Paradox of Choice: The Quest (Ulthuan Quest)

Imrix · Mar 27, 2015

Index:
Start, Map of Ulthuan (You are here)
Prologue 1, Into The Flame
Prologue 2, Death...
Prologue 3, ... and What Comes After
Prologue's End, Phoenix King
Character Sheet, King Thiraenal (freshly crowned)

Quest Mechanics
Naval Warfare: An Overview
Heroes of Ulthuan: A character list
Write-In's and Dramatic Editing: An Overview
Maps
Please do ask me questions!

Turn 11: Moestorm
Turn 11: Moestorm Results
- Interlude: Imperial Justice
- Judgement: Agnes Hauptochter
- A Crown of Gold and Broken Dreams
- Judgement: Erik von Tussen-Hoche
- An Anticlimax of Faith
- Judgement: Martellus von Raukov
- The Harsh Light of Dawn
Turn 12
Turn 12 Results
- Interlude: A Pact Woven From Winter's Breath
- Interlude: A Pact Woven From Winter's Breath, pt. 2
- Interlude: The Blessed Quiet of Victory
Turn 13
Turn 13 Results
Turn 14
Turn 14 Results
Turn 15: Prelude to Malekithation
Turn 15 Results
- Tides of Darkness, Pt.1
- Tides of Darkness, Pt.2
- Tides of Darkness, Pt.3
- Tides of Darkness, Pt. 4
- Tides of Darkness, Pt.4.5
- Tides of Darkness, Pt.5
- Tides of Darkness, Pt.6
- Tides of Darkness, Finale
- An Old And Bloody Dance, Preliminary
- An Old And Bloody Dance, Pt. 1
- An Old And Bloody Dance, Pt. 2
- An Old And Bloody Dance, Pt. 3
- An Old And Bloody Dance, Pt. 4
- An Old And Bloody Dance, Pt. 5
- An Old And Bloody Dance, Pt. 6
- An Old And Bloody Dance, Finale
Turn 16
Turn 16 Results
Turn 17
- Interlude: When Divinity Knocks...
Turn 17 Results
Turn 18 and subvote
Turn 18 Results and World News
Turn 19
Turn 19 Results
- Amid a Tremulous World: Planning
- Amid a Tremulous World: Approach
- Amid a Tremulous World: Stall

Strategic Thinking Examples
The Laurent on foreign policy
OneirosTheWriter on Defensive Strategy
Xantalos on desired end state
kingtaso01 on Internal/Foreign Policy

The above should serve not necessarily as specific goals to strive for, but as examples of the sort of grand strategy a Phoenix King should try to work towards.

Substories and omakes (noncanon unless explicitly noted)
In Yvresse, Where the Night Lives, by OneirosTheWriter

Misc. Useful Posts

Province Choices
Trait Choices
"Dwarf-Friend"
Dwarves and ghosts
"Slann-Friend", Statecraft
The Everqueen's Perspective
Elves and Magic
"Certainty"
The Fire of Asuryan
The Threat of Malekith
Population, Ulthuan overview, Ulthuan provinces, Naggeroth and Dwarves, Explaining Naggeroth's Population
Elven politics, 1, 2, Rivalries
The Annulii Mountains are not a vacation hotspot.
Malekith, 1, 2
Black Orcs
Warpstone
An assessment of the Grom campaign.
Time Management
Dragons
Finubar the Seafarer
On Khemri
Phoenix King Influence Scores
With Great Power...
Assassins
Elven Lifespan
What if Dieter had won?
Yvresse and Nagarythe - Revlid
The Long March
Bonus Tally - Wirdo
Princess Mechanics, picture 1, picture 2, picture 3, Awards
Araby, 1, 2, 3
Magic Items, Why they're rare
International Politics
The Dragon Emperor, 1, 2, 3, 4
Chaos and Wizards
Morathi, 1, 2, 3
Power Levels Are Bullshit
Blood of Aenarion
List of High Elven magic items - Shenron
Orion Will Legit Bodysurf Malekith Facedown The Full Length of the Curb
Foreign Relations - What Others Know, 1, 2, 3
Ships of the Warhammer World
On the Arrogance of Elves
On the Flame of Asuryan and Wraithbound, 1, 2
Magical Psychology, Necromancy and Elves - Revlid
Magical Mishaps and Elves
The Edict of Bel-Hathor
On the Gods of the Warhammer World
Cauldron's of Blood and the elven lifespan
Malekith as the essence of monarchy, and explosive brain surgery
Tilean Mercenaries

(Crossposted from SB)

For those of you who remember Warhammer Dynasty, this is inspired by that, but with more elves and magic bullshit. You will control the Phoenix King, directing the fading might of Ulthuan as you attempt find a future for the elves that doesn't totally suck. Each turn will cover a year, with battles and some other events taking several smaller turns.

