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Who Needs Harmony?: An MLP Empire Quest

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Omake: Ku’Yak’Tai (Semi-Canon)
  • Sidestory
    • @Questor

    Omake: Khu'Yak'Tai

    Yaks are the best people there is.

    This is clear in many ways:
    How knowledgeable the yaks are of their lands; knowing where the best gracing grounds were at any given season.
    How strong the yaks are; to be able to smash through obstacles that other creatures of the wilds of their size would balk at.
    How little the cold of their homeland affected them; their fur protecting them from all but the worst weather.

    But sometimes, something new appears to surprise the yaks; thus is the world

    The news of Birds That Are Mountain Lions and the Wolves That Burrow spread across the clans slowly - it wasn't as if the clans were in constant contact with each other.
    However, the news did spread; outsiders who appeared from the east one day, studying the lands like the First Yak studied it long ago before calling it their home.

    Some clans were leery, expecting a need to show these creatures that these lands belonged to YAK!
    Others grew interested at the stories of weapons and tools made out of odd stone called 'iiron' or 'stiil', the yaks having seen how the newcomers, having returned to learn the glorious yak tongue, used this stone to great effect.

    But even this wasn't enough to truly change the lives of most yaks. The Raw Hides and possibly the River Walkers would likely start meeting more of these newcomers, but surely their meetings couldn't change that much.


    However, then the cold wind started to blow.


    Yaks were accustomed to cold. A particularly angry snow storm happened once or twice within a circle of seasons.
    This wind wasn't impressing any yak.
    But things... weren't right.

    The Cold Wind That Shouldn't Be came from the east.
    This wasn't normal.

    The eastern side of yak lands has always been at least slightly more temperate of their home regions; a fact that was a source of envy and ridicule both from other clans who saw those who called it home as either weakened from the lack of struggle, or those who claimed to own what should be for all of yak-kin.
    Of course, this didn't stop the storms from reaching their lands as well: but the storms always arrived from the west, or south-west, maybe from the seas from the north.
    Never has a growing storm arrived from the east.

    Further, the wind picked up in severity in a slow, steady pace that surprised many in the Raw Hides. No storm approached in such a pace.

    "A curse!", claimed some.
    "Dark spirits!", said others.

    But then, messengers arrived from the east arrived and spoke of things that shouldn't be.
    And thus, a meeting was called. A meeting that was only called in the most dire of situations.

    The Khu'Yak'Tai


    In this place, names of other yaks are forbidden. All representatives were to be called by the clans they represent, if named.
    So said tradition, and so it was.

    "The Bird-Lions spoke of a hoof'd beast that attacked without warning. Of a great crystal - and ice hut it calls its lair. Of the hundred that went to its lands... and the five that survived the encounter.
    The cold wind that we now face is but a small echo of the true danger. On the other side of the mountains, over the lands of the Bird-Lions and Burrow Wolves, a storm most vile and unnatural has overtaken their lands, as the creature approaches like an avalanche: unstoppable and destroying all in its path."

    Raw Hide tried to see how his words were received by his counterparts.


    The one leading the River Walkers showed a growing sense of disbelief.
    How much of that was him actually finding the news unbelievable, instead of him simply refusing to accept such a potential danger?

    The high chieftain of the Broken Horns, the oldest yak in attendance showed... nothing.
    The natural stoicism of the clan on clear display as they stared forward with no hint of their inner musings.

    And then came the khan of the Thunder Warriors...
    His eyes were filled with that of growing unease, coupled with their clan's natural reaction to it.
    For if you asked a Thunder Warrior, you smashed anything and anyone you didn't like, straight to the face.

    "or so they claim." Raw Hide continued. "They sent their messengers. They asked for aid."

    "NONSENSE-!" River Walker shouted before a sound of breaking stone echoed within The Great Hut.

    Broken Horn raised their hoof, revealing powder.

    "To call a Khu'Yak'Tai is not a matter of nonsense, young one." The older yak admonished his younger like only an elder could. "No matter what, all issues brought forth here are of true importance and no falsehood can be said.
    To do so is to bring shame upon their whole clan and kin."

    "There is no proof that the Bird-Lions are telling the truth! This is too fantastical to be true!"

    "You are too young to remember the days of The Mad Spirit." This silenced the young chief. "I remember it well, still."

    Raw Hide stomped his hoof once for attention. "Disbelieving the possibility of such creatures existing aside, he has a point in that we cannot be certain the messengers are the telling the truth." He slowly gnawed his straw of hay in thought. "But if they are speaking the truth and the Ice Spirit defeats them..."

    "WE MUST ATTACK" Thunder Warrior shouted as he broke his stone table in two.
    "Thunder Warrior fears no Ice Spirit - we break ice for fun! THE ICE SPIRIT WILL BREAK TOO!""

    "And how do you suppose you will get your warriors to the Ice Spirit?" Raw Hide calmly pointed out. "To go through our lands with your full host?"

