would need to be a personal action of us going to go visit him. Doesn't matter as it would be non-canon unless that option comes up. But like I said children that young do not have any interest like that. She wants a friend, not anything else.
I am not arguing anything different, I just find the thought of Garrick being paranoid about such a situation to be funny. It could also be construed as him worrying over future developments, when she is older.
.... THAT WAS ONE OF THE OMAKES I WAS WORKING ON. NO JOKE. Cept slightly different take. More of "gwyndlyn convinces the neighponese emperor to help steal candy out of her dads candy jar and shares it with him. Garrick plots murder."
Garrick also is not a insane person. He knows that his Daughter wouldn't have any kind of interest beyond wanting a friend. He isn't a paranoid out of touch father or ruler.
Garrick also is not a insane person. He knows that his Daughter wouldn't have any kind of interest beyond wanting a friend. He isn't a paranoid out of touch father or ruler.
Too early for that Gawain needs to focus on learning and leading not marriage. It won't be until he is in his 20s that we look for a wife for him. And at that, we have any children that our new science assistant has by then for that sweet double genius chance.
Too early for that Gawain needs to focus on learning and leading not marriage. It won't be until he is in his 20s that we look for a wife for him. And at that, we have any children that our new science assistant has by then for that sweet double genius chance.
That actually raises a question on my head... whats the actual age of consent when it comes to marriage? I mean I have only badly remembered stories and history classes on that, but I always though royalty picked marriage proposals very soon as well as the age of consent used to be way lower on medieval times (specially because well, lower life expectancy). Which time window we using here?
That actually raises a question on my head... whats the actual age of consent when it comes to marriage? I mean I have only badly remembered stories and history classes on that, but I always though royalty picked marriage proposals very soon as well as the age of consent used to be way lower on medieval times (specially because well, lower life expectancy). Which time window we using here?
That only applied to the Nobel class. There was no age of consent though. The Nobels married young because they wanted to secure alliances and safeguard their family line. For the majority of other non-nobles, the average marriage age was the same as the modern time the mid to late 20s. Also, the life expectancy wasn't any different than the current numbers. The statistics are skewed to look like everyone died young not because people were dying young but because of high infant and child mortality rates. If you survived childhood you were more likely to live till you were in your 60s at least if not higher.
Martial: Gustav Kingfeather, once known as the hardest drinker and fighter in Griffonia, has sworn not to consume a drop of alcohol until the losses of Redstone Pass have been avenged, and the threat of the Shadow King dealt with once and for all. He's thrown himself into his work, seeking to ensure an end to this conflict that has already cost the Empire so many lives. (Two Actions Per Turn)
-The Peregrine Line-The Gates to the North: The Watchtowers have been completed and staffed with sentries. Now that you no longer have any need to worry about a surprise attack, you can begin building proper defensive works made to withstand all-out assaults. Walls shall be built, firing positions prepared, and strong points will be constructed in and along the mountain passes that serve as the only routes through the Peregrines. It will be costly and time consuming, but by the end of it you'll have a barrier for the enemy to throw themselves against while your troops cut them down. Cost: 1500. Time: Three Years. Reward: Southern Border Fortifications Built, Peregrine Line Completed.
