Season 5 - The Root of Ruin

[crazynuto]

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Here's where you can vote!

Voting closes at EDT 7 PM, 07/21/24

Here are the votes.

Year 10XY - Spring

Winter's icy grip desperately clutches the land as Spring, and a new year, dawn on Ronpa. As the sun's rays warm the landscape, an aura of lethargy finally lifts across the Kingdom. Peasants and nobles alike bask in a fresh season, full of hope and dreams for the future.

Lady Diana and King Soy both give birth to two beautiful children, coincidentally on the same day! Diana gives birth to a son named Avery, and Soy gives birth to a daughter named Strawberry, who gets along well with him and his husband’s Yukimibotamon and Keemon. The Prince has returned with Shining Armor and the real Nurse Joy, being heralded as a hero by the people. Truly now was a time for new beginnings and a fresh start.

...It was almost poetic how those warm tidings and hope were mercilessly crushed.

It began like any other day. Peasants were tending their farmlands, artisans were making deals for raw goods, and nobles across the land tended to their lands in their own ways. It began in Magikam first. A fleet, unrivaled in size, docks at a port on the western edge of the region. A few soldiers were sent to investigate, yet they were only met by the steady thump of arrows against the ground. News swept through the Kingdom fast, Morvaug has invaded.

The King relinquished the royal army to Magimkam, which assisted in driving back the first wave of soldiers, yet at the same time the Petrardian Navy invaded the Straits of Mystery, sinking ships and pillaging Ratsburgh and their surrounding lands. The army was stretched thin, such a surprise two-pronged assault devastating our forces.

Yet the people of Ronpa refuse to give up. We shall endure this invasion, and seek to keep our freedoms.

Rumors Spread across the Kingdom of a few nobles and their...less important but still interesting deeds.

Lady Diana of the Sugarvine Islands offers a safe home for any of the destitute and weary. Thousands flock to the isles, eager to help the beloved woman with spreading food, love, and peace throughout the lands. Stage 2 Completed.

The Council of Chaos is a name that is barely whispered throughout Ronpa. Most peasants believe them to be spawns of Nemesis, and cower at their every word. Which is like...good for them I suppose? Stage 2 Completed.

Sinkholes have opened up in random locations throughout the Capitol. Despot Jerrod of the Isle of Men lays claims over the sinkholes, saying that they will conduct geological surveys to find the solution to this problem. Strangely Despot Jerrod is usually seen covered in dirt these days. I guess he really is committed to his craft! Stage 2 Complete.

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 Winter was hard, yet with Spring comes money and with money comes everyone's favorite time of year, Tax Season! Each noble makes 500 Gold, while the Kingdom taxes 100 of their earned profits. Current Standings will be updated to reflect this (and remove Auction money) soon, before polls open.

The Council convenes sooner than usual, most members taking fast, uncomfortable journeys in secret, fear of being captured by the invading Petrardian and Morvaugian forces. The leaders of Magimkam and Ratsburgh look especially ragged. Seems war takes a toll on everyone involved.

At the side of the throne is the King, his Lalamon, and...the Prince!? Without much fanfare, it seems he has returned in the Kingdom's hour of need to assist where he can. The King allows him to vote, for now.

As is custom, each alliance proposes one issue to the Council, with the King proposing one affecting the entire Kingdom.

Each Noble gets one vote per Issue, with the King and the Prince each getting 1 vote they are allowed to allocate to any 1 Issue of their choice.

Special Rule: Any with the pronouns he/him on your sign up post get to vote twice for any one issue of their choice. Thanks Isle of Men!

Here are the current issues up for discussion:

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Prismed Rim - Petrardian Invasion

The Kingdom of Petrard has deployed their navy to surround the Kingdom of Ronpa’s southern isles. Even the Dormor military struggles against the cannons and bombs that Petrard attacks with. As a show of strength, Petrard has launched a catastrophic bomb on the city of Ratasaki of Ratsburgh, completely decimating their population. After this attack, though, they seem to have backed off… for now. (Farming -1, Military -1, Trade -1, Stability -1)

VOTE - How shall the Prismed Rim respond to these attacks?

