aerin13

The Iron Masquerade Round 7 draft DIP: Attend an event (& pay a treasure to EMP) DIP: Embassy with CBC ECO: TR with RAT (designate CBC as referrer) INT: Coerce TP 101.2 for Helium-3 INT: Secret

The Iron Masquerade Capital: Round 6 News and Rumors The coordinator who assigned the Workers & Trader's Union inspector to an above-ground room with a window is ejected from that very same window. The Iron Monarch politely responds to the Group of Seventeen's terraforming inquiry with a vote in favor of the status-quo, citing the disruption of butterfly migratory routes as the primary reason for the refusal of the opportunity. Congratulations and condolences are sent to the Ishtahnos royal family regarding the Book of Wonders and the loss of Prince Lauren respectively. Having heard of the carved hematite serpents adorning the Wonder's container, the Iron Monarch offers to personally supply Ishtahnos craftspeople with the highest quality mineral should they wish to futher work with the medium. Barun khysee-Guyu, the coordinator sent from the Khylokian Reign of Blood to keep the Iron Monarch informed of the status of his foreign prisoners, makes a stir in the social scene of the aristocracy. The trained diplomat begrudingly and admirably does his part in attending balls and afternoon tea gatherings with the Masque Barons, but sometimes resorts to violence when he loses his patience with all the frivolous posturing and pretty insults from jealous noblity. Thus far, every incident of blood spilled has been pardoned by decree of the Iron Monarch, but the nobility are getting unruly at being continually sided against by their Monarch. Actions [Economy 5] - Construct an Arcology, the Skyscrapers of Narsai. Bonus: Assassination/Kidnapping Sub-action: Gain 1 treasure from Project Sunrise The all-encompassing arched glass of the Apiforme Dome makes heavy infrastructure investment above ground level in Narsai feasible for the first time in the Iron Masquerade's 700-year long history. Greedily seizing subsidization from the Workers & Traders Union, the various mining Barons waste no time staking their claim upon the sky and competing to build the tallest skyscraper of gleaming black hematite. The Iron Monarch dips into the royal treasury to support two iron towers of his own. The Black Tower sees a substantial height increase, by royal decree becoming the tallest skyscraper in Narsai (though grumpy nobles privately argue that the long, thin spire on top is cheating). The second royal tower is gifted to the newly-minted Baron Seydoux, to be her estate and house her expanding labor force. Baron Verity Seydoux's success story sends ripples through Narsai's undercity. The former street rat's unconventional choice of soul vessel, a twisted iron dagger, is emulated by every Masque that one day dreams of becoming one of the Iron Monarch's private squad of kidnappers, the fabled Promises. While the sudden doubling of Narsai's housing capacity leads to a commensurate boom in population, only a third of that new workforce labors in the hematite mines. The rest melt, refine, hammer, temper, and sharpen a new industry: deadly bladed weaponry made from locally mined hematite. A new idiom is forged: Good fortune is only one slit throat away. [Economy] - Buyout TP 3 in Voletha (Region 71) for Heavy Machinery with support from the Bafatis Dynasty. Roll: 17 The expanded workforce provided by the skyscrapers requires heavy machinery in order to be effective in the hematite mines below the city. Unfortunately, ancient archeotech megadrills are in short supply. Modern technology will have to suffice. [Military] - Send 3 ground units, 1 space unit, and Johanne Faustine (Admiral 7) to aid the Cloudburst Confederation's campaign in Region 53. Baron Gilbert Faustine sweats profusely in anticipation of the private audience that the Iron Monarch has granted him. He has, perhaps foolishly, promised House Agbawo to use his full diplomatic pressure to sway the Monarch towards military intervention in the Confederation's ongoing conquest. Mentally, he reviews all the levers at his disposal: currently a full third of the Masquerade's ground army is composed of Faustine levies, his daughter is foremost admiral of the Masquerade's fleet, and the output of his Baronry's megadrilling operations produces nearly one-sixth of the Masquerade's hematite. Fortunately for the Baron, neither threats nor bribes prove necessary to convince the monster at the heart of the Masquerade to send forces in aid of the Confederation. The being inhabiting the former outstanding admiral of the Bironian Bulwark is strangely eager to test his fleet and newest commander in real combat conditions. Nonetheless, no matter how much the Baron might love his daughter and despise the head of state, his political influence is spent. [MSQ no longer owes CBC a favor.] [Intrigue] - Coerce TP 3 in Region 63 for Veehran Wheat, spending a treasure. Roll: 13 A growing population requires a growing supply of staple crops. The Iron Monarch is all-too aware that his control over his own city relies upon consistent and stable imports of food. [Intrigue] - Secret. Verity is fully occupied with administration of her new tower and all the social trappings that sudden elevation to nobility entails. It's time for a new Promise to kidnap the spotlight. Non-Actions Change hosts rulers non-dynastically to Iron Monarch Eighbris (he/him). Non-dynastic succession: +1 to any two attributes, Growths: +1 Economy, +1 Intrigue. 