The Republic! (A Warhammer City State Quest)

[butchock]

"Brothers! Sisters! Rejoice! For You are True to the Cause! Freedom is at hand!"
- seditious pamphlet found in Altdorf, Empire of Sigmar.

"The greatest and most powerful revolutions often start very quietly, hidden in the shadows. Remember that."
- last words of famed agitator Marie Richter before being burned at the stake, Remas, Tilea.

"Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Clever Ranald! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!"
- famous speech of The Fox before the 1st Montfort Rebellion in Brettonia.

​

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Sartosa... Fair Sartosa... Dread Sartosa...

A den of scum and villainy... Its streets full of murderers, rapists, thieves and madmen. Its Slave Markets bring wealth and misery in equal measure while its ports bring treasure and exotic items from all over the known world, from liquid metal found in the isles south of Cathay to purple rice from the western shores of Naggaroth. The ancient Elven Ruins as well as the abandoned Dwarf Hold on this dreaded isle is home to both the penniless and the so-called Pirate-Lords, if the latter ever stayed for more than a week. The nightlife of Sartosa is both raucous and exciting, while its also true that not a day goes by where at least a single dead body is found on the Main Street of Sartosa. It is even said that it is an ill omen if no one dies in a bar brawl or in a gun duel...

Yet, for all its faults, the isle of Sartosa is the only bastion of democracy in the Old World. Inventors and mages, philosophers, and free-thinkers, idealists and agitators flock to the island to seek like-minded individuals and to exchange ideas, talk politics, and to experiment on social change.

This is the place where the first fires of true democracy and republicanism took root. This is the place where a group of individuals decided that the time of talk has passed and it is now the time to act. Their eyes have opened to the evils of the so-called nobility across the Old World, and the Pirate-Lords themselves are no different. Some of these Idealists even believe that Freedom is worth any price.

For was this cause not righteous and just? Freedom is the greatest gift that one can give to oneself and one's family, for is it not true that the common man has suffered slavery, tyranny and oppression? The people have endured enough! It is time to rise up and take what has been denied them for far too long!

Slowly but surely, the spark soon became a conflagration... and then suddenly, everything changed... but what kind of Revolution, was it?

Pick One

[] Bloody Uprising!
- It all began with a peasant girl being gunned down in the street for no reason other than her limp annoyed a passing pirate-lord. Such blase cruelty was the straw that broke the camels back. A brick was thrown, then another, then a full riot broke out! the local militia was called to kill every single rioter, but in a strange twist, the militiamen themselves forsook their vows to their masters and joined the masses to bring down the rule of the merciless pirates. The pirate-lords and slave-masters though swore that every single peasant will be hunted down and killed if they don't go back to their homes. They called for mercenaries and their own personal armies. But they underestimated the people of Sartosa and the resolve and thirst for vengeance within them. Soon, some were shouting "down with the bourgeoisie!" while others dumped tea into the harbor, claiming that it was a symbol of the excessively rich. The city became a battlefield, with streets changing hands every hour and soon spread to every other town and village across the island. Fires raged unchecked, destroying both property and lives. There were looting, rape, and death... so much death... By the time the dust settled, all of the pirate-lords are dead and the group of idealists that threw the first stones and bricks formed a Revolutionary Council. Hopefully, enough blood has been spilled and that it is now time to heal and rebuild...

Pros:
- No more lords and masters, you have a clean slate, to make a paradise or a hell on Earth depending on the wishes of the Council.

Cons:
- No free structures, democracy/republicanism/communism/other radical idea will spread slower even stymied.

[] Civil Disobedience?
- the group pooled all of their resources to buy a Printing Press to spread their radical point of view, that every man is free and not a beast of burden. While peasant rebellions and "popular" uprisings have been known since time immemorial, the growth of a more literate population and the wonders of new technology would spread the message farther and wider than ever before. The hindrance though, is that they would have to rely on the good graces of the pirate-lords to spread the message. This was not a good idea as the group later found out. They were all arrested and their base systematically destroyed. For while the pirate-lords believe in democracy, it is a democracy only for them and no one else. This group of naive idealists was to be keel-hauled the following day but fate intervened. A storm and earthquake combination like no other hit Sartosa so hard that after a single day of devastation nothing remained standing on the island except for a single structure. The group then managed to free themselves from their cells and surveyed the island. The pirate-lords are nowhere to be seen while survivors wander around the city aimlessly. There is opportunity here if this group of idealists are brave enough to seize it...

Pros:
- One free Random Structure, democracy/republicanism/communism/ other radical idea will spread normally and would be harder to stop.

Cons:
- The pirate-lords are still out there and factionalism will start earlier and will be harder to please.

 

[butchock]

wow... that was a pretty one-sided vote!

Also, I like the ways you guys behave so far, your idealism is a credit to the Cause...

Btw, Democracy is not the only thing that you will be spreading. Radical ideas like other alternate governments and social reforms will be included.

Lastly, there will be a rumor/news section. Whether said rumor is true or not, depends on how far that place is to Sartosa.

@GhostKing 666 thank you for pointing that out! I didn't pick any other Tilean City-State due to their current government styles which would make a popular revolt almost impossible...
Remas = Triumvirate
Luccini = Oligarchy
Trantio = a true principality currently
Pavona = Oligarchy
Verazzo = a true republic until the merchant families took over the elections.
Miragliano = currently a warzone
Tobaro = a true principality
Monte Castello = dictatorship?
Spaarta = dictatorship?
Lambrusco = undead/vampire court?
Organza = theocracy?

and as to Marienburg, the Directorate does not welcome popular representatives into their ranks, particularly de Kuypers.

edit: also will post the timeline and update later, but Karl Franz is an old man at this time.

