Empire lost, but the spark remains v2 - original setting CK2 quest

When Livvy - Liffannen - had laconically described the ancient necropolis as 'A bunch of overgrown towers and canals', Astaria thought she had at least a somewhat decent idea of what to expect.

It only took coming face-to-face with the absurdly tall harbour walls, and realising the things were not cliff faces but actual construction that some ones at some point had erected, for her to understand that her expectations were woefully underperforming, starting with substantially underestimating the scale. By several orders of magnitude.

The absurd things were at least twice as tall as the tallest mast of the largest ship of their armada.
The less said about what she hoped was the lighthouse tower built into those harbour walls, the better.
And the luxuriant foliage, which stretched for miles in all directions, obscured every aspect of the scene until they were right next to it.

Well, she did expect the rampant plant life. Gurni was rather infamous for it. The island was not called Green Hell for nothing.

Astaria's heart sank as she realised the true grandeur of the ancient necropolis. The thought of what other towering structures lay hidden within its walls filled her with… not quite trepidation. More of a wary sense of foreboding.

And her unease was proven right as they navigated past the harbour mouth.
Even the squat-appearing, probable warehouses that populated the harbour each easily topped twenty feet.


While it was not, technically, the largest city she had ever beheld, the great merchant metropolis of Trellyun only managed to keep that title by dint of its sheer sprawl.
In terms of habitable space, if she were any judge, Man-Mell could easily accommodate the entirety of Trellyun's inner boroughs population, with room to spare.


And Liffannen was quite candid about the fact that the place had never been intended to house the living, past the caretakers, funerary priests, and temporary visitors, which her own Spark corroborated.

Those preposterously spatious docks had never been meant for trade nor commerce. Only to accept the remains of the departed, and what supplies were necessary.


Just how grand was this ancient civilisation that they built something of this monumental scale, solely as a… A glorified cemetary.

There had never been anything so magnificent done for such a secondary need, not even by the mad magelords as far as anyone within the exodus knew.

Why, furthermore, were there no other traces of the civilization anywhere that the Tasakarim had been aware of?

Well, there might be something within the Misty Archipelago, but the information coming out of that fog-shrouded pit of malcontent, piracy, and villainy was about as reliable as a skeggi's boasting.


The palpable mantle of divine censure that resonated within her Spark, and the way Liffannen went out of her way never to even indirectly touch upon the Starmother, did leave some clues for a discerning mind to feel out for the shape of the puzzle.

Before becoming the Queen of their exiled realm, Astaria had dedicated a decent portion of herself into building up her career as an imperial judge. Even without the tremendous benefits that her Spark provided, she felt her mind was more than sufficiently sharp and trained to extrapolate some pretty telling conclusions about Lifannen's past and the mysterious connection to the Starmother that she seemed to be avoiding.

Add to that that Astaria's Spark was rather less fruitful in telling her the truth of the matter even when she fully opened up to it, which in itself was rather telling.

What she did get from it, though, told her that there was a deeper story waiting to be uncovered, one that could potentially change the course of their entire realm.


-*-*-


Lyf's brooding thoughts as she considered Man-Mell were complicated and conflicted.

There was a fierce pride that there was not even a single cobblestone out of place, despite the mortuary city having been abandoned for more time than any civilisation had survived, intermixed with sorrow more ancient and primaeval than the trees that intruded upon but never could pass the borders of the city of the dead.

But, more than anything, there was the simmering ball of grief and grievance. She wished she could hate The Sister for what happened here, but in truth, she could not.

The blame laid on her. On her and her three counterparts.

All four of the Na Uselle da Anan, the four kin, Great AN's stewards of the seasons, the last vestiges of the Great One's divinity upon this world, should have known better.

When their people fell from grace and abandoned the ways of their one and only true deity, the caretakers of Man-Mell fell further than most.

Had the four Kins been more attentive…
Had they not been so caught up in what, in hindsight, had been petty politics…
Had they been more firm and forceful and less conciliatory, less forgiving of their people's greed, ingratitude, and entitlement…
Had they only taken the time to think and been more considerate of the fact that while the great one was great indeed, they were less than kind to their own divine descendants...
Had they simply not placed their trust in the treacherous wyrm Ryui-Goch who had been gorging itself on the anima of its grandfather's people's sanctified deceased…

A whole slew of unforgivable what ifs, why nots, and if onlys, that bit to the bone...

No, the… The Starmother was fully justified in her incandescent wrath when she smote her abominable grand-nephew and laid her dire castigation upon Man-Mell.

It was the right thing to do, the just thing to do.
Which made it in no way any less of a shattering blow for the Na Uselle and the rest of the faithful, small as that number had been.
No less painful and degrading, in mind and soul.


She was snapped out of her moribund spiral by the 'Annoying One' opening his big, fat, smug jaw and totally derailing her with another bit of insight he had no right to pull out of nowhere.

"Dancer in the meadows! It took me a little while to remember all the old verses and match them with where you fit. That is who you are. Dancer in the meadows."

Before even she was aware it was happening, Cnàan-droigh was in her hand, grown to full size, humming in a dirge for the loudmouth's heart.

