Bregir

After losing the corvette HMS Badger to a nefarious fleet of pirates (and sinking the flagship, the Komodo Dragon), Corrington had been outraged to see the pirates parade the prize into the Olean port of Lavalette. Hence, Corrington had sent an official request to the RNTC authorities to size the unlawful prize and return it to its proper owners. This had left the authorities of Lavalette in a dilemma, as can be seen from the following official communication. Official letters: The outcome had been an agreement that Corrington would dispatch a group of Royal Engineers to assist in building up fortifications to counter the the pirate threat. In return, Oleon would seize the HMS Badger and expel the pirate fleet, as well as assist in the build up of similar Corlander defences at some point in the future. A plan had been made for a distributed build up of fortifications that would add up to a well-rounded defence of the settlement. Lavalette Fort Headquarters by Tom Gray, on Flickr (32x16 by @Spud The Viking) Fortifications: Visitors for Lavalette by @Bregir (32x16) Lavalette Cannon Battery by @LM71Blackbird (32x16) Innovative Tactics for Lavalette by @Drunknok (32x16) Mortar Emplacement by @Bregir (32x48) Small Fort at Lavalette by @Bodi (32x32) to be continued... For now, a large fort will be licensed.

Welcome to Corrington, Nathaniel Goodwin, In general, Corrington welcomes critical thinking, although what you suggest sounds almost like that vile Eslandian republicanism! I think your character can add some interesting dynamics to the world, and I will be looking forward to seeing what followers he can find. And despite all those people pulling you left and right and begging you to come to their settlements, you are really free to build where you want - and you need not settle anywhere. Many characters move from island to island and settlement to settlement, where their story takes them. As to what to do next, remember you have a free small property and a free class 1 or 2 vessel. Those may be a good way to get started, although I would suggest you let your story drive your progress and build what you feel like. As to initial financial aid, you can take a look at the Bank of Corrington Pioneer Loan Scheme here. If you ever have any questions, we are a very friendly bunch, so ask here, in the general PM (to which I will add you in a bit - you do not need to read all the old stuff - there are a lot of pages there), or in the general bobs thread. Once more, welcome Bregir

To complement explosive boats and direct fire artillery, the foreigners, now identified as Royal Engineers, had brought with them plans and equipment for long range defences, and with the assistance local manpower an artillery platform for heavy siege mortars was quickly erected. Able to lop explosive bombs accurately over great distances, it would be a threat to any besieging fleet or moored vessel. The builders now gone, the Corlander engineers are drilling the local garrison in the use of the mortars. Being accustomed to direct fire artillery, the mathematics and fire control of indirect fire is taking some getting used to. One of the garrison has made the mistake of standing before the gun as it fires, disregarding the warning from the instructor. The nature of indirect fire means communication with nearby outposts is of the utmost importance, which means a semaphore has been set up in conjunction with the battery. Further, to aid in fire control a spotting tower with optical equipment allows correction of elevation and azimuth for the artillery.

No worries. I will see if I can remember it ;)

@Drunknok, @Ayrlego, and @Elostirion Can the settlement license the builds you have posted as unlicensed above? (remember the monthly build limits)

@Phred or @Captain Genaro: This is licensed as a small fortress by BrickOn. King's Harbour would like to pay for upgrading it to a medium and take over upkeep. What do I do?

Agreed - and I believe actions, if not words, have already set the courtesy action as precedence. At least, there are no wars... yet! (Although Prio was close... )

No worries. Next there is any doubt, feel free to ask. I will pummel the AMRCA committee into more care when it comes to clarity. :P

The idea behind the black flag is also to avoid piracy reflecting on non pirate sea Rats. If sea rat ships attack other factions, other factions should be expected to respond. Our game mechanics do not really support using a ruse du guerre of changing flags amidst a mission. Would it be right to allow anyone to attack someone else without giving them a chance of retribution? This was the very reason we made the black flag. Without that, Corrington would probably have been at war with the sea Rats today, as we could not accept sea rat ships attacking us. Without the black flag, the only way to counter the pirates were to target all sea Rats. Obviously, the non-pirates did not much care for that. I think the current rules have struck a good balance allowing everyone to play the game as they want, pirate or not. But if you have suggestions on how it can work better, we are always willing to listen. We just need to remember that the rules have to be as simple as possible and balanced for all. :)

The license stands but as I said, the 100 DBs will only be added if you take the relevant option.

