Who Needs Harmony?: An MLP Empire Quest

"Dad! Dad wake up!"

Such was your wake up call, as your young son clambered his way up onto you and your wife's bed and began poking and prodding you as you struggled to blink the sleep from your eyes. Beside you, your wife shifted under the covers, and you could hear the smile in her voice.

"Your son is awake."

You huff.

"Before sunrise, he's your son."

Gawain continues his assault, now bouncing up and down on you.

"Come on Dad, you promised!"

You remember. Yesterday Gawain had asked if you would take him up to the very summit of the mountain to watch the sunrise over the Empire. You'd agreed without really thinking about it, and now you were paying the price. You manage to sit up and blearily look your young heir in the eye. He stares back defiantly. Yep, he's Gabriella's son alright. You slowly pry yourself out of bed.

"Alright, I'm up. I'm up."

Your son smiles and lets out a cheerful chirp, following you about the room as you don your regalia. Wouldn't do for the Emperor to be walking about nude now would it? As you follow your eager son out the door, Gabriella calls out to you, still comfortably tucked into bed, her tone almost sickeningly sweet.

"Bye dear, you two have fun."

You snort with amusement and shake your head as you shut the door behind you. As you walk through the halls of your palace, you thank the ancestors that you get the chance to spend this time between your duties with the family you've managed to build. You know that, in just over an hour, reports and paperwork will start piling up on your desk, and a line of nobles and petitioners will have formed outside the throne room, waiting for you to settle their grievances and hear their concerns. But right now, you're going to take your son up the mountain and show him the Empire he will one day inherit. The work may never end, but it's moments like this that make it all really worthwhile.



Martial: Gustav Kingfeather is still a wild gryphon, never caught dead without his flask, though the increased workload brought about by the unification means he's had to curb his wilder tendencies in the interest of keeping up with his subordinates. Still, he's more than up for the job of Imperial Martial, especially with Gabriella around to provide her own military experience when needed. (Two Actions Per Turn) One Action Locked

[ ] The Imperial Army: You've got a lot more territory to guard now, and a larger treasury to dip into. It might be a good idea to take a page out of Brochard's book and expand your army so that it's worthy of the moniker "Imperial". Cost: 2000. Time: One Year. Reward: Warriors recruited, Army Expanded.

[ ] Big Sticks: The mobile Ballistae proved instrumental in your victory at the Battle of Wingbardy. Clearly they are a valuable battlefield asset. Build a few more. Cost: 400. Time: One Year. Reward: +10 mobile Ballistae added to army.

[ ] The Second Founding: Grandmaster Hardbeak of the Knights Lion has come to you with a proposition. Now that the Empire is reunited, a great many young nobles and ambitious commoners are petitioning to join the Knights Lion, more than he believes they can accept. He proposes establishing two more Knightly Orders to serve as the guardians of Aquileia and Wingbardy, in much the same way the Knights Lion have been the guardians of Griffonia. He even has a list of volunteers from his own order willing to go lead and train the "new blood". Of course, these new Knightly Orders will need start-up capital and citadels of their own. Cost: 800. Time: Two Years. Reward: Two Additional Knightly Orders Established in Aquileia and Wingbardy. Will Finish this Turn

[ ] Expeditious Exploration: You have no real idea what lies beyond your borders. Discord altered the geography of the planet itself, and most records from before his arrival and reign of terror were lost amidst the madness of his reign. You know the world is bigger than your Empire though, and you're almost certain that other races, tribes and kingdoms managed to survive the era of chaos. Such potential neighbors could be allies and trade partners...or a threat to you and your people. Either way, it's better if you find them before they find you. Cost: 200. Time: Variable. Reward: Info on lands beyond your borders.

—[ ] West: The lands beyond the Black Cliffs to the west of Aquileia are a mystery to you. Not even Brochard knew much about them, fixated as he was on issues closer to home. Gather some volunteers to venture amidst the peaks and report back with whatever they find.

—[ ] South: The Peregrine Mountains form a natural border to your South, preventing easy travel for Dogs and Griffons alike. Pre-Discord records indicate that the climate is warmer the further south one goes. You suppose there is only one way to find out for sure.

—[ ] East: To the East, the open ocean beckons. Few Griffons have ever had cause to sail beyond sight of the shore, and as a result the sea is regarded as a mysterious place filled with equal promises of danger and unclaimed treasures. You have the Caravels, now it's time to put them to good use.



Diplomacy: Elva Von Cleef remains your head diplomat, though at present there isn't much for her to do. A united Empire means no other known kingdoms to negotiate with, so she passes the time keeping her office in order and preparing her subordinates for the inevitable encounters with truly foreign cultures beyond your mountains. (One Action Per Turn)

[ ] First Contact Protocols: It's inevitable that your people will eventually journey beyond your borders. And when they do, they will likely encounter other peoples, with their own kingdoms, cultures and languages. First impressions are important, so set up some classes and procedural regulations to prepare diplomats for meeting and negotiating with unknown peoples. Cost: 100. Time: One Year. Reward: First Contact Protocols established, bonus to first impressions with other cultures.


