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The Blade of Miquella
- Thread starter dmclain2
- Start date
Arc 2 - On to Brannoch Fork
-[] Personally patrol the Haligtree. It is almost certain that various threats have made themselves at home in Miquella's city. It would be a trivial task to put them to the sword. On success: eliminate all major threats from the Haligtree.
Slaying a giant ant matriarch was not a thing worthy of song, or even any true amount of recognition. At least for one such as you. Nevertheless, you were your brother's sword. And with his absence, you would also be the sword that protected his city.
So it was that you found yourself amidst the ruins of Brannoch with the dawning light of the Erdtree casting its pale glow across the land. As you step across a metaphysical boundary of Fog, you see your target, its head cradled upon a pile of shattered bones. Surrounding it are dozens of pearlescent eggs, some no larger than your hand and others that reach up to shoulder height on you. A frown flickers across your face before vanishing beneath an emotionless mask of focus. It had been busy.
Your Hand flickers, snicker-snack. You begin to run, your feet gliding across the bone-strewn battlefield without disrupting the smallest of shards. Your opponent deserves not the majesty of your Dance. It deserves naught but death. And the consecrated runes your brother had painstakingly etched upon your Hand would deliver it.
The ant's angular head rises ponderously from its slumber as it hears the sound of your sword. As it feels its approaching doom. It has the chance to do naught more than that before unalloyed gold carves a foot-deep trench between its multifaceted eyes.
Strike delivered, you shift back, avoiding a spray of caustic ichor. You watch, grim satisfaction on your face as the ant thrashes about, its frenzied flailing destroying the many hundreds of eggs it had labored so to create. Soon though, the vitality to even do that fades until all that remains is the reflexive twitching of an antenna as the ant succumbs to death.
A dozen strands of Rot unspool from within you, reaching out across the ground around you until it touches upon those few egg sacs that had avoided the ant's dying panic. In moments, all that remains is a sludge of protein and nutrients, a fitting fate for one who would disrupt your attempts to see your people fed and safe.
You stand over the shattered corpse of the corrupted Avatar that had claimed an abandoned section of your brother's city as its lair. In better times, an Avatar was a guide. One who dispensed both the wisdom and grace of the Erdtree. It had been an age since it could have been considered a better time. Not since Marika had shattered the Elden Ring. And as the world around it had changed, so had the Avatar changed with it.
For years uncounted, it seemed the Avatar had supped upon the dying energies of the Haligtree. And in its endless consumption, it had brought within its sap-like blood the taint of Rot. And so, it had to die. As a mercy to what the guardian had once been and for the safety of those who dwelt within your brother's city.
Tendrils of Rot begin to unspool from within the corpse of the Avatar, oozing and slick along bark-like flesh. The Full Moon passes across the sky twice before you finish your delicate task, but by the end, a pearl of putrescence sits on the ground alongside a, once again, untainted Avatar of the Erdtree.
You sigh and reach toward that putrid remnant—it could not be allowed to stay, lest it continue its corrupting influence—and let it flow into you. What was another drop of Rot to one whose soul contained an ocean?
You could feel the twisted presence of a tree-spirit sunk deep within the pond of Rot, and yet despite your efforts, you cannot find it. Or draw it to the surface. And while there are things you could do to force it to the surface, they are not the acts of one who would call themselves a protector of Elphael.
It reminded you of the time Miquella had taken you fishing. A day spent staring at a body of… liquid… and waiting for something to surface. Unlike that halcyon memory, you have neither the idle days to while away nor the presence of your brother to make the time more bearable. For now, you would have people stay away from the pond—though given the presence of the Rot, you probably didn't need to say anything—and perhaps you'd get lucky and have a chance to kill it in the future.
[all major threats defeated (or quarantined). Options to finally deal with the tree-spirit locked behind ***]
-[] Prepare farmland. Once farms dotted the thicker boughs of the Haligtree. Now they are covered in Rot and giant ants. Your soldiers may resolve both of those issues, but even once that is complete, it will require an attentive hand to ensure that the farms can be successfully restored. Cost: 100 construction. On success: subsistence farms created (+50 food per turn). Requires: Personally patrol the Haligtree or Destroy a major threat (giant ant matriarch)
--[] Elodie, Soldiers
There was something almost meditative in developing the plans and schedules necessary to turn several hundred acres of land into farmland. That those farms would be located atop branches of a tree that stretched, in some cases, nearly a thousand spans in width, did add some complications to said plans. Things like soil and irrigation and retainment had to be solved, but then again that was the same for every farm.
No, if El had to point at a particular reason as to why her heart fairly trilled with nervous anxiety, it would have nothing to do with the task set before her. It had everything to do with the one who assigned that task.
How else was El supposed to take a request from the being she had worshipped as a goddess for as long as she could remember other than with a burning determination combined with the thrumming fear that her best would not be enough? Not that she well and truly feared censure or anything like that. But to see the understanding acceptance of Lady Finlay's failures with the farmlands last month turned toward her seemed a fate worse than death.
Fortunately, it seemed highly unlikely that El would fail in her appointed task. Her goddess had taken it upon herself to dispatch any threats that prowled their future farmlands and Lady Finlay had graciously offered her soldiers as support for the heavy labor required to settle the land. All that was left to her was to set up an overarching plan. And see it through.
It was several days after you dispatched the ant matriarch before you found yourself back in Brannoch Fork. But when you did, there was little sign that it had once been home to a giant ant colony.
You watched in idle amusement as one group of workers would drag a plow down a length of soil. Then a second group would come by with bags of seeds that they would carefully plant into the freshly tilled soil. Finally, a third group would come by with water and buckets of some aromatic fertilizer. All in all, it looked like the workings of a seasoned and well-trained group rather than what it was: a team that had been assembled less than a month ago.
"Lady Melania!" The architect of Brannoch's revitalization appears in a rush, dirt smeared liberally across her clothes and face. "I. That is if I had known you were coming-"
You cut off the increasingly panicked rambling with a gentle smile, "It looks like things are going well."
