Industrialization Quest

[Rockeye]

The world has remained much the same for the last thousand years or more. Men are born, grow up, live, and die. Kingdoms rise and fall. Armies are gathered and obliterated against each other. Cities grow prosperous, and are sacked by jealous rivals or angry gods. Nobles launch petty campaigns of insult and intrigue on each other in the eternal dance of lineages and inheritance.

Conquerors lead crusades to half a dozen holy lands, in Firyn, in Gastonia, to the islands of Ionia, and in those crucibles a few lucky souls emerge as glorious heroes, forgetting the rivers of blood that carried them there. Cities change hands, and the pyres of the dead stain the sky black. Small villages in the middle of nowhere are claimed by new lieges in treaties half a dozen times in a century, and the only thing that changes is who they tithe their harvests to. Monsters prey on man and beast alike, until they're killed by a great hero, the end of their reign of terror immortalized in tavern songs - but another monster takes their place sooner or later.

Any real progress is hard-fought and slow, a grinding effort against the world's eternal war against itself. Pigs and potatoes spread across the world. Priestly orders dedicated to healing the sick spread their teachings, and make a small dent against the looming and inevitable specter of plague.

You're going to change all that, hopefully. Because, you see, you have something very special...

It doesn't look like much. It's a small gem that shines with a brilliant blue light at a thought, showing instructions and images of a future that might come to pass - but only to you. To everyone else, it's just a glass bauble.

It showed you the future, you think. For a moment, an entire world of detail was made bare to you, books and books worth of a strange language that you somehow understood. Either that or you've gone utterly mad. You grew dangerously sick, feverish. You were insensate and bedridden for a week or more - you're not entirely sure how long.

You saw glimpses of a forest of vast workshops, bigger than a cathedral, where metal and wood were arranged by dozens of workers. Temples to industry and craft. Buildings reaching so high in the sky it seemed absurd. Carriages that sped down roads as if propelled by magic. Strange arrangements of wire and glass that burned brighter than a thousand candles! And around all these miraculous objects, people. People acting the same as they always do: Complaining about their neighbors, making bawdy jokes, gossiping and griping and telling stories, inured to the miracles that surrounded them and they used without thought.

They were mostly happy. Not universally - you saw mothers weeping for their babies in those visions. Lovers having arguments, swindlers plying their tricks, addicts of strange drugs killing each other with weapons that slay with a flash of light and a boom of thunder. You saw an awful nightmare of mud and blood, mangled bodies strewn across ruined fields, the cathedral-workshops spitting out instruments that sang the music of death.

The good outweighed the bad in the visions, though. You can't remember specific details for most of what it showed you, but you saw so much - everyone was so rich. It was a surprise and a tragedy if children died of sickness, instead of a sad fact of life! There were huge structures holding unthinkable amounts of books, those rare and expensive tomes of learning! Even lowly day-workers and beggars wore warm coats and occasionally had a meal of meat!

You have never wanted anything as badly before. It will be supremely difficult, no doubt. Forces you don't understand will oppose you. Setbacks you never could have anticipated will beset you. You will have to deal with the skepticism of the people if you want your changes to spread. It can't only be you - you'll have to teach people to make these miracles happen by themselves.

But you're going to make that miracle world a reality even if you die trying.



(Author's note: Check out the Informational threadmarks, the ones that aren't mechanics or stats I tried to write in an entertaining-yet-informative way.)



What did your Codex Crystal show you in that first, magical moment? Even now, it turns to similar topics more easily under your will. Perhaps it's trying to help you, frustrating as it is - you can see how these relatively simple methods and machines will be easier to create in reality than the stranger things you can barely understand.

[] Numbers and words arranged in great tables. Addition and subtraction, goods moving in and out as the numbers shift and slide. Money changing hands and somehow returning larger. Great ships loading exactly the right amount of goods and supplies for their journeys.
Codex will start with trade and finance ideas.

[] A massive kiln glowing with heat. Workers pour ore in and a huge bounty of molten metal spills back out. Iron is shaped into hundreds of ordinary tools that people use to do their usual work with much more ease. There's so much precious metal that it's even used to nail wooden boards together!
Codex will start with ironworks technology.

[] Neatly-ordered fields divided along clean lines. Massive farms providing truly huge harvests. Slightly-different crops and livestock that seem more bountiful and healthy than before. Wooden contraptions process plants with surprising efficiency, and a bolt of cloth hangs off a strange machine.
Codex will start with agriculture ideas and technology.

[] A metal cylinder with strange protrusions and bars. It hisses in a slow beat, moving back and forth to pump water up a hill, power a great bellows, or even move wagons without horses. The Codex flickers agitatedly along the many steps in its construction, as if warning you that it will be a difficult project.
Codex will start with a steam power technology and will prefer unlocks that lead towards building and using it, but this is a big project.

 

[Rockeye]

Quest mechanics:

This will be a CK2-Style quest with a main character who has stats and traits, actions sorted into categories you pick one or more from, and a d100 with modifiers rolled for most events and actions, where meeting a threshold means success.

The goal of the quest is to use your Codex Crystal and the visions of technology it gives you to start the industrial revolution in a fantasy world.



Dice mechanics:

I'll roll a d100 for everything except specialized, specific rolls. Any applicable bonuses plus one of your stats get added to most rolls unless they are luck/fate rolls.

Actions have either a Difficulty, Progress, or Neither. Actions with Progress get the d100 roll added to their Progress when they are taken and complete when the progress bar fills. Actions with Difficulty succeed if the result plus bonuses is greater than the difficulty. Rolling 50 over the difficulty after bonuses is a Great Success, with improved results. Rolling 100 or more over the difficulty is a Critical Success, with dramatic results depending on how good the crit is. Rolling less than 10 over the target is a Bare Success, which usually causes a complication.

Natural 100s explode (roll again and add the second roll to the first), and any bonuses apply again to exploded dice. Natural 100s are Natural Criticals and do even better things for you than regular critical successes.

Natural 1's will suck hard, even if you have enough bonuses to technically succeed at the action anyway there will be some significant penalty..



Money:

Your Profit is an abstracted general accounting of your resources and money. It represents the overall wealth and resources you personally control. You want this number to go up over time.

Profit can be Invested while an action is going on, which means it is unavailable and locked up in something but you are likely to get it back when the action completes barring critical failures or hostile action. Things like trade missions, opening a new business, or giving loans to people will involve Investing Profit.

Profit can be Burned as well. Burned Profit is gone, spent, poof. Bribes, funding research, and building new machinery or structures are the kind of thing that Burns Profit. It's often worth it, but it does mean you won't be getting those resources back... At least not directly.

Every three turns there is a quarterly review. Many projects will generate profit once every three turns. For example, a small weaving workshop might generate 2+1d4 Profit per quarter, and a bank with a lot of assets to loan out might generate 3d6 - 6 Profit per quarter (small chance to lose money).



New Tech:

The Codex Crystal reveals new technologies slowly as you become ready for them naturally, or can be prompted for new ideas with an action. Generally to put something new into use you will have to unlock it in the codex (time or actions), study it and build an outline (actions and not money), experiment build prototypes and develop the tech (actions and money), and then actually put it into use (actions and money).

There will also be an element of knowledge-building and institution-building, though I am undecided what it will look like. One steam engine is not worth all that much in the long term. An engineering school that makes steam engines? Does quite a lot more for long-term progress!



Enemies:

Your biggest long-term challenges and enemies have yet to reveal themselves... For now, your greatest enemy is the natural reluctance of people to change and the general poverty of the place you find yourself in.

More details will be edited in as I solidify them.

 

[Rockeye]

Excerpt from:
The most significant organized civilizations in the world, summarized, year 1133 A.P. (After-Piebellum)
Being an attempt at a Reasonably Objective View of the world.
Written by Drace-al Harraby, Prince of the Elm Coast Holds, loyal subject of Emperor Carrus III.

