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 Aspiring Emperor Quest General Pastebin
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 This pastebin will contain general gameplay information. Descriptions that have been posted, explanations of any gameplay mechanics the players can be expected to know and many other things will be here.
 
 Lorebin: http://pastebin.com/z7RSgixA
 Q&A Pastebin: http://pastebin.com/KLxWwKaM
-PC Character Sheet: http://pastebin.com/drz0ZL4C
+PC Character Sheet: http://pastebin.com/ZWZLh8pj
 NPC Character Sheets: http://pastebin.com/xDvHhNqw
 Recap Bin: http://pastebin.com/fk6pVsc0
 Past Threads: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive.html?tags=Aspiring%20Emperor%20Quest
 
 --------------
 OTHER EDITIONS
 --------------
 
-This is the Thread XVI edition of the general pastebin of AEQ.
+This is the Thread XVII edition of the general pastebin of AEQ.
 
 A master pastebin with links to all editions for all bins is below.
 
 http://pastebin.com/6Su7M3fh
 
 NB: All content added since the most recent edition has a #NEW# tag above it. Use Ctrl+F to find new content this way.
 
 -----------------
 TABLE OF CONTENTS
 -----------------
 
 1. Basic Quest Rules/Mechanics
 2. Harrowmont
 3. NPC List
 4. Cabinet Members
 5. Date Tracking
 6. Current Army
 7. Provincial Information
 8. PC Stats and Skills Explanation
 9. D20 Probabilities
 
 ------------------------------
 1. BASIC QUEST RULES/MECHANICS
 ------------------------------
 
 1. Please quote the post you are voting against or rolling against.
 2. If a chance is posted next to an option, it is giving you a guide to what the DC of the roll that option will immediately lead to. If that option wins the vote, a new post will be made with the corresponding DC. See Section 8 below for a correlation of probabilities of success and DC.
 3. Rolling involves at least three posts correctly rolling a D20 and quoting the post with the DC requirement. If there are less than three rolls after some time, the QM may roll the remaining dice. If more 1s are rolled than 20s, a Dramatic Failure occurs and if more 20s are rolled than 1s, an Exceptional Success occurs. Rolling equal to or above the DC is otherwise a success - if one 20 and one 1 is rolled, it also counts as a success.
 4. Voting is on a plurality basis and will end after 10-15 minutes depending on activity. If a tie-breaker is needed, the QM will roll a die to resolve it and that will be final. Votes may cut off at any time and may not be public.
 5. There are contentious voting rules, for where a vote attracts an oddly high amount of votes and the vote itself appears to be contentious. The QM will either discard some very suspicious votes (the rare option, unless there's blatant trolling) or declare a new vote with harsh rules. This new vote requires voters to quote the QM's new post on one line and post with a number (e.g. 1) with no other text at all (no greentexting etc) on another line - do not add anything else to the post. All votes not adhering to these rules will be discarded. Voting will last 5 minutes from the first vote.
 6. Combat and other major challenges can sometimes appear to have much too high a DC, but this is because you can sometimes get additional chances. E.g. if you fail the first roll, you can still win the fight on a second. Also, some challenges might require multiple successes in a row to be won.
 7. There is HP, MP and Fate Point tracking behind the scenes. NPCs also have an invisible respect meter. Screwing up combat or conversation will lower HP and respect. Using sorcery/powers uses MP. HP regenerates over time and also with magic, MP regenerates over time but respect must be built up again if lost. Fate Points are burnt if something occurs that would end the quest. I may also present an option to the players to burn a Fate Point if they screw up something big (like, say, pissing off an Archmage by accident). Generally, burning a Fate Point will have dire consequences - a major NPC might take a mortal blow intended for the PC, or you may lose a lot of respect from other NPCs. The number of Fate Points changes over time.
 8. All bonuses from actions/sorcery etc are incorporated into a DC. There are some calculations taking place behind the scenes.
 
 -------------
 2. HARROWMONT
 -------------
 
 NB: This section will change over time as the PC changes the fortress.
 
 Description: A large fortress built forty years ago during the heyday of Darlesia. It was initially built to maintain the eastern front of the nation, but the border expanded faster than expected and the castle was abandoned shortly before it was completely finished. A noble from Vitria decided to claim the fortress for himself with the near complete collapse of Darlesia and his excavation team have reportedly discovered a Source. Whether the noble knows exactly what he found is unknown, but whoever takes control of it will have the only functional Source in existence. The fortress itself is large, containing an outer wall, inner wall and a keep. It backs into a cliff side, making it easily defensible once it is repaired.
 
 Very rough map, the boxes are gatehouses: http://imgur.com/47q9Vha
 
 >[X] signifies the area is under your control
 >[/] signifies the area is contested
 >[] signifies the area is not under your control or contested
 
 OUTSIDE THE WALLS [X] – this is immediate surroundings of the outer wall of the fortress, up to the cliffs. It is currently overgrown.
 OUTER WALL [X] – this is the outer wall of the fortress, which stretches downhill into the fields before returning to the cliff side. It has been completely rebuilt. With assistance from your barrier mages, the walls and barriers are sturdier than they were previously and won't collapse over a relatively short-time. It is 10m wide and 30m high, with a sturdy foundation and imposing battlements. The barriers on it merely protect from high speed magical and physical impacts, not from general physical intrusion (e.g. siege ladders).
 + Outer courtyard, lower area [X] – the outer courtyard stretches between the two main gatehouses and is separated into lower and upper areas by some manmade platforms.
 + Outer courtyard, upper area [X] – the upper area consists consists of a mix of the space on top of the platforms and the natural incline.
-+ Merchant area [X] – separated from the courtyard by a short wall, there is an area of housing and structures that was clearly intended to be used by merchants. It has its own small gatehouse in the outer wall. It also connects to the noble manors on the other side of the inner wall. Reconstruction has been completed.
+
 #NEW# The merchant area has been updated to reflect the new construction.
 
