- Location
- Germany
Curse the foul fuzzy-furred fiends!
Glad to see you'Re back, boss.
Prince Aladdin Quest (Disney Villains *Almost* Victorious)
- Thread starter TempestK
- Start date
- Crossover Fantasy
Curse the foul fuzzy-furred fiends!
Glad to see you'Re back, boss.
Gotta say after reading through the whole Gaston storyline and all its twists and turns well. I love love love!!!! It and kudos to all those who made that great story all wishes of thanks from the south east of China. And to all you omake writers here I sincerely hope all writing and brainstorming is fruitful and fun. also i really want Gaston, Alice, and Waltham get there happy ending together and add in Clayton as the proud uncle and Fergus cause I think he'll make a great adopted grandpa figure.
Also all people worried about shen setting his eyes on conquest of ababwa if he wins is very unlikely cause he'll be very busy with the administration with a land as a big as China with plenty threats to keep him busy both inside and out and if he wants conquest there's more low hanging fruit than far away ababwa like North with Mongolia and what's left of Russia which if he wants to please his people subjugation of the huns that caused the chaos in the first place would definitely be a way to cement his rule over china. And then there's the south with Vietnam and Thailand and the V.O.C or the Dutch east India company as prizes for conquest. And finally There is no better way to destroy your enemy than making him your friend. make overtures to him and set up trade deals and make it more lucrative that we are better as allies than as enemies. But I know we got more immediate problems with lemuria and the E.I.T.C so we can shelve China for a bit but maybe we can make an embassy.
But that's speculation on my part don't take it as me trying to convince you of it. I just like to speculate and ramble on with ideas stuck in my head and the fact that I like lord shen as a character and I firmly believe if given character growth he can become what Gaston is now in the quest right now but that remains to be seen.
Also I've realized that the east hasn't been given the same amount of omake love as with handful being made for characters situated in China which Is weird but understandable. But I'm rambling now
So I'm off to read Moriartys crusade against frollo.
Also all people worried about shen setting his eyes on conquest of ababwa if he wins is very unlikely cause he'll be very busy with the administration with a land as a big as China with plenty threats to keep him busy both inside and out and if he wants conquest there's more low hanging fruit than far away ababwa like North with Mongolia and what's left of Russia which if he wants to please his people subjugation of the huns that caused the chaos in the first place would definitely be a way to cement his rule over china. And then there's the south with Vietnam and Thailand and the V.O.C or the Dutch east India company as prizes for conquest. And finally There is no better way to destroy your enemy than making him your friend. make overtures to him and set up trade deals and make it more lucrative that we are better as allies than as enemies. But I know we got more immediate problems with lemuria and the E.I.T.C so we can shelve China for a bit but maybe we can make an embassy.
But that's speculation on my part don't take it as me trying to convince you of it. I just like to speculate and ramble on with ideas stuck in my head and the fact that I like lord shen as a character and I firmly believe if given character growth he can become what Gaston is now in the quest right now but that remains to be seen.
Also I've realized that the east hasn't been given the same amount of omake love as with handful being made for characters situated in China which Is weird but understandable. But I'm rambling now
So I'm off to read Moriartys crusade against frollo.
- Location
- Australia
All Hail the Queen: Arendelle Nega-Quest, Interlude A Chorus of Ice and Light
mangawriter77
Otaku^9000 (In my own opinion)
- Location
- You'll neeever guess
- Pronouns
- He/Him/His
All Hail the Queen: Arendelle Nega-Quest, Interlude
A Chorus of Ice and Light
Rapunzel couldn't help but gape in awe as the Martek flew out of the tunnel into Arendelle. It was like nothing she had ever seen before. Snow was not new to her - the Seven Kingdoms were known for harsh winters - but Arendelle was nothing but snow and ice, as far as the eye could see. And that wasn't very far, thanks to the most striking feature of the country.
A wall of snow, twisting and turning and writhing in a perfect circle that Rapunzel estimated was about twenty miles across. It completely blocked sight through it, and from what Milo had told her before she left with Adira - and with the crotchety old man Cookie Farnsworth as the pilot - anything that managed to pierce the howling winds froze solid before it had passed fifty feet. Even so, they had deduced that the wall was about a quarter-mile thick.
Nobody was sure what was causing it. Suspicion had naturally fallen upon the cryokinetic queen of Arendelle, Elsa, but the lack of motive had people confused. Was it possible she had created a self-sustaining construct? A physical representation of the isolation she had, by all accounts, suffered for over a decade before being crowned Queen? Eh, it was for brighter minds than her to deduce.
"Quite the sight, ain't it?" Cookie asked, following the line of her gaze out the window of the Martek. "Lemmee tell ya, I saw some cold winters back when I scouted for General Crook, but not even the winter of '80 was this bad. And that was the Snow Winter."
"1780?" Rapunzel inquired, still watching the snow as the Martek began its descent towards the capital of Arendelle.
"Naw, 1880. Remember, that demmed storm two years back messed up when, not just where," Cookie grumbled as his gnarled hands guided the Martek past a turret and towards the town square.
"Oh." It had been 1824 for her.
Wait, was that...?
"Is that a snowman waiting for us by the queen?"
"His name is Olaf," Cookie chuckled, "and he likes warm hugs."
~~~
The day the Atlantean delegation arrived with the best hope for Anna, Elsa had been with the Enchantress studying the Great Veil. Through great difficulty, the sorceress had managed to extract a small piece of that great wall and bring it back to the city for study. Upon looking at it, it seemed like a normal thundercloud. However, upon closer inspection, one could see that the cloud contained howling winds that threw around snowflakes and small pieces of ice. To touch it was to court great injury if not death.
In other words, Elsa had never been able to produce something like this... and if the Enchantress was to be believed, she never would be.
"Your magic was used as a catalyst, yes," the woman told her. "However, Grand Pabbie is correct in that it was not solely responsible. What were you feeling when your magic ran wild?"
Unbidden, horrible memories of Hans and Anna's sculpture come to mind. "Despair," the queen replied. "Grief. Rage. Self-loathing."
The other woman nodded. "A burst of negative emotions that shoved your power outwards," she commented. "Not uncommon, but given the power of both your magic and your emotions... you attracted the attention of something. Something... evil." She shuddered.
"The dark fae?" Elsa asked.
"No," said the Enchantress, shaking her head. "Worse. Much worse. In fact, you are very lucky." Upon seeing Elsa's befuddled expression, she elaborated. "The magic that taints the wall is aggressive. In other words, the thing that took notice of you tried to take you by force. If that had happened... death would be a preferable fate."
Unbidden, the Russian book came to Elsa's mind and she shuddered. "Why didn't I go, then?" she asked.
"From what you've told me of the incident, a combination of your wild magic... and your sister," was the answer.
Elsa blinked. "What?"
"An act of true love is the most symbolic and powerful action in the world," the Enchantress explained. "It doesn't have to be romantic. The love your sister felt for you is enough. She sacrificed herself to help you. Perhaps she even knew what was coming and tried to save you. Either way, that act combined with your magic wildly pushing away everything was enough to repel that monster. The clash between those two forces left a residue, a combination of two forces."
Elsa's eyes widened. "The Veil," she said.
"The reason your sister's actions weren't enough to unfreeze her was twofold. One, she unintentionally used most of it to repel that thing. So long as you stay behind this curtain, that demon can't see you. You are cloaked in his own evil and thus shielded from his gaze."
Elsa really wasn't sure how to react to that, so she shoved all of those feelings in a box to contemplate (and cry over) later. "And the second?"
"...her act was a double-edged sword," was the Enchantress' grim reply. "In shielding you, intentionally or not, she has taken on the taint of the one who tried to claim you. As such, she is not just bound by ice, but the stain of evil and darkness."
Elsa's veins freeze as fear erupts throughout her body. Trembling and dreading the answer to her next question, she asks, "Can she be healed?"
"With the power of the Sundrop? Most certainly, assuming the claims of Atlantis are true," the Enchantress replies. "Darkness loathes light more than anything. With the powers of the Sundrop, the chains of evil will crumble like dust, allowing the ice to melt both through the love of your sister and the compassion of this girl for good measure." Her frown penetrated Elsa's very relieved thoughts and the queen stood up straight from slouching in relief. "However, while the power of the Sundrop is good for singular afflictions, it is woefully pitiful against the might of the Great Veil. Very powerful and very old magic will be needed to dispel that." She looked at the inexperienced witch. "That is, of course, if you judge you should. This is the most effective protection from that creature. If it stays, you will be safe."
Elsa, in her private thoughts, very much doubted she would leave it up. Her kingdom was at the mercy of foreign powers, an uncomfortable situation despite Atlantis' merciful actions, and she had no way of providing for her people. If she wished for Arendelle to prosper, the Veil would need to go. Period.
Still, though... "What being inspires so much fear in you?" she couldn't help but question.
The Enchantress was silent for a moment. "To the Catholics, he is Satan," she whispered. "But in the Orthodox tongue, he is known by another name."
The book once appeared in Elsa's mind and the name on the front came unbidden to her lips.
"Chernabog."
The Enchantress turned with a look of shock and horror as the temperature dropped several degrees and the lights seemed to dim. Before any action could be taken, the door opened and Olaf burst in, breaking the spell.
"Elsa! Elsa! Rapunzel's here, Rapunzel's here!" he cheered. "The Martek just checked in at the Atlantean outpost!"
Elsa breathed out a sigh and told Olaf she'd be right there. She turned to the Enchantress with a serious look. "We'll talk more of this later," she promised. "First, my sister."
The Enchantress regained herself, but she was still quite pale and short of breath. "Of course," she said.
~~~
Kristoff stood with Gibbs on Elsa's right as they waited for the Martek. Olaf stood in front of them with Maja and the Enchantress flanking Elsa's left side. Oaken had taken the time to catch up with his family. Several onlookers had also gathered to see the coming Atlantean delegation, especially since news had leaked that they might be able to free Anna from her icy prison. For now, the army was keeping them at bay, but it was still quite crowded.
Kristoff's thoughts, personally, were turbulent. Just last week, Elsa had burst in with the news that Milo, the leader of Atlantis, had acquired the wielder of the Sundrop, a powerful healing magic that could quite possibly cure Anna. This of course had brought on a long conversation of what they would do once Anna was released, doubts about any negative feelings she may have for either of them, and just worries about the whole affair in general. It was quite the heart-to-heart talk, leaving Kristoff with a much better understanding of Anna's sister. It was nice to have these moments with her, getting past the facade of queen she put on for the public and really seeing the woman that was Elsa of Arendelle.
Of course, the real surprise was what she said at the end: "I really enjoy this, Kristoff. Hopefully, we can do this more often... as in-laws."
She had then walked off with a smug smirk as Kristoff had spluttered like a fool. Still, he took that for what it was; Elsa, unlike when Anna had introduced her to Hans, had blessed Anna's marriage to him. And that honestly meant quite a lot to him.
In any case, now, the remaining hope for Arendelle's princess was coming. The Martek crested over the horizon, gently touching down in the square a few dozen feet away. Upon it stood three figures, one of which Kristoff was already familiar with.
"All off fer Arendelle!" cried Cookie, a rather gangly old man with crooked teeth and a strange accent, as he hopped off his ride. According to Milo, he and Mole had been the main architects of the Atlantean tunnel (something about destruction practice with a "General Sherman"?). As such, he had been quite warmly received when Atlanteans started to visit Arendelle with more frequency... until people started trying his cooking. Suffice to say, they were not impressed. He wasn't hated, in fact, many of the older generation greatly appreciated his expertise and war stories. It's just... the cooking. How is that considered cooking?!
The next person was a tall, muscular woman. She was dressed in strange leather armor and carried a massive sword. Also, her white hair was put in a very long ponytail that reached her lower back. Two other things that stood out were her half-painted face and a strange mark on the back of her hand. "Quite brisk," she commented. "No wonder you insisted on the coats." She gestured to the standard-issue Atlantean coat that she had thrown on over her clothes.
As Cookie began to monologue again, Kristoff's attention was arrested by the third figure, who had to be Rapunzel. In all honesty, Kristoff was reminded of Anna. The powerful magic user gazed at everything around her with undisguised curiosity and wonder, as Anna had looked at the trolls and Elsa's more beautiful creations. She carried herself with almost a child-like innocence and naivete like she had never seen anything outside a small world.
However, the similarities were purely in action. Rapunzel was younger than Anna had been by a few years, not to mention her strange purple dress and bright, deep green eyes. What was most eye-catching, though, was her hair. It was a deep, golden blonde and ran almost to the ground despite it being braided to hell and back. It was decorated with several flowers and pins to mark it. Another reminder of Anna was a deep blue strand that ran from her scalp to the very end of the lock.
Kristoff finally managed to shake himself off as he saw Rapunzel hug Olaf without prompting. Cookie must have told her and the snowman deeply appreciated her initiative. Without realizing it, he and the rest of the court had drawn closer to the visitors. He must have been deeper in his thoughts than he had realized.
"Cookie, it's nice to see you again," Elsa greeted with a nod and a small smile.
"D'aw, shucks, yer majesty, yer makin' me blush!" Cookie chortled. "I already told ya that I was jus' doin' ma job when me an' Mole dug that tunnel. You don' have to thank me."
"Perhaps," Elsa conceded. "But your tunnel still benefits and supports my people to this day. So, you will simply have to get used to it." She and the cook chuckled as Elsa turned to the painted woman and curtsied. "Greetings. I am Queen Elsa of Arendelle. Who might you be?"
"Adira," Adira replied with a bow of her own. "I have been assigned to this mission as Rapunzel's bodyguard. It is an honor, your majesty."
"The honor and privilege are all mine," Elsa assured, now turning to the blonde. "You must be Rapunzel," she said gently, curtsying once more.
The girl awkwardly curtsied back in the affirmative. "Y-Yes, your majesty, that's me," she said. "I was told you needed my... special help?"
Elsa's face fell as business was brought up. "Indeed," she nodded. "Maja, please handle the crowds. I know they're anxious, but I don't want any more riots. Gibbs, please inform my advisors that I may need to push back our next meeting. Kristoff, if you would lead the way."
The three mentioned nodded and set about their tasks. Kristoff inhaled a huge breath as he led the party into the castle.
'Here we go.'
~~~
"What's that song you're whistling?" Rapunzel asked quizzically.
"Let it - Oh, nothing," Elsa replied with a blush.
Rapunzel shrugged, keeping pace with the taller woman as the two strode down the halls of Arendelle Castle. They were accompanied by a number of companions from both parties: Olaf and Kristoff flanked the Snow Queen, while Rapunzel had only Adira following in her wake. Cookie opted not to come along, instead going to swap stories with Maja. The last Rapunzel had seen of the old man, he was telling a tall tale to the ice merchant about a 'cow boy' who roped twisters and rode earthquakes for fun. Whatever a cow boy was, Rapunzel wasn't sure she ever wanted to meet one.
Two others from Arendelle followed, taking up the rear. Grand Pabbie the rock troll was quite possibly the most adorable thing Rapunzel had ever seen - but her instincts told her not to express that opinion to him. Something about him made her hair tingle.
Not as much as the second person. The tall, enigmatic woman known only as The Enchantress had uttered nary a word, but her gaze was keen and seemed to seek out the very thoughts of all in her vicinity. Queen Elsa had introduced her as her magical advisor and co-tutor along with Grand Pabbie. Together, the two took a keen professional interest in how Rapunzel could possibly free Anna from the predicament in which she found herself.
As she looked around, Rapunzel couldn't help but notice that the party was heading down into the bowels of the castle. "Excuse me, but why are we heading down to the dungeons?" she asked nervously.
Queen Elsa didn't break stride. "At the start of the Upheaval, my sister was turned into an inviolable ice sculpture."
"How is such a thing possible?!" Rapunzel asked, stunned.
A pall of grief passed over the queen's face. "It was me. An accident, a side-effect of my powers. Her heart froze, and shortly thereafter the rest of her did as well. She saved my life, you know. Prince Hans was going to kill me but decided against it at the last minute. He had previously lied to me that my sister was already dead and I… grieved violently. Anna sacrificed her chance for recovery in order to pull me out of that spiral."
Rapunzel was torn between compassion for the clearly distraught queen and curiosity as to precisely how that had happened, but settled for "Prince Hans? Prince Hans Westergaard?"
Elsa turned her head to glance at Rapunzel. "Yes, that was the name. You know him?"
Rapunzel grinned nervously. "Um…he was the consort of Queen Grimhilde of the Mirror Kingdoms. Adira actually fought him."
One of Elsa's blonde brows arched. "Indeed? That must have been a short fight."
"Not short enough," Adira snorted. "He had ice powers somehow. Covered the entire floor in frost and ice. Made it a real pain to fight him."
Elsa stopped dead. So did everyone else. "...ice powers?" Rapunzel nods timidly.
Grand Pabbie hummed troubled. "This shouldn't be possible. Elsa was born with her magic, it cannot simply be learned by another, unless-" His eyes widened. "Oh, that foolish boy."
"What's wrong?" Elsa asked.
"I believe we have found the source of your parasite, my queen," the Enchantress sneered. "Hans seems to have used an ancient and wicked parasitic ritual to leech your power from you. It's why your power has been… temperamental."
Elsa furiously scowled, ice forming in her hands… before she swiftly turned and marched down the hallway. "I can worry about that leech later. Anna takes priority."
Everyone follows, troubled looks and ugly scowls marring the faces of all.
Rapunzel shivered, and an exhalation brought mist into the air.
Grand Pabbie noticed it. "Your Grace."
Elsa flinched, then unclenched her hands as the temperature stabilized.
"Anyway," Elsa coughed, then continued. "Several months ago, a ruffian snuck into the palace and attempted to smash my sister into fragments, on the grounds that doing so, he believed, might destroy the barrier surrounding the country. He failed. But to prevent any repeat attempts, we relocated Anna into the dungeons. The environment is colder, and it is more secure against intruders."
Adira nodded approvingly. "Dare I ask what happened to the intruder?"
Kristoff chuckled. "We gave him to the populace. They were very… vocal about their disapproval of his goal."
Rapunzel didn't ask for more details. Her imagination was sufficient. Queen Grimhilde had been quite…imaginative in her punishments for traitors and saboteurs.
Her musings were interrupted by the voice of Queen Elsa. "We've arrived." Rapunzel's eyes lifted to take in the sight of a wooden door, the frame and bars rimed with frost that stemmed from within. Kristoff stepped forward with a heavy key wrought of iron, inserted it into the lock, and opened the door with a screech that suggested the hinges were either rarely employed or were freezing from within. Within stood, stretching towards the ceiling, the person who was the reason why she was there.
Anna was once a young and beautiful woman, that much was clear. Now, her skin, hair, and clothes had turned to solid ice, decorated with snowflake frost patterns and stained with a black… something. She was leaning up against the wall, her hands outstretched above her as her head was craned up. From the looks of things, she was either trying to leap into the air or praying, her face scrunched in desperation and strain.
A tear sprung from Rapunzel's eye, almost without her noticing. She reached out a hand towards the frozen woman before her. "Oh. Oh, my." A gentle smile curved her lips, and her palm caressed the frozen cheek. "Elsa, I'm so sorry."
Behind Rapunzel, Elsa's lips pressed together into a white line. Diamonds shone in her eyes, but the willpower she had developed prevented them from trickling down her cheeks. "For what? It wasn't your fault."
It was mine.
"It wasn't your fault either, Elsa." Almost on autopilot, Rapunzel shook out her hair from its braid, letting it pool on the ground at her feet. "It wasn't anyone's fault."
And, taking in a deep breath, Rapunzel began to sing.
"Flower, gleam and glow.
Let your power shine.
Make the clock reverse.
Bring back what once was mine."
A golden glow suffused the room as Rapunzel's blonde locks turned molten. The ice blue forelock, a remnant from freeing Kida in Atlantis, glowed as well, a gleam of sky highlighting the sun risen in the Arendelle basement.
The light shone through Anna. The sculpture of ice glowed gold and blue.
"Heal what has been hurt.
Change the fate's design.
Save what has been lost.
Bring back what once was mine…
What once was mine."
Anna's icy frame shook. The black streaks within and without flaked off Anna before puffing into a foul smoke, finally vanishing into the air with naught to show they had ever been there. (Oddly, only the Enchantress reacted to their presence.) And, starting from her heart, the woman began to thaw.
What had been icy blue turned into a black dress worn over a close-fitting blue blouse. The cape was revealed to be a royal purple. The ice receded up her outstretched arm, down her body, and up her head. The extremities thawed all at once, and what had been a rigid statue became a stumbling woman. Rapunzel caught her in her arms.
Behind her, Elsa staggered. Energy rushed into her, and her heart relaxed from a clench she hadn't realized was there. A sigh escaped from her, as though a burden long carried was finally set down.
Anna blinked. She turned out to be a redhead with pale skin and crystal-blue eyes. Pulling back slightly, she looked Rapunzel in the face.
"...do I know you? I feel like I should know you."
A grin split Rapunzel's face. "I'm Rapunzel. And I think there's someone who wants to see you."
"Anna," came the small voice of the queen. Anna looked over and saw her sister visibly fighting the urge to sweep her up in a big hug. She looked… older. Wiser. Stronger. But also much more tired and strained. So, Anna did the natural thing: she ran over and tackled her sister in a massive hug. "ELSA!"
The sudden hug broke the emotional dam. Kristoff and Olaf ran over and joined the hug as Elsa wrapped her arms around her sister, squeezing tight and beginning to sob. Those standing nearby did their best not to interfere but smiled at the heart-warming scene all the same.
~Ah-ahhhhhh, ah-ahhh~
Suddenly, Elsa cocked her ear. "What was that?" Everyone gave her a confused look. What was what?
Except for the Enchantress. "I heard it as well," she said. "It would seem your ordeal is not over yet."
Rapunzel, for her part, had her attention elsewhere. Namely, to the sensation that it hadn't been her will, necessarily, that caused her to restore Anna.
Flower?
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Anna thawed! Anna is now useable as a hero unit! "Frozen Heart", "Sacrificed Sister", and "Iced Love" traits negated!
Atlantis has increased its prestige in Arendelle!
