Turn 21 Results
2324 IC
Military: Stephan von Raukov is a quiet yet experienced mercenary soldier, but his dedication to Ostland and family is unquestionable. He strongly believes in honor, preserving the lives of your own fighters, and unconventional tactics. (Choose 2):
Upgrading Equipment and Payment: So, here's something that's likely to please a lot of your soldiery. It was an idea put forward by young Stephan, something he learned long ago as a mercenary. If the pay is right, cowards will turn into lions, and lions will turn into
gods upon the battlefield. The soldiers of Ostland have always traditionally been a somewhat sour folk, understandable given the whole Forest of Shadows and creatures regularly coming in the night to kill you thing. But it doesn't have to be that way. You've set up some of the most lucrative trading in the Empire by now, so you are relatively sure that you have the income stream to raise the pay of your soldiers. This would do wonders for both their morale and the ease of recruitment, the promise of wealth can move people to do much. Furthermore, increasing the general quality of their equipment, both arms and armor, would help just in a regular sense. Though doing this will increase the cost it takes to raise and maintain soldiers, quality is quality. Cost: Soldier Raising Cost Becomes 2x, i.e. 500 Man retinues cost 200 to raise and replace, 100 ogre retinues cost 350. Upkeep Cost Becomes 200 Gold to per 10,000 men. Time: 1 Year. Reward: Morale permanently raised for Ostland soldiers. Equipment is better, upgraded to plated mail, uniform across ranks unless logically impossible i.e. Doomspheres.
- It is quite the move, doing this. The ogres are already dressed in ¾ plate, you largely just give them some chainmail and better fitting plates than before. Minor improvements, really. The ones that really benefit are the human soldiers. Of course, everyone is happy about getting paid more, and for the new equipment too.
Reward: Morale permanently raised for Ostland soldiers. Equipment is better, upgraded to plated mail, uniform across ranks unless logically impossible i.e. Doomspheres.
Protecting The Coast – Obsessive: A while ago, a Black Ark entered the Sea of Claws. They probably came for you. A fleet of raiders has been fighting a brutal war just to get at
you. Well, maybe not, but on the other hand maybe they wanted to raid your coast and plunge into the heart of a still recovering Ostland and reach the Arcane Fulcrum. Well, not today. Normally you would use the money from the Stipend, but quite frankly you don't have enough at the moment. In the Stipend that is. So you'll pull from your own treasury. Because there is no way that you are going to let your coast be torn apart by anyone ever again if you can help it. Of course, you can't prepare for everything, but you'll be damned if you don't do your best. It's time to heavily reinforce the Salkalten Guard. It's time to build a tight string of forts defending the coast, from end to end. It's time to put cannons all along those forts, more cannons and guns in Salkalten, build up Salkalten's defenses even better, and put roads between all of these things so that messengers can run faster along them. Horses there as well. Yes. YES. Cost: 5000. Time: 2 Years. Reward: Coast of Ostland Significantly Better Defended. Salkalten Guard Ranks Boosted.
Cannot Choose If Normal Is Selected.
- It is going to cost. A
lot. But damn it if it won't be worth it. You open the treasury with purpose. Let the gold flow, and may your coast grow strong!
Will Complete Next Year.
Ogre Academy Graduates- The Pulverizers: The first year of graduates have arrived from Greatbellow Academy. These are the ones who were the easiest to educate, or re-educate as the case may be, the ones who were essentially smarter and more willing to change. The stupider brutes of ogre migrants that are being shuffled to Ostland by the rest of the Empire are going to take a
bit longer. Having Urgdug spend many a day there is helping though, for they see the one they all thought they could imitate and he enforces change through a healthy amount of physical punishment indeed. Regardless, Urgdug has an idea for these new ogres. He says that he recognizes the current usage of ogres is fine, but more can be done. He, along with Anna and Alexandra, have been talking, and he wants to create one of the mightiest defensive forces for needs of offense ever. After you blinked a few times, your daughters explained. He wants to put these ogres in the heaviest armor they can manage, heavier even than the regular armor that the ogres are given. Then, he wants to give them a shield. A
giant shield. Seriously, nearly a half foot thick of steel and iron, with spikes and blades and death causing bits on the one side. They would still have the Ironfist you designed equipped on both sides, but their main purpose would be holding the line against anyone and anything while your archers and handgunners go to town, or to shift slightly to allow those with weapons to stab at the enemy. A shield wall made up of ogres, who could even swing these shields back and forth, or form a wedge and perform an ogre charge with the shields at front…as to the name of what this strange new soldier of Ostland would be called? Urgdug, Anna, and Alexandra all said the same thing: The Pulverizers. Cost: 1500. Time: 2 Years. Reward: New Ogre Unit, the Pulverizer. Equipped with an ogre sized Tower Shield, extremely thick, covered on one side with spikes and blades and death dealing bits, meant to act as shield for everyone else, but can use shield to, well, squish and pulverize the enemy as well.
