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>>33497860
Current Date and Time: Mid-morning on November 6th, 1952PC

>You have 1 FR point

Old King Fenix stands on one side of the table, an enormous map of the RSK outstretch upon it, and watches you approach with an inscrutable expression with his hands behind his back. You know this pose – it’s his ‘observant’ stance, where he encourages the person he’s observing to assess the information given and then offer an opinion. It was his classic approach to any difficult situation. He would make his own assessment then see what his advisors and generals would say differently before picking or combining the best ideas.

No doubt he’ll be using any ideas you have on this particular predicament to save his own skin, you think. It’s a small price to pay for what you think is valuable information and the possibility of an alliance, should you take it.

Stepping slowly around the table, you note that the RSK has been split into four regions that aren’t as random as you first thought. They don’t correspond to any existing or former separations but that’s because they’re based on current events.

Bisrum and Worremburg, to the north, appear to make up one region, with the area around the city of Worremburg being contested. Most of Guelburg and Horijssel are another region, as is Farlou and western Kassellan.

>continued

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>>33497868
If you use your current knowledge of the situation, that puts the Bisrum and Worremburg as under Magister Generals Falwick and Daria, though that may have changed with the rebellion. Farlou is almost certainly a case of ceding the territory to the Farloun sorcerer causing trouble. Guelburg and Horijssel are currently in the midst of rebellion, being held by Grand Magister Darvui, the former chief mage of Fenix’s court. The only new separation is that of the northern territories.

You find it interesting that Gespad appears to remain under the control of the capital despite its position between two of the new powers. You had thought it to be poorly defended but of great strategic worth to an otherwise landlocked power holding Bisrum and Worremburg.

You look up at Fenix, who is watching you closely. No doubt he is wishing that he could read your mind but luckily for you, that is a power beyond his reach. You’re not sure what to say here. Should you simply ask more questions of the situation, as a way of gathering intelligence? Or perhaps use this to push towards the heart of the matter – how the two of you might help one another?

>Response?

>>33497892
"Looking to carve up land already?"

We should ask more questions about the situation, see what we can learn

>>33497892

Ask about the northern territories to gather information since this seems to be news to us.

>>33497892

>"Looks like you've had more issues with Mages inside of your Kingdom than out."

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VOTE
>1. Question Fenix about the northern split.
>2. "Looking to carve up land already?"
>3. "Looks like you've had more issues with Mages inside of your Kingdom than out."
>4. Custom

So who is sitting in Gespad now? Given a few of your top Generals have decided they wanted to pursue their own interests, what keeps that under your fold?

Side question, how on earth did he manage to get to Vitria if his entire Kingdom is fracturing and the roads, likely, travel right through those new offshoots.

>>33498186
>3
and then
>1

If we can only pick one, then >3

>>33498186
>2. "Looking to carve up land already?"

>>33498186
>1. Question Fenix about the northern split.

>>33498186
>3 Looks like you've had more issues with Mages inide of your Kingdom than out

>>33497892
"The RSK has always relied on large numbers of well equipped veterans to counter the few enemy elite. If this map is accurate, you don't have those numbers, not anymore. "

>>33498186
>3 leading into
>1

Ok, to define goals

we want to end on friendly terms but not an outright alliance.
we want his empire to keep fracturing and collapsing apart.
we don't want to give that impression to him.

>>33498388
I think it would be better if fenix was able to quell the rebellions and then when his armies are tired from all the fighting we swoop in

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>3 into 1

“Given you’ve been at war with the Magi League for years now, I’d wager you’ve had more trouble with the mages inside your kingdom than those outside it,” you say, probing both Fenix’s mood and whether your assumptions around two of these splits are accurate.

Fenix shrugs, a slight grimace coming to his face. “The Farloun mage was a problem I anticipated – I was bound to miss one or two. I just wish the one I did miss was less terrifyingly competent. Vengeance is a strong motivator in my experience. Darvui, though – for such an amazing individual to go so mad. It’s like he became convinced the world would end shortly. Unfortunately, his madness is only apparent to those who knew him well – everybody else thinks he’s forming his own Magi League, the fools.”

You nod. “That’s two of these splits – what’s the northern one, Fenix? I don’t understand that one or even how you could get here if it was in rebellion.”

“That’s because it’s not a genuine fracture. It’s one that is forming,” Fenix says. “Tell me, Talon, why do you think I expanded my kingdom so rapidly these last few years of war?”

>Response?

>>33498388
another possibility, we can offer him "subtle" help if he just gives us gespad outright, by engaging guelburg at a 2 front war (for it)

>>33498423
Quelling the rebellion =! tired armies, it means he won
Fracturing means he and the other guy are killing each others forces and neither is winning. meaning a balance of power we can easily tip in our favor and maximum carnage for both sides

>>33498423

I disagree, I think divide and conquer is the way to go here. If Fenix is able to keep his empire intact, then even an exhausted RSK army could eventually overwhelm us with sheer numbers and superior economic infrastructure.

We can be a match for fractured RSK pieces, but not all 9-10 RSK provinces I think.

>>33498449
"Preparation, most likely."

>>33498449

Through capable and ambitious generals and warlords? And their ambitions are now turning inwards?

>>33498449
>“Tell me, Talon, why do you think I expanded my kingdom so rapidly these last few years of war?”
because you could

OOC (don't say this outloud to him)
So, could he have intentionally over reached with the intent of splitting it up all along? to make it into interlocking allied kingdoms that could stand together?
maybe with marriage alliances?

wait, how many kids does he have?

>>33498449
>"Anticipation of a grander scheme, consolidate loyal forces to fight the assumed pieces that would fracture off, quell those and you have a stronger hold on a wider berth of land with your loyal forces controlling it. More like than not. Explains your attempt to recruit me as well."

>>33498449
"To gain resources to fight the Magi League, and to deny them to the Magi League."

>>33498542

He has one child, a princess. His other two children were assassinate few years ago I think.

>>33498557
>He has one child, a princess. His other two children were assassinate few years ago I think.
well, that disprove their claim of "angel blessing makes it impossible for anyone to kill us unless we personally wronged them"
that or his kids were dicks

>>33498501

Oops, misread that as "how" and not "why". Ignore.

>>33498556
>>33498551
seconded

>>33498449

Because you expected to lose part of it.

>>33498575

Sorry, I was slightly mistaken.

>Dorack's only child, as his two sons have fallen in war against the Magi League. Asfael's name is a play on the name of the legendary Archangel of Vengeance, Azrael, who fell during the Cataclysm according to legend. Her mother was slain by a Farloun assassin during the genocide when she was young and her father changed her name as a result.

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VOTE
>1. "Preparation to fight the Magi League and to deny them resources."
>2. "So that you would have more forces and land available to fight any fracturing or dissent."
>3. "Because you could. Raw ambition."
>4. Custom

>>33498665
>2

>>33498665
>1. "Preparation to fight the Magi League and to deny them resources."

>>33498665
>2. "So that you would have more forces and land available to fight any fracturing or dissent."

HAH HAH TIME FOR POLITICS.

>>33498665
>2

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>>33497892
>Magister Generals Falwick and Daria
can we have more info about those two? who are they?

also, i labeled a map with the split he shows

>>33498665
>3. "Because you could. Raw ambition."

aka, The Talon option.

>>33498706
Just to be clear, I am not 100% certain but I think spitzeilig and gespad ARE connected by a controlled region and that the split he is making doesn't correspond 100% to the hexes. AKA, its north worremburg that is contested and sough guelburg

>>33498706

Falwick was mentioned several times before

>Although the RSK armies are led by a variety of the powerful Seraphi nobles, there are four (five before Alyce slew one) exceptional nobles who are granted the title of Magister General. Their authority over the military of the RSK is second to only the King himself and they are responsible for keeping the borders safe. It is this position that the King offered to Talon, though for all his strength, Talon may well have been one of the weakest of the generals (if a brilliant tactician and strategist). The current generals are Falwick, Norin, Ciaris and Daria. Falwick is the most notorious and, along with the now deceased Goril, has been leading the war on the northern front.

>The exception is Falwick, who is a complete monster. He's fought Mercenie and lived to tell the tale. Supposedly he's encountered Lairos, the great wardragon, and lived. He's certainly a big, tough bastard.

>“Magister General Falwick, for one,” you say, grimacing. “Mercenie told me that he’s requested the king grant him permission to invade Darlesia in retaliation for us killing RSK spies. My friendship with Old Fenix kept Falwick at bay. If he found a noble with a connection to the old royal family however, Fenix would be bound by precedent and politics to give him permission.”

>Falwick is no mad dog, he’s a trained and vicious hound,” you say. “Old Fenix won’t let him break covenant with us and invade our territory without a damned good reason.”

>>33498665
1

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>>33498706
Falwick is the ogre-like general who wanted to attack you while you were fighting Taour. Daria is the closest the RSK has to a Mage Lord general akin to those the Magi League uses.

