You look out the window with bloodshot eyes, sipping from a warm cup of precious, energy-giving tea. The snow won't stop falling. Your Qilin in residence, Asahi Kaji, has made a habit of going around the Palace each day, using his masterful control of fire magic to melt away the snow on the rooftops and along walkways. You appreciate his efforts, though you wish you had a thousand more just like him. Perhaps then you wouldn't have to worry about the roofs of any buildings caving in under the weight of foot after foot of frozen water vapor. Gwyndlyn, bless her heart, has tried to follow his example, but the most she can manage is melting a small path along the ground before needing a rest. Despite her enthusiasm, she is still only a child.
You sigh, glancing back at the reports from Yakyakistan and your emissary to Neighpon. They too have begun to feel the chill, though not as intensely as your own people. The Yaks are huddling about their fires a bit closer, walking through snow that's deeper than usual, and even the Qilin have begun to notice the unseasonably cooler temperatures in their south-westerly provinces. As for the Southern reaches of your own lands...the snow banks are as tall as defensive walls of the cities in some places. The amazing thing is that, even with the weather being what it is, work continues on the Peregrine Line. If anything the pace of work has actually increased, as all those along the border anticipate another assault by Sombra.
You grimace. Everyone knew his name now. From Yakyakistan to Neighpon, everyone had heard the stories of the rescued slaves who even now were struggling to recuperate from the horrors of what they had gone through. Some doubt that any of them will ever fully recover. And every citizen in your Empire knows that should they lose this war, they shall face a similar fate. And they work ever harder in response.
They were Griffons. They were used to hardship. Used to conflict. But this...this was something else. This was more than a war for the survival of their nation, even more than a war for their own survival. This was a war against a manifestation of pure evil, who would inflict a fate worse than death upon every living being he encountered.
Failure was not an option. Surrender, out of the question. Your people would fight. And if they died...at least they would die free.
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) One Action Locked
-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. Will Finish This Turn
[ ] 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.
[ ] Hans, Get the Flamethrower: The flame projectors proved to be one of the most important assets of the Winter War, being the only viable method of destroying the shadow-beasts, and serving as excellent counters to the abominations. Now that the Troll-Busters' contract has expired, it's probably a good idea to build a few more of these devices for yourself. Cost: 400. Time: One Year. Reward: +4 Static Flame Projectors
[ ] 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
[ ] The West Wall-Watchtowers: You have neighbors to your West. Large, strong, and surprisingly fast neighbors that are used to living off the land and crossing great distances in a relatively short period of time. They don't seem hostile at the moment, but it couldn't hurt to take precautions. The Black Cliffs of Aquileia serve as a natural barrier, but one that could be crossed by the Yaks (or another foe) if they really wanted to. It only makes sense to fortify this barrier and make it more difficult for any Yak raiders or warbands to cross into your core territory. You can start with some watchtowers. These small posts won't be able to prevent any sizable force from crossing the border, but their vigil will prevent a surprise attack and give you some warning in the event of a hostile mountain crossing. Cost: 1000. Time: Two Years. Reward: Western Border Watchtowers built, removes possibility of surprise attacks, may discourage raids into core territory.
[ ] Recruitment Drives: If you're going to take the fight to Sombra, you're going to need a lot of soldiers. Even more than you've already gathered. And after the news broke about the treatment of his slaves, there's no shortage of volunteers. Have Kingfeather expand the ranks of the army for the push South. Cost: 1500. Time: One Year. Reward: Soldiers Recruited, Army Expanded.
[ ] Into the Frost and Snow: You have the Army back up to pre-war levels, and you now have reliable intel on your enemy and an army of magic users ready to back you up. The Shadow King has been weakened from his defeat at Redstone Pass, but destroying him will require one more push, a strike against his own lands. Gather your army and march South, to victory or death. Cost: 0. Time: One Year. Reward: Crystal Empire Invasion Arc.
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)
[ ] Leaning on the Elders, Pro-Modernist: The Yaks' internal political struggles have attracted a lot of attention throughout your government, and there's been a great deal of debate as to what the Empire's response should be, or if it should respond at all. One of the ideas that's been circulating has been to exert diplomatic pressure on the leaders of the Yak Clans to encourage them to comply with some of the modernist's demands, or at least to not clamp down on them. While this could have the desired effect, it is equally likely that such pressure could be seen as Imperial meddling in Yak affairs, risking damage to relations between your peoples. Cost: 100. Time: One Year. Reward: Yak Leadership agrees to modest reforms, Modernists gain more influence. Chance of Success: 35%.
