Did you mean Colonel? Corporal is the lowest rank of non commissioned officers. It is literally just above private.
Semper Ad Meliora (Code Geass/Britannian Royalty Quest)
- Thread starter Slayer Anderson
- Start date
- Sci-Fi
Portrait of a Prince by Shapeless Phobos - Canon (+15 Bonus x2)
Shapeless Phobos
Filthy Casual
Omake time! And it's mostly serious even!
Something I've had on the back burner for a while and only needed a few edits to make it a bit more 'present'...and double as long as I'd thought it'd be.
Something I've had on the back burner for a while and only needed a few edits to make it a bit more 'present'...and double as long as I'd thought it'd be.
Portrait of a Prince
It was well-recorded in many a youth's school textbook that in the aftermath of those revolutions which consumed mainland Europe many a noble had fled to Britannia. Of course they brought with them as much of their wealth as they could carry, or at least what loyal retainers remained to them could. What the textbooks oftentimes neglected to mention was what else these noble exiles brought with them.
Artists.
Painters and sculptors, authors and poets, entire orchestras alongside whole theater companies. All of those and more had followed their runaway patrons to the New World. Out of loyalty to their betters, out of fear of the uncouth rabble, or out of simple self-interest and greed they came. In their wake came an almost quiet Renaissance to the Holy Britannian Empire that Art Historians still spoke of... at least in their own circles.
And with these 'Scribes of the Human Soul' came that curiously endearing tradition of the Britannian Prime Minister having his portrait being made upon rising to office. It began as a gift given to the then Prime Minister by a grateful Italian noblewoman given safe haven from the horrors of the new Europe. Of course the Emperor at the time had been gifted similarly with a marble bust yet it was that colorful portrait made of his Chancellor that lingered in public memory. That portrait remains in the Greeting Hall of the Prime Minister's home to this day, gazed upon by generation upon generation of foreign dignitary and touring student alike.
Though few quite reached the fame of that particular painting each successor to that open-handed gentleman had their own portrait made to varying degrees of notability. (No one with any interest in those portraits dares bring up a certain portrait made after the Great War by a more 'modern' style artist that is currently lurking behind a strategically placed ficus.) Each found their own place within the Prime Minister's abode...although some successors found ways of using even these paintings against their predecessors such as when one particularly spiteful Prime Minister awarded his hated predecessor's portrait with a position overlooking the stables.
Though now there was a new man taking residence in that venerable manor within the Capital of the Empire, Pendragon. Or better to say, against all precedent to the matter, there was a Prince taking residence there. Whether he'd ever actually reside there for anything other than official duties in lieu of his previous palace was up to debate and something of a sticking point for some. So came the inevitable need for a portrait to be made, a harmless bit of ritual that could assuage some of the traditionalists' ruffled feathers for at least a moment.
...Yet, who was better to capture the essence of a Prince...than a Prince?
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"If you move again I'll have no choice but to give you a slouch, Dear Brother." Came the dryly given chastisement as the sound of brushstrokes filled the room's relative silence.Clovis resisted the urge to smirk as he heard Schneizel sigh for what was perhaps the dozenth time since they'd started on the creation of his portrait. Of course a single sigh from Schneizel was like a hundred from lesser men. When first he'd accepted the request to paint his brother's official portrait Clovis had thought it little more than an obvious attempt for the Second Prince to further ingratiate himself to his younger brother. It would be nothing more than small talk, noble gossip and perhaps the occasional attempt to glean something about what the rest of their family was up to.
And it had been...at first. Then Clovis had realized how much power it gave him, petty as that power was but that was often the best kind he found. Never again would Clovis have this much sway over his elder brother, he knew. What to wear, how to sit, when to blink. It was damn near intoxicating!
'It almost makes one want to have a more serious go at being Emperor...' He thought as he added a bit more shade to the side of his brother's face.
"I'm certain Princess Guinevere would adore that." Came Earl Maldini's expected quip, earning him a reproachful side-eye from where his Prince was seated at the knight's side. A slight quirk of the lips was the only apology the Knight of Honor offered to his Master.
"First my brother and now my Knight, I seem to face betrayal on all sides. Is this what it means to be Prime Minister?" Was the newly-made Chancellor's almost glum retort, obviously fighting not to add a sigh at the end.
"You did wish to have him in the portrait, Schneizel. You've only yourself to blame and if you want something to blame for Guinevere's future presence in this portrait then I'd suggest your mouth which keeps moving from position." Was Clovis's cheerful warning as he glanced with a smile over the canvas to see Schneizel immediately return to the proper pose all while Kanon fought a smile.
