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You have always wanted to be an emperor. That ambition has burned dimly in the past, tempered by reality. Now the opportunity to realise your ambition has arrived and you are determined not to let it slip. Now is the time to build your empire and become an emperor.

Last Thread: You are the knight, Talon York, and you are an emperor, but not the emperor… yet. Last thread you determined how you would organise Vitria post-conquest and announced to the nobles of the city exactly how things would be. You have also declared yourself emperor, though strictly speaking you’re maintaining the title of imperator. You’re currently in a common room of the House Hawkins spire with Maloric.

Previous Threads: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive.html?tags=Aspiring%20Emperor%20Quest
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AspirationalQM
Master Pastebin (links to all pastebins for AEQ): http://pastebin.com/6Su7M3fh
>no updates
>lorebin update still in train

>some housekeeping
1. Next thread will be 1st March at 5pm EST. Remember to keep an eye on Twitter for possible updates as that’s where I’ll announce any delays.
2. This thread will end by 1:30am EST.
3. This is a planning and social thread. No action.

Rolls are d20 and the best of the first three posters. Please quote the post you are voting for or rolling against.

>Now, with further ado
>>
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>>30415816
You’re sitting in the common room with Maloric, the only noise, aside from your chatter, being the patter of rain against the building. Noting the lack of anything immediately important to do, you dug out a bottle of wine and have been slowly drinking it for the last short while.

“Maybe you should try giving yourself wings,” Maloric says. “The legends speak of the angels have great wings of light – probably formed from their magic. Maybe you can do it?”

“If everybody using astral power could give themselves wings, Mal,” you say in return, “then there would also be legends of gigantic armoured knights flying around. Last I heard, the Astral Adepts couldn’t do that.”

Your friend clicks his tongue. “Right. But maybe you can? Maybe you’re really an angel? Or your angel blood gives you wings?”

You chuckle at the thought of being part angel. Not really something you would have thought of. Then your eye catches some movement in a doorway and a brief flicker of silver hair. Well, it seems someone has finally decided to join you.

“You can come in, Sarah,” you call.

The ensuing silence is broken only by the rain until Sarah steps inside, having changed into a more suitable dress. She’s walking more steadily, too. You guess she’s finally recovered from last night. She takes a seat, wearing only a small blush.

“This is your home, Sarah, you don’t really need to ask me for permission,” you say.

She shrugs and the silence continues. Mal gives you an odd look and you take the time to pour some more wine into your glasses and a spare for Sarah.

Sipping at her drink, Sarah says, “So… what happens now?”

>continued
>>
>>30415831
She’s almost certainly talking about the Vitrian situation in general. You say, “Going from my experience in my RSK campaigns when nations ceded power to me, there’ll be several weeks of chaos as everybody adjusts to the change. The quickest part, as I’m openly ruling, will be the military and mages falling into line – I hope. The slowest will be setting up the new legislature, as there’ll be arguments and ceremonies. Luckily, that’s the least important aspect in the short term – activity should return to the commercia, we can reopen trade links with Farun and the RSK. Neir should be able to get herself appointed ambassador.”

Sarah stares a bit. “Um, how much of that do I need to direct? It seems like a lot.”

You laugh lightly into your drink. “Very, very little. Most of this simply happens. Most of the work you will need to do right now, aside from helping me, will be in setting up the legislature and appointing people to important positions, including the council.”

You frown quite heavily suddenly. “And I’ll need to do similarly. I should really reconsider my cabinet, particularly in light of Felix’s near-betrayal and the larger pool of officers and nobles available.”

“You aren’t going to keep him as your general, are you?” Maloric asks. “That’s just asking for trouble. He seems like he’d do better as a lower ranked officer in charge of an elite unit. Or your personal guard – keep your enemies closer etc.”

“He’s not an enemy, Mal,” you say. Still, he does have a point. You…

>1. Demote Felix to Captain and give him a unit of Veteran Mage Knights to lead into the thick of battle.
>2. Demote Felix and place him in your personal guard under Lynn.
>3. Keep Felix as General
>4. Custom
>>
>>30415855
>1. Demote Felix to Captain and give him a unit of Veteran Mage Knights to lead into the thick of battle.
>>
>>30415855
>2. Demote Felix and place him in your personal guard under Lynn.

He wants to be in the thick of things. His very first interaction with us he wanted to help take over the city alongside us but we told him otherwise. Keep him close, win him in battle.
>>
>>30415855
>2. Demote Felix and place him in your personal guard under Lynn.
>>
>>30415855
>1. Demote Felix to Captain and give him a unit of Veteran Mage Knights to lead into the thick of battle.
>>
Rolled 2

Tie-breaker roll

1 = Option 1
2 = Option 2
>>
http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/30394338/#p30405451

>Theoretically, yes, but it might take a fair while. SHe needs to make the tunnel a decent size, make it structurally safe, avoid anything such as old Dwarven cities infested with god knows what and she would need longer rest periods as she's quite far away from the Source. I would need to be a bit of research and calculations to determine the actual time, but it would (probably) be at least 10 days per half-mile of tunnel and it'd be a few miles of tunnel she'd need to dig.

There are dwarven cities in Marnn? All abandoned or are there actual dwarves there too?
>>
>>30416126
side note: Does Olan have any heirs or what have you that are trying to rebuild the house?
>>
>>30416139
Not so much abandoned as exterminated. They date back 1000 years or so and then a non-human hating supermage took them out. Never took the cities back afterwards, so it fell into ruin and they were lost.

>>30416160
There are some younger members of the house that will attempt to retain its status as a noble house. They've pretty openly lost support, thoguh.
>>
>>30416126
Was about to break the tie then refreshed the thread. Glad your dice went the way I would have voted.
>>
>>30416199
Regardless of their lack of support, they represent a potential future threat to the stability of our rule. I suggest that we advise Sarah to arrest them and try them for collusion and treason.
>>
>>30416257

So they can suffer the faults of their forefathers? That is how a tyrant rules.
>>
>>30416257
I'm fine with that as long as she can do it without creating enout fear and resentment to kick off a rebellion.
>>
>>30416257
I'm more in favor of just keeping an eye on them. Lets at least wait for Neir's interrogation of Olan to bear fruit first before arresting them. After all, we might have evidence that completely discredits them.
>>
>>30416257
This would basically be dissolving a noble house outright. This would cause an uproar amongst many noble houses. It might not result in rebellion, but it will make restoring order slower (and possibly generate more enemies) with the benefit of keeping a potential enemy in Vitria out of the equation.
>>
>>30416248
same here.

Incidentally, while technically a demotion we are having him as our personal guard, that really puts him in a position to take us out, especially since he goes everywhere with his own personal team.

>>30416257
A bit too harsh and premature.
I would like to know more about who specifically and what assets they have. Maybe revoke some titles, maybe confiscate some assets. But heck, they might be second cousins in an army unit or some such.
>>
>>30416394
>Maybe revoke some titles, maybe confiscate some assets.
I sorta assumed we looted their treasury as a matter of course while we were occupying their tower.
>>
>>30416394
>own personal team.

This is a good point. And something I wanted to bring up. I don't see an issue with rebuilding that Knightly Order they took the name from within Harrowmont personally, they all fought like those warriors and Felix even had the honor to challenge us not backstab, which I doubt he'll ever do.

Rebuild them, and give them honor again using his personal men, and we get a Knightly Order in Harrowmont with some prestige and history that can be built upon, the singers will love it.
>>
>2.

You’ll place Felix in your personal guard. Together with his knights, they’ll serve under Lynn and yourself. You’ll let him know your decision personally next time you meet him. For now, though, you need to consider reorganising your cabinet. It’s much too heavy in military officers and you now have a deeper pool of experience to draw upon.

SUGGESTED CABINET

EXECUTIVE
Imperator Talon York (PC)
Neir Gendarme
Undine
Gnome

MAGES
Archmagister Maloric Reegan
>Open Slot

MILITARY & LOGISTICS
General Arail Malaine
Arms Master Cormann
>Open Slot

ADMINISTRATION
Archduchess Sarah Hawkins
>Open Slot

Possible options for the mage position include keeping Gareth or asking an archmagister from one of Vitria’s mage towers to join you. It’s unlikely Grand Magister Spoker would accept the position, given the high likelihood of getting a position in Vitria’s council.

In terms of military positions, you could promote one of your existing officers (Arcane Archer Captain Moss, Captain Glynn of the mage-knights, Captain Nate of the flying knights) or offer the position to one of the knight grandmasters or a Vitrian general.

Administration doesn’t have many options beyond appointing a Vitrian noble. There is the option of Marcus Tanner, who is a skilled member of the merchant class from the RSK who recently arrived.

You also have the possibility of leaving positions open while you learn more about various individuals or find additional candidates.

>A little bit of discussion time
>sorry for the slow start, but there's some important decisions here
>>
>>30416489
I agree here. Let him focus on rebuilding his order. He should do some recruitment and train some men
>>
>>30416512

How has Marcus done since coming to Harrowmont I remember specifically people wanted to see what kind of trade and merchant class he might be able to bring before promoting him/giving him a home in the Noble District.. But we do need an economic front, would help with the master of coin thing.
>>
>>30416584
Too short a period of time to judge him. All you have is his reputation, which is pretty positive.
>>
>>30416608

Can we get a brief rundown then? I don't remember if you have given him one or not, but I remember he was one of our really good rolls outta nowhere.

>>30416512
What about the head of the Mage Tower that helped us? As for military I think we're fine, but I personally would like Moss to get promoted if we need it.
>>
>>30416512
Who are the Vitrian Generals, and what options do we have for nobility? Also, Glyn is already on the Council, though I wouldn't mind removing him at all.
>>
>>30416512
Offer the mage slot to Spoker as a token gesture, and then when he rejects, ask him for a recommendation.

The military position I believe we should offer to Glynn.

The Administration position we should ask Sarah's opinion for another Vitrian noble or major merchant, but otherwise leave it open.
>>
>>30416661
>What about the head of the Mage Tower that helped us? As for military I think we're fine, but I personally would like Moss to get promoted if we need it.
I'm in favor of promoting him anyway. Also in favor of creating a rank between Captain and general. OP mentioned that the main reason that there are so few ranks in most militaries is nobles don't want to give commoners responsibilities. Also the reason that medieval militaries tended to have so few ranks was that they couldn't give commands outside of voice range.
>>
>>30415855
>2. Demote Felix and place him in your personal guard under Lynn.
Can we have him remake his order?
>>
>>30416732
>The military position I believe we should offer to Glynn.
Eh, he honestly hasn't done very well in the past. He's pretty much on the bottom of my list.
>>30416765
Yes. we've already answered that.
>>
>>30416199
did you ever figure out how long it would take with help?
>>
>>30416765
That's probably a bridge too far.
>>
>>30416512
>Executive
Neir is fine... but its worth noting has split loyalty.
Also, she is "information" rather then executive.
Then again, we might be keeping this a secret.

>Mages
>Gareth
IIRC Gareth prefers to NOT be in the spotlight, does he not?
>>
>>30416761

Yes, a good point because we need to restructure our military. Don't forget that, I think now of all times is the best.

Also, I'm in favor of standardizing the standard equipment for our men. We have the locations to build the necessary things, let's give them solid steel and form a stronger core along with it.
>>
>>30416661
Marcus is a pretty typical merchant. Sharp, large and a good salesman. Your brief interaction with him showed that he was something of a bellwether - he left the RSK as he felt things would go for the worse there and he was better off here.

>>30416783
Not yet. It's on my to-do list. With that said, only Bartom could really help and he'd be worth about 1/3 of Gnome so far away from the Source.

>>30416806
I put her in Executive as she's a spymaster and diploamtic liaison, really.

>>30416672
There's only two generals, with Habell gone, that you can choose from. One is a talented defender and a member of the Black Stone knights, the other excels at 'nation-building' and was involved in Vitria's independence.
>>
I would suggest making our cabinet be two tiered

core - contains a mix of various different roles (what we are looking at now)

specific - contain specialists in one field.