    Thunder Warrior laughed. "Our warriors? No, all clans! All warriors yaks can spare!"

    Raw Hide's eyes bulged. "What?! Even if I fully believed them I wouldn't consider such a gathering of might!"

    "Then you would lead a mere handful to danger - to face a maddened Spirit?" the warmongering yak laughs again, this time with clear derision. "The power of ill-winter is upon us and you would have us gather a few logs for making a fire and call it sufficient? Maybe hide in the nook of a river as-"

    "Enough." Broken Horn interrupted once again, his eyes glancing at his clan's natural rival. "While admonishments are acceptable here, on the fourth Khu'Yak'Tai it was decided that this was no place to speak ridicule - it demeans the meetings and decisions become clouded by venomous words.

    Thunder Warrior looked like he was going to to continue his tirade, but he bitterly swallowed his words. As the oldest Yak high chief standing, Broken Horn was by Tradition the one that had to keep order and the rest had to respect that authority.

    River Walker, having recovered from his dressing down, continued. "Let us say we send our warriors to face this... Ice Spirit. What if we find nothing but warriors of bird-lions and burrow-wolves, ready to pounce to kill us when we are far from home, in a place they know well?

    "That's just more reason to bring all yaks!" Thunder Warrior rebuked, "Either we face a Dark Winter, or we face traitorous bird-lions, the horn-tip is that we arrive in such strength that we cannot be defeated by either chance! But we can't do this without all clans working together, none would have the food for it without aid."

    "... the bird-lions are rich with 'iiron' stone." River Walker slowly mused, their word echoing of growing enthusiasm. "There might be many bird-lions, but no way they could face the full might of all yaks. If they have lied, we can break them instead and take the secret of their stone for ourselves."

    A momentary lull appeared as all present slowly ingested this new dimension on the situation.

    "Only if we do this together. Only if we all contribute, if we approach this as one, will this work." Broken Horn slowly closed his eyes.

    "One way or another."
     
    Last edited:
  • Sidestory
    • The Game said:
    @Questor

    "Another one!" -DJ Khaled.

    You need to dig, but time has run out.

    Your name is Buster, and you work at a farm.

    Once, several years ago you would have been part of a raiding force meant to be looting farms like these, but that's in the past.

    When your Pack became subjects to the Griffon King, you weren't quite sure what to expect from them. Some in your Pack were more vocal about their opinions, but the chance of not having to risk their lives in the forest every time they went foraging, either to monsters or to the Sickness, was too good to pass up.

    It proved to be the right choice in the end.

    The best choice.

    Hot baths. Three meals a day. Shelter from the cold winds. Medicine.

    Your pack settled around the southern areas of Griffonia, as the Griffon's called the land, where a nearby village quickly welcomed them.

    It was there that you met your first Griffon friends, Griswald and Giselle.

    The couple owned a farm close to the village and occasionally went to the market to buy supplies and sell their produce. They were curious to see your Pack and started asking you questions about your life as soon as the three of you felt comfortable enough to hold a conversation.

    Griswald, a strong brown-feathered Griffon, was the one who started it, mostly focusing on broad subjects: your Pack's day-to-day life, what you did when a wild troll caught your scent.

    Giselle, the more soft-spoken of the two, focused her questions more on you. You were mostly a gatherer, but you could fight if necessary, and given that your Pack was quite small, you occasionally took part on raids on rival Packs that came too close.

    You weren't deemed strong enough to take part in the raids on Griffon-held lands.

    You also asked similar questions, of course, and were intrigued by the 'farmer' profession.

    Your pack hadn't tried to grow their own food before, and soon enough, you were asking how it worked.

    This pattern repeated itself every few days for the next couple of months, and through that time, you occasionally visited their farm, sometimes even helped out. They certainly appreciated the help of a Diamond Dog when some of the fertile lands in their territory were blocked by boulders and gravel.

    That was years ago.

    By now you practically had a room at their house all for yourself and commonly worked together with Griswald, as Giselle was now a few months pregnant with her second child. Their eldest, a female griffon named Gwen, wasn't yet old enough to start working in the fields, so she mostly helped out her mother when she needed it.

    And that's what Griswald and you are doing right now.

    Working.

    "How deep do you think it needs to be? Think this is enough?" You ask Griswald.

    As fast as you could.

    He looks down at you from the tunnel entrance you dug at the side of a hill.

    "It will do. I'll bring the logs." He says and, by the time he's moved out of your field of view, you are already digging.

    You had to.

    It had been an optimistic few months. After the discovery of the Yaks over the western mountains, everyone wanted to know who or what was beyond the Peregrine Mountains.

    Hell, you all had gone out to see the exploration party. One hundred Griffons and Diamond Dogs, all of them carrying supplies to last them months, had gone through the village. There had been a party the last night of their stay.

    You hadn't seen the five who returned, but from what you heard from the rumors, you could only pity them.

    And now, a blizzard cast by some mad sorcerer was slowly making its way North, and your farm was in its path.

