I think we can still be able to hit them both with our cannon's by making hills from our earth archmage. Possibly either giving the shot's a boost with the sky archmage to hit or bringing them all down with her mastery of wind's.
And we still have our merlin trump card so our soldiers and knight's won't be fighting alone in the air.
To people worried about the dragons inflicting civilian casualties as they wreck the flying city:
What the heck do you think we've been doing with our indiscriminate high-altitude round-the-clock firebombing???
"Noooo! How dare you burn down the city and kill everyone, it's only moral when —we— do it!!" Like, did you miss it when we hit their ammo cache and burnt down half the city?
Also note that the farms and villages on the path to the cloud capital were not pillaged to deny our army ergo they're still inhabited.
By all means, fight the dragons bc you want prestige and negotiation points, but don't pretend they're doing anything different then we were.
While I do sympathize with any remaining citizens in the city, it's just too much of a risk in my eyes to move in immediately to take down those dragons since there's the chance that the enemy force might take that opportunity to slip away to fight another day or simply make the microscopic decision of stabbing us in the back while we are distracted which really would put a hamper on morale and the plan. Plus the casualties will be very significant no doubt if we are going at a slightly winded yet healthy draconic force so best let the two forces clash before swooping in and beating whoever remains.
Yeah, being worried about civilian casualties when we've been literally firebombing the city is ridiculous. I'm pretty sure the civilian death toll is pretty sizable rn.
Speaking of which:
[ ] Plan: The Great Big Mare-a-thon Fireball
-[ ] Let the dragons go to the city unimpeded and wait for them to be in the city limits, properly battling the defenders.
-[ ] While both sides are distracted, have your forces start prepping several barrels of explosive powder to be rigged to explode. Several of which are to be filled with various metal objects to create shrapnel.
-[ ] When all dragons are battling House Storm, have your forces' mages scry the battlefield and see where the dragon forces are and where the most dense House Storm forces are.
-[ ] Once this information is acquired, begin lighting the explosive barrel and have your mages teleport them to the location of the enemy.
-[ ] Once the explosive are denonated, repeat the process a few more times, then wait for the fighting in the city to die down before your forces are sent into attack in force.
[ ] Plan: The Great Big Mare-a-thon Fireball
-[ ] Let the dragons go to the city unimpeded and wait for them to be in the city limits, properly battling the defenders.
-[ ] While both sides are distracted, have your forces start prepping several barrels of explosive powder to be rigged to explode. Several of which are to be filled with various metal objects to create shrapnel.
-[ ] When all dragons are battling House Storm, have your forces' mages scry the battlefield and see where the dragon forces are and where the most dense House Storm forces are.
-[ ] Once this information is acquired, begin lighting the explosive barrel and have your mages teleport them to the location of the enemy.
-[ ] Once the explosive are denonated, repeat the process a few more times, then wait for the fighting in the city to die down before your forces are sent into attack in force.
This strategy....it's one I can completely get behind. Instead of just standing around letting the dragon rampages through the city we are actually doing something and it's also one where we make the warground more chaotic then it needs to be. Yes, this will do nicely.
so a thought occurs dragons dont tend to care yea so what did he do to piss em off?
could one of their big plans be kidnapping a dragon and breaking it's mind down or something and using it as a war weapon? or did they steal an egg for magical uses?
Are we gonna have to fight a magically roided beserk dragon at the end of all this?
Even if Dragons are fireproof, I imagine excessive flames might make flying and breathing more difficult. That's what the shrapnel is for though. Maybe they aren't as fireproof under those scales?
To people worried about the dragons inflicting civilian casualties as they wreck the flying city:
What the heck do you think we've been doing with our indiscriminate high-altitude round-the-clock firebombing???
"Noooo! How dare you burn down the city and kill everyone, it's only moral when —we— do it!!" Like, did you miss it when we hit their ammo cache and burnt down half the city?
Also note that the farms and villages on the path to the cloud capital were not pillaged to deny our army ergo they're still inhabited.
By all means, fight the dragons bc you want prestige and negotiation points, but don't pretend they're doing anything different then we were.
1.This is House Storm's capital city: as far as I understand their militantism is high enough that most of the populace would likely become militia in fears of us sacking the city if we win.
2.We would stop if surrended to: I doubt the dragons care if the tiny midgets are screaming something when they have a treasury (likely target) to ransack.
However...
After a moment of consideration, I believe we should let the dragons pass regardless.
The explosive house?
I think Pegicless has a revenge gambit set up: if he's pushed to his final strongpoint...
