- Location
- Somewhere
Cornucopia? Griffons in mlp seem to be allowed to use Roman/Greek words for important objects. I think we could use Bacchus's Wisdom.
The griffonstone treasure thing was Boreas something, eye of Boreas?
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Who Needs Harmony?: An MLP Empire Quest
- Thread starter Questor
- Start date
The griffonstone treasure thing was Boreas something, eye of Boreas?
Munshine sounds good. A nice and simple name that could catch on quickly.
- Location
- Back in Cali
I like Shroomshine for the regular stuff and higher end stuff gets named after the cities it is made in or the distilleries that make it.
- Location
- Italy
shroomshine works, unless we want to call it archie, as an homage to our advisor Archimedes. It was his idea to both cultivate mushroom and to make alcohol from them after all.
Also i find the idea that, in the future, the main reason he'll be remembered will be because of ALCOHOLIC DRINKS very funny.
Also i find the idea that, in the future, the main reason he'll be remembered will be because of ALCOHOLIC DRINKS very funny.
Turn 8 Results
- Location
- Maryland
Martial: Gustav Kingfeather is still a wild gryphon, never caught dead without his flask, though the increased workload brought about by the unification means he's had to curb his wilder tendencies in the interest of keeping up with his subordinates. Still, he's more than up for the job of Imperial Martial, especially with Gabriella around to provide her own military experience when needed.
-Mountain Militia: As a result of living in such a dangerous region, many Griffons possess their own personal weapons to defend themselves, and will rally together to defend their homes should the creatures of the forests threaten them. Wouldn't it be nice if they did the same when the kingdom was faced with invasion by less beastly foes? Cost: 100. Time: One Year. Reward: Village and town militias incorporated into military, can be called upon in the event of invasion.
Kingfeather is both overjoyed and somewhat disappointed by this assignment. Overjoyed because it gives him an opportunity to exchange boasts, taunts, drinks, and the occasional punch with the roughest and toughest Griffons in their respective village and town militias. The disappointment comes from the fact that after that the task is almost entirely administrative in nature, with mountains of paperwork to sort through and sign off on. Still, by the end of the year, the disorganized and scattered militias have been loosely incorporated into the structure of the Imperial Army. You can't call upon them for an offensive action, but in the event your lands are directly threatened, your army can be supplemented with these part-time warriors. Militia Incorporated into Imperial Military, can be called upon in Event of Invasion
-The Second Founding: Grandmaster Hardbeak of the Knights Lion has come to you with a proposition. Now that the Empire is reunited, a great many young nobles and ambitious commoners are petitioning to join the Knights Lion, more than he believes they can accept. He proposes establishing two more Knightly Orders to serve as the guardians of Aquileia and Wingbardy, in much the same way the Knights Lion have been the guardians of Griffonia. He even has a list of volunteers from his own order willing to go lead and train the "new blood". Of course, these new Knightly Orders will need start-up capital and citadels of their own. Cost: 800. Time: Two Years. Reward: Two Additional Knightly Orders Established in Aquileia and Wingbardy.
Once again, locations are scouted out and chosen to be the sites of Knightly Citadels. Once again, tons of stone are carved from quarries and laboriously carried up the mountain slopes. Once again, the existing knights begin seeking out acceptable candidates for training and induction into the soon-to-be created orders. The real difference this time is the scale.
Two fortresses, more than twice as many applicants, and a much greater number of knights available to act as mentors to their new comrades in arms. It's going to be some time before construction finishes and the new orders are officially established, but the names have already been picked out by Hardbeak and the other Knights of the Inner Circle: The Knights Talon shall be the guardians of Wingbardy, and the Knights Panther shall be the guardians of Aquileia. Perhaps not the most original names, but good ones nonetheless. Will Finish Next Turn
Diplomacy: Elva Von Cleef remains your head diplomat, though at present there isn't much for her to do. A united Empire means no other known kingdoms to negotiate with, so she passes the time keeping her office in order and preparing her subordinates for the inevitable encounters with truly foreign cultures beyond your mountains.
