Sixteen years ago you were part of a coup.
A very indirect part. You weren't there when Duke...
A very indirect part. You weren't there when Duke...
Negotiated Surrender Quest
- Thread starter SeptimusMagisto
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User Total SeptimusMagisto 6
Prologue
Sixteen years ago you were part of a coup.
A very indirect part. You weren't there when Duke Springhide overran the Royal Palace and its small contingent of guards and put the royal family to the sword. You just knew that it was going to happen, and when Springhide named himself Lord Protector of the land and its new ruler, you persuaded the soldiers under your command to accept him as such. All over the kingdom other generals, nobles, mayors, and senechals were doing the same thing. The Lord Protector had been well prepared.
In the end, most people had simply accepted what had happened and went along with it. Some did not. The next several years were full of battle and politics. But the resistance was less stiff than might be expected. Springhide made a lot of friends with his first few edicts.
(Select two of the following)
[ ] He signed a Compact with the nobility, granting them more privileges than they enjoyed under the old monarch, and devolving some of the central government's powers to them, earning the nobles' support.
[ ] He accepted merchants into his court alongside landed nobles and struck down several archaic laws making it difficult for them to do business. Silver flowed freely into his coffers.
[ ] He passed acts of debt relief and land reform. Tens of thousands of peasants owed him their new livelihoods.
[ ] He got rid of most restrictions on the use of magic. The mages were duly grateful.
[ ] He resolved long-standing feuds with surrounding countries, giving in on issues that were considered matters of prestige for the old royals, and earning full diplomatic recognition in return.
[ ] He commissioned magnificent works of art, giving himself an air of grandiose legitimacy.
Still, there was some resistance. You and your troops were sent to take a defiant fortress in the eastern mountains. Once you did, you stayed to hold it, and to quell further uprisings. For five years you administered the surrounding valleys as a military governor. Then, as a reward for loyal service and an acknowledgement of a de facto reality, you were made the count of the surrounding lands. Your troops were released into your personal service, and you duly distributed confiscated land among them, turning the foot soldiers into your levee and your officers into knights.
Then came eight more years of administration, of long ledgers accounting for harvests, mining, and repairs, of quelling the ever less frequent uprisings and the largely unchanging bandit attacks, of suppressing the ogres and adjudicating court cases. It was, you suppose, the life you always wanted.
And then the rumors started.
According to the whispers flying through your castle and every castle, town, and village in the land, Springhide's troops failed to kill the youngest prince, a newborn babe at the time of the coup. He was carried away by a soft hearted soldier and raised as his own son, or sent away by ancient magic to live with an old mentor on top of some mountain, or stolen away by fairies and now returned, or thrown into a river where he miraculously floated until landing in the reeds...the rumors lacked any consistency. At least at first. They got somewhat more specific from then on.
The Heir was seen fighting bandits, evading the guards, having dance parties with village folk. He joined a rebellion against Baron Ashsteel and defeated the baron's personal bodyguard in a swordfight. He disappeared into the Wild and re-appeared with a strange girl who could work miracles. For a year and a half he was seemingly everywhere, mocking Lord Springhide with his very existence. Then he seemed to vanish again, though the rumors stayed, wildly speculating about what the lost prince might be doing.
Then, sixteen years after the coup that killed his family, the Heir emerged for the final time
(Select one of the following)
[ ] At the head of a loyalist army, with nobles and peasants alike cheering his family's name.
[ ] Leading an army of clockwork golems out of an underground city lost to time and history.
[ ] With the very plants and animals of the kingdom following him to battle.
[ ] with a small party of vastly powerful companions at his side.
He struck at the capital with lightning speed, met the Lord Protector's army in the field, and soundly defeated it. He personally cut down Springhide's bodyguards while his Wild companion turned the Lord Protector into a buzzard. The capital opened the gates to him and he rode through the streets in triumph, entered the palace, and put on his father's crown. And with a booming proclamation (followed by weeks of scribes sending out letters to people who didn't happen to be in the same room as the new King at the time) he demanded that all who followed Springhide lay down their arms and submit to him.
You think you're going to do it.
