Let's play King of Dragon Pass, just as our ancestors did

Issaries
Chalana Arroy
trade routes
raid
end feud
explore inside tula
give gifts
throw a feast
recruit farmers
build fortifications

Year 1331, part 1

Hi, everyone! We're back with more King of Dragon Pass. Let's see where we put our eight Magic points.



Let's be honest: eight was not enough to do everything we want to do. I like putting full points into Crops and Herds every year forever, but we'll squeak by this year, I think. We have a good forecast for food.

I stuck big points into Trade and War. We'll do the trading this year and the diplomacy the next. War magic is a good idea even if we didn't have a bunch of warmongers on the TT Clan Ring.

Immediately



The ducks are guaranteed to show up in the first few years of play. They are one of many beastman races; you'll recognize that as our ancient enemy.

A word of caution: The ducks are the #1 cause of death among new players. They may look like they walked out of a Carl Barks comic, but they are serious business. The demihuman races of Dragon Pass all have the ability to wipe you out if they get too pissed at you. A single bad decision won't do us in, but we need to carefully weigh our overall strategy with respect to the beastmen.

Also, the ducks are awesome.

Yerestia: There is a time for mercy and peace. But the beast people are our ancient enemies. Recommends #3, #4, or #5.
Harvar: Demand tribute, but not so much that they feel resistance is the only option. It is better to gain something for no effort than everything at too high a price. Recommends #2.
Insterid: They look like easy prey, but we don't know much about them. Recommends #2.
Iskalli: The ducks appear to practice a corrupted version of Orlanthi ways. Recommends #2 or #3.
Valensta: If we don't attack them, some other clan will. Recommends #4 or #5.
Arene: We shouldn't neglect our own land by raiding during planting time, no matter how tempting this new land seems. Recommends #2, #3, or #4.
Heortarl: Carls and fighters agree on something for once, and we're thinking of denying them? If we don't attack the ducks, we'll be deafened by grumbling. Recommends #5.
Mogri: I know what your knee-jerk reaction is going to be, but attacking now will stunt our harvest, and the ducks are very capable combatants. We're better off making demands than attacking. The ducks will always yield to a reasonable tribute demand... at least for now.

No one is suggesting a peaceable approach! How shall we subjugate our new friends?

Those ducks are probably sitting on a massive vault of gold. I think they can afford to part with 50 people-food units a year. Option 2.

Suuuuuuuuuuuurrrrpriseee

ATTACK

Option 2, because I remember Suikoden III at least.

Option #2! Let's ruffle their feathers before we commit to a war of attrition.

For the record, when I said earlier that Beastmen were usually assholes in my games, I did neglect to mention that the Duck people were usually nice. Oh well.

Ducks are reason alone not to choose beastmen as your ancient enemy. It's the starter option I'm least happy about with this clan.

But we'll see how it goes!

You did have veto power, but you choose to stay your hand because you didn't want to harm our self-esteem. And now the Talking Time Clan Ring is drunk with power and it's your own fault!

It's true, and now everyone's calling for duck blood (ooh ooh).

Wow. When beastmen were first mentioned, I was thinking goats or boars or wolves.

Never ducks.

Option Two makes sense, though!

Anyway, ducks amuse me and I'd like to let them live.

"Beastmen" is a broad category. It also includes centaurs, minotaurs, and basically everything that looks like an anthropomorphic animal except lizard-types.

Year 1331, part 2



It was a close vote, but we ended up deciding to exact tribute from the ducks. Our ancestors aren't thrilled, but they at least won't penalize us.



After resolving the situation with the ducks, we make preparations for trade missions by sacrificing to Issaries. He reveals the Market blessing, which I'm sure will be handy once we have a market. I would've preferred nearly anything else, but what can you do. Gods, I tell ya.

I play my Trap card



Why, those Rakstanti! They're just a bunch of good-for-nothing good-for-nothings.

Yerestia: If we threaten them, and they insult us further, the people will be even unhappier. Recommends #3 or #4.
Harvar: Shamans shouldn't be too hard to find. Recommends #4.
Insterid: They are stronger than we are. It will take luck to beat them, and a confident tongue to intimidate them. Recommends #4.
Iskalli: If we do not challenge these insults, we are admitting that they are true. Recommends #3, #4, or #5.
Valensta: Chalana Arroy certainly does not cry whenever we say the word 'mercy!' We should r... must not be offended by such nonsense. Recommends #1.
Arene: Wait until the crops are sown before getting our vengeance. Recommends #1 or #2.
Heortarl: Don't you think that if we get all upset it will lend credence to the sheep accusation? Recommends #2.
Mogri: If we're feeling vengeful, shamans are probably the safest course of action.

