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I just think that there's a big fancy dwarf hat out there and it's not right that we don't have all of it. But getting the holds is still more important for now.
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Apr 23, 2023 11:37
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AtomikKrab posted:40% is not a LOT of warscore to get the gems It's 40% less territory captured is my point. It'll probably take two or three wars to even get to the holds, so once they are free we can consider spending warscore on liberating the gems.
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Apr 23, 2023 11:43
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Rody One Half posted:I just think that there's a big fancy dwarf hat out there and it's not right that we don't have all of it. I mean, you pretty much HAVE to take on the command to get one piece of it, so until we have that gem its a bit pointless to worry on the others.
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Apr 23, 2023 12:36
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A, given the way Paradox games reward blobbing up we can't kick this can down the road for long.
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Apr 23, 2023 15:37
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AtomikKrab posted:I mean, you pretty much HAVE to take on the command to get one piece of it, so until we have that gem its a bit pointless to worry on the others. At least on that front, there's some good news about the state of the Command that I'll try to get to in the next update. I'm calling the vote early as it is a pretty clear victory for B and it lets me get the update played out while it's still the weekend. A: Kheterata - 2 B: Phoenix Empire - 10 C: Neither - 1
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Apr 23, 2023 18:09
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I would have voted A, on account of the Kheteratan's being allied to Aelnar. Which is just unforgivable. But oh well, it wouldn't have mattered anyway.
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Apr 23, 2023 20:01
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That was a kinda disappointing end to the snake plague. And it doesn't even leave the mountains? Since it made the blood rot, what would it have done to slurping vampires? 
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Apr 23, 2023 21:45
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Chapter Fifteen: War Exhaustion 1672-1688  Strike the dying Phoenix When Whitebeard presented his suggestion to the Assembly, the near unanimous verdict was to join the war against the Phoenix Empire, rather than in its defence. The Empire held on to two dwarven holds further east, and in a surge of nationalism the Assembly demanded that these be the primary target of the war effort. Estalleni aid was called in to address the Empire's Busilari allies, and bring the numbers to something more approaching parity.  Endless walls The Empire had withdrawn all of its forces from the north to counter the Kheteratan advance through Bulwar Proper. However, it had not left the Harpy Hills undefended. Countless fortifications, manned by devout Sun Cultists, guarded the way and would take years to reduce. Two armies marched in from Bahar, while another took a less guarded route out of Lake Jorkad and tried fruitlessly to find a path along the exterior of the mountains to reach the lost hold of Seghdihr.  The counterattack breaks A combined dwarven-human force met with the Busilari advance guard along the cliffs of the Imperial Borders, where they crushed them. With their mobile forces smashed, and the combined navies of the two nations keeping them suppressed, the siege of the fortress state of Busilar proper could begin.  Locomotives roll out Technology had continued to advance even in the years that the mountain had been sealed due to the Serpent's Rot, and one of the latest inventions that was to be introduced was an engine small enough that it could fit onto a rail car by itself. Instead of being pulled by a beast of burden or via cables attached to a large stationary engine, a carriage could pull itself along the tracks. Work would need to be done to make the rail lines fit these new locomotives, but once complete travel along the length of the Reach would be as fast as their wheels could turn.  A dwarven citadel The coast turned out to be Busilar's weakpoint. With cannon fire from the Union Navy tearing down their coastal forts, the Army was able to make it all the way to the Isles of Tef on the southern coast. There stood the Toref Citadel, a massive fortress of dwarven construction and with a not-insubstantial number of remaining dwarven residents. Seeing potential for an outpost in the region, the President gave the order to take the citadel and if possible, the entire island.  Surrounded The Phoenix Empire's counterattack was spearheaded by an elven wizard of not inconsiderable personal power. Istralania led her armies into the Harpy Hills with the intent to crush the invading dwarves, but found herself surrounded in the Lover's Roost and her retreat cut off by the Kheteratan advance. When the Union force moved in, they demonstrated clearly that the age of magical combat had come to an end.  Administrative restructuring The Union was expanding at a rate not seen since the early days of the reclamation, and that required a focus on retooling the bureaucracy to deal with much further-reaching territory and a yet wider variety of citizens. For example, the Harpy Hills contained, appropriately enough, a significant population of harpies who had a completely alien lifestyle to the dwarves of the mountains. The expanded use of Sending Stones made the task less of a concern, as a concern raised by a new citizen could find itself heard in the halls of Orlghelovar on the very same day. This adaptability would be the cornerstone of integrating new territories. Just showing off how crazy low our idea costs are now.  Fallen empire The sheer number of forts facing the Union ultimately led to them failing to make significant progress through the Phoenix Empire, leaving almost everything from Bulwar Proper eastwards under the control of the other invaders. That left the military planners with a concern that they might not even be able to reach Seghdihr and Verkal Gulan to liberate them. However, there was another possibility. Troops were pulled back into the mountains, to prepare a different offensive.  