[X] Unbound Sorcerer
Running the Economy of the Dragon's Republic (Fantasy PlanQuest)
- Thread starter notbirdofprey
- Start date
- Original
[X] Golem-Maker Scholar
I'm interesting in seeing Notbirdofprey's depiction of golems and related crafts. I think it's good to see them maintain their Jewish roots without simply being a fancy name for magical robot.
I'm interesting in seeing Notbirdofprey's depiction of golems and related crafts. I think it's good to see them maintain their Jewish roots without simply being a fancy name for magical robot.
avatar11792
Et Sic Incipit
- Location
- Planet Earth, North America
[X] Foreign Exile
[x] Golem-Maker Scholar
- Location
- Europe
[X] Golem-Maker Scholar
Hyacinthium
Writing about sad cannibals as we speak.
- Location
- Bedroom
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[x] Golem-Maker Scholar
[x] Unbound Sorcerer
[x] Foreign Exile
These are my favorites. Although rebellious merchant is also pretty cool.
[x] Unbound Sorcerer
[x] Foreign Exile
These are my favorites. Although rebellious merchant is also pretty cool.
- Location
- USA
[X] Golem-Maker Scholar
- Location
- nz
[X] Rebellious Merchant
Vote closed
The First Meeting of the Popular Assembly
Winning vote: Golem-Maker Scholar
The King's urban palace has been turned into his prison, but it was also where the Council of Estates was supposed to meet, and so it ends up hosting the first meeting of the Popular Assembly, albeit with significant changes. The gleaming golden balcony where the king was supposed to sit and observe lies abandoned, while the doors to the chamber are thrown open, letting anyone who can listen in. A haphazard scrying ritual is being conducted in the hall by two hedge wizards, trying to broadcast as much of the proceedings as they can. In file delegates, you among them. They sit in scattered groupings.
Many show active disdain for the furnishings and grandeur of the chamber. They prop muddy boots on velvet upholstery and spit streams of tobacco juice upon the marbled floor. Others try to treat the room like its the coffee shops and salons they inhabited before, sitting at ease and lounging, taking care not to dirty the fabrics or floors but otherwise paying conspicuously little regard to their surroundings. Still others sit with stiff decorum, backs ramrod straight and eyes fixed straight ahead.
Everyone tries very hard to ignore the dragon lying down partway down the boulevard, clearly listening with interest and letting a few children use his back and tail as a slide.
You can already see factions forming, as the magnates of the church and aristocrats sit side by side, with delegates elected by the army and the wealthy merchants and industrialists to their left. A broad swathe of the center is taken up by members of the Republican Alliance, featuring everyone from radical nobles to lawyers to abolitionists. And to their left is a motley mix of impoverished priests and hard-eyed firebrands, several of whom were once personal friends of the new President.
There are also a pair of very nervous Golem-Makers, looking like they regretted their choice of seating, but hesitating to move to you.
Carolic Redcap comes to a podium and brings the room to order with two swift sentences. He goes through business rapidly - a tribute to the speakers of the Glorious Fiftth, and the fighters of what came after, and of course First Citizen Invitrix. Then confirmation of the ministers. Then comes confirmation of a number of measures passed during the Fifth - the abolition of slavery, the formal guarantee of the freedom of press, assembly, and petition, the end of countless feudal contracts and obligatoins. Here is where the first cracks in unity show, but all the measures are passed with overwhelming assent. Even if you wished to make yourself a target and stand in opposition to these, you would accomplish nothing.
Next, you are given your instructions. You are to rebuild the administration, such that taxes may be levied efficiently. And you are to prevent famine and hunger from afflicting the cities of Belles, as they did in the months leading up to today. As Redcap puts the matter to a vote, many shout for further goals - to rebuild the merchant marine that has been laid up and left to rot, to restart the slowly shuttering factories, to restore the prosperity of the countless villages, to create schools that may teach magic high and low to all, to prepare an arsenal to spread liberty to the world.
You could easily win favor by promising to complete some of those, although you are skeptical of your currently nonexistent administration's ability to complete all, or even most. And you are currently viewed fairly neutral, more as an extension of President Redcap than an actor in your own right. You might not need to make those promises... (Currently have 50 AS)
[] Create a magical education system (+5 AS)
[] Revitalize the industry of Belles (+8 AS)
[] Fight rural poverty (+1 AS)
[] Restore the merchant marine of Belles (+3 AS)
[] Expand and improve the arms industry of Belles (+5 AS)
The debates that come next are even more acriminous. You champion the position of religious freedom, although you consider agreeing to the concept of a civil constitution of faith for all within the borders of Belles...