 

[butchock]

A painting of Sartosa Burning in the distance

Militiaman: "I'm sure we can all pull together, sir."
Officer: "Oh, I do hope not. Pulling together is the aim of despotism and tyranny. Free men pull in all kinds of directions."
- A conversation snippet during The Revolution​

----

The Crime of Being Born

Sartosa was basically destroyed by the glorious uprising of the people against their masters. The pirate-lords and their men's remains were dumped into the sea to be feasted upon by the fishes and its other denizens below. The reconstruction effort however, would prove to be troublesome as squatters and the homeless already moved in to the few surviving homes of the ousted 'nobility' while those that have some kind of shanty-housing cried foul over this. Both groups claimed to have bled for the Revolution and while those with cooler heads ensured that there would be peace for now, the situation caused a lot of grumblings but so far said issue was not put forward before the Council.

No, the first issue that was put forward before the council is the matter of the dwarf named Blackaxe, who according to those who knew him, is a friendly and helpful fellow, well-liked by all and was among the first to rise up in the name of the masses. He was reputed to be the one that slain the Bloody Princess' arms master. a feat worthy of song yet he remains humble. By all accounts, the dwarf is a hero yet his love and zeal for the Revolution took a dark turn when he personally executed no less than 8 children of the pirate-lords, from the ages between 1-7, rumor has it that the youngest that he killed was by kicking the obviously pregnant wife of Captain Redhook. A lot of folk were horrified by this yet when asked to explain himself, the dwarf told of his days as a soldier in the army of Zhufbar, a dwarven hold located south of the Empire. Back then, an Imperial noble family failed to meet their end of a contract hence his name was written down in the Book of Grudges. Years later, their new king having fixed the internal problems within Zhufbar then led an invasion to said noble's land. They destroyed the latter's army and captured the noble family, they later learned that the original noble has been long dead and the one that they had captured is his great-great grandson and his kin. The dwarf-king executed them anyways down to the babe. The reasoning of course, is that the Book of Grudges is a far more important justification than the lives of said nobles. He further stated that while the people of Sartosa has no physical example of said Book of Grudges, the spirit of it lives on in every heart and mind of oppressed people everywhere. and what he did was in the name of the People and Justice. Many then approved of his actions and he gained no small following due to his honesty. A lot though is still sickened by his act, would the Revolution really justify the act of child-murder?

How would the Council React?
[] He is to be executed. the Dwarf is guilty of murder, regardless of the fact that those he killed were children of the pirate-lords. (+10 Civil Disorder)
[] He is to be banished. his life is to be spared due to his service to the Revolution yet his actions cannot be tolerated.
[] He is to be pardoned. What's done is done, and the children are from the class-enemy anyway, the people understands this.

Slave Trade is one of the reasons for Sartosa's prestige and wealth. Slaves from every race, color, and creed can be found in its Forum of Flesh. These slaves of course vary depending on the buyers needs, and the Forum trains them as per the market's trends. Hence, some are trained to be scholars while others as slave-soldiers, and even more as bed-slaves. Yet, during the Revolt, the Forum of Flesh was destroyed and the slaves were freed, a lot more though were killed during the fires. Some of the former slaves then helped in the struggle while most just tried to stay out of the way. After the fires were put out, a lot of the free men and women that fought for the Revolution wanted to claim those slaves that didn't fought and the servants of the pirate-lords for themselves arguing that the latter disgraced the Cause. Some of the more mercantile-thinking type then argued that without slaves, the island would soon starve due to the weakening of the agriculture while fishing alone cannot realistically support the population. Still, the majority though want the slaves to be freed, Sartosa is no Verezzo or Pavona where democracy and freedom is only to those that can afford it! The right to be free from bondage is one of the pillars of the Revolution and to choose anything less is a betrayal to the Cause!

How would the Council react to the current slaves and slavery in general?
[] Slavery is banned now and forever! All are equal! (slave-traders will avoid Sartosa, can no longer build Unique Structure: Forum of Flesh)
[] Slavery is to be limited. Some just needs to be at the bottom pole to make those at the top feel better. (+20 Civil Disorder, Can continue trade with slaver nations and races after 5 turns, can rebuild Unique Structure: Forum of Flesh)
[] Slavery is allowed to continue as before! (+40 Civil Disorder Can continue Slave-trading immediately, can rebuild Unique Structure: Forum of Flesh, +50 gold)

While the Pirate-Lords are no more, they still have children and family remaining on the island, most of them that survived hid underneath the tunnels in the old Dwarf Hold. All of the survivors just want to leave Sartosa, yet they can't due to being unable to purchase passage aboard the few trading vessels currently trickling back into the island and due to the fact that the people roaming the streets and the woods are not finished with the "Purges". Having heard that a Council has been formed, they then decided to send an emissary to discuss terms. The pirate-lords families' beg for mercy and the possibility to return to their homes to salvage whatever they can before leaving the island never to set foot in its shores ever again. While these negotiations happened behind closed doors, the People might not like it once they discover that the Council is willing to deal with their class-enemy.

How would the Council react to the terms?
[] Accept
[] Refuse


AN: this post has not been beta-tested and I am not a native English speaker, any helpful criticism is appreciated.

 

[butchock]

"No great idea in its beginning can ever be within the law. How can it be within the law? The law is stationary. The law is fixed. The law is a chariot wheel which binds us all regardless of conditions or place or time. "
-Excerpt from The Contemplations by Emilia Aurum (banned across the Old World)​

Rumors and News (year 2532)
(Building a Foreign Office and/or a Propaganda Network would increase the reliability of said Rumors and News)

The Kingdom of Kislev (unreliable rumor)
- After a long and eventful reign, Tzarina Katarin is abdicating the throne in favor of her son, Prince Vasily the Ursunkin. The prince is rumored to be a renowned officer, poet, and reformist. He is proving to be a headache to the entrenched nobility in the Boyar. His only known supporters at court are, surprisingly, the Priests of Dazh, while the Priesthood of Ursun are divided in supporting him and the Priests of Tor opposing him.

