I personally feel that putting a snobbish, entitled noble in charge of justice in a kingdom which has very recently had a king abusing that system is asking for trouble. I'd actually trust him more as spymaster than chief judge. With diplomacy, he's not great at it but he's got connections basically everywhere, and no foreign noble can complain that we've sent inferiors to deal with them.
Okay, I'll try to explain my point of view in a little more detail.
In my opinion, ministers have two parameters: competence and loyalty.
I don't trust Vallefor's loyalty, so I see the spymaster position as a problem.
What does a spymaster do?
He builds an information network and provides the ruler with information, and also offers solutions that are not intended for the eyes of the public.
In practice this means there is no oversight of his activities, no other minister and not us.
That's why a Spymaster with questionable loyalty is so dangerous, we don't notice when he does something he shouldn't.
If someone offers him a really good deal in the future or we do something he doesn't like (he's very reactionary) then he can work against us without it being immediately obvious.
I disqualified him from the position of spymaster not because of his lack of competence, but because of his lack of loyalty.
He simply lacks the competence for the position of foreign minister.
His contacts, as you call them, only help with finding information or with blackmail, he is a really bad candidate for negotiating something like a trade agreement or alliance agreement.
Even in tasks where his trait is activated, he only has a stat of 10, which a real diplomat could have as a base value.
Much of our success depends on the behavior of our neighboring countries, we shouldn't trust him to monitor that.
If he is unjust as a judge, everyone will see that, there is no shadow and we can take a stand against it.
If he is loyal, his information search trait will help him there too and he will be at least semi-competent.
In addition, the position is simply not as important as the other positions where we can then employ capable, loyal people.
I'd just like to point out Count Vallefor put Vanessa in power. As a compromise candidate, yes, but he agreed to it and got his position off of the deal. While this hardly means we want him there forever, I suspect we won't ever see him openly treasonous against us unless we/Vanessa consistently rule against his favour and/or rule incompetently/like our predecessor. I don't like his attitude but that'll probably be where it ends for Vanessa's trouble if we play even passably.
For that matter, any position we give him will be a point of leverage against us so if we do suspect he'll turn against us, we will see problems regardless of position. Maybe the position he'd look the most competent in is where he can deliberately do the worst damage, but I say his attitude alone can make an effect as the Keeper of Envoys by accident than as the Keeper of Secrets deliberately. nevermind thst he's got the resources to breed deceit beyond our direct sight no matter his rope. In short, I doubt that attempting to control his potential damage via his role will come to anything beyond the negligible, if that.
While I'm 100% OK with the Count not being the Spymaster, theres simply no excuse or sufficient reason to put him in a position where he'll do terrible. At least as Spymaster/Chief Judge he gets to use one of his more passable stats.
I'm gonna keep the voting open until the time set in the banner( though it seems to have died down) mostly because I won't have time to work on the next chapter until then anyway. But as an unofficial tally:
Adhoc vote count started by Eternal_0bserver on Oct 20, 2023 at 2:31 PM, finished with 39 posts and 12 votes.
[X] [RIENNE] You're giving her the estate and lands of Lady Tyrona Lashi, one of Syrokis's closest allies, and guilty of ordering the execution of prisoners of war during the civil war, including noble ones. Extensive (even moreso than Varto's lands), but sparsely populated lands near the Northeastern Crown reserve.
[X][RIENNE] You're giving her the estate and lands of Lord Rogaris Varto, Syrokis's former spymaster, in charge of silencing dissent for years before the war broke out. Well-developed and extensive (for a lordship) lands in the southeast of the Kingdom.
[X] [RIENNE] You're giving her the land and estates of Lady Wenda Corvol, who died without clear issue during the war, and her lands escheated back to the crown. A fairly small estate, modest in size and wealth, just beyond the borders of Ashdan March.
[X][RIENNE] You're giving her the estate and lands of Lord Orgus Blosk, Syrokis's former Keeper of Justice, who ensured that what trials Syrokis did bother with always went the way he wanted. A fairly small amount of lands, but wealthy, well-developed and densely populated, not far from Port Lest.
[X][RIENNE] You're going to carve an extensive - really, truly extensive - tract of land out of one of the Crown Reserves for her. -[X]Out of the Northeastern Crown Reserve
The biggest thing in dispute is whether Vallefor is Keeper of Secrets or Keeper of Envoys. Keeper of Justice could edge in there even. The other votes could go a different way, but it would take more, but Vallefor is tied.
Knowing that Balmain is likely to become Interior Minister, we should consider what that means for the other positions.
Maybe we should think about it not from the perspective of what the right position for Vallefor is, but rather which positions are most important to us. (Vallfor Stat range is 5-7 and he has a semi-helpful trait, which isn't that impressive when you know that Basestat 10 could be waiting for us with much better traits)
Of the following positions which 2 positions are the most important: (Foreign Minister)
(Spymaster) (Chief Judge)
Would argue the most important are (Foreign Minister) and (Spymaster).
We need someone capable for foreign diplomacy (we're not exactly doing well there right now) and someone trustworthy for our defense in the shadows (even if there isn't a problem yet, some of us are very sympathetic to the common people if we go in that direction it will cause problems).
I would also consider these positions to be long-term, as both are powerful vassals and can cause problems even outside of the council.
If we can't take them out of the game completely, they should stay on the council.
Chief Judge looks like the best solution to me, it's really not the most critical position and if problems arise we can take a position against him.
In the end this could even be the easiest way to get rid of him completely (if we want that), as a judge he has to follow the law exactly compared to other positions.
It would be nice if we didn't give him the keys to the Shadow Kingdom, if we have other options.
Seeing that this is parity between the appointment of Vallefor as Foreign Minister and Spymaster, I feel that I should argue my opinion on this issue a little better.
1. Vallefor is a very mediocre diplomat. His abilities in this regard are simply insufficient, and his ability will not work outside of fairly specific interactions with the nobles of the Necromancer Kingdom. But what is much worse is his bias. It's not even malicious intent - Vallefor may be trying to do its job in good faith, but at the same time harming our efforts. Given the state of the Kingdom, the Foreign Minister seems to be the most important person in our recovery efforts, along with the Minister of Finance. These are also two of Vanessa's strengths, and we'll likely be leaning on them throughout the game, so it's important to choose the right people for these positions.
2. Vallefor is a worthy spy. He seems well-versed in intrigue, and his bonus is great for keeping an eye on domestic intrigue. He won't be as good at surveillance in other countries, but I've always considered counter-espionage to be a more important part of the job. In addition, the author says that we can train advisors.
3. Finding the perfect candidate for the Spymaster position is almost impossible. People who can be trusted are usually bad at intrigue and vice versa. The people we are offered for this position are almost guaranteed to have their own agenda, which we may not even know about. With Vallefor we at least have an idea of his interests. Plus, his high position means that he will be extremely difficult to bribe other countries or our vassals - what will they offer him that he doesn't already have? And we might not even get someone with noticeably better stats - the numbers here are relatively low, and 10 denotes a famous expert in a certain field.
4. Vallefor is not necessarily as bad as we think. We haven't even seen a single dialogue with him. Yes, we are aware of his flaw, but from his behaviour in the throne room, it is clear that he takes his role very seriously and is not trying to sabotage Vanessa. This is also confirmed by the fact that he brought his family to the capital - it is unlikely that he would have done this if he was planning a conspiracy under the nose of the magician of illusions, and where any unsuccessful move could turn them into hostages. And why does he need it? It was he who supported Vanessa in her ascension to the throne, which means it is he and his faction that is our main support right now. Plus, people can change their minds, and Vanessa is quite good at persuasion.