[] Stand your ground. Freedom for all, without restriction. (-7 AS)
[] An agreement to strip churches of their land will not affect your people. Let it pass unopposed by you. (-4 AS)
[] Furthermore, agreeing that churches within Belles should not be beholden to outside powers is reasonable. (+1 AS)
[] And it's also fair that clergy of all faiths should swear oaths of loyalty, and vow not to abuse their position. (+3 AS)
[] If political positions are elected, religious ones must be as well. It goes against your faith, but it is logical, even if it is also controversial. And it will break the power of the Church forever. (-1 AS)
[] Become even more radical and propose that the boundaries of dioceses and parishes be redrawn to align with the administrative structures you will be building. All institutions of the Republic must align with the Republic. (-5 AS)
Then some of the more conservative measures bring up the abolition of slavery, arguing that the proposal, as currently written, would abolish both corvee labor and redemptive labor. "That's the point!" one of the radical delegates shouts, and while you do agree with him, keeping corvee labor could be useful if you need to build roads or dams or gargantuan ritual symbols.
[] Keep silent. You can just pay workers and accept the cost.
[] Propose that the state be allowed to mandate corvee labor, with sharp limitations to prevent abuse. (-3 AS)
[] The customary laws regarding corvee labor are reasonable. Simply maintain them, it is best for everyone. (-5 AS)
And finally, things come to the most controversial topic - what to do with the confiscated lands. Even if the churches are allowed to maintain their property, between the abrogation of vast noble landholdings and the stripping of Church-owned but not church land, huge amounts of territory has been left without a legal owner.
[] Let it fall to the peasantry who work the land. (+4 AS)
[] The land reverts to the government, to be sold as plots for individual use. (+2 AS)
[] The land reverts to the government, with the peasantry continuing their tenancy agreements, albeit on better terms.
With that last issue, your part in the Assembly's debates comes to an end. You will need support and favors from man of its members, but for now you slip out, ignoring the few curious looks and dagger-like glares sent your way.
You need to visit your office and begin meeting with your staff. You have so much work to be doing.
Really, you would rather sit by your hearthfire with a nice book.
A/N: Plan voting, one option per each category. Except for the additional plan goals category, you can vote for as many options as you like.
The King's urban palace has been turned into his prison, but it was also where the Council of Estates was supposed to meet, and so it ends up hosting the first meeting of the Popular Assembly, albeit with significant changes. The gleaming golden balcony where the king was supposed to sit and observe lies abandoned, while the doors to the chamber are thrown open, letting anyone who can listen in. A haphazard scrying ritual is being conducted in the hall by two hedge wizards, trying to broadcast as much of the proceedings as they can. In file delegates, you among them. They sit in scattered groupings.
Many show active disdain for the furnishings and grandeur of the chamber. They prop muddy boots on velvet upholstery and spit streams of tobacco juice upon the marbled floor. Others try to treat the room like its the coffee shops and salons they inhabited before, sitting at ease and lounging, taking care not to dirty the fabrics or floors but otherwise paying conspicuously little regard to their surroundings. Still others sit with stiff decorum, backs ramrod straight and eyes fixed straight ahead.
Everyone tries very hard to ignore the dragon lying down partway down the boulevard, clearly listening with interest and letting a few children use his back and tail as a slide.
You can already see factions forming, as the magnates of the church and aristocrats sit side by side, with delegates elected by the army and the wealthy merchants and industrialists to their left. A broad swathe of the center is taken up by members of the Republican Alliance, featuring everyone from radical nobles to lawyers to abolitionists. And to their left is a motley mix of impoverished priests and hard-eyed firebrands, several of whom were once personal friends of the new President.
There are also a pair of very nervous Golem-Makers, looking like they regretted their choice of seating, but hesitating to move to you.