[ ] Leaning on the Elders, Pro-Traditionalist: Alternatively, some Griffons have been wondering whether the Empire should really want a strong neighbor that might come to threaten the Western Border. These theorists and diplomats propose exerting diplomatic pressure for the opposite purpose, encouraging the Yak Clan Leaders to suppress these reformers before they have a chance to gain traction, doubling down on the commitment to their traditional nomadic lifestyle. Again, there is the possibility that simply attempting to exert such pressure could upset the Yaks, regardless of their position on the issue. Cost: 100. Time: One Year. Reward: Yak Leaders suppress modernists, Modernists lose influence. Chance of Success: 35%
[ ] Immigration Campaign: The addition of Magical Advisors to your court, and the memory of how much the integration of the Diamond Dogs improved your Kingdom, has led some to propose the idea of advertising abroad for immigrants, from both Neighpon and Yakyakistan. You're not sure how many takers you'll get, but it can't hurt to try. Cost: 200. Time: One Year. Reward: Yak/Neighponese Immigrants. Chance of Success: 60%
[ ] Yaks, Meet Qilin, Qilin, Yaks: You have Neighbors that you're on good terms with, but though they both have knowledge of each other, they have yet to make actual diplomatic contact. Of course, barring their mutual relationship with you and their hatred of Sombra, you're not sure if they have anything in common. Still, it could only be a good thing to ensure your allies are on good terms with each other. See if you can arrange a meeting between representatives of both nations and facilitate the establishment of diplomatic relations. Cost: 100. Time: One Year. Reward: Diplomatic Relations between Yaks and Neighponese. Chance of Success: 70%
[ ] Steam Pump Exports: The Yaks, as a (currently) nomadic people, aren't in a place to benefit from all the technological advances your Empire has made. The Neighponese, on the other hand, are highly interested in the Steam Pumps that have improved your Mining and Agricultural sectors. Seeing as the Qilin have a notoriously low fertility rate, the cost of labor is always at a premium, and the idea of labor-saving devices or methods of increasing productivity without additional workers is highly attractive to them. Thus far they haven't had the chance to purchase the expensive and restricted devices, but an Imperial Edict could cut through the red tape and potentially net you a small profit, to say nothing of the potential boost to your relations with your neighbor. Cost: 50. Time: One Year. Reward: Neighponese Gain Basic Steam Pump technology, one-time Income Gain, Boost to Neighponese Relations.
[ ] Boom Tubes for the Dragon-Blooded: Of your advancements in military technology, the one the Neighponese have expressed the most interest in has been your cannons. In terms of long-range weaponry, the best they have are bows and siege engines called mangonels, which are not too different from the weapons Brochard used so many years ago at Wingbard. As such, they are quite intrigued by the stories of heavy projectiles flying at high speed across entire battlefields to smash into enemy lines. Of course, you have the final say as to whether they would receive such weapons. Kōryū has offered to pay all the production and shipping costs, even throwing in some extra gold to sweeten the deal, and has made a not so subtle point about the Neighponese needing every advantage they can get to help you defeat Sombra. Still, the decision is yours. Cost: 0. Time: One Year. Reward: Neighponese gain 10 Cannons, One-Time Income Gain, Boost to Neighponese Relations.
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) Two Actions Locked
[ ] Imperial Brew: This is something that could be...controversial. Archimedes' shroomshine has been exceedingly popular with the Imperial Citizenry. However, given it's relatively recent invention, all the people brewing it are doing so on a small scale. Someone in Rosewing's Department raised the idea that, instead of having a bunch of independent brewers making a bunch of wildly disparate concoctions in their basements, the government could contract them and arrange the sale and distribution of the alcohol itself, ensuring consistent quality and netting a tidy profit in the process. Of course, some people might not approve of the government selling alcohol, or taking control of the market in such a fashion. Cost: 400. Time: 1 Year. Reward: Government Controlled Breweries. Gain Alcohol Sales Income. May raise Peasant Opinion. May lower Peasant Opinion. 50% chance of either outcome.
