witchcraft and sorcery

[witchwatcher]

For a brief moment, in a certain part of fairyland there is a tear that leads to the cold sky above a snow-covered hilly forest somewhere in the mortal world.

Comments

[imeanforever]

"I'm not unwilling to try to vassalize several hundred Neuroi but I would absolutely need support for it, so if we can't predict the government reaction going with the fast plan I can do on my own seems possibly safest."

[witchwatcher]

"And the government is going to be scared shirtless of you either way, talking to them first would just reduce it some... They do know you exist, Copycat and I couldn't not explain where we were going, but are under the impression you intended to stay in fairyland forever. Yeah, I'd say try and negotiate with the boss Neuroi."

[imeanforever]

Promise turns back to Evil.

"Report to me honestly, without major omission, and succinctly on communication between you and other Neuroi and your best speculations about their communication with each other. You may relay your sense-memory of this conversation to the other Neuroi."

[neuroihive]

"I am beginning relaying to the ruling council... I have completed the relay... They acknowledged receipt of the sense-memory and expressed displeasure at the situation. They will probably discuss it for several minutes. My best guess is that there has been no decision to take hostile action."

[imeanforever]

"What in particular displeases them?"

[neuroihive]

"Loss of control... They have reached the part of the sense memory describing your universe and expressed skepticism as expected."

[imeanforever]

Sigh. "I can't do magic from here to support my assertion, it only works in my universe."

[neuroihive]

"They say they will tentatively believe you on the grounds that things believed to be impossible, such as human magic, have proven to be real in the past. I believe they are lying to me in an attempt to mislead you."

[imeanforever]

"For what purpose would they most likely want to mislead me?"

[neuroihive]

"There are many possible reasons. To reduce the chance of vassalage. To attempt to gain a negotiating position. Because reducing the amount of information a rival has access to is usually beneficial. The reason I believe they are lying is due to a sudden change in [speech] patterns."

[imeanforever]

Sigh. "Can you if permitted show me images of the other Neuroi your tier?"

[neuroihive]

"Of their remembered forms, yes. Of their current forms, no, I do not know their current forms."

[imeanforever]

"That's fine. Will they be less motivated to mislead me if I have already vassalized all the Neuroi your tier?"

[neuroihive]

"I cannot be certain of the state of others' minds, but probably yes."

[imeanforever]

"If they are capable of negotiating in a civil and nonduplicitous fashion I will not need to vassalize more of them. If they aren't, we will have a conflict, and only one party involved is genuinely immortal and it's me."

[neuroihive]

Scatter looks a little overwhelmed. (The storm is making significant progress on disappearing. You can even see blue sky now.)

The Neuroi reports, "They are panicked. I am receiving conflicting messages."

[imeanforever]

"Describe the conflict honestly and without major omission."

[neuroihive]

"There is widespread disagreement on whether to believe your claims as an individual issue for each claim, whether to take hostile action, whether to believe you will abide by any agreement made, how to show you that Neuroi will abide by such an agreement, the nature of your ability, the risk posed by your ability, and several historical policies. There is no consensus and no clear groups of like-minded individuals. The ruling council will likely take no action without resolving most of these disagreements unless there is an immediate threat."

[imeanforever]

"If I understand Neuroi goals correctly, my claims are important enough that you should be collectively willing to behave as I wish long enough to verify them. I do not plan to delay the opportunity to so verify longer than is necessary to establish that I can trust an envoy small one not to be some kind of threat. The easiest way to verify that would be for me to be able to command truth from all applicable decision-makers but it's possible that other overtures of good will can be produced."

[neuroihive]

"Many Neuroi simultaneously reply that we do not like making important decisions quickly. This is true. However, there is now a reasonable consensus to promise to take no action whatsoever for one day or for a minimum of one hour of discussion after your claims are verified. I believe I am no longer being lied to. Such a quick, complex, coherent falsification with no noticeable flaws is extremely unlikely."

[imeanforever]

"That's promising. Scatter, how long can we sit here waiting for results?"