Empire 6: Embers of Dawn IC

[RandoMan]

NPC Actions
Round Two

The Sentinels of Stone

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The Sentinels of the Stone (SOS) are an order of deeply mysterious itinerant warriors dedicated to slaying the twisted blightspawn that arose in the wake of the False Dawn. They wield unbreakable weapons of black stone and are rumored to be impervious to harm. Your most common interaction with them at game start is likely to be a Sentinel showing up, expecting your hospitality, and warning you against venturing into certain reaches until they return.

[Opulence] Issue a call for Treasure - From somewhere west of the furthest reaches of known Tarandi an entourage of elite Sentinels arrive in settled lands bearing a humble request from their leader, Alexios. While the Sentinels were peerless warriors with unbreakable skin and enchanted weapons they still had material expenses maintaining their presence around the world, tending their fortresses, and providing for those non-Sentinels who dedicated themselves to the order’s service. Paying these expenses was a burdensome challenge at the best of times and with the increase in Blightspawn encounters owing to the increase in movement among the civilized peoples since the arrival of the Phoenix the strain was becoming almost unbearable on the Sentinel’s coffers. Hoping to replenish their stores the Sentinels petition the wider world for donations to fund their order for years to come. (Request: Contribute Treasure to the SOS. Reward: 5+ Treasures contributed: +1 Rep for all donators, 10+ Treasures contributed +1 Favor for all donators, 20+ Treasures contributed +2 Favors for all donors. 40+ Treasures contributed the top donor from each continent may choose a kingdom from their continent (including themselves) to receive a Hero Score 7 Hero . 80+ Treasures contributed the top donor from each continent may choose a kingdom from their continent (including themselves) to receive a Hero Score 9 Hero. Reward(s) will be paid out at the end of the duration. Donations can be made at any point during the duration as a non-action but the Treasure must have been created prior to being donated. If a kingdom wishes their donations to be counted as donations from another kingdom they may choose to do so in their non-action. Note that this will exclude the actual Treasure sender from being counted among the donors if all their Treasure is donated in another name. Each reward tier includes the rewards listed on the previous tiers. Penalty: None. Duration: Rounds 2-4)

[Military] Train with the armies of Sikar - Looking to train heroes under the oppressive climate conditions of the desert lands in Sikar the Sentinels dispatch a number of trainees all across the continent to join any planned military campaigns occurring in the sands. These hero aspirants are instructed to follow all orders issued by the emerging desert civilizations related to the matters of military action be they full on campaigns of conquest or simple sacks against rival competitors. Given the number of militarized settlements nestled in the dunes it is hoped that there will be no shortage of opportunities for Sentinels to test their mettle and earn their names as champions. (Request: None. Reward: +1 to all non-Special Action Military rolls by Sikar kingdoms. Penalty: None. Duration: Round 2)

[Military] Cleanse the Hills of Kiswa of Blightspawn - A concerted effort headed by Theodora of Kiswa is spearheaded among the infested hills of northern Kiswa. Blightspawn big and small are put to the sword and dozens of young Sentinels earn their names amid the slaughter. Dream Speaker bards come to record the tales of the Sentinel’s great purge but find few willing to give much in the way of inspiring statements or grandiose descriptions of their crusade. Indeed, it appears the Sentinels work with a determined stoicism whether inspired by their commander Theodora or a more universal Sentinel trait remains unclear to observers around the hills but none can deny the unrivalled efficiency with which the warrior sect dispatches its most hated foes.


The Dream Speakers

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The Dream Speakers (DSP) similarly wander the wilds, but where the Sentinels of the Stone do it in search of monsters the Speakers seem driven simply to explore. They are all blessed with the Twilight Sight, the ability to pass beyond normal dream and into a realm of grey fog where distances shorten and they can converse across half a world. They are skalds and storytellers, carrying in their hearts tales of peoples never seen by those living in the four starts. However, there is a shadow that follows them, as the Twilight Sight is known to occur in children with no relation to the Speakers, and they will come to collect their errant neophytes.

[Opulence] Buyout trade posts from all indebted kingdoms (BDA, CAW, ELF, HEN, HVN, IXK, SHA, SHN, THU, VYG) - In a rapid turnaround from ethereal favors to material wealth the Dream Speakers seek to make good on the promises accrued to them for their exploration services exchanging goodwill for investment in the primary export of their clients. All across the known world Dream Speakers move to take over mature markets filling the coffers of the wandering organization through guile and trade. Any additional requests made for their exploration services in these final years of offering will likewise have their owed favor immediately repaid in the markets and disputing these rightful claims made on favors owed will be looked upon poorly not only by Dream Speakers but all who rely on honorable repayment of favors owed. (Request: All kingdoms owing 1 Favor to DSP for explorations (including owed favors accrued this round) will repay that Favor through forfeiture of their Capital region’s TP1 to DSP if they cannot repay it in an alternative fashion (ala Favors earned from the Manual of Mamut). Reward: -1 DSP Favor owed. Penalty: Electing to resist as a non-action or through selling a TP to a third party will force DSP to roll instead of automatically acquiring the TP (DSP +5). Resisting as a non-action will result in -2 DSP Rep and -1 SOS & TSR Rep though the owed Favor will be relieved. Duration: Round 2)

