Robin and Ms. Price!
Set Up an Early Warning System
DC 50
d6: 1 (Cosmic Creepers does not activate)
Roll: 1d100+17+15+10+5; 8 ⇒ 55
Bare Success
Robin and Teagler!
Structure the Army
DC 80
Roll: 1d100+22+15+16+15; 5 ⇒ 73
Bare Failure
Pepperinge Eye Company!
Convince the Sherwood Gang of the Merits of a Constitutional Monarchy
DC 80
Roll: 1d6; 5
Cosmic Creepers activates!
Roll: 1d100+11+5+15+10+14; 43 ⇒ 98
Success
Robin and Marian!
Unite the North into an Independent Nation
DC 75
Roll: 1d100+10+15+10+18-6; 43 ⇒ 90
Success
Professor Browne and Marian!
Establish Standardized Education Curriculum
DC 75 & 85
Roll 1 (Learning): 1d100+11+13-6; 94+1d100 (Exploding Dice); 35 ⇒ 147
Massive Success!
Roll 2 (Occult): 1d100+9+6-6+10(Exploding Dice); 90+1d100 (Exploding Dice); 52 ⇒ 161
Massive Success!
The following weeks after the Second Battle of Birmingham were filled with laughter and celebration. Not only had the Coalition grown in strength with the addition of the people of Pepperinge Eye, but they had dealt the Horned King a massive blow that was sure to cripple his forces for a good long while. He would definitely return one day, but for now, the North was safe from his evils. And they, a motley army of mortals armed with nothing but wood, steel, and flame, had made it so.
The celebrations only picked up when a messenger arrived from Birmingham. Apparently, the citizens of the city had seen the Horned King's humiliating defeat and were inspired by their courage and the fact that they had forced the being to retreat. So, taking advantage of his whittled numbers and disarray, the people rose up and forced him out of Birmingham, driving him southward towards Worcestor. The rebels then immediately petitioned to join the Coalition, who accepted joyfully. Birmingham was made the center of the war effort against the Horned King, acting as both a military outpost and a spy HQ for scouting trips into the Horned King's territory. And there was much rejoicing throughout its streets as their new freedom was celebrated.
It only got better when word reached them that news of the Horned King's two defeats at Birmingham had already spread through the land, encouraging mass unrest and rebellion. Many people jokingly wished the being luck in putting down so much resistance with just fragments of the Cauldronborn army left.
In the meantime, now that their independence had been guaranteed, it was time to focus on the future. Before Robin and the others left back for Nottingham, he and Ms. Price set up an advanced warning system, a series of scouts and watchtowers south of Birmingham that would watch for the Horned King if he ever tried another invasion. However, even with Robin's prior scouting and Ms. Price's broom helping out, the Horned King's pettiness and anger became apparent when it was realized that the best spots for outposts and towers had been rendered unusable due to the Horned King's anger. Despite this, the Coalition managed to create a suitable network that should help fend off any attacks from the South.
Upon their return to Nottingham, Robin and Teagler tried to organize all the armed forces the Coalition had acquired for their war with the Horned King, a process much easier said than done. Although Robin had briefly fought in the Crusades, and then been wounded and sent home, he had only done so as a soldier, not an officer, and thus didn't really know much about military organization. It didn't help that their forces were composed of several companies and armies from varying time periods, with different weapons, training, discipline, and creeds all around. Getting them to mesh together neatly under one banner was a messy process. Robin was extremely thankful for Teagler, who had taken what would have been a massive, messy disaster and, with a lot of work and effort, made it into a somewhat organized blob. It will require more work to make it into a fully functional army, but it was suitable for a defense force for the time being.
Despite military matters losing the sort of luck they had been having for the past few months, it seemed that said luck had simply transferred to the home front. Robin and Marian had talked with Ms. Price and her compatriots on the way to Nottingham and were inspired by the stories of a constitutional monarchy. So, they recruited a few scholars of the law from the territories and managed to draft the first post-Upheaval English Constitution, drawing influence from all periods of time, as well as the American model (America was a story Robin was very interested in hearing, as it reminded him of his own adventures). It also established the Northern territories as one unified country all under the law code that Marian had drafted up in the early days, with a few additions to accommodate the other territories. Many had suggested making the capital of this nation in Nottingham, but Robin had objected, claiming it was too close to the border. As such, the capital of the new nation, the United Kingdom, was set up in Liverpool. Elections for the new Parliament were planned to commence within the month, and the people couldn't be happier.
Marian and Professor Browne also made massive strides in a standardized education system for the new nation's children. Apparently, the "Professor" title (unlike a lot of things about the man, apparently) was actually genuine. The man had graduated from Cambridge with an education degree back during the start of the 20th Century. As such, when it came to designing a curriculum with the various notes from multiple people across the country (despite Oxford, Cambridge, and London being inaccessible), they were able to create something worthwhile for both grade school and university level courses. However, they had also managed to do the same for several planned magic academies that would teach the magic of Astaroth to any who wished to learn, making it the first blueprint for official magical education in any known histories!
All in all, things were looking up for the United Kingdom! Some things needed work, but the taste of victory and freedom was on everybody's lips, and everyone couldn't wait for what tomorrow would bring.
Birmingham liberated! South England in chaos! The Horned King must now spend the next turn putting down revolts, and must do so with a -10 malus due to depleted forces!
Warning system established! All surprise attacks on the Southern border now take a -10 and all deliberate attacks/raids take a -5.
United Kingdom founded! Elections for the new United Parliament will take place next turn!
Standardized education curriculum created! DC for creating a school system reduced!
Robin has spent a lot of time learning about government! +1 to Stewardship!
A/N: A bit shorter than normal, but they did spend the beginning of the turn fighting a war, so... hopefully the next one is longer
...Do Igthorn and Robin know of each other? And if so, would it possible for them to enter an alliance of convenience? Sure, Iggy is a dick, but he also managed to stay alive in friggin Wales, which is the main nucleus of the Horned King´s Realm - meaning that with the new Uk being centered around Birmingham and Liverpool, an alliance of these two survivor pockets could restrict and box in HKs movement into the North very effectively...at least for the moment.
I like this set of omakes but also now that I think about it the Horned King is basically fighting against people who are essentially his worst match up both narrative and mechanically wise counter his strengths and are strong in areas he's weak for a few reasons.
-Teagler fought in the great war which means he has plenty of experience both fighting human wave tactics against more advanced foes and taking part in said human waves and surviving. This is bad for the Horned King because he basically likes using tactics that while effective against medieval foes are considered unimaginative at best and tactical suicide at worst when fighting Teagler's entrenched troops
-as noted above the Horned King has trouble fighting enemies with similar magic levels as exemplified with Price and her totally-not-a-rubricae Substitutiary Locomotion magic basically creates better minions both quality and quantity wise.
-The Horned King is facing pretty heavy ttrition problems dut to his blunders and it's going to tae a while for him to reorganize and thanks to the home guard it's getting harder for him to do even nuisacnce raids at the border
...Do Igthorn and Robin know of each other? And if so, would it possible for them to enter an alliance of convenience? Sure, Iggy is a dick, but he also managed to stay alive in friggin Wales, which is the main nucleus of the Horned King´s Realm - meaning that with the new Uk being centered around Birmingham and Liverpool, an alliance of these two survivor pockets could restrict and box in HKs movement into the North very effectively...at least for the moment.
