[X] Plan: Rolling Advance
Warfront
-[X]Taking the Winteraxe: Winteraxe Hold sits overlooking the contested Fields of Strife, where Coalition and Scourge forces battle it out daily. While it would be quite deadly, and necessitate the usage of specialized units like the Dark Rangers, there is a chance that a concentrated force could break the Hold's defenses and bring Korrak his second death. The chances of being sandwhiched between the Hold and the Scourge are high, and the Winteraxe are formidiable foes, but if Korrak dies then the Scourge lose their unity and Arthas is denied a powerful commander in Alterac. Cost: Potential loss of Infantry, Elite Infantry and Dark Rangers Time: 1 Turn CoS: 45%
-[X]Shadow on the Axe: Between the Undercity Lodge and the Dark Rangers, along with Sylvanas herself, the Forsaken have quite the spread of powerful units for assassination and espionage. Working together they may be able to sneak into Winteraxe Hold, cause chaos and terror and perhaps kill Korrak himself. However the old Ice Troll is a tough nut to crack, and the risk to the units sent on this mission will be high. But there will be less worry of damaging the Coalition forces as a whole. Cost: Potential loss of Heroes and Dark Rangers Time: 1 Turn CoS:???
Martial
-[X]Solliden Military Post: With the construction of Port Solliden the question of what to do with the old bulwark and tower between the town and the port has arisen. Right now its just being used as a customs and checking station, but Nathanos thinks that it can be used for much more. With Port Solliden set to become the heart of the Forsaken's navy, as well as the main gateway into Lordaeron, a military base seems like the perfect thing to use the old ruins for. It'll also allow for the creation of a proper Port Authority and Customs office too boot. Cost: 150 Gold, Time: 1 Turn CoS: 60% Reward: Military Base built at Port Solliden, Better control of people coming into the nation, Port protected.
-[X]Aid to the Warfront: Instead of focusing on closer military actions, Nathanos can instead choose to personally oversee the Forstwolf Valley warfront and direct operations there. Reward/Cost: Lose 1 Military Action this turn, gain 1 Warfront Action.
Stewardship
-[X]Royal Judical Service: While the Forsaken legal system is a thing that does, on paper, exist, in practice the law is mostly handed out by the arbitrary decisions of various agents of the crown or the military. While there is some precedent in dealing with inheritance and property issues between the living and dead citizens of Lordaeron, the massive influx of refugees returning from Kalimdor has seen cases skyrocket past what the court can handle. Ontop of this there are non-humans semi-illegally living within Port Solliden, claiming that since the docks are owned by the Alliance they are allowed to settle at the Port. Varimathras is sick and tired of the Royal Bureacracy having to deal with this mess and suggest that a proper legal system be created to solve this once and for all. Reward: Forsaken Legal System Created Cost: 150 Gold Time: 1 Turn CoS: 45%
-[X]Graves in the Wood: The Sepulcher was once a great resting place for old Greymane kings, along with the other noble and common dead of Silverpine. While it was abandoned after the Plague, and partially emptied out by Arthas on his march south, much of the crypts and tombs remain intact. A network of tunnels and subterranean chambers can easily be established, almost in the style of Undercity, and the great burial mound turned into a anthill of activity. Such a place will be invaluable for bringing civilization to the Forest, as well as an important economic hub in its northern reaches. Beyond that, the soldiers garrisoned here will be happy for more sturdy walls and bunkers against constant ghoul and worgen attacks. Cost: 250 Gold Time: 2 Turns Cos: 60% Reward: Sepulcher turned into a proper settlement, More settlement of Silverpine, Silverpine North and Central easier to bring under control
-[X]Fort Fenris: Fenris Isle is the main island at the center of a small string of smaller islets in the center of Lordamere lake. An important strategic point for control of all of western Lordaeron, it was often bloodily fought over by Dalaran, Gilneas and the Kingdom of Lordaeron. Because of this the Fenrisians were of especially mixed blood and often considered their own ethnic group. More Gilnean than Lordaeronian, they kept their own traditions and were often levied as expert mariners and swamp troops. Fenris itself was dominated by Fenris Keep, a truly ancient fort that had flown many different flags over the years, and one of the old Arcane Observatories of Dalaran. Both sunk into the isle's swampy ground when the Scourge attacked, with the latter being totally destroyed with the former got away with 'just' being half sunk into the earth. A concentrated rebuilding effort could raise the fort back up and give it more than a token skeleton crew garrison. Time: 1 Turn Cost: 500 Gold CoS: 75% Reward: Fenris Keep Rebuilt, Fenris Island Resettled, Efforts in the region boosted.