Will Complete This Turn.
- Behold the Pulverizer, the newest addition to the Ostland war machine. Full body coverage by double plated armor, with thick cotton and leather layers added for additional projectile catching, with a final under layer of chainmail. The plates are thicker than anything a human could possible wear, much less move about on the battlefield. The shield, also called the Pulverizer Shield after those who will be using it, is built with slight adjustments on the edges to allow it to lock down fully. The metal of the shield is thicker than any shield you've ever seen before now, it would probably look better on the side of a damn
ship than used on the battlefield. The leader of the Pulverizers, for there must always be a central leader to the ogres regardless of how much you manage to shift them away from the Mountains of Mourne, is surprisingly, a woman ogre. Or perhaps it isn't surprising? You aren't sure. Angrad Brawlerguts Pulverizer is one of the fattest and strongest ogres you've ever seen, and her body bulges with an almost obscene amount of muscle. Unlike Urgdug, who bulges with an
absolutely obscene amount of muscle. And fat. But the fat part is just ogre physiology
. The Pulverizer will never be the most numerous, but then again, as you well know sometimes you just need a single unbreakable wedge against which the enemy must break.
Reward: 30 Ostland Pulverizer - The most physically powerful ogres in Ostland, decked out in the heaviest, thickest, hardiest armor they could possibly wear. Equipped with a single massive thick slab of solid metal in the general shape of a shield with spikes and blades on one end that can also be used as a great smashing weapon. All ogres in Ostland are equipped with Ironfists (Good Attack, Extreme Defense, Low Mobility)
Third Imperial Navy: As the Steward of the Third Imperial Navy, you have a responsibility to build up, maintain, and use the ships of the Empire for it betterment and protection. The First Imperial Navy is based in Nordland, while the Second Imperial Navy is based in Marienburg. (LOCKED):
A Flagship: The best way to make an impression for this is to make it a
big one. You haven't really touched on your duties as Steward of the Third Navy, but its time that you did something special. Your shipbuilders have been instructed by Nordlanders, watched the boats of the High Elves and Kislevites, and believe they can manage it. It is time to make usage of cannons, and expand the ships of the Empire
beyond just arrows, ballistae and scorpions, etc. No, you want to put lots of cannons on boats rather than just the one or two. The thing that comes to mind is..something big. Something with a lot of power behind it. Something...
Great...Cost: 1000 From Stipend Time: 3 Years. Reward: Invention of the Imperial Greatship. Cannon On Boat Idea Spreads. Chance of Success: 75%
Will Complete Next Turn.
- Required: 25. Rolled: 28
Man. That's a lot of cannons.
Will Complete Next Turn.
Diplomacy: Natasha currently runs your diplomatic score with a hop in her step. Both of your oldest daughters assist her. (Choose 3):
Fucking…Stop It: You have poor people, you have rich people, and you have people in general throwing a bit of an uproar about the Arcane Fulcrum. Within Ostland itself, your nobles and your commoners knew about it, sure. But they didn't have specifics until now. Now you've got crackpots demanding access, nobles travelling there illegally in hopes that they can take advantage of your connection to the High Elves, priests denouncing you despite your successes and victories in multiple categories. Nordland and Ostermark are bound tight with you in multiple treaties, and Kislev is as seemingly impassive as ever though Kattarin is apparently opening up to the Empire now as was agreed. What you need to do is smooth things over with just about everyone that you can. Cost: 500. Time: 2 Years. Reward: Try to calm people down, convince people to leave the Arcane Fulcrum alone. Chance of Success: 45%
- Required: 55. Rolled: 63+
DD(20)=83
You go with a combination of Angry Count and Kind Understanding Wife, and it seems to be working so far. Smoothing things over with the mad priests, the mad nobles, the few mad commoners, the mad folk of all three types who are the
traditional mad as in insane, and a few curious letters from the Magic Colleges is going all right, but even after a year's work, people are still alternatively infuriated or too curious.
Will Complete Next Year.
Throwing The Nobles A Bone: So, the nobles weren't too pleased that the Bull Warriors were opened to everyone. But, you can fix that. There is a famous Knightly Order in Nordland, the Knights of the North Star, who are quite prestigious. You could approach Stephan with the idea of having the Knights of the North Star spread out across the Northern Trident, while talking to Ortrud as well. Though she does have quite some pride in the Knights of the Everlasting Light, she has accepted the Knights Panther into her province, and another one you think. Why not have the Knights of the North Star, a noble only order, set up Chapterhouses in Ostland and Ostermark? Or, failing that, at least just Ostland? It's an order the nobles would only be allowed to join, which should please them, and you'll have another Knightly Order in the Province. Which, of course, can only end well for you. Cost: 100. Time: 1 Year. Reward: Knights of the North Star set up Chapterhouse in Ostland. Noble Opinion Raised.