-Rounding Up the Strays: The Diamond Dogs that inhabit your Empire alongside your Griffon citizens have proven their worth time and again. As laborers, as warriors, and as decent people. You really lucked out when those few scattered packs pledged their loyalty to you as their "Alpha." As those packs flourished and thrived under your rule, others began to follow in the footsteps of their canine brethren. Some, but not all. A handful of packs within your borders still remain isolated, either ignorant of the opportunity or too hesitant to take it. Send some diplomats along with some of your Dog citizens and see if you can't convince these stragglers to join you in the light of civilization. Cost: 100. Time: One Year. Reward: Last Diamond Dog Packs integrated into Empire. Chance of Success: 60%
Required: 40. Rolled: 44+18=62
The last remaining holdouts of civilized Dogs are hesitant to meet with your Griffon envoys, but the Dogs of the Empire receive a slightly warmer welcome, though even they are viewed with some suspicion at first. The Dogs that pledged their fealty to you explain their decision to their wild brethren, and they demonstrate the benefits of Imperial Integration with gifts of trade goods and stories of everyday life in the Empire.
You are once again reminded of just how privileged you and yours are when stories of everyday occurrences in Griffon cities are seen as nearly miraculous by the packs, who often struggle to survive day-to-day in the wild. Gradually, the more reluctant dogs begin to come around as one, then two, and then several packs come forward out of the forests and mountains to pledge their fealty to you in the hopes of a better life under your rule. The reduced risk of monster attacks alone is reason enough for some to come join your subjects behind the walls of your cities. You're glad to see them join you in the light. Last of Domestic Diamond Dog Packs Successfully Integrated, +50 Tax Revenue
Stewardship: Claus Rosewing remains as your Steward, though most know this is likely a temporary arrangement. Claus has served you admirably since your rise to the throne of Griffonia, but he's not really equipped to handle the finances and infrastructure of an entire Empire. He intends to stay on for as long as you need him, but he's made it clear you'd probably be better off with someone else in his position.
-Infrastructural Development: Brochard was a warrior king, with everything that that entails. He poured tons of funding into his military and generally left the finances and economic policy to his advisors, who didn't seem too interested in rocking the boat. As a result, much of the farming, mining, and trade infrastructure in Aquileia is well behind that of Griffonia. Open up the treasury and see if you can't fix that. Cost: 500. Time: Two Years. Reward: Aquileia and Griffonia achieve parity in development, increased income.
After a great deal of expended gold and many months of hard work on the part of local laborers and Griffonian experts, Rosewing states that Aquileia has reached a level of economic development nearly on par with its neighbors. There is still a gap, but it's much smaller now than it was before, and now that you've gotten the ball rolling the natural market forces are expected to push the Aquileians along without any need for further action on your part. Of course, with increased economic activity comes greater tax revenues, making this a fruitful investment for the Empire as a whole. Aquileian Infrastructure/Economic Institutions attain near-parity with Griffonia, +300 Tax Income
Learning: Archimedes now has to juggle his duties as the Imperial Science Advisor with his task of tutoring and mentoring your son. He can hardly complain, as he volunteered for the latter task completely unsolicited, claiming that it was his responsibility to ensure Gawain received an "exhaustive education fit for a future Emperor". You're not sure how he does it all. You suspect stimulants are involved.
-Selective Breeding: By carefully controlling the reproductive processes of crops and food animals, desirable traits such as pest resistance, stronger immune systems, and greater size can become widespread across farm populations. At least, that's what Archimedes tells you. The difficulty lies in getting farmers to go along with the plan. Cost: 100. Time: Two Years. Reward: Increased Farming Income due to greater yields.
After a great deal of work on the part of Archimedes, his staff, and the countless farmers who volunteered to test his theories, the grand agricultural experiment has concluded. And the results, while perhaps not as dramatic as some had hoped, are unquestionably a success. Larger, healthier crops and livestock have been produced on most of the participating farms, and now that the theory has been proven and the information disseminated throughout the populace, crop yields are expected to grow exponentially over the years. A cheerful Archimedes tells you that it wouldn't be unreasonable to expect a doubling or even tripling of harvest sizes within a decade.