"It's still early yet, but thanks to you and Lady Finlay, I think we'll be able to beat our projections for our first harvest." El beams with pride before blinking twice and starting to wipe discreetly at the dirt on her face.
"Enough that we won't be running at a loss going forward?" You let your eyes flicker away from El and out over the rapidly transforming farmland.
"Without the appropriate spellcraft, I think we'll still fall a good bit short," your steward's face falls for a moment before brightening, "but with the ants all gone, I think there's some land nearby that we could develop next if that is your wish."
[+60 food per turn]
-[] Establish a way to spread the teachings of unalloyed gold. Unalloyed gold is your brother's philosophy. One which he extended to such limits that it could even curve the excesses of those godlike beings who dwell beyond the stars. It would be a perfect thing for those cut adrift by Marika's Golden Order to take succor within. On success: improves morale, unlocks new turn actions. Requires: apprentice level Golden Order (rank 2 of 5)
To understand the nature of the Golden Order, one must first understand the nature of gold. This raises a question though: why gold? What is it about the metal that lends itself to the creation of both a school of incantations and also the prostheses your brother had crafted for you? Was there something inherent in gold that reflected something of the divine? And if that was the case, why did unalloyed gold also inhibit the influence of malign star-faring entities?
Those were some of the questions that began to percolate within your mind as you sat down with your brother's journals. They were also questions that you almost immediately realized were far beyond both your own understanding of the Golden Order and your brother's notes—at least the parts of it that you could understand.
So, for the moment at least, you would force yourself to set aside these larger philosophical questions and focus instead on something you could accomplish: providing the many souls that dwelt beneath the Haligtree something to believe in.
"In metallurgy, the alloying of metals results in something more than the sum of its parts."
It was odd, to stand in front of a crowd and speak upon matters of philosophy and religion to which you had never devoted much attention or care. Moreso when you see the faces of these hundreds of beings focused upon you with an intensity that you had only ever devoted to the sword—and Miquella. It was a discomforting sort of sensation to act as sage and guide for these desperate souls. Especially as the role settles around your shoulders like an ill-fitting cloak.
None of this you allow to show on your face, however. For whatever it is these men and women have come in search of, you will give to them as best you are able.
"It is a refinement by the mixing of disparate properties. In the Golden Order, we see this expressed in Marika's politics. Those whose strength could be added to the Golden Order and thereby increase its might are welcomed. Fortissax and Lansseax. The Crucible Knights. The Guardians of the Erdtree. In the mixing of all their strengths was Lleyndell made mighty. But those to whom strength was not granted, the Golden Order offers no succor."
There is not a sound save for your voice. The crowd before you could just have easily been carved from stone as flesh and blood. This. This more than anything else was not your place. Even had it not been your brother's realm, it would have never been yours. You stifle the urge to look away from the fervor burning in front of you and continue.
"But gold transformed by the addition of a thousand other metals is gold no longer. Instead, draw strength from the gold within you. Whether tarnished beyond recognition or aglow with fire and light, it matters not. For it is still gold and no one. Not I. Not Marika herself can take that from you."
No cheer rises in response to your words. This isn't a battlefield and the souls in front of you are not your soldiers, to be sent to fight and die. And yet, you feel the same stirring of emotion within them as you did that fateful day in Aeonia.
[Morale +5. Score still unknown.]
-[] Scout Elphael. "There are still unexplored areas within Elphael itself—notably the upper branches of the Haligtree as well as the depths of the undercity. While we could let the guards blunder about and awaken anything that remains sleeping, my scouts could investigate without any troublesome rampaging. On success: explores identified location, higher rolls = better rewards.
--[]Upper Branches
--[]Maeve
The upper branches were home to a number of small communities, that much Maeve had known before she'd even set paw to her task. What she hadn't expected was just how many of them there were. Nor how far-flung they were. Nor how largely uninterested they were in joining Her growing city. That last one had been near cause for a bit of genocidal violence—no one should be allowed to reject Her beneficence and live to speak of it.
Alas, between the sheer size of the Haligtree combined and her desire to provide Her with a thorough report on every community still clinging like mold to Her tree, the violence had been forced to wait. Besides, She would probably not approve of Her Shadow returning to Her drenched in the blood of those She intended to save.
Maeve flops gracelessly down onto the chair sat opposite your desk as you finish writing out a note on the fundamental nature of gold. It was the metal of choice for both your brother and Miquella's Orders, after all, and there must have been a reason why. Finding that reason would have to wait for later, though, for while your Shadow was many things, patient was not one of them.
"Do you think that gold was chosen by Marika intentionally or is it more a matter of self-serving arrogance to relate it to her rule?" Your eyes lift from your notes, and the clawed hand that Maeve was beginning to dig into the lacquered wood of her chair stills instantly.
"With that bitch, I'd bet on the latter," she shrugs indifferently before blowing out a huff of air. "Is that how you greet your Shadow as she returns triumphantly from scouting out the countless leagues of Haligtree branches?"
"Should it not be? After all, is scouting out a tree truly so great an achievement?" Your voice lilts mockingly.
You bury a smirk as Maeve's face twists into a pout. "Such gratitude. And after I've spent the last month grinding my claws to the nubs running up and down the Haligtree."
"Hmm…" you let the complaining pass without comment. If something were wrong, she'd have said so by now. "How are things?"
"I could use a bath and someone to brush my fur," you stare blankly as your Shadow leers and eventually she sighs.
"Truly no gratitude." She mumbles, quietly, but clearly intending you to hear it nonetheless. "There's a few score of settlements, ranging from a dozen or so people to one near mid-way up that's home to several hundred people. It'd have taken far more time than I had available to figure out why they decided not to accept your offer of joining Elphael, but I can mark the larger locations if you ever find a diplomat."
"Anything else of interest?" If there were any more threats like the ant matriarch you dispatched a few days prior, you wanted to know.
Maeve shakes her head. "If there's anything up there that could hide from my nose, we won't find it until we're on top of it."
"I suppose that'll have to do."