"Don't think you're exempt from that little promise, my dear Earl Maldini." Clovis informed the surprised Knight in a sing song voice with a stabbing gesture from his paintbrush for good measure. "Your opposite number would look just as well with a hand on your shoulder I do believe."
Needless to say Clovis was not troubled for the few minutes he needed to finish up their lower faces. Truth be told they were both excellent subjects for this sort of work. Schneizel was rarely if ever not composed and Kanon had a poker face to match the best of them. They'd been at this a few hours a day for over a week and he was nearly finished. Most of the background details didn't need them to be present after the sketches were done yet...
"The eyes...you are quite skilled in showing their depths, My Son." The Emperor praised as he looked down at the sketch Clovis had made of their little piece of the Royal Family after Laila had been born.
His eyes, Schneizel's eyes were...difficult to gain a true insight into. He had thought wearing him down would chip away at the stone wall between Schneizel's feelings and the outside world but that...that had not been so.
It pricked at Clovis' pride that he couldn't encapsulate his brother's essence in this painting that would most likely outlast them all. Mother, Cornelia, Lelouch, even the Emperor! All had been easier to capture than the Second Prince. Not even including Kanon had allowed Clovis to pierce the veil between he and understanding his elder brother.
He hadn't even been able to sketch an outline of them, not ones fit for viewing at least.
With a sigh of his own Clovis gestured at the couple as he considered calling it quits for the day. "You may speak, subjects. Move even, so long as you don't go too far."
"Are we done for the day, Clovis?" His brother asked as he idly flexed the fingers that had been intertwined over his crossed legs for the past hour or so. Unfortunately there wasn't a trace of desperation like Kanon had sounded while audibly popping his back those first few days. Even now the knight was subtly eyeing the door.
The disappointment on the Earl's face when Clovis shook his head was palpable so there was that at least.
Schneizel's reply, however, was more of a surprise and less of a joy. "Clovis, about what we spoke of the last time..."
"A land of deserts and barbarous rebels holds no appeal to me, Dear Brother." Clovis interrupted as he stirred another mixture of light purple paint together.
The offer, though it felt more a request, was to take over governance of the burgeoning Area 10 in North Africa. It was a laughable notion really, he hadn't anything to do with that war. Hell, he barely ever even left the Homeland and even those times were just to see the...sights...of Area 2 and 5. It all simply felt like Schneizel was being especially unsubtle about trying to get Clovis on his side by dangling a juicy position of authority in front of him.
Well, Clovis wasn't biting and told the Prime Minister as much.
"It will not be immediate, Your Highness. Egypt is yet to fall and it is perhaps the fiercest yet, what with it's proximity to the Middle East Federation and the Ethiopians. You would have at least a year to prepare and would never need to be on the front lines unless you will it. There will be no shortage of notable warriors from among those to be granted holdings there." Kanon added from beside his master but his warm personality didn't give any aid in this situation.
"We don't even have Egypt yet? Then what good is the rest of it to me?" Clovis retorted with a sneer as he looked intently at his prior work before sighing at the silence that resulted. "Why not simply hand it off to Cornelia, she's already headed that way to earn glory anyways."
"Cornelia will doubtlessly speed the war to it's conclusion but we must focus upon what happens after the battles are done now. After the NAL is fully defeated that will still leave their neighbors on edge. Our armies may well be able to handle the MEF and Ethiopian Empire each on their own but together they would be a far more dangerous foe. The EU joining in, even as it is, is perhaps a thought too dangerous to have." Schneiz- No, the Prime Minister of Britannia informed him. His expression was cool yet...troubled? "What is required in North Africa is not another Conqueror but a Steward, Brother. And in that capacity I think you will fit excellently."
"You want someone they won't feel overly threatened by..." Clovis realized, quickly scowling at his elder brother.
"Yes." Schneizel replied without a hint of remorse, the bluntness taking Clovis aback long enough for the Second Prince to continue. "But more than that I want someone who will build up what is already gained instead of looking to expand. The best governors are those who build up the subjects they already possess instead of trying to constantly add new ones."
"The presence of a Royal Governor will show how strong our desire to hold onto North Africa is and your lack of involvement in the conquest of their land might well engender the locals to at least feel neutral about you instead of outright hostile." Kanon added gently with an almost apologetic smile. "Besides, think of all the exhibits you could create, for Carthage, the pharaohs and the Caliphates. For all of Princess Cornelia's virtues...I fear appreciation of history is not one of them."
