Blood of the Gods: A Fantasy CKII Quest
- Thread starter Cavalier
- Start date
- Original Fantasy
- Location
- Vicksburg, MS
I would be partial to keeping the train actively rolling on the diplomacy boosts until we're over twenty in that department, but I must admit that that's because my preference is towards having a well-known strength and weakness rather than being a sort of jack of all trades and master at none. We seem to be developing pretty roundly regardless, the only stat that didn't get effectively boosted this turn was the Martial stat and that still got a bump for the base stat.
Prologue VII
- Location
- Southern Virginia
Interregnum Years 10-11
Regent: Dowager Queen Neferet
Choose Tutors:
[X] Meryawy, Priest of Ra
[X] Governess Ma'atneferure
[X] Your Mother
Choose Focus:
[ ] Martial
[ ] Diplomatic
[ ] Stewardship
[ ] Intrigue
[ ] Piety
[ ] Learning
As you enter late childhood you become more observant and cognizant of events in the palace and the state of Kemet. The Dowager Queen seems to have recovered and is more active than ever, issuing orders to meet a number of pressing crises. War and disorder are whispered of but the servants seemed in a better mood than before thanks to the signs of the Regent taking charge. That said she still finds time to stop in and discuss your studies with you, and even invites you to the royal chambers where you are entertained with musicians and by the court dwarf. The Queen is keenly interested in your studies with Ma'atneferure and your progress on courtly manners, and praises your recital of hymns taught by Meryawy. She also reads you some of the poetry that she composed with your father.
Ma'atneferure and Meryawy both spend more and more time talking about the state of the country and your expected role. The absence of a Pharaoh has caused Disorder and must be rectified. The tribes of the desert raid Upper Kemet with impunity and the province of Mefkat does not obey the palace. Vassals in the Kanaan have not met their tribute quotas in over a decade. Corruption flourishes among the Eunuchs, they both agree, though Ma'atneferure suggests the priesthood is no less corrupt. That doesn't seem much like Meryawy, you object, but then she asks you to consider why a man of his talent is merely a tutor instead of the leader of a major temple. You have no answer to her, though Meryawy simply laughs off the question when you ask him and says that seeing to your education is the most important task he could be given.
That night your Mother visits you again. Your tutors are right, though as usual with the people of Kemet they blame the eunuchs for that which they themselves are responsible. She tells you truly that Kemet is weak. She talks about your Father for the first time, the late Ameneheb. He too was weak, weaker even than his sister-wife. He brought together magicians and scholars and priests from across the world to seek a cure and built a great temple to house them. But he neglected to build the strength of his country. Kemet is wealthy, she says, but wealth invites envy. Kemet has few brave warriors and fewer still honest officials. Where your father was weak, you will need to be strong. And that time will be soon.
A Trip to the Bazaar
Even as the palace is more active you want to leave out and explore the capital some more. You ask your tutors and Ma'atneferure finally agrees. You take Bakenptah, Tayuret, and Panferer with you on your expedition, escorted by Ma'atneferure and a few of the Guard of Horus. Your litter passes by the grand thoroughfare, which still seems as empty as the last time you had ventured out of the palace. The marketplace is past the district reserved to the palaces of civil officials and once beyond you do see more of the ordinary people wandering around. But there still seem to be many empty homes even of the less fortunate.
But the marketplace itself bustles with energy. It stretches on for leagues underneath broad canvass as merchants barter with one another at stalls piled high with spices and exotic dyes underneath. The common people are here as well managing their own pieces of the marketplace where freshly baked bread and gourds of beer are being displayed with baskets of vegetables and dried fruits. The sights and sounds and movement are almost overwhelming, even as commoners and foreigners alike hurry to make their way away from the guards passing through. You could, and do, spend hours inside the maze of canvass covered streets inspecting whatever catches your fancy; and enjoying treats now and then such as honey-and-nut pastry and dried dates. Your friends enjoy themselves too as the purse that Ma'atneferure brought with her has enough copper deben to cover treating them as well.
Still there are limits to how much you can spend and at last you come down to a couple of options. Paneferer is fascinated by a wooden board and pieces, a foreign game being promoted by a merchant from the far east beyond Babel-Ur. It looks interesting, you admit, and racing reed boats has gotten boring. But Tayuheret excitedly points out an archaic ankh in the style of amulet, sold amid other relics, made of copper and inset with an emerald. It's expensive, more than Ma'atneferure has on her, but the hieroglyphs on the amulet are old enough they're hard for you to read- but you can make out a Horus-name. As you ponder the two options, though, Bakenptah catches your eye and nods over to an alcove where a begger and her two ragged-looking children hold out for charity.
[ ] Purchase the game. You're curious about this foreign entertainment and Paneferer is right that you need something more interesting to play with.
