Cavern Quest 3rd Edition : You Have Not Been Eaten By A Grue (Yet)

[X] Gold-Smith : The city is making a lot of money on raw ores, it is true, but some people think the city could be making more money on worked ores. To be more precise, they desire to make a Gold-Smith so that gold can be worked into the kind of things that rich people will pay a lot of money for and that poorer people will also pay a lot of money for. While some artwork type smithing is already going on in many cities, the creation of an official, and most importantly a large, building for the working of Gold could bring the city good money... as well as being useful for the creation of enchanted items.

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In another show of strange solidarity and non-arguing agreement, the city soon agrees on the creation of a Gold-Smith with almost no disagreeing voices at all!

Soon, the sound of hammers can be heard in the city (to an even greater extent then before at least), and worked gold is making it's way out through the trade routes to feed the eternal hunger both magical cities have for items that make good artifact bases... as well as rich people who want something pretty to show off to other people.

The local Mage's Guild also enjoys having a professional and skilled source of gold items instead of having to do all the work in house, and soon is selling even more items then before to the large crowds of local adventurers.

The Gold-Smith is also doing a sideline in gold coinage (The so called Golden Trees), which helps with local trade to a noticeable amount... if perhaps not as much as it would have if not for Akkadia's new wonder.

Your new competition, the only other mercantile city in existence (at least, down here), has created a new Royal Mint by the decree of its new king, to establish a stable and official coinage of the city. While such measures are too late to completely dominate trade as it could have done in the earlier years, the sheer amount of coins produced combined with the official backing of a city state means that Akkadia's new coinage is slowly becoming a majority. The amount of Copper Blades, Silver Shields, and Golden Crowns being added to the economy is kinda ridiculous, really.

Meanwhile, Tartarus, the other new city, has solidly failed to develop any form of formal or stable government. The adventurer's paradise as it is becoming known as instead has become a twisting and confusing maze of individual holdings, from the large quarters of allied merchants to the twisting streets held by a block lord. The great Ruindelver’s Guild it has developed is the only true great power the city has that could possibly unify it, and the guild lacks the internal unity to succeed in such a task.

Combined with the rate that ancient treasures are being hauled out of the ruins and the discoveries that historians and wizards are making by studying them, interesting times are happening in Tartarus. Well, better that city then Twilight, right?

Meanwhile, Fort Salvation has done it's own very annoying thing in that they are now (if indirectly) competing with Twilight in the area of 'plants that need light'. The new medical garden they have created might be magically illuminated, but it isn't in the business of growing food or wood, even if some of the herbs it grows are very tasty. Still, now that they've shown such magic greenhouses are possible, others might be tempted... even if they'll never pass the efficiency of 'we don't have to do anything to get light on grounds of lava'.

Tibero’s Bastion on the other hand, has built a nice new shiny arena where people can pay good money to watch other people beat the shit out of each other, wild animals, summoned monsters, and the rare bound demon. Also some athletic challenges (A certain age category of females seems willing to pay good money to watch the traditional wrestling matches just like the ancients did them), animal against animal fights, trained animal shows, and so on. They're making a nice buck from the tourists and also building up a solid core of professional fighters even without a real enemy to get experience against. Not a bad move, really.

Nextly, Warlock’s Pit has become the second city to have an official presence from the Hunter’s Guild, as they have opened up a Hunter’s Guild Branch office. While it lacks the sheer scale of facilities as seen in the Hunter’s Guild's Headquarters, the branch office still has plenty of institutional lore and brave people holding sharp pointing weapons. Combined with the armed and mobilized stone servants Warlock's Pit was already deploying for defensive purposes, that is an arcane city that shouldn't be troubled by monsters any time soon.

While this is going on, Belltower has continued on the same path it was on last year with the Enchanter's Guild by starting up a new Alchemist's Guild. Already they're making money hand over fist as the only major source of potions, salves, and other such elixirs, even if Fort Salvation is still offering some good competition in the area of healing potions. They're well and truly becoming a city of magical craftsmen.

Perhaps because of the viewpoints of the portion of the population who tend towards paranoia, Black Fathom has become the second city to build a proper stone wall around itself, becoming a fortified settlement akin to Belltower. While the adventurers that work out of the Adventurer's Guild of the city have been doing a good job in keeping things safe, it seems the city wanted to make extra sure that its citizens would not be raided by goblins.

And speaking of a stone wall, construction of such was made much simpler by the new organization now found in Port Granite. A Mason's Guild now graces that city, carving out and otherwise putting to use the good solid granite that gives the city its name. Already gold and silver is flowing into the city from those who are rich and want a bigger, fancier, house then their neighbors have.