You congratulate your friend on his achievement, though you choose not to inform him that he's become something of a folk hero amongst the farming community as a result of his work. You think it'll be funnier if he finds that out himself. +200 Farming Income
-Mushroom Moonshine: During his research on fungal growth and nutrition, Archimedes discovered that a few particular species of mushroom could potentially be used to produce alcohol. It's...ok, it's a weird idea, but so was mushroom farming, and that turned out pretty well. Grant him some funds to investigate these...alcoholic mushrooms...further. Cost: 50. Time: One Year. Reward: New Source of Alcohol?
Of course, part of Archimedes' folk hero status comes from his latest and simplest invention: Shroomshine, or Mushroom Liquor. Distilled from a few select species of mushroom, it's relatively simple to make and hits like a charging troll. It's lack of any inherent flavor also makes it a versatile intoxicant, able to be mixed and served in any number of ways. The taverns and taprooms of the Empire have already begun serving shots of the stuff, and a few enterprising Griffons and Diamond Dogs have started constructing mushroom farms intended to grow nothing but fungus intended for conversion to the new alcohol. New Product: Shroomshine, +50 Tax Income from Alcohol Sales.
Intrigue: As the Imperial Spymaster, Ravenburg now has access to more resources, but he also has greater responsibilities, and must gather and analyze information on a much larger scale. Despite the added workload, he seems unperturbed, and maintains his appearance and attitude of a stoic professional.
-Picking Up a Trail: Lady Nightingale, the former spymistress of Aquileia, is missing, as is the bulk of the Aquileian Royal Treasury. You're not sure if the two disappearances are related, but you can't discount the possibility. Ravenburg, for the first time since you've met him, seems honestly frustrated at his inability to gather leads on the locations of either. Allocate some extra funds and see if he can't dig up something that might be able to point you in the right direction. Cost: 200. Time: One Year. Reward: Info on Nightingale and the missing Treasury. Chance of Success: 60%
Required: 40. Rolled: 24+13=37
Despite Ravenburg's repeated, exhaustive attempts to track down his feminine counterpart, he can't seem to turn anything up. Informants are silent, leads go nowhere, sightings are eventually revealed to be nothing more than false alarms. There is a similar lack of results in the case of the missing treasury. Not a single gold coin is recovered. It's almost as though Lady Nightingale and the Treasury have simply vanished off the face of the Earth. After almost a year of fruitless work, you instruct a frazzled Ravenburg to call off the search. Any intel he would have found would have been useless by this point anyway. No Info. Trail has gone cold.
Personal: You refuse to let your duties as Emperor take up every moment of your day.
-Job Interviews: Rosewing is requesting a replacement, and some of your other advisors might need to retire at some point in the near future as well. You could task the members of your privy council with finding their own future successors, but there's no reason you can't scout the field and get an idea of who would be best for the job yourself. Cost: 0. Time: One Year. Reward: Info on potential replacements for members of your privy council.
Rosewing desires a retirement, and there may soon be other members of your privy council in need of replacement for one reason or another. As such, you take it upon yourself to research some skilled individuals who might make good advisors.
First, a steward, the position most urgently in need of filling. At present the most obvious replacement for the position would be Frida Bronzeclaw, the hard-partying head of one of Griffonia's, and now the Empire's, largest Merchant Houses. Once considered an eligible bachelorette and a potential marriage candidate for you, Frida is no longer single, having married another noble merchant a few years previously. Some may view her as an...unorthodox choice, but her profit margins speak for themselves.
Grandmaster Hardbeak of the Knights Lion has expressed some interest in the idea of being named your martial should the position open up, but he states that it will be a few years before he can consider accepting. He will need to train a successor and build up the Order to a state where he is comfortable with the idea of leaving them. You doubt anyone would question his abilities. You suppose you could also give the job to Gabriella. She certainly has the aptitude for it.
Another former marriage candidate, Genevieve Talonuelli, stands out as a potential replacement for either Archimedes or the aging Elva von Cleef. Possessing both a keen mind and years of experience navigating her father's court, she would be equally well suited to act as either a diplomat or a researcher. Her father would certainly appreciate the gesture, though some may see her as inexperienced, having never held official office in Wingbardy.