Firyn is a harsh place. For all that its people have a strength of spirit that allows them to throw themselves into their passions with reckless abandon and often achieve great things in doing so, the land itself does them few favors. It is generally mountainous, prone to earthquakes, and home to many varieties of dangerous animals, some of which have magical properties (such beings being colloquially referred to as 'monsters'). Most settlements of Firyn are along the coasts, but their intrepid spirit means that the determination to carve homes between the crags and the toothed horrors of Firyn's interior will probably never waver. Even the waters surrounding this place hold more danger than average, with many shallows and rocks and winds that make shipping and trade risky.

Every decade or two there is a new idea or plan to bring success and prosperity to Firyn. A few are relatively sensible ideas that simply proved impractical, such as clearing roads, tunnels, and harbors, or expanding the fishing fleets. But far more common are extremely risky, ludicrous, and outright insane 'ideas' that still somehow attract major investment and public excitement. From attempts to tame and ride Skydrakes, to strange towers that wave flags at each other to pass messages, to alchemy experiments that lead to enormous explosions, and even an aborted attempt to use the lava from The Great Anvil to heat a huge complex of baths!

Making it all worse is the fact that The Great Anvil, an eternally-active volcano deep within the broken land of Firyn, is considered a holy place by most of the faiths popular on the continent of Sudaria, supposedly being an abandoned workshop of the Gods. Crusades and invasions from the south inflict the land of Firyn on a predictable basis, sometimes supported by wizards and blessed priests! But they are always repulsed - no time in recorded history has such a crusade even approached success.

The only reason Firyn is here to stay is that the same terrain, lack of infrastructure, and monsters that make it so difficult to settle and trade also make it nigh-impossible to invade without phyrric casualties. The Firyn keep to themselves in their eternal struggle against their own land and the anger of Sudaria, staying out of the wars between great powers. Heaven only knows what they might accomplish if their insane plans start working, though.

Information about future option revealed. Starting location "Firyn"
Advantages: Pro-innovation culture, insanely reckless populace, very resistant against invasion, Great Powers not worried about this place
Disadvantages: Insanely reckless populace, Monster infestations, Difficult terrain and little infrastructure, Regular target of crusades that invariably fail

 

[Rockeye]

Probably the last info-post before I close the vote.

Great Powers of the world:
The most powerful political groups in the world, whose actions can change the course of history.

The Holy Gastonian Empire. A fractious feudal government divided up into many complicated Holds, Duchys, Baronies, Crown Lands, Free Cities, and so on and so forth, all ultimately paying tribute and fealty to Emperor Carrus III, long may he reign. In times past the title of Emperor was little more than ceremony, but under Carrus II it began to centralize more and more powers under the Emperor, most notably in stripping much of the various nobles houses' power to decide the next Emperor, forming an Imperial Army, and removing some intra-Empire tariffs.

Erdwel. A people with very strong seafaring traditions, who are known to swap between piracy and trading in an instant. There is no single overall ruler of the Erdwel Nations, but against external foes they will band together and form the most powerful Navy in the world. They expand by conquest and raiding, often kidnapping women and children to return to their homeland - though these captives are rumored to actually be better treated on average than Gastonian slaves, made into peasant families but not degraded and forced into hard labor.

Lumeria. This land is ruled according to strict religious codes, maintained by the Church of the Everlasting Light. By living according to the tenets of humility, discipline, order, and hard work, people can live relatively safe and peaceful lives, shielded from the worst threats in the world. Those who take up the a holy calling as Guardians of the Light join a military that is somewhat lesser in skill, numbers, and equipment but makes up for it with excellent discipline, solid leadership, and a willingness to sell their lives dearly for the Light.

Minor Powers of the world:
Nations notable and influential enough to warrant consideration, but not quite in the same tier as the Great Powers.

Ionia. Idyllic islands with pleasant weather, good farmland, an excellent position for trading, and a collection of minor deities that did not decide to return to Heaven, which discourages the occasional thoughts of invasion.

The Republics of Sudaria. Loose coalitions of city-states on a desert-dominated continent. The usual way to reduce dissent is to launch crusades where tens of thousands of angry young men leave and a few hundred heroes return.

The Murkhid Horde. Nomads who travel with their herds over vast steppes too cold for good farming, with a fiercely independent culture. They are dangerous when angered but don't pose a true threat to major powers.

Veschwar. A kingdom with a long history of defending itself against invaders of all kinds, that it survived and thrived against despite the odds. High population, martial culture, and an aggressive posture towards potential threats.

 

[Rockeye]

Codex Agricultura

When you look at a farmer's field these days, you almost want to cringe. You know dozens of ways they could be doing it better. Every struggling farmer barely eking out enough food to survive the next winter is a human life wasted. If they could produce more food, or preserve it for the future better, the number of people available to do things like crafting, studying science, making fine goods, and artistic pursuits like painting and singing would skyrocket. When most of everyone has to spend their days out in the fields, there's very little chance to make progress toward the future.

When it all comes down to it, food is the bedrock of human civilization. Without the humble farmer, kings and nobles and merchants would starve. Armies could not march, weavers could not make clothes, monks and scholars could not copy out books. Improving the ability to produce food is probably the single most important cornerstone upon which you can build that miracle world. You get the feeling it will take longer to have truly impressive results than some of the other things the Codex showed you, but once you see those results you will have a rock-solid foundation to move forward from.



Initial Unlocks:
Four-Field Crop Rotation - Simple and easy to teach to any peasant farmer. Divide your fields into four. Wheat becomes turnips, turnips become barley, and barley becomes clover, then repeat. The exact plants can be substituted with similar ones depending on what is available and needed. The benefits are twofold - balancing out what is planted keeps the land in better shape, and having grazing crops available year-round makes it easier to keep livestock, well, alive. Even if farmers will gripe about not growing anything in a quarter of their land.
Wind and Water Mills - Actually growing plants is not often the hardest part of a farmer's work. Turning the raw plants into usable food - threshing, drying, sorting, grinding, mixing, and so on - takes most farmers quite a lot of time and effort. You can use wind and water to move large grinding stones, processing grain into a consistent product with much less muscle power than before. By freeing up the farmers to tend more plants or do other kinds of work you benefit the economy, and by selling cheap flour you benefit your stash of profits.
+1 from starting location choice

Initial Research Prospects:
Ammonia Fertilizer - Extracting the stuff through various disgusting or difficult methods will be a trick, but apparently ammonia is very, very good for the growth of certain plants. And the Codex Crystal hints at future uses, too.
Mill Machinery Standards - A big problem with making lots of anything is that every smith and carpenter does things differently. Even different pieces by the same person often don't fit together. You need to fix that somehow.
+2 from starting location choice



Choose a starting location

[ ] Firyn. A land of monsters and crazy ideas, whose people are incredibly reckless and thus always willing to try something new. The insanity might cause trouble for your investments. At least they stay well away from the world stage, more concerned by fighting their own land than outside threats - not counting the Sudarians who never seem to make much of a dent in their crusades.
Advantages: Pro-innovation culture, insanely reckless populace, very resistant against invasion, Great Powers not worried about this place.
Disadvantages: Insanely reckless populace, Monster infestations, Difficult terrain and little infrastructure, Regular target of crusades.
Extra initial unlock: Salt Evaporator
Extra initial research prospects: Barbed Wire, Step Farming

[] Fressia-Hatania. A wealthy Duchy under Emperor Carrus III. The province jealously guards the secrets to growing a very special crop: Sugar beets. The rare, sweet delicacy demands an extremely high price among nobles. There is a lot of opportunity here, but there are many risks as well.
Advantages: Slavery, lots of investors and merchants, skilled workers, produces rare luxuries, excellent land and sea trade routes in the area.
Disadvantages: Slavery, imperial bureaucracy, squabbling nobles, bandit problems, religious tension, border province might get invaded.
Extra initial unlock: Sugar Press
Extra initial research prospects: Seed Drill, Compass

[ ] Veschwar. A kingdom that has been constantly under attack for centuries and clawed its way to relevance through war. The people here are bitter, tough, and always looking for a military advantage. While most of the world is very wary of them, this kingdom is ripe for industry and innovation.
Advantages: High population, Military prioritized, good internal security (death to bandits), stable government.
Disadvantages: Military prioritized, Landlocked, Trade embargoes, Great Powers are worried about this place.
Extra initial unlock: Improved Horse Collar
Extra initial research prospects: Cast Iron Plow, Vodka Distillery



Choose a character archetype. More character creation to follow.

