The Multitudinous Seas Incarnadine, Session 8
18 March 2008
Session Summary
The Humans choose Flak
The Vaylen choose Take Action against the Humans
Roy's Building: While Elisha is researching the ancestor cult, he discovers that (a) the wild Mukhadish have a primitive religion similar to the ancestor cult, (b) only Mukhadish who have borne a child can be mediums, (c) mediumship is unique to the Muhkadish on this planet, (d) Muhkadish can detect their blood relations through smell, (e) the strongest mediums are the ones who give birth to the strongest male children, and (f) one of the areas with herds that produce the best mediums is also a hotbed of recent pirate activity. [Elisha's Research: Ob3 on 7d]
Upon finding this, he tracks down Jael. "A connection between the pirates and the ancestor cult. I knew it," Jael says. Jael starts trying to make connections to the island: any mediums, any known pirate henchmen, etc. [Jael's Investigative Logic Ob2 on 6d; help from Elisha (Muhkadish-wise)] Using the DNA taken from Elisha's wounds, Jael discovers that Goliath is Elizabeth's son.
Ted's Interstitial: The Archcotare arrives in the capital to tell Michael it's time for him to deal with the ancestor cult. Michael is concerned about what will happen to the Muhkadish if the cult is shut down; Daniel says that he doesn't care, so long as the normal workings of the Wheel are interfered with. Daniel suggest that Michael insinuate himself into Miriam's good graces as her chapelin.
Paul's Interstitial (Daniel): Daniel meets with Tay (apparently at Tay's request).
Christina's Intersitial: Miriam, alerted about Daniel's meeting with Tay, summons him to the palace.
Miriam: "Spoke with my son today."
Daniel: "Yes, my nephew was interested in talking with me."
Miriam: "I suppose I can guess what about."
Daniel: "Can you?"
Miriam notices that Daniel is watching her the same way the Psychologist did.
[Daniel's Psychology: Ob5 on 6d]
He realizes that Miriam thinks Michael put Tay up to talking to him about joining the Church and that she will not take such interference with her family lightly.
Daniel: "Is that really what you think he came to talk to me about?"
Miriam reveals that Tay had seen a Psychologist, and as Daniel leaves, her body language is clear: "I won't have you stealing the rest of my family, Daniel."
Roy's Color: Jael and Elisha, while drinking and eating the intoxicating Kerrn delicacy.
Elisha: "Maybe this Pitr, he has the Koro."
Jael: "Koro?"
Elisha: "It is this disorder where the human feels his penis is retreating to his body."
Jael: "Can it do that?"
Elisha: "No."
Miriam's Color: Meanwhile, in Miriam's bedroom.
Miriam: "Do you want to talk about it?"
Pitr: "No."
Miriam: "Is it about Jael?"
Paul's Conflict: Pitr jumps Nimrod in the hall and beats him up, humiliating him before they're pulled apart.
[Close Quarters One-Roll
Pitr: Ob3 on 5d (5s)
Nimrod: Ob5 on 6d (3s)
]
Michael's Color: Michael finishes talking with Miriam's mother, hugs her medium, and walks out with the hint of a tear in his eye.
Roy's Conflict: Jael confronts Miriam with the evidence of pirate infiltration of the ancestor cult.
Miriam: "Where's Pitr?"
Jael:"Last time I spoke with him, he said he had other priorities. Which apparently include beatin up my signals tech!"
Elisha: "Have you noticed if Pitr has a problem with his penis?"
Miriam: *laugh*
Elisha: I take it that is a yes?
Jael: Enough about Pitr, enough about Nimrod, enough about external genatalia.
Later, as the family prepares for a ceremonial dinner, the argument reignites, with Michael siding with Miriam and Tay siding with Jael.
Jael: "Tay, when you were working with the pirates, did you ever meet Elizabeth's son?"
Jael realizes that an attack against the ancestor cult is an attack against Miriam, but they both agree to increase security around the mediums, including the island where the mediums are harvested. Jael suggests that she and Miriam review recording of the meeting with her mother afterwards.
Miriam: "I don't want hearing what's said between me and my mother. It's just a matter of piety."
Jael: Just play them back when you're not in the moment to make sure there's nothing suspicious."
[DoW
Jael: Persuasion, 1 Routine
Miriam: Persuasion, 1 Routine
Elisha: Rhetoric, 1 Routine
Michael: Persuasion, 1 Routine
Tay: Persuasion, 1 Routine]
Roy's Interstitial: Jael goes to tell Cerelia she's failed in her attempts to undermine the cult. She's
Jael: "It is too important to her, to her rule, to just cast aside."
