Well looks like we won't be finding all the cool toxins and medicines from mushrooms this turn then. This is action is only an investigation after all. We need every non-intrinsic magic we can get alchemy seems the best bet. On the other hand better long ranged weapons are just as good.
Martial: Gustav Kingfeather is one of the most scarred Griffons you've ever seen. A former Troll hunter, he lost a wing, an eye, and a hind-leg to a particularly vicious Manticore. Despite his injuries, he's one of the most spirited people you've ever met, and can drink and brawl with the best of them. (One Action Per Turn) Choice Locked
-Establish a Navy: The one true advantage you have over Aquileia is your unrestricted access to the Sea. While Aquileia is not landlocked, any of its vessels must pass through your waters if they wish to reach the open ocean. Unfortunately, as of now your "Navy" is just a bunch of hastily re-purposed fishing vessels using civilian docks. This will never do. Build a few actual warships and dedicated military dockyards. Cost: 400. Time: Two Years. Reward: Navy established, first warships constructed. Will Finish this Turn
As throngs of citizens gathered on the shore cheer the achievement of a national milestone, the first vessels of the Griffonian navy launch from their newly-constructed dockyards to begin their sea-trials. Crafted of hardened and seasoned timber by the finest carpenters and shipwrights in your kingdom, the ten sailing ships are purpose-built for war. And none too soon, as your rival of Aquileia has also completed their own fleet of ships which even now sails just outside your territorial waters, a show of force in a time of great tensions. Now you have a means of defense against them. More importantly, now you have an actual shipbuilding infrastructure, which will make it much easier to construct additional vessels in the future. Navy established, military dockyards constructed, 10 ships (cogs) added to military forces
Diplomacy: Elva Von Cleef is a stern eyed and stiff necked old bird. But she's been negotiating deals between city-states since before you were born. Negotiating deals between kingdoms was the logical next step for her. (One Action Per Turn)
-An Offer They Can't Refuse: Wingbardy has a lot of fertile land and few Griffons to defend it. Were it not for its status as a buffer state, it would have been forcibly annexed by a stronger kingdom long ago. As it is, it has a difficult time handling numerous raids by brigands, hungry trolls, and Diamond Dog raiders seeking an easy and bountiful target. Offer a solution to their security troubles and propose a mutual defense pact against the creatures of the forests, allowing your army to intercede and support theirs if needed. Cost: 100. Time: One Year. Reward: Closer Relations with Wingbardy, military access to Wingbardy. Chance of Success: 65%
Required: 35. Rolled: 44+10 (Talon and Beak Omake Bonus)+18=72
The Duke is…reluctant, but his lands are under siege and his army incapable of defending them. His people cry out for assistance and protection, and since he cannot provide it he accepts your offer. As soon as the proper documents are signed and authorization given, elements of your army cross the border and go to work. Rogue Manticores are hunted down and skewered with arrows, packs of Timberwolves are chopped into kindling, rampaging trolls are buried in artificial rockslides or bleed out from hundreds of sword wounds, and dens of Diamond Dogs are smoked out and their inhabitants run down by flocks of Griffon Spear-Bearers. Raids cease, captives are returned to their homes, field are replanted, and the people of Wingbardy breathe a sigh of relief. The Duke of Wingbardy offers you his thanks and reaffirms his commitment to the treaty. His subjects express their gratitude in heartfelt letters to you, and your troops serving in the Duchy are the recipients of countless gifts and invitations to celebrations in their honor.
Unfortunately it's not all good news. King Brochard is furious at the presence of Griffonian soldiers so close to Aquileia, and sends numerous angry and increasingly threatening letters to Duke Talonuelli for the duration of the campaign. His indignation is only partially soothed by the withdrawal of your forces from Wingbardy, and you get the sense that Aquileian-Wingbardian relations have just taken a serious blow. Still, the Duchy is secured against attack and you now have a better relationship with your closest neighbor. All in all you'd call this a win. Wingbardy monster population culled and pacified, gain military access to Wingbardy. +2 Wingbardy Relations, -1 Aquileia Relations
Stewardship: Claus Rosewing is, much like you, a former merchant. You'd actually done business with him a few times, and he always struck you as a fair and reasonable gryph. Good thing too, because now he'll be handling much of your finances. (One Action Per Turn)
-Mountain Minerals: You know that there is an abundance of minerals and resources buried beneath the mountains you call home. You just need to know exactly where they are so you can start to really harvest them. Cost: 100. Time: One Year. Reward: Mineral survey throughout your territory.
You knew your lands were rich with minerals, but you didn't know they were this rich! The mountains are almost bursting at the seams with stores of Iron, Coal, Lead, Copper, and Tin. On more than one occasion your surveyors literally trip over pieces of ore sticking up out of the ground! It seems that building a mineshaft basically anywhere in your mountains will yield great quantities of metals and raw materials. Sadly, it's not all good news. There are precious few veins of gold or silver in your territory, and the less said about the scarcity of gemstones the better. Still, you now know where to dig. All that's left to do is actually start digging. Mineral Survey Results: Absurd amount of raw materials and non-precious metals, little gold or silver. Mines can now be constructed.
