Who Needs Harmony?: An MLP Empire Quest

[NexysDhyArchen]

And would it be breaking that promise if Maretonia willing annexes itself into the Empire? Is there a specific term for that, beyond surrender?

 

[Gmerguy]

We don't need to annex them, we can make them a vassal instead.

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Pretty sure that violates the autonomy part also, barring threading a needle. This being said things are now becoming very interesting, as scary. we really need to get to the bottom of the Caterbury issue, with hope they are not evil like sombra/ not an existential threat and that they can be salvaged. The biggest question is did they know about us all along and have been playing us for fools and is the entire government in on it or just a sect of it? So for Canterbury

1. continue investigating
2. put pressure to increase trade- that they don't want to buy our products means we should be trying even harder to sell it to them, this pressure will increase as we get more advanced.
3. internal review of our defense against spies- they got us once, whats to say they don't get us again?

For maretonia we need to stabilize the situation and lock down on WMD spells, its not mentioned yet but if the College figures out the cloudburst spell and they reunite/get enough Pegasus on board to manufacture clouds... well that changes the balance of power in the known world to the Maretonians massively. The could make and stockpile clouds, which are used as building materials anyways, and then deploy them as remote highyield explosives. The biggest issue i see here is that the best possible ally we could have other than the abolitionists desire strict autonomy and being wizards im hesitant to give it to them considering we dont have a clue how they act or consider proper, not to mention they would almost certainly try to take charge. so plans

1. continue to push for limiting destruction and abolition of slavery

2. continue courting college, say we need to know them more before we back them

3. get people working on our own cloud tech/maretonian magic- surely some of the refugees are pegasus and unicorns?

4. if annexation and vassel/protectorate is out of the question then try to push for a republic of some nature, there are to many factions to make a monarchy or dictatorship viable.

 

[Sgtsoldier123]

Additionally, Ravenburg has expressed his confusion with the Canterburians' seeming inability to effectively stamp out the tides of monsters and dangerous creatures that infest their homeland. Your own Empire's early struggles with similar issues prove that such obstacles can be overcome, and yet year after year goes by with seemingly no progress made in stamping out the rampant populations of Chimeras, Hydras, Trolls, Cockatrices and Timber-Wolves that plague the kingdom's countryside, despite the constant and valiant efforts of Canterbury's Knights. Yes, they face the added difficulty of the magical "dead zones" that dot the country, but those are a small obstacle in the scheme of things...and Ravenburg can't help but find something odd about the phenomenon that seems to be unique to Canterbury.

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Perhaps we didn't exterminate our monsters, but pushed them off our land. I would not be surprised if part of the problem in Canterbury is that numerous monsters migrated into it.

 

[PyrrosWarrior]

Pretty sure that violates the autonomy part also, barring threading a needle. This being said things are now becoming very interesting, as scary. we really need to get to the bottom of the Caterbury issue, with hope they are not evil like sombra/ not an existential threat and that they can be salvaged. The biggest question is did they know about us all along and have been playing us for fools and is the entire government in on it or just a sect of it? So for Canterbury

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Vassals ARE autonomous though. Like, that's literally the whole point, not just "threading a needle." They just aren't sovereign which is a different concept.

 

[frostgiant]

Between the hurricanes and the cloud nukes, it seems like we need to conquer these idiots if only to stop them from slaughtering their entire nation and turning it into a wasteland.

 

[bajoe9]

It was a gold coin bearing the face of the late King of Aquileia: Cyril Brochard. You distantly recall the disappearance of the bulk of the late King's treasury...along with the disappearance of Lady Nightingale, his spymaster, in the wake of the unification war. It seems you may have found where her trail lead to...but this is an answer that simply raises more questions. Further investigations may be required.

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Well well either as someone said is were Bochard got his monsters or where our thief ran to or it could be a red herring. Nonetheless this requires more investigating

 

[Raptor580]

We'll never thought I'd see this old muster return to the surface which's begs the question of why is our closest ally so anti tech and why is it so hard to kill the monsters. Did nightgale have something to do with this. We shall see soon enough.

 

[Firebringer2077]

Wow I did not see a lead for the missing treasure of King Brochard coming up. Alright Ravenberg you're much more experienced now and have kickass agents working for you so now you can redeem yourself and find that treasure and Lady Nightingale. Also curse you random event roll what evil are going to rain down on us now.

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Well it does make sense and I've been trying to figure out where that treasury and Brochard's old spymaster went, There were only three options in retrospect: Sombra (which I thought was a leading contender until we saw just how crazy Sombra was), Yaks, and Canterbury. We didn't find out about Canterbury until they reached out to us... Makes one wonder just what that old Spymaster is up to.

