You make your choices; now it's just a matter of letting them know they've got the job. Hopefully you've got enough banana mash to see you through the job.
Plan Straightforward 5
Plan Audacity 4
"You made the right choice, boss!" Lucky Break is wearing her customary admiral's coat, bright brass buttons gleaming in the lantern light of the very early morning. With the dearth of good commanders you had approached her to find out if she was suitable for an admiral's position, but quickly determined that it's just an affectation. 'Belonged to a friend,' she had said, and your prying as to what was involved was what led to the arm-wrestling. Still she is very distinctive, and the massive greatsword on her back is the kind of diplomacy that you're all about. "People around here don't go in much for fancy ceremonies and state dinners and all that," she explains, "drink together, cut a mad ghost so hard his ancestors feel it, maybe grab some spears and get yourselves some octopi and cook them, that's what you need to win hearts." She leans way, way down to lean on your shoulder and gesture into the wild blue yonder. "We're gonna have adventures."
...
Daro is entirely unruffled and, indeed, entirely unsurprised that you didn't select a single one of his offerings. "The headman, the hunter, the dockmaster, and our good monk aren't going anywhere," he says, looking over the list of your choices and making notes in the margins. "If one of your selections happens to spectacularly burst into flames, well."
"Are you going to say you told me so?" you ask.
"Maybe," he smiles at you very slightly, "depends on the size of the fire."
"And you're fine with handling military affairs?"
"Fine with it?" he scoffs, "Nalazir, it's probably the only sensible decision you've made here. There's unworked material here, and the lack of immediate threats should give me plenty of time to turn your coven of chaos into something to be reckoned with."
"It's nice to know the years haven't dulled your edge, old man," you say as you turn to leave. "I look forward to seeing them screaming and running in terror from you."
"Just one thing," he stops you before you go. "The god. It is your right as one of the Dragon-Blooded to liaison with the gods, and if he happens to want to serve under your aegis more closely, in circumstances such as this, it isn't quite as heretical as you would think."
"There's a 'but' there, isn't there?" You know Daro well enough to know it just from his tone.
Daro nods. "But don't let him be worshiped beyond his due. It's how gods get too big for themselves. The Empire fought for centuries to stamp that out within its borders. No god will turn it down without a good reason, and the only reliable reason we've ever found was a Dragon's fists."
Right. That.
....
"A pleasure, but not a surprise," Matron Yaga says, lighting another stick of incense inside her office. It's a cozy, pleasant place, for a barbarian lodging. Nice hangings on the walls, lots of pillows. You might even call it rustic. That this is the most formal interview is promising, considering that you're hiring her to be the most sensible (save Daro) part of your little coterie. Her black hair is done up in a bun and stuck through with thin crossed sticks - you're not sure if she's modeled herself after Realm fashions or if it's a matter of the pervasiveness of Realm culture or if that look is just popular everywhere.
"And why is that, exactly?" you ask.
"I've built this business from nothing," she gestures to the building around you. It is one of the largest operations on the island, even if that's a bit like being the cleanest pig in a pen. "You're one of the Exalted; even if you've been appointed over us you must have grander aspirations. You need someone with sense and you need someone with ambition."
"No, I need someone to handle the books." More than that is a bonus, really.
"Yes," she smiles, more to herself than to you, you reckon, "you need someone to handle messes. I assume you're hoping to handle transactions in coin. Silver, perhaps. Jade is a bit too much for us."
"Or scrip. I expected scrip," you offer. Scrip is the thing that peasants use because they're too poor to afford Jade and it's illegal for them to handle it anyway, but you're well aware of the value of silver.
"Good luck. In a place where everyone knows each other I can let a shoemaker go without paying because I know my girls will need shoes and I know he's good for it. If the taxes need to be paid and what you do is spin linen, you pay your taxes in linen. It's like that all over. There's nothing neat or tidy or organized about it. And nobody uses scrip."
"And the ships?"
"Sailors pay coin," she agrees. "Or cowries. Or beads. The one who tried to pay with the promise that there was a stone wheel the size of a man that belonged to him back on his island got thrown out."