The Empire of Sigmar (unreliable rumor)
- Emperor Karl Franz has ruled the mighty Empire for 3 decades and continue to remain strong at the age of fifty. His son and heir though, Prince Luitpold remains sickly to this day after defeating a Chaos Champion. Karl Franz is rumored to be spending political capital to ensure that Luitpold is elected still. His daughter, Princess Sophia, is currently travelling the countryside in a goodwill tour that will end in Kislev to pay respects to the new tsar.

The Kingdom of Brettonia (plausible rumor)
- After the 10th peasant uprising in so many years. the Duke of Montfort has decided to tighten the laws even discarding some that favors the peasantry. The ringleaders of said revolts came from the barony of the Ramberts who, until recently, boasts the intelligence and literacy of their people. The location of the Ramberts are currently unknown.

The City-States of Tilea (reliable news)
- After a decade of unceasing combat, the Battle of Miragliano has turned in favor of the Tileans. The mass-production of the bird-shaped gas masks, arbalests, light cannons, and flamethrowers. Plus the creation of elite units like the Raptors and the logistics, strategy, and tactics to use them properly in urban warfare has pushed the rat-men back with a few stubborn strongholds left in the middle of the city, the most infamous of which is known as Ratov's Hovel. The Miragliano High Command however, is confident that said strong-point would fall soon during the planned Winter Offensive.

edit: the rest of the world will react to what happened to Sartosa next turn....

 

[butchock]

Spoiler: Winning Votes

[]He is to be pardoned. What's done is done, and the children are from the class-enemy anyway, the people understands this.
[]Slavery is banned now and forever! All are equal! (slave-traders will avoid Sartosa, can no longer build Unique Structure: Forum of Flesh)
[]Refuse

The Battle of Sartosa​

"My fear was not of death itself, but a death without meaning."
- Blackaxe the Brave​

-----

Freedom Is Not Free

When the final judgment was announced regarding Blackaxe, it was met with cheers and praise from the populace. The dwarf himself merely grunted his approval like he expected nothing less. The "execution" of the children of the pirate-lords were not only a necessity but a righteous and just act so that they can never again threaten the lives and liberties of the People. The decision though also gave heart to those conducting "Purges" in the countryside, executing anyone known or rumored to be related to a pirate-lord and those that decided to help them, naming the latter as traitors and sympathizers. Currently it is unknown what the true death toll is in the countryside, and those who would have objected merely held their peace in fear of being branded as sympathizers and to meet the same fate as the pirate-lords. Some within the Council though voice their concerns regarding "excesses" of zeal.

Will The Council rein back this Righteous Purge?
[] Yes, there is a limit to such things. (+10 Civil Disorder)
[] No, the fires and passion of the Revolution still burns bright, such is not to be discouraged but encouraged!

(Civil Changes: The People becomes more militant, Free Speech is strangled in infancy, The Ends Justifies The Means, ???)

A few days later, the Council refused the terms passed on by the emissary of the hiding family members of the Pirate-Lords, most of which are women and children. The man was not surprised by the decision yet he truly hoped that there was still a shred of "decency" within the Revolutionaries. The man then confessed that he used to be a slave and he would have fought for the Revolution given the chance, but not like this. The Council then wisely ordered than the emissary be followed. A few days later, the shadowing agents returned and reported that they were not able to track down the emissary once he reached the underground mines of the old Dwarf Hold, as well as to find the tunnels where the remaining Pirate-Lords families are hiding. Rumor has it that a dwarf servant was the one that led the surviving Families to the mines to begin with. The agents were confident however that those survivors would soon starve unless they surface soon. While the Council shares the same confidence, these men still failed in their task, ergo they failed the Cause and the People...

Would the Council punish these men?
[] Yes, The People has decided that the Families are to be exterminated, are these men lax in their duties and hence traitors to the Cause?
[] No, no one is perfect, this include elves, orks and dwarfs. We must expect and forgive the weaknesses inherent in the People.

The looting and the "redistribution" of wealth from the former masters and on to the People has ended. With the more organized, cunning, and vicious getting the lion's share of wealth and treasures while the majority ended up with a few minor trinkets or nothing at all. According to some this is intolerable, for have they not fought and bled equally as brothers-in-arms for the Cause? Those that took the lion's share however countered that they did most of the hard work, killing the champions of the pirate-lords and storming their strongpoints, hence why they got to the treasures in the first place. Furthermore, they argued that the wealth is not just for them but for the widows and children of the men that were killed in storming said strongholds. The merchants, intellectuals, and other citizens with property though sided with the latter with the opinion that those who worked more should deserve more. While some within the Council had the idea of just confiscating the Wealth, one look outside their windows and seeing the rows of street lamps each with a hanged family member of the pirate-lords, as well as 'other' traitors swaying in the breeze and carrion birds pecking out their eyes, gave them pause.

How would the Council distribute the Wealth "liberated" from the Oppressors?
[] Side with those wishing equal distribution. (+50 gold)
[] Back those that took the lion's share. (+30 gold)

Slavery is banned! No more will the People live in fear of being dragged in the night from their beds and to be sold as cattle in foreign markets! No more will the People toil in chains from dusk till dawn under the watchful gaze and terrible whips of their masters! No more will the People die in poverty and starvation while their masters and exploiters feast upon their sweat, blood, and tears! Freed folk and Citizens alike rejoiced when the official declaration was announced but once the celebrations and revelry has passed, a group of former slaves petitioned the Council to be allowed to return to their homes, ranging from Tilea to Norsca, even from far Nippon. The problem was that they do not have enough coin to buy for passage. Another headache that has risen up is that most slaves used to work on the farms, ships, or as prostitutes with only a few trained as teachers, scribes, and soldiers. Due to the fact that slavery has been lifted, the former farm slaves left in droves to seek opportunities elsewhere which would cause problems in the agricultural sector if not remedied quickly enough. The citizens on the other hand, do not like the new competition that their actions have brought but so far they are holding their tongues.