 + Merchant area [X] – separated from the courtyard by a short wall, there is an area of housing and structures that contains a number of shopfronts, stalls and plazas for merchants. It also contains a number of sturdier buildings for administrative activities. It has its own small gatehouse in the outer wall, large enough to fit most wagons. It also connects to the noble manors on the other side of the inner wall.
 + Residential area [X] – a tall stone wall with no battlements or rampart access separates the courtyard from the main residential area in the fortress. Fully half the outer area of the fortress is dedicated to this area. This area is connected to both courtyards - the south side contains the gatehouse through the inner wall. Gareth and Bartom have recently reconstructed the housing, roads and other infrastructure of the area and they estimate it can house 6000 people comfortably (if a little cramped - houses are built high).
 INNER WALL – this is the inner wall of the fortress, protecting an inner courtyard and the keep. The wall has been completely rebuilt and, like the outer wall, is sturdier than before. The barriers of this wall, unlike the outer wall, will try to prevent all physical intrusion as high as 50m above it and connects with a similar barrier underneath the entire fortress. As such, mages must man the gates at all time to allow anybody through.
 + Inner courtyard [X] – The inner courtyard surrounds the keep, which is itself built into the cliff side. The entire courtyard is paved with flagstones, which are overgrown with moss and weeds, and many are missing making for a treacherous battlefield.
 + Noble manors [X] – the fortress has a dedicated area for three small manors, all of which are in ruin.
 KEEP [X] – Harrowmont’s keep is a large, multi-level castle with many rooms and supply stores. The keep interior has been restored to a structurally safe state, but the outside is still in need of repair. The keep itself extends into the cliff.
-+ Underground [X] – vaults and supply stores lie under the keep. Not all of these areas are structurally sound.
+
 + Upper floors [X] – the upper floors are where all the bedrooms and private hearing rooms are. Most rooms are empty and dirty.
 + Mage tower [X] - An extension from the existing mage workshop space in the keep has recently been completed, resulting a decently sized tower. You estimate that the tower (including the former workshop area) can hold roughly 50 mages. Gnome and Bartom left some room for further extension, too, though it will be more time-consuming than the extension was due to the addition of structural supports and a need to construct new barriers/wards rather than just extend the old ones.
 
 #NEW# The underground has been updated to reflect the ongoing construction
 
 + Underground [X] – vaults and supply stores lie under the keep. Not all of these areas are structurally sound. Bartom is currently working to fix any problems and build some additional extensions.
 + Source vault [X] – The lowest floor that was recently excavated is a sturdy vault that contains the Source. The Source itself is a large prismatic stone inside a large room on this floor - there is an illusion over the Source to prevent people from seeing its natural form and freaking out.
 
 -----------
 3. NPC LIST
-#NEW# Attitude updated.
+
 
 ///NOTE: This list is only of NPCs currently encountered or current antagonists. Major figures in the world have their own section in the lorebin - when/if these figures become involved in the quest directly, they will be added here.
 
 ///ALSO NOTE: An '(SP)' in the attitude entry of an NPC indicates they are a current sexual partner of Talon.
 
 CAITLYN / SIR LYNN
 Sex: Female
 Race: 'Natural' Feldragon
 Age: 19
 Class: Dragon Knight
 Title: Sole member of General Talon's Personal Guard
 Attitude to Talon: Very friendly (SP); Highly respectful and supportive
 
 A young girl with a love of battle and fighting. Dusty blonde hair, 5’ and a small frame but is capable of literally ripping a man limb from limb. Uses a sword almost as big as her and a large shield. She wears a set of chainmail armor with a fully enclosed helmet (which also modifies her voice) and so many people often mistake her for a man (called Sir Lynn). She always seems to have a smile on her face and her voice rings pleasantly even in the thick of battle.
 
 She is a natural feldragon, which appears to mean that the otherwise separate draconic and humanoid forms of her erstwhile kin are combined in her human form. She has a pair of black wings and her sorcery appears to be some form of instictive draconic magic. She appears to be quite happy to fight alongside you and act as your personal guard. Not much in the way of manners, but appears to be wealthy. She would prefer to keep her draconic heritage a secret for as long as possible. Her father is the first feldragon, Tylarne, who is also known as the Font of Eternity. She recently fell into a berserk rage when wounded which may be linked to her dragon ancestry, but is working to control it in the future. She is currently sleeping with Talon.
 
 GENERAL ARAIL MALAINE
 Sex: Male
 Race: Human
 Age: 24
 Class: Mage-knight / Mage (Adept-rank)
 Title: General of Harrowmont
 Attitude to Talon: Respectful
 
 Arail is a young and extremely capable soldier. If Darlesia had been in better times, he would have been knighted. As it was, his strength and skill was vital to enabling the nation to hold on as long as it did. Arail is unsurprised by the failure of Darlesia, having matured during its decline. He is interested to see how far the PC can go and is oddly copacetic even during dark times. He has been recently promoted to general in recognition of his capability.
 
 MAGE-KNIGHT CAPTAIN CERES NATE
 Sex: Female
 Race: Human
 Age: 26
 Class: Mage-knight
 Title: Mage-knight Captain, flying knights
 Attitude to Talon: Respectful
 
 You don't know much about Ceres apart from the fact she's considered the most capable fighter amongst the Darlesian troops apart from Arail and Lynn. Although she appears to be competent, you haven't yet invited her to your cabinet as you are wary of how overly weighted it is to military affairs as is.
 
 MAGE-KNIGHT CAPTAIN TERRENCE GLYNN
 Sex: Male
 Race: Human
 Age: 41
 Class: Mage-knight
 Title: Mage-knight Captain, Infantry
 Attitude to Talon: Respectful
 
 Glynn is the current head of the infantry mage-knights. He's a gruff and strong-headed. He's probably the most loyal to Darlesia, despite it's fall, but also recognises that the queen would not have abandoned the city and asked Talon to lead the siege without good reason. Has a particular hatred for Taour.
 
 MAGISTER GARETH
 Sex: Male
 Race: Human
 Age: 57
 Class: Mage (Magister-rank)
 Title: Magister of Tower Harrowmont
 Attitude to Talon: Respectful
 
 The last remaining magister from the Darlesian mage towers. Gareth is past the prime of his life and saw Darlesia’s fall through that prism. He possesses a love of legends and of heroes and believes that the PC could very well become one. Reasonably talented as a mage, Gareth is widely studied but lacks mastery of any disciplines. He handed over his title of archmagister to Maloric and has summoned an earth elemental familiar called Bartom.
 