It is a pretty sticky proposition. Maybe you should've gone with the Bartender, he knows how to make change, right? "Mess it might be, but I'm offering to make this your mess. Can you handle it?"
"Of course," she doesn't hesitate. "Else I wouldn't have offered. I handle stranger payments every day. Silverback horns. Shark teeth. Everything has a value, you just need to figure out what it is."
"And your business?" you know your madames; there's not a chance she would have agreed to this without something in it for her.
"Will grow," she says as though it were the most natural thing in the world. "And I will acquire more of them. Else I wouldn't have offered. But you can count on me to back you up."
This woman will be trouble. But you like trouble.
...
It's not hard to get ahold of A Little Bird, all you have to do is whistle in just the right way and hold something tasty up into the air. With him perched on your shoulder scarfing down a bun the two of you take a survey of the docks, which are probably the most well-made part of this island. It makes sense, the ships that stop for resupply are their only claim to fame.
"Not why," A Little Bird croaks when you mention it. "A grand campaign, years and years ago. Too long ago for humans to remember. This? A little piece of it. Dragons build strong. There should be more. Buried by the green. Claimed by the little gods. Forts. Weapons."
Oh. "That's… actually really helpful."
There's a little noise in his throat that sounds like a laugh and he dips his head. "Hidden treasures."
"Oh!" understanding immediately, you are delighted by so base a motivation, "so that's what you're after? I thought it would be prayer." Being prayed to makes gods powerful; the more worshipers, the bigger the god. In places where the Immaculate Order is weak the gods can become very powerful indeed.
"Realm says just a little for all." He turns his head and looks at you slyly, "just a little bird. Get enough hidden treasures, become a god of hidden treasures."
"Is that how it works?" You had heard that the other way gods could advance themselves was to get more domains to manage. You hadn't figured it could be quite so… direct.
"Told so."
Well, that's not promising for a grand ambition. You get the feeling he's leaving some details out, too. "And if you're wrong?"
There's a ruffling of his wings that resembles a shrug. "Just a little bird with hidden treasures."
You chuckle. Well, at least he'll be happy either way.
"You know the Immaculate Doctrines say you shouldn't amass material wealth either," you say, although you think you know the answer.
"Not my treasures," he caws with confidence, "your treasures. That I look after."
Mm. Subtle maybe not, sneaky yes. If he can manage it, you'll get along with him just fine.
...
Speaking of the gods, the storm gods are propitiated in terror by everyone who wants to survive on the waves. That's a problem for another day (if ever, really). Salt-Blood introduces himself as a priest of the mighty Astoros, who he explains that as storm gods go is one of the nice ones because he's careless rather than malicious. Obtaining protection from storms that he's caused is more about getting him to realize you're there rather than placating an active divine sadist, and his maw is hungry for prayer and offerings because he's a big, big guy with appetites to match rather than out of greed or ambition.
He also demands strength from his priests, and considering the whole time he's been explaining all this Salt-Blood has also been lifting logs out of a river and chucking them ashore to a waiting team of laborers, he's got at least one follower who takes this very seriously. He also knows the doctrines of placating the other gods, he explains, (who are described in his holy writ as divided into pantheons of "chill" and "not chill" and the one specially reserved for shark gods who are "100% maximum no chill."), because only knowing one god is a good way to piss the rest off.
The last log is heaved up on the shore and he wades out of the river, his bared chest muscles gleaming in the sunlight. Yeah. He'll do.
…
You find Kahu at the bar and let him know that you'll be putting him to work soon.
"Hell yes," he says, only swaying a little as he gets out of his seat, "it's about time."
You could talk about priorities or motives or inspire him, but this is Kahu. You look in his eyes. He looks in yours. You grin. He grins back.
You don't need words with Kahu, that part is just for fun. A pact that will shake the world is sealed with a fistbump.
"Let's go do some damage," you say.
