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A Kammanist Uprising: Fantasy Communist Revolution Quest

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You are a Kammanist. You believe in equality and liberty, in rights for the oppressed workers and mages of the world. And you are leading an uprising against the Avandian Empire. The aristocracy are divided, the army is exhausted, the people are on your side. Victory is inevitable.

Given the nature of the quest, some discussion of politics or ideology may come up. Please be civil, even if you disagree.

Furthermore, given the nature of the quest, some uncomfortable topics including but not limited to:

Child death
Period-appropriate racism/sexism
Death

may come up. I will do my best to handle these as carefully as possible.
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The Uprising
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    notbirdofprey

    Kammanism is a pernicious and dangerous philosophy peddled by rebels, anarchists, and foreign agitators. It claims that the distribution of wealth is unfair, and Kammamasts attempt to rally support for their vile agenda by agitating the lower classes. This vile agenda is the destruction of the pillars of human order: religion, law, the mage's guilds, and the family, to name a few. Kammanasts can be identified by excessive use of the color red...
    -Pamphlet distributed by the Avandis Imperial Police

    What is Kammanism? It is the simple argument that those who labor and provide Aether should have a share in the profit of their labor. It is an argument for equality and justice, and it is an inevitability of history...
    -Pamphlet distributed by the Avandian Kammanist Front

    The Great War was the most devastating in the history of humanity. Hundreds of thousands died in battles that raged across five continents and dozens of countries, large and small. The aftermath left victor and vanquished broken and exhausted. On the fields of Serges, at the climatic and final desperate offense into the teeth of a trench line, the corpses were piled ten high for miles, some burned to ash, some turned to stone, some melted by acid or shattered into thousands of pieces. And while the poor spent their blood, the wealthy and powerful only grew more so, from loans to the warring powers, from selling war machines or operating crystal mines or from a thousand other ways, and every gold coin they made was dyed red in the blood of labor.

    And people have had enough. In some nations, victory was enough to assuage the sting of so much death for so little gain. In others, the exhaustion and malaise of defeat prevented any resistance. But in many, people rose up and fought.

    You and others like you have been fighting for a long time. One uprising was put down with the iron fist and the velvet glove, others were strangled before they could even begin. You still resisted. You were banished to the wilds of your home, forced to labor in grueling mines, flogged and beaten and left to die. You were exiled. You were called an outlaw, a bandit, and a thousand other more insulting names. But now you have returned to the land of your birth, to the Avandian Empire to take part in another, greater uprising.

    You believe in every word of the Kammanist doctrine: equality, justice, freedom. From the end of the mage's guilds to the open elections, you want to see it all implemented across the world. You know you may need to compromise - there will be no elections until the state is secure, for instance - but you have faith in your case.

    Of course, you still have to win the fight.

    The Avandian Empire is a behemoth, but one that had been dying for hundreds of years. Dozens of ethnic groups and dozens of religions are ruled by it, most of whom hate each other. Though rich in natural resources, most of it is gathered only inefficiently, and corruption and crime are both rampant. There is little industry. Most of the population is poor and backward. Many are never even tested for magical ability.

    The "victory" and the debts incurred in the attempt to earn it were the last straw. Nobles began to hoard grain in preparation for new taxes, literally stealing it from the hands of starving peasants and workers, and when the Emperor tried to stop them, he was overthrown and executed. The nobles promptly began to feud over who would fight, and that was when you declared your uprising.

    You have control over the capital city, and allied uprisings have taken place in many others, but vast swathes of land will need to be conquered or won. And plenty of pro-aristocratic forces are out there. They will fight to the end. That's not even getting into different groups, with different goals or methods you will have to deal with. And though all the nearby nations are also wracked with revolutions, there is still the possibility of foreign intervention.

    You do have some advantages though...

    (Choose at least 1. For each extra you take, choose a Liability. Assets and Liabilities which are opposites cancel each other out, I trust you will know which are those. You can double up on a specific asset or liability, doing so will cost or gain exponentially. Taking the same asset twice would cost three total liabilities, taking it three times would cost seven. Vote in plan format.)

    Assets

    -[] Front Discipline - The Avandian Kammanist Front is highly unified. While your underlings may disagree with a course of action, as long as you can persuade the Central Committee they are certain to obey to the best of their ability. It will take severe defeats or compromises before they grow unruly enough to try and vote you out of your position or worse... (You start off with higher Front Support)

    -[] Defectors From Decadence - Not all aristocrats are evil, and the proof stands by your side. Several nobles chose to side with you. They may not entirely be trusted, but they have brought you wealth and soldiers and warcasters. (If not taken, they will likely have died at the hands of fellow aristocrats or your own men. For this one, I will roll to see what you get)

    -[] Army Deserters - The army was called in to suppress the rebellion. The units already in the city defected in mass, killing their officers in the process. They are ragged and tired, but they are also experienced and disciplined troops, already equipped and trained with some of the best weapons the Avandian Imperial Army had. (If not taken, the units which defected were less experienced, trained, and equipped, and had less men.)

    -[] The Imperial Treasury - Though depleted, you have access to the Imperial Treasury, having managed to seize it before any noble or looter could. There's a great deal of coin there, as well as the Imperial Regalia. (Start with extra Wealth, and less legitimacy for all noble factions. If not taken, the treasury will be mostly looted and you will have no idea where the Regalia is.)

    -[] Broad Support - Somehow, you have support among several religions, ethnic groups, and political factions. You have no idea how you managed to pull this off, but you and your front are now the head of a coalition, that while potentially fragile is still mighty. (You start off with increased opinion with many factions, and will gain special actions for dealing with them.)

    -[] Foreign Support - The enemies of the empire are many. Though most are just as imperialistic and capitalistic as the Avandian Empire, they are happy to support you in the hopes that you will deal more damage to their foes. At least as long as it doesn't look like you are winning. (Foreign supporter who will give you support in various forms. This will dry up (or worse) if they get caught or think you are growing too strong...)

    -[] Intact Industry - The uprising you led was a short, sharp thing, over before it had really started in the streets. This means relatively few casualties among the workers or damaged factories. Even the Aetherails and the stockpiles nearby were barely damaged. (Start with bonuses to support among the workers, better infrastructure, more Resources, and an intact industrial base.)

    -[] Intact Libraries - A friendly mage was able to get you copies of all sorts of basic spells and Aether manipulation models, meaning you will better be able to teach casters and construct autocasters easier. (Start with bonuses to teaching and recruiting mages, better magical knowledge, and the ability to construct autocasters.)

    -[] Peasant Inroads - Though dead, Comrade Zenus (Not his real name, but the name of a folk hero who robbed from the rich and gave to the poor) has given you a significant gift. Many among the peasantry know of both the legendary and the real one, and the fact that he supports you. It's given you greater support from the generally conservative peasantry than you otherwise would have. (Greater support outside cities.)

    Liabilities

    -[] Shattered Front - Many are suspicious of you, questioning your devotion after your long years in exile. Some even wonder if you are still a Kammanist. Though you were still given the position of Committee Chairman, your position is weak. (Start with lower Front Support.)

    -[] No Army - Your forces were gutted in the first battles, you have a bare handful of soldiers left. You will need more, and fast. Because literally everyone else has a bigger one, and some of your soldiers are fighting with single-shot casters. (Start with a small and poorly-equipped army.)

    -[] Internal Tensions - The Front was heavily infiltrated by members of the Emperor's secret police and foreign agencies. But no one realized how bad it was. Now everyone is suspicious of each other...and there really might be some left. (Start with a split front and potential subversion.)

    -[] No Support - Propaganda about the Front and Kammanism have been spread for years among the middle classes, the priests, the peasants...everyone is suspicious of you, convinced you are demons from the Thousand Hells or literal baby-eating monsters or fronts for religious minorities plotting the destruction of all that's good in the world... (Start with penalties with other factions.)

    -[] A Broken City - The uprising was brutal, lasting days, and giving the aristocrats and factory owners and mages guilds plenty of time to make your victory as pitiful as possible. Factories are ash, the guild libraries were empty of anything but traps, and the destruction left thousands dead or wounded and more homeless. And now you have to pick up the pieces. (Start with an unhappy populace, devastated cities, reduced ability to train mages or make autocasters, and a badly damaged industrial and infrastructural base.)

    -[] No Money - The Treasury was gone when you got there, which you expected, but so were all the stockpiles of resources in the Aetherail yards and by the factories, stolen by aristocrats or looters or simply not having arrived thanks to a strike by Aetherail workers. Which generally you approve of, but not in these specific circumstances. Even the Aether crystals were gone (Start with no Resources, Wealth, or Aether.)

    -[] Armed Bandits - You seemed to have upset some people in the process of the Uprising. Or maybe they are class traitors. You don't know, but you have people launching attacks on your members in the city, and it could easily escalate. (Start with an insurgency in the city.)

    -[] They're Coming - High Duke Radmos Austerbach, one of the most infamous nobles and a callous but competent general, is approaching you. Which would be fine, except he has an army with him, a mixed multitude of Imperial troops, deserters, mercenaries, household men...and he's less than a month away. And he isn't planning on surrendering. (Start with a hostile army approaching. Not recommended if you take it with No Army.)
     
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    Setting Details
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    • The World

    The world is an ancient place, steeped in a powerful force called Aether. This Aether is generated by everything and everyone, albeit in varying quantities. Since time immemorial, some have had the ability to manipulate Aether. They became the first mages. Though powerful and versatile, they were limited by the quality and quantity of the local Aether, although some found ways around this limit, such as blood sacrifices, carefully prepared rituals, or Aether-enriched reagents. More significant was the limit in numbers. There were simply never enough mages to perform all the roles that were needed, and alternate solutions were sought, such as the development of gunpowder for use in war and artificial fertilizer as a substitute for field rituals.

