Bay 12 Games Forum

Oh boy lets see

Spoiler: Votes (click to show/hide)

Spouse Votes:
Stall/Meet Brides First: 4
Juliette: 1
Marion: 2

Council/Cabinet Reshuffle Related Votes:
Have Keanu act as an unofficial envoy of ours with the Merchant Families: 3
Cabinet Reshuffle: 4
Make Andre our Marshal: 0 (Got -1)
Shuffling Mathias and firing Horton: 1
Kaylee for Spymaster: 1
Wait for Kane and Kaylee to come back with their list of spymaster candidates before making any changes: 1

Misc:
Anders cut back on public priestly aspects: 3
Anders to cut back on the illicit magic for a while: 1
Get a report on our military strength and capabilities: 3
Open the floor to discussion. Encourage the councilors and audience to speak: 1

Things we should to do in the future:
-Look into the military and economic power of the Devilles in New Mahello: 1

-Send a letter to Pennete, ask how she’s doing in the nameless city and a basic check up: 3

-Build a positive sibling relationship with our younger sister Anne II: 3

Think I got it all although may of missed something if someone didnt bold what they wanted for some reason so feel free to double check if you wish.

Skill = 4
Roll = 5
King Interacting with Subjects: -1
Formal Setting: -1
Final Result = 3

You take a moment, considering all your options, before you speak. "Whomever I choose to wed will be tasked with great responsibility. They will sit on this council, and they will play a role in raising our next Monarch. The options you have presented me are intriguing, but I simply cannot choose one of these women without meeting them first."

The council barely reacts. Your steward glances toward his father in the audience, and Burt nods. Your stomach sinks. The De'Villes must have planned for this particular response. Luckily they offer a counter proposal rather than an argument.

"You make a fair point, my liege," Horton concedes. "Luckily, an opportunity to meet these eligible bachelorettes will soon present itself. My esteemed father Lord Burt De'Ville is in the audience today. His intention is to approach you after this meeting with a formal invitation. His workers have recently laid the foundation for a great Imperial Temple in our new city of St. Arawn. The project will take decades to complete, but shortly we will have erected temporary wooden walls and roofing so that the temple may serve your true and loyal Imperial Subjects while its marble structure is being constructed."

Your steward grins. "With that in mind, in about three months, a ceremony will be hosted to dedicate the temple, and following the official proceedings we shall celebrate the dedication with a grand ball! Of course we would like our King to attend this celebration as the guest of honor, and if, by chance, you were to run into the ladies we presented to you today, and find one of them to be a suitable queen, I'm positive that my esteemed father will have the means on hand to turn a temple dedication into a wedding feast."

You nod, considering their offer, before changing the topic and requesting a briefing on your military.

Horton the Younger, a man about the age of Anders and the apparent son of your steward speaks. "Frankly, sire, your military is abysmal and unacceptable. Luckily your only real threat at present are the people of the Bloodstone Plateau, and they lack weapons capable of breaching the walls of Bride Price. I cannot, however, call this city safe. The city guard is corrupt, often incompetent, and often undermanded; If Bride Price were to face a serious siege, I'd worry about the Orc-Kin eventually finding their way inside by means of a bribe or climbing over an unattended portion of wall."

The young man frowns. "As things stand right now, the fortress will send raiders, pillage our farms uncontested, and leave when they detect either King Penteram or one of the Mahallo Raider Clans organizing a force to defend against them. Their commanders are a bit more cunning than my father or uncles would like to give them credit for. They are mobile, and their scouts are well organized to the point where they can entirely avoid engaging in a battle against us if they don't fancy their odds."

"We are hard at work improving this situation," your Marshal explains, "my grandfather and uncles are working and investing to create personal armies, and as they are committed to New Mahallo, those armies shall protect the realm as needed once they are ready. The hope is that once the blockade is lifted and you can afford an army that answers directly to the crown, we can follow their template and learn from their mistakes to establish an effective fighting force quickly and efficiently. I personally am working to reform the city guard. I will be brutally honest, and say the process is slow. Complete victory on this front may not be obtainable at this time. I am firing the corrupt and promoting the honest wherever I can, but as things stand criminal interests can pay our officers more than we are able."