Diplomacy
-[X]Amani Allies?: With the creation of the Royal Foreign Service Vellcinda believes that the Forsaken can reach out to Zul'Aman properly. No more midnight meetings on the top of the front gate, Vellcinda is angling for proper recognition between the two states, maybe even an Embassy if she has her way. The trip will be long and difficult, but Vellcinda is sure that her team can reach the empire of the Forest Trolls and return with a deal in hand. Time: 2 Turns Cost: 100 Gold CoS: 55% Reward: Diplomatic Ties betwen Zul'Aman and the Forsaken.
-[X]Daiodachi Liches: The situation in eastern Lordaeron is much, much different than what the Forsaken had assumed. With the continued silence from Arthas his various underlings and advisers have begun warring among themselves. The main factions of these warring Scourge factions the Forsaken know of is the Andorhal faction, led by the usupred Araj the Summoner and the Caer Darrow/Scholomance Clique, led by Darkmaster Gandling and Alexi Barov. Where the feared Ras Frostwhsiper, true master of Scholomance is in all this is unknown, but from what the Forsaken can tell the clash has been dominated by the great clash of undead hordes along the shores of Darrowmere. A more in depth exploratory expedition can be sent into the Plaguelands to better sound out both factions. CoS: 65% Time: 1 Turn Cost: 50 GP Reward: Information on Andhorhal and Caer Darrow Cliques
Intrigue
-[X]Into Scholomance: With Andorhal scouted out and a spy ring implanted there, Belmont wants to move onto Caer Darrow and Scholomance next. The Barov family and their activies are of great interest to the spymaster, as is any clues to what Ras Frostwhisper is doing or where he went. Caer Darrow, ever the great fotress, will be a tough nut to crack, but Belmont is sure he can sneak some spies in. Cost: 240 Gold, Time: 1 Turn CoS: 45% Reward: Information on Scholomance
-[X]Aid to the Warfront: Instead of focusing on closer military actions, Belmont can instead choose to personally oversee the Forstwolf Valley warfront and direct Lodge operations there. Reward/Cost: Lose 1 Intrigue Action this turn, gain 1 Warfront Action
Learning
-[X]Design a Better Brain: The Scourge might not have cared about the lives of their creations, but the Forsaken do. Abominations as they currently are go against every ethical guideline the Forsaken and Sylvanas claim to uphold. Putress believes that he can create a better brain for them, something that will elevate their intelligence above that of a toddler. While giving him control of this process is...less than ideal it is the only way to get a hold of Abomiations while keeping the soul of the Forsaken in tact. Time: 1 Turn, Cost: 300 Gold, CoS: 50% Reward: Smatert Abominations, Abominations able to be created.
-[X]That Good Voodoo: The shamanistic powers of the Trolls and Night Elves seem unlikely to take hold among the Forsaken, due to the distaste the elementals and forces of nature have towards the undead. The Loa and the mysterious 'dark magic' of Voodoo seem to care little about this, however, as many of the darker voodoo rituals involve raising the dead. While the Darkspear are recalcitrant about revealing this information, Puttress seems to think that he can convince them to help him. Time: 2 Turns, Cost 900 Gold, CoS: 45%, Reward: Information on Voodoo
Piety
-[X]Spreading the Shadow - Brill: Brill, being the center of commerce in the region, once boasted a fairly sizable church of the Light on its outskirts. While the Scourge smashed all the iconography and let a host of banshees live in it for a long while, the structure itself is still fairly impressive. A group of Cult members, along with a priest, can be sent out to repair the church and rescantify it to the Cult. Cos: 75% Cost: 100 Gold Time: 1 Turn Reward: Cult of Forgotten Shadows established in Brill.
