The Rim and the Hammer (Exalted/Warhammer Quest)

Though you cannot say you are not tempted to bind a spirit of the earth to dog the dwarf's footsteps every sorcerer learns to restrain such impulses, at least every sorcerer who lives to work his craft. You do not know what manner of folk these are, nor what protections they may weave from the slow and secret Essence at the roots of the mountains. Better by far to be cautious than to gain foes where you did not have to. So you wish Galdr well on his way and send him off to his own clansfolk, a carefully crafted message folded in his new robes. That the robes are silk and the cloak over them is wolf's fur trimmed with griffon feathers, both crafted by the skills of the Chosen, is its own message of course as to both the wealth and the generosity of Sezekan.

"I'll be getting this across the High King's table so long as I have breath in me lungs and strength in me legs." The oath is simple, almost crude, but the sincerity of it rings out clear as Calibration drums.

Stewardship: Singer of the White-Gold Dream is a diligent and punctual worker, but you are very glad indeed that you are his superior and not his underling. Rushing along hither and yon fit to loose feathers as your mother would say he has far more ideas than time to implement them

Choose One:

[X] Terrace Farm Planning: Another way to solve your food problem as well as potentially raise crops to trade would be to set up terrace farming, though with only vague descriptions to go on Dream would have to create working plans before the first clod of earth is turned
DC 30
Reward: Begin farming rice
Duration 2 Turns
Cost: 200 Wealth[Action locked for One Turn]

Result: 30 (Success)

When the time came to flood the fields for the first time disaster almost struck, a weakness in the rock that would have caused a colapse in the slope but for the quick thinking of a pair of young Dragonblooded, skilled in the crafts of fire and, oddly enough for your people, stone who managed to seal the dikes with quickly hardened cement before a more long lasting solution could be reached. Now that the fields are producing they might almost sustain your entire population on their own, which sadly says more about your limited numbers than it does about the extent of the rice paddies

Reward: +60 Food/Turn

[] Plant Healing Herbs: The Ministry of Sanitation has enough supplies of healing tinctures, ointments and teas to last it through a year, perhaps two if you are careful, but with many of the relic gardens now turned to growing food larger fields will be required to maintain the stock
DC 50
Reward Maintain stock of healing herbs for the use of the Ministry of Sanitation; potential trade good
Cost: 80 Wealth [Locked for One more Turn]

Result: 97 + 15 = 113 (Critical Success)

With the harvest of rice now guaranteed the relic gardens with their essence regulated soil compositions and water intake can be turned to more specialized and difficult growing, much to the relief of the Minister of Sanitation. You even have enough of them to use as a trade good with the people of the surrounding villages, earning you wealth and goodwill alike.

As you start to offer these new bundles of life and healing to the folk of the north something odd happens that even Da Wei did not intend, nor truth be told rightly understands. Small white mice find their way into a few satchels, slipping out when your traders set them down in Skorlm or Ulfsland and the traders who see them swear that their backs glinted as though with threads of gold... in the eight pointed mark of the Unconquered Sun.

Reward: -25 Food/Year All healing herbs preserved; Gain Trade Good: Healing salves +5 Wealth/year; Mice of the Sun active

Piety: The light of the sun is a comfort even in this far off land, though it seems distant you know that no matter where the Wyld may have deposited you while men strive towards excellency the eye of the Sun shall be upon you. In the meantime though you shall take counsel of lesser gods and learn where you had come to be and how this land came to be so tainted
2 Rare Reagents Available, may select actions to grant +10 to

[] Da Wei's aid: With Relic and ritual, with sacrifice befitting of his nature and stature beseech the aid of the City Father of Sezekan to the work of the city
DC Automatic
Reward: +15 to chosen Stewardship action
Cost: 50 Wealth

Da Wei is more than happy to lend his aid in growing herbs to improve the health of the city, his lore and understanding proving of great worth, though even he is puzzled by some of what his work has done. A sign of the Daystar is of course welcome however humble, but still... mice?

[] Tame the Gods of the Forests: In your experience the Gods who have had the dominion of an untamed forest turn... strange and need a firm hand to react any sort of agreement beneficial to both sides
DC: ???
Reward: Can bargain with the god in question
Cost None

Result: 19 (Critical Failure)

Excellency Re-roll: 61 (Success?)

The ritual begins with hopeful signs as the forest seems to open up before Willing Student of the Unseen Signs and Carrier of Incandescent Truths from the Silver Mountain, asking for no more than a ritual burning of lichens and mosses from beyond the bounds of the woods as sacrifice and the sacrifice of seven crows. Just as the last stroke was being made Willing Student of the Unseen Signs was overcome with foreboding as he sensed a watcher in the smoke, a foul thing lurking just beyond sight, though not beyond feeling. With a great wind he cast out the noxious hallucinatory fumes that he had been deceived into bringing forth. Just then savage drums beat in the distance and the braying of creatures neither man nor beast rang out, but none of them could be as swift as one of your people on the wing. In the confusion a single thorny bur caught on Carrie's wing.

When they had reached the Heart of Sezakan, preparing to cleanse themselves of any traces of the terrifying spiritual ambush the small spiny seed cried out in pain and fear:

"Please don't hurt me, don't drown me! He made me! I didn't want to lead you ill, but He's too strong, so strong! He wears away mountains and drinks seas. What hope does a small god like me have against such might?"

What do you do?

[] Speak to the strange god, he might know much of what you wish to know, need to know given the dangers of this world

[] Get rid of it, it is likely tainted, a trick inside a trick

[] Write in

OOC: Good thing for you Gus is not the only one with Occult Excellency or this could have been very nasty.