However the more I look at it we almost pose an existential threat to Canterbury. We are a large nation, that basically shattered every pre-conception they had of the outside world, and also potentially we pose a threat to their church. If their church is the only salvation from the monsters outside their villages, they are important and valued... but if a bunch of Griffon Mercenaries are able to tame that wilderness?... see the problem. Queen Chevaline probably faces many of the problems that Mareia did, some factions of her government probably want to pursue isolation... After Maretonia is resolved, I would not be surprised if the cultural changes we represent start to boil over in Canterbury conflicts.

The question is why did Chevaline reach out to us? It can't have been a popular move in retrospect for her and they likely know where the spymaster went.

 

[PyrrosWarrior]

We'll never thought I'd see this old muster return to the surface which's begs the question of why is our closest ally so anti tech and why is it so hard to kill the monsters. Did nightgale have something to do with this. We shall see soon enough.

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Canterbury has secretly been run by the Arcturian Order this whole time and they've been fighting the frozen necromancer zombie-vampires and windigos

 

[Paloneia]

Well it does make sense and I've been trying to figure out where that treasury and Brochard's old spymaster went, There were only three options in retrospect: Sombra (which I thought was a leading contender until we saw just how crazy Sombra was), Yaks, and Canterbury. We didn't find out about Canterbury until they reached out to us... Makes one wonder just what that old Spymaster is up to.

However the more I look at it we almost pose an existential threat to Canterbury. We are a large nation, that basically shattered every pre-conception they had of the outside world, and also potentially we pose a threat to their church. If their church is the only salvation from the monsters outside their villages, they are important and valued... but if a bunch of Griffon Mercenaries are able to tame that wilderness?... see the problem. Queen Chevaline probably faces many of the problems that Mareia did, some factions of her government probably want to pursue isolation... After Maretonia is resolved, I would not be surprised if the cultural changes we represent start to boil over in Canterbury conflicts.

The question is why did Chevaline reach out to us? It can't have been a popular move in retrospect for her and they likely know where the spymaster went.

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I imagine that she decided that reaching out to us was better than us discovering them without her there.

 

[RukinSteps]

The goal of the so-called Cloudburster spell is to violently release all of the pent up thaumaturgical energy within magically charged cloud-vapor. Small scale tests under highly controlled laboratory conditions have seen the mages of the Colleges succeed at using the technique to make small bits of charged cloud vapor explode with forces equivalent to jars of black powder. Upon consultation with Merlin and Rafale, the unsettled magic experts inform you that, had such a spell been functional at the time of Pegicles' storm, and had it been used on the artificial hurricane when at its peak, the resulting explosion would have been of sufficient size and force to level an entire city...and likely alter the shape of the coastline. It is quite fortunate then, that the mages of the Colleges have yet to perfect the spell matrix.

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Ah, I see they have built a magical nuke, they do realize that if this went off in a pegasus city such as cloudsdale or something it'd...the sheer amount of explosions involved would make Kaptain Kaboom squeal in delight, now if only that wasn't a literal city of civilians! Can we take a moment to note that ponies in this world are just such utter bullshit? Like this is on the level of having a life seeded sci fi race with a homeworld tailor made to their quirks of biology. Jesus.

Additionally, Ravenburg has expressed his confusion with the Canterburians' seeming inability to effectively stamp out the tides of monsters and dangerous creatures that infest their homeland. Your own Empire's early struggles with similar issues prove that such obstacles can be overcome, and yet year after year goes by with seemingly no progress made in stamping out the rampant populations of Chimeras, Hydras, Trolls, Cockatrices and Timber-Wolves that plague the kingdom's countryside, despite the constant and valiant efforts of Canterbury's Knights. Yes, they face the added difficulty of the magical "dead zones" that dot the country, but those are a small obstacle in the scheme of things...and Ravenburg can't help but find something odd about the phenomenon that seems to be unique to Canterbury.

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Aight calling it now lads, Lady of the Lakes is a unicorn sorceress whose found a piece of the narrative fabric of the world mlp works off of and as a result she's woven a story of pious knightly kingdom with her at the head empowered by the metaphysical narrative of grand deeds, good will and chivalry is all. However, for that to work you need to have some villains of a sort to play the part else you wind up with knights who become fat on their laurels thus does the constant monster problem remains a thing for young knights to earn their spurs. The relation between that and to the only religion of the Lady is also tying into Lady of the Lake power as well.

I'm not going to lie here guys, we might have to tamp down on Lady faith in our own empire unless we want to have to deal with some cultural subversion of our own guys and wind up giving up on all our neat tech, if enough of the populace winds up getting into higher levels of government and the head of religion says "Would you kindly remove all that fussy tech?" We might be in for a bad time.

Also long ball call out; but I bet the dead zones are areas where Grogar has set up shop and might have entered a deal with the devil thing with the Lady here to play the villain as he'd get to experiment with different breeds of monsters, that or the Lady is focusing all her divine power from her worship to keep Grogar contained as best she can, but the dudes like an immortal lich wizard at this point and can sneak a few of his forces through into these dead zones to try and break free.

