Rebuild the Terran Dominion following the Great War.
Attempting to Subvert the Plan: Dominion Edition
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Opening Post
- Location
- the Republic
- Pronouns
- He/They
The Great War between Terrans, Zerg, and Protoss is over. The Zerg Overmind has been destroyed and the Protoss are scattered after the loss of their home world. From the ashes of the Confederacy, Arcturus Mengsk has raised up a new Terran Dominion with himself as its first emperor. Despite his promises of peace and prosperity, much of the Koprulu Sector remains in ruins, while many planets have been lost to Zerg infestation or Protoss sterilization. In order to secure his grip on power, he must deliver on his pledge to restore glory to Terran space, and he must do so quickly.
To achieve this end, Emperor Arcturus has appointed you Imperial Chancellor of the Exchequer. At your disposal are the whole of the Dominion's civilian resources, the vast unemployed Terran workforce, and the untapped riches of the Koprulu Sector's planets. Also at your disposal is the Dominion Treasury, which is reeling from the change in government, staffed largely by Confederate holdovers, and almost completely empty following the expenditures of the war.
With these resources, or lack thereof, you must restore the whole of the industrial and civilian economy, house every refugee, rebuild every destroyed road and bridge, and bring back not just the pre-war status quo, but a shining new golden age of plenty.
As if that weren't enough, the Emperor's choice may turn out to have been unwise. Despite your unshakable allegiance to the Dominion's cause, and your very real commitment to preserving and protecting humanity, your personal loyalty to Mengsk himself is somewhat compromised. You know what he's done to seize power. You know what he'll do to keep it. And if he ever finds out about your secret, your days are numbered.
So, who are you, anyway?
[] General Charles "Chuck" Horner
General Charles Horner, "Chuck" to the Emperor and his other drinking buddies, is a veteran of the Confederate Marine Corps and former second-in-command to then-Captain Arcturus Mengsk. He defected to the Sons of Korhal after the nuclear bombardment and served as one of Mengsk's three top-most military advisors. Having served with distinction during the Great War, he has been offered the Treasury not for his financial or technical skills, but to fill a key post with a known loyalist.
Unfortunately for the Emperor, Chuck Horner has known him personally for years and is very aware of the lengths he'll go to for power and control. His half-sister died on Tarsonis, and her son now serves aboard the flagship of Jim Raynor's rebel group. He knows and respects young Matt and his decisions; if the boy is against Mengsk, there might be something to it...
[] Doctor Zenobia Aldine
Born and raised in the Umojan Protectorate, Doctor Zenobia Aldine is a leader in the fields of xeno-archaeology, advanced structural mechanics, and exotic theoretical physics. She also has the personal distinction of having taught alongside Juliana Pasteur, the Emperor's lover. When young Valerian Mengsk lost his mother in tragic circumstances, she took over as his guardian and tutor, and was retained by Arcturus afterwards. Now that Valerian has come of age, the Emperor has offered her the Dominion Treasury as a reward and a sinecure, despite their incompatible personalities.
Despite her loyalty to humanity and horror at what the Great War wreaked upon the Koprulu sector, she has no love for Arcturus himself. She knows the reform-minded Valerian to have inherited the best of her friend's good qualities and believes the young man to be a far more suitable candidate to lead humanity into the future. If only that auspicious day could be somehow hurried along...
[] Senator Vincent Trevelyan
Known as the Lion of the Confederate Senate, Vincent Trevelyan was a liberal and independent voice amidst a sea of crusty reactionaries and xenophobes. He openly spoke of the need for democratic reform and popular sovereignty, as well as an end to oligarchic rule. When Korhal was destroyed, he publicly avowed his support for the Sons of Korhal, and was jailed for his temerity. A famous political prisoner, he was released by Emperor Arcturus following the establishment of the Dominion and offered the Treasury as a sign of imperial compassion and desire for reform.
However, Trevelyan is no fool. Despite his advanced age, he has seen Mengsk for who he really is: a tyrant and an opportunist. Concealing his loathing behind an expert politician's façade, he now intends to use his celebrity and ties with now-elevated opposition figures to bring about something better...
