Who Needs Harmony?: An MLP Empire Quest
- Thread starter Questor
- Start date
- Location
- Somewhere
The upkeep costs are relatively small for our size though. Garrick is a skilled administrator, and got the throne some might say, because of his merchant background, but even he shouldn't be able to get away with some of these costs when paying for thousands.
- Location
- Italy
sorry not sorry
And really, having all this money going unused is simply inefficient.
What I want is NOT to simply raise the upkeep for nothing, I want more ways to spend money in exchange for cool things. Many of which could possibly bring MORE money to us down the line.
Like, schools. Medical research. Technological research. magic and magitech research.
- Location
- Ohio
I was just trying to politely concede, as I was looking for a second opinion and got it ^^Please don't get discouraged. It's good to have off the wall ideas thrown in, it generates discussion! As you can see above this post, in fact.
Thanks for tossing the idea into the thread. Even though this one didn't work out, it's definitely better to have ideas like this said than to have them all horded away where they can't do anything. You never know when an idea will actually be really useful, or when one will generate discussion that leads to a useful idea!
I think now there are other places and devices that would benefit from measured delivery systems or better input/output.
Warmach1ne32
Machine of War and Quests
- Location
- Indonesia
If crystal ponies can make Golems like what Sombra did but more ethically safe, the project would be made much simpler to accomplish.
- Location
- Italy
well, let's start by reverse engineering those runes and seeing what the crystal ponies have come up with in regard to their racial magic.
Once we know what we're working with we'll see about golems.
Ah, and of course there's the Sendak Manuscript too, though we might need Merlin's help with it (if we decide we trust him enough to share)
- Location
- Ohio
We could go izzet like in mtg even.
Though I think we would be more stable at least.
lockingbane
If you're crazy and you know it clap your hands!
- Location
- Waxahachie tx
You know.... I just had a thought.
All races in MLP have something special about them. And after reading a bit of Girl Genius I had an idea.
What if Griffons are a race with a Spark? It would explain our rapid tech advancement. Our race being one with a large degree of sparks, with the current ones being incredibly tame as sparks go.
I cannot help but picture griffons being with the majority fairly normal but with the occasional one holding a Spark. These Sparks become the technological geniuses that griffons seem to produce.
It would be our equalizer against magic. The Special Racial Ability hidden and forgotten...
The Spark of Brilliance and Madness.... Perfect for a race which specializes in tech...
If nothing else there being a magic research option later on for a Grand Ritual to Awaken any latent power within Griffons and having the standard result being the ability for Griffons to occasionally ignite their Spark.
This will lead to a lot of one off inventions the makers don't completely understand but are incredible and can be reverse engineered to learn from. Also possibly technologically based accidents (Large explosions, rifts to alternate dimensions, animate cheese, swapped personalities, etc) when they screw up.
Make our race a race of inventors and technological masters with the side affect of Mad Science becoming a very real thing with all the benefits and drawbacks such a thing brings.
Just a thought I had out of the blue and thought to share it with you guys.
All races in MLP have something special about them. And after reading a bit of Girl Genius I had an idea.
What if Griffons are a race with a Spark? It would explain our rapid tech advancement. Our race being one with a large degree of sparks, with the current ones being incredibly tame as sparks go.
I cannot help but picture griffons being with the majority fairly normal but with the occasional one holding a Spark. These Sparks become the technological geniuses that griffons seem to produce.
It would be our equalizer against magic. The Special Racial Ability hidden and forgotten...
The Spark of Brilliance and Madness.... Perfect for a race which specializes in tech...
If nothing else there being a magic research option later on for a Grand Ritual to Awaken any latent power within Griffons and having the standard result being the ability for Griffons to occasionally ignite their Spark.
This will lead to a lot of one off inventions the makers don't completely understand but are incredible and can be reverse engineered to learn from. Also possibly technologically based accidents (Large explosions, rifts to alternate dimensions, animate cheese, swapped personalities, etc) when they screw up.
Make our race a race of inventors and technological masters with the side affect of Mad Science becoming a very real thing with all the benefits and drawbacks such a thing brings.
Just a thought I had out of the blue and thought to share it with you guys.
- Location
- Ohio
I almost thought you meant planeswalkers at first, but I do know girl genius, yes.
We are lucky to have the time, money, Archimedes, and a real need to push innovation. It is a perfect storm.
lockingbane
If you're crazy and you know it clap your hands!
- Location
- Waxahachie tx
And it would make sense for the one non magical race in mlp to have something in them that makes up for it.
Sparks would be a perfect fit. After all it is almost a purely technological based skill and there ARE CK2 traits made for it (not canon ones but still)
- Location
- Hell, or at least the closest place to it
Sempai Noticed Me!!! 'Squeal'
Also no. What are you doing. Stahp. No robots. STAPH. what have you done @Pittauro why???
Turn 25 Results
- Location
- Maryland
Martial: Redbeak rivals Ravenburg with his concern over the events unfolding south of your Protectorate, drawing up numerous contingency plans even as he oversees the construction of the Hardbeak Line.
-The Hardbeak Line: The architects and engineers of the Imperial Army have drawn up plans for a line of "star forts" to be constructed South of the Crystal City, intended to serve as a defensive line against any potential Maretonian aggression. Naturally, the construction and maintenance of these forts is going to be expensive, and they're not going to be built overnight. Still, if you're looking to build modern fortresses to defend your Protectorate, it's the best plan you've got. The recent completion of the Crystal Line has made such an endeavor cheaper and easier, though still nothing to sneeze at. Cost: 2200. Time: Two Years. Reward: Hardbeak Line Constructed using new fortification techniques. Southern Border Secured.
After many months of hard work on the parts of countless laborers, carpenters, masons and architects in the employ of civilian firms and the military, the Hardbeak Line is finally completed. Half a dozen star forts and over a dozen fortified watchtowers and signaling stations, all connected by a network of roads and bridges crisscrossing the previously unmarked plains to the South of the Crystal City. With their walls manned by hundreds of garrison troops and bearing dozens of mounted cannons and ballistae, the Hardbeak Line is a nearly impenetrable wall of stone and steel guarding your Southern Border with what was once a unified Maretonia.
A scale model of Rogno Fortress, Centerpiece of the Hardbeak Line
While an invasion from the South is no longer considered likely, the completion of the Hardbeak Line has put any lingering fears of slave raids to rest, and has done much to reassure both the Crystal Assembly and the thousands of former slaves that now call your Empire home. Though the forts will hopefully not be seeing combat in the near future, they serve a powerful psychological purpose merely by existing. You congratulate Redbeak on the completion of a fortified network to surpass the Peregrine Line. Now the Southern Border is secured from any would-be aggressors. Hardbeak Line Constructed. -250 Gold Per Turn In Upkeep Costs
-Military Advisors: With the Abolitionists now forced into open revolt by the death of Queen Mareia and the collapse of Maretonian society, the odds of Ambrosia and her followers being forced into open combat with the forces of either of the Noble houses are now worryingly high. And while the ragtag militias that they rely upon for defense have no shortage of courage, they are severely lacking in training, tactics, and logistical knowhow. Redbeak has proposed a solution: sending volunteers from the Imperial Military to serve as trainers, instructors, and advisors to the Abolitionist's military forces. By now it's basically an open secret that you and your Empire support the Abolitionist cause anyway, and the lack of any direct offensive action against them should prevent the Noble Houses from doing anything rash in response. Cost: 400. Time: One Year. Reward: Abolitionists receive support from Gryphus Military Advisors. Chance of Success: 70%
Required: 30. Rolled: 34+14+10(Crystal Clear Glass Omake)=58
With the situation in Maretonia being what it is, it was only a matter of time until the Empire sent troops over the border. The fact that the handful of soldiers you send are intended to serve a mere supervisory role alongside the Abolitionist militias does little to change the fact that Imperial soldiers are crossing the horder into Maretonian territory. Though seeing as how the border between Maretonia and the Empire (or rather, the Crystal Protectorate) is controlled by the Abolitionists themselves, your troops encounter no issues flying over the imaginary line, swiftly meeting up with Abolitionist forces and beginning the long and difficult task of training the ragtag army of liberated slaves into a cohesive fighting force.
It is both easier and more difficult than expected. The Abolitionists are nothing if not enthusiastic, and eagerly listen to whatever bits of tactical advice their newfound friends can offer. Shipments of Griffon-made weapons and raids on armories in the earliest days of the Civil War have ensured that the rebels have an adequate supply of weapons, though they have nothing approaching the level of equipment standardization that your own army possesses.
Unfortunately, that is where the good news ends. Armor and shields are in short supply, and many members of the militia are in less than prime fighting shape thanks to years of mistreatment and inadequate nutrition in the mines and plantations of their former masters. Ambrosia and her fellows have a mere fraction of the funds and resources that their rivals down South do. And, as your troops increasingly report, the Abolitionist's enthusiasm is a double edged sword. In the mock battles that your advisors stage to train their charges, abolitionist fighters frequently engage in reckless charges and futile last stands, selling their lives bravely but for little gain.