Such solid construction that a Mason's Guild makes possible may be a blessing for the future, as trouble may be dawning. Vast numbers of the Fang tribe of the Nephilim have been being banished this year, and admittedly though few noticed it at the time last year as well. While many Nephilim have integrated with the greater refugee population, or made small communities of their own that keep to their own, the Fang clan is staunchly traditional... Which would be less worrying if the traditional form of interaction between Nephilim tribes didn't involve the words 'semi-constant raiding'. And the rate of banishments does not seem to be slowing.

Given that the Fang Clan is also holding a (not entirely undeserved given the actions of the empire) massive grudge towards humans in general, well... Many people are quite worried indeed. Black Fathom may have been wise indeed to build that wall.

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With the news of the Fang Tribe's arrival in mass to the lands of Avernum, the caves of Exile, the minds of the city are turning towards the need for defense... And ponderings on how to be annoying towards Akkadia for their competition with the city.

[ ] Drill Grounds : Taking a page from Tibero’s Bastion, some people are arguing for the creation of a Drill Grounds, within which a formal company of troops can be massed, equipped, and most of all trained. While it could be used for either archers or spearmen, what type of force that is mustered here could be quite useful if hostilities break out with the Fang Clan.
[ ] Mercenary's Hall : The city is already leaning on adventurers, many people point out, so why not take it to the logical next step? A formal hiring hall for Mercenaries both would allow traders to protect larger trade caravans with more ease, and allow the city to convert cash into armed force when trouble breaks out. And given that trouble is likely to break out soon, some people think this is a very good idea.
[ ] Militia Armory : As a last resort, all cities can call out the population to form a militia. However, this is a last resort because the general population, even ignoring training, rarely has lots and lots of armor and arms to equip themselves with. A proper Militia Armory would mean that if the militia was called out, each and ever man and women would have a proper spear and set of armor to use in combat.
[ ] Shrine of Prevailing Righteousness : A respected sect amongst adventurers, the order of Prevailing Righteousness is dedicated to keeping the peace by smiting those who would disturb that peace. And in times of war this respected sect of battle-priests is a very nice organization to have on your side. Given that the Fang Clan is likely about to disturb the peace a lot, having a bunch of these people around is sounding like a good idea to many folks.

Spoiler: Turn Summary

Tartarus Founded, Akkadia Founded
Fort Salvation builds a Medical Garden.
Twilight creates a Gold-Smith
Tibero’s Bastion builds an Arena.
Belltower builds a Alchemist’s Guild.
Black Fathom creates a Stone Walls Improvement.
Warlock’s Pit builds a Hunter’s Guild Branch Office.
Port Granite creates a Mason’s Guild.
Tartarus creates a Ruindelver’s Guild Wonder.
Akkadia creates a Royal Mint wonder.

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So, I've been pondering how to do/interact with military force for a while now. (That's one of the reasons this turn took a bit.)

I considered a few options, but this is what I've decided on. In short, buildings determine your force list. Every city can call up the militia at need, but beyond that what you have built determines what forces you can muster (and how well they are equipped) in times of war.

Currently, the City of Twilight has available to it Two Units of Militia (an average amount), One Adventurer Warband (from the Adventurer's Guild. Often Powerful, but lacking in discipline and staying power, as well as larger scale teamwork), and one unit of Battle Magi (A collection of apprentices from the guild, with a few fully trained wizards as leadership. Powerful offense in that no one wants to be fireballed, but lacks numbers. Best used as support instead of a primary force).

Each Drill Grounds a city has can be used to muster one force of either melee or ranged infantry, of the type depending on what else the city has. A Mercenary's Hall can potentially hire a larger number of mercenaries (IE, a dice is rolled to determine how many units it can muster), but sometimes none are around. A Militia Armory improves the quality of the militia by making sure they all have gear. And a Shrine of Prevailing Righteousness allows for a unit of Battle-Priests to be mustered.

If anyone has an objection to this system, or a question, now is the time to speak up because I think you can all see the forshadowing this turn.

 

[X] Drill Grounds : Taking a page from Tibero’s Bastion, some people are arguing for the creation of a Drill Grounds, within which a formal company of troops can be massed, equipped, and most of all trained. While it could be used for either archers or spearmen, what type of force that is mustered here could be quite useful if hostilities break out with the Fang Clan.

