>>1068565
>[Intrigue/1d8] "I'll take the risk. Begin your investigation."

>>1068565
>>[Intrigue/1d10] "Increasing our screening. I don't want another incident like this."

>>1068565
>>[Intrigue/1d8] "I'll take the risk. Begin your investigation."

>>1068565
>>[Intrigue/1d8] "I'll take the risk. Begin your investigation."
We aren't going to stay on the defensive! We are men!

>>1068565
>>[Intrigue/1d8] "I'll take the risk. Begin your investigation."

File: Myrddin7.jpg (34 KB, 1280x720)

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>>1068565
"I'll take the risk," you say. "Begin your investigation."

"Yes, your highness," Myrddin says. "I won't fail you."

You rather hope he comes through on this one. You'd hate to break your other arm fighting another fat man.

>Roll 1d8, best of three.

Rolled 7 (1d8)

>>1068693

Rolled 6 (1d8)

>>1068693

Rolled 6 (1d8)

>>1068693

Rolled 5 (1d8)

>>1068693

File: Meirion4.jpg (275 KB, 630x891)

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>>1068693
"Is there anything else I need to know about?"

"The citizens have been told you were busy dealing with pressing matters, so Princess Reagan is meeting with petitioners," Myrddin says. "There aren't that very many though, so it's not too taxing. What matters is that royal authority is being maintained."

It goes without saying that you can't be seen with a broken arm, so you'll be staying around the house for the next few days.

"Olwen, Lady Seren and Eleri are all at home, if you'd like to help them with their work," Myrddin says. "Or perhaps you could treat your convalescence as a vacation."

Unlikely. Although having only one arm available is quite inconvenient, you don't want to look lazy while everyone else is being productive.

>Go see Olwen.
>Go see Seren.
>Go see Eleri.

>>1068826
>>Go see Olwen.

>>1068826
>>Go see Seren.
We'll need protection from Olwen.

>>1068826
>>Go see Seren.

File: Seren3.png (189 KB, 671x382)

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>>1068826
"I think I'll spend some time with Seren."

You roll over into a sitting position so you can get off the bed, and quickly realize that you have bruising everywhere in addition to your broken arm. It's rather unpleasant, but Seren's pregnant and pregnant women don't do physically demanding work, so it should be fine right?

As it turns out, you're half-right. Seren is currently going through reports from her family's land, but with the current state of your arm you wouldn't be able to go through the pile of documents at a reasonable rate to help.

That's right. You have now reached the point where paperwork, the ultimate form of busywork for people who aren't capable of doing anything else, is beyond your royal abilities.

Still, you kiss Seren and sit next to her in case she needs your help with something. Thankfully, she doesn't comment on your injury.

"Is everything going well?"

"Splendidly," she says. "My father is quite pleased with our agreement. At this rate, my cousins and siblings will be able to afford a few more children of their own."

Noble children are expensive. They need to be educated, and they need something to inherit so that they don't get rowdy when they're older. The money flowing into Caunys lands will no doubt be a great help to them.

"I've just finished going through the broad reports," Seren says, "and I'm about to get started on either trade or alchemical supplies. You can choose, if you want to help."

>Trade. You're better at it.
>Alchemy. You need to polish your skills in that area.

>>1069041
>>Alchemy. You need to polish your skills in that area.

>>1069041
>>Alchemy. You need to polish your skills in that area.

>>1069041
>>Alchemy. You need to polish your skills in that area.

>>1069041
>Alchemy. You need to polish your skills in that area.

>>1069041
>>Alchemy. You need to polish your skills in that area.

File: Seren4.jpg (133 KB, 640x960)

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>>1069041
"How about alchemical supplies? As important as they are, I'm afraid I've never dealt much in them aside from trade."

"That's because letting amateurs dabble in alchemy is potentially lethal, your highness," Seren says in a playful tone. "And as you've shown, you're in enough danger even if you avoid situations where you're likely to poison yourself."

