- Location
- Texas
Crazy how every single omake was needed for this.
Who Needs Harmony?: An MLP Empire Quest
- Thread starter Questor
- Start date
- Location
- United States
I'm not sure what we're supposed to do with that information though. Like, give them a high five and say "strong work?" It's not like the queen will be missed, and the civil war makes our inevitable intervention easier.
I am surprised though that Pegicles has not made a move yet. Out of all the factions he has the most to lose by waiting. White Star can gather funds and outlast his opponents. The abolitionists have the Empire to back them and help them train up a fighting force. But Pegicles' funds are running dry and he has no ability to increase the strength of his forces. He had an initial advantage which he is squandering. Either he will strike very soon or lose.
Evaunit02mark1
S-s-smell the Prey, S-s-start the Hunt.
Now let's not jump to conclusions here. If I was going to kill a political leader (not that I would FBI agent no doubt reading this message) I would frame a different political leader to take the fall, especially one that's got reason, motive, and would certainly make the opportunity to kill said target.
Her death was, if I may be so bold in saying, far too neat. It feels too much like an inside job, or a the very least it was done by a very well trained and equipped professional.
Canterbury is way too ass deep in local problems to give much of a shit about Maretonia save for caving their collective heads in with an army.
Plus it's dishonorable. Poison? That's a peasant's murder weapon. A true Canterburian will look you in the eyes while they crack your skull open with a mace or stab you through your treacherous heart like the Lady intended.
FictionPack
Monochromatic Ursine
- Location
- Tennessee
- Pronouns
- He/Him
So Storm is a Glass Canon relying on a mysterious strategy, and Star is an Unstable Wall relying on a Hail Mary in the form of a shiny magic school tower.
When a GC and a UW meet both are shattered.
Meanwhile the Abolitionists are a Flickering Flame being fanned into a Bonfire, and the Royal Guards are a Sleeping Dragon set in the middle.
That was sooo close!! Is our next step here looking into Canterbury or looking into the Black Lotus itself? Because i'm more interested in the flower. What exactly are it's properties, qualifications for growth, does it attract monsters of any kind, or posses a symbiotic relationship with one? Besides, if it was Canterbury, I don't really see a benefit in revealing that information. Be more worthy of our time to forge Ambrosia's genealogy to show her as the rightful Queen.
When a GC and a UW meet both are shattered.
Meanwhile the Abolitionists are a Flickering Flame being fanned into a Bonfire, and the Royal Guards are a Sleeping Dragon set in the middle.
That was sooo close!! Is our next step here looking into Canterbury or looking into the Black Lotus itself? Because i'm more interested in the flower. What exactly are it's properties, qualifications for growth, does it attract monsters of any kind, or posses a symbiotic relationship with one? Besides, if it was Canterbury, I don't really see a benefit in revealing that information. Be more worthy of our time to forge Ambrosia's genealogy to show her as the rightful Queen.
lockingbane
If you're crazy and you know it clap your hands!
- Location
- Waxahachie tx
Hmmmmm, time for some questions with Canterbury.
If nothing else we should both ask officially..... And send some spies to investigate covertly.
If nothing else we should both ask officially..... And send some spies to investigate covertly.
- Location
- Mobile, Alabama
Oh yeah no, I would run screaming from that kind of tactical nightmare.
Markala
Hannor & Polycho Shipper
- Location
- At the Junction of Angst and Fluff
Holy fuck those near-miss rolls yo, thank QM for omakes! Excellent chapter @Questor (also i have no idea where ur getting all this lovely art from but the choices are Phenomenal, so A+ there as well)! Also hey question, isn't the new Runic Armor supposed to be in the info pages somewhere? Like for our fam and the knightly orders? Or is it implied that it's there? <3333
And that income increase! +1700G into our coffers to pay for cool shit for our people! Woot!
And hmmm, the international murder mystery thickens! A mysterious and very pretty looking poison! Our airship plans hopefully got fireproofed enough by Merlin himself so as to not mirror the Hindenburg Disaster! So many good things and near misses, but all in all an amazing turn! Maybe we can expand our Piety council to get a second action soon (so we can synergize everything, also damn all this rune stuff is getting EXCITING, so excited for the interlude to see what Pearl's project is!)...