    You had seen several soldiers make their way south to defend the border over the course of a few days, but fighting whatever was coming under the cover of the blizzard wasn't going to stop it.

    So, you did what you do best and started digging.

    The cold that could already be felt was only comparable to some of the colder winters you had seen, but it's the middle of spring and the blizzard hasn't even reached you yet, so it was safe to say that the house and crops wouldn't stand up to the cold.

    You had started digging a shelter on the side of a hill.

    The main tunnel that you could easily seal up if it ever became necessary was the first thing you finished.

    You were now digging the main chamber, where you Griswald, Giselle, and Gwen would sleep during the nights; then, a storage room to keep as much food as possible, and finally, a few escape tunnels leading north.

    It was best not to take any chances with whatever was making its way from the south.

    You knew that the rest of your Pack, and several other Packs that were in the southern regions, were doing the same thing as you. Digging shelters and pathways into the earth, where the cold wouldn't reach the people within.

    "Here, most of them are Acacia, but there are a few Oaks." Griswald panted as he, presumably, dragged the cart containing the soon-to-be support pillars to the tunnel entrance.

    You didn't answer as you quickly made your way out of the tunnel and, with Griswald's considerable help, you started dragging the first pillar into position.

    By the end of the day, the main chamber is as completed and stable as can be, the storage room is half complete, and you are both dead tired.

    "C'mon you two get inside. Oh, and make sure you wash yourselves, especially you Buster." Giselle says as she stands on the porch of the house. She and little Gwen had spent the whole day harvesting as much food from the fields as they could. Griswald had been against it initially, with Gisselle's pregnancy, but she'd have none of it, which meant that Gwen also wasn't having any of it.

    By the time they were done, they had grabbed as many ripe fruits as they could and left the rest to mature a bit more. From there they'd either go to storage or be bartered for other goods in the market like firewood, coal, meats, and water.

    That still left the corn and potatoes, but those could last longer when stored, so they were being left for last.

    As you drew closer to the house, however, something cold landed on your nose.

    Snow.

    Griswald gives you a grim look as more white specks fall from the sky.

    "We should cover up the tunnel entrance. I don't want to have gone through all that work only to have to dig it out again." You say as the wind starts to pick up.

    "Alright then, we should..." Griswald starts before suddenly stopping.

    "Giselle," he stutters out, his eyes fixated in the distance, "you and Gwen grab enough bedrolls for all of us and get them to the shelter, I'll get the water and the firewood; Buster, you go finish the storeroom, I'll go out to the fields and get as much food as I can." He wasn't screaming, but it was clear that he wanted everything done quickly.

    As you turn to see what he's looking at, his haste becomes obvious.

    You have finally run out of time.

    You could usually see the peaks of the Peregrine mountains from here.

    Now you can't.

    There is a gigantic wave of ice and snow over them, being slowly carried by the wind.

    It will reach you by the morning.

    You say nothing and quickly get to work.

    There is nothing else to do.
    _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

    I want the bonus to go to Forecast. We need the Intrigue.
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    +10 to the roll, awesome Omake!
     
    Last edited:
    Somebodynobody10 said:
    @Questor

    Omake: Khu'Yak'Tai

    Yaks are the best people there is.

    This is clear in many ways:
    How knowledgeable the yaks are of their lands; knowing where the best gracing grounds were at any given season.
    How strong the yaks are; to be able to smash through obstacles that other creatures of the wilds of their size would balk at.
    How little the cold of their homeland affected them; their fur protecting them from all but the worst weather.

    But sometimes, something new appears to surprise the yaks; thus is the world

    The news of Birds That Are Mountain Lions and the Wolves That Burrow spread across the clans slowly - it wasn't as if the clans were in constant contact with each other.
    However, the news did spread; outsiders who appeared from the east one day, studying the lands like the First Yak studied it long ago before calling it their home.

    Some clans were leery, expecting a need to show these creatures that these lands belonged to YAK!
    Others grew interested at the stories of weapons and tools made out of odd stone called 'iiron' or 'stiil', the yaks having seen how the newcomers, having returned to learn the glorious yak tongue, used this stone to great effect.

    But even this wasn't enough to truly change the lives of most yaks. The Raw Hides and possibly the River Walkers would likely start meeting more of these newcomers, but surely their meetings couldn't change that much.


    However, then the cold wind started to blow.


    Yaks were accustomed to cold. A particularly angry snow storm happened once or twice within a circle of seasons.
    This wind wasn't impressing any yak.
    But things... weren't right.

    The Cold Wind That Shouldn't Be came from the east.
    This wasn't normal.

    The eastern side of yak lands has always been at least slightly more temperate of their home regions; a fact that was a source of envy and ridicule both from other clans who saw those who called it home as either weakened from the lack of struggle, or those who claimed to own what should be for all of yak-kin.
    Of course, this didn't stop the storms from reaching their lands as well: but the storms always arrived from the west, or south-west, maybe from the seas from the north.
    Never has a growing storm arrived from the east.