4 + 1 Diplomacy, 2 Military, 4 + 1 Economy, 2 Faith, 3 + 1 + 1 Intrigue The Iron Monarch is aware that openly wearing the body of one of the Dhaoine is likely to provoke retaliation ... but his greed gets the better of him. Hopefully, Eighbris's talents will make up for his nation's upcoming hostilities. Resist and hinder all conversions in Narsai (Region 69). Hinder all buyouts in Narsai (Region 69), Agbada (Region 52), and Nadiratna (Region 68) except BAF's buyout of TP 69.3, which is supported. Resist all buyouts of Iron Masquerade Trading Posts. Reminders for myself Status and Extravagance: Writeup prestige things for +1 REN until end of Round 8 Coronal Catalogue of Duelists: Duel fluff for EMP until the end of Round 8, reward 1 treasure Extraordinary Research Grants Approval: Until the end of Round 9, spend an Eco action to donate treasure and will receive any techs made Gather the Elites: Any elect with zero government supports at the end of Round 9 loses 1 REN "When you find yourself moving backwards, shift gears." Iron Monarch Kazi (he/him) Diplomacy: 2 Military: 3 Economy: 5 Faith: 1 Intrigue: 5 Ground units: 3 Space units: 1 Treasure: 1 + 2 per round EMP: 0 rep / 0 favors WTU: -1 rep / 0 favors BRG: 1 rep / 0 favors REN: rank 2

Faction Tracking Round 6 Region writeups Rules “Once you have taken over a region, you will need to write it up in the same manner as you did your first region. If you do not do so within 2 rounds of acquiring the region, barring extenuating out-of-game circumstances, the region's factions will progressively become rebellious due to your neglect, and Sway or Impress actions to bring them back to loyalty will suffer a -4 penalty until the writeup is complete.” The following regions will begin to become rebellious at the end of round 6 if not written up: Region 8 (GLO or ARK? - previous submitted writeup was not approved and needs edits) Region 22 (TEA) Region 37 (ILU) Region 39 (WIC) Region 55 (SCM) Region 61 (TWI) Region 81 (HOF) Region 86 (CAS) Region 106 (SCM) The following regions will begin to become rebellious at the end of round 7 if not written up: Region 13 (UHS) Region 14 (BIR) Region 26 (RRE) Region 43 (ELD) Region 63 (SEV) Region 64 (SNK) Region 67 (ISH) Region 70 (SNK) Region 75 (SCM) Region 99 (RAT) Region 104 (BCC) Region 105 (TEA) Region 108 (ELD) Region posts in the Planets of Tekhum forum The following approved writeups need to be posted in the Planets of Tekhum forum, or else begin to suffer unrest at the end of round 6: Region 15 (Suaka Beruntung, BCC) Media faction unrest Rules “If you do not have the support of another faction in the region, own a trading post in the region, or share the region's Majority or Sole faith, you will lose the media's support in the region after one round.” There are currently no Media factions in danger of unrest. Mercantile faction unrest Rules and explanation If you possess the support of a region’s mercantile faction, “lacking the local Desired Import will cause you to lose the mercantile support after three rounds.” “If the Mercantile support in an owned region is Open and the region owner does not own a Trade Post that fulfills the local Desired Import, the Mercantile faction will become Unruly after a period of four rounds without their needs being met. These four rounds include any time during which the Mercantile faction’s support is given to another country, but that country cannot fulfill the region’s Desired Import.” Player nations are given two extra rounds of leniency upon starting play to acquire their capital region’s Desired Import. Being passed a resource through a Trade Route will fulfill a region’s Desired Import for a single round, but will not reset the timer to unrest. If you wish to avoid unrest, either be traded the necessary resource every round continuously or acquire a Trading Post of it yourself. The following mercantile supports will become open at the end of the listed round if the desired import is not supplied. Round 7: Region 23 (WTP, Robots - if no longer supplied via TR) Region 46 (ARK, Compostables - if no longer supplied via TR) Round 8: Region 18 (WTU, Ores and Alloys) The following open supports will become unruly at the end of the listed round if the desired import is not supplied. Round 6: Region 2 (BCC, Superconductors) Region 15 (BCC, Fuel and Power) Region 65 (ISH, Spices) Round 7: Region 19 (TEA, Chemical Reagents) Region 35 (ALF, Industrial Machinery) Region 41 (ELD, Medicines and Drugs - if no longer supplied via TR) Region 42 (ELD, Entertainment) Region 95 (DIC, Computers) Round 8: Region 13 (UHS, Precious Minerals) Region 22 (TEA, Planetary Vehicles) Region 33 (COE, Industrial Machinery) Region 37 (ILU, Art and Cultural Products) Region 61 (TWI, Fuel and Power) Region 81 (HOF, Art and Cultural Products) Round 9: Region 14 (BIR, Meats and Animal Products) Region 43 (ELD, Fruits and Vegetables) Region 64 (SNK, Construction Materials) Region 67 (ISH, Conductors and Circuitry) Region 70 (SNK, Industrial Machinery) Region 75 (SCM, Medicines and Drugs) Region 99 (RAT, Soldiers) Region 105 (TEA, Fuel and Power) Region 108 (ELD, Laborers) The Faction Tracker GM is human (for now) and makes mistakes sometimes. Please ping or DM Aerin if you think your region should not be in danger of unrest.

