Not as good a turn as last time in terms of crits, but by the same metric no failures.
Interesting that we have a vampire to deal with. If we were playing someone more underhanded I would be tempted to maybe negotiate with them, but our diplomat is a Bretonian Knight. Stakes it is. The sooner we deal with it the better. Since the vamp seems to be Bretonian maybe we can challenge them, kill them in a duel and take no losses.
Having dealt with the pirates I think we are now in the black on food. I'm inclined to build a market next so we have more money in subsequent turns.
It's probably a Blood Dragon, not that it matters, it's a vampire and our diplomat is a Bretonian Knight. We would most likely lose her entirely if we send any letter beyond demanding a duel.
Well, there's an entire aspect of magic literally blowing down from the north that makes plants grow. Plus, the logistics of medieval agriculture is definitely a topic below the franchise's level of abstraction.
As of the most recent update, nominal levels of production are:
625 food from medium farms (25 farms producing 25 food each, with 5 farmers required for each).
100 food from small farms (25 farms producing 4 food each, with 2 farmers required for each).
250 food from small fishing boats (10 boats producing 25 food each, with 5 sailors required for each).
For a total of 975 food before assorted bonuses and maluses. That's ~300 short of current consumption, with personals making the difference so far.
If manpower is the relevant metric regarding how much more we can build, we have significant potential for expansion in land and sea both, although there are probably some yet to be revealed mechanics concerning that aside from stuff costing money.
Winter sweeps into the Border Princes with a whimper. Here, closer to the equator, there are no snow storms or frozen seas. Though the trees shed their leaves in Autumn, the stark forests and yellowed grasslands are some of the few physical signs of the season. In fact, the temperature is downright pleasant.
Your subjects from Sigmar's Empire seem unnerved by the mild winter, though the others are from nations Southerly enough to experience something similar. Still, with your rapidly growing settlement, you are gaining more and more subjects from the war-torn remnants of that once-great nation. Most sail down the Skull River from Akendorf after passing through Black Fire Pass, with many more passing you on the way to more distant settlements.
Hmm, perhaps establishing outposts and patrols up Skull River to secure the area might be worth it. If we can secure territory to get more people easier, the better.
With your growing population, one of the most common petitions you've received was that labourers and supplies should be released to build more housing. The overcrowding and tent situation was concerning, certainly, and you authorised your Steward to begin allocating resources towards housing now that the food situation was under control.
The winter and the diseases ravaging parts of your crops were not ideal, but your life magic had given you a significant buffer - as had your prudent investment in more efficient farms.
I'm glad we had enough buffer between our magic and our dedication to building last turn, I thought that might happen honestly. Glad we focused on homes this turn, paid off in a big way.
New Mechanic: Petitions
Petitions are launched by your subjects, notable NPCs, and internal factions if they feel that they have an unmet need. If they're ignored, morale damage and possibly other negative consequences will be inflicted on your settlement. Some Petitions, especially those launched by notable NPCs or more affluent factions, might have rewards attached to success.
With your choice to construct housing this turn, you've successfully completed the first Petition.
Fascinating to see the details of pop growth. I'm assuming things like urban planning and Decent Dwellings probably provide small bonuses to pop growth, while things like Sewers and Hospitals would be large boosts?
[x] Send scouts to look for any sources of the ingredients in gunpowder.
DC80: 1d100+22+19 = 58+22+19 = 89
Bare Success
Vadac roams through the forests of bare trees as winter sets in, and after a few weeks worth of effort the Eonir returns to your settlement with numerous locations - there is sufficient bat guano in the nearby caves to establish a significant gunpowder industry.
Sexy! More boom boom is always good. I wonder if the Orc pirates will attack us sooner if we build up native gunpowder stocks, Orcs love boom boom too.
[x] Scout for pirate bases along the coast.
DC50: 1d100+22+19 = 33+22+19 = 74
Bare Success
Whilst Vadac is out in the woods scouting for bat droppings (a surprisingly vital component of human industry) your Eagle Knights scour the coast for pirate bases. With the vantage point offered by their mounts and the sheer speed of the eagles, they're able to cover far more ground than even your hawkship - and they're able to hide from detection much more easily.
While the major pirate bases seem to be located further from you, there is one minor base nearby. A nest of orcs, using crude boats to swarm merchant ships. Curiously, they do seem to be taking prisoners and loot rather than mindlessly destroying things.
