Canterbury Tales: Even as stories of the bravery and skill of your hunters spreads across Canterbury, tales of the Knights and Priests of the Kingdom of the Lady spread throughout the Empire of Gryphus. Once again, the discovery of another nation beyond your borders has sparked a great curiosity amongst the members of the Imperial public, who are eager for novelty. There is a great hunger amongst the nobility for Canterburian-style clothing and artwork, and the common people eagerly share tales of chivalrous knights and fair maidens battling against the creatures of the dark forests.
Crystal City-State: The former citadel of Sombra continues to grow and change for the better, the Crystal University merely the most prominent and obvious addition to the city skyline as workshops, smelters, foundries and residential buildings spring up across your protectorate's main settlement. For the first time, the Protectorate is a net exporter, shipments of metal and excess food traveling north for sale in the markets of Aukland, Griffonstone, Wingbard, Ubirdo, Lanner, and countless other Imperial cities.
The Great Escape: Celebrations erupt across the Empire, and across much of the known world, as the news breaks that every Griffon and Qilin in Maretonian bondage has been freed, and can now reunite with their friends and loved ones. Canterburians are pleased with their old foe being humbled, Koryu issues a public thank you for the return of his subjects, and cheers from the Crystal City can be heard across the Empire.
Hundreds of Maretonians have also been freed from slavery, and have begun to integrate into Imperial Society as free citizens, settling in cities and towns across Gryphus, though the highest concentration have decided to take up residence in the Crystal City, where the locals, still remembering their own time in bondage, open up their homes and wallets to care for their new neighbors.
You don't need your Spies to tell you that the Maretonians are absolutely furious at this "grievous insult and blatant attack on their way of life." But your actions have stirred up as much fear and paranoia as they have anger. Maretonia's nobility is now very aware of the reach of Imperial Intelligence, and the growing boldness of the Abolitionist movement has kept many a slave-owner awake at night. A few reckless voices call for war, but most content themselves with public protests and letters to Queen Mareia, though a few of the smarter ones try (in vain) to hire mercenaries and pirates to raid Gryphus territory.
The Queen herself, though publicly outraged by the "blatant theft and violation of national sovereignty", takes no obvious action against Gryphus and its allies. Though tensions between Gryphus and Maretonia have reached an all-time high, an all-out war seems unlikely at the moment.
You stand upon one of the many balconies jutting out from the Imperial Palace, taking in the sunset and the view of your land as the fading light dances over the mountains and the glittering spires of the city below you. You try to make a habit of taking a few moments out of your day to simply stand here and reflect upon your journey through life, and remind yourself of the responsibility you carry, as well as all the ways your life has changed.
Twenty years ago you were merely a king, unmarried and just getting used to the burden of rulership. Now you are an Emperor, one of the most powerful people in the known world. Your people have made great strides in bringing order to a chaotic world, and have built close ties with other nations, inviting members of other races to live amongst you, diversity and cooperation bolstering your growing Empire. And though your people have faced trials and tribulations, they have conquered each challenge the world has set before them, emerging stronger than before in each instance.
As the last rays of sunshine shimmer through the clouds, the sky just beginning to darken, you allow yourself to feel a sense of pride and accomplishment. You'd never have the gall to take credit for every good thing that's happened during your rule, but you don't think anyone would fault you for getting some satisfaction out of proving everyone who said your rulership would be a disaster wrong.
Take that, Brochard.
A creak of iron hinges causes you to turn, and you smile, taking in the sight of what you firmly believe to be your greatest accomplishment: your family.
Pearl and Gilda, laughing cheerfully, almost tackle you to the ground, your honed physique barely preventing the two living projectiles from bowling you over as they hug you in unison.
Behind them, an amused Gwyndlyn chuckles, walking over and gently prying the two rambunctious youths off of their royal father. Though the dragoness was not born of your line, she is every bit your daughter. Already she has begun to take after her mother, roughhousing with her elder brother and idolizing the Knights that guard your palace. Speaking of her brother...
The beating of wings heralds your eldest child's return, a relaxed smile gracing his beak before he is swarmed by all three of his younger siblings, the combined weight of the three smaller beings dragging him to the floor in a flurry of giggling fur, feathers and scales. Gawain has grown into a fine young Gryph, a male worthy of his station as Prince. Though you pray that he will not have to take the throne anytime soon, you know that your Empire, and your legacy, shall be left in capable talons.
And then there's your Wife. You lock eyes with Gabriella as she walks out onto the balcony with you, her eyes roaming over your chiseled form as you do the same to hers. No matter how much time passes, your mate is still as beautiful as the day you first met in your eyes. And while she cannot say exactly the same for you (she jokingly refers to your pre-workout regimen status as "scrawny") you can tell she loves you just as much as you love her.
As you wrap a wing around your love, using the other to scoop up the remainder of your large and rowdy family, you reflect on just how lucky you are.
An Emperor you may be, but you'll always consider yourself a husband and father first.
Martial: Redbeak, though relieved by the revelation that your neighbors to your Southwest are friendly, and pleased at Libertalia's fear of you and your military, remains concerned regarding the potential military threat that Maretonia poses. And, although he vehemently denies it, you suspect he's developed a bit of a sense of rivalry with the Knights of Canterbury, riding hard on your own Knights to become true paragons of the Empire. (Two Actions Per Turn) One Action Locked
[ ] Crystal Knights: The recent revelations regarding a slave-holding state just South of the Crystal Protectorate's borders have led to a marked upswing in the militancy of its inhabitants. Several prominent Crystal Ponies have begun to call for the establishment of a formal military of their own, in addition to the already existing militias. Several members of the Crystal Assembly have signed a petition forwarded to you, requesting the resources and expertise required to establish a homegrown Knightly Order to serve as the protectors of their lands. As with the establishment of any Knightly Order, such an endeavor will be expensive, but worth it to ensure the protection of your latest group of subjects. Cost: 600. Time: Two Years. Reward: Establishment of Crystal Knightly Order. Will Finish This Turn
[ ] Cog Conversion: The creation of your new Carracks have left much of your existing naval assets obsolete. Rather than simply scrapping them or continuing to field outdated ships, a few clever shipwrights have drawn up a plan to convert the hulls of the Cogs into new cannon-armed Carracks. While it won't be a perfect conversion (the Carracks requiring more building material than a Cog) and the cannons will still have to be sourced from the foundries, it will likely be cheaper than building new vessels from scratch. Cost: 700 Time: Two Years. Reward: 20 Cogs Converted into 14 Carracks.
[ ] And Push It Somewhere Else!: One particularly eccentric military engineer has proposed an unusual solution to the problem of fortifying the Maretonian border region. Rather than mothball the already existing fortifications in the Peregrine mountains and build new ones from scratch, he proposes disassembling the existing defense infrastructure, transporting it across the Protectorate, and reassembling it along the new border. The craziest part of the whole thing is that, after running the numbers and performing some small-scale simulations to test the plan's feasibility, it appears that not only is the idea possible, it would actually be cheaper and faster than the alternative! An...unusual solution, but if it works, it works. Cost: 1500. Time: Three Years. Reward: Peregrine Line "Relocated" to Maretonian Border.
[ ] Mothballing the Peregrines: But then again, the recent innovations in fortress construction have rendered the Peregrine line largely obsolete. Perhaps it may be better to simply halt the expensive maitenance and garrisoning of the mountain forts and construct some more modern fortifications further South. Cost: 0. Time: Instant. Reward: Peregrine Line Mothballed, Removes Upkeep Costs. Does not cost an action.
[ ] The Hardbeak Line: The architects and engineers of the Imperial Army have drawn up plans for a line of "star forts" to be constructed South of the Crystal City, intended to serve as a defensive line against any potential Maretonian aggression. Naturally, the construction and maintenance of these forts is going to be expensive, and they're not going to be built overnight. Still, if you're looking to build modern fortresses to defend your Protectorate, it's the best plan you've got. Cost: 2500. Time: Three Years. Reward: Hardbeak Line Constructed using new fortification techniques. Southern Border Secured.
[ ] Knights of the Frontier: With the settlement and rapid expansion of the frontier territories, now dubbed Kestrella, some have begun to call for the establishment of a new Knightly Order to serve as the guardians of the new province, small and relatively underdeveloped as it is now. Though the war against Sombra has depleted both the fighting age population and the public's appetite for conflict, there is never any shortage of Griffons willing and eager to join an esteemed Knightly Order. Construct a suitable citadel and begin the search for any aspiring Knights. Cost: 400. Time: Two Years. Reward: New Knightly Order Established to guard the Western Frontier.
[ ] Black Knights: The Orichalcum/Steel Alloy, now dubbed Black Steel, has many of the benefits of Orichalcum at a fraction of the cost. Despite this, it is still a resource that must be carefully husbanded, and reserved for use by elite units. Elite units like the Knights of the Inner Circle. Have them equipped with weapons forged of the new alloy, that they may serve the Empire more effectively. Cost: 800. Time: One Year. Reward: Knights of the Inner Circle equipped with Black Steel weapons.
[ ] Dog Knights: The idea of inducting Diamond Dogs into the Imperial Knightly Orders is not a new one, but it is only recently, after tales of the bravery of canine volunteers during the Winter War began to spread throughout the Empire, that the idea has begun to be seriously considered at the highest echelons of power. It is not a simple thing to do. Specialized equipment will have to be provided, unique tactics will have to be developed, and several Knight Citadels will require modifications to accommodate the differing physiology of the Dogs. Still, it may be worth it to have a larger pool of recruits to draw new Knights from. Cost: 600. Time: One Year. Reward: Diamond Dog Knights.
[ ] Cautious Curiosity: While the now-infamous expedition that discovered Sombra has caused some to question the wisdom of venturing beyond the Empire's borders, you feel that such things are a necessity. Without such scouting missions you would have never encountered the Yaks or the Neighponese, who are now your trading partners and steadfast allies. And as some of the more pessimistic have said: "better our scouts meet them than their invasion force meet us." Cost: 200. Time: Variable. Reward: Knowledge of Distant Lands.
—[ ] Far West: The Yaks can't tell you anything about what lies beyond their lands, aside from the fact that they know such lands exist. Prior to meeting you and Sombra they never had any reason to wonder about the lands beyond their steppe. Now you have a chance to satisfy both their curiosity and your own.
—[ ] Far East: On rare occasions, wreckage of ships unknown to the Qilin will wash up on the shores of Neighpon, evidence of lands and peoples to their East. Koryū has been pondering sending out a scouting party of his own in the near future. You're sure he wouldn't mind if some of your vessels accompanied his.
—[ ] Far South: As of now, it doesn't appear that you and Maretonia will be going to war anytime soon. As such, some have proposed sending a flotilla of exploration ships South along the coast, to see if your rival kingdom has any neighbors that might prove less antagonistic to you and your people. With any luck, you might find another ally or trade partner, or new resources that you could grab before the Maretonians can.
Diplomacy: Elva...well, there's no sugar-coating it, she's begun to really show her age lately. The Geriatric Hen can hardly fly anymore, walks with a pronounced limp, and struggles to cope with an ever increasing workload. Despite this, she retains her skill, knowledge and quick wit that got her the job as your chief Diplomat, and somehow manages to get all her work done despite her deteriorating physical condition. (Two Actions Per Turn)
[ ] Elder Statesgryph: Though Elva denies it, she's rapidly reaching a point where she's no longer capable of doing her job due to her advanced age. As much as you'd prefer to not think of it, you're concerned that one day she'll drop dead at her desk, leaving your foreign ministry leaderless. Though the stubborn old hen may not like it, she needs to be replaced, both for her sake and the Empire's. Cost: 100. Time: One Year. Reward: Elva Retires, New Diplomacy Advisor, New Actions Unlocked.
[ ] Canterbury Caravans: Your newly discovered neighbors, while not having quite the economy that you do, are still a nation of potential customers for Imperial Products, and your people are always hungry for new and exciting novelties and luxury goods. While it may be difficult to brave the cursed forests of Canterbury, enterprising merchants have done riskier things in pursuit of profit, and you're sure that your chivalrous neighbors will be more than happy to assist and escort traders through their lands, as you will theirs. Cost: 200. Time: One Year. Reward: Trade with Canterbury Established, Increased Trade Income.
[ ] Immigration Campaign: The addition of Magical Advisors to your court, and the memory of how much the integration of the Diamond Dogs improved your Kingdom, has led some to propose the idea of advertising abroad for immigrants, from Neighpon, Yakyakistan and Canterbury. You're not sure how many takers you'll get, but it can't hurt to try. Cost: 200. Time: One Year. Reward: Yak/Neighponese Immigrants. Chance of Success: 65%
[ ] Gaze upon the mists of Fate: The seers and shamans of Yakyakistan have been a subject of interest to you ever since you learned that they had warned their people of the threat of Sombra long before encountering him themselves. In a way, they were partially responsible for your victory at the battle of Redstone, as well as your ensuing positive relationship with the Yak Clans. With the threat of Sombra now extinguished, you find yourself wondering what else these mystics may know...and if they might be willing to share this information with you. There's no harm in asking, right? Cost: 200. Time: One Year. Reward: Chance to gain information from Yak Seers. Chance of Success: 60%.
[ ] She can see the Futuuure!: First the Yak Shamans, now Queen Chevaline. Seriously, how many races can predict the future? Regardless, while the Seer of the Waters may not publish as many prophecies as the Yaks, her predictions tend to be less vague and more detailed. It appears that quality vs quantity is also a problem for prophets. Perhaps you could convince her to share any pertinent vision she may have regarding you or your nation? It might not be as easy as just asking though. Her prophecies are the Word of The Lady, and she might nit be eager to share them with outsiders, not even allies. Cost: 200. Time: One Year. Reward: Chance to gain Information from Queen Chevaline. Chance of Success: 50%
[ ] Calling the Old Yaks Out: The Broken Horns are sitting on a large deposit of Orichalcum, one that they've repeatedly denied all knowledge of. Despite their inability to make use of it themselves, they seem determined to hold onto it. You don't know what their game is, but you know that the other Yak clans are unlikely to approve of their behavior. Confronting the Broken Horns and their rival clans with evidence of their misdirection is the first move in a diplomatic game with the Orichalcum as the prize. This plan will of course have the downside of letting everyone know about the valuable mineral lying basically unguarded, and there's no guarantee the Yaks will respond as you hope they will. You did send spies into their country to get such evidence after all. Still, your efforts to build up their nation has earned you a great deal of goodwill and political capital amongst the Yaks as a people, so any blowback is likely to be minimal. Cost: 300. Time: One Year. Reward: Broken Horns publicly confronted with evidence of their deception, other Yak Clans alerted to potential power-play. Further Diplomatic Actions Available. Chance of Success: 60%
[ ] Ahoy me Buckos!: Libertalia's Tribute was...unexpected, but it opens up some possibilities that you could potentially capitalize on. A collection of pirates and other ne'er-do-wells they may be, but they've shown signs that you could potentially negotiate and work with them. Their willingness to police their own to avoid your wrath proves that they are at least willing to acknowledge your superior force of arms. Though many of its inhabitants may be motivated by greed, you could certainly use that motivation to advance the interests of Gryphus, either as a proxy against Maretonia, or even as another possible protectorate in the future. But before any of that can happen, you'll have to establish some sort of actual diplomatic relationship with the Island nation and whatever passes for a government upon it. Perhaps it would be a good idea to send another, less heavy-handed delegation to the Pirate Republic to reassure them you're not planning on killing them all...as of now. With Hoofbeard now on your side, it shouldn't be hard to bring the rest of the pirates around. Cost: 300. Time: One Year. Reward: Diplomatic Relations with Libertalia, Peace Agreement, Further Actions Unlocked. Chance of Success: 70%.
[ ] Demilitarized Zone: Tensions With Maretonia are currently at a fever pitch, and it doesn't seem like they'll be normalizing anytime soon. Still, you don't really desire a war with your Southern Neighbor, if for no other reason than the expense and bloodshed such a conflict would entail. While a non-aggression pact is likely off the table at this point, an agreement to create a "buffer zone" between your protectorate and Maretonian territory is something they might agree to. Of course, such an agreement would prevent you from building fortifications right on the border, but there's plenty of places you can build them elsewhere. Cost: 300. Time: One Year. Reward: Maretonia/Gryphus Demilitarized Zone Established, Slightly Eased Relations with Maretonia, Slightly Reduced Risk of War. Chance of Success: 50%
Stewardship: After restoring the Crystal City from a bombed out ruin to a modern metropolis, Frida is widely regarded as a hero by the Crystal Ponies and inhabitants of the Empire in general. While she appreciates the recognition for her hard work, she doesn't let the praise go to her head, and continues to work to improve the Empire and modernize its territories. (Two Actions per Turn) One Action Locked.
-The Crystal Line: Of course, Frida has also begun to explore the idea of building a rail line connecting the Crystal City to the wider Empire. While not nearly as expensive or difficult as the establishment of a national network, such a task would be hampered by the distances involved, as well as the terrain the tracks would need to be laid across. Still, the potential benefits, in both the economic and military spheres, would far outweigh the costs. Cost: 800. Time: Two Years. Reward: Rail Line connecting Crystal City and Central Gryphus. Increased Income, New Actions Unlocked. Will Finish This Turn.
[ ] Western Lumberjacks: The woods of the Western Frontier (now dubbed Kestrella), while not quite as expansive and vast as the forests of the Imperial heartland, are still a potential resource and an ample supply of raw timber. Subsidize the establishment of logging camps and lumber mills in the newly settled territory. Cost: 400. Time: One Year. Reward: Increased Logging Income.
[ ] Cloth Mills: While sufficient Flax has been planted to allow for textile production, and a significant cottage industry has already sprung up to exploit this, you're far from rivaling the Neighponese for textile production. Mass production is the name of the game here: subsidize the construction and start-up costs of some weaving mills and see if you can increase productivity. Cost: 600. Time: One Year. Reward: Industrial Linen Production achieved, Increased Tax Income.
[ ] Aggressive Agricultural Expansion: Now that your nation has purged its forests of beasts and monsters, it's time to clear some of that untamed wilderness and prepare it for farming. Your staff has predicted a massive population boom in the near future, and having enough food to feed so many new mouths is going to be vitally important for the security and prosperity of the nation. Cost: 1000. Time: Two Years. Reward: Expanded Agriculture, Secured Food Supply, Increases Income.
[ ] Skill-Training Programs: Your Southern protectorate, while showing steady economic growth, is hitting a bit of a roadblock in the form of a lack of skilled workers. While they have no shortage of able-bodies to form a pool of laborers, when it comes to artisans and specialized vocations they don't have many to go around. While they've managed to supplement their native talent with hired Imperial experts, this isn't a good long-term solution. Have Frida coordinate with Ivory Rook and the Crystal Assembly to set up some impromptu schools and vocational training classes to resolve the Crystal Ponies' skilled labor shortage. Cost: 500. Time: One Year. Reward: Slightly Increased Tax Income, Crystal Protectorate no longer dependent on Imperial Expertise.