Apologies for submitting this so late in the round! It's simply flipping around the bonus for an already-approved TacDoc (Rapid Redeployment), so hopefully it's okay mechanically. Tactical Doctrine: Forbid the Enemy Cast a Single Shadow (-2 to enemy's Orbital Superiority Bonus). After nearly a decade spent in Agbada, Johanne returns to the Iron Masquerade a changed woman. Her unhealthy teenage fixation with the Savior is long gone, replaced by a respectful reverence of Avva and all that the sun-god beholds. Despite Johanne's lack of faith in the Iron Monarch's spiritual calling, the young woman is nonetheless content to pivot her Agbadan-instilled talent in wet naval management to use in protecting her homeland via dry navy command. Admiral Faustine's stratagems revolve around denying her opponents the necessary orbital position to support troops on the ground. Foes of the Iron Masquerade find themselves constantly harassed by swarms of fighters specifically targeting weapons systems capable of reaching the planetary surface. Major engagements between fleets are manipulated to the best of the Admiral's ability to keep the brunt of the fighting away from optimal enemy troop landing positions. Naval officers serving under Admiral Faustine boast that their commander does not let so much as a single ship come between the light of Ophon and the region to be protected.

The Iron Masquerade Capital: Round 5 News and Rumors The being wearing Karla Marrone, former Druid and scientist for the Principality of Verdalfheim, contemplates the talents and the lingering traces of personality of her new form. She has the strangest urge to experiment with that unknown terraforming apparatus out in the desert? And then write down what happens? And all of the technical mumbo-jumbo surrounding the Peludo's recent invention of magnet-assisted rail transportation is suddenly much clearer. Perhaps there is benefit to be gained from investing in the project after all ... Actions [Economy] - Construct Rivoire Station from hematite in the City of Narsai (Region 69), and lay anti-gravitional rails throughout the region. Structures on the surface of the mostly-underground city of Narsai have always been expensive to maintain, at least until the construction of the Apiforme Dome made it tenable to be above-ground during dust storms. A grand structure of gleaming black hematite is erected by the Rivoire Baronry at the edge of the city with tracks heading out in nearly every direction. For now, only three spokes of the wheel are active - towards Union Central, towards Vesper, and towards Region 53. [Economy] - Connect Rivoire Station to the existing railway by laying track in Region 53. Peasants are contracted into labor crews, crude iron ore is smelted into rail, and the work of the masses is transformed into profit for the Barons. [Military 5] - Raise an Admiral, Johanne Faustine (she/her, Score: 7). Tactical Doctrine: Forbid the Enemy Cast a Single Shadow (-2 to enemy's Orbital Superiority Bonus). After nearly a decade spent in Agbada, Johanne returns to the Iron Masquerade a changed woman. Her unhealthy teenage fixation with the Savior is long gone, replaced by a respectful reverence of Avva and all that the sun-god beholds. Despite Johanne's lack of faith in the Iron Monarch's spiritual calling, the young woman is nonetheless content to pivot her Agbadan-instilled talent in wet naval management to use in protecting her homeland via dry navy command. Admiral Faustine's stratagems revolve around denying her opponents the necessary orbital position to support troops on the ground. Foes of the Iron Masquerade find themselves constantly harassed by swarms of fighters specifically targeting weapons systems capable of reaching the planetary surface. Major engagements between fleets are manipulated to the best of the Admiral's ability to keep the brunt of the fighting away from optimal enemy troop landing positions. Naval officers serving under Admiral Faustine boast that their commander does not let so much as a single ship come between the light of Ophon and the region to be protected. [Intrigue] - Investigate the terraforming equipment in Region 60. (Borrowing Inured to Strangeness CI from SEV Embassy, +1 from BRG rank 1) Roll: 15 A joint coalition of talented magical acolytes from the Iron Masquerade and mechanically-minded tinkerers (Todds) from the Castaways of the Loop attempts to discover what the machines in Region 60 will do to the planet without activating anything ... yet. [Intrigue] - Secret, spending a treasure. Fluff. Non-Actions Change hosts rulers non-dynastically to Iron Monarch Kazi (he/him). Non-dynastic succession: +1 to any two attributes, Growths: +1 Economy, +1 Intrigue. 