As one Captain Oscar Nightail puts it: "It's a good thing we showed up when we did, otherwise these crazy bastards would have all impaled themselves on the swords of the nobles. Making the enemy choke on your dead is only a viable strategy when you outnumber them."
Captain Nightail, of the newly established Military Assistance Command
Over the weeks and months that the awkward stalemate between the factions persists, your soldiers attempt to train these suicidal tendencies out of the abolitionist troops, instructing them in the use of camouflage, hit and run tactics, and asymmetrical warfare. By the end of the year the Abolitionist troops are faring better in their simulated clashes, and Redbeak assures you that your advisors have done much to prepare your Southern allies for any future clashes with their foes. You can only hopes he's right. Gryphus Military Advisors now Improving Abolitionist Forces.
Diplomacy: Gisa Eagleclaw, though concerned with the events unfolding in Maretonia, is primarily concerned with the numerous other nations that you are on speaking terms with, particularly the newly discovered Minotaur Republics, who she is eager to make official diplomatic contact with.
-Meeting the Republicans: The infiltrator Light Step's fateful adventure overseas allowed you to make a decent first impression with the Minotaurs, the Maretonians' mysterious trading partners. Though, despite this, you've yet to make official diplomatic contact with representatives from the city-states that comprise the Minotaur Republics, and you still have many questions regarding the newly discovered people and their culture. Perhaps it's time you tried to arrange a more formal meeting and foster a dialogue between your respective governments. Cost: 200. Time: One Year. Reward: Diplomatic Relations Opened with Minotaurs, First Contact QA Interlude, New Actions Unlocked.
To Be Continued in "Minotaur Dialogues"
-Orichalcum Trade: The Yak King Rutherford has expressed his willingness to trade his kingdom's considerable Orichalcum deposits in hopes of balancing out his people's trade deficit to the Empire. All that remains is to smooth out the details and determine exactly how the rare mineral will be transported and paid for. It will be expensive, but it will be worth it to secure a larger supply of the anti-magic metal that your military is becoming increasingly dependent upon. Cost: 100. Time: One Year. Reward: Yak Orichalcum Imports, Additional Actions Unlocked, -500 Gold per Turn.
Given a blank check to negotiate on your behalf for YakYakistan's considerable Orichalcum reserves, Gisa personally travels to the court of King Rutherford to hammer out the details of a trade agreement. During the negotiations the Yaks show their trademark stubbornness, but they are no fools: the Empire may have a great demand for their mineral deposits, but you are also the only Kingdom currently willing to purchase their Orichalcum stores, and the only ones with the means of smelting the durable and heat-resistant ore into shapeable metal.
The Gates to the Capital of Yakistown, as viewed by a band of visiting Canterburian Merchants
Though the negotiations drag on for weeks, everyone knows how they will end. A reasonable price is settled upon, routes are transit are established, and by the end of the year the first shipments of Yak-mined Orichalcum begin to regularly cross the border into the Imperial Heartland. All that's left to do now is figure out what to do with it. Gained Additional Source of Orichalcum, New Actions Unlocked, -500 Gold Per Turn
Stewardship: Between the gargantuan task of completing a national railroad and performing a complete overhaul of the Empire's sewage infrastructure, Frida has her talons full this year, to the point that you don't she can handle anything else. Still, if it's truly necessary, you think she can handle just a bit more on her plate...you think.
-Rail Network: Your first railway has been proven a great success, and leaders and business magnates from across the Empire are clamoring to have more lines built across the provinces to facilitate the flow of goods and raw materials. The establishment of such a network will be both time consuming and costly, but it will more than pay for itself through the boost to national productivity, and the economic benefits of cheap transportation. Cost: 1500. Time: Four Years. Reward: National Freight Railway Network Constructed. Increased Tax Income. New Options Unlocked.
Work continues on the national rail network, which is now the largest and longest running public works project in the Empire's history, employing thousands of Griffons, Dogs and Ponies clearing land, building tunnels and laying tracks. Several major cities now sport loading areas, warehouses, cranes and maitenance bays intended to serve the locomotives and their cargo once they finally begin making their way along the completed tracks, and multiple businesses are already being established by far sighted nobles and young entrepreneurs to take advantage of the coming drop in transport costs for bulk goods. Frida confidently reports that, given the current rate of construction, the first trains will begin making their way along a completed rail network sometime next year. Will Finish Next Turn
-Imperial Sanitation Commission: Your growing population has raised concerns amongst the healers and physicians of the Office of Disease Control. The issue of...waste management...has been raised more than once. Simply put, you are rapidly reaching a point where the existing infrastructure will become unable to handle so many people, which may in turn lead to outbreaks of disease. Frida and the Office of Disease Control have been coordinating with a team of architects and civic planners to draw up an expansion of the existing sewage network in your major cities. Needless to say, it's going to be expensive, and will take a significant amount of time to implement. But it may be the only way to prevent the recent population explosion from becoming the catalyst for a plague. Cost: 3000. Time: Two Years. Reward: City Sewage Networks Upgraded, lessened chance of disease outbreaks.
After many months of backbreaking and nose-covering work, the upgrade to the Empire's sewage networks is finally completed to much relief and fanfare on the parts of the workers and ordinary citizens alike. You make a point of touring several of the completed sewage tunnels (before they come into use, obviously), and give a number of speeches to the assembled workers on this "marvel of subterranean architecture" that will ensure the Empire's cities will remain clean and free of filth and disease.
A segment of the Sewers underneath Gryphus Peak
The physicians of the Office of Disease Control are relieved with the project's completion, glad to have a monarch so willing to spend vast sums of funds for the sake of public health, and Frida is pleased to report that the pumping of so much money into local economies has resulted in an overall improvement in local employment statistics, even as young citizens from across the nation flock to the cities for the jobs to be found there. It seems that the project has been a boon to your people in more ways than one. City Sewage Networks Upgraded, lessened chance of disease outbreaks, Lessened Consequences of Urbanization
-Refugee Resettlement Program: The Maretonian Civil War has displaced thousands of citizens, many of which have fled to the Empire or the Crystal Protectorate in hopes of escaping the carnage and bloodshed that has so rapidly consumed their homeland. Combined with the thousands of escaped slaves who have flocked North to the promised land of Griffonia, this living tide of desperate people has swamped the government offices dedicated to assisting them, and has led to severe overcrowding in the hastily established refugee camps along the border. A coordinated government response is needed urgently. In between her numerous other duties, Frida has coordinated with the Crystal Assembly to draw up a plan to empty out the camps and help these Maretonians become self-sufficient Imperial citizens. This will of course require both time and a significant influx of funding. Cost: 500. Time: One Year Reward: Refugee Crisis Addressed.
At the beginning of the year, a number of tent cities dotted the Crystal Protectorate, filled to bursting with refugees fleeing the violence and chaos of the Maretonian civil war. Numbering in the tens of thousands, these desperate peoples ranged from escaped slaves and army deserters to independent farmers whose lands had been seized by the forces of the Noble Houses. Seeing no other option, they had thrown themselves upon the mercy of the Crystal Assembly and the Empire, begging for assistance in their hour of greatest need.
And the Empire had answered.
Funds pour into the coffers of hastily established government agencies tasked with emptying the overcrowded camps. Food, firewood, coal, building materials and medical supplies arrive by the boxcar via the Crystal Line. Private charities soon join the government response as the Golden Circle (an organization that can trace its origins back to the ancient Empire in the days before Discord) holds nationwide fundraisers, raising over a million Kronemarks in less than two months. Material assistance comes from abroad, as the governments of Neighpon and Canterbury both contribute funds, the people of YakYakistan donating blankets and spare yurts to refugee families in need.
But the most inspiring acts of charity are performed by the Crystal Ponies.
In an address to the Crystal Assembly and multiple speeches to his people, Consul Ivory Rook names the assistance of their "brethren of another land" as his top priority, a statement that is met with cheers. Residents of the Crystal City open up their homes to their newfound neighbors as the protectorate government opens up its coffers to fund the construction of swathes of new housing and public works projects intended to provide quick and easy employment to these newest additions to the local population.
By the end of the year, several of the refugee camps have been emptied entirely, and those that remain contain a fragment of the population they once held. While refugees continue to flow over the border, their is now an adequate system in place to care for and integrate them, and their plight can no longer be accurately described as a crisis. You are proud of your people.
Refugee Crisis Addressed, Costs Reduced to -100 Gold Per Turn
Learning: While Archimedes and Genevieve form the core of your scholastic efforts, the Neighponese Trio and the newly arrived Canterbury Experts, particularly the venerable Merlin, have become increasingly important to your Empire's research and development efforts, providing new insights and research opportunities to exploit.