As for a spymaster...well, as Ravenburg says when he learns what you're trying to do, if someone has a reputation for getting up to sneaky stuff, they're probably not the right person for the job. He reassures you that should you ever need to replace him, one of the graduates from his "spy school" would be sufficient. You take him at his word. You don't see any reason you'd need to replace him soon anyway.
Potential Councilors Identified
-What's Up Dog?: It occurred to you that, despite being your subjects for years now, you actually know very little about Diamond Dogs. Their race, culture, history, psychology, all of it is mostly a mystery to you. Well, only one way to remedy that: go talk to one and see what you can find out. Cost: 0. Time: One Year. Reward: Diamond Dog Info.
You figured the best way to get to really know what Diamond Dogs are all about was to just ask a few of them. After they get over the initial surprise that their "Great Winged Alpha" would deign to speak with and seek to learn about them, they act as a veritable font of information about their customs and culture.
Diamond Dogs are social creatures, instinctively seeking out, entering into, or building social hierarchies. This instinct also leads to many Dogs seeking to follow an "Alpha" or natural leader that will sit at the top of the metaphorical (and possibly literal) food chain, the so-called "Pack Mentality" that led the Dogs you now call your subjects to pledge their fealty to you in the first place. As the current situation illustrates, the Alpha need not be a fellow Diamond Dog, only an individual seen as "worthy" by a majority of the pack. The Alpha position can be transferred down a bloodline, or earned through some display of prowess, traditionally a duel. In extreme cases where an Alpha is suddenly regarded as "unworthy" by their own pack, it is not unheard of for the other members of a pack to remove them from power by force.
Another piece of information you learn is that the so called "Feral" Dogs that still inhabit some corners of the Empire are not a sub-species of the more civilized Dogs but the results of a horrific, unnamed sickness that gradually destroys a Dog's ability to reason and think, reducing them to little more than bloodthirsty animals. Every Dog fears this disease and their infected brethren more than anything else, and several outright state they would prefer to simply die rather than risk becoming a threat to all they know and love. You might want to have Archimedes look into this at some point.
All of the Diamond Dogs you speak to repeatedly state they are proud to be members of the Empire or the "Great Pack" as most call it. Before, they struggled to survive in the wilds, often wondering whether they would be able to eat the next day. Now they have homes, ample food, warm beds, and luxuries like clothing. On one particularly memorable occasion, a Diamond Dog mother gave you a tearful hug after explaining that her pups would never have to know the fear that she had growing up in the wilds thanks to you and your people. Needless to say, you're pretty sure you don't have to worry about one of those rebellions they told you about.
Diamond Dog Info Gained, New Actions Unlocked
Hazard/Random Event Rolls:
(40, Pass)
(52, Pass)
If anyone is wondering what the Hazard/Random Event Rolls are for...well, remember when I said the outside world would come to you if you waited around long enough? That's what this is.
-Mountain Militia: As a result of living in such a dangerous region, many Griffons possess their own personal weapons to defend themselves, and will rally together to defend their homes should the creatures of the forests threaten them. Wouldn't it be nice if they did the same when the kingdom was faced with invasion by less beastly foes? Cost: 100. Time: One Year. Reward: Village and town militias incorporated into military, can be called upon in the event of invasion.
Kingfeather is both overjoyed and somewhat disappointed by this assignment. Overjoyed because it gives him an opportunity to exchange boasts, taunts, drinks, and the occasional punch with the roughest and toughest Griffons in their respective village and town militias. The disappointment comes from the fact that after that the task is almost entirely administrative in nature, with mountains of paperwork to sort through and sign off on. Still, by the end of the year, the disorganized and scattered militias have been loosely incorporated into the structure of the Imperial Army. You can't call upon them for an offensive action, but in the event your lands are directly threatened, your army can be supplemented with these part-time warriors. Militia Incorporated into Imperial Military, can be called upon in Event of Invasion
-The Second Founding: Grandmaster Hardbeak of the Knights Lion has come to you with a proposition. Now that the Empire is reunited, a great many young nobles and ambitious commoners are petitioning to join the Knights Lion, more than he believes they can accept. He proposes establishing two more Knightly Orders to serve as the guardians of Aquileia and Wingbardy, in much the same way the Knights Lion have been the guardians of Griffonia. He even has a list of volunteers from his own order willing to go lead and train the "new blood". Of course, these new Knightly Orders will need start-up capital and citadels of their own. Cost: 800. Time: Two Years. Reward: Two Additional Knightly Orders Established in Aquileia and Wingbardy.