Miraculously, he was already pulled back and surrounded by the wall of his household guards. Not that they could do much, if anything, if she did decide to take his heart.

And, yet the fool paid not a slip of attention to the mortal peril he was cheerfully tapdancing along the edge of.

"Oh, and the spear… That would also make you the lover in the woods. Interesting, interesting. I will have to amend my notes…"

Lyf gave a cold glare, first at the impassive lieutenant of the superhuman troop, and then at his foolhardy primary.

"I would advise you to curb your wagging tongue, Tasakar pup. For all your blathering, you are not a Bard, and thus not afforded the protections." For all the ire he had earned from her with throwing those particular appellations at her. Even Faear was cautioning her that she could not afford to kill him. As if she did not know that.

With a frustrated scream, the child-that-was-not snapped around and flung the spear towards the overgrown wilderness. The spear flew much faster and much farther than it had any right to, and soon enough, the din of many dozens of ships and thousands of people got briefly interrupted by an unmistakable keen of a Wyvern's death-scream.

There, that should do it. A worthy hearth taken in trade. And even better, considering where they were, almost certainly of the bloodline of the moons' most abhorrent son.


-*-*-


Astaria was grimly certain that she would have to box her fool brother's ears, as she was faced with undisguised hostility that radiated from the more-than-simply godtouched child towards Tywin's sauntering figure, and the apparent wariness the household guard in charge of her brother directed towards the eerie child, as the two of them were escorted, grouped but apart to the…


Astaria did not even know what she could call the small gathering she was organising.

It consisted of herself, her husband, her brother, her father-in-law, revered Arch-Exarch Argyle, General Tastacore, of the VIIth legion, and their curiously anomalous guide. Oh, and also Captain Stevenson, but he was firmly instructed to hold his tongue until and unless someone specifically asked for his thoughts.
Chaptermaster Rushmore of the Grayhowl knights had also been invited, but after a quick consultation with the general, he decided his time would be better spent on his mount, scouting out the city interior.

The queen, her immediate family, and four out of the six most powerful and important members of their exodus, and Liffannen whom none of them had any illusion about ranking above everyone but the queen.

It was a leadership council, yet stripped of all the usual attendants, advisors, and assorted other hanger-ons.


"Liffannen, I think I speak for everyone here when I say that it is quite obvious that this place is in some way very important to you and whatever power you serve. I will be neither gauche nor supercilious enough to ask you to divulge things you demonstrably have no intentions of revealing. But, that said, are there any places you explicitly do not wish us to disturb?"

Lyf found herself caught off guard for a moment at the question.
By their bargain struck over the matter with the Anbarr, the queen had no need to show such consideration, and this place had been laid low and abandoned for so long, that the only cares over such considerations that could exist were no more than empty sentimentality.

And yet…

"Not, as such, no." The immortal in a child's body mused and gave the Arch-Exarch an intent scrutiny. "But, there are some kindnesses me and mine would not mind asking for and receiving, that would not put you out in any meaningful way." She went on.

Astaria held her taught and gave the others an opportunity to interject. Seeing as no one had taken it, she carefully nodded at Lyf to expand on her requests.

"There I a… A pool, a reservoir, a body of water, call it what you will a bit deeper in the city. At each side of it there is a single building with four towers, not wholly unalike your celestial temples." As she spoke, she gave the reverend priestess an arch, mockingly amused nod and continued on: "And it would be… apt for the starbound priesthood to use them as such. A more appropriate fate, than any other purpose they might be put to, you might say."

Surprisingly, even Faer, who demonstrably lacked any sense of humour, found the request entirely suitable. Satisfactory even.

"Moreover, we would be grateful if you could see to it that the… Reservoir is kept clean, which would be sensible for you to do anyhow, seeing as it is a major canal thoroughfare, but especially to keep even the bottoms scrubbed for solstices and equinoxes…"
As Lyf spoke, Gayla Argyle, who could usually be counted to be the least excitable member of any company she was a part of suddenly jumped to her feet and grabbed Lyf's hands in her own.
"You cannot mean… Tyrau Tymhorau and a mosaic in the water between them…"
"Tyrau Tymhorau? I guess that is one way to put it… But are you telling me you have knowledge of…"
But the old priestess had already gotten her answer and had bonelessly fallen back down into her chair. She left out a delighted peel of giggly laughter, appropriate for a girl one-fifth the age of Starmother's eldest handmaiden.
"Sweet Starmother and all her children, big and small. A genuine Sovereign's compass! Your majesty! Please accept this request! All the combined priesthood of the celestial pantheon would find it a high honour to volunteer for such a duty!"
Everyone, even Lyf found themselves taken aback and stunned by the usually highly dignified priestesses' outburst.

Everyone… But Tywin Tasakar.
The self-proclaimed bard had a gleam in his eyes as he started reciting from memory.

"Run now children lost!
Flee!
From the serpent's maw
Escape lies, where the dancers' feet flies
Across the compass on her complement's day
Your sanctuary lies
'neath the eye of stars"

~Shiogi man mak Liffannen,
She who dances the summer glades,
Loving huntress of the great woodlands,
Sovereign of sunkissed days,
Eater of the unworthy dead,
Hearth taker,
Nem AN Hain

Answer me fierce summer, and let us exchange steps.~

The call came brought on the wings of the coldest wind from the Skeggi's northern ranges.