Whether or not Igthorn and Robin have a talk is up to Swedish, since that's his thing. Currently, I'm waiting for him to produce his next turn so we can properly gauge the current status of the Horned King and Igthorn, since I don't want to cause any contradictions or tough spots down the line for him. Until then, expect updates from Arendelle on my next posts.
-Teagler fought in the great war which means he has plenty of experience both fighting human wave tactics against more advanced foes and taking part in said human waves and surviving. This is bad for the Horned King because he basically likes using tactics that while effective against medieval foes are considered unimaginative at best and tactical suicide at worst when fighting Teagler's entrenched troops
Micro update on my situation all. So; I did manage to land a job about a month and a half ago. And I learned a very important thing about myself. That I am really not suited to a work-from-home setup when my "office" is also my bedroom and entertainment area. My natural hermit tendencies were encouraged to a very unhealthy degree, and depression kind of had me by the short and curlies for a while without me noticing. However, I start a new job on the 31st where I will be working for my county's Children's Services. More income, actually getting out of the apartment, and interacting with people in person instead of only through video calls. Also I'll no longer be working in a bill collections position.
So, I've not only started a new quest; "Overlord Genesis" (based on the video games by Triumph Games), but I've also updated my "Digimon Word: Reformat" quest (Roughly based on the original Digimon World game). Aladdin quest will be following in due time, I promise.
Swordsmen (Infantry, Good in Melee)
Archers (Infantry, Good at Distance)
Foot Knights (Heavy Infantry, The Sturdy Anvil)
Knights (Heavy Cavalry, The Great Hammer)
Lancers (Medium Cavalry, Can do Charges)
Skirmisher (Light Cavalry, Can Scout and Skirmish)
Horse Archers (Light Cavalry, Can Shoot while Riding)
Camel Lancers (Medium Cavalry, Can Charge and are Good against Horses.
Camel Archer (Light Cavalry, can Shoot and are Good against Horses)
Martial
-[] Restructure the Military Organisation
DC: 120
Cost: 5 000 Gold
Reward: Christians and Muslim soldiers gets combined and become Jerusalem's Soldiers. A second Martial action is unlocked.
-[] Patrol the territory
DC:30
Cost: 3 000 Gold
Reward: Better security, can spot strangers easier, more income from traders
-[] Train Soldiers to fight and move in forest and rural terrain
DC: 40/60
Cost: 1 500 Gold
Reward: Remove malus for fighting in forests and rural terrain.
-[] Study a couple of Halberds
Cost: 2 500 Gold
DC:40/60
Reward: 200 Halberdier, Can recruit and train Halberdier, Proficient in usage of Halberd(axes)
-[] Recruit and Train Soldiers (Choose 3 options)
--[] 200 Swordsmen (Infantry, Good in Melee)
--[] 80 Foot Knights (Heavy Infantry, The Surdy Anvil)
--[] 33 Knights (Heavy Cavalry, The Great Hammer)
--[] 100 Lancers (Medium Cavalry, Can do Charges)
--[] 160 Archers (Infantry, Good at Distance)
--[] 100 Skirmisher (Light Cavalry, Can Scout and Skirmish)
--[] 50 Horse Archers (Light Cavalry, Can Shoot while Running around)
--[] 80 Camel Lancers (Medium Cavalry, Can Charge and are Good against Horses.
--[] 40 Camel Archer (Light Cavalry, can Shoot and are Good against Horses)
Dc 60
Cost: 4 000 Gold
Reward: Gain more soldiers.
Stewardship
-[] Fix the bureaucracy
DC: 100
Cost: 1 000
Richard and Saladin's stats are added together for main actions.
-[] Prospect for new resources
DC: 65
Cost: 1 500 Gold
Reward: Options to improve Income
-[] Improve the aqueducts
DC: 30
Cost: 2 000 Gold
Reward: Better chance to survive droughts. Sieges can't cut off your water. Better farms.
Diplomacy
-[] Make a friendly contact
--[]France
DC 150
Cost: 10 000 Gold
--[]Sicily
DC 85
Cost: 5 000 Gold
--[] East India Trade Company
DC 90
Cost: 7 000 Gold
--[]Egypt
DC 60
Cost: 3 000 Gold
--[] East
DC 40
Cost: 2 500 Gold
Reward: Gain an ally that supports the current regime in Jerusalem, information.
-[] Attempt to make surrounding towns join you as a protectorate.
DC: 60
Cost: 3 500 Gold
Reward: More territory, Income and resources
Intrigue
-[] An ear to the ground
DC: 30
Cost: 1 500 Gold
Reward: Unlock Rumor Mill.
-[] Scout Far
--[] East
DC: 40
Cost: 2000 Gold
--[] Egypt
DC: 50
Cost: 2000 Gold
--[] Greece
DC: 65
Cost: 2500 Gold
--[] France
DC: 65
Cost: 2000 Gold
Reward: Information, Possible spy network.
-[] Investigate the British islands
DC: 200
Cost: 3 000
Reward: Find a possible foothold on the British Islands for traders and spies.
-[] Seeking after strange paths
DC: 100
Cost: 500
Reward: Faster travel time to Masyaf. Can utilise the Order of Assassin on actions that occur outside Masyaf. Will not lose influence over Masyaf.
-[] Move the Order of Assassin to Jerusalem
DC: 80
Cost: 2 000
Reward: Can utilise Order of Assassin on actions that occur outside Masyaf
Learning
-[] Seek for a learned man
DC Variable
Cost: 1 000 Gold
Reward: Gain a hero that specializes in Learning.
-[] Investigate the Dungeon of Solomon.
DC: 60/95
Cost: 1 000
Reward: Treasures
Occult
-[] Seek for a man of mystique
DC Variable
Cost: 1 000 Gold
Reward: Gain a hero that specializes in Occult.
[] Create a Holy Order
DC: 70
Cost: 5 000 Gold,
Reward: Holy Order to defend Jerusalem's sacred places
Personal Richard
-[] Read some books
DC: 30/50
Cost: 0
Reward: Reward: Better stability for the Leaders, ??? Adventure
-[] Train Economy
DC: 35/100
Cost: 0
Reward: +1 Stewardship, Gain a trait
-[] Mingle with the Soldiers
DC: 35
Reward: Better stability for the Soldiers
-[] Train Someone to Fight as Knight
--[] Who? (Cost a personal action for said person)
DC:1/80
Cost:0
Reward:+1 Martial for the trainee, the Perk: "Heavy Sword and Board Style" is granted to the trainee.
-[] Train Someone on the Path of Knights
--[] Who? (Cost a personal action for said person)
DC
Progress: 500
Reward: The perk "Chivalry of the Knights" is given to the trainee.
Saladin
-[] Work more
DC: None
Cost: 0
Reward: Add your entire stat to a single action
-[] Annoy, Badger, Keep Richard company
DC: 35
Cost: 0
Reward: Better stability for soldiers and leaders
-[] Take a nap
DC: 30/75
Cost: 0
Reward: Better stability for the Leaders, ???
-[] Mingle with the Soldiers
DC: 35
Cost: 0
Reward: Better stability for the Soldiers
Rashid
-[] Work for the Old Soldiers
Assist a national action
Which?
-[] Experiments with your alchemical equipment
DC:???
Cost: 0
Reward: Creates something
-[] Help behind the scenes
Cost: 0
Reward: Add a +15 Bonus toward the Random Event Roll.