 

[masterofmadness]

And so, the mages offered up a deal: they would support whatever moves your Empire made against House Storm in exchange for the funding that they would have previously received from House White Star, under the condition that their own autonomy never be compromised, and that Maretonia would not be annexed by the Empire. Your ambassadors had tentatively agreed to these conditions, and promised to carry word to you when they departed.

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Oh come on, not even a little?

More seriously we need to negotiate a bit their cause we can't just let the abolitionists be enslaved again and I highly doubt that the nobles and army will be happy to accept the freed slaves in the north as equals in the kingdom after this is over. Sure maybe we could make them promise not to but even that doesn't solve the issue of de facto discrimination or that at this point they probably don't want to be back under the same crown of their former masters. I think we could maybe get away with saying we won't annex anything but the abolitionists if we promise them their autonomy so a counter offer maybe in order.

Though I am still not ruling out just invading everyone by now depend on how things go.

It was a gold coin bearing the face of the late King of Aquileia: Cyril Brochard. You distantly recall the disappearance of the bulk of the late King's treasury...along with the disappearance of Lady Nightingale, his spymaster, in the wake of the unification war. It seems you may have found where her trail lead to...but this is an answer that simply raises more questions. Further investigations may be required

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Well one less intrigue option open next turn I suppose.

Random Event Rolls:
(27) To Be Continued in Rumor Mill
(87) Pass

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If this random event fail triggers another plague I am going to either laugh of cry.

 

[Pittauro]

You scarcely have time to congratulate Frida on her brilliant idea before you personally bear witness to the power of Earth Pony magic, as the farms established by former slaves begin churning out grain and produce by the bushel while the fields planted by Griffons are still growing their first crop. By the end of the year, the Empire faces a food surplus that exceeds Frida's most optimistic projections, and many refugees have been provided with steady work and land to call their own. All in all, a job well done. Imperial Agricultural Sector Expanded, Food Supply Secured, +1075 Agricultural Income.

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FEEL THE POWER OF THE DARK SIDE EARTH PONY MAGIC!

As i wished! An earth pony for every farm!

And finally, and perhaps most unsettling of all, is not a piece of information, but a simple object found when an agent quite literally tripped over what they thought was a pebble along the road between Gryphus and Canterbury. It was not a pebble.

It was a gold coin bearing the face of the late King of Aquileia: Cyril Brochard. You distantly recall the disappearance of the bulk of the late King's treasury...along with the disappearance of Lady Nightingale, his spymaster, in the wake of the unification war. It seems you may have found where her trail lead to...but this is an answer that simply raises more questions. Further investigations may be required. Intel on Canterbury Gained, Shocking Revelations Unearthed, New Actions Unlocked.

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IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINTERESTING!

So, I don't want to say that it's changelings... but it's totally changelings.



jokes aside, Is it possible that Chevaline herself might be a changeling queen? If EVERYONE loves the lady of the lake (and her as her representant) that's a lot of love, and equally a lot of power.

Also a changeling could have easily tricked Brochard, and (relatively) easily assassinated Mareia.

...I was joking, but I'm actually starting to consider it.

Either that, or maybe they're actually keeping the monsters alive on purpose as a method of population control.

We CERTAINLY need more research.


I'm kind of starting to think that maybe not investigating Neighpon in the past might not have been wise, but at least they actually PROVED themselves to us in the fight against Sombra. With Chevaline we really only had her word.

Well, that and the advisors she sent (except Merlin, cause he came to us on his own. I wonder if we might ask him a few question...)

The goal of the so-called Cloudburster spell is to violently release all of the pent up thaumaturgical energy within magically charged cloud-vapor. Small scale tests under highly controlled laboratory conditions have seen the mages of the Colleges succeed at using the technique to make small bits of charged cloud vapor explode with forces equivalent to jars of black powder. Upon consultation with Merlin and Rafale, the unsettled magic experts inform you that, had such a spell been functional at the time of Pegicles' storm, and had it been used on the artificial hurricane when at its peak, the resulting explosion would have been of sufficient size and force to level an entire city...and likely alter the shape of the coastline. It is quite fortunate then, that the mages of the Colleges have yet to perfect the spell matrix.

Perfect. Another potential magical superweapon to worry about. At least now you are forewarned...and hopefully forearmed. Gathered Intel on Maretonian Colleges of Magic, New Action Unlocked.

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..when i read "dissolve cloud vapour" I was thinking "ehi, that's not so bad! As long as they don't use in on civilians' houses.."

And then it's explained that's basically a nuke. And if the "alter the shape of the coastline" is not an exageration it might actually be close to the STRONGEST nukes ever created.

