Additionally what would that even do? Our military core is completely magicless.
So basically do what that one successful Shogun did?
Who Needs Harmony?: An MLP Empire Quest
- Thread starter Questor
- Start date
- Location
- Italy
That's what I meant by "they wouldn't have much use of it against us".
Not even considering how hard it is to forge and refine, what with the very high temperature required. They barely even have the BASICS of metalworking!
- Location
- Latvia, Riga
Crystal Hearts and Minds...
So If we get a crit, I'd like to have a scene where while wandering around, Crystal Nationalist extremist tries to attack Gleaming Pearl for being a "national traitor" and Gwyndlyn sees and protects "her sister" long enough for family/guards to save them, thus cementing in everypony that we are "kindhearted saviors" rather so-called conquerers by those "wacko extremists"
So If we get a crit, I'd like to have a scene where while wandering around, Crystal Nationalist extremist tries to attack Gleaming Pearl for being a "national traitor" and Gwyndlyn sees and protects "her sister" long enough for family/guards to save them, thus cementing in everypony that we are "kindhearted saviors" rather so-called conquerers by those "wacko extremists"
- Location
- USA
While i love the sentiment i dont think she is old enough to be able to truly fight anyone just yet though it would be funny to read.
Nervos Belli
Don't think this means you've won!
- Location
- Murica
Also given how much goodwill we've built up freeing the ponies and our relative moderation in the summit, I suspect even the Crystal nationalists are more in the "we appreciate what you've done, but would like some space" camp than the "You're all as bad as Sombra" one. Not everyone who opposes us is bound to be violently and unnecessarily evil.
- Location
- Latvia, Riga
True, but every group has its extremists.
Underdog syndrome. Jumping on the offensive pons head, and screaming "leave my sister alone!" has quite an effect.
- Location
- Germany
Don't traumatize our daughter for PR. She's a child, how do you think she would feel in this situation?
On another note, the success chances for both The Cursed Mountain and The Great Hunt are 70%, and they use our lowest stat modifiers.
Since the Hunt is a three year action and costs 4500g overall, it would be great if someone could invest an omake bonus on that to reduce the 16% current chance of failure...
It's still a mineral great at it's second job, actually killing.
Also hey! Just got here after reading everything. Personally I want to abdicate at our 25th anniversary of our coronation. Unless a war is occurring, than after said war.
- Location
- sweden
- Location
- A house
I have been struck by a severe case of writers block. But I am trying to write something... put my other things on hold to try and make something kinda short I'm happy with.
- Location
- USA
Dont worry never gonna rush someone taking time out of their day to write just cause they want to. Write what you feel like you will be happy with and we will love it.
Turn 19 Results
- Location
- Maryland
Martial: Having just recently replaced the respected and long-serving Gustav Kingfeather, Manfred Redbeak is eager to prove himself and assure you that you made the right choice in a military advisor. He's thrown himself into his work with an energy his predecessor hadn't possessed in years, working to improve the overall status of the Imperial Military.
-Logistics Reform: Your army learned many lessons on the long road from Gryphus to the Crystal City. The dangers of terrain, the need for scouts and reliable means of navigation, and the importance of robust supply lines and logistical networks. Manfred Redbeak has a few ideas when it comes to the latter, from the establishment of permanent supply depots to the creation of dedicated logistical companies within larger units. While expensive in the short term, these reforms are expected to result in a net decrease in Army upkeep costs in the long-term. Cost: 800. Time: One Year. Reward: Strengthened Logistical Network, decreased Army Upkeep.
Redbeak goes to work, purchasing supplies and equipment in bulk to stock the numerous and permanent depots and magazines that are established across the Empire in strategic locations. Organic, dedicated logistics companies are attached to each large-scale administrative unit to ease supply burdens and simplify supply lines. Redbeak even goes so far as to work out a mathematical formula for calculating the amount of food an army of any given size may require when on the march. All of these reforms have resulted in a significant reduction in the overall upkeep costs of your army, which will make it easier to expand it should you find yourself in another massive war. Army Upkeep reduced from 200 to 150 per Ten Thousand Soldiers.
-The Great Hunt: While the greatest external threat to the Empire (that you know of) has been dealt with, the internal threats still remain. Trolls, Manticores, Hydras, Chimeras, Cockatrices, Feral Diamond Dogs and common bandits infest the lands of your Empire, and their numbers have only been growing while you have been occupied with Sombra. Local militias and the Knightly orders are enough to protect settlements, but few are comfortable with the fact that roughly half the land within your borders is dangerously infested with monsters. You have no shortage of veterans willing to get their talons dirty. Gather the full might of the Empire and purge the land of these dangerous beasts. Time: Three Years. Cost: 1500. Reward: Imperial Lands Purged of Monsters and Bandits, New Options Unlocked. Chance of Success: 70%
Required: 30. Rolled: 60+14=74
Though Sombra lies dead and the Winter War is long over, there still exist threats to the Empire. Trolls, Bandits, and other monsters all call the lands within your borders home. They have been a constant threat to your people, an ever-present danger that the two recent wars have distracted you from. But no longer. So many years after assuming the title of Emperor, you intend to finally purge your lands of the lawless beasts living within it. But such an ambitious goal is not so easily attained. It will require coordination of troops on an unprecedented scale as battalions fan out and sweep across the length and breadth of the Empire, purging all bandit camps, troll dens and wandering beasts they encounter. Difficult...but not impossible.
The first few months are taken up by great preparations as the Empire is divided into numerous sectors to be swept clean individually, individual battalions assigned a series of areas to purge in a pre-determined sequence. Soldiers, trained in large unit warfare, familiarize themselves with skirmish and encirclement tactics designed to prevent their prey from escaping. Veterans used to fighting swarms of suicidal foes now prepare themselves to chase down enemies uninterested in facing them. It is a much different kind of war, if it can even be called that. Still, your troops are the Empire's finest, and adapt well to their altered mission parameters.
