07.13k: Of Moats and Marionettes

The goings on of courts
khadjair
Lunatic
Posts: 286
Joined: Thu Feb 20, 2014 1:35 pm

Re: 07.13k: Of Moats and Marionettes

Post by khadjair »

"On that note... haven't we seen that Amber itself has cast shadows? There was that matter with the city in the woods..." His words drift off for a bit as he looks thoughtful.

"I don't think I like the method you're describing when put that way. And it's nto somethign I think we want to emulate. But... and this is a big but... what do these echoes of Amber out in Shadow mean where this is concerned? Think we could map them, at least know how deep Amber's tendrils go, to give us a possible second data point on how this works? I mean, so far all we have is Theotropolis as an example, but Amber seems to do it as well."
misfit
Raving Mad
Posts: 651
Joined: Sun Sep 02, 2012 5:13 pm

Re: 07.13k: Of Moats and Marionettes

Post by misfit »

At this point, Harrune will join the group.

"My apologies for being tardy." I'm assuming he gets a quick synopsis at this point.

"Yes, it is expanding. I wonder just what it would consider 'enough' if the shadows it already controls are not. It has already been observing Amber. Cameron's has been the only contact that did not turn hostile. As I recall, it struck the first blow."

"I agree that the defense it offers could easily turn into a jail for us. ...or perhaps it is thinking more in terms of a dam to create a reservoir of our power that it hopes to be able to tap?"

"Either way, based on my own experience I do not trust it. It is so single minded in its control that I don't think it would find partnership, or subservience, acceptable for any length of time. My gut reaction is to see it as enemy, but I will admit that I may be thinking more with my heart than my head at this point."

"Whether we choose to continue negotiations or not, we need to prepare a plan to fight it. It is all well and good to say that we can fight it with a Greater Power, but we need a plan for practical application. How do we apply that power, and where?"

"Perhaps it would be wisest to split our forces here. One group to try diplomacy and one to plan for war. The latter will need to know how the former is faring, but it would probably be best not to have the opposite be true. One cannot accidentally give away what one does not know."

"I think I have dominated the conversation enough for the moment. Who has anything they wish to add?"
Rasanam
Lunatic
Posts: 405
Joined: Mon Feb 24, 2014 10:09 pm

Re: 07.13k: Of Moats and Marionettes

Post by Rasanam »

Rasanam nods. "That seems reasonable to me. I'd be happy to be in either of those groups, really, though I think trying to find applications of Pattern might be the more interesting task."

Then he turns back to Cameron, "On the city in the woods - perhaps I am mistaken, but I didn't get the feeling that's the same thing that Theotropolis is doing. Of course, that doesn't mean that it doesn't bear further investigation..."
khadjair
Lunatic
Posts: 286
Joined: Thu Feb 20, 2014 1:35 pm

Re: 07.13k: Of Moats and Marionettes

Post by khadjair »

Cameron nods a bit. "I have no real idea either way, it was just a passing thought. If Amber echoes down through Shadow, it might be different, an dperhaps more durable, than what Theotropolis is doing. It was more a thought than anything."

"As for where Id be best-suited... this is a sort of siegecraft I'm entirely unfamiliar with, and I was the first successful diplomatic contact, so I think we know which side I'd end up on, though I admit... diplomat is not high on my list of skills, but I hope I acquitted myself well."

He discovers his glass is empty and sets it down, thinknig it best to not go for a refill yet.
User avatar
Joshua
Gibbering
Posts: 2987
Joined: Sun Feb 08, 2009 11:59 pm

Re: 07.13k: Of Moats and Marionettes

Post by Joshua »

Oberon will think. "It seems dangerous. It reformatted nearby shadows into being itself. That... is not what we want. If we were to do that for mutual protection, we'd want variations." He pauses*. "If we want an area around us, we'd want independence, not a hive-mind."

"For this particular collective, I suppose what we need to know is... it has a center. Is its center like our pattern? Or is it decentralized. The center just being a geographic construct, not a place of power?" He will tap his sword lightly. "At the moment, we cannot directly harm each other. It will attempt to fix that soon enough. And once it realizes that it CAN harm us, because we're individuals, it will strike."
______________
*: Sound familiar?
Rasanam
Lunatic
Posts: 405
Joined: Mon Feb 24, 2014 10:09 pm

Re: 07.13k: Of Moats and Marionettes

Post by Rasanam »

Rasanam nods to Cameron, "On the other hand, switching up who it's talking to might actually be useful - maintain the illusion of a hive mind, and minimize the apparent importance of any one individual. So I wouldn't say your choice of group is necessarily set in stone."

To Oberon, he replies, "That sort of investigation sounds like something I could manage - examine the energy flows through its local planes, compare what it's doing to what can be found in 'shadows' of Amber..."
misfit
Raving Mad
Posts: 651
Joined: Sun Sep 02, 2012 5:13 pm

Re: 07.13k: Of Moats and Marionettes

Post by misfit »

"If we are to split our forces, I think I would be best in the fighting group. I cannot say that I have seen enough of the home shadow to any sort of expert, but I did get off to a bad start with it. I doubt it would take kindly to anything I might say to it."
User avatar
Joshua
Gibbering
Posts: 2987
Joined: Sun Feb 08, 2009 11:59 pm

Re: 07.13k: Of Moats and Marionettes

Post by Joshua »

Oberon will nod. "Sounds like a plan. I suppose we'll need someone to coordinate this?"
misfit
Raving Mad
Posts: 651
Joined: Sun Sep 02, 2012 5:13 pm

Re: 07.13k: Of Moats and Marionettes

Post by misfit »

"If you wouldn't mind? Or if you have someone in mind? It would probably be best to have one person to gather the information and pass it along as appropriate."

"I will have to think about how to fight an entire shadow...or rather more than one shadow, isn't it? We'd almost need to..." Harrune's face becomes a mask of abject horror and he shudders visibly. "By the 7+12 that's...it's too terrible. It could...one would need to...it might work. There...there has to be a better way."
Rasanam
Lunatic
Posts: 405
Joined: Mon Feb 24, 2014 10:09 pm

Re: 07.13k: Of Moats and Marionettes

Post by Rasanam »

Rasanam frowns and looks over at Harrune. "Do I even want to know what you were thinking of?"
Post Reply