Unlike Warhammer Dynasty, money isn't really a factor for you since Ulthuan has more cash than it knows what to do with. On the other hand, your power isn't as absolute as an Elector Count; you're elected by the Princes of each province, and everybody in your court will have an opinion on the problem of the day. Your job is to choose between them without playing (or at least seeming to play) favourites. Your balance budget is political, not financial.

To represent this, there will be military/diplomacy/statecraft/etc actions, but you don't simply choose one action from each section. Instead, you have a number of dice representing your royal Influence, which you can vote to spend on various options. Often, delegates from multiple provinces will suggest different solutions to the same issue, allowing you to choose between them.

You can allocate multiple dice to a single action, in which case all of them will be rolled, and the best result used. Afterwards, the court will pay attention to whose suggestions you favoured, and they'll grumble if some provinces are listened to too much, or others are ignored.

- - -

Ulthuan, mighty Ulthuan, greatest land under the sun!* Land of plenty**, land of magic!

Bow before its invincible armies***, its peerless mages****, its vast wealth*****!

But despite the stoic valour of its militia armies, the sorcerous might of Hoeth, the rumbling power of ancient dragons, its proud navy and much more besides, Ulthuan dies a slow death. Its glory days are long in the past, slipping further away every year.

The Druchii of Naggeroth raid the coasts in preparation for their next invasion, twisted monsters pour down from the Annulii Mountains, rumours talk of even the Orcs turning their eyes upon Ulthuan's shores, and always there are reasons to spend the dwindling store of elven blood on foreign wars to save Men and Dwarves who haven't the wit to understand how much has been sacrificed for their sake.

Bunch of ungrateful pricks.

But now a change is in the air, for you are one of Ulthuan's High Princes, and you stand before the cleansing Fire of Asuryan, ready to step into the flame and be crowned Phoenix King of all Ulthuan.

(Or it might burn you to cinders. That's never happened though. Yet.)

It is the 253rd year of King Finubar's reign, long may he rest, or the year 2416 by the reckoning of the Empire of men, and in moments you will be Phoenix King (or dead), responsible for every soul within your blessed land, from the most wizened Loremaster to the merest child. You will seek victory on the battlefield and the negotiating table, and perhaps restore Ulthuan to its former glory.

Or possibly you'll piss off the nobles enough that one of them will knife you in the back, a bit like what happened to the last guy. Bunch of ungrateful pricks. Actually, they might even have offed him too. You should probably look into that...

* If you listen to the elves.

** Mostly because all the corpses left plenty behind.

*** It's not a defeat if they don't write it down, okay?

**** Except for the Slann, but they don't talk about those guys.

***** Okay, that one's true. They have all the shinies.

Imrix · Mar 27, 2015

So! Choose your name and the province of your birth. Your home province will grant bonuses and drawbacks, and also decide the location of the Royal Court.

Avelorn: Home to the Everqueen, Avelorn is a land of lush forests and fertile valleys filled with mythical creatures and idyllic beauty... Usually. Presently, Avelorn is locked in a frozen winter by the Everqueen's grief over Finubar's murder. An Avelornian Phoenix King can count on the favour of the Everqueen to quell opposition in the elven court, and your time spent matching wits with the debutantes surrounding her will serve you well at the debating table. You might even find a use for your musical talents - you'd better, because on the battlefield you'll be more use singing a rousing tune than trying to give orders.
Pros
Favour of the Everqueen: Everqueen Alarielle remembers you with fondness, and her support will give you security at the elven court. You enjoy bonus Influence rolls each year, and may ask the Everqueen to make a show of support if the nobles begin to grumble. She may even entertain the idea of more than the traditional one-year marriage.
Maiden Guard: In the wake of Finubar's death, the Everqueen has provided you with two of her own Handmaidens to supplement your retinue and guard against assassins.
Star of the Court: You were one of the philosopher-artists of the Everqueen's court, a musician and debater of great skill. Persuasion and negotiation are your meat and drink. You enjoy a significant bonus to your Diplomacy trait.
Cons
Soft: A life spent in pursuit of artistic beauty and bliss is very nice, but I hope you've got some good generals for when war calls. You suffer a penalty to your Generalship and Combat Prowess traits.
Dreamer: You've spent your life lazing about in the Everqueen's idyllic court, waited on by servants and sprites. For you, life is good, and it has bred in you a naivety that frustrates your spymasters. You suffer a penalty to your Intrigue.

