Okay. So. Hopefully... hopefully
that's handled.
You've mulled over the northern Scaled People issue, and you're thinking... "Caras, do you think we could talk to other people who have more experience with the northern Scaled People? Perhaps the Viscount of Dire Hollows knows how the Northseamen speak with the Scaled People? Or maybe the people of Terre De Moutons have some history?"
"
I... suppose? You'll be overseeing the core trade with the Viscount, so you can certainly ask him or his representative while you're there. The Terre De Moutons populace is usually pretty good about complying with minor requests, as well. In fact, one moment." He stretches up, leaning against the tower, until his head is facing into the window to Virmire's study. "
Virmire, while you're at it, make sure to include a separate note for the Terre De Mouton's board asking for them to share whatever information they have on the Scaled People." You don't hear Virmire's response, but apparently he gives an affirmative reply, and Caras comes back down to your level.
While that was going down, it occurred to you that... Virmire may well have misunderstood your soup explanation. You'd... like to double-check on the prisoner... "Caras dear, can we walk and talk? I'd like to make sure Virmire handled feeding the prisoner properly."
"
Hm? Oh, certainly. I'm essentially done here." Caras begins moving in his millipede-esque way, and you walk alongside him.
"So you normally issue proclamations via the public boards? How does that work?"
"
Oh, usually I'll have a Gatekeeper nail in the paper while it's inspecting the village anyway. If it's urgent and I have Runners anyway for some reason -I used to maintain a stable of them, before the Shellmen began incorporating Burner Worms into their forces- then I'll have a Runner handle the task, particularly if it's daylight of course, though I... usually don't bother if it's daylight. If the Runner goes down during the day, I won't know until nightfall, and I certainly won't know what happened."
You cock your head. He makes it sound like he knows what's happening with the breeds even when he's not present... except during the day. "How aware
are you of the breeds?"
"
Mm?"
"You make it sound like you'd know what
did happen to a dead Runner if it died at night, even if it was nowhere near the castle."
"
Oh. Right, yes. Yes, integrated subjects give me feedback. I get a... condensed?... version of what they see, hear, etc. So I'd know exactly when the Runner died, and I'd know if it was ambushed with no warning, or if it fell down a hole and broke itself apart, or if it got into a protracted fight."
Fascinating. And... does that apply to you? Actually- now you are
rather glad you rejected integrating the Shellmen. You don't want to share such a special connection with another human being!
But... "So how does the sun factor in?" you ask, curious.
Caras' jaws
click together. "
Oh, right. Yes. Sunlight blocks our communication channels. Can't give orders, can't tap their senses. Fire... is almost as bad, though usually something will get through."
Aaaah. That explains much.
Okay, next question. "Have you considered fortifications, for daylight purposes? Maybe digging tunnels, like the Baron of Subterran Maggots?"
Caras glances at you for a moment, then continues skittering along. "
Forts have to be very large scale to work. A smaller fort, particularly one made of wood, simply gets set on fire during the day. It's a waste of resources. The Baron of Shifting Sands can get away with making a fort because it's more to extend his ability to deal with banditry, hunt for renderables, and so on. Tunnels... Virmire has tried to argue for those before, but it would be quite resource-intensive up front, and it wouldn't do much to help me take the fight to the Burners. I would very much like to get at them at their source." He pauses a moment. "
It's part of why I agreed to a bride, as it happens."
Oh? You were meant as a... warbride?
...
Suddenly Caras' concerns that you would kill other brides seem rather more reasonable.
"Speaking of, what all do you know of the Common People? If I am to wage war upon their soldiers, it would be useful to know more."
"
Ah? Hm, yes, point. Though- the plan was to give time for the integration to settle in, ease you into your duties with overseeing the core trade, and then consider mounting a campaign of war. Still, I suppose there's no harm. Hm. Well, the Shellmen are their... idealized? Yes, let's say idealized- their idealized soldier. Not precisely their elite, but definitely their trained soldiers, whom the common citizen aspires to be so noble as. Or something. It's been a while since I was doing anything other than raiding their encampments in my own blasted territory! They usually wield what Virmire insists is not a fang, but rather a 'sword', and wear those shells of course. They... are quite odd, to be frank. They will fight in formation if they feel the need, but truthfully they seem to prefer to try to... challenge me to 'duels'. I don't really understand the idea, honestly-"
"Ah. Um. A one-on-one fight, for honor."
Caras sounds confused as he continues. "
What? Why would-? Whatever, okay. Anyway, they'll probably try to challenge you to such duels, as well, though I certainly hope you won't accept this silliness." Caras comes to a stop in front of a small wooden door. "
Here we are, the prisoner's... cell? I guess?"
You nod at Caras. "One moment, if you please. This shouldn't take long at all."
"
Alright," he remarks absently, antennae glowing green already.
