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[IronyOwl]

Income - <------>

Oof.

So my takeaways are:
-We have a fair bit of untapped potential, but a lot of our lands are fairly marginal or difficult
-The main obstacle to most of our good stuff is aggressive neighbors; notably orcs, but also aggressive wildlife and banditry
-What we do have is just miserably corrupt and mismanaged
-The De'Villes are, as expected, both a problem and one of the only bright spots we've got; we'll need to manage them carefully if we don't want to be a figurehead or ruling over nothing but sand
-The De'Villes are, as expected, going to start running into Orc Troubles sooner rather than later

The other major issue is that the Bleachedkin are a drain on resources, but we're locked into an alliance with them. So we should be able to rearrange that somewhat, but unlike the mortal criminal element there's no real protocol for ousting them entirely.

[Naturegirl1999]

I think there is a checkbox to disable emojis when you click attachments and other options. It’s called Don’t use smileys
???
Try modifying the post and getting that checked

[Powder Miner]

I actually don't really view the Bleachedkin as a major issue at all, let alone our other major issue - they're take some corruption money in Bride Price, but as we've just signed what whatshername referred to as a "binding alliance", we make use of them and maybe even fully coopt them at some point, not just rearrange them.

Our real other major issue is that the Mahallo Raider Clans control large amounts of land in two regions (and appear to do moreso than Burt does, actually, in terms of our kingdom's tax income, seeing as those are our rich tax regions) and just really aren't terribly loyal to us at all. Burt has more going for him that just tax income, but I think that's a major issue - and to be fair, the druids and raiders are more than just tax income, too. But with it reinforced that the druids and clans are sitting on a pretty fat area, that's giving me another strategic reason to want to marry into the druids rather than the imperials. I wanted to anyway, seeing as I'm not wanting to give into the deVilles and let the Imperials run roughshod over the Mahallo when I would like to pursue a longterm path that will not be compatible with hardline Imperial interests, but bonding with the other major domestic power has serious strategic perks to our situation.

[IronyOwl]

I actually don't really view the Bleachedkin as a major issue at all, let alone our other major issue - they're take some corruption money in Bride Price, but as we've just signed what whatshername referred to as a "binding alliance", we make use of them and maybe even fully coopt them at some point, not just rearrange them.

Yeah but they're a constant drain and we're in an alliance, not a vassalship. It'd be like if we couldn't stop Burt from raiding our own caravans- they could still be a net gain, but an obnoxious one.

Our real other major issue is that the Mahallo Raider Clans control large amounts of land in two regions (and appear to do moreso than Burt does, actually, in terms of our kingdom's tax income, seeing as those are our rich tax regions) and just really aren't terribly loyal to us at all. Burt has more going for him that just tax income, but I think that's a major issue - and to be fair, the druids and raiders are more than just tax income, too. But with it reinforced that the druids and clans are sitting on a pretty fat area, that's giving me another strategic reason to want to marry into the druids rather than the imperials. I wanted to anyway, seeing as I'm not wanting to give into the deVilles and let the Imperials run roughshod over the Mahallo when I would like to pursue a longterm path that will not be compatible with hardline Imperial interests, but bonding with the other major domestic power has serious strategic perks to our situation.

I had forgotten about this, yeah. I feel like this is greatly ameliorated by the fact that there's nothing really there, so the raider clans aren't really sucking up anything of importance right now. The bigger issue will be which of us gets dibs on any development that does take place, when it takes place.

That said, I've got one Imperial candidate I like and two Druidic ones, so I'm sure I'll be able to console myself if we end up going that route.

[Naturegirl1999]

I vote we marry a druid, decline the imperials but try doing so in a not super mean way
I hope that makes sense

[Powder Miner]

The provinces the raiders have land in are actually 2/3 of our more developed provinces - the less developed provinces have the vaguely color coded untaxed modifiers which seem to indicate directions you could move in for development between druid and imperial (even though the one purple untaxed modifier also has Mahallo merchant family involvement...). The explicit Raider Clan modifiers are on developed provinces.

[King Zultan]

I vote we marry a druid, decline the imperials but try doing so in a not super mean way
I hope that makes sense

+1 I also vote to marry a druid, also I think we should get rid of the Steward.