-Crystal Rune Replication: While the replication of the Crystal Heart has been deemed impossible, the individual runes found on it may be a different story. Genevieve and the Neighponese Trio stand ready to make the attempt at reverse engineering the more easily comprehensible components of the Crystal Heart. It will take time and funding, but if successful, you may have a method of harnessing the power of magic. The arrival of Merlin and his colleagues have decreased the anticipated time needed to perform this action. Cost: 400. Time: One Year. Reward: Reverse-Engineered Runes. Chance of Success: 70%.
Required: 30. Rolled: 25+18+10 (Imposter Syndrome Omake)= 53
With the gathered arcane expertise of two cultures represented by the representatives of the Neighponese and Canterburian schools of magic, the Crystal University has never had a better chance at reverse engineering the complex and enigmatic runes of the Crystal Heart. Merlin himself heads the project, eager to study something new that may be added to his repertoire of knowledge, and spends many a day and night closely examining the subtlest details of the almost microscopic carvings upon the sacred artifact, whilst Genevieve gathers magically reactive materials to be used in an attempt to replicate the properties of the magically infused carvings. Months of intense study and frustrating trial and error follow, as Genevieve searches for a mixture that can adequately carry a magical charge whilst Merlin attempts to decipher the runic alphabet.
Finally, near the end of the year, Merlin teleports himself into your private chambers in the middle of the night. After managing to avoid stabbing your head of arcane research, you are presented with the full text of the elderly Ambrosius's research into an entire newly developed school of arcane theory. The ancient Unicorn states that he has managed to translate several commonly known spells into runic equivalents, and has laid the groundwork for the creation of many more. For the first time, non-Unicorns can harness the power of magic in a similar fashion! Merlin stresses that, despite his best efforts, the runes that he has devised are but a pale imitation of the ones found upon the Crystal Heart. He theorizes that one could study the object for over a century and not be able to replicate it's capabilities. Still, his adaptation of its inner workings are better than nothing.
A rune of lighting, one of the simplest of Merlin's adapted Runes
Less than a week after that revelation, Genevieve forwards you her own findings. Unfortunately, hers are not as positive as Merlin's. While she has uncovered the ideal mixture of magical reagents to ensure a reusable and long-lasting rune, the ingredients are rare. Powdered diamonds and dragon-bones rare. Combined with the fact that any given object seems to be capable of holding only a handful of runes without sundering under the strain of being a vessel for so much arcane power, and it is obvious that, much like Orichalcum, runic objects are never going to be commonplace in the Empire.
Still, you now have a method of harnessing thaumatological phenomenon for your own use, something previously thought impossible for your kind. You can't even begin to imagine how many applications this new field of study may have for you and your people. Runes Reverse Engineered, New Actions Unlocked
-Arcane Agricultural Practices: Puissant Arbre has approached you with an intriguing proposal to improve your Empire's agricultural output. While it is not possible, nor desirable for him to use his magic to personally enhance the soil and crop output of every farm in the Empire, there is a more practical way for him to make a difference, namely, through teaching. While the majority of your population cannot use magic, and thus cannot hope to use it the way he does, he can teach them a few agricultural tricks that he and other Earth Ponies have picked up from years of experimentation and trial-and-error, taking advantage of the natural flow of ambient magic to aid in plant growth. He will need funds to organize a proper lecture circuit, but if it works as he claims it will, you could see a significant increase in annual crop yields. Cost: 300. Time: One Year. Reward: Increased Agricultural Income. Chance of Success: 65%
Required: 35. Rolled: 17+18= 35
Puissant's lecture circuit is...not very well received. Few Griffons and even fewer Diamond Dogs turn out to hear him speak, and many of those that do don't really put a lot of stock in his words or teachings. It's not that he isn't a good public speaker, nor that he is incapable of imparting the necessary information, it's a matter of his audience. The Imperial public is still trying to wrap its head around the idea of magic, and many are understandably skeptical about the whole thing, preferring to stick to the tried and true mundane methods they've always relied upon. And, to be fair, some of the Earth Pony's suggestions for growing healthier crops do come off as a little...strange.
Singing lullabies to saplings isn't even the weirdest thing he tells your farmers to do.
While you're sure that there's a reasonable explanation for such practices, the farmers of your Empire are in no mood to waste time on these strange new ideas from some foreigner, and largely ignore the tidbits of wisdom that he seeks to impart. And that would have been the end of it, were it not for the actions of an opportunistically minded Griffon.
After giving another one of his lectures in Wingbardy, Puissant is approached by a Griffon named Gunio Valerio with a proposition to adapt his advice into book form, and thus distribute it across the Empire. Puissant approves the venture, at this point desperate to get his message across. Valerio sets to work, adapting Arbre's spoken words to written ones, editing out many of the more bizarre agricultural practices and focusing upon the more approachable and understandable ideas, such as planting certain types of crops within closer proximity to each other or at certain times of the day.
Once done, he publishes "Arcane Agricultural Principles" under his own name, crediting Puissant as a researcher and co-author. The book is initially met with the same skepticism that the Canterburian Earth Pony was, but after a few farmers try out the ideas and are met with more bountiful harvests, it quickly becomes required reading for anyone working in the Agricultural sector. Gunio profits greatly from the book sales, and shares a fraction of the profits with Puissant.
The Canterburian is...not exactly happy with this turn of events, but he's technically succeeded in his task, and the royalty checks he receives from Valerio helps soothe his displeasure. It's hard to be upset with a pocket full of currency...though it's not the gold he's used to.
All in all, a success...albeit a narrow one. Increased Agricultural Yields, +100 Income
Intrigue: Ravenburg is more than a little embarrassed at how his meddling in Maretonia's affairs accidentally started a civil war that now threatens the stability of the region, but he hasn't let that stop him from doing his job of keeping the Empire safe and keeping the Emperor informed.
-Subterranean Supplylines: There are several pockets of Abolitionist fighters that are operating behind enemy lines, still working to free their enslaved brethren. As of now they are a mere nuisance to the forces of the warring nobles, but if they were to receive proper support that may very well change. Ambrosia has a plan to excavate a great series of tunnels burrowing under and through hostile territory to serve as routes of transit and transport for her forces...but she can't do so without Imperial Support. Lend her some of your best Diamond Dog excavators to assist and oversee the construction of these proposed tunnels, and provide some funding to get the project off...or rather under...the ground. Cost: 600. Time: One Year. Reward: Abolitionist Supplylines established, Abolitionist Resistance Forces strengthened. Chance of Success: 70%
Rolled: 30. Rolled: 50+13= 63
Ravenburg, given the go-ahead to assist his Abolitionist colleague in her latest plan, dispatches multiple teams of Diamond Dog tunneling experts south of the border to aid in the construction of the many miles of underground supplylines needed to connect the Abolitionist's main force with the scattered bands and pockets of resistance located behind enemy lines.
A recently excavated tunnel intersection.
Over the course of the year, mile after mile of earth is excavated right under the noses of the Maretonian noble houses, allowing for vital shipments of food, weapons, medicine, and reinforcements to groups of free slaves, who use their newly acquired resources to launch a series of raids against Noble holdings and logistical centers, striking a blow for the Abolitionist cause and making things more difficult for Star and Storm. Ambrosia sends another bottle of wine to express her thanks, and states that the tunnels that the Empire has helped to build will serve a pivotal role in the days to come. You are glad to hear that your contribution to the abolitionist cause is appreciated, and will be put to good use. Abolitionist Positions Strengthened.
-Spying on the Stars: House White Star is an enigma to you. A collection of wealthy nobles and powerful battlemages tenuously united by their shared greed and their fear or loyalty to the Duke of Argentum. They've got more money than they know what to do with and enough magical talent to make the impossible reality. And yet they seem to be content to simply sit on their wealth and wait for their enemies to make the first move. You're not buying it. Get some infiltrators into the parlors and council chambers of the White Stars and have them find out what the Unicorns are up to. Cost: 500. Time: One Year. Reward: Intel on House White Star Activities, New Actions Unlocked. Chance of Success: 60%.
Required: 40. Rolled: 75+13+10(Crushing It In Imperial Accounting Omake)=98 Art. Crit!
Once again, Ravenburg delivers you another intelligence coup. Over two dozen spies and informants are now delivering regular updates on House White Star Activities through a series of encoded messages and dead drops, ensuring that the nobles can't do anything without you learning of it. These spies include mercenary commanders, household servants, free ponies of the middle classes, even a noble who opposes the Duke of Argentum and his supporters on personal grounds.
Countess Copper Top, Member of House Storm and your most Valuable Spy within the Maretonian Nobility.
These spies paint you a colorful picture of House White Star, which is as informative as it is unsettling.
