City of IF

[Key]

The next chapter of the featured storygame "The Machine's Daughter" has been posted:

Chapter 12: Warnings in the Night

Discussion and voting are complete for Chapter 12.

For more about the storygame, see the New Players Start Here topic in this forum.

[Kalanna Rai]

It dosen't seem in Pilla's nature to just strike someone down no matter what...and yet this might be the turning point in her character where she takes the first step off of her carefully trod path and down a radically different one.

My suggestion is to put the 'divine murder' shceme into place and then say something to the effect of 'during the night I had a dream in which I was asked many questions to proove my worth. The voice then told me that if I, a child of Tarmento had to answer these questions, then why should others be exempt' Then ask him for the absoulte truth on every rumor.

Tell him he'll be struck dead if he lies...that should provide enough cover for the 'divine murder' while giving him the chance to save his hide...and sooth Pilla's better sense.

[Shady Stoat]

Very tricky. Also very good writing and directing :grin:

I don't see Pilla as a murderer, no matter how much pressure she is under. Perhaps, then, a trick - but not one that is directed so violently against others?

Could something be done to make Pilla appear divine as she talks? Some sort of glow or light effect? If Rigiva is rejected, he will probably attack, as he has no belief that you are divine. It is his soldiers that you will have to convince, not him.

Destroy their morale, somehow, and they will choose to join your troops, rather than to stay with a conquering king, as half of them probably only follow him from fear instead of loyalty, anyway.

Even if half of them can be persuaded somehow, that makes the numbers on your side. Of course, Rigiva will probably follow you, raging at the insult to his pride and his rulership. But it should at least give you time to get to the mountain and see the serpent-witches.

[Chinaren]

Well, I don't think Rigi is going to be fooled that easily, and I don't think he is going to be killed that easily either, even if Pilla could/would do it. You don't get to be a tryannical overlord by going round being all trusting and stupid. If I were him I would be prepared for a rejection and have troops standing by, as well as mages, or their equivalent.

Having rejected his offer, or if she is going to, then the only options she has is run away or fight. Neither are very realistic, considering you are in the middle of his lands and outnumbered. If she is going to become a leader she needs to get a backbone, because others will just walk all over her otherwise.

Told you to accept his offer, but no, you had to go and get all moral on me.

[Araex]

I was going to say that maybe we should tell our own forces that Rigi's men don't like him either, and then perhaps they will start talking; become friends, and then our soldiers can turn his soldiers against him; and also spread rumours about Pilla's divinity. If Rigi only has a few men left who support him; then maybe a fight won't be so bad.

Now however, although this might still work, I find myself agreeing with Stout: get ready for the kill, but dress it up in the questions. Perhaps we can do both?

[Smee]

I'm finding my thoughts lie in the same directions as Chinaren's.

He is away from his capital, and base so I think it's fair to assume he has only brought along soldiers as fanatical about his vision as him. They'll be the bullies and glory-hounds riding his tail-cloak.

I don't think anything but a display of divine-death would convince them, and even then I'm sure a couple of his most trusted will immediately move to replace him instead of us.

I don't want to accept the offer though. :?

I would probably advise killing him herself, but Stoat and others are right that she wouldn't do it, and Chinaren is right that she probably wouldn't be able to - a brutal tyrant tends to be capable of protecting himself.

So that leaves running away. If they can get away with it I think it's the only thing that will work and Pilla could reason to herself as the only thing to do.

However, if the King doesn't follow her then he'll be waiting when she wants to go back. This problem won't go away and she may have to deal with it as brutally as possible or face a much bigger one later on.

Can her logic see that far into the future and give her the strength to do something now?

[Shady Stoat]

Another possibility is to say that she will agree to marry him - on the mountain, in the presence of the serpent-witches. It doesn't get rid of the problem, but it might delay it a little.

And, once she's up there, with the zigots and the witches - and not on Rigiva's territory any more, it might be easier to find a way to dispose of him, whether that means killing him off or deposing him from his position of power.