>>33497892

Given we've heard this mage causing troubles in Farlou is of an empire building mind as we've been told before, I have a question. Does this Farloun sorcerer happen to be really good with Transmutation?

>>33498665
>>2. "So that you would have more forces and land available to fight any fracturing or dissent."

>>33498706
>>33498779
interesting
is he predicting for falwik and daria to, together, go rogue and carve up half of his empire for themselves as emperor and empress?
sounds like quite a power couple

>>33498449
>Darvui, though – for such an amazing individual to go so mad. It’s like he became convinced the world would end shortly.
This does not sound good, first the Lord of Ember, then the Archangel's needing troops in a month, and now this? All of my 'impending eldritch horror' senses are firing at full blast.

>>33499000
>Archangel's needing troops in a month

Year.

>>33499015
Years.

>>33499015
That's what I meant, yes.
The point stands.

>>33499000
what. a month? i thought he said 3 years

>>33499053
Urgh, I'm just full of mistakes today.
Meant to link >>33499044

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"So that you would have more forces and land available to fight any fracturing or dissent,” you say. “The RSK would have difficulty remaining stable as you aged and rebellion would occur at some stage, regardless of size.”

Fenix lets out a hearty laugh at your response. “Truly, Talon, you suspect me of the most diabolical schemes. For good reason, I suppose. It is as entertaining as always to hear your blunt honesty. It is true that I have been planning for eventual dissent, if not something as grandiose as what is currently happening. By casting my net far and wide I would be able to ensure plenty of capable and loyal compatriots to carry my spirit forward in the face of such a schism.

“But it is not the true reason I desire an expanding kingdom. The truth is very simple – I want my culture, my power, to extend as far as possible. My foes, including the beautiful archmage, think that I stand for some abominable royal line extending forever into the future. It is not the blood that matters, though – if it did I could hardly stand as king. I have so little of the blessed royal blood compared to my peers that I can’t even light a candle without a match!”

>continued

>>33499237
Fenix is slightly fevered as he speaks, a slight grin on his face. For a man so unreadable he seems surprisingly forthright even as he speaks things that contradict what you know of him. The cynical side of you supposes he’s still being manipulative but another part of you feels drawn to what he’s saying.

“No, it is not the blood but the soul that must reign,” he continues, staring at you with serious eyes. “It matters little if one has the blood of a god if the soul bathes in pleasure without conflict. The other royals, and even most of the Seraphi nobles, weaken themselves and their nations with their hedonism. The mages demonstrate their weakness by focusing their souls on the unnecessary – lust for knowledge with no meaningful impact. History shows that there are great, evil powers that must be fought and the only way to fight them is with zeal and ambition.”

You eye Fenix cautiously, trying to make sense of his slight rant. You say, “You’re saying you conquered surrounding lands for the good of the world?”

“Hardly. I did it for myself. For those who are my kin in soul if not blood – people like you, Talon, that understand what power is and why it is precious,” he says, giving you a broad grin as he spreads his arms abreast. “I foolishly saw you as a harbinger of the heir I would need to continue my work. Now you’ve formed an empire that will assuredly grow quickly and I see that you could very well be the actual heir. The RSK needs a soul who understands the power that it contains and who can build the grand kingdom the world needs to withstand whatever perils it faces next.

>continued

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>>33499263
“I had thought one of my children would fulfil that need,” he says, his voice turning sombre. “Sadly, only Asfael remains and I fear that she has thrown her lot in with Falwick. A dog desperately in need of a firm hand that she cannot provide. If only she’d allied with you, I could salvage the situation.”

Fenix falls silent and, breathing heavily, he watches you closely for a response.

You’d be lying if there wasn’t something seductive about Fenix’s words. Raw power and the need to shape the world away from what you feel is undesirable has driven you for much of your life. Altruism has always been something you’ve done because you could afford to, not a duty. Fenix appeals to your fundamental desires and you know now why you get along so well with the man despite knowledge of his monstrosity. Whether you can take him up on his desires is another matter, however – a man need not be driven by just his desires.

>Q&A time. Just like with Alyce.

>>33499289

What is it that he desires from us in light of how the RSK is fracturing into pieces?

>>33499289
Grand talk of order, chaos and fundamental desires is all well and good, but what does he actually offer?

What is his plan going forward and what part in it would he like to see us play?

>>33499289
>"U wot m8?"

>>33499289
Ask about Asfael and throwing her lot in with Falwick. What does he mean by that? Can he bring her back to his side or is he writing her off?

Ah so that is why he avoided the earlier question of his daughter.

So... What is desired of us? Fulfill an old man's dream? Take over the fractured piece of the RSk that Falwick reigns in and in doing so taking Asfeal "captive", she seems more attracted to power and ambition without the mind to aim them, something easily manipulated by Talon. She remains on our side, Fenix eventually dies, we take the rest of the RSK via marriage to a manipulated daughter?

>>33499289
What is the nature of falwick's fracturing loyalties then?
What is the cause that seduced his daughter to falwicks side?
Does he expect falwick to go into open revolt? it would seem more sensible to just remain allied and wait for fenix to die of old age, since he already has in his pocket the lone surviving heir... or do they expect fenix to appoint someone else as an heir who isn't a blood relative?

>If only she’d allied with you, I could salvage the situation
Oho, so he wishes us to seduce her away from falwick

>>33499263
>>33499289
damn, that IS appealing
either he is a good actor and knows talon very well. Or he really means it.

Hilariously then, the magi league rebellion on the basis of "overthrow the royal bloodlines" is way off the mark on what he was trying to achieve... and actually more in line with his own ambition of creating a culture of warriors and combating hedonism (although he does consider the abstract pursuit of knowledge a form of hedonism)

So do we now have the looming issue of Falwick saying, "Fuck your orders." Going into open revolt with Asfael as his 'royal decree' and then attacking us? Would he be so foolish as to do so being surrounded by the Magi, consolidated RSK, and TYE?

>>33499237
>>33499263
>>33499289
>I over stretched my empire so that I could socially engineer the most people into a warrior culture before my death/its collapse
wow, holy shit this guy is fucking awesome

>>33499573
Of course not, he'd likely wait for the League to collapse then take his army invading in the path of least resistance (us).

>>33499494
>>33499598
also, both of those are the same guy

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I kind of thought what he was offering you was pretty damned obvious with the comment about you potentially being his heir. I honestly don't know how there's so much confusion about that rather than the mere specifics.

>>33499356
>>33499412
>What is he offering?
"For now, an alliance. For the future, that depends on whether you are able to extend your own power over the RSK as I did. Initially we would form an alliance so close you would gain a position in the royal court but one step below my own.

"That would force Asfael's hand as it would openly threaten any chance she might have of succeeding me. It would then be a matter of you extending your power and influence over the RSK, crushing rebellious lands and winning over the nobles and generals. Eventually you would no doubt subsume the kingdom into the very thing I always desired it to be. If your soul is as great as I suspect.

"Sadly," he continue, "any attempt to do this more peaceably will no doubt fail due to my daughter's poor choice of ally in expanding her own power."

>>33499422
>Ask about Asfael and throwing her lot in with Falwick.
"My spies tell me that she is finally taking action to cement her claim to the throne. She is seen as too weak to be able to succeed me so she must prove herself. Normally I would allow this to take its course but Falwick is too poor a choice to let her run freely, particularly as she'll no doubt butt up against you in short order or threaten to blow open the simmering war with the mages."

>>33499684

>"And if my culture and views threaten to overtake your own?"

>>33499684
So basically we'd be absorbed? Into his kingdom and we'd then take it over from the inside?

Sorry I'm nursing a bottle of Patron and my reading comp ain't so great right now

>>33499684
>"Sadly," he continue, "any attempt to do this more peaceably will no doubt fail due to my daughter's poor choice of ally in expanding her own power."

UNLESS Talon could seduce her to his side.

Which, btw, is something we can use to justify holding off on accepting the deal. it gives us time to attempt to do so before going all out against her.

or could we?
>Normally I would allow this to take its course but Falwick is too poor a choice to let her run freely
he already expressed serious doubt about her capability to make wise choices
Such a move will require quite a lot of wrangling on OUR part to ensure that we are the one in charge since he doesn't trust her decision making.
And will likely severely undermine our harem.

>>33499684
"I see... I foresee some problems though. Primarily, the society I am trying to build is... unlikely to be welcomed by you're nobles."

>>33499684

Okay here goes:

Gaining a position in the royal court, wouldn't that subordinate Talon to Fenix? Wouldn't that be the equivalent of a vassal king to an emperor rather than an alliance between equals?

How would the nobles with royal lineage take to the news of the alliance in his opinion?

To subsume the kingdom, it's very possible that Asfael will die, ending the family line. He mentioned that blood wasn't important to him, but the soul. But would he be fine with that outcome?

What of the Magi League? Would the alliance focus on taking care of internal rebellions or opening a new front against the Magi League?

