Fallen Empire

[albatross]

Claire shows them various trails and paths around the outskirts of the city. Bellephoebe and Tesla know there are Bunny Girls and Warrior Nuns hiding out in the grasslands, but they are far away and there is no sign of them.

Claire ponders Bellephoebe's question, but she doesn't have an answer.

[thorley]

"Well, perhaps we should head back. Thank you for showing me the trails and giving me my first experience horseback riding. As I said, I'll be here a while, and if you come up with a good answer feel free to let me know". She then smiles and says "I wouldn't worry too much at the moment, Talon doesn't seem to be in a hurry, and you've already made quite a positive impression with his advisors".

In part it occurs to Bellephoebe that being out this far from the palace might be a bad idea, a perfect place for another ambush or brain washing.

[yendor]

"How to be kind...good question...One for many a philosopher to figure out and debate. Let's take your example of the farmer who works hard, but loses his farm to a flood. To give the farmer alms, would be kind, but not very helpful if he intends to just spend the coin. An old saying I heard once, give a man a fish, and he'll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish, and he'll eat for a lifetime. The farmer loses his farm to a flood, help him acquire another farm, at least no worse than the one he started on."

[kurff]

"Yes getting back would be nice. I'm somewhat unacustomed to horse riding myself. Though I did enjoy it. He too shred the concern for an ambush.paticularly arranged by one the rivals or perhaps someone who thought they may not be the ones to pick a princess.

[albatross]

Claire frowns as she would much rather explore all day and she doesn't suspect any problems, much less danger. But she is nothing if not a good hostess. "We can return," she says and she guides them back careful to keep the new riders close by so they don't fall behind.

She doesn't seem any closer to solving the problem of how to rule a kingdom. "Many pardons, but I have not yet come up with an answer. In our lessons I suppose the answer would be not to let harm come to the ruler in the first place, or to use a powerful General to keep order until a long term solution is found. But that always seemed to me to be a dodge. I mean, what would I tell the General to do? There are so many responsibilities: peace, prosperity, happiness. I'm afraid no one person could handle them all. Perhaps the best thing would be to organize the court so that the key advisors could rise to the top and give me the best advice. But there are so many. How to choose the best... I'm afraid I'll have to think on your question further."

[thorley]

Jun 21, 2013 6:45:12 GMT -5 albatross said:

Claire frowns as she would much rather explore all day and she doesn't suspect any problems, much less danger. But she is nothing if not a good hostess. "We can return," she says and she guides them back careful to keep the new riders close by so they don't fall behind.

She doesn't seem any closer to solving the problem of how to rule a kingdom. "Many pardons, but I have not yet come up with an answer. In our lessons I suppose the answer would be not to let harm come to the ruler in the first place, or to use a powerful General to keep order until a long term solution is found. But that always seemed to me to be a dodge. I mean, what would I tell the General to do? There are so many responsibilities: peace, prosperity, happiness. I'm afraid no one person could handle them all. Perhaps the best thing would be to organize the court so that the key advisors could rise to the top and give me the best advice. But there are so many. How to choose the best... I'm afraid I'll have to think on your question further."

"Oh indeed, there is not one correct answer. Mine would simply be to learn as many of those things as you can yourself so you can do the jobs in a pinch, and double check more specialized aides from an informed position so as not to be entirely ignorant or dependent on them. I for example know battlefield command, engineering, fortifications, magic, and a large variety of things of that sort specifically so I can lead when the need arises even if I am currently a wanderer for the moment. To be honest I think the process here is a bit odd and that the training they have given you has entirely the wrong focus, probably coming from not having what I think are the proper expectations for a queen. Of course nothing can be done about that now, but I am trying to approach things from the perspective of who I would leave in charge of a kingdom if I had to. Allowing for the realities of the situation and the way training is done here, I plan to advise as best I can.

I don't need an answer now, nor do I expect miracles. I imagine it will be a while before I have to give Talon my opinion and I'm still meeting the girls".

Bellephoebe feels sorry for Claire on a lot of levels, thankfully for her this whole interview process is mostly just a guise to poke around looking for information about the upcoming cataclysm and how to avoid it. On that level Bellephoebe herself feels a bit lost, though she's figuring maybe just keeping the purple eyed candidate off the throne is enough.

[albatross]

Claire's beautiful face scrunches up in confusion, "The Empire is huge, more than one continent. Letters take months, even years to reach all the corners. How could I do anything myself? I mean if there is a problem with the crops in the south and with brigands in the north, I'd still need to stay in the Capital in case there was a tornado in the east..." Baffled, Claire falls silent. She tries to imagine what a world would be like where she could be out and doing things. She smiles, "I like your method better, I shall have to think on how to accomplish it."

The slow ride back into the city is uneventful. Tesla and Bellephoebe are a bit sore being unused to riding, but it is the first exercise they've had since the arrived. Claire carefully brushes down the horses and makes sure each is well fed and watered before going back to the castle.

[thorley]

Bellephoebe stretches once Claire is gone and says to Tesla "Ugh, I think I'll stick with hover vehicles and mounts that travel without touching the ground thank you. It also occurs to me that the point Claire raises about communications is a valid one. I wonder if we should consider introducing some technology here, normally I'd be concerned about the problems that could arise from doing so the old "Prime Directive" thing, but given that we have an idea of what's coming I don't see how it could make anything worse, and it could ultimately solve a lot of problems. Especially if we could control who we give it to. Putting up towers or satellites for intercontinental relays would be rough, but since your supposed to be a legendary genius I figured you might be able to figure something out.... that said, this has been a relative bust, I'm not really cut out to be a detective I don't think".