[Weirdsound]

Oh boy lets see

Spoiler: Votes (click to show/hide)

Spouse Votes:
Stall/Meet Brides First: 4
Juliette: 1
Marion: 2

Council/Cabinet Reshuffle Related Votes:
Have Keanu act as an unofficial envoy of ours with the Merchant Families: 3
Cabinet Reshuffle: 4
Make Andre our Marshal: 0 (Got -1)
Shuffling Mathias and firing Horton: 1
Kaylee for Spymaster: 1
Wait for Kane and Kaylee to come back with their list of spymaster candidates before making any changes: 1

Misc:
Anders cut back on public priestly aspects: 3
Anders to cut back on the illicit magic for a while: 1
Get a report on our military strength and capabilities: 3
Open the floor to discussion. Encourage the councilors and audience to speak: 1

Things we should to do in the future:
-Look into the military and economic power of the Devilles in New Mahello: 1

-Send a letter to Pennete, ask how she’s doing in the nameless city and a basic check up: 3

-Build a positive sibling relationship with our younger sister Anne II: 3

Think I got it all although may of missed something if someone didnt bold what they wanted for some reason so feel free to double check if you wish.

Skill = 4
Roll = 5
King Interacting with Subjects: -1
Formal Setting: -1
Final Result = 3

You take a moment, considering all your options, before you speak. "Whomever I choose to wed will be tasked with great responsibility. They will sit on this council, and they will play a role in raising our next Monarch. The options you have presented me are intriguing, but I simply cannot choose one of these women without meeting them first."

The council barely reacts. Your steward glances toward his father in the audience, and Burt nods. Your stomach sinks. The De'Villes must have planned for this particular response. Luckily they offer a counter proposal rather than an argument.

"You make a fair point, my liege," Horton concedes. "Luckily, an opportunity to meet these eligible bachelorettes will soon present itself. My esteemed father Lord Burt De'Ville is in the audience today. His intention is to approach you after this meeting with a formal invitation. His workers have recently laid the foundation for a great Imperial Temple in our new city of St. Arawn. The project will take decades to complete, but shortly we will have erected temporary wooden walls and roofing so that the temple may serve your true and loyal Imperial Subjects while its marble structure is being constructed."

Your steward grins. "With that in mind, in about three months, a ceremony will be hosted to dedicate the temple, and following the official proceedings we shall celebrate the dedication with a grand ball! Of course we would like our King to attend this celebration as the guest of honor, and if, by chance, you were to run into the ladies we presented to you today, and find one of them to be a suitable queen, I'm positive that my esteemed father will have the means on hand to turn a temple dedication into a wedding feast."

You nod, considering their offer, before changing the topic and requesting a briefing on your military.

Horton the Younger, a man about the age of Anders and the apparent son of your steward speaks. "Frankly, sire, your military is abysmal and unacceptable. Luckily your only real threat at present are the people of the Bloodstone Plateau, and they lack weapons capable of breaching the walls of Bride Price. I cannot, however, call this city safe. The city guard is corrupt, often incompetent, and often undermanded; If Bride Price were to face a serious siege, I'd worry about the Orc-Kin eventually finding their way inside by means of a bribe or climbing over an unattended portion of wall."

The young man frowns. "As things stand right now, the fortress will send raiders, pillage our farms uncontested, and leave when they detect either King Penteram or one of the Mahallo Raider Clans organizing a force to defend against them. Their commanders are a bit more cunning than my father or uncles would like to give them credit for. They are mobile, and their scouts are well organized to the point where they can entirely avoid engaging in a battle against us if they don't fancy their odds."

"We are hard at work improving this situation," your Marshal explains, "my grandfather and uncles are working and investing to create personal armies, and as they are committed to New Mahallo, those armies shall protect the realm as needed once they are ready. The hope is that once the blockade is lifted and you can afford an army that answers directly to the crown, we can follow their template and learn from their mistakes to establish an effective fighting force quickly and efficiently. I personally am working to reform the city guard. I will be brutally honest, and say the process is slow. Complete victory on this front may not be obtainable at this time. I am firing the corrupt and promoting the honest wherever I can, but as things stand criminal interests can pay our officers more than we are able."