..You know, in a word like this I'm nearly HAPPY that Celestia has the ultimate WMD at her disposal

(I obviously mean the Sun)

And atop every container, prominently stamped for all to see, is the flag of Gryphus. A statement to the people of Maretonia that, though their own leaders may have forgotten or condemned them, someone is still looking out for them. Relief Supplies Distributed Succesfully, Famine amongst Internally Displaced Maretonians Temporarily Averted.

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this is, if nothing else, good pr.

I Still kind of want to annex Maretonia though. I guess we'll see how it goes.


Ah, also I don't trust the mages, though i guess developing a wmd doesn't automatically make them evil/an enemy. It depends on WHERE and HOW exactly they planned to use it.

Hopefully they have some restraint, unlike Pegicles.

Also, calling it now, lot's of changeling speculation incoming on this.

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...maaaaaybe

We don't need to annex them, we can make them a vassal instead.

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i know, but it's not the same!

Maybe Canterbury is farming monsters for regents for their magic and to keep the status quo. External enemies tend to provide a good distraction from internal issues after all.

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Nice thought, I didn't consider this.

The only question is if they would really need them that much. normal unicorn spells don't seem to require reagents, and runes are our NEW creation.

Even if Merlin had given them all the knowledge he has about the runes (and i kinda doubt it) that wouldn't explain why they didn't kill them BEFORE.

Maybe it's some kind of ritual? We know that some of their knights get a "blessing" from the lady, maybe the monsters are necessary for that. Or maybe they use it as a cover for kidnapped civilians used for some kind of sacrificial/blood magic.

Or maybe their military is simply weaker than we thought, and we're overthinking it, though I doubt it.

I never read that many changeling fics myself though.

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I've read a few, and skimmed a few others. some have Twilight being Chrisalys' daughter left to a pony family to grow in a "loving" environment. Another has Twilight be converted in a changeling to prevent her dying, basically making her Chrysalis "adopted" daughter. I saw one (though I haven't read it) in which APPLEJACK is actually a changeling, and another short one in which Fluttershy basically goes "would it matter if I was a changeling?" (spoilers, it kinda matters).

One of the funniest is this one in which Chrisalis is COMPLETELY convinced that all the battles, insults and daring escapes between her and Twilight were flirting/dating (changeling have an...interesting concept of dating, yes), that she only managed to escape each time because Twilight wanted to continue the courtship and after their final battle (Chrysalis wins) she declare Twilight her wife, much to her confusion/surprise/horror.

It's hilarious and heartwarming at the same time!

We'll never thought I'd see this old muster return to the surface which's begs the question of why is our closest ally so anti tech and why is it so hard to kill the monsters. Did nightgale have something to do with this. We shall see soon enough.

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I'm sorry, "closest" ally? What happened to Neighpon and Yakyakistan?

 

[Sentient Tree]

You scarcely have time to congratulate Frida on her brilliant idea before you personally bear witness to the power of Earth Pony magic, as the farms established by former slaves begin churning out grain and produce by the bushel while the fields planted by Griffons are still growing their first crop. By the end of the year, the Empire faces a food surplus that exceeds Frida's most optimistic projections, and many refugees have been provided with steady work and land to call their own. All in all, a job well done. Imperial Agricultural Sector Expanded, Food Supply Secured, +1075 Agricultural Income.

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Good thing this is the world of My Little Pony. If this happened on Earth we'd have riots from the Gryphon farms being outcompeted.

Early Grenades Developed.

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Now Storm has just as much to worry about from Gryphon air superiority as we have to worry about from pegasi air superiority. Let the battle for the skies commence!

And finally, and perhaps most unsettling of all, is not a piece of information, but a simple object found when an agent quite literally tripped over what they thought was a pebble along the road between Gryphus and Canterbury. It was not a pebble.

It was a gold coin bearing the face of the late King of Aquileia: Cyril Brochard. You distantly recall the disappearance of the bulk of the late King's treasury...along with the disappearance of Lady Nightingale, his spymaster, in the wake of the unification war. It seems you may have found where her trail lead to...but this is an answer that simply raises more questions. Further investigations may be required. Intel on Canterbury Gained, Shocking Revelations Unearthed, New Actions Unlocked.

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The hunt is back on! Too bad we didn't find any clues about the poison, although maybe Lady Nightingale had something to do with it.

 

[Pittauro]

Good thing this is the world of My Little Pony. If this happened on Earth we'd have riots from the Gryphon farms being outcompeted.

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worse comes to worse we'll buy their farms to give them to the ponies and help the gryphs find other jobs.

It would be expensive, but with our treasury and the improvement to food productions we could afford it. This is simply TOO BIG to ignore, and if we have enough earth ponies willing to farm..

And who knows, maybe given time we'll learn how to reproduce the effects of earth pony magic with runes. That would help the gryphon farmers stay competitive, though it would be a bit expensive.

 

[Sgtsoldier123]

Perhaps Canterbury was in a state of civil war, but the rogue spymaster influenced it so that the current regime is favorable to her.