>>33499824
Basically
Step 1: He declares talon his heir to the throne, his daughter goes into open revolt.
Step 2: the now combined york empire/RSK with talon as number 1 general and Fenix as current king (until he dies of age) crushes his daughter's rebellion and all the OTHER rebellions he has to deal with
Step 3: Talon conquers the world

this is the offer he is making talon

>>33499811
he explicitly states that he believes that talon views align with his. That is, he chose talon as the spiritual successor of his cultural views

>>33499824
>So basically we'd be absorbed? Into his kingdom and we'd then take it over from the inside?
Sorta. That would stick us with a bunch of likely to leave us with a bunch of "legacy" issues. Customs and other issues that we wouldn't be able to change.

>>33499848
>"I see... I foresee some problems though. Primarily, the society I am trying to build is... unlikely to be welcomed by you're nobles."
so does he, which is why he wants us to CRUSH those nobles who would rise up against us in defense of bloodline over ability

>>33499835
>UNLESS Talon could seduce her to his side.

Umm, FYI that route starts with us annihilating Falwick and we'd still have to expect her to backstab us for the sake of her own ambitions.

>>33499919
Which would be 90% of them when we got through with our changes. I mean, the status we want to grant to mages alone...

>>33499684
So, Fenix thinks he's likely to outlive Talon.

Interesting.

WAIT! I just realized and got an idea
this is against his modus operandi of being subtil and scheming!
He is talking about openly going up against bloodline purity thing of the RSK in favor of capability by appointing talon as heir right away and have talon succeed him and conquer the world and spread their share ideals

BUT, openly doing that, while forcing his daughter hand, will also earn talon the ire of the mages. it might be better for such a plan for, at least temporarily, for such an alliance to remain confidential.

that is, talon "fake conquers" with fenix's aid the RSK as it fractures.

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>>33499851
>Gaining a position in the royal court, wouldn't that subordinate Talon to Fenix? Wouldn't that be the equivalent of a vassal king to an emperor rather than an alliance between equals?
A position in the royal court as part of an alliance would mean you'd have a say in the RSK but not be bound to do what they say except if it's requried by the alliance (military assistance etc).

>How would the nobles with royal lineage take to the news of the alliance in his opinion?
"It would depend on how you address their concerns. Some would fight you bitterly as you would deny them their power. Others would be happy to work with you if they felt you were the most likely victor. I cannot provide accurate predictions of their reactions but no doubt many will fight you bitterly."

>To subsume the kingdom, it's very possible that Asfael will die, ending the family line. He mentioned that blood wasn't important to him, but the soul. But would he be fine with that outcome?
"She is dead woman walking as is, or a puppet at best. If she survive what is to come then that is merely extra benefit."

>What of the Magi League?
"I doubt that they'll have the time and resources to concernt themselves with our disputes so long as we leave them alone. They may not appreciate it in the long-term, however."

>>33499951

>giving Mage's nobility
>openly encouraging the pursuit of knowledge regarding vampires and further techs
>wanting to start new Knight/Ranger Orders with (Assumedly) Noble status
>Assimilating Foxes into nation

Yeah I don't think a lot of them are going to be happy.

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>>33499824
>So basically we'd be absorbed? Into his kingdom and we'd then take it over from the inside?
It's more accurate to say you'd form a very close alliance and merge through a mixture of violence and politics. Whether the RSK or TYE culture wins out would be down to the situational circumstances.

>>33499970
Quite the opposite.

>>33499684
Personally I like this option. We gain a valid claim to the entire RSK, as well as a bunch of supporters within it.

Also, there is nothing really preventing us from forming a pseudo-alliance with the Magi League as well. It will be of a caliber less than what was discussed earlier, with most of our attention directed towards the South and putting down the various revolts. But with the war on hold, Alysce (sp?), would be able to strengthen her own forces and intimidate the more rebellious towers.

This seems a much more appealing offer than Alyce's.

>>33499991
>Most nobles will fight you bitterly
>Crush them
>Even my daughter
damn

>>33500036
>But with the war on hold, Alysce (sp?), would be able to strengthen her own forces and intimidate the more rebellious towers.
we don't actually want that, we want to absorb both

Actually... if we trust him enough. we could conspire with both him AND alyce on this simultanously. in that, we tell them just enough about the other to change their opinion.

>>33500042
Agreed.

The clash of cultures component really intrigues me.

>>33500042

I agree. If we could find a way to maintain alliances with both, I would do so.

>>33500021

So not a question to ask Fenix specifically.

Alyce asked for a personal alliance and Fenix asked for a proper alliance between the nations with all the trappings correct?

It may be very difficult, but we could accept Fenix's formal offer while still engaging with Alyce on a personal level.

>>33500042
Oddly enough, its the exact opposite for me.

>>33500070
>The clash of cultures component really intrigues me.
Eh, the risk of our culture not winning out rather worries me.

>>33500092
>It may be very difficult, but we could accept Fenix's formal offer while still engaging with Alyce on a personal level.
We totally CAN if we discover more about alyce and if we, carefully, act as an intermediary between the two.
We can end up potentially having both supporting us at the same time.
of course that doesn't just give us both empires
we would basically have to suppress 90% of the mages and 90% of the RSK nobles

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>>33500092
Yes, it is possible to attempt to worth with both sides at once. It would have risks, both political and military. It could be used against you by RSK nobles or mages and it would result in you potentially fighting two or three front wars.

Basically, high risk but high reward.

>>33500042
They're actually functionally similar but with different directions of conquest and a different focus on rewards and politics.

>>33500104

Seconded. I don't like the idea that the young TYE culture could be taken over as a first. And second I think Alyce has more to offer in the long term without asking for our subordination.

Are Alyce's and Fenix's position that incompatible?

Neither seem to be big on Muh Royal Blood

>>33500153
>Basically, high risk but high reward.

Hell, Talon's basically the epitome of high risk, high reward. He could have chosen a comfy life as a Magister Reward, but he decided to be Emperor of his own nation.

I like this option a lot.

>>33500163
>asking for our subordination.
he really isn't.

... actually, it just occured to me.
He could propose a test for his daughter and fitwix forces.. by telling them to take on talon WITHOUT the support of the rest of the RSK as a "test"
this would let talon buy time without entering a formal alliance, conquer a slice of the RSK, and take out a major threat.

>>33500136
No risk no reward anon, it's all part of the fun!

>>33500184
>Are Alyce's and Fenix's position that incompatible?
>Neither seem to be big on Muh Royal Blood
yea, that was my point earlier. they beliefs aren't that incompatible anyways

as >>33500153 says
allying with both
>Yes, it is possible to attempt to worth with both sides at once. It would have risks, both political and military. It could be used against you by RSK nobles or mages and it would result in you potentially fighting two or three front wars.

>>33500163

>>Gaining a position in the royal court, wouldn't that subordinate Talon to Fenix? Wouldn't that be the equivalent of a vassal king to an emperor rather than an alliance between equals?

>A position in the royal court as part of an alliance would mean you'd have a say in the RSK but not be bound to do what they say except if it's requried by the alliance (military assistance etc).

Not really saying the subordination part here.

I think TYE culture is a risk, but the rewards are immense here. I think we may want to hold off on the alliances until we secure Termina though.

Give us more clout as a partner coming in.

>>33500140

My thoughts on how to go about that is this.

>Accept Fenix's offer, keep relations with Alyce going forward with personal alliance
>Refrain from bringing it up to RSK nobles
>Begin work to the south, gather larger forces, etc.
>When Shropham eventually rebels we quash it, thoroughly
>Keeps our promises to Alyce
>Shows the RSK Nobles we just did something they couldn't and held it
>Use it as leverage to further gain in RSK

>>33500021
>Quite the opposite.

Huh, I guess I'm too cynical about politicians. Still, was fully expecting him to have some sort of immortality/longevity gambit in the works. Not sure if I respect him more for his honesty or less for accepting his limitations.

>>33500251
>I think we may want to hold off on the alliances until we secure Termina though.
definitely
in fact, another deal we could wrangle is that after we take termina, he cedes gespad to us, and we go to town on the archmage holding guelburg and horijssel...
then at that point we are holding 4.5 territories. and THEN we do this alliance thing he came up with

heck, we might have shropham too by then

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Last call for questions.

After that I'll close this scene off with a 'I'll get back to you.'

>>33500278
Smart rulers use their legacy as immortality as it's difficult to ensure you live forever, even in a fantasy world.

>>33500252
We can't do that because
>Accept Fenix's offer
Means that we are IMMEDIATELY placed at the head of fenix's army to quash his daughter's rebellion against him. We can't do anything else
the longer we wait the more entrenched she becomes
but the more land we grab on the outside.

I think we should make a variation, that is, a personal alliance to fulfill his dream.
And we do so via making an unofficial alliance with him directly to fulfil it, keeping it on the down low for now as we manipulate events to seize power for talon.

>>33500299

Ceding Gespad to a foreign empire might be politically impossible. The nobles would be up in arms about it for sure. This could make it difficult for Talon to cement himself as a rightful ruler of RSK.

>>33500092
Honestly I think we should play both sides until they both collapse. Everything is falling to shit for both sides of the coin here so power grabs sounds nice.

