The Ymaryn are a nation older than reckoning, drawing on a tradition of continuous peaceful transfer of power from before the dawn of recorded history. The Premier power of the fictional (and geographically altered) Near East, this Kingdom has recently been laid low by the ravaging of the Great Khan. As they lay bleeding, desperately trying to live, the Kingdom faces an uncertain future. Dissolution and destruction are more likely than succession and survival, if those are even possible at all.
This is inspired as the 3rd iteration of a Quest initially started by AcademiaNut (Path of Nations) and picked up again by Aranfan (Ymaryn Successor Quest). Thank you to both of them for inspiration.
Turn 1: The End of Days
1620 AGF, Reign of the Last King of the Ymaryn
The gates of the Palace of the People lay open. Sundered. Like the great trees from which they had been made, they were laid low by storm. Not one of wind and weather, but of men and murder. It was silent now, but in the distance still echoed the screams of the dead and the dying.
Past the gates of the palace lay the Hall of Stars, the seat of Ymaryn Kings. It was said that each gem embedded into the walls signified a year of unbroken kingship. Diamonds for most years, emeralds for years filled with bountiful harvest, onyx for years of plague, and rubies for war. All of them were bloodied now and there seemed to be as many bodies in the room as there were stars. Thousands. Numbers beyond counting, both in the number slain as well as the years during which this hall stood untouched by enemy hands.
"The King is dead."
"His Heir as well."
"Parliament is in ruins. The number of Patricians lost . . . there's not enough for quorum. Maybe in the whole of the Empire."
Blackmouth in the north had been the first to fall. That had been the moment to truly galvanize the People. The first to wake them from their fog. And it had been too late. It took years more, the Ravaging of Redshore, the Treason of the West, and the Crushing of the East, but it was unstoppable.
This Khan was no mere man. He was the Greatest of All Khans.
His plan had been meticulous. Tricks of alchemy secreted within countless cities and holdfasts, bursting into flames all at the same moment. Great engines of war secreted from the furthest reaches of the East. Cities that had been carefully fortified over millennia fell in months to coordinated assault, vengeful warriors pouring into and overwhelming any possible defense. Coordination between governors and administrators broke down. Panic set in.
In that moment, the Last King of the Ymaryn called. Every man who made pretense to nobility, every able-bodied peasant not needed to tend to field or forge, you were needed. It was the greatest host the People had ever seen. The forges and factoria that made the People famed turned ceaselessly, producing spears and arrows, swords and plates of steel. Every piece necessary to forge in steel and sinew the machinery of war.
The Mass Levy.
When they marched, the earth shook.
The looseing of their crossbows would blot out the sun.
They would outnumber the Great Khan thirty to one.
It was everything the People had.
It had to be enough.
In the end, the People prevailed.
For some value of that word.
Each of the Khan's warriors were armed with the finest of steel and rode the greatest steeds, they would take down ten of the People for each of their own that fell. But so much more was lost. Irrigation systems and great works of agriculture that had been tended lovingly from before the dawn of civilization were laid to waste. Cities burned and refugees slaughtered in their millions.
It was a psychotic thing of blood and pain. The People in the darkest moments crawling over the bodies of their fellows to savage one more of the Enemy, with broken nails and their own teeth if that was all they had. The Enemy responded, brutality met with reprisal and throughout it all farming collapsed, plague sprang up, and pestilence stalked the land.
Starvation. That thing the People recognized only as 'the Disease of Foreign Lands,' killed within the borders of the Ymaryn for the first time in recorded history.
Systems invented by the People to keep them fed, stable, and growing, shrivelled and died, weeping blood among millions of other dying things.
That was where they stood. In the hollow husk of a rotting corpse. The building was ruined, but it was the indefinable elements, the people who once walked and worked here, but were now slain that rendered it derelict.
"What can be done?"
What can be?
There were rumours that the Highlanders were stirring in the south, raising banners and readying for war as they cried out in delight about how their ancient nemesis had finally fallen. The East had surged into rebellion, decrying the weakness and stupidity of the People and Parliament. They were the ones who'd allowed the Khan to strike down so many. As for the West… what about the West? They had capitulated without even a fight, turning themselves over to the mercy of the Khans. It was their factoria which forged the cannon that battered down the very walls of Valleyhome. The only love there was to lose between the West and the rest of the People was the love that would come seeing from them stuck like pigs, squealing as they finally bled out with a sword in their guts. They had declared their independence.
Then there was the Khan. He had fled, army cut down. But was he gone for good? There were always more nomads on the horizon to the east and north. What would stop him from coming back and savaging the People a second time? He had lost much in breaking the People, but the riches they had carried off would sorely tempt even the most cautious.
Everything was balanced on the edge of a knife. They were flying — falling — and had yet to hit the ground.
"Someone must lead."
Someone had to step up and sit the throne. Five men in the Hall of Stars shuffled uncomfortably. Who among them was worthy of such a burden? Who could shoulder it?
In this time of chaos, this end of days, who would assume the crown?
[ ] The General
You had been a clerk in the Red Banner Company. It was hardly a lofty position, but it was enough for you. Few could aspire for more than being in such a storied institution. All who upheld the Red Banner were worthy. To be in the company meant you were amongst the greatest warriors of the People without question. To be an Office amongst such a company meant even more.
When the Khan came, you fought as was demanded. There was nothing else you could do. Nothing else you wanted to do, the People needed you. As the war started, you were 12th in line to command the Red Banner. Within a year, you were first. Everyone senior was dead.
It was under your leadership that the Red Banner achieved the impossible: for every one of yours that fell, they would take with them one of the Khan's men. Each time you clashed with the Khan or his greatest generals, you proved yourself their equal. It wasn't enough, the Khan seemed to have a dozen men of your caliber, but you made the Enemy bleed for every inch.
When the war ended, you fought on the walls of Valleyhome, retreating step-by-bloody-step to the Palace of the People. You were there when the Last King fell. And it was you who set the Khan to flight. Clasped tightly in your hand was the great horsetail topknot that had decorated the helmet of the Khan's armour. Your only regret was that you had severed that instead of the Khan's head.
[ ] The Diplomat
You were a navy captain, commander of one of the People's many twin-hulled ships. It was a petty duty, but it was one that allowed you to see much of the world, to learn many of its unique languages and . . . appreciate its many tongues. Many thought you insane for one so well spoken, little better than a merchant, but it was your life and you were satisfied.
When the Khan came, you fought as was demanded. There was nothing else you could do. Nothing else you wanted to do, the People needed you. As the war started, you were but one captain of many hundreds. Within a year, you were a Colonel, leading thousands of men into battle.
You were in Greenshore on the dark day when they capitulated. When they gave themselves over to the mercy of the Great Khan. Something had shattered within you. Somehow . . . you couldn't accept it. You couldn't turn your back on the rest of the People. You'd stood up, denounced the nobility, spat at each of them the vilest curses, and exhorted your fellows to abandon this . . . nonsense. Where was the duty between lord and vassal here? For some reason, it worked. Dozens of captains flocked to your side and thousands of soldiers added their arms to your cause. You escaped from the West by only a hairsbreadth, but it was at the head of an army.
When the war ended, you were in Valleyhome. Street-by-bloody-street, you exhorted your men forward. Words and wind spurred them onto the spears of the enemy, dragging them down and drowning them in blood. You were there where the fighting was thickest and most vicious. It wasn't your sword or spear that turned the tide, but you were invaluable. Everywhere you went, a ragged cheer rose and the enemy was pushed back.
[ ] The Artisan
You were one of the guild masters of the Factoria of Redshore. You were no Patrician, you worked with your hands, steel and copper. Unlike a merchant, you produced things of countless value and endless beauty. Not directly, but it was your system that turned raw ore into finely finished products through the crucible of labour and industry. In normal days, it was as high as you would ever rise, as high as you might ever dream.
When the Khan came, you could not fight. The Last King forbid it. The Guilds were necessary as instruments of war, but not as fingers to fight. There was nothing else you could do, the People needed you where you were. You settled in and fought your own war. From sunup to sundown and through the night, the bellows pumped and forges burned bright. More metal passed through the Factoria of Redshore in a year than it had in the previous decade. Everything, every scrape, every ounce was hammered into shape and forged into an instrument of death. For every man that would fight, you would ensure there was something for him to fight with. By the end of the year, you were the Guild Master, not only of Redshore, but Valleyhome and ruined Blackmouth too.
When the war ended, you were in Valleyhome. You were there when the walls crumbled into the fire of the scum-cast Western cannon. It was your men that died shovelling dirt and stacking stone so that the millennia old walls would last a few moments more. As that proved futile, you turned to the city, pulling down buildings and starting fires, anything to delay the Enemy. Even if they had to collapse a building on your head. Once they'd finally dug you out, the enemy had fled. You had won, but it was a hollow peace. So much needed to be rebuilt.
[ ] The Administrator
You were one of the gentry, a rural administrator. Many in the city joked about how it was just counting carrots and turnips, but you know their song would change if it was their city who'd received too few. Still, it was far from the city and for that, you were thankful. It was a quiet life, but a good one.
When the Khan came, you could not fight. The Last King forbid it. You did not directly till a field, but it seemed that accounting fulfilled much the same role. What good was barley if it was left to rot untended in the field? Someone was needed to oversee and direct the flow of goods and the labour of the peasantry. When you started, you were but one clerk among dozens. Within a year, you were effectively a governor, so few of you were left. Each trip to the outlying villages was a dance with death, the Khan's forces everywhere and villages vanishing into the night. Somehow, you preserved. It was a life of constant retreat, skirmish, and backwoods battle, but you balanced the ledgers and ensured larders didn't empty. When the Last King's forces marched, you ensured that there was turnip soup and barley bread there to greet them. When the cities cried out in desperation, you found food, at least for now. Refugees — said kindly, most you knew were little better than bandits — were put to work and new homes found for them. It was never enough for what was lost, but it was something.
When the war ended, you were on the outskirts of Valleyhome, returning with a caravan of refugees. The Khan's forces approached, and in what seemed some fit of insanity, you spurred the women and children on and forced the men to stand and fight. It was suicide, but everyone was well-acquainted with death now. Somehow, the great trees of Valleyhome sheltered you as you nipped at the heels of the Khan like a viper. At most you stalled for an hour, or perhaps two, darting into the trees and answering each step with arrows and insults. Countless men died under your improvised command, but you stalled the Khan for precious moments. When they finally ran, it was your caravan that would provide food for Valleyhome. Just enough to prevent starvation.
[ ] The Priest
You were born into the priesthood, left at the local temple by your mother shortly after birth. It was an ascetic life, but one stepped in learning, experimentation, and curiosity. You were accepted into the Carrion Eaters, becoming a surgeon and pharmacist skilled in the arts of poison and medicine. It was a bloody life and often marginalized by those who didn't appreciate the beauty of a deconstructed human body, but it was one that let you learn and sleep soundly each night.
When the Khan came, you fought, both on the battlefield and in the bloody aftermath. Every cruelty that man had dreamed up to commit on man, you either treated or did yourself. So many men passed under your knife that it was sometimes difficult to remember whether you were cutting to kill or cutting to save. Within a year, you went from one Carrion Eater to one of the last. You became the personal physician to the Last King and one of his most important advisors as the foremost designer of his most vicious weapons. Every secret you learned about the body and medicine was turned into another way to kill. Tinctures that relieved pain became toxins that caused spasms so severe as to force someone to break their own spin. Pleasant hazes to dull the worst of surgery soon became dreamless sleeps from which someone would never wake. Pancreas were transformed into concoctions so painful that it could make men scream themselves to death. All of it made you an outcast among your brothers, but it made you irreplaceable in preserving the lives of the People. Was that not the calling of a Carrion Eater? To consume the rot before it destroyed the people it afflicted?
When the war ended, you were deep in surgery, desperately trying to save the Last King. Alas, your best was not good enough and he perished upon the surgical table. The only question remained would be if the rest of the Ymaryn would perish with him. The duty of a Carrior Eater was simple: save the patient and destroy the rot.
[ ] The General
[ ] The Diplomat
[ ] The Artisan
[ ] The Administrator
[ ] The Priest
Note: Each of these characters is a Hero by AcademiaNut's system. They all exist and the one(s) you do not select will end up taking control of another splinter faction of the Ymaryn. They can be both rival and ally depending on circumstance. For example, whoever goes to Greenshore is going to be hated by the Artisan and Diplomat.
Note the second: pick very carefully here. All of these people have invisible advantages and drawbacks that you may not be able to deduce. Each of them also has a Dream (which will be explained later) that must be fulfilled. Failure to fulfil a Hero's dream means their story will end in horrific tragedy. This can be a big drawback to balance against inhuman ability.
Would one Hero King be enough, however? This was, without doubt, the Darkest Hour of the Ymaryn. It was always the King who led, but close behind in his shadow was his Heir, the one Elected by Parliament. If the King were to . . . step in, it would be possible for him to directly select his heir in this particular instance and Parliament would have no choice but to accept the decision. It was, without doubt, an overstepping of boundaries, but two men of the Hero King's caliber would dramatically increase the Kingdom's chances for survival. The undefinable long-term damage from this broken norm may be outweighed by the increased chance of stopping the Ymaryn Kingdom's bleeding.
[ ] Parliament Elects the Heir
[ ] The King Selects
-[ ] (Select an option from the previous vote.)
Note: if Parliament elects the Heir, you will not get one of the other Heroes. Getting a Hero on side means you get the Hero and whatever splinter of the Empire they would've taken over otherwise.
Lastly, there was the question of outlook: was the Ymaryn Kingdom salvageable? This moment could easily be the Kingdom's death knell or a chance for renewal. Was it better to try to live in the shadow of what was or work towards something that will be? To give up on the Ymaryn Kingdom would mean giving up on something all-encompassing about the People, something that's defined them from the dawn of time. Much would crumble and break. But, trying to remain Ymaryn may just be throwing good blood after bad. There was no assurance that they would be able to salvage anything of this disaster. Much would certainly be lost in the coming days, but giving up instead of risking it all may let them save more in the end.
[ ] The Ymaryn Live! (Acquire: The Dissolution disaster and permanent Reunification CB, ongoing risk of social, cultural, and technological damage until the Empire stabilizes)
[ ] Let the dream die (Instantly Resolve: The Dissolution disaster, lose Reunification CB, one-timeprofound social, cultural, and technological damage)
Note: stabilizing the Ymaryn =/= reunification though reunifying will instantly cause you to stabilize. You can stabilize and then work on reunifying later.
AN: I've decided to try my hand and reboot this. I'll create a new thread in a little bit, but I wanted to let the thread know that it seems the Ymaryn's story isn't quite done yet. Since this 'quest' has now had 3 GM's, it is now officially a bigger quest-cockroach than Shepard Quest: Technological Revolution.
I'm also going to run this quest differently mechanics wise, trying to crib a bunch of things I've seen work elsewhere. We'll see how it goes. Turns will likely still be 1 year as here, we'll keep Influence and Authority, bring back stats (though more as indicators for the players than things that are spend each turn), bring back Social/Honour/Spiritual Values and focus more on how the Ymaryn Empire is basically a political snake pit due to a lot of competing factors. Managing your subordinates is going to have a much larger focus.
Next Agenda: 1625 AGF
Current Agenda: Survive!
Parliament's Opinion of Heir: Resentful Acceptance
Parliament's Opinion of King: Desperate Hope
Status
Stability: -2 Legitimacy: N/A (replaced by Legacy)
Legacy: 2
Disasters
The Dissolution
The Ymaryn Kingdom has fallen and lies bleeding and broken as a result of its own hubris and the ravaging of the Great Khan of the Steppes. Without question, this is the People's Darkest Hour and may yet be their end. All of the systems that once made the People great, their administrators, agriculturalists, and industrialists, have been laid low and are crumbling. Sharks circle in the distance, eager to take advantage of this golden opportunity for revenge and to seize their own future. This is a time where history will be written, either about the ending of a grand tale, or the rebirth of greatness.
Special Mechanics: Capped Stability (0), Legitimacy disabled and replaced with Legacy, activate yearly crisis mechanics, two actions locked to disaster response, unlocked special actions.
Resolution: Complete a turn with all current crises resolved.
Nomadic Frontier (0/100)
Disaster inactive. Prerequisites not met.
Second Sons (10/100)
Disaster inactive. Prerequisites not met.
Investiture Controversy (20/100)
Disaster inactive. Prerequisites not met.
Coup (5/100)
Disaster inactive. Prerequisites not met.
Golden Age
The High Medieval Period
Feudal Society: maintain the loyalty of at least 5 subordinate vassals/administrative divisions.
Center of Faith: have full control of the Syffryn Isle.
Unionist: maintain a personal union between two states.
Crusader: participate in and win a major religious war.
Universal Truth: found a university to create a major center of learning.
Horde Breaker: defeat a major steppe nomad army in an existential war.
(Requires two thirds of all age objectives to be met to activate.)
National Statistics
Economy: Desperate Recovery
Industry: Slowly Recovering
Technology: World Leader
Martial: Bled white
Culture: Unravelling
Diplomacy: Non-Existent
Values
Honour Values
Swords and Ploughshares (Lv. 3)
Farmers can fight in wars, the marching of armies can pound out roads, and axes are good for splitting both skulls and wood.
Pros: Gain bonus Martial from Econ.
Cons: Damage to Martial carries over to Econ.
Life of Arete (Lv.3)
A well lead life is one of excellence in all things at all levels, from the stitch of cloth to prowess on the battlefield to skill in oration. The best and finest is thus demanded of and by all to show their virtue and honour, in the knowledge that those that rise to the top will be supported by excellence below.
Pros: Increased Martial, allows raising elite unites. Bonus to Culture and Tech for certain actions.
Cons: Increased risk to own Martial score, increased social stratification, increased costs.
Lord's Loyalty (Lv.1) (Under Strain)
The ties between the People bind tight, increasing the obligations of the superior while also making the subordinate more likely to listen.
Pros: Can support more subordinate states, subordinate states less likely to break away.
Cons: Minimum level of support required to be given to subordinates is elevated.
Social Values
Personal Stewards of Nature (Lv.4) (Under Strain)
Through the blessings of the spirits and the efforts of the People in individual and whole, the land is reshaped, and its management and protection is a good above all others. No effort is to great when it comes to the stewardship of the land, and many pursue their own little projects where it does not conflict with the symphony of the whole.
Pros: Unlocks extra land management actions, bonus fighting on own terrain, bonus Econ and Stab when completing land management Megaprojects. May spend Stab to boost megaprojects and defensive wars.
Cons: Heavy strife by deliberate environmental disruption unless it is for the benefit of the land or losing territory to others.
Greater Justice (Lv. 3)
Justice exists for the greater good of all, protecting the community from the depravity of those who would harm it.
Pros: Justice is a community objective served through careful punishment.
Cons: The needs of the many can outweigh the needs of the few.
Spiritual Values
Joyous Symphony (Lv.3) (Under Strain)
All have their part to play in this world, be it their interaction with each other, their neighbours, or with the spirits. When all the parts of a group are moving in peaceful accord, the result is greater than the sum of the parts, and transcendental to behold.
Pros: Bonus to collective action and to concerted efforts. Gain +1 Stab when a defensive war successfully ends.
Cons: Disharmony must be corrected. Require casus belli to declare war.
Die But Do It (Lv.2) (Growing)
For the most important tasks, the ones that are most worth doing, they must be completed at all costs, with everyone giving it their all, even if it would mean their death.
Pros: Warriors fight harder and workers work more intensely, losses in battle or accident are less disruptive.
Cons: Dying a good death is socially righteous.
Principia Philosophiae (Lv.4) (Under Strain)
Through intellect and careful testing of the world, the People have developed a love of knowledge and learning, and everyone is expected to follow suit. The intellect is exalted and all are expected to engage and contribute.
Pros: Profoundly improve the use of study actions and innovation, improved leader skill sets.
Cons: Questions social foundations, invites factitious discord.
Purity (Lv.2)
Only through physical purity can spiritual purity be attained. There can however be no mercy for those who would contaminate the pure.
Pros: Bonuses to resisting disease and foreign influences
Cons: The impure and unclean must be eliminated
Values marked 'Under Strain' are currently at risk of degradation. Those marked 'Growing' have the possibility of leveling up in the near future.
Known Synergies
The Man Without Fear = Swords and Ploughshares + Personal Stewards of Nature + Die But Do It
Effects: Gain 'Unbreakable' in defensive fights on own terrain.
Army of All = Swords and Ploughshares + Divinely Glorious Elites + Joyous Symphony
Effects: The army is the beating heart and soul of your civilization, a perfect blend of everything that makes you great.
Clarity of Essence = Greater Justice + Joyous Symphony + Purity
Effects: Heavily stifles innovation and social reform
Karoshi = Life of Arete + Principa Philosophiae + Die But Do It
Effects: Only death can stop your efforts to succeed.
Information Networks
(Five levels exist from Annoucements, which are visible to everyone in diplomatic range, up to Conspiracies which are deadly and well hidden secrets.)
The Core
Public + Confidential
Txolla
None
Megaprojects
Greater Sacred Forest
The People live in harmony with the forest. When the weather shifts, the People are able to adapt by modifying their weather to their liking, greatly mitigating the effects of drought, cold, or even lack of sunlight. Agriculture is second nature to the People and starvation a foreign disease. Only truly severe or long-term climatic shifts can effect the people and even then, they will be adapted to.
Warning: Requires adequate administrative, religious, and library-based resources. Lack may cause this Wonder to degrade.
Sacred Warding
The greatest gift ever given to the People by one of their old, Pagan gods. This system involves the careful management of cattle so that their strength may be added to the People, alleviating them of the burden of starpox and greatly blunting all other epidemic diseases.
Warning: Requires a highly organized state with adequate religious resources to continue. Disruption in the chain of sacred warding may result in its irrecoverable loss.