Halfway through the year, after much preparation, the hunt begins in earnest. Thousands of armed and armored Griffons take to the skies across the Empire to seek out and hunt down the beasts of the great forests, their Diamond Dog allies assisting on the ground as their keen noses complement the sharp vision of their sky-bound comrades. Hydras are skewered with arrows, cockatrices are beheaded, manticores and chimera are run through with spears, bandit camps are burned and troll warrens are collapsed via generous application of liquid fire. By the end of the year, multiple sectors have been cleared. The first step on the road to a safe Imperial Heartland has been taken. Will Finish in Two Turns.
Diplomacy: Elva remains busy this year, coordinating diplomatic actions and communications between the Empire, its newest protectorate, and its neighbors.
-Could You Check That Out For Me?: The disappearance of multiple ship crews over the previous year have sailors spooked. Few are the ship captains now willing to go beyond sight of the shores, and this has had a serious effect upon international trade, impacting the economies of both Gryphus and Neighpon. Unfortunately, while your military might is great, your navy is relatively weak, especially when compared to the Kingdom of Neighpon and its vast armada. While your nation is ill-suited to investigating this maritime mystery, your ally is well equipped for the task. Kōryū is already contemplating dispatching his navy to scour the sea for clues, perhaps applying some diplomatic pressure could cement such a decision? Cost: 100. Time: One Year. Reward: Neighpon dispatches their navy to investigate the Ghost Ships. Chance of Success: 80%
Required: 20. Rolled: 40+18=58
Your ambassador passes on your concerns for the situation to Kōryū and his court. This seems to have been the tipping point to get the Dragon Emperor to dispatch the bulk of his sizable navy to comb the ocean for whatever may be threatening the shipping lanes between your nations. Though they have yet to find anything of significance, their presence has reassured many, and previously reluctant merchant captains return to sea now that the vessels of the Neighponese Navy watch over the trade routes. Unfortunately, the good news came to an end when the Neighponese reported back on what they'd found. +200 Trade Income. To be continued in Rumor Mill.
-Crystal Hearts and Minds: You have made the Crystal Empire a protectorate of Gryphus, something that has gone over surprisingly well with most its inhabitants. Still, not all of your new subjects are very enthused with their loss of independence, marginal as it may be, and while such "Crystal Nationalists" are in the minority at present, it may be a good idea to paint yourself as a benevolent ruler while your people are still in the "honeymoon phase". In addition to her usual diplomatic skills, Elva is also a bit of an expert when it comes to public relations. Have her organize a PR campaign to supplement the material aid destined for the Crystal City. Cost: 300. Time: One Year. Reward: Crystal Nationalist Influence reduced, Cement Positive view of Gryphus in the eyes of the Crystal Empire. Chance of Success: 75%
Required: 25. Rolled: 88+18+15(Good Intentions Omake)=121 Art Crit!
The Crystal Ponies love you. That's not an exaggeration. After Elva started printing out posters, having select Griffons and Diamond Dogs give rallying speeches to select crowds of Crystal Ponies, and drawing attention to the numerous acts of charity you and your government have been responsible for, your popularity amongst the inhabitants of the Crystal Empire, which was already fairly high, goes through the roof. While this likely also has something to do with the massive amount of funding you've been tossing at them this year, Elva's work has certainly made quite an impact on the hearts and minds of the Crystal Ponies. So much so that some have reportedly started erecting statues of you and other Griffons as "Guardians of the Crystal Ponies".
Needless to say, while the Crystal Nationalists still exist, they have next to no influence, and are even more of a minority than they before. Their neighbors simply love you too much to think about striking out on their own as an independent nation now. Crystal Nationalists marginalized, Crystal Ponies practically worship you.
Stewardship: Frida is very busy this year, dealing with one crisis after another, from overseeing the resolution of the Crystal Refugee crisis to the outbreak of Featherpox in Kestrella and the drying up of oceanic trade as a result of the "ghost ship" scares. As always, she still miraculously maintains an upbeat demeanor, though even this has begun to fray at the edges as the work wears her down.
-The Bronzeclaw Plan: While its inhabitants are doing their best to rectify the situation, the lands of your new Protectorate are still largely in ruins. What infrastructure wasn't destroyed in the war was seriously neglected under the rule of Sombra. Frida has proposed a comprehensive plan to rectify this, drawing inspiration from her predecessor's successful program to modernize the infrastructure of Aquileia in the aftermath of the Unification War. The plan essentially involves supplying the existing Crystal Government with vast sums of funding and support from Griffon and Diamond Dog experts to be directed where they are needed. Naturally, rebuilding a nation is going to be an expensive and time-consuming endeavor, but it's an investment that needs to be made if you're going to start making a profit off your newest territorial acquisition. Time: Two Years. Reward: 2000. Reward: Crystal Protectorate rebuilt, Increased Tax Income.
The carrying out of the so-called "Bronzeclaw Plan" as the public has popularly dubbed it, is both complex and simple. Complex in that it involves the raising, transfer and expenditure of obscene amounts of wealth, but simple in that all Frida's really doing with it is throwing it at the Crystal Ponies, who then use those funds to hire workers, purchase materials and tools, and acquire skilled laborers and other experts from within your Empire. While concerns have been raised regarding the possibility of graft and corruption that this plan entails, Frida has cooperated with Ravenburg and the Crystal Government to set up a system of records and accountability to ensure that, if any funds do go missing, they'll know exactly who was responsible for swiping them. And while a couple of administrators are caught red-hoofed and publicly shamed for their crimes, the vast majority of Crystal Ponies are eager to put the funds they've been given to their intended use: making the Crystal Kingdom great again. Scaffolding goes up across the Crystal City as dozens of new buildings are constructed at a rapid pace, laborers working around the clock to finish their assigned project only to move onto the next at blistering speeds.