-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. Will Finish This 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. Will Finish This Turn
[ ] Neighponese Seed Drills: An invention from the East has been seeing slow but steady adoption amongst your farmers. The Neighponese call it a seed drill, a device that sows seeds for planting at regular depth and intervals with minimal effort on the farmer's part. A few larger farms have already built or purchased their own, but most Imperial farms remain without them. Subsidize the purchase of these new devises and ensure they are widely adopted by the Empire's agricultural base. Cost: 400. Time: One Year. Reward: Increased Farming Income.
[ ] Screw You, You Cold, Fluffy, White Bullshit!: The cold is not good for growing food. The unnatural blizzard radiating north from Sombra's fortress continues it's slow but steady advance, leaving fields of frost-covered crops and frozen over Aquaculture ponds in its wake. If this keeps up, even the Mushroom farms will start to fail as the temperature drops lower and lower. Once that happens, the Hothouses won't be able to pick up the slack, and you don't want to have to rely upon Neighponese imports. Some of your Magical Advisors believe they have a way to improve the situation: Heat runes. Sort of like a magical furnace or camp stove that runs on magic instead of wood or coal. It's a patch job, and they'll be busy as all get out just keeping them running until the blizzard ends, but it's better than nothing, and it could keep the relatively small and self-contained Mushroom and Fish Farms operational for a bit longer. Cost: 200. Time: One Year. Reward: Fish and Mushroom Farms remain operational. Will Occupy the Magical Advisors for the Duration of the Blizzard.
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. They are further joined by the Neighponese trio, the Magical Experts you convinced to work for you. (Two Actions per Turn) One Action Locked
[ ] Cannon Ships: Archimedes' new cannons are much more powerful than the old bolt-throwers, if more volatile and expensive. Unfortunately, small scale tests have shown that your current Cog designs are not suited for the weight of the new weapons, or the force of their recoil. You'll need to design a new class of ship from the ground up to accommodate these new weapons. Cost: 100. Reward: New Ship Class Designed.
[ ] Flying without Wings: The fragment of the ancient design you found, while sparse on details due to its decay, has given both of your scientific advisors ideas. Big, big ideas. Of course, in order to make those ideas reality they'll need equally big amounts of funding and time. Just for starters they're going to have to figure out whether they can even build such a contraption with the materials they have available, and what other steps will need to be accomplished before they can even start to build this "flying machine". Cost: 200. Time: One Year. Reward: Viability of Airships explored, additional Learning Actions Unlocked.
[ ] Sugar Beets: Among the numerous crops that have been introduced to the Empire as a result of trade with Neighpon, Sugarcane has been one of the most sought after, particularly due to its inability to be farmed on the mainland. However, Genevieve claims to have an idea. By selectively breeding a particular species of root vegetable for increased production of Sucrose (the thing that gives Sugarcane its distinctively sweet taste), she believes it to be possible to engineer a hardier alternative to sugarcane that can be grown domestically. This will of course take a while to do. Cost: 200. Time: Two Years. Reward: Sugar Beets acquired, new Learning and Stewardship Actions Unlocked.
[ ] 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 of 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. Will Finish This Turn
[ ] Rotative Beam Engine: Archimedes and Genevieve have been going over the designs for the Steam Pumps in between other projects for the past couple of years, and they think they've come up with a way to make the devices more versatile. By replacing the piston with something called a flywheel, they can turn the single-use pump into a multi-use engine, allowing for much greater utility. Simple in theory. In practice...well, you'll need to give them some time and funding to see if it's worth it. Cost: 400. Time: Two Years. Reward: Invention of first true Steam Engine, New Actions Unlocked.
[ ] Blasting Jelly: In his numerous attempts to refine the explosives used in mining and military demolitions, Archimedes stumbled upon a volatile new substance he dubbed nitroglycerin. Unfortunately, the substance was so volatile that a single wrong move or sudden jolt could cause a massive explosion, making it too unstable for practical use outside laboratory conditions. However, Archimedes has recently stumbled upon a solution to the problem: by dissolving gun-cotton in nitroglycerin and mixing the resulting compound with wood pulp and saltpeter, a much more stable explosive was created. Naturally, he'll need funds and time to repeat the procedure and see if this new material can be safely mass-produced for use in the mines and military. Cost: 300. Time: One Year. Reward: Gain Access to Blasting Jelly, Increased Mining Income, Bonus to Demolition Rolls.
