You are still flying through blizzard's and gale wind's in the mountain's that drop below freezing, not to mention the wyvern's who've we've seen can get big.
Let's not forget that Canterbury is also doin some remodeling with their beast population, I don't trust the changeling's there to not poke us and make a scene on our way to Equestria. And we will have anti-magic weapon's on us if we do send them through Canterbury which is it's own can of worm's.
I'm not agains't sending hippogryphs to Equestria but they are still children, one area is a death zone and the other is a possible international incident that can go nuclear fast.
Sending them by sea I can get behind with, the neighponese have the best naval vessel's to combat any sea monster they encounter and are on good term's with besides'.
@Questor I don't remember if this has been asked before, but was our first meeting with the Equestrian expedition turned slaves a random chance, or did you plan it out?
Archival purposes: "The Crystal Princess" (posted by QM on Sunday, February 14, 2021)
OR
The Front Page as it appeared to me on Wednesday, February 17, 2021.
Character Sheet (last edited by QM on Saturday, February 13, 2021)
(Been my experience that spoilers inside quotes, don't work well, so I'm removing those spoilers)
- Changed, Again, again (I'm not noticing the change)
-- I am prejudiced against spoilers.
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.
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)
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)
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)
Trait: Beautiful- A stellar example of feminine grace. (+2 Diplomacy)
Duelist: An experienced master of one-on-one combat who spars against others as a hobby. (+4 Martial)
Status: Teenager-Malus to all stats
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)
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: 53,848
-25,000 Warriors: Armed with a sword or hand-axe and shield, these Griffons make up the bulk of your army.
-12,500 Polearms: For keeping your enemy at arms length or taking down opponents larger than a Griffon.
-12,500 Arbalists: Griffons armed with crossbows, capable of punching through armor from quite a distance away.
-3000 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.
-856 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.
-28 Mobile Ballistae: Massively oversized mechanical bows that fire bolts big enough to pierce through tree trunks from vast distances.
-59 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.
-20 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 Black Watch
1 Watch Commander Konrad Hardbeak
24 Black Knights (Black Steel Armor and Weapons)
The Knights Lion
1 Grandmaster Konrad Hardbeak, "The Kingslayer" (Orichalcum Katana, Runic Armor)
33 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)
23 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)
28 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)
9 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)
34 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: 1.6 (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: 1.7 (Small Boost to YakYakistani Relations)
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. Recently, it has been revealed to you that the religion is a front for the machinations of the Changeling Queen Phalanx, who has taken upon the guise of a Goddess to rule Canterbury from the shadows.
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
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
Specialized Anti-Magic Training: Bonuses to Certain Combat Rolls
Imperial War Memorial: Army Morale may not fall below 20, Militia count as Regulars when defending Core Territory
Persons of Interest
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.
Rose: A Changeling, member of a race of shapeshifting emotivores. Defected to you when your agents nearly stumbled upon the Hive of Queen Phalanx and the conspiracy at the heart of Canterbury and the Church of the Lady of the Lake.
Her father's advice, borne of his own past life as a merchant long before Pearl had been born, was proving invaluable to the Princess in her self-appointed task.
Yay! This small bit is literally everything I ever wanted with at least one of the royal kids: Garrick passing on his merchant legacy. It's not enough to just have higher stewardship than him. I really wanted one of his kids to inherit a more personal legacy from him separate from the imperial legacy. That is to say, I wanted him to pass on his teachings as a merchant, and he has apparently done that in at least a limited fashion here. That makes me rather happy
First, we need to complete Maretonia. after that.. well, maybe one more crisis, so that Gawain can get more experience... and maybe get closer to the Equestrian princesses?
I think it should be after Maretonia is over. If we wait too long, another crisis will pop up (like a Yeti invasion of the Yaks or something). Furthermore, every good monarch should have their reign be characterized by something that sets them apart from the others. Garrick's is a reign of war and bloodshed, so let Gawain's open up with normalization of relations with the diarchs that he personally met as a prince. It is a good opener and will hopefully characterize his reign as a beginning of soft power for the empire after Garrick's hard power one.