- The Nobles were rather put out when the Bull Warriors was opened up to commoner recruitment, and while the Bull's are still recruiting and training a lot of the order is now composed of veteran militia and just men who fought and found themselves winning against the hordes of Zacharias. By contrast, the nobles felt that Knightly Order just wasn't for them anymore. That it was somehow 'tainted' by the men who staff it now, even though it is highly likely that the ones in the order at the moment were fighting and winning amidst the masses of undead that nearly tore the entire province down into the grave. So, when the Knights of the North Star set up a Chapterhouse in Wulfenburg, it's quite quickly filled with applicants who want to be part of a highly traditional and honored order who refuses to open its ranks to any who are not of noble blood.
Reward: Knights of the North Star set up Chapterhouse in Ostland. Noble Opinion Raised.
Sons of Manaan: So, you hear tell that there is a Knightly Order that is dedicated to fighting on the seas and defending the coasts, a religious order dedicated to Manaan. Now, you aren't much one for boats and all that personally, but damn if they aren't useful apparently. Having a group of them come in and help defend your coast can certainly only help. Apparently, due to the White Wolves and their work during the Wolf Crusade, some of the more 'out there' Knightly Orders are considering doing the same. Mostly the ones that are just on the fringe of things, like for instance the Knights of Manaan who sit around and fight on the oceans and coasts. The chance of getting one of the Orders that is willing to widen their recruitment base that will also be dedicate to the defense of your coast is a pretty good one don't you think? Cost: 250. Time: 1 Year. Reward: Sons of Manaan build Chapterhouse in Salkalten. As a fringe Order, they are opening themselves to commoner recruitment. Chance of Success:75%
- Required: 25. Rolled: 54
The Sons of Manaan are not the only Knightly Order dedicated to Manaan specifically, but certainly one of the closest, and they are more than happy to set up a Chapterhouse in Salkalten. After all, you have built one of the largest Temples to the God in the world, though there is a larger one in Nordland and the largest you
think is in Marienburg. Dedicated to safeguarding the seamen and coasts of humanity from the innumerable threats that seek to destroy it, they do not possess nearly as many heroic tales as more inland orders. But they are honorable, and they are dedicated, and as a fringe order there are few who are annoyed at them for opening their recruitment to the common man. After all, though it may have cost over a hundred thousand lives across the Empire, the White Wolves proved that common men really can keep up with noblemen.
Reward: Sons of Manaan build Chapterhouse in Salkalten. As a fringe Order, they are opening themselves to commoner recruitment.
Stewardship: Morgan von Bernhardt is an energetic young woman. While her father was not the most creative man, she seems to be more so. With her vigor, she has promised you significantly
more than her father was able to stay awake for. (Choose 3):
Stop Slipping Through The Border: You have people trying to get through the borders to reach the Arcane Fulcrum, and while some might be idiots, overzealous Witch Hunters, angry priests, or the like, some will be less benign. For all that the Witch Hunter Army did their work, and did it well, there will probably always be cultists inside the Empire. Monsters. Daemons. Greenskins, though the Wolf Crusade killed or pushed out almost all of them. You are going to have issues here, that's for sure. But what you also have is a lot of money, and more coming in through trade. It's time to do something that will simultaneously protect your lands better and…well protect your lands better, but for different reasons. Checkpoints along the roads, guard posts, and a bevy of new Forts that will go along the parts that don't have roads which is where most of the annoyances have begun slipping through. Better, in the future, these things could serve as protections against full on invading forces like say from a WAAAGH! or something. Cost: 3,500. Time: 2 Years. Reward: Guard Posts Set Up Along Roads, Forts Strung Along The Land Borders. Province borders much better defended. Reduces Infiltration of Borders by Miscellaneous Groups.
- You set up initial guard posts, and stone is being pulled from out of province at cost. Only the finest granite and such materials for your borders. Even now you've stopped a mutant, a pitiful man with nine mouths on his stomach, who wailed that the voices were commanding him to come to the Fulcrum lest he be mutated even worse. Instead of fighting when stopped, he broke down and sobbed, crying for death. It was granted, though there was strangely a bit less pride in the gesture by the Witch Hunter who did the deed.
Will Complete Next Turn.
Farming In Peace, Middle Mountains: The Middle Mountains, historically, don't have that much mineral wealth to them. If there is any, it is buried far too deep to be worth it, quite frankly. The foothills and lowest slopes have mineral wealth, as evidenced by your copper mines, but the fact of the matter is simply that the mountains are not going to be transformed into some vast mining complex. On the other hand, with the Army of the Range keeping its valleys and open plateaus clear of beastmen and greenskins, you have an opportunity to take advantage of the land up there. Farming, specifically, you think. Yes, all that land, ready and hard to reach thanks to your work in fudging the passes. Of course, the river that passes through would allow you to send food down from the range straight to Wulfenburg by barge, and there is a pass that heads into Hochland's meagre portion of the range and then into Hochland proper, so there is the potential for trade as well. All you have to do is reach out and take advantage. Cost: 100. Time: 1 Year. Reward: Small Farms in Middle Mountains. Boost to Farming Income.