You open the door -it's not locked, oddly- and... inside, you see the prisoner under several layers of blanket, arranged fairly haphazardly. You can barely see his face, and for a moment you wonder if he's still breathing, but as you approach... yes, yes he's alive. Breathing shallowly, though. A Worker stands on the desk next to his bed, stirring -with its bare hand things- a bowl of clear water in which worms lay limply in, probably dead.
Yeah.
Virmire, you ditz.
Alright, you... probably don't want to
cook around Caras... possibly not inside the castle at all, in fact. Hm.
[]Whatever. He can rot for all you care.
[]Close enough. The worms are soft and easily swallowed.
[]Make a mental note to later do... something. Maybe a pot outside the castle, you're not sure.
-----------------------
You step back outside and close the door behind you.
"
All done? Alright good. Let's make our way to the dining hall, I think." Sure, you're fine with that. "
I don't profess to understand the Common People's culture, but what I've seen of their lands trends toward walled-in cities. I'm hoping the core trade provides a solution to that, incidentally. They seem to prefer smaller forts for their soldiers, or even barracks directly inside their cities. I don't believe they build large castles, though admittedly I can't range far into their territory on my own. It would be quite strange for them to bother with castles and not have any near the border, though, so I suspect a lack for whatever reason. Virmire once told me they consider themselves to be a 'democracy', but he never explained what that meant to my satisfaction..."
The word means nothing to you either.
"
Hm. I feel like I should be able to tell you more, but nothing is really coming to me."
"It's okay, honey. So... I'm really ignorant on the Council. What even is it?"
"
The highest-ranked nobles all live in Soissons." He remarks absentmindedly. "
The... thirteen?... hm. I think the number might actually vary. Whatever, the oldest of them are the Council, and they are in overall charge of the Freelands. I've never met them personally, truth be told, and probably never will. Soissons is quite far from my grounds, and they rarely travel."
Hm. You're... not sure what else to ask. That's
something, but you're... not particularly surprised or informed by this information. You kind of want to look into the possibility of having Workers write or... carve some kind of printing tools -you know that's
possible- but you suspect this is a question better directed at Virmire.
You enter the dining hall, which is being laid out. Virmire is not present. Mildly disappointing. He must still be making the Burner Worm warning posters.
You sit down to eat. Hm. You really ought to stitch that original, glorious dress at some point. The past few days have given little time for thought or rest.
Hm.
So, dinner conversation...
[]Weight Sabrina's interest toward discussing tonight's Burner search, with intent to participate in the fighting.
[]Weight Sabrina's interest toward the prisoner.
[]Weight Sabrina's interest toward the past Virmires.
[]Weight Sabrina's interest toward going over the details of the breeds. Virmire already gave an overview, but perhaps Caras will have his own insights.
[]Weight Sabrina's interest toward what
can be done with human servants/allies. Caras can't have soldiers, but is he forbidden from paying human laborers to produce a fortification?
[]Weight Sabrina's interest toward how independent/capable of taking instructions the breeds are. Can Boulders be sent on raids, for instance?
[]Weight Sabrina's interest toward preparing
herself for military duty.
[]Weight Sabrina's interest toward the North Sea's Scaled People.
[]Weight Sabrina's interest toward the Ice Lake's Scaled People.
[]Weight Sabrina's interest toward the Viscount of Dire Hollows.
[]Weight Sabrina's interest toward the Baron of Freewheeling Raptors.
[]Weight Sabrina's interest toward the Baron of Subterran Maggots.
[]Weight Sabrina's interest toward the Baron of Shifting Sands.
[]Weight Sabrina's interest toward the Northseamen.
[]Weight Sabrina's interest toward the topic of breed manipulation.
-[]Provide a specific sub-point, such as "can we produce flying breeds ourselves?"
[]Weight Sabrina's interest toward the topic of the Council.
-[]Provide a more specific question.
[]Weight Sabrina's interest toward the Ice Lake's unclaimed/indeterminate villages.
[]Weight Sabrina's interest toward the topic of military alliances.
[]Weight Sabrina's interest toward the topic of diplomacy.
[]Weight Sabrina's interest toward defensive fortifications that remain useful in broad daylight.
[]Weight Sabrina's interest toward sunproofing. (Sabrina still believes this to be a dead end)
[]Weight Sabrina's interest toward Burner Worms. (Something is being done. Perhaps Sabrina will return to this after Virmire's task is done)
[]Weight Sabrina's interest toward the Common People.
[]Weight Sabrina's interest toward the possibility of raising more taxes.
[]Weight Sabrina's interest toward emotional warm fuzzies with Caras.
[]Weight Sabrina's interest toward the possibility of digging tunnel networks.
(Again, you can vote for
as many of these as you like, and can
provide write-ins if you feel I missed an obvious possibility or whatever.
Additionally, you can add these as sub-points for diplomatic stuff:
[]Weight Sabrina's interest toward the topic of waging war.
[]Weight Sabrina's interest toward the topic of diplomacy.
If you don't know/don't remember how this works:
here's the post.
Probably we'll switch away from this voting style for a bit starting next update)