Roads are laid down, fields are plowed, lands are surveyed for mineral deposits, and the former slaves of Sombra begin to take pride and joy in their labor once again. It will be some time before they can hope to rival even the least productive Imperial Province, but they are on the way towards exporting as much as they import. Will Finish Next Turn.
-Adopt a Pony Program: Thousands of Crystal Ponies inhabit hastily erected tent-cities, having been freed from Sombra before his defeat or fled the frost-blasted wasteland their homeland has been reduced to in order to escape the threat of famine. They are unsuitable for long-term habitation, and consuming vast amounts of resources for maitenance. Before anything else, these camps need to be emptied. Ideas have been passed around of a sort of "adopt a pony" program, where the Citizens of the Empire will open up their homes to these former victims of Sombra in exchange for a sizable tax cut, providing them with the care and sense of community they require while simultaneously assisting their integration into the wider Empire of Gryphus. Some Griffons and Dogs have already begun to do this on a small scale individually, but many feel that this should become an official government policy. This will of course be a significant undertaking that will require a massive bureaucracy and boatloads of funding, but it is both necessary and worth it to help those who have already suffered so much. Time: Three Years. Cost: 1500. Reward: Crystal Refugee Situation Resolved. Crystal Ponies integrated into Gryphonian society. Will Finish this Turn.
The initial success of the program last year continues, as thousands of Crystal Ponies are matched up with host families to care for them and help them integrate into Imperial society. By now, many of the former refugees have begun to show signs of recovery from the mental tortures of Sombra, and some have even been seeking out jobs or engaging in community service in attempt to "pay back" the charity and kindness of their Griffon and Dog hosts. Many host families go so far as to officially and legally adopt the refugees in their care into their families, and more than a few romantic relationships between Griffons and Crystal Ponies are rumored to have been formed in recent days.
By the end of the year, each and every refugee camp has been emptied in its entirety, and the crisis that the national adoption program was created to solve is declared at an end. Support for host families and the Crystal Ponies will continue in a limited capacity for years to come, but the hard part is over. Crystal Refugee Situation Resolved. Crystal Ponies integrated into Gryphonian society.
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.
-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.
A team of engineers and shipwrights are gathered together to draw up a new kind of naval combat vessel, one capable of carrying and utilizing black powder artillery to fight other ships on the high seas. After much debate, discussion and brainstorming, the panel of experts puts forward a final design: the "Carrack".
While a unique class of vessel in its own right, it has clearly drawn some inspiration from the smaller, unarmed Caravels usually reserved for naval exploration. Surprisingly, despite the weight of the cannon, it is predicted that, under the correct circumstances, these vessels may be capable of moving faster than their Cog predecessors! All that's left to do is build the ships and see. Even if they're slower than expected, they'll certainly be better armed than the ships you already use. New Ship Class Designed.
-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: 500. Time: Two Years. Reward: Invention of first true Steam Engine, New Actions Unlocked. Will Finish This Turn
After many months of painstaking work, Archimedes finally unveils his "masterpiece", what he calls a "rotative beam steam engine". Based on the already well-known steam pump, the engine incorporates a device known as a flywheel, which allows it to store and expend mechanical energy in a much wider variety of ways than the previous iteration. If it's anything like his previous innovations, this machine will have a significant positive effect on national productivity and economic growth.
You commend Archimedes for all his hard work. You're sure this device will most definitely earn him a place in the history books...as if he hadn't already earned a spot there. First Steam Engine Developed, New Actions Unlocked.
Intrigue: Ravenburg, while happy that the war is over, sees no reason for him to relax, remaining as busy as ever. "The enemies of the Empire never rest, and neither can I." You respect his dedication if nothing else.
-The Cursed Mountain: The River Walkers Clan has informed you of a potential site of a sizable Orichalcum deposit: a mountain recently absorbed into the territory of the rival Broken Horns Clan. The Broken Horns, for their part, claim that no deposits of Orichalcum are present within their territory. Either they're simply unaware of the existence of the deposit...or one of the Clans is attempting to deceive you. Dispatch Ravenburg' Spies to investigate. Cost: 200. Time: One Year. Reward: Information on Potential Orichalcum Deposit in Yakyakistan. Chance of Success: 70%
Required: 30. Rolled: 73+13=86
Griffon Trade caravans are a common sight upon the steppes of Yakyakistan, traveling across the landscape to ply their wares amongst the Yak communities. These caravans occupy a unique position in Yak society, capable of crossing borders and interacting with different clans with impunity. And the fact that, despite their recent attempts at modernization, many Yak communities remain somewhat nomadic, means that the caravans often change their routes to accommodate the wandering desires and changing locations of their customers. All of these qualities make them ideal for concealing Ravenburg's spies, who accompany a caravan traveling close to the so-called "cursed mountain".
Their investigations bear fruit, as the mountain in question does indeed prove to house a significant deposit of Orichalcum, the only such deposit known to exist outside of the one already being exploited within your borders. To complicate matters, it seems that, while the average Yak may be unaware of this, the leadership of the Broken Horns Clan is certainly aware of the nature of the "cursed mountain", and the value of its mineral bounty. While they are at present incapable of mining and shaping the Orichalcum within their borders, the simple fact that they have possession of it gives them a great bargaining chip to be used in any negotiations with you, Neighpon and their fellow Yak clans. A complex situation to be sure.
Yak-Owned Orichalcum Deposit Identified, New Options Unlocked.
Personal: You refuse to let your duties as Emperor take up every moment of your day.