In truth, the branches were a rather distant concern. The current population of Elphael fit easily enough into the parts of the city least worn down by time and neglect. And once El got around to clearing out some of the worst of the wreckage, the amount of liveable area would double. To say nothing of how much space there would be once the city was finally returned to what it had once been. Beyond that, you had no issue with the people who dwelt in the higher layers of your brother's tree and wanted to retain their independence.
[no major threats detected, new actions unlocked.]
-[] Assign soldiers to non-combat tasks. "Our most pressing concern is to ensure that Elphael is liveable. To that end, my soldiers could be assigned to aid in ongoing reconstruction efforts, farming, or similar activities. Anything where more hands are needed." Tag soldiers to a stewardship action to receive a bonus to the roll itself and potentially to the magnitude of the result (if successful).
--[] Finlay
Finlay stares out over a balustrade and down at the roiling sea far beneath her. In the days after she had returned her Lady to the safety of the Haligtree, it had felt like a triumph. Like victory.
But then days had turned to weeks to months to years. Throughout it all, her Lady had remained in slumber. And as she had, that feeling had slowly curdled.
She couldn't exactly say when it was that the color of her world had faded to shades of gray. Nor could she say exactly when she had retreated to a forgotten corner of Elphael, hidden from everyone, even fellow knights. It had all felt so hopeless. So pointless.
Her lady slept and the city around her crumbled. The legacy they had all joined hands to build withering away in front of her. A flicker of disgust washes across spectral features.
She had succumbed to that despair. Finlay could accept that. And at the time it had even seemed like a welcomed choice. Without flesh and blood and touches of humors, she would no longer have to drown in that morass of feeling. At least that had been her belief.
The truth had been somewhat different. All the regrets and grief of her life carried on into her death. Yet even the grayness of her not-life would have been bearable. Except.
Her Lady had fought through her own grief and despair and emerged on the other side, not whole, but far more than she was. And all she wanted now was to stand at her side again to share in the joys and triumphs once again. To bask in her light.
Finlay glances down at the spectral flesh of her hands. Now mocking her with their translucent glow.
Alas.
-[] Codify Glintstone Sorcery. "It has been years since I attended Raya Lucaria, and it would take years to truly replicate the successes of that fickle academy. However, I can begin to craft the rudiments of a curriculum. On success: Increase Glintstone sorcery by one rank (currently 1 of 5). This action is repeatable.
--[] Loretta
Pale blue currents of Glintstone sorcery flicker and warp around Loretta, pulsing in time to the beat of her heart. She lashes out, not so much in spellcraft but in an explosion of wrath. The flames greedily consuming the rooms she had requisitioned for her library prove no match for the azure of her anger, but that hardly matters. Not when compared to the smell of burnt paper and the sight of so much priceless knowledge reduced to ash.
Whoever did this will die screaming.
The promise echoes in her head, engulfing conscious thought, even as her body moves like a marionette to salvage whatever she can.
[] Loretta will painstakingly reconstruct every scrap of knowledge in her burgeoning library. (Will tap Loretta for the next 2 turns. On success: library returned to its pre-burnt state.)
[] Loretta will find the perpetrators of this act of sacrilege. (Will tap Loretta for the next 1 turn. On success: the cause of the fire is determined.)
[] Loretta will work with El to ensure that this can never happen again. (Will tap Loretta for 1 turn and El for 1 turn. Costs 200 Construction resources. On success: library with fire controls constructed.)
[] Loretta will do nothing. (all library progress lost.)
[AN]
I had meant to get this out sooner but ended up playing a lot of Rogue Trader instead. So it goes.
DC 40 / 80 / 120
vs.
18 + 85 = 103 = 2 of 3 threats eliminated (ant and avatar, tree spirit remains)
vs.
18 + 85 = 103 = 2 of 3 threats eliminated (ant and avatar, tree spirit remains)
Slaying a giant ant matriarch was not a thing worthy of song, or even any true amount of recognition. At least for one such as you. Nevertheless, you were your brother's sword. And with his absence, you would also be the sword that protected his city.
So it was that you found yourself amidst the ruins of Brannoch with the dawning light of the Erdtree casting its pale glow across the land. As you step across a metaphysical boundary of Fog, you see your target, its head cradled upon a pile of shattered bones. Surrounding it are dozens of pearlescent eggs, some no larger than your hand and others that reach up to shoulder height on you. A frown flickers across your face before vanishing beneath an emotionless mask of focus. It had been busy.
Your Hand flickers, snicker-snack. You begin to run, your feet gliding across the bone-strewn battlefield without disrupting the smallest of shards. Your opponent deserves not the majesty of your Dance. It deserves naught but death. And the consecrated runes your brother had painstakingly etched upon your Hand would deliver it.
The ant's angular head rises ponderously from its slumber as it hears the sound of your sword. As it feels its approaching doom. It has the chance to do naught more than that before unalloyed gold carves a foot-deep trench between its multifaceted eyes.
Strike delivered, you shift back, avoiding a spray of caustic ichor. You watch, grim satisfaction on your face as the ant thrashes about, its frenzied flailing destroying the many hundreds of eggs it had labored so to create. Soon though, the vitality to even do that fades until all that remains is the reflexive twitching of an antenna as the ant succumbs to death.
A dozen strands of Rot unspool from within you, reaching out across the ground around you until it touches upon those few egg sacs that had avoided the ant's dying panic. In moments, all that remains is a sludge of protein and nutrients, a fitting fate for one who would disrupt your attempts to see your people fed and safe.
You stand over the shattered corpse of the corrupted Avatar that had claimed an abandoned section of your brother's city as its lair. In better times, an Avatar was a guide. One who dispensed both the wisdom and grace of the Erdtree. It had been an age since it could have been considered a better time. Not since Marika had shattered the Elden Ring. And as the world around it had changed, so had the Avatar changed with it.
For years uncounted, it seemed the Avatar had supped upon the dying energies of the Haligtree. And in its endless consumption, it had brought within its sap-like blood the taint of Rot. And so, it had to die. As a mercy to what the guardian had once been and for the safety of those who dwelt within your brother's city.