[ ] A Fire Bender's Advice on Flamethrowers: Asahi Kaji is very interested in your flamethrowers and the Liquid Fire they use as fuel. Expert on fire that he is, he seems to think that, with the right adjustments (both magical and mundane), they could be made more effective in combat. He will of course need time and funding to make these modifications. Cost: 200. Time: One Year. Reward: Bonus to Flamethrower/Liquid Fire Rolls.
[ ] Camouflage 101: Yakō-Nogitsū is a Kitsune, a race with an instinctive understanding of Illusions and deception. While he can't exactly teach your soldiers how to cast illusions, he can give them advice on how to remain hidden and out of sight, and devise methods of tricking the eyes and ears of enemy forces. Cost: 200. Time: One Year. Reward: Boost to Certain Army Actions, New Martial/Intrigue Actions Unlocked.
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)
[ ] Sleeping Dragons: Koryū is a nice guy, or at least he seems to be, and the Neighponese are steadfast allies in the war against the Shadow King. Still, the old saying goes "trust but verify". Aside from what your fellow Emperor and the first contact team told you you don't really know much about the Neighponese. Their economy, their politics, their military, their level of technological advancement. You don't even know if everything Koryū told you is true. Surely it wouldn't be a big deal if you sent a few gryphons to poke around Neighpon and report back? Cost: 400. Time: One Year. Reward: New Intel on Neighpon, New Intrigue Actions. Chance of Success: 50%
[ ] Captain Karl Kaboom's Explosive Adventures: The sabotage mission against your Southern enemy went well. So well there's almost nothing left to sabotage. Almost. At some point you're going to have to assault the Shadow King's fortress, and when you do it's going to be a hard fight. Perhaps you can make things easier for yourself by planting some explosives under and around your enemy's defenses in advance? You think you know the right person for the job. Cost: 400. Time: One Year. Reward: Explosives pre-planted on and under Crystal Empire defenses, to be triggered during attack. Chance of Success: 50%
[ ] Backing the Modernists: Picking sides in the Yaks' internal political conflict isn't exactly something that should be done publicly, but it's still something that might be necessary. Ravenburg has offered to have his agents reach out to the leaders of the Modernists and supply them with intelligence and funding, as well as carry out a subtle propaganda campaign that should encourage the greater Yak population to see the Modernists in a more favorable light. This is of course a risky venture that will enrage both the Yak leadership and general public should your activities of your spies be discovered. Cost: 300. Time: One Year. Reward: Modernists gain Influence in Yakyakistan. Chance of Success: 35%
[ ] Undermining the Modernists: Alternatively, you could have Ravenburg and his spies spread slander, rumors and misinformation to harm the Modernist cause and prevent them from gaining more influence on Yak society. You won't be telling the Yak Leadership about this, and if it's discovered you'll face condemnation from both sides of the political aisle. Cost: 300. Time: One Year. Reward: Modernists lose Influence in Yakyakistan. Chance of Success: 35%
Personal: You refuse to let your duties as Emperor take up every moment of your day. (Two Actions per Turn)
[ ] Overtime: Your advisors can only do so much, and sometimes that's just not enough. If it's truly necessary, you can sacrifice some of your otherwise free time to carry out an additional action from another category, provided said action has a duration of only one year. The costs and chances of success for that action remain the same.
[ ] Combing the Archives: Your last trip to the Archives proved a fruitful endeavor that reintroduced long-lost technology to the Empire. Who knows what else you could find buried amongst the piles of faded parchment? Cost: 0. Time: One Year. Reward: Chance to gain information and knowledge from Pre-Discord Records.
[ ] Sympathy Tour: This unnatural blizzard is more intense than it was last time, and its likely going to last longer as well. Your people are suffering, though they are not yet starving. It may do some good to do a tour of your lands, to show the people that you are not simply holed up in your Palace, that you are aware of their suffering and are working night and day to rectify it. Cost: 50. Time: One Year. Reward: Tour of the Empire made, Citizens Reassured.
[ ] New Swords for Everybody!: Now that you've got a neat new metal, it's time to start forging it into blades. Unfortunately you only have the one deposit of Orichalcum, which, due to the nature of the material, has proven difficult to mine in large quantities. As such, you don't have a lot of the stuff to work with. But that still leaves you with more than enough to forge new blades for yourself, Gabriella, your children, and the Grandmasters of the Knightly Orders. Cost: 300. Time: One Year. Reward: Orichalcum blades for you, your family, and the Grandmasters.
There will be a twelve hour moratorium to allow everyone to engage in discussion and plan-building.
