Princess Eutropia_'s page

Just then Eutropia interjected, "There's another thing, something that for me is very personal and upsetting. When I was little, my older brother Carrius broke his neck in a terrible riding accident. That was strange, because he was scared of horses and would never go riding even when it made father mad. Even stranger I have it on good authority that he couldn't be resurrected. Father refused to speak about this, saying that he needed time to grieve. Carrius and I were close so as you can imagine this was all very painful for me, anyway now we have reports of a new cult..." Her words trailed off.

Princess Eutropia nods when you are given the cloaks, and she picks up the conversation thread Martella started, "If you don't mind Martella, I'll explain some of what's been going on. Martella and I have been in Yanmass, as you know it's the largest city and wealthiest city in the prefecture of Avin. It's the key to the entire prefecture, so naturally I've been making overtures to the Mercantile Council that runs the city. Martella has been a darling and set things in motion and at first things seemed to be going well but Pythareus's has also sent a delegation and there have been incidents..."

A little over eight days after destroying the teleportation circle, Princess Eutropia guarded by twenty men at arms and flanked by Martella arrives.

After some small talk as you handed the key and the deed over, she thanked each of you personally and said to you collectively, "Once again, thank you from the bottom of my heart! Word of your work here has spread far and we are most surprised that Count Bartleby was persuaded to go willingly. How ever did you manage that?"

As a token of gratitude she gives the party a carved emerald figurine of the first taldan emperor that was recently uncovered in the capital, this is worth 6000g to a collector.

Princess Eutropia replied, "From what I've been told, the palace’s private chapel is dedicated to Abadar but it also includes many distinctly Shelynite motifs, such as blooming roses and songbirds. This harks back to the days of the palace’s construction when the two architects—worshipers of opposing gods—squabbled endlessly about the estate’s practicality versus its beauty. Apparently the chapel functions effectively as a holy site to both deities and has been permanently consecrated."

Eutropia interjected saying, "It's one of the few family holdings I've never actually visited, I'm told it's very beautiful. The problem is the current generation of stewards we entrusted it to don't exactly see eye to eye..."

"Show us a better way and we'll follow it."

Sounding sad, Eutropia replied, "We had a whole program of social reforms planned. Universal suffrage on the local level was the next project after female emancipation. Elections for local councils would allow local people to have a say in the way their towns and villages are run. I think you can guess what my father and Pythareus thought of that idea."

"Is there anything at particular we could immediately help you with, your Highness?"

"Indeed. I ah..." she sighed, "This is a little embarrassing and frustrating. Financing what could become a civil war shouldn't be a problem, but the thrice damned Ulfen Guard have locked down the imperial palace, and they won’t allow access to anyone, including me, until Taldor's succession has been settled. This is a problem because the vast majority of my families wealth is held in secure vaults inside the imperial palace."

"I came to this town house to say good bye to it. I spent a number of years here as a child, and now a sale has been agreed. I'm also selling off two vineyards, a shipping company and several parcels of forest land. That will be enough to tide things over for a while but not for the long haul. For that Martella has a plan, I'll let her explain the details."

"Well lets see" replied Eutroipia to Triphylla, marking each country off with a finger on her hand, "Relations have long been cordial with Absolom but there are many merchants there who will profit greatly from a war. I expect they will play both sides. Quadria will likely remain neutral, in word and deed. That won't suit Pythareus, he may arrange a provocation under a false flag. Andoran will be greatly alarmed at the prospect of Pythareus taking the crown, and will promise us aid but any legislation to make this a reality will be mired in their senate sub comities until long after each of us have retired. Likewise the elves of Kyonin will make sweet overtures but no nothing. Moving father afield Cheliax and Galt may send agents, well assassins in truth, although whether they're for or against us we won't know until the daggers are drawn."

She nodded to Valeria, "Outcasts in the Night you say? Honestly I'd be a fool to turn down any aid, so long as it's well intentioned. While I do have access to those who whisper of events far and wide, I could always use more. Knowledge is power after all."