Stewardship: Claus Rosewing remains as your Steward, though most know this is likely a temporary arrangement. Claus has served you admirably since your rise to the throne of Griffonia, but he's not really equipped to handle the finances and infrastructure of an entire Empire. He intends to stay on for as long as you need him, but he's made it clear you'd probably be better off with someone else in his position. (One Action per Turn)

[ ] New Management: Rosewing has been asking for a replacement. The Lady Bronzeclaw seems agreeable to taking his position. Fill out the necessary paperwork, replace any outgoing staff, arrange a generous severance package, and have Frida throw Claus a retirement party. After all his hard work on your behalf, it's the least you can do for him. Cost: 50. Time: One Year. Reward: Frida Bronzeclaw becomes Imperial Steward, +1 Stewardship Action per Turn

[ ] Repairing Wingbardy: Brochard's Invasion devastated the lands of Talonuelli's Archduchy. Much of the damage has been repaired since, but not all of it. Many farms still lie in ruins, villages still only partially habited, and Wingbardy's famously fertile fields lie fallow. You opened up your coffers for the Kingdom that invaded them, surely you can do the same for the people that you saved? Cost: 500. Time: One Year. Reward: Wingbardy returns to pre-Invasion status, Additional Farming Income from Revitalized Agriculture. Chance of Success: 90%

[ ] I'm a Lumberjack and I'm OK: Were it not for the fact that they were infested with monsters, the forests of your kingdom would provide a nearly inexhaustible supply of lumber. That's not to say that your people don't cut down trees, it's just that they've never really done it on a large scale for fear of angering the things living in the woods. If your kingdom is going to grow and prosper, you'll need that timber. Gather some soldiers and have them assist with the construction of water-powered sawmills and woodcutting camps. Cost: 150. Time: One Year. Reward: Logging income. Chance of Success: 70%

[ ] Blast Mining: Archimedes' fire powder, while little more than a noise maker in small amounts, is a potent explosive in large doses. A few miners have expressed interest in using it to blast their way through solid rock that can't be easily excavated. It's risky, but the rewards make it worth consideration. Cost: 200. Time: One Year. Reward: Increased Mining income. Chance of Success: 80%

[ ] Imperial Brew: This is something that could be...controversial. Archimedes' shroomshine has been exceedingly popular with the Imperial Citizenry. However, given it's relatively recent invention, all the people brewing it are doing so on a small scale. Someone in Rosewing's Department raised the idea that, instead of having a bunch of independent brewers making a bunch of wildly disparate concoctions in their basements, the government could contract them and arrange the sale and distribution of the alcohol itself, ensuring consistent quality and netting a tidy profit in the process. Of course, some people might not approve of the government selling alcohol, or taking control of the market in such a fashion. Cost: 400. Time: 1 Year. Reward: Government Controlled Breweries. Gain Alcohol Sales Income. May raise Peasant Opinion. May lower Peasant Opinion. 50% chance of either outcome.



Learning: Archimedes now has to juggle his duties as the Imperial Science Advisor with his task of tutoring and mentoring your son. He can hardly complain, as he volunteered for the latter task completely unsolicited, claiming that it was his responsibility to ensure Gawain received an "exhaustive education fit for a future Emperor". You're not sure how he does it all. You suspect stimulants are involved. (Two Actions per Turn)

[ ] Explosive Siege Weapons: The success of his ballistae and his access to supplies of fire powder has given Archimedes some ideas. The concept is simple, if unorthodox: a metal tube, sealed off at one end, filled with an amount of fire powder that, when ignited, propels a metal or stone ball out the opening at great speed. It…honestly sounds kind of dangerous, but Archimedes is the expert on this sort of thing. Cost: 400. Time: Two Years. Reward: New Siege Weapon. Chance of Success: 60%

[ ] Mad Dog Disease: The mind-killing disease the Diamond Dogs told you about is frightening in its lethality and infectivity. You can scarcely imagine the carnage and chaos that would ensue if an outbreak occurred amongst your Dog subjects. Even worse, what if the disease jumped from Dogs to Griffons, as Archimedes says could potentially occur? If you're going to fight this thing, you'll need to understand how it works. And to do that, Archimedes needs to see it up close. Have your soldiers fetch some "test subjects" from the few remaining feral dens and see if your thinkers and healers can't come up with something. Cost: 200. Time: One Year. Reward: Information on Feral Disease. Chance of Success: 70%

[ ] Burning Shrooms: While working on turning mushrooms into alcohol, Archimedes realized that, if distilled a certain way, rather than an intoxicating beverage, the mushrooms produced a highly flammable liquid that caused health complications and death if ingested. At the time, he considered it a failed batch. Now, he thinks it might form the basis of a family of new weapons. Naturally, he'll need funding to run tests and establish a distillery dedicated to the production of this new substance. Cost: 200. Time: One Year. Reward: Flame Weapons? Chance of Success: 60%

