Pod 1--Flame Dawn--In Character

[Benionin]

So, you think you can run a faction, eh?

This is the thread for in-character interactions for the first pod of my forum RPG, who are playing as the Flame Dawn Empire. Try to limit the discussion to your budget proposals or other important in-character interactions (for instance, if someone calls for a vote). Otherwise, please direct all comments to the out of character thread so this one stays as clean as possible.

Our three players are Grinnin_Gin, Eclipix, and Mew28. If you'd like to join in, let me know.


TURN 1

Aberion enters the council room, pacing around. The three councilmen are seated at the table, sitting patiently while this human embodiment of strength and force restlessly walks from one end of the room to the other. Finally, he stops and slams his fist on the table.

"Why is it, gentlemen, that Lanstead still stands? That Genesis Industries still dares fly its flags? Why haven't we crushed them yet?"

There can be no response, and he returns to pacing.

"I know that we have been hurt by the Sleepers, hurt by this war, but we can do better than this, damn it! Even with most of our best troops dead we can show the Overseers that no one fights like the Flame Dawn and wipe those foolish engineers and robot-lovers off the map!"

He storms out of the room and an aide enters.

"My lords, here is the information brief on the Empire's current status."

Territory: North of Talich and a small base in the Untamed World
Diplomacy: At war with Genesis Industries, allied with Overseers of Solace, strained relations with the Warpath. Note that Aberion's temperament will not allow the Dawn to ever be completely at peace.
Available military units:
Besieging Lanstead: 2000 Aspirants, 500 Knights
In Untamed World Base: 200 Knights
Un-mobilized Reserves: 5000 Aspirants

Note: The Flame Dawn Empire does not allocate resources to Fortification, because the Empire is always attacking and never needs to cower behind walls.

You look at each other.

"So, what do you think he wants us to do?"

"I'm guessing that our first objective is to conquer Genesis Industries, and then the rest of the infinite worlds."

"Hmm... better get to work then. Let's have our budgets turned in by the 15th."

[Grinnin_Gin]

From: Arch-Cyurate Baelish
Subject: Allocation of Resources
To: Lord Aberion, High Council of Dawn

My Lords,
Enclosed is my budget proposal, as well as reasoning behind each of my decisions. I have given this much thought, and I urge my Lords to consider these proposals with great gravity. But, as always, I will respect the will of the Council when the time comes. Also, take note, a proposal is enclosed which may require a vote by the members of this esteemed Council.

Yours in Flame,
Arch-Cyurate Baelish

Exploration: 0
Diplomacy: 3
Offense: 3
Recruitment: 2
Industry: 3
Research: 4
Security: 1

Exploration Actions:

There is no need to explore any further at this time, our enemies are a clear and present danger on the borders of our homeland. Once we are secure, then we may begin to worry about outsiders.

Diplomatic Actions:

Attempt to establish a Non-Aggression Pact with the Warpath to keep them out of the war. They have no love for Genesis Industries either, and making sure they cant assault us from another front would go a long way to establishing dominion over Talich.

We must also turn to our new allies for aid: There is every possibility that our current strength is sufficient to keep Genesis on the back foot, and it is crucial that we press this advantage. We must convince the Overseers that giving us command of a detachment of their forces could turn the tide firmly in our favor.

Offensive Actions:

Deploy a third of the reserve aspirants and separate them into covert units designed to hit Genesis where it hurts: Sabotage mining operations, attack production facilities, power grids. Attach Knights from our forward operating base near Lanstead to give these aspirants an experienced leadership who can help direct them where needed.

Recruitment Actions:

Set up the apparatus of recruitment in freshly conquered territories: With the Overseers backing us, it is far easier to spin our cause as just, and holy. Spread the word of Dawn to every corner of Talich, and then beyond, that the call has been given and we need more troops for the cause.

Industrial Actions:

Similar to setting up the apparatus of recruitment, in this new stage of the War it has become clear that we need to produce an industrial base capable of fighting sophisticated enemies such as Genesis Industries, as well as being able to adapt to the esoteric and foreign magic of the Descendants and the Cult of Verore. If Pras has taught us anything, it is how devestating such foreign influences can be when we do not have the ability to equip our troops to properly combat them. Building our infrastructure is crucial to our future: Taking Talich is one thing. Holding it is another.

Research Actions:

This is perhaps even more crucial a priority to the Flame Dawn in our current state. While our current troops are well equipped for their current numbers, we find ourselves faced with a unique problem: Our enemies have adapted to our measures. At first at the beginning of this war, the swiftness of the Sword of Dawn was unknown to our foes, and they fell before us. But now, they have learned how to counter our abilities, and decimate our troops through overwhelming strength, rather than speed.