-[] Be mysterious
Cost: 0
Reward: Make an extra Random event Roll caused by Rashid himself
Adventures
-[]A Sword in Sicily
--[] Who (Cost a personal action for said person)
--[] Who (Cost a personal action for said person)
Lately, there have been quite a lot of strange rumours surrounding the Land of the Black Sands. There have always been old folktales and stories of the place of course, but the rumours seem to have risen lately. And the rumours also seem to be placed more and more in modern times instead of being about some old history that once happened.
Meanwhile, the order of assassins has also reported that they saw the scholar that gave some tips about the walls not so long ago. He had, impressively enough, managed to outrun the great sandstorm that came last month.
But the weird thing is not that he outran the sandstorm. Because honestly, it almost looked like the sandstorm was chasing him.
Rashid's hypothesis is that these two things may very well have a connection. That is...worrying.
It was also noted that it would probably be a good idea to create a way to easier and better spot useful strangers like the scholar. They may very well be willing to help the city in exchange for some coins.
Traders that visit Jerusalem have also raised concern about the rising sightings and attacks of pirates. While Jerusalem is quite far from the sea, the existence of pirates may very well mean that bandits may feel emboldened and grow bigger and stronger.
It was therefore decided to create scheduled patrols for the soldiers of Jerusalem. These patrols will patrol all the surrounding terrains that Jerusalem claims and then some more.
There was no trouble with implementing these patrols. They allow Jerusalem now to easily keep and scare away hostile forces. The better security also assures the traders that Jerusalem is a safe trade partner, which attracts more of them
Reward: Better security across all of Jerusalem's territory. Easier to spot strangers inside the said territory. +500 Gold in Income thanks to more Trade
Inside a study in Jerusalem sits Saladin and contemplates the last month. Before him sits piles of paperwork, while a kettle full of tea sits within his reach. While the last months went well they could have been better. The current way he and Richard are sharing the workload seems a bit lacking. As much as they are helping each other it sometimes feels as if they get in each other's way.
"Heh," snorts Saladin as he remembers the improvised lesson he gave Richard. Who would have thought that the great and famous King Richard Lionheart was bad at economics? After taking a moment Saladin shakes away the memory so he can focus.
"Very well then," he says as he stretches his arms and neck. He then returns to his parchments and papers before he picks up an ink bottle with a feather in it.
"Let's see, we need some more scribes for all the paperwork, more meetings between me and Richard and also better communication between us…" mumbles Saladin as he starts to write it all down. Many sleepless nights are spent on this idea until finally, after two months have passed it's finished enough so he can show it to Richard.
"Well, what do you think," says Saladin and preens. They sit inside Saladin's study and are drinking tea.
Richard looks up from the papers on how to improve the bureaucracy to simply stare at Saladin. Then he looks down at the papers for a moment before he looks up and stares at Saladin again.
"W-well, you sure as been through," says Richard as keeps shifting his attention between the preening Saladin and the paperwork in his hands. All while he looks totally gobsmacked.
"Indeed," says Saladin with a false put on haughtiness. At the sight of this Richard stops shifting his attention as all he can do in the end is burst out in a laugh.
"Well, I must say, Sal," he says between his breaths as he tries to calm down. "You are sure you aren't a djinn. For this sure looks like a miracle for my eyes."
"Aha, you have discovered my secret," jokes Saladin. "No need to worry though, all I ask for is for more praise." As he says this, Saladin tries his best to act like a proudful young master and gives an exaggerated bow.
A moment passes as the two leaders of Jerusalem simply just stare at each other with blank faces. Then their faces crack as they both burst out laughing once again.
Result: Richard and Saladins stats are added together for main actions. In the event King of Nothing of Sultan of Nowhere procs, Richard and Saladin may choose to not add their stats and traits to any action.
Diplomacy
-[] Attempt to make surrounding towns join you as a protectorate.
DC: 60
Cost: 3 500 Gold
Roll: 68+18+15 = 101
Success
South of Jerusalem lies Bethlehem and Beit Jala.
To its north lies Ramallah, Beit Ijza, Beit Duqqu and Al-Jib, once known as Gibeon in ancient times.
East of Jerusalem lies Abu Dis, Al-Issawiya and Bethany, famous for having the Tomb of Lazarus.
And to the west of the great city, lies Al-Qastal and Qalunya.
These and other small settlements, villages and towns all have two things in common. They lie very close to Jerusalem. And they are much smaller and have weaker settlements than Jerusalem.
At this moment, Jerusalem is one of the most prosperous places in the holy land and has currently the strongest military. This is thanks to the fact that their military consists of veterans from the Third Crusade while the leaders of Jerusalem themselves are probably two of the greatest generals throughout the entire Holy Land themselves.
Most people in the lands are convinced that the only generals that could match them would probably be some kind of legendary general from mythical Greece, or, according to some old-timers, the Old Sultan of Agrabah to the east.
In addition, it's a bit of an open secret in the holy land that the Order of Assassin has decided to ally themselves with Jerusalem.
It, therefore, doesn't come as a shock or surprise, that when Jerusalem states that they are willing to defend the cities and towns in exchange for that they pledge themselves toward the two leaders, that the settlements, villages and towns close to Jerusalem immediately pledge themselves to become a protectorate of Jerusalem.
Reward: More territory. 1 500 Gold in Income from taxing the new territory. 500 Gold in upkeep for protecting new territory. Direct access and ownership of Bethlehem and Bethany, site of the Tomb of Lazarus.
Intrigue
-[] Seeking after strange paths
DC: 100
Cost: 500 Roll: 4+14+30+20+20 = 88
Critical Failure
It was by pure chance that a weird spot was found last month. A spot where the space itself seemed to crunch up. If there did exist more such spots they could be useful.
Especially if there existed such spots on paths between Masyaf and Jerusalem in such a way that the travel time between the cities was drastically shortened. While this would give Jerusalem the power to much easier to influence Masyaf it wasn't the only benefit.
A much better benefit is that it meant that the headquarters of the Order of Assassin didn't need to move to easier gain information and orders from Jerusalem. Instead, they could remain in their fortress in Masyaf while still allowing Jerusalem to utilize them to their true potential.
But first, they needed to find these "weird" spots that could form a "supernatural" shortcut. And so, the old Man of the Mountain led his Order out to seek them.
Problem was, this was easier said than done. They searched across the lands, and yet they couldn't find any new paths. The weird spot they had found before was not very big and therefore not so useful on its own. It was nearly that they gave up.
RER:80
"But," says the blind beggar. "Nearly giving up isn't the same as actually giving up, isn't that right?"
Reroll: 37+14+30+20+20= 121
Success
In a mountain cave, a group of six assassins has created a temporary camp to provide protection against a storm that is roaring outside.
Their oldest member sits on the ground and grumbles over their bad luck at finding these so-called "supernatural shortcuts". While he does that, two of the assassins are sleeping and the remaining two assassins have watch duty at the entrance of the cave.
One of the guards suddenly stops sweeping his sights over the nearby terrain. He seems to have found something with his spyglass.
'A stranger has been spotted,' he silently signs. Like most assassins, he has developed a habit to use sign language when speaking with other assassins when on missions. Part of this is because they almost always use it to speak with each other on stealth missions and when on guard duty for those that are sleeping. Most assassins are namely very light sleepers.
The oldest of the assassin raises an eyebrow before he signs back:
'What kind of stranger?'
'According to his clothes and way of moving, he seems to be an experienced wanderer that is not very wealthy,' answers the other guard who has now also spotted the stranger.
'He also has…' begins the first guard before he stops for a moment. He takes an extra-long look before he turns toward the old assassin. 'I think he may be blind'.
