|
Surface
|
#
?
Mar 15, 2023 05:22
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 31, 2024 09:46 |
|
|
Surface.
|
|
#
?
Mar 15, 2023 06:42
|
|
|
Mountains what kind of self-respecting dwarf goes to the surface
|
|
#
?
Mar 15, 2023 07:10
|
|
|
Surface.
|
|
#
?
Mar 15, 2023 08:27
|
|
|
Surface, we will bring the azure light of progress to the world!
|
|
#
?
Mar 15, 2023 11:33
|
|
|
How can we innovate by retreading old ground? To the surface!
|
|
#
?
Mar 15, 2023 12:58
|
|
|
Surface! Covering just in the mountains is boring.
|
|
#
?
Mar 15, 2023 13:12
|
|
|
Torrannor posted:Surface! Covering just in the mountains is boring. There is plenty of HFS in these mountains.
|
|
#
?
Mar 15, 2023 15:41
|
|
|
AtomikKrab posted:There is plenty of HFS in these mountains. I don't plan on missing out of any of that. Even if Surface wins we'll still be delving deeper within our own mountains, and if the other dwarves fail in their tasks we can move in to liberate them. The one thing I'm not sure on is the likelihood of the AI dwarves to trigger something like that, but hopefully as a player I can dig deeper and greedilyer than them. Current vote stands at: Surface - 17 Mountains - 9
|
|
#
?
Mar 15, 2023 17:12
|
|
|
Sybot posted:I don't plan on missing out of any of that. Even if Surface wins we'll still be delving deeper within our own mountains, and if the other dwarves fail in their tasks we can move in to liberate them. The one thing I'm not sure on is the likelihood of the AI dwarves to trigger something like that, but hopefully as a player I can dig deeper and greedilyer than them. I've had a not even dwarf surface empire take over a chunk of the mountains and set that stuff off... then get utterly annihilated by it to much hilarity And my own personal benefit in not having a 15 year truce to deal with
|
|
#
?
Mar 15, 2023 18:20
|
|
|
Mountains
|
|
#
?
Mar 16, 2023 05:39
|
|
|
surface. I'm 100% onboard with our anti-tradition multi species dwarf republic theme. For what is tradition but a holdfast of the mind, rigid and claustrophobic right up until it is destroyed by the dynamics world outside it. Also this LP is motivating me to try and pull myself away from Midnight Suns to play some dwarves of my own. If I manage it what are some decent dwarf runs to try for a not particularly good EU4 player new to Anbennar ?
|
|
#
?
Mar 16, 2023 14:25
|
|
|
Soylent Pudding posted:surface. I'm 100% onboard with our anti-tradition multi species dwarf republic theme. For what is tradition but a holdfast of the mind, rigid and claustrophobic right up until it is destroyed by the dynamics world outside it. Seghdilr is pretty fun, if frustratingly RNG/hoping the AI doesn't go really stupid based. There's a roughly 50% chance of Verkal Gulan getting eaten by harpies or the Jadd before you can get through your starting missions, and that basically breaks your game, so it can be worthwhile allying them immediately then trucebreaking and eating the -5 stab hit if you end up needing to. Other than that you actually ave a functional economy, multiple directions to expand, no major threats until the mid-endgame and no disasters apart from the generic dwarven ones.
|
|
#
?
Mar 16, 2023 14:36
|
|
|
Soylent Pudding posted:Also this LP is motivating me to try and pull myself away from Midnight Suns to play some dwarves of my own. If I manage it what are some decent dwarf runs to try for a not particularly good EU4 player new to Anbennar ? The Blueshield Company are a good start. They have easy access to a lot of different holds to reform, and start right by the previously mentioned Amldihr trade node. Outside of the Dwarovar there are Silverforge, a hold in the middle of the HRE equivalent if you're into that, or the Iron Hammers in the Escann thunderdome, who are all about building a dwarven nation on the surface. Final results of the poll are a clear win for Surface. I've been very busy this week, and will continue to be so, so next update is probably not until Sunday or Monday.
|
|
#
?
Mar 16, 2023 17:18
|
|
|
Asra Company are another good start, as you're garanteed to get Kughdir. You wanna do some expeditions first though.
|
|
#
?
Mar 16, 2023 19:14
|
|
|
Chapter Five: Out of the Mountains 1507-1525  Continuing growth of the capital Orlghelovar's economy continued to boom as the mineral wealth of the Reach flowed into it and was used to fuel the growing forges housed within. Huge quantities of government resources were being poured into its ongoing development, both to see it grow and also to make sure that the infrastructure could keep up with the growth. New tunnels were carved out, halls were rebuilt to make more room, and older housing was purchased and replaced with boulevards that allowed more wagon to travel smoothly. Expanding infrastructure is an ability that isn't all that useful in vanilla unless you're playing super-tall, because the flat governing cost increase is not worth it for a bonus that only affects a single province. However, for dwarves you are placing all your development in a handful of hyper-tall provinces, so it suddenly becomes very good.  Outreach beyond the mountain walls Following the decision to focus on trading with the surface nation, diplomatic overtures began to be made with nations out on the surface. The incident with the Butcher had caused much consternation, so Blackbeard sent his envoys to ensure that the situation was smoothed over and that the nations of the surface would be open for trade, once Shazstundihr was restored and goods could flow into Bulwar once again. The initial focus of the efforts were the trading republic of Crathįnor and the elven-ruled nation of Birzartanes, both with access to significant amounts of trading contacts that would be useful to reintroduce dwarven goods to the region.  Supporting dwarven brethren This also included generous funding for new trading ships from the shipwrights of Ovdal Tūngr. Blackbeard put significant amounts of the nation's wealth into building closer economic ties with the copper dwarves.  Deadly depths Another expedition was funded, now that there were no obvious threats remaining within the Reach. The aptly-named Dead Dwarf Depths had seen countless garnet dwarves lost to the darkness, but now the cobalt dwarves would plumb the depths with their eyes and minds open and seek out what lay hidden. Almost the maximum in difficulty and length. This expedition ends up lasting 11 years. Something to keep in mind if you want to throw half your military into it.  The military flourishes The Orlghelovaric Army had grown into a proper institution of the nation over the course of the conquest of the Reach. The military academy produced a steady supply of officers, and recruitment offices opened up in all of the holds of the nation to induct dwarves into the ways of modern warfare. A once-per-game vanilla event, this is always nice to get earlier rather than later to give you a leg up. I feel like the flavour text should take into account whether you have any ports though  Careful study yields greater results Compared to past expeditions, which were led by reckless adventurers, the state-sponsored delve into the depths was lead by cooler heads and populated by disciplined troops. They soon found the reason the garnet explorer had died. Filled with passion, they had stormed into a chasm filled with choking clouds of poison being emitted by wandering husks. Their own bodies had even been infected by the fungus producing the poison, and now joined the numbers. Research into the dispersal of gas within the caverns gave the cobalt dwarves an understanding of how to safely pass through such a treacherous region.  A steady influx of refugees Ovdal Lodhum did not take kindly to goblins and orcs that found themselves within its borders. They were driven out wherever they were found, and while some fled deeper into the caverns, others that had heard of the lenient policies of Orlghelovar instead travelled to the holds occupied by the cobalt dwarves. Large number of goblins were arriving in Verkal Skomdihr, and clashing with the settlers working on expanding the hold. While they couldn't drive them off, the local militia took advantage of the refugees, extracting tolls and taxes from them at every turn. A rising tide of discontent spread along the tunnels, as some dwarves spoke of a second Greentide overwhelming them without a single axe being swung. Refugee events occur when a neighbour is expelling a race from their borders. It is a decent source of money if you are so inclined, and the top option gives points towards accepting that race if that is what you are aiming for, at the cost of local autonomy in the province.  The Reach, sealed. Scouts reached the Reach end of the Arg Tunad leading towards Er-Natvir, only to find that it was filled with orcs flying the banner of the Silvertusk warband. As per standing instructions from Blackbeard, the entrance to the tunnel was sealed off and fortifications constructed to prevent the risk of an orcish invasion via the tunnel. With that, and the securing of the surface-facing holds, all entrances to the Reach were secured and the nation could focus on its plans to establish trade with the surface.  Marble restoration Work on Shazstundihr was completed with significant help from the surviving members of the Masked Butcher warband. The hold was still a fraction of its former self, but it was in a good enough state to be repopulated and for the marble quarries to reopen. There was still more development required and the establishment of proper markets and roads before it was a suitable jumping off point for trade with Bulwar, though. The mystery of its scouring remained undiscovered, for the moment.  Old age approaches By the time Blackbeard celebrated his 115th birthday in 1511, he was starting to feel the effects of his age. He was approaching the end of dwarven middle age, and by the standards of the young dwarves flooding into the hold from across the land he was already an old man. This was further cemented when he found himself complaining about the ideas presented by the Assembly, almost to the point of descending into a rant about how dwarves had it too soft compared to when he had been leading a ragtag group through the tunnels. In hindsight to that incident, he began to wonder if he should soon step down and let a younger dwarf take the reins. Dwarves, elves, and other long-lived races can often get events related to their old-age giving some fairly negative effects, including losing skill points.  Underworld dealings The refugee situation, combined with many dwarves remaining prejudices about goblins, led to the development of an underclass of criminals working in the shadows of society. From there, organised crime was almost inevitable. For many dwarves, the final straw came when it was revealed that a goblin gang leader had been extorting many merchants within Orlghelovar itself. The idea even the capital was not safe from this only increased the pressure on Blackbeard to do something about the crisis.  