beamline for automail!
Who Needs Harmony?: An MLP Empire Quest
- Thread starter Questor
- Start date
- Location
- A house
Steampunk tech allows for it! LETS GO!beamline for automail!
Markala
Hannor & Polycho Shipper
- Location
- At the Junction of Angst and Fluff
This, coupled with therapy and perhaps more well-funded continuing education across the board for everyone (beyond just a literacy program from way in the beginning I mean to further grow our resource and skilled-worker pool; perhaps it will give us another Learning/Research action to boot?
Eeeeeehhhh good point... Maybe just one more then? Five's a nice, fibonacci number, plus Intrigue specialist.
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- Location
- Maryland
+10 to a roll!
- Location
- Rapidly approaching your location.
- Pronouns
- Any/Morb
"But what do you mean we haven't minmaxed this kid to high heaven?" I hear all you munchkins out there.
----------/
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If you think that we left something out, then you're mistaken! Maybe you need to go hit some books in Dr. Diamond's class! This crystalline character knows almost as much as our nation's dear Archimedes does! How? He was actually work-- wait, I'm not allowed to announce that? Would compromise his integrity and we'd be sued by the Imperial Research Institute?
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"Uhh, yeah, so ever since I came to... the Thinking Foundation? I have learned a lot! How to talk, fight, manage, snoop, and read-- not that I was a slacker before! This place, the teachers, the rest of the staff, they all wanted me to work hard and do well! "Do better, do great!" That's the motto! Umm, so classes are normally 12000 Garrickbits for a complete package, but today, there is a sale for only...9880? Wait, didn't you guys have this same thing last--"
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- Location
- The state of Paranoia
Typical sensationalism for the sake of profit. TRUE fans of Hardbeak know that when he's present combat never lasts long enough for him to say anything.
- Location
- A house
Hmm. When can we upgrade to Ships of the Line instead of Carracks? With anti-air puckle guns and chaser revolving cannons.
That will probably take another research action.
- Location
- Maryland
+10 to a roll!
- Location
- Hell, or at least the closest place to it
Wha- Um. YAY!?! I was not expecting that lol. Thank you my glorious overlord.
- Location
- The state of Paranoia
I've got a +10 from Imposter Syndrome. If no one else wants to I'd be fine with putting mine to that action.
- Location
- Hell, or at least the closest place to it
Markala
Hannor & Polycho Shipper
- Location
- At the Junction of Angst and Fluff
Well, this is the chances so far:
Success Chance-rolls for Current Plan (I can't remember if anyone else added or not besides me, I don't think anybody did, I specified for Questor to add mine to whichever of the 2 options rolls lower than the other or in the unlikely event, if a roll fails; so if it gets applied to one, it doesn't the other):
You Stop That! - 60% + 18% (Garrick) = 78% + ~(Becoming the Mask) 15% = Possible 93%
How Do You Do Fellow Pirates? - 75% + 13% (Garrick) = 88%
Bringing People Together - 70% + 13% (Garrick) = 83% + ~(Becoming the Mask) 15% = Possible 98%
The only one that doesn't stand to be buffed any is How Do You Do Fellow Pirates?, so far; with the other two failesafed unless we idk Critfail twice in a row or something.
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Turn 21 Results
- Location
- Maryland
Martial: The dual revelations of Maretonia and Libertalia have whipped Redbeak into a frenzy of activity as he draws up plans for military actions both offensive and defensive in nature. Unfortunately, most of your defensive assets are tied up in the massive purge of your territory's internal threats, leaving you presently incapable of acting on these plans.
-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 your 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 Actions Unlocked.
After three years of painstaking work, after countless soldiers spent weeks and months on end combing the dark forests and hidden caves of the Empire, what many have begun to call "the hunt to end all hunts" has finally come to an end. The last beast carcasses are hauled back to the cities, bound not for the butchers, but for the taxidermists, who find themselves tasked to capacity mounting and stuffing so many manticores, cockatrices and even the rare hydra for display in countless taverns, noble estates and places of learning.
The skull of a rare "cyclops" troll
The celebrations that sweep across the Empire in the wake of the hunt's conclusion are as raucous and spirited as the parties that erupted when the Winter War finally came to an end with the death of Sombra. For though their foe was not an army, a great threat to the Empire and its people has indeed been destroyed, and the safety of the inhabitants of your heartland has been, if not assured, at least seen to. None dare to think that every single monster within your nation has been slain, but all agree that the few that do remain now know that your people stand at the top of the food chain. Lands Purged of Monsters, New Actions Unlocked.
-Ships of the Line: With the new cannon armed Carracks available for construction, its time to start building them and putting them into service. While more expensive and difficult to build than their predecessors, they are expected to be supremely effective in naval combat. Put the foundries and shipyards to work building some of these new vessels to reinforce the Imperial Navy. Time: Two Years. Cost: 1000. Reward: +15 Warships (Carracks) added to Imperial Navy.
The first of the new carrack-type vessels begins its sea trials to much fanfare and excitement, both Imperial Citizens and visiting Neighponese dignitaries taking an interest in the new cannon-armed warships. The Imperial Navy, once an afterthought, receives some long awaited reinforcement and attention as fourteen more of such vessels join their sibling on the waves in anti-piracy patrols and joint operations with your Neighponese allies.