Rapunzel has gained a trait.
Adira has gained Arendelle's books on the Sunstone and Moonstone! This may have consequences...
Elsa Occult Cap Removed!
Elsa saw her promise through! Kristoff and Olaf will remember this!
Storm Wall studied! New Occult actions unlocked!
New enemy identified!
Chernabog-Called the Devil by multiple religions, he has made designs on Elsa and hurt Anna. He is not getting off lightly for this.
New Quest Unlocked!
Heroes:
Martial: 8 (While a formidable opponent with magic, and she has had a few scraps, Elsa has no experience fighting without it.)
Stewardship: 21 (Elsa was expected to one day rule Arendelle. She was given a royal education fitting of her station.)
Diplomacy: 13 (While she can be cordial and have civil conversations, Elsa is very much an introvert. Having been isolated from the rest of the world since she was small hasn't helped much.)
Intrigue: 11 (Elsa has become very adept at keeping secrets over her time concealing her powers. However, as her flight from Arendelle shows, "sneaky" is not exactly in her repertoire.)
Learning: 20 (While Elsa can quote the greats, she is by no means a scholar.)
Occult: 35 (Elsa has had ice powers since she was a child, and they've only grown more powerful as she's grown older.
Traits:
"Let it Go": Elsa has been suppressing her powers ever since her accident with Anna. Now that the secret's out, there's no reason to keep it under such tight restraints. However, she will exercise caution. +10 to all rolls about learning more about her power and experimenting with it. Occult locked, but can be increased to 35 with training.
"Cold Combatant": Elsa has recently learned her powers can do more than just create storms and ice sculptures. When making a Martial roll or a roll that involves escaping, she can substitute her normal score for her Occult score.
"Royalty": As a royal, Elsa gains +10 Diplomacy when dealing with other nobles, leaders, and royals.
"In Honor of the Fallen": Anna sacrificed herself to try and get Elsa into a more productive state of mind. Elsa isn't going to jeopardize that by sulking. +15 to any rolls involving removing the eternal winter and storm barrier in Arendelle.
"Hail to the Queen": Elsa is the respected Queen of Arendelle, with its own entourage of unique individuals and experienced leaders. When making rolls considering affairs of the state or improvement of the nation (Martial, Stewardship, and Diplomacy), Elsa takes a +20 bonus thanks to the help of her council of advisors.
"Romantic Diplomat": Elsa has familiarized herself with several different European customs and traditions, including languages. When in a conversation with a speaker of a European/Romantic language, Elsa gains a +15 to diplomacy and all maluses caused by language comprehension are negated. (Except English. Then, maluses are halved and the diplomacy bonus is +7.) She also takes no maluses due to culture shock, and when encountering a culture she isn't familiar with, she has a +15 to avoid culture shock and to learning the local language.
"Leech Victim": Elsa's magic is being tapped into by an unknown party to hazardous effect. Every two turns, Elsa must use a Personal to meditate and balance her magic, else she will suffer maluses due to the interloper's interference. This can be aggravated by an action by the interloper and fixed by either killing the leech (Prince Hans, apparently) or accessing the source of Elsa's magic and banishing them.
Vendetta-Chernabog: This demon has already tried to kidnap Elsa, hurting Anna and dooming Arendelle and its people in the process. Suffice to say, Elsa does not like him at all.
Martial: 10 (While Kristoff is certainly tough, he is by no means a trained fighter... or even a very good one.)
Stewardship: 13 (Kristoff ran a small ice business, but is uncomfortable heading anything larger than that.)
Diplomacy: 15 (You don't get into any business without knowing how to be courteous to customers and other merchants. However, as Wandering Oaken can attest to, he's not all that great about it.)
Intrigue: 14 (Kristoff can be light-footed (working on ice helps with that immensely), but stealthy is not exactly in Kristoff's nature.)
Learning: 10 (Kristoff can read and do basic math, but not much else.)
Occult: 11 (Kristoff lived with trolls, and has been through a lot the past few days. Suffice to say, he knows there's more to the world than the physical.)
Traits:
"Mountain Man": Kristoff has been harvesting and selling ice his whole life. This trade has allowed him in-depth knowledge about survival, the nature of ice and snow, and how the wild works. His recent studies of the outdoors have also increased his knowledge. +20 to all rolls concerning survival in winter/mountainous climates, +15 to any Learning rolls about other outdoor survival or geology, +10 to all other rolls concerning the outdoors.
"Love Expert": Kristoff was raised by trolls, who are experts about the magic and power of love. He picked up a few things from the constant contact. +10 to all rolls concerning love, +15 to Occult rolls about the subject.
"Among the Masses": As a common merchant, Kristoff is easy to trust and unassuming to everyday people. +10 to Diplomacy rolls involved with communicating with common folk, but -10 malus when communicating with those of a... higher society.
Ancillary - "Sven the Reindeer": Sven has been with Kristoff since the two were little and Kristoff is never seen far from him. Sven gives Kristoff a +7 to all Martial rolls and a -10 DC to any actions that involve traveling long distances. If Sven is with Kristoff on a stealth roll, roll a d2. If it's a 1, Sven gives Kristoff a -7 to Intrigue due to doing something that draws attention to the group. If it's a 2, Sven gives Kristoff a +7 to Intrigue by causing a distraction that takes attention away from the group
National Hero: Kristoff has become a hero to the people of Arendelle due to his social exploits with the people as well as his heroic actions during conflicts. He gains a +20 to Diplomacy in his native home, due to the amount of respect the people give him. This bonus is a +10 in all other places that have heard of his exploits. He also gains a +5 Martial bonus due to patriotism as long as he is fighting at home, but his Intrigue suffers a -10 in his native kingdom due to being so easily recognized, and a -5 applies to everyone else who has heard of his deeds.
Item - Gungnir: A magical spear of unknown origin. Whoever wields it gains a +20 in Martial and Occult, but if they are inexperienced, they take a -10 malus when they use it.
Martial: 3 (Olaf is a snowman and has also said he is "out of shape". Worst he can do is throw a snowball at you really hard.)
Stewardship: 5 (While Olaf is good at getting people to gather together, he has no aptitude for leadership or organization.)
Diplomacy: 21 (Olaf is very friendly and enjoys warm hugs. What's not to like?)
Intrigue: 1 (Olaf is a walking, talking snowman. That's about as far from inconspicuous as you can get.)
Learning: 4 (While Olaf enjoys learning about the world around him, he has no brain.)
Occult: 9 (Olaf was literally made from magic, not to mention he's very open-minded. Especially after everything that's happened.)
Traits:
"Hi, I'm Olaf!": Olaf is very friendly and wants to get along with everyone. Plus, he's a cute snowman. +20 to Diplomacy when interacting with children, +10 to Diplomacy with people who are used to magic and/or have an Occult score of 7 or higher, -10 to Diplomacy with everyone else due to them being freaked out.
"I Don't Have a Skull... Or Bones": Since Olaf is made of snow, he cannot take damage from anything other than fire. He can be scattered, sure, but he can easily pull himself together.
"Mind of a Child": Olaf is literally less than a week old. However, unlike a lot of people in his generation, he really wants to learn about everything! +15 to all rolls involving learning new things and when confronted by something new (and not immediately hostile), his first response will be to try and examine it.
"In Summer": Olaf loves summer, and after his first experience with heat, his determination to live in the warm season has only grown! +15 to all rolls that directly help to bring an end to the eternal winter, as well as +10 to all Learning rolls about the season (even that snow melts; that was made clear at Anna's fireplace).
"You're My Friend": Olaf's friends are his most important treasure, and he will do anything to help them. +15 to all rolls involving helping his friends. He can also be assigned on an action with another hero unit he considers a "friend" for a +10 bonus. When doing an action for Elsa, he will get the +10 modifier on top of his normal modifier.
Olaf's Friends: Elsa, Kristoff, Sven, Anna
Martial: 13 (Anna is much more violently inclined than her sister and, since she was both the younger heir and had nothing but time for years, she has learned a bit of fighting.)
Stewardship: 17 (While Anna was never expected to rule Arendelle, she was still given most of the same lessons as her sister in case something happened.)
Diplomacy:23 15 (Anna's always been the sociable and open of the two sisters, and her personality reflects that. Being isolated from almost everyone at a young age, however, has not done her social skills any favors. *cough**cough*Prince Hans*cough*)
Intrigue: 6 (Anna's lived alone her whole life and is basically starved for human contact. This has killed her ability to stay inconspicuous.)
Learning: 15 (Anna can quote the greats, but she has neither the patience nor the knowledge to be a scholar.)
Occult: 9 (After everything she's been through, including spending months as an ice sculpture, Anna knows a bit about the arcane.)
Traits:
"Royalty": As a royal, Anna gains +10 Diplomacy when dealing with other nobles, leaders, and royals.
"Spitfire Personality": Anna is passionate and impulsive. While this can be a good thing in tight spots, it's not the best in long-term planning. She gains a +10 to Martial and Diplomacy rolls when in a situation she cares about, but a -5 to all Intrigue and Learning rolls.
"Portrait Memory": Anna has stared at (and talked to) the paintings in the castle for so long, that she can now use them to identify famous faces, down to the placement of their portrait in the castle. She gains a +20 Learning bonus when identifying a famous figure from before the mid-nineteenth century and auto-succeeds identifying figures central to Arendellian history and her family history.
"Awkward~!": Anna has spent most of her life in her castle with little contact with anyone. As such, her social skills have suffered as a result. Her Diplomacy is capped at 18 until she relearns social graces.
"Elsa!": Anna loves her sister, enough to sacrifice her life and safety for her. Now that Elsa is more open-hearted and returning Anna's sisterly affection, Anna is loathe to let anything bad happen to her again (especially since the most recent troubles were mostly her fault). Anna gains a +15 for any actions toward keeping Elsa safe and suffers a -10 to Diplomacy when arguing with her.
Nemesis-Prince Hans: This jerk manipulated Anna's emotions, tried to kill her and her sister, abandoned her kingdom, shacked up with some German queen, and to top it all off, he stole Elsa's powers?! To say that Anna is going to punch him next they meet is understating things.
"Diamond In the Rough": There's more to Anna than meets the eye...
Martial: 15 (While Oaken is a generally calm and reasonable man, he is still very big and very strong. If pushed, he can easily get physical.)
Stewardship: 25 (Oaken manages a well-off trading post and sauna. He also knows how to drive a hard bargain and is very shrewd.)
Diplomacy: 19 (Oaken is very friendly and cheerful. This tends to get people to trust him a little more easily.)
Intrigue: 6 (Oaken is an honest businessman. Plus, not much is inconspicuous about a large German man with bright red hair.)
Learning: 14 (Oaken knows math, as well as few languages. However, he is still a commoner.)
Occult: 3 (Oaken heard some stories and rumors during his time, but he never paid much attention until now.)
Traits:
"Yoo-hoo!": Oaken is generally seen as a friendly and innocent face. This allows him a bit of an advantage when talking to people. +10 to initial Diplomacy rolls, +15 if Oaken's trying to sell the person something, and +5 Intrigue whenever he's in a conversation, unless the other party is trying to analyze him.
"Oh, no good": While Oaken is friendly and agreeable, he's also very shrewd. Any character who wants to get him to talk down his prices needs to pass a Diplomacy check of 75 or an Intrigue check of 55.
"What Did You Call Me?": While Oaken is extremely patient, even he has his limits. When angered, Oaken has a -10 to Diplomacy checks and has a +10 to Martial.
"Foreign Trading Post": Due to his location, Oaken has met with a few foreign visitors. It helps that he's foreign to Arendelle himself. No rolls needed for understanding German. If someone is speaking in a foreign tongue, roll a d3. Upon rolling a 3, Oaken is able to understand the speaker. Otherwise, he's completely clueless.
"Businessman": Although Oaken has agreed to help you out, he still has his own business to run. Any turn he spends on a national action, he must spend the next turn managing his post.
Martial: 9 (Maja can hold her own for a bit in a scrap should the need arise, but it's not something she's trained for.)
Stewardship: 18 (Maja is as close to a leader as the Ice Merchants have. She runs most of the financials and paperwork involved with ice delivery.)
Diplomacy: 16 (Maja has a pretty face, and she knows it. She also knows how to use it to her advantage. However, her rough style of speech is sometimes off putting.)
Intrigue: 13 (A life on the ice has given Maja light feet, but she's no ninja.)
Learning: 12 (Maja has had a bit more learning than most due to her increased responsibilities, but she's not extremely learned.)
Occult: 5 (Practical as she is, Maja never really paid attention to the fantastic stories of the older merchants. However, with everything that's happened, she's a bit more open-minded. Helps that her new patron is a practitioner.)
Traits:
"Winter Specialist": Maja has been harvesting and selling ice her whole life. This trade has allowed her in-depth knowledge about survival, the nature of ice and snow, and how the wild works. +20 to all rolls concerning survival in winter climates, +15 to any Learning rolls about other outdoor survival, +10 to all other rolls concerning the outdoors.
"Local Outdoors(wo)man": Maja has been all over the area selling ice, since it doesn't travel well. As such, she has extensive knowledge of the terrain and pathways to places. +10 to any rolls concerning traveling to another place in Northern Europe.
"Among the Higher Masses": As a well-off merchant, Maja is easy to trust and mostly unassuming to everyday people, yet is still able to hold some clout with the upper classes. +5 to Diplomacy rolls involved with communicating with common folk, but -5 malus when communicating with those of a... higher society.
"What was that accent?"-Maja is a smooth talker… so long as her rough speech pattern doesn't trip her up. When making a Diplomacy check, roll a d2. Upon a 1, she gains a -5 malus due to her rough speech. Otherwise, nothing happens.
Ancillary: "Ice Merchants"-Maja is about as close as you can get to the leader of the Ice Merchants. Which means, she can whip them into shape about doing a task. Whenever Maja is assigned to an action that is made easier with group work (ex. building or exploring, not paperwork), she gains a +15 bonus due to having the guys help her out.
"Winter Instructor"-Elsa has appointed Maja in charge of teaching the people of Arendelle how to survive the winter. So far, progress is acceptable, but Maja is determined to make it better. Maja can spend a personal action holding extra lessons for winter survival. Over time, the rolls made on this action build up and can increase Arendellian competency in a frigid climate.
Martial: 17 (Gibbs has held his own against multiple pirates, marines, monsters, and drunken slobs. He's no master, but he can handle himself.)
Stewardship: 19 (Gibbs practically ran logistics while he worked on the Black Pearl, plus his own service on royal ships has helped his prowess.)
Diplomacy: 22 (Gibbs has managed to sweet-talk his way through several fights, misunderstandings, and potential mutinies (particularly on the Black Pearl) for much of his life. He's pretty good at getting people to do what he wants.)
Intrigue: 15 (Gibbs can be sneaky, but it's not his go-to option.)
Learning: 11 (Gibbs knows basic math, science, and navigation. That's about it.)
Occult: 8 (Gibbs is no caster, but his knowledge of superstitions and monsters of the seas is practically unrivaled.)
Traits:
"It's a Pirate's Life for Me": Gibbs is a pirate, end of story. He lives by the Code of the Brethren Court, he seeks freedom in all he does, and isn't afraid to stand up for what he believes, regardless of whoever is standing against him (mostly). He gains a +10 to situations involving naval combat of all sorts, +15 to Learning checks about naval information and pirate crews, +15 to Diplomacy when asserting his authority on a ship, and a +10 to any actions that involve traditional piracy, rum, or spiting the EITC. Also, any attempts to make him submit to and follow an authority he doesn't respect must succeed a Diplomacy Roll of DC 100.
"Superstition IS the Way": Gibbs is extremely superstitious and knows the ins and outs of karmic shortcuts, ways to tick off Murphey, and the curses and mystical lore of pirates. +10 to any Occult checks involving magical pirate artifacts or curses.
"Lemme Tell Ye A Tale…": Gibbs is extremely knowledgeable in sea legends and history. He gains a +20 to any Learning checks involving port folklore, sailor's tales, and recent piracy.
"Black spot! Black spot!": Gibbs is terrified of Davy Jones for reasons he refuses to elaborate on. You're… kind of scared to push.
Artist Link: https://www.deviantart.com/acchanchangmin
Martial: 11 (While the Enchantress is certainly powerful, she has no training in any sort of combat.)
Stewardship: 9 (The Enchantress can keep her bag organized. Any organizing outside of that is not her forte.)
Diplomacy: 17 (The Enchantress is certainly charming and beautiful, but she's not much for conversation.)
Intrigue: 24 (The Enchantress is a master of disguise.)
Learning: 21 (One does not become as powerful as the Enchantress by not picking up a book or several.)
Occult: 44 (The Enchantress is one of the most powerful human conjurers on the planet, surpassed only by a handful.)
Traits:
"Glamour": The Enchantress' transformation magic is one of the best in the world. Any time she conjures disguises or invisibility, all units hit with the magic gain a +15 to Intrigue rolls while it is active.
"Conjurer Combat": The Enchantress backs up everything she does with a bit of magic. While taking an Intrigue or Martial action, she may use half her Occult score to add to the roll.
"Harsh But Fair": The Enchantress is often harsh in her punishments of wrongdoings, but she never loses faith in the human capacity for change. Any curse she leaves on a human has an exploitable loophole that can only be used if the cursed person truly decides to change who they are and is recognized for it by an outside party.
"Ominous Bargain": The Enchantress has agreed to help Elsa with her quest to free Arendelle and her sister in exchange for help against a Dark Fae. Any Occult rolls Elsa takes regarding the storm wall and Anna's condition now may have the Enchantress' score added to it, but she will not help another hero unit in any way. Also, she will only take actions that better the state of the Arendellean people, not its government.
???: You get the feeling the Enchantress hasn't told you everything…
A Chorus of Ice and Light
[X] Study the storm wall (Enchantress)
DC 100/125/150
1d100+31+44+15+10 (Grand Pabbie)=152
Extreme Success!
To be continued in Chorus of Ice and Light
Elsa
[X] Talk with Kristoff and Olaf
89
To be continued in Chorus of Ice and Light
[X] Meet with Rapunzel
To be continued in Chorus of Ice and Light
DC 100/125/150
1d100+31+44+15+10 (Grand Pabbie)=152
Extreme Success!
To be continued in Chorus of Ice and Light
Elsa
[X] Talk with Kristoff and Olaf
89
To be continued in Chorus of Ice and Light
[X] Meet with Rapunzel
To be continued in Chorus of Ice and Light
Rapunzel couldn't help but gape in awe as the Martek flew out of the tunnel into Arendelle. It was like nothing she had ever seen before. Snow was not new to her - the Seven Kingdoms were known for harsh winters - but Arendelle was nothing but snow and ice, as far as the eye could see. And that wasn't very far, thanks to the most striking feature of the country.
A wall of snow, twisting and turning and writhing in a perfect circle that Rapunzel estimated was about twenty miles across. It completely blocked sight through it, and from what Milo had told her before she left with Adira - and with the crotchety old man Cookie Farnsworth as the pilot - anything that managed to pierce the howling winds froze solid before it had passed fifty feet. Even so, they had deduced that the wall was about a quarter-mile thick.
Nobody was sure what was causing it. Suspicion had naturally fallen upon the cryokinetic queen of Arendelle, Elsa, but the lack of motive had people confused. Was it possible she had created a self-sustaining construct? A physical representation of the isolation she had, by all accounts, suffered for over a decade before being crowned Queen? Eh, it was for brighter minds than her to deduce.
"Quite the sight, ain't it?" Cookie asked, following the line of her gaze out the window of the Martek. "Lemmee tell ya, I saw some cold winters back when I scouted for General Crook, but not even the winter of '80 was this bad. And that was the Snow Winter."
"1780?" Rapunzel inquired, still watching the snow as the Martek began its descent towards the capital of Arendelle.
"Naw, 1880. Remember, that demmed storm two years back messed up when, not just where," Cookie grumbled as his gnarled hands guided the Martek past a turret and towards the town square.
"Oh." It had been 1824 for her.
Wait, was that...?
"Is that a snowman waiting for us by the queen?"
"His name is Olaf," Cookie chuckled, "and he likes warm hugs."
~~~
The day the Atlantean delegation arrived with the best hope for Anna, Elsa had been with the Enchantress studying the Great Veil. Through great difficulty, the sorceress had managed to extract a small piece of that great wall and bring it back to the city for study. Upon looking at it, it seemed like a normal thundercloud. However, upon closer inspection, one could see that the cloud contained howling winds that threw around snowflakes and small pieces of ice. To touch it was to court great injury if not death.
In other words, Elsa had never been able to produce something like this... and if the Enchantress was to be believed, she never would be.
"Your magic was used as a catalyst, yes," the woman told her. "However, Grand Pabbie is correct in that it was not solely responsible. What were you feeling when your magic ran wild?"
Unbidden, horrible memories of Hans and Anna's sculpture come to mind. "Despair," the queen replied. "Grief. Rage. Self-loathing."
The other woman nodded. "A burst of negative emotions that shoved your power outwards," she commented. "Not uncommon, but given the power of both your magic and your emotions... you attracted the attention of something. Something... evil." She shuddered.
"The dark fae?" Elsa asked.
"No," said the Enchantress, shaking her head. "Worse. Much worse. In fact, you are very lucky." Upon seeing Elsa's befuddled expression, she elaborated. "The magic that taints the wall is aggressive. In other words, the thing that took notice of you tried to take you by force. If that had happened... death would be a preferable fate."
Unbidden, the Russian book came to Elsa's mind and she shuddered. "Why didn't I go, then?" she asked.
"From what you've told me of the incident, a combination of your wild magic... and your sister," was the answer.
Elsa blinked. "What?"
"An act of true love is the most symbolic and powerful action in the world," the Enchantress explained. "It doesn't have to be romantic. The love your sister felt for you is enough. She sacrificed herself to help you. Perhaps she even knew what was coming and tried to save you. Either way, that act combined with your magic wildly pushing away everything was enough to repel that monster. The clash between those two forces left a residue, a combination of two forces."
Elsa's eyes widened. "The Veil," she said.