A strange magical artefact The Dead Dwarf Depths continued to be a produce more knowledge. The husks appeared to have been blocking the way to a great deal of ancient knowledge. Not just dwarven knowledge, but precursor as well. The appearance of an ancient Nothic, a mage cursed to be nothing but shadow, implied that the depths had once been a place of study. Perhaps during one of the many conflicts with the precursors, the ancient dwarves had used this place as a repository of captured artefacts. With modern magical knowledge, the mage guild was able to study the cursed artefact and finally let their distant ancestor pass on.  Connections from the open seas to the deepest holds The ongoing development of both Verkal Skomdihr and Shazstundihr were fuelled in part by the importing of new goods and techniques from Cannor, which in turn had been brought from Aelantir. Remaining on top of developments from the elven homeland was of utmost priority to the government, as there was much to be learned from the ruins of the precursor's empire.  Expansion in Arg-Ōrdstun While the government was focused on the capital and the new holds, the diamond dwarves were diligently working on expanding their hold to accommodate the growing trade flowing through their now-open gates. There remained some loyalists to the old monarchy who were upset by the overlordship of Orlghelovar, but a great many other dwarves within its walls were more pleased by the economic boom that the reclamation had brought to them. We can't manually dig in holds that aren't our capital (yet), but those holds that meet the development requirements will eventually upgrade themselves.  Vast glass foundries in the cavernous depths Further expansion in Orlghelovar was completed in 1515, and brought with it the re-opening of some of the largest glassworks in the world, once thought lost completely. With modern techniques and technology, production resumed at full pace, and thousands of skilled glassmakers got to work perfecting the cobalt blue glass for which the hold was so famous. Already the structures of the upper hold were sparkling with artisanal glass sculptures, windows and murals, and goods were accumulating ready to be shipped out to the wider world.  Hands joined between mountain and sea Blackbeard's overtures to the copper dwarves paid off with the signing of an official pact between the two dwarven nations. Besides the closer economic ties, there was also the lingering threat of Dartaxāgerdim. The roads between Shazstundihr and Ovdal Tūngr were ruled by the human king Aban, whose grandfather had rebelled against the Sun Cult that proclaimed elves to be the Chosen of Surael, the regional god. In his lands, Dwarven caravans were subject to both raids from local goblin tribes and exorbitant transit fees from their supposed protectors. With this alliance, the dwarves hoped to restore the proper flow of trade coming out of the Dwarovar.  Threats to the north There were more reasons to seek allies on the surface. While trade negotiations with the Bulwari nations were progressing smoothly, the same could not be said for the northern frontier. Many merchants who ventured into Corvuria simply disappeared, and when they travelled with properly equipped guards the local nobility simply refused them entry to their lands. Eventually, King Davan IV issued an order barring any dwarven travellers from passing through the nation's territory, something that the Assembly of Clans took as a grave insult as they could not understand the source of the hostility.  The first shipments of cobalt glass depart from Shazstundihr With the completion of the trade infrastructure in Shazstundihr, shipments of glass and other goods were starting to be ferried down the Argrod. With support from the copper dwarves, the traders were soon able to make their way into Bahar, the northernmost region of Bulwar, and to begin plying their wares. The question remained exactly how much appetite there was for what they were selling.  Ancient and modern glass, side-by-side To the delight of all, the first merchants reported a great success in the city of Aqatbar where there was a pre-existing market for ancient Orlghelovaric glass. They had to be cautious to avoid flooding the market and making the glass worthless, but it appeared that there were even larger markets to be found in Bulwar Proper. The only problem was that lay on the far side of King Aban's territory, so for the moment the merchants had to be very careful with their stocks.  The Criminal Exile Act of 1517 As the political uproar over goblin migrations and crime reached fever pitch, the Assembly approached Blackbeard with an ultimatum, either do something to appease the public or face being thrown out of office. It was an upsetting fact that despite years of attempting to integrate the more civilised goblins into society, they simply were not recognized as such as dwarves focused on the worst cases. After some argument, a compromise act was passed. Any goblin found guilty of criminal acts or 'uncivilised behaviour' would be subject to expulsion from dwarven territory. This is an unfortunate requirement of the final mission of phase one, and some missions in phase two.  Blackbeard declares Orlghelovar officially open for business With trade resumed, the new glassworks operating at full capacity, and many of the holds of the Reach restored and contributing to the new dwarven economy, the time was finally right to declare Orlghelovar was once again open to the world. Missives were sent far and wide, and with them samples of the perfect, stunningly blue, glass that the hold was famous for. As money poured into the coffers of the hold, the 'Glasslords' who were at the heart of the economy found themselves with a near majority in the Assembly of Clans, ensuring that politics would continue to favour their interests. The final mission of the first phase gives us a new government reform boosting our production of glass even further and unlocks the second phase of missions.  Orlghelovar looks outwards Almost immediately, discussion turned to how best to grow the business of trade with the outside world. Dartaxāgerdim continued to be a thorn in the side of traders of heading for Bulwar, and there were many glassworks in cities along the coast of Bahar that would inevitably seek to compete with the Orlghevaric cartels. Pressure began to mount for an expedition to ensure that the routes south were secured. Meanwhile, the Corvurian embargo was a thorn in the side to overland trade with the Empire, not to mention the goblin tribes that still lurked in the wilds and raided both human and dwarven settlements alike. From the military's perspective, having hostile forces right on the outskirts of the capital was also something that needed to be resolved. Besides that, there were also ongoing development efforts within the mountains, particularly in terms of mining around Orlghelovar and Arg-Ōrdstun, as well as potentially studying the Deepwoods.  Followers of Corin declare their intent In Aelantir, a discovery had been made. A mural was found that appeared to depict the death of Castellos, the chief god of the Regent Court. This sent shockwaves throughout Cannor, and a period of mourning was declared. As that period began to wane, debates began to spring up as to who would now lead the Court. Castellos' son, Adean, ought to have been the prime candidate, but in the newly forming nations of Escann a different opinion had arisen. Corin, the slayer of the Dookanson, the breaker of the Greentide, and the Goddess of War. The Regent Court had failed to stop the orcish invasion, and yet she had done so even when she was still a human. Clearly, there was no better candidate. Martin Luther? Never heard of him. Now a warrior goddess, that's what we're talking about! This won't impact us just now, but the political landscape of Cannor and Escann is about to be upended.  New inhabitants Trade brought with it new faces, as humans and elves who were interested in establishing their own businesses made their way into the reclaimed dwarven holds. No longer was the Dwarovar a dark and dangerous place, but a shining home for anyone looking to further the cause of science and wealth. It also helped that most dwarves considered humans and elves to be far more civilised compared to the goblins who still lurked in the backstreets of the hold.  The first modern Glasshammer Fair To celebrate the opening of trade, the ancient Orlghelovaric tradition of the Glasshammer Fair was recreated. Amldihr, where it was originally hosted, remained out of reach, but the nation had gathered new friends from the outside world who were more than happy to visit Orlghelovar and help cement its position as one of the centres of the reclaimed Dwarovar.  Back from the Dead After more than a decade sorting through the ancient repositories in the Dead Dwarf Depths, the expedition returned with a wealth of knowledge and artefacts ready to be returned to the hold for further study. That was on top of the literal wealth that they had acquired, which was split partly with the government and the mage's guild whose service had been invaluable in dealing with the magical issues faced deep within the caverns.  The expanded army stands before the Tunnel of Love The veteran warriors of the expedition were immediately used to build a core of elite soldiers into the Orlghelovaric Army, which was then outfitted with hundreds of cannons forged with the latest techniques in the depths of the hold. Finally, Nali Elderbeard was put in charge of the force, a skilled and ruthless cannoneer trained by Flameaxe herself and forged in battle against a recent warband incursion. They set up camp just outside the entrance to the Tunnel of Love, the labyrinth guarding the entrance to Ovdal Lodhum. A final request was made to recognise Orlghelovar's hegemony of the Reach, or otherwise see the hold conquered by force.  The subjugation of the Hold of Love Balgar and Blackbeard met once again. For as much as Balgar saw Blackbeard as a bitter rival, times had changed, and the garnet dwarves were fading further and further into irrelevancy. With the rail tunnel under the control of Orlghelovar along with all known routes to the surface, their only options were to barricade their hold and never open it again or to join in the new dawn for the Reach even if it meant deferring to the republic. Many of Balgar's advisors saw this fact, and were will aware that there was enough firepower outside their hold that Blackbeard could have blasted down the gates, levelled the labyrinth, and finished what he had started fifty years earlier. Their advice was to accept the request, with caveats that would ensure that the hold remained under the Orcrend dynasty to honour Gerin's legacy. Blackbeard was happy to accept those terms, and with the signing of the accord the last independent holdout within the Reach joined with Orlghelovar.  