---

After the meeting, the council briefly mingles with the gathered audience, and you get the opportunity to meet Burt De'Ville. The old man offers a low bow, and extends the invitation that Horton told you he would. Conveniently for his interest in landing you an imperial spouse, the event will have a strict dresscode of formal clothes in the current Imperial Fashion. If you wanted to try and make a point, you could purchase the required outfits for your Mahallo friends and bridal prospects, but you suspect the De'Villes might use their lack of Imperial Manners to make fools out of any Mahallo you bring.

In addition to extending the invitation, Burt apologizes for disrupting your council meeting with his presence, noting that his children grovel a bit too much when he is around. He wouldn't have come, but as a person who holds great power in your realm he felt it important to try and put your mind at ease by personally assuring you that he and his family are at your service and want nothing less than the best for you and your realm.

---

You pace your chambers deep in thought. Your steward Horton rubbed you the wrong way at the meeting, and you are still at least entertaining the idea of doing away with the De'Villes entirely. In theory it wouldn't be hard. All you would have to do is convince the Mahallo Raiders to turn on them, sack their holdings, and seize their wealth before their army and fortified structures are ready to defend them. There would be serious fallout and consequences to doing this, but as far as you understand doing the deed and plunging the knife into their backs would be the easy part.

As you run the hypothetical aftermath of a De'Ville purge through your head, your thoughts turn to the council. You fear that asking too many people to recommend councilors to you might tip the De'Villes off to the fact that their positions are in peril, so at least for the short term you would have to replace them with people you know and trust rather than qualified candidates.

Your mother is an obvious pick. She has experience running the Kingdom that would probally make her, at the very least, a serviceable Steward or Chancellor, and once you are wed she will be expected to give up her current position to your wife. Your step-father and nephew Phillip has been at Queen Mother Anne's side for most of the regency, and is likely as qualified for the positions as she is. Although his relationship with King Penteram will always leave his loyalty at least partially in question, the fact that he doesn't blindly support the claim of his unstable son Alan to your throne shows that he is willing to put the well being of the realm above his personal interests.

Likewise your uncle Archdruid Tamar has experience running New Mahallo. Naming a Mahallo Druid as court chaplain would be quite the scandalous political statement, but he'd make a good Court Mage if you wanted to move Anders to another position, and the fact that he used to run the region probably qualifies him for some of the more mundane council roles.

Andre, your half brother, has always been your most loyal confidant. Although he suffers from a lack of book smarts, the letters you received from him during the later years of your regency prove that he is willing and able to attune himself to affairs of state when he thinks doing so would serve your interests. You doubt he knows much about the finer points of upper level military strategy, something you can only get from a book or experience, but as a large individual with a commanding presence and talent for combat, he would at least have the respect of the troops if you were to make him marshal.

Although you were never particularly close to Anders growing up, he has given you no reason to doubt his loyalty. Being old enough to remember his rough early childhood as a commoner before your parents met, Anders carries a huge chip on his shoulder, and is always motivated to prove his worth to the monarchy, nobility, clergy, and the other upper echelons of society. He would best serve in his current position as court mage or as your chaplain, but you don't doubt his intelligence and drive would allow him to eventually excel at almost any job you give him. The only bad office for him would be chancellor; A quiet and brooding bookworm with a short fuse, Anders is everything a chief diplomat shouldn't be.

Sometimes the universe favors Kings. Your steward Horton is the council member you are most eager to get rid of, and it just so happens to be the easiest role for you to fill. The steward's job is organize council meetings, organize your tax collectors, and oversee any projects you wish to undertake on crown lands. Pretty much any of the merchant children you grew up with in the Nameless City would have the skills and connections to qualify for the office.

As your best friend, Keanu is your first inclination for steward. His skills are solid, and his loyalty unimpeachable. But as someone who devoted almost his entire childhood to outdoor pursuits there are others with greater money and mercantile skills with him. His background is so rural and his accent so strong, in fact, that despite his family's wealth even the commoners of Bride Price look on him as little more than a hick from the desert, so he may have some difficulty earning the respect of his fellow council members. In addition to the fantasy of naming your friend steward, you also entertain the idea of spiting Horton by giving Keanu some sort of lesser title along the lines of 'envoy to the merchant families' or some other duty that should normally fall to Horton's office.