Work continues on the Peregrine fortifications. By now most of the initial work has been completed. Foundations have been assembled, and supply and escape tunnels, complete with iron doors, connect the future sites of the numerous strongpoints and fortresses that will guard the Southern entrance into your heartland. Work now begins on the walls and towers themselves, the construction carried out under the vigilant gaze of the Army sentries in their mountaintop lookout posts. The project managers tell you that the construction is proceeding on schedule, and that, barring any unanticipated disruptions, the fortifications should be complete by the end of next year. Will Finish Next Turn
-Army Artillery: The cannons have proven their effectiveness on the battlefield, and now that you have the foundries up and running, it's time to start cranking out some more of these explosive artillery pieces. Cost: 500. Time: One Year. Reward: +10 Cannons added to army
Tons of ore make their way from the mines to the blast furnaces, and from there to the foundries where molten iron and steel are poured into casts and molds for the cannon barrels. Once hardened, the barrels are loaded onto limbers (small two-wheeled carts) and make their way to the Imperial armories. Once the cannons themselves are completed, work begins on the production of the iron balls used as projectiles and the stores of black powder needed to propel them. By the end of the year, ten more cannons have joined the ranks of the Imperial Army, and their crews begin drilling and training for the day when their weapons will be fired in combat. +10 Cannons added to Imperial Army
Diplomacy: As the "new" Minister of Foreign Affairs, Elva has been making a lot more progress and getting a lot more done thanks her dedicated office space and expanded staff. She's very relieved to not have to carry the burden of managing the Empire's foreign policy by herself. (Two Actions Per Turn)
-Asking for Assistance: The Yaks aided you in the fight against the Shadow King once before, at great cost to themselves. Now you face the prospect of launching an invasion into the very heart of the evil itself. You'd feel a lot better about your chances if you could elicit a promise from the Yaks to support you in the endeavor. But that might be a tough sell. The Yaks only moved to support you because the Shadow King's invasion threatened their homeland, and the casualties they took at Redstone have undoubtedly made them weary of another battle so soon after the last. Still, you have to try, as the weight of a Yak charge could decide the fate of a battle. Cost: 200. Time: One Year. Reward: Promises of Yak Assistance in Invasion of Crystal Empire. Chance of Success: 40%
Required: 60. Rolled: 48+18+10(Yak Councils in Recent History)+10(First Draft of a Treatise on the First Winter War by Adrian Dawnquill)=86
The Yaks are...hesitant. The Battle of Redstone had been the deadliest battle in their history. For centuries, their understanding of war had been ritualized skirmishes where death tolls rarely went above double digits. To fight a battle where thousands of their people died in a single day...It came as a serious shock to them, one they are still trying to work through as a culture. And that was a battle for the survival of their people, a defensive war. What you are asking for is an invasion of foreign lands. This time there will be no prepared ground, no narrow choke point, no traps or defensive fortifications. You will be traversing hostile territory, and with the Shadow King's magic that phrase is likely to be far more literal than anyone would like. Every Yak expects a campaign into the Southlands to be a bloodbath.
And yet, to not answer a call for aid, to let others shed their blood while the Yaks stand idly by and do nothing...unthinkable. In the end, a compromise is reached. While the leaders of the Yak Clans will not order their people to risk their lives in a Southern Offensive, they will not stop any Yaks who wish to join the Campaign. And, to the surprise of many, hundreds of Yaks volunteer. Not nearly as many as had agreed to fight at Redstone, but still a significant number. They have agreed to answer the call and join your forces when you march South. You are heartened to have such steadfast allies in this time of strife. Yak Assistance for Southern Campaign Gained
-Permanent Neighponese Ambassador: Rather than sending a party of diplomatic staff across the ocean whenever a deal needs to be negotiated or an issue smoothed over, why not simply have them stay in the host country more or less permanently, taking up residence in the court of the local ruler? You can't do this with the Yaks as their decentralized leadership prevents this, but Neighpon is a different story. See if they'd be agreeable to the idea. Cost: 400. Time: One Year. Reward: Permanent Diplomatic Mission established in Neighpon, Cheaper Neighpon Diplomatic Actions, New Diplomacy and Intrigue Actions Unlocked.
Kōryū finds the concept of permanent ambassadors a reasonable idea, and welcomes the party of diplomatic staff you send along on the next trading convoy, even as you welcome the Qilin he sends in return. Both groups are given suitable accommodations and welcomed into the Imperial Courts of their host nation, and begin their work of coordinating policy and passing messages between Rulers. Having a group of diplomats permanently "on station" in Neighpon has opened up a great deal of new opportunities for you, even as the presence of a Neighponese ambassador in your capitol has opened up new opportunities for them. At the very least, it's going to be much easier to conduct diplomacy now. Permanent Diplomatic Mission established in Neighpon, Cheaper Neighpon Diplomatic Actions, New Diplomacy and Intrigue Actions Unlocked.
Stewardship: Frida remains a fountain of optimism and infectious energy, even with the current war and the unnatural cold affecting the southern reaches of the Empire. Despite these difficulties the Empire is prospering like never before as the economy grows steadily each year, and your coffers with it. (Two Actions Per Turn)
-Settling the Western Frontier: While the Western Steepes are largely inhospitable and unsuitable for permanent settlement, a significant portion of the land beyond the Black Cliffs is quite similar to your core territory. The Yaks don't appear to have any claims on these stretches of forest, and they may hold resources that could add to the economy. Even if they don't, it would be nice to have some settlements outside of your heartland to make interaction with the Yaks easier, or as a buffer should they prove hostile. Subsidize the construction of a few towns and encourage some of your people to establish homesteads on the unsettled land. Cost: 1000. Time: Two Years. Reward: New Western Settlements Established, Additional Income.
