The Reluctant Vassal's Guide to Living in the Frontier (with some Treason)
- Thread starter Celeshiro
- Start date
- Original Sci-Fi
- Location
- 'Straya mate.
Honestly... I've come around on this one. Same concept as SCPAIC's vote but different expression.
[X] [Planetfall] Calenwyrm II
-[X] Location B. A rather idyllic and calm spot among the turbulent waves, a tropical getaway few would expect from such an environment.
--[X] Kingsdream
[X] [Planetfall] Calenwyrm II
-[X] Location B. A rather idyllic and calm spot among the turbulent waves, a tropical getaway few would expect from such an environment.
--[X] Kingsdream
I mean, given the system's name of Calenwyrm, feels like there's a joke to made about conquering wyrms to build paradise.
The ice dragons might be less amused by that.
there are story's about dragons guarding dreams, we might be able to spin it that way
proposal: we haven't really been able to bury the old king, let alone retrieve his body and the old flagship, hell violet has been constantly doing stuff since, so this colony might be a good excuse to give her a some sort of conclusion to her fathers death. that and i really like the idea of the first person to set "foot" on a new system being the person who died leading the old expedition, there is something poetic about that.
Vote closed
- Location
- United States
[X] [Planetfall] Calenwyrm II
-[X] Location B. A rather idyllic and calm spot among the turbulent waves, a tropical getaway few would expect from such an environment.
--[X] Kingsdream
-[X] Location B. A rather idyllic and calm spot among the turbulent waves, a tropical getaway few would expect from such an environment.
--[X] Kingsdream
Cycle 18.3
[X] [Planetfall] Calenwyrm II
-[X] Location B. A rather idyllic and calm spot among the turbulent waves, a tropical getaway few would expect from such an environment.
--[X] Kingsdream
-[X] Location B. A rather idyllic and calm spot among the turbulent waves, a tropical getaway few would expect from such an environment.
--[X] Kingsdream
Out of all the spots surveyed, the one that drew immediate attention was on Calenwyrm II. The planet itself was observed to possess a rather tropical climate, the perception non-too subtly aided by the equatorial hurricane that raged across the vast seas. Yet there was one place that was seemingly untouched by the furious winds, an almost idyllic bay situated on an island close to the northern pole. Images taken by the prior expedition team depicted a stunning and picturesque shore, the very idea of true natural beauty.
Though humanity was in the opinion that they could make it even better, and the colonists' leaders selected the option. Once the allotted time had passed, the vote was almost called unanimously to settle there. There was an eager spark of excitement and anticipation that ran through the settlers, many of whom couldn't now believe they were the first to perhaps build a paradise home for the Helmsmen. Maybe even a resort destination for all those nearby systems.
So then it was asked what name to give it, and the harmony nearly fell totally apart in a rather abrupt. Everybody had their own idea on what to put on future pamphlets and they bickered it so, trying to sound out what would be the catchiest way for travel agencies to sell packages to their city. The discussion continued on for some time and while some names were rolled out to test, none of them quite stuck.
It continued to be that way when the colony ships breached the atmosphere to make their descent down. Unlike before with the Andernia expedition, the better condition of these ships meant they could take their time and stay in the air to allow for smaller shuttlecraft to disembark first. Even while crammed in those spartan interiors and strapped tightly to their seats, more names were thrown about by the colonists, frustration slowly building in those confines when none seemed to resonate. It had almost totally consumed their attention, meaning that they almost missed the sudden jolt and bump that announced touchdown.
The safety belts were released and the bay doors slid smoothly open, letting in a gust of salty air that silenced the ongoing discussions. Slowly, hesitatingly, the colonists stumbled from floors of steel to soft sand, their every step leaving footprints on the shoreline. They inhaled the smell of the sea once more and looked on out in disbelief at just how peaceful it suddenly all was, the hum of the shuttle's engines drowning in the sound of waves crashing against the beach. Even though they could still spy the eternal hurricane that haunted Calenwyrm II so, it was quite far in the distance, beyond what any known or predicted paths of its endless voyage around the planet's equator.
Finally, one of the colonists found their voice and their words rang a note true with all of them. "Was this what we once set out to find under His Late Majesty? Is this what kings dream of?"
The last part had many considering, finding incredible meaning and significance to the unintended suggestion. Indeed, was this planet not the culmination of their ambition from so long ago, to set out to the stars to find a perfect new world? Now before them was their promised land, one who their beloved former monarch had never seen to fruition through tragedy. But maybe, just maybe, if the echo of his protection still rang in Gawain...then perhaps an echo of his dreams could come true here. The king's dream of a peaceful land.
Kingsdream.
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(System Expedition (Asenmach): 3 +10 (Violet) +10 (Wealth) = 23)
Progress: 5/8. In Progress.
The harried doctor swore violently when the medical equipment began to scream. Again. "It's already resurging in their body?!" They snarled and hurried over to administer the medicine once more. The patient, a scientist who unfortunately had a hazard suit breach that went unnoticed for hours, groaned and coughed up another wad of green phlegm before falling still. "Please tell me that the others are close to finishing up, because that was the last vial of general antitoxin!"
"They're trying their best, but it takes time to calculate and make the suitable antidote to fully cure the specific poisoning," Their assistant tiredly told with a rub at their bloodshot eyes. "They want to get it right the first time as well, lest we make it worse. That could be the general antitoxin's work for all we know."
"Unlikely, there's a reason why it's a general antidote that only delays symptoms instead of outright fixing them. The dose is light on purpose." They let out a haggard sigh and hung their head. "Ah, but would it have been worth the risk to mix up all our stock and concentrate it instead? Maybe that would've been a better fix."
"Or even worse poison." Silence fell between the two of them, both definitely feeling out of their league with this case of severe poisoning. Worst came to worst, they could beg the ship captain to make haste back to Andernia to seek out professional and well-equipped medical services, but the question was if their patient would live long enough for that. Given the rate of degradation, the answer tragically wasn't in their favor.
Then the doctor's personal communicator lit up from a message from said captain. Swiftly, they accepted and listened in with a frown. "What? There's a ship approaching…? A medical frigate?!"
"As outlandish as it may sound, the codes all check out! I couldn't believe it at first, I wasn't aware they were in the system. Though they make the oddest claim, as if I don't know what's going on my own ship. Regardless, I'm patching you to their comm network now."
"Greetings! We are members of the Imperial Saints, seeking to ease and heal suffering wherever we go. We were in transit to Andernia to perform charity when we became aware of a developing situation via a distress beacon. Was this true?"
How odd that the ship captain didn't remember activating that. But that was small pickings compared to the miraculous news. "Yes! Yes, we have an individual suffering from acute poisoning from planetary hazard exposure, and I'm all out of general antitoxin. Please, if you're the angels sent from beyond, spare some of it for us!"
"Naturally. Please hold on, we will be over shortly with a full medical team. Pray that we are not too late."
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(Colonial Expansion (Calenwyrm)): 22 +16 (Radana) +10 (Wealth) = 48)
Progress: 2/8 (Stage 1). In Progress.