5. As noted, being appointed to another post does not mean that he will not be able to intrigue against us, bribing our Spymaster, for example. It may actually be more convenient.
Overall, putting a competent enough powerful vassal in the position of Spymaster, with whom we need to establish good relations anyway, seems like a good idea. We can't get rid of it anyway - it would give too much power to Lady Balmain. And while her description may sound better, we know that the goals of these two are not much different.
Nice now we have a three-way tie.
I'll put together my favorite red flags from his description of why he shouldn't become a spymaster.
Not going to lie, I would have trouble falling asleep as the MC if I knew he had that position.
Vallefor has some of the bluest blood of anyone, or at least he claims, and most would agree. And he acts like it - snobby, arrogant, entitled, demanding and rich, Vallefor thinks the vast majority of the world needs to just bow down to him and obey.
Conservative and not remotely interested in reforms that could hurt his wealth and power, Vallefor only joined the rebellion against Syrokis when Syrokis's overreach saw a member of his own family killed without trial.
Already an influential (if disliked by many) noble, Vallefor quickly rose to dominate the conservative faction of the nobility in the Estates once they reconvened. He leveraged this position to force the new Queen to accept him onto the Inner Council as part of the requirement for her to formally approved as Queen by the Estates.
With all the laws he would have to follow if he held the judge's position he would be in a truly controlled position in which he is not bad.
I wouldn't say in advance that we wouldn't find anyone better for the (Spymaster) position, but if that really happens, we can always reorganize the council.
We could fix this problem quickly.
Let's put him in the (Chief Judge) position first.
[X][LADY BALMAIN] Make Lady Balmain Keeper of the Sheriffs and Reeves (Interior Minister)
[X][COUNT VALLEFOR] Make Count Vallefor Keeper of Secrets (Spymaster)
[X][RIENNE] You're giving her the estate and lands of Lady Tyrona Lashi, one of Syrokis's closest allies, and guilty of ordering the execution of prisoners of war during the civil war, including noble ones. Extensive (even moreso than Varto's lands), but sparsely populated lands near the Northeastern Crown reserve.
Vallefor seems like an interesting character, and his trait makes him a very powerful spymaster. He supported Vanessa's candidacy, and doesn't have to be an enemy. I'd rather keep him as a friend than waste his talents. Embracing the nobility will likely be a fact of life.
[X][COUNT VALLEFOR] Make Count Vallefor Keeper of Secrets (Spymaster)
High Intrigue people, by definition, are untrustworthy.
If someone is an expert liar, it means they practiced lying.
Unless we have the incredibly good fortune to recruit a political/ religious fanatic who just also happens to have excellent intrigue and beliefs we understand and consistently align with our motives (the second part being far less likely than the first), I legitimately don't think it gets better than this.
Better the devil you know, then the hidden threats you do not.
Plus, judges are really important too, in my opinion. Precedent is an enormous part of law; if such a position were easy, straightforward and unimportant, high judicial positions would not be so ferociously fought over.
I think the choice has been made, so it's no longer about that, but I still want to push back a bit on 2 ideas that were presented here.
1. "Spymasters or people with high intrigue are always unreliable"
If we can argue with today's world, I would even say the opposite.
Look at the secret service bosses, these are people who are particularly good at organizing and managing, like in most organizations today.
Most of the time they come directly from the organization and were often former active spies.
Without getting specific, we can't say whether they are all always competent.
But they all have one thing in common, they wouldn't be in the position they are in now if there was even a little doubt about their loyalty to the respective state.
Even simple spies have to pass extensive loyalty tests in order to be hired.
I would argue the idea of the unreliable spy is an entertainment industry myth based on a few prominent individual cases.
To make an even more controversial statement, I would argue that intelligence officers in today's countries are just as patriotic or even more patriotic than members of the same country's military.
Of course, this is only because it is institutionally desired and has proven to be the best way.
2. "Judge positions are important today and this is also applicable to a feudal monachy"
Positions in today's supreme courts are only important because of the system of separation of powers in use.
A distinction is made between the three powers legislature, executive and judiciary.
The Supreme Court only has so much influence because it is independent.
In a feudal state there is no such thing.
Nobles can enact laws in their countries, have influence on enforcement and jurisdiction depends on their consent.
So a Chief Judge can speak law at our mercy and can be replaced at any time, he has no institutional power, judges in a system of separation of powers are a very different beast.
I wouldn't be surprised if this is just an council position to act as legal advisor to a ruler.
It's not all that critical, but a long car ride makes you think.
That would be mostly incorrect. If I meant it as that, I'd have noted the Keeper of Justice as (Minister of Justice) rather than (Chief Judge). And there was that comment about Syrokis's previous Keeper of Justice ensuring rulings were in his favor. The Keeper of Justice does have some investigatory and advisory power, but primarily their job is to hear legal cases, as the Monarch is the court of last resort, issue bounties on outlaws and deliver judgements, etc.
That would be mostly incorrect. If I meant it as that, I'd have noted the Keeper of Justice as (Minister of Justice) rather than (Chief Judge). And there was that comment about Syrokis's previous Keeper of Justice ensuring rulings were in his favor. The Keeper of Justice does have some investigatory and advisory power, but primarily their job is to hear legal cases, as the Monarch is the court of last resort, issue bounties on outlaws and deliver judgements, etc.
Okay, it's interesting how many council positions there are here, it's not like that in the games.
I assumed a little too much and deviated a bit from the point I wanted to make.
But I don't find it so surprising that the former Keeper of Justice always decided in Syrokis's favor.
In the current system, the ruler is the only one who hires or fires him.
The point I originally wanted to make is that it is a very dependent position and cannot be compared to today's Chief Justices.
(Appointments are not for life or have a term and I suspect rulers can still overrule decisions.)
I'm a little surprised that the Estates didn't want to vote on such a position from now on.
That would be pretty modern and forward thinking for them. The Estates do actually have a lot of control over purse strings and many kinds of laws that can be passed in the first place and the fate of Syrokis proves ignoring them too often is dangerous anyway - Teran and Brunn always liked to get their buy-in before doing major major stuff because they were wise enough to be worried. Syrokis was overconfident he could always keep them nobles/merchants/gentry in line with divide and conquer, his spies and his soldiers. And to be fair it did work for quite a while.
What the Estates did do in this case was offer short-lists for who you can pick for the slots that won't be filled by Vallefor and Balmain. They did offer a shortlist for High Marshall too, but you were able to get Rienne in there because the Estates were like 'yeah, we can all get behind her'. You won't have quite as much freedom for what doesn't get filled by Vallefor and Balmain, at least this time. In the future, you might have more freedom to fill your council, but equally, you don't want to consistently ignore the will of the nobles/merchants/gentry/clergy. At least gotta get some of them on-side.
Just mentioned it as a reference point because I needed a comparison.
It wasn't meant to be judgmental if it came across that way.
When I think of a royal council, I always think of the advisory function and so I had a bit of a hard time classifying that.
I'm interested to see how this all plays out at a council meeting.
Hrrrm…
It occurs to me we had a lot of freedom to decide where these two go.
But I wonder if that's really more of a 'here are two advisors you will slot into your council, this is non-negotiable.' But BECAUSE this was the Estates dictating terms to us, we had extra leeway in that we didn't have anything set up to take roles in our council to begin with…
I'd like to ask a question concerning the way the Clergy works, because here I see a big potential culture clash-
Here in IRL you do not get many 'Journey to the West' situations of multiple religions competing with stories and philosophical throwdowns, at least to my knowledge. It tends to be more 'a religion cozies up to their government to get them to do things in their favor' kind of deal.
