Voted best in category in the Users' Choice awards.
Guys, I didn't include any overwork in my plan, since there was little I felt worth the risk. But if most of you agree on something really important that I skipped I'd be open to it. Maybe the embezzlement one with the justification of securing it for the rightful heir should he run late/having more discretionary spending we need to be a competent spymaster and grey wizard in service of Stirland.

Also, I regret going with the Verena option. I don't want to upset our buddy Ranald. Would anyone object spending that point on Grungni priests?
And I think making our network part of the Watch as a status quo makes more sense as well. The EIC option has been there so long, it won't dissapear next turn.
 
Mathilde's potential priesthood isn't something to be stated in public. And what do you mean, "even if"? There is a vow of poverty. It's part of being a Shadowmancer. Boney's previous statement on this:

Enriching Mathilde Weber is forbidden; increasing the operational budget of the Spymaster of Stirland, however, is entirely okay.

The more I think about it, the more the current big embezzlement options look like red herrings and traps we should politely ignore. Just because money is there doesn't make it right to steal it. Especially as our personal income is positive, and our operational budget (that we can more safely embezzle from) is also positive.

Getting Stirland to cover more expenditures for our organizations, OTOH, looks like a much better idea.
My collery to this is that enriching House Weber, Knightly house of Stirland, is also probably allowed.
 
If "Enriching" Mathilde is a crime then the assassin would be taping our shoulders when the Count gave out a title and land.

Seriously, there are so many valid causes for Mathilde's current wealth and use for future wealth that these kind of worry are overblown.
No. I strongly disagree about expanding future wealth.

Yes. There was specific legalise exemption Kasmir, Gustav and Van Hal worked out for the Knightly lands, and thats now a duty we have to Stirland, so the required holdings are required for our duties. We are almost certainly OK there, no worries, fine.

Going after more personal wealth, beyond what can be justified as a very minor noble? When we still have to turn up and be scrutinised and vetted for Magister? You don't think the Grey Order will do detailed examination of our conduct and how we've held to our vows? Dunno what else to say. This has great potential to get Mathilde declared rogue, Pacified or killed.

Shoring up the Spymaster and Watch finances that I can get behind. It's not personal, and actaully justifiable as a required by the role.
 
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We should of course take the new Magic Fog O War training.
I'm actually thinking we should leave most of our research/training for magic until after we become a Magister (unless said training is directly relevant to our application). Magister gets us more political power (particularly with the Colleges) and in the process should hopefully increase our Magic skill/increase our access to texts and the like which could be useful for our more esoteric research (such as Fog of War or Liber Mortis).
Also good point. I'm thinking Anton as we'll already be spending time with Wilhelmina, and I kind of want to give Kasmir the cold shoulder. What would we even say to him? Our internal monologue basically puts him at somewhere between pity and disdain. His God failed him, he should draw his own conclusions from that. If anything we might make the situation worse with how distinctly anti-Sigmarite we're now.
I like Kasmir. He was standoffish at the beginning, but he started becoming more cooperative, like when he looked into priests of other gods, and we've successfully worked together a few times now. Pity I can understand considering his gods a scrub who in no way matches up to the glory of Ranald, but disdain is definitely a bit out there.
 
@Siual

Might I suggest we do financial jargon while spending time with Wilhelmina? Her sons are getting problematic and it would not do for us to fail in creative accounting.
 
Also, I regret going with the Verena option. I don't want to upset our buddy Ranald. Would anyone object spending that point on Grungni priests?
And I think making our network part of the Watch as a status quo makes more sense as well. The EIC option has been there so long, it won't dissapear next turn.
Not sure why the dwarven god of justice would be more cool with thieves than the human one.
 
[X]Plan Oportunity Cost
-[X] Trade Delegation: Convince Wilhelmina to partner your network with the EIC based on the value of market information. Especially likely to work since Wilhelmina will soon be losing her position of power in Stirland's government.
-[X] Set up saltpeter production facilities using headhunted experts from Nuln. (-2 Budget Points)

If there are any organizationa actions we must take this turn they are these two due to how they would be affected be the transition of power.
Also @BoneyM does the penaty apply to all watch actions or just the ones we take personaly ?