The union of Diamond and Sapphire Before Blackbeard left Ovdal Lodhum, Balgar approached him. In the king's hand was the Sapphire Gem, which had actually been discovered by Gerin and brought into Ovdal Lodhum a century earlier. After Gerin's death, the queen mother had held onto the gem in memory of her husband, and now she too had recently joined him in the afterlife. A symbol of the loss of both his parents, Balgar decided to hand it over to Blackbeard and rather than focus on the past instead build his hold into one that could stand as an equal partner with the rest of the Reach. A display of love, replacing the hate that had bubbled within for so long. Blackbeard accepted the gift, and eventually added the Sapphire to the plinth in the Assembly Chambers in Orlghelovar, where it sat next to the Diamond. Reforging the Dwarovkron was a long way away, a task probably beyond his lifetime, and with the growing focus on the surface he wondered if it would ever happen.  Sunlight will reach this low One of the ancient wonders of Orlghelovar was the system of glass mechanisms that brought sunlight into the hold. For so long since the refounding that had been out of reach, but with the recent mass production of pure and clear cobalt glass, combined with ongoing technological developments and secrets dug up from the deep, those mechanisms were finally restored. The hold interior was soon filled with light, from the surface entrance down to the deepest foundry caverns, and all inhabitants found their spirits lifted by the shimmering daylight. Getting extra policies for free (you get one free per category by default) doesn't really help us until later in the game when we have at least 4 finished idea groups, but it is equivalent to +1 in each mana category once it is relevant. In addition, we get 25% cheaper advisors for finishing innovative.  Firearms become the core of the dwarven military The benefits of the military academy continued to emerge as experience in combat against warbands led to the greater integration of guns into combat tactics. Whereas previously only scattered gunners would be found within a tortoise formation, entire units were now assembled to deliver devastating volleys against the enemy from behind the safety of a shield wall. With our first policy I thought it would be good to show off our current military stats. Quality and innovative have a really good combination policy for dwarven militaries. Generally innovative was a good pick to go with the idea of having more elite, rather than larger, army. Our army professionalism is a bit low, but that is a result of having to spend more time guarding colonies or going on expeditions instead of drilling.  Reclamation of Amldihr From the north came news of the liberation of Amldihr by the forces of Orlazam-Az-Dihr. Squads of war rams were said to be guarding the avenues of the ancient capital as resettlement efforts began and long-lost treasures were reclaimed. Among these were a copy of the Book of Grudges, a reminder of why dwarves fought and as such a boost to the morale of the dwarf soldier on the frontlines. Meanwhile, the Ruby Company had retaken the trainyards of Er-Natvir and set to the task of rebuilding the rail lines. If the Arg Tunad could be secured, then engineers could be brought in to assist with a similar restoration within the Reach.  Marching out of the mountains In 1523, the Orlghelovaric Army was ready to depart from Shazstundihr. Relations with Dartaxāgerdim had continued to deteriorate, to the point that the only option was to secure the trade routes through force. The goal was Aqatbar, to secure a foothold on the coast and give Orlghelovar a surface base of operations for trading.  Battle at Nisabat Human armies assembled at Nisabat, allowing dwarven forces to advance to the coast and take Aqatbar before making their stand. Their allies were months away, on the far side of Bulwar, so they aimed to keep the dwarven cannons away from the walls of their capital. Olghelovaric and Tūngric forces met them directly, and their cannon volleys devastated the human lines while taking relatively minor losses themselves. Shortly after, the walls of Akal-Uak were levelled and dwarven forces entered the city while the Dartaxian forces retreated into the Harpy Hills.  Dwarves at sea While Orlghelovar had no navy of its own, it had inserted observers into the Tūngric Navy, who witnessed the copper dwarves chasing down the remains of the human fleet in the Gulf of Glass and destroying it in battle. It was not particularly pleasant for many of the observers to be stuck on a perpetually swaying and bobbing ship in battle, being a far cry from the rock-solid and stable mountains.  Sareyander forces join the fray Dwarven forces pursued the humans into the Harpy Hills, and worked on reducing the fortresses nestled among the lesser mountains of the region. As the sieges dragged on, scouts reported the appearance of forces flying black and gold banners. King Daraztarion of Sareyand had dispatched a significant expeditionary force to defend Dartaxāgerdim, which he considered to be in his sphere of influence as the primary contender for the throne of the Phoenix Empire. Sareyander territory stretched from the eponymous city of Bulwar to the borders of Rahen, so the expeditionary force was itself only a fraction of what Daraztarion could bring to bear. Our first encounter with a Great Conqueror. Sareyand has received a swathe of bonuses that has led them to become a major power in the region. If we need to fight them directly, I will go into more detail on exactly what they have received. They are also our first example of a split between the military and administration. The government is run by elves, which means they have a slightly better economy and better diplomacy, at the cost of being worse at tech. The military is made up of humans, which basically makes it middle of the road without notable bonuses. If they had an elven military we might have more of a problem as that gives significant combat buffs at the cost of terrible manpower, which would have been countered by the GC bonuses.  Divided and conquered Commander Shalebeard of the Tūngric army devised a plan to deal with the Sareyander that presented a large risk but with significant payoff. It was clear that King Aban was not keen on his supposed allies, and refused to cooperate closely with them. With that in mind, it ought to be easy to split them apart and defeat them in detail. Dwarven forces retreated into the mountains for a moment, leading to Aban to attempt to liberate his capital while Sareyander forces split to search for the dwarves. Then, when they were a few weeks of marching apart from one another, the Orlghelovaric Army swept in to lift the siege of Akal-Uak, destroying most of what remained of the human army, while Shalebeard struck out of the mountains with his forces to crush a Sareyander detachment leaving the main expeditionary force divided on which battle to relieve. As each individual battle was over quickly, it was straightforward for one dwarven army to reinforce the other should they be engaged by the main force. Instead of falling into that trap, they withdrew into the hills again and regrouped with the surviving Dartaxians.  Pursued and defeated In a more even fight, dwarven quality held the advantage. Though it was still a brutal fight, the outcome was a decisive victory for the copper and cobalt alliance. The expeditionary force pulled back from Dartaxāgerdim to recuperate, leaving the rest of the nation open to occupation.  Victory on the surface Facing the possibility of being exiled from his own nation to one ruled by elves, King Aban agreed to a ceasefire that saw the city of Aqatbar and the surrounding coastline ceded to Orlghelovar. Finally, trade was free to flow from the mountains to the sea, and the dwarves of the nation were able to dip their toes into the water themselves. However, this was only the first step. The northern trade routes were still blocked by Covurian hostility, and the first taste of Bulwari politics had made clear that there were elves with grand ambitions who would resist encroaching dwarven influence. One war on the surface had been won, but it was not going to be the last. To be continued
|
|
#
?
Mar 19, 2023 13:42
|
|
|
I personally feel that having integration of the minorities should be an option for completing the missions instead of just eliminating the populations, its... kinda a sour note.
|
|
#
?
Mar 19, 2023 15:25
|
|
|
Sounds like goblin talk to me
|
|
#
?
Mar 19, 2023 15:33
|
|
|
If you consider the whole revenge mission to be to end the fighting and struggles in the mountains then tolerance and acceptance would definitely count as securing their home. As I was reading the update I thought those two provinces to grab a port looked very juicy. 
|
|
#
?
Mar 19, 2023 17:16
|
|
|
In hindsight a dwarf nation was probably one of the worst pick for integration of greenskins.
|
|
#
?
Mar 19, 2023 17:47
|
|
|
AtomikKrab posted:I personally feel that having integration of the minorities should be an option for completing the missions instead of just eliminating the populations, its... kinda a sour note. Hear, hear. It's technically possible to proclaim expulsion, complete the mission and then immediately cancel the expulsion, but that doesn't make much narrative sense either. Still, it's tiresome that as written in the mod this mission shoe horns in ethnic cleansing for no particular reason. In fact the mod has recently shoehorned in a brunch of dwarf-goblin-orc events about racism, which IMO it'd be better off without.
|
|
#
?
Mar 19, 2023 17:49
|
|
|
AtomikKrab posted:I personally feel that having integration of the minorities should be an option for completing the missions instead of just eliminating the populations, its... kinda a sour note. Anbennar's mission trees are often very opinionated. This helps provide a narrative and some badly-needed context for a lot of otherwise unmoored fantasy name soup, but every so often they go "and now you must shoot yourself in the foot and/or do a mild genocide". For the less well-designed trees -- and Orlghelovar is generally one of the better ones -- you need to skim ahead in the missions to make sure your plan for the next century involves doing what the tree expects you to do, in the order it expect you to do it. That also means spoiling yourself on what'll happen in said narrative ahead of time. I have some sympathy for the designers since it's very hard to account for all eventualities in a game as open ended as EU4 and they're volunteers working on an enormous free mod but .... it is in many ways not always great, no.
|
|
#
?