A) Hire spies to infiltrate Petrard and learn the secrets of gunpowder.

(Wealth -500 each Alliance territory, [Ratsburgh] Military +3)

B) Focus on relief efforts for Ratsburgh. 

(Treasury -2000, Stability +1, Farming +1)

C) Launch a unified counterattack on the Kingdom of Petrard.

(% Chance based on participating alliances’ Military x 10)

D) Construct a blockade to prevent future attacks from Petrard. 

(Military +1, Stability +1, Wealth -1000 [Ratsburgh], Treasury -3000)

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Provincia Smaragdina - Morvaug Invasion

The Morvaug Army has arrived on the shores of Magikman, armed to the teeth. They storm the lands, kidnapping women and slaughtering men. They spread quickly through the rest of the alliance, leaving destruction in their wake. [-2 Military (Magimkam), -100 Wealth (Each Alliance Territory)]

VOTE - How should this threat be addressed?

A) Give the territory of Magimkam to the invaders. Evacuate the remaining citizens to the Ronpa Plains, effectively combining the two territories into one.

(Fuse the governments of Ronpa Plains and Magimkam, Lose all of Magimkam's Stat Bonuses/Negatives)

B) Ask the Morwhirl Pridelands to intervene.

(% Chance based on Pridelands’ Alliance's Faith x 10)

C) Assemble the Smaragdine Military to fend off the invaders.

(% Chance based on region’s Military x 10)

D) Invest in improved weaponry to mount an improved defense.

(-500 each Alliance territory, +3 Military)

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United States of Azulongmon - A Mysterious Disappearance

Soy Milque is beside himself with fear and doubt. His younger brother Oat has vanished in the night, along with a sizable chunk of the Morwhirl Pridelands’ coin! Between Soy’s wedding and his numerous new children, could Oat have begun to feel neglected and rebellious? Or could something more sinister be afoot? (-1750 Wealth Pridelands, -1 Oat Milque)

VOTE - Who was responsible for the disappearance of Oat Milque and so much money?

A) Soy Milque was responsible. It was due to his negligence that his brother ran away, and he only took the money as a means of getting by on his own. Therefore, no action should be taken by the Kingdom, Oat acted within his rights.

(-1 Faith)

B) The Dread Pirate Enoshima did this! It is no coincidence that this happened so soon after the Kingdom’s attack on her camp. She must be apprehended at all cost.

(% Chance based on Stability x10)

C) Bandits from within the USA. Bandit attacks have always been common enough, but this time they have taken things too far! A boy’s life could be in danger.

(% Chance based on region’s Military x 10)

D) The Prismed Rim have done this in revenge for The Morwhirl Pridelands’ departure. This is an act of war, and shall be responded to with appropriate retaliation!

(Declare war on Prismed Rim)

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And lastly...

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Capitol - Casimir’s Return

After a season away, Prince Casimir has returned to the Dangan Capitol. Some are eager to welcome the crown prince back, while others blame him for the death of the blacksmith and the desecration of his mother’s tomb. The council must decide what should be done with him.

VOTE - What should be done with the errant Prince?

A) Put Casimir on trial to determine his involvement in the blacksmith’s crimes.

(Result based on RP Trial)

B) Welcome the prince back, and celebrate his return with the Royal Wedding!

(Result based on RP Wedding)

C) Exile him. He must be banished to the Northern Wastes for his cowardice.

(+1 Authority, -1 Stability)

D) Execute him. The blacksmith had to pay with his life for his involvement, and so should Casimir.

(-1 Authority, -1 Faith, -1 Casimir)

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Polls will open at 10 PM EST and be open for the usual 48 hours.

still ranked choice voting

[⋆⋅ Sage ⋅⋆]

Why...?

First, when Oat was born, I lost Mom...

And now that Strawberry has been born... I lose Oat...

A despondent and uncharacteristically quiet Soy Milque sits at the meeting, cradling a small dark-haired baby girl who seems blissfully unaware of the tension in the air. There are dark shadows under Soy's eyes. It doesn't seem like he's slept at all.

[Evie The Bat]

Ratsworth IV looks ragged, despondent, tired and weary. His age is clearly showing and his eyes are full of hate.

