Should the world be a Low Fantasy setting?

  • Yes

    Votes: 63 70.0%
  • No

    Votes: 27 30.0%

  • Total voters
    90
  • Poll closed .
Did we PU them? Or did we just independently roll a diplo hero so irresistibly attractive that they completely reversed course and jumped back into our sphere of influence?
 
Personal union? I should hope not. For one thing they still dislike us, and our values are mutually, explosively incompatible. They are not going to like the idea of communal child rearing, or equality from birth, since they're from a more traditional "work to better your family" society and that comes with the idea of people being better than others due to familial descent baked in.
 
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Correcting Past Mistakes
[X] Recognise the new Cadlon of the Maradysh as their new leader, (-1 Legitimacy, -2 Prestige, Maradysh are no longer a vassal of the Arthwyd,)

Arthwyd = [SEC] Sunrise Mountain Passage, [SEC] More Farming
Merntir = [SEC] Build Palisade (North Coast Fields), [SEC] Sunrise Mountain Passage,

The problem of dealing with the Cadlon of the Maradysh was an easy enough thing for Derfyl to deal with at the start of his reign. For all of her greatness, Evalyn Boarslayer had made a mistake when she conquered the Maradysh.

The Maradysh simply sought be free of outsider oppressors and now they were peacefully taking the chance to do so. He could have sent in the Catclaws to bring the southerners back under the rule of the People as some within the People advocated for, Derfyl realised what folly this would be.

The Catclaws might have been a match for their Maradysh counterparts and more numerous, but the Maradysh had many advantages of their own. Fortified settlements, attack dogs, boar riders and a mighty leader in the form of Cadlon Aeryn.

Even if the People could win the fight, it would be costly for them whatever the outcome and even then, victory is far from certain. And what if they win? The Maradysh would still hate the People only more so and this situation would just repeat itself down the line with future generations.

There was nothing to be gain by forcibly denying the Maradysh their independence and as of such, Cadlon Derfyl of the People recognised Cadlon Aeryn of the Maradysh as his equal and not his subordinate.

This outcome had caused a ripple of shock and some outrage amongst the People. To acknowledge the independence of the Maradysh and to let them go would mean that acknowledging that Cadlon Evalyn Boarslayer had made a mistake.

Since the Boarslayer killing of Urth, the Cadlon of the People had been viewed as all, but speaking for the goddesses themselves, their rule and orders unquestionable. Now with the Maradysh being given their independence, the People begin to question if they would question the Cadlon.

While their faith in the Cadlon's ability and right to rule was still high as it could be, Cadlon Derfyl was finding that he was no longer considered outright unquestionable like Evalyn and Gwynlyn before him.

Instead of getting bogged down in a pointless war, he directed the resources of the People to continuing the Sunrise Mountain Passage whilst stocking up on food supplies. The weather has been good and as a result, the harvests have been extra plentiful during Derfyl's reign.

The Merntir have also provided assistance towards getting the passage done as they got the last of their settlements surrounded by palisades, the Merntir began working on the passage on their end of the mountain. They wouldn't need to do much as the Arthwyd had managed to a good three quarters of the passage done at this point.

As for the rest of the known world, the Cursed Forest and its walking dead have remained thankfully silent, doing whatever they have been doing since Urth's death.

With the Maradysh, well, the interesting events had been happening amongst the southerners. Now officially free, many of the Maradysh leaders mistakenly saw the events leading to their independence as a sign that the People were weak.

Fortunately for the People, Cadlon Aeryn was not one of them as just as Cadlon Derfyl saw the war with the Maradysh to be pointless for the People, Cadlon Aeryn realised how foolish a war with the People would be for the Maradysh.

So despite the insistence of many respected Maradysh elders and patriarchs, she refused to launched raids against the frontier villages of the People. Aeryn could take a look at the sheer size of the People and realise where the Maradysh stood in comparison. The Maradysh were a handful of villages with a total population of three to four thousand while the People had multiple settlements that each had a population higher than that.