Tendrils of Rot begin to unspool from within the corpse of the Avatar, oozing and slick along bark-like flesh. The Full Moon passes across the sky twice before you finish your delicate task, but by the end, a pearl of putrescence sits on the ground alongside a, once again, untainted Avatar of the Erdtree.
You sigh and reach toward that putrid remnant—it could not be allowed to stay, lest it continue its corrupting influence—and let it flow into you. What was another drop of Rot to one whose soul contained an ocean?
You could feel the twisted presence of a tree-spirit sunk deep within the pond of Rot, and yet despite your efforts, you cannot find it. Or draw it to the surface. And while there are things you could do to force it to the surface, they are not the acts of one who would call themselves a protector of Elphael.
It reminded you of the time Miquella had taken you fishing. A day spent staring at a body of… liquid… and waiting for something to surface. Unlike that halcyon memory, you have neither the idle days to while away nor the presence of your brother to make the time more bearable. For now, you would have people stay away from the pond—though given the presence of the Rot, you probably didn't need to say anything—and perhaps you'd get lucky and have a chance to kill it in the future.
[all major threats defeated (or quarantined). Options to finally deal with the tree-spirit locked behind ***]
-[] Prepare farmland. Once farms dotted the thicker boughs of the Haligtree. Now they are covered in Rot and giant ants. Your soldiers may resolve both of those issues, but even once that is complete, it will require an attentive hand to ensure that the farms can be successfully restored. Cost: 100 construction. On success: subsistence farms created (+50 food per turn). Requires: Personally patrol the Haligtree or Destroy a major threat (giant ant matriarch)
--[] Elodie, Soldiers
DC 50
vs.
65 + 22 + 10 (Haligtree Soldiers) = 99
vs.
65 + 22 + 10 (Haligtree Soldiers) = 99
There was something almost meditative in developing the plans and schedules necessary to turn several hundred acres of land into farmland. That those farms would be located atop branches of a tree that stretched, in some cases, nearly a thousand spans in width, did add some complications to said plans. Things like soil and irrigation and retainment had to be solved, but then again that was the same for every farm.
No, if El had to point at a particular reason as to why her heart fairly trilled with nervous anxiety, it would have nothing to do with the task set before her. It had everything to do with the one who assigned that task.
How else was El supposed to take a request from the being she had worshipped as a goddess for as long as she could remember other than with a burning determination combined with the thrumming fear that her best would not be enough? Not that she well and truly feared censure or anything like that. But to see the understanding acceptance of Lady Finlay's failures with the farmlands last month turned toward her seemed a fate worse than death.
Fortunately, it seemed highly unlikely that El would fail in her appointed task. Her goddess had taken it upon herself to dispatch any threats that prowled their future farmlands and Lady Finlay had graciously offered her soldiers as support for the heavy labor required to settle the land. All that was left to her was to set up an overarching plan. And see it through.
It was several days after you dispatched the ant matriarch before you found yourself back in Brannoch Fork. But when you did, there was little sign that it had once been home to a giant ant colony.
You watched in idle amusement as one group of workers would drag a plow down a length of soil. Then a second group would come by with bags of seeds that they would carefully plant into the freshly tilled soil. Finally, a third group would come by with water and buckets of some aromatic fertilizer. All in all, it looked like the workings of a seasoned and well-trained group rather than what it was: a team that had been assembled less than a month ago.
"Lady Melania!" The architect of Brannoch's revitalization appears in a rush, dirt smeared liberally across her clothes and face. "I. That is if I had known you were coming-"
You cut off the increasingly panicked rambling with a gentle smile, "It looks like things are going well."
"It's still early yet, but thanks to you and Lady Finlay, I think we'll be able to beat our projections for our first harvest." El beams with pride before blinking twice and starting to wipe discreetly at the dirt on her face.
"Enough that we won't be running at a loss going forward?" You let your eyes flicker away from El and out over the rapidly transforming farmland.
"Without the appropriate spellcraft, I think we'll still fall a good bit short," your steward's face falls for a moment before brightening, "but with the ants all gone, I think there's some land nearby that we could develop next if that is your wish."
[+60 food per turn]
-[] Establish a way to spread the teachings of unalloyed gold. Unalloyed gold is your brother's philosophy. One which he extended to such limits that it could even curve the excesses of those godlike beings who dwell beyond the stars. It would be a perfect thing for those cut adrift by Marika's Golden Order to take succor within. On success: improves morale, unlocks new turn actions. Requires: apprentice level Golden Order (rank 2 of 5)
DC 50
vs.
11 + 40 = 51
vs.
11 + 40 = 51
To understand the nature of the Golden Order, one must first understand the nature of gold. This raises a question though: why gold? What is it about the metal that lends itself to the creation of both a school of incantations and also the prostheses your brother had crafted for you? Was there something inherent in gold that reflected something of the divine? And if that was the case, why did unalloyed gold also inhibit the influence of malign star-faring entities?
Those were some of the questions that began to percolate within your mind as you sat down with your brother's journals. They were also questions that you almost immediately realized were far beyond both your own understanding of the Golden Order and your brother's notes—at least the parts of it that you could understand.
So, for the moment at least, you would force yourself to set aside these larger philosophical questions and focus instead on something you could accomplish: providing the many souls that dwelt beneath the Haligtree something to believe in.
"In metallurgy, the alloying of metals results in something more than the sum of its parts."
It was odd, to stand in front of a crowd and speak upon matters of philosophy and religion to which you had never devoted much attention or care. Moreso when you see the faces of these hundreds of beings focused upon you with an intensity that you had only ever devoted to the sword—and Miquella. It was a discomforting sort of sensation to act as sage and guide for these desperate souls. Especially as the role settles around your shoulders like an ill-fitting cloak.
None of this you allow to show on your face, however. For whatever it is these men and women have come in search of, you will give to them as best you are able.
"It is a refinement by the mixing of disparate properties. In the Golden Order, we see this expressed in Marika's politics. Those whose strength could be added to the Golden Order and thereby increase its might are welcomed. Fortissax and Lansseax. The Crucible Knights. The Guardians of the Erdtree. In the mixing of all their strengths was Lleyndell made mighty. But those to whom strength was not granted, the Golden Order offers no succor."
