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>>31723169
Note that although I’m doing these in narrative order (where the mages attack before the ram strikes), I took the rolls in the order I listed them.

>Catapult Sniping: Lower Target Success; 12, 8, 14

Your catapults launch their devastating payloads towards the Taouran walls, arcing high in the air to catch the enemy towers at this distance. A stray ballista shot penetrates one of the defences, but although it went through that wood, it failed to penetrate the wood behind it.

You derive some joy from the sight of the closest Taouran tower collapsing, taking two ballistae from it and the rubble raining down on numerous unsuspecting soldiers. Your empowered vision lets you see the Taouran troops move away from the tower, breaking up the bowfire they’ve been directing at the ram.

>Ram: Success; 7, 11, 15

The ram, meanwhile, remains largely unharmed. The illusions are swiftly uncovered as the Taourans correct their aim and then notice ballistae bolts sticking out of the ground when they should have struck true. By the time they redirect the mechanisms and prepare to fire, Gnome has taken the ram directly into the wall and out of their arc of fire. The archers who had been trying to trouble them having been scattered by the lightshow and destruction of the tower nearest the ram, but unable to penetrate the warded reinforcing regardless.

>continued

>>31723169
So has any of the theories been right?

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>>31723219
>Mage Assault: Success; 8, 17, 19

The lightshow had come from the mage’s terrific handling of the wall’s barrier. Lighting up with ritual fire and launching magical lances that seemed to darken the sky around them as they warped across the sky, the mages shredded a large portion of the barrier protecting Taour. The world seemed to momentarily explode in colour and light, and the crack of the magicks colliding probably deafened your soldiers manning the ram (if their helmets didn’t protect them, of course). The reality came back into view, and the air between you and the city seem to faintly glow as the magick of the barrier activated and slowly began to repair itself.

>Ram2: Exceptional Success; 2, 14,20

Then the best news of all came, as the thunder was followed by more. You felt rather than heard it first, as the magic in the battering ram came to life and, combined with Gnome’s strength, hit the wall so hard that the foundation of part of it came tumbling down. The entire stone wall seemed to wave from the impact, then stone blocks just cascaded down, carrying numerous Taouran soldiers with them to their deaths. Ignoring the stone bouncing harmlessly off the ram’s roof, Gnome hammered into the wall several times more and provided an enormous breach. You’d expected results from her, but not this fast.

>continued

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>Mage Defense: Dramatic Failure; 1, 1, 3

One last roar fills the battlefield, but the screams and shouts in response to it come from your side of the battlefield. You hear of the crash of wood falling on wood and snap over to where the magi tower is. Your world freezes momentarily as you watch the upper two levels of the tower collapse, a magical trail of glittering red suspended in the air where the uppermost storey, holding Mal, once stood. You follow the trail quickly, the muscles in your neck screaming under the strain you’re moving it at, and you see an enormous black ballista bolt, twice the size of a regular one and glowing bright red with runes. You sense great magic on it, and realise that the Taouran mages had a nasty surprise for you.

Then you blink and the world turns to normal. Gnome has just broken the enemy’s wall. You catch some subtle magic in another tower. You see it. What’s going to happen. You reach back, remembering where those strange undercurrents of reality had lain, then pull the strings to make your reality true.

>Mage Assault: Exceptional Success; Mage Defense: Success
>FR Point Burnt

The ballista bolt, loaded with barrier-piercing magic, sails right past the tower. It had nudged slightly against Mal’s rapidly summoned magic and gone awry it seems. Or at least, that’s how it appeared to most. You catch Vad watching you oddly as Mal unleashes a terrifying trio of magical lances past the barrier, blasting out the top of the tower that had nearly taken out the tower.

You grin, trying to ignore the growing feeling of exhaustion, then bellow, “All archers, advance to firing range – we can’t let that barrier rise.

“Infantry! Advance into the breach. We shall have this day and avenge all of our fallen brethren in this war.”

You…

>1. Move in with the heavies to take the breach.
>2. Help the archers launch an assault on the Taourans and cover your charging men
>3. Stay back and command from afar.
>4. Custom

>>31723242
so i'm guessing we healed our mages?

>>31723325
2

>>31723325
1

>>31723325

>1

Once more unto the breach

If the enemy archers and towers have neutralized, we should give word to our fliers to rain down magic and cut off any retreating enemies

>>31723325
3
We have to be able to react.

Rolled 13

>>31723342
We just fucked with space-time pretty much. So it never happened at all.

>>31723325
>1. Move in with the heavies to take the breach.
>>31723325
>Your world freezes momentarily as you watch the upper two levels of the tower collapse, a magical trail of glittering red suspended in the air where the uppermost storey, holding Mal, once stood. You follow the trail quickly, the muscles in your neck screaming under the strain you’re moving it at, and you see an enormous black ballista bolt, twice the size of a regular one and glowing bright red with runes. You sense great magic on it, and realise that the Taouran mages had a nasty surprise for you.
to think people voted 2 on this.

>>31723325
1
Charge in and slaughter waves of their men. Need to crush them before they can regroup.

>>31723325
>1. Move in with the heavies to take the breach.

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>>31723222
One was close, but no cigar. You really should talk to Tsucchi or somebody with knowledge of astral power if you want to learn more about them. They might not be able to explain exactly how they work, but they can give hints and confirm or deny theories.

>>31723375
Their archers aren't down, just stunned. They're now vulnerable to missile fire. You could try to jet in their with your fliers, but they'll still be left open pretty fast.

>>31723401
5 votes for Op1 and 4 for Op2 before voting ended.

Rolled 2

>>31723325
oh this is a toughy. It would really suck if a daywalker got behind us right now.

>>31723445
>One was close, but no cigar.
any of the older ones or newer ones?

>>31723445

Then I rescind that until the archers are down for good

>>31723445
>One was close, but no cigar. You really should talk to Tsucchi or somebody with knowledge of astral power if you want to learn more about them. They might not be able to explain exactly how they work, but they can give hints and confirm or deny theories.
I had proposed as such but nobody replied that post.

I also suggested we see if she is interested in helping us figure WHAT we are.

>>31723325
>2. Help the archers launch an assault on the Taourans and cover your charging men

>>31723475
rescind what?
you are an anon

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>>31723465
It was one of the ones in the original thread. I don't remember any newer ones, so I can't comment on them. Maybe one was closer, but I don't remember skimming anything close enough.

>>31723536
Ah, sorry if I missed it if it was an option during a session. I'll try to bring it up as a prompt in a scene during (probably) downtime.

>>31723567

Sorry, to be clear, I rescind the idea about having fliers chase down the retreating enemies and cut off their escape

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>1.

The battlefield fills with the sound of boots thundering against dirt and metal bashing on metal. Your war machine grinds into motion, thousands of soldiers charging forward to enact your will. The Taourans are still holding the wall, no doubt moving their knights into position at the breach. Gnome and the knights with her will be open for a short while, but you have faith in the ability of an earth elemental of her calibre to hold the breach steady. She’s your familiar after all, it’s not in her nature to underperform.

You gesture to Parras that he has command and give your aide a pat on the back, thanking her briefly for her sendings across the battlefield. Then you’re off, bounding past your soldiers to catch up to Phrace and your advance guard. They’d moved into position, leaving just Vad with you at the rear. You hear the fox curse as you suddenly run off, only for him to quickly catch up.

You pass Moss lining his archers up as almost two thousand archers take up firing positions. The Taouran archers are recovering but you doubt they’ll find much time to bother you and your infantry while taking such heavy fire. The first volley is off, the sound of so many arrows launching imitating the roar of the distant sea – and the screams they’ll no doubt create imitating nothing, being the sound of death itself.

You glance back as you join Lynn and the grandmasters in the front rank of your heavies, seconds form the breach. Sala is still in the air, but low down. Illon’s fliers are ready to swoop in and you spot a number of your other mage-knights taking up strange positions on the battlefield – they’re lining themselves up so that your fliers can quickly ferry them up on top or over the walls as necessary.

Then you fix your vision straight. The thump of boots and scraping of metal is all you hear. Then you're in the breach.

Time to get to work.

[DC12 Breach and Clear]

[DC13/16/18 Archers; DC12 Flying Assault]

Please roll 3d20.

Rolled 17, 18, 6 = 41

>>31723869

Rolled 8, 1, 12 = 21

>>31723869

Rolled 2, 3, 18 = 23

>>31723869

>>31723891
man, why'd you have to go and ruin that 18? that was real good there...

>>31723916

The 1 was mitigated by 18, two successes out of three is still fairly good considering our initial successes.

Rolled 10

>>31723940
Yeah that was archers I'm pretty sure. The fly by went pretty well.

>>31723979

So we breached the castle wall and cut off their escape routes with air drops, not too shabby

>>31723891
This is just a fail right
Not a dram fail

>>31724192

18 mitigates the 1 into a regular fail under the new dice rolls

>>31724192
no, just a regular fail because of the 18.

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>Breach and Clear: Success; 17, 8, 2

The wall, as thick as the ones at Harrowmont, lay in ruins for several metres. Gnome clearly spared a few seconds consideration, as you doubt the levelling off of the breach was something that occurred naturally. You make your way over the rubble, your drawn sword sparking as you occasionally strike some of the stone strewn about. Standing at the opposite end of the enormous breach is a wall of your heavy knights but there’s no sign of Gnome.

Screams and shouts echo from within, and you glance upwards, noting the enormous spire that is Taour towering over you. Then you stare straight once more and crash in close behind your soldiers.

“Let’s move,” you shout, your own heavy armour brushing against your knight’s. “Breach and clear. Try to cut off their escape routes so the rest of the knights can clean up.”