Exactly what I was thinking. Make it like a Prince of Wales thing, except it would be appointed to the immediate non-heirs to spread out responsibilities of the royal family. It would also give a backup in governorship abilities in the case a tragedy happens to our heir of the time, whatever that time may be.
Crystal Heart probably could, emperor cult might (power of faith is often a thing in fiction), and I don't think it would have been out of the question for spirits or gods from the other religions to acknowledge us if we brought enough offerings and believers in them.
Depends on how much inspiration this takes from Equestria at War. I've mentioned before that in EaW, faith is reality. How you believe something by a large enough people will make it true. Griffonia has a god named Maar that was actually fairly kindly and helpful to those he created, but he gave them gifts to make them self-aware, intelligent, kind, and appreciative of what they have and they hated Maar for it. They associated him with death and evil, and so he began to twist into that form since his only worshippers were cultists who believed he was death and evil.
If this quest follows that same logic, you could theoretically empower the emperor to become a god upon passing were the cult to be brought to extreme heights. Not something we'd be likely to see though.
There were exactly THREE major military Conflicts in our Thirty Plus Years of Rule. The First was basically just one Battle. The second was admittedly Hardcore and lasted for years. But this third one should also not last that long.
Not to mention that phrasing it like that ignores all the other stuff we did, rebuilding the Empire and it's Economy, making it a Society that accepts not just Griffons but plenty of other Races, the Technological Advancement, etc. Garricks reign is not one of "War and Bloodshed", but one mostly characterized by rebuilding what was lost and making the Empire itself prosperous and peaceful again. You make it sound like we were at all-out War 24/7.
There were exactly THREE major military Conflicts in our Thirty Plus Years of Rule. The First was basically just one Battle. The second was admittedly Hardcore and lasted for years. And this thrid one should also not last that long.
Not to mention that phrasing it like that ignores all the other stuff we did. Garricks reign is not one of "War and Bloodshed", but one mostly characterized by rebuilding what was lost and making the EMpire prosperous and peaceful again. You make it sound like we were at all-out War 24/7.
"Characterized" is the key word. Characterization is about what makes the king a king - what sets them apart. His first and major accomplishment in the history books will always be reuniting the empire, and his second will be fighting off Sombra and liberating the Crystal Ponies. The griffons are explicitly a martial culture - it was mentioned as part of one of the News and Rumors and mentioned again in this recent chapter - and the militarization that has happened from both of those events has become an intrinsic part of the Griffonian identity. You are conflating being characterized as a conqueror with being characterized with a reign of war. There is a big difference, and Garrick's is the second.
"Characterized" is the key word. Characterization is about what makes the king a king - what sets them apart. His first and major accomplishment in the history books will always be reuniting the empire, and his second will be fighting off Sombra and liberating the Crystal Ponies. The griffons are explicitly a martial culture - it was mentioned as part of one of the News and Rumors and mentioned again in this recent chapter - and the militarization that has happened from both of those events has become an intrinsic part of the Griffonian identity. You are conflating being characterized as a conqueror with being characterized with a reign of war. There is a big difference, and Garrick's is the second.
Honestly, I do not think Garrick's reign will go down in history as one of war and bloodshed. That stuff did happen, but I doubt historians would really focus on those particular aspects. I would think a bigger focus would be the huge scientific and social progress that happened under his reign. I mean, we went from Medieval period technology to Industrial/early Modern era in the span of thirty years. Then there is all the diplomacy we've managed. We got the Diamond Dogs under our banner, negotiated trade deals with the Yaks and the Neighponese, stopped a conflict between the Qilian and the Caribou from breaking out.
I think it should be after Maretonia is over. If we wait too long, another crisis will pop up (like a Yeti invasion of the Yaks or something). Furthermore, every good monarch should have their reign be characterized by something that sets them apart from the others. Garrick's is a reign of war and bloodshed, so let Gawain's open up with normalization of relations with the diarchs that he personally met as a prince. It is a good opener and will hopefully characterize his reign as a beginning of soft power for the empire after Garrick's hard power one.
mh.. maybe. I kinda want to try an old idea I proposed, of basically giving him a "trial". something like "be king in all but name for a year", basically, to get him used to it and have him learn what he should expect from the job.