>>33500352
He is the king. And it we could have the contract include that in exchange, once we pacified guelburg and horijssel we are to return a slice of horijssel of equal size to gespad (that is, 1 of the 3 cities of horijssel in exchange for the lone city of gespad)

Besides which, he could justify it as necessary because he is fighting a difficult battle on multiple other fronts.
Heck, he doesn't even have to officially give us gespad, merely withdraw all troops and "abandon" it for tactical reasons. then let TYE seize it from neutrals

>>33500042
Alyce has the advantage that she has many many mages to use. Which we need far more then nobles. That and we don't want to fracture ourselves though letting other power players get too huge and taking noble titles away from nobles or the likes in conquered RSK land sounds like a nightmare.

>>33500365
I agree, although I already voted to do this

>>33500404

Being the King doesn't mean you can do whatever you want. He still has to maintain popular support among the nobles and other powerful parties or he risks being overthrown.

This is particularly dangerous because his power and influence is already being limited by the multiple rebellions and factions.

>>33500437
Fair enough, in which case he can justify it as "not worth holding unto this bit of land"
and simply order his empire to completely abandon this one single coastal city (seriously, gespad is tiny) and reroute all the soldiers from it to another border

Heck, we could make a... not a full alliance but some sort of treaty with them in exchange for it as well.

But really, I don't see what is wrong with making a treaty where he cede one tiny strip of land containing one single city, and in exchange we suppress a major rebellion for him while he sits back and conserves his troops

>>33500523
Biggest issue is it makes him look like a pussy in front of his nobles and peasants. You don't want to look like you can't handle it yourself.

>>33500430
We could also use this as as way to manipulate Alyce too. "Hey my plan is to go deep into the RSK court so I can tell you all his plans."

"Hey I'm friends with the archmage. But I can get info on her movements from behind the scenes"

>>33500365

But the alliances are basically allowing us to play both sides with their full blessing.

Fenix wants us to inherit the RSK if we have the power, Alyce is perfectly fine with us taking over rebellious Magi League provinces.

Working with them will gain us the territories as well as their support.

>>33500523

Withdrawing troops? That's possible, but it shows weakness and that can be fatal in an internal rebellion. However, withdrawing troops doesn't mean we can just take it over for obvious reasons.

The mandate of a king comes in part from his ability to protect his land and his subjects. Giving away his land and subjects to a foreign power to protect his remaining land and subjects?

If I was an ambitious noble, that's basically cue to say that this King is no longer fit to rule.

>>33500604
I mainly mean when we need to wipe both sides off the map. It gives us insider info we can slowly use to take over.

>>33500604
He is giving up farlou already
Any noble trying to use that excuse already has plenty of ammunition
Good thing he now has more troops to quash said nobles, and concentrated more closely together.

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You sigh. “Well, you certainly gave me a lot more to think about than I expected.”

There’s a chuckle from the old king. “Do think about it. We all have something to gain. I’m willing to wait. My kingdom will not collapse overnight and I would rather you ready to focus purely on these affairs when you agree.”

As typical of him, there’s a sense of the definite in Fenix’s words. He considers your agreement a done deal, hiding any doubts he might harbour. It’s not like you’d be much different. There’s a few pleasantries as the two of you settle in to watch the remainder of the archery tournament.

Not that there’s much left. There had been four events: normal target shooting, where the archer fire three arrows in a timeframe and is awarded point based on their accuracy; timed target shooting, where the archer gains more points based on a mixture of how fast he fires and his accuracy; penetration shooting, which is like the first event but with extra points depending on how well his arrow penetrates the target; and the final event which adds the penetration factor to the timed shooting.

During your negotiations it appears that only the last event is in the finals. You regret missing the rest of it, despite the seriousness of your talks, but you’re happy you’ve managed to catch the most important event. This is where you’ll be able to seriously judge the ability of the contestants in a battle-like situation.

Not that there’s too many you don’t have the measure of: Finn and Hartmann were obvious shoo-ins, Moss has wrangled his way into the final four ahead of Hartmann’s group, and there’s a final contestant from the RSK whom you know quite well. Trielle Gendarme is Neir’s second-eldest sister and a good shot with a bow, to say the least.

Finn takes his place as the first to shoot, having scored the most points in the qualifier.

[DC13/15/19 Archery]

Rolled 9

>>33500746

Best Squire

Rolled 1

>>33500746

Rolled 9

>>33500746
Roll Save

>>33500563
>We could also use this as as way to manipulate Alyce too. "Hey my plan is to go deep into the RSK court so I can tell you all his plans."
>"Hey I'm friends with the archmage. But I can get info on her movements from behind the scenes"
Certainly doable
Although we could also use honesty here

>Laugh out loud
>Fenix, you won't believe this, but it seems that you and alyce are kindred spirits
>Your supposedly diametrically opposed views seemed to actually come from your concessions to your people
>I think the three of us can cooperate to create something great together.

to alyce later on
>So, fenix approached me
>Turns out he doesn't believe in blood purity and the right to rule solely via noble birth
>He wants me to inherit his empire, and together, before his death, crush the nobles that would be up in arms against this. Starting with his own daughter.
>The three of us can work on it together, in secret.

>>33500763
>>33500753
>>33500771
Wonderful.

>>33500763

Oh Finn.

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>>33500763

Rolled 19

>>33500746

>>33500763
Hah! Still distracted from last night, Finn?

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>>33500753
>>33500763
>>33500771
Got lost playing Xenonaughts, came back to this.

>>33500753
>>33500763
>>33500771

And then Finn accidentally a Talon.

>>33500828
Clearly the residual tattoo pain caused him to faint.

>>33500772
They won't believe jack of that. In general they won't care they just want to wipe the other side off the map.

>>33500763

And then Finn accidently shoots Neir's sister in the face

>>33500753
>>33500763
>>33500771

The way that 1 worked in my head is Finn suddenly noticed Rayza and she blew him a kiss.

>>33500859
that is their empires, not them individually
individually they each want something very different from the oligarches of their nation

>>33500772
DC 18, Roll.

>Nat 1

>>33500893
Yeah. But in general their not going to trust "Hey gaiz try and guess? You all have similar ideals!" They're going to think Talon is just trying to make a power play to ally to more then one easier.

>>33500763
>>33500814

And we only roll 1s and 19s once again. As per protocol.

>>33500940

What about the 2 9s?

>>33500940
Poor Finn.

>>33500753
>>33500763
>>33500771

wow. The dice are cursed lately. Seen worse like 35 rolls in a row all 5-6 worse but this is pretty painful.

>>33500746

Well on the plus side Moss is still awesome.

I remember the time he saved Talon's ass in a fight.

We should have done a POV shift here. Then we would be rolling in 20s.

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>Dramatic failure

When you see Finn pull hold all three arrows in his hand at the same time, nocking one and leaving the other two dangling from his fingers, you know this is either going to go horribly wrong or horribly right.

As the start is signalled, you see your squire draw, the bowstring pulling back faster than most observers could catch. You’d missed it last time but were watching carefully this time. The first arrow is loosed but Finn’s hand trails it as the string snaps against the length of his bow. His fingers deftly juggle the second arrow into position and he draws and fires again, a mere fraction of a second passing between loosing and drawing a second time. Finn’s face is the very epitome of concentration as he fires and it seems he’s on track for success as the second arrow flies straight and true.

Then, right when Finn should be drawing the third shot without hesitation he seems to freeze. A shudder seems to run down his body, his back arching slightly as he draws a shuddering breath. You stand slightly, worried that something or somebody has interfered with Finn and murmurs run along the crowd as he seems to randomly freeze while shooting, most of them too far away to see what is happening to him. You see Hartmann ready to mount the stands and have a hunch that this has happened before and is a very bad sign.

>continued

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>>33501113
Then Finn suddenly straightens, his eyes refocusing and he quickly draws and fires. You breathe a sigh of relief as your squire appears to return to normal, a grimace on his face the only sign that something just went very wrong.

Looking at the results – all three shots were around the outer ring of the bullseye and achieved excellent penetration, with the tips sticking out the metal backing according to the judges. But the long pause between his second and third shots meant the third shot was nearly worthless, giving him a likely last place simply because his first and second shots wouldn’t make up for it.

The rest of the event goes off without a hitch and Trielle snaps up the grand prize for it, edging out Hartmann by a hair’s breadth. You’re going to have to convince her to fight for you, you think. She’s improved her archery by an enormous amount since you last fought alongside her.

As you bid Fenix farewell and step outside the private box, you find a despondent Finn being comforted by Taira and Lynn.

>1. Try to cheer Finn up.
>2. Let Taira and Lynn do their thing.
>3. Question Finn about what happened.
>4. Custom

>>33501132
>>1. Try to cheer Finn up.
>3. Question Finn about what happened.

>>33501132
>1. Try to cheer Finn up.

Get some kindness in first, then figure out what the hell that was.

>>33501132
>3. Question Finn about what happened.

>>33501132
>2

We'll talk to Finn later.

