NPC Actions
Round 12
The Peoples of Myrkran
[There is a whispering, a welcoming presence from the blazing sun in the sky to the crushing depths, that intrudes upon the mind of the one known as Evelyn Muckrake. Come, it says. Dig deeper. Dispense of the Flotsam. There is no physical presence, no clear source, but still it seems to answer thoughts in reply. There are answers to be found here, but getting them from such a cryptic and distant mind will be a struggle: To attempt to do so, Evelyn Muckrake may attempt a Diplomacy action rolled against TN14 so long as they remain at -3 Reputation with the Peoples of Myrkran.]
Pending Requests and Offers
nop
[Diplomacy] Announce an End to the Refugee Crisis - Everyone who was going to arrive from Myrkran has, and few living Myrkran even remember their homelands - it's been sixty years since the beginning of the arrivals and few still draw distinctions between the Kaldyri, Talvi, Innezi, and Fylondese as much as they do their adopted homelands. Ever cultural chameleons, the monohorned outsiders have adapted and survived misfortune to get where they are now. It's an open question what the future will bring - Panhu Gabura's following in Brenn Tyr is one possible route and the blows struck by the Sunborne in Taer Mojr leave others in doubt, but in other lands they have found new homes, new identities. The day may come soon when they are no longer the peoples of Myrkran, but just...people. (Request: Any realm with a nonnegative relationship with the Myrkran may write at least one paragraph outlining the roles the Myrkran people have adopted in their society and how society has changed in response to them. Reusing previous writings on this subject is okay as long as it fulfills the prompt. Reward: 1 favor. Penalty: None. Duration: Round 12)
[Industry] Request Repayment of Debts - The increasingly harsh winters take their toll on Myrkran communities, even as the final touches are placed on the Rayjo Network Expansion. (Demand: Any realm with outstanding debts to the Myrkran is asked to spend an Industry Action performing direct aid to Myrkran settlement efforts. Reward: Cancel 1 Favor Debt. Penalty: -1 MYR Reputation if refused. Duration: Round 12)
[Intrigue] Dig Deeper (Secret) - The questions only multiplied. Enemies like the Sunborne and Tancourt continued to appear. Why? Who? No answer was forthcoming.
The Disciples of Silicon
[High Witch Bryn is kept up at night by faint flickerings, a laughing collection of points of light that seem to project from the environment around her. They are difficult to understand, but from time to time she gets glimpses of a strange ghostly woman just long enough to make out a few words - that her name is Sibyl, and she is no friend of the Metal Men. Unfortunately, communication is highly limited, and only a challenging ritual can stabilize this link! To attempt such a seance, High Witch Bryn may attempt a Faith action rolled against TN14 so long as she remains at -3 Reputation with the Disciples of Silicon.]
Pending Requests and Offers
nop
[Military] No Longer Asking - The Disciples come again, stony-faced and grim, to courts indebted to them. The mission requires more bodies, and favors are owed. (Demand: Any realm with outstanding debts to the DOS is asked to spend a Military Action drafting additional grunt troops for the Campaign against the City of Gears. Reward: Cancel 1 Favor Debt. Penalty: -1 DOS Reputation if refused. Duration: Round 12)
[Intrigue] Digging up the Roots - The situation in Altarin was dire, and manpower was limited. These new realms would have to clean up their own messes - though the Disciples would not leave them completely in the lurch. (Request: Root out Cells of the Ghoulbeasts in Altarin. This task can be performed with a successful investigation or Errant Quest targeting affected regions; both are likely to be at elevated difficulty, and treasure rewards from Errant Quests taken in this manner are forfeit. Reward: 1 Favor per cell eliminated. Penalty: None. Duration: Until Completed)
[Intrigue] Request a Forbidden Vault in Vaire Ven - The Disciples of Silicon have been tipped off to a point of interest in central Vaire Ven and wish to keep an eye on it - to this effect, they will reward any Vaires Realm that assists them in this. (Request: Build one Forbidden Vault (3-action Diplomacy/Intrigue project) in Region 242, located in Vaire Ven; exploration will be necessary. If realms cooperate they decide amongst themselves how to divide the reward. If multiple bases are completed one will be randomly selected to become the recognized DOS base and contributor(s) will receive the full reward. Any unselected bases will still become DOS bases but receive no additional reward. Reward: +2 Rep, +3 Favors. Penalty: None. Duration: Rounds 12-18)
