Gems in the Wastes (Exalted/Warhammer Fantasy/CK2)

Winning Plan: Magic Revolution

---

You were, sadly, quite the impious sort, a fact which bothered your family members to no end. Well, your mother never cared that you never worshiped her, she allowed the mortals you oversaw to do so but refused to have family do the same. Yet your refusal to do the same for her beloved Cantata, the same god who died centuries ago, made her furious. It wasn't just because she loved and married the god while he was still alive, though that certainly played a part. It was the fact that the power your family had dangled in front of their noses came from his sacrifice. Without gratitude for that sacrifice, you proved unworthy to reap the benefits of it.

Of course, you weren't great at dealing with the gods that were still around either. Slumbering Star, the local goddess of jewelry (an important position when collaborating with the Sovereign Exalted), still brought up that one time that you refused her a dance in order to help your little grand-niece find her lost sabertooth cub every time you met once more. The other minor gods, petty as they were, just proved too annoying for you to really interact well with them.

And while your lack of piety was your major weakness, it wasn't the only thing you struggled with, at least at first. You never were the best in subtle manners, and while it would be a lie to say that, well, you couldn't lie, you didn't have an amazing track record there either. You weren't hopeless, just… not spymaster material.

Of course, all of this was before your Exaltation. While your memories of other lives faded soon after they began, they did imply that maybe, just maybe, things that were once a weakness for you could easily change and become a strength. Even now, your capacity to discern lies was better than it had ever been, and even days after your Second Breath, Gods gave you just a touch more respect than they did before. But any major improvements would be something for the distant future. Now, you worked to protect your people, sword in hand, defending them against the wickedness that surrounded them on all sides.

But more than simply leading them and fighting to protect them, you sought to teach them. Introduce the youth to new vistas, new ways of thinking, just as you did one fateful season years ago. It had been… not a work of pity. Certainly not at first. Rather, a distant family member had asked if you could instruct their daughter in the realm of sorcery.

It was an odd request, especially as determining whether someone could learn in the first place, in particular a child, was quite difficult. Gods had a better sense for that sort of thing, but you decided to help regardless. Then, someone in the Ministry of Records asked if you could instruct their child as well. Then a general, then a desperate farmer, and finally after a chance encounter with a strange orphan on the dirty streets you had yourself a class of apprentices.

Your apprentices had their challenges. All of them were odd in the ways that Sorcerers tend to be even before they were initiated into those mysteries. Some had issues with authority, an attitude which conflicted with Uluiru's hierarchy. Others still had issues with words or numbers. The aforementioned orphan, Mobolaji, couldn't read at all, which created issues for your initial book-based curriculum.

In the end, you had to toss away the same books you used to initiate yourself and worked on something more freeform, more based in tangible feats than concepts. Your new curriculum found much greater success, and in the span of a single year, you no longer had 5 mere apprentices. You now had under your wing 5 newly initiated Sorcerers, keenly devoted to each new spell you showed them.

It was one late night, as you pondered on how else you could help them advance in their studies, that you received your golden blessing. No one was around to witness it, but you didn't trust your chances of keeping it hidden forever. You put your trust in your apprentices and the next morning showed them the golden sunset which now marked your forehead. And they repaid it by swearing to secrecy, not revealing anything about the matter to anyone.

Even after they eventually went back to their individual families, Mobolaji stayed, for he had nowhere else to go. You and him got along quite well, and his first and most proficient spell was Invulnerable Skin of Bronze, the same as yours. Even now, the both of you had a copper gleam to your skin, brightening an otherwise dark canvas. He stuck with you as a "long-term apprentice," a term which you and him maintained for years. Even after he moved into your home, after you set aside a room just for him, commissioned clothes just for him…

It was a point of amusement for your mother to slyly ask when exactly she could call the boy her grandson, but you didn't take that last step. Not until she had been in her tomb for years more. You should have just torn away your hesitation and embraced the truth before her death. Before Nuwa's death ruined everything. But you couldn't blame your grand-niece for being assassinated, not really. Not when your mother suffered the same fate six months later. There was a long period of mourning, as the nation wept for the death of the Queen and her heir, but the demands of succession could not be held off for long. And the resulting family dispute was bloody.

Every Sovereign Exalt (and some mortal members of the royal family) contended with each other for their place on the throne. At first, most simply relied on contests reminiscent of the 44 Distinctions. Later, as the throne remained empty, these contests became dangerous as those involved tried to prove that they could survive anything as the head of the nation. Only two refused to participate in this worsening game of Chicken: Yourself, who was content to keep your divine status hidden, and your eldest brother, Thousand-Hours Gwai.