Written Code of Laws (Early Medieval): Health focused
Stretching back to the very dawn of writing, the codes of the People are ancient beyond compare, repeatedly updated to deal with a changing world. The purpose of these codes have always remained the same: health, growth, and the preservation of life. At its most fundamental, the People have selected laws that will ensure all members of society are carefully nourished and enabled to reach their full potential.
The People's Palace
A grand structure built at the heart of Valleyhome, the palace serves dual purposes as the administrative nerve center of the Ymaryn's sprawling kingdom as well an opportunity to demonstrate the power, wealth, and puissance of the People's artisans.
Notable Additions: The Hall of Stars, Parliament, Shrine of Kings, Central Library, Grand Stockpile, and Prototypic Factoria.
The Great Games
Dating from before the God Fist, the People's games contain a series of athletic competitions, displays of violent might, and forum to display the skill of the People's artisans. Its purpose was always to manage rivalries between different factions within the People as well as in neighbouring countries who were invited to attend. It also serves as a one of the few ways in which the People remain in contact with their neighbours.
Imperial Examination
A series of exams developed by the People in order to select civil servants, the Imperial Examinations are a series of mind-bendingly difficult tests administered throughout the Kingdom. While not officially limited to graduates of one of the People's Academies (who are mostly urban patricians, wealthy gentry or guildsmen), it is effectively so due to the general difficulty of the examination. Graduates of these examines can generally be certain of a position within government, but rising marks over the years have led to ever finer gradations of assessment on the test. Subjects examined include: physical fitness, rhetoric, logic, mathematics, history, law, religion, administrative procedure, and military strategy.
The Doomsday Book (Early Medeval Census)
A collection of every cow, carrot, child, and coin that could be found in the Ymaryn Kingdom, this set of records shows how everyone is fed, paid and organized. In times of great strife, it serves as the basis to levy pesants for labour and war. It allows the Ymaryn to better plan for and respond to disaster.
Warning: Currently defunct as a result of The Dissolution.
Warning: Lack of an active Census prevents activation of the Mass Levy!
Infrastructure
(% of the peak level of the Ymaryn Kingdom)
Salterns: 50%
Based on the shores of the Yllython Mor, these salterns are the primary source of salt for the Ymaryn. Critical for food preservation, cooking, and medicinal purposes, these form a critical, but long-term portion of Ymaryn infrastructure.
Factoria: 100%
Famed and unprecedented throughout the known world, the People's Factoria produce metalworks on a truly industrial scale through the extensive use of water power and carefully managed reserves of charcoal. It is said that the work of apprentices among the Ymaryn is comparable to the masterworks of all other nations. Comparable to what would be found in the Early Industrial Revolution, Factoria permit the People access to the Industry statistic, a profound upgrade over Tech used by all other civilizations.
Farm Estates: 75%
Countless millions of acres across the Kingdom have been turned over to the essential duty of producing food and other staple crops for the benefit of the entire Ymaryn people. Generally oversee by officers of the Gentry, these estates serve as the central focal point of rural life, absorbing excess labour in order to produce a surplus to feed the numerous grand cities of the urban Core of the Kingdom. Extensively regulated and religiously studied, these estates are the envy of the known world, displaying endless productivity alongside integration into greater natural systems.
Temples: 67%
A collection of spiritual places located all over the Kingdom, temples serve as the hub for many local communities and provide the resources necessary to priests to maintain the Sacred Warding, public health programs, as well as maintain the Carrion Eaters and Raven scouts.
Libraries: 50%
Great repositories of knowledge, libraries serve as storehouses for local records and maintain reference materials for a wide variety of topics. Considered near endless in capacity, the People's libraries are so massive that even they themselves do not know all of their contents.
Harbours: 95%
Located in the major cities of the Yllthon Mor as well as on the reaches of the Southern Sea, these harbours serve as the People's links to international trade. Large ships are able to dock, unload and take on cargo so that commerce can flow between nations and around the world.
Market Towns: 70%
Each city of the People as well as many towns are centered upon a local market, permitting general trade as well as serving as a source for many local taxes. Judiciously managed and strictly regulated, the People's markets are often home to goods that are considered exotic the world over.
Neighbourhood Watches: 40%
An invention of the Ymaryn Crown, the Neighbourhood Watches have evolved to serve as the fine, low-level interface between the Crown's bureaucratic machinery and all of the Ymaryn people. Originally serving as a mere city/rural guard, the watches have expanded to a general civil service organization. If one of the People is in need of aid, whether by being the victim of a crime, having lost their job, or developed a disability, the watches form the first stop for formal social assistance. Generally crewed by young and enthusiastic patricians, these organizations serve to keep the Crown in touch with the people as well as a check on endemic corruption from other layers of government.
Astrological Observatory: 100%
Long have the People gazed up at the stars in wonder and longing. Only a few places within the greater Ymaryn Kingdom are suitable for in-depth stargazing, but those few are well-managed and tended to by local priests.
Turn 1: Heavy Lies The Head
1620 AGF: Reign of Ydrys, King of All Ymaryn
[X] The Administrator
[X] The King Selects
-[X] The Diplomat
[X] The Ymaryn Live! (Acquire: The Dissolution disaster and permanent Reunification CB, ongoing risk of social, cultural, and technological damage until the Empire stabilizes)
When Ydrys was crowned the 170th King of All Ymaryn, it was with none of the fanfare he remembered from his youth. He'd been a boy, attending the Academy of Valleyhome, when the Last King was crowned. He remembered months of parties, celebrations, and revels. Wine flowed freely as the priests brought out ancient scrolls with the People's oldest stories and amused all passersby with tales of their own history. Theatre productions and music echoed from every possible venue. It had been loud, raucous, and wonderful.
His crowning was serenaded by slowly petering wails of the dying and newly widowed. Punctuated only by vicious accusations once talks broke down with the other Heroes of Valleyhome. Words were said, things that could not be taken back, and three of them had been forced to depart.
"It'as going to happen," Rhys said softly. "One crown, one Elect, and five paths before us. Your foot has five toes, but it only ever walks one trail."
"Was it? Was anything in the last five years preordained?" Ydrys asked.
There was nothing to say to that. Five years past, the Ymaryn had seemed invincible. Untouchable. They stood astride the world at its center; industry, scholarship, and commerce making them the envy of the entire civilized world. Everything, everyone, outside their borders had seemed a pale imitation.
"When you close your eyes at night and wake with a scream on the tip of your tongue, what were you dreaming of, Rhys?"
Ydrys felt old. Only felt it, however. The King should have some grey in his hair, Ydrys thought, but he was not even thirty years old and crowned King of All Ymaryn, the youngest of all the candidates Parliament considered. Rhys was older, close to forty. Only Gylys had been older among the five of them. Was that what it meant to be King? To have old men come seeking your wisdom while you put on a mask and pretended to be more than a fresh-faced youth?
"I dre'm of the worl' fallin' out beneath me, m'King," Rhys responded. Eyes closed, he grimaced. "I c'n picture it, stan'ning in the hall of the Governor's palace in Greenshore, hearing them tell o'their plans. Western Wall'd fallen, the Heaven's Hawks utterly destroyed. We were on our own, the Core couldn't protect us."
"The King couldn't even protect himself," Ydrys said. "I heard that countless times in the countryside while trying to herd refugees or desperately scrounge for supplies."
"It'w'sn't the same. There's always been resentment from Greenshore. They're trapped along the edge of the Mor; whenev'r the powers of Syffryn waxed, their homes became the front line in any conflict. When the Stymyr looked greedily to us, desperate for our land and wealth, they were attacked."
"And when the central army arrived, it was only in time to help Greenshore bury their dead, rebuild their homes, and shout insults at the retreating back of the enemy."
"Aye," Rhys acknowledged. "But when called, the army arrived. It'w'sn't what I saw that day, Ymaryn turning on Ymaryn. Blood in the streets. We are one People." Except the Stymyr, went uncomfortably unsaid. "With one King. Somethi'n about the People, something important, died that day. It was all I could do to spit curses and turn my back on it."
"And now we are four." Ydrys sighed. "When I wake up in the middle of the night, I don't dream about the times I crawled in the dirt, wiggling under roots so that the Khan's men would pass me by, taking my horse but not my life. I do not dream about the time I was escorting refugees and we were too slow, light cavalry overtaking us and tormenting those too slow to escape. I don't even dream about the disease of foreign lands that I saw stalk every province of the Kingdom. When I saw its victims lying dead at the side of the road, discarded like husks. When I wake late at night, all I can think of is my time back at the Academy."
Rhys' brow knit in confusion. Blond haired, light-eyed, and fair-skinned, he was obviously of northern stock. Beautiful in a way that men rarely were. "You studied in Valleyhome?"
"Yes," Ydrys responded. "'Clench your hand into a fist,'" he quoted. "'See your thumb and fingers. One is useful, powerful, and enables the rest to function. Three are supporters, fine in form and function.'"
'"And the last?'" Rhys quoted the adage.
"'Useless,'" Ydrys cut in savagely. "My best friend was one of those," he said a moment later. "He gave his everything, and ended up taking tea with a priest. He told me beforehand. It's that conversation that always plays over in my dreams. Not the death or the destruction of the last five years."
Rhys was silent.
"'Gardless, we need more fingers now. Advisors."
Traditionally, Ymaryn Kings always had six advisors: their Heir, wife, a general, a member of the gentry, a patrician, and a guild master. In the distant past, records spoke of selecting a priest, as a seventh advisor, but the idea was anathema now. Most priests spent little effort on secular matters, focusing instead on the spiritual and the growth of the Mylathadysic Church.
Advisors could also be selected from provincial officials and other factions within the People, but there were few options for that now. The Banner Companies — only one in a hundred, a tiny handful of those storied armies still existed. They had all deserted with their leader, Dyfan, travelling into the ruins of Western Wall. The Blackbirds had secluded themselves, hiding away in their hidden fortresses. The Carrion Eaters had fallen under the sway of Inek after he quickly purged the order of all desenters. They had left for Greenshore, quickly earning Rhys' enmity.
"We cannot select anyone from the Imperial Cities," Ydrys said. "The cities are the single greatest threat to us now. They produce vast quantities of industrial goods, but little food. Even with rationing and the liberal actions of local priests, we may not be able to find enough to preserve us through winter."
"Their pri'ri'ies would be wrong," Rhys agreed. "Any 'visor from the Cities would be putting their needs first. It would hinder any… necessary steps we're forced to take."
"We should likely select someone from Txolla. They've stayed loyal, out of fear if nothing else. With the East in revolt and the Highlanders launching probing attacks, their borders are too porous for them to make a play at independence."
"I've contacts," Rhys said. "I had a talk with them." At Ydrys' clear surprise, he explained. "I'd'en building up connections; I wanted to convince the governor to launch a voyage of exploration to the east. It isn't what I had dreamed of using them for..."
"The question is, what to select for in advisors?" In uncertain times, with the Ymaryn Kingdom at the brink of collapse, loyalty would be critical. Ydrys knew much of what they would uncover in rebuilding the Kingdom would be damaging information. Disloyalty, weakness, or even simple embezzlement could push them over the edge. On the other hand, loyalists often brought nothing new to the table, no ideas and no connections. The Old King's court had been an utter snakepit of competing interests, but it was an effective snakepit. The fact that Ydrys and Rhys were there at all proved it.
Alternatively, they could look for ability. Now was a time of crisis and an endless amount of work that had to be done. Doing it well was going to be critical for survival.
The third consideration would be connections. Advisors that knew more people often could provide a greater diversity of possible plans and more effectively use the influence and resources provided. If well supported, these individuals would be substantially more effective.
"The las'choice is to throw the ma'er to Parliament," Rhys said. Parliament had always occupied a strange role in Ymaryn society. While officially only a forum for Patricians to gather and work in support of the Kingdom, their influence was far ranging. Often as not, Parliament held Kings hostage in order to pass policies of their own choosing. It was all cloak and dagger as the King was supreme authority, but it was so much murkier in practice.
"They'll give us what they think we need," Ydrys suggested. "Hopefully. They'll likely appreciate the gesture, especially after..." He gestured at the coronet that rested on Rhys' head. The irregularity. Parliament had always been profoundly jealous of their ability to Elect the next King. With the sheer number of crises going on and the fact that so many Patricians were dead that it wasn't possible to achieve quorum, pushing a Heir through could be rubber stamped as a fait accompli. "But knowing what we'll get is impossible. Any advisors we get will almost certainly be beholden to someone."
"Only'a li'le mor'so than usual, m'King," Rhys countered. "'Beware a Ymaryn come offerin' aid.'"
"'He only wants a little favour,'" Ydrys responded. "Everyone owes someone something."
(This affects the slate of candidates you get. Councilors with Connections make great use of delegate Influence. Parliamentarians generally please Parliament, but are a grab bag. Managing Parliament's loyalty will be important in the future.)
"It will take time to get candidates in order, but we should be able to make final selections soon," Ydrys said.
"How many can'e manage, though?" Rhys asked. "The smaller the circle, faster we'll respond. It'so means responsibilities can be more clearly defined. I'd've normally recommended a small group. Three-er-four, at most."
"Normally, I think we could manage as many as a dozen," Ydrys countered. "With everything going on, however, the absolute limit is eight. Fewer would probably be better. The problem won't be managing personalities, it's overseeing everything. There are only so many reports I can read each day or remember in detail."
"It was differen' in the n'vy," Rhys said. "Trapp'd on a small boat for day-er-week meant balancing people was key. People'd've torn each other apart otherwise."
How many Councilors will you look for:
[ ] Number
-[ ] Type of Councilor
-[ ] Type of Councilor
-[ ] Etc.
The types of Councilor are:
Patrician (Highly politically connected, multi-disciplinary, profoundly skilled)
Guild Master (Technology and industry focused)
Gentry (Rural focused administrators)
Generals (Major officers within the armed forces. Includes admirals.)
Urban Councilor (Someone to advocate for the urban poor. Rarely done and upsets other councilors.)
The Heir (The next King. Selected by Parliament, tends towards being competent.)
King's Wife (Tend to vary profoundly in ability and loyalty.)
Governor's Appointee [Txolla] (Provides a key way to address local issues)
Imperial Mayor [Valleyhome, Redshore, Valleyguard, Sacred Forest] (Advocates for the interest of a Free City.) Merchant (Locked. Merchants are heavily marginalized in Ymaryn society. May as well appoint a criminal.) Rural Councilor (Locked. Rural peasants are so marginalized as to be invisible.) Priests (Locked due to Independent Churches Social Feature) Banner Company Captain (Locked due to the fact you currently have none.) Spiritual Specialist [Blackbird, Carrion Eater, Spiritbonded] (Locked, they've either abandoned you or are in seclusion rebuilding.)
You get six actions each turn; two are dedicated to the Dissolution right now. Overseeing an advisor consumed ½ of an action to manage them and a full action to micromanage.
"It might also be a good idea to keep a few positions open," Ydrys suggested. "Wait and see if any new advisors present themselves. Dismissing an advisor is difficult and angers their supporters."
"Such's 'ur wife," Rhys said. "When'd you plan to marry?"
"I have avoided it," Ydrys said.
"Choice eunuch?" Rhys asked. "Few'o those in the n'vy."
"No," Ydrys said quickly. "I have no objection to marrying or distaste for women. It's… The reason I took such a lowly position as a rural administrator even though I earned my Philosopher's Degree was because of what marriage meant. Children. I… I couldn't send mine to the Academy, even if it's to Valleyhome. Seven is too young to go there."
"Y'll've'ta," Rhys said. "I respect my wife. She respects me. Isn't bothered when I till the fields or I'm away from the children at sea. Anything can be made to work."
"For the children of a King, the expectations are high. Impossibly high. Remember what happened to the family of the Last King?"
"A King with no children has no care fer the future," Rhys said. "The People'll notice, n' they'll know you've no hope. What use's a tree when there's no fruit?"
Ydrys is currently unmarried. Should he look for a wife?
[ ] Yes
[ ] Put it off a few years
[ ] No
(The King's marriage will provide 1 Stability when completed.)
The Dissolution Procs!
Famine strikes the people, bringing starvation, the disease of foreign lands, for the first time in recorded history. The Core is built on enormous cities that consume endless tonnes of food each day. With agriculture nearly destroyed by the ravages of the Great Khan, drastic action must be taken.
Many of the actions that the People normally take in response to food shortages have already been taken such as rationing, 'encouraging' the marginalized to conserve food for working people, and converting to a mostly vegetarian diet. Extremely drastic action is required.
Select Two: 5 points are needed to resolve this crisis. Some options can worsen future crises.
[ ] Enserf a large number of peasants and disperse them as farmers in Txolla (2)
[ ] Dyfan has called for refugees to help resettle Western Wall, push everyone you can onto him (2, Provides 1 Favour with WW)
[ ] Cut down large sections of the Sacred Forest to turn over to croplands. (3)
[ ] Buy food internationally (1)
[ ] Buy enormous amounts of food internationally (2)
[ ] Work to repair damaged aqueducts and farming infrastructure (1)
[ ] Tear out all cash crops in Txolla, replacing them with staple agriculture. (2)
[ ] Levy the poor as soldiers to fight enemies and curb excess population. (1)
[ ] Use the army to raid your neighbours for supplies. ( -1, 0, 1, roll dependent)
[ ] Expand the navy to increase fishing (1)
Note: The Buying Food options are mutually exclusive.
Ydrys is the Admin Hero King.
Rhys is the Diplo Hero Heir.
Gylys is the Tech Hero. He rules Hyathya.
Dyfan is the Martial Hero. He rules Western Wall and took the remains of the Banner Companies with him.
Inek is the Priest Hero. He purged the Carrion Eaters and took them with him to Greenshore.
Turn 1: Out With The Old
1620 AGF, Reign of Ydrys the 170 King of All Ymaryn
[X] Plan Calculated Pain
-[X] Parliament's Choices
-[X] Yes
-[X] Dyfan has called for refugees to help resettle Western Wall, push everyone you can onto him (2, Provides 1 Favour with WW)
-[X] Cut down large sections of the Sacred Forest to turn over to croplands. (3)
-[X] 5
-[X] Patrician (Highly politically connected, multi-disciplinary, profoundly skilled)
-[X] Guild Master (Technology and industry focused)
-[X] The Heir (The next King. Selected by Parliament, tends towards being competent.)
-[X] King's Wife (Tend to vary profoundly in ability and loyalty.)
-[X] Governor's Appointee [Txolla] (Provides a key way to address local issues)
To the Ymaryn, trees were life. When one of the People was born, a tree was planted in celebration. At major milestones in life, marriage, graduation from the Academy, becoming a recognized Master in your guild, a tree was also supposed to be planted. Each occasion was special and merited its own particular tree; oak at birth, jasmine trees for marriage, hardy apple to represent guild mastery, and birch to celebrate graduation. Even at death, the People were buried under trees of yew.
At least… that was the theory Ydrys had always heard. Only people located in the most remote areas in the Kingdom had the ability to plant trees in celebration any more. He'd heard once from his grandfather than his grandfather's grandfather remembered it happening when he was a boy. For Ydrys, the only trees that had been planted for him was the elm he planted with his bare hands as part of his coronation.
Even then, that had meant cutting down someone else's memorial. If the tree had been for anyone else other than a king centuries dead, it would've meant violence. Sporadic most years as King and Crown always stamped down harshly on civil disorder, but everyone knew what went on in the backwoods. Only the recent King's decree of 1298 AGF — which limited urban neighbourhoods and rural villages to only planting one celebratory tree each year — had really stemmed the rising discord.
When Ydrys had announced the policy of cutting down sections of the Sacred Forest, he had rightly feared the worst. People were angry, but Rhys had helped him with framing the issue just so. Cutting down trees would mean that more could soon be planted. The King's Decree restricting planting might even be lifted if things went well! People were then only too happy to help!
If several rows of wheat, beans, carrots, turnips and other foodstuffs were planted in between trees, well it was just sensible use of space! After all, it would take years for the trees to grow enough to occlude sunlight from the ground. If the only seedlings available happened to grow into trees happened to bear apples, walnuts, pears, peeches, cherries, hazelnut, or pine nuts, what could be done?
Not all had been pleased.
The Ngolyst sect of Mylathadysm had rioted, requiring a heavy-handed response, but that was unavoidable. To a Ngolyst, cutting down a tree, for any reason, was sacrilege. They refused to use wood for constructing or heating their homes and utterly disdained it in all utensils and furnishings. Nearly all of them refused to so much as step on a wooden floor! Most even refused to use tools forged with charcoal, preferring more environmentally friendly coal-fired tools.
Ydrys wondered what they would have done had they seen the Office of the King. Not the official one near the Hall of Stars where private audiences were held, but his true office. Everything was wooden, grown into shape in ways that must have taken master arborists decades to achieve.
Still, even after repression, relations with the sect were not as poor as they had been in the distant past. Their refusal to use wooden-shafted billhooks and crossbows had effectively barred them from military service and conscription in the Mass Levy. They'd eventually found a niche as slingers, scouts, and skirmishers. They were obviously inferior to Blackbirds, but tended to be better than average.
"'Re'ye certain this's needed?" Rhys asked, looking over the most recent orders Ydrys had drafted. "There's'n way this can'e be made less bitter."
"By ten-in-ten." Ydrys sighed. "The Laws Unwritten state that every administrative division within the Kingdom needs to store enough food on hand to survive seven years of complete famine." It had always been difficult, even for Ydrys to manage it, but seeing what unfolded before him every day made the new King endlessly grateful to the People who had established the Law so old that it's codified form was now lost. "After the Great Khan's Time of Blood, our stores are gone in most of the country. Even the herds necessary to sustain the Sacred Warding have been largely carried off."
"The o'ly places untuch'd are Hyatha and southern Txolla," Rhys acknowledged.
And Greenshore. Ydrys knew enough not to mention that, however. Running his hands through his hair, he had to suppress as grimace as it came back covered in hairs. It had started years back, during the war, but Ydrys had noticed that there seemed to be more and more hair coming free each time.
