The Reluctant Vassal's Guide to Living in the Frontier (with some Treason)

For a moment, Radana was sorely tempted. What diplomat wasn't? After all, it was definitely far easier to convince others when you had a warship or two in your pocket. Fielding those was every little girl's dream, to be able to feel the weight of war in space itself from its overwhelming presence. There was a good reason why they were a declaration of power in themselves.

But in the end, she managed to catch herself and typed out a strong suggestion of reconsideration to the ruling city council. While they clearly had grand ambitions for being the jewel of House Iris, at some point they had to stop simply looking pretty and actually begin using it to draw it tourists for money. Partnering with even more military production companies wasn't going to cut the trick when the quality itself was questionable.

Yes, that was how she'd frame it. To work with already existing infrastructure, the grand jaw-dropping Coral Parade, and make it even better. Humanity could only refine so much when there was an abundance of natural beauty about on the planet, eternal hurricane notwithstanding. Hm, perhaps she'd take a page of her best friend's book and slip some aspiring artist a casual suggestion to work that into whatever mascot redesign they settle on.

Calenwyrm has been colonized!


"Good evening everybody! This is Sundown News, broadcasting live from Mars! Your number one trusted news source for occurrences across the stars, covering everything everyday! We're glad to have you with us, so settle in and get ready to hear what's going on about the galaxy today.

No More Acquisitions, Says Archon!

"Following up on our previous piece regarding the ongoing trade conflict between Great House Tyto and Ababil, there has been a shocking development. A new party has joined the party, in the form of Great House York announcing they have uncovered and revealed a shocking conspiracy by Ababil to sabotage the economic development of House Archon, Tyto's vassal state! Almost instantly, Archon announced widespread arrests being carried out with positive identification and confirmation of these saboteurs.

"But that didn't seem to be enough, according to a joint statement between Tyto, Archon, and York. In a shocking show of unity, spurred on perhaps by the attempt, they have announced a total economic embargo of Great House Ababil and invite all those displeased with the 'greed and hunger of the vulture' to join them so. This is a frankly shocking development, and we are pleased to capture the moment of this rare cooperation between such powerful members of the United Empire. Listen to the representative from House York now."

"We are aware that there are a great many things that our Houses don't see eye to eye on. But we do it openly and honestly! This cowardly subversion on the part of Ababil is unbecoming of a Great House, especially when they dare to harm that under other's aegis! We stand in solidarity with friends across the stars against this terrorism, and insist all who feel similarly to consider standing with us so."

"A fiery declaration for sure, but one wonders how effective it'll actually be. Expert economists from Pluto are predicting only the slightest of dips for stocks based in Great House Ababil, citing their considerable accumulated hoard. Here's one of them now."

"While we cannot deny that what has happened is disgraceful, one really has to wonder if this reaction will accomplish much. It's almost akin to whining to the teachers about bullying, and them giving a sternly worded warning in response. The dip does exist but it seems more conciliatory than anything significant. I expect that if the matter does not escalate, the affair should be forgotten soon."

"Bold words, but I trust in our analysts' expertise. We'll keep you updated if it does escalate, so do make sure you are subscribed to our StarNet Alerts as well. Now onto our next feature piece."

Orochi Militants: A Growing Threat?

"To the average viewer at home, the strong warrior culture of Great House Orochi needs no introduction. But what if we were to say that it's now become a potential source of downfall for them? We have received worrying news from affiliate stations based in their territory that there has been an uptick in discontent within their borders. Various militia groups have declared themselves new blocs of power that are trying to amass enough strength to make a difference internally across Orochi's planets.

"While internal discontent and struggle is hardly new with Orochi's culture, what is more concerning is a seeming lack of effective control and response on the part of the government. The videos you are seeing now are showing the aftermath of these militia attacks on factories and banks affiliated with the ruling power, and they are not pretty. Each attack has multiple groups stepping up to proudly take responsibility over media channels, eventually inciting an official response from a representative of Great House Orochi."

"These attacks are on defenseless targets who have no means of protection. This is not a trial of strength as our tradition claims- it is slaughter! We will not show any hesitation in severe prosecution of these groups, and pursue further action against whoever supports them! This is what true strength means!"

