I find your reaction to someone pointing out the unthinking arrogance of the Arthwyd as amusing as their unthinking and bedrock level assumption of superiority.
again, read their reaction to their vassal going with a milita system. It's honestly hilarious how utterly without thought the inherent assumption that its barbarians being dumb is. Just sorta glosses over any possible reason that a milita might be a better fit for their needs.
The disdain towards barbarian practices has been gradually building before reaching that point in the updates that came before it.
As for it being a better fit for their needs... it's equally possible that the militia system is the natural result of their culture and situation.
Basically, they can't own slaves and their "Me" culture means they aren't inclined to support community champions, so they default to a militia.
Since their militia is the result of their lack of communal values and said lack of communal values is barbaric, the militia must be barbaric. /ArthwydRationale
Basically, they can't own slaves and their "Me" culture means they aren't inclined to support community champions, so they default to a militia.
Since their militia is the result of their lack of communal values and said lack of communal values is barbaric, the militia must be barbaric. /ArthwydRationale
Actually, the Arthwyd consider it barbaric because they consider their way of using sacred warriors to be the only non-barbaric way of waging war. All warfare is barbaric, but by making it a sacred duty, the holy nature of the work outweighs the barbaric side of it.
@Oshha what are the Radicals like now? When this all started they were Gallanist-Zarannist, but were then immediately raided by the Zarannists, who proceeded to continue raiding them and razing their villages until they couldn't fight back anymore. Do they still worship Zaranna?
@Oshha what are the Radicals like now? When this all started they were Gallanist-Zarannist, but were then immediately raided by the Zarannists, who proceeded to continue raiding them and razing their villages until they couldn't fight back anymore. Do they still worship Zaranna?
It should be noted that Zarannist on Zarannist violence is a very common thing and happened all the time in the lowlands. It isn't a big deal for them and is accepted as normal.
The seasons following the end of the war were peaceful. Nothing much changed for the Arthwyd as a whole, but the Maradysh had a chance to build and recover. And they certainly needed to as the fighting had devasted vast swathes of their land, killed hundreds of their people and while the midlanders weren't starving, they were on the verge of it.
Approaching the final seasons of the life and fully aware of this, Cadlon Serwyn the Gifted ordered work to begin on the Census. Whilst some argued for the construction of the temple or the stone wall or even more mundane and minor projects, the census was Serwyn's own invention and if she was going to do a big project without a crisis hanging over her head, it would be her own brainchild.
Fully devoting all of the Cadlon's resources to it, Serwyn did not live long enough to the completion of the census. She did eight winters into the work on it and it took almost twice that long to be completed with the census finally being finished under the reign of her successor, a priestess who was chosen for her quick and innovative mind.
Whilst not quite capable of matching the genius of Serwyn, Cadlon Carys the Beautiful was one of the best administrative minds that the Arthwyd had to offer. Whilst her diplomatic and martial skills left plenty to be desired even if they weren't bad per say, Cadlon Carys excelled when it came to numbers and magic, with a clever little mind that was excellent at figuring out the best way to do things.
Between her and Serwyn directing the work on it, the census was an overwhelming success. Working on the same system that the Cadlons used to extract tribute from the various local communities, it is a deceptively simple matter of getting information to be sent alongside that tribute. The hard part was figuring out what information was required, how to get in a standardised and usable manner and how to make a standardised system for each local community to use.
Then they had to inform all of the local communities about it and make sure that the local priests and priestesses understood the system. On top of all that, they had to make sure that the priesthood in Greenbay understand the information they were getting and how to properly archive for future use.
Completed Megaproject!
The Census (Neolithic) A grand administrative project to give the Cadlon information about the population such as how many people there are, where they are and what they need to get by in life.
Effects: +2 Temp Stats each Main Turn, -1 Temp Econ Damage,
Choose a Megaproject Bonus for completing the Census.
[] [Mega] The Census reveals a talented individual. (Gain a Hero)
[] [Mega] The Census results in a way to improve the government from the work done on it. (Gain one Administrative Innovation)
[] [Mega] The Census allows two local discoveries to gain prominence. (Gain two Innovations)
[] [Mega] The Census lets wisdom spread throughout the Arthwyd. (Upgrade a Value)
[] [Mega] The Census can be taken a major step further. (Unlocks the Code of Laws megaproject)
[] [Mega] The Census enables the priesthood to coordinate their influence. (Priests gain +1 Faction Power)
Even as the census got completed, more noteworthy events took place. Following the wisdom of Cadlon Serwyn, the Merntir devoted their resources to studying the secrets of magic. Whilst their efforts proved less fruitful than hoped, the northerners had managed to improve their ability to manipulate stone with magic. It was nothing truly new, but Eurwyn and her helps managed to make it easier. Magically manipulating stone was made less tiring, greater amounts could be altered in one go and fine detail was more easily accomplished.