The old assassin raises an eyebrow at that before he thinks for a moment. He then comes to design and nods.
"Go and invite him in here," he says and awakens the sleeping assassins. "That poor man shouldn't be forced to be out in this storm"
One of the guards nods before he vanishes. A short time later he comes back and this time leads the old stranger. While he has been gone the rest of the assassins have started a small campfire and cooked some of their provisions. One of the assassins gives the old stranger a cup of hot tea as the old stranger sits down at the fireplace, trying to easier dry himself.
The rest of the assassins were now able to take a good look at the stranger. He was an old man with long, whitening hair and beard. The clothes he wore consisted of a simple and rough pair of grey robes. But what easily caught the most attention was the bindel he had on his head and that completely covered his eyes.
Thank you good sirs for allowing these wry old bones to rest for a moment.
"There were no problems," said the old assassin with a smile as he gave the stranger some food that the stranger happily accepted. "It would only be cruel to let an old man freeze in a storm."
The conversation easily turns into idle chatter as they all start to talk about everything and nothing at all. Thunder booms and lightning strikes the ground as the storm continues. All while six assassins and an old stranger tell each other tall tales next to a fireplace.
But suddenly the two assassins that are still technically on guard-duty snap towards the sky, and everyone else follows their gaze.
There, high up in the skies, part of the clouds starts to bulge. The people in the cave can only stare as a hole opens up in the clouds high above.
And a star descends from heaven.
For a moment they can only stand there in shock and awe and watch the trail of the meteor. They watch, as the storm starts to peter out and turn into a normal rainfall.
"Amazing", whispers one assassin, giving word to what they all felt.
"Indeed," says the Old stranger with a knowing smile. He rises himself and dusts himself off before he starts to pack his meagre belongings. "Well then, I guess it's time for me to continue my journey."
"Already?" asks one of the assassins on guard duty in surprise.
"Yes, I have wasted enough time here" answers the Old Stranger as he explains. "The worst of the storm is over now and I must continue my travel to Jerusalem."
The old assassin turns his head towards the Old Stranger and a short moment passes. "I wish you luck on the road then" he finally says in a friendly tone.
"Ah, no need to worry for this old man" answers the Old Stranger. "I will probably soon arrive in Jerusalem. After all;" he continues before something seems to shift. "Where the stars fall, the way is shortened."
In the slightly shocked moment afterwards, the Old Stranger hastily makes his retreat after giving out his advice. The old assassin shakes his head clear before he lowers his hood, and The Old Man of the Mountain, Rashid, stares out at the sky.
"Look for the stars huh," mumbles he with a wry smile. Like that could help. Even since the Upheaval, the entire starry sky itself has been wrong. Constellations that have long fascinated people have been broken into pieces and switched around. There even are spots in the sky where there are only empty voids without any stars.
"Maybe they have fallen to the ground," muses Rashim softly. Fallen to the ground to shorten a traveller's path…"
Rashid's eyes widen as his thoughts come to a stop at the sudden realization. Could it be? Could it really be so? That right under those empty spots in the sky. One can find those "supernatural" shortcuts.
"It could at least be worth it to check it out," muttered Rashid as he started to give out orders to his assassin. Orders are written and birds are sent out to deliver them to the rest of the organization.
Silently Rashid also takes note that the mysterious stranger seems to have vanished in the wind after walking for a short while. Interesting. It will probably be a good idea to make sure the order keeps an eye out for the old stranger.
But that can wait for a moment. Soon, the entire order has been roused to seek the ground right below the empty spot. After all, even if it's a false lead, it is the only lead they have.
And as luck has it, it wasn't a false lead. There, right under the empty spot in the sky, the space itself was scrunched up which made paths much shorter than they should.
At the end of the month, all spots around and between Masyaf and Jerusalem had been uncovered and mapped out. This means that all "supernatural" shortcuts at these places are now known and can be used by the Order of Assassin and the leaders of Jerusalem. Thanks to this the Order of Assassin can still utilize its headquarters while now also being able to fully help Jerusalem with its problems.
Reward: Much faster travel time to Masyaf. The Order of Assassin is now fully unlocked Jerusalem's use and can now be utilized on actions that occur outside Masyaf. 1 000 Gold added to Upkeep of the Or of Assassin. Will not lose influence over Masyaf.
Learning
-[] Investigate the Dungeon of Solomon.
DC: 60/95 Occult:100
Cost: 1 000
Roll: 93+13+15=121 Occult Roll:47+10+15 = 72
Fire crackles as Saladin and Richard descend into the now uncovered underground remains of the Temple of Solomon. Dust rises from the floor as the two steps onto grounds untouched by anyone since the Babylons sacked Jerusalem nearly two thousand years ago. Darkness descends around them, and only the lights of their torches make it possible for them to see.
They find themselves in a corridor that continues down. In silence, they follow the path downwards. At the beginning of their journey, rubbles and debris block the way and they need to carefully walk around them. But the deeper they get, the fewer and fewer obstacles get in their way until there is no damage to be seen on the path.
Finally, the corridor ends and they find themselves in a small room with two small corridors leading away from it. Right at the border of the small room and one of the small corridors, sits a locked chest.
Saladin walks towards the chest and places his torch on a nearby sconce before he starts to mess with the chest lock, trying to get it unlocked. A short moment goes before Richard opens his mouth.
"Is it going well?" he asks Saladin with an eyebrow raised.
"Yeah yeah," answers Saladina bit distracted as he is concentrating on picking the lock with his claws.
"Sure," comments Richard sarcastically and rolls his eyes. He then continues in a more casual tone: "It would be a good idea to move out of the way". Saladin turns towards Richard in annoyance before his eyes widened at seeing Richard grasping his sword with his right hand.
Smash!
As Saladin nearly throws himself out of the way, Richard's sword comes flying through the air as it smashes the lock open.
"Are you trying to kill me!?" shrieks Saladin in panic as he tries to calm his heart.
"What are you worrying about?" asks Richard in a carefree tone. "You got out of the way, after all, didn't you?"
Saladin simply stares at Richard before he turns toward the chests.
"Crazy Christians", mutters an annoyed Saladin, as he opens the chest and pulls out a stone. He takes a long and investigating look at the stone before he gives it to Richard. "Here, look."
Taking the stone, Richard spots what Saldin meant. " It… It is a diamond," he says as he marvels at the diamond.
"Mined from the mines of King Solomon himself," mentions Saladin as he stares down into the chest filled with diamonds.
As they continue to explore the underground they find themselves in many minor corridors and rooms that are connected to each other. Spread out in the corridors and rooms they find lots of chests and vases of different sizes. Some of them hold coins made of gold and silver, while others hold gemstones.
At the end of this journey, they enter one of the last rooms in the underground. The rooms they find themselves in are filled with vases that are different from the others they have found. Richard carefully opens one vase and as he does it he is hit by a strange smell.
"Hmm? What is this?" he asks himself while Saladin continues to move forward. "It, Sniff, Sniff, smells a bit familiar. But where have I smelt it before?" Richard then crouches down and holds his torch closer to the vase so he can get an extra good look at it.
"Huh, is that the seal of the high priest?'' he wonders as he notices said seal marked on the cruise. Richard suddenly then gains a considerable look on his face. " Can it be?' He then rises and carefully dips a cloth into the jar before he raises it to his face to take a closer look at what was in the jar.
