[EMPIRE4!] IC Thread

[Potato_Priest]

The Tundras of Whern

Last 2 months of 534- most of 538 Adiman Reckoning

Spoiler: Ruler Info

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Ruler: Yfga The Philanthropist

Spoiler: Bio

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An emigrant from Overann brought along by her brother as he sought wealth on the plains, she found a warm bed at the Temple of Fherharbor as a child, eventually becoming a shaman. Her inductment into the Frigid Digits occurred after she happened by coincidence to save Shaman Agnar from an assassination attempt, a deed that earned her immediate respect. That an Overann woman was put forward by the Digits as the next chief of Whern is likely an attempt to appeal to the good graces of Whern's ally.

Stats: (rolls here)
Diplomacy 6
Military 10
Economy 1
Faith 10
Intrigue 2

Attribute Improvements: +2 Faith, +1 Diplomacy

New Ruler Next round!

Olga Byornir

Stats (before attribute improvements from this round)
Diplomacy 3 (2+1)
Military 1
Economy 5 (4+1)
Intrigue 1
Faith 3

Rolls

Spoiler: Family

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• Yfga Bjornir, 38
• Frode Bjornsson, 32
  
  Children
• Lynly Yfgasdottr, 9
• Roggi Frodeson, 2
• Temba Yfgasdottr, 0

Actions:
1. [Diplomacy] Host Event: Matters of Faith. At this event, the Faith to recieve the faith actions below will be determined.
2. [Diplomacy] Stabilize Whern (Region 87). Roll 11
3. [Faith] Convert HC 1 in Whern from Jalyeong-bo to Gamle Mater. Roll 18. High Shaman Agnar proclaims that all shamans at the temple of Fherharbor must recognize the gods of Gamle Mater, among them Isknvald, the newly forged god of winter. Some shamans leave, but many elect to stay and quietly chafe under the new rules.
4. [Faith]Change State Religion from Jalyeong-bo to Gamle Mater The institution of Gamle Mater Law in Fherharbor is problematic. The decrees against polygamy is the most unpopular element of it, but the prohibition against laying hands on a woman who is not one's wife is also troublesome. It interferes with the training regimen of Vignar's Volunteers (a division of the Whernian military open to women) and leads to a growing epidemic wherein groups of badly behaved women in taverns and other public gathering places become effectively immune to the normal restraints. This leads to the beginning of a new style of unarmed combat that relies on kicks, headbutts, elbow and knee attacks and body slams to circumvent the legal prohibition of the use of hands in fighting a woman. This style becomes known as "Fherharbor Henfighting," due both to its use on females and chickenlike fighting stance and quickly develops popularity in fighting clubs throughout the city.
5. [Faith 5] Create Holy Order: Frigid Digits: (Gamle Mater) in Whern
6. [Faith 10] Miracle: Deify the Spirit Isknvald The procedure for deifying Isknvald was simple: the possession network was extended as far across Whern as it would go, spreading out the spirit's form in addition to the spreading already caused by the long winter. In the summer of 536 the final blow was struck: the Frigid Digits, working with teams of horses and crowbars, sealed the Chasm of Isknvald, destroying its body and hopefully releasing it to divinity.




Non-Actions:


Overvann Embassy in Whern:


New Bhule Embassy in Whern:


Whern Embassy in Jintha:

• Give Jintha Cinderscale Armor, Muddy Camouflage, and Ice Blockade (Ice Blockade restricted indefinitely without Whern's permission), with the understanding that they will teach Whern what it needs to learn in the future.
• Request Decentralized Authority from Jintha

Other:

• Use Peat from the Black Marsh to counteract the negative effects of the Long Winter. Peat Cut in the Black marsh proves essential for the families of Fherharbor to stay warm through the long winters, and it is sold to the plains walkers as well.
  

News and Rumors:

Spoiler: Letter to Clara Hodeskalle

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High Priestess Hodeskalle

In my time here in Whern overseeing the conversion here, I have to report a number of strange beliefs, of which I am not sure what to make. The first of these is their growing conceptions or misconceptions of Valhalla.

In accordance with the old Whernian beliefs about spirits of the land and natural phenomena, they have begun ascribing these spirits to the afterlives as they see fit. I recently overheard a newly converted shaman telling a group of citygoers that just outside valhalla there is a great and stormy sea, full of waves that died in their perpetual battle against the shore. He went on to claim that in Helle's realm, the water all lies flat, for it is a very rare wave that dies with dishonor.

A day later I heard that helheim has nearly all of the winds, as they only die out of sickness and sputtering to a halt, while in Ashheim the air is still, making the sea impossible to sail. Because of the lack of waves and good winds, I suppose these Whernians would make Helheim out to be a sailor's paradise!