 ARMS MASTER CORMANN
 Sex: Male
 Race: Human
 Age: 49
 Class: Soldier / Scribe
 Title: Arms Master of Harrowmont
 Attitude to Talon: Highly respectful and supportive
 
 An old soldier who now takes care of logistics. Not much of a fighter. He is a gruff no-nonsense bloke. Has a lot of respect for the PC and has fought under him before. Didn’t fight for Darlesia.
 
 UNDINE
 Sex: Female
 Race: Pure Water Elemental
 Age: 50+
 Class: Champion / Pure Water Elemental
 Title: Champion
 Attitude to Talon: Dutiful and extremely loyal (SP); highly respectful and supportive
 
 A pure water elemental that was summoned by the Vitrian mages at Harrowmont - she refused to move until somebody worthy of being her master arrived. Upon seeing Talon, she chose him as her master and has been strongly loyal since. She looks like an ordinary woman - if an attractive one, at about 5'4, with brown hair and blue eyes and always appears to be wearing some form-fitting black clothes. Is apparently young for a water elemental, and has a short temper. According to Maloric, she is one of the four Great Elementals - meaning she is recognised as the most powerful water elemental alive. She believes that is untrue, and may be harbouring an inferiority complex towards her older sisters. Further investigation shows that she misses her older sister, Gnome, but doesn't get along with other two sisters, finding Salamander to be arrogant and Sylph to be flighty. Currently sleeping with Talon.
 
 MALORIC REEGAN
 Sex: Male
 Race: Human
 Age: 36
 Class: Mage (Magister-rank)
 Title: Archmagister of Tower Harrowmont
 Attitude to Talon: Confidante; highly respectful and supportive
 
 Talon's oldest and truest friend, Maloric is a sarcastic mage with no small amount of talent. He can be a bit boastful though - his greatest boast being that he could be a grand magister if he merely spent some more time at his tower, though the truth of this is questionable. He is a tall man, at more than 6', and keeps his black hair short with a slight fringe - he prefers elegant and showy black robes. His talent and knowledge in the magical domain is great - his speciality is in magical theory and the direct manipulation of masses of magical energy via evocation. This makes him a talented enchanter, capable summoner (though he loathes using this skill in battle) and highly talented medium-distance battle-caster. He is a stereotypical squishy wizard though, and is nearly useless if a strong enemy closes with him. He now has Salamander as his familiar, and although she appears to be just as interested in you, is still very satisfied - a state of affairs you hope continues. Has an interest in Neir Gendarme, though how serious it is is another matter.
 
 #NEW# Updated her attitude
 
 SARAH HAWKINS
 Sex: Female
-Attitude to Talon: Impressed and interested; Respectful
+
 Age: 18
-This young girl is the head of House Hawkins of Vitria - one of the four ruling noble houses in the city. Oddly, nobody in your retinue appears to know of when she took this position. She is supposedly a very talented mage and was responsible for funding and pushing for the excavation that found the Source at Harrowmont. She was extremely upset over Undine choosing Talon over herself as a master. She has chosen to swear allegiance to Talon and appears to be rather enthusiastic in her work. Her house is no longer as powerful as it once was but she was still able to lend a small military force and maintains a number of Vitrian contacts. Has a crush on Talon, to the extent she's openly advertising her interest (in an odd way, though, that Talon missed).
+
 Title: Head of House Hawkins of Vitria; Vassal to Imperator Talon York
 Attitude to Talon: Impressed and interested (SP); Respectful
 
 This young girl is the head of House Hawkins of Vitria - one of the four ruling noble houses in the city. Oddly, nobody in your retinue appears to know of when she took this position. She is supposedly a very talented mage and was responsible for funding and pushing for the excavation that found the Source at Harrowmont. She was extremely upset over Undine choosing Talon over herself as a master. She has chosen to swear allegiance to Talon and appears to be rather enthusiastic in her work. Her house is no longer as powerful as it once was but she was still able to lend a small military force and maintains a number of Vitrian contacts. Has a crush on Talon, to the extent she's openly advertising her interest (in an odd way, though, that Talon missed). Currently sleeping with Talon.
 
 #NEW# Updated his description
 
 GENERAL FELIX TARN
 Sex: Male
-The leader of a small group of errants from the multinational knightly order, the Order of the Diamond Fox. He has sworn allegiance to Talon and acts as a general in charge of Sarah's Vitrian forces. He says to be interested in better himself through combat and leadership and has no other apparent motives for involving himself in this war.
+
 Age: 31
 Class: Knight
 Title: General of Harrowmont; Knight Errant of the Order of the Diamond Fox
 Attitude to Talon: Respectful
 
 The leader of a small group of errants from the multinational knightly order, the Order of the Diamond Fox. He has sworn allegiance to Talon and acts as a general in charge of Sarah's Vitrian forces. He says to be interested in better himself through combat and leadership and has no other apparent motives for involving himself in this war. He intended to attempt to kill Talon at Vitria, as that would cement him in history, but was convinced that he could do better by continuing to fight for Talon and eventually battle the Lord of Ember.
 
 ARCANE ARCHER CAPTAIN MATTHEW MOSS
 Sex: Male
 Race: Human
 Age: 40
 Class: Arcane Archer
 Title: Arcane Archer Captain
 Attitude to Talon: Respectful
 
 Formerly one of Glynn's lieutenants and the head of the longbowmen, with the advent of arcane archers he has been promoted to full captain.
 