[ ] Purchase the ankh. It has to be old and might even have magical properties. And it'll look awesome as a necklace as Tayuheret points out.
[ ] Help the beggars. They look like they haven't eaten in a while and you sympathize with them as much as Bakenptah does.
War! What is it good for?
In your eleventh year the disorder in Mefkat has become rebellion. The tribes of the south are defiant and overrun the lightly-staffed forts guarding the road to Kanaan. The Dowager Queen tells you that a captain of the Horus Guard is being sent to bring the tribes to heel, so they acknowledge the rightful order. You nod sagely and approve of her handling of the matter before running off to join your friends for afternoon playtime.
Afterward you were curious in your evening lessons so Meryawy answered more questions. The leader of the army sent to deal with the tribes was named Khui, and he was a promising officer. He would command a small group of the guards and some noble levies as well as mercenaries hired with gold. Meryawy assured you the rebels were ungrateful and vicious people, little more than bandits preying on the traffic of the roads. They would be smote by the power of Kemet and order would be restored. But there was something you could do to help, even now.
Meryawy wanted you to participate in a ritual supplication to Ra to lend his strength to the armies and to commander Khui, so that victory would be swift and bloodless. Ma'atneferure suggested to you that it would be more helpful to write to the Viceroys of Lower Egypt and Delta Province to urge them to support the Regent in gathering all the necessary supplies and levies for the campaign. Your Mother was indifferent to the matter, saying that while routing bandits was the army of Kemet was good for that Khui was more than skilled enough to handle the matter. But that made you curious and left you thinking that it might not be a bad idea to go visit the encampment to see the soldiers off and to meet this captain yourself.
[ ] Perform a sacrificial rite to Ra in support of the campaign.
[ ] Write to the governors to get their support for the campaign.
[ ] Leave everything to Khui, but go meet him first.
For better or worse
As you turn twelve years old you are nearly on the cusp of adulthood. You have spent a great deal of time around your tutors and more time than most might suspect around your mother. It is becoming clear that one of them is a major influence on your development, even more so than the others. Who is it?
[ ] Ma'atneferure
[ ] Meryawy
[ ] Mother
OOC: Not very long to go before the Prologue ends and we enter a transitional period to the full rules while under the Regency. And as Eurydice gets older she'll stop gaining stat points except in response to actual decisions. Her personality will also shape up and firm into the Queen she will be; assuming she isn't killed, deposed, or rendered irrelevant anyway. In any case with the last choice here you are guaranteed to get a Trait from whichever tutor you choose, but be careful. Not all "good" traits are desirable and your tutors (and your Mother) may be a bad influence as much as a good influence.
Regent: Dowager Queen Neferet
Choose Tutors:
[X] Meryawy, Priest of Ra
[X] Governess Ma'atneferure
[X] Your Mother
Choose Focus:
[ ] Martial
[ ] Diplomatic
[ ] Stewardship
[ ] Intrigue
[ ] Piety
[ ] Learning
As you enter late childhood you become more observant and cognizant of events in the palace and the state of Kemet. The Dowager Queen seems to have recovered and is more active than ever, issuing orders to meet a number of pressing crises. War and disorder are whispered of but the servants seemed in a better mood than before thanks to the signs of the Regent taking charge. That said she still finds time to stop in and discuss your studies with you, and even invites you to the royal chambers where you are entertained with musicians and by the court dwarf. The Queen is keenly interested in your studies with Ma'atneferure and your progress on courtly manners, and praises your recital of hymns taught by Meryawy. She also reads you some of the poetry that she composed with your father.
Ma'atneferure and Meryawy both spend more and more time talking about the state of the country and your expected role. The absence of a Pharaoh has caused Disorder and must be rectified. The tribes of the desert raid Upper Kemet with impunity and the province of Mefkat does not obey the palace. Vassals in the Kanaan have not met their tribute quotas in over a decade. Corruption flourishes among the Eunuchs, they both agree, though Ma'atneferure suggests the priesthood is no less corrupt. That doesn't seem much like Meryawy, you object, but then she asks you to consider why a man of his talent is merely a tutor instead of the leader of a major temple. You have no answer to her, though Meryawy simply laughs off the question when you ask him and says that seeing to your education is the most important task he could be given.
That night your Mother visits you again. Your tutors are right, though as usual with the people of Kemet they blame the eunuchs for that which they themselves are responsible. She tells you truly that Kemet is weak. She talks about your Father for the first time, the late Ameneheb. He too was weak, weaker even than his sister-wife. He brought together magicians and scholars and priests from across the world to seek a cure and built a great temple to house them. But he neglected to build the strength of his country. Kemet is wealthy, she says, but wealth invites envy. Kemet has few brave warriors and fewer still honest officials. Where your father was weak, you will need to be strong. And that time will be soon.
