There are basically three Mechanics in this quest.
(1) Choices. Your Clan Council will ask you to make a call on something. Mostly they won't do this - they're competent enough to handle things on their own, but sometimes they will. You'll see 0-2 of these per turn, on average. They're usually pretty straight-up binary choices.
(2) Focuses. You choose in general what the Clan should focus on for the next 20 years. Building up for war? Training new disciples? Carving more arrays? More trade? Focuses don't prevent you from doing everything else, it's more 'here's the one thing we should really get done'. Focuses are mainly mediated by your personal skill levels and specialities.
(3) Actions. What you, personally, do. Usually mediated by skills, but often by Cultivation level - especially when it comes to combat. You can always Write In Actions. In fact, writing in more complex and well-thought out Actions will positively increase your chances of success.
All voting is Plan Voting. Make a Plan if you want, or just vote on someone else's! You can vote on as many Plans as you like! Approval Voting, baby!
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There is a Voting Moriatorum for SIX HOURS after this post. Feel free to create plans, but votes for plans will not be counted until that time has passed.
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Manuel walked into the cramped clan headquarters. Around a table sat his Councillors, each a skilled and valuable piece on the gameboard. Each crucial to keeping the Clan alive that much longer.
Not one of them looked much older, though poor Nikephoros's aura still wavered in places. His Dao-Heart had been shaken by the death of his beloved nephew, and while he knew you acted for the good of the clan, Manuel could feel his anger at Manuel using his name to try and fool your enemies. His mind forgave Manuel, but his heart could not yet forgive Manuel - or himself.
"Report."
Manuel was curt and cold. These Elders were handpicked and required no coddling. He had no time for it, anyway.
First was Euphrosyne Sarantapechos, a Late Core Formation Elder. She was Stratopedarches, or in more common terms, the Elder of Administration. To her fell the duties of managing mines, herbs, cities, camps - all manner of resources flowed through her hands. In the last twenty years she had spent much time developing her personal Spirit Herb garden, until a Core Formation Bronze Slaughter Aurochs had eaten her Desert Rose Root fed by three Spirit Springs. She had been incredibly wrathful, and only your personal intervention had saved the hapless bull.
"Archegetes, congratulations on crippling Child Corpse Gulper. This has been a banner set of decades for us, and the Cannibal Sect are weakened substantially. Raids have been less successful than we had anticipated, and as such we have twenty full years of income saved, mostly from vassal tributes and payments increasing. We have enough saved that I feel comfortable considering increasing our cultivator numbers substantially, though increasing them to the maximum would mean a cessation in saving."
Second was Kleisthenes Sarantapechos, a Mid Core Formation Elder. Euphrosyne's twin sister, though less talented in cultivation. She cultivated a rare Yang attribute technique, and went by a male name, and wore a male body to aid in her cultivation. For her, if she had not cultivated her Yang technique - she never would have risen into Core Formation. Such a thing was uncommon among your Clan, but not unknown. She is the Hetaireiarches, or in common terms, the Elder of Diplomacy. To her fell the duties of managing external powers and other Nascent Souls. She often complained about her lack of talent, and you were reasonable friends. It was her aurochs that had eaten her sister's Rose Root - Kleisthenes uses the auroch blood to help cultivate her Yang element. They have been cold towards one another lately.
"Archegetes, I share my sister's congratulations. I am unsure as to why you have pickled Child Corpse Gulper's leg and are now using it as a club when in public, but I can only imagine you have your reasons. Talks with Jingshen Clan have yielded significant fruit. They are willing to commit to large-scale raids into Blood Cannibal territory, but will require a complete cessation of tolls for twenty years to do so. This could take pressure off us, or even allow us to commit to taking territory from the Blood Cannibals."
[ ] Agree with Proposal - Jingshen Clan will begin raiding Blood Cannibal Sect. You will gain no Wealth this turn.
[ ] Don't - Continue saving.
Third was Nikephoros Theophylaktos, a Great Circle Core Formation Elder. He is a simple man to all appearances, speaking little. He is the Parakoimomenos, or in common terms, the Elder of Intrigue. You had trained him personally, and found his skills acceptable. Previously you held his position, so he is admittedly new to the task, though he had been your assistant for almost a century. To him falls the duties of espionage, sabotage, and assassination. While he was your apprentice, you are currently somewhat estranged. His voice is cold and emotionless.
