Intermission Two, Part Two
The Lucky Sevens: Kaiden Sacre--the God-Blooded leader of the Lucky Sevens--thinks you've done a solid job in the past few years, and he's offered to serve on your payroll as a permanent retainer. Something of a windfall. As an added bonus, you'd get someone who's familiar with the tips and tricks of diplomacy working with you--and in the days ahead, that could be useful indeed.
[X] Accept: Lucky Seven Couriers permanently attached to Yilali, Kaiden Sacre is hired as a Diplomacy Advisor for Chapter Three, +1 Diplomacy Action
The deal is done, and the Lucky Seven Couriers are now an official, crown-sponsored organization, serving as elite messengers across your land. Their master is getting on a bit on years, despite his improved longevity, he's not a boy anymore--but he's perfectly willing to advise you in the days ahead.
Kaiden Sacre recruited as a Diplomacy Advisor!
The Flow of Coin: With trade and the economy of Yilali booming, it might be wise to establish a permanent currency to cut down on the headaches, Morgan--the young Water Aspect of House Cloudrunner--offered you a few proposals one morning after getting back from shadowing some of the local traders.
[X] The Jade Standard: The traditional form of coin in Creation is the Jade Standard, backing your currency with actual value. With copper and bronze coinage serving to keep trade flowing at the lower levels, and moving to blue jade coins at the higher levels--this is a currency that is respected even by the Gods of Creation, and evidently assists in defending against the Wyld. Unfortunately, the flipside of this is that Jade is valuable, and it ensures that you won't have quite as much of it as you used to. On the other hand, it's also a currency respected worldwide. Jade Currency is established in the Kingdom of Yilali.
Ultimately, the benefits of the Jade Standard win out over the Silver Standard--especially with your proximity to the Wyld. Approximately 30% of the Skyreach Mine's output is put to use in the mint--producing the coinage, ingots, and slabs of the precious stuff. Even beyond that, another small portion of your take is shaved down into small shards, which are etched into silver coins to serve as a transition between a proper Obol and the more common pennies, bronzes, and silvers that serve as the primary low-level currency you're making use of. Overall, between young Morgan's accounting, and your own support of the measure, the changeover goes well--and the new Crowns seem a respectable innovation even towards the Guild, recognized as a good way of carrying greater coinage without dipping too deeply into precious Jade supplies. It's rated at approximately ten Dinars, and are much easier to carry around then the half pound of silver you'd need for that same amount.
Jade Standard established and codified!
Deepwood Grove: The newly discovered Wood Manse has potential--and if you clear out most of the rest of your surplus, you could have something together in a hurry. The question is what would be the best use of your money?
[X] Research Hospital: Disease and Plague aren't unheard of, and you'd like to keep them from spreading. Maya and Nari put their heads together and came up with an idea for a research hospital for these kinds of studies--both, producing potent medicines--and finding stronger treatments for ailments. It'll also serve to train your doctors in the finest of healing techniques, both magical and mundane.
This doesn't do much to help your own ailing treasury, but the investment was worthwhile--as once the Deepwood Hospice was constructed, it served as the nucleus of a small town on your borders--away from most of the hustle and bustle of the rapidly growing core provinces--and between the Green Jade reserves and the strong healthcare provided by the Clinic. That they're constantly testing new medicines and training healers for the rest of the High Kingdom has also helped everyone else.
Money well spent in your eyes.
Personal Time: What do you do in your rare moments off, in this moment of peace? (Choose 2)
[X] Get to know Neiya better
Neiya is... Strange. Quiet when she chooses to be--but more often, she prefers to hide in plain sight, watching people from afar, and travelling on the edges of your territory. She comes and goes where she pleases--but ultimately, she always comes back home.
"Well, all my stuff is here" She mentions when asked one morning. "I've got friends here, it's a nice place to live, and frankly, what I've heard of my fellows since I got here tends to be all over the place" She sticks her tongue out. "Bleh, you've got a couple of big names running around that even I've heard of, but most of 'em are either crazy and frothing guys, or all brooding. I can understand they'd be upset, but come on, it's been what, 1,500 years now? They really need to grow up and get on with the times."
You weren't aware that she was in contact with them.
"I'm really not" She mentions when you ask. "I just snuck into one of their little gettogethers and took a look--lot of chest-thumping, some people with good ideas getting marginalized... While they had a few neat tricks going for them, I can't really say I agree with the rhetoric--they're just too..." She wiggles her hand around. "Our magic doesn't really work the same way yours does--it's all about changing yourself to better solve problems. A lot of the modern people like me are just... They're too afraid, they talk big, but ultimately, they stay where it's safe, and come up with a bunch of ways to justify why they can't actually do more. "
She sighs, and goes back to staring at the passing crowds from her perch. "It's... Kind of sad--everyone today is just too afraid to do the right thing. Big huge oppressive empire? Hide because they'll totally kill you dead if they see competition! Exploit the people on the fringes to serve as your weapons against them!" She pouts. "You can't really go too far without being willing to take risks, and even with all that talent, they just don't know what to do about it."
Neiya curls up in place. "I kind of want us to be better... That's probably why I've stuck around here so long--you're not like those people--you care about everyone beneath you, and you're not afraid to take risks either. I hope you don't forget that in the future Altren."
Neiya has gained the Trait: Warden of Yilali
[X] Explore integrating swordplay with other combat styles (Loses Trait: Sword Saint. Gains Trait: Champion of Heaven)
Though it was presently a time of peace--you would aways be preparing for the next disaster. Your swordplay was peerless, but you felt there was greater secrets lying buried, needing only your attention to bring to the surface--but you had reached the point of diminishing returns long ago--you could already strike with the force of a Scorpion, and move like the whirlwind--your magic seemed stressed to the breaking point, and you simply could not grow stronger in that sense.
But swordplay wasn't the limit of your potential, even if you had explored the limit of your swordplay--you experiment with other battle styles, from archery, javelins, even barehanded combat--and you find that these fields had depths left untouched. Better still, you could cross-apply insights from one field to another, and strenghten the both of them beyond what you had thought possible. You could fire a ray of divine light from your bow--hurl a javelin and have it strike with the force of a thunderbolt--or you could easily exchange power for saturation fire. These alone allow you to effectively support your armies even while you were focused in another area.
You supposed that would have to do for now, with any luck, it would be enough to meet the challenges of your reign.
Altren has gained the Trait: Champion of Heaven