Here, there are quite a few Gods, enough I don't trust myself to keep track without significant study or omakes to work with.
And as such, I wonder-
We selected the Alior church to handle the coronation. If we were to let them bend our ear, would this cause the kingdoms to lean more and more towards the Alior? Or, would they start to subtly slide people aligned to other church's into positions as well, forming a sort of 'idealized court' according to the way the church thinks?
Because one of those is going to be relatively nice the other means the clergy are liable to be a MASSIVE headache if they start getting rowdy…
[X] [RIENNE] You're giving her the estate and lands of Lady Tyrona Lashi, one of Syrokis's closest allies, and guilty of ordering the execution of prisoners of war during the civil war, including noble ones. Extensive (even moreso than Varto's lands), but sparsely populated lands near the Northeastern Crown reserve.
[X][RIENNE] You're giving her the estate and lands of Lord Rogaris Varto, Syrokis's former spymaster, in charge of silencing dissent for years before the war broke out. Well-developed and extensive (for a lordship) lands in the southeast of the Kingdom.
[X] [RIENNE] You're giving her the land and estates of Lady Wenda Corvol, who died without clear issue during the war, and her lands escheated back to the crown. A fairly small estate, modest in size and wealth, just beyond the borders of Ashdan March.
[X][RIENNE] You're giving her the estate and lands of Lord Orgus Blosk, Syrokis's former Keeper of Justice, who ensured that what trials Syrokis did bother with always went the way he wanted. A fairly small amount of lands, but wealthy, well-developed and densely populated, not far from Port Lest.
[X][RIENNE] You're going to carve an extensive - really, truly extensive - tract of land out of one of the Crown Reserves for her. -[X]Out of the Northeastern Crown Reserve
We selected the Alior church to handle the coronation. If we were to let them bend our ear, would this cause the kingdoms to lean more and more towards the Alior? Or, would they start to subtly slide people aligned to other church's into positions as well, forming a sort of 'idealized court' according to the way the church thinks?
Because one of those is going to be relatively nice the other means the clergy are liable to be a MASSIVE headache if they start getting rowdy…
Selecting Alior's High Priest to do the benediction was about saying that protecting your people was your highest goal, or at least sending that mesage, etc.
The 22 Churches don't all agree on everything, given that they have their own local rivalries, distinct interests, etc. They are part of a single pantheon of gods, and most conventional views of them see many families in there (for instance, Serissa (Goddess of Assassins) is usually seen as the daughter of Luciana (Goddess of Thieves and Lust) and Maedon (God of the Hunt) or other relations and histories. Of course, different cultures have slightly different ideas about the gods and what they stand for. The churches aren't all one big happy family, but in the face of someone who was consistently trying to weaken the power of all the churches, or was an Alatrist, or a demon worshipper or whatever, the churches do tend to work together.
A smart monarch doesn't alienate any one god, but favoring the deity most aligned with what you want to do, or you prioritize, is common. For instance, the Kingdom of the Necromancers obviously favors Selras as their chief deity, since she's the goddess of Necromancy. Morvak has churches to Tallend all over the place since they love war so much, etc. So it's not uncommon for one church to have more power than others. But even the most honorable and honest ruler should probably make sure Serissa has a temple that can operate, because while she's the patron of assassins, pissing her off will only make assassins have better chances when they go after you, if they do, etc (Gods can shift and sway events in favor of mortals that appease them/their clergy, or vice-versa. Sometimes it can be quite indirect)
If you started giving the church of Alior preferential treatment, that would see you aligning with them - as long as you didn't go so far as to start yoinking rights or lands or whatever from the other churches, they might be a bit sour, but that's probably it. But of course, that does mean that they'll at the very least be less likely to offer extra prayers on your behalf, or make their clergy freely available for spellcasting needs, etc. If you spend years favoring Alior over Tallend, for instance (they don't get along and their churches tend not to as well) then if you decide you'd like Tallend's blessing for a war you're about to start, the Church will probably ask for more than they would have under other circumstances, etc.
What the Estates did do in this case was offer short-lists for who you can pick for the slots that won't be filled by Vallefor and Balmain. They did offer a shortlist for High Marshall too, but you were able to get Rienne in there because the Estates were like 'yeah, we can all get behind her'. You won't have quite as much freedom for what doesn't get filled by Vallefor and Balmain, at least this time. In the future, you might have more freedom to fill your council, but equally, you don't want to consistently ignore the will of the nobles/merchants/gentry/clergy. At least gotta get some of them on-side.
The way the councillor selection was structured was interesting.
We got two where the person and the position was locked in. Morn is going to be the Keeper of Correspondence. Axecavern is going to be Keeper of the Vaults.
One person who has to be there, but we don't have to appoint her to any position.
Then we're able to get in one person/position of our choice by recruiting from the other queen candidates.
Two people who have to be there, but which position they are in is at our discretion.
And finally two positions, (now revealed to be Chief Justice and Foreign Minister), where we'll get a short list to pick from for each.
I don't know how it'll be in your game, but what I've found interesting in similar quests is how much the councillor affects not just success or failure, but what projects are even proposed in the first place. Sure there's obvious no-brainer projects that get proposed to address obvious needs, but in the long run Rienne may have ideas for things to do with the army that a different Lord Marshal would never think to propose.
I don't know how it'll be in your game, but what I've found interesting in similar quests is how much the councillor affects not just success or failure, but what projects are even proposed in the first place. Sure there's obvious no-brainer projects that get proposed to address obvious needs, but in the long run Rienne may have ideas for things to do with the army that a different Lord Marshal would never think to propose.
There is some of that planned, yes. Not necessarily immediately as there are so many obvious action items that need to be resolved first, but the councillors will be characters with their own perspectives and ideas and the list of things they'll suggest will be different as time goes on.
I assume you mean General Darach? Yeah, she's... complicated. The relationship between the Crown and the Knights of the Golden Throne is a bit... complicated. The short version is to say it's more like the tributary relationship in CK2 than a standard vassal one, but that is over simplifying it. Since you didn't make her High Marshall (she could have been on the short list) she's still kicking around as a general you can make use of. She's not really in the Inner Council per se - neither is General Trins - but they're not really not in the Inner Council either. They're just below Rienne, technically, but General Darach is also an emissary from the Knights, so she's also not under her in that respect.
So, the way that this will be structured is that each turn will basically start with a Council Meeting, where Vanessa meets with her Inner Council, the main tasks for the turn will be divvied out/decided. Then there'll be income processing/etc, which will also include further votes figuring out how to pay down the debt - I'll always try to leave you the option to leave some of the minutia to me if you guys prefer not to deal with every nitty-gritty detail, and in those cases, I promise I will not set out to sabotage you guys for doing so.
Some tasks the Council or the Queen take up will necessitate follow-up votes, some won't really even need much written to handle their resolution, and some will be resolved just with a short scene. Once everything with the turn is done, interest on all outstanding loans will be applied, and the next turn will start. Some projects will require multiple turns, require multiple tasks, or so forth. I'll try to make the process as transparent as possible, and if you're ever confused, please ask. This quest does have a lot of moving parts, after all.