Lyf's mind sounded out in near-outrage to her most direct counterpart.
"Now?! Now of all times Baen? when I have finally found a clue?!?"
"Exactly because of that. You are too worked up. You, better than me know that a hunter who cannot settle down catches no prey. To make mistakes at this point, just because your blood burns beyond what your current body can properly channel would be irredeemable. So, come. Hunt. Take hearths until you are becalmed."
"... You are right. As you usually are. So be it..."

~Shioban man mak Banbaenan,
She who spins the yarns of lore,
Soothing guide of the snowswept slopes,
Sovereign of icebound darkness,
Comforter of the innocents passed,
Dirge singer,
Aoan na AN

Answer me kind winter, and let us exchange steps~


To the eyes of the council, It looked like Livvy had frozen in place at Tywyn's impromptu recitation, and then in a rush of... Of sounds of summertime? it wasn't easy to explain...
In a rush of whatever it was, she disappeared, leaving in her place a tall thin woman with, it had to be said, enormous pale hair. Arranged into two massive buns, each at least half the volume of her head, if not a bit bigger, on either side of her head, she still had enough to leave braids trailing to her waist.

Reverend Argyle was the first to find her voice.
"Who..? What? You are... You are not the girl. Liffannen. You are alike her, but entirely different. Liffannen was well-liked by the Starmother, but you... You are outright beloved!"
The pale woman gave a low, almost whispery, forlorn sigh and looked away, with unshed tears in her eyes.
"Yes. I know. It is something I can never be forgiven for. But my crimes are my own, and not the reason I am here..."

All die are d50; You have:

Astaria: 3 Spark dice (all; +10 to rolls concerning law, justice, and oaths)[SAs]; 3 Ruler dice (Diplomacy, Intrigue, Stewardship) [As]
Crannog: 1 Spark die (all; -5 to all rolls not concerning magic)[SCr]; 1 Ruler die (Learning, Piety)[RCr]; 2 Wizard die (any concerning magic); [Cr]
Tywin: 3 Spark dice (all; +5 to Diplomacy; +10 to rolls concerning lore)[Ty]; 3 independent die (you do not control where this goes);
Wells family: 5 Noble dice (Diplomacy, Martial, Stewardship)[Wel]; 2 independent dice (you do not control where this goes);
Captain Stevenson: Lord Captain commander of Tasakar Household guard (Automatically negate 1d4 risk of one action, prioritizes risks involving Tasakars; you do not control where this goes)
VII border legion: 6 Legion dice (Martial, Stewardship, Learning)[Leg]
Justiciaries: 2 Justicar dice (Diplomacy, Martial)[Jus]
Greyhowl knights: 2 Greyhowl die (Martial, Intrigue, Learning) [Ghk]; 1 independent die (you do not control where this goes);
Brotherhood of Raven: 2 Spy dice (Martial, Intrigue)[Spy]; Counterespionage specialists (assign to an action with a chance of discovery to negate) [CES]
Brotherhood of Owl: 3 Spy dice (Intrigue, Stewardship)[Spy]
Brotherhood of Talon: 1 Spy die (Martial, Intrigue, Learning)[Spy]; 1 Assassin die (all; cause additional, often negative effects; Ignore up to 2 risk)[Ass];
Treasury and banking association: 4 banker dice (Stewardship; Any as additional dice) [T&B]
Shipbuilder's Society: 4 shipbuilder dice (Stewardship; any concerning ships and ports/harbors) [SBS]
Grand Imperial Archive: 4 Archive dice (Learning) [Arc]; Institutional knowledge (assign for +20 to roll total) [InK]
Witches covens: 6 Witch dice (Intrigue, Learning, any involving magic)[WtC]
College of Horticulture: 3 Academic dice (Stewardship, Learning) [Aca]; 2 Horticulture dice (any involving plantlife, +10 to roll)[CoH]
Arch-Exarch Gayla Argyle: 2 Arch-Exarch die (Learning, Piety; +5 to rolls)[AEG]; 1 independent die (you do not control where this goes);
Grand Temple of Isanella: 3 Temple dice (Learning, Piety)[Tem]
Chaplains corps: 2 Temple die (Learning, Piety)[Tem]
Population: 10 General dice (all)[Gen]