"She'd sooner launch the Sphinx's head as a projectile than restore it..." Clovis joked weakly as he leaned over the canvas, almost hiding behind it. This was how they did things, Schneizel and his Knight of Honor. The Second Prince was an imperceptible snowfall and the Earl was the warm fireplace that provided succor from the cold if you needed it...yet fire is dangerous as well no matter how gentle it's flames. They were very good at entrapping you, scarily so.
They did it this way, cold then warm, because it worked, damn them!
Clovis sighed, feeling slightly defeated but then he'd expected to feel this way the second Schneizel tapped him for this task. It was only a matter of time really...like losing a game of Chess to Lelouch...half the fun was playing the game itself.
"Fine, fine, you win. I'll consider the notion of it." Clovis grumbled as he waved a paintbrush like a white flag from behind the safety of his canvas. Most likely he'd be learning up on Arabic by the end of the week. "Though if you try to push a Knight of Honor on me I'll do unspeakable things to this picture. And then repeat them on you."
"In my completely unbiased opinion a Knight would be invaluable in such a position, Your Highness." Kanon quipped with a chuckle as Schneizel smiled in turn.
"I could make a list if you'd like, Brother. Though of course a knight found all your own is simply irreplaceable." Schneizel offered gently.
"Like you did with Lelouch and his mad scientists? I'll thank you not to, please." Clovis said with a faux scowl, fighting a smirk as he continued smoothly. "Besides...dearest Guinevere's already offered the same..."
It was immediately after he'd said that that Clovis witnessed an odd expression form in his Brother's eyes. A look in his eyes...one filled with something something Clovis could only describe as 'plotting' yet more than that. As if a counter action had just come into the Prime Minister's mind.
It was terrifying.
It was purely Schneizel El Britannia.
It was perfect for his portrait.
- Location
- Rapidly approaching your location.
- Pronouns
- Any/Morb
Oh no, not the unerasable slouch!
Literally throwing shade. Nice.
"Surely, you must be lion about that?"
So many machinations. Love it!
- Location
- South of North
I like it. Kanon. Also Canon. Thank you for the submission.
Turn 4 (Phase II)
- Location
- South of North
Year 4 (Phase II)
"YOUR HIGHNESS!"
You twitch as the voice which greets you on the tarmac of your island echoes into the distance. Various personnel momentarily pause and look to the man wearing a labcoat, his arms spread wide as if to embrace you, and a grin stretched across his face. Behind him, a redheaded woman of more obvious Japanese descent sighs as if someone had just placed the weight of the world on her shoulders and presses her palm to her face.
You hold up a hand to stop Jeanne pulling her firearm.
"It is ~so nice~ to finally meet you!" The man says, an odd cadence to his voice as he pauses, then furtive looks around himself. Despite yourself, you feel a shiver of danger at the flicker of something in his eyes. "I am ~very ready~ to make such interesting things for you!"
Madison Hashima steps forward and gives the customary salute. "Your highness, it is a great honor to be allowed in your presence. I would beg forgiveness on behalf of my associate. He is entirely and undeniably insane, you see."
"Bwuhahahaha!" Kenshin Jeagar... agrees? As he turns his back and laughs deeply and loudly into the cut-back forest surrounding your landing strip before spinning and...
...posing?
"Perhaps, sire, we should have gone with the felon?" Jeanne... not quite whispers in your ear.
Madison's head dips at the comment, but she does nothing to refute it.
"Oh, he's a felon too. Warrants still out in the EU, MEF, and what's left of the NAL. Those have a medical restraint order to tranquilize and place him in an asylum, at least. The one in Japan, though, recommends military police action instead of normal cops." You state with a slight smirk.
Madison winces as Kenshin places his fists on his hips and thrusts his chest out.
"Indeed, YOUR HIGHNESS! No matter the corrupt and insidious actions of the Cabal or the Witch-Hunter's Guild, I have evaded their machinations with only the slightest duration of confinement each time I was captured!"
"Kenshin-" His friend growls lowly.
You pause, considering the matter, then mentally shrug. As the 'half-breed' prince, you've lived most of your life with the tacit understanding that there was someone who'd take a shot at your life should the opportunity present itself in a suitably deniable manner. It was why you had hired an entire clan of shinobi bodyguards, after all.
"Well, I hope I speak for everyone here on my territory when I say that you should be relatively free from persecution here on New Caledonia." You say with a smile. "After all, an attack on one of my servants is considered an attack on me, so if you should notice anything amiss with the security or your coworkers, I invite you to file the information with base security. They will bring anything substantial to my notice, such as an incursion by a subversive cabal."