It's another way of looking at it, anyway...

[LordoftheNight]

I'd say kill him or marry him, but no that the latter plan is almost out of the way, murder sounds good to me.

[Alegria]

I'd have to agree with one of stoat's ideas. I don't think she would murder him herself, but if she delayed, it would give her more time to think.

[Araex]

To develop Stoat's ideas [It seems she has all the best ones anyways] perhaps we should tell him that we are unsure of what is expected of us as a Child of Taremto, and that we want the Witch Serpents to bless the wedding?

[Ravenwing]

Like others have mentioned, Pilla is not going to be able to through with cold blooded murder. It is not her nature at all.

I like the divine-murder idea that Rai here has given. Don't exactly kill him, but give him a few threats to scare him a bit. Mayhaps that will give us a little time to confirm a few rumors heard of him. Like whether or not he offered Masakati marriage and then killed her when she refused him.

That would give us some time to look for advice from the serpent-witches. This may only delay her final decision, but Pilla needs to escape this sticky situation.Her advisors have good suggestions, but I wouldn't trust them when it comes to making the final choice. They're ideas are too bias for my liking. Pilla needs help from a third party I think.

[Mother Goose]

I like the idea of some kind of display to impress the troops if not Rigiva. I agree Pilla is not one to murder him in cold blood (even if it were physically possible - as Chinaren pointed out, not likely). But if even some of his soldiers were stricken with awe of her and reluctance to attack a child of Taremto, he might go a bit slower about starting a battle.

Do we know that the serpent witches are on the mountain? I thought they were in the wild lands beyond and might be hard to find.

By the way, why on earth (or why in the wheel) did the Zigots start a colony there? It's not near their land, and certainly their coming is contested by the Scarpi. For minerals?

[Ravenwing]

Well the Zigots are a very curious race I would assume. Maybe they sought information beyond their original city of Zigoz.

[Key]

Thanks for the discussions - keep it going.

Mother Goose wrote: Do we know that the serpent witches are on the mountain? I thought they were in the wild lands beyond and might be hard to find.
You're correct on both points - they are in the Wild Lands and might be hard to find. None of the Scarpi know exactly where they are.

Mother Goose wrote: By the way, why on earth (or why in the wheel) did the Zigots start a colony there?
Good question! If you'd taken the caravan there, you might have found out by now, but none of the Scarpi you've talked to have a clue.

[D-Lotus]

Everybody says that Pilla does not have the heart of a murderer. But if she tries to run away, then her friends will be killed. Then she would be a murderer, because she left her people to die knowingly. Therefore, if she doesn't have the courage to kill Rigiva, then she doesn't have the courage to run away. Is she such a coward that she will let Rigiva kill a hundred of her followers, instead of taking his one life?

Delaying is not going to work. If he's so smart, he'll suspect something, and he'll never allow you to leave his lands. Besides, you've already delayed and it has accomplished nothing.

Flat out refusal? Well, we could try but it's risky.

The question is...Is it time to step up and risk it?

Rigiva is a smart king, but he's not all-knowing. He seems to want to take make you accept the offer by showing you confidence, so maybe he did get carried away and never brought anybody to protect him.

Are the troops loyal to him? I think that if the scarpi said that they are not, then they probably are not. The scarpi have been in communication with his soldiers more than you, so they probably know.

I think their plan is not all bad, but the smoke thing is kind of cheesy... if they can do it, so can Rigiva's scarpi soldiers...probably.

Use your Zigot knowledge... can you create an explosion, or some sort of chemical reaction?

[KatieS]

Good discussion, hope we get a lot of it - this may be Pilla's hardest decision yet.

[Ravenwing]

We're not going to get anything by killing Rigiva either I think. There are still several unanswered questions that need to be answered. And since Rigiva seems to be the center of all the rumors, it makes sense to get some sort of answer from him.