Vanessa had been formally Queen for a little over a day. The first day of her new reign was filled with a few formal events - meeting with various minor officials in the palace, making a few final decisions on who to keep on and who to let go, and so forth. As well as reports. So many reports. The state of the Kingdom was, to put it lightly, shit.
Okay, that is... perhaps not fair. Most of the Kingdom is... doing as well as can be expected, but there are trouble spots that definitely are shit, and there's so much to do. Once, while apprenticing to Cyril, Vanessa had made a mistake in the alchemy lab, and half the place lit aflame, and she'd had to scramble to get the fires put out, while protecting and salvaging what she could... and then of course, dealing with her mentor's 'I'm not mad, I'm just disappointed' look.
How the old man could make a teenage Vanessa feel more guilty with a single disappointed look than her teachers at the Academ in Veldros could with five minutes of screaming, Vanessa didn't know.
But regardless of that, Vanessa's current situation felt like those panicked minutes in the lab, but writ large.
I got out of that, so I can get out of this.
She was in the Royal Study once more, though meeting this time with her Inner Council, rather than the people who had been 'helping' her plan her coronation. Vaness was wearing a far simpler circlet made of gold with a few amethysts set in rather than the crown she'd worn for the coronation and the feast, and she was wearing a silk dress - there were quite a few to choose from, and she couldn't help but appreciate that part of being Queen. None of her predecessors had spared much in buying dresses for their wives, mistresses, and so forth, and many of them remained in the Royal Wardrobes.
Rykall Morn was the first to arrive, hurrying in, his spectacles covering eyes red and with heavy bags under them, a dozen scrolls and countless more assorted pieces of parchment in hand. He made for the chair closest to her on her left, which was the proper seat for the Keeper of Correspondence.
"Keeper Rykall," Vanessa nodded.
"Your - your majesty." He nearly tripped over himself giving her a quick bow and then nearly dropped his papers and scrolls, speaking quickly. "I - I apologize if I'm early, I was worried I'd get lost on my way up here, this palace is quite large and -"
"You're a bit early, but not that much more."
"Good, good," he tried to stack the scrolls up around him without any rolling off, but it proved to be a bit... difficult. "I have a lot of reports that the Council needs to read, but I'm not sure we have enough time for all of them, so I am prepared to summarize as needed, and I can make sure you or any of the councilors have copies," he pushed his spectacles back up his nose.
The role of the Keeper of Correspondence was technically just to serve as the one who received and sorted and prioritized all the petitions and messages that were sent to the Crown, and then pass them on to the monarch. Of course, as Kingdoms had developed, and royal bureaucracies got established, then some reports were best passed on to other figures, and over the centuries since, in the Tamildan-speaking lands, the Keeper of Correspondence had emerged as a chief secretary to the monarch, and even a chief bureaucrat, organizing paperwork, reports, sending information to where it was supposed to go, managing meetings. All the sorts of things the excitable man in front of her purportedly excelled at.
"Very good. Though, as you say, there is much to do, so it might be best if you provide summaries of everything and I'll ask for more details as needed."
Rykall nodded. Over the next few minutes, the rest of the Inner Council trickled in - Lady Balmain, Rucdorn Axecavern, Rienne and Count Vallefor, the Kingdom's new Keeper of Secrets the last to arrive, though he wasn't late. Each one gave her a slight bow and greeted her with 'your majesty', and Vaness greeted each in turn as well. Including greeting Rienne with her new title as Lady Rienne. She hadn't had the chance to visit her new Estates, formerly owned by the late, unlamented Tyrona Lashi, but Vanessa had made sure signing the relevant decree had been done first thing yesterday.
Best not to delay on promises, when you could avoid it, and all.
"Well, we all have much to do to get this kingdom functioning again, so let's work through everyone in turn. Keeper Rucdorn, given the state of the Royal Finances, perhaps you should go first."
"Of course," Rucdorn confirmed. He ran a bejeweled hand through his beard, "The short version is that we are at least not going to have more in our regular expenses than in our income. That's the positive news. Unfortunately, the negative news is that we're not going to have enough to cover all the interest on our loans, even if we don't spend any money at all. And as much as I would prefer that we prioritize paying back our loans, it's not as if we can't spend any money on anything else."
He started ticking items off on his fingers, "Obviously there's the state of the roads, which is going to hamper how much we can collect in taxes anyway. There's the fact that everyone's holding on to their gold and silver coins, if they aren't already sending out of the Kingdom anyway, so there's just not enough gold and silver to cover everyone's expenses anyway, and however we resolve that, that's going to cost money as well. And I'm sure that rebuilding everything else left in tatters, metaphorically or physically, by Syrokis is going to cost money."
"Absolutely. It's not as if we can rely on Syrokis's spies and agents, so we'll need to rebuild our own eyes and ears inside the kingdom and outside of it." Vallefor noted primly. Vanessa noted that he was somehow - somehow - managing to avoid his usual expression that said he was smelling something foul, though the smug note in his voice was there, as ever. "And information doesn't always come cheaply. I can't give you a clear idea how much it will cost yet, and we at least have a pool of people who fought for the rebellion to draw from, but..."
"And while we can cover the costs of keeping the Army in it's current size, if you want to demobilize any of them without a riot or mutiny, we'll need to pay them the customary bonus." Rienne added. "And I do think we should. I may not have been High Marshall for long, but I have been going over things, and unless you're planning on starting a war, your Majesty, there's simply no need for the army to be as large as it is."
"Unless we find out Morvak is planning to attack us or something of that nature, I'm inclined to agree," Balmain nodded, looking over at Vallefor. "Are they?" She arched an eyebrow carefully.
"It's been less than two days since I've taken up my post, Balmain, surely you understand the fact that information takes time to travel?" Vallefor countered, sneering, "Or did they forget to teach you that in your Selissan University?"
"It's not as if you don't have people of your own keeping an eye on things anyway," Balmain countered.
"As do you. Everyone has friends and associates that they correspond with." Vallefor shrugged. "I try to keep informed, and if I had any information to suggest that Morvak was up to anything other than the usual saber-rattling, I'd be telling you."
Vanessa laughed, "And there hasn't been a day Morvak hasn't rattled their sabers in... ever? Of course, just because someone is making a great deal of noise with one spell doesn't mean they don't also have another hand behind their back preparing a different spell in hand." She said more gravely.
"Rattling a saber is noisy, drawing one isn't," Rienne agreed, and the rest of the Council nodded as well.
"If Morvak does invade, and we have demobilized part of our army - say a quarter of it - would we be left too exposed?" Vanessa asked.
Rienne shook her head. "Unless they are exceedingly fortunate, or someone in Thornferd betrays the Kingdom, no. And while I have some doubts about how much some of the officers in Thordferd are in terms of their loyalty to you, the Estates did make sure that every officer they sent there was one that had a history of skirmishing with Morvak or lost friends and family during the war with them early in Syrokis's reign. So..." Rienne tapped her fingers against the table.
"If Morvak invades, they'll have go go through the Thornmarch, and Syrokis did fortify it quite well, and the region didn't see much fighting during the civil war. As soon as I can find the time, I'd like to personal inspect the fortifications there, especially around the Thornmarch, but if they invade, our forces and defenses there should be enough to hold them until we can move other forces and critically, call up the levies. I'm still going over all the contracts and treaties that are still in force since the Kingdom's creation about how many forces we can call up from who, and obligations about length of service and so forth, but we should be able to raise a force that can hold the line. I can't say I'm thrilled about the prospects of hammering everyone into a single force again, after doing it during the war, but..."