    The development of the autocaster changed everything. These devices could manipulate Aether without requiring the input of a mage, so long as there was enough of the right type. The easiest way to ensure this was through Aether crystals, which could be mined or made. These autocasters grew in number, complexity, and variety, allowing an explosion in wealth and productivity which caused widespread upheaval.

    This upheaval led to the concentration of many former farmers in the cities, the development of a powerful non-noble but wealthy class of mages and industrialists, and massive unrest. These former farmers were being literally sucked dry to fuel the industrial autocasters, or laboring for hours for minimal pay. Conditions were horrid. This inspired the mysterious Kamman to write their famed Manifesto, which laid out their ideology: That society was locked in an eternal struggle between the haves and the have-nots, that the products of industry and agriculture ought to be owned by all society and shared for the common good, that all were inherently equal, and that all workers should seek to make this a reality, through violent revolution if necessary. The publishing of this Manifesto sparked a widespread outcry, but many were inspired.

    Other, less dramatic revolutions were also taking place, leading to the formation of several democratic governments and nationalist movements, but in the heart of the world, the old order of kings and emperors remained mostly intact. Revolts of every stripe were put down, suppression and bribery were used in equal measure, and life went on...until the Great War.

    The Great War was fought by dozens of nations entangled in networks of alliances, which had the end result of most soldiers not knowing what they were fighting for and most workers not caring that they must labor more for the front. Discontent spread further and faster than ever before, and when the exhausted defeated surrendered to the shattered victors, no one walked away thinking the next years would be peaceful.

    The Avlandian Empire, which although vast and rich in natural resources was extremely poor and backward, was ruined thanks to the heavy debts it had incurred, for all that it technically won, even regaining some long-lost territory consisting mostly of a bone-dry desert. Swathes of the army deserted in mass, nationalist and ethnic and religious revolts simmered, and the poor became poorer and far more desperate. And so when a fractious alliance of nobles deposed the Emperor and then began to turn on each other, the Kammanists struck.

    Though successful, the Revolutionary Struggle is only beginning.

    Magic

    Magic is powerful, reliable, but also dangerous. It comes in the form of Aether, which is produced naturally and can be manipulated by some animals and plants, most famously the (possibly mythical) dragons. Some percentage of the population can also manipulate Aether. These are your mages. Theoretically, a mage can cast a spell to do anything they envision, but there are practical limitations, in the form of the amount of Aether required, the complexity of the spell, and the capacity of the mage. Each of the three can be mitigated to varying degrees through methods such as preparation, ritual, and cooperation.

    The first limitation is generally the most important. Not only is the amount of Aether in any location limited, but it comes in different types, which are generally divided into one of five categories: undifferentiated, elemental, mystical, emotional, and pure. Undifferentiated is the most common, the weakest, and the safest. The next three categories are more powerful, but can be potentially dangerous if they are used for the wrong type of spell. Pure aether is very rare and volatile, but is also extremely powerful. All can be found in natural form drifting invisibly through the air, conjured through rituals, or mined in crystal form.

    The autocaster was invented about two hundred years ago. It is a device that takes in Aether and casts the exact same spell in response to a mechanical impetus. They have been highly improved and modified over the centuries, used for everything from industry to transportation to war. They typically use Aether crystals as a power source, making them immensely valuable for any modern nation.


    Comrade Stefan was kind enough to write down his thoughts about the many nations he had visited in his time abroad.

    " The Lutsena-Maygrig Empire has perhaps the strangest history of any I have known, but that's not really relevant. What's more important is the fact that they lost the war, got splintered into seven separate nations, and each of those nations have a dozen nationalities in them trying to unite with their brethren."

    "The Doytch had been the rising power of the continent for many years. They humbled Aquita thrice, conquered swathes of land from the Avlandian Empire, and ruled over many subject nations with an iron first and the Pruusi boot. But they set themselves against all the powers and lost, and they have nothing left. When I was last there, shortly after the war ended, the streets were full of hungry soldiers and unemployed workers. We may well soon have a brother revolution."

    "The Ommati are collapsing. They were a power once, standing astride both the Black and White Straits and ruling over a great empire. But then ships grew powerful enough to sail around the coast, and their source of wealth vanished. Those they conquered rebelled, and during the Great War their former subjects cut into them. They fought well enough, until The Empire attacked them as well, reclaiming our desert territory. Though they still hold their heartland, they are practically fighting a civil war between those who desire to abandon their customs for the ways of the victors and those who do not."

    "Brevadia is the youngest of the great powers, and they are all aware of it. They are also certainly the most powerful, especially since they profited the most from the Great War and spent the least. They are separated from most of the rest of the world by the Stormless Sea (whoever named it was being very ironic), and consider all other nations on their side of the ocean to be simple provinces, replacing foreign governments on a whim and oppressing their laborers even more heavily than they oppress their own. They are the epitome of what Kamman described as a third-stage society - a nominal democracy, with the system carefully designed to prevent any real change, all levers of power in the hands of capitalist bosses, reliant on nationalism for stability. They are wealthy and powerful and would make a terrible foe, but they are unlikely to stir from their usual prey in favor of a distant war."

    "Hippon we may have to fear intervention from. We fought a war with them because they wanted to take sections of the northern coast. They are mostly sea people with a navy far stronger than their army. I do not expect them to send soldiers, but they may ship supplies to steppe bandits who desire independence and will give them a naval base."

    "Aquita and Breton are the nations I would judge most likely to intervene, if only to see the debts the Emperor owes them paid. They were the nominal victors, stopping the Doytchic on sea and land, albeit at a terrible cost. On the other hand, they could have revolutions of their own, there nearly was a mass mutiny in Aquita some of our ideological allies had a hand in during the war."
     
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    • Current Status and Characters
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    • Economy:

    Economy:

    32 Resources, +8 Resources per week
    13 Aether, +1 Aether per week
    5 Wealth

    Food Situation: Semi-stable, will degrade if Silver Crescent supplies stop coming, trending upwards. Rumors of hoarding
    Ammunition: Low-ish, amount is trending upwards
    Personal Weapons: Moderate numbers being produced, damaged ones can be repaired. Small stockpile is being built up.
    Heavy Weapons: Small numbers being produced, damaged ones can be repaired
    Artillery: Small numbers being produced, damaged ones can be repaired
    Coal/Wood: Supplies are stable for current usage
    Steel: Moderate shortage
    Aether crystals: Somewhat severe shortage
    Metals: Moderate shortage
    Cloth: Excess

    Politics:

    Factions:

    Hardliners: The Revolution must be spread to every corner of society.
    -Mood: 70
    -Power: 65
    -Requests: Reject all Imperial debts, abolish religious laws

    Softliners: We must fix society without causing undo harm.
    -Mood: 60
    -Power: 50
    -Requests: Negotiate Imperial debts, begin legal reform, negotiated with the FLA

    Democratic-Nationalists: We must preserve the people's right to self-determination.
    -Mood: 65
    -Power: 15
    -Requests: Make contact with the Wloski, come to a peaceable agreement with Trokograd-Dedregard, minimize electoral interference


    Overall Front Support: 70

    Military Support: 95 from the Red Guards, 88 from the militias, 67 from the People's Army, 62 from the Farmer's Army, 90 from the People's Marines and Korvio Defenders
    Popular Support: 86 from the urban workers, 40 from middle and upper classes in Avla, 67 from the peasants, 35 from towns


    Diplomacy:

    The Silver Crescent: 38
    Anarchist-Syndicalist-Kammanist Ukortic Free State (Trokograd-Dedregard, more commonly): 65

    Council Opinions: Punish outrages, more food and coal, stop the hoarding
    Front Opinions: Stop the hoarding, begin propaganda efforts, integrate the FLA

    Heads of the Committee:


    Comrade Zenus - Chairman of the Central Committee of the United Kammanist Front. Idealist, likes the peasantry. Moderate softliner.
    Traits:
    -Dramatic: Comrade Zenus likes taking bold, personal actions, making declarations that shake the world or personally intervening in the Revolution. Must take one action that features personal involvement or taking a dramatic position or he begins suffering penalties.
    -A Good Reputation: Even the most moribund and corrupt aristocrats and magnates grew up on the stories of Clever Zenus, tricking the wicked princes and stealing from the dishonorable. And many of the poor benefited directly from Comrade Zenus's thefts, or from those of his imitators. +50 to relations with lower-class factions, +25 boost to relations with middle-class factions, +10 boost to relations with upper-class factions.
    -Old-Timer: Comrade Zenus is one of the older members of the Front, few can remember him not being a member of it. That, combined with his reputation, gives him a strong base of support and greater opportunities to gain more, provided his spirits stay high. +15 boost to initial Front Support, additional actions to increase it, these bonuses will slowly go away if he fails to satisfy his urge for drama and action.

    Comrade Stephan Workaski - Commissar of Diplomacy. Idealist, moderate. Strong softliner.
    Traits:
    -Foreign Connections: He has contacts among other Kammanist parties who will be happy to support a Revolution, or to request support. Unlocks special actions.
    -Broad and Quality Education: He has the education of a nobleman, supplemented by extensive knowledge of Kammanist theory. +10 to all dice rolled, additional +5 to dice involving math, science, or theology.
    -Arrogant: He was born a noble, and carries the belief that he is better than others because of it on a level deeper than he can shed. His education being superior does not help. -5 Front Support whenever supporting another character or being supported.
    -Aristocrat: He was a member of the peerage before having his title stripped for his privileges. +10 to diplomacy rolls with lower-class factions, +15 to diplomacy rolls with middle-class factions, -5 to diplomacy rolls with upper-class factions, +20 to diplomacy rolls with foreign factions.

