All this talk of empowering the working class and giving them a voice in economic affairs to break up capitalistic overaccumulation... guys we are an absolute monarch not bound by liberal (economic) constraints.
If a dragon has an excess of money it will merely means less money in circulation (witch can be compensated by mining) if a merchant has too much money, his lord can prevent abuse through non classical economic intervention and if a lord has an excess of wealth we can adjudicate the matter if it becomes necessary.
What we need is for the Kingdom to be able to insure the subsistance of anyone and that things keep on improve for those who work at it and there are different ways to do so: the Scholarum for example.
Making such meddling politically accepted is the recipe for a disaster. We need a structural solution, not give every little lord an excuse to "fix" things.
Wouldn't those immortal elites who wield only financial/political power (as opposed to personal one) be culled by Inevitables? You can't really pay high-level adventurers enough to be your bodyguards 24/7 and if you are not one yourself, then all the money in the world won't protect you. Unless Viserys takes a stance against Inevitables' meddling in his empire, of course.
[] Cannons & Loot
-[] Build SD Coastal Defense and Training Ground.
--[] On the cliffs next to the city, on the opposite to the Dragons Roost, install a full battery of steam cannons (10 cannons, 1 Everflame Engine).
--[] This battery will serve both as training site for new crews and as a coastal defense for SD.
--[] Cost breakdown:
---[] 6,000 IM enchanting / 30 days (will be deducted together with other crafting expenses at the end of the month)
---[] 5,000 IM crafting materials for ritual work (permanent Wall of Fire for the Everflame Generator)
---[] Commission targeting optics and communicators in the Opaline Vault for 8,820 IM
-[] Contact Yrael and explain the situation with Lyceos -- the area is mostly cleared of monsters and you've stripped what treasures that you could find, but your duties called you away from a more thorough search.
--[] Due to their teleport abilities as well as their immunities to fire and poison the Archons are uniquely suited brave the Doom-sundered lands as well as flee if it becomes necessary. Request that Yrael sends a detachment of Archons to loot the rest of Lyceos on your behalf over the next week before more monsters can move back into the ruined city.
--[] Loan out Viserys' Satchel of the Crimson Wyrm and the extra Wayfinder for this.
--[] Give strict instructions that the Archons are not to take unnecessary risks and should flee from anything that looks like it might be a tough fight.
The brisk sea breeze is a welcome change from the the scorching fumes that linger over Valyria, and the sight of Sorcerer's Deep whole and bustling with life is a balm to the heart as you make the final turn on the steep but well-tended path leading from the minotaur village to the embankment above. A handful of youngsters, their horns still little more than nubs, race in your wake to witness this great weapon they had not been allowed to before, leaving you quietly marveling for a moment at how much had changed since that day long ago in Mantarys, at what good had come from the works of demons' hands. As good a revenge as can be had against their ilk.
You do not have long to ponder the past, for the future is just around the corner, a hulking device of polished steel and grinding gears that seems menacing even at rest, colored black and red in the colors of the legion. "So what am I looking at here?" you ask in seeming bemusement. Truth be told you are reasonably certain you could make some sense of what lies beneath the armored shell, but from her expression it is clear Beryl would greatly enjoy telling you about each and every aspect of her creation.
"Well this..." she motions to a potbellied device towards the back of the device. "Is the boiler. It works on the same arcane principles as the ever-fire forge except it boils water so there is no need for fine control. When the weapon is at rest the water just goes 'round and 'round through the piping at about five time the boiling temperature of water. It's worth noting that if we did not have divination magic to check how dangerous the first test would have been we would probably have needed resurrection magic."
"Burst pipes?" you guess. At the temperatures estimated and with the sheer volume of water involved that could likely have been as dangerous as a dragon's breath, and probably able to eat through steel given enough time.
The incarnate nods before calling over a tinker fey hefting a heavy pipe segment in all four of its small hands. "The steel is strengthened, of course, but that was not enough to solve the problem so we put in a layer of similarly quartz. It's held up well enough in tens of thousands of uses, so..."
"Tens of thousands of uses?" Dany asks, surprised. "When did you have time for that?"