The day approaches for your first full meeting, and you quickly rule out the old governor's house. First of all it's too small, second of all it seems to be packed to the brim with stacks and stacks of paperwork. You went through a couple of them and they were things like "Formal Report of Crime: Petty Theft" with five pages of meticulous witness statements and a notice recommending escalation to the Governor's office to settle things and a note scrawled at the end in a different hand "pig got stuck in a tree. Stop wasting my time!" The next one in the stack was another, nearly identical Formal Report of Crime: Petty Theft with witness statements. At the sight of so much red tape with so few people you were inspired to flee immediately, so the first meeting of the hands of the governor are meeting in the place with the largest table, which happens to be a large open space that your minions have dragged a large round table to. There's no paperwork for a first meeting so it's not like you have to worry about it blowing away.
You approach to the sounds of a struggle and your first thought is that you've made a mistake. Lucky Break's greatsword and admiral's coat are tossed on the ground and she and Salt-Blood are currently grappling with each other, red-faced and muscles straining as they fight for advantage. Salt-Blood catches hold of giant beast-blooded woman and almost throws her down but she tumbles like an acrobat and springs up about an inch shy of your face before launching herself back into the fray.
Matron Yaga is standing and smiling to herself, entirely unperturbed by the melee. A Little Bird is perched on her shoulder. She nods as you, Kahu and Daro come up alongside her.
"They're pretty well matched," she says, Lucky Break having gotten Salt-Blood into a headlock. "I'll give you even odds on either. 3:1 that they both wear themselves out and there's no winner."
"I'll get in on that action! What are we betting?" Kahu says immediately, as Salt thrusts his feet into the ground and drives them both backward and knocks Lucky's head into the Council table so hard she lets him go.
"Anything you like. Within reason, anyway," she says. If she noticed that Kahu perked up before she added the caveat and then settled down afterward, she doesn't say so. "Well?"
[ ] Bet!
-[ ] On who?
-[ ] Wagering what?
[ ] Do not bet.
[ ] A wrestling match? Hell yes! Strip to the waist and wade right in.
[ ] Break this up immediately!
[ ] Other (write-in)
...I was looking forward to seeing the reactions to our government made out of a criminal, a madam, a god of birbs, and an Immaculate Drunk to round it up, but I guess the Muscle Council isn't bad too.
I can't unhear the classification of Chill and Unchill Pantheons. Never before has religion made so much sense!
I love the silent understanding we have with Kahu. Every time is about time to do some damage.
[x] Bet!
-[x] On who? Lucky Break.
-[x] Wagering what? The use of 1 Charm of Matron Yaga's choice.
...what she'll be wagering, though? She is the expert in bartering around here, I am sure she finds something of equal value.
[X] Bet!
-[X] Lucky Break
-[X] An interesting bit of gossip
Lets be diplomatic and show some faith in the forceful diplomat. The contents of our bet is something that can be exchanged both ways and it will be fun no matter who wins.
Gambling is all well and good (in fact better than well and good), but there's something to be said for asserting your dominance early. If they're going to have wrestling matches at your meetings, they're going to have to deal with the possibility that the boss gets involved.
Kahu gets a big grin as you shed your leather breastplate and your shirt. "So I was going to bet on Lucky Break," he says, punching your arm, "think I still might."
"Don't bet anything you can't afford to lose, then," you tell him, and whistle to get your two councillors' attention. They look between the two of them and immediately decide to join forces against such a mighty threat - a little reminder of why you usually avoid direct confrontations.
They come at you with surprising speed for their size - no mere laborers these, but a man and woman with the long experience of many fights. It doesn't matter, you duck around their grapples like you're nothing but a breeze, twirling and showing off as you do. You can dart just close enough to them that they feel they should connect, but the slightest graze on your skin isn't going to slow you down for a second. They try coordinating, Salt-Blood comes in and occupies your attention with a rush at your shoulder while Lucky Break comes in with a heavy two-handed blow. It goes less well for them as Salt-Blood catches it on the back and goes down, but you too get cocky from the rush of evading something so heavy as Lucky Break's follow-up of a knee to your stomach knocks the wind out of you.
Salt-Blood: 1d100 + Personal Combat 11 + Strong 10 = 20 + 11 + 10 = 41
Lucky Break: 1d100 + Personal Combat 12 + Beast Size 5 = 74+12+5 = 91
Nellens Nalazir: 1d100 + Personal Combat 21 + Float Like a Butterfly (Air Aspect) 10 = 24+21+10=55.