    Further, the wind picked up in severity in a slow, steady pace that surprised many in the Raw Hides. No storm approached in such a pace.

    "A curse!", claimed some.
    "Dark spirits!", said others.

    But then, messengers arrived from the east arrived and spoke of things that shouldn't be.
    And thus, a meeting was called. A meeting that was only called in the most dire of situations.

    The Khu'Yak'Tai


    In this place, names of other yaks are forbidden. All representatives were to be called by the clans they represent, if named.
    So said tradition, and so it was.

    "The Bird-Lions spoke of a hoof'd beast that attacked without warning. Of a great crystal - and ice hut it calls its lair. Of the hundred that went to its lands... and the five that survived the encounter.
    The cold wind that we now face is but a small echo of the true danger. On the other side of the mountains, over the lands of the Bird-Lions and Burrow Wolves, a storm most vile and unnatural has overtaken their lands, as the creature approaches like an avalanche: unstoppable and destroying all in its path."

    Raw Hide tried to see how his words were received by his counterparts.


    The one leading the River Walkers showed a growing sense of disbelief.
    How much of that was him actually finding the news unbelievable, instead of him simply refusing to accept such a potential danger?

    The high chieftain of the Broken Horns, the oldest yak in attendance showed... nothing.
    The natural stoicism of the clan on clear display as they stared forward with no hint of their inner musings.

    And then came the khan of the Thunder Warriors...
    His eyes were filled with that of growing unease, coupled with their clan's natural reaction to it.
    For if you asked a Thunder Warrior, you smashed anything and anyone you didn't like, straight to the face.

    "or so they claim." Raw Hide continued. "They sent their messengers. They asked for aid."

    "NONSENSE-!" River Walker shouted before a sound of breaking stone echoed within The Great Hut.

    Broken Horn raised their hoof, revealing powder.

    "To call a Khu'Yak'Tai is not a matter of nonsense, young one." The older yak admonished his younger like only an elder could. "No matter what, all issues brought forth here are of true importance and no falsehood can be said.
    To do so is to bring shame upon their whole clan and kin."

    "There is no proof that the Bird-Lions are telling the truth! This is too fantastical to be true!"

    "You are too young to remember the days of The Mad Spirit." This silenced the young chief. "I remember it well, still."

    Raw Hide stomped his hoof once for attention. "Disbelieving the possibility of such creatures existing aside, he has a point in that we cannot be certain the messengers are the telling the truth." He slowly gnawed his straw of hay in thought. "But if they are speaking the truth and the Ice Spirit defeats them..."

    "WE MUST ATTACK" Thunder Warrior shouted as he broke his stone table in two.
    "Thunder Warrior fears no Ice Spirit - we break ice for fun! THE ICE SPIRIT WILL BREAK TOO!""

    "And how do you suppose you will get your warriors to the Ice Spirit?" Raw Hide calmly pointed out. "To go through our lands with your full host?"

    Thunder Warrior laughed. "Our warriors? No, all clans! All warriors yaks can spare!"

    Raw Hide's eyes bulged. "What?! Even if I fully believed them I wouldn't consider such a gathering of might!"

    "Then you would lead a mere handful to danger - to face a maddened Spirit?" the warmongering yak laughs again, this time with clear derision. "The power of ill-winter is upon us and you would have us gather a few logs for making a fire and call it sufficient? Maybe hide in the nook of a river as-"

    "Enough." Broken Horn interrupted once again, his eyes glancing at his clan's natural rival. "While admonishments are acceptable here, on the fourth Khu'Yak'Tai it was decided that this was no place to speak ridicule - it demeans the meetings and decisions become clouded by venomous words.

    Thunder Warrior looked like he was going to to continue his tirade, but he bitterly swallowed his words. As the oldest Yak high chief standing, Broken Horn was by Tradition the one that had to keep order and the rest had to respect that authority.

    River Walker, having recovered from his dressing down, continued. "Let us say we send our warriors to face this... Ice Spirit. What if we find nothing but warriors of bird-lions and burrow-wolves, ready to pounce to kill us when we are far from home, in a place they know well?

    "That's just more reason to bring all yaks!" Thunder Warrior rebuked, "Either we face a Dark Winter, or we face traitorous bird-lions, the horn-tip is that we arrive in such strength that we cannot be defeated by either chance! But we can't do this without all clans working together, none would have the food for it without aid."

    "... the bird-lions are rich with 'iiron' stone." River Walker slowly mused, their word echoing of growing enthusiasm. "There might be many bird-lions, but no way they could face the full might of all yaks. If they have lied, we can break them instead and take the secret of their stone for ourselves."

    A momentary lull appeared as all present slowly ingested this new dimension on the situation.

    "Only if we do this together. Only if we all contribute, if we approach this as one, will this work." Broken Horn slowly closed his eyes.

    "One way or another."
    Click to expand...
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    +15 for the Historical reference, name pun, and sound effect!
     