2 Diplomacy, 1 Military, 3 + 1 + 1 Economy, 1 Faith, 3 + 1 + 1 Intrigue Despite his faction's overall defeat in the Bironian civil war, Admiral Kazi's personal performance was exemplary. He will make a useful host for the Iron Monarch, and the Order of Sodium's collapse means few are likely to care about the loss of his life. Resist and hinder all conversions in Narsai (Region 69). Hinder all buyouts in Narsai (Region 69), Agbada (Region 52), and Nadiratna (Region 68). Resist all buyouts of Iron Masquerade Trading Posts. Reminders for myself Project Sunrise: Any country that takes the Construct Arcology action before the end of Round 6 may gain 1 treasure as a sub-action Extraordinary Research Grants Approval: Until the end of Round 9, spend an Eco action to donate treasure and will receive any techs made Status and Extravagance: writeup prestige things for +1 REN until end of Round 8 You owe Mappy one favor "The worst villains live inside us." Iron Monarch Karla Marrone (she/her) Diplomacy: 4 Military: 5 Economy: 2 Faith: 2 Intrigue: 5 Ground units: 3 Space units: 1 Treasure: 1 + 1 per round EMP: 0 rep / 0 favors WTU: -1 rep / 0 favors BRG: 1 rep / 0 favors REN: rank 2

Faction Tracking Round 5 Region writeups Rules “Once you have taken over a region, you will need to write it up in the same manner as you did your first region. If you do not do so within 2 rounds of acquiring the region, barring extenuating out-of-game circumstances, the region's factions will progressively become rebellious due to your neglect, and Sway or Impress actions to bring them back to loyalty will suffer a -4 penalty until the writeup is complete.” The following regions will begin to become rebellious at the end of round 5 if not written up: Region 19 (TEA) Region 35 (ALF) Region 55 (SCM) Region 86 (CAS) Region 95 (DIC) Region 110 (RAT) The following regions will begin to become rebellious at the end of round 6 if not written up: Region 22 (TEA) Region 37 (ILU) Region 39 (WIC) Region 61 (TWI) Region 81 (HOF) Region 106 (SCM) Region posts in the Planets of Tekhum forum The following players need to post their nation writeup in the Planets of Tekhum forum on Mythweavers, or else begin to suffer unrest at the end of round 5: D&DFan (AVP) LadySerpentine (TWI) The following approved writeups need to be posted in the Planets of Tekhum forum, or else begin to suffer unrest at the end of round 5: Region 28 (Utattou, CUS) Region 51 (Grigialfheim, ALF) Region 56 (Alaari, CBC) Media faction unrest Rules “If you do not have the support of another faction in the region, own a trading post in the region, or share the region's Majority or Sole faith, you will lose the media's support in the region after one round.” There are currently no Media factions in danger of unrest. Mercantile faction unrest Rules and explanation If you possess the support of a region’s mercantile faction, “lacking the local Desired Import will cause you to lose the mercantile support after three rounds.” “If the Mercantile support in an owned region is Open and the region owner does not own a Trade Post that fulfills the local Desired Import, the Mercantile faction will become Unruly after a period of four rounds without their needs being met. These four rounds include any time during which the Mercantile faction’s support is given to another country, but that country cannot fulfill the region’s Desired Import.” Player nations are given two extra rounds of leniency upon starting play to acquire their capital region’s Desired Import. Being passed a resource through a Trade Route will fulfill a region’s Desired Import for a single round, but will not reset the timer to unrest. If you wish to avoid unrest, either be traded the necessary resource every round continuously or acquire a Trading Post of it yourself. The following mercantile supports will become open at the end of the listed round if the desired import is not supplied. Round 5: Region 2 (BCC, Superconductors) Region 11 (HOB, Rare Metals - will likely be cleared when TEA posts their DI writeup) Region 54 (AVP, Laborers) Region 58 (TWI, Cybernetics and Prosthetics) Region 65 (ISH, Spices) Round 6: Region 17 (BIR, Fruits and Vegetables) Region 23 (WTP, Robots - if no longer supplied via TR) Region 46 (ARK, Compostables - if no longer supplied via TR) Region 73 (SNK, Crystals) Round 7: Region 77 (COV, Water) Region 89 (KRB, Efficient Fuel) The following open supports will become unruly at the end of the listed round if the desired import is not supplied. Round 6: Region 15 (BCC, Fuel and Power) Region 41 (ELD, Medicines and Drugs) Round 7: Region 19 (TEA, Chemical Reagents) Region 35 (ALF, Industrial Machinery) Region 42 (ELD, Entertainment) Region 95 (DIC, Computers) Round 8: Region 13 (UHS, Precious Minerals) Region 22 (TEA, Planetary Vehicles) Region 33 (COE, Industrial Machinery) Region 37 (ILU, Art and Cultural Products) Region 61 (TWI, Fuel and Power) Region 81 (HOF, Art and Cultural Products) The Faction Tracker GM is human (for now) and makes mistakes sometimes. Please ping or DM Aerin if you think your region should not be in danger of unrest.

