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Who Needs Harmony?: An MLP Empire Quest

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TheGleeman said:
Problem with that is that we only got one free Martial slot and I´d prefer to finally slot in "Kestrellan Knights" for some more elites that´ll even be under the table, cosidering that Knightly Orders are self-sustaining and therefore past the initial founding fee won´t be stressing our coffers anymore.

That being said, we could use some more naval prowess of our own - at least until our airforce is ready to go.
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thats not going to be for a while, firstly we dont have a power plant for our airships, second even with the runes we are still limited by the lift capacity of hydrogen, which has very thin margins. until we get some sort of magical lifting material like cloudstone or something we are not going to get very far. tie in a lack of heavier than air aircraft and guns and we are not using airships to project power for a long time to come.
 
Pittauro said:
about neighpon vs lady of the lake, to me it really depends on our other actions. If we're doubling down on diplomacy/trading with Canterbury, I'd like to take the lake option the same turn. If we aren't, or we're focusion on Neighpon, I'd prefer the shrine.
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As I said before, the Neighpon faith is easily able to slot with any other religion, hence why I feel that syncretizing that trait into our general culture is a higher priority. Lady of the Lake in comparison offers very little immediate benefit and only serves to help diplo with a far away and still vaguely defined country. It's important, but not as beneficial to us as Neighpon shrines.
 
I agree with the knights being the clearest choice next turn, unless something time sensitive comes up.

Albeit I would also like to know the southern neighborhood past Maretonia. I'm starting to wonder if House Storm could be trying to get someone from there to get involved in the civil war as a backer.

EDIT:
Oh why is the scouting of new lands a military action..? :cry:
 
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Pittauro said:
...Celestia explained Twilight's ascension as "creating new magic".

We have a coming interlude about Merlin, Pearl and " Magical Mysteries".

...maaaaaaaybe...... naaaaah....but maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaybeeeeeeeee...
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Naaah, considering that Pearls interest in geology seems to play a role in her option, I´m guessing something about either magical crystals or golems

Pittauro said:
eh, It's not really up to us. I'd like if it happened, and I think it's both possible, makes sense when you see how the tree of harmony did it, and maybe it has even been foreshadowed a bit by the "crystal heart has it's own will (kind of) and is possibly semi-sapient.

about neighpon vs lady of the lake, to me it really depends on our other actions. If we're doubling down on diplomacy/trading with Canterbury, I'd like to take the lake option the same turn. If we aren't, or we're focusion on Neighpon, I'd prefer the shrine.

I'm curious to see what the next crystal heart action will be, but it would have to be something truly amazing to take that again. Maybe not even then, I wouldn't want all the other faiths to start their annoyed mumbling already.
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Yeah, we should postpone any religion talks until we know what their options and that of the other topics are to better synergize

Pittauro said:
Uh, Questor infodump!

...I think we found the original pony lands, sometimes identified in fanon with paradise valley (mlp gen1 If i remember correctly).

Beyond that there's probably Equestria.

Maaaaaaaybe if we fly high enough with our airship we can pass above the blizzards?

something to consider for an expedition after

1)we have a few airships and can spare one for that kind of travel
2)have already visited the other, easier polities, including Zebrica and Abyssinia
3)hopefully we've dealt with the Maretonian problem.
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Well, the show did speak of proto-Equestria as a frozen hellhole infested with Windigos, so it might be possible all things considered.

Pittauro said:
And here we see the first main export we can offer. Food. If we manage to create runes to store food for the long voyages we could make a killing by selling "fresh" exotic food and grains.

Ships would likely be a relatively easy/cheap way to bring the food to them, and depending on cargo capacity and speed airships are an option as well. Mostly immune to pirates too!and sea monsters too!
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Honestly, I am pretty interested in comparing notes between Protectorate and Olenian crops - after all, both are barren tundras at best. Maybe they could profit from each other somehow? Could also make "Crystal Agriculture" more interesting for the more sceptical voters.

impossibly high number on short notice.

Pittauro said:
I'm not sure it should be our priority though, with everything we need to do.

We might also start to consider steam ships as a research option.

Honestly I don't think converting our old model ships is worth the two year action. We could simply convert them to merchant ships, or sell them to nobles (or Libertalia or the Yaks, if they're interested).
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Yeah, "Cog Conversion" doesn´t seem all that interesting in the whole scheme of things...maybe it´d be best to have them phased out quitely.
 
Questor said:
1. They are of course very familiar with the Emerald Isles, considering how often their raiders have assaulted its holdings...until the recent colonization of part of its shores by a particularly ambitious chieftain complicated that situation politically.

