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That Italian Guy
Jul 25, 2012

We need the equivalent of the shrimp = small pastry avatar, but for ambulances and their mysteries now.
Table of Content
The Council is in session
The Story begins - House Roles
Reign of King Harald V, Dilemma 1
Dilemma 2
Dilemma 3
Dilemma 4
Dilemma 5
Conclusion
Interregnum
Reign of King Blythe I, Dilemma 1
Dilemma 2
Dilemma 3
Dilemma 4
Conclusion
Interregnum
Reign of Queen Ilysia I, Dilemma 1
Dilemma 2
EVENT: JOUSTROYAL RUMBLE!
Dilemma 3
Moderation window
Dilemma 4
Dilemma 5
Dilemma 6
Dilemma 7
Conclusion
Interregnum
Reign of Queen Hypatia I, Dilemma 1
Dilemma 2
Dilemma 3
Conclusion
Reign of King Cleon I, Dilemma 1
Dilemma 2
Dilemma 3
Dilemma 4
Dilemma 5
Dilemma 6
Dilemma 7
Dilemma 8
Conclusion
Interregnum
Reign of Queen Thymeris I, Dilemma 1
Moderation window
Dilemma 2
Dilemma 3
Moderation window
Dilemma 4
Dilemma 5
Dilemma 6
Dilemma 7
Dilemma 8
Conclusion
Interregnum
Reign of King Blythe II, Dilemma 1
Dilemma 2
Dilemma 3
Dilemma 4
Dilemma 5
Event: BRAWLI IN ENKHALI - Event: Battle with Mhuir - Dilemma 6
Dilemma 7
Event: 2nd Battle with Mhuir - Dilemma 8
Conclusion
Interregnum
Reign of Queen Franz-Josefina I, Dilemma 1
Dilemma 2
Event: 3rd Battle with Mhuir - Dilemma 3
Dilemma 4
Dilemma 5
Dilemma 6
Dilemma 7
Dilemma 8
Conclusion
Interregnum
Reign of King Blythe III, Dilemma 1
Dilemma 2
Event: Last Battle with Mhuir - Dilemma 3
Dilemma 4
Dilemma 5
Dilemma 6
Event: the Coin is paying interest - Dilemma 7
Dilemma 8
Conclusion
Interregnum
Reign of QueenHypatia II, Dilemma 1
Dilemma 2
Dilemma 3
Conclusion
Interregnum
Reign of King Bel Riose III, Dilemma 1
Dilemma 2
Moderation window
Dilemma 3
Dilemma 4
Dilemma 5
Dilemma 6
Dilemma 7
Conclusion
Interregnum
Reign of King Harald VI, Dilemma 1
Dilemma 2
Dilemma 3
Conclusion
Interregnum
Reign of Queen Constance I, Dilemma 1
Dilemma 2
Dilemma 3
Dilemma 4
Moderation window
EVENT: An Age of Expeditions
Dilemma 5
Dilemma 6
Dilemma 7
Conclusion
Reign of King Newcomen I, Dilemma 1
Dilemma 2
Dilemma 3
Dilemma 4
Dilemma 5
Dilemma 6
Dilemma 7
Dilemma 8
Conclusion
Interregnum
Reign of Queen Ilysia III, Pre-Reign vote
Dilemma 1
Dilemma 2
Dilemma 3
Dilemma 4
Dilemma 5
Dilemma 6
Moderation window
Dilemma 7
Dilemma 8
Dilemma 9
Moderation window
Conclusion
Interregnum
Reign of King Bythe IV, EVENT: An Age of Expeditions
Dilemma 1
Dilemma 2
Conclusion
Interregnum
Reign of King Harald VII, Dilemma 1
Dilemma 2
Dilemma 3
EVENT: The Labyrinth - First Choice
Second Choice
Third Choice
Fourth Choice
Moderation Window
Dilemma 5
Moderation Window
Dilemma 6
Conclusion
Interregnum
Reign of Queen Pacifica I, Dilemma 1
Dilemma 2
Dilemma 3
Something has happened...
The King's Dilemma Grand Finale
Conclusion
Resources and Additional Rules
Brief History of the Kingdom of Ankist, Volume I - King Harald V to King Blythe II
House Sheets
Drafting Hidden Agendas

Storylines and Campaign ending

Additional info on the Kingdom of Ankist

Hall of Rulers
Warning: this may contain spoilers for new readers!



In The King’s Dilemma, players become the representatives of various influential families (or “Houses”) and members of the King’s Council: imagine being part of the King's Council in Game of Thrones / A Song of Ice and Fire - cause this is probably one of the few cases where the elevator pitch is also a perfect match for the game itself.

Each round, we will draw a card from the Dilemma deck and experience the game story unfold. Each card is unique, and it will pose us a problem (or Dilemma) that the Council will have to solve on the King’s behalf. You will have to discuss, bargain, and make decisions that will shape the story of the game and determine the fate of the Kingdom of Ankist. Occasionally, your decisions will result in the addition of new cards to the deck (unlocking new events that will happen in the future as a consequence of your decisions); they will also create Legacies for your House, that will influence the way the people in the Kingdom sees you; or they will create new Agendas for your House.

You will have to keep the kingdom going while also seeking an advantage for your own House; this power struggle may lead the kingdom into war, famine, or riot, or it could generate wealth and well-being. It will depend on your choices! Each decision has consequences, though: what is good for the kingdom as a whole may be bad for your House. Will you act for the greater good, or will you think only of yourself?

