Illegitimate Heir quest
- Thread starter Tithed_Verse
- Start date
- Original
- Pronouns
- Male
[X][First] The Disaster
[X][First] Take the throne
We need to seize the government and stake our claim first then mobilize our supporters.
We need to seize the government and stake our claim first then mobilize our supporters.
[x][First] The Disaster
Tithed_Verse
Vainglorious
- Location
- Iowa
- Pronouns
- They/Them
With the commoners. Not the commons. The commons are merchants, bankers, beirgermeisters and factory owners. They're the people who could afford places on the council of commons, which is a commissioned house, not an elected house. Seats on the commons are rented from the government.
The petty council is directly selected by the emperor. Appointments are for life, though who's life is ambiguous.
Nobles are selected by their family, but each change must be approved by the emperor. Emperors can cockblock a noble family by refusing their representative repeatedly after the sitting representative dies
Very inspired by, but not a direct carbon copy of.
Last edited:
PlazmaStryke
Proving why Orbital Bombardment is the way to go
- Location
- High Orbit, maybe?
[x][First] The Disaster
Limited time opportunity, mixed with the vital need to find out who or what dunnit, combined with the fact that if we can manage it well enough, it'll help prove to everyone that we have the ability to lead somewhat, potentially opening doors that would be closed when we do get support.
Limited time opportunity, mixed with the vital need to find out who or what dunnit, combined with the fact that if we can manage it well enough, it'll help prove to everyone that we have the ability to lead somewhat, potentially opening doors that would be closed when we do get support.
The disaster
Tithed_Verse
Vainglorious
- Location
- Iowa
- Pronouns
- They/Them
For you, the first step is obvious. You spring quickly into action, packing your bags, grabbing couriers, contacting your entourage and chartering an transport into the heart of the disaster.
Trains are being diverted as the tracks pass through the contaminated zone. Worse the contaminated zone extends into the air above the city.
There's no such thing as a 'tramp' airship. They require too much specialized support and equipment, and the profit margin is very low. All airships are owned either by corporate lines, or rich nobles for leisure.
Worse, most of the major passenger lines have already been commandeered to take supplies and workers into the disaster, and refugees out.
Cargo lines are similarly busy. You doubt that the bergermeisters are particularly pleased with this disruption of the vital services carrying material into and out of their cities.
This, however, is where your connections come in handy. You know many of the owners of the lines, and manage to talk one of them into making room for your entourage on a cargo line. The ship's designation is OX7-T3-E but the crew calls it 'The Dusky Ox'
Quarters are cramped, there's no space for a proper dressing, your handmaidens and secretaries are bunking four to a room, and your own somewhat larger room is doubling to hold cargo and personal supplies.
The crew fairs worse, bunking eight to a room and sleeping in shifts. You're pretty sure that there's resentment, but the company auditor sent along to keep the plebs in line kept everything smooth and efficient.
At the end of the four day voyage, your handmaidens make you look... reasonably presentable. You arrive at the scene of the disaster just in time for troubling news: Your father's corpse has just been declared unrecoverable.
[][Disaster]Recover the corpse
Without your father's body, he must be buried in absentia.... a terrible black mark and veritable stain on your family's honor. An emperor has never before, in the entire history of Sharidise been declared unrecoverable. The one who died deep in a war with the Bogen Tsarate, well his corpse was eventually released by the Bogen as a diplomatic gesture. Even the one that died at sea, was recaptured through dredging and diving.
A mission to recover it would be extremely difficult, and it would take a liberal price in blood and gold.
However, without his corpse, it's technically impossible to actually verify he's dead. He may be trapped somewhere where the deadly chemicals have not yet infiltrated. Truthfully, the odds of him still being alive are minuscule... but...
[][Disaster]Organize the cogs
The recovery is chaotic, and several groups are working at cross purpose. Often memos and communication simply don't go through. You brought your staff with you, and by establishing yourself as the authority on hand, you could use your staff to organize the affair and make sure that every important decision or conflict of jurisdiction goes through you.
[][Disaster]Connect the dots
The company councils, guild halls and bergermesiters can organize things just fine, but someone needs to go out there and convince the scattered workers to unite behind them. Your team could reach out to form a framework for a coherent council among the rescue workers, and let the matter sort itself out.
