Spoiler: Mood music Constantinopolis Secundus, Capital of the Terran Empire - The Great Cathedral The voice of the high priest booms across the ancient stone halls of the cathedral, his high pitched, mechanically assisted voice resounding and slipping into the ears of each of the thousands of worshippers present as though he was next to each. Here in the capital on one of his few trips away from the blighted landscape of Holy Terra, the old man, centuries old by now, decrepit body held together by ancient technology that few in any of humanity's three empires could lay claim to, stands upon the great altar at the rear of the cathedral, bulk substantially increased by the mass of tubes and wires going in and out of his body. Standing beside the high priest of Terra, head bowed deferentially, is a second figure, youthful and unblemished skin giving him a strangely angelic look when compared to the hulking mass of metal and decrepit flesh that is the holy man. Finally, the priest finishes his sermon, reluctantly moving off to the side of the altar, and allowing the young man to take pride of place at an elevated platform in the center. All eyes rise up to look at the youth, as he begins to speak. "My subjects," Emperor Carius begins, his voice the soft patter of a scholar, utterly unlike his father's loud soldierly drawl. "I confess, a life as your sovereign is not that which I expected for myself, with four brothers ahead of me in the line of succession. I had intended to live a life of peace and learning. But make no mistake, I will not allow the deaths of my father and brothers to be the end of our great empire." Carius' voice is tinged with nerves, higher than it would normally be, and somewhat robotic, as if over rehearsed. Nonetheless, the more astute among the emperor's audience, and those watching through holo recordings later, detect sincerity, and some element of mettle in the voice, buried within. Whether that mettle will be shown by his actions remains to be seen. "I will strive tirelessly to ensure peace, stability and happiness for all of you, across every world in the Empire. I know that I am inexperienced, and so I have decided, as my first act as emperor, to reinstitute the Imperial Council, giving the most talented of my subjects the opportunity to help guide me, and assist in solving the Empire's most pressing issues." The young man looks to his councilors and nods. Carius nods and stands back, allowing the high priest to take over. After an hour of sworn oaths and holy oils, the old man blesses the youth, declaring him to be the new Terran Emperor. "By the grace of the gods, Long live Emperor Carius!" The old man speaks, and the crowd repeats the words in a practiced chant. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Constantinopolis Secundus - Imperial Palace @Daylan As Hersillia waits for her stepson in the opulent sitting room, a green skinned alien servant comes by, offering a tray filled with various drinks and exotic opioids, the trademark delicacy of the aristocracy. Through the pair of double doors in front of the Dowager Empress lies Carius' personal chapel, where he sits in private confession. The doors open after several more minutes, and the first to exit is the new emperor's personal confessor, a young priestess named Ingrid. To take Carius' word for it, the woman is a paragon of virtue, but Hersillia has noticed a level of flirtation from the woman of the church, here and there. The woman gives Hersillia a smile and a polite bow, as she exits. Behind her, Carius walks towards his stepmother, after thanking his confessor. "Lady Hersillia." He bows his head to her. "Time for my first council, I suppose." He smiles. "Would you care to join me?" He begins to lead the way, escorted by some guardsmen in ceremonial armour. Down a long hallway, and past a guarded gate stands the Imperial Council chamber, a large circular room of stone and marble, the ceiling painted with various religious scenes, with an imposing table of rare Terran oak in the center. Seated around the table are the councilors. @Omega98 For the first time in nearly two decades, Yannika sees the young emperor up close, as he enters the council chamber with his stepmother, the empress dowager. Across the from her, the priestess of House Wulfkin sees the Priestess Elena Fait of the Order of the Jade moon also looking at the emperor, giving the young man a motherly smile. @majus Elena sees the young emperor return her smile, before he continues looking around the room. After a few generals and traders, she sees a young blonde noblewoman being served by a maid. @moonblack As her servant offers her some tea, Eanne sees a dark eyed beauty, surrounded by three men, looking at the emperor and then the other council members. @asddas193 As Verner whispers some biographical facts about the other councilors into Vizelle's ear, the sounds muffled by magic so that they can't be heard by the others, the sorceress makes note of the noblewoman looking at her, and then briefly locks eyes with a blue skinned woman in a scientist's garb. @Auraicide Crossing eyes momentarily with the sorceress, Vivian is distracted as her rodent sized servitor robot moves across the table, holding up some snacks as it's rudimentary programming compels it to do. She notes that she's one of a few mutated humans at the table, and the only Vraill. "Good morning, all." Emperor Carius smiles at the assembled people in front of him, before sitting at the head of the table. "I'm afraid I don't know most of you yet, but I'm happy to be getting the chance now. Soon, our first meeting shall begin, but feel free to take a few moments to get to know each other first, if you'd like."