Western dwarven outpost Busilar surrendered control of Toref Citadel and the nearby port of Eborthíl, unable to reclaim them against the alliance's naval superiority. The local dwarves were granted charter to set up the Divenhal Trading Company to administer the island. With this, The Union suddenly had far greater control over the flow of trade heading out towards the Dameshead and as a result far more money passing through the hands of their merchants. About time I started making progress at taking this trade node, as I promised ages ago. Taking this really cuts into Busilar's trade power, which was siphoning off a ton from Bahar.  Skewer the skewerers The solution to access to Seghdihr was simple. The Skewered Drake clan held control over most of the rail lines between Hul-Jorkad and Seghdihr, and the Assembly had been content to let them act as a buffer against potential elven control of the tunnels. Now though, with liberation in sight, they were more of a hinderance. A detachment of the Union Army as well as veritable army of railway engineers stormed the tunnels, smashed the orcish defences and seized control of the line all the way to the outskirts of the fallen holds.  The Glasslords' resistance Implementing the reforms suggested by the glass study group was never going to be an easy task, but the government was surprised by the sheer vehemence with which the Glasslords resisted any attempt by the Assembly to improve the working conditions within their industry. Riots broke out in many major cities and holds, while rumour was that the industrial magnates were actively plotting against the Union government.  End of elven overlordship The end of the war with Kheterata saw the Phoenix Empire lose control of Bulwar City, and with it any real hope the empress had at being considered the rightful holder of the Phoenix Throne. Isolated without meaningful allies, their only trajectory was downwards.  Long-await liberation Shortly afterwards, they surrendered Seghdihr, as well as some additional territory in the Harpy Hills, to the Union. A grand celebration was organised within the hold, even though much of it was damaged in the process of reclaiming it. The Phoenix Empire, while being elven dominated, was not supremacist and so the Union also inherited significant human, goblin and elven minorities within the hold. Most of these considered themselves devout followers of the Sun Cult, but in line with the integration of other races across the Reach they were given full rights as citizens.  The extent of the Union Pushing into the Middle Dwarovar had extended the Union far beyond the boundaries of the Reach and the coast that it had primarily occupied up that point. While Seghdihr appeared distant and easily isolated, engineers worked around the clock to install modern rail lines to the new hold, and couriers were shipping out crates of Sending Stones to ensure that the inhabitants could communicate with their fellow free citizens across the Union. Sadly, Verkal Gulan remained a little out of reach, but the Assembly was already working with the Army to draft plans to liberate it as well.  Modernizers New locomotives were rolling out across the Reach and beyond, and it was not long before an inhabitant of Orlghelovar could take a train to Hul-Jorkad that only took a matter of days. The rails lines were also further expanded to handle larger quantities of freight and of course military goods. Once the rail lines were extended to Seghdihr, reinforcements would be able to make it from the furthest reaches of the Union before the enemy were able to poke the smallest hole in its walls.  War cascades It was less than a year after the war with the Phoenix Empire that the Union was dragged into not one but two wars simultaneously by its Cannorian allies. Given the sheer size of the wars, large portions of the army had to be diverted to provide aid and ensure that the Union's allies succeeded rather than simply defending the nation's borders. The whole situation had been triggered by a Gawedi invasion of some of the northern states of the Empire of Anbennar. This cascaded as various powers saw an opportunity to jump on their now-vulnerable neighbours. The Emperor had no clout remaining, and was forced into an impossible situation with the Empire beset on all sides.  Fury of the unappreciative The strategy of the Glasslords was to rally their own workers against their best interests, leading to countless strikes and protests by those who didn't seem to believe that the government was making these reforms to help them. Regrettably, force had to be used in some cases where the violence spilled over into the streets. It did little to aid the Glasslords' cause however, as a large number of supporters ended up dead or arrested as a result.  T-wave imagery The T-wave Transceiver continued to improve with the addition of imagery to the device, although it still saw very little use in the Union. It was very common to see artificer groups communicating demonstrations of their inventions live to Gommo offices around the world, and the promise remained that perhaps one day this would be the natural way a person might communicate. Republican Tradition is nice, but we actually do pretty well for that as a dwarven republic. If we weren't in need of loading up on military artifices, this would be a reasonable choice.  Rebirth unlikely The Phoenix Empire continued to struggle through dire straits, with no sign of abating. They were invaded by the dwarves of the Tree of Stone, who seemed to similarly be interested in liberating dwarven territory under the Empire's control. It had reached the point where internationally they were barely considered a great power, let alone a real threat to the Union, Kheterata, or any of the other real powers of the world.  A bureaucratic industry An entire civil service industry was growing out of the need to govern territory spanning thousands of miles from Westend to Seghdihr. A young dwarf could conceivably see themselves with a lifetime career as a bureaucrat, never finding themselves bored due to wide range of needs and issues of the nation. The sheet number of members of the civil service was approaching that of other key industries. Finishing administrative gives us +25% governing capacity, probably the second most important part of the group besides the core creation cost considering how much land we are stating as we expand.  The Science of Magic With the reforms of glass study approaching their conclusion, the Enlightened Ten, the scientific leadership within the Orlghelovaric Research Institute, turned their focus towards a different area of study. Magic had always been elusive to those of a more scientific bent, but the Ravelians had shown that it could be studied and turned towards the betterment of society as a whole rather than enrichment of a magical elite. With the new university finally finishing construction deep within the newest districts of the hold, it was the perfect time to begin inviting mages to work with the scientists of the Institute to further the mutual goal of knowledge.  