Chuubostuck/GuideChapter4
A Chuubostuck Resource
The Game Of Crowns
The Game of Crowns is the official session term for a long-running sidequest, the success or failure of which will have a great bearing on the success or failure of the session as a whole. It is important to note that the Game begins as soon as the session's first player enters the Medium, and continues regardless of player involvement; in some sessions, the Game may resolve itself completely before players are able to directly influence it!
The Game plays out simultaneously across Prospit and Derse, and involves the attempts of residents of both moons to replace their Queens with ones more amenable to their own goals. On Prospit, the Game is played primarily as a complex, elegant political dance, as various factions attempt to prove to the Queen that she should step down in their favour. On Derse, the Game is played as a ruthless series of intrigues, assassinations, and blackmail designed to destroy all opponents and install a single faction on the throne. In addition, Dersite agents infiltrate Prospit and attempt to subtly destroy various factions' chances in order to weaken the throne, while Prospit uses diplomacy and propaganda to weaken Derse's intrigues and turn them against each other and away from the war.
The outcome of the Game varies greatly from session to session, and is affected by many factors, including direct participation from players, which sidequests players take part in and the success or failure of their personal quests, what objects are prototyped in the kernel, and even random chance.
The Queen And King
The key items involved in the Game of Crowns are the Queen's Ring and the King's Scepter.
The Queen's Ring is a powerful item worn by each Queen. It drastically increases the statistics of the wearer, and provides powerful prototyping bonuses based on what objects the players have prototyped prior to entering the Medium. It can only be used by carapacians - monsters, consorts, and players can interact with the Ring, but not use its abilities. The Rings make the queens the most powerful beings in the setting in terms of direct power and capability.
The King's Scepter is wielded by each King, and provides a number of specialized advantages. In addition to providing general stastical upgrades and the same prototyping advantages granted to the wearers of the Rings, each Scepter has an additional power. The Black King's scepter allows the wielder to command any spawned monsters within sight and manipulate the Battlefield to attack his foes, and the White King's scepter allows the wielder to command the meteors of the Veil. The Scepters do not otherwise provide as much power as the Rings do, although ultimately they are far more critical to the endgame - only by controlling both scepters can the players access the heart of the Battlefield.
Both the Rings and the Scepters can be used by carapacians other than the Queens and Kings, and those who wield them are viewed by the people of Prospit and Derse as their rulers, giving them command over their world.
Derse: You Win Or You Die
Derse contains four primary factions struggling for control of the Queen's ring, as well as a wildcard faction that is unlikely to succeed but holds the potential to create a serious upset.
The Dersite Game of Crowns always rages, but is more likely to overthrow the Royals when things are going badly for Derse. In those situations, trust in the Royals becomes shaken, and competing factions are more likely to establish a coup, shifting the nature of the war. Because of this, nearly any faction taking control is likely to disrupt player plans, as they involve drastic changes in how the war against Prospit is carried out.
The Royalists
The primary faction is, of course, the Black Queen herself, and her primary minions. The Queen keeps power primarily by playing the other three political blocs against each other, along with a hefty helping of direct interference and threats to peoples' lives.
The Queen has high stats and a strong instinctive knowledge of her own abilities. However, she is also the candidate most bound by her own rules. She will never threaten Derse dreamers, and under her rule neither will her agents. In addition, she will only leave Derse to fight on the Battlefield if one of the following is true:
- ) The White King has been slain and the Reckoning has begun
- ) Over half of the players' Denizens have been confronted
- ) The White Queen has entered the Battlefield
- ) A player has directly confronted the Black King.
- ) Over two-thirds of the players are on the Battlefield.
- ) Every other faction in the Game is destroyed, and the White Ring is lost (this can be considered a "worst possible" situation)
Even in that situation, she will not travel anywhere but Derse or the Battlefield. Prospit and player planets remain off-limits.