-[X]Elements of Shadow: The Elementals, the primal spirits of the land, do not seem to like the Forsaken very much. The undead are unwelcome in the Emerald Dream and the druids and shamans of the Alliance say that proper use of their arts is more than likely something not possible for the Forsaken. However shadow and the night are part of the world, and there are those among the Cult and the Earthen Ring who think that maybe a sort of peace might be made between the Forsaken and the natural world. Cost: 300 Gold, Time: 1 Turn, CoS: ??? Reward: Elemental Spirits of the Night and Shadow met, ???
Personal
-[X]Shadows of the Ranger: As a Dark Ranger you possess the ability to synthesize the archery and teachings of the elven Rangers with the dark, necromantic energies of the Shadow. However you focus much more on the former, having only a small ability to access your more magical powers. Aelthalyste has offered to help train you in the art of Shadow Magic. Time: 1 Turn, CoS: 70%/50%/40%, Reward: Shadow Magic Learned/Stat Increase/???
Total Cost: 1790
Removing the Winteraxe from the picture will make the remaining efforts in Alterac Valley much easier, and advancing past their fortified position is just asking for them to attack our back-lines anyway.
The Soliden Military Post will serve partially to defend our primary port, but in the short-term it will mainly be used for regulating who/what comes in and out of the port, acting as the enforcement half of the Royal Judicial Service.
The aforementioned Royal Judicial Service will useful in establishing a proper legal system for the Forsaken, with their first task being to deal with inheritance, property rights, and immigration. Meanwhile, as Fort Fenris finishes up, efforts can begin on turning the Sepulcher into a functional military base/settlement as well.
The first action of the newly minted RFS will be to establish proper diplomatic relations with the Amani, which should hopefully finish around the same time as our Alliance Embassy when we take it next turn. Before that however, I want to take a look to our closest hostile neighbors, the scourge cliques in the plaugelands. Their constant conflict is the only thing allowing us to build-up as much as we have without getting crushed by endless armies of the unthinking undead. With how much we've gotten involved abroad, it's imperative that their situation doesn't radically change anytime soon.
Speaking of, this is a great time to infiltrate the scholomance as we have Andorhal, possibly using the diplomatic expedition as cover or at least a friendly way out if things go bad.
For our research, I don't see any reason to delay on researching better Abomination brains, if we want to fulfill the council request for them without having to risk it on the last turn we have to start now. While that's underway we can also begin research on Voodoo, to gain a better understanding of the Loa and the forces behind the E'ko we plan to enhance our elite forces with. This line of research (and the necessary collaboration with the Darkspear Trolls for it) may even give us some key context for our efforts in cultivating diplomatic ties with the Amani. It won't be quick enough for the initial talks, but it might allow us to better understand exactly what they meant when talking to our diplomats upon the latter's return.
I also want to finally start spreading the Cult of Forgotten Shadows throughout our lands in areas not solely composed of the undead. This action has been left for too long in my opinion, it should have been done before the first settlers arrived to better establish that this is not old Lordaeron. But nothing can change the past, and the second best time to do something is now. It'd be nice if this synergized with the elemental action, but I'm grasping at straws as to how beyond increased worshippers resulting in a greater draw for them to appear/interact with us.
Last but not least, unlike spreading the Cult to Brill, Slyvanas learning Shadow Magic from the head of the Cult while they are trying to communicate with the Elementals of Night and Shadow has a clear synergy to me in scenes if not in mechanics. Who better to negotiate alongside the spiritual authority of the Forsaken if not the sovereign authority of the Forsaken?