 GNOME
 Sex: Female
 Race: Pure Earth Elemental
 Age: 800+
-The oldest and most powerful elemental alive, Gnome is rather famous. Even you've at least heard the name. She's tall and busty, with brown skin and green eyes which make her an exotic sight in Gauron. She wraps herself up in thick fabric clothes with a high collar up to her nose and wears a pair of large maille-wrapped gauntlets - the maille is of large links each of which appear to have runes engraved on them. She's knowledgable but isn't as willing to share as Undine is and you get a sense that her attitude towards you is considerably less servantile than Undine and Salamander. Unlike her sisters, she has a commanding presence - likely because she has been a servant to mages and they could use a powerful general such as her.
+
 Title: Talon's Familiar (?)
 Attitude to Talon: Friendly but loyal (SP); Highly respectful and supportive
 
 The oldest and most powerful elemental alive, Gnome is rather famous. Even you've at least heard the name. She's tall and busty, with brown skin and green eyes which make her an exotic sight in Gauron. She wraps herself up in thick fabric clothes with a high collar up to her nose and wears a pair of large maille-wrapped gauntlets - the maille is of large links each of which appear to have runes engraved on them. She's knowledgable but isn't as willing to share as Undine is and you get a sense that her attitude towards you is considerably less servantile than Undine and Salamander. Unlike her sisters, she has a commanding presence - likely because she has been a servant to mages and they could use a powerful general such as her. Currently sleeping with Talon.
 
 SALAMANDER
 Sex: Female
 Race: Pure Fire Elemental
 Age: 300+
 Class: Pure Fire Elemental
 Title: Maloric's Familiar
 Attitude to Talon: Playful (SP); Respectful
 
 Undine described Salamander as arrogant, but you find her more forthright. She has a good sense of what she wants and isn't afraid to try to take it. Although she's been somewhat flirty with you, you're not certain whether that's her way of showing interest (as Mal takes it as) or just her way of interacting with people she seems to like. She's not much taller than Undine and of a lither build but despite favouring a metal bikini and plated boots but little else, lacks much in the chest department. She seems very worldly, but at the same time isn't too knowledgable. From the sounds of it, she's been favoured by combat magisters unlike Gnome who is beloved by researchers - you wonder if that's because of personal preference. Currently sleeping with Talon.
 
 #NEW# Updated Neir's entry with her control of Oaln.
 
 COUNTESS NEIR GENDARME
 Sex: Female
-The youngest daughter of Phillias Gendarme, an RSK noble that fought under Talon when he campaigned for the RSK, and the second youngest of Phillias' children. She is involved intimately with Talon to some degree of seriousness, considers Talon a father/uncle figure and has recently been appointed countess to the newly annexed province of Farrlouf. As she is under threat of being deployed to the front under the ruthless Magister-General Falwick, she is aiming to become the diplomatic representative to Harrowmont - but first Talon must capture Vitria and sink another RSK noble's plans. Has an interesting habit of spying.
+
 Age: 22
 Class: Noble / Spymaster
 Title: RSK Countess of Farrlouf (Province)
 Attitude to Talon: Playful; Respectful
 
 The youngest daughter of Phillias Gendarme, an RSK noble that fought under Talon when he campaigned for the RSK, and the second youngest of Phillias' children. She is involved intimately with Talon to some degree of seriousness, considers Talon a father/uncle figure and has recently been appointed countess to the newly annexed province of Farrlouf. As she is under threat of being deployed to the front under the ruthless Magister-General Falwick, she is aiming to become the diplomatic representative to Harrowmont - but first Talon must capture Vitria and sink another RSK noble's plans. Has an interesting habit of spying. Has Viktor Oaln in her lands and is interrogating him about the weapons smuggled into Vitria.
-Viktor Oaln is the head of House Oaln, one of the ruling houses of Vitria and currently the most powerful one. Every description you hear of him has him as a powermonger and he is being aided by the RSK in his venture to conquer the Darlesian region. You know little of the man though, and what sort of tactics and strategies he favours.
+
 #NEW# Updated his description to reflect his new living quarters
 
 VIKTOR OALN
 Sex: Male
 Race: Human
 Age: 47
 
 Viktor Oaln is the head of House Oaln, one of the ruling houses of Vitria and currently the most powerful one. Every description you hear of him has him as a powermonger and he is being aided by the RSK in his venture to conquer the Darlesian region. You know little of the man though, and what sort of tactics and strategies he favours. You have unseated him and his house and he is now in a dungeon in Vitria being interrogated by Neir.
 
 ROBIN ARGYLE
 Sex: Male
 Race: Human
 Age: 39
 
 Robin Argyle is the Count of the province of Vale and, although his house is a vassal of House Oaln, a strident opponent of Viktor Oaln's expansionism. Supposedly a family friend of Sarah's, she somehow has convinced him to side with you - apparently although he opposes your ambitions, he trusts Sarah's judgement and wants her to rule Vitria even if it's under you.
 
 TARVISH DORNER
 Sex: Male
 Race: Dwarf
 Age: ??
 
 A dwarven bandit leader you encountered outside Toulon. He was exiled from his homeland for 'greed' as he put it. As it was, he had made a pact with a devil to be able to magically enforce deals. It was this that led to him being exiled and living a life of banditry. You killed him when his attempt to bind you to a pact failed, but not after getting information about Taour.
-#NEW# Added Aaron to the list
+
 PHILLIAS GENDARME
 Sex: Male
 Race: Human
 Age: 53
 
 An RSK noble that you campaigned with previously. He's a boisterous fellow with four daughters (including Neir) and a son. Unlike most RSK nobles, he doesn't judge you for your commoner background. He owns land close to the RSK capital.
 AARON TABETH
 Sex: Male
 Race: Human
 Age: 22
 
 The heir to House Tabeth who has been living a second life as Lieutenant Gregory of the Black Stone knights. He has very strong negative opinions of the management of Vitria. You have struck a deal with him where he garners you what military support he can in exchange for joint rulership of Vitria alongside Sarah.
 
 ------------------
 4. CABINET MEMBERS
 ------------------
 
 This keeps track of the current members of your cabinet, to simplify matters. The NPCs listed below will be present at war and strategy meetings if they are with you. They will offer advice and your decisions will affect their respect for you more directly. You can add and remove cabinet members as you wish, but you may lose respect depending on the individual and your reasons (e.g. you might remove a captain with no issues once you have three generals, but removing your arms master might be troublesome). Currently, there are no specified positions for cabinet members but their general background is specified - they will simply offer advice suitable to their role and experience.
 
 See the above NPC list for more details on each NPC.
 
