Shattered Empire: A Noble Warlord Quest (CKII)

Results: Late 2673 Shahzad

From the Ministry of State (DIPLOMACY)

Costs: -1,000 dinars
Roll: 56 (40+6+10) - Success
Result: The lords of Moskva, as well as your other vassals across the worlds of Rurik, bend the knee uneventfully. It is a whirlwind of color, even so, with lords from every corner of every planet that owes your house fealty. Lords wearing fur-lined jackets and carrying ice-axes in lieu of swords swear the eternal loyalty of Norilsk, while coffee-skinned men and women in loose, flowing robes promise you and the Primus to never betray you. Duke Yusopov is in his element here, attending celebrations and parties and parades and ceremonies in your stead if you are unable (or unwilling) to attend. He would later remark to you, after resolving a potentially-fatal duel between a second son from House Tupolev and a cousin of House Aristarkhov, that he felt more alive and exhilarated by this than his time on the battlefield. Personally you can't quite see the appeal, but to each their own. +3 to Fame, +1 to PR with Duke Yusopov.

From the Ministry of War (MARTIAL)

From the Ministry of the Exchequer (STEWARDSHIP)


Costs: -10,000 dinars
Roll: 55 (28+11+16) - Success
Result: Accounting the total economic losses as a result of the brief civil war is no easy task, and nor is it pleasant. Orbital infrastructure had been wrecked, cutting off a vital source of income for the past year. In addition, many private orbital extraction companies have been hoarding supply, creating artificial hikes in prices during a time of privation that Egonova has promptly put paid to - not that she disapproved from a personal standpoint, but because her own holdings rely on cheap access to raw materials. The income of orbital extraction has been increased to 10,000.* +1 to Love, +2 to PR with Egonova, new STE options are available.

From the Okhrana (INTRIGUE)

Costs: -5,000 dinars
Roll: 106 (87+13+6) - 1 Critical Success!
Result: Lisitsyn's report on the status of the Al-Haq'ah intelligence post comes to you at an amusingly opportune time, as you're in the middle of eating some Damascus meze upon the humble recommendation of the Sultan, with whom you have maintained a little bit of communication after his visit to Moskva. As you read over the report, you chew a little more smugly - Lisitsyn has come through. The intel post has not only been reestablished at minimal cost and with little disruption, Okhrana agents have made sure that money has been transferred to the right hands, and now a number of servants of House Abubakar are very willing to give some extra information. You can't resist a little smirk - success tastes much better than this haydari. The Intelligence Post in Al-Haq'ah has been reestablished, opening new INT options. In addition, all INT rolls involving House Abubakar have a +5.

From the Ministry for Sciences (LEARNING)
Completed this Turn:
Result: Investigating the strange organic "system" that runs throughout the Khrabrost III Vault has proven rather difficult. The Vault itself, the more the team explores, is immense, and seems itself to be almost passively hostile - tricking at least fifteen researchers and crew to their deaths over a year - deep pits, automated security systems, and strange signals that disrupt human brainwaves all combine to create a deadly environment. Still, the team soldiers on, and by the end of the year they have established a proper research station at the site. Now, research can begin in earnest. So far, little has been found, but study of the strange crystals has yielded some interesting information - they are organic in nature rather than mineral, and shavings of them have even yielded the presence of a strange triple-helix DNA-analogue that is clearly of artificial origin. Researchers working too long with crystal shards, however, have reported irritability, sleep issues, and strange, terrifying dreams that have near-perfect clarity and correlate disturbingly with each other: great jagged cities rising out of blackened earth, empty of life, and the horrible stench of decay. As might be imagined, turnover rate at the Khrabrost site is high. Dig site established on Khrabrost III. New options for research into the Vault's contents are available. The crystals are data stores for... something, but whatever it is is beyond our understanding at the moment.

From the Grand Bishopric of Moskva (PIETY)

Costs: -5,000 dinars
Roll: 70 (53+13+4) - Automatic Success
Result: The standard coronation ceremony for a member of the House Rurikovich goes essentially as planned. While the Winter Palace, where these coronations have been held for centuries, remains heavily damaged, some clever camera angles and creative exploitation of the large hole in the roof of the main atrium lead to a stunningly beautiful ritual. Even you have to admit; you look striking in the official dress uniform of the Tsarina, and you manage not to make a fool of yourself as Panin slices open your thumb and drains two phylacteries' worth of your blood to add to the Blood Vault and the sacrificial brazier. You know he's not a big fan of yours, but as you watch his serious face through the sacred flames, you think maybe, just maybe, you see him smile. +2 to Fame, +2 PR to the Imperial Cult, +3 PR with Bishop Panin, +1 Piety