As the new emperor spoke at the head of the table, Vizelle smiles as she eyes her fellow council members. She makes sure to take note of Verner's information, praising him for a job well done. While also making sure to give the noblewoman looking at her, and the scientisr she locked eyes with a polite smile. Hehehe. With these members, I take it we'll simply be known as the Emperor's harem, rather than a council. She chuckled inside her head, before standing up to introduce herself. "Greetings your majesty, it is an honor to be chosen as one of your court mages. I am Vizelle of the Order of Sorcerers." She bows politely which makes her large breasts jiggle underneath her short dress, before introducing the young men beside her, "And these are my disciples, who shall strive to serve you well."
Am I supposed to be impressed? Do you even know what servo-motors are!? More fixated on the mechanics and systems of the priests, she had been partially tuning out, though kep a friendly enough smile when addressed. “I’m Vivian Allevra. Later you will know me as the reason any of your Institute's projects go right. I’ve been actually quite impressed with the ambition of many of your scientists. Though there’s a lot to learn, of course.”
“Thank you.” Eanne smiled at the maid offering her tea, but her mind was focused on the other people in the room. She examined them all, smiling politely at any who looked at her. Women only? Is the new Emperor creating a council or a harem? She wondered, half in jest. Seeing the others begin to introduce themselves Ea decided not keep her new liege waiting. Once the scientist had finished and had sat back down the blonde noblewoman got up. “Greetings, your majesty, it is a pleasure to meet you. I am Lady Eanne of house Winterwood and it is an honor to have been chosen as a member of this council. May your reign be long and prosperous.” And may you keep your oaths and promises, unlike some of your predecessors. She kept the last thought to herself as she bowed, causing her large breasts to jiggle, unintentionally doing the same as the sorceress earlier. “Please let me know if there's anything I can help you with.” She finished as she straitened up before sitting down again, waiting for the other women to introduce themselves.
Elena made sure to remember the face of the blond noblewoman and the maid. They were but another soon to be converted, to the Order. Not even hint of what she was thinking, showed on her face. She bowed, her attendants following her example. "I am Elena Feit, High Priestess, head of The Order of Jade Moon. I am at your service and at your command, your highness." She gave the young man an encouraging smile.
It was too early in the day for the harder stuff, Hersilia thought to herself, so she avoided the opioids for the moment and took a single drink. Quickly but daintily, she downed it and returned the cup to the trey before giving the servant a polite nod in gratitude. When Ingrid leaves the chapel, she returns the bow with a half-curtsy and smile of her own. So far the priestess seemed trustworthy and, if the flirting was genuine, would not be a bad choice for a first concubine if Carius so chose... but she was also potentially a way for the Church to get deeper into his ear so she made a mental note to ensure the confessor's past and her current status with said Church was delved into as deeply as possible. "I would be delighted, my Emperor," she replies, now being the one to bow respectfully as she follows along a step behind him, "You did well out there. Many in your position would have found their tongues frozen with terror when it came to speak and that you instantly moved to assuage their uncertainties will further earn their trust during this feeling out period." Once they reach the Council chamber, she watches the others behind lidded eyes, letting Carius take the lead as she examined the other members. Hersillia was surprised to see nothing but women on the Council, which was both quite the progressive move and also something that could easily lead to rumors of the Council being nothing but a shame for a personal harem. She was fairly certain that Carius was not that crass (at least not yet) but those two showing off their... admittedly impressive assets would not be helping the argument unless their political skills were top notch. Still, she considered the worth of asking Carius if perhaps he was developing a type at a later time. My, that one had quite a bit of confidence and pride. And also seemed very focused on her work. Good. You needed people with that kind of earnest forwardness and willingness to get things done... even if it came at the price of a bluntness that was sure to ruffle more than a few feathers along the way. Well at least this one could keep herself... firm for the moment at least. Though given the aggressive nature of the Jade Moon, she was sure this one was going to be dangerous. Still, it was a wise choice to have one of their number here. The Order had a lot of influence so leaving them out in the cold could raise dissent, now they could at least believe they fairly had a chance for more, even if she had no intention of allowing them everything they wanted if she could help it. There was also the old adage of keeping your potential enemies close and all that. "And I am Hersillia," she said once the others had finished their introductions, "And as the Dowager Empress, allow me to thank you for answering my dear child's call. It is my hope you will serve him and each other well, so that we may all have a better life for ourselves and those who we oversee."