Gwai was thought by many to be the presumed heir, both before and after Nuwa's death. After all, he was the Queen's oldest child, and the second-oldest (later oldest) Sovereign Exalt still alive. While no one questioned or even really had issues with the Queen's choice of her great-granddaughter as her true heir, it did cause some confusion to develop. Rumors about what Gwai had done, or not done, to be denied this inheritance. But nobody asked for the truth, and thus nothing was revealed.

Nothing revealed until one night a few months ago, when he requested a midnight meeting with you and you alone at the last minute. Your servants had scrambled to put together an outfit worthy of your requestors status before you shuffled off to his private villa. When you met with him inside, you were shocked to see how… tired he looked. Normally, Gwai was a statue embodied: Untiring, Constantly Harsh Expression, A Sculpted yet deeply aged body that made some swoon and others envious. Now, a hint of vulnerability was being shown to you.

He said nothing at first after leading you inside his private home office. Then he pulled out a scroll, unfurled it, and laid the parchment out onto a table. "Read," he declared. It wasn't a demand, because there was no chance that you would ever disobey that order.

And read you did. Initially it was just the typical loquaciousness common to the royal family, some rhetoric in the middle justifying whatever point he was trying to make, until you got to the very end. In your shock, you read the last part out loud.

"'Thus I, Thousand-Hours Gwai, Eldest Son of Queen Ulu, so request that Soul-Gardener Sango be allowed the opportunity to bathe in the waters and flame of the Fount of Glori-' What is this?!" You cried out, quite rudely in tone.

"The first part of my solution to secure this nation's future," he said coldly as ever. "A solution that requires your compliance." His words drew your attention, once that was secured, he continued. "You and I can both see where this nation is headed. Our siblings, our nieces and nephews and their children and two generations more are all fighting to secure the throne for themselves. Khedaja is banging her drums to start a war we are ill-prepared for, Cilu is stirring up an uprising against the royal family almost absent-mindedly, and the less said about 'Luck-of-Seven,' the better." You couldn't resist a grimace at that. Yes, one of your more unpleasant relatives, that one.

He looked down to focus on the scroll which had given you. "In the end, only one Sovereign has remained outside of this race to Malfeas, and he stands before you. And of the royal family in full, we two are part of a very small minority of bystanders. Tell me, Sango, why have you not pledged a claim to the throne? Why have you not declared for someone else? Why do you, among so few others, refuse to take any side in this dispute?"

It took you a minute to collect your thoughts. A minute that Gwai spent patiently waiting for your response. After all, better for you to give an eloquent speech after some time than a pathetic attempt at communication. Eventually, you gave your answer. "Because it helps no one. If I were to proclaim my stake for the throne, or put my support behind someone else unworthy of it, all it would do is harm the very people we are supposed to protect. I'm not blinded by Mother's mistakes when she had them, few as they were. But overall, she was an exemplary ruler, one which any newcomer to the throne would be hard-pressed to match. I know that I do not have the skills needed to take her place, just as I know that no one else clamoring for the seat is deserving of it either."

There is silence for a time. You allow your elder brother his time to contemplate just as he did for you. And soon enough, he responds. "And in that recognition of your shortcomings, you may prove worthy of the role." What? He… he didn't mean- "Listen well, Sango. Brother. Many have attempted to court me so that I might lend my support to their claim for the throne. None have drawn my interest, not because of the skills they hold, but because of their intentions with the seat of power."

He walks over to a small cabinet nestled away in the corner, fingers twisting little parts here and there, before a click announces the reveal of its contents. You do not see it at first, as his back is to you, but when he turns around, it is to reveal in his hands a crown made of purest Adamant, glistening like a diamond just as Oriachalcum glistens like gold. It is a crown you are very familiar with. After all, your mother used to wear it all the time, before it disappeared shortly after her death.

It seems you know now where it went.

"When Nuwa was first declared to be Mother's heir, I was upset. I felt insulted, like my centuries assisting Mother during her reign were for naught. Who else had the experience needed to lead this nation? Who else was strong in Essence, proficient in War, able to navigate the Ministries as a spider does its own web? So, in private, I demanded that she tell me why, why was I not the one destined for the throne? She rebuked me, of course, far angrier than you have likely ever seen her. We fought, for quite a while, but during that fight she never told me why I had been set aside.

