#political intrigue

[apotheosphorus]

zutara fanfic idea:

its an arranged marriage trope thing, but katara is a spy and she waits for the full moon to bloodbend ozai into offing himself, she may or may not succeed, but either way let the game of thrones-esque politics ensue

#zutara #ao3 #fanfic idea #bloodbending #political intrigue

[anim-ttrpgs]

Do you think Eureka would be suitable for a story where PCs are agents for 1 of 2-3 political rivals? Are there any mechanics in the game that you think would lend themselves well to the kinds of political intrigue and campaigning the story would involve?

As much as I love saying that our game is good for certain things, I have to admit that it has no mechanics for political intrigue beyond its existing mechanics for mystery intrigue (which are extensive). In the rules itself, we say that the PCs are not supposed to be agents of any larger organization rules-as-written, but we do give a few pieces of advice for how to do it if you want to buck that rule and use Eureka for your secret agent game.

From our experience it does do *undercover spies* pretty well, despite having no rules-as-written mechanics for the party being supported by state resources. This is probably because being an undercover spy is not 100% different from being an amateur detective. You’re trying to carefully uncover secret information, without drawing too much attention to yourself. The difference is just who you’re working for and who you’re trying to conceal your identity from.

However, @horseabortion69 I know is working on some kind of secret agent centric sci-fi adventure meant to work with Eureka, and I implore her to share more about it on this post.

#eureka: investigative urban fantasy #eureka #rpg #ttrpg #roleplaying #tabletop #secret agent #detective #allied forces #political intrigue #spy #spies #scp foundation #scp

[tmarshconnors]

Cybernetics Girl

#Cyberpunk #Science Fiction #Anime #Manga #Cybernetics #Artificial Intelligence #Existentialism #Transhumanism #Hacking #Society and Technology #Action #Dystopia #Law Enforcement #Philosophy #Virtual Reality #Futuristic #Identity #Technological Advancements #Human-Machine Interface #Political Intrigue #Mind Upload #Consciousness Exploration #Futuristic Cityscapes #Surveillance #Futuristic Weapons #Ethical Dilemmas #Techno-Thriller #Androids #Mystery #Mind-Hacking

[braininatankwithalaptop]

I have torn thoughts on Red Robe's characterization in Mother of Learning.

On the surface, one can draw a parallel between his villainous motivations and those found in lazy action movies. "The bad guy is the radical extremist trying to destroy an unjust system instead of doing nothing like the good guys." But as I thought about the protagonists, Zach and Zorian, I found the parallel isn't the same. Zach and Zorian really aren't defenders of the monarchy, the noble houses, or the status quo. Zach ends the story fighting a legal battle to right a wrong done to him and Zorian ends up as the ambassador to the aranea to help them establish official diplomatic relations with Cyoria. Sure, neither character is specifically politically ambitious, but that seems to be from a sense of humility or desire for rest than actual satisfaction with the status quo. So, what is the actual foil between ZZ and Jornak?