"We here at Sundown News can only wish them and their victims the best, but even we must ask: is this what their culture means, or is this cannibalism? This leads into our next piece, stay tuned."

Opinion Piece: Orochi, The Strong Rule

"With the upcoming potential military action against the Free States, it is expected that Orochi will spearhead the campaign with their continued support for House Kelon. It is rare for a Great House and their vassal to be so closely aligned, but it seems to be that with Kelon even being granted the honor of working with Orochi's genetic machines, one of their people's greatest discoveries. This brings us to tonight's debate: what is the purpose of this seeming obsession with strength? Our guests are anonymous, as always, so let's begin the discussion."

"Ah, ah, is this on? It is! Okay, I am- oh, I can't say that, can I? Well, let's just say I'm somebody whose served with House Orochi mercenaries on the field. I can say that, right? Guess so. Right, let me begin by saying that this pursuit of 'strength' is massively, massively oversimplified for those outside their culture. What they say in reference to their dedication to the craft has so many layers of context that you can only learn after serving with them on the battlefield after many years."

"What do you mean? Could you explain?"

"I can try to, but you'll have to bear with a bit of rambling. It all has to do with how they survived the Age of Troubles, see? Their capital planet, their home, it's located in a nasty place where pirates would come and pillage them often. They could barely go a few cycles without getting what must be a pirate armada coming by to shake them up for all they've got, and killing those who fight back. But here's the thing, if you've ever known anybody from there- Orochi's awfully stubborn bastards. Oh, oops."

"We'll advise view discretion due to strong language. Continue on."

"Sorry. But yeah, so they stop getting angry and start getting clever. Instead of giving up when they lose, they stew on it. Start reviewing what went wrong, how they can get stronger. Each and every time those pirates came around for an annual teeth kicking, they still met them on, then limped away spitting blood. They realize, cleverly, they're getting closer with every iteration, the line coming closer to the day of reckoning. All they need is to keep pushing that edge, chasing more advantages, finding that little bit of extra strength where it matters, from genes, machine, or weapons.

"It doesn't matter, if it can help them win, they'll learn it and master it, those mad folk. Talking and forming alliances between the families, engineering to rig up bigger guns, shadow work to learn when the pirates are weakest, everything. They get so busy that they can't even bother having kids and start using machines to do it for them, repurposed tech from their decadent founders. Man, it was really weird when I tried hitting up some of them for the first time and they were genuinely confused about what 'going to your room' really meant- oh, I'm getting distracted!

"So the day finally comes and the pirates show up, filled to the brim with loot and wanting to do a little hunting to blow things off. Then here comes House Orochi, striking even before these raiders realize, and taking their armada. You'd think it was the end of it, but it wasn't. Because the way they see it, they aren't done. They've only won this time, but what about the next time? If they get sloppy and complacent like their ancestors back in the Age of Expansion, it'll happen again, a new Age of Troubles for them! So they're determined to keep honing their edge, now with experience, for whatever awaits them next."

"I see. So this pursuit of strength is not necessarily just a martial aspect, but in everything that surrounds the battle itself. This does tie into many wondering why some genetic manipulations and cybernetics seem to focus on other areas other than power. Thank you for this insight. Now then, our next speaker."

"MURDERERS! KILLERS!"

"W-what? Please keep your tone down!"

"House Orochi are nothing but a bunch of butchers! They'll cut up anything that doesn't fit with their model of the ideal warrior! Ethics, society, bodies, it'll all carve up one and the same! See how their vassals 'shift' to better fucking fit their ideals over time through their manipulation!"

"Calm down-"

"Oh, you wanna have a fucking go? How many of those lesser Houses were mired so deep in corruption and up their own arse to speak in shit? How many did Orochi forcibly rip from their idiot isolation to face the wider galaxy?!"

"Not as many I'm sure they kill regularly in their own laboratories because they weren't 'ideal!'"