Spark:
URGENT! [] The Curse of Man-Mell - The place is unquestionably under the Starmother's stern censure. The very air is heavy with the sense of forbiddance and judgment. If you are to actually make a living here, this issue needs to be solved. Luckily, between the Spark and the presence of not simply one of the Arch-Exarchs, but the woman known informally as the Starmother's own handmaiden, you pretty much have exactly the right folks to solve this. (Requires at least one Spark or Arch-Exarch dice, using Spark dice and Arch-Exarch dice together can trigger bonuses; Spark, Piety, Learning; DC 40; Cannot benefit from T&B or InK)
[] Concordant me this - You have brought the Tablets of Concordant with you. These ancient pieces of stone-like material are apparently indestructible and much lighter than they have any right being. They are a proof, and the seal of the bargain and the boon between the line of Turgud TasAkar and Isanella, the goddess of Stars. And to the shame and disgrace of your line, their secrets and significance are lost to the centuries. Time to fix that. (Requires at least one spark die; using Spark dice and Arch-Exarch dice together can trigger bonuses; Spark, Piety; Synergises with ???; Continuous ???/???; Cannot benefit from Gen or T&B)
[] Evergrowing on evergreen? - Among the artifacts liberated from the Vaults is the Ever-living tree cutting. Your bringing it along was accidental, you just grabbed the first small chest, and the cutting happened to be it. But, seeing as your destination was Gurni isle, which among its other colorful appellations is also called by some The Gods' own Garden, maybe it was no accident, after all. Maybe, just maybe, it was providence. Time to plant it and see what happens. (Spark, Witch, and Horticulture dice might combo into bonus; Spark, Learning; Continuous ???/???; incompatible with Present the Ever-living tree cutting as a gift)

Diplomacy (If taken, one or two actions among Consolidating power and Formalizing relations might suffer temporary -5 malus this turn, due to prior player choices):
[] Consolidating power, upper-class - The future is uncertain Your new residence has a dreadful reputation and is sure to be perilous in ways not even imagined, yet. And your cousins' misbehavior has cast a pall over your dynasty's reputation. Reach out to people, and assure them that they were not wrong in putting trust in you. (Diplomacy, Intrigue, Piety; Synergises with other Consolidating power actions; DC 20 Risk 1; Affected by Curse of Man-Mell; Temporary malus -5 for this turn)
[] Consolidating power, middle-class - The future is uncertain Your new residence has a dreadful reputation and is sure to be perilous in ways not even imagined, yet. And your cousins' misbehavior has cast a pall over your dynasty's reputation. Reach out to people, and assure them that they were not wrong in putting trust in you. (Diplomacy, Intrigue, Stewardship; Synergises with other Consolidating power actions; DC 30; Affected by Curse of Man-Mell)
[] Consolidating power, lower-class - The future is uncertain Your new residence has a dreadful reputation and is sure to be perilous in ways not even imagined, yet. And your cousins' misbehavior has cast a pall over your dynasty's reputation. Reach out to people, and assure them that they were not wrong in putting trust in you. (Diplomacy, Stewardship, Piety; Synergises with other Consolidating power actions; DC 20; Affected by Curse of Man-Mell)
[] Consolidating power, witches - It is undeniable that here, on the Green Hell, Witches represent a peerless asset, and lucky you, there are two full covens that decided to cast their lot in with you. Now, to make sure of their loyalties. (Diplomacy, Learning; Synergises with other Consolidating power actions; Synergises with Coven Concerns; DC 30)
[] Formalizing the relations with Na Uselle - Even if she had her own reasons for coming along and aiding and guiding the exodus in the first place, it is undeniable that without Liffannen the entire endeavor would have found itself in much more dire straits. Add the fact that she and her so-called kin, are intimately familiar with both Man-Mell and Gurni at large, and that, at least according to her own priesthood, Starmother Isanella herself vouches for them, establishing proper diplomatic relations would be an astute, rational, and salient thing to do. Now, if only they were not making it so hard... (One Ruler die only; Continuous ???/???)
-[] Present the Ever-living tree cutting as a gift - This is just a hunch, but you believe that presenting this would help things along the way, in a major way. (Incompatible with Evergrowing in Evergreen?)
[] What happened here, Livvy? - There is obviously a lot of history to this place. Try asking Liffannenn or one of her kin to elucidate (Diplomacy; Synergises with other What happened here actions; DC 50; Affected by Curse of Man-Mell; Cannot benefit from Gen, T&B or InK)