Not to mention the fact that Genesis Industries developed and designed many of the weapons in our arsenal today: They are aware of the limitations and weaknesses of our tools.

The time has come to adapt and advance our power, and it is time to begin training a new generation of heavy troops that can break through our enemies. They have felt the sharpness of our blades, it is time they learned to fear the Morningstar.

Research Vote Proposal: Project MORNINGSTAR

Project Morningstar will be a specialized project designed to develop the next generation of elite Flame Dawn troops. Equipped in advanced MKII Power Armor and with heavy weapons developed from the lessons of the war, these troops will be the heavy hitters designed to break through stiff resistance from well dug-in enemies. Such an addition to our arsenal will catch our enemies off balance, playing to our old strengths and giving us a unique tactical edge over our complacent foes.

Security Actions:

While we may be content to rest in the security of the fact that we have such powerful allies and that our nation has generally been supportive of our conquests, it would be wise to keep our guard up: Authorize regular investigations into any seditious elements of our society. If they turn up anything, we must be prepared to weed out these traitors. We don't want another Pras.

[ecliptix]

--START TRANSMISSION--

**From: Lord Commander Erebus**
**Subject: Threat Assessments & Budget Proposals**
**To: Lord Aberion, High Council of Dawn**

High Lords,

Attached is a budgetary proposal as well as the requested threat assessment of all major factions we have encountered since we first discovered the rifts. Many of the budgetary requests are merely slight derivations from Arch-Cyurate Baelish whose wisdom is respected in this council and does not necessarily represent the final budgetary request from the Lord's Council.

May the Flames Guide you,
Lord Commander Erebus

Exploration: 0
Diplomacy: 1
Offense: 3
Recruitment: 5
Industry: 2
Research: 4
Security: 1

Threat Assesment:

Genesis Industries - General Threat Analysis: Moderate

The Lord's Council feels that genesis industries still poses some degree of threat to absolute sovereignty of the Flame Dawn. While we do have them on the defensive, we have reason to believe that Genesis Industries have consolidated all their forces to a more localized area - likely attempting to defend while they prepare some new technology, the progress of which is not presently known to us. For this reason, we believe ending the conflict with them as quickly as possible is within our best interests, moreso as we cannot afford any further losses after being so worn down by the recent sleeper virus.

Warpath - General Threat Analysis: Low

While individually, the Warpath's ferocity has proven to be a problem for our recent expeditions, they are poorly organized and currently faced with multiple threats. We feel that it would be in our best interests to take advantage of the situation as quickly as possible, the threat posed by Genesis Industries far outweighs that posed by Genesis Industries. For that reason we do not believe it is as necessary to make diplomatic concessions to them as Arch-Cyurate has suggested. That said, we are not against extending an olive branch in their direction as a means of ensuring they do not fortify their position against us in the immediate future.

Cult of Verore - General Threat Analysis: Unknown

Reports have indicated that this faction has broken down to a state of civil war. We feel it would be in our best interests to allow this civil war to continue for the moment.

Overseers of Solace - General Threat Analysis: EXTREME

While they are currently our allies, their strength presently far outweighs our own. We must make every effort to maintain strong diplomatic ties to the Overseers. As they were only slightly affected by their Purge of the Sleepers, we believe they currently hold the most wartime assets of all known factions and would easily crush us in our weakened state. For the time being, it is imperative that we placate them as much as possible.

Disciples of the Dragon - General Threat Analysis: Unknown

Presently very little is known about the world of Reisch in general. For that reason, we believe that as soon as it is convenient for the council we send an expedition to investigate the world in general as we know little of it.

Budget Report

Generally speaking, we concur with the Arch-Cyurate's budgetary proposal. However, we do feel that not as much emphasis needs to be placed in diplomacy as recruitment. The recent Sleeper threat has dealt significant damage to our overall troop count. As we were fortunate to keep the threat largely at the rift perimeters, we believe our industrial sectors are still largely secured. Because the virus had such a tendency to affect our troops directly there was also a vast majority of equipment that was still salvageable as it was unused in the conflict. Numerically speaking, the Flame Dawn is in one of the weakest positions it has been in for quite some time and we believe that needs to be rectified immediately so that we may take advantage of our sudden surplus in military provisions and supplies (dead soldiers don't eat).

Additional Notes:

We also believe that it is unnecessary to have our observation post manned by elite troops of the flame dawn. We believe that 150 knights from the untamed world could be replaced with aspirants allowing our knights to return home to help a large-scale recruitment drive. That base is highly likely to fall in the event of an attack anyways and we feel it is not wise to leave such a large contingent of elite troops in an easily compromised position.