>>33501132
1 and 3

>>33501132
>3. Question Finn about what happened.

>>33501132
>2. Let Taira and Lynn do their thing.

>>33501132
>1&3

>>33501132

Poor Finn I just want him to be fixed.

>>33501132
Question, is Merce somewhere near by? We should probably get on stopping Finn's tattoos from distracting/killing the boy...

As a note we should encourage Finn to get back in regular contact with Hartmann and his crew, given the latter's obvious concern for him during this.

Never too high up to talk to the men that work for/with you.

>>33501317
Honestly he is probably just too busy. Once they have their own order up and running things should calm down.

>>33501282
merce doesn't know how

also, it occurs to me that if the tattos are removed finn is gonna be powerless AND die

I think we should approach this problem the same way fox longevity works. that is, if they can't get enough magic power their 4th tail eats them up and they die of old age. but if they can they keep on living

so basically finn needs to get so much magic power via challenging himself constantly that his tattoos drain will be rendered negligible

Alterntively. Find a way to emulate the tattoos with fingerpaint on the skin. And then a way to remove the tattoos (maybe talon's power after he binds a place of power to source?).

>>33501397
He probably won't die. But he will lose most of his powers yes. Only real route I can see to him not losing it is either turning him astral somehow or supercharging his lifeforce with enough magic that it isn't real drain.

>>33501469
>He probably won't die. But he will lose most of his powers yes
which means he would die
because he is a soldier, a hero at heart, and because he fights in a way that relies on his powers.
Depowering him is a death senteance

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>1 & 3

“That was excellent shooting, Finn,” you say as you walk up to your squire. “You’ve improved an amazing amount since we meet.”

Giving you a sour look, Finn doesn’t respond.

You hold back a sigh before responding to the look. “I’m serious, Finn. When we first met you botched that triple-shot entirely. You would have pulled it off perfectly if you hadn’t frozen at the end. And you’re not forgetting the fact you won the penetration event outright, are you?”

Finn blushes a bit, looking down, as Taira and Lynn coo a bit, the former’s tails wrapping around his back a little. “I… I guess you’re right. I did really well – I’ll just need to keep working on it so I don’t fail it again!”

You nod, ruffling his hair slightly. “With that said, why did you freeze, Finn?”

He shrugs, looking a bit embarrassed. “Since the fight last night when I started regenerating better I’ve had trouble controlling my tattoos. Normally I’d make sure that happens when I’m not busy but it just did it anyway.”

You stare at your squire in slight shock. He seems to think freezing in pain for several seconds is normal? You’re also beginning to understand why Merce is so poisonous over the tattoos. The effects are clearly immediate.

>1. Press Finn over his tattoos. You’re not sure if you can help him, however, so this may just worry him needlessly.
>2. Tell him to go talk to Merce about this without pushing him on the tattoos now.
>3. Leave him with Taira and Lynn for now and encourage him to visit Hartmann about it, too.
>4. Custom

>>33501397
>So basically Finn needs to get so much magic power via challenging himself constantly that his tattoos' drain will be rendered negligible

Huh, I thought the problem was that Finn's personal power was finite exhaustible resource. Pretty damn sure he can't just grow more of it, otherwise the tattoo death rate would be much lower.

>>33501469
>or supercharging his lifeforce with enough magic that it isn't real drain.
maybe he can bind a pop to feed his tattoos? that way he pumps in magic to boost them but does not provide passive power?

>>33501469
Or, you know, get an external powersource for the tattoos to run on...

>>33501562
Those mana crystals are looking more and more useful by the thread.

>>33501523
>2. Tell him to go talk to Merce about this without pushing him on the tattoos now.

>>33501523
>3. Leave him with Taira and Lynn for now and encourage him to visit Hartmann about it, too.

But with a note of, "We're going to talk about this more in depth later."

>>33501523
>2. Tell him to go talk to Merce about this without pushing him on the tattoos now.

>>33501523
>3 + 4

We let the girls take care of him while we go talk to Merce and Mal...

>>33501523
>2. Tell him to go talk to Merce about this without pushing him on the tattoos now.

>>33501533
>Binding a POP

Not worth it and he isn't a mage so wouldn't work either.

>>33501562
That's what I meant by life force extension.

>>33501526
It's pretty much draining his life magic out. I think it does regen though. Just after so long of draining it kill him due to strain.

>>33501533
Hey, if we turned him into a familiar would that replenish the lifesmagic he usually loses to the tattoos? It's an inelegant fix I admit, but it's also probably the easiest.

>>33501523
>3. Leave him with Taira and Lynn for now and encourage him to visit Hartmann about it, too.

>>33501574
Mana crystals in the long term are absurdly useful given our plan for our personal guard and technology.

>>33501650
We have a decade or so to figure this out.

>>33501526
>Huh, I thought the problem was that Finn's personal power was finite exhaustible resource
i am pretty sure it doesn't
he has mana, the tattoos eat up mana, he can manually activate them at the cost of mana, and he regenerates mana like every other living being.
it just drains so much that he is left mana starved constantly. So it stunts his growth and and causes deterioration with age
Furthermore, it was done on purpose, normally they get tattooed only once. but after the first time he was tattooed he still had so much power, so the added more tattoos, then a second time.

he just needs to break through it.

>>33501574
this is a brilliant idea because we can use it not just for finn. we could offer it to other elves of the warrior caste and turn them all to our side. Which will allow us to conquer them

>>33501632
>life force extension debate

Oh no, we're definitely talking about different things. You're suggesting we find a way to directly feed new magics into Finn. Period.

I'm suggesting we find a way to modify the tattoos so that they primarily run on an external (not Finn) power source and only drain the boy when they need excess power (emergency overdrive) or their primary source is exhausted. That's a bit more complicated but could also let Finn dump much more power into the tats in a pinch than would otherwise be safe to draw from just himself.

Very different approaches and while each have their own advantages, I'd say neither is wrong.

>>33501711
>We have a decade or so to figure this out.
what?
we have 200 years until they kill him
we have a decade until he is done growing, the earlier we figure it out, the taller and more buff he will be since they are stunting his growth

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Rolled 1

Tie-breaker roll

1 = Option 2
2 = Option 3

OH NO! What happens to Finn when/if we ally to Fenix? I don't think hell get to see Merce much after that.

>>33501711
You sound like you aren't expecting some long time skips when playing an immortal empire building baddass?

>>33501802
And we have a decade before permanent damage is dealt.

>>33501523
>2.Tell him to go talk to Merce about this without pushing him on the tattoos now.

Jesus, boy, go get some help.

>>33501813
merce can't help him,
she explicitly told us to find an elf who knows the tattoo magic

>>33501867

She's obviously trying regardless, she's pulled him aside every time they've seen each other since it came out. And she obviously cares about him given her reaction during the melee.

>>33501854
>And we have a decade before permanent damage is dealt.
I see what you are trying to say. but this isn't how stunted growth works
permenent damage has ALREADY been dealt.
Every day he spends with the tattoos on, is a day he is not growing physically (stunted growth)

If we remove the tattoos 9 years from now, he isn't going to suddenly have a growth spurt of 9 years worth of stunted growth

>>33501933
Well no duh. But better then it going 11 years and actually starting to damage him internally. Stunted growth is pretty fine in the long term. It's the afterwards that's the problem.

Okay, I haven't payed too much attention to the Archmage exposition. Can you fill me in on if we're gunning for her and Merce and if so, is allying with Fenix going to close the door?

>>33502012

I'd honestly suggest rereading that specific thread as you are going to get a lot of conflicting opinions from just asking that.

That said the decision, as Aspirational has told us, will come after the Tourney mini-arc.

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>2.

You hide your personal concerns and instead shoo Finn away, telling him to go talk to Merce about this.

“And don’t let yourself get distracted by Rayza,” you say as he walks away.

You squire ducks his head and darts off in embarrassment at the reminder of his fling with the spellblade. You shake your head in amusement – he may technically be a ‘man’ but his behaviour hasn’t changed that much.

Noticing that Taira’s watching after him with an odd look on your face, you decide to question her.

“You look interested,” you say cautiously.

The fox gives you a slightly heated look. “Finn’s that little bit more interesting now he’s had his first bit of fun. I’ll have to keep a close eye on him so I don’t miss the best parts.”

You frown at that, uncertain what to do about Taira’s boy-hunting. You decide to just sigh and move on. You wish Lynn some luck with the preliminaries for the main event – the thirty-one York Empire competitors in the main tourney are being decided today in a limited round-robin contest. You don’t need to be there and Lynn will effortlessly qualify so instead your plan is to have lunch with King Lyyph of Termina, who Karise tells you has just arrived. You need to meet him anyway, so why not now?

“I have a bit of spare time today,” Karise tells you, an odd spring in her step today (which does interesting things to her loosely bound chest). “Anybody in particular you want me to check up on?”

>1. Compagnon merchants
>2. Inquisitor Harold Tormann
>3. Princess Annette of Farun
>4. Custom

>>33502012
The archmage is personally pretty powerful and desperate at the moment and has a lot of mages which we need. So I"m mostly gunning for her.