Though your navy has yet to see combat against any true threats to the realm, and is still a fraction of the size of the naval juggernaut that is Neighpon, you have no doubt that these new vessels and their black powder artillery have given your captains and admirals a distinct advantage over any other ship that sails the ocean. 15 Carracks Added to Imperial Navy
Diplomacy: The failure to resolve the Maretonian hostage crisis last year has left Elva in a bit of a funk. You think she holds herself somewhat responsible for the breakdown of negotiations, and no amount of reassurances or logical counter arguments can change her mind. As a consequence, she's focused on seeking out other ways to get your people back, in between the handling of your other foreign commitments.
-A Guiding Talon: The Yak elder councils, at the behest of the increasingly vocal Modernists, have begun to slowly adopt a more sedentary lifestyle, exchanging cloth yurts for more permanent stone and wood dwellings, erecting permanent settlements on the little arable land present in the Northern Steppes. But they have little experience with sustained agriculture or advanced metalworking, and you're sure they would appreciate some advice and assistance. Such a project would strengthen the bonds between the Clans and the Empire, and bring you a step closer towards having a strong neighbor to guard the West from any potential foe. They haven't technically asked for help, but you're sure offering can't hurt. Time: Two Years. Cost: 800. Reward: Griffons assist Yak modernization efforts, Increased Gryphus-Yak Relations.
After many months of painstaking work, after the investment of a fortune and countless work-hours on the part of Yak, Griffon and Dog alike, Yakyakistan is...well, not quite modernized, but certainly a step above where it had been previously. Hunter-gatherers have been replaced by farmers harvesting fields of wheat and hardy root vegetables, collapsible yurts have been replaced by log cabins and the rare stone dwellings typically reserved for shamans, elders and other pillars of the community. Woodworking camps and iron mines have been built across the country, connected to each other and every major settlement by a system of roads, and every Yak has access to tools made of fine Griffonian Steel, unheard of status symbols less than a decade ago.
The Yaks, though uncomfortable with being the beneficiaries of charity from foreigners, cannot deny the massive improvement in their lives, nor the difficulties they would have faced trying to bring about such changes themselves. This, combined with the fair treatment of all Yaks by Imperial advisors, regardless of clan, wealth or social position, has engendered almost universal feelings of trust and gratitude towards Gryphus and its people, spurring increased trade between your nations as the Yak economy expands and begins exporting large amounts of raw materials to fuel the engine of Imperial industry.
Adding to the good news, it seems that, amidst all the rebuilding, much of the tensions that had erupted between varying Yak political groups has died down. Whether this is because of everyone seeing the benefits of modernization, the increased and more frequent contact between Yak Clans, or the realization that the same quality-of-life improvements would make a war between clans exceedingly difficult and brutal to fight (steel cuts through flesh as easily as wood, and most major Yak settlements have followed their Griffon neighbors' example and constructed walls and palisades around themselves) is anyone's guess, but all agree that at present there's much less likelihood of Yaks going to war with other Yaks. Yak Modernization Efforts Assisted, +1 to all Gryphus/Yak Clan Relations, Yak Political Scene Stabilized, +200 Trade Income.
-You Stop That!: Libertalia is, by all accounts, a den of scum and villainy, a haven for every outlaw, pirate and smuggler this side of the Ocean. Some of it's inhabitants have already raided your trade routes, kidnapped your people and sold them into slavery. You'd be well within your rights to raze the entire island to ashes. But such an endeavor would be as expensive as it would be dangerous. Pirates may be vicious, but they aren't stupid. They know they can't stand against a large, organized navy. Perhaps they can be...persuaded...to stop raiding your ships? Cost: 400. Time: One Year. Reward: Libertalia momentarily pacified, Additional Options Unlocked. Chance of Success: 60%.
Required: 40. Rolled: 96+18+10(Hedging Your Bets Omake)=124. Super Crit!
You stand on the docks of Aukland, staring out at the vessel flying a flag bearing a skull and crossbones, its bulk dwarfed by the four vessels of the Imperial Navy surrounding it on all sides, broadsides ready to fire at a moment's notice.
The negotiations with Libertalia had not gone as you'd expected. That was not to say they'd gone poorly...just unexpectedly. You don't know what in Tartarus Elva's diplomats said to them, but it must have really freaked out the inhabitants of the anarchic island nation. The greatest evidence of that was right in front of you: a literal shipload of silver, gold and precious jewels.
Call it what you will; tribute, protection money, a bribe, the result was the same: the pirates and smugglers of Libertalia had given you a fortune to persuade you not to send a fleet to burn their little hideaway to the ground. Needless to say, they've also sworn to stop raiding vessels bearing the flag of your Empire, as well as those of your Neighponese allies.
Apparently, word of your displeasure with their taking of your people had started making its way through the pirate grapevine even before your ill-fated negotiations with Maretonia. Combined with the stories of Sombra and what happened to him and his Empire, and the pirates, outcasts, outlaws and exiles of Libertalia are eager to make amends by whatever means that they can, for fear of the consequences of not doing so.
You're not sure how to feel about this whole thing now. On the one talon, a shipload of treasure. On the other talon...the Pirate's willingness to bend the knee has given some of your advisors ideas. Big, big ideas. And most of them don't involve burning the place to the ground, as you'd originally planned to do.
+3000 Gold, Libertalia Terrified of You, New Options Unlocked.