During your diplomats time amongst the Caribou, they asked for their knowledge of other cultures, if they had encountered any. The Kings and Dukes expressed little knowledge, their focus and attention upon matters closer to home, but the sea-faring merchants of the coastal settlements spun tales of vast grasslands and burning deserts in the lands beyond the grey mountains that form a border between Olenia and whatever lies to their South. Supposedly these lands are inhabited by a great many races, from black and white Equines to felines that walk upon two legs. Attempts to trade with these peoples were initiated, but were more often than not ruined when a band of aspiring Vikingers got wind of the new lands and decided to pay them a visit.

The potential trade partners weren't very welcoming of Caribou after that.

As for the lands that lie to their East...

They speak of a mighty blizzard that blows eternally, of winds that cut like knives as the air itself turns to ice in one's lungs. They speak of a people that live beyond this barrier, like and unlike the Caribou in ways none can properly articulate. Their origins and nature are a mystery, but plenty of speculation and rumors exist, for if any Caribou has traveled through the blizzard, then they have never returned.


2. There are four primary Petty Kingdoms, with a number of smaller counties and baronies beneath them. It is not unheard of for a count, baron or chieftain to switch their allegiance from one king to another if they feel it suits them, but this almost always ends in a war between the aforementioned kings, so this occurs rarely.

3. They worship a Pantheon of god's not too dissimilar from that of the Ancient Empire's, with a little bit of Neighponese-style nature spirits thrown in. They are rather curious in that they rarely outright reject the existence of another culture's deities, usually accepting them as aspects or "lost relatives" of their own gods. Many Caribou are spiritual rather than religious, and while there are plenty of shrines, temples and holy places scattered throughout Olenia, there isn't any religious hierarchy uniting or coordinating them. In addition, it is not unheard of for particularly religious Caribou who have chosen to devote themselves to a singular god of the pantheon to engage in conflict with those who have pledged their lives and service to "the wrong Diety", though this is rare and most other Caribou look down on such behavior.

4. The Caribou, like all other cultures, suffered under Discord, though if their oral tradition is to be believed they suffered more than others. Legend says that all Caribou were once united into a single, prosperous kingdom, blessed with fertile fields and warm waters. Then Discord came, altering the land and turning the people against each other. Now they are fragmented, their cold and harsh lands a bitter reminder of all that they have lost...or so their stories go. As far as you can tell, they don't keep many written records. Regardless, they survived under Discord's rule and most other races did: hiding from his attention and riding out the storm of madness that engulfed the world in those years of insanity.

5. It would take a true Hero to unite the varying kingdoms and cults that make up Olenia, as deadly upon the field of battle as they are adept in the halls of power and intrigue. It would need to be a truly legendary figure, one whose name would echo throughout time even before vying for the grandest of thrones.

6&7. Due to the fact that they live in fantasy Scandinavia...very little. Enough to feed themselves, sure, but there's a reason they always went after the granaries and store houses of the Emerald Isle Diamond Dogs. Thankfully what foods they do grow are hardy, and they are both capable of and willing to eat grass, though they aren't capable of subsisting off of that entirely for long periods. Turnips, Onions, Cabbages, Leeks, Barley, and other hardy food crops are staples of Caribou diets, and some even raise chickens and geese for their eggs.
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Is this supposed to have a threadmark?
 
Pittauro said:
Also, @Questor I don't remember if it was ever explicitely stated, but was the crystal heart capable of protecting the Crystal Ponies against Discord?

Did they live in their own little bubble while the world outside went to chaos?
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They weren't so lucky.

While the heart prevented the worst of Discord's magic from affecting them directly, it couldn't protect them from everything, nor did it prevent them from being relocated as the continents reshaped themselves.

No one was spared the wrath of Discord. Some were just fortunate enough to not have their entire culture and civilization destroyed, or their very minds forever altered.
 
It be good to focus on other religious matters with our last few turns around the Cysteal Heart.

I be in favor most of all with Gryphotrú, the Pre-Discord Gods of the Griffon Pantheon. Maybe they are alive, but we have to make the first move for them to come out. Even if they are gone, dead, or even worthless, we still be finding our Pre-Discord past, history, and culture. We may yet learn of some very important secret, and find ruins of our forefathers. Didn't the airship blueprints come from the Pre-Discord Age? Heck, it help with the Caribou given they worship an similar Pantheon to the Old Empire.

After that, I'm divided. Yak, or Neighpon. Still for the Imperial Cult. I like to know more for the Lady of the Lake before we go forward. I can vote for Yak to explore their shamanism, and to further ties between us and Yakyakistan.

