Manuel looked down on his Council, smiling openly.
Twenty years and they were in possession of much of the desert. Their population swelled, the expeditionary force to the Great Battlefield did well, and while the state of the Righteous Powers was dire to say the least, the Clan had done well. More wealth, more tariffs, more cultivators.
The Council were all bright-eyed and prepared for the years to come. Paperwork piled to the roof on desks, but less than there had been in previous decades. They were in the final stretch for planning. Soon the Trials would come. They had two more decades of pushing themselves to their very limits, and they had become more accustomed to maintain the pace required. Elders were normally primed for this, slowly brought into the inner circles and brought up so they'd find it easier to perform their duties without his input. While the new Council had been brought in quickly, they were reaching that state of true unity, where they could act without asking, simply anticipating one another's needs.
There are basically four main 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.
(4) Purchases. What wealth the Clan has, and what your Council want you to spend it on. They'll usually come to you with the thing they want most. No micromanagement, just 'here is the big-ticket item I want'. These will often (but not always) persist between turns. Wealth is expressed in terms of Years of Income Saved. You can take as many of these as you can pay for! Keep in mind, though, if you spend all your money, you won't have it in future for dire situations.
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 24 hour voting moriatorum! I'll post a threadmark when the vote opens!
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Manuel had been in the Dawn Fortress for time. Yao Zhihao was ensconced in a room of her own, but he had left her for this. He was surrounded by thousand-year old arrays in a room with more paperwork than space, the sixty-year old tables they'd brought back to the main Council chambers still offering protection against mental effects and poisons. Over the years Destasia had idly carved notes into them, including a small but poignant poem about the romance between Manuel and Altar Lord's three clones. Underneath the desk was erotic fiction about the two of them, but she had at the very least carved it in code.
Deciphering it had been the work of one urgent afternoon where he though they might have an infiltrator she was informing him about, followed by an emotion he had gotten better at identifying as disgusted frustration.
There were many decisions to be made, and few enough years to prepare for the Trials to come. The tables made it a little easier to check his Elders for mental corruption and subtle poisons without potentially activating them, but there had been no attempts in recent years.
Around sat his Councillors, some who were skilled and valuable pieces on the gameboard. Sixty years ago, he merely hoped they'd be able to carry out their duties. Forty years ago, he had been satisfied to call them useful. Twenty years ago they worked together, administration and disciples and intrigue all still finding the perfect way to work with one another, but shared adversity had brought them some comfortable patterns. Now, they were almost a well-oiled machine. He hoped desperately that they all lived through the next few decades.
"Report."
Manuel's voice was quiet, heard only by his Council. As it left his lips, a billowing shape of shadows rose and surrounded them, spinning and expanding as it painted itself onto the walls, seeping into the floor and the ceiling. The same trick as decades before, only now it obscured them from a number of useful tricks, including the ability to peer into the past at their council session.
First was Casia Zimisce, a Great Circle Core Formation cultivator. Rail-thin and severe-faced, she looked as though she had perpetually swallowed a lemon. Her intimidating posture and expression aside, once she spoke one wouldn't pay attention to them, as she set everyone around her at ease. Casia 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 organising the economy of the Clan, preparing for the year of terror to come. She had done an admirable job, and was faced now with a short-term challenge - preparing for the Trials, no matter her other needs.
"Archegetes. In terms of wealth things have gone reasonably well. We have twenty-one million Spirit stavraton saved, though I could easily spend every single one of them. The amount of construction work, road construction, array expenditure, fortifications..."
Her voice trailed off.
"I have begun planning for the Trials. I have requests, but I will raise them a little later."
Currently the Clan has 21 Wealth (+8 from last turn. +15 from income, -1 from inefficiency penalty, -1 from Strength Purity concessions).
Second was Kleisthenes Sarantapechos, a Late Core Formation Elder. Dead 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 she and Manuel were reasonable friends. This friendship had suffered with her sister's death, however. Manuel felt that the next trials would prove key. If his strategies were right, if the death of her sister had not been meaningless... perhaps their friendship could flower once more.