"The reason your sister's actions weren't enough to unfreeze her was twofold. One, she unintentionally used most of it to repel that thing. So long as you stay behind this curtain, that demon can't see you. You are cloaked in his own evil and thus shielded from his gaze."
Elsa really wasn't sure how to react to that, so she shoved all of those feelings in a box to contemplate (and cry over) later. "And the second?"
"...her act was a double-edged sword," was the Enchantress' grim reply. "In shielding you, intentionally or not, she has taken on the taint of the one who tried to claim you. As such, she is not just bound by ice, but the stain of evil and darkness."
Elsa's veins freeze as fear erupts throughout her body. Trembling and dreading the answer to her next question, she asks, "Can she be healed?"
"With the power of the Sundrop? Most certainly, assuming the claims of Atlantis are true," the Enchantress replies. "Darkness loathes light more than anything. With the powers of the Sundrop, the chains of evil will crumble like dust, allowing the ice to melt both through the love of your sister and the compassion of this girl for good measure." Her frown penetrated Elsa's very relieved thoughts and the queen stood up straight from slouching in relief. "However, while the power of the Sundrop is good for singular afflictions, it is woefully pitiful against the might of the Great Veil. Very powerful and very old magic will be needed to dispel that." She looked at the inexperienced witch. "That is, of course, if you judge you should. This is the most effective protection from that creature. If it stays, you will be safe."
Elsa, in her private thoughts, very much doubted she would leave it up. Her kingdom was at the mercy of foreign powers, an uncomfortable situation despite Atlantis' merciful actions, and she had no way of providing for her people. If she wished for Arendelle to prosper, the Veil would need to go. Period.
Still, though... "What being inspires so much fear in you?" she couldn't help but question.
The Enchantress was silent for a moment. "To the Catholics, he is Satan," she whispered. "But in the Orthodox tongue, he is known by another name."
The book once appeared in Elsa's mind and the name on the front came unbidden to her lips.
"Chernabog."
The Enchantress turned with a look of shock and horror as the temperature dropped several degrees and the lights seemed to dim. Before any action could be taken, the door opened and Olaf burst in, breaking the spell.
"Elsa! Elsa! Rapunzel's here, Rapunzel's here!" he cheered. "The Martek just checked in at the Atlantean outpost!"
Elsa breathed out a sigh and told Olaf she'd be right there. She turned to the Enchantress with a serious look. "We'll talk more of this later," she promised. "First, my sister."
The Enchantress regained herself, but she was still quite pale and short of breath. "Of course," she said.
~~~
Kristoff stood with Gibbs on Elsa's right as they waited for the Martek. Olaf stood in front of them with Maja and the Enchantress flanking Elsa's left side. Oaken had taken the time to catch up with his family. Several onlookers had also gathered to see the coming Atlantean delegation, especially since news had leaked that they might be able to free Anna from her icy prison. For now, the army was keeping them at bay, but it was still quite crowded.
Kristoff's thoughts, personally, were turbulent. Just last week, Elsa had burst in with the news that Milo, the leader of Atlantis, had acquired the wielder of the Sundrop, a powerful healing magic that could quite possibly cure Anna. This of course had brought on a long conversation of what they would do once Anna was released, doubts about any negative feelings she may have for either of them, and just worries about the whole affair in general. It was quite the heart-to-heart talk, leaving Kristoff with a much better understanding of Anna's sister. It was nice to have these moments with her, getting past the facade of queen she put on for the public and really seeing the woman that was Elsa of Arendelle.
Of course, the real surprise was what she said at the end: "I really enjoy this, Kristoff. Hopefully, we can do this more often... as in-laws."
She had then walked off with a smug smirk as Kristoff had spluttered like a fool. Still, he took that for what it was; Elsa, unlike when Anna had introduced her to Hans, had blessed Anna's marriage to him. And that honestly meant quite a lot to him.
In any case, now, the remaining hope for Arendelle's princess was coming. The Martek crested over the horizon, gently touching down in the square a few dozen feet away. Upon it stood three figures, one of which Kristoff was already familiar with.
"All off fer Arendelle!" cried Cookie, a rather gangly old man with crooked teeth and a strange accent, as he hopped off his ride. According to Milo, he and Mole had been the main architects of the Atlantean tunnel (something about destruction practice with a "General Sherman"?). As such, he had been quite warmly received when Atlanteans started to visit Arendelle with more frequency... until people started trying his cooking. Suffice to say, they were not impressed. He wasn't hated, in fact, many of the older generation greatly appreciated his expertise and war stories. It's just... the cooking. How is that considered cooking?!
The next person was a tall, muscular woman. She was dressed in strange leather armor and carried a massive sword. Also, her white hair was put in a very long ponytail that reached her lower back. Two other things that stood out were her half-painted face and a strange mark on the back of her hand. "Quite brisk," she commented. "No wonder you insisted on the coats." She gestured to the standard-issue Atlantean coat that she had thrown on over her clothes.
As Cookie began to monologue again, Kristoff's attention was arrested by the third figure, who had to be Rapunzel. In all honesty, Kristoff was reminded of Anna. The powerful magic user gazed at everything around her with undisguised curiosity and wonder, as Anna had looked at the trolls and Elsa's more beautiful creations. She carried herself with almost a child-like innocence and naivete like she had never seen anything outside a small world.
However, the similarities were purely in action. Rapunzel was younger than Anna had been by a few years, not to mention her strange purple dress and bright, deep green eyes. What was most eye-catching, though, was her hair. It was a deep, golden blonde and ran almost to the ground despite it being braided to hell and back. It was decorated with several flowers and pins to mark it. Another reminder of Anna was a deep blue strand that ran from her scalp to the very end of the lock.
Kristoff finally managed to shake himself off as he saw Rapunzel hug Olaf without prompting. Cookie must have told her and the snowman deeply appreciated her initiative. Without realizing it, he and the rest of the court had drawn closer to the visitors. He must have been deeper in his thoughts than he had realized.
"Cookie, it's nice to see you again," Elsa greeted with a nod and a small smile.
"D'aw, shucks, yer majesty, yer makin' me blush!" Cookie chortled. "I already told ya that I was jus' doin' ma job when me an' Mole dug that tunnel. You don' have to thank me."
"Perhaps," Elsa conceded. "But your tunnel still benefits and supports my people to this day. So, you will simply have to get used to it." She and the cook chuckled as Elsa turned to the painted woman and curtsied. "Greetings. I am Queen Elsa of Arendelle. Who might you be?"
"Adira," Adira replied with a bow of her own. "I have been assigned to this mission as Rapunzel's bodyguard. It is an honor, your majesty."
"The honor and privilege are all mine," Elsa assured, now turning to the blonde. "You must be Rapunzel," she said gently, curtsying once more.
The girl awkwardly curtsied back in the affirmative. "Y-Yes, your majesty, that's me," she said. "I was told you needed my... special help?"
Elsa's face fell as business was brought up. "Indeed," she nodded. "Maja, please handle the crowds. I know they're anxious, but I don't want any more riots. Gibbs, please inform my advisors that I may need to push back our next meeting. Kristoff, if you would lead the way."
The three mentioned nodded and set about their tasks. Kristoff inhaled a huge breath as he led the party into the castle.
'Here we go.'
~~~
"What's that song you're whistling?" Rapunzel asked quizzically.
"Let it - Oh, nothing," Elsa replied with a blush.
Rapunzel shrugged, keeping pace with the taller woman as the two strode down the halls of Arendelle Castle. They were accompanied by a number of companions from both parties: Olaf and Kristoff flanked the Snow Queen, while Rapunzel had only Adira following in her wake. Cookie opted not to come along, instead going to swap stories with Maja. The last Rapunzel had seen of the old man, he was telling a tall tale to the ice merchant about a 'cow boy' who roped twisters and rode earthquakes for fun. Whatever a cow boy was, Rapunzel wasn't sure she ever wanted to meet one.
Two others from Arendelle followed, taking up the rear. Grand Pabbie the rock troll was quite possibly the most adorable thing Rapunzel had ever seen - but her instincts told her not to express that opinion to him. Something about him made her hair tingle.
Not as much as the second person. The tall, enigmatic woman known only as The Enchantress had uttered nary a word, but her gaze was keen and seemed to seek out the very thoughts of all in her vicinity. Queen Elsa had introduced her as her magical advisor and co-tutor along with Grand Pabbie. Together, the two took a keen professional interest in how Rapunzel could possibly free Anna from the predicament in which she found herself.
As she looked around, Rapunzel couldn't help but notice that the party was heading down into the bowels of the castle. "Excuse me, but why are we heading down to the dungeons?" she asked nervously.
Queen Elsa didn't break stride. "At the start of the Upheaval, my sister was turned into an inviolable ice sculpture."
"How is such a thing possible?!" Rapunzel asked, stunned.
A pall of grief passed over the queen's face. "It was me. An accident, a side-effect of my powers. Her heart froze, and shortly thereafter the rest of her did as well. She saved my life, you know. Prince Hans was going to kill me but decided against it at the last minute. He had previously lied to me that my sister was already dead and I… grieved violently. Anna sacrificed her chance for recovery in order to pull me out of that spiral."
Rapunzel was torn between compassion for the clearly distraught queen and curiosity as to precisely how that had happened, but settled for "Prince Hans? Prince Hans Westergaard?"
Elsa turned her head to glance at Rapunzel. "Yes, that was the name. You know him?"
Rapunzel grinned nervously. "Um…he was the consort of Queen Grimhilde of the Mirror Kingdoms. Adira actually fought him."
One of Elsa's blonde brows arched. "Indeed? That must have been a short fight."
"Not short enough," Adira snorted. "He had ice powers somehow. Covered the entire floor in frost and ice. Made it a real pain to fight him."
Elsa stopped dead. So did everyone else. "...ice powers?" Rapunzel nods timidly.
Grand Pabbie hummed troubled. "This shouldn't be possible. Elsa was born with her magic, it cannot simply be learned by another, unless-" His eyes widened. "Oh, that foolish boy."
"What's wrong?" Elsa asked.
"I believe we have found the source of your parasite, my queen," the Enchantress sneered. "Hans seems to have used an ancient and wicked parasitic ritual to leech your power from you. It's why your power has been… temperamental."
Elsa furiously scowled, ice forming in her hands… before she swiftly turned and marched down the hallway. "I can worry about that leech later. Anna takes priority."
Everyone follows, troubled looks and ugly scowls marring the faces of all.
Rapunzel shivered, and an exhalation brought mist into the air.
Grand Pabbie noticed it. "Your Grace."
Elsa flinched, then unclenched her hands as the temperature stabilized.
"Anyway," Elsa coughed, then continued. "Several months ago, a ruffian snuck into the palace and attempted to smash my sister into fragments, on the grounds that doing so, he believed, might destroy the barrier surrounding the country. He failed. But to prevent any repeat attempts, we relocated Anna into the dungeons. The environment is colder, and it is more secure against intruders."
Adira nodded approvingly. "Dare I ask what happened to the intruder?"
Kristoff chuckled. "We gave him to the populace. They were very… vocal about their disapproval of his goal."
Rapunzel didn't ask for more details. Her imagination was sufficient. Queen Grimhilde had been quite…imaginative in her punishments for traitors and saboteurs.
Her musings were interrupted by the voice of Queen Elsa. "We've arrived." Rapunzel's eyes lifted to take in the sight of a wooden door, the frame and bars rimed with frost that stemmed from within. Kristoff stepped forward with a heavy key wrought of iron, inserted it into the lock, and opened the door with a screech that suggested the hinges were either rarely employed or were freezing from within. Within stood, stretching towards the ceiling, the person who was the reason why she was there.
Anna was once a young and beautiful woman, that much was clear. Now, her skin, hair, and clothes had turned to solid ice, decorated with snowflake frost patterns and stained with a black… something. She was leaning up against the wall, her hands outstretched above her as her head was craned up. From the looks of things, she was either trying to leap into the air or praying, her face scrunched in desperation and strain.
A tear sprung from Rapunzel's eye, almost without her noticing. She reached out a hand towards the frozen woman before her. "Oh. Oh, my." A gentle smile curved her lips, and her palm caressed the frozen cheek. "Elsa, I'm so sorry."
Behind Rapunzel, Elsa's lips pressed together into a white line. Diamonds shone in her eyes, but the willpower she had developed prevented them from trickling down her cheeks. "For what? It wasn't your fault."
It was mine.
"It wasn't your fault either, Elsa." Almost on autopilot, Rapunzel shook out her hair from its braid, letting it pool on the ground at her feet. "It wasn't anyone's fault."
And, taking in a deep breath, Rapunzel began to sing.
"Flower, gleam and glow.
Let your power shine.
Make the clock reverse.
Bring back what once was mine."
A golden glow suffused the room as Rapunzel's blonde locks turned molten. The ice blue forelock, a remnant from freeing Kida in Atlantis, glowed as well, a gleam of sky highlighting the sun risen in the Arendelle basement.
The light shone through Anna. The sculpture of ice glowed gold and blue.
"Heal what has been hurt.
Change the fate's design.
Save what has been lost.
Bring back what once was mine…
What once was mine."
Anna's icy frame shook. The black streaks within and without flaked off Anna before puffing into a foul smoke, finally vanishing into the air with naught to show they had ever been there. (Oddly, only the Enchantress reacted to their presence.) And, starting from her heart, the woman began to thaw.
What had been icy blue turned into a black dress worn over a close-fitting blue blouse. The cape was revealed to be a royal purple. The ice receded up her outstretched arm, down her body, and up her head. The extremities thawed all at once, and what had been a rigid statue became a stumbling woman. Rapunzel caught her in her arms.
Behind her, Elsa staggered. Energy rushed into her, and her heart relaxed from a clench she hadn't realized was there. A sigh escaped from her, as though a burden long carried was finally set down.
Anna blinked. She turned out to be a redhead with pale skin and crystal-blue eyes. Pulling back slightly, she looked Rapunzel in the face.
"...do I know you? I feel like I should know you."
A grin split Rapunzel's face. "I'm Rapunzel. And I think there's someone who wants to see you."
"Anna," came the small voice of the queen. Anna looked over and saw her sister visibly fighting the urge to sweep her up in a big hug. She looked… older. Wiser. Stronger. But also much more tired and strained. So, Anna did the natural thing: she ran over and tackled her sister in a massive hug. "ELSA!"
The sudden hug broke the emotional dam. Kristoff and Olaf ran over and joined the hug as Elsa wrapped her arms around her sister, squeezing tight and beginning to sob. Those standing nearby did their best not to interfere but smiled at the heart-warming scene all the same.
DC 120
1d100+???-10 (Unprepared)+15 (Cleanse)+30 (Extreme Success); 99 ⇒ ???
Success
1d100+???-10 (Unprepared)+15 (Cleanse)+30 (Extreme Success); 99 ⇒ ???
Success
~Ah-ahhhhhh, ah-ahhh~
Suddenly, Elsa cocked her ear. "What was that?" Everyone gave her a confused look. What was what?
Except for the Enchantress. "I heard it as well," she said. "It would seem your ordeal is not over yet."
Rapunzel, for her part, had her attention elsewhere. Namely, to the sensation that it hadn't been her will, necessarily, that caused her to restore Anna.
Flower?
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Anna thawed! Anna is now useable as a hero unit! "Frozen Heart", "Sacrificed Sister", and "Iced Love" traits negated!
Atlantis has increased its prestige in Arendelle!
Rapunzel has gained a trait.
Adira has gained Arendelle's books on the Sunstone and Moonstone! This may have consequences...
Elsa Occult Cap Removed!
Elsa saw her promise through! Kristoff and Olaf will remember this!
Storm Wall studied! New Occult actions unlocked!
New enemy identified!
Chernabog-Called the Devil by multiple religions, he has made designs on Elsa and hurt Anna. He is not getting off lightly for this.
New Quest Unlocked!
HUGE shoutout to @TirelessTraveler for his help in writing this monumental event! Couldn't have done it without you, man!
Heroes:
Martial: 8 (While a formidable opponent with magic, and she has had a few scraps, Elsa has no experience fighting without it.)
Stewardship: 21 (Elsa was expected to one day rule Arendelle. She was given a royal education fitting of her station.)
Diplomacy: 13 (While she can be cordial and have civil conversations, Elsa is very much an introvert. Having been isolated from the rest of the world since she was small hasn't helped much.)
Intrigue: 11 (Elsa has become very adept at keeping secrets over her time concealing her powers. However, as her flight from Arendelle shows, "sneaky" is not exactly in her repertoire.)
Learning: 20 (While Elsa can quote the greats, she is by no means a scholar.)
Occult: 35 (Elsa has had ice powers since she was a child, and they've only grown more powerful as she's grown older.
Traits:
"Let it Go": Elsa has been suppressing her powers ever since her accident with Anna. Now that the secret's out, there's no reason to keep it under such tight restraints. However, she will exercise caution. +10 to all rolls about learning more about her power and experimenting with it. Occult locked, but can be increased to 35 with training.
"Cold Combatant": Elsa has recently learned her powers can do more than just create storms and ice sculptures. When making a Martial roll or a roll that involves escaping, she can substitute her normal score for her Occult score.
"Royalty": As a royal, Elsa gains +10 Diplomacy when dealing with other nobles, leaders, and royals.
"In Honor of the Fallen": Anna sacrificed herself to try and get Elsa into a more productive state of mind. Elsa isn't going to jeopardize that by sulking. +15 to any rolls involving removing the eternal winter and storm barrier in Arendelle.
"Hail to the Queen": Elsa is the respected Queen of Arendelle, with its own entourage of unique individuals and experienced leaders. When making rolls considering affairs of the state or improvement of the nation (Martial, Stewardship, and Diplomacy), Elsa takes a +20 bonus thanks to the help of her council of advisors.
"Romantic Diplomat": Elsa has familiarized herself with several different European customs and traditions, including languages. When in a conversation with a speaker of a European/Romantic language, Elsa gains a +15 to diplomacy and all maluses caused by language comprehension are negated. (Except English. Then, maluses are halved and the diplomacy bonus is +7.) She also takes no maluses due to culture shock, and when encountering a culture she isn't familiar with, she has a +15 to avoid culture shock and to learning the local language.
"Leech Victim": Elsa's magic is being tapped into by an unknown party to hazardous effect. Every two turns, Elsa must use a Personal to meditate and balance her magic, else she will suffer maluses due to the interloper's interference. This can be aggravated by an action by the interloper and fixed by either killing the leech (Prince Hans, apparently) or accessing the source of Elsa's magic and banishing them.
Vendetta-Chernabog: This demon has already tried to kidnap Elsa, hurting Anna and dooming Arendelle and its people in the process. Suffice to say, Elsa does not like him at all.
Martial: 10 (While Kristoff is certainly tough, he is by no means a trained fighter... or even a very good one.)
Stewardship: 13 (Kristoff ran a small ice business, but is uncomfortable heading anything larger than that.)
Diplomacy: 15 (You don't get into any business without knowing how to be courteous to customers and other merchants. However, as Wandering Oaken can attest to, he's not all that great about it.)
Intrigue: 14 (Kristoff can be light-footed (working on ice helps with that immensely), but stealthy is not exactly in Kristoff's nature.)
Learning: 10 (Kristoff can read and do basic math, but not much else.)
Occult: 11 (Kristoff lived with trolls, and has been through a lot the past few days. Suffice to say, he knows there's more to the world than the physical.)
Traits:
"Mountain Man": Kristoff has been harvesting and selling ice his whole life. This trade has allowed him in-depth knowledge about survival, the nature of ice and snow, and how the wild works. His recent studies of the outdoors have also increased his knowledge. +20 to all rolls concerning survival in winter/mountainous climates, +15 to any Learning rolls about other outdoor survival or geology, +10 to all other rolls concerning the outdoors.
"Love Expert": Kristoff was raised by trolls, who are experts about the magic and power of love. He picked up a few things from the constant contact. +10 to all rolls concerning love, +15 to Occult rolls about the subject.
"Among the Masses": As a common merchant, Kristoff is easy to trust and unassuming to everyday people. +10 to Diplomacy rolls involved with communicating with common folk, but -10 malus when communicating with those of a... higher society.
Ancillary - "Sven the Reindeer": Sven has been with Kristoff since the two were little and Kristoff is never seen far from him. Sven gives Kristoff a +7 to all Martial rolls and a -10 DC to any actions that involve traveling long distances. If Sven is with Kristoff on a stealth roll, roll a d2. If it's a 1, Sven gives Kristoff a -7 to Intrigue due to doing something that draws attention to the group. If it's a 2, Sven gives Kristoff a +7 to Intrigue by causing a distraction that takes attention away from the group
National Hero: Kristoff has become a hero to the people of Arendelle due to his social exploits with the people as well as his heroic actions during conflicts. He gains a +20 to Diplomacy in his native home, due to the amount of respect the people give him. This bonus is a +10 in all other places that have heard of his exploits. He also gains a +5 Martial bonus due to patriotism as long as he is fighting at home, but his Intrigue suffers a -10 in his native kingdom due to being so easily recognized, and a -5 applies to everyone else who has heard of his deeds.
Item - Gungnir: A magical spear of unknown origin. Whoever wields it gains a +20 in Martial and Occult, but if they are inexperienced, they take a -10 malus when they use it.
Martial: 3 (Olaf is a snowman and has also said he is "out of shape". Worst he can do is throw a snowball at you really hard.)
Stewardship: 5 (While Olaf is good at getting people to gather together, he has no aptitude for leadership or organization.)
Diplomacy: 21 (Olaf is very friendly and enjoys warm hugs. What's not to like?)
Intrigue: 1 (Olaf is a walking, talking snowman. That's about as far from inconspicuous as you can get.)
Learning: 4 (While Olaf enjoys learning about the world around him, he has no brain.)
Occult: 9 (Olaf was literally made from magic, not to mention he's very open-minded. Especially after everything that's happened.)
Traits:
"Hi, I'm Olaf!": Olaf is very friendly and wants to get along with everyone. Plus, he's a cute snowman. +20 to Diplomacy when interacting with children, +10 to Diplomacy with people who are used to magic and/or have an Occult score of 7 or higher, -10 to Diplomacy with everyone else due to them being freaked out.