[ ] Scarred Knight
[ ] Shrewd Merchant
[ ] Rogue Alchemist
[ ] Disgraced Noble
[ ] Unfortunate Genius - gain superior stats and possibly other bonuses, but suffer at least one major disadvantage, such as being labeled a heretic by a religion, being afflicted by a magical curse, not being entirely human, or similar.

 

[Rockeye]

A text recovered from the sealed archives of the Summa Lux, a temple dedicated to Khysia, God of Light, in Lumeria.
Presumably seized as heretical in times past and then forgotten. Author unknown, but the original language - an older version of Secca - indicates that it was probably written by an Ionian.

I am more sure than ever now: The Gods are inhuman.

Of course they're not humans. Their very flesh is so suffused with magic that it's not entirely real. They can perform free-form magic and impose their will upon the world however they like, unlike that strict and regimented kind that wizards learn to wield. Their minds do not work the same way, perhaps as a result of seeing or feeling different things than we "mortals"... And they can cross the barrier between Heaven and Earth.

(A note for readers: It is not always agreed whether "Heaven" is one world like our own, or many disconnected realms. Some say that Heaven and the Celestial Garden and the Rivers of the Dead and various other places the gods speak of are all different places - I can offer no insight to this, but will use "Heaven" to refer to all places outside of Earth.)

So what is a God, exactly? I will use a definition that brushes aside all quibbles of kami versus deus versus djinn, which excludes clerics, paladins, demigods, and monsters. Let more academic tomes on theology quibble and debate the barriers between kinds - I am making general observations about the family. For my purposes, a God is a person who comes from Heaven, who wields magic in ways human wizards never could, who is unaging by nature, and who makes it their business to interfere in the affairs of humans if they encounter any.

What drives them on a fundamental level? We mortals are sometimes said to be driven by greed or fear or lust, and sometimes by love and compassion, or hope. There are stories of goodness and evil from every human culture in the world, and in my years of travel I have found that men and women all ultimately feel the same drives, whatever their beliefs and ways of living are.

Gods do not follow the same drives as humans. There are gods of compassion, yes. Gods who embody bloodlust and revenge, or any other human emotion, and gods who have little to do with the people of Earth at all. There is a clear pattern to my mind - not an ironclad rule without exceptions, but a general trend sussed out from a thousand fragments of stories. Weaker or lesser gods almost always seem obsessed with a tiny domain, with no care for anything that does not relate to what they want, even as instruments of long-term gain or cooperation. Only once they have decades or centuries of experience or vast power gathered - however gods gather these things - do they become more sophisticated.

I once observed the development of a kami of a young spring for two years. I was lucky enough to witness her descend from Heaven one spring morning and immediately fixate on a beautiful mountain spring. Her form was that of clear, flowing water that shifted from one moment to the next and glowed with a faint blue light. For the first several months, she did nothing else besides rest in her own waters, wander around the edges and imitate the shapes of any animals or people who approached.

When anyone tried to talk to her, she would imitate the noises as one might imitate an animal's, but clearly did not understand that they had meaning. She showed little curiosity about anything beyond her source-waters, and besides clearing leaves and other debris out of the water and blessing several trees in the area did nothing of interest.

That changed when a wandering Saur took up residence in the spring. Its foul presence drove away the animals and was slowly poisoning the water. The kami was frantic, trying to drive it off with spashes, light, and steam, but she was too weak. I ran to the nearby village and paid a party of local toughs to return with me and kill it - kill it they did, slaying the Saur but taking several nasty injuries in the process. The kami's expression was unreadable. She healed them... And then tried to get them to stay, and grew alarmed and upset when they wanted to leave. They eventually managed to escape, thankfully.

After that point she paid a lot of attention to me when I visited. I taught her to speak - her attention was still hyper-focused on her source spring, and she only wanted to learn about monsters that might threaten it and how to get more men with swords to come after the monsters, or how to kill them herself. I had to leave for other lands soon by that point, but I introduced the kami to a friend I had made, and from her reports the God slowly began to understand humans - though things like children, modesty, and needing to eat were unfamiliar, the ideas of nations, wars, and barter were comprehensible as soon as she had words for them.

A more full recollection of this kami is included later in these pages. I hope the observations will be useful to theologians.

The workings of older and more powerful gods achieve far greater sophistication. Take for an example the God with the most human support anywhere in the world, the one widely regarded as the single most powerful entity on Earth: Khysia, the Eternal Light. While Khysia's tales exalt her compassion, honor, and love in modern times, upholding her as a guardian of order in a chaotic world and a wise caretaker for those who follow her, the early myths of Khysia reveal a far more spotted history. Early stories include actions like burning cities that had surrendered to her armies, ending a plague by killing everyone who was currently infected by it, and asking parents to sacrifice their children to prove their devotion to her faith was sufficiently great.

Even now, everything I have been able to research in the stolid land of Lumeria indicates that Khysia herself does not comfort petitioners or give sermons. I cannot help but wonder, given my experiences with other gods, whether this is because she would be bad at it. Perhaps it's no wonder that all the truly "successful" gods have large and devoted priesthoods and ecclesiastical traditions. Humans understand humans, and by working together with a god can wield the god's powers to exercise great influence on the mortals of this Earth. Thus I envision priests and clerics not as servants, but as partners of a sort - the same way a knight is almost seen as a partner of his noble patron, and with gold and guidance can achieve goals that his lord cannot.

Other examples include-



Most of the rest of the pages are badly damaged. A note in Lumerian is scrawled at the bottom of the last one.



Volan,
We found this on a foreigner arrested for unauthorized possession of alcohol. I've only translated a bit of it, but it's obviously the ravings of a madman. He questions the nature of gods and compares the Good Light to heathens who worship mud, sex, and murder. Ludicrous! Khysia's nature is inherently superior to heathen spirits, and her love is perfect and eternal. Her honor and guidance is the only thing that protects us from the monsters we could be. Perhaps he wanted to mislead the people for his own gain? Regardless, he has been dealt with. This rag may be of interest to the Lightbearers, so they can better learn what misleading lies are being told in our lands. Archive it for now and hand it over at the next annual visit.
Aeternum Lux.

 

[Rockeye]

You are Master Harold Bismarck of house Bismarck, a respectable but not particularly grand noble house in the nation of Veschwar, and you are lying down in a scratchy bed, shirtless, feeling like someone threw a rock at your head.

You were deathly ill after you first held the Codex Crystal. Almost two weeks, you were told later. For half a month, you were insensate. The world was nothing but horrible headaches crowded away by the images the Codex was showing you, washed-out images of a roof, blurred faces hovering over you. You were feverish. Babbling. In intense pain.

And now, you're alone except a man in armor who you don't recognize is in your room. Even steady Sir Cable, your personal knight assigned to you as bodyguard by your father, is gone.

"Good afternoon, Mister Bismarck."