Radana sighed longingly at the reports being sent back to her from the first wave of settlers. "Oh my. They all look like they're having fun over there. I'm actually a little envious now."
"Hm?" You grunted from your desk and idly signed off on some paperwork. "How? They can't have much in the way of comforts yet with all their building."
"Oh yes, they're still doing the hard part of setting up. But it's how they go about it that makes it quite the experience." She clear her throat and read aloud for your benefit. "In the morning, when it's time to get to work, the weather is often warm and sunny enough to swap to more...exposed outfits. Then they labor all day, working up quite a sweat that is then rewarded with a dip in the nearby cool ocean to bath. They emerge then to the smells and aroma of delicious foods baked in buried cooking pits that have been gently stewing all day-"
"Radana, you're my best friend, but I swear to the stars, you better stop already writing the advertising lines for the travel agencies. Otherwise, I will abdicate to take a vacation."
"Duly noted, Your Highness." Tragically, she was able to gracefully duck under the crumpled paper ball you threw her way.
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(Construct Post (Sunrise Branch-The Marquisate)): 12 +7 (Dorothea) +10 (Wealth) = 29)
Progress: 2/4. In Progress.
Dorothea was ready for anything when the security request came in. She showed up in her full attire, wearing her sacred armor and wielding blessed arms. Yet she still felt wholly unprepared for trying to help defuse and calm the irate customer without offending them so.
"So I want to open up an account here!"
"Yes. I understand, and I'm sure Sunrise Banks are eager to welcome you so."
"And it says here I should put in enough of a deposit to not get charged!"
"Indeed, it is a standard practice in the industry. Either you have enough money that they could use to help build loans which generate interest, or you pay them a maintenance fee. Something that ultimately the banks will make money from."
"Aye, I got it, and so here! My deposit."
"Sir," Dorothea phrased with every bit of diplomacy she could, "That is not a deposit. That is a freshly killed snow fox that you likely hunted this morning."
"Ah, but precious thing isn't she! Stars bless Her Majesty for allowing us to import game and letting them run wild to fill the planet, so that we could make a living! That's my living indeed, the furs easily can cover the deposit fee if you sell it."
"Sunrise Banks cannot sell it. It is beyond their purpose." Dorothea closed her eyes, mentally recited her oath, then gingerly picked up the animal corpse. I definitely will need to conduct rites of cleansing later. But in the name of House Iris, I will endure. "Please, we should take this elsewhere. Allow me to direct you to a furrier, I'm sure they will be glad to pay you for a handsome catch."
"Ah? But won't I need to pay them too?" The hunter mumbled, clearly having spent far too long out far from the city. "Will I have enough for my deposit?"
"We will see. Worst comes to worst, you simply need catch another. How does that sound?"
"Oh. Oh, I don't mind!"
"Excellent. Let's be on our way."
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(Solar Awakening (Solar Drydock)): 64 +15 (Kat) +10 (Wealth) = 89)
Progress: 3/6. In Progress.
"In the beginning, there was the mother star. The mother star was warm and bright, yet she had none to give her affections to. Alone she sat in the lonely system for an eternity, wishing to spread her love and blessings to others but she could not. She cannot, for the father galaxy forbade her from leaving.
"'Tis the nature of things,' The galaxy told her. 'To remain in place as a heaven none can bask in. To be the wish that they strive towards, but never can attain. So stay put, and let dreamers waste their lives reaching up.'"
"The mother star was devastated, but accepted it to be. Her younger sister the sun would instead be bestowed with the company she longed for. Yet ever graceful and ever generous did she wish them well and quietly sat there in a forgotten place within the father's realm, never moving to break the order of things.
"So quiet she was that when the mother star didn't even notice it when man first arrived in her domain, nor did he notice her then either…"
- Excerpt from Tales of Faith Across the Galaxy, 100th Edition
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- Been a while since I got to break out the tales and legends style. Forgot how challenging but fun it was.
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- Location
- 'Straya mate.
I should be clear, none of these questions are addressed to Celeshiro. I'm just thinking out loud because I find the idea really cool. An Andernian ttrpg setting sounds dope.
I wonder what "urban fantasy" stories might look like to the Andernians. What kind of tabletop role-playing games do they play? What would a tabletop role-playing game set in Andernia be like? How would you prevent the players of said game from pushing outside of the system? Would you? Or would they play freelancers and mercenaries of some variety? I suppose it would depend on the goals of the characters. If you start the game with objectives and responsibilities that are focused in Andernia then your players shouldn't have a reason to leave except for the occasional mission or recreational break.
I wonder what "urban fantasy" stories might look like to the Andernians. What kind of tabletop role-playing games do they play? What would a tabletop role-playing game set in Andernia be like? How would you prevent the players of said game from pushing outside of the system? Would you? Or would they play freelancers and mercenaries of some variety? I suppose it would depend on the goals of the characters. If you start the game with objectives and responsibilities that are focused in Andernia then your players shouldn't have a reason to leave except for the occasional mission or recreational break.
What would an "adventuring party" made solely of Andernians look like? I don't think players would play as knights or senior Prisms - at least not to start, but squires and junior Prisms could be an option. What other "archetypes" or classes would you have? "Marquisan" wildmen/trappers who fulfill the classic trope of a ranger? Veterans of the Sisters War, who fulfill the role of "fighter"? Would they be ex-lily guard, Bastion militia, or both? I imagine that building a Veteran character would have a lot of potentially interesting questions. Which side did you fight for? How did you react when you heard about the convoy massacre? Which Battalion did you fight in?
But how would Marquisans and Veterans scale with squires and Prisms in the late game? Do they lean more on their support/non-combat skills like Prisms, whilst Knights are the premier late-game damage dealers? If you want to upgrade your character in the style of a Helmsmen is your only option to become a knight or a Prism, or are there some levels of augmentation that are available to military, civilian, or black-market buyers? If there aren't, do other characters need to import tech from other Houses maybe?
But how would Marquisans and Veterans scale with squires and Prisms in the late game? Do they lean more on their support/non-combat skills like Prisms, whilst Knights are the premier late-game damage dealers? If you want to upgrade your character in the style of a Helmsmen is your only option to become a knight or a Prism, or are there some levels of augmentation that are available to military, civilian, or black-market buyers? If there aren't, do other characters need to import tech from other Houses maybe?
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- Location
- 'Straya mate.
Ah I thought I double-posted the exact same thing so I deleted my original post... but that was my reaction to the thread mark. Bother.
Regardless, that was a really fun update Celeshiro! I enjoyed every part of it a lot but I think the little bit of myth/scripture was my favourite - just.
Regardless, that was a really fun update Celeshiro! I enjoyed every part of it a lot but I think the little bit of myth/scripture was my favourite - just.
The title of this thread mark is cycle 13.2, but it seems like it was meant to be 18.3.
The Solar Drydock was originally listed as requiring 6 progress but was shown as needing 8 in this update.