---

After the meeting, the council briefly mingles with the gathered audience, and you get the opportunity to meet Burt De'Ville. The old man offers a low bow, and extends the invitation that Horton told you he would. Conveniently for his interest in landing you an imperial spouse, the event will have a strict dresscode of formal clothes in the current Imperial Fashion. If you wanted to try and make a point, you could purchase the required outfits for your Mahallo friends and bridal prospects, but you suspect the De'Villes might use their lack of Imperial Manners to make fools out of any Mahallo you bring.

In addition to extending the invitation, Burt apologizes for disrupting your council meeting with his presence, noting that his children grovel a bit too much when he is around. He wouldn't have come, but as a person who holds great power in your realm he felt it important to try and put your mind at ease by personally assuring you that he and his family are at your service and want nothing less than the best for you and your realm.

---

You pace your chambers deep in thought. Your steward Horton rubbed you the wrong way at the meeting, and you are still at least entertaining the idea of doing away with the De'Villes entirely. In theory it wouldn't be hard. All you would have to do is convince the Mahallo Raiders to turn on them, sack their holdings, and seize their wealth before their army and fortified structures are ready to defend them. There would be serious fallout and consequences to doing this, but as far as you understand doing the deed and plunging the knife into their backs would be the easy part.

As you run the hypothetical aftermath of a De'Ville purge through your head, your thoughts turn to the council. You fear that asking too many people to recommend councilors to you might tip the De'Villes off to the fact that their positions are in peril, so at least for the short term you would have to replace them with people you know and trust rather than qualified candidates.

Your mother is an obvious pick. She has experience running the Kingdom that would probally make her, at the very least, a serviceable Steward or Chancellor, and once you are wed she will be expected to give up her current position to your wife. Your step-father and nephew Phillip has been at Queen Mother Anne's side for most of the regency, and is likely as qualified for the positions as she is. Although his relationship with King Penteram will always leave his loyalty at least partially in question, the fact that he doesn't blindly support the claim of his unstable son Alan to your throne shows that he is willing to put the well being of the realm above his personal interests.

Likewise your uncle Archdruid Tamar has experience running New Mahallo. Naming a Mahallo Druid as court chaplain would be quite the scandalous political statement, but he'd make a good Court Mage if you wanted to move Anders to another position, and the fact that he used to run the region probably qualifies him for some of the more mundane council roles.

Andre, your half brother, has always been your most loyal confidant. Although he suffers from a lack of book smarts, the letters you received from him during the later years of your regency prove that he is willing and able to attune himself to affairs of state when he thinks doing so would serve your interests. You doubt he knows much about the finer points of upper level military strategy, something you can only get from a book or experience, but as a large individual with a commanding presence and talent for combat, he would at least have the respect of the troops if you were to make him marshal.

Although you were never particularly close to Anders growing up, he has given you no reason to doubt his loyalty. Being old enough to remember his rough early childhood as a commoner before your parents met, Anders carries a huge chip on his shoulder, and is always motivated to prove his worth to the monarchy, nobility, clergy, and the other upper echelons of society. He would best serve in his current position as court mage or as your chaplain, but you don't doubt his intelligence and drive would allow him to eventually excel at almost any job you give him. The only bad office for him would be chancellor; A quiet and brooding bookworm with a short fuse, Anders is everything a chief diplomat shouldn't be.

Sometimes the universe favors Kings. Your steward Horton is the council member you are most eager to get rid of, and it just so happens to be the easiest role for you to fill. The steward's job is organize council meetings, organize your tax collectors, and oversee any projects you wish to undertake on crown lands. Pretty much any of the merchant children you grew up with in the Nameless City would have the skills and connections to qualify for the office.

As your best friend, Keanu is your first inclination for steward. His skills are solid, and his loyalty unimpeachable. But as someone who devoted almost his entire childhood to outdoor pursuits there are others with greater money and mercantile skills with him. His background is so rural and his accent so strong, in fact, that despite his family's wealth even the commoners of Bride Price look on him as little more than a hick from the desert, so he may have some difficulty earning the respect of his fellow council members. In addition to the fantasy of naming your friend steward, you also entertain the idea of spiting Horton by giving Keanu some sort of lesser title along the lines of 'envoy to the merchant families' or some other duty that should normally fall to Horton's office.