Caledor: One of the prosperous Inner Kingdoms, Caledor is a mountainous land known for its dragons, its peoples martial skill, and their overwhelming arrogance - even for elves. A Caledorian Phoenix King can count on the unswerving backing of his people, who will view his election as their rightful due, and also fucking dragons. On the other hand, Caledorian Phoenix Kings have had a bad reputation ever since Caledor II lost the true Phoenix Crown to the Dwarves, and their arrogance makes few friends, in court or abroad.
Pros
Fucking Dragons: You'll ride a goddamned dragon into battle. 'Nuff said.
"As it should be": The Princes of Caledor are gratified to see one of their own on the throne, and will even dip their banners to you. You have a bonus to rolls when taking Caledorian actions.
Dragonborn: As a warrior-prince of of one of the most warlike provinces in Ulthuan you have a deep well of martial knowledge to draw on. You enjoy a bonus to your Generalship and Combat Prowess.
Cons
Pride: Caledorians manage to be arrogant pricks even for elves, so rest assured if there are toes to step on, you'll tread hard. You suffer a penalty to your Diplomacy trait.
Envy: The other provinces are ~~sick of your boasting~~ jealous of your glory, and may oppose you when you choose Caledorian options.
Mountains of Madness: Much of Caledor is filled with the Annulii mountains, which would be fine, except the Annulii Mountains have this unfortunate habit of spewing goddamned monsters into the world every year, so having them in the royal courts back yard is... troublesome.

Chrace: A rural land of mountains, forests and small towns, Chrace is the front line of Ulthuan's defense against the Dark Elves, populated by hardy warriors and powerful beasts. A Chracian Phoenix King will be a great warrior and general, but somewhat backwards and uncultured by elven standards.
Pros
White Lion: As a High Prince of Chrace, you are one of the mightiest warriors in Ulthuan, and an able general besides. You enjoy a bonus to your Generalship, and a significant bonus to your Combat Prowess.
Beastlord: The mightiest hunters of Chrace have been known to tame the fearsome White Lions, from which the royal bodyguards take their name. You have done so, granting you a further boost to your combat prowess. Additionally, their keen senses can guard against assassins, and their impressive presence may even grant a Diplomacy bonus with certain types of people.
Cons
Wartorn: When Dark Elves or Norscan raiders attack Ulthuan, Chrace is first in line. Expect frequent clashes, and the royal court is more likely to be attacked.
Primitive: While your people live well by most standards, to the elven court Chrace is a barbaric backwater. You receive one less Influence each year, and your lack of experience with large cities inflicts a penalty to Statecraft.

Cothique: One of the wartorn Outer Kingdoms, Cothique is a coastal province known for its peerless mariners and mighty navy. While Lothern builds the greatest warships in Ulthuan, Cothique builds the most, crews them with the best, and sends them the farthest. A Phoenix King elected from Cothique will be an able seaman, and well informed about the rest of the world due to Cothique's strong trade networks. Just make sure to keep an eye on the raiders. And the sea monsters. And the ghosts. And shut up about Mathlann, before someone punches you.
Pros
~~Britannia~~ Ulthuan Rules the Waves: Cothique boasts perhaps the greatest navy in the world, which guards Ulthuan's trading network and acts as the first line of defence against Druchii incursions. There's not a noble in Cothique who hasn't at least captained their own Eagleship. You have a significant bonus to your Generalship in sea battles.
Trading Ties: While much of Ulthuan is comfortably ignorant of the rest of the world, Cothique traders frequently bring news home. You have a bonus to your Statecraft trait from your merchant background, and begin play better informed about the rest of the world.
Ghosts of the Drowned: In ancient times Cothique's coastline was plunged beneath the waves, drowning whole cities. When the waves receded the vengeful spirits remained, and now they guard Cothique's shores against invasion.
Sea monsters: The waters of Cothique are filled with monsters, some of which are loyal to the elves of Cothique...
Cons
Sea monsters: ... And some are not.
2 spooky 4 me: Cothique is a land of superstition and spirits, scattered with haunted mansions and drowned cities populated only by the restless dead. Although your fallen ancestors faithfully defend your lands, living amongst the dead gives you a disturbing presence, and a penalty to Diplomacy in person.
Storm Coast: While Cothique is usually not the first province to be attacked when Druchii or Norscan raiders try their luck, they aren't far behind Chrace.
Heretic. Ish: Most elves think of Mathlann as a cruel and capricious god to be appeased and avoided, largely due to his habit of tormenting them with sea monsters and storms for a laugh, but Cothique reveres him even above Asuryan, the King of the Gods. You (probably) won't be killed for heresy like the men of the Empire, but open worship of the Lord of the Deeps might be... Unwise.

