Seven Kingdoms: Sora
Oct. 7th, 2021 08:59 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
alias_sqbrSora is an impulsive history nerd pirate from Hise who romanced Jasper. She was fun to play, and the Jasper romance was full of some excellent pining but didn't really go anywhere, unless I screwed something up. I also saw all the Historian scenes, which is strongly connected to Jasper so it was good to do this on the same playthrough as his romance.
And then I went back and romanced Lyon the uptight history nerd and that was also great.
Masterlist of posts
Turns out I misunderstood, the 'weaver' chain is to do with Avalie, for Jasper I want the 'Historian' chain.
After a lot of poking of spreadsheets and experimenting with the character creator, I settled on an ethical history nerd pirate called Sora.
Her background is that her mother was a pirate captain who kidnapped a proper gentleman from Wellin to be her husband?? Let's just gloss over the consent issues there since the dad seems to have ended up fine with it.
She has a moment of "Oh no how do I deal with having servants?? I KNOW I WILL THINK OF THEM AS MY CREW" which is a nice start to a romance with your butler.
Ha, it's weird playing someone who isn't totally useless at fighting. She impressed Ana!
Flirting with Hamin is a lot more fun when they're two pirates just playing around and she doesn't find him at all shocking.
I never pick the 'WOW YOU'RE PIRATE THAT'S WEIRD' options with Cordelia anyway, but it seems a little silly to have them even be an option when you're a pirate too.
Haa Sora wishes she could challenge the Matchmaker to a drinking context and see her fail. What a firecracker, I love her.
Sora charms Claremont by telling a funny story about this one time she kidnapped a goat and punched a guy in the face.
Aww, Penelope gets some real self confidence if she's on your boat team and you win. Which I did, because I am a PIRATE (Hamin helped)
WOOT got the 'figured out who tried to assassinate you" achievement. Lian was too clueless and Valya didn't trust Jasper enough to get his help.
Sora's family/crew is so much supportive and nice than Lian and Valya's. I love Hise. The Hise Mystery is what happened to your long vanished mother.
Even though the aim is to romance Jasper, I'm feeling the burgeoning romance with Lyon. Nerdy but feisty egalitarian pirate and reserved nerd duke who thinks social expectations are illogical is a cute dynamic.
Also at her picnic Zarad and Hamin teamed up to make flying lanterns, I kinda ship it. They're both the sort to be cool with Sora just flirting with them for fun but I'm hoping Jasper and Lyon don't get their hearts broken if I pick one and not the other.
Oops seduced Ria again. But actually that could be cute, this is by dating servants run. Time for a special save file!
Heeeey but here's Jasper being all stoically pining helllllo. Yes I'm sure it's PURELY OUT OF UNSELFISH CONCERN that you reminded Sora she doesn't have to marry anyone.
Haaa Lyon didn't mention Sora in his matchmaker interview, or say much of anything at all, but when the Matchmaker suggested that Sora could marry someone else he glared.
Hmm do I say "political marriage" or "No romance"?
Haaa ok it was No Romance, and afterwards Jasper puts his hand on her arm and says it was the right decision, then looks at his hand like he doesn't know how he ended up touching her.
Haa, a rejected Zarad is a little weirded out by the idea of being friends with a hot girl but willing to give it a shot (but also implicitly willing to hook up with her if she changes her mind).
A rejected Hamin does his best to be cheery about it but is clearly a little sad.
A rejected Lyon seems to be a bit "I am having...a feeling? I do not like this feeling." but is happily surprised when Sora says they are friends.
FOUND OUT WHO THE HISTORIANS ARE!! They're an Isle group oath-sworn to observe history without interfering. Before Katiya, that was what the whole Isle did. Even though she eventually persuaded them to run the summit, the family of the then leader still wanted to be a separate group, recording without taking part. Jasper is their descendent, and so has inherited oaths to both preserve the summit and not interfere with history. But as Sora hears him arguing with Yvette, he wants to help Sora and the innocent maid Imogen who's been accused of murder, though all he tells Sora directly is what the oaths are, and that she needs to be careful.