    Comrade Bejen Gullstin - Chief Commander of the People's Military. Pragmatist, religious Kammanist. Slight Softliner.
    Traits:
    -Artillery Commander: He has personally commanded artillery batteries many times, and is highly familiar with how best to operate them. +10 to all artillery-based actions.
    -Military Experience: He is an experienced officer who has fought and commanded in many battles, as well as having some experience with staff work. +10 to all military actions.
    -Theological Education: While most familiar with his own faith, he has learned of many others in great detail. +5 to all theological actions, +10 to diplomacy actions with religious factions.

    Comrade Kylis Durrana - Head Political Officer. Idealist, pro-labor and unions. Slight hardliner.
    Traits:
    -No Education: He is almost entirely illiterate, making organizing anything difficult. -12 to all actions as long as he has an assistant. This trait can be mitigated or removed.
    - Expert Orator: Despite his lack of formal education, the sheer intensity he can put into a speech makes him extremely convincing. +15 to all diplomacy actions.
    -Popular: His charm and friendly nature makes everyone like him, along with his clear dedication to the cause. +10 Front Support, +15 to all internal diplomacy.
    -Labor Organizer: He has practical experience running and organizing labor and mutual aid societies. +5 to all actions involving establishing or running unions and similar groups.

    Comrade Delia Danveri - Chief Economic Commissar. Pragmatic, feminist, pro-labor. Slight hardliner.
    Traits:
    -Educated: She is fully literate, and experienced with delegation and leadership. +5 to management actions.
    -Labor Organizer: She has created and led labor organizations for many years, under many different circumstances. +10 to industrial actions featuring unions.
    -Conciliatory: She has learned a smile and an apology can do more than threats and bluster. +5 to diplomacy actions where she takes a conciliatory stance.

    Comrade Livia Kolchena - Assistant Secretary. Zealot, for the greater good. Strong hardliner.
    Traits:
    -Shadow in the Night: She has spied and betrayed, been spied on and betrayed, hunted enemy agents and pretended to be one. +15 to all actions related to espionage or counter-espionage.
    -Underworld Connections: Despite her dislike of the class traitors, she has worked with them willingly to further the cause, and is very familiar with several of the most powerful crime families. Access to actions involving the families.
    - Partial Education: She can read or write only with some difficulty, and only knows the basics of math. -5 to all non-personal actions.

    Comrade Zandi Delilia - Head of the Reform Commission. Zealot, without hesitation. Strong hardliner.
    Traits:
    -Broad and Quality Education: From one of the wealthier Imperial Orphanges to the Mage's Guilds, she has been given a world-class education. +10 to all dice rolled, additional +5 to dice involving math, science, or theology.
    -Skilled Mage: She has practiced enough magic to know the limits of a mage. +5 to all dice involving magic or Aether.
    -Rigid: She is disinclined to compromise on what she feels the correct way to progress the Revolution is.

    Other Characters

    Comrade Leo Critie - Committee Member. Zealot, for one and all. Strong softliner.
    Traits:
    -Popular: Well-liked and able to befriend anyone.
    -Naval Experience: Has ably commanded ships in battle
    -Educated: Has a good overall education

    Comrade Jezry Ojpolta - Delegate from a Worker's Council. Idealist, for the freedom of all peoples. Strong democratic-nationalist.
    Traits:
    -Educated: Has a good overall education
    -Public Speaker: Experienced as an orator
    -Spendthrift: Likes to spend more gold and silver than is strictly needed.
     
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    • Mechanics
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    • Each turn, each of the main six will have Projects and dice. These Projects may cost Resources, Aether, or Wealth. You can assign dice to these Projects if it is in the correct category, with the Chair and the rest of the committee acting as "free dice". Each of the main six will provide a bonus, the committee die will not. Each die is actually 4d25. Getting two or more 1s or 25s on a die will result in a critical success or failure.

    You may also have a committee member support another by spending one of their dice on another's project. Doing so risks Front Support. For instance, Comrade A has a bonus which would apply to an action Comrade B has. You can spend one of Comrade A's die on Comrade B's action, but doing so risks Front Support and possibly internal conflict. Certain traits may make this worse.

    Some Projects have a DC or range of DCs, some will have progress, which may or may not decay.

    Resources are raw industrial materials, Wealth is gold, jewels, and other valuables, Aether is Aether crystals and other sources of magical power.

    In addition to material and military concerns, you will have to manage alliances, internal factions, popular support, and support from the Front. These will each be tracked on a scale from 0 to 100.

    For the military, morale, training, and equipment are measured on a scale from 0 to 5. Military conflicts are resolved through (typically) multiple 1d5 die rolls, with bonuses or penalties based on circumstances. The numbers for morale, training, and equipment will be added to each side's roll as well.
     
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    • The Committee
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    • Alexei had been a soldier for many years. He had put down the Summer Revolts, and then countless strikes and rebellions afterwards. Somewhere along the line, he got tired of blasting down tired workers and hungry mothers. When the Great War had come, it was like a breath of fresh air. Finally, he could fight enemies of the motherland, treacherous Ommati and grasping Doyit and the endless jackbooted hordes of the Pruus. Instead, he found mud and filth and gas, unleashed Aetherstorms and the endless rain of spellcannon and battlecaster that stayed in his dreams.

    He was the oldest member of his company, the last one who remembered the Summer Revolts, a sergeant with a reputation. The men listened to him, not their jackass of a lieutenant. So when the lieutenant came and announced something about a new dynasty, they listened when he told them to beat the man unconscious and then go out to protect their people, not to kill them.

    Someone handed him a strip of red cloth to wrap around his arm. He took it, more as an identifier than because he believed in it. But he took it nonetheless.

    Layla had grown up on a farm, just a little way away from The City, home of The Emperor. When she was younger, she used to look towards it and strain to see a glimpse of its towers. Then the old lord had died and someone new took his place. Rent doubled, the harvests stayed the same. The old familiar watchmen had been replaced with steppe bandits. So when Comrade Zenus stole the grain paid in taxes and left half of it in the town square, she didn't say a word when she found him hiding in the ceiling of her house in his black and red cloak. And when a man in the same cloak came and told them the nobility were being overthrown, and the capitalists (whatever they were) too, and asked her help, she gave it.


    Dovid knew not many of his people got the opportunity to be a member of the Imperial Police, and it was an invaluable advantage for his kin. The salary was twice what his wealthiest brother made as a foreman, leaving aside the bribes he got as a practically routine matter. He made sure to give away half of those, to expunge the sin nonetheless. It still made him uncomfortable though, when he had to knock beggars out of the way or disperse crowds. But he did his job, for the Emperor and the people of the Empire. And so when a call came out to surround the palace, that someone had attempted to overthrow the Emperor and the police needed to restore order, he took his warcaster and his black and purple helmet and joined the rest of the force.

    They made an intimidating sight, thousands of men in uniform, warcasters held at port arms, faces expressionless as spellfire and spellblasts wracked the palace before them. But his Emperor was in danger, and he was far from the only one growing impatient. When was the order to attack going to come?

    And then he felt something rip into his back. There was an instant of confusion, then blackness.



    The Uprising had been planned for weeks. Feelers had been sent out to tired soldiers, to the oppressed peasantry, to allies in what few unions were allowed to exist and the underground ones as well. But no one had expected to act, not yet. The Emperor was negotiating with a half-dozen high nobles, all of whom had brought their own security and retainers.

    But then those retainers began fighting, and gunfire came from the palace. Noble officers attempted to mobilize their troops, only to find themselves executed or beaten and the soldiery to take up the red banner. The police were not so supportive, and obeyed when commanded to besiege the palace. Once the Emperor was secured, the Palace would provide a secure base for the rest of the city to be taken down. That was probably their thought process.

    Unfortunately for them, the soldiers had brought with them some of the finest military weaponry in the Empire: the Rapid Fire Warcaster. Hundreds of bolts of burning metal cut through them as they stood in the Imperial Square, and by the time they realized what was happening panic and chaos had so depleted their ability to fight back that they simply scattered.

    The remaining nobles fled the burning palace by boat, some of which you managed to sink. That was the end of resistance in the city...at least until you received a report of two soldiers dead in an alley. It could be an ordinary criminal...or it could be counterrevolutionary activity, more than a few of the surviving police will be willing to take radical measures to oppose the will of the people, and they have some support among the populace...

    The Central Executive Committee is meeting in the mage's guild. Tt is as near dead center to the city as one can get, just on the edge of the Avlisi River. You look out the window at the enormous factories and winding streets, at the spires of churches and temples. Here and now in The City, the members of the Committee are the most powerful people, but their strength seems puny against the monumental tasks before them: winning a war against an unknowable number of factions, gathering as much as they can out of the collapsing corpse of the Empire, defending the rights of the worker and the peasant, building a state that aligns with Kammanist philosophy, making it wealthy and powerful...it seems a nigh-impossible task for you to accomplish.

    The Chair had served tea and everyone sat down, when two people burst in, one in a famous red and black cloak, the hood thrown back to reveal a face handsome except the thrice broken nose, the other in a ragged Imperial Navy uniform, his hat cocked on his head, his dark skin marked by pale scars. "Rumors of our deaths were..." the Navy man begins to say, when one of the people at the table interrupts him with an aristocratic drawl.

    "Exaggerated. Again."

    Before an argument can begin, the shockingly not dead Comrade Zenus speaks. "I have grave news comrades. The High Duke Austerbach survived his flight from the city, and he had troops waiting outside the city. If they move now, they could be here in two weeks."

    His new prompts an explosion of shouting and arguing, but before anything can be done, order to the Committee must be restored.

    As per prior agreements and arrangements made many years ago, the Chairman of the Executive Committee will have the power to break ties, as well as first-among-equals status. There are five others who will have special authority, responsible for military action, negotiations with other groups, internal front discipline, the marshaling of resources, and espionage. And there are a great many others, but most will simply offer their own ideas and support to one of the main six. Or, should the Revolution falter and decisions prove unpopular, take their place among them...with possibly fatal consequences.

