RP Planning Thread (1700-2000 CE)[GD][Closed]

[Unilisia]

How do we want to run conversations? Hash it out OOC, and have the resulting dialogue for the IC scene in one post? Or just go back and forth in a sequence of smaller posts on the IC thread, without much OOC discussion?

I'm open to either, but how I format my next post depends on the consensus.

I'm on the IRC if you want to hop on but I'm about to go for a smoke break, so, I guess just respond to him as he's on the side of the boat ready to step off, and I'll respond to you in an hour or so or tomorrow. Sound good?

[Athaea]

I'm not going to be able to get in a post tonight.
I'll see if Moka responds, and put one up tomorrow.

[Mokastana]

How do we want to run conversations? Hash it out OOC, and have the resulting dialogue for the IC scene in one post? Or just go back and forth in a sequence of smaller posts on the IC thread, without much OOC discussion?

I'm open to either, but how I format my next post depends on the consensus.

I vote shorter IC posts and responds, similar to how me and Holy Marsh are having a charter discussion I in my "broken masquerade" thread.

[Athaea]

Sequence of smaller posts it is. I will have a post up later today.

[Athaea]

Devereaux of House Serrat
Master of the Serrat School of Siu (Athaean Martial Arts)

EDIT: Oh, and the post is up.

[Athaea]

Hey Moka. If Montana helps Li with this, Li owes Montana what amounts to a life debt. One that quite literally cannot be repaid. You want to take over Li's character after Sara is found?

[Mokastana]

Would it be a conflict of interest to leave him as an inspector and overlook Montana's "business transactions"

[Athaea]

That'd work. It'd be a conflict of interest, but getting Li out from under Zhu's thumb would have been worthy of a thread in and of itself. That actually makes his life much easier than it would have been otherwise.

Now, to figure out what Devereaux has been doing as far as his daughter's kidnapping. And how tightly I want the Triads integrated into the local smuggling community. That last post just might have set off a turf war between the Surians and the Triads, given that Montana has a legitimate and significant grievance. What would the Surian reaction be to the events of that last post, Moka?

Unilisia, how do you expect the negotiations post to go? It's one or two posts in the future, along Zhu's plotline, but I'm not quite sure how to go about it in this instance. How would the ambassador present Unilisia's request?

[Mokastana]

That and Montana just mailed out "shoot on sight" orders on any Triad shipping....

In short, Montana is going to war. He plans on ending their presence.

I was going to assume the Triads are about as new as Montana, seeing as the ban Judy when into effect not that long ago.

[Athaea]

The Triads came in with the Chinese, and left with the Chinese. They are just now beginning to make inroads into Athaean territory again, having marginally recovered from the war. They had dealings in the territory a solid ten years prior to this thread, but they are, for all intents and purposes, as new as Montana.

That said, they could easily have already established sympathizers on the Athaean mainland, holdovers from the war.

Sounds like a turf war in the works. That'll be interesting. I was planning on having Zhu circumspectly suggest the Triads and the Surians as potential distributors to the Unilisian ambassador when the subject came up. The various threads of the plot are starting to come together. Wouldn't it just be all manner of ironic if the ambassador chose to back the Triads?

[Unilisia]

Unilisia, how do you expect the negotiations post to go? It's one or two posts in the future, along Zhu's plotline, but I'm not quite sure how to go about it in this instance. How would the ambassador present Unilisia's request?

Well, he'd present what he wants to trade, recognizing already it is banned, and essentially ask indirectly if she'll take a bribe if he can't negotiate some other indirect form of payment (like some form of commodity in particular demand, perhaps something very exotic).

I kinda failed by not thinking ahead, what would she be expecting in the form of payment for getting him someone to smuggle stuff in?

[Athaea]

Well. That depends. After he presents what he wants to trade, and recognizes that such products are banned, Zhu would directly inquire after four things. Specifically:

Why does he wish to trade such things in Athaea, given our much smaller population, and therefore much smaller product market? (ie, what's in it for you?) Why ought Athaea allow him to trade such things within our territory? (ie, what's in it for us?) How far is he, personally, willing to go to bring about his desired result? (ie, how far are you willing to go?) How far is Unilisia, as a nation, willing to go to bring about their desired result? (ie, how far is your nation willing to go?)

After she has the information she can gather from him answering those questions (not necessarily his answers themselves), she would determine what she can get out of him. That's when bargaining would start. To be honest, it would be more likely that she would request actions in payment, rather than material goods. Bribes are not quite as simple in Athaean culture. The ability to bring about a desired event is considered to be much more valuable than any material good.

