Turn 15 (Part 2 Of The Regency)
Voikirium
SV's Estalia Guy
- Location
- Ruritania Illinois
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Turn 15 (Turn 1 Of the Regency)
1438
Survey
You are ejected from the mists like a raven-fletched arrow, the fog trailing behind you. Landing with a harsh thud, the mare you took from the Imperials lands hard on the soft mud. The soft clip-clop of horseshoes sinking into mud rings out as it makes its way through the fields towards your secret entrance.
Popping open the gate bearing the mark of Saint Riquiard, you slide in, silent.
You make your way through the castle, towards the kids' rooms.
It's...silent. There is no sound of hard wood pounding into hard leather as soldiers drill under a watchful gaze; no sound of raucous merrymaking under a good duke's gaze; just the hard, cold sounds of a city.
You pop open the doors to the kids rooms. Leliana pops her red-head out, wearing a red dress. Justine, too, opens hers, wooden blade clad in hand. Charles— poor Charles— comes racing out, sure Philip will be there.
Leliana— perceptive, perceptive Leliana, looks around worried.
"Mother? Where is Father?"
It will be a very long time until you get to sleep that night.
Martial: You are not a warrior, not truly. The nearest you have come to a sword fight is betraying your friends; the closest you have come to battle slipping in and slitting the foe's throat. In your ideal world, you would never, ever, have to fight.
Fortunately for everyone, your husband did leave behind many, many, many ideas for you.
(Pick 2)
An Honest Patrol: The lands are filled with Bandits, orcs, cultists, Imperials, witches, and Lady only knows what else. It would be of service to more heavily patrol the lands of Montfort, which are threatened even at the best of times.
Cost: Free
Reward: Extra patrols, +1d250 Gold
Reliquae: Duty does not end with death, not for all. Many wandering bands of Grail Pilgrims, those this diseased world has pushed unto and passed the brink of madness— and back again— have within their possession the gilded remnants of fallen Grail Knights, whose remains inspire and grant protection to all that fight under their aegis. Perhaps one could be lured to the army? It certainly could not hurt to try.
Cost: 125 Gold
Chance Of Success: 80%
Reward: Grail Reliquae
Refounding the Order: The old home of the Musketeers is found; the texts are located; people are available. Refounding the order will not finish until you are a man old and gray, perhaps, but starting that work is very possible. Very, very possible.
Cost: 400 Gold, 4 Years (To get first Musketeers)
Reward: Remake Musketeers
We Have Standards, Damn It: Your personal levy is pretty damn good, if you do say so yourself. Your men are well armed and armored, disciplined, and trained by some of the best— there are forces that can defeat you, certainly, but you'd give them scars to remember.
But not all your barons see it that way. Their forces vary, and very much so, at that— Baron Armistead could damn well take a castle from the Empire itself, while you're not honestly not sure whether Baron Bonitus' men could fight off a bandit invasion, never mind a Waagh!
This needs to change, and fortunately you are just the man to do it.
Cost: 400 Gold, 4 Years
Chance Of Success: 60%
Reward: All Forces fight at basic standard
Warhounds: The Massif Mastiff is already a dog suited to going to war— the Orgen of the mountain have marched with them for generations. They're too slow to follow the grand steeds of your knights— but they can follow the draught horses of your yeomen perfectly well. They'd represent a goodly improvement to your ability to harass a foe.
Cost: 300 Gold
Reward: Mounted Yeomen gain Warhound Companions, increase to damage done, increase to casualties caused by harassment, minor increase in upkeep
Battering Rams: There are many minor castles, forts, and motte and baileys within Mousillon. Each of them is a veritable font of evil, spitting out bandits, vampires, cultists and worse. You will have to crack them open at some point, simply so that you don't have that knife at your back. Trebuchets work for that, yes, but they are altogether pretty blasted expensive to build and slow to move. Whereas if you utilise, say, basically just a log with an iron head moved on a modified wagon, it should be pretty easy to both make enough for everyone and to transport.
Cost: 200 Gold
Reward: 10 Battering Rams
Flying the Coop: You saw many things while you were a knight errant, but the one that stuck with you the most was Lyonesse's communication system. Birds— pigeons, mostly— with an innate ability to always return to their nest, it proved useful more than once on the march, as you might imagine. The main barrier to your utilizing them was cost— and wouldn't you know it, now you've got a bunch of Dark Elf money to spend on "nice but not essential" stuff.
Cost: 1,000 Gold
Reward: Carrier pigeon service
Watchtowers: The Massif Orcal might be cleansed, and under the control of Bretonnia, but there is no doubt in your mind that, eventually, something terrible is going to come crawling out of it again. Maybe it will be the dragon waking in a burst of apocalyptic fury, maybe it will be greenskins popping out of nowhere again, or maybe it will just be a minor incursion of monsters, but whatever the case you will not simply let them come in without forewarning.
Cost: 300 Gold
Reward: Watchtowers on border between Montfort and Montagneterre
Diplomacy: You see no fit reason to intrude upon the work of the Bard Jaune. If you are a shadow, he is a fire— obvious and bright and chaotic, but untouchable. He might call himself a fool— and certainly his dress might say such, too, especially that damned mask— but there's a mind like a steel trap fucked a particularly sharp tack and the resulting love child was raised by a particularly pacifistic Shallyan underneath all that purple and gold.
(Pick 1)
The New Guys On The Block: So, there is a new Duchy in Bretonnia. Exciting stuff. There is, however, one slight problem— since the Reign of the Rash, the Massif Orcal— now Montagneterre— has been thought of as a godless, soulless, heartless land filled with terrible things. That might be okay, except it is now a part of the kingdom— and if it is to remain of the kingdom, it must be an equal part.
They must be bonded, and you can do that. A Duke's words have weight, power, prestige; you can incentivize and propagandize; you can keep a kingdom strong.
-Locked for 2 more years-
Scratch My Back: It is an old trick in Estalia and TIlea to gain a title of nobility by sending a letter to a receptive noble with an amount of gold to persuade them to respond to you with the wished for title, e.g. Signor or Sir. While you are far outside of Estalia, you are still a Duke and as such your word when responding would mean something. It's a bit underhanded, but Morgyan does know a fellow or two who would make use of this service and would pay handsomely.
Cost: Free
Reward: 1d250 Gold
King's Sleep Gifts: The most noble of all holidays, when Bretonnia celebrates Gilles Le Breton and mourns his premature slumber. On this day, family give gifts to each other, spend time together, and mourn his loss by the ritual burning of a greenskin figurine. Perhaps sending gifts will make people like you more? It couldn't hurt to check.
