Can't we move/capture the farmers? We don't need to burn the farms themselves, after all I highly doubt the Pegasus army will be able to bring in the harvest by themselves, assuming they were even willing to try.
Harvesting crops is days of hard work, and if the enemy soldiers try they will put themselves in a vulnerable position.
So my plan is this-
1 - go around and capture/arrest all farm workers, free the slaves, and confiscate any food.
2 - have our diamond dog forces create hidden watch posts to observe the larger farmlands for any attempts of getting the harvest in.
3 - ambush any soldiers attempting to bring in the harvest, free the slaves. Rinse and repeat.
This should provide the benefits of denying our adversaries their supplies without the bad publicity, provokes them into sending their soldiers outside the walls where they can be ambushed and additionally, from a morale standpoint, makes waiting us out untenable in the medium to long term.
TL: DR
Steal the farmers but leave the farms and their fields alone as bait for ambushes.
Archival purposes: "The Maretonian Campaign, Part 4" (posted by QM on Sunday, August 22, 2021)
OR
The Front Page as it appeared to me on Monday, August 23, 2021.
Character Sheet (last edited by QM on Monday, August 9, 2021)
(Been my experience that spoilers inside quotes, don't work well, so I'm removing those spoilers)
- Changed
-- Gwyndlyn's adolescent malus only affects her Martial stat now
-- Gilda no longer has the adolescent status, and the malus from being an adolescent
-- Gleaming Pearl no longer has the adolescent status, and the malus from being an adolescent
-- 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 Martial stat.
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)
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
Scatter-Shot: Bonus to Certain Cannon Rolls
Blasting Jelly: +5 to Certain Explosive Rolls
Camouflage 101: +5 to Certain Intrigue/Army 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
Informational: Diplomatic Relations/Persons of Interest (last edited by QM on Sunday, March 21, 2021)
-- I've had "last edited" set at May 21 since "Meeting the Princesses", when it should have been March 21. Fixed from this point onwards.
- Not Changed
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.
I supposes it's to not scretch our defensive formation thin. If we only releasing the slaves they can just send in more. We already sieging them, it would be hard to also protect a land without turning them into a battlefield as well.
I doubt they have a bunch more worker slaves just sitting around, they might send people to help work the farm but that's less people defending the walls
Plus we don't have to literally occupy the farms, just take away the people actually working them
Also I don't think these farms are a normal one. From the sounds of it these farms are also on clouds. Outside the city walls where Pegiclis army are stationed yes but still on clouds. We can get in and out quick enough to burn the field, but we can't defend them without also causing the army to also charge us.
I have this huge desire to design Airborne Artillery for the Gryphus.
As in, an airship loaded with a singular colossal siege cannon (spinal position), to float into the range of the city, shoot it with an oversized projectile, and retreat ASAP.
Will probably insist on the engines being on both sides of the airship. This would actually make the recoil a sort of an accelerator boost to facilitate speeding up for the escape.
And will hope that the engineers of Gryphus (and possibly mages) will figure out a way to mitigate the recoil, enough that it doesn't just toss the airship out of the sky with every shot.
I have this huge desire to design Airborne Artillery for the Gryphus.
As in, an airship loaded with a singular colossal siege cannon (spinal position), to float into the range of the city, shoot it with an oversized projectile, and retreat ASAP.
Will probably insist on the engines being on both sides of the airship. This would actually make the recoil a sort of an accelerator boost to facilitate speeding up for the escape.
And will hope that the engineers of Gryphus (and possibly mages) will figure out a way to mitigate the recoil, enough that it doesn't just toss the airship out of the sky with every shot.
Yeah, I'm pretty sure a milder version of that is one idea we had for the military airships. I remember one person even mentioned they could be used as such against Pegicles' flying fortress, though of course the designing and building came far too late for that to be of any use.
Still, it's definitely something we will continue to invest in further in the future.
I suppose it'd be possible, though I am not sure how energy-efficient it would be doing it ad-hoc and for the first time. That goes double for the scale and the fact they'd constantly have to be adjusted.
Actually, about that adjusted part, are we using mathematics for our artillery yet or are we still on the "fire in the general direction" stage of artillery? I'm guessing it's the second but I could be forgetting something.
Interesting, so they seek to create a wall to stop the crashing tide of steel and righteousness?
A tricky prospect from a paranoid foe.
And a paranoid foe has a lot of surprises hidden in sight.
So gotta plan around that one way or another.
Omake is gold.
I would not be surprised if the End Times come...
The Heroes of the Empire will answer the call.
I have a question, How soon can we expect the airship to be back, If we dig in or try to siege the city would it be able to become a usable asset in the war?
Also regarding the cloud city. If they can move it easily how exactly would a siege work. They could just keep moving it up and then over any encampment we set up if they have that level of control?
I think Digging in is probably a pretty good option. Storming House Storm seems very manpower intensive, and burning farms is not a good PR move.