A Trip to the Bazaar
Even as the palace is more active you want to leave out and explore the capital some more. You ask your tutors and Ma'atneferure finally agrees. You take Bakenptah, Tayuret, and Panferer with you on your expedition, escorted by Ma'atneferure and a few of the Guard of Horus. Your litter passes by the grand thoroughfare, which still seems as empty as the last time you had ventured out of the palace. The marketplace is past the district reserved to the palaces of civil officials and once beyond you do see more of the ordinary people wandering around. But there still seem to be many empty homes even of the less fortunate.
But the marketplace itself bustles with energy. It stretches on for leagues underneath broad canvass as merchants barter with one another at stalls piled high with spices and exotic dyes underneath. The common people are here as well managing their own pieces of the marketplace where freshly baked bread and gourds of beer are being displayed with baskets of vegetables and dried fruits. The sights and sounds and movement are almost overwhelming, even as commoners and foreigners alike hurry to make their way away from the guards passing through. You could, and do, spend hours inside the maze of canvass covered streets inspecting whatever catches your fancy; and enjoying treats now and then such as honey-and-nut pastry and dried dates. Your friends enjoy themselves too as the purse that Ma'atneferure brought with her has enough copper deben to cover treating them as well.
Still there are limits to how much you can spend and at last you come down to a couple of options. Paneferer is fascinated by a wooden board and pieces, a foreign game being promoted by a merchant from the far east beyond Babel-Ur. It looks interesting, you admit, and racing reed boats has gotten boring. But Tayuheret excitedly points out an archaic ankh in the style of amulet, sold amid other relics, made of copper and inset with an emerald. It's expensive, more than Ma'atneferure has on her, but the hieroglyphs on the amulet are old enough they're hard for you to read- but you can make out a Horus-name. As you ponder the two options, though, Bakenptah catches your eye and nods over to an alcove where a begger and her two ragged-looking children hold out for charity.
[ ] Purchase the game. You're curious about this foreign entertainment and Paneferer is right that you need something more interesting to play with.
[ ] Purchase the ankh. It has to be old and might even have magical properties. And it'll look awesome as a necklace as Tayuheret points out.
[ ] Help the beggars. They look like they haven't eaten in a while and you sympathize with them as much as Bakenptah does.
War! What is it good for?
In your eleventh year the disorder in Mefkat has become rebellion. The tribes of the south are defiant and overrun the lightly-staffed forts guarding the road to Kanaan. The Dowager Queen tells you that a captain of the Horus Guard is being sent to bring the tribes to heel, so they acknowledge the rightful order. You nod sagely and approve of her handling of the matter before running off to join your friends for afternoon playtime.
Afterward you were curious in your evening lessons so Meryawy answered more questions. The leader of the army sent to deal with the tribes was named Khui, and he was a promising officer. He would command a small group of the guards and some noble levies as well as mercenaries hired with gold. Meryawy assured you the rebels were ungrateful and vicious people, little more than bandits preying on the traffic of the roads. They would be smote by the power of Kemet and order would be restored. But there was something you could do to help, even now.
Meryawy wanted you to participate in a ritual supplication to Ra to lend his strength to the armies and to commander Khui, so that victory would be swift and bloodless. Ma'atneferure suggested to you that it would be more helpful to write to the Viceroys of Lower Egypt and Delta Province to urge them to support the Regent in gathering all the necessary supplies and levies for the campaign. Your Mother was indifferent to the matter, saying that while routing bandits was the army of Kemet was good for that Khui was more than skilled enough to handle the matter. But that made you curious and left you thinking that it might not be a bad idea to go visit the encampment to see the soldiers off and to meet this captain yourself.
[ ] Perform a sacrificial rite to Ra in support of the campaign.
[ ] Write to the governors to get their support for the campaign.
[ ] Leave everything to Khui, but go meet him first.
For better or worse
As you turn twelve years old you are nearly on the cusp of adulthood. You have spent a great deal of time around your tutors and more time than most might suspect around your mother. It is becoming clear that one of them is a major influence on your development, even more so than the others. Who is it?
[ ] Ma'atneferure
[ ] Meryawy
[ ] Mother
OOC: Not very long to go before the Prologue ends and we enter a transitional period to the full rules while under the Regency. And as Eurydice gets older she'll stop gaining stat points except in response to actual decisions. Her personality will also shape up and firm into the Queen she will be; assuming she isn't killed, deposed, or rendered irrelevant anyway. In any case with the last choice here you are guaranteed to get a Trait from whichever tutor you choose, but be careful. Not all "good" traits are desirable and your tutors (and your Mother) may be a bad influence as much as a good influence.