Learning: Archimedes is an almost comically small and scrawny Griffon, often mistaken for a teenager despite being middle-aged. What he lacks in physical stature, he more than makes up for with brainpower. He has authored numerous works on history, biology, and physics, making him an ideal choice for an advisor. (Two Actions Per Turn)
-Battlefield Communications: Your army relies mostly on banners and flags for communication. While this works fine under most conditions, it's not ideal for low-visibility situations like fighting in mist or the forest, to say nothing of when your troops are actually trying to stay hidden. Have your military thinkers come up with some new means of communication for your soldiers in the field. Time: One Year. Cost: 200. Reward: Easier communication between troops, +3 on certain combat rolls. Chance of Success: 90%
Required: 10. Rolled: 68+12=82
Bird calls. Really? Yes, really. Despite your skepticism, and that of the troops informed of the new doctrine, your thinkers tell you that, with your current resources and capabilities, this is the best you can hope for. True, the whistles and calls allow for communication in low-visibility conditions, and orders given via this method are indecipherable to those not familiar with the system, and can even pass as natural birdsong, but damnit it just feels weird doing this. Thankfully your troops have also developed a similar system that uses horns, drums, pipes and other musical instruments. It's not nearly as stealthy but it certainly feels more dignified than the primitive whistling of your genetic precursors. Easier communication between troops, +3 on certain combat rolls.
-Building Bigger Bows: The bows and arrows your archers use are good enough for fighting Diamond Dogs, Manticores, and Timberwolves, but when it comes to Trolls and Dragons they just aren't up for the job, to say nothing of their questionable effectiveness against other Griffons. Archimedes proposes a surprisingly simple solution: make them bigger. It's not actually as simple as he makes it sound, words like "torsion" and "tensile strength" are thrown around a lot, and his diagrams are so complex as to be of little help to you. Still, if he thinks it'll work… Time: One Year. Cost: 200. Reward: New Weapon?
When Archimedes said he would build bigger bows, you should have asked more questions. These bows are not just big, they are huge! The smallest arrows they fire are as long and as thick as your arm, and the weapon itself is larger than your whole body! How could a Griffon hope to even use such a weapon? Thankfully, Archimedes has answers for you, as he always does. These new "Bolt Throwers" are designed to be emplaced on the walls of fortifications or the decks of ships. Slightly smaller versions can be towed like carts by teams of Griffons to be used as mobile ranged weapons platforms. Once your advisor demonstrates their power by putting an arrow as thick as your leg through a tree trunk, you calm down a good bit. While these weapons are not as versatile or as easily used as bows, they are unquestionably powerful, and that's all you asked for. New Weapons: Bolt Throwers/Ballistae, Emplaced ranged weapon/field artillery. +5 Mobile Ballistae added to Army, Bolt-Throwers added to existing Naval Vessels
Intrigue: Lord Ravenburg is a stoic fellow with dark feathers and fur. He speaks only when spoken to and somehow manages to be both unassuming and mildly intimidating. You're not sure exactly how he became spymaster, but the fact that he seemed to know everything about you before you'd even met him indicates he is well-qualified. (One Action Per Turn)
-Spy School: If you're going to unite your people, you're going to need information. And to get information you'll need spies. Good ones. Have Ravenburg set up a recruitment and training program for infiltrators to operate beyond your borders. Cost: 400. Time: Two Years. Reward: Spies trained, can be sent on missions to other nations.
Ravenburg gets to work, gathering together thieves, courtesans, and other Griffons of dubious repute from across the Kingdom. Secretive meetings are held in the backrooms of taverns and isolated woodland shacks, bags of gold are exchanged in return for the names of potential recruits and valuable experience in the arts of subterfuge to be shared with future students. By the end of the year, Ravenburg has begun supervising the instruction of the first batch of Griffonian spies. It will be some time before they are ready to send out on missions, but Ravenburg assures you it will be worth the wait. Will Finish Next Turn
Personal: You refuse to let your duties as King take up every moment of your day. (One Action Per Turn)
-Marriage…yay?: You hadn't even really thought about marriage before this point. But as a King, you have a responsibility to…well, get married. It's not like you'll want for potential partners. Even as a brand new and untested King, you wield more power and influence than almost any other Griffon alive. Put out the call that you are looking for potential partners and you can be assured that you will receive many an option. You'll have your advisers look through them first to cull the list a bit of course. Cost: 0. Time: One Year. Reward: Marriage Options.
Deciding that you've been putting it off for long enough and that it's best if you just get it over with, you put the word out that you are looking for an eligible bachelorette to become your Queen. You are immediately swamped under an avalanche of offers from families across your kingdom and beyond. Thankfully, your advisors volunteer to assist you in sorting through them all. In the end you manage to narrow the list down to three potential candidates. All that's left is picking one.