Kane and Kaylee, although skilled hunters and outdoorsmen themselves, are a bit more refined, educated, and skilled in both courtly and monetary matters then Keanu. They do carry downsides, however. As overt sycophants and brownnosers who both tend to treat those beneath them with the utmost disdain, they rub most people (including you from time to time) the wrong way. There is also the matter of their magical practices; It would be quite the scandal if word got out that you knowingly employed Dragon Priests.

Keanu, Kane, and Kaylee of course are far from the only merchant children you grew up with. You know plenty of young merchants with whom you are not quite as close but are more skilled and less problematic than your three friends.

---

Several days later, your friends return to Bride Price with their mission complete. In addition to Kane and Kaylee themselves, the merchant families only nominated two candidates.

Lele is somebody you are familiar with. Although she never lived at the manor, she was the daughter of a Mahallo Merchant living in the nameless city and being trained as an assassin. She was very briefly part of your close circle when she dated Keanu for a few months before he learned Kaylee was to be his bride. Trained in the arts of murder and subtlety, she would make a fine spymaster. She is also single, and if you were to marry somebody who already held a position on your council, your mother would be able to stay on as Lady of the Court.

Kane the Elder, more commonly known as 'Nails', is the father of your friends Kane and Kaylee and a man with a dreadful and ominous reputation. He maintains a personal spy network that keeps tabs on bandits and highwaymen. From time to time, he will attack a bandit camp and earn his nickname by crucifying every man, woman, and child he finds there. Business rivals and others who cross him often vanish, or wake up to find the head of a pet or loved one in their bedchambers. Kane and Kaylee quietly inform you that Nails is also a Dragon Cleric, something you hadn't heard about him until just now; The fact that there are not even rumors about his magical practices speaks highly to his discretion.

---

Several times a week, you sneak out of the Molar at the witching hour, and keep your skills sharp by riding Vera through the deserted streets and alleys of pre-dawn Bride Price and lassoing stray animals.

On your last few such adventures you have been eluded by a particular animal. It appears to be a pureblooded Imperial Hound, but for such a valuable dog to be wandering the impoverished city of Bride Price as a stray is quite unusual. She is quick, clever, and as of yet not caught by you. Tonight you resolve to change this.

You spot the hound in its usual spot in the alley next to the butcher by the south gate. She is sleeping, so you prod her awake with the back of a javelin to ensure a sporting chase, and take off after her. The bitch weaves through the city, taking regular turns and ducking under small obstacles such as carts. You are rarely given a clean shot to throw your rope, and even when the opportunity presents itself she will stop or change direction to make you miss.

Eventually the dog gets about a 30 yard lead on you and Vera, and veers down a small alleyway. When you catch up and make the turn, you find a dead end and no dog. Sitting against the wall is a large basket with your name on it. It is full of exotic fruits from a druid garden, and various minerals including polished rocks and cracked geodes. At the bottom of the basket, tastefully separated from the food by the pretty rocks, is a set of woman's undergarments, with a simple note attached:

Keep pursuing me, and your next gift will be what is found under these garments.

Yours in overt and presumptuous proposition,

-Halia

The name rings a bell... That shapeshifting druid Tamer said was bugging him to propose her as a match for you. Do you chase the dog again?

---

Trouble has a way of finding your immediate family these last few months.

Your little brother Alan must now be supervised or kept in firm manacles at all times. Apparently the boy has reached the conclusion that since you are now in power, and that he is not yet dead, you must be preparing some extra painful and gristly death for him. To escape this fate, the child has been attempting to end his own life.

This is hard on your mother and Phillip. So far Imperial Clerics have proven powerless to help Alan. What the clerics have been able to do is convince Phillip that his son's condition is the result of a Druidic curse, which has had the dual effect of preventing your parents from seeking Druidic help and causing Phillip to take a harsh turn toward hardline Imperial anti-Mahallo viewpoints before your very eyes over the course of a few weeks.

Anders thinks that he may be able to help Alan with a few techniques he quietly learned from non-imperial sources, but the child thinks his eldest sibling is one of your agents, and refuses to let your court mage touch him; Last time Anders tried, he got bit so hard that he had to magically reattach his own pinky finger.