-[X] It may be a moot point, but you can still send off the entirety of information gathered on undead types in Sylvania to your string-pullers. (does not take an action)
-[X] Buy out half of Markus' shares in the EIC. (does not take an action; increases your debt to Stirland)
Free actions and thus a no-brainer

-[X] As above, but insist on being a part of whatever happens.
--[X] Ranald's Blessing
This is simple to important to not dig as deep as we can and see it to the end.

-[X] Though the Haunted Hills have always technically belonged to the Elector Count, they've suddenly skyrocketed in value. If you could backdate some purchases from the Elector Count, you could make a killing reselling them, and still retain your own slice of prime grazelands.
-[X] There's never been less oversight on spending. Embezzlement now would be impossible to trace later. Scrape up whatever funds can still be found in the treasury, and pocket them.


-[X] Spend time with Gustav, securing his subordination to you.
-[X] Attend the Elector's Meet yourself, to take any opportunity that arises to manipulate events in your favour.
-[X] Spend time with Anton, possibly talking about how good a candidate he would be - local support, known to external powers, and a few powerful friends supporting him, and so forth. (Overwork)
-[X] Free Time: Now well-established in Wurtbad, you can spend some time in your scant off hours getting to know someone better. Pick one character. (does not take an action)
--[x] Wilhelmina

Okay we are in simple to good a position to infuence who the next elector is going to be to not make the most ou of it since this will define the future of Stirland, priorities should than be given first to the Elector meet since they are the ones who made the decisions, then Gustav who whitout Wilhelmina will be the most powerfull person around after us and since she already is our friend she gets the free action, finaly we Overwork talking wit Anton because I don't think there is a single action in this plan safer than that.
 
My collery to this is that enriching House Weber, Knightly house of Stirland, is also probably allowed.
Only if you can persuade the hardliners in the Grey Order of this. We don't have any heirs, for one thing.

Any breaches of the many strict rules laid down by the Order are prosecuted very harshly and vigorously.

The Order of Shadows has killed or Pacified more of its own members than any other of the Orders of Magic, and this is more of a reflection of the zero-tolerance of rule breaking and corruption
 
I'm hoping that we can use the proceeds from the land sales to pay off our student loans and our debt to the Stirland treasury.
 
-[X] Stirland Watch: Work alongside Jack to administer the Watch. Choose another Organizational Action for the Watch.
--[X] Set up saltpeter production facilities using headhunted experts from Nuln. (-2 Budget Points) (NEW)
Any reason why you didn't go with the dwarves for this one? Seems like dwarven work would be better than human, unless we're saving the points for something else.
Apart from that it looks good.
[X] Plan Mistress of Shadows
 
Anti-embezzlement faction makes good points. I will sacrifice my plan to provide an alternative to the most popular one. Overwork instead goes towards new watch expenditures.


[X] Plan Mistress of Shadows Without the embezzlement
-[X] Trade Delegation: Convince Wilhelmina to partner your network with the EIC based on the value of market information. Especially likely to work since Wilhelmina will soon be losing her position of power in Stirland's government.
-[X] Verena is the Goddess of Justice. Enshrine her as the patron goddess of the Stirland Watch.
-[X] As above, but insist on being a part of whatever happens.
--[X] Ranald's Blessing
-[X] Attend the Elector's Meet yourself, to take any opportunity that arises to manipulate events in your favour.
-[X] Spend time with Gustav, securing his subordination to you.
-[X] Financial Jargon: Everything with the EIC flew right over your head last time. Try again. Succeeding here will mean that you can take a more active hand in the company, adding it to the organizational actions; failing or not attempting means Mathilde will remain a silent partner.
-[X] Stirland Watch: Work alongside Jack to administer the Watch. Choose another Organizational Action for the Watch.
--[X] Set up saltpeter production facilities using headhunted experts from Nuln. (-2 Budget Points) (NEW)
--[X][Overwork] Expand the ranks of the Watch, so that they're able to start covering even the poorer parts of their covered area.(-1 Budget Points)
-[X] Buy out half of Markus' shares in the EIC. (does not take an action; increases your debt to Stirland)
-[X] Free Time: Now well-established in Wurtbad, you can spend some time in your scant off hours getting to know someone better. Pick one character. (does not take an action)
--[X] Anton

I'll add in the free action when siual does in his plan.Done
 
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How about WoG?