"I Don't Have a Skull... Or Bones": Since Olaf is made of snow, he cannot take damage from anything other than fire. He can be scattered, sure, but he can easily pull himself together.
"Mind of a Child": Olaf is literally less than a week old. However, unlike a lot of people in his generation, he really wants to learn about everything! +15 to all rolls involving learning new things and when confronted by something new (and not immediately hostile), his first response will be to try and examine it.
"In Summer": Olaf loves summer, and after his first experience with heat, his determination to live in the warm season has only grown! +15 to all rolls that directly help to bring an end to the eternal winter, as well as +10 to all Learning rolls about the season (even that snow melts; that was made clear at Anna's fireplace).
"You're My Friend": Olaf's friends are his most important treasure, and he will do anything to help them. +15 to all rolls involving helping his friends. He can also be assigned on an action with another hero unit he considers a "friend" for a +10 bonus. When doing an action for Elsa, he will get the +10 modifier on top of his normal modifier.
Olaf's Friends: Elsa, Kristoff, Sven, Anna
Martial: 13 (Anna is much more violently inclined than her sister and, since she was both the younger heir and had nothing but time for years, she has learned a bit of fighting.)
Stewardship: 17 (While Anna was never expected to rule Arendelle, she was still given most of the same lessons as her sister in case something happened.)
Diplomacy:
Intrigue: 6 (Anna's lived alone her whole life and is basically starved for human contact. This has killed her ability to stay inconspicuous.)
Learning: 15 (Anna can quote the greats, but she has neither the patience nor the knowledge to be a scholar.)
Occult: 9 (After everything she's been through, including spending months as an ice sculpture, Anna knows a bit about the arcane.)
Traits:
"Royalty": As a royal, Anna gains +10 Diplomacy when dealing with other nobles, leaders, and royals.
"Spitfire Personality": Anna is passionate and impulsive. While this can be a good thing in tight spots, it's not the best in long-term planning. She gains a +10 to Martial and Diplomacy rolls when in a situation she cares about, but a -5 to all Intrigue and Learning rolls.
"Portrait Memory": Anna has stared at (and talked to) the paintings in the castle for so long, that she can now use them to identify famous faces, down to the placement of their portrait in the castle. She gains a +20 Learning bonus when identifying a famous figure from before the mid-nineteenth century and auto-succeeds identifying figures central to Arendellian history and her family history.
"Awkward~!": Anna has spent most of her life in her castle with little contact with anyone. As such, her social skills have suffered as a result. Her Diplomacy is capped at 18 until she relearns social graces.
"Elsa!": Anna loves her sister, enough to sacrifice her life and safety for her. Now that Elsa is more open-hearted and returning Anna's sisterly affection, Anna is loathe to let anything bad happen to her again (especially since the most recent troubles were mostly her fault). Anna gains a +15 for any actions toward keeping Elsa safe and suffers a -10 to Diplomacy when arguing with her.
Nemesis-Prince Hans: This jerk manipulated Anna's emotions, tried to kill her and her sister, abandoned her kingdom, shacked up with some German queen, and to top it all off, he stole Elsa's powers?! To say that Anna is going to punch him next they meet is understating things.
"Diamond In the Rough": There's more to Anna than meets the eye...
Martial: 15 (While Oaken is a generally calm and reasonable man, he is still very big and very strong. If pushed, he can easily get physical.)
Stewardship: 25 (Oaken manages a well-off trading post and sauna. He also knows how to drive a hard bargain and is very shrewd.)
Diplomacy: 19 (Oaken is very friendly and cheerful. This tends to get people to trust him a little more easily.)
Intrigue: 6 (Oaken is an honest businessman. Plus, not much is inconspicuous about a large German man with bright red hair.)
Learning: 14 (Oaken knows math, as well as few languages. However, he is still a commoner.)
Occult: 3 (Oaken heard some stories and rumors during his time, but he never paid much attention until now.)
Traits:
"Yoo-hoo!": Oaken is generally seen as a friendly and innocent face. This allows him a bit of an advantage when talking to people. +10 to initial Diplomacy rolls, +15 if Oaken's trying to sell the person something, and +5 Intrigue whenever he's in a conversation, unless the other party is trying to analyze him.
"Oh, no good": While Oaken is friendly and agreeable, he's also very shrewd. Any character who wants to get him to talk down his prices needs to pass a Diplomacy check of 75 or an Intrigue check of 55.
"What Did You Call Me?": While Oaken is extremely patient, even he has his limits. When angered, Oaken has a -10 to Diplomacy checks and has a +10 to Martial.
"Foreign Trading Post": Due to his location, Oaken has met with a few foreign visitors. It helps that he's foreign to Arendelle himself. No rolls needed for understanding German. If someone is speaking in a foreign tongue, roll a d3. Upon rolling a 3, Oaken is able to understand the speaker. Otherwise, he's completely clueless.
"Businessman": Although Oaken has agreed to help you out, he still has his own business to run. Any turn he spends on a national action, he must spend the next turn managing his post.
Martial: 9 (Maja can hold her own for a bit in a scrap should the need arise, but it's not something she's trained for.)
Stewardship: 18 (Maja is as close to a leader as the Ice Merchants have. She runs most of the financials and paperwork involved with ice delivery.)
Diplomacy: 16 (Maja has a pretty face, and she knows it. She also knows how to use it to her advantage. However, her rough style of speech is sometimes off putting.)
Intrigue: 13 (A life on the ice has given Maja light feet, but she's no ninja.)
Learning: 12 (Maja has had a bit more learning than most due to her increased responsibilities, but she's not extremely learned.)
Occult: 5 (Practical as she is, Maja never really paid attention to the fantastic stories of the older merchants. However, with everything that's happened, she's a bit more open-minded. Helps that her new patron is a practitioner.)
Traits:
"Winter Specialist": Maja has been harvesting and selling ice her whole life. This trade has allowed her in-depth knowledge about survival, the nature of ice and snow, and how the wild works. +20 to all rolls concerning survival in winter climates, +15 to any Learning rolls about other outdoor survival, +10 to all other rolls concerning the outdoors.
"Local Outdoors(wo)man": Maja has been all over the area selling ice, since it doesn't travel well. As such, she has extensive knowledge of the terrain and pathways to places. +10 to any rolls concerning traveling to another place in Northern Europe.
"Among the Higher Masses": As a well-off merchant, Maja is easy to trust and mostly unassuming to everyday people, yet is still able to hold some clout with the upper classes. +5 to Diplomacy rolls involved with communicating with common folk, but -5 malus when communicating with those of a... higher society.
"What was that accent?"-Maja is a smooth talker… so long as her rough speech pattern doesn't trip her up. When making a Diplomacy check, roll a d2. Upon a 1, she gains a -5 malus due to her rough speech. Otherwise, nothing happens.
Ancillary: "Ice Merchants"-Maja is about as close as you can get to the leader of the Ice Merchants. Which means, she can whip them into shape about doing a task. Whenever Maja is assigned to an action that is made easier with group work (ex. building or exploring, not paperwork), she gains a +15 bonus due to having the guys help her out.
"Winter Instructor"-Elsa has appointed Maja in charge of teaching the people of Arendelle how to survive the winter. So far, progress is acceptable, but Maja is determined to make it better. Maja can spend a personal action holding extra lessons for winter survival. Over time, the rolls made on this action build up and can increase Arendellian competency in a frigid climate.
Martial: 17 (Gibbs has held his own against multiple pirates, marines, monsters, and drunken slobs. He's no master, but he can handle himself.)
Stewardship: 19 (Gibbs practically ran logistics while he worked on the Black Pearl, plus his own service on royal ships has helped his prowess.)
Diplomacy: 22 (Gibbs has managed to sweet-talk his way through several fights, misunderstandings, and potential mutinies (particularly on the Black Pearl) for much of his life. He's pretty good at getting people to do what he wants.)
Intrigue: 15 (Gibbs can be sneaky, but it's not his go-to option.)
Learning: 11 (Gibbs knows basic math, science, and navigation. That's about it.)
Occult: 8 (Gibbs is no caster, but his knowledge of superstitions and monsters of the seas is practically unrivaled.)
Traits:
"It's a Pirate's Life for Me": Gibbs is a pirate, end of story. He lives by the Code of the Brethren Court, he seeks freedom in all he does, and isn't afraid to stand up for what he believes, regardless of whoever is standing against him (mostly). He gains a +10 to situations involving naval combat of all sorts, +15 to Learning checks about naval information and pirate crews, +15 to Diplomacy when asserting his authority on a ship, and a +10 to any actions that involve traditional piracy, rum, or spiting the EITC. Also, any attempts to make him submit to and follow an authority he doesn't respect must succeed a Diplomacy Roll of DC 100.
"Superstition IS the Way": Gibbs is extremely superstitious and knows the ins and outs of karmic shortcuts, ways to tick off Murphey, and the curses and mystical lore of pirates. +10 to any Occult checks involving magical pirate artifacts or curses.
"Lemme Tell Ye A Tale…": Gibbs is extremely knowledgeable in sea legends and history. He gains a +20 to any Learning checks involving port folklore, sailor's tales, and recent piracy.
"Black spot! Black spot!": Gibbs is terrified of Davy Jones for reasons he refuses to elaborate on. You're… kind of scared to push.
Artist Link: https://www.deviantart.com/acchanchangmin
Martial: 11 (While the Enchantress is certainly powerful, she has no training in any sort of combat.)
Stewardship: 9 (The Enchantress can keep her bag organized. Any organizing outside of that is not her forte.)
Diplomacy: 17 (The Enchantress is certainly charming and beautiful, but she's not much for conversation.)
Intrigue: 24 (The Enchantress is a master of disguise.)
Learning: 21 (One does not become as powerful as the Enchantress by not picking up a book or several.)
Occult: 44 (The Enchantress is one of the most powerful human conjurers on the planet, surpassed only by a handful.)
Traits:
"Glamour": The Enchantress' transformation magic is one of the best in the world. Any time she conjures disguises or invisibility, all units hit with the magic gain a +15 to Intrigue rolls while it is active.
"Conjurer Combat": The Enchantress backs up everything she does with a bit of magic. While taking an Intrigue or Martial action, she may use half her Occult score to add to the roll.
"Harsh But Fair": The Enchantress is often harsh in her punishments of wrongdoings, but she never loses faith in the human capacity for change. Any curse she leaves on a human has an exploitable loophole that can only be used if the cursed person truly decides to change who they are and is recognized for it by an outside party.
"Ominous Bargain": The Enchantress has agreed to help Elsa with her quest to free Arendelle and her sister in exchange for help against a Dark Fae. Any Occult rolls Elsa takes regarding the storm wall and Anna's condition now may have the Enchantress' score added to it, but she will not help another hero unit in any way. Also, she will only take actions that better the state of the Arendellean people, not its government.
???: You get the feeling the Enchantress hasn't told you everything…
"Break the Frozen Heart"- tested by the Ice Merchants, hardened by the Everlasting Winter, and armed with Atlantean weapons, Arendellians now are able to withstand even the harshest of colds and fight with unrelenting strength! All residents gain a +20 to any Martial rolls and a +10 to all other rolls while in this terrain. (This can be increased.)
"Third World State"-Arendelle has mostly sat on the sidelines in terms of development, only doing something in regards to progress once everybody else had. As such, it is behind in many facets of science and learning. When encountering new technology or scientific concepts, they will have a -15 in actually using it. This can be fixed by creating a university, but first you'll need some actual scholars.
"Third World State"-Arendelle has mostly sat on the sidelines in terms of development, only doing something in regards to progress once everybody else had. As such, it is behind in many facets of science and learning. When encountering new technology or scientific concepts, they will have a -15 in actually using it. This can be fixed by creating a university, but first you'll need some actual scholars.
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FictionPack
Monochromatic Ursine
- Location
- Tennessee
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Okay I love that Elsa has decided her vendetta is on the devil himself, while Anna is focused on the parasite.
They really should hold a speech to declare exactly what the Great Veil is and what it is doing. Shielding you all from the greatest evil literally ever is something you probably want to keep.
They should definitely still research how to remove it if they ever need to, but it'd be much more wise to figure out how to work with or manipulate it. Just being able to open a hole would be enough.
The people can accept the cold for safety I feel, if informed.
They really should hold a speech to declare exactly what the Great Veil is and what it is doing. Shielding you all from the greatest evil literally ever is something you probably want to keep.
They should definitely still research how to remove it if they ever need to, but it'd be much more wise to figure out how to work with or manipulate it. Just being able to open a hole would be enough.
The people can accept the cold for safety I feel, if informed.
Beautiful Omake, as always. I always enjoy reading these!
- Location
- California,USA
As do I, it's good to be back.
I had fun writing it. It wouldn't have happened without you - Arendelle is your baby, after all. =D And I'm looking forward to seeing how Rapunzel changes as a result of this.
- Location
- California,USA
Character Development where the REAL Story of the quest is!
The Napoleon of Crime: A Disney Villains Almost Victorious Nega-Quest
Time to see what's happening in France this turn. These are the actions I had for Temp to look over; he's already made his votes, so I'm going to roll on the actions as soon as I post this and write up the narrative tonight and tomorrow. With luck, the results will be posted by tomorrow night.
Shout-out to @Cyberphilosipher for helping me format it and coming up with some of the actions, and to @DaOneInDaCorner for giving me feedback on those actions relevant to the Mirror Kingdoms.
And now, without any further ado...
Faction Leader: Professor James Moriarty
Martial: 15+2 (17) - He is a former Cambridge boxing champion and completely unafraid to employ violence for his objectives; nonetheless, if he has to personally take the field, something has gone terribly wrong.
Stewardship: 25+2 (27) - Moriarty organized a multi-continent empire of crime under the noses of just about everybody, and almost got away with it too.
Diplomacy: 20+2 (22) - genteel and urbane, Moriarty has a keen sense for other people's leverage points.
Intrigue: 25+2 (27) - The Napoleon of Crime, Moriarty is a master organizer and holds a deep understanding of both sides of the law.
Learning: 25+1+2 (28) - in his civilian life, Moriarty taught physics at Cambridge and is widely considered to be a genius.
Occult: 3+2+5+2 (12) - he knows the most commonly told myths, but doesn't take them with any degree of seriousness. Update: Between the Upheaval, working against the Mirror Queen, dealing with the living dead, and learning that the leader of France is a lich, he now takes magic and the supernatural dead seriously, and is taking steps to remedy his ignorance in the field.
Traits:
"Mathematics Chair" - Moriarty is considered one of the leading geniuses in the field of mathematics, and earned a university chair at the age of 21. He gains +30 Learning in the areas of mathematics and astronomy, and +15 in any field that heavily relies upon math such as economics.
"The Napoleon of Crime" - Thanks to his experiences building his organization, Moriarty gains +30 Intrigue when investigating or building spy networks, +15 to rolls with crime in general, and can substitute Intrigue for Martial when scouting.
"Boxing Champion" - as the name implies, he was a boxing champion in university, and gains +10 Martial in melee combat as a result of his skill and experience.
"The Spider's Web" - After months of tireless effort, Moriarty has completed his network! He gains +60 to Intrigue checks within France, +20 to all other checks, and +10 Intrigue with France's immediate neighbors.
"Not the only one who can play this game" - Moriarty is just as skilled at analysis as his rival and nemesis Sherlock Holmes; when in direct combat, upon passing a competitive Intrigue check, he can add half of his Intrigue, rounded down, to his Martial score as he analyzes his opponent and tailors his attacks accordingly. (This stacks with Boxing Champion).
"Sleeve Gun" - Moriarty has a folding sleeve gun that he carries with him to most places. It only holds two shots, but sometimes that's all you need. Would-be assassins and spies need to pass a competitive Intrigue check to even notice it; if they fail, they suffer a -15 malus once they reach point-blank range to guard against the counter-attack. Moriarty attacks with it using his Intrigue stat, not his Martial stat.
Accounts:
Current treasury: 14,000 gold.
Income:
+10000 gold (Internal trade, wine, champagne, manufactured goods, banking)
+4000 gold (Marseilles, Nice, Normandy, Paris, Lyon, Le Havre, Calais, Brest)
+500 gold (trade with Switzerland)
+2000 gold (Trade with North Africa)
+2000 (Parisian taxes, markets)
+500 (Parisian taxes)
Total: 19,000
Expenses:
-6000 (The Army)
-3000 (The Navy)
-4000 (Fae depredations)(recent breakout)
-1000 (Cauldronborn attacks in the North)
-500 (Army General Staff)
-500 (Diplomatic Corps)
-500 (Intelligence Apparatus)
-2000 (Insurrection and unrest)
Total: -17,500
Final available amount: 15,500 gold.
Advisor bonus: +30 Martial.
Traits: "Right-Hand Man" - Moran gains an additional +10 to his rolls when working alongside 'The Professor'.
"India Expert" - Moran's experience in India grants him +10 to all Martial actions in or regarding the subcontinent.
"Insurrection" - The presence of troops loyal to the former Pontiff means that his operations are far, far less capable than they would otherwise be. Moran's base Martial bonus suffers a -10 malus.
"Backscratcher" - Moriarty's network grants +10 to all rolls of his personal agents within France on actions that directly benefit his goals.
Advisor bonus: +18 Stewardship.
Traits: "Business Magnate" - Danglars worked his way from the bottom up aboard the Phaeron, and not only turned a profit but made the successful transition to banking with nary a stutter in his step. He gains +10 Stewardship for inter-sea trade and banking actions.
"Embezzler" - Danglars gains +5 to rolls on actions that can personally enrich him; on failing to pass a Stewardship DC of 50, Stewardship action costs increase by 10%. (This roll is done after the roll for the action in question).
"Backscratcher" - Moriarty's network grants +10 to all rolls of his personal agents within France on actions that directly benefit his goals.
"Insurrection" - The presence of clerks loyal to the former Pontiff means that his operations are far, far less capable than they would otherwise be. Danglars's base Stewardship bonus suffers a -10 malus.
Advisor bonus: +19 Diplomacy
Traits: "Tomcatting Around" - Mondego is about as far from the romantic ideal of loyalty as is possible; if a woman catches his eye, he will almost certainly seek to seduce her. He gains +10 Diplomacy when attempting to seduce a woman; during Diplomacy nationals, upon passing a competitive diplomacy check, he can also inflict a -10 Diplomacy debuff if the other party is a woman. However, should he be caught, he can expect a challenge to a duel from their family. He's fought enough duels at this point that he gains +15 to personal martial when in a fight for his life.
"Ancillaries: Mercedes and Albert" - Mondego's Diplomacy is +6 higher than it would otherwise be; on passing a competitive Diplomacy check, Mercedes can inflict a -10 Diplomacy malus against opponents who are attracted to women and lack self-control in their gaze.
"Suborned Diplomat" - Mondego has the inside track on a Spanish diplomat; he gains +10 to all actions involving Spain as long as his agent is active.
"Backscratcher" - Moriarty's network grants +10 to all rolls of his personal agents within France on actions that directly benefit his goals.
"Insurrection" - The presence of clerks loyal to the former Pontiff means that his operations are far, far less capable than they would otherwise be. Mondego's base Diplomacy bonus suffers a -10 malus.
Your Intrigue Advisor: Gerard de Villefort
Advisor bonus: 17 Intrigue
Traits:
"Ancillary: Heloise de Villefort" - Villefort's Intrigue is +5 higher than it would otherwise be. Her hobby (of which Villefort is in deep denial) means that on every turn, roll a d3. On a 3, roll a d100, as she will compulsively attempt to poison a random person in her vicinity who isn't her husband or children. The higher the roll, the more important the target. Should they be a named hero, the other character will need to make an Intrigue roll that beats the DC she created with her d100 roll.
"I Am The Law" - Villefort gains +15 Intrigue when dealing with criminals and the justice system.
"Underworld Contacts" - Villefort gains +5 Intrigue in Paris itself thanks to his criminal contacts.
"Backscratcher" - Moriarty's network grants +10 to all rolls of his personal agents within France on actions that directly benefit his goals.
"Insurrection" - The presence of agents loyal to the former Pontiff means that his operations are far, far less capable than they would otherwise be. Villefort's base Intrigue bonus suffers a -10 malus.
Your Learning Advisor: Pope Felix V, formerly Cardinal Richelieu
Advisor bonus: 18 Learning
Traits:
Space! - +10 Learning with knowledge of the stars, orbital mechanics, and other related fields.
"Man of the Cloth" - +15 Learning on theological and philosophical matters.
"Patron of the Arts" - +5 Learning on artwork, fashion, and interior design.
"Right-Hand Man" - +5 synchrony bonus to all rolls if Rochefort is assigned to help.
"Backscratcher" - Moriarty's network grants +10 to all rolls of his personal agents within France on actions that directly benefit his goals.
"Mathematics Department" - Moriarty formed a math department for the University of Paris; it grants +10 to Learning actions relating to mathematics and associated fields.
"Double Advisory" - Lacking any better options, Moriarty has been forced to have Richelieu command both his university and his cathedral. Richelieu currently has two actions, to allocate between either Learning or Occult actions as he sees fit - that is, he can either take two Learning actions, two Occult actions, or one Learning and one Occult action. Note: Both of Richelieu's actions have been consumed this turn on mandatory actions in each category.
"Insurrection" - Despite your best efforts, some of Frollo's pets ended up in the university. While they cause trouble, Richelieu's base Learning suffers a -5 malus.
Your Occult Advisor: Pope Felix V/Richelieu
Advisor bonus: 22 Occult.
Traits:
"Not a practitioner" - Richelieu cannot use magic or cast spells; he can use half of his Occult bonus to identify magic used in his vicinity, though, and all of it when confronted by demonic power.
"Established Exorcist'' - Richelieu was the one who led the effort to exorcize and banish Frollo from France, and even though Frollo's patron saved him, the fact remains that it was working. Richelieu gains +15 Occult when facing Frollo, Frollo's Patron, or any of said Patron's servants.
"Right-Hand Man" - Richelieu gains +5 to rolls if working alongside Rochefort.
"Backscratcher" - Moriarty's network grants +10 to all rolls of his personal agents within France on actions that directly benefit his goals.