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In the face of the oncoming threat of the Fang Clan, it is no surprise that the people of the city of Twilight have decided to increase their defenses. A Drill Grounds is built within the city limits, and soon warriors are training within the grounds, turning into true soldiers upon whom the city can trust to protect it. Here Twilight's great wonder, the Fire Gardens, proves it's worth again. While other cities are forced to depend on slingers and blowpipes, throwing axes and magic missiles, for their ranged forces Twilight, unlike said other cities, has enough spare wood that proper bows can be crafted for its soldiers, and spears as well should melee forces be raised.

But with the current troubles, other cities are also turning their minds towards defense, and Twilight is not the only one to prepare for strife. While Fort Salvation may have taken only defensive measures in their construction of stone City Walls, Tibero’s Bastion has built a Mage's Guild, and a new Branch Officer of the Hunter's Guild has been established in Tartarus as Warlock's Pit creates a dedicated Summoning Chamber. And perhaps most forbiddingly of all, Belltower has built a Storm Prism Foundry.

The new Mage's Guild at Tibero's Bastion is not one given to research, as can be said in Warlock's Pit, or creation of artifacts of power as they do in Belltower, or even for adventurers as it is in Twilight, but is instead focused on the destruction of the Bastion's foes. True war wizards may soon be known to the underground for the first time. But even more potentially scary, with their new Summoning Chamber Warlock's Pit can now call and bind summons at sufficient scale as to make a true military force from them. Who knows what demons their enemies may end up facing? And the new Storm Prisms of Belltower... rare and expensive as they might be, no other siege weapon down in the darkness can currently compete with the lightning they can project.

Not all cities have turned towards war, however. Port Granite has created a great Clocktower of the city's own. While the wealthy, powerful, and otherwise privileged members of society have long made a point of adding smaller scale clocks to their own homes, and 'dawn' and 'nightfall' is traditionally announced publicly to help people keep on a proper day/night schedule, a publicly available town clock should help with day to day life in that city immensely, as now everyone, rich or poor, can actually schedule things and have those schedules be followed.

Meanwhile, Black Fathom has turned towards thinking not of war, but what comes after war.

In short, they have built an official Graveyard, where all might be buried without fear of being consumed by giant mushrooms, eaten by giant lizards, devoured by giant rats, or dug up by grave robbers. Here, all will be able to find a final rest, whether rich or poor. Or so the propaganda goes at least. Still, to have a proper place of rest is good for the people's peace of mind, even if in reality only the richest will likely be able to afford being buried in a city that they did not live and die in.

And Black Fathom has promised very muchly that they won't raise all the bodies as an undead army, too.

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As expected, the Fang Clan is causing more and more trouble this year. Unlike humans, they are not settling into settlements, but instead attempting to retain their tribal ways of old. While speaking in general, few exiles are not sympathetic to the idea of retaining the ways that the Empire exiled you for, in regards to specifics few are sympathetic to the idea of being casually raided by tribal brigands. And the Nephilim are not the only ones causing trouble, as human bandits are also taking the chance inherent in the chaos the Fang Clan is causing to go alooting and apillaging themselves.

Something must be done, but the cities can not agree on what. There are three plans being discussed and pushed for, and which one will be done is still up in the air...

[ ] Unified Forces : The lord of Tibero’s Bastion, Tibero himself, is pushing for a unification of the City State's forces (under him of course), on the grounds that the unified power of civilization should have no trouble jumping up and down on some annoying tribals. In his words. While this would probably assure the City State's a true dominance of force wherever the unified army goes, the thing that people have issues with is that the army can only be in one place at a time... and no one wants to be the last to be helped.
[ ] Coalition Army : Certain people are of the opinion that while Lord Tibero has an interesting idea in the Grand Army he wants to create, donating the majority of the City State's forces is a step to far. Instead, they think, each City State should donate one or two units of their army to create a collation capable of bringing down the hammer on the Fang Clan, and reserve the rest of their forces for affairs closer to home.
[ ] Independent Alignment : Each City State has problems of their own, some say, and each City State's problems are that City State's own. And, those ones say, each City State can handle those problems on their own. No need for a unification of the armies and giving up any measure of independence, they claim, as surely the Fang Clan can be handled without any need for some sort of grand army.

Spoiler: Turn Summary

Fort Salvation builds Stone Walls.
Twilight creates a Drill Grounds
Tibero’s Bastion builds a Mage’s Guild.
Belltower builds a Storm Prism Foundry.
Black Fathom creates a Graveyard.
Warlock’s Pit builds a Summoning Chamber.
Port Granite creates a Clock Tower.
Tartarus creates a Hunter’s Guild Branch Office.
Akkadia creates a Civic Watch.