>>6264261RANDOM PROBLEMS:
Caravan Raids on the Ember Road
For three months now, merchant caravans traversing the Ember Road—linking Barag Zhul to Thaldrun-Khadur—have suffered repeated ambushes. The attackers are swift and well-armed, suggesting coordination among exiled clans or former militia. Crates of salt, spice, and ingots go missing, and confidence among trade guilds is plummeting. The local commanders request reinforcements, and merchants have begun demanding armed escorts or threatening to reroute trade entirely.
Effect if Unchecked: –5 gold/year trade income, –1 loyalty in Barag Zhul and nearby rural roads.
Your Options:
> Deploy a Royal Escort Legion (Cost: 75 gold)Train and dispatch 600 elite troops to patrol the Ember Road for one year, with clear orders to crush raiders and establish mobile camps.
Effect: Stops all losses, restores trade, +1 loyalty in the region.
> Hire Mercenary Caravaneers (Cost: 40 gold)Contract local desert riders to defend caravans, providing swift, cheap protection. They are effective but lack loyalty.
Effect: Halves trade loss, stabilizes region temporarily, no loyalty bonus.
> Negotiate with the Raider Clans (Cost: 50 gold)Send emissaries bearing gifts and pardons to identify and neutralize key leaders among the outlaws.
Effect: Stops most raids if successful, +1 loyalty in eastern rural zones, but risks betrayal.
Grain Rot in Western Silos
A catastrophic mismanagement of storage near Ulgarûn Marr has spoiled a large portion of grain reserves. The rotting grain spread fungal spores, rendering multiple village silos unusable. Local officials hid the blunder to avoid punishment, but now entire rural zones face shortages and unrest looms. Without swift action, food riots or migration may follow.
Effect if Unchecked: –10% food surplus for the year, –1 rural loyalty in the western basin.
Your Options:
> Distribute Emergency Royal Grain Reserves (Cost: 60 gold) Send granary wagons from the capital and Thaldrun-Khadur to feed the region through the lean months.
Effect: Fully offsets loss, +1 rural loyalty in affected region, consumes food stores.
> Punish and Replace Local Officials (Cost: 25 gold) Publicly execute or exile the guilty overseers and send royal inspectors to take their place.
Effect: Restores trust, prevents future rot, but only partially offsets current loss (–5% surplus remains).
> Hire Mages to Cleanse and Restore the Silos (Cost: 45 gold) Enlist water-priests and fungal scourge masters from Zund Karak to magically purify the area and reseal storage chambers.
Effect: Halves the surplus loss, +1 divine favor, no loyalty change.
