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.
-Expand the Army: Well, Brochard has made the first move. The war for the future of all Griffon-Kind has begun. Your army has been sufficient to patrol your borders and fight off raiders and monsters, but you're not sure if they're going to be enough to defend your kingdom against a full-on invasion by an actual army, let alone lead an invasion themselves. If you're going to fight a war, you're going to need more soldiers. Cost: 1000. Time: One Year. Reward: Warriors recruited, army expanded.
Heralds and town criers spread the word throughout the land: Aquileia has invaded Wingbardy, and you're looking for warriors to join you and help stop them. Offers of generous pay and access to the best weapons and armor are made, as are appeals to patriotism and the nostalgia of a united Empire. Griffons fly in to the muster stations by the hundreds and are given weapons and armor that still bear the heat of the forges they were birthed from.
There's little time for training, some Griffons having only a few days to familiarize themselves with their new equipment before flying to Wingbardy. But your people have spent decades under Discord's reign, have lived their entire lives under threat from the creatures of the forests, have been raised from birth to defend themselves from a world that will seek to do them harm at every opportunity. They know how to fight, how to defend themselves, even from other Griffons.
With your army bolstered by new blood, you now feel a bit more confident with the prospect going to war.
+2500 Warriors, 1250 Archers, 1250 Pole-arms
-Quality over Quantity: It's one thing to have a large army, quite another to have a well-equipped one. With all the ore your mines have started to churn out, you can start equipping your troops with high-quality armor and weapons usually reserved for elite units. This will be expensive however, both to purchase, and to maintain. Cost: 500. Time: One Year. Reward: Better Equipment issued to Royal Army, Upkeep Costs Doubled.
Hundreds of tons of ore are pried from the mountains and shoveled into smelters. Blocks of red-hot metal are hammered into shape. Blades and spearheads are sharpened, shields hardened, bows strung, arrows crafted. When the shipments from the mines cannot keep up with the demand, the now outdated iron weapons are thrown into the forges to be melted down and remade into steel.
Spears are replaced with glaives and other pole-arms, mail and plate replace leather and banded iron, and helmets, greaves and vambraces become standard issue amongst frontline combatants. While few if any of your troops are as well equipped as your knights, you now feel a great deal better about their effectiveness in combat. As do they, judging by the chatter you hear as you inspect the forges and camps.
Army Equipment Upgraded, Upkeep Costs Doubled, +10 to Army Morale.
-Onwards,
to Glory!: You have an army and a navy. You have a suit of armor and a blade worthy of your station. You have
Knights. And now you have an excuse, one that no one will begrudge you. Wingbardy won't last long on its own. Rally your forces and march to war! (Wingbardy Campaign Begins!)
You've recruited additional troops and outfitted them all with the best equipment you can afford to give them. You've done everything you could have in the time allowed to prepare yourself. You wish you could do more, but Wingbardy burns even now. Time is a luxury that you have precious little of, and if you are to stand a chance at halting Brochard's invasion and preventing him from annexing Wingbardy, you need to go now.
As you strap on your armor with your wife's assistance in the solitude of your personal chamber, your eyes stray to the crib in the corner where your son Gawain sleeps peacefully, blissfully ignorant of the conflict that threatens to destroy his home and family.
You find yourself standing silently over his gently breathing form, your wife's talons entwined with yours as you seek to memorize every detail of your child. Neither of you dare to speak it, but you both know there is a chance that one or both of you will not return to see him again. You reluctantly tear your eyes away from your child, your greatest treasure, and look into your wife's face as she, like you, fights to keep her eyes dry. There are no words. There is no need for them. You both simply nod and embrace the other. Tomorrow she shall meet with several mercenary contacts, negotiating on your behalf as your Queen, and you shall muster the troops for the march over the border. But here and now, in this moment, in the tranquility of your home, you are not rulers, but a family. Just one of many threatened by the madness of war.
Continued in "The Battle of Wingbardy"
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.