“I don’t not care for the others at this moment. Especially with the betrayal I have seen. To attack my people…rats are peaceful yet this is what happens. I no longer see a need to be kind. They must feel the full wrath I can give.

Help if you wish, but I demand we act, I will not back down with this

Petrard must fall.”

[verylukely]

Somehow, The Cactus Man returned. Albeit, with a completely different level of maturity. Maybe not different enough, though. Nobody is happy about this.

Lucy is still here too, on a slightly lower chair so that the Cactus Man can be taller than her.

“Oh, I hope you don’t mind my assistant tagging along this time. We’re best buds now, inseparable! She revived me after all, and guys, I am so grateful to be back y'all!”

She is glaring daggers at him.

The Cactus Man has his feet up on the table and is wearing a fashionable brand of sunglasses.

“You know, they say the sun is supposed to be good for cacti… but I still use sunblock.”

Lucy drops her pen that she’s using to record notes onto the floor at the sheer stupidity of the statement. She looks off into the distance, her soul absent from her body.

“This is better than before… This is better than before… This is SLIGHTLY better than before…”

“Hey, Aren’t you going to write that down little Lucy, for your uh, quote book thingy?”

“Yes… my… king…”

Her words drip with venom.

“Haha, rad. It’s like I’M writing a book! I should totally do that someday. It’d be awesome. Guys, I’m SO much smarter now, I swear. I was just a little baby before, like wow, I should NOT have been leading a territory. Like, whaaaat? Haha. But now I’m so mature now. My brain is like, fourteen years old? Fifteen, maybe? I am SO ready to lead, you have no idea. For real."

[Vaellin the Bard]

Jul 19, 2024 13:13:23 GMT -6 Evie The Bat said:

Ratsworth IV looks ragged, despondent, tired and weary. His age is clearly showing and his eyes are full of hate.

“I don’t not care for the others at this moment. Especially with the betrayal I have seen. To attack my people…rats are peaceful yet this is what happens. I no longer see a need to be kind. They must feel the full wrath I can give.

Help if you wish, but I demand we act, I will not back down with this

Petrard must fall.”

Vanyara nods. "I understand your ire, but please do not sacrifice your people to satisfy your revenge. I plead once against with the council for stability." Vanyara turns to the king with a respectable bow. "It may be forward of me, but I think it'd be wise to open the treasury to provide relief funds first for Ratsburgh. I suggest we go with option 1B."

[⋆⋅ Sage ⋅⋆]

Despite being the eldest of the Milque brothers, Almond allowed himself to fall into a comfortably passive role for the last number of years. Being a nervous introvert himself, why not let Soy take the lead?

Of course, Almond hasn't seen Soy so broken in years. And you weren't even the one who should've been watching over Oat, muses Almond. The hormonal ups and downs of pregnancy and birth have done a number on Soy, and as a result, Almond can't even stop and let himself cry. No, he's the eldest brother. Someone needs to step up and do something, and he can't just sit around and wait for Soy to get better.

With his heart positively hammering in his throat, Almond approaches the King and drops to one knee. He bows his head, staring at his pale reflection on the well-shined floors.

"Please, Your Highness. The whereabouts of my youngest brother are unknown, and with the recent invasion from Morvaug, I can't help but fear the worst. Oat is a good boy, and he would never run off without a good reason. Your Highness, please... Please, may we of the Morwhirl Pridelands count on your support to find my brother and bring him home safely?"

[crazynuto]

Jul 19, 2024 13:29:33 GMT -6 ⋆⋅ Sage ⋅⋆ said:

"Please, Your Highness. The whereabouts of my youngest brother are unknown, and with the recent invasion from Morvaug, I can't help but fear the worst. Oat is a good boy, and he would never run off without a good reason. Your Highness, please... Please, may we of the Morwhirl Pridelands count on your support to find my brother and bring him home safely?"

Surprisingly, such a plea impresses Tyronius. Maybe Balthazar has made him go a bit soft.

"Stand, young Almond. Your diligence towards the Pridelands and the crown are well documented. We shall spare some funds from the treasury to assist you in your endeavors. To kidnap an innocent child is not war, it is madness. We shall find him, come hell or high water."