[ ] Water Pumps: While the inclusion of Diamond Dogs brought a great deal of innovations and increased productivity to your mines, there was one problem even they couldn't really solve: the issue of flooding and water leaking into the tunnels. It's not often a problem in most mines, but every now and then a excavation has to be halted so a line of buckets can be set up to bail out the water that has seeped in from either rainfall, melting mountain ice, or underground water sources. Archimedes claims to have a solution. Using a complex system of tubes and pipes, a device can be constructed to heat water and produce steam, creating a vacuum that will raise water from below and then use steam pressure to raise it higher and out of the mines. Or something. You honestly had difficulty following much of Archimedes' explanation, but the idea of a device that can improve mine production is certainly an attractive one. Cost: 300. Time: One Year. Reward: Increased Mining Income. Chance of Success: 80%


Intrigue: As the Imperial Spymaster, Ravenburg now has access to more resources, but he also has greater responsibilities, and must gather and analyze information on a much larger scale. Despite the added workload, he seems unperturbed, and maintains his appearance and attitude of a stoic professional. (One Action per Turn)

[ ] Lord Ravenburg's Big Book of Blackmail: That earlier issue with the barons served to highlight what a headache they can be at times. Oh sure, you have their loyalty and support now, but at some point in the future you're going to want or need something that they won't want to give you or let you do. Being a member of the nobility himself, Ravenburg has a solution: blackmail. What with all the scheming and backstabbing that the nobility get up to, almost all of them have secrets that they wouldn't want being made public knowledge. It might be a good idea to learn a few of those secrets, just in case some uppity count needs to be "convinced" not to oppose you politically. Cost: 100. Time: One Year. Reward: Blackmail on Griffonian nobility acquired.



Personal: You refuse to let your duties as Emperor take up every moment of your day. (Two Actions Per Turn)

[ ] Cracking an Egg: The dragon egg you've acquired is currently stored in a specialized room of your castle, designed to ensure it is kept at the proper temperature. Archimedes, ever the problem-solver, claims he has a way to encourage the egg to hatch, or to prevent it from hatching, should you wish it. Honestly, you're not too sure what to do. Your people know little about dragons beyond the obvious; the closest thing to an expert you have is your wife, who only knows how to kill them. Still, it seems a waste to just leave it sitting in your palace as a glorified paper-weight. Fully grown dragons are forces of nature, capable of taking on entire battalions of Griffon warriors and burning whole villages to the ground in minutes. Then again, those also seem like good reasons not to allow the egg to hatch, now that you think of it. Cost: 0. Time: One Year. Reward: Hatched Dragon Egg.

[ ] Getting Swole: One of the numerous reasons you refused to fight Brochard was that he was so much stronger than you. A blade and a suit of armor mitigated that advantage a great deal, but it didn't remove it completely. You trained with your wife not long ago, and that training showed results, but the results weren't quite as big an improvement as you'd hoped. If you're going to be an Emperor worthy of the title, you need to be strong. Have Gabriella put you through an even more grueling fitness regimen and see if you can't improve your physique a bit more. Cost: 0. Time: One Year. Reward: Increased martial stat, chance to upgrade Toned Trait, chance to improve Gabriella's opinion of you. Chance of Success: 55%

[ ] A Small Blade: The world is a dangerous place, especially for Griffons in positions of power. Your son is one such individual. In this world, one of the greatest gifts you can bestow upon a someone is something they can defend themselves with. Your son is young, but you could commission him a blade for when he is a bit older. Not just any hunk of steel, but a dagger worthy of a Prince. Cost: 50. Time: One Year. Reward: Master-Crafted Dagger for Gawain.

[ ] The Apprentice-The Old Bird: Genevieve Talonuelli seems like a good candidate for your privy council, but if she is going to eventually replace one of your advisors she'll need to gain some practical experience. Elva von Cleef is getting on in years, and though her workload is currently light, you're sure she'd appreciate another pair of competent talons to assist her and her department in their everyday duties. Cost: 0. Time: One Year. Reward: Genevieve Talonuelli becomes assistant to Elva von Cleef, will eventually replace her when the time is right.

[ ] The Apprentice-The Nutty Professor: Genevieve Talonuelli seems like a good candidate for your privy council, but if she is going to eventually replace one of your advisors she'll need to gain some practical experience. Archimedes has a lot of energy considering his age and workload, but he has a number of learned Griffons around him at all times to assist him in whatever project he's currently invested in. You're sure he'd be more than happy to add the young Genevieve to his staff. Cost: 0. Time: One Year. Reward: Genevieve Talonuelli becomes assistant to Archimedes, will eventually replace him should it become necessary.