Oooh being single means Sora has extra free time, and gets a special scene where she INVESTIGATES THE MATCHMAKER'S ROOMS!! She doesn't find any clues, just the matchmaker's coded notes. And then she hears a conversation between the matchmaker and her tactlessly logical apprentice where the matchmaker proves herself to be an idealistic softy deep down. Apparently the apprentice will be a love interest in the final game.
Jasper has a moment of despair about the trial and summit. Sora tells him that whatever else happens, she will save Imogen, and he should leave it to her. It's pretty nice.
SOLVED THE MURDER OF THE SERVANT!! The servant who died was the one who helped Gisette try to kill Sora in week 2. This other servant, Kade, didn't like Isle natives doing that sort of thing so killed him for it and attempted to frame Gisette.
And this leads Sora to find the murder weapon used to kill the delegate who died. Looks like the servant who died managed to poison the delegate with a slow acting poison before Kade got to him.
FULL ACQUITTAL!!
Hahaha after reading the spreadsheet I was wondering why Gisette would give more approval for you finding the real murderer, who she hired. But she is happy because now, with both murders solved, it's less likely anyone will keep poking about and so uncover her involvement. She smiles and thanks and then goes to comfort the widow of the man she had killed. What a sweetie.
That was a lot of fun and very satisfying after my previous two failed attempts to solve the mystery. I really like how the trial setup combines stats raising, clue investigation, and relying on your friends.
I have no strong feelings about the play. Going to try being backstage just for a change!
Sora's Hise plot just got interesting: She went to ask Hamin if he knew anything, and he said her mother was in conflict with Corval so Zarad might know something. And it turns out Zarad wrote the note saying her mother is alive! His brother kidnapped Sora's mother, hoping to extract information to help conquer Hise. So now Sora's best hope is to organise a treaty between Corval and Hise and have her mother's return be one of the conditions.
Nice to have the treaty negotiations actually feel relevant for a change. *hurriedly increases my influence with Corval*
Ooh overheard Jasper and Kade accusing each other of 'twisted loyalties' and having lost sight of what is best for the Isle. Jasper tells Kade to stay away from Sora and he laughs, saying the world will drag her into the muck without him.
Play success! It went pretty badly onstage without the MC there to keep everyone on track but apparently the great costumes made up for it haha.
Jasper does some excellent tortured pining. MC is now explicitly into him too, but in a much more understated way. There was the option to be, like "What an excellent butler. Oh well, there's always more servants!" instead.
Historians scene: Yvette's backstory! In her youth, she sought out secrets, but only to record them. She found out about an attempt on her brother and rather than 'interfering with history' and exposing it, she took the consequences upon herself, which is how she ended up in a wheelchair. She blames the Arland ambassador, who claims to be hurt by the idea but absolutely does seem to be a sneaky schemer.
A scene I haven't seen before of Ana having existential angst about being a warrior when her uncle the ambassador says Skalt should focus on peace.
Ooh, came across Katiya's diary in what I think is Jasper's room! Mostly it was what you'd expect, but still nice to read about her difficulties making the first summit work and having conflict with the Isle natives. Just before the ball, the leader Katiya had been arguing with arrived with flowers for her hair: 'extinct everywhere but the Isle, they are unique in all the world, but flourishing here. Like her, if she chooses to stay here with him.'
And when Sora gets back to her room, she finds a garland of the same white flowers.
Aww Sora and Jasper have a secret dance as the ball winds towards it's end, silently yearning, and Jasper says he want to forget who they both are. He kisses her and then says he has to go. The next day he refuses to talk about it, avoiding her eye, and is doing his best to be the perfect butler again.
And that's it for the romance unless I missed something :( ASK HER TO STAY!!
Instead, Sora saved her mother and started a new era of cooperation between Corval and Hise etc etc, and then went home.