"Archegetes. The Oasis Rebels continue to resist, but only just. Unless we do something to take the pressure off them, they will fall within five years. Jingshen Clan has been trying to find a new way through Magic Oak Sect to trade through the mountains, but no success thus far. Child Corpse Gulper has disappeared, and I cannot find any traces of him. He may be dead, have left the region, or be in hiding. It is hard to say."
"Also, Abyssal Devil Bee Sect has executed a crippling, immense raid, killing Little Saber God, an Early Nascent Soul from Seven Divine Saber Palace, looting the Palace itself before being driven off. My sources indicate they have slaughtered perhaps fifty million mortals across five major sects in the last twenty years, and seem unstoppable to those in the Plains. Of course, their Devil Bees consume large amounts of Qi, so I don't anticipate any immediate raids. They are digesting their gains, but I suspect they may become a greater threat in the next forty years."
Fourth came Staurakios Palaiologos, a Late Core Formation Elder. He is Chartoularios Tou Kanikleiou, or in simpler terms, the Master of Disciples. He picks out good seeds, gives training and assistance, and manages the core of the Clan Contribution Board for Qi Condensation and Foundation Building disciples in times of peace. Lately, he has been complaining about the foolishness of all the new disciples, though you can tell he is happier than he has been in decades.
"Archegetes. Little to report. Numbers remain steadily growing somewhat."
Lastly was Ioannes Vatatzes, your second Great Circle Core Formation Elder. He is Protostrator, leader of your armies. When the time comes to gather up into formations and strike at enemies, or defend your cities, it is he who organises them, leads them, and manages the Clan Contribution Board to ensure the correct tasks get done. He is completely bald, with a beard down to his green-tinged waist. He is very vain about his beard, though, and regularly cleanses off the patina to ensure it is bright and bronzed. On an excursion to put down a large rebellion in Xin Kingdom, he was poisoned. He is now rapidly aging and will die within sixty years, a far cry from the 120 he had before. You have no-one to replace him, so you will need to dip into the Clan's limited reserve of Lifespan treasures to ensure you can at least train a replacement.
"Archegetes. We are in no shape for a full war, but I could countenance a raid in force to seize minor territories from the Blood Cannibals. It would be risky, however. We might be in shape for a full war in twenty years."
You hiss through your teeth and think.
What should the Clan focus on?
[ ] Building Bridges (Write-in target) - You should make more allies. Choose a target on the map and aim to have their relations with you increased. Give gifts, exchange assistance, aim for strategic marriages.
[ ] Intrigue (Write-in target) - You should learn about another clan entirely. Spend Spirit Stones like water in the plains and find out everything you can. Strengths. Weaknesses, places to strike, rebels, and so on and so forth.
[ ] Raiding (Write-in target) - Better to weaken an enemy. Send teams of cultivators to go raid an enemy for resources and to kill them where possible. Minor conflicts, with minor rewards. At best, you can seize minor territorial gains. This will worsen your relations, of course. Loses Cultivators. Usually gains Income or Wealth, or both.
[ ] Increasing Wealth - More trade, more mines, more growth. Aim to find more Spirit Stones, tax more from traders, whatever works to increase your Clan Wealth. Increases Savings. Very high rolls may increase Income.
[ ] Training Soldiers - Raising Disciples to higher Realms is all well and good, but training them to be perfect members of Formations is better. Ensure your Clan is trained and ready for war. Your readiness to go to war will increase significantly, though this fades over time. Minor costs.
[ ] Raising Disciples - You need more cultivators. Spend wealth to raise more and more disciples to higher Realms. Reduces Income, as you have more cultivators to upkeep. Probably the single biggest Action to increase Clan power.
[ ] Write-in
What will you do?
[ ] Hunt An Enemy (Write-In) - Why not? Hunt down enemies, see if you can kill someone. Usually used against an opposing Nascent Soul. Potentially very dangerous.
[ ] Weaken An Enemy (Write-In Faction) - Choose a faction, and use your Nascent Soul strength to simply sneak in and do damage. A little underhanded and shameful, but what do you care for the views of the Righteous Path? Potentially dangerous.
[ ] Assist A Faction (Write-in Faction) - Use your personal strength to assist an ally of some kind. Potentially dangerous.
[ ] Lecturing - You can simply lecture your many juniors on cultivation. Spend your time helping them grow, using less resources and ensuring better growth for the Clan.
[ ] Hunt for a Replacement - Look for a new candidate to replace Ioannes Vatatzes. If successful, you may be able to save several precious Lifespan Treasures.
[ ] Write-in