Stewardship: Frida is still feeling the effects of the hangover from the Crystal Liberation celebration. Apparently, being so beloved by the Crystal Ponies that she never needs to buy her own drinks has a bit of a downside. Despite this, she retains her usual work ethic and effectiveness, striving to ensure the prosperity of the Empire.
-First Rail: Archimedes's latest invention, this "locomotive", has raised some interesting possibilities for the mass-transit of goods from place to place. Of course, outside of some very limited tests on a small stretch of track in the middle of nowhere, no one has really had the opportunity to put this steel behemoth through its paces as a practical means of transport. Set up a rail line between a mining complex and one of your industrial centers and see what the contraption can do. Cost: 700. Time: One Year. Reward: First Rail-Line, Increased Income, New Actions Unlocked.
Twin work crews begin leveling the ground and laying down wooden beams and steel track at both ends of what many hope is the first of many lines of mechanized transport. Platforms and rotating sections of track are constructed for the loading and unloading of cargo, water towers and coal bunkers are built along the tracks to provide the locomotive with a ready source of fuel, and people living near the planned line are warned not to loiter on the tracks (you really don't think it's necessary to state the obvious, but better to be safe than sorry).
Finally, near the end of the year, Archimedes' creation begins hauling loads of ore from the mines to the smelters, belching steam and smoke all the while as it chugs along the rails. Despite its slow speed, its ability to haul large amounts of cargo long distances reliably and cheaply allows for a significant uptick in production at the selected industrial district, drawing attention from nobles and business magnates across the Empire. Despite your initial doubts, it seems that Archimedes' contraption is an unquestioned success. +100 Tax Income, New Actions Unlocked.
-Crystalline Investment: The Bronzeclaw Plan turned a bombed-out ruin in the middle of the frozen tundra into a functioning city capable of a degree of self-sustainability and economic prosperity. Yet, the Crystal Protectorate is still underdeveloped, both in terms of infrastructure and economic activity. See about remedying this through a cash infusion and the supplying of a few steam engines to boost their productivity. Cost: 1000. Time: Two Years. Reward: Increased Tax Income, Crystal Protectorate Becomes More Developed.
Even as the world begins to learn of a new use for Archimedes' steam engines, several of the complex machines are being packed up for transport to the Crystal City, where they will be integrated into several mills and factories under construction, their establishment subsidized by a generous grant from the local government, which was in turn given a large infusion of funds by you. This is merely one of several projects being undertaken under the auspices of the "Economic Infrastructure Improvement Act", recently authored by Consul Ivory Rook and passed almost unanimously by the Crystal Assembly. Everything from roads to schools to wells are being built across the lands of the former Empire, your quasi-subjects rushing to catch up with the rest of your Empire. Will Finish Next Turn.
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.
-Open Hearth Furnaces: While Genevieve's blast furnaces have revolutionized the field of metallurgy, the scholarly griffoness has been refining her design, incorporating lessons learned from the process, and claims to have an idea for an improved version capable of producing stronger steel in larger batches more efficiently. Naturally she's going to need funds and time in order to see about installing these improvements to the existing metalworking infrastructure. Cost: 800. Time: Two Years. Reward: Increased Tax Income, Decreased Army Recruitment Costs.
After many months of work, having crisscrossed the Empire to personally oversee the installation of her improvements to her blast furnaces, Genevieve finally reports mission accomplished as the last furnace is fired back up and word of the results starts making its way across the Empire.
Nationwide steel production has spiked across the board, the price of the all-important metal dropping as mass production becomes cheaper and easier with no decline in quality or tensile strength. You congratulate Genevieve on another job well done, already planning on how to capitalize on this surplus of material. +250 Tax Income, Army Recruitment Costs Reduced to 100 Gold per 500 Soldiers.
-Crystal University: Now that the Crystal City is no longer a bombed-out ruin, your scholars are chomping at the bit to establish a center of learning and scholarship to facilitate study of the inhabitants' unique magic, as well as that of the Crystal Heart. Naturally, the establishment of such an institution will not be fast or cheap, but the potential future benefits more than outweigh the immediate costs. Cost: 800. Time: Two Years. Reward: Crystal University Constructed, New Learning Actions Unlocked.
For the first time in his life, Archimedes leaves the borders of the Empire, journeying to the Crystal City alongside your hired Neighponese experts to oversee the planning, construction and establishment of your Protectorate's first institute of higher education, and the Empire's first facility dedicated to the study of magical phenomenon. Blueprints are drawn up, prospective instructors are interviewed, and a curriculum is crafted piece by piece as ground is broken and the foundations are laid for a truly unique construction, Archimedes handling the more mundane aspects and leaving the magical elements in the capable appendages of Kaji, Danzaburō and Yakō-Nogitsū, who, though not experienced teachers, know enough to help others learn as they have. The scholastic world is abuzz with anticipation as scholars from across the Empire eagerly await the opportunity to study or teach at what is already expected to be a most prestigious educational facility. Will Finish Next Turn.
Intrigue: Ravenburg's intelligence coup the previous year succeeded in bringing the Maretonians to the negotiating table, though there was little he could do to prevent the failure of the talks. Naturally, before Olive Branch had even left the capital, your spymaster had already begun drawing up more...underhanded means of liberating your enslaved citizens.
