The Kingdom of Belles has been overthrown. What started as an attempt to build support for tax increases and centralizing reforms spiraled into calls for limitations on the monarchy, and failed suppressions of moderate demands met that the radicalism of the opposition has only been growing. But a combination of Royal Templars, loyal army units, and household troops seemed likely to crush the militias defending the Council of Estates...
Then came the dragon Invitrix. Saved from the usual fate of young dragons by a few radical peasants, he departed from them years ago, returning to learn of their grisly deaths at the hands of the king's men. Grieving and enraged, the dragon burned through the king's forces, saving the uprising and the dream of his friends.
Now a strange new form of government dominates the most powerful kingdom in the world, and you have just been appointed to lead the Minister of the Economy. Good luck!
The Kingdom of Belles has been overthrown. The King called the Council of Estates to confirm his decrees regarding the raising of extraordinary taxes and the renovation of the regional aristocratic councils., and what he expected to be a simple confirmation of his desires turned into a protracted political struggle, while the weather turned foul, crops failed, and the growing urban masses simmered in discontent. An alliance of aristocrats angered by the destruction of traditional regional privileges, merchants eager to remove many of the kingdom's archaic policies, and reformers seeking to ease the lot of the urban and rural poor turned the Council into an utterly immovable obstacle. Some of its more radical had even walked out, enough to grind the body to a halt.
Meanwhile, in the streets matters of weighty politics were debated and mobs gathered. The greats of Holy Mother Church met with powerful nobles and the king's younger brother. Peasants, furious at the burdens they were carrying, burned debt records and attacked tax collectors. Things were spiraling out of control...
And so the King turned to the knife he had used time and again against unruly nobles and peasant mobs, and sent regiments of his elite templars to cut through the opposition. But they were defeated by the radical street mobs, and what should have been a single decisive strike turned into a protracted struggle that bought time for more traditional forces to rally.
What followed was the night of the Glorious Fifth, when even the most hidebound aristocrat, emboldened by their victory, drunk of survival, and confused by camaraderie, abolished countless pillars of the world, ancient privileges and rights of the aristocracy that had remained untouched for generations, even daring to check the power of the king.
And then came the inevitable reaction. Army units and the king's private troops, mercenary bandas, and the urban policing cohorts. All were sent to attack hotbeds of this assault upon the king's prerogatives. And all faltered. The army units revolted, the mercenary bandas deserted, the policing cohorts and household troops were hacked down. Even so, the blood of the revolutionaries was being spent at increasing rates, nobles were readying their household troops for both sides of the fray, and fresher, more loyal troops were mustering.
Then came the dragon Invitrix. Saved from the usual fate of young dragons by a few radical peasants, he departed from them years ago, returning to learn of their grisly deaths at the hands of the king's men. Grieving and enraged, the dragon burned through the king's forces, saving the uprising and the dream of his friends.
Now a strange new form of government dominates the most powerful kingdom in the world, and you have just been appointed to lead the Minister of the Economy
Newly established and frail, none can say what shall come of this new republic. The Kingdom of Belles boasted a vast empire, a thriving economy, and a powerful army. The reign of its Beautfil Kings seemed absolute and unquestioned, and yet countless flaws lurked below the gilded surface. Bread prices grew while grain prices fell, impoverishing both the urban and rural populations. The army was scattered across a thousand battlefields and bled dry, with many regiments having their ranks filled by seized prisoners, impressed captives, and unwilling conscripts. And for all the apparent solidity of the king's authority over nobility, church, and populace, a chaotic and inefficient administrative structure left the nobility with ample room to deny the king's desires and limited the efficacy of even the most efficient administration. Combined with increasing corruption and growing debt, something needed to be done.
And King Adric XIV's "something" proved to be an utter disaster for his reign. Now he and his family huddle in palace turned prison, a Popular Assembly reigns from his former stronghold, and the world waits to see if this bold experiment shall live or die.
The Amasterdam Confederation
A power in slow decline, their colonies have been seized by Albion or Belles and their proud merchant princes have become increasingly bankrupt. Once a holding of the von Hastubrug family, the urban burghers and merchants revolted over the relentless taxation they endured to fuel their liege's wars during the Bloody Fifty Years. Declaring a free confederation of their various cities, they fought on land and sea for many years, eventually allying with the local aristocracy, crowning one as their grand prince in exchange for noble titles and victory. Afterward, they received ample trade and support from Belles and Albion, eager to use the new nation as a proxy against the von Hastubrugs, allowing them to grow a powerful trading empire. However, as the foreign policy of their two allies shifted and they started clashing, the Amasterdami and their confederates found themselves under pressure from both. Strategic colonies were stolen, fleets seized, sailors impressed, tariffs imposed. Steadily, the fortunes of the confederation have declined, and the princes have been unable to halt it.