Yet the patriarchs and elders of the Maradysh viewed Aeryn's refusal as a sign of weakness on her part and decided that she was unfit to be Cadlon. Deciding to remove her from power, the Maradysh leaders rose up and were promptly crushed for Aeryn was just as deadly in the art of warfare as Derfyl had feared.

Crushing the rebellion and any serious opposition to her rule, Aeryn consolidated her hold over the Maradysh as the People tended their farms and worked on the passage.

For many seasons, the People and the Maradysh had limited contact with only a handful of traders deciding to make the journeys between the two nations.

Then one day that changed as Cadlon Aeryn rode north, leading an expedition under a banner of peace.

***​

Cadlon Derfyl wasn't sure what he had expected, but Cadlon Aeryn was nothing like he thought she would be. Oh, she was clearly a warrior with thick muscles and no small number of scars, but she was nothing like the People.

Having grown up amongst the People, Derfyl had only known men and women with the divine blessing of Arthryn and Aeryn and her people were the first people that he had met who didn't have the blessing.

For lack of a better word, Cadlon Aeryn was ugly. Impressive and dangerous looking, but ugly. Scarred, board-shouldered and with muscles instead of the rightful curves of a woman, Derfyl can't help, but wonder how she would have fared amongst the People.

While many are wary about what Aeryn wants from the People and it would mean for them, they are pleasantly surprised to see that despite her obvious martial nature and her barbarian background, the Cadlon of the Maradysh is capable of diplomacy.

Aeryn has come offering her son's hand in marriage to one of Derfyl's daughters, hoping to secure an alliance between her family and that of the Cadlon of the People and by extent, secure an alliance between the People and the Maradysh.

Despite the initial surprise of that offer and some confusion of how it would work, Derfyl and other members of the People soon grasped what was going on. While the People were focused on the community, the Maradysh were like most barbarians and valued their blood relatives over the community for the most part.

For them, a marriage was a serious matter as it bound two families together, especially since positions and wealth were inherited via blood relatives.

A marriage with the son of Cadlon Aeryn would mean an alliance with the Maradysh and despite the small size of the Maradysh and their relative lack of power, that was no small thing.

So while Derfyl had no daughters to marry the son of Cadlon Aeryn, he did have a granddaughter who might be willingly to marry Aeryn's son.

Does Derfyl's granddaughter agree to marry the son of Cadlon Aeryn?
[] Yes. (Alliance gained with the Maradysh, relationships with the Maradysh improved, ???)
[] No. (Neutral relations with the Maradysh, ???)

Priests (4) = Mood: Content, Ability: Add faction power to Stability or Legitimacy Rolls, Objective: Start the Sacred Forest Megaproject, Success/Failure: +1 Temp Econ/-
Elders (3) = Mood: Annoyed, Ability: Add half of their faction power to another faction, Objective: Finish the Sunrise Mountain Passage, Success/Failure: +1 Prestige/-
Warriors (5 (6)) = Mood: Annoyed, Ability: Add half of faction power to Martial, Objective: Explore the Lowlands, Success/Failure: ???/-
Farmers (1) = Mood: Happy, Ability: Add half of faction power to Econ, Objective: Build Palisade in 2 Turns, Success/Failure: +1 Temp Econ/-
Crafters (1) = Mood: Happy, Ability: Add half of faction power to Culture, Objective: Study Metal in 2 Turns, Success/Failure: +1 Temp Culture/-

***​

The Maradysh come north, but rather than offering war, they come offering a marriage alliance.

As for your actions, you are doing quite well on the homefront. The Merntir have maxed out their shrines & palisades while the Sunrise Mountain Passage is at 8/10.