THE END
Lyon Romance:
Haha Zarad still implies he'd be up for a hookup if she ever gets bored or lonely.
Uuurgh doing the trial again with exactly the same stats and goals is so BORING. Lyon is a pretty cute fiance though, and I don't need full acquittal. I do want to make sure I do everything to rescue Sora's mother.
Sora finds Lyon in the library reading classical romantic tragedies and love poems to try and understand what she expects. She says she likes him as he is, then teases him by dramatically reading terrible love letters at him.
AWW and then he shows up to her room with a note expressing his feelings because he's no good with talking.
Doing sets this time, like costumes it's pretty eventless but it is kind of funny that now Sora has to fix the broken set used to try to murder her the night before.
In Lyon's breakup he says he can't think around Sora, the thought that she might die caused unbearable feelings. And he never knows how to express himself so will just hurt her, and hurting her destroys him.
Growing up, he didn't have any friends who actually liked him for more than being the Duke's eccentric genius son. His father only cared about his achievements and obedience. He thought academia was a meritocracy where he could just exchange knowledge and connect with others as equals but once he became the duke was declared 'too important'. He decided he wasn't worthy of happiness or love ;_;
Awwwww. And instead of a letter from his family, Sora, gets a letter from a friend (who thinks Lyon doesn't realise they're friends) from the academy, 'June the 2nd Undermaster of Trade', saying Lyon always respected him despite his low birth, and asking Sora to be patient and supportive.
Date with Lyon involving a lively academic debate and a few stolen kisses, very briefly described but still A+
In general the romance seems geared towards a feisty non-nerd who respects Lyon's bookishness but doesn't entirely share it. Which works pretty well for Sora but I get the feeling I'd find it annoying if I tried playing someone with a similar personality to Lyon.
w-why did I get a new line about Gisette stating coldly at Sora. Is she going to try to kill her again o.O
Haha aww he offers to dance with her at the ball but is glad when she says they don't have to. And then they dance together in private outside at the end.
That was all pretty cute!
I was pondering also trying for a romance with Ria while politically married to Lisle but I'm not feeling it. Maybe another time!
And then I went back and romanced Lyon the uptight history nerd and that was also great.
Masterlist of posts
Turns out I misunderstood, the 'weaver' chain is to do with Avalie, for Jasper I want the 'Historian' chain.
After a lot of poking of spreadsheets and experimenting with the character creator, I settled on an ethical history nerd pirate called Sora.
Her background is that her mother was a pirate captain who kidnapped a proper gentleman from Wellin to be her husband?? Let's just gloss over the consent issues there since the dad seems to have ended up fine with it.
She has a moment of "Oh no how do I deal with having servants?? I KNOW I WILL THINK OF THEM AS MY CREW" which is a nice start to a romance with your butler.
Ha, it's weird playing someone who isn't totally useless at fighting. She impressed Ana!
Flirting with Hamin is a lot more fun when they're two pirates just playing around and she doesn't find him at all shocking.
I never pick the 'WOW YOU'RE PIRATE THAT'S WEIRD' options with Cordelia anyway, but it seems a little silly to have them even be an option when you're a pirate too.
Haa Sora wishes she could challenge the Matchmaker to a drinking context and see her fail. What a firecracker, I love her.
Sora charms Claremont by telling a funny story about this one time she kidnapped a goat and punched a guy in the face.
Aww, Penelope gets some real self confidence if she's on your boat team and you win. Which I did, because I am a PIRATE (Hamin helped)
WOOT got the 'figured out who tried to assassinate you" achievement. Lian was too clueless and Valya didn't trust Jasper enough to get his help.
Sora's family/crew is so much supportive and nice than Lian and Valya's. I love Hise. The Hise Mystery is what happened to your long vanished mother.
Even though the aim is to romance Jasper, I'm feeling the burgeoning romance with Lyon. Nerdy but feisty egalitarian pirate and reserved nerd duke who thinks social expectations are illogical is a cute dynamic.