Your knights nod and push forward. Spotting their comrades moving, the line advances and splits into a wedge as it clears the narrower gap and moves into the region between the wall and the city. More than four hundred of your most heavily armoured soldiers rush into Taour, ready to take on anything that comes their way. Gnome, meanwhile, appears to be walling off escape routes. You catch her slapping hastily constructed stone walls over major exits nearby and signal to her to keep it up.

Then battle is joined – several hundred enemy mage-knights rush towards you from the direction of the nearby gatehouse. They’re led by a vicious crew in black armour, rather than they’re usual purple and they’re moving damned fast and you’re certain these are nightwalkers.

“For Vitria!” roars Grandmaster Toren, racing his warmace high in the air. Lucas and all the Vitrian knights quickly join him.

“For Darlesia!” roars Phrace in response and his men echo his cry.

>continued

There's obviously rumors and hearsay going around the ranks, I wonder what they think of us. Our men probably make bets on who else we add to the harem, while our enemies sit around a fireplace nervously.

>'So, this Talon York guy has been going around conquering everything, rumor has it he's killed daywalkers before!'
>'York? Isn't that some commoner's surname? How'd he get into a position like that?'
>'He's supposedly got a retinue of very beautiful women, I've heard, though most of their identities are unknown yet.'

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>>31724331
The roars of your men join for a split second, then your knights lock shields together and ripple blasts of magic towards the enemy. The enemy charge hesitates and that’s when you leap on them – your knights cover the short distance between them and their weapons sing. Blood flies everywhere as your soldiers demonstrate the inferiority of the enemy’s armour.

You join them, cutting cleanly through ranks of enemy knights. The melee lasts mere seconds before the enemy breaks, fleeing at top speed into the city streets. You’ve got a second to consider whether to have some of your noble knights pursue them, as they’ll outrun your heavies when you receive a sending.

>Archers: Autofail; 18, 1, 3
>Flying Assault: Success; 6, 12, 18 (Partially mitigated due to earlier failure)

The contents are short and sweet:

‘Archer barrage failed. Flyers avoided damage, only partial airdrops. Enemy fleeing en masse.’

Your regular mage-knights will be clearing the breach shortly but with the Taourans in full flight you won’t possibly be able to catch them all. Furthermore, the city is so damned big and complicated that many of them won’t flee but will instead lay traps for your men. Assuming the city isn’t already filled with them.

You…
>1. Focus on the fleeing mage-knights, so long as they don’t flee too far.
>2. Try to cut off as many of the fleeing archers as possible.
>3. Forget those fleeing, prioritise seizing control of this area.
>4. Custom

>>31724350

>1

Archers aren't shit in close quarters and their morale should be close to breaking if they aren't enthralled.

>>31724350
1
it's the mage-knights we need to worry about underground.

>>31724350
>1

Bye, bye. Mage-knights.

>>31724350
>1. Focus on the fleeing mage-knights, so long as they don’t flee too far.

These guys will likely prove only second to mages in how troublesome they could make our subsequent assault within the city proper.

Rolled 9

>>31724350
>>1. Focus on the fleeing mage-knights, so long as they don’t flee too far.

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>1.

“Phrace, hold the breach for Glynn,” you shout. “Lucas, Toren, we’re going after the mage-knights. With me!”

You charge up the street the enemy knights are fleeing down, most of your soldiers following as the rest double-back to the breach to prevent any surprises. Gnome darts up to where you are. The enemy splits suddenly and you quickly gesture to your commanders to split into four groups to match them. Giving quick orders not to pursue too far, you take off into a large tunnel with Lynn and dozens of Vitrian knights at your heels.

Several of the enemy’s nightwalkers suddenly turn and try to form a defensive wall. If they hold you here the others will get away.

[DC11 Talon Pursuit]

[DC11 Other Pursuits]

Please roll 2d20 each.

Rolled 3, 10 = 13

>>31724512

Rolled 16, 1 = 17

>>31724512

Rolled 18, 10 = 28

>>31724512

Rolled 3, 10 = 13

>>31724512

Rolled 10, 16 = 26

>>31724512
god, all these ones. the dangers of d20, I suppose.

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>>31724514
>>31724520
>>31724521

All those 10s plus my 1. I am so sorry.

Rolled 9, 1 = 10

>>31724512

Rolled 11, 1 = 12

>>31724561

1s happen, anon, at least Talon was on top of his shit

I thought nat 20 was just as likely as nat 1?

>>31724514
>>31724517
>>31724520
everyone trips on an ice spell

It is fine we can obviously slaughter a couple hundred mage knights

>>31724599

Case in fucking point

Just throwing this out there as a formal title for Talon and a new Empire name.

His Imperial Majesty, Imperator Talon Cornelius York I; Ruler of the Golden Commonwealth, Patriarch of the House of York, Griffon of the East, Father of the Fatherland, Perpetuus Invictus, Imperator Destinatus and Protector of Mankind

Rolled 17, 11 = 28

>>31724599
>>31724579
>>31724517

Jesus Christ on a pogo stick, The Dice Gods don't want the other pursuits to be doing a goddamn thing to help.

>>31724599
Yeah I know. I'm going to guess we break through while our dudes get cut off by an ambush/pincer, leaving us with like 50-100 MMK who thing they can gank the lone guy in front of them.

Hint: They can't.

>>31724623
Protector of Mankind is going a little too 40K when we've only conquered one region out of a few dozen. I think if we save some of that for after w've beaten down the Astral Adepts and the Lord of Ember, we'll have more room to brag.

>>31724669
>Protector of mankind
>Not God of mankind

>>31724694
That comes after we conquer the continent and move on the other major world power across the sea. By that point we'll have bound enough sources to ourself to justify it, if we haven't straight-up ascended yet.

>>31724669
I was more coming from at it from the anti-Vampire angle, especially after we saved all those poor souls trapped in the blood farms.

Golden Commonwealth though, thoughts? Golden to reflect our Gold Griffon and that radiating light trick we learnt - Commonwealth to emphasis the inclusive nature of our new empire.

>>31724725
>Bound sources

Lets hope we can unlock the others. More champions are always nice. Though there is a problem in that it takes 4 to max out the champion.

Any ideas on how we should take out the inevitable survivors who make it into the tunnels?

I wonder if there's a way to just block the tunnels in while we take care of the Daywalkers.

If we remove them from the equation, we could simply open the tunnels at our leisure and make them surrender.

Another alternative is to send in summons as scouts, if they encounter resistance. Give them an opportunity to surrender.

If they continue to resist, let Sala flamethrower the tunnels and move on.

The alternative is messy tunnel warfare and we don't really have the time for that.

>>31724623
How about "The Humankind Empire"?

We grant any sapient creature within it full citizenship and the honorary title of human, entitling them to full rights so long as they head our laws.

>>31724773
Yeah, we're going to find more sources, that isn't even in question. They're marked on the map, after all.

>>31724763
>>31724623
I'm not saying the title is bad. It's rather fun, actually. The Golden Empire sounds better, though. Commonwealth sounds like we should be having General Elections for Parliament in may. Father of the Fatherland seems like it could use some work as well. it sounds... off. Eternally Unconquered is a badass boast, though. so is Destined Emperor.
>>31724805
No.

>>31724855
>Find
Yes
>Be able to use
Unknown.

>>31724805
Let's just call it a New World Order or the Empire.

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>>31724855
O-okay.

>>31724792
Aim for their leadership. if they are holding a choke point that is something our elites can take out (gnome smashing them with earth from above, sala fire, talong scything, etc).
Divide and conquer

>>31724855
I've always been a fan of "The eternal emperor"

>>31724805

We Greendale Community College now?

>>31724882
I like the empire
>Which empire?
>The only one that matters son

>>31724928
I chuckled. A little too dull for Talon's tastes, though. something a teensy bit more boastful for the man who wants his face on every gold coin.

>>31724792
Any ideas on how we should take out the inevitable survivors who make it into the tunnels?
>Take out the tunnels themselves, flood them, smoke them out, collapse the tunnels.

I wonder if there's a way to just block the tunnels in while we take care of the Daywalkers.

If we remove them from the equation, we could simply open the tunnels at our leisure and make them surrender.

>This could work but we would have to leave a sizable force behind to prevent them from coming out of the tunnel while we deal with the Daywalkers. And even so we do not know how long this will take.

Another alternative is to send in summons as scouts, if they encounter resistance. Give them an opportunity to surrender.

>Negotiation would be nice, but then we would have to decide whether to do it before or after dealing with the Daywalkers.

>>31724855
Golden Empire works just as well honestly, its just a bit more common so I thought I might throw out something new.

Father of the Fatherland is just another one of the Roman Emperor honorifics.

>Pater Patriae: a Latin honorific meaning "Father of the Country", or more literally, "Father of the Fatherland".

>>31724993

Father of the Country sounds much better than Father of the Fatherland and its horrible redundancy

>>31724882
Meh "The Empire" reminds me too much of Star Wars. We don't really want to have them associated with us, right?

>>31724918
Meh, why not? Rights for everyone isn't a terrible position to have at least.

>>31724993
I recognize that it's a roman honorific, I definitely got that feel for it. It's just... lost something in translation. If we can find better word choice, that'd be swell.

>>31725019
>Meh "The Empire" reminds me too much of Star Wars. We don't really want to have them associated with us, right?

Why do you think I chose that? :)

>>31725019
dude, nobody's ever heard of Star Wars. Star Wars doesn't exist. Are you the anon that was complaining about not wanting to be associated with the Inquisition?

>>31724993
I was going to recommend the Golden Empire but I remembered that was a thing in a Madoka Quest. Also, Golden Empire just sounds like something destined to fall.

>>31724805
>Honorary human
I hate it

>>31724984

I like the idea of smoking them out a lot actually.

Flooding sounds like it'll take a ton of water, fire/collapsing will create massive collateral damage.