    Plan Damnit Sombra seems to have it. Vote Closed. All those with Omake bonuses yet to be assigned: let me know if you want them applied and to which actions. Remember: only two bonuses per Action.
    Adhoc vote count started by Questor on Feb 5, 2019 at 10:09 PM, finished with 136 posts and 37 votes.
    • [x] plan Dammit Sombra
      [X] Plan: Rush to Fortify the Mountains
      -[X] Rally the Militia: Cost: 500. Time: One Year. Reward: Militia Units rallied to supplement the Imperial Army
      -[X] Emergency Fortifications: Cost: 1000. Time: One Year. Reward: Reinforced defenses at Southern Settlements
      -[X] The March South: Cost: 0. Time: One Year. Reward: War turns begin
      -[X] Yak Attack: Cost: 200. Time: One Year. Reward: Gain assistance from Yak Clans. Chance of Success: 50%
      -[X] Hothouses: Cost: 500. Time: One Year. Reward: Hothouses constructed. Alleviates some risk of food shortages, repairs some of the agricultural damage wrought by the storm.
      -[X] I'm a Lumberjack and I'm OK: Cost: 150. Time: One Year. Reward: Logging income. Chance of Success: 70%
      -[X] Explosive Siege Weapons: Cost: 4̶0̶0̶ 800. Time: T̶w̶o̶ One Year. Reward: New Siege Weapon. Chance of Success: 60%
      -[X] Caltrops: Cost: 200. Time: One Year. Reward: Caltrops added to Army Arsenal.
      -[X] Forecast: Cost: 400. Time: One Year. Reward: Information on Sombra/Crystal Empire, better idea of what to expect. Chance of Success: 40%
      -[X] Gabriella's Greatswords, Part 2: Cost: Varies, depending on Choices. Time: One Year. Reward: Mercenaries Hired
      [X] Plan: Give us some choice
      -[X] Emergency Fortifications: It would take years to construct even the most basic fortifications along the Southern Border. You have weeks, if not mere days. Still, you can take steps to prepare the settlements most at risk of a siege. Stockpile supplies, shore up existing defenses, dig pit traps and tunnels, and do what you can to ensure the towns and cities most likely to be attacked are prepared to endure whatever the enemy can throw at them. Cost: 1000. Time: One Year. Reward: Reinforced defenses at Southern Settlements
      -[X] The March South: Intelligence reports are spotty, infrequent, and often contradictory, but you don't need them to know that any Invasion is almost certainly going to come over the Peregrines before carving its way into your heartland. Whether you intend to wage a purely defensive war or launch an assault into enemy territory, you'll need to gather your forces along the Southern Border before you can consider actually engaging your foe. Rally the troops once again and march off to war. Cost: 0. Time: One Year. Reward: War turns begin
      -[X] Big Sticks: The mobile Ballistae proved instrumental in your victory at the Battle of Wingbardy. Clearly they are a valuable battlefield asset. Build a few more. Cost: 400. Time: One Year. Reward: +10 mobile Ballistae added to army.
      -[X] The Kindness of Strangers: You don't really know anything about them, but they haven't done anything to harm your people, which already places them a league ahead of your Southern Neighbor. Send a ship and some volunteer diplomats to make contact, explain your situation, and maybe get some help. At the very least, it would be nice to know that you don't have to worry about a war on two fronts. Cost: 300. Time: One Year. Reward: Contact made with Eastern Neighbors. Gain Assistance? Chance of Success: ???
      -[X] Hothouses: This unnatural, unseasonable cold has caused extensive damage to your agricultural sector. Not only is this biting into tax revenues, if it keeps up you might have to worry about food shortages! A few creative farmers have come up with a solution. By constructing large, insulated grow houses and ensuring they are well-heated, it becomes possible to grow crops even in the midst of this blizzard. Set some funds aside for the construction of more of these hothouses and see if you can't build enough to offset the damage already done. Cost: 500. Time: One Year. Reward: Hothouses constructed. Alleviates some risk of food shortages, repairs some of the agricultural damage wrought by the storm.
      -[X] Steam Pumped Land Drainage: Due to the mountainous and heavily forested nature of the Griffonlands, arable land is often at a premium. If one wishes to establish a farm, one must clear the land of trees (and the beasts that live among them), or risk trying to farm on rocks. There are a handful of places in the Empire that would be prime farmland were they not flooded or otherwise too wet to plant crops on. Ordinarily these lands would be impossible to drain or simply not worth the effort, but Archimedes' new Steam Pump offers a new potential option for land reclamation. It'll be expensive and time consuming, but the extra agricultural output just might be worth it. Cost: 500. Time: Two Years. Reward: Water-logged areas cleared, additional farming income.
      -[X] Burning Shrooms: While working on turning mushrooms into alcohol, Archimedes realized that, if distilled a certain way, rather than an intoxicating beverage, the mushrooms produced a highly flammable liquid that caused health complications and death if ingested. At the time, he considered it a failed batch. Now, he thinks it might form the basis of a family of new weapons. Naturally, he'll need funding to run tests and establish a distillery dedicated to the production of this new substance. Cost: 200. Time: One Year. Reward: Flame Weapons? Chance of Success: 60%
      -[X] Coke-Fired Blast Furnaces: Iron and Steel are the lifeblood of your economy, constituting everything from tools to building materials to weapons. However, they are difficult to produce in vast amounts. The only reason your people have been able to do so thus far is because of the sheer amount of ore available to you in your mountains, and the number of mining and smelting operations currently underway as a result. Genevieve has come up with a potential solution to allow for greater production of these metals. Using coal that has been treated in much the same way wood is treated to produce charcoal, a new form of dense, cleaner-burning fuel can be used to heat a new kind of massive, vertical smelting furnace the size of a building with a much greater output of metals. Naturally, this will be expensive, but Genevieve states that the increased metal production will be necessary to allow for greater innovation and widespread implementation of new devices. Cost: 600. Time: Two Years. Reward: Increased Iron/Steel Production, new Learning Actions Unlocked
      -[X] Forecast: All the information you possess regarding your new enemy comes from five half-mad explorers who barely escaped the southlands with their lives, and they didn't say much beyond "doom is coming." It's risky, especially after the last group to do so was ripped to pieces, but you need to send some spies over the Peregrines to get a clearer picture of whatever it is you're up against. Cost: 400. Time: One Year. Reward: Information on Sombra/Crystal Empire, better idea of what to expect. Chance of Success: 40%
      -[X] Getting Swole: One of the numerous reasons you refused to fight Brochard was that he was so much stronger than you. A blade and a suit of armor mitigated that advantage a great deal, but it didn't remove it completely. You trained with your wife not long ago, and that training showed results, but the results weren't quite as big an improvement as you'd hoped. If you're going to be an Emperor worthy of the title, you need to be strong. Have Gabriella put you through an even more grueling fitness regimen and see if you can't improve your physique a bit more. Cost: 0. Time: One Year. Reward: Increased martial stat, chance to upgrade Toned Trait, chance to improve Gabriella's opinion of you. Chance of Success: 55%
      [X] Plan: Mustering Troops
      [X] Plan Militia, Yak, Firepower and bulwarks
    Click to expand...
     