Kane and Kaylee, although skilled hunters and outdoorsmen themselves, are a bit more refined, educated, and skilled in both courtly and monetary matters then Keanu. They do carry downsides, however. As overt sycophants and brownnosers who both tend to treat those beneath them with the utmost disdain, they rub most people (including you from time to time) the wrong way. There is also the matter of their magical practices; It would be quite the scandal if word got out that you knowingly employed Dragon Priests.

Keanu, Kane, and Kaylee of course are far from the only merchant children you grew up with. You know plenty of young merchants with whom you are not quite as close but are more skilled and less problematic than your three friends.

---

Several days later, your friends return to Bride Price with their mission complete. In addition to Kane and Kaylee themselves, the merchant families only nominated two candidates.

Lele is somebody you are familiar with. Although she never lived at the manor, she was the daughter of a Mahallo Merchant living in the nameless city and being trained as an assassin. She was very briefly part of your close circle when she dated Keanu for a few months before he learned Kaylee was to be his bride. Trained in the arts of murder and subtlety, she would make a fine spymaster. She is also single, and if you were to marry somebody who already held a position on your council, your mother would be able to stay on as Lady of the Court.

Kane the Elder, more commonly known as 'Nails', is the father of your friends Kane and Kaylee and a man with a dreadful and ominous reputation. He maintains a personal spy network that keeps tabs on bandits and highwaymen. From time to time, he will attack a bandit camp and earn his nickname by crucifying every man, woman, and child he finds there. Business rivals and others who cross him often vanish, or wake up to find the head of a pet or loved one in their bedchambers. Kane and Kaylee quietly inform you that Nails is also a Dragon Cleric, something you hadn't heard about him until just now; The fact that there are not even rumors about his magical practices speaks highly to his discretion.

---

Several times a week, you sneak out of the Molar at the witching hour, and keep your skills sharp by riding Vera through the deserted streets and alleys of pre-dawn Bride Price and lassoing stray animals.

On your last few such adventures you have been eluded by a particular animal. It appears to be a pureblooded Imperial Hound, but for such a valuable dog to be wandering the impoverished city of Bride Price as a stray is quite unusual. She is quick, clever, and as of yet not caught by you. Tonight you resolve to change this.

You spot the hound in its usual spot in the alley next to the butcher by the south gate. She is sleeping, so you prod her awake with the back of a javelin to ensure a sporting chase, and take off after her. The bitch weaves through the city, taking regular turns and ducking under small obstacles such as carts. You are rarely given a clean shot to throw your rope, and even when the opportunity presents itself she will stop or change direction to make you miss.

Eventually the dog gets about a 30 yard lead on you and Vera, and veers down a small alleyway. When you catch up and make the turn, you find a dead end and no dog. Sitting against the wall is a large basket with your name on it. It is full of exotic fruits from a druid garden, and various minerals including polished rocks and cracked geodes. At the bottom of the basket, tastefully separated from the food by the pretty rocks, is a set of woman's undergarments, with a simple note attached:

Keep pursuing me, and your next gift will be what is found under these garments.

Yours in overt and presumptuous proposition,

-Halia

The name rings a bell... That shapeshifting druid Tamer said was bugging him to propose her as a match for you. Do you chase the dog again?

---

Trouble has a way of finding your immediate family these last few months.

Your little brother Alan must now be supervised or kept in firm manacles at all times. Apparently the boy has reached the conclusion that since you are now in power, and that he is not yet dead, you must be preparing some extra painful and gristly death for him. To escape this fate, the child has been attempting to end his own life.

This is hard on your mother and Phillip. So far Imperial Clerics have proven powerless to help Alan. What the clerics have been able to do is convince Phillip that his son's condition is the result of a Druidic curse, which has had the dual effect of preventing your parents from seeking Druidic help and causing Phillip to take a harsh turn toward hardline Imperial anti-Mahallo viewpoints before your very eyes over the course of a few weeks.