"Hyatha is having enough trouble feeding itself, right now," Ydrys said. "With Txolla and all the refugees we have in the Core, I suspect we only have four years before the foreign disease starts to truly set in."
"Starvation." The word brought an ugly grimace to Rhys' face. It was a foreign word in a foreign tongue — the People not quite having an equivalent — but to Rhys who'd spent time on the borders of the Kingdom or in the company of traders, that obscure piece of knowledge must have been commonplace. "It't'as everywhere. But, not here."
Until now.
"Anything less than the most drastic of actions will not be enough. On average, each man, woman, and child in the Kingdom will eat one tonne worth of food each year. Within the city of Valleyhome itself, we're stuffed to bursting with as many as 700,000 refugees on top of the regular population. We have maybe 2 million tonnes worth of supplies stored right now, barely enough for a year and a half. Some places — especially in Txolla — might be better off, but not by much, and most aren't."
"The people w'n't be 'appy," Rhy said simply.
"What can I do?" Ydrys asked. "Before the Khan came, the Kingdom was host to 160 million souls based on what we know from the old Census. As best I can guess, we lost a few tens of million in the fighting and to the Khan's deliberate slaughters, but losses weren't even. Aside from the nobility, it was mostly frontier farmers in Western Wall and Thunder Plateau that paid the price. Some of our most productive farming regions, laid to waste." Ydrys couldn't even be sure if his estimates of their losses were correct. Tens of millions died, they were certain of that, but entire provincial administrations were utterly wiped out. So many people were dead that there often weren't enough left around to count the bodies.
In Western Wall, it was worse. Every Ymaryn hated the Khan and his nomads, but the Wall had lost so much more. For them, their feelings on nomads were psychotic, rooted only in blood and fury. If they hadn't been so utterly devastated by the war, Ydrys was sure they would've proclaimed war against Greenshore for their vile treachery.
Still, before that was even the remotest possibility, they would need to rebuild. A lot of people were motivated by Dyfan's offer for a farmstead if they came to settle. Having your own land to tend and a guarantee that your sons will be able to inherit a plot of similar size and your grandsons after? It's an intoxicating dream. Life was normally precarious; to have a guarantee that you would not be dispossessed, your children and grandchildren? It was stability, safety, and sanctuary in an uncertain world. Something so unlike the cut-throat nature of the Ymaryn.
It was a dream that Ydrys knew he'd nearly been swallowed by in his youth. The Stymyr were always eager to take in immigrants from the Core, especially those who'd graduated from an Academy like he had. A Philosopher on top? He was guaranteed a title of nobility and a large grant of land that would be his if he wanted it. Land was often the least of what they were willing to offer. Still, he wasn't one to abandon the Ymaryn. To leave the People… it would be painful for all involved.
Turning back to the orders written before him, Ydrys affixed his sign and seal. "It's not enough," Ydrys said. "We have too many mouths to feed here and it seems Dyfan up in the north needs them. Speak to your contacts among the naval captains and see who would be available to assist in the relocation. The army will be keeping order."
There would be riots over this, all Ymaryn would resist expulsion from their land to the point of death. It had been one of the few things that had slowed the Khan down when he marched through the Kingdom. When fighting on their land, with the families at their backs, the People's army had been unbreakable. Even the lowest conscripts, the gutter trash pulled half-drunk from city sewers, had fought to the bloody end by tooth and nail. There was no retreat.
"I can'e 'ver'ee it all, my King," Rhys said softly. "We need supporters."
"Alright," Ydrys finally said. It was the one part of his Kingship that he'd been putting off. Advisors. One might as well clutch a viper to their chest and try soothing it with soft nothings. Politics in the Core had been vicious since before recorded history. Outside of the structures provided by the Crown, there was little in Ymaryn society to offer the chance for advancement and gainful employment. Failure to attain either was grounds for Half-Exile and the Crown needed only so many administrators, soldiers, and other officials. For those of Patrician stock unlucky enough to fail their Examinations, there were precious few options. Without a career, you were a leech, a criminal, useless, fit only for Half-Exile. Drudgery was all you were good for, nearly everything better would be taken by someone else. Better speak with the priests so your shame could be dealt with.
Unless you could sabotage someone else, destroying them and taking their place.
"There was a reason I decided to take up a Gentry career," Ydrys sighed.
Rhys looked at him strangely. "'Ruly?" He sighed. "I 'th'ved on it."
The Patrician Advisors
[ ] The Officer
One of the few remaining officers of the Old Army, the Officer served primarily as an administrator, ensuring that provisions, arms, and other resources were always accessible to the army. His knowledge on military matters and combat are mostly theoretical, but they are systematically and deeply studied. He was one of the key players in the Great Khan's war, even if he normally would never have risen to prominence. What is most troubling about his candidacy is his professed loyalty to Dyfan and the remnants of the Banner Companies. The Officer was never a member of those illustrious bodies, but as Chief Quartermaster, he worked closely with them and had clear loyalties.
Primary Strength: Administration
Secondary Strength: Diplomacy, Military
Known Loyalties: Dyfan
Ambitions: Remake the Army
[ ] The Refugee
Formerly located within the administration of Blackmouth, the Refugee has had to start over from virtually nothing. He'd been an exciseman before the war, tracking harbour fees and other taxes, ensuring that every copper penny and pound of flour were accounted for. It wasn't glorious work, but it needed doing. After the war started and Blackmouth fell, he had been swept up into the army fighting against the Khan. His career there was not distinguished, but it was not lacking either. He is clearly a compromise candidate suggested by different factions of Parliament. He is straightforwardly competent and offended no one's sensibilities.
Primary Strength: Administration.
Secondary Strengths: Diplomacy,
Known Loyalties: Western Wall
Ambitions: Create a stable home and future
[ ] The Banker
The current Master of the Royal Ymaryn Mint, the Banker carries profound influence by virtue of his position. At some point in the past, the Master of the Mint was little more than a glorified civil servant, counting coppers and ensuring that all Ymaryn coins were of the highest quality, but it slowly grew in power. The ability to take coins out of circulation was an extremely powerful tool in adjusting prices and controlling the flow of trade. Regions that displeased the Mint often found their coins suddenly worth nothing at all by the mere expedient of the Mint unleashing its endless reserves of gold and silver. It is practically tradition at this point to consider the Master of the Mint for a position on the King's Council. It was perhaps one of the few positions in Ymaryn society more prestigious, but less powerful. An easy way to force an influential man to curb their own power.
Primary Strength: Wealth
Secondary Strengths: Intrigue, Trade, Diplomacy
Known Loyalties: Himself and a Patrician Clan.
Ambitions: He seems to have had it all?
[ ] The Professor
The Professor is one of the foremost teachers of Redshore Academy. Fiercely intelligent, he has managed the education of the Ymaryn elite since before Ydrys was born. He could remember meeting the Professor before, in passing, while he was still in the Academy. The man had a passion for Natural Philosophy and the study of the physical world. Even with the whisper of scandal still clutching at his coat heels, the man had been a force of nature teaching the mysteries of numbers and accounting. The fact that he'd taken a Sabbatical from teaching at the Academy to study alongside smiths' apprentices? To weave sailcloth alongside shipbuilders? All of that was nearly forgotten by the time of Ydrys' own study.
Primary Strength: Learning
Secondary Strengths: Administration, Intrigue
Known Loyalties: The Academies.
Ambitions: Break the Academies.
The Guild Master Advisors
[ ] The Smith
The Smith is an… unusual character. According to reports, the man is strange, talking and laughing to himself while he works or is simply alone. Such things are not unheard of, but there's an unusual depth to his peculiarities. Regardless, the man is a talented metal worker beyond comparison. He, personally, forged the Regnal Sword that Ydrys received to commemorate the start of his reign. Not quite as long as a traditionally Ymaryn two-hander, it seems to fit perfectly in hand. Made of blued ripple-steel and inlaid with gold, amber, citrine, and garnets, it appears to encapsulate the light of a growing dawn. While the Smith has little of the skill in mass production that are so common among the People's great grandmasters, his skill at individual-level artistry is beyond comparison.
Primary Strength: Industry
Secondary Strengths: None
Known Loyalties: Traditional Guildsmen.
Ambitions: Create a masterwork among masterworks.
[ ] The Architect
The Architect occupied an extremely important position within Ymaryn society and previously worked as the city planner for Redshore. The various megaprojects and environmental works the people engaged in required extensive planning and organization to undertake. It was often one of the few fields where people could truly show off without running afoul of the People's various sumptuary laws. While not a member of the Guilds traditionally, architects often work with them hand-in-glove in order to make the People's vivid dreams a functional reality.
Primary Strength: Administration
Secondary Strength: Industry
Known Loyalties: Redshore City
Ambitions: Craft a Wonder
[ ] The Shipmaster
The relative importance of the navy has declined dramatically during the Great Khan's war, slipping from being an anti-pirate fleet to a true afterthought, making the position of Shipmaster increasingly irrelevant. Most lost their career and were forced into Half-Exile when they could not find an acceptable career, but this Shipmaster managed to avoid those purges. Formerly of Trelli and Hyathya, the Shipmaster was chief grandmaster of the city's docks, responsible for the production and upkeep of all Ymaryn navy vessels in the Syffryn ocean as well as the Yllthon Mor. Forced out by the traitors of Greenshore, the Shipmaster has come back to the Core, burning to restore the Ymaryn navy into something that the People can be proud of.
Primary Strength: Industry
Secondary Strength: Navy
Known Loyalties: The Navy
Ambition: Create multiple world-class navies.
[ ] The Glassmaker
The Glassmaker is a master, but in a field where the craft has mostly stalled. Moving against the prevailing orthodoxy that Ymaryn glass is the finest in the world (and literally perfect), he has spent substantial time and effort attempting to improve it. While he has often walked close to the line of embezzlement (or perhaps gone over, none has just been proven), the man has managed to keep up with demand while diverting scarce resources to personal projects. A project that was vindicated shortly before the Great Khan's war as he unveiled a stained glass of brilliant Tyrian Purple, a shade that was once thought impossible to craft.
Primary Strength: Industry
Secondary Strength: Learning
Known Loyalties: Guild Radicals
Ambition: I'll Show Them All!
The Governor's Appointee
[ ] The Nephew
With disgust, you'd nearly thrown this appointment aside before reading it. How could one be so blatantly nepotistic to put forward their literal nephew? It happened everywhere in the Kingdom, but you gave the Governor some slight benefit of doubt. His nephew was . . . competent, skilled even. If it wasn't for the fact that he was the Nephew of a Governor, it is virtually certain that he would be picked up by someone as promising young talent. With such a relationship, however, his career could easily stall. Too many would (perhaps justifiably) doubt his loyalty. If you were to select the young man, it would be easy to mould his career, shaping him to your needs. If you could overcome the risk he would work to benefit his family.
Primary Strength: Administration
Secondary Strength: Intrigue, Industry
Known Loyalties: His family, governor of Txolla.
Ambitions: Advance family interests?
[ ] The Yeoman
A rough scrabble young man, the Yeoman rose to prominence during the Great Khan's War by organizing local gentry and whipping them into fighting shape. Using the famous fast firing longbows of the Ymaryn countryside, the Yeoman proved exceptionally effective in countering the swift-moving cavalry archers of the Khan's army. Now that the war is over, the Yeoman must be rewarded for his valiant service and the Govenor has forwarded his name directly to you. It's likely that this will offer you both a competent commander as well as removing a newly active political figure who has managed to collect an astounding number of life-debts.
Primary Strength: Martial
Secondary Strength: Diplomacy
Known Loyalties: Rural gentry.
Ambitions: To shine brightly.
[ ] The Bodyguard
The Bodyguard is a killer, one of the best killers that Txolla's governor has ever seen. Brash, arrogant, and forthright, he fought a score of duels in a single day, winning them all without serious injury. The grandson of a nomadic woman who settled in the Kingdom, his loyalty was obviously in doubt and his honour questioned during the Khan's War. How could the Ymaryn know he would stay loyal, or would blood finally out? As the war wound down, the Bodyguard has started to grow restless and the families of the men he defeated, resentful. While the Governor could use his services against military threats in the south, the Governor feels it is not worth the risk of civil strife.
Primary Strength: Prowess (Hero)
Secondary Strength: None
Known Loyalties: His own ego.
Ambitions: A life of endless fights.
[ ] The Spicer
Profoundly wealthy, the spicer has cornered control over spices, silks, and other luxury goods produced in Southern Txolla. While the Ymaryn Kingdom officially denies the concepts of personal and private property, some Patricians have managed to make their control over certain resources nearly unquestionable. The Spicer is one of these magnates. While the Spicer would normally have enough influence in his own right to be a Patrician advisor, the fact that he is put forward by the Governor indicates a desire from the latter to remove the Spicer from his center of authority, allowing the slight possibility of reform.
Primary Strength: Wealth
Secondary Strength: Agriculture, Trade.
Known Loyalties: Himself, the Txolla agricultural consortium.
Ambitions: He seems to have it all?
The Wife
[ ] The Rebellious Daughter
The Daughter is the youngest child of the Last King of the Ymaryn. Normally, the children of Kings live extremely precarious lives, trapped between their powerful fathers and any rivals in Parliament who would seek to exploit their connection and extort their patron. Great things are expected of the children of great men and the expectations laid are crushing above and beyond what is normally expected. Despite all of that, the Daughter managed to thrive . . . in her own way. Rebellious, rude, angry, and forthright, the Daughter gained fame by pretending to be a man and fighting actively in the Great Khan's war. She managed to win minor acclaim in her own right before she was revealed. Still, even with that bit of scandal, marriage to her would tie Ydrys tightly to the undisputed Last King, bolstering legitimacy.
Primary Strength: Martial
Secondary Strength: Intrigue, Legitimacy
Known Loyalties: The Old Guard and Last King's extended family
Ambitions: Win Glory
[ ] Guildsman's Girl
The Girl is the eldest child of Gylys, the ruler of Hyathya. While she is still young enough that it would be advisable to delay the marriage by a year or two, she represents an immense opportunity to build ties between the Core and Hyathya through its leading ruler. Of the girl herself, you know frankly little about her. She's said to be extremely quiet, shy, which is unusual for one of the Ymaryn who normally pride themselves on their audacity. She is known to be perceptive and anticipatory, seeming to find solutions to problems before those problems are even apparent. Gylys' wife is a Patrician of moderate means and would likely be able to afford the finest tutors for their child.
Primary Strength: Ties to Gylys, ???
Secondary Strength: ???
Known Loyalties: Gylys and Hyathya
Ambitions: ???
[ ] The Prophetess
The war brought to the People by the Great Khan was for many the end of their days. Some have begun to consider it a true End of Days. A number of fractious cults have begun to establish themselves, providing for and preaching to the discontent of society. The Prophetess is the leader of one of the more popular cults, wielding people to her cause by the strength of her vision as well as the candor of her words. While a risk to marry someone who is only barely considered a Patrician, the Prophetess has established a significant following in only a few years.
Primary Strength: Religion, Diplomacy
Secondary Strength: None
Known Loyalties: Religious Fanatics
Ambitions: Reform Society
[ ] The Manganate
The Manganate is the granddaughter of the most powerful noble family in the Kingdom. (Ydrys and Rhys believe so anyway, but the People's politics are profoundly opaque and unstable so this could easily change.) Based on an extensive web of familial connections, the Managante's family has managed to acquire unsurpassed ability to oversee and control the apparatus of the Crown inside the Core and even surrounding the splinter states. While all of this power is officially unofficial, all true political power is officially unofficial. The King is absolute ruler of the Crown, but in practice he is one man that cannot oversee everything. There would be obligations with marrying so highly, but it would bring with it immense power.
Primary Strength: Intrigue
Secondary Strength: Diplomacy, Learning
Known Loyalties: Extended Family
Ambitions: Empower the family
[ ] The Cousin
Inviting someone into your bed is literal in the case of marriage, but also more metaphorical as well. It implies trust, a bond, that surpasses all others. Instead of marrying a virtual stranger, Ydrys will look for someone he knows will be loyal to him by going through his own extended family. There's certain to be an appropriate second or third cousin of the correct age and skill set that he can marry. It will not expand his ties to others, but it will also not web him into untoward obligations.
Primary Strength: Random (Probably Administration or Diplomacy)
Secondary Strength: Random (At least 2)
Known Loyalties: You
Ambitions: Increase familial power
[ ] A Foreigner?
Instead of seeking a traditional wife, Ydrys has made a supremely . . . unorthodox decision and has decided to seek a wife from abroad. While such a decision is unprecedented in recent history, this is now the time in history to seek possible marriages abroad and bring the People out from their long isolation.
Delays marriage vote for now, will provide a new slate of candidates on turn 2.
The Patrician Advisors
[ ] The Officer
[ ] The Refugee
[ ] The Banker
[ ] The Professor
The Guild Master Advisors
[ ] The Smith
[ ] The Architect
[ ] The Shipmaster
[ ] The Glassmaker
The Governor's Appointee
[ ] The Nephew
[ ] The Yeoman
[ ] The Bodyguard
[ ] The Spicer
The Wife
[ ] The Rebellious Daughter
[ ] Guildsman's Girl
[ ] The Prophetess
[ ] The Manganate
[ ] The Cousin
[ ] A Foreigner?
AN: My apologies for falling off the wagon. I initially launched this quest about a month before I wanted to since it looked like Aranfan's was dying. Now that I'm done with my other projects, I'm able to actually devote the time I intended to it.
Turn 1: Critical Council 1620 AGF, Reign of Ydrys the 170 King of All Ymaryn
[X] Plan Aranfan
-[X] The Professor
-[X] The Glassmaker
-[X] The Spicer
-[X] Guildsman's Girl
"The People are sick," Ydrys said quietly. "Dying. And we must find some way to fix it."
The Kingdom of the Ymaryn were in desperate straits, worse than any other time in recorded history. Starvation still stalked corners of the land; their once unitary state had shattered, Splinter States arising that seemed to almost-but-not-quite challenge the Core for prominence. And all they had to do it with was a Council near constantly at each other's throats.
Haul was a glassmaker, an Artisan, skilled in alchemy and industry. He'd been recognized as a singular great among his many peers because of his discovery of a new treatment of glass that made it take on brilian purple hues. As for the man himself? Ydrys tried to ignore the not-quite-snort that seemed to fall from his perpetual frown. For all his skill, this was a man who never seemed to learn how to smile.
"We've been rotting from the inside out since before you were born," Haul countered.
"Based on what?" Ianto shot back. "I've taught the best of the People for decades and been on this Earth only just short of sixty years and seen no such sign. We were on the cusp, the threshold, the border of greatness!"
As the most elderly member on the council with hair more white than black, he'd naturally be a figure of some respect. Especially since he was a full-blooded Patrician and one of the few people considered worthy of teaching at the Academy of Valleyhome. The fact that Haul, a mere Artisan, never quite seemed to give proper respect clearly chafed.
"Yeah, then how'd the Khan nearly gut us?" Haul asked. "As a people they've barely even heard of soap let alone alchemy. How'd they set the entire north on fire in six months?"
"You think someone sold us out." It wasn't a question. Ydrys had some thoughts along those lines at points . . . but he couldn't believe it. Not after seeing the Khan's men go through entire villages, gathering up the men and forcing them to walk past a cart. If they were taller than the wheel? They'd be shortened until they fit. It wasn't clean. Women and children? They didn't die, but what happened was worse.
"Greenshore'll answer for what they've done."
"Those louts?" Haul asked. "They're a waste of space. Didn't fight, didn't help the Khan. Not really anyway. He still would've nearly cut us down even if he didn't have their supplies."
"You think this goes to the heart of the People." Ianto said. "You know what the Khan's men did. Who?"
Pulling out a long brass tube, Haul set it down on the table. "I don't know. But someone was involved. I saw it when the Khan came to Valleyhome. One of the People, whispering in his ear."
Picking up the brass tube, Ydrys was surprised. Looking through it seemed to make everything suddenly bigger. A lot bigger. It was grainy, dark, and there were obvious inclusions in the image, but it was unlike anything he'd ever seen.
"It's a telescope," Haul explained. "If you cut glass just right, it can make things seem closer than they actually are. I could see up close before the final battle and I'd recognize one of the People anywhere compared to some foreigner."
"Your premise is still faulty, flawed, and incomplete. What would there be to gain in casting down the People? Millions are dead, we are weaker than ever, and starvation stalks the land! Who wins? Any conspiracy, no matter how elementary, complex, or convoluted must have an end goal. Why else conspire otherwise? Your conjecture is empty, sitting on a foundation of sand."
"Must'e argue?" Prydyer asked. The larger southern tried to play peacemaker. He wasn't as good at it as Rhys, but the Heir was away, still negotiating with Gylys. Swathed in silk, he was soft and routuned. He disliked conflict it seemed.
"Quiet. Frygi," Haul said. "All you did during the war was sip wine in the south. Your betters are talking."
Ianto leapt to his feet, a blistering response on his tongue before he pulled up short. Prydyer just placidly popped another grape into his mouth. "Say what you will, it doesn't change the end game. We're in this together now."
"Haul," Ydrys said. "Refrain from such conduct in the future. This is not your workshop, it is mine." Thankfully, the other man's teeth closed with a click and Ydrys let out a silent breath. He shouldn't be looking after children; especially when they were all older than he.
"Has Rhys sen' wor' about the negotiations w'Gylys?" Prydyer asked.
"Slowly. Gylys is skeptical of the arrangements. Rhys believes negotiations will conclude soon and the marriage is to be set for the year after next," Ydrys said. The Lord of Hyatha was clearly reluctant to send his daughter abroad to marry and she was still young. While of the proper age, it was clear Gylys wanted to wait to ensure her health. "There's been questions of what exactly the proper bridewealth would be as well as security. He wants his daughter to have the right to a full unit of Spythurii."
"A unit of bodyguards? In the capital? Alongside the Crown's guards or in place of them?" Ianto asked.