-How Do You Do Fellow Pirates?: Libertalia is a hub of criminal activity. Pirate vessels, smuggler's boats and slave barges come and go on an almost daily basis. It has no government or central authority, an anarchic territory divided amongst numerous gangs and criminal syndicates. It is the place where every outlaw goes when they need to disappear, where anything can be bought and sold for the right price. In other words, it's the perfect place for infiltration. Ravenburg is practically salivating at the thought of how much information could be gathered in such an environment, as well as other covert activities that could be carried out there. It should be child's play to slip a few Diamond Dogs ashore to gather information and report back on what they find. Cost: 400. Time: One Year. Reward: Additional Information on Libertalia, New Actions Unlocked. Chance of Success: 75%
Required: 25. Rolled: 61+13=74
Given the success of your intimidation efforts, the pirates of Libertalia are far too busy panicking to notice a few more Griffons and Diamond Dogs slipping in amongst them. Given the lack of any centralized authority or law enforcement on the island, it's almost comically easy for your infiltrators to avoid notice and go about their task of gathering information.
Libertalia is as your earlier intelligence had indicated: an anarchic collection of shanties, shacks, and shipwrecks arranged with little rhyme or reason. Vessels of every shape and size are moored upon the tropical shores of the island, from tiny dinghies not fit for ocean travel to massive merchant vessels with holds full of exotic or illegal goods. No one person can lay claim to the island, its lands being divided up between numerous criminal gangs or cutthroat businesses running everything from protection rackets to distilleries.
As you've personally witnessed at Aukland, Libertalia's inhabitants are terrified of you, and its major players have made the unprecedented move of putting aside their differences (to a point) to come up with a solution to deal with the current crisis. This "Council of Captains" was responsible for raising the vast fortune gifted to you in hopes that you would show leniency, pooling their own funds to do so even as they took steps to ensure none of their fellows would dare to make the situation worse by raiding your shipping. Some of them have even gone so far as to publicly execute a group of pirates that had been involved in the capture and enslavement of your people, to "make an example of them."
One of the most influential and and interesting members of this Captain's Council is an Earth Pony stallion who goes by the name of Hoofbeard. Rumored to be a former slave who escaped Maretonia by stowing away on a smuggler's boat before working his way up the pirate meritocracy, he is widely regarded as one of the more "virtuous" Captains, stealing from the rich to give to the poor and counting many other former slaves amongst his crew. If you were looking to actually negotiate with the lawless inhabitants of Libertalia, Hoofbeard might be the Pony to talk to. Libertalia Infiltrated, New Actions Unlocked.
-Ministry of Information: He won't say it, or let it show to anyone, but Ravenburg is having difficulty keeping up with the numerous covert activities he's been entrusted with. Between managing your domestic intelligence assets and coordinating actions in multiple foreign nations, he's having a hard time juggling everything...and his responsibilities are likely to expand further in the near-future. Take some pity on him and establish a dedicated government bureaucracy for managing your numerous intelligence assets. Cost: 600. Time: One Year. Reward: Ministry of Information Created, Additional Intrigue Action Per Turn.
Ravenburg puts up some token protests, citing security concerns and the hassle of vetting so many new support and administrative personnel, but in the end he acquiesces, cowed by the reminder that such an expansion of the bureaucracy is both unavoidable and necessary. Offices are constructed, employees hired, and countless background checks are run to ensure that your now semi-public spy program remains secure despite its partially exposed nature. By the end of the year, Ravenburg finishes settling into his new, expanded office. You can tell he's not entirely comfortable with his work being dragged out of the shadowy back rooms and dark alleys that he's usually conducted it in, but he seems to understand that this is a necessary adaptation in this modern age of covert operations. Ministry of Information Founded, Gain an Additional Intrigue Action Per Turn.
-Bringing People Together: Ambrosia and her fellow abolitionists are an invaluable intelligence asset. As natives of Maretonia, they know and can do things you and your agents can't. That said, they're not very organized, being divided into dozens of small groups scattered across Maretonia operating more or less independently of each other. Many such groups aren't even aware of each other's existence! If the abolitionists are going to be of any real help to you, you're going to have to rally them together into a semblance of organization. Cost: 500. Time: One Year. Reward: Abolitionists Organized, New Actions Unlocked, Increased Chance of Success for Slave Liberation Actions. Chance of Success: 70%.
Required: 30. Rolled: 26+13+15(Becoming the Mask Omake)=54
The same spies that first contacted Ambrosia sneak back across the border to meet up with her again, questioning her for information on other Abolitionist groups, both known to her and rumored to exist in the most remote corners of Maretonia. From there a cyclical process takes shape, as your agents locate a group of abolitionists, question them about knowledge of other groups, and then repeat the previous step after passing along the information to allow the cells to communicate. The abolitionist cells vary in size and composition, from a handful of minor nobles masquerading as a hunting club to a small army of escaped slaves living in the forests of Maretonia and everything in between. After several months of work, your agents are confident that they've uncovered every major abolitionist cell in the slave kingdom.
Of course, once the varied, disparate groups are brought into contact with each other, the real work of organizing them and getting them to adopt an organized framework begins. This is where your agents run into difficulties. For organization entails a measure of leadership. And every cell has its own leader or leaders, all of whom are distinctly unused to answering to a higher authority. Bickering and political infighting ensues as abolitionist leaders fight for dominance over each other. Ravenburg and his agents are hard pressed to keep things civil, frequently reminding everyone that they are all allies in their quest for freedom and liberation.