Beyond that, the Maradysh saw some more excitement of a more pleasant kind than they have experienced during the previous generation. The goddess Galanna saw fit to grant her Blessing to the Maradysh or at least some of them. Unlike Arthryn who gave her Blessing to all of the Arthwyd, Galanna was more selective in who received her Blessing. The daughter of Zaranna gave her Blessing to her followers, but only the truly devout and only those that had survived one of her 'dooms'.
Neither Cadlon Carys nor the other leaders of the Arthwyd were sure of what that entailed. There were some Galannists amongst the Arthwyd, but they were a minority and even then, the Arthwydish Galannists were a different breed compared to the Maradysh Galannists.
The Blessing of Galanna itself also remained an unknown for now. No one was quite sure what it did as it had no obvious effects like the Blessing of Arthwyd and no one who received underwent any noticeable changes apart gaining black hair if they were a woman.
On a more mixed note, the Boarfolk tribes of the Maradysh had returned to the rest of the midlanders, which was somewhat concerning for the Arthwyd as they hadn't realised that the Boarfolk were gone. Between the Zarannists suddenly rebelling and the unnoticed disappearance of the Boarfolk, it left the Cadlon and her advisers worried about just how much information they had on just what happened amongst the Maradysh. In fact, the Boarfolk and their presence raised a lot of concerns given their foreign god and their fearsome dire boar cavalry.
But those were concerns for another day. The Arthwyd were doing well and now was a time of a prosperity and peace. Another crisis would almost certainly make an appearance sooner rather than later, but that would be a problem for a future generation.
What do the Arthwyd do?
[] [React] They put more palisades around their villages.
[] [React] They farm to make up their relatively empty food reserves.
[] [React] They fish make up their relatively empty food reserves.
[] [React] They give praise and thanks to Arthryn and her Daughters.
[] [React] They send an expedition to assess the current status of the lowlands.
[] [React] They send explorers to explore the lands beyond the Sunset Mountains.
[] [React] They study metal to further their knowledge of it.
[] [React] They study magic to further their knowledge of it.
Priests (5) = Mood: Pleased, Ability: Add half of faction power to Mystic, Objective: Build the Temple in 4 Turns, Success/Failure: +3 Temp Econ/-
Elders (2 (3)) = Mood: Uncertain, Ability: Add half of their faction power to another faction, Objective: Build two more Palisades, Success/Failure: +2 Temp Econ/-1 Temp Econ
Warriors (5) = Mood: Pleased, Ability: Add half of faction power to Martial, Objective: Increase Martial within 4 Turns, Success/Failure: +1 Palisade/-
Farmers (1) = Mood: Happy, Ability: Add half of faction power to Econ, Objective: More Farming, Success/Failure: +1 Temp Econ/-
Crafters (1) = Mood: Happy, Ability: Add half of faction power to Culture, Objective: Venerate the Goddesses, Success/Failure: +1 Temp Econ/-
***
A peaceful and crisis free time for now. The Census got completed by the Arthwyd and you got a Cadlon on par with Bronwyn if not in the exact same areas. The Merntir did less well as they only got one innovation while the Maradysh had an exciting turn. Whilst they spent most of it rebuilding, they did get roll Divine Intervention on their random event roll, which got them the Blessing of Galanna.
In other notes, the Boarfolk tribes of the Maradysh returned without the Arthwyd realising that they were gone. I'm not going to spoil just what that means, but there is stuff that the Arthwyd missed and that isn't the only thing that they missed.
Please point out any spelling or grammar mistakes that you spot. Please quote them in the thread and explain what you think is wrong so I know what you are referring to. Feel to ask questions for more details and information.
The Arthwyd Early Ancient Theocratic Elective Monarchy UpperCentralisationLimit: 8 Lower CentralisationLimit: -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 Passive Policies: 1 +1 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. Special: Monarchs are more likely to be competent.