"Can you trust them?" Haul said a moment later. "A hundred men isn't enough to stage a palace coup, but it's enough to slit your throat in the night."
"Thank you, Haul. Rhys seems to think that this isn't an elaborate assassination plot. Gylys loves his daughter and if I die, she would be a co-conspirator. As for the girl herself, Rhys says she's intelligent. He can't say for certain, but he suspects that if she were to sit the Exams, she'd be recognized as a Master or Philosopher."
"Truly? It is as you say?" Ianto asked. "No women sit the Exams for obvious reasons so we cannot be certain; where has she received her education?"
"A retired priest. He apparently attained a Mastery before feeling the call of the cloth. He's near eighty from what I've heard, but still sharp."
"Surprising that forty years among those natterers didn't make his head soft, weak, and feeble," Ianto responded. "Especially with fifteen year of retirement on top."
"Those wor's are ill thought," Prydyer said. That must have been the first time Ydrys saw the spicer appear even slightly ruffled. There was no threat in his voice, but compared to the normally jovial smile he wore, this was different. Serious.
"Regardless," Ydrys said. "The Kingdom is in dire straits."
While they had done enough to stave off starvation (for now), the food situation of People was still critical. Roads and other infrastructure had mostly been untouched by the Khan's men as they too needed it to move through the dense forests of the Kingdom, but the towns and villages that served as hubs for trade and distribution were burned to the ground and looted. It would do little good for the People to produce food, but still be unable to get it to hungry bellies.
On the other hand, the ancient salterns located along the northeastern edge of the Yllthon Mor had been damaged and were out of commission. Without salt, the People lost one of their best ways of preserving food. There was still smoking and other means of dry storage, but salt was incredibly vital as a medicine for the people living in Txolla; it was necessary for their health.
With Blackmouth destroyed and Redshore heavily damaged, the harbours on the Yllthyon Mor were also significantly damaged. Unless they were fixed, international trade would suffer and there was substantial danger in that. Ydrys knew that most of the trade from the Far East travelled up the rivers from Txolla, through the Canal of Valleyhome and then down through the Sncruv river to Redshore. If the harbours of Redshore were disabled for any significant period, trade would reroute. The tribes of Khemri had supposedly dug their own canal through the Sheheshamal Desert into the river Djeb. It was a pale imitation of the People's canal and their markets were poorer, but once trade redirected itself, it wouldn't come back. If trade rerouted, the world would notice and question the People's suddenly weakened state.
It would be blood in the water.
Alternatively, Ydrys could lend his considerable ability in simply reconstructing farms and other facilities. It wouldn't necessarily solve the problem of resource distribution, but getting more people back to work and land under cultivation would mean more food. Much of it would go to waste without salt or transportation, but it would help disperse the population and make logistics easier. Of course, dispersing the population into the countryside would also weaken the ability of the Crown to organize them.
"Thoughts?" Ydrys asked.
"Trade," Prydyer responded simply. "The mar'et towns, and the sal'ens don't matter. There's bandits in the countryside an' we've'n way t' control them. The army's… gone. Mostly."
"People will starve, die, and suffer if we focus on trade," Ianto said. "The markets will make central control and redistribution easier. It allows us to act as one."
"How much 'oes a stone's worth or bread or two firkin of milk cost?" Prydyer asked. "In the Core or Txolla? 1 bwyll. If we were to buy internationally? Four phrys."
That was a fifth the price.
"How?" Ydrys asked.
"Ah!" Ianto started. "You are of course most definitely and assuredly speaking of Stylltyng's Supposition! Things are more expensive inside the Kingdom because there is more gold held by our Mint. Most countries in the Syffryn sea buy our goods with precious metals, effectively transferring their wealth permanently to us in exchange for transient goods like cotton, tea, spices, and silk."
"Aye. 'ow much gold did 'e Khan make off with?"
"Somewhere between 13 and 18 thousand tonnes," Ydrys responded instantly. Was that supposed to be a lot? He wasn't sure, but it likely represented only a 4th of the amount of precious metals accessible to the People. He couldn't be sure how much was held by the temples in religious icons as well as reserves, but those were effectively lost to the Crown given how tightly the temples held control over them.
"If we lose con'rol over Far East trade, we'll lose tha' each decade," Prydyer promised. "Once trade's secure, we can buy food and salt if we need."
"Haul?" Ydrys finally asked.
"I can't say, your Highness," he said. "I know nothing about these matters. As long as the urban poor receive enough food so they don't lynch us all, that's all I think we need."
"Speaking of urban concerns," Ianto started. "There has been a disturbing spate of murders in the dark alleys of Valleyhome. Gruesome and unspeakable crimes. One of my students had… an ominous report of a body he found that looked like it was hacked apart half a hundred times. It was more stain than corpse."
"Crime of passion?" Haul asked. "Or are you thinking there's something else?"
"I've taken a first look at that specific body and from what I can tell, it's actually more than one stitched together in some horrific monstrosity. Two men at least, one a young adult and the other perhaps half the age. As for the weapon used? I want to say something serrated, but it's hard to tell. They're more pieces than people."
"The urbanites are on edge," Haul guessed. "We should take action. At least a dozen cases have already been found."
"Have the weapons from the Khan's War been reclaimed?" Prydyer asked. "Is this an opportunistic criminal taking advantage to settle scores?"
Ydrys shook his head. "Not even a one-in-ten. There must still be millions unaccounted for." Having some type of deranged, psychotic killer on the loose was going to complicate things. Would a young man who'd spent the last five years fighting and killing be willing to turn over weapons that could save their families? No and it would hurt the Crown to ask for them. Would it be better or worse if it was one killer as opposed to an underground syndicate?
On the other hand, having literally millions of armed people would likely mean those arms would be used, in anger if nothing else.
"Do you think this is related to the cults that have been popping up?" Ydrys eventually asked. There wasn't necessarily anything tying the cults to the crime, but small groups of people who deliberately cultivated populism and secrecy? They didn't necessarily look very innocent either.
"Without studying the beliefs of the cults, I couldn't rule them out."
"You also can't blame 'em," Prydyer pointed out.
"Setting that aside," Haul said. "There's the question of what we should focus on inside the city itself. Public health is overwhelmed, collapsing under the strain of so many wounded and dead. The Census records are now completely inaccurate, we couldn't even begin to call for a City Levy. The neighbourhood watches are gone — as the strange killings have no doubt pointed out to us — and a hundred other things."
"Big or small. An immediate fix or underlying overhaul. Do we plan for now or the distant future? As I see it," Ianto said, "Fixing the Census records would solve most of our issues. It would let us know what we're actually working with. We could determine what positions we need to fill and what are already occupied."
"The Census? Doing a new one would take years," Ydrys said. "In the normal course, it's almost two years to compile everything and that's when we know most of the answers; things don't typically change much from the last go round. This time? Five years, at least. Could be as much as ten." There was just so much that was unknown and so many people were dead. Virtually everyone from the Last King's staff had perished in the fighting after the city walls were breached. Based only on the friends that Ydrys remembered from the Academy, more that half of the nobility of the Core were dead. Well over half.
In the end, they had been called to do their duty and put it all on the line and they were not found wanting. No one would question their worth.
"Smaller things, a City Levy, public health, a neighbourhood watch; they're all much more limited and scope and easy to accomplish. Those are reasonable to finish, but their effects will be limited solely to Valleyhome. In the meantime, what will each of you focus on?"
Haul answered quickly, setting his telescope on the table. "These," he said simply. "I can either work on perfecting them or putting them into use. As for where they can be used? Communication infrastructure, with the army, with the navy, or as an item for sale."
"Should you not be focused on coordinating the artisans?" Ianto sniffed.
"Coordinate to what?" Haul snapped back. "Do you think there's material to do anything? Without the harbours and the market towns, we don't have enough ore, cloth, dyes, wood, or anything else. If you want us to manufacture something, it's going to have to be recycled or made from things as common as literal dirt. Glass, thankfully, is made from literal dirt."
"You couldn't fin' new markets?" Prydyer asked.
"Not without harbours," Haul said. "Even then, most of our raw materials came from Hyatha or Greenshore. There's mines to the north and east of the Core, but most of those are tapped out."
"Then re-tap them," Ianto said. "Or negotiate with Hyatha."
"Gylys won't send materials to us, not when he could use them domestically." Haul settled sullenly. "Sourcing them from Greenshore or finding them domestically could be accomplished, but we would need the market towns re-established to transport anything internally and the harbours to get things from Greenshore. And it is going to be a lot more expensive than having materials than you're used to."
Ydrys winced. It was fairly obvious that sourcing things from Greenshore would be cheapest, but it would anger everyone to deal with those traitors. Rhys would be . . . displeased.
Prydyer spoke next. "For myself, I could assist you by working on reseeding farms. Or looking to find resources internationally. My knowledge of who exactly we could buy from is . . . limited so I would need to spend time on research, but it would let us know where to find the resources we need. Or I could look into what's still available for us to sell."
"It's all money," Haul said. "Isn't there something a bit more practical you can do?"
"I could work on moving people south to Txolla. Extra labour is always necessary on the farms and if we start slow, integrating them shouldn't be hard."
"Did we, also, not make the decision to send people to Western Wall?" Ianto asked. "The army must be strained keeping order, discipline, and control. It would be inadvisable, impudent, and foolish to now give them conflicting orders to move people south."
"Alternatively," Prydyer said. "I could work on bringing people north. Specialists in agriculture and construction to help us repair the core. It would annoy the Governor, no doubt to take away valuable labour from him, but it would help us."
"How loyal is the Governor?" Haul asked.
"As loyal as c'n be expected," Prydyer responded, "Which is no' 't all. Right now, there's 'othing tying him to us beyon' the fact that Rhys managed to talk sweetly to him. If goin' over to Forhuch would save his skin, he'd do it in a heartbeat. He would feel bad about 't, but many people agree with the rhetoric of the easterners. The Core was lax when it spurned the Great Khan and dr'gged us into a bloody war of extermination."
"How were we to know?" Ianto asked. "The Khan wasn't even the hundredth warlord we'd turned back. What made this one different?"
"Simply? Oceans of blood." Rapping his fingers on the table, Prydyer smiled. "To deal with The Gov'ner before he becomes a pro'lem, I could lean on connections I have in Txolla. Build something loyal to the Crown for certain, not jus' sweet words."
What was there to say to that?
"Ianto?" Ydrys finally asked.
"With your permission Highness, I would like permission to open the old archives and do over things the People have forgotten or simply left unused. I do not believe the Great Khan came out of nowhere and that is a theory I shall prove. Of course, at the same time, I'll look for things of use, but the archives are best catalogued by the tonne, not the book. There's thousands of years of writing and records."
"The murders," Haul said. "You should catalogue the cults.
"The Khan's magics," Prydyer also suggested. "The things they 'id were unbelievable."
Shrugging, Ianto conceded that was also possible. "Studying the Khan's War in depth would be incredibly valuable," he admitted.
Silently struggling, Ianto finally firmed his resolve. "Or, you could give permission for me to delve into the archives of the Blackbirds, Spiritbonded and Carrion Eaters." He said simply as if it wasn't blasphemy and sacrilege all in one.
Despite the desire, Ydrys couldn't bring himself to shout at the elderly academic. Cracking open the archives of any of the Holy Orders would utterly alienate them if it was discovered. On the other hand, so much could be learned. How much was hidden by them out of jealous secrecy? The Blackbirds were known to be able to speak with their eponymous animal, Carrion Eaters destroyed diseases that confused all other physicians, and the Spiritbonded could raise beasts for war in a way that was absolutely uncanny.
"And you would do this openly?" he finally asked. "Based on my authority."
"If subtle inquiries were rebuffed." Yes, in other words.
"You'll have my decision soon," Ydrys said. "All of you."
Ydrys can sacrifice (1) of his actions to allow his subordinates to take an extra action from their section. You can do this as many times as Ydrys has actions.
You currently have (1) Authority and (2) Influence. To show which action you're investing these in tag it with brackets at the end, i.e. Ydrys: Rebuilding Market Towns (Authority).
Authority is (currently) unique to the Ymaryn and represents the centralization of the Ymaryn state. It is an absolute command to sit down, shut up, and get something done. It utterly bypasses the need for any roll or luck. It always gives you the best possible result.
Influence represents your ability to convince the bureaucracy of state, the factions, the people, anything and everyone to go along with you. This is very much cajoling and convincing, backroom dealing and compromise, not ordering. It is influenced by narrative and luck.
Untagged actions are down to luck entirely.
Authority and Influence do have a cap after which point you will be prompted to vest them into your subordinate permanently. It can be gained or lost based on your actions.
[ ] Ydrys: Constructing City Levies
[ ] Ydrys: Preparing Public Health
[ ] Ydrys: Nurturing Neighbourhood Watches
[ ] Ydrys: Serial Killer Taskforce
[ ] Ydrys: Recreate the Census
Rhys should focus on (1):
[ ] Rhys: Internal Contacts
[ ] Rhys: Investigate a Councilor
-[ ] (Haul/Ianto/Prydyer)
[ ] Rhys: Wide web across the Ymaryn sphere
[ ] Rhys: Focused Contacts
-[ ] (Western Wall/Greenshore/Hyatha/Forhuch/Txolla)
[ ] Rhys: Monsoon Sea situation
[ ] Rhys: Syffryn Sea situation
[ ] Rhys: Great Plains situation
Haul should focus on (1):
[ ] Haul: Perfecting Telescopes
[ ] Haul: Applying Current Telescopes:
-[ ] (Army/Navy/Sale/Communications)
[ ] Haul: Survey the Core for resources
[ ] Haul: Negotiate with Greenshore
Prydyer should focus on (1):
[ ] Prydyer: Reseeding Farms
[ ] Prydyer: Assessing internal markets
[ ] Prydyer: Evaluating foreign markets
[ ] Prydyer: Move People to Txolla
[ ] Prydyer: Move Txollan specialists to the Core
[ ] Prydyer: Build Loyalist sentiment in Txolla
Ianto should focus on (1):
[ ] Ianto: Cataloging the Great Khan's War
[ ] Ianto: Investigating the Great Khan's magic
[ ] Ianto: Curate the Cults
[ ] Ianto: Delve into the Royal Archives
[ ] Ianto: Crack Open a Holy Archive
-[ ] (Blackbird/Carrion Eater/Spiritbonded)
Turn 2: Blood in the Water 1621 AGF, Reign of Ydrys the 170 King of All Ymaryn
[X] Plan External Focus
-[X] Ydrys: Reopening Harbours (Influence)
-[X] Ydrys: Nurturing Neighbourhood Watches
-[X] Rhys: Internal Contacts
-[X] Haul: Negotiate with Greenshore (Authority)
-[X] Prydyer: Reseeding Farms (Influence)
-[X] Ianto: Cataloging the Great Khan's War
Reopening Harbours (Influence): 75% → 95%
Each day, Ydrys felt the unbearable weight that had been placed on his shoulders lessen ever so slightly. The change was subtle, perhaps a featherweight, but each day the Ymaryn survived was one more day he would not have to worry about. Regardless of how it ended, that end was not closer.
Much of his time had been spent in Redshore, overseeing construction and repairs to the harbour there; a task that was now virtually complete. Concrete was thankfully still plentiful, especially when they could extend its use by packing it with rubble. The only difficult part had been locating quicklime, but Haul had proven his worth there. He had known exactly where it could be found inside the Kingdom and approximately how much was available. The man was obsessed with his craft and knew virtually every detail that would be of use, even when it looked like the world itself was ending.
All of the warehouses used to store goods had been rebuilt and Ydrys had managed to find enough workers to ensure cargo could be loaded and unloaded in a timely manner. Most of them were conscripts drawn from other professions, but there had still been enough of a core of the old longshoremen guild that they were able to bring their new compatriots up to speed.
In normal times, such an action would have brought condemnation from the guilds. The King himself intervening in decisions about who those Guilds should employ? It violated their Charters and rights immemorial. They were the ones who made the decisions about how a task would be accomplished, the King just needed to be aware of what it would cost and how long it would take. Details were not what he should be concerned with, that was for other men.
There was still more work that could be done, lesser harbours to both the north and south, but Redshore had always been the People's beating commercial heart. That only became more true once the canal from the lowlands had been completed six hundred years before. It made it possible to take ships from the Syffron sea through to the Monsoon sea and Kus or even further east. Trade had blossomed and along each step of that voyage, the People were able to reap tolls and taxes.
It also meant that the navy could now be secured. At least, the parts that had remained loyal. When Rhys had left Greenshore, he brought most of the smaller galleys with him, bearing soldiers and arms. Redshore itself housed the largest ships of the Ymaryn navy including the Prydwyn, a triple-decked, ironwood-hauled catamaran armed to the teeth with more than three score ballista. It was the largest ship to sail the seas and the most heavily armed in the known world (if the Old Kingdom had heard of one bigger, a keel for the Prydwyn II was ready to be laid down for a ship at least twice the size).
If something was worth doing, it was worth being the best at it.
Nurturing Neighbourhood Watches: 30% → 40%
Those who weren't drafted from the army into rebuilding efforts or as longshoremen quickly found themselves pulled into one of the neighbourhood watches. Effectively built from scratch, the Watch served as the primary peacekeeping and internal security force within the Ymaryn Kingdom. When there was a disaster? When a criminal was on the loose? When someone found themselves destitute and they didn't know where to turn?
The Watch was there.
To someone like Ydrys who had been ranked a Philosopher during the Royal Exams, these positions had seemed practically invisible. The first position he had obtained was as a County Porter, nearly four ranks higher than a simple Watchman. All of his work centered around other Patricians, whether that was Village Headmen, army patrol lieutenants, agricultural engineers, or parish priests. The Watch? They directly oversaw Artisans, Urbanites, or the Peasantry, organizing them during day-to-day matters and dealing with petty matters themselves; serious cases would be referred and resolved further up the chain. In times of trouble, the watch served as lieutenants to higher ranked Patricians, recruiting local personnel in order to respond to crisis.
In all of the ten thousand petty matters that dominated day-to-day it was the Watch that served as the fingers of the Crown, the lowest level of bureaucracy and organization that interacted directly with each neighbourhood, village, and county. They were the lowest possible position that a Patrician could respectably hold. Even then, it was mostly a post that served as a stepping stone for something more respectable.
Regardless, because of the Khan's war, Watches all around the Kingdom had been virtually wiped out. Since they were staffed exclusively by young Patrician men, they had all been called to war. When the Mass Levy was activated, it was the Watchmen of each neighbourhood that commanded the Levy. Further stiffened by Officers from the Royal Army, the Watch was the reason that the Kingdom could organize from top to bottom at all. They were low level functionaries, but they knew the People. How to organize them during peace and motivate them to war.
And they were nearly gone.
Seven-of-ten. Seven out of ten young male Patricians between the age of twenty and thirty-five were dead. Entire watches had been wiped out.
Even with all of Ydrys' ability, there was only so much he could do. He could root through Half-Exiles for former Patricians who hadn't been too disgraced; he could combine Watches, streamlining the administrative structure; and he could even look the other way when there were many who acted like Watchmen, but didn't have the necessary credentials. They were clearly doing the work so he refused to look closely enough to see they should be forced to stop. It was only when the Royal Exams were held again in the Spring and new graduates flooded out into the world, ready to be snapped up by the Crown that he finally started to find success. Even then, it was only with the realization of how far there still was to go. It would take years for the Watches to recover and only so much his efforts could amount to.
Rhys, on the other hand, had been substantially more successful. Perhaps unsurprisingly, he had a lot of friends from his time during the Khan's War. Virtually everyone who followed him out of Greenshore (what someone could incorrectly construe as treason) were more than happy to cultivate a connection with him. Hundreds of people located all throughout the Kingdom. The fact that many of them were skilled, either fighting men, Patricians or even naval officers also meant they were useful contacts in turn. By leaning on Ydrys and the bureaucracy of the Ymaryn Crown it was possible to find a place for these friends everywhere in the Kingdom. They weren't spies and wouldn't be able to access truly secret information or detect hidden conspiracies, but it cast an incredibly broad net for all things obscure or lesser known.
Indeed, the primary problem was that there were too many contacts to cultivate. Rhys had been forced to recruit nearly half a dozen scribes in order to keep up on all the correspondence, each of whom had to be skilled in the southern dialect that Rhys spoke. Despite being more than capable of speaking Central Ymaryn fluently, Rhys preferred to use the native dialect of his birth. It was his way of tweaking the nose of everyone who considered it a language fit only for rubes and fools. The fact that he could still continue to make friends and operate effectively in Ymaryn society just made it better in his mind.
Negotiate with Greenshore (Authority) → Vote
Haul had met with substantially less success. After the defeat of the Great Khan's army, most of them had been decimated and scattered across the steppe, returning to whatever God Forsaken place they called a homeland. A small portion of the horde had broken off and instead installed themselves as the rulers of Greenshore. They didn't replace the Patricians, instead they subordinated them, forcing the Patricians and the People by extension to extract ever greater wealth to entertain them with unimaginably lavish lifestyles. It was a brutal thing. Perverse.
There was clear discontent, but the situation had yet to boil over.
The leader of the nomads, a man by the name of Celik, was more than happy to greet an envoy of the King of the Ymaryn and welcomed them generously to their new Kingdom. He was more than happy to open discussions, but would the respect envoy care for refreshments first?
When Haul spoke of that meeting, his eyes were haunted and his voice guarded. All he would say on the matter was that it was a matter of such gravity that it called for swords. A resolution by words, fist, or staff were inadequate. Even if it would likely mean his death.
The fact that the first meeting ended inconclusively and Haul had to return to the Core and request clarification on what exactly he could offer made it more painful for him. The Khan's demands were grandiose. Most? Impossible. It took months of discussions to reduce an impossible demand into one that would merely be painful beyond reason. Each time Haul came back, he seemed a little harder and a little leaner. He was never a happy man, but now he was constantly thunderous, snapping at the smallest slight.
Haul had a slate of proposals now for your consideration.