- The moment the Army of the Range left, the remaining portions of the Middle Mountains, the last ten percent or so, would boil over with greenskins and beastmen and into your portion. But, as it is, it's surprisingly…peaceful. The perfect place for farms. For now, you scout out the closest few valleys with tillable soil in them, and organize the building and planting. The halflings, always in search of a peaceful time, went here in numbers, remarking that while it wasn't the same as the Moot, it was making an effort, and that's what mattered.
Reward: Small Farms in Middle Mountains. +250 Farming Income.
There Are Mines In Them There Forests: Your survey teams found a few veins of metal in a few low lying caves in the ridges and inner bits of the Hohenzollern Forest, and you should go take advantage of them. Copper, iron, even a vein of silver apparently. All you have to do is send out the men, set up the mines, and take advantage of the resulting villages that will inevitably end up outside them. Clearing the forest a bit will garner you a slight it of extra lumber for this year, and building new roads to connect to the veins of your province will improve most things as trade usually does for the economy. It won't be too much trouble at all, just a bit of time. Cost: 500. Time: 1 Year. Reward: Mines set up. Mining Income. One time addition of gold in terms of the trees cut down to get to the mines.
- Some of the veins were a bit deeper than expected, and the single ripping and cutting down of trees to cover the path provided a surprising amount of lumber to be sold to Erengrad so that they could better build up their fleets. After the mines were set up, and some nice bits were coming into Wulfenburg and other places around the province, the opportunity has come to do something interesting with a letter from Alexandra suggesting it. She says that with you as a blacksmith, and her as a forger, she has had an idea for you to better grow Wulfenburg. You have a very large Dwarf Quarter, but she wonders if not you could call other armorers to your city other than Master Borgin. Perhaps….a Steel Row? Which would, should you manage to build it and recruit enough smiths, reduce the cost it takes to maintain your soldiery and to equip them as well even though you've just upped the cost to do as such.
Reward: Mines set up. Mining Income. One time addition of gold in terms of the trees cut down to get to the mines. +250 Mining Income. +500 One Time Gold.
Research: Helga and Valma have taken up this position, switching off whenever the other has to be teaching a class or engineering something or other in your engineering facilities. (Choose 2):
Bird Bombs Away!: After the reveal of the Doomsphere, several engineers have been trying to come up with something equally as insane. Many of the attempts have currently failed, but
Anna, your daughter, has come up with something. Ridiculously, but she has. She thinks that it might be possible to develop a long fuse bomb, tie it to a crow – not a pigeon crows are smarter she insists – and then train those crows to fly over the enemy and then have them trigger a mechanism that will drop the bombs below, bombarding people with a complete and total lack of loss of human life. Some of the birds will totally die, your daughter admits, but birds breed significantly faster than humans. This would require training a flock of crows and developing the bombs, but why not? Those last three words have quickly become a byword amongst Wulfenburg's engineers. Cost: 500. Time: 3 Years. Reward: Bird Bomb Flocks. Chance of Success: 85%
Will Complete Next Turn.
- Required: 15. Rolled: 3.
Anna came home today covered in a hundred little pecking wounds, snarling about the flammability of bird poop.
Failure. Will Complete Two More Turns.
Pressure Go Boom: An idea, found in a sheaf of wine soaked pages that no one knows the origin of, has been partially refined to a point where it might actually become a concept. Anna did the refinement, and has taken credit for the greater idea which appeared from behind the ridiculous scrawling's about an egg thrower and a crushed down pile of blackpowder. Also musings that the world itself was made of tiny little grains of material that were so small that the eye couldn't see them. So, you know. There was
that. Anyway! The idea is an explosive that doesn't explode by pulling a trigger or lighting a fuse, but by being…stepped on. You step on it, and its innards will stick together in a certain manner and the whole thing explodes. Cost: 500. Time: 4 Years. Reward: Exploding…things, what go boom when someone steps on it. Chance of Success: 55%
- Required: 45. Rolled: 63
Work begins immediately. The first few tests blew a hole in the wall. So far, so good.
Will Complete In Three More Turns.
Anna von Hohenzollern's Swiveling Miniaturized Death Dealing Cannon: Anna has an idea about how to improve your ship equipment, and furthermore create some static defenses that you could put on walls and guard towers that might be able to join the venerable Scorpion device that has been used for so long. The idea is the smallest cannon type yet, she calls it a Swivel Cannon. It will be able to have a very large arc, be able to fire up and down, and all over the place, and deal some appreciable damage. Now, according to your daughter, making things bigger is usually easier than making things smaller. Nevertheless, she's had a lot of time to work on cannons recently, and with mind, it should be possible. All that she needs is the funds and the time to do it. At the end of it, you'll have something new, and probably really useful. Cost: 1000. Time: 4 Years. Reward: Swivel Cannons for ships, smaller, accurate, appreciable power. Can also be put on castle/fort/city walls. Chance of Success: 35%
- Required: 65. 72
Anna seems pretty happy so far with her work, though she's melted about ten prototypes, and the next few cracked along the length of the cannon. She swears she'll get it though.