These two fight dirty! You're going to get along with them better than you thought. While you're staggered Lucky Break manages to get her arms around you and starts pushing against your stance, trying to overpower your support and wrestle you to the ground, and with the sheer difference in size and strength she should succeed.
Should.
Reroll! 1d100 + Personal Combat 21 + Float Like a Butterfly (Air Aspect) 10 = 97+21+10=128. Critical success!
You are the wind as you slip out of her hold and around behind her, your well-toned arms seizing her around the middle and starting to lift. She starts to flail as the influence of Air makes you both lighter than you have any right to be. You bow your body backwards and pull her along for the ride and there's a mighty crack heard a mile around as you suplex her into the middle of the council table, breaking the thing in two.
...
"Right!" you've put your shirt back on, Salt-Blood is nursing an impressive set of bruises but doesn't seem too put out about it, A Little Bird is fussing over a Lucky Break who insists she hasn't fractured her skull and just has a hard head, and Kahu (up some kind of written IOU from the 1:1.25 odds on you) is slowly but surely coaxing the wood of the council table to put itself back together. Daro, for his part, has already started to take notes. "The first meeting of the… hey, what is this nation called, anyway?"
All eyes turn to Matron Yaga, who sits calmly in her seat.
"The Most August Confederation of the Unser People Under the Exalted Auspices of the Scarlet Empress Long May She Reign and Her Representatives the High House Nellens Long May They Prosper in All Matters Under Heaven," she recites.
Kahu looks up and grimaces like he's been physically struck. "Awful name."
For once Daro agrees. "Not exactly something to strike fear into the hearts of our enemies."
"I don't know, it has a certain lilting charm to it," you say, and this time you get scowls from both of them.
"As Governor you do have the authority to change it for all but the most formal of Realm communications," Daro says.
Under the force of twin evil eyes you relent. "Well, that's a good first step," you make a sweeping gesture across the table, "what should we call ourselves?" (This is separate from the plan vote below.)
[ ] Dynaxia! Lucky Break's suggestion.
[ ] The August Confederation; Daro suggests it would be more practical to just shorten the name a little.
[ ] Wind-on-the-Waters. Does Yaga secretly have a poetic side or has she been giving it some thought?
[ ] A Little Bird! ...yeah, all right, thanks, buddy.
[ ] Might. Nice and straightforward from Salt-Blood.
[ ] Banana Mash Island? Kahu's flippant offering.
[ ] Nalaziria: the properly authoritative act would be to name it after yourself.
[ ] Or you could name it after its people. Unser is nice and short.
[ ] Evil eyes notwithstanding, keep it as-is. Insist on having it spoken and written fully each time it's used.
[ ] Other (Write-in)
"...is called to order!" you repeat when you've got the name well in hand. "I didn't give you much time to plan, so consider this your first test. What have you all got for me?"
Everyone starts to talk at once. With such a display of authority as you've shown it only takes a little bit of coaxing to get them to go in order.
To how this quest is gonna work! Every Season (three months in Creation) you'll reconvene to go over results and discuss future plans. Each Councillor will present a report on how their activities have gone and will present plans (usually two or three) on where they want to go next. Sometimes things will take longer than expected and they'll only present one plan to continue what they're doing. You can write-in a different plan any time you like; if it's enormously different than what they had in mind this may be considered indicative of a lack of trust, or they may consider it a sensible alternative that they just hadn't thought of, depending on what it is! You can micromanage, but you hired these guys so you wouldn't have to go over every single detail.
Your starting Council is mostly composed of baseline mortals and as a Dragon-Blood you have spiritual (and political) authority over them, so they're unlikely to question or subvert your will even if you ask them to do something highly unorthodox (unless you really piss them off). Your two allies are likewise firmly on your side, so strange orders are more likely to be regarded just as Nalazir being Nalazir.