Mister? Your eyes narrow. Does he know what he just-

You watch the neutral expression on his face quirk into an ever-so-slight smirk. A shift in his eyes. Yes. He does know you are a noble. Except, apparently, you're not anymore. You were 'Master Bismarck' last month, and you would be 'Lord Bismarck' if something had happened to your father. 'Mister' is a commoner man's title.

Your horror must show as you realize that you are being stripped of your nobility for your misdeeds, because the man nods slightly.

"I see you realize your situation, Mister Bismarck. Good. My Lord Governor was hoping you would just die and be out of our hair, but apparently we're not so lucky."

You swallow involuntarily. "The Lord Governor Burke?"

"That's the one, Lord Governor of the province of Neumsfar. Your Lord Governor. Now, what you did is not quite enough to merit an execution. And you're still a literate and numerate man, something that is in somewhat short supply in the more remote parts of our great kingdom. So, no hangman's noose for you. Lucky break, yeah?"

"W-Who might I have the pleasure of speaking with, sir?"

"Me? Captain Varn. 4th Cavalry, Eastern Army. Just call me 'Captain' and we'll get along just. Fine."

On the last two words he leans forward, something hard and resentful in his eyes.

"Let me be frank with you, Mister Bismarck. You fucked up very badly. My superiors want you to disappear and never cross their paths again. So you are being carted off to the middle of nowhere to serve as an administrator for a sleepy hamlet in a sleepy boring corner of Veschwar. There's no inns or court musicians and I'd wager the best wine you can get is whatever you let ferment in a pool behind your new 'manor'. Your new duty has only token pay, the locals will probably resent you, there is no room for advancement. You cannot refuse this honor. Your family has been politely asked not to assist you too much, and I doubt they would want to anyway. Are we clear?"

...This is what you get for being sick for two weeks right as the whole mess came to a head. You weren't able to schmooze and control the damage- And it still would have been a disaster even if you had been awake to control how it landed. There was probably a whole bunch of favor trading that you will never learn the details of, as your father lost position and prestige in front of the Lord Governor's court to try and run interference for you as best he could.

At least they're not executing you. And there's a silver lining to that awful towering stormcloud of obscurity: You are being disappeared, whisked away to somewhere you can't do much harm, which means that hopefully you can start on the project the Codex Crystal showed you without anyone paying particularly close attention. And maybe, if you are very successful in this quiet corner of misty hinterlands, you can someday redeem yourself.

But you still want to cradle your head in your arms as you process his speech and wake up enough to remember just what exactly you did.

[ ] You displayed a consistent pattern of poor military leadership, and then shamefully got a lot of men killed in an incredibly reckless move while attempting to redeem yourself, disobeying orders in the process. Weak martial.
[ ] You somehow failed to notice an extremely bold fraud and embezzling scheme right under your nose, and when inquisitors showed up things fell out in such a way that the blame for the entire thing fell on you. Weak stewardship.
[ ] You got drunk with a very charming woman and let her into a record-hall when she expressed disbelief that anyone could stand to write an entire book. She knocked you out, stole some records, and burned the rest. Weak intrigue.

Oh, gods, what does your father think? How could you have been so stupid?

You aren't given a chance to pack; They've done it for you. You are handed a scroll that details exactly how much grain and potatoes the village you're being sent to is required to produce for the King's Granaries, and what price the Lord Governor has set for them. There's also a few notes on the village itself. Name: Nesiwald. Established 833 A.P. - It's 1138 now, so just over 300 years ago - population of one hundred ninety three families. One small church, to Shallya, the healer. The village headman is one Ludwig Nesiwald, almost certainly the direct descendant of whoever the place is named for and almost certainly never having been further than the next village over in his life, unless he was in the army.

That's how the villages in the hinterlands of Veschwar are - they pull food from the ground and occasionally send young men off to fight and die and don't do much else. The long journey gives you plenty of time to take stock of yourself, at least, and begin to plan to make the most of the place you now find yourself.

And plenty of time to stew in depression as well. Silver linings are nice and all, but you've lost most of what you had going for you after two weeks of feverish suffering, and it's going to be that much more difficult to bring the potential future you saw into reality! You think you're allowed to mope a bit, all things considered.

What have you got going for you despite this most ignoble disgrace? Pick two.

[ ] Familial loyalty. Despite your terrible mistake, family is still family, and once things calm down some you can perhaps reconnect.
[ ] Loyal Knight. Sir Cable, your childhood bodyguard and a capable if aging knight, showed up at some point and declared his support for you.
[ ] Blunted Disaster. The thing that led to your disgrace wasn't quite that bad. You might even get your noble title back someday.
[ ] Strong Constitution. You are less likely to get sick, recover better from injuries, and will age a bit more gracefully.
[ ] Curious Locals. The villagers of Nesiwald are surprisingly welcoming of 'new ideas from the big city'.
[ ] Bedrock of industry. The village of Nesiwald has a blacksmith and a small, low-quality iron mine. Lots of projects are easier.
[ ] Nest egg. You somehow managed to squirrel away a bit of gold from that disaster. Start with 15 Profit to spend on your projects instead of 5.

You can buy additional one additional advantage from the above for each of the following misfortunes you take. Obvious conflicts are obvious.

[ ] Familial hate. Your family doesn't just want nothing to do with you. They actively hate you for what you've done to their position, and want to get revenge on you.
[ ] Death and Taxes. The Lord Governor has levied additional fines on you. You must burn 10 Profit at the end of your first, 15 at your second, and 20 after your third year in this post or suffer the consequences.
[ ] Weak Constitution. Be wary of plagues and injuries, for you have always fallen ill a little easier than those around you!
[ ] Local Resentment. The villagers of Nesiwald are a bit resentful at the 'cityfolk' coming in and telling them what to do.

Pick a strong stat (do not pick the same one as your weak stat). You are already strong in Diplomacy.

[ ] Martial
[ ] Stewardship
[ ] Learning
[ ] Intrigue
[ ] Piety

And finally, which personality trait most defines you (besides your utter determination and hope to bring an industrial future to the world)?

[ ] Kind
[ ] Ruthless
[ ] Commanding
[ ] Humble
[ ] Diligent
[ ] Brooding
[ ] Aloof

Plan Vote, Please!

 

[Rockeye]

Name: Mister Harold Bismarck

Titles: Steward of Nesiwald. Formerly heir of House Bismarck, a small but established Noble House in the Kingdom of Veschwar.

Portrait: To-Do

Bio: Harold Bismarck was a promising young man, taking to reading and arithmetic lessons well. He was heir to a solid if not especially famous house in the martially-inclined nation of Veschwar. Unfortunately, even from a young age he was not a very promising leader of men in war. He was both a poor tactician and had extremely lacklustre skill with a blade - to the point where he has not unsheathed the knife he carries for years. (You're not fully dressed in Veschwar unless you have at least one weapon on you.)

He was thrust into a military position despite his talents lying more in management and suffered defeat after disastrous defeat, eventually being stripped of his title and cast out by his own father, then assigned to a post as Steward of a small village in the hinterlands to languish with no room for advancement. However, he is now determined to make a mark on the world with an artifact that shows glimpses of a miraculous future...

Born in September 1117, currently 22 years old.