RedV
Refuelling
- Location
- Right here
[X] Martial
[X] Purchase the game. You're curious about this foreign entertainment and Paneferer is right that you need something more interesting to play with.
If it is the chess equivalent, we could wrangle some strategic something out of this.
[X] Leave everything to Khui, but go meet him first.
This guy should be interesting. And its time to meet more loyal(?) subjects!
[X] Mother
Even with all of the other options, the priestess and all will likely make us a zealot if we take them too often, and I don't want to be subject to her and Meryawy's views on proper and prim ladies.
This will probably lead to war due to us being half-foreign and almost illegtitimate. Best to prepaer accordingly.
[X] Purchase the game. You're curious about this foreign entertainment and Paneferer is right that you need something more interesting to play with.
If it is the chess equivalent, we could wrangle some strategic something out of this.
[X] Leave everything to Khui, but go meet him first.
This guy should be interesting. And its time to meet more loyal(?) subjects!
[X] Mother
Even with all of the other options, the priestess and all will likely make us a zealot if we take them too often, and I don't want to be subject to her and Meryawy's views on proper and prim ladies.
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RedV
Refuelling
- Location
- Right here
You might want to add the Ankh to that, for even more synergy.
Piety does not work for mom's magic tho, and we have higher learning anyway, which is the stat she uses.
[X] Meryawy, Priest of Ra
[X] Piety
[X] Purchase the ankh. It has to be old and might even have magical properties. And it'll look awesome as a necklace as Tayuheret points out.
[X] Perform a sacrificial rite to Ra in support of the campaign.
[X] Mother
Probably shouldn't get written off as a Godless foreigner either. Piety isn't just the divine magic stat, but also how much the priesthood and devout population likes you. Since we have legitimacy issues, we need every bit of help. Looking impious can be lethal for us.
For this campaign, since it's stated that Khui should have this in hand, we should perform the sacrifice and show piety to the population.
Good for PR, since if he wins we get the credit for the sacrifice.
[X] Piety
[X] Purchase the ankh. It has to be old and might even have magical properties. And it'll look awesome as a necklace as Tayuheret points out.
[X] Perform a sacrificial rite to Ra in support of the campaign.
[X] Mother
Probably shouldn't get written off as a Godless foreigner either. Piety isn't just the divine magic stat, but also how much the priesthood and devout population likes you. Since we have legitimacy issues, we need every bit of help. Looking impious can be lethal for us.
For this campaign, since it's stated that Khui should have this in hand, we should perform the sacrifice and show piety to the population.
Good for PR, since if he wins we get the credit for the sacrifice.
RedV
Refuelling
- Location
- Right here
Yeah, but our Piety is already pretty good and Meryawy likes us.
Learning based magic is better because it doesn't actually depend on the goodwill of the Priests and we have naturally high learning and I would rather not become a zealot. Really, it resonates better to learn something from our mom and have something of her's with us.
Also, Khui has the bandits in hand. But the disloyal vassals in the Kanaan? Mefkat? That's gonna be a problem for later.
Learning based magic is better because it doesn't actually depend on the goodwill of the Priests and we have naturally high learning and I would rather not become a zealot. Really, it resonates better to learn something from our mom and have something of her's with us.
Also, Khui has the bandits in hand. But the disloyal vassals in the Kanaan? Mefkat? That's gonna be a problem for later.
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- Location
- Brazil
[X] Piety
[X] Purchase the ankh. It has to be old and might even have magical properties. And it'll look awesome as a necklace as Tayuheret points out.
[X] Perform a sacrificial rite to Ra in support of the campaign.
[X] Meryawy
Piety because magic and we realy could use the extra legitimaxy from piety, also synergy.
The ankh could be a magic item and also synergizes very well with all other choices.
The rite because since the force we are sending is enought, we don't realy need to write letter, and meting Khui wouldn't realy help, on the other hand not only would this help but has great synergy with the other options.
Meryawy because beyond the synergy with all other optionsthe two other choices fell a bit like traps, the governess would probably mould us in a way pleasing to the queen and I can't help but fell mother would give us a foreign outloook that would make it harder to handle our sunjects in the future, neither of wich I am confortable with.
[X] Purchase the ankh. It has to be old and might even have magical properties. And it'll look awesome as a necklace as Tayuheret points out.
[X] Perform a sacrificial rite to Ra in support of the campaign.
[X] Meryawy
Piety because magic and we realy could use the extra legitimaxy from piety, also synergy.
The ankh could be a magic item and also synergizes very well with all other choices.
The rite because since the force we are sending is enought, we don't realy need to write letter, and meting Khui wouldn't realy help, on the other hand not only would this help but has great synergy with the other options.