Glasslords' last stand The conclusion of the glass reforms brought with it one last gasp from the Glasslords, who drained the remainder of their wealth and political power in an attempted coup of the government. Anticipating such an event, only half of the Union Army had been dispatched to fight in the western war and the remainder was able to intercept the coup forces before they could breach the Assembly Hall in Orlghelovar or any of the local administrations in the other glass-producing holds and cities. As the last of their mercenary forces were driven away, Whitebeard announced by Crierless Crier the official abolishment of the glass cartels, the last remaining major cartels after the Hoardcurse. The nation was entering a new future where power was determined by those with the will to innovate, not those with ownership of production.  Fields of blood, miles of gain The last of the wars in Cannor came to an end with the further cementing of Lorent's dominance over the Bay of Wines. The other ended with similar minor gains. It did not sit well with the population of any of the involved nations that hundreds of thousands should die for such a minor cause. Even the Union, which had only partially participated, had seen a significant number of dead that meant its reserves of dwarfpower still hadn't recovered from the war before these.  The bane of the Deepwoods Despite having lost the Wars of Consolidation, Stalbór had bounced back and become the foremost native Escanni power. Witch-Prince Riannon had formed an alliance with King Belgar in Orlazam-az-dhir to present a united front against Gawed and give him security to further his father's studies in the Deepwoods. Planners within the Union considered this alliance to be the second largest threat to the Union after Kheterata, and were soon in touch with their counterparts in the other dwarven nations to discuss a potential pre-emptive strike.  An age of science and imperialism Technology was ever-advancing, and the administrative and economic efficiency of the nation grew with it. Artifices were becoming a common sight across every corner of the Union, and the scientific analysis techniques that they had emerged from were also being applied to far greater projects. Even diplomacy was affected, as psychological and ideological principles gave leaders the tools with which to move the levers of society and direct it towards their imperial goals, benevolent or otherwise. Tech 23 is a big deal. Besides getting new units and more adm/dev efficiency, we finally get access to Imperialism which gives a universal CB.  Incendiary warfare The Skullcrushers were being steadily phased out in favour of a new adventurer-based system. The Grudgesettlers were trained by the Skullcrushers of the previous generation and armed with technology that would have been unimaginable even to their immediate forebears. The most prominent of these were incendiary scatterguns, volleys of which could set the entire frontline of the enemy aflame and allow the armoured warriors at the fore stride through the fire and into the formation's heart.  Last command In the east, the Command continued to decline. This was most relevant to the Union due to the renewed interest in the Assembly of reclaiming conquered dwarf holds, of which several were held by the Command's Jade March along with the Jade Gem of the Dwarovkron. With several major powers, including one dwarven one, closing on the collapsing hobgoblin regime, time was almost up for them and the question of who would take the Jade Gem would soon begin to be asked.  Ultimate glassmakers With the reforms completed and the last vestiges of the Glasslords cleared away, a new age of glass production was about to begin. The name 'Glasslords' remained, but it was not limited to a handful of greedy, almost hoardcursed, dwarves. Instead, it referred to each and every glassmaker within the borders of the Union. Not just dwarves, but the humans and elves of Bahar, and any other race who was willing to step into the glass foundries that defined the nation and made it the envy of the world.  The Second Great Northern War The coalition declared war on the two allies late in 1686, aiming to strike before the Witch-Prince grew old enough to take the throne and bring his powerful magic to bear as part of the war effort. Together, the three dwarven nations plus Estallen roughly equalled the enemy alliance, but the plan was to have Estallen focus on fighting the Escanni nations while the dwarves worked together to knock Orlazam-az-dihr out of the war first. This meant that Estallen might be fighting alone on one front for a while, but it was considered a safe risk to take.  Opening battles Flame blazed in the tunnels surrounding Verkal Kozenad as the enemy launched an attempt to knock the weakest member of the coalition out in the opening days of the war. They were thwarted by the arrival of Union forces, but it was still a brutal battle as Grudgesettlers ran rampant outside the walls of the hold, throwing themselves into the ignited battlefield with wild abandon. After driving away the initial attack, the army pursued and caught out the artillery division intended to smash the walls, eliminating it entirely. Buoyed by these successes, they pushed onwards.  Overeager assault They met a surprising foe in the tunnels, tens of thousands of humans and half-orcs led by commanders who had caught onto the coalition's intentions. Depleted by their earlier battles, the vanguard was forced to withdraw back into Kozenadan territory and wait for the remainder of the Union Army to link up with them.  Quick victories on the surface The Stalbóric focus on defending the mountains was at the expense of the surface fronts. Estalleni forces roamed freely through western Escann, forcing surrenders and plundering their lesser allies. Ancardia and Ravenmarch were quickly knocked out of the war, and the Witch-Prince was forced to pull his armies from the tunnels to defend his own capital.  The Dam Project While the war raged, the Assembly was content to focus on infrastructure. The expansion and upgrading of the rail network was close to completion, so the next focus was a dam in Firanyalen that had first been designed decades earlier when the region was first reclaimed from the Phoenix Empire. Sitting in the elbow of the mountains above Lake Jorkad, it had the potential to generate enormous quantities of hydro-mechanical energy that could power the entirety of the Union.  