"It was only after Nuwa died, and Mother began to grieve, that she eventually told me her reasoning. 'Gwai, you are powerful, more powerful than anyone in our family save for myself. You could exert total political control in my absence, you could command all of our legions, and in doing so you would be led astray. Because, you have no one in our nation, no one close to you, who can truly tell you: No. If I were to die, who could tell Thousand-Hours Gwai that he should not do something? For nearly my entire reign, you have stood by my side, yet you also had no qualms of telling me when I was doing something wrong. You were almost as powerful as I was, I could not overpower you, not for long. So I needed to understand you, and understand your viewpoint, and from there I could see beyond my own limited sight.

"'If you were to take the throne after my death, you would soon become a tyrant, not just from a lure of power as the stories say, but from a lack of denial from your subjects. I have had so many children and grandchildren, and from that experience I have learned that telling your child "No" when it is needed can help foster their development as kind and understanding people. A queen… or a king, is similar. It is hard to tell a king "No," but it will happen someday. And better that king be told such by a friend than by his greatest enemy.'"

He took in a deep breath, pausing his story to let you absorb that information. "Thus, Mother made me take an oath. That I would never seize the throne for myself, but instead serve as an advisor and a counterbalance to whoever did. That I would be the one who would inform the ruler that their plan was as sound as sand," He paused, before the rarest expression of all briefly shone on his face: A smile. It vanished even before his anecdote continued. "Or, to put it more accurately, that their decision was as manure: Awful, toxic and attracting pests."

Well, that told you why he didn't take the throne, but then, "Why me? Why not anyone else?"

"Because, to be blunt Sango, you hold the odious honor of being the least stupid member of this family right now, exempting the infants of course. Not the wisest, for at this point I think such might be impossible for our dynasty," Well, you wouldn't go that far. The Scarlet Realm was notorious for far worse displays of nepotism and incompetence. "But still the least stupid. Your prudence to avoid this silly cavalcade of contests in any form has shown that you will not draw our nation into unnecessary conflict should you rest at its helm. With your little class, which yes, I did pay attention to, you have shown acceptance not just of the common people, nor just the nobility, but both simultaneously. You are a better compromise candidate than many of those actively campaigning, and I would rather serve as a counterbalance for you than for any other member of this family."

Again, silence descends, and is broken by the old man looking into your eyes, his diamond-white irises glowing in the dim light. "There is a five fold oath which our Mother made when she first announced Nuwa as the heir, to be said on the day of her coronation. I have long since memorized its words. If you think that this plan of mine, little that you know of it, is foolish, then please, walk away and speak nothing of this to anyone. But if you can trust my word that you can do this, then recite this oath with me."

In the end, he managed to persuade you that you were fit for his plans, and for the throne itself. And with that confirmation, he gave you the oath that you would swear to ensure that you never go astray.

"I, Sango, heir to the nation of Uluiru, do declare:

That I will protect the nation's people as if they were my own blood;

That I will secure my own blood and protect them as I do with all others;

That I will not let our fields lie fallow, nor allow our mines to run dry, without exhausting all options I possess;

That I will eliminate all foreign threats to the nation, either by force or by peace;

That I will defend the Fount of Glories and our people's future as if it were my own life;

This I solemnly swear, as King of Uluiru."

With the private ceremony done, Gwai nodded with that same stern expression of his, a miniscule relaxing of his shoulders telling you that a burden had been lifted from him. He rolled up the scroll he had provided you, saying, "Good. Now, I just need to have copies of this scroll made-"

"Actually," you interrupted him, "that will not be necessary." At this point, the secret could not be maintained, not in the way things were going. You had no need to become a Sovereign Exalt... not when you had something far greater in store. With a flash, you revealed your true majesty to him, a golden aura overtaking your body.

He blinked at the interruption. He blinked some more when he saw your face, your forehead, your Caste Mark shining bright in the night. For Thousand-Hours Gwai, a statue embodied and given flesh, that was the equivalent of deep shock. And in the end, all he could say was "...Well, that's one step we can skip."

---

In the end, you ascended to the throne too late to make the changes needed to truly secure your nation from the numerous threats that surrounded it. BUT, you did manage enough to prevent the loss of several precious things. Not everything, not with the time you had, but enough.

There are five key pieces which made up the body that was Uluiru. Each piece on its own is nothing, but with the cooperation of the other five, great things were accomplished with ease. Sadly, not everything from the nation could be preserved, not without risking overburdened ships and complete annihilation. You must determine what was preserved, and what was discarded in the escape from destruction.