I can only be summoned by a considerable sacrifice of crisp bacon, preferable served... Erhm... Sacrificed together with judicious amounts of eggs... And beer! ;) The thread looks alright. I don't currently have access to the Google forms, but we can work with this. Did you fill in a AMRCA form? If not, you can find the link in the mrca deadline announcement topic. In any case, we will have this show running with the next AMRCA turn. Will get back to you if we have any questions. ;)

Just to clarify - the micro license was meant as a reward for the "split up" option. I see now that this may have been lost in LM's text layout. Only goes to show that layout matters (Lessons learned, @LM71Blackbird :) ) The 100 dbs will only be added if that option is taken, though. @Mesabi, @Drunknok

If you make an attack on a settlement while flying the Sea Rat/OL/COR/ESL flag, how can that be considered anything but an act of war? The whole idea is that you can raise the black flag for your actions not to reflect on the nation you are from. ;) So if you want to attack a settlement without risking repercussions on your faction, you should probably raise the black flag before doing anything... ;) That further makes it fair, as anti piracy patrols have a chance to catch you first.

Terelli Tell-All editorial staff has reacted to inexplicable amount of WTC advertisement in the latest issue...

In the streets of Terreli, just outside the Terreli Tell-All, a commotion has startled two Eslandian soldiers. "And if we see you again, you will find that the Tell-All does not easily forget" a large man shouted at the figure lying before him. "How could you?!... This will not stand, least of all in Terreli, the capital of the greatest merchant nation ever to have existed!" As the battered man scuttled away, the driver of the carriage asked for explanation. "The culprit snuck in free advertisements for that scrupulous Corlander trade company, the WTC... Pure propaganda!" Soldiers and driver alike nodded as if nothing could be more natural than someone being roughly expedited into the streets for not following the rules of acquisition general Eslandian principles of profit. A small artisan for Terreli. @Mesabi managed to sneak so much WTC propaganda into the Terreli Tell-All a reaction had to posted... ;) I will keep a closer watch next time! :P

We are holding back a bit as we are aiming at releasing raiding before the next mrca. There are a few outstanding points, mainly related to troops, but I think you will soon hear more.

Nice parts usage all around, mr. fisher. The custom hull in particular stands out. It would be great to see a few more angles, and a few minifigs on board - right now, she seems a ghost ship! :O As to size, she seems more like a class 2 to me, so I think she is very much on the low end of the class three scale. It is a bit hard to make out from this one picture, though. (Found a few more pictures on your flickr) I like the details on deck, and the anchor and fender are nice details, although I wouldn't suggest sailing with them dragging through the water! :) Overall, nice little vessel.

Another lovely scene from your hands. Looks very lively, with a lot of good posing. My only comment is that I would like to see text and photos interspersed, with some relevant description. Right now, it feels like you have built a whole story and taken pictures of each scene, but we are sort of missing them in the story. And again, great to see PR getting some well-deserved love.

What we are looking at is raiding. Raiding is what it sounds like - raiding a settlement to steal valuables, viking style. Actually conquering and occupying a settlement is a very different task, and will not be part of these mechanics. That is part of the war mechanics.

Ownership is not specified. So yes.

@Captain Genaro, @KotZ, @Bodi, @Dukesc Military intelligence In their extra spare time, the troops at Westface made an additional screening of the fortifications they had so far only seen from the sea. For fear of being taken as spies, they could not nose around too much, but prepared a preliminary report and sent it to Hollande in Kings Port, where the surveys had also been successful. All this had been compiled into a report by Hollande's clerk (forwarded to Captain Genaro). "Political contacts"... In Kings Port, the question still remained - what political horse should the RNTC bet on? He still had the names Tarlo had brought him - and now had to decide who to approach... Our best chance is to stick to Oldis. He is clearly in charge, and if we try to appease his closest friends and political allies, surely we can bring ourselves closer to an agreement? Oldis is a haughty fool, and clearly, the time has come for a change! We should contact Oldis' political opponents amongst the plebeians and seek to levy pressure through them - Surely he cannot rule comfortably without the support of the commoners? This noble republic may be... short-lived. There are many who still wishes for return to the Mardierian crown. It will be risky, but Tarlo has given us a contact to a secret society of loyalist politicians, nobles, and merchants. Perhaps this is where we should start... One build is required to progress this storyline. There is a risk of discovery regardless of what choice you make. The mysterious huntress... "Your efforts are much appreciated, and I will help you find the first clue to the temple." she said. "But know that finding the quiver will be no trivial task. The Atwi has hidden it well behind traps and riddles to safeguard it from the Mardierians and other prying eyes." "There are clues in several locations, and you may not need to collect them all..." So where will the expedition start? (The options of giving up the huntress and/or the information to the Order, the Terraversans, the Atwi, or the Mardierians still remain) But only ONE option can be selected. Each of the following options will reveal a clue towards the temple location. The Sillitholina Monastery Some of the Atwi converted to their own interpretation of the Faith, and erected monasteries, in which Atwi scholars and philosophers would seek peace and contact with the Gods. They were chosen to guard the first of the clues. To gain access to the clue, you must go investigate the monastery. Build a micro of the Sillitholina Monastery and a vignette or build showing the expedition finding the clue inside the monastery. (Is it hidden in the floor, a statue, or?) Tanari caverns In Tanari, Atwi fishermen discovered caves which entrances were only above water during low spring tides. In these caves, the Atwi buried their dead, along with another clue. Show the expedition getting into the cave at low tide (one build) and how they search for and find a hidden chest (another build). Reassembling the expedition Our men in Westface are being released. We must provision the ships and set sail. Show the crews somehow preparing to leave Westface. One build required. Once fulfilled, the ships in Westface (Esprit Fortune and Eastern Trader) will be free to sail in the tMRCA again, or join the expedition. (Indicate which of these choices you make) Further, 100 dbs is subtracted from adventure treasury to cover the expenses of their stay, Two builds required to continue, but if you want to proceed in two storylines, four builds are required. Max two storylines can proceed this turn. Remaining options will (most likely) still be available next round, but be aware that Eslandola is going to Terraversa too.