Once again, locations are scouted out and chosen to be the sites of Knightly Citadels. Once again, tons of stone are carved from quarries and laboriously carried up the mountain slopes. Once again, the existing knights begin seeking out acceptable candidates for training and induction into the soon-to-be created orders. The real difference this time is the scale.
Two fortresses, more than twice as many applicants, and a much greater number of knights available to act as mentors to their new comrades in arms. It's going to be some time before construction finishes and the new orders are officially established, but the names have already been picked out by Hardbeak and the other Knights of the Inner Circle: The Knights Talon shall be the guardians of Wingbardy, and the Knights Panther shall be the guardians of Aquileia. Perhaps not the most original names, but good ones nonetheless. Will Finish Next Turn
Diplomacy: Elva Von Cleef remains your head diplomat, though at present there isn't much for her to do. A united Empire means no other known kingdoms to negotiate with, so she passes the time keeping her office in order and preparing her subordinates for the inevitable encounters with truly foreign cultures beyond your mountains.
-Rounding Up the Strays: The Diamond Dogs that inhabit your Empire alongside your Griffon citizens have proven their worth time and again. As laborers, as warriors, and as decent people. You really lucked out when those few scattered packs pledged their loyalty to you as their "Alpha." As those packs flourished and thrived under your rule, others began to follow in the footsteps of their canine brethren. Some, but not all. A handful of packs within your borders still remain isolated, either ignorant of the opportunity or too hesitant to take it. Send some diplomats along with some of your Dog citizens and see if you can't convince these stragglers to join you in the light of civilization. Cost: 100. Time: One Year. Reward: Last Diamond Dog Packs integrated into Empire. Chance of Success: 60%
Required: 40. Rolled: 44+18=62
The last remaining holdouts of civilized Dogs are hesitant to meet with your Griffon envoys, but the Dogs of the Empire receive a slightly warmer welcome, though even they are viewed with some suspicion at first. The Dogs that pledged their fealty to you explain their decision to their wild brethren, and they demonstrate the benefits of Imperial Integration with gifts of trade goods and stories of everyday life in the Empire.
You are once again reminded of just how privileged you and yours are when stories of everyday occurrences in Griffon cities are seen as nearly miraculous by the packs, who often struggle to survive day-to-day in the wild. Gradually, the more reluctant dogs begin to come around as one, then two, and then several packs come forward out of the forests and mountains to pledge their fealty to you in the hopes of a better life under your rule. The reduced risk of monster attacks alone is reason enough for some to come join your subjects behind the walls of your cities. You're glad to see them join you in the light. Last of Domestic Diamond Dog Packs Successfully Integrated, +50 Tax Revenue
Stewardship: Claus Rosewing remains as your Steward, though most know this is likely a temporary arrangement. Claus has served you admirably since your rise to the throne of Griffonia, but he's not really equipped to handle the finances and infrastructure of an entire Empire. He intends to stay on for as long as you need him, but he's made it clear you'd probably be better off with someone else in his position.
-Infrastructural Development: Brochard was a warrior king, with everything that that entails. He poured tons of funding into his military and generally left the finances and economic policy to his advisors, who didn't seem too interested in rocking the boat. As a result, much of the farming, mining, and trade infrastructure in Aquileia is well behind that of Griffonia. Open up the treasury and see if you can't fix that. Cost: 500. Time: Two Years. Reward: Aquileia and Griffonia achieve parity in development, increased income.
