In the mountains to the distant, in the Kamelands, there are a pair of peaks separated by a pronounced ‘V’ pass. Once each year, the sun rises exactly in the middle of the formation, and the composition of the surrounding mountains, coupled with the normal atmospheric characteristics of early spring, make for an exceptionally bright sunrise, with light relfected and intensified by the peaks.
Misthaven‘s placement makes it a perfect place from which to behold the sight, and since the occurance has been used as a placed-marker in the year for those who live in the area, it was formalized into an annual festival, the exact date of which varies slightly from year to year, and named the ’Golden Dawn,’ which is what people have always called it.
This year’s festival was the second formal celebration, and bigger than the one from the year before, with trappers, farmers, and a goodly number and variety of merchants coming to town to take part and make some profit. Zion got into the spirit on opening night, casting a variety of spectacular spells that impressed the crowd. And in what is becoming tradition, Pik took part in the festivities, dancing wildly and getting pretty drunk. The gnome is, unlike Billings Ahtur, a friendly and genuinely funny drunk, with his wit and personality enhanced by the grog. Indeed, a good time was had by all.
The festival itself starts at sundown on the day before the actual occurrance, with feasts and dances, contests and shows lasting until dawn, when everyone who’s still awake and coherent watches the sun come up. Then most everyone takes the day off to recover. Zion, intially staying behind when Pik, Anton, and Kincaid left for the Narlmarches, continued some of his magic show during the day, and in so doing generated a great amount of interest in the arcane arts & sciences, and was able to talk up the idea of a school or academy of some sort.
Two days after the trial, and one before the festival, Anton hosted Evelynn Wynnwil for dinner at Tuskwater Keep. As would be proper for a young, unmarried woman of standing, she brought her sister Annalise, and Pik joined the trio for the meal and conversation afterward. Presented with a fine fur-trimmed cloak as a gift, Evelynn enjoyed herself immensely, and it was very clear by evening’s end that she and Anton shared an interest for each other.
Annalise and Pik spent most of the evening discussing herbal medicines, and playing a few games of chess.
Comments
Food for thought: You guys are currently fuding 6 festival per year, and I’ve got two of them plugged in time and named, on the calendar page (from the wiki). As things come to mind, you should name and place the other four, for the sake of the story.
And then I’d have opportunities to wrap in things like “Godzilla comes and destroys Misthaven” and “The town drunk streaks the square, again” when there are a lot of people around.
The Golden Dawn has been a well know occurrence for may years. Complained about in casters circles for those years because the narlmarshes have been a lawless tangle. With the Fledgling kindom now stabilizing the region, Zions’s contacts in the northern cities of Brevoy, and special invitations he sent to the guilds of Mages, Circles of sorcerers and other arcane institutions, many arcane casters made the trek to the inaugural Golden Dawn Festival. Wonder of the magic and scientific world. Because of the influx of magic users in the city, and use of the parapits for better viewing of the event, there were donations to the creation of Cathedral Nethys. The day after the festival, the spell casters who were left and did not expend all their magical energy took the time to clean up, and clear a solid building area for the future Cathedral to Nethys. Truly, this area is blessed with his energy to bring forth the display and worthy of building a place to the god Nethys. during the festival, other spell casters of different faiths arrived. There was a red coweled wizard of moderate power, who came from cheliax. he was a wizard of Asmodeus who did nothing beyond the desire to witness the Golden Dawn event. he was previlent in clearing ground and opening a pit for the beginnings of a basement. with the clearing of the ground, the Cathedral is ready to be built. (game terms, 10% of BP’s generated this month goes to the initial construction of a cathedral in the city.)
Mechanical note: BPs for construction are paid all at once, and then construction begins. A cathedral costs 58BP, which is more than you have in the entire treasury at this point. You can’t build on lay-away, and there’s no China from which to borrow more dough.
