You settle into the front row beside the Affectionate Devil, who favours you with a flashing smile and squeezes your shoulder. The woman at the lectern begins to speak of the wonders of the Iron Republic, the city of anarchists: their freedom from restraint and tradition, their successful overthrow of the laws of nature, the riches and glory to be found in the embrace of freedom… She takes some time to thank the infernal patrons of the Republic for assisting them in "shattering the chains of earth and Heaven."
Fascinating stuff, if a little disturbing. In conversation afterwards, you can tell your friend is impressed by how much of the lecture you’ve retained and understood.[/quote]
If even the most indirect of connections to the Liberation of the Night is as bad as you say, to the point that knowing a handful of anarchists is disqualifying, then you should abandon Feducci right now. Because he’s neck deep in it.
. edited by Anne Auclair on 6/30/2017[/quote]
[li]
Putting aside the fact you’re using statements from very ambiguous contexts, the fact that you’re putting words in my mouth when i’ve already stated my opinion on the ambiguous relationship between London’s revolutions relative to Hell’s revolutions and the fact that a certain deep sea event in Sunless Seas shows that we haven’t grasped the full scope of the Liberation’s nature.
I find it very peculiar that you’re using something I said about WELCOMING similar conditions to reach this conclusion.
More to the point, there is nothing you, personally, can say to make me change my opinion. I draw my conclusions first from which candidate I find the most interesting, secondly from what information there is on how their campaigns are progressing and thirdly from their prior backgrounds.
[quote=dov]
But based on the behavior of some of her supporters on the forums[/quote]
The good news is that with such a superior attitude, you’d fit right in with us! ;)
[li]
Almost missed this but-to be honest, I’m not too sure myself. The businesslike and organized way she’s running her campaign make me think she shouldn’t be that stupid, but then again she doesn’t strike me as one of London’s denizens who’d be an expert on all the eldritch lore of the Neath-unless my concerns about her revolutionary associations are later validated.
…the thought occurs that I don’t remember ever seeing her mentioned in a card when recovering at my lodgings from Wounds. This may or may not have subconsciously influenced my decision of who to vote for.
I shouldn’t rag on her so much though; after finding out the full implications of what standing with the Constables MEANS I’d prefer bitter, tasteless tea to tacit support for condemning people to a fate worse than death. So for all that the tea and revolutionary contacts stick in my craw, I can’t say she’s the worst option.[/li][li] edited by Hattington on 6/30/2017
So, there’s been a lot of concern about Feducci’s role as a spy for the Presbyterate, and what ulterior motive he might hold in running his campaign as he does. I’ve got a fresh new take on it you might appreciate: I don’t think he has any ulterior motive at all, or at least not one that will matter to us.
First, and someone’s got to say it, he’s not very good at being a spy. He reveals the skin beneath his bandages while he eats, often forgets to keep his limp or his false voice up, openly interacts with Presbyterate traders and officials on the docks, and, most damningly of all, basically reveals his nature to any well-read Black Ribbon duelist who challenges him simply by returning from the dead. Plus, his main rival, the Devout Intriguer, knows far more about his movements than she reasonably ought to. And so do we!
And this is fine, for the role he plays. He’s not a spy by profession, he’s a celebrity duelist and monster hunter. The Prester placed him in London so he could keep an eye on things for her, and she hasn’t called on him to do much of anything but watch the snuffers and occasionally kill a particularly dangerous one.
Now, becoming the mayor isn’t going to give him any more power than he’s already got, not really. It’s an executive role he’ll hold for one year. The Masters make the laws, run the Face and the Teeth, and decide how the economy runs. The military is basically defunct. What could he be able do in a year where he’s under constant scrutiny that he couldn’t do before?
Personally, I think his positions are sincerely held. He’s from the Presbyterate, where drive and personal success seem pretty important, and he fought in the war against the old kings of Hell ostensibly for personal reasons, whether that was adventure in general or freedom-fighting in particular.
Clearly he’s running for his own entertainment primarily, and having a lot of fun doing it. But I believe he decided to run on his own, or at the very least created his platform himself, based on an earnest desire to make people’s lives more interesting and more free.
[li]
[quote=Gul al-Ahlaam]
First, and someone’s got to say it, he’s not very good at being a spy. He reveals the skin beneath his bandages while he eats, often forgets to keep his limp or his false voice up, openly interacts with Presbyterate traders and officials on the docks, and, most damningly of all, basically reveals his nature to any well-read Black Ribbon duelist who challenges him simply by returning from the dead. Plus, his main rival, the Devout Intriguer, knows far more about his movements than she reasonably ought to. And so do we![/quote]
Given how the Presbyterate operates, this could all be on purpose. They are just as fond of misinformation as they are of guarding knowledge,
How can you actually destroy honey? (Serious question.) Given the more unusual properties of Prisoner’s Honey I doubt there are many safe ways.
Reference is made somewhere that once prisoners honey gets sent to the Surface, it loses it’s more Neathy qualities and becomes just honey. But for the life of me, I can’t remember if that was Fallen London or Sunless Sea.