--END TRANSMISSION

[Grinnin_Gin]

From: Arch-Cyurate Baelish
Subject: Addendum to Lord Erebus' Proposal
To: Lord Aberion, High Council of Dawn

My Lords,

I concur with Lord Erebus' decision to re-allocate Knights from the Old World to bolster our new campaign on Talich. These troops would be the 'tip of the spear' in our new campaign against Genesis Industries. It is also appreciated that the Lord Commander sees the wisdom in beginning Project: MORNINGSTAR with all due haste. With such a speedy endorsement, I hope to begin the project immediately upon the finalization of the budget proposal.

I would also like to comment on the threat assessment proposed by the Lord Commander: At present, I would place the threat of the Warpath at a Medium level, if only for the simple fact that we are not prepared for an invasion of our homeland. We operate at our best on the offensive, or at the very least fighting a proactive war; If we were to be attacked now at the behest of Genesis' agents by the beasts, then we would see potentially catastrophic losses on the home front, including the potential of losing our vital infrastructure.

When the time comes, the Warpath will either submit or be destroyed, but today is not that day. As the saying goes, we must pick and choose our battles, and this is one battle I would rather not see come to our shores.

Have patience, Brothers; Their foot shall slide in due time.

Yours In Flame,
Arch-Cyurate Baelish

[ecliptix]

The Following Transmission is intended solely for the Flame Dawn Empire and its intended recipients. If you have received this message in error, please report yourself to the nearest Confessional for enlistment. Failure to comply will result in immediate purging. The Flame Dawn Empire thanks you for your loyalty.

--START TRANSMISSION--

**From: Lord Commander Erebus**
**Subject: RE: Addendum to Lord Erebus' Proposal**
**To: Lord Aberion, High Council of Dawn**

My Lords,

We do not wish to deny that we are ill-prepared for an invasion from warpath, or any invasion for that matter. Our strength is our ability to press an assault, not hold a fortified location, as the Arch-Cyurate has accurately pointed out. The low threat assessment stems from the fact that the Bestial Tribes are currently poorly organized and have been devastated by recent events far more than ourselves. We do not see them as being presently capable of engaging in immediate action against us - though we cannot allow them time to prepare. We do not believe that the Warpath is currently in a state where they would wish to attack us for it would ensure our mutually ensured destruction. Rather, we find it far more likely they would like to use our current war against Genesis as an opportunity to fortify their own position and regroup which would indeed make them a formidable foe. By hastening our campaign with Genesis Industries, we can mitigate the time that the Warpath has to adequately prepare ensuring that we can hit them while they are still trying to re-organize. For the long term we agree that they are going to be a much higher threat, however in the short term we believe they simply are not organized enough to mount any considerable assault. Our estimate is that we have a brief period of time before they will be even considering any assault and we feel that we need to finish this war with Genesis so that it is ultimately us who breach the rift rather than the Warpath.

That said, it would be unwise for us to engage in direct military operations against them presently as a two-front war would only split our focus and make our offensive actions far less effective and present an opening for our opponents.  Today however, we are at war with Genesis rather than the Warpath. It is for that reason that the Lord's Council believes that ending the war with Genesis Industries as quickly as possible would allow us to better consolidate our own forces, and re-educate Genesis Scientists in the glory of the Flame Dawn, which would also help speed up Project MORNINGSTAR which the Lord's Council feels is a necessary adaptation to our current standing army. If Genesis Industries is no longer a problem then the Warpath cannot operate at their behest.

We do agree with the Arch-Cyurate's assessment that a united Genesis and Warpath could pose a significant problem and propose that we send a small detachment of our troops to observe the rifts and establish a military cordon to prevent any and all access through all known rifts. We also highly recommend that we do not establish this cordon on the Untamed World's end of the rift as this may appear to be an aggressive action to the Warpath.

May the Flames Guide You,

Lord Commander Erebus

--END TRANSMISSION--

[mew28]

From: Hammer of Dawn Mew28
Subject: Allocation of Resources
To: Lord Aberion, High Council of Dawn

My fellow council members
In the wake of our prolonged attack on Lanstead I feel what we need most is to mobilize every soldier the flame dawn can muster to bring forward to sige on landside I feel we should focus everything we can on this attack to crush what is left of Genesis Industries. Cut spending to everything not directly related to the attack and push forward with every thing we can muster.   
Yours in Flame,
Hammer of Dawn Mew28

Exploration: 0
Diplomacy: 0
Offense: 7
Recruitment: 4
Industry: 4
Research: 0
Security: 1

Exploration Actions:

There is no need to explore any further at this time, with enemies at our foot step I think we should focus on removing them from the world before we go looking for more.

Diplomatic Actions:

Why waste time with foolish words when what we need now is action on the field fighting the enemies of the dawn.

Offensive Actions:

Deploy the reserve aspirants to concur Lanstead. Bring every thing we can. Aberion himself should lead this grand charge on what little is left of genesis.