-The Cavalry is Coming: Duke Talonuelli doesn't want to just roll over for Brochard, but he can't fight him alone and everyone knows it. He's rallied his army, but that doesn't mean he won't surrender and spare the lives of his people if he sees no chance of victory. Send a fast courier before Wingbard is surrounded to let them know that help is on the way, and tell him to hold on until you get there. Cost: 100. Time: One Year. Reward: Talonuelli knows you are coming, will be less likely to surrender to Brochard. Chance of Success: 75%
Required: 25. Rolled: 29+18(Personal Diplomacy)+10(
@LunarTinker Omake Bonus)=
57
You send the fastest courier money can buy to the Duke with a missive urging him not to surrender and reassuring him that help is on the way, that all he needs to do is hold on until you can relieve him. The courier returns and hands you a letter from Talonuelli before collapsing from exhaustion. You later learn that he had fled the Ducal Manor just as the vanguard of Brochard's army had come into sight of the city's walls. The letter is hastily scrawled, but the message is clear: Talonuelli will hold out as long as he can. You suppose that's the best you can ask of him.
Talonuelli informed of imminent relief force, will resist surrender for as long as possible.
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.
-Fungus Farming for Fun and Profit: Archimedes' theories were sound, now it's time to put them into practice. Fund the construction of several mushroom farms and start harvesting your new foodstuff! Cost: 200. Time: One Year. Reward: Mushroom Farms Constructed, Increased Farming Income.
The construction of the new Mushroom Farms become a symbol of the cooperation between Gryphons and Diamond Dogs. Dogs dig the tunnels, Gryphons plant the spores and oversee the growth of the crop, and both races work side-by-side to harvest the fungal bounty. A year-round food supply that can be cultivated underground is naturally something of great interest to the subterranean canines, and their decision to pledge their loyalty to you is once again vindicated as they reap the benefits. The extra tax income in your treasury isn't bad either.
+200 Farming Income
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.
-Aquaculture: One of Archimedes' assistants has proposed a strange new idea. Why don't we just farm fish the same way we farm other foodstuffs? After being accused of Discordian sympathies he hastily clarifies that he did not mean to invoke the memory of the horrific squid-plant hybrids created by the mad trickster god, but something much more mundane: "corralling" fish in artificial lakes and ponds, feeding and harvesting them in a similar manner to other livestock. Well…you've heard of crazier ideas. Cost: 400. Time: Two Years. Reward: Fish Farms established.
After a great deal of trial and error and more than one pond-full of dead fish, Archimedes informs you that they've smoothed out the kinks in the "aquaculture" process. You now have access to a supply of fish that doesn't rely upon changing migration patterns or fluctuating populations. And there's still a market for "wild-caught" fish, so you won't have to worry about the fisher-gryphs coming after you or complaining about lost revenue. Some of them have actually raised their prices, and are making more of a profit now than they were before!
+200 Farming Income
-Noxious Nitrates: Archimedes has been experimenting with some of the minerals your miners have started digging up, seeing how they react chemically with other elements. He's found a way to make a sort of...explosive powder out of sulfur, charcoal, and saltpeter. You're...kind of concerned about that last one, seeing as how it's extracted from feces of all things, but his practical demonstrations cannot be denied or ignored. But Archimedes has an issue: the difficulty in acquiring large amounts of the components needed to make this Fire-powder. He's going to need funds to construct sulfur mines and...saltpeter distilleries. Ewww. Cost: 500. Time: Two Years. Reward: Supply of Fire-Powder Acquired. Chance of Success: 75%
Finally, after much difficult and foul-smelling work, Archimedes guarantees you a reliable supply of his fire-powder in significant quantities. Just in time for the war against Aquileia. You're sure you'll be able to find a use for it.
Gained Supply of Black Powder.
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.
-Fluent in Treason: Brochard's taxation policies haven't been popular amongst his subjects. Should he fail to deliver a victory in Wingbardy and acquire it's fertile lands, he risks facing a revolt. Your spies are still present in Aquileia. Have them contact a few of the more openly resentful nobles and see if you can get the ball rolling on that whole "rebellion" thing, as well as lay the groundwork for a transfer of power once Brochard is out of the way. Cost: 400. Time: One Year. Reward: Increased chance of Revolt against Brochard, Less risk of opposition to your taking the throne. Chance of Success: 50%
Required: 50. Rolled: 95+13(Personal Intrigue)+50(Omake Bonuses)=
158 (Nat. Crit!)