You'll have three personal actions, which represents the time you have to do things yourself. Assigning multiple councillors to a task will make the job a collaboration, which may get you improved results if they work well together or have aligned skills. Using a personal action on a councillor's task means you're collaborating with them, which may get you vastly improved results if your skills or other factors are aligned (for example, because of your status you'll always be a good addition to diplomatic meetings), or nothing at all if they're entirely absent (helping Kahu summon a bunch of bottle bug demons to cure a plague is mostly going to consist of you standing around in the background providing color commentary, unless something goes terribly wrong in which case you're a genius for having foreseen it).
The beginning is pretty low-stakes on purpose, so feel free to experiment!
Each Season in Creation corresponds to a particular Element (frankly it'd be easier to find things in Creation that don't), and is divided into Ascending, Resplendent and Descending months. In certain corners of Creation the weather varies a lot depending on your season! Yours isn't one of them, with one fairly large exception.
Air Season closest to Winter. However, out West you're in a much more even-keeled climate, so it's cooler but with light rains, a very pleasant time to be out and about.
Water Season is a Big Deal in the West, because in Creation instead of a summer monsoon or winter monsoon, you just have a full Monsoon Season. A monsoon that is too mild can result in scarcity if the fish also aren't biting. Just right and there will be prosperity. Too heavy and there is devastation and it is said that the gods are angry.
Wood Season is comparable to Spring, and is the time of renewal and growth and new projects. You are currently here! Because making you spend your first turn getting ready for monsoon season just seemed needlessly cruel. The islanders seem to have come out of it pretty well.
Fire Season is comparable to Summer, when the sun is hottest and the growing season is in full swing.
Earth Season is comparable to Autumn; the heat breaks, the taxes get collected, tribute to House Nellens is sent off and you get to congratulate yourself on a year well spent, because…
Calibration is the five days at the end of the year, a time for reflection and feasts or of locking your doors and praying your spirit wards work, depending on where you live. The moon disappears, most of Heaven has a gigantic party (except the poor Pattern Spiders re-calibrating the Loom of Fate, hence the name), the weather is strange and the barriers between worlds become thin. This'll be our time for extra random events and for recapping the year.
Turn 1: Wood Season, RY 753
Choose at least one from each category. This is a plan vote.
Diplomacy: The giant beast-blooded adventuress Lucky Break has all the subtlety of a volcano. But it's good to have her on your side - and that suplex seems to have done the trick of that.
[ ] You're just arrived on the island and you made a smashing first impression. Lucky Break suggests following this up with a charm offensive. She will personally attend every wedding, every celebration and every event with an open bar. If you want to come with, that's your right as the Punchiest Guy Around.
[ ] Fire Season is traditionally the time for raiding neighbors. You're told that this place isn't rich enough to usually worry about that, but just in case it might be prudent to visit the neighboring islands and make very clear that there's a bigger fish in the reef now. She doesn't need need your help but you'd make a hell of a splash if you wanted to come along.
[ ] Island raiders aren't something you have to worry about as much but pirates on the waters are everyone's trouble. If you could lend her that very fast ship or those very pretty elementals, she could get some lads together and see about hunting pirates and building some goodwill for your new regime.
Martial: Daro is your old tutor and a sterling example of how the Scarlet Empire demands the best even from its servants. The most responsible advisor a man could ask for.
[ ] Since you've appointed him to oversee the military, Daro intends to oversee the military. He wants a full census of the population of the island, including how many are fit for service and what experience they already have. He intends to be very thorough.
[ ] The docks seem to be well in order if you wanted to start on a navy larger than fishing boats, but he's concerned about the supply chain. Timber, pitch, cloth, rope - everything that isn't produced will have to be imported, and he wants to find out what your vulnerabilities are where that's concerned and how that might be corrected.
[ ] Alternatively, you could make use of his other talents. He is still one of the finest teachers in the world, you can attest to that personally. Have him start to bring one of your other councillors up to a more respectable standard. (Who?)
Stewardship: Matron Yaga is one of the most successful businesswomen on the island. You really hope that'll translate well to larger affairs.