These were probably meant to be "worse" instead of "worst".
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Violet : *Whistles innocently*
I do draw a lot of inspiration from other TTRPGs, so it leaking through into the setting isn't a surprise. Honestly, I think you could probably make a general one based off traversing the galaxy ala Starfinder with varied parties of all different people. That's half the reason that I mentioned the Starblazer Guild in passing when talking about civilian organizations- it's an adventurer's guild!
Good catch, thanks for the fixes!
- Location
- 'Straya mate.
I forgot to mention in the possible typos but should the description of The Marquisate be updated now that they have successfully imported wildlife onto the planet? Hardly a priority I'd imagine but it might be neat.
Additionally the cycle threadmark is now thirteen point three (13.3) as opposed to eighteen point eight(18.8). All good if that's deliberate but it does not appear to be.
Additionally the cycle threadmark is now thirteen point three (13.3) as opposed to eighteen point eight(18.8). All good if that's deliberate but it does not appear to be.
EDIT: In my typo post I have a typo. Two, arguably. It should be 18.3 not 18.8, as Celeshiro noticed. I try to anyways, but it's a good reminder to always stay humble about stuff like this.
EDIT the 2nd: Dorothea's roll this cycle seems to have used her Intrigue or Martial rather than her Stewardship. I don't believe it would make a difference but it can be handy to know for next time.
EDIT the 2nd: Dorothea's roll this cycle seems to have used her Intrigue or Martial rather than her Stewardship. I don't believe it would make a difference but it can be handy to know for next time.
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Oh my, that is quite the mistake. Seems thankfully though the recalc is still the same result bracket, so should still be good.
Cycle 19.0
When you had finally given into Radana's wicked tortures of describing Kingsdream, you promptly demanded time out of your office to catch a break. You didn't quite care where to or how long, you simply needed a vacation from all the work had buried you ever since your coronation. You were the Solar Queen dammit, you deserved a vacation somewhere, somehow!
In hindsight, you should have definitely been far more specific and now glared at your traitorous best friend. "I said I wanted a breath of fresh air."
"You did indeed. The atmosphere here is rated safe for human consumption."
"I said I wanted to travel to somewhere new."
"That is true. I believe this is your first time on the planet, unless you've been sneaking out again."
"I haven't done that since we left- oh, you know what I mean!" You snapped and pointedly glared at the world beyond the vehicle windows. "I can't believe you set me up like this. How could you?"
"Because since the memorial was finished, you still haven't paid your respects once yet and people are starting to get antsy," Radana flatly told with a small sigh. "Not to say that they don't still support your rule, but given the purpose of its construction is to honor the royal family, acknowledging it so is only the expected social gesture. Given that you possess the sociability of a cat being told to it was to be bathed, I anticipated that a certain degree of...omission would be needed to set you on the path."
You loudly huffed and looked away. After a moment, your friend's face softened and she shook her head. "But if you truly take offense and don't wish to make a public appearance at the Princess Memorial, then arrangements could still be made. Just tell me now, and I swear to you I will make it happen."
"No, it's...dammit, I hate that you make sense in convincing me to do these and more," You groused and leaned your head back, the tension fading from your shoulders. "If you say it's politically necessary, then it really is. I trust that you won't just shove me into extra stuff that I don't actually need to do."
Her head bobbed up and down. "Of course. I've even already taken a few liberties in arranging your visit. There's no expected speech, no expected after-party, not even a need to visit the new Lycoris Sanctuary," She listed reassuringly and patted your arm. "All you need to do is show your face, and let me handle the gossiping. Just look like you're in mourning, so nobody can approach you with good reason. If anybody dares, deflect them to me and I'll make sure you won't be bothered so."
You noisily exhaled, but there was no denying the thankful tone in your voice. "I'd appreciate it."
"And I'm grateful to you for understanding too," Radana professed, placing a hand to her chest. "Please, enjoy your time in Bastion. Take as long as you wish to study that which has been dedicated to the blood of House Iris."
Only a few minutes later and the vehicle pulled up to its destination, a large memorial park not far from the Bastion city center. It was actually the former airbase that once housed the recommissioned 92nd Intercessor Airwing, before your invading army had captured and destroyed the facilities. The hanger with its accompanying features had since been torn down and removed, the same as the broken tarmac was once littered with bullet casings. The churned ground had then been tilled and carefully cultivated into the sight today, capped with a protective glass dome to aid in controlling the environment for optimal growth.
One would think a glasshouse was hot on purpose but compared to the sweltering heat Bastion was cursed by from the nearby volcanic sea, you found it rather refreshing. Not quite to the degree of your perfectly controlled office space, but enough so that you weren't sweltering like you would have been walking anywhere without protection on the planet. Perhaps you could find an excuse to wear your Guardian suit the next time you visited, it did have internal heating and cooling systems.
You shook it off now and braced yourself when the waiting reporters finally realized who had just stepped into the memorial park. A thousand flashes later, along with a plastered smile that felt like it was going to slid off your face at any moment, then Radana managed to wrestle you free of the ever-hungering news chasers. You stayed silent the whole time, watching your best friend wheel and deal with her noble diplomatic finesse, directing the crowd into touring a little side garden exhibit detailing the study of flame blossoms with her.
It meant that following a single nod in your direction from her, Radana was able to draw away the petitioners from you and give you some alone time. The silence that accompanied it meant that there was nothing to distract you from your own thoughts either, especially when you slowly stepped forwards towards the heart of the converted airport. Small little exhibits and placards of varying flora growing about faded away, leaving only the raw natural beauty on show with naught to quantify it so. It seemed then that whoever designed the place at least knew that some things were better experienced than explained.
You spotted the centerpiece work first, the lone statue that stood out amid the soil beds that surrounded it so. The construct was forged in a rather familiar alloy combination but without the heat of the star to make it blessed so, leaving it dull and mundane instead of the sacred material your people worshiped. The appearance was of a rather nondescript and rather plain-looking young girl in a simple dress, beaming and holding out a similarly metal flower crown to those who visited. It was mounted on a podium to give it a bit of extra height but even then, you could practically see eye to eye with it.
Regarding the flora around it, the selection was surprisingly sparse. Indeed much of the space actually laid fallow, the soil ready to receive seeds yet untouched otherwise. The only filled bed was that of a vivid crimson flower, a specimen that you were quite familiar with. After all, it had been the deciding factor when it came to you choosing a place to make planetfall...and start a new civilization.
There was no escaping it anymore. You looked away from the flame blossoms and stared into the unmoving face of the little girl, she who supposedly represented all the Solar Princesses of House Iris now and then. This included you but you knew the memorial symbolically encompassed more than just the Princesses, yet not just the Princes as well. No, you were sure of it, it was for all those of House Iris who had been lost over time, from your siblings who hated you so to your father who loved you too much.