-Draconic Past-Time: Gwyndlyn, like her brother before her, is getting to the age where simple playing isn't enough to keep her attention. A hobby to take her interest and teach her some new skills would be a good thing to introduce her to at this point. Time: One Year. Cost: 0. Reward: Gwyndlyn gets a hobby and a new trait.
Gwyndlyn is growing up, and becoming more restless as she does so. Her lessons no longer consume all of her attention, and you can tell she desires something to occupy her time with beyond simple childish play. Now seems like a good a time as any to introduce her to a hobby. But which subject shall you introduce her to?
[ ] Board Games: She shall follow her elder brother's example, and will learn patience, strategy, and how to read people by playing numerous board and card games with you and members of the Imperial court.
[ ] Hunting: She shall be taught how to hunt, something her draconic ancestry lends itself well to. This will be somewhat difficult seeing as how most of her potential prey is being killed off by the great hunt, but not all wildlife is being purged, and what creatures your soldiers inevitably miss can be hunted down by your draconic daughter.
[ ] Gardening: Gwyndlyn has always loved the outdoors, and has spent a great deal of time walking amidst the trees and flowers of the Palace Gardens. You're sure she'd love a chance to care for the plants and learn all there is to know about them.
-Gleaming Pearl gets Schooled: Another child, another education to arrange. You know the drill by now. Cost: 0. Time: One Year. Reward: Quality Time with Family, Plans made for Pearl's future upbringing and education.
[ ] Mistress of None: She will receive instruction in all subjects, ensuring a well-rounded education. +None, -None
[ ] Like Mother like Daughter: She shall spend time amongst knights, soldiers, and officers who shall mold her into the legendary warrior the realm needs to defend it. Maker knows the Ponies could use some warriors of their own. +Martial, +Intrigue, -Learning
[ ] Pearls of Wisdom: She shall follow in her brother's footsteps, spending her days amidst the tomes and scrolls of the Royal library, familiarizing herself with the sciences and the arts, and imbuing her with a head for numbers. +Learning, +Stewardship, -Intrigue
[ ] Gleaming Golden Pearl: Your daughter shall learn the intricate and complicated laws of the market, tutored by bankers, burghers, merchants, and other industrious fortune-builders in the art of accumulating wealth. +Diplomacy, +Stewardship, -Martial
Hazard/Random Event Roll:
80 (Pass)
18 (To be Continued in Rumor Mill)
Voting on the two personal actions is open now, no need to wait.
-Logistics Reform: Your army learned many lessons on the long road from Gryphus to the Crystal City. The dangers of terrain, the need for scouts and reliable means of navigation, and the importance of robust supply lines and logistical networks. Manfred Redbeak has a few ideas when it comes to the latter, from the establishment of permanent supply depots to the creation of dedicated logistical companies within larger units. While expensive in the short term, these reforms are expected to result in a net decrease in Army upkeep costs in the long-term. Cost: 800. Time: One Year. Reward: Strengthened Logistical Network, decreased Army Upkeep.
Redbeak goes to work, purchasing supplies and equipment in bulk to stock the numerous and permanent depots and magazines that are established across the Empire in strategic locations. Organic, dedicated logistics companies are attached to each large-scale administrative unit to ease supply burdens and simplify supply lines. Redbeak even goes so far as to work out a mathematical formula for calculating the amount of food an army of any given size may require when on the march. All of these reforms have resulted in a significant reduction in the overall upkeep costs of your army, which will make it easier to expand it should you find yourself in another massive war. Army Upkeep reduced from 200 to 150 per Ten Thousand Soldiers.
-The Great Hunt: While the greatest external threat to the Empire (that you know of) has been dealt with, the internal threats still remain. Trolls, Manticores, Hydras, Chimeras, Cockatrices, Feral Diamond Dogs and common bandits infest the lands of your Empire, and their numbers have only been growing while you have been occupied with Sombra. Local militias and the Knightly orders are enough to protect settlements, but few are comfortable with the fact that roughly half the land within your borders is dangerously infested with monsters. You have no shortage of veterans willing to get their talons dirty. Gather the full might of the Empire and purge the land of these dangerous beasts. Time: Three Years. Cost: 1500. Reward: Imperial Lands Purged of Monsters and Bandits, New Options Unlocked. Chance of Success: 70%
Required: 30. Rolled: 60+14=74
Though Sombra lies dead and the Winter War is long over, there still exist threats to the Empire. Trolls, Bandits, and other monsters all call the lands within your borders home. They have been a constant threat to your people, an ever-present danger that the two recent wars have distracted you from. But no longer. So many years after assuming the title of Emperor, you intend to finally purge your lands of the lawless beasts living within it. But such an ambitious goal is not so easily attained. It will require coordination of troops on an unprecedented scale as battalions fan out and sweep across the length and breadth of the Empire, purging all bandit camps, troll dens and wandering beasts they encounter. Difficult...but not impossible.
The first few months are taken up by great preparations as the Empire is divided into numerous sectors to be swept clean individually, individual battalions assigned a series of areas to purge in a pre-determined sequence. Soldiers, trained in large unit warfare, familiarize themselves with skirmish and encirclement tactics designed to prevent their prey from escaping. Veterans used to fighting swarms of suicidal foes now prepare themselves to chase down enemies uninterested in facing them. It is a much different kind of war, if it can even be called that. Still, your troops are the Empire's finest, and adapt well to their altered mission parameters.
Halfway through the year, after much preparation, the hunt begins in earnest. Thousands of armed and armored Griffons take to the skies across the Empire to seek out and hunt down the beasts of the great forests, their Diamond Dog allies assisting on the ground as their keen noses complement the sharp vision of their sky-bound comrades. Hydras are skewered with arrows, cockatrices are beheaded, manticores and chimera are run through with spears, bandit camps are burned and troll warrens are collapsed via generous application of liquid fire. By the end of the year, multiple sectors have been cleared. The first step on the road to a safe Imperial Heartland has been taken. Will Finish in Two Turns.