"Oh, apologies, I misspoke," Beryl corrects herself with a faint and you suspect uncharacteristic blush. "It would have stood up to tens of thousands of uses. We paid to question the serpent god on whether or not the pipe would burst from several years of testing. I am confident this is safe to use on land and at sea, even in a wooden ship, though that is not ideal."
She goes on to explain how the weapons proper will be able to store the boiling water in two tanks, though the smaller prototype already in place has only one. Ultimately the water will be released into a firing tube where it will push a steel-fletched projectile far faster than any crossbow or arbalest bolt, and consequently a great deal farther requiring the use of Myrish lenses sharpened further by sorcery to use their full range effectively.
Mechanics
Range increment: 400ft; 10d10 physical damage for standard ammunition; 20/4x crit
Keep in mind that this is for direct fire at small targets. Firing at a ship would require the siege-engine rules and most likely still hit at larger distances. This also doesn't take into account specially trained gunners operating the thing.
Description
The basic principle is to heat water beyond its boiling temperature within an enclosed vessel and then to open a valve to cause a directed steam-explosion that propels the projectile. The system has two major components for that. The first is a closed water cycle that circulates super-heated water (ca. 500°C) between the heat source (usually a Everflame Engine) and the cannon. It bears mentioning here that, beside the effects of the heat, the water is very corrosive in this state, so all piping must be constructed of thick, hardened steel with an inner layer of hardened quartz to prevent the water from corroding the piping. The quartz can be easily made from transmuted stone and steel is plenty available.
On the cannon side of the cycle, there are two tanks that contain 1m³ of water and are connected to the closed cycle by heat-exchangers. Usually, only one of those heat-exchangers is actually in use at any one time, the other being in the process of being re-filled after a shot is fired. The process of filling and heating a tank takes 12 seconds, so with two tanks, the cannon can fire once each round.
When the firing mechanism is triggered, a valve on the tank opens and the contents flash-boil with quite tremendous force. Through the valve, they travel through a thick, reinforced pipe to the gun-breach and thus behind the projectile. The projectile closes the barrel completely, thus the steam pushes it ahead while trying to expand and accelerates it to supersonic speeds (ca. 1,000 to 1,200 m/s muzzle velocity). The projectile itself is a thin, hardened steel spike, stabilized by fins (or more simply called fletching) and markedly smaller than the barrel. Thus, it comes with a wrapping of wood and cloth (a sabot) to fully close the barrel. These spikes can and will punch even through a few centimeters of steel, as they exert a lot of force on a very small area.
The cannon itself is mounted on a swivel, which also houses the piping, to traverse vertically and the whole construction in turn sits on a turnable platform to traverse horizontally. Barring restrictions of the surroundings, the cannon could turn a full 360* horizontally and realistically -20* to 45* vertical elevation. Usually, the cannon should be fully enclosed in armor plating to protect the crew.
Cost
Cannon (armored)
Communication Unit - 90 IM
Targeting Optics - 270 IM
Lubrication - 400 IM
Heat Protection - 200 IM
30 tons of steel
These are all enchantment costs, but they are all CL 1 and we can outsource the Communicator and the Targeting Optics to the Opaline Vault or Amun Kelisk, leaving us with 3 days of baby-enchanter per cannon.
Furthermore, the setup needs an Everflame Generator to provide the heat, with each one supporting up to 10 cannons and costing 5,000 IM for itself and two more Communicators for a total of 180 IM.
Lastly, the whole battery should have a command center, needing another Communicator and two independent spotters, requiring Communicator and Targeting optics.
Thus:
Full Battery (10 cannons, including two spotting stations and fire control center)
Communicators - 1,170 IM (outsourcable)
Targeting Optics - 3,240 IM (outsourcable)
Lubrication - 4,000 IM
Heat Protection - 2,000 IM
Everflame Generator - 5,000 IM
Total Cost (no outsourcing) - 15,410 IM / 52.05 enchanting days
Total Cost (with outsourcing) - 19,820 IM / 30 enchanting days
With that the demonstration proper begins, making use of the hunk of an old galley, too small and weather-beaten to be worth repairing. The crew quickly load a bolt together with the wood and cloth 'sabot' meant to close the barrel and ensure no steam can vent. Then Beryl personally opens the valve to allow water to rush into the secondary tank, before calling, "She's boiling!"