The second offense is a more amusing one, though it is an even greater offense. It seems that many families have taken to putting up small shrines to a certain Bol, rumored to be the god of soup, and if we do not act soon I fear we may be stuck with a permanent addition to the pantheon here.

I could list many more of these stupid assumptions about the afterlives, but I am sure you have already sensed the sort of thing that is described here. Is this heresy? What should be done?

Your humble servant,
Olga Sykasdottr, Seer of Brannswerd

Yfga "The Philantropist" dies while giving birth to her second daughter, Temba. Yfga's sister Olga succeeds her as a regent until Yfga's daughter Lynly is old enough to assume leadership. In addition to uncertainty over the future of the nation in terms of religion, her death is a shock to the council, which now has only four members.

Rolf Strufhuffen spends an ever-increasing amount of time on the plains' walker's seat in the chief's council, allowing Harbor Master Struffhuffen effectively two votes.

The naval buildup of the Regno Sultanate in Thae Guceart is noted with concern in Whern, and many fear that the sultanate may attempt to extract revenge for its previous defeat once the treaty expires. While Whern remains the dominant naval force in the Western Norbar as long as it has the Brinefather's wings, some advocate for a new line of battleships to replace the standard Norbar longships and faulty Omen Class triremes. War Chief Vignar recieves criticism as behind the times and backwards for his continued conception of a land-based war in north Regner.

The Harbor Master Strufhuffen formally retires, leaving his seat on the council to his son Vald.

Opinions on the Conversion to Gamle Mater are mixed.

• War Chief Vignar argues that the conversion to Gamle Mater will unerve Regno's other powers and throw Whern into war.
• The Strufhuffens are disappointed that the Digits didn't choose a faith with a greater worldwide following to maintain tourist revenues.
• Most people just ask the question: "we can still make pacts with spirits, right? Good."
• Plains walkers don't really care what the ponces of Fherharbor decide to do. They'd been practicing a mixture of Jalyeong-bo and Gamle Mater for years already.
• High ranking male Frigid Digits are quite peeved that they are ineligible to become seers. Some leave to join the order of the red locusts in Sonil, some enroll on battleships as Ice Blockaders, and some remain and use their positions as Shamans to try to translate between the two faiths.
• Soldiers tend to approve of the new faiths, Valhalla seems to be a popular concept.
• Frostbinder Immigrants approve of the outlawing of polygamy, but are disappointed that Fherharbor's jurisdiction does not extend to the plains walkers.

Whern joins Yondar in celebrating the festival of the new dawn. However, the celebrations in Fherharbor are not as large or as raucous as those in Yondar, due to the lesser threat that Krace posed to Whern and greater cultural stiffness.

Some of the Frostbinder immigrants from New Bhule move back to their point of Arrival in Emjata, but others without the assets to move stay in the Frostbinder quarter in Whern, becoming ever more bitter about the discrimination they face outside "Bhuletown".

Political cartoons depicting the city of Fherharbor as a cheap floozy fawning submissively over a muscular thug representing Overvann are illegally painted on many public buildings. It would seem not everyone believes that the marriage into the Hodeskalle family and the subsequent conversion of the Frigit Digits to Gamle Mater are putting Whern in a place of prestige.

Spoiler: Standing Military, Techs and other stuff

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Longship Fleet- Standard Norbar longships.
Emergency Cooks Reserve- 2500 skilled cooks, drafted to support the large but otherwise poor army of Whern.

Techs

Alchemical Artisans
Bani Bowls
Camel Cavalry
Cinderscale Armor
Coin Armor
Decentralized Authority
Diplomatic Expedition
Diresnags
Enchanted Arrows
Expanded Holds
Fish Glue Manufacturing
Full Course Discourse
Heavy Wooden Armor
Ice Blockade
Mass Conscription
Muddy Camouflage
Polearm Paddles
Privacy Tapestries
Red Herring Evidence
Refined Pician Weaponry
Sacrificial Magic Supply Lines
Sedellan Armor Coating
Standardized Currency
Spymaster
Warded Locks
Wave Bombing

Trade Posts
91 (Black Marsh) TP 3 for Peat Consumed to Protect Whern against the Long Winter
63 (Bysthia) TP 1 for Bysthian Horses
87 (Whern) TP 1 for Frozen Tears
87 (Whern) TP 1 for Frozen Tears
79 (Sonil) TP 1 for Tower Cactus
6 (Izbefe) TP 1 for Ships

Spoiler: Chief's Council

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Shaman Agnar, Representing Shamans
War Chief Vignar
Shipping Captain and Harbor Master Vald Strufhuffen
Plains Walker Seat (Usually Rolf Strufhuffen)