The Iron Masquerade Capital: Round 4 News and Rumors None yet. Actions [Diplomacy] - Attend the . - Trade 1 treasure and 7 "prisoners" to KRB. Accept character from KRB. - Trade the Eye of the Storm (Artifact) and 1 treasure to TWI. [Diplomacy 5] - Establish an Embassy with the Castaways of the Loop. The soul synchronicity revealed by the magical adepts sent to the Great Western Waste is intriguing and will require further study. The Iron Monarch volunteers the rambunctious teenage heir to the Gratien Baronry, Francis Gratien, as well as a handful of high-ranking clergy from the Black Tower to research the Loop on a permanent basis. With the Group of Seventeen's permission, they are to reside in Dometown full-time. Unexpectedly, the Castaways also send residents to Narsai to further study magical techniques. Several ambitious Todds, including Todd 35348, have worked out that placing one's soul into a vessel makes one unappealing to the Iron Monarch's appetite. These volunteers have undergone soul surgery so as to feel secure in the heart of the Iron Masquerade. [Military] - Raise a ground unit. The Faustine Baronry, jealous of Baron Amelie Beaufort's elevation to the Masquerade's premier general, levies their own peasantry to curry favor with the Iron Monarch. [Intrigue 5] - Kidnap the Union's hazardous working conditions inspector sent to Narsai. (2d8 from Soul Snatchers CI, +1 from Savior's Promise size 5 bonus) Roll: 12 The Union representative sent to the Masquerade is given a full tour of the undercity's mining operations. They curate a long list of safety violations: lack of railings and fall protection, cargo lifts sans licenses, spoonlifts being operated by uncertified personnel, no break periods, lack of hearing protection, lack of adequate respirators, no emergency response training ... All fixable, the Iron Monarch decrees. In fact, to ensure that the hematite miners are given their due per the Union, the Inspector is invited to reside in Narsai permanently as a Safety Officer with a dedicated salary and protective guard force! Given the rumors of a massive anti-gravity railway project to be started soon, letting such a valuable official leave the Iron Monarch's employ is simply not an option. [Intrigue] - Secret, spending 1 treasure. Margaux doubles down on religious ceremonies venerating the Iron Monarch as the steady stream of consumed souls makes a visible difference in the Black Butterfly's appearance. For once, the Promises and prospectives are not on the prowl. Non-Actions Change hosts rulers non-dynastically to Iron Monarch Karla Marrone (she/her). Non-dynastic succession: +1 to any two attributes, Growths: +1 Diplomacy, +1 Intrigue. 3 + 1 Diplomacy, 4 + 1 Military, 2 Economy, 2 Faith, 3 + 1 + 1 Intrigue At long last, the missing researcher from Verdalfheim is revealed to have been kidnapped by the Iron Masquerade when she dons the Black Butterfly. Karla was a skilled and loyal Druid ... perhaps too loyal, even. Her scientific talents will surely be of use to the Iron Monarch. Support CBC's buyout of Polymorphite in Nadiratna (Region 68). Resist and hinder all conversions in Narsai (Region 69). Hinder all buyouts in Narsai (Region 69), Agbada (Region 52), and Nadiratna (Region 68). Resist all buyouts of Iron Masquerade Trading Posts. Welcome Union inspectors. Reminders for myself Any country that takes the Construct Arcology action before the end of Round 6 may gain 1 Treasure as a sub-action You owe Mappy one favor "In the clear daylight, you can see the truth with unbiased eyes." Iron Monarch Odo Intanran (he/him) Diplomacy: 5 Military: 3 Economy: 3 Faith: 3 Intrigue: 6 Ground units: 2 Space units: 1 Treasure: 3 + 1 per round EMP: 0 rep / 0 favors WTU: 0 rep / 0 favors BRG: 1 rep / 0 favors REN: rank 2

Faction Tracking Round 4 Region writeups Rules “Once you have taken over a region, you will need to write it up in the same manner as you did your first region. If you do not do so within 2 rounds of acquiring the region, barring extenuating out-of-game circumstances, the region's factions will progressively become rebellious due to your neglect, and Sway or Impress actions to bring them back to loyalty will suffer a -4 penalty until the writeup is complete.” The following regions will begin to become rebellious at the end of round 4 if not written up: Region 15 (BCC) Region 18 (TEA) Region 41 (ELD) Region 90 (DIC) The following regions will begin to become rebellious at the end of round 5 if not written up: Region 8 (GLO) Region 19 (TEA) Region 28 (CUS) Region 35 (ALF) Region 55 (SCM) Region 56 (CBC) Region 86 (CAS) Region 95 (DIC) Region 110 (RAT) Region posts in the Planets of Tekhum forum The following players need to post their nation writeup in the Planets of Tekhum forum on Mythweavers, or else begin to suffer unrest at the end of round 5: D&DFan (AVP) LadySerpentine (TWI) Media faction unrest Rules “If you do not have the support of another faction in the region, own a trading post in the region, or share the region's Majority or Sole faith, you will lose the media's support in the region after one round.” There are currently no Media factions in danger of unrest. Mercantile faction unrest Rules and explanation If you possess the support of a region’s mercantile faction, “lacking the local Desired Import will cause you to lose the mercantile support after three rounds.” “If the Mercantile support in an owned region is Open and the region owner does not own a Trade Post that fulfills the local Desired Import, the Mercantile faction will become Unruly after a period of four rounds without their needs being met. These four rounds include any time during which the Mercantile faction’s support is