There is not a sound save for your voice. The crowd before you could just have easily been carved from stone as flesh and blood. This. This more than anything else was not your place. Even had it not been your brother's realm, it would have never been yours. You stifle the urge to look away from the fervor burning in front of you and continue.
"But gold transformed by the addition of a thousand other metals is gold no longer. Instead, draw strength from the gold within you. Whether tarnished beyond recognition or aglow with fire and light, it matters not. For it is still gold and no one. Not I. Not Marika herself can take that from you."
No cheer rises in response to your words. This isn't a battlefield and the souls in front of you are not your soldiers, to be sent to fight and die. And yet, you feel the same stirring of emotion within them as you did that fateful day in Aeonia.
[Morale +5. Score still unknown.]
-[] Scout Elphael. "There are still unexplored areas within Elphael itself—notably the upper branches of the Haligtree as well as the depths of the undercity. While we could let the guards blunder about and awaken anything that remains sleeping, my scouts could investigate without any troublesome rampaging. On success: explores identified location, higher rolls = better rewards.
--[]Upper Branches
--[]Maeve
DC 40
vs.
31 + 24 = 55
vs.
31 + 24 = 55
The upper branches were home to a number of small communities, that much Maeve had known before she'd even set paw to her task. What she hadn't expected was just how many of them there were. Nor how far-flung they were. Nor how largely uninterested they were in joining Her growing city. That last one had been near cause for a bit of genocidal violence—no one should be allowed to reject Her beneficence and live to speak of it.
Alas, between the sheer size of the Haligtree combined and her desire to provide Her with a thorough report on every community still clinging like mold to Her tree, the violence had been forced to wait. Besides, She would probably not approve of Her Shadow returning to Her drenched in the blood of those She intended to save.
Maeve flops gracelessly down onto the chair sat opposite your desk as you finish writing out a note on the fundamental nature of gold. It was the metal of choice for both your brother and Miquella's Orders, after all, and there must have been a reason why. Finding that reason would have to wait for later, though, for while your Shadow was many things, patient was not one of them.
"Do you think that gold was chosen by Marika intentionally or is it more a matter of self-serving arrogance to relate it to her rule?" Your eyes lift from your notes, and the clawed hand that Maeve was beginning to dig into the lacquered wood of her chair stills instantly.
"With that bitch, I'd bet on the latter," she shrugs indifferently before blowing out a huff of air. "Is that how you greet your Shadow as she returns triumphantly from scouting out the countless leagues of Haligtree branches?"
"Should it not be? After all, is scouting out a tree truly so great an achievement?" Your voice lilts mockingly.
You bury a smirk as Maeve's face twists into a pout. "Such gratitude. And after I've spent the last month grinding my claws to the nubs running up and down the Haligtree."
"Hmm…" you let the complaining pass without comment. If something were wrong, she'd have said so by now. "How are things?"
"I could use a bath and someone to brush my fur," you stare blankly as your Shadow leers and eventually she sighs.
"Truly no gratitude." She mumbles, quietly, but clearly intending you to hear it nonetheless. "There's a few score of settlements, ranging from a dozen or so people to one near mid-way up that's home to several hundred people. It'd have taken far more time than I had available to figure out why they decided not to accept your offer of joining Elphael, but I can mark the larger locations if you ever find a diplomat."
"Anything else of interest?" If there were any more threats like the ant matriarch you dispatched a few days prior, you wanted to know.
Maeve shakes her head. "If there's anything up there that could hide from my nose, we won't find it until we're on top of it."
"I suppose that'll have to do."
In truth, the branches were a rather distant concern. The current population of Elphael fit easily enough into the parts of the city least worn down by time and neglect. And once El got around to clearing out some of the worst of the wreckage, the amount of liveable area would double. To say nothing of how much space there would be once the city was finally returned to what it had once been. Beyond that, you had no issue with the people who dwelt in the higher layers of your brother's tree and wanted to retain their independence.
[no major threats detected, new actions unlocked.]
-[] Assign soldiers to non-combat tasks. "Our most pressing concern is to ensure that Elphael is liveable. To that end, my soldiers could be assigned to aid in ongoing reconstruction efforts, farming, or similar activities. Anything where more hands are needed." Tag soldiers to a stewardship action to receive a bonus to the roll itself and potentially to the magnitude of the result (if successful).
--[] Finlay
Finlay stares out over a balustrade and down at the roiling sea far beneath her. In the days after she had returned her Lady to the safety of the Haligtree, it had felt like a triumph. Like victory.
But then days had turned to weeks to months to years. Throughout it all, her Lady had remained in slumber. And as she had, that feeling had slowly curdled.
She couldn't exactly say when it was that the color of her world had faded to shades of gray. Nor could she say exactly when she had retreated to a forgotten corner of Elphael, hidden from everyone, even fellow knights. It had all felt so hopeless. So pointless.
Her lady slept and the city around her crumbled. The legacy they had all joined hands to build withering away in front of her. A flicker of disgust washes across spectral features.
She had succumbed to that despair. Finlay could accept that. And at the time it had even seemed like a welcomed choice. Without flesh and blood and touches of humors, she would no longer have to drown in that morass of feeling. At least that had been her belief.
The truth had been somewhat different. All the regrets and grief of her life carried on into her death. Yet even the grayness of her not-life would have been bearable. Except.
Her Lady had fought through her own grief and despair and emerged on the other side, not whole, but far more than she was. And all she wanted now was to stand at her side again to share in the joys and triumphs once again. To bask in her light.
Finlay glances down at the spectral flesh of her hands. Now mocking her with their translucent glow.
Alas.
-[] Codify Glintstone Sorcery. "It has been years since I attended Raya Lucaria, and it would take years to truly replicate the successes of that fickle academy. However, I can begin to craft the rudiments of a curriculum. On success: Increase Glintstone sorcery by one rank (currently 1 of 5). This action is repeatable.
--[] Loretta
DC 40
vs.
2 + 20 = 22 (crit fail)
Did Malenia happen to have any books in her study instead of the library? DC???