Cost: 75 Gold
Reward: Slight increase to noble opinion
Tilean Turmoil: Your neighbors to the south. If the Empire is perfidious, the Tileans are absolutely Orcish, though with gold instead of martial ability. Disunited and mercenary. However, they do have quite a bit of gold to spend, and love wine. With your expansive blacksmith network and the growing threat of war in Tilea, here is definitely a market for some of your goods.
Cost: 100 Gold
Chance Of Success: 100%
Reward: Trade with Tilea,???
Estalia: Ah, Estalia! The only other human nation that has not been consumed by that most ignoble of substances, blackpowder; while their armies are not free of it, sadly, their nobles disdain the stuff, preferring, instead, to use good, solid steel. Currently disunited, yes, but still more trustworthy and honorable than the Tileans. Following the Crusades, there has always been something of a camaraderie between your two people; perhaps you could build on it? Given the war brewing in Estalia, they will almost certainly desire some of the weapons you produce.
Now, you know that they want— Trebuchets. Expensive, but doable.
Cost:100 Gold
Chance Of Success: 100%
Reward: Trade with Estalia,???
Quenelles: A land of Fae and Greenskin and war. Quenelles has been rocked in ways few other peoples have been by the Orcs; indeed, there are entire festivals dedicated to burning a greenskin, either in effigy or in uncommon cases, a flesh and blood creature (It is, perhaps, for this reason that of all Duchies Quenelles is the closest to the Dwarfs); also of note are the inhumanly beautiful Fae that infest the lands. Perhaps the most famous feature is the Grave of Cuileux, where the doomed nobles of that land made their final stand— it is holy ground, where only fools would walk unnecessarily (naturally several parties of scholars from the Empire and Tilea have trespassed those grounds). Surely there is some trade they need, some desire they wish satiated?
Cost: 100 Gold
Chance Of Success: 85%
Reward: Gold, ties with Quenelles
Crusade Aid— The Empire: The crusade needs aid. Every warrior who might be found ought be called; every soul to stand against the onrushing night must be found; every blade to be lifted against evil and spit in death's face must be sought.
The Empire is somewhat busy putting down a number of Orc insurrections into their territory. Some War Boss— Krom, or Glom, or something like that— has set them ablaze with fury as they attack the border of the Empire, killing many, and looting weapons. Still, if nothing else, the Knightly Orders should have some men to send for the sake of killing vampires.
Cost: 400 Gold
Chance Of Success: 75%
Reward: Imperial Aid in Crusade
Crusade Aid- The Elves: The crusade needs aid. Every warrior who might be found ought be called; every soul to stand against the onrushing night must be found; every blade to be lifted against evil and spit in death's face must be sought.
If the Empire is busy, then the elves must be damn near Occupied. Their centuries long war with their darker kin has gone hot again, leaving many Elven forces occupied fighting the Dark Elves in one way or another— reports say Elven forces have been spotted as far away as Ind, supplementing the forces opposed to the Druchii puppet rulers.
Still, there may be some warriors free to aid in the battle against the dark. If nothing else, you wouldn't exactly be surprised if it turned out there was a Druchii stronghold or two in Mousillon.
Cost:600 Gold
Chance of Success: 75%
Reward: High Elven assistance in Crusade
Crusade Aid- Estalia: The crusade needs aid. Every warrior who might be found ought be called; every soul to stand against the onrushing night must be found; every blade to be lifted against evil and spit in death's face must be sought.
The Estalians want trebuchets to fill the hole in their arsenal, at least temporarily. You want more soldiers to help put down the vampires. You're sure an agreement can be reached. Admittedly, when you put it like that, it sounds crude, but… you'll live.
Cost: 300 Gold
Chance Of Success:55%
Reward: Estalian Aid
Kislevite Aid: The crusade needs aid. Every warrior who might be found ought be called; every soul to stand against the onrushing night must be found; every blade to be lifted against evil and spit in death's face must be sought.
The Knights Unbound traveled to Kislev more than once, and many knights fought in Tzar Pavel's civil war. If nothing else, you hear that the Tzar's cousins desire to repay a debt they feel they have incurred to Duke Josu— it could little hurt to try, certainly.
Cost:300 Gold
Chance Of Success: 25%
Reward: Kislevite Aid in Crusade
Crusade Aid— The Fae Courts: Any of the courts that you might trust to help in the crusade have less than no reason to listen to you— but you can still try. If even one of the spirits is unleashed on those vampires, the odds will flip drastically, never mind should a court itself be unleashed.
You will contact Mab, and the Court Invulnerable— those spirits of the stone and earth and metal, whose might is mountains and whose will unbreakable. The vampires have poisoned the land of Mousillon, envenomed it; its heartbeat cries the call of death. The Fae are wrathful creatures indeed— their will is vengeance. See, then, whether you cannot convince those ancient spirits to rise up and consume the foes that sully their lands.
Cost: 200 Gold
Chance Of Success: 20%
Reward: At least 1 court of the Fae unleashed to aid, in some way, the Crusade
Stewardship: Kylian and his poison tongue do not return. Instead, Sir Yvain, who has long acted as the steward for the Knights Unbound, has presented several ideas to you, the blond taking time to settle into his position over the year. As you suspected, Yvain has settled into his position nicely, and has presented many ideas to you. Also, your herd of goats has finally expanded enough for you to partition a new herd for a different purpose— or expand the herd you already have making cheese.
(Pick 1)
Oh Hey, I Can Finally Use This: You've got… a lot of wyvern parts. Just a disgusting amount. Seriously, you can not overstate how many random wyvern bones and wyvern skins and whatever else even now sits as trophies in your Dukedom. You've used them as art, proudly displaying their skulls and their skins as marks of the greatness of your men.
You've always sworn that, if you had the time, you'd make use of them by turning them into leather armor and etc. your men can use— but enough experts for that to be anything but a curiosity would be very, very expensive, and you've always needed the armor for other, better things.
Well, now you've got tons of Dark Elf money you can spend guilt free on stuff.
Build the workshops, and they will come.
-Locked for 4 More Years-
Open A Mine?: You've located a new iron vein. Opening it should not take long, though security will have to be provided and new paths made; Sir Yvain has promised, though, that the mine will be open and shipping iron into greater Montfort before the end of the year, for he has an idea and hopes to use it.
Cost: 40 Gold
Reward: New Iron Mine
Taxes: Oh boy, corruption! Or typos. Either way, people often do not put the whole of their owed taxes together. Send Sir Yvain to double check, and make sure that all is as it should be, instead of all screwed up.