"Double Advisory" - Lacking any better options, Moriarty has been forced to have Richelieu command both his university and his cathedral. Richelieu currently has two actions, to allocate between either Learning or Occult actions as he sees fit - that is, he can either take two Learning actions, two Occult actions, or one Learning and one Occult action. Both actions have been consumed this turn.
Personal Actions:
Moriarty (2 actions):
There is always time in the day to take for yourself, be it reading or planning in solitude.
[] Observe the Stars
Astronomy has always been the grandest feeling of your pursuits, beyond your network, it is a privilege to just sit in a field and count the stars, no grand plans, just you and a star chart. NOW IF ONLY POPE FELIX WOULD LEAVE YOU BE!
Learning DC: 80
Reward: Reduced DC on SPACE!!!, temporary bonus to Moriarty's actions as he de-stresses.
[] Host a Dinner Party
You are sure that some sense of accomplishment can be followed through, given the victory over Frollo, and enjoyed to a sensible degree.
-[] Who's the guest? Write-in.
Diplomacy DC: Competitive roll with the chosen guest.
Reward: Moriarty gets to know one of his advisors or hero units better, increased loyalty from said unit..
[] Check in on your Comte?
Edmond Dantes, the man who would have been the Count of Monte Cristo,, and his companion have been essential in expanding your reach in the Mediterranean, and while you enjoy the sense of independence, there is time for, a private discussion of sort.
Diplomacy DC: Competitive with Dantes.
Reward: Moriarty gets to know Dantes and Madellaine better, and gains more intel on their current location.
[] Muse on Life
Philosophy has never been one of your passions, but given what you've encountered and survived, perhaps it is time to contemplate life's great mysteries, without compromising your work.
Learning or Diplomacy DC: Variable.
Reward: Depends on the stat used; ???
[]Make Something of Him?!
Albert Mondego, the Son of your Head of the Diplomatic Corps has a great deal of potential, one that is currently being squandared by his Father's inattentiveness and his Mother's behavior. You think that it's only proper to give him a proper nudge to a path of greatness.
Diplomacy DC: Competitive with Mondego and possibly Mercedes.
-[]Write in what (and who) you wish to educate him in
Reward: Albert is off to learn and improve himself.
[] Double Down
Sacrifices one of Moriarty's personal actions for a free reroll on any failed roll this turn; if no rolls fail, the lowest roll gets a reroll, and Moriarty can take the higher roll.
Comte de Rochefort (one action):
[] Moran and Rochefort's Excellent Adventure!
"Alright, it's called a Pub Crawl, we have to meet at the Dragon Tail Inn, winner buys dinner" Each group looked at the two commanders, "I assure you it's fun. It's only three stops before the Inn, don't worry."
Diplomacy DC: Competitive with Moran.
Reward: A better rapport with Moran, hijinks and shenanigans.
[] Find a sparring partner
You're good, but you can always be better. Try finding someone in the Musketeers or Papal Guard who would be willing to practice fencing with you.
Martial DC: 20/75/90.
Reward: +1 Martial; potential trait; chance to meet interesting people.
[] Help the Pontiff (free action)
As Pope Felix's oldest friend and boon companion, you'd be remiss to not help him out in his time of need. Rochefort will help out the former Cardinal with a random action, and their work relationship is such that it won't cut into his personal time. He can still take a PA or a specific national, but not both.
DC: None/Diplomacy 100
Reward: Richelieu gets help on a random Learning or Occult action; upon passing a Diplomacy check of 100, potential improvement to his Right Hand Man trait.
Available heroes:
Shout-out to @Cyberphilosipher for helping me format it and coming up with some of the actions, and to @DaOneInDaCorner for giving me feedback on those actions relevant to the Mirror Kingdoms.
And now, without any further ado...
The Napoleon of Crime: A Disney Villains Almost Victorious Nega-Quest
Faction Leader: Professor James Moriarty
James Moriarty
Martial: 15+2 (17) - He is a former Cambridge boxing champion and completely unafraid to employ violence for his objectives; nonetheless, if he has to personally take the field, something has gone terribly wrong.
Stewardship: 25+2 (27) - Moriarty organized a multi-continent empire of crime under the noses of just about everybody, and almost got away with it too.
Diplomacy: 20+2 (22) - genteel and urbane, Moriarty has a keen sense for other people's leverage points.
Intrigue: 25+2 (27) - The Napoleon of Crime, Moriarty is a master organizer and holds a deep understanding of both sides of the law.
Learning: 25+1+2 (28) - in his civilian life, Moriarty taught physics at Cambridge and is widely considered to be a genius.
Occult: 3+2+5+2 (12) - he knows the most commonly told myths, but doesn't take them with any degree of seriousness. Update: Between the Upheaval, working against the Mirror Queen, dealing with the living dead, and learning that the leader of France is a lich, he now takes magic and the supernatural dead seriously, and is taking steps to remedy his ignorance in the field.
Traits:
"Mathematics Chair" - Moriarty is considered one of the leading geniuses in the field of mathematics, and earned a university chair at the age of 21. He gains +30 Learning in the areas of mathematics and astronomy, and +15 in any field that heavily relies upon math such as economics.
"The Napoleon of Crime" - Thanks to his experiences building his organization, Moriarty gains +30 Intrigue when investigating or building spy networks, +15 to rolls with crime in general, and can substitute Intrigue for Martial when scouting.
"Boxing Champion" - as the name implies, he was a boxing champion in university, and gains +10 Martial in melee combat as a result of his skill and experience.
"The Spider's Web" - After months of tireless effort, Moriarty has completed his network! He gains +60 to Intrigue checks within France, +20 to all other checks, and +10 Intrigue with France's immediate neighbors.
"Not the only one who can play this game" - Moriarty is just as skilled at analysis as his rival and nemesis Sherlock Holmes; when in direct combat, upon passing a competitive Intrigue check, he can add half of his Intrigue, rounded down, to his Martial score as he analyzes his opponent and tailors his attacks accordingly. (This stacks with Boxing Champion).
"Sleeve Gun" - Moriarty has a folding sleeve gun that he carries with him to most places. It only holds two shots, but sometimes that's all you need. Would-be assassins and spies need to pass a competitive Intrigue check to even notice it; if they fail, they suffer a -15 malus once they reach point-blank range to guard against the counter-attack. Moriarty attacks with it using his Intrigue stat, not his Martial stat.
Accounts:
Current treasury: 14,000 gold.
Income:
+10000 gold (Internal trade, wine, champagne, manufactured goods, banking)
+4000 gold (Marseilles, Nice, Normandy, Paris, Lyon, Le Havre, Calais, Brest)
+500 gold (trade with Switzerland)
+2000 gold (Trade with North Africa)
+2000 (Parisian taxes, markets)
+500 (Parisian taxes)
Total: 19,000
Expenses:
-6000 (The Army)
-3000 (The Navy)
-4000 (Fae depredations)(recent breakout)
-1000 (Cauldronborn attacks in the North)
-500 (Army General Staff)
-500 (Diplomatic Corps)
-500 (Intelligence Apparatus)
-2000 (Insurrection and unrest)
Total: -17,500
Final available amount: 15,500 gold.
Your Martial Advisor: General Sebastian Moran
Martial: 20+2 (22) - Moran is a legendary sniper and big-game hunter who was discharged from the service for taking too much pleasure in his work.
Stewardship: 14+2 (16) - He can take care of himself, and earned the rank of Colonel in the British army. That necessitated knowing how to organize matters for his unit.
Diplomacy: 12+2 (14) - Moran knows his way around both ends of society, and is just as comfortable in a high-class drawing room as he is in a dockside gambling hub.
Intrigue: 20+2 (22) - Moran was considered to be one of the greatest hunters in India, and was able to elude Sherlock Holmes himself for years before being caught.
Learning: 14+2 (16) - Moran is the author of two books, and graduated from Oxford with distinction.
Occult: 5+1+5+2 (13) - you sometimes hear things in the deep of the jungle with no earthly explanation.
Traits:
"The Second Most Dangerous Man in London" - Moran was an accomplished big-game hunter and decorated soldier, two things that lent themselves well to crime. He gains +20 Martial and Intrigue when acting as a sniper or when hunting big game, and +10 Martial and Stewardship when leading small- to mid-sized groups.
"Record Holder" - Moran held the record for most tigers bagged in India, and some of his greatest accomplishments were in that field. He gains +10 Martial when hunting tigers, and +10 to all rolls when in India proper.
"Published Author" - Moran wrote two books on the topic of hunting in India. He gains +10 to his learning checks regarding animals, as well as when employed as a writer.
"Cardsharp" - Moran is an accomplished card player, and gains +15 Intrigue when gambling with cards.
"Ancillary: Air Rifle" - Moran owns a customized air rifle, built to his specifications. He gains +10 Martial and +5 Intrigue when serving as a sniper at close to medium ranges, since the shot is almost impossible to hear.
"Right-Hand Man" - Moran serves as Moriarty's chief confidant, enforcer, and bodyguard. The two gain +10 to all rolls when working together, and grant each other a +10 morale bonus.
Stewardship: 14+2 (16) - He can take care of himself, and earned the rank of Colonel in the British army. That necessitated knowing how to organize matters for his unit.
Diplomacy: 12+2 (14) - Moran knows his way around both ends of society, and is just as comfortable in a high-class drawing room as he is in a dockside gambling hub.
Intrigue: 20+2 (22) - Moran was considered to be one of the greatest hunters in India, and was able to elude Sherlock Holmes himself for years before being caught.
Learning: 14+2 (16) - Moran is the author of two books, and graduated from Oxford with distinction.
Occult: 5+1+5+2 (13) - you sometimes hear things in the deep of the jungle with no earthly explanation.
Traits:
"The Second Most Dangerous Man in London" - Moran was an accomplished big-game hunter and decorated soldier, two things that lent themselves well to crime. He gains +20 Martial and Intrigue when acting as a sniper or when hunting big game, and +10 Martial and Stewardship when leading small- to mid-sized groups.
"Record Holder" - Moran held the record for most tigers bagged in India, and some of his greatest accomplishments were in that field. He gains +10 Martial when hunting tigers, and +10 to all rolls when in India proper.
"Published Author" - Moran wrote two books on the topic of hunting in India. He gains +10 to his learning checks regarding animals, as well as when employed as a writer.
"Cardsharp" - Moran is an accomplished card player, and gains +15 Intrigue when gambling with cards.
"Ancillary: Air Rifle" - Moran owns a customized air rifle, built to his specifications. He gains +10 Martial and +5 Intrigue when serving as a sniper at close to medium ranges, since the shot is almost impossible to hear.
"Right-Hand Man" - Moran serves as Moriarty's chief confidant, enforcer, and bodyguard. The two gain +10 to all rolls when working together, and grant each other a +10 morale bonus.
Advisor bonus: +30 Martial.
Traits: "Right-Hand Man" - Moran gains an additional +10 to his rolls when working alongside 'The Professor'.
"India Expert" - Moran's experience in India grants him +10 to all Martial actions in or regarding the subcontinent.
"Insurrection" - The presence of troops loyal to the former Pontiff means that his operations are far, far less capable than they would otherwise be. Moran's base Martial bonus suffers a -10 malus.
"Backscratcher" - Moriarty's network grants +10 to all rolls of his personal agents within France on actions that directly benefit his goals.
[X] Rally the survivors
The cordon around the Fae Enclave has been shattered, with those troops assigned to it in full retreat. Finding them and coordinating a response to the Fae should be your first order of business.
DC: 80/100
Cost: 2000 gold
Reward: Get a clearer picture of what happened to break the cordon; troops collected; recovering lost Heroes.
[X] Keeping House
While most of Frollo's supporters died in the failed Crusade, there are still a number of his most loyal soldiers intermingled with your army. Get rid of them before they can cause more trouble.
DC: 40/60/90
Cost: 1500 gold
Reward: Removes the 'insurrection' malus from Moran's stats, eliminates the chance of Frollo's old supporters causing problems.
Any other actions cannot be taken until these two have been done.
[] Reorganize Equipment
The Equipment on display within the Armies of the Pontiff are..of varied quality, from the peasant levy weapons on one end to the dozen to a hundred or so Muskets and Matchlocks, the artillery is still catapults and trebuchets?! Moran will need to make some serious changes to bring it to SOME Standards.
DC: 90
Cost:5000 gold
Reward: Moran takes charge in making sure that a standard of armaments and uniforms are set and distributed to the men; DC, cost of "Reorder the Regiments" and "Organize A Command Staff" is reduced
[] Organize a General Staff
The lack of an organized and professional military staff has hampered the abilities of France's military capacity, from a lack of an educated logistical staff, cartographers, medical personnel - France doesn't even have a Chief of Staff to try to whip up stopgap measures! This will change.
DC:60/80
Cost: 3500 gold
Reward:A Military Staff is created to streamline the military infrastructure of the Army of France; one reroll on failed Martial actions gained.
[] Reorganize the Gendarmerie (Martial version)
Ahh, the Gendarmerie, the first great police force in the world, tied to the army and with it a clear power to rule over the countryside and the cities, though much reduced due to the wars and despite the work of the Pontiff's inquisitions they still exist, and they are still under the Minister of Justice even now…That can't do, they require a reorganization to the Army once again…to ease the logistics.
DC: 70/100
Cost: 10,000 gold (price increased by cost of purging Frollo supporters)
Reward: The Gendarmerie are transferred to the army once again, and one more lever is removed from those who would use it against you. Chance of finding hero units.
[] Attack the Cauldronborn on the north coast
Frollo, for some ungodly reason, ignored the Cauldronborn trickling across the English Channel. It's not a mistake you intend to repeat. Order General Moran to fulfill his plan and wipe the undead filth from French soil!
DC: 50 (Reduced by contingency plans)
Cost: 3000 gold
Reward: The Horned King's forces on French soil are wiped out; actions unlocked; Cauldronborn attacks malus eliminated.
[] Reorder the regiments
With Frollo gone and "the Pope's Own" shattered against Sigmund Igthorn's forces, Moran now has free rein to organize the regiments as he would like. Suffice to say the former British colonel has a wish-list of reforms that he would like to enact.
DC: 80/110
Cost: 10,000 gold.
Reward: Moran reforms and reorganizes the French army; Moran's organization trait gains a +5 bonus, DC for other armies to attack French forces is increased as he implements the best practices of post-Crimea and Afghanistan Britain for his troops. Chance of finding hero units on a crit.
The cordon around the Fae Enclave has been shattered, with those troops assigned to it in full retreat. Finding them and coordinating a response to the Fae should be your first order of business.
DC: 80/100
Cost: 2000 gold
Reward: Get a clearer picture of what happened to break the cordon; troops collected; recovering lost Heroes.
[X] Keeping House
While most of Frollo's supporters died in the failed Crusade, there are still a number of his most loyal soldiers intermingled with your army. Get rid of them before they can cause more trouble.
DC: 40/60/90
Cost: 1500 gold
Reward: Removes the 'insurrection' malus from Moran's stats, eliminates the chance of Frollo's old supporters causing problems.
Any other actions cannot be taken until these two have been done.
[] Reorganize Equipment
The Equipment on display within the Armies of the Pontiff are..of varied quality, from the peasant levy weapons on one end to the dozen to a hundred or so Muskets and Matchlocks, the artillery is still catapults and trebuchets?! Moran will need to make some serious changes to bring it to SOME Standards.
DC: 90
Cost:5000 gold
Reward: Moran takes charge in making sure that a standard of armaments and uniforms are set and distributed to the men; DC, cost of "Reorder the Regiments" and "Organize A Command Staff" is reduced
[] Organize a General Staff
The lack of an organized and professional military staff has hampered the abilities of France's military capacity, from a lack of an educated logistical staff, cartographers, medical personnel - France doesn't even have a Chief of Staff to try to whip up stopgap measures! This will change.
DC:60/80
Cost: 3500 gold
Reward:A Military Staff is created to streamline the military infrastructure of the Army of France; one reroll on failed Martial actions gained.
[] Reorganize the Gendarmerie (Martial version)
Ahh, the Gendarmerie, the first great police force in the world, tied to the army and with it a clear power to rule over the countryside and the cities, though much reduced due to the wars and despite the work of the Pontiff's inquisitions they still exist, and they are still under the Minister of Justice even now…That can't do, they require a reorganization to the Army once again…to ease the logistics.
DC: 70/100
Cost: 10,000 gold (price increased by cost of purging Frollo supporters)
Reward: The Gendarmerie are transferred to the army once again, and one more lever is removed from those who would use it against you. Chance of finding hero units.
[] Attack the Cauldronborn on the north coast
Frollo, for some ungodly reason, ignored the Cauldronborn trickling across the English Channel. It's not a mistake you intend to repeat. Order General Moran to fulfill his plan and wipe the undead filth from French soil!
DC: 50 (Reduced by contingency plans)
Cost: 3000 gold
Reward: The Horned King's forces on French soil are wiped out; actions unlocked; Cauldronborn attacks malus eliminated.
[] Reorder the regiments
With Frollo gone and "the Pope's Own" shattered against Sigmund Igthorn's forces, Moran now has free rein to organize the regiments as he would like. Suffice to say the former British colonel has a wish-list of reforms that he would like to enact.
DC: 80/110
Cost: 10,000 gold.
Reward: Moran reforms and reorganizes the French army; Moran's organization trait gains a +5 bonus, DC for other armies to attack French forces is increased as he implements the best practices of post-Crimea and Afghanistan Britain for his troops. Chance of finding hero units on a crit.
Your Stewardship Advisor: Philippe Danglars
Martial: 11 - Danglars is a sailor by trade, a profession that has grown only more dangerous with the Pirate Lords and the EITC roaming the waves. His capacity to meet it has developed accordingly.
Stewardship: 18 - Danglars is a ruthless master of the financial arts, with experience in both the shipping trade and the banking profession.
Diplomacy: 6 - A hard-bitten, taciturn man with a near-permanent scowl on his face, Danglars is not quite the last person to choose to lead delicate negotiations, but he does come close to the bottom of the list.
Intrigue: 10 - His ambition outstrips his guile, but Danglars did manage to make a fortune via embezzlement and acts of piracy for years without getting caught.
Learning: 9 - Danglars is good with numbers, as befitting a shipping and banking magnate, but his scholarly interests approach nil.
Occult: 5 - Superstitious, as most good sailors tend to be, he thought himself silently vindicated when he learned that the Fae and Davy Jones were real.
Traits:
"Business Magnate" - Danglars worked his way from the bottom up aboard the Phaeron, and not only turned a profit but made the successful transition to banking with nary a stutter in his step. He gains +10 Stewardship for inter-sea trade and banking actions.
"Always Someone Better" - Danglars's primary motivation for turning on Dantes was his resentment at how the other man was better than him in basically every way. When working with another hero, if the other person's relevant stat for the action is higher than Danglars, make a competitive roll. If the other person rolls higher, Danglars suffers a -10 malus to all future actions with that person as he deeply resents their competence in comparison to his until Danglars has subsequently taken a Personal action to somehow harm them. That said, he knows better than to try such a trick on Frollo or the other advisors.
"Embezzler" - A significant portion of Danglar's fortune came from embezzling from French hospitals. While he has managed to hide his thefts in the account books, with no small help from Villefort and Mondego who both get a cut, should Frollo learn what they have been doing they can expect little mercy from him. He gains +5 to rolls meant to personally enrich him; however, on a crit fail, he will have to talk very quickly to avoid being added to Frollo's pyres.
"A Story Told" - Danglars, along with Villefort and Mondego, conspired to send an innocent man to rot in a dungeon to advance his own career. This has affected how he approaches problematic people and deals with potentially compromising information. He gains +5 to rolls on actions meant to cover his own backside.
Stewardship: 18 - Danglars is a ruthless master of the financial arts, with experience in both the shipping trade and the banking profession.
Diplomacy: 6 - A hard-bitten, taciturn man with a near-permanent scowl on his face, Danglars is not quite the last person to choose to lead delicate negotiations, but he does come close to the bottom of the list.
Intrigue: 10 - His ambition outstrips his guile, but Danglars did manage to make a fortune via embezzlement and acts of piracy for years without getting caught.
Learning: 9 - Danglars is good with numbers, as befitting a shipping and banking magnate, but his scholarly interests approach nil.
Occult: 5 - Superstitious, as most good sailors tend to be, he thought himself silently vindicated when he learned that the Fae and Davy Jones were real.
Traits:
"Business Magnate" - Danglars worked his way from the bottom up aboard the Phaeron, and not only turned a profit but made the successful transition to banking with nary a stutter in his step. He gains +10 Stewardship for inter-sea trade and banking actions.
"Always Someone Better" - Danglars's primary motivation for turning on Dantes was his resentment at how the other man was better than him in basically every way. When working with another hero, if the other person's relevant stat for the action is higher than Danglars, make a competitive roll. If the other person rolls higher, Danglars suffers a -10 malus to all future actions with that person as he deeply resents their competence in comparison to his until Danglars has subsequently taken a Personal action to somehow harm them. That said, he knows better than to try such a trick on Frollo or the other advisors.
"Embezzler" - A significant portion of Danglar's fortune came from embezzling from French hospitals. While he has managed to hide his thefts in the account books, with no small help from Villefort and Mondego who both get a cut, should Frollo learn what they have been doing they can expect little mercy from him. He gains +5 to rolls meant to personally enrich him; however, on a crit fail, he will have to talk very quickly to avoid being added to Frollo's pyres.
"A Story Told" - Danglars, along with Villefort and Mondego, conspired to send an innocent man to rot in a dungeon to advance his own career. This has affected how he approaches problematic people and deals with potentially compromising information. He gains +5 to rolls on actions meant to cover his own backside.
Advisor bonus: +18 Stewardship.
Traits: "Business Magnate" - Danglars worked his way from the bottom up aboard the Phaeron, and not only turned a profit but made the successful transition to banking with nary a stutter in his step. He gains +10 Stewardship for inter-sea trade and banking actions.
"Embezzler" - Danglars gains +5 to rolls on actions that can personally enrich him; on failing to pass a Stewardship DC of 50, Stewardship action costs increase by 10%. (This roll is done after the roll for the action in question).
