You are impressed by the state of the refugees. At first, they were paranoid, nearly frothing at the mouth with madness, and were pitiful sights even to you. Over the last few months, their condition has mostly receded. The use of Sanguis to drain them was met with resistance, at first, and attempts to make the refugees use cantrips and wasteful spells had almost ended in a fight when they began suffering withdrawal, but after a few hard weeks, the refugees were almost model citizens. The expedition team was forced to use most of their mana helping restrain the addled patients, detracting from their efforts, but once the floodgates had opened, the refugees became very productive on their own, using strength of body and numbers to help in raising a decent village where mana was not available.
or you'd probably have had to waste much more time on an astral projection or a spirit messenger and a very personal meeting with a sister or mother you would rather avoid.
You breathe, sitting stoic on a simple bed of fur and linen. The breaths are so loud. Dead. She will die soon. Probably before you can return. This ache, you are so familiar with. You already have a space in your heart prepared to hide it away, and it fits easily next to it's match. You do not remember crying before you fall asleep.
[X] Plan Attending To Needs
-[Pioneers] Build up colonial infrastructure
-[Expedition] Gather information about the area
-[Aldegard] Secure the colony with fortifications
Mm, seems like Eris is on her way to becoming Empress. I guess whoever's courting her will become Emperor (Consort?), but with Aldegard set on eventually solving the elves' affliction and Logon being a peerless warrior, the transition seems like it'll be peaceful. If there's going to be a serious internal or external threat, I can't tell what it is.
Mm, seems like Eris is on her way to becoming Empress. I guess whoever's courting her will become Emperor (Consort?), but with Aldegard set on eventually solving the elves' affliction and Logon being a peerless warrior, the transition seems like it'll be peaceful. If there's going to be a serious internal or external threat, I can't tell what it is.
Transitions are always dangerous times in a monarchy, it could be a lot of things. Someone could attempt a coup or rebel, thinking the new Empress wouldn't be strong enough to stop them. There could be assassination attempts, or other attempts to control the new Empress by means subtle or overt.
New monarchs are also less able to deal with crises unrelated to the succession itself, being less experienced and having less loyalty and institutional inertia built up. There could be foreign pressure from the half-blood kingdom or human kingdoms. Could also always be a natural disaster, or a bad crop. Sometimes those happened several years in a row, and that's when the serious famines happened. Also possible are plagues, religious strife, all sorts of things.
[X] Plan Attending To Needs
-[Pioneers] Build up colonial infrastructure
-[Expedition] Gather information about the area
-[Aldegard] Secure the colony with fortifications
Mm, seems like Eris is on her way to becoming Empress. I guess whoever's courting her will become Emperor (Consort?), but with Aldegard set on eventually solving the elves' affliction and Logon being a peerless warrior, the transition seems like it'll be peaceful. If there's going to be a serious internal or external threat, I can't tell what it is.
Eris is favored by the current Empress, much more diplomatic, and palatable to the people and the nobles (who likely see her as more malleable, gullible, or oblivious). She's probably been making contacts and handling court while Aldegard was out, especially since she rarely leaves the palace. With her on the throne, no one would worry about sudden inquisitions or ruthless retaliation, so... I doubt anyone would support Aldegard over Eris.
Eris is favored by the current Empress, much more diplomatic, and palatable to the people and the nobles (who likely see her as more malleable, gullible, or oblivious). She's probably been making contacts and handling court while Aldegard was out, especially since she rarely leaves the palace. With her on the throne, no one would worry about sudden inquisitions or ruthless retaliation, so... I doubt anyone would support Aldegard over Eris.
It's also a lot easier to conceive of breaking the primogeniture rule if there hasn't really been a transfer of power before. Primogeniture is only such a strong rule in most Earth nobility because it's been repeated many, many times.
Eris is favored by the current Empress, much more diplomatic, and palatable to the people and the nobles (who likely see her as more malleable, gullible, or oblivious). She's probably been making contacts and handling court while Aldegard was out, especially since she rarely leaves the palace. With her on the throne, no one would worry about sudden inquisitions or ruthless retaliation, so... I doubt anyone would support Aldegard over Eris.
I can accede to that, where it's necessary. Aldegard did not personally need a roll other than luck and chance; she is knowledgeable of the correct spell to use, the question was whether anyone would have noticed, which was still reasonably likely. If you were helping with the pioneers, or building, that would have been a less regimented use of magic or management, and have needed a check.
As to the current favor of the Empress and the succession; Beren is the first Emperor, so succession is strongly in flux. Much of the centralization he enacted was possible due to a powerful personality cult and Beren's own pragmatic handling of difficult vassals or (prior) peers. He was a 'savior', so he could do whatever he wanted, his past record allowed him significant leeway with the Court and people.
Eris is a 'saint', which lends her a lot of power among the people, but less with the court, but Aldegard is also a 'savior', which is a more balanced cult of personality. People see Eris as caring about them, which makes them more willing to point out bad behavior by superiors without fear of retribution, while Aldegard just works, and succeeds, which all elves can appreciate; they're more willing to give her the benefit of the doubt when it comes to long-term decisions, since she has developed a record of success (partly through her son).