Springhide? He was the sort of man who could throw down with an apparent legendary hero. Limitless ambition, mind like a steel trap, competence exceeded only by ruthlessness. You don't have it in you, and you don't know any of Springhide's supporters who do. The King's forces are probably strong enough to crush all of you together, and you can't imagine which one of you would get you together. So, you're going to surrender. Lay down your arms, bow your head, beg for the royal mercy. The only question is, which way to do it?
See, the king isn't outside your castle's gates yet. Probably he doesn't want to be. That gives you a little time, and a little leverage. You can surrender according to terms instead of just handing over everything you have and everything you are and seeing what might be given back to you. You can try to find out if the new King knows of your involvement in the coup, and maybe hide it if he doesn't. You can come up with arguments as to why you should continue to be the count around here. You can try to win the King's favor in one way or another.
You have a lot to lose. Time to see how much of it you can keep.
A very indirect part. You weren't there when Duke Springhide overran the Royal Palace and its small contingent of guards and put the royal family to the sword. You just knew that it was going to happen, and when Springhide named himself Lord Protector of the land and its new ruler, you persuaded the soldiers under your command to accept him as such. All over the kingdom other generals, nobles, mayors, and senechals were doing the same thing. The Lord Protector had been well prepared.
In the end, most people had simply accepted what had happened and went along with it. Some did not. The next several years were full of battle and politics. But the resistance was less stiff than might be expected. Springhide made a lot of friends with his first few edicts.
(Select two of the following)
[ ] He signed a Compact with the nobility, granting them more privileges than they enjoyed under the old monarch, and devolving some of the central government's powers to them, earning the nobles' support.
[ ] He accepted merchants into his court alongside landed nobles and struck down several archaic laws making it difficult for them to do business. Silver flowed freely into his coffers.
[ ] He passed acts of debt relief and land reform. Tens of thousands of peasants owed him their new livelihoods.
[ ] He got rid of most restrictions on the use of magic. The mages were duly grateful.
[ ] He resolved long-standing feuds with surrounding countries, giving in on issues that were considered matters of prestige for the old royals, and earning full diplomatic recognition in return.
[ ] He commissioned magnificent works of art, giving himself an air of grandiose legitimacy.
Still, there was some resistance. You and your troops were sent to take a defiant fortress in the eastern mountains. Once you did, you stayed to hold it, and to quell further uprisings. For five years you administered the surrounding valleys as a military governor. Then, as a reward for loyal service and an acknowledgement of a de facto reality, you were made the count of the surrounding lands. Your troops were released into your personal service, and you duly distributed confiscated land among them, turning the foot soldiers into your levee and your officers into knights.
Then came eight more years of administration, of long ledgers accounting for harvests, mining, and repairs, of quelling the ever less frequent uprisings and the largely unchanging bandit attacks, of suppressing the ogres and adjudicating court cases. It was, you suppose, the life you always wanted.
And then the rumors started.
According to the whispers flying through your castle and every castle, town, and village in the land, Springhide's troops failed to kill the youngest prince, a newborn babe at the time of the coup. He was carried away by a soft hearted soldier and raised as his own son, or sent away by ancient magic to live with an old mentor on top of some mountain, or stolen away by fairies and now returned, or thrown into a river where he miraculously floated until landing in the reeds...the rumors lacked any consistency. At least at first. They got somewhat more specific from then on.
The Heir was seen fighting bandits, evading the guards, having dance parties with village folk. He joined a rebellion against Baron Ashsteel and defeated the baron's personal bodyguard in a swordfight. He disappeared into the Wild and re-appeared with a strange girl who could work miracles. For a year and a half he was seemingly everywhere, mocking Lord Springhide with his very existence. Then he seemed to vanish again, though the rumors stayed, wildly speculating about what the lost prince might be doing.
Then, sixteen years after the coup that killed his family, the Heir emerged for the final time
(Select one of the following)
[ ] At the head of a loyalist army, with nobles and peasants alike cheering his family's name.
[ ] Leading an army of clockwork golems out of an underground city lost to time and history.
[ ] With the very plants and animals of the kingdom following him to battle.
[ ] with a small party of vastly powerful companions at his side.
He struck at the capital with lightning speed, met the Lord Protector's army in the field, and soundly defeated it. He personally cut down Springhide's bodyguards while his Wild companion turned the Lord Protector into a buzzard. The capital opened the gates to him and he rode through the streets in triumph, entered the palace, and put on his father's crown. And with a booming proclamation (followed by weeks of scribes sending out letters to people who didn't happen to be in the same room as the new King at the time) he demanded that all who followed Springhide lay down their arms and submit to him.