Then again, we could simply give him more important jobs until the time we actually decide to retire (or, I suppose, die)
Depends on how much inspiration this takes from Equestria at War. I've mentioned before that in EaW, faith is reality. How you believe something by a large enough people will make it true. Griffonia has a god named Maar that was actually fairly kindly and helpful to those he created, but he gave them gifts to make them self-aware, intelligent, kind, and appreciative of what they have and they hated Maar for it. They associated him with death and evil, and so he began to twist into that form since his only worshippers were cultists who believed he was death and evil.
If this quest follows that same logic, you could theoretically empower the emperor to become a god upon passing were the cult to be brought to extreme heights. Not something we'd be likely to see though.
I agree with that as well, if anything Garrick's reign would probably be characterized as begging of Empires golden age given the social, economic and diplomatic progress, that takes military progress as well , but as said above that is just small part of his reign.
As for Garrick abdicating (or not ), i prefer to wait some more until Gawain has officially proven himself and that entails more than visit to Equestria, if anything Equestria is his entrance in big leagues, what comes next is more important. My preferred option is to assign Gawain as a leader of Maretonian peace process and rebuilding effort upon his (hopefully successful ) return from Equestria, it's great responsibility and good continuation of his opening diplomatic efforts while not involving to much risk's. Plus it puts our Crown Prince and future ruler at fore front of Maretonian problem which will help cultivate good relationship with Maretonia upon his ascension and reign , not to mention it offer's a lot of international prestige for him.
I agree with that as well, if anything Garrick's reign would probably be characterized as begging of Empires golden age given the social, economic and diplomatic progress, that takes military progress as well , but as said above that is just small part of his reign.
As for Garrick abdicating (or not ), i prefer to wait some more until Gawain has officially proven himself and that entails more than visit to Equestria, if anything Equestria is his entrance in big leagues, what comes next is more important. My preferred option is to assign Gawain as a leader of Maretonian peace process and rebuilding effort upon his (hopefully successful ) return from Equestria, it's great responsibility and good continuation of his opening diplomatic efforts while not involving to much risk's. Plus it puts our Crown Prince and future ruler at fore front of Maretonian problem which will help cultivate good relationship with Maretonia upon his ascension and reign , not to mention it offer's a lot of international prestige for him.
Well, we won't lack for important diplomatic duties to give Gawain in the future.
Equestria is the current one, and depending on his first impression on the Alicorn Sisters it might be wise to leave him heavily involved in diplomatic dealings with them.
Then, there's obviously Maretonia's post-war negotiations, and possibly the rebuilding as well if we want to give him something different to do too. THe Crystal Principate referendum, if we're going that route, is obviously more of something Gleaming Pearl should deal with.
We still have more countries to make contact with too. We know of Zebras and Abyssinians, somewhere close to the Caribous, and Gawain could certainly help in bettering our relationship with our "not quite as good" allies. That would mostly be the Emerald Island and the Minotaurs's republics, I think. Maybe Libertalia too, depending on what we want to do with them. We could leave them as is, or we could try and slightly push them to a protectorate status after Maretonia is dealt with, though I don't know how likely/valuable it would be to us.
And then, there's also the dragons south of Maretonia. We know NOTHING of what they're like, before what we suspect of them because... well, dragons.
Gwindlyn should probably be involved there, though, at least if she's mature enough by then.
possibly. The dragon lord and the other dragons might be better inclined to listen to a dragon RULER after all, even if it's the ruler of "inferior" species.
On the other hand, who knows what were the relationships between "normal" dragons, and Koryu's kind (which are, apparently, more of the "magical" kind")
Still, the news that they're actually still alive, if cursed with nearly eternal sleep, might also be of interest to them.
