Questions about Visitor

[Alicorn]

You mean a kind that starts multiple times and can also breed? I haven't actually ruled that out but they'd just be a kind of breeder with multiple *atriarchs.

Promise started in a tree that was already about seven feet in diameter and proportionally tall, and it took sorcerous help to make it noticeably bigger than that over the course of her lifetime.

[Bluelantern]

I was thinking more a kind that other faries don't know how to classify, but "multiple *atriarchs" sound reasonable.

The Pumpkin Princess' Court of 335 sunshine tepals is typical in size? Are there any million-strong courts or those should be too impractical?

(*atriarchs sounds like cheating)

[Alicorn]

Not even the Queen keeps a million vassals around. If you don't count the Queen there probably even aren't extended networks of allies or satellite courts that size. 335 is a reasonably-sized breeder court and if it gets about three or four times that big somebody's going to manage to slip away, and if it's somebody with names, they'll take a chunk of court with them.

[Kappa]

I don't have a number or even really a ballpark for the size of Serene's underground court, but the part where people might be able to slip away is much less of a concern there because there is always a finite amount of space for them to slip away into and creating more space is a nontrivial endeavour. I don't think she has a million vassals but it's likely that she has a few more than a surface-situated court could readily keep.

[Bluelantern]

Not even the Queen keeps a million vassals around. If you don't count the Queen there probably even aren't extended networks of allies or satellite courts that size. 335 is a reasonably-sized breeder court and if it gets about three or four times that big somebody's going to manage to slip away, and if it's somebody with names, they'll take a chunk of court with them.

The Queen can pick quality over quantity, but I am not contexting your point. Would you say that it is relatively common for a sensible Court ruler to make the division on purpose for management reasons? I mean, pick the overplus number of subjects, maybe even ask their input and then send them away?

I don't have a number or even really a ballpark for the size of Serene's underground court, but the part where people might be able to slip away is much less of a concern there because there is always a finite amount of space for them to slip away into and creating more space is a nontrivial endeavour. I don't think she has a million vassals but it's likely that she has a few more than a surface-situated court could readily keep.

When I saw that you posted to this thread, I totally predicted this post xD

Have you picked Serene's kind yet?

[Alicorn]

I can't understand your question at all.

[DanielH]

If a growing court is getting to the point where a split is soon to be inevitable, might the current leader of the court try to split it in a more controlled way? For example, might one choose the specific vassals to send away, perhaps getting their opinions on the subject to ensure stability?

[Alicorn]

Yes, this sometimes happens, but it's pretty hard to keep things stable forever if you're not constantly babysitting them, and forever is how long fairies last.

[DanielH]

Hopefully, though, that instability usually happens in the split-off court instead of the main court, right? I mean, the main court will encounter instability eventually too, but it can last for orders of magnitude longer if handled well.

[Kappa]

I tentatively picked the name "gracewing" and a wing design that's surprisingly difficult to put into words, but I'm stuck on a kind magic.