Carefully consider any hostile action against the Canterburys. Merlin, a Canterbury citizen, did work on our fortifications. I would not be surprised if his work will be used against us in the event of war against Canterbury.

 

[Markala]

Has anyone considered if the "magical dead zones" in Canterbury are scattered Changeling strongholds? Is Canterbury trying to discover and stomp them out? Or at least the current regime would be if that's the case. Is there more history to be found there in this regard? Maybe.

Are the Magic Dead Zones, or do these hypothetical Changelings have access to cruder versions of how Chrysalis's Magic-Cancelling Throne worked? Or maybe a single Throne was broken into a bunch of pieces and scattered between cells, which don't completely cancel magic, but make it go haywire or cut out at random in a radius instead due to decreased power concentration or something?

 

[Marlin]

Link to the last time I did this.

Archival purposes: "Turn 27: Results" (posted by QM on Saturday, April 4, 2020)

OR

The Front Page as it appeared to me on Saturday, April 4, 2020.

Character Sheet (last edited by QM on Saturday, April 4, 2020)
- Changed

Name: Garrick Golden-Feather

Age: 53

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
• Runic Royal Armor: Serving to protect you as well as display your royal status to onlookers, this armor is both durable and aesthetically pleasing. With Merlin's assistance, it has been enhanced with runic magic, making it even more durable.

• 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: 52

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: 22

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: 18

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: 15

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: 16

Martial: 7+2-5=4
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.
Crystalmancer: A prodigy in the arcane art of Crystal Manipulation, able to turn a few pebbles into a forest of glittering spires. (+2 Martial)

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Informational: State of the Nation (last edited by QM on Saturday, April 4, 2020)
- Changed

Economy

Treasury Reserves: 7,456

Net Income: 11,159

Yearly Income: 13,225

-Tax Revenue: 5925
-Farming Income: 3500
-Mining Income: 1200
-Logging Income: 200
-Trade Income: 2400

Yearly Expenditures: 2,066

-Army Upkeep: 268
-Navy Upkeep: 158
-Office of Disease Control: 10
-Ministry of Foreign Affairs: 10
-Ministry of Information: 10
-Crystal University: 10
-Peregrine Line: 100
-Hardbeak Line: 300
-YakYakistan Orichalcum Imports: 500
-Naval Shipyards: 600
-Maretonian Refugees: 100


Military

Imperial Army: Professional soldiers, paid and supplied by you. 500 soldier battalions cost 100 gold each to raise or replace. Additionally, Imperial Army soldiers have an upkeep cost of 100 gold per every ten thousand soldiers.

Imperial Army Morale: 80/100 (Strong)

Imperial Army Numbers: 26,764

-12,500 Warriors: Armed with a sword or hand-axe and shield, these Griffons make up the bulk of your army.

-6250 Polearms: For keeping your enemy at arms length or taking down opponents larger than a Griffon.

-6250 Archers: Griffons with bows and some arrows. Not much else to say.

-1500 Diamond Dogs: Armed with a variety of swords, maces, war axes, and other weapons suitable for close-quarters, Diamond Dogs are masters of subterranean combat, and are well suited to ambush tactics.

-264 Artillerists: Responsible for the transport, maintenance and operation of heavy weaponry, these Gryphons and Dogs are highly trained in their chosen field of ranged combat.

-4 Mobile Ballistae: Massively oversized mechanical bows that fire bolts big enough to pierce through tree trunks from vast distances.

-19 Cannons: Firing iron balls through the power of explosive black powder, these metal siege engines are one of the most powerful weapons in your arsenal.

-10 Flame Projectors: A product of Archimedes's "liquid fire", these static contraptions can shoot jets of flaming liquid vast distances, burning all in their path.



Knightly Orders (Self Maintained): In the old Empire, Knightly Orders were typically made up of Griffons of noble birth who joined a fraternal militant organization dedicated to martial excellence, honor, and a number of various edicts of moral strength. These great warriors dedicated themselves to the Emperor and the protection of the common Gryph. Tragically, few of these brave souls survived the reign of Discord. But a new breed of Knights now seeks to serve as your sword and shield, and will rally to your banner whenever you may need them.