In order to generate income, you guys are going to do two things: first, you’ll need to sink loot and treasure you find while adventuring back into the kingdom; and second, you’re going to need to build things that will increase the Economy stat, so that your rolls for income each month get higher and higher. Any buildings that have magic items in them will also generate income in most months, as the stuff sells. The herbalist shop will do that right now, but you don’t have anything else that will support specific items as of yet.
Reg’s advice is that building a cathedral now may sound really great, but it’d be a little like giving your kid brother the magic family heirloom sword before he knows how to swing a stick. And since Reg is Zion’s half-brother, he says this in a deadpan while looking directly at Zion. And beyond that, the kid’s not even strong enough to pick it up.
That said, all those magic folks really dug being in Misthaven, and it’s likely they’ll return, and spread the word, too.
Contacts for buying magical stuff – either enchanted equipment or the raw materials for them – were also made, and so that’ll be good for the future, too.
Ok, then we shall mechanically hold onto 10% of the BP that are Generated each phase and put to the side until we have the BP’s in order to build said cathedral.
I just figured it would fit better storywise that we could slowly pay for the cathedral over time and when its paid off, it is built, rather than hold onto the BP’s, spend them all at once and a cathedral is magically built in that month.
Gotcha. Nice try!
Previously, somewhere on the OP, we had discussed naming the festivals and had actually come to some decisions. However, I do not know of any way to search the posts and the subsequent threads to see when and where that was. At any rate, from what I remember, Anton had suggested a festival of life or something like that, where we celebrate life and encourage a good shagging! Additionally, a tournament of some sort was supposed to be one or more of those.
I am not sure where to post it, and it is not necessarily a festival, but since we have begun working on building a militia. Pik would like to work with the local clergy, and setup a clinic to treat medical needs. I am not sure of what the schedule would/should be at this point, but maybe once every two weeks for a day or two. If necessary, Pik will fund the bandages, etc. but would prefer to have backing by the Kings to help out with it. I believe it would be good to have people donate for services.
Thoughts?
I like your idea Pik. Kings going out to the people time permitting for the good of the people, and asking for nothing in return. We can put point in the heal skill.
As for Reg, and poopooing the idea of building a cathedral… You analogy is interesting, however, along the same lines, if said youngster receives a sword he cannot lift, it is his first step to using it. he will grow stronger the earlier he has access to OT. Be will learn the feel of its grip, the cold of its steel.
As.with a cathedral, the revenue generated by building it (magic items created and sold) will enable us to build faster, OT is also the top of the list, and make everything less expensive to build, academy, magic shop, library… All of which provide access to magic items revenue. Even more BP’s. This is a good investment to cause our fair city to explode in greatness, all because we invested into something large in the early stages of our city.
Thom: YOU GUYS DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO BUILD A CATHEDRAL RIGHT NOW. What part of that does not make sense? It costs 58…the kingdom currently has only 50. If you guys roll well next month you could have more than 54, and then blow the whole thing on that one building, and then you’re back to almost nothing…in June, when Anton’s loan repayment has to begin. Zion wants to run the MM like DC runs the USA!
On the other hand, a Caster’s Tower, at 30BP, provides 3 minor and 2 medium items per month, which will together generate upwards of 18 BP per month! Here’s how it works: each month, during the Income phase, we roll to “sell valuable items,” using the Economy bonus to roll vs a DC set by the general value of the item. The way it is now, unless you roll a 1 for each item, you will sell every item, every month. A minor item adds 2BP, while a medium item adds 6BP…and a major, if you get there, is worth 12BP! Zoinks! That’s real money! That’s how you earn a steady and growing income: build things that have items included in them. The Cathedral is almost twice as expensive as the Caster’s Tower, and would generate the same amount of BP per month.
So take a look at those files I sent with building descriptions and find some things that are really cost effective. Reg says so, and when his puny half-brother gets uppity, he just sits and smiles.
How’s that for rules lawyering, huh?! Back ’atcha!