In the silence of their eternal absence, neither extremity seemed to matter now. Idly, you wondered if the eldest, the First Princess who was the presumed heir, had managed to claim the seat of House Iris back on Helm. Or if, following the loss of both their ruler along their most sacred text, the state of legitimacy had been truly shaken and chaos ensued. You absently recalled that while the First Princess did have her own followers and some support from others of royal blood, she also happened to have no small amount of enemies and rival claimants waiting to pounce to steal her position away. Such heated bickering and simmering conflict was most unbecoming of their position, yet it was quietly permitted by the late Solar King so, or at least tolerated. You knew he did not like it, but given that the Helmsmen had by then established a reputation as the Stellarch's Iron Flowers, an open disapproval of them honing their ability against one another would only cause a confused image.
Not to mention that to some degree, the constant competition to overcome each other had indeed sharpened their respective talents. All were naturally educated and trained martially, but it was in other areas where valuable supplementary skills were developed. Some were like your best friend, developing an ability for gossip and rumor to perfect conceal diplomatic ambition. Many turned out like your sisters, whichever one, priding themselves on their ability to produce coin for whatever end. A few managed to even become academically enlightened, their faith in the knowledge of solarium spurring aspirations of greatness.
Then there was you and your half-brother. Your stupid, idiotic sibling who thought he himself above all because he dabbled in your same chosen craft, but poorly. Your fist tightened in memory of his decapitated head rolling about on that doomed flagship, his developed vices earning him the rare open censure from His Late Highness. The fool did touch upon spycraft but only a shallow dip, unlike the misdirections you cloaked yourself in. Yet a few underhanded deals beneath the table with interest foreign powers propelled forward an ego that think him a made man already, able to indulge in whatever he saw fit. Hence the scandalous incident that saw him forever attached to your father's side to keep an eye on.
A few moments passed while you depressingly reflected on how the two children who worked in the shadows turned out so different in fates. He had all but slew his own sire, while you had inherited the actual position to carry on so. The more you thought about it, the more bitter it was when you finally got the chance to think about it all. The estranged sibling, the illegitimate daughter, the bastard child that should have stayed on Mars with her mother, the unexpected and hidden blessing for a troubled empire.
Yet that child had the audacity to yearn for a different sort of life. You closed your eyes and sighed, opening up to see the statue of the little girl had changed in your mind's eye. Now you saw a young girl in some of the finest cloth that could be purchased in the United Empire holding her hands out, begging her troubled sire to be her knight. To whisk her far away from the trappings of her birth, to something less grander, less ostensible, less sociable. Someplace where she could remain in the shadows forever, never needing to talk to anybody, never fearing that the circumstances of her blood could shatter the trust of the Iron Flowers.
Well, she was taken, and what had happened? Only the shattering of what could have been a happy family. Only the furthering of internal turmoil of a heroic house. Only the death of a great man who was a necessary pillar of support for the Stellarch back then, in more ways than one.
You were proof of that, after all.
Still, when you gazed upon the begging girl, you reminded yourself of a critical fact. It wasn't fair to just think of yourself here. You closed your eyes once more and in the darkness of your mind, you could envision it. Your siblings, each of them young like her, holding out their hands in a silent plea. All of them wanting to prove themselves to the one who had sire them, whose legendary ascension meant great expectations were placed upon them since birth. There was much to prove, that they were indeed children of a great Solar King. More importantly, there was the pressure to prove that House Iris was not just a simple flash of genius, that the bloodline was equally as valid to so many others across the United Empire.
Then there you came along, tainting their efforts with your mongrel blood. The gazes from all the young children including yourself intensified, hands reaching out in anger, in demand, in retribution. You whose position now betrayed all of them, the leader of House Iris despite your best efforts to remain otherwise. It was spitting on their memories and efforts and labors to get this far, only for a mysterious turn of fate to make it all for naught.
Finally, you opened your eyes and stared at the still smiling statue once again. It was unchanged, as if the pained and hurt cries of those young House Iris hadn't just bothered you so. You were alone still, yet you spoke openly to the statue now, uncaring of the madness it could be. "I can't ever say that I'm sure I made the right decision then about what heritage to follow. Even if I did later change my mind, the moment the I was gifted with solarium, there was no going back. The path was set there and then to come into conflict with so many.
"Maybe had I decided to stay, to muster just a bit more to endure my birth, everybody dead now could still be alive. Would we have been better siblings then, if introduced that way?" You idly mused with a hum. "Honestly speaking, I don't think so. All of you were...distasteful in your own way. Overbearing, intolerant, and manic. Unfit for the responsibilities of your blood. Hah.
"Am I a hypocrite if I speak of such?" You gave one last long look at the memorial before coming to a choice. In a single smooth gesture, you made a gesture of prayer to the memory of your lost family, the first time you were able to mourn them since. "Either way, if I shy away now, abscond from the duty before me, it would truly waste your memory. So I won't abdicate, just yet.
"Especially when I need to look out for what surviving family I do have left, however distant they might be." With that, you turned and left the Princess Memorial. Hopefully, by the next time you visited, more flowers would have been added to the collection through your efforts to live in this galaxy.
In hindsight, you should have definitely been far more specific and now glared at your traitorous best friend. "I said I wanted a breath of fresh air."
"You did indeed. The atmosphere here is rated safe for human consumption."
"I said I wanted to travel to somewhere new."
"That is true. I believe this is your first time on the planet, unless you've been sneaking out again."
"I haven't done that since we left- oh, you know what I mean!" You snapped and pointedly glared at the world beyond the vehicle windows. "I can't believe you set me up like this. How could you?"
"Because since the memorial was finished, you still haven't paid your respects once yet and people are starting to get antsy," Radana flatly told with a small sigh. "Not to say that they don't still support your rule, but given the purpose of its construction is to honor the royal family, acknowledging it so is only the expected social gesture. Given that you possess the sociability of a cat being told to it was to be bathed, I anticipated that a certain degree of...omission would be needed to set you on the path."
You loudly huffed and looked away. After a moment, your friend's face softened and she shook her head. "But if you truly take offense and don't wish to make a public appearance at the Princess Memorial, then arrangements could still be made. Just tell me now, and I swear to you I will make it happen."
"No, it's...dammit, I hate that you make sense in convincing me to do these and more," You groused and leaned your head back, the tension fading from your shoulders. "If you say it's politically necessary, then it really is. I trust that you won't just shove me into extra stuff that I don't actually need to do."
Her head bobbed up and down. "Of course. I've even already taken a few liberties in arranging your visit. There's no expected speech, no expected after-party, not even a need to visit the new Lycoris Sanctuary," She listed reassuringly and patted your arm. "All you need to do is show your face, and let me handle the gossiping. Just look like you're in mourning, so nobody can approach you with good reason. If anybody dares, deflect them to me and I'll make sure you won't be bothered so."
You noisily exhaled, but there was no denying the thankful tone in your voice. "I'd appreciate it."
"And I'm grateful to you for understanding too," Radana professed, placing a hand to her chest. "Please, enjoy your time in Bastion. Take as long as you wish to study that which has been dedicated to the blood of House Iris."