Stats:
Martial: 8 + 1 + 0 + 1 = 10
Stewardship: 13 + 1 + 2 + 1 = 17
Learning: 13 + 1 + 2 + 2 = 18
Diplomacy: 12 + 1 + 2 - 1 = 14
Intrigue: 10 + 1 = 11
Piety: 10 + 1 = 11
Combat Prowess: 6 + 1 - 1 + 1 = 7



Traits:
Noble Upbringing: A childhood and adolescence with enough food, access to doctors and tutors, and exposure to court politics. +1 to all stats. +2 Diplomacy.
Literate and Numerate: Being able to read, write, and do reasonably complex math is a rare thing in this world. +2 Stewardship, +2 Learning.
Martial Thought: Your past failures show that you're unsuited to the life of a soldier, but if you think carefully and try to see the 'rules', you can fit yourself into that headspace. -1 to all groups' opinions, +0 Martial, potential to evolve further.
Diligent: You cross the T's and dot the I's. Everything will be just so, even if you have to check it a dozen times. +1 Stewardship. +10 on certain rolls.
Codex Sync: You feel a bit more quick-witted than before. Is this the Codex Crystal's doing? Something to look into. +2 Learning. Learning and some Stewardship actions have dice explode on 96-100, not just 100.
Battle Trauma: Experiences in battle have left you with a palpable fear and hesitation that can make you freeze up when threatened with violence. This seems to be abating somewhat. -1 Combat Prowess.
Vengeful: Violence is the quickest solution to any problem, and taking vengeance for trespasses will teach people not to cross you. -1 Diplomacy. +1 Personal Combat. +1 Martial. You get a bonus on relevant rolls and vote weighting towards actions that are harsh or vengeful. You face a malus on actions that are forgiving or merciful and may need to pass willpower checks to take such actions.
Cautious Fighter: The better part of valor is living to fight another day... Affects your strategic and tactical thinking.
Sword Skill: 1/2 to completion.


Hobbies: What do you do for fun? Rated from 1 (occasional urge) to 15 (constant indulgence/addiction).

The first things you leap to when you need to relax or have fun. These numbers don't have an absolute mechanical meaning or even necessarily reflect how often you actually do your hobbies, but are just to keep track of what the character wants to do to indulge, what urges he faces when stressed, a big part of what makes him human.

• Reading/Experimenting/Being a nerd (9)
• Boasting/bragging (5)
• Organizing things (4)
• Petty revenge (I.E. Moving someone's favorite cup somewhere hard to find) (3)
• Time with family (4)
• Expensive food (3)
• Comfortable Lounging (2)
• Romance/Sex (Harold does not see a difference between the two at this point) (2)
• Booze (1)
• Gambling (1)

 

[Rockeye]

You are Harold Bismarck, and you are going to die!

Everything went wrong very quickly. You were ordered to locate a party of raiders from Gobria, just inside the northern border, and then use your discretion for a response. Locate them you did, and then you ordered a charge, judging them vulnerable and seeking to banish the rumors of your over-timidity. But the terrain was awful. Death rained down on your men from all sides. A piercing pain, arrows flying this way and that. Screams and noise and blood. You stumbled and fell flat on your face in the rough scree of a slope as the men you were supposed to lead died around you- You're going to die-

-You wake up with a start and reach around blindly, half-panicked, before remembering where you are. Your headache comes back with a vengeance and you groan out your reluctance to be awake. You're in a small barracks, a resting-place for patrols of soldiers along the road into the middle of nowhere.

Battle flashbacks. A horrible, ugly feeling, reliving the most terrifying moments of your life again and again, the cloying fear and helplessness never seeming to recede. You hate it. You think that other men, more skilled soldiers who didn't utterly fail and get a dozen good people killed for no reason, probably don't have to deal with this.

Can't let it get to you. You stumble out of the door, letting the cold winter air wash over your slim body and staring up at the looming, frost-covered forests around you. The path to Nesiwald is tricky, with muddy snow covering the road, but you have a borrowed horse. Horses can go through snow alright if you take care of them and move cautiously. Even as you nearly lead her off the road several times, you continue to make slow, plodding progress along the twisty roads into Veschwar's hinterlands.

And then your mind wanders onto something else to worry about. Just where did the Codex Crystal come from? You found it in an old box in your one of family's storage rooms, nestled among dozens of other shiny trinkets from a past decade where colored glass was in fashion. Could something have caused you to encounter it specifically? It might be a coincidence, but the uncertain origins of this mysterious and powerful magic item raises your hackles whenever you think about it.

At least, after endless days riding up rough terrain, feeling as if you would freeze at the end of each day's ride, with ugly and resentful looks from the soldiers all the way there, you arrive at the village of Nesiwald. It's not a very impressive place even up close, all mud-thatched roofs and scattered, sad-looking fields. The people around you are the very picture of poor farmers, with rough-spun clothes that are only mostly clean. They seem happy enough, if tired. The tallest building here carries a battered wood-carved dove, the holy symbol of Shallya, Goddess of Healing.

A wrinkled-looking but surprisingly spry man meets you at a house that's no larger but significantly nicer than the others, with stone walls and a tiled roof. Though even that is fairly run down. This is to be your place. A far cry from what you're used to.

"So you're finally here! Name's Nesiwald, Ludwig Nesiwald. I keep things in order around here, but I gather that's going to be your job now? I'll be glad to give it up - I've been wanting to retire for over a decade! My son didn't want the job, imagine that. Oh, I hope you don't mind sharing space with vegetables, Mister Steward. We haven't had one of those in decades so we've been using this place for some of the families who needed a little extra space to store their harvests."

"It's... Quite alright."

It's frustrating and a bit demeaning, actually, but you're in no position to complain. You're a commoner now, just like them. Even if you're 'cityfolk' and therefore not quite as trustworthy. Then again, these folk have probably known each other their entire lives, and rarely receive visitors except for the occasional horse patrol. It's no wonder they're a bit awkward around you.

"I'd like to go over anything you want to tell me, Mister Nesiwald. I have the documents from the Crown that say you give over winter crops every spring and potatoes and grain every autumn for the royal granaries..."

"Aye, and an alright deal that is too. But we can talk about that later. You must've had an awful journey - given the looks those men are shooting you." He draws close to you conspiratorially, lowering his voice. "Let me tell ya a secret... I was absolute shit as a military man too! Didn't dare join the army. Former nobles like you, you kind of have to, yeah?"

Leaning back again he laughs and says, "Let's get a nice dinner in you! You can meet my wife and kids and grandkids, and we can tell you all about Nesiwald, Mister Steward."

You get the feeling the man is genuine. It warms your despair a bit. "I'll be glad to have dinner with you, sir."

The reception from most of the other villagers is far cooler, mixed between awkward glances and cool politeness when you explain that you'll be accounting for the crops that get sent to the Crown. Well, you're stuck here for now, but you have plans for this place and over time might make it wholly different. Your future doesn't seem bright right now, but by the gods you light the way yourself.



The long trip to Nesiwald and poor road conditions due to the winter means that you arrived in February 1138 - the second month in Winter - instead of the first. Two turns remain until the end of the first quarter (Winter 1138).

Actions take one month unless otherwise specified. Actions with "Progress" add the roll to their progress bar, and take however many months are required to fill it to complete.

In addition to the per-category actions, you have 1 Free Action that can be applied to any category. Please plan vote on a list of actions to take in your first month in Nesiwald.

Martial. 1 action.

You are a disgrace of a soldier and a fighting leader. There's no denying it. In Veschwar, that's a permanent black mark on your reputation. Already, you see the humble people of Nesiwald looking at you with skepticism and making snide comments when they think you won't notice. It burns your pride a bit - okay, a lot - but you can't do anything about that. You are horrible with a blade, and a worse tactician. So when it comes to martial matters, perhaps you should simply get someone else to handle things for you regardless of how it'll make people say you're not a real man?

[ ] Seek a trainer. Travel to nearby villages and pay for advertisements. Send letters. Try to find someone who can train you in martial matters. It will be a long and hard road to improve yourself from 'abysmal', but perhaps some day you can approach 'passable' and stop those pitying looks. You get the feeling that if you remain martially hopeless it will color everyone's first impression of you, forever, and you can't have that.
Cost: 2 Profit burned. Difficulty: 25. Ongoing cost depending on trainer selected, if any.