"There's hardly a need to hammer everyone into a single force, at least not those of us who bring substantial forces to the table," Vallefor countered. "Obviously you'' remain in command, Lady Rienne," He definitely had a slight stretch to how he said Rienne's title there, "but any levies I raise will be commanded by my people in the day to day."
"If that's within the terms of the contracts you signed with the crown, then I suppose I can't argue the point," Rienne said after a long moment, trying to stay diplomatic. "Though I would suggest that it's inefficient."
"It's proper. My levies are my people." Vallefor countered.
"Vallefor, if you're going to get into a dick measuring contest with a woman, you've already lost." Balmain countered.
Vanessa snapped her fingers and the sound of thunder roared through the chamber for a moment, drawing everyone's attention to her. "I appreciate you both do that thing nobles like to do where you cordially despise one another," she gestured to Balmain and Vallefor, "and snipe during any situation you're together, but I had quite enough of that during the rebellion, and I won't have it in my Study during meetings of my Council, at the very least. Save it for the feasts and galas."
She looked back to Rucdorn, "Please continue. You were brought in to keep Keeper of the Royal Vaults because of your expertise with money, especially loans, so what would you suggest?"
"Well, in the short term, there are a few ways you could make money - I've spoken to Keeper Rykall about some, and he has some reports on those, but there's the matter of confiscated properties - not the estates and titles, but manors in the cities, or property belonging to Syrokis's most loyal followers who weren't noles and the like. We can try to sell those off, auctions will likely be the best option. We can also sell tax-farming rights, but I don't really recommend it. Tax farmers are... unpopular, and they never raise as much money as you think. But in the short term, they could provide the infusion we need."
"The other option to help with that, and the one I would recommend, your majesty, is to negotiate bridge loans. I've been in... general talks with representatives from three banks we don't currently have any debts with. The Goldaxe Bank, which is a solid dwarven bank. Dwarves prefer long term investments, and the Goldaxe Clan especially does, and that's what loaning to a crown is - a long game. But they will have to be convinced we are a safe enough investment. We'd have an easier time with the Caragio and Veteger Banks in the Varaday Republic and Selissa respectively, but they will be asking higher rates. Still lower than some of our current loans, so it will be a gain, but only so much. I'd prefer to go with the Goldaxe, but as good as I am at loan negotiation, I'm not entirely sure we're in a good enough position to negotiate with them."
Rucdorn ground his teeth together for a moment, "Though, to be fair, we're not in a great position for loan negotiation with anyone right now. Which brings me to... a bit of an awkward thing for me to raise." He added. "I'm not a noble - not even by dwarven standards, and we do nobility differently than humans - and I know you just became Queen, but... well, every single bank representative I've been speaking to since the Estates picked you has said the same thing: They'd feel a lot more comfortable loaning us money if you had an heir."
Vanessa frowned, "I was hoping I'd have a few months before that came up." I'd really rather not have to balloon up with a child just to get better loans and keep the kingdom solvent. It was something that was going to come up eventually - if she chose a wife rather than a husband, perhaps they could be the broodmare, but...
It wasn't that Vanessa objected to having children. And she'd accepted the crown knowing she'd basically have to, but still. This early?
"It's not as if you need to... if you'll pardon me for putting it bluntly, conceive an heir tomorrow, but as I said, loaning money to a crown is a long game, and that long game requires the assumption that the next King or Queen will be there to keep paying any debts."
"And if you die without clear issue, your majesty... I'm not sure the Estates will be able to agree on another compromise choice." Lady Balmain said. "Not quickly, and not easily. If ever."
"There were a few people who proposed just letting Halrun dissolve entirely." Vallefor added. "Madmen, all of them," he sneered, "but if we're faced with the same problem we just dealt with, more people might listen to them." He held up a hand, "As long as you're on the throne, I don't think we'll have to worry about any sentiments like that taking hold, but..."
"If I die tomorrow, goodbye Halrun?" Vanessa asked, dryly.
"Quite possibly," Balmain nodded.
"Even if you're just making the appropriate moves to find a Consort, then that should help calm our creditors down," Rucdorn added.
"Well, then looking into that can be the first task of my new Keeper of Envoys, once we get that sorted," Vanessa considered. "I think it would be best to look further afield for a husband or wife than marrying locally. Wouldn't want anyone to think I'm picking sides among my nobles." She looked at Balmain and Vallefor, pointedly.
"Regrettable, but under the circumstances... it may be wise," Balmain agreed.
"I've already gotten messages from several nobles in Halrun about the prospect of opening negotiations with you about marriage prospects," Rykall said, after clearing his throat. "I - shall I send them your polite rejection?"
The wolves are circling already. "Yes, please do. Very polite. I don't want to offend anyone." Vanessa confirmed. She looked over at Rucdorn, "I don't think you're proposing we borrow our way out of our debts."
"In theory, we could borrow our way out of the current mess, using bridge loans and most of our income to pay the debt until we reach a point where we can cover the interest payments." Rucdorn said. "But finances shouldn't rely on theory. It's not a perfect long term solution." Rucdorn looked over at Rykall, nodding.
"Fortunately - we do have some options that should produce some small increases in revenue, not just quickly provide funds." Rykall said. "When the Estates cut all of Syrokis's tax increases, it was voted to just dig out all the old tax assessments from before his reign, and use those. They are... put simply, woefully out of date. Farms that don't exist anymore are recorded, others aren't recorded at all, trade routes have changed - especially with the war and the state of the roads, and that's just the start of it. Keeper Rucdorn and I have already set to work having some of the Tax Assessors set to work trying to update our records, but it will take time. If I make that my only focus for the next month, I can probably speed the process up, to a point, but no matter what, it will take months for us to update everything, at a minimum." He searched through his scrolls and handed her one. "This is all the information on where we need to update our tax assessments, but pretty much every source of tax revenue is operating on these old assessments."
"Money from the Royal Demesne is not, thankfully," Rucdorn added.
"And as for the short term options to help raise money?"
"Well... there is the sale of confiscated property. Keeper Rucdorn or myself can assign some of our - our subordinates," he cleared his throat again, "that's strange to say, 'my subordinates'," he added to himself quietly, then flushed as he realized he said that outloud. "We can have some of our subordinates handle the sale, but between Rucdorn's connections to mercantile interests and my own family connections - and what I know about where the financial bodies are buried in our records, one of us overseeing the auctions could very well increase how much we get out of them."
"Beyond that... I've received some inquiries about parties interested in buying some of Syrokis's art collection. Teran and Brunn were not particularly avid about art beyond the basics - paintings and tapestries and murals of their victories and achievements and so forth- but Syrokis collected quite a bit of art - Necrotic Empire vases, Selissan paintings, dwarven statuary, elven glass sculptures, and more. We could raise some funds by selling them. And... there are other things that we could sell off. Or melt down to provide raw materials for minting more coins."
"I don't think there's a need to sell off the Royal treasures as if the Palace is burning down," Vallefor countered. "You're a Queen, your majesty. People will expect a certain opulence. You can't have the palace looking like it belongs to some collection of penniless has-bens, like House Galren."
"Their castle has been looking quite bare and dilapidated in recent decades," Balmain agreed. "Lady Vorela Galren still hasn't found a suitable wife for her son among the nobility." She added, in a slightly conspiratorial, almost gossipy tone.
For all that those two hate each other, they're still both nobles. Vanessa mused.
"I assume you have a report with more details?" Vanessa asked Rykall, and he nodded, handing her another scroll. She set it down to look over later.
