You're the Queen - Now What? [CK2ish Character-Focused Quest]

Kylia Quilor said:

So, I floated this idea a while back, some people expressed objection to it, I don't recall if anyone was positive about it, the conversation didn't last.

I don't know if anyone has ever wanted to make an omake (no one has ever asked), and this should not be seen as like... some unsubtle 'hint hint', but anyway:

I am toying with the idea for the Omake Policy being - write your omake, if I decide it's canon or close enough, it goes in Sidestory, and the author gets a Major Token, and if it's not, it goes in Apocrypha and the author gets a Minor Token (names tbd).

The idea would be - as I have seen other quests do this and do so successfully - that players could trade in these tokens to improve the results of rolls. Obviously neither could be an instant win scenario, but if you rolled close, maybe the token can be used for that little edge. The trick of course is to make them worth enough to be useful but not so much that they make all rolls trivial.

So far, my working notion is this:

1. Major Tokens can be used after a roll is made to raise the 'Base Chance' of the original roll by somewhere between 6 and 10, but it can never raise the base chance above say, 65%. So it would be used in edge cases, where a Failure is close to being a Weak Success, or a Weak Success is close to being a Strong Success.
2. Minor Tokens can be used after a roll is made to raise the 'Base Chance' of the original Roll by somewhere between 3 and 5. But they can only be used to turn a Failure into a Weak Success. Weak Successes, narratively, are often more interesting and can end up causing you problems down the line, so it shouldn't necessarily break the quest too much if these get used.
3. One use of a Token on any given roll.

Obviously, finalizing the numbers would need to be done, and if it ends up causing issues, it may need to be changed or ended. And this may all be a moot point, it may be no one wants to Omake. None of my quests have attracted a ton of Omake interest in the past (one on QQ did, but only a little), either because my writing style doesn't fit them or I just don't attract Omake writers, who knows. But it is an idea I've kicked around for a while for this Quest, so I'm contemplating making it a thing, but I am curious if people have very strong for or against opinions regarding this. If there does seem to be significant oppoosition to this, I won't do it. But I do like the idea, in theory.

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I am interested in trying this out under the following rules.

1. Major Tokens can be used after a roll is made to raise the 'Base Chance' of the original roll by 7, but it can never raise the base chance above 70%.
2. Minor Tokens can be used after a roll is made to raise the 'Base Chance' of the original Roll by 4. But they can only be used to turn a Miss into a Weak Success.
3. One use of a Token on any given roll. First Come, First Serve.

Possible Omakes (You Can Write Others)

• Reaction of one of the other suitors to the marriage announcement
• Reaction of Essinya to the (given in person) news that Vanessa will marry her
• Reaction of Cyril to the news that Vanessa will marry Essinya
• Reaction of one or more minor nobles or prominent merchants to the news of the marriage to Essinya
• Countess Gramaire drawing up plans in Menthura while seeing to the education of her son.

If you have questions about the personalities or w/e of people involved or the like, please ask, either for general interest or if you're interested in Omakes. Tokens issued under this rule will be honored as is, even if I later decide this was a bad idea and stop handing out future tokens.

I have been inspired, so here is my version of Janera's reaction. Hopefully there isn't anything too implausible in this. Should the muse persist, I might also do an AU version where (later down the line, after not having such an early decision), a Janera who is utterly smitten with Vanessa is chosen, and surprises them both by accepting the proposal with a kiss.

Janera retreated to her suite, blinking frequently to keep her eyes clear as she did so. She couldn't display any signs of the turmoil roiling within her.

When Vanessa had summoned her for a private talk, Janera had been excited. In her life, nothing had been as pleasant to her as the time she had spent with Vanessa since arriving in Eridia. The mere thought of seeing Vanessa had sent pleasant butterflies fluttering in her stomach, and every moment that she spent with the other woman only seemed to reinforce the feelings that were developing. Nobody else, other than her father, had ever been as patient in listening when she set off rapidly talking about a subject which had caught her interest so much that she had learned everything she could about it. Vanessa had been willing to listen and absorb everything that Janera had to say, smiling warmly at Janera's excitement in sharing knowledge. Janera had been hoping that today would have been another such day.

When she arrived, Janera found Vanessa to be different, seemingly slightly nervous, far from the woman who had been such a pleasant companion. There were signs of the same regard, but Vanessa seemed more distant than she had been. The reasoning swiftly became obvious as Vanessa gently revealed that she had decided who she was going to marry, and it would not be Janera. Taking Janera's hands in her own for what would probably be the last time, at least for several years, Vanessa told Janera that she had greatly enjoyed their time together and that the cute way Janera had come out of her shell around her was one of the highlights of her being courted by her suitors. However, she had considered deeply, and she had come to the conclusion that what Nerinthar had to offer was not what was best for Eridia, and that she personally needed somebody who would be a challenge to her, which Janera was less suited to. And for those reasons, and swearing Janera to secrecy until it was publicly announced, Vanessa told Janera that she had chosen to make Essinya Serriados her bride-to-be.

Janera could not really remember what she had said in response, though she knew that it had seemed as if something precious had left her life. She thanked Vanessa for the consideration of delivering this news in person, and in confiding who the successful suitor was, then she fled to her suite with as much decorum as she could muster. Once in the privacy of her room, Janera could allow her eyes to water at a double blow. While she had not fully fallen in love with Vanessa, she knew that she had been moving that way, and definitely had developed the most serious crush of her life thus far for the other woman. Yesterday, being described by Vanessa as cute would have set her heart soaring; today, it feels almost as if she was being described as childish, though she knows that Vanessa didn't intend it that way. Additionally, while her father would never view her as having failed (she had just been herself, after all, and that would always be enough for him), others within Nerinthar would not be as kind. She could already hear in her head some around the court calling her a "useless bookish princess" who couldn't achieve anything for her kingdom. She shuddered, imagining those people (as they no doubt would) saying it to her face, though not in her father's hearing.

Looking deep into herself, she wonders if they were right. Could she have done something more? Could she have challenged Vanessa in the ways which the queen seemed to want? Perhaps, she thinks, but probably not. She isn't the challenging sort. She would read up on everything and offer constructive advice, but challenge was not her way. In some respects, perhaps it was better for her not to have been chosen, given she wasn't certain how she would have felt in the event of the near inevitable war between Morvak and Nerinthar dragging in Eridia, a land which was still recovering from its last war with Morvak and, even more, from its civil war and overthrow of a tyrannic king. Would it have broken her to see her adopted people die because she was their queen? She thinks not, especially with Vanessa by her side to give her confidence and support, but she isn't sure, and now she never will be.

After drying her eyes, Janera turned her thoughts to more practical matters going forwards (though in her case, practical means academic). She tries to work out what the match between Vanessa and Essinya would mean for Nerinthar. She had not found Essinya unpleasant, beyond the expected jostling of a (successful) rival suitor, but she had to admit to herself, as a lover of nature, there was something profoundly unsettling about the raising of the dead that Essinya and her kingdom so embraced. It was too far from the natural order, where even those biological processes which came closest to it (things such as parasitic wasps or fungi using host bodies) were a much shorter-term thing. She didn't think that she could personally have accepted it, though she was an academic who studied nature rather than a magic user such as Vanessa.