The Seekers of the Spheres
Pending Requests and Offers
Request an Observatory be built in The Vaires - Desiring an additional point from which to observe the Dark Moon’s approach, the Seekers send missives through the new Kingdoms of the Vaires - in search of a patron who might champion their quest for knowledge and understanding of the cosmos. (Request: Build one Seeker Observatory (3-action Diplomacy/Faith project) in Yon Vaire or Vaire Ven. If realms cooperate they decide amongst themselves how to divide the reward. If multiple bases are completed one will be randomly selected to become the recognized SPH base and contributor(s) will receive the full reward. Any unselected bases will still become SPH bases but receive no additional reward. Reward: +1 Rep, +1 Favor. Penalty: None. Duration: Rounds 10-14)
Seek a Cure for the Root Rot! - The Sages among Altarin's seekers have studied the poison that caused the original root rot at its source, and believe they have a potential antidote. The catch is...they need more of the active ingredient to formulate it in any quantity. The original herbalist's notes specified that it was based on Chorda Kelp. That's where they'd start. (Request: Obtain a Trading Post of Chorda Kelp on behalf of the Seekers; this can be done by any normal means one can acquire a trade post and an additional sub-action to specify that it is for the Seekers of the Spheres. Reward: 1 favor and a potential Cure for Root Rot. Penalty: None. Duration: Until Completed)
Suppress the Carmine - Though knowledge is limited and early, Seeker Representatives like Olivier, Aporie, and Waxil are clear that in its current form, the Carmine Blight is inimical and incompatible with Ayr’s existing life. The East of Brenn Tyr was sparsely populated to begin with and no organized resistance formed before it overran the wilderness. Little is known but the Easterlings reported that fire was effective in the short term, and most of all time was needed now. (Request: Sack Trading Posts overtaken by the Carmine Blight to slow its progress. Reward: +1 favor for any successful sack. Penalty: None. Duration: Rounds 10-12)
[Military] Recruit Maple of Velentin, Hero Score ? - She wished to see more, and left Velentin on a ship bound for Altarin, where she'd heard the Sister's faith was strong and there was a terrible malady in need of healing. She wore a curved blade and possessed a satchel of herb lore; she kept her headscarf tightly wrapped. (Maple of Velentin is a Seeker Hero - in future rounds she is likely to attempt to assist with Epic Quests as needed. While capable of fighting personally, the Seekers of the Spheres are not a militant order and maintain no units for her to lead into battle.)
[Military] Offer the Assistance of Heroes - Things were dire - heroes were needed now, more than ever. (Offer: Eilonwy and Olivier of Velentin are available for hire, to assist or quest as needed at the cost of one favor. If too many requests come in, they will prioritize highest Seeker Reputation and choose randomly thereafter. Reward: 1 favor cost/debt and the ability to direct the heroes' actions this round. Penalty: None. Duration: Round 12)
[Faith] Collect a Book of Arts (1/5) - Despite the situations in Altarin and Brenn Tyr and where Taer Mojr met the Vaires, the southern parts of Taer Mojr where the Seeker Observatory lay were gentle of late, and Taer Mojr's Seekers turned their eyes toward the betterment of civilization in the aftermath of the tragedy of moonfall. (Request: Any realm - including those outside Taer Mojr - may write at least one paragraph outlining an artform of their people - a martial art, a form of poetry, a visual or performing artstyle, or other such artform unique to their culture in return for a favor. Reusing previous writings on this subject is okay as long as it fulfills the prompt. Separately, a realm may contribute to this great project as a Faith action - the first action contributed by a realm grants that realm one SPH favor. Reward: 1 favor for an action, one favor for the writing prompt. Penalty: None. Duration: Round 12-14 or until completed)
...