This argument has come up several times already. If we were bound to rules of poverty, we couldn't be a landholding noble, nor could we be a significant shareholder in a very large trading guild.
Also WOG
Correct, enriching Mathilde Weber is forbidden; increasing the operational budget of the Spymaster of Stirland, however, is entirely okay. Your position gives you a ready-made excuse, should you so desire.

Enriching the Office of the Spymaster- fine. Enriching Mathilde personally- better have a good lawyer at least, a very good hiding place at worst. It can be blurred a bit while we remain Spymistress, hence we could get away with our limited embezzling, but if we lose the position, we lose that cover for such personal wealth.

Did we ever find out just how much we owe, in terms of hard coinage?
Per Boney:
About three quarters is still outstanding.

So 750g roughly to Stirland for existing EIC shares, plus the student debt.

Oh, @BoneyM what price are Marcus' EIC shares going to be purchased at? Still 1000g for the lot?
 
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Any reason why you didn't go with the dwarves for this one? Seems like dwarven work would be better than human, unless we're saving the points for something else.
Apart from that it looks good.
[X] Plan Mistress of Shadows

Mainly because it costs more (thus setting the standard lower for the next EC), and because it consumes dwarfpoints for something that I don't think benefits that much from dwarven expertise. We don't have the conditions to create Dawi-grade blackpowder. They might get it set up ten times faster, but I feel like other uses for the points might be more efficient.

@Siual

Might I suggest we do financial jargon while spending time with Wilhelmina? Her sons are getting problematic and it would not do for us to fail in creative accounting.

You mean taking Wilhelmina as our free action as well?
 
Not sure why the dwarven god of justice would be more cool with thieves than the human one.
As far as I understood Verena is a personal enemy of Ranald. Sure, Grungni probably doesn't like him either, but I imagine him having far more important things to do than repay his grudges towards some human thief god that is all but irrelevant to dwarfdom. Also, several plans people have for the Watch involve Dwarves. What better way to foster tolerance for that than to officially make Dwarves a spiritual part of the Stirland Watch?
 
[X] Plan for Abelhelm and Stirland
-[X] Trade Delegation: Convince Wilhelmina to partner your network with the EIC based on the value of market information. Especially likely to work since Wilhelmina will soon be losing her position of power in Stirland's government. (NEW-ish)
-[X] Grungni, the principal Dwarf Ancestor God, actually has some following among the Stirlandian populace - and he is their Lawgiver to boot. Bring in a few priests to make it happen. (-1 Dwarf Favour)
-[X] (1)As above, but insist on being a part of whatever happens.
-[X] It may be a moot point, but you can still send off the entirety of information gathered on undead types in Sylvania to your string-pullers. (does not take an action)
-[X] (2)Concentrate the gathered information on undead types in Sylvania into a single dense tome and publish it. It's likely to be of some use and interest to Morrites and Amethyst Wizards. Not ground-breaking, but a nice feather in your academic cap nonetheless.
-[X] Buy out half of Markus' shares in the EIC. (does not take an action; increases your debt to Stirland)
-[X] (3) Spend time with Anton, possibly talking about how good a candidate he would be - local support, known to external powers, and a few powerful friends supporting him, and so forth.
-[X] (4)Attend the Elector's Meet yourself, to take any opportunity that arises to manipulate events in your favour. Try to put Anton on the throne.
-[X] (5)Information Network: Work alongside to Julia to administer the network. Choose another Organizational Action for the Network.
--[X] Special Branch: Pull some financial trickery to get the information network classified as part of the Watch, so that their costs are covered by the Stirlandian treasury.
-[X] (ADDITIONAL)(6)Stirland Watch: Work alongside Jack to administer the Watch. Choose another Organizational Action for the Watch.
--[X] Attempt to hire administrators and clerks from Altdorf and Nuln.
---[X]Ranald's Blessing
-[X] Free Time: Now well-established in Wurtbad, you can spend some time in your scant off hours getting to know someone better. Pick one character. (does not take an action) Wilhelmina
-[X] (ADDITIONAL) (7) Financial Jargon: Everything with the EIC flew right over your head last time. Try again. Succeeding here will mean that you can take a more active hand in the company, adding it to the organizational actions; failing or not attempting means Mathilde will remain a silent partner.
 
If there are any organizationa actions we must take this turn they are these two due to how they would be affected be the transition of power.
Also @BoneyM does the penaty apply to all watch actions or just the ones we take personaly ?

The ones you take personally, though letting things fall victim to creeping Sigmarism because you've taken a hands-free approach might weigh on you.
 