The Imperial Realm of Albion
A nation of islands and sailors, they have carved an empire that stretches across the globe, fueled by mighty industry and protected by a vast navy. Perhaps the most powerful empire in the world, and certainly near to that prized title, they have been one of the first to embrace the new ritualism. One of the rare nations to have a dragon ruler, their increasingly absent king conquered the lesser Albish isles, and now the tactics perfected to hold and exploit them have been put to use on nearly every continent. The great and good of this mighty realm sit and watch developments abroad with a mix of alarm and eagerness. Whether this shall be an opportunity to lay their rivals low or a deadly inspiration to their own lower classes remains to be seen.
The Second Elvish Empire
Claiming to be a direct descendant of the first, mythical elvish empire, this realm is a massive and complex confederation of countless semi-independent duchies, princedoms, counties, and more, all with a dizzying array of feudal rights and obligations. Following the Bloody Fifty Years, they have formally legalized necromancy and its attending revisions to the creed of the Holy Mother Church, and vampires make up an increasing portion of their noble class. They are often favored by the peasantry, who prefer to pay their taxes in blood instead of food and enjoy the assistance of undead farmers and wardens, though living around so much death-aspected mana can have unfortunate consequences. Beyond their faith, the ghost-fences, and other common wards, the peasantry of the empire are legendarily superstitious, adding another patchwork of customs beyond those of the nobility that must be navigated by any who wish to do business in these lands.
The Empire is a mighty behemoth, but much of its strength is spent internally. Peasant unrest has grown increasingly common, especially when customary village farms are enclosed to become vast plantations. Perhaps more importantly, the powerful von Hastubrug family has begun infighting, while the other nobility of the Empire are forced to take sides in what promises to be yet another bloody civil war.
The Grand Princedom of Spaltana
The Polonian-Beltic Commonwealth
The Estermani Empire
The Great Kingdoms of the Steppes
The Holy Kingdom of Derusse
All creatures have some magic in them, but dragons have more than any but the mythical elves and their array of stories beasts. Dragons have so much magic, in fact, that only the youngest can bear to remain on earth for more than brief periods of time. These mighty, intelligent, and alien creatures are few. Most live among the stars, while others favor the depths of the sea or travel deep below the earth. Some say that the world itself is a shell of dirt and rock grown around an impossibly ancient dragon, while others claim that this is only true for some of the larger mountain ranges.
Dragon eggs are known to wash ashore or fall from the sky. It is also known that elder dragons care little for their offspring. And perhaps most importantly, every part of a dragon has immensely valuable properties, whether as status symbols or for use in magic. Few newly hatched dragons survive for long if they are found by people, although by the time one is two years old they are more than capable of defending themselves.
Magic suffuses the world, flowing through a powerful and intricate network of leylines and currents. The energy of magic, mana, can take on a variety of forms with an endless variation of properties. Most common is base or low magic, which is most unique for its lack of unique properties. This is the power source for low or hedge spells. They have a variety of useful effects, but are inherently limited in scope and scale. Nevertheless, they are favored for daily use.
High magic uses one of the many types of aspected mana. As each aspect behaves differently, especially when used in combination with each other, it requires careful education to use safely and effectively, and attempting to make aspected mana power a spell against its nature is costly and dangerous, But in exchange for these limitations, spells of great scope can be performed. Dead corpses can be brought to life by the thousand, fireballs can be hurled while hot enough to melt stone, and plagues can be cured no matter their virulence.
There is a third type of magic in which elaborate and lengthy rituals can be used to give low magic some of the power of high magic. It was from this branch of magic that three independent discoveries were made. The first was that when fueled by crystallized mana and special equipment, a spell can effectively be automated, casting itself again and again, perfectly identical. The second was that the correct ritual configuration could draw heat or motion or similar energies from a leyline, and use it to spin a wheel or move a weight. The third was a ritual enabling an undead or construct to act without direct supervision by implanting multiple indefinite commands into them at once. These three inventions, combined with new discoveries in the fields of alchemy, enchanting, craftsmanship, and measurement, promise to utterly transform the world.
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The State of Belles, the Popular Assembly and the Economy
Department Head: Astin Printerson
50 Dragon Support
52 Assembly Support
Stress: 0/10
-2 per die for [Politicking] actions
Reduced gains and increases loss of Assembly Support
+3 per die for [Metal], +1 per die for [Low Magic], +2 per die for [Nautical], +5 per die for [Research] actions
+8 per die for [Golem] and [Knowledge] actions
-10 per die for all non-Personal actions. Penalty decreases by 1 per turn.
-Stress will come from experiencing discrimination, not fighting discrimination, destruction of knowledge, not indulging in nepotism
The State of the Department:
2000 Resources
0 Resources per turn
-5 per die due to lack of personnel
Pressing Issue:
LACK OF INCOME!!!
Communication difficulties
Stalled urban economy
High urban food prices
