Gifts and Flaws
Since any fictionalized version of me is flawless already it'll be hard to choose. I am four eyed IRL though so maybe being one eyed would be cool.
Nope. No it wouldn't, because I wouldn't be able to be an Archer. Sad. Speaking of which.
+ Archer (1 Coin)
+ Horselord (1 Coin)
These almost seem like it is required for any proper Golden Horder... uhhh Horselord. Don't want to go overboard even though Intimidating, Weaponer and Stealthy are all pretty neat. So I'll just choose one which is Stealthy. Seems more applicable to me as well.
+ Stealthy (1 Coin)
Herds and Banners
+ Common Herd (5 Coins)
+ Swift Herd (6 coins)
Again mandatory for a Horse Horde. I get a maximum of eight herds so I should at least get four I feel or else what am I even doing here when it comes to managing a proper Golden Horde? Actually I'll just double both. One more Common and one more Swift Herd. From the descriptions the others seem to alienate those on the Steppe. Steppe people aren't fans of Hunter or Food Herds so neither am I. Megafauna herds aren't stealthy unlike myself and just don't fit my mobility requirements. Spectral Herd is a bit too paranormal and out there.
+ Two Common Herd (10 Coins)
+ Two Swift Herds (12 Coins)
75 Coins Left!
Herd/Banner Upgrades
This is neat. Dogs make sense. Raptors makes even more cool sense. Paragon sounds really neat for worldbuilding and RP/Lore wise. Monstrous Blood? Mehhhh I'll pass. Drudges... again possible usefulness. I like the concept plot wise and it helps with the appeal of how 'diverse' some Mongol Hordes were, like those of Hulegu etc or like the Huns and such. Tinkers is neat but I'm not sure it fits my Horde aesthetic. Khesiks sounds amazing and I should have that. The Mongols had their elite Tumen after all and so will I! And War Wagons are awesome but I don't know if they fit my dynamic... or even if I have enough banner herds for it. Okay... here we go.
+ Khesik Common Herd (+4 Coins)
+ Watchdogs Common Herd (+2 Coins)
+ Raptors Swift Herd (+2 Coins)
+ Paragons Swift Herd (+3 Coins)
+ New Drudges Common Herd (+5 Coins - 1 Coin)
Also.. I want a Drudges herd so.... Imma adding another Common Herd... of POW's and/or Slaves. Good times! Overall cost will be... four more coins.
60 Coins Left!
Retinue
So for Retinue, Ideally I should have one for each Herd so that would be five Commanders. I would think at a minimum I need a Scout Leader for the Swift Herd, a leader for my Drudges and a leader for my Common Herd that isn't my Bodyguard.
Clan Sibling. Yessssss.... I like the RP'ing option here and how he's more sensitive to outsider influence than other retinue members.
Sworn Brother sounds great for the Drudges.
Strategic Consort sounds great for one of the Swift Herds!
Beast Shaman... I dunno. I don't really want the paranormal/magic going on. But he would be pretty useful and so would the thirty skinwalker types. I'll put this in the maybe category.
Hostage Princess... thanks but no thanks.
Hostage Engineer. We hobbled and abused him? Ehhhh pass. He'd be very useful but I found him somewhat unreliable.
Hostage Eunuch. Oh he died. Very sad. Very unfortunate.
Welkin Witch. Maybe I should get a Welkin Witch if only to counter all of the magic I am magic averse to. But she is DISQUIETING.
Raven Warrior. You seem nice. I'm sure your warmongering and death will be a better fit for another Clan. No hard feelings.
Mummified Abbott. Interesting concept actually. I don't know if I want him though he and his coterie would certainly be useful. Maybe category.
Oathbreaker Outlaw/Ghostly Bodyguard. Ehhhh I'll pass on both. Just not my thing.
Condor Kings sound awesome but I just don't see a use for them. Silver Knight is a cool concept as well but the powers he offers is pretty weird and not interesting.
Okay... One Sibling to Command the other Common Herd. I need a little Brother. Sworn Brother for the Drudges. Strategic Consort for the Swift Herd. And now Beast Shman or Welkin Witch... or Mummified Abbott. They are all pretty cool concepts. This is like tradition versus pragmatism. I can't choose both the Witch and the Shaman though I want both. Ehhhh I'll go Beast Shaman. I'm a traditionalist I feel so far. That pretty much closes off the Welkin Witch Option.
+ Clan Sibling (5 Coins) + Intimidation (I like the idea of an intimidating younger sibling, improves character drama and dynamics)
+ Sworn Brother (7 Coins)
+ Strategic Consort (4 Coins)
+ Beast Shaman (6 Coins)
Current Horde!
1 Khesik Common Herd: 1000 Elite Bodyguard Horsemen
1 Watchdog Common Herd: 950 Basic Horsemen + 100 Elite Bodyguard (Clan Sibling)
1 Drudges Common Herd: 1000 ex-Imperial Horsemen + 100 Heavy Mounted Crossbowmen (Sworn Brother)
1 Paragon Swift Herd: 500 Light Horsemen + 50 Consort Escort Light Horsemen (Strategic Consort)
1 Swift Herd: 500 Light Horsemen
1 Beast Shaman: 30 Skinchangers
38 Coins Left!
Artifacts
Actually none of them except the Imperial Seal interest me. So I'm passing at the moment.