Yannika made sure not to let her nervousness show, but her hands still fidgeted under the table. It had been a very long time since she'd been in the imperial court, and even then she'd never been a part of the inner circle of advisors. Two decades of service to the Church she feared may have dulled her noble upbringing, and for the past week she had ceaselessly drilled herself on proper etiquette as her father once had. She needn't have worried, the moment the large doors opened and The Emperor walked in all of her upbringing rushed back to her; she rose from her seat, curtsied, she opened her mouth to speak. Instead her breath caught in her throat when she beheld the young man. He was tall, slender, and classically handsome; but he also seemed somewhat awkward. He moved in a way that was poised and dignified but buckled under the weight of the mantle placed upon his shoulders. He was a boy on the verge of becoming a man, he had yet to grow into his own power, and he was still vulnerable. Yannika closed her mouth and studied the other women at the table, all of them had now taken their turns to speak. An image of ancient hyenas circling a lion cub came to mind, and it struck her that he was a pup plunged into a galaxy of predators. One day, soon, he would be strong; but that wasn't today. She used that idea to steel her resolve. She would make sure that day came. "Your Majesty." She said finding her voice. She nearly lost it again when he looked at her and she saw his eyes. They were soft and kind, and looking at her expectantly with curiosity. A painful memory touched her mind but she pushed it aside. Now was not the time, her will was strong and she didn't miss a beat. "I am Yannika of House Wulfkin, Sister of the Sapphire Hearth. On behalf of the Church I am immensely proud to serve you and the Empire in any way I can." Yannika regarded the younger woman and felt her jaw tighten at the Dowager Empresses' words but said nothing. Instead she nodded her head and gave an agreeing look. Her eyes went back around the table and settled on the High Priestess of the Order of the Jade Moon. She didn't know much about the Order, but it seemed strange to her that two members of the Church were present on the council. Perhaps a meeting between them was in order.
"I've heard something here and there about your accomplishments, Lady Vizelle." The Emperor nods. "I'm glad to have a sorcerer of your calibre here. Carius chuckles at Vivian's words."I'm sure I will. I'll make sure you have what you need to make your experiments go better." Carius nods, looking a little less chipper as he sees Eanne. "The same goes to you, my lady." He inclines his head slightly. "I researched your family, back when I was training to become a scholar, and know about the way my predecessors treated yours. I intend to end that chapter of our history, and start a better one for us both." "Thank you, ma'am." He nods. "I look forward to hearing your advice." Having known her for most of his life, Carius doesn't particularly need an introduction with the dowager, and so he just gives her a smile. Carius looks at Yannika with appreciation for her beauty, and a sense of genuine kindness in response to her own cheery demeanor, but there's no sign of recognition in his eyes. Clearly, he has no idea of who she really is. The young emperor tries not to stare at the chests of his councilors, but he's still a hormonal young man, and each woman there sees him looking, if only for a moment. "I'm glad to meet all of you. I'm sure that working together will be a fantastic." He smiles. "Well, I suppose we should get to business. This is the state of the Terran Empire as we know it today." He presses a button, and a galactic map appears, cast in one of the rare devices known in human space as 'holograms', with the Terran Empire's borders marked and data streams rising and falling off to the side. Terran Empire - Statistics: Inhabited Planets: 752 Population: Unknown, somewhere between a few hundred billion and a trillion people. National Morale: Low Imperial Economy: Stable, but poor. Government Treasury: Low Emperor's Popularity: Mediocre Army Size: Middling Army Loyalty: Low Navy Size: Middling Navy Loyalty: Low Carius lets his council get used to the state of the Empire, before continuing to lay out some crises that the councilors can help with: Spoiler: Missions The bread and butter of the game, missions are how your character gains power and influence. Mission success is based upon dice rolls. Unless stated otherwise, multiple