Carolic Redcap comes to a podium and brings the room to order with two swift sentences. He goes through business rapidly - a tribute to the speakers of the Glorious Fiftth, and the fighters of what came after, and of course First Citizen Invitrix. Then confirmation of the ministers. Then comes confirmation of a number of measures passed during the Fifth - the abolition of slavery, the formal guarantee of the freedom of press, assembly, and petition, the end of countless feudal contracts and obligatoins. Here is where the first cracks in unity show, but all the measures are passed with overwhelming assent. Even if you wished to make yourself a target and stand in opposition to these, you would accomplish nothing.
Next, you are given your instructions. You are to rebuild the administration, such that taxes may be levied efficiently. And you are to prevent famine and hunger from afflicting the cities of Belles, as they did in the months leading up to today. As Redcap puts the matter to a vote, many shout for further goals - to rebuild the merchant marine that has been laid up and left to rot, to restart the slowly shuttering factories, to restore the prosperity of the countless villages, to create schools that may teach magic high and low to all, to prepare an arsenal to spread liberty to the world.
You could easily win favor by promising to complete some of those, although you are skeptical of your currently nonexistent administration's ability to complete all, or even most. And you are currently viewed fairly neutral, more as an extension of President Redcap than an actor in your own right. You might not need to make those promises... (Currently have 50 AS)
[] Create a magical education system (+5 AS)
[] Revitalize the industry of Belles (+8 AS)
[] Fight rural poverty (+1 AS)
[] Restore the merchant marine of Belles (+3 AS)
[] Expand and improve the arms industry of Belles (+5 AS)
The debates that come next are even more acriminous. You champion the position of religious freedom, although you consider agreeing to the concept of a civil constitution of faith for all within the borders of Belles...
[] Stand your ground. Freedom for all, without restriction. (-7 AS)
[] An agreement to strip churches of their land will not affect your people. Let it pass unopposed by you. (-4 AS)
[] Furthermore, agreeing that churches within Belles should not be beholden to outside powers is reasonable. (+1 AS)
[] And it's also fair that clergy of all faiths should swear oaths of loyalty, and vow not to abuse their position. (+3 AS)
[] If political positions are elected, religious ones must be as well. It goes against your faith, but it is logical, even if it is also controversial. And it will break the power of the Church forever. (-1 AS)
[] Become even more radical and propose that the boundaries of dioceses and parishes be redrawn to align with the administrative structures you will be building. All institutions of the Republic must align with the Republic. (-5 AS)
Then some of the more conservative measures bring up the abolition of slavery, arguing that the proposal, as currently written, would abolish both corvee labor and redemptive labor. "That's the point!" one of the radical delegates shouts, and while you do agree with him, keeping corvee labor could be useful if you need to build roads or dams or gargantuan ritual symbols.
[] Keep silent. You can just pay workers and accept the cost.
[] Propose that the state be allowed to mandate corvee labor, with sharp limitations to prevent abuse. (-3 AS)
[] The customary laws regarding corvee labor are reasonable. Simply maintain them, it is best for everyone. (-5 AS)
And finally, things come to the most controversial topic - what to do with the confiscated lands. Even if the churches are allowed to maintain their property, between the abrogation of vast noble landholdings and the stripping of Church-owned but not church land, huge amounts of territory has been left without a legal owner.
[] Let it fall to the peasantry who work the land. (+4 AS)
[] The land reverts to the government, to be sold as plots for individual use. (+2 AS)
[] The land reverts to the government, with the peasantry continuing their tenancy agreements, albeit on better terms.
With that last issue, your part in the Assembly's debates comes to an end. You will need support and favors from man of its members, but for now you slip out, ignoring the few curious looks and dagger-like glares sent your way.
You need to visit your office and begin meeting with your staff. You have so much work to be doing.
Really, you would rather sit by your hearthfire with a nice book.
A/N: Plan voting, one option per each category. Except for the additional plan goals category, you can vote for as many options as you like.
Last edited:
- Location
- Orlando, Florida
@notbirdofprey I'm a bit confused how exactly this vote is supposed to proceed. Are we supposed to plan vote? How many options can we take from each category?
One vote from each category, and plan vote. I edited the post to say so.
- Pronouns
- She/Her
[X] Plan Hopefully We Can Manage This
-[X] Revitalize the industry of Belles (+8 AS)
-[X] Fight rural poverty (+1 AS)
-[X] An agreement to strip churches of their land will not affect your people. Let it pass unopposed by you. (-4 AS)
-[X] Furthermore, agreeing that churches within Belles should not be beholden to outside powers is reasonable. (+1 AS)
-[X] And it's also fair that clergy of all faiths should swear oaths of loyalty, and vow not to abuse their position. (+3 AS)
-[X] Become even more radical and propose that the boundaries of dioceses and parishes be redrawn to align with the administrative structures you will be building. All institutions of the Republic must align with the Republic. (-5 AS)
-[X] Keep silent. You can just pay workers and accept the cost.