    Last edited:
    Omake: Recruitment (Canon)
  • Sidestory
    • Hope I'm not too late, @Questor! Add mine to the intrigue role, if there's still time.

    Omake: Recruitment

    How do you find a good spy?

    You don't... unless you're a better spy than them.

    After all, a true spy isn't the suave-acting griff sauntering up to the bar, his confidence and well-groomed countenance screaming rank amateur.

    He's the bartender you're spilling your woes to, confident he won't tell a soul. He's the drunk passed out in the alleyway, quite clearly too plastered to remember you're saying. He's the one you trust. He's the one you ignore. He's the one you least expect... unless you've been trained to recognize the signs, or the spy has dropped his guard.

    This little griff, who's been tailing you a full few streets? Not a spy in a traditional sense, but he could easily become one, once given a proper education.

    It's a miracle the little sneak hasn't been caught yet, especially this close to the castle, but the way he weaves through the crowd with practiced ease leaves you somewhat impressed. No hesitant trudge like his mother died, or frenzied pace this shy of breaking into a run, but a leisurely pace marking him as one of the crowd.

    Even his looks mark him as a promising spy... in that he appears bland and unremarkable. No unusual height to single him out, no odd feather patterns to catch your eye, easy for anyone--especially the enemy--to forget... unless you had the fortunate to notice the tiny claw snaking into a nobelgriff's purse, the youngling barely sparing a glance as he pockets his ill-gotten gains.

    Good hand-claw coordination. A knack for blending into the crowd. Singling out the safest and most promising targets... but he's made a major slip-up running his errands: he can't track his marks properly. You may be dressed to the nines like a normal griff of the capital, but that does not mean you are lazy or stupid. When one griff is heading the same direction as you for a few paces, that's just a coincidence, but two or three streets, with the most fervent of glances to your own purse, and it's clear he's looking for more funds.

    You turn down another street--not one of the alleyways, where there are far fewer witnesses, but little chance of a crowd for him to hide in, but a street with a few stalls and customers milling about, plenty of alcoves to hide behind.

    Good, he's still confident--he doesn't realize he's been caught.

    You pause near one of the stalls, claw on your chin as if pondering an important purchase--an inattentive mark, a very tempting target--and wait just a few seconds for your mark to catch up to you.

    The bag rustles, and you lash out, pulling the startled griff into one of the alcoves.

    The griff reacts with a startled squawk, pulling at your talons like a rabbit caught in a snare.

    "You know that's not for you, right?" You ask, cracking a wry grin.

    "P-piss off! You can't--leggo or I'll call the royal guards on you!"

    "And let them find the suspicious coin collection stashed inside that hidden pocket? Or the pocket watch hidden around your waist?"

    He goes slack. "How did you--?"