Will Complete In Three More Turns.
Piety: You now have three religious advisors. One, Jorgen Albrecht, is a Priest of Sigmar, Emil Beltz on the other hand is a Priest of Ulric, while Lady Rosa is a Priest of Morr. Having all three prominent advisors from all three of these religions is a powerful statement, and with their own staffs you get a little bit more ability to…well,
do things. (Choose 2):
Dwarven Gods: You don't know much about the dwarven pantheon, but with your city suddenly having a fifth and filling quarter, it might behoove you to look into it. The dwarves hold to their traditions and beliefs incredibly hard, so it is likely that they'd be happy if they could look upon the faces of their Gods and Goddesses. Though Jorgen and Emil were a bit worried about foreign gods coming into the province at all, they admit that the dwarven ones might not be the worst to let in considering the alliances between your races. Lady Rosa agreed, and offered to search out a few of the more learned Longbeards, architects, and masons, so that you could put together some Shrines to the….Dwarf Gods. Shrines? Temples? Do they do both? You don't know their names, but she thinks that she can find someone amongst the dwarves who do, obviously. And frankly, if you're going to be getting more dwarves in because of Bugman, why not go all the way. Every dwarf god gets some, so says the Count of Ostland! Cost: 2500. Time: 5 Years. Reward: Dwarf Quarter Gain Major Shrines of Grungi, Grimnir, Valaya. Dwarf Quarter gains Minor Shrines to Gazul – protector of dwarven dead, Smednir – shaper of ore and son of Grungi, Thungni – god of Runesmiths and younger brother of Smednir, and Morgrim – God of Engineers. Increased Dwarf traffic to Wulfenburg and Ostland.
Will Complete This Year.
- Dwarves don't mess around. Not when it comes to bitter, not when it comes to oaths, not when it comes to their Gods. After the Yinlinssons arrived, they lent their own masons and wealth to improving the shrines that you were already building, making them far more imposing and finely detailed than even your previous dwarven masons were capable of. It's not that surprising, after all, they come from the Everpeak, the greatest of the Dwarf Holds, and they probably wanted something that would reach the standards of that place. At the end of it, the dwarves all nodded approvingly at 'proper' work being done for them, though all the dwarves in the quarter give you a bit more acknowledgement than before, nods or gruff 'Count Hohenzollern's.' The sight of all these incredible pieces of craftsmanship is both inspiring to see and a draw for other dwarves who come to make a pilgrimage. You even see Valma praying at the shrine of Grimnir. First, you had Bugmans. Then, you had the Yinlinssons. Now, you have the greatest assemblage of shrines to the Dwarf Gods outside of the Dwarf Holds. Foot traffic picks up immediately.
Reward: Reward: Dwarf Quarter Gain Major Shrines of Grungi, Grimnir, Valaya. Dwarf Quarter gains Minor Shrines to Gazul – protector of dwarven dead, Smednir – shaper of ore and son of Grungi, Thungni – god of Runesmiths and younger brother of Smednir, and Morgrim – God of Engineers. Increased Dwarf traffic to Wulfenburg and Ostland. Dwarf Trade + 150.
Manaan Save The Coast: You have built quite a large Temple of Manaan in Salkalten. But you can build more. So long as it may inspire people to fight harder to defend your coast you can get behind building a few smaller shrines to Manaan in your coastal settlements. It wouldn't be the same thing as full on Temples, but you'll start slow and see what you get out of it. After all, there is no such thing as a free lunch, so Manaan or his followers are going to have to prove there is a point. Cost: 500. Time: 1 Year. Reward: Shrines of Manaan along Ostland Cost.
- It synergizes nicely with your work in building up the coast. Every village and hamlet worth the name is granted a shrine of Manaan, to better protect your people or at least provide sustenance for them through faith. You could probably like the sea god, and if praying to him really does help calm storms and such, then you are absolutely all for him.
Reward: Shrines of Manaan along Ostland Coast.
In Case of Vampire, Sigmar, Part One: So, Genevieve recently sent a letter regarding what messes with vampires of all bloodlines, and that is Sigmar. Symbols of his, statues, so on and so forth. It might behoove you, she says, to start putting those up all over the place because the Empire has interacted openly with vampire more than they have in a lot of time most recently. She says that, while yes, she and Johanna are not personally dedicated to ruining the Empire, the same might not be said of others. Specifically, you might have really put a wrench into the plans of other vampires who wished or still do wish to infiltrate and control the Empire from within. She didn't have any specific names for her, and that's fine. Putting up lots of Sigmarite symbols will help reinforce the idea that perhaps you aren't a cursed person and that they shouldn't string you up for having so many magical children, and it should apparently also mess with vampires. You'll start with Wulfenburg. Cost: 500. Time: 1 Year. Reward: Wulfenburg gains lots of Sigmarites symbols all over the place, apparently this will reduce the danger of vampiric infiltration? It might help against Chaos too.