Only a few minutes later and the vehicle pulled up to its destination, a large memorial park not far from the Bastion city center. It was actually the former airbase that once housed the recommissioned 92nd Intercessor Airwing, before your invading army had captured and destroyed the facilities. The hanger with its accompanying features had since been torn down and removed, the same as the broken tarmac was once littered with bullet casings. The churned ground had then been tilled and carefully cultivated into the sight today, capped with a protective glass dome to aid in controlling the environment for optimal growth.
One would think a glasshouse was hot on purpose but compared to the sweltering heat Bastion was cursed by from the nearby volcanic sea, you found it rather refreshing. Not quite to the degree of your perfectly controlled office space, but enough so that you weren't sweltering like you would have been walking anywhere without protection on the planet. Perhaps you could find an excuse to wear your Guardian suit the next time you visited, it did have internal heating and cooling systems.
You shook it off now and braced yourself when the waiting reporters finally realized who had just stepped into the memorial park. A thousand flashes later, along with a plastered smile that felt like it was going to slid off your face at any moment, then Radana managed to wrestle you free of the ever-hungering news chasers. You stayed silent the whole time, watching your best friend wheel and deal with her noble diplomatic finesse, directing the crowd into touring a little side garden exhibit detailing the study of flame blossoms with her.
It meant that following a single nod in your direction from her, Radana was able to draw away the petitioners from you and give you some alone time. The silence that accompanied it meant that there was nothing to distract you from your own thoughts either, especially when you slowly stepped forwards towards the heart of the converted airport. Small little exhibits and placards of varying flora growing about faded away, leaving only the raw natural beauty on show with naught to quantify it so. It seemed then that whoever designed the place at least knew that some things were better experienced than explained.
You spotted the centerpiece work first, the lone statue that stood out amid the soil beds that surrounded it so. The construct was forged in a rather familiar alloy combination but without the heat of the star to make it blessed so, leaving it dull and mundane instead of the sacred material your people worshiped. The appearance was of a rather nondescript and rather plain-looking young girl in a simple dress, beaming and holding out a similarly metal flower crown to those who visited. It was mounted on a podium to give it a bit of extra height but even then, you could practically see eye to eye with it.
Regarding the flora around it, the selection was surprisingly sparse. Indeed much of the space actually laid fallow, the soil ready to receive seeds yet untouched otherwise. The only filled bed was that of a vivid crimson flower, a specimen that you were quite familiar with. After all, it had been the deciding factor when it came to you choosing a place to make planetfall...and start a new civilization.
There was no escaping it anymore. You looked away from the flame blossoms and stared into the unmoving face of the little girl, she who supposedly represented all the Solar Princesses of House Iris now and then. This included you but you knew the memorial symbolically encompassed more than just the Princesses, yet not just the Princes as well. No, you were sure of it, it was for all those of House Iris who had been lost over time, from your siblings who hated you so to your father who loved you too much.
In the silence of their eternal absence, neither extremity seemed to matter now. Idly, you wondered if the eldest, the First Princess who was the presumed heir, had managed to claim the seat of House Iris back on Helm. Or if, following the loss of both their ruler along their most sacred text, the state of legitimacy had been truly shaken and chaos ensued. You absently recalled that while the First Princess did have her own followers and some support from others of royal blood, she also happened to have no small amount of enemies and rival claimants waiting to pounce to steal her position away. Such heated bickering and simmering conflict was most unbecoming of their position, yet it was quietly permitted by the late Solar King so, or at least tolerated. You knew he did not like it, but given that the Helmsmen had by then established a reputation as the Stellarch's Iron Flowers, an open disapproval of them honing their ability against one another would only cause a confused image.
Not to mention that to some degree, the constant competition to overcome each other had indeed sharpened their respective talents. All were naturally educated and trained martially, but it was in other areas where valuable supplementary skills were developed. Some were like your best friend, developing an ability for gossip and rumor to perfect conceal diplomatic ambition. Many turned out like your sisters, whichever one, priding themselves on their ability to produce coin for whatever end. A few managed to even become academically enlightened, their faith in the knowledge of solarium spurring aspirations of greatness.
Then there was you and your half-brother. Your stupid, idiotic sibling who thought he himself above all because he dabbled in your same chosen craft, but poorly. Your fist tightened in memory of his decapitated head rolling about on that doomed flagship, his developed vices earning him the rare open censure from His Late Highness. The fool did touch upon spycraft but only a shallow dip, unlike the misdirections you cloaked yourself in. Yet a few underhanded deals beneath the table with interest foreign powers propelled forward an ego that think him a made man already, able to indulge in whatever he saw fit. Hence the scandalous incident that saw him forever attached to your father's side to keep an eye on.
A few moments passed while you depressingly reflected on how the two children who worked in the shadows turned out so different in fates. He had all but slew his own sire, while you had inherited the actual position to carry on so. The more you thought about it, the more bitter it was when you finally got the chance to think about it all. The estranged sibling, the illegitimate daughter, the bastard child that should have stayed on Mars with her mother, the unexpected and hidden blessing for a troubled empire.
Yet that child had the audacity to yearn for a different sort of life. You closed your eyes and sighed, opening up to see the statue of the little girl had changed in your mind's eye. Now you saw a young girl in some of the finest cloth that could be purchased in the United Empire holding her hands out, begging her troubled sire to be her knight. To whisk her far away from the trappings of her birth, to something less grander, less ostensible, less sociable. Someplace where she could remain in the shadows forever, never needing to talk to anybody, never fearing that the circumstances of her blood could shatter the trust of the Iron Flowers.
Well, she was taken, and what had happened? Only the shattering of what could have been a happy family. Only the furthering of internal turmoil of a heroic house. Only the death of a great man who was a necessary pillar of support for the Stellarch back then, in more ways than one.
You were proof of that, after all.
Still, when you gazed upon the begging girl, you reminded yourself of a critical fact. It wasn't fair to just think of yourself here. You closed your eyes once more and in the darkness of your mind, you could envision it. Your siblings, each of them young like her, holding out their hands in a silent plea. All of them wanting to prove themselves to the one who had sire them, whose legendary ascension meant great expectations were placed upon them since birth. There was much to prove, that they were indeed children of a great Solar King. More importantly, there was the pressure to prove that House Iris was not just a simple flash of genius, that the bloodline was equally as valid to so many others across the United Empire.
Then there you came along, tainting their efforts with your mongrel blood. The gazes from all the young children including yourself intensified, hands reaching out in anger, in demand, in retribution. You whose position now betrayed all of them, the leader of House Iris despite your best efforts to remain otherwise. It was spitting on their memories and efforts and labors to get this far, only for a mysterious turn of fate to make it all for naught.
Finally, you opened your eyes and stared at the still smiling statue once again. It was unchanged, as if the pained and hurt cries of those young House Iris hadn't just bothered you so. You were alone still, yet you spoke openly to the statue now, uncaring of the madness it could be. "I can't ever say that I'm sure I made the right decision then about what heritage to follow. Even if I did later change my mind, the moment the I was gifted with solarium, there was no going back. The path was set there and then to come into conflict with so many.