Delving into the science of the arcane The government also officially sponsored deeper research into magic. A large number of scientists were still uneasy about the subject, seeing the mages as competition and magic itself as something unknowable, but the Assembly was happy to pile as much money into the issue as was required to change their minds. Hmm, based on subsequent events I fear that my understanding of this event and the missions it leads to isn't quite right. From poking around online comments I thought this one was related to the Rot, but it turns out it is more magic-focused. I'm not sure what the option even means in that case. The other options, for reference, are 'Did we already hit our limits' and 'Perfection lies in detail'.  Extended too far The retreat of the surface forces gave the dwarves of the Union a second wind, leading to them mounting an assault on the Kingsrock. However, King Belgar was able to rally his forces together into a mass one hundred thousand strong and drive the Union Army back with significant losses. Years of endless war, from Bulwar to Cannor and now the north as well, had both depleted the nation's reserve of willing and able warriors and made it less likely that new recruits would sign up given the bloodbaths that they were seeing through the Viewcatcher and the strict requirements the military expected of its recruits. The only option was to ease back on the Army's standards, otherwise the campaign might collapse through a sheer lack of bodies to fill the frontlines.  Damestear limitations The greatest issue with attempting to study magic was simply how hard it was to reproduce experimentally. Not necessarily because of the complexity or unreliability of the spells, but because mages were in short supply and had very little patience for being asked to participate in mind-numbing experimental process. The only other option was to make use of Damestear, but that too was in short supply with the meteor in Westend having been completely mined out to fuel the artificer boom. To ensure that the research they had funded would be able to bear fruit, the Assembly approved a tax on Damestear, to ensure that the majority of the substance was able to find its way into the hands of scientists.  The Damestear economy teeters on the edge It emerged, at first slowly but then very rapidly, that Damestear was far more tied into the economy than the government economists could have predicted. So many industries were increasingly relying on artifice creations, and the mage guild remained influential especially as they held the monopoly on golems and other runic devices produced by the Runeforge. Both groups were on the verge of being driven destitute, as only the wealthiest were able to gather any of the material that was otherwise being hoarded by the government. The knock-on effects were devastating. Manufactories were shutting down, streetlight maintenance ground to a halt, leading to large areas of the mountain interior going dark, and thousands of citizens were forced to the streets in protest.  Tipping point The Mage Guild declared its open opposition to the government, and surprising number of other organisations and industries followed them. Either the magical research would be halted, and the tax on Damestear be revoked, or the whole government would be brought down. With war still raging in the north and the army away, the President had no choice. Something had to be done, or his head would be mounted on somebody's stave. To be continued…
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Apr 26, 2023 17:45
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Been really enjoying the narrative of this LP. Keep it up!
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Apr 27, 2023 00:32
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Map is starting to look pretty good.  Hmmm. Given that glass series of events, are the dwarves going to invest socialism? And why are the rebels separatists, that doesn't really make sense according to the text? Surely they should be particularists?
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Apr 27, 2023 14:18
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Most importantly we invented trains.
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Apr 27, 2023 15:01
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Chapter Sixteen: To Unite Society 1688-1708  Dwarves on every corner The situation was deteriorating, and with every able-bodied dwarf out fighting the violence spiralling out of control was almost inevitable. The highest priority of the Assembly was to bring an end to the war and build up a reserve of dwarves to police the nation and restore order. They also ordered a package of economic relief to stop the economy collapsing before the troops could be brought home.  Bringing the war to an end Estalleni forces had already taken the enemy capital of Bladekeep, while the Kingsrock was rapidly falling to Union cannons and the remainder of their forces found themselves caught in the eastern rail tunnels between the Union forces coming out of the Kingsrock and the armies of Verkal Kozenad. It would not be a dramatic victory, but it would be a victory.  Repeated liberation For the most part, the peace with Orlazam-az-dihr consisted of returning territory to the Union's allies. Once again, the observatory hold changed hands as control of the Northern Pass between the Serpentspine and the Giant's Anvil was handed back to Krakdhûmvror. It was a dissatisfying conclusion for how much blood had been spilled in the tunnels, and only promised another confrontation in future.  Clearing the Deepwoods Stalbór was removed from the Deepwoods almost entirely, with some elven nations being granted freedom and a large span of twisted woodland coming under direct Union control. Administrators entered the region to find themselves lost and endangered by the creatures and magic that dwelt within. In the eyes of many of the liberated elves, the dwarves were just another outside oppressor, and while that wasn't an unusual position for peoples who had been liberated by the Union, this was probably the first time they could twist the terrain itself against their saviours.  Freedom for wood elves It was ultimately agreed that control over the woods should remain with the elves who knew it best. Much like the green orcs of the Silver Tusk they had been touched by the strange magic of the realm, and working with them to come to an understanding of it would be far better than trying to fight it. If only the same could be said of the magic the government faced at home.  The foundation laid Being a project that relied purely on the might of engineering rather than any kind of magic, the Harpylen Dam project continued apace. The first stage was completed without any issues, with the hills overlooking Lake Jorkad reshaped to eventually hold a vast structure and foundational struts set into the hillsides for the weight of the dam to be lean against. You have to go through several stages to complete the dam. I'm sure someone somewhere has done the maths to decide whether or not it is actually worth it in the end, considering each step costs 12k+ crowns.  