There won't be a city left after him, I believe.
1.This is House Storm's capital city: as far as I understand their militantism is high enough that most of the populace would likely become militia in fears of us sacking the city if we win.
2.We would stop if surrended to: I doubt the dragons care if the tiny midgets are screaming something when they have a treasury (likely target) to ransack.
However...
After a moment of consideration, I believe we should let the dragons pass regardless.
The explosive house?
I think Pegicless has a revenge gambit set up: if he's pushed to his final strongpoint...
There won't be a city left after him, I believe.
Yeah, with those bomb houses we accidentally blew up I am more than convinced that his final gambit is to blow up Marethon in someway to either make a Thunderdome or a Floodbomb to hit us with. No restraint indeed that Pegasus.
First the storm, then the Ursa now dragons, where do these guys keep finding super weapons? It's like dealing with the Emperor from the books, secret weapons everywhere
First the storm, then the Ursa now dragons, where do these guys keep finding super weapons? It's like dealing with the Emperor from the books, secret weapons everywhere
Yeah, being worried about civilian casualties when we've been literally firebombing the city is ridiculous. I'm pretty sure the civilian death toll is pretty sizable rn.
Speaking of which:
[ ] Plan: The Great Big Mare-a-thon Fireball
-[ ] Let the dragons go to the city unimpeded and wait for them to be in the city limits, properly battling the defenders.
-[ ] While both sides are distracted, have your forces start prepping several barrels of explosive powder to be rigged to explode. Several of which are to be filled with various metal objects to create shrapnel.
-[ ] When all dragons are battling House Storm, have your forces' mages scry the battlefield and see where the dragon forces are and where the most dense House Storm forces are.
-[ ] Once this information is acquired, begin lighting the explosive barrel and have your mages teleport them to the location of the enemy.
-[ ] Once the explosive are denonated, repeat the process a few more times, then wait for the fighting in the city to die down before your forces are sent into attack in force.
Say can this be worded to be concentrated on the Dragons? Letting them fight is good and all, but it won't do if the credit of falling Marethon goes to the Dragons of all people.
Say can this be worded to be concentrated on the Dragons? Letting them fight is good and all, but it won't do if the credit of falling Marethon goes to the Dragons of all people.
The bombs will be nondiscriminate. I felt I was careful with my wording. Besides, they'll be as affected and weakened and it is going to be multiple bomb teleports. When the fighting dies down it is teh assumption that both forces are weakened enough to engage with out largely intact fighting force in mass. We have tens of thousands vs. a few dozen dragons, most of which will either be seriously injured or dead after fighting and having bombs going off in their faces. So I do not see the need to change the plan.
Also, who cares about who the city falls to? The problem gets dealt with regardless.
It's a matter of prestige really. To Old Kingdom/Empire like this something like that matters. Builds up the narrative for the bards to sing and spread as back then there really isn't something that can spread information very quickly and people would enjoy/pay more attention to it. People would like it more if the Alliance is the one who fell Pegiclis the Terrible rather than the Alliance cleaning up some random dragons.
It's a matter of prestige really. To Old Kingdom/Empire like this something like that matters. Builds up the narrative for the bards to sing and spread as back then there really isn't something that can spread information very quickly and people would enjoy/pay more attention to it. People would like it more if the Alliance is the one who fell Pegiclis the Terrible rather than the Alliance cleaning up some random dragons.
I do not believe indiscriminate bombing will really cost us most of this battles prestige.
Simply letting them pass would cost us that prestige, but to either focus without further benefit on one side or maintain the corden will simply risk negative consequences for our forces with little benefit for it.
Pegicless is a tricky foe that we must not underestimate.
[ ] Plan: Big Fiery Distraction
-[ ] Let the dragons past,
-[ ] Then whilst Pegicles' soldiers are distracted by the big fiery lizards have your men prepare to assault the city from areas away from the dragons' position (north/north-west/north-east)to avoid coming into conflict with them
-[ ] as this is going on prepare a task force to approach the dragons and either open a dialogue or, if they start an indiscriminate slaughter of the cities population, to help drive them off
So here's an outline of my ideas.
The real problem is that we don't know what the dragons are going to do and we have no way to find out before we miss the opportunity they have created. They could do anything ranging from trying to burn the city to the ground to simply chasing the reinforcements to the wall and then leaving.
But either way, unless we just sit back hope that the dragons burn it to the ground it's inevitable that we will have to attack Maretonia at some point and their presence should make our attack on the city far easier.