"Maybe had I decided to stay, to muster just a bit more to endure my birth, everybody dead now could still be alive. Would we have been better siblings then, if introduced that way?" You idly mused with a hum. "Honestly speaking, I don't think so. All of you were...distasteful in your own way. Overbearing, intolerant, and manic. Unfit for the responsibilities of your blood. Hah.
"Am I a hypocrite if I speak of such?" You gave one last long look at the memorial before coming to a choice. In a single smooth gesture, you made a gesture of prayer to the memory of your lost family, the first time you were able to mourn them since. "Either way, if I shy away now, abscond from the duty before me, it would truly waste your memory. So I won't abdicate, just yet.
"Especially when I need to look out for what surviving family I do have left, however distant they might be." With that, you turned and left the Princess Memorial. Hopefully, by the next time you visited, more flowers would have been added to the collection through your efforts to live in this galaxy.
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- Since we have a turn where all actions are carrying over, have a bit of a narrative character dive. It's only appropriate given that the next cycle features the first Senate vote to determine your hopes and aspirations for leading.- Location
- Poland
Im wandering what dear old dads deal was? Like, he clearly loved Violet very much and she turned out fine but he did a bad job with the rest. Our sister notes how he apparently never showed his true born children the kind of love and care Violet had. It reads to me like they have a lot of issues and crave validation from their father which implies they rarely got it but again, judging by Violets example he doesn't seem like the neglectful type but something clearly went wrong.
They all seems to hate Violet but are arguably worse to each other then her. Plus father doesn't seem like the type to cheat? Even if his marriage was political he got along well enough with his wife to have more children then an heir and a spare plus from our sisters message part of their hate was how Violets existence dishonoured and shamed their mother so she at least want neglectful of they cared about her that much.
Was he too busy going all over the United Empire being the Stellarchs enforcer and as such he and his wife drifted away and he grew distant from his children? Because it seems more and more like a good deal of the blame for this whole clusterfuck of a family is with the Solar King and Stellarch rather then the kids just all being little shits by nature.
They all seems to hate Violet but are arguably worse to each other then her. Plus father doesn't seem like the type to cheat? Even if his marriage was political he got along well enough with his wife to have more children then an heir and a spare plus from our sisters message part of their hate was how Violets existence dishonoured and shamed their mother so she at least want neglectful of they cared about her that much.
Was he too busy going all over the United Empire being the Stellarchs enforcer and as such he and his wife drifted away and he grew distant from his children? Because it seems more and more like a good deal of the blame for this whole clusterfuck of a family is with the Solar King and Stellarch rather then the kids just all being little shits by nature.
Cycle 19.1
(System Expedition (Asenmach): 83 +10 (Violet) +10 (Wealth) = 103)
Progress: 9/8. Completed!
Asenmach has been fully explored. Total Starting Resources: 38
Following the near-disaster that was losing somebody to a breached hazard suit, special care was taken to gingerly explore the final world in the system. Asenmach I was the closest planet to the local star but yet it actually had the least natural heat on it, resulting in a mostly frozen wasteland the stretched across the land. Even the volcanoes had dimmed and faded, their energies spent and disappointing swiftly in the frozen atmosphere. Careful observation revealed the cause of this to be the way Asenmach I and Asenmach II orbited, the former actually finding itself in the shadow of the latter the vast majority of time.
Little wonder then why the acidic planet was actually even worst than expected, given it was absorbing the solar radiation meant for two. The researchers shook their heads and recalculated, coming to the conclusion that it was still habitable in the end. Just barely so, and likely with far more heavy-duty aids compared to even the extreme temperature polarities of Andernia.
That was assuming House Iris wanted to claim the bothersome system so close to House Archon.
(Colonial Expansion (Calenwyrm)): 35 +16 (Radana) +10 (Wealth) = 61)
Progress: 4/8 (Stage 1). In Progress.
"Is that a villa already mapped out on the plans?" The city designer frowned and rubbed their chin thoughtfully. "Isn't that a little too ambitious already? Sure, everybody has basic housing, but to already allocate some of it to private ownership?"
"Comes straight from the top chief," The presenting subordinate replied with a shrug. "Suppose it's a privilege of rank and all that. First pickings to the best sight and section of the shore."
"Mmh." After a few minutes of further thought, they begrudgingly gave a curt nod. "Fine, keep the revision. We've already got more than enough for everything else, and I guess the area would have been developed and auctioned off later. Might as well skip all the building later to get paid now."
"The buyer did specify no hard deadline, so we can just use the free funding for building the city and worry about it later. Let's take advantage of that!"
(Construct Post (Sunrise Branch-The Marquisate)): 70 +7 (Dorothea) +10 (Wealth) = 87)
Progress: 5/4. Completed!
A Sunrise Bank has been built in The Maquisate, increasing Wealth by three (3) and decreasing Resources by one (1).
Dorothea eyed up and finally gave in, running a finger along the magnificent coat of white fur to feel just how smooth it was. "How luxurious," She eventually declared and turned to the pleased hunter with a sigh. "Fine. If you are this insistent, I will accept it as a gift. Much as it is rather frowned upon, I suppose an exception this time. It is a rather special occasion."
"Think nothing of it!" They thrust the pelt into the Lycoris Knight's hands and dusted their hands, shaking off a bit of snow from their gloves. "I owe you for introducing me to the the furrier. They were so skilled, making sure to skin them so perfectly that I could take the rest to the butcher without loss. That's what matters most."
"Oh? But surely this is the most valuable part?"
"Maybe, but that doesn't mean it's right to let the rest just go to waste." A sour expression crossed their face and they thumped a hand against their chest for emphasis. "Just about every fellow hunter I know share this golden rule- don't waste what you take. If we're going to take a life, we're going to make the most of it to appreciate the gift so. You don't shoot for pride- you shoot to live."
She hummed and looked at the snow fox fur with a renewed sense of appreciation. "A rather wonderful belief, a sort of nobility in the rugged wilderness that many Brilliance Knights could do to learn. Thank you for showing it to me so."
"No worries. Next time you visit, maybe ditch the armor and grab something a few generations old- it's more traditional that way!'
(Solar Awakening (Solar Drydock)): 64 +15 (Kat) +10 (Wealth) = 89)
Progress: 7/6. Completed!
Void Drydocks may now be upgraded to Solar Drydocks.
"In time, the mother sun became slowly aware, recognizing the mortal beings rom that of her sister's realm. Yet she kept her silence still, bound by the rules set forth by the father galaxy. She observed and watched for generations, her courage and interest slowly growing with every passing cycle to unearth that ancient desire for company. Finally, one day, she mustered up the courage and spoke to one of them.
"'Why do you seek me out?' She asked. 'Why do you not go to my sisters and brothers? I am no special star. I possess nothing the others would have and more to gift. Surely, your people feel trapped here then, and should leave for better worlds.'