Dr. Jaegar's eyes glitter in the bright sunlight as he makes a motion with his arm that sends his lab-coat flapping in the wind like some kind of... cape...
...that, hmm...
You got away with wearing a cape back when you were a child...
"I will keep an ever-vigilant eye out for the shadowy hand of those who would seek our downfall YOUR HIGHNESS! You are truly visionary, my prince, to see the threat which I have tried to warn so many about! Quickly, ~Madison~! To the lab! We must not disappoint the prince!"
Grabbing the girl by the arm, Kenshin quickly leads her into the concrete bunker that serves as the entrance to the mostly-underground structure.
You and Jeanne stand in silence for a long moment.
"He is certainly... flamboyant." Jeanne eventually states, the words torn from her most polite sensibilities so hard that you can practically feel the effort it took.
"He's a stark raving madman." You state plainly with a snort, then shrug at Jeanne's look. "I'm not going to pretend he isn't, Jeanne, don't worry. As long as he produces results, though, I can tolerate his eccentricities."
Jeanne sighs in relief and raises a hand to pinch the bridge of her nose. "I'll inform both his keeper and the guards of his section of the base to make sure that, should we ever have a visiting dignitary, he is not to be allowed outside of his lab."
Intrigue: CHOOSE TWO
[ ] I Spy Pirates: Send your squad of agents out to have a look-see into these pirates and determine the major factions you'll be up against, at the very least. More optimistically, you might be able to get an idea of force composition or any notable individuals to watch out for. Cost: 200; Upkeep: 0; DC: 30; Rewards: Dossiers on Pirate Organizations in the Indian & South Pacific Oceans, Potential information on Pirate Hero Units. (OCCUPIES SPY UNIT FOR THE TURN, WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE FOR ANY OTHER INTRIGUE OPTION)
[ ] Republicans: The very word makes your guts churn uncomfortably, but this has to be done. You'll send your men into enemy territory, that of the Rus Republic, to determine what their overall level of readiness is. Perhaps you'll get lucky and find more valuable secrets. Cost: 200; Upkeep: 0; DC: 40; Rewards: Greater information on the Rus Republic's military readiness and vulnerabilities. (OCCUPIES SPY UNIT FOR THE TURN, WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE FOR ANY OTHER INTRIGUE OPTION)
[ ] Thieves in the Night: In modern nations, much of the abstract concept of 'wealth' is a digital consideration. That said, there are more than a few areas of the world which still rely on physical transfers of money, resources, and other valuables. Send your team of spies to 'liberate' some of that for your own purposes. Cost: 200; Upkeep: 0; DC: 50; Rewards: Vary by roll results, one-turn increase in wealth. (OCCUPIES SPY UNIT FOR THE TURN, WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE FOR ANY OTHER INTRIGUE OPTION)
[ ] Further Afield: Last year you concentrated on individuals who would be of a specific help to you. This year, you'll be looking at the bigger picture. Specifically, organizations, businesses, families, etc... any of whom could use a helping hand from someone of high political stature. Cost: 200; Upkeep: 0; DC: 20/50/80/110; Rewards: Get a better picture of possible political allies and the general design of current Britannian politics.
[ ] The Duke: Go hunting for details regarding Kallen's father. Anyone of the upper nobility is likely to have plenty of secrets, and he's almost certainly not the exception. It's likely that you'll find something to give you the upper hand in negotiations. Cost: 100; Upkeep: 0; DC: 30/60/90; Rewards: Mini-turn to bring the Duke to an agreeable compromise.
Learning: CHOOSE TWO
[ ] Tools of the Trade: Jaegar has submitted a list of... odds and ends, some of them very odd indeed, in addition to various pieces of basic equipment that he'd like to have available for future use, as well as a few staff hiring positions to help them out. While he can make do without them, it will be at greatly lessened efficiency. Cost: 350; Upkeep: 100; DC: 20; Rewards: Enable Dr. Jaegar and his assistant to fully set up their laboratory.
[ ] Relic Hunting: Specifically, hunting for the origin of your mysterious orb. All you have are the fleeting memories of its builder and a few scant details. You'll study the manifests of the estate which you purchased it from and try to make a determination from where it originated. Cost: 100; DC: 30; Upkeep: 0; Rewards: Possible location of an ancient settlement, valuable artifacts, more?
[ ] Mapping the Domain: Sadly, the Empire has had better things to do than accurately map a fairly low-priority chunk of land off-center of major trade lanes. You should probably change that. Send out some people to map New Caledonia and its surroundings. Cost: 200; DC: 20; Upkeep: 0; Rewards: Knowledge of the geographical features of your domain, better ability to plan defensive emplacements and military operations around New Caledonia.