"Backscratcher" - Moriarty's network grants +10 to all rolls of his personal agents within France on actions that directly benefit his goals.
"Insurrection" - The presence of clerks loyal to the former Pontiff means that his operations are far, far less capable than they would otherwise be. Danglars's base Stewardship bonus suffers a -10 malus.
[X] Clearing House
Cleanse the financial service of the fanatics to Frollo's cause. Who knew accountants could be such fanatics?
DC: 40/60/90
Cost: 1500 gold
Reward: Removes the 'insurrection' malus from Danglars's stats, eliminates the chance of Frollo's old supporters causing problems.
Must be taken to unlock other actions.
[] Many Hands Make Light Work
Unlocks a second Stewardship action.
DC: 100
Cost: 2000 gold, +500/turn upkeep
[]Land Surveying and other matters of state
Paris is not France, and France is not Paris. No matter what the words say, it is time to go out and explore France with a fine tooth comb in order to see if anything can be properly used.
DC: Variable
Cost:1000
Reward: You do a proper organized survey of France, and look for practical resources, hidden secrets, or other items that could be useful in maintaining the French State.
[]A Kindness Repaid (Doing a Favor for Edmond)
DC:????
"I wish not to trouble you on such matters Professor, but I have something of a debt to repay with my old employer."
"Ah, you wish to repay him for that old debt?"
"I would wish to make sure that their financial situation is secure, given the troubles as of late, and to doso with a Donation from whatever remains from my account before imprisonment. Semi-anonymously "
"I would think your accounts are rather barren, even if it survived, Dangler's would see it drained."
"Then I ask this as a partial payment of service for the intelligence I've gathered."
"Bartering…I will see if arrangements can be made."
Reward: Moriarty looks into helping Dantes repay an old Debt
[] Expand the Parisian market district
Increases the income from the Parisian market district (can be taken one more time)
DC: 45
Cost: 1500 gold
Reward: +500 gold/turn.
[] Expand the Parisian housing district
Increases the income from taxes as more people move to Paris (can be taken two more times)
DC: 35
Cost: 1500 gold
Reward: +500 gold/turn
[] Improve a French harbor
Increases trade, tax income as a random harbor is improved.
DC: 50/70/90/110
Cost: 3000 gold
Reward: Variable, +500 to +2000 gold/turn
[] Establish a trade agreement with Maldonia
Strengthens ties with Maldonia, increased income.
DC: 70
Cost: 2500 gold.
Reward: +2000 gold/turn
[] Establish a trade agreement with Spain
Strengthens ties with the King of Spain, increased income.
DC: 60
Cost: 2500 gold.
Reward: +3000 gold/turn.
[] Establish a trade agreement with Syracuse.
Strengthens ties with Syracuse, increased income.
DC: 45
Cost: 2000 gold
Reward: +1500 gold/turn
[] Begin selling star charts
Market your star charts to the various seagoing factions (reward lowered due to Ababwan competition)
DC: 40
Cost: 1500 gold
Reward: +1000 gold/turn
Cleanse the financial service of the fanatics to Frollo's cause. Who knew accountants could be such fanatics?
DC: 40/60/90
Cost: 1500 gold
Reward: Removes the 'insurrection' malus from Danglars's stats, eliminates the chance of Frollo's old supporters causing problems.
Must be taken to unlock other actions.
[] Many Hands Make Light Work
Unlocks a second Stewardship action.
DC: 100
Cost: 2000 gold, +500/turn upkeep
[]Land Surveying and other matters of state
Paris is not France, and France is not Paris. No matter what the words say, it is time to go out and explore France with a fine tooth comb in order to see if anything can be properly used.
DC: Variable
Cost:1000
Reward: You do a proper organized survey of France, and look for practical resources, hidden secrets, or other items that could be useful in maintaining the French State.
[]A Kindness Repaid (Doing a Favor for Edmond)
DC:????
"I wish not to trouble you on such matters Professor, but I have something of a debt to repay with my old employer."
"Ah, you wish to repay him for that old debt?"
"I would wish to make sure that their financial situation is secure, given the troubles as of late, and to doso with a Donation from whatever remains from my account before imprisonment. Semi-anonymously "
"I would think your accounts are rather barren, even if it survived, Dangler's would see it drained."
"Then I ask this as a partial payment of service for the intelligence I've gathered."
"Bartering…I will see if arrangements can be made."
Reward: Moriarty looks into helping Dantes repay an old Debt
[] Expand the Parisian market district
Increases the income from the Parisian market district (can be taken one more time)
DC: 45
Cost: 1500 gold
Reward: +500 gold/turn.
[] Expand the Parisian housing district
Increases the income from taxes as more people move to Paris (can be taken two more times)
DC: 35
Cost: 1500 gold
Reward: +500 gold/turn
[] Improve a French harbor
Increases trade, tax income as a random harbor is improved.
DC: 50/70/90/110
Cost: 3000 gold
Reward: Variable, +500 to +2000 gold/turn
[] Establish a trade agreement with Maldonia
Strengthens ties with Maldonia, increased income.
DC: 70
Cost: 2500 gold.
Reward: +2000 gold/turn
[] Establish a trade agreement with Spain
Strengthens ties with the King of Spain, increased income.
DC: 60
Cost: 2500 gold.
Reward: +3000 gold/turn.
[] Establish a trade agreement with Syracuse.
Strengthens ties with Syracuse, increased income.
DC: 45
Cost: 2000 gold
Reward: +1500 gold/turn
[] Begin selling star charts
Market your star charts to the various seagoing factions (reward lowered due to Ababwan competition)
DC: 40
Cost: 1500 gold
Reward: +1000 gold/turn
Your Diplomacy Advisor: Fernand Mondego
Martial: 15 - Another man who rose up from a sailor, he is also a remarkably skilled duelist and a crack shot with a pistol.
Stewardship: 10 - Fernand is a wealthy man; not a lick of it was earned honestly.
Diplomacy: 13 - Tall, handsome, and with remarkable diction, he would be a masterful diplomat were Mondego not such an open sociopath.
Intrigue: 19 - Ambitious, driven, and ruthless, Mondego has gained everything he has at the expense of others - and done a fairly decent job of covering it up as well.
Learning: 7 - The son of a poor fisherman, Mondego is literate, but his intellectual ambitions do not stretch far beyond the basics required to maintain his station in life.
Occult: 5 - Superstitious, as most good sailors tend to be, he thought himself silently vindicated when he learned that the Fae and Davy Jones were real.
Traits:
"Chronic Backstabbing Disorder" - There is no friend so close, no lover so sweet, that Mondego would not happily run them over with his carriage if it meant advancing his station. Should an ally make any roll lower than a bare failure, on passing an Intrigue DC of 50 Mondego will seek to find a way to turn the situation to his own personal advantage; he also gains +5 to all rolls in that direction.
"Tomcatting Around" - Mondego is about as far from the romantic ideal of loyalty as is possible; if a woman catches his eye, he will almost certainly seek to seduce her. He gains +10 Diplomacy when attempting to seduce a woman; during Diplomacy nationals, upon passing a competitive diplomacy check, he can also inflict a -10 Diplomacy debuff if the other party is a woman. However, should he be caught, he can expect a challenge to a duel from their family. He's fought enough duels at this point that he gains +15 to personal martial when in a fight for his life.
"A Story Told" - Mondego, along with Danglars and Villefort, conspired to send an innocent man to rot in a dungeon to advance his own career. This has affected how he approaches problematic people and deals with potentially compromising information. He gains +5 to rolls on actions meant to cover his own backside.
"Ancillary: Mercedes" - Mondego's wife, stolen from his friend Edmond Dantes, is trapped in an unhappy marriage with a serial philanderer. That said, when in public together, her remarkable beauty and willingness to hide her unhappiness for the sake of the family grants Mondego +5 to Diplomacy and can inflict a -10 Diplomacy debuff against opponents who are attracted to women and lack self-control in their gaze.
"Ancillary: Albert" - Mercedes' son with Edmond, all believe (including Fernand) that he is in fact Fernand's son with Mercedes. She has done nothing to remedy this misunderstanding, and is content to leave them ignorant. While sheltered, Albert does his best to help his father, and grants Fernand +1 to all of his rolls on Nationals.
Stewardship: 10 - Fernand is a wealthy man; not a lick of it was earned honestly.
Diplomacy: 13 - Tall, handsome, and with remarkable diction, he would be a masterful diplomat were Mondego not such an open sociopath.
Intrigue: 19 - Ambitious, driven, and ruthless, Mondego has gained everything he has at the expense of others - and done a fairly decent job of covering it up as well.
Learning: 7 - The son of a poor fisherman, Mondego is literate, but his intellectual ambitions do not stretch far beyond the basics required to maintain his station in life.
Occult: 5 - Superstitious, as most good sailors tend to be, he thought himself silently vindicated when he learned that the Fae and Davy Jones were real.
Traits:
"Chronic Backstabbing Disorder" - There is no friend so close, no lover so sweet, that Mondego would not happily run them over with his carriage if it meant advancing his station. Should an ally make any roll lower than a bare failure, on passing an Intrigue DC of 50 Mondego will seek to find a way to turn the situation to his own personal advantage; he also gains +5 to all rolls in that direction.
"Tomcatting Around" - Mondego is about as far from the romantic ideal of loyalty as is possible; if a woman catches his eye, he will almost certainly seek to seduce her. He gains +10 Diplomacy when attempting to seduce a woman; during Diplomacy nationals, upon passing a competitive diplomacy check, he can also inflict a -10 Diplomacy debuff if the other party is a woman. However, should he be caught, he can expect a challenge to a duel from their family. He's fought enough duels at this point that he gains +15 to personal martial when in a fight for his life.
"A Story Told" - Mondego, along with Danglars and Villefort, conspired to send an innocent man to rot in a dungeon to advance his own career. This has affected how he approaches problematic people and deals with potentially compromising information. He gains +5 to rolls on actions meant to cover his own backside.
"Ancillary: Mercedes" - Mondego's wife, stolen from his friend Edmond Dantes, is trapped in an unhappy marriage with a serial philanderer. That said, when in public together, her remarkable beauty and willingness to hide her unhappiness for the sake of the family grants Mondego +5 to Diplomacy and can inflict a -10 Diplomacy debuff against opponents who are attracted to women and lack self-control in their gaze.
"Ancillary: Albert" - Mercedes' son with Edmond, all believe (including Fernand) that he is in fact Fernand's son with Mercedes. She has done nothing to remedy this misunderstanding, and is content to leave them ignorant. While sheltered, Albert does his best to help his father, and grants Fernand +1 to all of his rolls on Nationals.
Advisor bonus: +19 Diplomacy
Traits: "Tomcatting Around" - Mondego is about as far from the romantic ideal of loyalty as is possible; if a woman catches his eye, he will almost certainly seek to seduce her. He gains +10 Diplomacy when attempting to seduce a woman; during Diplomacy nationals, upon passing a competitive diplomacy check, he can also inflict a -10 Diplomacy debuff if the other party is a woman. However, should he be caught, he can expect a challenge to a duel from their family. He's fought enough duels at this point that he gains +15 to personal martial when in a fight for his life.
"Ancillaries: Mercedes and Albert" - Mondego's Diplomacy is +6 higher than it would otherwise be; on passing a competitive Diplomacy check, Mercedes can inflict a -10 Diplomacy malus against opponents who are attracted to women and lack self-control in their gaze.
"Suborned Diplomat" - Mondego has the inside track on a Spanish diplomat; he gains +10 to all actions involving Spain as long as his agent is active.
"Backscratcher" - Moriarty's network grants +10 to all rolls of his personal agents within France on actions that directly benefit his goals.
"Insurrection" - The presence of clerks loyal to the former Pontiff means that his operations are far, far less capable than they would otherwise be. Mondego's base Diplomacy bonus suffers a -10 malus.
[X] A New Direction
The Diplomatic Service is lousy with supporters of the old Pope; for it to function well, the old guard must go.
DC: 40/60/90
Cost: 1500 gold
Reward: Removes the 'insurrection' malus from Mondego's stats, eliminates the chance of Frollo's old supporters causing problems.
Must be taken this turn.
[] Make Peace with the Mirror Kingdoms
Frollo pissed off a lot of people. Like, a LOT. With France under new management, the first order of business should be to cease the unnecessary and pointless wars that he got you into. Beginning with the Mirror Kingdoms.
DC: 95.
Cost: 3000 gold
Reward: Peace with the Mirror Kingdoms, reduced upkeep as the border becomes less militarized.
[] Send emissaries to the (East/West/North/South)
-[] East: According to the maps you have the Mirror Kingdoms, Switzerland, and Greece.
--[] Queen Grimhilde DC 130
--[] Switzerland DC 50
--[] Greece DC 80
–[] Agrabah DC 100
–[] Ababwa DC 130
-[] West: going in the opposite direction puts diplomats on the road to Spain, and beyond that, Portugal! It's also the way to go if you hope to make contact with the Pirate Lords in the Atlantic.
–[] The Kingdom of Spain DC 100
–[] Davy Jones DC 130
–[] Captain Hook DC 110
-[] The Kingdom of Portugal DC 105
-[] North: Northwards lies the Netherlands, Belgium and Denmark, and across the Channel are the British Isles; beyond the Baltic lies the blizzard that covers Arendelle.
–[]Drago Bludvist DC 160
–[] The Netherlands/Belgium (Protectorates) DC 60
–[] Denmark/The Southern Isles DC 80
-[] South: Headed southwards brings diplomats to the small kingdom of Florin, the Italian city-states, and the kingdom of Syracuse; beyond that, they'll have to contract a ship to reach Africa and Maldonia. This is also the domain of Sinbad the Sailor, Pirate Lord of the Mediterranean.
–[] Sinbad the Sailor DC 100
–[] Syracuse DC 40
–[] Florin DC 80
–[] Maldonia DC 100
–[] The Barbary Coast DC 120
Sometimes the outstretched hand is the better leadoff than the clenched fist. See if you can make diplomatic connections with any of your neighbors that you don't have already.
Cost: 1000 gold
[] Establish a diplomatic embassy in Maldonia
Creates an embassy in Maldonia.
DC: 70
Cost: 2500 gold.
Reward: Improved relations with Maldonia, unlocks actions to create an alliance.
[] Establish a diplomatic embassy in Spain
Creates an embassy in Madrid.
DC: 60
Cost: 2000 Gold.
Reward: Improved relations with Spain, unlocks actions to create an alliance.
[] Establish a diplomatic embassy in Greece
Creates an embassy in Athens.
DC: 70
Cost: 2000 gold.
Reward: Improved relations with the mortals in Greece, unlocks actions to reach out to Olympus.
[] Establish contact with Agrabah.
Send a diplomatic mission to Agrabah.
DC: 95
Cost: 1500 gold
Reward: Unlocks actions to make a trade deal with Agrabah and to build an embassy, ???
[] Establish contact with Ababwa
Send a diplomatic mission to Ababwa.
DC: 105
Cost: 2000 gold
Reward: Unlocks actions to make a trade deal with Ababwa and to build an embassy, ???
The Diplomatic Service is lousy with supporters of the old Pope; for it to function well, the old guard must go.
DC: 40/60/90
Cost: 1500 gold
Reward: Removes the 'insurrection' malus from Mondego's stats, eliminates the chance of Frollo's old supporters causing problems.
Must be taken this turn.
[] Make Peace with the Mirror Kingdoms
Frollo pissed off a lot of people. Like, a LOT. With France under new management, the first order of business should be to cease the unnecessary and pointless wars that he got you into. Beginning with the Mirror Kingdoms.
DC: 95.
Cost: 3000 gold
Reward: Peace with the Mirror Kingdoms, reduced upkeep as the border becomes less militarized.
[] Send emissaries to the (East/West/North/South)
-[] East: According to the maps you have the Mirror Kingdoms, Switzerland, and Greece.
--[] Queen Grimhilde DC 130
--[] Switzerland DC 50
--[] Greece DC 80
–[] Agrabah DC 100
–[] Ababwa DC 130
-[] West: going in the opposite direction puts diplomats on the road to Spain, and beyond that, Portugal! It's also the way to go if you hope to make contact with the Pirate Lords in the Atlantic.
–[] The Kingdom of Spain DC 100
–[] Davy Jones DC 130
–[] Captain Hook DC 110
-[] The Kingdom of Portugal DC 105
-[] North: Northwards lies the Netherlands, Belgium and Denmark, and across the Channel are the British Isles; beyond the Baltic lies the blizzard that covers Arendelle.
–[]Drago Bludvist DC 160
–[] The Netherlands/Belgium (Protectorates) DC 60
–[] Denmark/The Southern Isles DC 80
-[] South: Headed southwards brings diplomats to the small kingdom of Florin, the Italian city-states, and the kingdom of Syracuse; beyond that, they'll have to contract a ship to reach Africa and Maldonia. This is also the domain of Sinbad the Sailor, Pirate Lord of the Mediterranean.
–[] Sinbad the Sailor DC 100
–[] Syracuse DC 40
–[] Florin DC 80
–[] Maldonia DC 100
–[] The Barbary Coast DC 120
Sometimes the outstretched hand is the better leadoff than the clenched fist. See if you can make diplomatic connections with any of your neighbors that you don't have already.
Cost: 1000 gold
[] Establish a diplomatic embassy in Maldonia
Creates an embassy in Maldonia.
DC: 70
Cost: 2500 gold.
Reward: Improved relations with Maldonia, unlocks actions to create an alliance.
[] Establish a diplomatic embassy in Spain
Creates an embassy in Madrid.
DC: 60
Cost: 2000 Gold.
Reward: Improved relations with Spain, unlocks actions to create an alliance.
[] Establish a diplomatic embassy in Greece
Creates an embassy in Athens.
DC: 70
Cost: 2000 gold.
Reward: Improved relations with the mortals in Greece, unlocks actions to reach out to Olympus.
[] Establish contact with Agrabah.
Send a diplomatic mission to Agrabah.
DC: 95
Cost: 1500 gold
Reward: Unlocks actions to make a trade deal with Agrabah and to build an embassy, ???
[] Establish contact with Ababwa
Send a diplomatic mission to Ababwa.
DC: 105
Cost: 2000 gold
Reward: Unlocks actions to make a trade deal with Ababwa and to build an embassy, ???
Your Intrigue Advisor: Gerard de Villefort
Martial: 7 - Villefort is in decent condition, but his job leaves him largely sedentary and he has no taste for actual violence.
Stewardship: 13 - Villefort is a wealthy man, and most of it was earned honestly.
Diplomacy: 17 - One does not make it far in the French judicial system without being skilled at negotiating with others.
Intrigue: 12 - Villefort is a judge, not a spymaster; his role as Frollo's intrigue master comes from his knowledge of the law and frequent interactions with the lower and criminal classes via his work, not through any talent in building networks and parsing data.
Learning: 15 - Villefort has a top-rank education, and is very knowledgeable where the law is concerned.
Occult: 6 - Villefort knows the stories, but never took them seriously until the evil queen of the Fae arose in the heart of France.
Traits:
"I Am The Law" - Known for being a stern but fair judge, Villefort has found himself uncomfortably thrust into serving as the face for Frollo's Inquisition. He does what he can to mitigate the worst of Frollo's madness, but ultimately he will act to protect himself and his interests over anything else. He gains +15 to rolls when serving in his capacity as a judge, but how justly he will rule depends on how said ruling will affect him.
"A Story Told" - Villefort, along with Danglars and Mondego, conspired to send an innocent man to rot in a dungeon to advance his own career. This has affected how he approaches problematic people and deals with potentially compromising information. He gains +5 to rolls on actions meant to cover his own backside.
"Ancillary: Heloise de Villefort" - Villefort's wife, she is a proper Parisian beauty with a, shall we say, 'improper' interest in poisons. If accompanying him to a social function, she grants Villefort +5 to all rolls. Her hobby (of which Villefort is in deep denial) means that on every turn, roll a d3. On a 3, roll a d100, as she will compulsively attempt to poison a random person in her vicinity who isn't her husband or children. The higher the roll, the more important the target. Should they be a named hero, the other character will need to make an Intrigue roll that beats the DC she created with her d100 roll.
Stewardship: 13 - Villefort is a wealthy man, and most of it was earned honestly.
Diplomacy: 17 - One does not make it far in the French judicial system without being skilled at negotiating with others.
Intrigue: 12 - Villefort is a judge, not a spymaster; his role as Frollo's intrigue master comes from his knowledge of the law and frequent interactions with the lower and criminal classes via his work, not through any talent in building networks and parsing data.
Learning: 15 - Villefort has a top-rank education, and is very knowledgeable where the law is concerned.
Occult: 6 - Villefort knows the stories, but never took them seriously until the evil queen of the Fae arose in the heart of France.
Traits:
"I Am The Law" - Known for being a stern but fair judge, Villefort has found himself uncomfortably thrust into serving as the face for Frollo's Inquisition. He does what he can to mitigate the worst of Frollo's madness, but ultimately he will act to protect himself and his interests over anything else. He gains +15 to rolls when serving in his capacity as a judge, but how justly he will rule depends on how said ruling will affect him.
"A Story Told" - Villefort, along with Danglars and Mondego, conspired to send an innocent man to rot in a dungeon to advance his own career. This has affected how he approaches problematic people and deals with potentially compromising information. He gains +5 to rolls on actions meant to cover his own backside.
"Ancillary: Heloise de Villefort" - Villefort's wife, she is a proper Parisian beauty with a, shall we say, 'improper' interest in poisons. If accompanying him to a social function, she grants Villefort +5 to all rolls. Her hobby (of which Villefort is in deep denial) means that on every turn, roll a d3. On a 3, roll a d100, as she will compulsively attempt to poison a random person in her vicinity who isn't her husband or children. The higher the roll, the more important the target. Should they be a named hero, the other character will need to make an Intrigue roll that beats the DC she created with her d100 roll.