Cost:Free
Reward: 1d250 Gold
Grismerie- Fishing Operations: Your people aren't stupid, obnoxious jokes from the Empire aside. If there's a way to get food, they will use it. However, most families will only catch enough to feed themselves, with whatever little is left often either being used as more bait or going towards the village pantry. However, you have a source of labor— petty criminals, certainly, if nothing else— who would likely consider just being told to go move into a new village and fish, with the results to be sent back to be distributed, a rather minor sentence, all things considered. That's even ignoring all the beggars and wastrels who'd probably like to stop living on the streets.
Cost: 100 Gold
Reward: Fish! (It's nasty, but it's food)
That's Quarrelsome: Now that the Massif isn't spitting out monsters every five seconds, you are far less loathe to move people near the slopes; and because of that, there is now an area rich in stone that can be used to produce stone. It will take time and money— certainly, they are fairly far away from the center of your domain— but it can be done.
Cost: 400 Gold
Reward: Gold, minor reduction to building time
Fruity: The mountain berries of the Massif, as you might expect from the name, can grow on mountains. Grown in thick bushes, they are fairly large, for berries— nearly strawberry sized. They're not the tastiest thing in the world— a bit too sour, for your tastes— but when you live on a mountain, well… let's just say even sour grapes have their appeal. Certainly, if nothing else, it should let you reduce your food importation even further— which is always nice. You'd like not seeing most of your taxes disappear into the pockets of other people, for once.
Cost: 400 Gold, 3 Years
Reward: Mountain Berry Groves
Herd— Even More Cheese: Your current herd of goats is used for cheese and milk. It's pretty good, all things equal— better than starving, certainly. You can always use more food for your people, and pound per pound cheese is probably the best way to do that— though probably not the most delicious.
Cost: 100 Gold
Reward: Utilize second herd of goats as extra cheese maker
Herd— More wool: The herd of sheep you have is currently used for milk and cheese, helping take the ease off of imports, but not by enough. Right now you have enough goats for to make a second herd, for more cheese, wool, or meat.
The wool is shaggy, thick, and warm. It makes very effective coats and cloaks, that hold the warmth as though their grasp was steel. Of course, you can't exactly eat wool if, say, orcs come and burn your stores to the ground, meaning you'll have to continue importing food. On the other hand, the wool sells for far more than either meat or cheese does, and that gold can be turned for nobler purpose.
Cost:50 Gold
Reward: Money, wool
Herd— More Meat: The herd of sheep you have is currently used for milk and cheese, helping take the ease off of imports, but not by enough. Right now you have enough goats for to make a second herd, for more cheese, wool, or meat.
Meat sounds nice. It goes for a fair penny, helps feed your men, and you can use the meat as bait for hunting orcs. All in all, a sound investment.
(Cannot be taken with other Herd options)
Cost: 100 Gold
Reward: Meat produced, more coin, more food
That Took Awhile: You're not an expert in goat biology, but it seems like the natural expansion of the herd took a while— you'd think it'd take less than half-a-decade, if for no reason other than they're not being hunted in Montfort, for the most part. Maybe they were just a bit juvenile still when you imported them, but this could be a sign of one sort or another— it'd probably be a good idea to check and make sure.
Cost: 250 Gold, 2 Years
Reward: Goat Herds expand faster
Piety: You and Sir Aldric have reached an...uneasy peace, over years. When you first got here, and married Philip, he watched you like a hawk— wherever you disappeared to, he would know, and he would be there within minutes. It was like he knew exactly what you were, once upon a time— and perhaps he did, knowing the Lady of the Silverspire. Still, you can work with him.
(Pick 2)
The Holy Spots: There are shrines and temples and chapels dotting the mountains of Montfort. While it would be remiss to use them for temporal gain at the expense of their spiritual weight, it would hardly be wrong to make mention of them in conversation, to draw others' attention to them, would it?
Cost: Free
Reward: 1d250 Gold
Daughter's Wisdom: The Daughters of Rhya are a small sect of the Cult of Rhya, comprised solely of women who have given birth. Their duties are two-fold. First, they act as midwives, healers, and counsellors for mothers and the pregnant. They also advise young women in matters relating to their marriage itself— how to deal with abusive or difficult husbands, for instance. Sir Aldric's own wife was a member of the cult, once, and as such he has nothing but praise for them and their work, and has suggested making overtures of allowing them to settle in Montfort to help young women.
Cost: 125 Gold, 3 Years
Chance Of Success:80%
Reward: Daughters of Rhya establish chapter house in Montfort
Churches And Chapels: The Lady's houses of worship are generally small, humble things, to keep the connection between Her and Her Servants clear and close, unlike the ostentatious and downright tacky Cathedrals that Sigmarites are so fond of. That said, building a grand place for Her Knights to worship her is a very good use of money.
Cost: 300 Gold, 6 Years
Chance Of Success: 100%
Reward: Build a Monument to the Lady
River God: One of your rafts was sunk in the deeper parts of the Grismerie. All crew members escaped— it's probably a good thing you made sure they could all swim— but it set you to thinking: is there a god of the Grismerie?
It is, after all, one of the biggest rivers in Bretonnia. Its waters flow through more miles than any you can name off the top of your head— though admittedly, that doesn't say much.
In any case, it couldn't hurt to check.
Cost: 100 Gold, 2 Years
Chance Of Success: 70%
Reward: Discover God of the Grismerie River
A Torrid Affair: "And lo, He said, 'all I have given to the powerful shall be returned to the powerless. All I have given to the faithless, shall be returned to the faithful. And all I give to the rich, shall be returned to the poor."
-The Codex of Affairiche
The Bretonnian god of merchants, Affairiche has never had quite the success of his Imperial counterpart, for obvious reasons. Right now, his ordained clergy is all of ten men, the Free Men. Skilled in matters mathematical, economical, and social, they adhere to two central tenants:
Do not hoard wealth for yourself, and do not leave a deal having ruined a man.
His clergy have asked permission to build a temple in Nouvelle Vie. It might be odd for a knight to support a merchant, but you can think of worse gods to push the rich towards.
Cost: Free
Reward: Small temple of Affairiche built in Nouvelle Vie
Shallyan Mercy: Adherents of the Lady and the cult of Shallya have always had an awkward relationship, owing to the many times people have tried to somehow make them two parts of the same goddess— when they quiet clearly are not. You're no expert, but you feel comfortable saying Shallya wouldn't much appreciate her adherents cutting down the ratmen, for instance.
Still, you refuse to let your people suffer for bullshit stupid personal reasons, and the more temples of Shallya you have, so too the more healers to render aid to them.
It'll be expensive, but worth it.