Opportunity Starting another war while the was nation in crisis seemed like a bad idea, but the Assembly was able to gather support to start a limited war confined to the Middle Dwarovar. By attacking the Skewered Drake clan, they could drag the Phoenix Empire into a war without its allies and thus make it a short, sharp conflict.  Unpopularity The war was not popular with the people, who took it as yet another sign that the Assembly had grown more concerned with its own power whether that be military or scientific. The first to rise up were a group of former miners from Westend, the economy of which had collapsed as all the remaining scraps of Damestear from the meteor had been collected for research purposes. They would not be the last however, as countless other groups chafed against the economic downturn and the active incitement of rebellion by mages. This is where the sheer number of bonuses we have to unrest really pay off. Our nation would be exploding with rebels otherwise, but as it stands relatively few of these will actually pop before we clear this situation.  The Golden Hold The war was, as predicted, short and sharp. With no easy way for the Phoenix armies to get into the mountains, and significant fortifications blocking the way into Bahar, the Union Army was able to liberate Verkal Gulan and hold it until the Skewered Drake gave in, freeing the Golden Hold and the hold of Gor Vazumbrog with minimal casualties. Restoration efforts soon began, so that the vast gold deposits could be accessed and used to bring great wealth to the nation.  Direct to Escann King Belgar had worked closely with his counterpart in the human-occupied Marrhold to finally open up the official route between the Serpentspine and Escann, a tunnel that had been closed for thousands of years. Almost immediately dwarven engineers were laying rail lines into and through Marrhold, linking Orlazam-az-dihr directly to its allies on the surface. This is actually really bad if you are a dwarf relying on trade flowing to Amldihr, as it allows Escanni nations to start siphoning trade away from you.  Mages seize the harbour The largest battle of the mage's rebellion took place in Ovdal Tûngr, where an association of mages aimed to seize the docks and Union Navy, and from there have control over all imported Damestear. Battle ravaged the hold, as the fortifications around the harbour cavern were beset by magical bombardment. However, the hold had long survived external siege, having survived a blockade by the original Phoenix Empire that lasted over a century. In the modern world, with reinforcements just a Sending Stone call away, they held out long enough for relief to arrive and scatter the rebels.  Drafting a constabulary The military wasn't enough. An iron fist could stomp down all of the mages and others that rose up, but it wouldn't keep the rebellion from happening in the first place. Instead, the Assembly passed a decree establishing a police constabulary in each hold within the Union. Dwarves who might have joined the military, were instead placed into a civilian organisation tasked with maintaining the peace and monitoring subversive elements. With that, streets could be protected without the need for martial law. I only just realised how good this is. Because dev is so cheap for dwarf holds, exploiting to regain manpower is actually more mana-efficient than slackening standards. This is a much easier way to meet the requirements of the mission. I'll have to keep this in mind for future dwarf playthroughs. I'm not sure that modifier name makes sense, considering the requirements for the mission are building up your manpower pool and smashing all rebel armies.  Resolving the crisis To finally deal with the mages, a carrot and stick approach was taken. On one end, a lot of the tax revenue that had been extracted from society was re-invested back into magical studies. Parts of the Research Institute were given over to magical studies, and mages towers were put up in other holds, while regulations on magical research were relaxed to allow them to engage in more innovative, if dangerous and perhaps unethical, studies. The Runeforge in Rizvâmbrèthar was granted additional funding to study and repair the power source and increase the output of magical golems. On the other end, a special division of the constabulary was established to monitor for threats to the stability of the Union. With the use of the latest in artificery, such as the Sending Stones, the T-Wave Transceiver, and Self-Cleaning Parchment, it was easier than ever for an agent to infiltrate an organisation and keep in touch with their handlers. Those mages who were not placated by the carrot found themselves beaten by the stick. Reduced research regulations is great if you are a Witch King and don't care about diplomacy. Otherwise, it is really bad especially considering we just added another chunky vassal. I revoke it ASAP.  Pushing for unification of science and magic A great debate was held in the Assembly Chambers in Orlghelovar in the aftermath of the 'War on Magic'. Three sides presented themselves. The mages demanded increased privileges and guarantees that the mage's guild would remain independent of government control. An alliance of artificers and business interests brought the suggestion that magic was incompatible with science, and that the mages should be expelled from the nation. In reality of course, they wanted to reduce competition for previous Damestear. Finally, the representative of the Enlightened Ten suggested that the lines between magic and science be broken down. Though this would be a massive and expensive endeavour, it received significant support from across the Union, including from the President. The agreement was that at least two members of the Enlightened Ten had to be mages, that magical studies received equal funding and support as other scientific endeavour in the Research Institute, the Mage Guild would be reorganized into an Institute of Magic, still independent but with every mage to be trained as a scientist, and that Rizvâmbrèthar would become a second centre of scientific excellence, receiving as much funding as Orlghelovar itself. It would be long process, but there was light at the end of the tunnel. That idea cost malus would be a problem, if we didn't have a ton of bonuses towards it already.  