Vandals and Villains of the Vaires
Captain Dreadlove - A hulking horror of a man in a long, ragged coat that writhes with a patchwork of sewn-on pieces of others to augment his personal might, Captain Dreadlove acts the part of a petty king from his palace-ship speared on a stalagmite in the city of Crying Cove. Dip4/Mil10/Ind5/Int6/Fai5; 6 Land Units, 3 Naval
1. [Military] Albatross Raises a Unit - Her fleet wounded after Mjornduth, Albatross vowed to make this "Temperance of Moonlight" character pay someday. Later. Once she was done with Meathook.
2. [Military] Albatross Raises a Unit - The day came. Dreadlove backed her, diverting more sailors to her fleet.
The Widow Queen - An ancient sea-witch whom even these cutthroats dare not cross, the Widow Queen appears on paper to be the weakest of them and yet maintains the careful balance of power that keeps these people from killing one another. Both her social puissance and the fear she inspires keep others in line, and she wields secret dread arts. Dip7/Mil5/Ind5/Int7/Fai10; 0 Land Units, 1 Naval. Fog-Wreathed Sails Tactical Doctrine, Embassy with Rikathi
3. [Faith 5] Organize Widow Ancestry - fluff.
4. [Military] Raise 1 Unit - Many of those sent off to the Ayrways would not return. It is no matter - her servants were legion, and they had sold her their lives long ago.
Rizzo "the Rat" - Though very mysterious, Rizzo "The Rat" is both fabulously wealthy and deeply clever, a petty plotter among the merchants of Porto Vapor who plays an extensive role in financing Privateers in the Vaires. They're also a wretched toad who thinks they're much smarter than you. Most of the best loot from raids on surrounding lands finds its way into Rizzo's Webbed Hands sooner or later. Dip3/Mil6/Ind8/Int10/Fai5; 4 Land Units, 2 Naval. Pirate Code Cultural Identity (2d8 to Raids)
5. [Industry] Buyout 209 Starblood TP2 - The traders in purple and white came to Slardar in friendship, offering coin and trinkets for their precious things.
6. [Intrigue] Secret Action - Even known, Rizzo remains mysterious.
Captain Meathook - A brute of ambition, who has found a way to perhaps escape his seemingly inevitable demise - where once there were three, there must be four. His competence as a warlord is understood - his competence as a leader has yet to be tested. For now his "realm" is a nameless mass of raiders and slaves. Dip3/Mil6/Ind5/Int3/Fai2; 1 Land Unit, 1 Naval.
7. [Military 5] Establish Tactical Doctrine: Blood in the Water! (+30% Enemy Casualties, +10% own casualties in Coastal or Naval Battles!) - Every Pirate Lord needs a signature - and Meathook had found his. Hang chum in the waters, and the sharks would follow.
8. [Military] Raise 1 Unit - Captain Meathook's recruits no longer came from Crying Cove, but groups of bandits and slavers that flocked to the promise of a new beacon of power in Yon Vaire. Together they built new fortifications and abattoirs alike from the wood and stone brought in by raids and purchased from Rizzo. Meathook did not consider such concepts as debt.
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The Setting Sun (Ana Kai, Rebel Leader) - Under Voilese Occupation, the Sunborne has not given up. She can't. Not with so much on the line. If she were so lucky, perhaps Queen Sabine was their only peon, but she couldn't know that. Dip2/Mil8/Ind2/Int6/Fai8; 3 Land Units, 2 Naval. Hero 9 Temperance of Moonlight. Great Project Redoubt 5/5. Starsigned of the Bright Moon.
1. [Intrigue] Gather Rebel Support - Though her rule was young and contentious, still there are many who would take up her banner over that of the human foreigners, and still more who feared the darkness.
2. [Faith] Convert Region 216 to Bright's Glow - The Sunborne still hoped that the Voilese could be saved, before it was too late - if they understood this threat, perhaps the cruelty of the flotsam turning them against each other could come to an end. The common wisdom of the Bright's Glow regarded duty and service, but also trueness to the self, radiance in thought and deed. Perhaps one day the Valkyries and Rangers could be joined by Paladins.
3. [Faith] Convert Region 210 to Bright's Glow - The strange machines to the south might not have marched to their aid against the Voilese, but they were not in so deep with the lies of the beshadowed. They had seemed receptive so far to her words, and so she diverted a few Paladins to assist them in achieving greater unity, together. Such a connection was worth nurturing.