Your oath held five parts to it. Which one did you prioritize?

You have 1 point remaining from the last round. You may and, if I might be presumptuous, probably should go into debt this round with your points and then take drawbacks in the next round to pay it off. The benefits you gained from the last round mostly benefited you alone, these however will benefit your nation in its entirety.

There are restrictions on what you can take, however. You may only take ONE 4-point option and ONE 3-point option from the following list. After all, the ships which your character and everything one else took weren't that big, some things had to be left behind. Generally speaking, every higher costing option automatically includes the cheaper stuff as well into its total.

3-point options might have smaller sidequests associated with them. 4-point options have that, as well as their own major questline. The other options will just provide benefits, but no questlines. I'm only going to give hints as to what each quest might entail.

Citizens:

The citizens are the limbs and fingers of Uluiru. It is thanks to their hard work that food is placed on the table of every home, that the precious mineral wealth of the nation is brought up from the depths. It is thanks to them that the armies of fae and demon alike did not succeed for as long as they did. Who would work the farms, the mines, the battle stations? Who would pray for the success of the gods, or keep the culture and the people alive? The Sovereigns might be powerful, but it is the people who keep the nation running.

[] Retainers (+1)

• Around a dozen mortals to help with tasks. Certain options will be restricted until you have a higher population.
• Provides no military levies. Cannot take ANY Military actions each turn except by using Heroes or your own warband.
• Will have 1 of your Sorcerous students available.

[] Hamlet (0)

• Around several dozen mortals to assist and provide farming. Certain options will be restricted until you have a higher population.
• Provides around a dozen unremarkable soldiers for protection. Cannot take ANY Military actions each turn except by using Heroes or your own warband.
• Will have 2 of your Sorcerous students available.

[] Village (-1)

• Over 100 mortals to assist and provide farming.
• Provides around a couple dozen unremarkable soldiers for protection. Can only take ONE Military action each turn without a Hero or your warband.
• Will have 3 of your Sorcerous students available.

[] Town (-2)

• Around several hundred mortals to assist and provide farming.
• Provides over 100 unremarkable soldiers for protection.
• Will have all 5 of your Sorcerous students available.

[] District (-3)

• Around 1000 mortals to assist and provide farming. Reduces the DC of certain actions by 10.
• Provides several hundred unremarkable soldiers for protection, along with a squad of elite soldiers.
• All 5 of your students are available, another Sorcerer is found, and 10 more have potential.
• Quest: A Place To Learn

[] City (-4)

• Around 10,000 mortals to assist and provide farming. Reduces the DC of certain actions by 20.
• Provides around 1000 unremarkable soldiers for protection, along with several squads of elite soldiers. Increases the number of military actions that can be taken each turn to 3.
• All 5 of your students are available, 10 more Sorcerers are found, and 100 more have potential.
• Quest: A Working Like No Other

Sovereigns:

The Sovereigns are the Brain of Uluiru. It is from their guidance and decisions that the rest of the nation followed suit. It is their orders which were, and are, obeyed. Without the current Sovereign Exalted, Uluiru would have never survived as long as it did. Who else could provide the sorcerers able to magically rejuvenate the frozen soil? Who else could provide the various wonders of the nation? Who else could provide the wisdom and insight needed to lead an entire kingdom in the harsh North? Every Sovereign still alive is one who remembers the traditions, and has cultivated a degree of puissance in their Essence. The mortals may be more numerous, but each Sovereign is a demigod. They are powerful, and with that power they are useful to solving the current situation.

[] One (+1)

• Thousand-Hours Gwai will be one of your Councilors, greatly enhancing the chance of success for his area of expertise.
• Gwai comes with his own retinue, slightly increasing your overall population.

[] Two (0)

• At least two Councilors can be Sovereigns, having a greater chance of success in their efforts.
• They will have their own retinues, slightly increasing your overall population.

[] Three (-1)

• At least three Councilors can be Sovereigns, having a greater chance of success in their efforts.
• They will have their own retinues, slightly increasing your overall population.