The word goes out that you're looking for Griffons and Dogs willing to settle in unclaimed territory. Hundreds jump at the chance to claim lands of their own, and form caravans that head west, soldiers at the head of them to clear a path through the monster-infested forests and mountain passes. The caravans unpack at pre-selected locations that have been chosen for their placement along trade routes and access to mineral deposits, and the work of clearing the land and establishing settlements begins. Trees are felled, land is tilled, seeds are planted, and walls go up. It will be at least another year before the frontier becomes a productive, self-sufficient province of the Empire, but the work is halfway done. Will Finish Next Turn
-Imperial Irrigation Program: The weather can be a fickle thing. If rain fails to fall, there goes a farmer's crop. Irrigation networks can fix this, but having every farmer build their own irrigation system is...messy, not to mention inefficient. A government funded public works program could bring a reliable source of water to farms across the Empire. This will of course be an expensive and time consuming program, but the benefits will be worth it. Cost: 800. Time: Two Years. Reward: Standardized Irrigation, Significantly Increased Farming Income.
Frida is busy this year, flying back and forth between rural farming communities, distributing instructions and vast amounts of funding to an army of laborers tasked with the completion of the largest public works project in living memory. Packs of Diamond Dogs dig great trenches while airborne Griffons ensure that the ditches are properly laid out and reach the crops that they need to. One by one, farms that previously relied upon the weather for water gain access to these artificial streams. The work is not yet done, but some results are already showing, and the farmers of the Empire are grateful for this assistance. Will Finish Next Turn.
-The Bank of Gryphus: Nicklas Bones' treatise on paper currency has raised some...unsettling possibilities. Possibilities that are becoming less theoretical with the advent of paper currency in cities across the Empire. If you're going to prevent this whole paper tender craze from getting out of hand, you're going to need to act quickly. You, Frida, and Nicklas have all cobbled together a framework for a new kind of financial institution: a Central Bank. A bank backed by the government while still being distinct from it, an institution with the sole power to print national banknotes and government IOUs. A bank that will loan hard currency (gold and silver) to other banks, acting as the foundational center and rock of stability for the Imperial Economy. A bank intended to stabilize the economy rather than make a profit. It will also be tasked with handling the national debt, should you ever again find yourself in another Fiscal hole. Naturally, this is going to be a complicated endeavor, but it will be necessary to ensure a prosperous national economy in the long-term. Cost: 600. Time: One Year. Reward: Bank of Gryphus established, slight increase to Tax Income from economic growth, reduced chances of Economic Disasters, Lessens damage to approval when going into Debt.
You, Frida, and Nicklas collaborate on the establishment of a new kind of financial instrument: a bank for other banks, the only bank permitted to print the new national banknotes. The Bank of Gryphus. Other, smaller banks will continue to print their own notes for now, but since the national banknotes are regarded as more stable and are accepted everywhere, it's only a matter of time until everyone switches to the government-backed currency. Additional banking regulations are quickly passed to ensure that the system remains stable (as stable as you can make it anyway) and operates as you and your advisors have laid out. The value of the paper is still backed by gold, but actual gold is no longer necessary for everyday transactions.
And, despite your fears and uncertainties, everything seems to work. People like the new paper currency. It's convenient, it's edges can't be clipped, it can't be melted down and made lighter (and thus less valuable), and forgeries are easier to spot. And, now that the money supply has been expanded, the economy has more room to grow. You're now cautiously optimistic about this whole paper money thing. Bank of Gryphus Established, +200 Tax Income.
Learning: Archimedes and Genevieve continue their work as the Empire's top scholars, Archimedes focusing on improvements to the Imperial War Machine while Genevieve focuses on more Domestic improvements. This does not mean that the two do not collaborate and share information, merely that the two Griffons divide the work between them. (Two Actions per Turn)
-Scatter-Shot: One of the engineers at the new Cannon Foundry has raised an interesting idea. What if, instead of firing one large projectile, the cannons could be made to fire many smaller projectiles all at once? A simple idea, but a potentially effective one if the technical difficulties surrounding it can be addressed. Cost: 100. Time: One Year. Reward: Scatter-Shot developed, Bonus to certain Cannon Rolls.