 4.1. List of Cabinet Members
 
 EXECUTIVE
 Imperator Talon York (PC)
 Undine
 Gnome
 
 MAGES
 Archmagister Maloric Reegan
 Magister Gareth
 
 MILITARY
 General Arail Malaine
 General Felix Tarn
 Mage-Knight Captain Terrence Glynn
 Arcane Archer Captain Matthew Moss
 
 LOGISTICS
 Arms Master Cormann
 
 NOBILITY/BUREAUCRACY/ECONOMICS
 Lady Sarah Hawkins
 
 ----------------
 5. DATE TRACKING
 ----------------
 
 #NEW# Added new dates to catch up to current thread.
 
 Quest Start Date: March 27th, 1952 (midnight)
 Harrowmont Captured: March 27th, 1952
 Vitrian Siege Repelled: March 29th, 1952
 Mier (Province) Conquered: April 10th, 1952
 Undine's PoP Claimed: April 17th, 1952
-Current Date (Thread XVI Start): June 16th, 1952
+
 Olmm (Province) Conquered: May 2nd, 1952
-#NEW# Updated the dates. Underground area's build time is too variable, so I've assumed only Bartom is doing anything.
+
 Vitrian Siege of Castle Gimbon (in Vale): June 4th, 1952
 Infiltration of Vitria (city): June 16th, 1952
 Conquest of Vitria (city and nation): June 16th, 1952
 Current Date (Thread XVII Start): June 16th, 1952
 
 ESTIMATED CONSTRUCTION DATES
 
 Underground area finish date: July 15th, 1952 (Bartom only)
 
 OTHER DATES
 
 Caitlyn's Birthday: December 11th
 Annual Harvest Taxation: Final two weeks of March
 
-#NEW# Updated from last thread.
+
 6. CURRENT ARMY
 ---------------
 
-TOTAL FORCE = 2,007 soldiers
+#NEW# Added the Vitrian military
-Overall Military Presence = Low
+
 ///6.1. Current Army
 
-85 Flying Mage-Knights
+TOTAL FORCE = 7,016 soldiers
 Overall Military Presence = High
 Overall Military Experience = Moderate
 
 235 Flying Mage-Knights
-589 Medium Mage-Knights
+
->299 Veterans
+>150 Regulars
->260 Regulars
+
 >30 Regular
 >10 Green
 1388 Medium Mage-Knights
-125 Archers
+>598 Veterans
 >760 Regulars
 >30 Green
-300 Heavy Men-at-arms
+
->300 Green
+
-505 Men-at-arms
+1625 Archers
->135 Regulars
+
 >1500 Regular
-23 Battlemages
+
->23 Regulars
+700 Heavy Men-at-arms
 >700 Green
 2605 Men-at-arms
 >300 Veteran
 >1935 Regulars
 >370 Green
 83 Battlemages
 >83 Regulars
 Satisfactory support and logistics corps
 
 ///6.2. Unit Ranks
 
 Conscripts - Untrained and inexperienced, conscripts and levies are both less effective and have weak morale.
 Green - Trained but inexperienced, green soldiers have lower morale and are less intimidating.
 Regulars - Soldiers that perform to expected standards of their unit.
 Veterans - Veterans are highly experienced and possess high morale and are effective at intimidation.
 Elites - The best of the best, elite soldiers fight with high effectiveness and with very high morale.
 
 ///6.3. Unit Descriptions
 
 FLYING MAGE-KNIGHTS (FMK)
 
 Flying mage knights are a specialist unit of mage-knights. They are suited to scouting and harassment, and the expense of their equipment means the wearers are typically highly skilled. They typically wear a suit of magical plate with special gauntlets and carry a small weapon. The plate has a flying enchantment on it, with all the requisite control abilities for the wearer (i.e. so they can actually control the thing), and also carries mass-lightening charms - there are usually no other enchantments on the plate due to complexity of the flying enchantment. The gauntlets however, are loaded with spells. The Darlesian spell armament are binding and explosive spells - the knights can swap between the two with a delay of 15-20 seconds and a small expenditure of their current charges (which recover reasonably quickly). The binding spells are suited to restraining movement of enemy elites but the explosive spells are mostly about a lot of damage, despite being slower to cast. Their weapon typically carries a standard magical bolt enchantment, with relatively few charges, and a cutting enchancement.
 
 HEAVY MAGE-KNIGHTS (HMK)
 
 Heavy mage-knights are a recent attempt by the RSK to make anti-mage units. The magical plate is not only made thick and bulky but is loaded with a large amount of enchantments (typically defensive, strength and barriers, with only enough speed and mass-reduction to make the armor usable). Earlier, machined plate could never stand against mages - now heavy mage-knights can wear this (expensive) machined plate and withstand powerful spells and empowered blows. With that said, the focus on defensive enchantment means the wearers move slowly and exhaust themselves quickly. Units of heavy mage-knights are best used as strikeforce units to break combat magister formations or elite shock troops.
 
 MEDIUM MAGE-KNIGHTS (MMK)
 
 The core of any modern army, it is said that every mage-knight is worth five regular soldiers. As it is, they cost a lot more than five soldiers but as morale breaks faster than bodies they make up for it. The equipment of most mage-knights is a suit of magical plate, an enchanted weapon and a shield. The weapon typically has the ability to fire magical bolts and has a large number of charges with a short recharge time. The shield is typically all metal with a mass-lightening charm and some better shields may have limited-charge momentum-nullification barriers (to be used against powerful blows). The plate itself has passive strength, speed and defensive enchantments for the wearer, and typically one other enchantment - Darlesia favoured silence charms whereas Vitria preferred more speed enchantment.
 
 LIGHT MAGE-KNIGHTS (LMK)
 
 Note: You do not currently have any of these in your army and have not encountered any.
 
 When magical plate first started being machined fifty years ago (for the first time since the Golden Age) all plate would fit into the category of light. Now though, the equipment of the light mage-knight is aimed more at making them devastatingly powerful glass cannons. Their plate is loaded with speed enchantments and their weapons with cutting enchantments - the idea is that they close with an enemy unit, deal a lot of damage with their armor-piercing weapons, and then retreat. If caught in a dedicated melee, LMKs will collapse very quickly.
 