Cerelia: "Well, you did what you could."
Jael: "I have concessions. You will increase the security at your family's harvesting operations."
Cerelia: "Jael, it is our place to advise. It is hers to rule."
Jael: "Has this happened to you before?"
Cerelia: "Of course.
Jael: "How, how are you sure again? When your advice is wrong, because she knows it it wrong, how are you sure enough to advise her again?"
Cerelia: "A very wise man once told me, if you're dumb, surround yourself with smart people. And if you're smart, surround yourself with smart people who disagree with you. The truth is like a slippery fish. It is hard for any one person to hold on to it. We make our choices, we advise her as best we can, by the mere fact that she continues to ask our opinion, we know that they are worth listening to. We are not the smart people surrounding the dumb one."
Jael: "You set my mind at ease."
They agree that Tay would be a good person to head up the security operations.
Ted's Building: At his hidden facility, Michael begins converting the Muhkadish trainees to the Church (albeit his slightly heretical flavor of the Church). [Michael's Persuasion: Ob2 on 5d]
Later, Michael bribes a temple official and obtains a copy of Miriam's mother's braintape. [Michael's Scheme-wise: Ob1 on 3d; Resources: Ob4 on 8d; failed, Gift of Kindness, taxed 1]
End of Maneuver
Daniel's Investigative Logic: Ob1 on 7d (3s)
vs.
Miriam's Persuasion; help from Michael (Persuasion, Court-wise)
Offense: 6d (5s)
Defense: Ob3 on 3d (1s)
Vaylen: 14, Humans 13
Epilogue: At the ceremonial feast, we see that no matter what the rifts are between specific family members (including Daniel), they're still a family; communications are still working and the rituals still occur. "At the end of the day, even if they disagree, there's still this other level of interaction.
Daniel avoids Tay.
Things we learned (fiction)
There is some biological agent in the atmosphere that causes a high percentage of miscarriages among female children. The Church condemns going off-planet to conceive because you're going against the Wheel. When they were in power, the Church benefited from families not having heirs. Now that they are no longer in power and more upper-class families can afford to go off-planet, the merchant clans have become more stable and more of a political threat to the Church.
Muhkadish genes are very easily sequenced and family relationships are trivial to determine.
Pitr and Cerelia's family is big in the medium-harvesting business.
Muhkadish culture emphasizes being servile.
Session Summary
The Humans choose Flak
The Vaylen choose Take Action against the Humans
Roy's Building: While Elisha is researching the ancestor cult, he discovers that (a) the wild Mukhadish have a primitive religion similar to the ancestor cult, (b) only Mukhadish who have borne a child can be mediums, (c) mediumship is unique to the Muhkadish on this planet, (d) Muhkadish can detect their blood relations through smell, (e) the strongest mediums are the ones who give birth to the strongest male children, and (f) one of the areas with herds that produce the best mediums is also a hotbed of recent pirate activity. [Elisha's Research: Ob3 on 7d]
Upon finding this, he tracks down Jael. "A connection between the pirates and the ancestor cult. I knew it," Jael says. Jael starts trying to make connections to the island: any mediums, any known pirate henchmen, etc. [Jael's Investigative Logic Ob2 on 6d; help from Elisha (Muhkadish-wise)] Using the DNA taken from Elisha's wounds, Jael discovers that Goliath is Elizabeth's son.
Ted's Interstitial: The Archcotare arrives in the capital to tell Michael it's time for him to deal with the ancestor cult. Michael is concerned about what will happen to the Muhkadish if the cult is shut down; Daniel says that he doesn't care, so long as the normal workings of the Wheel are interfered with. Daniel suggest that Michael insinuate himself into Miriam's good graces as her chapelin.
Paul's Interstitial (Daniel): Daniel meets with Tay (apparently at Tay's request).
Christina's Intersitial: Miriam, alerted about Daniel's meeting with Tay, summons him to the palace.
Miriam: "Spoke with my son today."
Daniel: "Yes, my nephew was interested in talking with me."
Miriam: "I suppose I can guess what about."
Daniel: "Can you?"
Miriam notices that Daniel is watching her the same way the Psychologist did.
[Daniel's Psychology: Ob5 on 6d]
He realizes that Miriam thinks Michael put Tay up to talking to him about joining the Church and that she will not take such interference with her family lightly.
Daniel: "Is that really what you think he came to talk to me about?"
Miriam reveals that Tay had seen a Psychologist, and as Daniel leaves, her body language is clear: "I won't have you stealing the rest of my family, Daniel."
Roy's Color: Jael and Elisha, while drinking and eating the intoxicating Kerrn delicacy.