[ ] Get to know the horse patrols. Once every couple of weeks a small patrol of horsemen under Cornet Renns visits town. You're not sure why when fighting men are often badly needed closer to Veschwar's enemies, but they ask after any troublesome animals or criminals then often go deal with such issues. The villagers appreciate them, acting friendly whenever they show up. Introduce yourself. He'll probably hate you, but you can't start to fix that without introducing yourself.
Cost: 0. Difficulty: 10. Introduce yourself to the patrolling soldiers.



Stewardship. 1 action. +1 extra Stewardship action in first month (eagerness)

Your new position as Steward of the small village you now find yourself in explicitly carries the duty to ensure that the Crown's crops are collected exactly as ordered. The task of improving the lands is a secondary priority - apparently you'll be sent a small packet of silver coins each year in addition to the payment for the crops (some of which goes to your pockets, and most of which goes to the farmers in question).

There's a lot to do, and you have many, many ideas. Some of them will take a while to get moving on. Time to get cracking!

[ ] Check out the blacksmith and iron mine. This is a great boon for your future projects - there's a small iron mine and a blacksmith already living in Nesiwald. You should spend time with the miners and the smith and his apprentice, checking out the working conditions so you have an idea of what you can use them for later - or how you can improve them, perhaps.
Cost: 0. Difficulty: 10. Gain more information on the blacksmith and iron mine. Unlock further actions.

[ ] Perform a census and make a map. The charter you were given said that there were 193 families in Nesiwald, but that is probably badly outdated. By gathering up information how many people live in Nesiwald exactly and what they do for a living, where everyone's houses and fields are, and so on, you will gain a handy reference for your own plans for this village. Maybe the Crown will even appreciate having more up-to-date information on their village. Unlikely, but you might as well send off a copy if you do this.
Time: Two months. Cost: 0. Difficulty: 30. Gain a bonus of +10 on Stewardship actions in Nesiwald, until the census and map is outdated.

[ ] Improved Horse Collar. Horses and other animals are used to pull wagons and plows. They are an essential part of life in a small village, but a quick look around at the animals you saw on your way in confirmed that the people are using a simple arrangement of leather and rope. You have information from the Codex about a better way to do it. Try to get someone to make a few and then sell them to people as an improvement. People will probably copy them in no time and you won't be the only source anymore, but it will help in the short term.
Cost: 3 Profit invested for 1 month. Difficulty: 30. Gain a small one-time Profit. Chance to improve Nesiwald approval. Nesiwald economy improves slightly.

[ ] Plan a Wind or Water mill. You can't just start building things willy-nilly and expect to profit. If you want to bring a central grain mill to Nesiwald you have to figure out where best to put it, write out detailed notes on the construction, figure out how you will get materials and labor to the site, research how much it will cost to hire someone to run it, and how much money you will make off the centralized grinding after all is said and done. Only by having details plans and charts will you be able to make the most of the Codex Crystal.
Cost: 0. Progress: 0/60. Unlock action to build a Wind or Water mill, depending on which works better in the local area. This is probably the fastest route to real profits.

[ ] Start four-field crop rotation (buy). This should be an easy and simple way to improve food production in Nesiwald. Should. Get to know the farmers, and figure out who might be willing to divide up their fields in a new and radical way on your say-so. Probably not very many of them, given the looks you've received since being put up in your office-cum-storehouse. To guarantee that you'll actually see a return on your money and to secure long-term profits you'll buy a few fields and then get the farmers currently living on them to become tenants, working the land that now belongs to you - or perhaps to the position, Steward of Nesiwald. That might be better to keep from being accused of acting like nobility despite your disgrace.
Cost: 10 Profit burned. Difficulty: 40+20 [Low Nesiwald approval]. Gain tiny tenant farms (four-field crop rotation) asset. Improvements may take a while to show.

[ ] Start four-field crop rotation (convince). Alternately, you could just try to convince the farmers to adopt your idea, helping seal the deal by giving them a loan or buying them new tools and asking to be paid back in a few months. You won't see as any profit directly and it'll be even harder, since what does some cityfolk know about farming anyway? But improving local food production will have some very nice knock-on effects, increasing the amount of grain that you can feed the mill you plan to build and therefore the likely profits, and freeing up more people to work on all the other projects you have in mind.
Time: Two months. Cost: 4 Profit invested until end of Autumn. Difficulty: 60+20 [Low Nesiwald approval]. Four-Field Crop Rotation starts on some farms, you will not see any direct Profit but the local economy will improve.



Learning: 1 action.

Learning what the Codex can teach you is going to be the bedrock of your plans to bring that miraculous future to this world. There will be three rough stages in bringing any new innovation to the real world. First, you study the Codex Crystal's visions to understand the general idea of how to produce the new innovation, gaining an understanding of the use and purpose and learning a general outline for how to produce it. At least this step will be essentially free - the only thing it will cost you is your own time and effort and perhaps a bit of paper.

Second, you will have to perform experiments on what you have deciphered. Watching someone else do it is not enough - you have to practice a sort of alchemy, working with your hands to build prototypes, test methods, and learn the pitfalls and bad ideas. This will probably be expensive, depending on the item in question. And finally, once you have working knowledge or a prototype, you will be ready to use whatever you have been working on for real. It'll be a difficult process but that's what you have to do.

[ ] Ask the Codex about itself. You don't understand the Codex. You found it in a bunch of out-of-fashion jewelry in your parents' storeroom, but that doesn't go very far to explaining why such an obviously powerful magical artifact was waiting there for you to discover it. Or why nobody else can see the light it shines for you. You can sort of guide the Codex to certain subjects if you try. Why not ask the Codex about itself? You might be able to learn how to better use it, figure out what it's doing to make you a bit more sharp of mind, or even figure out where it came from.
Cost: 0. Difficulty: ???. Gain information.

[ ] Ammonia Production outline. Extracting the stuff through various disgusting or difficult methods will be a trick, but apparently ammonia is very, very good for the growth of certain plants. Unfortunately the methods that produce useful amounts seem to involve a lot of complicated alchemy-like processes. The Codex Crystal hints at future uses, too.
Cost: 0. Progress: 0/[??800-1200??]

[ ] Mill Machinery Standards outline. A big problem with making lots of anything is that every smith and carpenter does things differently. Even different pieces by the same person often don't fit together. You need to fix that somehow, to make expanding easier. The methods the Codex proposes to try to deal with this seem straightforward enough, but it will probably take a lot of experimenting to put them into practice.
Cost: 0 Progress: 0/200

[ ] Cast Iron Plow outline. It seems like a heavy plow made of cast iron can bite into the soil more effectively than the wooden ones in common use currently. The Codex promises that a single animal can prepare far more land than before with a cast iron tip to a plow. Blacksmithing is more complicated than you first thought, and it looks like an unusual method is required here. You'll figure it out.
Cost: 0. Progress: 0/[??250-400??]

[ ] Vodka Brewing outline. There are plenty of potatoes being grown in the local fields. They're an easy crop that grows in almost any kind of soil. The Codex is showing you methods to turn potatoes into a new kind of alcohol using fermenting and strange boiling processes. The new drink would probably be fairly cheap to make and could be a good source of income. Potatoes are cheap.
Cost: 0. Progress: 0/[??400-600??]

[ ] Seek new ideas. See what the Codex has to show you, spend time letting it wander to whatever it wants to display to you instead of directing it somewhere specific.
Cost: 0. Unlock new technology prospects depending on roll.



Diplomacy: 1 action.

Life in a small village like this is rather far from the courtly politics and diplomacy you had expected to be dealing with right now, but you can apply charm and diplomacy to your new situation all the same. After all, a lot of your work will be getting people to accept and use your ideas. Simply developing them is not enough if the people are too sucpicious of you to take what is being offered.