To your surprise, the game of political intrigue comes to a close almost as quickly as it begins, with Ambrosia coming out at the top of the abolitionist hierarchy. Being the first to receive support from you had lent her a measure of credibility, and a combination of charismatic persuasion and what you suspect is more than a little bit of blackmail (the aforementioned "hunting club" were customers of hers before either realized who the other was, or so Ambrosia says) soon results in her becoming your go-to mare for covert actions in Maretonia.
The Brothel Madam turned Spy-Mistress thanks you for the opportunity you've created, both for her and those like her, and promises all the support she can muster in getting your people back. Abolitionists Organized, New Actions Unlocked, Increased Chance of Success for Slave Liberation Actions.
Personal: You refuse to let your duties as Emperor take up every moment of your day. (Two Actions per Turn)
-Overtime: Ministry of Information
-Overtime: Bringing People Together
Hazard/Random Event Rolls
18 (Fail, to be Continued in The Lady of the Lakes)
31 (Pass)
64 (Pass)
82 (Success, to be Continued in Rumor Mill)
-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 your 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 Actions Unlocked.
After three years of painstaking work, after countless soldiers spent weeks and months on end combing the dark forests and hidden caves of the Empire, what many have begun to call "the hunt to end all hunts" has finally come to an end. The last beast carcasses are hauled back to the cities, bound not for the butchers, but for the taxidermists, who find themselves tasked to capacity mounting and stuffing so many manticores, cockatrices and even the rare hydra for display in countless taverns, noble estates and places of learning.
The skull of a rare "cyclops" troll
The celebrations that sweep across the Empire in the wake of the hunt's conclusion are as raucous and spirited as the parties that erupted when the Winter War finally came to an end with the death of Sombra. For though their foe was not an army, a great threat to the Empire and its people has indeed been destroyed, and the safety of the inhabitants of your heartland has been, if not assured, at least seen to. None dare to think that every single monster within your nation has been slain, but all agree that the few that do remain now know that your people stand at the top of the food chain. Lands Purged of Monsters, New Actions Unlocked.
-Ships of the Line: With the new cannon armed Carracks available for construction, its time to start building them and putting them into service. While more expensive and difficult to build than their predecessors, they are expected to be supremely effective in naval combat. Put the foundries and shipyards to work building some of these new vessels to reinforce the Imperial Navy. Time: Two Years. Cost: 1000. Reward: +15 Warships (Carracks) added to Imperial Navy.
The first of the new carrack-type vessels begins its sea trials to much fanfare and excitement, both Imperial Citizens and visiting Neighponese dignitaries taking an interest in the new cannon-armed warships. The Imperial Navy, once an afterthought, receives some long awaited reinforcement and attention as fourteen more of such vessels join their sibling on the waves in anti-piracy patrols and joint operations with your Neighponese allies.
Though your navy has yet to see combat against any true threats to the realm, and is still a fraction of the size of the naval juggernaut that is Neighpon, you have no doubt that these new vessels and their black powder artillery have given your captains and admirals a distinct advantage over any other ship that sails the ocean. 15 Carracks Added to Imperial Navy
Diplomacy: The failure to resolve the Maretonian hostage crisis last year has left Elva in a bit of a funk. You think she holds herself somewhat responsible for the breakdown of negotiations, and no amount of reassurances or logical counter arguments can change her mind. As a consequence, she's focused on seeking out other ways to get your people back, in between the handling of your other foreign commitments.
-A Guiding Talon: The Yak elder councils, at the behest of the increasingly vocal Modernists, have begun to slowly adopt a more sedentary lifestyle, exchanging cloth yurts for more permanent stone and wood dwellings, erecting permanent settlements on the little arable land present in the Northern Steppes. But they have little experience with sustained agriculture or advanced metalworking, and you're sure they would appreciate some advice and assistance. Such a project would strengthen the bonds between the Clans and the Empire, and bring you a step closer towards having a strong neighbor to guard the West from any potential foe. They haven't technically asked for help, but you're sure offering can't hurt. Time: Two Years. Cost: 800. Reward: Griffons assist Yak modernization efforts, Increased Gryphus-Yak Relations.
After many months of painstaking work, after the investment of a fortune and countless work-hours on the part of Yak, Griffon and Dog alike, Yakyakistan is...well, not quite modernized, but certainly a step above where it had been previously. Hunter-gatherers have been replaced by farmers harvesting fields of wheat and hardy root vegetables, collapsible yurts have been replaced by log cabins and the rare stone dwellings typically reserved for shamans, elders and other pillars of the community. Woodworking camps and iron mines have been built across the country, connected to each other and every major settlement by a system of roads, and every Yak has access to tools made of fine Griffonian Steel, unheard of status symbols less than a decade ago.
The Yaks, though uncomfortable with being the beneficiaries of charity from foreigners, cannot deny the massive improvement in their lives, nor the difficulties they would have faced trying to bring about such changes themselves. This, combined with the fair treatment of all Yaks by Imperial advisors, regardless of clan, wealth or social position, has engendered almost universal feelings of trust and gratitude towards Gryphus and its people, spurring increased trade between your nations as the Yak economy expands and begins exporting large amounts of raw materials to fuel the engine of Imperial industry.