Martial:
[] Taking command of the fortifications - Man-Mell walls and integrated forts are a thing of beauty. All they need to be perfect are some soldiers to man them. General, if you would... (Martial; Synergises with Fortifying the rivershore actions; DC20 Autosucceeds due to VII Legion specialization; Affected by Curse of Man-Mell)
[] Fortifying the rivershore, basic - Man-Mell sports most impressive walls. On three sides. Unfortunately, the entire riverfront has been left entirely open. General Tastacore considers this an unacceptable risk to the safety of the city. (Martial, Stewardship; Synergises with Taking command of the fortifications; Synergises with Fortifying the rivershore actions; DC 20 Autosucceeds due to VII Legion specialization; Affected by Curse of Man-Mell)
[] Fortifying the rivershore, advanced - Man-Mell sports most impressive walls. On three sides. Unfortunately, the entire riverfront has been left entirely open. General Tastacore considers this an unacceptable risk to the safety of the city. (Requires basic action to be undertaken; Martial, Stewardship; Synergises with Taking command of the fortifications; Synergises with other Fortifying the rivershore actions; DC 80 40 Halved due to VII Legion specialization; Affected by Curse of Man-Mell)
[] Fortifying the rivershore, high - Man-Mell sports most impressive walls. On three sides. Unfortunately, the entire riverfront has been left entirely open. General Tastacore considers this an unacceptable risk to the safety of the city. (Requires advanced action to be undertaken; Requires at least 1 Legion die; Martial, Stewardship; Synergises with Taking command of the fortifications; Synergises with other Fortifying the rivershore actions; DC 150 75 Halved due to VII Legion specialization; Affected by Curse of Man-Mell)
[] Fortifying the rivershore, ultimate - Man-Mell sports most impressive walls. On three sides. Unfortunately, the entire riverfront has been left entirely open. General Tastacore considers this an unacceptable risk to the safety of the city. It is time to get them up to par with the other walls (Requires high action to be undertaken; Requires at least 1 Legion die; Martial, Stewardship; Synergises with Taking command of the fortifications; Synergises with other Fortifying the rivershore actions; DC 500 Halved due to VII Legion specialization; Affected by Curse of Man-Mell) Action locked due to insufficient tech level
[] Legion Compound - Your Legionaries need their own dedicated place to act at their own full potential (Requires Taking command of the fortifications; Martial; DC 0; Affected by Curse of Man-Mell)
Urgent [] Grayhowl order, chapterhouse - Grayhowl knights are a mighty asset in combat, but their numbers are few that if you want to maintain their presence past one generation, they need dedicated support. And it is up to you to provide it (Requires other Grayhowl order action; Martial, Intrigue, Stewardship; Synergises with Taking command of the fortifications; Synergises with Legion Compound; DC 10; Affected by Curse of Man-Mell)
[] Securing the city area of control - Securing the area surrounding the city is of vital importance to ensure the safety and future prosperity of not simply your new city but the entire realm and your legacy! (Requires at least one Scouting action; Martial; Synergises with Scouting actions; DC 50 Risk 5, synergies lower risk)
[] Scouting, basic - You need to know what is beyond the walls of your city. Proper reconisance, means proper intelligence, means proper risk assessment. See to the organization of scouting patrols. (Martial; Synergises with other Scouting actions; DC 30 Risk 4, synergies lower risk)
[] Scouting, in force - You need to know what is beyond the walls of your city. Proper reconisance, means proper intelligence, means proper risk assessment. Make sure the scouting patrols are sufficiently armed, armored, and have sufficient numbers to face anything Gurni might throw at them. (Martial; Synergises with other Scouting actions; DC 20 Risk 3, synergies lower risk)
[] Scouting, knights - You need to know what is beyond the walls of your city. Proper reconisance, means proper intelligence, means proper risk assessment. Having the Greyhowls out on scouting patrols is one of the best ways you can utilize them, at this time. (Requires at least one Greyhowl die; Martial; Synergises with other Scouting actions; DC 20 Risk 2, synergies lower risk)
[] Scouting, extended - You need to know what is beyond the walls of your city. Proper reconisance, means proper intelligence, means proper risk assessment. Organize some long-term scouting expeditions. (Minimum 3 dice; Martial; Synergises with other Scouting actions; DC 60 Risk 8, synergies lower risk)
[] Scouting, riverine - You need to know what is beyond the walls of your city. Proper reconisance, means proper intelligence, means proper risk assessment. Send some boats up and down the river to investigate. (Requires Navy, riverine; Martial; Synergises with other Scouting actions; DC 30 Risk 4, synergies lower risk)
[] Navy, sea - You have a lot of ships. What you do not have are all that many trained ship crews. Time to fix that. (Martial; Synergises with other Navy actions; Continuous 10/100; Affected by Curse of Man-Mell) )
[] Navy, riverine - Man-Mell faces a broad, fast river. You need river ships and crews for them to project power across it. (Requires River Docks; Martial; Synergises with other Navy actions; DC 30; Affected by Curse of Man-Mell)
[] Securing the Sea, lanes - If you ever hope for your realm to exert any kind of influence beyond the confines of Gurni island, this is the necessary first step. (Requires Navy, sea; Martial; Synergises with Securing the Sea, coast; DC 250 Risk 20, synergies lower risk; Chance of discovery by Skeggi, Northern successor states, Brotherhood of the Eagle) Locked due to an unacceptably high degree of risk. Lower the difficulty and/or risk to unlock
[] Securing the Sea, coast - Controlling the coasts is one of the first steps toward establishing maritime control over Gurni. (Requires Navy, sea; Martial; Synergises with Securing the Sea, lanes; DC 120 Risk 10, synergies lower risk; Chance of discovery by Skeggi, Northern successor states)