Gotta follow the breadcrumb trail to Canturbury, good thing we just established a new trade route with 'em huh? X3
And that income increase! +1700G into our coffers to pay for cool shit for our people! Woot!
And hmmm, the international murder mystery thickens! A mysterious and very pretty looking poison! Our airship plans hopefully got fireproofed enough by Merlin himself so as to not mirror the Hindenburg Disaster! So many good things and near misses, but all in all an amazing turn! Maybe we can expand our Piety council to get a second action soon (so we can synergize everything, also damn all this rune stuff is getting EXCITING, so excited for the interlude to see what Pearl's project is!)...
Gotta follow the breadcrumb trail to Canturbury, good thing we just established a new trade route with 'em huh? X3
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- Location
- Somewhere
Link to the last time I did this.
Archival purposes: "Turn 26 Results" (posted by QM on Monday, February 3, 2020)
OR
The Front Page as it appeared to me on Tuesday, February 4, 2020.
Character Sheet (last edited by QM on Monday, February 3, 2020)
- Changed
Informational: State of the Nation (last edited by QM on Monday, February 3, 2020)
- Changed
Informational: Diplomatic Relations/Persons of Interest (last edited by QM on Monday, February 3, 2020)
- Changed
Archival purposes: "Turn 26 Results" (posted by QM on Monday, February 3, 2020)
OR
The Front Page as it appeared to me on Tuesday, February 4, 2020.
Character Sheet (last edited by QM on Monday, February 3, 2020)
- Changed
Name: Garrick Golden-Feather
Age: 52
Titles: Emperor of Gryphus, King of Griffonia, Inheritor of the Imperial House of Gryphus, The Unifier, Great Winged Alpha, The Lightbringer, The Liberator, the King of the North.
Description: Before your wife got her talons on you, you were a fairly typical example of the Griffon species. An unmistakably masculine build, a strong, prominent beak, feathers and fur that seem to be perpetually well-groomed, and a pair of piercing amber eyes hiding a fierce intelligence. Not anymore though. Oh, you still have all those qualities, they're just overshadowed by the massive amount of muscle you've put on since you started your wife's "enhanced training regimen". Your wings can lift dumbbells, and your legs are like tree-trunks supporting a barrel chest rippling with abdominal muscles. In short, you have the build of a person who has been lifting heavy objects his entire life.
Martial: 9+2+1+2=14
Diplomacy: 14+2+2=18
Stewardship: 13+2=15
Learning: 16+2=18
Intrigue: 11+2=13
- Trait-Attractive: You are a very handsome fellow. +2 Diplomacy, better spousal relationship
- Trait-Genius: Smart doesn't even begin to describe you. +2 all skills
- Trait-Strong: Working out with your wife has done great things for your body. +2 Martial
Inventory:
- Blade of the King: an ornate and deadly sword you had forged for yourself after being crowned King of Griffonia. +1 Martial
- Royal Armor: Serving to protect you as well as display your royal status to onlookers, this armor is both durable and aesthetically pleasing.
- Orichalcum Sword: A blade made of an extremely durable, magic resistant metal
- Sendak Manuscript: Recovered from the Archives of the Shadow King Sombra, this strange book is bound in the treated flesh of monsters and is written in numerous unknown tongues. It contains diagrams that seem to reference everything from the movements of stellar bodies to the biology of plants and animals to the complex physics of magical phenomenon. It's origins remain a mystery.
Wife: Gabriella Golden-Feather
Opinion of You: 10/10
Age: 51
Martial: 15+1+2=18
Diplomacy: 11+1=12
Stewardship: 8+1=9
Learning: 13+1=14
Intrigue: 10+1=11
Trait: Strong - Born stronger than most. (+2 Martial)
Trait: Experienced - Has been a mercenary for several years, ranging across the lands of the former Empire. Knows much about the world. (+1 All Stats)
Son: Gawain Golden-Feather
Age: 21
Martial: 14+2+2+1=19
Diplomacy: 13+2+2+2=19
Stewardship: 14+2=16
Learning: 10+2=12
Intrigue: 11+2=13
Status: Designated Heir. Will become player character in event of Parent's Deaths.