After a great deal of expended gold and many months of hard work on the part of local laborers and Griffonian experts, Rosewing states that Aquileia has reached a level of economic development nearly on par with its neighbors. There is still a gap, but it's much smaller now than it was before, and now that you've gotten the ball rolling the natural market forces are expected to push the Aquileians along without any need for further action on your part. Of course, with increased economic activity comes greater tax revenues, making this a fruitful investment for the Empire as a whole. Aquileian Infrastructure/Economic Institutions attain near-parity with Griffonia, +300 Tax Income
Learning: Archimedes now has to juggle his duties as the Imperial Science Advisor with his task of tutoring and mentoring your son. He can hardly complain, as he volunteered for the latter task completely unsolicited, claiming that it was his responsibility to ensure Gawain received an "exhaustive education fit for a future Emperor". You're not sure how he does it all. You suspect stimulants are involved.
-Selective Breeding: By carefully controlling the reproductive processes of crops and food animals, desirable traits such as pest resistance, stronger immune systems, and greater size can become widespread across farm populations. At least, that's what Archimedes tells you. The difficulty lies in getting farmers to go along with the plan. Cost: 100. Time: Two Years. Reward: Increased Farming Income due to greater yields.
After a great deal of work on the part of Archimedes, his staff, and the countless farmers who volunteered to test his theories, the grand agricultural experiment has concluded. And the results, while perhaps not as dramatic as some had hoped, are unquestionably a success. Larger, healthier crops and livestock have been produced on most of the participating farms, and now that the theory has been proven and the information disseminated throughout the populace, crop yields are expected to grow exponentially over the years. A cheerful Archimedes tells you that it wouldn't be unreasonable to expect a doubling or even tripling of harvest sizes within a decade.
You congratulate your friend on his achievement, though you choose not to inform him that he's become something of a folk hero amongst the farming community as a result of his work. You think it'll be funnier if he finds that out himself. +200 Farming Income
-Mushroom Moonshine: During his research on fungal growth and nutrition, Archimedes discovered that a few particular species of mushroom could potentially be used to produce alcohol. It's...ok, it's a weird idea, but so was mushroom farming, and that turned out pretty well. Grant him some funds to investigate these...alcoholic mushrooms...further. Cost: 50. Time: One Year. Reward: New Source of Alcohol?
Of course, part of Archimedes' folk hero status comes from his latest and simplest invention: Shroomshine, or Mushroom Liquor. Distilled from a few select species of mushroom, it's relatively simple to make and hits like a charging troll. It's lack of any inherent flavor also makes it a versatile intoxicant, able to be mixed and served in any number of ways. The taverns and taprooms of the Empire have already begun serving shots of the stuff, and a few enterprising Griffons and Diamond Dogs have started constructing mushroom farms intended to grow nothing but fungus intended for conversion to the new alcohol. New Product: Shroomshine, +50 Tax Income from Alcohol Sales.
Intrigue: As the Imperial Spymaster, Ravenburg now has access to more resources, but he also has greater responsibilities, and must gather and analyze information on a much larger scale. Despite the added workload, he seems unperturbed, and maintains his appearance and attitude of a stoic professional.
-Picking Up a Trail: Lady Nightingale, the former spymistress of Aquileia, is missing, as is the bulk of the Aquileian Royal Treasury. You're not sure if the two disappearances are related, but you can't discount the possibility. Ravenburg, for the first time since you've met him, seems honestly frustrated at his inability to gather leads on the locations of either. Allocate some extra funds and see if he can't dig up something that might be able to point you in the right direction. Cost: 200. Time: One Year. Reward: Info on Nightingale and the missing Treasury. Chance of Success: 60%
Required: 40. Rolled: 24+13=37
Despite Ravenburg's repeated, exhaustive attempts to track down his feminine counterpart, he can't seem to turn anything up. Informants are silent, leads go nowhere, sightings are eventually revealed to be nothing more than false alarms. There is a similar lack of results in the case of the missing treasury. Not a single gold coin is recovered. It's almost as though Lady Nightingale and the Treasury have simply vanished off the face of the Earth. After almost a year of fruitless work, you instruct a frazzled Ravenburg to call off the search. Any intel he would have found would have been useless by this point anyway. No Info. Trail has gone cold.
