You are a dragon sergeant, a soldier charged with defending your homeland on foot and on horseback from the many threats that populate the world of Eostilion after the apocalypse that befell it 100 years ago. It's a dangerous career, but one that gives you the opportunity to become an important player in your nation's politics. Provided you have the courage and willingness to do what it takes.
Load your musket, prepare your spear and sharpen your rapier. Rise in rank and be rewarded with land for the strength of your weapons and your courage. Enter the political arena and engage in intrigue to solidify your position in your nation's political system. Make loyal friends and lovers, as well as fierce enemies, become a champion of a god or a powerful mage.
Your destiny and the mark you leave on history are up to you.
Welcome to "Ride of the Dragoon", in this quest I hope to tell a story full of intrigue, war, love, hedonism, and dark (mostly) humor. My crazy brain made me draw inspiration from games such as saber of infinity, samurai of Hyuga, Hyrule and Thera total war, the three musketeers, captain Alatriste, Game of throne, Warhammer, the witcher, and various swords fantasy books more or less serious to give birth to this quest.
You will have the opportunity to create yourself the nation and part of the world in which you evolve before making the creation of your character, however, you will not be the leader, you start low and will have to rise in your society in the way that seems to you the most adapted. Who knows, maybe along the way you can make some solid friendships and find your soulmate(s).
Also note that even if you start in a nation that is of 17th-18th century technology in a world where most powers are at 15th-16th century levels, that doesn't make you invincible, far from it.
I hope you enjoy participating in this quest as much as I enjoy writing it.
Also, there will be violent and bloody scenes in this quest, as well as sex scenes. I will put the latter in spoiler.
Ah, Eostilion. A beautiful world of vast oceans, fertile plains, proud mountains, and glorious empires. Populated by powerful mages, noble and brave knights, wise kings, and relatively good gods. A world where it is good to live.
Well... maybe it used to be, today the world is a mess. After a series of cataclysms that destroyed the ancient empires and kingdoms of old, the world is not as nice a place as it used to be. At least not according to the legends and history books. Even a century later the effects of these disasters have not fully dissipated, and the great nations that once populated it have given way to small kingdoms trying to survive against the monsters that continue to harass them. Of course, the great game of trying to conquer its neighbors for total supremacy has never ended. These last years it even becomes more and more popular. But how did all this mess begin?
What caused the end of the old world?
The great invasions. (minimum 1, no max limit. Each choice gives you +1 points for the selections of the attributes of your nation)
[] Invasion of the living dead:
The dead must stay dead, otherwise, they would be the majority. The world found this out first hand when another crazy necromancer decided to control the world by raising the dead. The result was countless casualties and destruction, and once raised, the victims were determined to destroy their former cities and farms. Even today, a century after the death of the old necrophiliac moron, hordes of the undead roam the land attacking anyone who doesn't have visible bones or flies around them to pretend to be dead.
Bands of undead roam the world in automatic mode to kill everything they come across, a bit like The Walking Dead. They are not very fast, not very strong, but they don't suffer from morale losses and tenacious.
[] Demonic Invasion:
There is a good reason why demons are not allowed to come into the mortal world, they can't behave. Nevertheless, a demonologist too ambitious for his own good decided to conquer the world by opening a demonic portal, the result was predictable. Carnage, destruction, exiled peoples and wars on a scale never seen before, and the long and ugly death of the demonologist by uncooperative demons. Even with the closing of the portal, not all creatures of the underworld have returned to their demonic world and some continue to inhabit ruined cities or hunt mortals.
Monsters roam the world hunting mortals, relatively few in number but very dangerous. Think of the monsters in Netlix's Castelvania. They are violent, cruel, strong, and intelligent.
[] The last attempt of a dark lord to conquer the world:
Find a bigger than average man, give him a huge black armor, powers a bit more developed than the average mage and an army of creatures as ugly as stupid and devoted, start calling him "dark lord" and I don't give you a month before he thinks he's the master of the world and starts building statues of him everywhere in countries that are not his. And this time it didn't fail either, another crazy guy in black set out to conquer the world with his evil hordes. Of course, he screwed up and died, but he had time to ravage the world he wanted to conquer before he was stopped. His troops unfortunately did not have the devotion to following him to the grave and preferred to establish fortresses all over the world to continue the fight and be a thorn in the side of all peoples.
Basically the equivalent of Sauron trying to conquer the world, he failed but his minions have established their own domains in the manner of those in "Shadow of the Mordor". They are relatively undisciplined, spend as much time fighting each other as they do against you, but they are fierce and organized.
Second wave of cataclysms (minimum 1, no max limit. Each choice gives you +1 points for the selections of the attributes of your nation)
Of course, if it had just been another tyrant trying his luck in the great lottery of "who wants to be the new ruler of the world" the old empires might have survived, despite the deaths, the destruction of cities, the famines, and epidemics that followed. No, there was something else that added fuel to the fire, something that only made an already disastrous situation worse for our world. The seas raged and ravaged what was left of the coastal cities, the ground shook and opened up to destroy and engulf what had not been destroyed by the armies, the once dormant volcanoes awoke to burn what had not been destroyed. All these natural disasters caused other problems such as famines because of the devastating of arable lands and epidemics that only added to the number of victims and the chaos.
But what was the cause of all these catastrophes?
[] Weakened pantheon
It is no longer clear whether the threat was so great that the gods decided to intervene, or whether they took advantage of the chaos to wage war against each other. Or if a catastrophe unknown to men has struck in the divine world. But the gods started to die. This caused quite a lot of damage in all societies that lost their tutelary gods, the priests of these fallen gods lost their power and influence in their kingdoms, causing civil unrest and wars of influence between the remaining cults. In many cases, there were waves of suicides not only among the priests but also among the population who had lost faith in the future, if the gods died what hope was there for the mortals? And if only that was the end of the problems. With the death of some of the gods, the natural order was disturbed in many places. In some places the dead rose without help from necromancy, in others crops stopped growing, diseases became more deadly, in others, the seas rose to submerge coastal cities and in others, the ground opened up to swallow cities. When things calmed down the number of gods had drastically decreased and those that remained were harder to reach.
Fewer gods are available at the creation of your nation, prayers and champions are generally less powerful.
[] Magic storms
Something went wrong with the magic winds, but the mages lost control of their powers. Not only did they begin to cause disasters by casting their spells, becoming as dangerous to themselves as to others. But in addition, storms of pure magical energy destroyed many cities and towns while causing mutations and random reactions in the environment and the bodies of men. Men saw their bodies transformed into grotesque parodies of chairs whose spirits were broken by the monstrosities they became. Even though these storms have ceased today, the damage they caused is incalculable and their results are still with us today, for not only is magic harder and more dangerous to use than in the old days, but the monstrosities of the first storms still walk or remain in the old storm-stricken cities.
Magic is more dangerous to use, oh don't worry, it is still an effective force in battle and other applications but mages are still among the only people in the world who have the privilege of spontaneously combusting on their own. Oh, and there are basically colonies of mutants that inhabit certain destroyed cities or attack travelers.
[] The arrival of the Dark Gods
Evil gods manifested themselves in our world, corrupting nature and men to accomplish their dark purposes, whispering their dark promises of powers, glories, and ascents to the ears of those driven mad and nihilistic by the despair and chaos of these troubled times. The devotees of these dark gods may have suffered heavy losses and failed in their goal of consecrating this world to their terrible lords, but they are still here. Some forming bands of nihilistic killers raid the uncorrupted peoples that have survived, or worse, try to corrupt them from within.