Early Ancient Palace Economy Temp Econ Damage: Event, -1 per 1 Centralisation. Wealth Generation: 1 per Dominant. Passive Policies: 1 +1 per 2 Provinces. 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.
Values & Legacies Agricultural Innovators: +1 Temp Econ to Farming actions. Ancient Centre of Civilisation (Great Bay): Extra Innovation Roll at the start of each turn, Chosen of Arthryn: Gain +1 to all Innovation Rolls. Rush Builders: Extended Projects take less actions, but each action is more expensive.
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,
Charitable Haven The lands of the Arthwyd are prosperous and peaceful. Free from war, slavery and other forms of suffering, many seek sanctuary in Arthwyd lands in times of turmoil and the Arthwyd are more than happy to grant it.
Pros: Increased Idea Spread, Increased Refugee Arrivals, Gain a Value from current or historical neighbour,
Cons: Reduced Social Cohesion, Many think you weak,
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,
Marital Prowess (Linked to Charitable Haven) Your people are renowned for common pregnancies and the resulting large families. Men are encouraged to get women pregnant while women are encouraged to produce plenty of offspring.
Pros: Increased Population Growth, Value familial unit more,
Cons: More mouths to feed,
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,
Completed Megaprojects
The Census (Neolithic) A grand administrative project to give the Cadlon information about the population such as how many people there are, where they are and what they need to get by in life.
Effects: +2 Temp Stats each Main Turn, -1 Temp Econ Damage,
Extended Sunrise Mountain Passage A grand pathway through the Sunrise Mountains, this passage was carved out over generations with hard work and divine aid. Now it stands completing, forging a safe route overland between the Arthwyd in the south and the Merntir in the north.
Effects: +1 Temp Mysticism whenever a travel-based infrastructure project is completed,
Technologies
Carts
Straw/Reed Rope
Wheel
Wicker
Agriculture
Basic Fertiliser (Primitive Compost & Manure)
Basic Irrigation
Primitive Concept of Growth Energy
Two-Field Crop Rotation
Well, this was a nice, peaceful turn. Let's use this time to get a lead up for the next storm brewing
[X] [Mega] The Census can be taken a major step further. (Unlocks the Code of Laws megaproject)
[X] [React] They send an expedition to assess the current status of the lowlands.
We have no idea when we would get another chance to access a Code of Laws, so we should have it unlocked while we can so we can pursue it as our leisure.
I'm concerned about what the Maradysh boarfolk were doing during the civil war, and also concerned about what's going to happen to the vacuum the True Zaradysh left when they invaded us. Did some boarfolk tribes move in? Have the Forluc claimed the land? Is Urth up to some crazy shit again? I feel like scouting out the area to get some idea of what's going on is a very wise idea right now.
[X] [Mega] The Census results in a way to improve the government from the work done on it. (Gain one Administrative Innovation)
[X] [Mega] The Census allows two local discoveries to gain prominence. (Gain two Innovations)
[X] [Mega] The Census can be taken a major step further. (Unlocks the Code of Laws megaproject)
[X] [React] They send an expedition to assess the current status of the lowlands.
[X] [Mega] The Census results in a way to improve the government from the work done on it. (Gain one Administrative Innovation)
[X] [Mega] The Census allows two local discoveries to gain prominence. (Gain two Innovations)
We've already got megaprojects that need doing. The temple is necessary for religious, social, and administrative purposes, the sacred forest is needed so we don't run out of forest, and the stone wall is something that'll greatly help against invasion. By the time we're done with them the law megaproject will come up naturally. We'll benefit more from getting permanent boosts that can begin helping us right now so we can get through the numerous projects (mega and not) we already have available to us.
[X] [React] They farm to make up their relatively empty food reserves.
[X] [React] They fish make up their relatively empty food reserves.
[X] [React] They give praise and thanks to Arthryn and her Daughters.
We don't really have any reason to look into the lowlands. Only reason to do that is to find out if there are any incoming threats, but for that to be effective we'd have to dedicate an action towards there every turn, which would simply not be worth it.
Instead, I think we should either get our temp econ up or Venerate. Getting temp econ up now will let us finish another megaproject in a single turn next turn, which would be valuable. (Especially the temple, since the Merntir is heroic mystic and we have a high mystic/admin cadlon.) Venerate, on the other hand, might get us up to 3/3 Stability, giving us part of what we need to start a golden age and giving us an additional buffer in case the lowlands stuff sends us more refugees.