    The six individuals on the council are...
    (Vote in plan format, with a subvote to mark which position someone is supposed to be in. For instance:
    []Plan
    -[] Bob
    --[] Chair

    The positions are Chair, Military, External Negotiations, Front Discipline, Stewardship, and Intrigue. Yes, they are based on CK2. Who is in the main six will heavily determine what actions you have access to, and what bonuses/penalties you have to rolls. The bios also contain relevant information, both about their personality and about what factions they will support/will support them. When you get factions.)

    [] Stephan Workaski. A former noble who has been disowned, but keeps his aristocratic name because he knows it annoys members of the class he turned his back on. He got his start by pretending not to see workers putting up a poster for the Kammanist Front and later stole money from the family coffers to support direct action and aid the serfs on his land, eventually fleeing. Though he always favored gradual reform, he briefly fought during the Summer Rebellions but realized they were guaranteed to fail and fled. His aristocratic background has given him a well-rounded education, and he made friends with Kammanists in several other countries whose organizations could be convinced to lend aid. However, he has the arrogance you would expect, and it can cause friction. Traits: Foreign Connections (New diplomatic/personal options), Broad and Quality Education (Bonus to many dice of varying size), Arrogant (Fewer options from other members of the committee, reduction in support), Aristocrat (Penalty to relations with most other factions, bonus to some), Idealist

    [] Aleksandra Rosana. A member of the mage's guild who struggled with vicious competition and abuse from nobility, she nevertheless pursued, although she had Kammanist sympathies for many years thanks to a poverty-filled background. She was radicalized by service in the Great War, and led a massive desertion before joining the Front. A skilled mage, she has little education in other subjects, although she has some experience with war. Before the Revolution began, she used her oratory skills to drum up support for Kammanist movements. Traits: Skilled Mage (Substantial bonus to all magic-related projects), No Education (Penalty to many actions), Uncultured (Bonus to relations with some factions, penalties to relations for others), Experienced Soldier (Bonus to some military actions), Orator (Bonus to some diplomatic actions, increased support), Pragmatist

    [] Josa von Kolstan. A hunter from the forests of the Valtenlands, he joined the Kammanist movement after being inspired by a speech. He contributed many of his kills to feed hidden Kammanists and helped shelter them in the forest, joining a partisan band in the Summer Rebellion before fleeing after its defeat to his ethnic brothers across the Altanian Ocean, where he gained a partial education and worked as a miner, organizing their unions. He wields a crossbow enchanted by a long-dead comrade and a fiery hatred for the forces of reaction. Traits: Partisan (Bonus to irregular warfare options), Partial Education (Penalty to some actions), Uncultured (Bonus to relations with some factions, penalties to relations for others), Labor Organizer (Bonus to some industrial actions), Zealot

    [] Bejen Gullstin. A laborer who has long severed in the Imperial Army, he rose through the ranks, commanded artillery batteries during the Summer Rebellion, and then deserted in shock after learning he had bombarded a hospital. His route to Kammanism came through faith, which has left him with an unusual education and a more practical approach to ideology. Traits: Artillery Commander (Bonus to artillery options), Military Experience (Bonus to all military actions) Theological Education (Small bonus to some actions, larger bonus to some diplomacy actions), Pragmatist

    [] Livia Kolchena. She lived a hard life in her younger years, which easily led her to Kammanism, where she saw taught many things. Always quick and quiet, she put those skills to use, spying on enemies of the workers of the world, using theft, blackmail, and the occasional quiet dagger to acquire greater resources for the use of the Front and allied organizations. In the process, she made connections with some of the darker sides of the world, which have left her even more determined to see Kammanism triumph. Traits: Shadow in the Night (Bonus to many intrigue actions, both internally and externally), Underworld Connections (Access to unique options involving the criminal underworld), Partial Education (Penalty to some actions), Zealot

    [] Kylis Durrana. An ordinary laborer with a talent for speaking, he worked long hours in a cannon foundry, only to be fired without a qualm by the wealthy owner when large-scale warcasters proved more profitable. He helped form a mutual aid society, which was crushed by Imperial Police, helping lead him to Kammanism. Though uneducated, his expert oration, skill at organization, and genuine belief have led many to join the Front. Traits: No Education (Severe penalty to most actions), Expert Orator (Bonus to many diplomacy actions), Popular (Bonus to front support and politicking), Labor Organizer (Bonus to some industrial actions), Idealist

    [] Leola Cavverich. She came to Avandis with her husband, a factory manager, and found work as a teacher at a small but wealthy school. When the Repression Laws banned all Kammanist literature, she opposed it on moral grounds despite disliking Kammanism, but dutifully obeyed, confiscating any literature she found on the subject in the school's library. Instead of turning it over for destruction, she chose to read the "corruptive words" and became a convert, partly thanks to its descriptions of an ideal world with equality between the sexes and children raised and taught communally. She managed to make contact with the Front, donating what funds she could gather, and then helped smuggle members of the Front out in the wake of the Summer Rebellion. She soon expanded to smuggling things in too. Traits: Good Education (Bonus to many actions), Teacher (Bonus to education-related actions), Inexperienced (Penalty to many industrial, military, and diplomatic actions), Smuggler (Unlocks smuggling-related actions), Idealist

    [] Iosaf Scelena. He grew up in Cheizkhsta, and was supposedly a member of the Front before he was ten. He was inducted into the mage guild in the city, and fled into the Arman Desert after being caught smuggling magical texts to members of the Front. There he fell in with a group of the nomads thanks to blood and charm. He managed to recruit many of their youths into the Front. They participated in raids and helped smuggle people and supplies both ways. He was drafted during the Great War, but deserted as soon as possible, moving to the capital in preparation for the Revolution. Traits: Partisan (Bonus to irregular warfare options), Partial Education (Penalty to some actions), Friend of the Armani (Bonus to relations with some factions), Zealot

    [] Delia Danveri. She was a laborer, working long hours for even less pay than her male counterparts, and enduring all manner of harassment and abuse. She used whatever methods she could find to gain leverage against bosses and police, agitating and conciliating in the same breath. She led a series of protests and riots during the Summer Revolts, took part in the peace negotiations, and advocated for the Front to cease hostile action during the Great War. This did her no favors with the Emperor, and she was forced to flee. She made the acquaintance of other Kammanists while in exile, who helped educate her on many practical matters, although she stuck to her own opinions on how to bring about Kammanism. Traits: Educated (Bonus to some actions), Labor Organizer (Bonus to some industrial actions), Conciliatory (Bonus to some diplomatic actions), Pragmatic

    [] Comrade Zenus. It's not his actual name, but he won't tell anyone what it is, so Comrade Zenus it is. Flamboyant and overdramatic to some, he is nevertheless the member of the Front who has fought for the longest, and his word carries weight. He truly believes in the Revolution, and will happily explain (dramatically) about its importance. In terms of what skills he actually has...he is inspiring, and knows a surprising amount about Imperial politics. Traits: Old-Timer (Greater Front Support so long as he is happy), A Good Reputation (Greater relations with many factions), Political Animal (He knows more about nobles than most), Dramatic (He wants action), Idealist

    [] Leo Critie. A foreigner who was press-ganged into the Imperial Navy, he introduced many sailors to Kammanism and led a mutiny on the cruiser Alexindo III which successfully took control of the ship during the Summer Revolts. He captained it in three battles before scuttling it during peace negotiations, a feat for which the Imperial delegation demanded his head. He sent them a lock of his hair with a note that it would have to do. He is educated and well-read, and eager to put his theories into practice. Traits: Naval Experience (Bonus to naval actions), Educated (Bonus to some actions), Popular (Broader Front Support), Zealot

    [] Zandi Dellia. Given to an orphanage, raised to be a nun, she hated the cloistered roles she was forced into. From an early age, she had a cunning mind and thirst for knowledge. Aid from a sympathetic Kammanist worker, and later her magical ability gave her ways to satisfy that thirst and to escape, but she had learned too much about the plight of the laborer to be happy as what she considered to be a class traitor, and openly joined the Kammanists during the Summer Revolts, joining the riots instead. The death of "dear 'Celli," during those Revolts greatly affected her, and she is utterly determined to see her friend's vision become reality. About the only thing that can distract her is a good book. Traits: Broad and Quality Education (Bonus to many dice of varying size), Skilled Mage (Substantial bonus to all magic-related projects), Rigid (She does not like having to compromise on doctrine), Zealot
     
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    • Technology
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    • The concept of using magic to propel people and cargo is ancient, but managing it on any significant scale proved difficult. About the most that could be managed were grand and costly rituals which would accelerate an army's march for a day or so. While useful militarily, such measures were impractical for agriculture and industry. There livestock and water had to provide the primary impetus, and did so for many hundreds of years.

    However, the invention of the autocaster greatly revolutionized transportation. Early experiments proved less than successful, with one notable failure leading to a plague of fire-breathing horses in the deserts of Aegyt, but a Brevadian named Stephin Wetts developed an autocaster which cast a spell to push a wheel forwards. Further refinements led to the train: propelled by a series of autocasters, these turned an arrangement of gears which rotated an array of wheels. The train could pull an array of carts behind it, carrying people or cargo.

    An unfortunate limitation of these trains is that they cannot go on roads, their weight and the force of the rotation would lead to them destroying the surface they ran across. Specially designed rails were required. Construction of these rails was often the costliest part of creating networks of rails, in both lives and coin...
    -Brevadian children's book on autocasters



    At the time, most militaries had two standard sets of equipment. This was needed due to the rare but dangerous anti-storms, which result in all Aether-based equipment failing. These storms only appear in areas of intense bloodshed, and only infrequently, with ample warning of their coming, but nevertheless necessitated the use of a different set of weaponry. This backup set was usually simple gunpowder weaponry: flintlock rifles or muskets, bronze or iron cannon, and often swords or other melee weapons to serve as a last resort. Generally, special formations are equipped and trained with them and held in reserve.