Anders thinks that he may be able to help Alan with a few techniques he quietly learned from non-imperial sources, but the child thinks his eldest sibling is one of your agents, and refuses to let your court mage touch him; Last time Anders tried, he got bit so hard that he had to magically reattach his own pinky finger.

The problems don't end with Alan either. With the help of divine intervention to prolong her fertility, your mother has begun to show signs of pregnancy. Since her last birth almost killed her, much of the family is worried for her health. Anders in particular spends every free moment fussing over his mother's every whim and concern, to the point where he is still clearly as stressed out and sleep deprived as he was before you made him give up general priestly duties for his health.

Your little sister Anne the Younger has proven to be one of the only bright spots in your home life. Intelligent, friendly, and curious, if you are in the common area of the Molar, there is a good chance she is at your side asking surprisingly deep questions about both the Kingdom and the world at large. You note that she is close to almost everybody in your orbit, including the De'Villes on your council, who are as enamored with her as everyone else. Phillip tells you to expect competing bethroval offers for your sisters hand from the various descendants of Burt once six year old Anne gets a bit older.

One day Anne catches you alone. The little girl is in tears. When you ask her what's wrong, she breaks down. "Daddy just told me I'm no longer allowed to visit uncle Tamar at the grand temple because he is evil and trying to kill Alan! That isn't true, isn't it? It isn't true, right? You are King. You can make daddy let me visit the temple, right?"

Do you grant Anne's request and meddle with Phillip's parental authority?

---

The date of Bert De'Ville's ball grows near. You have been planning how to spend your time there for awhile...

Do you attend? If so who from your family/inner circle/list of marriage prospects do you invite? Do you take any special precautions or attempt to conduct any other business while you are visiting Lord De'Ville's land?

[Maximum Spin]

Oh, there it is. I felt like this was much tamer than I usually expect a Weirdsound story to be.
Nah don't chase the dog. This dog is too slutty uhhh... no, that's exactly what I meant.

Anyway, the only other thing I have an opinion on right now: we need to sit down and have a calm talk with Phillip, explaining that we don't believe that the Druids are responsible for screwing up Alan, and we vaguely suspect the Orcs might be doing it; state honestly that the Imperial clerics might be a little racist, and acknowledge that we can't actually rule out the druids as the responsible party so we'll have a talk with them about it.

Then get an audience with Tamar and try to find out whether he is actually involved. I assume that'll be a separate scene so I won't go into detail until we do that.

[mightymushroom]

Huh, I have to admit to underestimating just what the spymaster list would bring. I'm still inclined to sack Old Horton, shift Mathias over, and bring in a new spymaster. Probably Lele, Nails doesn't sound like a person who will take direction easily. (And honestly might be doing more good combatting bandits where he is.) We probably ought to wait until after the party, though, or it'll be unnecessarily frosty. Assuming we finally agree to a marriage choice then or shortly thereafter, we can spin it as part of the restructuring as our new wife gets her seat.

Attend the party. Bring Andre, since we've been considering matching him to one of the ladies there. We may need him to step in if one of them gets a little pushy. It's a shame mother's health is delicate, it would be nice to have her along, too.

Don't pursue the hound.
The Kingdom Summary raised by evaluation for Kamea somewhat – we could use more connections to the raider clans. But if we insist on a druid, I still prefer Luanda (although I don't know how well she'll like us, being described as a near hermit). Luanda has a background in animal caretaking and the druid version of stewardship generally, and we have these insect larvae we want to do something with sometime. I just don't see how Halia synergizes with anything else we're doing.

[Naturegirl1999]

I think Luanda’s a good choice too

[IronyOwl]

Well that's two impressive seduction checks.

Anyway, the only other thing I have an opinion on right now: we need to sit down and have a calm talk with Phillip, explaining that we don't believe that the Druids are responsible for screwing up Alan, and we vaguely suspect the Orcs might be doing it; state honestly that the Imperial clerics might be a little racist, and acknowledge that we can't actually rule out the druids as the responsible party so we'll have a talk with them about it.

Then get an audience with Tamar and try to find out whether he is actually involved. I assume that'll be a separate scene so I won't go into detail until we do that.