How would the Council react to the former slaves' petition? (Can use the money earned from the above options)
[] Buy them passage and wish them well (-20 gold)
[] Tell them that it will be considered in another time (+10 Civil Disorder, Question will be raised again in turn 5, former slaves will do something else...)

The streets of Sartosa are clean enough and the fires have died down, you can now build/repair structures (1 building per turn)
[] Repair the Harbor (level 1) Costs: 30 gold (+10 gold per turn, unlocks opportunities, finishes in 2 turns)
[] Build A Market (level 1) Costs: 20 gold (+5 gold per turn, gold earned per turn increases depending state of roads, harbor, trade relations, finishes in 1 turn)
[] Build a Guild Hall (level 1) Costs: 20 gold (Removes 10 Civil Disorder every 5 turns, unlocks opportunities, finishes in 1 turn)
[] Build A Printing Press (level 1) Costs: 10 gold (Allows the spread of Propaganda, finishes in 1 turn)
[] Repair the roads from Sartosa to Carpio. Costs: 50 gold (+20 gold per turn, finishes in 3 turns)
[] Save the money this turn

Unique Structures/ Projects (unique structures will be built by friendly factions (as kong as they are happy) by using a d100 roll per turn, players can buy additional dice for said turn by spending Points)
[] The Golden Arches of Freedom (Cost: 0/500)
- A symbol of everything that Sartosa holds dear and sacrificed much to gain.
- All factions start with an approval of 10, this will never be negated unless the Council seriously alienate the said faction.

[] Monument to the People (Cost 0/500)
- A statue dedicated to the pillars of the Revolution, the Common folk.
- Strife roll between the races in Sartosa will be rolled every 10 turns instead of 5. the dice must roll between 76-100 instead of the original 51-100 to trigger a race riot.

Current Gold in the Treasury: 5 gold
Current Dice: 1

 

[butchock]

"The educated ones leave, the ones with the potential to right the wrongs. They leave the weak behind. The tyrants continue to reign because the weak cannot resist. Do you not see that it is a cycle? Who will break that cycle?"
-words of Adichi the Asur
​

Rumors and News (year 2532)
(Building a Foreign Office and/or a Propaganda Network would increase the reliability of said Rumors and News)

Foreign Reaction to Sartosa's Regime Change (Plausible Rumor)
The reception of the popular uprising in Sartosa by the majority of the various kings, nobles, and courtiers in the halls of power scattered across the Old World can best be described as indifference, indeed some even cheered when they learned about the demise of the dreaded pirate-lords in the said rogue-state. Hence, the news that trickled in from said island a few weeks later quickly changed their smiles into frowns. The upper classes were horrified by the barbarity of the peasants towards their "victims", that anything related to democratic-thinking was destroyed while peasant leaders, reformist and educators were brutally tortured then killed. The nobility of course, did not see the hypocrisy of their actions.

While It is true that the upper classes across the Old World hated and fought the pirate-lords, they still saw them as members of their class, they were part of the ruling elite, and for a mob of unwashed peasants to not only kill them and their descendants but to hunt them down like animals and to display their bodies to be gawked at were too dreadful to imagine. The Tilean nobility was so disgusted, that the city-states of Remas and Verezzo, both of which have long masqueraded as republics so as not to disenfranchise their commoners and peasants, finally had the justification to remove the last vestiges of class representation and peasant-rights in their respective cities.

In Estalia, the various kings and church-leaders of the Cult of Myrmidia expanded the orders of the Inquisition to not only hunt down Chaos cultists, witches, and sorcerers but to include republicans, democrats, or any other person that would champion the peasantry. In Brettonia, the nobles of Parravon, who had a long culture of terrorizing their peasantry felt more justified than ever, ridiculing the nobles of Montfort and their 'peasant-loving' ways. The situation in Brettonia got so bad, that there is now a call that peasants serving in castles must pay their lords for the privilege in living in such a place of 'luxury'. This call proved to be so popular that King Leon might ratify it as a Law of the Land.

Meanwhile, the propaganda machine of Karl Franz in the Empire of Sigmar was having a field day due to this news as well. They sensationalized it even further, calling the Revolutionaries as cannibals who not only killed the children of the pirate-lords but feasted upon their remains. The sensationalists went even further, by reviving the 'supposed' monstrous actions of the commoners during the Window Tax Riots and even the famed hero Felix Jaeger, now an old man, was attacked in his home for being an agitator in his youth as well as being a well-known 'peasant-lover'. Those that attacked him though soon regretted their hasty decision. It was no surprise then that some members of the clergy of the cults of Sigmar and Ulric petitioned their leaders to denounce the People of Sartosa as Servants of the Ruinous Powers, as well as to create more sermons justifying the rule of the nobility over the masses. In Marienburg, the Directorate and the De Kuypers family cracked down on their enemies with the excuse that "they wish to cause terror by introducing the twin sins of suffrage and representation".

The Boyars of Kislev simply laughed away the People and the Revolution, they believe that their peasants are too stupid to get any ideas on their heads and that Sartosa might as well be a magical place, imagine a place where it doesn't snow and with water as far as the eye can see!

The Empire of Sigmar (unreliable rumor)
- Princess Sophia, daughter of Karl Franz, has finished her tour of Ostermark and is on her way to Ostland. So far, the various Elector-Counts are all smiles and no beastman, orc, or vampire has troubled the princess since her journey began.

fifes and drums of the Miragliano Musketeers​

The City-States of Tilea (reliable news)
Miragliano: the Winter Offensive begins!
Trantio: the aging Prince Marco Colombo swears before Verena to "save" the poor souls in Santosa.