The Knights Lion
1 Grandmaster Konrad Hardbeak, "The Kingslayer" (Orichalcum Katana, Runic Armor)
40 Knights of the Inner Circle (Black Steel Weapons)
250 Imperial Knights
300 Squires
600 Griffons-at-Arms
200 Diamond Knights
Citadel: The Lion's Den, Griffonia

The Knights Talon
1 Grandmaster Colombroni Pigeonio (Orichalcum Blade, Runic Armor)
30 Knights of the Inner Circle (Black Steel Weapons)
300 Imperial Knights
250 Squires
500 Griffons-at-Arms
200 Diamond Knights
Citadel: The Crow's Nest, Wingbardy

The Knights Panther
1 Grandmaster Adrian Dawnquill (Orichalcum Blade, Runic Armor)
35 Knights of the Inner Circle (Black Steel Weapons)
250 Imperial Knights
300 Squires
600 Griffons-at-Arms
200 Diamond Knights
Citadel: The Black Fortress, Aquileia

The Crystal Guardians
1 Grandmaster Glimmer Shine (Black Steel Blade, Runic Armor)
10 Knights of the Inner Circle (Black Steel Weapons)
100 Crystal Knights
120 Crystal Squires
200 Ponies-at-Arms
Citadel: The Ivory Keep, Crystal City



Imperial Navy: The vessels that guard your coastlines and patrol the oceans. Crewed by career sailors, they have an upkeep of three gold per ship, per year.

20 Cogs (Bolt-Throwers)
32 Carracks (Cannons)



Auxiliaries: Auxiliary units are forces not part of a Knightly Order or the Imperial Army and Navy that can be brought into battle alongside both of the former groups. They can be made up of allied nation units suborned to you, units drawn up from the militia, and mercenary outfits.



Politics

Nobility Opinion: 10/10 (All Hail the Glorious Emperor!).

General Public Opinion: 9.5/10 (Hail to the Emperor!).

Protectorate Opinion: 9.5/10 (Hail Golden-Feather the Brave and Glorious!)



Religion

Ancient Imperial Pantheism: Followers of the Polytheistic religion once practiced by the Griffons of the Old Empire, these citizens worship a Pantheon of gods and goddesses emphasizing honor, duty, and order. Though its popularity reached a record low during the reign of Discord, it has never truly died out, and has in fact seen a recent resurgence in several Imperial Cities.
Influence Level: .8 (No Benefits)

Disciples of the Crystal Heart: The dominant belief system of the Crystal Ponies with a growing number of Griffon and Diamond Dog adherents, the Disciples of the Crystal Heart believe that the eponymous artifact was crafted by the divine as a gift to mortals, a belief that your own scientific observations have only served to reinforce. While the Disciples were once pacifistic, the rise of Sombra and the revelation of Maretonia's slave culture has led to a reversal of this old policy, and the followers of the Crystal Heart are now as militant as those of any other major religion.
Influence Level: 3.0 (Strengthened Crystal Heart, Minor Runic Literacy)

Neighponese Spiritualism: Also known as Kami-no-Michi, the indigenous religion of Neighpon revolves around the veneration of countless nature spirits which inhabit and embody various facets of the landscape. The Qilin believe that these spirits can have a benevolent or destructive influence upon the material world, and must be appeased with worship and sacrifice. Neighponese spiritualism is unusual in that not only does it lack a specific moral code or organized religious hierarchy, but is considered compatible with other religious beliefs, with many of its adherents also subscribing to another faith.
Influence Level: .4 (No Benefits)

YakYakistani Shamanism: The animist beliefs of the Yaks stress the veneration of nature and ancestor worship. Sharing many similarities with both Imperial Pantheism and Neighponese Spiritualism, Shamans serve as both the leaders of the faith as well as intercessors between the physical and spiritual world. While it has found few adherents amongst Griffons and Diamond Dogs, almost all Yaks subscribe to its beliefs, regardless of their nationality or geographic location.
Influence Level: .2 (No Benefits)

Church of the Lady of the Lakes: The third religion introduced from a foreign people, and the only one to have an organized hierarchy with a foreign head of state serving as the leader of the faith. Worship of the Lady can be traced to the earliest days of the modern Kingdom of Canterbury, where it is claimed that she appeared to the first King of Canterbury, blessing him with the strength to unite the disparate peoples of the realm and fight back against the countless beasts that infested it. To this day, she is venerated across the Kingdom of Canterbury, and even in a select few areas outside it, including communities within your Empire.
Influence Level: .5 (No Benefits)

The Imperial Cult: Perhaps the most unusual of the faiths to have taken root in the Empire, the followers of the Imperial Cult embrace the radical belief that the Emperor and the Imperial family are divine beings made flesh, destined to lead the people of the world to greatness. While you personally are a bit uncomfortable with being worshipped as a divine figure, you can't deny it has its benefits.
Influence Level: .3 (No Benefits)



Roll Bonuses

Improved Army Communications: +6 on certain Army Rolls
Naval Navigation Tools: +5 on certain Naval and Exploration Rolls
Gun-Cotton: +5 to all Cannon Rolls
Pre-Discord Map: +10 to next Exploration Roll
Scatter-Shot: Bonus to Certain Cannon Rolls
Blasting Jelly: +5 to Certain Explosive Rolls
Camouflage 101: +5 to Certain Intrigue/Army Rolls
Firebender Designed Flamethrowers: +5 to all Flamethrower/Liquid Fire Rolls
Imperial War Memorial: Army Morale may not fall below 20, Militia count as Regulars when defending Core Territory

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Informational: Diplomatic Relations/Persons of Interest (last edited by QM on Monday, February 3, 2020)
- Not Changed

Diplomatic Relations

Kingdom of Neighpon: 8.0/10 (Steadfast Ally)
Kingdom of Canterbury: 7.5/10 (Respected Allies)
Libertalia: 6.5 (Business Partners)
YakYakistan: 8/10 (Trusted Neighbor)
Minotaur Republics: 6/10 (Trading Partner)


Persons of Interest

???: A friendly and strangely casual Griffon female you met at your inaugural ball. Despite having a wonderful evening chatting with her, you never got her name.