Personal: You refuse to let your duties as Emperor take up every moment of your day.
-Job Interviews: Rosewing is requesting a replacement, and some of your other advisors might need to retire at some point in the near future as well. You could task the members of your privy council with finding their own future successors, but there's no reason you can't scout the field and get an idea of who would be best for the job yourself. Cost: 0. Time: One Year. Reward: Info on potential replacements for members of your privy council.
Rosewing desires a retirement, and there may soon be other members of your privy council in need of replacement for one reason or another. As such, you take it upon yourself to research some skilled individuals who might make good advisors.
First, a steward, the position most urgently in need of filling. At present the most obvious replacement for the position would be Frida Bronzeclaw, the hard-partying head of one of Griffonia's, and now the Empire's, largest Merchant Houses. Once considered an eligible bachelorette and a potential marriage candidate for you, Frida is no longer single, having married another noble merchant a few years previously. Some may view her as an...unorthodox choice, but her profit margins speak for themselves.
Grandmaster Hardbeak of the Knights Lion has expressed some interest in the idea of being named your martial should the position open up, but he states that it will be a few years before he can consider accepting. He will need to train a successor and build up the Order to a state where he is comfortable with the idea of leaving them. You doubt anyone would question his abilities. You suppose you could also give the job to Gabriella. She certainly has the aptitude for it.
Another former marriage candidate, Genevieve Talonuelli, stands out as a potential replacement for either Archimedes or the aging Elva von Cleef. Possessing both a keen mind and years of experience navigating her father's court, she would be equally well suited to act as either a diplomat or a researcher. Her father would certainly appreciate the gesture, though some may see her as inexperienced, having never held official office in Wingbardy.
As for a spymaster...well, as Ravenburg says when he learns what you're trying to do, if someone has a reputation for getting up to sneaky stuff, they're probably not the right person for the job. He reassures you that should you ever need to replace him, one of the graduates from his "spy school" would be sufficient. You take him at his word. You don't see any reason you'd need to replace him soon anyway.
Potential Councilors Identified
-What's Up Dog?: It occurred to you that, despite being your subjects for years now, you actually know very little about Diamond Dogs. Their race, culture, history, psychology, all of it is mostly a mystery to you. Well, only one way to remedy that: go talk to one and see what you can find out. Cost: 0. Time: One Year. Reward: Diamond Dog Info.
You figured the best way to get to really know what Diamond Dogs are all about was to just ask a few of them. After they get over the initial surprise that their "Great Winged Alpha" would deign to speak with and seek to learn about them, they act as a veritable font of information about their customs and culture.
Diamond Dogs are social creatures, instinctively seeking out, entering into, or building social hierarchies. This instinct also leads to many Dogs seeking to follow an "Alpha" or natural leader that will sit at the top of the metaphorical (and possibly literal) food chain, the so-called "Pack Mentality" that led the Dogs you now call your subjects to pledge their fealty to you in the first place. As the current situation illustrates, the Alpha need not be a fellow Diamond Dog, only an individual seen as "worthy" by a majority of the pack. The Alpha position can be transferred down a bloodline, or earned through some display of prowess, traditionally a duel. In extreme cases where an Alpha is suddenly regarded as "unworthy" by their own pack, it is not unheard of for the other members of a pack to remove them from power by force.
Another piece of information you learn is that the so called "Feral" Dogs that still inhabit some corners of the Empire are not a sub-species of the more civilized Dogs but the results of a horrific, unnamed sickness that gradually destroys a Dog's ability to reason and think, reducing them to little more than bloodthirsty animals. Every Dog fears this disease and their infected brethren more than anything else, and several outright state they would prefer to simply die rather than risk becoming a threat to all they know and love. You might want to have Archimedes look into this at some point.