You had some vain hope that the… incident wouldn't be held over your head forever, but that doesn't seem likely now. Maybe they'll get bored of lightly chastising you whenever this comes up? You're not pleased with the way things turned out, but the fact of the matter is, you live a dangerous life and you'd rather deal with these dangers yourself than foist them on others.

Responsibility is an inconvenient thing sometimes.

"In that case, how could a mere dabbler such as myself get started without encountering lethal, poisonous dangers?"

"Storage," Seren answers. "It's dangerous if you're doing it, but reading about it is quite safe. You could learn about who the major alchemists in the region are, or which reagents are the most popular as well. That might be easier."

>[Alchemy/1d12] Learn who the main alchemists are.
>[Alchemy/1d10] Learn more about the popular goods.
>[Alchemy/1d8] Learn about storage and transportation methods.

>>1069233
>>[Alchemy/1d8] Learn about storage and transportation methods.

>>1069233
>>[Alchemy/1d8] Learn about storage and transportation methods.

>>1069233
>>[Alchemy/1d8] Learn about storage and transportation methods.
I guess we were always going to play the long game with alchemy.

>>1069233
>>[Alchemy/1d12] Learn who the main alchemists are.

>>1069233
>>[Alchemy/1d10] Learn more about the popular goods.

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>>1069233
"Storage and transportation sound like absolutely fascinating."

You should look enthused about this, and it's relevant to army logistics, so it's at least helpful.

"They're really not," Seren says, "but they are important and rather necessary." She holds up a document so you can read it. "These particular herbs have to be kept fresh, which means we need to factor in the space taken up by the pots and we can't stack them, which in turn means they're more expensive…"

>roll 1d8, best of three.

Rolled 1 (1d8)

>>1069388

Rolled 1 (1d8)

>>1069388
RNGesus take the wheel!

Rolled 2 (1d8)

>>1069388

Rolled 3 (1d8)

>>1069388

>>1069399
>>1069410
>>1069411
>>1069412
I see our skills are improving.

>>1069421
Gotta show the waifus that we are still human every now and then.

.....admittedly, it was about statistical time that we made up for the lack of failures. Even accounting for the stacked odds in our favor, we've taken quite a few d8s

Rolled 4 (1d8)

>>1069388

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>>1069388
Five minutes later, you have a splitting headache. You have no idea if it's because the topic is needlessly convoluted or if your painkillers are being fussy, but every single word Seren says just slips out of your mind right after she says.

You end up staring blankly at the ceiling while Seren rubs away your migraine.

"I must say, your highness, this does not inspire confidence in your alchemical skills." She smiles and kisses your forehead. "It's quite fortunate that I'm here."

"Don't I know it." You grumble a little at your embarrassment, but she does have a point. Situations like these are the reason why you chose your consorts and concubines. "Still, we should do this again sometime. I'm going to have to learn this eventually."

"Yes, you will," Seren says. "Would you like to keep going. I still have the trade documents to go through."

>Keep working. You can't possibly screw up trade.
>See what Olwen's up to.
>Go see Eleri.

>>1069477
>Keep working. You can't possibly screw up trade.

>>1069477
>>Go see Eleri.

>>1069477
>>Keep working. You can't possibly screw up trade.

>>1069477
>>See what Olwen's up to.

>>1069477
>>Keep working. You can't possibly screw up trade.

>>1069525
You're a brave man.

File: Meirion2.png (163 KB, 500x281)

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>>1069477
"Let's keep going," you say. "Trade is much simpler than this."

"Actually, storage and transportation are an important part of trade. We talked about this five minutes ago."

"Yes, but this is trade that involves money. Money is standardized to make sense. That's its job."

And Seren does have a few money deals among her documents. The local ones are simplest, but there are a some commercial agreements in the last that touch the entire kingdom, and one even involves your mother's homeland of Vitland. The local deals are most familiar and you have greater ability to influence them, but the others aren't quite beyond your reach.