"THAT'S A FUCKING DISGUSTING MYTH BY YORK, YOU RACIST-"

"Ahem. I apologize to all our viewers for that outburst. As per Sundown News policy, I will inform you that Orochi's latest self-reported laboratory terminations average less than 5% of all successful embryos. More importantly, they were almost always done in compliance of local laws that excluded certain 'unstable genes' from forming that could induce premature early cell instability and degradation. Let's cut to commercial break now to let that stew on and cool our heads."

"Hey. Discount Daniel here. You ever hear about that solarium stuff and want a sniff? Well I've got the next best thing, it's called danium, and it's even better! What, did you think it was weaker? Fuck you, who's asking? Anyway, how it works is that you give me your credits, all your credits, then I'll send you a black suitcase with the stuff in it. Totally not suspicious, absolutely legit. You should hear our customer testimonies once they're done riding the high, and totally not in the ICU for overdose! If you're interested, hit me up at this number here, and worry not. I will always take your credits, guaranteed!"

- Let's try making colored text for the news segment speakers to make them a bit more legible. Hope they are.
- I'll put up a Calenwyrm System Sheet soon, congratulations on your first expansion! Here's hoping it won't be your last.
- Also to clarify, all those militants definitely weren't yours. Violet would definitely know, but seems like she's not the only one with a similar idea.

Calenywrm I
A dry and planet mostly devoid of water, due to its sister planet constantly sucking it up via a natural hydrophillic pull. Even so, the natural flora has adapted to it by trapping what little water they can obtain to feed themselves. It's not recommended to try and build a pool though.


Calenwyrm II
A lush and tropical island world that is only slightly spoiled by an eternal hurricane that travels the equator. It is a unique phenomenon born of the unique water-attraction mechanics of the atmosphere that pull all moisture from its sister planet to drown in here. Thankfully flooding is not as common when one gets further away, so paradise can still be built.



System Total

Building Chains Limit: 2

You closed your eyes while the commercial from Discount Daniel played over the news network. Radana moved for you instead, her fingers shutting down the broadcast playing on your desk to give you some quiet. It was a welcomed and comfortable silence where you could hear yourself think. Perhaps a bit literally with all the different voices carefully dissecting and analyzing the situation to figure out what was really going on, and how to manipulate it so.

After a few minutes, your eyes opened and you glanced at your trusted aide. Radana recognized the prompt and cleared her throat, her own opinions likely bouncing about in her head. She opened with a careful neutral statement to test the waters. "That was way too messy to be you."

"Absolutely. While you could argue there to be purpose to sabotaging industrial and wealth facilities, doing so directly is juvenile and amateur." You sniffed and shook your head. "An unrefined operation smashes the tools, then leaves. A deeper conspiracy steals the tools, and frames the toolmaker."

"The militia groups are still active, so they could wreck more trouble."

"But they've already overplayed their hand and revealed themselves. Orochi has taken notice," you bluntly declared. "They undoubtedly will begin to crack down now that it's become such a mess in public. You heard them, they aren't playing about anymore, not after how sloppy it all was. They'll destroy those militias."

"I see." The diplomat put a hand to her chin in thought. "What are the odds they'll figure out who was behind them? Will they announce it?"

"It'll depend on how they pursue destroying these groups. Outright military action is likely, but it's also the least likely to truly unearth the groups' backers." You drummed your fingers against your desk. "Not that they'll care either way, to be quite honest. The damage is already done and tensions are heating up. It's also already plain who caused these."

That caught Radana by surprise and her head snapped to yours with wide eyes. "Really?"

You frowned, confused. "It is. Did you not catch it?"

Your best friend stared and shook her head. You clucked your tongue and brought up a recording of the news broadcast, rewinding the footage. Then you paused exactly on a single frame and pointed. "There, right there. That's our culprits."

Radana leaned in and gave a slow blink. "That's the press conference between Archon, Tyto, and York." A moment's pause, then her jaw dropped. "Wait, surely you're not implying-"

"But it's obviously so," you repeated, still befuddled by how it wasn't plain to anybody with a modicum of dabbling in the shadows. "A sponsored attack on this scale requires more than just the efforts of a single Great House. Even I'd be hard pressed to orchestra so many at once. So naturally, we must look for a pair of suspects and what better than the ones who just formed a brief friendship?"