Eataine: A realm of farmland and trade, Eataine's largest city is Lothern, the former political capitol of Ulthuan and the largest trading centre in the entire world. Eataine's navy is the pride of Ulthuan, boasting the grandest, most powerful ships to defend its shores, and Lothern is the only city where non-elves are allowed to step ashore. A Phoenix King elected from Eataine can expect to be familiar with seamanship, politics and the ways of other races, but Finubar's murder has cast a pall over Lothern's court, the idle rich alive coming with suspicion.
Pros
Courtier: Lothern has hosted the court of the Phoenix King for more than two hundred and fifty years, and you have spent that time in a battleground of political events, back-room intrigue and jockeying for position by fair means and foul. You enjoy a bonus to your Diplomacy and Intrigue traits.
Free Port: Although the city is in mourning over Finubar's death, Lothern is still the only place where non-elves may freely set foot in Ulthuan. You will have an easier time entertaining foreign dignitaries, and sometimes they may even offer new options.
Seafarer: Crewed by the vigilant Seaguard, Lothern's navy is the envy of all who behold it, and the city sees a constant flow of foreign trade, bringing news and gold from all across the world. You enjoy a bonus to your Generalship in sea battles, and begin play better informed about the rest of the world.
Cons
Intrigue at Court: As the second Eatainii Phoenix King in a row you were elected by the skin of your teeth, and rightly or wrongly the elven court already whispers suspiciously of your coronation. You will need to step carefully, and suffer a penalty to your allotment of Influence rolls.
"Let Them Eat Cake": Lothern is a city of culture and extravagant riches, filled with opera houses, polished marble and wondrous monuments, grown fat and lazy from abundant wealth. You are used to brushing administrative problems off with large sums of money, and the inefficiency inflicts a penalty to Statecraft.
The Game Is Afoot: With the Royal Court already in Lothern the nobility have had time to set down roots, plotting in earnest. Provincial tensions rise faster, and your life may be complicated by schemes that are already underway.

Saphery: A land of sorcery and strangeness, Saphery is a place where the earth moves and magic flows in the blood. Home to the White Tower of Hoeth, Ulthuan's centre of learning, a Sapherian Phoenix King can count on their magical power and academic knowledge.
Pros
Mage King: ~~Yer a wizard, Harry~~ You are one of the Archmages of Hoeth, a powerful and learned wizard. You enjoy a bonus to your Generalship from raining fire and devastation upon the enemy, and your power and perspective opens new options.
Scholar King: You have spent decades in the White Tower of Hoeth, studying its deep stores of knowledge. You are a quick study and deeply knowledgeable on a wide variety of subjects, granting a bonus to your Learning and Statecraft.
Cons
Bookworm: While your magical training offers great power, your studies have left you little time for exercise or swordsmanship practice. You suffer a penalty to your Combat Prowess.
'Quirky': Living around so much magic loosens the mind. Sapherian Elves are usually not dangerously unhinged, merely odd and unsettling, and you are no exception. Your fickle moods and strange urges inflict a penalty to the delicate process of Diplomacy.

Tiranoc: One of the wartorn Outer Kingdoms, Tiranoc is a land of open plains and lost glories, daemon-wracked and drowned. The sea took thousands of Tiranoc's people in the Sundering, and although they swore to rebuild, it is a long work. A Tiranocii Phoenix King can rely on his peoples unswerving support, and almost certainly comes from an ancient, prestigious lineage that will serve him well in court... So long as he doesn't lean too heavily on it.
Pros
Ancient House: Tiranoc was once one of the greatest jewels in Ulthuan, and founded many of the elven colonies in the Old World. Its nobility are seasoned veterans at court, with a wealth of political capital to draw on. You have a stock of extra Influence rolls to spend on actions.
Raised to Rule: Tiranoc is always rebuilding, and as one of its High Princes you are familiar with rebuilding a country. You enjoy a bonus to your Statecraft.
Tiranocii Resolve: The nobles of Tiranoc will back you without question, throwing their full weight behind your every decision. You have a bonus to rolls when taking Tiranoc actions.
Cons
Fallen on Hard Times: Tiranoc's noble houses wield great influence, but much of it is based on memory rather than real power. You must be frugal with your political capital. Once your stock of extra Influence is spent it is gone forever, and you receive less Influence per year.
Never Forgive, Never Forget: Tiranoc's symbol is the wheel, both because of their proud charioteering tradition and their belief that what goes around, comes around - and some people have a lot coming. Your people will expect you to turn the wheels of vengeance against the Dark Elves.