For starters, while Duke Haygle of Argentum is the nominal leader of House White Star, his position of authority is far from uncontested. Since the crisis began, he has survived two attempts on his life, and has participated in magical duels on an almost monthly basis as an endless stream of challengers vie for his position at the head of the faction. This is merely the most obvious manifestation of the fact that House White Star is not nearly as unified as it appears.
Virtually the only thing that all of the nobles comprising it can all agree on is that Pegicles should not be allowed to rule over Maretonia, though each seems to have their own reasons to justify that line of thought. Some see him as a militaristic tyrant who would seek to command them as he commands his own troops, others cite his lack of experience governing or doing anything other than waging war and reaping the immediate benefits. Some recoil at the mere idea of having a Pegasus as their ruler.
Regardless of their reasons for opposing House Storm, the nobles of House White Star spend just as much time planning to fight each other as they do planning to fight Pegicles or the Abolitionists. Ravenburg theorizes that this is the reason Duke Haygle has been so hesitant to commit his forces to a full assault thus far: doing so could risk disrupting the delicate political balancing act that allows him to maintain his leadership of his faction, sparking a civil war within a civil war. In addition, House White Star seems generally predisposed towards a defensive mindset, believing that their wealth and magical prowess will allow them to simply outlast their rivals. They have deeper pockets than House Storm, and since the armies of both sides are comprised largely of mercenary companies, Haygle's followers believe that all they have to do to win is run out the clock until House Storm goes bankrupt.
Though at this rate, that's likely to take years, and no one is patient enough for that. Hence Duke Haygle's courting of the wizards at the Maretonian Colleges of Magic, who he seems to believe hold the key to a swift victory. Though even he doesn't seem to have full control over them.
One of several "private studies" maintained by the Maretonian Colleges of Magic in remote corners of the kingdom.
The mages and scholars of the Arcane Colleges live in a world unto their own in their ivory towers, isolated form the wider world and answerable to few. Even Queen Mareia did not dare to order them about as if they were beneath her station, instead treating them almost like representatives of a foreign state within her own kingdom.
You have no idea what sort of magical wonder-weapons the mages may be concocting inside their hidden halls. Only time, or a truly risky infiltration, could possibly reveal what they are up to.
Regardless, you now have a far better idea of what House White Star has in store, and a few ideas to use that information to your advantage. Gained Intel on House White Star and Multiple Contacts Within It. New Actions Unlocked.
Piety: The newly established "Council of Faiths", a gathering of representatives from every major religion in the Empire, has wasted no time in clamoring for your attention and attempting to leverage their newfound place in the Imperial Court to expand the influence of their respective beliefs. Each of the six beings upon the Council (Including a Qilin, a Yak, and a Crystal Pony) have submitted a proposal for your consideration. Whether you intend to act on any of them is up to you.
-Crystal Shrine: Thus far, the religious services for disciples of the Crystal Heart have been held in a corner of the Crystal Palace, just below the object of their worship. The Crystal assembly has promised funding and authorization for the construction of a permanent shrine, but with their focus on growing the local economy and the ongoing refugee crisis, they have had other priorities as of late. Perhaps you could pen a letter to the assembly reminding them of the importance of faith, and of the need for more suitable amenities for worshippers. You can even offer up a little bit of funding yourself, just to show how seriously you take the matter. Cost: 100. Time: One Year. Reward: Shrine to the Crystal Heart constructed.
With the ongoing refugee crisis causing thousands of Ponies, Donkeys and Diamond Dogs to swell the population of the Crystal City and the Protectorate as a whole, the Assembly has more pressing concerns than the construction of a place of worship. The Disciples of the Crystal Heart have been understanding, but after having the promised construction of a shrine postponed for a third time, their representative on the Council of Faiths placed a request for you to intervene.
In an open letter to the Crystal Assembly, you join the head of the Disciples in emphasizing the need for spiritual guidance in this time of uncertainty, and offer funds to supplement the construction of a proper shrine to the Crystal Heart. Moved to action by your written speech (and the sudden upsurge in public interest it generates), the Assembly finally puts aside the time and resources to construct a proper Shrine to the Crystal Heart.
Conspicuously placed beneath the arch of the Crystal Palace's elevated structure, the original plan had been to create a space for individuals to worship as close to the Heart as possible without actually having the Shrine be present within the Palace itself. An upraised spike of carved crystal resembling a stalagmite sits at the very center of the Shrine, intended to act as a focal point and an indicator pointing towards the object of worship.
It came as a great surprise to everyone when, just as the inaugural ceremony began, the Crystal Heart teleported itself from its perch atop the Crystal Palace and began levitating at the center of the shrine, only to return to its elevated position atop the Palace once the stunned worshippers finally concluded the ceremony. The Heart has repeated these actions at every weekly mass, and the Disciples naturally see this as a great blessing and proof that the Heart approves of their actions and worship.
The Crystal Shrine as it appears during periods of intense worship at it's shrine.
Your arcane scholars theorize that the Heart may be gaining power by basking amidst the adoration of its worshippers. You are once again reminded of its supposed semi-sentience. Regardless, the completion of the Shrine and its blessing by the Heart has resulted in a significant increase in religious attendance and a number of conversions to the growing cult of the Crystal Heart, many of them refugees from Maretonia. Shrine to Crystal Heart Constructed, Disciples of the Crystal Heart: +1.5 Influence
Personal: You refuse to let your duties as Emperor take up every moment of your day.
-Overtime: Refugee Resettlement Program
-The Good Prince: Gawain has repeatedly expressed concerns about his place in the Empire. He feels that he is not doing enough to help the nation he will one day rule. He wishes to make a difference, to earn his title of Prince. He has recently approached you asking to be given a position where he may prove himself, and earn experience for the day when he will take the throne himself. You won't deny him the opportunity. The only question is: where to send him? Cost: 0. Time: One Year. Reward: Gawain gains a government post and job experience.
[ ] Martial: Gawain shall be given a commission and a position of authority within the military. Exactly what role he will play is as of yet uncertain, but your military command could always use another effective leader to carry out operations, both logistical and combative in nature.
[ ] Diplomacy: As his friendship with Ki Seong has shown, Gawain has no difficulty bridging cultural divides and forging connections with individuals of differing backgrounds; valuable skills for a head of state and diplomat alike. Gisa could always use another helping talon managing the growing number of foreign delegations and embassies she has been placed in charge of. Gawain should fit right in.
[ ] Stewardship: While he does not have the business instinct borne of years of experience that you do, Gawain still has a head for sums and an eye for opportunity. Besides, the whole point of this exercise is to give him a chance to learn and grow.
[ ] Learning: As a former student of Archimedes, Gawain already possesses all the necessary attributes of a scholar and researcher. What better place to have him work than alongside his former mentor in the act of benefiting the Empire's knowledge base?
[ ] Intrigue: When you began your rule, you had no idea just how important your spies and intelligence agents would become to the security and functioning of your domain. If Gawain is to one day become an effective ruler, he must have first-hand experience with the Empire's...less obvious means of influencing events.
[ ] Piety: They say that suffering builds character, and you can't think of a more character-building activity for your son than placing him at the head of the Council of Faiths. In all seriousness though, with the growing prominence and importance of religion in the Empire, having your son in a place to learn about and influence the numerous faiths in Gryphus may be a wise decision.
As others have speculated, in addition to the stat boost Gawain's work experience will give him, you will also gain an additional action in the chosen category.
Carracks Built: 1d4: 2
Happy Holidays Everyone, and Happy Belated Anniversary to the Quest! I can't thank you all enough for following this Quest and inspiring me to continue making content. You guys are awesome and I greatly appreciate all your support.
-The Hardbeak Line: The architects and engineers of the Imperial Army have drawn up plans for a line of "star forts" to be constructed South of the Crystal City, intended to serve as a defensive line against any potential Maretonian aggression. Naturally, the construction and maintenance of these forts is going to be expensive, and they're not going to be built overnight. Still, if you're looking to build modern fortresses to defend your Protectorate, it's the best plan you've got. The recent completion of the Crystal Line has made such an endeavor cheaper and easier, though still nothing to sneeze at. Cost: 2200. Time: Two Years. Reward: Hardbeak Line Constructed using new fortification techniques. Southern Border Secured.
After many months of hard work on the parts of countless laborers, carpenters, masons and architects in the employ of civilian firms and the military, the Hardbeak Line is finally completed. Half a dozen star forts and over a dozen fortified watchtowers and signaling stations, all connected by a network of roads and bridges crisscrossing the previously unmarked plains to the South of the Crystal City. With their walls manned by hundreds of garrison troops and bearing dozens of mounted cannons and ballistae, the Hardbeak Line is a nearly impenetrable wall of stone and steel guarding your Southern Border with what was once a unified Maretonia.