Cost: 300 Gold
Reward: Shallyan temples dotted throughout Montfort
Learning: Once competitors, now friends, you and Nimue have taken up much of Philip's efforts while he...indisposed. She, his former steward, writes the letters that must be written; while you handle the rest of the actual duty of rulership. Just after taking the reins of Regency is probably not the right time to try and introduce even a tenth of what was found in the Library— though even without introducing it, you can use it to make many of your husband's ideas easier.
(Pick 1)
What Are You?: Last year you received a fairly large book from the Fairy Queen, Mab; roughly the same dimensions as your torso, on casual thumb through it looks nothing more than a story book. But things are never quite the way they seem, and if anyone knows that it is Rose. She has sworn herself to getting to the bottom of this.
-Locked for 1 more years-
Expeditions: There are plenty of broken ruins in Bretonnia, particularly in Montfort. There are likely valuable of archaeological significance within them, items that would fetch a pretty penny if given to the Museum in Altdorf.
Cost:Free
Reward: 1d250 Gold
Lamorte Lies There: You know where the Defier lies, where the son of Aquitane's body is held. Whatever reason the Imperials have for holding it, it's not right a man that a man's body should be held so far from home. Send a team to take it back, by force if need be. Though, those arrows certainly did look… sharp.
Cost: 200 Gold
Chance Of Success: 60%
Reward: Lamorte's body found, making you Aquitane's favorite person
This Is Probably A Bad Idea: There is a...strange, unlikely, fearsome thought within your head, a story Nimue reminded you of, now that you have wolves and facilities:
During the Errantry war against the Greenskin and Hellspawn, to give insult to their Khornate foe Sir Têtu and his band of knights found a small group of wolves, and decided they were going to turn the vile creatures to the use of the light and that they would ride them.
The Lady, being in mischievous spirits against the Foe herself and feeling somewhat impressed, blessed the knights, who in time broke the wolves to the use of saddle and Rider.
While Sir Têtu is long dead and he never did leave instructions, you could see if one of your knights could pull it off, maybe? Certainly, there is no shortage of volunteers.
Cost: 200 Gold, 3 years
Chance Of Success: 80%
Reward: Learn how to make Wolf Rider Knights
The College of Troubadours: To be a Troubadour is to be repository, knight, and storyteller in one. It is a noble calling, to remember all the grand stories that have come before and to use them to steel the spines of wavering souls, to strengthen the hearts of those falling, to embolden those fearful. But they are a rare breed, and rarer by the hour. If you would not see them fall, then something must be done, and you are just the man to do it.
Cost:1,000 Gold, 4 Years
Reward: Trobadours College
Fae-Fyre: One of the concoctions Morgyan was most fond of brewing when she still served Titania was called Fae-Fyre. As the name might suggest, it is a fire starter— but it is so much more than that, too. Its blue blaze cannot be choked out with water or smothered by rock— it will burn, and burn, and burn, until it is damn well good and ready to stop burning.
While you did not have the necessary pieces for it in your land when she first moved here to marry you, Morgyan believes she there are replacements for them in the Massif, and would like to check.
Cost: 100 Gold, 3 Years
Chance of Success: 75%
Reward: Fae-Fyre (Basically Greek Fire)
Intrigue: It's always nice to work with professionals. Geoffroi might be paranoid, but there's no-one you'd trust more to keep down the Skaven. And while Ezekiel might be low-born, he does have a virtue many nobles ought consider gaining at some point— the virtue of keeping his mouth shut and listening.
(Pick 2)
Pelts And Furs: There is always a need for skins and furs and pelts in Bretonnia, always a need for warm clothing in the cold mountains. It would put a pretty penny in your pocket to get a few, certainly. Who knows? Some great beast might be slain.
Cost: Free
Reward: 1d250 Gold
Reading, Yay!: So you can barely read Breton, but Morgyan has been pushing you to start developing a code, something only you and those you trust know— even a basic one— so that you can be sure your communiques that you wish to remain confidential do not end up read by some loathsome vampire or brigand seeking your destruction.
Cost: 15 Gold
Chance Of Success: 100%
Reward: Secret code
Shadow Patrols: Your watchmen already directly report to you anything that might be a sign of the Skaven in the Black Crag growing more active than usual. Still, it could not hurt to send men— and yourself— in to check and see whether anything too out of the ordinary might be growing in the darkness.
Cost: 100 Gold
Reward: Scout out area around the Black Crag
Any Other Motha Wanna Go?: You broke your sister-in-law's little collection of rebels before they could too much damage, and many— if not most— have either died on the Quest or become Grail Knights. Still, people are...forgetful creatures. You leave them sans reminder for just a little decade, and suddenly everyone wants to have a go at the shadow knife. Well alright, let 'em have a go if they think they're hard enough.
Cost: 100 Gold
Chance of Success: 80%
Reward: Find the trail of any Traitors/ Confirm there are no traitors
Are You Fuckers Eating People Again?: The Court of Shadows has long held a grudge against Montfort, and most of the reasons you can think of make your head hurt with the temporal implications. Most importantly, though, over the past two or so years, a number of peasants have disappeared in the forests. You aren't saying it's your former mistress trying to get your attention, but at the same time you wouldn't be surprised.
Cost: 100 Gold
Chance Of Success: 50%
Reward: Determine whether or not fuckers are, in fact, eating people
Personal: You were not meant to be the power on the throne, alone. You've got this...strange habit of scaring people. Crazy, right? It's almost like pale skin, glowing green eyes, and raven hair make people think you're a vampire, or something.
(Pick 2)
Comfort Your Kids: Children are far more resilient than many people like to think— they can take hearing terrible news with a stoic face, given the chance. But just because they can take it, doesn't mean they should. Try and, if nothing else, distract them from the fact that Philip is away.
Cost: 20 Gold
Reward: Kids are no longer sad
Leliana's Education: While it's not as universal or respected as sending young men off to learn at the feet of their elders, many young ladies are sent to different fiefs and duchies to try and teach them valuable skills for a lady, up to but not limited to how to stab a man in total silence.
If nothing else, it's a good way for young women to get out of a Toxic Environment. Seriously, if your father had just sent you away, you probably wouldn't be known as Baba Yaga in Kislev.
Cost: Free
Reward: Find somewhere Leliana can finish Education
I Don't Want it, You Take It: The vorpal blade is a reminder of days best left forgotten, deeds that should have been left undone, sins that should have been washed away in fire. Let the damned elves take the thing— you've no love left for it.
Cost: Free
Reward: High Elves Take Away Vorpal Blade
I Want To Be Free: There was once a damn fool woman who made a damn fool promise to a damnably wicked witch. She chained herself up, and made a bridle— a bridle, Lady's sake— that bore a connection to her very soul.