All of the Diamond Dogs you speak to repeatedly state they are proud to be members of the Empire or the "Great Pack" as most call it. Before, they struggled to survive in the wilds, often wondering whether they would be able to eat the next day. Now they have homes, ample food, warm beds, and luxuries like clothing. On one particularly memorable occasion, a Diamond Dog mother gave you a tearful hug after explaining that her pups would never have to know the fear that she had growing up in the wilds thanks to you and your people. Needless to say, you're pretty sure you don't have to worry about one of those rebellions they told you about.
Diamond Dog Info Gained, New Actions Unlocked
Hazard/Random Event Rolls:
(40, Pass)
(52, Pass)
If anyone is wondering what the Hazard/Random Event Rolls are for...well, remember when I said the outside world would come to you if you waited around long enough? That's what this is.
Last edited:
- Location
- USA
Welp failure on intrigue ouch, that hurts. Otherwise solid turn overall except we need to do first contact and an expedition next turn.
- Location
- Places
Hmm, glad We passed the hazard rolls, wish that intrigue passed tho.
- Location
- California
Sounds good, but what does a pass mean is this scenario?
Does it mean no one shows up? Or that first contact was peaceful and successful? Does it mean the group we meet is friendly or would a fail result in an aggressive and unfriendly species?
- Location
- Maryland
Pass means nothing happens. If anything does happen, it will be indicated and elaborated upon in either the Rumor Mill or a dedicated Interlude, depending on the severity and importance.
Last edited:
- Location
- Existence
the dangers of the outside are many *cough* Changelings *cough* and we will need to find them to prepare for them as much as we can although we could just be turtles and tell the outside world to go keep it's own problems to themselves I would rather not have the equivalent of a alicorn and it's army coming for are "love" so it's best to get are asses out of this shell and channel are inner brits and start to (conquer and enslave) seek out new lands and new allies
- Location
- Back in Cali
So the Diamond Dogs can get rabies then. Is it the natural virus, or is the MLP version something Discord came up with as a "funny" prank on the Dogs?
We are not going on a conquering spree. That is the easiest way to overextend and and be destroyer from internal rebellion. We do not know anything about the groups around us at all. We were also talking about possibly integrating the changelings since we need more magical knowledge and power to help make our future magi-tech.
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- Location
- Back in Cali
Now that we got the last of the dogs we can make the protocols. So which way does everyone want to go? I think East or South is where we should check first. Those are the places connected to our water ways and seas. That makes contact and trade easier to accomplish.
I think more than anything we need to focus on keeping the Diamond Dogs in line. The underlying context in this chapter is concerning, we need to find a way to keep the Diamond dog situation from exploding if things go wrong and they stop considering us or our line as the "Alpha" because otherwise they are going to be a giant weakpoint in our empire that our rivals will exploit whenever they can.
- Location
- Back in Cali
The entire post on the dogs was that they love us. They we follow into anything. The only issue is that Rabies is a thing in this universe and is just as bad as in our world. At no point was there any indication that the dogs will turn on us or our bloodline. It would take several major fuckups before they moved against our line, and they wouldn't be the only ones the rest of the Empire would join them as well. Until that happen they are likely to side with us in the event of some from of uprising from other parts of the Empire.
Maybe if nothing new pops up in the personal then the Egg and get swole are the next two I'm going for. One gets us a dragon to raise and adds to our legacy and the other improves our weakest stat and maybe gets us another child as well.
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careful now, hatching that egg means feeding the dragon that comes out of it and the last i checked we have very little the gems department.
- Location
- Back in Cali
They eat other things as well. We have enough to feed a dragon baby. They take awhile to grow anyways. It's upkeep for food will probably just be a minus to our income. We have some gem mines just not as many that we can export a large enough amount to make money from a trade route.
This is the part that worries me. Nothing prevents a would be competitor from trying to sway the Dogs to their side and this outright suggests to me that a popular competitor could challenge us to a duel that we cannot refuse least the dogs rebel, its an issue we are going to have to deal with further down the line. it might take generations but it will come up.
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- Space
In regards that we are considered "unworthy" by the pack wich will need us messing up seriously, dogs staying tribal in civilised society and them not being educated in how succession works even though their children are already going to schools and should know that you can't just challenge (maybe kill) Emperor without concequences.
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