Raiding, perhaps. Land combat, no.

Eslandola's mission to Terraversa @Capt Wolf, @gedren_y, @Elostirion The Valiant Phoenix arrived in King's Port without incident. Slightly surprised (and worried) to see the Olean vessels docked there, captain MacMathain headed for a quay on the opposite side of the port, after exchanging signals with the port authorities. As they docked, a man hailed them. "I seek a signore Bucci - he was to embark on the first vessel to leave King's Harbour for Terraversa..." "He is not onboard? You refused to offer him passage?!..." the man said with a deeply furrowed brow and angered intonation. "May Prometheus spare you despite your insolence..." he almost spat out between his teeth before disappearing into the crowds. Most foreboding... More troubling for the truly Eslandolan aboard, though, was a harbour fee of 20 dbs. (Deducted from adventure treasury) A few days later, a response for the letter arrived. Terraversa would allow the establishment of a permanent embassy if Eslandola would build it. A permanent mission Eslandola must establish a permanent mission to Terraversa at once to give mutual good relations the best possible starting point. Build (and license) the embassy, and show preparations for the arrival of the first ambassador. It must be a medium or large property. Did we say "ambassador"? We actually meant... envoy. It is too early, and too risky, to settle permanently. Let us rather rent a suitable room. Build a vignette showing a rented room or office. In King's Harbour, both the big cats had been loaded upon the La Comete (300 dbs deducted from adventure treasury), and the ambassador had embarked. Signore Bucci had opted to find passage on his own, and the expedition had too many things to consider to worry more about him. The ship set sail for Terraversa, and despite some troubles with the felines (the panther almost escaped its cage at one point) the island was sighted on the expected day. As the ship docked in Kings Port, someone in a dark hooded cloak covering his face made inquiries about a "Signore Bucci", but disappeared as the harbour master arrived to charge docking fees of 30 dbs. (To be deducted from adventure treasury) Let us gauge the political situation first... This is a complicated situation, and we cannot risk a misstep from the beginning, rushing into anything! Send your agents into Kings Port to gain some insights into the political situation and show how information is obtained in the city. There is no time to lose! With Oleon already in contact with the Terraversan's, now is not the time for caution! Show the Eslandian mission before the noble council (including Oldis) of Terraversa. What does ESL offer, and what do you ask for in return? Two builds required to continue.

Mesabi Landing As above WTC it is, then. "When" will be whenever we get the paperwork sorted out. It might. You will simply have to keep an eye out for any sightings of him. All NPC pirates run proper routes, so he may leave the zone next turn, if he were using the red rascal hideout too. Whenever you want, since this is now concluded. No conclusion build needed. It has been fun GMing this one. :)

@Mesabi @Drunknok The Red Rascals where not known for cowardise, and had refused to surrender. The plan had been a complete success bar one thing. As the fight roared on, and the cornered pirates were being cut down, their hideout levelled by the gunfire, an unexpected explosion resounded through the jungle. Or rather, a series of smaller explosions, one quickly after the other. Apparently, there were only two miraculous things to say about Mackies Machinery. 1) That it killed none of the crew in blowing up, and 2) that Mackie had been able to fool the WTC into buying it! Nonetheless, the mission had been a success, and the Red Rascal hideout had been levelled to the ground, with most of the Red Rascals killed or taken capture. A few of them had escaped into the jungle, but it would be long before they could pose a threat to anyone again. The Red Rascals are defeated. Zone 35 will see significantly decreased (NPC) piratical activity over the next two to three turns, where it MAY start picking up again. ( @Capt Wolf, please effectuate this, thank you ) Tony's raft proved very helpful. Free license for the class 2 vessel with the stats: R2, M2, F0, C1, H1, $3 We have retrieved their treasure! 500 dbs added to final payout of adventure treasury.