[ ] Candidate 1: Gabriella Montefeathertro
Gabriella is the recently rediscovered third child and only daughter of Federico Montefeathertro, ruler of the prosperous city-state of Urbirdo. She has connections with merchants, nobles, and scholars scattered across the Feathersian League. The "rediscovered" bit is due to the fact that she has been missing for the past four years. Apparently she didn't like being cooped up in her father's palatial estate all the time and, disguising herself as a landless peasant, joined up with one of the numerous mercenary companies frequently hired by the city-states. She's spent almost half a decade fighting everything from bandits to trolls to, in a particularly astonishing case, an actual dragon! Experienced to the extreme, if Gabriella's tales weren't backed up by her fellow mercenaries no one would have believed her. Now she's back, and while she's certainly proven more than capable of handling herself, her father is eager to ensure she won't run off again and try something even crazier, like picking a fight with an Ursa Major.
Trait: Strong - Born stronger than most. (+2 Martial) [This is a genetic trait. It may be passed on to children]
Trait: Experienced - Has been a mercenary for several years, ranging across the lands of the former Empire. Knows much about the world. (+1 All Stats)
[ ] Candidate 2: Frida Bronzeclaw
The heir to a noble house of Griffonia, Frida Bronzeclaw comes from a family of miners, merchants, and hunters. Raised to take control of the family business from an early age, she is an intelligent Griffon with a head for business and an eye for opportunity. This would surprise some people, as she is also what some would call a "Party Gryph". She loves to drink, dance and be merry, and never turns down a chance to take part in a celebration of any kind. She often uses her family's considerable fortune to fund grand and elaborate festivals for everything from the start of the New Year to the anniversary of Discord's disappearance. While her family may privately ruffle their feathers in annoyance at such "wasteful expense", everyone else adores her and her infectious confidence and good cheer.
Trait: Gregarious-Always knows exactly what to say to get people to like her. +2 Diplomacy
Trait: Fortune Builder-Good with money and possessing a keen business sense. +4 Stewardship
[ ] Candidate 3: Genevieve Talonuelli
The third candidate is somewhat unusual in that neither she nor her family sent in an offer to marry her. And yet, your advisors have insisted that she be considered an option. For Genevieve Talonuelli is the daughter of the current Duke of Wingbardy. Marriage to her could open up additional avenues to diplomacy with the neighboring buffer state, and might just bring you a step closer to uniting all Griffon-kind under a single banner. Of course, this is easier said than done. The Duke is notoriously protective of her, having practically locked her inside his personal residence for most of her life, leading to her developing a love of academics and the arts. To refuse a daughter's marriage to a king would be unthinkable…but Duke Talonuelli might just decide to do so. And of course, there's Aquileia to worry about. If King Brochard sees you trying to wed Genevieve he will likely see it as a plot to annex the land separating your borders. If he overreacts things could get ugly fast. Still, the potential rewards might just outweigh the risks. The fact that everyone who's ever met her can only describe her as beautiful is just icing on the cake, really.
Trait: Scholar-Loves learning whatever they can (+4 Learning, -2 Martial)
Trait: Attractive-Quite beautiful (+2 Diplomacy) [This is a genetic trait. It may be passed on to children]
Oddly enough the mystery Griffon you'd met at your inaugural ball didn't seem to be among the numerous applicants. You'd gone back and checked each letter to see if they had mentioned meeting you before, but nothing. Is she already married? Or is she simply not interested in the idea of marrying you?
Oddly enough the mystery Griffon you'd met at your inaugural ball didn't seem to be among the numerous applicants. You'd gone back and checked each letter to see if they had mentioned meeting you before, but nothing. Is she already married? Or is she simply not interested in the idea of marrying you?
Edit: Even though i would preferred if people stopped a little and discussed things a little cuz if King Brodchard has a daughter we could unite Griffonia without a bloodshed.
Freda is a meh choice compared to the other two, who bring strong alliances and traits to the table with them.
Genevieve is a strong possibility to bring the buffer state under our rule, but even attempting it is likely to spark a war. Better to wait and use a more slow approach to aquiering them.
Gabriella brings stronger ties with the trade cities rulers, the strong trait, the strongest stats by far, and seems to have a comparable personality with ours.
Freda is a meh choice compared to the other two, who bring strong alliances and traits to the table with them.
Genevieve is a strong possibility to bring the buffer state under our rule, but even attempting it is likely to spark a war. Better to wait and use a more slow approach to aquiering them.
Gabriella brings stronger ties with the trade cities rulers, the strong trait, the strongest stats by far, and seems to have a comparable personality with ours.
Yes, I was about to say that she'd help well with martial endeavors, is used to being out there, and understands the city'states better than us.
Our marital is not that high, and having a queen used to a life of direct combat is going to be helpful, and maybe we can get a better mercenary deal if things get dire enough.
Also i think next turn it time to make the knights a combat unit cause things are growing uneasy between us and our rival and at this point i doubt we can reasonable make peace with them without conceding much more than we care to.
she shores up our weakest stat and I keep thinking shes Gilda's ancestor which leads to all sort of funny alternative episode in future equestria during the Griffin brush off
...No! Wait! That's an Alicorn!