Perhaps she should now start to study magic in an academic sense (she was much too old now to start studying it practically, if she even possessed any aptitude for it, which she didn't think she did). Understanding it, necromancy in particular, might be useful for Nerinthar. If she can understand magic, she might better understand Vanessa and Essinya, and what Eridia would do now. It might also give her a hint about future possible troubles such as what would happen if a princess of Eridia (in her mind a pretty young woman with the combined features of both Essinya and Vanessa, though persistent thoughts sometimes replaced her with a princess blending Janaer's own features with Vanessa's, despite her best efforts) wanted to become a necromancer; could she and remain within the line of succession for Eridia? Academics must be how she helps her own kingdom now, given that a marriage alliance elsewhere seemed unlikely to appear soon, and even if it did, it's hard to imagine that whoever she might marry would appeal to her in the same way Vanessa had!

Her determination reinforced, Janera steeled herself as best she could for her future direction. She hoped that she could be Vanessa's friend, even if not her wife, something which Vanessa had seemed to reciprocate when she was telling Janera about her decision, but that would be something which was for the future to tell.

Kylia Quilor said:

Reaction of one or more minor nobles or prominent merchants to the news of the marriage to Essinya

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Omake

'Lord' Henry awaited the announcement feeling sick and worried, acutely aware of the distinct lack of the queen made notable by her empty throne and the stone faced royal guardsmen watching the assembled high lords and ladies and the wealthy burghers and merchants, prominent officers and notable mages.

And he fit in among none of them. Great and powerful, wealthy, rebels, magically gifted? He was none of these, an empty title that was good for courtesy and shackling him and his family with obligations, a small patch of meager land in the crown reserve sworn directly to the crown, heavily taxed when the realm was at peace, taken in tithes when at war. The manor his fathers mother had built with a small hamlet and a half dozen servants to service their needs and a collection of farming hamlets with barely enough people to fulfill the prescribed number of levies, few enough that several households had sent fathers or daughters instead of sons in the civil wars muster. And while his grandmother had praised him for having more magical aptitude than his father Henry was still more comfortable with a blade in hand than any other weapon. He was a magic knight with a handful of spells, hardly deserving of the title of mage.

His father had spent several years fighting in the pocket kingdoms in a mercenary company to build up a small nest egg before returning to settle down and aid in the administration of their small fiefdom and Henry had been being prepared for much the same when the Rebellion had broke. His grandmother, elderly and infirm and all but retired had begged a deferment on account of her age and had sat out the war managing their land and paying off the increasingly grasping tax collectors. His father had been called up and sent to far flung battlefields, and Henry had been granted an officers commission of sorts that kept him in Eridia, part of the 'city watch' but without any command and a hostage in all but name to his father and grandmothers good behavior. That had ended when his father had been injured and captured in battle, and in Syrokis desperation another army had been mustered to fight off the advancing rebel army, by some quirk of bureaucracy or luck Henry had been included in that, dreading battle until General Rienna and Lady Balmain had talked the general into throwing in with the rebellion.

The war hadn't lasted much longer than that, and ill trusted most of Henry's time had been spent assigned to protecting supply wagons until the war had petered out with a whimper. His family had been fined and made to swear oaths of loyalty to the new regime, his father exiled into the pocket kingdoms. His grandmother distrusted for staying out of the conflict as much as possible, and Henry an unknown, they carried the taint of treachery but their 'crimes' were deemed too minor to need serious punishment. And even that, the smallest of nobles who'd been held to their oaths were hardly Syrokis loyalists.

It still left them distrusted by the raft of new nobles and such who'd been granted land by the realms new monarch. Business was poor and in between the 'fines' and the 'loan' that had been 'gently requested' by the crown they'd needed to sell more grain to make up the shortfall, now, months later with no word on when said 'loan' would be repaid he was thus forced to spend his time and his families dwindling money procuring lodgings in the capital in order to try and talk to someone who might be able to grant them relief. With little luck. Letters to the sheriffs and Reeves and the tax collectors and Keeper of the Royal vaults had gone unanswered, save once, a short reply barely more than a note which stated the amount borrowed, and the amount that would supposedly be repaid with domestic landers at the back of the list. He had even less luck, every morn he would walk to the castle, join the crowd of petitioners show the guards his documents and family signet ring. Join the dozens or hundreds of minor merchants, and watch as mages, officials, higher ranking nobles and seemingly all and sundry had been called in ahead of him to be directed to whichever official whose responsibilities handled their issues.

Perhaps, like then, he'd wait around, not get to see anyone, and be sent home at the end of the day and told to come back tomorrow he mused idly twirling his signet ring around his middle finger as he fidgeted.

If nothing else, being amidst the crowd let him hear the court gossip. Rumour and scandal had been flying around ever since the beginnings of the queens... courtships? Betrothal talks? There'd been something mentioned about soldiers being sent to Zarsim and Henry had tried to offer his own talents (begging for a position where he might get paid really) only to be hmm'd at by a clerk who'd waved him off promising to consider it, only to then be sent a rejection form several weeks later. Maddening.

Truth be told Henry was bored by petty rumour and insinuation as often as not. The matters of queens and royal weddings was well above his head. There was some value to be gleaned if he wasn't consistently among the last to overhear important news. Knowing if war was truly brewing or not would be helpful, but the petty gossip and scandal irritated him. The rumours that the royal princesses had flown into tantrums and destroyed their rooms were most likely simply that, rumours, spread by rivals to embarass their peers. Not by the 'winners' of course, whomsoever had gained the promise of Queen Kolmains hand could afford to appear magnanimous in victory, and increasingly whispers claimed it was Princess Serissa. But equally so there were gleeful rumours that the necromancer had fled in disgrace but not before promising doom and vengeance upon those who'd spurned her. That in particular made Henry roll his eyes, yes, the necromancer kingdom would declare war after an unlikely marraige proposal had been predictably declined. Henry thought sarcastically.

"Have you heard? The Golden Knight-General stormed off as well. The crown might be in a hurry? Can we expect an attack from 'rogues'?" A nearby nobleman asked the small grouping of friends he was with.

"I wish the queen would hurry." A noblelady among the group grumbled. "But it's probably not important, no doubt the aid to Zarsim means we'll be seeking an alliance with them and Morvak and with that border secured we might be able to expand elsewhere. She was a mercenary after all." The lady speculated with all the relish of an experienced gossip.

"Horse shit." Henry muttered to himself quietly, his eyes drawn to the ladies heavy golden necklace and her expensive rings, any one of which represented a year of his holdings income. Doubtless some petty attempt to cast aspersions on the queen for giving away more concessions to the recent miner strikes. Which, for many nobles and wealthy landowners meant 'any concessions at all'. Likely the swirling rumours about the newest of the Knight Generals for the order of the Golden throne was just as much horse shit.

"I quite agree." A voice demurred to Henry's opposite side, the words of a pretty young noblewoman, her and her small group of companions watching him openly with polite interest. "At least I hope that's the case." She added with a wry smile.