The comment about "intelligent Orcs" is scary to me, there's only a few examples of those in canon...
[x] Protect your fishing boats
DC75: 1d100+22+19 = 81+22+19 = 122
Exceeded DC by 25, 1 extra degree of success.
Your converted merchant ships once more act as guards for your fishing boats, using Captain Hochtrasse's cannons to dominate the waters near your settlement. Your sailors appreciate the safety, and now that they feel secure they're able to spend more time worrying about catching fish rather than dodging pirates.
Honestly, this is exactly what we need. I bet the total number of food will go up over time, as fishermen get used to the local waters and where the fish are.
Your hawkship lurks in the waters off your settlement and quickly proves herself a menace to all kinds of pirates. It sinks a pair of small human boats on her very day of pirate hunting, and it is manifestly clear that the pirates here are used to dealing with, at worst, human or dwarfish ships.
A hawkship is no over-laden galleon, so slow to turn its mighty broadsides that small ships and boats can often evade or swarm it. It is no dwarfish gunboat, loud and obviously beyond any pirate.
It looks like a small warship. It is a small warship, but pirates do not know that it has a hull of starwood - as tough as metal. They do not know that its "mere bolt-throwers" fire bolts that can cut through the armour of a dwarfish ironclad. They do not know that she is faster than almost anything else afloat, certainly anything with a sail.
So when your hawkship takes advantage of one particularly misty morning, prime hunting conditions for pirates, they foolishly think that there is an opportunity to take the obviously wealth-laden elvish ship for themselves.
Small boats, crude things bristling with spikes and oars, rush forth from the coast towards your hawkship. There is a larger ship out there, somewhere in the mist. Your captain tells you that his crew heard it - a steamship. It hangs back, and so does one of the boats. A very unusual thing for orcs to do, especially ones mighty enough to have stolen a dwarfish ship.
Your hawkship did not deign to fight the orcs on their terms. It turned, the crew calling upon minor wind magics, and kept the boats well out of range of their crude weapons and well within the range of the hawkship's bolt throwers.
Such a conflict could not be called a battle. The only casualty on your side was a new entry on your requisition form to the Royal Fleet for more eagle-claw bolts.
Still, even when his fleet of small boats was massacred, the leader of the orcs did not send his captured steamship in - or, if he was on the boat that hung back, head in himself.
...Fuck. It sounds like we have a Chaos Dwarf steamship, and possibly Black Orcs, given how thoughtful and less impulsive they're acting. That's going to be a huge problem, we should focus on finding nearby good stone to quarry for building better fortifications next turn.
Though I love how Fishing is now a background thing, makes sense too.
[x] Investigate to the North.
DC50: 1d100+20 = 41+20 = 61
Bare success.
Emergency Witchsight, DC 90: 1d100+26 = 67+26 = 93
Bare success.
To the north, across the large bay that your settlement lies at one extreme of, is a castle in fine condition. Your hawkship has passed it from a distance, and several of the crew are excellent with paper and charcoal. It is a relatively small castle, true, and of an older design more common in Bretonnia.
You enjoy the trip out there, the simple routine of working on the hawkship in calm waters a nice escape from attempting to forge your settlement into something more than a band of mercenaries squatting in a ruin.
The day is cloudly, the sky grey and threatening to become much less pleasant for sailing at any moment. As you approach the castle, you see that there is also a small village outside it, and a number of small piers set up in the natural harbour below it. Pennants and flags bearing heraldry of some kind flutter in the wind.
You are not sure what causes you to suspect. Some uncomfortable, prickling sixth sense. Whatever small thing caused it, you open yourself to the Aethyr and look upon the castle with your witchsight.
What you see almost makes you sick. Shadows cling to every surface, casting the entire castle and the village into an unnatural night. You can smell fresh earth and old rot. Dhar saturates the place.
This is the lair of a necromancer... and perhaps, going by the rumour of a Bretonnian exile, a vampire.
Your ship passes the castle, sails angled so that it appears as if you never intended to dock there.
Though there less monstrous vampires in WHF, sometimes, we definitely can't negotiate or peacefully interact with a Brettonian diplomat. Fire and stakes it is.