Personal Actions

Costs: None
Roll: 25 (14+11) - 1 Critical Failure
Result: You soon come to regret not pumping Ivan for more information before you put him to death, as you soon find yourself even more stumped than he was. So far, you have been unable to gain entry to the vault deep beneath the surface. After poring through your mother's records for months, and bothering the castellan of the Winter Palace for just as long, you come to the conclusion that you will need to brute-force your way in. Unfortunately, doing that takes money and expertise - and even then, it will quite possibly damage the Winter Palace in the process. What is the price of knowledge? To take this action again will cost 1,500 dinars next turn, and possibly damage the Winter Palace.

(NGL you guys, I am utterly pissed that the dice pulled this bullshit - I spent a good several hours penning an interlude for this one specifically only for this to happen. Ah well, the dice do as the dice do.)

Hero Actions

Costs: -5,000 dinars
Roll: 74 (53+21) - Success
Result: Tatiana has done well. While she had less support in the Meuse system than Lisitsyn's agents did when infiltrating House Abubakar, her experience with the Massarde and their vassals made it a relatively simple task to reestablish the intelligence post. The Intelligence Post in Meuse has been reestablished, opening new INT options.

Costs: -10,000 dinars
Roll: 70 (41+10) - Success
Result: Commodore Chekhov, despite being somewhat out of his element, was motivated to construct the new extraction facilities in far northern Samara when it was pointed out that he would not be able to field a proper patrol force without the aid of fuel and replaceable parts. Construction of an Extraction Facility will be completed in two turns.

[X] Colonel Daria Varyanova
-[X] Fund Construction - Extraction Facility: Cost 10,000, income 12,000 per turn. Build time: 3 turns (Kyif).

Costs: -10,000 dinars
Roll: 67 (58+9) - Success
Result: Colonel Varyanova's expertise with logistics has proven to be useful here. Overseeing military-subsidized construction of mines on Kyiv's continent of Uzhorod, she has proven her worth as a taskmaster even despite her youth. Construction of an Extraction Facility will be completed in two turns.
__

Decisions
[X] Death. End this with finality and send your traitorous little bastard to the executioner.

Costs: None
Result: Ivan's execution is well received by the populace. While he was a Rurikovich, he was still guilty of some of the most heinous crimes imaginable by the Empire, and leniency would have even been seen as weakness. Still, there are those even in your own family who question whether mercy would have been the more moral choice. +2 to Fear.


Random Events:
(Every turn I will roll for a Boon, an Event, and a Disaster. If the Boon roll is above an 80, a positive event will occur. If the Event roll is between 40 and 60, a "neutral" event happens. If the Disaster roll is below 20, a serious new problem arises.)
Boon: 43
Event: 10
Disaster: 89

Nothing of note occurs.
___
I am so, so sorry about the delay - I just started a new job, so I haven't had time at all to write. Now that I've settled in, I should be able to get back to it.

*In all honesty, I increased this because I realized that things might not be so fun if you're scraping for every spare cent, and to give the orbital facilities a little more usefulness. I might make other edits in the future.

A moratorium on actual voting will be in place until 12:00 PM EST, to give time for people to make plans.

Social Report
Love: 9(1) (8+1)
Fear: 5(1) (8+2; Roll: 4)
Fame: 47 (42+5)
See a detailed report HERE.

Report on Finances
Current Reserves: 51,202
Income per Turn: 35,721
See a detailed report HERE.

From the Ministry of State (DIPLOMACY)

Choose ONE:
[ ] Shaking Hands - House Al-Mufti: One of the two traditional rivals of your family, the Al-Mufti clan are unequaled administrators. They are geniuses with the financial and bureaucratic aspects of statecraft, and many who have tried to fight them on their own turf have learned this the hard way. Reestablishing diplomatic relations with them, and introducing yourself, would be a prudent option.

• Cost: None
• Difficulty: DIP difficulty 15
• Time: 1 turns
• Reward: Diplomatic relations opened with the Al-Mufti, potential Fame increase

[ ] Shaking Hands - House Massarde: The artisans of Seine, despite their proclivity towards painting, architecture, and pretty things, are not to be underestimated. Your best friend is a shining example of the efficacy of their intelligence programs, and they possess a level of centralization in their territory unrivaled across the Empire. Reestablishing diplomatic relations with them, and introducing yourself, would be a prudent option.