----

AN: please point out any errors, thank you! while I personally detest British imperialism, I love their fifes and drums!:lol

 

[butchock]

Spoiler: Voting Results

[] Yes, there is a limit to such things. (+10 Civil Disorder)
[] No, no one is perfect, this include elves, orks and dwarfs. We must expect and forgive the weaknesses inherent in the People.
[] Side with those wishing equal distribution. (+50 gold)
[] Buy them passage and wish them well (-20 gold)
[] Repair the Harbor (level 1) Costs: 30 gold (+10 gold per turn, unlocks opportunities, finishes in 2 turns)
[] Monument to the People (Cost 0/500)

-Sartosan Militia Marching Tune

"A revolution is not a dinner party, or writing an essay, or painting a picture, or doing embroidery; it cannot be so refined, so leisurely and gentle, so temperate, kind, courteous, restrained and magnanimous. A revolution is an insurrection, an act of violence by which one class overthrows another."
- Blackaxe the Brave​

------

Sons of Liberty

In news that absolutely shocked everyone in Sartosa, the Peoples' Council has decided to rein in the "passions" of the People in prosecuting the class enemy. The more hot-headed then started to murmur that maybe "sympathizers" can be found more closer to home. A few choice words however shamed them of such thought. Yet the seed of doubt regarding the Council's ability to lead has been questioned. Wisely, the Council has started drafting the election process and the first election will be held sometime later that year. Needless to say, the People were overjoyed regarding this turn of events.

However, while no man should be denied the right to vote, there are those in some circles that believe a 'certain' portion of the population should not be allowed to do this due to their delicate natures and their traditional place at home. They are of course talking about women. They further justified this reasoning that while the womenfolk "helped" in the Revolution, the actual fighting were done by the male of the species. A few then pointed out that some women took on duties like merchants and farmers, and not a few shuddered when they remembered the rein of the Bloody Princess, the vast majority of women were said to be happy on their designated gender roles and do not need the additional worry and headache that voting may bring. The Council seriously contemplated this decision, for there is no sign of malice that can be gleaned by those who suggested it, but honest-to-goodness belief that what they are doing is in the best interest of women and in order to protect them. Really, they are being proper gentlemen here and are treating every woman as a delicate lady to be fawned over.

How would the Council react regarding Women's suffrage?
[] No, they should not vote, it is in their best interest.
[] Yes, a woman can and should do anything a man can.

After that mental exercise, the Council went back on the issue regarding the terms of the election and how long should the new leader of Sartosa remain in power? More than ten years of course is a definite no. But should a leader be allowed to run several times?

How long should the Leader serve in office?
[] 4 years, he can run for no more than 2 consecutive terms
[] 4 years, 2 terms no exceptions and extensions
[] 6 years, can only serve once
[] write-in

When the agents were detained for questioning instead of being let go after the debriefing, some literally pissed their trousers then and there. They really do not want to end up like those 'examples' hanging on every street lamp in the city. But hey, the additional street lamps would make Sartosa one of the brightest cities in Tilea. When they were eventually freed and even congratulated for their efforts, the agents swore that they would sooner die than fail the People of Sartosa. The Council nodded and accepted such oaths however there are some in the Council that believe that their biggest asset is the fear that they inspire, if no one is made an example of soon, the People may soon become lax in their duties.

(Civil Change: Caesar is Merciful)

The People again were ecstatic when the Council decided in favor of the Equal Distribution of Wealth. The distribution to the People however, got out of hand early and that instead of only those who fought (and their widows and children) which would receive a share, those who have stayed in the sidelines, the recently freed slaves, as well as visiting sailors received a portion of the loot! In some sectors though, like those who lost the lion's share, the merchants, and artisans believe that this would start a bad precedent, with the People expecting a handout for every windfall that happens in favor of Sartosa.

Another interesting development due to the recent policies of the Council is the formation of the Equalists Bloc under the leadership of Adichi Nenil the Asur. This elven scholar traveled to the Old World from Ulthuan a hundred years ago to study humanity, and he became so fascinated by humans and its politics that he became among its foremost political experts. He sprouts words like proletariat and the bourgeoisie when he speaks to his students. Currently he is also campaigning to have a Printing Press built.

(Faction Unlocked: The Equalists Bloc)

The recently freed slaves who have decided to return to their homelands are grateful for the assistance and would never forget the generosity of the People of Sartosa. The Council is also hopeful that these freedmen will not soon be taken by the various secret police once they set foot in their homelands. Speaking of Secret Police, while the People are still passionate about the Revolution there are those that had the gall to grumble and question the righteous decisions of the Peoples' Council. Is it time for Sartosa to build a secret police of their own who would not only monitor the Peoples' loyalty but also for any reactionary and/or counter-revolutionary thoughts?

What is the Council's Decision?
[] Yes, it is ultimately to the benefit of the People and the Cause (upkeep starts at Turn 5)
[] No, we must trust our People to think of what's right.

Current Building Project:
Harbor: will finish next turn

Unique Project:
Monument to the People (97/500)

Current Wealth in treasury: 10 gold

Current Free Dice: 2d100

 

[butchock]

"For my part, whatever anguish of spirit it may cost, I am willing to know the whole truth; to know the worst and to provide for it."
- Felix Jaeger in rallying his supporters​

Rumors and News (year 2533)
(Building a Foreign Office and/or a Propaganda Network would increase the reliability of said Rumors and News)

The Kingdom of Kislev (unreliable rumor)
- Thanks to the new road that now connects Ostland to the city of Kislev, Princess Sophia of the Empire of Sigmar arrived at the so-called Winter Court just in time for the coronation of its new Tsar. What happened afterwards though, raised a lot of eyebrows for like in a childhood fairy tale, the new Tsar fell in love with the Imperial Princess. The Princess Sophia, no great beauty herself, seems to have responded in kind. What this would mean to Empire-Kislev relationship remains to be seen.