A scale model of Rogno Fortress, Centerpiece of the Hardbeak Line
While an invasion from the South is no longer considered likely, the completion of the Hardbeak Line has put any lingering fears of slave raids to rest, and has done much to reassure both the Crystal Assembly and the thousands of former slaves that now call your Empire home. Though the forts will hopefully not be seeing combat in the near future, they serve a powerful psychological purpose merely by existing. You congratulate Redbeak on the completion of a fortified network to surpass the Peregrine Line. Now the Southern Border is secured from any would-be aggressors. Hardbeak Line Constructed. -250 Gold Per Turn In Upkeep Costs
-Military Advisors: With the Abolitionists now forced into open revolt by the death of Queen Mareia and the collapse of Maretonian society, the odds of Ambrosia and her followers being forced into open combat with the forces of either of the Noble houses are now worryingly high. And while the ragtag militias that they rely upon for defense have no shortage of courage, they are severely lacking in training, tactics, and logistical knowhow. Redbeak has proposed a solution: sending volunteers from the Imperial Military to serve as trainers, instructors, and advisors to the Abolitionist's military forces. By now it's basically an open secret that you and your Empire support the Abolitionist cause anyway, and the lack of any direct offensive action against them should prevent the Noble Houses from doing anything rash in response. Cost: 400. Time: One Year. Reward: Abolitionists receive support from Gryphus Military Advisors. Chance of Success: 70%
Required: 30. Rolled: 34+14+10(Crystal Clear Glass Omake)=58
With the situation in Maretonia being what it is, it was only a matter of time until the Empire sent troops over the border. The fact that the handful of soldiers you send are intended to serve a mere supervisory role alongside the Abolitionist militias does little to change the fact that Imperial soldiers are crossing the horder into Maretonian territory. Though seeing as how the border between Maretonia and the Empire (or rather, the Crystal Protectorate) is controlled by the Abolitionists themselves, your troops encounter no issues flying over the imaginary line, swiftly meeting up with Abolitionist forces and beginning the long and difficult task of training the ragtag army of liberated slaves into a cohesive fighting force.
It is both easier and more difficult than expected. The Abolitionists are nothing if not enthusiastic, and eagerly listen to whatever bits of tactical advice their newfound friends can offer. Shipments of Griffon-made weapons and raids on armories in the earliest days of the Civil War have ensured that the rebels have an adequate supply of weapons, though they have nothing approaching the level of equipment standardization that your own army possesses.
Unfortunately, that is where the good news ends. Armor and shields are in short supply, and many members of the militia are in less than prime fighting shape thanks to years of mistreatment and inadequate nutrition in the mines and plantations of their former masters. Ambrosia and her fellows have a mere fraction of the funds and resources that their rivals down South do. And, as your troops increasingly report, the Abolitionist's enthusiasm is a double edged sword. In the mock battles that your advisors stage to train their charges, abolitionist fighters frequently engage in reckless charges and futile last stands, selling their lives bravely but for little gain.
As one Captain Oscar Nightail puts it: "It's a good thing we showed up when we did, otherwise these crazy bastards would have all impaled themselves on the swords of the nobles. Making the enemy choke on your dead is only a viable strategy when you outnumber them."
Captain Nightail, of the newly established Military Assistance Command
Over the weeks and months that the awkward stalemate between the factions persists, your soldiers attempt to train these suicidal tendencies out of the abolitionist troops, instructing them in the use of camouflage, hit and run tactics, and asymmetrical warfare. By the end of the year the Abolitionist troops are faring better in their simulated clashes, and Redbeak assures you that your advisors have done much to prepare your Southern allies for any future clashes with their foes. You can only hopes he's right. Gryphus Military Advisors now Improving Abolitionist Forces.
Diplomacy: Gisa Eagleclaw, though concerned with the events unfolding in Maretonia, is primarily concerned with the numerous other nations that you are on speaking terms with, particularly the newly discovered Minotaur Republics, who she is eager to make official diplomatic contact with.
-Meeting the Republicans: The infiltrator Light Step's fateful adventure overseas allowed you to make a decent first impression with the Minotaurs, the Maretonians' mysterious trading partners. Though, despite this, you've yet to make official diplomatic contact with representatives from the city-states that comprise the Minotaur Republics, and you still have many questions regarding the newly discovered people and their culture. Perhaps it's time you tried to arrange a more formal meeting and foster a dialogue between your respective governments. Cost: 200. Time: One Year. Reward: Diplomatic Relations Opened with Minotaurs, First Contact QA Interlude, New Actions Unlocked.
To Be Continued in "Minotaur Dialogues"
-Orichalcum Trade: The Yak King Rutherford has expressed his willingness to trade his kingdom's considerable Orichalcum deposits in hopes of balancing out his people's trade deficit to the Empire. All that remains is to smooth out the details and determine exactly how the rare mineral will be transported and paid for. It will be expensive, but it will be worth it to secure a larger supply of the anti-magic metal that your military is becoming increasingly dependent upon. Cost: 100. Time: One Year. Reward: Yak Orichalcum Imports, Additional Actions Unlocked, -500 Gold per Turn.
Given a blank check to negotiate on your behalf for YakYakistan's considerable Orichalcum reserves, Gisa personally travels to the court of King Rutherford to hammer out the details of a trade agreement. During the negotiations the Yaks show their trademark stubbornness, but they are no fools: the Empire may have a great demand for their mineral deposits, but you are also the only Kingdom currently willing to purchase their Orichalcum stores, and the only ones with the means of smelting the durable and heat-resistant ore into shapeable metal.
The Gates to the Capital of Yakistown, as viewed by a band of visiting Canterburian Merchants
Though the negotiations drag on for weeks, everyone knows how they will end. A reasonable price is settled upon, routes are transit are established, and by the end of the year the first shipments of Yak-mined Orichalcum begin to regularly cross the border into the Imperial Heartland. All that's left to do now is figure out what to do with it. Gained Additional Source of Orichalcum, New Actions Unlocked, -500 Gold Per Turn
Stewardship: Between the gargantuan task of completing a national railroad and performing a complete overhaul of the Empire's sewage infrastructure, Frida has her talons full this year, to the point that you don't she can handle anything else. Still, if it's truly necessary, you think she can handle just a bit more on her plate...you think.
-Rail Network: Your first railway has been proven a great success, and leaders and business magnates from across the Empire are clamoring to have more lines built across the provinces to facilitate the flow of goods and raw materials. The establishment of such a network will be both time consuming and costly, but it will more than pay for itself through the boost to national productivity, and the economic benefits of cheap transportation. Cost: 1500. Time: Four Years. Reward: National Freight Railway Network Constructed. Increased Tax Income. New Options Unlocked.
Work continues on the national rail network, which is now the largest and longest running public works project in the Empire's history, employing thousands of Griffons, Dogs and Ponies clearing land, building tunnels and laying tracks. Several major cities now sport loading areas, warehouses, cranes and maitenance bays intended to serve the locomotives and their cargo once they finally begin making their way along the completed tracks, and multiple businesses are already being established by far sighted nobles and young entrepreneurs to take advantage of the coming drop in transport costs for bulk goods. Frida confidently reports that, given the current rate of construction, the first trains will begin making their way along a completed rail network sometime next year. Will Finish Next Turn
-Imperial Sanitation Commission: Your growing population has raised concerns amongst the healers and physicians of the Office of Disease Control. The issue of...waste management...has been raised more than once. Simply put, you are rapidly reaching a point where the existing infrastructure will become unable to handle so many people, which may in turn lead to outbreaks of disease. Frida and the Office of Disease Control have been coordinating with a team of architects and civic planners to draw up an expansion of the existing sewage network in your major cities. Needless to say, it's going to be expensive, and will take a significant amount of time to implement. But it may be the only way to prevent the recent population explosion from becoming the catalyst for a plague. Cost: 3000. Time: Two Years. Reward: City Sewage Networks Upgraded, lessened chance of disease outbreaks.
After many months of backbreaking and nose-covering work, the upgrade to the Empire's sewage networks is finally completed to much relief and fanfare on the parts of the workers and ordinary citizens alike. You make a point of touring several of the completed sewage tunnels (before they come into use, obviously), and give a number of speeches to the assembled workers on this "marvel of subterranean architecture" that will ensure the Empire's cities will remain clean and free of filth and disease.