[Opulence] Prepare an expedition for a lost city in Kiswa - In the age before the False Dawn many great civilizations had covered the world but the devastation wrought by the red sky had destroyed these mighty societies and felled their once great cities. Lately in Kiswa the Dream Speakers have dreamed of lost cities overgrown with jungle vines, sunken beneath the muddy swamps, and forgotten amid the endless plains. Desiring to discover the source of these dreams, or at least one such source, the Speakers gather a band of explorers and set out to rediscover one of these ancient sites and, if possible, restore it to a semblance of its former glory. Just where they will uncover this lost city depends upon the actions of the Kiswan kingdoms. (Request: Kiswa kingdoms may take Opulence or Intrigue actions to sway the DSP to explore for a lost city in their name. The Kiswa kingdom which takes the greatest number of actions wins. If an equal number of actions are taken the winner will be decided by roll off between the greater of the top players’ Opulence or Intrigue scores. Winner will be determined at the end of the duration at which point the reward will be granted. Reward: Acquire a City in a region of your choosing that does not already possess a City. This City is not limited by the once/kingdom establishment. Penalty: None. Duration: Rounds 2-3)

[Diplomacy] Collate the Manual of Mamut (4/5) - Having received aid from the Uzii & Sokau Tribes the Manual of Mamut was growing at a rapid pace. Already the Dreamspeakers spun new tales from the contributions made but the desire for yet more could not be easily sated. Across the fertile river valleys the Dream Speakers hung about lowborn haunts and noble parties collecting the most outlandish and enthralling stories native to the subcontinent. (Request: Mamut-only players may choose to aid in this endeavor in multiple ways. Submitting appropriate fluff writings and/or contributing to the Great Project with actions. Reward: Gain max 2 Favors per sufficient length/content fluff submission fit for inclusion in this catalog and/or Gain max 1 Favor for aid action(s) to complete the Great Project. Max 2 Favors gainable per kingdom. Submissions will still be accepted and eligible for Favor gains if the project is completed before the request duration expires. Duration: Rounds 1-5)


The Truthseers

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The Truthseers (TSR), in contrast to the Sentinels and the Speakers, are not known to travel far. Instead, this illusive sisterhood dispatches members from their windowless towers to join the courts of every powerful leader. Blessed with the ability to faultlessly discern truth from lie, they often become trusted advisors and confidants to those they serve. However, the nature of their abilities and their motives remain unknown to all.

[Diplomacy] Errant Quest in the Truthseers honor - Heroes worldwide are privy to a request from the enigmatic Truthseers. Carry the banner of the Seers alongside their own and journey into the wildlands of the world heralding civilization everlasting as their patron and be rewarded with the favor of the sisterhood. While touted as a means of expanding Truthseer influence and enlarging the reputation of individual heroes as scions of this most ancient and noble order it seems just as likely the Truthseers were seeking a less coarse means of fundraising in this time of rapid growth as their peers in the Sentinels did with requests for treasure and the Dream Speakers accomplished through the seizure of trading posts. (Request: Heroes may Errant Quest in the name of the Truthseers forfeiting any Treasure gained to TSR. Reward: +1 Favor/success, +2 Favors/Great Success. Penalty: None. Duration: Rounds 2-6)

[Diplomacy] Offer aid in establishing claims in Mamut for favors owed - With an explosion of explorations in Mamut, double those of most other emerging continents, the Truthseers focus their attentions upon the populous cluster of kingdoms offering their diplomatic aid to local leaders in arranging political marriages between the settled peoples and newly contacted settlements. The Truthseers offer to take on the full burden of arranging these careful diplomatic entreaties in exchange for a significant indebtedness to their order. Given the relief of normal diplomatic channels and the allowance for kingdoms to pursue their own independent diplomatic strategies elsewhere the Truthseers seem confident their seemingly steep price is reasonable though it shall be up to the sovereigns to decide if they are right. (Request: Truthseers will establish a claim on a neighboring explored region once per kingdom upon non-action acceptance of their offer. This claim will not count against the once/ruler claim limit. Reward: 2 Favors owed to Truthseers. Penalty: None. Duration: Rounds 2-3

[Diplomacy] Collect Histories of the Tarandi Dynasties (4/5) - The Dannu-Gaon, Hiverness, and Sangar have each worked with the Truthseers to expand their records of dynasties in Tarandi. Only the Gethan remained among the direct dynastic states in Tarandi not to share their familial histories but the Truthseers continue to remain open to integrating themselves more closely with the noble lines of the Gethan and other less centralized kingdoms. Already the information provided was being analyzed for suggestions of optimal pairings between the northmen royal lines though without a complete record no explicit suggestions were yet forthcoming. (Request: Tarandi-only, dynastic-rule-only players welcome to aid in this endeavor. Reward: Gain max 1 Favor for creating and sharing a Family Tree. Gain max 1 Favor for aid action(s) to complete the Great Project. Max 2 Favors gainable per kingdom. Duration: Rounds 1-5)