    The rest of the army used a collection of warcasters and wardstones. These casters vary in size, rate of fire, power, and control - some of the most advanced could be adjusted to blast fire, lightning, or kinetic force. Most were designed to simply propel a small bullet at high velocities. Some larger ones, generally called spellblasters, launched large-scale destructive spells from beyond visual range.

    Every army also had a collection of wardstones. Wardstones are considered the first autocasters, having been invented centuries ago. The spells they cast form a boundary or ward to something, typically objects with a high velocity, fire, or similar threats. These were used to establish and fortify strongpoints and trenches, making them resistant to a variety of threats if they were deployed in sufficient quantity.

    Advances in the production of wardstones, along with new developments in warcasters and spellblasters, helped make the Great War such a gruesome stalemate.

    A variety of new weapons were made to try and turn the tide...
    -A textbook on the Great War

    This is where I will be posting any information about general setting technology. Feel free to ask questions.
     
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    • Scheduled vote count started by notbirdofprey on Dec 23, 2020 at 9:12 PM, finished with 31 posts and 6 votes.
    • [X] Plan Patriotism Begets Victory
      -[X] Comrade Zenus
      --[X] Chair
      -[X] Stephan Workaski
      --[X]External Negotiation
      -[X] Bejen Gullstin
      --[X] Military
      -[X] Kylis Durrana
      --[X] Front Discipline
      -[X] Delia Danveri
      --[X]Stewardship
      -[X] Livia Kolchena
      --[X] Intrigue
      [X] Plan Balancing the Party
      -[X] Comrade Zenus, I
      --[X] Chair
      -[X] Bejen Gullstin, P
      --[X] Military
      -[X] Kylis Durrana, I
      --[X] External Negotiations
      -[X] Delia Danveri, P
      --[X] Front Discipline
      -[X] Zandi Dellia, Z
      --[X]Stewardship
      -[X] Livia Kolchena, Z
      --[X] Intrigue
    Click to expand...
     
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    • Week 1: The Storm on the Horizon
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    • That Comrade Zenus should have a position was clear to all except for the comrade himself, who made a rather impassioned speech arguing that many others were better suited for the role - he cited Comrade Zandi's dedication, Comrade Stephan's foreign connections, the bravery of many who fought personally against the aristocratic and capitalist oppressors of the people - but on this the upper ranks of the Front were united, and so he accepted the burden that had been forced upon him, promising that he would lead well and wisely, and slitting his own palm to add weight. "And should my leadership prove lacking, I shall serve the Revolution on the front lines, with sword and spellcaster!" he proclaimed to cheers.

    Then he began to select those who would be most favored, who would have the most direct favor. He named who would be in charge of the military first of all - Bejen Gullstin was perhaps the most experienced military man of them all, even if his relative newness to the cause and...unique approach to ideology ruffled some feathers. The man's faith, in particular, proved a problem for Comrade Josa, although he quieted eventually.

    The arguments about what he should do first to secure the Revolution raged long and hard, for all here were fiercely devoted, but Zenus, despite his frustration with having to do it, was able to calm people enough to change the topic, to who would be their "eyes in the dark, their dagger in the night, their shield against the Okharana," and this was fortunately entirely uncontentious. Comrade Livia, cold-eyed and callous as she was, had been the only person in the room to actively combat the Emperor's secret police, the only person with connections to the criminal underworld (even if many considered those criminals to be class traitors), and the only one with skills to build what would be needed.

    The remaining positions were filled one by one, each decision creating its own rancor - Comrade Stephan's position proved especially contentious. The man was outright accused of being a potential traitor, to which he responded with nothing more than a lifted chin and a quote in Remian that referenced some old play about a dead emperor.

    But all the agreements were made, and if not everyone was happy, they were at least satisfied...and so the first meeting could begin.

    Comrade Zenus went and fetched a samovar for everyone as he and his chosen few sat at one side of the long table in the room they had chosen, while everyone else gathered around the other three or leaned against the wall or stood by the window.

    He studied the room for a moment, silent, his thoughts uncharacteristically grim. They had begun shouting and arguing already, and they had not even faced a defeat. Comrade Zandi sat stiff-backed and resentful, Comrade Iosaf glared at Comrade Stephan, who lounged in his chair like it was a throne, scornfully ignorant of the other man. He could see a dozen other petty rivalries and disagreements...

    Some spirit seized him, and he moved to the window. Outside, he could see the river rushing by, it's water darkened by pollutants. Smoke rose here and there from the slums as people burned coal and wood and whatever they could to stay warm. A sunken noble's barge was being torn apart by workers looking to salvage the Aether crystals and autocasters that gave it light and pushed it through the water and made it float.

    "Look out there, comrades! Look out and see the workers, still cold and hungry and tired and threatened by their class enemies! Can you see the people? Can you hear them?" he asked, the room falling silent.

    All eyes turned to him, grudges forgotten.

    "Enough of this bickering. The workers need to be fed, they need to be inspired. We must build an army, we must build an economy, we must build a nation! We will be the guiding light, all through the world the poor and downtrodden will look to use and be inspired. There will be struggle, yes, and defeat, but our triumph is as inevitable as the wind! And enough wind can make even a mountain break!:

    A cheer rose up, coming not from his supporters but from those who had opposed him most bitterly, and from there spreading like fire in a coal mine. He smiled, but raised his hands for quiet and gradually he got it.

    "But first we have grave threats that must be overcome. In two weeks, we will likely be facing an army of Tiger Stripes and Imperial Guard and noble mages and class traitors and who knows what else. It may be slower perhaps, but the hammer blow will come soon and hard. We must begin preparing..."

    Comrade Bejen nodded. "The Red Guard are with us, and the people, and the army. We will forge a force worthy of the trust you have in me, Comrade."

    Comrade Stephan glanced towards a towering church spire. "The Patriarch is here in The City, and leaders of a dozen other faiths. I can convince them to cooperate."

    Comrade Livia looked towards the slums. "I am already hearing rumors of counterrevolutionaries having gone to ground. I will hunt them."

    Comrade Kylis grinned broadly. "I will see to it that all are united behind us!"

    Comrade Delia glanced at some papers she had brought. "The workers of this city will do their part, I promise you that."

    Comrade Zenus smiled. "Excellent. Now, why don't we all reconvene in an hour with options for how to accomplish our goals."

    The room was stifling...he wanted to go for a walk. But the success of their uprising buoyed his spirits nonetheless.

    (The uprising has satisfied Comrade Zenus's desire for action temporarily.)

    ~30 Resources, +5 per week (This will decrease unless raw materials are found).
    0 Wealth
    10 Aether

    The Committee As A Whole - 4 free dice

    Chairman of the Central Committee of the United Kammanist Front - 6 free dice

    [] Walk Among the Workers: See the results of the Uprising for yourself, which should prove very satisfying. It will also provide a different perspective on potential issues or solutions. Lastly, it will allow you to personally address grievances. Some might say it's reckless or risky. What are such things to you? DC 0/?? Benefits: ?? Cost: ??

    [] Visit the Peasantry: The support the peasants provided before the Uprising was helpful, it would be good to visit them and thank them for their efforts. Further donations of food will be necessary as well, warning them in advance will be helpful. DC 0/25/50. Benefits: Boost to popular support, small boost to food supply. Cost: None

    [] Declare a Jubilee: Most of the peasantry labor under crushing debts, as do some of the workers. Declaring all debts invalid will help win support and give them further investment in your victory. DC 0/15/60. Benefits: Boost to popular support. Cost: None

    [] Speak to the Army: As important as broad support will be, the most immediate need for support is the soldiers who joined the Uprising. These former Imperial soldiers were often anti-Kammanist or apolitical, or sympathetic at best. Find out what caused the change, make sure they stay loyal. DC ?? Benefits: Better understanding of the army's loyalty and motivations. Cost: None

    Commissar of Diplomacy - 3 Diplomacy dice

    [] Make Contact with the Front: The Uprising started sooner than it should have to take advantage of an unexpected opportunity. This may have hindered the other planned actions. Send messages, try to use farspeakers, do anything you can to find out what happened. DC 0/30. Benefits: Eventual or immediate contact with allies, find out how they did. Cost: None

    [] Make Contact with Friends: Send word to your friends in foreign countries, see what they have heard about you and about what the international response will be. And what help they can offer. DC: 20/40/60. Benefits: Contact with foreign ideological allies, find out what the international reaction is, what aid can be offered. Cost: None

    [] Declare Yourselves: Let the world know the Kammanist revolution has begun, and soon the worker shall be freed from their yoke and the lowly uplifted...but what kind of revolution will you be? (Will cause subvote and probable faultlines.)

    [] Speak to the Army: As important as broad support will be, the most immediate need for support is the soldiers who joined the Uprising. These former Imperial soldiers were often anti-Kammanist or apolitical, or sympathetic at best. Find out what caused the change, make sure they stay loyal. DC ?? Benefits: Better understanding of the army's loyalty and motivations. Cost: None

    [] Educate the Workers: There are enough lower-level members of the Front to give explanations and encouragement to the workers of the city, to teach them the benefits of Kammanism and encourage them to support you. DC 40/80/120. Benefits: Greater support. Cost: Potential Backfire

    [] Theological Support: The Patriarch of the Avlandian Orthodox Church is in the city, along with head of a few minority religions and lesser priests and preachers aplenty. Take some time to persuade them that this uprising is to their benefit, make some arguments about the theology - quoting a relevant parable or two might help - and get their support. And if all else fails...you control the city, that can give you options. DC 50/100/150. Benefits: Increased popular support, boost in some faction relations. Cost: Severe potential backfire, slight Front Support cost.