Smoking them out will force them out easily and reduce the potential for collateral damage

>>31725059
Radiant Empire then? To keep with the glowing themes.

>>31724969

"Talon's House"

>>31725049
No. I am speaking from a meta perspective. I don't want to call any of our guys "Stormtroopers" for similar reasons, despite the name being kinda cool IMHO.

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>Talon Pursuit: Success; 3, 16, 18

The world slows for a moment as you concentrate. Power hums through your sword and you cock your arm back, holding it at the ready. Your boot crunches against dry dirt, digging deep into the earth as you put your weight down onto it to launch yourself forward. Swinging your sword wide in a spinning slash, you cut a swathe through the vampires trying to bar your way. Their armour poses no barrier to your astral power and the searing magic inside it leaves them screaming in pain and terror as they collapse. Your momentum takes you forward and through the knights as their blood, bone and metal splatters against your own thick armour.

Slamming your boot down, you once again focus yourself. You lean forward slightly, muscles tensing as you narrow your focus down on the fleeing foe. You feel Lynn’s strange draconic sorcery spike behind you, probably trying to emulate you. Then, like against Volante, you uncoil like a spring with Lynn hot on your heels.

A mage-knight is looking right at you as you close the distance in a fraction of an instant and you see his pupils begin to dilate right before you impact. Then your shield, glowing golden with raw power, slams into his helmet, collapsing it with a scream of man and metal. Your momentum carries you through him and into a comrade and they fly further down the tunnel. You push your shield to the side, clotheslining a knight who was, just a second ago, dozens of metres ahead of you. You sword lashes out and cleaves through several other knights as you turn and hold the tunnel against them.

Lynn crashes to a stop on the other side of them, her power not being enough to carry her all the way through. With the Vitrian knights pursuing them, the Taourans see the futility of fighting and drop their weapons in an instant.

>continued

>>31725059
Golden empire sounds cheesy as hell. i want a non cheesy name.

also, since when is talon all grandious? I thought we established that he is uncomfortable calling himself emperor (using imperator instead) and doesn't care for the pomp.

>>31725049
I'd honestly not name it the Inquisition just because you don't want a name that tells what they do. Something like the "The imperial hand." Or something.

>>31725109
>Stormtroopers
I swear to god if we named a group this I would try to convince aspirational to consider all their rolls 1s.

>>31725109
Let's just call it the Talon Dominion in the future and be done with it.

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>>31725117
“We surrender,” comes the guttural tones from the one of the enemy nightwalkers. “Please spare us.”

You signal to the knights to take them prisoner – you’ll deal with the vampires in a second. Without their armour and with a full moon almost four weeks away they’re not that dangerous so long as they’re closely watched.

>Other pursuits: Dramatic Failure; 10, 1, 10

As you’re marching the captured foe back to the base level, which your men should be claiming right now, you receive sendings from the others. They’re not positive – it seems you got lucky and this hallway was lacking in traps. Lucas and Toren halted their pursuits when their frontline of pursuers got knocked aside, battered and badly injured but still alive, by enchanted steel beams dropping from above. What poor taste in traps these poor bastards have – clearly they didn’t learn anything from their encounter with you. Gnome managed to catch the traps and catch several of the enemy before they split even further into the tunnels and escaped her.

That means there’s a few hundred enemy mage-knights still around. They could be lingering on these lower levels or retreating upwards. Damn these bloody tunnels and these vampries.

You direct your forces to return to the breach, where you’ll form a basecamp and begin to claim the city.

>You now control the aboveground section of the lowest layer of Taour
>You now contest the underground section of the lowest layer of Taour

>continued

>>31725117
>Power hums through your sword and you cock
read that as
Power hums through your sword and cock

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>>31725143
It only takes an hour to move most of your men inside, particularly once you seize the gates, but the failure of the archers to keep the Taourans down meant that many of them had fled before your mage-knights could hit them. If Moss had kept the enemy busy for a bit longer…

“I’m sorry, sir,” Moss says as he reports to you directly in the new command tent inside Taour. “The arcane archers struck true, but clearly my crash course for the new recruits wasn’t good enough. I’ll work them harder so it doesn’t happen again.”

“You’re a good man, Lt General,” you say. “There’ll be plenty of more successes in the future.”

He salutes and you return to analysing the battlefield. The enemy has retreated and manned the closest gates into the upper layer. They’ve also tried to seal the other gates in, but you doubt they’d hold Gnome or Mal for very long. Your scouts can’t tell you much due to the city’s layout, and your spies are out of contact, but you could try contacting the populace for help. You turned them to your side earlier, partially, so they may help some more.

Aside from trying to ascend further there also remains the problem of the underground. Again, the populace of the city may be able to help but otherwise it will be painstaking tunnel clearing. An alternative is just to torch any area that shows you resistance, but that certainly won’t do you any favours afterwards given the large civilian populations underground.

The vampire estates lay further above in the uppermost layer. Lady Irris may have some notes hidden in here manse, and Perin may be holding some secrets. Assuming that going there doesn’t result in premature battles with the daywalkers – but that may be just what you want.

>What are your plans?

I haven’t read any plans posted between the last two, mind, as I’ve been busy writing. Yes, these updates are long as shit.

>>31725109
Why are you worried about what people call us in the Meta? Meta doesn't affect the story progression at all. Plain old 'the empire' is too boring for Talon anyway.

>>31725105

PERFECT.

>>31725119

He's proud enough to want his face on every gold coin on the continent. He's calling himself Imperator because he doesn't feel he's worthy of Emperor yet, not until the entire continent is under his thumb. He's uncomfortable with nobles because they're the reason he wants to be emperor: to deprive them of their power.

>>31725119

The dude flat out said he wants all the currency in the world to have his face on it. Just because. He hates being in ritualistic formality but he is arrogant as hell.

>>31725072
I couldn't think of a better word for it than honorary. I realize it sounds kinda like making them a second class, but the idea was that those groups could retain their racial/species identity while having guaranteed acceptance and membership with in the world we are building.

>>31724887
Woah what is that from?

>>31725017
>>31725021
'Father of the Nation' then? It can be considered to be the same phrase, and it has the added benefit of being 100% true in Talon's case.

>>31725081
Golden Dominion maybe?

>>31725158
>Assuming that going there doesn’t result in premature battles with the daywalkers – but that may be just what you want.
it is, the sooner we kill the daywalkers the better.
In fact, if we go somewhere tall and display their heads while augmenting our voice and listing all the daywalkers we killed and how the remaining taouring troops should surrender

>>31725158
go down, also a good wat around the gates.

>>31725179
Honestly I would just write that in the law. No need to advertise.

>>31725186
Edge of Tomorrow. Movie adaped from a superior Jap novel called "All You Need is Kill." Shitting up your theater this summer.

I just love seeing Tom Cruise getting ganked by an APC.

>>31725158

1. Contact local civilian leaders and ask for scouts, maps, and any possible shortcuts. Make sure they are not enthralled first.

2. Seal all the tunnels entrances behind you, including hidden ones that civilians point out. Leave some room for air to get through We can remove the seals after the Daywalkers are killed.

3. Proceed to the vampire estates with your hero units (save the Earth elements to seal if need be) and a detachment of elite knights.

>>31725189
>Dominion
dominion sounds... unpleasant to live in.

What about York. just york, no padding with stuff like "the" and "empire" and "glorious".

You are Talon York. Your country is called York

>>31725179
>but the idea was that those groups could retain their racial/species identity while having guaranteed acceptance and membership with in the world we are building.
Then we make them autonomous allies like the foxes rather than vassals.
They can then choose to be citizens of our empire or citizens of their racial empire

>>31725254
that's just setting us up for going across the sea, claiming their land, and naming it 'new york'.

PLOT TWIST IT WAS MODERN DAY ALL ALOOOOOONG

Again, Talon is too vain for ungrandiose names.

>>31725233
True, I was just putting it out there because I haven't really liked most of the proposed names so far.

>>31725240
Hmm thanks, Im a sucker for awesome tech and large battles.

>>31725285
Actually, I meant the entire empire is called York
Several continents can still be called York.

>>31725300
>implying /tg/ could resist the pun when the time came

Just don't make it an issue.

>>31725254
>eventually take over world
Everything becomes York

>>31725158

>>31724984
>>31725076
We are planning on negotiating/ forcing the surrender of any forces currently holed up underground and hiding. Planning on setting up forces at the entrances and exits of these underground passages/hideouts and either trying to negotiate at that with the summons of our mages, and if that does not work we are going to smoke them out, to try and force them out and capture as many as we can with minimal casualties on both sides.

As for information gathering, if we are able to successfully capture/negotiate the surrender of the underground forces we can ask a higher ranking officer amount them for information. If that does not work, the best thing would be to recruit from the civilian population.

Try to send a messenger or something to Lady Irris asking about her situation and whether she can help us or if can help her.Like have her talk do negotiating instead or send someone to give us information and layout of the city/town.

>>31725158
>>31725251

To add on to the plan, use the information that civilian scouts provide you to look for any hidden entrances.

Otherwise, breach the closest gate that isn't manned. Have your elites and heros accompany you to vampire mansion.

Leave sizable garrison to entrench base camp, look out for ambushes, and seal off tunnels and mark them on maps for eventually unearthing.

>>31725254
>York

Then we will have drunk farmers claiming the empire is named after them.

>>31725346

Fairly sure Irris is dead, Blackwater killed her, remember?

My only concern is that smoking will take too long at this juncture.

If we are willing to spend time consolidating first, then yes, I like your plan better.

If speed is a priority, asking for civilian scouts and sealing off exists and bumrushing the Daywalkers might be a better option.

>>31725295
I would read the book first. There is also an ongoing manga by the same name that is a pretty accurate adaption. Good art as well.

>>31725386
Well, who says we can't do both? This is all implying that the soldiers give up once the Daywalkers are dead.