Recovery and boom The following years saw a massive explosion of economic growth, further boosted by the discovery of a new Damestear deposit in Ourdia. The Runeforge was working overtime producing workers to fill the mines of the mountain interior, factories were turning those materials into imppecable finished goods, and locomotives were starting to be seeing trundling down from the mountains carrying those goods to the surface cities to be transported abroad. A new golden age was dawning for the Union, where magic, artifice, and industry worked together to bring prosperity to all.  Studying the very small During the next meeting of the Enlightened Ten, a new proposition was put forward. Orlghelovaric glass was getting ever better, but there was one application that they hadn't yet considered. Just as Karrom Greybeard had used glass to build a telescope, perhaps the right application of lenses could be used to study incredibly small objects. Perhaps, with magical enhancement, such a lens could peer into the fabric of reality itself. I've decided not to offer up a vote on this after all. The research branches are generally short enough that there isn't much point and we'll be doing all of them by the end.  The Northern Hegemon Intelligence reports from the far north were worrying the nation's strategic planners. The Kingdom of Gawed, or perhaps it would be better called an Empire, had won another war that saw it regain territory from Orlazam-az-dihr and make further inroads into Escann. Word was that it was now considering action against the sphere that the Union was a part of, but whether that was its allies in Cannor or in the Dwarovar remained unclear. With fronts potentially a continent apart, a war with Gawed seemed inevitable and possibly unwinnable.  Estallen's folly The Empire of Anbennar was rocked by a political crisis when the young Emperor died unexpectedly without an heir. The next in line to succession to the Duchy of Sugamber, the Emperor's homeland, was the King of Busilar, but the Duke of Estallen also considered himself the rightful successor. He made a grand proclamation before confirming his position with his allies, but very quickly the Busilari produced documents countering his claims and one by one his allies abandoned him. Even the Union were not willing to get involved in petty dynastic squabbles, and suddenly Estallen found itself alone and beset on all sides. Ah, Succession Wars, the single biggest potential diplomatic disaster in EU4. At least they are optional for players, but sadly the AI loves to kick them off even if none of their allies would join.  The Sham Empire As to the Empire of Anbennar itself, the title somehow fell into the hands of King Rhiannon of Stalbór, the young Witch King. It had become somewhat of a sham in itself, as the City of Beepeck was the only elector remaining following the bloody wars of the past fifty years. Perhaps the halflings considered an outsider the only way to save the Empire, or maybe they would rather see the title discredited and destroyed completely.  Search for the microscopic The call went out across the nation, both for glassmakers and scientists to develop new lenses capable of seeing the most miniscule objects, but also for researchers and mages to present and plan experiments that would benefit the most from being able to see into the smallest of realms. Several research proposals were drafted up, but most promising was one that suggested the exact nature of the Serpent's Rot might be discovered by looking very, very closely at the blood samples that were locked in the deepest vaults of Orlghelovar.  An unlikely inventor They found no success, to the point that the Enlightened Ten were even willing to entertain an apparent destitute fraud. The Union was not lacking in funds, so any and all options were considered and funded.  Imbued cobalt glass The introduction of mages to the academic and scientific world was already bearing fruit, as they developed the idea of using cobalt glass as a magical focus by imbuing it with Damestear during the production process. This magical glass had a wide range of theoretical uses, but first found a purpose in construction. Glass decorations or windows were no longer niceties to be added at the very last moment, but could be set up at the beginning and used as magical focuses to help mages aid in the construction effort. A new age of architecture was on the verge of being born.  Light on the world The ideals of Orlghelovar and of the Union were starting to gain traction in the world at large. Not necessarily with everyone, there were still many holdouts of the old ways, but the wide spread of Ravelian teachings, and the growth of artificery even among the less scientifically inclined races were seeing the brewings of a revolution in thought and perhaps soon action.  Growth in opposition The armies of Kheterata were not idle while the Union dealt with conflict within and without. In another war, they seized the remainder of the Isles of Tef not controlled by the Union, and also took control of the western side of the Harpy Hills, preventing any further dwarven expansion against the Phoenix Empire in that direction.  A dangerous collection of foes They had also built up an alliance that spanned continents. Alenar was the largest single power in Aelantir, competing with Lorent's colonies for dominance of the ruins of the Precursor Empire. Bhuvari was the wealthiest nation in the world, having a monopoly on goods coming out of Haless after conquering the Phoenix Empire's trade ports. Finally, the granite dwarves of Ovdal-az-Ân were a stout and formidable military power that had survived the likes of the Command and the Phoenix Empire and reclaimed the Jade Gem. In all, attacking these foes seemed a nigh-impossible prospect without further preparation.  The newest cartel When Glassgrinder was late with his prototype, an investigation and interrogation very quickly revealed that he was being extorted by an entire cartel of artificers. Learning of its existence shocked President Whitebeard, but he knew that he ought to not be surprised. Dwarven civilization had been dependent on cartels until the Hoardcurse and the Glasslord's rebellion had seen them crushed, so it was almost natural to see the newest industry also fall into the same pattern. That did not stop it from being disappointing, however.  A secret plot It was even more shocking when further investigation revealed that the artificer cartel intended to stage its own coup and take full control of the Enlightened Ten. The artificers had been part of the rebellion against the tax on Damestear, but had gone quiet while the mages did the fighting. The truth turned out to be that they had been plotting all along. They had managed to keep it secret for so long through the use of T-Wave Transceivers to talk without the need for incriminating communications, but as the constabulary started picking up and applying more traditional techniques to cartel flunkies the plot started to become unravelled. The President ordered a large-scale operation to be held in every hold, including the Reach and the Middle Dwarovar, to try and root out these rebels and bring artificery back under state control. The artificer influence is the problem, thanks to some random events. I'll need to wait until 1711 to actually progress with these missions.  