[ ] RailNetwork: Your first railway has been proven a great success, and leaders and business magnates from across the Empire are clamoring to have more lines built across the provinces, to facilitate the flow of goods and raw materials. The establishment of such a network will be both time consuming and costly, but it will more than pay for itself through the boost to national productivity, and the economic benefits of cheap transportation. Cost: 1500. Time: Four Years. Reward: National Freight Railway Network Constructed. Increased Tax Income. New Options Unlocked.
Learning: Archimedes and Genevieve continue their work as always, despite the former's advancing age that doesn't seem to slow him down. Both of the learned Griffons, as well as the Trio of Neighponese magic experts, continue their studies, drawing upon research from their academic equivalents in Canterbury, the Crystal Protectorate, and Neighpon. (Two Actions per Turn)
[ ] Flying without Wings: The fragment of the ancient design you found, while sparse on details due to its decay, has given both of your scientific advisors ideas. Big, big ideas. Of course, in order to make those ideas reality they'll need equally big amounts of funding and time. Just for starters they're going to have to figure out whether they can even build such a contraption with the materials they have available, and what other steps will need to be accomplished before they can even start to build this "flying machine". Cost: 200. Time: One Year. Reward: Viability of Airships explored, additional Learning Actions Unlocked.
[ ] Sugar Beets: Among the numerous crops that have been introduced to the Empire as a result of trade with Neighpon, Sugarcane has been one of the most sought after, particularly due to its inability to be farmed on the mainland. However, Genevieve claims to have an idea. By selectively breeding a particular species of root vegetable for increased production of Sucrose (the thing that gives Sugarcane its distinctively sweet taste), she believes it to be possible to engineer a hardier alternative to sugarcane that can be grown domestically. This will of course take a while to do. Cost: 200. Time: Two Years. Reward: Sugar Beets acquired, new Learning and Stewardship Actions Unlocked.
[ ] Sound the War Horns!: The Battle of the Peregrines demonstrated the need for a means of long range communication between commanders and units spread across multiple fronts. Couriers and banners simply aren't good enough. An enterprising army officer and former musician by the name of Major Shrike has proposed building and utilizing specialized horns, designed to communicate coded messages through the pitch, tune and frequency of their blasts. The idea might hold merit. Cost: 300. Time: One Year. Reward: Gain War Horns. Upgrade Army Communications Bonus.
[ ] A Different Kind of Mortar: The prospect of war with Maretonia has raised numerous concerns amongst the military. Your cannons, while effective at targeting enemies and destroying unreinforced architecture, may not be as effective against the enchanted walls and fortifications of Maretonia. Archimedes has proposed a potential solution: a weapon similar to a cannon, designed to lob projectiles over walls and other obstructions. While these weapons are unlikely to be as useful against mobile targets, they may prove a decisive advantage in siege warfare. Give Archimedes the go-ahead to try and build a few of these new weapons. Cost: 600. Time: One Year. Reward: Mortar Artillery Developed.
[ ] Sea Mines: The infamous Karl Kaboom has written to Archimedes with a seemingly mad idea: floating bombs. Archimedes, apparently seeking to uphold his reputation of doing the impossible, has somehow devised a way to make such an idea work. Simply put, a waterproofed barrel filled with blasting powder and liquid fire that is detonated by a spark-producing mechanism that activates when it comes into contact with a ship's hull. An effective naval weapon...in theory. Archimedes still needs to construct a prototype and carry out tests to see if the idea is practical. Give him funding and a few floating targets to test the idea and see if Karl's ramblings hold water. Cost: 500. Time: One Year. Reward: Naval Mines Developed.
[ ] Crystal Heart Studies: Now that you've got a fully functioning university, complete with laboratories, in the Crystal City, you now have the capability to study the Crystal Heart. There are many questions you and your scholars have. What exactly is it? Where did it come from? What does it actually do? And most importantly of all, how can you use it to better the Empire and protect it's inhabitants? Put your magical experts and the University's staff on the case. Cost: 300. Time: One Year. Reward: Information on the Crystal Heart, Additional Actions Unlocked.
Intrigue: Ravenburg has been busy drawing up plans for covert operations across the world, from Maretonia to Yakyakistan to your newly discovered neighbor of Canterbury. Despite having his attentions divided, he has no difficulty keeping up with the increased workload, in no small part due to his numerous subordinates in the Ministry of Information, which he now grudgingly acknowledges the utility of. (Two Actions Per Turn)
[ ] Covert Kingmaker: Some in the Yak Modernist movement have begun to speak privately of a unified Yakyakistan. Such a unified Kingdom would need a King, or at least a leadership figure of some renown capable of uniting the Clans. You could wait for such a figure to arise naturally...or you could seek one out and begin to covertly "groom them" for leadership. Whether they'll be made aware of such grooming is still up for debate. Cost: 300. Time: One Year. Reward: Potential Yak Unifier Identified, New Actions Unlocked. Chance of Success: 70%
[ ] Putting Out Feelers: The Broken Horns are sitting on a literal mountain of Orichalcum, one they've denied any knowledge of. While they currently lack the capacity to mine and smelt it, you don't like the idea of such a strategically important resource being in the possession of a Clan with mysterious motivations. Truthfully, you just don't like the fact that you don't have access to it. You could wait for the Yaks to unify themselves and then negotiate with the new leadership, but that's a risk you might not want to take. Ravenburg has raised a potential solution to this problem: organize a coup. Surely there is an ambitious young Yak within the Broken Horns willing to overthrow the clan's Elder Council. Such a aspiring leader would likely be amicable to allowing Imperial access to the Orichalcum deposits in exchange for support and recognition. Of course, you'll have to find such a Yak before you can even think of going through with this, provided you do actually want to go through with this. Cost: 300. Time: One Year. Reward: Identify potential Broken Horn Coup leader. Chance of Success: 60%.
[ ] Trust but Verify: Your new Equine neighbors seem much easier to talk to than the Maretonians. But everything you know about the kingdom to your Southwest has come from the mouths of its rulers. While you'd like to imagine otherwise, it's entirely possible that Queen Chevaline and Lord Bohemond weren't entirely honest with you about the conditions of their nation. And what exactly is the deal with this Lady of the Lake? Ravenburg and his infiltrators are ready to fact check. Cost: 400. Time: One Year. Reward: Intel on Canterbury and its people. Chance of Success: 60%.
[ ] Stirring up Trouble: You've gotten your people back, but you're not quite finished with Maretonia. You and your people aren't comfortable sharing a border with a kingdom of slavers, and the abolitionists, riding high on their success, are jonesing to take further action against the Maretonian nobility, with or without your support. Ravenburg and Ambrosia have been sending a flurry of secret missives back and forth, exchanging ideas and opinions, and have come up with a complicated series of interlocking plans meant to spread disorder and discord throughout Maretonia by spreading misinformation and sowing strife between the rival noble houses of the realm. If the plan works, Queen Mareia and her vassals will be too busy searching for traitors and schemers amongst themselves to worry about you and their escaped property. You might even be able to leverage the situation to get some of the Abolitionists into greater positions of power and usurp some of the biggest slaveowners in Maretonia. It's worth a shot at least. Cost: 600. Time: Two Years. Reward: Maretonian nobility discredited/at each other's throats, Abolitionists gain more power and influence, Maretonia becomes less concerned about Gryphus. Chance of Success: 55%
[ ] Arming the Abolitionists: When Operation Winged Freedom escorted hundreds of Maretonian slaves to freedom, a talonfull of freed slaves refused to leave Maretonia, even when offered safe passage to Gryphus, opting to stay behind and work to free their many brethren who remained in bondage. These die-hard freedom fighters have joined up with other, more militant abolitionist cells and are preparing to embark upon a campaign of guerrilla warfare against their former masters. Unfortunately, though they are some of the most spirited and motivated fighters one is likely to ever meet, their equipment and training leaves much to be desired, many of them armed with nought but the crudest of weapons and garbed in little to no armor. If their attacks are to succeed, then they'll need access to blades and armor of the finest steel. You've smuggled hundreds of people out of Maretonia, why shouldn't you be able to smuggle supplies in? You'll just have to file off the Gryphonese lettering... Cost: 700. Time: One Year. Reward: Abolitionists gain access to quality weapons and armor. Chance of Success: 60%
[ ] Hoofbeard's Heist: Hoofbeard has alerted your agents to a curious occurrence in Maretonia. It seems that, despite their ideology of racial superiority and attempts to enslave every people they come across, the Maretonians do have a trade partner. Once a year, a convoy of vessels bearing the sigils of the Maretonian Noble houses departs from the port city of Cantergena with a heavy mercenary escort, their holds loaded with gold, and every year the convoy returns with cargos of exotic spices, wines, and other luxury goods bound for the mansions and villas of the Maretonian elite, netting the Noble houses involved a significant profit as they sell their imported wares to their less powerful peers. Exactly where these ships go and who they do business with is unknown, but their arrival and departure times, as well as their routes of travel, are well known to the pirates of Libertalia. The treasure ships are a legend amongst the crews of the anarchical island nation, and many a charismatic captain has attempted to pull off the raid of a lifetime and seize the riches aboard the ships for themselves...but none have ever succeeded, their ships torn apart in Pegasi directed storms or blasted apart by Unicorn Battlemages.
Hoofbeard has always dreamed of being the Pony to finally pull off the nautical heist of the century, simultaneously ruining the finances and reputations of numerous Maretonian nobles and gaining enough riches to take Libertalia from a collection of shipwrecks and shanties into a self-sustaining city-state. Before, he'd thought that such an ambition would remain nothing but a dream...but his deal with Gryphus has given him hope that you might help him make such a thing possible. Ravenburg has been exchanging letters with the former slave, and he thinks that, with enough Imperial assistance, such a thing may be possible. Of course, if the whole thing goes south and your involvement is discovered, the Maretonians will likely consider this raid on their trade route to be an act of war, and Hoofbeard will probably either be dead or discredited in the eyes of his colleagues, costing you a valuable diplomatic and intelligence asset. Still, it may be worth it to throw such a massive wrench into the machinations of the Maretonian elite. Cost: 1000. Time: Two Years (Cannot be hastened by Imperial Priority). Reward: Maretonian Nobility's Finances Ruined, Maretonia loses face with Trade Partner, Libertalia becomes more prosperous and less dependent on Crime to fuel its economy, Hoofbeard gains more influence and power in Libertalia. Chance of Success: 40% (Roll to be made at conclusion of Action)
Personal: You refuse to let your duties as Emperor take up every moment of your day. (Two Actions per Turn)
[ ] Overtime: Your advisors can only do so much, and sometimes that's just not enough. If it's truly necessary, you can sacrifice some of your otherwise free time to carry out an additional action from another category, provided said action has a duration of only one year. The costs and chances of success for that action remain the same.
[ ] Imperial Priority: Sometimes you need something done as quickly as possible, regardless of the cost. In such times, you can authorize and oversee the judicious and generous application of funds to speed things along. If necessary, you can reduce the duration of a select action by one year at the cost of a personal action and doubling the per-turn financial cost of the action. The chances of success for said action will remain the same.
[ ] Creative Accounting: Even for an Empire as prosperous as yours, money can be tight. Balancing the budget can be a difficult task at the best of times, but your prior experience as a Merchant has taught you many financial "magic tricks". Taking some time out of your busy schedule to squeeze a few extra coins out of the bureaucracy could be the difference between staying in the black and dipping into your reserve funds. Cost: 0. Time: One Year. Reward: One Small Lump-Sum of Funds. Chance of Success: 60%
[ ] A Question of Faith: The Yaks have their sky-gods, the Neighponese have their nature spirits, and the Canterburians have their Lady of the Lake. And your people have...well, that's just it; with the exception of a widespread custom of ancestor veneration, the people of Gryphus aren't a very spiritual sort. Considering the fact that the only "God" most Griffons and Diamond Dogs are familiar with is Discord, that's not much of a surprise. But since Discord's defeat, and in the wake of your encounters with other cultures, Faith has become a subject on the mind of many Imperial citizens. A scant few Griffons have begun to practice foreign faiths, some even trying to resurrect the pantheon of the Old Empire. You've even heard rumors that some of your subjects have taken to worshiping you as a divine figure! Regardless of your own thoughts on the matter, it may be a good idea to host a "Council of Faiths", to discuss the state of religion in your Empire, and to determine what should be done about it, if anything should indeed be done at all. Cost: 300. Time: One Year. Reward: Council of Faiths Interlude. Chance to unlock Piety Category.
[ ] Crystal Pastimes: Pearl, much like her siblings before her, has found her attentions divided and her passions unfocused. She's in need of a hobby to occupy her time. What manner of time-sink shall you guide her towards, and what skills shall she gain from it? Cost: 0. Time: One Year. Reward: Gleaming Pearl gains a Hobby/Stat Modifier.
[ ] Getting to Know You: Gawain has made some very interesting friends. You're relieved to see him getting along with kids his own age, though you do wonder what he gets up to with them. Cost: 0. Time: One Year. Reward: Gawain Improves Relationship with a Friend, May Lead to Further Developments and Benefits Down the Road. (Does not cost an Action. May only develop one relationship per Turn)
—[ ] Isabelle Brissette: Brochard's Niece is not what you'd expected...then again you're not really sure what you'd have expected her to be like. You're proud of your son for looking beyond her family's past. Hopefully he can help her come out of her shell a bit.
—[ ] Ki Seong: The Cultured Qilin is exactly what you'd expect the daughter of Neighponese Nobility to be...and that might actually be a problem. Gawain tells you she likely feels pressured by the expectations of society and her family to hold herself to a high standard at all times. Hopefully he can convince her to let her hair down around him.
There will be a twelve hour moratorium to allow for discussion and plan-building.
Martial: Redbeak, though relieved by the revelation that your neighbors to your Southwest are friendly, and pleased at Libertalia's fear of you and your military, remains concerned regarding the potential military threat that Maretonia poses. And, although he vehemently denies it, you suspect he's developed a bit of a sense of rivalry with the Knights of Canterbury, riding hard on your own Knights to become true paragons of the Empire.
-Crystal Knights: The recent revelations regarding a slave-holding state just South of the Crystal Protectorate's borders have led to a marked upswing in the militancy of its inhabitants. Several prominent Crystal Ponies have begun to call for the establishment of a formal military of their own, in addition to the already existing militias. Several members of the Crystal Assembly have signed a petition forwarded to you, requesting the resources and expertise required to establish a homegrown Knightly Order to serve as the protectors of their lands. As with the establishment of any Knightly Order, such an endeavor will be expensive, but worth it to ensure the protection of your latest group of subjects. Cost: 600. Time: Two Years. Reward: Establishment of Crystal Knightly Order.
With great fanfare, pomp-and-circumstance, and national pride, Crystal Consul Ivory Rook personally oversees the official establishment of the Crystal City's own Knightly Order: The Crystal Guardians. Dozens of disciplined and dedicated Crystal Ponies, trained by Konrad Hardbeak himself, form the core of a new breed of warriors dedicated to the defense of their home and their people from all threats, foreign or domestic. Supported by Squires and Ponies-at-Arms, and operating out of a dedicated citadel just outside the walls of the Crystal City (Dubbed the Ivory Keep, despite the Consul's protests), the new Knight Chapter is welcomed by it's Griffon-led brethren, ready to serve as the bulwark of the Crystal Ponies and protectors of the wider Empire. You expect great things from them.
Crystal Knightly Order Established.
-Dog Knights: The idea of inducting Diamond Dogs into the Imperial Knightly Orders is not a new one, but it is only recently, after tales of the bravery of canine volunteers during the Winter War began to spread throughout the Empire, that the idea has begun to be seriously considered at the highest echelons of power. It is not a simple thing to do. Specialized equipment will have to be provided, unique tactics will have to be developed, and several Knight Citadels will require modifications to accommodate the differing physiology of the Dogs. Still, it may be worth it to have a larger pool of recruits to draw new Knights from. Cost: 600. Time: One Year. Reward: Diamond Dog Knights.
Numerous orders are placed by the government with numerous forges and workshops for large amounts of armor and weapons designed for Diamond Dogs, tons of ore mined by the very packmates of many of the aspiring new knights smelted down into fine steel which is hammered into shape. Meanwhile, hundreds of dogs, having already served the Empire in the regular army, volunteer to undergo the strenuous, months-long training regimen designed to condition their bodies and steel their minds in preparation for joining the ranks of the Imperial Knightly Orders.
Finally, after months of effort on the parts of countless individuals, hundreds of Dogs are welcomed into the ranks of the Empire's finest, the induction ceremonies rapidly turning into massive celebrations as the oldest minority in your nation is granted another honor previously reserved only for Griffons. With this infusion of new blood into your Empire's first line of defense, your nation's military is stronger than ever, as is the bond between Griffons and Diamond Dogs.
Diamond Dog Knights added to Imperial Knightly Orders.
Diplomacy: Elva...well, there's no sugar-coating it, she's begun to really show her age lately. The Geriatric Hen can hardly fly anymore, walks with a pronounced limp, and struggles to cope with an ever increasing workload. Despite this, she retains her skill, knowledge and quick wit that got her the job as your chief Diplomat, and somehow manages to get all her work done despite her deteriorating physical condition.
-Elder Statesgryph: Though Elva denies it, she's rapidly reaching a point where she's no longer capable of doing her job due to her advanced age. As much as you'd prefer to not think of it, you're concerned that one day she'll drop dead at her desk, leaving your foreign ministry leaderless. Though the stubborn old hen may not like it, she needs to be replaced, both for her sake and the Empire's. Cost: 100. Time: One Year. Reward: Elva Retires, New Diplomacy Advisor, New Actions Unlocked.
You'd expected Elva to put more of a fight. The old hen had shrugged off or shut down any talk of her age impacting her work performance, and true to her word the geriatric noble had kept up with her ever increasing workload despite her advanced age. It therefore came as surprise that, when directly confronted by you and politely asked to retire, the elderly hen simply smiled and sighed her resignation papers right then and there. The old bird even had a list of potential replacements already written up for you!
During the ensuing retirement celebration (organized by Frida, naturally), your most aged advisor states that she was simply waiting to be asked to leave, intending to stay on until otherwise asked. Her pride and professional code of conduct would not have allowed anything less. You thank Elva for all her years of valued service, and as she retires to her family's estate for a well-deserved rest, you begin poring over the list of veteran diplomats that she had recommended to take her place. You'll have to pick one of them to head up the ministry of foreign affairs, the only question is which one.
[ ] Cecil Gaudreau: Originally a member of the Knights Panther, a crippling injury forced him to pursue an alternative career in diplomatic service, eventually becoming the ambassador to Neighpon, where he has served with distinction, impressing the honorable warriors of the Qilin both inside and outside of the conference room. The former soldier brings a militaristic view to the art of diplomacy, focusing on forming relations with potential allies and marginalizing potential enemies, seeking to preserve the Empire's supremacy above all else.