- A bunch of the things are set up. You've got the Crosses everywhere, a couple of griffon and hammer effigies, and essentially just a lot of random Sigmarite symbols all over the place. You don't feel any different, but Wulfenburg seems…safer? Watched over, perhaps. People walk around with more smiles on their faces. You didn't notice anyone suddenly bursting into all revealing vampiric flames or anything…if that's how it goes. Then again, perhaps those that would be affected would be leaving, hmm?
Reward: Wulfenburg gains lots of Sigmarites symbols all over the place, apparently this will reduce the danger of vampiric infiltration? It might help against Chaos too.
Eternity Stair Research Compound: It is hard for a mere mortal to understand just what an Arcane Fulcrum does. You know this because even with Aurelion so cheery and lively ever since Attuning to the Eternity Stair she was exasperated enough to go back to her old sneering and snooty ways even if temporarily. Even so, she managed to explain
some of it to you. She is capable of wielding some of the most powerful magics ever. That is the long and short of it. By renting from you, the High Elves can study the compound, but that does not leave you without the ability to make requests. (UNAVAILABLE):
A Request From Aurelion: Aurelion comes to
you this time, actually. She knows that you might come to her with plenty of requests, but she's just had something come down from the Phoenix King and High Loremaster. They are worried about the fact that rumors of the Arcane Fulcrum have spread so far already, and she
knows that it might look a bit bad that she's requesting this but it has to be said: She is requesting additional High Elven guards for the Compound. That's just the first part. The second part is that they want her to study about something called a 'Waystone'. Apparently, these ancient elven creations assist the High Elves in many different things, least of which is smoothing out and helping the Winds of Magic be channeled. Some provide shields, protections, push back at the Warp, while others apparently help protect High Elven souls from being consumed by a certain Prince of Pleasure. The issue, of course, is that the
creation of these things have been a bit of a secret. Oh sure, they know how to maintain them, nudge and adjust, but complete and total
creation of a new one is unknown to them. The High Elves are intelligent, and they've spent generations on this problem. They now think that perhaps one of the issues with creating new Waystones is one of
power. And with an Arcane Fulcrum at her behest, Aurelion just might be the one elf with said power. For the foreseeable future she would be unavailable to you, and the High Elven guards are going to be more vigilant than ever. Cost: Allowing In More High Elves to protect the Compound and Losing Access to Aurelion and the Arcane Fulcrum For An Unknown Amount Of Time. May Even Fail Entirely. Reward: If Successful, High Elves Able To Build New Waystones
Intrigue: You have two different intelligence organizations. One, Witch Hunter Marlisa, is focused on combating cults, threats, monsters, and generally outside forces. The other is Master Baggins, a very influential halfling cook and champion of the common man. (Choose 2):
Hunt The Wench Down: A Witch Hunter blabbed, but you need to investigate the one he blabbed
to. You refuse to simply allow this woman to get away with potentially ruining your entire province. Perhaps she was benign, just a regular gossip, but at the same time she managed to extract a lot of secrets from a supposed full member of the Witch Hunters. The man wasn't a simple novice, and though it is possible that he purposefully talked about it, such arrogance does not become an Order which has been through so much recently. Besides, the Witch Hunters were supposed to be largely pleased with you at the moment because you let them target the Nurgle Cult so fully. Cost: 100. Time: 1 Year. Reward: The Wench is investigated. Chance of Success: 75%
Required: 25. Rolled: 7
- Vampire! Vampire in the streets! Seven dead Witch Hunters with blows of inhuman strength, and four dead agents of Master Baggins speaks to the issue at hand. The wench revealed herself after they came into the tavern too hard, and horrified the people as she revealed her nature. As far as you know, she's gone to ground somewhere in the city, but that might change soon. She knows you are after her, she knows that you are quite understandably furious, but she cannot possibly comprehend the shitstorm that she has started by purposefully revealing the location of the Arcane Fulcrum. She is going to
pay. You may not like the Witch Hunters, but now you know just how a fully trained Templar of Sigmar managed to be so badly tricked.
Failure…ish. Tavern Wench is a vampire, has escaped into the streets of Wulfenburg. Location unknown. Knows you are hunting her.
