Keita and the Fintan, are wary of Cassiopeia, Savio, and Giorgio, they were born in the Chain which gives them some degree of credibility. Savio's extensive funding of the project means that the small bribes to help grease the way don't run out too soon. Cassiopeia's very presence is treated with a certain degree of respect, rather like the visit of a foreign dignitary. Orland's gifts are well-received and soften the Keita, known for their own impressive works of art and love of beauty, somewhat, even if they are still wary. Nina's beautiful singing seems to both have a soothing effect and genuinely interest some of the Keita who show off with a little singing of their own. Markos scouts the best routes to meet with the Fintan, who are far more reclusive than their Keita neighbors, and Andromeda, a fearsome presense, it paid respect both as a native of the Chain and also for her prowess which is reknowned in Tremorus.
Things get a bit shaky at the presence of 'foreigners' like Arman and Baldessare who are, unfortunately, considered emblematic of the fear that many of these people have regarding the Compact and how it might seek to not just control the people of the Chain, but even slaughter them. Even these people are not so isolated that stories of the Compact and what they do to those who refuse to bend the knees are not known. Zakhar, though he is a Prodigal, is also regarded warily, as his chaotic nature and the threats that he liberally throws around don't cow the Keita and the Fintan into compliance so much as make them want to give the chaotic man a wide berth.
The negotiations threaten to fall apart, but Maharent and Giorgio, with their diplomatic grace and their familiarity with the culture of the people of the Saffron Chain manage to eke out a few concessions. Both groups agree to leave any further foreigners alone to do what needs to be done, provided that they do not attempt to build settlements in the area or otherwise threaten them with death or, perhaps even worse, colonization. In that case, all deals are off and the foreigners are fair game. The Fintan demand a hefty price for the agreement in the form of food, weapons, and, for the Keita specifically, more of the art that Orland has shown them. They do not provide much information regarding Kal'kul'raja and don't even seem terribly troubled by the threat of death and destruction should it fully awaken. Right or wrong, they decide that sounds like a Compact problem, not a 'them' problem.