94 = Golden Order Novice retained (1 of 5)
vs.
2 + 20 = 22 (crit fail)
Did Malenia happen to have any books in her study instead of the library? DC???
94 = Golden Order Novice retained (1 of 5)
Pale blue currents of Glintstone sorcery flicker and warp around Loretta, pulsing in time to the beat of her heart. She lashes out, not so much in spellcraft but in an explosion of wrath. The flames greedily consuming the rooms she had requisitioned for her library prove no match for the azure of her anger, but that hardly matters. Not when compared to the smell of burnt paper and the sight of so much priceless knowledge reduced to ash.
Whoever did this will die screaming.
The promise echoes in her head, engulfing conscious thought, even as her body moves like a marionette to salvage whatever she can.
[] Loretta will painstakingly reconstruct every scrap of knowledge in her burgeoning library. (Will tap Loretta for the next 2 turns. On success: library returned to its pre-burnt state.)
[] Loretta will find the perpetrators of this act of sacrilege. (Will tap Loretta for the next 1 turn. On success: the cause of the fire is determined.)
[] Loretta will work with El to ensure that this can never happen again. (Will tap Loretta for 1 turn and El for 1 turn. Costs 200 Construction resources. On success: library with fire controls constructed.)
[] Loretta will do nothing. (all library progress lost.)
[AN]
I had meant to get this out sooner but ended up playing a lot of Rogue Trader instead. So it goes.
Arc 2 - Turn 3 Options
Malenia has Two actions she may take this turn from any category. An advisor may take One action from their specific field of expertise.
New / revised option in blue
Quest: Restore Elphael
You have addressed some of the most immediate concerns that plague your brother's city. That is not to say that Elphael is in a place to thrive. Far from it. Unfortunately, where your first set of actions was accomplished in a matter of days, truly restoring Elphael will be the work of months, perhaps even years
Success conditions:
Quest: Secure Elphael
Your knights have removed the vilest of the pests that still plague Elphael, however with the Kindred of Rot slain, that just magnifies the threats that remain within the walls of Elphael. And that is to say nothing of the world outside the Haligtree. For your brother's city to thrive, it must be safe from threats that linger both within and without his great tree.
Success Conditions:
Turn Options
You look around the council room. Everyone is present except Loretta, who is busy dealing with the aftermath of the fire in the library.
"Things have been going well, we have reclaimed Brannoch Fork and should be ready for the first harvest this month. And we have the selfless collaboration of two of our number to thank for that." You dip your head in acknowledgment of El and Finlay's work. The former flushes a bright pink while the latter drops into a seated bow.
Your Shadow perks up as you turn toward her and her canine face brightens as you grace her with a smile.
"By scouting out the branches of the Haligtree, my Shadow has moved us one step closer to ensuring the safety of Elphael and has identified the location and number of myriad communities that have chosen to remain independent of Elphael."
"Beyond that, the major threats to Elphael have either been dealt with or are so deep into hibernation that it is safe to leave them be for the moment." A reflexive frown crosses your face at your failure to slay the final of those threats. "And I have begun offering the people of Elphael an alternative to the Golden Order that has so misused them."
[] Codify Glintstone Sorcery. "It has been years since I attended Raya Lucaria, and it would take years to truly replicate the successes of that fickle academy. However, I can begin to craft the rudiments of a curriculum. On success: Increase Glintstone sorcery by one rank (currently 1 of 5). This action is repeatable.
[] Collect tomes from the city. "I cannot know without searching what we will be able to find. Perhaps there are arcane or sorcerous tomes waiting in a forgotten room. More likely it will be mundane books, though, at this point, any knowledge will be valuable. On success: variable depending on books found. Each subsequent selection of this action increases the DC. This action is repeatable.
-[] Please specify either a topic or what kind of bonus you want (e.g. bonus to farming or Fell Flame incantations).
[] Train a unit. "Now that we have the basics of Glintstone sorcery codified into a training curriculum, I could begin imparting that knowledge unto any who wish to learn." On success: increases a unit's spellcraft score by 1 rank.
-[] Please specify a unit. This action is limited to units that have a spellcraft score in the tables below
New / revised option in blue
Quest: Restore Elphael
You have addressed some of the most immediate concerns that plague your brother's city. That is not to say that Elphael is in a place to thrive. Far from it. Unfortunately, where your first set of actions was accomplished in a matter of days, truly restoring Elphael will be the work of months, perhaps even years
Success conditions:
- More food is generated than consumed
- All damage caused by lack of leadership is fixed
- A source of construction and alchemistry materials is found
Quest: Secure Elphael
Your knights have removed the vilest of the pests that still plague Elphael, however with the Kindred of Rot slain, that just magnifies the threats that remain within the walls of Elphael. And that is to say nothing of the world outside the Haligtree. For your brother's city to thrive, it must be safe from threats that linger both within and without his great tree.
Success Conditions:
- All remaining threats inside of Elphael dealt with
- The lands around Elphael scouted for potential dangers
- All major dangers in the Consecrated Snowlands dealt with
Turn Options
You look around the council room. Everyone is present except Loretta, who is busy dealing with the aftermath of the fire in the library.
"Things have been going well, we have reclaimed Brannoch Fork and should be ready for the first harvest this month. And we have the selfless collaboration of two of our number to thank for that." You dip your head in acknowledgment of El and Finlay's work. The former flushes a bright pink while the latter drops into a seated bow.
Your Shadow perks up as you turn toward her and her canine face brightens as you grace her with a smile.
"By scouting out the branches of the Haligtree, my Shadow has moved us one step closer to ensuring the safety of Elphael and has identified the location and number of myriad communities that have chosen to remain independent of Elphael."
"Beyond that, the major threats to Elphael have either been dealt with or are so deep into hibernation that it is safe to leave them be for the moment." A reflexive frown crosses your face at your failure to slay the final of those threats. "And I have begun offering the people of Elphael an alternative to the Golden Order that has so misused them."
