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A Make it look good, make it look magnanimous, give them the old razzle dazzle.
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Jun 7, 2023 18:42
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A seems reasonable enough, yeah.
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Jun 8, 2023 01:19
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A
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Jun 8, 2023 01:35
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The Hand of Friendship – informally known as the Velvet Glove – was one of a few obsolete frigates granted to the diplomatic service and converted for its use. It had been fitted with relatively spacious quarters, for a ship, though the modifications did not go far past that. In line with the image the Empire wanted to project, it was scarcely decorated, and could easily be mistaken for an active warship by an untrained eye. We had made good time, and had to wait at anchor for a while to arrive at the precisely scheduled date. The crew grumbled a bit, but they were used to this. Diplomacy was a game not unlike war, and required certain disciplined, choreographed performances. On the bright side, there was considerably less danger in it. Most of the time. The journey itself was peaceful enough, and in warmer weather may even have been pleasant. However, it was winter. One of the coldest, darkest winters I remembered, and to make matters worse, we had sailed far north of the climate I was used to. The wind chilled us all to the bone. There were not many ways to keep warm on a ship, and wearing heavy furs in confined spaces had its own problems. I frequently used my sorcery to warm the crews’ food and drink, and to prevent sickness taking hold, which considerably endeared me to the crew and my staff. I also resorted to using sorcery to directly warm my tissues. It was a gratuitous use of power, and somewhat dangerous, but it was also excellent daily practice in exercising minute control. As we lifted anchor and proceeded towards the capital, I took a final review of my notes. I cursed the Empire’s arrogance. For most of its 200 year history, it had been able to project power so effectively, it did not bother to learn much about other societies. Records were poorly kept, and full of racist and chauvinist assumptions. Now that the Empire was stretching to its limits, it had to rely more and more on diplomacy, and a massive re-evaluation was necessary. My mission was as much fact-finding as it was negotiation. What I had been able to find focused purely on Markland’s utility to the Empire. Many of their citizens served as foreign volunteers and auxiliaries in the Empire’s army. The country was rich in minerals and ores, and becoming our trading partner had effectively kneecapped their own industrial development. Whoever negotiated the previous deal was callous, but brilliant. The Empire imported raw resources, and flooded the small nation with finished industrial goods of higher quality and better prices than they could produce themselves. On Markland’s culture, I could find little, other than that they seemed fairly closely aligned to ours. I reflected on the state gift I brought with me. I hoped it was the right choice. A. A battery of modern cannons. A pragmatic gift, sure to be appreciated by the military. At the same time, it was an unsubtle symbol of the Empire’s dominance, which could upset the more prideful members of their delegation. B. Fine colonial goods. Exquisite silk, fine cotton, coffee, chocolate, and spices. A reminder of the benefits of trade with a sprawling Empire. It was likely to have little direct effect on serious politicians, but would certainly be appreciated by Markland’s upper class in general, and it was safe to assume they wielded considerable influence. C. A cargo ship, signifying hope for increased volume of trade. An impressive yet practical gift. This was by far the most expensive option, and I would need to deliver a resounding success to justify it to my superiors.
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Jun 12, 2023 00:01
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B is my conclusion, after thinking it over a bit. It's a bit of a weak play, but I can't think of any strong tactics for the others, and it seems like it blends well with our true purpose for being here.
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Jun 12, 2023 21:37
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Slow update again. Focusing on job search and keeping mental health going well. I'm just going to update whenever I can and not worry about a schedule. Thank you everyone for your patience and for participating! I mustered all my confidence and walked down the plank at an unhurried pace. It was immensely satisfying to hear the crowd gasp. Instead of heavy furs, or even the typical sombre charcoal suit, I had opted for a tunic of vivid green silk with gold embroidery. If Markland’s culture was copying the Empire’s, then the colour would bring to mine statecraft, stability and prosperity. At the same time, the tunic was clearly lavishly expensive and not at all suitable for winter. If anything, one could consider it mildly provocative. That I wasn’t freezing to death was a clear sign that I was a sorcerer, and thus this was no ordinary state visit. With something as simple as a choice of clothing, I had turned this into a grand event everyone would remember. I gave a speech. The words I said did not really matter. In the years I spent preparing for the role, I had extensively practiced the art of speaking to crowds. Following in the footsteps of my fellow students, I had also began to develop my own unique techniques of sorcery. I had engineered the occasion to provide a strong initial spark of excitement among the crowd. I felt it like threads of fate hanging before me, and it only took a small amount of power to amplify the ones I desired. With a measure of virtuosity, I had made my speech a resounding success. This would certainly advantage me in the negotiations. Markland’s representatives might want to insist on a hard line, but if they don’t secure some kind of deal with me, public opinion would not be kind to them. The ceremony told me a lot about Markland. It was meant to impress me, and it had. It was grandiose, and put on for my benefit, of course, but there was an edge to it. All the proceedings were executed with remarkable precision and confidence. This was not a client state’s desperate play for sympathy. This was a rising power’s demand for respect. The crowd may have been enamoured, but among the trade delegation I saw many keen eyes watching me dispassionately. Analytically. In a way, this was lucky. A misstep might sink my career, but it was also a remarkable learning opportunity. My assignment was turning out to be a microcosm of my future campaign. I would need to understand the local landscape and make alliances among the trade representatives, and I only had a few weeks to do so. … My superior had very strong opinions about their predecessor’s arrogance and lack of effort in understanding other cultures. To this end, they had prepared my staff well. Within hours of arrival, a few agents had dispersed around the city and began to gather information on the people’s needs and feelings, as well as on my interlocutors. By evening, the initial reports had begun to arrive. A very basic profile of the negotiation team was collated. quote:REPORT – MARKLAND NEGOTIATION TEAM – CLASSIFIED The report had arrived just in time. I had received invitations to a number of social functions happening this evening, and I needed to make my choice soon. I would: A. Speak at the Army club B. Attend the opera with the duke C. Attend a ball hosted by the Norberg merchant family
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Jul 4, 2023 21:54
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Welcome back! I'm glad to hear that you plan to take this at your own pace. I don't have any strong feelings for the vote right now, and hopeful that I might be able to follow someone else's argument (if any are given). If not, I'll try and remember to come back later and properly vote. I think I have a slight preference for C, but I need to give it more thought.
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Jul 5, 2023 21:05
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C. A and B, the central event is unidirectional. We are on display in the former, we are being entertained in the latter. Plenty of shadowy negotiations in the lee of that, but in both cases the main focus serves to draw our attention. A ball, on the other hand, brings us into contact with more people. The guest list is an education in itself, we have more opportunities to gain allies and learn on a deeper level who is who and what is what.
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Jul 6, 2023 05:34
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