Diplomacy: Elva remains busy this year, coordinating diplomatic actions and communications between the Empire, its newest protectorate, and its neighbors.
-Could You Check That Out For Me?: The disappearance of multiple ship crews over the previous year have sailors spooked. Few are the ship captains now willing to go beyond sight of the shores, and this has had a serious effect upon international trade, impacting the economies of both Gryphus and Neighpon. Unfortunately, while your military might is great, your navy is relatively weak, especially when compared to the Kingdom of Neighpon and its vast armada. While your nation is ill-suited to investigating this maritime mystery, your ally is well equipped for the task. Kōryū is already contemplating dispatching his navy to scour the sea for clues, perhaps applying some diplomatic pressure could cement such a decision? Cost: 100. Time: One Year. Reward: Neighpon dispatches their navy to investigate the Ghost Ships. Chance of Success: 80%
Required: 20. Rolled: 40+18=58
Your ambassador passes on your concerns for the situation to Kōryū and his court. This seems to have been the tipping point to get the Dragon Emperor to dispatch the bulk of his sizable navy to comb the ocean for whatever may be threatening the shipping lanes between your nations. Though they have yet to find anything of significance, their presence has reassured many, and previously reluctant merchant captains return to sea now that the vessels of the Neighponese Navy watch over the trade routes. Unfortunately, the good news came to an end when the Neighponese reported back on what they'd found. +200 Trade Income. To be continued in Rumor Mill.
-Crystal Hearts and Minds: You have made the Crystal Empire a protectorate of Gryphus, something that has gone over surprisingly well with most its inhabitants. Still, not all of your new subjects are very enthused with their loss of independence, marginal as it may be, and while such "Crystal Nationalists" are in the minority at present, it may be a good idea to paint yourself as a benevolent ruler while your people are still in the "honeymoon phase". In addition to her usual diplomatic skills, Elva is also a bit of an expert when it comes to public relations. Have her organize a PR campaign to supplement the material aid destined for the Crystal City. Cost: 300. Time: One Year. Reward: Crystal Nationalist Influence reduced, Cement Positive view of Gryphus in the eyes of the Crystal Empire. Chance of Success: 75%
Required: 25. Rolled: 88+18+15(Good Intentions Omake)=121 Art Crit!
The Crystal Ponies love you. That's not an exaggeration. After Elva started printing out posters, having select Griffons and Diamond Dogs give rallying speeches to select crowds of Crystal Ponies, and drawing attention to the numerous acts of charity you and your government have been responsible for, your popularity amongst the inhabitants of the Crystal Empire, which was already fairly high, goes through the roof. While this likely also has something to do with the massive amount of funding you've been tossing at them this year, Elva's work has certainly made quite an impact on the hearts and minds of the Crystal Ponies. So much so that some have reportedly started erecting statues of you and other Griffons as "Guardians of the Crystal Ponies".
Needless to say, while the Crystal Nationalists still exist, they have next to no influence, and are even more of a minority than they before. Their neighbors simply love you too much to think about striking out on their own as an independent nation now. Crystal Nationalists marginalized, Crystal Ponies practically worship you.
Stewardship: Frida is very busy this year, dealing with one crisis after another, from overseeing the resolution of the Crystal Refugee crisis to the outbreak of Featherpox in Kestrella and the drying up of oceanic trade as a result of the "ghost ship" scares. As always, she still miraculously maintains an upbeat demeanor, though even this has begun to fray at the edges as the work wears her down.
-The Bronzeclaw Plan: While its inhabitants are doing their best to rectify the situation, the lands of your new Protectorate are still largely in ruins. What infrastructure wasn't destroyed in the war was seriously neglected under the rule of Sombra. Frida has proposed a comprehensive plan to rectify this, drawing inspiration from her predecessor's successful program to modernize the infrastructure of Aquileia in the aftermath of the Unification War. The plan essentially involves supplying the existing Crystal Government with vast sums of funding and support from Griffon and Diamond Dog experts to be directed where they are needed. Naturally, rebuilding a nation is going to be an expensive and time-consuming endeavor, but it's an investment that needs to be made if you're going to start making a profit off your newest territorial acquisition. Time: Two Years. Reward: 2000. Reward: Crystal Protectorate rebuilt, Increased Tax Income.
The carrying out of the so-called "Bronzeclaw Plan" as the public has popularly dubbed it, is both complex and simple. Complex in that it involves the raising, transfer and expenditure of obscene amounts of wealth, but simple in that all Frida's really doing with it is throwing it at the Crystal Ponies, who then use those funds to hire workers, purchase materials and tools, and acquire skilled laborers and other experts from within your Empire. While concerns have been raised regarding the possibility of graft and corruption that this plan entails, Frida has cooperated with Ravenburg and the Crystal Government to set up a system of records and accountability to ensure that, if any funds do go missing, they'll know exactly who was responsible for swiping them. And while a couple of administrators are caught red-hoofed and publicly shamed for their crimes, the vast majority of Crystal Ponies are eager to put the funds they've been given to their intended use: making the Crystal Kingdom great again. Scaffolding goes up across the Crystal City as dozens of new buildings are constructed at a rapid pace, laborers working around the clock to finish their assigned project only to move onto the next at blistering speeds.
Roads are laid down, fields are plowed, lands are surveyed for mineral deposits, and the former slaves of Sombra begin to take pride and joy in their labor once again. It will be some time before they can hope to rival even the least productive Imperial Province, but they are on the way towards exporting as much as they import. Will Finish Next Turn.