Aka, if we have a magic specific question, we go to a group of known trusted capable mages with wide fields.
If we want to discuss tactics, we bring in more soldiers.

Whenever we do meet up with a specific group, we bring in the core members so they can coordinate with their own respective branches of advisers.

>>30416732
I would like to get some merchant guild representative in our cabinet.
>>
>>30416856
>Not yet. It's on my to-do list. With that said, only Bartom could really help and he'd be worth about 1/3 of Gnome so far away from the Source.
Why does source distance matter for a familiar? I thought they got their magic from their mage not from the source like undine does
>>
>>30416856
>nation building freedom loving general

Why did we not hear about this guy sooner? He sounds perfect
>>
>>30416865
You will always have the option of getting wider advice if necessary, but I'm trying to keep the cabinet limited in size to avoid having exceedingly complicated strategy meetings.

>>30416899
When they're near the Source they recover energy faster. The same goes with places brimming with mana they have an affinity for (like Undine near her lake).

MAGE VOTE
>1. Gareth
Trustworthy but not exceptionally talented.
>2. Saril
Archmagister of Kassick who assisted you in Vitria. Talented summoner.
>3. Open Slot

MILITARY VOTE
>1. Internal promotion to general (Glynn, Moss or Nate)
You know how capable these soldiers are.
>2. Choose a Vitrian general (see >>30416856)
May expand your capabiltiies and expertise.
>3. Choose one of the grandmasters of a Vitrian knightly order (like Lucas or Toren)
Broadly skilled and charismatic leaders. They will have other matters that can keep them busy, however.
>4. Open slot

ADMIN VOTE
>1. Marcus the merchant
Mostly unknown but will give good advice on financial and merchant matters. Might annoy some nobles.
>2. Vitrian noble
Sarah can provide you with a suitable recommendation if necessary.
>3. Open slot
>>
>>30416865
Well I'm kind of game for Marcus within our cabinet. Give him connections to Vitria's Merchant Guild and have him take the reigns of our taxation stuff with help from Sarah and Mal.

More information on freedom loving nation builder would be appreciated, sounds like a good guy to have around us.
>>
>>30416992
>2
>2 (blackstone)
>3
>>
>>30416992
>>2. Saril
>Archmagister of Kassick who assisted you in Vitria. Talented summoner.
Isn't summoning mal's speciality?
>>
>>30417049
And enchantment, and Channeling.
>>
>>30417049
One of his. He's a multi-talented mage - Channeler, Summoner and Enchanter all-in-one. Saril probably has more summoning knowledge than he does but isn't as good at the practical.
>>
>>30416992
>2
Seems alright by me. Especially since everyone is always on about creating mounted units, a talented Summoner might be helpful.
>4
Want to get to know Black Stone and Freedom guy a bit more first. Would love to have them around us a bit first.
>1
To hell with the Nobles on this one. He'll perform.
>>
>>30416992
MAGE
>2. Saril
MILITARY
>2. Choose a Vitrian General
ADMIN
>Vitrian noble
>>
>>30416992
>2. Saril
>2. Choose a Vitrian general
>1. Marcus the merchant
>>
>>30416992
>Mage
3
>Military
The head of the blackstone knights intrigues as is the nation builder general, I would like to speak more to both
>Admin
1
>>
>>30417103
can he summon Sylph?
>>
>>30417217
I think she has a summoner.
>>
>>30417248
What? Where was that ever stated?
>>
>>30417248
she is free right now, but could get summoned, i'm willing to try and get her.
>>
Testing
>>
>>30417280
I think we should lock down some more PoP's before we attempt that. But yes, I definitely think we should complete the elemental set here.
>>
>>30417280
the key is that we need someone we are sure is loyal and on our side before summoning her.
Kossik is an unknown entity at the moment.
>>
>>30417389
we don't need POP for her.
>>
Talon seems like he will be having no shortage of strength, so perhaps he could support her as a second familiar later on. Especially considering that gnome is currently basically powered by a PoP rather than fully by talon.
And while talon can't summon her, you can get around that by pilgrimage to her personal PoP.

Also, isn't sarah's affinity air as well?
>>
>>30417472
Her POP is not associated with our source so that trick simply will not work. As for Sarah, she flat out isn't strong enough yet, and won't be for years baring PLOT.
>>
>>30416992
MAGE
>2

MILITARY
>4

ADMIN
>2
>>
Oh hey, I'm back. Sorry about the odd delay but I lost connection to 4chan for a good 20 minutes there. GIve me a second to catch up.
>>
>>30417519
I know sarah isn't strong enough yet.

>Her POP is not associated with our source so that trick simply will not work.
No, her ELEMENT isn't associated with our source so she cannot be summoned VIA the pop.
She can either be summoned as a standard familiar, or she can form a standard familiar bond with someone if they pilgrimage to her pop.
And her pop IS actually connected to our source. There are 7 pops associated with our particular source, but due to our source elemental alignment it can only be used to summon fire, earth, and water elementals, no air.
>>
>>30417627
>No, her ELEMENT isn't associated with our source so she cannot be summoned VIA the pop.
argh! mixed it up
>No, her ELEMENT isn't associated with our source so she cannot be summoned VIA the source
fixed
>>
>>30417681
still wrong.
>>
>>30417627
>And her pop IS actually connected to our source.
No it's not. Sylph wasn't a Champion choice because it's not. Her PoP is in the Mage Guard territory along with one connected to the Source but it's a different one.

Also, Sylph is currently unsummoned.

>>30417217
He already has a familiar. It's kind of expected that members of a summoning tower have a familiar.
>>
Vote stands at

>2.
>4. with more discussion with Grandmaster Lucas and the nation-builder general
>1.

I'll write-up some discussion with Lucas and General Parras now.
>>
>>30417710
can't he just leave his old sumon behind?
It is a great honor to summon an elemental.
>>
>>30417844
Its a great insult to dismiss your summon.
>>
>>30417844
Extreme insult to dismiss a familiar.
Also, its someone whom he has probably worked with for a long time, so you are asking him to kick someone really close to him to the curb. It is unreasonable.
>>
>>30417710
thank you for clarifying
>>
>>30417844
This would be a poor decision. Saril has likely had his summon for decades and that's not a bond you ask somebody to cut lightly. Maloric would be upset with you, too, if he found out you asked such a thing.

>Discussion with candidates

You have a sending device brought in and try to make contact with the Black Stone knights and Lucas. It takes a little while but eventually you find yourself speaking with Grandmaster Lucas and he tells you that he’ll bring General Parras, who is a possible choice of yours for cabinet, into the sending.

“Grandmaster, I was hoping to speak to you about whether you would be interested in serving in my cabinet at Harrowmont,” you say.

“I would be honoured to, Imperator. Does this mean Toren or another individual has been chosen to represent the military to the ruling cabinet of Vitria?”

“Not necessarily. Like Sarah you could do both without much difficulty,” you say.

“I could, but I holding three positions is a bit too much,” he says, reminding you that he would still be the grandmaster of his order.

You speak more with Lucas. He’s fair-minded and capable, with no small amount of experience. You get the feeling he’s more interested in serving Vitria than you, and Sarah feels the same way. Lucas would probably be the most experienced officer in your cabinet but Sarah would lose his expertise.

Parras, on the other hand, is an old veteran who appears to have some very… idealistic feelings about you.
>>
>>30418157
“It is honour to speak to a great liberator such as yourself, Imperator Talon,” he says. “I understand you’re interested in adding expertise to your personal cabinet? I would of course be honoured to be chosen for such a position – to help restore freedom and order to Taour, Darlesia and beyond would be a dream come true. Even as a mere general, I will greatly look forward to fighting for you.”

There’s not much more to his personality than that – or at least he doesn’t express it. He’s passionate – and talented, judging from his talk of his past exploits. As the general of Gimbon Falls, you’re glad that he stood down after your deal with Aaron. Fighting him would have been a challenge unlike any of the others so far. He took Castle Gimbon during the war for independence Vitria had, from a Darlesian force twice his size.

Still, he appears to have no knack for politics and has a very idealistic outlook. If you deviate from that, he could quickly become a problem.

MILITARY CABINET VOTE

>1. Grandmaster Lucas
>2. General Parras
>3. Open Slot
>>
>>30418182
>2. General Parras
>>
>>30418182
>>>2. General Parras
>
>>
>>30418182

Gah I don't want to take Lucas away from Sarah, she needs his experience way too much as opposed to us.

Parras seems like he'd be useful and Talon has taken a solid "good" route thus far. But it still worries me if he takes offence to something.

Blah. Going with,
>2. General Parras
He can work with us, and we have plenty of others for politics, he'll be more of a field adviser.
>>
>>30418182
>2. General Parras
>>
>>30418182
>Parras
>>
>>30418182
>Parasect
>>
>>30415831
>“Maybe you should try giving yourself wings,”

Astral Projection here we come. I'm not forgetting this.
>>
>>30418359
I should have expected that. Especially as there's one that has his name with one less 'r'.

>2.

You end the sending and consider the situation. You’re hesitant to rob Sarah of Lucas help, given how much more she’ll need him than you will. Eventually, you decide to fill the cabinet slots with Archmagister Saril, General Parras and Marcus the Merchant.

With things in chaos right now with a lot of activity, it’s not necessary, or even possible to try to organise things. As you told Sarah earlier, it’ll be a few weeks of chaos as Vitria adapts. You’re faced with a choice here: head to Farun with a small group, leaving Sarah to manage Vitria for the time-being, manage Vitria yourself or head back to Harrowmont and prepare to deal with Taour now.

Heading to Farun will let you get a better handle on your astral powers and shouldn’t take more than a week or two. And Vitria should be more than able to manage, though you might not be able to put your presonal touch on things. When working for the RSK, the transition period largely didn’t involve you but the bureaucrats, nobles and merchants so Sarah should be able to manage. If you stay you’ll likely find yourself with a lot of downtime between decision-making.

And if you prepare for Taour, you’ll be better positioned to deal with the vampires but may not be able to head to Farun for much longer if momentum builds. The vampires are defensive right now and if you antagonise them you may find yourself unable to safely leave the front. The benefit would be you would be on the front foot for conquering Taour.

>A tiny bit of discussion as I cook lunch

This will be a big decision, as this will likely control the direction of not just this thread but the next couple. Vitria is planning-centric with social, Farun is adventure, Taour is conquest with some planning.
>>
>>30418182
2 is fine
>>
>>30418519

Regardless of decision will we have a bit of Harrowmont decisions? Such as military restructure, Magitech stuff, etc.?
>>
>>30418519
Farun I think. We need to reorganize our troops, and set up production lines first though.
>>
>>30418519
Farun because we need another adventure and to get a handle on Talon's powers. That and I had the impression that he was going to be a nice guy version of Palpatine with the force lightning, if possible.
>>
Personally I'm for Farun. It has a lot of advantages including getting some feelers out there. If we have the time we might be able to convince them on our side and against the Vampires.
>>
>>30418586
There'll be a couple more decisions this thread even if you head to Farun, but this is usually a more active time so I figured I'd get the really important vote out of the way now. Some other decisions will be put off until afterwards if you elect to head to Farun (the military restructure would be one, but magitech would not due to the lag time in production).
>>
>>30418647
We still need to give orders to redeploy our troops though. For example, Gimbon Falls is a lot less important right now.
>>
Farun. We haven't had Adventure Time since the dragon.
>>
>>30418519
>Taour

Astral Powers is nice and everything but I really don't like the idea of leaving the vampires time to breath
>>
>>30418519
A big question is whether darlesia's mage towers still hold, they were in open revolt against the vampires last we checked, if they still hold then we might need to rush to bail them out. Finding out should be a priority.