We don't get a lot of specifics with Jornak's characterization, but two details stand out to me. 1) Jornak discovered the deepness of eldemar's/ikosian empire's corruption during a time loop that he had to cheat to retain awareness of. 2) Quatach-Ichl betrays Jornak partially by revealing his plan to hold Zorian's friends and family hostage because Jornak believes that the first ikosian emperor used the time loop to ascend to power and wants to use the same power to conquer the continent. Let's start with the first detail. Jornak discovers in his research that the injustice that happened to him was a result of systemic problems. He couldn't fix those in a month by himself in increments, which is the only time frame he had within the time loop. But he could support the invasion, he could leverage it to destroy *everything* standing in his way and be free to start over from scratch. The only way he could feel like he was making progress was by consolidating more personal power and perfecting the outcome of a horrific invasion. And he knew that the "boon" of the time loop was not designed with him in mind. It was made for Zach in mind and Jornak was terrified of being cut out of the picture and exploited like he exploited everyone else and was exploited. So he had to make a deal with Qautach-Ichl and Panaxeth, further committing him to the invasion as his only course of action. So, his actions are extreme but kind of understandable and sympathetic? But if we look at the second detail of Qautach-Ichl's worries of him we see he's making the same mistakes that he claims are the reason for the systemic injustices today. Jornak wants to "follow the cycle" as it were, and become emperor like Shutur Tanara with his boon of the time loop. He consolidated immense magical power, skill, and political/psychological insight of important actors in the world. All he had to do afterwards was become emperor and instead of being bad like him, be good. Easy, right? But for that to work he still has to conquer the continent which one can't and shouldn't do without committing so many atrocities and compromising so many morals. He may not establish the same systemic injustices but if he doesn't he will make different ones. Jornak sees the cycle of the time loop being an unfair advantage and allowing one madman to reshape the continent as they see fit and decides he's going to ensure he's the madman in hopes of making the world better. And here we see ZZ truly promising something different by not doing that. It is a repeated character motivation of Zorian's and Zach's that they wish to pay people back for the support they received in the timeloop. They consolidated power and then worked on ensuring others got the benefits of it too. The two of them aren't planning on being the singular most historically important people to culture and civilization, they want to give their own (partially) realistic contributions and help their friends do the same. Zorian isn't going to be the one that publishes revolutionary medicinal and alchemical techniques, but Kael might. Zach won't go down in history for single handedly hunting down and dismantling groups of necromancers and cultists, but Alanic and his sect of the church might. They are so committed to helping their friends, and Zorian especially seeks to achieve their goals not through dominance, but through diplomacy. Zorian and Zach's diplomacy and "political" intrigue are so integral to how they win in the end that I'm tempted to say the author read On the Origins of War: And the Preservation of Peace or something similar. Zorian secures an alliance with Spear of Resolve by proving his trust and alluding to helping a rival. Zorian gets important information out of Qautach-Ichl by making a cogent and good faith argument for him to not support the invasion. Zorian gets Oganji to flee the battle by giving up valuable artifacts in a bargain. And most importantly, the angels cut a deal with Zorian and Zach to not enforce certain clauses of the law if Zach and Zorian can skirt the letter of it.

I think if you really comb over how Zorian and Zach interact with antagonists, how others try to get what they want, and characterizations of conflicting people/organizations, politically speaking the story is about how important it is to compromise your goals in the name of results and your ethics as opposed to compromising your ethics in the name of your goals. ZZ break a cycle of exploitation by refusing to forget others and paying back debts. Jornak's bitterness and despair push him to make a deal with the "devil" (primordial) and fight for the short term, corrupt solution. I think this is the most good faith interpretation I can have about the character dynamics and themes of the book but who knows? I might be wrong due to projections.

#mother of learning #mol #red robe #zorian kazinski #zach noveda #mol spoilers #jornak dokochin #quatach-ichl #political intrigue #fantasy worldbuilding #literary analysis #I also had so many thoughts on how raynie's background and character arc parallel to this and zorian's story specifically #but that's a post for another day #I need to learn to be more succinct

[redbeanbunsworld]

How would each Ro confess to mc?👀

I love this question hahaha! Well, confessions are very ambiguous, or either super direct. And what would constitute as a confession? XD I can think of what you mean, but some of my characters don't really go with the "confession" thing. I will give the reactions, although, the actual confession scene will be a little more...detailed, of course, depending on personality, too.

Disclaimer: this is not the actual thing that will happen, and keep in mind that these confessions is regards to "loving" the MC.

Ji Qiangxin If you somehow manage to temper the iron heart and his obvious distrust towards MC, then you've definitely worked hard for his affection, and he is well-aware of the multiple grievances that you had suffered due to him.

If you are the more sensitive type, Qiangxin prefers to confess physically, to show his affection through his actions rather than his words. To confess, Qiangxin will take you to a private area, perhaps a bit personal to him, and allow himself the vulnerability. With that, he will hold the MC, waiting for reassurance, and allow himself the most intimate vulnerability and place your hand over his heart and carass your face while he holds his gaze, yearning and longing.

