Scheming Princess Quest

You are the princess of a magical kingdom. Your family has ruled for eighty years, a minor dynasty that has weathered the storms of plague and war. Your current situation is almost minor compared to that, though you still think it’s pretty important. Following the early death of your parents, your twin brother is first in line to become king upon his eighteenth birthday. And you suspect he will find you … inconvenient at that time.

You see, you know what he is.

But until that time, your uncle rules as regent. You are only ten years old, and your eighteenth birthday seems far away. Far away, and yet, all too soon to change the course of a kingdom. Until that day you have full access to the palace and considerable status with which to enact your plans, though you are almost always watched.There are some that see your brother as unsuitable for the throne, and whisper that perhaps primogeniture should be waived just this once… but quietly, quietly.

You must oust your brother from his destined throne and take it for yourself through popular acclaim, or reveal him to be utterly unsuitable to be king (preferrably with your own puppet candidate ready to make a bid for the throne), or even find a way to kill him before his coronation and attempt to ride the wave of outrage to the top. But such thoughts are treason, and the punishment for them is death.

​

• Character
• Blessings/Curses
• Advantages
• Skills
• Equipment
• Contacts
• Companions
• Your Brother's Companions

• 
  Mysterious Princess Zinger X, age 10
  Noble of Caelis Valera, the City of Magic
  
  Your parents met with a Tragic Accident. The Regent's feelings toward you are Negative, and his outlook is Liberal and Overbearing.
  
  Your brother's secret is due to his Playboy nature. He suspects your plotting in kind, and if he gets the opportunity you will have a 'Terrible Accident'. He is a Heart-stoppingly Handsome Blood Knight with Prodigious Magical Potential. His Magnetic Personality and Regal Bearing can Galvanize his lessers to action.
  
• 
  Beauty of the Ages [20 + 10] – Even at a young age, your beauty is heart-stopping. Your every movement is one of impossible grace that haunts the dreams of all who look upon you. Your suitors are without number. Your betrothal is a prize beyond price, for which men would gladly kill or die. They would battle demons and topple tyrants in your name. To gaze upon you is to know love.
  Charming [20] – You can bring a smile to almost any face. You are never without friends.
  Mature [20] – Serene and unshakeable, you inspire confidence in your abilities. People will come to rely on you.
  Inspiring [20] – You are a born leader and a stunning orator. Something about you inspires men and women to follow you.
  
  Battle-Lust – You feel alive with a blade in your hand, and seeing someone fall before your skill and power gives you an intense thrill.
  Arcane Ancestry – You come from a long line of talented mages, and their skills have bred true. Magic that others struggle and strive for comes naturally to you. What others might call impossible is merely extremely difficult for you.
  
• 
  Auspicious Birth [0] – You and your brother were born under auspicious stars. People believe you are both destined for greatness. Your abilities will be better acknowledged, but your brother’s claim will also be considered more legitimate.
  Female Diety [10] – Your religion’s god is personified as a woman. This will naturally make a female monarch easier to accept, and ensures your talents are not overlooked or belittled due to your gender.
  Royal Retainers [10] – Caelis Valera has a tradition of gathering the most capable administrators and mages close to the throne. Though their loyalty is to the reigning monarch first and other members of the royal family second, these retainers are a bulwark against foreign aggression and native uprisings. This also raises the number and quality of potential tutors and contacts available to you.
  Lesser Title [20] – The noble inheritance laws of your kingdom are complex, and your family’s standing in them is equally difficult for any but a specialist to understand after many generations of marrying back into your own nobility. One of their effects is that even at your young age, you have already inherited a small barony, and hold it in your own right. Its resources are modest, but you are the sole ruler of its lands by law, answering only to the crown.
  
• 
  The many skills that led you to gaining the lofty post of hereditary noble at your young age.
  
  Necromancy (Modest) – You can sense souls and (mostly) converse with them, but tearing souls out of people and molding them to your whims is even harder than it sounds. Rather, you are capable of somewhat... gently adjusting souls, primarily for the purposes of slipping through wards. Sophia claims it feels awful, the big baby.
  Clairvoyance (Amateurish) – You require tools to perform your Clairvoyance magic. Rolling the bones, reading the tarot, things like that. Your magic works much better with a ‘sympathetic item’ that your target has touched or – ideally – cared for before.
  Combat (Poor) – You’re entirely capable of dueling other children to the death, if necessary.
  Athletics (Awful) – You’re fit enough to jog around the castle. This is more impressive than it sounds, the castle grounds are very large!
  Engineering (Awful) – Your scores in mathematics are excellent, but you’re not entirely sure how to translate that into actually building things.
  Logistics (Awful) – Your studies haven’t yet left the realm of the theoretical. In theory, you could absolutely train, equip and move an army!
  