Whether or not the answers are going to be reliable is for Pilla's and our's interpretation. Same goes with trusting this guy.

Maybe we can kill him later.

And to sort of go in the technical aspect. I think leaving Rigiva alive would just make the journey more perilous. So far, our journey has slowed. Having a rampaging king on our tail moves the character and the story along.

[Mother Goose]

Thinking about the Zigot colony has raised another question, maybe not relevant to this immediate decision, but:

How are the supply caravans (like the one Pilla would have taken if she had decided to teach there) getting through to the mountain? Is it possible Rigiva is letting them through, to keep the other tribes busy fighting Zigots while he takes over their territories at home?

Maybe if they could prove or expose his treachery, even some of his own troops would revolt.

[Smee]

Stunning thoughts Mother Goose :shock: Well spotted

[Ravenwing]

An interesting thought you brought up, Mother Goose. Of course now if we want to prove it, we're going to have to either find enough hard evidence or just make it so believable that Rigiva would fear that Pilla knows.

[ethereal_fauna]

At this point I think Pilla might actually reconsider, and accept the marriage offer. She saves her life and her friends in the short term, and perhaps gains a little power which she can use to advance her goals.

And as Mother Goose brought up, there are other questions to seek answers to. Perhaps from the inside, Pilla can not only gain what she wants, but expose the treachery and help out the Scarpi as well. There are logical advantages to accepting this union.

[D-Lotus]

Ravenwing wrote:
And to sort of go in the technical aspect. I think leaving Rigiva alive would just make the journey more perilous. So far, our journey has slowed. Having a rampaging king on our tail moves the character and the story along.

It moves the story along...unless she gets captured...

Don't take anything for granted.

[Ravenwing]

Ah, but any event can move the plot along. I was just offering one idea, D. Should she get captured, that tells a different story, and moves the plot in another direction.

[Mother Goose]

Someone who'd marry a six-foot battle-hardened scorpion who isn't even pretending to have any feeling for her, in hopes of finding out his guilty secrets, has more guts than I have! Or Pilla, I think. Seems to me she wouldn't last long in such a marriage.

But as for finding out, maybe some of his army would know if there were orders about not attacking certain caravans. Is there any hope of fraternizing among the troops?

Sorry I'm not more helpful about what she should do. I guess I'm leaning toward running away. I suppose there's no chance they could all get out without being discovered and stopped?

[Smee]

This is certainly a tricky one. :?

I was swayed by Fauna's idea, but Mothergoose's sensible mentioning of exactly 'what' she was marrying rather than just 'who' makes me realise that isn't really an option.

*wanders off to read the chapter again*

[ethereal_fauna]

That is assuming that she'd be alone. As queen she could choose her court, I'd presume. Perhaps she should stipulate that marrying her means a marriage to her companions as well, that she has no intentions of seperating from the people she trusts when she accepts this union.

Considering 'what' she'd be refusing as well as 'who' she'd be refusing still makes acceptance look more appealing upon reconsideration. Either way presents danger to her and the people travelling with her. Why not salvage something from this? Why not take an impossible, no-win situation and try to turn it into something advantageous for you?

It's not like the union starts when you utter the word 'yes'. There is still time to plot and plan as you already are, in fact more of it because the king is delayed by acceptance rather than spurred to action by a refusal or some lame attempt to buy time.

Logic and strategy triumph over timidity and fear.

[Araex]

Mmm... can we ask our friends how binding marriage is?

Is it like in ye olde days, when marriage was a contract for life, or nowadays, when marriages can come and go? If it is so clear that this is a marriage of convenience, why don't we marry him - but only for as long as it is convenient.

[Mother Goose]

Good thought, Araex! What are their customs and beliefs about marriage anyway? Rigiva has already said they aren't sexually compatible (I think), so what does marriage mean; why not just an alliance or treaty? Is it possible to come into a marriage with a bodyguard as fauna suggests?