You idly wonder if this is the beginning of a tradition of referring to such weapons as female such as ships are.
"Swivel ten degrees up, sixteen widdershins," the spotter calls, the slow almost drawling Lyseni accent contrasting with intensity of his tone. "Shoot!" he calls a moment later.
Three bolts of three strike the ship and the last one sends it down.
"That didn't look that great," one of the minotaur children calls, earning himself arguments and the odd elbow in the ribs from his fellows.
Before things can devolve into a scuffle you speak up starkly: "That could shoot a dragon out of the sky in a handful of good hits."
"Really?" a girl speaks up, entranced by the notion.
"Yes really, I am a dragon so I would know." Turning to Beryl and her crew you add: "Congratulations to all of you for creating such a potent weapon in so brief a time from base principles. Such dedication deserves not only praise but more substantial rewards."
A smile comes unbidden to your lips as the girl proclaims that bolt throwers are better than crossbows or axes any day and that she is going to be on a crew when she grows up.
Lost 9,000 Gold (prototyping and completion bonus)
First Battery Generator already built
***
Returning to Dragon's Roost you are greeted with news that Teana would speak to you regarding the work of ritual crafting and how they might be made available both within the Scholarum and without. However, before you can head to the meeting, Bloom approaches you with an unusual but welcome proposal.
"I have seen what you have done here, and in that cursed land I have seen also what manner of man thou art," she begins with a trace of the same formality she used upon first awakening. "I would aid you in your struggles as much as I can without risking embittering my heart by going to war so soon after my captivity, nor do I feel myself ready to dwell for long among the multitudes of men. If you have some keep or fortress on a distant shore that is difficult to guard I would watch over it. I had thought of remaining in New Lys'os, but the flames in that land whisper hateful things and even the stones are cursed. Too easy it would be to let darkness into my heart there, surrounded by so much that is easy to hate."
What do you reply?
[] Bid her to help guard your trade post on Skane, for the foes that might come down from the north upon it have good cause to fear flame
[] Bid her to help protect the Xorn from the many evils that dwell in the Dimwell Delving
[] Write in
OOC: For anyone wondering this is in part connected to how you handled the Syrax matter. Bloom appreciates that you did not blindly bow to fate but showed compassion wherever you could. Also thanks again to @Destrark whose map of Sorcerer's Deep and its environs inspired the inclusion of minotaur children in the cannon demonstration.
Also speaking of Talons Frenchness how is that Gas tax going? (Hey others can allude to real politic too!)
And honestly if people pull enough shit to get Inevitables of all the things after them. I am split between intervening if we care about them personally or letting them through.
Because honestly doing something worth inevitable intervention is the setting equivalent of standing on a hilltop in a thunderstorm wearing wet copper armour and shouting 'All gods are bastards! They arent really that interventionist towards mortals outside of people pulling some monumentally stupid shit is what I am saying.
"Tens of thousands of uses?" Dany asks, surprised. "When did you have time for that?"
"Oh, apologies, I misspoke," Beryl corrects herself with a faint and you suspect uncharacteristic blush. "It would have stood up to tens of thousands of uses. We paid to question the serpent god on whether or not the pipe would burst from several years of testing. I am confident this is safe to use on land and at sea, even in a wooden ship, though that is not ideal."
And honestly if people pull enough shit to get Inevitables of all the things after them. I am split between intervening if we care about them personally or letting them through.
Keep in mind that the definition of a state is heavily linked to the monopoly of legitimate force. If you just let the inevitables use force against your citizens it will be a strike against that legitimacy.
Wouldn't those immortal elites who wield only financial/political power (as opposed to personal one) be culled by Inevitables? You can't really pay high-level adventurers enough to be your bodyguards 24/7 and if you are not one yourself, then all the money in the world won't protect you. Unless Viserys takes a stance against Inevitables' meddling in his empire, of course.
We certainly aren't going to let Lawful stupid construct decide what we can and can't do, so yes we will oppose such inevitables.
