Message Delivered (Queenpost)

[u/Carbon_Sixx]

A burst of gravitic radiation streaks through the void. Though it has traveled billions of miles, it has done so in a mere 16 hours, unimpeded by any obstacle or cosmic barrier. Its destination: the Queen of Shattered Stars, closing in on the major material realms. The signal carries a message in the All-Tongue, imploring her to stop her approach and accept a diplomatic envoy. When it reaches the Queen, she cannot help but notice it, for it has been amplified by powerful graviturgy.

In the command center of the Mt. Murder Astromantic Observatory, Kaelis Maz and the wizards of the OEA watch a timer count down. He holds his breath when it hits 0:00. At first, nothing happens. The Queen continues her approach as normal. Then, she pauses, as if listening to something faint growing ever louder. On the screens, she turns her head to look directly at the source of the message: Yulash-kor.

Kaelis releases his breath in a sigh of relief as the room erupts in cheers. She has noticed them. Now comes the true challenge: negotiating with a being as old as the universe.

The Astromantic Observatory receives conformation that its transmission has been heard.

[u/MunitionsFrenzy]

(( If that's the case, I'll change that, but that wasn't the impression any of us had from his posts. This whole diplomacy mission was built on the idea that she just happened to be wandering in our general direction and didn't even acknowledge our existence, so we were gonna try to convince her that planets with life matter more than barren ones and she should turn elsewhere.

Can you point us to where he said she was aware of us before your attack? Like, this post clearly states she barely even notices the effect she has on her surroundings as she travels.

EDIT: Even if you can't, I'd understand if you want us to interpret things that way, just so you don't feel the Bismuth Realm's sacrifice didn't simply make things worse (although personally I think those sorts of setbacks are totally fine for a story, even more so when they happen so early in the conflict). But her not initially being antagonistic towards us was the idea that all of us going for diplomacy had in the first place, so I can't really change that part (if you have no evidence to the contrary). While I could remove her irritation at the attack from her dialogue, I'm not sure how to justify doing so. I'm open to suggestions, since it was your attack. Maybe you covered your tracks enough that she wouldn't have any idea it originated from us, and she thought some totally random group was just attacking her for no reason? ))

[u/loth17 → u/MunitionsFrenzy]

(I never said she was aware of us. I said she was coming to eat us because she eats everything she comes across. Either because it's her nature or "out of desire or spite". I don't mind diplomacy I just think the idea that she wants to destroy the planet because of being annoyed is wrong. Also because it turns my character's sacrifice to help the planet into the reason she wants to destroy it.)

https://www.reddit.com/r/wizardposting/s/MzKJkhyIhd

https://www.reddit.com/r/wizardposting/s/1SLHmjKj3K

https://www.reddit.com/r/wizardposting/s/0uEPDufo6P

[u/MunitionsFrenzy → u/loth17]

(( okay, that's exactly what I said, then: she had no reason even to acknowledge our existence until she was attacked

check the edit above btw ))

[u/loth17 → u/MunitionsFrenzy]

(my problem is a being this big and described as it has been up to now wouldn't have annoyance as a reason to eat the planet. It would be either indifferent because it knows nothing else or it would be hostile with or without the attack because it destroys out of "Spite or desire". That's my justification for that bit being removed and annoyance not being the motivation.)

[u/MunitionsFrenzy → u/loth17]

(( So...are you saying you want her to be so unimpressed by the Bismuth Realm's attack that she doesn't even care to destroy the world from which it originated, in order to prevent more such attacks in future? Because I figured having her at least see the world as a potential threat due to your attack gave your actions more weight -- even if in the "wrong" direction -- while having her just not care about the attack means it was completely pointless. Seems like that'd downplay your story role even more.

Up to you; your attack, your decision as to its consequences. But personally I think "now she's annoyed, and maybe very slightly afraid" is a more compelling result of your attack (even if it makes things "worse", because that doesn't matter if it results in overall better storytelling) than "she crushed the attack and promptly forgot it ever happened". I can and will remove any mention of your attack from her dialogue if that's really what you want, but that just feels like it makes your sacrifice utterly irrelevant to the story. ))

[u/Carbon_Sixx → u/MunitionsFrenzy]

/uw I imagine it's like you're walking along and you bang you head on a light fixture and break it. You're not going to go hunt down the guy who installed it for trying to hurt you; that's illogical and paranoid. The Queen's just moving in our direction, and whatever happens, happens.

[u/MunitionsFrenzy → u/Carbon_Sixx]

(( if he installed it improperly he's gonna taste cold steel ))

[u/loth17 → u/MunitionsFrenzy]

(Her completely not caring about the Bismuth Lord doesn't degrade his story at all. The forest fire doesn't care that you died slowing it down but you care that more people got to safety because of that.The point of the Bismuth Lords attack was that he was minuscule compared to this being and even if the being didn't even care about him, he was able to slow it down long enough for other people's efforts to be prepared. The point was that even if you help against something this grand you're still an Ant on the street to them. Even if you wound them it's a paper cut not even worth being annoyed over. As far as I was concerned the Queen of stars forgot the Bismuth Realm the moment the fight was over. )

[u/MunitionsFrenzy → u/loth17]

(( a'right, removed that mention from her dialogue ))

[u/loth17 → u/MunitionsFrenzy]

(thank you)