If the above is true, then surely that would be better for the DTC. Ship it up the Cumean Canal to Naples, trade it to merchants, use the funds for their campaign. Yes that does mean they profit off honey, but it means that 1) there is less honey in London and 2) it is no longer performing it’s intended purpose.
[quote=Isaac Zienfried][quote=Gul al-Ahlaam]
First, and someone’s got to say it, he’s not very good at being a spy. He reveals the skin beneath his bandages while he eats, often forgets to keep his limp or his false voice up, openly interacts with Presbyterate traders and officials on the docks, and, most damningly of all, basically reveals his nature to any well-read Black Ribbon duelist who challenges him simply by returning from the dead. Plus, his main rival, the Devout Intriguer, knows far more about his movements than she reasonably ought to. And so do we![/quote]
Given how the Presbyterate operates, this could all be on purpose. They are just as fond of misinformation as they are of guarding knowledge,[/quote]
He’s correct. A lot of the lies developed by the Mithridate Office aren’t intended to deceive in the sense of getting you to believe that they’re true. Rather, their purpose is to flood you with false information so that everything seems unreal.
[quote=Conrad Baltar]
Reference is made somewhere that once prisoners honey gets sent to the Surface, it loses it’s more Neathy qualities and becomes just honey. But for the life of me, I can’t remember if that was Fallen London or Sunless Sea. [/quote]
SS, when visiting Naples. It mentions mushroom wines are snubbed on the Surface, prisoner’s honey loses its magic up there, and the only thing from down below people like is GLORIOUS COFFEE.
I want to avoid real-world politics like the plague, but I do feel compelled to point out this is an actual tactic used in the real-world "Great Game." edited by Isaac Zienfried on 6/30/2017
Many thanks sir. So here we have it, a way of disposing of honey without tipping it down a well/into the ocean. It just requires a zailor merchant willing to go to and from the Surface with all that honey and not touch a drop of the cargo. If someone could let the DTC know…
Many thanks sir. So here we have it, a way of disposing of honey without tipping it down a well/into the ocean. It just requires a zailor merchant willing to go to and from the Surface with all that honey and not touch a drop of the cargo. If someone could let the DTC know…[/quote]
That sounds like the plot of an Exceptional Story.
To be fair, transporting that much cargo upwards would be extremely expensive in terms of fuel and supplies. The trip down is always easier than up, meaning imports are probably more numerous. London likely acts on a severe trade deficit with the Surface… that, or its exports are far more valuable by weight. Secrets, jewels, etc.
[quote=Isaac Zienfried]To be fair, transporting that much cargo upwards would be extremely expensive in terms of fuel and supplies. The trip down is always easier than up, meaning imports are probably more numerous. London likely acts on a severe trade deficit with the Surface… that, or its exports are far more valuable by weight. Secrets, jewels, etc.[/quote] That is a very good point. Perhaps send it in smaller quantities across many ships?
I am mainly just pointing out that the option exists to dispose of the honey in a way that is not leaving it to crystallise or mulch somewhere.
[quote=Anne Auclair][quote=Hattington][
…excuse me, am I blind or do the words "has no idea what to do with it all" indicate a marked lack of destruction? Unless you’re implying she’s in cahoots with Mr. Eaten (and damning her by…whatever aiding and abetting Mr. Eaten is called, association seems a bit strong), what I’m seeing is putting it somewhere it can be extracted later.
I have my doubts the Iron Republic. Can’t do the linking thing, but trading brandy with the Infernal Sommelier has him point out they never rebelled agains the Judgements SPECIFICALLY. So I’m not convinced the association with the Anarchists isn’t simply a business relationship they’re expecting to not achieve it’s slated goal; yes I’ve witnessed the transaction where Hell was commisioned to smelt a new Law and i’ve also seen the inscription that implies the Fingerkings are allied with Hell to some extent. But what clinches it for me is-Hell ultimately WANTS (the transaction of) souls, in the sense they see value in them. As souls are star-spores, it stands to reason they can’t entirely agree with the forces that would see them as either potential enemies (I’m pretty sure Lost in Reflections has allusions to Parabola rotting lights with reference to souls), or one more link in the Chain to be broken.
Also, I just plain don’t like tea.
EDIT: Actually, I just noticed you yourself put it better than I could have: "Oh dear, this could go very well or very badly."
edited by Hattington on 6/30/2017[/quote]
The DTC is not "stockpiling honey" in contradiction of her platform, she is trying to dispose of it. So you simply got that wrong.
As for Hell’s Republic, even if their deals with the Revolutionaries are ultimately insincere, they are still making deals with the Calendar Council, providing them supplies, helping them build weapons, and sponsoring them with a safe haven in which to test out their ideas of a law free world. Hell and Feducci are therefore pretty deep into the Liberation of the Night, way deeper then someone who just happens to have a few casual Revolutionary friends.
Of course most players have a few casual Revolutionary friends…so the DTC’s sin in that regard is no worse then the player with a few a Revolutionary Connected points and no "plotting against the Masters." But Feducci is allied with Hell and Hell supports the Liberation…so Feducci probably has a pretty high "advancing Liberation of the Night" quality.
edited by Anne Auclair on 6/30/2017[/quote]
I would avoid being particularly active in these discussions, but a BLATANT MISUNDERSTANDING OF EVERY FACTION’S CHAIN RHETORIC is too far.