players can undertake the same mission. Some missions are also competitive, for example campaigning for a particular office, in which case the player with the higher dice roll wins. How exactly you deal with a mission is up to you, and you can accomplish them with diplomacy, sorcery, military strength etc, whatever you think is best. Soon, there will also be intrigue and personal missions to undertake, as well. Missions (Pick one): - The Invasion of Ietra: The Eternal Empire to the galactic north of the Terrans is a truly massive, Kafkaesque blob of systems. It's imperial family is no different, with thousands of squabbling minor princes, all with titles but few with actual power. One of these princes has seemingly had enough of being a nobody, and has launched a campaign to conquer the 6 inhabited planets of the Ietra system, part of the Terran Empire, for himself, seeing Carius as too weak to defend his territory. The Terran armies and fleets in the region fight against the invaders, but are being battered and request additional help - The Gates of the Warp: Seeing the previous emperor's death as an opportunity, a demon worshiping cult has opened a gate to the warp on an important agri world, threatening to overwhelm the region in a demon invasion. The Inquisition requests aid in closing the gates. - The Twins: Formerly of the Order of Sorcerers, two mage siblings, one male and one female, have gone rogue and conquered a small planet on the galactic rim. The planet itself is a minor loss, being strategically unimportant, but there have been rumors that they have found some sort of ancient book describing powerful rituals. - Corruption on Constantinopolis: The recent murder of a government figure in the capital has exposed the existence of a government corruption ring. One or more high powered officials have been embezzling large sums of money, and they're clearly willing to kill to evade justice. These criminals must be exposed and brought to justice. - White Noise: Explorers from the Research Institute recently reported the discovery of a previously undiscovered planet. The planet is an enigma, scan after scan revealing that it has well maintained infrastructure and manufacturing centers, enough to support a population of billions. The scans, however, show no sign of a single living person on the planet. Soon after sending their report, the explorers went missing without a trace. This has alarmed many, but the planet is simply too valuable to just ignore. The Research Institute has asked for aid in sending a larger expedition to the planet. - Death and Taxes: The Empire's financial system is currently a mess. It's not the most exciting job, but helping the emperor set the new tax rate could be very useful to the Empire. - The Mutiny of Haephestus: One of the largest and most productive planets in the Terran Empire, Haephestus has declared itself to be an autonomous and independent republic. No violence has occurred as of yet, but each passing moment brings the rebels and the Empire closer towards a clash. The rebellion must be persuaded to lay down their arms, or crushed, before their treacherous beliefs can spread to other systems. - Heresy on Lave V: On a well populated world, not far from Terra, the population have cut all ties with the Holy Mother Church, and declared their leader, a mage and former priestess of the church, to be the avatar of the love godess. The new government has pledged its allegiance to the Terran Empire, and claims to want to simply go about its new religion in peace, though they've already sent missionaries to other systems to try and convert them. The church, has requested aid in either convincing the heretics to abandon their false beliefs, or purging them. - Madame Dubernay's Parlor: To most, Madame Dubernay is the stunningly beautiful owner of many of the capital's most luxurious brothels. Behind the scenes, though, she's a renowned spymaster, and was a massive asset to the last emperor. It's unclear, however, where her loyalties lie now. Gaining her loyalty would be a massive boon for the new emperor. -The Automatons: In the fringes of galactic space, an army has begun to attack human space, an army made up not of humans, or even of aliens, but of a group of ancient and powerful AI. The military and the Research Institute could use assistance in dealing with this threat. - Stay Quiet for now: It might be beneficial to not take any mission for now, and merely focus on familiarising yourself with the Imperial Court, it's people and its pleasures.