[ ] Nobody uses scrip and what's left is an unholy mish-mash of currencies, favors and social credit. In addition, taxes are mostly conducted via payment in kind which means a non-trivial percentage of your treasury is currently in the form of salted fish. Yaga thinks she can compile a more thorough and organized set of conversions than she herself uses so you can know just how much money you have and how much things will cost.
[ ] On the other hand, if you're content to leave the precise figures to her, she can work together with a census effort to get taxes assessed. The old Governor's papers might be helpful for this if you gave her leave to make use of them.
[ ] On the other other hand if you're confident that financial matters will work themselves out in time and that the islanders have quietly paid enough tribute to keep the Realm happy for decades and don't show any sign of stopping, she's happily willing to look for opportunities to expand the wealth of the island instead.
Intrigue: A Little Bird is a small god who wants to become a god of hidden treasures. You're not sure that's how it works, but he's charming enough that you're willing to let him try.
[ ] Bird Friends! A Little Bird can have a series of friendly chats with the birds on the island to have them keep an eye out for trouble, secrets, treasures, and troublesome secret treasures, not necessarily in that order.
[ ] Buried Shinies! When he got the job A Little Bird proposed finding things the Realm left behind on the island when they finished their campaign all those years ago. He's willing to try to dig them up.
Piety: Salt-Blood towers over everyone else (except Lucky Break). He's an unconventional priest, but his god is pretty chill, or so you hear.
[ ] A grand ceremony would be just the thing to establish your standing in the eyes of the gods. As a Dragon-Blood you are considered their equal (or should be, by the Doctrines), thus this would be more the divine rite equivalent of a block party than an actual supplication.
[ ] Alternatively a ceremony specifically focused on his god might be the first step to outright patronage for the island. It's stepping into a divine landscape you know very little about, but if you want to make an ally a friendly storm god isn't a bad bet.
[ ] If you're worried about the expense, he's willing to make a number of smaller offerings - more like a set of letters to the neighbors than a block party on the divine scene.
Learning: Kahu is a sorcerer and more importantly, your brother from another mother. Thinking about it he's actually a lot less likely to stab you in the back than your blood relatives.
[ ] Kahu heard two words when he got here: "haunted woods." He also heard "don't poke the" but that sounds like such a mortal concern. Apparently there's a haunted woods inland and he wants to poke it. Gently, he says.
[ ] Summoning is one of the most absurdly versatile tools that any individual can have at their disposal. The demons of Hell are strange and alien but not universally malicious, and the shaping of elementals to solve problems has a history older than the Realm. Have Kahu provide supernatural backup to someone else's plan. (Whose?)
[ ] He could just strive to make himself generally helpful. Sorcerous Workings of the scale he currently has the time and resources for are little stuff; blessings to roads and fields, creation of small springs, weapons and tools that can repair themselves, that sort of thing. But little stuff adds up.
Personal (Choose 3): You are Nellens Nalazir. And the world is your oyster.
[ ] Find out what happened to the old Governor. "I'm free, I'm free" is not the usual reaction to a man of power being relieved of his office, no matter how small. If you're in for a wild ride you should know now.
[ ] Write home. Let your family know you've arrived in good health. Find out what the expectations of House Nellens will be, and what support they're going to offer you. You're, like, a hundred and eighty percent sure that this island can't afford Daro's salary, much less your or Kahu's stipend.
[ ] Write home. Offer fond regards to a relative of your choice. (Nalazir has a big family - choose a relation and he'll probably have it, or close to it.)
[ ] Accompany a Councillor on their task, either to provide oversight or assistance. (Who?)
[ ] Accomplish something suggested that you didn't give to your Councillor. (What?)
[ ] Investigate a Councillor. Discreetly. You're very good at that part. (Who?)
[ ] Investigate someone or something else. (Who or what?)
[ ] Replace a Councillor. (Who?)
[ ] Other (Write-In)
[X] Or you could name it after its people. Unser is nice and short.
[X] Plan First Day On The Job
-[X][Diplomacy] Island raiders aren't something you have to worry about as much but pirates on the waters are everyone's trouble. If you could lend her that very fast ship or those very pretty elementals, she could get some lads together and see about hunting pirates and building some goodwill for your new regime.