- In other news, as an effort to increase his influence among the faithful (since the Boyar proved to be resistant to his meddling), the newly crowned Tsar Vasily has appointed a monk of Dazh as his prime adviser. This monk though is said to be a master of both theology and politics, yet only time will tell if this latest gamble of the earnest young ruler proves effective. The young Tsar then proved his battle acumen by destroying several Chaos camps in the Troll Waste with only minimal losses. Afterwards, he was overheard to have said that he cannot be everywhere at once and Kislev needs officers that can think of entire campaigns and not just battles.

The Empire of Sigmar (unreliable rumor)
- The recent crackdown against 'radicals' slows down this year as beastmen raids started to grow in number. The wizard colleges and engineering schools also rallies in favor of the free-thinkers, seeing the prosecuted group as kindred spirits. For wasn't it till recently that those with the 'gift' also suffered an Imperial-wide progrom? While the engineers believe that such 'eccentricities' in behavior is part and parcel of the creative process. Adding in his voice regarding the crackdown, the famed Felix Jaeger, hero and author of the penny-dreadful Gotrek the Slayer, rallied his supporters in support for those unjustly arrested. The authorities are of course not pleased with this turn of events.

The Kingdom of Brettonia (plausible rumor)
- Strangely, the peasants of Brettonia gained a backbone, the masses believing that they have nothing left to lose, left their hovels in droves to join various bandit brotherhoods or to join in underground movements where they were taught to read and write. The usual reaction of the Brettonian nobility was of course to murder and punish their peasants. Some knights though are starting to object to this, they reasoned that they were the ultimate weapons of war and there was no sport in killing the weak and hungry. A few got the bright idea to arm the peasants with some form of weaponry before butchering them.

The Kingdoms of Estalia (plausible rumor)
- The Holy Inquisition of Myrmidia in Estalia proved to be a huge success! These holy investigators captured hundreds of Chaos cultists, dissidents, and practitioners of 'forbidden' knowledge using techniques beyond the torture chambers, strange concepts like "forensics" and "witness credibility". The Inquisition proved to be so successful that the rival kingdoms in the said land will soon ratify the Inquisition as an all-encompassing investigative agency that can freely pursue their 'targets' regardless of political boundaries (in Estalia) and without the current need for royal warrants. The Cult of Myrmidia is extremely pleased by this announcement. Though some within the Cult believe that their brothers and sisters are starting to forget the true aspect of Myrmidia which is innovative war and not innovative investigation.

The City-States of Tilea (reliable news)
- The Winter Offensive smashed through the defensive lines of the Skaven, pushing the ratmen back into the most decrepit area of the swampy portion of Miragliano. The only exception of course was the holdout known as Ratlov's Hovel. When it was eventually overrun by especially trained troops and war-hounds of the Miragliano forces, the delay it caused was enough for the Skaven Warlord opposing the forces of Order to receive additional clanrats and to introduce their own new techno-weaponry. The Warlord also deployed more assassins of the shadowy Clan Eshin to eliminate the High Command of the Tilean forces. However, they were met by Tilea's own Assassin's Guild and the humans proved to be better at the moment. Currently, the Miragliano forces has the upper hand due to their more than capable chain-of-command, training and discipline, however they seem to have lost the initiative.

 

[butchock]

Spoiler: Winning Votes

[] Yes, a woman can and should do anything a man can.
[] 4 years, he can run for no more than 2 consecutive terms
[] No, we must trust our People to think of what's right.

- Peasant Revolutionaries from the Southern Coast of Sartosa

"The poor have sometimes objected to being governed badly; the rich have always objected to being governed at all."
- Crisostomo Valderama, Inquisitor, Estalia
​

----

The Cornerstone of Democracy

The decision to allow women to vote was met with mixed reactions. Humans on the island both cheered and booed (where no on can report them), the elves on the other hand were pretty much indifferent, While the orks were wondering why that was an important issue to begin with, since most of them cannot comprehend what a gender is. It was the dwarfs though who were the most displeased with this result. They believe that womenfolk are to be protected and sheltered at all costs, and to expose them to something that 'radical' is not only dangerous but irresponsible. Which is strange since these dwarfs are the radical ones in the dwarven kingdoms, hence the reason why they migrated to Sartosa. Blackaxe the Brave, the de facto representative of the dwarven populace promised the other dwarfs to help mitigate this rash decision of the manlings. He lobbied then to the Council for a Dwarven Quarter to be allowed in Sartosa or in the old dwarf-hold (currently populated by the homeless of various races). The dwarves would pay for the building of said quarter and to pay significant additional taxes to the State as well as to obey all the laws and decisions of the lawful representatives of the Republic except of course Women's Suffrage citing racial and cultural differences.

How would the Council decide this offer?
[] Allow the creation of the Dwarven Quarter (Dwarves pay an additional 30 gold per turn)
[] Do not allow it, all the laws are to be enforced equally to all the People (+10 Civil Disorder)

If you allow the Dwarven Quarter, where should it be made?
[] The old Dwarf Hold
[] In Santosa Proper

The issue of the real property of the Pirate-Lords is finally put on the spotlight no thanks to a certain meddling elf. While a majority of the land and houses owned by the former 'nobility' were transferred to their servants and slaves as 'payment for services rendered' or to those who executed them and by claiming 'first' and/or 'to the victor goes the spoils'. Still these people technically have no legal right to own said lands. Adichi the Asur, after inspecting the farmlands outside of Carpio (a major town on southern Sartosa) claims that this supposed land distribution is "unfair to the Proletariat masses who also suffered the depredations of the Bourgeoisie". He questions the reason on why should a small number of citizens control huge acres of land while the majority of the People of Sartosa remain landless. He believes that land is the key to prosperity and it should be distributed equally.