Henry flushed under their inspection and floundered, one hand making half-way to a military salute before he aborted the action and bowed instead deeply. As a rule of thumb you bowed deeply to show respect, often the more one was outranked the deeper they were expected to bow. Inwardly he cursed himself for letting his irritation get the better of him. Not bowing deeply enough could and had led to duels, at least historically, and openly dismissing a nobles opinion so rudely could lead to similiar offence and all the risks that entailed. And here? At the heart of the capital, practically everyone outranked him, and he'd be a fool to openly disrespect even commonborn mages. It was fashionable for nobles to marry into magical bloodlines and study some magic and gain some skills, but he was under no illusion about how poorly he might fare against a real mage.

"Apologies my lady." Henry offered nervously ignoring the titters and giggles of the ladies peers and hanger ons. "I meant to say that I doubt our gracious queen would seek to start another conflict so soon after the war to depose her predecessor. No offense was intended."

"Nor any given." She replied smoothly with a reassuring smile as several of her fellows hid their own small smiles. "Lord -?"

Henry gawped at her in surprise before closing his mouth with a heated red-faced blush. While serving in the royal army and the rebels army he'd most commonly introduced himself as a knight and it was strange and alien to hear someone acknowledge the title that he most often treated as a minor technicality and piece of historical trivia. He'd grown up collecting eggs from his grandmothers chicken coop for her to cook breakfast for Drendar's sake! Belatedly he realised the Lady was waiting for an answer, she wanted his name.

"Ser Henry. Henry. Ah- Lord Henry. Of Eridia Fields." He added with a stammer, giving the name of his family home, not having a formal house name. He'd seen his grandmother use 'fields' 'crownfields' and 'magefields' in a variety of correspondences and his father had used the moniker 'Ian Warden' for some official purposes but Henry's grandmother had been born with only the one name and had used her profession or the name of her home over the years as a stand in. Technically Henry could take after her and use the name of Henry Mage, but that seemed presumptuous and there was seemingly a dozen other house Wardens which had once caused confusion when some debt collectors had interrogated him at the inn over a minor debt only to realise he was of no blood relation to their actual target.

"A pleasure to make your acquiantance, Lord Henry Fields." The lady greeted him with a curtsy dipping momentarily. Her dress was brightly coloured in a solid deep blue with silver trim to match the earrings set with saphires, the neckline an alluring though not immodest cut. He realised his eyes were drifting and snapped his gaze back to her face to receive a bright smile as she offered a hand to him.

"Lady Carissa Floren." She introduced herself prettily, quirking a delicate eyebrow as he realised he was meant to shake her hand. He did so quickly aware of his sweaty palms and snatched his hand back as if burned as her friends giggled at some private joke. Lady Carissa cast a glance back over her shoulder at them and they were silenced, schooling their expressions into polite smiles as Henry found Lady Carissa's arm on his elbow drawing him into their discussion circle.

"First trip to the Queens court?" One of the ladies asked him kindly. Mouth dry Henry nodded in agreement before second guessing himself, should he add that he'd lived in the city before as part of its garrison of levies during the war? But before he could think of how to clarify that the discussion had moved on and he was caught amidst a stream of chatter, questions and introductions, the deluge of names flying out of Henry's head as soon as they flew in. All former rebels of course, even if one or two of the half-dozen noblewomen did make teasing remarks about being latecomers to the rebellion. Henry nodded quickly at that, he certainly had no stones to throw in that regard.

The ladies talk circled around what they guessed the queens announcement would be, almost certainly she'd decided upon a suitor, but whom might it be? They stayed clear of outright gossip and kept their discussion to the political, military and likely economic reasons behind each candidate. There was a slight offhand mention of the prince of Selissa having a reputation as a cad but his chances were ranked as low and discussion didn't linger on him for long.

"Who do you think our queen will choose Henry?" Lady Carissa asked, Henry considered, he believed the queen would choose Princess Janera of Nerinthar as it would neatly sandwich Morvak in between them in the event of a war and the queen supposedly enjoyed the princesses intelligence but he was saved from answering by the arrival of the Queen herself.

A hush settled over the throne room as those assembled waited with anticipation while Queen Vanessa Kolmain began her speeched. Hushed whispers were heard when the name was announced and outright gasps escaped people as the necromancer princess strutted into the room.

Minor commotion aside the news was well received. Henry joined in with a round of polite clapping and watched as the future Queen approached several notables and began to converse, Henry stole glances at the queen as she watched impassively, a small smile gracing her face as Princess Essinya was apparently well received. But of course, those who stayed were those who wished to court favour, already some figures had left the throne room. Some might have clapped or given cheers, or remained silent but for some their well wishes didn't extend so far as to sticking around.

"What do you think?" Lady Carissa prodded Henry.

"It's a big step." He admitted waving a hand vaguely in the direction of several nobles who were deep in discussions about the ramifications to trade with the necromancer kingdom. "Trade is one thing, a royal marraige... is above my station." He pointed out hesitant to talk further.

"Surely you have some thoughts on the matter?" She plied him passing a glass of whiskey from one of the trays that was being handed out by the palace servants.

"Less taxes on exports will mean my House keeps more money from grain sales?" He tried before frowning. "Actually, that assumes the lords and landholders on the border don't raise their own taxes in response to pocket most of the gains themselves." Henry pointed out somewhat bitterly. His own house sold their surplus when they had it to merchants who were the ones to actually deal with the necromancers, hopefully they'd pass on some of the savings, but it was just as likely that they, or the nobles in between his families fiefdom and the border would take their cut of any gains first.

"You don't think war is a possibility?"

"War?" He blinked. "Less so now, the necromancers make strong allies."

"You don't think the Knights of the Golden throne will object?"

"Why would they?" Henry asked bluntly. "They don't get involved in politics. They deliberately stayed out of the civil war, they're getting involved in certain matters such as rooting out bandits and guarding other borders with the necromancers largely being quiet and peaceful. Maybe they raise road tolls to account for increased trade and road usage but outright war? From the knights who are supposed to protect the kingdom?" He shrugged. "I don't see it. Not unless Serriados tries to march an entire army into the country as 'bodyguards'. Actually, the entire inner circle being here kind of disproves the rumour about the knight-general marching off in a snit doesn't it?" He asked looking around to see if she was still anywhere to be found.

"And if she does march off to their fortress?"

"It will probably be to let them know about the queens choice and to tell them not to panic if necromancer wedding guests do try to cross the border?" Henry blinked. "I know if I was in their position I might not trust a letter and might need someone I trust to inform me face to face."

"You don't have much time for politics do you?" Lady Carissa teased him lightly.

"I don't have time to invent problems where none exist." Henry shrugged. "My grandmother wasn't born when the Archnecromancer formally announced an end to all claims outside their spooky forest. Based on the numbers Lyrus Serriados has probably killed more necromancers than any member of Aduns knightly order alive. And, I guess it would be nice if there's more people to sell our farms food to?"

"That's a good point." Carissa giggled. "Though maybe don't say it where any knights or their priests can hear." She cautioned. "Well, will you be approaching her to make an offer?"

"An offer?" Henry asked mystified.

"To sell the necromancer kingdom grain?" She clarified.

"The princess isn't going to want to be interested in a cart and a half with some sacks of grain my lady." Henry blushed. "My time waiting for weeks to speak to someone, anyone at all. Have made abundantly clear the royals have more important things to be handling. My... 'nobility' is a polite formality." He admitted blushing. "There was serious talks of me marrying the village blacksmiths daughter before the civil war broke out."