Do you see the champions of chaos in Warhammer and their agents infiltrating civilized societies to give the world to their gods? Those are the kind of guys you have to put up with.
Inheritance from our ancestors and first steps on our new land
Finally, the situation for your people had become untenable on their home continent, the constant assaults of hostile powers, the epidemics, and natural disasters that ravaged the kingdom pushed the king to decide on a drastic solution. Abandon the kingdom of your fathers and migrate to your colonies, hoping not to exchange one hell for another. When the king left his homeland a century ago, he took with him the secret of black powder and how to use it to make muskets and cannons. But that wasn't the only thing your ancestors took with them.
RELICS OF THE ORIGINAL LAND ( choose 2 )
[] More survivors
The true wealth of a nation is its people, your ancestors understood this. So instead of loading their ships with technology, gold, or artifacts, they chose to load as many civilians as possible. The crossing was cramped for the survivors, but with the satisfaction of having saved many of their people. These brave men and women were invaluable in fighting the many threats of those difficult times.
More of your people were transported to the colonies which gave them a larger population, reducing the cost of recruiting or replacing soldiers.
[] The best horses in the kingdom
The kingdom of your ancestors was renowned for its riders and especially the quality of its horses. Before fleeing, the king decided to save the royal harras, feeling that a superior cavalry would be an invaluable aid in the trials your people would face. Since then, your cavalry has been recognized as one of the best in the new kingdoms because of the unique endurance and speed of its horses.
These quality horses have made your people better than normal, your cavalry has a charge bonus and tests related to horsemanship will be less difficult with these horses.
[] An esoteric forge:
Before their exodus, your people were renowned for making magical items and artifacts, before leaving your people took with them one of the mystical forces that allowed them to create such items. Although loading one of these complex forges was difficult, they managed to save a copy of these priceless artifacts as well as several master forges.
Esoteric forging facilitates the creation of powerful magical items, so you are more likely to be awarded such artifacts or to be able to buy them. Although their price remains prohibitive.
[] The secret of the steam engine
Before the apocalypse, your people had made great strides in the mechanical field and your most illustrious engineer had developed a machine with incredible potential. The best possible applications had yet to be found, but the potential of such an invention was enormous. When the old kingdom had to be abandoned the king had the engine loaded onto a ship, along with the best engineers in the kingdom to continue working on it.
Your kingdom has access to the world's first steam engines, which helps the economic and perhaps even military development of your faction.
First Blood
Rebuilding your nation in its colonies was not an easy task, danger was everywhere, your people were devastated to have lost their homelands, battles against the natives broke out for control of resources, and there seemed to be no end to these hard times. Yet your people survived and adapted, your traditions changed as you left your ancestral lands to adapt to your new land. Just as your language has changed insidiously over time, so has your society and its principles.
Our people's first challenge in establishing their new kingdom was to secure their future from the native kingdoms and tribes who were not too thrilled to see you arrive en masse. Soon diplomatic remedies were exhausted as no one wanted to make concessions to the others and we entered into conflict with the indigenous inhabitants of the territory. After several years of fierce conflicts, we won against the people who tried to drive us out, expanding our territory in the process. But when the dust of the battle has settled and the blood on the blades has been washed away, what was the fate of the defeated?
(choose one)
[] Slavery or death
After our victory, we punished the tribesmen who opposed us by enslaving all those who had taken up arms against us, most of the men were put to the iron. Their labor was very useful to speed up the development of our cities and colonies and slavery is now an important part of our economy. But too much slave labor can also be a breeding ground for rebellion if not properly monitored.
[] Exile
We have given our enemies a simple choice, leave or die. The exile of the defeated allowed us to take over their lands, which were given to the peasants and nobles of our people, further expanding our territory and gaining their gratitude. But the descendants of the defeated will never forgive us for their exodus.
[] Assimilation
It was long and difficult, but by taking the sons of the chiefs of the defeated tribes as hostages to educate them, by enacting policies to encourage marriage between our nobility, and to protect the possessions of the locals while allowing the implementation of our settlers we succeeded in assimilating these peoples to ours. And so we were more influenced by them than we tend to believe.
Government
This time was also a time of great political change for our people, as the old ways were seen as responsible for the downfall of our ancient nation and we set out to adopt a new government, one that was seen as more efficient and able to ensure the prosperity and safety of our people in these troubled times.
What form did our government take? (choose 1)
[] Absolute Monarchy: The disappearance of the great noble families during the apocalypse was a blessing in disguise for the royal family. Without powerful duchies, counties, and vast territories to form an effective opposition to our nation's rulers, they were able to centralize the state around themselves without significant opposition. The king also argued that the urgency of the situation required a strong and unopposed leader to guide our people through this turmoil, arguing also that without the opposition of the noble families and parliaments from our native continent, the kingdom would have had a chance to survive. Today, for better or worse, the king is the absolute authority of the realm, and although over time the nobility has been able to regain lands and titles, the centralization of the bulk of the army to the royal person has muzzled any opposition.
[] Constitutional Monarchy: With its exile, the royal family lost much of its power base and had to conciliate the surviving elites to avoid a civil war that would have been catastrophic for what remained of the kingdom. Also, the nobility that had followed the king, as well as the large families of settlers already established on the spot and who possessed a lot of influence put pressure to impose on the king a constitution that limited his powers, as well as the creation of a parliament where it was possible to oppose certain decisions of the king, provided they were united. Today the king retains great authority, but his decisions can be opposed by a parliament made up of the most powerful nobles in our nation, as well as the largest and richest landowners from the third estate.
[] Republic: The king has failed in his sacred duty to ensure the safety and prosperity of his subjects. In attempting to increase his power and authority, the new king proved to be nothing more than a tyrant. So the surviving families of the nobility and the great landowning families of the new world joined together to overthrow the tyrants and establish a new government where all would be equal. Provided, of course, that one is a member of the patrician families. The Senate that rules our nation is led by 2 podestates who each have a different responsibility, peace, and war. The bad tongues claim that our regime is riddled with corruption and nepotism but these are mere delegations, we prefer to speak of relations between Patron and client.
[] Theocracy: Royalty has failed, creatures of darkness and natural disasters have taken over our homeland, the gods have turned away from us because our rulers have shown their godlessness. The only way to save us was to regain their trust, only the most pious among us could guide us on the path to redemption. At least that's what the priests shouted when they overthrew the king at the head of a terrified and angry crowd. The popular support was such that no one could effectively oppose their coup and the king was forced to abdicate. He was replaced by a representative of the church named the Great Pope, elected by a clerical council to lead our people. To the surprise of the most skeptical, the High Pope was very successful in his efforts to secure our new land and the opposition quickly perished. Today our people are still led by the holy council and the most pious of our people. Unlike the decadent monarchies and republics of other peoples, it is not the noblest or richest who rule our nation. Everyone from the most humble to the richest can reach the highest positions in our holy nation. As long as he is the most devout.
Most of the rolls in this quest are made with d10, for each point in an attribute you roll an additional d10. Ratings range from 1 to 8, but some powerful creatures have even higher Attributes. The average person has a value of 1 or sometimes 2 in each Attribute.
This is what the character sheet looks like:
Name :
Age : 18
Physical description/image :
Attributs : (max natural 8)
Soldiering : Represents your physical strength, your reflexes and coordination, and your overall physical capacities for everything related to the military.
Melee : Represent your ability to fight in melee
Accuracy : Represent your ability to shoot with precision.
Defense (Soldiering -1) : Represent your ability to avoid being hit.
Presence : Represents your charisma, your magnetism and physical attraction
Charm : Your ability to flatter, smoothtalk, lie, seduce.