-[X][Martial] Since you've appointed him to oversee the military, Daro intends to oversee the military. He wants a full census of the population of the island, including how many are fit for service and what experience they already have. He intends to be very thorough.
-[X][Stewardship] On the other hand, if you're content to leave the precise figures to her, she can work together with a census effort to get taxes assessed. The old Governor's papers might be helpful for this if you gave her leave to make use of them.
-[X][Intrigue] Bird Friends! A Little Bird can have a series of friendly chats with the birds on the island to have them keep an eye out for trouble, secrets, treasures, and troublesome secret treasures, not necessarily in that order.
-[X][Piety] A grand ceremony would be just the thing to establish your standing in the eyes of the gods. As a Dragon-Blood you are considered their equal (or should be, by the Doctrines), thus this would be more the divine rite equivalent of a block party than an actual supplication.
-[X][Learning] He could just strive to make himself generally helpful. Sorcerous Workings of the scale he currently has the time and resources for are little stuff; blessings to roads and fields, creation of small springs, weapons and tools that can repair themselves, that sort of thing. But little stuff adds up.
-[X][Personal] Find out what happened to the old Governor. "I'm free, I'm free" is not the usual reaction to a man of power being relieved of his office, no matter how small. If you're in for a wild ride you should know now.
-[X][Personal] Write home. Let your family know you've arrived in good health. Find out what the expectations of House Nellens will be, and what support they're going to offer you. You're, like, a hundred and eighty percent sure that this island can't afford Daro's salary, much less your or Kahu's stipend.
-[X][Personal] Accompany a Councillor on their task, either to provide oversight or assistance. (Who?) Salt-Blood[Piety]
I considered the parties for Diplomacy, but Nalazir should be there for that, and he has a couple more important things to do, but hey one of them is still a party!
And instead of poking the woods right off the bat let's get at least a little organised first.
[X] Or you could name it after its people. Unser is nice and short.
[X] Plan Human Resources
-[X][Diplomacy] You're just arrived on the island and you made a smashing first impression. Lucky Break suggests following this up with a charm offensive. She will personally attend every wedding, every celebration and every event with an open bar. If you want to come with, that's your right as the Punchiest Guy Around.
-[X][Martial] Since you've appointed him to oversee the military, Daro intends to oversee the military. He wants a full census of the population of the island, including how many are fit for service and what experience they already have. He intends to be very thorough.
-[X][Stewardship] On the other hand, if you're content to leave the precise figures to her, she can work together with a census effort to get taxes assessed. The old Governor's papers might be helpful for this if you gave her leave to make use of them.
-[X][Intrigue] Bird Friends! A Little Bird can have a series of friendly chats with the birds on the island to have them keep an eye out for trouble, secrets, treasures, and troublesome secret treasures, not necessarily in that order.
-[X][Piety] A grand ceremony would be just the thing to establish your standing in the eyes of the gods. As a Dragon-Blood you are considered their equal (or should be, by the Doctrines), thus this would be more the divine rite equivalent of a block party than an actual supplication.
-[X][Learning] Kahu heard two words when he got here: "haunted woods." He also heard "don't poke the" but that sounds like such a mortal concern. Apparently there's a haunted woods inland and he wants to poke it. Gently, he says.
-[X][Personal] Find out what happened to the old Governor. "I'm free, I'm free" is not the usual reaction to a man of power being relieved of his office, no matter how small. If you're in for a wild ride you should know now.
-[X][Personal] Write home. Let your family know you've arrived in good health. Find out what the expectations of House Nellens will be, and what support they're going to offer you. You're, like, a hundred and eighty percent sure that this island can't afford Daro's salary, much less your or Kahu's stipend.
-[X] Accompany a Councillor on their task, either to provide oversight or assistance. (Lucky Break)
Overall thrust is to get our Diplo-Martial-Steward combo to coordinate on getting a full list of who's who,and what they're good for.
We've started in a lull period, so lets make sure we know what we're working with rather than grabbing at random come trouble.