Then again, we can't be sure the sheep accusation is untrue.

Well, we are stickpickers and rag wearers, but lichen eaters? That's going too far!

And they're way off on the sheep thing! It's our women who seek the company of sheep because our men don't bear looking at!

Send a shaman to curse them.

(Heortarl is my favorite. That dude takes nothing seriously. He's just loving life.)

Yeah, I'm kinda curious to see what shamans do.

If, indeed, their curses actually accomplish anything.

Raid them.

What a surprise!

You should really just pencil me in for whatever action involves the most amount of violence.

I'll register a vote for slaughtering all our livestock, then.

I believe it's shammy time.

Year 1331, Part 3



We've decided to send shamans to curse these jerks. We're not spoiled for cattle, but shamans tend not to like haggling. I'm giving them the full 15.



Sham-wow! That curse seems suspiciously familiar.

The downside is to this karmic retribution is that it makes it very easy to figure out who the source was. Hope this doesn't come back to bite us!

Sea 2



I decide to give Issaries a chance to redeem himself, and he performs beautifully. The Trading blessing is exactly what I'd hoped for last time.

Incidentally, we are going to have a problem soon. Can you figure out what it is?

Fire 1



To slake our bloodthirst, let's raid the hated Ogosi again.



We bypass their defenses to face a relatively small defense force.



This results in Profit and Success. Hooray!

Fire 2



Arene rudely interrupts us to tell us that something something food something. You should have thought of that before you became a peasant!



Heortarl weighs in on the situation.



Faced with imminent starvation, I decide to send our pal Rostakos over to a neighboring clan for a little panhandling. The Rangandi owe us a favor, so we'll collect in chow. Per his recommendation, I decide to ask for half again the customary amount (that's 150% of 40, or 60 food).



And they were like "whaaaat."



So I said, "Fine, give us 40 and we'll get outta your hair." You may have saved us from starvation, but you're still jerks.

With Earth around the corner, our food stores will be looking good again in no time, but this was a necessary stopgap measure to prevent a couple deaths.

Earth 1



Well, crap.

Anyway, I missed the screenshot here, but I decided to build a shrine to Issaries in preparation for Trading Times. The reason that I missed the screenshot is that an assembly of crazy murdermen decided to address our clan ring.

Prominent members of the Orlmarth clan come to your clan for help. "This is not a good thing we have to say, but our chieftain, Orlev, has gone mad. He makes foolish decisions, and will not listen to the counsel of the clan ring. We do not want to risk clanstrife, but something must be done. If you agree to raid us, we will make sure that Orlev falls beneath your blades. Then we will owe you a great debt."

Yerestia: If we succeed in killing their chief, relations with them will improve. If we try and fail, they will get much worse. Recommends #3.
Harvar: Better a specific reward than a vague promise. Maybe they will offer us as many as twenty-five cows! Recommends #1.
Insterid: If you decide to warn old Mad-Blood, send at least five warriors along with our delegate. No recommendation.
Iskalli: Orlanthi are expected to obey chosen leaders. But since Orlev has gone mad, it could be argued that he is no longer the leader they chose. Recommends #2.
Valensta: They labor under some kind of curse. This could happen again. No recommendation.
Arene: Their problems are nothing compared to the problems we will face if we raid instead of bringing in the harvest. Recommends #3.
Heortarl: Normally I find politics dull, but this is exciting! Recommends #2.
Mogri: I'm kind of concerned about Valensta's warning. Declining is the safest option; even if we succeed in a raid, we might not kill Orlev. Besides, this is harvest season and we're short on food.

If you vote for #1, please also indicate whether you're in favor of raiding (yes/no/if they give a good offer).

So, we're being asked to go away raiding in harvest season, to do a very dodgy intervention that involves overthrowing their chief...yeah, anyone else sense "this is a trap" coming off this in waves?

Do nuthin'. If they're still fussed about it next year at a less silly time, we can think about it then.

Yeaaaaah, no. 3.

Option 2. Do as they ask. We could use a great debt from someone.

2. Dooooo itttt

4. I think somebody isn't showing proper respect to their ancestors!

This whole scheme sounds like a lot of fun! But accidents don't come cheap, make 'em pay for it. (#1)

They have forgotten the faces of their fathers.