• 
  Weapon: Enchanted Fruit Knife (Ever-Keen)
  Perfume: Rose Water
  Dress: Elegant Dress
  Underthings: Comfortable
  
• 
  Granny Wither – Ex-head mage among the Royal Retainers, specializing in Clairvoyance and Alchemy. Bitter and spiteful. Appears to be getting gradually younger. Likes you quite a lot, possibly even for more reasons than social climbing!
  [Master Clairvoyant and Alchemist]
  Gregory Blackstone – Avid collector of mysterious, possibly evil artifacts. He likes you because you are not a dolt and 'taught the Princess magic' will sound good when he brings it up during his next appearance at court.
  [Master Necromancer, head of House Blackstone]
  
  Jill Chaser – The daughter of the head groundskeeper. You have entered into a friendship pact of secrecy and danger with her, together with Sophia Hill. Difficult to read.
  [Knowledge of grounds and falcons, some nature magic]
  Bolf Baxter – Makes scrumptious pastries. Just delightful. Do be careful not to become rotund, no one likes a fat princess.
  [Cook and baker extraordinaire]
  Roddey Forester – Stable boy at the castle. Writes home to his sister religiously. Has a certain quaint country charm (muscles).
  [Knowledge of beasts]
  
• 
  Alice – A maid you've had since you were young. Appears just when you want her and disappears when you don't, just as a good servant should. Is taking the death of your father the king very hard.
  
• 
  Sophia Hill – A girl who has decided she is your rival in magic. She’s the last of some old bloodline (maybe), and seems to be besotted with your brother. As far as rivals go, she’s not very threatening.
  [Necromancy and Clairvoyance magic]
  

 

Now, before we begin this fairytale of intrigue and (possibly) murder, a few points of note. The next few updates will include a number of choices to be made. Until the prologue is over, you will have 100 ‘fate points’ which you can use to strengthen our princess’s abilities, talents, or resources. These will decrease when you pick options that are favorable to you, and you can also add more fate points by taking disadvantageous options as well. There will always be enough options labeled [0] cost (which neither increase nor decrease your store of fate points) to get along with, if you run out of fate points early. Fate points left over after the prologue may be used to influence later events, and some may be gained during play for that purpose.

The first choice, naturally, is to choose the kingdom which you might someday rule, if you are quick and clever and at least a little lucky.

The Kingdom
The Highlands [0] – A relatively prosperous nation with a strong warrior tradition and a professional army, though its navy is very small. Also very traditional in other ways. Convincing the highlanders to break with tradition and appoint you over your brother will be an uphill battle.
(Necromancy and Demonic magic are banned and Illusion magic is disliked in the Highlands, while Nature magic costs are at half price)
Callanrod [10] – The center of religion for the region. Defended by a grand army of paladins and battle-monks, while inquisitors and missionaries undertake missions on local soil and in foreign lands. Faith is of great importance in this land, and the priesthood would prefer a pious queen over a degenerate king. The church does have significant influence over the monarchy, which is a curse more often than a blessing – but one you may be able to work with.
(Nature, Illusion, Necromancy and Demonic magic are banned in Callanrod, while Holy magic costs are at half price)
Caelis Valera [20] – A remote city of magic, built of magical ice during the last age. Though the talents of magicians today are somewhat less than it was then, Caelis Valera remains a great center of learning and magic. Valerans value arcane skill and showing great talent might garner the support of the powerful mage houses. The nation relies on spellcraft and its small army of mage-knights backed up by war golems for safety. All non-demonic magics are accepted and valued here, even for women.
(Demonic magic is banned in Caelis Valera, while all other schools are at half price)
Baruna [20] – The jewel of civilization. Baruna is a rich coastal nation at the heart of the world’s trade network. That gold flows into the coffers of the king. The nation is protected by hired mercenaries, both the king’s and retainers hired by the noble houses, and its navy is the greatest in the world. Everything has a price here, and making the right deals could see you on the throne. Just remember that the Barunese always extract what they are owed…
(Nature and Clairvoyance magic are disliked in Baruna, while Alchemy and Enchanting costs are at half price)

A few Advantages that can be chosen now are listed below. This category covers a broad range of advantageous circumstances and useful items you may have acquired. These include choices you spend fate points on now, and items you may acquire later for free. Of these, Companions are probably the most useful and can only be acquired through quest lines:

Auspicious Birth [0] – You and your brother were born under auspicious stars. People believe you are both destined for greatness. Your abilities will be better acknowledged, but your brother’s claim will also be considered more legitimate.
Mandate of Heaven [0] – Your culture believes that successfully deposing a monarch grants the right to rule. You have only to slay or depose your brother, and you will be hailed as queen! You will not be the only claimant hoping to use this belief, however…
Female Diety [10] – Your religion’s god is personified as a woman. This will naturally make a female monarch easier to accept, and ensures your talents are not overlooked or belittled due to your gender.
Jewelry [10] – All princesses are expected to possess jewelry, but your dowry is exceptional. Bequeathed from your parents and other deceased relatives, you have so many baubles that no one would notice a few pieces going missing. Gold and jewels make a fine payment for services without having to explain yourself to the palace treasurer or your uncle.
Royal Retainers [10 or 20] – Your kingdom has a tradition of gathering the most capable administrators and specialists close to the throne. Though their loyalty is to the reigning monarch first and other members of the royal family second, these retainers are a bulwark against foreign aggression and native uprisings. This also raises the number and quality of potential tutors and contacts available to you.
The type of retainers available depend on the level of Advantage and specific kingdom chosen.
Lesser Title [20] – The noble inheritance laws of your kingdom are complex, and your family’s standing in them is equally difficult for any but a specialist to understand after many generations of marrying back into your own nobility. One of their effects is that even at your young age, you have already inherited a small barony, and hold it in your own right. Its resources are modest, but you are the sole ruler of its lands by law, answering only to the crown.
Heirloom Treasures [20] – Though your line is relatively young, your parents possessed a wide variety of potent magical items acquired through conquest, diplomacy and inheritance. The purpose and power of some of these artifacts even they did not fully understand. Each has its own strengths and legend, well-known enough to be recognized with some research. They are to be used only by the royal family or designated champions, and represent an exceptional amount of social capital and practical power. Actually gaining control of this windfall will be difficult.

Your parents were well liked in the kingdom they ruled, and their deaths were a tragedy. As for the specifics...

Parents’ Death
Assassination [0] – Unfortunately, no king can be beloved by everyone. They fell to an assassin’s arrow one year ago now, leaving the kingdom in the hands of your capable but unimaginative uncle. This tragedy has resulted in an upswelling of support among the lower classes, but it was never proven who had hired the man that slew them, and the murderer was never brought to justice…
Terrible Accident [0] – Foul play was initially suspected, but your mother’s carriage crash did seem to simply be the result of a panicked horse and a road system that was perhaps not as well-funded as it should be. Your father wasted away over the next few years, and in the end grief and illness took him.
War Leader’s Death [10] – Your parents fell in battle against the barbarian hordes of the northern steppes making their once-in-a-generation push south. Though the pass into the northern lands was held, it was at great cost to the kingdom and yourself personally. Your uncle, the Regent, blames himself.
The Witch’s Curse [20] – Your parents are not dead, but are instead trapped in magical stasis. The greatest mages that could be found were unable to break the curse, and the Regent eventually ordered their petrified forms moved to a room where they would not frighten the ambassadors and worry the courtiers. ‘Hasn’t been done’ doesn’t mean ‘cannot be done’, though… (Adds a new potential winning condition)

Regent’s Disposition – Your uncle is a wise and honourable man. He is not always the most canny ruler, being raised to lead armies rather than balance law and trade. Still, he has ruled the kingdom well enough since the untimely death of the king even if he has no taste for it.

On the matter of his brother’s children, however, the answer is not so clean cut. Who has his favor?

You [10] – You and your uncle are very close. He will rule in your favor as often as the law allows, although you and he may not always agree upon just what is in your favor.
Both [0] – Lacking his own children, the Regent has all but adopted you both as his own. He will independently move to crush any threat to either of you.
Neither [-10] – The Regent sees his lost brother each time he looks upon either of you, and cannot bear it. You are both inferior copies of something precious and lost to him, and suffer for it.
The Prince [-20] – Your uncle has often wished for a son of his own to carry on his legacy. He sees the best in your brother, and pays no mind to the flaws.

As Regent, your uncle is responsible for seeing to the proper raising of the royal heirs. Of course, what is proper according to one might not be so beneficial in another’s eyes; what sort of education does your uncle favor?

Traditionalist [0] – With a traditionalist Regent in charge, you will largely be restricted to ladylike training (courtly behavior, music, dance, and theology, among others), though there will be some regional differences. A princess of Caelis Valera will still be allowed – indeed, recommended – to pursue magic training. Likewise a Highlands princess is expected to know enough of battle to defend her home and children, a Callanrod princess to study Holy magic, and a Baruna princess to navigate the labyrinthine processes of the law.
Liberal [10] – A more liberal Regent will allow you to undertake any training, even those not generally open to a woman. These range from the war-like to the magical to the merely unusual.

The ruler of a realm has many demands upon their time, and one such as your uncle who was not expecting to take the position even more so. Yet the education of the kingdom’s royal family is a critical affair of state; how much involvement does your uncle have in it?

Overbearing [0] – Your uncle cares, and attempts to ensure your success in life. He does this by ensuring that you are taught all the things a princess should know. The Regent will attempt to dictate your studies as much as he is able, though his agenda will change depending on previous choices.
Hands-off [10] – Your uncle’s training was martial rather than political. His focus is pointed outwards, his gaze set upon foreign powers that might seek to take your kingdom from you in this time of upheaval. Affairs of state have suffered somewhat, but at least your study time is largely your own.


So, vote away! Character creation will continue.
[ ] Kingdom?
[ ] Advantages?
[ ] Parent's Death?
[ ] Regent's Disposition?