The eastern threat Diplomatic endeavours towards Kheterata's eastern allies were rebuffed. Neither the dwarves nor the Raheni were interested in friendlier relations. Both saw the Union as the next target for their westward expansion once the Phoenix Empire was eliminated.  The Pink Lady shattered The Succession War had broken Estallen. Once the shining jewel of Esmaria, the Duchy's defeat at the hands of Busilar had given the chance for all of its enemies to descend upon it and undo centuries of steady expansion. It turned out that when you spend so long creating enemies, all it takes is one wrong move for them all to leap upon weakness.  Deeper than ever Orlghelovar had reached levels previously unimaginable, as the hold continued to grow into the earth. Estimates put the deepest levels of the hold as being as deep as the mountains were tall, if not deeper. It was near impossible for any one person to get a comprehensive idea of the layout of the hold, nor to visit it, so it was only the vast unending bureaucracy that kept in functioning. Despite this, the hold was still lit brightly with daylight, as each new layer further expanded upon the mechanisms that had been repaired shortly after the founding and even bolstered them through the addition of new discoveries like magical glass. The vast avenue circling its way up the hold was now bracketed by rail lines with powered locomotives slowly bringing goods and passengers up from lowest depths.  Prototype Network-Intercommunicators With more and more artificers being absorbed or cowed into silence by the cartel, work on new inventions was slowing down. The state artificer guild produced a device called a network-intercommunicator, which combined Sending Stones, Self-Cleaning Parchment, and the Apparitional Communicator to create a 'screen' that could be used to transmit text and images from one device to one or multiple others. They were very fragile and expensive and most dwarves only seemed to use them to send pictures of their pets, so apart from a few owned by the government it didn't appear they would ever catch on. Another minor bonus, this might mean we are running out of 'Society' inventions to research.  No more a challenge The Phoenix Empire was in a serious state of collapse, and so when the Assembly agreed for one final push to reclaim the remaining mountain interior territory held by the elves, the war was incredibly straightforward. Their armies crumbled, and their forts could not stand up to dwarven cannon.  Vulcanism unleashed The war against the Phoenix Empire was heralded by an eruption of the great volcano that stood atop Gor Bûrad. However, this was not a devastating eruption that might destroy the hold but instead a controlled releases in celebration. The magma forges were back online and had been reworked to produce unique obsidian glass, as unique and valuable as Orlghelovar's own cobalt glass.  A display of strength The final battle of the latest war against the Phoenix Empire was held in the shadow of the Union's two new eastern enemies. It was as much a demonstration of military power as it was a battle for strategic reasons. It would serve as a reminder that the dwarves were willing to come out of the mountain to fight, and that when they did their ferocity and firepower would be utterly unchanged.  Citrine reclaimed With the end of the war, all remaining elven territory inside the mountains was returned to dwarven hands, along with the Citrine Gem. Most of their remaining Deepwoods territory was also liberated. The Assembly's mission to reclaim the Middle Dwarovar had come to an end, and with it any pressure to push further into the remains of the Phoenix Empire was falling off. The entrances to the mountains and Harpylen could be easily fortified, a massive desert frontier with Kheterata less so. One enemy had been destroyed, and yet more arose. The 18th Century looked as though it would be another bloody one, but in order to preserve the technology and society the Union had built, they were willing to do whatever it took. To be continued… Votes Today we have two votes. Firstly, shall we change artificer focus? 1: Continue with Society 2: Change to Industry 3: Change to Military Secondly, we come to another decision on idea groups. This may not come up in the next update, but it will be relatively soon. Please vote for one option. Once again, second and third place will be guaranteed to appear in the final idea group poll. A: Economic – The only administrative idea option we have left that makes sense (the other two being Religious and Expansion). We're making a lot of money, but we could always have more. B: Diplomatic – We need to build a larger alliance of equals capable of countering the Kheteratan alliance. C: Influence – Or we could build a network of 'allies' that will ultimately join with our Union. D: Naval – Our navy has seen mixed performance, so perhaps some investment in it would be valuable. E: Plutocratic – Faced with powerful enemies, every citizen should consider the defence of the Union their civic duty. So, a vote should look like 2, E. Voting will last 48 hours.
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Apr 29, 2023 12:06
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3, C
Aesculus fucked around with this message at 16:08 on Apr 29, 2023 |
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Apr 29, 2023 13:07
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1, E This is surely a brilliant idea. At this point it looks like the empires get way too big and definitely have WAY too many troops. Wars must be so tedious to slog through.
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Apr 29, 2023 13:11
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Poil posted:At this point it looks like the empires get way too big and definitely have WAY too many troops. Wars must be so tedious to slog through. That's late-game EU4 in a nutshell, especially after they reworked the AI to focus on blobbing up. It hasn't been too bad fighting the dying Phoenix Empire, but there was a lot of back-and-forth fighting in the last war with Kheterata that I skipped over and the next one will be worse. The slog is the main reason I'm holding off on attacking them again until I can find an ally who can take some of the pain. Lorent may be willing to join the war, but they'd probably limit their fighting to Aelantir.
