Old thread >>46681794
"These temple destroyers, devotees of ravaging commercialism, seem to have a perfect contempt for Nature, and, instead of lifting their eyes to the God of the mountains, lift them to the Almighty Dollar.” -- Guru John Muir
The Celestial Empire of California, once a glorious bastion of civilization and culture in North America slips further and further into chaos. Corruption and every kind of evil grows in the hearts of men. The Emperor is a decadent fool, and the Imperial Protectors fight only for their own gain, caring not for the words of the Emperors and Gurus past, nor for the cries of the people they are tasked by heaven to protect. A mad monk, Francis Ma Chao, preaches that the Imperial Family has lost its celestial mandate, and that he has been sent from above to take the Imperial throne and rule all under heaven as the sun rules the sky, as the true son of heaven.
You are Darius Walker, a Bajacalifornio monk of the Way of the Dove, the Cetic path that teaches peace, a respect for nature, voluntary poverty and charity, and encourages liberal partaking of a certain meditational herb. You revere the Gurus Kristos, Gandi, Marli, Muir, and others.
When you were a boy, your parents, middle class Tijuana merchants, shipped you off to a monastery deep in the Joshua Tree Forest of the Mojave, for a tax write off. Unfortunately for you, monasticism also meant you were disinherited, and could gain no benefit from the newfound profits of your family. Being the middle child of a large family of boys doesn't pay.
You recently finished your studies, and have taken the vows of the dove. Today, the abbot of your monastery called you in for a sudden meeting.
>>46765434
>OP Reads S.M. Sterling.
Got my eye on you. Don't go full Mackenzie
>>46765434
>>46686917
A brief, simple reply is better than a pile of useless babble.
You reply curtly, and the boy scurries off. Quickly getting dressed, you take your staff and begin the two mile trek across the desert to the main monastery compound. The sun is oppressive, even at this early hour, and the spiky, stunted, bare joshua trees grant you little shade. Even walking at a leisurely pace, by the time you reach the abbot's quarters, you are covered in sweat.
When you enter, after bowing, you see two men in the robes and headgear of officials. One of them, a fat man obviously unused to the rigors of desert life, is fanning himself frantically, and puffing. The other, tall and thin, admires the mantras and images of the gurus and their works that cover the adobe walls. The abbot sits cross-legged on the floor, puffing on a pipe. The warm smell of colitas rises up in the air.
"Come, sit my son" he gestures toward the short table he is seated at, and pours you a cup of tea. As he is doing this, he passes his pipe to you, with his left hand, as is traditional.
>>46765434
Did you steal this from the After the End mod for CK2 OP?
>>46765475
With the Emperor's grace, I will certainly try anon.
>>46765503
Yes. Most of the lore is my own though, as they try to keep things fairly vague. I've done a little bit of flavor work on the mod myself.
If you're familiar with the starting position in the West in the mod, this takes place about fifteen years later.
>>46765548
So is the Emperor still a figurehead at this point or is he trying to reassert Imperial authority like the one in my current game is?
>>46765596
Mickey I, (the default heir in the game) the current emperor, is content to sit in the golden city of Sacramento and live a life of decadent pleasure, unconcerned with the outside world. His Imperial writings are vapid and pointless, and as long as he receives his wine, hashish, women, and avocados, and the protectors still show up every few years to kiss his ring or defend him from Salish raiders, he doesn't give a celestial fart about what happens in the rest of the Empire.
>>46765760
Pffft what a fucking waste then.
>>46765968
Oh, he's a piece of shit. That's why you have crazy mcMonkface running around saying he's the true Emperor and actually getting support. People are fed up with the decadent Yudkows, blood of The Lawgiver or no.
>>46765968
(also, please join the quest if you're interested. I need players)
Pastebin with some religion info:
>>46766659
hit the post button too soon.
http://pastebin.com/v5N6m84u
>>46766672
Bump with our good old friend Hubbard.
There are no snakes at the bottom of your bed.
>>46767096
Yahallo
>>46765434
Interesting... I'll keep an eye out for these, if only they were a bit longer.
Shame we didn't go Fist and Dove though, or Book and Fist. That'd be an interesting route to explore...
>>46769885
You guys ended up Dove and Cowl. When I tried this last time and it died you were solidly Cowl. If you want them to be longer, please, join in.
>>46769955
Nothing wrong with that. I'm just lamenting what could have been. If this were a video game, I'd start over at least four times, just to see what else there is.
So... What's the vote this time? I don't see it..? You might want to include at least a
>Wat do?
To tip people off that they're supposed to contribute.
>>46765480
Greet him warmly and accept the pipe in the same traditional manner. Glance over the officials, but don't press why the abbot wanted to see us, yet.
>>46770053
You accept the pipe, inhaling deeply. As the haze of the Herb starts to fall over you, you pass it to the officials. The thin man takes a courtesy puff, but you can tell that he didn't inhale. The fatter man, when the pipe reaches him, puff greedily, slobbering all over the stem in his nervousness, and belching thick smoke out with hearty coughs.
"I suppose I should introduce you" the abbot says. "Milords, this is Brother Darius, a recent graduate of our monastic school. Brother Darius, this is Charelton Barkeley, of the Los Angeles Directorate of Virtue" He gestures to the thin man "And Jorge Hwang, Chief of Police of the Prefecture of Wineland"
After you make your introductions, the thin man speaks up.