And personally I don't expect it will just be an immortal high class, reincarnation is expensive, but it's not beyond what a peasant of our empire should be able to save up in 20-30 years, and each reincarnate add about 50 years to the time they can work, and second go around they will have better skills, and so make a little more.
The inevitables are pretty much guardians of the status quo, we are near assured to get into some conflict with them at some point, just because we refuse to accept their constraints.
Also speaking of Talons Frenchness how is that Gas tax going? (Hey others can allude to real politic too!)
And honestly if people pull enough shit to get Inevitables of all the things after them. I am split between intervening if we care about them personally or letting them through.
Because honestly doing something worth inevitable intervention is the setting equivalent of standing on a hilltop in a thunderstorm wearing wet copper armour and shouting 'All gods are bastards! They arent really that interventionist towards mortals outside of people pulling some monumentally stupid shit is what I am saying.
Some people think that the Inevitables will violently object to mass immortality though reincarnation, if they do that, then we have a problem with them.
Please don't get into this until we have a solution to stop immortality-induced class sedimentation...
How do we stop immortal elites (who aren't us) from hoarding all wealth and power?
EDIT: The negative social effects of this are obvious.
I'd prefer just an adaptive progressive tax. The more economically stratified society becomes the higher the taxes on the rich and the more money is spent in welfare and employment programs. Use a guideline like after taxation the wealthiest citizen in each wealth decile should have at most twice the wealth as the wealthiest citizen in the next poorest decile (excluding of course the poorest decile at the bottom which is untaxed). The taxation office should be able to do this since they get records of everyone.
I'd prefer just an adaptive progressive tax. The more economically stratified society becomes the higher the taxes on the rich and the more money is spent in welfare and employment programs. Use a guideline like after taxation the wealthiest citizen in each wealth decile should have at most twice the wealth as the wealthiest citizen in the next poorest decile (excluding of course the poorest decile at the bottom which is untaxed). The taxation office should be able to do this since they get records of everyone.
Problem is such taxes, are going to get dragons to rebel, amassing wealth is one of the most important things in a dragons existence, telling them there's a soft cap on how much they can amass, is going to have them frothing in rage.
Eh! Inevitables always sounded like the settings Criminal Get hit by Lightning to me. Not being able to sue God for natural stuff is an actual law in some places. And honestly mostly desire less enforcers of Planar Stability sounds more like Gravity to me. Just because a rock elemental has a body doesnt mean it's not dirt.
Sure you could take umbrage at it for people going splat but honestly? Most people just try to pullback the lunatic in a bird costume or watch.
This is a good option, IMO. There is some nasty shit uncomfortably close to the Corn, and their increasing wealth only makes them more tempting targets for raiders and greedy neighbors.
Bloom would represent a huge safety net for the Xorn.
[X] Bid her to help protect the Xorn from the many evils that dwell in the Dimwell Delving
[X] Give her the pick between the options.
-[X] Skane, where her powers would be greatly appreciated and used against a foe that should not trouble her conscience.
-[X] The Xorn outpost, which would be more similar to her native home in locale then the Deep.
-[X] Naath, where she could help to protect the people from the wildlife and aid Wyllas efforts to improve their homeland.
-[X] This must not be a final choice. Her help would certainly be appreciated in all those places and she could also split her time between them, if she would like.
She should make her own pick and I don't see a reason to post her somewhere permanently. If she wants quiet, go to Skane. With the Xorn, she can have some Outsider company when she desires. In Naath, she could greatly help the people by helping to civilise the island. And whenevever she likes, she can get among mortals in SD.
Now that the turn vote is so close, I need help finding with finding out who we can assign to the Fire Whale gem harvesting research, I really want to do that research, but I'm just not sure who is best to assign to it, or what they will need.
So can someone who knows how to make turn votes please help me?
Problem is such taxes, are going to get dragons to rebel, amassing wealth is one of the most important things in a dragons existence, telling them there's a soft cap on how much they can amass, is going to have them frothing in rage.
Money which is kept in a dragon's hoard is effectively taken out of circulation. Give them a limited exception on wealth hoarding but limit the amount of money they spend/use and have inspectors checking to make sure they aren't spending surreptitiously.