Intrigue:
[] Scouting, stealthy - You need to know what is beyond the walls of your city. Proper reconisance, means proper intelligence, means proper risk assessment. While scouting and exploratory actions are not exactly in the job descriptions of those brethren who had followed you, gathering intelligence for you very much is so. And, anyway, they are still better than most at avoiding detection. (Intrigue; Synergises with other Scouting actions; DC 30 Risk 2, synergies lower risk)
[] Consolidating Power, by any means - Daggers in the dark, whispers of secrets from the shadows, sculking and skulduggery... It is time for the Brethren to earn their keep... (Intrigue; Synergises with other Consolidating power actions; DC 20 risk 1; Affected by Curse of Man-Mell)
[] Assets, reacquirement - The brotherhoods of Raven, Owl, and Talon left a lot of assets back on the mainland, including their own brethren, who while loyal will never get the chance to meet their sovereign. Get in contact with them, to set up actions in preparation for your family's inevitable return to their birthright. (Only spy or assassination dice; Intrigue; Synergises with Assets, feet on ground; DC 25 risk 1, synergies lower risk) Locked due to lacking access to the continent
[] Assets, feet on ground - To set up actions in preparation for your family's inevitable return to their birthright, you need your intelligence apparatus to be there, in the flesh, and act in your interests. (Requires Securing the sea, lanes; Requires at least one spy or assassination dice; Martial, Intrigue; Synergises with Assets, reacquirement; DC 60 risk 4, synergies lower risk) Locked due to requiring locked action
Urgent [] Oh, brother, brother, where art thou? - In the mad dash for the exodus, there simply was no time to check up on the loyalty of the other brotherhoods or the Sisters of the Plume. Time to rectify that. (Only spy dice; Intrigue; DC 25 risk 2 per intelligence organization; Chance of discovery from non-loyal brethren, Sisterhood of the plume, Neres, rolls for each attempt) Locked due to lacking access to the continent
-[] Eagle
-[] Wren
-[] Crane
-[] Robin
-[] Plume
[] What is happening, North? - If your line are to have any hope of retaking the Empire, you first need to know what all is happening over on the continent (Only spy dice; Intrigue; Synergizes with other What is happening actions; DC 30 risk 1; Chance for discovery by Northern successor states, non-loyal brethren, Sisterhood of the Plume) Locked due to lacking access to the continent
[] What is happening, Ajnez? - If your line are to have any hope of retaking the Empire, you first need to know what all is happening over on the continent (Only spy dice; Intrigue; Synergizes with other What is happening actions; DC 40 risk 1; Chance for discovery by Northern successor states, Ajnez successor states, non-loyal brethren, Sisterhood of the Plume) Locked due to lacking access to the continent
[] What is happening, Hearthlands? - If your line are to have any hope of retaking the Empire, you first need to know what all is happening over on the continent (Only spy dice; Intrigue; Synergizes with other What is happening actions; DC 60 risk 1; Chance for discovery by Northern Successor states, Hearthlands successor states, non-loyal brethren, Sisterhood of the Plume) Locked due to lacking access to the continent
[] What is happening, Sirmar? - If your line are to have any hope of retaking the Empire, you first need to know what all is happening over on the continent (Only spy dice; Intrigue; Synergizes with other What is happening actions; DC 40 risk 1; Chance for discovery by Sirmar successor states, Erya successor state, Neres, non-loyal brethren, Sisterhood of the Plume) Locked due to lacking access to the continent
[] What is happening, Erya? -If your line are to have any hope of retaking the Empire, you first need to know what all is happening over on the continent (Only spy dice; Intrigue; Synergizes with other What is happening actions; DC 30 risk 1; Chance for discovery by Hearthlands successor states, Erya successor states, non-loyal brethren, Sisterhood of the Plume) Locked due to lacking access to the continent
[] What is happening, Tersar? - If your line are to have any hope of retaking the Empire, you first need to know what all is happening over on the continent (Only spy dice; Intrigue; Synergizes with other What is happening actions; DC 40 risk 1; Chance for discovery by Tersar successor states, Neres, non-loyal brethren, Sisterhood of the Plume) Locked due to lacking access to the continent
[] Thumb on the scales - Tasakarim is yours, even if you had to temporarily abandon it. But those left behind better not get too comfortable with the new paradigm. They are still within your reach (Requires Assets; Martial, Intrigue; DC 30 risk 2 per target; Double DC and risk if pertinent What is happening has not been taken; Chance for discovery by targeted successor states, Neres, non-loyal brethren, Sisterhood of the Plume) Locked due to requiring locked action
-[] North
-[] Ajnez
-[] Hearthlands
-[] Erya
-[] Sirmar
-[] Neres
-[] Tersar