As for allying with Fenix it would be pretty high risk due to the chance of a 2-3 way war breaking out in the long term. Also pretty high reward though since we can play both sides.

>>33501933
Dude, he's an elf. He isn't going to be considered an adult until he's, what, 50? Yeah, a lot of damage's been done already, but we can still prevent a fair amount by providing him proper nutrition going forward.

>>33502062
>3. Princess Annette of Farun
Was there ever a choice?

>>33502086
>but we can still prevent a fair amount by providing him proper nutrition going forward.
He is magic starved not food starved.
finding a solution to the magic starving is solving the problem entirely.
.. i wonder if our vampire alternative food research would relate here.

>>33502062
>2. Inquisitor Harold Tormann

>>33502062
>3. Princess Annette of Farun

So we can get the drop on her when we meet her later. Though 1 is very tempting because of that Dram Fail earlier.

Also I'm pretty interested in seeing who qualifies for the main Tourney. That whole affair is going to be interesting to me, I like seeing our military types.

>>33502062
>3. Princess Annette of Farun

>>33502062
>3. Princess Annette of Farun
they all need watching, but we know least about her

>>33502062
>the possibility of Finn and Vad being dick cousins
>Taira's affinity for young boys

Both of these things are absolutely hysterical to me.

>>33502062
>3. Princess Annette of Farun

>>33502062
>3. Princess Annette of Farun

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>>33502062
>>2. Inquisitor Harold Tormann

Keep on eye on the RuseLord

>>33502212
>the possibility of Finn and Vad being dick cousins
what? where did this come from?

>>33502219
I think he is conning us with reverse psychology.
By making people think he is a conman they let their guard down and he can do his job as an inquisitor better. He technically really IS a conman, but he is also really is an inquisitor

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>>33502212
>the possibility of Finn and Vad being dick cousins
I don't know what this means.

>3.

Karise vanishes right after you tell her to keep an eye on Annette today and you step into your carriage to head into Vitria proper. There’s a private room booked in a restaurant Sarah recommended – Neir had suggested to you that Lyyph’s main interest here was talking to you, rather than enjoying the events, so the trappings of the city would be better than the tournament.

You pass a pair of soldiers wearing the dress uniform of Termina, giving them each a perfunctory nod as your own escort stands on the opposite side of the hallway. You hope they talk with each other rather than give each other manly stares the entire time. Inside, you find Lyyph leaning over the top of a chair.

The Terminan king looked to be in his early twenties, and was supposedly just twenty-three according to your intelligence. He wears a small silver crown atop his neatly cropped blonde hair but is otherwise devoid of jewellery. Even his clothes are relatively plain, if obviously well-made, and were clearly made for functionality. As he straightens and turns to you, you catch the end of a small dagger on the rear of his belt – not that it worries you, as you carry your own sword openly as a warrior-king of sorts. Lyyph supposedly models himself on the same approach, as is obvious from his figure, so it’s odd that he doesn’t carry a sword himself.

>continued

>>33502621
>“Finn’s that little bit more interesting now he’s had his first bit of fun. I’ll have to keep a close eye on him so I don’t miss the best parts.”

And Vad has slept with Taira before. Come on man.

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>>33502631
Stepping out from the table, Lyyph bows slightly in greeting with one arm over his chest. “It’s an honour to meet you, Imperator Talon.”

“And a pleasure to meet you, King Lyyphh,” you say politely. “It’s not often royalty claims it’s an honour to meet a commoner.”

Lyyph gives you a wry smile, not put off by the rough front. “Perhaps you’ve been meeting the wrong royals, then. Royalty and nobility are just measures of power – and given you rule more territory than myself it’s rather obvious that whether you were once a commoner matters not now.”

You find a small smile coming to your face despite yourself before shaking it off and taking a seat opposite Lyyph. You’re not sure how to approach this negotiation – Lyyph appears to be the blunt sort, at least towards you. At the same time, his nation isn’t exactly the most powerful.

You approach this negotiation…

>1. Aggressively. Push to see what you can get out of Lyyph.
>2. Passively. Let Lyyph tell you what he’s interested in – his bluntness earlier means he’s unlikely to be hesitant.
>3. Openly. Tell him your assessment of the Terminan situation and what he would do about it.
>3. Custom

>>33502631
>dick cousins

When two men have had sex with the same woman/women.

Lots of other names for it.

>>33502656
>2. Passively. Let Lyyph tell you what he’s interested in – his bluntness earlier means he’s unlikely to be hesitant.

>>33502683
Weird. Never heard that term before.

>>33502656
we had nair send spies to check his popularity levels a while ago
what did we find out?

>>33502656
>2. Passively. Let Lyyph tell you what he’s interested in – his bluntness earlier means he’s unlikely to be hesitant.

And seize upon the moment he gives too much.

>>33502683
never heard of it before

>>33502656
2
He specifically came to see us and specifically requested to meet us, and he wants to tell us something.
We can best gauge our response based on what he says.

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>>33502732
I thought that was Farun? Either way, you'll find out plenty about Termina shortly.

>>33502656
>2. Passively. Let Lyyph tell you what he’s interested in – his bluntness earlier means he’s unlikely to be hesitant.
>>33502683
Also known as Hole brothers.

>>33502656
3

>>33502773
>I thought that was Farun?
It was. I keep mixing up the two.

>>33502683
Never heard of that

>>33502656
>2

>>33502698
>>33502756
>>33502870
Ya'll need to get out more.

>>33502782
This guy knows what's up.

>>33502656
>>2. Passively. Let Lyyph tell you what he’s interested in – his bluntness earlier means he’s unlikely to be hesitant.

>>33502782
Also known as "God damn bro she was nice wasn't she?"

Didn't we vote for the princess?

>>33502985
That was for Karsie to spy on.

>>33502656
>2. Passively. Let Lyyph tell you what he’s interested in – his bluntness earlier means he’s unlikely to be hesitant.

>>33502985
>“Anybody in particular you want me to check up on?”

You need to get it together Anon, lay off the booze.

>>33503017
Actually caffeine, but by the way, I meant no POV change

>>33502985
>Didn't we vote for the princess?
we voted for our spy master krise, to personally spy on the princess
while we are off talking to this guy

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>2.

“I’ll leave you the floor,” you say. “I have my suspicions that you’ll be more forthright than the merchants in telling me what you’re here for.”

Lyyph gives you a broad grin in response, baring his teeth slightly. “That’s not much of a bar to clear, Imperator. I have no doubt that you know everything that’s happened in my region of late, so I won’t bore you with it. Quite simply, I want to do something with this sordid wreck of a region but lack the resources to do it quickly despite my own will. The fact I’ve made any headway in clearing out the dreck from Termina at all, despite the hedonistic nobility that inhabits it and the dispirited populace it rules, is a miracle in and of itself.”

You raise an eyebrow at that. It’s not often a ruler starts a negotiation by telling you how terrible their own nation is. You wonder if Lyyph is just inexperienced or has a point. He seems to catch your look and spreads his hands, remaining silent as the staff bring in the appetisers. The two of you pick at the seafood entrees, complimenting the squid in particular, before resuming the serious business once the staff have left.

“But as bad as Termina is, it has a chance of becoming something,” Lyyph continues between mouthfuls, not bothering with trying to eat in a dignified fashion. “Farun and Compagnon have nowhere to go but down. The merchants remain stuck in a rut – bountiful resources but crippled by their need for Mage Guard protection. Now they’ve found out that the Guard don’t care what I do to them and are flailing. Farun, on the other hand, is complacent. The populace is fat and happy, but have no wishes to actually do anything.

>continued

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>>33503187
“If I had your backing, my loyal generals and advisors wouldn’t be hamstrung by the need to keep the richer nobles happy,” he continues. “I could refashion Termina itself into a working model, such as you are doing in Vitria right now. Farun would fall quickly – the populace has no interest in war and would gladly sell out their royalty to avoid one. Compagnon would surrender when it realised it was outmatched and you could fold their substantial natural resources into your empire without the trade restrictions.”

You lean back, thinking, as another lull sets in with the staff clearing plates and bringing in the lunch. Then you say, “You say ‘we’.”

Lyyph nods seriously. “I don’t pretend for a second that you would give me backing whilst letting me maintain a separate state. Even as a vassal or an archduchy might be a stretch, given how easily you crushed a far greater power in Taour. My interest is in ruling Termina as part of The York Empire or being involved in your cabinet or ruling another region.”

“You’d give up your crown for that?” you ask.

“There’s little worth in being king of Termina right now, Imperator. My grandfather dreamed of an empire that would cover the entire east coast – Termina can never hope to achieve that but that doesn’t mean I can’t be part of whatever does.”

You find it amusing that both kings you’ve spoken with today have had little regard for their own thrones and legacies. Still, Lyyph’s proposal had its issues – he was mostly looking out for himself and his opinion of the other factions in Termina was abysmal. You suspected it to be a mutual opinion – choosing his militaristic option over the others would force your hand towards conquest. Which could be good if it helped you avoid political issues but it might turn bloodier than Lyyph predicts.