[ ] Say hello. You should meet as many of the villagers of Nesiwald as possible. Ask after their troubles, learn who the important figures are in town. Show them that you care about how they're doing - because you do. You want everyone to prosper and become rich. Hopefully your sincerity will be appreciated.
Cost: 0. Difficulty: 40. Improve Nesiwald approval.

[ ] Nearby villages. There are other villages in these hinterlands, despite what the hilly forests looming above you and making the world seem far too small might make you think. Make a point to travel along the trails to any neighboring villages and learn more about the place, even if you're only the Steward of Nesiwald itself. This will hopefully get easier when winter ends.
Cost: 0. Difficulty: 40. Learn about nearby villages.



Intrigue: 1 action.

You might not think there's much sneaking around or circumspection to be had in a tiny village like this, but gathering information and using less-obvious methods to accomplish this or that will be useful later, when your changes attract too much attention. Some of what you intend to do is probably illegal, and competitors might react badly to you. You can garner small advantages now and prepare for when that will be necessary.

[ ] Local gossip. You think you can identify the local gossips easily enough, and then by earning the friendship or at least attention of them by gossiping a little yourself you can earn yourself a place where you can hear the local rumor mill. It's unlikely to be very interesting but could help you keep an eye on the mood of the village at least.
Cost: 0. Unlock Nesiwald Rumor Mill, local gossip coming out once a quarter.

[ ] Send an apology. You think you can get a letter delivered to your family if you are appropriately circumspect and pay the right person. It would be bad form to openly send them a letter, but you can send a secret one. Traveling merchants do this sort of thing for 'little considerations' all the time. Apologizing profusely for the whole mess won't put you back in their good graces immediately, but it would show your family that you mean to make up for it.
Cost: 1 Profit burned. Sincere apology sent to your family.



Piety: 1 action.

Gods. Divinities. You don't fully understand them, but you think nobody does. Whether the gods are truly benevolent and kind or if their blessings are some kind of partnership or hobby, or something else entirely, you're not quite sure. You've never seen an obvious miracle - a glowing bolt of light that leaves a man fully healed, or lightning from clear skies to strike an enemy - but their more subtle workings seem real to you.

You made a study of it when you were a bit younger, asking people who they pray to and for what and seeing how they do - people who pray do better at the things they pray for on average. It was a fairly clear trend. You think that you have at least a smidge of true faith in you, having done that careful study and seeing the effects painted in a sheet of reports and numbers. Not to mention the magical powers of certain gods' chosen followers: Clerics. Devoting some time to them seems like a good idea.

[ ] The Healer. There's a small church to the goddess Shallya here. Gods can be inscrutable at times, but the blessings they provide to people who faithfully pray are real and undeniable. Shallya's domain is healing, a fairly popular subject when plague and fighting are both capable of ravaging entire villages. Find the church, meet the priest or caretaker, and pray, asking Shallya for the strength to continue on despite misfortune.
Cost: 0. Difficulty: 30. Gain a bit of divine favor?

[ ] The Donation. There's a small church to the goddess Shallya here. Gods can be inscrutable at times, but the blessings they provide to people who faithfully pray are real and undeniable. Shallya's domain is healing, a fairly popular subject when plague and fighting are both capable of ravaging entire villages. But the church seems rather shabby, even the holy symbol of a carved dove looking worn-out. You can afford to make a donation to the church for repairs, having a goddess of healing approve of you sounds like a good idea.
Cost: 2 Profit Burned. Difficulty: 20. Fix up the church some. Chance to improve Nesiwald approval. Gain a bit of divine favor?

[ ] Other Gods. You can spend some time to think about the other gods popular in Veschwar. While the blessings of Shallya are not half bad at all, other deities can deserve your attention too. Remember everything you can about your theology lessons growing up and make a list of other gods you might want to invite to Nesiwald, and ask the locals who else they pray to.
Cost: 0. Difficulty: 20. Get information about other gods, new actions.



Personal: 1 action.

You can't endure every moment of your days being devoted to productive work in the long-term. Personal projects should distract you from more complicated and difficult tasks and give you a bit of time to unwind.

Personal actions don't have difficulties.

[ ] Paper, please. You have a bit of ink and a few notebooks, but with all the writing you intend to do - keeping track of farm yields, performing a census at some point, accounting, plans and calculations and experiments for your industrial ideas - you're going to run out sooner or later. Find a merchant that can get you a crate of the things you need to write. That should last you a while.
Cost: 1 Profit burned. Gain enough paper and ink that you won't be pressed for writing material soon.

[ ] Tidy up the place. Your new home has been empty except for vegetables for decades. You are very much unused to doing these things yourself but you have to learn some time. Clear out the stored objects, clean everything up, get some kitchen utensils and re-learn the very basics of cooking, and generally settle in to your new home. You're probably going to be here a while, might as well get comfortable.
Cost: 0. Settle in, make the new home more comfortable.

[ ] Chat with the neighbors. In small villages like this being on good terms with your neighbors is important. They're the ones who will mount a rescue mission if you get lost in the woods, give you enough food to tide you over a bad winter, and help out in small ways with little kindnesses. Chatting and getting to know the people you've been appointed Steward off certainly can't hurt, and maybe it will wear down some of the social walls between you.
Cost: 0. Socialize and hopefully make friends.

 

[Rockeye]

I decided to split this up into 2 parts since some actions came easier than others to write out. All results are already determined, I simply haven't finished writing the rest of the actions (Martial, Diplomacy and your three Stewardship actions still to come).

I clarified the dice mechanics a bit in the quest mechanics informational threadmark. I also decided that Diligent personality applies to doing a census despite earlier saying it doesn't, but it didn't make a difference in this case.



You are Harold Bismarck and you are determined not to complain. Life in a small village in the middle of nowhere is nothing like living in your family's manor. You expected that, you tried to resign yourself for it and thus mentally prepare yourself, but you were unable to imagine two things: First, the amount of work that goes into everything and how uncomfortable the world is without servants whose job is to help you. And second, how boring it is to live in the middle of nowhere.

Thankfully, the second problem is not really an issue for you. You have quite a lot to work on, and a library the likes of which (you suspect) the world has never seen hanging around your neck. You may be a limp noodle of a man who can't pick up a bow or blade without risking hurting himself, but you damn well can't give up on a life your charges as a noble of Bismarck lived every day within the first month!



Learning: Ask the Codex about itself. You don't understand the Codex. You found it in a bunch of out-of-fashion jewelry in your parents' storeroom, but that doesn't go very far to explaining why such an obviously powerful magical artifact was waiting there for you to discover it. Or why nobody else can see the light it shines for you. You can sort of guide the Codex to certain subjects if you try. Why not ask the Codex about itself? You might be able to learn how to better use it, figure out what it's doing to make you a bit more sharp of mind, or even figure out where it came from.
Cost: 0. Difficulty: ???. Gain information.
[89+18=107, bare success.]

The Codex seems confused at first. Your first attempt at this leads to long periods of staring at meaningless swirling noise with brief glimpses images it has shown you and even briefer views of incomprehensible complexuses of wire and materials you've never seen before. Your next few tries are much the same.

Perhaps the way you're focusing on the Codex is wrong? You don't know how it responds to your thoughts, but so far you've mostly been thinking about things it showed you before to push it back to those topics. You've been thinking about the Codex itself, how it makes a light that shows books and moving images.

Time try something else instead.

You think about wanting to learn about the Codex. For almost half an hour it wanders aimlessly as it does when you're not focusing on anything. Sometimes it takes that long to show something specific. Nothing.

You try a slightly different way of thinking about wanting to understand the Codex and wait. Nothing.

You take a break and work on something else for a while, because focusing like that can be exhausting to the mind.