Bellephoebe sighs and unless Tesla starts a prolonged theorycrafting session she'll go poke around the castle randomly to see what she can spot. If anyone questions her she'll say she's looking for Pike and then go find her to chat when she gets directions.

[albatross]

A helpful cleaning crew is able to give Bellephoebe directions to Pike, who is at dance practice. At the dance hall, Bellephoebe finds about a dozen dancers taking their craft far too seriously. Clearly dancing is serious business for a princess.

Pike takes a break and greets Bellephoebe with a smile, "Have you come to dance with us?"

[kurff]

"I would be happy to explore later, Claire. after a bit of rest and some food." he countered. he answered claire.

Once claire was gone he spoke more freely "I would find the idea of technology as a communications method to be...dangerous here. There are other means..hawks, Currier, and they have magic here as well. Once you add technology you allow for other less pleasant innovations and with such ambition even mundane levels of power can create tyrants of heroes, heroes of villains and good will a thing to be feared." he frowned at the mention advancing them artificially.

"Also the balance of power must be considered. Can you count on the ones we gave it to stopping at their goals? in all likelihood they force there 'wisdom' and 'Benevolence' on others with said technology and be a worse threat." he comments as he followed her.

[thorley]

Bellephoebe responds "All of what you say is true, however consider we're dealing with a dimension that is going to be annihilated. The way I see it is that creating a few tyrants and that kind of bloodshed and chaos is actually a step up from what we're dealing with as a threat. Not to mention that army of demons that crashed the battle between Fakir and Talon followed the Old Ones, which seems to imply whomever is acting here is acting in the name of the Old Ones, we need to consider balancing that equasion. Finally this dimension also has magic, alchemy, and other forces, as someone who uses both tech and magic they are both similarly powerful forces in the end, introducing tech simply gives them more options, it's not like super mages couldn't wreck them just as badly, that's happened in plenty of dimensions already. The way I see it is that anything that as bad as we might make things anything that doesn't end with total and complete destruction is a step up at this point."

-

Bellephoebe's intent was actually to poke around randomly with finding Pike being the excuse if she was caught. Interviewing the Princesses being a cover (as I understand it) for general information gathering. That doesn't much matter though I suppose.

"Hiya Pike, I'm afraid I don't know how to dance at all. If your busy, I can come back later, otherwise I was wondering if you'd like to take a walk with me and talk for a while?"

If Pike consents then Bellephoebe will talk to the chatterbox (and probably enjoy herself) as she wanders randomly through the castle and pokes around. While going she'll ask "Have you put any thought into my earlier questions about what you might do as queen or how you'd act in case of an emergency" and "I really like you, and I was wondering what happens if you wind up not marrying the price?"

[kurff]

Jul 19, 2013 4:40:27 GMT -5 thorley said:

Bellephoebe responds "All of what you say is true, however consider we're dealing with a dimension that is going to be annihilated. The way I see it is that creating a few tyrants and that kind of bloodshed and chaos is actually a step up from what we're dealing with as a threat. Not to mention that army of demons that crashed the battle between Fakir and Talon followed the Old Ones, which seems to imply whomever is acting here is acting in the name of the Old Ones, we need to consider balancing that equasion. Finally this dimension also has magic, alchemy, and other forces, as someone who uses both tech and magic they are both similarly powerful forces in the end, introducing tech simply gives them more options, it's not like super mages couldn't wreck them just as badly, that's happened in plenty of dimensions already. The way I see it is that anything that as bad as we might make things anything that doesn't end with total and complete destruction is a step up at this point."

-

"So lets just give them all atomic bombs and super weapons to destroy the demons then, and when the fighting over and the enemy is gone they can destroy themselves in the strife that follows? They have magic enough to deal with it. If you feel introducing tech is fine..then why not teach them magic better able to deal with demons and such then." he counters.

"Fact is more power never solved anything..Its a better use of power that saves lives. They have plenty of power...they just need to be taught how to use it." he grinned, "But we can save this debate for another time."

"As it is I better see about the others. good hunting.."

[albatross]

Miriam ponders this for a while. "Intriguing," she says while taking a sip of her drink. "But how will test for kindness? How to compare two candidates?"

[albatross]

Pike accompanies Bellephoebe anywhere she wishes to go inside the castle. No where seems off limits, and everyone they meet is carrying on conversations or tasks without regard that someone may be watching.

The younger girls who are far too young to think about marriage handle various chores and cleaning tasks and a few old old matrons supervise.

"I've thought about your questions often milady, yet I'm afraid I'm no closer to an answer as yet." She skips slightly and then continues, "If I don't marry this prince then I'll simply marry someone else. Kingdoms and lords are always sending away for wives for their sons. The Empire is vast, with many people living far and wide. All the women here get married eventually, though some return after their husbands die... to train others."

[albatross]

Fakir and Beatrix have acquired various substances for Tesla to study. Along with the vial they brought him earlier they ask him to find out what they are, how they work and any potential counter.