This assumes the past administration's reports of not being harassed much holds true of course, but if we do get raided I don't think they're accounting for a bunch of dragonblooded here.
Generally sell ourselves as the coolest guy in town to the new minions, get to know them, so that when we need to grab them by the balls we don't wind up grabbing somebody without any.
Thats just awkward man.
[x] Wind-on-the-Waters. Does Yaga secretly have a poetic side or has she been giving it some thought?
Those intrigue options are a bit lacking. There is a lot that can be done with a bird spymaster who acts with an authority of a Dragonblood behind him. Birds have a lot of benefits mortals don't get, including rlative inconspicuousness, and all but ignoring large distances. It makes sense to spread our agent network far and wide. But we'd likely need human spies too, for trickier tasks. So what if they won't know that they are commanded by a bird, it would only add to the reputation of a spymaster so mysterious they never show up in person.
This could only be achieved if our Little Bird has more than a birdbrain in that skull of his though. Which is probably something we should find out, if only belatedly and after giving him one of the key position on our Council. Eh, nothing to worry about, this happens often enough with proper governments.
What I mean is, we could use Daro to bring our Birb God up to snuff, and instruct him on all the ways he could exploit his Birbness to further our cause. Sacrifice an action now so we'd hopefully have an easier time later.
Getting our teacher to glare murder at us for having him stuck with a birb pupil for a season was not a primary consideration, but is a nice bonus regardless.
The other difference from existing plans is that I want to partner with one of the Chill Gods specifically. And in person. If we are on an island, it would only make sense for us to get a patronage from the Storm God. With our waters secure and the bird lookouts in the right places, we suddenly look a lot more defensible than could be expected from a place with no standing army or a navy.
[x] Plan Broing it up with the Storm God and Birb Friend
-[x][Diplomacy] Island raiders aren't something you have to worry about as much but pirates on the waters are everyone's trouble. If you could lend her that very fast ship or those very pretty elementals, she could get some lads together and see about hunting pirates and building some goodwill for your new regime.
-[x] [Martial] Alternatively, you could make use of his other talents. He is still one of the finest teachers in the world, you can attest to that personally. Have him start to bring one of your other councillors up to a more respectable standard. (Little Bird)
-[x][Stewardship] On the other hand, if you're content to leave the precise figures to her, she can work together with a census effort to get taxes assessed. The old Governor's papers might be helpful for this if you gave her leave to make use of them.
-[x][Intrigue] Bird Friends! A Little Bird can have a series of friendly chats with the birds on the island to have them keep an eye out for trouble, secrets, treasures, and troublesome secret treasures, not necessarily in that order.
-[x] Alternatively a ceremony specifically focused on his god might be the first step to outright patronage for the island. It's stepping into a divine landscape you know very little about, but if you want to make an ally a friendly storm god isn't a bad bet.
-[X][Learning] He could just strive to make himself generally helpful. Sorcerous Workings of the scale he currently has the time and resources for are little stuff; blessings to roads and fields, creation of small springs, weapons and tools that can repair themselves, that sort of thing. But little stuff adds up.
-[X][Personal] Find out what happened to the old Governor. "I'm free, I'm free" is not the usual reaction to a man of power being relieved of his office, no matter how small. If you're in for a wild ride you should know now.
-[X][Personal] Write home. Let your family know you've arrived in good health. Find out what the expectations of House Nellens will be, and what support they're going to offer you. You're, like, a hundred and eighty percent sure that this island can't afford Daro's salary, much less your or Kahu's stipend.
-[X][Personal] Accompany a Councillor on their task, either to provide oversight or assistance. (Salt-Blood)
It's too easy to turn this around and use against us. Whenever we are required to make a speech or represent our nation we'd either have to break our own decree, or stick to our guns and twist our tongue.
[X] Wind-on-the-Waters. Does Yaga secretly have a poetic side or has she been giving it some thought?
It's just a really nice name. Though I do like making other people use the full name if they're being annoying.
[X] Plan Human Resources
Finding out the lay of the land isn't exciting, but it will make everything we do from here on a lot easier. I would like to poke that mysterious ancient fort Little Bird found but it's not going anywhere.