If Lady Carissa was shocked at his poor origins she recovered quickly and hid it well and clucked her tongue. "Weeks? You're one of the houses managing and defending the crown reserves?" She queried suddenly.

"Barely outside the city gates, less than a days ride from Eridia. I'm staying in the city to try and get an audience in the mornings..." Henry admitted.

"And your house one of the crowns direct vassals?" Carissa shook her head. "Come with me, there's some people I should introduce you to and we'll get this sorted out." She patted his elbow gently and guided him as he let himself be led along where she wished to go, wincing internally as he recognised the Lady Balmain busy mingling with guests whom Carissa made a beeline for.

"It's been a week since I announced my marriage, and we managed to avoid any riots in the capital - didn't even have any mobs that fell short of riots, once the money started getting disbursed." Vanessa observed. "What are the reactions in the rest of the Kingdom?"

"We've hardly had word from every corner of the realm," Rykall qualified, "But Couron and Tairos did have a few small scale riots, but by all reports no one died when the local city guard dispersed them, though there were serious injuries in both cities. Thankfully, the local temples of Tyria volunteered to handle the healing of everyone involved without even a nominal fee."

"What do you know, bribery works." Vanessa mused. "And further afield?"

"Port Lest and Eaglecrest both had more severe responses, but the citizens of the Free Cities tend not to riot unless they're especially angry, so we at least avoided riots there. But there were large massings of people in both cities expressing discontent with the decision to the city leadership. I suspect you'll be getting formal letters from both about that in the next few days. The merchants and gentry by all accounts appear to be less open in any disagreement over your choice, but that could just be them being quiet. Largely the same from the nobility, but there's about a dozen families of note that have longstanding ties to the Knights of the Golden Throne who have all sent in formal letters of protest about your choice."

Vanessa bit her lip. She was starting to see the appeal in just ignoring the rights and dignities of the nobility, like Syrokis had been doing by the end. Not that she was going to, but really. She was the Queen. At some point that had to mean something, did they really think a letter of protest would make her cancel her engagement? How would that look, domestically and internationally?

"Have the letters brought to me after the meeting, and I'll at least give them the attention they're due." If the a noble actually wrote a formal letter of protest, she at least had to be known to be looking at the damn thing. It was a matter of respect.

"I've hardly heard form every agent I have in the Kingdom, but they have reported some discontent, especially - but not exclusively - among the more progressive nobility." Vallefor reported. "It's impossible to quantify this sort of thing easily, but you've taken a hit in the amount of support large segments of the nobility have for you."

"To be expected, now we need to work on shoring things up across the board." Vanessa looked to Rucdorn. "How are the banks taking this?"

"They're glad to hear you're announcing a marriage, and no bank has any real professional complaints about the Kingdom of the Necromancers. The worst I've heard them say is that they're annoyed Archnecromancer Lyrus doesn't take out loans."

"Never?" Vanessa raised an eyebrow.

"By all reports, no. Various nobles and mercantile concerns have, as you'd expect, but the 'crown' of Darkmoon Forest, as it were, never has." Rucdorn shrugged. "They respect him living within his financial means, but it's damned annoying. Apparently the Goldaxe and Axecavern Banks have both offered him very generous terms to get him to take out a loan."

"Not having to pay for or feed most of your army or labor force has its advantages," Rienne suggested. "Feeding and maintaining our soldiers is one of the larger expenses, especially our cavalry."

"Fair point." Rucdorn agreed good-naturedly.

"General Darach has been recalled to the Citadel to confer with the other generals, now that the marriage has been announced." Rienne informed them. "This is going to play merry hell with the liaising regarding mobilization plans, I suspect they're going to be as uncooperative as they can get away with for a good while on every front."

"The Church of Adun has managed - somehow - to refrain from actively preaching against the marriage, though none of their sermons or prayers have had anything good to say about it either, so far." Vallefor said. "And one of my agents in the Citadel did report that there have been a lot of letters passing back and forth between the temples here in the Grand Duchy and the Citadel. Your generous 'donation' to the Church of Adun has at least bought you some... neutral will."

"I'll take it. Stubborn uncooperativeness can also be lived with. But I will want them brought around sooner or later." Vanessa drummed her fingers against the table for a moment. "Well, it's still worth pointing out that someone would have married Essinya sooner or later, and did they really want that to be someone else? At least they have some influence in Halrun - if it turns out Essinya is 'enthralling me with her dark magic' or some such rot, they can actually be in a position to do something about that." Vanessa rolled her eyes, and admittedly she felt a little childish when she said it like that, but still.

Blasted paladins.

Itrick coughed, "While I think your point that someone else - such as Morvak - may have married into Darkmoon Forest sooner or later is a fair one... I only know one of the Generals currently leading the Knights personally - Apart from General Darach," he clarified, waving a hand aside, "but General Ogorol has no sense of humor whatsoever, and from what I know, the others don't either."

"Why am I not surprised," Vanessa murmured. She nodded, speaking up. "Very well. So the long and the short of it is that there's been the anticipated negative responses, but at least nothing serious... yet?"

"More or less." Vallefor nodded, with sounds of agreement from the others.

"Keep monitoring it, and we'll have to see how it goes." Vanessa pursed her lips. "I understand my seneschal is gathering some appropriate people to plan the wedding, but there's still a million and a half decisions I'll have to make along the way, so let's continue with the essential items. Where do things sit with South Zarsim?"

"Arrangements have been made with Rucdorn to begin providing the subsidy as laid out in the treaty," Arandel explained, gesturing the dwarf. "And preparations are being laid on the shipyard side of things, though it will be a month or two before we can start on that. As for the soldiers - obviously King Gaius knows we can't just free up 900 soldiers and send them away immediately, but we can't wait forever."

"As I noted a few weeks ago, the best option is to take most or all of the nine hundred from our mobile reserve around the capital, and immediately begin recruiting to fill in the gaps. Thankfully recruitment will be easier now than it might be, as there will be veterans that will be more than happy to take up your coin again." Rienne observed. "Obviously it's a burden on the treasury, but an under garrisoned capital is the last thing we want."

"Better to have it and not need it, and all that," Rucdorn agreed, sounding begrudging as he did so. "But we have to consider that we're going to be spending money on this wedding. A lot of money. Halting all loan payments while we spend on the wedding would be a very bad idea, but we can probably afford to dial things back a substantive amount, since this marriage will appease the banks in the long run." He sighed. "Humans and their extravagant weddings." He muttered.

"Human elites," Rykall corrected. "My uncle's marriage was a simple trip to the temple of Tyria and a three-course feast, and my family's pretty well off. You need to be a noble or a true merchant prince or banking magnate to be able to really spent vast sums of money on a marriage."

"In my home village, a simple large dinner was the most you could expect for a wedding," Itrick added.

"Fair enough," Rucdorn conceded. "Still you all do it wrong. You shouldn't be spending more money on the wedding than on the lawyers negotiating the marriage contracts. Or treaties in this case - even the longest marriage treaty between human realms I've heard of is tiny compared to a proper dwarven marriage contract."