If you are the more stoic type, Qiangxin will display his affection through his words rather than action. He will do something similar to the above but instead of holding his gaze and the hand over his chest, he will entwine your fingers and swear on his life that he feels most safe with you, and forever, he might feel that way--only with you.

Wu Shen This conniving man who dwells in hedonism has little that he has to hide from the person he truly loves. He is someone not many like peresonally, aside from his charms and his professional value; and he likes to keep it that way. However, if you somehow manage to stir his feelings out of control, then he as selfish as he is, he will drag you down into the endless and inescapable hole of passionate love.

If you are the more friendly type, he will confess with no bars held back. You both will can be confortable, sitting by a busy road, or maybe in a difficult situation with the war--he doesn't care. The moment he realizes this, he will confess with the most boring and direct, "I think I might be a bit in love with you" or some bullshit along the same lines.

If you are the colder type, he will be a lot more careful and awkward about the confession. He will most likely not say it outright, and instead, try to find a cozy area like a private room, riverside, or just someplace where others cannot disturb the peace. Even with all that, don't expect a confident confession, but rather, a confession full of twists, turns, and indirect quips.

Ji Shenglian Such lovely and sweet princess is difficult to anger, but in truth, rather easy to provoke and disappoint. She has little hope for humanity and is as compassionate as she is cruel, the most ambiguous set of moral values and bizarre opinions. Still, with patience and tender care, Shenglian will understand the world, and she will understand what it means to offer oneself fully.

If you are the more sweeter type, she will express her love in the most ostentatious way possible for her. Fancy food, beautiful baubles, a magic show from her truly, and a soapy speech of how she loves the undying sweetness and support from you. She won't consider the rejection, because to her, just seeing you happy is all she needs.

If you are the more ruder/blunt type, Shenglian will not be grandiose neither show such extravagant confession. Instead, in this situation, she will be so nervous, turn as red as an apple, and nervous to say a word. Not out of fear, but rather, out of pure embarassment due to the domineering personality type of MC. She feels silly, in love, and totally prepared to faint from overheating when feelings are reciprocated, or to to cry without restraint when rejected.

Fu Xiuying To get a confession out of her is impossible. She has no time nor mind for such things. No matter how attractive or interesting the MC is, she is not willing to give up her most valuable part: her vulnerability. But if you do manage to woo her and find some placei n her heart, she will not confess---no matter what you do! Unless you are the one who drives to the corner and confess first. If you manage to do so, without her avoiding MC and the topic like a plague, then take into assurance that she is fully prepared to accept MC for eternity and death does them part.

Mo Ge Similarly to Xiuying, he will not confess. But rather out of indifference in relationships, he is not willing to allow pain or vulnerability to cause immense pain again. Even then, he can never hold on for too long, and even without his words and direct physical affection--Mo Ge's is of the most pure and selfless desire. Just don't expect a confession unless you're willing to offer a kiss first.

#tears of tianchao #tot #twine #if wip #interactive fiction #ji qiangxin #fu xiuying #political intrigue #wu shen #mo ge #ji shenglian #tot ros #tearsoftianchaoros #tot anon #tot q and a

[whimsyandbooks]

The Hurricane Wars: A Stellar 10/10 True Enemies to Lovers Adventure In "The Hurricane Wars" by Thea Guanzon, the lush tale of a fantastical realm is vividly portrayed. Within this richly woven narrative, the story revolves around Talasyn, the last known light weaver on the continent, and Alaric, the formidable Prince of Kesath and an adept Shadow Weaver. Their world, torn apart by the devastating power of storms wielded by ships, is brought to life with intricate detail. As their paths collide and their magic clashes in unexpected ways, a tale of profound enmity, unexpected alliances, and the delicate balance between love and hate unfolds. Against the backdrop of a nation, Sarodivia, struggling under the oppressive rule of Kesath, these characters come alive, their complexities adding layers to a story that weaves together themes of identity, freedom, and the intricate dance between darkness and light. Join Talasyn and Alaric on a mesmerizing journey where the battlegrounds of the heart mirror the stormy conflicts of their world.