The defenders are exhausted from keeping up the illusion of their numbers, their morale just took a massive hit as the reinforcements they were waiting for just made things worse and they are already distracted defending against the threat that the dragons now pose to the south wall. I don't see how we could ever get a better chance to hit their walls and either take the city or, if we need to pull back, at least devastate the defences in that area enough to make any successive attacks far easier.
As for the dragon task force, we can take advantage of the situation they have created but we really can't ignore them. while the dragons are distracted with Pegicles troops we can prepare to deal with them either diplomatically or militarily. If diplomatically great and if they force a military response then our prepared group can hit them when they are more tired from hitting the Maretonian defences.
The only issue being I have no idea how big said the group needs to be. I'm thinking the army detachment that is already dedicated to that side of the city with reinforcements from elite units as needed.
It's a matter of prestige really. To Old Kingdom/Empire like this something like that matters. Builds up the narrative for the bards to sing and spread as back then there really isn't something that can spread information very quickly and people would enjoy/pay more attention to it. People would like it more if the Alliance is the one who fell Pegiclis the Terrible rather than the Alliance cleaning up some random dragons.
Nothing stopping people from exaggerating the war like they did with Hardbeak being the Slayer of Sombra when it was the Crystal Heart that dealt the final blow.
And besides, the bards will already have plenty to sing about as soon as word gets out about how our Alliance took down an Ursa Major.
[ ] Plan: Big Fiery Distraction
-[ ] Let the dragons past,
-[ ] Then whilst Pegicles' soldiers are distracted by the big fiery lizards have your men prepare to assault the city from areas away from the dragons' position (north/north-west/north-east)to avoid coming into conflict with them
-[ ] as this is going on prepare a task force to approach the dragons and either open a dialogue or, if they start an indiscriminate slaughter of the cities population, to help drive them off
So here's an outline of my ideas.
The real problem is that we don't know what the dragons are going to do and we have no way to find out before we miss the opportunity they have created. They could do anything ranging from trying to burn the city to the ground to simply chasing the reinforcements to the wall and then leaving.
But either way, unless we just sit back hope that the dragons burn it to the ground it's inevitable that we will have to attack Maretonia at some point and their presence should make our attack on the city far easier.
The defenders are exhausted from keeping up the illusion of their numbers, their morale just took a massive hit as the reinforcements they were waiting for just made things worse and they are already distracted defending against the threat that the dragons now pose to the south wall. I don't see how we could ever get a better chance to hit their walls and either take the city or, if we need to pull back, at least devastate the defences in that area enough to make any successive attacks far easier.
As for the dragon task force, we can take advantage of the situation they have created but we really can't ignore them. while the dragons are distracted with Pegicles troops we can prepare to deal with them either diplomatically or militarily. If diplomatically great and if they force a military response then our prepared group can hit them when they are more tired from hitting the Maretonian defences.
The only issue being I have no idea how big said the group needs to be. I'm thinking the army detachment that is already dedicated to that side of the city with reinforcements from elite units as needed.
I reiterate my earlier comment that I believe Pegicles has set up his capital city to blow the moment he's pushed to the last barricades.
Lets not send our men to die in a firestorm, ye?
It's a matter of prestige really. To Old Kingdom/Empire like this something like that matters. Builds up the narrative for the bards to sing and spread as back then there really isn't something that can spread information very quickly and people would enjoy/pay more attention to it. People would like it more if the Alliance is the one who fell Pegiclis the Terrible rather than the Alliance cleaning up some random dragons.
I mean, in the end we still take the city. I don't know why this is a matter of concern. History is written by the victors, and we are winning by blowing up the opposition. Even if the dragons take the city, it will be short lived.
Archival purposes: "The Maretonian Campaign, Part 5" (posted by QM on Thursday, September 16, 2021)
OR
The Front Page as it appeared to me on Friday, September 17, 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)
- Not Changed
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
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.
You know I think we're ignoring the other possibility here. We know House Storm is either directly or indirectly supported by the Changelings (since deploying an Ursa Major is something I except from them). The dragons could have been like the trolls of Brochard, a secret weapon purchased and armoured up to increase their deadliness, but unlike our blundering Griffon King who took time to ensure his trolls could follow basic instructions, Pegicles might have panicked at the speed of our advance and purchased the most dangerous thing he could to throw at us.
Unfortunately without time to tame them as they have with other monsters, it backfired tremendously and now he has his secret weapon baring down on him in a rage for trying to chain them.