Mar 19, 2023 18:00
|
|
|
There are some mission trees which give you the option between purging and accepting (or well, at least one that I've played), but a lot of them and especially dwarves are just like this one if not worse. The orcs and goblins are lucky we didn't pick Ovdal Lodhum or the mithril hold. I'm not adverse to attempting a little modding to get us back on a relatively progressive track as we work through the next few missions that relate to goblins.
|
|
#
?
Mar 19, 2023 18:15
|
|
|
AtomikKrab posted:I personally feel that having integration of the minorities should be an option for completing the missions instead of just eliminating the populations, its... kinda a sour note. The Serpentspine dev absolutely hates the idea of goblins, orcs, and dwarves coexisting in the Serpentspine peacefully. Elsewhere, it's fine (or he doesn't have as much influence), or so I've heard. I also dislike it but eh.
|
|
#
?
Mar 19, 2023 18:25
|
|
|
That was easier than I expected. What do people think? Edit: I think these are the only relevant missions, now updated: 
Sybot fucked around with this message at 18:37 on Mar 19, 2023 |
|
#
?
Mar 19, 2023 18:31
|
|
|
I'm kinda fine with "i would simply ignore a centuries long grudge that ended in near genocide" not being an option in a lot of cases and forcing players to be suboptimal sometimes is nice
|
|
#
?
Mar 20, 2023 18:51
|
|
|
I feel like maximum greenskin tolerance is very unreasonable. I think we shouldn't tolerate elves or humans either. I would only integrate hobbits and/or gnomes. All tall races should be slaves or get out.
|
|
#
?
Mar 20, 2023 21:26
|
|
|
Agean90 posted:I'm kinda fine with "i would simply ignore a centuries long grudge that ended in near genocide" not being an option in a lot of cases and forcing players to be suboptimal sometimes is nice Being nice is not exactly optimal in of itself, there are a lot of events that while they might boost tolerance will also mess your stuff off, and for example in the refugee event the optimal path is to take their money from them.
|
|
#
?
Mar 20, 2023 22:30
|
|
|
Purely mechanics-wise, it's actually kind of risky to try and integrate orcs or any non-goblin races. They can easily grow into a large minority and then a majority in your hold provinces, and holds have to have a dwarven, goblin or kobold majority to work. Accidentally letting too many orcs in can tank your entire economy as you lose literally half your tax/production income.
|
|
#
?
Mar 21, 2023 01:40
|
|
|
Aesculus posted:Purely mechanics-wise, it's actually kind of risky to try and integrate orcs or any non-goblin races. They can easily grow into a large minority and then a majority in your hold provinces, and holds have to have a dwarven, goblin or kobold majority to work. Accidentally letting too many orcs in can tank your entire economy as you lose literally half your tax/production income. Is this a new thing? I have literally never seen a minority turn into a majority, outside of of using one of the state-sponsored genocide/ethnic cleansing buttons, and I've been playing since Bulwar was a new introduction. Edit: refugees *can* increase autonomy in a province all the way to 100%, but IME that resolves itself fairly fast so long as you build a courthouse in the province Caustic Soda fucked around with this message at 12:29 on Mar 21, 2023 |
|
#
?
Mar 21, 2023 06:01
|
|
|
Caustic Soda posted:Is this a new thing? I have literally never seen a minority turn into a majority, outside of of using one of the state-sponsored genocide/ethnic cleansing buttons, and I've been playing since Bulwar was a new introduction. I've never seen it happen either. And I have played with integrated orc/goblin minorities in dwarven holds before.
|
|
#
?
Mar 21, 2023 08:59
|
|
|
Getting some integrated minorities is typically a better thing than not in high-dev provinces of accepted culture and religion. At integrated status, the minority causes increased state maintenance and monthly autonomy gain based on size, along with its unique positive modifiers (not all of which are really worth having); "monster" races have an additional penalty as minorities, causing extra unrest in the provinces they're in. A province with like 10 integrated minority populations would need to be your capital or something to offset the autonomy gain and unrest. All this being said, orcs and goblins are great integrated minorities to have in your provinces. They both contribute up to 10% goods produced, 20% production efficiency and -build speed from goblins, and 20% manpower and -regiment cost from orcs. So it's not always a clear-cut "do it this way to be optimal" thing, but Anbennar as a whole does tend to lean on multiracial integration as an economically preferable option for the state.
|
|
#
?
Mar 21, 2023 17:40
|
|
|
For what it is worth, I do agree that it's not entirely lore accurate to go maximum tolerance as dwarves in general, but it's something that been building up since the start and we are playing one of the most innovative holds so I have no problem being a bit more progressive than we ought to be. Chapter Six: A Republic for All 1525-1544  Delicately engraved glass The need for tools proved to be a valuable incentive for greater economic integration between Orlghelovar and Arg-Ōrdstun. In the caverns behind the diamond hold were countless seams of precious gems, which only needed the support of the government to see mined to their full potential.  Setting a policy Ongoing digging in Orlghelovar was paused as engineers analysed a layer of apatite that needed special consideration to safely break through. After considering whether it would be easier to dig around it, they sent the question up to the administrators in the hold. The response was straightforward. Keep digging, no matter what lay in the way. If it was too difficult with conventional tools, then that was where they could innovate and advance their knowledge of the mountains.  An expedition of curiosity A detachment of dwarven soldiers returning from the war on the surface spotted strange figures standing on the mountainside. With permission, the followed them and found an entrance into the Reach from high in the Harpy Hills, and were able to link up with local militia near Ovdal Lodhum. Curious about the figures, they assembled an expedition to descend deeper into the passage and find out just who they had seen. Those ten thousand dwarves don't actually exist, they actually comprised ten damaged units with less than one thousand total survivors. I'm showing off a little exploit whereby the expedition system doesn't account for the strength of regiments, which means that you can magic up soldiers by feeding understrength regiments to an expedition, assuming it succeeds. A short one like this is perfect.  Atrocity and backlash The remainder of the returning army passed through the Bazibar region, where the wilds were still filled with goblin tribes. Some of the less disciplined units took the chance to plunder the locals and burn their villages. Local human settlements joined in, and the situation rapidly escalated into a full-on pogrom. Thousand of goblin civilians died, and thousands more were driven out of dwarven lands altogether, disappearing into the high mountains to the east. When the perpetrators were brought before military tribunal, they citied the Criminal Exile Act. The goblins had been squatting and raiding, clearly criminal and uncivilised behaviour that ought to not be tolerated now that dwarven justice ruled the land. Blackbeard was horrified to hear that his compromise had been used to justify such brutality. It was clear that giving any ground had been the wrong decision, and that he should have stood up for the goblin allies that he had made during the times of the Cartel. He put out an executive order to halt any expulsions under the Criminal Exile Act, and called upon many of the favours he had accumulated in his time in office to keep the Assembly of Clans placated for the moment. Having re-written the remaining missions to no longer require us to engage in such backwards behaviour, I can now revoke the expulsion order and set a focus to try and improve the conditions for goblins within our territory.  Post-war tax relief The war on the surface had been a drain on limited dwarfpower. Between ongoing reclamation efforts, the endless expansion of industry, and skirmishes with warbands deeper within the tunnels a lot of clans found themselves with their sons and daughters dead or working on some distant project. Blackbeard announced tax relief for any clan that had lost someone in a war on the surface, aiming to placate those who might question why dwarves were leaving the safety of the mountains. Just another vanilla event, but I took note of it because a hit to tax efficiency barely hurts a dwarf hold as the majority of our income is from production and trade.  An age of secrets uncovered and conflict unchained Fervent Corinite followers were rapidly spreading from Escann into the Empire, and several nations had now converted outright. Meanwhile, a secretive society known as the Ravelians were emerging in cities, discussing the secrets found within the ruins of the Precursor Empire and debating the nature of the gods. Conflict seemed inevitable, but where exactly the front line would land was not clear. As Orlghelovar continued to expand on the surface it would almost certainly have to get involved.  Rooting out the rot As part of the revocation of the Exile Act, Blackbeard clamped down on the more independent units in the army. A proper professional army did not need to commit atrocities for fun or for profit, it only had to do what was right for the republic. Many clans had made these units the personal playgrounds for their scions, and so rumbles of discontent spread through the nation as a whole, though Blackbeard's firm grip on the core of the military prevented it from escalating.  Attempting integration Goblins continued to make their way into Orlghelovaric territory, regardless of what the laws said one way or the other. While they often found themselves disappearing into the darker corners of the holds, it was still a better life than when they were actively being hunted down. Integration would take a long time, but Blackbeard was willing to make the extra push in areas where he had direct control. In the capital, some more prominent goblins were encouraged to set up businesses that could employ and house refugees and prevent them from falling into the hands of organised crime. Adding more minorities increase the autonomy of provinces, but the capital is luckily exempt from this.  To push across the gap The clans were still not happy with the policy, but Blackbeard had accumulated enough goodwill and personal power from the explosive growth of the nation that there was little they could do except engage in harassment on the fringes of society. Another way was in terms of foreign policy. The idea of orcs occupying the only link to the main Serpentspine was intolerable, and so the Assembly of Clans demanded that the Army be sent in to clear out the orcs and force them to acknowledge dwarven rule.  