"Whereas elves don't even bother with formal marriages most of the time, and marriage contracts are all but nonexistent," Arandel mused. "Humans as always occupying the middle ground between us."

"Interesting diversion, but we still have more to discuss." Vanessa interrupted. She had a number of items she wanted to run down before this meeting finished. "On the matter of Menthura and Gramaire, any real progress?"

"I've got agents planted in Menthura, gathering information, but I haven't been able to penetrate her inner circle, as I told you. As it stands - by all accounts she's just raising her son - presumably educating him to be King one day - and dabbling in Menthuran politics, writing letters to potential sympathizers all over the Tamildan-speaking world. What will come of them, I can't say. It's also rumored that her son's magical talents are awakening earlier than anyone expected. She won't be able to get him any proper, formal tutoring since she's in Menthura, but she'll no doubt want him to hone that talent."

"Doubtless. I can see it now, twenty years from now, trying to best me in a magical duel as part of a scheme to take back his 'rightful' throne." Vanessa sighed. "Certainly would make for a dramatic story and set-piece."

Thankfully, sitting monarchs couldn't actually be challenged to duels, according to the customs and laws of duels. Granted, those were for duels with swords or with lances on horseback, not magical duels, but still.

Not that Vanessa doubted her ability to beat Syrokis's brat, especially with twenty more years to hone her skills, especially if she had Essinya to make things more interesting...

"Keep working on penetrating her inner circle, and see if we can find out who she's writing to - and what they're saying. What about Roland Arbolast Fredero and your watch for more like him?"

"The case against him is increasingly solid. We haven't turned up anyone else who can be said to be funneling money to Gramaire, yet, but we have identified a number of minor financial crimes and other offenses along the way. Nothing worth of anything more than minor fines, but they add up." Itrick offered.

"Best be careful about that one," Balmain warned. "Syrokis may have pursued those fines to the letter, but Teran and Brunn didn't - certainly they levied some here and there, but there's a limit to how much you can enforce such minor offenses without looking incredibly petty in the process. Not to mention tyrannical."

"And fortunately, I tend to agree that there's a point where enforcing the minutiae can get useless. But it's still good to remind people these acts are against the law. Tends to reduce their commission if people know there's a chance they'll be issued fines." Itrick passed around a list of names and notations of their relevant crimes. Some of them - the crimes - were ones Vanessa had never heard of, but she trusted Itrick would be able to explain them all in chapter and verse. A little money from fines wasn't the worst idea either, under the circumstances.

Speaking of money-

"We haven't sold those Necrotic Artifacts confiscated from those two former adventurers, right?" She looked at Rucdorn, since he tended to have stewardship of valuable items of that nature.

"We haven't unless someone acted without orders," Rucdorn confirmed, voice low, clearly confused.

"Well, I was thinking we may want to hold onto them and have them be part of a wedding present to Essinya." Vanessa explained. "No decisions need to be made yet, and they're largely nonmagical, but the symbolic nature of it might be worth something if nothing else." Arandel nodded in agreement with that sentiment. "Something to consider." She turned to Balmain. "Roads. As I understand it, the ones around the Grand Duchy are almost fully repaired?"

"Fully repaired is a stretch, these roads were the work of years to make, we can't fix them in six months, but they're fully useable, at least, and the remaining improvements can be covered in the normal maintenance costs - which will go up once the roads start getting used more properly. Still. They'll be better than what we've had."

"Good." Vanessa looked to Arandel, "Loran Teygraf has gone and vanished and the Illegorst Ambassador has had nothing to say about where he's gone off to. Lothar Aldogun has headed back to Selissa with best wishes for my happy marriage. Janera hasn't left yet, but she has moved into the Nerinthar Embassy?"

"For the moment," He explained after a moment to gather his thoughts, "though I suspect she won't stay forever. But she and the Nerinthar Ambassador did express an interest in some sort of treaty of friendship between Halrun and Nerinthar, if nothing else."

"Not against it in principle. Regara has to stay at least another month to maintain the fiction of negotiations over the Thornmarch, I suppose?"

"True." Arandel confirmed.

"We could still arrange for some sort of support for her come the inevitable civil war. If I'm not marrying Janera, then we still could benefit from Regara and her general lack of interest in invading us from winning out in Morvak, no?" A chorus of cautious agreements.

"I'll draw up a few proposals, and if you like, we can negotiate those under the cover of the ongoing talks regarding the Thornmarch," Arandel agreed.

"Good. Rucdorn, the minted coins, all goes well?"

"Indeed. They're spreading throughout the kingdom, and at this point, there's not much need to mint more than the standard amount to account for coins being lost in shipwrecks, trade imbalances and that sort of thing. A trickle compared to what we've done in the previous two large runs. Give it a month and we'll finally start to see money circulating close to how it should again. Another few, and I think transactions will be more or less back to normal."

"Excellent news. One final item before we move on to the lesser matters - the money I gave to the temples. The Church of Tyria is using some of it for the healing in Couron and Tairos, which is good news, do we know what the rest are doing with it?"

"The Church of Adun hasn't made any major purchases or announced any new plans," Balmain began to tick items off, "I suspect some of it will go to some new stained glass, probably depicting scenes more... politically acceptable than the Crusaders victories over the Necrotic Empire. The rest will likely go to the rural priesthood. Adunite clergy is often trusted to resolve disputes of property or social norms between peasants, more so than royal officials, and it takes work off of Itrick's judges hands in that regard."

Useful. Vanessa gestured to Balmain to continue.

"The Church of Ordedus has announced several large investments in and gifts to merchants working the grain trade, which we can all expect to get a boon. I suspect there's going to be a lot of wagons being built over the next few months to make moving grain into Darkmoon Forest faster and cheaper. The Church of Celiesta... I honestly can't say I've heard anything." She looked around the table.

"I have a friend of an associate who has heard the High Priest here in Eridia has long had an ambition to reach out to hedge mages and woodswitches and both to offer them training and tools, but also to get more information on their techniques." Arandel offered, "How they use various techniques without the same training and tools, how they make the most of their usually more limited magical power and mana, that sort of thing."

"Given how hedge mages and the like are how most people first encounter magic... and they tend to be the ones who notice potential mages out in the countryside first as well, that could be quite useful." She looked to Itrick, "And the Church of Askiran?"

"Expanding the secular side of the Church's barrister and advocate education. Syrokis's fondness for imprisoning or killing lawyers who quoted the laws he was breaking at him or his appointees has left us with something of a shortage of them." The Keeper of Justice explained. "Largely, anyway."

"I wouldn't expect all the money to go to ends that rebound like that, but it's good to know I didn't miss the mark on how the expenditures would go." Vanessa smiled. Then she rubbed at her forehead. "Let's try to not be here for more than another hour, two at most. What's the next item we need to discuss?"