A segment of the Sewers underneath Gryphus Peak
The physicians of the Office of Disease Control are relieved with the project's completion, glad to have a monarch so willing to spend vast sums of funds for the sake of public health, and Frida is pleased to report that the pumping of so much money into local economies has resulted in an overall improvement in local employment statistics, even as young citizens from across the nation flock to the cities for the jobs to be found there. It seems that the project has been a boon to your people in more ways than one. City Sewage Networks Upgraded, lessened chance of disease outbreaks, Lessened Consequences of Urbanization
-Refugee Resettlement Program: The Maretonian Civil War has displaced thousands of citizens, many of which have fled to the Empire or the Crystal Protectorate in hopes of escaping the carnage and bloodshed that has so rapidly consumed their homeland. Combined with the thousands of escaped slaves who have flocked North to the promised land of Griffonia, this living tide of desperate people has swamped the government offices dedicated to assisting them, and has led to severe overcrowding in the hastily established refugee camps along the border. A coordinated government response is needed urgently. In between her numerous other duties, Frida has coordinated with the Crystal Assembly to draw up a plan to empty out the camps and help these Maretonians become self-sufficient Imperial citizens. This will of course require both time and a significant influx of funding. Cost: 500. Time: One Year Reward: Refugee Crisis Addressed.
At the beginning of the year, a number of tent cities dotted the Crystal Protectorate, filled to bursting with refugees fleeing the violence and chaos of the Maretonian civil war. Numbering in the tens of thousands, these desperate peoples ranged from escaped slaves and army deserters to independent farmers whose lands had been seized by the forces of the Noble Houses. Seeing no other option, they had thrown themselves upon the mercy of the Crystal Assembly and the Empire, begging for assistance in their hour of greatest need.
And the Empire had answered.
Funds pour into the coffers of hastily established government agencies tasked with emptying the overcrowded camps. Food, firewood, coal, building materials and medical supplies arrive by the boxcar via the Crystal Line. Private charities soon join the government response as the Golden Circle (an organization that can trace its origins back to the ancient Empire in the days before Discord) holds nationwide fundraisers, raising over a million Kronemarks in less than two months. Material assistance comes from abroad, as the governments of Neighpon and Canterbury both contribute funds, the people of YakYakistan donating blankets and spare yurts to refugee families in need.
But the most inspiring acts of charity are performed by the Crystal Ponies.
In an address to the Crystal Assembly and multiple speeches to his people, Consul Ivory Rook names the assistance of their "brethren of another land" as his top priority, a statement that is met with cheers. Residents of the Crystal City open up their homes to their newfound neighbors as the protectorate government opens up its coffers to fund the construction of swathes of new housing and public works projects intended to provide quick and easy employment to these newest additions to the local population.
By the end of the year, several of the refugee camps have been emptied entirely, and those that remain contain a fragment of the population they once held. While refugees continue to flow over the border, their is now an adequate system in place to care for and integrate them, and their plight can no longer be accurately described as a crisis. You are proud of your people.
Refugee Crisis Addressed, Costs Reduced to -100 Gold Per Turn
Learning: While Archimedes and Genevieve form the core of your scholastic efforts, the Neighponese Trio and the newly arrived Canterbury Experts, particularly the venerable Merlin, have become increasingly important to your Empire's research and development efforts, providing new insights and research opportunities to exploit.
-Crystal Rune Replication: While the replication of the Crystal Heart has been deemed impossible, the individual runes found on it may be a different story. Genevieve and the Neighponese Trio stand ready to make the attempt at reverse engineering the more easily comprehensible components of the Crystal Heart. It will take time and funding, but if successful, you may have a method of harnessing the power of magic. The arrival of Merlin and his colleagues have decreased the anticipated time needed to perform this action. Cost: 400. Time: One Year. Reward: Reverse-Engineered Runes. Chance of Success: 70%.
Required: 30. Rolled: 25+18+10 (Imposter Syndrome Omake)= 53
With the gathered arcane expertise of two cultures represented by the representatives of the Neighponese and Canterburian schools of magic, the Crystal University has never had a better chance at reverse engineering the complex and enigmatic runes of the Crystal Heart. Merlin himself heads the project, eager to study something new that may be added to his repertoire of knowledge, and spends many a day and night closely examining the subtlest details of the almost microscopic carvings upon the sacred artifact, whilst Genevieve gathers magically reactive materials to be used in an attempt to replicate the properties of the magically infused carvings. Months of intense study and frustrating trial and error follow, as Genevieve searches for a mixture that can adequately carry a magical charge whilst Merlin attempts to decipher the runic alphabet.
Finally, near the end of the year, Merlin teleports himself into your private chambers in the middle of the night. After managing to avoid stabbing your head of arcane research, you are presented with the full text of the elderly Ambrosius's research into an entire newly developed school of arcane theory. The ancient Unicorn states that he has managed to translate several commonly known spells into runic equivalents, and has laid the groundwork for the creation of many more. For the first time, non-Unicorns can harness the power of magic in a similar fashion! Merlin stresses that, despite his best efforts, the runes that he has devised are but a pale imitation of the ones found upon the Crystal Heart. He theorizes that one could study the object for over a century and not be able to replicate it's capabilities. Still, his adaptation of its inner workings are better than nothing.
A rune of lighting, one of the simplest of Merlin's adapted Runes
Less than a week after that revelation, Genevieve forwards you her own findings. Unfortunately, hers are not as positive as Merlin's. While she has uncovered the ideal mixture of magical reagents to ensure a reusable and long-lasting rune, the ingredients are rare. Powdered diamonds and dragon-bones rare. Combined with the fact that any given object seems to be capable of holding only a handful of runes without sundering under the strain of being a vessel for so much arcane power, and it is obvious that, much like Orichalcum, runic objects are never going to be commonplace in the Empire.
Still, you now have a method of harnessing thaumatological phenomenon for your own use, something previously thought impossible for your kind. You can't even begin to imagine how many applications this new field of study may have for you and your people. Runes Reverse Engineered, New Actions Unlocked
-Arcane Agricultural Practices: Puissant Arbre has approached you with an intriguing proposal to improve your Empire's agricultural output. While it is not possible, nor desirable for him to use his magic to personally enhance the soil and crop output of every farm in the Empire, there is a more practical way for him to make a difference, namely, through teaching. While the majority of your population cannot use magic, and thus cannot hope to use it the way he does, he can teach them a few agricultural tricks that he and other Earth Ponies have picked up from years of experimentation and trial-and-error, taking advantage of the natural flow of ambient magic to aid in plant growth. He will need funds to organize a proper lecture circuit, but if it works as he claims it will, you could see a significant increase in annual crop yields. Cost: 300. Time: One Year. Reward: Increased Agricultural Income. Chance of Success: 65%
Required: 35. Rolled: 17+18= 35
Puissant's lecture circuit is...not very well received. Few Griffons and even fewer Diamond Dogs turn out to hear him speak, and many of those that do don't really put a lot of stock in his words or teachings. It's not that he isn't a good public speaker, nor that he is incapable of imparting the necessary information, it's a matter of his audience. The Imperial public is still trying to wrap its head around the idea of magic, and many are understandably skeptical about the whole thing, preferring to stick to the tried and true mundane methods they've always relied upon. And, to be fair, some of the Earth Pony's suggestions for growing healthier crops do come off as a little...strange.
Singing lullabies to saplings isn't even the weirdest thing he tells your farmers to do.
While you're sure that there's a reasonable explanation for such practices, the farmers of your Empire are in no mood to waste time on these strange new ideas from some foreigner, and largely ignore the tidbits of wisdom that he seeks to impart. And that would have been the end of it, were it not for the actions of an opportunistically minded Griffon.
After giving another one of his lectures in Wingbardy, Puissant is approached by a Griffon named Gunio Valerio with a proposition to adapt his advice into book form, and thus distribute it across the Empire. Puissant approves the venture, at this point desperate to get his message across. Valerio sets to work, adapting Arbre's spoken words to written ones, editing out many of the more bizarre agricultural practices and focusing upon the more approachable and understandable ideas, such as planting certain types of crops within closer proximity to each other or at certain times of the day.
Once done, he publishes "Arcane Agricultural Principles" under his own name, crediting Puissant as a researcher and co-author. The book is initially met with the same skepticism that the Canterburian Earth Pony was, but after a few farmers try out the ideas and are met with more bountiful harvests, it quickly becomes required reading for anyone working in the Agricultural sector. Gunio profits greatly from the book sales, and shares a fraction of the profits with Puissant.
The Canterburian is...not exactly happy with this turn of events, but he's technically succeeded in his task, and the royalty checks he receives from Valerio helps soothe his displeasure. It's hard to be upset with a pocket full of currency...though it's not the gold he's used to.
All in all, a success...albeit a narrow one. Increased Agricultural Yields, +100 Income
Intrigue: Ravenburg is more than a little embarrassed at how his meddling in Maretonia's affairs accidentally started a civil war that now threatens the stability of the region, but he hasn't let that stop him from doing his job of keeping the Empire safe and keeping the Emperor informed.