Removing the Black Queen without combat is the primary goal of the Game for players. A particularly simple means of doing so is to prototype a frog; the Queen will not wear a ring that has a frog prototyping. However, doing this drastically increases the difficulty of the Game as a whole, as the Frog Ring can easily fall into another faction's hands, and is not recommended as a tactic except for players expert in political machinations.
The Archagent
Archagent Jack Noir manages the bureaucracy and police forces of Derse, and is the Queen's most powerful and least loyal disciple. He is the mastermind behind most of the plots to overthrow her, as well as being responsible for most plots to overthrow the White Queen. He can be relied on as a strong ally against the Queen, but is likely to betray the players at the first opportunity. Jack possesses many agents, and will deploy them throughout the Veil, but his most skilled are his Dignitary, an accomplished spy and murderer, his Brute, a devastatingly powerful enforcer, and his Droll, a subtle master of infiltration. These three agents are likely to be encountered by all players, regardless of session.
If Jack takes the Queen's Ring, he will immediately remove all political rivals in a devastating bloodbath, ensuring his ascension to the throne with no opposition. He will then travel to the Battlefield and slaughter the Black King, taking his scepter, after which he will fight his way to the White King and start the Reckoning. Once the Reckoning begins, he will begin travelling around the planets, killing any players that he finds.
Jack Noir has the highest base stats of any carapacian, and has higher base stats than any being in the game short of the Denizens themselves. He is a far more dangerous final boss than any other Dersite could be.
Special Notes: Prototyping gaudy and flashy objects renders Jack more likely to revolt early, which can easily lead to his death at the Queen's hands. Prototyping weaponry, especially bladed weaponry, makes him more likely to support the Black Queen.
The High Priestess
The High Priestess, Kara Wan, serves as Derse's envoy to the Horrorterrors, the great beings that live outside of Time and Space and dream without malice of the end of all things. She is a ruthless and cunning proselytizer who dreams of Derse’s inevitable victory over the Light. Kara will support the Royals for as long as Derse seems to be winning the war; as the players accomplish objectives and reduce Dersite influence, she will begin moving to replace the Queen as the leader of her side.
If the Priestess takes the Queen's Ring, she will purge any enemy who was actively opposing her, while forgiving any enemy who was subtly opposing her. She will then attempt to take charge of the Battlefield directly, travelling to it to take the war to the Prospitian forces. She will only battle the players on the Battlefield or on Derse, and her capabilities are roughly equal to those of the Black Queen. Her renewed assault is likely to lead to heavy casualties for both Dersite and Prospitian forces, devastating both sides and shortening the length of the war.
Special Notes: If the players are able to develop a positive relationship with the Horrorterrors, they may be able to convince the Priestess to support their efforts. At the least, she will be more favorably inclined towards them. Prototypings that evoke the Old Gods bolster her faction, while those that evoke Prospit or Skaia weaken it.
The Lord Purser
The Lord Purser, Luke Argent, is in charge of the maintenance of the Veil and the finances of Derse. He relentlessly seeks the throne, and looks for every way to manipulate and buy his way to power, but he is ultimately outmatched - he is only likely to take the throne if the players have spent their time fighting his enemies. Most notably, his secret operations are apparently always known to the Archagent, who will take steps to co-opt them if not otherwise overwhelmed.
If the Lord Purser successfully takes the Queen's Ring, he will turn his attention inwards, focusing on bringing his competitors to heel before he turns his attention back towards the Battlefield. He will leave the Black King to fight directly, and will greatly intensify attempts to destabilize Prospit and undo any Denizen missions still in progress. He will try to avoid direct confrontation with the players, and if directly encountered will be moderately weaker than the Black Queen. However, he is the most dangerous of the primary antagonists for indirect combat, and players not prepared for it can find their quests rendered impossible before they can properly react.
Special Notes: The Lord Purser is especially active in any planetary market systems, and a particularly strong showing by players in these systems can result in his removal from play long before his schemes become worth considering. He is not, however, generally affected either way by prototypings.