You think you're going to do it.
Springhide? He was the sort of man who could throw down with an apparent legendary hero. Limitless ambition, mind like a steel trap, competence exceeded only by ruthlessness. You don't have it in you, and you don't know any of Springhide's supporters who do. The King's forces are probably strong enough to crush all of you together, and you can't imagine which one of you would get you together. So, you're going to surrender. Lay down your arms, bow your head, beg for the royal mercy. The only question is, which way to do it?
See, the king isn't outside your castle's gates yet. Probably he doesn't want to be. That gives you a little time, and a little leverage. You can surrender according to terms instead of just handing over everything you have and everything you are and seeing what might be given back to you. You can try to find out if the new King knows of your involvement in the coup, and maybe hide it if he doesn't. You can come up with arguments as to why you should continue to be the count around here. You can try to win the King's favor in one way or another.
You have a lot to lose. Time to see how much of it you can keep.
Last edited:
Reserved
Reserved
LucidProp
Pocky Eating MafiaDoka
[X] He resolved long-standing feuds with surrounding countries, giving in on issues that were considered matters of prestige for the old royals, and earning full diplomatic recognition in return.
[X] He commissioned magnificent works of art, giving himself an air of grandiose legitimacy.
[X] At the head of a loyalist army, with nobles and peasants alike cheering his family's name.
[X] He commissioned magnificent works of art, giving himself an air of grandiose legitimacy.
[X] At the head of a loyalist army, with nobles and peasants alike cheering his family's name.
[X] He signed a Compact with the nobility, granting them more privileges than they enjoyed under the old monarch, and devolving some of the central government's powers to them, earning the nobles' support.
[X] He accepted merchants into his court alongside landed nobles and struck down several archaic laws making it difficult for them to do business. Silver flowed freely into his coffers.
Springhide was no fool. He knew that a good coup needs the support of the nobility and the mercantile class. You need to give some in order to get some, and giving away some of the powers of the crown you do not yet have in order to get it with armed men is a simple choice when you get down to it. As is simplifying social mobility if it helps with the economy. The first thing you want to do after a coup is to show everyone why you were the right choice, as you are just as easily replacable.
Springhide has considered seeking aide from the mages, but after careful considiration of the pros and cons decided against letting that demon out of it's bottle.
[X] At the head of a loyalist army, with nobles and peasants alike cheering his family's name.
Nothing counters a pragmatic aristocrat taking over with the help of the oligarchs better than a populist movement, which sees in it's mind the past as a golden age. The former king's name lives in memory, as the peasants rally around the flag of the lost heir, who promises to free them of the tyranny of the nobles. A sad side-effect of removing royal power, is that it opens the door for robber-barons to do as they please in thier own lands. Some are good, but some are bad. A time for you to consider how your people view you in light of the past few years of your rule.
====================================================================================
Will the next update include options for our conditional surrender, or should we come up with some of our own?
Also, any background information about us? Name, family, etc.
[X] He accepted merchants into his court alongside landed nobles and struck down several archaic laws making it difficult for them to do business. Silver flowed freely into his coffers.
Springhide was no fool. He knew that a good coup needs the support of the nobility and the mercantile class. You need to give some in order to get some, and giving away some of the powers of the crown you do not yet have in order to get it with armed men is a simple choice when you get down to it. As is simplifying social mobility if it helps with the economy. The first thing you want to do after a coup is to show everyone why you were the right choice, as you are just as easily replacable.
Springhide has considered seeking aide from the mages, but after careful considiration of the pros and cons decided against letting that demon out of it's bottle.
[X] At the head of a loyalist army, with nobles and peasants alike cheering his family's name.
Nothing counters a pragmatic aristocrat taking over with the help of the oligarchs better than a populist movement, which sees in it's mind the past as a golden age. The former king's name lives in memory, as the peasants rally around the flag of the lost heir, who promises to free them of the tyranny of the nobles. A sad side-effect of removing royal power, is that it opens the door for robber-barons to do as they please in thier own lands. Some are good, but some are bad. A time for you to consider how your people view you in light of the past few years of your rule.
