History of Competition

[Kagen]

1. Competition from May 2014

A New Source of Income

Old Corvus has seen his fortunes fall of late. Once a glorious gladiator whose legendary victories in the national arena earned him his freedom, he later bought himself a small estate with the plan of living in peace with his wife and children. The last few harvests have been getting progressively worse, though.

Desperate with concern and addled with wine, Corvus was sitting on the porch to his house one night when suddenly a thought crossed his mind. Why not earn a profit using his god-given talents in the arts of war? The arenas are full of spectators clamoring for talented warriors. And so he decided to found a training academy for gladiators.

Given that Corvus is a proven master in this field, you decide to support him in his efforts. A small investment now while he's in dire straits will repay itself a thousandfold later when he sends you his most fearsome fighters.



The requirement is for Wheat.

[Kagen]

2. Competition from June 2014

Human Shield

Your scouts report that the river people east of the wastelands of Mellwall are suffering under a constant stream of brutal attacks. Every night seems to bring a new raid by mysterious hooded figures. The river people don't lack for courage, but they are running short on supplies.

Without even the slightest shred of hard data about the attackers, it's difficult to estimate their real strength. The safest play for you is to supply the river people with food until you've learned more about the enemy. This is hardly a humanitarian gesture... better to keep a buffer of cannon fodder between your realm and this unknown threat.



The requirement is for Beer.

[Kagen]

3. Competition from July 2014

Pearls before Swine

All of this feigned do-goodism has left you feeling sick to your stomach, but there's no rest for the weary — the dwarf people living deep in the Miarog mountains will soon be celebrating the Bingen Festival in honor of their ancestors. The mere thought of Debeor the Dwarf King, the very embodiment of arrogance and ignorance, perched on his throne in his capital city of Diath Than, is enough to make your blood boil.

Yet he's safe in his surliness, since his people provide the security for the mine workers within the Miarog. Given the aggressive nature of the native Sianedan lizards in that area, you're loath to shun his services.

You rely on those mines, so you are left with little choice but to grin and bear it as you ply the cursed dwarven pack with drinks.



The requirement is for Wine.

[Kagen]

4. Competition from August 2014

Bait for the Beast

You meander through the inner courtyard of your fortress, lost in thought. Your gaze falls on the merchants offering their wares there. You catch a snippet of conversation between two fishermen about a catastrophe that has befallen a neighboring realm.

Not wanting to miss a single detail, you order the pair seized and sent to your dungeon for safekeeping. After your minions offer a bit of... 'persuasion' to the captives, their confessions make it clear to you that you are in acute danger. The Oredevar, a monstrous kraken from ancient times, is wreaking havoc along the coasts. It would normally not travel so close to land — but is apparently enormously hungry right now. The only chance to escape its destructive rage is to lure it away from your area. You order your servants to fill your entire fleet of ships with food. The foul stench of the food as it rots in the hot sun will draw the Oredevar's attention to the ships, luring it away from your realm.



The requirement is for Steer.

[Kagen]

5. Competition from September 2014

Better Safe than Sorry

There are many tidings of late about brigand bands plundering the borders of your realms and terrorizing the residents. Your initial measures for dealing with this scum — sending out your units — were fruitless. The robbers proved surprisingly adept at avoiding your troops. You shake with rage when you hear that your forces repeatedly fell victim to simple diversionary techniques.

The residents are beginning to question your skills as a ruler. It's time to nip these problems in the bud before it gets worse. You order your chief engineer to the throne room to hear his counsel. Despite your rising displeasure with his words, the engineer insists that the best option is to build walls along the borders to ensure security.

However grudgingly, you are ultimately forced to accept the proposal. While you could care less about the lives of the farmers, the threat of even the slightest tarnish to your reputation spurs you to undertake whatever measures are necessary.



The requirement is for Bronze.

[Kagen]

Since, we did so great, I couldn't get all the winners on one screenshot for our 5th competition

Here is the rest of our winners:

[Kagen]

6. Competition from October 2014

Aggressive expansion

Profits from your commercial activities remains stubbornly below the levels you need to fund your devious plans. It's time to take a more proactive role in growing your income. You have no patience for the tried-and-true approaches to earning money. A much simpler plan appeals to you: a brutal scheme to eliminate the competition.

To divert any and all suspicion away from you, you've carefully selected the rival distilleries as your target. These are typically operated by simple farmers and workers out in the countryside, far away from the cities. Which also means fewer witnesses to your nefarious deeds. Simple thugs, the kind found in ample supply in taverns everywhere, are the perfect simpletons to handle this task.

Implementing your plans was child's play. Your key rivals have been quietly put six feet under, leaving you as the sole supplier far and wide able to service the demand. And so, without further ado, it's time to make sure that the rabble gets its rotgut!



The requirement is for Hard liquor.

[Kagen]

Like last time, we have so many winners, that I had to split the screenshot into two.

[DiannaDark]

...

[GYNDE]

removed