given to another country, but that country cannot fulfill the region’s Desired Import.” Player nations are given two extra rounds of leniency upon starting play to acquire their capital region’s Desired Import. Being passed a resource through a Trade Route will fulfill a region’s Desired Import for a single round, but will not reset the timer to unrest. If you wish to avoid unrest, either be traded the necessary resource every round continuously or acquire a Trading Post of it yourself. The following mercantile supports will become open at the end of the listed round if the desired import is not supplied. Round 5: Region 2 (BCC, Superconductors) Region 3 (UNC, Psychotropics) Region 11 (TEA, Rare Metals) Region 23 (WTP, Robots) Region 44 (GLO, Symbol Printing) Region 46 (ARK, Compostables) Region 54 (AVP, Laborers) Region 58 (TWI, Cybernetics and Prosthetics) Region 65 (ISH, Spices) Round 6: Region 17 (BIR, Fruits and Vegetables) Region 70 (WTU, Industrial Machinery) Region 71 (BAF, Magic Talismans) Region 73 (SNK, Crystals - if no longer supplied via Trade Route) Round 7: Region 77 (COV, Water) The following open supports will become unruly at the end of the listed round if the desired import is not supplied. Round 6: Region 15 (BCC, Fuel and Power) Region 41 (ELD, Medicines and Drugs) Round 7: Region 19 (TEA, Chemical Reagents) Region 30 (RRE, Precious Minerals - changed from Rare Metals) Region 35 (ALF, Industrial Machinery) Region 42 (ELD, Entertainment) Region 51 (ALF, Medicines and Drugs) Region 55 (SCM, Information and Data) Region 56 (CBC, Magical Items) Region 86 (CAS, Ores and Alloys) Region 95 (DIC, Computers) The Faction Tracker GM is human (for now) and makes mistakes sometimes. Please ping or DM Aerin if you think your region should not be in danger of unrest.

Artifact: The Eye of the Storm (-2 to enemy leader loss when equipped by a character) An eyeball with a smooth titanium exterior containing a woven mass of intricate copper wiring and fiber-optic cable. Rather than a pupil and iris, the focal point of the eyeball contains a miniature swirling hurricane of dust mimicking the perpetual storm above Vesper. Lightning flickers across the tempest when the wearer focuses on someone with violent intent. When surgically installed into a humanoid's eye socket, the wearer can zoom in on distant objects with but a thought. This makes it trivially easy to pick out the enemy general on the dust-riven battlefield or the opposing admiral's distant flagship from amongst the fighter swarm.

The Deck So Far 1. The Magician The Magician Round 2 Doomweaver Thalus of the Sorcerers of New Kildora "Someone always capable of rebuilding themself can never be kept down." 5. The Hierophant The Hierophant Round 3 Mortimer Red of the Arkhive Æternal "Knowledge that shines through to attract pupils like moths bees to a flame." 13. Death Death Round 1 Nathan L'Othaire of the Iron Masquerade "Transformation so complete you are left unrecognizable." 15. The Devil The Devil Round 5 Karla Marrone of the Fiorid Principality of Verdalfheim "The worst villains live inside us." 19. The Sun The Sun Round 4 Odo Intanran of the Cloudburst Confederation "In the clear daylight, you can see the truth with unbiased eyes."

The Iron Masquerade Capital: Round 3 News and Rumors Iron Monarch Mortimer Red sits alone in the royal chambers and considers his newest form. The former librarian had an obvious passion for facial attire, yes, but also a skill for written correspondence and a cultural disposition towards cooperation and alliance-building. Straightening his bow tie, the Iron Monarch siphons his host's soul and begins to pen a series of letters. Todd Stevens 35348 finds a letter in his InterPlaNet inbox. Please forward this message to the Group of Seventeen: While I have never had the pleasure of visiting Dometown myself, merchant caravans passing through Narsai have relayed tales of its beauty and the mystique surrounding its fiery, splintered demise. It has occurred to me that the results of the ultimate spidery cracks in the air reaching the outer glass bubble would result in dome fragments similar to those used in the construction of Narsai's own Apiforme Dome [see action 2 below]. While the Iron Masquerade recognizes the Castaways of the Loop as the premier investigative force on all of Veehra due to your constant exposure to the strangeness of the phenomena that has birthed your very culture, perhaps you would find merit in an outside perspective? Should the Group of Seventeen permit it, I would find the greatest pleasure in sending a small task force of my most magically talented subjects to examine the demise of the dome, and would even entertain a video-conference call to personally look at the matter from afar. Any intriguing results would, of course, be shared with the Group of Seventeen in hopes of solving the dilemma that has lead to ongoing tragedy for so many of your number. Respectfully, The Iron Monarch [OoC: I'm offering an investigation this round into the Loop-related phenomena of your choice, at 2d6 + 6 Intrigue + 1 BRG rank 1.] The Iron Monarch pens a letter to His Royal Highness, John IV, High King of Ishtahnos. A letter addressed to His Royal Highness, John IV, High King of Ishtahnos and stamped with the royal butterfly seal of the Masquerade is given to the first werewolf-lead skimmer crew to pass through Narsai on the way to Ishtahnos. A long-lost gift for Violetta of the Twilight League. For the eyes of Violetta, Herald of the Second Dawn, Esteemed Warlord of the Twilight League, I have recently rediscovered a valuable artifact [see action 3 below] that I believe belongs to the Twilight League, and am contacting you