I only hope, by the time we get to meet them, that Gwindlyn will have grown enough to lose the age maluses to her stats, as to better justify her inclusion in the whole affair.
I only hope, by the time we get to meet them, that Gwindlyn will have grown enough to lose the age maluses to her stats, as to better justify her inclusion in the whole affair.
If we refuse... I don't know. Not THAT high, I think, as long as we promise to let her visit AFTER we verify that the dragons are at least willing to talk, and that we're worried because they might be hostile... but there certainly IS a chance.
She'd probably fail though.
..Actually, we should have her visit Neighpon and Koryu at some point instead. Maybe a new personal action for her next turn?
...actually, never mind, it's ALREADY an option in turn 30. If we can, I'd definitely love to take it, possibly with the sword gift too.. but I expect we'll also get other personal actions we might want, like something dealing with the Equestrians for example.
I was kinda thinking that by the time we step down or even during our rule Gawain should set up something like the UN with all of the known countries it'll fit his Obi-Wan/Diplomat image we got going for him. (It'd probably start out as like a concert of Europe thing first before we get everyone to go for a UN-style of thing)
I was kinda thinking that by the time we step down or even during our rule Gawain should set up something like the UN with all of the known countries it'll fit his Obi-Wan/Diplomat image we got going for him. (It'd probably start out as like a concert of Europe thing first before we get everyone to go for a UN-style of thing)
Canterbury (but they have the hidden changelings problem)
Minotaur Republics (might be complicated as it seems they're mostly city states)
Maretonia/Crystal protectorate (though they're likely to not actually get a seat, as one it's a protectorate/soon to become part of our empire if all goes well, and the other is... well, about to become a protectorate as well, probably. depends on how the war goes
Emerald Island
Caribou land. I think it's called olennia?
Equestria
I think this are all the countries/factions we have contacted, except the yeti for obvious reasons.
in addition to this, there are a few factions we have NOT contacted yet, but which we know exist
Abyssinia (the cats)
Zebrica (the zebras)
dragons (south of Maretonia)
some kind of frozen land close to the caribous.
Storm Country (only openly hostile faction other than soon-to-be-dealt-with Maretonia)
technically we could count the CHangeling Hives too, I suppose, though they're arguably included in Canterbury.
There's quite a few countries/factions already!
Of course, not ALL of them are actually THAT relevant, but they're still a lot.
1st tier
Our closest equals in strenght/power/wealth are probably Equestria and Neighpon. If we can keep both on our side we basically have achieved supremacy on the international stage. I think we can consider this the "1st class countries", in a way, though Neighpon is a bit penalized by their low pop, So I'd put them in a solid 3rd place. Equestria is really the only KNOWN country that might actually claim to be our equal (or even superior), with their magics and the alicorns being a more than equal match up for our industry and military.
Maretonia would have been up there too before the civil war (probably above Neighpon), and Canterbury is not too far away, I think. As of right now they're more of a 2nd tier though, and Maretonia is possibly about to become a protectorate and go out of this ranking.
2nd tier
Yakyakistan and Canterbury are probably the second tier, with Canterbury being actually pretty close to the first tier already. I'm penalizing the yaks for being mostly new as an organized country, but they have potential.
Minotaur Republics and Caribou kingdoms could probably count as a 2nd tier if taken all together, but as they're split in multiple city states and small kingdoms, they're basically a collection of third tier states.
A united Maretonia as of right now, with all the damage from the civil war, would probably fall here.
3rd tier
Emerald Island, separate Caribou Kingdoms or Minotaur Cities, Libertalia.
and then there's all the various unknowns, obviously.
It was recently revamped. It starts when you play as Equestria. Luna wants to get equal rights and treatment for the batponies, which are considered the "Fourth Tribe" of the pony tribes. The history on it seems to be that they were her followers and lived in the more jungle-type areas in the southeastern part of Equestria. They never properly integrated back in to Equestria after Nightmare Moon was banished.