Tax Assessments (Pick 2 to get resolved this turn)
[ ][TAX ASSESSMENTS] Saphet County Land Tax
[ ][TAX ASSESSMENTS] County of Aloce Land Tax

Keeper of Correspondence Tasks (Pick 1)
[ ][CORRESPONDENCE] Gather Reports On Banditry (Improves Base Chance of future Anti-Banditry Tasks) (Base Chance 65% + Stewardship)
[ ][CORRESPONDENCE] Reorganize the Clerks (Improves Base Chance of [CORRESPONDENCE] Tasks by 4% or 8% for the next 5 turns) (Base Chance 55% + Stewardship + Learning)*
[ ][CORRESPONDENCE] Lend Clerks to help another Keeper with their Task (+3/+6 to their Task on a Weak/Strong Success) (Base Chance 50% + Stewardship)
[ ][CORRESPONDENCE] Audit The Royal Demesne (Phase 1 of ?) (Could increase Revenues from Personal Holdings) (Costs 5 Dureks)
[ ][CORRESPONDENCE] Begin Internal Charm Offensive – Spread the Word About Vanessa's Accomplishments (Increase popularity)
-[ ]Work with the major broadsheets and circulars of the major cities of the realm (Free or otherwise) to put out a detailed list of Vanessa's successes. The broadsheets and circulars are read by the upper and middle classes of the cities and the trade towns, and many nobles.) (Base Chance 60% + Diplomacy) (Costs 2 Dureks)
-[ ]Hire Heralds to spread the word in announcements in town and village squares across the Kingdom (Will reach the lowest classes the most, but obviously others will hear) (Base Chance 67% + Diplomacy) (Costs 4 Dureks)
-[ ]Hire Bards and Minstrels to sing songs in praise of Vanessa across the realm (Has the highest reach, but if it misses, will backfire badly) (Base Chance 49% + Diplomacy) (Costs 3 Dureks)
-[ ]Write In Other Proposal (Subject to QM Veto) (Cost and Base Chance Set by QM)
[ ][CORRESPONDENCE] Suggest additional task, subject to QM Veto (Base Chance Will be Set by QM If Approved)

Keeper of The Royal Vaults (Pick 1)
[ ][ROYAL VAULTS] Negotiate Bridge Loan of 100 Dureks To Help Pay Down Current Debts (Failure will mean no loan, Weak Success will mean the higher of the two offered interest rates, Strong Success will mean the lower of the two) (Must be Used To Pay Down Existing Debts)
-[ ] From The Goldaxe Bank (Lortan Dwarves) (9.5% or 8%) (Base Chance 57% + Stewardship)*
-[ ] From The Caragio Bank (Varaday Republic) (11% or 9.25%) (Base Chance 69% + Stewardship)*
-[ ] From the Veterger Bank (Selissa) (12% or 9.75%) (Base Chance 80% + Stewardship)*
[ ][ROYAL VAULTS] Negotiate Free-Standing Loan of 50 Dureks (Failure will mean no loan, Weak Success will mean the higher of the two offered interest rates, Strong Success will mean the lower of the two) (Can Be Used For Anything)
-[ ] From The Goldaxe Bank (Lortan Dwarves) (12.25% or 11%) (Base Chance 59% + Stewardship)*
-[ ] From The Caragio Bank (Varaday Republic) (13% or 11.5%) (Base Chance 72% + Stewardship)*
-[ ] From the Veterger Bank (Selissa) (13.25% or 12.5%) (Base Chance 81% + Stewardship)*
[ ][ROYAL VAULTS] Sell Tax-Farming Rights (Tax Farmers offer large sum of money up front and get full right to collect all taxes from a given source for a specified length of time) (Success of roll results on more money gained) (No matter what, you will get less money up front than you could get over that length of time) (Base Chance 61% + Stewardship + Diplomacy)
-[ ] Write In Tax Source And A Number of Turns
[ ][ROYAL VAULTS] Invest (Miss will result in only getting X% of investment back, Weak success will result in regaining investment +1 Durek, Strong Success will result in Y% of investment being regained) (Cannot invest more than 7 Dureks at once at this time)
-[ ]In Land Speculation [Write In Amount] Base Chance 54% + Stewardship (X = 75% Y = 125%)
-[ ]In Mining [Write In Amount] Base Chance 48% + Stewardship (X = 60%, Y = 140%)
-[ ]In Shipping [Write In Amount] Base Chance 43% + Stewardship (X = 50% Y =150%)
[ ][ROYAL VAULTS] Audit The Royal Demesne (Phase 1 of ?) (Could increase Revenues from Personal Holdings) (Costs 5 Dureks)
[ ][ROYAL VAULTS] Sell the Necrotic Artifacts delivered by Dorien and Vrel's man. (Base Chance 70% + Stewardship) (Max Sale Value, 4 Dureks)
[ ][ROYAL VAULTS] Suggest additional task, subject to QM Veto (Base Chance Will be Set by QM If Approved)

High Marshall of the Armies (Pick 1)
[ ][HIGH MARSHALL] Recruit Additional Soldiers (Strong Success gets you all the soldiers you wanted. Weak Success or Failure gets you less soldiers) (Base Chance 54% + Martial)* (Costs Dureks Base on # of soldiers desired)
-[ ] Write in desired Types and Numbers of Soldiers
[ ][HIGH MARSHALL] Survey Border Defenses (Opens Options for Future Improvement of Border Defenses) (Base Chance: 75% + Martial)*
-[ ]Thornmarch
-[ ]Ashdan March
-[ ]Eaglecrest
-[ ] Write in (Suggest Other Border Area)
[ ][HIGH MARSHALL] Stage War Games with the Mobile Reserve (Improves Army Readiness, increasing rolls for 3 Months) (Base Chance 50% + Martial)* (Costs 2 Dureks)
[ ][HIGH MARSHALL] Expand The Logistics Base (Improves Army Morale, Adds Logistical Strategic Depth in case of War) (Base Chance 57% + Martial +1/2 Stewardship)* (Costs 5 Dureks)
[ ][HIGH MARSHALL] Draw Up New Plans for Calling Up The Levies (Makes it easier to call up the levies if needed) (Base Chance 52% + Martial)*
[ ][HIGH MARSHALL] Draw up a Comprehensive Plan for Arming the Levies (Increase Levy effectiveness) (Base Chance 44% + Martial)* (Costs 3 Dureks)
[ ][HIGH MARSHALL] Establish Mandatory Training for the Levies (Increase levy effectiveness) (Base Chance 37% + Diplomacy)* (Cost 18 Dureks)
[ ][HIGH MARSHALL] Suggest additional task, subject to QM Veto (Base Chance Will be Set by QM If Approved)

