Turn 1
Men and supplies pour into the Fortress as you watch from a ruined battlement, those already inside the Fortress working hard to patch holes and direct the supplies towards stockpiles. Its a chaotic, hectic mess of a place, with men getting lost in the twisting corridors and sustaining minor injuries from traps. Things are falling into place though, barracks are being set up inside long unused halls, supply rooms are cleared of debris and filled again. The Fortress rings with the sounds of work as everyone settles in. Thankfully you have some help with that. Next to you stands Shzra and Hura, the leaders of the Shadowguard. The Shadowguard were set up by the Lady when the Company left the Fortress, men given a mission to protect Croaker's body and keep the Plain friendly to the Company. For the past 1000 years they recruited from the small villages close to the Plain, bolstering their numbers and making inbreeding less of an issue. They've been badly decimated by Soulcatcher but have joined up with the Company to protect the Fortress. Only time will tell whats in store for your
Martial (Choose 1): Regent is a favorite among the men, his easy going manner endearing him to them. His tactical skill makes him invaluable as your Lieutenant, the main voice through which your orders are relayed to the Company at large. Right now your defenses are fine, but Regent fears that the undisciplined state of the Company will be its downfall if you do come under attack.
[]Scout the Forest: North of the Plain a great forest grows, spreading out and forming a natural border between you and the rest of the world. You're still not even sure whats within its boughs, having only scouted out a small portion of it around the edges of the Plain. A small force of men can penetrate into the greenwood and find out much. Maybe even more structures like the sunken earth one? Chance of Success: 50& Reward: Information, maybe more cool things?
[]Scout the Metal Thing: You can see what the glowing glass called a 'wheeled hive' in the far distance from the top of the Fortress. Its great spire looms above the treeline, casting a shadow on the woods around it. Your scouts report its made of metal, and you marvel at the existence of such a quantity of steel and iron. It must be made through magic, though how and why you're not sure. It may be inhabited, though the lack of light suggests not, and if it isn't you can still salvage much from it.Chance of Success: 60% Reward: Information??? Other people??? Magic???
[]Occupy the Sunken Place: The underground structure made of strange stone is well defended and holds a great deal of supplies, though most of them are too arcane for your scouts to figure out their purpose. Having a forwards operating base in the forest would prove invaluable for both scouting and later exploitation of the resources there. Chance of Success: 60% Reward: +5 to forest scouting rolls, unlocks later options, early warning from the North
[]Set up the 5th Generation Projectors: Your greatest achievements lie cold and unused in the courtyard of the Fortress. With some work you can set up artillery pits on the walls of the Fortress, digging entrenched positions for the projectors. Already you've picked out men with the needed technical and magical acumen to crew them. All five guns could cover most of the Plain. Chance of Success: 50% Reward: Projectors set up, better defense on the Fortress.
Diplomacy (Choose 1): Pincushion flits around the Fortress, eagerly talking to the Shadowguard and members of your camp as he figures out the sitatuion within. Without any neighbors to worry about it seems like his job would be kind of useless, but he assures he has a few ideas on what to do.
[]Interfortress Tensions: The Shadowguard and the Company have been apart for 1000 years, its not surprising that different traditions have developed between them. While for now there have only been a few brawls and yelled words a tension is growing within the Fortress. Pincushion is fairly sure that he can talk everyone down and prevent a riot before it happens. Chance of Success: 40% Reward: No Company-Shadowguard tension.
[]Claiming the Fortress: While you have in all but name taken full control of the Fortress there is the worry of optics. No banners hang from its walls and your flag only flies within the main hall. If you were to place your colors about the Fortress and raise the standard upon the highest point its likely that anyone who sees you will not take you to be a pack of bandits. Reward: Company established in Fortress, Lowered chance of 'civilized' peoples attacking you
[]Language of the Eagle: The language spoken by the sunken place's glowing glass is only barely similar to both Northern and Southern. A few words and bits of grammar are similar, but for the most part its gibberish. However you do have some grasp on it, and any edge can be used. Having both Pincushion and your scouts learn the language can only help you figure out what that place is all about and deal with its owners if they still live. Chance of Success: 50% Reward: Eagle language learned, information from bunker, scouts taught to learn the language of others.
Stewardship (Choose 1): Shrza leads the Shadowguard, the son of a Hisen and a woman from the South of the world Croaker and the Great Company once walked through. A more than competent officer he has lead his men and maintained the upkeep of the Fortress for many years now. He has his hands full now though, between Soulcatcher's escape has badly damaged the Fortress, and that is not even going into the ancient traps and secrets that litter the structure.
[]Patching Holes: Soulcatcher is a being of fell magic, able to melt rock and stone with a flick of her wrist. Much of the Fortress's outer wall was terrible damaged in the fighting. Horrible magics have left great rents and tears into the stone and Shzar fears that great foundations the structure sits on may be damaged. You can't do much about the latter, but using the stone and wood within the Fortress you can at least try and patch some holes. Chance of Success: 60% Reward: Fortress Defenses restored, malus on the defense reduced.
[]Timber!: The woods around the Plain are lush and bountiful, the old growth forest filled with strong trees. Inside your base building supplies are very, very limited. This lack of materials can be fixed by sending out logging teams into the forest and hauling the wood back to the Fortress. Plus it might get the men to start some sort of commerce. Chance of Success: 50% Reward: Options Unlocked, Building Supplies, 50 Logging income.