Negociation : Your ability to negociate trade and political deals, and surrender of ennemies,
Command : Your ability to command soldiers, organize them and rouse them.
Mind : Represents your knowledge, your awareness and perception, your deductive reasoning, and your willpower.
Strategy : Your ability to understand strategics matters and how to use the terrain for military advantage.
Stewarship : Your ability to manage an estate and make good use of money.
Magic : Your ability to use, study and understand magic.
Wound points : Equal to the Soldiering attribute
Armor : The amount of protection that allow you to avoid receiving a deadly wound.
Equipment :
Renown :
Wealth :
Stress: /10
Traits : Bonuses that give you some advantages.
To perform an action you add the value of your attribute to the value of your skill for that action. For example, to analyze a battlefield you roll the dice for your Mind + Strategy attribute. Each result below 6 is a failure, each result above 6 is a success. Modifiers can be used to add or remove additional dice or bonuses/maluses to the roll results. A natural 10 is always a critical success and counts as 2 successes.
The Difficulty of a Test is the number of successes you must equal or exceed for it to count as a success, it reflects how hard a task is. Some tasks are relatively simple, such as jumping a gap or kicking down a door. These Tests usually require only 2 successes.
Difficulties test scale like this.
2 Very Easy
3 Easy
4 Average
5 Hard
6 Very Hard
For example, if you are trying to gallop your horse through a winding road, this is a test of Average difficulty, so you must perform a test of soldiering of difficulty 4. You will need to get 4 successes to pass this test.
Fighting
When you fight an opponent in hand-to-hand combat, you both make an attack roll which is the sum of your stats in Soldiering + Melee. Then you each make a defense roll which is the sum of your attribute in soldiering -1, each success of a defense roll removes one success of an attack roll. Finally, if you have armor, you roll a number of dice equal to its protection points, each success of an armor die removes one success from an attack roll. Each remaining attack success inflicts a wound. Most enemies you encounter will only have one wound point, and if you're good and lucky enough you may be able to kill several enemies in one round. But some elite enemies or characters will have advantages of hit points, so you will have as many hit points as you have points in soldiering.
Ranged fights are different in that you can only hit one opponent per round, however in most cases they prevent you from making an armor roll. To hit an opponent you must make a shot roll whose difficulty is based on the distance and cover of the enemy.
Stress
Your hero gains stress by accomplishing missions, participating in battles, training, or by attending mentally demanding things. At 10, the character suffers a breakdown, his stress drops to 0 but he suffers a penalty on all his rolls until he has recovered from the stress.
To lose stress he must engage in a vice when he is resting. Seducing and sleeping with girls, drinking alcohol excessively, getting into fights, dueling, contemplating books, spending time with friends and loved ones.
Renown
Renown represents how you are perceived, how famous you are and the level of respect your peers have for you. Low fame indicates that you are either unknown, despised, or out of favor at court. High fame indicates that you are known and looked upon with respect or envy. It is possible to spend fame to gain advantages.
Renown is gained by acting in ways that are perceived as noble, by performing feats of strength, etc.
Wealth
Wealth simply represents an agglomeration of the coins, cattle, land, and all your possessions that have value.
Your relationships with other characters are represented by 3 levels. Acquaintance, companion, confidant.
Acquaintances are people with whom you get along more or less without being really close, companions are trusted companions for whom you are ready to fight, confidants are individuals with whom you are extremely close. More than just friends and brothers in arms, lovers (you're a noble do you realy think that people will publicly criticize you for being polyamorous?), family members, or close mentors.
These relationships progress not only by successfully friending/attracting individuals but also by spending time with them and often having more or less happy affairs. Breaking the trust of a companion earns 2 stress points, losing the trust of a confidant earns 3 stress points and it takes effort to regain it. On the other hand, spending intimate moments with a confidant makes you lose two without having to plunge into a vice.
Companions and confidants are easier to convince to adopt your views or to join you. But they maintain their own ideals and personalities, so they won't always agree to do something contrary to their principles. Also, maintaining your relationship with them will ask efforts from your part.
As you move up in society, it is inevitable that you will not only make friends. As for positive relationships, they are represented by 3 levels. Rivals, adversaries, and enemies.
Rivals do not view you favorably and will probably oppose you but may have a grudging respect for you, it is possible to have a cordial relationship with them if not friendly and even work with them if your interests converge. Opponents are a step above, they really don't like you and will refuse to help you in most cases. Enemies are your fiercest opponents, they will almost always refuse to help you and will actively try to bring you down. This can take the form of political campaigns, street fights,duels and assassination attempts.
It is possible to lower the hostility of some people by appeasement, compromise, or even a public apology. But all this will probably cost you renowm.
Life in this new world has been hard and dangerous, but despite the undead, the demons, the monsters, the political infighting, and the machinations of the dark gods we have survived, and even better than that, we have thrived. Thanks to our will, steel, and steam, today we are one of the nations that have risen from the apocalypse to take back our destiny. Our kingdom is fortunate to be one of the survivors and since then our people have been renowned and respected (and sometimes feared or hated) by other nations for our undoubted qualities. But what are the advantages that distinguish us from other peoples?
( 8 creations points + 1 point for each cataclysme selected = 12 creations points)
[] Not a country with an army but an army with a country:
The Dark Ages were a terrible time, it pushed us to become a more militaristic society than we were before. Our cities and countryside are organized so that we can quickly supplement with soldiers if we need them, and our training camps are known for providing disciplined soldiers skilled in both ranged and melee combat. All of our nobility also receive extensive education in the use of weapons and the art of war in dedicated academies so that they are prepared to defend our kingdom and lead our armies into battle. (4 points)
All soldiers and militia are recruited and trained by your nation have higher stats in Discipline, melee, defense, and firepower. All noble characters or characters with a military background from your faction have a bonus in soldiering and strategy. This includes you.
[] Steam-powered war machines (requires you to have chosen to take steam engines): During this century we have made great efforts to use machine technology to its fullest potential, naturally, we have looked for a way to find military applications for this invention. The first steam tanks are slow and expensive machines, but their resistance and the fear they arouse in our enemies are worth the investment. (3 Points)
Steam tanks are available for recruitment into your nation's armies. Although they are expensive to recruit and maintain.
[] Mastery of Magic: Magic is a complex and dangerous but powerful art, during the cataclysm we made great use of it to ensure the survival of our people, so much so that it has become an inseparable part of our culture. Today, being a noble has become synonymous with being a mage (although not all mages are nobles, all nobles are at least some mage) and those of us who specialize in the study of magic are renowned for our talent in this area. (3 Points)
Any mage unit trained and recruited into your faction has a bonus to its Magic attribute. All noble characters or those with a mage background have a bonus in Mind and Magic. Including you.
[] City of word Bearers: To survive for so long our people have not only had to show courage and bravery but also diplomacy. With the emergence of new powers, both survivors of the cataclysm, we have had to engage in diplomacy to ensure the friendship, or at least the neutrality, of these new nations, as well as to ensure the cooperation and control of our own people. Today we have a reputation as a charismatic and diplomatic people, whose tongues are as sharp and useful in settling disputes as swords. (3 points)
All characters with noble or merchant background receive a bonus in Presence and Negotiation
[] Mastodons of War: Your new homeland has exotic animals that were not found on your home continent. Like the mighty mammoths of the northern lands. With much effort, unfortunate accidents, and failures, you have managed to integrate these pachyderms into your army in an efficient manner. (3 points)
War mammoths are available for recruitment for your faction, large war beasts loaded with men in arms or a cannon.