    "Relax, kid--far be it from me to sell out a fellow urchin."

    The youngling snatches his claw back in surprise, backing off a few paces before narrowing his eyes. "But--the coin stash. Your clothes."

    "Amazing how fortunes can change isn't it?" You smile, shrugging as you sit on your haunches.

    "That said... can't help but feel your talents are wasted here." You wave a hand about the area, the smile giving way to a frown... before a sudden idea strikes you, smile snapping straight back into place. "Say kid--how would you like not to go hungry?"

    "What's the catch?" Tempted but wary. Smart.

    "Ah, nothing much--you'll hafta work of course, and we'll need ta put you from rigorous training, but from what I've seen... you just might have the mettle to make the cut. That said..."

    You get up, a sympathetic cast to your features, "I don't blame ya for not wantin' ta come. I won't lie to ya, kid, it's a tough business, and you'll come across your own share of scrapes..." You step out of the alcove, wings rustling as you brush past him... "But trust me, kid. Side with me--side with use--and you won't have ta go through life alone."

    With that, you vault off, headless of the kid's protests behind you. For all he think you forgot to tell him, you've already given him what he needs.

    Sometime later, as he lands on the rooftop he calls home, he'd find a gold coin and a note tucked away in his pouch. The coin would be enough to pay for several week's meals, but the note? Could be of greater value, should he choose to use it.

    "The Rusty Talon. Sundown tomorrow. Ask for the Way to Dawn."


    The rest is up to him.
     
  • Sidestory
    • Either Explosive Siege Weapons, or Burning Shrooms.

    Or you could save it for The Kindness of Strangers which could bring the Qilin in as allies.

    Or you could just give it to Questor to use at his leisure.
     
    Firebringer2077 said:
    So where would be the best place for my +20 then?
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...

    The best place is for the intrigue action. It is the most important option and right now it only has a +15. With your +20 that give us a 75% chance to pass. The cannons and shrooms have a high base especially when we add our learning stat to it. Also you have to choose where to put your bonuses during regular turns. Only war turns tend to be added by the QM.
     
    Mirror Mage said:
    Hope I'm not too late, @Questor! Add mine to the intrigue role, if there's still time.

    Omake: Recruitment

    How do you find a good spy?

    You don't... unless you're a better spy than them.

    After all, a true spy isn't the suave-acting griff sauntering up to the bar, his confidence and well-groomed countenance screaming rank amateur.

    He's the bartender you're spilling your woes to, confident he won't tell a soul. He's the drunk passed out in the alleyway, quite clearly too plastered to remember you're saying. He's the one you trust. He's the one you ignore. He's the one you least expect... unless you've been trained to recognize the signs, or the spy has dropped his guard.

    This little griff, who's been tailing you a full few streets? Not a spy in a traditional sense, but he could easily become one, once given a proper education.

    It's a miracle the little sneak hasn't been caught yet, especially this close to the castle, but the way he weaves through the crowd with practiced ease leaves you somewhat impressed. No hesitant trudge like his mother died, or frenzied pace this shy of breaking into a run, but a leisurely pace marking him as one of the crowd.

    Even his looks mark him as a promising spy... in that he appears bland and unremarkable. No unusual height to single him out, no odd feather patterns to catch your eye, easy for anyone--especially the enemy--to forget... unless you had the fortunate to notice the tiny claw snaking into a nobelgriff's purse, the youngling barely sparing a glance as he pockets his ill-gotten gains.

    Good hand-claw coordination. A knack for blending into the crowd. Singling out the safest and most promising targets... but he's made a major slip-up running his errands: he can't track his marks properly. You may be dressed to the nines like a normal griff of the capital, but that does not mean you are lazy or stupid. When one griff is heading the same direction as you for a few paces, that's just a coincidence, but two or three streets, with the most fervent of glances to your own purse, and it's clear he's looking for more funds.

    You turn down another street--not one of the alleyways, where there are far fewer witnesses, but little chance of a crowd for him to hide in, but a street with a few stalls and customers milling about, plenty of alcoves to hide behind.

    Good, he's still confident--he doesn't realize he's been caught.

    You pause near one of the stalls, claw on your chin as if pondering an important purchase--an inattentive mark, a very tempting target--and wait just a few seconds for your mark to catch up to you.

    The bag rustles, and you lash out, pulling the startled griff into one of the alcoves.

    The griff reacts with a startled squawk, pulling at your talons like a rabbit caught in a snare.

    "You know that's not for you, right?" You ask, cracking a wry grin.

    "P-piss off! You can't--leggo or I'll call the royal guards on you!"

    "And let them find the suspicious coin collection stashed inside that hidden pocket? Or the pocket watch hidden around your waist?"

    He goes slack. "How did you--?"

    "Relax, kid--far be it from me to sell out a fellow urchin."

    The youngling snatches his claw back in surprise, backing off a few paces before narrowing his eyes. "But--the coin stash. Your clothes."