>>31725285
>New york

Oh, God anon you just killed my ribs.

10/10 good job. I'm in orbit.

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hahaha, I just realise I forgot to include the Tower of Kassick's summons in these scenes even though I included them in difficulty calculations. Ah, well.

>>31725223
I'm sorry, what?

>>31725251
>Seal all the tunnels entrances behind you
This will take a very long time as Taour is filled with countless tunnels, many of which will be connected to upper levels, too, plus ventilation everywhere. It's doubtful there's anybody in the city that could map the entire tunnel system and all of its entrances. The best you could do is seal major tunnels and just patrol everywhere else.

>>31725346
>Lady Irris
Is presumed dead. Even her servant said it. The servant merely said that she may be keeping important things in here study.

>smoknig plan
The tunnel system is gigantic, as mentioned above. Plus you don't house hundreds of thousands of people underground without a good ventilation system.

>>31725386
Wait, poop yeah, maybe. Nevermind her. I get confused with names.

>>31725413

Okay, >>31725350 , I want to change this plan to seal the major tunnels and patrol other tunnels.

The rest of plan still the same.

>>31725413
Do a massive sending down into the tunnels. Any non-combatants are advised to come to the surface. They will be unharmed, and after checking for thralldom will be escorted out of the city. Any person in the tunnels after... oh, say, 3 days, will be considered a combatant and killed on sight.

>>31725451

But that leaves the Daywalkers intact. The army will surrender if we kill the Daywalkers, let's prioritize that first.

>>31725451
>The entire damn city runs out.

Best thing to do with the tunnels is go down there hard and fast. Clean them systematically and keep the entrances well guarded. Asking the locals for help will could help us a lot if they know their way down there.

>>31725487

What's the strategic value of spending energy and manpower to gain control of the tunnels when the Daywalkers are at their mansions above-ground in the highest part of the city?

>>31725506
We really should check that one vampires mansion out.

>>31725506
Because then we have dealt with all of the army elements in the tunnels. Nobody's saying that we can't deal with the Daywalkers first, just that there's going to be soldiers down there (namely the nightwalkers) who are going to fight to the last.

>>31725506

I thought their estates were in the uppermost layer of the underground. Did I misunderstood their location?

>>31725533

Okay, I'm fine with going down into tunnels after we clear out the Daywalkers and announce to them that their leaders are toast.

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Right now, the feasible ideas are to head straight for the vampire mansions yourself, invade the upper layer with your soldiers through an unguarded gate, made contact with the civvie populace for help and to try to seal/cleanse the underground of enemies with fire or manpower. Anything else?

>>31725451
Hiien took a week to check for thralls/vampires and that was just 30k people. Taour has 340k people in it. Not happening in a short period of time.

>>31725533
>nightwalkers

Some has already surrendered. Which is rather interesting because we might be able to get vampire info out of them.

>>31725560
Alright, Just threw out a number. Didn't know the logistics of the action. Anyways, sounds like a good plan.

>>31725413
what about slowly filling them with freezing cold water? it would force them to slowly funnel to the surface and the cold would only speed their efforts to not get caught in the water

>Sealing tunnels
Gnome can do this fairly quickly.

>Smoking of tunnels
Sala can also do this.

I say we seal of all entrances and exit except one with Gnome, then ask for their surrender, if they don't then prepare at the single entry/exit point and smoke them out. To be captured or killed is up to them.

During this time we could have our people try to gain more information about the still living Daywalkers and layouts, treat the injured, recruit from the populace, allow all oyr forces to regroup and plan even more.

>>31725560

I feel like making contact with the civiie populace is a supplementary idea to the other 3 plans.

>>31725583

Aspirational just said we can't do either of those plans.

>>31725567

Good, some of them might be willing to sell out information on the ones that escaped.

>>31725608
I know kinda late to the party as I was typing this.

>>31725158
I would send Gnome with some mages, HMKs and MAAs to the tunnels. Contact with people while pursuing the retreating enemy.

If we learn about any entrances back above ground, we station some AAs on any higher ground around the openings to provide over-watch + sniping while squads of magic knights and guardsmen stay in formation around them.

The tunnel rats will meanwhile push foward carefully to drive the enemy out of into dead ends where they will be engaged.

At the same time the bulk of our forces will maintain security above ground in a general sense with a fair number being deployed around any gate leading towards the upper city.

We, along with a mixed company of men and a few of our heros being to take the upper districts.

Hmm think we could take the armor of those captured put some of our guys in it and send them down into the underground to blend in and when in stash the gear somewhere while they make contact with spies and get the populous to rebel?

>>31725664
"out or into dead ends"

and "begin"

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Also note, strictly speaking, there's nothing forcing you to conquer the underground areas right now. Not clearing them out may leave you more open as you advance and lower control and order later until you do clear them out, however.

I'll probably call a vote on things and do some dice rolls shortly based on your decisions, write that up and then call the thread. After running the last two days I don't want this to be a super long session.

>>31725590
Oh, not all of those things are mutually exclusive. I'm just trying to float everything you guys have mentioned wanting to dedicate resources to.

>>31725576
Ice cold. I like it. That's a lot of corpses that will thaw and need disposing of later, though.

>>31725664
This is a relatively feasible plan, though you'll only be able to keep a constant eye on major entrances/exits with patrols watching for the rest.

>>31725664
We could also send any of the local populace that are willing to help up to try and talk to the people holed up to surrender and that they are/will be safe and treated fairly if they surrender and come out. Planning to have community leader and loved ones of the people in the tunnels bagging and asking them to come out.

>>31725413
>The tunnel system is gigantic, as mentioned above. Plus you don't house hundreds of thousands of people underground without a good ventilation system.
The issue is who is actively resisting us. we need to basically kill the daywalkers, and any pockets of enemies that fight.
if enemies are hiding, well we can run patrols to find those

>>31725698
>After running the last two days I don't want this to be a super long session.
I am sure you're exhausted man, you've done a lot, and I love every bit of it.
Which is why I'm sorry when I have to say
>Pausing mid siege
DAMN IT

Anyway, just wanted to say that.

>>31725698
>That's a lot of corpses that will thaw and need disposing of later, though.
really? from the idea of how expansive the tunnels are it'd take a lot of water to fill the bottom levels to the point people would drown/get frozen. honestly the idea of being trapped underground as water fills the room would get most people abandon ship

>>31725560
>Hiien took a week to check for thralls/vampires and that was just 30k people. Taour has 340k people in it. Not happening in a short period of time.
once nobody is actively and openly fighting us, we can leave a sizeable force to slowly comb through the tunnels, as well as get populace to give us reports

>>31725698
That sounds about like I imagined. Hence the general patrols/security, likely consisting mostly of MAA.

>>31725715
That could be good, but we would need to dedicate additional resources to protecting these civvies.

>>31725715
This also could have the added effect of if they do not all surrender some will want to causing fighting and tension between the underground forces.

>>31725788
Yeah those are the Forces described here>>31725664

We could maybe add a few more men to guard them but I think Gnome could handle it.

>>31725698
>Also note, strictly speaking, there's nothing forcing you to conquer the underground areas right now.
I think this is basically the best course of action.
We take out the daywalkers, then we take the mage towers, then we take out any open pocket of resistance
Sure, there might be vampires still hiding among the populace at that point. but they are hiding and seperated, at that junction its a matter of running regular patrols, creating informant networks, and so on and so forth.

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>>31725781
Well, I was trying not to address the question of 'how' as it was effectively impossible to do this in any decent space of time. Even if Undine could endlessly summon water it would take her weeks or months to flood Taour.

>>31725776
This was never going to end in one session.

BIG VOTES

Populace Vote
>1. Contact the populace for primarily information. They may help you with resistance if you're lucky.
>2. Contact the populace to try and stir rebellion. They may give you information as well if you're lucky.
>3. Custom

Underground Vote
>1. Sweep the underground with large teams of men and eliminate resistance. This will likely require Gnome as she will be the best bet of surviving traps and navigating the tunnels.
>2. Sweep the underground and just torch any pockets of resistance that don't surrender. Will require Sala.
>3. Seal up the major entrances and ignore the underground for now. Other exits may enable them to trouble you still but you'll still be able to claim the city.

Upper Area
>1. Blitz the middle layer with your soldiers from an unguarded gate, leading them yourself.
>2. Blitz the middle layer with your soldiers from an unguarded gate, leaving Parras in charge.
>3. Hold ground on the lower layer for now.

Vampire Mansions Vote
>1. Head to the vampire mansions now. You may end up fighting daywalkers ASAP. This is mutually exclusive with having Talon help elsewhere and you will lack any hero units you send elsewhere.
>2. Leave the mansions for now.

>>31725952

>1 Information is more valuable at this point, particularly shortcuts and weak points in their defense
>3
>2
>1

>>31725952
2
2
2
1

>>31725952
>'how' as it was effectively impossible to do this in any decent space of time
ah, understandable

>>31725952
1
3
2
1

>>31725952
>1. Contact the populace for primarily information. They may help you with resistance if you're lucky.
>2. Sweep the underground and just torch any pockets of resistance that don't surrender. Will require Sala.
>2. Blitz the middle layer with your soldiers from an unguarded gate, leaving Parras in charge.
>1. Head to the vampire mansions now. You may end up fighting daywalkers ASAP. This is mutually exclusive with having Talon help elsewhere and you will lack any hero units you send elsewhere.

>>31725952
Populace
>1 Inforation wins wars
Underground
>1 I still think we should try to have her negotiate along side volunteers of the civilian populace to aid us in doing so
>2 Go Parras GO!
>1 Man's gotta do what gotta do

>People want to fight Daywalkers
>Alone
Jesus guys, be careful with those brass balls you're swinging around.