"Finally, there is one more way. There's - there's a lot of positions in the palace, the clerks, the tax assessors, the sheriff and reeves that are unfilled." Rykall was speaking slower now, almost hesitantly. "It is... it is neither against the law, nor against custom, in Halrun or anywhere else, to... ask that people... that is... we could always ask people looking for positions for themselves or their family members to... donate to the Crown an amount that makes clear how badly they want the job."
"...you want to ask for bribes?" Rienne asked, glaring at Rykall, and Rykall shook his head, spluttering.
"No, no - this is - if I was asking them for money for myself, that would be bribery, but this would be the selling of offices. Sinecures, most of them. Positions that come with some prestige, a small salary or a position of some influence... kingdoms do it quite time to raise money. It... has its downsides, but-"
"Downsides like incompetent or corrupt people filling the bureaucracy?" Vanessa asked, and Rucdorn nodded.
"Aye." the Dwarf confirmed. "But if you keep the most important jobs filled on merit, then you can mitigate the damage, and... well, there's an old saying among dwarves - gold does not stink."
"And as humans like to say, beggars can't be choosers," Vanessa sighed.
"There is something else I can suggest," Vallefor said, "As a way of getting money. While the property of all of Syrokis's closest associates has been confiscated and taken back to the crown, and their moveable wealth has already been added to the treasury or is set to be sold, that's not all their money. Both Syrokis and his own key allies - Dorgast and Countess Gramnen and Lady Tyrona Lashi and so forth - had money secreted away in several banks in Selissa and the Varaday Republic. Based on reports I heard during the war, Syrokis was contemplating fleeing to where he'd stashed his ill-gotten gains if the war had continued to turn, before things turned towards the capital."
Vanessa had heard rumors about that. The prospect of Syrokis getting away was one of the many reasons the rebellion had gone for that all or nothing strike.
"I admit I'm no expert on the law, or banks, but somehow I suspect the reach of our law to confiscate property ends at our borders."
"Broadly. But we may be able to convince some of these banks to give us some of the money. I can dispatch my people to see what we can do. From the information I do have - and I do remind you I did just take up this position two days ago - it sounds like the banks in the Varaday Republic have more of these deposits, but Varaday Bankers are the most inflexible and secretive of the lot. And they're too far away for us to have any leverage over. Selissan banks, at the very least, have to deal with the fact that Selissa would, under most circumstances, like us to be financially solvent - to an extent - so Morvak can't just ignore us, or worse, invade us with impunity."
"On the other hand, most of the money will still be there if we take our time getting our spy networks rebuilt. Which could make the process of clawing that money back a little easier." Vallefor added, emphasizing the last word. His tone was cool and arrogant throughout, confident, but at least he didn't sound overconfident.
"You'd rather wait until we have the spy networks rebuilt?" Vanessa checked, though she could guess his answer.
"I would. But the crown's finances are in dire straits, so if you deem it more important I can see what I can do." Vallefor confirmed.
Vanessa nodded, then looked to Lady Balmain. "I think your first priority needs to be the roads."
Balmain nodded. "I would agree. There is damage to the Coastal March, and several of the Crown Reserves that needs to be rebuilt, but the roads are the greatest problem. We need to properly assess just how bad they are - there's conflicting information - gather the materials and manpower and set to work." She sighed, "No matter how we do it, it will be an expensive prospect. And it will take time. It was the work of ten years to get our modern road network built. I'd consider us lucky if it takes less than two to have everything fully restored, but we could get to at least serviceable in six months, if we start now and everything goes to plan and I'm right about the state of the roads as they stand now, more or less.."
Vanessa let out a breath. "Well, Councillors, it would seem we have our work ahead of us, and I still need to select who shall fill the remaining positions. Let's get into details."
QM Note: Any task marked with a * is one where the relevant Councillor's (or Vanessa's) Trait (or one of their traits) Applies. In a handful of cases, the same task can be done by multiple councilors - you cannot double-up on tasks, but it's under multiple headers because it could be done by either one, and there are of course so many tasks to get done).
Currently none of Rienne's possible actions here cause her bad trait to kick in, but if a [QUEEN] action causes Vanessa's Greedy trait to kick in, it will be marked with a †.
As I said, what Debts to repay/etc will be the result of a follow-up vote, as some things here might change how much money you have to play with for that.
Everything except for the selection of the Keeper of Envoys and the Keeper of Justice MUST BE BY PLAN as obviously some of these choices are mutually exclusive or otherwise cannot be combined. The [ENVOYS] and [JUSTICE] votes should not be part of a plan. Everything else must be.
Please read over everything carefully, and ask questions.
I didn't literally include every single possible thing the Councillors could do, just the ones that seemed most relevant or interesting or necessary as appropriate. The write-ins are because I can't literally imagine everything. I would ask you to be sparing with write-in councilor tasks, just for the sake of simplicity.
Tax Assessments (Pick 2 to get resolved this turn) [ ][TAX ASSESSMENTS] Eaglecrest Trade Fees
[ ][TAX ASSESSMENTS] Port Lest Trade Fees
[ ][TAX ASSESSMENTS] Eaglecrest 3% Wealth Tax
[ ][TAX ASSESSMENTS] Port Lest 4% Wealth Tax
[ ][TAX ASSESSMENTS] South Tarkos Thanedom Land Tax & Mining Tax
[ ][TAX ASSESSMENTS] Lordship Land Tax Phase 1 (Of 2)
[ ][TAX ASSESSMENTS] Town Trade Revenue Phase 1 (Of 2)
[ ][TAX ASSESSMENTS] Write in Other Tax Source To Be Assessed (See Assets Post)
Sinecures (Pick 1) [ ][SINECURES] Sell Sinecures (+10 Dureks, Risks Corruption and Incompetence in Royal Administration)
[ ][SINECURES] Don't Sell Sinecures
Royal Treasures (Pick Any/All You Wish, 1 suboption per option) [ ][ROYAL TREASURES] Sell Some Of Syrokis's Art Collection
-[ ] Sell Most of It (+7 Dureks)
-[ ] Sell About Half of It (+3.5 Dureks)
[ ][ROYAL TREASURES] Sell Some of the Royal Wardrobe
-[ ] Sell About Half (+2 Dureks)
-[ ] Sell About a Quarter (+1 Durek)
[ ][ROYAL TREASURES] Sell Some of the Royal Cutlery/Plates/Etc
-[ ] Sell Most of it (+4 Dureks)
-[ ] Sell about Half of it (+2 Dureks)
-[ ] Sell about a quarter of it (+1 Durek)
[ ][ROYAL TREASURES] Melt Down Assorted Gold and Silver Items in the Palace & Other Royal Properties to be Minted Later (Provides progress towards resolving Currency Contraction)
-[ ] Melt Down Most of It
-[ ] Melt Down About Half
-[ ] Melt Down only the most unnecessary or tacky items
Keeper of Correspondence Tasks (Pick 1) [ ][CORRESPONDENCE] Personally Oversee Tax Assessments (Up to 2 more Tax Assessments Will be Finished This Turn) (Base Chance 50% + Stewardship + 1/2 Learning)*
-[ ] Pick Priority (Weak or Strong Success Required)
-[ ] Pick Secondary (Strong Success Required)
[ ][CORRESPONDENCE] Gather Reports On Banditry (Improves Base Chance of future Anti-Banditry Tasks) (Base Chance 65% + Stewardship)