Mushroom friends The source of the mysterious figures that had been haunting the tunnels was discovered inside a cave coated with delicious mushrooms. Fungal lifeforms that had somehow gained humanoid forms occupied the depths, and formed a primitive and peaceful society. In the interests of scientific knowledge, the members of the expedition attempted to trade and communicate with them. While the language barrier was never quite cracked they were able to pass along their own peaceful intent and received a bundle of prepared mushrooms (deciding not to think too hard about it) and some treasures that the inhabitants had found when they had settled in the cave. The fungoids expressed no interest in joining the nation and were deep enough that they would not present an issue to mining in the caves above, so the expedition took their leave.  Tunnel secured The expedition to the Arg Tunad was a straightforward success, with the tunnel itself coming under control and the Silvertusk warband surrendering. The warband's chief, Conakk, styled himself as a knightly grandmaster and wore armour more akin to an Escanni knight captain than a orcish warrior. He had also converted to Corinite, and claimed that she had shown her superiority over the Dookanson and thus was the true god worthy of following. Silvertusk is on the way towards de-monsterizing itself, which means that the diplomatic malus that screwed us over before is not as large and we have a chance of properly integrating them.  Humans come to seek their fortunes More and more immigrants were continuing to flood into the outlying holds of the nation, especially as the daylight-enhancing mechanisms were installed into more and more holds making them tolerable for surface dwellers. Humans were especially common, as they sought economic gain in a booming economy in a place that was seen as being more tolerant than the highly religious elven nations that dominated Bulwar. Dartaxāgerdim was in the process being carved up by its neighbours after King Daraztarion of Sareyand decided to favour the elves of Birzartanes over the embattled humans.  Rise of the Science Clans Now that they had found their fortunes, many clans were pivoting towards innovation and technology to stay one step ahead of their competitors. Supporting such endeavours was encouraged by the government, and over time lead to clans whose primary output was skilled scientists and engineers rather than merchants. The haphazard workshops and laboratories across the hold were quickly being centralized under organised scientific endeavours.  Rumours of Gor Būrad Progress was slowing down, as fewer and fewer dwarves were eager to risk their lives on the very fringes of the nation's control. However, there was still more to discover. A garnet scholar encountered one of the forward parties further along the Argrod and discussed the long-lost hold of Gor Būrad, at the far end of the Reach. The promise of being able to study and sell volcanic glass saw a new wave of enthusiasm in dwarves who had not yet found their place in society. A lot of the colonist bonuses that we had have expired by now, so this is much needed to help push us over the edge and finish the colonisation of the Reach.  Friendship in Perpetuity Blackbeard was finding more and more of his time was being spent on the surface, including resolving the integration of the territories around Aqatbar and travelling back and forth between Orlghelovar and Ovdal Tūngr. Those paid off greatly though, as the growing economic and political ties between the two dwarven nations lead to the signing of a treaty of 'Friendship in Perpetuity', whereby citizens of either hold were welcome in one another's territory, trade could flow freely, and assistance in war was guaranteed. Blackbeard also took the opportunity to make some unofficial ties with officials in the coastal hold, dwarves who were interested in the wealth that could come to them from even closer ties to the local hegemon.  Work completes on the Warding Gate In Verkal Skomdihr, the mage guild and government scientists had been working in tandem to try and decipher the runes that adorned the outer gate of the hold. In ancient times it had prevented the encroachment of the Deepwoods, and even after the hold's fall it had still been enough to prevent the whole city from being consumed. After decades of study, magesmiths were able to finish repairs to the gate and begin the process of pushing back the greenery. However, the scientists were interested in what exactly lay within the Deepwoods. There was surely a wealth of knowledge and fey-touched materials that could prove fascinating.  The founding of the Assembly of Holds Managing the increasingly far-flung nation was proving an ever-harder task for the administration in Orlghelovar. The Assembly of Clans was hardly representative, being primarily made up of dwarves who lived in the capital, and there was the risk of the more distant holds agitating for independence. The solution to this was to reform the Assembly of Clans into a new Assembly of Holds, where representation from each hold was guaranteed and their interests could be heard within the government. All of the holds within Orlghelovar's control were brought into the new Assembly, as well as human and elven representatives from the city of Aqatbar, observers from Ovdal Lodhum and Ovdal Tūngr, and even knight orcs adorned in Corin-red armour representing the Silvertusks. It was a grand experiment in making the Republic more than just for its dwarven inhabitants, but for all races that dwelled within. Upon its founding, the Assembly passed a bill to fund defences for Aqatbar and the outlying holds as proof that it was a successful institution. Parliament mechanics give special bonuses to holds with seats, but it is a shame we will be expanding on the surface so we will have to assign seats to provinces that aren't holds sooner or later.  Entering the Deepwoods The representatives from Silvertusk had a request that caught the interest of several parties, including those from Verkal Skomdihr. They had previously been residing within the Deepwoods, and had only been forced into the Dwarovar by conflict with another, more barbaric and backwards, orcish warband. They offered to lead dwarven forces into the fey forest in return for regaining the territory that had been lost. The Assembly did not want to pass up the opportunity to study more about the mysterious realm, and agreed. Armies were prepared, with orcish guides, to march both from the Arg Tunad and from Verkal Skomdihr.  The Verdant Link If not for their guides, the dwarven forces would have been lost in the endless twisting and logic-defying passageways of the woods. Multiple times orcs emerged as if from nowhere, bearing banners that had last been seen hundreds of miles away on the other front line of the invasion. More than once the southern expedition was driven back to Verkal Skomdihr, hounded by orcs who knew the woods better than they did. Despite the defeats, each drive into the woods brought back a bounty of mysterious plants and lumber, which paid for the invasion by themselves in knowledge and economic value. The Deepwoods are a confusing place. These provinces are spread throughout it, so don't imagine that just because your enemy is on the other side of the woods they can't find their way to you. Conversely, it also works in the other direction so you can send your troops through to attack someone who seems too far to reach.  Meeting the Wood Elves The liberation of Silvertusk territory proceeded more smoothly, as the guides that they had brought with them were soon supplemented by local tribes who rallied to their banners. Soon, the tribal lands were back under control and Conakk's knights were bringing the word of Corin to the orcs who had been left behind. A more curious encounter was had in one of the Gladeways. With the number of orcs dwindling due to the conflict, elves began to emerge carefully observing the dwarven movements. As the war drew to a close, an army of elves under the command of Ceanna Bricena moved to take control of the passageway and cautiously negotiate with the Orlghelovaric forces. After it was made clear that the dwarves did not intend to settle or conquer, merely explore and study, a tentative agreement was made to open diplomatic relations with the outside world. I went to take a look at the lore for this, and oh boy there is a lot of it, way too much to get into here. Suffice it to say the Deepwoods and their history have a lot going on that another LP can tell if they would like.  Pushing to the western coast Later in 1536, the Orlghelovaric Army marched out of the doors of the capital, with their sights set on the ruined fortress of Bal Ouord and the surrounding region of Ourdia. Securing trade out to the Gulf of Ouord and from there to the Empire was essential to ensuring trade dominance, and the insult of barring dwarven travellers from Corvurian lands could not be allowed to stand. Covuria called upon allies from within the Empire, including the elfrealm of Ibevar famed for its elite troops.  The battle of Ovdal Tūngr The first battle of the war actually took place within dwarven territory. Corvurian forces bypassed Dwarven forces sieging down the fortifications at Aldwigard and ignored the mountains altogether. They marched down the coast and attempted to storm Ovdal Tūngr and knock it out of the war first. However, they dug their own graves as the Orlghelovaric Army turned around and struck them from the rear when they were caught against the near-impregnable outer walls.  The Cavern of Crystallised Daylight Even as war raged just outside the hold's walls, digging continued within the capital. Miners dug into a large but unassuming cavern, but as they worked to illuminate it the true beauty became apparent. Almost immediately they requested the daylight mechanisms be extended down into the cavern, so the light of the sun could be reflected and refracted by the crystals coating every surface. Soon, the cavern became one of the most popular tourist destinations within the republic. Free splendor for the rest of the game is great, this is equivalent to half of an age objective all by itself.  The power of magic Skirmishing continued along the coast, before a coalition force of elves and humans arrived to retake Aldwigard. It was a force unlike anything that the Orlghelovaric army had faced before, with heavily armoured Corvurian knights leading the charge, elven archers peppering lines with pinpoint accuracy, and mages both human and elven obliterating tortoise formations with fireballs, earth-shattering quakes and enchanted weaponry. Even dwarven mithril would break under such a pummelling, and the army was forced to withdraw back into the mountains to recuperate. King Dominic of Celliande, a powerful half-elven mage, took command of the war and coordinated the disparate forces to great effect, making a direct confrontation on the open marshlands a risky proposition. Mages are killer in the early game. As you can see, they get a ton of shock and siege pips, even breaking the normal game conventions for maximum allowed. This mage wasn't even the worst they could be, it can go higher than that.  Defence versus defence However, fighting in the open was not the only way to win a war. While the coalition made a second attempt to take Ovdal Tūngr, dwarven forces pushed directly for the Covurian capital. With the offensive strength of dwarven cannons, and the defensive strength of dwarven walls, it was clear who would win the race.  