[] Search for a new advisor. Your council lacks someone who can take upon themselves the role of Diplomat, Steward, or Religious leader. Until you can find someone who you feel comfortable appointing to one of those roles, you will have to accomplish any such tasks yourself. On Success: gain a new advisor. This action may be taken once per turn. The DC for this action has significantly increased. This action is repeatable.
-[] Please specify which advisor type you want.
[] Study the Golden Order. Your brother is no longer here to craft items of unalloyed gold for you. If you want to be able to still the progression of Rot within you, you will doubtless have to do it yourself. And you could do far worse than to start where Miquella once did, with the incantations of the Golden Order. On Success: advance knowledge of Golden Order to novice (rank 1 of 5). This action is repeatable.
[] Hunt for food. There is a food shortage looming in Elphael. It can probably be resolved through the construction of additional farms, but it could also be temporarily relieved if you were to go into the snowfields and hunt for game. Gain: 1d100 + combat score food
-[] Please specify which advisor type you want.
[] Study the Golden Order. Your brother is no longer here to craft items of unalloyed gold for you. If you want to be able to still the progression of Rot within you, you will doubtless have to do it yourself. And you could do far worse than to start where Miquella once did, with the incantations of the Golden Order. On Success: advance knowledge of Golden Order to novice (rank 1 of 5). This action is repeatable.
[] Hunt for food. There is a food shortage looming in Elphael. It can probably be resolved through the construction of additional farms, but it could also be temporarily relieved if you were to go into the snowfields and hunt for game. Gain: 1d100 + combat score food
[] Reach out to the tribes of Misbegotten in the Consecrated Snowfields. Doubtless more independent than those who have already sought beneath the Haligtree, the tribes of the Snowfields could, hopefully, provide an increase in both skilled and unskilled labor available to Elphael. On success: begin negotiations with the misbegotten tribes. Requires: Scout the Snowfields action.
[] Listen to the people. Miquella always stressed the importance of listening to those you rule over. Where he could step through dreams as Saint Trina, you will have to act more prosaically. On success: reveals morale score, unlocks new turn actions.
[] Reach out to the refugees living in the branches of the Haligtree. Since those communities had initially declined your invitation to join you in Elphael, it might be helpful to go and listen to the reasons. On success: unlocks new turn actions.
[] Listen to the people. Miquella always stressed the importance of listening to those you rule over. Where he could step through dreams as Saint Trina, you will have to act more prosaically. On success: reveals morale score, unlocks new turn actions.
[] Reach out to the refugees living in the branches of the Haligtree. Since those communities had initially declined your invitation to join you in Elphael, it might be helpful to go and listen to the reasons. On success: unlocks new turn actions.
[] Begin repair of Elphael. Before restoring the buildings and the great walls of Elphael, first, you must see to it that the streets are cleared of rubble and repaved so that both goods and people may travel easily throughout the city. Cost: 50 construction. On success: minor bonus to the generation of all goods produced within Elphael. Requires: unskilled workforce
[] Expand the farms. "Brannoch was a good start, but we still have more farmers than land for them to farm. Clearing out more land will address this issue and help to resolve the oncoming food shortage. Cost: 100 construction. On success: bonus to food produced.
[] Find a blacksmith. Many things are reliant on a steady stream of worked metal, from simple commercial activities to improving the arms and armor of your soldiers. Given the nature of those who currently dwell within the Haligtree, you doubt it's as simple as walking out and finding one, but there are other places to look. On success: unlocks new turn actions. Requires: Negotiations with the misbegotten tribes.
[] Expand the farms. "Brannoch was a good start, but we still have more farmers than land for them to farm. Clearing out more land will address this issue and help to resolve the oncoming food shortage. Cost: 100 construction. On success: bonus to food produced.
[] Find a blacksmith. Many things are reliant on a steady stream of worked metal, from simple commercial activities to improving the arms and armor of your soldiers. Given the nature of those who currently dwell within the Haligtree, you doubt it's as simple as walking out and finding one, but there are other places to look. On success: unlocks new turn actions. Requires: Negotiations with the misbegotten tribes.
[] Begin spreading the philosophy. You've given a sermon on the nature of unalloyed gold. Now you need to do more to ensure its spread. On success: morale gain.
[] Create primers on Unalloyed Gold. While a sermon can capture the hearts of those who hear it, to capture their minds you need to give them more. If you create some pamphlets and posters of the tenants of Unalloyed Gold your people can begin to study it on their own. On success: Philosophy of Unalloyed Gold begins to spread.
[] Create primers on Unalloyed Gold. While a sermon can capture the hearts of those who hear it, to capture their minds you need to give them more. If you create some pamphlets and posters of the tenants of Unalloyed Gold your people can begin to study it on their own. On success: Philosophy of Unalloyed Gold begins to spread.
[] Search for an intruder. "It's possible the fire was set by accident, but if not, we can find who did it." On success: saboteur found.
[] Scout Elphael. "There are still unexplored areas within Elphael itself. Notably the depths of the undercity. While we could let the guards blunder about and awaken anything that remains sleeping, my scouts could investigate without any troublesome rampaging. On success: explores identified location, higher rolls = better rewards.
[] Train Scouts. "Given what I've seen of the dull-eyed men and women wandering Elphael, even if I could collect the best available, it will take time to turn them into an efficient unit. On success: improves scout unit, unlocks new turn actions. Requires: Recruit Scouts action.
[] Assess internal stability. "Just because I believe Elphael to be free of foreign agents does not make it so. I could take some time to personally root out any potential agents as well as assess the overall sense of security in the city. On success: reveals stability score, unlocks new turn actions.
[] Scout Elphael. "There are still unexplored areas within Elphael itself. Notably the depths of the undercity. While we could let the guards blunder about and awaken anything that remains sleeping, my scouts could investigate without any troublesome rampaging. On success: explores identified location, higher rolls = better rewards.
[] Train Scouts. "Given what I've seen of the dull-eyed men and women wandering Elphael, even if I could collect the best available, it will take time to turn them into an efficient unit. On success: improves scout unit, unlocks new turn actions. Requires: Recruit Scouts action.