Also at her picnic Zarad and Hamin teamed up to make flying lanterns, I kinda ship it. They're both the sort to be cool with Sora just flirting with them for fun but I'm hoping Jasper and Lyon don't get their hearts broken if I pick one and not the other.
Oops seduced Ria again. But actually that could be cute, this is by dating servants run. Time for a special save file!
Heeeey but here's Jasper being all stoically pining helllllo. Yes I'm sure it's PURELY OUT OF UNSELFISH CONCERN that you reminded Sora she doesn't have to marry anyone.
Haaa Lyon didn't mention Sora in his matchmaker interview, or say much of anything at all, but when the Matchmaker suggested that Sora could marry someone else he glared.
Hmm do I say "political marriage" or "No romance"?
Haaa ok it was No Romance, and afterwards Jasper puts his hand on her arm and says it was the right decision, then looks at his hand like he doesn't know how he ended up touching her.
Haa, a rejected Zarad is a little weirded out by the idea of being friends with a hot girl but willing to give it a shot (but also implicitly willing to hook up with her if she changes her mind).
A rejected Hamin does his best to be cheery about it but is clearly a little sad.
A rejected Lyon seems to be a bit "I am having...a feeling? I do not like this feeling." but is happily surprised when Sora says they are friends.
FOUND OUT WHO THE HISTORIANS ARE!! They're an Isle group oath-sworn to observe history without interfering. Before Katiya, that was what the whole Isle did. Even though she eventually persuaded them to run the summit, the family of the then leader still wanted to be a separate group, recording without taking part. Jasper is their descendent, and so has inherited oaths to both preserve the summit and not interfere with history. But as Sora hears him arguing with Yvette, he wants to help Sora and the innocent maid Imogen who's been accused of murder, though all he tells Sora directly is what the oaths are, and that she needs to be careful.
Oooh being single means Sora has extra free time, and gets a special scene where she INVESTIGATES THE MATCHMAKER'S ROOMS!! She doesn't find any clues, just the matchmaker's coded notes. And then she hears a conversation between the matchmaker and her tactlessly logical apprentice where the matchmaker proves herself to be an idealistic softy deep down. Apparently the apprentice will be a love interest in the final game.
Jasper has a moment of despair about the trial and summit. Sora tells him that whatever else happens, she will save Imogen, and he should leave it to her. It's pretty nice.
SOLVED THE MURDER OF THE SERVANT!! The servant who died was the one who helped Gisette try to kill Sora in week 2. This other servant, Kade, didn't like Isle natives doing that sort of thing so killed him for it and attempted to frame Gisette.
And this leads Sora to find the murder weapon used to kill the delegate who died. Looks like the servant who died managed to poison the delegate with a slow acting poison before Kade got to him.
FULL ACQUITTAL!!
Hahaha after reading the spreadsheet I was wondering why Gisette would give more approval for you finding the real murderer, who she hired. But she is happy because now, with both murders solved, it's less likely anyone will keep poking about and so uncover her involvement. She smiles and thanks and then goes to comfort the widow of the man she had killed. What a sweetie.
That was a lot of fun and very satisfying after my previous two failed attempts to solve the mystery. I really like how the trial setup combines stats raising, clue investigation, and relying on your friends.
I have no strong feelings about the play. Going to try being backstage just for a change!
Sora's Hise plot just got interesting: She went to ask Hamin if he knew anything, and he said her mother was in conflict with Corval so Zarad might know something. And it turns out Zarad wrote the note saying her mother is alive! His brother kidnapped Sora's mother, hoping to extract information to help conquer Hise. So now Sora's best hope is to organise a treaty between Corval and Hise and have her mother's return be one of the conditions.