Like in other plan quests, there are two starting values to keep track of: Resources and Paranoia.
Resources are a quasi-monetary quasi-material abstraction representing the limits of what you can requisition, barter for, or steal. They're expended when you allocate dice to projects and can be gained through development projects. You can't go below 0 Resources; the Dominion simply does not have the necessary reserves or financial infrastructure.
Paranoia is tracked on a scale from 0 to 100 and represents Arcturus Mengsk's level of personal concern over your activities. This can include genuine alarm over the threat you hypothetically represent, irritation at not obeying his every directive, or simply doing something he didn't want you to do. High levels of Paranoia (above 70 or so) may be reflected by negative in-game events. If your character 'redlines' Paranoia by reaching 100 (without a mitigating factor like Trevelyan's ability), they will be fired and suffer a bad end. You'll start out at 30 Paranoia; he's not in a great mood after reading the post-war reports.
The selected Chancellor's Agenda will determine the particular focus of their tenure; you'll get more military-related projects as General Horner, more science projects as Dr. Aldine, etc. Their Secret is their hidden tie to an anti-Mengsk faction, and is a double-edged sword; while discovery will ruin you, your ties also offer unorthodox paths to getting things done.
A note on canon: Starcraft would have you believe that the events of the first and second game occur within the span of less than a decade. That's insane. In this quest, the Great War (Starcraft) began in 2499 and ended in 2505. We'll begin in 2506. The Brood War is at least 3-5 years away.
Also, I consider game canon to be more or less applicable except where necessary, and all other forms of canon to be a gentle suggestion at best. I have not read I, Mengsk. I may be doing weird things with planets and characters.
Finally, if I see even a little weird genocide-posting in this thread, I swear to God I will yeet the offender straight into the sun.
To achieve this end, Emperor Arcturus has appointed you Imperial Chancellor of the Exchequer. At your disposal are the whole of the Dominion's civilian resources, the vast unemployed Terran workforce, and the untapped riches of the Koprulu Sector's planets. Also at your disposal is the Dominion Treasury, which is reeling from the change in government, staffed largely by Confederate holdovers, and almost completely empty following the expenditures of the war.
With these resources, or lack thereof, you must restore the whole of the industrial and civilian economy, house every refugee, rebuild every destroyed road and bridge, and bring back not just the pre-war status quo, but a shining new golden age of plenty.
As if that weren't enough, the Emperor's choice may turn out to have been unwise. Despite your unshakable allegiance to the Dominion's cause, and your very real commitment to preserving and protecting humanity, your personal loyalty to Mengsk himself is somewhat compromised. You know what he's done to seize power. You know what he'll do to keep it. And if he ever finds out about your secret, your days are numbered.
So, who are you, anyway?
[] General Charles "Chuck" Horner
War Buddy: Reduced negative consequences for high Paranoia, incurs lower Paranoia costs
Chief of Staff: +5 to all Infrastructure dice
Old Boys' Network: +25 Resources per turn
High School Dropout: -10 to all dice; 50% chance of reducing penalty by 2 each turn
Agenda: Defense and defense-related infrastructure, war-supporting industries
Secret: Uncle of rebel Captain Matt Horner, rebel sympathies, back-channel to Raynor's Raiders
Chief of Staff: +5 to all Infrastructure dice
Old Boys' Network: +25 Resources per turn
High School Dropout: -10 to all dice; 50% chance of reducing penalty by 2 each turn
Agenda: Defense and defense-related infrastructure, war-supporting industries
Secret: Uncle of rebel Captain Matt Horner, rebel sympathies, back-channel to Raynor's Raiders
General Charles Horner, "Chuck" to the Emperor and his other drinking buddies, is a veteran of the Confederate Marine Corps and former second-in-command to then-Captain Arcturus Mengsk. He defected to the Sons of Korhal after the nuclear bombardment and served as one of Mengsk's three top-most military advisors. Having served with distinction during the Great War, he has been offered the Treasury not for his financial or technical skills, but to fill a key post with a known loyalist.