"'Better worlds where we would be rejected and turned away because we are not special either,' The human told her plainly with a smile. 'We possess no might or gift to make ourselves worthwhile, only sharp minds and willing souls. If you are talentless, then we are too. So let us band together in this prison then to see where it goes. Tis better with company after all.'
"The mother star was moved, touched by the willing nobility of these mortals, those who would spend an eternity if with her. And so she did resolve herself to commit betrayal of the divine, to gift these kind mortals a new future even should it cost her own.
"With all the energies she had saved up all these years, she reached out and plucked a fruit of metal from the heavens, a morsel of mystery she presented now to her guests. 'Here then. Behold solarium, that which is made up of our essence. I gift you now something that will cost my very life. May your people use it to bargain an escape to better worlds.' She thrust it into their hands and fled then, leaving the world to face her punishment.
"And indeed it was to be, for her actions were unthinkable sacrilege of the highest kind, to steal the divine fruits and gift them to the unworthy. For her sin of theft, the mother star was to be chained and silenced forever. Her actions rippled farther still and soon, it was decreed all the stars were to depart to a new galaxy, leaving behind only the empty shells of their being. Soon, the humans would consume them and so there was no value in taking them too. Only the mother star was to be left behind, forever chained and sentenced to watch the consequences of her stolen gift in eternal stillness.
"Now alone, the human beheld the solarium and held it high. 'A sacrifice so noble cannot be so valued so cheaply as a simple gift to be spent,' They cried and thrust it into themselves to become the first Brilliance Knight. 'It is not the might you gift us. It is knowledge that we shall honor thus and forever hold dear to our hearts.' The solarium became one with their body and with it, the knowledge to make more of its kind from the abandoned bodies of the gods was revealed.
"So then did the mother star watch on as a single fruit that was meant to be spent turned into a seed that became an orchard. She cheered in silence at the rise of the Helmsmen. She wept in silence at the fall of the Helmsmen. She prayed in silence at the rebirth of the Helmsmen. And when the time came, she offered in silence her empty vessel to the Helmsmen.
"For there was no greater gift a mother could give her beloved children than a new future of their own making."
- Excerpt from Tales of Faith Across the Galaxy, 100th Edition
Progress: 9/8. Completed!
Asenmach has been fully explored. Total Starting Resources: 38
Following the near-disaster that was losing somebody to a breached hazard suit, special care was taken to gingerly explore the final world in the system. Asenmach I was the closest planet to the local star but yet it actually had the least natural heat on it, resulting in a mostly frozen wasteland the stretched across the land. Even the volcanoes had dimmed and faded, their energies spent and disappointing swiftly in the frozen atmosphere. Careful observation revealed the cause of this to be the way Asenmach I and Asenmach II orbited, the former actually finding itself in the shadow of the latter the vast majority of time.
Little wonder then why the acidic planet was actually even worst than expected, given it was absorbing the solar radiation meant for two. The researchers shook their heads and recalculated, coming to the conclusion that it was still habitable in the end. Just barely so, and likely with far more heavy-duty aids compared to even the extreme temperature polarities of Andernia.
That was assuming House Iris wanted to claim the bothersome system so close to House Archon.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Colonial Expansion (Calenwyrm)): 35 +16 (Radana) +10 (Wealth) = 61)
Progress: 4/8 (Stage 1). In Progress.
"Is that a villa already mapped out on the plans?" The city designer frowned and rubbed their chin thoughtfully. "Isn't that a little too ambitious already? Sure, everybody has basic housing, but to already allocate some of it to private ownership?"
"Comes straight from the top chief," The presenting subordinate replied with a shrug. "Suppose it's a privilege of rank and all that. First pickings to the best sight and section of the shore."
"Mmh." After a few minutes of further thought, they begrudgingly gave a curt nod. "Fine, keep the revision. We've already got more than enough for everything else, and I guess the area would have been developed and auctioned off later. Might as well skip all the building later to get paid now."
"The buyer did specify no hard deadline, so we can just use the free funding for building the city and worry about it later. Let's take advantage of that!"
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Construct Post (Sunrise Branch-The Marquisate)): 70 +7 (Dorothea) +10 (Wealth) = 87)
Progress: 5/4. Completed!
A Sunrise Bank has been built in The Maquisate, increasing Wealth by three (3) and decreasing Resources by one (1).
Dorothea eyed up and finally gave in, running a finger along the magnificent coat of white fur to feel just how smooth it was. "How luxurious," She eventually declared and turned to the pleased hunter with a sigh. "Fine. If you are this insistent, I will accept it as a gift. Much as it is rather frowned upon, I suppose an exception this time. It is a rather special occasion."
"Think nothing of it!" They thrust the pelt into the Lycoris Knight's hands and dusted their hands, shaking off a bit of snow from their gloves. "I owe you for introducing me to the the furrier. They were so skilled, making sure to skin them so perfectly that I could take the rest to the butcher without loss. That's what matters most."
"Oh? But surely this is the most valuable part?"
"Maybe, but that doesn't mean it's right to let the rest just go to waste." A sour expression crossed their face and they thumped a hand against their chest for emphasis. "Just about every fellow hunter I know share this golden rule- don't waste what you take. If we're going to take a life, we're going to make the most of it to appreciate the gift so. You don't shoot for pride- you shoot to live."
She hummed and looked at the snow fox fur with a renewed sense of appreciation. "A rather wonderful belief, a sort of nobility in the rugged wilderness that many Brilliance Knights could do to learn. Thank you for showing it to me so."
"No worries. Next time you visit, maybe ditch the armor and grab something a few generations old- it's more traditional that way!'
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Solar Awakening (Solar Drydock)): 64 +15 (Kat) +10 (Wealth) = 89)
Progress: 7/6. Completed!
Void Drydocks may now be upgraded to Solar Drydocks.
"In time, the mother sun became slowly aware, recognizing the mortal beings rom that of her sister's realm. Yet she kept her silence still, bound by the rules set forth by the father galaxy. She observed and watched for generations, her courage and interest slowly growing with every passing cycle to unearth that ancient desire for company. Finally, one day, she mustered up the courage and spoke to one of them.
"'Why do you seek me out?' She asked. 'Why do you not go to my sisters and brothers? I am no special star. I possess nothing the others would have and more to gift. Surely, your people feel trapped here then, and should leave for better worlds.'
"'Better worlds where we would be rejected and turned away because we are not special either,' The human told her plainly with a smile. 'We possess no might or gift to make ourselves worthwhile, only sharp minds and willing souls. If you are talentless, then we are too. So let us band together in this prison then to see where it goes. Tis better with company after all.'
"The mother star was moved, touched by the willing nobility of these mortals, those who would spend an eternity if with her. And so she did resolve herself to commit betrayal of the divine, to gift these kind mortals a new future even should it cost her own.
"With all the energies she had saved up all these years, she reached out and plucked a fruit of metal from the heavens, a morsel of mystery she presented now to her guests. 'Here then. Behold solarium, that which is made up of our essence. I gift you now something that will cost my very life. May your people use it to bargain an escape to better worlds.' She thrust it into their hands and fled then, leaving the world to face her punishment.