The Arthwyd
Early Ancient Theocratic Monarchy
Upper Centralization Limit: 8
Lower Centralization Limit: -2
Admin Strain Free Provinces: 4
Penalty Accumulation: Additional +2 Lower Centralisation required per 1 Province
Player Actions: 2 Secondary Actions +1 Secondary Action per 2 Provinces
Province Actions: 1 Secondary Action per 2 Provinces
Subordinates: 1
Special: -1 Temp Econ Damage per a Province
Special: Free Subordinate Slot for Subordinates that share the same religion per a point of Legitimacy.

Early Ancient Palace Economy
Temp Econ Damage: Event, -1 per 1 Centralisation,
Wealth Generation: 1 per Dominant,
Passive Policies: N/A
Additional Actions: None
Special: Negative Centralisation or lower than Minimum Centralisation will lead to collapse.
Special: Increased polity size will raise the level of Minimum Centralisation required.

Stats
Diplo
: 2 (3)
Econ: 10 (7)
Martial: 6 (5)
Mystic: 1 (1)
Culture: 1 (1)
Tech: 0 (0)
Wealth: 0 (0)

Legitimacy: 3/3
Stability: 3/3
Centralisation: 3
Hierarchy: 4
Prestige: 18

Statuses
King of the Hill: +1 Temp Diplo at the start of each turn,
Good Weather: The People have been enjoying particularly good weather.

Diplomatic Relations
Your opinion/Their opinion/Frequency of Contact
Walking Dead = Ultimate Evil/Unknown/None
Boarfolk Nomads = Disliked/Unknown/Minimal
Maradysh = Uncertain Neutral/Wary Neutral/Medium

Subordinates
Type/Loyalty/Dependence
Merntir = Religious Vassal/Very High/Low

Values & Legacies
Chosen of Arthryn: Gain +1 to all Innovation Rolls,
Agricultural Innovators: +1 Temp Econ to Farming actions,
Ancient Centre of Civilisation (Great Bay): Extra Innovation Roll at the start of each turn,

Communal Mandate
As per the words of the goddess, loyalty and kindness to one's people is of the highest importance and even when times are tough or when it is not personally beneficial, one should stick by their community.
Pros: Reduced Internal Discontent, Increased Resistance to Foreign Intrigue,
Cons: Increase stability loss from taking actions which harm the People,

Born Equal
While the choices of a person and the world around them can make a person greater or lesser, everyone is born equal to each other.
Pros: Decreased social stratification,
Cons: Decreased social stratification,

Sacred Defence
The People do not abandon their own for it is their sacred duty to protect each other. They stand by their neighbours and community through thick and thin and do not yield when it comes to protecting their fellows for that is their duty as commanded by the goddesses.
Pros: Increased Unity during times of crisis, Sacred Warriors, Increased loyalty from religious subordinates,
Cons: Legitimacy loss when abandoning members of the People to harm and danger, increased Legitimacy loss when the threat is from those with conflicting beliefs,

Technologies
Carts
Straw/Reed Rope
Wheel
Wicker

Agriculture
Basic Fertiliser (Primitive Compost & Manure)
Basic Irrigation
Primitive Concept of Growth Energy
Two-Field Crop Rotation

Fishing & Boats
Canoes
Fishing Nets
Rafts
Sails (Rafts)
Walnut Oil
Waterproofing

Hunting
Baits

Materials
Bone
Fired Bricks
Native Copper
Native Gold
Silver
Tin
Stone
Wood

Medicine
Dosage
Herbalism
Painkillers
Poisons

Metallurgy
Kilns
Lead Smelting
Silver Smelting
Tin Smelting
Administration
Cuneiform
Stone Record Keeping
Tally Marks

Arts
Earthenware Pottery
Stoneware Pottery
Stone Carvings
Vocal Storytelling

Diplomacy
Expeditions
Gifting
Immigrants
Negotiations
Refugees
Trade

Leadership
Big Man
Elders
Local Leadership Delegation
Priests

Religion
Priests
Sacred Animals
Shrines
Tribute
Defences
Palisade

Personal Protection
Hide Shields
Wicker Shields
Wood Shields

Organisation
Dedicated Scouts
Hunting Groups
Sacred Warriors

Theory
Ambush Tactics

Weapons
Bows & Arrows
Javelins
Lead Balls
Maces
Slings
Spears
Divine Magic
General
Divine Magic