+1 to these two.


Definitely make a point, invite Luanda and Halia. If we do marry them they'll have to deal with Imperials in general and these assholes in particular on a regular basis, so better to get the coal-raking over with. The message we'd be sending to the De'Villes, that we decide who we marry and cunning japery at a party will not change that, is arguably the more important bit.

I don't want to replace our steward, but if we do it should be with Nails and a polite explanation. We intend to do a great deal of business with the nameless city and its unsavories, something the honorable and upright De'Villes are ill suited for. Fortunately, we know of someone intimately familiar with scum and villainy.

What they don't need to hear is that an absolutely ruthless, absolutely silent bastard would be very well suited to searching out and managing things we'd rather not be seen doing. Like extensive trade with the Vermant or undead.

Chase the dog. This was a genius ploy and we should get to know her better anyway.

Grant Anne's request. In addition to the talk with Phillip above, explain that Anne's talents and connections are an important matter to the kingdom as a whole. Put more bluntly, she is almost certainly going to be someone of importance and prestige.

Attend party.
-Family: Anders and Andre (yes, this is an order, Anders), Anne the Younger (and Phillip if he wishes to accompany her)
-Friends: Keanu, Kane, and Kaylee.
-Prospects: Luanda, Halia. Maria and Simone if the De'Villes aren't just inviting their entire list.

Business: Survey Burt's lands to evaluate the Mahallo suspicion that the first serious orc raid will wipe out St. Arawn. Some of our guests should have additional insight into this.

[Naturegirl1999]

Well that's two impressive seduction checks.

Anyway, the only other thing I have an opinion on right now: we need to sit down and have a calm talk with Phillip, explaining that we don't believe that the Druids are responsible for screwing up Alan, and we vaguely suspect the Orcs might be doing it; state honestly that the Imperial clerics might be a little racist, and acknowledge that we can't actually rule out the druids as the responsible party so we'll have a talk with them about it.

Then get an audience with Tamar and try to find out whether he is actually involved. I assume that'll be a separate scene so I won't go into detail until we do that.

+1 to these two.


Definitely make a point, invite Luanda and Halia. If we do marry them they'll have to deal with Imperials in general and these assholes in particular on a regular basis, so better to get the coal-raking over with. The message we'd be sending to the De'Villes, that we decide who we marry and cunning japery at a party will not change that, is arguably the more important bit.

I don't want to replace our steward, but if we do it should be with Nails and a polite explanation. We intend to do a great deal of business with the nameless city and its unsavories, something the honorable and upright De'Villes are ill suited for. Fortunately, we know of someone intimately familiar with scum and villainy.

What they don't need to hear is that an absolutely ruthless, absolutely silent bastard would be very well suited to searching out and managing things we'd rather not be seen doing. Like extensive trade with the Vermant or undead.

Chase the dog. This was a genius ploy and we should get to know her better anyway.

Grant Anne's request. In addition to the talk with Phillip above, explain that Anne's talents and connections are an important matter to the kingdom as a whole. Put more bluntly, she is almost certainly going to be someone of importance and prestige.

Attend party.
-Family: Anders and Andre (yes, this is an order, Anders), Anne the Younger (and Phillip if he wishes to accompany her)
-Friends: Keanu, Kane, and Kaylee.
-Prospects: Luanda, Halia. Maria and Simone if the De'Villes aren't just inviting their entire list.

Business: Survey Burt's lands to evaluate the Mahallo suspicion that the first serious orc raid will wipe out St. Arawn. Some of our guests should have additional insight into this.

+1

[King Zultan]

Well that's two impressive seduction checks.

Anyway, the only other thing I have an opinion on right now: we need to sit down and have a calm talk with Phillip, explaining that we don't believe that the Druids are responsible for screwing up Alan, and we vaguely suspect the Orcs might be doing it; state honestly that the Imperial clerics might be a little racist, and acknowledge that we can't actually rule out the druids as the responsible party so we'll have a talk with them about it.

Then get an audience with Tamar and try to find out whether he is actually involved. I assume that'll be a separate scene so I won't go into detail until we do that.

+1 to these two.