[] Five (-2)

• At least five Councilors can be Sovereigns, having a greater chance of success in their efforts.
• With their retinues and armed forces, they will increase your overall population, as well as your soldier population, by 10%

[] Ten (-3)

• All of the Council can be Sovereigns, with 1 significant Sovereign serving as a Hero. A few army units might have Sovereign officers.
• With their retinues and armed forces, they will increase your overall population, as well as your soldier population, by 20%
• Quest: Resolving a Split

[] Twenty (-4)

• All of the Council can be Sovereigns, with 3 significant Sovereigns serving as Heroes. Many army units might have Sovereign officers.
• With their retinues and armed forces, they will increase your overall population, as well as your soldier population, by 40%
• Quest: Under the Cover of Glass

Wealth:

The wealth and providence of Uluiru are its lifeblood. Without the trade provided by its gold mines, it wouldn't have enough food to feed the entire population. Without the blue jade and adamant recovered from beneath the surface, its greatest Artifacts could not be constructed. And without the wise guidance of Queen Ulu, the great grain houses of food would not have been built, and the long-term storing of food would not have occurred. It is thanks to this long-term planning that the current remnants of the nation have as much food for the coming months ahead as they do.

[] Penniless (+1)

• Will provide no material wealth outside of supplies.
• Will provide enough food for 1 turn, 2 if rationed.

[] Some Silver and a Bauble (0)

• Silver can be exchanged for goods and services.
• The Bauble is equivalent to a 2-dot Artifact.
• Will provide enough food for 2 turns, 3 if rationed.
• You hold the ruined remains of your boats, whose wood can be repurposed for buildings.

[] Some Gems, an Heirloom and more Supplies (-1)

• Gems can be used for trade OR for item crafting.
• The Heirloom is equivalent to a 3-dot Artifact.
• Will provide enough food for 3 turns, 5 if rationed.
• Your boats are totalled, but with enough intact to provide for a number of buildings.

[] A Glut of Wealth with a Storied Item (-2)

• Plenty of gems that can be used for many purposes.
• Blue Jade is available to be used for Artifact Creation.
• The Storied Item is equivalent to a 4-dot Artifact.
• Will provide enough food for 5 turns, or 2 years if rationed.
• One of your larger boats remains intact, albeit stuck on land. The others can be repurposed.

[] Great Stores of Wealth and an array of Artifacts (-3)

• A wide variety of precious items.
• Blue Jade and Adamant available for Artifact Creation.
• One Artifact will be 5 dots, and several more of 3-dot rank will be available to the Exalted.
• Will provide enough food for 2 years, 4 if rationed.
• Several of your boats remain intact.
• Quest: An Impersonal History

[] The Nation's Wealth and its Armory (-4)

• As much money and materials as could be transported from Uluiru's vaults, which is more than any one person could ever own.
• One Artifact will be 5 dots, and many more will be 3-4 dots.
• Will provide enough food for 4 years, 8 if rationed.
• All of your boats, including their armor and sails, remain pristine despite making landfall from the portal.
• Quest: Refining the Refining

Supernatural Aid:

The supernatural entities native to (and around) Uluiru are its feet. It is thanks to them that the nation was able to cement itself in solid ground, without being driven even further astray. Praise be to Cantata-of-the-Depths, whose guidance helped Queen Ulu discover the valley where Uluiru would be founded! Praise be to the God of Gems, whose sacrifice ignited the Fount of Glories in the first place! Even centuries after his death, other gods and earth elementals try to honor his memory by assisting his chosen people with their day-to-day lives. And unlike the Scarlet Realm, Uluiru is no stranger to asking for assistance from other Exalted.

[] Pride (+1)

• No supernatural entities, outside of the Sovereign Exalted, will assist.

[] Earth Elementals (0)

• Earth elementals and minor gods are available to assist with mining efforts, reducing all DCs related to it by 10.

[] Slumbering Star (-1)

• Goddess of Jewelry, can assist in the acquisition of Wealth.
• Comes with a retinue of minor Gods and God-Blooded.
• Might be looking at the council seat of Culture or Mining, but will understand if you place an Exalt in her stead for both. "Mandate of Heaven" and all that.
• Can live without a shrine for a while under the circumstances, but WILL demand one if it doesn't come eventually (especially if she doesn't have a council seat).

[] Dragon-Blooded (-2)

• A Hearth of Dragon-Blooded, 1 of each Aspect.
• One of them comes with a retinue of mortal assistants or soldiers.
• Whether they are Dynasts, Lookshyan or whatever will be randomly rolled.
• Can potentially pass down their Exaltation to their children.
• Will insist on at least 1 of their number having a place on the council, if not more.