[] Royal navy: One might think that having a competent navy wasn't that important during the chaos that followed the cataclysm, but that couldn't be further from the truth, with pirates, privateers, and slavers threatening your shores. With the return of developed trade between nations and the conflicts that ensue, the importance of a competent navy has never been greater. Your people have understood this and are renowned for the skill of their sailors and the efficiency of their fleet. (2 points. 1 point if Constitutional Monarchy has been selected)
Your people's ships and sailors are better than average, giving you more chances to gain naval superiority over other nations and secure your trade or deployment of troops overseas.
[] Exotics mounts
Our new land was wild and the creatures that inhabited it were fierce, but we did not give up and we were able to tame our environment to make our people prosper. Including the powerful raksh'ar, scaly carnivorous creatures that are difficult to tame but terribly effective. (2 points)
The elite cavalry of your faction rides the raksh'ar (think of the cold bloods of Warhammer), beasts that are expensive to maintain but very efficient in melee once tamed. It will be possible for you to acquire one or to have your men ridden by this creature if you get the responsibility to form your own regiment.
[] Large populations
Our kingdom is more populated than the average country, not only have we encouraged our people to produce more children to colonize our new lands and provide manpower, but throughout our history, we have also made a habit of welcoming refugees and immigrants from other peoples. As long as they obey our laws and adopt our customs. (2 points. 1 point if "More survivors" has been taken precedently)
Your kingdom is unusually populated, it is cheaper to recruit and replenish men for the army, the population centers are also higher. Including those, you can own.
[] City of gods
Having a god to watch over you is always useful, having several is even better. Provided that you satisfy them. Your people worship more gods than most and are known to be particularly pious. This comes with spiritual as well as earthly benefits, as those blessed by higher powers manifest above normal and esoteric abilities. (2 points. I point if the "Theocracy" government has been selected).
You can choose two additional gods and receive their blessings if you manage to gain their favor.
[] A prosperous people
Our people have always been naturally industrious and business savvy and the redevelopment of trade and economy between different countries has created new opportunities that your people have been eager to seize. You also learned long ago that a healthy and prosperous economy is the first step to a nation's greatness. Your people are now renowned for their merchants in every port, their business ingenuity, and their greed. (2 points. 1 point if the Republic government was selected).
Trade deals and industrial production yield more wealth. Pay is also higher for the soldiers because of your economy. This includes you.
Crisis
(+1 creation point each)
However, your kingdom is not perfect, far from it. And you can see it yourself because it is currently gangrenous by several problems which threaten its effectiveness and its stability.
[] Civil war conclusion: Your country has just emerged from a civil war, which has left deep resentments and grudges between the different surviving parties. Even though the war is almost over, tensions and grudges are still present. Not to mention the fact that the war caused resentments and tensions between noble families which obviously led to fierce private vendettas.
It is easier to make enemies in such a tense political context.
[] Assassins' Guild: A guild of assassins is established in your nation, not the small-time killers who clumsily kill a person in a dirty alley, but real professionals whose fame and organization has allowed them to have connections in all the major cities of the kingdom. The kind that will kill any man for an honest wage quickly and cleanly, without unnecessary suffering, unless you are paid to inflict it. And for a small bonus, these hard workers dedicated to their profession will even go searching for you at home.
Professional killers who will come and try to kill you if you piss someone off enough to make them hire them.
[] Empty treasury: Whether it's because of mismanagement, a conflict that's gone on too long, rising bribe rates, or simply bastards who have dipped into the state treasury more than usual, the result is the same. The coffers are empty, and this is not a picture. You can see the bottom. How does this concern you? It just so happens that the salaries of the army officers are paid mainly by the state and that the latter has to save money, so you will have to tighten your belts for a while until the economic situation of the kingdom improves.
You will earn less money than you should for a while, with all the problems that this will cause until this problem is solved.
[] Lack of soldiers: Whether it's because of a recent conflict, financial problems, or anarchic reorganization, the army is short of soldiers. This situation is temporary, but in the meantime, it is a real problem for the army and its ability to respond to threats until this problem is resolved.
Recruiting soldiers and reinforcing units that have suffered losses is more expensive as long as this crisis persists.
Gods and Goddesses
The gods are powerful entities and difficult to understand, mortals sometimes have difficulty interpreting their signs and their wills, and the gods themselves seem to have difficulty understanding human limitations. Nevertheless, the gods protect mortals and also grant them a fraction of their essence in exchange for their veneration and dedication. Those who are blessed by the gods and become their champions Each people has at least 3 tutelary gods who protect their people. Which ones are ours?
(Choose 3. 5 If the advantage city of gods has been selected.)
[] Areia the fair lioness
Araeia is the goddess of war, love, and the art of singing. She is traditionally represented as a tall, beautiful woman covered in war paint, each of her 4 arms holding a different weapon. She is most often depicted with a confident and enticing smile and in a martial yet graceful stance. Araeia represents the passion of war in all its good and bad aspects, she is a formidable warrior, a skilled tactician, and a charismatic leader. Love is also her battlefield and she is known for her numerous conquests. She is the master of the 3 types of love that can exist among mortals, the love between lovers, the love we feel between friends, and the love for our family. She is also the goddess of the art of dance, whether martial or not. She also tends to be particularly popular among warrior communities, or those who want to maintain strong bonds between their members, and dancing artists also see her as their main patroness. She is considered both fierce and loving, passionate and wise, faithful and deceitful.
Areia's champions move with grace and are endowed with charisma and an unusual talent for weapons. They also have the reputation of being excellent generals capable of leading their armies to victory in the worst of circumstances.
[] Funtar, the great judge*
Funtar is the god of administration, justice, and order. Responsible for ensuring the stability and order of the world so that it does not become an incoherent and shapeless mass, Funtar is also considered the god of stress, as he is constantly overworked and under pressure. Funtar is also one of the gods with the most surprising appearance, because once of humanoid appearance, he was cursed and transformed into a platypus for having offended Anator, the king of the gods. He is depicted as a simple platypus sitting at a desk and approving or rejecting files with a pen, his inadequate platypus body only making his task more difficult. Funtar tends to be especially prayed for by busy administrators and stewards, as well as judges who aspire to find the fairest judgments and those who are particularly stressed by their responsibilities. Funtar doesn't raely care about mortals, but when he does he always acts justly.
Those touched by Funtar's grace are endowed with superior administrative skills, as well as a great talent for judging individuals. They are also more resistant to stress and able to devote themselves to their duties for long periods of time without collapsing.
[] Qoetzacal the flying scholar
Qoetzacal the great winged serpent is the god of wind, knowledge, and magic. He is a curious and inventive god, always looking for new knowledge to discover and understand. He is also a powerful magician, capable of great feats in the magical arts. He is a god who encourages his followers to pursue knowledge and magic, even though it may be harmful to their health. He also has dominion over the element of wind, which he uses to float at will. He is prayed to by mages, intellectuals, and scientists alike.
Qoetzacal's most loyal followers often display an above-average quickness of mind and talent for magic. Spells that have a link with the wind are also more efficient.
[]Zagrean the crying berserker
Zagrean is an ambivalent god, both lord of death and rebirth, of wine and joy as well as madness and berserkers. He guides the souls of the dead to the land of the young where they can be reborn to enjoy the joys of eternity, or a period of suffering in the Tartar before being purified. He is endowed with the gift of perceiving the future, a gift that is also a curse because he has in return been struck with moments of madness that cast doubt on the veracity of his gift. Because of his dimension of god of reincarnation he is also the god of the fertility of plants and crops, because any plant that dies is ultimately reborn. He is also known to be able to cure certain mental afflictions that afflict humanity. He is often depicted as a smiling young man, a mace in one hand, a glass of wine in the other, a friendly smile on his lips but a crazy, haunted look in his eyes.