[][Disaster]Lead the charge
You could send your entourage out to find and hire specialist workers, and you could begin your own dedicated rescue and recovery effort, separate from the intermingled mess surrounding the disaster. You would not have to listen to any guildhall's demands, nor a merchant's call to avoid collateral damage, nor even the government's own priority lists and regulations. As a rogue actor, your group could cut the proverbial Gordian knott in several situations.
Trains are being diverted as the tracks pass through the contaminated zone. Worse the contaminated zone extends into the air above the city.
There's no such thing as a 'tramp' airship. They require too much specialized support and equipment, and the profit margin is very low. All airships are owned either by corporate lines, or rich nobles for leisure.
Worse, most of the major passenger lines have already been commandeered to take supplies and workers into the disaster, and refugees out.
Cargo lines are similarly busy. You doubt that the bergermeisters are particularly pleased with this disruption of the vital services carrying material into and out of their cities.
This, however, is where your connections come in handy. You know many of the owners of the lines, and manage to talk one of them into making room for your entourage on a cargo line. The ship's designation is OX7-T3-E but the crew calls it 'The Dusky Ox'
Quarters are cramped, there's no space for a proper dressing, your handmaidens and secretaries are bunking four to a room, and your own somewhat larger room is doubling to hold cargo and personal supplies.
The crew fairs worse, bunking eight to a room and sleeping in shifts. You're pretty sure that there's resentment, but the company auditor sent along to keep the plebs in line kept everything smooth and efficient.
At the end of the four day voyage, your handmaidens make you look... reasonably presentable. You arrive at the scene of the disaster just in time for troubling news: Your father's corpse has just been declared unrecoverable.
[][Disaster]Recover the corpse
Without your father's body, he must be buried in absentia.... a terrible black mark and veritable stain on your family's honor. An emperor has never before, in the entire history of Sharidise been declared unrecoverable. The one who died deep in a war with the Bogen Tsarate, well his corpse was eventually released by the Bogen as a diplomatic gesture. Even the one that died at sea, was recaptured through dredging and diving.
A mission to recover it would be extremely difficult, and it would take a liberal price in blood and gold.
However, without his corpse, it's technically impossible to actually verify he's dead. He may be trapped somewhere where the deadly chemicals have not yet infiltrated. Truthfully, the odds of him still being alive are minuscule... but...
[][Disaster]Organize the cogs
The recovery is chaotic, and several groups are working at cross purpose. Often memos and communication simply don't go through. You brought your staff with you, and by establishing yourself as the authority on hand, you could use your staff to organize the affair and make sure that every important decision or conflict of jurisdiction goes through you.
[][Disaster]Connect the dots
The company councils, guild halls and bergermesiters can organize things just fine, but someone needs to go out there and convince the scattered workers to unite behind them. Your team could reach out to form a framework for a coherent council among the rescue workers, and let the matter sort itself out.
[][Disaster]Lead the charge
You could send your entourage out to find and hire specialist workers, and you could begin your own dedicated rescue and recovery effort, separate from the intermingled mess surrounding the disaster. You would not have to listen to any guildhall's demands, nor a merchant's call to avoid collateral damage, nor even the government's own priority lists and regulations. As a rogue actor, your group could cut the proverbial Gordian knott in several situations.
- Pronouns
- Male
[x][Disaster]Lead the charge
10ebbor10
DON'T PANIC
- Location
- Present
A missing corpse may be beneficial. The Empire has never had a female emperor, but a female regent may be easier to accept. Eventually his corpse will be found after the chemicals dissipate, but by then we 'd have solidified our claim.
- Location
- PA
[X] [Disaster]Connect the dots
Instead of creating our own effort to add to the clusterbomb of a mess we've got already, taking existing resources and getting them to work together seems more profitable, and prevents things like one guy digging up the Emperor, failing to recognize him, and then burning him because that's what you do with corpses, while the next guy who does know the Emperor is in there looks and finds nothing, and declares the body unrecoverable.
Instead of creating our own effort to add to the clusterbomb of a mess we've got already, taking existing resources and getting them to work together seems more profitable, and prevents things like one guy digging up the Emperor, failing to recognize him, and then burning him because that's what you do with corpses, while the next guy who does know the Emperor is in there looks and finds nothing, and declares the body unrecoverable.