Unfortunately for the Emperor, Chuck Horner has known him personally for years and is very aware of the lengths he'll go to for power and control. His half-sister died on Tarsonis, and her son now serves aboard the flagship of Jim Raynor's rebel group. He knows and respects young Matt and his decisions; if the boy is against Mengsk, there might be something to it...
[] Doctor Zenobia Aldine
Multiple Doctorates: +5 to all rolls
Xenoscience Expert: +5 to all Xenotechnology dice
Alternate Revenue Stream: Can convert xenotech discoveries into Resource-producing innovations
Personality Clash: Incurs higher Paranoia costs
Agenda: Scientific advancement, study of Zerg and Protoss artifacts, higher education
Secret: Juliana Pasteur's colleague and Valerian Mengsk's tutor, ties to the Umojan Protectorate, back-channel to Prince Valerian
Xenoscience Expert: +5 to all Xenotechnology dice
Alternate Revenue Stream: Can convert xenotech discoveries into Resource-producing innovations
Personality Clash: Incurs higher Paranoia costs
Agenda: Scientific advancement, study of Zerg and Protoss artifacts, higher education
Secret: Juliana Pasteur's colleague and Valerian Mengsk's tutor, ties to the Umojan Protectorate, back-channel to Prince Valerian
Born and raised in the Umojan Protectorate, Doctor Zenobia Aldine is a leader in the fields of xeno-archaeology, advanced structural mechanics, and exotic theoretical physics. She also has the personal distinction of having taught alongside Juliana Pasteur, the Emperor's lover. When young Valerian Mengsk lost his mother in tragic circumstances, she took over as his guardian and tutor, and was retained by Arcturus afterwards. Now that Valerian has come of age, the Emperor has offered her the Dominion Treasury as a reward and a sinecure, despite their incompatible personalities.
Despite her loyalty to humanity and horror at what the Great War wreaked upon the Koprulu sector, she has no love for Arcturus himself. She knows the reform-minded Valerian to have inherited the best of her friend's good qualities and believes the young man to be a far more suitable candidate to lead humanity into the future. If only that auspicious day could be somehow hurried along...
[] Senator Vincent Trevelyan
Friends in High Places: Can force through policy changes at the cost of high Paranoia
People Person: +5 to all Services dice
Politically Connected: Can redline Paranoia exactly once; resets to 30 rather than incurring consequences
Too Old for This: 5% chance of retirement every year, increasing to 10% if Politically Connected fires
Agenda: Civilian industry and services, trade and commerce, improvements to daily life
Secret: History of pro-democracy activism, actually believes in Sons of Korhal propaganda, back-channel to internal resistance groups
People Person: +5 to all Services dice
Politically Connected: Can redline Paranoia exactly once; resets to 30 rather than incurring consequences
Too Old for This: 5% chance of retirement every year, increasing to 10% if Politically Connected fires
Agenda: Civilian industry and services, trade and commerce, improvements to daily life
Secret: History of pro-democracy activism, actually believes in Sons of Korhal propaganda, back-channel to internal resistance groups
Known as the Lion of the Confederate Senate, Vincent Trevelyan was a liberal and independent voice amidst a sea of crusty reactionaries and xenophobes. He openly spoke of the need for democratic reform and popular sovereignty, as well as an end to oligarchic rule. When Korhal was destroyed, he publicly avowed his support for the Sons of Korhal, and was jailed for his temerity. A famous political prisoner, he was released by Emperor Arcturus following the establishment of the Dominion and offered the Treasury as a sign of imperial compassion and desire for reform.
However, Trevelyan is no fool. Despite his advanced age, he has seen Mengsk for who he really is: a tyrant and an opportunist. Concealing his loathing behind an expert politician's façade, he now intends to use his celebrity and ties with now-elevated opposition figures to bring about something better...
Like in other plan quests, there are two starting values to keep track of: Resources and Paranoia.
Resources are a quasi-monetary quasi-material abstraction representing the limits of what you can requisition, barter for, or steal. They're expended when you allocate dice to projects and can be gained through development projects. You can't go below 0 Resources; the Dominion simply does not have the necessary reserves or financial infrastructure.