[ ] Madman's Thesis: Jaegar has ideas and theories, but admittedly, he's never been in a position with the requisite funding to actually try them out. Now, he is. Granted, you'll be funding him this year merely to lay the groundwork for an entirely new field of science which is a miracle in and of itself, so don't expect too much beyond that. Cost: 300; DC: 40/80/120; Upkeep: 0; Rewards: Create a rough blueprint of technologies and timeframes you can expect for Jeagar to possibly develop in the near future, Learning options increase.
[ ] Ruin Explorers: It seems that during his travels, Jaegar learned about a number of possible sites which could be excavated for both academic and scientific gain. Apparently, he seems to believe that, in ancient times, a number of psionic secrets were known which are now lost. You... managed to keep a straight face during that discussion. Cost: 500; Upkeep: 200; DC: 40; Rewards: Hire a team of archaeologists you can send to study various sites and retrieve anything of value, Learning options increase.
Piety: CHOOSE ONE
[ ] Self-Study: Quite honestly, you have no idea what these 'powers' of yours can actually do. Perhaps it's time to chance that? Taking a bit of time out of your year is easy enough to sit and think and experiment regarding what is possible and what isn't. Cost: 0; Upkeep: 0; DC:???; Rewards: Develop new, possibly useful techniques that could prove of vital aid... or just give you a headache/Open other options.
[ ] The Cystaline Orb: You, quite frankly, have no idea where this came from or what it is, it's time you changed that. You'll spend time studying the artifact that you happened upon last year to see what you can find. Cost: 50; Upkeep: 0; DC: 30/60/90/120; Rewards: Make progress in unraveling the secrets of an object older than any modern civilization.
[ ] Remember: What you stumbled into once, you will now knowingly approach with the full understanding of what you are doing. You will exercise all due caution, but there are limits to what you can achieve without risk. Cost: 0; Upkeep: 0; DC: ???; Rewards: Progress on trait reveal, knowledge of an ancient event increased, ???
[ ] Artifacts: Few and far between, held in great esteem, and jealously guarded... these breathtakingly few pieces of history are items crafted with the aid of mental power and extreme will. Objects out of time and untouched by the passage of it, they can be extremely useful, one way or another. Cost: 500; Upkeep: 0; DC: 60/???; Rewards: Gain a psionic artifact of unknown age and usefulness.
[ ] Chasing Shadows: The EU simply loves to extol the conspiracy theory that there is a... cabal of influential mind-readers and the like working from behind the scenes puppetting events and leaders such that no event is random and free will a myth. This is, obviously, a fiction. Still, there are a few groups here and there who like to gather together and play with the powers of the mind. Pay them a visit why don't you? Cost: 200; Upkeep: 50; DC: 50; Rewards: Contact with a group of parapsychological researchers, hobbyists, or outright kooks.
TWO HOUR MORATORIUM!
DO NOT VOTE FOR TWO HOURS!
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- Location
- Rapidly approaching your location.
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- Any/Morb
He's perfect. Thank you.
I had to read twice to make sure he wasn't an unrepentant pervert.
Also: moratorium?
- Location
- South of North
You're welcome.
No, he's just doing the 'I'm a big cult-fighting superhero' thing.I had to read twice to make sure he wasn't an unrepentant pervert.
Also: moratorium?
...do I have to moratorium?
Eh...TWO HOUR MORATORIUM!
DO NOT VOTE FOR TWO HOURS!
Derek58
Rocket Punch is Best Punch
- Location
- Getter Valhalla
I'm thinking these for Intrigue. Gets us info on the pirates in our area, and resolves our issues with Kallen's dad.
And these for Learning. Get Jeager set up, and accurate maps of our island.
Not sure on Piety, thinking one of these.
It's jokes like this that make me feel sorry for Kanon.
Lelouch... nooo....
It's turn four? Or do you mean for three turns?
...Of course this is Lelouch's solution to diplomacy...
ThatGuyWithIdeas
Treize died for our sins
- Location
- Romania
Ok, so for Intrigue I'd say we go for Further Afield in order to get a better idea regarding the current state of Britannian politics (and maybe find some political allies) and either I Spy Pirates or The Duke as our other Intrigue action (leaning a bit more towards scouting the pirates, as they are going to be a harder problem to solve than the Kallen situation; even so I intend to take "The Duke" action no later than next turn).
Regarding Learning, Tools of the Trade and Mapping the Domain are the most important actions that are currently available to us, so we really should take those.
For Piety, go for more Remember, so that we can finally discover our mystery trait.