The Campaign is split into games, that represents the reign of a single King; the Campaign, will last several "games" (15 on average) - it'll take decades or even generations for the Story to be over*. At the end of each game, you will score Agenda Points used to determine the winner of that game. Additionally, depending on how you ranked during the game and the circumstances that triggered the end of the game, no matter if you won or not, you will also score Prestige Points and/or Crave Points . Both are “endgame points” that will help you shape the ultimate fate of Ankist, and determine the overall winner of our Campaign.
*Hopefully, only in game :v:

:siren::siren::siren:
NOTE: this is a strictly no spoiler LP, not even in tags! Also please try to refrain from any oblique reference to future events, if you have any previous knowledge :)
:siren::siren::siren:

Content Disclaimer posted:

This game is set in a fictional and often cruel fantasy world. It was designed to put you in front of morally challenging situations and tough choices. Many of the dilemmas you will face involve ethical and moral choices related tosensitive topics that could upset your sensitivity, such as injustice, violence, slavery, and discrimination. The game will occasionally put you in front of the uncomfortable choice between what you think is right, and what is best for winning.

Personal note: I will add that this is in no way an edgy game and the comparison with Games of Thrones are mostly related to the political backstabbing and alt history setting than anything gruesome/offensive. That said, there are depictions of slavery, war and discrimination so if the topics are a total no go for your tastes, please be advised!

I don't want to read a long OP!
You can check out this video instead! Please note that we will use a different mechanic to vote for our Council decision, to better accomodate the asynchronous nature of a play by forum.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaTHH7xDRqE


You are members of the Council, a governing body ruling in the name of the King located in Lybra, the capital city of the Kingdom of Ankist. You represent one of the twelve noble families who rule the Duchies and the Marks into which the kingdom is divided. Your main interest is obviously to make Ankist prosper; however, you are also trying to increase the power and the prestige of your own family over the others. The game campaign spans decades and generations, so you will assume the role of a different representative of your House each "game"—you won’t be the same person for the course of the full Campaign.
  • We will choose 5 out of 12 Great Houses of the Kingdom of Ankist to be parts of this LP.
  • Players will be able to become members of one of these 5 Houses and sit on the King's Council - directly shaping the policy of the Kingdom.
  • One player per House will be nominated Sitting Councilmember and will have the last word for how their House will Vote on a given Dilemma. They are also the only ones whose word is binding for their House when Bargaining. The Sitting Councilmember will be decided freely by each House and can be changed in between Dilemmas.
  • The thread represents the Senate, where the Nobles meet to decide the fate of the Kingdom. The Court is full of spies and the walls have ears, so you can expect almost everything to be public knowledge in a matter of days; because of this all the communication between players has to happen itt. Everyone will be able to say their piece in the thread, trying to sway support for their cause and to inform the current Sitting Councilmember of the will of the House at large. This can be used by savvy Councilmembers to gauge the tentative vote of other Houses...or be a red herring.
  • Each House will try to complete their own Agendas (secret or public) while reaching unique long term Achievements (narrative or mechanical ones) and build Prestige (or Crave!) for their noble House. They will receive additional bonuses if they manage to stick to their House core principles (Alignment). All this, while trying to keep the kingdom afloat!

Basic Rules
Each game is played in rounds, with each round divided into several phases:
  1. Draw and Read a Card from the Dilemma Deck: the story for the current Dilemma is read and the potential outcomes for both Aye and Nay votes are made public - although there could be unexpected consequences!
  2. The Council Votes: each House bargains and express their public opinion on the matter; then a secret vote takes place. Each House can spend their Power Tokens to try and sway the King. During this phase, it is possible to bargain for favors or Coins to try and win the vote of other Houses.
  3. Dilemma Resolution: the motion is either Approved or Rejected, Power and Money pass hands and the consequences of the Dilemma are made public.
  4. Endgame check: if the Kingdom is too unstable or enough time has passed, it's time for a new King to take the reigns - the scores are tallied and a new "game" starts. During each "game" each House may have an Open and Hidden agenda, plus a series of Achiements specific to each house. The actions of each House during a "game" influence not only the fate of the Kingdom, but their endgame score as well.
NOTE: I'll try to explain the most basic rules in the OP; I'll keep several additional mechanics and rules for the relevant posts, once we run into them. This should give everyone a good understanding of the game while not being too monolythic. If you don't want to read too many rules, feel free to skip to the "Kingdom of Ankist" section - the true strenght of the game is in the way the simple mechanics simulate the stakes of an involving centuries long story that is directly affected by the players' actions.


1. Draw and Read a Card from the Dilemma Deck
Each Dilemma moves the Story of the Realm forward from a narrative and from a mechanical point of view. The most common effects are Positive or Negative outcomes for one of the Resources:

Beware! Not all consequences will be explicitly indicated in the AYE and NAY spaces on the front side of a Dilemma card. You should analyze the text of each Dilemma card carefully, to predict potential unexpected outcomes.

2. The Council Votes
Each player is encourage to express their opinion in the thread, but only the Sitting Council Member can cast their Houses vote. These are the options that can be expressed:
  • Aye or Nay: the Sitting Council Member will have to bet X Power Tokens to support the Aye or the Nay decision. If the supported decision wins, the House will expend X Power Tokens. Otherwise, they will expend none.
  • Pass - Gather Power: the Sitting Council Member does not support nor oppose the proposal at the end of the Dilemma card, and they spend
    their energies to gather more Power for future votes. After the vote, everyone who has chosen this option receives an equal share of the Power Tokens that were left on the table by the winning side of the previous Dilemma (during the initial one there are 3 Power Tokens). They also receive 1 Coin.
  • Pass - Become the Moderator: the Moderator decides who wins if there is a tie. Normally, the House with the lowest Prestige is the Moderator; the Sitting Council Member can pick this option to try and become the Moderator.
    • When Passing to become Moderator, you have to bid 0+ Coins. Highest Bidder wins; the losers retain their Coins.
    • The current Moderator automatically wins ties if they have Passed to become Moderator.
    • If there is a tie, the House with the least Prestige wins.
    • If there still is a tie, the House with the lowest House Number wins.
Vote Outcome: at the end of the vote, the decision (Aye or Nay) with the highest Power behind it wins; in case of a tie, the Moderator decides. The House on the winning side that has spent the most Power, becomes the Leader and gets to sign the outcome for the event. If multiple Houses on the winning side are tied for amount of Power spent, the ownership of the Leader token must be determined by the Moderator. NOTE: important decisions will often have a mechanical bonus for the House signing the outcome card, although not all of them do. The Leader also gets to sign the positive/negative Chronicle Sticker attached to the vote (more on this as soon as we'll encounter a card with a Chronicle sticker as part of its outcome).