And then you try more variations. Eventually, one lingers on images of people in long robes, making motions and signs with their hands, chanting in a language you don't recognize. Wizards? None of your other inquiries make much sense, and the Codex almost seems to sulk after showing you this, responding more slowly for a time.

Of course the Codex is reluctant to explain itself, you grumble. It would just be too convenient otherwise. But you've gotten a hint. Presuming it isn't lying.

Hint gained: Wizards are involved probably? Revealed that this action is very hard. Difficulty will lower a bit with every attempt except on a critfail.



Intrigue: Local gossip. You think you can identify the local gossips easily enough, and then by earning the friendship or at least attention of them by gossiping a little yourself you can earn yourself a place where you can hear the local rumor mill. It's unlikely to be very interesting but could help you keep an eye on the mood of the village at least.
Cost: 0. Unlock Nesiwald Rumor Mill, local gossip coming out once a quarter.
[Autosuccess, forgot to add a difficulty to this.]

Gossip is a constant of the human condition. Everywhere people live together, there will be interesting strangers to speculate about, marital drama to opine on, and tiny slights in word choice or tone to agonize over and analyze. You see echoes of courtly gossip in peasant life- The patterns of it here are just adjusted for local conditions. And while you were never an expert in avoiding or wielding gossip like some of the other nobles you knew, you were passable enough.

Most of the local rumors go through a few locuses, people whose life and joy is gossip and who go out of their way to gather it up from as many sources as possible and distribute the most interesting bits out again. You can set yourself up as a source for Hans (a rakish sort who may be leaving for the army soon), Karolina (a grandmotherly type who makes it her business to visit everyone interesting), and Sarah (who is so alarmingly plain your eyes can pass right over her on an open field).

The price of their regard is almost trivial to pay - the occasional tidbit about courtly life or the Big City, which you can almost always avoid making about yourself or your failures, distracting them with a note about how Master such-and-such was supposedly pursued by two mistresses from rival houses who both bordered his own. The kind of thing that you have a nigh-endless well of from simple exposure.

From the gossip network you learn the names of noted curmudgeons, which old men are seen as wise and which as senile, and you begin to see a bit more about how village life works and who makes the decisions. Perhaps you can do something useful with this after all.

You're part of the local gossip network now. New actions unlocked.



Piety: The Donation. There's a small church to the goddess Shallya here. Gods can be inscrutable at times, but the blessings they provide to people who faithfully pray are real and undeniable. Shallya's domain is healing, a fairly popular subject when plague and fighting are both capable of ravaging entire villages. But the church seems rather shabby, even the holy symbol of a carved dove looking worn-out. You can afford to make a donation to the church for repairs, having a goddess of healing approve of you sounds like a good idea.
Cost: 2 Profit Burned. Difficulty: 20. Fix up the church some. Chance to improve Nesiwald approval. Gain a bit of divine favor?
[36+10=46, success.][Local approval? 19=No.][Shallya favor? ???+30=???, results in ???]

It turns out that Priestess of Shallya is a rotating position of the oldest unmarried girls in Nesiwald. When you first turned up at the church to pray you were met by a young woman in a simple dress with a dove brooch pinned to it. You asked for the priestess and almost didn't believe her insistence that it was her! But this has been a tradition in the village for a while now, for some odd reason.

Maybe it's to get them exposed to more potential husbands - One of them flirts at you when you come to pray to Shallya, touching her lips before promising to protect you from danger in an embarrassing subversion of the usual roles! Perhaps it was just a joke. Romance and sex outside of marriage isn't actually against Shallya's teachings as long as it's done reasonably cautiously, but you're not interested in anyone at the moment.

Regardless of that, in a couple of weeks the church is decidedly less shabby. There's a new holy symbol and the boards of the sides and tiles of the roof are in better condition. The villagers don't really take note of the improved church. Possibly because it's winter and hardly anybody leaves their houses more often than they can help it. The priestesses are grateful (perhaps too grateful) and a few others make nods of approval at you, but if you were hoping for an improvement in the opinion of the whole village you are disappointed. It would be counterproductive to brag, of course.

You make a habit of praying throughout the month. The ritualized words are rather inspiring and poetic. Some other time perhaps you would have wondered why these words and this meter was chosen, what purpose it serves in the human psyche, or if Shallya just likes the sentiment - but the constant noise of analytical thoughts stays away when you pray.

It doesn't take your mind off things, exactly. Your mind wanders more than ever in your prayers. You remember your family, a brother, two sisters, a dazzling array of cousins and aunts and uncles of different houses with questionable loyalties and motivations all. You remember pain and battle that you miserably failed at, fumbling and helpless despite begging the gods with tears in your eyes to make you less so. You remember your mother's sad smile and your father's grimace.

As to the divines smiling down upon you, lifting the burden from your weary shoulders and healing scars both physical and not? Not exactly. You might feel a bit warmer than you should after these prayers. You're not sure. You try to have faith in Shallya, however. After all, most divine blessings are subtle. That's why faith exists.

Church improved and priestesses met. Blessings, if you get them, are usually too subtle to notice.



Personal: Chat with the neighbors. In small villages like this being on good terms with your neighbors is important. They're the ones who will mount a rescue mission if you get lost in the woods, give you enough food to tide you over a bad winter, and help out in small ways with little kindnesses. Chatting and getting to know the people you've been appointed Steward off certainly can't hurt, and maybe it will wear down some of the social walls between you.
Cost: 0. Socialize and hopefully make friends.

It turns out that Ludwig Nesiwald, the old headman, is considered kind of a batty old coot by many of the villagers. They're glad he took on the hated task of tallying up crops and negotiating with every family about their takes and tithes, then seeing that the money from the government is distributed fairly. You're the bearer of that burden now - he laughs at you.

You meet his family, as promised. They're a numerous and wild breed all living under two roofs, the youngest still a toddler who they worry might not make it to age five, the point where it's generally agreed the dangers of infancy are past. One of them strikes you as notable - while they say she's only fourteen years of age, Sasha Nesiwald is an enourmously dangerous young woman. One afternoon, apparently to show off for their visitor, she challenged her much larger brothers to a series of physical games, from rock-tossing to pig-wrestling.

She beat them all by undermining them with perfectly timed insults and petty mischief that you think only you noticed - and you only noticed some of it. A few strands of straw slipped into a hat to itch one's neck, a bit of snow crushed on her opponent's rock to make it slippery, a stick left in just the wrong spot. She asked you if you'd seen anything like her display in court, touching the back of her neck and winking. You admitted that you hadn't and she nearly laughed her head off and clapped you on the back so hard you gasped.

You also made a point to spend a lot of time with the man who made the new swan for Shallya's church, Bertram Cooper. He added a number of small touches that spoke to a deep understanding of his own art and what Shallya means to people. The man has a calm and steady voice and a knack for making one feel listened to, then dispensing sage advice and quoting a god or priest relevant to whatever was troubling you. The crossing into real friendship came when he asked how long it took to make your pen-strokes so smooth and you spent a couple of hours doodling and teaching him to hold the pen - something he took to well, like just another carpenter's tool.

There is cream and whey in any mixture of things that there's any variation to. In this remote village, the pool to search is not all that large, but you think you have found some of the cream. They're not exceptional (not like you) but they are skilled in their own ways, and having friends will be a great help.

You are friends with Bertram Cooper
A skilled and sober carpenter some 30 years of age who is good enough at his work that he can make a living almost entirely from wooden creations. He likes gods and seems to give good advice.
Above-Average Learning. High Piety.

You are probably friends with Sasha Nesiwald?
A peasant girl 14 years of age or so, very, very lively. Granddaughter of Ludwig Nesiwald. Wields a full-size bow despite her youth, as well as a large club and a wicked streak of mischief.
High Martial. Above-Average Intrigue.