All right - I've started a new run. Two, actually: I began another Novan heritage focused run pumping Science and Spirituality, but then I got really curious about doing an Emotion-focused run and maxing out Intrigue, so I couldn't resist trying that out! Here are other thoughts I've had:
I'd never actually tried to just negotiate with Vahter before, and was surprised to be given a quest rather than just a pledged vote. But what /really/ made me curious was the content: a pilgrimage to get in tune with our ancestors...? That definitely sounds like a way to learn about Crystal Novan stuff, right?! Unfortunately, this Zorana isn't focused on Terrain at all, and I think I already got him as a minister in my plot-focused playthrough... But hmhmhm: very curious!
I also had the thought of seeing what happens when a knowledge skill gets maxed out. Maxing any skill seems like it'd lead to some interesting choices but the knowledge skills in particular offer more general passive buffs, and it's generally pretty easy to ignore them so long as you get good ministers. (Speaking of which, I tried some assignments I haven't thought of before and whoa, Bmnen unf 60 sbe Punapryybe naq Fvavcneeg 60 sbe Pbzzrepr?! Naq ur qbrfa'g rira npghnyyl unir znal rarzvrf, hayvxr gur bgure Pbzzrepr zvavfgref V'ir gevrq...?)
Which is to say: I just got to 95 Intrigue in my new playthrough! Qnza, vg ernyyl qbrf frrz jbegu vg, npghnyyl: orvat noyr gb oynpxznvy jvgubhg na rkgen fbpvny npgvba gb vairfgvtngr vf fhcre urycshy sbe na Rzbgvbaf eha! Zl bayl qvfnccbvagzrag jnf gung V jnf ubcvat gung orvat noyr gb vairfgvtngr Xbehaqv zvtug nyybj sbe fbzr zber vagrenpgvbaf jvgu ure, naq znlor rira n cbgragvny ebznapr...? Juvyr vg ybbxf yvxr vg whfg svyyrq va ure onpxtebhaq, juvpu vf fgvyy pbby, ohg... ubg ohgpu ynql. :Q Ohg V'z fgvyy ng 95, fb jr'yy frr vs 100 punatrf nalguvat!