"Thank you, your majesty. I will ensure your confidence in me shall not be tarnished." Vizelle does another bow, before sitting down and listening to the Emperor's words. Though she couldn't careless about the state of the empire, she didn't forget to feign interest. But, the moment the missions were laid out. The sorceress' eyes immediately locked in on The Twins. The planet was simply an extra, as Vizelle's interest was in the ancient book. Anyone looking at her would see a devilish smile, with her yellow eyes, and slit pupils made her look like an actual demoness. "If I may, your majesty. I would like to take care of the twins. As a member of the order, I would like to clean up our own mess." She said in a polite tone, immediately her demeanor would return to a simple council member.
“I look forward to it, Your Majesty.” Eanne gave the young Emperor another polite smile, pleasantly surprised that he had read about her family's past and had cared enough to remember what he had read. She pretended not to notice his brief staring – it was hardly the first time this sort of thing happened – at least Carius was a bit more discreet about it. Looking over the possible missions Eanne chose to remain quiet for the moment. While there were a couple that interested her she wanted to see what the other members of the council would do first – she could guess which missions would be of interest for most of them, but it would not hurt to make sure. Besides, she did not want to step on anyone's toes just yet.
Hersilia smiled back at her step-son and listened to the options. Several of the missions were important but that one leaped out at her as particularly so in her eyes. How he dealt with such grievances and desires to leave would set a heavy tone for if the people respected his rule... or feared it. Leaning over to the Emperor, she whispered in his ear, "Have those of Haephestus said why they feel they can no longer be part of the Empire? Spoken any terms, reasonable or not, by which they may stop their current course of action? Either way, it may be best if I lend them my ear for the moment."
"Very well." The emperor nods, not having seen her display as his stepmother was whispering in her ear. "I haven't been fully briefed on the situation, but I'll have any information sent to you. You'll also want to speak to agent Valleus of the Inquisition, who was also investigating these twins." A servant brings forth a data slate with information, which is headlined by the location of the inquisitor. Vizelle is familiar with the inquisitor in reputation only, having heard that he's a powerful psionic and a religious zealot. Though the slate says nothing about demons, the presence of an inquisitor suggests that demonic entities could possibly be involved.
After talking to Vizelle, Carius leans back to Hersilia. "As far as I know, the planet's ruler was tyrannical, exploiting the population. They overthrew him, and fear that if we take over again, we'll reinstate him, or someone even worse. The other issue is that they provide more in taxes and soldiers than they receive in return, leading them to think they don't need us."
"Thank you, your majesty. But might I ask. Shall the twins be executed, taken prisoner, or am I free to decide their fate?" Vizelle asked, before reading the slate she was given. Hmm. An inquisitor, lovely. She thought to herself, and once the emperor gave his answer, she asks for permission to leave. If she's allowed, she takes her disciples and heads to where the inquisitor is located.
Hersilia nodded once in understanding. She could get more specific details later but, for the moment, this seemed the best use of her talents at first. She made a mental note to save the spy ring and, as boring as it might be, the tax rates for things to tackle next though. Unless specifically addressed, she remains quiet for the rest of the meeting, allowing the others to stake their claims and making more internal notes on what seems to draw their interests.
"I trust your judgement, Lady Vizelle." The emperor nods. "Whatever fate for the two of them you think is best, I won't get in your way." Reading the data slate, she sees that the planet the twins have captured, LV-1025, is a minor farming world of a few hundred people spread out into small farming communities. The twins so far have terrorised the population for supplies and butchered the small garrison, but otherwise haven't shown too much interest in them. As for the twins themselves, they are: Spoiler: Alexandros Alexandros: Born with immense psionic potential, Alexandros was scouted and pressed into the Order with his sister as children. Despite his power, he was known to lack ambition or drive, preferring to use his powers to sate his own petty day to day desires than accomplish any long term goal. Spoiler: Halipha Twin sister to Alexandros, Halipha is less naturally gifted than her brother, but a far harder worker, known for being the driven one among them. Analysis from their former teachers suggests that she's more than likely the one giving the orders, despite being weaker at psionics. The emperor grants her request to leave, and her disciples follow along behind her. Leaving the opulent palace, the complex ringed on all sides by water, Vizelle travels by boat into the grand city that envelopes most of the planet. As she walks, she feels the air rise hot and musty all around her, the results of relentless terraforming of the once frozen planet, though occasionally a cold breeze makes it through nonetheless. Surprisingly, the address she was given leads her not to one of the Inquisition's imposing fortresses, but to a ratty apartment building in the slums. Though the beautiful sorceress receives many looks from the area's denizens, either her demeanor or her bodyguards warn them off, and she isn't harassed. Heading into a derelict apartment building, Vizelle strides through ruined and ratty corridors, before finally arriving at the door whose number matches the data slate. Before she can open the door, however, she hears the sound of a plasma pistol priming from behind her. Turning, she sees a blonde woman in the robed garb of an inquisitor. "State your business, witch." The woman holds the pistol up, but not yet pointed at Vizelle and her minions.