Stewardship (If taken, one or two among non-urgent actions might suffer temporary -5 malus this turn, due to prior player choices):
URGENT! [] Weed-whacking - Man-Mell is remarkably well preserved, miraculously so if Liffannen's words about how long ago it was abandoned are taken at face value. But even if no root or climbing wine managed to find any purchase on or between any of the stonework, the ancient Necropolis is still significantly overgrown, especially among the canals. To make the place truly livable all that greenery needs to go. (Martial, Stewardship, Learning; DC 40 risk 1; All Temple die gain +50% of the roll due to Temple of Isanella interest, Horticulture die doubled; Affected by Curse of Man-Mell)
URGENT! [] Logistical concerns - While you prepared and supplied the exodus as best you could, the fact remains that a city, much less a nation requires resources, and a lot of them. Time to roll up your sleeves and get a-cracking. (Requires either Securing the city area of control or Securing the Sea, coast, both combos into bonus; Stewardship; DC 10/20/30/40/50/60/70/80/90/100/120/150/175/200/200+ risk 2)
Urgent [] Setting up, government - A state can move only as fast as the pace of producing proper paperwork allows. Time to get your paper pushers back behind the worktables in proper offices, as Gods and under-secretaries decreed. (Requires Weed-whacking; Diplomacy, Intrigue, Stewardship; Synergizes with other Setting up actions; DC 20/40/60/80/100+; Affected by Curse of Man-Mell)
[] Setting up, law and order - A proper state requires laws, rules, and order! Anarchy and maleficence are the enemies of a properly functioning society! (Requires Weed-whacking; Intrigue, Stewardship, Learning; Synergizes with other Setting up actions; DC 20/40/60/80/100/150+, Astaria & Judicial forces combo bonus +75; Affected by Curse of Man-Mell)
URGENT! [] Setting up, agriculture, inside, food - Securing food is the number one priority to ensure survival. Thankfully Man-Mell boasted a great many Parks and recreational fields that, once the overgrowth has been cleared away, can be repurposed to grow food. In time, they might be returned to their original purposes, but for now, needs-must! (Requires Weed-whacking; All; Synergizes with other Setting up actions; DC 20/40/60/80/100+, Colege of Horticulture bonus +40; Urgency can also be solved with Here fishy, fishy; Affected by Curse of Man-Mell)
[] Setting up, agriculture, inside, industrial produce - One way to mitigate the scarcity of resources is to grow some yourself, as soon as possible. Your advisors all agree that there should be enough space among the repurposed parks and fields within the city, to dedicate some to producing resources other than food. (Requires Weed-whacking; Stewardship; Synergizes with other Setting up actions, except for agriculture, inside, food; Causes -20 malus to agriculture, inside, food; DC 20 10, Halved due to Colege of Horticulture; Adds to Logistical concern total; Affected by Curse of Man-Mell)
[] Setting up, agriculture, outside - Securing resources, and especially food, is a priority to ensure survival and prosperity. As risky as it is, you might want to start setting up farms and ranches as soon as possible! (Requires Securing the city area of control; Stewardship; Synergizes with other Setting up actions; DC 30/45/60/90/105+ risk 3, Colege of Horticulture bonus +30 +15, reduced due to risk; Adds to Logistical concern total)
[] Setting up, industry, inside - Raw resources do you little good without a dedicated industry. Dedicate a portion of the city for the use of the Artisians and craftspeople. (Requires Logistical concerns; Stewardship; Synergizes with other Setting up actions; DC 10/20/40/80/150+; Affected by Curse of Man-Mell)
[] Setting up, industry, outside - Raw resources do you little good without a dedicated industry. In time, and to make production loops, more efficient you will need to build up your industry as close to the sources of the resources as you can. Might as well start now, (Requires Securing the city area of control; Requires Logistical concerns; Stewardship; Synergizes with other Setting up actions; DC 20/40/60/80/100/120/140/160+ risk 3)
URGENT! [] Here fishy, fishy - Securing food is the number one priority to ensure survival. Luckily there is ready access to both sea and river. Time to cast out lines and see what bites! (Stewardship; Synergizes with River Docks; DC 20/40/60/80/100+; Urgency can also be solved with Setting up, agriculture, inside, food; Affected by Curse of Man-Mell)
[] River Docks - You have marvelous access to the river. Now you just need to build up the infrastructure, so you can use it to the utmost. (Martial, Stewardship; Synergyzes with Fortifying the rivershore actions; DC 30 risk 1; Affected by Curse of Man-Mell)
[] There once was a ship - You are on an island. To get anywhere not the island, you need ships. And you have them. You have a lot of them. Unfortunately, just sitting on top of the harbor wall and gazing at the sea is enough to give very graphic evidence that none of them will last long out past the harbor mouth. None, except for the seven Fae Swanships you have stumbled over and commandeered. And if there ever was any doubt that reaching Gurni was anything but an act of divine providence, finding those ships ready for the taking completely removes it. All that said, Fae are utterly inhuman, and their ships are completely unnatural. Before allowing any of your people to risk themselves by crewing those things, you are going to study them to the bottom nail, to ensure that they will be as safe as you can humanly accomplish! (Stewardship; DC 50/100/150/200/250/300/350/400/450/500 risk 2)
-[] Destructive examination - The ships are valuable, but nowhere near as valuable as lives. Make the examinations as thorough and detailed as you can, even if it risks damaging the ships.
--[] 2 ships (1d3-1 ships destroyed; reduces DC by a factor of 2)
--[] 3 ships (1d4-1 ships destroyed; reduces DC by a factor of 3, rounded up)
--[] 4 ships (1d5-1 ships destroyed; reduces DC by a factor of 4, rounded up)
--[] 5 ships (1d6-1 ships destroyed; reduces DC by a factor of 5)
--[] 6 ships (1d7-1 ships destroyed; reduces DC by a factor of 5, reduces risk by 1)
--[] All 7 ships (2d4-1 ships destroyed; reduced DC by a factor of 5, eliminates risk)
[] A tall tower and a pointy hat - Towers and wizardry go hand in hand like witches and newts, meat and potatoes, Tywin and trouble. And, would you look at that - there is an old lighthouse out on top of one of the outermost harbor forts, currently empty, and not required for quite some time, that could easily be turned into a splendid wizard's workshop. (Requires Taking command of the fortifications, Requires at least one Crannog die; Stewardship, Learning; DC 20; Affected by Curse of Man-Mell)