about how to best repatriate this priceless piece of cyber technology. While I have no doubt that you, fellow esteemed Elect, are impeccably educated and informed, please forgive me for wasting ink to elaborate upon Masque cultural practices for just one moment. I used to be quite the archivist in a past spin of the Wheel (so to speak), and I derive great joy from explaining the intricate provenance of historically significant materials! Narsai's most famous church, the Black Tower of the eponymous organization, doubles as a mausoleum. For centuries, followers of the Soulbound Dance have placed the soul vessels of their loved ones inside specially reserved alcoves to be cared for and preserved until the day comes that Paradise is reached. In my recent perusal of the older levels, closed to the public, I discovered a particular vessel that I believe to originate from outside of Narsai due to the high concentration of nanites within. My speculation is that the vessel belonged to a Vesperite ancestor that had immigrated to Narsai and adopted the Soulbound Dance roughly three hundred years ago, based on the object's placement within the Black Tower. Given how scarce the supply of nanites is in Vesper and how much the Iron Masquerade values Vesper's long history as our desert neighbors to the southwest, we would like to return this long-lost marvel to its rightful home. Please let me know at your earliest convenience how the Masquerade can best get this unique innovation back in Vesperite hands. Yours truly, The Iron Monarch [OoC: I'll be able to get this to you next round if we both attend the Elven Conclave of 2044 (Moos's event).] A letter of apology to Duke Itanran of House Agbawo from Gilbert Faustine. To his lordship, the Duke of House Agbawo, I regret to inform you that your son, Odo Intanran, has garnered attention from the highest authority figure in the Iron Masquerade, the Iron Monarch himself. I will attempt to plead ignorance and innocence on his behalf, but his ultimate fate is outside of my hands. The young Hyena has remained a devout follower of Avva even now, despite spending the last six years of his life under the tutelage of my Baronry. This has lead to an unfortunate misunderstanding: the reckless teenager considers all that happens in Narsai, an underground city obscured by frequent dust storms, to be outside of the watchful gaze of Avva. In his eyes, there is no law here. He has taken to life in Narsai much like a lion takes to the hunt, chasing the most succulent prey to be found and feasting deep of the carcass. His natural flair for leadership, exotic appearance, and charisma has lead him to gather a violent gang of misfits willing to follow his orders, the Maned Pride. Together with his natural talent for operating land vehicles, remote drones, and industrial machinery, the Maned Pride has been able to seriously disrupt economic activity in the city despite their relative youth. A week ago, the adolescent gang violently took over several of the central cargo lifts, mainly used by the aristocracy. They then proceeded to shut down nearly all vertical transportation in the city for a period of several hours by hacking the control system. Despite my prodigious power and influence, I could not keep the matter from reaching the ears of the Iron Monarch. The Maned Pride was violently dislodged from the elevator system and the few survivors have been retained under watch by the Black Tower. I will do my best to advocate for the young aristocrat, but ultimately I must bend to the inscrutable and often malevolent whims of the Iron Monarch, lest my own house be cast down. I can only beg you, from one noble house to another, to not let this misfortune carry forward to my darling Johanne. Should you return her to me, safe and in good health, I will consider myself to owe a life-debt to the House Agbawo. And should misfortune befall her, I shall ponder long and deep who deserves my unending retribution. With great sorrow, Baron Gilbert Faustine, head of House Faustine [OoC: You've got two options: 1. Return Johanne unharmed. Gilbert Faustine will use his considerable power and influence to aid the Cloudburst Confederation however he can. MSQ will owe CBC a favor, as long as you can justify it within the fluff. 2. Detain and/or murder Johanne. Gilbert Faustine will turn his anger toward the Iron Monarch, whom he already dislikes, as the ultimate cause of this misfortune. MSQ will take a future action against itself.] An offer of prospective employment for Baron (sic) khy-Oged. Addressed to Baron (sic) khy-Oged: I have contacted your esteemed noble lineage to request aid in the detainment and care of several prisoners who are to be exiled from the Iron Masquerade. The seven individuals in question were members of a dangerous and violent faction that aimed to shut-down commerce, transportation, and communication within the capital. Multiple deaths of nobility are attributed to their actions. As the Khylosen cluster is very far from the Masquerade and I judged your nation to be the one that they would least likely escape from (this is scratched out, nearly unreadable), I consider your noble house to be well-suited to holding these exiled individuals. As payment for services rendered, the Iron Masquerade would offer a lump sum of kroseid [1 treasure, to be delivered at ALF's event in round 4] and would create a salaried position for a Correspondence Agent in charge of maintaining communication regarding the exiles, to be stationed in Narsai and filled by yours truly or a skilled individual of your house. In order to make sure that the prisoners receive proper medical procedures while under your care, their blood types