#fWhip: ??? i do not control the redstone! It grows where it wants!

[concidineart]

Spreading corruption to other empires includes spikes of deepslate redstone sprouting from the ground. The already ominous Grimlands are now being eyed with suspicion and fear.

My Patreon

[minecraftbookshelf]

Hyrmmmmmm

I give you a choice. (Sorry for destroying the executive function outsourcing)

In order of my esteemed preference (lol)

1. Grimlands

2. Codlands

3. Crystal Cliffs

(I give choice, because idk what you have fleshed out hhhhhhhh)

(you certainly don't have to do all 3, not all at once, not for me. {Unless you want to})

Curses! Foiled again!

I'll do all three, but the Codlands and Crystal Cliffs will get different posts and will probably not be tonight.

Also a general note relevant to the succession criteria of the majority of the empires. Remember this whole thing, where Pix kind of accidentally changed the formal definition of war in the empires? That had a lot of implications for how royalty functioned in the Empires. While they still absolutely have internal duties and responsibilities and privileges, ultimately their most important job is that they stand ready to defend their empire and its people at all times. Part of this is that they also function as international ambassadors in a way, while most empires also have official ambassadors, the relationships and interactions between the emperors themselves are a very important (sometimes volatile) facet of international relations.

An country cannot be recognized internationally as an autonomous nation without an official Emperor/Head of State. The exception to this is the neutral territory of Mangrovia, which is small and rather isolated and basically exists due to several specific treaties granting it the ability to be independent and guaranteeing it immunity from conflict. So far this has not been put to the test.

So, the Grimlands!

The Grimlands is one of the empires that is primarily human. They do have a hybrid population, as well as some (human and hybrid) who have Other Ancestry mixed in there. (Gem has antlers, for example :) ) But they would be considered a Mortal Kingdom.

They do not have a singular royal family, rather they have a noble class from which the emperor is chosen, based off a combined consideration of the council (made up of a representative from each family, yes that gets as politically fraught as you would imagine, and the alchemical and engineering guilds), and a series of (hypothetically) more objective criteria, mostly combat based.

When the Count/Countess of the Grimland's either dies or abdicates, there is a grace period of three months for the council to choose their successor. In cases of abdication, the retiring ruler is allowed to present recommendations and to vote in the final decision. (Several have abdicated specifically so they could choose their successor. In these cases 3 times out of 4 their candidate is the one chosen)

Obviously over the centuries the quality of objectiveness has varied, based on the um, personal integrity of the individuals in power at the time. There have been some highs and lows.

Fwhip was selected at something of a young age, partly based on merit, and partly because relationships with Mythland were somewhat tense at the time of the previous Count's death. And Fwhip was the cousin of the young, newly crowned king of Mythland. (His father married into his mother's house from the royal family of Mythland.) Gem had also just won the title of (youngest ever) High Wizard of the Crystal Cliffs, and her close bond with Fwhip (and Sausage) had basically been Fwhip's family's "dirty little secret" when they were kids.

Technically they are second cousins, but they did actually grow up as friends and were very close, and it was decided that between his prowess with both alchemy and redstone and the close ties this would allow with Mythland (which though distant geographically controlled several resources vital to the Grimland's prosperity) and the Crystal Cliffs (their closest neighbor and a magical powerhouse) it was enough to override that he was not the strongest combatant of the candidates, though he was one of the best.

Fwhip, who had a tendency to get lost in his adventures and redstone experiments of questionable ethical standards, was honestly completely oblivious to being one of the finalists. Between his age and rankings in combat, he did not seriously consider the likelihood he would be chosen until he was pulled out of his lab to go stand before the council and be named Count of the Grimlands.

It was a bit of a stressful time for Fwhip.

He, Sausage, and Gem got even closer during that time, and that was when he and Gem got to know Pearl as well.

-

AU Masterpost