>Q&A time

>>33503187
>hedonistic nobility

This guy and Fenix would get along.

>>33503215

>"And what makes you think military conquest is the way to go as opposed to a more diplomatic course?"

Jesus christ I just had a bat fly into my house and scare the shit out of me.

>>33503215
"And should Farun, or Compagnon prove amiable to absorption on favorable terms to me? Would you insist on their conquest anyway?"

>>33503215

You speak of wanting to clear the dreck and the hedonistic nobility.

What do you intend to do about the rich nobility in your land? What is your vision for united Termina in the future?

Give me a frank assessment of how long it will take to unite Termina. (Want to taste his military acumen and trustworthiness)

You want my backing, what else will you require in the immediate future? Troops?

How do you intend to govern Compagnon and its class of merchants?

What will you bring that the other two rulers can't?

If I forced you to give up your crown and become the governor of Termina, would you still be content?

You are an ambitious man, would you be content with governing Termina or do you have a vision beyond that?

>>33503425

Shit, I just realized that's a lot of questions, sorry Aspirational

>>33503215
His sales pitch is good and what he is selling sounds good
The devil is in the details
>I could refashion Termina itself into a working model
What ARE the restructuring he is trying to make, specifically.
What has he accomplished so far, specifically. Hurdles. Methods.

Where lie his personal strengths? Military general? A social engineer? Public relations? Administration? Jack of all trades?

What would he have us do with farun royals if instead of fighting us, they ask to be annexed as well?

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>>33503340
>"And what makes you think military conquest is the way to go as opposed to a more diplomatic course?"
Lyyph smiles at that, having obviously predicted such a question.

"Because diplomatic solutions require concessions. If you want Compagnon's resources, you'll need to win over the merchant's whose wealth is concentrated in Avinou, a city built around competing with Vitria. If you want to avoid gutting your established trade hub you'll need to bribe them away from Avinou, costing you money and favours.

"And if you want Farun, you'll need to convince both the royalty and the populace that you'll let their fat, happy lives continue unabated. And they'll hold you to that should their lives be disrupted in the future.

"If you just conquer them, however," Lyyph finishes, "they'll be unhappy in the short-term but you'll be able to make whatever changes you need to without restraint. There's a lot more power in being a conqueror than a diplomat, as you surely know."

>>33503379
He frowns. "That's a large assumption and one that I doubt would come to pass. I suspect that any peaceful methods to claim their territory will impact your own sovereignty - that makes me question your will in forging your empire."

>>33503425
Some of these were already answered so I'll answer those that weren't in the next post.

>>33503215
If military action is needed would he accept troops from us so they can get bloodied

>>33503215

What do you think of the king of Farun?

>>33503479

I think that would pretty much be entirely a given if we are "backing him".

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>>33503478
It's time... to ask... THAT!

God damn I've been wanting some good old conquering lately, too much diplomacy for me.

I'm sold.

>>33503478
>If you want Compagnon's resources, you'll need to win over the merchant's whose wealth is concentrated in Avinou, a city built around competing with Vitria. If you want to avoid gutting your established trade hub you'll need to bribe them away from Avinou, costing you money and favours.

That's a fair point, although I wonder if he may be exaggerating a bit. But a fair point nonetheless.

>"And if you want Farun, you'll need to convince both the royalty and the populace that you'll let their fat, happy lives continue unabated. And they'll hold you to that should their lives be disrupted in the future.

That should be fairly easy, no? They are already fairly happy so status quo can be maintained.

His proposal is interesting though

>>33503478
>He frowns. "That's a large assumption and one that I doubt would come to pass. I suspect that any peaceful methods to claim their territory will impact your own sovereignty - that makes me question your will in forging your empire."
Doesn't the same apply to his own request of peaceful absorption?

Although, in retrospect he said the farun people will sell out their royals to avoid war. Which means he considers "surrender or I conquer you" resulting in surrender to be NON peaceful. While we did.

>>33503538
>That should be fairly easy, no? They are already fairly happy so status quo can be maintained.

Yes and no. A lot of it rides on their nobility and those in power staying there to maintain their quality of life. We could possibly provide such, but any minor change would lead to them getting uppity. It would be like having an entire state on the teat of the empire.

That and I can only imagine given Talon's previous dislike of stupid Nobles there will be a few gone in short order.

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>>33503425
>What do you intend to do about the rich nobility in your land? What is your vision for united Termina in the future?
"It's not about their wealth but their willingness to back action necessary to better the nation. My vision of Termina, insofar as I've thought ahead to when the entire region would be under my thumb, was of one that would be able to maintain itself and its lifestyle without needing to rely on others."

>Give me a frank assessment of how long it will take to unite Termina.
"By myself? Years. With substantial military backing from yourself? Months. Weeks if we elected merely to do so with pure brute force, invading and crushing our opponents but I feel that miltiary force is better used as a threat to make them give in over a longer period."

>You want my backing, what else will you require in the immediate future? Troops?
"Military assistance from the south. I would envisage taking Farun first from both sides, followed by Termina ceding power to yourself and forcing Compagnon to submit."

>What will you bring that the other two rulers can't?
"Competence. I also have no agendas - I merely want Termina to not be so... pathetic."

>How do you intend to govern Compagnon and its class of merchants?
"You have state ownership of agricultural land, so that would be extended. That would take most of the wealth from them so it would be a matter of herding them into innovative business across the entire empire rather than clustering in a city that is largely a duplicate of Vitria."

So basically this guy wants to go with the plan that's been thrown around a bunch about pressuring the other two into ceding.

But instead of us doing so in shadows, we'd just openly support him. Hm... Maybe.

Because I'm curious about such things, what are the standards/insignias of the three Termanian powers? I have this thing with judging characters by what they fly.

>>33503478
What is his opinion of Princess Annette. She seems to be a different beast entirely than her father.

Me personally I want to buy off the Farun king to get all the land there. Then use Termina to pressure Compagnon into giving up.

>>33503606
>My vision of Termina was of one that would be able to maintain itself and its lifestyle without needing to rely on others."

So he's a nationalist, but he also said that he would be fine with Termina not becoming a vassal or an archduchy. Interesting.

>but I feel that miltiary force is better used as a threat to make them give in over a longer period."

Smart and in line with our thinking

>"Military assistance from the south. I would envisage taking Farun first from both sides, followed by Termina ceding power to yourself and forcing Compagnon to submit."

Sounds solid

>"Competence. I also have no agendas - I merely want Termina to not be so... pathetic."

Again nationalist tendencies, but I don't find his answer particularly persuasive.

>"You have state ownership of agricultural land, so that would be extended. That would take most of the wealth from them so it would be a matter of herding them into innovative business across the entire empire rather than clustering in a city that is largely a duplicate of Vitria."

So not just Termina? Very interesting.

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>>33503640
>insignia/standards
Termina: Silver armored gauntlet holding a sword aloft on a yellow background.
Farun: Orange lion's head with a mane that resembles the sun on a blue background.
Compagnon: Piles of coins on a teal background.

>>33503678
"I was actually to wed her - she's a fierce sort and very likeable. I have my personal suspicion that she's being groomed to rule the nation in place of her older brothers, which would explain why the marriage was cancelled by her father at the last minute."

>>33503606

Question on his last answer about Compagnon. Does he mean the entire empire, or just Termina?

Also, clearly, his changes will bring about a lot of ripple effect and will likely piss off the merchants and the nobles in the region.

How does he intend to deal with dissent from these powerful figures? Will he crush dissent, placate them, or combination of both?

I really like that he doesn't even pretend that not being conquered by us is a possibility.
He flat out says being an archduke is probably too much to ask given our relative position.

And merely asks to be made a vassal either in termina or WHEREEVER we want to assign him.
Remember that we very much need people to manage taour and darlesia.

OR he would be content with just being a cabinet member, advising us on how to run the empire and assisting without even having his own fief.

>>33503707

>"I was actually to wed her - she's a fierce sort and very likeable.

The plot thickens.

Also thanks for the standards. I'd ask for that more often in the future if you care to do it. It's just interesting details for me.

>>33503707
Is he aware of the Fae that almost got reborn in Farun? That seems like something that would shake them out of complacency.

>>33503606
i am 100% sold.
pragmatic kingfu is best kingfu

>>33503707
>"I was actually to wed her - she's a fierce sort and very likeable. I have my personal suspicion that she's being groomed to rule the nation in place of her older brothers, which would explain why the marriage was cancelled by her father at the last minute."

Couldn't we have Lyyph marry Annette? The king of Farun will step down and Lyyph will ascend to the throne with Anette as his wife and co-ruler of that region.

They can then direct their arms at Compagnon. This should minimize resentment in Farun hopefully while still giving Lyyph everything he wants, including a waifu.