(If an option is chosen that has a % chance, King Tyronius will donate 2500 gold from the treasury, upping the chance of success by 25%)

[verylukely]

Woah, did you all vote women to have less voting power while I was gone? Genuinely, what the Kuma! is up with that! That’s… Lame! I love women! I’m going to work really hard to change this… by voting!”

(The Cactus King begins to clearly forge votes in front of you, but there is no active vote for this matter, so you aren’t really concerned)

[Hansbulla]

Nezaripped, Final God of Gains is raring to go. Like he wants to leave, but 'responsibility' and 'meetings'. A hooded Electrolyte accompanies him to the council.

"Heheheh... Oh, I should be out there, tearing warriors to pieces and listening to the final screams of our enemies. Screams are the most delicious when they're wrenched directly from the throat. An echo that reverberates through eternity. Aah... beautiful."

The Electrolyte hands Nezaripped two protein shakes as he rattles on impatiently.

"Our soldiers are testing their worth as we speak! This is what they've trained for. Who are we to deny them their glory? Set aside our petty alliances and put our forces together. We must take the fight to Petrard! To Morvaug! Hahahaha!"

[Evie The Bat]

Ratsworth IV slams his fist on the table

“I would never sacrifice my people. My lands are in an uproar. An entire town, reduced to ashes in mere seconds. The horror is unimaginable. My army is restless, we all want blood. I normally wish for peace. But I watched the pridelands join our group, we welcome with open arms, just to be betrayed. I am through with being passive, I will take the action necessary to save my people.

That being said, even insinuating the Prismed Rim could’ve kidnapped the child is ludicrous. We would never stoop to that level and, if it so proves me true, I will do everything in my power to assist in finding the child. Despite my personal feelings toward the pridelands.”

[verylukely]

Jul 19, 2024 13:38:21 GMT -6 verylukely said:

Woah, did you all vote women to have less voting power while I was gone? Genuinely, what the Kuma! is up with that! That’s… Lame! I love women! I’m going to work really hard to change this… by voting!”

(The Cactus King begins to clearly forge votes in front of you, but there is no active vote for this matter, so you aren’t really concerned)

Lucy whispers in The Cactus King's ears, and the cactus nods.

"I have been granted a moment to speak- by a man... since my gender is actually impacted by this, for the record: I actually agree with him on this one. Do you all really have your heads so far up your- *ahem* Did you not realize that increasing the voting power of men would in turn decrease the voting power of women and other gender minorities? I do not care if the intentions of this supposed "menist movement" were completely pure, but I find the results quite repulsive. This is not the progressive nation I fell in love with, and I'm glad it appears to be naturally losing steam by next season."

The Following Interaction is Not Canon

"However, The Cactus King's strategy of voting pales greatly to my own: Firebombing the Isle of Men."

(Proceeds to not firebomb the Isle of Men)

[Sachi]

Once again, the forms of the Holy Beasts have changed. Two figures - approximately now the size of human children - sit by the balcony once reserved for Azulongmon's huge form. One pink bird that sort of reminds you of a piñata, and a blue humanoid, lizard-looking... thing. The latter is swinging his legs looking rather unbothered at the world, while the former has a stern expression, not quite befitting of his party-goer looks.

"One tragedy after another... The bombing of Ratsburgh, the missing human child, allowing the rights of women to plummet, and now, even the lost Prince rears his head in this chamber again. I am sick and tired of you humans. You truly never learn. I am beginning to wish you never found my egg, brother V-Mon."

"C-Come on. Don't say that. It's our duty to protect the humans, isn't it? Let's help them best we can."

"I will fulfill my duty. That is what I was born to do. But I shall stand with the King's choice on any issues that arise. To me, he is the only sane one among you."

V-Mon is clearly disheartened. He nods back at Biyomon, and gives him a solemn "okay".

"I'm going to find my brother, Oat, no matter what I do. He's just important to me as the other Holy Beasts are. I'm not going to let Papa Soy suffer alone in this."

