[x] Plan Land of the Setting Sun
-[x] Expeditious Exploration: You have no real idea what lies beyond your borders. Discord altered the geography of the planet itself, and most records from before his arrival and reign of terror were lost amidst the madness of his reign. You know the world is bigger than your Empire though, and you're almost certain that other races, tribes and kingdoms managed to survive the era of chaos. Such potential neighbors could be allies and trade partners...or a threat to you and your people. Either way, it's better if you find them before they find you. Cost: 200. Time: Variable. Reward: Info on lands beyond your borders.
--[x] West: The lands beyond the Black Cliffs to the west of Aquileia are a mystery to you. Not even Brochard knew much about them, fixated as he was on issues closer to home. Gather some volunteers to venture amidst the peaks and report back with whatever they find.
-[x] First Contact Protocols: It's inevitable that your people will eventually journey beyond your borders. And when they do, they will likely encounter other peoples, with their own kingdoms, cultures and languages. First impressions are important, so set up some classes and procedural regulations to prepare diplomats for meeting and negotiating with unknown peoples. Cost: 100. Time: One Year. Reward: First Contact Protocols established, bonus to first impressions with other cultures.
-[x] Repairing Wingbardy: Brochard's Invasion devastated the lands of Talonuelli's Archduchy. Much of the damage has been repaired since, but not all of it. Many farms still lie in ruins, villages still only partially habited, and Wingbardy's famously fertile fields lie fallow. You opened up your coffers for the Kingdom that invaded them, surely you can do the same for the people that you saved? Cost: 500. Time: One Year. Reward: Wingbardy returns to pre-Invasion status, Additional Farming Income from Revitalized Agriculture. Chance of Success: 90%
-[x] Mad Dog Disease: The mind-killing disease the Diamond Dogs told you about is frightening in its lethality and infectivity. You can scarcely imagine the carnage and chaos that would ensue if an outbreak occurred amongst your Dog subjects. Even worse, what if the disease jumped from Dogs to Griffons, as Archimedes says could potentially occur? If you're going to fight this thing, you'll need to understand how it works. And to do that, Archimedes needs to see it up close. Have your soldiers fetch some "test subjects" from the few remaining feral dens and see if your thinkers and healers can't come up with something. Cost: 200. Time: One Year. Reward: Information on Feral Disease. Chance of Success: 70%
-[x] Water Pumps: While the inclusion of Diamond Dogs brought a great deal of innovations and increased productivity to your mines, there was one problem even they couldn't really solve: the issue of flooding and water leaking into the tunnels. It's not often a problem in most mines, but every now and then a excavation has to be halted so a line of buckets can be set up to bail out the water that has seeped in from either rainfall, melting mountain ice, or underground water sources. Archimedes claims to have a solution. Using a complex system of tubes and pipes, a device can be constructed to heat water and produce steam, creating a vacuum that will raise water from below and then use steam pressure to raise it higher and out of the mines. Or something. You honestly had difficulty following much of Archimedes' explanation, but the idea of a device that can improve mine production is certainly an attractive one. Cost: 300. Time: One Year. Reward: Increased Mining Income. Chance of Success: 80%
-[x] Lord Ravenburg's Big Book of Blackmail: That earlier issue with the barons served to highlight what a headache they can be at times. Oh sure, you have their loyalty and support now, but at some point in the future you're going to want or need something that they won't want to give you or let you do. Being a member of the nobility himself, Ravenburg has a solution: blackmail. What with all the scheming and backstabbing that the nobility get up to, almost all of them have secrets that they wouldn't want being made public knowledge. It might be a good idea to learn a few of those secrets, just in case some uppity count needs to be "convinced" not to oppose you politically. Cost: 100. Time: One Year. Reward: Blackmail on Griffonian nobility acquired.
-[x] Cracking an Egg: The dragon egg you've acquired is currently stored in a specialized room of your castle, designed to ensure it is kept at the proper temperature. Archimedes, ever the problem-solver, claims he has a way to encourage the egg to hatch, or to prevent it from hatching, should you wish it. Honestly, you're not too sure what to do. Your people know little about dragons beyond the obvious; the closest thing to an expert you have is your wife, who only knows how to kill them. Still, it seems a waste to just leave it sitting in your palace as a glorified paper-weight. Fully grown dragons are forces of nature, capable of taking on entire battalions of Griffon warriors and burning whole villages to the ground in minutes. Then again, those also seem like good reasons not to allow the egg to hatch, now that you think of it. Cost: 0. Time: One Year. Reward: Hatched Dragon Egg.
-[x] The Apprentice-The Nutty Professor: Genevieve Talonuelli seems like a good candidate for your privy council, but if she is going to eventually replace one of your advisors she'll need to gain some practical experience. Archimedes has a lot of energy considering his age and workload, but he has a number of learned Griffons around him at all times to assist him in whatever project he's currently invested in. You're sure he'd be more than happy to add the young Genevieve to his staff. Cost: 0. Time: One Year. Reward: Genevieve Talonuelli becomes assistant to Archimedes, will eventually replace him should it become necessary.