Deepwoods expedition Negotiations between the Orlghelovaric delegation led by Commander Firmhandle and the elven clan led by Ceanna Bricena were very fruitful, and trade opened up facilitated by elven understanding of the fey logic of the woods. Hungry for both lumber and exotic goods, the merchants of Verkal Skomdihr were happy for trade to flow through the Warding Gate and into the rest of the Dwarovar. The wood elves are doing well for themselves. Apart from that one green orc tribe that has almost the same colour as Er-Natvir, most of the rest of the woods are under their control. There's also an irony here compared to how things would have gone if we had reformed Verkal Skomdihr instead.  Turnaround at the gates of Arca Corvur Elven forces attempted to relieve the siege of the Corvurian capital. They intended to pin the dwarven forces against the walls in much the same way that the dwarves had done at Ovdal Tūngr, making use of supporting knights to hem them in while archers picked them off at will. However, they had not counted on the dwarves being rearmed after the previous defeat. Now armed with clockwork rifles capable of intense and rapid volleys, rows and rows of charging knights were cut down while cannons were turned on the archers to suppress them. General Ironbar ordered the riflemen into melee, where their mithril bayonets sliced through elven armour like it wasn't there. The famed elven warriors of Ibevar were routed, with the survivors scattering into the Covurian countryside where they disappeared without a trace. It was clear that innovation was leading to a new age of warfare.  A hold of artisans Orlghelovar continued to grow deeper into the mountain, and with that growth came an increasing specialization as the economy focused on the craft of the glassmakers, the development of precise scientific instruments, and the carving of beautiful crystals and gems from deeper within the caves. The cavern walls around the great glass forges were lined with countless artisan workshops producing unique artefacts, and large manufactories run by the glasslords to mass-produce cobalt glass for surface consumers. As a hold develops you get the option to specialize it, giving it some strong local modifiers and decent global modifiers that can really stack up if you focus your specializations.  The Crimson Deluge After the fall of Arca Corvur, the war came to an end with the surrender of northern Ourdia. Local Corvurian nobility retreated to their castles for the time being as dwarven administrators moved in and caravans started leaving Orlghelovar for the Gulf of Ouord. After just a few months of peace, deep red clouds settled over the region. Blood, or something with the consistency of blood, began to rain from the sky for days at a time, coating the land with a sickly red stain. Floods of blood swept away fields and villages in low-lying regions, and tides of refugees painted crimson fled to higher ground bringing with them despair and fanaticism. The Crimson Deluge had begun. It eventually became clear that the Deluge was not just affecting those lands, but everywhere from the Dameshead to the edge of the Serpentspine. Corinite preachers declared that this was a sign of Corin warring for control of the Regent Court against Adean and his allies and that her followers should join in her example and seize the worldly institutions of the Court. For their part, the dwarves stayed in their mountain holds and let the fanatics do as they wished so long as they didn't disrupt trade. Anbennar's version of the reformation is really  . In addition to the country-wide affects seen here, we also get constant devastation ticks on provinces affected by it and regular events about fanatics going nuts or burning down temples in those provinces.  The true nature of Covuria. In the midst of the chaos, adventurers swept into the occupied territory with one goal in mind. In towns and villages across Ourdia they clashed with the Corvurian nobility. For all that time, Corvuria had been harbouring vampires within its midst and even elevated them to the position of nobility within the nation. Now that they were no longer being protected the time was right to drive them out entirely. In streets already running red with blood, a little more would not change anything. There are a whole set of adventurer related mechanics, which I won't get into right now.  Arrival at Gor Būrad In the safety of the mountains, the easternmost reaches of the republics expansion finally located the entrance to Gor Būrad. Reclamation would come soon, and beyond that utilization of the volcano that the hold had been built into.  Securing the Gulf of Ouord Dwarven forces marched out under the driving crimson rain to push further along the coast and ensure the dominance of Orlghelovar in the Gulf of Ouord. Of most interest were a number of shipyards that would allow Orlghelovar to produce its own ships and work alongside their allies in taming the waters.  The Bulwari-Imperial Glass Policy With trade to both the north and south now open, the Assembly opened debate on establishing an official trade policy. The vote saw a clear majority for extending trade of cobalt glass and all other exports of the Reach to Bulwar and to the Empire, as well as doing as much as possible to capture the trade flowing westwards and profit off of that. One day dwarven ships would be picking up from cargo from Aqatbar and delivering it to Anbenncóst, with no intermediaries to siphon off wealth that belonged to the republic. Among the new goods approved for export were glass musical instruments, which had seen increasing uptake within the military in place of more traditional metal trumpets and leather drums. Though fragile, they produced a unique sound that ensured that a cobalt dwarf was never unsure of their place on the battlefield.  Reconstruction of Bal Ouord Under the withering effects of the Deluge, dwarves around the Gulf struggled to find shelter with towns being filled to the brim with refugees and camps being too vulnerable to being washed away by sudden surges of blood. To deal with this the government sponsored reconstruction efforts on the ruined fortress of Bal Ouord to provide a safe haven for the regional garrison and eventually project power across all of Ourdia. There a number of these 'fortress' great projects around Cannor. Most of them don't really offer much except prestige and local defensiveness, but Bal Ouord gives us manpower recovery and army tradition so it is really nice to have.  Legitimizing goblin participation in society Despite the rescinding of the Exile Act there was still a consistent problem of goblins finding their way into organised crime within the nation. However, it was a simple fact that the cartels that ran the economy were only a couple of steps removed from the same situation. Blackbeard was able to leverage his connections with the cartels, and well as some government funds, to pay off the cartels enough to allow a goblin-led cartel to rise from being a player solely on the black market to participating openly in society. As their trade became public, it was suddenly almost as common to see a goblin walking openly on the streets of the hold as it was a human or elf. With the acceptance and a few other events, Goblins have been bumped up from oppressed to coexisting, the same level as humans and elves. I didn't expect it to go quite so smoothly actually.  To sail to the Empire The republic had cemented its ideals, forged an unbreakable friendship, and secured the flow of trade out of its borders in multiple directions. It had won victories against human and elf as much as orc and goblin, proving that dwarven ingenuity was nearly unmatched in the world. The next step would be to demonstrate that to the world on their own doorstep. It was time to resume relations with the Empire of Anbennar. To be continued
|
|
#
?
Mar 22, 2023 19:13
|
|
|
Got to agree with the goblins statement that was shockingly easy and well fast.
|
|
#
?
Mar 23, 2023 20:02
|
|
|
Chapter Seven: Unbridled Wealth 1544-1562  Filling the Gulf of Ouord with construction To deliver the Glasshammer Fair to the Empire, a vast fleet would be required, more than the contracts with Ovdal Tūngr could provide. Shipyards started construction along the shores of the Gulf, and they were soon followed by docks to house the merchant fleets.  Trade offices open in the cities of the Empire Work continued abroad even while the trade fleet was being prepared. A new policy allowed prominent merchants in foreign cities to act as proxies for the Orlghelovaric cartels and even earn citizenship this way. One of the more prominent was a silver dwarf by the name of Ironsteel, who offered the republic a way into the tightly-bound merchant circles of Anbenncóst. Even though transferring trade power does nothing for us, collecting from a node that isn't our trading city would tank our trade power here so it's the best option.  The Dig-Deeply Initiative With settlers arriving in Gor Būrad, a fifth hold was added to Orlghelovar's direct control. It was becoming increasingly apparent that relying on local leaders to push on with the deepening of the hold was too slow to keep up with the economic growth that the nation needed. Blackbeard signed off on a proposal put forward by the Assembly to establish an office to centrally coordinate digging efforts across the Reach. However, the sheer size of the bureaucratic effort meant that the initiative would require a massive influx of funding to establish itself. Once we pass this decision, we can manually upgrade our other holds. I'm sure I have no other reason at all to hoard money...  The fall of Irrliam The final phase of the wars for the Phoenix Throne were approaching in Bulwar. Daraztarion of Sareyand and his allies in Birzartanes launched a pincer strike against the Kingdom of Irrliam, led by the young and inexperienced Queen Imariel. Out of allies, and out of time, it was surely only a matter of time before Daraztarion defeated her and claimed hegemony over the whole region.  Dwarven intervention Not for particularly charitable reasons, but pure economic greed, the Assembly authorised an expedition into Birzartanes to claim the remaining glass-producing regions of the coast and ensure dwarven dominance of the glass trade in the region. Under the shadow of cannons, the capital of Birzartanes fell quickly while all of their forces were fighting in Irrliam.  The Deluge Ends After a decade of blood rains falling across the breadth of a continent, the Crimson Deluge finally came to an end. There were no further signs from the heavens, no indication at all as to whether Corin or Adean had triumphed in their battle. All that was left behind was hundreds of thousands dead from flood, famine and violence, and swathes of destruction across the Empire and Escann. Where the gods had failed, mortals would have to take up arms and finish the fight themselves. For those who aren't familiar with this map mode, green represents prosperous provinces, which is a nice little economic modifier, and red represents devastated provinces, with the brighter red being worse devastation.  