[ ] Recognize the lesser Khan as a noble of the People (Rhys: Someone will literally slit your throat for this.)
[ ] Repatriate the traitors who abandoned Greenshore in its hour of need. (Rhys: …)
[ ] Recognize the land of the Tin Tribes as an integral part of Greenshore.
[ ] Recognize Trelli as belonging to Greenshore.
[ ] Give Greenshore the right of first refusal on all products of the Core.
[ ] Bribe them with 14,000 tonnes of gold (about ⅓ of your remaining wealth).
[ ] No deal.
All of the options were painful. The People were weak and in this moment, Khan Celik strong.
The weak suffer whatever it is the strong will.
Cataloging the Great Khan's War→ Part 1 of ???
For Ianto, most of the year was spent spread throughout the Kingdom, speaking to people from every walk of life, from the lowest peasant to the highest Patrician. The War itself was a clash of titans between the Great Civilization in the world and one of its most savage butchers. To collate everything would be the work of generations. Even trying to determine a full timeline; what happened, where, why, how, and so on would take years. It had seemed a simple thing, to record and analyze what went wrong and what led to the Kingdom's Pyrrhic victory, but there was an enormity to the project that belied its simplicity.
The Great War was fought on half a dozen fronts separated by hundreds of miles. To travel that distance alone would take months. To then interview witnesses, sort fact from fiction, and collate a final report? It would take years.
From the little that Ianto was able to grasp so far, he determined that the Khan himself was served by a dozen commanders. None of them possessed his keen insight and preternatural skill, but each of them was tremendously dangerous in their own right. Only four of them had known fates: two had been killed in the Siege of Valleyhome, one in the Razing of Blackmouth and the last . . . the last was a man named Celik and he was now styling himself King of Greenshore.
Of the rest? Nothing was yet known. They might be dead, ignobly slain in any one of hundreds of backwoods battles that would never make history. They may have left with the Khan, gone back to his homeland to rebuild. Or, like Celik, they may have fractured off their own hordes to begin carving their own paths.
Reseeding Farms (Influence): 80% → 85%
For most of the year, Prydyer had been busily at work, resettling people on the northern edge of the core in Norshore and Stallion Pen, areas that were most severely damaged by the Khan's forces. His reasoning was simple: it didn't really matter where he found people to settle, an acre of land inside the Core was as fertile as any other. But what was important was having people in those ruined lands who were loyal to the Core.
Dyfan had been busy resettling people wherever he could. Obvious work given Western Wall was desperately in need of both food and men. What was more troubling, however, was that some of these people were being settled in areas that did not traditionally belong to Western Wall. Most brazen was his decision to re-found the city of Blackmouth on the Yllthyon Mor, naming it his capital instead of Stalriver, located further north where the two tributaries of the Black River met. Blackmouth had always been closely tied to Western Wall, but it was on the Yllthyon Mor, a city of the Core.
It was impossible to tell if these acts are simple carelessness or more callousness on his part. Did he truly not care that he was overreaching? Or was this a simple mistake?
The Dissolution: Farms 85% → 75%
Disaster! The Horseman of War once more besets the People! The traitorous scum of the Highland Kingdom has once again invaded, striking deeply into the heart of Txolla. As always, when the People's backs are turned, the Highlanders are there with bared knives and blood on their minds! Their violence is a vicious thing, slaughtering all whom they come across and burning farmlands, orchards, and towns alike to ash. The Highlanders fight with desperate ferocity and so far all attempts to negotiate or find a ceasefire have been rejected.
Why would the Highlanders stop? Right now, they are winning. They know that they don't need to defeat the People (as if they even could), they just need to destroy enough of the People's agriculture for starvation to set in. The People would rip themselves apart in a feeding frenzy and a desperate desire to stay alive.
If not for the damned Great Khan, the push from the Highlanders would be an irrelevant sideshow. The army alone would sweep them aside, not to mention what could be done with an army of conscripts levied from one of the People's countless cities! These days . . . these days are not normal, however. The People's army is in tatters, disorganized, and deployed throughout the Core and Txolla in a desperate attempt to keep order. The infrastructure that once existed to levy the People's greatest strength — their endless millions — as a fighting force was utterly destroyed! Even the Banner Companies, venerable institutions that had been reduced to less than a hundred men, had abandoned the Core for Western Wall!
Desperate action is needed.
Select up to (2).
[ ] City Levy (Necessary infrastructure is destroyed.)
[ ] Try to find an actual general or military advisor
[ ] Reach out to Dyfan for aid
[ ] Hire foreign mercenaries
[ ] Redirect the loyalist army remnants to Txolla.
[ ] Levy Patrician youths from the Academies to form an army?
[ ] Levy the Guilds to form an army?
[ ] Disperse, order the Gentry to fight a guerrilla war
[ ] Try to find a bribe massive enough to make the Highlanders go away
Rumours
The Core
Public
The Horseman Comes!: The coming of the Highlanders has utterly dominated the attention of the Core. How will young King Ydrys respond to this unprecedented crisis?
Confidential
Troubled Negotiations: While negotiations with the Khan who styles himself ruler of Greenshore are coming to their final resolution, many notables who are in the know are deeply troubled by working with such a man. It may turn out to be necessary, but working with someone who subjugates and enslaves the People will never go down easily. Significant efforts have been made to minimize and marginalize such sentiments, but they cannot be fully destroyed.
Killings Continue: A recent spat of inexplicable and horrific killings have continued to rock the city of Valleyhome. For several moons in the second half of 1621 AGF, the killings seemed to stop . . . until it was realized that they had resumed in the city of Redshore. The only thing that had changed during these moons was that the King had moved to Redshore to oversee the final stages of repairing the city docks. Could one of his party be responsible?
Western Wall Announcement
Blackmouth Rebuilt!: The ancient city of Blackmouth has officially been re-founded by Dyfan as an integral part of Western Wall. While in truth little more than a burned out ruin, the city is once again held in the hands of the People. Long tied to the northern reaches of the Kingdom, this news is welcomed heartily by the remaining survivors of the city who see the Great General as their protector during these uncertain times.
Hyatha
Announcement
Bells Beckon: The marriage between King Ydrys and Aderyn, daughter of Gylyes, the Lord-Govenor of Hyatha, has been announced. The upcoming nuptials will take place in 1622 AGF in the City of Redshore and promises to be a reason to celebrate in otherwise dark times. May their union be long and fruitful!
[ ] Recognize the lesser Khan as a noble of the People (Rhys: Someone will literally slit your throat for this.)
[ ] Repatriate the traitors who abandoned Greenshore in its hour of need. (Rhys: …)
[ ] Recognize the land of the Tin Tribes as an integral part of Greenshore.
[ ] Recognize Trelli as belonging to Greenshore.
[ ] Give Greenshore the right of first refusal on all products of the Core.
[ ] Bribe them with 14,000 tonnes of gold (about ⅓ of your remaining wealth).
[ ] No deal.
Select up to (2).
[ ] City Levy (Necessary infrastructure is destroyed.)
[ ] Try to find an actual general or military advisor
[ ] Reach out to Dyfan for aid
[ ] Hire foreign mercenaries
[ ] Redirect the loyalist army remnants to Txolla.
[ ] Levy Patrician youths from the Academies to form an army?
[ ] Levy the Guilds to form an army?
[ ] Disperse, order the Gentry to fight a guerrilla war.
[ ] Try to find a bribe massive enough to make the Highlanders go away
Turn 2: Holding Steady 1621 AGF, Reign of Ydrys the 170 King of All Ymaryn
[X] Plan Rebuilding forces
-[X] Recognize the land of the Tin Tribes as an integral part of Greenshore.
-[X] Disperse, order the Gentry to fight a guerrilla war
-[X] Hire Mercenaries
During the first month of 1621 AGF, Ydrys acted in a way that would've been unthinkable to the Last King: he ordered the People's merchants to begin spreading word that the People were looking to hire. It took weeks to organize and then weeks further for the message to be dispersed across the Syffron and Monsoon seas, but it was out and the world could react.
Results were not promising at first. The People were seeking anyone that could fight, but they wanted an army. There were countless fighting-men to be found throughout the world, but entire armies needed to fight a war? Those were uncommon. Most of the ones that already existed owed allegiance to existing crowns or local power brokers; they were not free agents.
It took six months before their bad luck broke in a big way. The first army to arrive were from the west, survivors from the lands of the last King of Klett, a region that had apparently been conquered a few years before by the Sorkan-Lenka people in a lightning fast campaign. Their nominal allies proved their loyalty threadbare by fighting to restore the Kingdom of Klett as a puppet state to be ruled by one of their own relatives. Finding themselves without a master or a home to return to, the kingdom's former soldiers had packed themselves and their families up and started to wander. Without anywhere to go, they had sold their swords as the Brotherhood of Mark. The years and cut-throat business had not been kind to them so the People's offer was received with immense skepticism. The Ymaryn wanted mercenaries? The people who cannot grow angry and never fight in war? Aren't they a myth? Still, silver-in-hand was enough to convince them to take a risk on a myth
Several weeks after that, reports came from Txolla that several clans of mercenary-soldiers were arriving from the great river plains east of the Thunder Mountains. Calling themselves the Ujjafa, they were a loosely affiliated tribe of mercenary-soldiers consisting of a number of clans tied together by interlocking marriages. Apparently, their land of origin was beset by something that all soldiers fear: peace. The Great Spirit had used them to conquer most of their homeland, unifying the once fractious princes into one realm with one purpose. After that, however, there were no more wars to fight and the Ujjaya had rapidly found themselves redundant. Instead of a hundred princes with a hundred armies, there was now only one without need for any of the others. Disdaining any other trade besides the clash of steel, only a tiny minority of the clans had managed to find roles as peacekeepers and enforcers within the new regime. For the rest, they had been forced into near destitution and if they had not heard the call of the Ymaryn would likely have ended up disintegrating on the winds of history.
As the year passed and word continued to get out, more mercenaries in loosely-affiliated bands poured into the Core, drawn mainly from the Syffron Sea by the promise of endless Ymaryn silver. For Ydrys, it had taken time, but he finally began to understand what Prydyer meant when he talked about the prices of the People being different from those around the world. On average, each mercenary demanded six bwyll per week, with mounted warriors earning double that. They seemed thrilled with the wage, especially since it was paid consistently without fail and their food and other supplies would be provided by the Crown.
To someone living in the Core, those wages wouldn't even be enough to provide your daily bread. It was true that the mercenaries didn't have to worry about food or housing, but to sell your life for so little?
On the other hand, when the mercenaries discovered that quality Ymaryn plate armour was available for a mere four gylders — slightly less than four month's wages — and the Crown was willing to spot the purchase against their future pay, they had started demanding it en masse, nearly every man. Followed shortly behind that were demands for swords: 1 gylder each. Where once the mercenaries were armoured in cheap iron and leather, they now shimmered in the sun bearing weapons of highest quality, swaggering as if they were ten feet tall.
Ydrys personally didn't see the appeal of swords; they were virtually useless as weapons compared to polearms or warhammers, but foreigners always seemed obsessed with them. What use was a weapon that was going to chip or shatter as soon as it struck good steel?
What truly had shocked him was the seeming reluctance the foreigners had in purchasing a quality crossbow. 3 gylders was slightly steep as far as price went, but as a weapon, it was far more useful on the field of battle. The body was made of hollowed steel affixed to a solid steel bow. The entire contraption was powered by an integrated winch-and-pulley system that served to fire a single cast lead bullet. It wouldn't penetrate good Ymaryn armour (virtually nothing did), but it transferred energy so effectively that it could put a man down as if he'd been kicked by a horse.
The crossbow comprised the peak of Ymaryn military engineering and weaponsmithing. And the foreign mercenaries preferred beating each other with sharpened metal sticks.
Regardless, the Guilds Factoria were more than able to fulfil the demand of the mercenaries now that iron, tin and gold were once again flowing from Greenshore. The prices were noticeably higher than the records said they should be and the quantity less abundant, but not so much it was clear Celik was gouging the People. It was clear that the Great Khan's brutal repression of the Tin Tribes had damaged them, just as it did the People.
It truthfully cost nearly nothing to get the Celik to reopen to the People. Just legitimizing the Great Khan's conquest of the Tin Tribes. Some deep, dark part of Ydrys burned at that. He, like all Ymaryn, closely nurtured a deep seated rage against the steppes; to give the Khan who'd taken so much from them anything was . . . painful. But what was the alternative? As much as Haul had glossed over it, the People needed the Guilds. Without their production, how would the Ymaryn create the tools needed to rebuild farms and cities? They might have been able to persist for years, slowly recycling the millions of arms and armour produced to fight the Khan, but they would've run out. Not today, not next year, but soon enough.
Regardless of how or legality, the land was now in Greenshore's hands and like all lands under the Ymaryn, it would never leave. The first Commandment of the Gods was to cultivate the land, doing your best to build on and enhance what was there. It was a personal duty, charged to each Ymaryn and solemnly reaffirmed a dozen times throughout life. To give land away and forsake its cultivation was unthinkable. To give the lands back to the Tin Tribes would mean giving it back to slavers. "There art naught a more loathsome mote in mine eye than the continence and conduct of the slaver." Another of the People's most basic truths: a quote from The Book of Beginnings, Chapter 4:12 and the highest admonishment ever given by the Ymaryn gods. The unpopularity of forsaking land under the People's cultivation to give it back to slavers would be incalculable. To actually do so would've likely meant slaughtering all of the Ymaryn settlers down to the last suckling babe and when Greenshore rose in the settlers' defence, them too. It would be a war of extinction, worse than what the Great Khan had inflicted.
At least this way, if pushed, Ydrys could always blame Celik and the People's temporary weakness for the naked conquest and still avoid that dark future.
Thankfully not all conquests went as well. In Txolla, the Highlanders had finally started to be pushed back. The Gentry had served as an excellent tarpit, pulling them down into the dirt until the foreign mercenaries arrived as a hammer blow, scattering them. The Highlanders had picked their tactics with care; they knew the People were weak. The north had mostly burned to the ground under the Khan's wrath and if they could manage the same to the south, the Kingdom would starve and collapse. It was a vicious way of thinking, but effective and minimized the Highlander's central weakness: lack of warriors. The Highlanders knew that there wasn't even the faintest possibility that they would be able to defeat the People in open combat so they must not fight fairly.
As best as Ydrys could guess, the Highlanders numbered perhaps one million people in total based on the area known to be under their control as well as their (poor) farming ability. During the Great Khan's war, nearly eight million Ymaryn served under arms at various points in the campaign. Even now, if they could repair the Census, Ydrys was confident the People could field an army of over a million men. The Highlanders were fighting a colossus and the only reason they were even a vague threat was because the colossus was tired and off balance.
Regardless, the changing tides of war had produced something that could be particularly valuable: prisoners. Apparently both the Brotherhood of Mark as well as the Ujjafa had extensive experience taking and managing prisoners. The former because of the chivalric traditions of their homeland: captives could be ransomed while corpses were worthless. The latter had been forced to hone non-lethal techniques before being turned away by the Great Spirit as they were stained in too much blood.
Despite the best efforts of the Highlanders, of the thousands encountered in battle and defeated, hundreds had ended up in captivity. At least at first. Dozens died mere hours later, desperately taking their own lives the instant it was possible. Some chewed off their own tongues; others caved in their own skulls, slamming them against the ground; others still simply refused to eat or drink and wasted away after weeks. Prisoners had to be watched at all times and frequently restrained just to prevent them from being a danger to themselves. Feeding them was rapidly becoming an issue, both because many of the Highlanders already seemed partially starved, but also because they would refuse everything offered to them.
It unnerved the mercenaries, and it unnerved the People as well. What could drive a man to such suicidal insanity?
It was like the war, Ydrys thought. People crawling on broken fingernails just to slay one more of the enemy.
Either way, the situation had shifted, moving against the Highlanders, but it would take another year or two before Ydrys felt comfortable calling the situation resolved.
There were other things that should have his attention.
"We've a critical 'versight," Rhys said one evening. "The 'Ighlanders. We sh'ulda seen it."
"How were we supposed to know, expect, or even consider this?" Ianto asked. "The Highlanders have remained in their mountain holds for centuries."
"The Highlanders are the Bearfolk," Prydyer said in reference to the Book of Yenna. "Ev'ry time we turn our backs, they're there to sink a knife in it."
"No," Rhys said. "The 'Ighlanders are only . . . mostly like that."
"Have you ever spoken to one, read their writings, or even seen one?" Ianto asked. "The last time we sent an envoy was in 1226 AGF and they beheaded the entire party and staked their tortured bodies out in the sun to rot. The last exile from them died in 1478 AGF and her last confirmed descendant died in 1537 AGF. It's been two hundred years — at least — since the Highlanders did anything of note. Unless you are admitting to diplomatic contact off the records?"
His response was silence.
"My King," Rhys said. "G've me leave to speak with the pr'sners. It'll take time, but this opportunity to understand the Highlanders'll never come again."
"Or, you could do your job," Haul sneered. "Diplomacy is most often the prerogative of the Heir." Both because they were the ones who'd have to live with the results once they ascended to the throne, but also it was less harmful if they were captured or killed by whoever they were negotiating with. Or, be replaced if their agreement was too onerous to complete and required repudiation. "What will the Highlanders tell us? That they hate us and want nothing to do with us!? They've been violent isolationists for so long it is literally mentioned in the earliest Holy Books from before the God Fist! You think you're going to change a fifteen centuries worth of history?"
"Haul," Ydrys said. It was clear that the artisan was angry and resentful and it had been coming out more often in the last year. He'd been pressed into negotiations with Celik and the shame of negotiating with nomads had clung to him most heavily. He was also a mere artisan: expendable compared to the Heir. To him, it must have seemed as if he was set up to fail. An expendable artisan negotiating an internally damaging deal. He could easily be set aside so as to clear the air of scandal in the King's court.
How many people had Ydrys seen or known of being destroyed in such a way? He'd lost count.
"Where will you focus your efforts next year?"
The man's jaw tightened, but he relaxed, eyes falling to the floor. "With iron and tin, the most critical shortages for the guilds have been addressed. However, for full capacity we'll need copper, zinc, lead, female antimony, and mercury. The first three can most easily be found in the Thunder Mountains, the last two in Hyatha. The problem is that negotiating with either will be harder than dealing with Greenshore's Khan."
"The Thunder Mountains've expelled the officials from the Last King's government and the people there loudly proclaim their independence. The only reason they haven't'ed used military force against 's is 'cause they've none," Rhys said. "Only Western Wall suff'rd more than the Mountains."
"And as for Hyatha, they need female antimony and mercury as much as we do." Haul sighed. "They won't sell it to us as raw materials when they can craft it and sell more expensive finished goods."
"Now that we've gold, tin, and iron, could we negotiate with Gylyes? He will be attending his daughter's marriage next year."
"No," Rhys said immediately. "He'd take it badly, like'e tryin' to exploit them or hold hostages."
"If I were a metallurgist, I wouldn't trade for iron and tin; Hyatha has more than enough of both. Gold is basically worthless," Haul said. "Mercury is rare, beautiful in its own right, and highly useful in the extraction of silver from lead. Female antimony forms the most basic building block of most of our heat proof material."
In other words, not an option. That likely meant either sending Haul to Thunder Mountain to negotiate with people loudly proclaiming they wanted nothing to do with the Core, trying to find sources locally, or find an alternative application. Ydrys could ask the man to work on organizing tools and work gangs to the interior, but the actual effect that would have would be minimal. It would basically be telling the Guilds to do what they're already doing, but harder. Even then, the limit to rebuilding the Kingdom's interior wasn't a question of material but organized labour. Finding someone who knew how to build a house, shore up a hill farm, manage soil quality, or repave a road was much harder in the mass of millions displaced internally than finding the resources to do it. It wasn't even possible to tap the Guilds to assist, either. Not directly. They depended on enormous Factoria, each of which was a marvel of water-powered machinery. Dispersing Guild workers into the countryside would be less effective than leaving them where they were.
The Guild needed a project, something new to work towards, but Ydrys hadn't the faintest idea of what was needed. Haul's telescopes could be used in the interim, but they were a fad. They needed something transformative.
"Prydyer? Ianto?"
"My King," Prydyer started, "My pre'rence'd be to assess our internal markets t' determine what goods and 'ow much is flowing. As'd been . . . pointed out t' the council, exploring external markets may find hostile audiences. 'Side from that, the biggest things holding us back from more's t' state o' the watches and the market towns."
That was true. Right now, as it sat, goods could barely be shipped two dozen miles before encountering transportation difficulties. Ydrys could see an easy synergy between himself having towns rebuilt while Prydyer worked over their internal markets. Determining which goods were produced by the people and where they were needed. All Ymaryn knew the basics, but the details were easy to get lost in.
On the other hand, the neighbourhood watches essentially served as the interface between the common people and the Crown. While they had at one point in time been a mere peacekeeping service, they had quickly evolved a role as contacts and supporters for the common people who had the antipathy of a local guild or patrician. They served as the ultimate check on abuse from local powers and were the fundamental unifying organ of the Crown as a bureaucracy. Without them, the Crown was effectively blind to everything afflicting the peasants. Instead, they had to rely entirely on entrenched local patricians and guild masters with no way to keep them honest.
If it hadn't been for his efforts last year, Ydrys couldn't even have begun to guess how blind.
"My King," Ianto intoned. "I wish to continue working on the Catalogue for the Great Khan's war. While it is a substantially more massive undertaking than I initially expected, it has proven fruitful already. After this year, I should be better able to estimate how much still remains. As always, I am at your command."
"Before we adjourn," Prydyer started, "Have you given thought to . . . expanding the council?"
"A general would be of use," Ianto said. "I've spoken with several over the last year, trying to assess the Khan's War. They are . . . primed to assess threats."
"If you're looking to work metal, you get a smith," Haul said. "And I suspect our future will hold a lot more smiting."
Looking over at Rhys, the golden man just nodded. "It'd'e a good idea."