    [] An Ear on the Street: The workers are ignorant of what the Revolution means, and will have their own ideas. Have a few low-ranking members hang around taverns and tea shops and other such places, let them report on what rumors they hear. DC 0. Benefits: Access to local rumors. Costs: None

    Head Political Officer - 3 Politics Dice

    [] Soothe Egos: Quite a few people expected to have better positions than they did. Making sure these problems don't fester is going to be important. You will have to talk quite a few people into putting aside their attitudes for the greater good...shouldn't be a problem. DC 0/25/50. Benefits: Improve unity. Costs: Potential Backfire

    [] Speak to the Army: As important as broad support will be, the most immediate need for support is the soldiers who joined the Uprising. These former Imperial soldiers were often anti-Kammanist or apolitical, or sympathetic at best. Find out what caused the change, make sure they stay loyal. DC ?? Benefits: Better understanding of the army's loyalty and motivations. Cost: None

    [] Recruit an Assistant: You know your illiteracy can be a problem, there's just never enough time to fix it. Another stopgap will have to do: finding someone who can read for you. You'll have to make sure they are trustworthy, which shouldn't be too much of a problem. DC 0/?? Benefits: Reduce No Education penalty by 8. Cost: ??

    [] Check the Mood: The Front's mood is likely to be jubilant, as is that of the workers. Have a few trustworthy individuals go and make sure this is true, and see if there are any potential concerns that need to be addressed. DC 0/?? Benefits: Assess mood, access to local rumors. Cost: ??

    [] Organize the Workers: The concept of Worker's Councils and unions are vital for Kammanism, explain to the workers how it works and help them get their council running. Stay on hand for the inevitable teething problem. 0/45. Benefits: Small bonus to industrial actions. Cost: None.

    Chief Economic Commissar - 4 Industrial Dice

    [] Institute Rationing: As unpopular as it will be, there isn't enough food to go around, and raw materials will probably be lacking soon too. You will need to set limits on how much people can eat and use personally. You will make sure the Front obeys these limits too. DC ??/60/?? Benefits: Slows decline of food and industrial situations. Cost: Unpopular, risk of overshooting.

    [] Restart the Printing Presses: Pamphlets and posters were very useful for recruiting people to the Front before the Uprising, they will be useful after as well. Get the printing presses going again. DC: 0. Benefit: Unlocks new Diplomacy and Political Actions. Cost: 1 Resource per die.

    [] Guns and Ammo: Soldiers cannot fight without weapons, but they cannot fight without the supplies for these weapons either. Get the gunshops producing again so the militia can be armed, so that the soldiers do not run low. 0/50. Benefit: Unlocks new military actions, ensures ample supplies of ammunition for small arms. Cost: 1 Resource and 1 Aether per die.

    [] Examine the Mage Guilds: The guilds were unfortunately damaged to some degree in the fighting, and their wards are up, but there should be ways around both those problems. Inside them could be all sorts of vital resources...Aether crystals, lesson plans for mages, guides to spells or autocasters...DC 25/50/75/100. Benefit: Unlocks new industrial actions, increases Aether, ??. Cost: None

    [] Feed the Hungry, Clothe the Needy, House the Homeless: These are the basic tenets of Kammanism, the basic goals of any sane society. Establish soup kitchens, house the homeless in abandoned palaces, take spare clothes to give to those without. DC 20/40/60/80. Benefit: Boost to popular support, Front Support. Cost: 1 Resource per die.

    [] Organize the Workers: The concept of Worker's Councils and unions are vital for Kammanism, explain to the workers how it works and help them get their council running. Stay on hand for the inevitable teething problem. 0/45. Benefits: Small bonus to industrial actions. Cost: None.

    [] Integrate Female Workers: Women can work just as well as men. Equality is a tenet of Kammanism. So, as unpopular as it may be, you will encourage the women of The City to join men in the factories for equal hours, equal pay, and equal work. DC 0/20/40/60/80. Benefit: Front Support, small bonus to industrial actions, potential popular support. Cost: Potential popular support.

    Chief Commander of the People's Military - 4 Military Dice

    [] Speak to the Army: As important as broad support will be, the most immediate need for support is the soldiers who joined the Uprising. These former Imperial soldiers were often anti-Kammanist or apolitical, or sympathetic at best. Find out what caused the change, make sure they stay loyal. DC 0/?? Benefits: Better understanding of the army's loyalty and motivations. Cost: None

    [] Speak to the Militia: There were many who joined the Uprising spontaneously, out of anger at the nobles and capitalists. Will they still fight beside you? Are they willing to undergo the needed training? Can you trust them? These are all very important questions. DC 0/?? Benefits: Better understanding of the militia's loyalty and motivations, new military options unlocked. Cost: None

    [] Begin Scouting Operations: What's outside The City is a pretty big blank to you. Send small groups of the Red Guards out to the immediate area, get an idea of who and what is out there so you can begin planning more significant options. DC: 0/?? Benefits: Potential new military actions, will be able to spot enemy forces from further away. Cost: 100-500 Red Guard

    [] Begin Scouting Operations, High Duke edition: Send a small group of trusted men to scout out the High Duke and his apparently very fearsome army - Tiger Stripes are the most elite soldiers in the Empire, and you don't want to know what else he has...except you very much do, so you can prepare for it. DC 0/??. Benefits: Information on the High Duke's army. Cost: 10-100 Red Guard.

    [] Patrol the City: Someone has been attacking Front members, and you don't trust the police to do the policing anymore. Have members of the Red Guard and militia do it, along with perhaps a few trustworthy members of the force to add some legitimacy. DC: 0/??. Benefits: Order kept in the city, chance of catching the armed bandits. Cost: 500-1000 Red Guard, 500-1000 Militia.

    [] City Fighting: You have never fought in a city before. You will need to work out what sort of tactics will work best. Some possibilities come to mind, some more gruesome than others. DC: 0/50, partial progress provide partial benefits. Benefits: Develop doctrine and tactics for urban fighting, unlocks new military and industrial options. Cost: None


    Assistant Secretary - 3 Intrigue Dice

    [] Find Them: There are armed bandits attacking those who simply wish to bring peace and prosperity to all. Find them, hunt them, and kill them. And show no mercy. DC ?? Benefits: Dead bandits. Cost: Potentially: Innocents, popular support, Front Support

    [] Find Them Gently: If you wish to be more careful, you can use slower but safer methods to find those responsible for such abominable crimes. And then show no mercy. DC ??. Benefits: Dead bandits. Cost: Potentially Front members and Front Support

    [] An Ear to the Ground: Have a few trusted friends go and listen to what people are complaining about, seek out counterrevolutionary activity, and make friends of their own who will pass on what they hear. 0/25. Benefits: Beginnings of information network, access to local rumor mill. Cost: None

    [] Refugee Spies: Have a few very trusted friends pretend to be upper-class fleeing The City or police who survived the Uprising. Send them to the High Duke, have them join the army and look for opportunities to spy or sabotage or assassinate. 0/30. Benefit: Options and information. Cost: None

    [] Bodyguards: It will only mitigate the harm, but having trusted men and women guard those vital to the cause will help reduce the damage the bandits will do. And if they are liable to complain, they don't need to know... DC 0/60/80. Benefit: Security for VIPS. Cost: None, potential Front Support

    [] Criminal Contacts: Your "friends" will likely have gone to ground, but you might be able to seek them out. They could be a source of information, equipment, or magic...although none of it will be fully trustworthy. DC 75. Benefit: Contact with criminals, new options. Cost: potential popular support.
     
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    • Visit the Peasantry, Declare a Jubilee - 45+62 = 107, 42+75 = 117

    Comrade Zenus was an old hand at spreading rumors, and he considered it the best way to get a great mass of people to show up and hear you speak, especially when some would be fearful or angry. And so he whispered to a few friends, who started their own whispering campaigns in a few select villages, and then the power of gossip did all the rest he needed.

    When he showed up at the first one, a little cluster of shoddy huts called Tannebgrad, there were several hundred people waiting to listen to him speak, restive and curious. Some had probably been traveling for days to hear what he had to say.

    The "stage" was nothing more than a pile of crates, deliberately so. He sprung upon them and struck a pose, his cloak swirling around him.

    "My friends! You may well know me, but even if not I know you! You are the backbone of our society! You labor in that most essential of tasks! And yet you are scorned and spat upon, denied your natural rights both economic and political! You are forced to sell yourselves to uncaring masters, to pay off debts that never grow smaller!"

    The crowd before him rumbled with discontent. Many were serfs, and some of those serfs had once been freeholders. Those neverending debts were always a sore point, one the aristocracy loved jabbing.

    "Well, friends, comrades, the United Kammanist Front is here to give justice and freedom, not just to those who join us, but to all we can! Each and every family has been given a Jubilee! You own the land, and the tools you work it, and that which you produce from it! And you have no debts, it shall be yours while we have the breath in our body to defend your rights!"

    He spread his hands. "Friends, comrades, will you help us?"

    The roar of assent was deafening.

    "Thank you, thank you. I will be leaving a comrade here, please come to him if you want to help. Donations of grain and volunteers to join our forces would both be especially appreciated..."

    Food supply further stabilized thanks to grain donations, bonus to recruitment, boost to popular support, synergizes with Declaring Yourselves

    Speak to the Army, Speak to the Militia     - 52+52 = 104, 47

    Comrade Zenus and Comrade Bejen walked together, a half dozen Red Guard following close behind. The two of them had their heads bowed together in hushed, intense conversation as they shared what they knew of the militia and the army. Town criers had been sent throughout Avla to spread the word that all those who would fight for the Kammanist cause should gather in Hero's Square, simply because it was large and the thematics seemed appropriate.