Garibaldi Talonuelli: Formerly the Duke of Wingbardy, now the Grand Duke of Wingbardy, Talonuelli is a beloved public figure in his home province and an experienced administrator. After saving his city and people from Brochard's attempted invasion and negotiating his province's vassalage over a few drinks, you'd like to think you can count him among your friends.

Federico Montefeathertro: Duke of the (former) City-State of Urbirdo, and your Father-in Law. He might just be the friendliest of the former Feathersians, having agreed to back you and your kingdom without question or condition during the Brochard Crisis, and hiring a mercenary outfit as a belated wedding gift. You're reasonably certain he likes you, as much as In-Laws can like each other anyway.

Koryū Ryuō: The draconic Emperor of the Island Kingdom of Neighpon. Having agreed to assist you in the war against the Shadow King and making fast friends with your adoptive daughter, you consider him a decent fellow who you can trust to keep his word, and a valuable ally against any destructive forces the world can throw at you.

Minamoto Tadakatsu: Shogun of Neighpon. Born to peasant farmers, he's more than earned his place as the most powerful Samurai amongst the Qilin. After he lead the Neighponese contingent during the Invasion of the Crystal Empire and kindly instructed you in the myriad varieties and intricacies of tea on the campaign trail, you've come to respect the more-than-century-old warrior.

Konrad Hardbeak, "The Kingslayer": Grandmaster of the Knights Lion and Hero of the Empire. Beheaded Brochard the pretender, crippled Sombra the shadow king twice over, and received the very first Imperial Medal of Honor. Despite it all, he is surprisingly humble, insisting in vain that he was, and is, merely doing his duty to the Empire, and to you. He is the very model of an Imperial Knight.

Ivory Rook: Consul of the Crystal Protectorate and head of the Crystal Assembly. One of the first of the Crystal Ponies to be freed from Sombra's mind control, Rook has taken to his position of authority reluctantly, more out of a desire to help his people than any desire for power. Nevertheless, he's proven a charismatic leader and an able administrator, dedicated to doing right by his people, no matter what the cost.

Isabelle Brissette: Relatives of the infamous Brochard dynasty, Isabelle and the Brissette family have been ostracized by the Imperial Nobility, reduced to a shadow of their former influence and prosperity, though by some miracle they still cling to some of their lands. Isabelle herself is a painfully shy little thing, unused to having friends willing to look past her lineage. Gawain hopes to show her that her ancestry does not define her, and that she is more than her uncle's legacy.

Ki Seong: Daughter of the Neighponese ambassador to the Empire of Gryphus, Ki Seong has spent the past several years living in a nation far from the land of her birth, and, much like her father, is committed to being a shining example of Neighpon and conducting herself in an honorable manner at all times. That being said, Gawain suspects she enjoys the opportunity to "let her hair down" amongst others of similarly elevated status, where she will not have to worry as much about what others think of her.

Sebastian Rainfeather: A quiet and somewhat socially awkward young Gryph, Sebastian is an avowed scholar and the heir to the noble house of Rainfeather. Due to his somewhat sheltered upbringing, he, like Gawain, has struggled to make friends, something that Gawain seeks to remedy. For his part, the young Rainfeather is simply glad to have a chess partner his own age who can keep up with him.

Hoofbeard: A former slave turned Pirate Captain, now a respected and influential figure amongst the inhabitants of the island nation of Libertalia. He has agreed to help you and your people, seeing in you a chance to improve Libertalia and stick it to Maretonia's slaveholding class.

King Rutherford: The charismatic Yak responsible for the unification of the numerous Yak clans into a singular, unified Kingdom. From what you've heard, he is exactly what you'd expect a Yak King to be like.

Click to shrink...

 

[Sentient Tree]

Perhaps Canterbury was in a state of civil war, but the rogue spymaster influenced it so that the current regime is favorable to her.

Carefully consider any hostile action against the Canterburys. Merlin, a Canterbury citizen, did work on our fortifications. I would not be surprised if his work will be used against us in the event of war against Canterbury.

Click to shrink...

I would actually greatly enjoy the chance to completely wreck a country who uses our fortifications against us. It would be like Germany going right around the Maginot Line during WW2. Half of our army can fly, and the other half can tunnel underground. Unless our runes can shoot lightning or something we could easily just go over/under, let alone flanking around using the sea or something.