[X] [Plan] Forming a group
-[X] Trade Delegation: Convince Wilhelmina to partner your network with the EIC based on the value of market information. Especially likely to work since Wilhelmina will soon be losing her position of power in Stirland's government.
-[X] Verena is the Goddess of Justice. Enshrine her as the patron goddess of the Stirland Watch.
-[X] As above, but insist on being a part of whatever happens.
-[X] Buy out half of Markus' shares in the EIC. (does not take an action; increases your debt to Stirland)
-[X] Though the Haunted Hills have always technically belonged to the Elector Count, they've suddenly skyrocketed in value. If you could backdate some purchases from the Elector Count, you could make a killing reselling them, and still retain your own slice of prime grazelands.
--[X] Ranald's Blessing
-[X] Financial Jargon: Everything with the EIC flew right over your head last time. Try again. Succeeding here will mean that you can take a more active hand in the company, adding it to the organizational actions; failing or not attempting means Mathilde will remain a silent partner.
-[X] Spend time with Anton, possibly talking about how good a candidate he would be - local support, known to external powers, and a few powerful friends supporting him, and so forth.
-[X] Spend time with Wilhelmina. As emptied as the treasury of Stirland was by the campaign, the EIC may be the wealthiest institution in the province.
-[x] Free Time: Now well-established in Wurtbad, you can spend some time in your scant off hours getting to know someone better. Pick one character. (does not take an action)
--[x] Regimand Speiseschrank

Basically we talk to Anton, Wilhelmina, and our dear master (and long time ally) to form a solid support group that will provide sufficient cover for any personal or public goals that we have. Also getting dibs on prime new land to pay off our debts, hopefully.
  • 5 actions, no overwork
  • Spends no dawi rep
  • Used creative accounting on new land only, with blessing
  • No research or training
  • Talk to dipo, Stewardship, and magic allies.
 
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@Warlord D Thoran could you please format your plan in a way that doesn't screw with the tally system?
@Alliterate Since you haven't voted yet and dislike the various embezzlement options that are included in many of the plans, can I interest you in my plan? If you don't want to vote for it, could you criticize it instead?
 
[X] Plan Military Industrial Tycoon
-[X] Trade Delegation: Convince Wilhelmina to partner your network with the EIC based on the value of market information. Especially likely to work since Wilhelmina will soon be losing her position of power in Stirland's government. (NEW-ish)
-[X] Grungni, the principal Dwarf Ancestor God, actually has some following among the Stirlandian populace - and he is their Lawgiver to boot. Bring in a few priests to make it happen. (-1 Dwarf Favour)
-[X] Abelhelm left you with a list of notarized names. Pass them on to your Master and let the fireworks fly. (does not take an action)
-[X] Buy out half of Markus' shares in the EIC. (does not take an action; increases your debt to Stirland)
-[X] Though the Haunted Hills have always technically belonged to the Elector Count, they've suddenly skyrocketed in value. If you could backdate some purchases from the Elector Count, you could make a killing reselling them, and still retain your own slice of prime grazelands.
--[X] Ranald's Blessing
-[X] Spend time with Gustav, securing his subordination to you.
-[X] Practice, Practice, Practice: Having been thrown into the deep end of imperial politics, it would probably be a good idea to brush up on your skills and internalize the lessons you've learned (choose which trait; can be taken multiple times; will be more effective if you've used the trait a lot lately).
--[X] Martial
-[X] Your experience with the so-called Fog of War has given you a lot of ideas for new applications of Ulgu. (NEW)
-[X] Financial Jargon: Everything with the EIC flew right over your head last time. Try again. Succeeding here will mean that you can take a more active hand in the company, adding it to the organizational actions; failing or not attempting means Mathilde will remain a silent partner.

The idea is basically that we try to give more power to the EIC and secure the financing of our information network by partnering them with each other. Then we increase our influence in the EIC by grabbing half of Markus' shares and improving our understanding of financial jargon.

In addition we get more sway with the army by talking to Gustav and we learn Martial so we can make us of it. Learning Martial is also helped by our recent experiences in the campaign

This should leave us in a strong position no matter who becomes the new count.

Land is important in a feudal society, so we grab some land in the Haunted Hills.

Finally more knowledge of Ulgu is always useful and we should learn it now before our experiences fade.
 
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