[ ] Gallo Ventriglio: Born the second child of Featherisian Nobility, Ventriglio was raised in a mercantile culture that valued one's ability to make and handle money. Perhaps that was what led him to become the foreign ministry's foremost expert on international trade policy. Ventriglio, unsurprisingly, tends to focus upon the monetary aspects of diplomacy, focusing on forging and strengthening economic relationships with other nations to enrich the Empire and ensure a robust economy, preferring the idea of trade war to actual war.
[ ] Gisa Eagleclaw: Gisa Eagleclaw has spent much of the last decade negotiating with foreign cultures, a fact that makes a great deal of sense once one considers her education as an interpreter and linguist. The young hen made a name for herself establishing relations with the numerous Yak clans and assisting with their modernization efforts, facilitating communication between the local population and Imperial experts. Gisa is an idealist who believes that military force should be used only when all other options have failed. Having seen the benefits that the integration of the Diamond Dogs and Crystal Ponies have wrought, she makes no secret of her desire to encourage much closer relationships with neighboring powers in hopes of creating an Empire that encompasses multiple nations, though she admits that this is likely little more than a pipe dream.
-Ahoy me Buckos!: Libertalia's Tribute was...unexpected, but it opens up some possibilities that you could potentially capitalize on. A collection of pirates and other ne'er-do-wells they may be, but they've shown signs that you could potentially negotiate and work with them. Their willingness to police their own to avoid your wrath proves that they are at least willing to acknowledge your superior force of arms. Though many of its inhabitants may be motivated by greed, you could certainly use that motivation to advance the interests of Gryphus, either as a proxy against Maretonia, or even as another possible protectorate in the future. But before any of that can happen, you'll have to establish some sort of actual diplomatic relationship with the Island nation and whatever passes for a government upon it. Perhaps it would be a good idea to send another, less heavy-handed delegation to the Pirate Republic to reassure them you're not planning on killing them all...as of now. With Hoofbeard now on your side, it shouldn't be hard to bring the rest of the pirates around. Cost: 300. Time: One Year. Reward: Diplomatic Relations with Libertalia, Peace Agreement, Further Actions Unlocked. Chance of Success: 70%.
Required: 30. Rolled: 24+18=42
The negotiations with the Libertalian Captain's Council started off promising. Your diplomatic team, acting much more friendly than the last group of Imperials to come to the tropical island nation (the burnt out hulk of that ship you'd made an example of still posed a navigational hazard...you're not sure why they hadn't tried to move it) arrived at the collection of beached ships and shanties requesting an audience with the island's leaders, a request that was quickly fulfilled thanks to Hoofbeard subtly making preparations for your people's arrival in advance.
Using a hastily emptied tavern as an impromptu council chamber (a standard practice for the island's governing body), your diplomats exchanged the usual pleasantries before cutting to the chase of their visit: the establishment of official diplomatic relations between the Empire and Libertalia, and the signing of a peace agreement between the two.
To say the pirates were surprised by this would be an understatement. In fact, they didn't seem to know how to respond. For establishing diplomatic relations would require a measure of bureaucracy, which would in turn require a form of actual, organized government to implement and support said bureaucracy, rather than the largely informal council of influential captains that it currently possessed. And while almost all of Libertalia was in favor of better relations with the Empire, they weren't so eager to do what was necessary to ensure such a thing was carried out. These were, after all, pirates. Many of them had been poorly educated and had little knowledge of civics, governance or diplomacy. Intimidation and the paying of protection money they could easily wrap their heads around, they themselves used similar tactics against each other...but operating like an actual state, with an actual governing body? That was something they had little experience in...and even less desire to do. Again, pirates. They'd taken to the sea to get away from things like law and authority, and even those who liked the idea of implementing such things on Libertalia did not like the idea of forcing such ideas upon their independently minded, heavily armed, and extremely rowdy population.
Still, after much debate and more than a few glances out the window to the gutted remains of the ship your navy had obliterated with a single volley (you suspect Hoofbeard had been sabotaging any attempts to remove the thing for precisely this reason), the assembled Captains manage to come to an agreement on the establishment of a very basic and barebones version of government, along with a crude diplomatic service. Having turned the formerly anarchical island nation on its head, your diplomatic team departs with a signed peace treaty and a future agreement to establish an embassy on the Island to ensure closer cooperation between your peoples. All in all, a successful negotiation. Diplomatic Relations with Libertalia Established, Peace Agreement with Libertalia, New Actions Unlocked.
Stewardship: After restoring the Crystal City from a bombed out ruin to a modern metropolis, Frida is widely regarded as a hero by the Crystal Ponies and inhabitants of the Empire in general. While she appreciates the recognition for her hard work, she doesn't let the praise go to her head, and continues to work to improve the Empire and modernize its territories.
-The Crystal Line: Of course, Frida has also begun to explore the idea of building a rail line connecting the Crystal City to the wider Empire. While not nearly as expensive or difficult as the establishment of a national network, such a task would be hampered by the distances involved, as well as the terrain the tracks would need to be laid across. Still, the potential benefits, in both the economic and military spheres, would far outweigh the costs. Cost: 800. Time: Two Years. Reward: Rail Line connecting Crystal City and Central Gryphus. Increased Income, New Actions Unlocked.
The inhabitants of the Crystal City have much to celebrate this year; not only is their hometown home to a new Knightly Order, the long-awaited Crystal Line is finally completed, connecting the formerly isolated protectorate to the Imperial heartland and kickstarting the local economy as an avenue of transport is secured for goods and raw materials being exported from and imported to the rapidly expanding boom town. The Crystal Assembly pens you a letter of appreciation and thanks for your continued support of the Crystal Ponies, and your approval ratings amongst the wider population of the Crystal City has never been higher. Perhaps most importantly, the rail line's completion opens up a host of new possibilities and opportunities.
Rail Line connecting Central Gryphus and the Crystal City constructed. +200 Tax Income, New Actions Unlocked.
-RailNetwork: Your first railway has been proven a great success, and leaders and business magnates from across the Empire are clamoring to have more lines built across the provinces, to facilitate the flow of goods and raw materials. The establishment of such a network will be both time consuming and costly, but it will more than pay for itself through the boost to national productivity, and the economic benefits of cheap transportation. Cost: 1500. Time: Four Years. Reward: National Freight Railway Network Constructed. Increased Tax Income. New Options Unlocked.
Even as the Empire marvels at the technological marvel that the Crystal Line represents, work has already begun on a nationwide rail system that will make the current infrastructure seem paltry by comparison. Hundreds of tons of steel are painstakingly shaped into the metal rails that will carry dozens of steam engines and hundreds of train cars as entire forests are leveled for the lumber needed to hold the rails together. Survey teams carefully plot and mark the mountain paths and valleys where the rails shall be laid down, and engineering workshops across the Empire busy themselves with the herculean task of building the complex devices and replacement parts needed to make a national railway more than an idle fantasy.
It is a massive undertaking, the largest public works project in recorded history. But though the cost may be high, and the task time consuming, all agree that the benefits of a nationwide transit system will be an incomparable boon to the Empire. The first steps have been taken, all that is left is to see the plan through to the end. Will Finish in Three Turns.
Learning: Archimedes and Genevieve continue their work as always, despite the former's advancing age that doesn't seem to slow him down. Both of the learned Griffons, as well as the Trio of Neighponese magic experts, continue their studies, drawing upon research from their academic equivalents in Canterbury, the Crystal Protectorate, and Neighpon.
-Sea Mines: The infamous Karl Kaboom has written to Archimedes with a seemingly mad idea: floating bombs. Archimedes, apparently seeking to uphold his reputation of doing the impossible, has somehow devised a way to make such an idea work. Simply put, a waterproofed barrel filled with blasting powder and liquid fire that is detonated by a spark-producing mechanism that activates when it comes into contact with a ship's hull. An effective naval weapon...in theory. Archimedes still needs to construct a prototype and carry out tests to see if the idea is practical. Give him funding and a few floating targets to test the idea and see if Karl's ramblings hold water. Cost: 500. Time: One Year. Reward: Naval Mines Developed.
Exactly what it was that prompted Archimedes to go along with Karl Kaboom's mad idea to make floating bombs, none can say, but you were willing to give the renowned inventor enough funds to see the idea made manifest, along with a pair of outdated ships to use as targets for the new munitions, should they work as hoped. Archimedes cooperates with the infamous Captain in the development of a water resistant mixture of liquid fire and blasting powder. While it won't stand up to a drenching, it should still detonate if it comes into contact with condensation in the damp conditions of a submerged barrel.
Archimedes eventually comes up with two designs, one more streamlined and purpose-built than the other, both to distinguish it from a regular barrel and to better conceal itself under the water. While the bobbing bombs look a bit odd due to the protrusions of Archimedes spark-making trigger mechanisms, the engineer assures you that function beats form when it comes to weaponry. And judging by the way the two practice ships explode when the unoccupied vessels sail into them, he's not wrong. Your Empire now has a new weapon to use on the high seas...and that spark mechanism has given Archimedes ideas. Naval Mines Developed.
-Crystal Heart Studies: Now that you've got a fully functioning university, complete with laboratories, in the Crystal City, you now have the capability to study the Crystal Heart. There are many questions you and your scholars have. What exactly is it? Where did it come from? What does it actually do? And most importantly of all, how can you use it to better the Empire and protect it's inhabitants? Put your magical experts and the University's staff on the case. Cost: 300. Time: One Year. Reward: Information on the Crystal Heart, Additional Actions Unlocked.
While Genevieve is theoretically in charge of the study of the Crystal Heart, her lack of expertise on the matter relegates her to a supervisory role as your more magically inclined foreign-born experts carefully examine the makeup and function of the magical artifact. As Sombra had destroyed any records of the time before his rise to power, it's the only means you have of learning anything about the object.
The Neighponese trio of Asahi Kaji, Yakō-Nogitsū, and Danzaburō spend months poring over every detail of the object that they can think of, using all manner of esoteric magical instruments to measure it's every output, input and throughput. The Crystal Ponies assist as best they can with the study of their most sacred artifact. If they're at all concerned by the proceedings, they show no sign of it. Finally, after months of painstaking work, the Neighponese trio deliver their report on the Crystal Heart.
First of all, it's not simply a hunk of carved Crystal. It is at least partially composed of solidified thaumatological energy. In other words, it is literally made of magic. Your arcane experts repeatedly inform you that this is something that was previously thought impossible, as magical energy normally dissipates unless it is stored in runes or other means of preservation are taken. It is the equivalent of finding a chunk of ice at the center of a volcano. Additionally, the object is layered with hundreds of runes that are almost microscopic in size, yet are perfectly carved and charged with yet more magical energy in such a way that the heart simultaneously stores, generates and amplifies arcane power, somehow drawing upon the emotional states of the Crystal Ponies to power itself.
It is a blatant violation of the previously accepted laws of physics in regards to magic, an artificial construct of such complexity that none can even begin to speculate about its origin or how it was made.
It is, in the words of Asahi Kaji, "total trollshit."
Needless to say, replicating the heart is a non-starter. Your experts state quite bluntly that they could study the artifact for decades and not make any headway in determining exactly how it works. There's also another, more concerning fact that Danzaburō has stumbled upon.
The heart appears to possess a mind of its own.
At least, that's his explanation for why it kept pinging as a semi-sapient being (similar to an animal) when he cast a "detect presence" spell. It would also explain why and how the heart reacted when you and Gabriella fought Sombra beneath the Crystal Palace, as well as it's spontaneous relocation of itself to the top of the Palace Spire. Exactly what this means is unclear. Danzaburō, out of an excess of caution, attempted to communicate with the heart or the presence being channeled through it, but it hasn't responded to any stimulus or attempts to establish a dialogue.
Yakō-Nogitsū proposes a theory that the heart was instilled by its creators with the means and directive to defend the Crystal City, possessing just enough rudimentary intelligence to carry out its function. But this is merely speculation.
Overall, the study of the Crystal Heart has raised far more questions than answers. However, you now have a better understanding of just what it is...and a few ideas as to how it may be put to use in the defense of the Empire.
Crystal Heart Studied, New Actions Unlocked.
Intrigue: Ravenburg has been busy drawing up plans for covert operations across the world, from Maretonia to Yakyakistan to your newly discovered neighbor of Canterbury. Despite having his attentions divided, he has no difficulty keeping up with the increased workload, in no small part due to his numerous subordinates in the Ministry of Information, which he now grudgingly acknowledges the utility of.
-Arming the Abolitionists: When Operation Winged Freedom escorted hundreds of Maretonian slaves to freedom, a talonfull of freed slaves refused to leave Maretonia, even when offered safe passage to Gryphus, opting to stay behind and work to free their many brethren who remained in bondage. These die-hard freedom fighters have joined up with other, more militant abolitionist cells and are preparing to embark upon a campaign of guerrilla warfare against their former masters. Unfortunately, though they are some of the most spirited and motivated fighters one is likely to ever meet, their equipment and training leaves much to be desired, many of them armed with nought but the crudest of weapons and garbed in little to no armor. If their attacks are to succeed, then they'll need access to blades and armor of the finest steel. You've smuggled hundreds of people out of Maretonia, why shouldn't you be able to smuggle supplies in? You'll just have to file off the Gryphonese lettering... Cost: 700. Time: One Year. Reward: Abolitionists gain access to quality weapons and armor. Chance of Success: 60%
Required: 40. Rolled: 32+13+15(A Treatise on Military Dogma)=60
The arming of an army of rebels in secret is no easy feat...for most people. For Ravenburg, it's just another day at the office. Crates of armor and weapons are withdrawn from the stocks of the Imperial armories under the excuse of replacing rusted or broken equipment. Incriminating lettering and symbolism is stripped or filed off, leaving only featureless steel, unidentifiable as originating from your Empire. From there the crates make their way to the Crystal City, hidden among shipments of mundane goods, then to a warren of tunnels snaking their way under the Maretonian border, where they are handed off to Ambrosia's militants.
Due to the need for secrecy, the process is slow and cumbersome, but the limited numbers of guerrilla fighters lessens the difficulty of providing them the equipment they need. By the end of the year, every Maretonian abolitionist who wants a weapon has one, and Ambrosia sends a letter of thanks for your "continued support of the abolitionist movement". It might not help them overthrow their masters, but it will prevent them from being slaughtered in their first few engagements with actual soldiers.
Abolitionists Gain Quality Weapons and Armor.
-Stirring up Trouble: You've gotten your people back, but you're not quite finished with Maretonia. You and your people aren't comfortable sharing a border with a kingdom of slavers, and the abolitionists, riding high on their success, are jonesing to take further action against the Maretonian nobility, with or without your support. Ravenburg and Ambrosia have been sending a flurry of secret missives back and forth, exchanging ideas and opinions, and have come up with a complicated series of interlocking plans meant to spread disorder and discord throughout Maretonia by spreading misinformation and sowing strife between the rival noble houses of the realm. If the plan works, Queen Mareia and her vassals will be too busy searching for traitors and schemers amongst themselves to worry about you and their escaped property. You might even be able to leverage the situation to get some of the Abolitionists into greater positions of power and usurp some of the biggest slaveowners in Maretonia. It's worth a shot at least. Cost: 600. Time: Two Years. Reward: Maretonian nobility discredited/at each other's throats, Abolitionists gain more power and influence, Maretonia becomes less concerned about Gryphus. Chance of Success: 55%
You swirl the red liquid in your glass, savoring the flavor as you regard Ravenburg, idly sipping at his own chalice of Maretonian wine. Ambrosia had sent it alongside her latest letter to your spymaster, as "a gesture of thanks and good will" alongside her latest report on the events unfolding in Maretonia, as well as the status of the numerous plots and conspiracies the three of you have been setting up to distract the Maretonian nobility from your "theft of their property." Events had been set in motion, but if things were to be believable for the Maretonians, the plots you'd set up would have to develop organically for a bit. After all, if the kingdom started coming apart right after you'd rescued your people...well, the conclusion would be obvious wouldn't it? Mustn't make it too obvious.
You hum quietly to yourself. Detestable slavers the Maretonians may have been, but they did make good wine. The fact that Ambrosia sent this bottle meant it hadn't been made with slave labor, so you didn't need to worry about that. You turn your gaze to Ravenburg.
"Did you send something back for her?"
The veteran spymaster, his head-feathers beginning to gray at the edges from age, nods.
"A bottle of mushroom moonshine and a box of Neighponese tea. They should reach her...tomorrow, if the couriers don't run into any unexpected difficulties."
"Very good."
You take another sip from your glass, your thoughts idling through your head.
"Ambrosia is quite a character isn't she? A brothel madam turned rebel heading up an anti-government movement, corresponding with a foreign Emperor, plotting the defamation and death of multiple nobles...and she treats the whole thing as just another workplace responsibility."
Ravenburg sighs contentedly, running a talon along the rim of his chalice.
"She certainly is a remarkable mare."
You quirk an eyebrow, but say nothing. Ravenburg was a consummate professional, married to his job. He knew better than to risk his feelings getting in the way of what was best for the Empire.
That didn't mean you weren't going to joke about his pen-pal girlfriend with Gabriella later.
You clear your throat, placing your now empty glass down.
"So everything is proceeding as planned?"
Your minister of information nods.
"Quite so. Evidence of numerous crimes has been fabricated and will be planted in the proper places once a window of opportunity opens up. A few rumors, both absurd and easily believed, are festering in the Maretonian gossip mills, set to be released upon the general public in a matter of months, and the owner of a slave-operated strip mine is slated to die in a sudden and tragic rockslide sometime next year...whether they'll find evidence of a rival family's involvement is up to the agent assigned to that particular task."
You turn to the window, gazing out at the setting sun as it dips below the horizon. This was a part of the job you didn't enjoy...secret meetings, plotting murder and betrayal...it reminded you far too much of the days before the Empire was reunited. But if it was necessary to ensure the safety and security of your people...then it would be done.
"Good. Keep me informed of any developments or changes to the plan."
You didn't strictly speaking need to know exactly what your spies got up to, down to the last operational detail. One could even say that you shouldn't know, that it would make it easier to distance yourself from the actions of Ravenburg if his schemes were to be discovered...but no. You had to keep a firm grip on the Empire's intelligence apparatus, for the sake of your conscience as well as the long term health of the nation.
You bid Ravenburg goodnight and begin making your way back to your personal chambers. More blood would be on your talons soon enough...but that was a cost you would gladly pay to prevent another one of your subjects from ever suffering as a slave again.
Will Finish Next Turn.