The story begins in the heart of Sarodivia, a nation ravaged by the power and greed of Kesath, whose ships wield the power of storms, giving rise to the name The Hurricane Wars. Talasyn, a Sardovian orphan, emerges as last known light weaver on the continent, her very existence a testament to a power believed long ago eradicated by Kesath. Her nemesis is Alaric, the Prince of Kesath, and a powerful shadow weaver, becomes joined in her fate. When their magic clashes, an unexpected confluence happens between light and dark, and their lives become intertwined in ways neither ever expected. This leads them to the secluded vibrant world of Nenavar, inspired by the Philippines, where even the dragons draw from South-Asian mythology. War-time weddings really are all the rage. Guanzon crafts a complex tale of identity, ancestral Mythologies, the fight for freedom, the nuances of nationhood, along with the passionate tension between love and hate that hinges the precarious balance of the fate of the world.

Guanzon's writing style is eloquent and lush, painting detailed pictures with her words. The pacing keeps readers engaged, although I found myself slightly thrown off by the absence of a world-changing cataclysmic twist in the final 100 pages. However, this might be due to my recent dive into Sarah J. Maas' books, which are known for their intense plot twists. The end of the book is still incredibly satisfying, as well as perfectly having set the gears in motion for epic twists and turns to happen in the following books of the series. The character development is subtle yet profound; both Talasyn and Alaric learn to navigate their brash hot-headedness and gradually understand each other. Themes of opposites, enemies to lovers, dark vs light, war, politics, and destiny intricately intwine throughout the narrative, creating a captivating tapestry.

The world-building in this book is extraordinary. While it began as an epic fan fiction, Guanzon has masterfully crafted a unique world with intricate political systems, customs, and mythos. Guanzon's academic background in international politics shines through, adding depth and realism rarely seen to the fantastical elements of the story.

The romance in "The Hurricane Wars" is a slow burn of the highest order. Guanzon expertly entwines romance and spice, making the reader cheer for these two oblivious souls falling for each other amidst the chaos.

This book is a treasure for fans of slow-burn enemies-to-lovers stories set in a meticulously crafted fantasy world of magic and politics. I wholeheartedly recommend it, rating it 10/10 stars. "The Hurricane Wars" is an excellent book, a testament to Guanzon’s exceptional writing. I loved it and greedily anticipate the next installment.

#books #booktok #reylo #reading #bookworm #book review #booklover #book rec #bookstagram #the Hurricane Wars #Thea Guanzon #enemies to lovers #political intrigue #published fan fic

[wannabe-british-fangirl]

~ books read in 2023 ~

#19: Sweep of the Blade by Ilona Andrews

The hot wind flung brown dust into Maud's face.

Rating: 5/5

#sweep of the blade #ilona andrews #innkeeper chronicles #2023 reading list #books #book aesthetic #book moodboard #fiction #fantasy #sci-fi #space #family #romance #vampires #political intrigue

[musewrangler]

But this was the first time Matt had been in the midst of a battle like this while on the bridge. His Admiral had just made a monumental decision and Matt could see that Piett knew it. He was carrying the weight of that on those slim shoulders. That lean jaw was tense as he stayed near tactical so he could see the positions of themselves, their allies and their enemies.

“How many small fighters can we muster?” Piett asked the captain of the Resolve—a towering Togruta with dark blue lekku. The height contrast was almost comical but no one was laughing.

Piett’s command ability was so great that anyone who served with him for five minutes took him seriously.

“Sir, if we use some of the small transports along with the X-Wings and TIEs we have about 150 at our disposal,” answered the captain.

Piett blew out a small breath.

“All right. That’s…not terrific, but if we use them effectively—-”

A bright green flash occurred outside the viewport and one of the few Cavsla light cruisers just—-disappeared.