He further argues that the opulent homes of the former masters of Sartosa should be made into public housing instead of being left in the hands of these new 'landed' classes. He also added the fact that for several years now, the two dreaded nights of the year (Geheimnisnacht and Hexensnacht) did not adversely affect the population but Sartosa's luck will not hold forever hence the need for better housing to protect the people. The members of the Council of course raised their eyebrows on this last argument, since if hovels did not offer adequate protection against the Chaos moon, then the Old World, particularly Brettonia (despite their knights), should be crawling with beastmen and mutants by now. Thankfully, Adichi lacks an opinion on what to do with the Pirate-Lords remaining commercial interests like the few warehouses, fishing ships and market stalls so he wants to think more before addressing this problem. Still, the issue of farms and houses has been deemed a priority and is raised before the Council.

How would the Council distribute the Pirate-Lords old houses?
[] Follow Adichi's recommendation (+20 Equalists Approval) (homes)
[] Formalize the ownership of the former servants, slaves, and the victors (+10 Civil Disorder)

How would the Council distribute the Farmlands?
[] Follow Adichi's recommendation (+20 Equalists Approval) (farms)
[] Formalize the ownership of the former servants, slaves, and the victors (+10 Civil Disorder)

Speaking of strange nights, when the previous deliberation continued into the wee hours of the evening and after a short recess was announced, there was a knocking on the door of the meeting hall. Strangely everyone heard this knock even though the room was noisy and quite large. When one of the councilors opened the door, there was no one there and no sign of anyone even coming near the chambers, however there was a note placed on the floor of the room's entrance. When the first councilor read it however, it filled him with such dread that his hair turned white and suddenly feinted. While the message on it was friendly enough, who wrote it though was something to be concerned about. The letter seems to be from those who worshiped the Chaos God Tzeench, and they wanted to worship him openly and legally on the island of Sartosa like some folks do on Cathay and Ind. In the note, they believe that Sartosa would be the haven of religious freedom that they were looking for across the Old World. It also adds that even if the Council rejects them they would just leave and find another place where they can be respected and welcomed, none of their members have any intention of harming Sartosa in anyway, though their god might not handle such rejection readily.

When the Council asked the people from Ind and Cathay if the worship of Tzeench in their lands is truly allowed, the response were not very helpful, these expatriates explained that Ind and Cathay are huge countries with huge populations as well as internally fractured, even if some claim otherwise. These lands have an overabundance of gods, goddesses, and spirit-worship, some of which may likely be aspects of Tzeench. Hence, the Council is on its own here. While the news of the offer hasn't left the Council Chambers, the various councilors decided to ask the People who they worship, the majority of humans see Ranald as their god and saviour (nevermind the violent uprising), the elves on the island do not bother with specific gods, just praying to whomever fits their whim at the moment, the dwarves of course worship their ancestor-spirits equally, while the Sartosan orks believe that worshiping Gork and Mork is through toil and in not catching their attention. Finally, the Council decided to just answer the issue of the letter.

Is Religious Freedom part of the Republic? (can only argue IC here, OOC knowledge will be frowned upon)
[] No, the Council will control who and what can be worshiped
[] Yes, we are not hypocrites here.
-[] However... (write-in your reasoning for the opposition of Tzeench worship, the better it is the higher the chance that Tzeench would just shrug and go away... for a while)

Election day is near and the campaigning begins in earnest! Currently there are two people who are likely to win the election, the dwarf Blackaxe the Brave whose campaign platform revolves around defense, mercantile reforms, and other 'cultural' issues. Defense though is his priority and his primary support comes from the Brick-throwers Party, in honor of Sartosa's bloody uprising. The party, led by an aggressive halfling named Hardim Stubtoe, believes in the maxim "Peace through War" and supports innovations, as well as policies and structures that would improve Sartosa's war-making capability. Opposing Blackaxe though, is that elf scholar and meddler-extraordinaire Adichi Nenil whose primary backer is the Equalists Bloc. His campaign though emphasizes Education, Housing, and the Spread of Propaganda across the Old World. What kind of Propaganda he wishes to spread though he promises to reveal only after being elected. As part of the Republic, the Councilors will avoid unnecessarily influencing the outcome of the election. Still, this is the first election in The Republic's history and everyone is excited to vote, no one abstains.

(Faction Unlocked: The Brick-Thrower Party)

Please Vote:
[] Blackaxe the Brave
[] Adichi Nenil

The streets of Sartosa are clean with open spaces, you can now build/repair structures (1 building per turn)
[] Expand the Harbor (level 2) Costs: 50 gold (+20 gold per turn, unlocks further opportunities, finishes in 3 turns)
[] Build A Market (level 1) Costs: 20 gold (+5 gold per turn, gold earned per turn increases depending state of roads, harbor, trade relations, finishes in 1 turn)
[] Build a Guild Hall (level 1) Costs: 20 gold (Removes 10 Civil Disorder every 5 turns, unlocks opportunities, finishes in 1 turn)
[] Build A Printing Press (level 1) Costs: 10 gold (Allows the spread of Propaganda, finishes in 1 turn)
[] Repair the roads from Sartosa to Carpio. Costs: 50 gold (+20 gold per turn, finishes in 3 turns)
[] Save the money this turn

[] Monument to the People (Cost 271/500)
-A statue dedicated to the pillars of the Revolution, the Common folk.
- Strife roll between the races in Sartosa will be rolled every 10 turns instead of 5. the dice must roll between 76-100 instead of the original 51-100 to trigger a race riot.