As Eanna and Hersillia wait and see, the two women begin to notice that they both have the same response. For a few moments, they're alone with their thoughts, but soon they both recieve messages. Eanne sees a message from the steward she left in charge of Samodiva, warning of pirates plaguing the planet's trade routes, and asking her advice as to what to do. The steward suggests: - Using Samodiva's military to crack down on the pirates - Using diplomacy to convince them to leave, likely accompanied with bribery - Asking the Imperial military to deal with the issue or - Write in Hersillia sees that her message is from one of her supporters, stating that one of Carius' uncles is trying to move against her and get her removed from the council. The man isn't particularly powerful, but he keeps bringing the idea up to various nobles. Hersillia's contact suggests: - Assassinating the uncle - Discrediting the uncle - Blackmailing the uncle - Persuading the uncle - Doing nothing and not even dignifying the man's efforts with a response or - Write in
The Mutiny of Haephestus was one of the missions Eanne had been considering taking on. But after seeing the Dowager Empress take it the young noblewoman decided to leave it to the MILF and focus on something else for now. She instead focused on another she considered important – more important than many people realize, in fact: Before she could ask about it, however, she received a message that required her attention. Pirates? Trying to take advantage of the change in the Empire's leadership, most likely. How annoying. Still, she could not just ignore the issue. After thinking about it for a few moments she sent a message back: Use our spies to locate the pirates' base of operations, then find out their numbers and how well equipped they are. If they turn out to be more of an annoyance than a threat, have the military set up an ambush and destroy as many of their forces as possible before attacking their base and wiping them out – but give them a chance to surrender. If, however, they turn out to be a serious threat, whether due to numbers, equipment, or both, contact me again with the details. With that out of the way she turned her attention back to the missions at hand. “May I know more about the issues with the financial system, my liege? Perhaps I could be of assistance?” She inquired.
Having been given permission to leave, Vizelle stands up and bows, bidding her fellow counsil members farewell. And while on the boat ride toward the inquisitor's location, she reads up on her prey, Vizelle couldn't help but smile. Revealing her sinister nature to anyone looking at her. "Hehe... it seems I'll be having two more disciples soon." She cooes, giving Verner a motherly smile, "Rikkert, it looks like you'll be able to find a fitting sparring partner as well. And Jeryn, fufu. The girl does look beautiful doesn't she?" She continued, giving her loyal slaves incentives to do their bests. Once they arrive at the location, Vizelle orders Jeryn to collect information on the area, mostly on illegal activities she can use to build up her forces. And as she was about to knock, the sound of a weapon being armed surprised her. Followed by the stern voice, "I am Vizelle of the emperor's council. I am to meet the inquisitor Valleus, to join in the pursuit of the twins from the order." She replied in a calm tone, while wearing her false, innocent smile.
She receives a response informing her that she'll be notified of the results as the situation develops. As she asks her question to the Emperor, he gives a warm smile, probably happy that the tax issue wasn't ignored in favor of the flashier issues. "Yes, of course." He walks over to speak to her. "The main problem we're having with taxes is that various groups are trying to get the lowest tax rate for themselves as possible. A cadre of nobles and the the Traders Guild are currently arguing over whether nobles or merchants should be taxed more, the Church and Research Institute both claim that they should be exempt from tax altogether, and demand that the other be taxed punitively. All the while, the tax rate on the commoners has been rising and rising as the other factions pay less and less, leading to unrest." He sighs. "Effectively, it's a balancing act. If we decide too far in favor of one faction, we can anger the others, but if we try to please everyone, we risk pleasing nobody." The emperor looks at Eanne. "There's going to be a meeting between the various groups, soon."