"Archegetes. News is dire everywhere. The Great Battlefield has stabilised, at the very least. The Song Empire suffered, but the Fearless Line held, much to my surprise. The lines are more-or-less stable, and troops were raised all across the Verdant South. The Righteous Glory Expedition was raised, and millions of Qi Condensation cultivators, tens of thousands of Foundation Establishment ones, and hundreds of Core Formation elders were sent north, along with a smattering of Nascent Souls. The Saber Palace even sent their only Nascent north to hold the line."
She shook her head ruefully.
"The Great Battlefield was stable for some time, of course. Three years ago, three Nascent Souls from the Devil Bee Sect struck the Saber Palace itself. They ruined the defensive arrays, butchered the disciples there, and even defiled the grounds surrounding the Divine Saber itself. They had some manner of ritual to weaken it, and only the return of the Elder of Day summoning the many Nascent Wills there allowed the Divine Saber to properly hold. For all we hate the Saber Sect, they have suffered greatly. The Elder of Day has been called a traitor for abandoning Yao Zhihao, but... if it were the Dawn Fortress against an ally we could barely tolerate? I can see why the decision was made. The Saber Palace have offered to make reparations once the war is ended, though I expect the exact amount will come down unless Lady Zhihao is able to continue participating to gain leverage in the war. No other Devil Bee raids have occurred, which is curious. Seeing Nascent Souls strike out on their own without support is unusual, and perhaps that is why it succeeded."
She shrugged.
"Strength Purity are offering tremendous concessions to send array masters north. Forgiving our loans in full - all the concessions we made to them wiped out. It would be a risky thing, though, before the trials."
[ ] Send the Clan's best Array-Engineers to the Great Battlefield.
Regain +1 Income per turn as the Strength Purity concessions expire. Suffer worse in the Trials, especially among Qi Condensation.
[ ] Don't
Strength Purity will have to do without you. The Trials matter more than the war in the Plains.
Third was Xie Xinya, a Late Core Formation Elder. She is beautiful, long black hair framing an oval face. Her lips glossy and eyes rouged, she was certainly the cultivator on the Council who cared most about her appearance. Manuel missed Euphrosyne - that old woman had never hesitated to argue with him or call him a fool, and there were precious few who would. But dwelling on his failures won no battles. She is the Parakoimomenos, or in common terms, the Elder of Intrigue. Previously you held her position. Hopefully, Xinya can achieve some fraction of what Nikephoros did. To her falls the duties of espionage, sabotage, and assassination.
"Archegetes. I have gained information of use. In the Verdant South Old Cannibal and his two Devil Twin Concubines have wrought havoc on the Saber Palace, but have most carefully left everyone else alone. Not a single mortal from the other powers died, and I suspect they are using that to sow dissension among the Righteous powers there. The Jingshen have decreased the price on Spirit Stones slightly, though I don't know why. Lastly, the Gao Clan have temporarily withdrawn from the front. I suspect they are wrangling for more benefits, but who can truly say?"
Fourth came Destasia Duca, an Early Core Formation Elder. She is Chartoularios Tou Kanikleiou, or in simpler terms, the Master of Disciples. She 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. She is flighty, friendly, and happy, and is well-known for her eyes she can use to befuddle or poison her enemies with, as well as her... unique approach to both life and cultivation.
"Archegetes.", she whispered. "I hope you two find love."
Manuel winced.
"The disciples, Elder Duca?"
"Who?"
"The disciples."
She knocked her head with her fist and made a peculiar expression.
"They're fine. Training them in all sorts of fun desert survival to help with the Trials and my scorpion ranch. Nothing worth mention, nosiree!"
Manuel at least knew about the scorpion ranch. He honestly wished he hadn't read that report.
Lastly was Heraclius Staurakius, a Great Circle Core Formation Elder. He is Protostrator, leader of your armies. One of your precious Core Formation cultivators in the Great Circle, Heraclius has stalled cultivation-wise. He is an exceptional commander, but he is old. At 1000, he will only be capable of command for another 20 years or so - and this due to two Lifespan Treasures. Unless some miracle happens, however, he is the best commander available by a significant margin, and the most experienced, but taking him on as a commander will mean replacing him before too long - discontinuity of command is where the Legions are the weakest. He will command the Legions until the end of the Trials.
Heraclius speaks, a gravelled voice coming from a throat that had been cut more than once.
"Archegetes. I will prepare and be prepared. I have prepared two juniors to take my role, though I will hold off on choosing one until after the Trials. Better to keep the fire in their bellies!"