Adding to the good news, it seems that, amidst all the rebuilding, much of the tensions that had erupted between varying Yak political groups has died down. Whether this is because of everyone seeing the benefits of modernization, the increased and more frequent contact between Yak Clans, or the realization that the same quality-of-life improvements would make a war between clans exceedingly difficult and brutal to fight (steel cuts through flesh as easily as wood, and most major Yak settlements have followed their Griffon neighbors' example and constructed walls and palisades around themselves) is anyone's guess, but all agree that at present there's much less likelihood of Yaks going to war with other Yaks. Yak Modernization Efforts Assisted, +1 to all Gryphus/Yak Clan Relations, Yak Political Scene Stabilized, +200 Trade Income.
-You Stop That!: Libertalia is, by all accounts, a den of scum and villainy, a haven for every outlaw, pirate and smuggler this side of the Ocean. Some of it's inhabitants have already raided your trade routes, kidnapped your people and sold them into slavery. You'd be well within your rights to raze the entire island to ashes. But such an endeavor would be as expensive as it would be dangerous. Pirates may be vicious, but they aren't stupid. They know they can't stand against a large, organized navy. Perhaps they can be...persuaded...to stop raiding your ships? Cost: 400. Time: One Year. Reward: Libertalia momentarily pacified, Additional Options Unlocked. Chance of Success: 60%.
Required: 40. Rolled: 96+18+10(Hedging Your Bets Omake)=124. Super Crit!
You stand on the docks of Aukland, staring out at the vessel flying a flag bearing a skull and crossbones, its bulk dwarfed by the four vessels of the Imperial Navy surrounding it on all sides, broadsides ready to fire at a moment's notice.
The negotiations with Libertalia had not gone as you'd expected. That was not to say they'd gone poorly...just unexpectedly. You don't know what in Tartarus Elva's diplomats said to them, but it must have really freaked out the inhabitants of the anarchic island nation. The greatest evidence of that was right in front of you: a literal shipload of silver, gold and precious jewels.
Call it what you will; tribute, protection money, a bribe, the result was the same: the pirates and smugglers of Libertalia had given you a fortune to persuade you not to send a fleet to burn their little hideaway to the ground. Needless to say, they've also sworn to stop raiding vessels bearing the flag of your Empire, as well as those of your Neighponese allies.
Apparently, word of your displeasure with their taking of your people had started making its way through the pirate grapevine even before your ill-fated negotiations with Maretonia. Combined with the stories of Sombra and what happened to him and his Empire, and the pirates, outcasts, outlaws and exiles of Libertalia are eager to make amends by whatever means that they can, for fear of the consequences of not doing so.
You're not sure how to feel about this whole thing now. On the one talon, a shipload of treasure. On the other talon...the Pirate's willingness to bend the knee has given some of your advisors ideas. Big, big ideas. And most of them don't involve burning the place to the ground, as you'd originally planned to do.
+3000 Gold, Libertalia Terrified of You, New Options Unlocked.
Stewardship: Frida is still feeling the effects of the hangover from the Crystal Liberation celebration. Apparently, being so beloved by the Crystal Ponies that she never needs to buy her own drinks has a bit of a downside. Despite this, she retains her usual work ethic and effectiveness, striving to ensure the prosperity of the Empire.
-First Rail: Archimedes's latest invention, this "locomotive", has raised some interesting possibilities for the mass-transit of goods from place to place. Of course, outside of some very limited tests on a small stretch of track in the middle of nowhere, no one has really had the opportunity to put this steel behemoth through its paces as a practical means of transport. Set up a rail line between a mining complex and one of your industrial centers and see what the contraption can do. Cost: 700. Time: One Year. Reward: First Rail-Line, Increased Income, New Actions Unlocked.
Twin work crews begin leveling the ground and laying down wooden beams and steel track at both ends of what many hope is the first of many lines of mechanized transport. Platforms and rotating sections of track are constructed for the loading and unloading of cargo, water towers and coal bunkers are built along the tracks to provide the locomotive with a ready source of fuel, and people living near the planned line are warned not to loiter on the tracks (you really don't think it's necessary to state the obvious, but better to be safe than sorry).
Finally, near the end of the year, Archimedes' creation begins hauling loads of ore from the mines to the smelters, belching steam and smoke all the while as it chugs along the rails. Despite its slow speed, its ability to haul large amounts of cargo long distances reliably and cheaply allows for a significant uptick in production at the selected industrial district, drawing attention from nobles and business magnates across the Empire. Despite your initial doubts, it seems that Archimedes' contraption is an unquestioned success. +100 Tax Income, New Actions Unlocked.
-Crystalline Investment: The Bronzeclaw Plan turned a bombed-out ruin in the middle of the frozen tundra into a functioning city capable of a degree of self-sustainability and economic prosperity. Yet, the Crystal Protectorate is still underdeveloped, both in terms of infrastructure and economic activity. See about remedying this through a cash infusion and the supplying of a few steam engines to boost their productivity. Cost: 1000. Time: Two Years. Reward: Increased Tax Income, Crystal Protectorate Becomes More Developed.