• Cost: None
• Difficulty: DIP difficulty 15
• Time: 1 turns
• Reward: Diplomatic relations opened with the Massarde, potential Fame increase

[ ] Wedding Bells - Most Eligible Bachelorette: It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a lord in possession of a good demesne, must be in want of a spouse. Whatever your personal feelings on the matter, there are dynastic and political concerns. You yourself have Massarde blood from your maternal grandmother Jacqueline, and the temporary alliance this secured proved vital for your grandfather and your mothers' reigns. Lord Pyotr will scour the width and breadth of the Empire for eligible bachelors.

• Cost: 5,000 dinars
• Difficulty: DIP difficulty 35
• Time: 2 turns
• Reward: A list of potential marriage candidates for your perusal, potential Fame increase

[ ] Write-In:

From the Ministry of War (MARTIAL)

Ongoing:
[2] The Armies of Rurik - Officer Corps: Ivan's putsch has cost the Army a great deal. In particular, a large number of experienced and capable officers were lost - either as traitors, or wounded/killed during the brief groundside battle. Lord Kiril, as a result, has recommended a "crash course" of sorts for this new, young officer corps that will, if not bring them up to their old standard, at least cover the worst of the problems.

• Cost: 15,000 dinars (2,000 dinars per turn in upkeep)
• Difficulty: MAR difficulty 50
• Time: 4 turns
• Reward: "Brain Drain" effect will be removed from your ground forces; potential Ground Forces-specialization Hero Unit recruited

Choose ONE:
[ ] Modernization - R&D: It might be possible to use this disastrous loss of ships as an opportunity to modernize. The Ministry of War can draft a few options. Specify the class of ship you'd like to plan out. (Dreadnought, Battleship, Battlecruiser, Heavy Cruiser, Light Cruiser, Torpedo Destroyer, Frigate, Cutter)

• Cost: 5,000 dinars
• Difficulty: MAR difficulty 40
• Time: 1 turn
• Reward: A list of potential designs for your perusal

[ ] Repairing Fleet Manufacturing - Traditional Methods: The destruction of Moskva's orbital shipbuilding during the battle was an unfortunate necessity - and now you have to deal with the aftermath. The best way to do it, while it is much more expensive, is to simply build new shipyards - the old ones were damaged far beyond repair.

• Cost: 50,000 dinars (5,000 dinars per turn while building)
• Difficulty: MAR difficulty 45
• Time: 4 turns
• Reward: Orbital shipbuilding infrastructure will be repaired, allowing for the removal of the Orbital Damage status; +1 to Military Shipyard in Moskva

[ ] Repairing Fleet Manufacturing - Seizing the Means of Production: The destruction of Moskva's orbital shipbuilding during the battle was an unfortunate necessity - and now you have to deal with the aftermath. You will, instead of pouring valuable cash into building new shipyards, seize and convert civilian facilities. It might be far less popular, but it will be far cheaper and notably quicker.

• Cost: 35,000 dinars
• Difficulty: MAR difficulty 40
• Time: 2 turns
• Reward: Orbital infrastructure will be seized from the private sector, much quicker than rebuilding it yourself - allowing for the removal of the Orbital Damage status; +1 to Military Shipyard in Moskva; Love penalty; Ongoing -1000 to income for economic costs

[ ] The Armies of Rurik - Rank and File: The casualties from the brief civil war have been high. Recruitment and training are necessary to replace the heavy losses suffered during the battle.

• Cost: Variable
• Difficulty: MAR difficulty 45
• Time: 2 turns (Repeatable)
• Reward: 1-3 legions of your choice (please specify); potential Personal Combat-specialization or Command-specialization Hero Unit recruited

[ ] Write-In:

From the Ministry of the Exchequer (STEWARDSHIP)

Choose ONE:
[ ] Fighting Corruption - Top-Down Audits: The biggest task that Egonova expects you to complete is to fight corruption in the Moskva government and bureaucracy. That's not to say she's requesting this out of the goodness of her heart - she likely expects her own corruption to be ignored - but it will still have a positive outcome. At the moment, the priority in this task will be to conduct a massive audit of the whole government to determine just how bad it is, starting with the Exchequer itself.

• Cost: 10,000 dinars
• Difficulty: STE difficulty 40
• Time: 2 turns
• Reward: You have an understanding of how bad the corruption in Moskva has become.

[ ] Exploitation of the Letom System: Kyiv and its star system Letom are part of the Rurikovich demesne, but its mining and extraction infrastructure are woefully out of date. Still, a great deal of material wealth might still be leveraged from the youngest Rurikovich world.