Prior to the character generation, it may have been the case that Eris had a lot of favor with Mava and the homeland... but now? After Aldegard has revealed a solution to the decline problem, and her son (also a major factor just for existing, the elves are more wary of a leader with no clear heir) has defused a major usurpation war single-handedly? The question of succession is a very open one, and while Aldegard herself is not clearly aware of it (and is too arrogant to imagine they wouldn't pick her), argument over who would be the better Empress is heating up as Mava's health declines.
Aldegard has a not-insignificant chance of winning the full throne.
After Aldegard has revealed a solution to the decline problem, and her son (also a major factor just for existing, the elves are more wary of a leader with no clear heir) has defused a major usurpation war single-handedly?
Urgh I don't want the throne, I really hope we're not pushed into a locked option of fighting our sister for it, I prefer Aldegard to be the invisible daggerbehind Eris's mercy and that if anything happens to Eris the nobles will lose badly.
Just wary of being push in that direction considering how weird the chapters went.
Urgh I don't want the throne, I really hope we're not pushed into a locked option of fighting our sister for it, I prefer Aldegard to be the invisible daggerbehind Eris's mercy and that if anything happens to Eris the nobles will lose badly.
Just wary of being push in that direction considering how weird the chapters went.
There shold always be the possibility to advocate our claim for the throne for favor of our sister if people start pushing Eldegard to take it. The question is how would she actually react if the possibility of being the queen was presented to her.
Also note that this is the first time that the succession happened. Beren, Aldagard's father, was literally the first Emperor of the Elves. Mava ruled because she was married to Beren and was already ruling alongside him.
For all that the empire has existed for centuries and is probably one of the oldest polities in the world, it is still a realm that is undergoing its first true imperial succession. Always a precarious thing.
-[Pioneers] Build up colonial infrastructure
-[Expedition] Gather information about the area
-[Aldegard] Secure the colony with fortifications
Rolled: 53 (rally), 55 (bang), Actual action: 11 (refuses to use more than a token amount of mana)
"You, and you, to me," you say, plotting out your next efforts. The two elves you've called move to your side, one with your crest and the other a pioneer leader. "Lavash, I have heard that humans, not being as sensitive to the mana here, might have started roaming the desert. I want the region surveyed and scouted, in case this area falls along some new route for them. And you, we will need food if we are to supply the channelers who will take residence here in the coming years. You are colonists, you know the secrets of tilling the land and preparing wild ground, go, do... whatever it is you're meant to do."
Pointedly ignoring the colonist's bewildered expression, you set about preparing a strong wall for the settlement, as this place will be a major strategic cornerstone to the empire for at least several centuries, likely more, as the spirits grow and gain more self control. You have only really just begun marking out the boundary with some raised earth when the scouts from your expedition return, harried by humans on horseback.
You analyze the situation quickly enough, and you scouts are disciplined enough. "To me!" you shout, and you gather enough defenders to protect you while you prepare a firestorm for your guests.
Hands twisting and mouth twitching through muttered incantations, you gather enough mana to focus the heat of the desert sun into the air around the attackers, and once the energy reaches critical mass, the air simply explodes. Much of their vanguard is vaporized, bits of metal and bone launched from the blast site, and the rest of the humans cower, running scared.
You breathe carefully, the explosion being a rather expensive spell even considering the small amount you'd put into the fortifications... You can't afford to waste more today! Not another mote! What if... what if the humans return? Yes. You'll need to avoid casting just in case you're needed again...
Approximately:
150 apprentice mages of varied disciplines (primarily Forma and Lux), suffering from limited mana exposure
50 hired hands trained in exploration, suffering from limited mana exposure
2000-3000 colonial refugees of various pioneer trades and means, suffering from limited mana exposure
1 Bound Demon of the Foul-Tongue Caste
Resources:
Rations and supplies, meant to last many years for 200 explorers, stretched to feed roughly 2500. Might last another year.
Pack animals and survey equipment
Various and unsorted, if limited, pioneer supplies from refugees
Places:
Small fields, of poor soil quality that can support some subsistence farms
Low earthworks fortifications, raised in a large circle around the center of the camp.
Current conditions:
Safety: Simple Fortifications, Violent Human Nomads
Food: Limited, poor soil
Colony: Permanent Camp, some long-term shelter
Heart: Mostly Unknown
Spirits: Unaware of you
The Homeland: You're alive?
The Humans: Elves! Can we... can we take them?
Aldegard must manage this fledgling colony. What should she focus on for the time being? Create a plan only. (Choose a total of three, marking them with [Pioneers], [Expedition], and [Aldegard]. Aldegard can be used to double-up on another action, as she can probably use powerful magic to support it)
[] Secure more food supplies
[] Build up shelters further
[] Build up colonial infrastructure further
[] Improve the local soil
[] Improve upon the settlement's defenses
[] Establish a scouting routine (not Aldegard)
[] Establish a scrier's tower (not Pioneers)
[] Launch punitive attacks against the raiding nomads (Aldegard may assist, but may not act alone)
[] Study the monolith further (expedition only)
[] Begin binding the local spirits (expedition only)
[] Begin negotiating with the local spirits (expedition only)
[] Sort through all of the trinkets and belongings of the refugees for useful tools
[] Establish a permanent linking circle (not pioneers)
Aldegard is suffering from the effects of stress due to casting while suffering from mana-madness. She might arbitrarily not do things if they would require significant uses of mana.