    The fact that it was right by the army compound the soldiers who had briefly joined the uprising were staying in was purely coincidental.

    As they approached the square, Bejen studied the teeming crowd. There were too many faces for him to be sure, but he thought some were familiar. He hoped so.

    "Many of you fought in the Great Uprising because you were hungry or angry or genuinely believed in our cause and goal. That was a great deed, one you should all be proud of. But now you have a harder task before you, and I ask you not to shy away," he began, leaping up onto the plinth of a statue and looking out at the militia.

    "I fought in the Imperial Army, and many of my comrades did as well. You are all very brave, but bravery is not enough. We will need strength and discipline, weapons and men to wield them! If you will join us, we will give you that and help you fight for a world freer, richer, and juster."

    The crowd responded with less enthusiasm than he would have liked.

    "I know the stories of the Imperial Army. I promise you they will not be true for us. We will ask nothing of you that we will not be willing to do ourselves, we will not give you bread with more maggots than grain, you will not be beaten. You will have the right to elect your own officers. And you will be made into soldiers, the finest and bravest the world has ever seen! Anywho wish to may volunteer!"

    Their cheers were louder this time.

    Meanwhile, Comrade Zenus stood outside the gates of the compound, hood thrown back. His crooked nose jutted down as he argued with the gate guard. "I was expected, Comrade. I told you, your commander agreed to meet with me two days ago..."

    Finally, a man in a sergeant's uniform arrived and barked orders, and the gate swung open. Comrade Zenus was escorted inside, after another argument with his own guards. Finally, they agreed that being among soldiers who had already fought for them once meant he was acceptably safe and he was led into a barrack.

    The room was richly-decorated, although the expensive fur rugs were tracked with mud. Sitting stiff-backed in a plush armchair was a man in sergeant's uniform.

    "Mister Zenus," he said.

    "Please, call me Comrade Zenus, or just Zenus, and you are?"

    "Imperial Sergeant Alexei Stabovorchi, at your service."

    Comrade Zenus blinked. "You still consider yourself part of the Imperial Army?"

    The man nodded. "As do many of my fellow soldiers. That being said, that does not mean we have any desire to fight for any of those bastards claiming to be the new Emperor. All the ones who did are dead now. But we want assurances that we will be protecting the people of the Empire, we want the right to leave if you stop, and some of our officers...we want them protected as well."

    Comrade Zenus considered.

    "I believe we can come to an agreement. We both want to protect the people, I simply want to build a better world for them in the process. I think we can agree that soldiers should not be allowed to desert mid-battle, but we will allow a grace period to leave, and then perhaps if a motion is passed through the Soldier's Council you can have another later on."

    The sergeant blinked. "Soldier's Council?"

    "Let me explain..."

    Outside, distant cheers could be heard.

    The initial militia size is five thousand, unlocked options to train them. Gained the loyalty of about six thousand professional soldiers, who are fairly moderate politically to the Red Guard and the Militia. Gained military options.

    Make Contact with the Front     - 84

    There are many different ways to communicate with people over distances. Stefan knew this. People have used heliographs and telegraphs and farspeakers in recent years, but even in ancient days they had scrying spells and smoke signals and of course messengers.
    And he finds himself using every single method, it feels like. Men on horseback, men on foot, men on the Aetherails, messages sent by wire and light, it is an incredible effort to organize all this. He needs redundancy, he needs to make sure they know the right messages and know the way to the city in question.

    Imprado, Devato, Maltka, Balink, Trokograd, a dozen others. All of them had planned uprisings. He will need to see who succeeded and who failed, who needs aid and who can give it, find ways to secure the land between...

    See the Rumor Mill For results...enjoy the wait.

    Declare Yourselves     - 88

    The day after his work was given, Stefan found himself touring the wrecked remnants of the palace in a few spare moments. Turning down a hall, he found an intact farspeaker array, a powerful one by it's size. A minute of investigation revealed that it was a set for broadcasting the Imperial News. It wasn't quite powerful enough to reach the entire empire, but it was far better than anything else they had. It gave him an idea, one he hurried to share.

    They were going to declare themselves. Comrade Zenus had approved his plan and decided the time was ripe for it after the army agreed to join, now all that was left was to actually write the speech...unfortunately, it seems the entire Committee had their own ideas. Delia wanted to avoid angering people by avoiding nationalism, Zandi wanted to follow every precept in Kammanism and declare a world revolution, Bejen wanted to quote scripture in hopes of getting support from priests...the headache it gave him was frustrating, their voices grew aggravating.

    He departed the meeting, promising to have something tomorrow, and sat up at his writing desk, flipping through books to let his brilliant ideas form.

    In the end, the speech he presented was...

    [] Vague - he made a few nods to specific precepts, but kept it short and sweet, declaring a revolution in the Avlandian Empire, and exhorting those who labored under the yoke of the aristocrats and capitalists to rise up and join them, for they had nothing to lose but their chains. This will not please anyone, but it won't offend anyone and will delay factions forming over the goals of the Revolution.

    [] Specific - he made specific promises, knowing they would anger some but please others.
    -[] Referenced World Revolution - "and we shall liberate the worker everywhere they are oppressed, our universal triumph is imminent." This will please the Internationalist/Orthodox faction, may provoke foreign powers
    -[] Asked For Help - "and we call upon the workers of the world to lend us what aid they can."
    This may provoke foreign powers, for good or for ill
    -[] Focused on the Current Struggle - "and we shall liberate all within the borders of the Empire while seeking friendship and peace outside our borders." This will upset the Internationalist/Orthodox faction, will placate foreign powers.
    -[] Promised Self-Determination - "and we will grant self-determination to the oppressed nationalities so that they may join us as equals." This will please the Orthodox/Nationalist faction, will anger Avlisi Nationalists
    -[] Supported a Vanguard Party - "and we shall lead and guide the oppressed worker and mystified peasant into the light of class consciousness that they might learn and benefit." This will please the Orthodox faction and upset the Democratic/Nationalist faction. May reduce Popular Support
    -[] Promised Representation - "and we shall form a government by, of, and for the workers and peoples we liberate that they will have true control of, giving them the freedom and liberty so many have promised." This will please the Democratic faction, may increase Popular Support
    -[] Referenced Scripture - "for it is easier for a serpent to walk on two legs than the wealthy and proud to enter the Holy World, and therefore it is the duty of the faithful to cast off the chains of capitalism. We call upon the priests of the Avlandian Empire to lead their flocks and join us in bringing the Holy World into being..." This will upset the Orthodox faction and please the Religious faction, may increase Popular Support
    -[] Something Else - post proposals in the thread or on Discord, I will evaluate and add them.

    Your choices will determine what factions form in the Front, and how they view the current leadership. Choose carefully. And if you choose contradictory options, it may prove interesting, in the Chinese sense.

    An Ear on the Street     - 60

    Not every member of the Front was extremely public about their allegiances. A couple of young men Stefan had shared coffee and political discussions with were still in the city and were happy to keep him informed of the mood. He was overall pleased to hear what they had to say.

    Popular Support in the city is high, it's not quite as high outside but still much better than expected.

    Soothe Egos     - 68+68 = 136

    Kylis was good at charming people. It wasn't deliberate, it was simply how he was - he could remember every little detail you told him and use it to put you at ease, he could change his attitude to match that of who he was speaking to, he was witty and had an endless collection of amusing stories.

    "...and so I told her that's not a knife, that's a barrel!" he told his audience, who chuckled.

    One or two members of the Central Committee, some members of the Red Guard, a few new volunteers...most of them were just passing by and quickly moved away, but those he beckoned to followed him to a quieter place.

    "I noticed..." he would begin, and offer his help.

    "You don't need to fear, we will be implementing Kamman's vision in full. And yes, we will need to reform the peasantry. But there's no need for it to be done this instant. I understand your urgency, I have a dozen things I want to make sure come to pass. But all will, so long as we work together and triumph..."

    "I do agree he's soft, but he's soft like the ocean is, when we meet proper counterrevolutionaries, not just mystified peasants or workers, you'll see. Besides, if we react brutally it will show fear, and then we'll have a dozen more of the same sort biting at us..."

    "It is the opiate of the masses, I agree, but forcibly removing it will do a lot of harm, especially when we can just wean them off it. And while I agree about his priorities, he does have a lot on his plate too, writing the declaration is something he needs to be putting a lot of time on..."

    Egos successfully soothed, a few potential problems nipped in the bud, faction relations will be less problematic to start off with.

    Recruit an Assistant     - ??

    The young woman couldn't be older than 14, but she showed the signs of a hard life, including a still healing bruise. Her orphanage uniform was heavily stained, and she shivered under the thin cloth. Practically without realizing it she had a blanket draped around her shoulders and a cup of hot tea pushed into her hands.

    She stood nervously before his desk. "So, you can read and write?" he asked, and she nodded.

    "Yes sir!"

    He smiled gently. "You don't need to call me sir...and sit down, relax, you aren't in any trouble..."

    She sat down but stayed stiff and rigid, eyes darting left and right. He slid a piece of paper across the desk. "Read what's on this please."

    She read the report out loud, stumbling over a couple of the longer words, but overall proving she was as literate as she claimed.

    The door opened and Comrade Livia stalked in. The girl gave a squeak and flinched away like she was expecting a blow, earning her a poisonous glare.

    "Is there a problem, girl?" the "Assistant Secretary" asked.

    "No Comrade, you just startled me was all!" the girl replied quickly.

    She glared an instant longer than subsided, looking at Kylis, who was watching the girl with concern.

    "She startles me too, it's those footsteps. You can never hear her coming," he said gravely.

    "But I think you will do as an assistant. Your first task is to get yourself something to eat!"

    Assistant has been found: Livia Dorva, formerly of the Imperial Orphanage.