The Zagrean devotees are known to be able to improve agricultural yields by blessing crops, reducing the risk of crop failure due to weather problems. They are also capable of suppressing the madness of some people by passing it on to themselves for a time, they are also capable of entering into warlike trances of madness akin to berserkers where they become stronger and insensitive to fear and pain.
[] Heiniki the charming spider
Heiniki is the god of hunters, craftsmen, and trade. This god is represented with a spider's body but a black man's torso and face, a friendly and warm smile but his 8 eyes sparkling with slyness. He is an intelligent and cunning god who waits patiently for his enemies to advance by themselves in the web he has prepared for them before delivering the coup de grace, the opponents he cannot trap so he often manages to manipulate them to his advantage. He is also the master of all crafts, whether it is forging a weapon or cutting a crystal, he is able to make marvels with his web and the remains of the prey he has killed, which he exchanges to the gods for favors and other objects that are useful to him. Thus, Heiniki is often worshipped by merchants, craftsmen, hunters, and, although not often admitted, thieves and assassins.
Champions of Heiniki prove to be excellent hunters, capable of stalking their prey even in the worst conditions, or talented craftsmen capable of working wonders in their fields. They are also often charming individuals who are able to negotiate the best prices or to get into the good graces of their interlocutor.
[] Vasanias, the healing dragon
Vasanias is the goddess of storms, power, ocean mysteries and medicine. Vasanias is a goddess known for her calm and mostly benevolent nature. She is the one who taught mortals the arts of medicine, how to navigate her domain and how to extract its riches through fishing. However, she is also a fierce and miserly goddess, who punishes mortals with violence when she considers that they have robbed her by taking too much of the wealth of her domain or that they have not honored her enough before borrowing her domain. His fury is terrible and causes storms that can sink the mightiest ships as well as the proudest coastal cities. Therefore Vasanias receives generous offerings from merchants, fishermen and admirals who travel her waters. She is usually depicted as a large sea dragon with a colorful crest.
The devotees of Vasanias are reputed to be outstanding healers, able to heal almost any injury. When provoked, they can unleash storms of lightning to bring down their enemies. They also have an unparalleled gift for navigation.
*Funtar is inspire by the god Phumtar, created by Bob Lellon a french youtubeur and author in his bood "La forteresse du chaudron noir". I just found the idea of a platypus as god so hilarious that I couldn't not include him. Of course I modified his attributions a little.
The battle rules are both similar to and slightly different from the individual combat rules.
Here is the common sheet for all units
Units stats
:
Force : Represent how numerous a unit is.
Firepower : Represent the ability of a unit with their ranged weapons.
Melee : Represent the ability of a unit to fight in melee.
Magic (for special units only) : The ability of this unit to use sorcery in an offensive or defensive way.
Discipline : Represent the morale of a unit and its ability to follow orders.
Armor : The amount of protection the unit has and its chances to avoid a loss.
Traits : Bonuses that give your units some advantages.
Loyalty : How loyal your unit is to you personally.
When two units clash they must first make firepowers rolls if they have ranged weapons, each success inflicts losses on the enemy. To do this they must pass a test whose difficulty depends on the time, terrain and distance.
For example, A musketeer unit shoots at their enemies with their firepower of 5. As their opponent is at normal distance and on flat ground, the difficulty is average, so 4.
The musketeer unit rolls 4, 3, 2, 5, and 10
In this example, they roll 5 dice because their firepower is 5 and inflict 4 points of losses to the enemy because 4, 5, and 10 are above 4, the difficulty level of this action. N 10 is a critical success worth 2 successes.
Melee combat is brutal and often expeditious, there is no particular difficulty imposed, any result of 5 is a success and inflicts a loss on the enemy unit unless the latter manages to make defense and armor tests. The defense roll corresponds to the -1 melee attribute.
The unit that has suffered the most losses must pass a discipline roll to avoid fleeing, the greater the losses, the more difficult the test.
Equipment, weather, terrain, and other factors may influence the rolls.
And you in all of that ?
As a single individual, you can't destroy an entire enemy unit on your own, but your exploits can make the enemy flinch and restore morale to your unit. And if you manage to kill an enemy commander then you gain even more glory.
If a long-distance firefight breaks out, you choose your target first, and if you manage to shoot it down, you gain renown. Not much if it's an ordinary soldier, more if it's a senior officer.
In melee, the number of opponents you have to face in one round depends on the number of your troops and the enemies. If you are outnumbered you will have to face more opponents at the same time. If your forces are of equal strength then you will only face one opponent and if you are outnumbered then you will have an ally to help you.
Each time you kill more than one enemy per round or an officer you make your enemy's discipline test more difficult. The engagement lasts until one side has fled.
Damn, I finaly had time to update this quest. It took far too long. Noneless vote close ! The kingdom's name is Arcadia and the capitale Rosney !
Character creation
The proud kingdom of Arcadia, with its capital city of Rosney, glowing with wealth and prosperity. Dozens of ships of all races and peoples came and went every day to trade their wares on its noisy docks. Its streets filled with gardens whose colorful flowers delighted the smell of travelers and mingled with stands filled with goods from all over the known world, hundreds of merchants shouted in dozens of different languages to attract the attention of powerful nobles, soldiers on leave, prosperous merchants, and proud knights over their wares. To a naive outsider or an undiscerning eye Rosney might seem like an almost idyllic city, a beautiful flower with soft colored petals and an enchanting scent, just waiting to be plucked and enjoyed to its fullest. But these appearances were deceptive, because under its apparent beauty the flower hid cruel thorns, because in reality the capital of Arcadia has no mercy for the unwise, the naive and the unlucky. This is what your family has witnessed, because despite their noble status, your parents have experienced poverty, misery and broken dreams.
Who was your father?
[] The last survivor of the Order of Chivalry of the Amber Blades, disbanded after the battle of the Blood Forest, where the Order sacrificed itself to stop the advance of an army of demons, giving the infantry time to catch them at bay.
As a minor nobleman, your father had neither an estate from which he could draw income nor the capital to engage in trade, and his pride prevented him from becoming the vassal of another. So when his order was disbanded after receiving too many losses to reform, he found himself without a home and without money. With no income to support his family your father was unable to buy an officer's commission in the army and was forced to sell his armor, then his raksh'ar, and even his horse. But even pushed to the point of indignity, your father never sold his rapier and became a master of arms and a duelist, teaching those who paid him the secrets of fencing or fighting in honor cases for those who no longer had the strength or courage to do so themselves. Although you were not rich enough to have the necessary tutors to give you a full noble education, your father undertook to teach you what he knew of fencing and warfare. Unfortunately, even the best are not invincible, as you learned the day a messenger came to tell you that he had died in a duel against one of the most formidable duelists in town, in a duel to defend the honor of a gentleman too old to carry a sword himself.
+1d in melee, accuracy, defense and strategy.
[] An influential parliamentarian renowned for his speeches and management skills. Until his disgrace after a failed plot.
Serving your country in the parliament is a great honor, as well as a great opportunity for personal gain. But it also comes with risks, as your father learned the hard way when he got involved in a plot too big for him. His political enemies exposed him and his career was over. He never revealed to you what he was involved in, but you know that it was serious enough to cause him to lose his position and his lands. Despite his removal from office, your father was resourceful and used his last connections to secure a position as steward to a noble house and earn enough for you to live on. He also took care to teach you what he knew about the art of politics, how to charm and convince his interlocutors, the arcana of negotiation and stewardship. However, even though he never spoke about it, he always had opponents who never forgave him for his plot, so you never believed the official report of his death, which stated that he had been killed by bandits in an alley who had wanted to rob him.