[Shady Stoat]

I tend to think that marriage is a bad idea. This Rigiva is far from respected in his own community. Pilla is also far from established as a god or a leader.

Couldn't a union between them just as easily turn into a war between the new King and Queen and the rest of the tribes? The rest of the scarpi could either turn against Pilla, thinking her a false prophet, or they could feel that she has been pressured into a marriage that was against her will, and could be incensed enough to descend into war over it.

Either way, I doubt whether she can please everyone in this situation. It didn't work well for Masakati, and it is unlikely to work well for Pilla.

Perhaps, once Rigiva is sleeping, some - or even a few - of his troops can be led into talking. Then levers of morale or gaining of information can be put into operation. Once a wedge can be found, then we might be able to use it.

Besides, as I've said before, Pilla seems to have been flailing around looking for a way to go. First Peran, then the Goat Forest, then the serpent-witches. Do we really want to change goals again?

[Key]

Araex wrote: Mmm... can we ask our friends how binding marriage is?

Marriage among the Scarpi is not necessarily for life. However, divorce, unless it occurs with the consent of both parties, is often violent.

[ethereal_fauna]

Well they're plotting to kill the guy anyways. Regardless this is highly likely to end in violence. I hardly see a less-than-amicable divorce as a deterrent.

[Key]

OK, here's what I've got as options so far. Let me know soon if there's anything you want to add or change:

- Accept Rigiva's proposal
- Accept Rigiva's proposal but only on the condition that the Serpent-Witches bless the marriage
- Accept Rigiva's proposal but only on the condition that her friends stay near her
- Pretend to accept Rigiva's proposal to get close, then kill him
- Flee tonight with a few close friends
- Threaten to accuse Rigiva of allying with the Zigots if he doesn't let you across his land
- Befriend Rigiva's soldiers and try to turn them against him while he sleeps

[Key]

D-Lotus wrote: Use your Zigot knowledge... can you create an explosion, or some sort of chemical reaction?

Good thought, but Pilla studied philosophy, not science or engineering. Some Zigots might be able to do this, but not her.

[Chinaren]

Quote: I hardly see a less-than-amicable divorce as a deterrent. I hardly see a less-than-amicable divorce as a deterrent .

LOL! I see him more as a Henry VIII marriage type myself!


I really don't think trying to sway the soldiers would work. If they were that easy to sway he wouldn't have conquered as much as he had already. Plus maybe they like the bloodshed and war. Not everyone is a 'nice fellow' you know.

[Ravenwing]

Quote: Marriage among the Scarpi is not necessarily for life. However, divorce, unless it occurs with the consent of both parties, is often violent.

It is nice to know that either way, Pilla is going to have experience some form of violence. Perhaps delaying said violence may not be a good idea. We will have see what happens. :cool:

[D-Lotus]

Yeah, lets get some gory action! :D

[Key]

Poll's up! Happy voting :D

[Ravenwing]

Didn't we have the idea of threatening to kill him if he didn't answer a few questions in the disguise that Pilla was really a god? :cool: Or was that too complicated to phrase?

[Key]

Hmm...well, I interpreted that line of suggestion as meaning that you would kill him after asking those questions. Was there something else that you were thinking of? What else would you do after asking those questions?

[Ravenwing]

Well, at first I did think they were going to kill him as an act of god. But as I read the details of what they planned to do with the smoke and all, it seemed likely that they could threatend death on Rigiva's head, frightening him enough, and gaining a promise from him that he wouldn't follow them until Pilla made her decision, or to accept her rejection. Both of those work.

Of course this idea seems a bit complicated because it connects a lot of the other choices in the poll. But I thought his idea was a very middle idea. It doesn't kill Rigivia, but it is close enough.

I think the only reason I wanted to add such idea was because right now Pilla is in too tight a spot. And that she needs to run away, yes, but she should make a few lasting impressions on the Scarpi king, so he understands who he may be up against.