Even as the world begins to learn of a new use for Archimedes' steam engines, several of the complex machines are being packed up for transport to the Crystal City, where they will be integrated into several mills and factories under construction, their establishment subsidized by a generous grant from the local government, which was in turn given a large infusion of funds by you. This is merely one of several projects being undertaken under the auspices of the "Economic Infrastructure Improvement Act", recently authored by Consul Ivory Rook and passed almost unanimously by the Crystal Assembly. Everything from roads to schools to wells are being built across the lands of the former Empire, your quasi-subjects rushing to catch up with the rest of your Empire. Will Finish Next Turn.
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.
-Open Hearth Furnaces: While Genevieve's blast furnaces have revolutionized the field of metallurgy, the scholarly griffoness has been refining her design, incorporating lessons learned from the process, and claims to have an idea for an improved version capable of producing stronger steel in larger batches more efficiently. Naturally she's going to need funds and time in order to see about installing these improvements to the existing metalworking infrastructure. Cost: 800. Time: Two Years. Reward: Increased Tax Income, Decreased Army Recruitment Costs.
After many months of work, having crisscrossed the Empire to personally oversee the installation of her improvements to her blast furnaces, Genevieve finally reports mission accomplished as the last furnace is fired back up and word of the results starts making its way across the Empire.
Nationwide steel production has spiked across the board, the price of the all-important metal dropping as mass production becomes cheaper and easier with no decline in quality or tensile strength. You congratulate Genevieve on another job well done, already planning on how to capitalize on this surplus of material. +250 Tax Income, Army Recruitment Costs Reduced to 100 Gold per 500 Soldiers.
-Crystal University: Now that the Crystal City is no longer a bombed-out ruin, your scholars are chomping at the bit to establish a center of learning and scholarship to facilitate study of the inhabitants' unique magic, as well as that of the Crystal Heart. Naturally, the establishment of such an institution will not be fast or cheap, but the potential future benefits more than outweigh the immediate costs. Cost: 800. Time: Two Years. Reward: Crystal University Constructed, New Learning Actions Unlocked.
For the first time in his life, Archimedes leaves the borders of the Empire, journeying to the Crystal City alongside your hired Neighponese experts to oversee the planning, construction and establishment of your Protectorate's first institute of higher education, and the Empire's first facility dedicated to the study of magical phenomenon. Blueprints are drawn up, prospective instructors are interviewed, and a curriculum is crafted piece by piece as ground is broken and the foundations are laid for a truly unique construction, Archimedes handling the more mundane aspects and leaving the magical elements in the capable appendages of Kaji, Danzaburō and Yakō-Nogitsū, who, though not experienced teachers, know enough to help others learn as they have. The scholastic world is abuzz with anticipation as scholars from across the Empire eagerly await the opportunity to study or teach at what is already expected to be a most prestigious educational facility. Will Finish Next Turn.
Intrigue: Ravenburg's intelligence coup the previous year succeeded in bringing the Maretonians to the negotiating table, though there was little he could do to prevent the failure of the talks. Naturally, before Olive Branch had even left the capital, your spymaster had already begun drawing up more...underhanded means of liberating your enslaved citizens.
-How Do You Do Fellow Pirates?: Libertalia is a hub of criminal activity. Pirate vessels, smuggler's boats and slave barges come and go on an almost daily basis. It has no government or central authority, an anarchic territory divided amongst numerous gangs and criminal syndicates. It is the place where every outlaw goes when they need to disappear, where anything can be bought and sold for the right price. In other words, it's the perfect place for infiltration. Ravenburg is practically salivating at the thought of how much information could be gathered in such an environment, as well as other covert activities that could be carried out there. It should be child's play to slip a few Diamond Dogs ashore to gather information and report back on what they find. Cost: 400. Time: One Year. Reward: Additional Information on Libertalia, New Actions Unlocked. Chance of Success: 75%
Required: 25. Rolled: 61+13=74
Given the success of your intimidation efforts, the pirates of Libertalia are far too busy panicking to notice a few more Griffons and Diamond Dogs slipping in amongst them. Given the lack of any centralized authority or law enforcement on the island, it's almost comically easy for your infiltrators to avoid notice and go about their task of gathering information.
Libertalia is as your earlier intelligence had indicated: an anarchic collection of shanties, shacks, and shipwrecks arranged with little rhyme or reason. Vessels of every shape and size are moored upon the tropical shores of the island, from tiny dinghies not fit for ocean travel to massive merchant vessels with holds full of exotic or illegal goods. No one person can lay claim to the island, its lands being divided up between numerous criminal gangs or cutthroat businesses running everything from protection rackets to distilleries.
As you've personally witnessed at Aukland, Libertalia's inhabitants are terrified of you, and its major players have made the unprecedented move of putting aside their differences (to a point) to come up with a solution to deal with the current crisis. This "Council of Captains" was responsible for raising the vast fortune gifted to you in hopes that you would show leniency, pooling their own funds to do so even as they took steps to ensure none of their fellows would dare to make the situation worse by raiding your shipping. Some of them have even gone so far as to publicly execute a group of pirates that had been involved in the capture and enslavement of your people, to "make an example of them."
One of the most influential and and interesting members of this Captain's Council is an Earth Pony stallion who goes by the name of Hoofbeard. Rumored to be a former slave who escaped Maretonia by stowing away on a smuggler's boat before working his way up the pirate meritocracy, he is widely regarded as one of the more "virtuous" Captains, stealing from the rich to give to the poor and counting many other former slaves amongst his crew. If you were looking to actually negotiate with the lawless inhabitants of Libertalia, Hoofbeard might be the Pony to talk to. Libertalia Infiltrated, New Actions Unlocked.