She hissed, looking properly riled up now. Her fingers began to match yours, beating a pattern into the desk while her diplomatic skills came in. "An alliance between Tyto and York is dangerous. Ababil and Orochi would be inclined to ally together in response, and that's the United Empire split horrifically in half. If it escalates from there, forget the Free States campaigns. We'd have the Great Houses tearing at one another in a schism!"

"Yes," you calmly agreed and held up a hand. "But that depends on if the situation develops further. As I mentioned, this is currently looking to just be a quick and dirty fling, bonding over defending House Archon. We'd have to see if they want to go in for a repeat performance.

"More to the point, Ababil and Orochi don't have great ties yet. Though if the two pressure them so, they might drift together without intervention." You exhaled noisily through your nose. "This could be a chance ourselves to spark something if we want to isolate one of the two. I'm not quite sure it's a good idea though on the cusp of a campaign."

Radana winced and nodded wordlessly. Then she jabbed a finger at the final party involved in all this. "What about Archon? Do you think they had a part to play?"

You hummed, then tilted your head. "No. They focused entirely against Ababil, so they wouldn't have the energies to also tackle Orochi at the same time," you concluded after some consideration. "Though at the same time, I do have to put a pin on their behavior on the boards. York's definitely earned some degree of gratitude from them by helping them out, so they might be swayed in their direction."

"Much to Tyto's dismay if they care," murmured the Camellia Knight. "Which could also be something that drives the friendship apart, and even more if Archon decides they'd like a new liege who actually helped them out."

"I wouldn't count on it yet, but again. Pin on the board." You leaned back in your office chair and sighed deeply. "We're on the cusp of a possible campaign against the Free States, and everybody's already at each other's throats. I suppose this is ever a constant regardless of whatever United Empire we find ourselves in."

"It's enough to make me want to drink. Some blossom tea?"

"Please. We have a lot of work to do."

Resource Stockpile: 40/40

Create a plan that you and your aides will execute over the duration of the cycle. Each person will have a general order that they will attempt to carry out at your command. Orders can be repeatedly taken by multiple characters for greater progression, but characters will be locked in the order until it is finished. Many actions will require a target.









- So as a reminder, these are only just the sparks of anything. It could develop into something, it could fizzle into nothing. It all depends on the dice and whatever happens before the next set of faction orders pops. I think it's an interesting and exciting dynamic that a webmaker like Violet would delight in.
- No, House Iris can't send a Cease and Desist to Discount Daniel. He's too powerful.

Great House Orochi- Champion Aspirant
As expected for a martial culture, Orochi elects to lean more into the warrior leadership so demonstrated throughout human history. A curious quirk here though is the insistent on the continued "Aspirant" suffix so prevalent through their echelons of leadership. Expert opinions suggest that this focus indicates an expectation that their own leadership be considered still learning in the ways of war- that even being the top fighter is just not enough to rest on laurels forever.

Great House Ababil- Executive Director
Ababil's obsession with their technologies shines solidly through with how their leadership styles itself like that of a research institution. It does help that their people's elites already adopt a laboratory culture, treating their specialized power suits as just another tool of science. Speculation is rife if this presentation aids in the blunt simplification of various details into raw resources, to be gained and spent and directed so.

Great House Tyto- Silent Paragon
It should be noted that unlike any of the other titles discussed here, Tyto's is of questionable accuracy due to lack of clear translation. This is owing to how their people's leadership ranks have "transcended" the need for clumsy and inaccurate words, instead insisting on the true clarity of transmitted blessed thought. It is said that the higher up one goes, the less they audibly speak and so, the one at the very top is expected to be fully mute. It is unknown how they would feel about thought to speech devices.

Great House York- Grand Mayor
Grand Mayor here refers to the actual elected individual who leads York, not any of the other self-appointed titles among them that include the same label. It is an admittedly confusing rhetoric that leaves others befuddled despite the difference being apparently perfectly clear to their native people. That is before the mention of other leadership titles such as "King Mayor," "Pope Mayor," and "House Mayor."