>>31726040

We'll have Vad, Undine, Lynn, Felix, Mal, and Gnome/Sal/Both with us.

>>31726040
>Alone

We would have any hero units not sent elsewhere. Which given that would be only either Salamader or Gnome.

>>31726067
>>31726083
Woop, I figured those guys were all busy.

Carry on.

>>31725952
1
1
2
1

>>31726067

And Felix's two scrubs, who's probably next on the chopping block

>>31725952
>1
>2
>2
>1

>>31726129
>scrubs

Those guys are honestly pretty badass to keep on going after all this shit they've been though.

>>31726129
I can see it already
>We get into fight
>Felix gets grappled by vampire
>Suddenly struggle stops
>He turns around, bright red eyes
>"So remember my trouble keeping up with you, Talon?"
>"I think I am good now."

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So, that's 1 & 2 & 2 & 1. Alrighty.

Okay, one last vote while I do this write-up as I didn't think of it.

FELIX VOTE
>1. Bring Felix to the mansions. He's not going to get better killing mooks.
>2. Leave Felix to the main fighting. You're worried about him, particularly with his recent worries.
>3. Custom

>>31725952
ok, I am getting confused here. Are we going down into tunnels or up into a tower? How are we starting from the lower layers and climbing up if we are descending into tunnels?

>>31726180
>2
No Daywalkerhood for you mate.

>>31726180

>1

I have faith in Felix, he's probably going to turn to worse things if we leave him to kill mooks.

>>31726180
1

>>31725952
populace
1

underground
3

upper area - assuming that is where mansions are
1

mansions
1

>>31726180
2
>>31726172
Cept he still would get rolled.

>>31726180

>1

>>31726180
1

>>31726180
1

>>31726180
1

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So the question is, are you guys tempting fate with bring Felix along or do you just like the guy? Or maybe you want a daywalker? I really don't know.

>>31726199
Taour is basically a hive city, 40k style, but smaller. Underground doesn't mean below sea level or something, it means underneath all the other buildings and crap.

So yeah, you go up. The bottom two layers have massive subterranean areas that lay underneath the upper layers, effectively. The mansions are above ground and their layer doesn't have any underground area so you need to travel by the surface.

>>31726180
1

>>31726180
>1.

>>31726172
He would die. Like instantly.

>>31726253

This is a test for Felix. If he can resist temptation, then he belongs in our personal bodyguard, if not, there's other solutions.

Besides, if we keep neglecting him, we know that he's going to turn to bad juju

>>31726253
If he goes daywalker for some reason and we win he could be useful. If he doesn't then he is useful and proved pretty loyal.

>>31726298
If he doesn't resist temptation then we can always use him as a attack dog division. If we don't wind up killing him.

>>31726253
>So the question is, are you guys tempting fate with bring Felix along or do you just like the guy? Or maybe you want a daywalker? I really don't know.
How would he become a daywalker? it takes some time to do so not instant. I don't see a daywalker doing that mid battle

now, a thrall is a different manner, definitely see him getting thralled

> he is useful and proved pretty loyal.
1. how are we going to hide a daywalker bodyguard? (morale damage is terrible)
2. he tried to kill us after abandoning his generalship

>>31726253
You know how Imperators have to roll. Keep your friends close, enemies closer, and potential traitorous elements within arm's reach at all times. At least we'll know he's not cutting deals with demons behind our back.

>>31726326

"Oh him? He got turned by some bastard vampire. Then he help us kill the bastard. Nothing we can do I suppose."

That or change him to a attack dog division.

>>31726253
I personally want to prove to him that any ideas about becoming a Daywalker are foolish, because we're gonna slaughter these guys. He needs to find his power in safer places.

>>31726354
>"Oh him? He got turned by some bastard vampire. Then he help us kill the bastard. Nothing we can do I suppose."
he would need to feed on humans, where would he find them? every mage that sees him would know. rumors will go out. our reputation would take a hit.
seriously, what is this horrific obession with vampires, they are kinda low tier
yea, they are strong and faster... except a dude in mageplate beats a vamp any day unless that vamp is special (but then, special humans beat them too. see the archmages or heads of knight orders)
The setting has freaking dragons, and 9 tailed kitsune, and demons, and angels. vampires are small potatos

>>31726356
>Foolish

For a normal human daywalker would be a massive step up. Just he would still get rolled by Talon as one. But then pretty much no normal human has a chance against Talon anyway. Astral OP.

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>1 & 2 & 2 & 1

As you march through the breach, smoke rising from where Mal and your mages practically melted the wall and gate. Hundreds of your mage-knights charge past you, heading into the city proper to hit the enemy from behind while you head up. Inexorably up. You’ve got a couple of levels to go up before you’ll be at your target: the mansions that belong to the daywalkers that rule thus city.

Ruled this city, you think, correcting yourself mentally. You’ve as good as conquered Taour. All that remains is to place Blackwater’s head on a pike, to hell with his supposed immortality.

As you rise towards the summit, you glance downwards for an instant. You hope your information gathering goes well. Heck, you hope most of the Taourans surrender. Salamander had looked frighteningly excited when you had told her what she was to do any time your men informed her of major resistance. Sometimes you really doubted that girl’s sanity.

You look at your comrades, Mal, Vad, Gnome, Lynn, Undine and Felix. You’re as ready as you’ll ever be, you guess.

>continued

>>31726253
I think they think he will get more XP from fighting tougher battles

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>>31726399
You hear screams and yells in the distance as you ascend the stairwell before you. You’ll just have to trust in your soldiers and officers while you take care of the real menace.

[DC12/16 Contact the Populace]

>That’s the thread folks

Please make sure to roll for the DC before leaving. I’ll be using it to determine how well things go when you finish up your current work. Or maybe it’ll take place during it – it depends on the pacing. Either way, it will matter.

Next thread is May 3rd at 6pm EDT. If things go well, that will be the climax of the Darlesian Campaign and possibly the end. It might not be the end for Perin Blackwater, though, and certainly not for vampires in general.

I’ll stick around for questions, suggestions etc.

Finally, for those who suggested map advice: I’ve seen your comments and have considered them. Some are still being considered, others I’ve decided not to implement and others are already implemented. Thanks for the feedback, folks.

Rolled 6

>>31726419

Rolled 12

>>31726419

Rolled 3

>>31726419

>>31726438
too close.

Rolled 3

>>31726419

>>31726394
>Yeah those vampires that held back Talon+Gnome+Vad+Salamader+Felix+Lynn at the same time are really weak. Also they can make more of them compared to say nine tails which takes forever.

>>31726394
>Where would he find it?

This is honestly going to be big problem if any daywalkers turn coat. I mean I suppose we could pay like 3 random guys to give blood once in a while. Just killing one would be a painful waste.

Rolled 8

>>31726438
Wow. I rolled my first ever successful roll for this quest. I'm so happy!

>>31726438
That was absurdly close.

Also we really should when we get a chance talk to Ren's sister and ask her some things about astral. Since she seems so knowledgeable.

>>31726464
>>Yeah those vampires that held back Talon+Gnome+Vad+Salamader+Felix+Lynn at the same time are really weak.
which part of "unless that vamp is special" did you fail to read?
The super vamps exist, and they are equivalent to hero units from other races.
Take a look at mercenie a hero tier elf. Or The various archmages. Or grandmaster Arquin

>>31726419

Thanks for the great thread as always.

Your thoughts on our decisions today? (Going for Taour first, our battle plans, etc) Any surprises?

>>31726464
>This is honestly going to be big problem if any daywalkers turn coat.
Any daywalker that was part of taour is going to be put down, because they ruled the city and committed atrocities. We aren't just going to take them in with a slap on the wrist.

>>31726542
Yeah and it seems most Daywalkers are pretty high tier. Nightwalkers on the other hand is a fuck those guys moment. Too many not strong enough to make them worth it.

>>31726419
>Vampire aren't over
God fucking damn it! I knew some were going to escape!

>>31726557
Might not be on the council. Or could just be a recluse. There is like 12 daywalkers and like 6 on the council and most of them are dead. If they are on the council though they are untrustworthy and so die.

>>31726419
Thanks for the run Aspie.

>>31726584
Lets say they aren't on the council
Still a part of a pretty of the vampires of taour
They could have just fucked off to anywhere else and not participated in this clusterfuck

>>31726626
Yeah but I would give them a chance in that case. Just because they might prove themselves. If they are on the council though thats thats. At least my thoughts on it.

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>>31726553
>Going for Taour first
A blessing, given how poorly my intended pacing has gone.

>battle plans
The tunnel, and the insistence on the tunnel. Compounded with the fact I couldn't find my calculations I used for the last tunnel I got very frustrated. The elementals can only do so much and there's complications with being so far from the Source. The lack of easy to find sources on how long, thick etc tunnels used for transporting people are is a bit of a pain. The fact I burnt the better part of a half-hour over it also annoyed me, especially when it didn't lead anywhere.

Losing my cool etc over something unexpected. Particularly as if tunnels are easy to build for earth elementals it basically requires me to say 'All walls are built with barriers underneath them to stop that' because Gnome's nowhere near full strength and if you can build one overnight with a normal one, the League would be breaching castles left and right. Maybe they did, but the idea nobody would have created coutnermeasures or just stopped using walls once it started is silly. [spoiler[Basically, I screwed up with my limited research and got burnt mid-quest.[/spoiler]

Otherwise, things seemed pretty fine and I think I recovered my momentum. I was surprised you burnt an FR point over the mages, though. I mean, half of them are on loan from the Vitrian mage towers.

>>31726579
There's still Aladria lurking nearby. Plus, not all vampires are in Taour.

>>31726688
I dunno about everyone else, but I like Mal too much to see him have to deal with that shit.

>>31726688
>FR point

It was honestly more Mal in that case. I think Talon would use his strength to save him if he saw he was about to be really badly injuries. That and "Bad luck half your mages died." Would really suck to have to say.