The problems don't end with Alan either. With the help of divine intervention to prolong her fertility, your mother has begun to show signs of pregnancy. Since her last birth almost killed her, much of the family is worried for her health. Anders in particular spends every free moment fussing over his mother's every whim and concern, to the point where he is still clearly as stressed out and sleep deprived as he was before you made him give up general priestly duties for his health.

Your little sister Anne the Younger has proven to be one of the only bright spots in your home life. Intelligent, friendly, and curious, if you are in the common area of the Molar, there is a good chance she is at your side asking surprisingly deep questions about both the Kingdom and the world at large. You note that she is close to almost everybody in your orbit, including the De'Villes on your council, who are as enamored with her as everyone else. Phillip tells you to expect competing bethroval offers for your sisters hand from the various descendants of Burt once six year old Anne gets a bit older.

One day Anne catches you alone. The little girl is in tears. When you ask her what's wrong, she breaks down. "Daddy just told me I'm no longer allowed to visit uncle Tamar at the grand temple because he is evil and trying to kill Alan! That isn't true, isn't it? It isn't true, right? You are King. You can make daddy let me visit the temple, right?"

Do you grant Anne's request and meddle with Phillip's parental authority?

---

The date of Bert De'Ville's ball grows near. You have been planning how to spend your time there for awhile...

Do you attend? If so who from your family/inner circle/list of marriage prospects do you invite? Do you take any special precautions or attempt to conduct any other business while you are visiting Lord De'Ville's land?

Alright. I go out and party on the Strip for a few days, and come back to this. Love the engagement, but yikes, that is alot. Anybody care to sort through and help me count votes for spouses/council replacements?

Incidentally, Weirdsound, what do these council positions all actually do? Are you working (as I kind of assumed) off the Crusader Kings standard? I assumed so because the choice of names for the positions is otherwise totally ahistorical and senseless, but I'm not willing to assume that they are identical.

Yeah. Vaguely crusader kings flavored. At some point I might do a non-turn update that is a deep dive on the mechanics of the state. We'll see.

Larva = 7
Lance = 2

I'll count the votes to stay chaste as a -1 to all other options, so nothing happens here.

Political Speech = 2
Wedding Toast = 6

You launch into a deeply personal speech about the years you spent with Keanu and Kaylee in the desert.

Skill = 4
Roll = 4
King Addressing Subjects: -1
Final Result: 3

"...And that is why I know this union will work. They want to make it work. And they will put the work in. They have been putting work in since the day they found out that they were matched to wed. Kaylee and Keanu are not perfect for each other, because people are not perfect. 'Marriage is like any other skill, it can be mastered' is a quote commonly attributed to my Great Grandfather King Geralt. Geralt, of course, famously murdered his first wife, stole her throne, and killed all her sons. But looking past his rough beginnings, he mastered the skill of marriage in the end with Queen La'akea, and we are all here because of it.

Keanu and Kaylee are of lesser birth than Geralt, but I'm positive that in matters of the heart they are better people than a King dubbed 'The Heartless'. I am confident they will need far less trial and error to master the art of married life than he did!"

You get a roaring round of applause as you conclude your speech. You wait for it to die down before hugging both the bride and groom, and returning to one of the campfires to indulge in more drink.

---

The following day you speak with druids present before departing. They agree to help you put the insect larva into a state of suspended animation. Everyone involved is pretty confident that somebody at the grand temple will be willing to watch the critters and maintain the spell until you are ready to take the time to figure out what they are and what they eat.

---

Eventually the victorious raiding party arrives at Hau's raid camp, about a quarter day's journey by road or river from Bride Price. A delegation of imperial clerics are waiting to heal the wounds and attempt to save the souls of the victorious raiders. Among them is your brother Anders.

Anders personally tends to Andre, who was born before your parents met and thus can be easily argued as exempt from the Imperial restrictions on healing royals. Andre's injuries amount to several broken ribs; an easy fix for an Imperial Cleric.

After he completes his duty as a cleric, Anders pulls you aside, and introduces you to a chubby balding Imperial man called Horton De'Ville. Horton explains that he is your steward, and that you are to meet with your council shortly upon your arrival in Bride Price. The primary order of business is to present you with the list of possible Imperial Brides that you requested from The Titan Canyons, but the King, of course, is always free to raise any order of business he wishes at the meeting. Horton asks if you have any issues that you would like the council to discuss or brief you on. If so, he will ride ahead and pass the news along so your other councilors may prepare themselves to speak on the desired topics.

After Horton leaves, Anders speaks with you one on one. You can see the lines of exhaustion on your half brother's face, and deduce that the rumors that he is overworking himself are likely true. Nonetheless, he gives you a personal briefing on the state of your court.

Right now your council consists of Bishop Guthrey, an old friend of your father's, as your court chaplain, Queen Mother Anne as Lady of the Court (a role she is expected to concede to your eventual wife), and Anders himself as your court mage. Your marshal, steward, chancellor, and spymaster all come from the House of De'Ville.

Anders explains that the De'Ville Patriarch Burt was the son of a powerful foreign Duke who had inherited lots of money but no land. Burt turned to trade and investments to further expand his fortune, and by the beginning of the crusade against the Eunuch League he was perhaps the richest Imperial to not wear a royal crown. Zealous and hungry for land, Burt and his family fully committed to the crusade, in which Burt lead as a general and most of his sons fought as clerics or officers.

When the crusade ended, Anders explained that although Burt easily had enough money to buy passage back home, he instead chose to import the non-combatants in his family and his worldly possessions to New Mahallo, where he had purchased both land and influence from your desperate mother. When Queen Anne abandoned her regency early to join you on the hunt, the De'Villes more or less took control of the Kingdom, and now they dominate your royal council.

In the short term, Anders suggests that the De'Villes goals may align with your own. The wish to develop the frontier and build an army that can participate in a second crusade that will hopefully begin in a few decades once your Brother Felix can no longer keep his confederation united. In the long run, however, Felix warns that most of House De'Ville is less tolerant of the Mahallo people than the average Imperial, and that Burt would love nothing more than to quash their culture and religion. He is wise enough, however, to avoid antagonizing the locals before he has developed a base of power for himself.

Advising you on the upcoming meeting, Anders warns that the De'Villes know you are sniffing around the temple and considering Druidic Brides, and as thus they are likely to apply heavy pressure for you to pick a spouse from the list Penteram's Bishop has prepared before you leave the meeting. You might want to think of a diplomatic way out of that situation unless you actually are planning on taking an Imperial spouse.

Although Anders does not favor antagonizing or firing the De'Villes at this time, he admits he is frustrated with your spymaster Mathias De'Ville. Although your spymaster is seemingly competent at most aspects of his job, he pays no heed to your brother's concerns about a dangerous Orcish spy ring, as he believes the 'sub-humans' of the Bloodstone Plateau incapable of such sophistication. As Mathias himself is a cleric able to use magic, Anders suggests that he would willing to resign as your court mage so that you could give Mathias that position and appoint a spymaster who is not blinded by delusions of human supremacy without having to cause a scandal by firing anybody.

Do you favor Anders' idea? If so is there a friend or confidant you'd like to apoint spymaster? Is there a powerful figure or group, such as Penteram, Hau, the Merchant families that you like to ask to propose qualified candidates?

CD

You tell Andre to make his way back to the Canoes. He dutifully follows orders, wishing you luck before setting off the way he came.

Alongside Allana, Kaylee, and Keanu, you start heading down the road and into the forest retreat. Once inside the settlement, you follow the sounds of chaos until you find the following scene:

About 25 elves face down twice as many raiders. The elves are hunkered down in a line, using broken wagons, fallen trees, and dead mounts as improvised cover. Both sides are shooting each other with ranged attacks. A few of the enemy are positioned up in the trees. Although the raiders have numbers, the elves have better cover and positioning. Or rather they did have better positioning. The four of your have appeared at their rear, and as far as you can tell you have not been noticed.

Off to the side, you notice Kane's Dire Kangaroo Rat sitting next to a large tree with several structures built into it. Perhaps your friend is clearing buildings and hunting loot.

Actions:
A: CHARGE! Hopefully the raiders will follow your lead and join the melee before the element of surprise wears off and you are outnumbered.
B: Unleash a volley of ranged attacks into the enemy's rear to cause chaos, and retreat before the archers can turn around and start shooting back.
C: Ask Kaylee to do something drastic with dragon magic. Hopefully the Mahallo don't snitch on her to the Imperials back home.
D: Ignore the large fight, and climb up the tree in search of Kane!

A
I'd rather deal with the elves in front of us; either Kaylee will survive the next few minutes or she is beyond our help anyhow.

Four bear riders took your bait. You have three allies left in Keanu, Andre, and Allana. Not wanting to transition suddenly from maintaining an illusion to fighting a bear rider, you lead one elf to each fellow raider and keep the fourth on a wild goose chase for the time being.

Allana's Long Ranged Combat Skill = 4
Roll = 3
Total Bonuses: -2 (Element of Surprise, Magically assisted attacks)
Final Result: 1

As the bear rider approaches Allana's position, he is assualted by a hail of arrows! Using Magic to increase her movement speed greatly, the young druid can let off a shot every 12 or so seconds. The first arrow hits the bear in the leg, causing it to stumble foward and drop its rider. As soon as the elf finds his feet, an arrow finds his temple, dropping him stone dead. A third shot proves to be the killing bow against his mount.

Skill = 6
Roll = 6! Critical Failure!

Andre chooses to emerge from hiding early, dip his spear, and charge his opponent honorably! Although his Dire Kangaroo Rat is about as tall as the elf's bear, the bear is much heavier and more dangerous; When they collide, Andre's steed is knocked backward. Your brother finds himself crushed underneath his rat, who in turn is both underneath and being mauled by a brown bear and its rider...

Keanu's Mid Range Combat Skill = 6
Roll = 2
Total Bonuses: -1 (Keanu Specializes in Javelin Throwing)
Final Result: 1

Keanu starts and ends his fight with a single missile. The Javelin completely penetrates the target rider through the gut, knocking her off her mount, and the bear continues chasing the illusion, seemingly unaware that it had come under attack.

You are starting to feel tired. If you keep your projection up much longer you might start to feel some real side effects. Your brother Andre is currently in mortal peril, and one bear rider remains unaccounted for, still chasing around an illusion.

Actions:
A: Lead the last rider to Allana. Hope that Keanu can save Andre.
B: Lead the last rider to Keanu. Hope that Allana can save Andre.
C: Drop the illusion. Try and save Andre yourself. Hope that Allana and Keanu can handle the last rider.
D: Drop the illusion. Converge on your brother's position with both Keanu and Allana. Hope that the last rider wont react in time to punish this.

E or F, blast him with Draconic Magic for his insolence!

I counted this as an F and started writing this before StrawBarrel posted. Apologies.

Skill = 2
Roll = 5
Kaylee is your Subject: -1
Final Result: 4

By the time you explain to Kaylee what has happened, and point her in the direction of the little rascal, the child is out of sight. Kaylee knows enough about outdoorsmanship to follow a trail, so you don't doubt she will find her mark, but she could very well be out of the fight for awhile.

As soon as your friend's rat hops out of sight you spot the next group of victims. Five elves this time. Four are armed with blades and leather armor, and in the center is a female elf in a fine gown.

Skill = 4
Roll = 6! Critical Fail!

Judging from her robe, you are totally positive that the female elf is a druid of incredible power. Way out of your league. You make the quick decision that your best chance of survival is for Kane to throw everything he has at her, and command your friend accordingly.

Kane's Skill = 5
Roll = 5
Total Bonuses: -3 (Kane specializes in magical attacks with lethal intent, element of surprise, Kane is emptying the tank and giving this attack everything!)
Final Result = 2

Kane steps into the road, obstructing the path of his victims, and closes his eyes for a moment as he folds his hands in prayer. The visage of a spectral dragon surrounds his person. The dragon inhales deeply, and the forest stands still.

Exhale. FWOOOOOOOOOOOOSH!

A massive jet of flame surges forward, absolutely obliterating the enemy party, any valuables they might be holding, and several acres of woods between you and the forest retreat. The spectral dragon surrounding your friend fades as he drops sweating to one knee. The whole forest will now know that their are raiders watching the road, and you doubt you will be getting more magic from Kane today, but at least the totally real and incredibly deadly druid has been dealt with.