    Guns and Ammo     - 44/50

    There were a dozen small warcaster shops in the city and two larger factories. The smaller shops were completely useless, both because of their size and because the men who ran them were capitalists, arrogant in their ownerships of their tiny properties. Seizing them would be more trouble than it was worth, so she simply informed their workers that thanks to the Jubilee, their debts were gone and left to arrange meetings with the foremen of the larger factories.

    They were more cooperative, and they worked together to track down enough skilled cadres of workers to begin preparing to run the factory lines again. Already a trickle of ammunition was flowing, enough to allow for some limited drilling and training at least.

    Basic training options unlocked thanks to partial completion, more will require completing the action totally.

    Examine the Mage Guilds     - 88+49 = 137

    (What do you find? = 1d100+30 = 113, 118, 82.)

    The Mage's Guilds in Avla were the oldest in the Empire. They were vast compounds, even if most of the building was empty eleven months of the year.

    And those empty sections were sealed off with powerful wards. Fortunately, wards were easy to break when you had an entire city on your side. A dozen hedge mages working together easily stripped away each ward over several hours, and what they found revealed a treasure trove - dowsing tools to find those with magical potential, a stockpile of undifferentiated Aether crystals, notes on the construction of all manner of autocasters, the pomp and splendor the heads of the guilds of course demanded, books on learning casting, and a pile of notes and thaumaturgical equations on ways to make a new type of flying ship, one called an aeroplane by the anonymous author.

    Delia looked around at all they had gained and smiled. All this wealth and knowledge would go to the people now, instead of being hoarded for the powerful. What force could stand against them?

    Gained 2 Wealth, 7 Aether, multiple new actions

    Feed the Hungry, Clothe the Needy, House the Homeless     - 63+64 = 127

    The city was full of the poor, and it was full of the rich. People starved and froze in sight of warm palaces and their discarded scraps of feasts. And even those scraps had been jealously guarded by the police, who now didn't dare leave their houses less the mobs of those they had abused rip them to pieces.

    It was a simple equation, but a difficult one to arrange. First, she had to make all the incoming food be brought to central locations, protected by the Red Guard, and arrange for compensation to the peasants who brought in the food, typically in the form of looted Imperial coin. Then she had to get the grain and meat cooked into breads and stews and hearty pastries, and then she had to see that all who needed it were given it. The lines often stretched around blocks, so she arranged for braziers to be brought out so people could warm themselves, awnings to be stretched over them while they waited...and children were bribed with sweets to sing and dance and tell stories for their amusement.

    It was ad hoc and not as organized as she would like, but it would serve. She would need to get the cooks and the children to form a union, it felt hypocritical otherwise.

    Clothing and shelter were easier. They simply looted the abandoned palaces, focusing on the warmest clothes, and passed them out, before directing those who slept on the street to take up residence in them, and when that proved insufficient they used spare barracks to make sure there was enough.

    There might not be enough food in a month or so, and coal and wood stocks would begin running low soon, but for now, it was good enough. And the evident gratitude shown to those wearing the red armband warmed her heart.

    Further boost to popular support, and to Front Support.

    Patrol the City, Find Them Gently     - 96+64 = 160, 86+52+65 = 203

    There were two groups patrolling the city streets day and night. The first was the Red Guards and militia. They had no uniform but their hats, armbands, and weapons, but everyone knew who they were thanks to their bearing. Crowds parted for them, and criminals and counterrevolutionaries shied away. A few firefights erupted, leaving behind only mysterious corpses as the bandits launched attacks on isolated patrols. A few men were wounded, but more importantly, the people of the city were badly hurt by these attacks. Fathers and mothers grieved when a patrol outside a school was ambushed, people went hungry when a meal kitchen was burned in the night, but these "successes" were few and far between.

    And the successes of the Red Guard were far greater. A mugging stopped. A woman fleeing her abusive husband protected and escorted to a shelter. Rapes and robberies alike prevented. And no one knows how many crimes were stopped by the presence of the Guard.

    Problems began to develop of course. A few abused their power or tried to find results for cases that they lacked evidence for and grew frustrated. And several men died or were wounded, although the numbers were rapidly made back up by new recruits.

    And meanwhile, the second group worked. Young men and women, dressed richly, wandering the city, giving dark looks to the Red Guard and speaking in corners, gathering in groups...attracting attention. Their efforts began to bear fruit as they met a like-minded fellow, and then another.

    One or two were invited to parties that felt more like funerals. They learned things in the back rooms at these parties.

    And one day two dozen Red Guard showed up before dawn as two men in worker's clothes but with soft hands tried to haul an inconspicuous crate near the mage's guild.

    The crate contained multiple unstable Aether crystals and a charge of gunpowder. There's only one factory that uses and stores powder in the city...and so they set a watch on it, and waited.

    Some intelligence opportunities created, spies beginning to infiltrate the bandits, order is kept in the city.

    Refugee Spies     - 65

    Villiam Willskodi was not a Kammanist. He was an upstanding citizen, owner of a respectable shop that sold flowers. He had a wife and a son who helped keep the shop, and he had another but the Kammanists killed the boy when they tried to flee the city. At least that was the story.

    Olgnia Devacha is certainly not a Kammanist, thank you very much. She is technically a noblewoman, although such a poor one she actually had to work in trade, but she dreamed of marrying up, and had a handsome, wealthy fiance whose blood wasn't completely devoid of nobility. Who? Her father was handling the arrangements. But he was dead, and so was her fiance, and it was all the Kammanist's fault, and she barely escaped with her sole servant.

    Iosef Deskara is not a Kammanist. He fought for the Emperor, and he would have kept fighting if he didn't lose a hand. He can still teach men to march though, and if that helps restore order he'll do it gladly.

    There were a few more sent out as well, each with their own story. And a few who would be nothing but wandering bums picking up the messages and delivering their orders. The spies were in place, with three orders, one primary, one secondary, and one tertiary.

    They were too... (note which is primary, secondary, and tertiary)

    [] Find out what the High Duke's plans are. Is he going to attack immediately or take his time? What they get will likely not be much more than rumor, but it will be something.

    [] Find out what the mood and status of the army is. Are there really the feared Tiger Stripes? Do they have spellblasters or other heavy weapons? Are they eager or resigned?

    [] Find out what the mood of the workers are. Are they restive? Is there any resistance?

    [] Write-in

    Spies sent with good cover stories, will be in place next week.

    Bodyguards     - 58+46 = 104

    Like with law enforcement, there were two sets of bodyguards. Comrade Livia found the symmetry vaguely appealing. The first was appointed at the insistence of the Committee as a whole, and so the other five found themselves with Red Guard following them around, and after the army was convinced to join them (she would need to make sure they would not be deserting...perhaps Kylis would have some ideas for increasing their fervor? She would find out soon enough) some of those Red Guard were replaced by soldiers as a gesture of trust.

    But each and every member of the Committee had at least one inconspicuous figure following them at a distance. And though no assassinations were attempted, her efforts bore fruit of a better sort.

    A report came that someone who wasn't one of hers was watching Comrade Zenus. She would have to arrange for them to be followed...

    Begin Scouting Operations - 30, Critical Failure!

    The scouting was focused in the direction they knew an enemy would be coming from, but small groups were sent out to the east, west, and north as well. They reported back little of note, although they did take care to avoid the larger towns, they would not handle those without orders.

    But the largest groups were sent south. Three hundred Red Guard in total, in bands of about fifty each, spread out as they moved along roads and the Aetherail. They came to the town of Devrograd, where the Aetherail crossed the river. It could be a vital chokepoint.

    There was no sign of damage to the town, none visible at least. But as they approached, no one noticed that warcasters poking out of a copse of trees.

    Some instinct led a few of the veterans to throw themselves flat an instant before lead balls whizzed through the air, smashing into the earth or flesh. A dozen men died in under an instant.

    Finding the Ambush: 1d5+3+3+3+1 (Hiding Places) vs. 1d5+5+2+2-2 (Caught by Surprise) = 15 vs. 12

    More bullets blasted out from the trees, the hiss of spells and the flare of light the only sign where it was coming from. Whoever was firing knew what they were doing, and they had good equipment.

    Red Guard Alissa Korenska took a careful look at where they were coming from, aiming her own warcaster, letting off a fusillade of shots. She was just trying to make them keep their heads down, but someone cried out in pain anyway.

    The problem was, more people were crying out in pain on her side. And that included Georgi, their elected commander. Everyone else was firing back, shouting slogans.

    She measured the distance to the trees with a careful eye, searching for cover all the while, trying to find an angle.

    Countering the Ambush: 1d5+3+3+3+1 (Hiding Places) vs. 1d5+5+2+2-1 (Dead Leader) = 12 vs. 12

    There was an angle she could get cover against them. She waited a moment, took a breath, and sprinted up in a rush. She wasn't the only one who had that idea, it seemed, and so she found herself ducking behind an abandoned cart with three others. It offered scant protection, but it gave them something.

    And more importantly, it let them see their opponents.

    Countering the Ambush Part 2: 1d5+3+3+3-2 (Flanked) -1 (Outnumbered) vs. 1d5+5+2+2-1 (Dead Leader) +1 (Numerical advantage) = 10 vs. 13

    They kept firing, forcing their opponents back, and it seemed they had done enough because the three dozen or so men, half in army uniforms, half in police fled back, leaving a few corpses behind.

    The elation of victory filled Alissa, but she turned and looked at the groaning wounded and silent dead. They had killed four but lost ten, and the enemy knew where they would be coming.

    Some scouting was done to the west, north, and east, confirming no hostile presence in the countryside and no soldiers in the towns. They could be relatively easily secured. To the south, the town of Devrograd was confirmed to be in the control of hostile forces, but nothing more was found out. You also took a slight but recovering morale hit.

    5 hour moratorium please vote in plan format.
     
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