[Unilisia]

Well. That depends. After he presents what he wants to trade, and recognizes that such products are banned, Zhu would directly inquire after four things. Specifically:

Why does he wish to trade such things in Athaea, given our much smaller population, and therefore much smaller product market? (ie, what's in it for you?) Why ought Athaea allow him to trade such things within our territory? (ie, what's in it for us?) How far is he, personally, willing to go to bring about his desired result? (ie, how far are you willing to go?) How far is Unilisia, as a nation, willing to go to bring about their desired result? (ie, how far is your nation willing to go?)

After she has the information she can gather from him answering those questions (not necessarily his answers themselves), she would determine what she can get out of him. That's when bargaining would start. To be honest, it would be more likely that she would request actions in payment, rather than material goods. Bribes are not quite as simple in Athaean culture. The ability to bring about a desired event is considered to be much more valuable than any material good.

Unilisia could easily dispense of pirates and *cough*Triads*cough* (and keep them away) in recognition of allowing certain exotic goods to slip by undetected. Could consider it a micro-defense pact with the city of Varanasi.

[Athaea]

So here's what I'm considering. As suggested by Unilisia, Zhu uses the Triads (who I've decided she is going to be involved with, somehow) to ship in Unilisian goods, in exchange for the Unilisians getting rid of their competition. The Surians are already coming after the Triads, and the Triads have also made enemies of several domestic interests. That would make them competition, and therefore subject to removal by the Unilisians.

If done, this would pit the Surians and various influential Athae against the Unilisians and the local Athaean government. Dev and company allow in the Surian goods, Zhu attempts to keep them out. Zhu allows in the Unilisian goods via the Triads, the Surians attempt to keep them out. Thoughts?

[Athaea]

In China, the bows of martial artists come in two flavours, Wing Chun practitioners cover their left fist with their right hand when they bow, and everyone else covers their right fist with their left hand. A lot of Wing Chun practitioners have begun to bow with head nods rather than with their hands, due to the political insinuations inherent in the act.

A closed fist is is visually representative of the Chinese character 'Ri' (日), meaning 'sun'.
An open palm is likewise representative of the Chinese character 'Yue' (月), meaning 'moon'.
Combined, these characters refer to 'Ming' (明), as in the 'Ming Dynasty'.

When one uses their right palm to cover their left fist, as is done in most arts other than Wing Chun, one's hands form a Ming (明) character from one's own perspective. This may be referred to as a 'Sun & Moon' bow, derived from the character representations of the hand gesture. In the reverse, one's hands form a Ming (明) character from the perspective of one's opponent.

The reigning dynasty in China in 1910 was the Qing Dynasty, though it was on its way out. For the almost three centuries since the fall of the Ming, revolutionaries had sought to bring down the Qing and replace them with the Ming. To identify themselves to other members of the underground throughout that time, revolutionaries bowed in the reversed 'Sun & Moon' style.

Because Athaea was historically occupied by Chinese forces under the Qing Dynasty, from around 1800 to 1900, this gesture was adopted as a symbol of revolution as it was in China proper during the time of this RP. As time wore on, the Qing fell and the original Republic of China rose, at which point the gesture became a way of showing patriotism. And then the People's Republic of China came into being in 1949, at which point the government attempted to eliminate the ways of the old culture, with mixed success.

I'm a history buff. Don't judge me too harshly.

[Castille de Italia]

I know I've been saying this, but I actually will get a post up this week. Just got back from Cape May. Probably will be up tomorrow.

[Athaea]

No worries. Take as much time as you need.

[Unilisia]

So here's what I'm considering. As suggested by Unilisia, Zhu uses the Triads (who I've decided she is going to be involved with, somehow) to ship in Unilisian goods, in exchange for the Unilisians getting rid of their competition. The Surians are already coming after the Triads, and the Triads have also made enemies of several domestic interests. That would make them competition, and therefore subject to removal by the Unilisians.

If done, this would pit the Surians and various influential Athae against the Unilisians and the local Athaean government. Dev and company allow in the Surian goods, Zhu attempts to keep them out. Zhu allows in the Unilisian goods via the Triads, the Surians attempt to keep them out. Thoughts?

This works for me, I like playing the bad guy, Unilisia was rather malevolent in the old days. Will get a post up responding to your last one ASAP, Athaea.

[Athaea]

Awesome. That's the direction I'll head, then. No rush on the post.