Using their own fortifications against them The overall strategy of the war was to funnel Sareyander forces and their allies into kill zones created by the safest routes being guarded by the fortresses the dwarves had seized in the opening weeks of the war. With a manoeuvre advantage, the highly disciplined Orlghelovaric Army was able to strike wherever the enemy were weak and pull back to safety before the enemy could bring their superior numbers to bear.  A monopoly on glass It took two years of back-and-forth fighting over a small region of Bulwar, but eventually the ruler of Birzartanes conceded dwarven ownership of the towns of Deshkumar, and more importantly their glassblowing industries. They had a much bigger prize in central Bulwar to focus on.  Learning from Ovdal Tūngr As the trading fleet was assemble, the next issue was finding sailors for those ships. The Deluge had done immeasurable damage to the fishing industries of the Gulf of Ouord, most of the merchants had fled to safer climates, and dwarves were not sailors by nature. The solution was to bring in specialists from Ovdal Tūngr. There were certain styles and techniques that dwarven ships could adopt to help retain the impression that their feet were on solid ground. Whether that was designing a ship to retain some of the familiarity of a hold, or rigging sleeping quarters to stay upright without swaying, they had thousands of years of experience on the water to induct the cobalt dwarves into. Most of these objectives are pretty pointless for us with the focus on religion and overseas, but luckily for us straddling the edge of Cannor and Bulwar means we score the two continents objectives.  Money breeds power The outflow of trade was such that the cartels had to be integrated more closely into the government to keep the economy from falling into chaos. Key members of the merchant clans were assembled to advise the Assembly on economical matters, and a large number of key glass, metal, and gem export contracts were granted in perpetuity to some of the more prominent clans. The cartel heads were rich in a way that had not been seen in dwarven civilization in thousands of years, living in opulence matched only by the kings and emperors of the surface.  Volcanic clearances The settlers in Gor Būrad had spent months in skirmishes with the orc warband that had settled in the hold. As the uppermost levels of the hold were cleared and resettled, the orcs were driven into the near-uninhabitable lower layers where magma channels had overflown their banks and filled avenues with solid rock, or toxic gases consumed anything living that walked the wrong way. Under these conditions, they attempted to break out and slaughter the settlers, but were met with a detachment of the Orlghelovaric Army that had been stationed in the hold in case of the eventuality. As with the capital, any survivors were drafted in to work on restoring the hold.  150 years young Blackbeard had spent over a century leading an adventuring company, and then a nation of ever-growing complexity. In his old age he was finding he had no choice but to leave more and more of the task of ruling to others. Many dwarves were seeing him as a figurehead for the Assembly, rather than someone with real authority. He was still sharp though. During a debate on the growing religious crisis in the Empire, he spoke up and gave a rousing speech about how dwarves needed to demonstrate that reason was the way forward, and that mortals should not be fighting the god's wars for them. His words tipped the debate in favour of non-intervention should war break out between the Corinites and Adeanics.  Booming trade in crystal glass In Deshkumar, the local merchants had adapted quickly to dwarven rule. They focused on producing a unique style of crystal glass that gave a different impression to Orlghelovar's speciality cobalt glass, and thus was not competing directly against the mass-produced, cartel monopolized glass. The marketplaces of Aqatbar were filled with goods from all along the Gulf of Glass, where they would board ships flying the Cobalt Links or the Copper Gate.  The arrival of printed Corinite papers Merchants returning from the Empire were coming back with interesting items. They carried whole crates full of identical pamphlets. Most of them were religious, Corinites attempting to proclaim their goddess' superiority, but there were also newspapers, scientific papers, administrative documents, and just about anything that could be imagined. Almost immediately, pressure started to build from every dwarf who had sprained their hand drawing or carving out runes to find away to adapt it to the runic text used within the hold.  The gnomes yet live Among the papers was a scientific paper written by the Free Gnomes of Nimscodd. This came at great surprise to the scientific community within Orlghelovar, who had thought that the gnomes were all now living under the oppressive heel of Gawed, which did its best to suppress any potentially disruptive innovation within its borders. It emerged that a small bastion of gnomes still held out in the cold and rocky Storm Isles, off the northwest coast of Cannor. An envoy was sent to open up relations and see if something could be done to save the brilliant minds who had been forcibly isolated.  Official endorsement of free trade While many nations around Cannor banned the spread of the printed word for fear of increasing radicalism among the population, no such edict even reached the floor of the Assembly of Holds. Trade was to flow freely, whether that trade was goods or words, so that the nation would always be at the forefront of knowledge.  Reinvestment of wealth into knowledge In addition to free-flowing trade, the science clans of Orlghelovar were incredibly eager to turn the wealth they had built up into a technological advantage. All over the hold, production facilities were becoming more efficient fitting more into less space, and that space was being taken over by laboratories that made use of the produce to study deeper into the potential uses of glass. Finishing trade gives us on more merchant, while finishing our national ideas also gives us +1 total policy per type. That doesn't really help now, but will let us really stack buffs as we approach the endgame. Also try to ignore the spoilers in the text.  Edicts of quality Countless banks opened up, eager to invest in the vast wealth flowing into the hold. An entire service economy was building up around this investment, with commodities exchanges springing up to allow the cartels to optimise their profits. Alongside this, the government issued a number of Edicts of Quality focused on making sure that no manufacturer attempted to undercut their competitors or tarnish Orlghelovar's name by producing low quality products.  Last of the vampires The minor civil war in Ourdia came to a close in 1551, as vampire hunters finally drove out the last of the creatures that had plagued the land. Those who were not burnt to ash by the sun or staked in their coffins fled north into Corvuria, where they would continue to plague the peasantry but with state sponsorship.  The Glasshammer Fair begins The following year, a fleet of ships set sail from dwarven ports laden heavily with countless varieties of glass goods and technological innovations and made their way into the Dameshead. They docked in Anbenncóst, alongside the permanently moored city-ships of the elves, and made their way into the city to present to the world exactly what they had accomplished in the daylight-lit depths of the mountains.  Building gnomish contacts at the Fair As the Glasshammer Fair continued, almost every race could be seen participating, enthralled by the products on display. What was most interesting though, was the gnomes who had made the dangerous journey from the Storm Isles to participate and learn more about the innovations that the Orlghelovaric envoy had described to them. Having seen them first hand, they were happy to discuss opening a gnomish institute of technology within Orlghelovar itself. Holy text dump. It's not often an event box goes off the screen like that.  Twisting trade into espionage Orlghelovaric merchants could now be found all across Bulwar, Cannor, and even some of the easternmost colonies in Aelantir, plying their wares. This gave the nation an unprecedented opportunity to make use of these merchants for more underhanded purposes. Whether that was to gain an economic advantage, undermining local trade rivals and bribing officials, or even a future military advantage, there were many options. One such option lay within Orlghelovar's own closest ally. Blackbeard had been working on closer ties with certain clans within Ovdal Tūngr, enriching them at the expense of their rivals and ensuring they got higher placement on the hold's Assembly of Clans. With just a bit more of a push, they could gain a majority and force the Lord Mayor to cede more power to Orlghelovar.  Reclaimed, but relost News from further north in mountains brought dire tidings. The dwarves that had reclaimed Er-Natvir had been pushed out by a coalition of orcs and goblins. It wasn't a total disaster, as the surviving dwarves were able to retreat to holdouts in the rail lines, but it did represent a potential crisis brewing on the nation's mountain-facing border. An expedition to punish the perpetrators, reclaim the hold if possible, and support the refugees was dispatched.  Inventors, short and shorter The arrival of the first gnomish immigrants to Orlghelovar was heralded with a great celebration, although the gnomes were much more interested in getting to work in the hold's laboratories than engaging the customary week of drinking. Goblins even joined in the party, and members of both short-statured races could be seen in dark corners of the taverns scheming up strange and dangerous inventions.  Standoff in Cannor The situation in the Empire reached boiling point with the Proclamation of Telgeir. Many across the world, including within Orlghelovar, saw the announcement that Corin was the patron deity of the Empire to be a spark that would lead to an inevitable war. All that remained was how long it would take that fuse to burn.  Old age for a dwarf Entering his 160s, Blackbeard was really starting to feel the effects of his age. He was not disappointed in his life. He knew that he would go down in history as the dwarf who led to a new golden age for at the Reach at the very least, but there was still so much that he wanted to do before the end. The true scientific potential of the hold had only just started to be unlocked, and there were even greater heights of wealth it could be taken to. Still, he was content that he would be able to face his ancestors with pride. Blackbeard is finally at risk of dying of old age like a member of a shorter-lived race.  Partially successful expedition The punitive expedition was long and drawn out. The orcs were based in the Deepwoods, and made use of their superior knowledge of the Verdant Link to repeatedly outmanoeuvre dwarven forces. In the end though, they could not save their forts from occupation and were forced to pay harsh monetary reparations, as well as give Orlghelovar access to the Dwarovrod proper, and return swathes of occupied dwarven and elven lands. Er-Natvir itself remained in goblin hands, but with the orcs diminished its liberation seemed more feasible.  