-Subterranean Supplylines: There are several pockets of Abolitionist fighters that are operating behind enemy lines, still working to free their enslaved brethren. As of now they are a mere nuisance to the forces of the warring nobles, but if they were to receive proper support that may very well change. Ambrosia has a plan to excavate a great series of tunnels burrowing under and through hostile territory to serve as routes of transit and transport for her forces...but she can't do so without Imperial Support. Lend her some of your best Diamond Dog excavators to assist and oversee the construction of these proposed tunnels, and provide some funding to get the project off...or rather under...the ground. Cost: 600. Time: One Year. Reward: Abolitionist Supplylines established, Abolitionist Resistance Forces strengthened. Chance of Success: 70%
Rolled: 30. Rolled: 50+13= 63
Ravenburg, given the go-ahead to assist his Abolitionist colleague in her latest plan, dispatches multiple teams of Diamond Dog tunneling experts south of the border to aid in the construction of the many miles of underground supplylines needed to connect the Abolitionist's main force with the scattered bands and pockets of resistance located behind enemy lines.
A recently excavated tunnel intersection.
Over the course of the year, mile after mile of earth is excavated right under the noses of the Maretonian noble houses, allowing for vital shipments of food, weapons, medicine, and reinforcements to groups of free slaves, who use their newly acquired resources to launch a series of raids against Noble holdings and logistical centers, striking a blow for the Abolitionist cause and making things more difficult for Star and Storm. Ambrosia sends another bottle of wine to express her thanks, and states that the tunnels that the Empire has helped to build will serve a pivotal role in the days to come. You are glad to hear that your contribution to the abolitionist cause is appreciated, and will be put to good use. Abolitionist Positions Strengthened.
-Spying on the Stars: House White Star is an enigma to you. A collection of wealthy nobles and powerful battlemages tenuously united by their shared greed and their fear or loyalty to the Duke of Argentum. They've got more money than they know what to do with and enough magical talent to make the impossible reality. And yet they seem to be content to simply sit on their wealth and wait for their enemies to make the first move. You're not buying it. Get some infiltrators into the parlors and council chambers of the White Stars and have them find out what the Unicorns are up to. Cost: 500. Time: One Year. Reward: Intel on House White Star Activities, New Actions Unlocked. Chance of Success: 60%.
Required: 40. Rolled: 75+13+10(Crushing It In Imperial Accounting Omake)=98 Art. Crit!
Once again, Ravenburg delivers you another intelligence coup. Over two dozen spies and informants are now delivering regular updates on House White Star Activities through a series of encoded messages and dead drops, ensuring that the nobles can't do anything without you learning of it. These spies include mercenary commanders, household servants, free ponies of the middle classes, even a noble who opposes the Duke of Argentum and his supporters on personal grounds.
Countess Copper Top, Member of House Storm and your most Valuable Spy within the Maretonian Nobility.
These spies paint you a colorful picture of House White Star, which is as informative as it is unsettling.
For starters, while Duke Haygle of Argentum is the nominal leader of House White Star, his position of authority is far from uncontested. Since the crisis began, he has survived two attempts on his life, and has participated in magical duels on an almost monthly basis as an endless stream of challengers vie for his position at the head of the faction. This is merely the most obvious manifestation of the fact that House White Star is not nearly as unified as it appears.
Virtually the only thing that all of the nobles comprising it can all agree on is that Pegicles should not be allowed to rule over Maretonia, though each seems to have their own reasons to justify that line of thought. Some see him as a militaristic tyrant who would seek to command them as he commands his own troops, others cite his lack of experience governing or doing anything other than waging war and reaping the immediate benefits. Some recoil at the mere idea of having a Pegasus as their ruler.
Regardless of their reasons for opposing House Storm, the nobles of House White Star spend just as much time planning to fight each other as they do planning to fight Pegicles or the Abolitionists. Ravenburg theorizes that this is the reason Duke Haygle has been so hesitant to commit his forces to a full assault thus far: doing so could risk disrupting the delicate political balancing act that allows him to maintain his leadership of his faction, sparking a civil war within a civil war. In addition, House White Star seems generally predisposed towards a defensive mindset, believing that their wealth and magical prowess will allow them to simply outlast their rivals. They have deeper pockets than House Storm, and since the armies of both sides are comprised largely of mercenary companies, Haygle's followers believe that all they have to do to win is run out the clock until House Storm goes bankrupt.
Though at this rate, that's likely to take years, and no one is patient enough for that. Hence Duke Haygle's courting of the wizards at the Maretonian Colleges of Magic, who he seems to believe hold the key to a swift victory. Though even he doesn't seem to have full control over them.
One of several "private studies" maintained by the Maretonian Colleges of Magic in remote corners of the kingdom.
The mages and scholars of the Arcane Colleges live in a world unto their own in their ivory towers, isolated form the wider world and answerable to few. Even Queen Mareia did not dare to order them about as if they were beneath her station, instead treating them almost like representatives of a foreign state within her own kingdom.
You have no idea what sort of magical wonder-weapons the mages may be concocting inside their hidden halls. Only time, or a truly risky infiltration, could possibly reveal what they are up to.
Regardless, you now have a far better idea of what House White Star has in store, and a few ideas to use that information to your advantage. Gained Intel on House White Star and Multiple Contacts Within It. New Actions Unlocked.
Piety: The newly established "Council of Faiths", a gathering of representatives from every major religion in the Empire, has wasted no time in clamoring for your attention and attempting to leverage their newfound place in the Imperial Court to expand the influence of their respective beliefs. Each of the six beings upon the Council (Including a Qilin, a Yak, and a Crystal Pony) have submitted a proposal for your consideration. Whether you intend to act on any of them is up to you.
-Crystal Shrine: Thus far, the religious services for disciples of the Crystal Heart have been held in a corner of the Crystal Palace, just below the object of their worship. The Crystal assembly has promised funding and authorization for the construction of a permanent shrine, but with their focus on growing the local economy and the ongoing refugee crisis, they have had other priorities as of late. Perhaps you could pen a letter to the assembly reminding them of the importance of faith, and of the need for more suitable amenities for worshippers. You can even offer up a little bit of funding yourself, just to show how seriously you take the matter. Cost: 100. Time: One Year. Reward: Shrine to the Crystal Heart constructed.
With the ongoing refugee crisis causing thousands of Ponies, Donkeys and Diamond Dogs to swell the population of the Crystal City and the Protectorate as a whole, the Assembly has more pressing concerns than the construction of a place of worship. The Disciples of the Crystal Heart have been understanding, but after having the promised construction of a shrine postponed for a third time, their representative on the Council of Faiths placed a request for you to intervene.
In an open letter to the Crystal Assembly, you join the head of the Disciples in emphasizing the need for spiritual guidance in this time of uncertainty, and offer funds to supplement the construction of a proper shrine to the Crystal Heart. Moved to action by your written speech (and the sudden upsurge in public interest it generates), the Assembly finally puts aside the time and resources to construct a proper Shrine to the Crystal Heart.
Conspicuously placed beneath the arch of the Crystal Palace's elevated structure, the original plan had been to create a space for individuals to worship as close to the Heart as possible without actually having the Shrine be present within the Palace itself. An upraised spike of carved crystal resembling a stalagmite sits at the very center of the Shrine, intended to act as a focal point and an indicator pointing towards the object of worship.
It came as a great surprise to everyone when, just as the inaugural ceremony began, the Crystal Heart teleported itself from its perch atop the Crystal Palace and began levitating at the center of the shrine, only to return to its elevated position atop the Palace once the stunned worshippers finally concluded the ceremony. The Heart has repeated these actions at every weekly mass, and the Disciples naturally see this as a great blessing and proof that the Heart approves of their actions and worship.
The Crystal Shrine as it appears during periods of intense worship at it's shrine.
Your arcane scholars theorize that the Heart may be gaining power by basking amidst the adoration of its worshippers. You are once again reminded of its supposed semi-sentience. Regardless, the completion of the Shrine and its blessing by the Heart has resulted in a significant increase in religious attendance and a number of conversions to the growing cult of the Crystal Heart, many of them refugees from Maretonia. Shrine to Crystal Heart Constructed, Disciples of the Crystal Heart: +1.5 Influence
Personal: You refuse to let your duties as Emperor take up every moment of your day.
-Overtime: Refugee Resettlement Program
-The Good Prince: Gawain has repeatedly expressed concerns about his place in the Empire. He feels that he is not doing enough to help the nation he will one day rule. He wishes to make a difference, to earn his title of Prince. He has recently approached you asking to be given a position where he may prove himself, and earn experience for the day when he will take the throne himself. You won't deny him the opportunity. The only question is: where to send him? Cost: 0. Time: One Year. Reward: Gawain gains a government post and job experience.
[ ] Martial: Gawain shall be given a commission and a position of authority within the military. Exactly what role he will play is as of yet uncertain, but your military command could always use another effective leader to carry out operations, both logistical and combative in nature.