>[Merchant/1d10] Examine the local deals.
>[Merchant/1d8] Examine the kingdom-wide deals.
>[Merchant/1d6] Examine the deal with Vitland.

>>1069634
>>[Merchant/1d6] Examine the deal with Vitland.

>>1069634
>>[Merchant/1d8] Examine the kingdom-wide deals.

>>1069634
>>[Merchant/1d10] Examine the local deals.

>>1069634
>[Merchant/1d10] Examine the local deals.
We need Deggford to stand strong on its own.

>>1069634
>>[Merchant/1d10] Examine the local deals.

>>1069634
>[Merchant/1d10] Examine the local deals.

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>>1069634
You decide to focus on House Caunys' local deals. They're most relevant to Degfford's future and it's easier for you to throw your weight around in the region.

You're most definitely not just doing this because your head still hurts and you have maps with nice, clear drawings on them to help you out of this whole thing gets half as confusing as alchemy did. Not at all.

>Roll 1d10, best of three.

Rolled 9 (1d10)

>>1069788

Rolled 9 (1d10)

>>1069788

Rolled 4 (1d10)

>>1069788

Rolled 9 (1d10)

>>1069788

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>>1069788
This goes much, much better, to the point where you headache gradually subsides. You make a few notes, write a few letters, adjust some taxes, and all of a sudden, everyone involved is wealthier. Not a lot wealthier, but the people on the ground will appreciate the extra coin, and while the aggregate isn't a significant percentage of Degfford's income, it'll still serve to give you a little more leeway.

"That went well," you say. "I told you money made more sense than plants."

"Of course, your highness."

You get the sense that Seren is just humouring you, but before you can dwell on that further, there's a knock on the door and Myrddin comes in.

"Hello, Myrddin," you say. "I can't imagine your investigation is already over."

"Yes, but not the one you're referring to," Myrddin says. "I've gotten a favourable reply from some of my assets in Olstren. We're ready to move."

"That does need to be dealt with immediately," you say.

"Go on and have fun with your nefarious plots, then," Seren says. "Some of us have moderately honest work to do."

Reagan is already waiting for you in one of the pavilion's offices. Her face is serious, and she doesn't make the slightest comment about your injury. You sit down and wait for her to begin.

"Duchess Maed and Duke Fiachus have both agreed to help us deal with Duke Ferrid," Reagan says. "Both of them have also expressed interest in laying claim to the territory of Machain, citing the duke's erratic behaviour as a reason to displace his family's."

"I assume they have some claims of their own dating back a few generations?" Myrddin says. "It would make things easier."

"Of course," Reagan says. "Backing their claims wouldn't be too difficult, but the aftermath would be. Maed rules the eastern duchy of Danargh, while Fiachus rules the western duchy of Nogren. They don't have any competing interests at the moment, but they will if one of them absorbs Machain. Naturally, whichever party is snubbed will hold a grudge."

"Is it possible to negotiate an agreement with both of them?" You ask.

"It is," Reagan says, "but it would take time and finesse. You'd have to invite their representatives for negotiations. Fortunately, they do have legitimate reasons to come, so it wouldn't be seen as suspicious."

"Is there anything else I need to know about them?"

"Danargh has mines and Nogren has ports," Reagan says. "Those are the important parts. Both would be in a position to benefit Degfford and Gwyrddarfordir."

>Support Duchess Maed of Danargh in exchange for her help.
>Support Duke Fiachus of Nogren in exchange for his help.
>[Intrigue/1d12] You'll negotiate a deal with both of them.

>>1070022
>>[Intrigue/1d12] You'll negotiate a deal with both of them.

>>1070022
>[Intrigue/1d12] You'll negotiate a deal with both of them.

>>1070022
>[Intrigue/1d12] You'll negotiate a deal with both of them.

>>1070022
>>[Intrigue/1d12] You'll negotiate a deal with both of them.