Personal: You refuse to let your duties as Emperor take up every moment of your day. (Two Actions per Turn)
-Crystal Pastimes: Pearl, much like her siblings before her, has found her attentions divided and her passions unfocused. She's in need of a hobby to occupy her time. What manner of time-sink shall you guide her towards, and what skills shall she gain from it? Cost: 0. Time: One Year. Reward: Gleaming Pearl gains a Hobby/Stat Modifier
Pearl has grown restless and bored lately...perhaps it's time to direct her towards a particular pastime?
[ ] Board Games: She shall follow her elder brother's example, and will learn patience, strategy, and how to read people by playing numerous board and card games with you and members of the Imperial court.
[ ] Gardening: Pearl has often accompanied her Draconic Sister on her near-daily forays into the Palace Gardens, delighting in the atmosphere and her sister's enthusiasm for all things green. You don't think it will take much to get her to join her sister in her passion projects.
[ ] Geology: Pearl has taken a somewhat unusual interest in minerals, mining and associated objects and activities, often taking the opportunity to talk to any Diamond Dogs willing to share their considerable expertise in the subject. It may be a tad odd, but if she has a passion for it, why not cultivate it?
-A Question of Faith: The Yaks have their sky-gods, the Neighponese have their nature spirits, and the Canterburians have their Lady of the Lake. And your people have...well, that's just it; with the exception of a widespread custom of ancestor veneration, the people of Gryphus aren't a very spiritual sort. Considering the fact that the only "God" most Griffons and Diamond Dogs are familiar with is Discord, that's not much of a surprise. But since Discord's defeat, and in the wake of your encounters with other cultures, Faith has become a subject on the mind of many Imperial citizens. A scant few Griffons have begun to practice foreign faiths, some even trying to resurrect the pantheon of the Old Empire. You've even heard rumors that some of your subjects have taken to worshiping you as a divine figure! Regardless of your own thoughts on the matter, it may be a good idea to host a "Council of Faiths", to discuss the state of religion in your Empire, and to determine what should be done about it, if anything should indeed be done at all. Cost: 300. Time: One Year. Reward: Council of Faiths Interlude. Chance to unlock Piety Category.
To be Continued in "The Council of Feathercaea"
-Getting to Know You: Cost: 0. Time: One Year. Reward: Gawain Improves Relationship with a Friend, May Lead to Further Developments and Benefits Down the Road. (Does not cost an Action. May only develop one relationship per Turn)
—Isabelle Brissette: Brochard's Niece is not what you'd expected...then again you're not really sure what you'd have expected her to be like. You're proud of your son for looking beyond her family's past. Hopefully he can help her come out of her shell a bit.
To be Continued in "A Night on (and Under) the Town"
Carracks Built (1d4): 4
Random Event/Hazard Rolls: 68 (To be Continued in Rumor Mill) 95 (To be Continued in Rumor Mill)
Lots of stuff happening this Turn, lots of new developments. Let me know if I appear to have missed anything or if you require clarification on something I wrote.
The word goes out across the Empire and beyond: Emperor Goldenfeather has called for a council of faiths, and has invited representatives from every religion within Gryphus to address the issue of faith and spirituality, a topic of great debate and discussion in the kingdom as of late. Dozens of representatives of varying faiths and beliefs flock to the Crystal City. There, under the light of the Crystal Heart, followers of every faith and creed gather to debate theology and make their case to the Emperor.
The conference hall (a repurposed lecture hall of the local University), is arrayed in splendor befitting such a historic moment. Griffons, Diamond Dogs, Crystal Ponies, and even a few Yaks, Qilin and Canterburians are in attendance. But the most notable individual in attendance is you, the Emperor himself, personally presiding over this event that shall determine the role of faith and religion in the Empire of Gryphus.
Debates go back and forth for days, then weeks. Arguments practical, ethical, religious and secular are brought forth in favor of one viewpoint or another by a myriad of priests, preachers and proselytizers, each one trying to advance their own vague agenda that seems to change from hour to hour.
It quickly becomes apparent that the idea of a religiously homogeneous Empire is, at present, little more than a fantasy. Even discounting the widespread practice of ancestor veneration, there are already multiple religions that have begun to entrench themselves, slowly gathering followers and influence in different corners of the Empire. From the resurgent pantheon of the ancient Empire to the spiritual belief systems of the Yaks and Neighponese to the Crystal Ponies' worship of the Crystal Heart and even the small but fanatical cult that views you as a god, the faiths of the Empire are varied, and that's unlikely to change anytime soon. Naturally, this only underscores the importance of the conference, as these religions will have to be brought into harmony if the Empire is to prosper. The last thing you need is internal sectarian conflict threatening to tear your nation apart at an inopportune time.
The first and most important question that must be answered is what place religion should have in the Empire, and how it should relate to the state. This seemingly simple question is actually one of the most divisive simply because of how many potential answers there are. What role should the government have in the religious affairs of the people, if at all? No consensus can be reached regarding this first and most fundamental of questions. As such, it falls to you, the Emperor, and the ultimate authority over the conference, to resolve the issue.
[ ] Total Religious Freedom: A person's religious beliefs are no business of the state. The Empire's diversity is one of its greatest strengths, and you see no reason for the Government to try and change that by meddling in people's private affairs. You may advise and offer your opinions upon the different faiths, as is your right, not only as Emperor but as a citizen of the Empire, but you have no intention of telling your subjects what they can and cannot believe.
[ ] State Influence: While you don't really like the idea of the government having direct control over religious institutions, it's clear that there needs to be some kind of authority to prevent sectarian conflict between the different faiths that exist within your Empire. As such, while you shan't have full control over the various religious institutions, you will exert some influence and control whenever it becomes necessary to do so, using your authority as Emperor.
[ ] State Control: As with all things in your Empire, this is something you'll want to have a firm grip on, especially given the importance of it. You have the authority to ensure the physical health of your subjects, why not their spiritual health as well? Taking on the responsibility of administering the religious infrastructure of an entire Empire will of course be quite the undertaking, but you've accomplished difficult tasks before.
After resolving that issue, the conference attendees begin discussing, and bickering over, minor differences between the sects of various faiths, or comparing similarities between major belief systems. You are forced to sit and listen as elderly priests argue over the most detailed of theological minutiae in an effort to come to a consensus and unite their sects or make a point in the vain hope of converting their verbal sparring partners. You tune much of it out...until the discussions start to take on a more personal tone for you.
Two of the major leading figures of the cult that worships you have apparently gotten into an argument about how to go about said worship. They'd been arguing for hours before realizing that their diety was physically present in the room and decided to just ask for your opinion. Honestly, you couldn't care less what titles they referred to you as when they prayed, or what day of the week they chose to gather for their ceremonies, and you tell them as such. They of course interpret this as "anyone can worship me however they want to" and praise you for your wisdom and beneficence.
As they continued to sing your praises (to your slight embarrassment...some of the other representatives were staring) you realized that the conference gave you a unique opportunity to potentially influence this small but growing faith. You'd have to be subtle of course, but a few carefully spoken words in the correct context should be sufficient for your ends.
[ ] Discourage the Imperial Cult: You find the idea of being worshipped as a god...unsettling. Whether you object on moral or practical grounds, you just aren't comfortable with the idea of an entire religion revolving solely around you. That being said, you don't really have it in you to just outlaw this new faith, and not just because that would go against everything you've been saying at this very conference. Still, you think you can subtly nudge these worshippers towards a more moderate view of you as a mere mortal, albeit an exceptional one. You think you've earned a little bit of awe and respect for your achievements after all.
[ ] Do Nothing about the Imperial Cult: Maybe you're of two minds about your most fanatically loyal subjects. Perhaps you don't want to risk being misunderstood or accused of manipulating such vulnerable people. Or maybe you just want to see how things play out without your influence. Regardless of your motives, you'll leave the Cult to its own devices for now, neither encouraging nor discouraging it.
[ ] Encourage the Imperial Cult: Maybe you see an opportunity to further your power and influence over your people. Maybe you genuinely want to be seen as a divine figure. Or maybe you just find the whole thing unbelievably hilarious and want to see what they do next. Whatever the reason, you'll quietly encourage the growth of this small band of fanatics that see your words and deeds as divine acts.
After that...unusual event, the conference soon draws to a close, some of the many questions and issues regarding faith and religion settled, if only temporarily. You give a closing speech thanking everyone for attending and voicing their opinions on such an important matter, and once again extol the virtues of a diverse Empire, subtly reminding everyone that they are Imperial Citizens before they are members of any particular faith.
And with that, the First (and as far as you know, only) Interfaith Council on Faith and Spirituality comes to an end. Time will tell what effects the decisions made here will have on the Empire and its people in the days to come.
Ok, clearly not my best work, but I was eager to get this out and finished already. Might try and polish it up a bit later. Let me know if you have any suggestions to make it flow a little better.
Now, some explanations regarding the different choices and the options to be voted upon. The latter choice is pretty simple: do you want to see more or less of the Imperial Cult? I've seen some people expressing varying opinions about it and wanted to put the matter of their future relevance as a faith to a vote. It doesn't really have any effects beyond that. Do you want to see more or less of them, or do you just not care either way?
As for the first choice, that is much more complex. Basically, this vote will determine how religion and piety actions will be handled in this Quest.
Total Religious Freedom is the "secular" path, in that Piety actions won't become a thing. Your people will practice various religions, but aside from providing flavor text or context for future events, they won't have much of an impact upon the narrative or mechanics of the quest. This is the option for those who like the quest as it is and don't want to add piety as a category.
State Influence will give you a measure of control and choice regarding the different religions without actually making you manage the varying faiths. Basically, each religion will have its own beliefs, values, desires and leadership. These religious leaders will seek to gain your favor or ask you to help them via a certain action. These actions will either boost that religion's popularity (unlocking other actions in the process) or give some other benefit, such as a unit of Warrior monks, holy artifacts, boosted income, or improved relationships with foreign powers. Managing the different ideologies will be a balancing act that the Emperor(s) will have to engage in to ensure a prosperous Empire. Note that your actions are not the only thing that will determine a religion's popularity. Dice rolls and events on the world stage will also play a factor.
State Control is the all in, "Piety is now a central game mechanic" option. There is no separation of church and state because the Church is a State Apparatus. Temples and churches are built, funded, and managed by the government as a public institution, like schools or hospitals. You will have direct control over what houses of worship get built, what they teach, how they teach it, and what sort of benefits you'd like to claim as a reward. There is no church leadership to negotiate with, only local clergy that will raise suggestions or concerns. There is of course a downside to this, however. Having religion and government become so tightly intertwined will have repercussions down the road. A crisis of faith or a religious scandal could lead to a loss of public confidence in the government, or strained relationships with other nations...to say nothing of the possibility of theological schisms (think the Protestant Reformations).
If anyone thinks that those options aren't too good, or could be improved, please let me know. As always, I'm happy to answer any questions that anyone may have. Thank you all again for your patience!
Ok, I was originally going to call the vote right now, but after getting off work and reading some of the discussion that's been going on regarding the feared consequences of Total Religious Freedom, I feel like I should make a few things clear first.
Religious Freedom does not mean "people can do anything so long as it can be considered religious in nature". It does not mean you'll be powerless to stop Sombra Worshipping Cults or Griffon Sacrifices or Religions of Doom. It is the thing people vote for if they don't want Piety/Religion Actions to be a core part of this Quest.
Gawain knocked on the door of the manor house, giving himself a quick once over to ensure that he was presentable. He'd decided to forgo his more obvious royal accoutrements, opting for a much more casual appearance. He was going to dinner with a friend, not attending the Imperial Court. Sure, he would probably still be recognized upon closer inspection, but people on the street wouldn't give him a second look. To a casual observer, he'd be just another young noble in a city full of them.
A servant answered the door, eyeing the young Griffon with confusion. This was a good sign. If a person couldn't recognize him when they were standing face to face, there'd be no chance of a passerby doing so.
The servant's beak opened, doubtlessly about to ask him who he was and what he was doing here, before his eyes focused on a point behind Gawain. The servant blinked, eyes widening as he looked back at Gawain, connecting the dots and swiftly prostrating himself before the crown prince.
Gawain sighed and cast a withering glare over his shoulder at the two knights assigned to his protective detail, still fully dressed in the gilded armor announcing their status as guardians of the royal household. He'd asked them to keep their distance, to not hover over him all night. They'd reluctantly complied, but insisted on keeping an eye on him from a distance. Which in this case meant standing just outside the gates of the Brissette manor, casting an intimidating and obvious silhouette that was easily visible to its inhabitants.
The servant apologized profusely, not once looking up at Gawain as he scrambled back inside to fetch the Brissette heiress. The heir to the Empire sighed. Hopefully this would be the low point of the night and it would all be smooth sailing from here.
Any thoughts left his mind however, when he finally caught sight of his companion for the evening. She was bedecked in all the finery one would expect of a young hen attending an Imperial function, her dress seeming to sparkle in the light of the moon. For the first time, Gawain was thankful that Isabelle was the shy type, her gaze directed down towards the ground...it meant she didn't see him pick his jaw up off the floor.
Gawain mentally stumbled. He'd had a response ready when he'd come to the door, but he couldn't think of it now. He put on a friendly smile and tried to look casual. He'd have to improvise.
He mentally winced. Crap, maybe he shouldn't have said beautiful. That might have sounded creepy.
Isabelle blushed, her soft voice like the tinkling of bells.
"Th-thank you. You look...nice."
Gawain tugged at his collar. He suddenly felt very underdressed.
"I know it's not royal finery but I wanted to try and avoid drawing attention tonight."
He cast another glare over his shoulder.
"Unfortunately, my bodyguards are proving a bit of a hindrance in that regard."
He swore he saw one of them smirk. Isabelle shook her head.
"Oh no, that's fine! I-I'm just happy to get to spend time with you..."
Her gaze fell.
"Though I don't think your hopes to avoid attention will work with me around...everyone knows my family."
She started as Gawain gently placed a reassuring talon upon her shoulder, her eyes meeting his as he gave her a gentle grin.
"I thought of that...and I think I found a way around that little problem...you're not claustrophobic are you?"
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The two heirs of royalty stood upon a cliff, a ceiling of rock above their heads, peering over the edge at the sight beneath them.
Isabelle stared open mouthed at the subterranean town, rows of houses carved into the cave walls, lanterns and torches illuminating the vast cavern. From this distance, she could just barely make out the moving shapes of Diamond Dogs on the streets and alleys below. Gawain smiled.
"Pretty cool eh? Diamondtown is a heck of a place. When the first packs pledged their fealty to my father, many set up their dwellings underneath the capitol. Over the years it's turned into a big settlement, almost a city unto itself."
The Noble heiress stared at the prince.
"How...how have I never seen this before?"
Gawain shrugged.
"It's existence isn't a secret, it's just that most Griffons don't go down here...owing to our racial inclination towards claustrophobia."
The male Griffon gestured behind them, indicating the tunnel they'd walked through to enter the massive artificial cave system.
"Tunnels and entrances like that are scattered all across the upper city. It's how the dogs commute to work on the surface. But since they were built in the days when the dogs were still paranoid about Griffon persecution, most of the entrances were hidden in out of the way places, or camouflaged with boulders and plant life."
Isabelle opened and closed her beak, spluttering.
"B-but...why are they still hidden? The Diamond dogs are an integral part of the Empire, equal to Griffons in almost every way!"
Gawain shrugged.
"Force of habit? Lack of necessity? A lingering paranoia about threats besides us? Who can say? A few of the less tolerant members of the nobility have raised the issue with my father, but he's never done anything about it. He says that if it makes the dogs feel safe, he sees no reason to take action, especially seeing as how all the entrances and exits are known to the government. They still need to file construction and excavation permits after all."
Isabelle returned her gaze to the glittering lights of the underground town before looking back to Gawain.
"Why here though?"
Her eyes widened, a blush breaking across her face as she seemed to realize what she'd just said.
"Not that I don't want to be here, I-it's a beautiful place b-but...why did you choose to take me here?"
Gawain smiled, a coy look in his eyes.
"You said you were worried about being recognized."
He extended a wing, pointing to the shapes of the Diamond Dogs beneath them.
"I guarantee you, not one of them will see you as anything more than a young Noble lady."
His eyes darted to the side, staring at one particular building, it's lights easily visible even from far away.
"I also know a great place to eat that I know you'll love. Come on, I've reserved us a table."
And with that, the Prince took off, followed shortly thereafter by a flustered but smiling Isabelle Brissette...and a pair of knights that still steadfastly refused to let their charge out of their sight.
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The two Griffons land in front of the entrance to a large brick building, music and chatter echoing out the open doorway and into the street. A carved wooden sign just above the entryway proclaimed the building as "Big Mama's".
Brissette looked at the sign, then at Gawain with a raised eye ridge. Gawain chuckled.
"I had the same reaction when I first saw that. I know it's not what you'd expect from a fine dining establishment, but trust me, this place serves some of the best food in the Empire."
The prince gently took Isabelle's talon in his own, not noticing how the gesture made her blush as he led her through the doorway.
"Come on, I'll show you."
The duo enter the restaurant, the noise within washing over them as Gawain confidently leads the way to a table on the far side of the restaurant. Some of the patrons give the two Griffons a curious glance, particularly Isabelle and her fanciful dress, but none stare for more than a moment before returning to their meals and conversation. True to Gawain's word, none of the subterranean canines see the Brissette heiress as anything more than a young lady of nobility. There are no suspicious gazes, no whispered accusations, no disdainful dismissals. She's just another face in the crowd.
The table was set for two, a fine tablecloth and polished silverware sitting atop it. Mere minutes after placing their orders, a massive Diamond Dog female walked out carrying two plates stacked high with steaming food.
"Eat up now children! You let momma know if you need anything!"
Isabelle stared after the Alpha Female. Gawain chuckled.
"She's quite a character isn't she?"
Isabelle nodded.
"Why do they call her big mamma?"
Gawain smirked.
"Aside from the obvious? ....It's her demeanor. She treats everyone, and I mean everyone, like family. Doesn't matter your age or your race, everyone's welcome at Big Momma's house."
Isabelle didn't know how to respond to that, mutely taking a bite of her food. Her eyes lit up. Gawain was right, this was very good food.
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Almost an hour later, the two young Griffons walked out the same door they'd entered, moving a bit more slowly than they had before. Big Mamma's cooking may have tasted delicious, but it also settled like a lead weight in one's gut.
The two knights on the rooftop across the street watched their charges slowly flap their wings and, after a very brief window where it seemed like the two had been grounded by the contents of their stomachs, lift off into the sky.
Moments later, they followed.
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The two landed back at the Brissette Manor, both breathing just a bit more heavily than they normally would. Gawain smiled.
"I had a wonderful time tonight. Thanks for going out with me."
Isabelle blushed.
"I-I had a nice time as well...thank you."
Isabelle nervously gripped the material of her dress, scrunching it up as she gathered her courage.
"C-could we...do this again sometime?"
Gawain's smile widened, nodding his head.
"Of course! I'm always happy to spend time with you."