[] Lunar (-3)

• A single, experienced Lunar Exalt of a random Caste. Might be the other half of your Solar-Lunar bond?
• Comes with a retinue of Beastmen assistants or soldiers.
• Very good in combat, regardless of skillset. Can reduce the change Chaos creates on the land.
• Can potentially transform other mortals into Beastmen, use 2nd Circle Sorcery or Necromancy, etc.
• Will aim to become the ruler of the nation, and will demand a council seat at minimum. Might have their own agenda.
• Quest: Ancient Ties

[] Circle (-4)

• A Circle of 5 Exalted, which consist of a Lunar (from the previous option), a Dragon-Blood (NOT from the prior option), a Solaroid of some kind, and 2 randomly rolled Exalted.
• At least three of them will have mortal retinues, increasing your overall population by at least 10%.
• Will have a wide array of skillsets to draw from.
• At least two, if not all of them will aim to become members of the council/the ruler of the nation. They definitely have their own agenda.
• Quest: An Impossible Purpose

Glory:

The Fount of Glories is Uluiru's beating heart. Queen Ulu might have been led to the nation's eventual resting place by Cantata-of-the-Depths, but it is his sacrifice, and her bathing in the pool of fire and blood therein, which truly founded the nation. When she took her Second Breath as the first Sovereign Exalt, the people could be secure in the fact that they had divine guidance leading them on. Without the Fount of Glories, no new Sovereigns could be made. Without the Fount of Glories, the royal dynasty would have never formed, nor gained the strength it needed to survive the constant predations of the Wyld. Wealth can be extracted, people can be born, but this is a miracle that can never be replicated or reproduced. Without it, the line of Sovereignhood will eventually run dry.

[] Vials of, (+1)

• The minimal amount of liquid able to be stored, the remaining Exalted available will have small crystal vials which contain a thimble's worth of Glory each.
• Provides enough blood to test 1 mortal for Sovereign Exaltation.

[] Bladders of, (0)

• Every remaining Exalt will carry a sealed bladder on their person filled with Glory.
• Provides enough blood to test 3 mortals for Sovereign Exaltation.

[] Barrels of, (-1)

• Every cart available will have a barrel on-board filled with Glory.
• Provides enough blood to test 5 mortals for Sovereign Exaltation.
• Can instead be used up for sorcerous purposes.

[] Baths of, (-2)

• There will be an entire cart dedicated to containing a great crystal bath filled with Glory.
• Provides enough blood to test 10 mortals for Sovereign Exaltation.
• Can instead be used up for sorcerous purposes.

[] Fount of, (-3)

• After an emergency carving session, the entire pool, interior AND exterior, was removed from the crystal-strewn ground and brought up to the surface to be carried away in one of the ships.
• Provides enough blood to test an unknown number of mortals for Sovereign Exaltation. The number will be AT LEAST 30.
• Can be used a number of times for sorcerous purposes. Each use will consume a number of tests.
• Quest: Finding Some Results

[] Aurora's, (-4)

• With a thousand delicate hands and an outrageous degree of luck (the Maidens may or may not have gotten directly involved here), not only was the pool excavated, but Aurora's divine corpse as well. This is the dead body of one of the most powerful Gods in existence, and his blood even in death provides enormous power. While Cantata was the spark, Aurora was the fuel for the pyre that became the Fount of Glories.
• Provides a seemingly endless amount of blood to test mortals for Sovereign Exaltation with.
• Can be used a number of times for sorcerous purposes.
• It's the body of one of the most powerful entities in either setting. Surely you can find some use for it?
• Quest: The Fallen Rainbow

---

Author's Note: So, fun fact: Gwai was the individual intended to be your ruler should one of the Advisor votes win. We really only have a paragraph about him in Across the Eight Directions to go off of, and I may have taken some liberties with his character. Namely, that while he IS the Eldest living Sovereign after the Queen died, nothing about his biography says anything about him being the Queen's son. There are mentions of him regarding his "Royal Cousins" with disdain, but Uluiru has a special relationship with the word "Cousin" that makes that statement less definitive than you'd think.

My goal with this update was to really make you think about what exactly is worth more to you: Having a large nation at the start? Having plenty of Exalted (Sovereign or Foreign) to help you at the start? Tons of resources? One of the most powerful corpses which ever existed? Which one do you prioritize?

Also, when I said above that you likely should go into debt, I really meant it. Some of these benefits are more than worth the tons of drawbacks that you will need to pay them off. So, feel free to create plans and discuss amongst yourselves what you should do, because this is likely the turning point of the entire quest, at least for the beginning.