 ARCANE ARCHERS
 
 Seeing the uses of enchanted equipment for mage-knights, you decided to start giving it to your archers. Mage-knights have ranged ability, but it is close range and of limited usefulness - by giving your skilled archers heavily enchanted bows and armor to enhance their ability to penetrate enemy armor and strike accurately at a great distance you have added a powerful force to your army. All archers also have a handful of enchanted arrows to enable penetration of heavier armor. As arcane archers are new, there are bound to be ways to further improve them and to better use magic with archery.
 
 ARCHERS
 
 The mainstay of long-range combat outside battle-mages, regular soldiers can be trained to use bows (longbows, crossbows etc are functionally similar for simplicity reasons). Although their arrows have great difficulty piercing magical plate, they still occasionally strike true and are great for weakening morale - and of course, they fell men-at-arms with little difficulty.
 
 MEN-AT-ARMS
 
 Up until fifty years ago, when machined plate returned to warfare, men-at-arms made up the vast bulk of any army. Professional soldiers supplied with mass-produced mundane equipment were the core of any army. Now, men-at-arms are still very common but are playing a back-up role to mage-knights. Mage-knights are responsible for winning battles by breaking through enemy formations or shattering morale but the men-at-arms are still responsible for holding the line otherwise.
 
 BATTLEMAGES
 
 Although magic is very common and most people can cast magic with lethal consequences being a battlemage is of considerable difficulty. It is not enough to simply be able to strike down a foe with magic at range - a battlemage must also be able to cast continuously at longbow range, be able to lay and trigger traps and be able to cast a variety of damaging spells. A failure of a battlemage unit to do any of the above leaves them very vulnerable to enemy soldiers or mages - as such, battlemages are much rarer than their ordinary mage cousins. There is a subtype of battlemage known as the combat magister that is used in a very different manner.
 
 COMBAT MAGISTERS
 
 If a battlemage is to a mage what a mage-knight is to a peasant, then combat magisters are the same again to their battlemage cousins. Exceedingly skilled and experienced warriors, combat magisters field in small tight-knit units and unless a wide-array of magical death to their foes. The Magi League uses them as surprise shock troops, hiding them in regular units only for them to suddenly charge out and obliterate the unit they are facing. A highly skilled magister can destroy a unit of mage-knights at range but a unit of elite combat magisters can shatter the entire core of an army in a few brief minutes. Luckily for the RSK, combat magisters are both rare and difficult to replace so every one they kill is a serious blow to the League.
 
 ----------------------
 7. MAGE TOWER PRESENCE
 ----------------------
 
 #NEW# Added the numbers from Vitria
 
 ///7.1. Mage Towers and Mage Numbers
-TOTAL NO. OF MAGES IN TOWERS: 29
+
 This section includes details on the number of towers under your control, the number of mages in your military and towers (the latter includes Maloric and Gareth) and a breakdown of the ranks of mages. Notable specialists are in a separate section below. Although your tower mages may assist your military, the latter is not true. Battlemages in your standing army are professional soldiers not scholars. Combat magisters are included under towers. See section of 4.1.3. of the lorebin for details on what each rank means.
-	Magisters: 4 (including Gareth and Maloric)
+
-	Journeymen:  9
+
-	Adepts: 16
+
 	Grand Magisters: 0
 	Magisters: 0
 	Journeymen: 6
 	Adepts: 57
 TOTAL NO. OF MAGES IN TOWERS: 429
 	Grand Magisters: 1
 	Magisters: 43 (including Gareth and Maloric)
 	Journeymen: 169
 	Adepts: 216
 
 ///7.2. Notable Specialists
 
 This section contains a breakdown of the specialists in your towers loyal to you and descriptions of what each means. Mages with multiple specialities (like Maloric) are counted once for each speciality (so there is an element of double-counting). Mages must be at least Magister rank or have the skill of one to be considered a specialist. All-rounder magisters are excluded from this list (they contribute like lower-ranked mages, but better). Note that lower-ranked mages can still assist what specialists do. Military mages are excluded from this section.
 
 /////7.2.1. Specialist Descriptions
 
 ENCHANTER
 Enchanters specialise in enchantment. They can add magical effects to weapons and items in general. Enchanters are both useful in terms of production as well as research. Production-wise they can produce weapons or goods of worth. When researching, they can give you new ideas for enchantment or possibly achieve things not believed possible earlier (or simply make them easier). Enchanters are vital to the creation of all magitech.
 
 STRUCTURAL MAGE
 Structural mages include barrier experts, permanent magical reinforcement of large physical objects (similar but different to enchantment), the creation of large physical objects with magic (like an earth elemental) and general magical wards (e.g. anti-teleportation wards). Production-wise they assist with civil and military works (city and fortress construction). Research-wise they can develop new barriers and wards and improve existing ones. Structural mages are vital to the creation of large pieces of magitech (including factories).
 
 SUMMONERS
 Summoners are mages who specialise in creating summons, patterns and/or constructs. They can be useful to create small armies in combat or to produce patterns/constructs to be used for civil or military jobs. Research-wise, all they can do is improve the former - though this could be very useful. Summoners would be useful if you attempted to design and make magitech that produces summons, patterns or constructs (this has not been done since the Golden Age).
 
 MACHINISTS
 Machinists specialise in the creation and design of magitech. They possess varied magical skills, which otherwise makes them an all-rounder. They can help create magitech both large and small, but they will always need the assistance of other mages. They can be used to produce magitech small and large, and research new types of magitech.
 
 COMBAT MAGISTERS
 Devastating combatants - combat magisters can be a huge boon to your military and your garrisons. They cannot help with research or production, but instead they make the region/province they are in much more orderly and harder to assault and can be used to assist your military.
-Enchanters: 2
+
-Structural Mages: 1
+
 Channeler is a general term for mages who specialise in manipulating large amounts of magical energy for a variety of uses. Some, like Maloric, use this to disrupt other mages. Others, like Archmage Alyce, use it to create devastating artillery-like bombardment spells. Channeling is also useful for anything involving understanding and manipulating raw magical energy and is a deep theoretical topic. Channelers have broad production capabilties and research uses. They are useful, but typically not vital to, the production of almost all magitech - large magitech machines will benefit greatly from a skilled channeler.
-Machinists: 0
+
 TRANSMUTERS
-Channelers: 1
+
 
 #NEW# Added the Vitrian specialists
 
 /////7.2.2. Specialist Breakdowns
 
 Enchanters: 4
 Structural Mages: 3
 Summoners: 1
 Machinists: 1
 Combat Magisters: 0
 Channelers: 6
 Transmuters: 0
 
 -------------------------
 8. PROVINCIAL INFORMATION
 -------------------------
 
 ///8.1. Notes
 
 This information is being presented in this format in the interests of abstraction and to limit the amount of detail players must be aware of. It is important to note that the scale of the quest is increasing, such that trying to involve each major town and castle in a province would be too unwieldy - each hex on the region map is more than 2,500 square miles, containing a dozen castles and a dozen towns each on average.
 
