Difference between revisions of "Kings Scry"

Revision as of 12:24, 6 November 2014

I make 12 pieces of paper, with fancy calligraphy, with the names and titles of the 12 rulers of the Kingdoms. Then I think about it for a while, and set the Viridian Queen aside, but add the name of the First Servant's wife to his slip.

I try to divide the remaining 11 slips up into Yin, Yang, and Chi to consider where their loyalties lie. (based on how the commanders came down, he's vaguely think it's Yang=personal ambition, Yin=loyalty to kingdom, Chi=loyalty to Empire, but he doesn't force that if another division seems more right).

Yang+Yang with I Ching Mastery: dice 18 7 19 Results are: 10 10 9 8 8 7 7 7 6 6 6 6 2 2 1 1 1 1 Target: 7. Natural successes: 8. Target: 7. Successes: 14.

Yin+Yin with I Ching Mastery: dice 18 7 19 Results are: 10 10 10 8 8 8 7 6 5 4 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 2 Target: 7. Natural successes: 7. Target: 7. Successes: 13.

Chi+Chi with I Ching Mastery: dice 18 7 19 Results are: 10 10 10 10 8 7 7 7 7 4 4 3 2 2 1 1 1 1 Target: 7. Natural successes: 9. Target: 7. Successes: 13.

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We'll go with more or less the Yang/Yin/Chi you describe.

• Lord Yu is Chi-ish for Yang reasons.

• The Steward is a weird combination of Yang for Yin reasons and Yin for Yang reasons.

• The Viridian Queen is Yang for Yin reasons.

• The First Servant and his wife are Yin for Chi reasons.

• The King of the Taiga is Fox for Yin reasons.

• High Warlord Ze is Yang for Yang reasons, but that isn't far from Yin.

• Lord Sonwu is Yin for Yang reasons.

• The Lord of Benevolent Oversight is Yang because so is everyone else.

• Highest Wisdom of the Illuminated Precincts is a little Yang-ish because all the Yin in the world is lives in his country.

• The Firelord is Yin for Yin reasons, but that ends up being pretty Yang.

• Ti Lao is Yin with aspirations of Chi.

• The Mayor of the Hidden City is Chi for Yang reasons.

You get seven clarifications or small questions about each of the Yang people, each of the Yin people, and each of the Chi people. You can use any of those on the King of the Taiga.

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Er, you left [The Viridian Queen] out, and the GMs forgot. (She did not sneakily insert herself in).

You can assume that the above is true within the limits of your scrying, but don't use the Yang questions on her. If there would have been thwackback had you left her in on purpose, it doesn't happen.

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Yang Questions

1) Is the Steward's weird mix of Yang and Yin basically what Yanyu saw in her horoscope of "I'm doing my best for my country, and would step down for the rightful King if he was better, but will be nigh-impossible to convince that anyone is better", or is there something more to it?

Basically that.

2) Does the parallel construction between the High Warlord's reading and the Firelord's reading signify some underlying parallel in their personalities or situation?

Somewhat, yes. For both of them, self-interest and country-interest share a path, but they walk from opposite directions.

3) Is "because so is everyone else" in the Lord of Benevolent Oversight's reading a statement of his personality and interpretation of the world, or a statement of how the Arcade works?

It's written as the former, but it's not like the latter isn't true too.

4) Would the Lord of Benevolent Oversight become more Yin or Chi if the surrounding Yang environment was reduced?

It depends on what caused the surrounding Yang environment to reduce, but probably more Yin.

5) Does "Yang for Yang reasons isn't far from Yin" for the High Warlord mean that his country is very Yang so being Yang is kind of loyal-to-country, or that he regards benefits to the country as benefits to him because he's King, or something else?

Neither of these is quite right. Anything that he does that benefits the country is done because of the personal power that he invokes to make it so.

6) Is the Highest Wisdom's Yang-ish-ness sufficient that he would be interested in helping with a Working that changed his country to make it more Dragon-y by giving him more power over the Sages?

Yes (with reservations depending on the details of the Working, because you can't be from the Precincts without reservations).

7) I think "Fox" is something like "he's loyal to his allies/agreements, like Fox, not to any of these other ideas." If that's not what it is, what is it?

That's about right.

Yin Questions

1) Are Ti Lao's "aspirations of Chi" a wish he could be loyal to the Empire but he doesn't think it's worthy, or a belief he should be loyal to the Empire, but in practice he would choose the Kingdom first, or something else entirely?

More like the former.

2) Does the Steward's Yin part include a particular attachment to the Peace of the Lake as a defining aspect of the country?

This is more like his "Yang for Yin Reasons" nature.

3) Is Lord Sonwu's Yin-ness mostly about trying to expand his country, or does he have other goals too?

"Expand" is too limiting. It's not just about territory. But it's mostly about that.

4) Why are the First Servant and his wife joined for divination purposes?

They work as a team, and the job requires one.

5) Are the First Servant and his wife Yin for Chi reasons in the "our country is the only one protecting the empire?" way, or is it something else?

That's the main reason, yes.

6) How do the Firelord's Yin reasons support him seeking personal advancement ?

That's the difference between being a strong ruler and a weak one.

7) How connected does the King of the Taiga feel to his Dukes?

They're pretty strongly connected. Fealty is a two-way connection.

Chi Questions:

1) What personal benefit does Lord Yu believes he gains from being Chi-ish?

Honor.

2) Does being Chi-ish mean Lord Yu would be sympathetic to helping Dragon reclaim his place at the top of the Empire?

Probably, though he tends to let the Pagodas worry about the mystical stuff.

3) Does the Mayor think the Empire will be *better* if it becomes the Spider Empire, or is he merely hopeful to see that for Yang reasons?

He does think it will be better, though kind of in the same way that a rich libertarian thinks the unrestrained free market is better than the alternative.

4) Would the Mayor change his feelings about the Spider Empire if he knew Spider was really Aku?

A non-zero amount, but less than you would like.

5) Has the Mayor picked a candidate for Emperor that he plans to back?

Yes, but not inexorably so.

6) What are the most important connections outside the Taiga the King of the Taiga feels?

The Taiga regent is one. There are several other people who he has a robust favor exchange with in other countries, most of them Fox-aspected.

7) What are the most important connections inside the Taiga, other than to his Dukes, that the King of the Taiga feels?

The Zhaos.