A general cry of dismay went up around the bridge and Matt moved toward the Admiral immediately.

“Holy kark,” breathed the first officer. “What the hell was that ?”

Matt suspected he knew and he’d rarely seen Piett’s face so white as the Admiral gazed wide eyed at the fine debris sparkling where a ship had been a second before.

“Sir?” he asked quietly, coming to his side.

“I have not seen something that powerful since…” Piett trailed off and the hand in his sling clenched tightly.

#star wars #star wars original trilogy #star wars au #firmus piett #admiral piett #leia organa #general veers #maximilian veers #luke skywalker #mara jade #Han solo #commander fox #commander wolffe #cc 1010 #cc 3636 #Empire reimagined #friendship #Loyalty #found family #political intrigue

[bbubblerum]

Present for my D&D group! This is the Party of Tarot:Deception, a political intrigue game that keeps getting more fun to run!

#art #dnd #dungeons and dragons #character art #digital art #fantasy art #artist #dnd art #dnd character #dungeons and dragons art #political intrigue #dnd homebrew #5e homebrew #artwork #my art #illustration #artists on tumblr #drawings #original illustration

[sugarbunbie]

Please have my second rbb inspired by @clarinda0110's gorgeous Zhuiling art --

darling, it's called a coming of age

Zhuiling gets together

amidst someone trying to usurp JL's sect leadership

Expect: h/c, shameless background WX, smut, political intrigue

Rated E, word count 18k

#zhuiling #fic inspired by art #mdzs rbb #mdzs #mxtx #hurt/comfort #coming of age #political intrigue #smut

[betterbooksandthings]

The Jasad Heir by Sara Hashem

The Jasad Heir by Sara Hashem is a beautifully textured Egyptian-inspired high fantasy book that rips your heart apart and puts it back together again. As an orphaned apothecary’s assistant in a small town, no one expects Sylvia to hide powerful magic and an even more powerful lineage. When the kingdom of Jasad fell to the kingdom of Nizahl a decade ago, everyone believed all members of the royal family fell with it, but the magically adept Jasad heir escaped, and she has been on the run ever since. Her magic has been dampened for years so typically there is little threat it will be detected, but one day Arin, the Nizahl heir, discovers her power anyway. He cannot imagine she is lost royalty, but Arin knows her magic is powerful and can tell her strength will serve his political goals. With knowledge of Sylvia’s powers and Jasadi background, he blackmails her into becoming his champion for the Alcalah, a deadly series of trials where each kingdom has one chance at selecting a future victor that will bring pride to their country. Now she must keep her identity as the lost Jasad heir a secret from the strict and inscrutable heir, even as they grow inextricably close. If she wins, Sylvia will have enough money and status as the Alcalah victor to hide for the rest of her life, but as Jasadi rebels and her own conscience demand she takes up her throne, she has to decide if she is willing to live a life of peace at the cost of her people. The book is filled with magic, political intrigue, friendship, enemies-to-lovers tension, and a magical competition to tie it all together. I could not recommend this book more.

I must say, Hashem’s debut is an impressive feat of the genre. The magic system and world-building are top-tier for those looking for fantasy with multi-kingdom political intrigue and well-developed characters. Everyone and everything introduced to the book is there for a reason and they all have well-developed backstories and interior lives. I believe the book follows an iceberg approach to fantasy where we see a fraction of the worldbuilding that goes into crafting such an intricate system where everything feels real. Small details from clothing, food, and value differences between kingdoms give life to the people and the places they inhabit.

Sylvia is a wonderful character. She is a believable traumatized 20-year-old. The book is a good recommendation for fans of New Adult-aged protagonists, but it is firmly adult fantasy. She is comfortable with murdering for survival and capable of doing so. Even without consistent access to her powers, she is clever and calculating and knows how to wield a bevy of weapons. It doesn’t stop her from caring about a select group of people including her two best friends Sefa and Marek who follow her throughout the book. They have their own story that I will not spoil but rest assured they are wonderful and Sefa is on the ace spectrum for anyone who wants to know.