Regarding Learning, Tools of the Trade and Mapping the Domain are the most important actions that are currently available to us, so we really should take those.
For Piety, go for more Remember, so that we can finally discover our mystery trait.
- Location
- South of North
We want to get pirates set up so Lelouch can start making a name for himself next turn with Martial actions, and the Pirates need to go anyways.
While further afield would be nice, I still see no action that will set us up with a diplo adviser this turn, so I'd just as soon deal with Kallen's dad this turn.
While further afield would be nice, I still see no action that will set us up with a diplo adviser this turn, so I'd just as soon deal with Kallen's dad this turn.
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- Rapidly approaching your location.
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[] Religion is a Joke
-[] Further Afield: Cost: 200; Upkeep: 0; DC: 20/50/80/110; Rewards: Get a better picture of possible political allies and the general design of current Britannian politics.
-[] The Duke: Cost: 100; Upkeep: 0; DC: 30/60/90; Rewards: Mini-turn to bring the Duke to an agreeable compromise.
-[] Tools of the Trade: Cost: 350; Upkeep: 100; DC: 20; Rewards: Enable Dr. Jaegar and his assistant to fully set up their laboratory.
-[] Mapping the Domain: Cost: 200; DC: 20; Upkeep: 0; Rewards: Knowledge of the geographical features of your domain, better ability to plan defensive emplacements and military operations around New Caledonia.
-[] Chasing Shadows: Cost: 200; Upkeep: 50; DC: 50; Rewards: Contact with a group of parapsychological researchers, hobbyists, or outright kooks.
Now stay with me here... aliens.
We need to gain info on those EU tehories and lay them to rest! This will allow us to remove Jaegar's terrible diplo malus and make him see the error of his ways!
Also, snooping on the Duke and FINALLY getting Further Afield.
Tools and Mapping for getting Jaegar his
I'm not saying to consider this because of aliens...
...But Aliens.
ThatGuyWithIdeas
Treize died for our sins
- Location
- Romania
[] Of Politics and Pirates
-[] I Spy Pirates: Send your squad of agents out to have a look-see into these pirates and determine the major factions you'll be up against, at the very least. More optimistically, you might be able to get an idea of force composition or any notable individuals to watch out for. Cost: 200; Upkeep: 0; DC: 30; Rewards: Dossiers on Pirate Organizations in the Indian & South Pacific Oceans, Potential information on Pirate Hero Units. (OCCUPIES SPY UNIT FOR THE TURN, WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE FOR ANY OTHER INTRIGUE OPTION)
-[] Further Afield: Cost: 200; Upkeep: 0; DC: 20/50/80/110; Rewards: Get a better picture of possible political allies and the general design of current Britannian politics.
-[] Tools of the Trade: Cost: 350; Upkeep: 100; DC: 20; Rewards: Enable Dr. Jaegar and his assistant to fully set up their laboratory.
-[] Mapping the Domain: Cost: 200; DC: 20; Upkeep: 0; Rewards: Knowledge of the geographical features of your domain, better ability to plan defensive emplacements and military operations around New Caledonia.
-[] Remember: What you stumbled into once, you will now knowingly approach with the full understanding of what you are doing. You will exercise all due caution, but there are limits to what you can achieve without risk. Cost: 0; Upkeep: 0; DC: ???; Rewards: Progress on trait reveal, knowledge of an ancient event increased, ???
-[] I Spy Pirates: Send your squad of agents out to have a look-see into these pirates and determine the major factions you'll be up against, at the very least. More optimistically, you might be able to get an idea of force composition or any notable individuals to watch out for. Cost: 200; Upkeep: 0; DC: 30; Rewards: Dossiers on Pirate Organizations in the Indian & South Pacific Oceans, Potential information on Pirate Hero Units. (OCCUPIES SPY UNIT FOR THE TURN, WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE FOR ANY OTHER INTRIGUE OPTION)
-[] Further Afield: Cost: 200; Upkeep: 0; DC: 20/50/80/110; Rewards: Get a better picture of possible political allies and the general design of current Britannian politics.
-[] Tools of the Trade: Cost: 350; Upkeep: 100; DC: 20; Rewards: Enable Dr. Jaegar and his assistant to fully set up their laboratory.
-[] Mapping the Domain: Cost: 200; DC: 20; Upkeep: 0; Rewards: Knowledge of the geographical features of your domain, better ability to plan defensive emplacements and military operations around New Caledonia.