Recruitment Actions:

We will unfortunately inevitably lose some members of the dawn on the attack on Lanstead so it will be necessary to recruit some more to replace loses.
 
Industrial Actions:

Industry remains an important part of the dawn. For this attack and recruitment to be successful we will need to focus of maintain some quality of life for our citizens well still being able to build the tools of war we need so desperately for war.

Research Actions:

We have great tools of war made for us by genesis when we conquer them we can take what new interesting developments they have made for our own uses rather then spend time making our own.

Security Actions:

We must allow some resources to ensure the attack goes well with minimal problems related to espionage. The big thing we need to protect is the supply line going to the siege on Lanstead.

[Benionin]

TURN 2

In the council chamber of the Flame Dawn Empire, there is a long table for the councilmen. At its head is a throne, ornate and golden with red banners.

Aberion walks around the room, circling the sitting councilmen. Sitting still does not suit him, this boundless power bound in human form. He clenches his fists.

"We had them! A frontal assault on Lanstead with the outer walls destroyed and all we have to show for it are casualties! This would never have happened with Bromich around, I tell you that."

"Still," he continued, slowing down his pace, "a fight is a fight. It's a good start, and only a matter of time before Genesis Industries bends the knee to the Flame Dawn Empire. Or has its knees cut out from under it. Either one works."

An aide enters. "Sir, I have the reports here."

"Good," Aberion nods. "Have the councilmen look at them." He walks out of the room.

"My lords," the aide says, bowing.

Battle Report:
3000 Aspirants from the reserves were deployed to Lanstead. Given that the city has not been completely encircled, we were unable to bring these numbers fully to bear. An assault was launched on the city that gained no ground. Flame Dawn Casualties: 1000 Aspirants, 100 Knights. Genesis Industries Casualties: 500 Combat Robots. The defenses along the northern approaches to Lanstead have been demolished, but there is no doubt that Genesis Industries is even now working on re-fortifying.

Progress Report:
Relations with the Overseers of Solace remain steady, although they have declined to provide us with any auxiliary troops at this time. Likewise, relations with the Warpath, although shaky, have not deteriorated further. Our industrial capacity is currently holding steady, though it is unclear whether or not our reserves of materiel will last much longer without seizing supplies from Genesis Industries or scaling back the war effort. Our recruiting teams were able to successfully call up 800 new Aspirants for the Dawn. Although it doesn't make up for our losses, this will certainly help in the battles ahead.

Research Report:
Our technicians tell us that research on Project: Morningstar has begun, and estimate that it is roughly 20% complete.

Security Report:
Our security teams were able to easily foil a number of covert attacks on the supply lines leading to the front, but due to limited resources were unable to foil a saboteur who temporarily destabilized the rift to the Untamed World, stranding many of our troops there. This was in the midst of a transfer of troops through the rift, between sending more troops over and the return of the knights.

Troop Deployments:
Besieging Lanstead: 4000 Aspirants, 400 Knights
Reserves: 2300 Aspirants
In the Untamed World: 500 Aspirants, 200 Knights

"Hmm... not the greatest start, but like Lord Aberion said, it's still a start."

"Indeed. Those robot lovers will be flying the white flag in no time."

"In that case, let's get our budgets in by the 22nd."

[ecliptix]

--START TRANSMISSION--

**From: Lord Commander Erebus**
**Subject: Threat Assessments & Operational Suggestions**
**To: Lord Aberion, High Council of Dawn**


My Lords,

The losses we suffered from the assault on Lanstead are unacceptable. To maintain strong military operations, we suggest that in the future any operation which would exceed 10% losses of our total operational status to be dismissed for consideration except in extreme cases. In the opinion of the Lord's Council, we believe that it would be prudent to abandon a direct assault on Lanstead at this time and instead focus on blockading supply lines and continue to engage in minor skirmishing with Genesis to keep them on the defensive. While the failed assault has by no means crippled our ability to wage war, it has made it abundantly clear that we must radically change the way we engage in combat with our enemy.

As a full frontal assault has become something that Genesis has come to expect from us, we believe it is time to take advantage of this situation. No doubt the forces at Lanstead will be preparing for us to launch another assault. I believe that we must use this brief moment they expect us to attack to instead, NOT attack but rather bolster our numbers, technologies and weapons - but most importantly to scout out possible opportunities to exploit our enemies.

Additionally we must accelerate our recruitment policies. While technologies and weapons are necessary, so too are the numbers required to carry out these improvements. Furthermore, this will also permit us the ability to carry out more operations consecutively, something which we will need to accomplish in order to further our war efforts. The training of our auxiliaries is also something we should consider. We have far too few knights to adequately command our legions. It is my belief that we need to select promising aspirants to take up the place of knights and select our finest knights to be trained in new battle tactics which accommodate the new technologies we are developing. For obvious security reasons, I believe we should only select our finest and most loyal knights for this project.