[ ][CORRESPONDENCE] Gather Reports On The State Of The Roads (Opens More Road-Repair Related Tasks) (Base Chance 70% + Stewardship)*
[ ][CORRESPONDENCE] Personally Oversee The Sale of Confiscated Property (Weak Success Results in 25% more money from Sales, Strong Success Results in 50% more money from sales) (Base Chance 45% + Stewardship + Diplomacy)
[ ][CORRESPONDENCE] Reorganize the Clerks (Improves Base Chance of [CORRESPONDENCE] Tasks by 4% or 8% for the next 5 turns) (Base Chance 55% + Stewardship + Learning)*
[ ][CORRESPONDENCE] Suggest additional task, subject to QM Veto (Base Chance Will be Set by QM If Approved)
Keeper of The Royal Vaults (Pick 1) [ ][ROYAL VAULTS] Negotiate Bridge Loan of 100 Dureks To Help Pay Down Current Debts (Failure will mean no loan, Weak Success will mean the higher of the two offered interest rates, Strong Success will mean the lower of the two) (Must be Used To Pay Down Existing Debts)
-[ ] From The Goldaxe Bank (Lortan Dwarves) (11% or 9%) (Base Chance 50% + Stewardship)*
-[ ] From The Caragio Bank (Varaday Republic) (13% or 11%) (Base Chance 60% + Stewardship)*
-[ ] From the Veterger Bank (Selissa) (14% or 12%) (Base Chance 70% + Stewardship)*
[ ][ROYAL VAULTS] Negotiate Free-Standing Loan of 50 Dureks (Failure will mean no loan, Weak Success will mean the higher of the two offered interest rates, Strong Success will mean the lower of the two) (Can Be Used For Anything)
-[ ] From The Goldaxe Bank (Lortan Dwarves) (14% or 12%) (Base Chance 52% + Stewardship)*
-[ ] From The Caragio Bank (Varaday Republic) (15% or 13%) (Base Chance 63% + Stewardship)*
-[ ] From the Veterger Bank (Selissa) (17% or 15%) (Base Chance 74% + Stewardship)*
[ ][ROYAL VAULTS] Personally Oversee The Sale of Confiscated Property (Weak Success Results in 25% more money from Sales, Strong Success Results in 50% more money from sales) (Base Chance 45% + Stewardship + Diplomacy)
[ ][ROYAL VAULTS] Acquire Raw Materials To Mint New Gold and Silver Coins (Progress towards resolving Currency Contraction, Advances Royal Propaganda) (No Roll Required)
-[ ] Spend 5 Dureks
-[ ] Spend 10 Dureks
-[ ] Spend 15 Dureks
[ ][ROYAL VAULTS] Sell Tax-Farming Rights (Tax Farmers offer large sum of money up front and get full right to collect all taxes from a given source for a specified length of time) (Success of roll results on more money gained) (No matter what, you will get less money up front than you could get over that length of time) (Base Chance 55% + Stewardship + Diplomacy)
-[ ] Write In Tax Source And A Number of Turns
[ ][ROYAL VAULTS] Suggest additional task, subject to QM Veto (Base Chance Will be Set by QM If Approved)
High Marshall of the Armies (Pick 1) [ ][HIGH MARSHALL] Have Rienne Personally Deal With Banditry (Will Result in Follow up Votes. All tasks there will be +Martial, with variable trait applicability) (If not picked, the option to assign other Generals to deal with bandits will be available in a followup vote)
-[ ] Banditry in the Thornmarch
-[ ] Banditry in the Coastal March
-[ ] Banditry in South Eyrist County
-[ ] Banditry Plaguing the Lordships (Multiple Phases)
-[ ] Banditry Plaguing the Free Towns (Multiple Phases)
[ ][HIGH MARSHALL] Recruit Additional Soldiers (Strong Success gets you all the soldiers you wanted. Weak Success or Failure gets you less soldiers) (Base Chance 50% + Martial)*
-[ ] Write in desired Types and Numbers of Soldiers
[ ][HIGH MARSHALL] Have Rienne Personally Demobilize Forces (Strong Success means quarter demobilization bonus must be paid, Weak Success means half demobilization bonus must be paid, failure means full demobilization bonus must be paid) (Demobilization Bonus is, by default, one third of the soldiers upkeep.) (Demobilization can still be done separately if Rienne is not assigned to oversee it) (Base Chance: 55% + Martial + Diplomacy)*
-[ ] Suggest Specific Demobilization Plan (I.e. specific numbers of what you want to get rid of)
-[ ] Suggest General Demobilization Plan (i.e. general idea of what you want to get rid of, but leave the details up to QM within those parameters)
-[ ] Straight 25% Demobilization (Reduce all categories of soldier by 25%)
[ ][HIGH MARSHALL] Survey Border Defenses (Opens Options for Future Improvement of Border Defenses) (Base Chance: 75% + Martial)*
-[ ]Thornmarch
-[ ]Ashdan March
-[ ] Write in (Suggest Other Border Area)
[ ][HIGH MARSHALL] Inspect the Officer Corps (Success will locate and purge incompetent, corrupt or disloyal officers. Runs the risk of lowering army morale and organization on Weak Success or failure) (Base Chance 48% + Martial + Diplomacy)*
[ ][HIGH MARSHALL] Suggest additional task, subject to QM Veto (Base Chance Will be Set by QM If Approved)
Keeper of Secrets (Pick 1) [ ][SECRETS] Attempt to Claw Back some of the funds Syrokis and his cronies stashed away in foreign banks. (Better success means more money. More money available in the Varaday Banks all told))
-[ ] In the Varaday Banks (Base Chance: 40% + Intrigue)*
-[ ] In the Selissan Banks (Base Chance: 52% + Intrigue)*
[ ][SECRETS] Rebuild Internal Spy Network (Phase 1 of ?) (No roll required. Each phase opens more [SECRETS] options down the line and improves chances of success of internal spy operations, as well as giving increased chance for intelligence to be 'passively' received)
-[ ]Provide Funds to Speed up/Improve Process. Write-in amount.
[ ][SECRETS] Rebuild an External Spy Network (Costs 5 Dureks) (Provides passive intelligence and improves chances of spy operations inside a given state)
-[ ] In Veldros (Base Chance: 65% + Intrigue)*
-[ ] In Morvak (Base Chance: 60% + Intrigue)*
-[ ] In Selissa (Base Chance: 53% + Intrigue)*
-[ ] In The Kingdom of the Necromancers (Base Chance: 40% + Intrigue)*
-[ ] In the Varaday Republic (Base Chance: 43% + Intrigue)
-[ ] Pick a Target (Base Chance and Trait applicability to be set by QM)
[ ][SECRETS] Suggest additional task, subject to QM Veto (Base Chance Will be Set by QM If Approved)
Keeper of the Sheriffs and Reeves (Pick 1) [ ][SHERIFFS AND REEVES] Gather Reports On The State Of The Roads (Opens More Road-Repair Related Tasks) (Base Chance 70% + Stewardship)*
[ ][SHERIFFS AND REEVES] Repair War Damage (Strong Success means lower cost, Weak Success means higher cost) (Once done, it will take 5 Turns for the relevant modifier to be removed, but no additional costs) (Rebuilding the Roads will reduce this length and improve Base %)
-[ ]To the Coastal March (Costs 5 or 10 Dureks) (Base Chance: 50% + Stewardship)*
-[ ]To the Southmarch (Costs 3 or 7 Dureks) (Base Chance: 61% + Stewardship)*
-[ ]To the 3 Crown Reserves (Costs 1.5 or 3 Dureks) (Base Chance: 70% + Stewardship)*
[ ][SHERIFFS AND REEVES] Appoint trustworthy and capable people to fill leadership positions in the Reeves to manage royal properties (Base Chance: 53% + Diplomacy + 1/2 Stewardship)*
[ ][SHERIFFS AND REEVES] Oversee the Sheriffs in reducing bandit activity. (Success improves the Base Chance of [HIGH MARSHALL] or later General Tasks dealing with bandits in the relevant areas)
-[ ] In the Thornmarch (Base Chance: 55% + 1/2 Stewardship + 1/2 Diplomacy)*
-[ ] In the Coastal March (Base Chance: 60% + 1/2 Stewardship + 1/2 Diplomacy)
[ ][SHERIFFS AND REEVES] Suggest additional task, subject to QM Veto (Base Chance Will be Set by QM If Approved)
You won't be able to see the stats or trait(s) of these candidate beforehand. The Envoy options will all have a 7 or 8 in Diplomacy, and the Keeper of Justice options will all have a 6/7/8 in Learning/Intrigue, and their descriptions should hint at their trait(s). Ask questions as you see fit, but I will keep some things closer to the chest here.