"It's oil," he says and his eyes widened as it starts to dawn on him. Richard then sweeps his torch across the room to shine on all of the other cruises. They all have the seal of the High Priest. "They all contain pure temple oil." Pure temple oil. The only fuel that was permitted to use to light the menorahs, holy candelabra and symbols within Judaism.
"Richard," Saladin's voice suddenly cuts through the room in a tone that sounds shocked and emotionless. He stands in a chamber directly connected to the other with his back turned towards Richard. "I think you need to see this."
"Sal?" Says Richard in a worried tone as he hurries after Saladin. "Are you okay? What is the prob…"
His voice suddenly cuts short, as he suddenly sees what has shocked Saladin.
"In the First Temple, there used to exist ten holy Menorah, surrounding the first one created. These ten were later stolen by Babylon when they sacked Jerusalem."
But it seems that they were not all stolen.
For here, deep below the remnants of the First Temple, Six Golden Menorah glimmers in the light of two torches.
Reward: Diamonds, gold and silver coins that are worth a one-time income of 7 000 Gold. Six Golden Menorah, crafted by Solomon. New Action unlocked.
Occult
-[] Seek for a man of mystique
DC Variable
Cost: 1 000 Gold
Roll: 68+10+15 = 93
Reward: Gain a hero that specializes in Occult.
"Did you find anything interesting, my lord?"
These words were the first things Saladin and Richard heard when they finally exited the underground remains of Solomon's temple. There, on a rock close to the entrance down into the underground, sits an old blind beggar. Both leaders of Jerusalem raise an eyebrow each, for this was not what they expected to find when they finally came up again.
"Indeed we did, good sir," answers Richard with a smile, before he continues. "Is there any way we can be of service to you?"
The old beggar chuckles a little before he answers. "Yes, you can actually. I have heard you are seeking an advisor of the occult. I have come here to offer my service."
Two eyebrows raise at that statement, and Saladin and Richard turn towards each other to silently debate. A moment passes before they both shrug their shoulders.
"Very well then," says Richard as he and Saladin quickly find a good place to sit near the rock for their improvised interview. "What exactly can you do, good sir?"
"I am a seer," states the blind man plainly to the two leaders' shock. "I can peer into the future to give helpful advice and help steer one in the right direction".
"That is a… very grand statement, good sir," exclaimed Richard after finding his voice again, slight doubt leaking out from his voice.
"Indeed," says the blind man with a smile. "Which is why I have already lent you some of my help".
"Aha. You are the man the Assassin ran into a short while ago, aren't you?" stated Saladin as he finally remembered why the old man looked familiar.
"Yes, I am that man," admits the blind man. "But as further proof of my mystical abilities…" With these words, the old man plucks a butterfly and to the two leaders' great astonishment, he turns it into stone. He then passes it to them so they can feel it really has been petrified before he returns it to normal.
Richard and Saladin then take a short break to silently discuss things. After a short while, they are unanimous and Saladin speaks up:
"Well, I guess you get the job then. You are the only legit magic-user who has actually sought the job. Just one question first. Why here? A seer like you can probably get a job nearly everywhere, so why here, in a city-state like this?"
An ominous presence falls upon them as the blind old man turns his head toward the south.
"Let's just say I expect you to run into an old enemy of mine, sooner or later," he then states with grim certainty. Silence reigns over the trio for some moment before Richard clears his throat.
"Eh, completely forgot to ask this, but what exactly is your name?" asks him and looks a bit sheepish
The old man turns his head towards Richard and seems to stare at him for a moment before he starts to chuckle. He then reaches out his hands toward the two leaders to introduce himself:
"The name is Fasir. It is a pleasure to meet you both, my lords."
Reward: Occult Hero: Fasir, has been recruited
Personal
Richard
-[] Train Someone to Fight as Knight
--[] Saladin
DC:1/80
Cost:0
Roll: 51+12+13+10 = 86
Success
Swosh
A heavily armoured faris swings his sword fast through the air.
Clang
The strike gets blocked by his opponent who then counterattacks with a sword strike of his own.
Schwing
The faris quickly shift his own sword to block the opposing crusader's incoming sword strike.
Schwing
They keep trading sword strikes and blocks with each other for a few moments before the crusader feints a shield bash and instead swings his sword with some extra force behind it
Schwing
The faris catches the crusader's sword swing with his own sword and directs it away from himself. He then needs to quickly raise his shield as the crusader changes his feinting shield bash to instead bashing the faris sir with his shield for real.
Clang
While the faris manage to block it, the force behind the crusader's shield-bash is still strong enough to push away the faris and give them some bathroom
The two heavily armoured combatants start to circle each other around the courtyard as they quickly try to catch their breath. And then they are back again to dance their deadly dance together.
Strikes are combined with feints, while blocks are combined with some subtle evasion as the two warriors keep fighting each other.
But the difference in their experience starts to show as the faris start getting more and more on the backfoot. He needs to focus more and more on his defence as the crusader relentlessly keeps attacking and the few attacks the faris manages to do gets easily countered. Either by some evasive footwork that tries to tempt the faris into overextending himself or by getting counter-attacked after a block
In the end, it ends with the crusader victory that was as expected. A shield bash to stagger the faris followed by a couple of mighty swords strikes to his head ends up being the finish strikes.
"Good work Sal," says the crusader with a cheerful voice. "You are getting better." He then grasps the faris outreached hand and drags the fallen warrior up to his feet.
"Ughh," groans Saladin as they start to remove their helmets. "Thank you. But rest assured, my body will hate you tomorrow." He then turns towards Richard and in a tired slightly annoyed state his thoughts: "This is revenge for the math lessons isn't it?"
"Yep," admits Richard cheerfully with a big grin on his face.
Reward: Saladin gains +1 Martial. He also gains the perk "Heavy Sword and Board," which grants the ability to fight freely in armour and also a +5 to combat with swords and shields
Saladin
See Richard's Personal Action.
Rashid
-[]Work for the Old Soldiers
Assist a national action
--[] Seeking after strange paths
Event Roll: 80
See: Intrigue Result
Treasury
●Income: 11 500
-○ 8 000 Gold from Jersualms taxes
-○ 2 000 Gold from trade with Masyaf
-○500 Gold from safer Tradelines
-○1 500 Gold from owning and taxing new Territory
●Temporary Income: 7 000 Gold
●New Upkeep: 1 500 Gold
-○Army 1 000 Gold
-○Protecting surrounding Territory 500 Gold
●Actual Income: 17 500 Gold
●Total Turn Expenditure: 10 000 Gold
●End of Turn Treasury: 18 500 Gold
New Stability
Leaders: 7
Soldiers: 17
People: 25
The King of England
Ser Richard Lionheart
Martial: 25 - (Not only one of the Third Crusade's great leaders but also someone that once wished to become a true knight.)
Diplomacy: 18 - (As a king he is very used to proper etiquette fitting a noble. On top of that he has also managed to gain the respect and love of the masses)
Stewardship: 6 - (While he did manage to collect the money for the crusade, there is a reason he mostly let his brother handle the finances.)
Intrigue: 12 - (While he is used to the intrigue of the courts he is not that used to sneaking around in person.)
Learning: 12 - (While he isn't exactly a man of science he did get a proper education as a king.)
Occult: 10 - (Richard has always held a certain fascination for the stories of old and the tales the bards used to sing. Something that came to be useful in the mad world.)
Traits:
"Crusader King" - Richard Lionheart was one of the leaders of the Third Crusade and as such he is well versed in the art of warfare. +20 To all rolls involving an army so long as Lionheart leads it.