As an Elf, though, I wonder, how much do we really know about vampires? Like, do we know of the different bloodlines, their usual weaknesses, that kind of thing? Maybe we can find somebody from the Empire with said knowledge, or buy tomes/scrolls in Tilea or Estalia? Would be a good diplo action for next turn, maybe.
Also, is it possible to use Elven magic to break the control Vampires have over Thralls, like their mortal servants? Good way to get another pop boost.
[x] Launch a Diplomatic Expedition to Baron von Wurtmoot.
DC75: 1d100+20 = 81+20 = 101
Exceeded DC by 25, one degree of success.
Thankfully, your reception on Wurtmoot Island (as it's latest ruler had decided to call it) was warmer than the previous time. Your hawkship was entirely unhindered on its journey there, and as your crew secured the ship to the docks, you saw an impressive party waiting for you.
Baron Von Wurtmoot was there, of course, dressed in fine clothing and a small fortune in gold. Even a few of his teeth were golden. A fine sword hung from his hip, long and thin in the fashion of Imperial duelling swords. The hilt bore the mark of a dwarfish smith, and the blade was etched neatly with runes.
Beside him were a number of dignitaries, including what looked to be his wife and children. You assumed they were children, at any rate. They looked young and underdeveloped, but how old they were was a confusing subject. Behind the Baron and his dignitaries were a number of soldiers; clad in full plate and carrying large two-handed swords.
At least, the humans carried swords. A number of this elite guard seemed to be Imperial Dwarfs, and they carried stout poleaxes. You try not to twitch. A few hold flags, bearing the symbols of the von Wurtmoot's and the baron's personal heraldry.
"Your Highness, welcome to my humble island! This ship of yous - why, I have never seen so fine a vessel!" the Baron says.
"I thank you for the compliment, Baron. She has been mine for many years, and I have grown quite fond of her. But you should take pride in your island - certainly, it is a bastion of civilisation in these lands," you say.
"As I am sure your realm is rapidly becoming, Your Highness. We are all terribly grateful for your assistance in containing the pirate menace - why, there are more merchant ships docked at the island now than anybody can remember," the Baron says.
"Perhaps we may be able to work together to that end, Baron."
"Well, certainly, there may be something we can do together..."
The two of you have a long, polite, and reserved conversation over a banquet. The food is human fare, though the baron's cook is a halfling and managed to prepare a few more delicate dishes for you passably. Though you're grateful for the respite, you've eaten across much of the world and enjoy sampling human food from time to time.
Still, Sigmarite cuisine is not your favourite human cuisine. That would have to be Ind but even amongst the Old World, Sigmarite cuisine did not measure up to Betonnia or Tilea.
You do manage to achieve a tentative agreement to work together on anti-piracy patrols, and to allow your warships to operate out of Wurtmoot Island. Additionally, you also manage to open up trade between your two realms - von Wurtmoot's island town requires more food than it can grow or fish, and your life magic means that you should have ample reserves to sell to him.
Gain the ability to trade up to 500 Food per turn to Baron von Wurtmoot for 1gc/food without an action spent.
Cool, we got Food to Gold conversion. Nice. That's a pretty good chunk of change. If we find a good quarry or mine for high quality stone, we can sell that to them too so they can fortify up, given the increasing number of local threats. We should tell the Baron about the unusually intelligent Orcs and the vampire Brettonian, he might know something we don't, or at least appreciate the warning.
[x] Construct a Building.
Your settlement is growing, both in population and size. The original palisade was far too small, and so buildings must be built outside of it. This is a temporary weakness, but the only way to house your expanding population. Instead of the cramped, shoddily built buildings preferred by the pirates who'd once lived here, your labourers construct simple but well made houses in carefully planned, wide streets.
Most of the shabby pirate dwellings have been replaced with this new construction, but they mostly seem to have been put back up again further out.
SO HAPPY! I love building stuff in games like this!
Next step, Sewers!
[x] Search the humans for magical potential.
DC70: 1d100+14+27 = 43+14+27 = 74
Bare success.
Eydis spends some time each week healing the sick, seeing to new mothers, and the like. Her life magic is an invaluable resource. It is the sort of thing a high noble might not be able to afford. This also allows her to check the humans for magical potential without alerting them to it.