 As such, resources (except major ones and location specific ones) can be assumed to be present (e.g. food) and conquest of provinces is based more around routing the enemy military presence and seizing major landmarks, and then following through with occupation and force projection within the territory (i.e. put men in said landmarks and have them start collecting taxes, enforcing the law etc). Similarly, unless the players have a particularly brilliant idea, it can be assumed economics will be handled normally with player interaction taking place at a high level (e.g. taxation levels). This quest is about being an emperor, not the lord of a manor or a bureaucrat.
 
 ///8.2. Legend
 
 Name: The province name. This corresponds with the name of the hex on the map.
 Owner: The name of the faction controlling this province.
 Control: The level of control the owner has. The lower it is, the lower their ability to collect taxes, enforce tarriffs and catch dissidents. Related more to military presence (and size) than governance.
 Order: How unruly the residents of this province are. The lower it is, the more likely they are to revolt or refuse to pay taxes or provide labour.
 Population: The approximate number of people in this province.
 Military Presence: How large the military in this province is
 Military Experience: How experienced the military in this province is
 Resources: Any major resources available in this province. If a location already has this, it will not be repeated here (e.g. cities containing mage towers).
 Notable Locations: A list of castles, cities and towns of note in this province with a description. Generally, these must be captured (or the enemy routed from them) to take control of the province.
 
 MILITARY REFERENCE
 
 Note: Provinces controlled by the players only have military referring to the active garrison, not the standing army of the player (which may or may not be in a province). This is to prevent having to constantly update the map/list every time a redeployment happens.
 
 Very Low = <1,000 troops
 Low = <2,500 troops
 Moderate = <5,000 troops
 High = <10,000 troops
 Very High = >10,000 troops
-Map Link: http://i.imgur.com/3wS9Mgp.png
+
 Very Weak = Conscripts
 Weak = Green soldiers
 Moderate = Regulars
 Strong = Veterans
 Very Strong = Elites
 
 #NEW# Updated map.
 
 ///8.3. Quest Map
 
 Map Link: http://i.imgur.com/Jrkk68T.png
 
 ///8.4. Darlesian Region Information
 
 NB: Some regions have been left off this list as they are not currently relevant. They will be added if they become relevant.
 
 Name: Harrowmont
 Owner: Harrowmont
 Control: Medium
 Order: Moderate
 Population: 200,000
 Military Presence: Very Low
 Military Experience: Very Weak
 Resources: N/A
 Notable Locations:
 	Harrowmont (Fortress) - a large but decrepit fortress containing a Source. Reasonably close to the north of the province and against some bluffs. In the midst of reconstruction.
 
 - - - - -
 
 Name: Mier
 Owner: Harrowmont
 Control: Low
 Order: Low
 Population: 500,000
 Military Presence: Very Low
 Military Experience: Very Weak
 Resources: Extensive mine network; high quality quarries
 Notable Locations:
 	Curton - an odd fortress-town that lines the area bordering the Marnn mountains and much of the mine network there. Despite the seeming size of the fortress, the walls are not stone and the populace is relatively small - it is simply long to protect the mines.
 	Toulon - a large trading town on the main road to Vitria, Toulon has some high quality smiths and other manufactures.
 
 - - - - -
 
 Name: Olmm
 Owner: Harrowmont
 Control: Low
 Order: Low
 Population: 500,000
 Military Presence: Very low
 Military Experience: Moderate
 Resources: Mine network; quarry
 Notable Locations:
 	Fort Locke - a small fortress that overlooks the mines and quarry of the province.
 	Niorte - the largest town in Olmm. It lies close to the southern border, on the highway to the RSK ports. It was the largest town in the former Darlesian territory and has high walls and a sturdy castle.
 
 - - - - -
 
 Name: Vale
 Owner: Harrowmont
 Control: Low
 Order: Moderate
-Owner: Vitria
+
 Military Presence: Low
 Military Experience: Weak
 Resources: Small mine network; quarries
 Notable Locations:
 	Argyle Estate - House Argyle is the largest non-ruling house in Vitria. They maintain a sprawling estate with a large castle - one of the few remaining areas in Gauron with serfdom.
 	Castle Gimbon - a castle built by Vitria at the same time as Harrowmont - it was much less ambitious and is better maintained. Even so, its age and quality shows and it will not the hold the pass through to Vitria very well. Gimbon Valley is the only way to Vitria that doesn't involve travelling through much of Vale itself.
 
 - - - - -
 
 #NEW# Updated owner and lowered control and order
 
 Name: Port Temby
-Owner: Vitria
+
 Control: Moderate
 Order: Moderate
 Population: 280,000
 Military Presence: Low
 Military Experience: Weak
 Resources: Large port and fishing piers; mage tower
 Notable Locations:
 	Port Temby (town) - a large port town that handles a lot of trade and fishing. A lot of trade with the RSK takes place here.
 
 - - - - -
 
-#NEW# Vitria is now contested
+#NEW# Updated owner and lowered control and order. Modified military figures to reflect the fact that much of the former garrison has entered the player's military.
 
 Name: Craol
 Owner: Harrowmont
 Control: Moderate
 Order: Low
 Population: 460,000
 Military Presence: Low
 Military Experience: Moderate
 Resources: Fishing piers
 Notable Locations:
 	Trembin - a large fortress-town that borders Taour and Farun territory, Trembin is made for large musters and for defense. A sizeable part of the Vitrian military is always here in case of attack.
 