====================================================================================
Will the next update include options for our conditional surrender, or should we come up with some of our own?
Also, any background information about us? Name, family, etc.
[X] He passed acts of debt relief and land reform. Tens of thousands of peasants owed him their new livelihoods.
[X] He got rid of most restrictions on the use of magic. The mages were duly grateful.
The peasants for some ambiguity, the mages for setting.
[X] with a small party of vastly powerful companions at his side.
How can I pass up someone's rpg campaign?
[X] He got rid of most restrictions on the use of magic. The mages were duly grateful.
The peasants for some ambiguity, the mages for setting.
[X] with a small party of vastly powerful companions at his side.
How can I pass up someone's rpg campaign?
[X] He signed a Compact with the nobility, granting them more privileges than they enjoyed under the old monarch, and devolving some of the central government's powers to them, earning the nobles' support.
[X] He got rid of most restrictions on the use of magic. The mages were duly grateful.
[X] with a small party of vastly powerful companions at his side.
[X] He got rid of most restrictions on the use of magic. The mages were duly grateful.
[X] with a small party of vastly powerful companions at his side.
- Location
- Across the universe
[X] He got rid of most restrictions on the use of magic. The mages were duly grateful.
[X] He commissioned magnificent works of art, giving himself an air of grandiose legitimacy.
Ahh, but what is the enemy of a cabal of sophisticated artist-mages? Artomancers, if you will?
[X] With the very plants and animals of the kingdom following him to battle.
Animated shrubberies and pigs, of course.
[X] He commissioned magnificent works of art, giving himself an air of grandiose legitimacy.
Ahh, but what is the enemy of a cabal of sophisticated artist-mages? Artomancers, if you will?
[X] With the very plants and animals of the kingdom following him to battle.
Animated shrubberies and pigs, of course.
[X] He accepted merchants into his court alongside landed nobles and struck down several archaic laws making it difficult for them to do business. Silver flowed freely into his coffers.
[X] He passed acts of debt relief and land reform. Tens of thousands of peasants owed him their new livelihoods.
[X] With the very plants and animals of the kingdom following him to battle.
[X] He passed acts of debt relief and land reform. Tens of thousands of peasants owed him their new livelihoods.
[X] With the very plants and animals of the kingdom following him to battle.
The next update will mostly be about you and your current situation. After that, the process of figuring out the best way to surrender will begin.
Night_stalker
Slava Ukraini!
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X] He accepted merchants into his court alongside landed nobles and struck down several archaic laws making it difficult for them to do business. Silver flowed freely into his coffers.
[X] He passed acts of debt relief and land reform. Tens of thousands of peasants owed him their new livelihoods.
[X] With the very plants and animals of the kingdom following him to battle.
[X] He passed acts of debt relief and land reform. Tens of thousands of peasants owed him their new livelihoods.
[X] With the very plants and animals of the kingdom following him to battle.
- Location
- Brazil
[X] He passed acts of debt relief and land reform. Tens of thousands of peasants owed him their new livelihoods.
[X] He got rid of most restrictions on the use of magic. The mages were duly grateful.
[X] with a small party of vastly powerful companions at his side.
[X] He got rid of most restrictions on the use of magic. The mages were duly grateful.
[X] with a small party of vastly powerful companions at his side.
- Location
- Behind the library dumpster
[X] He passed acts of debt relief and land reform. Tens of thousands of peasants owed him their new livelihoods.
[X] He got rid of most restrictions on the use of magic. The mages were duly grateful.
[X] with a small party of vastly powerful companions at his side.
Wizards and plebeians. A perfect combo.
[X] He got rid of most restrictions on the use of magic. The mages were duly grateful.
[X] with a small party of vastly powerful companions at his side.
Wizards and plebeians. A perfect combo.
StellarMonarch
Myrmidon
- Location
- Québec
Fuck it, crack out the Peter's Evil Overlord List. We're the pragmatists, and we're going on nobody's chopping block!
[X] He passed acts of debt relief and land reform. Tens of thousands of peasants owed him their new livelihoods.
[X] He got rid of most restrictions on the use of magic. The mages were duly grateful.
[X] with a small party of vastly powerful companions at his side.
[X] He passed acts of debt relief and land reform. Tens of thousands of peasants owed him their new livelihoods.
