Ironically, if I was required to choose I would have chosen Marius.
The very concept? That’s some “Plato’s Theory of Forms” level of hate.
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I think the rhetoric training goes hand in hand with the supermajority in favor of a Paragon Augusta. It is the most suitable skill for such a playthrough. Also keep in mind that we can only train Augusta in the skills that we have. Some people, myself included, cannot train Augusta in warfare because we can barely grasp a sword. Augusta’s training choices are a reflection of the choices we make about the Prefect.
As for Augustoria, I expected Victoria to be the most compelling romance option. It provides the most tangible benefit, introduces an exciting enemies-to-allies dynamic, and keeps the character around. I imagine my biggest regret with fighting the civil war will be having to defeat Victoria and exile her, depriving me of her unique voice and presence in the story. As we can see from the other polls, being the good guy that keeps everyone together is a popular idea.
I will take heart that half of people, over double that of any romance option, chose to leave Augusta’s marriage in her own hands. That’s my personal decision for her, war or not.
What I did not expect is that Euric is nearly as popular as Victoria. I do really feel for his character. He’s very Iudian in outlook and mannerisms, consciously making the effort to adopt Iudia’s traditions and culture. He admires Kyro and says it’s more beautiful than anything in his lands.
He’s an Iudio-phile whose only crime is his barbarian heritage, and that to me is emblematic of Iudia’s past failures. Part of the reason we are in this mess is that the Iudian elite could not accept these people as compatriots, in the same way that they could Hevernican or Ezperian elites. The process of assimilation and unity simply didn’t occur, leaving people like Antonius, Dagr, and now Euric seeking refuge in a home and people that despise them. Just a bit more tolerance and they would make proud Iudians.
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A fact that always manages to amuse me in a game with themes of power, intrigue, and betrayal. There are many ways for the Prefect to scheme and tear down those around them for their own gain, but they appear to be the road much less taken.
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raises hand
Hey, we do exist, Some of us do appreciate the fine things in scheming, plotting, and shamelessly killing people for the sake of power
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holy shit
(at least you’ve got a strong army?)
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She’d probably choose Marius, since the relationship check to convince paragon Augusta to marry Marius (40 or 60 rel) is much lower than that of Laurentius (80 rel). In fact, in some cases it’s lower than the relationship check for Victoria (60 rel) and equal to Euric’s (40 rel). I don’t think paragon Augusta hates Marius as much as people think.
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I think there are 2 dfirent explanations for these that sort of feed into each other. first is that we are just too powerfull in story and there is no menigfful reason to do it. lets say i go for route where i become emperor consort or somthing, dose it really meanigfull increase my characters power and subsequently control overl the world? from mechanics standpoints i would say No. As i said we are already in too powerfull position, we can already get everything we whant, perfect that plays well or at least inteligently realisticly is only missing look of power when in practise he holds all of it. So i dont think at least in game being that level of scheming is desirable from mechanical standpoint. for example if we where one level below our current station and game had defults outcomes for things which could only be changed If we where to kill our superiors then i would say it would be more interesting.
Second reason is porbably agusta, people just dont like being mean to little girls, she is likable character we can shape her howewer we whant, and she listens to us if you invest in rheotric and are good to her. people generaly dont like being mean especialy to agusta so any road to power would mean doing it and as i said above there is no reason to do it. you can still get everything you whant without abusing little girl.
So shceming routes means being horrible person to try to get all the power catastropicaly damageing empire and you dont really increase your power that much from practical standpoint and now must sleep with both eyes open becouse somone else may do same you.
Even julia horrible person she was had justification beyond revenge, she could say that it would be good for empire, prefect dose not really have one beyond power for powers sake. On second thought even revange is more compeling motivation then what our curent prefect has.
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I’ll say my intention with the Prefect was to give the role power, but it’s a very situational power. One dependent on a sick Empress (Julia) or a young one (Augusta). In Shattered Eagle, the Prefect is not the ruler of Iudia, but they do exercise authority in a way that I hope balances the fact that their power ultimately depends on the beneficence (or malleability) of the ruler they serve. That’s a role they’ll never surpass unless they take measures themselves.
Which isn’t actually a problem, I suppose, because it means I created a likable character the reader can become emotionally invested in. It’s always a delicate balance with child characters between being mature enough to be useful to the plot but not so mature as to be jarring or make them a complete mini-adult.
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One of the things that I enjoy most about this work is that it actually does maintain this balance. At first, I was NOT expecting that here, and was pleasantly surprised to be wrong. It’s the attitude. Some character moments even reminded me of my high schoolers in our outreach program. Like Paragon Augusta calling out the Empress in public, or the lashing out towards the Senator in court. Or Victoria being cringe in the library.
Personally, I think it helps in believability that Augusta’s been trained in speaking like royalty, so there’s an established reason for her being articulate. But even still, very impressed that you avoided the misstep of having the kids sound like the Boss Baby.
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yhea i dont think its problem, im mainly saying that Agusta is probably doing lot of work in keeping more ambitious players in check, without her in story i would expect for more people to go for more power hungry route.
yes i think story dose says that, i think reason why players dont go for more power is becouse these in the end is game, Every interaction is just puzzle if you play your cards right you can easly be unofficial power behind throne(cough cough maybe prefect managing to change agustas mind on every subject with 6 rhetoric is little to much(like maybe rhetoric gets +1 to check every time we make her change mind) or maybe our allys played more big role like if you have tyrant agusta on senate path she always defies you even with 6 rhetoric on some subject becouse she gets support from senate to anex teritorys). Situations either can be solved or not our lust of power and acumilation of it dose not really play that big of role from mechanics side its more of narative one and as was said above most players like agusta. and as one of our lessons can go power is just ilusion after all, agusta is one bad pay day to pretorians from geting stabed, Also our dear empres shows in many difrent way that there is no real absolute power, you know her assasinating previous royal family and she also geting killed, so even if we became emperor nature of constraints and threats would change not totaly disapear, and curently only thing i have to do to have close to total power is to have good rel with agusta which is already what most players do.
im not saying that these is bad its just my opinion why we have less power hungry people.
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I am still hoping that we could somehow make the the marriage options accumulate, then give Augusta all the options at once, so she can make her own decision. Oh and I have one final question. Will we be able to teach Augusta a third skill, or is this the limit?
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People just don’t know how to appreciate a well-raised, well-meaning kid.
She can go and hang out with Tris and Leta. I wonder what’s going to happen with Iblin, since he’s pretty hellbent on revenge. We might have to leave Vicky without a mother and father.
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Facts. If anyone could use a nice dose of Somnus, it’d be Iblin. Literally any other way of taking him out would just drive her even further down the revenge path (if that’s even possible).
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And a head. 8^)
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Me raising up Augusta as a sweet, cute, and lovely Unburnt Tyrant with Combat and Rhetoric.
On our way to avenge the Prefect’s love and her mother, and kill every other faction. 
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Yep, the Prefect’s love, the one and true love Ignore the fact that my MC never loved her, only used her for power. He can lie to his daughter about that.
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Does anyone have any advice in creating an alliance with Gruthungia? I always seem to fail the negotiations and end up getting captured. I’m just wondering is there a certain approach I need to take, or choices I need to make beforehand?
I am not sure if you can/ how to do it with Julia’s permission, but if you show the letter to Lethungius and side with him, you get the option to say a prayer at the start of the negotiation. Then you need to give something up (I think its land or pay them) then they usually agree for me.
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With Julia physically gone we must carry on her legacy of killing children in her stead
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I like this idea, I may try and implement if I get the chance. (For Rhetoric and Subterfuge convincing of Augusta)
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