Isabelle smiled back, her blush strengthening....then quickly leaned forward, planting a kiss on the Prince's cheek before dashing inside faster than Gawain could react.
As a somewhat shocked Gawain stood confused before the closed door of the manor house, one of his bodyguards held out an outstretched talon to the other.
"Pay up."
I am terrible at writing stuff like this...I promise that the next post won't take as long as this one did.
A United Yakyakistan: A new player has emerged in the great game of geo-politics. In a sudden shift in the political landscape of Yakyakistan, the elder councils of all the major clans have come together to form a unified kingdom of Yaks, merging their peoples and territories into a singular polity. While many Yaks have been working towards such a unification for years, much of the credit for the union of the clans goes to the newly crowned King Rutherford, who brought the disparate groups together via a mixture of charismatic negotiation and honor duels against those who resisted. Calling for unity in the face of a changing world, the new Lord of the Steppe now seeks to consolidate his power and secure his new kingdom's place in the world.
Journey to the East: A feeling of excitement spreads across Neighpon and Gryphus as Emperor Kōryū dispatches a small fleet of exploratory vessels to search for lands to the East and make contact with other peoples whose existences have been hinted at by wreckage of foreign vessels on Neighponese shores. The Neighponese Fleet departs to much fanfare, embarking upon a journey that is expected to take several months, depending on what they find. The fleet returns almost half a year later, bearing news, exotic goods, and a few battle-scars. Apparently they'd had quite the adventure.
It takes time for word of their exploits to reach the shores of Gryphus, but when it does it causes quite the stir amongst the nobility and commoners alike. For the Neighponese explorers have discovered not one, but two new lands, both of which have their own inhabitants with their own unique cultures.
The first newly met nation, and the closest to Neighpon, is the Kingdom of the Emerald Isles, a nation that is of great interest to you and your subjects due to the fact that it is inhabited almost entirely by Diamond Dogs. A King known simply as Rex, the Alpha of Alphas, rules over numerous packs, each pledging fealty to him and his dynasty. Though suspicious of outsiders, Rex and his court are cautiously open to the possibility of trade, a possibility that excites the merchants and nobles of your Empire as, by all accounts the Emerald Isles are as rich in gemstones and precious metals as the name would suggest.
The second culture encountered by the Neighponese explorers, and the reason why the Emerald Isles are only "mostly" inhabited by Diamond Dogs, are the Caribou.
Unlike the Diamond Dogs, the Caribou are not native to the Emerald Isles, instead hailing from a land they call Olenia. They are also not unified under a single ruler, being divided into numerous Duchies and Petty Kingdoms, each ruled by a Jarl or Chieftain. It is not uncommon for these groups to war against each other over territory, wealth, and even religious differences. They are a nautical culture, conducting trade and war alike via the sea, their unique and distinctive vessels plying the waves carrying goods and warriors alike.
They are also the reason for the Emerald Dogs's caution towards outsiders, for their settlements have suffered numerous raids and sacks at the hoofs of Caribou Vikingers, though these raids have recently begun to give way to trade (albeit with the threat of further raids compelling such exchanges of goods). On the majority of such raids the Caribou will simply steal whatever valuables they can before returning to their homeland, but on one particular occasion an ambitious Caribou Chieftain seized and occupied a small portion of the Emerald Isles, turning it into a Caribou colony of a sort. Why King Rex has not attempted to remove these foreigners from his lands is a question the expedition could not find an answer to.
All in all, the Neighponese expedition is a great success, but has raised as many questions as it has answered. What other nations may lie across the sea, and what impact will these newly met peoples have upon Gryphus and its neighbors?
Hybrid Hippogriffs: Mixed-race marriages are not a new phenomenon in the Empire. With Diamond Dogs, Crystal Ponies, and even the rare Yak or Qilin calling Gryphus home, it is not surprising that relationships would form between peoples of different races. Under most circumstances, the very nature of these relationships necessitates adoption rather than traditional means of procreation, for reasons that should be obvious. Most, but apparently not all.
Excitement, astonishment and confusion sweeps through the Empire in equal measure as news of a curious and unexpected new phenomenon reaches the public: hybrid children of Griffons and Ponies, the newborns bearing the traits of both races. These "Hippogriffs" (the popular name for the new race) have baffled the medical community, their hybrid nature seeming to go against all conventional wisdom. Even more amazing is the fact that many of the young hybrids have been reported to possess a measure of magical talent, something no full-blooded Griffon possesses. Regardless, the newborns are healthy and their parents are overjoyed with their unexpected blessings. The rest of the Empire anticipates further surprises from this whole new class as they grow to adulthood.
In the years since you ascended the Throne, the lands and people of the Empire have known prosperity thought unthinkable during the age of Discord. Peace is more than a dream, and the economy is in such a state that a new "middle class" has begun to flourish as your citizens find work in the numerous factories, mills and industries that have sprung up as innovation drives the engine of progress.
But not all is well in the Empire, as even these things that appear objectively good have hidden downsides, as you have recently discovered.
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You sigh, rubbing your temples as you stare down at the census report before you. It wasn't one of the extensive, detailed censuses that were conducted once a generation, just an approximation of population growth according to the reports of the nobility and the bureaucrats whose job it was to keep track of this sort of thing.
You look across the table at Frida Bronzeclaw, your advisor in all domestic policy.
"Run it by me one more time."
The Griffoness nods.
"After Discord's...disappearance, defeat, whatever you want to call it...when civilization started to put itself back together, there was an upswing in the birth rate, one that only became more pronounced as agricultural productivity began to increase. Combine that with the inclusion of the Crystal Ponies, their own upswing in births after their liberation from Sombra, the former slaves from Maretonia and the occasional immigrant from Neighpon or Yakyakistan...we're seeing a population explosion that is unprecedented in recorded history. We expect the first members of the Post-Discord generation to reach adulthood within the year."
You blink.
"But that's a good thing, isn't it?"
It certainly sounds like one. During the reign of Discord, and even years afterwards, the concern had not been overpopulation but a lack of it. A lack of labor, a lack of skilled workers, a lack of able-bodies citizens to serve as soldiers in the line of battle. Even food shortages tended to be the result of there not being enough farmers, rather than having too many mouths to feed. A surplus of subjects sounds like it would be a great boon to your nation.
Frida dashes those thoughts, making a so-so gesture with a talon.
"It's a bit more complicated than that. A population explosion as dramatic and rapid as this is going to have some massive side effects. There are some that are questioning whether we can support this many people."
You stare. Frida must see the look on your face, because she immediately begins trying to break it down for you.
"Even though we have a massive surplus of food, the increased demand is going to result in higher food prices. The cities are going to swell rapidly, taxing our existing infrastructure which wasn't designed to handle this many people. And then there's the question of whether our economy can employ all these people that will all be entering the job market virtually all at once."
You wince. None of that sounds good.
"So what do we do?"
Frida sighs, rubbing a talon through her head-feathers.
"It's going to be expensive, but we're going to have to do a lot of construction. More farms, more roads, more sewers and water pumps. Build up our infrastructure to deal with our growing population...putting so many people to work building it should help stimulate the economy, hopefully kick the private sector into high gear...its going to be years before we see results though...it's probably going to come right down to the wire."
You sigh, rubbing your forehead to stave off the impending headache. It's true what they say...too much of a good thing...you'd never thought the good thing would be children of all things...especially not everyone else's children.
But such is the life of an Emperor.
You nod to Frida and reach for your pen and parchment. You need to write up a few orders.
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Martial: Redbeak, fresh from adding strength to the Imperial Bulwark that is it's Knightly Orders, has spent much of his time in recent days examining the reports from the Neighponese expedition to the East, considering the new culture's level of threat to the Empire and its interests. While he still views Maretonia as the primary threat to the Empire and its people, he has begun to view the growing Imperial navy as more than the afterthought you suspect he considered it previously.
[ ] Cog Conversion: The creation of your new Carracks have left much of your existing naval assets obsolete. Rather than simply scrapping them or continuing to field outdated ships, a few clever shipwrights have drawn up a plan to convert the hulls of the Cogs into new cannon-armed Carracks. While it won't be a perfect conversion (the Carracks requiring more building material than a Cog) and the cannons will still have to be sourced from the foundries, it will likely be cheaper than building new vessels from scratch. Cost: 700 Time: Two Years. Reward: 20 Cogs Converted into 14 Carracks.
[ ] And Push It Somewhere Else!: One particularly eccentric military engineer has proposed an unusual solution to the problem of fortifying the Maretonian border region. Rather than mothball the already existing fortifications in the Peregrine mountains and build new ones from scratch, he proposes disassembling the existing defense infrastructure, transporting it across the Protectorate, and reassembling it along the new border. The craziest part of the whole thing is that, after running the numbers and performing some small-scale simulations to test the plan's feasibility, it appears that not only is the idea possible, it would actually be cheaper and faster than the alternative! An...unusual solution, but if it works, it works. Cost: 1500. Time: Three Years. Reward: Peregrine Line "Relocated" to Maretonian Border.
[ ] Mothballing the Peregrines: But then again, the recent innovations in fortress construction have rendered the Peregrine line largely obsolete. Perhaps it may be better to simply halt the expensive maitenance and garrisoning of the mountain forts and construct some more modern fortifications further South. Cost: 0. Time: Instant. Reward: Peregrine Line Mothballed, Removes Upkeep Costs. Does not cost an action.
[ ] The Hardbeak Line: The architects and engineers of the Imperial Army have drawn up plans for a line of "star forts" to be constructed South of the Crystal City, intended to serve as a defensive line against any potential Maretonian aggression. Naturally, the construction and maintenance of these forts is going to be expensive, and they're not going to be built overnight. Still, if you're looking to build modern fortresses to defend your Protectorate, it's the best plan you've got. The recent completion of the Crystal Line has made such an endeavor cheaper and easier, though still nothing to sneeze at. Cost: 2200. Time: Two Years. Reward: Hardbeak Line Constructed using new fortification techniques. Southern Border Secured.
[ ] Knights of the Frontier: With the settlement and rapid expansion of the frontier territories, now dubbed Kestrella, some have begun to call for the establishment of a new Knightly Order to serve as the guardians of the new province, small and relatively underdeveloped as it is now. Though the war against Sombra has depleted both the fighting age population and the public's appetite for conflict, there is never any shortage of Griffons willing and eager to join an esteemed Knightly Order. Construct a suitable citadel and begin the search for any aspiring Knights. Cost: 400. Time: Two Years. Reward: New Knightly Order Established to guard the Western Frontier.
[ ] Black Knights: The Orichalcum/Steel Alloy, now dubbed Black Steel, has many of the benefits of Orichalcum at a fraction of the cost. Despite this, it is still a resource that must be carefully husbanded, and reserved for use by elite units. Elite units like the Knights of the Inner Circle. Have them equipped with weapons forged of the new alloy, that they may serve the Empire more effectively. Cost: 800. Time: One Year. Reward: Knights of the Inner Circle equipped with Black Steel weapons.
[ ] Cautious Curiosity: While the now-infamous expedition that discovered Sombra has caused some to question the wisdom of venturing beyond the Empire's borders, you feel that such things are a necessity. Without such scouting missions you would have never encountered the Yaks or the Neighponese, who are now your trading partners and steadfast allies. And as some of the more pessimistic have said: "better our scouts meet them than their invasion force meet us." Cost: 300. Time: Variable. Reward: Knowledge of Distant Lands.
—[ ] Far West: The Yaks can't tell you anything about what lies beyond their lands, aside from the fact that they know such lands exist. Prior to meeting you and Sombra they never had any reason to wonder about the lands beyond their steppe. Now you have a chance to satisfy both their curiosity and your own.
—[ ] Far South: As of now, it doesn't appear that you and Maretonia will be going to war anytime soon. As such, some have proposed sending a flotilla of exploration ships South along the coast, to see if your rival kingdom has any neighbors that might prove less antagonistic to you and your people. With any luck, you might find another ally or trade partner, or new resources that you could grab before the Maretonians can.
—[ ]Far Southeast: Rumors of Maretonia's mysterious trade partner, and whispers of lands further South of the recently discovered Caribou kingdoms, had led some to propose an expedition into the open ocean, in hopes of finding these rumored places. A risky venture, but a potentially fruitful one, if successful.
Diplomacy: Gisa Eagleclaw, though momentarily overwhelmed by the new authority and responsibility her promotion has given her, quickly sets about familiarizing herself with her new position and duties, even proposing a talonful of new diplomatic initiatives that she had prepared in light of the recent Neighponese Expedition.
[ ] Canterbury Caravans: Your newly discovered neighbors, while not having quite the economy that you do, are still a nation of potential customers for Imperial Products, and your people are always hungry for new and exciting novelties and luxury goods. While it may be difficult to brave the cursed forests of Canterbury, enterprising merchants have done riskier things in pursuit of profit, and you're sure that your chivalrous neighbors will be more than happy to assist and escort traders through their lands, as you will theirs. Cost: 200. Time: One Year. Reward: Trade with Canterbury Established, Increased Trade Income.
[ ] Immigration Campaign: The addition of Magical Advisors to your court, and the memory of how much the integration of the Diamond Dogs improved your Kingdom, has led some to propose the idea of advertising abroad for immigrants, from Neighpon, Yakyakistan and Canterbury. You're not sure how many takers you'll get, but it can't hurt to try. Cost: 200. Time: One Year. Reward: Yak/Neighponese Immigrants. Chance of Success: 65%
[ ] Gaze upon the mists of Fate: The seers and shamans of Yakyakistan have been a subject of interest to you ever since you learned that they had warned their people of the threat of Sombra long before encountering him themselves. In a way, they were partially responsible for your victory at the battle of Redstone, as well as your ensuing positive relationship with the Yak Clans. With the threat of Sombra now extinguished, you find yourself wondering what else these mystics may know...and if they might be willing to share this information with you. There's no harm in asking, right? Cost: 200. Time: One Year. Reward: Chance to gain information from Yak Seers. Chance of Success: 60%.
[ ] She can see the Futuuure!: First the Yak Shamans, now Queen Chevaline. Seriously, how many races can predict the future? Regardless, while the Seer of the Waters may not publish as many prophecies as the Yaks, her predictions tend to be less vague and more detailed. It appears that quality vs quantity is also a problem for prophets. Perhaps you could convince her to share any pertinent vision she may have regarding you or your nation? It might not be as easy as just asking though. Her prophecies are the Word of The Lady, and she might not be eager to share them with outsiders, not even allies. Cost: 200. Time: One Year. Reward: Chance to gain Information from Queen Chevaline. Chance of Success: 50%
[ ] Demilitarized Zone: Tensions With Maretonia are currently at a fever pitch, and it doesn't seem like they'll be normalizing anytime soon. Still, you don't really desire a war with your Southern Neighbor, if for no other reason than the expense and bloodshed such a conflict would entail. While a non-aggression pact is likely off the table at this point, an agreement to create a "buffer zone" between your protectorate and Maretonian territory is something they might agree to. Of course, such an agreement would prevent you from building fortifications right on the border, but there's plenty of places you can build them elsewhere. Cost: 300. Time: One Year. Reward: Maretonia/Gryphus Demilitarized Zone Established, Slightly Eased Relations with Maretonia, Slightly Reduced Risk of War. Chance of Success: 50%
[ ] What's up King dude?: The Yaks are united and have a new king! You should pay your respects, congratulate the new monarch, and see what his priorities are going forward. And if you can bring up the issue of the rumored Orichalchum deposits within his country, so much the better. Arrange an Emissary to see King Rutherford. Cost: 300. Time: One Year. Reward: Information on King Rutherford and Yakyakistan Foreign Policy, Address the Issue of Yak Orichalcum.
[ ] Island Investment: Now that Libertalia has set up diplomatic relations with you, several new opportunities have made themselves apparent as, despite the risks inherent, several wealthy and enterprising Imperial Citizens see the anarchical island nation as an ideal business opportunity. Some see the pirates as an untapped market for Imperial goods, others wish to finance the establishment of mines and plantations. Such enterprises would doubtless be a boon to both nations, and would enrich many. While the inhabitants of Libertalia are more than happy to have money pumped into their economy, there are a few issues that have to be sorted out, from currency exchange rates to how the Imperial-funded businesses will be run. These issues will likely require the assistance of the Foreign Ministry to resolve and allow trade between your nations to begin. Cost: 300. Time: One Year. Reward: Griffon-funded businesses established on Libertalia, Increased Mining/Agricultural Income, Improved Libertalia Relations, Additional Actions Unlocked.Chance of Success: 70%
[ ] Emerald Isles Emissary: The discovery of an entire independent kingdom of Diamond Dogs has raised more than a little bit of interest amongst your people...and the realization that it was the Neighponese who met them first has more than a few members of your diplomatic corps kicking themselves at the missed opportunity. But there's still time to rectify this and properly introduce yourself to the inhabitants of the Emerald Isles. A diplomatic mission seems to be in order. Cost: 300. Time: One Year. Reward: Diplomatic Contact established with Emerald Isles, New Actions Unlocked.
[ ] Journey to the Frozen Coast: The Caribou are an interesting people. A maritime culture, divided between multiple petty kingdoms, subsisting through a combination of trade and raiding. Whether they will be enemies, allies, or simply another divided people to keep an eye on has yet to be determined. A diplomatic mission to introduce your people to theirs may be in order. Cost: 400. Time: One Year. Reward: Contact made with Caribou Kingdoms, New Actions Unlocked.
Stewardship: Much of Frida's attention and time is taken up by the historic task that is the establishment of a national Rail network, but she cautiously states that she and her subordinates are capable of multitasking and taking on other work without delaying the progress of her primary task. (Two Actions Per Turn) One Action Locked
-RailNetwork: Your first railway has been proven a great success, and leaders and business magnates from across the Empire are clamoring to have more lines built across the provinces, to facilitate the flow of goods and raw materials. The establishment of such a network will be both time consuming and costly, but it will more than pay for itself through the boost to national productivity, and the economic benefits of cheap transportation. Cost: 1500. Time: Four Years. Reward: National Freight Railway Network Constructed. Increased Tax Income. New Options Unlocked. Will Finish in Two More Turns
[ ] Western Lumberjacks: The woods of the Western Frontier (now dubbed Kestrella), while not quite as expansive and vast as the forests of the Imperial heartland, are still a potential resource and an ample supply of raw timber. Subsidize the establishment of logging camps and lumber mills in the newly settled territory. Cost: 400. Time: One Year. Reward: Increased Logging Income.
[ ] Cloth Mills: While sufficient Flax has been planted to allow for textile production, and a significant cottage industry has already sprung up to exploit this, you're far from rivaling the Neighponese for textile production. Mass production is the name of the game here: subsidize the construction and start-up costs of some weaving mills and see if you can increase productivity. Cost: 600. Time: One Year. Reward: Industrial Linen Production achieved, Increased Tax Income.