Advisor bonus: 17 Intrigue
Traits:
"Ancillary: Heloise de Villefort" - Villefort's Intrigue is +5 higher than it would otherwise be. Her hobby (of which Villefort is in deep denial) means that on every turn, roll a d3. On a 3, roll a d100, as she will compulsively attempt to poison a random person in her vicinity who isn't her husband or children. The higher the roll, the more important the target. Should they be a named hero, the other character will need to make an Intrigue roll that beats the DC she created with her d100 roll.
"I Am The Law" - Villefort gains +15 Intrigue when dealing with criminals and the justice system.
"Underworld Contacts" - Villefort gains +5 Intrigue in Paris itself thanks to his criminal contacts.
"Backscratcher" - Moriarty's network grants +10 to all rolls of his personal agents within France on actions that directly benefit his goals.
"Insurrection" - The presence of agents loyal to the former Pontiff means that his operations are far, far less capable than they would otherwise be. Villefort's base Intrigue bonus suffers a -10 malus.
[X] Extracting an irritant
The Intelligence Service is, as per usual, filled with Frollo's old spies and informants. You'll need to get them out before the Service can run efficiently again.
DC: 40/60/90
Cost: 1500 gold
Reward: Removes the 'insurrection' malus from Villefort's stats, eliminates the chance of Frollo's old supporters causing problems.
Must be taken this turn.
[] Reorganize the Gendarmerie (Intrigue version)
Ahh, the Gendarmerie, the first great police force in the world, tied to the army and with it a clear power to rule over the countryside and the cities, though much reduced due to the wars and despite the work of the Pontiff's inquisitions they still exist, and they are still under the Minister of Justice even now…That will require refinement and proper restoration to be the counterweight to enemy action.
DC: 60/90
Cost: 8,000 gold (price increased by cost of purging Frollo supporters)(price reduced by reduced paperwork)
Reward: The Gendarmerie are consolidated under Villefort's Bureau of Justice, and one more lever is organized and contained. Increased order in France/increased DC of foreign interference. Chance of finding hero units.
[] Infiltrate spies into the Mirror Kingdoms.
Yeah, Grimhilde's magic mirror makes overt infiltration nearly impossible; but maybe a deep-cover agent could make it work? Update: The Queen is dead; her replacement is just as ruthless, but less competent in his use of the mirror network.
DC:140 110
Cost: 3000 gold.
Reward: Eyes and ears within the Mirror Kingdoms, greater intelligence on the happenings within Grimhilde's borders.
[] Scout out the British Isles (Round 2)
Your initial expedition uncovered evidence that the Horned King is preoccupied with a threat of some kind to his north; you have to admit, you really want to know what's going on there. Send some scouts to follow up on the prior expedition.
DC: 60/90
Reward: A better understanding of the Horned King's priorities; ???
[] Plotting A Course
Frollo had no interest in communicating with filthy pirates; you, on the other hand, can see them being quite useful. Alas, you'll have to start from scratch with learning about them.
-[] Davy Jones (DC 90)
-[] Sinbad the Sailor (DC 50)
-[] Captain Hook (DC 75)
-[] Long John Silver (DC 120)
-[] Drago Bludvist (DC 100)
-[] Maui (DC 150)
-[] Blackbeard (DC 160)
Cost: 2000 gold
Reward: Contact made with one of the seven Pirate Lords; reduces the DC of diplomatic outreach actions; ???
[] An Honest Fool?
Once you could access Frollo's private papers, you were intrigued to find mention of a "Le Fou" who was one of the former pope's chief informers at a little town near the borders of the Fae Enclave. Send an agent to recall this 'Le Fou' back to Paris for a conversation with the new leadership.
DC: 50/80
Cost: 500 gold
Reward: A Story Told
The Intelligence Service is, as per usual, filled with Frollo's old spies and informants. You'll need to get them out before the Service can run efficiently again.
DC: 40/60/90
Cost: 1500 gold
Reward: Removes the 'insurrection' malus from Villefort's stats, eliminates the chance of Frollo's old supporters causing problems.
Must be taken this turn.
[] Reorganize the Gendarmerie (Intrigue version)
Ahh, the Gendarmerie, the first great police force in the world, tied to the army and with it a clear power to rule over the countryside and the cities, though much reduced due to the wars and despite the work of the Pontiff's inquisitions they still exist, and they are still under the Minister of Justice even now…That will require refinement and proper restoration to be the counterweight to enemy action.
DC: 60/90
Cost: 8,000 gold (price increased by cost of purging Frollo supporters)(price reduced by reduced paperwork)
Reward: The Gendarmerie are consolidated under Villefort's Bureau of Justice, and one more lever is organized and contained. Increased order in France/increased DC of foreign interference. Chance of finding hero units.
[] Infiltrate spies into the Mirror Kingdoms.
Yeah, Grimhilde's magic mirror makes overt infiltration nearly impossible; but maybe a deep-cover agent could make it work? Update: The Queen is dead; her replacement is just as ruthless, but less competent in his use of the mirror network.
DC:
Cost: 3000 gold.
Reward: Eyes and ears within the Mirror Kingdoms, greater intelligence on the happenings within Grimhilde's borders.
[] Scout out the British Isles (Round 2)
Your initial expedition uncovered evidence that the Horned King is preoccupied with a threat of some kind to his north; you have to admit, you really want to know what's going on there. Send some scouts to follow up on the prior expedition.
DC: 60/90
Reward: A better understanding of the Horned King's priorities; ???
[] Plotting A Course
Frollo had no interest in communicating with filthy pirates; you, on the other hand, can see them being quite useful. Alas, you'll have to start from scratch with learning about them.
-[] Davy Jones (DC 90)
-[] Sinbad the Sailor (DC 50)
-[] Captain Hook (DC 75)
-[] Long John Silver (DC 120)
-[] Drago Bludvist (DC 100)
-[] Maui (DC 150)
-[] Blackbeard (DC 160)
Cost: 2000 gold
Reward: Contact made with one of the seven Pirate Lords; reduces the DC of diplomatic outreach actions; ???
[] An Honest Fool?
Once you could access Frollo's private papers, you were intrigued to find mention of a "Le Fou" who was one of the former pope's chief informers at a little town near the borders of the Fae Enclave. Send an agent to recall this 'Le Fou' back to Paris for a conversation with the new leadership.
DC: 50/80
Cost: 500 gold
Reward: A Story Told
Your Learning Advisor: Pope Felix V, formerly Cardinal Richelieu
Martial: 6 (Richelieu was a man of the cloth, and not prone to dealing with his own fights. He might be able to take down a man from surprise, but don't expect him to be of much help in a straight fight.)
Stewardship: 19 (Richelieu was a Cardinal and effectively ran the country of France during Louis XIII's tenure. He is a master organizer and leader.)
Diplomacy: 24 (Richelieu was famous for his charisma and diplomatic achievements, and despite the occasional hint of skeeviness, is generally viewed as a polite and charming man.)
Intrigue: 22 (This version of Richelieu came within inches of overthrowing the King of France, and almost nobody suspected a thing until it was too late.)
Learning: 18 (Prior to his exile, Richelieu was a graduate of the University of Paris and the headmaster of the College of Sorbonne. He possesses a very broad education, with an emphasis on matters of theology, philosophy, art, and politics.)
Occult: 17+5 (22) (Despite not having a lick of magic in his body, his faith and stature in the Church gives Richelieu no small amount of weight in the supernatural realm.)
Traits:
"Looks Good in Heels" - Richelieu is a man with an eye for the better things in life, and this includes fashion. When sharply dressed in men's fashion of his time, which includes high heels, he gets a +10 bonus to Diplomacy.
"SPACE!" - Having escaped to an observatory to avoid Frollo's men, Richelieu spent several months with little to do but observe the heavens. He gains a +10 bonus to all checks involving knowledge of the stars, orbital mechanics, and other related fields.
"Man of the Cloth" - Richelieu climbed the Church hierarchy to the peak of achievements in the field. Combined with his academic achievements, he gains +15 Learning on matters of theology, +10 Diplomacy with other members of the church (save those under the sway of Frollo, to whom he suffers a -10 malus) and can inflict a malus to the saving throws of the demonic and the damned proportional to how badly they are corrupted - assuming his faith holds true, of course.
"Patron of the Arts" - Richelieu has painfully good taste and exceedingly high demands for those artists under his patronage; he gains +5 to all rolls where artwork, fashion, and interior design are concerned, and the DC for finding experts in those fields are reduced.
"Idiosyncratic Tolerance" - Interestingly enough, Richelieu encouraged peaceful integration with Native Americans and considered converts to be good Frenchmen. This attitude applies to most other races, and he suffers no Diplomacy maluses when working with people of a different race or species - but -5 if they are of a different faith. -10 if they are Protestant.
"Established Exorcist'' - Richelieu was the one who led the effort to exorcize and banish Frollo from France, and even though Frollo's patron saved him, the fact remains that it was working. Richelieu gains +15 Occult when facing Frollo, Frollo's Patron, or any of said Patron's servants.
"Pope" - With the Immortalus banished and shown as a monster, the exiled Cardinal Richelieu has taken his place as the head of the Catholic Faith. The newly-titled Pope Felix V gains +30 Diplomacy with other Catholics, but his maluses with other faiths have been doubled. Does not stack with "Man of the Cloth", and his malus with Frollo's supporters has also been doubled.
"Double Advisory" - Lacking any better options, Moriarty has been forced to have Richelieu command both his university and his cathedral. Richelieu currently has two actions, to allocate between either Learning or Occult actions as he sees fit - that is, he can either take two Learning actions, two Occult actions, or one Learning and one Occult action. Both actions have been consumed this turn.
Stewardship: 19 (Richelieu was a Cardinal and effectively ran the country of France during Louis XIII's tenure. He is a master organizer and leader.)
Diplomacy: 24 (Richelieu was famous for his charisma and diplomatic achievements, and despite the occasional hint of skeeviness, is generally viewed as a polite and charming man.)
Intrigue: 22 (This version of Richelieu came within inches of overthrowing the King of France, and almost nobody suspected a thing until it was too late.)
Learning: 18 (Prior to his exile, Richelieu was a graduate of the University of Paris and the headmaster of the College of Sorbonne. He possesses a very broad education, with an emphasis on matters of theology, philosophy, art, and politics.)
Occult: 17+5 (22) (Despite not having a lick of magic in his body, his faith and stature in the Church gives Richelieu no small amount of weight in the supernatural realm.)
Traits:
"Looks Good in Heels" - Richelieu is a man with an eye for the better things in life, and this includes fashion. When sharply dressed in men's fashion of his time, which includes high heels, he gets a +10 bonus to Diplomacy.
"SPACE!" - Having escaped to an observatory to avoid Frollo's men, Richelieu spent several months with little to do but observe the heavens. He gains a +10 bonus to all checks involving knowledge of the stars, orbital mechanics, and other related fields.
"Man of the Cloth" - Richelieu climbed the Church hierarchy to the peak of achievements in the field. Combined with his academic achievements, he gains +15 Learning on matters of theology, +10 Diplomacy with other members of the church (save those under the sway of Frollo, to whom he suffers a -10 malus) and can inflict a malus to the saving throws of the demonic and the damned proportional to how badly they are corrupted - assuming his faith holds true, of course.
"Patron of the Arts" - Richelieu has painfully good taste and exceedingly high demands for those artists under his patronage; he gains +5 to all rolls where artwork, fashion, and interior design are concerned, and the DC for finding experts in those fields are reduced.
"Idiosyncratic Tolerance" - Interestingly enough, Richelieu encouraged peaceful integration with Native Americans and considered converts to be good Frenchmen. This attitude applies to most other races, and he suffers no Diplomacy maluses when working with people of a different race or species - but -5 if they are of a different faith. -10 if they are Protestant.
"Established Exorcist'' - Richelieu was the one who led the effort to exorcize and banish Frollo from France, and even though Frollo's patron saved him, the fact remains that it was working. Richelieu gains +15 Occult when facing Frollo, Frollo's Patron, or any of said Patron's servants.
"Pope" - With the Immortalus banished and shown as a monster, the exiled Cardinal Richelieu has taken his place as the head of the Catholic Faith. The newly-titled Pope Felix V gains +30 Diplomacy with other Catholics, but his maluses with other faiths have been doubled. Does not stack with "Man of the Cloth", and his malus with Frollo's supporters has also been doubled.
"Double Advisory" - Lacking any better options, Moriarty has been forced to have Richelieu command both his university and his cathedral. Richelieu currently has two actions, to allocate between either Learning or Occult actions as he sees fit - that is, he can either take two Learning actions, two Occult actions, or one Learning and one Occult action. Both actions have been consumed this turn.
Traits:
Space! - +10 Learning with knowledge of the stars, orbital mechanics, and other related fields.
"Man of the Cloth" - +15 Learning on theological and philosophical matters.
"Patron of the Arts" - +5 Learning on artwork, fashion, and interior design.
"Right-Hand Man" - +5 synchrony bonus to all rolls if Rochefort is assigned to help.
"Backscratcher" - Moriarty's network grants +10 to all rolls of his personal agents within France on actions that directly benefit his goals.
"Mathematics Department" - Moriarty formed a math department for the University of Paris; it grants +10 to Learning actions relating to mathematics and associated fields.
"Double Advisory" - Lacking any better options, Moriarty has been forced to have Richelieu command both his university and his cathedral. Richelieu currently has two actions, to allocate between either Learning or Occult actions as he sees fit - that is, he can either take two Learning actions, two Occult actions, or one Learning and one Occult action. Note: Both of Richelieu's actions have been consumed this turn on mandatory actions in each category.
"Insurrection" - Despite your best efforts, some of Frollo's pets ended up in the university. While they cause trouble, Richelieu's base Learning suffers a -5 malus.
[] Create a College Board for the University of Paris
You were too occupied with overthrowing the Demon Pope to give the University the care it deserved; with Richelieu in charge now, he insists that the various faculty take more ownership of their school and help with running it. Gives you a second Learning action.
DC: 120
Cost: 2000 gold, 500 gold/turn upkeep.
Reward: Unlocks another action for "Double Advisory" (only to be used on Learning actions), increases Richelieu's loyalty. Should Richelieu be replaced by another Learning advisor, they will already have two actions.
[] Find someone to lead the University of Paris (locked behind "Create A College Board" and "Purge the Theology School")
Richelieu is a capable university president, but he makes a convincing argument that his energies are best reserved for his duties as Pope; as such, he has offered his aid in finding a replacement for leading the University of Paris - after he's purged it of Frollo's old supporters, anyway.
DC: 50/75/100
Cost: 1000 gold.
Reward: Richelieu is replaced with a new Learning advisor, Richelieu loses the trait "Double Advisory" and instead gains a floating action where he can apply half of his stats in support of a random action in any category.
[] SPACE!!!
Richelieu's time in exile at an old observatory gave him a keen interest in studying the heavens. Although Moriarty already charted the skies, there's information that might yet be gained from further examination.
DC: 100
Cost: 1000 gold (for the coffee to keep them awake at night)
Reward: A deeper understanding of the new skies, ???.
[] Establish a language school
So many places, so many languages! A language school might be just what you need to help stay ahead of the game.
DC: 75
Cost: 3000 gold
Reward: A language school is established; unlocks special Personals for Moriarty and his Heroes to add a new language to their repertoire, with a +10 bonus from the school. (Currently available languages: Latin, Greek, French, English, Spanish, German, Italian).
[X] Purge the Theology School
Frollo filled the Theology department with his particular brand of insanity, and while many of them died in the failed Crusade against the Mirror Kingdoms, those who remain have barricaded themselves inside the department and only respond to appeals with threats and thrown textbooks. Get rid of them!
DC: 80
Cost: 1000 gold
Reward: The Theology Department is cleansed of Frollo's supporters, unlocks actions to reform it. Richelieu loses his "Insurrection" malus.
This action must be taken this turn.
[][Learning] What's up Docs?
The doctors and scholars of the University are hailed as some of the best and brightest. Maybe see what they're working on as side projects? (Unlocks new Learning actions)
DC: 20/30/70/90
Cost: 0
You were too occupied with overthrowing the Demon Pope to give the University the care it deserved; with Richelieu in charge now, he insists that the various faculty take more ownership of their school and help with running it. Gives you a second Learning action.
DC: 120
Cost: 2000 gold, 500 gold/turn upkeep.
Reward: Unlocks another action for "Double Advisory" (only to be used on Learning actions), increases Richelieu's loyalty. Should Richelieu be replaced by another Learning advisor, they will already have two actions.
[] Find someone to lead the University of Paris (locked behind "Create A College Board" and "Purge the Theology School")
Richelieu is a capable university president, but he makes a convincing argument that his energies are best reserved for his duties as Pope; as such, he has offered his aid in finding a replacement for leading the University of Paris - after he's purged it of Frollo's old supporters, anyway.
DC: 50/75/100
Cost: 1000 gold.
Reward: Richelieu is replaced with a new Learning advisor, Richelieu loses the trait "Double Advisory" and instead gains a floating action where he can apply half of his stats in support of a random action in any category.
[] SPACE!!!
Richelieu's time in exile at an old observatory gave him a keen interest in studying the heavens. Although Moriarty already charted the skies, there's information that might yet be gained from further examination.
DC: 100
Cost: 1000 gold (for the coffee to keep them awake at night)
Reward: A deeper understanding of the new skies, ???.
[] Establish a language school
So many places, so many languages! A language school might be just what you need to help stay ahead of the game.
DC: 75
Cost: 3000 gold
Reward: A language school is established; unlocks special Personals for Moriarty and his Heroes to add a new language to their repertoire, with a +10 bonus from the school. (Currently available languages: Latin, Greek, French, English, Spanish, German, Italian).
[X] Purge the Theology School
Frollo filled the Theology department with his particular brand of insanity, and while many of them died in the failed Crusade against the Mirror Kingdoms, those who remain have barricaded themselves inside the department and only respond to appeals with threats and thrown textbooks. Get rid of them!
DC: 80
Cost: 1000 gold
Reward: The Theology Department is cleansed of Frollo's supporters, unlocks actions to reform it. Richelieu loses his "Insurrection" malus.
This action must be taken this turn.
[][Learning] What's up Docs?
The doctors and scholars of the University are hailed as some of the best and brightest. Maybe see what they're working on as side projects? (Unlocks new Learning actions)
DC: 20/30/70/90
Cost: 0
Your Occult Advisor: Pope Felix V/Richelieu
Advisor bonus: 22 Occult.
Traits:
"Not a practitioner" - Richelieu cannot use magic or cast spells; he can use half of his Occult bonus to identify magic used in his vicinity, though, and all of it when confronted by demonic power.
"Established Exorcist'' - Richelieu was the one who led the effort to exorcize and banish Frollo from France, and even though Frollo's patron saved him, the fact remains that it was working. Richelieu gains +15 Occult when facing Frollo, Frollo's Patron, or any of said Patron's servants.
"Right-Hand Man" - Richelieu gains +5 to rolls if working alongside Rochefort.
"Backscratcher" - Moriarty's network grants +10 to all rolls of his personal agents within France on actions that directly benefit his goals.
"Double Advisory" - Lacking any better options, Moriarty has been forced to have Richelieu command both his university and his cathedral. Richelieu currently has two actions, to allocate between either Learning or Occult actions as he sees fit - that is, he can either take two Learning actions, two Occult actions, or one Learning and one Occult action. Both actions have been consumed this turn.
[X] Cleanse Notre Dame
Frollo got up to some foul business in the cathedral. Cleanse the place, both literally and figuratively.
DC: 50/80
Cost: 1000 gold
Reward: Notre Dame is purged of Frollo's evil; another action unlocked for "Double Advisory" for Occult actions; potential one-time income bonus if Frollo's treasure caches can be cleansed. This action must be taken this turn.
[] There's Something About Esmerelda…
Esmerelda's body has been cleansed of Frollo's influence, but does not act like a dead body should. For starters, it's not decomposing. Perhaps going over the corpse will give some answers.
DC: 45/90
Cost: 0 gold
Reward: Determining what's keeping the body whole; potential answers.
[] A Study of Corruption
Unlike the other branches of your government, the Church is blessedly clean of would-be insurrectionists. Most of Frollo's fanatics were either killed during the coup or…well…disintegrated into dust when Frollo was banished.
The latter concerns you. Deeply. Commission a study to learn just what, exactly, Frollo had done to his Red Priests and Inquisitors.
DC: 90/120
Cost: 1500 gold
Reward: A clearer understanding of Frollo's powers, ???
[] Summon a Papal Enclave (2 turns)
Frollo caused almost incalculable damage to the Catholic Church during his brief tenure as Pontiff, and you need to make it clear that you're changing things from the ground up. Summon the religious leaders of France, and any other good Catholics, to Notre Dame for an Enclave.
Note: This action is locked behind the "Cleanse Notre Dame" action.
Note: This action, once selected, will be locked-in for two turns.
Frollo got up to some foul business in the cathedral. Cleanse the place, both literally and figuratively.
DC: 50/80
Cost: 1000 gold
Reward: Notre Dame is purged of Frollo's evil; another action unlocked for "Double Advisory" for Occult actions; potential one-time income bonus if Frollo's treasure caches can be cleansed. This action must be taken this turn.
[] There's Something About Esmerelda…
Esmerelda's body has been cleansed of Frollo's influence, but does not act like a dead body should. For starters, it's not decomposing. Perhaps going over the corpse will give some answers.
DC: 45/90
Cost: 0 gold
Reward: Determining what's keeping the body whole; potential answers.
[] A Study of Corruption
Unlike the other branches of your government, the Church is blessedly clean of would-be insurrectionists. Most of Frollo's fanatics were either killed during the coup or…well…disintegrated into dust when Frollo was banished.
The latter concerns you. Deeply. Commission a study to learn just what, exactly, Frollo had done to his Red Priests and Inquisitors.
DC: 90/120
Cost: 1500 gold
Reward: A clearer understanding of Frollo's powers, ???
[] Summon a Papal Enclave (2 turns)
Frollo caused almost incalculable damage to the Catholic Church during his brief tenure as Pontiff, and you need to make it clear that you're changing things from the ground up. Summon the religious leaders of France, and any other good Catholics, to Notre Dame for an Enclave.
Note: This action is locked behind the "Cleanse Notre Dame" action.