That woman is you. And you will be free, or you will die trying. Someone unterrible must know how to free you.
Cost:???
1438
Survey
You are ejected from the mists like a raven-fletched arrow, the fog trailing behind you. Landing with a harsh thud, the mare you took from the Imperials lands hard on the soft mud. The soft clip-clop of horseshoes sinking into mud rings out as it makes its way through the fields towards your secret entrance.
Popping open the gate bearing the mark of Saint Riquiard, you slide in, silent.
You make your way through the castle, towards the kids' rooms.
It's...silent. There is no sound of hard wood pounding into hard leather as soldiers drill under a watchful gaze; no sound of raucous merrymaking under a good duke's gaze; just the hard, cold sounds of a city.
You pop open the doors to the kids rooms. Leliana pops her red-head out, wearing a red dress. Justine, too, opens hers, wooden blade clad in hand. Charles— poor Charles— comes racing out, sure Philip will be there.
Leliana— perceptive, perceptive Leliana, looks around worried.
"Mother? Where is Father?"
It will be a very long time until you get to sleep that night.
Martial: You are not a warrior, not truly. The nearest you have come to a sword fight is betraying your friends; the closest you have come to battle slipping in and slitting the foe's throat. In your ideal world, you would never, ever, have to fight.
Fortunately for everyone, your husband did leave behind many, many, many ideas for you.
(Pick 2)
An Honest Patrol: The lands are filled with Bandits, orcs, cultists, Imperials, witches, and Lady only knows what else. It would be of service to more heavily patrol the lands of Montfort, which are threatened even at the best of times.
Cost: Free
Reward: Extra patrols, +1d250 Gold
Reliquae: Duty does not end with death, not for all. Many wandering bands of Grail Pilgrims, those this diseased world has pushed unto and passed the brink of madness— and back again— have within their possession the gilded remnants of fallen Grail Knights, whose remains inspire and grant protection to all that fight under their aegis. Perhaps one could be lured to the army? It certainly could not hurt to try.
Cost: 125 Gold
Chance Of Success: 80%
Reward: Grail Reliquae
Refounding the Order: The old home of the Musketeers is found; the texts are located; people are available. Refounding the order will not finish until you are a man old and gray, perhaps, but starting that work is very possible. Very, very possible.
Cost: 400 Gold, 4 Years (To get first Musketeers)
Reward: Remake Musketeers
We Have Standards, Damn It: Your personal levy is pretty damn good, if you do say so yourself. Your men are well armed and armored, disciplined, and trained by some of the best— there are forces that can defeat you, certainly, but you'd give them scars to remember.
But not all your barons see it that way. Their forces vary, and very much so, at that— Baron Armistead could damn well take a castle from the Empire itself, while you're not honestly not sure whether Baron Bonitus' men could fight off a bandit invasion, never mind a Waagh!
This needs to change, and fortunately you are just the man to do it.
Cost: 400 Gold, 4 Years
Chance Of Success: 60%
Reward: All Forces fight at basic standard
Warhounds: The Massif Mastiff is already a dog suited to going to war— the Orgen of the mountain have marched with them for generations. They're too slow to follow the grand steeds of your knights— but they can follow the draught horses of your yeomen perfectly well. They'd represent a goodly improvement to your ability to harass a foe.
Cost: 300 Gold
Reward: Mounted Yeomen gain Warhound Companions, increase to damage done, increase to casualties caused by harassment, minor increase in upkeep
Battering Rams: There are many minor castles, forts, and motte and baileys within Mousillon. Each of them is a veritable font of evil, spitting out bandits, vampires, cultists and worse. You will have to crack them open at some point, simply so that you don't have that knife at your back. Trebuchets work for that, yes, but they are altogether pretty blasted expensive to build and slow to move. Whereas if you utilise, say, basically just a log with an iron head moved on a modified wagon, it should be pretty easy to both make enough for everyone and to transport.
Cost: 200 Gold
Reward: 10 Battering Rams
Flying the Coop: You saw many things while you were a knight errant, but the one that stuck with you the most was Lyonesse's communication system. Birds— pigeons, mostly— with an innate ability to always return to their nest, it proved useful more than once on the march, as you might imagine. The main barrier to your utilizing them was cost— and wouldn't you know it, now you've got a bunch of Dark Elf money to spend on "nice but not essential" stuff.
Cost: 1,000 Gold
Reward: Carrier pigeon service
Watchtowers: The Massif Orcal might be cleansed, and under the control of Bretonnia, but there is no doubt in your mind that, eventually, something terrible is going to come crawling out of it again. Maybe it will be the dragon waking in a burst of apocalyptic fury, maybe it will be greenskins popping out of nowhere again, or maybe it will just be a minor incursion of monsters, but whatever the case you will not simply let them come in without forewarning.
Cost: 300 Gold
Reward: Watchtowers on border between Montfort and Montagneterre
Diplomacy: You see no fit reason to intrude upon the work of the Bard Jaune. If you are a shadow, he is a fire— obvious and bright and chaotic, but untouchable. He might call himself a fool— and certainly his dress might say such, too, especially that damned mask— but there's a mind like a steel trap fucked a particularly sharp tack and the resulting love child was raised by a particularly pacifistic Shallyan underneath all that purple and gold.
(Pick 1)
The New Guys On The Block: So, there is a new Duchy in Bretonnia. Exciting stuff. There is, however, one slight problem— since the Reign of the Rash, the Massif Orcal— now Montagneterre— has been thought of as a godless, soulless, heartless land filled with terrible things. That might be okay, except it is now a part of the kingdom— and if it is to remain of the kingdom, it must be an equal part.
They must be bonded, and you can do that. A Duke's words have weight, power, prestige; you can incentivize and propagandize; you can keep a kingdom strong.
-Locked for 2 more years-
Scratch My Back: It is an old trick in Estalia and TIlea to gain a title of nobility by sending a letter to a receptive noble with an amount of gold to persuade them to respond to you with the wished for title, e.g. Signor or Sir. While you are far outside of Estalia, you are still a Duke and as such your word when responding would mean something. It's a bit underhanded, but Morgyan does know a fellow or two who would make use of this service and would pay handsomely.
Cost: Free
Reward: 1d250 Gold
King's Sleep Gifts: The most noble of all holidays, when Bretonnia celebrates Gilles Le Breton and mourns his premature slumber. On this day, family give gifts to each other, spend time together, and mourn his loss by the ritual burning of a greenskin figurine. Perhaps sending gifts will make people like you more? It couldn't hurt to check.