learning:
[] Setting up, academy - Your scholars need a proper place for themselves, to conduct their scholarly pursuits (Requires Weed-whacking; Learning; Synergizes with other Setting up actions; Continuous, must take one option at a time, recieves +10 InK bonus each turn or double InK bonus if assigned; Affected by Curse of Man-Mell)
-[] College of War (10/100)
-[] College of Horticulture (25/100)
-[] College of Husbandry (5/100)
-[] College of Theology (10/100)
-[] College of History and Law (20/100)
-[] College of Linguistics (5/100)
-[] College of Medicine (0/100)
-[] College of Alchemy (0/100)
-[] College of Architecture (0/100)
-[] College of Philosophy and Arts (0/100)
[] Archival depot - Grand Imperial Archive is one of the oldest and most venerable institutions of the Tasakarim empire. And conversely, their needs are extremely lightweight. Sufficient dark, dry, and cold spaces. That's it. A trifle really. (Requires Weed-whacking; Learning; DC 0)
[] Scouting, botanical - You need to know what is beyond the walls of your city. Which is mostly plants. But what kinds of plants? (Requires at least one Witch or Horticulture die, using both triggers bonus; Learning; Synergises with other Scouting actions; DC 30 Risk 1, synergies lower risk)
Urgent [] Grayhowl order, mounts - Grayhowl knights are a mighty asset in combat, but their numbers are so few that if you want to maintain their presence past one generation. It is no secret that what they need most support with is their mounts. What is a secret, however, are their techniques for raising and training their lupine steeds. But, in this perilous situation, they, after taking mighty oaths of secrecy, are willing to unbend enough to have others help where they might accidentally learn of those secrets. But only for as long as it requires the order to build its numbers up! (Requires other Grayhowl order action; Martial, Stewardship, Learning; Synergizes with Colege of Husbandry; DC 20; Affected by Curse of Man-Mell)
Urgent [] Coven Concerns - Having access to not one, but two full covens of witches is certainly a boon. But, covens, by their very nature are secretive and jealous of their mysteries. So, even when the covens tolerate and cooperate with each other, like the two you are dealing with, proximity to each other is bound to cause friction and raise sparks, at times quite literally. Added to that was the Witches' preference to set-up outside the bounds of civilization, and the problems just mount up, and up. So, it behooves you to find a way to avoid that. The perfect solution would be to find spaces outside Man-Mell for each of them, but at this time, that might be quite dangerous. (Learning; Synergizes with Consolidating power, witches;
DC 60 risk 4, DC and risk halved if Securing the city area of control is taken)
[] By the prickling of my thumbs - Gurni is ancient and shrouded in superflora and mysteries. The only other thing that has been learned about it in the past several millennia is that sometime in all that span of time it got infected by the Fae, and you only know that much due to Liffannen. If you are going to be stuck here, you need... No, you must delve into its secrets. And who better to start the ball rolling than the Witches? (Require at least one Witch die, if Crannog die is also used there is a chance for combo bonus; Learning; Synergyzes with Coven Concerns and Scouting, botanical; DC ?? risk ?, synergies lower risk)
Urgent [] Arcanum - For better or worse you have acquired the services of a couple of Enchanters from Neres, and it would be criminal to allow their knowledge and skills to be lost. Which means helping them set themselves up in an Arcanum, providing them with resources, and allowing them to start recruiting. On the other hand, you'd have to be madder than your fallen cousins ever to trust anyone from the Sorcerers' isles. Neres has only been pacified for less than two centuries, and the brethren confirm that Ilsaimnirs and their ilk have all spent the entire time since then resenting the lightest of yokes imposed upon them when the crimes of their predecessors deserved so much worse. Decisions, decisions... (Requires Weed-whacking; Learning; DC 20; 1d4 Chances of discovery for Neres, rolled at half the threshold, rounded down, CES restores rolls to threshold instead of negating, will continue rolling for three turns or until Neres acquires a minimum of 3 discoveries; Affected by Curse of Man-Mell)

Piety:
[] Setting up, temples - The combined clergy, other than the servants of Starmother, might be thin on the ground for your new realm, but that will inevitably change with time. Better be prepared for that eventuality. (Requires Weed-whacking; Stewardship, Piety; Synergizes with College of Theology; DC 10; Affected by Curse of Man-Mell)
[] Scouting, scrying - You need to know what is beyond the walls of your city. Proper reconisance, means proper intelligence, means proper risk assessment. Have your priests and clerics beseech the Gods for aid. (Piety; Synergises with other Scouting actions; DC 30; Affected by Curse of Man-Mell)
[] Cups on the divine string - It will not be easy, by any measure, but, through the powers of the Gods, it would be possible to reach out and open lines of communication with their counterparts back on the mainland. Let the prayers and the rituals commence. (Piety; Synergizes with College of Theology, Synergizes with Setting up, temples; Continuous 0/100; Affected by Curse of Man-Mell)
[] Hostis humani generis - There are Fae somewhere on this island, and the Forsaken Isle and its unholy undead hosts are one strong, fel miasma carrying squall away. It behooves all servants of gods to prepare the most stringent countermeasures for the universal enemies. (Piety; DC 25/50/75/100+; Not necessary so long as the Curse of Man-Mell maintains)