>>31726658
>Yeah but I would give them a chance in that case
Not worth the backlash, we discussed it already.
We were willing to starve a lot of people in taour and ferment rebellion.

>>31726688
>Otherwise, things seemed pretty fine and I think I recovered my momentum. I was surprised you burnt an FR point over the mages, though. I mean, half of them are on loan from the Vitrian mage towers.
Yea, I thought about that, but then again, the other half are the only mages we have
And recruitment and training of combat mages takes a fuckton more time than other soldiers. And we have really limited sources for them too (what with darlesia's towers destroyed and taour's mages fighting us)
plus mal is squishy wizard

>>31726739
>Not worth the backlash

Yeah that's why I would only go for like 1-2 daywalkers tops. That is far easier to get away with vs a bunch of nightwalkers. So long as we keep it in secret or keep them in places where we can easily control. 99.99 percent of the time though I think we should just kill them off. I'm talking here about a very rare exception where a useful one hits us.

>>31726811
If we absolutely have to we can give some sob story about them fighting against Taour from the inside and offering their head to us in exchange. Then Talon in his mercy gave even a monster a second chance blahaha.

But as I said before it would take a lot for me to just not kill them out of hand so in general I agree with you.

>>31726688

I can see how our obsession with tunnels would be frustrating. I think it's perfectly fine to say there's anti-tunnel provisions in most of these fortresses and cities.

It could save everyone time and hopefully lead to more creative ideas in planning these attacks since tunnels come up again and again in these threads.

I think the FR was more for Mal than anyone else.

But thanks for running, had a lot of fun today

>>31726861
Yeah honestly if I was him I would just say in general there is wards against tunneling and things like that. I mean with mages so easy to get why wouldn't anybody put wards on their castles for shit like this? It also explains away why with ranged attacks and flying castles still work.

>>31726688
I can definitely see why the tunnel is frustrating. It's kinda like "Okay so, here's this big ass wall and all this stuff you need to beat to go past it. Boss town."
"So...can we go under it?"
"...W...n...well..."
"I mean we have the earth elemental right?"
"I...hold on damn it."

It is interesting to see you get frustrated tho. You're usually super well prepared for stuff.
No offense, I think getting to know you as a QM is cool.

Also
>Burning FR point
You sorta hammered into our heads that mages are SUPER important, and that we have very few of them, is all.
That, on top of failing pretty much every chance to get more, we felt desperate.

Also, please don't forget to talk to Tsucchi about the FR point stuff. We're gonna need it going balls out crazy like we are against the Daywalkers.

How tired are you, by the way? running three days in a row has to suck. I feel sorta like a demanding child, forcing you to stay up late to feed me milk or something.

>>31726811
>Yeah that's why I would only go for like 1-2 daywalkers tops.
how about zero? do you know how many civilians we sacrificed in our moves against them already? why would we show the vampires more mercy and destabilize our empire?
Also, remember how rebellions fucked over darlesia, and fucked over RSK, and is going to fuck over the Magi League

>>31726834
fuck no, if we spare any they go fucking hide far away from us.

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>>31726610
>>31726861
>>31726553
Also, as I forgot to say this, thanks for participating. I hope you enjoyed the three day run of threads, even if they were all dead serious (barring the brief interlude of trolling Vad).

>>31726912
>How tired are you, by the way? running three days in a row has to suck. I feel sorta like a demanding child, forcing you to stay up late to feed me milk or something.
I wouldn't have run three days in a row if I didn't want to, anon. If I had the spare time, I'd probably run three times a week but sadly life (and timezones) interferes.

Honestly, most of the problem comes whilst running. I stopped pre-writing almost everything around thread four when I spend ages rewriting the siege scene after you guys came up with a billion ideas. That and all the numbers in this quest. I really need to come up with a spreadsheet that works out distances and travel times for me if I just input a bunch of province names and travel method, that way I can keep things straight. To add to my battle and tax/province ones. That, and keeping army numbers straight and deployments etc.

I've actually been debating removing spoiler information from my current spreadsheets and posting them, though I worry they'll reveal to the world my horribly rubbery numbers. In case other people might help.

>>31726933
I mainly say it depends on the controllable. Just wiping them all out seems wasteful to me. For one they could be enlightening on how tralling works. For another they are pretty old thus could be used for history lessons and not every one of them are monsters. Just pretty much all of them. Which is why I think one would be useful in some ways. But as I said 99.9 percent of the time I'd just kill them all.

>do you know how many civilians we sacrificed in our moves against them already?

I don't really see the meaning here. I kind of cuts off at a point where no point is conveyed in the sentence.

>>31726994
>Wouldn't run if I didn't want to
Heh. Well good. I am glad to hear.

>Billion ideas
Indeed, but that is why it's a quest, I guess, instead of a rad ass book Which it would still make a damn fine one.

>Spread sheet of distances and such
Man, I can't even image how big your notes on this quest must be.

It's kinda thrilling to think about.

Sadly, I am terrible with spreadsheets an junk, so I can not help too much beyond trying to throw ideas in.

Oh and in case I forgot to say it

>Great thread man, you're so based.

>>31726994
Well, you got lots of help when you let us help you with the map, right? I'm sure someone around here is as good with excel programming as people have been with photoshop.

>>31726994
>trolling Vad

An emperors grandest past time.

Also something I've been wondering. Gnome=Mercenie=The top godknight.

But Gnome says Lairos would beat her while she is prime. Which makes me curious on how many Gnome level fighters it would be to make the fight even. Is it like so many it's impossible tier difference? Or something lesser?

>>31727085
Honestly I would be willing to help with any advice I can give. Though I can't program worth anything.

>>31726994
I like social stuff, and I like good battles. Politics and world building is hard for me in quests because I'm more visual I need to see my options and thus struggle with those kinda things.

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>>31727105
The top dog dragons are around Alyce's power level or greater - it depends on the dragon, the situation etc.

>>31727085
Oh, it's not excel formulae and junk. My job literally revolves around that and macros. It's more stuff like 'How do you determine the export tax take as a proportion of the tradeable economy of a province, taking into account the underground economy, untaxed goods blah blah blah'. Lots of rubbery numbers and such. Lots of simplifications to make things easier. Trade was a real bitch and I'm still uncertain on it even after reading a couple of papers on it.

I might as well post them, though I doubt many people will be interested.

http://pastebin.com/A0pXQi2T

Links in the pastebin, as I'm wary of 4chan's general hatred of filehosts.

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>>31727174
Or not. Shit, forgot that Excel leaves shit about me in them for a second. Updating the links and reuploading.

>>31727174
>Alyce

Ah okay. I was mainly wondering if it was like impossible scale difference or if in the right situation we could jump a dragon which is why I asked with gnome. Though jesus the archangels have to be badass to be considered top dogs around here.


>Pastebin

I'll read up on it and see how it looks then.

So what should we do about Vad in regards to our harem? If Lynn and/or Sala decide they want him on the side, should we give our blessing there? What's the mood on this?

>>31727250
They won't. If by some miracle they did then Talon has an error sign for like a week.

>>31726933
Yeah I'll have to agree, vampires in all their forms should be considered to be kill-on-sight in our empire.

It could be an additional task for that Inquistorial group people were talking about last thread.

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>>31727174
>>31727189
Right, trying one last time. Hopefully with less stupidity.

The pastebin links to excel files that have my calculations and crap in it, for those interested in it:

http://pastebin.com/A0pXQi2T

Office being the polished turd it is, there's probably still crap that can link me but shit happens.

>>31727351
Yup, definitely over my head.

>>31727039
>I don't really see the meaning here. I kind of cuts off at a point where no point is conveyed in the sentence.
the meaning is "we sacrificed a fuckton of civilians in our war with taour, why are you ok with sacrificing all those human civilians but are obsessed with showing mercy to a handful of vampires even though it fucks us over for some many reasons"

Talon is not a paladin

>>31727351
>no data for relative T&A sizes in harem
I'm starting to doubt you really do this for a living, Aspi.

>>31727469
You haven't seen my notes document, anon. There's so much more in there.

>>31727351

Looks interesting, will take a good look at it over the weekend

>>31727351
I am going to read that tonight, and learn how you think SO HARD

>>31727458
Yeah it got screwed mainly because they have hundreds of them in one spot. I'm talking the rare case we see one that is pretty controllable so the drain is non-fatal.

Though I'm mainly just thinking of the possible use blood or Shadow magic may have. Since it seems locked to vampires. If they had no advantages I would just kill them all.

Hey Aspirational, I'm gonna be running a kingmaker game for my group soon. As the person running the best kingmaker quest on the board, you got any advice?

>>31727502

>We will never see Aspirationals notes ;_;

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>>31727544
I guess that's a good thing? Not sure if my Excel spreadsheets say much about me, though.

>>31727579
That's pretty general, so I'm not so how helpful I can be. If there's anything particular bothering you, ask about it. It also depends on the sort of scale you're working with - many of the tabletop versions I've used for research (like Pathfinder's Kingmaker adventure) are relatively small scale.

My general advice would be to be prepared and have ideas for tons of stuff. If you've always got ideas, then you can throw stuff at them no matter what they do. This applies particularly in fits of downtime when you need to keep things interesting when they're not doing anything.

Otherwise, prepare all your numbers and map stuff beforehand. There is nothing more time-consuming than doing that while running. This is especially true if you're running in person, I guess.

Also, read tons of stuff about it. I've got tons of PDFs like 'Farm, Forge and Steam' and modules or adventures like Kingmaker (for Pathfinder) and 'Lord of the Manor' (for GURPS).

I'm not sure that was very useful.

>>31727693
Well I'm mostly running it out of Dungeonworld, so any time I need ideas for history or setting, I basically just ask my players. I paint the broad strokes, but they pencil in all the interesting details.