You clench your jaw, and think.
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Currently the Clan has 21 Wealth.
The Clan will gain 15 Income, and lose 1 to Inefficiency, and 1 to Strength Purity Concessions for a total Income of 13 next turn.
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What should the Clan focus on? (Outside of the war, which is of course your primary focus)
[ ] 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. Gains widely variable Wealth (0-10, excluding crits). May seize territory and gain Income in extreme cases. Loses Cultivators - around 5,000 Qi Condensation cultivators, 50 Foundation Establishment cultivators, and potentially 1 Core Formation Elder.
[ ] War (Write-in target) - Simply invade. Strike with all your might and seize territory. Kill cultivators. Requires your personal attention to prevent Nascent Souls simply obliterating your forces. Uses your personal Action for the turn. War will open a set of new sub-turns.
[ ] 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 Wealth by an average of 5.
[ ] 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.
[ ] Fortifying (Write-in territory, ally or vassal) - Spend Clan manpower and soldiers to build new fortifications against outside enemies. New Arrays, help train new cultivators in lesser Formations to defend their lands, and so on. Will also strengthen a vassal or ally if chosen, and increase relations with them. Increases defenses in the chosen territory, ally, or vassal.
[ ] Write-in
What will you do? (Note. If Old Cannibal surfaces you will need to abandon your personal Action to go deal with him.)
[ ] 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.
[ ] Economic Activity - Carve arrays, scribe useful cultivation techniques onto scrolls, hunt down useful opportunities that might be dangerous to a Core Formation Elder. Make some money for the Clan.
[ ] 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.
[ ] Write-in
Purchases:
We have 21 Wealth saved. The Clan cannot go into debt - you can only spend what you have!
Casia Zimisce wants to...
[ ] Lay the Foundations of Recovery (10 Wealth)
"Archegetes, I have designed a number of caches which can easily be accessed by various recovering Legions. Placing them hither and thither will assist in the recovery of our forces once the Trials are over, and even assist during the Trials to some degree."
Kleisthenes Sarantapechos wants to...
[ ] Refound the Flood Dragon Gang (15 Wealth)
"Archegetes, let's siphon off a lot of our wealth and give it to Lady Yao. I know it's expensive, but with sufficient Spirit Stones she could easily refound the Gang, or at least a small part of it. A lot of them would come from people who love the Clan, and I suspect we might be able to lure her in to our orbit much more closely. I suspect she'll do so in the long-term anyway. I know you might not want to do it now, and there's certainly merit to doing it in the future, though it'd cost more simply because once she's recovered and gained some reparations from the Righteous Powers she'll need more money to be impressed."
Xie Xinya wants to...
[ ] Broadcast from the Mortal Artifact Network (6 Wealth)
"Mortals can in theory transmit information from one another if they have Spirit Stones and Arrays capable of doing so. It's normally not worth it at all, but I'm thinking of building a throwaway network for mortals for the Trials. If a few mortal spies can transmit information from occupied cities and the like, we're likely to be able to move our most valuable and talented juniors away from the brunt of the conflict. Mortals are beneath the notice of the invaders, so I think this is likely to work. It'd be an expensive and useless tool otherwise, though."
Destasia Duca wants to...
[ ] Build the Scorpion Cavalry Brigade (8 Wealth)
"Archegetes, I have a lot of scorpions. Now, I've trained them to haul caravans, but they can also haul tail! Or stinger? Haul stinger. Anyway, the point is they're very fast, and while they don't live very long, I could prepare a massive brigade for the Trials. They'd be able to move us around quicker, which would give us better chances to shatter more tokens in the Trials early on. Also, they're very cute."
Heraclius Staurakius wants to...
[ ] Prepare the Ten Million Forts (20 Wealth this turn)
"Archegetes, our fortification plan was incredibly useful against the Cannibals. I've taken a lot away from it. One crucial thing is that many small fortifications can outweigh a single big one unless your enemy outnumbers and outguns you. Being able to force people to find the fortification and crack it for relatively minor reward means many go untouched, a lesson I think that will serve us well in the Trials to come. I don't think we'll truly build ten million, but scattering similar boltholes across the land should do wonders for the survivability of our Qi Condensation juniors. With less time and manpower available it will be costlier to do this, but I truly believe it is worth it."