"Chivalry of the Knights" - The stories about brave knights have always struck a chord inside Richard, and therefore he tries to emulate them. +5 to Diplomacy when interacting with commoners and +10 to Martial rolls involving fighting with swords, shields or lances. Can also use these weapons, with the same bonus, when he fights in heavy armour or on a horse
"Game of the Court" - As a king, he used to the deceptive nature of the court and its nobles. +10 to Intrigue and Diplomacy when interacting with those considered to be nobles or belonging to high society. Will not activate if he considers the people he interacts with as family though.
"Tales of Knight and the Fey" - Richard has always liked the stories the bard used to sing. As such he is well versed in the old fairy tales. +10 to Learning and Occult when studying or investigating anything relating to the Fey (including those relating to the Arthurian Mythos).
"King of Nothing" - Every turn Richard needs to roll a 1d6. On a 1 he needs to focus this turn on actions that could lead him to find people he knows or retake England. Any actions he partakes in that don't involve any of these topics gain a -20 to the roll.
Al-Malik an-Nasir
Al-Nasir Salah al-Din Yusuf ibn Ayyub
Martial: 20 -(By a sword in his hand, this man added new land to his territory and quenched rebellions.)
Stewardship: 20 - (Through pen in his hand, he was a great sultan that founded his own dynasty.)
Diplomacy: 18 - (Famous for his generosity while achieving great recognition as a chivalrous knight, Saladin was greatly respected by the Christian lords.)
Intrigue: 15 - (Facing plots, intrigues and assassination attempts under his rule he is well used to noticing that which hides amongst the shadows.)
Learning: 13 -(A well-learned man for his time, that has a deep knowledge of the Quran and the science of religion.)
Occult: 10 -(A faithful man that became the first Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, he knows quite a bit about old tales and stories from his kingdom.)
Traits:
"Great Sultan'' - By sword and pen, he managed to become the first Sultan of Egypt and was also the first ruler that was hailed as the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques. Saladin gains +15 to rolls involving administration, knowledge or leadership of those who live under Islam. Also gains +15 to knowledge rolls in lands that he traditionally controlled.
"The Eagle of Egypt" - Saladin was renowned for his conquests in Egypt, North Africa, and the Holy Land, and battled the Lionheart and the other members of the Third Crusade to a standstill after his conquest of Jerusalem. He gains +15 to his Martial score when leading an army, and +20 if the opposition consists of Crusaders or other Christian armies.
"Chivalry" - Well known and respected amongst the Christian world for his honour and character, but even a kind man holds grudge against those that displease him. Towards those who have earned his respect, he gains +10 Diplomacy, but towards those who have his enmity, he instead loses -10 Diplomacy.
"Sleeping with an Open Eye" - Many were there that wanted him dead. But in the end, not a single of the assassination attempts +15 against surprise attacks and assassination attempts
"Sultan of Nowhere" - Every turn Saladin needs to roll a 1d6. On a 1 he needs to focus this turn on actions that could lead him to find people he knows or retake Egypt. Any actions he partakes in that don't involve any of these topics gain a -20 to the roll.
Old Man of the Mountain
Rashid ad-Din Sinan
Martial: 15 - (While he is well accustomed to battle and being a commander, he very much prefers to command defensive wars or commit subterfuge operations)
Diplomacy: 18 - (A cunning man that entered negotiations with both local rulers, Crusaders and Saladin himself)
Stewardship: 17 - (Knows well the logistics of his order and what his lands needed)
Intrigue: 30 - (Was the grandmaster and leader of the Syrian branch of the Order of Assassins)
Learning: 17 - (Well read in scripture, science, philosophy and astronomy)
Occult: 14 - (His reading and experience have made him quite knowledgeable of the mysterious in this world)
Traits:
"Like a Shadow" - Before he became the grandmaster of the Order of Assassin he was a fully credited Assassin himself. And age hasn't made him worse. Gains +10 Diplomacy when trying to stay Incognito. +20 to Intrigue when he personally tries to stay hidden, infiltrate a place, steal something, scout a place, assassinate someone or do something else that can be considered to be sneaky. Can also use his Intrigue in place of his Martial when scouting.
"Leader of the Mountain" - As the infamous Old Man of the Mountain, the grandmaster of the Order of Assassin he gains +20 to all rolls involving the operative capabilities of the Order of Assassin. +10 to rolls involving any other spy network. This bonus will not vanish if he uses his personal action on something else for a turn. Will prioritize actions to fully reestablish the order of Assassins before any other kind of actions.
"Ancillary: Hidden Blade'' - A nice little tool that belonged to his predecessor. Grants +10 to Martial or Intrigue when he tries to execute any surprise attacks or assassination attempts. May add half is Intrigue to his martial art when fighting.
"Amateur Alchemist '' - Knows a bit about alchemical solutions and lore of herbs. His knowledge mostly consists of the study and creation of different poisons. +10 to Occult and Learning involving herbs, alchemical solutions or poison.
The "Blind" Seer
Fasir
Martial: 8 - Old he is, and his feeble bones are not as spry as they once were.
Stewardship: 8 - Long he has travelled across the lands. This means he doesn't know much about trade or how to keep a household going.
Diplomacy: 15 - Is a wise man, always willing to give out cryptic hints, who are surprisingly helpful.
Intrigue: 15 - A man who deals in the unknown and who often arrives and leaves unseen.
Learning:15 - Old and experienced, there is much he has seen and knows about.
Occult: 28 - He is a mighty and ancient seer, who knows much about the mystique.
Traits:
"Exit Stage Left" - One moment, he was suddenly there, the next, he is gone. Can add both his Occult and Intrigue to a roll, when trying to leave unseen.
"Enemy: Mirage" - Fasir gains a +10 to action and rolls that are against Mirage, the bonus rises to a 15 if she is unaware that he is acting against her.
"Traveller of the Orient" - Has spent many years travelling across the lands of the orient. Gain +10 to Learning and Occult when trying to learn about something from the orient.
"Seer" - Wisdom gained from peering into the future. Though cryptic hints are all you get, much can be learned from them. Any faction that Fasir joins may reroll their lowest dice roll once per turn. In addition, he gives said faction a +10 to their Event Roll
"Secret: Cyclop" - In truth, Fasir is not a blind man but an ancient cyclops from Greece. Gain +10 to Learning and Occult when trying to learn about something from ancient and mythological Greece. If this secret is revealed it gives up to -10 Diplomacy when talking with someone that would discriminate against him because of his race and up to +10 Diplomacy when talking with mythological monsters and creatures from Greek legends and myths.
Hey guys. I'm sorry that this isn't a proper update. I'm afraid that I've been in a funk fighting for inspiration for the last several weeks, and it wasn't coming. None of my projects have really updated. And today I lost the new job I'd gotten. I'm adjusting my situation pretty heavily; and I'm not sure when things are going to be especially stable again.
However, I can assure you that this project is not dead. Nor are any of my other projects. I will come back to this.
I have no idea if this is in any way helpful, but it helps me feel better and is the best I can manage right now. Good luck getting back on your feet. View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXK03FHVsHk
Hey guys. I'm sorry that this isn't a proper update. I'm afraid that I've been in a funk fighting for inspiration for the last several weeks, and it wasn't coming. None of my projects have really updated. And today I lost the new job I'd gotten. I'm adjusting my situation pretty heavily; and I'm not sure when things are going to be especially stable again.