Definitely make a point, invite Luanda and Halia. If we do marry them they'll have to deal with Imperials in general and these assholes in particular on a regular basis, so better to get the coal-raking over with. The message we'd be sending to the De'Villes, that we decide who we marry and cunning japery at a party will not change that, is arguably the more important bit.

I don't want to replace our steward, but if we do it should be with Nails and a polite explanation. We intend to do a great deal of business with the nameless city and its unsavories, something the honorable and upright De'Villes are ill suited for. Fortunately, we know of someone intimately familiar with scum and villainy.

What they don't need to hear is that an absolutely ruthless, absolutely silent bastard would be very well suited to searching out and managing things we'd rather not be seen doing. Like extensive trade with the Vermant or undead.

Chase the dog. This was a genius ploy and we should get to know her better anyway.

Grant Anne's request. In addition to the talk with Phillip above, explain that Anne's talents and connections are an important matter to the kingdom as a whole. Put more bluntly, she is almost certainly going to be someone of importance and prestige.

Attend party.
-Family: Anders and Andre (yes, this is an order, Anders), Anne the Younger (and Phillip if he wishes to accompany her)
-Friends: Keanu, Kane, and Kaylee.
-Prospects: Luanda, Halia. Maria and Simone if the De'Villes aren't just inviting their entire list.

Business: Survey Burt's lands to evaluate the Mahallo suspicion that the first serious orc raid will wipe out St. Arawn. Some of our guests should have additional insight into this.

+1

+1

[Powder Miner]

Well that's two impressive seduction checks.

Anyway, the only other thing I have an opinion on right now: we need to sit down and have a calm talk with Phillip, explaining that we don't believe that the Druids are responsible for screwing up Alan, and we vaguely suspect the Orcs might be doing it; state honestly that the Imperial clerics might be a little racist, and acknowledge that we can't actually rule out the druids as the responsible party so we'll have a talk with them about it.

Then get an audience with Tamar and try to find out whether he is actually involved. I assume that'll be a separate scene so I won't go into detail until we do that.

+1 to these two.


Definitely make a point, invite Luanda and Halia. If we do marry them they'll have to deal with Imperials in general and these assholes in particular on a regular basis, so better to get the coal-raking over with. The message we'd be sending to the De'Villes, that we decide who we marry and cunning japery at a party will not change that, is arguably the more important bit.

I don't want to replace our steward, but if we do it should be with Nails and a polite explanation. We intend to do a great deal of business with the nameless city and its unsavories, something the honorable and upright De'Villes are ill suited for. Fortunately, we know of someone intimately familiar with scum and villainy.

What they don't need to hear is that an absolutely ruthless, absolutely silent bastard would be very well suited to searching out and managing things we'd rather not be seen doing. Like extensive trade with the Vermant or undead.

Chase the dog. This was a genius ploy and we should get to know her better anyway.

Grant Anne's request. In addition to the talk with Phillip above, explain that Anne's talents and connections are an important matter to the kingdom as a whole. Put more bluntly, she is almost certainly going to be someone of importance and prestige.

Attend party.
-Family: Anders and Andre (yes, this is an order, Anders), Anne the Younger (and Phillip if he wishes to accompany her)
-Friends: Keanu, Kane, and Kaylee.
-Prospects: Luanda, Halia. Maria and Simone if the De'Villes aren't just inviting their entire list.

Business: Survey Burt's lands to evaluate the Mahallo suspicion that the first serious orc raid will wipe out St. Arawn. Some of our guests should have additional insight into this.

+1

EXCEPT
replace Mathias with Mr. Nails

We can’t really have the Orcs fucking with us, especially if they’re potentially exacerbating the Alan issue. Almost all of the DeVille issues can be handled in more subtle ways or can be nudged into easier solutions a little later, but the big fat fucking blind spot that Mathias gives to our espionage defense against pretty much EVERY single major potential espionage threat we’ve got to deal with right now (Orcs, DeVilles, depending on the racism level maybe even Mahallo groups) would take mountain-moving to deal with. It might draw some heat, but I’m of the opinion that if we make one council replacement immediately this should be it.

Also, that’s absurdly big-brained from Haila.