Paranoia is tracked on a scale from 0 to 100 and represents Arcturus Mengsk's level of personal concern over your activities. This can include genuine alarm over the threat you hypothetically represent, irritation at not obeying his every directive, or simply doing something he didn't want you to do. High levels of Paranoia (above 70 or so) may be reflected by negative in-game events. If your character 'redlines' Paranoia by reaching 100 (without a mitigating factor like Trevelyan's ability), they will be fired and suffer a bad end. You'll start out at 30 Paranoia; he's not in a great mood after reading the post-war reports.
The selected Chancellor's Agenda will determine the particular focus of their tenure; you'll get more military-related projects as General Horner, more science projects as Dr. Aldine, etc. Their Secret is their hidden tie to an anti-Mengsk faction, and is a double-edged sword; while discovery will ruin you, your ties also offer unorthodox paths to getting things done.
A note on canon: Starcraft would have you believe that the events of the first and second game occur within the span of less than a decade. That's insane. In this quest, the Great War (Starcraft) began in 2499 and ended in 2505. We'll begin in 2506. The Brood War is at least 3-5 years away.
Also, I consider game canon to be more or less applicable except where necessary, and all other forms of canon to be a gentle suggestion at best. I have not read I, Mengsk. I may be doing weird things with planets and characters.
Finally, if I see even a little weird genocide-posting in this thread, I swear to God I will yeet the offender straight into the sun.
Last edited:
Status of the Dominion Treasury
- Location
- the Republic
- Pronouns
- He/They
Status of the Dominion Treasury
Dice
Free: 5 (2 cannot be applied to Personal)
Infra: 7 (net modifier +11)
HI: 6 (net modifier +6)
LCI: 6 (net modifier +6)
Enviro: 6 (net modifier +1)
Services: 6 (net modifier +1)
Military: 7 (net modifier +6)
Research: 6 (net modifier +1)
Bureau: 6 (net modifier +11)
Personal: 4 (net modifier +1)
Personnel
Imperial Chancellor
General Charles "Chuck" Horner
Vice-Chancellor
Samuel Smith
Personal Secretary to the Chancellor (Aide de Camp)
Jacob Arendt
Special Advisor to the Chancellor (Chief of Staff)
Victoria Archibald III
On Retainer
Cruikshank & Taylor
Dice
Free: 5 (2 cannot be applied to Personal)
Infra: 7 (net modifier +11)
HI: 6 (net modifier +6)
LCI: 6 (net modifier +6)
Enviro: 6 (net modifier +1)
Services: 6 (net modifier +1)
Military: 7 (net modifier +6)
Research: 6 (net modifier +1)
Bureau: 6 (net modifier +11)
Personal: 4 (net modifier +1)
Base Capacity: 2 Free dice, 3 category dice
Absolute Competence: 2 Free dice, 1 Bureaucracy die
Specialist: 1 Personal die
Upper Echelons: 1 category die
Fleshed-Out Bureaucracy: 1 category die
SALOME: 1 category die
Personal Staff: 2 Personal dice
Lean on Me: 1 Free die
Absolute Competence: 2 Free dice, 1 Bureaucracy die
Specialist: 1 Personal die
Upper Echelons: 1 category die
Fleshed-Out Bureaucracy: 1 category die
SALOME: 1 category die
Personal Staff: 2 Personal dice
Lean on Me: 1 Free die
Lean on Me: +1 Free die. Once per turn, set the lowest Bureaucracy result to the highest Personal result, and the lowest Personal result to the highest Bureaucracy result.