[]Trapfinder: The ancients who built this place did not want anything to get in or out without dealing with a whole heap of bullshit. The layered traps and hidden spells in deep places within. A few generations of Company mages staying here in one shape or another has made walking to mess a thoroughly dangerous experience. A couple men with sticks and damn good sprinting could at least make taking a stroll less dangerous. Chance of Success: 40% Reward: Traps cleared up, Crit fails in fortress less likely to be as horrible.
Intrigue (Choose 2): Half Hand and Tic have set themselves up in a tower near the Fortresses center, wasting no time in warding it and putting a hell of a lot of soldiers between them and everyone else. You go up there quite a bit, having some skill at magic, and often end up in long conversations with the two wizards. They're mostly worried about what they pissed off, Soulcatcher and the network of caverns deep below the Fortress. They do have a few ideas on more mundane protection too.
[]Tonk!: Tonk is a core part of the Company's culture, you're pretty sure the card game has been played since the Company left Khantovire. Its a key way for the men to unwind and share information. If you can break out the cards and start getting games up and running its likely to help the Company settle into their new home. CoS: 70% Reward: Morale Increase, Intrigue Options, Rumor mill.
[]Scrying: One of the many amenities of the tower is a deep scrying pool, and the correct runes and other bits to use it. With a little bit of chanting and possibly maybe some blood Half Hand is sure he can look around. Due to not knowing where the fuck you are he won't be able to see anything specific, but if something catches his eye he'll let you know. Chance of Success: 100% Reward: Varying degrees of information.
[]Playing Spelunky: Deep under the Fortress is a network of caves containing frozen men, caught within a strange time spell cast thousands of years ago. The only people alive who can cast it now are Croaker and Soulcatcher, one of whom is gone and the other is, uh, not in the mood for that. Also in the caverns are treasure troves, books of the apolcalypse, the bodies of mythical creatures and who knows what else. Theres also the place where Croaker killed a Goddess, but you should probably avoid that for now.
Chance of Success: ??? Rewards: ???
[]Closing off the Undercroft: Above the caverns but below ground level there are a series of sewer tunnels, bolt holes, escape routes, storage rooms and maintenance passages. A clever invader could easily worm their way into the Fortress, thankfully the Company is far too crafty for that. By collapsing passageways and leaving nasty traps in those that remain it would be easy to make it much harder to sneak into the Fortress uneseen. Chance of Success: 60$ Reward: Harder for spies to infiltrate Fortress.
Piety (Choose 1): Merk goes from either being despondent to filled with rage every hour, his moods both mercurial and utterly unhelpful. Its likely that if somethings not done he'll burn himself out or do something dumb. As it stands right now the man is pretty much useless. (-10 to Piety actions until dealt with, may worsen if left unchecked.)
[]The Great Captain: Willing trapped within the body of the great golem Shiva, Croaker watches over the Company. It is by his will that good luck happens, and even when things are in the shitter he slips the Company some edge or advantage to help them get out. THats what many say at least. A good portion of the Company treat the Old Man like a patron spirit, a few like a God. Whatever the case no one has seen him in quite some time. The Shadowguard report that hes locked the doors to his great throne room a few years before now, and doubled the strength of the protections when Soulcatcher got out. It would probably be good to get those doors open. Chance of Success: ??? Reward: Access to Croaker.
[]Tales From Before: The Lady, One-Eye, Raven, Darling, Sleepy, Murgen and Croaker. These men and women dominate the minds of the Company, providing examples and cautionary tales in equal measure. Their stories deserve to be told again, to show the Company that no matter how bad things get the Company will always bounce back. Getting Annal readings started again will bring up morale but quite a bit. Chance of Success: 80% Reward: Morale increase, veneration of the Company as an institution grows.
[]Rebuilding Merk: The Annalist's job is to protect the Annals, with their life if need be. Merk clearly feels like he fucked up, which is true, and that he should either give up or go into a rage to make up for that failure, which is stupid and false. You're not the best at empathy, but maybe you can convince him to get out of his slump? Chance of Success: ??? probably not great Rewards; Merk is less fucked up
Learning (Choose 2): You are a master engineer and probably one of the most educated people in the Company. There is nothing, nothing, you cannot do if you put your mind too it. You'll show those fuckers at the Academy you're not an idiot. You'll show them all!
[]Glowing Glass: The strange objects found in the sunken place seem to be some sort of information thing? Maybe? Probably. Whatever it is you're sure you can figure it out if you noodle around with it a bit. Learning the language while doing so shouldn't be hard either. Chance of Success: 30% Reward: Knowledge of computers
[]Farming the Plain: Can it be done? Should it be done? Who the hell knows and who the hell cares respectively. You have a few seeds in your workshop, two somewhat worried mages and whole lot of ambition. Its spooky, the sky is constantly dark and you're wearing heavy armor in case things go to shit. Let's go. Chance of Success: 20% Reward: Farming knowledge
[]More Engineers Please!: Most of your fellow engineers died horrible deaths when the Lance exploded everything. THe rest are busy managing the projectors. Searching both the Company and the Shadowguard for more technically minded individuals will likely take a lot off your plate and possibly generate new ideas. Chance of Success: 50% Reward: More engineers, +5 bonus to learning tests, new ideas?
[]Projector Production: Projectors are the way of the future, you're sure of it. Its always better to fight an enemy at a distance than deal with the bastard close up. And its very hard to ambush a approaching caravan from the top of a hill with a sword. The problem is that each Projector takes a good deal of time to make. You can't just mass produce them like the Lady did way back when. Or can you? Chance of Success: 30% Reward: Projector mass production possible.
1 hour moratorium for discussion.