Archimedes gets to work, running numerous tests to determine how to make this new cannon payload viable. The problem, as Archimedes tells you, is figuring out how to ensure a proper spread and somewhat reliable accuracy. After a great deal of trial and error, your head scientist and engineer claims to have devised a simple but reliable method involving numerous grape-sized metal balls packed into a canvas bag. Unfortunately, due to its nature this particular payload is virtually useless at long range, restricting its use somewhat. However, at close range it will utterly devastate massed enemy formations. You instruct Archimedes to add several of these scatter-shot rounds to each cannon's ammunition load. You're sure you'll have need of them soon enough. Scatter-Shot developed, Bonus to certain Cannon Rolls
-Machine Tools: Blacksmiths and other artisans of metal are vital to your realm's economy and technical advancement, but as demand for shaped metal products has begun to grow they have become a bottleneck, straining to keep pace with demand. Both Archimedes and Genevieve say they have some ideas to resolve this problem through the introduction of new tools meant to make the precision working of metal easier. Developing, producing and distributing these devices will be expensive, to say nothing of the time and effort that will have to be expended training Gryphons and Dogs in their use, but it is necessary if your Empire is to advance technologically in your lifetime. Cost: 500. Time: Two Years. Reward: Machine Tools Invented and Distributed, Slight Increase to Tax Income, New Actions Unlocked.
The science duo of Archimedes and Genevieve go to work, assembling one device after another in rapid succession. Borers, grinders, planers, millers, lathes, presses, the list goes on. Be they muscle driven, water driven or steam driven, all have a role to play in the precise shaping of metals. Now that the devices themselves have been developed and designed, all that remains is to produce and distribute such creations throughout the Empire. Will Finish Next Turn
Intrigue: Ravenburg is as stoic and calmly professional as ever. If he's been at all affected by the War, he doesn't show it. Apart from his sudden fixation upon potential happenings south of the border, he's the same as he ever was. You actually find that quite reassuring. (One Action Per Turn)
-It's not Kidnapping, it's Liberation: The Shadow King has enslaved his subjects through some manner of foul sorcery. At Redstone the only means of breaking his hold over their minds and bodies was to kill them. But now you have a basic understanding of magical principles, allies with knowledge of magic, and a miracle metal that disrupts all spells and supernatural energies it comes into contact with. Have Ravenburg's spies infiltrate enemy territory and see if they can't free a few of these poor souls. With any luck, one of them might actually know something of importance they can share with you. Cost: 300. Time: One Year. Reward: Several Crystal Ponies freed from Sombra's Spell, chance to gain additional intelligence. Chance of Success: 40%
Required: 60. Rolled: 90+13+10(Warm Omake)+10(A Light at the Heart of Darkness Omake)=123 Super Crit!
When you tasked Ravenburg and his agents with finding and "rescuing" slaves from the South, you'd expected them to bring back only a few, a dozen at most. So when the infiltration party showed up at the border with well over a hundred freed slaves less than two months after their initial departure, you had more than a few questions.
The officer in charge, one Major Hawkeye, explained how they'd managed such a feat. They'd set up concealed positions along the roads between the crystal city and the (now somewhat repaired) mines, and silently plucked the occasional lone worker off the path and vanished with them into the snow. The enslaved workers, mindless drones that they were, did nothing to impede or resist such an action. Once away from the roads and back at their hidden camp, they'd removed the mind control spell from their captives by simply pressing a lump of Orichalcum against their helmeted heads. That was apparently enough to shatter the spell controlling their bodies. They did this over and over in rapid succession, a dozen or more a day, trying to grab as many as they could before the Shadow King could realize what was happening and mounted a response. Only once they realized that so many extra mouths were stretching the limits of their supplies did they decide to head back home. Their reasoning for trying to save as many as possible becomes horrifyingly apparent once you and Ravenburg speak to the freed slaves.