"Brother Monk, I am sure you are not unaware of the taint of heresy that has been running through the land of late. My lord, Protector Ronald of Socal, as well as my colleague's lord, Protecter Walter of Gran Francisco, have realized that this plague cannot be stamped out through force of arms alone. With the Emperor's blessing, we have been sent to recruit someone like yourself, a young monk, who would not look odd among the hordes of misguided, idealistic souls who follow this false preacher. We need an inside source on his movements and doctrines in order to combat his vile teachings. Your abbot has spoken most highly of you, mentioning that, while you follow the benevolent and peaceful ways of the Guru Christ, that you have also studied the writings of the Guru Hubbard in great detail. This makes you perfect for our task. The followers of the Dove are the most benign and least suspect, and your familiarity with the ways of the cowl will help you see through the lies of evil men. We would ask you to be an agent of the Emperor in the heart of this rebellion."
The fat man nod in agreement, obviously still recovering from his greedy toke of the pipe.
>>46770406
"My son, the way of the Dove is nothing if not voluntary and peace-loving" the Abbot says "Though I recommended you for this task, you are under no obligation to accept it. The ways to serve heaven and the Emperor are myriad."
The fat man finally speaks up
"Although, if you did serve the Emperor in this way, Nirvana would surely not be far away."
He coughs again
"Neither would an appointment to one of the illustrious schools in the Golden City itself, where you could live as truly befits an enlightened one"
He subtly reveals a rope bracelet in his sleeve, where a chain of golden Franciscan dollars hang
So, what say you?
> A. I serve the emperor, I will do my utmost in this task
> B. I apologize, my lords, I am not worthy of the path you have set before me
> C. Brood of Vipers! The kingdom of heaven is not for sale!
> D. I accept your task, but...
> E. (Something Else)
>>46770505
> C. Brood of Vipers! The kingdom of heaven is not for sale!
We are a follower of Guru Christ. This shit will not stand in the temple
>>46770505
> D. "I accept your task," but that's a lie.
We'll infiltrate the cult and see what their teachings are. Once we have wisdom, we shall covertly lend our support to the side most likely to secure a lasting and just peace.
Thus are cowl and dove both satisfied.
>>46770604
The mere suggestion of bribery raises your righteous ire. You have not spent the last ten years of your life in the desert living off of tortillas, opuntia and water to be bought like a Tijuana whore.
As the suppressed memories of the arguments and conversations you overheard from your parents before they shipped you off to gain a few extra coins surface in your head, you lash out at the Senyor Hwang, nearly forgetting your vow of non-violence. Stopping just short of striking him, you rip the coins from his wrist and stamp then beneath your feet.
"Do you expect me to be bought with the blood of your serfs?" you exclaim
As Jorge falls back, Senyor Barkeley catches his.
"My compatriot meant no offense, brother monk" He bows profusely and apologetically "We are merely in desperate straits, it is good to see that this monastery has not been tainted by the corruption which plagues this land."
As the fat man regains his composure, he apologizes.
"Please senyor monk... *hufff* this was not meant as a bribe, even this morning I laced these coins to my ... *wheeze* arm to pay to feed the orphans in Indio"
>>46770797
You can tell he is lying. However, another thought strikes your mind. Why not serve the emperor, not for your own good, but to find out which is the true path. This rebel could be a righteous man, for all you know, and no better way to find out than to mingle with his followers.
"Despite this affront, I will accept this charge from the Son of Heaven." you bow to the thinner man "Also, 'Senyor' Hwang, If you speak falsely about the destination of your wealth, know that heaven has many eyes, and your karma will be repaid to you in full measure."
Do you:
>A. Take the coins, present them to the abbot to redistribute
>B. Take the coins yourself, (presumably to distribute to the poor)
>C. Let the fat man grasp for his wealth like the pig he is
>D. Other
Also, a bit more info about the protectrates here: http://pastebin.com/Ytg1NPZZ
>>46770999
>C. Let the fat man grasp for his wealth like the pig he is
Even if he is unrighteous, it is not ours to take.
Ahh, the Guru Christ. When someone asks you, "What would Jesus do?" remind them that chasing people with a whip is not out of the question.
>>46771075
Senyor Hwang scurries after the rolling bits of gold. Senyor Berkeley steps out of his way, then pulls out a map, which he spreads on the table.
"The Rebel has set up camp in the Estrella River Valley, Near the border between Gran Francisco and The Valley. He has seized the villages of Shandon, Cholame, Parkfield, and Geneseo, and his followers have been pouring into the region. He has used the instability between The Valley and Gran Francisco to his advantage, staging raids in one protectorate, then slipping across the border to escape prosecution, and disappearing into the surrounding hills. A great deal of his followers are spreading his message in all the towns between Bakersfield and the coast, and the hill people have taken to his lies strongly. Just last week, the magistrate of Avenal was murdered in his castle by these heretics, and the city is in a state of civil war. It is urgent that we get inside information on this cult as soon as possible. Is there anything you will need for your trip?"
>Tell what possessions, information, or equipment you may require, if any
>>46771467
I would, but I have an irl game to get to. Still, this is interesting! Hope you get more players soon!