It starts off with Luna bringing the proposal for integrating the batponies to Celestia. She can then completely support it, tell Luna that she will have to do it herself, or tell Luna that there isn't any point to the endeavor. The first one guarantees that the batponies will be integrated through Celestia's own grace (though there's lots of grumbling), but it also means that Luna will never step out of her sister's shadow and assert herself as an equal in the diarchy. The second and third leads Luna to try to be her own monarch, with the third leading to a strain in Celestia and Luna's relationship as Luna takes offense to Celestia's comments about Luna's own people before Luna declares that it's Celestia's fault as well for never doing anything to stop the oppression and racism affecting the batponies in the 1000 years she's been ruling alone. That argument from the third option will push a hidden counter up for how likely Luna is to becoming Nightmare Moon.
The next set is Luna trying to assert her wishes to the public in a press conference, freaking out at the intense questioning and initial negative response by declaring that there will be a referendum on batpony rights instead, declares her intent to campaign for the pro-rights side, and then walks off to privately have a "WHAT DID I JUST SAY AND DO?!" moment to herself. She then goes on to organize her campaign by either hiring a team of activists, or by asking the Elements of Harmony for help in putting together a campaign. If she picks the Elements of Harmony, she will be moved slightly away from the counter of becoming Nightmare Moon due to having a friend in Rarity to work with and keep her calm. It will also unlock the possiblity of recruiting Rarity as an advisor and/or Governess of the Moon Crystal Protectorate in the Lunar Empire country if Luna becomes Nightmare Moon.
Then it will follow a pony who is pro-Batpony who claims to have been told in her dreams by the princess to start gathering weapons. You then choose which of three places said pony is meeting up with some batpony followers of Luna, with each of the three decisions giving you progressively more cached weaponry at the start of the civil war while raising Luna's closeness to Nightmare Moon but also raising a hidden counter for Celestia and her soldiers catching on to the brewing conspiracy.
Next it will follow Luna giving a speech in Manehattan to a crowd of activists. She can choose to give mealy "friendship and unity" bits, speak of the importance of defending Harmony and declaring that you shouldn't be ashamed of who you are, and the third being Luna declaring that you need to be willing to fight to make people recognize your right to respect and to never let others trample over being who you are. Each one is progressively more militant and thus gives the Lunar Empire more manpower at the start of the civil war, at the cost of raising the counter for how close Luna is to becoming Nightmare Moon and raising the counter for how close Celestia is to discovering the brewing conspiracy.
The third is the batponies themselves following Luna's endeavors over the radio and deciding what support they should give to her. They can decide to stand by and support her however they can, declare that they must be willing to defend her at any costs to prevent her from being banished again if she is betrayed, or declare that they are willing to fight for any cause that the Princess tells them to and that they must make sure they don't fail in their duties again like they did 1000 years ago. Being increasingly militant gives you more batpony divisions of soldiers on the civil war start, with once again the cost of pushing Luna towards Nightmare Moon and raising Celestia's suspicions.
The final set is an Equestrian division near Fillydelphia that has been ambushed by early batpony forces looking to prepare for a potential uprising. They can decide to hold the line to deny the batponies any advantages, divide their forces half and half to hold a weaker defence while still sending slower runners to warn Celestia, or completely withdraw from the area to warn Celestia in an expedited fashion. Withdrawing completely gives the Lunar Empire control of Fillydelphia and its surroundings when the war starts, half-half starts you holding the city but no surroundings, and not withdrawing at all kicks the batponies out of the region at start. Follows the same pattern of pushing Luna towards Nightmare Moon and Celestia towards suspicion the more advantages you get.