[] Assess internal stability. "Just because I believe Elphael to be free of foreign agents does not make it so. I could take some time to personally root out any potential agents as well as assess the overall sense of security in the city. On success: reveals stability score, unlocks new turn actions.
[] Assign soldiers to non-combat tasks. "Our most pressing concern is to ensure that Elphael is liveable. To that end, my soldiers could be assigned out to aid in ongoing reconstruction efforts or farming or similar activities. Anything where more labor is needed." Tag soldiers to a stewardship action to receive a bonus to the roll itself and potentially to the magnitude of the result (if successful).
[] Extend guard patrols. "We've covered the most important areas of Elphael with regular patrols during both day and night, but there are still many areas that would benefit from the stability a patrol provides." On success: improves Basic Guard Patrols to Intermediate Guard Patrols.
[] Train a unit. "While not a top priority at the moment, both our knights and our soldiers have seen their skills degrade considerably. If we are to face hostile foes in the near future, I would prefer to spend time returning some measure of that skill to them." On success: unit advances one rank in skill. This action is repeatable.
-[] Please identify which unit will be trained.
[] Extend guard patrols. "We've covered the most important areas of Elphael with regular patrols during both day and night, but there are still many areas that would benefit from the stability a patrol provides." On success: improves Basic Guard Patrols to Intermediate Guard Patrols.
[] Train a unit. "While not a top priority at the moment, both our knights and our soldiers have seen their skills degrade considerably. If we are to face hostile foes in the near future, I would prefer to spend time returning some measure of that skill to them." On success: unit advances one rank in skill. This action is repeatable.
-[] Please identify which unit will be trained.
[] Collect tomes from the city. "I cannot know without searching what we will be able to find. Perhaps there are arcane or sorcerous tomes waiting in a forgotten room. More likely it will be mundane books, though, at this point, any knowledge will be valuable. On success: variable depending on books found. Each subsequent selection of this action increases the DC. This action is repeatable.
-[] Please specify either a topic or what kind of bonus you want (e.g. bonus to farming or Fell Flame incantations).
[] Train a unit. "Now that we have the basics of Glintstone sorcery codified into a training curriculum, I could begin imparting that knowledge unto any who wish to learn." On success: increases a unit's spellcraft score by 1 rank.
-[] Please specify a unit. This action is limited to units that have a spellcraft score in the tables below
Resources
Resources are generated and consumed by actions taken during turns. Shortages in resources will lead to a rapid drop in morale (especially a lack of food).
Advisors
Advisors primarily serve to accomplish the tasks that must be done that Malenia cannot devote her personal attention to. When a role lacks an advisor, Malenia must serve as that role herself.
Buildings and Improvements
This tracks both the mundane and mystical improvements made to Elphael.
Combat Units
In combat, units face off against opposing units of a similar role. If no similar role exists, they will assist the next tier down. Combat units can be upgraded or replaced, but only one will exist for each category.
Citizens of Elphael
These units reflect the industrial and artisanal capability of the people of Elphael.
Status of Elphael
This catalogs the state of the city itself and the people who dwell within.
Resources are generated and consumed by actions taken during turns. Shortages in resources will lead to a rapid drop in morale (especially a lack of food).
| Resource | Stockpile | Change per turn |
| Construction | 200 | 0 |
| Alchemistry | 100 | 0 |
| Food | 200 | -100 + 60 |
| Runes | Will be implemented once a certain level of commerce is reached |
Advisors
Advisors primarily serve to accomplish the tasks that must be done that Malenia cannot devote her personal attention to. When a role lacks an advisor, Malenia must serve as that role herself.
| Name | Role | Relevant Stat Score |
| Diplomat | ||
| Knight Commander Finlay | Marshal | Martial: 14 |
| Elodie Marais | Steward | Stewardship: 22 |
| Maeve, Shadow of Malenia | Spymaster | Intrigue: 24 |
| Loretta, Knight of the Haligtree | Mage | Learning: 20 |
| Spiritualist |
Buildings and Improvements
This tracks both the mundane and mystical improvements made to Elphael.
| Building / Improvement | Description | Benefit Provided |
| Burnt down library | Loretta is frantically trying to save what she can and reconstruct what she cannot | |
| Basic Guard Patrols | Units of three soldiers have been tasked to patrol the most well-trafficked and important sites in Elphael |
|
Combat Units
In combat, units face off against opposing units of a similar role. If no similar role exists, they will assist the next tier down. Combat units can be upgraded or replaced, but only one will exist for each category.
| Name | Role | Upgrades | Combat Score |
| Soldiers of the Haligtree | Combat unit | Panoply: 0 of 5 Spellcraft: 0 of 5 Skill: 0 of 5 Size: 1 of 5 | 6 (+3) |
| Cleanrot Knights | Elite combat unit | Panoply: 0 of 5 Spellcraft: 1 of 10 Skill: 2 of 5 Size: 1 of 3 | 18 (+9) |
| Loretta, Knight of the Haligtree | Champion combat unit | Panoply: 2 of 10 Spellcraft: 7 of 10 Skill: 4 of 10 | 16 (+8) |
| Maeve, Shadow of Malenia | Champion combat unit | Panoply: 0 of 10 Spellcraft: 3 of 10 Skill: 8 of 10 | 20 (+10) |
Citizens of Elphael
These units reflect the industrial and artisanal capability of the people of Elphael.
| Unit | Role | Upgrades |
| Misbegotten Refugees | Can perform some forms of manual labor under the direction of someone more knowledgeable | Knowledge: 0 of 5 |
| Haligtree Scouts | Can identify points of interest, potential threats, and valuable information in and out of Elphael | Spellcraft: 0 of 3 Skill: 0 of 3 Equipment: 0 of 3 |
Status of Elphael
This catalogs the state of the city itself and the people who dwell within.
| State | Score | Description |
| Morale | ??? +5 | Morale is a measure of the spirit of the people of Elphael. High morale provides an increase to resources produced, low morale reduces resources provided |
| Stability | ??? | Stability is a measure of the legitimacy of Malenia's rule. High stability provides bonuses to certain actions, low stability provides a malus to certain actions |
Vote closed