Keeper of Secrets (Pick 1)
[ ][SECRETS] Rebuild Internal Spy Network (Phase 3 of ?) (No roll required. Each phase opens more [SECRETS] options down the line and improves chances of success of internal spy operations, as well as giving increased chance for intelligence to be 'passively' received)
-[ ]Provide Funds to Speed up/Improve Process. Write-in amount.
[ ][SECRETS] Plant Spies on the Nobility (Base Chance 39% +Intrigue)* (Costs 10 Dureks)
[ ][SECRETS] Plant Spies on the Merchants Outside of the Free Cities (Base Chance 44% + Intrigue) (Costs 5 Dureks)
[ ][SECRETS] Plant Spies on the Elites of the Free Cities (Base Chance 42% + Intrigue)* (Costs 7.5 Dureks)
[ ][SECRETS] Plant Spies on the Rural Gentry (Base Chance 47% + Intrigue) (Costs 5 Dureks)
[ ][SECRETS] Create false flag conspiracies against the Crown to lure out potential traitors. (Base Chance 37% + Intrigue) (Costs 10 Dureks)
[ ][SECRETS] Expand Infiltration of Menthura (5 Dureks)
-[ ] Infiltrate Gramaire's Inner Circle (Base Chance 45%+Intrigue)*
-[ ] Infiltrate the Royal Household of Menthura (Base Chance 55% + Intrigue)*
[ ][SECRETS] Assassinate Gramaire and her Son (3 Dureks)
-[ ] Without any concern for the killing being traced back to you (Base Chance 30% + Intrigue)
-[ ] With the intent to at least not leave any proof you ordered the assassination (Base Chance 15% + Intrigue)
[ ][SECRETS] Using existing agents in Morvak, get a closer look at the shape of the impending civil war. (Base Chance 57% + Intrigue)
[ ][SECRETS] Rebuild an External Spy Network (Costs 5 Dureks) (Provides passive intelligence and improves chances of spy operations inside a given state)
-[ ] In Veldros (Base Chance: 65% + Intrigue)*
-[ ] In Nerinthar (Base Chance 51% + Intrigue)*
-[ ] In Selissa (Base Chance: 53% + Intrigue)*
-[ ] In The Kingdom of the Necromancers (Base Chance: 40% + Intrigue)*
-[ ] In the Varaday Republic (Base Chance: 43% + Intrigue)
-[ ] In North Zarsim (Base Chance 52% + Intrigue)*
-[ ] Pick a Target (Base Chance and Trait applicability to be set by QM)
[ ][SECRETS]Assess Royal Security (Stage False Break In of The Palace, potentially improves Royal Security) (Base Chance 55% + Intrigue)
[ ][SECRETS] Quietly arrest Roland Arbolast Fredero for his financial support for ex-Countess Gramaire and interrogate him about the details of his financial transfers to the mother of Syrokis's son. (Base Chance 65% + Intrigue)*
[ ][SECRETS] Suggest additional task, subject to QM Veto (Base Chance Will be Set by QM If Approved)

Keeper of the Sheriffs and Reeves (Pick 1)
[ ][SHERIFFS AND REEVES] Repair War Damage (Strong Success means lower cost, Weak Success means higher cost) (Once done, it will take 1 Turn for the relevant modifier to be removed, but no additional costs) (Rebuilding the Roads will reduce this length and improve Base %)
-[ ]To the Coastal March (Costs 3.5 or 8.5 Dureks) (Base Chance: 69% + Stewardship)*
-[ ]To the Southmarch (Costs 2.5 or 6 Dureks) (Base Chance: 71% + Stewardship)*
-[ ]To the 3 Crown Reserves (Costs 1.25 or 2.5 Dureks) (Base Chance: 79% + Stewardship)*
[ ][SHERIFFS AND REEVES] Personally oversee the Road Rebuilding Around the Free Cities (Strong Success will take an extra turn off the time. Miss will mean this turn leads to no progress.) (Base Chance 70% + Stewardship)*
[ ][SHERIFFS AND REEVES] Start Rebuilding the Roads Between the Thornmarch and the Grand Duchy (Base Chance 60 % + Stewardship)* (Costs 35 Dureks) [Process will take Multiple Turns]
[ ][SHERIFFS AND REEVES] Start Rebuilding the Roads Between the Grand Duchy and Westcrown (Base Chance 62% + Stewardship)* (Costs 30 Dureks) [Process will take Multiple Turns]
[ ][SHERIFFS AND REEVES] Call for settlers in the Crown Reserves (No Roll, Additional Scene. Could be expensive up front, but could increase value of Crown Reserves long term)
[ ][SHERIFFS AND REEVES] Invest In The Crown Reserves (No Roll Required, Additional Scene, Could increase value of the Crown Reserves)
[ ][SHERIFFS AND REEVES] Investigate New Infrastructure Project Possibilities (Opens Floor to Player Suggestions for up to 4 new major construction projects that I will assign costs, chances and values to) (No Roll Required)
[ ][SHERIFFS AND REEVES] Suggest additional task, subject to QM Veto (Base Chance Will be Set by QM If Approved)

Keeper of Justice (Pick 1)
[ ][JUSTICE] Arrest Roland Arbolast Fredero for his financial support for ex-Countess Gramaire and interrogate him about the details of his financial transfers to the mother of Syrokis's son, and then try him publicly. (Base Chance 72% + 1/2 Intrigue)*
[ ][JUSTICE] Post Bounties on Leading Bandits (Permanently Improves chances of anti-bandit operations) (No roll)
-[ ]1 Durek Total (+2 to anti-bandit operations)
-[ ]2 Dureks Total (+3 to anti-bandit Operations
-[ ]Write in (Each point increase above +3 costs 1 more Dureks)
[ ][JUSTICE] Send the Judges on a circuit to the villages to hear complaints and cases (Base Chance 50% + 1/2 Diplomacy + 1/2 Stewardship)
[ ][JUSTICE] Investigate the sudden (and suspect) financial success of a previously beleaguered Shipping Magnate (Base Chance 40% + Intrigue + Learning)
[ ][JUSTICE] Issue fines to assorted nobles and merchants guilty of assorted minor financial crimes (You'll get the fine money either way. But a Miss will mean people see this as unjust and unfair, a Strong Hit will mean the cases made against these people will be seen as unassailable) (Base Chance 45% + 1/2 Stewardship + 1/2 Intrigue + 1/2 Learning) (Gains 1d4+1 Dureks)
[ ][JUSTICE] Suggest additional task, subject to QM Veto (Base Chance Will be Set by QM If Approved)

Keeper of Envoys (Pick 1)
[ ][ENVOYS] Open Trade Negotiations (Could Produce Additional Durek Income)
-[ ]With Zedarsh (Base Chance 68% + Diplomacy)*
-[ ]With Kingdom of the Necromancers (Base Chance 74% + Diplomacy)* (Scrying the KoTN is more difficult) (Unnecessary At this Time)
-[ ]With Blerren (Base Chance 69% + Diplomacy)*
-[ ]With Gyptar (Base Chance 69% + Diplomacy)*
-[ ]With Restid (Base Chance 52% + Diplomacy)* (Scrying Restid is Harder) (May Be Unpopular)
-[ ]Write-in (Suggest realm, Base Chance will be set by QM)
[ ][ENVOYS] Negotiate Non-Aggression Pact with Morvak (Weak Success means concessions may be required, followup vote will be taken to see if you approve said Concessions)
-[ ]For 3 Months (Base Chance 48% + Diplomacy)*
-[ ]For 6 Months (Base Chance 42% + Diplomacy)*
-[ ]For 12 Months (Base Chance 32% + Diplomacy)*
[ ][ENVOYS] Reach out to the Kingdom of the Red Spear to gauge Intentions (Base Chance 56% + Diplomacy)*
[ ][ENVOYS] Try to mediate a temporary truce in the Zar Civil War as a precursor to more permanent negotiations (Base Chance 28% + Diplomacy)*
[ ][ENVOYS] Negotiate non-Marriage Alliance with Nerinthar (Base Chance 53% + Diplomacy)* (Terms will be lesser for both sides, all things being equal, and likely less ironclad, but allies are still at least allies)
[ ][ENVOYS] Negotiate Secret Pact of Support for Regara for the coming civil war (Base Chance 55% + Diplomacy)* (You may not be marrying Regara, but perhaps you still want to back her over her sister)
[ ][ENVOYS] Have Arandel speak to the Knights of the Golden Throne to try and smooth ruffled feathers regarding the marriage to Essinya (Base Chance 51% + Diplomacy)*
[ ][ENVOYS] Suggest additional task, subject to QM Veto (Base Chance Will be Set by QM If Approved)