Chief of Staff: +5 to all Infrastructure and Military dice
College Boy: +1 to all dice; 25% of increasing each turn
No Nonsense: -5 to Personal dice
Titan of Industry: +5 to all HI, LCI, and Bureaucracy dice
Uncrowned Queen: +10 to all Nephor dice
Dewey Cheatem and Howe: +5 to all Infrastructure, Bureaucracy, and Personal dice
Center of Power: +10 to all Korhal dice
The 2508 Deal: +5 to all Korhal dice (expires end of Q4 2508)
Running Interference: -5 to any end-of-turn net Paranoia gain, minimum 0 (expires end of Q4 2508)
College Boy: +1 to all dice; 25% of increasing each turn
No Nonsense: -5 to Personal dice
Titan of Industry: +5 to all HI, LCI, and Bureaucracy dice
Uncrowned Queen: +10 to all Nephor dice
Dewey Cheatem and Howe: +5 to all Infrastructure, Bureaucracy, and Personal dice
Center of Power: +10 to all Korhal dice
The 2508 Deal: +5 to all Korhal dice (expires end of Q4 2508)
Running Interference: -5 to any end-of-turn net Paranoia gain, minimum 0 (expires end of Q4 2508)
Raynor's Raiders: 5/20
Mira's Marauders: 1/20
Industrial Workers' Trust: 4/20
Space Wolves: 1/20
Nova Squadron: 1/20
Mira's Marauders: 1/20
Industrial Workers' Trust: 4/20
Space Wolves: 1/20
Nova Squadron: 1/20
Old Boys' Network [+25R/turn]
Korhal: Keresh Mining Complex [+5R/turn]
Tyrador IX: Refugee Workshops Phase 2 [+20R/turn]
Nephor II: Nephor Industrial Megacomplex [+30R/turn, income increases by +5R each turn (maximum +40R/turn)]
Vardona: Vespene Extraction Operations [+30R/turn]
Personal Expense Account [+10% overall income F/turn]
Personal Investments [+15F/turn]
Korhal: Keresh Mining Complex [+5R/turn]
Tyrador IX: Refugee Workshops Phase 2 [+20R/turn]
Nephor II: Nephor Industrial Megacomplex [+30R/turn, income increases by +5R each turn (maximum +40R/turn)]
Vardona: Vespene Extraction Operations [+30R/turn]
Personal Expense Account [+10% overall income F/turn]
Personal Investments [+15F/turn]
Personal Expense Account [-10% overall income R/turn]
Facilitator [-20 to all Personal DCs]
Military Surplus II [-200 Progress for all Planetary Reconstruction projects]
Korhal: Keresh Mining Complex [-100 Progress for all Augustgrad phases]
Nephor II: TerraUnion Tool and Die Works Phase 2 [-100 Progress for all groundside construction projects]
Vardona: Ardonin Heavy Vehicle Factory Phase 2 [-100 Progress needed for all groundside construction projects] [-200 Progress needed for all space-based construction projects]
Military Surplus II [-200 Progress for all Planetary Reconstruction projects]
Korhal: Keresh Mining Complex [-100 Progress for all Augustgrad phases]
Nephor II: TerraUnion Tool and Die Works Phase 2 [-100 Progress for all groundside construction projects]
Vardona: Ardonin Heavy Vehicle Factory Phase 2 [-100 Progress needed for all groundside construction projects] [-200 Progress needed for all space-based construction projects]
Negotiator [-5R discount for all Personal project dice]
Additional Security [-5R discount for all [Reconstruction] project dice]
Nephor II: Phoros Neotextile Fabrication Plant Phase 2 [-10R for all groundside construction project dice]
Space Defenders [-10R for all space-based construction projects; expires end of Q4 2508]
Additional Security [-5R discount for all [Reconstruction] project dice]
Nephor II: Phoros Neotextile Fabrication Plant Phase 2 [-10R for all groundside construction project dice]
Space Defenders [-10R for all space-based construction projects; expires end of Q4 2508]
Personnel
Imperial Chancellor
General Charles "Chuck" Horner
War Buddy: Reduced negative consequences for high Paranoia, incurs lower Paranoia costs
Chief of Staff: +5 to all Infrastructure and Military dice
Old Boys' Network: +25 Resources per turn
College Boy: +1 to all dice; 25% chance of increasing each turn
Chief of Staff: +5 to all Infrastructure and Military dice
Old Boys' Network: +25 Resources per turn
College Boy: +1 to all dice; 25% chance of increasing each turn
Agenda: Defense and defense-related infrastructure, war-supporting industries
Secret: Uncle of rebel Captain Matt Horner, rebel sympathies, back-channel to Raynor's Raiders
Secret: Uncle of rebel Captain Matt Horner, rebel sympathies, back-channel to Raynor's Raiders
Vice-Chancellor
Samuel Smith
Absolute Competence: +2 Free dice, +1 Bureaucracy die