I suppose more specifically I'd like to know how you manage it all (is it those spreadsheets?), and if there are any pitfalls you've run into that I should watch out for.

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>>31727790
>I suppose more specifically I'd like to know how you manage it all (is it those spreadsheets?)
The spreadsheets I linked, my map and the pastebins, largely. Plus I track stats, dates, respect etc in my notes document along with troop locations and the like.

>any pitfalls you've run into that I should watch out for.
Nothing that isn't quest format specific, off the top of my head. Well, calculations for mass combat were a pain as was determining numbers and revenue from trade.

>>31727877
Thanks, much appreciated. Also congratulations on several of your threads reaching epic status in the archive!

>>31727877
So I was looking over the spreadsheets...
I am way too ignorant to get much useful from it, but I think I DO see how much thought you put into things, which is honestly, incredibly impressive to me.

You even determine distances on a battlefield using your mind to determine how far away everything is from one another. Really, this is cool stuff.

I take it our army is in so many different units due to composition, and veterency (which is more useful then I expected.

I do really wonder how you determine some things (like damage for units as a whole) and shit like health, or armor bonuses. This is interesting to me, just I'm sad I have a hard time understanding it.

Also what is
>PSN
And
>MOR
and
>ABL
on this? I feel like I'm missing it, but it's a bit early for me is all

>>31727922
Damn you trip.

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>>31727922
>I take it our army is in so many different units due to composition, and veterency (which is more useful then I expected.
Well, I used to do that but not any more as it took too long to list each individual unit, their modifiers etc. The list of units in there is actually each different unit type which is why the names have vanished - some of those are crazy spoilery.

>PSN
Presence. Units with high presence are harder to scare and scare others more. This is smeared across the entire encounter - one god-knight leading an army of peasants isn't scary but one hundred god-knights is terrifying.

>MOR
Morale. Basically, I track this independently and raise or lower it based on events. When it gets low enough, I'll have them retreat. Units with 10MOR are unbreakable.

>ABL
Ability. How good they are in a battle, overall.

>Armor
I intend on creating a full list of every unit and their armor value for archery but haven't gotten around to it.

>health and damage
This one is mostly judgement call, with a bit of help from the ABL values and the numbers involved. Too many variables involved to talk about casualties involved, otherwise.

>>31727877
I won't lie.
That tax spread sheet is very difficult to make heads or tails of.
So many variables they made my head spin.

I'm sure it's way easier after you have it all fleshed out (to add to) but damn man.

>>31727978
>List of units is each unit type
Ooooh. Because it had Taour's army too. Well that explains it.

I feel better now. I think?

>PSN is presence
Oh. I recall that Veterancy had an effect on that, too. As well as armor.
that must be why there is the 'base' and then 'adjusted' PSN.

>MOR is morale
Ah. I see. I see a few of those, too in here...probably hero units, as that makes the most sense Assuming you put hero units in here.

>ABL
Interesting. Determined partially by unit type, and partially by veterans, I assume.

>Armor
Heh. So like a 'bestiary' but for all units? That'd be pretty damn rad.

>Health and damage
That's fair enough. I figured there was at least some abstract elements I was missing, heh.

Whatever you do for a living that means you do this regularly must be super math heavy, though. Funny that it could be used for something so interesting.

>>31727995
The tax one is damn hard, I assume to understand it all I'd need a partial understanding of how city taxation even works (Which I do not have)

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>>31727995
Yeah, the tax spreadsheet probably requires somebody to understand my thought patterns and research to easily understand (especially with the almost complete lack of formatting). Plus, some of the formulas got a bit screwed at some point in the 'Productive Land' and 'Opt. Rural Density' columns.

The basic idea is that a province has a certain amount of land and population (including city pop). Town and rural pops are determined automatically, as are densities. The arable and non-agricultural bonuses (e.g. fish) are used to determine an optimal rural density (above which additional peasants are not productive enough and should move away).

The rural density and fertility is used to calculate the productivity of each sqm of land (that's what that 1st, 2nd, 3rd peasant thing is). This is then used to determie overall production of food.

Consumption is pretty ordinary - rural pop consumes 1TBY each year, urban pop consumes 3TBY.

The tradeable economy is basically made of rubber. I assume a certain amount of expenditure on food by the urban pop then use this to estimate the total size of the urban economy absent savings and investment. Basically, assets count as part of the tradeable economy for simplicity.

>>31728040
>hero units
No hero units in there. I add them at the bottom if necessary. That's 44 individual unit types.

>adjusted PSN
Actually, that's from leadership. Good leaders add to PSN which then flows through to the battle calculation - adjustments to PSN can either strengthen your side like an ABL boost (like from specialities) or weaken the enemy's (in effect).

>veterancy effect
You can actually see the veterancy effect in the Calc ABL column if you analyse the formula.

Aspie, do vampires have to drink fresh blood? if not and we decide to let some live for some reason we could have a sort of blood bank: people get payed to give some of their blood for the vamps or other stuff that needs blood.

>>31728069
>You can actually see the veterancy effect in the Calc ABL column if you analyse the formula.
Actually, that's the Adj ABL. It accounts for specialities and veterancy.

>tradeable economy
I also forgot to mention that natural resources have an effect here.

>>31728079
It's supposed to be fresh, according to Tsucchi, but they can clearly preserve it somehow if Lady Serat only gets blood deliveries once a year.

>>31728069
>All that spreadsheet stuff
Heh. I wish I had that level of understand, because it feels almost research paper worthy in terms of stuff you must have needed to know/look up.

I figured you just eyeballed tax rates, man, I didn't know you calculated every citizen that way (basically).

Still, in it all, that does seem to follow a train of logic, even if it's a highly specialized one (these are YOUR notes, and all, not mine).

I can follow it, but only vaguely. Not enough to use it, or use this method for other stuff unfortunately.

>>31728069
>No heros
...and some have 10...oh dear.
This fight is gonna be scary.

>Leadership
Yeah I did see that actually. It reminds me of the star system generals use in Total War games. A multiplier for all their abilities (for you, ABL, etc etc). I assume they don't stack, though, if you have multiple leaders, right?

>Veterans
Indeed I do...I think. The formula is easier to see then the tax sheet.

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>>31728154
There's unfortunately a ton of other stuff I did for research in the background. The base productivity and population density calculations were done using research and comparisons with history, plus a ton of assumptions (like the effects of magic and climate). There's also demographic information for the whole continent I'm drawing on. You probably don't need this sort of depth (heck, I probably don't).

And the main reason for developing this, despite the work involved, is that it lets me really easily add new provinces. I use that sheet called province data to let me know how much land a region takes up, whether it's self-sufficient etc so that I can fiddle with population sizes and the like and get balance.

For instance, you can see that you'll run into a food shortage (which means you'll need to import it) until/unless you capture Farun to the north which happens to supply enough food to cover you.

>>31728173
Not really this fight. The unit types on that spreadsheet cover the entire quest. We're current only like thirteen rows down in that list in terms of units involved (except for summons which are further down).

Attached is an example of what it looks like for the current army, less a few units.

>>31728230
>You probably don't need this sort of depth
Oh no, it's really interesting to me that you went through all of this just to get up these numbers and shit
>(heck, I probably don't).
Heh, perhaps you don't NEED them, but they truly give your quest the most tangible and deep feeling I have ever felt in a quest...well...ever. I am really not even trying to flatter you, either, it's just a fact for me.

>After template is done, it's easier
Oh yes, I am certain that is true. Which is good that a lot of this is done already, huh? Smoother sailings for your QM duties...well. SmoothER. Not smooth, probably.

>Food Shortage
That's another neat thing this system allows, for things like that.
Heh, pushing us hard to go for orange instead of RSK or anything stupid, are you? I don't blame you.

Incidentally, about that pic, why are the Men at Arms and Heavy MAA so high on the Calc ABL? Is it solely because of their numbers? Because I wonder if it might not be a good idea to keep Men at Arms around, instead of slowly replacing them all with Medium Mage Knights like I was originally hoping (Since I figured a MAA was just a soldier too poor for a Mage Knight armor suit)

Also how come Medium Mage Knights don't have a Cal ABL on there?

Oh one last thing regarding veterancy: How on earth do you manage to calculate for each different group of veteran levels for each different unit type? (Like, we have some regular Medium Mage Knights, and conscripts, but also a few green ones too. That has to be a nightmare to figure out exact maths, unless you just take the lowest and highest and average them out)

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>>31728341
>explaining the pic
Base and Adjusted ABL are for each unit (which is the base size column there). Then Adj ABL is combined with the number of units and the adjusted size (which takes into account defensive bonuses) and determines, using a logarithm, the final ABL. Men-at-arms has such a high ABL because there's 2100 of them but you'll notice there's only 140 HMKs and they nearly have the same ABL in the end. MMKs have no Calc ABL as there's none of them in this grouping (you'll notice they have a dash in the number column).

>How on earth do you manage to calculate for each different group of veteran levels for each different unit type?
It's just a weighted average. Each level of veterancy has a value (the same as on the map, btw). You then just multiply the number of each veterancy level by that number before dividing by the total number and rounding - the resulting number is the overall veterancy.

E.g. 1000 conscripts and 1000 regulars become 2000 green soldiers; (1000*1 + 1000*3) / 2000 = 2 as does 1500 conscripts and 500 regulars or 501 conscripts and 1499 regulars.

>>31728447
>Explanation
Ah. I see. That makes sense...

>Veterancy
And that also makes sense! Good to hear then. I wonder if it might be a good idea to take the best of the best, just to form a unit of Elites, or if numbers are better to work with...

Anyway, I'm mostly jabbering on now about nothing important. Thanks for answering stuff, you can go on to sleep now, I am sure you're exhausted Aspie from running three days straight.