As for our forces currently stranded in the Untamed World - retrieving these knights is a top priority as they are experienced in warfare and are some of our most well trained soldiers. I suggest we mount a rescue party to get all of our forces on this side of the rift. Having even the risk of having our troops unexpectedly isolated is dangerous for our long term efforts and finding a stable rift needs to be a top priority. Regrettably, we believe that it is now necessary for us to open up diplomatic relationships with the Warpath for the sake of our own troops which we can ill-afford to lose. We believe that Genesis Industries has been working on creating artificial rifts and it is for that reason we believe that taking Lanstead needs to still be a priority - however delayed that may have to be due to their fortifications. We also feel its important that we pay tribute to the Overseers of Solace so that we may remain in their good favor. Presently, we believe that generating a long-term plan for taking Lanstead would be a most prudent conversation to have.

Finally, we will have our Threat Assessment generated in the next few days after calculating the loss of the last battle.

May the Flames Guide You,

--END TRANSMISSION--

[mew28]

--START TRANSMISSION--

**From: Hammer of Dawn Mew28**
**Subject: Threat Assessments & Operational Suggestions**
**To: Lord Aberion, High Council of Dawn**


My Lords,
From the disappointing results from the attack on landsted I feel that it is clear we must adapt to these new times. With that I feel that supporting the morning star project must be our top priority. I feel we should stop all offensive actions in the mean time until it can be finished so that the brave warriors of the dawn have the greatest chance of success with minimum loses to life.

--END TRANSMISSION--

[Grinnin_Gin]

 From: Arch-Cyurate Baelish
Subject: Allocation of Resources
To: Lord Aberion, High Council of Dawn

My Lords,
Enclosed is my budget proposal, as well as reasoning behind each of my decisions. I have given this much thought, and I urge my Lords to consider these proposals with great gravity. But, as always, I will respect the will of the Council when the time comes.

However, I would like to officially express my disapproval of the latest debacle in our war against Genesis Industries. I would like it to be noted on the record in the meetings of this council that I was against such a tactically foolish assault in the first place, and will have no part in being blamed for the failure. Regardless, we did manage to strike fear into our enemies, and we will simply have to make due going forward.

Yours in Flame,
Arch-Cyurate Baelish

Exploration: 0
Diplomacy: 3
Offense: 3
Recruitment: 1
Industry: 2
Research: 6
Security: 1

Exploration Actions:

While the need to better understand our enemies' force disposition is growing, we must be prudent about where we put our resources. Soon enough we will have to properly map the enemies' defenses, but that day is not today.

Diplomatic Actions:

Now, more than ever in light of the failed offensive against Lanstead, we must call upon our Overseer allies in order to supplement our strength. Reaching out to them again in light of the failed offensive, spinning it as the result of Genesis being more of a threat than we initially feared, should surely prompt them to grant us a troop of Auxillary units to use in our coming offensive.

Offensive Actions:

While we must husband our remaining forces with great care, we mustn't waste the admittedly costly opportunity granted to us by the Lanstead offensive. The outer walls were breached, and Genesis Industries will surely fear a follow up attack. Now is the time to keep the pressure on, at least until out next (and hopefully final) full scale offensive commences.

Attack their supply lines. Destroy their outlying mining operations, their supply depots, private Research and Development laboratories in the country side. Harass their transports, interrupt any and all efforts to send material to Neon and Lanstead.

We must hamper their repair efforts at all costs now, if only to make sure that they cannot so easily replenish their forces or shore up the defensive line at Lanstead.

Recruitment Actions:

While the need for troops is great, more conscripts are not what we need at this time. Keep the most basic of quotas up for now, but we must spend time improving the -quality- of our troops now, the quantity can come later.

Industrial Actions:

Continue with basic upkeep and maintenance, and keep our troops properly fed and supplied for field operations. The build up in anticipation of the completion of the MORNINGSTAR project and the final offensive will begin soon.

Research Actions:

All possible resources will be devoted to speeding up Project: MORNINGSTAR. We must hasten to complete the project to ensure that we are able to destroy Genesis without giving them sufficient time to recover.

Security Actions:

While we must worry about the potential for sabotage, we cannot let paranoia defeat us. Remember brothers, our greatest strength is speed. If we complete the project fast enough, our enemies will have limited time to halt our progress. Regardless, Genesis Industry's attention should be focused on other matters at the moment. Standard security sweeps should prove sufficient, at least until the final stages of the project.