 - - - - -
 
 #NEW# Updated owner and lowered control and order. Modified military figures to reflect the fact that much of the former garrison has entered the player's military or been slain.
-#NEW# Military downgraded due to deployments against PCs
+
 Name: Vitria
 Owner: Contested (Vitria / Harrowmont)
 Control: Moderate
 Order: Very Low
 Population: 700,000 (220,000 in city)
 Military Presence: Low
 Military Experience: Moderate
 Resources: N/A
 Notable Locations:
 	Vitria - an enormous port city. After Vitria was freed, the extravagant nobles had much of the city rebuilt in western fashion - tall, winding spires and bridges between towers hundreds of metres in the air. The city itself is not walled but the design makes it highly defensible nonetheless.
 	Gimbon Falls - Gimbon Castle's sister fort, Falls is smaller but was built recently. It is positioned so that it can be bypassed on a march to Vitria but it enables easy mustering and protects arable land in the hills. As such, bypassing it could make for supply chain difficulties.
 
 - - - - -
 
 Name: Darlesia
 Owner: Taour
 Control: Very Low
 Order: Nonexistent
 Population: 600,000 (250,000 in city)
 Military Presence: Moderate
 Military Experience: Strong
 Resources: N/A
 Notable Locations:
 	Darlesia - A city in ruins, once a great capital. The vampires are no doubt tearing down much of the city and trying to maintain order. It unknown what the true state of this city is.
 
 - - - - -
 
 Name: Crece
 Owner: Taour
 Control: Low
 Order: Low
 Population: 440,000
 Military Presence: Moderate
 Military Experience: Moderate
 Resources: Small mine network; quarries
 Notable Locations:
 	The Wall of Lesia - The Marrn range stretches into this province, making movement of large armies difficult except through two large valleys. One borders Coventry and is guarded by a powerful mage fortress, the other is guarded by this wall. Built more than a century ago and still maintained, Lesia spans almost four miles with tall, thick magically reinforced stone and has a large fortress in the centre.
 
 - - - - -
 
 Name: Taour
 Owner: Taour
 Control: Very High
 Order: High
 Population: 840,000 (340,000 in city)
 Military Presence: Moderate
 Military Experience: Strong
 Resources: N/A
 Notable Locations:
 	Taour - A relatively new city, Taour is named after its predecessor city that was razed to the ground in the first mage rebellion. It is built tall and dense, with large underground areas and grassy areas lying on top of a hundred metres of buildings below. The structure of the city likely represents the social structure of the populace.
 
 - - - - -
 
 Name: Raupe
 Owner: Taour
 Control: High
 Order: Moderate
 Population: 480,000
 Military Presence: High
 Military Experience: Moderate
 Resources: Salt mine
 Notable Locations:
 	Castle Dalrec - named after the vampire who had it constructed, this castle and the town surrounding it aren't actually part of Taour land. An independent vampire lays claim to it and so far has had their claim upheld.
 	Hiien - despite its extraordinary size, this town is clearly not a city. It is instead a huge blood harvesting station of humans for the rulers of Taour. It is heavily guarded - probably the most heavily guarded site in Taour aside from the city itself.
 
 ----------------------------------
 9. PC STATS AND SKILLS EXPLANATION
 ----------------------------------
 
 ///Their Role: Stats and skills are used in calculating DCs behind the scenes. Modifiers are incorporated into DCs (as there is no functional difference between applying a modifier and changing a DC).
 
 ///Stat Range: A commoner might have STR 0, a soldier STR 1, a strong soldier STR 2. STR 3 is around normal human peak, but exceptional humans can get to STR 5 in this world without becoming magical. The same applies to all stats, with the exception of MAG and RES. They are magical in origin so don't have normal limits.
 
 ///The Stats:
 
 The physical stats are relatively clear-cut. STR is raw physical power, SPD is a combination of speed, dexterity and agility, END is hardiness (and affects HP), INT is more about wits, perception and planning ability than magical ability.
 
 MAG is a combination of raw magical power and magical talent but isn't always used for magic use. The Knight PC doesn't use his MAG to fight in melee, even if he's using sorcery a lot. He might use it if he's doing something trickier, like using barrier-break in a fight. It's possible to do powerful things with magic with a low MAG stat, but you might be countered by dedicated mages.
 
 RES is a mixture of magical countering ability and sheer willpower. You don't necessarily need to use magic to shrug off some magics. Again, END might be used in some cases rather than RES - not getting incinerated by a fireball might be END or SPD rather than RES.
 
 ///Skill Levels:
 
 Skills go up exponentially as you improve them. Sorcery II lets you do much better things than Sorcery I. Level IV is the highest a skill or ability will typically go.
 
 ///Levelling Up Stats and Skills:
 
 In order to level up stats and skills, you must actively use them. The actions you choose to take will earn you between 0.5 and 3 points for the stat or skill (with stats earning more than skills generally) - some actions may earn points for more than one stat or skill. The amount of points required to increase a stat or skill doubles each level, with skills requiring more than stats (as they top out earlier). There may also be ways to increase your stats and skills without using time later in the quest, but they will have consequences.
 
 ///Learning New Skills and Abilities
 
 This can happen either from plot events or from interacting with NPCs about what they can teach you. Not all new abilities and skills may be that useful, but they will be added to the character sheet regardless.
 
 --------------------
 10. D20 PROBABILITIES
 --------------------
 
 This is just for fun.
 
 Dramatic Failure = 12.9% (Chance of rolling more 1s than 20s)
 Exceptional Success = 12.9% (Chance of rolling more 20s than 1s)
 
 [NB: Success chance include possibility of dramatic failure and exceptional success.]
 
 ///Chance of Success
 
 DC1 = 87.1%
 DC2 = 87.1%
 DC3 = 87.1%
 DC4 = 87.0%
 DC5 = 86.8%
 DC6 = 86.3%
 DC7 = 85.6%
 DC8 = 84.4%
 DC9 = 82.8%
 DC10 = 80.7%
 DC11 = 78.0%
 DC12 = 74.6%
 DC13 = 70.4%
 DC14 = 65.5%
 DC15 = 59.7%
 DC16 = 52.9%
 DC17 = 44.9%
 DC18 = 35.9%
 DC19 = 25.7%
 DC20 = 14.2%