[X] He got rid of most restrictions on the use of magic. The mages were duly grateful.
[X] with a small party of vastly powerful companions at his side.
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NuclearConsensus
Herald of the Thorned One
- Location
- the Philippines
[X] He passed acts of debt relief and land reform. Tens of thousands of peasants owed him their new livelihoods.
[X] He got rid of most restrictions on the use of magic. The mages were duly grateful.
[X] with a small party of vastly powerful companions at his side.
[X] He got rid of most restrictions on the use of magic. The mages were duly grateful.
[X] with a small party of vastly powerful companions at his side.
- Location
- St. Petersburg
[X] He passed acts of debt relief and land reform. Tens of thousands of peasants owed him their new livelihoods.
[X] He got rid of most restrictions on the use of magic. The mages were duly grateful.
[X] with a small party of vastly powerful companions at his side.
[X] He got rid of most restrictions on the use of magic. The mages were duly grateful.
[X] with a small party of vastly powerful companions at his side.
BetaM
Beta God
- Location
- The Dark Abyss of My Soul
[X] He passed acts of debt relief and land reform. Tens of thousands of peasants owed him their new livelihoods.
[X] He got rid of most restrictions on the use of magic. The mages were duly grateful.
[X] with a small party of vastly powerful companions at his side.
Calling it that he's gonna end up being evil, then we'll need to fight his powerful companions one by one.
Stereotypical adventure anime quest leggo.
[X] He got rid of most restrictions on the use of magic. The mages were duly grateful.
[X] with a small party of vastly powerful companions at his side.
Calling it that he's gonna end up being evil, then we'll need to fight his powerful companions one by one.
Stereotypical adventure anime quest leggo.
- Location
- London, England
[X] He passed acts of debt relief and land reform. Tens of thousands of peasants owed him their new livelihoods.
[X] He got rid of most restrictions on the use of magic. The mages were duly grateful.
[X] with a small party of vastly powerful companions at his side.
[X] He got rid of most restrictions on the use of magic. The mages were duly grateful.
[X] with a small party of vastly powerful companions at his side.
Random Member
Gardener of Human Happiness
- Location
- Behind You
[X] He signed a Compact with the nobility, granting them more privileges than they enjoyed under the old monarch, and devolving some of the central government's powers to them, earning the nobles' support.
[X] He accepted merchants into his court alongside landed nobles and struck down several archaic laws making it difficult for them to do business. Silver flowed freely into his coffers.
[X] with a small party of vastly powerful companions at his side.
[X] He accepted merchants into his court alongside landed nobles and struck down several archaic laws making it difficult for them to do business. Silver flowed freely into his coffers.
[X] with a small party of vastly powerful companions at his side.
Last edited:
- Location
- italy bologna
[X] He accepted merchants into his court alongside landed nobles and struck down several archaic laws making it difficult for them to do business. Silver flowed freely into his coffers.
[X] He passed acts of debt relief and land reform. Tens of thousands of peasants owed him their new livelihoods.
[X] With the very plants and animals of the kingdom following him to battle
[X] He passed acts of debt relief and land reform. Tens of thousands of peasants owed him their new livelihoods.
[X] With the very plants and animals of the kingdom following him to battle
Shiranui
The Yakuza's Golden Dragon
- Location
- Schroedinger's Box
[X] He passed acts of debt relief and land reform. Tens of thousands of peasants owed him their new livelihoods.
[X] He got rid of most restrictions on the use of magic. The mages were duly grateful.
[X] with a small party of vastly powerful companions at his side.
Because damn, Springhide deserves to have the smack down laid upon him for us to rule and potentially screw things over.
[X] He got rid of most restrictions on the use of magic. The mages were duly grateful.
[X] with a small party of vastly powerful companions at his side.
Because damn, Springhide deserves to have the smack down laid upon him for us to rule and potentially screw things over.
Count of Shear
[X] He passed acts of debt relief and land reform. Tens of thousands of peasants owed him their new livelihoods.
[X] He got rid of most restrictions on the use of magic. The mages were duly grateful.