All-Seerist Divine Magic
Future Seeing
Guided Attacks
Increased Accuracy
Scrying
Truth Detecting

Arthrynite Divine Magic
Limited Stone Manipulation
Limited Trait Self-Boosting

Ymarnite Divine Magic
Limited Increased Weapon Skill
Basic Wound Healing
 
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On the one hand rejecting that would be insulting. On the other hand accepting is bound to lead to long term problems. Also totally called that they fought over whether they should attack us, and maybe if we had not acknowledged her she'd have had a harder time of putting it down.
 
[x] Yes. (Alliance gained with the Maradysh, relationships with the Maradysh improved, ???)
Buffer state, plzthx
 
[X] Yes. (Alliance gained with the Maradysh, relationships with the Maradysh improved, ???)
This might not be a long term alliance, as we place no ties on blood relations and the Maradysh do, but this both lets us put our foot through the door for easier relations and helps normalize a more positive relationship between our peoples.
 
[X] Yes. (Alliance gained with the Maradysh, relationships with the Maradysh improved, ???)

Buffer state, get.

Arthwyd = [SEC] Sunrise Mountain Passage, [SEC] More Farming
Merntir = [SEC] Build Palisade (North Coast Fields), [SEC] Sunrise Mountain Passage,
Oh so THATS how she halved construction time!
With the Maradysh, well, the interesting events had been happening amongst the southerners. Now officially free, many of the Maradysh leaders mistakenly saw the events leading to their independence as a sign that the People were weak.

Fortunately for the People, Cadlon Aeryn was not one of them as just as Cadlon Derfyl saw the war with the Maradysh to be pointless for the People, Cadlon Aeryn realised how foolish a war with the People would be for the Maradysh.

So despite the insistence of many respected Maradysh elders and patriarchs, she refused to launched raids against the frontier villages of the People. Aeryn could take a look at the sheer size of the People and realise where the Maradysh stood in comparison. The Maradysh were a handful of villages with a total population of three to four thousand while the People had multiple settlements that each had a population higher than that.

Yet the patriarchs and elders of the Maradysh viewed Aeryn's refusal as a sign of weakness on her part and decided that she was unfit to be Cadlon. Deciding to remove her from power, the Maradysh leaders rose up and were promptly crushed for Aeryn was just as deadly in the art of warfare as Derfyl had feared.
And that, is probably why you should only fight heroes if you really had to.
Heh
 
[X] Yes. (Alliance gained with the Maradysh, relationships with the Maradysh improved, ???)
Heck yeah. Now we can keep our economically productive core safe. Buffer states are the the best.
 
Also, the martial hero was smart enough to figure out that maybe they shouldn't start raiding the nation that is several times more powerful then them.
Who would have thought such a person would be sensible?
 
[X] Yes. (Alliance gained with the Maradysh, relationships with the Maradysh improved, ???)
 
Also, the martial hero was smart enough to figure out that maybe they shouldn't start raiding the nation that is several times more powerful then them.
Who would have thought such a person would be sensible?
I actually knew that. That's why I expected a fight among them, which also did happen. It could have been worse had we not acknowledged her, since she'd have looked far worse for not attacking and therefore her side in the civil war would have been smaller.

Also, we need to seriously talk about what will happen when the Maradysh realize their alliance isn't worth a thing because we don't actually have a ruling Dynasty.
 
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[X] Yes. (Alliance gained with the Maradysh, relationships with the Maradysh improved, ???)
This might not be a long term alliance, as we place no ties on blood relations and the Maradysh do, but this both lets us put our foot through the door for easier relations and helps normalize a more positive relationship between our peoples.
Remember that time someone was taken and we waged a multi-generational war?
 
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