Now, there is also an enemies-to-lovers subplot in the book between the two heirs, Sylvia and Arin but it is a slow burn, backburner, low-spice (but high-heat) romance. Both characters have a certain level of touch aversion one due to a magic curse, the other due to a traumatic childhood. They are also two people who don’t trust or love with any level of ease. Nonetheless, they care about each other, and the growing care leads me to believe in their chemistry. I can find no confirmation that Sylvia was written to be on the ace spectrum so please correct me if I am wrong, but I read her character as demisexual or somewhere on the ace spectrum. I am completely on board with this ship either way.

Training for the Alcalah and the Alcalah itself is so well done. Anyone who likes a good high-stakes fantasy competition will be satisfied with this storyline. The secrets and political intrigue create ongoing tension throughout the book and I cannot wait to see what is going to happen in book 2.

All that is to say this book is absolutely wonderful. Thank you Orbit Books for providing me with an arc for an honest review and I would highly recommend you preorder yourself a copy because when The Jasad Heir by Sara Hashem comes out on July 18, 2023, you will want to get started.

#The Jasad Heir by Sara Hashem #book review #high fantasy #fantasy book review #Sara Hashem #The Jasad Heir #orbit books #magic #political intrigue #enemies to lovers #magical competition #fantasy book recs #Egyptian-inspired #ace books

[smallfrenchstudyblr]

Describe your academic research with tags, but only ao3 tags.

#slow burn #enemies to lovers to enemies to lovers to- #lack of communication #political intrigue #courtroom drama #no one communicates #ego gets in the way of everything #reluctant allies #phdblr #gradblr #life as a phd student #academia

[berryshiara]

Chapter 27 Daughters of War!

A Wedding, a foot race, and a witnessing. Please enjoy. Tell me your favorite parts!

#AC Valhalla #eivor varinsdóttir #randvi #randivor #au Eivor and Randvi are opposing counsels of war for their tribes #enemies to lovers #political intrigue #danger at every turn

[tmarshconnors]

Cybernetics Girl

#Cyberpunk #Science Fiction #Anime #Manga #Cybernetics #Artificial Intelligence #Existentialism #Transhumanism #Hacking #Society and Technology #Action #Dystopia #Law Enforcement #Philosophy #Virtual Reality #Futuristic #Identity #Technological Advancements #Human-Machine Interface #Political Intrigue #Mind Upload #Consciousness Exploration #Futuristic Cityscapes #Surveillance #Futuristic Weapons #Ethical Dilemmas #Techno-Thriller #Androids #Mystery #Mind-Hacking

[womenusingwords]

Season of Eclipse

The details… Title: Season of Eclipse Author: Terry Wolverton Publisher: Bella Books Editor: Katherine V. Forrest Publication date: February 15, 2024 ISBN: 9781642475142e Available formats: ebook, paperback File size: 3712 KB Print length: 292 pages Genre: Thriller Themes: terrorism, political intrigue, deception, corruption, humanity, freedom, justice, friendship, evasion, truth,…

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#Bella Books #corruption #deception #evasion #freedom #friendship #humanity #justice #political intrigue #self-discovery and growth #survival #terrorism #Terry Wolverton #truth

[redbeanbunsworld]

Daily Update

Today has been...awfully interesting in the most mudane way possible. Anyway, I was mostly working today as well as participating in some book communities and reviews. Not a lot of writing went through, just thinking.

That being said, I decided that it will only be right for Mo Ge, our beloved greenest green flag ro, to receive a special drabble after Chapter 3. I have a ton of short stories, so I will be sure to include them in the story next time hehe. Tell me any scenario you guys want to see. :) I might just write it~

#tot #tears of tianchao #twine #if wip #interactive fiction #ji qiangxin #fu xiuying #political intrigue #wu shen #mo ge #ji shenglian #tot daily