Empire 7: Into the Depths IC Thread

[JBarca]

Round 10
The Shifting Ennead
Danabae (69), Maurente (74), The Cathedral of Movement (67), Sketi (68)

Led by King Akkoroas
D6 ; M5 ; E3 ; F1 ; I1

Actions

1. [MIL Sack TP 66.2, owned by CCA] Total Result: 14
   The Chora has proven unpredictable at best, and the plea and offer of the Third Chosen is tempting enough to spur the King into action. Balelia, mounted on the mysterious Kelpie and with a small group of Beaks, is sent raiding.
   
2. [MIL 5 Recruit General] Ouch. 7.
   Tulticius, fourth son of Antenius, is finally able to climb his way free of his father's shadow. All it took was treason! The young Doflein trained under Telian and developed some very un-Doflein ideas about the leader's place on the battlefield. He is armed to the beak, with hooks and blades aplenty, and is said to be utterly fearless.
   
   First to Kill
   Tulticius is said to be utterly fearless in battle, and proves this every chance he gets. It's said he offers a handsome reward to any Beak or levy who kills a foe before he does.
   Effects: +3 to battles, -4 Allied Leader Loss, -2 Enemy Leader Loss, +10% Enemy Casualties, +10% Allied Casualties
   
   
3. [FAITH Seek Aid on the Sack of 66.2] SUCCESS
   Balelia remains an adherent of the Pattern for personal reasons, and coopts the few remaining faithful to support her excursion into the Seas-Not-Yet-Dead.
   
4. [FAITH Adopt Faith: Eternal Communion]
   The Pattern has proven to be utterly worthless to the Doflein. Telian is able to scapegoat Antenius for the initial conversion, fortunately, and spearheads this new paradigm shift. With the announcement of the Pax Arctica, it seems foolish not to fully buy in.
   
   
5. [ECO Assist with the Verglas Volumes 2/2]
   Ilbio again meets with the Stewards, this time arriving in dramatic fashion atop a firefly squid. Whereas architecture and devices can provide warmth to those without access, the squids can, if controlled properly, make the waters downright balmy. Ilbio explains this while demonstrating the bursts of near-boiling water from the squid. In regions with particularly strong current, such as Maurente and Danabae, a handful of the squid could, in theory, be used to heat streams of water flowing to populated locations, though Ilbio admits this is mere speculation. While he is explaining this, the local Danabaens are locking themselves into their homes for the night, sealing the doorways with tightly packed fibers so the small spaces within can retain body heat through the night.
   
6. [ECO Hoard Treasure]
   Great plans are not cheap, and the Enneii have eyes on expensive projects.

Non-Actions

1. Spend One (1) CCA Favor to gain 1 Rep. The Chora owe the Ennead, and Telian reminds them of this fact when they inevitably take offence at some light raiding.
2. Spend One (1) ABS Favor to gain 1 Rep. The Stewards continue to represent a power that the Enneii lust for, and the time has come to spend favors official and informal to integrate themselves with the structure of this strength.
3. Ask permission of the Stewards to construct a Smoking Garden. The Ennead is aware of the difficulties in maintaining such a complex infrastructure. With the dreaded Titans on the move, though, now is not the time for hoarding. Telian promises that the Ennead is willing to assist above and beyond the normal requirements, if this proves necessary [SEN is willing to provide an extra action toward construction].
4. Continue work on the [PRS Monumental Undertaking] Provinciarum Mirabilia (2/3): Supplies are shipped to each of the civic centers serving as hosts for the monuments. Mer and other serfs from across each of the regions are pulled in to handle the labor, while Arms from Danabae oversee everything. Coral is guided into the proper shapes and flesh is harvest from workers who perform poorly. Day by day, progress is made. For the administrative side of the wonders, Akkoroas orders permanent garrisons of Beaks who are paid directly from the tax revenues and required to master sharp, intimidating drills. While the serfs suffer, the Beaks practice their performances, creating quite the spectacle in the provinces.
5. Give the Kelpie to Balelia as a mount. The strange creature reappears in Ennead territory, this time on the eve of conflict. Though it remains unclear what its nature, provenance, or purpose is, Balelia is hardly one to forgo a potential advantage and elects to ride it into the skirmish with the Chora's guards. On return, she attempts to imprison the beast, impressed by its speed and power.

Reports and Discoveries

• Akkoroas is distinctly unimpressed with the Pax Arctica, but is canny enough to make use of it while it lasts.
• King Akkoroas begins practicing a method to prolong his rapidly diminishing life. He makes rulings, commands, plans, and proclamations, then invests the Princes Telian and Cussius the power to enact his will. Balelia is given imperium, while a coterie of courtesans and bureaucrats handle the minutiae. Then the King rests. He enters the Doflein stasis for a period of a year and a half before waking, devouring updates and responding to crises, and resting again. After another year, he awakes to rule in person for a year again, then repeats the process. In this way, he nearly triples his remaining lifespan. Typically, the Doflein call out such excess as cowardice and greed. With Akkoroas, though, no one dares.

Ruler Stats R11:
D: 6
M: 6
E: 4
F: 2 POLAR
I: 1
New Ruler: No

Spoiler: Technology

Show

Technologies

Type	Name	Effect(s)	Required Resource?
S	Composite Grafting	N/A	N/A
S	Graduated Symbiosis	N/A	N/A
C	Electrodialytic Staurozoa	Ignore Effective Distance from Briny 2/rd	N/A
S	-	N/A	N/A
S	-	N/A	N/A

Spoiler: Mechanical Bookkeeping

Show

Trading Posts Owned: 0


Military Units CAP: 10/11

Generals

• Balelia - 9

Spies

Cultural Exchanges

• GRV
• DPB
• STC

Artifacts

Treasure
1/5

Special Actions Used
DIP5 - Cultural Exchange DPB

POLAR