-[] Remember: What you stumbled into once, you will now knowingly approach with the full understanding of what you are doing. You will exercise all due caution, but there are limits to what you can achieve without risk. Cost: 0; Upkeep: 0; DC: ???; Rewards: Progress on trait reveal, knowledge of an ancient event increased, ???
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- Location
- South of North
I did actually fix the text on these options. It reads 'This Turn' now.
- Location
- Rapidly approaching your location.
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@Slayer Anderson will "parapsychological researchers, hobbyists, or outright kooks" include piety advisors?
- Location
- South of North
We've been over this, I feel.
You guys don't actually need a Piety advisor anymore. This will staff your Piety lab, which will get you your second action.
There just... isn't anyone who could really out-Piety you guys once you fully develop that Trait. I mean, okay... there's a few, but...
Meta-wise, I'm not quite ready to give you guys three actions per turn in Piety quite yet. When I do give you the opportunity to find a Piety Advisor, they'll most likely (barring a massive explosion of super-luck) be more of a Administrative Assistant who you can shove a lot of the drudgery off on.
Hypothetically speaking, though, there's a very, very outside chance you could find a Piety advisor with this action. It's meant to crew your Piety Workshop, though.
- Location
- Rapidly approaching your location.
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Hah! Have you seen my luck?
Well you probably haven't, but you will!
Good, we'll need more souls for Jaegar's research!
Slayer is talking about the Stewardship action, which we didn't take this turn because we wanted to build up assets and increase income, and won't be able to take next turn because we have to build knightmare stables. If we take it now, we won't really have a workshop to have them work in for over a year.
- Location
- Rapidly approaching your location.
- Pronouns
- Any/Morb
Oh, I was thinking of using them to work Jaegar's lab in the meantime.
Mors
Searching for immanence
I'm always up for better setups, and we are not in that much of a hurry right at the moment. Further Afield broadens our future options.
The other choice for me would be I Spy Pirates and The Duke. I think I'll go with the latter, because a great roll will quite possibly see us a way to making further inroads into the upper nobility. The pirates, in contrast, promise middling return.
We have a madman in our employ, we definitely need to give him a proper lab. It should also give us DC reductions for Madman's Thesis in future turns (and it should be a definite pick next turn). Tools of the Trade is a no-brainer. Mapping the Domain is another.
We already have the Orb, and not enough actions to sink into another. I'd vote for The Cystaline Orb. Remember is also a good option but I really want to know how far we are into getting that trait revealed.
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Don't we kind of need money? Right now I'm kind of thinking...
[ ] Thieves in the Night: In modern nations, much of the abstract concept of 'wealth' is a digital consideration. That said, there are more than a few areas of the world which still rely on physical transfers of money, resources, and other valuables. Send your team of spies to 'liberate' some of that for your own purposes. Cost: 200; Upkeep: 0; DC: 50; Rewards: Vary by roll results, one-turn increase in wealth. (OCCUPIES SPY UNIT FOR THE TURN, WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE FOR ANY OTHER INTRIGUE OPTION)
[ ] The Duke: Go hunting for details regarding Kallen's father. Anyone of the upper nobility is likely to have plenty of secrets, and he's almost certainly not the exception. It's likely that you'll find something to give you the upper hand in negotiations. Cost: 100; Upkeep: 0; DC: 30/60/90; Rewards: Mini-turn to bring the Duke to an agreeable compromise.
[ ] Tools of the Trade: Jaegar has submitted a list of... odds and ends, some of them very odd indeed, in addition to various pieces of basic equipment that he'd like to have available for future use, as well as a few staff hiring positions to help them out. While he can make do without them, it will be at greatly lessened efficiency.
[ ] Mapping the Domain: Sadly, the Empire has had better things to do than accurately map a fairly low-priority chunk of land off-center of major trade lanes. You should probably change that. Send out some people to map New Caledonia and its surroundings. Cost: 200; DC: 20; Upkeep: 0; Rewards: Knowledge of the geographical features of your domain, better ability to plan defensive emplacements and military operations around New Caledonia.
Piety I'm ambivalent towards this turn.
[ ] Thieves in the Night: In modern nations, much of the abstract concept of 'wealth' is a digital consideration. That said, there are more than a few areas of the world which still rely on physical transfers of money, resources, and other valuables. Send your team of spies to 'liberate' some of that for your own purposes. Cost: 200; Upkeep: 0; DC: 50; Rewards: Vary by roll results, one-turn increase in wealth. (OCCUPIES SPY UNIT FOR THE TURN, WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE FOR ANY OTHER INTRIGUE OPTION)
[ ] The Duke: Go hunting for details regarding Kallen's father. Anyone of the upper nobility is likely to have plenty of secrets, and he's almost certainly not the exception. It's likely that you'll find something to give you the upper hand in negotiations. Cost: 100; Upkeep: 0; DC: 30/60/90; Rewards: Mini-turn to bring the Duke to an agreeable compromise.