Cost: 75 Gold
Reward: Slight increase to noble opinion
Tilean Turmoil: Your neighbors to the south. If the Empire is perfidious, the Tileans are absolutely Orcish, though with gold instead of martial ability. Disunited and mercenary. However, they do have quite a bit of gold to spend, and love wine. With your expansive blacksmith network and the growing threat of war in Tilea, here is definitely a market for some of your goods.
Cost: 100 Gold
Chance Of Success: 100%
Reward: Trade with Tilea,???
Estalia: Ah, Estalia! The only other human nation that has not been consumed by that most ignoble of substances, blackpowder; while their armies are not free of it, sadly, their nobles disdain the stuff, preferring, instead, to use good, solid steel. Currently disunited, yes, but still more trustworthy and honorable than the Tileans. Following the Crusades, there has always been something of a camaraderie between your two people; perhaps you could build on it? Given the war brewing in Estalia, they will almost certainly desire some of the weapons you produce.
Now, you know that they want— Trebuchets. Expensive, but doable.
Cost:100 Gold
Chance Of Success: 100%
Reward: Trade with Estalia,???
Quenelles: A land of Fae and Greenskin and war. Quenelles has been rocked in ways few other peoples have been by the Orcs; indeed, there are entire festivals dedicated to burning a greenskin, either in effigy or in uncommon cases, a flesh and blood creature (It is, perhaps, for this reason that of all Duchies Quenelles is the closest to the Dwarfs); also of note are the inhumanly beautiful Fae that infest the lands. Perhaps the most famous feature is the Grave of Cuileux, where the doomed nobles of that land made their final stand— it is holy ground, where only fools would walk unnecessarily (naturally several parties of scholars from the Empire and Tilea have trespassed those grounds). Surely there is some trade they need, some desire they wish satiated?
Cost: 100 Gold
Chance Of Success: 85%
Reward: Gold, ties with Quenelles
Crusade Aid— The Empire: The crusade needs aid. Every warrior who might be found ought be called; every soul to stand against the onrushing night must be found; every blade to be lifted against evil and spit in death's face must be sought.
The Empire is somewhat busy putting down a number of Orc insurrections into their territory. Some War Boss— Krom, or Glom, or something like that— has set them ablaze with fury as they attack the border of the Empire, killing many, and looting weapons. Still, if nothing else, the Knightly Orders should have some men to send for the sake of killing vampires.
Cost: 400 Gold
Chance Of Success: 75%
Reward: Imperial Aid in Crusade
Crusade Aid- The Elves: The crusade needs aid. Every warrior who might be found ought be called; every soul to stand against the onrushing night must be found; every blade to be lifted against evil and spit in death's face must be sought.
If the Empire is busy, then the elves must be damn near Occupied. Their centuries long war with their darker kin has gone hot again, leaving many Elven forces occupied fighting the Dark Elves in one way or another— reports say Elven forces have been spotted as far away as Ind, supplementing the forces opposed to the Druchii puppet rulers.
Still, there may be some warriors free to aid in the battle against the dark. If nothing else, you wouldn't exactly be surprised if it turned out there was a Druchii stronghold or two in Mousillon.
Cost:600 Gold
Chance of Success: 75%
Reward: High Elven assistance in Crusade
Crusade Aid- Estalia: The crusade needs aid. Every warrior who might be found ought be called; every soul to stand against the onrushing night must be found; every blade to be lifted against evil and spit in death's face must be sought.
The Estalians want trebuchets to fill the hole in their arsenal, at least temporarily. You want more soldiers to help put down the vampires. You're sure an agreement can be reached. Admittedly, when you put it like that, it sounds crude, but… you'll live.
Cost: 300 Gold
Chance Of Success:55%
Reward: Estalian Aid
Kislevite Aid: The crusade needs aid. Every warrior who might be found ought be called; every soul to stand against the onrushing night must be found; every blade to be lifted against evil and spit in death's face must be sought.
The Knights Unbound traveled to Kislev more than once, and many knights fought in Tzar Pavel's civil war. If nothing else, you hear that the Tzar's cousins desire to repay a debt they feel they have incurred to Duke Josu— it could little hurt to try, certainly.
Cost:300 Gold
Chance Of Success: 25%
Reward: Kislevite Aid in Crusade
Crusade Aid— The Fae Courts: Any of the courts that you might trust to help in the crusade have less than no reason to listen to you— but you can still try. If even one of the spirits is unleashed on those vampires, the odds will flip drastically, never mind should a court itself be unleashed.
You will contact Mab, and the Court Invulnerable— those spirits of the stone and earth and metal, whose might is mountains and whose will unbreakable. The vampires have poisoned the land of Mousillon, envenomed it; its heartbeat cries the call of death. The Fae are wrathful creatures indeed— their will is vengeance. See, then, whether you cannot convince those ancient spirits to rise up and consume the foes that sully their lands.
Cost: 200 Gold
Chance Of Success: 20%
Reward: At least 1 court of the Fae unleashed to aid, in some way, the Crusade
Stewardship: Kylian and his poison tongue do not return. Instead, Sir Yvain, who has long acted as the steward for the Knights Unbound, has presented several ideas to you, the blond taking time to settle into his position over the year. As you suspected, Yvain has settled into his position nicely, and has presented many ideas to you. Also, your herd of goats has finally expanded enough for you to partition a new herd for a different purpose— or expand the herd you already have making cheese.
(Pick 1)
Oh Hey, I Can Finally Use This: You've got… a lot of wyvern parts. Just a disgusting amount. Seriously, you can not overstate how many random wyvern bones and wyvern skins and whatever else even now sits as trophies in your Dukedom. You've used them as art, proudly displaying their skulls and their skins as marks of the greatness of your men.
You've always sworn that, if you had the time, you'd make use of them by turning them into leather armor and etc. your men can use— but enough experts for that to be anything but a curiosity would be very, very expensive, and you've always needed the armor for other, better things.
Well, now you've got tons of Dark Elf money you can spend guilt free on stuff.
Build the workshops, and they will come.
-Locked for 4 More Years-
Open A Mine?: You've located a new iron vein. Opening it should not take long, though security will have to be provided and new paths made; Sir Yvain has promised, though, that the mine will be open and shipping iron into greater Montfort before the end of the year, for he has an idea and hopes to use it.
Cost: 40 Gold
Reward: New Iron Mine
Taxes: Oh boy, corruption! Or typos. Either way, people often do not put the whole of their owed taxes together. Send Sir Yvain to double check, and make sure that all is as it should be, instead of all screwed up.