Nice to have the treaty negotiations actually feel relevant for a change. *hurriedly increases my influence with Corval*
Ooh overheard Jasper and Kade accusing each other of 'twisted loyalties' and having lost sight of what is best for the Isle. Jasper tells Kade to stay away from Sora and he laughs, saying the world will drag her into the muck without him.
Play success! It went pretty badly onstage without the MC there to keep everyone on track but apparently the great costumes made up for it haha.
Jasper does some excellent tortured pining. MC is now explicitly into him too, but in a much more understated way. There was the option to be, like "What an excellent butler. Oh well, there's always more servants!" instead.
Historians scene: Yvette's backstory! In her youth, she sought out secrets, but only to record them. She found out about an attempt on her brother and rather than 'interfering with history' and exposing it, she took the consequences upon herself, which is how she ended up in a wheelchair. She blames the Arland ambassador, who claims to be hurt by the idea but absolutely does seem to be a sneaky schemer.
A scene I haven't seen before of Ana having existential angst about being a warrior when her uncle the ambassador says Skalt should focus on peace.
Ooh, came across Katiya's diary in what I think is Jasper's room! Mostly it was what you'd expect, but still nice to read about her difficulties making the first summit work and having conflict with the Isle natives. Just before the ball, the leader Katiya had been arguing with arrived with flowers for her hair: 'extinct everywhere but the Isle, they are unique in all the world, but flourishing here. Like her, if she chooses to stay here with him.'
And when Sora gets back to her room, she finds a garland of the same white flowers.
Aww Sora and Jasper have a secret dance as the ball winds towards it's end, silently yearning, and Jasper says he want to forget who they both are. He kisses her and then says he has to go. The next day he refuses to talk about it, avoiding her eye, and is doing his best to be the perfect butler again.
And that's it for the romance unless I missed something :( ASK HER TO STAY!!
Instead, Sora saved her mother and started a new era of cooperation between Corval and Hise etc etc, and then went home.
THE END
Lyon Romance:
Haha Zarad still implies he'd be up for a hookup if she ever gets bored or lonely.
Uuurgh doing the trial again with exactly the same stats and goals is so BORING. Lyon is a pretty cute fiance though, and I don't need full acquittal. I do want to make sure I do everything to rescue Sora's mother.
Sora finds Lyon in the library reading classical romantic tragedies and love poems to try and understand what she expects. She says she likes him as he is, then teases him by dramatically reading terrible love letters at him.
AWW and then he shows up to her room with a note expressing his feelings because he's no good with talking.
Doing sets this time, like costumes it's pretty eventless but it is kind of funny that now Sora has to fix the broken set used to try to murder her the night before.
In Lyon's breakup he says he can't think around Sora, the thought that she might die caused unbearable feelings. And he never knows how to express himself so will just hurt her, and hurting her destroys him.
Growing up, he didn't have any friends who actually liked him for more than being the Duke's eccentric genius son. His father only cared about his achievements and obedience. He thought academia was a meritocracy where he could just exchange knowledge and connect with others as equals but once he became the duke was declared 'too important'. He decided he wasn't worthy of happiness or love ;_;
Awwwww. And instead of a letter from his family, Sora, gets a letter from a friend (who thinks Lyon doesn't realise they're friends) from the academy, 'June the 2nd Undermaster of Trade', saying Lyon always respected him despite his low birth, and asking Sora to be patient and supportive.
Date with Lyon involving a lively academic debate and a few stolen kisses, very briefly described but still A+
In general the romance seems geared towards a feisty non-nerd who respects Lyon's bookishness but doesn't entirely share it. Which works pretty well for Sora but I get the feeling I'd find it annoying if I tried playing someone with a similar personality to Lyon.
w-why did I get a new line about Gisette stating coldly at Sora. Is she going to try to kill her again o.O
Haha aww he offers to dance with her at the ball but is glad when she says they don't have to. And then they dance together in private outside at the end.
That was all pretty cute!
I was pondering also trying for a romance with Ria while politically married to Lisle but I'm not feeling it. Maybe another time!