[ ] Ydrys: Constructing City Levy (Valleyhome)
[ ] Ydrys: Preparing Public Health
[ ] Ydrys: Nurturing Neighbourhood Watches
[ ] Ydrys: Serial Killer Taskforce
[ ] Ydrys: Recreate the Census
Rhys should focus on (1):
[ ] Rhys: Interrogate Highlander Prisoners
[ ] Rhys: Investigate a Councilor
-[ ] (Haul/Ianto/Prydyer)
[ ] Rhys: Wide web across the Ymaryn sphere
[ ] Rhys: Focused Contacts
-[ ] (Western Wall/Greenshore/Hyatha/Forhuch/Txolla)
[ ] Rhys: Monsoon Sea situation
[ ] Rhys: Syffryn Sea situation
[ ] Rhys: Great Plains situation
Haul should focus on (1):
[ ] Haul: Contact Thunder Mountain
[ ] Haul: Perfecting Telescopes
[ ] Haul: Applying Current Telescopes:
-[ ] (Army/Navy/Sale/Communications)
[ ] Haul: Survey the Core for resources
Prydyer should focus on (1):
[ ] Prydyer: Reseeding Farms
[ ] Prydyer: Assessing internal markets
[ ] Prydyer: Evaluating foreign markets
[ ] Prydyer: Move People to Txolla
[ ] Prydyer: Move Txollan specialists to the Core
[ ] Prydyer: Build Loyalist sentiment in Txolla
Ianto should focus on (1):
[ ] Ianto: Cataloging the Great Khan's War (Part 2)
[ ] Ianto: Investigating the Great Khan's magic
[ ] Ianto: Curate the Cults
[ ] Ianto: Delve into the Royal Archives
[ ] Ianto: Crack Open a Holy Archive
-[ ] (Blackbird/Carrion Eater/Spiritbonded)
Turn 3: Beckoning Bells
1622 AGF, Reign of Ydrys the 170 King of All Ymaryn
[X] Plan Internal Economic Focus
-[X] Ydrys: Recruit Martial advisor (Influence)
-[X] Ydrys: Rebuilding Market Towns (Authority)
-[X] Rhys: Interrogate Highlander Prisoners
-[X] Haul: Survey the Core for resources
-[X] Prydyer: Assessing internal markets (Influence)
-[X] Ianto: Cataloging the Great Khan's War (Part 2)
"Rhys," Ydrys said. "When you were married…"
"Was I nervous?" he asked. "I'ope you don't need 'elp."
"No," Ydrys responded. "I… how did you make it work, with your wife?"
Sighing, Rhys sat. The two of them were located in a small annex of the place, near to the city gardens. By tradition, every Ymaryn wedding occurred outdoors and the city garden was the best they could do. There was no time for them to return to the countryside and Ydrys knew that Gylyes only had so much time. As King, duty called above all.
"'Ave you spoken 't your family?"
"No. Most of them are dead. I was the third of five; my family was always a bit smaller than most. My eldest sister married a nobleman from Western Wall and they were slaughtered by the Khan. My older brother died young, a child taken by a disease where nothing could be done. My younger brother's also dead: the war. My youngest sister's still alive but unmarried. That will probably be changing soon."
"Your parents?"
Ydrys said nothing. The last time he'd spoken to his parents had been years ago. He had still been back in the Academy at the time, preparing for the Royal Exam. His family had been from the eastern edge of the Core, but he was educated in Redshore, transferred there due to the promise he showed as a student. It made communication difficult and he found over the years that letters simply came less and less. Not that he had been prompt in returning them, consumed as he had been with the Academy.
He was King now, if he had ordered it, his family easily could have been moved into the Palace. They could have attended his wedding. But he didn't. He should have. Right?
"Talk. Listen. Work together. My wife 'n I'r partners," Rhys said. "There are . . . difficulties we encountered, things you shouldn't've to worry 'bout. But it was made t' work. We've two children, a boy and a girl."
"That's what I'm most worried about," Ydrys said.
Rhys gave him a look.
"Look at my family. What makes you think the children I have will be any better?"
Shrugging, Rhys sighed. "One day a' time. Ye know went wrong so make diffren' mistakes."
Ydrys' response was cut off by the ringing and clanging of bells. It was time. Departing the annex, Ydrys was followed by a verifiable procession. Alongside Rhys and his other advisors, nearly a hundred palace functionaries, officers, friends, and others followed in their wake. Each guest bore a gift they had selected for his wife-to-be. Each one was unique and hopefully meaningful. He knew that Rhys had selected scrolls of famous foreign poetry alongside blank vellum and peacock quills for his wife to write her own. Haul had manufactured a rose made of blown glass, cut perfectly so that it seemed to sever the light into rainbows, granting endless swirling colours to the glass rose. Prydyer had brought chests of foreign spices, honey, sugar, wine and other goods to liven up the otherwise dreary meals that had been so common since the war. Ianto brought kits of medicine: ampulse of mercury, salt, vinegar, hardened wine, wormwood, henbane, mint, coriander, comfrey, and myrrh.
It was tradition, a way of demonstrating your connections and the status of your friends. For most of the People, it was a way for the community to contribute, to help establish a new household that would soon need to flourish or to furnish a business for the guilds or urban residence. For the wealthy and connected, it was mostly a way to show off, but still served the purpose of binding the People together.
Coming to Valleyhome's central park, Ydrys slowed, the procession bunching up behind him, offering implicit support. Directly ahead was Gylyes, the self-titled Lord-Govenor of Hyatha. By law and tradition, he was only the Govenor of Hyatha. Like many of the other Splinter Lords, he'd given himself a meaningless foreign style. It wasn't strictly insubordination, but it showed the gapping distance between Core and periphery.
"Philosopher Ydrys," he said simply. Barrel-chested, the Lord-Govenor looked only vaguely Ymaryn. Incredibly short, what he obviously had lost in height had been added across the chest and around his arms. The man was nearly as wide as he was tall, all of it bristling with muscle. Dark of eye with thickly curled hair, he looked like a man from the West.
Standing beside him as a second was Twm, the craftsmen who'd forged the Regnal Sword Ydrys had been given during his coronation. Having considered — and rejected — him as crown counsel, the man appeared to have still done well from himself. Held tightly in hands was a sword, scabbard dark as dusk and crusted with gemstones from amethysts at the hilt through sapphires and diamonds at the tip. If drawn, he was certain it'd have the same blued rippled-steel pattern his own had.
"Governor Gylyes," he responded. The artisan's mouth dropped open before closing precious seconds later. There was too much disagreement there to say much else. In this early, heady days after the defeat of the Great Khan, they'd been hailed as heroes, saviors of the Kingdom. But the work was half done. Now came the most difficult part: rebuilding and recovery.
Something they had disagreed about. Fervently.
Ydrys favoured the most traditional Ymaryn response: reorganization, building institutions, and managing production and agriculture. Leaning closely on the Patricians to make the Ymaryn healthy and hale once again. The People's greatest strength had always been in its land and its agriculture leading to an endless population. All of the Syffron sea combined did not equal the People in population.
Rhys focused on negotiation and trade. The Great Khan came from the wider world and it was by ignoring the passing of the ages that the Ymaryn had been brought low. At one point, the Kingdom had been the center of the world, the ultimate king of the hill. Before the Khan, they'd degenerated into a shade that clung only to the shadows, places of comfort and security instead of an unpredictable world.
Gylyes, by contrast focused on the Guilds. Production, industry and iron were the tools that had saved them against the Khan. Making the Ymaryn great would mean rebuilding the Guilds, even if it meant stepping on a few eggs along the way. The People had grown great with the discovery of iron and greater yet with industry. For too long they'd been restrained, lacking — cutting themselves off at the knees instead of doing what was needed to stand tall.
Inek saw the way forward as being rooted in mysticism and magic, studying mysteries and rigorous investigation. The Holy Orders and the Priests had been ignored for too long, allowed to grow aimlessly instead of being incorporated as true parts of the Kingdom. It had been magic that allowed the Great Khan to set the north on fire, shattering most of the People's defensive lines within a mere six months and it would be magic that protected the People from harm.
Dyfan was a general through and through. The Great Khan was only a threat because he was allowed to grow into one while the Ymaryn military stagnated. Revolutionary tactics would be necessary to respond to changing threats. The steppes had long been unconquered wastes. No more, he said. No more would they be permitted to linger and periodically spit death at the People.
The Great Khan's war had been a time of blood and suffering. It was something that could never be allowed to repeat; they'd all lost too much to live through a second. Each of them were sure they were right. When Parliament — what remained of it — elevated Ydrys, it had been the end of discussion. If the Last King or his Heir had lived, perhaps they all would've been able to work together as counselors, none elevated above the others. But with one as King? Their vision would always reign supreme.
"I'll . . . do rightly by Aderyn. If there's anything I do right in my life, it will be that."
Nodding roughly, Gylyes' hand closed around a long oaken staff held by his second. "Prove your worth, prove your devotion, prove your honour!" Raising the staff over his head, he fixed Ydrys with a burning glare. "Prove yourself."
Shrugging off his cloak and robes, Ydrys allowed the Tyrian cloth to the floor. Worth its weight in gold three times over, it was an affront to let something so valuable end up in the dirt, better that than it tear in what is to come.
Taking a staff from Rhys, Ydrys hefted it and struck. The clash of staves sent reverberations up his arms; it was like striking a wall. Instantly shifting, Ydrys stepped back jabbed forward aggressively only for the blow to be firmly turned aside. Ducking and deftly avoiding a crushing side swipe, Ydrys stepped in and struck out.
Combat among the Ymaryn was an argument without words. All the way back to the earliest arguments of priests establishing the Holy Canon, each blow was an argument, each riposte a rebuttal. Each blow was meticulously matched with one of nearly 300 arguments, prepositions, and conclusions. Logic and violence melded together, becoming inseparable. To win a fight involved establishing groundwork, collating evidence, and striking in such a way that there could be no defense. If your attack was not debilitating, then your argument was obviously flawed.
If what you were arguing for was worth anything at all, it was worth putting your body on the line to defend it.
There were variations for unarmed, staff, and sword combat for varying levels of severity. Hand-to-hand combat was virtually friendly, a staple activity for celebrations and community gatherings. Staves indicated seriousness and were only used for solemn occasions or when something important was at stake. Swords were the last resort when only blood was good enough to wash away a stain.
Unleashing one last flurry of jabs to seal his argument, Ydrys pulled up short. Gylyes breath came in laboured heaves, his stamina clearly drained. On the wrong side of forty, he'd clearly slipped, his form not quite as good as it must have been once. Ydrys was still in his twenties, fresh, and had years of hard-scrabble combat experience from the Great Khan's war. Every day, he exercised and practiced his forms; Gylyes had none of those advantages.
It was a foregone conclusion who would win, but Ydrys pulled back. He wouldn't humiliate the older man and this was only for show. Tradition.
Gylyes relented, staff pulled back in a flourish he offered a simple bow. Handing off his staff, he grabbed Ydrys' hand and shook it. Fiercely. "Do well by my daughter," he ordered. "Honour her and give her children."
"I will," Ydrys promised.
"Promise her." Somehow, that sounded like a threat.
Gesturing forward, Gylyes stepped up alongside Ydrys, leading him to the central pavilion they'd erected for the day's festivities. As soon as they entered, the King's eyes immediately sought out Aderyn. She stood at near the opposite end, alongside her mother and a holy priest. He'd seen portraits and drawings of her — including ones that she herself had drawn — Rhys had brought them.
She was beautiful. Tall, slender, and well-formed, it seemed the only thing she shared with her father was a thick mass of dark curls. Aderyn clearly took after her mother; they had the same slate grey eyes.
Gylyes exchanged words of ritual greeting, that he had found someone of worth who asked for her hand in marriage. He outlined Ydrys' strengths, his deeds, and a hundred other little things. Ydrys could barely pay attention, eyes drawn constantly back to his soon-to-be wife. It sounded strange. For years, he thought he wouldn't marry. It had been scandalous, but he'd simply never seen it as worth the inevitable drawbacks.
Now, though, a thread of excitement coursed through him. Or nervousness. There was a lot of that too.
That subsided later on, after his procession had offered their gifts, Aderyn gave her assent, and the priest finalized the ceremony. It was later on, when both of them were planting their matrimonial birch that her hand happened across his. Pressing down into the earth, Ydrys glanced up.
She was smiling. It was slight, but it was there.
Maybe it could work after all.
Recruit Martial advisor (Influence) → Vote
Bending considering influence toward the task of finding a new advisor, Ydrys was unsurprised at the results, but disappointed all the same. Virtually the entirety of the People's military apparatus had been wiped out during the Great Khan's war. Based on what Ianto had reported, it seemed that the Khan went to specific lengths in order to deliberately target important military leaders. Only half as many officers survived the war as did their men. The higher level commanders had a survival rate half as high as the officers and the highest echelons of the People's forces had been virtually wiped out.
By tradition, the King was typically advised by one of the Commanders of a Banner Company. Alternatively, a high ranking cavalry officer was also often selected. On rare occasions, an admiral was recommended if the People were facing significant trouble from pirates. Based on past records, it had also happened once or twice that high-level members of one of the People's Holy Orders were recruited.
Virtually none of those people were available.
For those that were left, most of the best choices had been snapped up already by the other Splinter Lords. War had nearly brought the People low and as such it was understandably on everyone's minds. Since they had moved first, they had first choice and all Ydrys was left with was the remnants, even if he'd done his best.
The first option to consider was the Bodyguard. While still brash and ill-tempered, he had covered himself in unquestionable glory during the fighting against the Highlanders. His military workmanship was often rudimentary, but his skills of command had slowly been refined over time and he appeared to demonstrate a level of coordination with the foreign mercenaries above and beyond all other Ymaryn commanders in the field. His favourite tactic was unquestionably to confront enemy officers and commanders, demanding duels of honour which he then always won to demoralize the enemy. It was a risky tactic, but it emphasized his bravery and his willingness to protect his men, earning their admiration. Still, his reputation as a quarter nomad was questionable and would bring whispers of condemnation among the less tolerant segments of Ymaryn society.
Primary Strength: Prowess (Heroic)
Secondary Strength: Martial
Known Loyalties: Himself/Close Family
Ambitions: Glory in War
The second option was the Cavalier. A member of the Spiritbonded, he had demonstrated a preternatural awareness of cavalry tactics that only seemed to be matched by the Khan's elite troops. While skilled in battle, he had never been able to capitalize on his strengths during the Great Khan's war, his force of cavalry always too small to be of effect. Still, he had been of significant effect in warding the Khan's soldiers away from the People's more sensitive weak points. While lacking in glory and renown — which makes him less capable as an actual leader of men — he does not appear to be lacking in strategic sense
Primary Strength: Martial
Secondary Strength: Learning
Known Loyalties: Spiritbonded Order
Ambitions: Surpass Nomadic Cavalry
Third was the Student. A young man, he had still been in the highest levels of training during the Great Khan's war, drafted only at the end where things had become unquestionably desperate. Primarily educated in the Academies, the Student had been a star pupil, selected for greater things in the future and the possibility of long-term command. Regardless, his career had been greatly disrupted by the war and his training was not completed and he has had to learn on the job since then. While lacking in experience, the Student is the most formally trained option and was evaluated to be the best in the tradition of Ymaryn military thought before all of his teachers and mentors were slain.
Primary Strength: Martial, Learning
Secondary Strength: Diplomacy
Known Loyalties: Conservative Faction
Ambitions: Establish a Ymaryn Military Academy
The fourth option is perhaps not one Ydrys would have immediately considered, but the option was worth evaluating anyway. The Privateer had been a commodore in the People's Navy, fighting against pirates and other such naval threats throughout his career. What had ultimately made him successful was an understanding of the psychology of pirates and an ability to negotiate and work with them, cracking alliances and cleaning up those who would not fall in line. Ultimately, this had led to his career stalling as while he was undoubtedly the most effective commodore in the fleet, he was never able to dodge rumours of impropriety (even if those rumours were never substantiated).
Primary Strength: Navy
Secondary Strength: Martial, Diplomacy, Intrigue
Known Loyalties: Assorted foreign buccaneers of dubious legality
Ambitions: Elevate the Prestige of the Fleet equal to the Army
Fifth was an option that just a year ago, Ydrys would not have considered and even now he was surprised the name crossed his desk. The Mercenary was the commanding officer of the Brotherhood of Mark. A true foreign element, the Mercenary's approach to war and combat are nothing like that of the rest of the People. While he has risen high enough over the last year of fighting for this appointment to be considered, it would not be typical or well accepted among the nobility or commoners. Regardless, tales of the Heaven's Hawks, their loyalty and success, swirl to mind when considering a truly foreign element. That foreign view had utterly changed how the Ymaryn fought war and such a stranger may be just what the People need.
Primary Strength: Martial
Secondary Strength: None*
Known Loyalties: Brotherhood of Mark, the extinct Kingdom of Kull(?)
Ambitions: Carve out a homeland
*The reason that the Mercenary only has a Primary strength is because he's not Ymaryn and as such lacks the profound level of education and training available to them. 'Normal' advisors have one area of competence. All Ymaryn typically have two and Patricians have two primary strengths and a secondary or one primary and 2-3 secondary strengths, super tryhards that they are.
The last candidate to consider was one that Ydrys knew almost nothing about. And that deeply concerned him. The letter had appeared on his desk and he had no knowledge of how it got there; concerning for someone who regularly practiced meticulous organization. The Murderer's resume has clearly indicated that he is one of the few remaining Blackbirds and is looking to return to public service. The Great Khan's war was not kind to the venerable Order with them being nearly wiped out. After a few years of seclusion and contemplation, it is clear that they are now ready to begin taking a higher profile role. If it is worth their time. Either way, the Murderer would be immensely skilled in the arts of secrecy, subterfuge, and the shadow war. Lord of asymmetric combat and ambushes, the Murderer is an excellent candidate for someone looking for distinctly Ymaryn but also non-traditional expertise.
Primary Strength: Martial, Intrigue
Secondary Strength: Learning
Known Loyalties: Blackbird Order
Ambitions: Unknown, but likely extremely high level.
[ ] The Bodyguard
[ ] The Cavalier
[ ] The Student
[ ] The Privateer
[ ] The Mercenary
[ ] The Murderer
Rebuilding Market Towns (Authority): 50% → 70%
In the Name of the August King of All Ymaryn, of Greenshore, Txolla, Western Wall, Hyatha and the Thunder Mountains. Lord Protector of Hatriver, Hatvally, Stallion Pen, and Gulriver. Commander of the Heaven's Hawks, Memory of Spirit, Thunder Horse, Thunder Speakers, and Forhuch. Guarantor of the Imperial Free Cities of Redshore, Redhills, Lovelyhome, Valleyguard and the Sacred Forest. Banner Bearer of the Red, Dragon, and Bloody Rain Banners. Patron of the Blackbirds, Carrion Eaters, and Spiritbonded. Protector of the People, Cultivar of the Land, and Defender of the Faithful.
You are Commanded.
Nearly all of Ydrys' focus had been on rebuilding the internal markets of the People this year. A part of him still wished for the Census, the simplicity and reliability of simply knowing the answers. Need a mason? There's four hundred located in the eastern district of Stallion Pen and they only require the services of three hundred seventy-five. An arborist? There are literally millions of them spread all across the People, but most already have ongoing obligations. Want an unemployed one? Good Luck.
With the Census, all of that information was readily known and easily accessible, from demographics to the economy. Even profoundly trivial things such as: do as many right handed shepherds break their legs each year as left handed shepherds in the Thunder Mountains? It would take time to study the data, but it was all ultimately there. Finding information and skilled specialists was easy.
Without it, however, it was nearly impossible.
In the end, Ydrys had resorted to the simple expedient of conscripting people. Entire masses of refugees were ordered to report to the levy's processing station and once their skills were recorded, they were ordered into work groups and set to work. It was laborious and the work was nowhere near complete, but there was definite and significant progress made. Of the tens of thousands of villages that made up the Core, perhaps 20 thousand had been destroyed by the Khan. Thousands of them had been resettled in a single year and each of those new settlements would form the nexus of new rural infrastructure.
There was overlap and waste in such an action, but it was expedient. Already, Ydrys could in his mind's eye the flow of goods and services slowly starting to relax. Farms were reseeded and new crops taken in harvest. Tools that had simply sat wastefully in warehouses were slowly being dispersed to needed work projects around the Kingdom. The People did good work and all of their cultivation of the land was built to last. There was definite disruption and damage, but killing the Earth itself was impossible hubris. Even the Great Khan couldn't accomplish such a crime.
It would be years more of dedicated effort, but the Kingdom could finally be said to be healing.
Interrogate Highlander Prisoners→ Information
"They're insane," Rhys said simply. "It's… they believe everyone who's not a 'Ighlander is a demon. Even people born 'mong them can've their souls snatched as babes, replaced with a devil. They'd been cast out in the past, but now they're sim'ly killed."
"It is an . . . interesting point of theology," Ianto agreed. "From what we've managed to gather, the Highlanders believe that everything outside their own personal slice of Heaven is Hell. Everyone they see outside that, from babes to widows to simple travellers, are all flesh-hungry demons. Everything is a deception, a trick, and a lie to get you to lower your guard and allow the enemy to devour your soul."
"That's…" Prydyer started. "How can anyone believe tha'?"
"You wonder how anyone can live every moment of their life expecting hurt and betrayal? Have you ever opened your eyes?" Haul asked. "Look at us, think about your life, and remember all the lies you told. Is there no way that someone couldn't see the worst in that?"
The silence stretched.
"Regardless, now that we have it, what do we do with this information?" Ydrys asked.
Rhys just shook his head helplessly. "Anything'e try'd just be seen as a trick. Tryin' to talk'd just be seen as an act o' war. Most'o the prisoners we've kill themselves because of terror and a desperate desire t'keep their souls from the grasp of thirsting gods."
