ID: 285

Outcome: Narrow Victory

Open After Story: Yes

Manual Prompt: Yes

Text:

You wield a Conquest Card to legitimize your rule, yet as you reveal it, suspicion and contempt fill the faces of all present.



Even if it bears the late Sultan's writ of supreme authority, how could one use the Sultan's power to justify overthrowing him? You remain a usurper, a monkey upon the throne, and a traitor without a rightful claim!



At this point, should you assert your dominion by force, you risk becoming enslaved to the kingdom, a deity ensnared within a cage. However... do you not possess a clay key? Even though you do not intend to use it to unlock the gate it was designed for, the spiritual achievements it embodies... You have already attained them.



You are determined to test the power of the spirit. If your subjects show no gratitude while awake, they might be more obedient in their dreams...



Thus, you build a palace of dreams. Every night, you delve deep into your spiritual domain, observing its vast expanse. You relentlessly extend its boundaries... witnessing its growth, with blooms sprouting one after the other across its lawns.



Each flower represents an unguarded dream. You stand as the enlightened one, the most formidable presence within the realm of the spirit, while all others are but flowers in your garden at best. If they possess modest spiritual strength, their blooms might yield a few fruits beneath the leaves—yet you are an entirely different entity. As you stroll through the garden, plucking at whim, you crush the dreams of others.



The next morning, disobedient courtiers awaken with their eyes wide, startled from their dreams—they all dream of your colossal figure towering above, gazing down upon them, casually trampling them underfoot. The shattering of their dreams results in maddening agony... And their terror peaks upon receiving the message from your emissary.



"I cherish the flowers in my garden, as long as they bloom and don't attract pesky insects."



At this moment, they come to realize that the battleground extends far beyond the confines of the court. They might see political maneuvering as the primary arena in this game of thrones, yet driving a dagger into their core is also a facet of this game, not to mention the torments within their dreams. Amidst these struggles, all they have achieved is the most insignificant victories, while you... you reign as the master. You hold sway over both bodies and spirits.



Henceforth, governing the kingdom becomes significantly easier. The days remain much as they did under the previous Sultan. The populace continues their familiar routines, and all accolades and admiration merely require a shift in recipient. As night falls, you wander in your garden, scanning for any burgeoning weeds, encroaching vines, and thorny plants, uprooting every dream unfit for your empire...

References

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