Note: This action, once selected, will be locked-in for two turns.
Personal Actions:
Moriarty (2 actions):
There is always time in the day to take for yourself, be it reading or planning in solitude.
[] Observe the Stars
Astronomy has always been the grandest feeling of your pursuits, beyond your network, it is a privilege to just sit in a field and count the stars, no grand plans, just you and a star chart. NOW IF ONLY POPE FELIX WOULD LEAVE YOU BE!
Learning DC: 80
Reward: Reduced DC on SPACE!!!, temporary bonus to Moriarty's actions as he de-stresses.
[] Host a Dinner Party
You are sure that some sense of accomplishment can be followed through, given the victory over Frollo, and enjoyed to a sensible degree.
-[] Who's the guest? Write-in.
Diplomacy DC: Competitive roll with the chosen guest.
Reward: Moriarty gets to know one of his advisors or hero units better, increased loyalty from said unit..
[] Check in on your Comte?
Edmond Dantes, the man who would have been the Count of Monte Cristo,, and his companion have been essential in expanding your reach in the Mediterranean, and while you enjoy the sense of independence, there is time for, a private discussion of sort.
Diplomacy DC: Competitive with Dantes.
Reward: Moriarty gets to know Dantes and Madellaine better, and gains more intel on their current location.
[] Muse on Life
Philosophy has never been one of your passions, but given what you've encountered and survived, perhaps it is time to contemplate life's great mysteries, without compromising your work.
Learning or Diplomacy DC: Variable.
Reward: Depends on the stat used; ???
[]Make Something of Him?!
Albert Mondego, the Son of your Head of the Diplomatic Corps has a great deal of potential, one that is currently being squandared by his Father's inattentiveness and his Mother's behavior. You think that it's only proper to give him a proper nudge to a path of greatness.
Diplomacy DC: Competitive with Mondego and possibly Mercedes.
-[]Write in what (and who) you wish to educate him in
Reward: Albert is off to learn and improve himself.
[] Double Down
Sacrifices one of Moriarty's personal actions for a free reroll on any failed roll this turn; if no rolls fail, the lowest roll gets a reroll, and Moriarty can take the higher roll.
Comte de Rochefort (one action):
[] Moran and Rochefort's Excellent Adventure!
"Alright, it's called a Pub Crawl, we have to meet at the Dragon Tail Inn, winner buys dinner" Each group looked at the two commanders, "I assure you it's fun. It's only three stops before the Inn, don't worry."
Diplomacy DC: Competitive with Moran.
Reward: A better rapport with Moran, hijinks and shenanigans.
[] Find a sparring partner
You're good, but you can always be better. Try finding someone in the Musketeers or Papal Guard who would be willing to practice fencing with you.
Martial DC: 20/75/90.
Reward: +1 Martial; potential trait; chance to meet interesting people.
[] Help the Pontiff (free action)
As Pope Felix's oldest friend and boon companion, you'd be remiss to not help him out in his time of need. Rochefort will help out the former Cardinal with a random action, and their work relationship is such that it won't cut into his personal time. He can still take a PA or a specific national, but not both.
DC: None/Diplomacy 100
Reward: Richelieu gets help on a random Learning or Occult action; upon passing a Diplomacy check of 100, potential improvement to his Right Hand Man trait.
Available heroes:
Martial: 18 (Rochefort was Richelieu's chief enforcer and is a master duelist, capable of fighting multiple men to a standstill.)
Stewardship: 12 (Rochefort managed the Cardinal's Guards prior to the Upheaval, and during Richelieu's time in exile he made most of the supply runs.)
Diplomacy: 5 (While handsome in a cold fashion, his gravelly voice, stern demeanor, and eyepatch means that most people find him unsettling to be around.)
Intrigue: 13 (Rochefort likes to brag about his accomplishments, but at the same time knows the value of keeping a secret. He's certainly silenced enough people for the good Cardinal.)
Learning: 9 (Rochefort is in possession of a good general education, but has zero scholarly curiosity.)
Occult: 6+5 (11) (Rochefort has some experience fighting the creatures that Frollo has sent after his Master, but has no real talent or interest in the magical arts.)
Traits:
"Gravally Growler" - Rochefort's voice sounds like he gargles gravel for breakfast; depending on the person, this can either give him +5 Diplomacy or make him lose -5 Diplomacy.
"Master Duelist" - Rochefort is quite possibly one of the top five swordsmen in France, and has fought and won many duels and engagements. He gains +20 Martial when fighting with a sword, and +5 Martial in general when leading soldiers into battle.
"Nemesis: d'Artagnan" - He killed the lad's father, and has never been forgiven for it. Should d'Artagnan ever confront him, Rochefort can anticipate a challenge to his life.
"Purple Heart" - Rochefort lost his left eye in a duel to d'Artagnan's father, and suffers a -10 malus to Martial and Intrigue if attacked in his blind spot.
Stewardship: 12 (Rochefort managed the Cardinal's Guards prior to the Upheaval, and during Richelieu's time in exile he made most of the supply runs.)
Diplomacy: 5 (While handsome in a cold fashion, his gravelly voice, stern demeanor, and eyepatch means that most people find him unsettling to be around.)
Intrigue: 13 (Rochefort likes to brag about his accomplishments, but at the same time knows the value of keeping a secret. He's certainly silenced enough people for the good Cardinal.)
Learning: 9 (Rochefort is in possession of a good general education, but has zero scholarly curiosity.)
Occult: 6+5 (11) (Rochefort has some experience fighting the creatures that Frollo has sent after his Master, but has no real talent or interest in the magical arts.)
Traits:
"Gravally Growler" - Rochefort's voice sounds like he gargles gravel for breakfast; depending on the person, this can either give him +5 Diplomacy or make him lose -5 Diplomacy.
"Master Duelist" - Rochefort is quite possibly one of the top five swordsmen in France, and has fought and won many duels and engagements. He gains +20 Martial when fighting with a sword, and +5 Martial in general when leading soldiers into battle.
"Nemesis: d'Artagnan" - He killed the lad's father, and has never been forgiven for it. Should d'Artagnan ever confront him, Rochefort can anticipate a challenge to his life.
"Purple Heart" - Rochefort lost his left eye in a duel to d'Artagnan's father, and suffers a -10 malus to Martial and Intrigue if attacked in his blind spot.
Voting is now open.
Relevant discussion points concerning the benefits and drawbacks of different Satrapy options; here, here, continue reading on the next page for some more, and here from QM then continue reading for a bit for more relevant information.
[X] Plan Drums and Guns, Haroo, Haroo
-[X][Martial] (2000, 500 Upkeep) Forging a Red Sword
--[X] Apply Hub McCann
-[X][Stewardship] (5000) A Helping Hand... or Foot.
-[X][Stewardship] (2000) Expand housing district
-[X][Diplomacy] (1500) Dining with a Lord
-[X][Diplomacy] (2500) Establish a Diplomatic Embassy in Xiang-Wu
-[X][Intrigue] (500) The Dusty Young Man
-[X][Intrigue] (3500) Plumbing the Depths
--[X]Apply Garth McCann, Tai Lung, and Helga Sinclair
-[X][Learning] (2000) Mastering Magic
--[X][Jose Personal] I'm Old, not Dead
-[X][Learning] (5000) He Ain't Heavy...
-[X][Occult] (2000, 500 Upkeep) Nothing up my Sleeve
-[X][Personal] Correspond with Jasmine
-[X][Personal] Visit with Red and Angry
-[X][Personal] Life's a Zoo
--[X] Train specifically with the Sirrush
-[X][Iago Personal]Scratching in the Walls...
-[X][Cavin Personal] Sword and Board
--[X]Spar with Tai Lung
-[X][Calla Personal] Wood and Steel
-[X][Selous Personal] Linguistic Exercises
Final Cost - 26,000 Gold
---Forging a Red Sword with Hub assisting, because I want it to work this time.
---Prosthetics and more housing for taking care of crippled soldiers and the probable refugees, as well as more options for our soldiers when they retire
---Hopefully securing an alliance with the Pirate King most willing to help us, and further securing a major neighbor against Lemurian influence
---Getting a handle on what is probably one of the nastiest villains (and potential assets) in Aladdin canon (Some of us think it's Mozenwrath, look him up), and setting up the basic anti-Lemuria information network with the +66 Bonus team of Garth, Tai Lung, and Helga
---Getting a handle on our magic population with Jose assisting, both to get them the training they need and to further guard against Lemurian bullshit.
---Funding a program for treating non-humans, both for just having a straight better medical standard and for offering an incentive to the more twisted members of Lemuria - especially the inevitable ones taken and twisted against their will
---Getting that second action for Occult, hopefully it will have synergy with Dusty Young Man
---More Jasmine talk, working with our assistants so they feel more at home and hopefully give more bonuses, and continuing the training of the Sirrush for war
---Iago getting a handle on what is either the first wave of Sir Rattigan's spies, or refugees from him that can help us
---Combat training for these two, and finally getting Selous to learn the language
I'm not doing the options for the Satrapies with this plan, because there was a great big discussion about how neither Military nor Stewardship are inherently inferior and I would prefer to do the Setting Down Roots next turn. I'm cutting out the Diplomacy option because it's the most difficult, most expensive, and gives too many opportunities for malicious actors to insert themselves into our legal structure so they can screw us further.
[X] Plan Drums and Guns, Satrapy Setup
-[X][Martial] (2000, 500 Upkeep) Forging a Red Sword
--[X] Apply Hub McCann
-[X][Stewardship] (5000) A Helping Hand... or Foot.
-[X][Stewardship] (4000) Fresh Faces!
-[X][Diplomacy] (1500) Dining with a Lord
-[X][Diplomacy] (2500) Establish a Diplomatic Embassy in Xiang-Wu
-[X][Intrigue] (500) The Dusty Young Man
-[X][Intrigue] (3500) Plumbing the Depths
--[X]Apply Garth McCann, Tai Lung, and Helga Sinclair
-[X][Learning] (2000) Mastering Magic
--[X][Jose Personal] I'm Old, not Dead
-[X][Learning] (5000) He Ain't Heavy...
-[X][Occult] (2000, 500 Upkeep) Nothing up my Sleeve
-[X][Personal] Correspond with Jasmine
-[X][Personal] Visit with Red and Angry
-[X][Personal] Life's a Zoo
--[X] Train specifically with the Sirrush
-[X][Iago Personal]Scratching in the Walls...
-[X][Cavin Personal] Sword and Board
--[X]Spar with Tai Lung
-[X][Calla Personal] Wood and Steel
-[X][Selous Personal] Linguistic Exercises
Final Cost - 28,000 Gold
Same as the first, except it replaces more houses with Satrapy Stewardship, because while it's not my preferred option I'm willing to tolerate it. Includes a write-in for how to build our embassy so Ababwa retains some control of sea access to the Mediterranean.
Relevant discussion points concerning the benefits and drawbacks of different Satrapy options; here, here, continue reading on the next page for some more, and here from QM then continue reading for a bit for more relevant information.
[X] Plan Drums and Guns, Haroo, Haroo
-[X][Martial] (2000, 500 Upkeep) Forging a Red Sword
--[X] Apply Hub McCann
-[X][Stewardship] (5000) A Helping Hand... or Foot.
-[X][Stewardship] (2000) Expand housing district
-[X][Diplomacy] (1500) Dining with a Lord
-[X][Diplomacy] (2500) Establish a Diplomatic Embassy in Xiang-Wu
-[X][Intrigue] (500) The Dusty Young Man
-[X][Intrigue] (3500) Plumbing the Depths
--[X]Apply Garth McCann, Tai Lung, and Helga Sinclair
-[X][Learning] (2000) Mastering Magic
--[X][Jose Personal] I'm Old, not Dead
-[X][Learning] (5000) He Ain't Heavy...
-[X][Occult] (2000, 500 Upkeep) Nothing up my Sleeve
-[X][Personal] Correspond with Jasmine
-[X][Personal] Visit with Red and Angry
-[X][Personal] Life's a Zoo
--[X] Train specifically with the Sirrush
-[X][Iago Personal]Scratching in the Walls...
-[X][Cavin Personal] Sword and Board
--[X]Spar with Tai Lung
-[X][Calla Personal] Wood and Steel
-[X][Selous Personal] Linguistic Exercises
Final Cost - 26,000 Gold
---Forging a Red Sword with Hub assisting, because I want it to work this time.
---Prosthetics and more housing for taking care of crippled soldiers and the probable refugees, as well as more options for our soldiers when they retire
---Hopefully securing an alliance with the Pirate King most willing to help us, and further securing a major neighbor against Lemurian influence
---Getting a handle on what is probably one of the nastiest villains (and potential assets) in Aladdin canon (Some of us think it's Mozenwrath, look him up), and setting up the basic anti-Lemuria information network with the +66 Bonus team of Garth, Tai Lung, and Helga
---Getting a handle on our magic population with Jose assisting, both to get them the training they need and to further guard against Lemurian bullshit.
---Funding a program for treating non-humans, both for just having a straight better medical standard and for offering an incentive to the more twisted members of Lemuria - especially the inevitable ones taken and twisted against their will
---Getting that second action for Occult, hopefully it will have synergy with Dusty Young Man
---More Jasmine talk, working with our assistants so they feel more at home and hopefully give more bonuses, and continuing the training of the Sirrush for war
---Iago getting a handle on what is either the first wave of Sir Rattigan's spies, or refugees from him that can help us
---Combat training for these two, and finally getting Selous to learn the language
I'm not doing the options for the Satrapies with this plan, because there was a great big discussion about how neither Military nor Stewardship are inherently inferior and I would prefer to do the Setting Down Roots next turn. I'm cutting out the Diplomacy option because it's the most difficult, most expensive, and gives too many opportunities for malicious actors to insert themselves into our legal structure so they can screw us further.
[X] Plan Drums and Guns, Satrapy Setup
-[X][Martial] (2000, 500 Upkeep) Forging a Red Sword
--[X] Apply Hub McCann
-[X][Stewardship] (5000) A Helping Hand... or Foot.
-[X][Stewardship] (4000) Fresh Faces!
-[X][Diplomacy] (1500) Dining with a Lord
-[X][Diplomacy] (2500) Establish a Diplomatic Embassy in Xiang-Wu
-[X][Intrigue] (500) The Dusty Young Man
-[X][Intrigue] (3500) Plumbing the Depths
--[X]Apply Garth McCann, Tai Lung, and Helga Sinclair
-[X][Learning] (2000) Mastering Magic
--[X][Jose Personal] I'm Old, not Dead
-[X][Learning] (5000) He Ain't Heavy...
-[X][Occult] (2000, 500 Upkeep) Nothing up my Sleeve
-[X][Personal] Correspond with Jasmine
-[X][Personal] Visit with Red and Angry
-[X][Personal] Life's a Zoo
--[X] Train specifically with the Sirrush
-[X][Iago Personal]Scratching in the Walls...
-[X][Cavin Personal] Sword and Board
--[X]Spar with Tai Lung
-[X][Calla Personal] Wood and Steel
-[X][Selous Personal] Linguistic Exercises
Final Cost - 28,000 Gold
Same as the first, except it replaces more houses with Satrapy Stewardship, because while it's not my preferred option I'm willing to tolerate it. Includes a write-in for how to build our embassy so Ababwa retains some control of sea access to the Mediterranean.
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[X] Plan Drums and Guns, Satrapy Setup
I like this. I would suggest putting the cost at the bottom, not the top, so that careless copy/pasters don't include it with the vote name and potentially screw up the vote count.
I like this. I would suggest putting the cost at the bottom, not the top, so that careless copy/pasters don't include it with the vote name and potentially screw up the vote count.
- Location
- California,USA
[X] Plan Drums and Guns, Satrapy Setup
LETS GO!
LETS GO!
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FictionPack
Monochromatic Ursine
- Location
- Tennessee
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X] Plan Drums and Guns, Satrapy Setup
[X] Plan: A Roc and a Hard Place
-[X][Martial] (2000, 500 Upkeep) Forging a Red Sword
--[X] Apply Hub McCann
-[X][Stewardship] (5000) A Helping Hand... or Foot.
-[X][Stewardship] (4000) Fresh Faces!
-[X][Diplomacy] (1500) Dining with a Lord
-[X][Diplomacy] (2500) Establish a Diplomatic Embassy in Xiang-Wu
-[X][Intrigue] (500) The Dusty Young Man
-[X][Intrigue] (3500) Plumbing the Depths
--[X]Apply Garth McCann
-[X][Learning] (2000) Mastering Magic
--[X][Jose Personal] I'm Old, not Dead
-[X][Learning] (5000) He Ain't Heavy...
-[X][Occult] (2000, 500 Upkeep) Nothing up my Sleeve
-[X][Personal] Correspond with Jasmine
-[X][Personal] Visit with Red and Angry
-[X][Personal] Life's a Zoo
--[X] Train specifically with the Sirrush
-[X][Iago Personal]Scratching in the Walls...
- [x][Tai Lung Personal] Training
--[x] Adaptation Training: Removes temperature malus as Tai Lung trains himself to use the Breath of Life technique without needing to concentrate on it.
-[X][Calla Personal] Wood and Steel
--[X][Adventure] On a Wing and a Prayer
-[x] Selous
-[x] Cavin
-[x] Helga Sinclair
-[x][Equipment] Elemental Blade: Cavin
Just moving 3 units to do the Roc Adventure. Selous can track the animal signs, Cavin can cut his teeth, and Helga is used to treasure hunting.
And it'd be fun to see these 3 on a mission together. Might help Helga loosen up.
And putting Tai Lung on removing his malus for living in a desert as a snow leopard.
[X] Plan: A Roc and a Hard Place
-[X][Martial] (2000, 500 Upkeep) Forging a Red Sword
--[X] Apply Hub McCann
-[X][Stewardship] (5000) A Helping Hand... or Foot.
-[X][Stewardship] (4000) Fresh Faces!
-[X][Diplomacy] (1500) Dining with a Lord
-[X][Diplomacy] (2500) Establish a Diplomatic Embassy in Xiang-Wu
-[X][Intrigue] (500) The Dusty Young Man
-[X][Intrigue] (3500) Plumbing the Depths
--[X]Apply Garth McCann
-[X][Learning] (2000) Mastering Magic
--[X][Jose Personal] I'm Old, not Dead
-[X][Learning] (5000) He Ain't Heavy...
-[X][Occult] (2000, 500 Upkeep) Nothing up my Sleeve
-[X][Personal] Correspond with Jasmine
-[X][Personal] Visit with Red and Angry
-[X][Personal] Life's a Zoo
--[X] Train specifically with the Sirrush
-[X][Iago Personal]Scratching in the Walls...
- [x][Tai Lung Personal] Training
--[x] Adaptation Training: Removes temperature malus as Tai Lung trains himself to use the Breath of Life technique without needing to concentrate on it.
-[X][Calla Personal] Wood and Steel
--[X][Adventure] On a Wing and a Prayer
-[x] Selous
-[x] Cavin
-[x] Helga Sinclair
-[x][Equipment] Elemental Blade: Cavin
Just moving 3 units to do the Roc Adventure. Selous can track the animal signs, Cavin can cut his teeth, and Helga is used to treasure hunting.
And it'd be fun to see these 3 on a mission together. Might help Helga loosen up.
And putting Tai Lung on removing his malus for living in a desert as a snow leopard.
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[X] Plan Drums and Guns, Satrapy Setup
If that's true, shoot me an @ when Tempest replies and I'll stick Helga on Dusty Young Man for the high Intrigue, keep Garth on the Depths.
I'm torn between assigning secondary assignments for Tai Lung on:
Helping Hand/Foot (because who better than a master martial artist to stress test and give feedback on how well prosthetics work?),
Dining With A Lord (For the diplomacy bonus),
and He Ain't Heavy ('cause Medical bonus, again.)
Got any opinons one way or another?
- Location
- USA
[X] Plan Drums and Guns, Satrapy Setup
All fresh faces does is change it from a ongoing military occupation since the war to a more standard governance with people we personally approve of.
The diplomacy one makes a standard governance with people from the area.
The martial one makes the military occupation the new governance and pulls them away from the military reducing our army and causing strain.
This is completely unnecessary. We took the northern satraps over. They are a part of Ababwa now. We control everything there.
All fresh faces does is change it from a ongoing military occupation since the war to a more standard governance with people we personally approve of.
The diplomacy one makes a standard governance with people from the area.
The martial one makes the military occupation the new governance and pulls them away from the military reducing our army and causing strain.
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Turning them into a Protectorate removes Ababwan legal control over their land and settlements. Yeah, we can theoretically march in and demand access any time we want 'cause Protectorate, but we have to justify it to whatever leadership the Satrapy comes up with, and being too insistent/onerous in our demands will sour goodwill and foment rebellious sentiment.
That's the kind of thing I was referring to when I earlier said "Legal is a different can of worms".
If we want Mediterranean access without having to play diplomatic/legal games every single time, the Stewardship option demands we have a coastal Embassy town. Even if the Satrapy is friendly and technically subordinate.
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FictionPack
Monochromatic Ursine
- Location
- Tennessee
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Tai Lung should be on He Ain't Heavy.
It has a higher DC than the prosthetic, and is more relevant to him.
The meeting is bringing a cat to water and that's just amusing.
One hero per assist is also best to not put all eggs in one basket(unless the can pair like Garth and Hub I suppose). Their action is valuable. They have personal things that are just as important. Like Helga needing to feel secure to open up.
I also second that the embassy part should be removed.
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If TempestK explicitly tells us the embassy write in provides no security/bonus/whatever to Ababwa's sea access to the Mediterranean, I will remove it. Otherwise, it stays.
The intel reports we have on Lemuria says it is a hellish place hiding behind a kind smile - check the Turn 11 reports. If Tempest lets me stack a heavy-hitting Intrigue team to maximize our results, and more importantly the chances of all the team getting out alive, and possibly even rescuing some prisoners or such on a crit, that's my preferred option.
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FictionPack
Monochromatic Ursine
- Location
- Tennessee
- Pronouns
- He/Him
My argument was actually that the action would open future actions like that add on, but looking again only the Martial one actually says that it'll impact future actions in the area.