Trait: Strong-Born stronger than most. (+2 Martial)
Trait: Attractive-A handsome fellow. (+2 Diplomacy, better spousal relationship)
Trait: Genius-Smart doesn't begin to describe him. (+2 All Stats)
Trait: Game Master-Years of playing games of strategy and wits with members of the Imperial Court has honed his sense of strategy and taught him how to read others. (+1 Martial, +2 Diplomacy)
(Adopted) Daughter: Gwyndlyn Golden-Feather
Age: 17
Martial: 15+4-5=14
Diplomacy: 9-5=4
Stewardship: 6+2-5=3
Learning: 8+1-5=4
Intrigue: 9+1-5=5
Status: Adolescent-Malus to all stats
Status-Designated Regent: In the event that no heir is capable of taking the throne, or in the event the rightful ruler is otherwise unavailable, she will take control of the kingdom until the situation can be resolved.
Trait: Dragon-A fire breathing reptile. (+4 Martial)
Trait: Gardener-Years of studying and caring for plants has taught her much in the realm of botany, and has instilled in her an understanding of how hard work and patience can yield great dividends. (+2 Stewardship, +1 Learning, +1 Intrigue)
Daughter: Gilda Golden-Feather
Age: 14
Martial: 8-5=3
Diplomacy: 11+2-5=8
Stewardship: 11-5=6
Learning: 7-5=2
Intrigue: 6-5=1
Trait: Beautiful- A stellar example of feminine grace. (+2 Diplomacy)
Status: Teenager-Malus to all stats
Daughter: Gleaming Pearl
Age: 15
Martial: 7-5=2
Diplomacy: 10+2-5=7
Stewardship: 12-5=7
Learning: 5+2-5=2
Intrigue: 8-5=3
Status: Teenager-Malus to all stats
Trait: Beautiful-A stellar example of feminine grace. (+2 Diplomacy)
Trait: Studious-Knows her way around the written word. (+2 Learning)
Adopted: Permanently last in the line of Royal Succession.
Informational: State of the Nation (last edited by QM on Monday, February 3, 2020)
- Changed
Informational: Diplomatic Relations/Persons of Interest (last edited by QM on Monday, February 3, 2020)
- Changed
Markala
Hannor & Polycho Shipper
- Location
- At the Junction of Angst and Fluff
Yeah but Merlin himself added fireproofing runes to the design, plus we just acquired a bunch of Rune-literate citizens who could be good rune workers later on, so... Maybe less dangerous than you think?
- Location
- Australia
Red_Faux
私を終わらせる
- Location
- 'Straya M8
Probably, but I really don't want to needlessly invite Murphy. The real Hindenburg was pretty theoretically safe, we would just need a couple critical failures and THWUMP! And lit hydrogen plus nothing to burn because of fireproofing magic = gigantic explosion from expanding gas. Especially with fortifying magic making it so it doesn't fail earlier and simply deflate. I'm thinking water boiler eqsue, if anyone here saw the mythbusters episode.
Now that I think of it, a runic pressure bomb would be mighty effective.
- Location
- I think somewhere. I might be nowhere though
The Hindenburg was big and public, but it meant nothing for the safety of the design. You would need to fail pretty horribly and be negligent in upholding safety standards to actually achieve that kind of failure.
- Location
- Australia
Plus we aren't going to exactly allow smoking rooms aboard, and I'm sure there's some unobtainon (magic noble gas) or at least thaumaturgical compound we can develop to ensure maximum safety and breaking-physical law efficiency.
Red_Faux
私を終わらせる
- Location
- 'Straya M8
I'll admit that the worry over hydrogen probably has a fair bit of paranoia supporting it. I don't like the look in Questers eye shall we say. "Hey look! Hydrogen blimp! Isn't it cool? Go on and try it nothing will go wrong I swear!"
Even if nothing is likely to go wrong imma paranoid sonovabitch.
Even if nothing is likely to go wrong imma paranoid sonovabitch.