Bargaining: during the Voting phase, Houses can freely bargain and make arrengements. It is not possible to directly trade Power Tokens or the Moderator or Leader role, but you can trade Coins for Favors. For example, you could ask another Councilmember to vote on your side, or even ask them to Pass instead of joining the vote. You could also “buy the right” to Sign something from the Leader, or you could pay the Moderator to break a tie in your favor. A public agreement supersede the secret vote if they are different.
- For an arrangement to be valid the proposal has to be formally declared by a Sitting Councilmember in the thread (start the sentence with a bolded "Proposal:") and formally accepted by another Sitting Councilmember (by quoting the Proposal and replying with a bolded "Accepted").
- If the reply has a counteroffer, the Proposal is not formally accepted (until the original party quotes the counteroffer and replies with a bolded "Accepted").
- It is only possible to trade Coins<>Favors and not Favors<>Favors - there would be no mechanical way to enforce an accord of that way in case of non compliance or disagreements on the terms; also Coins have a mechanical place in the game.
- Once a Proposal has been formally placed and Accepted, the accord is binding. By common practice, the payment of Coins is witheld until the agreement has been fulfilled, although this can be changed during negotiation.
- If two Houses are in disagreement on the way an accord has been fulfilled, the current Moderator will decide on the matter. Of course, the Moderator can be swayed...If the Moderator is part of one of the Houses in dispute, the King (me!) will decide. The King is notoriously weak willed, though, and will always side with the party offering the largest amount of Coins to influence him.


3. Dilemma Resolution
After the vote is over, we will need to resolve the current Dilemma:
  • Read the outcome for the winning side of the vote (AYE or NAY) on the back of the Dilemma card.
  • Apply the changes indicated by the outcome: this may include moving one or more Resources along the tracker, influence the Kingdom stability or create additional effects (like applying a Chronicle Sticker to the board or open a sealed Envelope).
Resources and Momentum: each Resource tends to continue going up when it is rising, or down when it is dropping. This means that it's easier for consecutive decisions that influence the same Resource in the same way (IE: multiple positive or negative outcomes) to have extra effect.
Stability: Whenever a Resource is moved, the Stability marker must also be moved up or down an equal number of spaces (including any additional spaces due to Momentum). If a Resource marker reaches either end of the Resource track, its movement stops, but the Stability marker must still be moved the full number of spaces.


4. Endgame check
The "game" can end in two ways:
  1. The King Abdicates: If the Stability marker reaches either end of the Stability Track when applying the outcome of a Dilemma card, the King abdicates and the end of the game is triggered. Further changes to Resources must still be applied, but the Stability marker does not move any more.
  2. The King is Dead: If the last Dilemma card was placed on the Time Counter space marked with a Skull, check if there is a Skull symbol on the central space of the back side of that Dilemma card AND/OR if it is the fifth card placed on that space. In either of those cases, the King is Dead, and the end of the game is triggered.
Scoring: we'll discuss the scoring system once the game has started. There are short term goals (Open and Hidden agendas, Majority of Power or Coin tokens, etc) that will score points at the end of the "game"; long term goals (Achievements and Alignment) that are House specific; and Campaign goals, tied to the Prestige/Crave and the REDACTED systems. The game itself doesn't really reveal the meaning of these "endgame points" until the Grand Finale - it is a highly experimental game, deeply tied to its narrative structure and - I think - perfect for a team based forum LP. In general, playing in accordance with your House's tenets will be rewarding from a story and mechanical point of view.



Ankist is one of the largest states in Lywik, but it’s not the only one. Ankist itself is the result of the union of many formerly independent kingdoms, conquered in wars or united by diplomacy, that were incorporated over the centuries as Duchies or Marks. The north and the south of Ankist have uncertain borders: the unclaimed borderlands are full of raiders, cutthroats, and dangerous nomadic tribes.
The structure of the kingdom is feudal. The Duchies and the Marks are managed by their ruling Houses, represented by the players; these families are all loyal to the king of Ankist, but also have counts and barons that are loyal to them. The Houses are responsible for rallying the army, gathering taxes, and generally administering their territory in the name of the King. The King is personally assisted by the Chamberlain, who will deal with the Council about several general matters. The Council can also rely on the Royal Treasurer, who is charged with monitoring the finances and dealing with the economy of the kingdom.

The Great Houses
These are the twelve noble families who rule the Duchies and the Marks into which the kingdom is divided. Players will be able to pick a name for their Noble Family, once we have selected which ones we want to keep in this LP. We can only pick 5 out of 12, and we will divide players according to their preferences (more on this below).

The selection of these 5 Houses will have a deep influence in the way the LP and the Kingdom of Ankist develop, since each House has some long term Achievements and Alignment bonuses that will shape their actions during the game.


Compact version:


:siren::siren::siren:
Signup is still open - and will remain open for the rest of the game - but it's limited to these 5 Houses (thanks to megane for the awesome banners!):

House Pinchay, Dukes of Gamam


House Gambol, Dukes of Solad


House Cyfoeth, Dukes of Coden


House Daucus, Dukes of Olwyn


House Lethe, Dukes of Natar

If you would like to play, please post itt and select the House you would like to be part of and two backups. I'll try to keep people split according to their preferences, but I'll rely on the backup if we don't get more or less equal numbers. Unless you end up taking (temporarily) one of the more time consuming roles, basic participation has really no time commitment requirements, so everyone can sign up to be a horrible noble member of one of the Great Houses. House preference is going to be on a first come, first served basis!
:siren::siren::siren:

That Italian Guy fucked around with this message at 10:41 on Jan 30, 2022

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Danaru
Jun 5, 2012

何 ??
Oh hell yeah I've been waiting for this, first pick is Marquises of Tork, with Marquises of Allwed and Dukes of Gamam as my backups.

I say we prioritize The ore discovery in the northern mountains.

Blastinus
Feb 28, 2010

Time to try my luck
:rolldice:
Crap.
Alrighty, let's see if I can make a better example of myself this time around.

Primary: Gamam
Secondary: Solad, Allwed

As for the first issue, that ore deposit sounds interesting. Let's go with that.

Covski
Jun 24, 2007

Bringing the forums together with the greatest thread!
I, too, am excited about this!

Marquises of Dualak as primary, Dukes of Natar and Marquises of Tiryll as secondaries.

Also those windmills are ablaze, surely the king is somehow to blame for this!

Omobono
Feb 19, 2013

That's it! No more hiding in tomato crates! It's time to show that idiota Germany how a real nation fights!

For pasta~! CHARGE!

:bandwagon:

Primary: House Atreides
Backups: The Fremen, then house Corrino.
Hold on, wrong game.

Primary: The Dukedom of Emo Solad
Backups: The Dukedom of Blodyn; the Dukedom of Olywn.



Can we do a conditional vote for the issue?

the emos Solad will prioritize A - the windmills, because fire is a great inspiration for emo poetry.

(I'll not keep doing the emo joke all the time, or even most of the time, don't worry. Just getting it out of my system)

Blodyn will want to B - secure the ore

Olywn will welcome C - the emissary. Those southerners may have some new tech to share.

Sighence
Aug 26, 2009

Primary: Crann

Secondary: Cowan, Olwyn

Priority: This really depends on which House I'm sorted into.

Olwyn: B
Crann: A
Cowan: C

StupidSexyMothman
Aug 9, 2010

Primary: Olywn
Secondaries: Solad, Tiryll
Priority: :coal: B :coal:

Jossar
Apr 2, 2018

Current status: Angry about subs :argh:

Primary: Dukes of Solad
Backups: Marquises of Wylio, Marquises of Tork
Priority: B

megane
Jun 20, 2008



The true measure of a house is: does it have a cool animal on its coat of arms

Primary: Wylio
Backups: Natar, Gamam
Priority: C

Bellmaker
Oct 18, 2008

Chapter DOOF



Primary: Dukes of Natar
Secondary: Dukes of Olwyn, Dukes of Coden
Priority: B

That Italian Guy
Jul 25, 2012

We need the equivalent of the shrimp = small pastry avatar, but for ambulances and their mysteries now.

Ankist is one of the largest states in Lywik, but it’s not the only one. Ankist itself is the result of the union of many formerly independent kingdoms, conquered in wars or united by diplomacy, that were incorporated over the centuries as Duchies or Marks. The north and the south of Ankist have uncertain borders: the unclaimed borderlands are full of raiders, cutthroats, and dangerous nomadic tribes.
The structure of the kingdom is feudal. The Duchies and the Marks are managed by their ruling Houses, represented by the players; these families are all loyal to the king of Ankist, but also have counts and barons that are loyal to them. The Houses are responsible for rallying the army, gathering taxes, and generally administering their territory in the name of the King. The King is personally assisted by the Chamberlain, who will deal with the Council about several general matters. The Council can also rely on the Royal Treasurer, who is charged with monitoring the finances and dealing with the economy of the kingdom.


The Army posted:

Recruited by the Dukes and Marquises but under the direct orders of the Council, the army keeps peace and order in the kingdom. The Council’s strategic orders are executed by two generals: the High Commander, who reports directly to the Council about external threats and commands the army during wars, and the Royal Marshal, who leads the King’s Guard and intervenes in case of riots or other internal troubles. Only a minority of the soldiers are regulars: most of them are conscripts, men and women called to serve in times of need that go back to their homes in times of peace.

The Merchants posted:

They are entrepreneurs who run commercial activities and finance trading expeditions. They generally have a large income or fortune that they can rely on. To pursue their commercial interests, the merchants of Ankist unite themselves into local guilds. They don’t usually behave as a united faction, because the various guilds may have diverging interests, but they periodically elect a Guild Master or Mistress, who is considered neutral by all the guilds and speaks to the Council for all of them.

The Common People posted:

With their numbers and resiliency, they are the backbone of the kingdom. They mostly have humble jobs like farming, woodcutting, tailoring, or mining. They do not own any significant wealth and the fruits of their work serve them just to get by. Their interests are defended by the Tribune, an elected figure with a mandate of ten years who reports the problems of the common people to the Council.

Justice posted:

With the conviction that each wrong must be followed by an equal and opposite reaction to restore balance, justice in the kingdom of Ankist is commonly based on the law of retaliation: the more serious the felony, the more harsh the punishment. The more common crimes are dealt with by local judges, although the duke, marquis, or even the king may be consulted to ask for a pardon. On the other hand, the most ambiguous cases are brought to the attention of the First Judge, an expert and wise man of law at the head of the Justice Court of Lybra, who studies these matters and submits their advice to the Council.

The Cult of the Mother posted:

The Cult of the Mother is the only religion in the kingdom of Ankist and in most of the other known lands.The Mother is considered the only true goddess, and she is worshipped as a benevolent figure together with her eight Saint Daughters. However, especially in remote places, paganism is sometimes still present, but the Cult treats it as superstition, claiming that the pagan gods are likely misinterpretations of the Saint Daughters.

Dogma
The religion of the Cult is based on the fact that all is created and regenerated by the Mother. When you die, you go back to the Mother’s womb where you will be regenerated before being born again. Birth and death are equally important: birth can’t be prevented in any way and corpses must be buried in order to go back to the Mother. The Cult claims that the Mother once walked in this world in human form to elevate humanity above the beasts, but she was not human.
This dogmatic truth has been questioned by several heretical theories in the past. A famous heresy theorized the existence of a “Ninth Daughter,” and claimed that the Mother was not an immortal goddess, but just the empress of an ancient civilization, part of a matrilineal dynasty where the ninth daughter would inherit command. Another heresy asserts that the Saint Daughters are as divine as the Mother: they would actually be her sisters, and the Mother herself would be the aforementioned ninth. Yet another one says that the Saint Daughters were actually the ancient pagan gods who were defeated by the Mother and submitted to her will. These heresies are all vigorously denied by the Cult.

The Eight Saint Daughters of the Mother
The Cult worships the Mother and her Saint Daughters as a unity, but commoners may ask the favor of a specific Daughter according to what they need. The Saint Daughters have a dual nature: They each represent a virtue they gifted to the world and the avoidance of a vice that could be fostered by an excess of that same virtue. In this sense, the Saint Daughters represent harmony and balance. Those who seek courage without recklessness will pray to Tilde. Those who seek strength and vigor without violence will pray to Orsal. Those who pray to Aegna will have wisdom and avoid folly. Those who seek creativity, arts, and games will pray to Lyria, who will tell them when playfulness must stop. Aire is the patron of love, but she is mindful to avoid jealousy. Those who need their business to thrive will ask Raela to intercede for them and they will be granted wealth as long as they are generous with it. Caerthas brings justice, but always with mercy. Those who seek rest or think they deserve to feast after a great effort will pray to Myhir, without ending in laziness.


Classic, non-Munchian representation of the Mother and her eight daughters.

Structure of the Cult
The Cult of the Mother only allows women to join its ranks. The priestesses of the Cult informally call each other “Sisters” and live in monasteries. Priestesses can indulge in romantic relationships and have children, but they usually do not marry, even if it is not formally forbidden. They can raise their daughters at the monasteries until they reach puberty, then the girls can chose to become priestesses themselves or to leave. If a priestess gives birth to a son, he will be have to be raised by his father, outside of the monastery.
The monasteries are of different sizes and shapes, but all of them, from the smallest village monastery made of only two rooms to the biggest ones which can host up to hundreds of priestesses, have a public space, where all the believers gather and assist in the rites, and a private space, where the priestesses live and perform special rituals. Only priestesses can enter this space, but while lay women may occasionally be welcomed as guests, access is never allowed to men. The biggest monasteries are lead by an elected figure called the High Priestess.

The Kingdom of Mhuir posted:

Ankist shares a border with Mhuir to the northwest. The two kingdoms used to be almost comparable in size a few decades back, but Mhuir is now much smaller after they lost a war against Ankist in the year 143. Still, it is culturally and technologically more advanced.

The lands of Solad, Blodyn and Tyrill were once part of Mhuir. In the year 143, nobles of Tyrill rebelled against the Mhuirian Kingdom after the crown tried to force them to share and redistribute their riches with the rest of the Kingdom; Ankist was quick to support the rebels and after the bloody war of 143, Tyrill was annexed to Ankist and those nobles were granted the title of Marquis. The land ruled by the Dukes of Blodyn and the Dukes of Solad was also annexed at the end of the war, after Mhuir was defeated, as part of the peace accords.

The Southern Continent posted:

Besides the coastal city-states, the southern continent is barely explored. The inland is apparently wholly occupied by a vast desert called the Ivory Desert, where no one can live, while a tall mountain range called the Nebula Mountains cross it from north to south, splitting it into two halves.

The Republic of Kauppias posted:

The Republic of Kauppias, despite ruling over the cold and rocky territories located to the northeast of the Kingdom of Ankist, has commercial abilities beyond imagination that more than compensate for the harshness of their homeland. Their leader, the Doge, is elected every five years among the most talented merchants, and despite having only limited powers, they are the head of their army of mercenaries and, most importantly, they can veto the decisions of the Bank of Cards, one of the most influential banks in the whole world.

History of the World posted:

At the present time, Ankist is one of the strongest and largest kingdoms in the world, and has enjoyed several decades of peace. But less than two centuries ago it was divided into many small kingdoms and raider tribes. Little is known about what happened before this age of fragmentation, but what we know for sure is that the lands of the current Kingdom of Ankist, as well as most of the other known lands, were ruled by several lost civilizations throughout the ages. The monumental vestiges they left behind are present in most of the cities of the kingdom.

The Salaan Union (Around 800 years Ago)
All that remains of this great civilization are a few vestiges on the coasts of both the Siar Ocean and the Cheile Sea, such as gigantic lighthouses in ruins or shipyards readapted throughout the centuries and still in use in some cities of the kingdom. Some say that in ancient times their rule spanned over the whole world.

The Sabbiyan League (Around 1100 years Ago)
Older ruins are present across the south of Ankist. Many market squares in the southern cities are built around these structures, and a few obelisks made from sculpted sandstone survived the test of time. The bas-relief scenes represented on these obelisks mainly depict scenes of trade, suggesting that commerce was the main strength of this civilization.

The First King (Around 1400 yeArs Ago)
Historians agree that all of the most ancient and timeworn monasteries of our kingdom (and beyond) were built by Ommad, the legendary First King, a historical yet almost mythical figure. His rule allegedly spanned over the whole world, and even though it ended hundreds of years before our kingdom was even born, our royal family claims to have a direct lineage from him. At the present time, he’s praised more for bringing the Cult of the Mother to our continent and converting the northern pagan tribes than for his considerable military successes. He was so illustrious, that every state claims to be his birthplace.

Mythical History
Some historians suspect there was another forgotten Empire that might have been the cradle of civilization. This belief comes from the many spurious copies of a legendary artifact that has been lost for centuries, called the Golden Map. We’ve been seeking this item for decades to no avail

That Italian Guy fucked around with this message at 11:22 on Mar 1, 2021

TravelLog
Jul 22, 2013

He's a mean one, Mr. Roy.
Primary: Olwyn
Secondary: Wylio, Coden

First Item of Business: Item B. Let's find out about that ore.

TravelLog fucked around with this message at 20:49 on Jan 4, 2021

Phelddagrif
Jan 28, 2009

Before I do anything, I think, well what hasn't been seen. Sometimes, that turns out to be something ghastly and not fit for society. And sometimes that inspiration becomes something that's really worthwhile.
Heck yeah I'm on board.

Primary house: Gamam
Backups: Olwyn, Tiryll

First agenda: A

C...
Jan 22, 2008

Tootin the Doom Flute has led the Kingdom of Ankist into a new age of illumination. Every morning, people wake up and open palm slam a woodwind instrument into their mouth. It is the Doom Flute and right then and there they start playing the notes. They play every note, and they play every note hard
Oh goodness, in on the ground floor? Bless king Guy, long may he reign!

Primary: Solad
Secondary: Allwed, Coden

Priority: We wouldn't want our first Issue to be Boring, would we?

That Italian Guy
Jul 25, 2012

We need the equivalent of the shrimp = small pastry avatar, but for ambulances and their mysteries now.
So far we have a good spread, with most Houses receiving at least one preference! The mysterious ore in the North seems to be quite intriguing for everyone.

SporkChan
Oct 20, 2010

One day I will proofread my posts well, but today is not that day.
I am so in for this.

Primary: Natar
Secondaries: Tiryll, Olywn

No matter where the sorting hat puts me, we need to investigate the windmills. Someone is burning our stuff!

Just to confirm, ALL communication has to happen in this thread? House members don't have any secret means of communication?

Quackles
Aug 11, 2018

Pixels of Light.



I'm down!

Primary: Olwyn
Secondaries: Blodyn, Gamam

I vote for ore as first choice, emissary as second, windmills as third.

grandalt
Feb 26, 2013

I didn't fight through two wars to rule
I fought for the future of the world

And the right to have hot tea whenever I wanted
Primary: Marquises of Tiryell
Backups: Dukes of Blodyn, Dukes of Gaman

A. A few windmills have been set ablaze.

The peasants will moan about having their farms burnt, and I receive enough of their complaints as it is.

That Italian Guy
Jul 25, 2012

We need the equivalent of the shrimp = small pastry avatar, but for ambulances and their mysteries now.

SporkChan posted:

Just to confirm, ALL communication has to happen in this thread? House members don't have any secret means of communication?

That's the idea yes. I had originally planned to set up some discord channels for the Houses, but I'm a bit afraid that we would see no communication at all in the thread if that was the case. EDIT: and a lot of the fun in the game is in playing/rping as a bunch of nobles trying to justify the worst decision in history as the peak of human ingenuity, and I'm afraid we would lose most of it with secret comms; especially since midway through the reign of a King, it becomes easier to anticipate the other Houses voting intentions and the added secrecy wouldn't probably help much. Plus this way you can bluff openly!

This way the thread works a bit like a Senate, with everyone being able to take the word, and with the current sitting council members voting in secret. The idea is that in the original game any negotiation (including corrupting other players) would/could not be done in secret; at that point I've decided to expand that principle to the rest, with the excuse that the palace is rife with spies and any secret that is not kept solely in someone's head is going to become known to the other power players quite soon.

Of course I'm not going to enforce this rule and I couldn't even if I wanted to, but it's a way for whoever is not playing one of the "decision" roles to be part of the thread.

That Italian Guy fucked around with this message at 09:37 on Jan 5, 2021

Shogeton
Apr 26, 2007

"Little by little the old world crumbled, and not once did the king imagine that some of the pieces might fall on him"

Primary: Coden
Back ups: Allwed, Blowyn

Let's go for some folks that enjoy life.

Oh, sure, let's get some C trade in. We could use some luxuries.

scavy131
Dec 21, 2017
Primary: Coden

Secondary Picks:Olywyn, Wylio

Setting first vote for event A, windmills keep our fields dry and our grain milled, can't have those burned down now can we?

C...
Jan 22, 2008

Tootin the Doom Flute has led the Kingdom of Ankist into a new age of illumination. Every morning, people wake up and open palm slam a woodwind instrument into their mouth. It is the Doom Flute and right then and there they start playing the notes. They play every note, and they play every note hard

That Italian Guy posted:

That's the idea yes. I had originally planned to set up some discord channels for the Houses, but I'm a bit afraid that we would see no communication at all in the thread if that was the case. EDIT: and a lot of the fun in the game is in playing/rping as a bunch of nobles trying to justify the worst decision in history as the peak of human ingenuity, and I'm afraid we would lose most of it with secret comms; especially since midway through the reign of a King, it becomes easier to anticipate the other Houses voting intentions and the added secrecy wouldn't probably help much. Plus this way you can bluff openly!

This way the thread works a bit like a Senate, with everyone being able to take the word, and with the current sitting council members voting in secret. The idea is that in the original game any negotiation (including corrupting other players) would/could not be done in secret; at that point I've decided to expand that principle to the rest, with the excuse that the palace is rife with spies and any secret that is not kept solely in someone's head is going to become known to the other power players quite soon.

Of course I'm not going to enforce this rule and I couldn't even if I wanted to, but it's a way for whoever is not playing one of the "decision" roles to be part of the thread.

This all makes sense. However, I thought each Houses' Agenda was partially secret. How can this information be shared amongst family members but not blatantly to the world?

That Italian Guy
Jul 25, 2012

We need the equivalent of the shrimp = small pastry avatar, but for ambulances and their mysteries now.

C... posted:

This all makes sense. However, I thought each Houses' Agenda was partially secret. How can this information be shared amongst family members but not blatantly to the world?

Once the Houses are formed, I'll send each player (via PM/email) a link to a google sheets that looks like this (ignore the big blue box in the middle, it's there to hide House secret info):

Of course, each player will only have access to the sheet for the House they belong to. That way each House will have access to all their secret details (Prestige/Crave, full history, House Alignment and Achievements), their Hidden Agenda for the current reign and their current Power/Coin tokens.

Sighence
Aug 26, 2009

Yeah something has to flex a bit on account of houses being controlled by teams and not individuals. I think discords whose logs get chronicled and dumped at the end of the game may be the way to go, the only real disadvantage being either moderately more admin backend now or an absolute ton at the end.

That Italian Guy
Jul 25, 2012

We need the equivalent of the shrimp = small pastry avatar, but for ambulances and their mysteries now.

Sighence posted:

Yeah something has to flex a bit on account of houses being controlled by teams and not individuals. I think discords whose logs get chronicled and dumped at the end of the game may be the way to go, the only real disadvantage being either moderately more admin backend now or an absolute ton at the end.

By keeping the discussion itt I hope it'll be more fun for everyone involved - since a lot of the game has a higher impact when things develop in a shared narrative; that said, with a full campaign averaging around 15 reigns (and the reign of a single King lasting up to 11 Dilemmas) this is a rather long game and if after a bit the majority of players prefer to move to a more secret discussion system I'm fully open to it. Afterall, we are in this together and the scope is to crush your enemies and hear the lamentations of their women for everyone to have fun :)

That Italian Guy fucked around with this message at 18:44 on Jan 5, 2021

Sighence
Aug 26, 2009

Good point, I hadn't thought of the non-senate citizens (I'm already in the spirit of this game). In that case what of the "houses have their own threads other participants pinky swear not to go into" approach?

Omobono
Feb 19, 2013

That's it! No more hiding in tomato crates! It's time to show that idiota Germany how a real nation fights!

For pasta~! CHARGE!

That Italian Guy posted:

Afterall, we are in this together and the scope is to crush your enemies and hear the lamentations of their women for everyone to have fun :)

:crossarms:
There's a difference here?

AtomikKrab
Jul 17, 2010

Keep on GOP rolling rolling rolling rolling.


Not gonna vote but gonna watch.

:munch:

That Italian Guy
Jul 25, 2012

We need the equivalent of the shrimp = small pastry avatar, but for ambulances and their mysteries now.

Sighence posted:

Good point, I hadn't thought of the non-senate citizens (I'm already in the spirit of this game). In that case what of the "houses have their own threads other participants pinky swear not to go into" approach?

I'll be honest I don't think I would have the bandwidth to keep up with six different threads plus the Gloomhaven LP :v:

One of the reasons I picked this game is cause the admin/gaming time ratio is rather generous; and to be honest after a while you really get to know what to expect from each House, with the first few dilemmas each reign being more of an incognito because of the hidden agendas; the need for secrecy is lessened compared to to again like Diplomacy. And on top of that, the voting in the end is still secret, which means what's in the tread could be used for mind games both ways.

But as I said, if it doesn't turn out to be fun for most people we can definitely switch it over after a bit!

That Italian Guy
Jul 25, 2012

We need the equivalent of the shrimp = small pastry avatar, but for ambulances and their mysteries now.

AtomikKrab posted:

Not gonna vote but gonna watch.

:munch:

You only really vote if you decide to take on the active council member role for your house, otherwise you can just sign up for 1 house and :justpost: your hot takes!

Nea
Feb 28, 2014

Funny Little Guy Aficionado.
Primary: Solad
Backup: Coden, Olwyn
C. A trade emissary from across our southern border requires audience.

Slaan
Mar 16, 2009



ASHERAH DEMANDS I FEAST, I VOTE FOR A FEAST OF FLESH
I'll enter as a Member of the House of Dualak

If not chosen then either Wylio or Gamam are acceptable, in that order.

I bet those royal bastards are behind the windmill fires from their arrogance, incompetence and/or avarice

C...
Jan 22, 2008

Tootin the Doom Flute has led the Kingdom of Ankist into a new age of illumination. Every morning, people wake up and open palm slam a woodwind instrument into their mouth. It is the Doom Flute and right then and there they start playing the notes. They play every note, and they play every note hard

That Italian Guy posted:

Once the Houses are formed, I'll send each player (via PM/email) a link to a google sheets that looks like this [...]

Perfect, you're all over it! Thanks very much, can't wait to start.

Oblivion4568238
Oct 10, 2012

The Inquisition.
What a show.
The Inquisition.
Here. We. Go.
College Slice
Ever since I saw that SU&SD video on this, I would have loved to bring Reigns: Legacy to my table, but my 1-game played box of Ultimate Werewolf Legacy can attest that I would never be able to get a satisfactorily large group together consistently enough to justify buying it. I will certainly settle for joining another Legacy game LP here, though.

Primary: Crann, to keep the spirit of my Risk Legacy LP character alive.
Backup: Olwyn and Tork, because I'm not actually so horrible as said character.