[ecliptix]

--START TRANSMISSION--

**From: Lord Commander Erebus**
**Subject: Threat Assessments**
**To: Lord Aberion, High Council of Dawn**

High Lords,

Attached is the budget proposal, the logic behind those decisions as well as threat assessments for each pertinent faction. Some will be omitted at this time as they are too lacking in intelligence at this time to provide a reliable report.

Genesis Industries - General Threat Analysis: Moderate - Elevated

As always Genesis Industries is our primary threat. Currently we believe they will be rerouting the bulk of their troops and supplies to Lanstead but also feel it would be tactically sound for them to engage in covert operations to disrupt our own supply lines within the immediate area around Lanstead. Hitting their outlying outposts, mining facilities and agricultural centers would do much to hinder their reconstruction efforts. We must also consider the possibility they may have learned from our own art of war and may attempt a blitz of their own. For this reason we believe it would be tactically sound to establish our front line camp in such a way that the main bulk of our force is not revealed to our enemy, but rather in a tactically sound position where they might be in a position to flank our enemy in the event of an assault and turn a defensive battle into an offensive one should the need arise. Such positioning would require very little time or resources, so long as we inform our knights to administrate this positioning in such a way that it does not divide our forces or create a window for genesis to react.

Warpath - General Threat Analysis: Moderate

With the recent failure at lanstead and our troops stranted in the untamed world, the Warpath has become significantly more threatening. To appease them, we suggest contacting the Warpath to work out a method of returning all the bodies of their fallen comrades home. I have it on good authority from one of my veteran knights that the Warpath revere the spirits of their fallen dead and believe this gesture of goodwill would help foster better relationships with them as well as help establish a safe route for our troops to find their way home. Though having assistance from the Overseers would help us the most, I believe it highly unlikely they will provide us any real support unless it is directly in their best interest. Currently, becoming engaged with Genesis is not. However, ceasing hostilities with as many forces as possible IS currently in the interest of the Warpath, though we must be weary in dealing with the Warpath as they will react violently to any deception. In the past my recommendation that their cunning not be underestimated has been ignored. I hope this council can see the folly of such thinking.

Overseers of Solace - General Threat Analysis: Unknown

As always we believe maintaining good relationships with the Overseers is the key to our success. We invite Arch-Cyurate Baelish to engage in any holy activities he deems necessary to honor our saviors.

World of Reisch - General Threat Analysis: Unknown

Insufficient data exists to make any comment on the state of the factions in reisch.

Budgetary Proposal:

Exploration: 0
Diplomacy: 3
Offense: 1
Recruitment: 1
Industry: 1
Research: 8 (+1 Override)
Security: 2

Exploration: 0

Presently we are aware of the tactical situation in the local area and do not believe we must expend resources in exploration.

Diplomacy: 3

We do agree in placing some resources towards diplomacy, however we believe that the bulk of our resources should go towards creating a stable relationship with the warpath as they are the more immediate threat. We do agree that we should establish some holy ceremonies in their name, but only as much as is necessary to appease them.

Offense: 1

We also agree that we should stick to the offensive, but more in a harassment role. As the majority of genesis is going to be focused on lanstead we believe that carrying out small covert operations to disrupt supply lines between Neon and Lanstead would go the longest way. Most importantly, we believe that the disruption their airports would have a SIGNIFICANT impact on these supply lines and would require very little resources to carry out.

Recruitment: 1

Begrudgingly, we acquiesce to this budgetary proposal. As such we agree in placing significant impetus behind project MORNING and commit to finishing as quickly as possible. The sooner the project finishes, the sooner we can divert resources to carrying out the execution of the project.

Industry: 1

Due to the nature of project Morningstar, we feel it would be counterproductive to place much industry in significantly upgrading our industrial centers. Project MORNINGSTAR has already demonstrated great potential to greatly advance our understanding of Metallurgy and Chemestry. It would not benefit us to invest time and resources into an industrial sector which would be out of date upon completion of the project - rather we feel it would be more beneficial to stockpile raw materials and have engineers working on architectural methods to allow us to seamlessly transition from the completion of research to the implementation of construction.

Research: 8 (+1 Override)

Project MORNINGSTAR has become the crux of our war effort. As such, we must act quickly to finish the project while the pressure is not immediately on us. The future of the Flame Dawn Empire is currently riding upon the successful completion AND implementation of the project.

Security: 2

It is absolutely imperative that knowledge of Project MORNINGSTAR continues unhindered and is made unknown to our enemies and allies alike. We propose labeling this project as top secret, permitting only the staffing necessary to complete the project according to our accelerated time table. With luck, the project will be completed long before our enemies are aware of its existence.

May the Flames Guide you,

Lord Commander Erebus

--END TRANSMISSION--

[mew28]

--START TRANSMISSION--

**From: Hammer of Dawn Mew28**
**Subject: Resource Allocation**
**To: Lord Aberion, High Council of Dawn**

Exploration: 0
Diplomacy: 3
Offense: 2
Recruitment: 1
Industry: 1
Research: 7
Security: 2

Exploration: 0

With our limited resources nothing at this time can be spared for exporation

Diplomacy: 4

Maintaining our relation with the overseer at this point is critical. I feel however we should push them fairly hard to lend us the command of a few hundred angels in exchange for some of the knights in the old world as something of a cultural exchange I feel by having some angels with us we could learn a great deal from them well improving our relations with the other overseers.

Offense: 2
I feel that simply holding the current ground we have should be what we stick with. However I feel that it should be a priority to try and set up ambushes for the supply lines into landstede. No city can hold no matter how high the walls are if they have no food or in GI's case power as well.

Recruitment: 0

With how important morningstar is to the future of the dawn I believe it is critical to get it finished as soon as possible. Right now we have men however what we need is to get them the gear that they need to take landstede.

Industry: 1

With how critical morningstar is to us I feel we should cut back our spending on industry to simply the basics of keeping everyone feed and armed until morningstar is done

Research: 7

With project morningstar underway I feel if we are to win this war we must focus on getting it finished as soon as possible. Ideally we will be able to finish it before GI has time to fortify landsteed much more.

Security: 2

Keeping project morningstar hidden for GI must be our top priority if they catch wind of what is going on with it the entire surprise of it will be ruined and they will have time to prepare for it.

--END TRANSMISSION--

[Benionin]

TURN 3

Aberion, the Hammer of the Dawn. It was as though the morning sun had been personified in flesh, bone, and excessive musculature. He was sitting on his throne, leaning forward onto the table that dominated the council chamber.

"Well, gentlemen, as much as this new approach to the war frustrates me, you certainly have achieved great results. Researchers on this Project Morningstar of yours, Baelish, have already outfitted six hundred new Morningstar Knights with this promising new technology, and the change to indirect attacks on the robot-lovers' supply lines have been at the very least successful."

He rose from his chair. "Promising work, gentlemen." As he left, an aide entered.

"Lords, here are the reports from the past turn."

Battle Report:
Indirect attacks on the supply lines leading to Lanstead have been successful and the city is temporarily cut off. Casualties: 200 Aspirants lost, 100 Genesis Soldiers slain.

Progress Report
The Overseers have granted us 200 Overseer Auxiliaries, and our control over the Rift to the Untamed World has been restored, allowing us to move troops around uninterrupted. Our recruitment drive, although reduced, has still succeeded in bringing in 400 new Aspirants to the Dawn's military, more than covering for the losses sustained during operations.

Research Report:
Our researchers are proud to announce that Project Morningstar has reached its completion and is now being implemented into the field. Thanks to the generous funding of the council, not only have they completed the project but they have also upgraded 600 of our Aspirants into Morningstar knights.

Security Report/Industrial Report:
Our security forces, however, were not as successful in keeping GI saboteurs at bay. Although the extent of the sabotage was limited, the spies were able to plant charges in our industrial sector. Our industry, already strained by the war and the demands of Project Morningstar, has given out. Our supply depots are exhausted and we are struggling to feed and equip our soldiers. As such, the Flame Dawn Empire cannot support any assault actions next turn until its industry has been rebuilt.

Troop Deployments:
Besieging Lanstead: 3800 Aspirants, 400 Knights
Reserves: 2000 Aspirants, 600 Morningstar Knights, 200 Knights, 200 Overseer Auxiliaries
Guarding the Rift to the Untamed World: 600 Aspirants

"Hmm..."

"We have an opportunity to strike at Lanstead while their supplies are cut off!"

You shake your heads. "No, we cannot allocate any of our budget to offense next time."

"We should get our budgets together by the 29th."

[Grinnin_Gin]

My Lords,
Enclosed is my budget proposal, as well as reasoning behind each of my decisions. I have given this much thought, and I urge my Lords to consider these proposals with great gravity. But, as always, I will respect the will of the Council when the time comes.

In spite of our inability to begin a sustained attack at this point in time, we've bought ourselves some time to begin the final preparations for the offensive against Lanstead. Let us make wise use of this time.

Yours in Flame,
Arch-Cyurate Baelish

Exploration: 3
Diplomacy: 0
Offense: 0
Recruitment: 2
Industry: 8
Research: 0
Security: 3

Exploration Actions:

We must begin scouting actions in preparation for the final offensive: Whatever supplies we can scrape together, give to a small troop of scouts. Activate all assets within Neon and Lanstead respectively. Full reports on the troop disposition, and the status of Genesis assets must be known to us before we begin the attack.