"Thus, even trying to subvert them is unlikely to succeed," Ydrys reasoned. Not only would it be seen as asking them to damn themselves, even if they could convince any of the prisoners to help them, their former friends and family would just consider them subverted by demons. They'd be killed out of hand. The payoff was simply not worth the investment.
"It might, theoretically, be a possibility that we could break this point of theology, but it would require extended close contact." Ianto said. "Peaceful contact."
"Spiritual remediation on'a national scale," Prydyer said.
"Or we could let them go away and wallow in a Hell of their own making," Haul countered. "It'd mean conquest — trying to heal them — because they won't deal with us peacefully and they don't want help. They've been wallowing in their mountain homes for the last fifteen centuries without issue. We could very well leave them there until the end of time!"
"Unless we're ever weakened again in the future," Prydyer said. "Then they'll come again, t' butcher an' maim."
Highlander Cultural Synergy Revealed!
The Cartesian Devils = To Tame Leviathan + The World is Hungry + Divine Right of Kings
(New options available)
Survey the Core for resources → Available Mine
Haul had spent most of the year sifting through old archives, looking for hints of possible mine locations that could help solve the multiple shortages facing the Guilds. In the end, he managed to find an old mine in the northern reaches of the Core that had been abandoned once its products of lead and silver proved to be not worth the cost of extraction. While the mine itself was started, damage done by nature and the weather past in intervening years requires some degree of repair before the mine can begin producing again.
While this happily solves the Guild's lack of supply for lead (while providing silver, which is of some small use), the ores produced by the mine are unfortunately a lead-silver alloy. Such findings are common sources of silver, but the most effective way the People have in separating these two metals depends on reliable access to mercury — a resource you do not have. As a result, Haul has made several suggestions. He could immediately begin work on repairing the mine and extracting ore, allowing it to be shipped to Hyatha for processing. Alternatively, he could try to negotiate directly with Gylyes to try and secure access to the valuable liquid metal itself. Now that you're married to his daughter, he may prove more willing to negotiate. The last option he presents is to simply begin research on an alternative way to extract lead and silver. Alchemy is a science where countless processes exist, many of which can produce the same end result, but use different intermediaries.
Assessing Internal Markets (Influence):→ Information
Pryder's report on the internal markets of the Core and Txolla had been illuminating and exceedingly helpful to Ydrys' planning on restoring internal market towns. Before the Great Khan's war, the entire Kingdom had functioned as an integrated circuit. With the war and the death it brough, the soft dissolution of the Kingdom, and everything else falling apart, there were now gaps. Everything had been there to support the strongest economy in the known world, but things were different now.
A part of Ydrys wanted to say that the economic problems they were experiencing right now was purely a result of the damage inflicted by the Great Khan, but he knew that wouldn't be true. It was the inability of the Kingdom to work together that drove many of the shortages plaguing them.
As best as Pryder was able to determine, the most glaring problem facing the People was a lack of access to base metals. Iron ore, lead, tin, copper, bronze; all of those were significantly lacking. The shorages were dangerous; without access to more material, the Guilds would eventually grind to a screeching halt. When that happened, there'd be riots in the streets due to lack of work and the accompanying difficulties that brought. It would suddenly mean no more arms and armour for the army, no materials with which to rebuild, and general havoc.
There were also other concerns, however. The disappearance of Amber Road had led to significant shortages of furs, amber, ivory, and ice. The first three were in all honesty, luxuries, and could be done without. Ice, however, had significant uses as a cooling agent, both to preserve food for transportation or throughout the year, but also as a medical aid. Southern Txolla and the Thunder Mountains had previously imported endless tonnes of the stuff in order to cool their homes and act as a panacea for the elderly who suffered desperately under the intense heat of summer. People were dying as a result of lack of access and even if Ydrys made the order to begin securing ice from the peaks of the Core's mountains, it wouldn't be enough. Not anytime soon, at least.
What was most concerning from what Prydyer had been able to determine was that demand for many of the People's goods had dropped. There seemed to be fewer goods being purchased at the People's markets and then taken elsewhere. While this was perhaps to be expected given that Trelli was in the hand of Hyatha and the city had long been the primary window through which foreign merchants had accessed Ymaryn products, this was also true in Txolla as well as the Core itself. Prydyer could not even begin to explain why the Monsoon Sea was importing fewer goods nor why the Core seemed to have a surfeit of unused products.
This was not a problem, per say as these goods could always be consumed internally, whether they were wine, cotton, medicinal poppies or whatever else, but it was concerning. It appeared that 1620 AGF as well as the years leading up to it were significant around the world.
Prydyer strongly recommends that he be sent to assess external markets in the future in order to determine why this is. As it sat, it was trying to guess the shape of a picture without only half of it visible.
Trade Goods
Resource
Balance
Status
Bulk Goods
Charcoal
Self-Sufficient
Satisfied
Common Pottery
Major Export
Satisfied
Cloth
Minor Export
Unfulfilled Demand
Foodstuff
Self-Sufficient
Satisfied
Lumber
Self-Sufficient
Satisfied
Luxuries
Amber
Insignificant Import
Satisfied
Cotton
Major Export
Unfulfilled Demand
Exotic Wood
Significant Import
Unsatisfied
Fine Pottery
World Leading Exporter
Endless Demand
Fine Dyes
Dominant Exporter
Unfulfilled Demand
Fine Textiles
Dominant Exporter
Endless Demand
Furs
Insignificant Import
Satisfied
Gems
Moderate Importer
Satisfied
Glass
World Leading Exporter
Unfulfilled Demand
Gold
World Importer
Too much
Honey
Minor Export
Unsatisfied
Ice
Significant Importer
Unfulfilled Demand
Incense
Significant Export
Satisfied
Ivory
Minor Import
Satisfied
Mercury
Moderate Import
Unfulfilled Demand
Poppies
Significant Exporter
Satisfied
Salt
Significant Importer
Dangerously Unsatisfied
Silk
Significant Exporter
Endless Demand
Silver
World Importer
Too much
Spices
Moderate Exporter
Endless Demand
Sugar
Moderate Exporter
Endless Demand
Wine
Moderate Exporter
Satisfied
Strategic
Copper
Substantial Importer
Unfulfilled Demand
Bronze
Substantial Importer
Unfulfilled Demand
Iron Ore
World Importer
Unsatisfied
Ironwares
World Leading Exporter
Endless Demand
Lead
Significant Importer
Unsatisfied
Slaves
Forbidden
N/A
Steel
World Leading Exporter
Endless Demand
Tin
Substantial Importer
Unfulfilled Demand
Cataloging the Great Khan's War (Part 2) → Part 2 of 4 or 5
After having focused on the central commanders of the Great Khan, Ianto now altered his focus to consider the military advantages possessed by the Khan's army. In total, the Khan had fielded approximately 250,000 horsemen as best Ianto was able to estimate. In addition to that, they were supplemented by up to a million infantry soldiers used for sieges or the occasional pitched battle.
The single most obvious advantage of the Great Khan was that the vast majority of their elite forces had been mounted. While his army had been bulked out by large numbers of infantry, mercenaries as well as eastern slave-soldiers and other conscripts that the People couldn't readily identify, the core was clearly focused on nomadic cavalry. Of those, six-of-ten were lightly armoured horse archers with the remaining four-in-ten being heavily armoured lancers. (Ianto noted, however, that these heavy lancers were only truly medium cavalry; the knights of the west boasted heavier armour and larger warhorses.)
Regardless, the horse archers and lancers were cleanly divided with each operating on separate commands. The horse archers had served as harassment, launching endless streams of arrows into the enemy in order to break up their lines, weaken them, and create an opening for the lancers to charge, routing the enemy.
In some ways, the People had been uniquely suited to counter this. Virtually every man was armoured head-to-toe in solid steel armour; arrows were more of a nuisance than a threat. One of the more famous campfire stories Ianto had heard during his investigation was of a young officer who'd reported to the armourers after a battle with more than fifty arrows stuck in his chest piece and not so much as a scratch on his flesh. Combined with the fact that every soldier was issued a standardized heavy lead-shot crossbow and the People's army could at times outrange horse archers. Every man was also equipped with a billhook, an arborist's tool adapted to serve as a pike, halberd, and hook that served excellently at dragging enemy cavalry from their horses or prying open their armour.
Unfortunately, the People's army had also been uniquely vulnerable in other ways. The crossbows that had been so believed by the People were less than effective against the Khan. Lead shot was excellent at transferring energy into the body of an armoured man, wounding them through their armour compared to traditional bolts and quarrels that were nearly worthless. On a largely unarmoured horse, however? Bolts may have proven exceptionally useful. Additionally, the Mass Levy was primarily composed of undisciplined troops. Standing there under withering fire was possible, but difficult. After a while, most eventually broke ranks, not to run, but to charge.
That didn't usually work very well. Breaking ranks, made soldiers vulnerable to the Khan's heavy lancers and one of the few things in the world that could breach Ymaryn armour was the couched lance of charging cavalry.
There were also significant organizational differences between the Great Khan's army and the Mass Levy. Both had rough similar organization at the squad level: ten soldiers commanded by a young junior officer. These squads were grouped into larger units that were grouped up again until centralized command had been achieved for the entire army. Where they differed, however, was in how those individual units acted. The Khan had prized personal initiative and ambition. Relatively low level officers would make critical strategic decisions which in turn influenced the flow of battle and whole campaigns.
The Ymaryn, by contrast, often acted in concert with a larger overarching plan. It had been a tradition inherited from Yenyna the great Dragon General and perfected by Alyxunmyn, the second great Dragon General. Their plan and a unified command had brought the People to the greatest heights of martial ability. Combined with the relative inflexibility of the Mass Levy and the necessity of truly massive logistical overhead, the nomadic Khan had managed to effectively engage on fronts from the Yllthyon Mor in the west through the eastern extremes of the Thunder Mountains. By the time that the border lands were able to communicate with commanders in the Core, the situation had often changed, requiring local commanders to act without orders.
The last advantage that the Great Khan's army had enjoyed over the People was one of simple mobility. Even with the Kingdom's extremely well-maintained networks of roads and small overnight forts, the Great Khan's mounted troops moved at three times the speed. Their meager logistic footprint and four or five horses to serve as remounts had meant that they moved as swiftly as the wind and had to stop for nearly nothing. In particularly dire circumstances, the Khan's army had even been known to subsist off of mare's milk and horse blood for several weeks. While it was likely impossible for the People to move at the same speed as the Khan's forces, there were clearly ways in which they could improve their mobility.
(Military Reforms Unlocked!)
The Dissolution
Each year, the fates of thousands of young Ymaryn Patricians are decided on the second moon after the beginning of Spring. Held at the Academies throughout the Kingdom, the Royal Exams were some of the grueling tests in the world. Covering everything that a Patrician may need to accomplish throughout their career. Each exam took five days to complete with the subjects determined by day. First was always accounting and mathematics; the second covered natural philosophy; the third diplomacy and court protocol; the fourth law, cultural practices, and social science; and the last day covered physical fitness and combat readiness. The questions themselves were difficult and the average examinee was only expected to get one question in three correct.
Even Ydrys himself had only scored six-and-a-half-of-ten. It had been a staggering score and within striking range of some of the highest ever known.
After the exam, it would take a full moon for the results to be graded and compared to identify the top four-in-ten who could be considered graduates. The first one-in-one-hundred were named Philosophers, renowned for their skill and wisdom. They were often directly headhunted and immediately placed into positions of trust and authority; they would undoubtedly go on to long and respected careers. Following behind them were the remaining first 1-in-10, the Masters. While they didn't enjoy quite the same prestige, they were deeply respected for their consistent mastery of all types of ability. The last of the graduates, the Bachelors, followed in 1-in-10 bands from 1st class to 3rd class.
Everyone below that was a failure and unranked.
Applicants who had reached twenty-five years of age were banished from the Academy, deemed utterly unworthy, a waste of time itself. Many of them dealt with themselves honourably, but a sizable minority ended up falling into Half-Exile, or outright abandoned the Ymaryn Kingdom becoming Self-Exiles. Precious few were able to remain in the Kingdom and shake the stigma of abject failure to find some type of work among the Ymaryn. Even if they hadn't been failures, they had none of the skills necessary for work among the Guilds or even the peasantry.
"The problem," Ianto said, "Is that this system was set up to minimize the number of candidates that could pursue a Patrician's career. Each Patrician has, as best we can tell, four sons on average, who will in turn compete for one career. A simple mathematical impossibility."
One-in-four of these Patrician sons would be appropriately winnowed before ever becoming eligible for the exam. Slightly less than two-in-four would then fail. It meant that there was often a slight abundance of lower-class Bachelors who struggled to find work, but they often managed to find a position eventually either because a higher placed classmate perished or other exceptional circumstances.
This was deeply counter productive since the Ymaryn bureaucracy was in dire straits. Millions were dead after the Great Khan's rampage and Patricians had been disproportionately counted among that number. The entire system was set up to reduce the number of candidates that would eventually work in it.
Something had to be done to address the critical gaps left among Patrician advisors/bureaucrats before long-lasting damage can be done. Much has already been lost, but the longer the bureaucracy runs with half of its members missing, the more will become irrecoverable.
Reform is needed.
Select Up to (2):
[ ] Call back retired Patricians
[ ] Slacken standards, make the exam easier
[ ] Condense and accelerate the Academies' curriculum
[ ] Switch graduation criteria to a lower absolute score instead of relative placement
[ ] Open the Royal Exams to female Patricians
[ ] Open the Royal Exams to commoners
[ ] Accept non-Patricians with on-the-job administrative experience as Patricians
[ ] Try recruiting Mercenary Patricians?
[ ] Advertise among the other Splinter States and poach from them
[ ] The Bodyguard
[ ] The Cavalier
[ ] The Student
[ ] The Privateer
[ ] The Mercenary
[ ] The Murderer
[ ] Call back retired Patricians
[ ] Slacken standards, make the exam easier
[ ] Condense and accelerate the Academies' curriculum
[ ] Switch graduation criteria to a lower absolute score instead of relative placement
[ ] Open the Royal Exams to female Patricians
[ ] Open the Royal Exams to commoners
[ ] Accept non-Patricians with on-the-job administrative experience as Patricians
[ ] Try recruiting Mercenary Patricians?
[ ] Advertise among the other Splinter States and poach from them
AN: This is far too long as is so you won't be getting a rumour mill just yet, I will incorporate that in Turn 3, part 2.
AN2: I also realize I made a mistake last vote. Ianto's research should have given Rhys an option to track down the Khan's commanders last turn just like this turn opened up military reform. Considering that isn't time sensitize compared to the prisoners, I set that side for now. Each part of the Great War research does something like that.
Turn 3: Holding Holy 1622 AGF, Reign of Ydrys the 170 King of All Ymaryn
[X] The Murderer
[X] Switch graduation criteria to a lower absolute score instead of relative placement
[X] Open the Royal Exams to female Patricians
Checking over the list of Philosophers recognized in this year's Royal Exams, Ydrys said: "Is this all?" It was still a long list. On average, the People had graduated a few hundred thousand Patricians each year across all of the Academies. From that list, only a few thousand would be recognized as Philosophers
Ianto nodded silently. "It's not enough, my King."
"It was the war, wasn't it?" Ydrys asked. "It's two thirds as long as it should be."
"As far as we can tell, yes," Ianto said. "When the previous King called for all able-bodied men to defend the realm, to give their all, even if it included their lives, many answered. Despite the fact that many were exempt from the Mass Levy and, in deed, forbidden from participating, they did. Aside from professional soldiers, Patricians are universally the most martially skilled segment of society. As such, many left their studies to answer the call, and now their studies will remain incomplete."
Standards had been lowered. It physically hurt Ydrys to give the order, but it was done. More had graduated as a result, but it wasn't nearly the numbers that Ydrys had hoped for and it did nothing to actually raise standards. Instead of four-in-ten being recognized as graduates, the numbers rose to six-in-ten, but the number of Philosophers and Masters had still precipitously dropped. Instead, they were graduating dross.They would have to tighten standards again in the future, but this was an emergency.
"The women candidates didn't pan out nearly as much as we had hoped."
"It's only to be expected, your Highness. They…" The man's teeth clicked closed when he saw the glare that greeted him. "Physical education and military theory were the biggest oversights, my King."
It made sense. By some measures, women performed relatively closely to their male peers: running, horseback riding, etc. On the other hand, what need would a woman have to shoot a bow and repeatedly hit a man-sized target at hundred paces? Why would she train to fire a full sheath of bolts from a crossbow in ten minutes? Or train to be able to lift a three hundred pound stone and wield weapons made from solid lead? There was virtually no tradition of warrior womanhood within the Kingdom, because there had never been a need for it. Aside from the Khan, when was the last time the Kingdom even went to war? Ydrys couldn't recall.
"There are other, systematic deficits as well," Ydrys noted. Female examinees excelled in diplomacy and court protocol, performing better than their male peers. Mathematics and accounting was relatively even between both. When it came to matters of law or natural philosophy, they performed more poorly. Considering how law was the single most significant portion of the exam with only mathematics being a near equal, it meant they often received significant penalties.
"In the end, despite an overwhelming flood of female applicants, only one-out-of-five managed to pass the test," Ianto said.
Compared to approximately 70% of male applicants passing, it was disastrously low and only barely increased the number of Patricians they could apply to administrative duties. If they had been competing under the old relative standing standards, only 5% of female examinees would have passed, but it would have pushed nearly all of the male patricians over the line. The crisis was nowhere near solved and more drastic action would have to be taken.
The only thing Ydrys found strange, however, was that a higher proportion of women who passed, were Masters or Philosophers than their male counterparts. What exactly that meant, however, they weren't quite sure. Male Patricians made up the bulk of graduates and tended to score more highly, but produced fewer high-tier scorers. They were still the obvious bulk, however, since twice as many men wrote the Royal Exams and far more of them passed. Was it just chance, then? Or something else?
Eyes drifting over the list of Philosophers one last time, Ydrys came to a stop. Examinee #113 of Valleyhome: Aderyn, daughter of Gylyes. Born: 1604 AGF in Hatvalley. Score: 610. Rank: Philosopher. It was the highest score of the year by a significant margin. Second place was a mere 497. Flipping through the report to the more detailed breakdown, if you excluded the section on physical and military aptitude, Ydrys noticed that his wife's scores were comparable to his.
A frisson of something crawled up his spine. They'd only been married for a few months, but it was enough that he should have expected this. He did, but to see the numbers so plainly….
"Ah," Ianto said. "It caused quite a stir when that was noticed."
Ydrys finally said: "It was clear she's clever."
"Unfortunately," Ianto said. "Many know how to respond to this and it hasn't been positive. There are whispers among many in the Academies that her results may be less than honest."
"They think she cheated?"
"There are no questions of her honesty or integrity, my King," Ianto said. "The security measures taken during the exams are effective. Individual cells for testing, constant supervision, identity checks, three hour test intervals, searching the person of each examinee and providing standardized clothing to write in have all but eliminated dishonesty."
"They're questioning the integrity of the exam," Ydrys said. "They think my changes to the Exams enabled her score. Even if it's not cheating, it's not reflective of my wife's skill." Or his own character.
Ianto nodded. "It was inevitable to some extent, any change or alteration to the exam would create skepticism. Lowering standards creates both resentment and nourishes opportunism. It was a decision I can see your reasoning for, even if the necessity of the action escapes me."
"What would you have done then, Ianto? Given administrative positions to those with experience, whether they come from the Guilds, what's left of the army, or the priesthood? Or call back those in retirement? You know as well as I that Patricians normally work to the point of infirmity. All of our options would devalue the Royal Exams just as much. Worse, it'd bypassed them entirely."
"And what is it that holds our society together, my King?" Ianto asked. "It is the Patricians. If it were not for our management, the Guild would have burned our Sacred Forests whole, feeding the fires of industry until they'd devoured us all. If it was not for our guidance, the peasants would've divided up the lands, turning them into a feudal patchwork instead of a single, unified Crown. If not for our vision, the priests would have wasted the rest of eternity tilling the same soil over and over until the very End of Days."
"Ianto, how do you support a system when it's crashed near irrecoverably? If wishes were fishes, none would go hungry. And right now, we are starving."
"Because I believe," he stated. "From before the recording of history, the Patricians have guided the Ymaryn. Sixteen hundred years after the God Fist and who knows how many centuries before? There were ups and downs, but we were never lost. Never. Nowhere else in the world, known or unknown, can possibly claim the same."
"The sun rises each day, but is it the same sun?" Ydrys asked. It was a quote from the Book of Eyes, one of the more allegorical holy books of the People, but often considered foundational to much of philosophy.
"Just because a criminal goes to sleep at night does not mean they will be released from their Half-Exile," Ianto responded. "While I may not be as worldly as some, I am old and I have seen much. Do you know how the rest of the world defines a forward-thinking ruler? If they can plan for their own lifetime; a pittance on the scale of crowns and countries. How many times have the People made investments that we knew would not pay off for centuries where others can't even manage to plan ahead five years?"
"I wonder how the Last King would have planned in the last five years of his reign?" That was a dirty blow and Ydrys knew that it struck home. For all the foresight of the People, the Patricians, whatever Ianto liked to credit for their success, the Great Khan had nearly brought them all low. Tens of millions were dead and tens of millions more displaced.
"That is why we must be our best, unconditionally, always, and in every situation," Ianto said. "I would much rather entrust our legacy, our futures, and our children to the finest souls in the Kingdom than any other pretender. I do everything to see that done. I've brewen the tea myself when asked to, no priests necessary."
Ydrys said nothing. He couldn't. His vision seemed to constrict, everything falling away except for a pinprick focused on the professor's face. His mind whirled away, elsewhere and elsewhen. The worst day of his life. He suddenly realized he was standing, he was standing and the old man in front of him was starting to cower. He was hot. Pulse pounding. He couldn't even hear the blatant excuses that tumbled from the professor's lips.
"Out. Now." He growled. And the professor was gone.