Cost:Free
Reward: 1d250 Gold
Grismerie- Fishing Operations: Your people aren't stupid, obnoxious jokes from the Empire aside. If there's a way to get food, they will use it. However, most families will only catch enough to feed themselves, with whatever little is left often either being used as more bait or going towards the village pantry. However, you have a source of labor— petty criminals, certainly, if nothing else— who would likely consider just being told to go move into a new village and fish, with the results to be sent back to be distributed, a rather minor sentence, all things considered. That's even ignoring all the beggars and wastrels who'd probably like to stop living on the streets.
Cost: 100 Gold
Reward: Fish! (It's nasty, but it's food)
That's Quarrelsome: Now that the Massif isn't spitting out monsters every five seconds, you are far less loathe to move people near the slopes; and because of that, there is now an area rich in stone that can be used to produce stone. It will take time and money— certainly, they are fairly far away from the center of your domain— but it can be done.
Cost: 400 Gold
Reward: Gold, minor reduction to building time
Fruity: The mountain berries of the Massif, as you might expect from the name, can grow on mountains. Grown in thick bushes, they are fairly large, for berries— nearly strawberry sized. They're not the tastiest thing in the world— a bit too sour, for your tastes— but when you live on a mountain, well… let's just say even sour grapes have their appeal. Certainly, if nothing else, it should let you reduce your food importation even further— which is always nice. You'd like not seeing most of your taxes disappear into the pockets of other people, for once.
Cost: 400 Gold, 3 Years
Reward: Mountain Berry Groves
Herd— Even More Cheese: Your current herd of goats is used for cheese and milk. It's pretty good, all things equal— better than starving, certainly. You can always use more food for your people, and pound per pound cheese is probably the best way to do that— though probably not the most delicious.
Cost: 100 Gold
Reward: Utilize second herd of goats as extra cheese maker
Herd— More wool: The herd of sheep you have is currently used for milk and cheese, helping take the ease off of imports, but not by enough. Right now you have enough goats for to make a second herd, for more cheese, wool, or meat.
The wool is shaggy, thick, and warm. It makes very effective coats and cloaks, that hold the warmth as though their grasp was steel. Of course, you can't exactly eat wool if, say, orcs come and burn your stores to the ground, meaning you'll have to continue importing food. On the other hand, the wool sells for far more than either meat or cheese does, and that gold can be turned for nobler purpose.
Cost:50 Gold
Reward: Money, wool
Herd— More Meat: The herd of sheep you have is currently used for milk and cheese, helping take the ease off of imports, but not by enough. Right now you have enough goats for to make a second herd, for more cheese, wool, or meat.
Meat sounds nice. It goes for a fair penny, helps feed your men, and you can use the meat as bait for hunting orcs. All in all, a sound investment.
(Cannot be taken with other Herd options)
Cost: 100 Gold
Reward: Meat produced, more coin, more food
That Took Awhile: You're not an expert in goat biology, but it seems like the natural expansion of the herd took a while— you'd think it'd take less than half-a-decade, if for no reason other than they're not being hunted in Montfort, for the most part. Maybe they were just a bit juvenile still when you imported them, but this could be a sign of one sort or another— it'd probably be a good idea to check and make sure.
Cost: 250 Gold, 2 Years
Reward: Goat Herds expand faster
Piety: You and Sir Aldric have reached an...uneasy peace, over years. When you first got here, and married Philip, he watched you like a hawk— wherever you disappeared to, he would know, and he would be there within minutes. It was like he knew exactly what you were, once upon a time— and perhaps he did, knowing the Lady of the Silverspire. Still, you can work with him.
(Pick 2)
The Holy Spots: There are shrines and temples and chapels dotting the mountains of Montfort. While it would be remiss to use them for temporal gain at the expense of their spiritual weight, it would hardly be wrong to make mention of them in conversation, to draw others' attention to them, would it?
Cost: Free
Reward: 1d250 Gold
Daughter's Wisdom: The Daughters of Rhya are a small sect of the Cult of Rhya, comprised solely of women who have given birth. Their duties are two-fold. First, they act as midwives, healers, and counsellors for mothers and the pregnant. They also advise young women in matters relating to their marriage itself— how to deal with abusive or difficult husbands, for instance. Sir Aldric's own wife was a member of the cult, once, and as such he has nothing but praise for them and their work, and has suggested making overtures of allowing them to settle in Montfort to help young women.
Cost: 125 Gold, 3 Years
Chance Of Success:80%
Reward: Daughters of Rhya establish chapter house in Montfort
Churches And Chapels: The Lady's houses of worship are generally small, humble things, to keep the connection between Her and Her Servants clear and close, unlike the ostentatious and downright tacky Cathedrals that Sigmarites are so fond of. That said, building a grand place for Her Knights to worship her is a very good use of money.
Cost: 300 Gold, 6 Years
Chance Of Success: 100%
Reward: Build a Monument to the Lady
River God: One of your rafts was sunk in the deeper parts of the Grismerie. All crew members escaped— it's probably a good thing you made sure they could all swim— but it set you to thinking: is there a god of the Grismerie?
It is, after all, one of the biggest rivers in Bretonnia. Its waters flow through more miles than any you can name off the top of your head— though admittedly, that doesn't say much.
In any case, it couldn't hurt to check.
Cost: 100 Gold, 2 Years
Chance Of Success: 70%
Reward: Discover God of the Grismerie River
A Torrid Affair: "And lo, He said, 'all I have given to the powerful shall be returned to the powerless. All I have given to the faithless, shall be returned to the faithful. And all I give to the rich, shall be returned to the poor."
-The Codex of Affairiche
The Bretonnian god of merchants, Affairiche has never had quite the success of his Imperial counterpart, for obvious reasons. Right now, his ordained clergy is all of ten men, the Free Men. Skilled in matters mathematical, economical, and social, they adhere to two central tenants:
Do not hoard wealth for yourself, and do not leave a deal having ruined a man.
His clergy have asked permission to build a temple in Nouvelle Vie. It might be odd for a knight to support a merchant, but you can think of worse gods to push the rich towards.
Cost: Free
Reward: Small temple of Affairiche built in Nouvelle Vie
Shallyan Mercy: Adherents of the Lady and the cult of Shallya have always had an awkward relationship, owing to the many times people have tried to somehow make them two parts of the same goddess— when they quiet clearly are not. You're no expert, but you feel comfortable saying Shallya wouldn't much appreciate her adherents cutting down the ratmen, for instance.
Still, you refuse to let your people suffer for bullshit stupid personal reasons, and the more temples of Shallya you have, so too the more healers to render aid to them.
It'll be expensive, but worth it.
Cost: 300 Gold
Reward: Shallyan temples dotted throughout Montfort
Learning: Once competitors, now friends, you and Nimue have taken up much of Philip's efforts while he...indisposed. She, his former steward, writes the letters that must be written; while you handle the rest of the actual duty of rulership. Just after taking the reins of Regency is probably not the right time to try and introduce even a tenth of what was found in the Library— though even without introducing it, you can use it to make many of your husband's ideas easier.