However, I can assure you that this project is not dead. Nor are any of my other projects. I will come back to this.
I have no idea if this is in any way helpful, but it helps me feel better and is the best I can manage right now. Good luck getting back on your feet. View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXK03FHVsHk
It actually does help some, and it kind of reflects my mentality a bit tbh. I'm washing my hands of my current state of residence and taking up an offer of some good friends to room with them and try my luck in their area.
Barrier Penetration!
DC 200
Roll: 1d100+3+???+10+30 (Beacon); 67 ⇒ 110+???
Failure
Brute Force! Let's DIG!!!!
DC 60/90/120
Roll: 1d100+4+18+40+30 (Beacon); 8 ⇒ 100
Two degrees of success!
Mole has dug an underwater tunnel through the barrier! They have set up a small observation post on the Western Isle!
Nationals
Martial
[ ] Send out a hunting expedition
DC 70
Increases resources, improves state of affairs
[ ] Incorporate the vault weaponry into the guard
Increases Martial bonuses against invaders and during war
Stewardship
[ ] Send out a woodcutting expedition
DC 35
Increases resources, improves state of affairs
[ ] Send out a foraging party
DC 35
Increases resources, improves state of affairs
[ ] Set up mining colonies in the Western Isle
DC 70
Creates mines in the Western Isle, increases resources by +10 every turn, creates Income
Diplomacy
[ ] Reach out to distant villages
DC 70
Send a message to the other villages caught in the storm and invite them to Arendelle
Intrigue
[ ] Send scouts to survey the area
-[ ] North
DC 40
Increased knowledge about what's around, unlocks actions, may unlock potential heroes and resources
[ ] Investigate rebellious rumors
DC 50
Recently, rumors have been circling almost in all rungs of the societal ladder that paint you in a negative light. Whispers of revolt have sprung up here and there, but there's nothing concrete, nor is there quite that big of a response. Still, might be a good idea to clamp down on that.
Find the source of the rumors, ???
Learning
[ ] Study in the library
DC 40/80/120
Temporary Learning action bonus, possible actions, may unlock something about Anna
[ ] Study the fish
DC 85
Learn the inner mechanisms of these… fish, ???
[ ] Decrypt the vault script
DC ???
Be able to read the script on the walls of the vault
Occult [ ] Study the storm wall
DC ???
May bring new insight on how to break through the wall
Locked until paranoia dies down
[ ] Study Anna's condition
DC ???
May bring new insight on how to break Anna's curse
[ ] Study the Occult History section
DC 65
Gain a basic knowledge of what place has what magic
[ ] Study Gungnir
DC 50/80
Lower inexperience malus for all hero units, ???
[ ] Study the Crystals
DC 60
Discover importance of the crystals, ???
[ ] Talk with Kristoff and Olaf
Potentially decrease "Sacrificed Sister" malus
[ ] Interact with the people
Decreases "Monster!" malus
[ ] Interact with the advisors
Potentially increase advisor bonus
[ ] Personally look for solutions
May unearth something about the eternal winter or Anna's condition
[ ] Meditate
Try to focus inward to see what's causing your magic to go haywire
Kristoff
[ ] Spend time with the trolls
Eases Kritoff's stresses, may provide a bonus
[ ] Train with Gungnir
Can lower Kristoff's inexperience malus
[ ] Talk with Elsa and Olaf
Potentially decreases "Iced Love" maluses
[ ] Interact with the people
Potentially increases Among the Masses bonus, may uncover some of the rumor mill
[ ] Interact with the nobles
Potentially decrease Among the Masses malus
[ ] Personally look for solutions
May unearth something about the eternal winter or Anna's condition
[ ] A Strong Back
Help Elsa with something
-[ ] Which action?
Olaf
[ ] Research summer
Can gain temporary bonus due to motivation
[ ] Interact with the people
May unlock "Hi, I'm Olaf!" bonuses
[ ] Hang out with your friends
-[ ] Which one?
Adds +10 bonus to all actions taken by specified hero unit
[ ] Help Elsa
-[ ] With what?
Oaken
[ ] Manage your trading post
Required action after taking a national action
[ ] Peddle your wares
May increase supplies
[ ] Perform duties for the Queen
-[ ] What duty?
Maja
[ ] Train the Arendelleans
Can increase "Break the Frozen Heart" bonus
[ ] Harvest the ice
Increases Ice Merchant's stock, ???
[ ] Work for your new patron
-[ ] What to do?
Resources: 142/275 ⇒ 139/275
[X] Send out a hunting expedition
Assigned Hero: Kristoff
DC 70
Roll: 1d100+6+10+15+20-10+20; 80 ⇒ 121
Success
Sometimes, you understand what Anna saw in Kristoff to want to have a relationship with him despite having just met him (Hans must have been really charming, Anna really desperate, you very unlucky, or some unholy mixture of the three). Not that you're going to try to make a move on him while Anna is… indisposed. That would just be wrong. You're just saying; sometimes, you can see the appeal Anna saw.
Kristoff, apparently, is a very good huntsman due to constantly living outdoors. He knew how to round up the best plants and animals for consumption and in amounts that should feed the rest of Arendelle comfortably for quite a while. All the other soldiers had nothing but compliments to give to the man for his performance, leadership, and knowledge about the outdoors. The people were certainly thankful to him for bringing them food.
Extra food supplies gained! 139/275 ⇒ 149/275
[X] Send out a woodcutting expedition
DC 35
Roll: 1d100+21+20; 38 ⇒ 79
Critical Success!
You're not sure how this happened, but apparently you had missed an entire forest of good, sturdy oak trees that was ripe for cutting and using for fuel and building. Coincidentally, this was also where the first refugee train had huddled up after a massive snowstorm, which had delayed their arrival. Not only did the party manage to make off with a lot of wood, they agreed to accompany the train for the rest of their journey to Arendelle. The hike back won't be easy due to limited food supplies, but from the sounds of the message, the people are grateful for the assistance.
Wood gathered! 149/275 ⇒ 169/275
First Refugee Train contacted and guided back! Settling in gets a +10 due to their thankfulness!
[X] Reach out to distant villages
Assigned Hero: Maja
DC 70
d2 Roll: 2
"What was that accent?" does not activate!
d20 Roll: 15
15>10; "Monster!" does not activate!
Roll: 1d100+13+16+15+20; 21 ⇒ 75
Bare Success
You got very lucky with this. Apparently, not only were the distant villages just the sort of places Maja fit right in, but it seemed that word of your flight from Arendelle had gotten muddied with distance from the capital. Almost every village had its own story about how the eternal winter had come about, with you being portrayed as a victim and a witch and everything in between.
Luckily, Maja was able to dispel the more negative rumors and affirm your goodwill towards all the people of Arendelle. Olaf being Olaf also helped, because a queen who would create a snowman that liked warm hugs of all things couldn't be that bad, right?
Maja and Olaf relayed the message of hospitality to the villagers and they seemed to be receptive, especially after Olaf's offer of snow play. They seem to be a little wary of you due to the winter being your fault, but they seem open to seeing for themselves whether or not the more violent stories about you are true.
Distant villages contacted! Expect a Second Refugee train to arrive in Turn 8!
Apparently, foul rumors about you and your powers have been running rampant around the city for the past several months. However, your continued successes and pushes to change the current system have often pushed the citizens away from the nay-sayers. Despite their few numbers, they have been trying to amass weapons and supplies for what could be called a coup in their best-case scenario and what could be called a terrorist attack in their worst-case scenario. Coincidentally, the older and stuck-up members of the court and foreign dignitaries have been found to have connections with these insurgents, whether through helping smuggle resources or distributing propaganda. Thankfully, their network is small and they don't seem to be ready for any kind of large action yet. Still, you should probably deal with this quickly.