Windmills on fire? The perpetrators ought to be put to the sword / educated on the harm they are causing themselves / peaceably detained (change as according to House sorting).

Inadequately
Oct 9, 2012
Primary: Gamam
Secondary: Solad, Wylio

Let's investigate that Mysterious Ore.

That Italian Guy
Jul 25, 2012

We need the equivalent of the shrimp = small pastry avatar, but for ambulances and their mysteries now.
The Royal scribes are hard at work, trying to fill the seats on the Council...after looking at the abacuses for days, this looks like the most likely result:


The scribes have tried to assign every nobleman to their preferred House, and only rely on second or third preference whenever it was not possible to do otherwise. These are the 5 most popular Houses according to their calculations. As you can see, three Noblepeople were assigned according with their third preference; this is also creating an overabundance of House Gamam nobles. The two problems, though, could be solved at the same time, if the noblem Danaru, grandalt or Slaan had a different preference among these 5 Noble Houses. If they don't, it's perfectly fine! The Signup is still open, but the choice is limited to these 5 Houses instead of the full 12 - and it will continue to remain open for the rest of the LP as well!.

If any other Noble would like to change their allegiance, there is still time.

That Italian Guy fucked around with this message at 11:31 on Jan 6, 2021

That Italian Guy
Jul 25, 2012

We need the equivalent of the shrimp = small pastry avatar, but for ambulances and their mysteries now.
:siren::siren::siren:
The vote is now open to name these 5 Houses!
We have used the name of the Duchy or Mark the nobles of these Houses are ruling over so far, but each House has family name or a nom de guerre that is commonly used to refer to them (IE: House Windsor, Dukes of the York, or House Lannister, Marquises of Casterly Rock).

Members of each House can now provide a name for theirs, so that all the Kingdom will know their grandeur. Please remember to bold your choice and to start your message with your House Allegiance.
:siren::siren::siren:

In the meantime, let's have a peak at what an House sheet looks like:

Each House's sheet has unique story beats, Achievements and "Alignment" agenda bonuses. Once the initial sign up is completed and players have been sorted into one of 5 Houses, I'll send everyone a link to a Google Sheet that contains, among other things, a copy of their House's game sheet.

Victory Points section (left side)

The top part of this section lists the amount of Prestige and Crave Points the House currently has. Both are “endgame points” that will help you shape the ultimate fate of Ankist, and determine the overall winner of our Campaign. At the end of the reign of each King, after the Agenda Points for each House have been tallied, your House will receive a variable amount of Prestige and/or Crave depending on your score and on the outcome of the Kingdom (King died, King was forced to abdicate by powerful allies, King was forced to abdicate by popular uprising).
Prestige represents the things you did to increase the prestige and wellbeing of the kingdom, and the glory your House obtained as a consequence. Crave , on the other hand, represents the “crave for power” of your House. It is tied to selfish acts you performed in the name of your House, and to your desire for revenge after you proved to be less influential than the other Houses in your decades-long power struggle. The sum of the two kinds of points represents the power of your House and you will need both to win, but depending on your choices during the game, at the very end of the campaign they will have different values. If the kingdom prospers through progress and cooperation between different people, a higher Prestige for your House will grant you a higher bonus. Should the history of the kingdom lean towards social inequality, hatred and chaos, the bonus you will receive will depend on the Crave of your House instead.

At the bottom of this section is the House Number that represents the initial "Nobility level" of your House - the Higher the Number, the more ancient and noble the House is as the start of the game. This score is used to break ties in the first game and in a few other cases (being replaced by current Prestige for the most part after the first game).

House details sections (center)

Below the House name and title, you can find a more in depth history of your noble house, followed by the House motto. At the bottom of this section, there is a list of the "Alignment" bonuses your House has with the 6 Hidden Agendas; each time your House selects one of the Agendas, you'll mark one of the white squares next to it with a tick. Once all 4 boxes for an Agenda have been filled, the House will receive the Prestige/Crave bonus tied to that Agenda. Each House has Hidden Agendas it natually gravitates to - these will pay out a large bonus compared to the other. Hidden Agendas are drafter at the start of a King's reign (more on this in the first update), so that you won't always be able to pick the one you prefer! They represent the character of the current generation of your House.

House Achievements section (right side)

This column contains a series of long term Achievements your House is trying to accomplish; they are in line with the story and goals of your House and each grants an immediate (downward arrow), permanent (exclamation mark) or "at the start of each reign" (star) bonus to your House. The first one is a Narrative Achievement and it's kinda vague - it's unlocked if certain specific story events happen during the game. Some of these story events are mutually exclusive: if another player unlocks theirs, it may mean you’ll never be able to unlock yours! The condition indicated on your screen gives you a clue: whenever you see the events of the game going in a direction you think goes against your narrative achievements, try to turn them to your favor instead!
The other 3 Achievements are tied to mechanical events instead and have to be completed multiple times (each time marking one of the white boxes next to them) to unlock the reward. For example, if House Tork manages to have Influence (tower) be the highest resource on the Tracker at the end of king's reign for three times, it'll receive a bonus (in this case, +2 Power every time they are part of the winning side of a vote while not being the Leader, IE: the House that has place most Power on the winning vote). We'll talk more about Open Agendas once during the first game.

That Italian Guy fucked around with this message at 12:13 on Jan 6, 2021

Jossar
Apr 2, 2018

Current status: Angry about subs :argh:

As the befits our long ties to the sea, the Dukes of Solad, proudly maintain the name of House Marinae.

Bellmaker
Oct 18, 2008

Chapter DOOF



House Lethe of The Dukes of Natar is ready to serve ~The Great Mother~... and our Kingdom.

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TravelLog
Jul 22, 2013

He's a mean one, Mr. Roy.
House Vetinari, Dukes of Olwyn, stand ready to drag Ankist into modern era.

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