(Pick 1)
What Are You?: Last year you received a fairly large book from the Fairy Queen, Mab; roughly the same dimensions as your torso, on casual thumb through it looks nothing more than a story book. But things are never quite the way they seem, and if anyone knows that it is Rose. She has sworn herself to getting to the bottom of this.
-Locked for 1 more years-
Expeditions: There are plenty of broken ruins in Bretonnia, particularly in Montfort. There are likely valuable of archaeological significance within them, items that would fetch a pretty penny if given to the Museum in Altdorf.
Cost:Free
Reward: 1d250 Gold
Lamorte Lies There: You know where the Defier lies, where the son of Aquitane's body is held. Whatever reason the Imperials have for holding it, it's not right a man that a man's body should be held so far from home. Send a team to take it back, by force if need be. Though, those arrows certainly did look… sharp.
Cost: 200 Gold
Chance Of Success: 60%
Reward: Lamorte's body found, making you Aquitane's favorite person
This Is Probably A Bad Idea: There is a...strange, unlikely, fearsome thought within your head, a story Nimue reminded you of, now that you have wolves and facilities:
During the Errantry war against the Greenskin and Hellspawn, to give insult to their Khornate foe Sir Têtu and his band of knights found a small group of wolves, and decided they were going to turn the vile creatures to the use of the light and that they would ride them.
The Lady, being in mischievous spirits against the Foe herself and feeling somewhat impressed, blessed the knights, who in time broke the wolves to the use of saddle and Rider.
While Sir Têtu is long dead and he never did leave instructions, you could see if one of your knights could pull it off, maybe? Certainly, there is no shortage of volunteers.
Cost: 200 Gold, 3 years
Chance Of Success: 80%
Reward: Learn how to make Wolf Rider Knights
The College of Troubadours: To be a Troubadour is to be repository, knight, and storyteller in one. It is a noble calling, to remember all the grand stories that have come before and to use them to steel the spines of wavering souls, to strengthen the hearts of those falling, to embolden those fearful. But they are a rare breed, and rarer by the hour. If you would not see them fall, then something must be done, and you are just the man to do it.
Cost:1,000 Gold, 4 Years
Reward: Trobadours College
Fae-Fyre: One of the concoctions Morgyan was most fond of brewing when she still served Titania was called Fae-Fyre. As the name might suggest, it is a fire starter— but it is so much more than that, too. Its blue blaze cannot be choked out with water or smothered by rock— it will burn, and burn, and burn, until it is damn well good and ready to stop burning.
While you did not have the necessary pieces for it in your land when she first moved here to marry you, Morgyan believes she there are replacements for them in the Massif, and would like to check.
Cost: 100 Gold, 3 Years
Chance of Success: 75%
Reward: Fae-Fyre (Basically Greek Fire)
Intrigue: It's always nice to work with professionals. Geoffroi might be paranoid, but there's no-one you'd trust more to keep down the Skaven. And while Ezekiel might be low-born, he does have a virtue many nobles ought consider gaining at some point— the virtue of keeping his mouth shut and listening.
(Pick 2)
Pelts And Furs: There is always a need for skins and furs and pelts in Bretonnia, always a need for warm clothing in the cold mountains. It would put a pretty penny in your pocket to get a few, certainly. Who knows? Some great beast might be slain.
Cost: Free
Reward: 1d250 Gold
Reading, Yay!: So you can barely read Breton, but Morgyan has been pushing you to start developing a code, something only you and those you trust know— even a basic one— so that you can be sure your communiques that you wish to remain confidential do not end up read by some loathsome vampire or brigand seeking your destruction.
Cost: 15 Gold
Chance Of Success: 100%
Reward: Secret code
Shadow Patrols: Your watchmen already directly report to you anything that might be a sign of the Skaven in the Black Crag growing more active than usual. Still, it could not hurt to send men— and yourself— in to check and see whether anything too out of the ordinary might be growing in the darkness.
Cost: 100 Gold
Reward: Scout out area around the Black Crag
Any Other Motha Wanna Go?: You broke your sister-in-law's little collection of rebels before they could too much damage, and many— if not most— have either died on the Quest or become Grail Knights. Still, people are...forgetful creatures. You leave them sans reminder for just a little decade, and suddenly everyone wants to have a go at the shadow knife. Well alright, let 'em have a go if they think they're hard enough.
Cost: 100 Gold
Chance of Success: 80%
Reward: Find the trail of any Traitors/ Confirm there are no traitors
Are You Fuckers Eating People Again?: The Court of Shadows has long held a grudge against Montfort, and most of the reasons you can think of make your head hurt with the temporal implications. Most importantly, though, over the past two or so years, a number of peasants have disappeared in the forests. You aren't saying it's your former mistress trying to get your attention, but at the same time you wouldn't be surprised.
Cost: 100 Gold
Chance Of Success: 50%
Reward: Determine whether or not fuckers are, in fact, eating people
Personal: You were not meant to be the power on the throne, alone. You've got this...strange habit of scaring people. Crazy, right? It's almost like pale skin, glowing green eyes, and raven hair make people think you're a vampire, or something.
(Pick 2)
Comfort Your Kids: Children are far more resilient than many people like to think— they can take hearing terrible news with a stoic face, given the chance. But just because they can take it, doesn't mean they should. Try and, if nothing else, distract them from the fact that Philip is away.
Cost: 20 Gold
Reward: Kids are no longer sad
Leliana's Education: While it's not as universal or respected as sending young men off to learn at the feet of their elders, many young ladies are sent to different fiefs and duchies to try and teach them valuable skills for a lady, up to but not limited to how to stab a man in total silence.
If nothing else, it's a good way for young women to get out of a Toxic Environment. Seriously, if your father had just sent you away, you probably wouldn't be known as Baba Yaga in Kislev.
Cost: Free
Reward: Find somewhere Leliana can finish Education
I Don't Want it, You Take It: The vorpal blade is a reminder of days best left forgotten, deeds that should have been left undone, sins that should have been washed away in fire. Let the damned elves take the thing— you've no love left for it.
Cost: Free
Reward: High Elves Take Away Vorpal Blade
I Want To Be Free: There was once a damn fool woman who made a damn fool promise to a damnably wicked witch. She chained herself up, and made a bridle— a bridle, Lady's sake— that bore a connection to her very soul.
That woman is you. And you will be free, or you will die trying. Someone unterrible must know how to free you.
Cost:???
Reward: Prepare Mistress of Shadows PT3
Last edited:
