Empire 7: Into the Depths IC Thread

[Volthawk]

The Cyphiri Union
Round 11
Regions: 122, 129
Ruler: Baran Hallus
Faith: The Flowing Way (The Cyphiri Way)
Diplomacy 7 Military 5 Economy 10 Faith 8 Intrigue 2
Merchant Marine

Actions
End of Turn Ruler Increases: +1 Diplomacy, +1 Faith

1. Attend Event - Oliver's Ball [Diplomacy] - Unrolled
   The announcement of another big Middish celebration is met with excitement by the Cyphiri, as always, and it isn't long before a delegation from Cyph-Arel arrives.
   
   Spoiler: Sub-Actions

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   • Accept Bitter Tourism and Filtration Grafts from GTZ
   • Give GTZ 1 Treasure
   • Accept Holographic Certification from STC
   • Give STR Anoxic Adaptation
   • Give GWC Composite Grafting, Graduated Symbiosis, Photospore Signalling, Supernatic Propogation, Trophic Deconvolution and Anoxic Adaptation
   • Accept Electrodialytic Staurozoa from SEN
   • Give SEN Anoxic Adaptation and Trophic Deconvolution

   
   
2. Establish Confederation Claim on 124 (2 Treasure Spent) [Diplomacy] - 14, Success
   With the common populace of the Emerald Tidelands following the Flowing Way and being receptive towards the Union, Cyphiri diplomats begin spreading the idea of an alliance and union between the two countries. Among the Tails, their strongest supporters in the region, they extoll the benefits of being connected to the Cyphiri trade network for quality of life, the opportunities to join Cyphiri families and Houses for a better life, and the greater connection to the peoples who follow the Way, while their offers to the Kalan themselves are more focused on how they'd personally benefit, particularly those not tied with the Stewards, and warnings on the risk of disobeying the will of their people. While they see great success among the Tails, the Kalan seem to need more convincing.
3. Convert HS1 of 128 (B'kini Bottom) [Faith] - 15, Success
4. Convert HS2 of 128 (B'kini Bottom) [Faith] - 11, Failure
   With many of the Cyphiri followers of the Way finding the need for their guidance in the Emerald Tidelands lessened these days, some families begin looking out for other places that would benefit from their understanding. The notion of reminding the residents of Pyl-Garat on the benefits of the Flowing Way is quickly rebuffed by House Pylet, who pointedly encourage them to move on. This brings them south, into the lands of the Gotezhar, a land whose people have quite interesting beliefs. Finding their place for the time being, and not holding a grudge against the Pylet for forcing them here, they set about understanding the local faith and how it fits into the Way, and teaching the merits of the Flowing Way to the people living here. Some of the Mer are receptive, but others prefer to hold onto their beliefs and refuse to see how it all fits into the Way.
5. Impress Merchants of 139 (Using Domesticated Sea Cows to satisfy Manual Labour) [Economy] - 22, Success
   Following talks and arrangements made in the Builder's Union celebration, House Tellan begins to establish a presence for themselves in B'kini Bottom, driving a few herds of their sea cows south from Pyl-Garat into the region and putting them to work showing off how the animals can carry loads, pull things and do other feats of dumb labour and brute force with minimal coercion. Before long, they're able to secure arrangements to supply most of the region's settlements with draft animals, paving the way for further expansion in the region.
6. Impress Merchants of 140 (Using Ray-Ear Seaweed to satisfy Spices) [Economy, MM Bonus Action] - 16, Success
   While the Belar may not be sending Wayfinder on any grand expeditions, their preparations still send their agents beyond the borders of the Union. Some head east to the waters where the Carral family holds sway over the flow of business, using agreements struck between House Hallus and House Ulnesh and old contacts from their eastern expedition to establish a staging post close by to Death’s Passage, where a gap between Death’s Passage and the Greenheart gives a clear path into the souterhn wastes. Others look for another potential staging point - places that that give them new places to supply the Wayfinder and send it out into new wastes from. Some more adventurously-minded Belar suggest the far west, noting several potential regions around the unexplored stretch of wastes the Lux-Glossians had to go around in their expedition, but in the end the Belar leaders decide to stay closer to home, settling on the region of waters that Anastasia made accessible, noting the ease of resupply and the relatively short distance between the two staging points. Deals with the Kelad provide them with the edge they need, selling on the spices made from the Kelad's northwestern farms to satisfy local desires and establish the standing among the locals they need to make their project happen.

Nonactions

• Provide <resource TBD> to OKI through the trade route.
• Spend 1 ABS Reputation and 2 Favours to request the construction of an Artefact.
  Impressed by Shero'ah Hakkol and the reports from the Belar of their early tests with it, Baran gets in touch once again with the Stewards and promises future assistance in exchange for another of their treasures. In light of the discovery of toxic waters to the northeast of Cyph-Arel, and the amount of work required to carry out the Cyphiri's preferred solution, he asks for something that would allow them to better carry out bioengineering projects on a large scale.
• Spend 1 DNA Favour on Survival Of The Fittest to have them Coerce TP1 of 173.
  While Pelir Hallus and her cohort are sent alongside the diplomatic delegation to Middish ball to secure technologies that have passed them by, other trusted Hallus researchers set about making sure they have what they need at home. Of most interest to them is the ability to traverse the toxic waters to the northeat of Cyph-Arel, in light of the Divine Nacres investigating and the interesting reports heard back, and they are dismayed to come to the conclusion that there isn't anything suitable To recify this, they get in touch with the Nacres before they leave Cyph-Arel and request that they acquire a suitable organism for the grafts, pointing out a region with a species which should work - the Lux-Glossian colony to the far west, and the small filter-feeding tubeworms that dwell there. The matter of the means the Nacres take doesn't particularly cross their minds.
• Contribute 1 Treasure and Domesticated Sea Cows to the Gotezhar attempt to direct the Trawling Beasts to the northwest
  The emergence of the Trawling Beasts piques the curiosity of many Cyphiri, and while they can't see much many still make the westward journey to be close to all the excitement. Meanwhile the official response to the threat is discussed by the Union Council, taking into consideration the efforts of the other countries and their projections of where the Titans may eventually end up if they were sent in any particular direction. Eventually, a conclusion is reached that the Cyphiri would assist the Gotezhar in their attempt to direct the herd west, as far away from the majority of the local powers as possible - the risk to the Pfilreef and definite danger in the Costa's newest region of interest is noted and debated, but it's still decided that it's the least bad outcome. The task of carrying out the Union's part of this falls to House Tellan, who take the supplied gold and fashion shiny ornamentation for the cow herd they drive to the region in question - the logic is that if the Stewards think that shiny and precious things will attract the Beasts, and the Gotezhar are also trying to tempt them with food, then food with the shiny things attached will execute both strategies at the same time.
• Continue a Monumental Undertaking - The Grand Archives of the Cyphiri (2/3)
  
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  With the plans made, space made and the archivists assembled, the creation of the Grand Archives moved into their next stage. It was decided that the original building, the current Archives, would remain intact - after all, a good amount of respect for the past was important for understanding the mysteries of the Way, and not needing to move and potential disrupt the oldest records and stories was useful - and instead the Grand Archives would take the form of a group of buildings dedicated to different aspects of the archivists' mission. Their work further afield done, and their workforce assembled, the Council Fund starts construction according to the design they were given:
  
  The current Archive building would remain the heart of the Grand Archives, becoming known as the Old Building. Here would be where the leaders of the archivists would run the project, where those wanting the old lore would come, and where new archivists were trained. For now, while the rest of the Grand Archives were built, the focus was on training up all the new recruits the Fund had sent their way.
  
  It was decided that each of the other major countries following the Flowing Way would recieve their own building - representives of the Fund are sent to the Middish, Gotezhar and Lux-Glossians for input on the details of their building, while others collect their stories and histories, the three buildings (and a fourth for the various smaller countries and groups that followed the Way) forming a row to the left of the Old Building along the edge of the settlement's farmland.
  
  Other buildings of various sizes and focuses were planned elsewhere in the waters assigned to the project. Some would be specialised buildings, focused around a particular kind of expression of stories - such as the East Stage, where more vocal forms such as song and play are shown - while others would be focused around topics and particular groups - each of the major organisations are sent an offer to have some of their representives be allocated a space here to tell their tales and explain their ways, and elsewhere the War Room is set up to hold records of the various battles over the decades that are known to the Cyphiri (as a part of this, polar countries soon find war archivists wandering their lands to learn about their own military histories).
  
  To the right of the Old Building would be a long building following the edge of the farmland in the other direction to the buildings of the other Flowing Way countries, and it is here that the archivists and those who support their mundane needs will live and rest when not working.
  

News and Rumours

• The Belar are a cautious lot, and although Wayfinder has been completed and readied for waste exploration to everyone's satisfaction they still just busy themselves with short excursions and training excercises, apparently wanting to ensure they have the best crew who know how to use the Abyssal Stewards' gift as well as possible, and that their staging points are as ready as possible, before setting off on any substantial journey. A more critical view, held by some Cyphiri of other families, is that the Belar are waiting for others to do the initial exploration and mapping so they can focus all their time on finding valuables out there, and this is not entirely false.
• The Cyphiri make it clear that they are hopeful that they can arrange the cleansing of [121] under the Chora's direction - a sign of their returning respect and fondness for the nomads - soon, and politely request that other countries do not interfere, particularly if they are planning on taking a more destructive approach.
• Lanit Hallus returns from Oliver's Ball quite intrigued by the ways of foreign cultures around intermarriage and the related politial alliances. She starts to come up with a plan, and after confirming it with Baran, heads to the west of Cyph-Arel into the brackish leech-infested waters with a force of aides and guards.
• Ashal Hallus, Baran's daughter and his apparent planned successor, is growing well and the scholars and sages of the Flowing Way attending to her are reporting some successes in their ability to predict her future. It seems like it'll still be quite limited, but the mood around the project is optimistic.
• The Kelad family have quietened down about the Black Pearls in recent years - they're still opposed to the syndicate, but aren't making as much noise to the Council about them now, even though they now have House Tellan to give them a greater voice. Common opinion among other families is that they're up to something.
• The Sakura-Jin going to war on a neighbouring region increases the concern many families are feeling about them. While confident in the ability of the Flowing Peace to ensure they won't be completely conqiered, there is a concern about the damage the Astartes may cause before the warriors of the Flowing Way could defeat them. Nobody significant is calling for action against their neighbours, though.
• News from the Carral family of troops under the banner of the Greenwater Clans moving into [123] is a little concerning, but by this point the Cyphiri have figured out the best ways to keep control of their holdings in a warzone and the Carral are confident that between that and initially positive relations with the Clans it shouldn't affect the flow of blubber to the rest of the Union. If anything, the Carral are optimistic about the benefits of the region having a centralised authority once again.

Houses and Families of the Cyphiri Union

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These days many families are organised into Houses, a group of families led by a family that is part of the Union Council that have certain legal and economic ties and obligations, so the following is organised to suit. As always, there are many more families than this (in and out of the listed Houses), and more Houses, but these are the ones mentioned in the fluff so far.

The Council Fund
TPs: 122.1
<find the old fund summary and rewrite>
- Artan: The head of the arm of the Council Fund that works with mercenaries, and the one who made the early (but now irrelevant) deals with the Kalan Company that led to the diplomatic/economic foothold needed to secure the Fund's current mercenary force. As that force developed into the Retainer Guard, she's leveraged her role in things to become one of the major players in the military, developing a strong interest in battle tactics and strategy despite the typical Cyphiri attitude towards such things. Her parents were followers of the Flowing Way who named her for Arthan, but she isn't faithful herself.

House Hallus
TPs: 122.2
Supports: 122 (Aristocratic/Mercantile)
Other: Cultural Exchange with COS
House Families: Belar
Once just the most important family in the field of research and development, the Hallus family are now the most powerful family in the Union. After taking the position of the Ulnesh, the Hallus family have set about restructing and legalising many aspects of the Union Council and the wider Cyphiri Union, leading to the establishment of the House system and the Union's current strength.
- Baran Hallus: The actual head of the Hallus family, and the one directing their recent political moves. He has great respect for Pelir's work, and tends to indulge her requests. He's got broader interests than the average Cyphiri, taking an interest in the military conflicts that have gone on around the known world, and making plans for diplomatic efforts beyond those that are business-related.
- Ashal Hallus: Baran's newborn daughter.
- Pelir Hallus: The pioneer of Hallus biotech research, and the mind between most notable recent Cyphiri advancements. She's not the head of the family but has enough influence through the family to get what they want, if possible, with the Belar family being one example of this. She's quite fond of Costa Sereia, having used much of their technology in her work since meeting them.
- Lanit Hallus: One of Baran's main diplomatic agents and representatives. She's spent a lot of time in Orope in the past, trying to help the Tellan stabilise and gain control of the merchants there, and the failure there has left a stain on her record that she's never been happy about. Since then, she's been assigned to coordinate with House Ulnesh in the Emerald Tidelands, a task she's working hard at in order to regain her standing within the family.

Belar
Other: Wayfinder, Gulgolet Shero'ah Hakkol
A small family of explorers, eager to strike out into the unknown to find enough of value to make them rich. They established a mutually beneficial relationship with Pelir Hallus some years ago, with her finanicially backing their expeditions in exchange for her hearing first about their results and in general keeping the spark of adventure going within the Union, and with the establishment of the House system they've fallen fully under the banner of House Hallus.

House Ulnesh
Holy Sites: 122.1, 124.2, 124.3
Supports: 122 (Clerical)
House Families: Carral
Formerly the dominant power among the Cyphiri families, before the ascendancy of the Hallus family. Originally, they split their interests between a very strong agricultural base and ways of leveraging said strength in political and economic endeavours, but as more and more food is imported, the Union grows beyond their capabilities to feed, and other families take bites out of their agricultural empire, they've been finding that strength waning. These days, they instead leverage their high status among Cyphiri followers of the Flowing Way, with Werran Ulnesh their leader, to secure power. There was once a great rivalry between Ulnesh and Hallus, strengthened by the Hallus takeover, but these days they're almost cordial as the Ulnesh support Hallus ventures in the Union Council while the Hallus help them with their own plans focused around the Emerald Tidelands.
- Werran Ulnesh: A devoted follower of the Way, close to Garren, excited to spread the Flowing Way to new lands, very curious about the way other countries and faiths work. He became the most influential Ulnesh after their fall from dominance, as his rapport with Cyphiri followers was separate from his family's business, and since Garren's death has taken control over the family as it focuses on its new direction.
- Relas Ulnesh: The member of Ulnesh's leadership council most pushing for them to retake the top spot, and the main opposition to its current direction. She was originally Garren's preferred successor, but in the years before his death disagreements between the two meant she lost his direct support. She's proven herself to be a competent leader in her position, though, putting to bed many doubts people had when she was younger.
- Helad Ulnesh: The man in charge of coordinating loans between the Ulnesh and other Cyphiri families, deciding who gets the offers and how they're repaid/the influence gained is otherwise used. Was once the favourite among most of the family to succeed Garren, but the family's shift in direction led to him being passed over in favour of Werran. He still has notable influence among other Cyphiri families due to his ability to leverage the loans, though, and he's been busy trying to bring various families into House Ulnesh.

Carral
TPs: 123.1
Supports: 123 (Mercantile)
Small decentralised family who were once down on their luck and turned to the Bone-Grinder's Guild of [112] to try to make a new future for themselves. Their attempts to become more influential in the Guild ended up gaining them little, but the expedition eastwards that the Bone-Grinders sponsored has borne fruit for them, and they are now based in that region and have established themselves as a dominant mercantile power in the region by selling on imports from the Kelad.

House Tellan
TPs: 109.1, 114.2, 118.1, 118.2, 134.2
Other: CYP-OKI Trade Route
House Families: Kelad
Previously a minor family in one of Cyph-Arel's cities, now dedicated to the trade route between the Cyphiri and Middish. Operate a network of camps, rest stops and small businesses catering to those taking said route, and established the route itself. Has control over part of Orope's Giantbane Seed industry, along with investing in some nearby regions. Current leaders in fields relating to Supernatic Propogation, due to their ties to the Middish. They've ended up on the Hallus side of the Ulnesh/Hallus split in the Council, due to the family helping them secure the Cobalt Dye they now sell to the Middish.
- Tarpan Tellan: Head of the Tellan, now living in Orope full-time. Quite fond of the Middish, and their interpretations of the Flowing Way. Approves of the Hallus' shift towards a standing mercenary retainer, the Middish attitudes towards war and battle having rubbed off a little.
- Yanmet Tellan: Tarpan's second in command, handling things on the Cyph-Arel side of the business and dealing with the other Cyphiri families.

Kelad
TPs: 117.1, 127.1
Another minor family, and one that's been very active in sending out opportunity scouts to the regions nearby to the Cyph-Arel - Orope trade route. They're not planning on making many big attention-grabbing moves for the time being, but have a plan to acquire resources vital to the efforts of other families and sell it on to them at a profit.

House Pylet
TPs: 129.2
Supports: 129 (Mercantile)
Other: Pyl-Garat (129)
One of the Union Council families, and the main one driving colonisation attempts. Has a great deal of influence with the smaller families and the colonists of Pyl-Garat, but is beholden to the Hallus in turn - an obligation they are trying to weasel out of as much as possible, not wanting to turn against old friends in the Ulnesh family but having found the offer from the Hallus too good to turn down.

Other Families
Holy Sites: 122.2, 122.3

Statistics

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Special Actions Available: Diplomacy 5, Military 5, special Hoard Treasure (Int-based, +2 Treasure, until end of round 12)
Special Actions Used: Economy 5, Economy 10, Faith 5

Diplomacy

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Reputation/Favours
The Abyssal Stewards: Rep 3, 0 Favour (Expected Change: -1 Rep, -2 Favours)
- Welcome: +1 to resist Sacks and Coercion
- Friendly: +2 to resist Secret Actions
- Favoured: Gain Magma Forges technology
The Chelonian Chora: Rep 2, 0 Favours (Expected Change: None)
- Welcome: +1 to resist Supports becoming Open or Unruly
- Friendly: Distance Losses triggered every fourth region, max -2 Distance Penalty in regions with CCA bases
The Divine Nacre: Rep 1, 1 Favour (Expected Change: None)
- Welcome: +1 to Exploration, Prospecting and Colonisation
International Prestige: Prestige Rank 2, 1 Prestige (Expected Change: None)
- Respected: +1 to Establishing and Pressing Claims and Promoting Claimants
- Admired: +1 to attempt/resist Sway and Impress actions

Bases
122: Reefback Nursery

Cultural Exchanges
Costa Sereia

Cultural Identities
None

Military

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Units: 2 (Expected Change: None)
Unit Cap: 7

Aristocratic Support
122, 111

Generals
None

Fortresses
None

Perfected Tactical Doctrines
None

Military Technologies
Supermarine Artillery (Dropping Weapons) +1 to battle rolls and +1 to Maneuvering rolls in regions of Depth 0 (Prereqs: Giantsbane Seeds, Supernatic Propogation, Photospore Signalling) [Prereqs not met]
Magma Forges (Slotless) +1 to battle rolls, +1 to rolls vs Titans, +1 Depth Access (Prereqs: Hard Metal) [Prereqs not met]

Economy

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Treasure: 6 (Expected Change: -2; Rate 2 - 4 spent)

Trade Posts
Effective Total TPs 15
Treasure Rate 2

Trade Post	Resource	Use	Support	Rate
109.1	Swarm Ash	None	Cyphiri	2
117.1	Biolumiscent Tunicates	Support of 118	Black Pearls	0
118.1	Domesticated Sea Cows	Support of 126/129	Cyphiri	2
118.2	Domesticated Sea Cows	Support of 126/129	Cyphiri	2
122.1	Native Gold	None	Cyphiri	2
122.2	Native Gold	None	Cyphiri	2
123.1	Malleable Blubber	None	Cyphiri	2
127.1	Ray-Ear Seaweed	Support of 122/123	Black Pearl	0
129.2	Nutritious Silt	Support of 125	Cyphiri	2
134.2	Cobalt Dye	None	Costa Sereia	1

Mercantile Support
118, 122, 123, 125, 126, 129

Cities
None

Trade Routes
Cyphiri - Ironkelp Knights

Specialised Ships
Wayfinder

Civilian Technologies
Composite Grafting No mechanical effect
Graduated Symbiosis No mechanical effect
Megafaunal Tailoring No mechanical effect
Photospore Signalling No mechanical effect
Supernatic Propogation No mechanical effect
Trophic Deconvolution No mechanical effect

Anoxic Adaptation Cross Brackish borders (Prereqs: Composite Grafting, Trophic Deconvolution)

Faith

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Faith Holy Sites: 18

Clerical Support
122, 124

Organised Faith Bonuses
+1 to Impress Actions
Cultural Identity for Buyouts

Artefacts
Arthan’s Head As an action (that can be associated with any stat), the owner of Arthan's Head can select a region for the Head to focus on in the next round. This provides a +1 bonus to all actions targeting that region that use the same stat as the action used to focus the Head in the round before.
Shero'ah Hakkol One Prospect action per turn in a Wastes region gains a +2 bonus.

Holy Orders
None

Miracles
None

Intrigue

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Spies
None

Claims

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122 - Historicity, Integration

Total Passive Effects

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Actions
Buyouts: 2d8 CI
Impress: +1 Prestige, +1 Religion
Sway: +1 Prestige
Exploration: +1 Nacre Rep
Prospecting: +1 Nacre Rep, +2 Artefact (1/round)
Colonisation: +1 Nacre Rep
Claims: +1 Prestige

Defensive
Resist Coercion: +1 Steward Rep
Resist Sack: +1 Steward Rep
Resist Secret: +2 Steward Rep
Resist Supports becoming Open/Unruly: +1 Chora Rep
Resist Sway/Impress: +1 Prestige

Misc
Merchant Marine: Extra Economy action, 15 treasure cap, can spend 3 treasure on a roll, foreign TPs in mercantile support regions count towards treasure, can provide two resources through a trade route