She finds a few adults who might have enough potential to be taught, but they are unlikely to be dangerous. However, amongst the young, she does find a number of promising candidates. Specifically, a teenager strong enough to bother training, and several younger children.
This distribution isn't unexpected, as strong magical potential without training tends to go poorly in human society.
Pretty nice, thought it would have taken a lot longer to find any magic users.
[x] Search for a Diplomat.
DC50: 1d100+20 = 50+20 = 70
Bare success.
Your search for a diplomat would've remained fruitless but for the arrival of the Bretonnian knight, Helene Carrad. Though she strikes you as perhaps too honourable to be a truly excellent diplomat (something you yourself are, though to a lesser degree) she is able to charm and negotiate with nobles better than nay of your other prospects.
So long as you don't do anything to underhanded or at least ask her to do it - she will serve you as a fine diplomat.
Critical Success! Exceeded DC by 125, 5 extra degrees of success..
Newcomers to your settlement seem shocked and afraid once they're told of what you're doing out in the fields, but they always come around when they see the size of the harvests your farms generate. Lady Ortiz helps with this too, her religious authority and obvious trust of you setting many at ease.
You were never the best at these sorts of spells when you were learning magic, but now you find them coming easier and easier to you. Not just helping crops grow, either - you heal the sick and the wounded, the Wind of Life an easy companion.
You have known much of war, of blood and death. It sets a part of your soul at ease to be gifted at creation, at healing. It does not clean your hands, not bring back what you have lost... but your soul is a little lighter.
Gain +1 Magic. Gain Progress towards Advancing a Trait! 1d2 = 2, Progress towards advancing Blessing of Isha.
I love gaining more Magic ability. As an Elf its much easier than a Human, but its still cool to see.
[x] Spend time with a notable NPC: Sir Helene Carrad.
Opposed Roll: 1d100+ 30 (Prowess) + 5 (Eagle Knight) + 5 (Sword of Hoeth) vs 1d100 + 25 (Helene's Prowess) + 5 (Blessing of the Lady) + 5 (Knight of the Realm) = 59+30+5+5 vs 51+25+5+5 = 99 vs 86
Bare Success!
The practice ground in front of the lighthouse is deathly silent. Dozens of mercenaries are there, but all are silent. The sound of an armoured boot stepping forward echoes like the footsteps of a dragon.
It is Helene who steps forward first, her practice sword and shield held ready. Your own practice sword is specially made, replicating the lightness of your Ithilmar sword. Her stance is good, you realise.
She strikes, and you did not think a human capable of such speed. You step out of the way, seeming to give ground. She does not take your bait, stepping backwards - and not into the surely decisive counterblow that would've cleaved her head from her neck in a real bout.
It might be a worthy match after all.
You follow up, shifting your counterblow into an offensive lunge. Helene bats it away with her shield, but your greater height and longer weapon means she cannot punish such overextension.
She is fast, too fast for a purely natural human, but not fast enough to best you. It takes seven exchanges before your practice blade rests just above a gap in her armour, but that is still an enormous length of time.
Her Lady, whatever the enigmatic goddess was, clearly gave her some real power. As the bout ends, you nod towards her.
"Well fought, Sir Carrad," you say.
She beams with excitement and begins to chatter excitedly about the spar. Despite yourself, you find yourself chattering back.
So, major concerns for me are (ideally Fortified) Sewers to set a solid underground backbone for our new town, and figuring out a plan of attack for the Intelligent Orcs/Chaos Dwarfs, and the Vampire. And I don't think we can wait too long on either, given how powerful both factions can get if left alone to fester...
Now that it is confirmed that there are humans with potential for magic in the settlement,they could be set to the path of and trained with Ghyran so they could help maintain the farms ?
Now that it is confirmed that there are humans with potential for magic in the settlement,they could be set to the path of and trained with Ghyran so they could help maintain the farms ?
First we have to train them in the noble art of not exploding, but in principle Ghyan should be one of the easiest Winds to learn for human, it is the most common among their traditions:
Bretonia
The Druids of Albion
The Jade College
It is, relatively speaking , a more forgiving Wind
So, major concerns for me are (ideally Fortified) Sewers to set a solid underground backbone for our new town, and figuring out a plan of attack for the Intelligent Orcs/Chaos Dwarfs, and the Vampire. And I don't think we can wait too long on either, given how powerful both factions can get if left alone to fester...
An orc with patience, restraint, and what seems to be some cunning...
I wouldn't outright say we're fucked in regards to this one, but some caution wouldn't be remiss. Definitely should keep an eye on them, learn some more about this orc.
An orc with patience, restraint, and what seems to be some cunning...
I wouldn't outright say we're fucked in regards to this one, but some caution wouldn't be remiss. Definitely should keep an eye on them, learn some more about this orc.
We do have a skilled Azyr user who is our intrigue advisor even. We could use one of his actions to scry the orc I think... @Tekomandor is that something Eydis might be able to do? Unlike the vampire it is unlikely the orc has any kind of magical prtection.
In a sense maybe, but also... we are already an exile and a kinslayer, I do not think we are going to be getting many investments regardless. Not to mention that investment in the Border Princes is probably the punchline to the elven equivalent of 'selling someone a Bridge on Brooklyn'. No one has any reason to expect that we will do any better than any of the myridad other people who have tried and failed to unite these lands and keep them from being squished by orcs.
Am I the only one who thinks that the combination of orks taking prisoners, orks with a steamship and ork leadership acting unusual means that there are some chaos dwarves in the region?
Am I the only one who thinks that the combination of orks taking prisoners, orks with a steamship and ork leadership acting unusual means that there are some chaos dwarves in the region?
also, small technicality: when our bolthrower is being used, it's bolts aren't fired but loosened. Though shooting works as well I guess. Point being: it's a big bow, there is now fire nor burning powder being used to propel the projectile. It's a small thing, but it always bothers mee when I see descriptions of pre-gunpowder projective weapons or companies of archers shooting in volley and the commander is shouting "nock, draw, fire" instead of "nock, draw, loose". Fire as a command only became used when fire started being the propelling force
also, small technicality: when our bolthrower is being used, it's bolts aren't fired but loosened. Though shooting works as well I guess. Point being: it's a big bow, there is now fire nor burning powder being used to propel the projectile. It's a small thing, but it always bothers mee when I see descriptions of pre-gunpowder projective weapons or companies of archers shooting in volley and the commander is shouting "nock, draw, fire" instead of "nock, draw, loose". Fire as a command only became used when fire started being the propelling force
We do have a skilled Azyr user who is our intrigue advisor even. We could use one of his actions to scry the orc I think... @Tekomandor is that something Eydis might be able to do? Unlike the vampire it is unlikely the orc has any kind of magical prtection.
@Tekomandor
I want to calculate how much housing we have.
How many do Noble Quarters shelters? It says "Provides shelter for 25 people and their attendants" I assume that means 25 nobles and a number of non-nobles.
The Vineyard doesn't have a cost to build, is this an oversight?
Other possible oversight, on the List of Available Buildings inns don't mention the Morale loss negation that is on the Settlement Sheet.
@Tekomandor
I want to calculate how much housing we have.
How many do Noble Quarters shelters? It says "Provides shelter for 25 people and their attendants" I assume that means 25 nobles and a number of non-nobles.
I think that means 25 of 'Nobles and/or their attendants.' So technically you could have a mansion that is all nobles but they aren't going to live like that.
I'd rather build the gunpowder building we just unlocked. We're spending a fortune on mercenary maintenance and getting a domestic supply of gunpowder would be invaluable. Plus, if and when we expand our production beyond our domestic needs, we get a trade good that we can likely sell for a higher price than food. Speaking of which, I think we should sell a whole bunch of food next turn. We have a massive surplus, and we could really use the additional GC to build more buildings.
Am I the only one who thinks that the combination of orks taking prisoners, orks with a steamship and ork leadership acting unusual means that there are some chaos dwarves in the region?
I thought it was "just" an unusually intelligent Warboss, but you have an unpleasantly good point. We might want to expand that pier of ours so we are one step closer to building proper warships.
Am I the only one who thinks that the combination of orks taking prisoners, orks with a steamship and ork leadership acting unusual means that there are some chaos dwarves in the region?
Its a technical possibility, but not too likely. We're in the Border Princes, which is both the heartland of the regular Dwarves Navy and protected by the Elf Fortress of Dawn (which blocks the Chaos Dwarves from raiding/slaving that portion of the Old World).
I guess it could be maybe a lone Chaos Dwarf ship that snuck by the High Elf Navy though.
.