[ ] Aggressive Agricultural Expansion: Now that your nation has purged its forests of beasts and monsters, it's time to clear some of that untamed wilderness and prepare it for farming. Your staff has predicted a massive population boom in the near future, and having enough food to feed so many new mouths is going to be vitally important for the security and prosperity of the nation. Cost: 1000. Time: Two Years. Reward: Expanded Agriculture, Secured Food Supply, Increases Income.
[ ] Skill-Training Programs: Your Southern protectorate, while showing steady economic growth, is hitting a bit of a roadblock in the form of a lack of skilled workers. While they have no shortage of able-bodies to form a pool of laborers, when it comes to artisans and specialized vocations they don't have many to go around. While they've managed to supplement their native talent with hired Imperial experts, this isn't a good long-term solution. Have Frida coordinate with Ivory Rook and the Crystal Assembly to set up some impromptu schools and vocational training classes to resolve the Crystal Ponies' skilled labor shortage. Cost: 500. Time: One Year. Reward: Slightly Increased Tax Income, Crystal Protectorate no longer dependent on Imperial Expertise.
[ ] Imperial Sanitation Commission: Your growing population has raised concerns amongst the healers and physicians of the Office of Disease Control. The issue of...waste management...has been raised more than once. Simply put, you are rapidly reaching a point where the existing infrastructure will become unable to handle so many people, which may in turn lead to outbreaks of disease. Frida and the Office of Disease Control have been coordinating with a team of architects and civic planners to draw up an expansion of the existing sewage network in your major cities. Needless to say, it's going to be expensive, and will take a significant amount of time to implement. But it may be the only way to prevent the recent population explosion from becoming the catalyst for a plague. Cost: 1500. Time: Three Years. Reward: City Sewage Networks Upgraded, lessened chance of disease outbreaks.
Learning: Archimedes and Genevieve continue their work as always, despite the former's advancing age that doesn't seem to slow him down. Both of the learned Griffons, as well as the Trio of Neighponese magic experts, continue their studies, drawing upon research from their academic equivalents in Canterbury, the Crystal Protectorate, and Neighpon. (Two Actions Per Turn)
[ ] Flying without Wings: The fragment of the ancient design you found, while sparse on details due to its decay, has given both of your scientific advisors ideas. Big, big ideas. Of course, in order to make those ideas reality they'll need equally big amounts of funding and time. Just for starters they're going to have to figure out whether they can even build such a contraption with the materials they have available, and what other steps will need to be accomplished before they can even start to build this "flying machine". Cost: 200. Time: One Year. Reward: Viability of Airships explored, additional Learning Actions Unlocked.
[ ] Sugar Beets: Among the numerous crops that have been introduced to the Empire as a result of trade with Neighpon, Sugarcane has been one of the most sought after, particularly due to its inability to be farmed on the mainland. However, Genevieve claims to have an idea. By selectively breeding a particular species of root vegetable for increased production of Sucrose (the thing that gives Sugarcane its distinctively sweet taste), she believes it to be possible to engineer a hardier alternative to sugarcane that can be grown domestically. This will of course take a while to do. Cost: 200. Time: Two Years. Reward: Sugar Beets acquired, new Learning and Stewardship Actions Unlocked.
[ ] Sound the War Horns!: The Battle of the Peregrines demonstrated the need for a means of long range communication between commanders and units spread across multiple fronts. Couriers and banners simply aren't good enough. An enterprising army officer and former musician by the name of Major Shrike has proposed building and utilizing specialized horns, designed to communicate coded messages through the pitch, tune and frequency of their blasts. The idea might hold merit. Cost: 300. Time: One Year. Reward: Gain War Horns. Upgrade Army Communications Bonus.
[ ] A Different Kind of Mortar: The prospect of war with Maretonia has raised numerous concerns amongst the military. Your cannons, while effective at targeting enemies and destroying unreinforced architecture, may not be as effective against the enchanted walls and fortifications of Maretonia. Archimedes has proposed a potential solution: a weapon similar to a cannon, designed to lob projectiles over walls and other obstructions. While these weapons are unlikely to be as useful against mobile targets, they may prove a decisive advantage in siege warfare. Give Archimedes the go-ahead to try and build a few of these new weapons. Cost: 600. Time: One Year. Reward: Mortar Artillery Developed.
[ ] Canterbury Magic Experts: The Neighponese Trio have been invaluable in the study of arcane phenomenon, providing a unique perspective that has allowed your scholars to expand their knowledge of the world and its workings. Archimedes has recently proposed expanding your cadre of Foreign Experts with experts from Canterbury, who may offer valuable new insights and further build your Empire's knowledge base on matters of magic. You're sure that a few open letters to Queen Chevaline should be enough to attract some Thaumatological scholars to your court. Cost: 300. Time: One Year. Reward: Pony Magic Scholars Recruited, New Actions Unlocked. Chance of Success: 65%.
[ ] Crystal Rune Replication: While the replication of the Crystal Heart has been deemed impossible, the individual runes found on it may be a different story. Genevieve and the Neighponese Trio stand ready to make the attempt at reverse engineering the more easily comprehensible components of the Crystal Heart. It will take time and funding, but if successful, you may have a method of harnessing the power of magic. Cost: 400. Time: Two Years. Reward: Reverse-Engineered Runes. Chance of Success: 60%.
[ ] Miniature Ballistae: The recent completion of the great hunt, while ridding your lands of monsters and dangerous creatures, has also had an unexpected side effect of depriving the forests of dangerous game. As a result, the people of your nation have much fewer targets to practice their craft on. This may result in a shortage of skilled archers in the near-future, which may endanger your military's ability engage enemies from range. Archimedes claims to have a solution to this: a miniaturized ballistae that can be used and carried by one person. Such a weapon could be used by anyone with only a relatively small amount of training, readily solving the issue. Of course, he will need time and funding to perfect the design and make it suitable for mass production. Cost: 400. Time: One Year. Reward: Crossbows.
Intrigue: Ravenburg joins his more militarily-minded colleague in examining the reports from the recent Neighponese expedition, as well as reports from his own subordinates on the suddenly unified Kingdom of Yakyakistan. Thus far he can't tell you anything that isn't already public knowledge, something that you both find disappointing. He assures you that he can remedy this situation with the proper resources and authorization, though he stresses that much of his current assets are tied up in Maretonia. (Two Actions Per Turn) One Action Locked.
-Stirring up Trouble: You've gotten your people back, but you're not quite finished with Maretonia. You and your people aren't comfortable sharing a border with a kingdom of slavers, and the abolitionists, riding high on their success, are jonesing to take further action against the Maretonian nobility, with or without your support. Ravenburg and Ambrosia have been sending a flurry of secret missives back and forth, exchanging ideas and opinions, and have come up with a complicated series of interlocking plans meant to spread disorder and discord throughout Maretonia by spreading misinformation and sowing strife between the rival noble houses of the realm. If the plan works, Queen Mareia and her vassals will be too busy searching for traitors and schemers amongst themselves to worry about you and their escaped property. You might even be able to leverage the situation to get some of the Abolitionists into greater positions of power and usurp some of the biggest slaveowners in Maretonia. It's worth a shot at least. Cost: 600. Time: Two Years. Reward: Maretonian nobility discredited/at each other's throats, Abolitionists gain more power and influence, Maretonia becomes less concerned about Gryphus. Will Finish This Turn
[ ] Trust but Verify: Your new Equine neighbors seem much easier to talk to than the Maretonians. But everything you know about the kingdom to your Southwest has come from the mouths of its rulers. While you'd like to imagine otherwise, it's entirely possible that Queen Chevaline and Lord Bohemond weren't entirely honest with you about the conditions of their nation. And what exactly is the deal with this Lady of the Lake? Ravenburg and his infiltrators are ready to fact check. Cost: 400. Time: One Year. Reward: Intel on Canterbury and its people. Chance of Success: 60%.
[ ] Hoofbeard's Heist: Hoofbeard has alerted your agents to a curious occurrence in Maretonia. It seems that, despite their ideology of racial superiority and attempts to enslave every people they come across, the Maretonians do have a trade partner. Once a year, a convoy of vessels bearing the sigils of the Maretonian Noble houses departs from the port city of Cantergena with a heavy mercenary escort, their holds loaded with gold, and every year the convoy returns with cargos of exotic spices, wines, and other luxury goods bound for the mansions and villas of the Maretonian elite, netting the Noble houses involved a significant profit as they sell their imported wares to their less powerful peers. Exactly where these ships go and who they do business with is unknown, but their arrival and departure times, as well as their routes of travel, are well known to the pirates of Libertalia. The treasure ships are a legend amongst the crews of the anarchical island nation, and many a charismatic captain has attempted to pull off the raid of a lifetime and seize the riches aboard the ships for themselves...but none have ever succeeded, their ships torn apart in Pegasi directed storms or blasted apart by Unicorn Battlemages.
Hoofbeard has always dreamed of being the Pony to finally pull off the nautical heist of the century, simultaneously ruining the finances and reputations of numerous Maretonian nobles and gaining enough riches to transform Libertalia from a collection of shipwrecks and shanties into a self-sustaining city-state. Before, he'd thought that such an ambition would remain nothing but a dream...but his deal with Gryphus has given him hope that you might help him make such a thing possible. Ravenburg has been exchanging letters with the former slave, and he thinks that, with enough Imperial assistance, such a thing may be possible. Of course, if the whole thing goes south and your involvement is discovered, the Maretonians will likely consider this raid on their trade route to be an act of war, and Hoofbeard will probably either be dead or discredited in the eyes of his colleagues, costing you a valuable diplomatic and intelligence asset. Still, it may be worth it to throw such a massive wrench into the machinations of the Maretonian elite. Cost: 1000. Time: Two Years (Cannot be hastened by Imperial Priority). Reward: Maretonian Nobility's Finances Ruined, Maretonia loses face with Trade Partner, Libertalia becomes more prosperous and less dependent on Crime to fuel its economy, Hoofbeard gains more influence and power in Libertalia. Chance of Success: 40% (Roll to be made at conclusion of Action)
[ ] Follow the Money: Hoofbeard's tales of the mysterious Maretonian treasure fleet have led Ravenburg to propose a risky gambit: slipping a spy aboard the trade fleet to document its route and determine exactly who the Maretonians are making deals with. Needless to say, this is a dangerous gamble. The crews of the treasure ships are thoroughly vetted, and there's no telling how long your infiltrator(s) will have to keep up the ruse. In addition, the abolitionists will be of little help to you, as they possess no connections within the Noble houses responsible for the treasure fleet. Still, such a thing may be possible, and would be an intelligence coup second only to the liberation of your people from Maretonian captivity. And, as Ravenburg stresses, even if your spy is discovered, the diplomatic blowback should be minimal, assuming they can even trace the infiltrator back to you in the first place. Hopefully it doesn't come to that though. Cost: 500. Time: One Year. Reward: Intel on Maretonian treasure fleet, Increased chance of Success for Hoofbeard's heist, Intel on Maretonian Trade partner. Chance of Success: 55%.
Piety: The newly established "Council of Faiths", a gathering of representatives from every major religion in the Empire, has wasted no time in clamoring for your attention and attempting to leverage their newfound place in the Imperial Court to expand the influence of their respective beliefs. Each of the six beings upon the Council (Including a Qilin, a Yak, and a Crystal Pony) have submitted a proposal for your consideration. Whether you intend to act on any of them is up to you. (One Action Per Turn)
[ ] Ancient Empire Excavations: When the old Empire fell, many of the sacred texts and holy artifacts of the Griffon Pantheon were lost. A scant few have been pieced together from remnants found during the age of Discord, but if the Pantheon is to be the spiritual force it once was, its modern day adherents will need more than a few scraps of old parchment to serve as the centerpiece of its temples. The representative of the Polytheists has requested permission to organize an excavation of several ruins where it is hoped that he and his colleagues may find greater and more impressive holy relics to serve as objects of worship. Cost: 100. Time: One Year. Reward: Ancient Religious Artifacts recovered.
[ ] Crystal Shrine: Thus far, the religious services for disciples of the Crystal Heart have been held in a corner of the Crystal Palace, just below the object of their worship. The Crystal assembly has promised funding and authorization for the construction of a permanent shrine, but with their focus on growing the local economy and preparing their people for the possibility of war with Maretonia, they have had other priorities as of late. Perhaps you could pen a letter to the assembly reminding them of the importance of faith, and of the need for more suitable amenities for worshippers. You can even offer up a little bit of funding yourself, just to show how seriously you take the matter. Cost: 100. Time: One Year. Reward: Shrine to the Crystal Heart constructed.
[ ] A Sacred Stone: The Yaks' shamanistic beliefs have little need for temples, shrines, or more conventional sites of worship. Instead they mark sites of spiritual significance via raised stones or boulders with intricately carved inscriptions and artwork dedicated to their gods. While the followers of Yak Shamanism within your borders could simply pick a stone and carve an inscription into it themselves, they have deemed such an approach insufficient for the first Runestone to be placed in the Empire, and have attempted to contract the famous Shaman Brod the Wise to create the inscription. There's just one problem: Brod the Wise has left his self-imposed exile from his mountaintop home exactly three times in the past thirty years. Once to confirm the disappearance of Discord, once to give a prophecy concerning the coming of Sombra, and most recently to legitimize the reign of King Rutherford as a worthy ruler of Yak-kind. To say that it's unlikely he'll agree to travel beyond the borders of Yakyakistan to simply carve some runes in a rock is perhaps the understatement of the year. Still...if he were to receive a letter requesting his presence from a foreign Emperor, one that has done so much to help his people...well, he'd be much less likely to refuse then wouldn't he? Cost: 100. Time: One Year. Reward: Brod the Wise carves the first Yakyakistani Runestone for the Empire.
[ ] Seaside Shrines: While all natural phenomenon are associated with Kami, and all are important in their own way, the spirits of the winds and waters are regarded as particularly important by followers of Neighponese Spiritualism. Combine this with the fact that most of the practitioners of the Neighponese faith live on or near the coast, and it's fairly obvious what the first shrines they seek to build are going to be dedicated to. Unfortunately, the construction of the shrines is not a simple matter, for two reasons. The first is a matter of material; the followers of a religion originating in Neighpon naturally want materials from said nation to be used in their shrines, which means they'll have to go through the bureaucracy that is the Imperial Customs Office. The second and much larger issue is the fact that several of these shrines are intended to be built in or on the water itself, which may pose a navigational hazard for shallow-draft ships. Naturally, this is a bureaucratic nightmare of its own. The spiritualists would greatly appreciate it if you would grease the wheels of bureaucracy for them do that they can finally build their shrines. Cost: 100. Time: One Year. Reward: Neighponese Shrines constructed.
[ ] A Holy Lake: Obviously, Lakes and Ponds are central to the worship of the Lady of the Lakes. While technically any pure body of water could be considered holy by the worshippers of the Lady, certain ones are selected by members of the church to serve as sites of worship. Exactly how they determine which lake or pond should be more holy than others is a mystery to those outside of the priesthood, but the followers of the Lady within your borders have identified one lake in particular which they believe to be a conduit for the Lady's divine will. The fact that it is near your shared border with Canterbury is a total coincidence, you're sure. Regardless, the followers of the Lady have petitioned you to recognize the lake as a protected area, off limits to development or exploitation, save the construction of shrines and houses of worship. Given that the lake in question is far from any major cities or sources of pollution, this shouldn't be too difficult to pull off. Cost: 100. Time: One Year. Reward: Church of the Lady granted a protected lake to worship at.
[ ] The Imperial Truth: Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Imperial Cult has some difficulty attracting new converts, primarily due to the radical nature of its ideas, but also due to the fact that its varying sects often have very different ideas as to how they should worship, spending just as much time competing with each other as they do with the other faiths for new converts. While the Council of Feathercaea did much to smooth over these differences and bring the differing sects together, there are still some lingering doctrinal disputes preventing your most fanatically loyal of subjects from uniting into a singular religion. You could just let them sort out their differences on their own...or you could intervene directly and speed up the process a bit more. Cost: 100. Time: One Year. Reward: Imperial Cult doctrinal disputes resolved.
Personal: You refuse to let your duties as Emperor take up every moment of your day. (Two Actions per Turn)
[ ] Overtime: Your advisors can only do so much, and sometimes that's just not enough. If it's truly necessary, you can sacrifice some of your otherwise free time to carry out an additional action from another category, provided said action has a duration of only one year. The costs and chances of success for that action remain the same.
[ ] Imperial Priority: Sometimes you need something done as quickly as possible, regardless of the cost. In such times, you can authorize and oversee the judicious and generous application of funds to speed things along. If necessary, you can reduce the duration of a select action by one year at the cost of a personal action and doubling the per-turn financial cost of the action. The chances of success for said action will remain the same.
[ ] Creative Accounting: Even for an Empire as prosperous as yours, money can be tight. Balancing the budget can be a difficult task at the best of times, but your prior experience as a Merchant has taught you many financial "magic tricks". Taking some time out of your busy schedule to squeeze a few extra coins out of the bureaucracy could be the difference between staying in the black and dipping into your reserve funds. Cost: 0. Time: One Year. Reward: One Small Lump-Sum of Funds. Chance of Success: 60%
[ ] Getting to Know You: Gawain has made some very interesting friends. You're relieved to see him getting along with kids his own age, though you do wonder what he gets up to with them. Cost: 0. Time: One Year. Reward: Gawain Improves Relationship with a Friend, May Lead to Further Developments and Benefits Down the Road. (Does not cost an Action. May only develop one relationship per Turn)
—[ ] Isabelle Brissette: The young Noble heiress appears to be quite fond of your son, though given her former status as a virtual social outcast among the nobility that's not too surprising. You're glad that your eldest has been able to give such a nice young hen a new lease on life...of course, given his age you're also happy that he's finally reciprocating the interest of one of the many eligible bachelorettes that would give their wings to earn his attention.
—[ ] Ki Seong: The Cultured Qilin is exactly what you'd expect the daughter of Neighponese Nobility to be...and that might actually be a problem. Gawain tells you she likely feels pressured by the expectations of society and her family to hold herself to a high standard at all times. Hopefully he can convince her to let her hair down around him.
There will be a twelve hour moratorium to allow for discussion and plan-building.
Martial: Redbeak, fresh from adding strength to the Imperial Bulwark that is it's Knightly Orders, has spent much of his time in recent days examining the reports from the Neighponese expedition to the East, considering the new culture's level of threat to the Empire and its interests. While he still views Maretonia as the primary threat to the Empire and its people, he has begun to view the growing Imperial navy as more than the afterthought you suspect he considered it previously.
-The Hardbeak Line: The architects and engineers of the Imperial Army have drawn up plans for a line of "star forts" to be constructed South of the Crystal City, intended to serve as a defensive line against any potential Maretonian aggression. Naturally, the construction and maintenance of these forts is going to be expensive, and they're not going to be built overnight. Still, if you're looking to build modern fortresses to defend your Protectorate, it's the best plan you've got. The recent completion of the Crystal Line has made such an endeavor cheaper and easier, though still nothing to sneeze at. Cost: 2200. Time: Two Years. Reward: Hardbeak Line Constructed using new fortification techniques. Southern Border Secured.