-Adopt a Pony Program: Thousands of Crystal Ponies inhabit hastily erected tent-cities, having been freed from Sombra before his defeat or fled the frost-blasted wasteland their homeland has been reduced to in order to escape the threat of famine. They are unsuitable for long-term habitation, and consuming vast amounts of resources for maitenance. Before anything else, these camps need to be emptied. Ideas have been passed around of a sort of "adopt a pony" program, where the Citizens of the Empire will open up their homes to these former victims of Sombra in exchange for a sizable tax cut, providing them with the care and sense of community they require while simultaneously assisting their integration into the wider Empire of Gryphus. Some Griffons and Dogs have already begun to do this on a small scale individually, but many feel that this should become an official government policy. This will of course be a significant undertaking that will require a massive bureaucracy and boatloads of funding, but it is both necessary and worth it to help those who have already suffered so much. Time: Three Years. Cost: 1500. Reward: Crystal Refugee Situation Resolved. Crystal Ponies integrated into Gryphonian society. Will Finish this Turn.
The initial success of the program last year continues, as thousands of Crystal Ponies are matched up with host families to care for them and help them integrate into Imperial society. By now, many of the former refugees have begun to show signs of recovery from the mental tortures of Sombra, and some have even been seeking out jobs or engaging in community service in attempt to "pay back" the charity and kindness of their Griffon and Dog hosts. Many host families go so far as to officially and legally adopt the refugees in their care into their families, and more than a few romantic relationships between Griffons and Crystal Ponies are rumored to have been formed in recent days.
By the end of the year, each and every refugee camp has been emptied in its entirety, and the crisis that the national adoption program was created to solve is declared at an end. Support for host families and the Crystal Ponies will continue in a limited capacity for years to come, but the hard part is over. Crystal Refugee Situation Resolved. Crystal Ponies integrated into Gryphonian society.
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.
-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.
A team of engineers and shipwrights are gathered together to draw up a new kind of naval combat vessel, one capable of carrying and utilizing black powder artillery to fight other ships on the high seas. After much debate, discussion and brainstorming, the panel of experts puts forward a final design: the "Carrack".
While a unique class of vessel in its own right, it has clearly drawn some inspiration from the smaller, unarmed Caravels usually reserved for naval exploration. Surprisingly, despite the weight of the cannon, it is predicted that, under the correct circumstances, these vessels may be capable of moving faster than their Cog predecessors! All that's left to do is build the ships and see. Even if they're slower than expected, they'll certainly be better armed than the ships you already use. New Ship Class Designed.
-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: 500. Time: Two Years. Reward: Invention of first true Steam Engine, New Actions Unlocked. Will Finish This Turn
After many months of painstaking work, Archimedes finally unveils his "masterpiece", what he calls a "rotative beam steam engine". Based on the already well-known steam pump, the engine incorporates a device known as a flywheel, which allows it to store and expend mechanical energy in a much wider variety of ways than the previous iteration. If it's anything like his previous innovations, this machine will have a significant positive effect on national productivity and economic growth.
You commend Archimedes for all his hard work. You're sure this device will most definitely earn him a place in the history books...as if he hadn't already earned a spot there. First Steam Engine Developed, New Actions Unlocked.
Intrigue: Ravenburg, while happy that the war is over, sees no reason for him to relax, remaining as busy as ever. "The enemies of the Empire never rest, and neither can I." You respect his dedication if nothing else.
-The Cursed Mountain: The River Walkers Clan has informed you of a potential site of a sizable Orichalcum deposit: a mountain recently absorbed into the territory of the rival Broken Horns Clan. The Broken Horns, for their part, claim that no deposits of Orichalcum are present within their territory. Either they're simply unaware of the existence of the deposit...or one of the Clans is attempting to deceive you. Dispatch Ravenburg' Spies to investigate. Cost: 200. Time: One Year. Reward: Information on Potential Orichalcum Deposit in Yakyakistan. Chance of Success: 70%
Required: 30. Rolled: 73+13=86
Griffon Trade caravans are a common sight upon the steppes of Yakyakistan, traveling across the landscape to ply their wares amongst the Yak communities. These caravans occupy a unique position in Yak society, capable of crossing borders and interacting with different clans with impunity. And the fact that, despite their recent attempts at modernization, many Yak communities remain somewhat nomadic, means that the caravans often change their routes to accommodate the wandering desires and changing locations of their customers. All of these qualities make them ideal for concealing Ravenburg's spies, who accompany a caravan traveling close to the so-called "cursed mountain".
Their investigations bear fruit, as the mountain in question does indeed prove to house a significant deposit of Orichalcum, the only such deposit known to exist outside of the one already being exploited within your borders. To complicate matters, it seems that, while the average Yak may be unaware of this, the leadership of the Broken Horns Clan is certainly aware of the nature of the "cursed mountain", and the value of its mineral bounty. While they are at present incapable of mining and shaping the Orichalcum within their borders, the simple fact that they have possession of it gives them a great bargaining chip to be used in any negotiations with you, Neighpon and their fellow Yak clans. A complex situation to be sure.
Yak-Owned Orichalcum Deposit Identified, New Options Unlocked.
Personal: You refuse to let your duties as Emperor take up every moment of your day.
-Draconic Past-Time: Gwyndlyn, like her brother before her, is getting to the age where simple playing isn't enough to keep her attention. A hobby to take her interest and teach her some new skills would be a good thing to introduce her to at this point. Time: One Year. Cost: 0. Reward: Gwyndlyn gets a hobby and a new trait.
Gwyndlyn is growing up, and becoming more restless as she does so. Her lessons no longer consume all of her attention, and you can tell she desires something to occupy her time with beyond simple childish play. Now seems like a good a time as any to introduce her to a hobby. But which subject shall you introduce her to?