AZATHOTHoth · Mar 27, 2015

[X]Saphery

Vauron · Mar 27, 2015

[X] Tiranoc

Mask · Mar 27, 2015

[X] Cothique

Naval supremecy VS dirty dark elves route is go. Forget if I already posted or not in the other thread, if so, discount my vote.

Panther · Mar 27, 2015

[X] Saphery

Glorious Mage-King! This pleases me!

omori · Mar 27, 2015

[X]Saphery

Spktr Alpha · Mar 27, 2015

[X] Cothique

Dark Ness · Mar 27, 2015

[X] Saphery

skaro · Mar 27, 2015

[X]Caledor.

We should piack Caledor,they are elven among the elven,We need dragon to counter druuchi invasion and follow Caledor maybe not a bad thing if we want to fight against Druuchii.

I want to establsih colonie and dominat for high elve again.

Vanestus · Mar 27, 2015

[X] Chrace

useofstrike32 · Mar 27, 2015

[X]Saphery

Yun · Mar 27, 2015

[X]Saphery

Kairae · Mar 27, 2015

[X] Saphery

notthepenguins · Mar 27, 2015

[X] Avelorn

LaggPlaguedDuke · Mar 27, 2015

[X] Saphery

Commence operation Wizard-King.

Spktr Alpha · Mar 27, 2015

@Imrix will this be using the CK2 style?

Reklaw · Mar 27, 2015

Are The End Times relevant for this quest?

[X] Cothique

ReaperofInterest · Mar 27, 2015

[X] Chrace

Imrix · Mar 27, 2015

Spktr Alpha said:
@Imrix will this be using the CK2 style?

Sort of. I haven't played CK2 myself, but I'm basing much of the mechanics of Warhammer Dynasty, which is in turn using the CK2 style.

Reklaw said:
Are The End Times relevant for this quest?

Possibly.

Xantalos · Mar 28, 2015

Ohoho, I knew this was on SV!
I'd be playing there but I can't remember what my account was or anything. Good to see it here!

Fairyofbacon · Mar 28, 2015

[X] Chrace

Xantalos · Mar 28, 2015

...actually now that I look closer, I see the merits of being from Avelorn.
Mainly because in that discussion thread, Imrix said we'd not necessarily need to be a personal badass, since we can just sit on our awesome throne and command some of our really awesome generals to go fuck shit up for us.
...
yeah I think I'm gonna go for that.
[X] Avelorn

And you should all vote for that too! Aside from the benefits I've listed there, we get a massive boost to our diplomacy stat, which'll be vital to navigating the elfin court, we enjoy the favour of the Everqueen, aka the 'fuck you chaos I'm the God-Empress of Elfkind', who might marry us past the traditional year - note this might prevent her from hooking up with Tyrion if she hasn't already. Plus even our flaws, namely penalties to martial and intrigue, can be worked on/compensated with the power of the Everqueen, can benefit us - well not so much the martial one, but we have people for that - our intrigue thing implies to me that our character will be an optimist, someone who looks at the world and thinks 'I can make this better, I think.' I wanna have that kind of optimism backed by our sheer skill with words make the world a better place - maybe fix things up with the dwarfs, or hook up with the lizardmen - after all, the costs of the War of the Beard - excuse me, the War of Vengance - couldn't have run that high, could they?
heh

Autocrat · Mar 28, 2015

[X] Cothique

Calanor · Mar 28, 2015

[X] Cothique

Paradox of Choice: The Quest (Ulthuan Quest)

Periodically Malevolent QM

Periodically Malevolent QM

༼ つ ☀️_☀️ ༽つ

A somewhat insane Sci-Fi lover

Rises Where Silence Dies

Neither Spherical Nor Frictionless

A somewhat insane Sci-Fi lover

Herald of Disaster

Periodically Malevolent QM

Turtle-Speed Writing

Turtle-Speed Writing

Not so silly Silicoid