• Cost: 30,000 dinars
• Difficulty: STE difficulty 45
• Time: 2 turns
• Reward: +1,000 to income; +1 Extraction districts on Kyiv; +1 Orbital Extraction districts; +2 building slots on Kyiv; new STE options

[ ] Fund Construction: Spend a variable amount of dinars to construct a specific facility, on land or in space. See the Demesne Screen's "Summary of Installations" for more information.

• Cost: Variable
• Difficulty: STE difficulty 20
• Time: Variable
• Reward: Variable

[ ] The Butcher's Bill - Buzzards: The economic devastation of the Moskva system has led to an epidemic of wildcat miners, scavvers, and smugglers plying the trade routes and outer-system bodies. Normally this would be tolerated, but many of these operations have become big enough to seriously threaten your family's favored extraction companies - not to mention that their operations are very much illegal. Have Egonova task a small fleet of Customs cutters to interdict these operations, and/or place them under your own control.

• Cost: 20,000 dinars
• Difficulty: STE difficulty 40
• Time: 2 turns
• Reward: Small increase to Fear; penalty to Love; +2 Orbital Extraction districts in Moskva

[ ] The Butcher's Bill - Rubble: Posadka was hardest-hit during the short sharp shock of a coup, but other cities across Moskva have suffered severe infrastructural damage. At the very least, it is necessary to remove some of the worst of the rubble in preparation for repairs and improvements.

• Cost: 10,000 dinars
• Difficulty: STE difficulty 40
• Time: 1 turns
• Reward: Small increase to Love, +2 building slots on Moskva, open other STE actions

[ ] Write-In:

From the Okhrana (INTRIGUE)

Choose ONE:
[ ] Chistka - Purge the Guard: It is difficult to tell just how widespread Ivan's network of allies was. With him dead, his biggest allies - the Preobrazhensky Guard - likely still have large numbers of his supporters among them. Lisitsyn will organize an investigation into who these traitors might be, and… deal with them as need be.

• Cost: 10,000 Dinars
• Difficulty: INT difficulty 45
• Time: 1 turns
• Reward: Increase to Fear, the remaining Guard's loyalties are assured for now

[ ] Chistka - Purge the Senate: While the Senate sided with you for the most part, a number of high-profile members were part of the original conspiracy. Investigations here will be far more difficult, as Senators (both Lords and Commons) are granted special powers and privileges that mean your agents will have to tread carefully.

• Cost: 20,000 dinars
• Difficulty: INT difficulty 60
• Time: 1 turns
• Reward: Increase to Fear, the Senate's loyalty is assured for now, -2 to PR with Dame Egonova

Spoiler: Intelligence Post Actions

Note: These actions can be taken in any fief with a functional Intelligence Post.

[ ] Write-In:

From the Ministry for Sciences (LEARNING)

Choose ONE:
[ ] Distant Stars - Rediscovering the Periphery: The Rurikovich have always relied on the Periphery for many things, and with the conflicts in the Core heating up, perhaps it is time to leverage that. The Ministry will send out diplomatic and exploration ships to locate old allies and adversaries.

• Cost: 5,000 dinars
• Difficulty: LEA difficulty 50
• Time: 1 turns
• Reward: Possible new opportunities regarding Periphery planets and entities. Potential small Fame increase.

[ ] Research - Military: The military will always need new designs and technologies to stay afloat in this era of constant warfare. Task the Ministry for the Sciences with finding new avenues to pursue.

• Cost: 10,000 dinars
• Difficulty: LEA difficulty 40
• Time: 1 turns
• Reward: Research options are provided for the military.

[ ] Research - Civilian: As with the military, the civilian sector is always in need of new research options. This Action will open up new avenues to pursue in this vein.

• Cost: 10,000 dinars
• Difficulty: LEA difficulty 40
• Time: 1 turns
• Reward: Research options are provided for the civilian sector.

[ ] Slipstream Research - Nasarov's Folly: Your Lord Minister for the Sciences has made it the purpose of his later life to study and uncover the secrets of the enigmatic Slipstreams that make travel across the galaxy and the existence of the Empire feasible. Greater minds than him have tried to understand them, of course, but who knows? Perhaps the answer lies out in the Periphery,.

• Cost: 25,000 dinars
• Difficulty: LEA difficulty 60
• Time: 2 turns
• Reward: ?

[ ] Khrabrost III - Dig Deeper: Discovering the secrets of this enigmatic Vault is of paramount importance. Lord Nasarov is practically beside himself, and has taken this discovery to be a confirmation of his long-held beliefs: that humanity is not the only, or even the oldest, interstellar intelligent race. Whether he is right or not, the Vault is certainly interesting.