+1 stewardship, politics, charm and negotiation
Who was your mother?
[} A curious and powerful magician whose intelligence and wisdom could not prevent her disgrace.
Magic is a powerful weapon, but one that generates distrust among the population, and mages who do not have the protection of a patron or who have been expelled from the Arcana Collegium usually find themselves in a difficult situation. This was the case for your mother, you don't know what she did to justify this banishment but she never liked to talk about it. As a mage exiled from the academy she was not allowed to be recruited by a noble house or to use her magic to earn money. Instead, she used her great erudition to give the best education she could, and even went so far as to teach you basic magic, even though this was normally forbidden.
+1 Mind, +1 Magic
You begin with a level 1 magic domain
[] The heiress of an old and proud family, but one without wealth.
Your mother is descended from an old family of native nobility, whose antiquity dates back long before your ancestors first set foot on your new continent. Unfortunately, times were hard for her family and she lost most of her land and fortune. But from her family's downfall she drew strength and authority, she taught you how a nobleman was supposed to behave, as well as how he should command servants and how to manage an estate. So that even in poverty you would not bring shame to your name and your ancestors.
+1 Presence, +1 command, +1 stewardship
The great plague of 1603 wreaked havoc on the population of Rosney and your family was not spared, as the disease took your mother and the last of your family's support. With no family and no prospects, you vowed to rise above your poverty and make a name for yourself. For that, there was no better option than the army. But the entrance fees for the military academy were prohibitive, not to mention the price of getting an officer's commission. Fortunately, you were noticed by a person of influence who appreciated your potential and offered to become your boss, a protector who would watch over your career, both military and political... as long as you remained loyal to him. Who is this patron who paid for your education and commission of sergeant ?
[] Duke Wilfhreim d'Aubery
One of the most powerful nobles in the kingdom, an influential parliamentarian and member of the Constitutionalist party, renowned for his speeches, military victories and wealth. There are also rumors of his ambition and suspicions that he is involved in several corrupt affairs, but nothing has ever been proven. When you entered his service Duke Wilfhreim promised that as long as he was rising you would rise with him, if you proved your usefulness and loyalty he would facilitate both your military and political career, as well as access to land.
[] Jocelyn Vaunstric.
A powerful mage whose influence has grown within the Arcana Collegium and in politics. Although he is rumored to be the next Grand Master of the Arcana Collegium, he is suspected of having greater ambitions than simply being the head of the kingdom's magic academy, and rumors are swirling that he intends to become the first mage member of parliament in the kingdom's history. They assure you that until his ambitions are realized, he will support you in your careers, perhaps even taking you on as an unofficial student.
[] Cardinal Benebetto Albanese.
An influential churchman, renowned for his calm, piety and determination. As well as his implacable and Machiavellian character. Benebetto is one of the few churchmen to have been touched by the three tutelary gods of Arcadia which gave him great prestige in both religious and secular circles. A devoted statesman who has the ear of the king, he is viewed with suspicion by those who consider that he has too much power within the state. When he took you under his wing, he promised you a political future as long as you distinguished yourself on the battlefield. Perhaps he will even help you walk the path of champion of the gods if you feel pious enough to do so.
Traits (4 points):
[] Magic sensibility (1 point): You have a gift for perceiving and using magical energies, making it easier for you to harness these powerful energies to your will to unleash them against your enemies.
+1d to your spellcasting checks.
[] Fine Blade (2 points): Whether with a rapier, spear, or bayoneted musket in your hands, you have a knack for instinctively knowing where your opponent will strike you and where to attack them to turn a fight to your advantage.
+1d to your melee attack and defense checks
[] Sharpshooter (1 point): When you have an enemy in the sights of your musket the world seems to freeze and your vision becomes sharper, more alert. You may not hit your target with every shot, but many envy the accuracy of your shots nonetheless.
+1d to your accuracy tests
[] Solid as a rock (2 points): You are a strong, sturdy man, able to take wounds that would knock down men of weaker build than you. When others go down, you grit your teeth and roar before throwing yourself back into battle.
+1 maximum wound point
[] Thirst for knowledge (1 point): You are curious by nature, you love to learn and discover new things, for some studying is a chore. For you it is a pleasure.
You can select an extra action to try to learn a trait or improve a skill without it giving you a point of stress.
The kingdom of Arcadia is a relativelay young constitutional monarchy etablished there is roughly 80 years. Even if the king is the head of the state, but he must divide his power with the parliement that can veto his decisions or propose its own politics.
The three mains political parties are basically divided into 3 differents groups:
The Absolutists : They are for a return to a strict feudal order with the king (and nobility) having all the political powers. Especially present among the members of the old and powerful aristocracy who hope to gain powers in this regime, in their arguments they use a lot of references to an idealized past where knights where strong and nobles and the ruling nobility just and generous.
The Constitutionalists: They are in favor of maintaining the current system that they see as the best balance that can be had between the distribution of powers between the nobility, the king and the people. They are actualy the most numerous party of the three, which is fairly evenly distributed between the small and large nobility, as well as the commoners in the parliament.
The Republicans : Whowant to abolish the monarchy by setting up a republic. They are mainly present among the commoners in the parliament but also find interest in the eyes of some minor nobles who think that there is more to gain with this regime than with the actual.
On the external political level there are two main political groups: Expansionists and mercantilists. The first are for continuing to expand the territories of the kingdom, whether by taking back land from monsters or from other kingdoms that surround your people. They have been the majority party in parliament for a long time.
Then there are the mercantilists who are against expanding the kingdom's borders and war adventures unless there is clear benefits in money and resources. They are more likely to favor a peaceful policy and focus on the economy, especially trade.
Of course all parties have their share of moderates, extremists and opportunists.
Although these parties often argue in parliament and sometimes even settle their accounts in the streets, the division prevents one side from becoming powerful enough to launch a revolt without the other two sides joining forces to counter it.
The kingdom of Arcadia is a militaristic nation that places great importance on its military, both land and sea. Over the years, the kingdom's military machine has become more and more professionalized and Arcadia has become the most black powder weapon using nation in all of Eostilion. Here is a brief summary of its organization and tactics
Infantry
The Arcadia infantry regiments consisted of roughly 1,200 men, divided into two battalions of 600 men each. The battalion are the smallest tactical unit of the Arcadians army and consist of four companies of 150 men each, usually forme into six ranks. The particularity of these regiments is that every third man is equipped with a pike of about 5 meters while the other two are equipped with muskets with long bayonets, all of them are dressed in a light gambison and a greetcoat and also have a basket hilt sword as sidearm. This configuration may seem strange until you know how the Arcadians fight, used to fighting numerous and often enemies specialized in close combat, they concluded that the best way to defeat them was to be very aggressive in battle. Thus, in the six ranks of a company, each rank of musketeer would advance by firing alternately at the enemy, then all the men would charge the enemy weakened by the fire to break his will to fight. Using their long bayonets and pikes to gain the advantage in close combat.
The most veteran regiments are also reinforced by companies of grenadiers. They are the elite of Arcadia's infantry, and are equipped in the same way as the musketeers, except that they wear a cuirass and a helmet. Their tactics are quite similar to those of their line comrades, but they accompany the charge by throwing grenades to weaken the enemy before hand-to-hand combat. Because of their rarity and the cost of maintaining these elite warriors, only a few people can afford to equip full regiments of grenadiers at their own expense, except for the king.