Meryawy because beyond the synergy with all other optionsthe two other choices fell a bit like traps, the governess would probably mould us in a way pleasing to the queen and I can't help but fell mother would give us a foreign outloook that would make it harder to handle our sunjects in the future, neither of wich I am confortable with.
RedV
Refuelling
- Location
- Right here
We have already picked Meryawy tutoring a number of times and are cool with him.
I don't think they can rightfully declare us impious without being opposed by him.
Piety is a heavily suboptimal choice for magic. Learning based magic can be learned from our mother.
I don't want to become/ get a rep as a puppet of the priesthood. At least our mother cares about us solely because we are her child, not as a means of advancing the interests of the clergy.
And being too afiliated to the clergy will make factions like the Nobles and Eunuchs uncomfortable because they would fear undue influence of the clergy.
Meeting Khui absolutely will help. Help us, that is. We get to meet one of our subjects who is a rising star and an important commander and hopefully get his support behind us if we impress him. We get a contact and meet an interesting NPC. How does that not help?
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RedV
Refuelling
- Location
- Right here
Also, magic is viewed with suspicion in our kingdom. Our birth was magical, but it certainly wasn't acclaimed as a great thing.
Even if this was due to the fact that our mom was a foreigner, our dad is blood of the Gods and since they didn't see it as a divine miracle, who is to say that they won't go 'this half foreign mixed blood is usurping the authority of the gods like her witch mom!'?
Being associated with magic could make things more difficult for us, and it appears heavily limited: Our birth was seen as a great triumph of magic. It likely will be personal cantrips, not army killing or truth divining rituals that have large level effects. At least not until we make huge investments in it, which could damage legitimacy/links with groups not the priests.
Even if this was due to the fact that our mom was a foreigner, our dad is blood of the Gods and since they didn't see it as a divine miracle, who is to say that they won't go 'this half foreign mixed blood is usurping the authority of the gods like her witch mom!'?
Being associated with magic could make things more difficult for us, and it appears heavily limited: Our birth was seen as a great triumph of magic. It likely will be personal cantrips, not army killing or truth divining rituals that have large level effects. At least not until we make huge investments in it, which could damage legitimacy/links with groups not the priests.
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- Location
- Southern Virginia
I'm going to have to clarify what seems to be a misconception here.
Piety is not the Diplomacy stat for Priests. Priests in Kemet (as in Ancient Egypt) are employees of the State and in theory the temples are government institutions that carry out rites on behalf of the population. In practice they form a powerful block of resources and political power and need to be dealt with by politics; either by reducing their influence and firmly subordinating them to the ruler, or by coopting them to support the ruler voluntarily. The religion of Kemet is also not exactly that of Medieval Europe and so has a different take on what sin is and what sins are.
What Piety does do is measure knowledge of the religious customs and rites of Kemet and ability to perform them adequately. Priests can perform "magic" as we think of it, in the basic sense, but again we're not talking about raining down pillars of fire from the sky; that sort of magic is reserved for the likes of Prophets and you should hope none turn up. The most basic sort of priestly "magic" is to obtain blessings from the gods for a given endeavor, which translates to a mechanical bonus on a roll. More advanced magicians can curse others, especially with access to their True Name, and ward against curses and spirits; you have to be pretty far down the rabbit hole before you get things like familiars or the ability to transfigure objects.
High Piety is mostly useful here for insuring important blessings on the floods and for high level rituals to boost rolls. It can also be useful for getting Authority by building temples and so on, especially if you coopt the Priesthood. But high Piety isn't going to coopt the Priesthood by itself, and the opportunity cost of getting it and taking the sort of traits needed for high Piety may interfere with other avenues and in particular with Intrigue. Though that said there are a lot of Piety actions you can't delegate to other people (which is how most Actions are executed) simply because of the nature of the ritual and status requirements.
So of course a high Piety score can still be a key part of a strategy to take control of the Court and turn around the situation in Kemet but I'd seriously advise you all to start thinking of what you want to accomplish and what you need to do it.
She took Meritamun chariot-riding and was the only one willing to let her leave the palace. Ma'atneferure is a choice about presenting the proper appearance to the Court, to be sure, but she's not a priestess and Kemet gender norms are more broadly egalitarian anyway. Being a female warrior would be outside social convention and there are ways that women are supposed to use authority distinct from men, and present themselves as such; but women are equal under the law to men in most areas, can own property separately from a man, can obtain divorce on equal terms, etc and etc. Ancient Egypt was weird compared to the heavily patriarchical societies of the Near East and of Hellas and that is reflected here.