-[X] The land reverts to the government, with the peasantry continuing their tenancy agreements, albeit on better terms.
Revitalizing the industry is important, as is fighting rural poverty. I'd add the magic school, but I don't want to overcommit. Taking the land of the churches seems good, and the next two are just to keep support up. The change in parish borders... if write-ins are allowed, @notbirdofprey , I'd like to write in something about fitting the administrative structures to the dioceses and parishes where possible/reasonable, since I'd rather avoid forcing people to change parishes. And I could be convinced to drop that entirely, since it implicitly makes the church an institution of the republic.
Corvee labor seems handy, but keeping support up seems more so, and overall it'll probably be fine. As for the land, I'd like to make future collectivization easier. Ideally, a compromise between the first and third would be nice, in that it belongs to the government but for now there are no rents.
-[X] Revitalize the industry of Belles (+8 AS)
-[X] Fight rural poverty (+1 AS)
-[X] An agreement to strip churches of their land will not affect your people. Let it pass unopposed by you. (-4 AS)
-[X] Furthermore, agreeing that churches within Belles should not be beholden to outside powers is reasonable. (+1 AS)
-[X] And it's also fair that clergy of all faiths should swear oaths of loyalty, and vow not to abuse their position. (+3 AS)
-[X] Become even more radical and propose that the boundaries of dioceses and parishes be redrawn to align with the administrative structures you will be building. All institutions of the Republic must align with the Republic. (-5 AS)
-[X] Keep silent. You can just pay workers and accept the cost.
-[X] The land reverts to the government, with the peasantry continuing their tenancy agreements, albeit on better terms.
Revitalizing the industry is important, as is fighting rural poverty. I'd add the magic school, but I don't want to overcommit. Taking the land of the churches seems good, and the next two are just to keep support up. The change in parish borders... if write-ins are allowed, @notbirdofprey , I'd like to write in something about fitting the administrative structures to the dioceses and parishes where possible/reasonable, since I'd rather avoid forcing people to change parishes. And I could be convinced to drop that entirely, since it implicitly makes the church an institution of the republic.
Corvee labor seems handy, but keeping support up seems more so, and overall it'll probably be fine. As for the land, I'd like to make future collectivization easier. Ideally, a compromise between the first and third would be nice, in that it belongs to the government but for now there are no rents.
[X] Education and Individual Contracts
-[X] Create a magical education system (+5 AS)
-[X] Fight rural poverty (+1 AS)
-[X] Furthermore, agreeing that churches within Belles should not be beholden to outside powers is reasonable. (+1 AS)
-[X] Keep silent. You can just pay workers and accept the cost.
-[X] The land reverts to the government, to be sold as plots for individual use. (+2 AS)
I didn't want to make too many promises or argue too fiercely for anything right now as we don't currently know what exactly we have to work with. But I will go for the magical education because that seems like a solid option we'd want anyway. Saying that churchs in Belles shouldn't be beholden to outside powers keeps foreign influences out and won't affect us personally. Paying workers individually is fine. It should even help the economy a bit. On the other hand I want to retain the land for now so we can sell it off for a bit of a starting boost.
Edit: With the additional clarification I've added fighting rural poverty to my plan.
[X] Plan Steady As She Goes, Land Reform
-[X] Create a magical education system (+5 AS)
-[X] Fight rural poverty (+1 AS)
-[X] Furthermore, agreeing that churches within Belles should not be beholden to outside powers is reasonable. (+1 AS)
-[X] Keep silent. You can just pay workers and accept the cost.
-[X] The land reverts to the government, to be sold as plots for individual use. (+2 AS)
I didn't want to make too many promises or argue too fiercely for anything right now as we don't currently know what exactly we have to work with. But I will go for the magical education because that seems like a solid option we'd want anyway. Saying that churchs in Belles shouldn't be beholden to outside powers keeps foreign influences out and won't affect us personally. Paying workers individually is fine. It should even help the economy a bit. On the other hand I want to retain the land for now so we can sell it off for a bit of a starting boost.