[X][Disaster]Lead the charge
Leading the charge
Tithed_Verse
Vainglorious
- Location
- Iowa
- Pronouns
- They/Them
Putting together a recovery team takes time, which you have precious little of, and money, which you have a surfeit of. You send your entourage out to buy the services of the best workers for yourself, as well as the best tools and equipment. Gathering these supplies deny them from the other rescue operations, and makes you some enemies from among them. Making enemies, however, was unavoidable.
Soon you have a small, but strong, team working their way into the disaster from the edges. Mostly what they're doing is looking for survivors in the nightmare landscape. It quickly becomes clear that the gases that escaped are reacting chemically with common building supplies. It's not unusual to find dark precipitation trees growing out of exposed metal surfaces.
Keeping the air around your team free from the taint is exhausting and requires carefully sealed environmental suits and large high-powered fans. Some chemists try to figure out what all's in the air, and make some chemicals that should draw some of the more toxic materials out. Unfortunately, whatever's in the air is also reacting with itself.
This has caused a few spontaneous fires and further explosions from the damaged district, as well as implosions as buildings with exposed materials slump into themselves.
You try not to think too much about the pale yellow precipitants that collect in bone shaped forms.
After the fifth day of attempting to make progress, you get a report on the doings of your half brother and nephew.
Your half brother, the goblin, now sits on the throne. He's sent out a message inviting you, and everyone other noble or selflessness in the empire, to his coronation... scheduled in 16 days, after the funeral for the late emperor.
Your nephew, on the other hand, has vanished into the estates of some of the border-nobles. You're not sure if his guardians are raising a war party, studying legal documents, or just hiding. Regardless, the coronation must be delayed
[][Coronation]The funeral
Try to use the lack of the body, and your progress (small as it is) as evidence that the funeral should wait for the arrival of the body, thus delaying the Coronation.
[][Coronation]Just hiding
Try to pretend that you've gotten some sort of message from the emperor, and that he's not dead... only critically injured and unable to be reached.
[][Coronation]The disaster is more important
Just focus on finding the source of this continuous disaster and shutting down whatever the hell is leaking. Don't bother even going to the coronation. This could well get you out of swearing loyalty to him.
[][Coronation]Disruption
Go to the coronation, and attempt to be disruptive so that it cannot be completed
[][Coronation]Acquiesce
Go to the coronation. Swear loyalty to the mad goblin. Plot against him after.
Soon you have a small, but strong, team working their way into the disaster from the edges. Mostly what they're doing is looking for survivors in the nightmare landscape. It quickly becomes clear that the gases that escaped are reacting chemically with common building supplies. It's not unusual to find dark precipitation trees growing out of exposed metal surfaces.
Keeping the air around your team free from the taint is exhausting and requires carefully sealed environmental suits and large high-powered fans. Some chemists try to figure out what all's in the air, and make some chemicals that should draw some of the more toxic materials out. Unfortunately, whatever's in the air is also reacting with itself.
This has caused a few spontaneous fires and further explosions from the damaged district, as well as implosions as buildings with exposed materials slump into themselves.
You try not to think too much about the pale yellow precipitants that collect in bone shaped forms.
After the fifth day of attempting to make progress, you get a report on the doings of your half brother and nephew.
Your half brother, the goblin, now sits on the throne. He's sent out a message inviting you, and everyone other noble or selflessness in the empire, to his coronation... scheduled in 16 days, after the funeral for the late emperor.
Your nephew, on the other hand, has vanished into the estates of some of the border-nobles. You're not sure if his guardians are raising a war party, studying legal documents, or just hiding. Regardless, the coronation must be delayed
[][Coronation]The funeral
Try to use the lack of the body, and your progress (small as it is) as evidence that the funeral should wait for the arrival of the body, thus delaying the Coronation.
[][Coronation]Just hiding
Try to pretend that you've gotten some sort of message from the emperor, and that he's not dead... only critically injured and unable to be reached.
[][Coronation]The disaster is more important
Just focus on finding the source of this continuous disaster and shutting down whatever the hell is leaking. Don't bother even going to the coronation. This could well get you out of swearing loyalty to him.
[][Coronation]Disruption
Go to the coronation, and attempt to be disruptive so that it cannot be completed
[][Coronation]Acquiesce
Go to the coronation. Swear loyalty to the mad goblin. Plot against him after.