Piety is not the Diplomacy stat for Priests. Priests in Kemet (as in Ancient Egypt) are employees of the State and in theory the temples are government institutions that carry out rites on behalf of the population. In practice they form a powerful block of resources and political power and need to be dealt with by politics; either by reducing their influence and firmly subordinating them to the ruler, or by coopting them to support the ruler voluntarily. The religion of Kemet is also not exactly that of Medieval Europe and so has a different take on what sin is and what sins are.
What Piety does do is measure knowledge of the religious customs and rites of Kemet and ability to perform them adequately. Priests can perform "magic" as we think of it, in the basic sense, but again we're not talking about raining down pillars of fire from the sky; that sort of magic is reserved for the likes of Prophets and you should hope none turn up. The most basic sort of priestly "magic" is to obtain blessings from the gods for a given endeavor, which translates to a mechanical bonus on a roll. More advanced magicians can curse others, especially with access to their True Name, and ward against curses and spirits; you have to be pretty far down the rabbit hole before you get things like familiars or the ability to transfigure objects.
High Piety is mostly useful here for insuring important blessings on the floods and for high level rituals to boost rolls. It can also be useful for getting Authority by building temples and so on, especially if you coopt the Priesthood. But high Piety isn't going to coopt the Priesthood by itself, and the opportunity cost of getting it and taking the sort of traits needed for high Piety may interfere with other avenues and in particular with Intrigue. Though that said there are a lot of Piety actions you can't delegate to other people (which is how most Actions are executed) simply because of the nature of the ritual and status requirements.
So of course a high Piety score can still be a key part of a strategy to take control of the Court and turn around the situation in Kemet but I'd seriously advise you all to start thinking of what you want to accomplish and what you need to do it.
She took Meritamun chariot-riding and was the only one willing to let her leave the palace. Ma'atneferure is a choice about presenting the proper appearance to the Court, to be sure, but she's not a priestess and Kemet gender norms are more broadly egalitarian anyway. Being a female warrior would be outside social convention and there are ways that women are supposed to use authority distinct from men, and present themselves as such; but women are equal under the law to men in most areas, can own property separately from a man, can obtain divorce on equal terms, etc and etc. Ancient Egypt was weird compared to the heavily patriarchical societies of the Near East and of Hellas and that is reflected here.
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- Location
- Brazil
Based on what again ? Because I don't remenber we learning almost anything about bot systems, so we can't realy make an informed decission. Do you have any base for this beyond you desire to be as independent of the clergy as possible ?
Don't you think you are exagerating a bit ? Being somewhat devout won't instantly make us a zealot, we would have to actualy work for a reputation as being to influenced by the clergy, also what exactly gave you the impression that all the priest wan't is to advance the clergy ? I can't remenber anything sugesting that, so I would apreciate if you could point out.
Also if anything what would make everyone uncomfortable would be listening to mother,we already have a legitimacy deduction from our foreing blood remenber ? If anything showing devotion would reasure everyone be demostrating a strong conection to our nations culture and also reafirming the dicine nature of our blood, wich is anothe thing to note, our right to rule stem from our divine blood wihc has many implications for our relatonship with the priesthood , i think the power dinamica work somewhat diferent than what you are assuming.
I was talking less about long term political result and more about the current military campaign.
I am pretty sure that was mostly because of the foreing nature of our other magic.
- Location
- Vicksburg, MS
[X] Diplomatic
[X] Help the beggars. They look like they haven't eaten in a while and you sympathize with them as much as Bakenptah does.
[X] Write to the governors to get their support for the campaign.
[X] Mother
My rationale behind the diplomatic stat is the same as it was previously; I want to catapult that into super-stat territory at about 20 points which is only four points and thus one or two updates away. At that point I'll feel satisfied and focus attention to shoring up weaknesses and boosting learning, since that's the main stat focus of mother's branch of magic and we paid a fairly heavy cost to have access to that branch of magic. I don't necessarily agree with that choice, but what's done is done and we might as well move forward with that rather than trying to walk it back by this late point.
The beggers I wish to support because I want to instill a generous habit in Eurydice; if the common people love her that'll go a long ways in terms of providing shielding against plots and unrest. Nobility of character is better finery for a ruler than any number of McGuffins, and is attractive to all those who seek justice. Chess is beneficial too, I'm sure, I'm just not very thrilled about it.
For the campaign, all the word we're hearing is that they're disorganized bandits. With a competent officer in charge of the armies of Kemet marching over, this problem should honestly be resolved in probably any way we approach it. All of the approaches have their advantages and disadvantages. The ritual one will no doubt involve our piety, probably will advance that skill, and is the start of developing the ritual magic that is the legacy of our father and his people. That's probably good stuff and all, I'm just not a fan of magic in general where it can be avoided and I want to go on a different sort of path than what Illona blazed.