Eutroipia nodded to Julia, "Indeed the common folk are the key for the long term stability of any kingdom. The worst of it is, many of them will support Pythareus out of fear or habit, yet they are the very same ones his policies will harm the most. Doubtless they'll blame Pythareus's advisors rather than Pythareus himself. This often happens with a cult of personality."

She nodded to Triphylla's mention of the Brotherhood of Silence, "We'll see what happens with them. Their motive is profit unless I'm mistaken and well Taldor's finances haven't been great in a millennium. I'm sure it's not escaped your notice that all the gold leaf that was once on the capital buildings is long gone... It is my hope that they'll have more profitable business elsewhere."

Eutripia considers Triphlla's question before replying, "I hadn’t expected to inherit the throne for several decades or more, some of my grandparents lived well into their nineties after all. So I find myself embarrassingly unprepared. Short term, I suppose my goals are to hold a wounded nation together and begin repairing centuries of neglect. Until today my focus has been very narrow, I’ll need some time and good advice on how best to govern for the long term."

"As for Pytherus, yes he must be stopped but right now I'm in no position to take him head on. For now he’s retreated to the fortress city of Zimar, in the south, and has been refusing my requests for council. Rumors suggest he’s already begun gathering a network of supporters calling themselves the Imperialists. We'll need to gather allies and funds of our own."

She acknowledges Julia and Lope simply by saying, "Thank you. I shall not forget this."

Oddly there doesn't seem to be a forum image for Eutropia, this one isn't quite right but it's close enough. Eutropia is perhaps a decade older and with shorter hair.

Afer a polite nod, Princess Eutropia speaks, formally at first. “My name is Eutropia Stavian I, firstborn of Stavian III, and I thank you for coming. I wanted to express my gratitude in person for rescuing my old schoolmate, Martella. She is a dear friend, and I am in your debt.

“You are bold and resourceful, yet apparently relative unknowns on Taldor’s political stage. Those are all incredibly valuable assets. Now more than ever I find myself in need of talented allies. My father—Pharasma rest his soul—seems to have been convinced my efforts at social reform were the precursor to usurping his throne. Some dear friends feared he would try to kill me at the exaltation; you may have noticed the Lion Blades on the scene in response. I won't try to sugar coat it, father and I were not on the best of terms. We hadn't spoken in some years, but I didn't want to believe he could do something like that... That he had slipped so far.”

Eutropia takes a moment to compose herself, and then she continues “Apparently, in his paranoia, my father informed Maxillar Pythareus of his plan. To clear the path for him, in order that he should take up the crown. It doesn't mean anything legally, but father formally adopted Pythareus in a private ceremony. Or so Pythareus claims, and he has presented documentation to support his claim. The fact of the matter is, due to attrition he's shot up to either second or first inline depending on your point of view."

Frowning with restrained anger, she states, "There are nobles who claim the vote against primogeniture either could not possibly have taken place, or was coerced by those same elements that attacked the senate. The claim the vote is null and void, and that I am a pretender to the crown or worse. Naturally the bulk of the army is following Pythareus wherever he takes them. I've heard it said their loyalty to him is such that if he was to march on the lowest level of hell they'd follow."

Sighing with exasperation she said, “The Ulfen Guard has sealed the palace and refuses admittance to anyone until the question is resolved. Normally this kind of issue would fall to the senate, but with the senate decimated and no emperor to approve new members... this situation is entirely unprecedented. Lets cut to the chase, I didn't expect the matter of succession to come to the head for decades. I don’t know if I’m the best candidate for the throne, but I know all my heart Pythareus isn’t!"

“He’s a warmonger and a regressive traditionalist and revanchist. He preaches about waging war on the ‘upstart colonies’ and bringing them back into the empire by force. He means it, and if he has to kill a generation to his way he wouldn't think twice. I won’t let him march us back into endless war, and I need allies of uncommon skill to ensure our nation’s future. I would be honored to have such noble allies as yourselves in this War for the Crown.”

She looks to you to see how you respond.