Retroactive Approval: Convert all natural 1s into natural 100s; converted natural 100s do not reduce Paranoia; does not function above 80 Paranoia
No Nonsense: -5 to all Personal dice; positive traits cannot be applied to Personal projects
Retroactive Approval: Convert all natural 1s into natural 100s; converted natural 100s do not reduce Paranoia; does not function above 80 Paranoia
No Nonsense: -5 to all Personal dice; positive traits cannot be applied to Personal projects
Personal Secretary to the Chancellor (Aide de Camp)
Jacob Arendt
Specialist: +1 Personal die
Facilitator: -20 difficulty to all Personal DCs
Negotiator: 5R discount on all Personal project dice
Facilitator: -20 difficulty to all Personal DCs
Negotiator: 5R discount on all Personal project dice
Special Advisor to the Chancellor (Chief of Staff)
Victoria Archibald III
Titan of Industry: +5 to all HI, LCI, and Bureaucracy dice
Uncrowned Queen: +10 to all Nephor II project dice; more Nephor II projects
Uncrowned Queen: +10 to all Nephor II project dice; more Nephor II projects
On Retainer
Cruikshank & Taylor
Dewey Cheatem and Howe: +5 to all Infrastructure, Bureaucracy, and Personal dice
Center of Power: +10 to all Korhal dice
Center of Power: +10 to all Korhal dice
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Chimeraguard
We do deserve to exist.
Interesting... I'm for either Horner or Trevelyan. Trevelyan's focus on getting the civilian stuff fixed and ability to force through policy changes is nice, but the chance of retiring every turn I'm not so fond of.
Backchannels to Raynor's Raiders from Horner sound fun, as well as just overall not having to worry about Paranoia as much, though the dice penalty hurts and "more military stuff" I'm not sure is what the Dominion needs... then again, the Brood War is coming very soon, isn't it?
Backchannels to Raynor's Raiders from Horner sound fun, as well as just overall not having to worry about Paranoia as much, though the dice penalty hurts and "more military stuff" I'm not sure is what the Dominion needs... then again, the Brood War is coming very soon, isn't it?
- Location
- the Republic
- Pronouns
- He/They
There is no service you can perform, no task you can complete, no force in this universe that can do anything but temporarily allay Arcturus Mengsk's suspicion of everyone and everything.
Chimeraguard
We do deserve to exist.
[X] General Charles "Chuck" Horner
Eh, I'll go with Horner. Brood War's a-coming and Raynor's Raiders never really got a chance to shine in anti-Dominion work.
Eh, I'll go with Horner. Brood War's a-coming and Raynor's Raiders never really got a chance to shine in anti-Dominion work.
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Yeah, Horner's interesting but the gamer in me hates penalties.
[X] Doctor Zenobia Aldine
- Pronouns
- He/Him
It's a difficult question to be sure, Horner or Aldine...
[X] General Charles "Chuck" Horner
But Paranoia is the ultimate issue, and we can mitigate the initial dice penalties over time.
[X] General Charles "Chuck" Horner
But Paranoia is the ultimate issue, and we can mitigate the initial dice penalties over time.
- Location
- Puerto Rico
Okay.
By the way, could you give us a description of what our General looks like?
Also, the other canditates that don't win in this round.
Can we recruit them later on as advisors?
[X] Doctor Zenobia Aldine
- Location
- the Republic
- Pronouns
- He/They
Whoever wins will get some more description in the next post.
As for advisors, it's possible. You'll at least be recruiting a second-in-command. If I include one of the candidates who didn't win for later recruitment, it'll be with reduced bonuses.
VoidZero
Passing Flan 布丁魔王
- Location
- Anywhere but RL
[X] Senator Vincent Trevelyan
Trevelyan lets us shove through some needed political reforms before retiring, at which point we can pick one of the other options.
Trevelyan lets us shove through some needed political reforms before retiring, at which point we can pick one of the other options.
- Location
- New York
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X] Doctor Zenobia Aldine
- Pronouns
- He/She/They
[X] Doctor Zenobia Aldine
[X] Senator Vincent Trevelyan
[X] Senator Vincent Trevelyan