So it finally comes to a head in Luna's final rally. She meets in Manehattan to give a final speech and encourage her followers to vote and keep hope in the referendum, when a bomb planted under the stage goes off. The assassination attempt causes mass panic and the moon turns red. Luna blearily looks out to seeing members of the crowd dead and assumes Rarity is too when she sees her covered in red (she is just wounded). She then envisions Nightmare Moon who mocks her over her failures to address the situation peacefully. You can then choose to have her surrender to Nightmare Moon or try to fight it. If you fight it, your chance of succeeding or failing depends on how militant you were in the build-up. If you fail or surrender, Nightmare Moon takes over Luna, the Lunar Empire is formed and based out of Manehattan, and the Equestrian Civil War starts with a bunch of other parts temporarily seceding to avoid the catastrophe and the Elements out of use since Rarity was captured by Nightmare Moon. The third path to starting the civil war is being overly militant enough to get Celestia suspicious before the event chain reaches the assassination attempt. Celestia will temporarily lock up Luna thinking she's already been possessed to wait for the Elements to arrive to fix it again, but the feeling of betrayal from being imprisoned and accused of a conspiracy triggers the transformation and the civil war starts with the Lunar Empire on its backfoot due to not completing preparations.
Now that I've gotten the lead-up out of the way, I can give the basic gist of the Lunar Empire's actual path. So the first part is obviously fighting Equestria to win the civil war and then reuniting all the secessionist bits (while hopefully avoiding the Changelings invading early). It's easy enough if you know what you are doing, though it gets more difficult if Celestia ascends to Daybreaker during the civil war. She'll use literal scorched earth tactics to burn her enemies and the ground to win the war.
After the war is when the branches in her route appear. There are three ultimate routes: a batpony-supremacist Nightmare Moon that goes full power-hungry dictator, a pragmatic authoritarian who wishes to root out the worst excesses of Equestrian society and racism towards batponies and other species using her might, and a path where Nightmare Moon's authoritarian tendencies are balanced out by Luna's own desire to help her and all other people by forming a slightly more authoritarian (yet still democratic) version of Harmony. That third path portrays the Nightmare as being alike to a Marvel Symbiote, wherein it is influencing Luna and giving her strength (and she refers to herself in the third person when covered in the Nightmare) but it can be pushed back or worked with to ameliorate the worst of it.
That path is decided by her decisions, such as whether to punish or pardon the Elements, whether to reconcile with Rarity (only if you pardoned the Elements), how you solve the issue of religious doctrine both in how to treat the Solarists and how the Lunar worshippers should view Luna, Nightmare Moon, and the Moon itself; whether you seek vengeance or justice in the legal system, whether you centralize the economy or create an interventionist economy, whether you form a parliament or maintain divine right of an absolute monarch (though she retains the right to intervene unilaterally when she deems it necessary regardless of that choice), whether you execute, pardon, or banish the Solarist military officers, and whether you turn Nightmare Night in to a time of worship or fun*.
At the very end of the path, the ending depends on what route had been picked through your choices. I played the "kindest" Nightmare Moon-Luna balance route so it had her looking upon her new empire from her balcony as a bittersweet moment. She feels what she did was justified and has ultimately helped bring everyone of all species and races together in friendship and harmony, but laments that it came this far and that she had to banish her sister to either the Sun or Moon (can't remember which).
*The fun path is actually kinda funny because Nightmare Moon hires this party-planner guy to revamp Nightmare Night to be more fun so people stop assuming she and her night are so scary. He basically turns it in to a night of debauchery that is a Bacchanalia meets the excesses of Carnaval.
@Questor I don't remember if this has been asked before, but was our first meeting with the Equestrian expedition turned slaves a random chance, or did you plan it out?
The encounter was a result of a dice roll. Or rather, a pair of dice rolls. The first determined the state of the Yeti Culture, the second determined how your expedition would fare in hostile territory.
They rolled a 98.
The Nat Crits don't come often in this Quest, but when they do they are spectacular.
The fun path is actually kinda funny because Nightmare Moon hires this party-planner guy to revamp Nightmare Night to be more fun so people stop assuming she and her night are so scary. He basically turns it in to a night of debauchery that is a Bacchanalia meets the excesses of Carnaval.
CANON princesses would appreciate his attempts at peaceful integration of multiple races, as it's pretty similar to the three pony races coming together.
Of course we don't know if these princesses are different.
With Equestria being a pony only land (except for the buffalo), they probably don't have an actual opinion of other races yet, so it will depend a lot on HOW this first contact goes.
Presumably they should take well to both us and Neighpon right now.