[ ] Board Games: She shall follow her elder brother's example, and will learn patience, strategy, and how to read people by playing numerous board and card games with you and members of the Imperial court.
[ ] Hunting: She shall be taught how to hunt, something her draconic ancestry lends itself well to. This will be somewhat difficult seeing as how most of her potential prey is being killed off by the great hunt, but not all wildlife is being purged, and what creatures your soldiers inevitably miss can be hunted down by your draconic daughter.
[ ] Gardening: Gwyndlyn has always loved the outdoors, and has spent a great deal of time walking amidst the trees and flowers of the Palace Gardens. You're sure she'd love a chance to care for the plants and learn all there is to know about them.
-Gleaming Pearl gets Schooled: Another child, another education to arrange. You know the drill by now. Cost: 0. Time: One Year. Reward: Quality Time with Family, Plans made for Pearl's future upbringing and education.
[ ] Mistress of None: She will receive instruction in all subjects, ensuring a well-rounded education. +None, -None
[ ] Like Mother like Daughter: She shall spend time amongst knights, soldiers, and officers who shall mold her into the legendary warrior the realm needs to defend it. Maker knows the Ponies could use some warriors of their own. +Martial, +Intrigue, -Learning
[ ] Pearls of Wisdom: She shall follow in her brother's footsteps, spending her days amidst the tomes and scrolls of the Royal library, familiarizing herself with the sciences and the arts, and imbuing her with a head for numbers. +Learning, +Stewardship, -Intrigue
[ ] Gleaming Golden Pearl: Your daughter shall learn the intricate and complicated laws of the market, tutored by bankers, burghers, merchants, and other industrious fortune-builders in the art of accumulating wealth. +Diplomacy, +Stewardship, -Martial
Hazard/Random Event Roll:
80 (Pass)
18 (To be Continued in Rumor Mill)
Voting on the two personal actions is open now, no need to wait.
Well then.
- Location
- Back in Cali
[X] Board Games: She shall follow her elder brother's example, and will learn patience, strategy, and how to read people by playing numerous board and card games with you and members of the Imperial court.
[X] Gleaming Golden Pearl: Your daughter shall learn the intricate and complicated laws of the market, tutored by bankers, burghers, merchants, and other industrious fortune-builders in the art of accumulating wealth. +Diplomacy, +Stewardship, -Martial
Both of our daughters are important to the future running of the Empire. One as a future Regent and the other as our link to the Ponies. They need a good diplomacy education to deal with that and Pearl should stay away from fighting since the ponies are not really the best fighters anyways. Let her shine in another area.
[X] Gleaming Golden Pearl: Your daughter shall learn the intricate and complicated laws of the market, tutored by bankers, burghers, merchants, and other industrious fortune-builders in the art of accumulating wealth. +Diplomacy, +Stewardship, -Martial
Both of our daughters are important to the future running of the Empire. One as a future Regent and the other as our link to the Ponies. They need a good diplomacy education to deal with that and Pearl should stay away from fighting since the ponies are not really the best fighters anyways. Let her shine in another area.
Trimontar
Weed Dragon
- Location
- Behind You
[X] Gardening: Gwyndlyn has always loved the outdoors, and has spent a great deal of time walking amidst the trees and flowers of the Palace Gardens. You're sure she'd love a chance to care for the plants and learn all there is to know about them.
[X] Gleaming Golden Pearl: Your daughter shall learn the intricate and complicated laws of the market, tutored by bankers, burghers, merchants, and other industrious fortune-builders in the art of accumulating wealth. +Diplomacy, +Stewardship, -Martial
[X] Gleaming Golden Pearl: Your daughter shall learn the intricate and complicated laws of the market, tutored by bankers, burghers, merchants, and other industrious fortune-builders in the art of accumulating wealth. +Diplomacy, +Stewardship, -Martial
Markala
Hannor & Polycho Shipper
- Location
- At the Junction of Angst and Fluff
[X] Gardening: Gwyndlyn has always loved the outdoors, and has spent a great deal of time walking amidst the trees and flowers of the Palace Gardens. You're sure she'd love a chance to care for the plants and learn all there is to know about them.
[X] Gleaming Golden Pearl: Your daughter shall learn the intricate and complicated laws of the market, tutored by bankers, burghers, merchants, and other industrious fortune-builders in the art of accumulating wealth. +Diplomacy, +Stewardship, -Martial
[X] Gleaming Golden Pearl: Your daughter shall learn the intricate and complicated laws of the market, tutored by bankers, burghers, merchants, and other industrious fortune-builders in the art of accumulating wealth. +Diplomacy, +Stewardship, -Martial
- Location
- Somewhere
Link to the last time I did this.
Archival purposes: "Turn 19: Results (posted by QM on Monday, May 20, 2019)"
OR
The Front Page as it appeared to me on Monday, May 20, 2019.
Character Sheet (last edited by QM on Monday, May 20, 2019)
- Changed
Informational: State of the Nation (last edited by QM on Monday, May 20, 2019)
- Changed
Informational: Diplomatic Relations/Persons of Interest (last edited by QM on Tuesday, May 7, 2019)
- Not Changed
Archival purposes: "Turn 19: Results (posted by QM on Monday, May 20, 2019)"
OR
The Front Page as it appeared to me on Monday, May 20, 2019.
Character Sheet (last edited by QM on Monday, May 20, 2019)
- Changed
Name: Garrick Golden-Feather
Age: 46
Titles: Emperor of Gryphus, King of Griffonia, Inheritor of the Imperial House of Gryphus, The Unifier, Great Winged Alpha, The Lightbringer
Description: Before your wife got her talons on you, you were a fairly typical example of the Griffon species. An unmistakably masculine build, a strong, prominent beak, feathers and fur that seem to be perpetually well-groomed, and a pair of piercing amber eyes hiding a fierce intelligence. Not anymore though. Oh, you still have all those qualities, they're just overshadowed by the massive amount of muscle you've put on since you started your wife's "enhanced training regimen". Your wings can lift dumbbells, and your legs are like tree-trunks supporting a barrel chest rippling with abdominal muscles. In short, you have the build of a person who has been lifting heavy objects his entire life.
