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| Action Id: 3247 | Crisis: | Participants: Celeste, Belladonna, Viviana, Alrec(RIP), Sebastian, Sudara and Ari(RIP) | |
| Status: Resolved | Submitted: April 8, 2019, 9:21 a.m. | Public: True | GM: Apostate |
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Economic Resources: 100 Social Resources: 1000 |
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Action by Celeste
During a previous @action of Alrec's, the Tortorici family - formerly a line of Pravus some 300 years ago or so - were encountered and made an offer of assistance to House Pravus in exchange for either vast wealth or marriage and ennoblement to bring them back into the Compact. Celeste and Belladonna have discussed this think the time to bring in a new line of Prodigal nobles is not now. So they're gathering up assistance to broker a deal that will allow the Tortorici to come back in as prodigal commoners with a plan in motion for bringing them up to nobility after the Compact has had time to see their value.
To that end, Celeste is organizing a diplomatic overture to negotiate with the clan. Pravus will offer bringing them back into the compact in exchange for their loyalty and assistance. At such time as it's mutually agreed upon, after Tortorici has proven their worth in the eyes of the Compact and politics are such that the Compact can stomach a new House, Celeste will marry the man of their chosing to ennoble him.
Action by Alrec(RIP)
Admiral Alrec facilitates the negotiations as best as he can, introducing the Tortorici's own general(s) to a taste of the kind of access to ships and training they can expect to receive once they join the compact.
Action by Ari(RIP)
Ari hears of this effort and gives a small contribution to the cause.
Action by Viviana
Viviana is going to play games. Why? Because it is more fun than negotiating marriages. Here are the rules:
She will try selling House Pravus as desirable overlords. More riches to improve their lands, more power to crush their enemies, more beautiful people to have fun with. Also, she will bring wine, because wine makes everything better.
Bend the knee, win amazing prizes!
Refuse, and she goes to your neighbor. Not a threat. Not at all. But maybe if you don't want a Setarcan overlord backing your ambitious ways... maybe the guy living just next to you does. RELAX! Not a threat.
But it kind of is.
Now bend the knee.
Action by Sebastian
First to the Tortorici -- and then to any other tribes that treat with them, visit or he has contact with during their time on the Saffron Chains, Sebastian tells a story: it's a tale, weaved from a variety of truths and rumors. He speaks of the long history of the Pravus family the strength -- and yes, darkness -- they were forged from. That their ancestress, the Grand Duchess Procella Pravus demonstrated their families ability to take what was needed, to rule where needed, and to demonstrate strength where needed.
The smooth-tongued Voice talks of the Duchess Belladonna Pravus, and the ties he makes between her and Procella Pravus are unmistakable -- he describes them in similar fashion, talking of their respective strengths, their love and loyalty to their families and those that serve them -- of their ability to get and hold what is rightfully theirs.
This strength, he tells them, is what is needed for their own.
A great darkness is on them: he doesn't need to tell them that: they know.
Pravus will be the iron fist that shelters them, but also the silk that binds them.
Action by Sudara
As a Pravus responsible for more than ten thousand 'commoner' prodigals with claims to ancient noble heritage, Sudara is warmly supportive of Celeste's endeavour. She'll gladly pitch the treatment of the Truesworn as proof that the Pravus are capable of long-term cooperation with and tolerance of prodigals, and can speak favourably with regard to Celeste herself - while Sudara personally stands as proof of the House being willing to make unconventional marriage alliances that work out well. As an expert diplomat, she'll do what she can to ensure that things go both smoothly and quietly. Managing this without fuss or widespread notice seems wise, in the present climate.
Action by Belladonna
While Celeste busies herself with the Tortorici, Duchess Belladonna has other plans: she wants the rest of the Abandoned of the Saffron Chains to bend the knee and join the armies of Setarco when called upon, effectively multiplying the prowess of her army by a few magnitudes over the course of a few weeks.
But how?
The Compact allows for many competing Houses to justify cooperation and preservation in the name of a higher good. The Abandoned lack such lofty, communal aims, and as such are vulnerable to predation. They are a multitude of individual domains fighting against each other, full of ancient vendettas that the Duchess aims to exploit.
The premise of Belladonna's strategy is simple: she will take the Swords of the Evening, her own force, to the Saffron Chains, and offer to assist strategic Houses putting old enemies down for good in return for their fealty.
She will do so, and expand her army, move to the next territory. This is all in an attempt to consolidate power in the region before going against the Children of the Centipede, which believes are a much harder foe to face against.
Result
The vassals of House Pravus and many Lycene peers are extremely relieved that House Pravus does not bring Tortorici into Pravus' service through marriage, though it does make matters more difficult with Tortorici, as some loudly proclaim they are getting a terrible deal and should hold out for better terms. But then Viviana and Belladonna are shopping their neighbors, and while this could technically, technically be considered by some in the Compact as treasonous (it's a gray area, since talking to the shavs to bend the knee is not treasonous, but other negotiations are by treating them as a foreign power rather than just outlaws), it's also highly effective in driving the threat home that if they don't bend the knee, they'll be crushed on behalf of their neighbors. Aside from the implicit threat of force (and the actual use of force), Sebastian, Celeste and Sudara make compelling cases for joining House Pravus- and Setarco IS booming, with House Pravus ascendent throughout the Lyceum. It's a compelling case.
Of course, there's a few diehards that argue vehemently against bending the knee to Pravus without nobility, but on the 13th day of negotiations, the three of them have been found to been torn limb from limb into unrecognizable chunks of flesh. Very sad. Tragic accident, clearly. All of the Pravus delegation was accounted for and couldn't have been responsible, but that also is enough to go from 'maybe we should weigh our options' to 'nope nope, we'll sign up now'.