 

[Somebodynobody10]

Additionally, Ravenburg has expressed his confusion with the Canterburians' seeming inability to effectively stamp out the tides of monsters and dangerous creatures that infest their homeland. Your own Empire's early struggles with similar issues prove that such obstacles can be overcome, and yet year after year goes by with seemingly no progress made in stamping out the rampant populations of Chimeras, Hydras, Trolls, Cockatrices and Timber-Wolves that plague the kingdom's countryside, despite the constant and valiant efforts of Canterbury's Knights. Yes, they face the added difficulty of the magical "dead zones" that dot the country, but those are a small obstacle in the scheme of things...and Ravenburg can't help but find something odd about the phenomenon that seems to be unique to Canterbury.



And finally, and perhaps most unsettling of all, is not a piece of information, but a simple object found when an agent quite literally tripped over what they thought was a pebble along the road between Gryphus and Canterbury. It was not a pebble.

It was a gold coin bearing the face of the late King of Aquileia: Cyril Brochard. You distantly recall the disappearance of the bulk of the late King's treasury...along with the disappearance of Lady Nightingale, his spymaster, in the wake of the unification war. It seems you may have found where her trail lead to...but this is an answer that simply raises more questions. Further investigations may be required. Intel on Canterbury Gained, Shocking Revelations Unearthed, New Actions Unlocked.

Click to shrink...

Unable to get rid of the monsters.

The disappeared Griffons.

...

Magical Dead Zones

Magic.
Nullifying.
Zones

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/eb/f5/3c/ebf53c0d9964756e1ff6c39a248e3531.gif

REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-!

 

[Gmerguy]

Vassals ARE autonomous though. Like, that's literally the whole point, not just "threading a needle." They just aren't sovereign which is a different concept.

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It depends on what the college considers autonomous, in my opinion what they are asked/demanding is to be a sovereign nation.

 

[AldariSiradla]

Having a very good friend at the border as a buffer would be nice.
A bloated empire would collapse.
So let us pace ourselves in expansion.
Improve tech as always.
Strengthen the army.
Make sure the zealots are pacified.
Keep good diplomatic channels.
Most of all...

Love your spy network.

Overall, we're doing good so far.
The battles are going alright.
Nothing too disastrous happening yet (i.e. Pony Sauron).
Economy's good.
Our people aren't growing up idiots.
We're slowly reaching the point where muskets will be a thing.
Our armies can and will kick a lot of ass indefinitely.
God(s) pleased with us.

We're living good!

 

[DaLintyGuy]

..You know, in a word like this I'm nearly HAPPY that Celestia has the ultimate WMD at her disposal

(I obviously mean the Sun)

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Eh... Depends on if you take her domain as "The Sun" or "The Day", with the Concepts of the two differing from each other.

 

[frostgiant]

Unable to get rid of the monsters.

The disappeared Griffons.

...

Magical Dead Zones

Magic.
Nullifying.
Zones

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/eb/f5/3c/ebf53c0d9964756e1ff6c39a248e3531.gif

REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-!

Click to shrink...

Oh, that's make sure sense, they are the vassal kingdom/livestock/front for a changing empire. The lady of the lake is a changeling queen, the dead zones are the hives and the monsters are probably a way to keep the changelings necessary as protectors/ a way to cull the ponies before they've can advance past the point of easily controlled.

Funnily enough this is not the first time in fiction that I've seen Arthurian knights being purported by insectoid fey.

In all honesty, still up for diplomacy with them. They could do much much worse to the ponies they are ruling as a shadow government.

 

[Somebodynobody10]

It FITS!

The griffon spymaster was the one telling Brochard we were actively plotting for his head, potentially leading to a long, drawn-out war, potentially sending the land to chaos where important leaders and populace could be replaced and harvested.


The assassination of the Queen Mareia has inflamed the country into a civil war, weakening them and doing the thing mentioned above.

How many of the refugees have been replaced?

Will the new, future monarch of Maretonia also stand a chance of being replaced? A slave society, filled with so many ponies that no one that matters would truly care about?


And what of Canterburry?

The ever-replenishing monster population can be explained with both intentional monster breeding programs, as well as disguised changelings playing a role.

Has the Queen of Canterburry been replaced already? Is she a Changeling Queen in disguise, acting to keep all possible magicless weapons that could allow those truly loyal to Canterburry to strike into the magic dead zones, discovering the truth?
And in the case she isn't yet a changeling, the smoking gun in the assassination would lead the if-not-already-replaced new monarch of Maretonia to war with them, further destabilizing the situation, giving more chances for the ultimate masterplan to succeed.

This is...
For all that is holy, if this does end up being the work of changelings, their leader is a Goddess Of Subterfuge on her lonesome.