    "Amazing how fortunes can change isn't it?" You smile, shrugging as you sit on your haunches.

    "That said... can't help but feel your talents are wasted here." You wave a hand about the area, the smile giving way to a frown... before a sudden idea strikes you, smile snapping straight back into place. "Say kid--how would you like not to go hungry?"

    "What's the catch?" Tempted but wary. Smart.

    "Ah, nothing much--you'll hafta work of course, and we'll need ta put you from rigorous training, but from what I've seen... you just might have the mettle to make the cut. That said..."

    You get up, a sympathetic cast to your features, "I don't blame ya for not wantin' ta come. I won't lie to ya, kid, it's a tough business, and you'll come across your own share of scrapes..." You step out of the alcove, wings rustling as you brush past him... "But trust me, kid. Side with me--side with use--and you won't have ta go through life alone."

    With that, you vault off, headless of the kid's protests behind you. For all he think you forgot to tell him, you've already given him what he needs.

    Sometime later, as he lands on the rooftop he calls home, he'd find a gold coin and a note tucked away in his pouch. The coin would be enough to pay for several week's meals, but the note? Could be of greater value, should he choose to use it.

    "The Rusty Talon. Sundown tomorrow. Ask for the Way to Dawn."


    The rest is up to him.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    +10 to a roll! Great writing!
     
    Ok, Omake List is as follows. Please tag me in any messages informing me of changes to what action you'd like your bonus to apply to. Please refer to the Omake title, rather than simply saying "my Omake" or "my bonus".

    Questor said:
    Bloodied King: +15 (Reserved for Roll Regarding Gwyndlyn)
    A Letter from an Enterprising Servant: +10
    Diversifying Assets: +10 (Reserved for Changeling First Impression)
    Great Clans of Yakyakistan: +10 (Reserved for Yak Attack)
    Canterlot-'Tis a Silly Place: +20
    A Foul Wind from the South: +15 (Reserved for Yak Attack)
    (Trying not to) Ruffle Feathers: +10 (Reserved for Preventing Sombra from subverting our Assets)
    Cold: +5 (Reserved for Roll Regarding Gwyndlyn)
    Time has Run Out: +10 (Reserved for Forecast)
    Ku'Yak'Tai: +15
    Recruitment: +10 (Reserved for Forecast)
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
     
    Questor said:
    Ok, Omake List is as follows. Please tag me in any messages informing me of changes to what action you'd like your bonus to apply to. Please refer to the Omake title, rather than simply saying "my Omake" or "my bonus".
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    Ku'Yak'Tai: +15 to forecast.

    EDIT: except smaller bonuses already filled the space.

    Is there no rule that if there are more bonuses put onto an action, the larger ones are picked first?
     
    Keep in mind that Nat 1 could also mean that Sombra is too strong to win against. It could mean that our best hope is to stalemate him and ensure that he cannot conquer our lands, but we cannot also kill him and only drive him off or a worse 'win' condition is that we do drive him off, but at a terrible cost and we must deal with colder weather. There is also the possibility that our Southern lands could just stay frozen aa we do not have the magic or the know how to use the Crystal Heart and thus be unusable.

    There is no reason that any of our neighbors only have to be fought once.

    Just remember to hope for the best and prepare for the worst.
     
    Sivantic said:
    Keep in mind that Nat 1 could also mean that Sombra is too strong to win against. It could mean that our best hope is to stalemate him and ensure that he cannot conquer our lands, but we cannot also kill him and only drive him off or a worse 'win' condition is that we do drive him off, but at a terrible cost and we must deal with colder weather. There is also the possibility that our Southern lands could just stay frozen aa we do not have the magic or the know how to use the Crystal Heart and thus be unusable.

    There is no reason that any of our neighbors only have to be fought once.

    Just remember to hope for the best and prepare for the worst.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    Keep in mind that this is defeatist talk.
     
    Somebodynobody10 said:
    Keep in mind that this is defeatist talk.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...

    Eh, OP explicitly called Sombra Sauron. Sauron wasn't beaten at the height of his power and then never heard from again. He was a persistent bastard, continuously rising again and being whittled down over the course of Ages, before his final defeat.

    Sombra would disappoint me if he doesn't become a reoccurring, consequential threat.
     
    Sivantic said:
    Keep in mind that Nat 1 could also mean that Sombra is too strong to win against. It could mean that our best hope is to stalemate him and ensure that he cannot conquer our lands, but we cannot also kill him and only drive him off or a worse 'win' condition is that we do drive him off, but at a terrible cost and we must deal with colder weather. There is also the possibility that our Southern lands could just stay frozen aa we do not have the magic or the know how to use the Crystal Heart and thus be unusable.

    There is no reason that any of our neighbors only have to be fought once.

    Just remember to hope for the best and prepare for the worst.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    To my knowledge the roll isn't for hoe strong they are its just to see how the relation with us is at the start.

    Also would anyone who currently has an omake in forecast be willing to switch out with a higher bonus to give us the best possible chance.
     
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