-Ministry of Information: He won't say it, or let it show to anyone, but Ravenburg is having difficulty keeping up with the numerous covert activities he's been entrusted with. Between managing your domestic intelligence assets and coordinating actions in multiple foreign nations, he's having a hard time juggling everything...and his responsibilities are likely to expand further in the near-future. Take some pity on him and establish a dedicated government bureaucracy for managing your numerous intelligence assets. Cost: 600. Time: One Year. Reward: Ministry of Information Created, Additional Intrigue Action Per Turn.
Ravenburg puts up some token protests, citing security concerns and the hassle of vetting so many new support and administrative personnel, but in the end he acquiesces, cowed by the reminder that such an expansion of the bureaucracy is both unavoidable and necessary. Offices are constructed, employees hired, and countless background checks are run to ensure that your now semi-public spy program remains secure despite its partially exposed nature. By the end of the year, Ravenburg finishes settling into his new, expanded office. You can tell he's not entirely comfortable with his work being dragged out of the shadowy back rooms and dark alleys that he's usually conducted it in, but he seems to understand that this is a necessary adaptation in this modern age of covert operations. Ministry of Information Founded, Gain an Additional Intrigue Action Per Turn.
-Bringing People Together: Ambrosia and her fellow abolitionists are an invaluable intelligence asset. As natives of Maretonia, they know and can do things you and your agents can't. That said, they're not very organized, being divided into dozens of small groups scattered across Maretonia operating more or less independently of each other. Many such groups aren't even aware of each other's existence! If the abolitionists are going to be of any real help to you, you're going to have to rally them together into a semblance of organization. Cost: 500. Time: One Year. Reward: Abolitionists Organized, New Actions Unlocked, Increased Chance of Success for Slave Liberation Actions. Chance of Success: 70%.
Required: 30. Rolled: 26+13+15(Becoming the Mask Omake)=54
The same spies that first contacted Ambrosia sneak back across the border to meet up with her again, questioning her for information on other Abolitionist groups, both known to her and rumored to exist in the most remote corners of Maretonia. From there a cyclical process takes shape, as your agents locate a group of abolitionists, question them about knowledge of other groups, and then repeat the previous step after passing along the information to allow the cells to communicate. The abolitionist cells vary in size and composition, from a handful of minor nobles masquerading as a hunting club to a small army of escaped slaves living in the forests of Maretonia and everything in between. After several months of work, your agents are confident that they've uncovered every major abolitionist cell in the slave kingdom.
Of course, once the varied, disparate groups are brought into contact with each other, the real work of organizing them and getting them to adopt an organized framework begins. This is where your agents run into difficulties. For organization entails a measure of leadership. And every cell has its own leader or leaders, all of whom are distinctly unused to answering to a higher authority. Bickering and political infighting ensues as abolitionist leaders fight for dominance over each other. Ravenburg and his agents are hard pressed to keep things civil, frequently reminding everyone that they are all allies in their quest for freedom and liberation.
To your surprise, the game of political intrigue comes to a close almost as quickly as it begins, with Ambrosia coming out at the top of the abolitionist hierarchy. Being the first to receive support from you had lent her a measure of credibility, and a combination of charismatic persuasion and what you suspect is more than a little bit of blackmail (the aforementioned "hunting club" were customers of hers before either realized who the other was, or so Ambrosia says) soon results in her becoming your go-to mare for covert actions in Maretonia.
The Brothel Madam turned Spy-Mistress thanks you for the opportunity you've created, both for her and those like her, and promises all the support she can muster in getting your people back. Abolitionists Organized, New Actions Unlocked, Increased Chance of Success for Slave Liberation Actions.
Personal: You refuse to let your duties as Emperor take up every moment of your day. (Two Actions per Turn)
-Overtime: Ministry of Information
-Overtime: Bringing People Together
Hazard/Random Event Rolls
18 (Fail, to be Continued in The Lady of the Lakes)
31 (Pass)
64 (Pass)
82 (Success, to be Continued in Rumor Mill)
So the outside world comes knocking once more... Although strictly speaking, we should be seeing a lot more of this as our neighbors know more about what is on the other side of their borders from us, and we can learn about it from them.
- Location
- Rapidly approaching your location.
- Pronouns
- Any/Morb
Shucks. Would have burned nicely in the distance.
The English are coming! Please spare us, King Arthur
- Location
- A house
Well, pirate dude seems like a swell guy. Sucks that it seems now we wont hit the big red "NUKE THE ISLAND TO THE GROUND." Button, but maybe neighpon can take it up as a protectorate like we did the crystal empire. I mean, itd be like having your very own theives guild.
Oh, come on!
- Location
- SF Bay Area
I knew we couldn't ignore the outside world forever...
- Location
- Hell, or at least the closest place to it
Hopefully they won't try and bite the hand that feeds them. The problem with a place like Libertalia is that memories can be... short, and some captain might find it a good idea to... ask for protection money.
- Location
- Rapidly approaching your location.
- Pronouns
- Any/Morb
Guys... mosquitos reproduce in still bodies of water. Lakes. Mosquitos are bugs. Like changelings. The Lady is likely their Queen.
<A Hive Queen has appeared!>
<A Hive Queen has appeared!>
