Likewise, I certainly hope that we’ll get to meet this guy face-to-face!
If he’s the handler responsible for training Breden (into the skilled orator and spy that we MCs know and love (or love to hate)), then he’ll be a vital asset for training (aristo-friendly) MC’s new generation of post-Hegemony spies!
@Sowe : I think Havie’s statement from 15 days ago (see above quote) is the answer you’re looking for.
What’s your gut feeling on which of the noble factions (Laconnier, Leaguer, or opportunistic fence-sitter) Ismene leans toward?
So far, all (the most significant facts) that I remember about Ismene so far is that she’s a tax cheat and that she was a former acquaintance (or friend) of aristo MC’s mother.
I’m currently thinking Ismene’s going to be a perpetual fence-sitter whose loyalty will be sold to the highest bidder. (rather than being motivated to fight for Homelander/Cosmo causes)
What evidence do we have that Sojourn has ill intentions towards our MC? (or is too unsavory/immoral of an ally to work with?)
If Sojourn is still a (relative) blank slate of a faction (at the G2 point of XoR’s narrative), then I think it would be far wiser to give Sojourn as much benefit of the doubt as possible (rather than antagonize Sojourn into becoming a “self-fulfilling prophecy” boogeyman/enemy).
And then later down the road, if MC’s faction is sufficiently lucky/powerful, here’s to hoping that Sojourn will accept MC’s offer to get annexed by Shayard!
And how does Cerlota intend on reconciling her disobedience (towards MC’s (potential) order to NOT to drop a WMD on the City Ward) with her earlier (potential) oath to swear fealty towards non-Theurge MC?
(along with reconciling her potential “decision to take unilateral action” with her earlier mentioned “Theurges should be advisors/enforcers, not executive decision makers!” stance)
I’m suddenly reminded of an iconic quote from the MCU version of Nick Fury: “I recognise the council has made a decision, but given that it’s a stupid-ass decision, I’ve elected to ignore it.”
Is this quote the logic that Cerlota has in mind for justifying her (potential) disobedience/disagreement with MC?
FYI: Personally, my MCs still feel very inclined to ally with Cerlota (and give her the benefit of doubt, in general), but my “devil’s advocate” side is still curious.
What happens when a recently deceased Theurge is turned into a Plektoi? Do they retain any of their former Theurgic prowess?
(And might the Unquiet Dead have plenty of insight on this Plektoi-Theurge hybrid necromancy process?)
The template/source of inspiration that I have in mind are the Banshees from Mass Effect.
Or is the question moot, since (maybe?) only creatures (who are still alive) can be reshaped by Plektosis?
But on my current vision, only by late in Game 4 will the Hegemony be in an advanced enough state of crisis for “big dog” rebels to really be able to start acting like a regional power and get to pick at least one of the major Shayardene cities (Grand Shayard, Corlune, or Aveche) as your base of operations. (Or be a less big dog and operate out of the Rim, laying claim to just enough of the agricultural land in the Southriding or Westriding to feed your population while the other factions fight over the rest.)
Similar reasons to London, Beijing, Moscow, and Washington (non-central capitals in our world): it was the launchpad of a successful campaign of conquest.
@Havenstone In relation to the potential “MC fakes their death at G2’s ending” subplot we discussed earlier, perhaps this subplot could open the doors (or at least provide enough justification) for MC to pick a (very remote) non-Shayardene location to be their new base of operations?
E.g. I think it would be very funny/amazing for the (formerly smug) Hegemony to discover too late that the rebel captain they supposedly killed ended up resurfacing “in the middle of nowhere/Xaos” (outside of the Hegemony’s borders) to form an “expanding eastwards” empire (with Vigil-powered Sojourn as its capital).
And by the way, on a separate note, how resistant is Sojourn’s population? (towards MC’s suggestions of one day becoming/leading a continental empire in its own right)
Under Herne’s current leadership, Sojourn is leaning towards a “stay content as an isolated pocket of paradise” direction, so I’d like for MC to later find opportunities to start encouraging Herne to think bigger (particularly in the “grow/conquer bigger” direction).
(While also dreaming up of ways to convince Herne to declare MC his protege/heir, or ways to outright usurp Herne as Sojourn’s newest ruler)
Erezza would be much happier to offer economic privileges in exchange for military support.
@Havenstone If/when MC’s faction manages to become a naval power in its own right, can a (hypothetically more successful) version of Napoleon’s Continental System be instituted? (to blockade/exclude MC’s rivals from international trade)
"If Napoleon wanted to make the Continental System successful, he had to tolerate the economic effects on France (and the political pressure from those who lost in this deal) and create a truly pan-European system. Russian raw materials could be used, for example, to fuel industrialization throughout Europe. European manufacturing would have replaced British products. It would still not be enough to cause Britain to rethink its policies towards France, but at least it would lock them out of a large market.
But as it happened, Napoleon adopted a very Francocentric policy, made the Continental System a one-sided relationship, and waged expensive wars when his trade partners resumed trading with the British. "
If we replace “Napoleon” with MC, replaced “Francocentric” with Shayardcentric, and replaced “the British” with (insert the name of MC’s enemies/rivals), then is the above-mentioned Redditor quote applicable for MC coming up with a better execution of the Continental System? (in the context of XoR’s eventual post-Hegemony setting)
And as a potential bonus, there’s a very reasonable chance that Bleys “has go-to contacts/connections amongst G2-G5’s organized crime factions”