Springhide already had nobles and general ready to support him thanks to his conspiracy. But most common folk thought he was nothing but a murderer. Instead of trying to directly contradict them, the newly minted Lord Protector focused on making them think of him as a murderer who was trying to do something good. Was he? Who knows. You can't say you ever really got inside his head. It was probably more the other way around. In any case, he passed reforms that freed tens of thousands of peasants from virtual debt slavery, turning them into yeoman farmers, mainly at the expense of the nobles who didn't support him.
The mages were the bigger gamble. They used to labor under many restrictions. No mage of any kind could own a house within the limits of a city, town, or large village if that house contained a laboratory. No wizard could perform research that might one day lead to the creation of a spell for scrying distant places or reading minds. No necromancer could raise anyone buried in a grave, under penalty of death. That sort of thing. Under Springhide such restrictions were either dropped entirely or greater relaxed. This didn't make Springhide universally popular with mages. Indeed, some of the more conservative types strongly opposed it. But the most ambitious and ruthless mages saw it as a great boon, and many middle-of-the-road types simply saw it as a moderate convenience they could be grateful for. Springhide found it easier to find mages willing to work for him, and his opponents found it harder.
[X] with a small party of vastly powerful companions at his side.
The late Lord Protector always planned on the grandest scale. He thought in terms of provinces, armies, and social classes. He had the kind of personal insight that let him select the right people to do his bidding, but you know that as far as he was concerned you were never anything more than a tool though which he could control a certain number of soldiers and then later a certain piece of land.
The Returned Heir had a much more personal touch. The Wild girl was only the first companion he collected. Soon after rumors added a warrior of uncertain size who could scatter a dozen men with a swing of his arm, and a thief capable of traveling through sunbeams and shooting arrows through time. When the Heir and his companions broke into the headquarters of the Wizards' Guild, they left its secret vaults on the back of a gargantuan Phoenix, with a hooded figure beside them.
When it came time to confront his enemy, Springhide brought twenty thousand soldiers, bolstered by five thousand undead, dozens of elementals as tall as a tree, and a collection of varied mages. The Heir's forces numbered eight, including himself and the Phoenix.
Springhide never stood a chance.
The survivors' gibbering accounts describe a scene of total pandemonium. A Wild Storm descending on the battlefield, sweeping reality aside and leaving only chaos and monsters in its wake. The undead drowning and dissolving in a sea of words. The Lord Protector's mages being taken by a figure that covered any distance with a single step and resisted any attempt at description. The Heir leaping through the army's confused ranks, stepping on heads and shoulders, while his stout companion cut them down like grass. Then the final confrontation, Springhide's inevitable loss, and the unstoppable rout.
So, like you said, you're pretty sure you're going to surrender.
Speaking of which, it's time to begin your first step: taking inventory. Figuring out what you have, how you can use it, and what you may be willing to lose.
Your first and most important asset is, of course, yourself. You are
[ ] Name, first and last
Count of Shear, a land consisting of three fertile valleys and half of a mountain range. And before that, a general. And before that...
[ ] The second son of a duke, buoyed to your high position by the support of your father, who joined you in serving Springhide.
[ ] A celebrated soldier and commander who won his rank through a steady sword arm and a keen strategic mind
[ ] A silver tongued diplomat who knew just what to say to the right people to earn advancement.
[ ] A cunning spy who received his appointment in exchange for his silence on certain matters.
But of course that's in the past. For the last sixteen years you've been administering Shear. For the last eleven it was in our own name. You walked these valleys. You hunted in the mountains, visited the mines, drank from the streams. You don't want to lose this place.
The account books are on the table to your left. You're no merchant, but you proved unexpectedly good at reading the numbers. The valleys give decent harvests of wheat and barley, as well as some small amount of fruit. One of the villages takes in river clay and produces pottery. Nothing terribly impressive. This far from the sea the seasons are harsh and though the valleys are arable, their rocky soil is a far cry from the soil that can be found further west, which is black and melts like butter in one's hands.
The true wealth of Shear lies in its mountains. The pines that grow on these slopes are highly prized by shipbuilders for their extraordinary height. The mountains are veined with iron and copper. And then there is the true jewel of your county, the Green Mountain, filled with malachite. The semi-precious stone is as valuable as it is beautiful.