[ ] Diplomacy: As his friendship with Ki Seong has shown, Gawain has no difficulty bridging cultural divides and forging connections with individuals of differing backgrounds; valuable skills for a head of state and diplomat alike. Gisa could always use another helping talon managing the growing number of foreign delegations and embassies she has been placed in charge of. Gawain should fit right in.
[ ] Stewardship: While he does not have the business instinct borne of years of experience that you do, Gawain still has a head for sums and an eye for opportunity. Besides, the whole point of this exercise is to give him a chance to learn and grow.
[ ] Learning: As a former student of Archimedes, Gawain already possesses all the necessary attributes of a scholar and researcher. What better place to have him work than alongside his former mentor in the act of benefiting the Empire's knowledge base?
[ ] Intrigue: When you began your rule, you had no idea just how important your spies and intelligence agents would become to the security and functioning of your domain. If Gawain is to one day become an effective ruler, he must have first-hand experience with the Empire's...less obvious means of influencing events.
[ ] Piety: They say that suffering builds character, and you can't think of a more character-building activity for your son than placing him at the head of the Council of Faiths. In all seriousness though, with the growing prominence and importance of religion in the Empire, having your son in a place to learn about and influence the numerous faiths in Gryphus may be a wise decision.
As others have speculated, in addition to the stat boost Gawain's work experience will give him, you will also gain an additional action in the chosen category.
Carracks Built: 1d4: 2
Happy Holidays Everyone, and Happy Belated Anniversary to the Quest! I can't thank you all enough for following this Quest and inspiring me to continue making content. You guys are awesome and I greatly appreciate all your support.
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Markala
Hannor & Polycho Shipper
- Location
- At the Junction of Angst and Fluff
[X] Learning: As a former student of Archimedes, Gawain already possesses all the necessary attributes of a scholar and researcher. What better place to have him work than alongside his former mentor in the act of benefiting the Empire's knowledge base?
Well this turn went well, not great (*sideeyes the Dice Gods about the Arcane Agriculture [w/ Salt], Crystal Rune Replication, & Military Advisors rolls*) but at least we didn't fail anything! We need Gawain on Learning (look, his Learning & Intrigue stats are Utter Birdcrap, but especially Learning because it's worse than BOTH his parents', at least Gawain's Intrigue stat outdoes his mom), this way we get a THIRD ACTION SLOT and possibly get to apply his buffed Learning stat onto our future rolls?
Hey @Questor, amazing chapter, it's been super fun, Happy Holidays to you as well! Also I was wondering, hypothetically speaking, does this mean that we would apply both Garrick's AND Gawain's whatever-stats to each roll in the future for the category that we put Gawain in? So like for example:
Base % + Garrick's % + Gawain's % = Final Base % Success
?
Or would it just be like we've always done (Base % + Garrick %), but Gawain still receives a stat perma-increase & +1 action slot?
EDIT: Also fuck damnit, I knew I shoulda cranked out that other omake for the Arcane Agriculture action faster, but SV deleted my draft and I was too dumb to remember to save it elsewhere, fml.
Well this turn went well, not great (*sideeyes the Dice Gods about the Arcane Agriculture [w/ Salt], Crystal Rune Replication, & Military Advisors rolls*) but at least we didn't fail anything! We need Gawain on Learning (look, his Learning & Intrigue stats are Utter Birdcrap, but especially Learning because it's worse than BOTH his parents', at least Gawain's Intrigue stat outdoes his mom), this way we get a THIRD ACTION SLOT and possibly get to apply his buffed Learning stat onto our future rolls?
Hey @Questor, amazing chapter, it's been super fun, Happy Holidays to you as well! Also I was wondering, hypothetically speaking, does this mean that we would apply both Garrick's AND Gawain's whatever-stats to each roll in the future for the category that we put Gawain in? So like for example:
Base % + Garrick's % + Gawain's % = Final Base % Success
?
Or would it just be like we've always done (Base % + Garrick %), but Gawain still receives a stat perma-increase & +1 action slot?
EDIT: Also fuck damnit, I knew I shoulda cranked out that other omake for the Arcane Agriculture action faster, but SV deleted my draft and I was too dumb to remember to save it elsewhere, fml.
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b-wolf95
Secretly a good boy
Edit: changed vote
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lockingbane
If you're crazy and you know it clap your hands!
- Location
- Waxahachie tx
Well well well...
All we need now is an in on the other two factions...
Because right now we could probably break house white star if we wanted to.
All we would need to do is provide secret support to an incompetent and/or egotistical idiot or two and get them into power. Then we could lead them by the nose into destroying themselves either by creating further internal fractures or by making them do something like, say, earning the wrath and attention of out empire?
I know of a way to do this. It is unsavory but it would get the whole empire to throw their support against them.
Have a volunteer spy from ravenburg, and it has to be a volunteer, to pretend to be captured by a very "Lucky" group of slave raiders.
The incompetent puppet figure will publicly boast about "Snatching a new slave right from under the bird brain's noses".
We use this to rally our empire to crush them and give us a legitimate reason to attack.
The real danger, and why this is a volunteer only mission, is that they are likely to be mistreated while as a slave and likely beaten as a show of power by the nobles. If they are supremely unlucky they might be killed...
But this would let us dismantle them quite easily.
The main thing is to get someone we can direct into power and with the current instability of the house that shouldn't be to difficult.
EDIT: All in all we could probably shatter them if we apply the right pressure. If we had a good look into the other 2 factions we could figure out how to end this war completely and have the abolitionists swoop in to restore order to a fractured and broken force.
All we need now is an in on the other two factions...
Because right now we could probably break house white star if we wanted to.
All we would need to do is provide secret support to an incompetent and/or egotistical idiot or two and get them into power. Then we could lead them by the nose into destroying themselves either by creating further internal fractures or by making them do something like, say, earning the wrath and attention of out empire?
I know of a way to do this. It is unsavory but it would get the whole empire to throw their support against them.
Have a volunteer spy from ravenburg, and it has to be a volunteer, to pretend to be captured by a very "Lucky" group of slave raiders.
The incompetent puppet figure will publicly boast about "Snatching a new slave right from under the bird brain's noses".
We use this to rally our empire to crush them and give us a legitimate reason to attack.
The real danger, and why this is a volunteer only mission, is that they are likely to be mistreated while as a slave and likely beaten as a show of power by the nobles. If they are supremely unlucky they might be killed...
But this would let us dismantle them quite easily.
The main thing is to get someone we can direct into power and with the current instability of the house that shouldn't be to difficult.
EDIT: All in all we could probably shatter them if we apply the right pressure. If we had a good look into the other 2 factions we could figure out how to end this war completely and have the abolitionists swoop in to restore order to a fractured and broken force.
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Well, certainly wasn't expecting that.
[X] Piety: They say that suffering builds character, and you can't think of a more character-building activity for your son than placing him at the head of the Council of Faiths. In all seriousness though, with the growing prominence and importance of religion in the Empire, having your son in a place to learn about and influence the numerous faiths in Gryphus may be a wise decision.
Gaining this stat would be nice.
Gaining this stat would be nice.
Crow gotta eat
That peckish, patriotic, Protestant passerine.
- Location
- United States of America
I am not sure yet what to choose for Gawain, but I heavily tempted to do Piety at the moment. But I am not exactly sure how practical/more efficient that actually may be, so I am holding off on actually choosing it for now and just wait for people who are better at analyzing stat and action outputs to debate their posistions.
- Location
- Texas
We need to get Gawain into intrigue. Not only is he lacking in it, but it's the most likely type of action to have a roll and have bigger consequences if he fails in it.
So now it's Learning or Diplomacy, and I side with learning.
[X] Learning
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- Location
- I think somewhere. I might be nowhere though
[X] Intrigue: When you began your rule, you had no idea just how important your spies and intelligence agents would become to the security and functioning of your domain. If Gawain is to one day become an effective ruler, he must have first-hand experience with the Empire's...less obvious means of influencing events.
Intrigue. We both need more actions in this stat for the whole crisis, and it would be really good to have him get even better in this stat in the long-term since we seem more inclined to deal with actions indirectly than by war. Better a hand/claw/hoof ahead with a knife in their back, than a sword in the front and a knife at our neck.
Intrigue. We both need more actions in this stat for the whole crisis, and it would be really good to have him get even better in this stat in the long-term since we seem more inclined to deal with actions indirectly than by war. Better a hand/claw/hoof ahead with a knife in their back, than a sword in the front and a knife at our neck.
This was a common staple of wars during the medieval period, actually, rather than winning by "winning" as modern people think.
[X] Piety: They say that suffering builds character, and you can't think of a more character-building activity for your son than placing him at the head of the Council of Faiths. In all seriousness though, with the growing prominence and importance of religion in the Empire, having your son in a place to learn about and influence the numerous faiths in Gryphus may be a wise decision.
- Location
- Maryland
I've been leaning towards the latter for the sake of balance and simplicity. Though I'm open to suggestions to the contrary.