No sooner than you finish taking stock of the situation, a shout is heard from the direction opposite of the forest retreat. Turning your head, you frown as you spot about a dozen heavily armed and armored elves mounted upon brown bears. Reinforcements. Kane is still exposed in the middle of the road. Knowing that he has been made, he pulls out his horn and lets loose a blast to signal to the main body of raiders that reinforcements are coming.

The enemy riders begin their charge. Kane signals for his Dire Kangaroo Rat to come to him, rather than head to the bushes and lead the foes to his concealed allies. You are not sure if he can get mounted and moving before the enemy is upon him; It will be a close call either way.

Actions:
A: Charge out with your party and hit the foe in the flank as they commit to chasing or slaughtering Kane!
B: Create an illusion to distract the foe long enough for Kane get on his mount and dictate the next move.
C: Quietly retreat, following Kaylee's trail to reach your other caster.
D: Try to draw some of the enemy's attention off of Kane, and retreat toward Kaylee.
E: Quietly retreat, towards the canoes, druids, and reserves.
F: Try to draw some of the enemy's attention off of Kane, and retreat toward the canoes.
G: Quietly retreat, head up the road and join up with the main raiding force.
H: Try to draw some of the enemy's attention off of Kane, and retreat towards the main raider force.

Accept Allana's request, and F

You take a deep breath and focus. Projection is a communion of the mind with the arcane aspect of illusion, so the concentration required briefly takes you out of the fight.

A group of four heavily armed Mahallo raiders appears on the road before the six elves. Angled in such a way that the wisest way to flee from them off road would be to flee toward your position. The four smallest elves do just that. The two largest, a male and a female, however charge at the illusions unarmed. Perhaps they are parents, thinking that they are heroically sacrificing themselves to buy their children a chance to escape.

Andre slips out of the bushes on the back of his rat, and charges the two adults from behind!

Andre's Melee Skill = 6
Dice = 5
Total Bonuses: -2 (Element of Surprise, Non combatent against trained Champion)
Total Maluses: +1 (Numbers advantage)
Final Result: 4

Your brother's scimitar takes off the male elf's head with one clean swing! It goes flying into the bushes across the road from your position. His Mahallo Centipede Snatcher 'Venom' pounces the female, tackling her to the ground! The Dire Kangaroo Rat drags its victim back to the bushes as it tears out her throat.

Allana's Melee Combat Skill = 4
Roll = 1! Critical Success!

Two of the children run closest to Allana, who springs from the bushes brandishing her dagger. Her movements are unnaturally fast. In the time it would take you to draw a weapon, both young elves have been disemboweled. She admires her handiwork for a moment, before silencing their screams by crushing their necks under her boot.

Allana's Melee Combat Skill = 5
Roll = 3
Total Bonuses = -4 (Kane specializes in magical attacks with lethal intent, element of surprise, target is not a trained combatant, target is a child)
Final Result: -1

The route one of the children takes does not lead it particularly close to anybody in your group. Seeing this, Kane takes the initiative to deal with it. Spreading his fingers and murmuring a prayer in a language you do not understand, a lightning bolt jumps from his hand, arcs around a few allies and obstacles, and strikes his target who falls to the ground dead and extra crispy.

You let the illusion fall as the final young elf heads right for you! You haven't been concentrating on the illusion long enough to feel truly strained, but nonetheless it may be wise to let somebody else handle the elfling while you take a moment to gather yourself on the off chance you might need to call upon another projection at a moment's notice.

Actions:
A: Strike the child down with your spear!
B: Wrestle the child into submission and claim a prisoner!
C: Step aside, call out to Keanu to handle the situation while you gather yourself.
D: Step aside, call out to Kaylee to handle the situation while you gather yourself.
E: Step aside and gather yourself. The situation can play out as it will.

Still in combat mode!

Prince Alan is currently expected to be our heir as well as Penteram's, right? With Penteram's and Philip's agreement, we could enroll one or both of Alan and Anne in druid studies. No need to wait for kids of our own.

No. Prince Alan is the son of Penteram's bastard. Penteram has legitimate heirs, so Alan probably wouldn't factor into that line of succession at all.