Diplomatic Actions:

Our short term objectives have been achieved: We have a decent force of airborne elite troops thanks to the Overseers. They will be very useful in any plan of attack we undergo. The Warpath also seem to be pre-occupied and placated by our outreach.

Recruitment Actions:

Having additional troops to help secure and hold Neon and Lanstead respectively will be useful. Or, if losses are below expected thresholds, they will provide a useful garrison for the home holdings. See if we cant get an Overseer Auxillary to pose for some posters or something too.

Industrial Actions:

At once, begin organizing work crews to put every single factory into full production. Repair the damage done by Genesis Saboteurs, and get our people working. I want as many knights as possible to be given Morningstar Armor, and then give the armor to the Aspirants.

Also, begin the process of re-commissioning our heavy artillery and tanks. If possible, 60 Brimstone tanks should be re-activated for the purposes of our upcoming assault on the walls. The tanks will breach the walls, and the Morningstar troops will smash all resistance in a surge that will wipe our our foes.

(So, specifically, in order of importance; Upgrade Knights, then Upgrade Aspirants. Then, re-activate tanks which we already have in our arsenal, but I assume have been moth balled because Tanks aren't very effective against beasts that can crush them easily. Why do we want tanks? Because smashing through the walls will be a lot easier with heavy ordinance, and since we don't -explicitly- have tanks right now, well...)

Research Actions:

With Morningstar completed and the offensive being prepared, our Research division can get a bit of rest. I heard there were only a few dozen fatalities in the final stage of testing. Perhaps some cake is in order?

Security Actions:

After the latest sabotage against us, we cannot allow such transgressions to go unpunished to. Double all efforts to secure our factories, and our staging areas against Genesis trickery. And keep operational security to the strictest possible standards. They know we will attack, but we don't want them to know when, or where. Do your best to root out traitors, and remember: To make an omlette, you must break a few eggs.

[ecliptix]

--START TRANSMISSION--

**From: Lord Commander Erebus**
**Subject: Budget Request**
**To: Lord Aberion, High Council of Dawn**

Lords of the Dawn,

With the completion of Project Morningstar, we can finally prepare for the final push on Lanstead. Before we can press on however we must gather intel and learn from our enemies and arm ourselves with knowledge. Attached is the budget proposal from the lords council as well as the specific details outlining our proposed course of action.

Exploration: 4
Diplomacy: 0
Offense: 0
Recruitment: 0
Industry: 8
Research: 0
Security: 4

Exploration: 4 (Override +1)

Thanks to our allies, we finally have the aid of an aerial platoon. We believe it would be in our best interests to assign a small squadron of them to gather intel on Lanstead and the surrounding area, gathering opposing troop counts, safest approaches and determining as best as possible the safest course of action to ensure minimal losses before we breach the walls. With the Overseers superior tactical knowledge we feel they would be able to give us an edge in the approaching battle.

Diplomacy: 0

There is no need for diplomacy at the time being. The end of lanstead fast approaches.

Offense: 0

This is an unfortunate turn of events and we cannot proceed with an attack due until our logistical considerations have been accounted for.

Recruitment: 0

We of the lord's council make this proposal very, very begrudgingly. While we agree there is a need for further recruitment, there is very little we can do with our supplies being stretched as thinly as they are. Rather than focusing on improving our current numbers, we believe consolidating training time, rations and munitions among our current troops would help to bolster the morale of our current standing army. A hungry man will not fight as voraciously as one who is well fed.

Industry: 8

Our current objective needs to be the IMMEDIATE restoration of our Industrial and munitions sectors. However, we feel that it would do us more good to refit our tanks with anti-air guns to cover the main assault. Within the tight confines of lanstead our tanks will have very limited tactical mobility and will be more of a liability rather than an asset. Anti-aircraft guns on the other hand will be able to prevent Genesis Industries from getting any aircraft off the ground and prevent the main advantage they will have over us. With the addition of our overseer allies we will ultimately dominate the skies and will be able to commence with air assaults of our own as well as be able to obtain real-time data on the battlefield as it unfolds.

Research: 0

Give Jenkins in accounting my regards. Hopefully the jetpack wheelchair will accommodate the loss of limbs as a result of the propulsion testing. It was unfortunate what happened with him and that wall.

Security: 4

Now, more than ever, it is imperative that we tighten up our security and eliminate any rogue elements now. Traitors need to be dealt with quickly and without mercy. However, I would also propose that we test any traitors we find with a psychological evaluation and leave them to the Arch-Cyurate - I have heard our lightbringers have found interesting new interrogation methods and it would be interesting to see if they could extract any information from spies, or perhaps even turn them to our cause...

We are on the precipice of a great battle gentleman. I wish you all well in the weeks to come.

Glory to the Flame Dawn Empire!
Lord Commander Erebus

--END TRANSMISSION--