Another point is that Taour has a magitech factory in their captial churning out heavy plate, AND they captured the darlasian magitech medium plate factory. Now, the mid plate factory has been sabotaged, but its been a few weeks and it might have been repaired by now.

So really, we need to know what is going on in darlesia to make an informed choice. Do the mages towers here have a clue or a way to find out?

We also need more captures thralls for the anti thrall research, the two we had both burned out, this means producing cage-carriages, nets, and manacles for transporting them once they are subdued to keep the people handling them safe (basically, slaver equipment, only we aren't going to do slaving with it but free slaves)
>>
>>30418798
What if we can cure vampirism with astral power?
>>
>>30418519
>Farun

Can Gnome get started on that massive ass tunnel while we're gone? Given that last thread you said it'd take a few weeks to finish.
>>
>>30418798

Personally I think the benefit of doing some diplomacy in Farun out weighs us just sitting there at home and just reinforcing ourselves, which is something our men can do on our own.

Really the only benefit is us being on the frontlines and that possibly wouldn't even matter.
>>
>>30418688
True.

The three main decisions I have in mind right now are:

Aaron Tabeth
Magitech/equipment production
Military deployment

>>30418804
Sendings from Olmm tell you that Taour's flooding of Darlesia with soldiers has done a lot of damage to the rebellion. Word has stopped coming out of Darlesia itself, indicating either the vampires are blocking all messages and sendings out or the rebels are crushed. Either are bad for you.

Also, Taour likely has the capability to produce both heavy and medium plate.

>>30418875
Given Gnome is a huge source of knowledge and help, particularly when afar and when dealing with astral powers, that might not be a great choice.
>>
>>30418875
The tunnel idea is stupid.
>>
>>30418942
Agreed, let's not do the tunnel.
>>
>>30418875

I don't understand the obsession with the hole idea. It sounds unfeasible and way too many ways to back fire, let along taking Gnome away from us for weeks.

Now if we're talking building a passageway through Marnn's mountains I might be game.
>>
>>30418942
the tunnel was a good idea, but the cost are too high to make it feasible.
However, instead of tunneling through the Mrnn mountains we can just cut a path through the natural wall of Creece without engaging their fortresses directly. Allowing us to blockade them from both sides and cut off their supplies.
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>>30418942
>>30418962
you guys have no style, and tact.
>>
VOTE

Remember that this vote will decide the focus of the next few threads.

>1. Farun to learn more about your astral powers.
Adventure-centric.
>2. Vitria to more closely manage the city and nation
Planning and social centric.
>3. Harrowmont to prepare for invading Taour
Planning and action centric.
>>
>>30419030
>1. Farun to learn more about your astral powers.
>>
>>30419030
>1. Farun to learn more about your astral powers.
>>
>>30419030
1
>>
>>30419030
>1
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>>30419030
>1. Farun to learn more about your astral powers.

Hopefully with some diplomacy on the side. Could get a two front war going on Taour if we're smart.
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>>30419012
We don't want to take Taour until we've captured a lot of their country territory.
>>
>>30419030
>1
>>
>>30419068
taking their capital should be a huge blow to them.
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>>30419120
Right, then we'll be stuck pacifying it while the Magi league and the RSK conquer everything else that used to be Taour's. Just like what happened to Taour when it took Darlesea.
>>
As a note from last thread, I think we should perhaps leave Mal behind, he seems like he'd use the down time really well, and if we decide to use some of the magitech factories to produce Magic Bows his input would be integral.
>>
>>30419120
Water is wet and the sky is blue. What's your point?
>>
>>30419161
I don't think we can retoll the civilian magitech factory to make weapons just like that.
Probably have to build a specific factory.

And we really NEED mal, he is awesome at disabling large groups of enemy mages, remember the last time when we got pounded by enemy mages and gnome couldn't even keep them off of us? I am also opposed to splitting the team in general. We have an amazing focused force and we should capitalize on it
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>>30419254
or we can get shit done in the long term and have mal do what he is good at.
>>
More importantly, can we make magitech bikes now?

Bad compared to modern counterparts or not, the fact that we'd then be able to field a unit of mounted MMK or even HMK lancers should give us a pretty decent edge.
>>
>>30419293
mal is exceptionally good at being a combat mage and disrupting the spells of large groups of other mages.
Also, the two are not mutually exclusive as traveling with the army involves long periods of down time where you just travel
>>
>>30419324
>Bad compared to modern counterparts or not, the fact that we'd then be able to field a unit of mounted MMK or even HMK lancers should give us a pretty decent edge.
How would it? we can place speed enchantments on the armor itself, and it will allow significantly more dexterity.
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>>30419324
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>>30419405
this is a better option hell all it needs is dedicated enchanters that are good enough,
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>>30419405
Because there's a limit to the amount of enchantments you can place on one object. It's why LMKs are a thing.
>>
>>30419254

It was my impression that magitech factories worked from a template, and that otherwise they could be changed. Get a Machinist build a new template, and onwards.

Also end of last thread Mal seemed like he could use the break. He isn't an adventurer like Talon is as much anymore. And this seems to involve less fighting, and he might not be of much use on this trip. As opposed to staying home, keeping things straight, working on his projects, like that well forgotten source of energy.
>>
>>30419405
You can't endlessly enchant items. On existing models of magical plate, if you add extra enchantment you'll displace existing enchantments. Furthermore, making atypical models of plate (e.g. modifying heavy plate to be more dextrous) will make any magitech factories longer to make and possibly slower to create any items as they'll be inefficient as you'll need to design a new template that hasn't been tested or perfected.
>>
>>30419445
Let's just ask whether or not he wants to come along then.
>>
>1.

Farun is your immediate focus, you decide. It’s important that you learn more about your powers and the monastery in the north of the province of Arrine, which may even have a resident mystic fox, is the best place to start.

Before that you need to decide what to do about Aaron. You’ve indicated in private that you intend on honouring your deal with him, but you’re uncertain. The Black Stone knights stood down after the deal, but given Grandmaster Lucas’ and General Parras’ sentiments you wonder if you could have achieved the same results with negotiation. His refusal to assist you in Vitria was either cowardice or inexperience as he responded overly heavily to a small Taouran raiding force.

He’s done nothing to break the deal, however, and all you have against him is a suspicion that he’s incompetent or cowardly. You could leave the choice to Sarah, even, if you’re uncertain but that may stress her out somewhat, particularly if he causes trouble while you are away.

>1. Leave Aaron be with his position in Sarah’s delegate council. His inexperience will be tempered by the other members.
>2. Give Sarah the choice of who to place on the delegate council.
>3. Remove Aaron from the delegate council. He’ll still be the head of his house, but won’t have anywhere near the power. This will break your deal with him.
>4. Custom
>>
>>30419479
so your saying its possible, but it would take time to perfect/make.
That means we need a mechanist faster.
>>
>>30419507
You have one now. There'll be a dedicated section of this thread about magitech where you meet him and see the foundry.
>>
>>30419505
>1. Leave Aaron be with his position in Sarah’s delegate council. His inexperience will be tempered by the other members.
He need to learn.
>>
>>30419445
oh, you meant leave him to do research while we take the trip to the monastary. Yea that is fine. I thought you meant leave him at home while we engage Taour afterwards.

>>30419431
Assuming it is at all feasible to have self propelling enchantments on a bike shaped object. Or are you suggesting we invent the internal combustion engine and then slap a few "go faster" enchantments on it?
>>
>>30419531
so how long until we have a perfected version of HMK, but with dexterity?
>>
>>30419505
>1. Leave Aaron be with his position in Sarah’s delegate council. His inexperience will be tempered by the other members.
>>
>>30419505
1 for now.
let him learn, keep an eye on him to make further decisions in the future.
>>
>>30419541
On bikes:
>Both are possible, depending on how well your machinist and channeler get along. Jet-bikes would be harder than regular bikes and would need an enchanter's help, too. The bikes wouldn't be as fast as modern ones, though, especially not at first. There may also be some research time involved.

>The more complicated you make magitech, the harder it becomes. It's theoretically possible, but much of the ideas wouldn't be possible until much later in the quest (and some, like magitech firearms, not at all for fluff reasons).

>>30419551
You'll need more enchanters, mechanists and mages. The RSK have been working on HMK for a fair while now, so they've got a headstart in understanding exactly how it works. Magical plate is also pretty complicated to design, particularly the factory side of things.
>>
>>30419479
I was referring to the existing speed enchantment plate models. when I said "you can just place the speed enchantment on the plate". Aka, LMK.
I was not talking about adding speed enchantment to HMK.
>>
>>30419505

>1

But with a conditional. He must rectify the poor relations with the other house that we spared. Over time or at once, let him show us he is ready. If not, then off the council.
>>
>1.

You decide to leave Aaron be. You’ve already minimised the impact he might have with his inexperience. Still, you’ll have him make good with House Rorek as they’ve happily fallen into line now.

MILITARY UPDATE

You haven’t gotten final numbers, but given how few casualties occurred in the fighting outside House Oaln you have a pretty good idea of how big your military is, excluding the main garrisons of the provinces.

>you have gained
150 Flying Knights (Reg)
60 Battlemages (Regs)
799 Medium Mage Knights
>299 Veteran
>500 Regular
2100 Men-at-arms
>300 Veteran
>1800 Regular
400 Heavy Men-at-arms
>400 Green
1500 Archers
>1500 Regular

TOTAL FORCE = 7,016 soldiers
Overall Military Presence = High
Overall Military Experience = Moderate

235 Flying Mage-Knights
>85 Veterans
>150 Regulars
40 Heavy Mage-Knights
>30 Regular
>10 Green
1388 Medium Mage-Knights
>598 Veterans
>760 Regulars
>30 Green
340 Arcane Archers
>240 Veterans
1625 Archers
>25 Veterans
>1500 Regular
>100 Green
700 Heavy Men-at-arms
>700 Green
2605 Men-at-arms
>300 Veteran
>1935 Regulars
>370 Green
83 Battlemages
>83 Regulars
Satisfactory support and logistics corps

REDEPLOYMENT

Right now, Taour is your main foe. The RSK isn’t much of an opponent and defending against Taour also covers you against Farun should they cause trouble.

You suspect that you should place the bulk of your men in the provinces of Olmm and Craol, as they will be able to cover both fronts. Vale, Vitria and Harrowmont can have the balance of the troops.

>Discussion on redeployment and other alternative plans

Current split would be 40/40/20 for Olmm, Craol, Other.
>>
>>30419594
Hey aspie, I've been wanting to ask.
What exactly are the fluff reasons that make magitech firearms impossible?
>>
>>30419765
no gun powder
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>>30419822
great, so we can still make a nuke.
>>
>>30419822
Oh, that's rather fina-
>>30419845
Ahahahahahahahaha
>>
>>30419748

>over 7000 troops

Jesus christ that was a jump.

I'm actually totally okay with that troop layout. But we'll need to split up our heavy hitter corps a bit more to even the sides out.

Also, as a note, we don't know if Taour has managed to pick up one of our Magic Bows/Arcane Archer get ups since we lost some those threads ago. Not saying they replicated it but it's possible. We should have the mages cover defense points with heavier barriers to avoid those sorts of arrows. Just to be certain.
>>
>>30419765
Magitech doesn't work like ordinary physics because it's magic. Mages have peculiar ways of making things work with magitech and magic. Because it's magic and I don't want to explain it beyond the basics.

In short, nobody really knows how. There are only two people who know how - one is missing and would never tell you anyway. The other doesn't exist in this version of the setting because he's not plot-relevant. This is also a way of keeping things grounded to high-magic fantasy.
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>>30419864
all we need to do is split an atom, and we have magic to try that shit out with.
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>>30419905
can we still make a nuke?
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>>30419905
Thank you.

This means we'll be stuck with bows, crossbows, slings and javelins then. Or can we make enchanted grenades/alchemical concoctions that can devastate things?
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>>30419748
I'm in favor of slightly cutting the forces in Olmm and Craol to build up a larger central reserve at Harrowmont.
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>>30420006

Well... There was that Antimagi "grenade" from the first few threads.