Structure Complete:
Harbor (level 1) Costs: 30 gold (+10 gold per turn, unlocks opportunities)

Current Gold in the Treasury: 15 gold
Current Dice: 2d100

 

[butchock]

- Miragliano Forces bombarding Skaven Positions during the Skaven Counter-Offensive​

------

Rumors and News (year 2533)
(Building a Foreign Office and/or a Propaganda Network would increase the reliability of said Rumors and News)

The Empire of Sigmar (unreliable rumor)

Beastmen Assaults Middenland!​

- After a decade since last being sighted, Beastlord Khazrak the One-Eye leads a mighty warherd to besiege Middenheim! The beastlord having lost his eye to Boris Todbringer the Second during the Battle of Elsterweld at the year 2518, managed to avenge itself on the Todbringer Count by taking the latter's eye the following year at the Battle of Norderingen. Now, the two rivals hopes to take each other's heads!

- In other news, Malakai Malakaisson, a dwarf-slayer and inventor extraordinaire rescues his long-time associate Felix Jaeger from an unruly mob supposedly instigated by Witch-Hunters trying to discredit the popular author. The rescue of course, is surrounded by incredible accounts, the least fantastic of which was that Felix was given a backpack that emitted smoke which then flew him to the awaiting airship being piloted by the dwarf-slayer. Their destination is currently unknown.

The Kingdom of Brettonia (plausible rumor)

Rambert Heraldry Sighted!​

- The Heraldry of the Ramberts was spotted on the outskirts of Athel Loren! The late Ser Gambert Rambert, rumored to be the greatest knight Brettonia has ever produced, outside of the Green Knight and the King himself, has fought monsters and evil across the Old World, some even whispered that he reached as far as Naggaroth in a supposed plot to kill the Witch-King himself! Though part of the nobility, the Ramberts have been long associated as Champions of the People, even though some knights that knew the Ramberts personally, argue otherwise. Nonetheless, the news of the appearance of said Heraldry revitalized various peasant movements and a number of them decided to travel to that dreaded forest to rally behind their supposed champions.

- In an effort to prevent the continued slaughter (or more likely to ensure that there will still be peasants to work on their fields and avert a famine), King Leoncouer decides not to enact the law that forces peasants to pay additional taxes for their living conditions. He also decides to provide 4 chickens and a pig (incredible wealth for the poor in Brettonia) for the "loyal" peasants tilling the fields outside of the Capital.

The Kingdoms of Estalia (plausible rumor)

Schism within the Inquisition!​

- It didn't take long for the Inquisitors of Myrmidia to argue amongst themselves on how to properly use their new-found powers. The two most important factions that arose within the Inquisition are the Consuetudos and the Oboedientias. The Consuetudos believe that Myrmidia is best served in the Chapels and the Battlefield and Investigation should only be used in pursuit of Open War. They further argue that more concerted effort to investigate the enemy is in the sphere of Verena's worship and would eventually drive the investigators insane. The Oboedientias, on the other hand, believes that the teachings of Myrmidia include the practice of Shadow Wars and methods beyond the traditional use of physical torture. These includes frowned upon methods like bribery and using chaos agents to hunt other chaos agents. Currently, the Clergy of Myrmidia would like to stay out of the arguments of their Militant Branch, but pretty soon this word war will turn into a shooting one unless decisive actions are taken immediately since it would be unseemly if the servants of Myrmidia fight among themselves in the interpretation of her doctrine.

The City-States of Tilea (reliable news)

Victory in the Miragliano War!

Skaven snipers shooting at Elven aventuriers during the Skaven Counter-Offensive​

- Miragliano is liberated! it has taken a decade, the loss of a generation, and tens of thousands dead and maimed, but the Tilean City is purged of its weakness through the cleansing fires of war and emerged stronger than ever before. The Skaven Warlord's final gambit, an all-out counteroffensive that fielded its dreaded Doomwheels , which is then supported by mortar teams, warp-lightning cannons, warplock snipers, globadiers, plague-bearers, rat-ogres, several regiments of stormvermin, hordes of giant rats, innumerable skaven clansmen, and the experimental Stormfiends. Yes, the cream of the Skaven technological and magical might was unleashed to finally end Miragliano's threat to Skavenblight. Seeing the odds stacked against them, Miragliano's High Command ordered the withdrawal of the forces stationed in the City's center, luring the Ratmen into believing that they achieved a breakthrough. What awaited them though were massed ranks of Miragliano's land dreadnoughts which until that time were held in reserve, several fresh regiments from Averland, Wissenland, and Reikland, but more importantly Elven Aventuriers, Dwarven gunners and Lizarmen Cohorts. How Field Marshal Cesare managed to have kept all of this forces hidden and fed in which is supposedly the greatest act of military misinformation and logistics to date, is currently being kept as a state secret.

The conclusion of the battle of Miragliano at that point in time was still far from certain, however, the Forces of Order's strategy outside of the 'battlefield proper' was to refuse to be drawn to fight in melee range and to use small units tactics as well as employing spotters that would then call for indirect fire using the new long-range cannons invented by the Tileans. Slowly but surely, the ratmen's numbers were whittled down, a few trickled in retreat here and there, but suddenly, just like a dam bursting, a flood of Skaven began running away from the front-lines. The Forces of Order though, is not finished and has one last trick up its sleeve. Luccini and Tobaro Marines have managed to navigate the swamps to land behind the Skaven lines, and with the aid of the galloper guns, these men attacked the supply lines and encircled the now trapped Skaven forces, sealing their fate. The Skaven Warlord then called for Cesare to fight him personally, with his location revealed however, the warlord and his retinue was unceremoniously killed by artillery fire.

Needless to say, the Forces of Order has won a grand victory over the Servants of Chaos, with Skavenblight supposedly open to assault... The Tileans though might be weary after a decade of warfare. Miragliano is also currently filled to the brim with skaven bodies and techno-wizardry, various scholars from across the Old World (yes, including Brettonia) has requested to inspect the ratmen's weapons while no doubt a lot of more of these weapons will fall into the hands of smugglers and criminals...