Make Them Stop: Anyone who has come into Ostland to see the Arcane Fulcrum is to be stopped, investigated, and if need be, killed. Both the web of Master Baggins which stretches across the servants and lower class workers and the organization of the Witch Hunters in the province who are working to hunt down cultists and monsters normally are going to need to be set to this. It doesn't matter if they are foreign nobles, it doesn't matter if they are rich merchants, or otherwise. Anyone and everyone who thinks that they 'deserve' to make use of the Arcane Fulcrum needs to be stopped before they get there because you
know that the Shadow Warriors of Ulthuan are going to ensure that they don't come back. Cost: 100 Per Turn as Halting Interested Parties Upkeep. Time: Until Fee Stops. Reward: Reduced number of people getting into the province to get at the Arcane Fulcrum.
- Yeah, stopping agents from the competing nobles of Stirland who haven't decided on a Count yet, stopping agents from Averland and the Reikland who want to ensure that nothing untoward is going on, it's good that you began doing this early. You also caught a few cultists, trying to enter as merchants. From all four of the Dark Gods, in fact, which…well, it didn't exactly please the Witch Hunters. It…satisfied them? They really do like burning and hanging cultists.
Reward: Reduced number of people getting into the province to get at the Arcane Fulcrum. 100 Per Turn as Halting Interested Parties Upkeep
Personal: A lot of people say you shouldn't be walking around. A lot of people haven't had a High Elven Loremaster attuned to an Arcane Fulcrum heal you. Honestly, aside for a few more clicks when you move from your skeleton, and the fact that you keep forgetting you're missing an arm, you feel fine. Great, actually. (Choose 3):
Urgdug's Issue: Urgdug says that he has something he needs to talk to you about, but it was something that has to be in private. Complete and total private, apparently. Now, you hope that it isn't anything bad, but if there is anything that this life has taught you it is that you have to expect the unexpected. You know, it has been a long time that Urgdug has been around, he's got to be in his sixth or seventh decade. Maybe he is starting to get tired of fighting all the time? He never did get that farm just yet. To hell with it, you know that when he finally does retire you are setting him up as befitting the noble person he is both in status and in stature. Cost: 0. Time: 1 Year. Reward: ????
- See Below
Anna's Request: Anna want's to talk to you in private, about something secret. As to what it could possibly be, you have no earthly idea. She assures you that it is nothing bad, but you've heard that sort of thing before. The last time she said that, her flasks exploded and the wall nearly started melting. Your beard certainly caught a bit of fire. Cost: 0. Time: 1 Year. Reward: ????
- Anna wanted to talk to you, and so you obliged. She has stated that, well, there's a couple of things. One, you need to start putting measures in place to keep your engineering secrets secret, lest Nuln steal anything, and second, she wants to go to Tilea. You…didn't quite understand why, of course, until she explained. The famous founder of the Nuln facilities was a Tilean named Leonardo of Miragliano. It is he who built the famous and yet still irreplaceable Steam Tanks, it is he who did…well, a lot. But, apparently he died in a pretty awful manner, in a flying machine. But, here's the twist. It was an
alcohol powered heavier than air flying machine, and what else does Ostland have in such abundance? He also apparently had plenty more things that he never managed to finish. She wants to mount an excursion to Miragliano in search of any secret notes of his that might be secreted away, held in private collections, or what not. On the way there, and on the way back, she also wants to poke at the Nuln facilities, to look at the Steam Engines. As to whether or not the Nulners would allow this, you do not know, but she
really wants to do this. Hell, she can come down next year with you to Nuln while at the Elector's Meet, and then head further south. Your daughter wants to leave home, and yes that aches, but at least she's growing older? She won't leave without a bodyguard of ogres and greatswords, and she is not an incapable combatant herself either. Still, she leaves it up to you.
Reward: Anna's Request – To visit Nuln and see the Steam Tanks, to visit Tilea to see if any secrets of Leonardo of Miragliano can be found.
Looking For Gryphon Eggs: So, Gryphons can, in fact, be trained. You know this. Everyone knows this. The problem is that you have to do it when they are at egg age. Or rather, get them as eggs, and train them from hatching. As an Elector Count, you have the funds and influence to hire searchers, and you know for a fact that there are Gryphons in the Middle Mountains. Also, you need a gryphon because it would be fast enough to get you down to visit your daughters in record time, which is really why you want it now over just having a nice and powerful mount to fight atop. Which, of course, would be a bonus. But still, you need something, and a Gryphon sounds like the way to do it. It will be hard, however, and you know that it might not be constant. Cost: -200 Per Turn In Gryphon Egg Search Fund. Time: Until You Find One. Reward: A Gryphon Egg. Chance of Success For Each Turn: 45%
Required: 55. Rolled: 96.
Fifty hunters went out into the Middle Mountains this year, and only seventeen came back. They ran into far more than just regular beasts. A few trolls had made their way into residing near one of the smaller rivers running through the range, and that took a few of them down. However, when they arrived back, they brought something that you had not even thought possible. Apparently, one of them, a spirited young lad named Lars, happened upon not just one Gryphon nest, but two that had been left momentarily untended by their owners. He then grabbed the eggs within, and sprinted away to find you.