We haven't touched much on it since. But if we figured it out/found someone. Yeah.
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>>30420020
how would that help?
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>>30419926
No. Short of magical cataclysms or demigods, I don't forsee making that sort of power available.

>>30420006
Enchanting explosive evocation to objects is difficult. Transmuters are the only ones who can easily create such things (like dwarves). Antimagic can work like explosives when in contact with magic but is expensive, low-yield and rare.
>>
... I just realize we gave ooln to nair to interrogate, what if he tells her about the source?
And then what if she informs her father, and soon afterwards the secret is out and the RSK comes gunning for it.
>>
>>30420038
Because we usually get some warning before a big attack, so the central reserve would be well placed to reinforce whoever got attacked. They'd also serve as a good training cadre for our Harrowmont Militia, which is in bad shape.
>>30420080
I find it extremely unlikely that she'd betray us like that. Also, she's a spy, its she's probably already figured it out by reading Mal's notes.
>>
>>30420058
>Enchanting explosive evocation to objects is difficult.

Going to be honest. Saw that coming, mostly because I imagine the first guy who tried doesn't do much magic anymore.

I kind of like keeping this to High-Magic, barring crazy things like Talon and his astral stuff. Being inventive with what we have, like the Arcane Archers, makes for more fun then, HAH HAH NUKES.
>>
>>30420115
>I kind of like keeping this to High-Magic, barring crazy things like Talon and his astral stuff. Being inventive with what we have, like the Arcane Archers, makes for more fun then, HAH HAH NUKES.
I agree. I DON'T want to go around inventing guns and stuff. Creative uses of what is available within setting like the magic bows are good, but nukes, guns, grenades... nope! I am leery about the bike idea too.

I do like the idea of the artillery ammo where we make a grape shot of glass bottles containing regular cooking oil or flammable booze (vodka level of distillation), each one with a burning rag stuck through the tip. It isn't naplam, not by a long shot, but it will set shit on fire.
>>
Gonig with the default military split for now. Writing up the next scene, which I really should have pre-written as it's long.
>>
>>30420300

As far as I'm concerned Greek Fire/Wildfire is an entirely reasonable idea and one worth exploring, even in molotov cocktail form. I know our mages can do better, but we don't have an abundance of mages and I assume they could come up with something pretty easily produced.
>>
>>30420308

Honestly Aspirational, you might want to cut that choice, usually we don't discuss it much outside of where to put major players(HMKs, AAs, the party). It might fall under details our men can handle on their own at this point, and beyond, especially when we gain more troops.
>>
>>30420441
Probably good advice. I might leave deployment choices for major operations.

Been playing Thief lately. Kept calling machinists ‘mechanists.’

You arrange for a meeting with the Magister Farrell, a machinist who is a member of Pax Vitria. You meet him in the inner wards with Maloric. The rain can’t reach you down here below the great plate that supports the commercia, but neither can any light apart from the many torches and lamps around. You stand outside an enormous steel gate, large enough to fit a half-dozen wagons abreast, and lazily banter with Mal as you look around. You mentioned torchlight, but it’s very dim here with only a few torches spread around.

The foundry itself is walled off and the stone composite towers over you, reaching to the commercia plate above. You’re on a raised courtyard and you can look out over the rest of the wards and see the docks to the west. It’s hard to tell, but you can see some shuttered windows that blend in with the darkness on the wall – somebody built this foundry to be easily defensible. It’s also intended to be impossible to get in without going through the gate or blowing open a wall or the plate above. The entire area is otherwise sealed, if not air-tight.

A stout and pudgy man jogs up to you, wearing clothes that are more befitting of a merchant than a mage. Jacket, dress shirt, pants – the lack of robes hammers home just how different machinists tend to be from most mages. He comes up to you, and you make out the extremely bushy mustache on his face.

“Magister Alistair Farrell, at your service, Imperator,” he says, sticking out a pudgy hand.

You take it and greet him, “Good to meet you, magister. You know who I am. This is-“

“Magister Maloric Reegan,” he says. “The two of us are old friends. Fancy you meeting you here, Mal. Got on the wagon before I did, no?”

>continued
>>
>>30420457
You blink at that as Mal chuckles. “In a manner of speaking. Why don’t you take us through the foundry here. I’m interested to see what you’ve set-up.”

“Not me. My predecessor. I’ve only been here a year or so. Magister Laron took a nasty fall and they needed a new machinist – big pay increase, huge research stipend. Drew me here from Ahm in a flash, particularly with all the war and the politics there. Funny how it followed me here.”

He runs his hand over the gate and you feel the slightest trickle of magic ooze into the metal. Then the gates shudder open inwards. Slowly. Very slowly. You could probably have dropped and done one hundred push-ups, along with warm-up and cool-down stretches in the time it took for them to open. And then drunk a bottle of water. Or been filled with arrows by the cadre of soldiers standing on the raised platforms inside. As Alistair guides you into the foundry proper, through another huge gate, you realise that Vitria takes defending its manufacturing very seriously.

“Has there been a case of sabotage before, Magister?” you ask.

“When Vitria declared independence, I heard that Darlesia destroyed this foundry. When it was rebuilt they made sure it was heavily defended. Getting in here would usually take weeks of vetting and interview – but of course, it’s rather pointless to subject you to that.”

Given you could probably knock down the gate yourself, defensive enchantments be damned, you agree that it would be pointless. Finally, you find yourself in the foundry and realise it’s broken into several areas. You ask Alistair to show you to…

>1. The magitech factories themselves
>2. The experimental area where new templates and designs are designed and tested
>3. The production area where all the products are gathered after production

You'll be able to see all of these, but the priority matters as this isn't pre-written. I'll also be taking votes on ideas of things to do at each area.
>>
>>30420479
>2. The experimental area where new templates and designs are designed and tested
Talk shop on the way. Arcane Archery gear in particular.
>>
>>30420479
>2. The experimental area where new templates and designs are designed and tested
>>
>>30420479
>2. The experimental area where new templates and designs are designed and tested

I'm the most interested in this. Also retroactively suggesting we had brought an Arcane Bow with us, or at least Mal's research to show Alistair. See what he says and if it will be possible to convert into a new template since AAs are OP as fuck.
>>
>>30420479
>>>2. The experimental area where new templates and designs are designed and tested
>>
>>30420569
we have Mal he can just explain it, plus we should have his replacement near by as well.
>>30420479
2
1
3
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>>30420479
>2. The experimental area where new templates and designs are designed and tested
>>
>>30420589

Just a suggestion by means of example, might like to look over what we have.
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>>30420569
It's not so much OP as having really good synergy with fortresses, and the enemy not adapting their tactics because they don't know it even exists.
>>
>>30420646
It does however leave us with the only legitimately dangeous non-mage ranged troops on the continent.
Which is kind of sad.
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>>30420646
>having really good synergy with fortresses
>enemy...don't know it even exists.
>>30420707
>only legitimately dangerous non-mage ranged troops on the continent

Sounds pretty OP to me.
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>>30420646
>because they don't know it even exists.

Questionable Taour MIGHT, since we lost some of the gear in a failed stealth attack against them. And we've used it on the field with them.

That said, we still wreck shop with it. I desire more. Fuck standard archers, if this is easy, we can just outfit them all. Mal has produced all of them thus far and that is him doing it alone, imagine a Magitech Factory output.
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>>30420810
If we can do all this by enchanting a workhorse weapon like the bow then we should try applying the same concept to other tools of war.
Enchanted tower shields = very effective shieldwall or testudo.
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>>30420898

>enchanted tower shields

Wait a god damn minute why don't we have that already? Our HMKs would be monsters.
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>>30420929
You do.
>>
I hope people don’t mind the length of these updates.

“Magister, would you mind showing me the experimental testing area,” you say, pointing at the sign that directs you to go right.

“Oh ho, my favourite part of this facility,” Alistair says, pulling on the lapels of his jacket momentarily, his mustache shifting with his grin. “Design and testing was my passion back when I was in the Tower of the Moon.”

The Tower of the Moon was the slightly inferior cousin to Archmage Alyce’s Tower of Stars. As only the very, very best could get into the elite tower, the Tower of the Moon was where the merely exceptionally talented resided. Mal got an offer to stay there but refused as it would mean he’d join the Magi League.

The experimental area certainly looks the part, as you look over the mess. Lying in the middle is what looks like an enormous modular magitech factory. Almost as though somebody had pulled one apart. It covers the depressed bay that lay inside this large room, a small office being the only other area inside it apart from the walkway you are on.

“What exactly am I looking at Alistair,” Mal says.

“My pride and joy. This is something I’ve worked on for almost a decade straight. There’s a few of these that I designed in Ahm but this is the latest model. It’s a modular magitech factory – it lets me quickly create and test new templates and designs. I can work out how efficient the template will be, how much enchantment I can squeeze in and many other things. No more building factories based purely on theory, only to have to spend twice as long fixing them to create the proper template.”

>continued
>>
Do our knights have enchanted weapons?
Also should we recruit monks?
>>
>>30420970
You frown. “So this is the only one outside of Ahm? Surely others have worked on this sort of thing before?”

“Possibly. The Seraphs might have something similar with how much magitech they are producing now. This is still my design and I know that it works. It can take a while and a lot of work to test some template, which is why we haven’t started producing armour here, but it’s ready.”

Time, huh. “Mal, tell him about our Arcane Archers.”

Mal explains as Alistair strokes his chin. Finally, “Interesting. We might need to modify the designs but I think this could work very well. The arrows will probably be the easiest to retrofit the existing factories into – ah, but that can wait for when I show you the factories themselves.

“Are there any other ideas to propose? I’m afraid testing and designing these bows and arrows would likely take a few weeks. If you have something else that is a higher priority, feel free to propose it. I can also sound out any other ideas you might want to work on later.”

>Anything else to ask him about new designs and templates?
>>
>>30420979
>Monk
Your body is a temple – a temple dedicated to defeating monsters and breaking men who oppose you. Your physical strength and skill makes you the equal of any man and your spiritual techniques enable you to bind and destroy monster and mage alike. Your versatility makes you a fearsome foe.
>>
>>30420979
Your knights have enchanted weapons. That's how they're able to fire magical bolts.

>>30421000
Note, not all monks are this capable, just as many knights can't match you. With that said, combat monks are both capable martial artists and good against monsters/summons.

This is what the PC monk would have been able to do:
>Empower Self I – you use magic to increase your physical attributes by one point for one hour.
>Binding Techniques I – you apply a spiritual binding, at up to moderate distance, to a single target that nullifies all sorcery affecting them and that they are casting. Magical creatures may also suffer penalties for a short duration.
>Dismissal I – you attempt to dismiss the target from the physical plane. Although only summoned beings can truly be dismissed, anything with magic affecting it may be damaged.
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>>30420996
I've got nothing.
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>>30420996
What were his ideas, and propose an idea on medic designed armour.
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>>30420996
Bikes.

Cavalry is just cool.
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>>30421080
what is that?
>>
>>30420996
Oh wow that is an extremely useful bit of tech. Looks like we just stepped up in the world. Make it a lot easier to build a new factory in Harrowmont as well.

>superior variations of HMK since ours is just knock off plate at the moment
After our Bows and Arrows though, I think those take the highest priority, hell might even be worth building a new factory for.

Can we ask him about any of his recent new templates? See if we like anything?