While Digging in sounds good I think we can take a more pro-active approach to the farms. Send around small units to the various farms with both Imperial Guard, and abolitionists to strike a balance in running things. These farming nobles have to realize that Pegicles isn't coming to save them, and the slaves know that the Gryphus are nearby. This might give them an opportunity to work together for their mutual benefit. It also has the knock on benefit of forcing Pegicles to wait, nothing would irritate him more... So the situation in Mare-a-then would be paranoid frustrated leader, who sees the world below moving on without him, an enemy refusing to meet him in battle not out of fear, but it being pointless. The internal politics of House Storm will start to turn and start attacking itself especially as things become more contested and desperate within the city. Give them enough time... they are bound to do something stupid.
omake is beautiful, and yes, as someone else already mentioned the "countless monsters" remind me a lot of a certain evil from the OTHER Mlp quest on this forum...
About the Ursa... did we gather some of that blood? I mean, the Ursa is supposed to be very magical, the blood might very well be a high-grade magical reagent, either for enchantments or for runes.
If it basically made a small lake, I'm sure we could gather a few (hopefully a LOT) of barrels of it?
Waste not, want not. Wars are expensive, and it's always nice to get a little extra benefit.
Can't we move/capture the farmers? We don't need to burn the farms themselves, after all I highly doubt the Pegasus army will be able to bring in the harvest by themselves, assuming they were even willing to try.
Harvesting crops is days of hard work, and if the enemy soldiers try they will put themselves in a vulnerable position.
So my plan is this-
1 - go around and capture/arrest all farm workers, free the slaves, and confiscate any food.
2 - have our diamond dog forces create hidden watch posts to observe the larger farmlands for any attempts of getting the harvest in.
3 - ambush any soldiers attempting to bring in the harvest, free the slaves. Rinse and repeat.
This should provide the benefits of denying our adversaries their supplies without the bad publicity, provokes them into sending their soldiers outside the walls where they can be ambushed and additionally, from a morale standpoint, makes waiting us out untenable in the medium to long term.
TL: DR
Steal the farmers but leave the farms and their fields alone as bait for ambushes.
Yeah, I was thinking something like this. Free the slaves, relocate the free farmers if not hostile, capture the ones resisting us... maybe have them gather the food for us (we could EVEN pay!). Lay traps for Pegicles' agents...
Other than that... Merlin CAN make portals. Maybe we could try and send a few agents to sabotage the enemy, poison their food and so on, in the middle of the night?
We are dealing with a people that can manipulate the weather. I am very concerned that if we dig in they will just try and flood us out by making it rain for extended periods of time
I have a question, How soon can we expect the airship to be back, If we dig in or try to siege the city would it be able to become a usable asset in the war?
Also regarding the cloud city. If they can move it easily how exactly would a siege work. They could just keep moving it up and then over any encampment we set up if they have that level of control?
As the Gryphus is the only airship you have, and isn't really designed or equipped for combat, it is essentially a non-entity for this campaign.
They can move the city, but slowly. Your army can easily keep up with it and ensure that it remains surrounded, and it takes a great deal of magical effort to move it so it's likely Pegicles won't even try that move to "escape". It's not horizontal but vertical flight that Garrick is concerned about, placing it out of range of your cannon.
[x] Scorched Earth: On the other hand, you may not be content to simply wait for however long it takes for your enemy to get frustrated enough to attack you. Mare-a-Thon is a great fortress, but it's position in the sky means it can't grow it's own food. That task falls to the numerous farms and plantations scattered across Pegicles' territory. You can't lock down each and every one of those farms to prevent them from supplying Storm forces...but you can certainly set them on fire. Most of them are owned by Nobles loyal to Pegicles anyway, and a few even have slaves working on them, so you certainly have a justification for doing so. Of course, Griffons setting fire to the Maretonian countryside will doubtlessly paint a less than positive picture of you and your force
Let's do a decoy siege combined with Troyan horse with Hardbeak,Rose, Kaboom and Merlin.
Dispatch some of our troops to start a siege, thus stretching his defenses while sending in elite team to blast the gates.
Edit: Or we could have diamond dogs dig under the walls while we prepare false siege and have Kaboom blast the wall from below. We have explosive at our disposal after all.
Let's do a decoy siege combined with Troyan horse with Hardbeak,Rose, Kaboom and Merlin.
Dispatch some of our troops to start a siege, thus stretching his defenses while sending in elite team to blast the gates.
Edit: Or we could have diamond dogs dig under the walls while we prepare false siege and have Kaboom blast the wall from below. We have explosive at our disposal after all.
We are dealing with a people that can manipulate the weather. I am very concerned that if we dig in they will just try and flood us out by making it rain for extended periods of time
Is it possible for inclement weather to carry the cloud city away? Perhaps Pegicles isn't planning on a last stand, but an escape with a powerbase intact?