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>>1070022
"We'll negotiate with both of them," you say. "Machain is large enough to be split in half, or perhaps a marriage could be arranged."

"Something is better than nothing," Reagan says, "but nobles who are given something often want everything, so I don't expect it to be easy. That said, I have no personal or political objections. Maed and Fiachus did cause some problems for me in the past, but if they're willing to accept the current outcome and use it for their own benefit." She shrugs.

Myrddin takes out some ink and paper and talks you through the appropriate subtleties.

>Roll 1d12, best of three.

Rolled 5 (1d12)

>>1070176

>>1070022
>[Intrigue/1d12] You'll negotiate a deal with both of them.

Rolled 11 (1d12)

>>1070176
Come on dice, two Duchies need new pairs of shoes...

Rolled 7 (1d12)

>>1070176

>>1070212
or boy toys

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>>1070176
"Assuming you can convince them to come to an agreement, this should resolve our dispute with Ferrid permanently," Reagan says. "I imagine some sort of war will be involved, so you'll want to plan for that as well."

"It is a little late," Myrddin says, "but if we have support from Danargh and Nogren, we should be able to end it before winter fully sets in."

"Ferrid's forces have already taken a decisive beating," you say, "and his vassals are unlikely to put much effort into defending him. Myrddin's right; a war wouldn't last long at all."

"Does that mean you would actively support Maed and Fiachus' military efforts?" Reagan asks. "It would make a show of good faith, but I wouldn't mind if they were asked to show their loyalty to me first."

>"I'll see how the negotiations go before making a decision."
>"I have no intention of running from a war, especially if it involves me directly."
>"I agree. They should demonstrate their sincerity and win this on their own."

>>1070308
>>"I'll see how the negotiations go before making a decision."

>>1070308
>"I'll see how the negotiations go before making a decision."

>>1070308
>"I agree. They should demonstrate their sincerity and win this on their own."

>>1070308
>"I agree. They should demonstrate their sincerity and win this on their own."

>>1070308
>>"I agree. They should demonstrate their sincerity and win this on their own."

>>1070308
>>>"I'll see how the negotiations go before making a decision."

>>1070308
>"I'll see how the negotiations go before making a decision."

Better to be seen as their support instead of them getting a better powerbase.

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>>1070308
"I'll see how the negotiations go before making a decision," you say. "There are benefits to getting involved or leaving the work to them."

You've already spent a fair bit of coin on your troops with little to show for it; invading Machain so others can claim isn't a wise idea. However, it may be necessary to placate your potential allies, and mobilizing your troops at the border just to force Ferrid to split his forces would be a trivial matter.

On the other hand, if you're not involved, you could bribe Maed and Fiachus with a full share of the plunder. Sure, it wouldn't be much of a bribe, but splitting the winnings of war is always irritating on some level, even if everyone gets a profitable share.

Taking a clear position from the start might allow you to project strength, but flexibility is important when it comes to diplomacy.

"I'll support you to the best of my abilities," Reagan says. "It might be a good idea to recall Sir Connor. Where has he been anyway?"

"Escorting hostages back to Olstren, your highness," Myrddin answers. "He should be done with his duties by the time any envoys arrive."

"Excellent," you say. "In the meantime, let's continue our work on Degfford and get ready for our guests."

Rolled 4, 7, 2, 1 = 14 (4d10)

>>1070546
Time for the bonus round. Sovereign, Intrigue, Merchant and Alchemy first.

>>1070567
even the bonus knos we suck at alchemy

Rolled 11 (1d12)

>>1070567
And now time for Enchantment.

Rolled 4 (1d8)

>>1070585
Dilettante.

Rolled 1 (1d6)

>>1070601
And Military.

So that's it for today. Beleaguered Prince Quest will return on Friday January 27th at 7PM EST as usual. Until then, goodnight and thanks for playing.

>>1070617
Thanks, QM.

>>1070567
thanks