• Cost: 5,000 dinars
• Difficulty: LEA difficulty 55
• Time: 2 turns
• Reward: ?

[ ] Write-In:

From the Grand Bishopric of Moskva (PIETY)

Choose ONE:

[ ] Bioticist Heresy - Who are the Bioticists?: The Temple of the Immortal Cell, more commonly known as the Bioticists, are a new but rapidly-growing religion in the Periphery who, from what you understand, worship life itself and reject the divinity (and the existence) of the Primus. Grand Bishop Panin has asked you if it might be possible to send representatives to Mikhail and Norilsk, where they have established large congregations, to further understand this new threat to the hegemony of the Cult.

• Cost: 1,000 dinars
• Difficulty: PIE difficulty 50
• Time: 1 turn
• Reward: Information on the Bioticist Cult and its members; other options.

[ ] Reach Out to the Cult: The Imperial Cult is by far the most powerful single entity in the Empire, with their de facto control of the Imperial Demesne and their huge fleet and army. Bishop Panin has made it clear that they pose a threat to even the Great Lords of the Empire, and he recommends that establishing a relationship with them early is important.

• Cost 2,000 dinars
• Difficulty: PIE difficulty 40
• Time: 1 turn
• Reward: Increase to PR with the Cult; potential increase to PR with Bishop Panin; other options.

[ ] Write-In:

Personal Actions

Choose ONE:
[ ] Supervise a Ministry: Choose one Ministry this turn and apply your full stat to the roll instead of half.

• Cost: None
• Difficulty: None
• Time: 1 turn
• Reward: A much better chance at success.

[ ] Change Focus: Your Focus is currently set to Stewardship. You can spend some time shifting your priorities elsewhere. NOTE: This personal action cannot be selected for five turns once taken.

• Cost: A few sleepless nights of studying (but what else is new?)
• Difficulty: None
• Time: 1 turn
• Reward: Lose your current Focus trait and replace it with the one specified.
• Foci:
  • Diplomacy Focus: +3 Diplomacy, +2 Learning, +1 Piety
  • Martial Focus: +3 Martial, +2 Intrigue, +1 Stewardship
  • Intrigue Focus: +3 Intrigue, +2 Diplomacy, +1 Intrigue
  • Learning Focus: +3 Learning, +2 Piety, +1 Stewardship
  • Piety Focus: +3 Piety, +2 Learning, +1 Stewardship

[ ] Go Recruiting: The Empire is a vast place, and you are always in need of talented individuals to assist you in your bid to… well, you don't know yet. Choose one of the six stats, and depending on the roll you will receive a Hero Unit. The specialization will be random. NOTE: This personal action cannot be taken for five years once successful.

• Cost: Variable
• Difficulty: 40 difficulty in specified stat
• Time: 1 turn
• Reward: A random Hero Unit specializing in the stat indicated

[ ] Tsarina's Terra Trip: It is customary for a new lord of a Great House to make a pilgrimage to humanity's ancient homeworld to bend the knee to the Emperor. It is both a religious ceremony and a political one, and will essentially introduce you to the Empire as a whole. NOTE: This option will only be available for the first ten turns. (9/10)

• Difficulty: DIP difficulty 30
• Cost: 1,000 Dinars
• Time: 1 turn
• Reward: Fame reward, potential increase to Piety, the Emperor has a face to put to the name

[ ] Secrets of the Tsarina: Clearly something was going on behind the scenes. Ivan may have been a greedy, treasonous, conniving little shit, but he was a puppet of someone your mother expected to be an enemy. She made some cryptic remarks in that vein before she died - perhaps there is something else going on. NOTE: Successfully completing "The Trial of Ivan Rurikovich" will lower the difficulty of this Action.

• Cost: 1,500
• Difficulty: LEA difficulty 50
• Time: 1 turn
• Reward: ?

[ ] Improve Relations: More than anyone else, you rely on the members of your court and your advisors to provide good advice. If they are unhappy, you might have problems down the line. Spend some time improving your relationship with one character in your demesne.

• Cost: Variable
• Difficulty: DIP difficulty 40
• Time: 1 turn
• Reward: +2 or more to PR with the selected character.

[ ] Write-In:

Hero Actions

[ ] Major Tatiana Chernova - Write-In

[ ] Commodore Pyotr Chekhov - Write-In

[ ] Colonel Daria Varyanova - Write-In

Decisions

None this turn.