Cavalry
The cuirassiers are the descendants of the knights of the old monarchy which were exclusively composed of nobles who had to pay for their equipment themselves. Today, cuirassiers are professional soldiers trained in military academies and whose pistols, carbines and horses are provided by the state but who must pay for their own armors, swords ans raksh'ar. Therefore, only those belonging to the rich nobility, prosperous merchants and large landowners who have the wealth to pay for such equipment can apply. This helps to give this heavy cavalry a powerful esprit de corps, as well as a pride that other regiments often find unbearable. Generaly organize into regiments of 800 men, their bulletproof armor and shields protect them from enemy fire and blades as they unload their pistols into the enemy ranks before drawing their swords to slash those who have not fallen to the bullets and fangs of their raksh'ar. Due to the high cost of their equipment and the commissions of officers in these squadrons, cuirassier regiments are few and almost non-existent outside the royal army.
The dragoons are Arcadia's iconic cavalry regiment, renowned for their versatility, courage, and efficiency, the dragoons of Arcadia are a strange military unit that fill the gap between the infantry and the cavalry. Equipped with spears, muskets, rapiers, shields, and a pair of pistols , these fearsome warriors are just as capable of charging down from their raksh'ar to hold a position until reinforcements come to take over, as they are of harassing or charging them with their spears. Although their gambisons present the risk that they are not able to hold a prolonged fight against better protected opponents. Unlike the cuirassiers, most of their equipment is paid for by the state, except for their rapiers, and the only requirement for joining the regiment is to be under 25 years of age and to already be a capable rider.
Arcadia also has regiments of gendarmes, these men simply equipped with sabers, musketoons, small horses and a greetcoat, they have the task of patrolling the roads of the kingdom to ensure its security. Paid in part by the cities of the kingdom and in part by the state, more police force than soldier, they are use in campaigns as scouts and occasionally to harass enemy forces or. On the battlefield they are sometimes used to support the charge of cuirassiers or dragoons but if the charge fails their lack of protection and low morale almost always guarantees that they will receive heavy losses if the fight against more professional or protected opponents is prolonged. So most of the time they are use to chase routing ennemies forces. Because of their low cost, they are the most frequent houseguards cavalry regiment.
Artillery
Arcadia's artillery pieces and their foundries are all under royal ownership, the simple fact of possessing one or having one made without authorization is punishable by death. Most of the artillery pieces in the kingdom are light pieces, made more for battles than for sieges. Since heavier guns are not only more expensive to produce but also less mobile, siege guns are only brought in when a general plans to attack a city and are often carried with supplies to slow down the marching troops as little as possible.
Steam tanks are a relatively new weapon in the Arcadia arsenal, early versions were made of metal but despite their strength they were just too slow and prone to technical problems to be realistically deployed in campaigns. These versions are kept in Rosney as study models for apprentice engineers and as last lines of defense in case the city is attacked. The new versions have a body made of large parts of wood, strong enough to withstand bows and crossbows, while allowing for greater mobility on the battlefield. Despite this, steam tanks are still too slow and with machinery that are too fragile for long military marches. Also most of them are mounted only the day before the battle. Their difficulty to produce this machines and their price mean that if a general decides to include them in his army he will rarely have more than two or three.
Mages
The arcana collegium is required by royal contract to provide companies of mages to the royal army when it goes on campaign, both to offer their magical expertise to their generals and to cast spells on the battlefield. In reality, few generals actually bring entire companies into the field, not only because most uninitiated people are wary of magic and its unforeseen effects, but also because mages often lack proper military training, which makes it difficult to adapt to a military campaign. They also need protection in battle because their small numbers make them vulnerable to hand-to-hand attacks by enemies and they take quick losses in the event of a firefight. The fact that arcana collegiums can rarely send more than a few hundred mages to accompany marching armies and that mages need to be relatively close to their targets to act makes their use on the battlefield even more difficult and the reality is that the Acardian army has not yet developed tactics to use mages effectively on the battlefield. Nevertheless, several times a company of mages using their powers wisely have turned a battle in favor of the Arcadians, justifying their usefulness in the eyes of Arcadian generals.
Militiamen, mercenaries and irregulars.
Arcadia prides itself on its military tradition and professional army, but there are times when this is not enough to conduct a campaign. Militiamen are semi-professional forces that train at least twice a week in musketry to protect their community and that every lord and city has, if only to maintain order in their domains and discourage an attack by monsters or bandits. But in cases where a military campaign is going badly, a general may decide to complete his army by conscripting all the militiamen he deems necessary. Unfortunately, even though these men are better trained than most Eostilion militiamen, they are rarely a match for professional soldiers unless they are holding a fortified position until reinforcements arrive.
Therefore, despite the pride of Arcadian generals, it is not uncommon for the most pragmatic of them to hire mercenaries to compensate for the losses of a campaign or to compensate for a weakness in their army... or to use them as cannon fodder to preserve their troops. When Arcadia fights with allies or on friendly ground, it is also not uncommon for its generals to recruit local troops to serve as guides, scouts or support troops.
Commisssions and houseguards
One of the first exigence of the nobility after the declaration of the constitual monarchy was the right of the nobility and rich landlords to preserve and raise their own private armies, after a lot of political fights the kingd d'Arcadia were able to impose some restrictions on this private armies. For this they created the Houseguard Commission system, which allowed the lords to maintain their own militias and to be called to arms when war comes, but they had to be annualy inspected by royal inspectors to assure that their equipments and training meet the regulations and standards of the royal army in the case were they are call to war. When this private regiments are consider "ready for war" the Crown in turn for receiving the service of these men from the Houseguard commission system, would grant a subsidy to the lords who will be maintaining these regiments with their own finances, and more prestige and political powers. Also some of this regiments are better equip and pay than regular soldiers and some have gain great renowm and prestige.
However, due to the fact that it is extremely expensive and difficult to both raise, train and maintain houseguards the quality of the men and equipment of the regiment which are formed vary considerably and the lords that don't meet the standards of the inspectors aren't compensate for their losses. In truce less than a fith of the nobility of Arcadia has its own professionnal regiments.
The Houseguard regiments will only be called to arms by the Crown in times of war and conflict; while in times of peace, these regiments are officially non-existent, instead of being seen as part of the army, they will be considered men who served as local militias and private security forces.
To ensure that the Royal Army's officer corps is populated by men of wealth and appropriate class, the Royal Army usually requires an officer to purchase a promotion once they have the appropriate seniority. Also all the commissions aren't equals, the regiments the most prestigious like the grenadiers or cuirassiers are terribly expensives. the Noneless, it's possible for a man that illustrated himself during his time in the military academy or during his services to be promoting by merits rather than wealth.
This explain why the more numerous houseguards regiments are those of the regular infantry and the gendarmes.
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Meeting with your protector an dmobilisation for your first campaign
You let out a pained groan as you are pulled out of the fog of dreams by the sound of a fist hitting your door, each knock making your brain feel like it is being hit with a hammer. You shouldn't have been drinking so much last night, but your more fortunate comrades had invited you on a round of drinks to celebrate the acquisition of your officers' commissions and your introduction to military life. At first it was only supposed to be one round, but of course after the first few beers were emptied, one of your comrades decided to buy another one "To a glorious future! "and then you went on to raise a toast " To King Marteno IV ! May he live a century! "and another one "To the glory of the kingdom of Arcadia! "and another for "the beautiful girls of Rosney! ". You didn't know how many rounds had gone by, but you knew you'd had more than you should have. You grabbed a pillow and placed it over your head in hopes of muffling the sound of the door being banged on and your headache at the same time. Eventually the moron would get bored and leave you to sleep it off. But after five minutes of drumming it became clear that whoever was banging on your door was not going to stop on their own, so with a heroic effort you pulled yourself out of bed to open the door, ready to tell whoever was banging on your door that you were displeased in the most colorful terms. But when you open it, your anger is replaced by a daze. Before you stands Morgana de Floragne, a third-level mage, professor emeritus of the Arcana Collegium, veteran of the Battle of the Ash Plains, and one of your boss's main supporters at the Collegium. And you greet him shirtless, with red eyes and hair in a mess from the previous day's excesses. Through Funtar's beak, you speak of an embarrassing situation.