Keeper of Envoys Appointment (Pick 1) [ ][ENVOYS] Lady Carissa Floren, a noblewoman with relatives in Nerinthar, Veldros, Restid and Velermarch. Charming, friendly and well-liked, she can establish rapport with almost anyone very quickly, or so is her reputation. Lost her older brother and mother to Syrokis's war with Morvak, and her family was rewarded with property in the Thornmarch after the war with Morvak. Doesn't really lean progressive or conservative, as a noble.
[ ][ENVOYS] Lady Lyra Bandasi, a progressive noblewoman from the Grand Duchy of Raida, who has an un-noblelike level of investment in trade, without even the polite fiction of having middlemen to keep her officially detached. Has a reputation for being a hard bargainer. It's said you should always check to make sure she didn't talk you out of your coin purse too afterwards.
[ ][ENVOYS] Arandel Synvara, an elf who lives in Eaglecrest and a skilled wizard. Nearly 400 years old, Arandel is well-traveled and experienced, and has been an adventurer, a court wizard, a freelance enchanter and more. In recent decades, he's become an internationally respected mediator between mages disputing over all manner of things, as well as between mages and non-mages. A skilled diviner.
Keeper of Justice Appointment (Pick 1) [ ][JUSTICE] Lady Aster Corex, a conservative-minded noblewoman who served as a lesser judge under Syrokis, but quit nearly a decade before the war took over, objecting to his bending of all rights of the accused, noble or otherwise. Was jailed after the war started and spent most of it rotting in a somewhat comfortable cell before being released after the capital was taken. While her estates were returned to her, she is nearly bankrupt, but she is widely seen as incorruptible where the letter of the law is concerned.
[ ][JUSTICE] Itrick Grosdan, a high-ranking cleric of Askiran. Most concerned with the maintenance of order, he is an advocate for flexible laws and clear, humane sentences. Vocal opponent of torture (which is legal under certain circumstances in Halrun, including as punishment for crimes. An old man, he has served as essentially a freelance investigator and prosecutor for Brunn, briefly Syrokis, and various nobles and towns, as well as Port Lest.
[ ][JUSTICE] Count Xandar Fredoro, the Count of Vaspiri. Is a widely respected expert on inheritance law, and his family has long funded a College dedicated to the study of the law in their domain, which is respected in and out of Halrun. Has been consulted by judges in and out of Halrun to help sort out inheritance disputes. Not progressive by any means, but he is famously disdainful of Count Vallefor's over-jealous protection of every last arcane noble right and privilege as well.
Queen Actions (Pick 2) [ ][QUEEN] Personally Oversee The Sale of Confiscated Property (Weak Success Results in 25% more money from Sales, Strong Success Results in 50% more money from sales) (Base Chance 45% + Stewardship + Diplomacy)
[ ][QUEEN] Have Vanessa Personally Demobilize Forces (Strong Success means quarter demobilization bonus must be paid, Weak Success means half demobilization bonus must be paid, failure means full demobilization bonus must be paid) (Demobilization Bonus is, by default, one third of the soldiers upkeep.) (Demobilization can still be done separately if no one is not assigned to oversee it) (Base Chance: 55% + Martial + Diplomacy)†
-[ ] Suggest Specific Demobilization Plan (I.e. specific numbers of what you want to get rid of)
-[ ] Suggest General Demobilization Plan (i.e. general idea of what you want to get rid of, but leave the details up to QM within those parameters)
-[ ] Straight 25% Demobilization (Reduce all categories of soldier by 25%)
[ ][QUEEN] Scry on a Neighboring power to gather information on them. (Provides information, may increase odds of future [SECRETS] actions involving the country) (Base Chance: 55% + Magic)*
[ ][QUEEN] Scry on the Status of the Border Defenses (Opens Options for Future Improvement of Border Defenses) (Base Chance: 51% + Magic + Martial)*
-[ ]Thornmarch
-[ ]Ashdan March
-[ ] Write in (Suggest Other Border Area)
[ ][QUEEN] Try to get Cyril to be willing to provide direct assistance in some cases (Opens options in the future) (Base Chance 25% + Diplomacy)
[ ][QUEEN] Use divination to get an idea of what nearby realms might have potentially interested candidates for marriage (Base Chance: 60% + Magic)*
[ ][QUEEN] Decide what to do with the confiscated estates from the lords that were attainted. (Scene & Followup Vote)
[ ][QUEEN] Rule on the dispute over who gets the County of Aloce (Scene & Followup Vote)
[ ][QUEEN] Meet with representatives of merchants active on Lake Raida to try to increase dock revenues) (Base Chance: 47% + Diplomacy + Stewardship)
[ ][QUEEN] Social Action (May use both Queen Actions on Social Action)
-[ ] Get To Know Your Staff Better
-[ ] Write-in Councilor you'd like to improve relations with.
-[ ] Catch Up With Cyril
-[ ] Reach out to Vanessa's noble mother/family in Veldros
-[ ] Write-in (Subject to QM Veto)
[ ][QUEEN] Negotiate with the Estates to rationalize some incoherent and outdated laws regarding fishing, mining and logging rights. (Base Chance: 53% + Diplomacy + Stewardship)
[ ][QUEEN] Recruit more mages to Royal Service (If successful, costs 10 Dureks. No expenditure if failure) (Base Chance: 70% + Diplomacy)†
[ ][QUEEN] Suggest additional task, subject to QM Veto (Base Chance Will be Set by QM If Approved)
So, a few questions, this implies that we'll get a chance to us the other generals to deal with banditry if we don't pick this action is that correct? And if that is the case, were we to pick this option, would we gain the chance to use the other generals to deal with other bandits?
Also, which office action would it be to actually look for marriage prospects? Divining them is all and good but it doesn't help with the confidence side of things.
edit: Also is selling the properties a thing that has to be done this turn? I would much rather see what we can give away to people who'll be loyal to us and then sell them.
So, a few questions, this implies that we'll get a chance to us the other generals to deal with banditry if we don't pick this action is that correct? And if that is the case, were we to pick this option, would we gain the chance to use the other generals to deal with other bandits?
Also, which office action would it be to actually look for marriage prospects? Divining them is all and good but it doesn't help with the confidence side of things.
Formal Inquires would run through the Keeper of Envoys, but many tasks related to this will also be filed under [QUEEN], as the Queen could personally take management over her suitor search.