Plans are drawn up, sites of strategic and tactical significance are surveyed, and funds are set aside for the most ambitious military construction project since the Peregrine Line. Tons upon tons of stone, mortar, timber and steel are purchased and transported from the Imperial Heartland to the Southern Border, the Crystal Rail Line proving its worth as material that would have taken weeks to transport now takes days or even hours. An army of laborers descends upon the wilderness south of the Crystal City, camping out amidst the growing walls and foundations of future fortresses as work commences at the rapid but consistent pace that has become the hallmark of the Empire's military engineers.
As weeks turn to months and the end of the year approaches, the framework of what all hope will become the latest bulwark of the Empire becomes visible. It will take at least another year of construction, but when completed the line of forts will be a grand site to behold. Will Finish Next Turn.
-Black Knights: The Orichalcum/Steel Alloy, now dubbed Black Steel, has many of the benefits of Orichalcum at a fraction of the cost. Despite this, it is still a resource that must be carefully husbanded, and reserved for use by elite units. Elite units like the Knights of the Inner Circle. Have them equipped with weapons forged of the new alloy, that they may serve the Empire more effectively. Cost: 800. Time: One Year. Reward: Knights of the Inner Circle equipped with Black Steel weapons.
Black Steel. Essentially "watered down" Orichalcum, the alloy is both highly useful and extremely expensive, worth it's own weight in gold almost three times over. But it's still far cheaper than the pure stuff. As such, it's composition and manufacture are a closely guarded secret, held by only a few of the most trusted smiths and metalworkers in service to the crown. Over the course of the year, these privileged few toil away in their forges to produce dozens of Black Steel blades for the Knights of the Inner Circle, the finest warriors of the Empire. These blades are then presented to such paragons of martial skill by the Grandmasters of their respective orders, who take the opportunity to have their most capable subordinates renew their oaths to the Order and the Empire in a formal ceremony.
Armed with their newly forged blades, the Empire's elite now possess a manner of anti-magic capability, and an even greater edge over any of the more conventional enemies they may face in the future. Knights of the Inner Circle now possess Black Steel Weaponry. Bonus to certain combat rolls.
Diplomacy: Gisa Eagleclaw, though momentarily overwhelmed by the new authority and responsibility her promotion has given her, quickly sets about familiarizing herself with her new position and duties, even proposing a talonful of new diplomatic initiatives that she had prepared in light of the recent Neighponese Expedition.
-What's up King dude?: The Yaks are united and have a new king! You should pay your respects, congratulate the new monarch, and see what his priorities are going forward. And if you can bring up the issue of the rumored Orichalchum deposits within his country, so much the better. Arrange an Emissary to see King Rutherford. Cost: 300. Time: One Year. Reward: Information on King Rutherford and Yakyakistan Foreign Policy, Address the Issue of Yak Orichalcum.
Your emissary departs for the foreign capital of Yakistown, bearing gifts and letters of recognition for the new sovereign. This is both a polite gesture and a savvy political move: by treating with the new King Rutherford as the ruler of YakYakistan, you essentially endorse him as the one true leader of the Yak Clans, and add more weight to his claims to the newly established throne. The gifts are meant to serve as a reminder of the benefits of cooperation between your nations. You only hope that the King is perceptive enough to realize that.
When your emissary returns, he describes his meeting with the Yak King, a veritable living mountain of fur and muscle, bearing a crown inlaid with four precious stones to represent the four great Yak Clans. King Rutherford was, in the words of your emissary, a living contradiction. Speaking only when necessary, yet shaking the room with his voice. A gracious and accommodating host, yet stubborn and intractable as a glacier.
When asked about his and his kingdom's approach to foreign affairs (and, more specifically, how the Empire fits into it) King Rutherford stated that, while his people were eternally grateful to the Empire for all that it has done to enrich and improve their homeland, and while they have every intention of remaining a steadfast ally of their closest neighbor, whose people they have fought and bled alongside, the Yaks "must be able to stand on their own four hooves." Their pride demands no less. Exactly what this may mean was left somewhat unclear, but your emissary thinks it is safe to say that YakYakistan is unlikely to become another Imperial Protectorate any time soon.
When quietly questioned about the Orichalcum deposit within his territory, Rutherford was as forthcoming as he was uncompromising. He bluntly confirmed the existence of the deposit, and just as bluntly stated that "if the Empire wishes to make use of it, they will have to compensate the Yakistani people." Or, in more diplomatic language, the Yaks are more than happy to allow the Empire exclusive access to their Orichalcum deposit...for a price. To be fair, it's not like the Yaks have many other potential exports to invigorate their economy. You suppose it's a reasonable enough request. It not like the Yaks have the capacity to smelt the stuff on their own anyway.
King Rutherford Contacted, Orichalcum Issue Resolved.New Actions Unlocked.
-Island Investment: Now that Libertalia has set up diplomatic relations with you, several new opportunities have made themselves apparent as, despite the risks inherent, several wealthy and enterprising Imperial Citizens see the anarchical island nation as an ideal business opportunity. Some see the pirates as an untapped market for Imperial goods, others wish to finance the establishment of mines and plantations. Such enterprises would doubtless be a boon to both nations, and would enrich many. While the inhabitants of Libertalia are more than happy to have money pumped into their economy, there are a few issues that have to be sorted out, from currency exchange rates to how the Imperial-funded businesses will be run. These issues will likely require the assistance of the Foreign Ministry to resolve and allow trade between your nations to begin. Cost: 300. Time: One Year. Reward: Griffon-funded businesses established on Libertalia, Increased Mining/Agricultural Income, Improved Libertalia Relations, Additional Actions Unlocked. Chance of Success: 70%
Required: 30. Rolled: 36+18+10(Brighstone)=64
While initially skeptical of the promises made by Griffon Investors, the inhabitants of Libertalia don't really have much to lose and an awful lot to gain. As a result, there is very little opposition or argument when Gisa and your diplomats begin to negotiate the various minutia and fine details needed to arrange such an economic intermingling. Currency exchange rates are debated and set at what all agree is a fair ratio of Kronemarks to the local tender, and there is little pushback to the idea that the businesses established via Griffon funds will be owned by the Griffons that put up the capital to do so. Any other outcome would have defeated the entire purpose of the whole exercise.
With the way for them paved by the might of Imperial bureaucracy, wealthy Imperial Investirs begin pouring money into Libertalia, establishing mines, plantations, and other major industries on the island. Local labor is used to construct and operate these enterprises, and this has a ripple effect across the small island nation, as Libertalia's own entrepreneurs begin opening bars, barbers, and markets to take advantage of the newly wealthy (by their previous standards) workers. While some deride the laborers in the mines and plantations as "un-pirate-like", their positions become prestigious and much sought after as a place where one can earn a steady and reliable income.
Piracy is a crime after all, and despite the tall tales that some may tell, crime very rarely pays well.
By the end of the year, everyone is more or less happy with the results of the Empire's entanglement with Libertalia's economy, and profits are being made by everyone involved. You congratulate Gisa on her first great diplomatic triumph, and say that you look forward to witnessing her future accomplishments. Griffon-funded businesses established on Libertalia, Libertalian economy revitalized, +100 Mining Income, +100 Agricultural Income, +1.5 Libertalia Relations, New Actions Unlocked.
Stewardship: Much of Frida's attention and time is taken up by the historic task that is the establishment of a national Rail network, but she cautiously states that she and her subordinates are capable of multitasking and taking on other work without delaying the progress of her primary task.
-RailNetwork: Your first railway has been proven a great success, and leaders and business magnates from across the Empire are clamoring to have more lines built across the provinces, to facilitate the flow of goods and raw materials. The establishment of such a network will be both time consuming and costly, but it will more than pay for itself through the boost to national productivity, and the economic benefits of cheap transportation. Cost: 1500. Time: Four Years. Reward: National Freight Railway Network Constructed. Increased Tax Income. New Options Unlocked.
With the preliminary preparations completed last year, work finally begins on the first of the actual rail lines. Armies of laborers of every race journey into the countryside to fell trees, level ground, blast away boulders, and, in a scant few instances, literally move mountains (well, more like hills, but still), paving the way for yet more laborers to begin the task of laying down the wooden ties and metal rails that will allow the numerous steam engines (still under construction in the numerous workshops of the Empire) to traverse the length and breadth of your nation.
It will be some time before the fruits of this labor will become more tangible than simple rails crisscrossing the earth...but it is another step towards a more connected Empire. Will Finish in Two More Turns
-Skill-Training Programs: Your Southern protectorate, while showing steady economic growth, is hitting a bit of a roadblock in the form of a lack of skilled workers. While they have no shortage of able-bodies to form a pool of laborers, when it comes to artisans and specialized vocations they don't have many to go around. While they've managed to supplement their native talent with hired Imperial experts, this isn't a good long-term solution. Have Frida coordinate with Ivory Rook and the Crystal Assembly to set up some impromptu schools and vocational training classes to resolve the Crystal Ponies' skilled labor shortage. Cost: 500. Time: One Year. Reward: Slightly Increased Tax Income, Crystal Protectorate no longer dependent on Imperial Expertise.
Frida reports that this was by far the easiest task she'd had to perform this year. Granted, much if that was due to how the Crystal Assembly and Ivory Rook took the initiative in setting up classrooms and arranging for them to be filled with enthusiastic Crystal Ponies wager to learn a trade. All she had to do was arrange for a rotation of skilled artisans and educated professionals to serve as the instructors, a task she performed quite admirably.
Everything from smiths and carpenters to masons and architects are given the opportunity to impart their knowledge upon an audience of eager students, each of which walk away as skilled laborers certified in their respective fields. By the end of the year, the Crystal City and its inhabitants no longer need to rely upon experts or skilled labor from the Empire, as their own population is now capable of filling the need. Combined with the addition of subsidized vocational courses to the Crystal University's curriculum, this resolves the issue for the foreseeable future. +50 Tax Income, Crystal Protectorate Skilled Labor Shortage Resolved.
-Imperial Sanitation Commission: Your growing population has raised concerns amongst the healers and physicians of the Office of Disease Control. The issue of...waste management...has been raised more than once. Simply put, you are rapidly reaching a point where the existing infrastructure will become unable to handle so many people, which may in turn lead to outbreaks of disease. Frida and the Office of Disease Control have been coordinating with a team of architects and civic planners to draw up an expansion of the existing sewage network in your major cities. Needless to say, it's going to be expensive, and will take a significant amount of time to implement. But it may be the only way to prevent the recent population explosion from becoming the catalyst for a plague. Cost: 3000. Time: Two Years. Reward: City Sewage Networks Upgraded, lessened chance of disease outbreaks.
Summoning a great deal of political will and an even greater amount of funds from the treasury, you give Frida the unenviable task of overhauling your Empire's sewage systems. To her credit, your domestic advisor doesn't so much as blink, throwing herself into the task, coordinating with the Office of Disease Control and acquiring the services of countless masons and architects. Finding people willing to work on, and in some cases in, the sewers themselves proves difficult, but with the wages Frida offers enough laborers are found.
It's a dirty job, but someone has to do it.
Having gathered all the tools and talent needed to begin, Frida sets her new subordinates to work, tearing up the streets of cities across the Empire to get at the subterranean waste tunnels underneath, expanding the existing pipelines and adding new ones to accommodate the growing population.
By the end of the year, much progress has been made, but it will still be months until your Empire's sanitary infrastructure is deemed sufficient. Will Finish Next Turn
Learning: Archimedes and Genevieve continue their work as always, despite the former's advancing age that doesn't seem to slow him down. Both of the learned Griffons, as well as the Trio of Neighponese magic experts, continue their studies, drawing upon research from their academic equivalents in Canterbury, the Crystal Protectorate, and Neighpon.
-Flying without Wings: The fragment of the ancient design you found, while sparse on details due to its decay, has given both of your scientific advisors ideas. Big, big ideas. Of course, in order to make those ideas reality they'll need equally big amounts of funding and time. Just for starters they're going to have to figure out whether they can even build such a contraption with the materials they have available, and what other steps will need to be accomplished before they can even start to build this "flying machine". Cost: 200. Time: One Year. Reward: Viability of Airships explored, additional Learning Actions Unlocked.
In between their other, more pressing projects over the years, Genevieve and Archimedes have often taken the opportunity to examine the faded schematics for a flying machine which you found in the ruins of the old Imperial Archives, trying to fill in the blanks left behind by age and the lack of more detailed blueprints. Despite the difficulties and lack of free time to devote to the effort, they'd already made a significant amount of progress, even before you finally task them with determining the feasibility of such a device.
After much brainstorming, scholarly debate, experimentation, and even a few (very) small-scale tests using a number of prototypes, your scientific advisors finally deliver their verdict on the faded parchments you found so long ago.
Such a flying machine is indeed possible, perhaps even practical, but only if better means of propulsion and airborne buoyancy can be found. While simple hot air was sufficient to keep a few of the small-scale prototypes aloft, they weren't capable of supporting much weight. Genevieve estimates that, even if the balloon was the size of a small building, it wouldn't be able to support the weight of more than a talon-full of individuals and the basket used to keep them aloft. While such a hot-air balloon may be useful to ground-bound peoples, it's hardly useful to Griffons.
However, Archimedes has proposed that, if a sufficient quantity of an appropriately lighter-than-air gas could be found, perhaps a larger, more useful airborne craft could be created.
And of course, there's the possibility of finding a magical solution. Something to think about going forward, at any rate. Hot-Ballon Theory Developed. New Actions Unlocked
-Canterbury Magic Experts: The Neighponese Trio have been invaluable in the study of arcane phenomenon, providing a unique perspective that has allowed your scholars to expand their knowledge of the world and its workings. Archimedes has recently proposed expanding your cadre of Foreign Experts with experts from Canterbury, who may offer valuable new insights and further build your Empire's knowledge base on matters of magic. You're sure that a few open letters to Queen Chevaline should be enough to attract some Thaumatological scholars to your court. Cost: 300. Time: One Year. Reward: Pony Magic Scholars Recruited, New Actions Unlocked. Chance of Success: 65%.
Required: 35. Rolled: 93+18+10(There'll Always Be Griffonia)=121 Nat/Artificial Crit!
While all Ponies are capable of some form of magic, most lack the natural capacity to truly bend the world to their will with their arcane abilities, contenting themselves with the default improved strength, flight, or telekinesis common to their respective race.
But every generation there are ponies born with an excess of magical potential. Earth Ponies capable of growing whole orchards overnight. Pegasi that can wield the weather as a weapon of mass destruction. And Unicorns that sometimes learn to teleport before they learn to speak. In the Kingdom of Canterbury, these gifted few are seen as blessed by the Lady, destined to change the world. They study the art and science of magic under the tutelage of the most skilled of mages and the guidance of Queen Chevaline herself. Given the status of Canterbury as a kingdom infested with monsters, it should come as no surprise that virtually all of them are trained in combat-oriented magic, often singlehoofedly waging war against the countless beasts of the dark forests alongside the knights of the realm.
You had heard of these Chosen of the Lady, these titans of arcane might, but when you addressed an open letter to the court of Queen Chevaline, you never imagined that the monarch would send you three of her finest battle-mages, who arrive at your court barely a month after you sent your message.
The first to come to your palace, perhaps unsurprisingly, is a Pegasi who goes by the name of Rafale. The mare crosses into the bounds of the Empire with such speed that your border guards initially mistake her passage through the sky for a lightening bolt, traveling from the Canterburian Capitol of Haydeux to Gryphus Peak in a single day. Some of your guards whisper that her mane seems to blow in a constant breeze even when indoors, and that, just before takeoff, her wings seem to spark with static electricity.
The subject of Earth Pony Magic is represented by a stallion named Puissant Arbre, who is one of the largest and most imposing stallions you've yet seen. The towns and villages he passed through on his journey from Canterbury report unseasonable blooming of flowers and a sudden thickening of the forests, alongside an inexplicable surge in agricultural productivity on the surrounding farms.
And finally, there's the Unicorn.
You had gathered in the throne room alongside your advisors and magical experts, including the two Canterburians, who had told you to expect their colleague's arrival at dusk that evening. As the clocktower in the city below chimed at the turn of the hour, a sudden feeling of tension overcame everyone in the room as the air became saturated with magical energy. As the clocktower tolled for the final time, reality itself seemed to twist and contort as a gaping void suddenly opened up in the center of the room, a writhing portal that made your eyes water and your head hurt to look at.
And out of this portal stepped an elderly Unicorn stallion, garbed in billowing robes, his horn visibly shining with such arcane power that staring at it was almost akin to gazing upon the sun.
He introduces himself as Merlin Ambrosius, Archmage of Haydeaux. From what little you are able to gather from the other two Canterburians you learn that the Lord Ambrosius is to magic as Konrad Hardbeak is to martial skill.
When you question why Queen Chevaline would send such an accomplished mage to serve as an advisor to a foreign government, Merlin bluntly responds that he is not here under the directive of his Queen, but of his own volition, out of a desire to learn as well as teach.
This does little to explain the presence of the other two Magisters...though the fact that both of them are also ordained priests of the Lady may explain it. Still, regardless of what their motivations might be, you are glad to have a trio of such accomplished magic-users added to your court. 2 Elite-Level Canterburian Mages and 1 Legendary-Level Archmage Acquired. New Actions Unlocked.
Intrigue: Ravenburg joins his more militarily-minded colleague in examining the reports from the recent Neighponese expedition, as well as reports from his own subordinates on the suddenly unified Kingdom of Yakyakistan. Thus far he can't tell you anything that isn't already public knowledge, something that you both find disappointing. He assures you that he can remedy this situation with the proper resources and authorization, though he stresses that much of his current assets are tied up in Maretonia.
-Stirring up Trouble: You've gotten your people back, but you're not quite finished with Maretonia. You and your people aren't comfortable sharing a border with a kingdom of slavers, and the abolitionists, riding high on their success, are jonesing to take further action against the Maretonian nobility, with or without your support. Ravenburg and Ambrosia have been sending a flurry of secret missives back and forth, exchanging ideas and opinions, and have come up with a complicated series of interlocking plans meant to spread disorder and discord throughout Maretonia by spreading misinformation and sowing strife between the rival noble houses of the realm. If the plan works, Queen Mareia and her vassals will be too busy searching for traitors and schemers amongst themselves to worry about you and their escaped property. You might even be able to leverage the situation to get some of the Abolitionists into greater positions of power and usurp some of the biggest slaveowners in Maretonia. It's worth a shot at least. Cost: 600. Time: Two Years. Reward: Maretonian nobility discredited/at each other's throats, Abolitionists gain more power and influence, Maretonia becomes less concerned about Gryphus.