Talking to Khui gives us a better idea of his character which is probably going to be helpful in future interactions with him, and probably he will be pleased to be granted relative autonomy in his ability to wage war. I am kind of worried about that, though; if he does turn out to be the ambitious type, leaving him a blank check to do as he pleases while he goes to find glory may start building a legend fit to outshine ours. That's the problem about competent people. Of course, if we learn that he does have such a character flaw it might be best to do it while he's only bloodying bandits (not the most prestigious thing in the world, though it certainly won't hurt him) and find some way to shuffle him around before something more prominent. The main advantage here is that with time not locked up in rituals and letter-writing we'll have more time available to learn other matters such as mom's magic.
What I personally favor is drafting up those letters to the local governors. Eurydice is already fairly skilled diplomatically, so despite being twelve years old she is likely able to do this fairly competently without tremendous hand-holding from her tutors and other authorities in the Regency. It establishes relatively early contact with important servants of hers throughout the realm, and may result in certain findings about logistics. Plus, if she's successful in this endeavor it'll boost her personal reputation with the military in general and likely also Khui because they will be having a better situation with supplies and reinforcements due to her direct actions. Soldiers really love eating and not being outnumbered! I think this option plays to Eurydice's strengths while building support among vassals and the military, which considering her precarious position is I think going to be the most useful of any of the options.
Lastly, I want to go with mom as the big influence. We took a big hit to have access to her as a parent, I expect that she's relatively impressive to make up for it and will prove a huge boon to our education. She's a highly learned and competent professional who additionally wields and is willing to teach miraculous magic unknown throughout most of the kingdom, and she apparently has insight into what constitutes a decent military and how Kemet is falling short in that regard. The problem with this is that time spent with her is time spent in shadowy areas sealed off from the greater society which is probably going to tend to make Eurydice more of an introverted and sneak-associated person, but I feel that with a continued commitment to a high diplomacy and the social intelligence that applies I think we just might be able to avoid the worst of it.
[X] Help the beggars. They look like they haven't eaten in a while and you sympathize with them as much as Bakenptah does.
[X] Write to the governors to get their support for the campaign.
[X] Mother
My rationale behind the diplomatic stat is the same as it was previously; I want to catapult that into super-stat territory at about 20 points which is only four points and thus one or two updates away. At that point I'll feel satisfied and focus attention to shoring up weaknesses and boosting learning, since that's the main stat focus of mother's branch of magic and we paid a fairly heavy cost to have access to that branch of magic. I don't necessarily agree with that choice, but what's done is done and we might as well move forward with that rather than trying to walk it back by this late point.
The beggers I wish to support because I want to instill a generous habit in Eurydice; if the common people love her that'll go a long ways in terms of providing shielding against plots and unrest. Nobility of character is better finery for a ruler than any number of McGuffins, and is attractive to all those who seek justice. Chess is beneficial too, I'm sure, I'm just not very thrilled about it.
For the campaign, all the word we're hearing is that they're disorganized bandits. With a competent officer in charge of the armies of Kemet marching over, this problem should honestly be resolved in probably any way we approach it. All of the approaches have their advantages and disadvantages. The ritual one will no doubt involve our piety, probably will advance that skill, and is the start of developing the ritual magic that is the legacy of our father and his people. That's probably good stuff and all, I'm just not a fan of magic in general where it can be avoided and I want to go on a different sort of path than what Illona blazed.
Talking to Khui gives us a better idea of his character which is probably going to be helpful in future interactions with him, and probably he will be pleased to be granted relative autonomy in his ability to wage war. I am kind of worried about that, though; if he does turn out to be the ambitious type, leaving him a blank check to do as he pleases while he goes to find glory may start building a legend fit to outshine ours. That's the problem about competent people. Of course, if we learn that he does have such a character flaw it might be best to do it while he's only bloodying bandits (not the most prestigious thing in the world, though it certainly won't hurt him) and find some way to shuffle him around before something more prominent. The main advantage here is that with time not locked up in rituals and letter-writing we'll have more time available to learn other matters such as mom's magic.
What I personally favor is drafting up those letters to the local governors. Eurydice is already fairly skilled diplomatically, so despite being twelve years old she is likely able to do this fairly competently without tremendous hand-holding from her tutors and other authorities in the Regency. It establishes relatively early contact with important servants of hers throughout the realm, and may result in certain findings about logistics. Plus, if she's successful in this endeavor it'll boost her personal reputation with the military in general and likely also Khui because they will be having a better situation with supplies and reinforcements due to her direct actions. Soldiers really love eating and not being outnumbered! I think this option plays to Eurydice's strengths while building support among vassals and the military, which considering her precarious position is I think going to be the most useful of any of the options.