are as follows: A+, AB-, A-, B-, B+, O+, and Q-. Additionally, one of the individuals has a rare blood condition called "hemophobia." Eagerly awaiting your elegant reply, The Iron Monarch [OoC: I probably don't need to say this by now, but if you send me a character they will die. Horribly.] Actions [Diplomacy] - Attend the Second Hexenniel Conference for the Liberation of Knowledge and Fostering of Growth in Sansar, hosted by the Arkhive Æternal. - Offer 1 treasure as tribute to the glorious and eternal Emperor (and to pay his tax). - Accept 1 treasure from WIC. - Accept Badalian Megadirigibles from ARK. - Sign the non-aggression pact with ARK. [Military 5] - Raise a Fortress over the City of Narsai (Region 69), the Apiforme Dome. Narsai was built over a crack in the desert concealing the decaying remains of an archeotech mining operation. The Black Butterfly and the megadrills were recovered from the ruins, but the majority of the ancient technology lies ludicrously deep or cleverly concealed within the labyrinthine tunnels. Now, following the precise and inscrutable instructions of the Iron Monarch, crews of fanatics willing to risk their lives in the depths begin to excavate giant, jagged shards of a transparent strengthened-glass alloy. On the surface, these shards are welded together with molten hematite like one giant stained glass puzzle. After years of work, the result is life-changing for many in Narsai who have never before seen the sun. The formerly underground city is now protected from dust storms by a colossal hemisphere, appearing due to its height above the city to have the delicate veined structure of a bee's wing. The Apiforme Dome restricts ground access to the city to a few critical gateways, and military strategists speculate that it may be able to hold out under orbital bombardment long enough to allow the surface population to relocate further underground. [Faith 5] - Discover an Artifact, The Eye of the Storm (-2 to enemy leader loss when equipped by a character) - Pending approval. An eyeball with a smooth titanium exterior containing a woven mass of intricate copper wiring and fiber-optic cable. Rather than a pupil and iris, the focal point of the eyeball contains a miniature swirling hurricane of dust mimicking the perpetual storm above Vesper. Lightning flickers across the tempest when the wearer focuses on someone with violent intent. When surgically installed into a humanoid's eye socket, the wearer can zoom in on distant objects with but a thought. This makes it trivially easy to pick out the enemy general on the dust-riven battlefield or the opposing admiral's distant flagship from amongst the fighter swarm. [Intrigue] - Investigate the nature of the Loop, with permission and aid from the Group of Seventeen. (+1 from BRG rank 1, result: 12) The Iron Monarch sends a small task force of researchers and magical adepts to the Great Western Waste. They probe the temporally looping dome with their arcane manipulators, amplified by their soul vessels, and observe the results. All findings are shared with the Group of Seventeen and forwarded directly to the Iron Monarch, who even spends a day personally examining the dome using several aerial drones feeding to a remote Vroom call from Narsai. [Intrigue] - Secret. The Second Promise is announced and celebrated throughout Narsai for her contributions towards Paradise, though the Iron Monarch remains vague on precisely what those contributions are. Verity Seydoux, now elevated beyond her status as the bastard daughter of Amelie Beaufort with one of the foremen under Baron Beaufort's command, is a cuttingly clever cut-purse with a commitment to comeuppance. The successful kidnapper is a devil with the jagged twin daggers that she carries on her person constantly (one of which contains her bloodthirsty little emo heart). She has learned to tap her soul vessel temporarily to create a small zone of dampened noise around her person to great advantage. Now, she leaves Narsai on the hunt once more. Pray you do not become her prey. Non-Actions Change hosts rulers non-dynastically to Iron Monarch Odo Intanran. Non-dynastic succession: +1 to any two attributes, Growths: +1 Intrigue. 4 + 1 Diplomacy, 3 Military, 3 Economy, 3 Faith, 4 + 1 + 1 Intrigue To bring a nation to its knees, even if only for a few hours, is a massive accomplishment for a teenager. The Iron Monarch is intrigued by Odo's natural flair for leadership, exotic appearance, and charisma. Who better to implement security measures designed to thwart a repeat occurrence than the one that orchestrated it in the first place? Resist and hinder all conversions in Narsai (Region 69). Hinder all buyouts in Narsai (Region 69), Agbada (Region 52), and Nadiratna (Region 68). Resist all buyouts of Iron Masquerade Trading Posts. Gain 1 Renown for Raising a Fortress for the first time. Gain 1 treasure from the completion of Mytho-Historical Data Gathering. Reminders for myself All countries must pay 1 Treasure to the Empire by the end of round 3 or lose 1 Reputation with EMP, can pay as event subaction Gain 1 Renown the first time you Construct Arcology, Found Holy Order, or Raise Fortress Gain 1 treasure when Mytho-Historical Data Gathering is complete Any country that takes the Construct Arcology action before the end of Round 6 may gain 1 Treasure as a sub-action Hazardous Conditions Inspection next round "Knowledge that shines through to attract pupils like moths bees to a flame." Iron Monarch Mortimer Red (he/him) Diplomacy: 3 Military: 5 Economy: 4 Faith: 5 Intrigue: 6 Ground units: 2 Space units: 1 Treasure: 1 + 1 per round EMP: 0 rep / 0 favors WTU: 0 rep / 0 favors BRG: 1 rep / 0 favors REN: rank 2