"And indeed it was to be, for her actions were unthinkable sacrilege of the highest kind, to steal the divine fruits and gift them to the unworthy. For her sin of theft, the mother star was to be chained and silenced forever. Her actions rippled farther still and soon, it was decreed all the stars were to depart to a new galaxy, leaving behind only the empty shells of their being. Soon, the humans would consume them and so there was no value in taking them too. Only the mother star was to be left behind, forever chained and sentenced to watch the consequences of her stolen gift in eternal stillness.
"Now alone, the human beheld the solarium and held it high. 'A sacrifice so noble cannot be so valued so cheaply as a simple gift to be spent,' They cried and thrust it into themselves to become the first Brilliance Knight. 'It is not the might you gift us. It is knowledge that we shall honor thus and forever hold dear to our hearts.' The solarium became one with their body and with it, the knowledge to make more of its kind from the abandoned bodies of the gods was revealed.
"So then did the mother star watch on as a single fruit that was meant to be spent turned into a seed that became an orchard. She cheered in silence at the rise of the Helmsmen. She wept in silence at the fall of the Helmsmen. She prayed in silence at the rebirth of the Helmsmen. And when the time came, she offered in silence her empty vessel to the Helmsmen.
"For there was no greater gift a mother could give her beloved children than a new future of their own making."
- Excerpt from Tales of Faith Across the Galaxy, 100th Edition
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- The adjusted and fixed progress for the Solar Drydock did slightly throw me off on the pacing of the myth. Hopefully it still comes across as an interesting spiritual take on the miracle that is solarium for the Helmsmen.
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hmm I'd like to advocate for more tech, this time warfare. mostly because we don't know just how far behind we are in terms of both offensive and defensive, and with how aggressive most of our "peers" are, we are definitely going to need a advantage, be it numbers or tech and since we have an extremely limited amount of projects we can have going at once, i'm going to say tech.
- Location
- 'Straya mate.
I will just say that building up spies and cells in our neighbours/rivals allows us to conduct "Military Salvage" to get an idea of their military structure. Hopefully that potentially includes things like how their troops are armed.
I agree that taking some time for military build-up is probably wise, however I believe creating our first Knightly Order is a better choice. Maybe we could have Dorothea start building up spies and cells in the Houses we anticipate coming into conflict with, whilst Violet builds the Solar Drydock or engages in some more civilian Research.
I also think we should build a garrison chain in Asenmach as soon as we are able to. It will set the economy back 6 Wealth but it will also more than double our net basing capacity. I would vote for building a Fleet Port, and building a cruiser drydock in Calenwyrm around the same time or just before.
EDIT: It's not relevant right now but could we please get an Informational that lists our current deck of stratagems - including their costs, and effects - as well as any stratagems we have devised but do not currently have in our deck?
Something listing all our battlegroups and their current leaders would also be nice please.
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Stratagem Collection
(0) Raise Supporters. Announce to all that it is not too late to join the fight. That all hands are welcomed, should they but heed the call of duty and enlist in a scratch unit to quickly arm themselves with whatever they can. Cost is equal to the current Militia Level. Will increase Militia level by two (2). Spawns free Militia units.
-This stratagem is always available and does not count towards the total maximum.
(1) Stir Hearts. Give bombastic and optimistic projections, while also reminding the locals of the hardships suffered at the hands of the opposition. Sow the seeds for further local support. Costs two (2) Command Points. Will decrease current Militia Level depending on chance.
(2) Discourage Dissidents. Broadcast on all frequencies and all stations that the current conflict is not worth dying for. It is better for those prospective patriots on the opposing side to stay at home and watch from the sidelines to see how it all unfolds. Costs two (2) Command Points. Will increase the opposing side's Militia Level depending on chance.
(3) Hidden Paths. Utilize all available scouting teams and local liaisons to find new hidden pathways on planets to open up a new dimension of campaign movement. Take the initiative with rapid relocation. Costs one (1) Command Points. Ground units on this planet can move two (2) planetary spaces this Subcycle.
(4) Underway Repairs. Go over and redo patchwork repairs with more well-put together fixes, preparing ships for more engagements without needing to retreat to a dockyard. Engineers will work overtime to glue their hosts back together, perhaps even still even doing so while battle is about to be joined. Costs two (2) Command Points and ten (10) Resources. All ships in orbit around this planet regenerate 2d10 Hull immediately (minimum six (6)).
(5) Informed Strike. Have intelligence officers pour over and carefully mark out local targets of high importance. Then pass it down to sure pilots to get rid of. Costs two (2) Command Points. Directed Airstrikes this Subcycle on this planet gain a +10 Modifier.
-This stratagem is always available and does not count towards the total maximum.
(1) Stir Hearts. Give bombastic and optimistic projections, while also reminding the locals of the hardships suffered at the hands of the opposition. Sow the seeds for further local support. Costs two (2) Command Points. Will decrease current Militia Level depending on chance.
(2) Discourage Dissidents. Broadcast on all frequencies and all stations that the current conflict is not worth dying for. It is better for those prospective patriots on the opposing side to stay at home and watch from the sidelines to see how it all unfolds. Costs two (2) Command Points. Will increase the opposing side's Militia Level depending on chance.
(3) Hidden Paths. Utilize all available scouting teams and local liaisons to find new hidden pathways on planets to open up a new dimension of campaign movement. Take the initiative with rapid relocation. Costs one (1) Command Points. Ground units on this planet can move two (2) planetary spaces this Subcycle.
(4) Underway Repairs. Go over and redo patchwork repairs with more well-put together fixes, preparing ships for more engagements without needing to retreat to a dockyard. Engineers will work overtime to glue their hosts back together, perhaps even still even doing so while battle is about to be joined. Costs two (2) Command Points and ten (10) Resources. All ships in orbit around this planet regenerate 2d10 Hull immediately (minimum six (6)).
(5) Informed Strike. Have intelligence officers pour over and carefully mark out local targets of high importance. Then pass it down to sure pilots to get rid of. Costs two (2) Command Points. Directed Airstrikes this Subcycle on this planet gain a +10 Modifier.
Planned Invasion. Prepare and ready troop ships for immediate orbital insertion upon arrival to a hostile planet, forcing them through any hostile resistance to get boots groundside. Costs two (2) Command Points. Ground Units this Subcycle can land on planets upon immediately entering local orbit. They may only do this once each.
Transit Jump: Optimize and micromanage the timetables of transport craft going between orbit and atmosphere, forcing as much efficiency out of the system as possible. They must run on time. Costs three(3) Command Points. Ground Units this Subcycle can enter move from planets to local planet for free this turn. They may only do this once each.
Transit Jump: Optimize and micromanage the timetables of transport craft going between orbit and atmosphere, forcing as much efficiency out of the system as possible. They must run on time. Costs three(3) Command Points. Ground Units this Subcycle can enter move from planets to local planet for free this turn. They may only do this once each.
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