Plot to overthrow the Crown discovered! New Martial action unlocked: "Dismantle the Insurgency"
[X] Decrypt the vault script
DC ???
Roll: 1d100+18; 33 ⇒ 51
Failure
You tried to decipher the script in the vault, but it's unlike any other language your scholars (so, basically you) have ever seen. It just looks like random scribbles.
Mysterious script untranslatable! You must employ a speaker of the language if you are to decipher them.
[X] Study crystals
DC ???
Roll: 1d100+24; 98+1d100 (Exploding dice); 17 ⇒ 139
Bare Failure?!
At first, you weren't getting anywhere with the crystals. Nobody could identify their material, what culture they came from, or why they would sometimes glow. None of the books in your library helped either. They were a total mystery.
However, as you were meditating with Pabbie, trying to build on previous discoveries, you tried to tap into the source of your powers… and the crystals began to pulse. As if it was responding. After a bit more meditation and investigation, you determined that while your powers and the crystals aren't necessarily linked, the magic they both possess is… similar. What this means exactly, you have no idea. It is worth looking into, though, maybe with someone with a little more expertise…
Connection between Elsa and crystals discovered? Further action cannot be taken without an expert's help.
Elsa
[X] Meditate
Roll: 1d100+10 (Pabbie); 42 ⇒ 52
You don't think you would have gotten as far as you did with this without Pabbie. You were not really cut out for this meditation thing, as just sitting still brought back bad memories from before the gates were open (probably why you never objected to being so busy; it kept you moving). Thankfully, Pabbie was a patient teacher and gently coaxed you through the process. You weren't able to glean much, as your mind was still a tumultuous place, but you were able to find out two things before meditating with the crystals.
One, your magic has a source. You're not sure what it is, but you've been drawing power from it your whole life and then casting it out into the world. It's immense and powerful, but its name eludes you, like you need to either get better hearing or focus more to hear its secrets.
Two, the reason your magic has been acting up is because the source has been infiltrated.
Someone has forcefully gained access to your magic, which is causing it to spaz a bit as it tries to adjust to two people pulling on it. You can help soothe it with a bit of work on improving yourself, but that's about all you can do since you don't know who the thief is. Hopefully, it's nobody with malicious intent…
Magic thief detected! Elsa takes a -5 to all rolls concerning her casting ice magic until she can find either the thief or her source.
[X] Talk with Kristoff and Olaf
Roll: 1d100; 78
After Olaf and Kristoff returned from their respective journeys, you sat down with them for a talk. First, you thanked them profusely for everything they've done for you, which they responded in a humble way, Kristoff mentioning that Anna would kill him if he just left her out in the cold (no pun intended). This got you swapping stories of Anna, you laughing at their misadventures up and down the North Mountain and Kristoff enjoying childhood tales of the girl he loved. Afterwards, the both of you had a bit of a cry over Anna, but Olaf was there to hold the two of you together. All in all, it was nice and you really look forward to doing this again.
Elsa swapped stories with Kristoff! "Sacrificed Sister" malus reduced!
Kristoff
[X] A Strong Back
-[X] Send out a hunting expedition
As seen above
Olaf
[X] Hang out with your friends
-[X] Maja
As seen above
Oaken
[X] Manage your trading post
Roll: 1d100; 69
Oaken took this time to sell some of his leftover summer stock, as well as update his shelves with new merchandise. Surprisingly, he did pretty well for himself.
Maja
[X] Work for your new patron
-[X] Reach out to distant villages
As seen above
The Refugees have arrived!
Settle In Peacefully
DC 100
1d100+13+30(Housing)+15(Resources)+10(???)-10; 3 ⇒ 61 Miserable Failure
A/N: Now that the thread is somewhat active again, I finally got it in me to stop putting this off. Buckle up people, Turn 7 is going to be a ride.
Just read through most of this thread, it's a lot of fun, but I had a few questions. I may have just missed the answers earlier in the thread:
-Who rules North America? I know the Firebird set up shop in Oregon, Sheriff Woody lives in Nevada, and the Virginia Colony from Pocahontas is still there (considering history and how she died, is it just the historical colony?), but what about the rest of the continent? Have we learned yet? On a related note, any chance Henry Jones, Sr survived the Upheaval?
-What happened to Rapunzel in this verse? Did she die or is she still in the tower?
-Who rules North America? I know the Firebird set up shop in Oregon, Sheriff Woody lives in Nevada, and the Virginia Colony from Pocahontas is still there (considering history and how she died, is it just the historical colony?), but what about the rest of the continent? Have we learned yet? On a related note, any chance Henry Jones, Sr survived the Upheaval?
North America is split up between The Shadow Man in the southern states, the Virginia Colonies in the north-east, with the New York Enclave cutting a swatch out of the eastern seaboard. Across the Missisippie, the majority of the West is held by Alameda Slim thanks to his animal control powers... which unfortunately also keeps a certain mountain of a man who's gone feral under his thrall. In-play as of right now your polity is more focused on things closer to home, but the greater contact with Atlantis will make you aware of the major players out that way. Down into South America through Mexico, Santa Anna has consolidated the area under his control.
John Henry is indeed alive; the Upheaval happened just before the challenge went down; so he didn't burst his heart trying to beat the machine.
In SE Asia, there's mostly a lot of forces moving to support or oppose the fracas in China, it's pretty much spilled over most borders there. Especially after Shan Yu's loss of the Imperial Capital. Other than that they've got their hands full dealing with various mythological beasties that have appeared and/or woken up.
Australia is fairly quiet; while the International Hunstmen's Club uses McLeach's base and contacts as a resupply point; for the most part things are shockingly calm. There's a presence there, like the Aurora in the far north, but one that is more at ease. Life is but a Dream, and the shaman of the tribes still speak to the Dreaming there. The pall over the world feels slightly less there than in other places. Perhaps Chernabog is loath to directly contend against something even older than he is?
Edit- Wrong John Henry mentioned there, was thinking of the Wild West at the time and the Tall Tales movie.
Let's just say that when a certain Mr. Whitmore says that he has "Top Men" working on things, he's not just spouting a line.
I wonder if we can grow few so we can try and use the British tea addiction as a way testify the duck out of the EIC. It'll be like the opium wars except against a British megacorporation so there's nothing wrong with it.
Oh nice, didn't expect that. He was from vaguely the Midwest IIRC, so he's either living under Facilier or Slim, I guess…does Facilier's range go up to the Great Lakes?
North America is split up between The Shadow Man in the southern states, the Virginia Colonies in the north-east, with the New York Enclave cutting a swatch out of the eastern seaboard. Across the Missisippie, the majority of the West is held by Alameda Slim thanks to his animal control powers... which unfortunately also keeps a certain mountain of a man who's gone feral under his thrall.
New York being part of Atlantis now, right? That might be the most "technologically advanced" place in the whole world atm, at the crossroads of Atlantis tech and WWI American industry.
Any chance the slightly grown up Newsies are in New York?
In SE Asia, there's mostly a lot of forces moving to support or oppose the fracas in China, it's pretty much spilled over most borders there. Especially after Shan Yu's loss of the Imperial Capital. Other than that they've got their hands full dealing with various mythological beasties that have appeared and/or woken up.