Elisha: "Maybe this Pitr, he has the Koro."
Jael: "Koro?"
Elisha: "It is this disorder where the human feels his penis is retreating to his body."
Jael: "Can it do that?"
Elisha: "No."
Miriam's Color: Meanwhile, in Miriam's bedroom.
Miriam: "Do you want to talk about it?"
Pitr: "No."
Miriam: "Is it about Jael?"
Paul's Conflict: Pitr jumps Nimrod in the hall and beats him up, humiliating him before they're pulled apart.
[Close Quarters One-Roll
Pitr: Ob3 on 5d (5s)
Nimrod: Ob5 on 6d (3s)
]
Michael's Color: Michael finishes talking with Miriam's mother, hugs her medium, and walks out with the hint of a tear in his eye.
Roy's Conflict: Jael confronts Miriam with the evidence of pirate infiltration of the ancestor cult.
Miriam: "Where's Pitr?"
Jael:"Last time I spoke with him, he said he had other priorities. Which apparently include beatin up my signals tech!"
Elisha: "Have you noticed if Pitr has a problem with his penis?"
Miriam: *laugh*
Elisha: I take it that is a yes?
Jael: Enough about Pitr, enough about Nimrod, enough about external genatalia.
Later, as the family prepares for a ceremonial dinner, the argument reignites, with Michael siding with Miriam and Tay siding with Jael.
Jael: "Tay, when you were working with the pirates, did you ever meet Elizabeth's son?"
Jael realizes that an attack against the ancestor cult is an attack against Miriam, but they both agree to increase security around the mediums, including the island where the mediums are harvested. Jael suggests that she and Miriam review recording of the meeting with her mother afterwards.
Miriam: "I don't want hearing what's said between me and my mother. It's just a matter of piety."
Jael: Just play them back when you're not in the moment to make sure there's nothing suspicious."
[DoW
Jael: Persuasion, 1 Routine
Miriam: Persuasion, 1 Routine
Elisha: Rhetoric, 1 Routine
Michael: Persuasion, 1 Routine
Tay: Persuasion, 1 Routine]
Roy's Interstitial: Jael goes to tell Cerelia she's failed in her attempts to undermine the cult. She's
Jael: "It is too important to her, to her rule, to just cast aside."
Cerelia: "Well, you did what you could."
Jael: "I have concessions. You will increase the security at your family's harvesting operations."
Cerelia: "Jael, it is our place to advise. It is hers to rule."
Jael: "Has this happened to you before?"
Cerelia: "Of course.
Jael: "How, how are you sure again? When your advice is wrong, because she knows it it wrong, how are you sure enough to advise her again?"
Cerelia: "A very wise man once told me, if you're dumb, surround yourself with smart people. And if you're smart, surround yourself with smart people who disagree with you. The truth is like a slippery fish. It is hard for any one person to hold on to it. We make our choices, we advise her as best we can, by the mere fact that she continues to ask our opinion, we know that they are worth listening to. We are not the smart people surrounding the dumb one."
Jael: "You set my mind at ease."
They agree that Tay would be a good person to head up the security operations.
Ted's Building: At his hidden facility, Michael begins converting the Muhkadish trainees to the Church (albeit his slightly heretical flavor of the Church). [Michael's Persuasion: Ob2 on 5d]
Later, Michael bribes a temple official and obtains a copy of Miriam's mother's braintape. [Michael's Scheme-wise: Ob1 on 3d; Resources: Ob4 on 8d; failed, Gift of Kindness, taxed 1]
End of Maneuver
Daniel's Investigative Logic: Ob1 on 7d (3s)
vs.
Miriam's Persuasion; help from Michael (Persuasion, Court-wise)
Offense: 6d (5s)
Defense: Ob3 on 3d (1s)
Vaylen: 14, Humans 13
Epilogue: At the ceremonial feast, we see that no matter what the rifts are between specific family members (including Daniel), they're still a family; communications are still working and the rituals still occur. "At the end of the day, even if they disagree, there's still this other level of interaction.
Daniel avoids Tay.
Things we learned (fiction)
There is some biological agent in the atmosphere that causes a high percentage of miscarriages among female children. The Church condemns going off-planet to conceive because you're going against the Wheel. When they were in power, the Church benefited from families not having heirs. Now that they are no longer in power and more upper-class families can afford to go off-planet, the merchant clans have become more stable and more of a political threat to the Church.
Muhkadish genes are very easily sequenced and family relationships are trivial to determine.
Pitr and Cerelia's family is big in the medium-harvesting business.
Muhkadish culture emphasizes being servile.
posted by Paul Tevis at 8:54 AM
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