Lastly, I want to go with mom as the big influence. We took a big hit to have access to her as a parent, I expect that she's relatively impressive to make up for it and will prove a huge boon to our education. She's a highly learned and competent professional who additionally wields and is willing to teach miraculous magic unknown throughout most of the kingdom, and she apparently has insight into what constitutes a decent military and how Kemet is falling short in that regard. The problem with this is that time spent with her is time spent in shadowy areas sealed off from the greater society which is probably going to tend to make Eurydice more of an introverted and sneak-associated person, but I feel that with a continued commitment to a high diplomacy and the social intelligence that applies I think we just might be able to avoid the worst of it.
RedV
Refuelling
- Location
- Right here
Does outside social convention mean it is utterly taboo or we would be thought of as weird and could, with Intrigue and a good PR machine, spin it into just being considered badass?
Also, does this supplant the role of the monarch as a commander of troops? Would we be thought of poorly for leading and directing men in battle as an armchair strategist?
RedV
Refuelling
- Location
- Right here
You want to co-opt the priesthood solely for legitimacy?
Check the GM pointer on that: Piety only measures the knowledge of prayers and all. Intrigue is the PR machine stat.
We are already 'somewhat devout'. And of course Meryawy will resolve issues and guide us in a manner helpful to the priesthood; he'll raise us to look to the Priesthood as the first solution to things and all. He is a priest and will influence us to his way of thining, which I want to be free of.
Learning is a legit way of doing magic. We have better learning than Piety. Hence, Learning > Piety for magical purposes.
Also, this. I get you guys want to superlevel Diplomacy, but resolving disputes successfully as a kid draws on our (low) authority as a monarch. Intrigue helps there. And Intrigue as our major is still breaking new ground for a CK2 style quest; mostly SV goes for Diplo or Martial or Piety.
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- Location
- Southern Virginia
It would be fairly unprecedented in Kemet, but then a female monarch is also unprecedented in Kemet. There's a greater emphasis on the patriarchy in the tradition of rulership given that the Pharaoh is conceived of as the incarnation of a god so there's a lot of uncharted territory. It'd be very unusual and probably heighten the foreignness of Meritamun, but conquering enemies and bringing back spoils and slaves is a good way to wrack up Authority.
Given the technological level we're dealing with here (vaguely Fantasy Bronze Age) there really isn't much option to command an army without participating in combat, though.
Nervos Belli
Don't think this means you've won!
- Location
- Murica
[X] Stewardship
[X] Purchase the game. You're curious about this foreign entertainment and Paneferer is right that you need something more interesting to play with.
[X] Leave everything to Khui, but go meet him first.
[X] Mother
It's sounding like our first issues upon taking the throne are going to be military, and martial is still our worst stat. We should try to become skilled enough at strategy to be able to delegate properly to the people more skilled than us. Martial + Stewardship hopefully equals logistics and strategy, which is pretty important in our sort of warfare. Hard to keep the troops fighting without water in a desert after all.
[X] Purchase the game. You're curious about this foreign entertainment and Paneferer is right that you need something more interesting to play with.
[X] Leave everything to Khui, but go meet him first.
[X] Mother
It's sounding like our first issues upon taking the throne are going to be military, and martial is still our worst stat. We should try to become skilled enough at strategy to be able to delegate properly to the people more skilled than us. Martial + Stewardship hopefully equals logistics and strategy, which is pretty important in our sort of warfare. Hard to keep the troops fighting without water in a desert after all.
RedV
Refuelling
- Location
- Right here
Okay, so we could do this.
Guys, there are a bunch of minor War Goddesses in Egypt like Menhit or Sekhmet(more of a destruction deity, but still). With a Intrigue focus we can spin this as their blessing and co-opt the priesthood to uplift them as a major deity.
Then we can go to war on the rebellious tribes and vassals and put them to order, which should be a good boost to Authority.
And @Nervos Belli , martial is the stat that governs all warfare, not only fighting. Raising that is the way to go for strategy I think. Stewardship is more economy management. And Martial is our worst stat. We have very few prologue turns to change that, so we should start now.
Guys, there are a bunch of minor War Goddesses in Egypt like Menhit or Sekhmet(more of a destruction deity, but still). With a Intrigue focus we can spin this as their blessing and co-opt the priesthood to uplift them as a major deity.
Then we can go to war on the rebellious tribes and vassals and put them to order, which should be a good boost to Authority.
And @Nervos Belli , martial is the stat that governs all warfare, not only fighting. Raising that is the way to go for strategy I think. Stewardship is more economy management. And Martial is our worst stat. We have very few prologue turns to change that, so we should start now.
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Nervos Belli
Don't think this means you've won!
- Location
- Murica
We still need stewardship, and being better at construction and generating money has obvious military applications. Basically, not putting all our eggs in one basket.