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Apr 29, 2023 13:32
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Yeah but even more so than in regular old EU4. Getting a powerful vassal swarm to help out is so nice.
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Apr 29, 2023 13:33
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Aesculus posted:3, C
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Apr 29, 2023 15:22
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2, E
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Apr 29, 2023 15:44
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3, E. We've found ourselves in a bit of a pickle, but we also enjoy an incredible defensible position. So let's work towards improving our military so we're better able to match our enemies.
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Apr 29, 2023 15:58
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2. E.
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Apr 29, 2023 16:02
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How much development/manpower are we compared to Gawed and Bhuvauri?
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Apr 29, 2023 16:10
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Can we take a look at the world map? Maybe show the full map every once in a while?
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Apr 29, 2023 16:19
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2 EAesculus posted:How much development/manpower are we compared to Gawed and Bhuvauri? Yeah, it would be interesting to see the ledger to see how everyone lines up in terms of income and manpower.
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Apr 29, 2023 16:19
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1B
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Apr 29, 2023 16:37
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3, E
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Apr 29, 2023 17:23
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Interlude: State of the World 1708 As people are curious, here are some statistics as we enter the final century of gameplay. I should probably have been doing this sort of update more often, but I will keep that in mind for future.  The Great Powers We are currently second on the list of great powers, with Lorent being first. However, that is only because we have embraced Enlightenment while most of the others haven't. Lorent is actually fairly low on development itself, and its score is being propped up by its significant colonies.  Top nations, by income We are also second in income, and it's unlikely we'll be able to beat Bhuvauri unless we break their hold on the Gulf of Rahen. Once the Sarhel update is out, more trade will be routed around the sea to Cannor but for now it is very easy to choke off trade before it makes it to Bulwar. I'm also kind of boggling at how much money Damescrown has saved up. A few nations are punching above their development here, including Lorent and Busilar thanks to their colonies, and Ormam because of a near monopoly on trade in South Aelantir.  Top nations, by army size We have a relatively small army considering our size, but that is mostly down to a small force limit. Quality was the word of the day over quantity, though. Our manpower is also in a pretty good state, but we're about to drop by 100K or so as we deal with that artificer mission.  Map of Cannor, Sarhel and Haless This makes the blobbing problem quite clear. Aside from the Empire of Anbennar, and the Serpentspine and Deepwoods that I've been working hard to keep independent, most of the Old World is controlled by some kind of blob. One Xia are looking like the strongest nation in Haless, just working on finishing off the Command, but can they beat the Bhuvauri-Kheteratan alliance? There's not much that I want to note that haven't in the regular updates, but feel free to ask questions.  Map of Aelantir The New World is quite the patchwork. Aelnar is obviously doing well in the centre, but Lorent's colonies together control more land and more resources overall. Busilar is hanging on to valuable colonies in the south, Amariande is a rebellious Wesdamerian colony, and Ormam is printing money in the southwest corner. The Dragon Dominion (in dark green) used to hold almost all of the Ynn Plateau (central North Aelantir), but the Lorentish colonies having been pushing them from the north. In the northwest, Eordand has managed to maintain its independence and relative isolation. A few notable minor nations still linger particularly around the central sea, including the pirates of Mykx, the relic hunters of the Vanbury Guild and even the dwarven colony of Asraport.  Full world map
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Apr 29, 2023 17:31
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Soylent Pudding posted:Most importantly we invented trains. Another point in favor of Luxury Dwarven Communism Edit: 3B Slightly Lions fucked around with this message at 20:30 on Apr 29, 2023 |
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Apr 29, 2023 18:40
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3B
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Apr 29, 2023 18:57
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1,E.
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Apr 29, 2023 19:11
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So is the big grey blotch out east The Forbidden Plains that's been referenced a few times? Or is that the area south of the Khet?
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Apr 29, 2023 20:07
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Rody One Half posted:So is the big grey blotch out east The Forbidden Plains that's been referenced a few times? Or is that the area south of the Khet? Thats the plains, Centaur and lake country.
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Apr 29, 2023 20:26
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3B
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Apr 29, 2023 21:42
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Rody One Half posted:So is the big grey blotch out east The Forbidden Plains that's been referenced a few times? Or is that the area south of the Khet? If you mean the Terra Incognita directly east of us, then that is correct. Most of it is wasteland though, all the decent territory is held by the Lake Federation, the blue blob in the north.
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Apr 29, 2023 23:11
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Wait, Ovdal-Az-An formed? That sure is a tag you don't see very often. RIP Dak and the Dakocracy I guess.
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Apr 30, 2023 01:38
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Xerophyte posted:Wait, Ovdal-Az-An formed? That sure is a tag you don't see very often. RIP Dak and the Dakocracy I guess. RIP Dak indeed. The Axebellow Cartel rolled in, killed him off and then formed the hold. Meanwhile, Ovdal Kanzad (the remnant hold starting in the same region) got killed by goblins so there was no opposition to Ovdal-Az-An taking everything.
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Apr 30, 2023 07:14
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3B
idhrendur fucked around with this message at 18:37 on Apr 30, 2023 |
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Apr 30, 2023 07:37
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3,B
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Apr 30, 2023 14:04
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3B
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Apr 30, 2023 20:54
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3D
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May 1, 2023 05:55
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3B
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May 1, 2023 06:20
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