We got lot of problems, AKA: The Maretonian problem, and a possible connection to Canterbury with that one. As much as I would love to meet the Zebrica and Abyssinia, or even the orignal Pony homeland, we got to take care of the issues at hand, and expand our means of travel like the airships.

I actually wonder if they are some ponies left there, that Equestria don't talk about, or have no idea about.

Shadow-86 said:
Any chance we can hire a few Caribou to become shock troops or royal guards for our army?
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So Varangian Guard?
 
Star said:
I want to help those poor guys, let us be their Hero!!!
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It's very unlikely they'd be willing to accept a non-caribou hero.

IF we wanted to "help them" directly, we'd need to conquer them militarily.

We might try to support a good hero/king candidate if we found one, like we had the option for the yaks.

It's a really low priority right now though.
Questor said:
They have begun to do so, albeit slowly. They can't just stick cannons onto their existing ships, they have to design and build new ones to use them effectively.
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like we did.

So basically we have a smaller, but more advanced navy, and it will take years if not decades for them to completely modify their existing navy. By that point we might actually have more or less equal strenght on the seas.

They're currently better, but we have a stronger industrial and economical base to support a stronger navy.

On the other hand they don't really need much of a land army, and they focus on elite units anyway (what with all their sweet magical abilities)

...There's a chance they might consider selling their "old model" ships to other polities if it doesn't go against their code of honour for some reason, like the dogs from the islands, Libertalia and the Yaks. Luckily we don't need "last season" ships, so we're not interested.
 
I hope when we eventually meet the Chinese expies alongside Neighpon that we can get a deal similar to the Portuguese lease of Macau. A good port that far out could prove helpful, depending on how things go.
 
Gmerguy said:
thats not going to be for a while, firstly we dont have a power plant for our airships, second even with the runes we are still limited by the lift capacity of hydrogen, which has very thin margins. until we get some sort of magical lifting material like cloudstone or something we are not going to get very far. tie in a lack of heavier than air aircraft and guns and we are not using airships to project power for a long time to come.
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Of course I talked eventualities there. Before we can phase out even part of our navy for our airforce, we have to create an airforce to begin with.
 
Hey @Questor, I have some questions about the Caribou kingdoms! (Also shouldn't the Runic Armors for ourselves, our Family & the Grandmasters, be updated/indicated on the Character Sheet & State of the Nation posts? Bc rn they aren't, just letting u know.)

What kind of magic (if any) do the Caribou have? How is it regarded and used in the culture and everyday life? Do they have any magical abilities that are specific to their species (again, if any)?
 
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Star said:
I want to help those poor guys, let us be their Hero!!!
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Pittauro said:
It's very unlikely they'd be willing to accept a non-caribou hero.

IF we wanted to "help them" directly, we'd need to conquer them militarily.

We might try to support a good hero/king candidate if we found one, like we had the option for the yaks.

It's a really low priority right now though.
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Best case, we can give rise to an sorta Harald Hardrada at some point in the future.
 
Do you guys think we could spare a single personal action next turn to give us a free military action? I fear that not knowing the last potential variable (the southern Maretonian neighbor) affecting the civil war could end in grade A bad things.
 
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Somebodynobody10 said:
Do you guys think we could spare a single personal action next turn to give us a free military action? I fear that not knowing the last potential variable (the southern Maretonian neighbor) affecting the civil war could end in grade A bad things.
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Since the Rune Sword is the only personal that we couldn't squeeze into the last plan and we might wanna do that which'll occupy the 1st slot... Probably, maybe... Anyways, probably SOMETHING will either get imp ordered (the Frontier Knights? if we do that) or an overtime for 2nd personal, which we might be able to swing establishing the Foreign Legion or most likely do another Intrigue option bc the list just keeps getting longer yo.

EDIT: WAAAAITAMINUTE! What's better than a Rune Sword? What about a Rune BOW!? Infinite Ammo! Fire+explosion+magicpiercing damage! From a safe distance! Enhanced reflexes! Rune-enhanced Aim!
 
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Markala said:
Since the Rune Sword is the only personal that we couldn't squeeze into the last plan and we might wanna do that which'll occupy the 1st slot... Probably, maybe... Anyways, probably SOMETHING will either get imp ordered (the Frontier Knights? if we do that) or an overtime for 2nd personal, which we might be able to swing establishing the Foreign Legion or most likely do another Intrigue option bc the list just keeps getting longer yo.

EDIT: WAAAAITAMINUTE! What's better than a Rune Sword? What about a Rune BOW!? Infinite Ammo! Fire+explosion+magicpiercing damage! From a safe distance! Enhanced reflexes! Rune-enhanced Aim!
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I would consider gaining the military intelligence over a potential available war front to be more important than a foreign legion.
 
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