The Rebellion
Not all Dersites are consumed by intrigue and violence, although it is certainly a way of life. Some, touched by Prospitian propaganda, simply wish to live quiet lives away from the violence of war. The Rebellion is an event that almost always takes place, and equally commonly is swiftly crushed, in which one or more charismatic pawns of the Dersite army initiate a revolt, joining forces with Prospitian pawns to overthrow the monarchy. Typically, they are drastically outmatched and naive, and are slaughtered en masse by the Black King upon confronting him, or else rounded up and arrested by the Agents long before. Engineering a successful rebellion is the most difficult outcome of the Game of Crowns, but the one with the greatest potential rewards.
Exact details of the Rebellion vary significantly from session to session, and so direct advice on engineering its success cannot be given. If players wish to take part, it is advised that they become involved in the Game of Crowns as early as possible, as the Rebellion is usually defeated long before players are able to affect its outcome.
The Tyrant
While the above are the only programmed sessional factions for Derse, a persistent in-game rumor in some sessions speaks of a Dark One, a bloody-handed tyrant who will destroy all of the factions and take the scepter of the Black King for himself. With it, he will become a paragon of atrocity, and lead Derse to ruin.
This rumor is a bug, believed to result from a Denizen overwrite. Claims of having unlocked "The Tyrant" are merely urban legends. Please disregard this rumour if it appears in play, and do not waste time preparing for a sixth faction to appear.
Prospit: A Clash of Principles
Compared to Derse, the Game of Crowns in Prospit is a quiet, thoughtful thing, more of an elaborate, ritual dance than a clash of knives in the dark. In fact, many players will fail to recognize that the Game is even taking place, and it is far less critical to take part in it as a rule than in the Dersite equivalent. As a kind, peaceful nation, Prospit is not marked by violent upheavals or dangerous intrigues. Instead, the correct way to play the game here is with diplomacy and information, changing minds and convincing the Royals to abdicate in favor of a faction more in line with the players' goals.
Like on Derse, there are four major factions that could potentially vie for the throne - the Classicists, the Romantics, the Impressionists and the Realistics, as well as the possibility of a rogue element taking control via the Dersite Hit List. Unlike on Derse, the Game of Crowns on Prospit will grind to a halt if the Prospitian side is badly outmatched or losing. Under such circumstances, all factions will quickly unite behind the Royals, reasoning that it is not the time for division. On the other hand, a string of Prospitian victories can cause the debate to rage out of control, slowing progress to a standstill and allowing Derse time to recover.
Important Note: Unlike Derse interactions, where the players should attempt to weaken all factions and turn them against each other, the primary objective on Prospit is normally to keep the Royals in power - with rare exceptions, alternative choices are likely to lead the planet to destruction. In this sense, the Prospitian Game of Crowns acts as a difficulty slider for games that are proceeding too quickly. At the same time, players who have a particular goal may find that uniting Prospit under a non-Royalist leader will help them to accomplish their goals more readily.
The Classicists
The Classicist faction supports the existing White King and Queen, and make up the majority of Prospit at the start of any given game. The Prospitian royals are a deeply fatalistic pair. They are well aware that their side cannot win the war with Derse, and view themselves as a sacrificial offering, put in place to slow the enemy until the Heroes arrive to save the day. As such, they are more interested in delaying actions and holding the line than in carrying the fight to the enemy.
The White Queen in particular feels that her duty is to defend Prospit from external aggression, and her presence on the Golden Moon prevents Dersite invasions. If she believes it necessary for the good of the session, she can be persuaded to abdicate her throne and pass into exile. The White King can do the same, but only if he trusts that doing so is required for a game's success. Neither will take aggressive action under any circumstance.
The Romantics
The Romantic party of Prospitian politics believes strongly in Prospit as a nation, unbeholden to others for its survival. They tend to be scholars and soldiers alike, drawing guidance from the visions in Skaia's clouds, and devoted to victory over Derse. The Romantics believe that the Queen's defensive agenda is a flawed one, and wish to massively increase war efforts to take control of the battlefield, and even to dispatch Prospitian soldiers to the planets of the Heroes, to support them in war, and to Derse, to invade the enemy at home. They tend to gain power with grand military victories and major propaganda coups.