First of all,
I will need a source for these mysterious deals. The only thing Hell does with the Iron Republic is mess up laws and let every old fool who wants to be there be there.
The Iron Republic ISN’T EVEN CLOSE TO A LAW-FREE HAVEN. It’s chock-full with laws!
We know how the Liberation of Night actually looks and works from its respective Destiny.
And how does the Iron Republic look?
The Republic is far from lightless, and it repeatedly shown and stated to be covered in Red Light. And light, as we know, is a sign of Law and its presence in some form.
The Republic is merely a testing ground for Hell and its creation of New Laws, and most devils treat it exactly like that.
Appeasing the law and making even more new ones? That does not sound even close to the revolutionary ideas of snuffing out all the lights and living in total freedom from all law forever to me.
Any revolutionaries acting out of the Republic are only unsupervised visitors. Hell itself never does anything to support them in the Republic.
Now, for Feducci and what other movements he mirrors.
When it comes to chain rhetoric, the verb they use is of extreme importance:
The LoN Destiny and those Revolutionaries in support of it emphasize breaking the Chain altogether, and are referred to as anarchistic.
The Seven Against Nidah and the Mountain Destiny, on the other hand, emphasize ascending the Chain, and are referred to as democratizing death.
The way that both Feducci and Hell’s Season of Revolutions he participated in are both framed demonstrably closer to the less destructive rhetoric of the Seven and the democratization of immortality.
So, no. Feducci does not have a lot of Advancing the LoN.
An anarchist who gives a public lecture on the Iron Republic "takes some time to thank the infernal patrons of the Republic for assisting them in "shattering the chains of earth and Heaven."" It might not be full Liberation of the Night, but it’s a bit closer to it then simply climbing the Chain, and there are many Liberation supporters in the Iron Republic itself, "a city of anarchists."
[quote=Gul al-Ahlaam]First, and someone’s got to say it, he’s not very good at being a spy.[/quote]The way Feducci goes about his dealings with the Presbyterate certainly don’t give the impression that he’s accountable to or dependent on the Prester. It seems more like something in which he controls what happens and when; when he sells notebooks to zailors from the Elder Continent, it’s possible that the zailors (and their payment) were sent to pick up a prearranged report, but it could alternately be a dealing initiated by Feducci, who sells notebooks to zailors who in turn hand them over to the Prester for a reward.
[quote=Gul al-Ahlaam]The military is basically defunct.[/quote]Excuse me? I believe you mean "the military is very busy". Building a living machine-god is no small task, and the Masters’ red tape was getting in the way. The great work must go on! Bright-Eyed Sequencer for Mayor!
quietly indicates my mantelpiece item edited by Anchovies on 6/30/2017
These payments are only recently coming through and being made. Yes, they may prove that Feducci is performing insider trading, but that in itself is not proof of payment from a foreign power. That’s just proof of business dealings. [/quote]
Feducci and the Presbyterate aren’t engaged in insider trading, they’re engaged in a form of money laundering.
The Presbyter needs to pay Feducci for his services and provide him with a budget for operations (assassinating London Snuffers, for example). But the Presbyterate Embassy can’t just hand Feducci a big bag of money every few months - that would raise questions and bring unwelcome attention. So Feducci invests in a London commercial venture to the Elder Continent and communicates this to his superiors. All commerce between London and the Elder Continent is conducted through the licensed businesses of Adam’s Way, so the Presbyterate government has a lot of control over commercial outcomes. When Feducci is involved the Presbyterate makes sure that the venture is very profitable, so Feducci gets a big return on his investment. Feducci then gets his pay and his intelligence budget in the form of a nice, clean cash flow from successful "speculations."
These payments are only recently coming through and being made. Yes, they may prove that Feducci is performing insider trading, but that in itself is not proof of payment from a foreign power. That’s just proof of business dealings. [/quote]
Feducci and the Presbyterate aren’t engaged in insider trading, they’re engaged in a form of money laundering.
The Presbyter needs to pay Feducci for his services and provide him with a budget for operations (assassinating London Snuffers, for example). But the Presbyterate Embassy can’t just hand Feducci a big bag of money every few months - that would raise questions and bring unwelcome attention. So Feducci invests in a London commercial venture to the Elder Continent and communicates this to his superiors. All commerce between London and the Elder Continent is conducted through the licensed businesses of Adam’s Way, so the Presbyterate government has a lot of control over commercial outcomes. When Feducci is involved the Presbyterate makes sure that the venture is very profitable, so Feducci gets a big return on his investment. Feducci then gets his pay and his intelligence budget in the form of a nice, clean cash flow from successful "speculations."[/quote]
The cash flow has only recently begun, with the Election. It being a way of funding his election campaign, that I can see. There is no evidence of these investments being made prior to the Election for whatever services you would like to imply Feducci is paid for. Though if there is, I shall retract or amend this statement.