My personal preference is Venerate, because if we complete a megaproject at 3/3 Stability, one of the reward options might be to immediately start a golden age, which would be amazing for us.
[X] [Mega] The Census can be taken a major step further. (Unlocks the Code of Laws megaproject)
[X] [Mega] The Census results in a way to improve the government from the work done on it. (Gain one Administrative Innovation)
[X] [Mega] The Census allows two local discoveries to gain prominence. (Gain two Innovations)
[X] [Mega] The Census allows two local discoveries to gain prominence. (Gain two Innovations)
[X] [Mega] The Census can be taken a major step further. (Unlocks the Code of Laws megaproject)
[X] [React] They give praise and thanks to Arthryn and her Daughters.
If we do pick the Code of Laws, then we should definitely do Venerate. We'll really need the golden age so we can get a megaproject track, which'll be the only way we'll get all the various megaprojects done in a reasonable amount of time.
[X] [Mega] The Census can be taken a major step further. (Unlocks the Code of Laws megaproject)
[X] [Mega] The Census results in a way to improve the government from the work done on it. (Gain one Administrative Innovation)
[X] [Mega] The Census allows two local discoveries to gain prominence. (Gain two Innovations)
[X] [React] They give praise and thanks to Arthryn and her Daughters.
[X] [React] They study metal to further their knowledge of it.
[X][React] They farm to make up their relatively empty food reserves.
[X] [Mega] The Census allows two local discoveries to gain prominence. (Gain two Innovations)
[X] [Mega] The Census can be taken a major step further. (Unlocks the Code of Laws megaproject)
[X] [React] They give praise and thanks to Arthryn and her Daughters.
[X] [Mega] The Census allows two local discoveries to gain prominence. (Gain two Innovations)
[X] [Mega] The Census lets wisdom spread throughout the Arthwyd. (Upgrade a Value)
[X] [Mega] The Census can be taken a major step further. (Unlocks the Code of Laws megaproject)
Not looking for a hero, not particularly interested in having an Admin innovation specifically when we could be getting two innovations.
A stronger priestly faction could be interesting in pushing more of a Theocracy. But Priest and Warrior are already dominating politics.
[X] [React] They farm to make up their relatively empty food reserves.
[X] [React] They put more palisades around their villages.
[X] [React] They study metal to further their knowledge of it.
[X] [React] They study magic to further their knowledge of it.
Agricultural Innovations + Farmer quest + 2/19 Econ pool make Farming pretty tempting. Though the Census bonus and the end-of-turn refill mean the temp Econ isn't exactly crucial. SEC farming comes with an innovation chance though, so it could help us tech towards being able to sustain a larger populace per km² of farmland.
Palisades since we haven't had info on the Nomads, Caradysh or Forluc in a while, and the re-emergence of the Boar people might be a sign of said Nomads. Also because the Elder Quest offers us Econ.
Approval for Study because the Arthwyd are pretty good at research.
Not inclined to Scout. Building and teching up at home seems to be more our style.
Don't really want to be shooting for 5/3 Legitimacy either, even if Stability is currently sitting at 2/3 and even if Golden Ages are a very shiny shiny now that Census allows us to theoretically sustain one forever.
[X] [Mega] The Census can be taken a major step further. (Unlocks the Code of Laws megaproject)
[X] [React] They put more palisades around their villages.
I'm not sure if that's actually possible. I mean, how much more theocratic can you get? The priests already run the military, the clerks, and the government.
I'm not sure if that's actually possible. I mean, how much more theocratic can you get? The priests already run the military, the clerks, and the government.
Devolving power from the monarch, increasing the importance of local(clerical) leadership delegation to reduce Centralization(floor and actual) and making our government more in line with Born Equal.
Getting priests trained as priests to institutionalize the Rear Echelon, allowing us to direct our (Stoneshaping) Cateyes and Catclaws to construction efforts in times of peace.
Or just influencing the faction quest rewards/penalties by dint of having more control over our civ in a general sense.
[X] [Mega] The Census allows two local discoveries to gain prominence. (Gain two Innovations)
[X] [React] They farm to make up their relatively empty food reserves.
[X] [React] They send an expedition to assess the current status of the lowlands.
[X] [React] They send explorers to explore the lands beyond the Sunset Mountains.
[X][Mega] The Census allows two local discoveries to gain prominence. (Gain two Innovations)
[X][Mega] The Census results in a way to improve the government from the work done on it. (Gain one Administrative Innovation)