If Zion wants to spend big, why not go with an Academy, instead of a Cathedral? At 52BP it will still drain the treasury, however, it will add 2 each to Economy and Loyalty, and provide 3 minor and 2 medium items per month. In addition, it will halve the price of future builds of a Caster’s Tower, Library, and a Magic Shop in Misthaven. Notice the operative word in that sentence: “and,” whereas the Cathedral halves the cost of one building or the other.
Reg flatly states that he will veto a move to build a Cathedral. And being a worshiper or Erastil, anyway, the kingdom already has a temple, of sorts, and Erastil doesn’t go in for all that tall spires and fancy trappings, anyway. “Little brother, since when did you get so much religion – and not just that, religion of the showy and pricey kind?”
I understand the math behind what we have and what I’m proposing to do. What you’re not taking into account is the minus of BP this month, other than normal upkeep, do not spend any more. Have a surpluses of BP. Perhaps something small like another smithy, like a weaponsmith. Then when we have the BP for next month “Big Brother” we will have ample stock in which to build the cathedral, which will cut the cost of a tower, academy etc etc. I am looking long term with this and saving the BP this month, to build the cathedral next month will save us 25 BP when we do build the following month when we do build an academy or whatever we choose. The big project will enable us to spend less over the long haul. I UNDERSTAND THE MATH!!!
Unless meta gaming, BP is use it or lose it.
BP can be built up and saved. Where’d you get the idea that you lost it if you didn’t spend it?
All that asidem Reg thinks a cathedral is a bad idea and does not support its construction at this point. What did the rest of the Upper Council say while together in Misthaven before the Festival of the Golden Dawn?
Tbis is the cathedral stats…
Cathedral (58 BP): The focal point of the city’s religion and spiritual leadership. Halves cost of Temple or Academy in same city; halves Consumption increase penalty for promotion edicts; 3 minor items, 2 medium items; Loyalty +4; Unrest –4; limit one per city.
If we wait for the academy it goes as follows…
Academy (52 BP): An institution of higher learning that can focus on any area of knowledge or education, including magic. Halves cost of Caster’s Tower, Library, and Magic Shop in same city; 3 minor items, 2 medium items; Economy +2, Loyalty +2
If we wait to build the cathedral first, then the cost to build the academy is going to be only 25 rather than the full 52 (less one because of the carpenters bonus) not to mention happier citizens.
Rocking back in his chair, Reg picks a small amount of broccoli out from between his teeth and stares at his younger brother, unimpressed with his attempt at persuasion.
You’re bitching about 6 build point difference, but if we go with the cathedral first we have a net gain of 19. What is the smarter way?
Reg begins to nod off, having tired of his brother’s prattle. Anton glances at Pik and the two share a smile, while Kincaid fidgets and rearranges, again, his utensils.
Cast prestidigitaton and start illusiory drawing funny moustaches, and other funny hair on Reg while he nods off.
Dinner and the deliberation of the Upper Council comes to an end, and the kings each retire to their individual quarters in Tuskwater Keep. Reg has a pleasant night of sleep, dreaming of battle and slaughter and conquest and other happy things. Anton writes in his journal – poetry this night, as he tries to capture his feelings for the Maid Wynnwil, and tries to decide what to do next.
Pik spends some time going over diplomatic dispatches, and stares at the kingdom map, as he is often wont to do, pondering future moves and trying to anticipate foreign actions.
Kincaid, as he often does each night, wanders town for a bit, then walks the walls of the keep, finally ending his evening by climbing into his room through its single, upstairs window. It just…it just feels right that way.
Zion has a terrible night of sleep, dreaming of how we was taunted as a child for his hair, and how he needed to run to his big brother, Reg, for protection. He wakes feeling like shit.
Zion dreams of having to run to his brother disturb him for part of the night, but now that they have both grown into the men they are today. Zion is secure in who he is and his capabilities. We are now on equal footing. The rest of Zions dreams that night are spent flying through the air of his own capabilities, seeing reg happily swinging his great axe mowing down little goblins or other such evil creatures.
He wakes up refreshed and ready to tackle the day.