>>30420945
Ah good. Do our HMKs use them? alternative question, how wide spread are they used in our army?
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>>30421098
Armour for our medics that helps with their healing, but is able to protect them.(unless they are mages then how about having stamina type armour where it is made to have the warrior last longer, and hit harder, but with average protection.)
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>>30421129
so you mean something akin to a paladin.
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>>30421129

I was of the impression due to the length of time and items needing healing in a field medic like way was largely unused.
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>>30421095
no
>>30421129
That wouldn't be a magitech produced item. Also, we don't have any in combat healers.
>>
I am pretty sure our medics are not actually fighting on the front lines. They are part of the support group.
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>>30421181
why not make them into clerics.
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>>30421198
because magic doesn't work that way.
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>>30421113
This is what your MMKs have:
>The shield is typically all metal with a mass-lightening charm and some better shields may have limited-charge momentum-nullification barriers (to be used against powerful blows).

The HMKs are the same but also have defensive enchantments in them.

>>30421095
He and Mal look at you strangely.

Mal says, "So you want magically propelled metal horses? Like patterns?"

"Not like patterns. Patterns are summons. I want a piece of equipment," you say.

They think for a bit, muttering to each other. "It's possible. It would take a while just to get to a point we could even think of designing a template, though," Mal says. "I think you would be better off with patterns."

"Find me a summoner who is skilled at creating patterns and we'll have a deal, Mal."

That shut him up at least. Patterns - no mage has specialised in patterns for centuries.

>>30421198
Healing is a static thing - it's difficult to cast while moving or doing other things. You also usually need to carry around a boatload of catalysts unless you're Undine and can summon them.
>>
>>30421166
Yes.

Magitech bike cavalry, unlike LMKs, provide a relatively stable platform to couch a lance, which if enchanted could do considerably more damage than the versions IRL.
In short, they would be monster killers.
>>
>>30421198

Because almost our entire healing corps uses reagents to successfully heal and it takes a deal of time.

IF we found battle clerics or someone with that knowledge we could form a corps for it. But right now even Undine needs reagents and time to heal(unless we carry her).
>>
>>30421113
>his ideas
"I've been working on a version of mage knight armour that's like the RSK version Vitria used to import. Since the export ban cam into effect, it's been my main focus. I'm still in testing, I'm afraid. Without the actual RSK template I'm fumbling in the dark."

Hmm, the RSK template. Perhaps you could talk to Neir or Marcus about that, though Neir might have conflicted opinions about revealing it. Taour would also no doubt have their own and you could salvage Darlesia's if you can make it to their factory - assuming it hasn't been destroyed or stolen.

VOTE

>1. The magitech factories themselves
>2. The production area where all the products are gathered after production
>>
>>30421229

>patterns

Fucking christ a more reasonable idea. I'd prefer using expendable summons for Calvary than pieces of gear, it drastically declines the need to keep them protected so others can't get their hands on them and reverse engineer the stuff.

Also with Mal being as experienced as he is, he might just look into patterns and his new energy source to spite us.
>>
>>30421310
>1. The magitech factories themselves
>>
>>30421310
>1. The magitech factories themselves
>>
>>30421310
>1. The magitech factories themselves

Seems reasonable. Also, just going to say have Marcus get us a set, would probably be easier and quicker.
>>
>>30421310
Could we put a shitty knockoff plate like HMaA armor in place as a stopgap until the testing is complete?
I'd rather have HMaAs than standard MaAs if Taour attacks.
>>
>>30421310
>1. The magitech factories themselves
>>
>>30421328
That would likely occupy Mal for months on end and you'd have to raid the libraries in the Magi League, the RSK or the Mage Guard territories to find tomes of knowledge dating back to the Golden Age. It's a huge time investment, but would probably be more effective than bikes in the short-term. Bikes would be available sooner but less useful without lots of research and time invested.

>>30421378
It's not really about having a set but the template. Kind of like how owning an appliance doesn't tell you how they made it without a lot of work and knowledge.

>>30421388
yes, but then you'd be investing time in producing the factory itself. I'll cover that aspect in the next section as it appears to be what people want to see next.
>>
>>30421231
>Lance
Thinking too small, put a large blade facing the front and enchant the blade with sharpness and cutting (like swords are). drive them right into a magic-knights formation and watch as they are scythed down.
>>
>>30421425

>regarding patterns/bikes

So what you're saying is regardless that should be a longer term investment and likely won't be quickly available to us unless we might low function gear? I assume to keep our power levels fairer and for PLOT reasons.

Might be best to put to a vote if it is decided to leave Mal at home for the Farun trip.

Ohhh the template is what we need. Interesting then, that'll cost us a fair bit regardless. Unless we use our new position in the RSK's eyes to jostle one over.
>>
>>30421425
Ah, scrap the HMaA production idea then.

As for cavalry, so the most effective use would be patterns until bike tech got good enough to supplant it?
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>>30421328
>Summons as mounts
>>30421425
>Will take a long time to research

why even bother with putting a HUMAN on it? We want it as a cavelry to break down a MK formation, yes?

In our last battle mal + the summoners summoned some beasts that charged the enemy knight formation and disintegrated all they touched. We can integrate that specific move into our repertoire and it serves the exact same purpose as the bike-knights, that of breaking the enemy lines (and massively killing them) and with the added bonus of having 0 casualties on our side too.

The bikes basically have to be more cost effective than that specific summon to be worth it. Which, for all we know they might be, or they might not.
>>
>>30421508
Getting the RSK to give you the template, rather than just sell you the armour, would require you to sell your mother to them.

>>30421546
There's a reason that summons are still used, if unpopular, whislt patterns and constructs aren't. Still, summons can take a lot of time to be created so aren't useful in a jiffy often. Patterns and constructs are permanent on the other hand.

>>30421516
If you're willing to put the time in.

>>30421508
>Might be best to put to a vote if it is decided to leave Mal at home for the Farun trip.
I'm doing the party composition vote after this for that reason.
>>
>>30421546

That is actually a REALLY good point, and with our larger cast of Battlemages it seems entirely plausible, let along cost efficient to the max and it serves purposes through both siege and defense. Good idea Anon all around.
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>>30421464
Maybe a mixture of both? We could fix blades to the wings once we get up to jetbike level, be Shining Spears and Hellions all in one.

>Orin cyIProza
... Are catfolk a thing in this setting?
>>
>>30421616
>... Are catfolk a thing in this setting?
Mystic Foxes are basically your typical kitsune monstergirl/boy.
>>
>>30421508
Or we could just buy MK armor from Malitine until we can reverse engineer the template. I'm sure that they'll sell to us so we can fight the nonhuman menace!
>>
>1.

You head to see the factories themselves next and find yourself in an enormous production line. Conveyor belts and chutes line the walls and floor. You see steel, iron, crystals, wood, salt, glass, sand… the list of materials flowing around the line is endless. In the centre of it all are three enormous structures – they stand at least eight metres tall and at least as wide. Ribbed stalks protrude from their tops, reaching up to the bottom of the plate and you can visibly see the mass of magic swirling around them, the prismatic display lighting up the room. All the infrastructure of the room runs through these structures.

The structures are of course magitech factories. You’ve seen them before, but you never cease to be amazed by them. Slightly less complicated magitech smelters and dissemblers lines the outer walls, transforming some materials before they are feed into the factory itself. The materials are fed into the various slots and then the template currently built into the factory activates and out the other end comes the product. You can’t see the products unfortunately, as the chutes leading out are covered, and the displays that indicate the template being used are indecipherable to you.

“As you can see, this is the factory floor,” Alistair tells you. “It’s all automated, but we still have room for another two or three factories. All but one of the three down there are modular and can have their templates adjusted within reason. We have set schedules that we change over the templates – takes a little while. I could fit the arrows, once I design the template, into one of these.

>continued
>>
>>30421599
Is our mother still alive and if so how easy would she be to get ahold of?
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>>30421785
“Any suits of armour, or your metal horses, will need a different factory however. We have some assemblers down in the production zone, too, for multi-part designs. Most of the hard work is done here.”

“How long to build a factory?” you ask.

“With help from the necessary mages and all the raw materials in one space, I can build it with three 8 hour rituals each spaced a day apart. Three days in all. Maybe more for a larger factory, a little less for non-modular factories but they only produce one template. Then we need to add the chutes and other infrastructure. I’d probably say three to four weeks for each factory, including acquisition time. I can only do one at a time, I’m afraid. Modifications, with a finalised template, take an hour at most.”

Which means if you set one in train now it will still be in construction when you return. Not that you have any new factories for him to build just yet. Or do you?

>Any suggestions for factories or questions to ask here?
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>>30421793
You don't know and it'd be a fair trip to find out. You could also put out the word for her and your family at the risk of others recognising them as your family. I realise this is a joke question, but I realise that I never answered questions about your family after revealing Ember's insanity.
>>
>>30421796
>>30421819
Ask him to make the best facory at Harrowmont.
>>
>>30421837
>>30421819
How long will it take him to build such a large factory and can it be underground?
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>>30421796

So we can either retrofit one for the arrows or set up an entirely new one with the bows?

I believe the arrows were in shorter supply so I think we need to do that regardless. Those extra omph ones with the bows themselves made for some serious damage.

I'd say go for it with the Bow design with his tester, then set up a new factory for it until we can supply him with the template.

That way when we come home our supplies of arrows will be off the charts and we can even have our mundane guys using them and the bows will be on their way.
>>
>>30421819
Glad you recognized the joke and am amused that Talon doesn't actually know what's up with her.
>>
>>30421796
Not really. He knows what we need, and is working on it.
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>>30421858
It can be wherever you want it to be. Common sense suggests building one at Harrowmont would take a damn long time to calibrate it though, as the extra magical energy floating around the Source could create problems. You could ask him about that, at the risk of maybe revealing the Source to him now.

>time
"It depends on how large you want it to be? Something that can do assembly would take longer and be more costly than just building a separate factory and assembler, but if you want to create very large pieces of magitech or multiple pieces at once in a factory, it's possible. Another week or two if you were to double it in size?"

>>30421910
Well, the idea would be you can do both. If you were to speed arrows through, he could have production of them started by the time you return from Farun at the cost of slowing down bow design and testing. Or you can let him test and design bows and arrows simultaneously and have them being produced within a couple of months including a new factory (which could also support the production of other magical weapons).

Something that I think I'm being needlessly confusing about is that magitech factories can both produce magitech, which is a little special, and simply mass produce enchanted versions of regular items.
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>>30421616
I wasn't talking about side blades
Here is a rough picture I just threw together of what I meant.
A pair of lances are affixed to the front, but instead of ending in a tip they support a crescent shaped blade that bisects enemies horizontally. The blade is parallel to the grond, but facing the front
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>>30421986
>at the risk of maybe revealing the Source to him
Can we ask Mal if he is reliable and safe to do this now or should we wait until the reveal?
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>>30421986

Ah so those are our options in regards to bows and arrows, that might be a vote worth thing then.

Now you have me intrigued though. What kind of magitech have we encountered that we wanted/could use, I assume that was the "...or do you?"
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>>30421986
what can we do with such a large magitech factory?
And can it be modular like yours
Also will it be harder to change it up?
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>>30421986
I see. I think speeding arrow production is more important right now.
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>>30421986
Bow and arrow in tandem.
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>>30421986
bow and arrow together, we need to step it up with them.
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>>30422016
You could either talk to the two of them about the past now or wait until later to speak to Mal privately.

>>30422042
Nothing really, unless you wanted to build another factory now for later retrofitting or generating additional income (taxes). One idea that got floated a while ago was a small sending device that you could use, but that would need testing still.

>>30422049
The benefit is that if you were to mass-produce something you could build the factory faster and in less space. The downside is that it would only produce one template at a time, take longer to swap over between templates, cost more to maintain and break more often.

VOTE
>1. Arrows first, then bows.
>2. Bows and arrows in tandem.
>3. Prioritise something else.
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>>30421996
Oh wow, that thing looks terrifying.

I am having happy thoughts imagining what it would do to a formation of MMKs.

Just a thought, do you think we could replace the crescent blade with a siege ram for use against fortress gates?
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>>30422139
>2. Bows and arrows in tandem.
>>
>>30422139
2
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>>30422139
>2. Bows and arrows in tandem.