Eh! Inevitables always sounded like the settings Criminal Get hit by Lightning to me. Not being able to sue God for natural stuff is an actual law in some places. And honestly mostly desire less enforcers of Planar Stability sounds more like Gravity to me. Just because a rock elemental has a body doesnt mean it's not dirt.
Sure you could take umbrage at it for people going splat but honestly? Most people just tutut the lunatic in a bird costume or chuckle.
Problem is that they don't just enforce planar stability, they enforce the current order for better or worse, we might eventually have to face an Inevitable, because abolishing slavery on multiple planes, are destroying quite a few cultures, Inevitables don't care about good or evil, they only care about things staying the same.
By that same token, they believe that mortals should be mortals, so they are likely to attack us, for selling our citizens life extensions they can keep buying, until they get bored of life and want to go to the afterlife.
Progress is a curse word as far as Inevitables are concerned.
[X] Give her the pick between the options.
-[X] Skane, where her powers would be greatly appreciated and used against a foe that should not trouble her conscience.
-[X] The Xorn outpost, which would be more similar to her native home in locale then the Deep.
-[X] Naath, where she could help to protect the people from the wildlife and aid Wyllas efforts to improve their homeland.
-[X] This must not be a final choice. Her help would certainly be appreciated in all those places and she could also split her time between them, if she would like.
Keep in mind that the definition of a state is heavily linked to the monopoly of legitimate force. If you just let the inevitables use force against your citizens it will be a strike against that legitimacy.
While I would argue that use of reincarnation would never reach appreciable numbers that it would start overly restricting the flow of souls in the first place, Viserys could easily point out that the conflict that they would engender by trying for force anyway would waste more resources than the number of souls brought back into the cycle.
What I mean to say is, ensuring it never gets to the point where it's organized and done in some kind of processing center around the clock should be... pretty much as good as it needs to be. Higher standards of living = more people alive at the same time. Even with the number of people avoiding the cycle within the "natural" span of years will only increase proportionally--actually, probably not even proportionally, it will probably be even less than the number could be if it is somewhat regulated to ensure that there at least aren't thousands of castings of it per day.
That should be more than enough to get them off our backs.
Money which is kept in a dragon's hoard is effectively taken out of circulation. Give them a limited exception on wealth hoarding but limit the amount of money they spend/use and have inspectors checking to make sure they aren't spending surreptitiously.
I don't see why we should make any weird exceptions for Dragons. They don't get any more of a free pass then Inevitables and need to go with the times.
Lofwyr isn't sleeping on a bed made out of stock-options either.
I don't see why we should make any weird exceptions for Dragons. They don't get any more of a free pass then Inevitables and need to go with the times.
Lofwyr isn't sleeping on a bed made out of stock-options either.
Depends on how their wealth instinct works. It shouldn't be difficult to make marked coins out of precious metals that are illegal to melt down or trade but can still be slept on.
Depends on how their wealth instinct works. It shouldn't be difficult to make marked coins out of precious metals that are illegal to melt down or trade but can still be slept on.
While I would argue that use of reincarnation would never reach appreciable numbers that it would start overly restricting the flow of souls in the first place, Viserys could easily point out that the conflict that they would engender by trying for force anyway would waste more resources than the number of souls brought back into the cycle.
Some of us don't want that, personally I want reincarnate to be something anyone can pay to have done, since we can let our citizens live however long they want, I see no reason to restrict them from doing so, they will get to the afterlife eventually anyway, if from nothing else then from boredom.
Although reincarnate isn't my favorite plan to mass grant the ones who want it immortality, my favorite plan is extracting peoples souls, and implanting them in soulless unaging bodies grown in the Fungus Forge.
Their old body can supply part of the cost of growing the new by being mulched, create soul gem is only a 3th level spell slot, and the reagents needed only cost half what the reagents for reincarnate do, so unless it turn out we can't figure out how to merge a soul gem with a soulless body at a reasonable price, this shouldn't be much more expensive than reincarnation, we will have more mages who can do it, you can customize your new body to look right, and you only need to do it once.