Martial: 9+2+1+2=14
Diplomacy: 14+2+2=18
Stewardship: 13+2=15
Learning: 16+2=18
Intrigue: 11+2=13
- Trait-Attractive: You are a very handsome fellow. +2 Diplomacy, better spousal relationship
- Trait-Genius: Smart doesn't even begin to describe you. +2 all skills
- Trait-Strong: Working out with your wife has done great things for your body. +2 Martial
Inventory:
- Blade of the King: an ornate and deadly sword you had forged for yourself after being crowned King of Griffonia. +1 Martial
- Royal Armor: Serving to protect you as well as display your royal status to onlookers, this armor is both durable and aesthetically pleasing.
- Orichalcum Sword: A blade made of an extremely durable, magic resistant metal
Wife: Gabriella Golden-Feather
Opinion of You: 10/10
Age: 45
Martial: 15+1+2=18
Diplomacy: 11+1=12
Stewardship: 8+1=9
Learning: 13+1=14
Intrigue: 10+1=11
Trait: Strong - Born stronger than most. (+2 Martial)
Trait: Experienced - Has been a mercenary for several years, ranging across the lands of the former Empire. Knows much about the world. (+1 All Stats)
Son: Gawain Golden-Feather
Age: 15
Martial: 14+2+2+1-5=14
Diplomacy: 13+2+2+2-5=14
Stewardship: 14+2-5=11
Learning: 10+2-5=7
Intrigue: 11+2-5=8
Status: Teenager-Malus to all Stats (-5 to all Stats)
Status: Designated Heir. Will become player character in event of Parent's Deaths.
Trait: Strong-Born stronger than most. (+2 Martial)
Trait: Attractive-A cute kid, and eventually a handsome fellow. (+2 Diplomacy, better spousal relationship)
Trait: Genius-Smart doesn't begin to describe him. (+2 All Stats)
Trait: Game Master-Years of playing games of strategy and wits with members of the Imperial Court has honed his sense of strategy and taught him how to read others. (+1 Martial, +2 Diplomacy)
(Adopted) Daughter: Gwyndlyn Golden-Feather
Age: 11
Status: Child-No Stats
Status-Designated Regent: In the event that no heir is capable of taking the throne, or in the event the rightful ruler is otherwise unavailable, she will take control of the kingdom until the situation can be resolved.
Trait: Dragon-A fire breathing reptile. (+4 Martial)
Daughter: Gilda Golden-Feather
Age: 8
Status: Child-No Stats
Daughter: Gleaming Pearl
Age: 9
Status: Child-No Stats
Adopted: Permanently last in the line of Royal Succession.
:origin()/pre11/44a7/th/pre/i/2015/224/7/c/skipping_jade_by_queencold-d95b8oy.png)
Informational: State of the Nation (last edited by QM on Monday, May 20, 2019)
- Changed
Informational: Diplomatic Relations/Persons of Interest (last edited by QM on Tuesday, May 7, 2019)
- Not Changed
- Location
- Florida
[X] Gardening: Gwyndlyn has always loved the outdoors, and has spent a great deal of time walking amidst the trees and flowers of the Palace Gardens. You're sure she'd love a chance to care for the plants and learn all there is to know about them.
[X] Gleaming Golden Pearl: Your daughter shall learn the intricate and complicated laws of the market, tutored by bankers, burghers, merchants, and other industrious fortune-builders in the art of accumulating wealth. +Diplomacy, +Stewardship, -Martial
[X] Gleaming Golden Pearl: Your daughter shall learn the intricate and complicated laws of the market, tutored by bankers, burghers, merchants, and other industrious fortune-builders in the art of accumulating wealth. +Diplomacy, +Stewardship, -Martial
fictionfan
Please sir, may I have some Meows?
- Location
- Tempe, AZ
[x] Mistress of None: She will receive instruction in all subjects, ensuring a well-rounded education. +None, -None
She is going to live a long time. No need to specialize she can learn everything.
She is going to live a long time. No need to specialize she can learn everything.
You do realize the education vote is for the pony daughter and not the dragon daughter, right?
- Location
- Australia
[X] Gardening: Gwyndlyn has always loved the outdoors, and has spent a great deal of time walking amidst the trees and flowers of the Palace Gardens. You're sure she'd love a chance to care for the plants and learn all there is to know about them.
[X] Gleaming Golden Pearl: Your daughter shall learn the intricate and complicated laws of the market, tutored by bankers, burghers, merchants, and other industrious fortune-builders in the art of accumulating wealth. +Diplomacy, +Stewardship, -Martial
[X] Gleaming Golden Pearl: Your daughter shall learn the intricate and complicated laws of the market, tutored by bankers, burghers, merchants, and other industrious fortune-builders in the art of accumulating wealth. +Diplomacy, +Stewardship, -Martial
fictionfan
Please sir, may I have some Meows?
- Location
- Tempe, AZ
[X] Gleaming Golden Pearl: Your daughter shall learn the intricate and complicated laws of the market, tutored by bankers, burghers, merchants, and other industrious fortune-builders in the art of accumulating wealth. +Diplomacy, +Stewardship, -Martial
It would be convenient to make her in charge of the crystal empire as some point.
It would be convenient to make her in charge of the crystal empire as some point.
Last edited:
- Location
- United States of America
[X] Board Games
[X] Gleaming Golden Pearl
[X] Gleaming Golden Pearl