Get those going ASAP. At least when we come home we'll have supplies to come in to, and future nonsense on the horizon.
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>>30422139
>You could either talk to the two of them about the past now or wait until later to speak to Mal privately.
talk to mal first

also
>Mal thinks you might be angel descent
maybe, or fae, or demon, or who knows what. Worth investigating our family line.

Also, did we tell mal that our recent boost of power came after interacting with the source and having massive amount of astral energy ground itself in Talon?
For that matter, I would like to see if talon can channel it in a more controlled manner. For one thing, he could use it to get gnome to full power while both are at harrowmont. And depending on the distance he can maintain it for it might have other uses.
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>>30421996
I can think of dozens of ways to fuck that over.
>>
>2.

You let Alistair know he should start designing and testing the bows and arrows, which brings up another difficult choice.

“Maloric’s original design calls for some very powerful enchantments to be laid in both the bow and the arrows. Spontaneous mass-increase in an arrow isn’t something anybody can enchant, let alone in as stressful a process as an eight-hour long ritual. I will need a lot of involvement from him in both the testing and creation phases if I’m to achieve his original design. We’ve worked together before, so I much look forward to it, assuming you don’t mind if he’s kept busy.”

Mal gives you a sidelong look. He knows your heading to Farun soon. It’s a frustrating choice – you have no doubt that you’ll get some form of template and factory producing what you need, but they’ll be objectively better with Mal at the helm rather than any other enchanter. Still, if trouble occurs while you’re in Farun, you’ll be much better off with him at your side.

“Mal, would you rather be here or with me in Farun,” you ask.

He shrugs. “You know I love a good adventure, but research is my thing. Particularly this. I’ll be happy either way, Talon.”

You ask Maloric to…

>1. Stay behind and work on the magitech factories
>2. Come with you to Farun
>>
>>30422386
>1. Stay behind and work on the magitech factories

Sometimes, just sometimes you need to leave a bro behind for a moment.
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>>30422386
>1

Man that's a tough choice though.
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>>30422324
1. please share
2. are any of those ways more effective against the bladed version than it is against the one with a lance or neither lance nor blade?
3. I have my reservations as well, I think the blade at the front helps, but I would still prefer to manufacture better mage armor instead.... Or just get rid of the bike and rider and have a magitech balista... Or... just have arcane archers to take out a row of knights instead, and to take out those archers have a LMK unit.
I don't think its useless, I just think it is too expensive for what it gives compared to other ideas.
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>>30422386
>1. Stay behind and work on the magitech factories
>>
>>30422386
1
>>
>>30422139
>2. Bows and arrows in tandem.
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>>30422443

Not that guy but

>wheels

I know respond with, enchantments! But its still either metal or wooden wheels, on rough unbalanced terrain. And you can only put so many enchantments on one thing.
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>>30421986
>Common sense suggests building one at Harrowmont would take a damn long time to calibrate it though, as the extra magical energy floating around the Source could create problems. You could ask him about that, at the risk of maybe revealing the Source to him now.
So, its more expensive and time consuming to build a magitech factory in harrowmont due to extra calibration...
But could there be any benefits to it? If there are, it might be worth it (magitech gear that cannot be created anywhere else due to lack of magic power)
If there aren't benefits then it would not be worth the extra expense.

We can always make the offer to him once we do go public with it in the future
>>
>>30422443
1. Ditches or other terrain obstacles,
2. Pikes.
3. It will lose momentum very rapidly when you hit bodies. Trust me, hitting bodies slows you down more than you'd think.
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>>30422386
>1. Stay behind and work on the magitech factories
>>
>>30422496
the blade is a separate thing, just like magic knight's swords are a separate thing from their armor.

>Wheels
That isn't a disadvantage of the bladed design, its a disadvantage of the bike concept in general. And yes that is a big problem. They don't have modern rubber wheels. (I think)
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>>30422514
The main benefit is that eventually you'll be able to make Harrowmont nigh unassailable. You need to ensure it's well defended anyway, and if you bind yourself to a PoP you become a God in the area. The downside is that Harrowmont isn't really an industrial area and the Source creates problems with magitech factories. And no, there's not really anything special you could create in a magitech factory without heavily redesigning one to actually accept such a large amount of excess mana. They're built for normal environments.
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>>30422386
>>1. Stay behind and work on the magitech factories
>
>>
>>30422386
>1
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>>30422519
1. yea, don't drive into those.
2. It fares better against it than a charging human thanks to its heavy armor.
3. I actually figured as such. The blade design reduces the impact by slicing and diverting the bodies instead of smashing into them. And being enchanted slicing utensil helps.

Basically all the arguments you levy (which are legit arguments) are issues with bikes in general, not issues with mounting a forwards facing pike or a crescent blade on the bike.
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>>30422574
so what does the extra magic do to it?
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>>30422556
We could always just wait until the jetbike becomes available, then we'd have the joint advantages of terrain not mattering and air maneuverability.
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>>30422386
>1. The magitech factories themselves
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>>30422623
Less than convinced that bikes are the way to go really.
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>>30422574
Thanks for clarifying. In that case I think its something to leave for later.
Also worth noting he needs a large support staff which includes mages, there are several mage towers in this city, but there isn't one yet in harrowmont.

>And no, there's not really anything special you could create in a magitech factory without heavily redesigning one to actually accept such a large amount of excess mana. They're built for normal environments.
But what if you DID redesign one to actually accept such large amounts of excess mana?
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>>30422623

The bladed design literally has nothing to do with arguments against. Fantastic, that's how enchanted swords work. But the bikes themselves remain a questionable direction.
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>>30422642
what is that about a jetbike?

>>30422650
Hey, I am the guy who came up with the blade idea and I ALSO think that bikes should not be our focus any time soon. I was just saying that if we DO get a bike, mount something deadly on the front.
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>>30422631
Prevents it from creating things properly, damages components, interferes with the less shielded components (such as the assemblers and mechanisms). It's like if you run too much voltage through delicate components.

>>30422660
You're not really certain, and neither is Alistair or Mal. Theoretically, there might be some things they can do that can't be done currently, but they don't know any. There are some things, but they're not IC knowledge right now.
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>>30422708
So, basically we will have to research it :)
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>>30422623
More specifically, most of them are issues with *cavalry* in general, which historically tended to do poorly when faced with pike walls or obstacles. LMKs should have less problems with obstacles (unless they're manned), but more with pikes due to their lighter armour as well as being more susceptible to missile fire and, due to their lower weight, loss of momentum.
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>>30422708
so lets research it.
Before making a factory there.
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>>30422744

Which I think why Calvary is largely unused in this setting. I personally feel like shoehorning it in is a poor idea when we can just be using more interesting paths with things we already have. Like researching a way to make "flash mob" summons.

>>30422725
>>30422746
I assume Alistair would need to make a trip to Harrowmont to do the research himself. Probably something to leave for peace time while he focuses on his tasks at hand.
>>
>>30422697
Jetbikes were an option, IIRC, but required another specialist mage to design.
>>
>>30422746
Not a high priority ATM.
>>
>1.

You ask Mal to stick around here to help Alistair. Given his enthusiasm towards creating the enchanted bows and arrows in the first place you aren’t surprised by his enthusiasm towards the decision. He and Alistair busily discuss the specifics as you head over to the production zone.

Probably the least impressive area of the lot, you find that the production zone is mostly a loading bay. Plenty of space for wagons to come in and load up the goods. The doors that lead out into the main courtyard, and eventually the gates that exit the foundry, are heavily covered by platforms for archers in case of treachery by anybody allowed into the area.

At the back you hear the assemblers, gigantic boxes that line the far walls, busily putting pieces together for some of the items being produced. And nearby there are large trays that contain the all-important end result. Jewellery, enchanted glass panes and what look to be man-sized magitech devices of some description are the current occupants. As Alistair hinted, they may change.

“What are the magitech devices there?” you ask.

“Heating units,” he answers. “They’re in such high demand and the factory is so old we produce them at low cost. Plus, that factory can’t produce anything else and we don’t need the extra floor space. Almost every home in Vitria has one of these.”

Maybe you can expand that to include every home in Harrowmont. Winters don’t get too cold here, compared to further south, or up in the mountains, but people get used to things and cold is still cold to people, even if you’re used to colder. The men certainly won’t complain, and neither will you when you get them installed into the keep.

>Anything to ask about the production and loading zones? Or what is produced?

After this, I’ll be moving on to Farun preparations. This took a little longer than I expected, though I hope people didn’t mind too much.
>>
>>30422746
I think it would actually be a case of building a factory there, and having it be non functional as it has to be repaired and rebuilt as the processes necessary are being invented.

Basically, large investment of time and money with an unknown but nice reward. I want to do it, but not right now. Right now we get the factory in vitria up and running properly. Then when we capture darlasia and taour, get those going too.
Then when we have 3 regular factories churning out useful stuff we can set up a research team to start inventing the necessary technologies to make such a thing possible
>>
>>30422817
nope
>>
>>30422744
>>30422804
>Cavelry
Basically this
I am perfectly fine with cavelry being replaced with the more effective LMK & MMK designs
>>
>>30422831
it only takes him 3 days.
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>>30422855
>“With help from the necessary mages and all the raw materials in one space, I can build it with three 8 hour rituals each spaced a day apart. Three days in all. Maybe more for a larger factory, a little less for non-modular factories but they only produce one template. Then we need to add the chutes and other infrastructure. I’d probably say three to four weeks for each factory, including acquisition time. I can only do one at a time, I’m afraid. Modifications, with a finalised template, take an hour at most.”

>3 to 4 weeks

With a factory that is "normal".
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>>30422817

Get those things shipped to Harrowmont! That'll be a fun side note later, up that morale.
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>>30422855
3 days if he has all the support staff from the mage towers, all the materials on hand, and he has a finalized template.

In this case he has to invent brand new factory equipment that can handle the higher mana currents, invent a brand new application that actually benefits from supercharged mana currents, invent templates for it, and then somehow get an entire support staff. Oh, and he was clearly saying that the main reactor is a "factory" and each one is dependent on dozens of minor factories around it which produce the components being fed into it
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>>30422817
One quick question: Could Gnome cut the setup time for the factory infrastructure?
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>>30422890
ah my mistake, but that still a short amount of time, and could probably get cut significantly with gnome.
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>>30422927
>Oh, and he was clearly saying that the main reactor is a "factory" and each one is dependent on dozens of minor factories around it which produce the components being fed into it
which is where the 3 days become 3-4 weeks, as the new "factory" has to be hooked to all the subfactories around it. And that assumes we have such sub factories already up and running like we do here in vitria. If they have to be built from scratch it takes longer
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>>30422890
It would take even longer at Harrowmont as you don't have a pre-existing structure and design to fit everything into like at Vitria. Assuming he can find a way to make it work there, you might have something fully functioning in 6 months if you're lucky, or a year more accurately.

>>30422928
She can help create chutes and raw materials. She could save a few days work, or months at Harrowmont. Keep in mind that Gnome can't create enchanted objects or magitech with her abilities.
>>
>>30422854
But as I pointed out, LMKs don't have to be better.
LMKs are a result of applying enchantment and magitech to infantry and discovering that the result makes better cavalry than actual unenchanted cavalry.

What if we make enchanted/magitech cavalry?
>>
>>30422942

But during wartime when he could be better off at his current place producing things we already have worked out? I'd think not, I agree with >>30422831 in regards to long term plans.

It'll require research and time to even set up a proper factory especially one to do fancy things.
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>>30422965
Then start by enchanting horses. It would probably be one hell of a lot cheaper.
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>>30422965
>What if we make enchanted/magitech cavalry?
But plate is very expensive. A horse might be more effective with it, but if it costs 3x to make a mounted unit is it actually worth 3 mage knights? Probably not...