"Mister Vaunstrich asks for you. " She announces in a calm voice, her stern face shows no emotion but her disapproving look speaks volumes about what she thinks of you and your condition. "Clean yourself up and get dressed quickly. "And without giving you the opportunity to answer she turns around to go about her own business, probably more important than waking up the client of one of her allies. You were not mistaken, your boss could have sent you a simple valet to wake you up and warn you of your convocation. The fact that Master Jocelyn Vaunstrich had sent you Morgana was a message in itself, that you had to move your ass quickly because he wanted to have an important discussion with you.
You move towards the basin of fresh water that you use for your toilet and plunge your head into it, the cold makes you shiver but you have the impression that it diminishes your headache and puts your mind back to normal. Once your mind is relatively clear you grab a block of soap and undertake a quick wash. Once clean and combed, you dress in sober, old-fashioned but clean pants and doublet, hang the belt of your rapier around your waist and take one last look at your mirror to make sure you look presentable.
[] What does the mirror show you?
Write a physical description or post a picture.
Finally you conclude that although your presentation was not perfect, it was satisfactory and you avoid the most derogatory remarks. You then hurry to leave the small room that was provided to you in the Collegium by your boss, a former janitor's room that was disused until you occupied it after your graduation from military school. Far enough away from the dormitories of the apprentices to avoid attracting too much interest from them or that you are affected by an unfortunate magical experiment or an unfortunate accident.
Finally you arrive at Jocelyn Vaunstrich's office and knock on the door. After a short moment you hear a quiet but authoritative "Come in" and you comply.
Jocelyn Vaunstrich, Deputy Director of the Arcana Collegium, Master of the First Level, Master of the Arcane and the Four Domains of Magic, Master Alchemist, Magic Researcher, and one of the five Masters of the Order who have been granted permission to research and study forms of magic not approved by the Collegium, is writing serenely on a sheet of paper when you enter his office. A clean, austere and neatly tidy place. You bow silently out of respect to the one who has given you the opportunity to rise from your poverty and wait for him to finish his task before speaking. Not only is it rude to engage your boss in conversation, but you know he doesn't appreciate being disturbed while he's writing. When he wants to engage you in conversation, he will. In the meantime you try to keep a stoic and patient expression and examine the second most powerful mage in Arcadia to pass the time.
The first thing that astounds when one sees Jocelyn Vaunstrich for the fist time is his skin color. The ebony black of the men living in the kingdom of Ifriqya, but extremely rare in Arcadia, except for the merchants who come to trade. There were many rumors about your boss and the reasons why his family moved to Arcadia. Some said that his father was a fallen prince who had to flee his homeland on pain of death, others that they were a family of very powerful black mages who had come to Arcadia to avoid persecution and try to rebuild their lives, or even that his mother was one of the kingdom who had fled to Arcadia pregnant by the prince of Ifriqya after being discovered. Jocelyn Vaunstrich had never stated or refuted any of the rumors, which added to the aura of mystery that hung over him.
Apart from that, the magician was not physically impressive, about fifty years old, bald, rather short, with bags under his eyes due to too many sleepless nights, and not particularly attractive physically. And yet, Jocelyn Vaunstrich was undoubtedly one of the most charismatic men you've ever met in your life, thanks to his serene yet confident demeanor, his calm and soft yet authoritative voice, but more than anything it was his eyes that captivated. Light brown eyes, full of determination and confidence that seemed to pierce you to your very soul to expose it.
And of course if anyone was foolish enough to underestimate him, they would soon discover that Jocelyn Vaunstrich didn't carry the title of "Arcadia's Second Mightiest Wizard" for nothing.
Finally the sound of the quill scratching on the paper ceased, he blew on the still fresh ink to dry it and handed the paper to his secretary, a tall, lean, brown-haired man who seemed almost invisible compared to the presence of the master wizard.
"Take this research report to Director Mathilde and tell her I should be able to give her a more complete report in a week when I finish the preliminary tests. "
The secretary bowed before leaving, only then did the sub-director turn to you with a small, sly smile.
"Someone seems to have partied too hard. "
You hesitate briefly but know that there is no point in lying to the master. He is undoubtedly aware of your excesses of the day before and to deny the obvious would not attract his sympathy, so you decide to play the card of contrite frankness.
"Yes sir, I am ashamed of my condition but be assured that this does not diminish my gratitude, my loyalty or my devotion to your cause. I am ready to demonstrate it to you at the first opportunity. "Adding a little sycophancy couldn't hurt.
"You see me reassured of that. " He waves his hand carelessly, an almost benevolent smile on his face. "Honestly, I'd be worried if you didn't celebrate your success... But don't forget that pleasures must be savored in a measured way, otherwise one jumps into decadence and wears out one's body, mind and soul. And one also risks missing great opportunities. "His tone had the benevolence of a teacher gently indulging a student who has made a harmless blunder, but his gaze is serious and uncompromising.
"Speaking of which, you don't mean it when you say you're ready to show your appreciation on the hour. Here's a mobilization order, you're to report to Marshal Delacroix's barracks to join Lieutenant Joachim Metaldes' squadron. "
This answer stuns you, you did not expect to receive a mobilization order so soon, normally young officers had to wait at least a month before receiving a mobilization order. Noticing your expression Jocelyn Vaunstrich adds still smiling.
"My... sources tell me that a campaign will be launched in two weeks to rid the southern part of the kingdom of the Shraggas fort that is established there and that threatens our trade caravans between the south and the north of the kingdom. It should be a fairly short campaign, with relatively few men. I've brought in some support for But this is still an opportunity for you to make your mark. "
After you have thanked him, he hands you your mobilization order for you to sign, to show that you have received the order.
What name do you sign it with?
[] Write-In
"Don't thank me, I'm just respecting my role as your patron. Now it's your turn to do your part. I have also signed a waiver to allow you to use your powers, I know your mother taught you some of the basics in a rather... academic way" He doesn't hide his disapproval in his tone "But I beg you to be wise in the use of magic, it's not only your reputation, it's also mine and that of the entire Collegium Arcanum if you cause an accident. "You don't need a drawing to know that your protector won't show any leniency if that happens.
What domain of magic did you learn to master with your mother?
[] Fire level 1
Throw flaming projectiles, control flames, create light or fire.
[] Wind level 1
Create gusts of wind, slow down the fall or movement of an object,
The power of magic is drawn from two sources, the winds of magic that travel the world, originating from a plane of existence called "The outer world" and the "breath" present in each individual that represents his or her magical potential. This "breath" is more important in some people than others but like a muscle, it can be developed with practice and learning. The practice of magic is a complex art that requires a lot of time and learning to be truly effective.
To avoid having a long list of spells and to allow you to use your imagination, each area of magic has a description of its capabilities and when you decide to use it you must describe how. Remember that the more difficult the task, the more difficult the test that will be asked of you. And the bigger your spell, the more likely it is that a failure will have collateral effects depending on how badly you failed your test.