An enemy in the midst There had been a notable drop off in trade coming from Ovdal Lodhum over the past few years, and only token military support in recent wars. It wasn't considered a notable problem, so it was filed away among the countless other issues that needed addressed within the nation. However, that changed when word arrived of a speech given by Daraztarion in his new capital in the city of Bulwar. Amongst other proclamations of rulership of all of region was included a promise to liberate the mountains from the greed of the dwarves. Seghdihr was already under his control, and Orlghelovar ought to follow to repay their oppression of the garnet dwarves. When diplomats attempted to enter Ovdal Lodhum, they found the way barred but for a notice from Balgar that he would no longer allow a goblin-loving, orc-allying, dwarf with no self-respect, to have any sway in his nation. Immediately Blackbeard ordered fortifications to be construction outside the hold to prevent garnet forces from ravaging the Argrod in the event of a war with Sareyand, and thus a stand-off began. I was asking for this by letting Ovdal Lodhum's liberty desire perpetually hover close to 50%. Giving Silvertusk a bit more land and thus bumping up the combined vassal strength metric must have pushed them over the edge. It kind of fits though. Ovdal Lodhum really, really hates greenskins.  Dwarven glass print Adapting the printing press for runes was more difficult than expected. Not because of the complexity of runes themselves, but because of the tendency for dwarves to duplicate any important documents in solid stone and not temporary paper. The breakthrough came with a way of inscribing cobalt glass with enough precision that even a machine could do it without shattering it. Ink could then simultaneously be injected into a paper copy and glass copy of the document, satisfying the needs of the dwarven bureaucracy.  Beauty from fire With the basic restoration of Gor Būrad complete, the settlers began the process of excavating the parts of the hold that had been consumed by magma flows. As they did so, they discovered vast quantities of obsidian and glass-like minerals that were left over by the incredible heat and pressure. From there, it was not very long before local merchants began to export the substance to parties interested in new and unique ways of decorating their homes, or seeking new potential industrial applications.  The League War begins In 1577, the powderkeg finally exploded, and all of Cannor was consumed by the fires of war. However, there was as much politics as there was religion defining the lines of battle. Most notably, the Kingdom of Lorent despite still adhering to Adean's leadership of the Regent Court had joined the side of Corin in order to oppose their bitter rivals in Gawed. The balance of the war seemed against the Corinite Emperor, but they would lay down hundreds of thousands of bodies before even considering betraying their goddess.  The Knights of the Silver Tusk Conakk's reforms came to a close the following year, as the former warband had finished integrating its former territories and organised the orcish inhabitants into a honourable knightly order. Those who still hungered for battle and plunder eagerly offered their services to the Corinite League and departed for Cannor, while civilian towns flourished as hubs of trade between the dwarven holds and the elven clans.  News from the Tree of Stone More good news for dwarfkind as a whole came with the announcement that the hold of Ovdal-az-Ān, in the distant Tree of Stone, had reclaimed the Earthseed. This was said to be the place where the goddess Halanna had first created the dwarven race, and while modern dwarves did not worship ancient gods they considered it to be their mythical ancestral homeland. The messengers also brought with them treatises on architecture from other surviving holds in that region of the Dwarovar.  The war turns against the Corinites As war ravaged Cannor, the situation appeared to be rapidly turning against the Corinites. Lorent was steadily being pushed back as it faced the greatest bulk of Gawed's forces, while the imperial capital in Telgeir was occupied and the Emperor forced to flee to allied nations in the south of the Empire. He still refused to surrender however, comparing himself to Corin herself standing against the seemingly insurmountable Greentide, and continued to rally his allies to strike back.  Declining supplies of Damestear One useful acquisition during the expansion onto the surface was a series of Damestear mines in Ourdia. While dwarven society in general did not rely on the magical meteoric material, the mage's guild still made significant use of it and the newest gnomish immigrants expressed interest in studying its properties and potential usage in science. News that the deposit was running dry was not taken well, especially as other sources were disrupted by the ongoing war. Both groups petitioned the Assembly to ensure that another source was located. Damestear is an incredibly valuable trade good, but it is typically only found in very limited quantities and will typically disappear quickly before randomly appearing in another province.  The result of economic integration Despite starting the century only a few damaged holds to its names, the economy of Olrghelovar had far outstripped that of its open and trading counterpart in Ovdal Tūngr. With that in mind, even without Blackbeard managing to manipulate a full majority of clans on their Assembly the copper dwarves found themselves tied ever closer to their cobalt counterparts. By the time that the Lord Mayor of Ovdal Tūngr signed the agreement that gave Orlghelovaric authority over diplomatic, macroeconomic and military matters, it was already more or less a formality.  Rise of the Phoenix Emperor In 1561, Daraztarion formalized what had been plain to see to all the inhabitants of Bulwar for decades at that point. In the 11th and 12th Centuries, the Phoenix Empire had swept across the land, ranging from far Haless all the war into the heart of Cannor. Now, he intended to resurrect that legacy and challenge the world to see the light of the one true god Surael, as handed down by his chosen elven Emperor.  Incalculable wealth With Ovdal Tūngr now serving the economic interests of the nation, the flowing wealth reached heights unmatched anywhere in the world. With the Empire of Anbennar still war-torn and the Phoenix Empire throttling trade from the east, there was no better place to be a merchant than within Orlghelovar.  An age of commerce and science Amongst all this wealth, a curious transition was occurring. The merchant clans, the Glasslords who once held dominance in politics, were becoming increasingly cut off. They focused on their own personal wealth, living like royalty and scheming amongst one another for a bigger cut of pie. In their place, the science clans began to step up. The gnomes had brought with them brilliant new ideas. By making use of the properties of damestear, they could create machines capable of replicating magical effects without needing a mage to power them. This science of 'Artificery', in a hold devoted to innovation, promised to lead the entire world into a new age, and to bring even more wealth as these inventions were exported beyond its walls. Despite what the government reform says, we do not yet have access to utilizing artificery. +50% of 0 capacity is still 0. I will go into this more in the next update. However, we do get to start doing research so inventions will start rolling in, we will just have to wait for the capacity to make use of them.  An age of indulgence and arrogance There was still a slight concern. In the lust for gold and prestige, the uppermost classes had created a stratified system that could bring down everything that Blackbeard and the other survining members of the Cartel had been working towards. From the highest cartel boss, to the high-earning-not-rich-yet merchants, to the overworked industrial workers and the underclass who saw none of the benefits of the wealth, there lay a contradiction that could destroy everything, Blackbeard could see it, in the homeless dwarves begging at the foot of gigantic glass statues commissioned by the guilds. He was old, there was little chance that the Assembly would pay attention, but if things continued the way they were going they might not be able to ignore the situation any longer. To be continued Votes There are three votes this time. First up, is the standard idea group vote, with Administrative, Influence and Offensive joining us from the previous vote. Once again, the top option will be selected and the next two (or more if a tie) will have a guaranteed appearance in the next vote. A: Administrative Our nation is growing beyond the reach of the mountains. If we are to rule over these lands, our administrators must be empowered. B: Tolerance We have proven ourselves a tolerant and progressive nation, let us extend this to all the peoples and faiths of the world (Humanist has been renamed, for obvious reasons). C: Influence The best way to administer the lands beyond our mountains is to entrust them to loyal, local rulers until we are prepared to integrate them. D: Maritime Our merchant fleets will bring in wealth from every corner of the world. E: Offensive We must press our technological advantage and strike out against the enemy wherever they may hide. F: Naval - Our war fleets will be unmatched upon the seas. The second vote is a bit vaguer, but I'd like to see what people's opinion is. Which do you value more, Time or Money? These will result in different permanent modifiers on the nation following upcoming events. The third vote will determine what artifices we will focus on in our research. This won't be permanent; we can change our focus in a future voting session. 1: Brilliant Invention Combining magic and artifice to produce strange and unusual inventions outside of the norm. 2: Techno-Thaumaturgy Replicating traditional magic using artifice, to make it accessible to the common dwarf 3: Mechanism Combining artifice with traditional engineering, to enhance the mundane rather recreate the magical. To sum up, a vote should look something like B, Time, 3. Voting will last 48 hours.
|
|
#
?
Mar 25, 2023 13:01
|
|
|
B, Money, 2 Ultimately, Orlghelovar stands for the principle that anyone can strike it rich if they are given the correct tools and the know-how to use them. The practical reality of the situation is that we are unable to achieve this in perfect and equal distribution due to preexisting societal and technological constraints. Therefore the most harmonious alignment of our governing philosophy would be to ensure that these constraints are removed so that all may participate in the grand experiment that is Orlghelovar. (Also, given that the game now has a literal "greed causes revolution" meter running, leaving those problems alone seems like a Bad Idea.) Jossar fucked around with this message at 14:17 on Mar 25, 2023 |
|
#
?
Mar 25, 2023 14:13
|
|
|
F, Time, 3
|
|
#
?
Mar 25, 2023 14:27
|
|
|
B, Money, 1. Let all in our lands partake in the deepest of mad science!
|
|
#
?
Mar 25, 2023 15:37
|
|
|
C, Time, 3
|
|
#
?
Mar 25, 2023 15:38
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 31, 2024 09:46 |
|
|
B, Time, 1
|
|
#
?
Mar 25, 2023 15:59
|
|