Bringing the Romantics to power appears to be helpful on the surface, and will help weaker players to clear early objectives. However, the planet's military is outmatched, and devoting themselves to the offense will allow Derse to destroy their military formations and quickly take the upper hand, ultimately obliterating Prospit's chances of victory.
The Romantics are typically led by Friedrich Da Capo, the leader of Prospit's defensive troops (such as they are). Given the White Queen's ring, he would invade Derse directly, attempting to destroy the dark world, and would likely be destroyed. He is full of bluster and tends to repeat himself, but believes firmly that it is Prospit's destiny to win any battle with Derse. The Heroes may wish to place Da Capo in power if they are intending on an extremely aggressive campaign, and have suitably weakened Derse's defenses.
The Impressionists
The Impressionist party believes that the war between Prospit and Skaia is a waste of both sides' resources and dreams, and seek to find a peace between the two kingdoms. They claim that the Medium is large enough for the two sides to co-exist, and that less violent methods must be possible to determine the fate of Skaia. To that end, they move for diplomatic missions, the spread of peaceful propaganda, and even the potential formation of sports leagues in order to foster communication and cooperation between worlds. They gain power through hard-won victories and news of disasters befalling Derse.
If the Impressionists take power, they will immediately begin squabbling over the best way to approach Derse, and a dozen contradictory missions will be undertaken within days. These missions will fail dramatically, unless the heroes have significantly altered Derse's power structure or taken control of it outright, and the Impressionists will lose a terrific amount of ground trying to make their ideals true before collapsing under a tide of Dersite invaders. On the other hand, in the unlikely even that the players have found a way to take control of Derse or have allowed the Dersite Rebellion to take hold, the Impressionists are the only party that will negotiate or join forces with them.
The Impressionists are normally led by the Postmaster General Harland Tremolo, master of Prospit's extremely elaborate postal network. His agents are able to travel Derse freely, and he dreams of the day when all citizens can do the same. He is driven and confident, to the point of ignoring valuable advice if it conflicts with his ideas.
The Realists
The Realists have studied the nature of Skaia and the Timeless War, and have determined that it cannot be won. They seek to retreat from the battlefield entirely rather than spend Prospitian soldiers fighting someone else's war, and while they do not intend to reduce troop strength, they have little respect for the Heroes. They will typically serve as the closest thing that Prospit has to enemies of the players, and they gain power as more Prospitian soldiers die, regardless of whether they are succeeding or failing in their objectives.
If the Realists take power, the result is arguably good for Prospit, but a disaster for the players. All Prospitian forces are recalled from the battlefield, and the king's scepter is abandoned to Derse. This triggers the Reckoning in a matter of minutes, and the spread of Derse forces across the battlefield can easily render the endgame impossible to win.
The Realists are led by the August Arbiter Janelle Leitmotif, a suspicious woman who hates the Heroes for their role in her planet's destiny. Players will find that she tends towards one-note monologues, and does not have much of a life outside of her political roles.
The Hit List
An uncommon event, the HIT LIST is a sidequest given by Archagent Jack Noir to both players and any dersites who cross his desk. Under its auspices, he promises to resolve any bureaucratic situation on Derse in favor of anyone who can bring him the crowns of the White King and Queen. As said crowns can only be granted in the event of their abdication, this will result in the Prospitian throne being rendered empty - no faction will take charge without the crowns.
While Jack gives out the quest on a regular basis, it is almost unheard of for anyone to complete it. Doing so would require successfully defeating both the White Queen and the White King in battle, and any player who could do so would already be able to defeat the Black Queen and King and end the game. It is conceivable that a player could trick or persuade both White Monarchs to resign, if the bureaucratic task were important enough, but this is a staggeringly rare event and unlikely to succeed. The HIT LIST exists primarily as an excuse on the part of Jack Noir to shirk his clerical duties in favor of more murderous ones.