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>>31728493
It's only 9pm here on a Saturday. I'm just answering in between doing other things.

>Veterancy
It sort of works itself out as I'm trying to avoid rolling for the entire army at once. Instead I roll for individual encounters, which may involve part of both armies rather than the whole thing, so your elites might be at the forefront of a battle (like clearing a breach) and therefore they'll get veterancy bonuses which they won't if they have to fight in formation with the regulars and greenhorns.

Did you look at the previous pic and the dramatic difference between MMKs and MAAs?

>>31728537
Oh, right. Shit. I forgot you were an Aussie.

>Avoiding rolling for entire army
I can see why you'd want to avoid that, what with nat 1s lurking around every corner. But that is good to know, that you account for something that small (yet important) and give us the best odds for success that make sense.

>Spoilers
Did now. And I uh...I see your point even clearer now.
>1 Mage knight is indeed nearly 5 MAA
So while cheap, it is generally better to upgrade MAA to Mage Knights as quickly as we can.
Makes sense why it was a big deal Taour didn't have any more Mage Knights, and only MAA heh.

MAA are one of the only 'inferior' units we use, though, I assume? Just because of their cheapness that is. You wouldn't want to trade out all your MMK for HMKs simply because of how incredibly slow But holy shit terrifying your army of 10,000 would be.

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>>31728588
>HMKs v MMKs
Yeah, HMKs can beat MMKs into a pulp pretty effectively. See pic attached. Also, I realised I was forgetting to show PSN effects so I've shown you a full shot. You'll note if you apply this against MAAs that makes them look even worse, too.

As for the downsides of HMKs, you may have noticed how when the Taouran knights fled Talon commented how only the noble knights could pursue? That was because the heavies were too slow. Those sorts of things show up in a narrative sense even if they're not in the numbers. Same goes with flanking bonuses and the like.

>cheapness
yeah, you can produce 2000 units of MAA gear in four weeks for 10TBY without a dedicated factory. For MMK gear you need a 100TBY factory with eight weeks construction time, plus you'll produce 200 suits every four weeks for 10TBY. Big difference. HMKs are even more difficult and face difficulties as the catalysts you need to produce them must be imported.

>>31728678
>1 HMK is worth 4 MMK
Whoa...
Holy shit man that is cool. Good to know, too. One problem I always have with quest like these is that I am not entirely sure the power levels I am working with (consequence of the medium, I think) and so I worry about making informed decisions.

That being said, I now wonder how far we can push tankish units. I want a unit of like, 10 Juggarnauts to be able to handle 250 HMK easily.

Probably being nuts right now.

>MAA would need to out number HMK by 10 to 1 to stand a chance
Yeah, yeah they do.

>HMK too slow to give chase
Yeah, I figured as much. Which is why if we can ever get some LMK they would make awesome units to clean up any routing foes.

Any particular reason LMK got the shaft, anyway? You make them sound 'sorta' obsolete in quest to be honest. Not sure if intentional.

>All these requirements for funds
Well, at least we'll always have something to spend money on. I don't imagine we'll actually be 'adjusting' tax levels in this quest, like you might in Total War games. that always struck me as a quick way to piss of peasants.
>Imports
Heh. Just need more territory then, right? Find dem catalysts.
Orange's ass is ours.

>>31728740
>so I worry about making informed decisions.
UNinformed

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>>31728740
>taxes
You can adjust tax levels, but it's a temporary fix at best, especially if you're spending those taxes on imports like with a lot of foundry expenses. Currently you're sitting on a sweet spot for agricultural taxes and there'll be various events and possibilities around the other ones, including some possible player initiated events. I do love my economics...

>uninformed decisions
To an extent I'm wary about making specific mechanical structures available in a quest. Especially because I shift things around for narrative or balance reasons. That's why I try to have Talon and others make the claims and judgement calls about strength etc. Kind of breaking that here, mind.

>LMKs
Really? LMKs are glass cannons - they hit hard, move fast but can't maintain a front. For instance, those aerial drops on the castle walls? Perfect job for them. They'd even be able to beat a retreat if necessary. Plus, there's the economics of it - LMKs are cheaper than FMKs or HMKs but more expensive than MMKs. They didn't show up in this region because they're basically only used in the League and RSK and they're careful not to export it - even Taour's contacts in Shropham are careful not to export war secrets.

>Targetting Orange
Well, the three independent states to the north are obvious targets, especially with two of them on the brink of war with one another. They'll be the only feasible short-term target but I don't plan on the Mage Guard being the only target right afterwards. There'll be plenty of viable targets to go around in time.

Heck, that's assuming you guys don't attempt some sort of pilgrimage to PoPs.

>>31728816
> I do love my economics...
Which is good, because a lot of people can't say that. I do love...well not random events, but events based on logical scenario.

Should be quite fun, and I am so glad other anons can talk economics with you. I sure can't.

>Mechanical structures
Eh, as long as you can answer "Is the cost worth what it can do?" and "Is it defeatable" Then you should have an answer for things tg come up with, right?

The Juggernaut thing is basically 'Super HMK' which would double as walking siege engines. Obviously, easy to single out, and slow as hell. But would destroy melees.
But again, all things in good time.
>Having Talon make calls about strength
It works, to an extent, but what I mean, is...like
We have an ability to ups our physical abilities, right? By 2 points. I am not 100% on what that means other then "Stronk", and I don't know if that means "We couldn't do 'x' before, but now we can!"

Again, that's not your fault, this is bound to be a thing, and really I suppose I can just ask you about it. Just a thought.

>LMK are actually so good, they're secret
Ah. My bad, I was remembering wrong then. I swear I recall you saying we didn't see any because 'no one around here really uses them anymore', implying they could, but just didn't. That is my bad.

I look forward to acquiring them.

>Orange is clear target
And one of the only ones, but that's a 'safety' concern more then anything else.
>Plenty of targets after
Besides the Mage Guard, or RSK? I am concerned now...other continents? I can't even begin to imagine, man.
>Pharos
>Being this close to Foxes
>Getting the equivalent of nuclear submarine bombed with magic.

That being said, it really seems to me the Mage Guard are gonna get on the bad side before RSK does. Talon has friends in RSK, enough that he may not need to fight em for a while. He has no friends (I am aware of) in the MG, not to mention they shove their big fat noses in everyone's business.

Dragon fight gonna be gud

Just got home from work, caught the first part of the quest then was off at Midnight EST.

Wanted to pop in to say thanks for running Aspirational. Last three days have been fun despite super serious wartime stuff always tends to bring out the worst in us.

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>>31728872
>targets
Oh, no, I meant that as the world is shifting there may be targets of opportunity. The world changes over time, after all, and there's been constant hints of things happening. That's why there's been the involvement and constant mentions of the League and RSK, so these things don't just come up out of nowhere and you guys can make a judgement call as to where you stand. I'll also probably tie this into some moral choices of sorts, though there'll be gray everywhere you go.

>LMKs
You're thinking of the old mage-knight armour your heavy men-at-arms are wearing, I think.

>We have an ability to ups our physical abilities, right? By 2 points. I am not 100% on what that means other then "Stronk", and I don't know if that means "We couldn't do 'x' before, but now we can!"
I see what you mean here. I'm really big on numbers like this - I tend to get frustrated with vidya that obfuscate this sort of thing and it's one of the reasons I really loved Big Bang Age, as well.

At the same time, I also want to avoid people getting bogged down in minmaxing or something silly. Or people second-guessing DCs - there was a bit of that at Raupe with the astral arrows. People had been assuming that astral arrows had a fixed DC and therefore it was a less risky option - they didn't know there was a conditional modifier that applies if a character was faster than Talon or had magical resist. Somebody even questioned a DC when firing at Darian, even though I made it clear he was screwing with your focus. Obfuscating the mechanics is arguably the poor man's way of avoiding this issue but it's the one I've largely chosen (mind you, it's also kind of obvious that rolls are essentially Difficulty - (Attributes + Skill) or a comparison of Attributes + Skill in the case of a contested roll).

As for explicit levels of power, I've got the whole '5 is human peak, 8 is where most really powerful beings sit on average'. If you want to know something more specific, ask.

>>31728953
>World events
Ah, well yeah I figured as much, and noticed (some, probably missed a lot) of them. It's really intriging, and contributes to that world depth I keep shouting about.

Incidentally, I really love that army movement does not take absurdly long like it does in some x4 games, where a 'turn' is six months, and you can only move a little ways.
Just a random tid bit.

>Moral choices
Well, the ones we've had so far seemed pretty natural, but I think our elemental friends are going to heavily influence that (not that I mind, Talon seemed pretty on the border of being a good guy by heart anyway, ambitious or not).

I am curious if any of the champions were outright dastardly, or just fucking mean and evil. Salamander is insane, sure, but not evil. Even the Revanant had a 'noble, but stoic' feel to em.

>Big Bang Age
That sounds interesting. I should look into it.

>Minmaxing
Well, people will always try that. Acquiring power is nice, but most of us agree on a certain level of 'IC' acting, and even if we didn't you have the right to veto outright absurd things.
For instance, the guy wanting to spare all the Daywalkers, and bring them into our fold. Freedom is important, sure, but so is realizing when something you want is just out of the realm of what makes sense.
And I know you said Daywalker Talon is on the table, but I honestly have a lot of trouble seeing how, or why, he would do that, since he already has astral powers.

>Second guessing DCs
You shouldn't worry too much about that, though. When situations are tense, people are going to fall on natural instincts like that (which is why bickering happens while we wait for posts). It just means people are invested, and want things to go well/ in a way they like.

Really, for a quest of this size, everyone is surprisingly civil.

>Better obscure, so people don't argue
But I definitely get that being a reason why. I just worry I assume too much/little sometimes is all.