I would prefer we get some mystical creatures like wyverns or gryphons, put riders on those.
>>
>>30422984
Short-term, sure.
Horses eat, spook and get sick, though. Which is probably one of the main reasons they were phased out in favour of the LMK.
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>>30422965

I'm going to say if it was put to a vote, people would probably just outright dismiss the calvary route for now. It seems unnecessary.
>>
No questions on this part of the tour. Alright, I'll be doing a quick scene on Alistair's background and the Magi League before prepping for the Farun adventure.

If you have anything you think we need to take care before leaving Vitria, let me know now.
>>
>>30423074
what? oh hey, i somehow missed your last post.
>>
>>30423074
Screwing Sarah in such a way that we could get caught to heighten things for her? Then we do get caught, but really, it's Sala just as we planned. Then she joins in if Sarah is cool with it.
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>>30422817
>Maybe you can expand that to include every home in Harrowmont
sounds like a plan.
Onwards, to glory.
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>>30423159
no
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>>30423014
>mystical creatures like wyverns or gryphons

Griffon riders is everything I ever wanted. Especially for Talon now.
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>>30423074
Setting up purchasing arrangements of MK gear from the Mage Guard and/or Malintine. Presumably funded by voluntary contributions from the House Olan treasury. So nice of them to offer
>>30423159
Seems mean. Plus, she just started walking strait again, we should probably give her a bit more time to recover.
>>
>>30423039
Unnecessary /= bad.
Honestly /tg/, it's like you don't want to be the genius revolutionary military strategist/tactician. And no, being the only person in the last few thousand years with enough common sense to think of enchanted arrows is not what I'd class as 'genius revolutionary'.
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>>30423184
It would be awesome...
But I would combine it with some sort of bear cavalry too just for sheer awesomeness.

>>30423198
We want to be a magnificent tactician and conqueror.
Not a genius revolutionary engineer/inventor.
And we are intentionally avoiding "inventing" real world technologies in a world that doesn't have them because that is cheating by using OOC knowledge
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>>30423193

I don't think we really need to be purchasing them now, unless we just wanted a huge influx at once, given we have the factory now, that I assume is also producing MMK as well.

>>30423198
I'm not saying it is. I'm saying it's unnecessary when other options replaced them heavily within the setting. There are other better ideas to be had, this is just shoe horning at this point.
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>>30423193
>Setting up purchasing arrangements of MK gear from the Mage Guard and/or Malintine. Presumably funded by voluntary contributions from the House Olan treasury. So nice of them to offer
This isn't immediately possible as you need to set up diplomatic ties first. I'll put it on the list of things to deal with on return when things are more stable.
>>
>>30423260
I think he was confused by the earlier statement saying that we are way behind the other powers on development of mage knight. And he was thinking we buy the plate and reverse engineer it.
But what we actually need is the template rather then just individual armor samples.
Of course, if individual samples to reverse engineer will help... well we have a variety of them and we can leave him a couple of each
>>
Thanking Alistair for showing you the foundry, and receiving assurance he’ll get to work right away, you head back to the Hawkins spire with Mal. The sun’s set by the time you get back, though the rain continues to drizzle on the minor magical barrier Mal’s placed around the two of you, crackling and fizzling as it strikes it. Now’s better than never…

“So, Mal, what’s the history between you and Alistair?” you ask.

“Pretty straightforward,” he says, before breaking into a fit of cursing as he steps in a particularly deep puddle. “He was a former member of the Tower of Sacrament. A few years ago the Magi League made him an offer to join them – he could basically sit around and do nothing but research so long as he made any of his special designs available. He’s a brilliant machinist, so it’s no surprise.”

“That was a better offer? Why would he have then run over to Vitria?” you ask.

“Because he was sympathetic to the mage rebellions then. That’s waned over the years, judging from the fact he came over here. Or maybe somebody splashed a lot of cash. He’s been interested in change for as long as I remember. Obviously the Magi League didn’t offer it, which is unsurprising.”

You frown, skipping over a puddle and temporarily leaving Mal’s barrier. The cool evening air and the wet strikes you for a moment before you find yourself back in the barrier. “You’re going to have to explain to me why there’s so much bitterness towards the Magi League. I understand you don’t like politics, but why is it obvious that Alistair would be unhappy? Alyce’s goals don’t seem that terrible.”

>continued
>>
>>30423409
Maloric is silent for a while and you give him the time to think over his response. Finally, “It’s not the Archmage’s ideals that’s the problem. Well, not for somebody like Alistair. It’s everything else. Mage politics is… predictably sociopathic. The great war of centuries ago and the Warden’s violent opposition to the Golden Age didn’t emerge from a vacuum. Modern sorcery was birthed by a megalomaniac, and I’d argue that’s a disposition far too common among mages.”

“This dates back to the break-up of the League you were speaking of a while ago, doesn’t it?”

He nods. “There are a lot of mages, powerful ones, entire towers worth, who want power but for entirely selfish reasons. The Archmage, and many of the knights supporting her, may wish to bring peace and prosperity to all as part of their anti-royal crusade, but those who fight for her don’t. If you can avoid that, you’ll do well.”

Ah, so this is the real reason Mal was so upset about Spoker going through him to talk to you about giving the mages power. You’ve never spoken too much with your friend about the time he spends with his tower – perhaps there’s a reason he’s an errant. Sensing he doesn’t want to continue with the discussion, you move the topic back to talking about magitech and his plans for the rest of the trip.

FARUN PARTY
Talon
Gnome
Undine
Sala
Lynn

>Any changes to the party? Do you want to try to gather anybody else to aid you, like Felix?
>>
>>30423427

Interesting tidbit of info there. We'll have to deal with that someday. The existence of social classes always makes things difficult.

I'd say we NEED to bring Felix along. He'll feel like we're upholding our side of the bargain immediately, even if limited fighting. Send the rest of his men back to Harrowmont. Maybe they can start training others?
>>
>>30423427
Looks good to me.
>>
>>30423481
agreed
>>
>>30423427
>“This dates back to the break-up of the League you were speaking of a while ago, doesn’t it?"

This came out wrong. I'm talking about when he told you that the League is having a lot of factional problems. It hasn't broken up just yet.
>>
>>30423536
That makes a lot more sense.
>>
>>30423536
forshadowing?
>>
Random fluff question. Are the Arcane Bows long or short bows? Drawing something up.
>>
>>30423587
Longbows.

>>30423554
That whole news section was a way of making the swathe of events that will unveil as you get closer to the continental phase less overwhelming.

FELIX VOTE
>1. Add Felix to the party
If Felix isn't being completely truthful he may attempt to fight you again. It's also possible that separating him from his men may be detrimental. On the plus side, if you get into a major fight or adventure he will likely enjoy if the former doesn't happen.
>2. Leave Felix behind
This will give him some time to spend with his comrades and mull over the possiblility of reforming the order he's pretended to have.
>>
>>30423621
>2. Leave Felix behind
>This will give him some time to spend with his comrades and mull over the possiblility of reforming the order he's pretended to have.
help jump start the order.
>>
>>30423621
>2. Leave Felix behind

Dang it I really want that Knightly Order in Harrowmont. I'd say have them spend some time with the Black Stone, maybe them being with actual Knights will help sway them over a bit more.
>>
>>30423427
>Talon goes on a work-vacation accompanied only by 4 women... all of which he has sex with.
Oh dear god.

>>30423621
>Felix seperated from his men
How good are his men? because we put him AND them as our personal guard together
>>
>>30423621
>1. Add Felix to the party

He might plot against Talon later. As they say, "Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer."
>>
>>30423427

Um... Are there any particularly outstanding HMKs? I'd like Talon to learn how to fight alongside them a bit better, maybe get a better view of his men.
>>
>>30423705
His knights are less capable than he is, but more so than probably any of your men (pre-Vitria) other than Arail or Nate. That puts them them a fairly long step below Lynn, who is probably the weakest of the suggested party.

>>30423745
Not really. They're capable soldiers but nothing more.
>>
>>30423621
2.

Also, we should have a talk with him. Suggest that if he is going to rebuild his order, he should probably start recruiting and training. And ask what else it would take... do they need a noble title? or what?

Also spin the personal guard thing as giving him a chance to judge your character better. And ask him to tell you more about his order's ideals.
>>
A training idea occurs to me, have an obstacle course for talon where teams of battle mages erect barries and he tries to smash through them as fast as possible with his barrier break.

This is assuming that there are no backlash issues and it can be done harmlessly.
>>
>>30423891
The only harm that may occur is to yourself whenever you fail to punch through a barrier. It would also be of limited usefulness as your limitation is mostly around the strength of a barrier you can break.

>2.

Deciding to leave Felix behind, you gather together your elementals (and Mal’s) and Lynn to head north to Farun to visit the monastery. Still, you don’t plan to leave until the morning so you have some free time this evening.

Gnome’s in the common room playing chess with Undine. Salamander and Lynn are sparring in one of the training rooms, with Sarah watching. Mal’s reading a book in the study. Who will you spend some time with?

>1. Gnome and Undine
>2. Salamander, Lynn and Sarah
>3. Maloric
>4. Custom
>>
>>30423891

I could see Mal and Talon doing this. Given their relationship it would be a hysterical show of one upsmenship.
>>
>>30423950
Oh, and I'm doing this short scene as I'm not really ready to jump into Farun proper at this late stage of the thread. I'll likely close the thread with arriving at the monastery. This short scene will probably be the last main scene of the thread which means we may end earlier than expected.
>>
>>30423950
>4. Custom
Felix on his order.
>>
>>30423989
+1
>>
>>30423950
>2. Salamander, Lynn and Sarah
We just bro'd it up with Mal, and we'll have the entire trip to bond with gnome and unidine.
>>
>>30423950
>3. Maloric
>>
>>30423950
>4. Custom
Felix, I feel like the subdued environment might make for a better conversation. If he wants we can spar maybe?
>>
>>30423950
>2. Salamander, Lynn and Sarah
>>
>>30423989
Sure, i'm with this one.
>>
>>30423950
>2. Salamander, Lynn and Sarah
>>
>>30423950
>2. Salamander, Lynn and Sarah
>>
>>30423950
>4. Felix
>>
Alright, going with a Felix scene.
>>
>>30424193

>Felix Scene

Well this will be interesting, we've never really interacted with him before outside of that last one. Where does he list on characters to write for you Aspirational?
>>
>>30424016
Actually that's a good point. If he tries to kill us here, in a relatively controlled environment, then we'll know it's time to reevaluate his position in our personal guard.
>>
>>30424257
Felix isn't hard himself - he's a little like Caitlyn would have been if I hadn't sanitised her personality a bit to make her sympathetic as a character. Thinking up how Talon can talk about these things to him is harder, as was creating the scene idea itself.

>4. Felix

Deciding to talk with Felix about his order, you find him out on one of the lower balconies of the Hawkins’ spire. The cover’s withdrawn and he stands staring over the lights of the city and the coast with rain falling on him. You’re not sure if he’s feeling emotional or is trying to futilely drown himself, but you step out and stretch the cover out to block the rain.

He turns back to you at that and gives you a small smile. “You don’t like the rain?”

“I’ll be getting plenty of it in the next few days, Felix,” you say in return. “No need to get any more of it now.”

“You’re going somewhere?”

“Farun. I need to learn a few things there.”

“But not with me?”

“No. I think you need some time to think things over and talk with your comrades,” you answer, stepping up next to him and looking over the city yourself.

“What’s there to think about? I agreed to continue to serve you, even if I won’t be a general anymore,” he says. You spot him leaning on the balcony rail with your peripheral vision.

“You’re not a robot, and you already swore to serve me. Didn’t stop you from wanting to fight me,” you say.

He laughs lightly. “True, true. That doesn’t tell me what you want me to think about, Imperator?”

