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You decide to sponsor the reconstruction of the temple. The priests praise you and hastily leave, no doubt to inform their superiors.

3

You learn that the rescue party failed to free the captives before they were killed. Few items were recovered to return them to their families.

6

You have the special honour of the being the first human Kingdom to establish contact with new species. Elves, orcs, dwarves, forget all these - it is time to meet the Ur-uk!

Apparently, a new group of soldiers decided to not abandon all hope and raid a small encampment of orcish savages in search of some survivors. Much to their surprise, they have managed to free a trio of 'Ur-uk'. They're most surely of the same kind as the old skeleton in ceremonial pit. They're taller and stockier than humans, the average height of the three being somewhere around seven feet. They have thicker shoulders and hips, and they're slightly bent forward. They have luxurious manes of black hair, one of them having an impressively long ponytail, the other had it tied them around their somewhat pointy ears.

They look and behave somewhat animalistic however; their fangs protrude from their lower jaws, and their teeth seem to be triangular rather than square, and the noises they make are both loud and guttural.

They all wore uniforms; dyed black and silver and dark blue, with intricate buttons made of bronze or some of their 'local' equivalent. Comparing the uniforms of the three shown that one of them wore a sash, indicating some higher rank or maybe immediate superiority over the two other Ur-uk.

Unfortunately that is all your soldiers gained from the first contact. The language of the Ur-uk was incomprehensible and truly alien; their guttural speech was made of simple syllables, all intoned differently, and syllables 'uk' and 'uh' seem to be dominant. Quite possibly it's the intonation and the sound that conveys information or context, not the actual syllables itself.

The Ur-Uk have parted ways with your human oldiers, exchanging some jewellery during the goodbye; a large button on the 'commander's' collar was exchanged for Methiant-made silver cloak clasp of one of your scouts. Then, the Ur-Uk were content on scavenging supplies from the raided orcish encampment and depart in southernly direction. Last thing your soldiers noted was that those Ur-Uk, for their stocky and big build, seem to be able to run hella fast.

Why Ur-Uk, you ask? When the soldiers tried to introduce themselves, making emphasis on 'hu-man', the Ur-Uk pointed at themselves, speaking those two syllables repeatedly, and there you go.

1

It seems however that your discovery won't remain a secret at all. Some scholarly-minded soldiers have already begun taking notes and exchanging thoughts, and some loudmouths have already shared the news with their friends and companions on your side of the tunnel.

A) No, noo, nooo! This is a secret operation in secret world inside a secret tunnel! We need to profit from it first! Time to make it doubly secret and  punish anyone who spills the beans!
B) Then we will become pioneers in this knowledge and sell it abroad! About time all those pen-pushers go and write up some real good stuff.
C) Eh, it will become public knowledge sooner or later anyways, what's the point in trying to hide all this new world for ourselves?

Welcome to gunnerkrig court.

I think by now it should be pretty clear that Tom is a master in messing with expectations.

And that's why I love it

You decide to invade the other world. Or rather, send a military expedition there.


The Army is underway to invade the new world; materiel, supplies and rations are being stockpiled while Spymaster's agents, in cooperation with Army officers and scouts, are getting detailed info on the surroundings of the other side of the tunnel and attempting to discern the locations of the orcish camps and settlements.

6

The scouts and spies worked hard for the past month and they bring information about the new world, which is potentially both disturbing and dissappointing.

Apparently, the sandy wasteland on the other side of the tunnel stretches for days. Careful observations and estimations seem to point that the wasteland might be as large as Methiant proper (that's it, without Tiftit, Ceodwell and Eval). Furthermore, the land, while possessing quite a few streams and minor rivers, seems to be unlikely to support farming. Twisted trees stretch toward the sun with needle-like leaves on them. Bushes, peppered with strange flowers, berries and thorns adorn every shadowed nook and valley.

The orcish settlements seem to be varied in size and location, apparently. Your officers believe that the Orcs, like their mountainous parties, might be living a nomadic style of life. For example, a large settlement that was spotted by your scouts shortly after passing into this new world for the first time is nowhere to be seen, it's location only confirmed by very old campfire pits and some disturbing mass graves, filled with bones of various animals (and what seem to be at least few dozen orcs).

Another interesting discovery was made in not a mass grave, but a special pit definitely made for ritualistic reasons. The spies found bones and skull belonging to someone near human, but different, and definitely not belonging to an orc. The spies believe it might've been someone taller, of thicker bone structure, almost fang-like teeth and, surprisingly, larger brain-space in the skull than that of humans. Much of the bones were wrapped in what is now scraps of some blue cloth, possibly some kind of dress or uniform, and remains of rope, blackened and torn but still preserved in the sand, wrapped around what seemed to be hands and legs of the individual.

Very curious - especially that no representative of these species have been seen in this 'Orcworld'!

The Army is currently establishing a fortified camp on the other side of the tunnel. For safety reasons, Fireblood machines have not been brought to the other world yet. Your officers say that the last thing they want to see is Orcs seizing, or, Alldivines forbid, reverse-engineering Fireblood or weapons using it.

4

Some more of the orcish lands were charted. Some scouts, who went 'westwards' (if it is actually westwards, they're using the world's sun for directions), report that the land was much healthier there, albeit vegetation was still scarce and they have yet to find any animals besides some insects, small lizards and such.


Silver from Koi arrives in your Treasury.

1

Disaster has struck the expeditionary force! A large group of marauding orcs have captured three dozen of men who were charting the east of the tunnel, with only few escaping to report this accident. Your Army is scrambling to prepare a rescue operation, lest the brave explorers end in orcish mass graves.

A delegation of Pantheonist priests have arrived at your keep, asking for an audience.

"Most blessed Emperor! We've come to seek aid and benevolence of the Crown of Methiant. One of our most important and oldest temples have recently collapsed after an accident involving an ox-driven cart. We hope to rebuild the temple, but this year we're very short on funds. Our superiors have noted that you're enthusiastic supporter of cults in the Empire, and thus we've come to ask you to provide monetary aid to us, so that we can restore the old temple to its greatness."

You decide to...

A) Inform them that they're on their own, unfortunately.
B) Be generous and sponsor reconstruction of the old temple.

You decide to send the Army on some army-manging! War-zoning?

Maybe just some good ol' plunder and territorial grabs?

A) Send out and armed expedition into Orcworld!
B) Time to make Duchy of Koi our vassal now!
C) Let's liberate the true Ceodwell peoples in southern Parsia!
D) Sorry Cidric, but you and your Kingdom have outlived your usefulness!
E) About time to renew our ancestral rivalry with the south - Lametania!
F) Our hour of revenge against dwarves draws near!

You decide to keep higher taxes, and Establish Diplomatic Corps.


True to his word, Tetan I's silver arrives in your Treasury.

Few days pass...

You furrow your brows in Iwald's general direction. Why is it you're almost never told about this beforehand?

This very morning, Iwald came to you to say he has something important to announce, and just now he showed up with a girl about his age, with long, blonde hair and two green eyes shining like emeralds.

"Father, this is Lerna, daughter of an Eldrican nobleman, Oto. When I was lightly wounded in fighting against the nomads, she nevertheless lended me her bedroom and kept her family doctors around me day and night. Since then, I couldn't forget about her kindness and her beauty. So, here I am, asking that you allow me to marry Lerna!"

You decide to...

A) Deny him this priviledge of marrying for love.
B) Let him marry Lerna, the girl of his dreams.

You send orders to the Army to come back home. A letter is also dispatched to Tetan I, reminding him of the silver he promises for Methiant.


Gemstones and gold arrive in your Treasury.

2to3

Some profits from glasswork arrive this year as well.

You receive a letter from Tetan I; in the letter he thanks you for the services rendered by your noble soldiers, and affirms that the Duke of Koi was instructed to start sending some silver to your Treasury, and believes first caravan should be in Methiant by Spring or Summer.


Iwald and Houlandin are butting heads!

Apparently, Iwald, having 'tasted' the terrain outside the hilly Methiant, have discovered newfound respect for mass cavalry charges. He wishes to therefore expand, probably at the cost of foot regiments, to expand on the mounted units in the Army. Houlandin says that what Methiant has, professional footmen and artillery, is well-suited for protection of the Empire, and therefore shouldn't be suddenly switching philosophies of warfare if the previous one is working well so far.

That wouldn't be anything bad if not for the fact that their argument has already spread to upper echelons of Methiantese Army, and there are already opposing schools of thought developing amongst the officers.

Tails

That is yet another argument that weighs heavily on you. Instead of taking sides, you decide to retreat to your study and weather the storm till it sorts itself out.

And it does - Houlandin and Iwald are both respected commanders, but your heir being heir gains more support, and therefore sword-and-fireblood doctrine will prevail in Methiant, at least for a while longer.


If not for the Advisor bringing Scrolls of Kingdom Status to your new, peaceful study, you wouldn't notice that afternoon have already passed into late evening. How's the numbers, you ask?

4to6, 2to6

Happiness: 5
Population: 7
Economy: 2
Army: 7
Imp.Authority: 0

"Despite heavy losses in the fighting against nomads, the recruitment offices managed to get us large bit of replacements and new recruits. However our expenses continue to outweigh our income. The Treasurer believes we should extend the tax increase for another year. And considering that your authority in the Empire is rather stable, maybe it's a good moment to issue an Edict, your Majesty?"

You decide to...

A) Keep taxes high but pass on edict this year.
B) Keep taxes high, and issue an edict.
C) Lower the taxes and issue an edict.
D) Lower the taxes but pass on edict this year.

You send Iwald to lead the Methiantese forces in Eldrican campaign against the horsemen.


Terrible storms are destroying crops in the region, but Methiant is spared, with only some of the borderlands in Eval and Tiftit suffering minor damage.

You receive report from the west.

4

Apparently, Iwald's presence and his role as both mediator and leader for Methiantese soldiers helped with the situation; Iwald has managed to explain that infighting will only lead to Ogan's victory, and that's what neither of Kingdoms wants now!


Some minor skirmishes were won by combined Eldrican-Methiantese forces.


And few more. The allied forces began moving westwards toward the heartlands of the steppes, south of the Forest and Elfin Pond.


A great battle saw three thousand of combined Methiant-Eldrican men die, but twice that of nomads perished in coordinated onslaught of artillery fire, charges and flanking.

While you're making a round in the upper floors of the castle, you feel watched, you feel endangered and even scared, a bit. This feeling continues until you end up in one of the unused rooms that once housed your father's first wife, Gedavina. Not much is left, except a bed without sheets, and a small table in the corner.

Here, you feel at ease. You spend a while here, mayhaps even an hour, resting quite nicely in the stillness, darkness and silence of the place.

A) Some evil must've set its foot in the castle and chased me away into hiding here! I must send for some priests to purify the old keep from darkness!
B) Hmm, this chamber looks quite spacious. Mayhaps it is that I found myself a new study where I can read books and spend time in quiet?
C) Something strange must be dwelling in here and pulled me to set my foot in. I need to consult with some mystics to determine the significance of this place.
D) That was nice. Let's get back to my room now.