Good. That was good.
Ydrys collapsed back down into his chair.
If the professor hadn't left — had said anything or even hesitated — Ydrys suspected that he wouldn't have been around much longer.
For the next hour, Ydrys could get nothing done. Instead, he focused as much he could on centering himself. Breathing exercises, stretches; everything they had touched on in the Academy about managing stress, he tried all of it. It worked, somewhat, but he increasingly became aware of a tenseness in his guts that simply didn't seem to relax.
What was he going to do with Ianto? Even now, there was a little coal of anger burning there. He could dismiss the man, he was King and control over the council was unquestionable. Still, to dismiss such a highly placed courtier so early in his reign would reek of scandal, regardless of why. And there was no reason. Nothing Ianto had said or did was truly objectionable to the People.
"Is . . . is this a bad time?"
"It…." Looking up, Ydrys saw his wife standing hesitantly in the doorway. Clutched to her chest was a sheaf of papers that he knew would require his signature. Despite being his wife, she'd fit into his life almost unobtrusively. She seemed to be quiet by nature, even her motions carried with them a faint sense of silent timelessness.
"I found out that one of my councilors is not who I thought they were," Ydrys eventually said.
"Were Haul's thefts too much?"
A flash of irritation cut through Ydrys' mind. He knew it was unfair and that Aderyn could clearly see it, but some part of him was just irrationally angry. Had the conversation with Ianto affected him that much?
Gesturing to one of the nearby bookcases, Ydrys said simply: "Explain."
Watching his wife closely pull out the confidential dispatches from his council, Ydrys was struck by how nervous she seemed. Was every moment of her life spent on eggshells or was this something else? She was nearly ten years younger than him, the same age he had been when he finally wrote the Royal Exams, drawing enormous attention as one of the youngest people to ever make the attempt. He'd heard that only Rhys and Dyfan had even been comparable and both of them were older. What drove Aderyn to match his scores with none of the official resources?
He'd been staring, Ydrys suddenly realized. His eyes flashed down, away from the dark curls of her hair and striking iron coloured eyes.
Regardless, a simple claim of embezzlement should be easy for her to prove with the scores she showed on the exam. Sniffing out corruption was often the literal bread and butter for young Patricians getting started in their careers. Finding one of your superiors was corrupt (or making it seem like they were) often meant an near-term immediate promotion in your future.
Pursuing dispatches and selection various requisitions, it nearly immediately became obvious to Ydrys that his wife was right. How had he missed it? I hadn't looked, he realized. With everything else, the Kingdom itself collapsing around all of their ears, he'd simply taken his councilors at face value. If he'd looked into any of their records, he'd have quickly realized. Haul was subtle — very clever — but his limitations were clear. At least to Ydrys.
"Why do you think he's doing this?" Ydrys eventually asked.
"He's . . . he's taking excessive quality control samples of alum, natron, red lead, stannous, vermilion, vitriol, and zaffre. Much more than would be needed to ensure that their quality is actually high." Aderyn hesitated, "I don't know what some of those are."
"Common reagents in alchemy," Ydrys said.
"Experiments," Aderyn said immediately. "It's how he was able to make his breakthrough with purple glass. I remember father talking about it once and the stir it caused in the glassmakers' guilds. No one could figure out how he'd found the recipe, no one was able to trace the materials or expertise he must have been using."
That faintly surprised Ydrys. It was clear that the glassmakers had moved to find something, anything, to discredit the person who'd embarrassed them, but they found nothing. Were his thefts that covert?
"What else?"
"His requisitions for expertise," Aderyn said. Her voice slowly grew, evening out as she dived deeper and deeper into the papers before them. "Look, here. He's been requisitioning the expertise of a number of guild masters. Glass, of course, blacksmiths, redsmiths, silver and goldsmiths. Miners, sailmakers, dockworkers, longshoremen, and others. All of those are at least somewhat understandable. But he's also been speaking to carpenters. Then there are even requisitions for journeymen, people far beneath the notice of the King's councilor."
That had stumped Ydrys, but he remained silent.
"Wait, wait, wait, wait." Pulling out the requisitions, she started to mutter. "28, 31, 34, 31, 29, 33. They're too old! Look, all of the requisitions for journeymen are older than average, significantly so. It was the war, these men were drafted!"
"He was looking for military experience?" It clicked. What would Haul possibly want with military men, with sailmakers and dockworkers? His projects and his telescope. He hadn't given up on them, even when the King had ordered him to work elsewhere. "I have a feeling, Aderyn, that if you were to present these findings before Haul, he would have some way to justify them." At least partially. Ydrys was certain that while there was an excuse, there was no truly justifiable reason.
"It's true though, and you know it!" She insisted.
"Yes," he said finally. "What would you do about it?"
That caused her enthusiasm to dim. The wide smile that once dominated her face was replaced with a thin line. "Father always dealt with it," she muttered. "Censure him? Demote him?"
"How much has he stolen?" Ydrys asked. Likely in the neighbourhood of several dozen guldyr once you considered what could be considered vaguely justifiable; a pittance when considering the budget of the guilds he was effectively overseeing.
"Does it matter?" Aderyn asked. "He's stealing. Now that you know about it, if someone ever found out, you'd be complicit. An accomplice. They'd sentence you the same as they'd sentence him!"
"And who would sentence the King?" Ydrys asked.
The answer was immediate: "Parliament."
"The power of the Crown and the King are supposed to be absolute."
"Do you believe that?"
"No."
To be honest, Ydrys did not. While Parliament had always publicly played nice, he suspected that the reality was far more gritty. Many Kings had ended up dying young, after all, and Parliament had aggressively reserved the right to oversee and appoint the Heir of the King.
While right now they remained far too distracted by the near destruction of the Kingdom to put on any kind of united front, that state of affairs was temporary. They'd eventually find their feet and begin asserting themselves in the future. If they uncovered Haul's theft, it would become a weapon held against him, even if the theft itself was utterly insignificant. If only Haul's obsession with research and experimentation had remained above board. But he tried to make it so, a tratorious part of Ydrys' mind whispered, you just didn't listen.
In the end, did that even matter? They all had their duty.
[ ] Dismiss him
[ ] Public reprimand
[ ] Private censure
[ ] Tell him to stop
[ ] Do nothing
It was nearly the beginning of the month of Mehefyn by the time Ydrys' newest councilor arrived. He seemed to be young and old at the same time, pale skin standing out in contrast to his attire. The man was everything the King expected a Blackbird to be. Clad in a flowing black-hooded cloak, he wore a traditional stole of raven's feathers around his shoulders. Attached to his belt was the infamous crow mask of the order with its black glass eyes glinting in the light. With every step he took, his cloak visibly parted, revealing clothing of simple make and practical cut beneath. What was also visible were braces of knives and daggers, a small crossbow, and a cane constantly rapping on the marble floor of the throne room.
"My King." He bowed deeply. "My name is Euryg, First Raven of the Blackbirds. I have come to you in the light to again renew my fealty and offer a pledge of allegiance. I swear on my soul to be faithful now and into the future to my lord, the King and Crown. Your enemies are my enemies, your struggles are the burdens I willingly take up. I shall serve in the shadows on all the days of my life so that we all may enjoy the light. I humbly pledge all that I am and will be."
"Rise, Euryg," Ydrys quickly commands. "Stand by my side and be welcome. I shall offer you safety and succor, success and surplus. Know that you are my honoured charge, from now until the End of Days; not even death shall break our bond of brotherhood."
While oaths of fealty were well known in Ymaryn society, that typically did not formally extend to the relationship between a patrician and his advisors. That relationship was closer, more intimate and personal that could be expected from a vassal. Still, this had been Euryg's idea to so publicly give fealty, a way of reassuring the People and re-establishing full continuity with everything that came before.
"Then, my King, let us get to work."
It took the better part of two hours, during which Euryg's continence became increasingly pinched and distraught, that Ydrys help ground him in the affairs of state. "The situation is worse than we thought." He eventually sighed. "My King, with all the respect that is due to you, I wish to beat you like an errant stepchild."
Taken aback, Ydrys didn't know what to say.
"When you first began to even imagine the magnitude of destruction afflicting the Kingdom, why did you not seek out the expertise of a general? Before me?"
"There have been numerous, immensely pressing concerns," he said.
"And the Khan's Horde? We beat them, but we have no idea where even half of their troops disappeared to! What would have happened if they came back any time in the last three-and-a-half years!? Or if the Thunder Mountains had made good on their promise to violently rebel against the Crown instead of the ineffectual protests they offer now!? It took a near deathblow from the Highlanders for you to realize your oversight — a crisis you only managed to solve by luck! What would have happened if there weren't entire mercenary armies available for hire? They would've sacked and raped and burned Txolla and we'd all be starving! The Great Holy War was the single greatest military defeat — a crisis unmatched in all the history of the Kingdom — and you didn't think military expertise would be necessary in the aftermath of that?"
"Are you finished, councilor?"
It was as if a switch was flipped. Euryg's entire bearing instantly changed. Instead of palpable rage, he became serene. Ydrys couldn't even see anger in the Blackbird's eyes. Was it all an act, or was this now the act?
"My King," he said. "My recommendation to you is manifold. I could look into the demobilization of the Mass Levy, see how much our utterly crumbling and overloaded systems have failed the people who fought to keep the Kingdom alive. Or begin reclaiming the millions of weapons that are right now floating around the Kingdom, available to anyone with blood on their mind. Alternatively, I can begin focusing on implementing the reforms suggested by Ianto's—" he instantly seemed to pick up on Ydrys' feelings about the other councilor, "—By the Council's investigation into the Great Khan's war. Lastly, I could use my unique skill set to look into internal problems inside the Kingdom."
"Those latter actions can be set aside for now, we need your military expertise." And Ydrys suspected Aderyn would likely do a better job, not to knock Euryg's skill too much. "Before that, what is the condition of the Blackbirds?"
"...The Order is near effectively defunct, I'm one of the few active members that are left." Despite his even wording, the pain in his voice was obvious. "We're down mostly to elders and young children. It will be decades before we've recovered and we can't even begin to estimate what was lost. Our archives are extensive, but because of the nature of our work, most of our information was stored in the Order's collective memory. There's no telling what was lost."
Not good. Then again, when was the last time Ydrys had heard good news?
"What reforms to the military were suggested?"
"At the most simple, militia training. Most people drafted into the Mass Levy are completely untrained in the art of war. They're often explicitly selected because the Census deems them expendable; they have no other necessary skills. If they're going to fight, they might as well be trained to fight better, even if it's only part time. Without the Census or a City Levy prepared, this is premature.
"The second option would be to focus on strategic independence. The Khan ran rings around us because his highest rank officers were empowered to make important decisions. Ours are not. Military command is immensely centralized, probably because of the singularly masterful generals the People have had during our most desperate wars.
"The third and final choice is to focus on overhauling logistics. While the Mass Levy will never subsist off mare's milk and horse blood, a lot could be done in order to speed up the requisitioning and movement of supplies so that the army could be more mobile."
"That will be taken into consideration, thank you, Euryg."
Rumours
Announcement
Wedding Bells: In the heart of Valleyhome, King Ydrys was wed to Aderyn, the beautiful daughter of Governor Gylyes, ruler of Hyatha. The Kingdom rejoices and well-wishers have contributed supportive gifts from all corners of the Kingdom. May their union be peaceful, long, and fruitful! (+1 Stability)
Public
Where Are Our Leaders?: Long have the People always depended on the leadership of Patricians. A combination of administrator, mathematician, scientific advisor, and legal scholars, the Patricians form the bedrock of the highly complex, integrated network of the Ymaryn Kingdom. Settlement efforts have proceeded swiftly but were seriously hampered by a constant lack of administrative support, despite the best efforts of King Ydrys. Why are the Patricians failing to uphold their duties? (Divine Glorious Elites Degraded!)
Cults Charge Ahead: The Ymaryn Crown has always guaranteed freedom of conscience and religion. While this has meant that religious conflicts rarely drew blood, fractious infighting was profoundly common. In the waning days of the Great Khan's war, a number of small religious splinter movements have increasingly risen to prominence. The Great Khan was a weapon, they say, one wielded by the Gods to make clear their displeasure. There is a pressing need for a reformation of the Ymaryn faith and social order in order to respond to the clear displeasure of the Gods. Voices diverge at this point regarding what exactly should be done, but this debate will clearly come to a head at some point in the future.
Confidential
Spirit Signals: The Spiritbonded Holy Order has signaled to the Crown a desire to relocate their headquarters to a new patch of fertile land in Western Wall generously donated by Dyfan, Governor of the Wall. Previously, the Holy Order had been located in the Heaven's Hawks March directly at the foot of the northern mountains opening up into the Great Plains. Displaced by the Great War against the Khan, they have been temporarily stationed in Txolla, but have found that their current headquarters are deeply inadequate and do not meet their needs. As an organization of warrior-priests, they are officially independent and can do as they wish due to the Crown's long standing policy of total religious autonomy for its various churches, but they wish for your blessing.
[ ] Send Rhys to try placate them (Lose his action this turn, success is not guaranteed)
[ ] Promise to carve out a new headquarters in suitable lands within 5 years.
[ ] Intervene with Dyfan to retract the donation of land. (Spend your Favour with Dyfan)
[ ] Pledge support for the Spiritbonded to rebuild the Heaven's Hawks March under their authority.
[ ] Grant your blessing.
Half-Exile Hate: Half-Exiles occupy a strange place in Ymaryn society. The People as a whole hate slavery with a violent and firey passion, but as punishment for crimes or social transgressions, sentence people to a period of unfree labour: Half-Exile. While they receive high levels of financial remuneration and extensive government benefits in turn for the labours (they are not slaves), Half-Exiles remain incredibly socially marginalized. Local neighbourhood watch captains have reported that over the last year Half-Exiles are increasingly seeking them out for assistance in order to respond to violence from the local population. Due to extensive damage suffered by the neighbourhood watch, further information is not available.
You have (1) Authority and (2) Influence
(Use them by marking an action at the end with either (Authority) or (Influence))
Ydrys should focus on (Up to 1 and an extra 1 from the advisor actions. Ydrys' main action can be sacrifice to allow another choice from the advisor actions.):
[ ] Ydrys: Continue to respond to the Patrician Crisis
-[ ] Call back retired Patricians
-[ ] Condense and accelerate the Academies' curriculum
-[ ] Accept non-Patricians with on-the-job administrative experience as Patricians
-[ ] Try recruiting Mercenary Patricians?
-[ ] Advertise among the other Splinter States and poach from them
[ ] Ydrys: Preparing Public Health
[ ] Ydrys: Nurturing Neighbourhood Watches
[ ] Ydrys: Recreate the Census
Rhys should focus on (1):
[ ] Rhys: Mend fences between Ydrys and Ianto.
[ ] Rhys: Investigate rumours of the Khan's generals.
[ ] Rhys: Investigate a Councilor
-[ ] (Haul/Ianto/Prydyer/Aderyn/Euryg)
[ ] Rhys: Create a wide web of contacts across the Ymaryn sphere
[ ] Rhys: Focused Contacts
-[ ] (Western Wall/Greenshore/Hyatha/Thunder Mountains/Txolla)
[ ] Rhys: Monsoon Sea situation
[ ] Rhys: Syffryn Sea situation
[ ] Rhys: Great Plains situation
Haul should focus on (1):
[ ] Haul: Dismiss this councillor for cause and select another
[ ] Haul: Contact Thunder Mountain
[ ] Haul: Perfecting Telescopes
[ ] Haul: Applying Current Telescopes:
-[ ] (Army/Navy/Sale/Communications)
[ ] Haul: Survey the Core for resources
[ ] Haul: Survey Txolla for resources
[ ] Haul: Investigate ways to alchemically separate silver and lead without mercury
[ ] Haul: Try to negotiate with Gylyes for access to mercury
[ ] Haul: Establish a lead-silver mine in the northern Core
Prydyer should focus on (1):
[ ] Prydyer: Reseeding Farms
[ ] Prydyer: Rebuilding Market Towns
[ ] Prydyer: Evaluating foreign markets
[ ] Prydyer: Build Loyalist sentiment in Txolla
[ ] Pryder: Focused Contacts: Txolla
[ ] Pryder: Complete a general agricultural land use survey.
Ianto should focus on (1):
Due to an ongoing personality conflict between this councilor and the King, his action cannot be selected. He will complete an action this turn based on his personality and past actions. Due to lack of oversight and a Heroic King, this half action is refunded.
[ ] Ianto: Dismiss this councilor and find another; damn the scandal.
[ ] Inato: Maintain this councilor.
Aderyn should focus on (1):
[ ] Aderyn: Investigate a Councilor
-[ ] (Rhys/Haul/Ianto/Prydyer/Euryg)
[ ] Aderyn: Create a wide web of contacts across the Ymaryn sphere
[ ] Aderyn: Focused Contacts
-[ ] (Western Wall/Greenshore/Hyatha/Thunder Mountains/Txolla)
[ ] Aderyn: Investigate the Cults
[ ] Aderyn: Serial Killer Investigation
[ ] Aderyn: Investigate the attacks on Half-Exiles
[ ] Aderyn: Rebuild Neighbourhood Watches
[ ] Euryg: Establish Valleyhome City Levy
[ ] Euryg: Look into Mass Levy demobilization
[ ] Euryg: Take stock of the Royal Navy
[ ] Euryg: Personally direct the fighting against the Highlanders
[ ] Euryg: Work on rebuilding city walls
[ ] Euryg: Begin recalling arms and armour from the Khan's war
[ ] Dismiss him
[ ] Public reprimand
[ ] Private censure
[ ] Tell him to stop
[ ] Do nothing
[ ] Send Rhys to try placate them (Lose his action this turn, success is not guaranteed)
[ ] Promise to carve out a new headquarters for them somewhere within 5 years.
[ ] Intervene with Dyfan to retract the donation of land. (Spend your Favour with Dyfan)
[ ] Pledge support for the Spiritbonded to rebuild the Heaven's Hawks March under their authority.
[ ] Grant your blessing.
[ ] Ydrys: Continue to respond to the Patrician Crisis
-[ ] Call back retired Patricians
-[ ] Condense and accelerate the Academies' curriculum
-[ ] Accept non-Patricians with on-the-job administrative experience as Patricians
-[ ] Try recruiting Mercenary Patricians?
-[ ] Advertise among the other Splinter States and poach from them
[ ] Ydrys: Rebuilding Market Towns
[ ] Ydrys: Repairing Salterns
[ ] Ydrys: Reseeding Farms
[ ] Ydrys: Preparing Public Health
[ ] Ydrys: Nurturing Neighbourhood Watches
[ ] Ydrys: Recreate the Census
[ ] Rhys: Mend fences between Ydrys and Ianto.
[ ] Rhys: Investigate rumours of the Khan's generals.
[ ] Rhys: Investigate a Councilor
-[ ] (Haul/Ianto/Prydyer/Aderyn/Euryg)
[ ] Rhys: Create a wide web of contacts across the Ymaryn sphere
[ ] Rhys: Focused Contacts
-[ ] (Western Wall/Greenshore/Hyatha/Thunder Mountains/Txolla)
[ ] Rhys: Monsoon Sea situation
[ ] Rhys: Syffryn Sea situation
[ ] Rhys: Great Plains situation
[ ] Haul: Dismiss this councillor for cause and select another
[ ] Haul: Contact Thunder Mountain
[ ] Haul: Perfecting Telescopes
[ ] Haul: Applying Current Telescopes:
-[ ] (Army/Navy/Sale/Communications)
[ ] Haul: Survey the Core for resources
[ ] Haul Survey Txolla for resources
[ ] Haul: Investigate ways to alchemically separate silver and lead without mercury
[ ] Haul: Try to negotiate with Gylyes for access to mercury
[ ] Haul: Establish a lead-silver mine in the northern Core
[ ] Prydyer: Reseeding Farms
[ ] Prydyer: Rebuilding Market Towns
[ ] Prydyer: Evaluating foreign markets
[ ] Prydyer: Build Loyalist sentiment in Txolla
[ ] Pryder: Focused Contacts: Txolla
[ ] Pryder: Complete a general agricultural land use survey.
[ ] Ianto: Dismiss this councilor and find another; damn the scandal.
[ ] Inato: Maintain this councilor.
[ ] Aderyn: Investigate a Councilor
-[ ] (Rhys/Haul/Ianto/Prydyer/Euryg)
[ ] Aderyn: Create a wide web of contacts across the Ymaryn sphere
[ ] Aderyn: Focused Contacts
-[ ] (Western Wall/Greenshore/Hyatha/Thunder Mountains/Txolla)
[ ] Aderyn: Investigate the Cults
[ ] Aderyn: Serial Killer Investigation
[ ] Aderyn: Investigate the attacks on Half-Exiles
[ ] Aderyn: Rebuild Neighbourhood Watches
[ ] Euryg: Logistics Overhaul Reform
[ ] Euryg: Strategic Independence Reform
[ ] Euryg: Militia Training Reform
[ ] Euryg: Establish Valleyhome City Levy
[ ] Euryg: Look into Mass Levy demobilization
[ ] Euryg: Take stock of the Royal Navy
[ ] Euryg: Personally direct the fighting against the Highlanders
[ ] Euryg: Work on rebuilding city walls
[ ] Euryg: Begin recalling arms and armour from the Khan's war
AN: I realize I made a mistake with the last update. You choose to survey with Haul and I didn't realize. Anyway, the results of that survey was to find a silver-lead mine in the northern reaches of the Core. While the silver itself isn't very valuable to the Ymaryn, the lead is at the current time. The main issue is, the Ymaryn's main way of separating lead-silver alloy is through the use of mercury, which you do not have. This has added a few actions for Haul to set up the mine or try to research and address the issue.
AN2: You also have enough information to figure out why Ydrys hates Ianto at the moment. Internet cookies to whoever figures it out. Either way, personality conflicts are going to be prominent issues for you in the future, if perhaps not this extreme.