>1. Start talking about his order right now
>2. Ask him what he’s doing out here first
>3. Ask him why he agreed to stand down outside Oaln’s tower
>4. Custom
>>
>>30424346
>1. Start talking about his order right now
any way we can sneak a spar in?
>>
>>30424346
>3. Ask him why he agreed to stand down outside Oaln’s tower

He seemed so intent and focused, like everything he ever did was for that single moment. And we made him stand down. He even accepted still working with us, on a lower position. Felix is odd. What makes him so conflicted?
>>
>>30424346
>>3. Ask him why he agreed to stand down outside Oaln’s tower
>>
>>30424393
You think this may be inviting trouble, given a spar is neat time to 'slip' and attempt to kill somebody. Not that he'd succeed, but the blood rushing to his head might make him do something foolish.

If you want to test him, though, it might work to see if he can keep his self-control in a battle.
>>
>>30424282
You are being a bit paranoid. Felix was naively thinking that we are going to be an eviul tyrant just because we want to be conqueror. It is an understandable if flawed notion. We just have to convince him we are not.

Also, now we have a cabinet member that admires us and has an idealistic view... well, we can maintain that by focusing our actual conquest on enemies we can justify. Either with their misdeeds or their aggressions. Its not just for his sake but in general makes us look better. IF we ever reach a point where we run out of enemies... well, we cross that bridge when we reach it, but I doubt it will happen any time soon.
>>
>>30424457
yeah test him.
>>
>>30424460
The impression I got was that he was going to be a hero because "the victors write the history books", and that we would be remembered as a tyrant if he killed us there.
>>
>>30424505
nah
>>
>>30424346
>3. Ask him why he agreed to stand down outside Oaln’s tower
>>
>>30424346
we should probably clarify some things. Explains them from our view.

As far as being a general goes. He can be one again, later. He is actually pretty damn good at it.
But for now we want him to work directly with us to give him a better chance to judge us. We are, after all, trusting him with our lives and our secrets by having him and his men as a personal guard, and letting him observe how we do thing

As far as not going with on this trip... well, that is for more personal reasons rather then lack of trust. And also gives him some time to start working on laying the foundation for the resurrection of his order.... speaking of which
>1. Start talking about his order right now
>>
>3.

“Tell me, Felix, what made you back down earlier? You were so focused, yet you seemed to back down so easily.”

There’s a long minute of silence. You watch as a wagon enters the commercia via the eastern toll gates, the torchlight following it. Even at night-time, this city continues to operate and will probably become even busier as confidence and peace is restored.

Felix breaks your concentration as he speaks, “I said it was for my comrades. You said that I could test myself. In reality, it was something much simpler – you aspire to far greater heights than just this. You are powerful now, but to fight the Lord of Ember? That would require you to become more than just a man. Just as legends are full of those knights who fell fighting evil, or whatever historians regard as evil at the time, so too are they full of those who fight for said evil.”

He falls quiet again, and you turn to him only to find him staring over the sea again in quiet concentration.

“You think I am such an evil?”

“There is no doubt. It is difficult to find a ruler or somebody of power who is not regarded as evil. Kushan, the father of modern sorcery, is evil. The Great Lords are evil. Witch-hunter General Sylvian, who founded the Mage Guard, is evil. The king of the RSK is evil for both his genocide and his rapid expansion of his kingdom. Archmage Alyce is evil for overthrowing royalty and ruining the stability of the world. The archangels are evil for not intervening to prevent tragedy.

>continued
>>
>>30424797
“Even if you bring peace to all, you will still be evil to many. That is the way of the world. The powerless cast those with power in the worst light imaginable to justify their own powerlessness. If I fight for you, I will be a servant of evil. Just like the Great Knights that fought for their Lords. Every single Great Knight of the Lords is known. They are in countless legends – about how they fought entire armies themselves, or broke sieges, or pulled magical swords from stones. They have massacred, they have conquered and their masters are amongst the most revered beings in the world. Yet they are famous.

“If you give me even an ounce of that fame, I will have gained more than I would have in dying by your hand here in this city. But to do that, you must rise up to be one who can challenge the Lord of Ember and I must be someone who can stand by you to do that.”

He falls silent now. Rain patters against the cloth cover above. Your breath mists slightly in the cold air. Felix is a passionate man, if difficult to understand. A cynical, fame-seeking, blood knight. Part of you thinks he’s not revealing everything, but the mask he shows is what you must deal with nonetheless.

>Response?
>>
>>30424797
>It is difficult to find a ruler or somebody of power who is not regarded as evil
Heck, we actually agree on that. Wanting to do better is a big motivator for Talon
>>
>>30424829
Oh wow, I completely misjudged Felix
>>
>>30424887
how so?
>>
>>30424829
"You are right that it is difficult to find a powerful man who is not regarded as evil by somebody. That's part of what fuels my own ambitions.
I know that I can do better than most."
>>
>>30424829

>"I can't pretend to not know this. As you know I grew up common, not even able to focus magic, even then the kid with the ability to light a flame was 'above' me and I hated him for that. Seeing the world how it is and growing to accept those realities are hard. But... They don't have to be realities. Ideally I would be evil to no man, I would put an end to such thoughts, but can I prevent it? No. Likely not, but I'll try my damnedest so a child whom lags behind does not grow up fearing those with power, because ultimately that is what it is, fear the fuels the idea of evil."
>>
>>30424895
He wasn't idealistically trying to stop us because conquest is evil.
He cynically views all rulers as evil and was trying to build fame for himself by killing one. He is claiming to be a fame hound... although this might be a lie concocted to what he believes to be an evil man.

He doesn't want assurances that we wouldn't be evil, he wants to believe that we are actually so ridiculously powerful that we could actually stand up to lord ember.
>>
>>30424829
"I must both agree and disagree."

"It is indeed rare to hear of good kings. But not impossible."

"And I have yet to hear of a rule or law that expressly forbids those of power from being good."

"After all, that's what you want, right? To strike down those who are evil will require both power, and goodness."
>>
>>30424829
"Interesting. I don't exactly intend to be remembered as a great evil, but I can't deny that some will hate me for hate I do. Still, a man's worth is known in the caliber of his enemies, and I intend mine to reflect very well on me."
>>
>>30425004
too corny

>>30425038
actually pretty good.

>>30425016
Reassuring him we can take on lord ember would be basically revealing our astral power, no?
>>
VOTE
>1. Tell Felix you will actively attempt to avoid becoming evil.
Like >>30424905 and >>30425004.
>2. Talk a little on how it is possible to be both good and powerful and that Felix can help you achieve this.
Like >>30425028
>3. Talk up your power. Let him know his confidence is not misplaced.
Like >>30425016 and >>30425038.
>4. Custom
>>
>>30425132
3
>>
>>30425132
Both 1 and 3 involve promising something to Felix.

Right now, Felix is still not 100% certain about his loyalty. Making more promises to him is unlikely to do much to change that.

>2 directly address his misgivings. Show, in the process, that we want to understand him rather than merely placate him.
>>
>>30425132
2 sounds good
>>
>>30425132
None of those
instead express surprise and ask him to tell us more about his order and what their creed is like.

>>30425254
Fair points about 1 and 3, but are those actually his misgivings?
A. He said "evil to someone" not actually universally evil.
B. He claims to not mind evil, just wanting glory. (although this could be a front made for someone he thinks is evil)
>>
>>30425369
Felix's last statement.

“If you give me even an ounce of that fame, I will have gained more than I would have in dying by your hand here in this city. But to do that, you must rise up to be one who can challenge the Lord of Ember and I must be someone who can stand by you to do that.”

He doubts his ability to be loyal to us not for lack of fame,

but either because he thinks we won't be able to challenge the Lord of Ember, regardless of him being loyal to us,

or that even if we do end up being powerful enough, Felix implies he would not be satisfied with working for us instead of working against us.

The "powerful enough" issue has already been touched upon.

As for why he wouldn't be satisfied with working for us, it can't be because of the lack of fame. It must be something else.

I am willing to bet that "something else" is his desire to be good, rather than evil. Otherwise, he would not have brought up "Good and Evil" earlier in his conversation.
>>
“It is not impossible to be both good and powerful, Felix,” you say. “There is no law or cosmic force that prevents it. You speak of evil as though it is a calculable thing rather than what you dislike, but I suspect that you want to strike down those that you consider evil, which requires you to be exactly what you say will create evil. Am I right?”

“Perhaps,” he says slowly, finally turning to face you. His face is guarded. “Perhaps I did once. Maybe I still do. Evil is not always evil, if such a thing makes any sense. Still, if you’ll offer me the chance to defeat it – even at the cost of becoming a force of evil myself, then I can do nothing else but take it. Perhaps you’ll succeed and not become the evil I think you will become, but I doubt it.”

He begins to walk inside at that and you don’t follow, sensing that he wants some alone time. He then stops.

“You were right that I need some time to myself. You’ve given me something to think about. It is good to see that you don’t not see yourself as evil, yet – for once you do there is no return, I fear.”

You stay outside for a little longer, dwelling on his words. It’s possible he’s right – after all, the Great Lords started by defeating one of the most evil mages there was, yet they are considered evil by many. One thing is for certain – Felix is more complicated than he lets on. If you want to keep him as a loyal ally you might want to press him further over time. Maybe his cynical words will keep you on the straight and narrow, too, even as power tempts you.

>Farun prep next

Next post will be the last for the thread.
>>
>>30425511
oh, that makes sense.
And according to >>30425558
you were actually right.
>>
>Farun arrival

After finalising a few minor things and bidding Mal and Sarah farewell, you, the elementals and Lynn make your way to the monastery in Farun territory. It’s not an exceptionally long trip, though made longer by the lack of Mal’s summons. Even so, after a mere five days of travel you find yourself at the entrance to the monastery. The most trouble you encountered on the way was a large number of soldiers inside a town, but they wouldn’t speak to you and there didn’t look to be much trouble.

The monastery itself is simple enough, being a small cloister surrounded by walls. Your limited knowledge and research tells you it’s among the smaller of monasteries but is supported by the Mage Guard and helps deal with any problems that occur nearby. Which is why the lack of any Mage Guard insignias or soldiers nearby troubles you. There’s usually a few lurking about anywhere happy to accept their support. You warn your companions there may be trouble ahead as you approach the entrance.

Instead, you find a Mystic Fox lounging on a large rock near the entrance. He’s clearly waiting for you, judging from his position and the fact he only just stepped out. His five black tails lay low behind him – a sign that he’s not seeking a fighting, if you recall what little etiquette you were taught by the last fox you met. His ears prick up as you approach and he speaks first.

“Well, I’d wondered what you would be – have to say I’m surprised to see one of your kind around here,” he says, chewing on a piece of grass, drawling a bit. “Usually you don’t come so far east. What’s your business here, God?”

>I’ll look over any write-in responses offered here and pose a vote for the next thread

Next thread will be 1st March at 5pm EST. Remember to keep an eye on Twitter for possible updates as that’s where I’ll announce any delays.

I’m here for a while to answer any questions. Otherwise the thread will probably die before I get back.
>>
>>30425558

"With a bronze mirror, one can see whether he is properly attired;"

"With history as a mirror, one can understand the rise and fall of a nation;"

"With men as a mirror, one can see whether he is right or wrong."

>Emperor TaiZong of Tang, grieving for the death of his most trusted advisor, Weizheng.

Perhaps Felix will become our Weizheng.
>>
>>30425757
aby plans for spring break sessions
>>
>>30425847
I work full-time so not really (I only get 20 days of leave a year). I'll likely continue to do a thread a week for the foreseeable future. I may do two the weekend after next, as there's a long weekend in my territory.
>>
>>30425757
>That cliffhanger
Oho...
>>
>>30425757
God Emperor

I'm okay with this.

>treat him politely, to the best of our knowledge about mystic foxes

"The same of any who approach this monastery. Regardless of what you may believe, Godhood is no license for ignorance or insolence."
>>
>>30426048
> Godhood is no license for ignorance or insolence.
assuming he is correct about Talon being one
Since the Gods were humans who ascended via magic ritual they invented, and Talon never underwent such a ritual (to his recollection)


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