How to properly Threaten Someone
(or whyyour poor attempt at threatening random people is hiliariously pathetic)
"Ah, thank you for revealing yourselves. You'll be dealt with in short order.
Jonah Stone
Lead Advisor to the One True King, Gregor Eisenhorn"
1. Increase your costs of not following through on your threat
There is no apparent actions to be be taken in your threat, just "dealt" with. Are we to be playing cards? Possibly are we to be boiled in oil? Forced to consume our loved ones? Made to act as minions under a power we do not support, yet fully aware of all that we are made to do against our own desires? The lack of "teeth" in your threat results in a response of "Oh yeah? Bring it!"
2. Visibly restrict your options
By not threatening anything specific, you left us with a vague feeling of your own inadequacy, as you twirl your fake mustache.
3. Visibly incur sunk costs
No effort has been shown! I mean just show us how much you care!
4. Delegate authority to someone who will follow through on the threat
No assassins, no "If I die, then all my buddies will find you". You just name drop the King. Tacky.
5. Create and leverage a reputation for making credible threats
And who are you, anyway? "Lead Advisor" so basically you attempt to help the "One True King", as if there are no other valid kings in other lands, make better decisions, yet you think this means something to the "adventurers" you are attempting to threaten? As a head talky person advise guy, are you going to revoke our library access card?
6. Leverage the shadow of the future
So, you cashed in on your ability to follow the above conversation, with a vague threat with no teeth, thereby WARNING the people involved such that they have ...2 or 3 options.
They can ignore your taunting comment with impunity, its not as if they were HIDING....
IF they thought they were being secret, you just HELPED them....
And so, you figuratively cut the nose off your own face, to twirl your mustache at them, while name dropping your superior, and subsequently embarassing them.
-Gnot