History of Competition

[Kagen]

11th competition of March 2015

The Great Benefactor

The venerable wizard's school, hidden deep in the Miarog mountains, has traditionally been the finest address for recruiting magically talented warriors. The cadets at the academy have long been trained both in mental acuity and physical prowess as well.

You know the value of these kinds of units for your plans, so you need to make a lasting impression on the school's instructors. You've already been engaged in an extended campaign of acts great and small to curry their favor — and earn the best recruits for your forces.

The academy has had a bumper crop of novices this year, and finds itself lacking some of the necessary materials for instruction. You naturally offer your assistance immediately. A small material investment now is likely to pay huge dividends later...




The requirement is for Sculpture.

[DiannaDark]

I have a Gold Coin, again.

I traded two of them off for wood.

I may keep this one a while.

[GYNDE]

If you haven';t already, you will need a gold coin in your inventory to complete Chapter 3...

[Kagen]

12. Competition of April 2015

Nothing is as it appears

The frost giants are once again making incursions from the north, taking out their wrath on whichever villages they stumble upon. It's unclear why they've opted to stray from their frosty habitat or just what has angered them. What really matters to you, though, it that they're slowly approaching the borders of your realm.

Most of the northern resistance has already been crushed under the ice giants' ire. Yet for you it's crucially important that those lands keep up the fight, as otherwise your own workers in the mines and fields will be disrupted. You dispatch emissaries and spies to the region to gather information.

What they report to you was fully unexpected: the ice giants are in a state of panic because of a rare disease afflicting their people — with no hope of recovery for the affected. You send your emissary to inform the ice giants that you're prepared to help. In this case you intend to follow through with your promise. After all, if you fail to resolve the problem, it'll be your gates they're banging down next.



The requirement is for Crab cake.

[Kagen]

13. Competition of May 2015

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 Rusty sword.

[Kagen]

14. competition of June 2015

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 Dried fish.

[Kagen]

15. competition of July 2015



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 Beer.

[Kagen]

16. competition of august 2015

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 Crab cake.

[DiannaDark]

It is so cool to pay lots and lots for something you could get cheap.

There is no reason to work together when we can work against each other.

Resources are not good for anything.

Il est tellement cool à payer des tas et des tas de quelque chose que vous pourriez obtenir bon marché.

Il n'y a pas de raison de travailler ensemble lorsque nous pouvons travailler les uns contre les autres.

Les ressources ne sont pas bonnes pour rien.

Es ist so cool, pay Lots und Lots für etwas konnte man günstig.

Es gibt keinen Grund, zusammen zu arbeiten, wenn wir gegeneinander arbeiten.

Ressourcen sind nicht gut für alles.

[Kagen]

17. competition of September of 2015

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 Copper.