State of the Steppe
Oh I love this. Kinship Network sounds like a nice prequel for my sibling and I to follow the dream of our predecessors and unifying the Horse Banners. Just like the Mongols and Alexander the Great following Phillip II of Macedon etc. I actually feel like I have a lot of coins since I'm on Page Two so... I'll do some big purchases.
Kinship Network (10 Coins)
The Great Moot (5 Coins)
Factionalized (+2 Coins)
Both sound like great diplomatic RP'ing retinues. Also the Kinship Network basically stated that a Strategic Consort was involved. And Factionalized can lead to some great politicking, rivalry and lore building potential. Could it end with the unifying of the Clans or maybe a lot of internecine and Inter-Tribal Warfare to sort it out. Exciting stuff.
27 Coins Left!
Beyond the Steppe
This too is awesome! Being from the Frozen North myself, I want a positive North trait. Plus the Winter Comes and Terror Storms seem more intractable then the Army of Fire from the West... AND I SHOULD take at least one THREAT here I feel.
West: Threat: The Army of Fire (+8 Points)
North: Sleigh Raiders (4 Points): We will avert this outcome. There will be no WAR ON CHRISTMAS! Also maybe the Elves can aid us in our insufficient industry.
East: Inland Lake (2 Points)
So the big drawback beyond a deadly Army of Fire threatening us for the next generation is that I have to pass on the lucrative Oases of Trade which I would've taken happily. Hidden Paradise didn't interest me. The Eastern Inland Lake sounds like it has more potential anyways. Sleigh Raiders... it just... HAD to be taken. They're practically my brethren who, since they drive Sleighs... I actually am doubtful of their combat ability or utility south of the snow but hey, maybe their sleighs and reindeer are all terrain, who knows? Plus dream-herbs I guess. Ho-Ho-Ho!
27 Coins Left! (actually increased)
Whelp... I just saved 27 Coins... FOR SOME REASON.
The Empire: Threshold
I won't choose. I will let the dice roll choose.
1d4 = 3
The Wall
1d4 = 2
Fortified Marches
Whelp... Maybe that Engineer, Hobbled or Otherwise, Would've been good to keep around.
The Empire: Complications
1d5 = 4
The Salvation Sect
Hurm. I was hoping for a different one. Southern Clans and Martial Brotherhood would've been neat but I'm sure if I delve a little deeper, the Salvation Sect should offer some interesting roleplay opportunities. Slaughtering Peasant fanatics might seem easy at first, then as it goes on... who knows how it may affect us, especially the Drudges Banner. Plus the Wizard-Priests could be formidable, and their antipathy for "Wildings" like us could renew our resolve or motivate us to be even more bloodthirsty and lead us to whoever knows what unforeseen end. A super natural Messiah-Patriarch could be more dangerous than any Marshal or Emperor and a natural adversarial for both me, the magic adverse type and my Beast Shaman. Interesting how that may turn out.
The Empire: The Grand Marshall
1d3 =2
Full disclosure, I got the Bandit King first but after reading his description, the idea of him bribing away my retinue of my trusted Sibling, my Consort, the Shaman or my Sworn Brother didn't seem like it'd gain too much traction. Plus at this juncture, facing a Bandit King who has to enforce loyalty through bribes and blackmail instead of loyalty seems rather underwhelming, and anti-climatic after facing the Supernatural Messiah-Patriarch. JUST SAYING.
So I re-rolled and got the Polymath.
Now this is going to be an epic showdown. We're kind of opposites and we have different forms of intelligence. He's good with engineering and technology and strategy and tactics, well read and scholarly and even older than me. Truly a clash of civilizations will take place. PLUS there is still the Army of Fire to the West that threatens us both, some knockoff Bandit King that I ignored and the remnants of the Salvation Sect as well. Lots of plot points to explore.
But first... I have 27 Coins to Spend and I know how to WASTE THEM for maximum Plot Potential.
Final Coin Spending
Mummified Abbott (6 Coins): With the Salvation Sect and its Messiah-Patriarch, I think having a Mummified Abbott being able to discern the true divinity or truth of this Sect and its Messiah would be a great moment of plot and revelation. Plus it might give great backstory and interaction to the Abbott in case it turns out there is some sort of backhistory with the Messiah-Patriarch and said Mummified Abbott. Could be great stuff.
21 Coins.
Imperial Seal (13 Coins): I figure I gain access to the Imperial Seal one of two ways... either through the Sworn Brother of this great Imperial General who defected to us. Or we got it from the Salvation Sect. Either way... holding the Imperial Seal should make for some great plot nuggets as we challenge the Polymath Marshal for power in the Empire. The conflict will not only be martial, but political as well.
8 Coins Left.
Well there's only one thing that costs eight coins.
The HUNTER HERD!
Hunter Herd (8 Coins): After I unify the Horse Banners into one force, the Beast Shamans Tribal Banner joins our Horde formally and now we have 300 Beasts or Beast Mounted Riders joining our force.