You do not just have one Gryphon egg now.
You have two.
The first is a speckled white
thing of an egg, while the second is a darker ruddy brown.
Well.
You hadn't expected this at all, really. Luckily, as an Elector Count you have access to the information and few testimonies that exist from previous owners of Gryphons within the Empire, so you won't be going at this entirely uninformed. Which is good, because you
refuse to ruin this. You need to be able to visit your children.
Reward: 2 Gryphon Eggs, one speckled white, one ruddy brown.
Urgdug's Issue
It is late at night, on one of the battlements of Wulfenburg Castle that you have had cleared of everyone else other than you or your brother. A large barrel of Bugman's rests between you, each of you savoring your drinks. He is uncharacteristically quiet, your brother, and he seems to be drinking a bit faster than normal. Regardless, the moon is high in the sky – the good moon not the bad one – and things are relatively peaceful. The sound of a cheerful and still bustling Wulfenburg reaches your ears, as dwarves trundle back and forth from the Dwarf Quarter to the rest of the city, charging premium coin for their mastercraft wares, visiting the Grand Kitchen for food that even they have to admit is impressive, and generally just growing to be part of the life.
"So, Urgdug, what's the issue? It looks like it's been gnawing at you," you finally say, a genial smile on your face.
"Right. Uh, my issue."
"Right, your issue. What's the issue?" you place a hand on his huge forearm.
"I've been having sex."
You blink, and then shudder slightly.
"I…," you trail off, all thought really sort of just fizzling.
"Like, so much sex," he splays out his hands, "After every battle, at least five ladies want a piece of me, and I uh, I oblige most of the time. All ogres, mind you," he waves his hands as if that is the thing that is causing your brain to lock up. "I think that's just part of…being an ogre? They see the biggest, strongest, and then it all sort of just…falls together. Even the really pretty ones that shouldn't like me at all take one look and then they're all for it."
"I…."
"So, I'm 56 now, and, I've been with…triple digits, I think."
Morr, if it is at all possible, please shield my dreams so that the nightmare I know awaits does not come to me in my sleep.
"And…a lot of them got pregnant and had babies. So I've fathered at least a two hundred little 'uns at this point-," he continues in a rush.
"STOP!" you finally yell, nearly tipping your mug over. "Stop, oh gods, why would you….
why would you…" you inhale deeply and drain the Bugman's, refill it, drain it again, and only after the fourth time do you continue speaking. Even then the image of all that…
mass is jiggling in your- no, no! Stop it. "Urgdug, for the love of all that is good and pure, what, exactly, is the issue."
"I wanna stop, because there's this nice lady who works in the Grand Kitchen, her name is Cherag Flourbelly Steakripper, and she's the most beautiful woman I've ever seen in my life," he
actually clasps his hands together, lets out a wistful sigh, and flutters his eyelashes. "She's the strongest ogre I've ever seen besides me, and the
fattest," and oh
god he sounded so lustful it hurt when he said that word, "Even stronger than Angrad who leads the Pulverizers, and she's the
second strongest ogre I've ever seen besides me. Also, already had babies with her,-"
"
Urgdug," you growl, and he flinches.
"Right, right. Well, I don't….ogres don't do marriage," he finally blurts out. "But I wanna, cause the idea of Cherag bein' with anyone else makes me so
mad," his whole body trembles as he turns slightly red, "And, and we need to do marriage because
you did marriage and you and Natasha are great-,"
"Natasha and I are
hardly the perfectly average specimens of a married couple," you protest. "You want to marry this woman."
"Yes. Under, under Sigmar, or Ulric, or one of the Empire Gods's. Oooh! Or mebbe Esmeralda!" his eyes alight with the idea. "Yeah, we can get married under Esmeralda! Wait," he turns to you, "Does Esmeralda do marriage?"
"Urgdug I can barely remember a tenth of the scripture of Sigmar I'm supposed to have memorized what do
I know about Esmeralda?" you throw your hands up into the air. At his downtrodden look, you sigh. "Listen, I'm happy that you've found a girl you want to settle down with. I'll help you with whatever you want, and given that Esmeralda is the principal halfling goddess I'll bet she's got
some kind of marriage rites or something. But what I can't do is help you woo her."
"Woo her?"
"Woo her. You know, seduce?"
He blinks dumbly at you.
"Urgdug," you slowly drag your hand down your face, "how do you commonly approach an ogre woman."
"They come to me."
"Ohhhhhh god. Whichever god. I blame all of them for this. All of them!" you shake your fist at the sky.
"Frederick, you'll help me, won't you brother?"
Sighing, you stare at the sky, trying to will this entire situation away. Once this inevitably fails, you sigh and nod.
"Sure, fine. I just…next time just lead with the issue, I didn't need to know about the…the other stuff."
"All the sex and babies and stuff?"
"Urgdug," you groan.
R….reward?: Uhh…….