You had known of the horrifically unsafe working conditions these "Crystal Ponies" lived under. But that was just the beginning. The traumatized escapees tell you stories of how their homeland was brought under the sway of the Dark King, who you now know as Sombra. How he singlehandedly killed their ruler, slaughtered their armed forces and forced all those who survived to obey his every whim. They tell you of 24-hour work days, their bodies continuing to move even as their exhausted minds slipped in and out of blessed unconsciousness. They tell you of the starvation rations, specifically proportioned servings of gruel, just enough to prevent them from dying even as their own bodies cannibalized themselves. They tell you of how workers would collapse and be left to die on an almost daily basis, their bodies buried by the driving snow. They tell you how they saw and felt everything, prisoners in their own minds, unable to control their own bodies.
They tell you of the breeding pens, the flesh-forges, the horrific monstrosities that were created by combining the corpses of their fellow workers with the Dark King's foul magics.
But they also tell you of fortifications, and of the positions and numbers of guards and golems. Of catacombs beneath the city, of doorways and gates not used since the days of the fall.
They tell you of a magical artifact that Sombra had locked away beneath his tower, something with a power even he fears.
You commend the Major for his work and order that the best treatment be provided for these Crystal Ponies. Then you call the scribes and the heralds to spread news of what they have told you.
This evil you face is far greater than you had imagined. If this does not harden the resolve of your people you don't know what will. Over a Hundred Crystal Ponies Freed. Intelligence on Crystal Empire Gained, Bonus to Morale Rolls when Facing Sombra.
Personal: You refuse to let your duties as Emperor take up every moment of your day. (Two Actions per Turn)
-Overtime: The Bank of Gryphus
-Foreign Talent: Kōryū has recently been hiring a number of experts in various fields to come work in Neighpon and teach their skills to his people, or to offer their expertise as advisors in his court. Perhaps you should take a page out of his book and see about hiring some foreign experts on magic? Cost: 300. Time: One Year. Reward: Neighponese Magic-Experts hired, New Actions Unlocked. Chance of Success: 60%.
Required: 40. Rolled: 67+10(The Next Generation Omake)=77
Your ambassador to Neighpon's first official task is to locate scholars of magic willing to relocate to the Griffonlands and share their knowledge with you and your people. This proves difficult. While many in Neighpon possess a fascination with your history, goods and culture, few are willing to actually uproot themselves from their ancestral homes and move to a foreign land. Still, your ambassador does find a handful of takers with suitable qualifications, and arranges transport to the mainland for them.
You meet the motley collection of magically-inclined immigrants on the docks of Aukland as they introduce themselves.
First is the Qilin, Asahi Kaji. While all Qilin can manipulate fire, he is a master of it, and unlike many others of his kind, can actually explain the complex principles behind it. He is eager to meet a "warrior culture" such as yours, and is particularly interested in the numerous machines which might be improved by the addition of fire magic, or vice-versa.
Next is the Kitsune, Yakō-Nogitsū. He strikes you as a somewhat nervous young male who is eager to make a good impression. As a Kitsune, he is knowledgeable in the casting of illusions and how magic can affect people's perceptions. He apparently came to your Empire in hopes of increasing his social standing, not having many opportunities in his native land despite his skills.
And finally there is the Tanuki, Danzaburō. He is a friendly, jovial little fellow who possesses great knowledge of how magic energy affects the body, and vice versa. He claims to have come to the Griffonlands in hopes of learning new things, even as he shares his own knowledge with others.
You welcome the new arrivals to your Court, and introduce them to Archimedes and Genevieve. With such knowledgeable individuals on hand, you're sure you can expect plenty of new ideas to come out of this "Thaumatological think-tank" as Archimedes has been describing it. Neighponese Magic-Experts hired, New Actions Unlocked
Hazard/Random Event Rolls
68 (Pass)
53 (Pass)
18 (Fail, to be Continued in Rumor Mill)
And, now that the money supply has been expanded, the economy has more room to grow. You're now cautiously optimistic about this whole paper money thing.
Let's not touch the whole 'fractional banking' thing though. Yes it has worked IRL (though not without some major slip ups) but keeping to the notion that x amount of paper = y amount of gold (and said value doesn't change) is probably safer for the economy for the next couple of generations.
When you tasked Ravenburg and his agents with finding and "rescuing" slaves from the South, you'd expected them to bring back only a few, a dozen at most. So when the infiltration party showed up at the border with well over a hundred freed slaves less than two months after their initial departure, you had more than a few questions.