- Location
- Germany
Holy fuck, the Dice really had it out for us this time...but thanks to the omake boni we pulled through in the end - if only barely admittedly.
Of course the big thing this turn are our findings regarding Mareias assassination...and it´s BIG, because right now, things point towards an involvement by the Canterburians. Although:
Notice that I said "POINT TOWARDS Canterbury", because while of course theoretically Chevaline or someone of her Intelligence department could have ordered that hit to "bring those slavering knaves to heel", right now I am still willing to give them the benefit of doubt on account of them portraying themselves very noble and chivalrous and - as EvaUnit said - that murder feels too much like either an inside job or done by someone from the outside far more skilled at cloak-and-dagger stuff than even us (let´s admit it, Ravenburg and his ilk are GOOD at their craft, but not that good)
But regardless of who the culprit is, what we need to do next is keeping that info und the heaviest security we can muster (I am talking "nobody but us, Ravenburg and his most-trustworthy-after-thorough-screening agents are to get even the slightest whiff of it, with anyone in the know threatened with the nastiest repurcussions" heavy) because let´s face it: If the Maretonians get wind of their Queen having been killed by a poison the Canterburians would have the best access to, the warring factions would immediately band together and declare war against their western neighbours, which would just be horrendously bad even if Gryphus declared their neutrality in that conflict (which - considering our blossoming trade relationship with Chevaline and our involvement with the Abolitionists - would actually be a pretty bad idea).
Heck, if anyone realizes that we got the info that Canterbury so much as MIGHT be responsible for Mareias death, the Maretonians probably would claim their domestic problems of the last few years to be a joint venture between Canterbury and Gryphus to weakening their nation for a full-scale invasion.
Nobody outside must know of this development until we got to the absolute centre of this conspiracy and know exactly without the shadow of a doubt who killed the Queen, or else things will blow up like in Sarajevo 1914.
Of course the big thing this turn are our findings regarding Mareias assassination...and it´s BIG, because right now, things point towards an involvement by the Canterburians. Although:
Notice that I said "POINT TOWARDS Canterbury", because while of course theoretically Chevaline or someone of her Intelligence department could have ordered that hit to "bring those slavering knaves to heel", right now I am still willing to give them the benefit of doubt on account of them portraying themselves very noble and chivalrous and - as EvaUnit said - that murder feels too much like either an inside job or done by someone from the outside far more skilled at cloak-and-dagger stuff than even us (let´s admit it, Ravenburg and his ilk are GOOD at their craft, but not that good)
But regardless of who the culprit is, what we need to do next is keeping that info und the heaviest security we can muster (I am talking "nobody but us, Ravenburg and his most-trustworthy-after-thorough-screening agents are to get even the slightest whiff of it, with anyone in the know threatened with the nastiest repurcussions" heavy) because let´s face it: If the Maretonians get wind of their Queen having been killed by a poison the Canterburians would have the best access to, the warring factions would immediately band together and declare war against their western neighbours, which would just be horrendously bad even if Gryphus declared their neutrality in that conflict (which - considering our blossoming trade relationship with Chevaline and our involvement with the Abolitionists - would actually be a pretty bad idea).
Heck, if anyone realizes that we got the info that Canterbury so much as MIGHT be responsible for Mareias death, the Maretonians probably would claim their domestic problems of the last few years to be a joint venture between Canterbury and Gryphus to weakening their nation for a full-scale invasion.
Nobody outside must know of this development until we got to the absolute centre of this conspiracy and know exactly without the shadow of a doubt who killed the Queen, or else things will blow up like in Sarajevo 1914.
- Location
- Australia
Better to discuss our paranoias now and not in front of the burning wreckage.
After all, as our spies have so taught us, it not paranoia if they are out to get you.
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That brings up a question, has refrigeration runes been invented yet? because out of all possible runes those would have the biggest impact. Food preservation is a big deal, that and if they can be put on railcars and ship holds then we have refrigerated transportation which is another big game changer.
Also the answer to the assassination is obvious, it was the Changlings. I mean who else benefits from the empire collapsing?