"And I'm not going to allow you pathetic humans to infight amongst yourselves. You have enough to deal with as it is. King Tyronious has donated a great amount to the search efforts, and I will not allow His Majesty's kindness to go wasted. The Holy Beasts will vote for the extermination of the USA's bandits. I have no empathy for the lowlife scum who orchestrated this. It's pathetic."

"The Holy Beasts will also vote to provide relief to Ratsburgh, as a gesture of good faith between us, and as compensation for the tragedy that befell your nation. I am the Holy Beast of the South. When my power grows, I will return to Dormor Volcano, and I wll never allow this to happen again. You have my word."

"Repel Morvaug by investing in an improved military force. The cost is little compared to losing an entire territory. I have nothing else to say on the matter."

"And you, The Lost Prince. You will not escape a fair trial. If you are so innocent, then you will prove it to a court. Your Majesty, I ask that you allow me to serve as a member of the prosecution. I will rip out his tongue and grasp the truth with my bare hands, if that is what it takes.

You are a future leader of Ronpa. You cannot be so coy and casual as to go missing for months.
And there, the Holy Beasts have made their opinions obvious. I ask that the rest of you hurry up with your votes. Lord Nezaripped is right. Our being here is only a waste of time."

[Vulpix]

Casimir has stayed silent and reserved thus far. It seems he has a lot on his mind.

Nurse Joy, wearing one baby on her front and another on her back, steps shyly into the room. Casimir takes notice of her at once.

"My liege, excuse me for a moment."

With a quiet word to his father, he goes to greet Joy.

"Miss Joy, what troubles you?"

"Your Highness, it's my wife... I haven't seen my wife... where is she?"

"You mean she has not yet come to visit you in the medical ward?"



"But I notified her at once of your return!"

[Vaellin the Bard]

Vanyara holds a staying hand to Biyomon.

"Please, before we rush into anything, we should consider a few options."

"This was a devastating blow to us and we should take time to recover before we rush into action. People are hurt, Oat is missing, and I think losing the Prince will just hurt us more. All this after the recent, major civil unrest. We should weigh the options that'll best put people at ease."

"For Ratsburgh, let's restore what we can. Focus on relief efforts, save the people of the land who are already suffering. This will bring stability and food to those who need it. My vote will be with 1B. Barring that, gunpowder recipes would be crucial and we've trained spies currently. (1A)"

"For our alliance, it may be best to evacuate who we can. While the country may have money to spare, some of us have some tighter pockets for having opened them too much to rebels to try and quell the upset. I'd like to ask for help for Morwhirl Pridelands but I suspect they're a bit preoccupied, and even if we were to bolster our military I do not think it'll help much. We're... a bit strapped there. Retreat now for a better counter attack may be prudent. My vote falls with 2A, with much sorrows."

"We will not accept that Oat has just disappeared for no reason, nor will we believe the Prismed Rim kidnapped them _{(even if there's evidence of similar "kidnapping", I don't think it's war worthy)}. So our best option here is to send the military at the remaining bandits or towards the Dread Pirate. My vote falls 3C and 3B."

"As for the Prince's return, I think he has come back with great understanding. I uh... can't speak on his absence nor will I but if we wish to bring stability back to the people, what better way by promising a future to them in the form of marriage. I think bringing attention back to the crime--for which someone has already paid the price and we've no evidence of his involvement--would be detrimental to our nation. My vote falls 2B."

"Does anyone disagree? It may seem like cowardice but striking back before you've recovered can cause more harm than good. Let's think long term, please."

[Sachi]

"Lady Vanyara, I can't allow a wedding to go through in these circumstances. The Prince has spoken neither hide nor hair of his whereabouts. He is as much of a citizen as everyone else, and like everyone else, he must answer to a court of law. A king cannot come and go as he pleases. If we are speaking of the long term, think of what his fickle nature will do to our stability years down the line. It is unacceptable, and he must answer not only for this crime of desertion, but of the Queen's Tomb robbery. We still do not know if he was involved in that."


"And I will not give up any of our good King's land to Morvaug. I do not know what the Pridelands has been doing, but clearly they have not been performing their ambassador duties. They need to be shown we will not cower from them after one single attack. Once they see that, they are bound to leave us alone."