At first, the Nobles of Maretonia don't notice anything unusual...not unusual by their standards anyway. Plotting against one's rivals is almost a pastime for those in positions of power, and if one doesn't see signs of a conspiracy against them it usually means they just aren't looking hard enough. But this year is different from all those that came before it, as the countless seeds of disorder and instability that your spies sowed months ago bloom into arguments and feuds between the noble houses.
Scandalous rumors once whispered in taverns are now accepted as common knowledge by many, multiple illicit and forbidden love affairs are exposed thanks to anonymous letters to jilted spouses, and more than one wealthy slave-owner is accused of arranging the death of a rival in a convenient "accident".
Individually, these events could be smoothed over as cooler heads prevailed, and people moved on. But with an unending stream of misinformation and back-to-back "revelations" of theft, embezzlement, slander, and murder, tempers flare and tensions rise. Slaveowners accuse each other of fomenting rebellions amongst each other's "property", and every escaped slave is rumored to have been stolen and out to work on another Noble's lands. Patient scheming becomes hotheaded aggression as wealthy, paranoid landowners begin fortifying their holdings and hiring mercenaries to defend their lands from the predations of rivals, both real and imagined. Verbal barbs between the members of noble houses escalate into brawls and magic duels between the rich and powerful.
Ordinarily, Queen Mareia would grudgingly tolerate such behavior. Better the nobles be at each other's throats than hers after all. But when the head of one of the most prominent noble families is brutally beaten to death by a gang of masked assassins in broad daylight only a few blocks from the royal palace, she is left with no choice but to intervene. The Maretonian Royal Guard are called out to enforce order, and the monarch bluntly states that any further violations of the law will be brutally dealt with.
Needless to say, not many Maretonians are thinking about you and your Empire right now. Gryphus is now the least of Maretonia's Problems.
-Follow the Money: Hoofbeard's tales of the mysterious Maretonian treasure fleet have led Ravenburg to propose a risky gambit: slipping a spy aboard the trade fleet to document its route and determine exactly who the Maretonians are making deals with. Needless to say, this is a dangerous gamble. The crews of the treasure ships are thoroughly vetted, and there's no telling how long your infiltrator(s) will have to keep up the ruse. In addition, the abolitionists will be of little help to you, as they possess no connections within the Noble houses responsible for the treasure fleet. Still, such a thing may be possible, and would be an intelligence coup second only to the liberation of your people from Maretonian captivity. And, as Ravenburg stresses, even if your spy is discovered, the diplomatic blowback should be minimal, assuming they can even trace the infiltrator back to you in the first place. Hopefully it doesn't come to that though. Cost: 500. Time: One Year. Reward: Intel on Maretonian treasure fleet, Increased chance of Success for Hoofbeard's heist, Intel on Maretonian Trade partner. Chance of Success: 55%.
Required: 45. Rolled: 83+13+15(A Fleeting Lament)= 111 Art Crit!
To be Continued in "The Unqualified Ambassador"
Piety: The newly established "Council of Faiths", a gathering of representatives from every major religion in the Empire, has wasted no time in clamoring for your attention and attempting to leverage their newfound place in the Imperial Court to expand the influence of their respective beliefs. Each of the six beings upon the Council (Including a Qilin, a Yak, and a Crystal Pony) have submitted a proposal for your consideration. Whether you intend to act on any of them is up to you.
-The Imperial Truth: Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Imperial Cult has some difficulty attracting new converts, primarily due to the radical nature of its ideas, but also due to the fact that its varying sects often have very different ideas as to how they should worship, spending just as much time competing with each other as they do with the other faiths for new converts. While the Council of Feathercaea did much to smooth over these differences and bring the differing sects together, there are still some lingering doctrinal disputes preventing your most fanatically loyal of subjects from uniting into a singular religion. You could just let them sort out their differences on their own...or you could intervene directly and speed up the process a bit more. Cost: 100. Time: One Year. Reward: Imperial Cult doctrinal disputes resolved.
Amongst all the social events, budgetary meetings, military inspections, and family togetherness, you find the time to write a series of letters to the leadership of the various sects of the new religion that worships you. You had heard of the rift between these groups, and had become concerned of the potential consequences of allowing such a divide to continue existing. The last thing you needed was a theological dispute turning into violence in the streets...and honestly, it would be easier for you to keep track of just the one group dedicated to your worship than several.
So you call another meeting of religious leaders, this time restricted to only the one faith. Once again, they gather in an attempt to resolve their disputes and mend the rift in their faith upon the request of their divine sovereign. And once again you have to put up with a bunch of Gryphs and Dogs that can't speak to you without prostrating themselves upon the floor.
After much theological debate, occasionally interrupted by a word of insight or a request for calm from you, the majority of issues in the Imperial Cult have been smoothed over. At the very least, no one is accusing anyone else of heresy. You're happy to see everyone getting along...and even happier when they finally leave your palace. +.2 Imperial Cult Influence. New Actions Unlocked
Personal: You refuse to let your duties as Emperor take up every moment of your day.
-Getting to Know You: Cost: 0. Time: One Year. Reward: Gawain Improves Relationship with a Friend, May Lead to Further Developments and Benefits Down the Road. (Does not cost an Action. May only develop one relationship per Turn)
-- Ki Seong: The Cultured Qilin is exactly what you'd expect the daughter of Neighponese Nobility to be...and that might actually be a problem. Gawain tells you she likely feels pressured by the expectations of society and her family to hold herself to a high standard at all times. Hopefully he can convince her to let her hair down around him.
To Be Continued in "Teatime for Two"
Carracks Built (1d4): 4
Random Event/Hazard Rolls: 19 (To be Continued in Rumor Mill) 16 (To be Continued in Rumor Mill)
Sorry this update took so long. Between work kicking my ass, my attempts to find a better job, family and social obligations, and my typical writer's block, this has been difficult to write. And then those two rolls happened.
Plus I had to find suitable images for the update. It's hard to find good art of a unicorn wizard that isn't Starswirl.
Thank you all for your patience and for continuing to follow this Quest!
Born a slave in Maretonia, he had spent his foalhood in a near constant state of fear. Fear of the lash. Fear of being separated from his family. Fear of being sold to the owners of the strip mines, where slaves were worked to death. Fear of being killed by an overzealous overseer. As he grew, that fear had turned to anger and desperation. And soon those feelings translated into action.
It had started small. Stealing food meant for the master's table. Ensuring that documents regarding the sale of other slaves went missing. "Acquiring" medicine when his sister fell ill.
But then he went too far.
He'd tried to make it look like an accident. But when an entire storehouse full of cotton burns down, people tended to suspect the ones responsible for picking it. And so he'd been forced to flee, along with his family, into the wilderness. And then he learned what true fear was, as they were hunted like animals through the forests, never knowing if they would meet their deaths at the end of a noose or at the fangs of some slavering beast.
They'd managed to avoid both fates long enough for winter to come and threaten them with the inevitability of freezing or starving to death. At that point, he'd had no choice but to risk slipping into the city in hopes of acquiring food and shelter for himself and his loved ones.
That was how he'd met the abolitionists.
Slaves that sought to rebel against their so-called masters were a dime a dozen. But a slave capable of evading capture by trained search parties for weeks, all while keeping their family alive, and then sneaking into town despite having his face on wanted posters at almost every street corner? That was a much rarer find. And they were always on the lookout for new talent.
And so, they'd made him an offer he couldn't refuse: work for them, and they'd make sure his family stayed safe.
And he'd put his skills to good use. Whether he was assigned to act as a spy or smuggler, courier or thief, he excelled at every mission he was given by his handlers. And yet despite all he did for the cause, he still yearned to make more of a difference.
Then the Griffons had arrived, and everything changed.
Escaped slaves didn't need to flee from one safehouse or bolthole to the next anymore. Now they just needed to slip across a long and poorly-patrolled border to reach a land where they would be truly free, and live without fear.
His family would be among the first escaped slaves to settle in the Empire, building new lives that they could never have dreamed of when they were still in bondage. But Light Step did not go with them. For while his family was now free, there were countless others still suffering at the hooves of cruel masters. His work was not yet done.
He would take part in Operation Winged Freedom, helping to free dozens of Griffons, Dogs and Ponies alike. His skills would leave a favorable impression upon the Imperial agents he was tasked to work alongside.
That was what would eventually lead to his greatest achievement, that would propel his name into history.
When the lady Ambrosia told him that the Griffon Emperor himself had requested one of her best spies to perform a dangerous mission, he'd leapt at the chance to pay back his debt to the land that his family now called their home.
That was how he'd found himself stowed away aboard a vessel carrying more gold than he'd ever seen in his life, on route towards a mysterious land inhabited by an even more mysterious people, taking meticulous notes on the path of the ships and their defensive complements, as he'd been requested to do when he'd volunteered for such a dangerous assignment.
He didn't know what he would see when the treasure fleet reached its destination, or what he would do when the crew began to empty out the hold. But he felt he was prepared, and ready for anything.
—————————————————————————————
He hadn't been ready for this.
He'd managed to sneak off the ship aboard a crate (staying aboard simply wasn't an option while the cargo was removed and replaced), slipping away into the busy harbor of this strange city, using the alleys and drainage ditches to avoid the prying eyes of its inhabitants.
And what interesting inhabitants they were! Bipedal, dual-horned, and almost universally garbed in clothing of an unusual fashion. A shame he wasn't a linguist, for, judging by the smatterings of conversation he'd managed to overhear while creeping through the shadows, they spoke a language entirely unknown to him.
He had just managed to find an unoccupied room in the back of a boarded up business to use as a refuge to catch his breath and plan his next move when he noticed, to his shock, that the treasure ships of the Maretonian fleet were already pulling out of the harbor!
How!? How could they unload and load their cargoes so quickly? The masts of the ships disappearing over the horizon yielded no answers, but one thing was clear: he was now stuck in a foreign land with no way home.
But Light Step had been a slave. He knew better than to give into despair, or wallow in self-pity. He carried on with his appointed task of observing the locals, sleeping at his makeshift safehouse in the day and foraging in the urban jungle at night, surviving off of the kitchen scraps and refuse of the city's inhabitants. Thankfully their diets were compatible, else he'd have likely starved.
He lived like this for two weeks before he was forced to reveal himself.
As it turned out, he wasn't the only being that liked to prowl the city streets at night. But these locals had much more nefarious intentions, as he discovered when he stumbled across a young female in expensive-looking clothes being mugged at knife-point by a pair of thugs. She couldn't have been much older than his sister...
Before he even realized what he was doing, both assailants were on the ground with distinctive hoof prints on the backs of their heads, and the female biped he'd saved was staring right at him, her face betraying a strange mix of emotions.
Realizing that he'd probably made a mistake revealing himself, he turned to flee back into the shadows...only to be stopped when the would-be victim grabbed hold of him and refused to let go.
Try as he might, he couldn't free himself from her grasp, not without hurting her. The two struggled with each other for a time (she was surprisingly strong, and days of eating scraps had left him just a bit weak and malnourished) before the city guard arrived to take him and the two criminals into custody.
That was how he'd found himself in a cell in the local guard headquarters. He was almost too busy berating himself for being so stupid to realize that his cell was much more comfortable and well-furnished than the one the two muggers had been placed in.
It wasn't long before he was escorted from his cell to what he assumed was some sort of interrogation room, where a pair of official-looking locals were there to greet him.
To his mixed relief and fear, one was an interpreter, as evidenced by his greeting Light Step in perfect Maretonian. The other remained silent, quietly observing with an unreadable expression.
When the obvious question of who he was and why he was there was asked, the Earth Pony tensed up. For despite his great skill at infiltration, Light was a terrible liar, and he knew it. Even if he hadn't, he wouldn't have known what to say.
So he did the one thing no one would expect a spy to do. He told the truth. All of it. His status as an escaped slave, the abolitionist movement, the Empire of Gryphus, and how he'd been sent to discover who the Maretonian's mysterious trade partner was.
The two bipeds listened quietly, speaking only to ask for clarification on certain aspects of his story. Then, once he'd finished recounting the events in the alley with the female and the two criminals, the interpreter thanked him for being so forthcoming.
Then he was returned to his cell.
He wasn't sure how long he was made to wait there, unable to make out the muffled conversations through the walls as his captors discussed what he'd told them...and what to do with him no doubt.
He didn't have a way to keep track of time in his cell, but when the guards took him back out and began escorting him through the city streets, the first rays of morning sunshine were peeking through the city skyline.
He didn't know where he was being taken. The fact that he wasn't in chains or bound in rope was a good sign...though it wasn't like he had anywhere to run to. A few civilians on the streets gave him and his escorts strange looks, but none dared to impede their journey.
Eventually, they reached the steps of an ornately decorated building, festooned with gold and silver fixtures, it's roof held up by pillars of carved marble. This wasn't a good sign to Light Step. Such a thing was either the manor of a powerful and rich family, or a government building. It proved to be the latter as, upon ascending the steps, he found himself in the center of a chamber inhabited by dozens of male and female locals, each dressed in formal robes and seated atop raised steps of carved stone, looking down at him.
Wait no, not at him...at the official standing atop a raised platform that placed him at eye-level with the assembled attendees of this...meeting. Light Step recognized the speaker as the silent observer from the interrogation room.
As Light Step entered the chamber, flanked by twin guards of the city, the speaker motioned to him as he continued speaking...clearly they were talking about him.
Shortly after his arrival, the speaker atop the raised platform seemed to conclude his presentation, and bowed to his audience, who began whispering amongst themselves.
Light Step shifted nervously, his heart racing. Was this some sort of court proceeding? Was he on trial, this jury of locals deciding his fate?
After what felt like forever, the hushed conversation ceased, a single male rising from his seat to deliver what Light Step assumed was the their verdict.
Then the speaker atop the dias motioned for the Earth Pony to step forward. He did so with heavy steps, certain he was about to meet his end.
The speaker stepped down from the platform and reached into his robes, grasping a hidden object. Light Step closed his eyes and braced himself...
Only to open his eyes in confusion when he felt an unfamiliar object placed atop his head.
He blinked at the gilded laurel wreath that he was now wearing...and stared when every one of the chamber's inhabitants bowed to him.
What.
—————————————————————————————
Ravenburg's eye twitched.
"All that just to make you a citizen? With all the pomp and circumstance you'd think they were making you their new king."
Light Step nodded, smiling nervously at his superior as he gave his report.
"I almost thought that myself sir. Thankfully Silver Speech, the um, interpreter, managed to clear things up for me."
The Imperial Spymaster opened a drawer in his desk, prying loose a bottle and a pair of drinking glasses.
"So you inadvertently save the daughter of one of the city's most influential citizens and he petitions the local government on your behalf to grant you citizenship...seems like an odd method of expressing gratitude."
Light Step shrugged as he accepted the glass passed his way.
"I asked about that. Apparently it's got something to do with Minotaur culture. They can't stand the thought of being indebted to someone. That's also why Gold Heart, the uh girl I saved, tried to stop me from running off."
Ravenburg uncorked the bottle. Light Step's nostrils flared at the potent smell of alcohol as it burned his sinuses. The Griffon didn't even blink, pouring himself a shot.
"And the fact that you were an escaped Maretonian slave didn't stop them from granting you citizenship?"
The Earth Pony shook his head in the negative as Ravenburg poured the potent liquor into his glass.
"No sir. If anything, it only encouraged them."
Ravenburg gave his spy a questioning look.
"They aren't scared about offending their trade partner?"
The stallion smiled.
"Maretonia's not their trade partner anymore. Not after they found out about Maretonian slavery."
The spymaster blinked, surprised.
"They didn't know Maretonia practiced slavery?"
The emancipated Pony waggled a hoof in a so-so gesture.
"Well...they kind of knew, but not really. From what I could gather, it was a sort of translation error. Apparently those translation spells aren't perfect."
Ravenburg slid the drawer shut.
"When you say translation error..."
Step winced.
"Ok, don't freak out but...the Minotaurs sort of have slaves too."
Ravenburg gave the younger male a look that would have made a lesser pony wet themselves. Light Step held up his forehooves in a calming gesture.
"I mean, the Minotaurs call them slaves, but they're not...they're more like indentured servants. Most of them voluntarily enter service contracts in order to pay off their debts, and they're still considered full citizens, protected under the law."
Ravenburg frowned, tapping a claw against his desk. Light Step continued.
"To the Minotaurs, the idea of being born into slavery, or spending one's whole life in bondage without any possibility of regaining one's freedom, is abhorrent. Had they known the whole truth, they never would have done business with the slavers."
Ravenburg picked up his glass, swirling the contents thoughtfully.
"So the Maretonian trade route has been shut down."
Light Step grimaced again.
"Uh, not exactly sir. The Minotaur Republics are divided into numerous independent city states...each of which does some business with the Treasure Fleet. That's actually how they were able to sail away so quickly: they were only loading and unloading a small amount of cargo before sailing to the next port further down the coast. Labyrinthian, the uh, city I infiltrated, won't be doing business with them anymore, but it will probably take some time before word can spread to the rest of the Minotaur lands...and even if all the other city-states learn the truth, they might decide to trade with Maretonia anyway just to make a profit."
Ravenburg sighed, downing his shot and placing the glass back down.
"Well...all in all, I'd say you had a successful mission...though at this point I think you're better suited to diplomatic service than spy work."
Light Step's heart sank. Was he being fired?
Ravenburg clearly saw the look on his face, because he raised a placating talon.
"This is not a demotion, merely a transfer. If it were up to me you'd stay on as one of my best infiltrators, but I feel that you'd be of more help to the Empire as a diplomat."
He snorted.
"The Lady Eagleclaw would kill me if I told her that the first Pony Citizen of a Minotaur City-State was going to be sneaking into slave-owner's manor houses."
Step nervously took a sip from his glass...and almost spat it out, coughing at the strength of the liquor. Ravenburg grinned.
"Besides, I'm sure Ms. Gold Heart would like to see her rescuer more often."
He gestured towards his office window, where one of keen vision could make out the masts of a trio of Labyrinthian ships, docked in the harbor of Aukland.
"She came all the way across the ocean with you...I dare say she's not going to be letting you get away from her anytime soon."
Ravenburg's smile widened at his younger subordinate's continued spluttering.
Yes, Light Step lived an interesting life alright.
Maretonian Trade Route/Partner Identified, Contact made with Minotaur Republics
In case it wasn't clear, Minotauria's aesthetic is based off of Ancient Greece. Togas, pillars, democracy, etc.
I think this is the longest non-results post I've made that wasn't a battle scene. I might have let it get away from me, so let me know if there's anything I may not have made clear or needs elaboration.
The four smaller labels on the map are the four primary city-states of the Minotaur Republics. While there are over a dozen of them, those four are the largest, and most of the others tend to follow their lead. At present you only really have contact with Labyrinthian, the city that Light Step infiltrated, though that will change.