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Red_Faux
私を終わらせる
- Location
- 'Straya M8
Well it would be a nice play to properly introduce them. And the return of that pesky spymaster of what's his face from the unification war at last...
Is poison dishonorable? To a society like Canterbury, yes. But remember, the OTL Middle Ages was big on stuff like poltical assassinations and so on. Exile, life in prison, stripping of all lands, or even forgiveness were fairly common. A lot of it was to avoid kinslaying, but for all of what we seen them to be, I wound't put it past someone within Canterbury to poison Queen Mareia....
...and leave us holding the bag of the resulting chaos.
Dishonorable? Yes, but also a act of cunning.
...and leave us holding the bag of the resulting chaos.
Dishonorable? Yes, but also a act of cunning.
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Torgamous
Aspiring Gynoid
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Anyone in a position to pick up more pieces than they had before the collapse. White Star, Pegicles, the abolitionists, us.
Also, anyone threatened by the empire's foreign policy, which should include anyone who shared a land border with it. We don't know most of that group.
the changlings are shapshifters, they can play all sides at the same time, the only limitation they have is replacing established people, being unable to cast racial magic, and their own need for love. puppeting a nation is one of the logical endgames for them, though i think its one of the second best all told. For us the collapse is a massive annoyance rather than a pro. at best we get a friendly non slave state after a massive civil war. more likely we get a balkans, which is a pain in the butt to say the least.
- Location
- Australia
Chaos cultists seeking to return the world to its "true" state?
An outside context problem?
Of course, the changelings could very much be such a problem to us if they can somehow brainwash Ravenbug (maybe hivemind?) [assuming he hasn't just chosen a name which makes everyone "in the know" assume he a changeling to misdirect them] and/or any other agents to defect or worse work as double agents to advance their agenda.
If these are smart changelings that want to subvert us I can't help but wonder if there would be more subtle and less risky approaches.
...Unless the civil war was sparked to keep our attention away from their activities in other seemingly more secure places.
Plus the chaos and refugees would make it easier to sneak into the country with a legitimate backstory for your lack of history ("We lost everything! You think the nobles even cared enough about us to save individual records?") that doesn't involve being a
... Eh, I'm leery to judge anything to fast, after all, assumptions make an ass out of u and me.
Eh... the problem is in my opinion the Changelings were handled very poorly in cannon, to be fair part of that is because MLP is ultimately a children show but also just poor writing. If it were me i would handle the Changelings like this.
To establish what they are: Changelings are shape-shifters that require the love of others in order to survive (the whole sharing their own love to live doesn't work). changelings can exchange the love they collect if they do not consume it, meaning not every changeling needs to spend their time collecting love. additionally the process of getting love from non-changelings does not have to hurt said people. its only the process of maximizing extraction (i.e. being greedy) that hurts people, passive and even limited active love acquisition is harmless.
This established lets look at what kinds of government society they could have, ignoring the stupid mustache twirling evil ones . I can think of three types off the top of my head.
1. member species: this would be if the Changelings lack a formal government and instead operate as members of the nations they live in. they could be secret or not secret, though with lacking organization they benefit more from being open about their nature.
2. non-territorial nation/organization: Changelings typically operate as an organized group and have their own internal rules/laws and pursue their own goals. they exist across national borders, the extent that they co-operate with and obey the nations its exist in can vary. it could be the equivalent to a corporation to a religion to a shadow government.
3. nation-state: the changelings have their own nation with established boarders, nuf said.
Now all three of these have two things in common, a major focus on the service industry/entertainment and espionage. the service industry and the entertainment industry is the best options for Changelings to get love in a non aggressive manner. from the most crass industries like brothels to general services, to things like running orphanages and nursing homes Changelings would excel at this. the entertainment industry is the same, considering how much people worship and love celebrities. Models, tv-stars, radio-stars, actors, etc. all of which generate love. For Changelings these industries wouldn't just be important for morale, they would be strategic and vital to survival. the espionage thing is the best use of their shape-shifting in an offensive manner, that and their charm abilities can case havoc both on the battlefield and behind enemy lines.
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Changelings, not Changlings. You keep repeating this mistake.
What even is a changling, their chinese cousins?