Your other asset is Shear's army. Most of the men who served under you on the day of the coup are now settled in your lands. And though most of them have grown too old for service, their sons have taken their place. Unlike the Royal (briefly Central) army which is made up of professionals paid in coin, a nobleman's army is mostly made up of peasants who owe him the loyalty due to a liege lord and get a break on taxes. Though you haven't marched your soldiers out of the county since you got here, there's been plenty to do. There are ogres and kobolds in those mountains, and the occasional griffin too. There are bandits everywhere. And given the previous count's willingness to fight to the death against Stronghide's rule, there is also the occasional rebellion. Less so in recent years, simply because most of the would-be rebels were killed or driven out in the first few attempts. Though with things the way they are now, you should be on the lookout for that.
You frown. You'll definitely need to figure out a reason for the new King to leave Shear in your hands instead of handing it off to someone else. Maybe even some surviving family member of the previous count, the one who fought for the memory of the King's parents instead of against it. Luckily...
[ ] You have contacts in the capital. They can feed you information on the King's way of thinking, and possibly even help change it.
[ ] You've kept in touch with Springhide's other appointees. You may be able to convince them to act in a way that serves your interests.
[ ] Your intense focus on your county's affairs led to definite improvements, ones the King will be forced to acknowledge.
[X] He got rid of most restrictions on the use of magic. The mages were duly grateful.
Springhide already had nobles and general ready to support him thanks to his conspiracy. But most common folk thought he was nothing but a murderer. Instead of trying to directly contradict them, the newly minted Lord Protector focused on making them think of him as a murderer who was trying to do something good. Was he? Who knows. You can't say you ever really got inside his head. It was probably more the other way around. In any case, he passed reforms that freed tens of thousands of peasants from virtual debt slavery, turning them into yeoman farmers, mainly at the expense of the nobles who didn't support him.
The mages were the bigger gamble. They used to labor under many restrictions. No mage of any kind could own a house within the limits of a city, town, or large village if that house contained a laboratory. No wizard could perform research that might one day lead to the creation of a spell for scrying distant places or reading minds. No necromancer could raise anyone buried in a grave, under penalty of death. That sort of thing. Under Springhide such restrictions were either dropped entirely or greater relaxed. This didn't make Springhide universally popular with mages. Indeed, some of the more conservative types strongly opposed it. But the most ambitious and ruthless mages saw it as a great boon, and many middle-of-the-road types simply saw it as a moderate convenience they could be grateful for. Springhide found it easier to find mages willing to work for him, and his opponents found it harder.
[X] with a small party of vastly powerful companions at his side.
The late Lord Protector always planned on the grandest scale. He thought in terms of provinces, armies, and social classes. He had the kind of personal insight that let him select the right people to do his bidding, but you know that as far as he was concerned you were never anything more than a tool though which he could control a certain number of soldiers and then later a certain piece of land.
The Returned Heir had a much more personal touch. The Wild girl was only the first companion he collected. Soon after rumors added a warrior of uncertain size who could scatter a dozen men with a swing of his arm, and a thief capable of traveling through sunbeams and shooting arrows through time. When the Heir and his companions broke into the headquarters of the Wizards' Guild, they left its secret vaults on the back of a gargantuan Phoenix, with a hooded figure beside them.
When it came time to confront his enemy, Springhide brought twenty thousand soldiers, bolstered by five thousand undead, dozens of elementals as tall as a tree, and a collection of varied mages. The Heir's forces numbered eight, including himself and the Phoenix.
Springhide never stood a chance.
The survivors' gibbering accounts describe a scene of total pandemonium. A Wild Storm descending on the battlefield, sweeping reality aside and leaving only chaos and monsters in its wake. The undead drowning and dissolving in a sea of words. The Lord Protector's mages being taken by a figure that covered any distance with a single step and resisted any attempt at description. The Heir leaping through the army's confused ranks, stepping on heads and shoulders, while his stout companion cut them down like grass. Then the final confrontation, Springhide's inevitable loss, and the unstoppable rout.
So, like you said, you're pretty sure you're going to surrender.
***
Speaking of which, it's time to begin your first step: taking inventory. Figuring out what you have, how you can use it, and what you may be willing to lose.
Your first and most important asset is, of course, yourself. You are
[ ] Name, first and last
Count of Shear, a land consisting of three fertile valleys and half of a mountain range. And before that, a general. And before that...
[ ] The second son of a duke, buoyed to your high position by the support of your father, who joined you in serving Springhide.