[ ] Tools of the Trade: Jaegar has submitted a list of... odds and ends, some of them very odd indeed, in addition to various pieces of basic equipment that he'd like to have available for future use, as well as a few staff hiring positions to help them out. While he can make do without them, it will be at greatly lessened efficiency.
[ ] Mapping the Domain: Sadly, the Empire has had better things to do than accurately map a fairly low-priority chunk of land off-center of major trade lanes. You should probably change that. Send out some people to map New Caledonia and its surroundings. Cost: 200; DC: 20; Upkeep: 0; Rewards: Knowledge of the geographical features of your domain, better ability to plan defensive emplacements and military operations around New Caledonia.
Piety I'm ambivalent towards this turn.
ThatGuyWithIdeas
Treize died for our sins
- Location
- Romania
We've solved our money issues for this turn actually (normally, we should had went from 1650 to 150; but due to how good our phase 1 went we actually went from 1650 to 1950, so we have more than enough money for the reminder of this turn)
- Location
- Rapidly approaching your location.
- Pronouns
- Any/Morb
Yeah money is one of Lelouch's strong points. If we ever run out, we'll just creatively liberate some Britannian artifacts from foreign collections.
"What do you mean these are your priceless paintings and relics? They are Britannian artifacts, and I have the paperwork right here!"
*KMFs burst out the wall, allowing Lelouch to escape*
"Haha! Let it be known that this is the time you nearly caught me, Le--I mean... Hero!"
"What do you mean these are your priceless paintings and relics? They are Britannian artifacts, and I have the paperwork right here!"
*KMFs burst out the wall, allowing Lelouch to escape*
"Haha! Let it be known that this is the time you nearly caught me, Le--I mean... Hero!"
[X] Plan: Further a Duke
-[X] Further Afield
-[X] The Duke
-[X] Tools of the Trade
-[X] Mapping the Domain
-[X] Remember
Two hours be up.
Okay, so I've been thinking about the intrigue actions. One of the reasons we want to start making a name for our self is so we can give Kallen an ironclad excuse for working with us. In light of being able to use intrigue, one of our much stronger stats, to effectively diplo with her father, the necessity for that is decreased somewhat. Add on to that that we want to send our admiral and Kallen into proper military schooling next year, because they have none, and it might even be argued that it wouldn't actually be wise to go out and hunt pirates next turn, especially with one of those people being our admiral who would need to be hunting said pirates. This, in turn, frees up space for the Further Afield action, which can give us some much needed help for targets for our diplo actions so we hopefully won't screw it up completely.
I think most of us are in agreement on the stewardship actions. Getting our adviser set up for his laboratory and mapping our land so we can improve stewardship actions based on the island seem like things we really want to get out of the way to make further projects cheaper and easier.
For Piety I'm picking Remember, because that hidden trait behind it is what is stopping us from needing a piety adviser. It's quite likely that once we actually unlock it, we will get many stronger and better options involving piety, and probably a significant boost to our piety score. Hopefully we'll finish it this turn, but either way, I think we need to continue chipping away at it.
-[X] Further Afield
-[X] The Duke
-[X] Tools of the Trade
-[X] Mapping the Domain
-[X] Remember
Two hours be up.
Okay, so I've been thinking about the intrigue actions. One of the reasons we want to start making a name for our self is so we can give Kallen an ironclad excuse for working with us. In light of being able to use intrigue, one of our much stronger stats, to effectively diplo with her father, the necessity for that is decreased somewhat. Add on to that that we want to send our admiral and Kallen into proper military schooling next year, because they have none, and it might even be argued that it wouldn't actually be wise to go out and hunt pirates next turn, especially with one of those people being our admiral who would need to be hunting said pirates. This, in turn, frees up space for the Further Afield action, which can give us some much needed help for targets for our diplo actions so we hopefully won't screw it up completely.
I think most of us are in agreement on the stewardship actions. Getting our adviser set up for his laboratory and mapping our land so we can improve stewardship actions based on the island seem like things we really want to get out of the way to make further projects cheaper and easier.
For Piety I'm picking Remember, because that hidden trait behind it is what is stopping us from needing a piety adviser. It's quite likely that once we actually unlock it, we will get many stronger and better options involving piety, and probably a significant boost to our piety score. Hopefully we'll finish it this turn, but either way, I think we need to continue chipping away at it.