Queen Actions (Pick 2)
[ ][QUEEN] Scry on a Neighboring power to gather information on them. (Provides information, may increase odds of future [SECRETS] actions involving the country) (Base Chance: 55% + Magic)*
-[ ]Morvak
-[ ]The Red Spear
-[ ]The Kingdom of the Necromancers (Imposes 5% penalty on the base chance)
-[ ]North and South Zarsim
-[ ]Menthura (+2% on the base chance - previous failure means Vanessa has a better chance this time, having learned from her mistakes)
-[ ]Suggest Additional Target (Some realms may be harder to Scry)
[ ][QUEEN] Scry on the Status of the Border Defenses (Opens Options for Future Improvement of Border Defenses) (Base Chance: 51% + Magic + Martial)*
-[ ]Thornmarch
-[ ]Ashdan March
-[ ]Eaglecrest
-[ ] Write in (Suggest Other Border Area)
[ ][QUEEN] Scry On The Kingdom (Base Chance 45% + Magic)*
-[ ]The Lordships
-[ ]The Free Cities
-[ ]The Rural Gentry
-[ ]The Trade Towns
-[ ]The Counties
[ ][QUEEN] Try to get Cyril to be willing to provide direct assistance in some cases (Opens options in the future) (Base Chance 25% + Diplomacy)
-[ ]Offer Cyril One of the Crystals Recovered from the Necrotic Ruin (Improves Base Chance by 15%)
[ ][QUEEN] Build a Sanctum (Multi-Turn Prospect)
-[ ] Create a suitable chamber under the Palace (Base Chance: 70% + Magic) (Takes Three Turns) (-10 Dureks)†
-[ ] Find a Suitable Place elsewhere in the Grand Duchy (Will be less accessible, but cheaper to establish) (Takes Three Turns) (Base Chance 70% + Magic) (-7 Dureks)†
-[ ] Find a Suitable place in one of the Crown Reserves (Hard to access, but even cheaper and more secret) (Base Chance 60% + Magic) (-4 Dureks)†
-[ ]Use Several of the Crystals Recovered from the Necrotic Ruin To Make a room suitable for a Sanctum Under the Palace (No Roll Required) (Costs 4 Dureks)
[ ][QUEEN] Social Action (May use both Queen Actions on Social Action)
-[ ] Get To Know Your Staff Better
-[ ] Write-in Councilor you'd like to improve relations with.
-[ ] Catch Up With Cyril
-[ ] Spend time Essinya
-[ ] Speak to the Local High Priests of 2 (Two) Gods to develop relationships and perhaps trade favors
[ ][QUEEN] Recruit more mages to Royal Service (If successful, costs 9 Dureks. No expenditure if failure) (Base Chance: 73% + Diplomacy)†
[ ][QUEEN] Work on Planning the Wedding with Essinya (May use both of your actions for this, include it as 2 separate line items in any proposed plan.)
[ ][QUEEN] Negotiate a One-time 20 Durek 'Tax': (Will upset the target, degree of upset depending on roll result. Miss means no money and middling degree of upset, Weak Success means all the money but the greatest degree of upset, Strong Success means all the money and the least degree of upset)
-[ ]Tax Lordly Estates (Base Chance 34% + Diplomacy)
-[ ]Tax The Counties (Base Chance 36% + Diplomacy)
-[ ]Tax the Free Cities Trade (Base Chance 36% + Diplomacy)
-[ ]Tax the Trade Towns Trade (Base Chance 41% + Diplomacy)
-[ ]Tax the Rural Gentry Estates (Base Chance 38% + Diplomacy)
[ ][QUEEN] Take a Royal Tour of the Grand Duchy and Nearby Lordships (Could improve popularity and loyalty in the region) (Base Chance 70% + Diplomacy + 1/2 Intrigue) (Costs 5 Dureks)†
[ ][QUEEN] Personally speak with the Knights of the Golden Throne about your marriage to Essinya to bring them around (Base Chance 51% + Diplomacy)
-[ ] (Optional) Suggest lines of 'attack' to use in the discussion to convince them.
[ ][QUEEN] Suggest additional task, subject to QM Veto (Base Chance Will be Set by QM If Approved)

Banditry Actions
[ ][BANDITRY GENERAL] Send General Trins (Rolls will use his Martial and Trait)
[ ][BANDITRY GENERAL] Send General Darach (Rolls will use her Martial and Trait) (General Darach is Unavailable This Turn)
[ ][BANDITRY GENERAL] Send High Marshall Rienne (Rolls will use her Martial and Trait) (Will impose a -7% Chance to her [HIGH MARSHALL] Action this turn)

[ ][BANDITRY PLAN] Show the Flag (Send the bulk of the Mobile reserves in a big, showy force to spook bandits and make them quit or at least reduce morale, win local support to prevent anyone supplying bandits from doing so, etc) (No Chance of Casualties) (Base Chance 35% + Martial)*
[ ][BANDITRY PLAN] Regular Trade Route Patrols (Patrol the main channels of trade to ward off bandit attacks) (Low Casualties at Most) (Base Chance 53% + Martial)*
[ ][BANDITRY PLAN] Disperse to Cover Major Trade Caravans (Get Merchants to travel in caravan convoys, and disperse to guard them directly) (Medium Casualties at Most) (Base Chance: 65% + Martial)*
[ ][BANDITRY PLAN] Send Out The Cavalry On Hunting Expeditions (Send out the Light Cavalry off-road and have them try to drive out bandits root and branch) (High Casualties at Most) (Base Chance 71% + Martial)*

[ ][BANDITRY TARGET] The Lordships (Locked, Only Remaining Target)

[ ][WEDDING FINANCING] Devote X Dureks to the Wedding Fund

---

State of the Wedding Planning: 0/4 Actions Used
State of the Lordship Banditry: 1/3 VP

---

QM Note: It's worth nothing that including the Church of Adun in your bribery at the end of turn 7 did improve the odds of any negotiations with the Knights of the Golden Throne. Even Rienne speaking to them last turn also improved those odds just a little as well.

You will have to move the 900 soldiers to South Zarsim by the end of Turn 9. But you can split it over two turns, and you can wait to see how any recruitment goes (if you choose to have Rienne do that) this turn before deciding what to send and so forth, as that vote will be coming in the Council Actions turn.

Voting on how much money to set aside for the wedding this turn will be at the same time as the Loan Repayment vote, in the finance post.

I have added and changed quite a few options here and there in the various options for some Keepers (though not all) and expanded the Queen's options for actions a bit as well. I am also open to taking suggestions or ideas for future council actions to drop in in the future - I am not all-knowing and I can't think of everything you guys might want to do at some point.

Voting Moratorium for 48 Hours