Wow. No really just...wow. You're not sure if Brochard really sucks or if your spies are just that good, but they did way more than just find some nobles who didn't much care for their current King. According to Ravenburg's reports, half the nobles in Aquileia have already pledged their loyalty to you and forsaken Brochard, and the other half are likely to do the same should you manage to defeat him on the field of battle!
You'd expected that you'd have to fight your way to the throne and wage war against Brochard's supporters but it seems that, barring a few rare exceptions, the majority of the Aquileian nobility only followed Brochard out of fear or a perceived lack of any other options. Most of them weren't even aware that you were descended from the House of Gryphus, and seemed shocked that you would try to convince them to join you through rational arguments rather than just threatening to kill them and confiscate their lands if they didn't. You suspect Brochard has been spreading misinformation about you. Either that or this is the style of rulership his people have come to expect. Probably both.
Well, his lies about you don't stand up to the truth, and his subjects no longer see any reason to follow him. If you can beat Brochard and his army, the nobles of Aquileia will trip over themselves to swear fealty to you.
Aquileia's nobility and peasantry promise to swear fealty to you in the event of Brochard's defeat.
Personal: You refuse to let your duties as King take up every moment of your day.
-Gabriella's Greatswords: Your wife spent much of the previous year calling in favors from old friends and acquaintances. Among them were several mercenary captains that agreed to offer their services at discounted rates should you choose to hire them. Time to take them up on their offers. Cost: Varies, depending on Choices. Time: One Year. Reward: Choice of Mercenary Hires
Gabriella meets with the leaders of a number of mercenary outfits, most of whom she knows personally from her years as a wandering sell-sword. She's traveled with, gotten drunk with, and in some cases fought against these Gryphons. She's earned their respect, and as a result they've all agreed to offer their services at discounted rates. They still charge enormous sums mind you, just not quite as much as they otherwise would have.
(You may hire as many units as you like, though they all insist on being paid in advance. Alternatively, you can choose not to hire any of them with no consequences.)
[ ]
The Wood Stalkers: Experienced Archers/Scouts that specialize in Forest Combat, they have years of experience hunting Timberwolves and Feral Diamond Dogs throughout Griffonia. (Numbers: 200 Warriors, 300 Archers)
Cost: 300 Gold
[ ]
The Black Pikes: A unit of heavily armored and stoic Gryphons skilled in the use of long thrusting spears, ground combat, and phalanx warfare. They're not very mobile or good in an aerial battle, but when defending a spot on the ground they're nearly impossible to dislodge. (Numbers: 500 Pikes)
Cost: 400 Gold
[ ]
The Crimson Company: One of the most (in)famous mercenary companies of the Northern Mountains, the warriors of the Crimson Company fly into battle with nothing but steel claws and a coating of war-paint. Almost suicidally brave and determined to win glory in battle or die trying, their lack of armour gives them a significant speed advantage over most opponents. (Numbers: 500 Gryphon Berserkers)
Cost: 500 Gold
[ ]
Captain Kingfisher's Marvelous Mutineers: Before Brochard started constructing actual warships, he forcibly confiscated several fishing boats from coastal settlements to serve as makeshift patrol vessels. Naturally this didn't fly with many of the local fisher-gryphs. One former boat captain by the name of Gerard Kingfisher led several of his fellows in a daring raid to steal back his boat, along with a shipment of weapons. Branded outlaws, they now make a living as privateers and pirate-hunters, offering a special discount to anyone asking them to raid Aquileian naval vessels. (Numbers: 2 Caravels loaded with 300 angry sailors)
Cost: 600 Gold
[ ]
The Troll-busters: These eccentric exiles of Feathersian nobility are unusual even by mercenary standards. Wielding strange and unwieldy mechanical contraptions that spew streamers of fire like draconic maws, they've made a name for themselves burning down swathes of monster infested forest for the highest bidder. Despite their pitiful numbers, they charge absurdly high rates for their services; apparently those "flamethrowers" aren't cheap to operate or maintain. Still, they would doubtlessly be a valuable asset in battle. (Numbers: 4 Flamethrowers)
Cost: 1000 Gold