Edit: With the additional clarification I've added fighting rural poverty to my plan.
[X] Plan Steady As She Goes, Land Reform
Last edited:
- Pronouns
- He/They
[] Food and Stability
-[] Restore the merchant marine of Belles (+3 AS)
-[] Fight rural poverty (+1 AS)
-[] An agreement to strip churches of their land will not affect your people. Let it pass unopposed by you. (-4 AS)
-[] Keep silent. You can just pay workers and accept the cost.
-[] The land reverts to the government, with the peasantry continuing their tenancy agreements, albeit on better terms.
This plan focuses on ending the famines and the entrenchment of the republic, while trying to take a moderate approach to religion and to our economic commitments.
On food, reconstructing the merchant marine is vital for transportation of bulky goods as well as expanded fishing. And this approach to land reform keeps lands together in a way that's more amenable to productivity increases than parceling it out.
That does mean potentially squeezing the rural population for food surplus, but that's why the rural investment is key, to keep peoples' standard of living and loyalty up and to provide the tools and infrastructure needed to maintain and improve productivity. This not only secures the food supply, it is also the first step towards land consolidation and urbanization. The ending of corvee labor also helps with this.
Meanwhile, nationalization of the church estates weakens two likely pillars of the old regime, the church and the landowners. And a rural population with surplus to mobilize, food and a merchant marine are all vital to national independence and preparation for war.
Finally, by not making very ambitious economic promises, we have more latitude to invest broadly in the arms/education/manufacturing sectors. All are important, but we need to remember that it's not yet what we tend to think of as the industrial era and we also don't know much about the situation.
-[] Restore the merchant marine of Belles (+3 AS)
-[] Fight rural poverty (+1 AS)
-[] An agreement to strip churches of their land will not affect your people. Let it pass unopposed by you. (-4 AS)
-[] Keep silent. You can just pay workers and accept the cost.
-[] The land reverts to the government, with the peasantry continuing their tenancy agreements, albeit on better terms.
This plan focuses on ending the famines and the entrenchment of the republic, while trying to take a moderate approach to religion and to our economic commitments.
On food, reconstructing the merchant marine is vital for transportation of bulky goods as well as expanded fishing. And this approach to land reform keeps lands together in a way that's more amenable to productivity increases than parceling it out.
That does mean potentially squeezing the rural population for food surplus, but that's why the rural investment is key, to keep peoples' standard of living and loyalty up and to provide the tools and infrastructure needed to maintain and improve productivity. This not only secures the food supply, it is also the first step towards land consolidation and urbanization. The ending of corvee labor also helps with this.
Meanwhile, nationalization of the church estates weakens two likely pillars of the old regime, the church and the landowners. And a rural population with surplus to mobilize, food and a merchant marine are all vital to national independence and preparation for war.
Finally, by not making very ambitious economic promises, we have more latitude to invest broadly in the arms/education/manufacturing sectors. All are important, but we need to remember that it's not yet what we tend to think of as the industrial era and we also don't know much about the situation.
Last edited:
trooperist
Cinnamon Roll AI
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWSzTIFy0HQ
Not really a fan of government officials going into villages and telling the locals that all able bodied men will be building roads for the next two weeks and no they won't be getting paid for it because it's a service they're providing to the government and they should think of it as a form of tax.
SleepyCaterpilar
Just a Rapariga
[X] Education and Individual Contracts
Regency
PFP by vanathema (previously yubishines)
- Location
- Morioh Town, Mt. Ebbot
- Pronouns
- They/Them
Are these "additive" options? in that lower options including the policies outlined in the ones above them too?
That's correct.
If it's only one per category does that mean we can choose only one from here as well?
[] Create a magical education system (+5 AS)
[] Revitalize the industry of Belles (+8 AS)
[] Fight rural poverty (+1 AS)
[] Restore the merchant marine of Belles (+3 AS)
[] Expand and improve the arms industry of Belles (+5 AS)
[] Create a magical education system (+5 AS)
[] Revitalize the industry of Belles (+8 AS)
[] Fight rural poverty (+1 AS)
[] Restore the merchant marine of Belles (+3 AS)
[] Expand and improve the arms industry of Belles (+5 AS)
You can pick multiple plan goals, my bad. I will edit to clarify.