>>33503707
>I have my personal suspicion that she's being groomed to rule the nation in place of her older brothers, which would explain why the marriage was cancelled by her father at the last minute."
what?
why does her being groomed to rule result in canceling the wedding? It would be an ideal way to merge the two kingdoms. him as king of one and she as queen of other, and one of their child inheriting both as a single unified kingdom.

Also, was this purely political then? how favorable does he think her view of him is?

So wait... If we could rebroker the marriage between him and the Princess, then we could significantly hurry up the process of consolidating Termina post warfare.

Christ man just hand us the fucking region why don't you.

Honestly the main reason I think we should use diplomacy here is so things don't get so chaotic when we take it.

>>33503767
>Couldn't we have Lyyph marry Annette? The king of Farun will step down and Lyyph will ascend to the throne with Anette as his wife and co-ruler of that region.
the problem is that WE want to rule the region.
if we do what you said they are basically getting a massive archduchy for both that is twice as big as vitria

only reason i was in favor of sarah as archduchess is because she is waifu

>>33503767
I think he's already married

>>33503767

Annette could probably moderate Lyyph's radical tendencies as well I think. If Annette was being groomed to rule a peaceful, moderate country, she probably has the know-how to influence Lyyph as well.

Alright what's the catch?

Fine with just ruling, giving up the crown, not even asking for Archduke.
Pretty much giving up everything just to clean up the mess?

>>33503767
>>33503782
The King married someone else IIRC

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I'm curious whether anybody's guessed Lyyph's true personality type.

>>33503731
>Does he mean the entire empire, or just Termina?
He clearly said empire.

>How does he intend to deal with dissent from these powerful figures? Will he crush dissent, placate them, or combination of both?
"Whatever works best. The point of conquest as an approach is that it leaves you with the most leverage so that one doesn't need to give in over the most important matters. You've done a similar approach with Vitria, I'd argue."

>>33503767
The main issue with that plan, from Talon's thoughts, is that you would almost be forced to make Termina an archduchy or there would be no legitimacy to the royal family (and its claims to Farun).

Plus, Lyyph married another woman after the first was cancelled last year. You'd need to do away with her first.

>>33503743
He doesn't have the slightest clue what you're talking about.

>>33503788
i think hes trying to honestly. were getting into the big leagues now, and we desperately, absolutely need to consolidate more land to do anything at all against these real nations with, like. actual resources. that are 5-10 times our size

>>33503811
Dude admitted he wants to join us. So he wouldn't be king anymore so it honestly wouldn't do much anyway.

>>33503812
>>33503832

Is he? Then ask him if he's willing to divorce her. If it's a political marriage, surely he's willing to upgrade to someone he likes and will bring him more power.

>>33503853
Lets not.

>>33503853
>People want to hand out a random archduchy again.

>>33503837
>I'm curious whether anybody's guessed Lyyph's true personality type.

I have a lot of random thoughts. The dagger seemed like a clue. And the way he's talking to Talon seems to be playing up to him just the right way.

I'm curious.

>>33503853

I'll withdraw the plan since it seems we have to make Termina an archyduchy with that plan.

>>33503837
I'm sort of getting a Norm McDonald vibe from him honestly

>>33503897
I really have no problem with making more archduchies, as long as we put competent people in charge.

>>33503853
do not ask him that
and we are not handing an archduchy to anyone but a waifu

>>33503837
>I'm curious whether anybody's guessed Lyyph's true personality type.

No, but we are going to have an opportunity to talk with Annette to get her assessment on Lyyph's personality, right?

>>33503928
It has some big problems in that the moment one rebels all hell breaks loose and given time one will rebel.

>>33503767
this seems good as long as hes not married that is

>>33503931
>and we are not handing an archduchy to anyone but a waifu

>and we are not handing an archduchy to anyone

Fixed that for you. Vitria was an exception considering our relative weakness. I prefer centralization and I don't like giving anyone too much power unless their role is strictly advisory.

Sarah was an exception, but we shouldn't have too many Sarahs.

>>33503931
>and we are not handing an archduchy to anyone but a waifu

>>33503931
>to anyone but a waifu

Piss off with that.

>>33503837
Evil vizer in the making?

>>33503985
I didn't say we hand one over to ALL waifus
I said ONLY a waifu can get one

>>33503931
oh /tg/

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Final questions before moving on.

As I mentioned at the start, all the major decisions will be made post-tourney. This is just the part where you sound them out.

>>33504009
oh haha, god that is possible
we REALLY need to spy on him and his lands a LOT to make up our minds

that god we just got all these spy foxes

>>33504014
I could hand it off to a king or something. But it would have to be like Sarah tier useful and close enough to matter.

In general though separating our powers like that is just asking for it so we should never do this ever.

>>33504031

I'm tapped. Think we got plenty of info.

Also as a request, and hope, can we do the major decisions pretty much immediately? We do a lot of straddling the fence on things because "we don't have enough info" and it really causes the quest to stagnant on certain things too long.

>>33504014

I hate giving out archduchies and that will always be my last choice.

But I also don't see why only a waifu could get one. If we get a competent and loyal male administrator, he shouldn't be snubbed just because Talon hasn't ravaged him.

>>33504055

On the flipside though. We have been actively told Sarah is one of the weaker elements of our Empire at present, and that is because she is the core and almost singular leader of all of our Administrative tasks.

At some point giving power is going to become a necessity lest she and ourselves crack from an overwhelming need from the Empire as a whole to be given equal attention.

>>33504091
That's how politics work though

>>33504031
I kinda want to see which he would be more interested in: being a member of our cabinet or governing over the territories.

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>>33504091
It'll be immediately after the tournament is over. I just want you to meet with all the parties and know what they're actually offering first.

The RSK/League/??? decision will affect the longer term future of the quest. The Termina decision affects the short-term future.

>>33504151
If she died we could just pull someone else in. It would suck though due to the damage it would do to the administration.

Though the load should be taken off once we get the population under control.

>>33504173
>The RSK/League/???

Going to have to go with Mystery Box. Decision made.

>>33504107
Archduchy is not about competence. it is about independence.
Vitria is its own mini state within our empire with a lot of independent authority.
A competent male administrator can be made into a governor or a cabinet member.

>>33504213
I know that, that's why I hate archduchies.

That doesn't explain why only a waifu can get one.

>>33504173
Fuck both the RSK an League

>>33504213
I wouldn't make a competent person at all one. If we did make another one it would have to be something like they are a fucking beast or something.

>>33504232

Because of a clear ridiculous bias towards Sarah as a "waifu".

>>33504252
For what reason?

>>33504173
Fenix doesn't care about royal blood right?
Why exactly are the RSK and League at war anways?
I would have thought they'd be able to make peace what with Fenix not caring about royalty and only caring about "soul powa"

>>33504252
>Not liking both sides

I will find the archmage Waifu route eventually.

>>33504173
>???
Yes please, lets do this

>>33504263
We have many waifus though. Part of becoming the Emperor is acquiring ALL the waifus.

>>33504291
We don't know jackshit about what the archmage wants in the end and Fenix is kind of a bastard too. So I can see why they are at war here.

>>33504263
Sarah was kind of a unique case in that we needed rapid power and she is a good admin which we lacked.

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>>33503837
>I'm curious whether anybody's guessed Lyyph's true personality type.

Petyr "Chaos is a Ladder" Baelish?

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>closing

You finish up the lunch with King Lyyph and let him know you’ll want to talk to him more about this in the future. You’re not going to make a decision without knowing what each side will offer. You make a private note to come back to this restaurant again as it served some amazingly great seafood dishes.

Later in the afternoon you found yourself occupying your box atop the main stadium and commenting on the several fights taking place below with Sarrn and Vad. Karise’s fiancé certainly had an interest in how to fight even if he had no actual knowledge of it so you and Vad spent much of the afternoon explaining why the fighters were doing various things and their equipment choices.

Karise appeared behind you, her arms slinking around your neck as she rests her head atop yours while Sarrn wasn’t paying attention. Presumably she has some news on Annette for you.

[DC11/16 Intelligence Efforts]

>>33504322

Not waifus, consortfus

Rolled 8

>>33504342

Rolled 12

>>33504342

Rolled 17

>>33504342

Rolled 13

>>33504342
Taira/spoiler] guide my dice!

>>33504232
>I know that, that's why I hate archduchies.
I do too
>That doesn't explain why only a waifu can get one.
Because they are the only one I would TRUST with this level of power.
I am not suggesting we carve up our empire and hand it over to waifus.
I am saying that if we negotiate for someone to be absorbed into our empire, I wouldn't trust them with this much autonomy unless we trust them implicitly to not turn on us. And I only trust a waifu to not backstab

Rolled 15

>>33504342

Rolled 3

>>33504342

Please don't be useless Fluffytails

>>33504342
>Karise’s fiancé certainly had an interest in how to fight even if he had no actual knowledge of it so you and Vad spent much of the afternoon explaining why the fighters were doing various things and their equipment choices.

Homoreroticism everywhere.

When will Talon get his gay on and tab Sarrn's fluffy tails?