The officer in charge, one Major Hawkeye, explained how they'd managed such a feat. They'd set up concealed positions along the roads between the crystal city and the (now somewhat repaired) mines, and silently plucked the occasional lone worker off the path and vanished with them into the snow. The enslaved workers, mindless drones that they were, did nothing to impede or resist such an action. Once away from the roads and back at their hidden camp, they'd removed the mind control spell from their captives by simply pressing a lump of Orichalcum against their helmeted heads. That was apparently enough to shatter the spell controlling their bodies. They did this over and over in rapid succession, a dozen or more a day, trying to grab as many as they could before the Shadow King could realize what was happening and mounted a response. Only once they realized that so many extra mouths were stretching the limits of their supplies did they decide to head back home. Their reasoning for trying to save as many as possible becomes horrifyingly apparent once you and Ravenburg speak to the freed slaves.
You had known of the horrifically unsafe working conditions these "Crystal Ponies" lived under. But that was just the beginning. The traumatized escapees tell you stories of how their homeland was brought under the sway of the Dark King, who you now know as Sombra. How he singlehandedly killed their ruler, slaughtered their armed forces and forced all those who survived to obey his every whim. They tell you of 24-hour work days, their bodies continuing to move even as their exhausted minds slipped in and out of blessed unconsciousness. They tell you of the starvation rations, specifically proportioned servings of gruel, just enough to prevent them from dying even as their own bodies cannibalized themselves. They tell you of how workers would collapse and be left to die on an almost daily basis, their bodies buried by the driving snow. They tell you how they saw and felt everything, prisoners in their own minds, unable to control their own bodies.
They tell you of the breeding pens, the flesh-forges, the horrific monstrosities that were created by combining the corpses of their fellow workers with the Dark King's foul magics.
But they also tell you of fortifications, and of the positions and numbers of guards and golems. Of catacombs beneath the city, of doorways and gates not used since the days of the fall.
They tell you of a magical artifact that Sombra had locked away beneath his tower, something with a power even he fears.
You commend the Major for his work and order that the best treatment be provided for these Crystal Ponies. Then you call the scribes and the heralds to spread news of what they have told you.
This evil you face is far greater than you had imagined. If this does not harden the resolve of your people you don't know what will. Over a Hundred Crystal Ponies Freed. Intelligence on Crystal Empire Gained, Bonus to Morale Rolls when Facing Sombra.
Shame there are still hundreds of thousands left..
This is very good, there is even a chance they have more valuable knowledge to share once they recover.
We might even continue and rescue more next turn. Sombra might not have even noticed! (Unless the failed hazard roll is about that)
Did they tell us what magic do the crystal ponies possess? I doubt they know of any interesting tech, but maybe they have useful magical abilities/knowledge, and even simple knowledge from their old works might be useful or simply nice to have, to add to our culture (like.. How to make different drinks/foods, new art styles, new types of music's...).
I wonder how they reacted, the disbelief, the relief, the gratitude, the guilt for being the only one saved...
Shame there are still hundreds of thousands left..
This is very good, there is even a chance they have more valuable knowledge to share once they recover.
We might even continue and rescue more next turn. Sombra might not have even noticed! (Unless the failed hazard roll is about that)
Did they tell us what magic do the crystal ponies possess? I doubt they know of any interesting tech, but maybe they have useful magical abilities/knowledge, and even simple knowledge from their old works might be useful or simply nice to have, to add to our culture (like.. How to make different drinks/foods, new art styles, new types of music's...).
I wonder how they reacted, the disbelief, the relief, the gratitude, the guilt for being the only one saved...
...you know, I'm guessing that the dice really want Sombra defeated when most, if not all the intrigue options we roll that are related to the Crystal Empire are at least 90 or higher.
Gotta say, our Intrigue folks are absurdly good at this. Like, just... its a little on the crazy side, how amazingly good our guys are at these intrigue actions. We've now got what amounts to 2 hero units. With Hawkeye and Kaboom.
Need to make sure that the Yaks get proper weapons and armour as many volunteers likely lake them.
Not only does it make them safer and more effective it show's that the griffons value the Yak's lives.
Likewise the leaders of the campagn to come should get their weapons edged in Orihalcum to better kill shadowy abominations and their creator. Shields and armour at least trimmed, if not plated, with it too.