[ ] A celebrated soldier and commander who won his rank through a steady sword arm and a keen strategic mind
[ ] A silver tongued diplomat who knew just what to say to the right people to earn advancement.
[ ] A cunning spy who received his appointment in exchange for his silence on certain matters.
But of course that's in the past. For the last sixteen years you've been administering Shear. For the last eleven it was in our own name. You walked these valleys. You hunted in the mountains, visited the mines, drank from the streams. You don't want to lose this place.
The account books are on the table to your left. You're no merchant, but you proved unexpectedly good at reading the numbers. The valleys give decent harvests of wheat and barley, as well as some small amount of fruit. One of the villages takes in river clay and produces pottery. Nothing terribly impressive. This far from the sea the seasons are harsh and though the valleys are arable, their rocky soil is a far cry from the soil that can be found further west, which is black and melts like butter in one's hands.
The true wealth of Shear lies in its mountains. The pines that grow on these slopes are highly prized by shipbuilders for their extraordinary height. The mountains are veined with iron and copper. And then there is the true jewel of your county, the Green Mountain, filled with malachite. The semi-precious stone is as valuable as it is beautiful.
Your other asset is Shear's army. Most of the men who served under you on the day of the coup are now settled in your lands. And though most of them have grown too old for service, their sons have taken their place. Unlike the Royal (briefly Central) army which is made up of professionals paid in coin, a nobleman's army is mostly made up of peasants who owe him the loyalty due to a liege lord and get a break on taxes. Though you haven't marched your soldiers out of the county since you got here, there's been plenty to do. There are ogres and kobolds in those mountains, and the occasional griffin too. There are bandits everywhere. And given the previous count's willingness to fight to the death against Stronghide's rule, there is also the occasional rebellion. Less so in recent years, simply because most of the would-be rebels were killed or driven out in the first few attempts. Though with things the way they are now, you should be on the lookout for that.
You frown. You'll definitely need to figure out a reason for the new King to leave Shear in your hands instead of handing it off to someone else. Maybe even some surviving family member of the previous count, the one who fought for the memory of the King's parents instead of against it. Luckily...
[ ] You have contacts in the capital. They can feed you information on the King's way of thinking, and possibly even help change it.
[ ] You've kept in touch with Springhide's other appointees. You may be able to convince them to act in a way that serves your interests.
[ ] Your intense focus on your county's affairs led to definite improvements, ones the King will be forced to acknowledge.
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Night_stalker
Slava Ukraini!
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X] Shelby Penwood
[X] A celebrated soldier and commander who won his rank through a steady sword arm and a keen strategic mind
[X] Your intense focus on your county's affairs led to definite improvements, ones the King will be forced to acknowledge.
[X] A celebrated soldier and commander who won his rank through a steady sword arm and a keen strategic mind
[X] Your intense focus on your county's affairs led to definite improvements, ones the King will be forced to acknowledge.
Random Member
Gardener of Human Happiness
- Location
- Behind You
[X] A cunning spy who received his appointment in exchange for his silence on certain matters.
[X] You have contacts in the capital. They can feed you information on the King's way of thinking, and possibly even help change it.
We'll have secrets that can be used to leverage support and a spy network to influence the King.
[X] You have contacts in the capital. They can feed you information on the King's way of thinking, and possibly even help change it.
We'll have secrets that can be used to leverage support and a spy network to influence the King.
BetaM
Beta God
- Location
- The Dark Abyss of My Soul
[X] A silver tongued diplomat who knew just what to say to the right people to earn advancement.
[X] You have contacts in the capital. They can feed you information on the King's way of thinking, and possibly even help change it.
Diplomat sounds interesting, i'm leaning a bit on the commander but I like the idea of use performing in battles of wit instead of combat battles. Let's Charm and manipulate our ways through the ranks until we're either puppeting the throne or ruling ourselves.
Little Finger Quest Leggo?
[X] You have contacts in the capital. They can feed you information on the King's way of thinking, and possibly even help change it.
Diplomat sounds interesting, i'm leaning a bit on the commander but I like the idea of use performing in battles of wit instead of combat battles. Let's Charm and manipulate our ways through the ranks until we're either puppeting the throne or ruling ourselves.
Little Finger Quest Leggo?
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