Melyy

[Rey]

Discussion thread for Melyy (http://www.birthright.net/brwiki/index.php/Melyy). If you would like to add a comment, click the Post Reply button.

[Rey]

Does anybody know if there is any other entry on Melyy except in Tribes of heartless waste?

[cccpxepoj]

here is the question, how to rule those "boom or bust" taxation in the 3rd edition BRSC ???

[AndrewTall]

Well, 'boom or bust' means that it must be random so not very 3e!

I'd say that you get normal holding income, and then choose whether to roll a random die on top, if you do then you probably get more - but may lose it all - this roll should be a special sort of random event.

You could simply change the random event table to add 'boom' and swap out bad events for 'bust' - and then demand a seasonal roll...

[Gheal]

Current situation in Melyy is unique for Cerilia - province development is out of control of its ruler. So, IMO, random "boom/bust" table is a necessity. Randomization comes not from game mechanic, but from "silver fever" situation in this state.

[cccpxepoj]

perhaps the 10% chance for boom and/or bust, and the chance grows every season for the number of gold bars you collected, and after the event happens the chance goes back to the original 10%.
For example in the province of Buzu, Ivan Polavich collects 3 GB with moderate taxation, so for the every season beyond initial one, the chance grows for 3%.
Lower roles on d100, from 01-10, represents bust, and higher roles, from 90-100 represents Boom.
In this way if regent exploits the province harder, the greater is the chance for boom/bust.
Or we can use the fixed 16% chance, with bust from 01-16%, and boom from 84-100%.

[cccpxepoj]

Does anyone knows something more on a relation, between Melyy and Vos settlers in Lutkhovski, is it vassalage or just a support ???
Anyone has any ideas ???

[kgauck]

Vassalage implies setting up a new domain, or identifying an existing domain as a vassal of someone. Is this what you have in mind?

[cccpxepoj]

no, but eastern part of Lutkhovski is connected with Melyy trough Hook River Guild, and hook river guild is located in Melyy.
Most of the Vos settlers in Lutkhovski are from Melyy i guess.

[Rey]

There could be some settlers from Melyy but it does not necessarily mean that the majority is from Melyy. Settlers may had come there long time ago from various parts of Vosgaard (or beyond). The land can be reached from Melyy and Velenoye, but also from southern parts by sea. Where one sees cold and harsh land, the other sees opportunities.

[Rey]

This is crazy. Melyy has three provinces, two of them have rating 3, and one is rating 5. Lutkhovsky has one province rating 4, although the whole domain is hardly settled. Velenoye alone has a longer history and seems more hospitable for living, and none of the provinces have a rating greater then 2, yet they give away Melyy?
And I thought the Zweilunds were a glitch...

[Lee]

I agree, Melyy's prosperity relative to its parent is troubling. IIRC, the silver boom started less than a year ago, so perhaps those three provinces each jumped a level each season, three times each? That's all I can come up with to justify it.

[Rey]

Yes, that silver boom was recent, but that increase in domain level would mean the outsiders overwhelmed the domicile population in quite short time. And there are only rumors of silver streak, the one who found it cannot be found himself to reveal the location.
Strange... well, back to the drawing board.

[AndrewTall]

I figure that many Vos provinces have more people than you 'see' in the rating, they just don't interact, and certainly don't follow the local lord which reduces the rating - if Melyy is very centralised because locals stick together and the newcomers haven't spread out much yet then they would appear larger than expected because everyone is in the net...

But 5 is still huge for that far north even if you assume that other lands generally have a level of nomads or independents...

[Rey]

Published material mentions two dozen families in all three provinces together 20 years ago. Now, Vos have pretty high birth rates, but how much people per family are we talking about, 20? That would not be 500 altogether. And that is information 20 years ago when Melyy became independent and new ruler came.
He's not some wild tyrant, expansionist or sth, he likes it quiet. The realm did prosper, but I just can't make my math around it.
Level 1 or 2 to level 5. This is going to be a challenge.

[Lee]

I've been thinking about this a little, I have half an idea to set a game here someday.

I remember reading a little about the gold fever that hit California in 1849-1850s. Local army posts were emptied by desertion, sailors would jump ship and leave them crewless in the harbor, shiploads of people were brought in. I could see this being part of the huge growth in this country, too. Brecht & Khinasi shippers would move quickly to sell tickets to the silver country, and lots of adventurer-wannabees would flock to the area.

The other thing to keep in mind is that the people who *really* got rich in those days were the merchants selling camping and mining gear and food to the miners, getting paid in gold. It was a quartet of store-owners who had the money to start the western half of the transcontinental railroad after the Civil War. The Hook River Guild, which I suppose has control of that business, has got to be making it hand over fist. AND fighting off interlopers, primarily Brecht, I should think.

For that matter, where the heck are the Sera (and Ela) temples? They ought to be crowding in here. Are they scared that the Kriesha folks will fight them?

[Rey]

Khinasi have a nose for (sea) trade, Brecht even more. Now, there are adventurers who want to get rich, but this is after all, Vosgaard. Melyy really isn't a bloodthirsty land, but it reminds me more of Alaska than California.
I'd say there's a bit of reluctance toward just flocking in.
And don't forget the winter witch of Velenoye, Lida Marnorin, she holds a ruler of Velenoye in her grasp and has temples in Melyy. You don't want to upset her.

It's a small domain, but if silver starts pouring, and with all those people coming in, this one can get big. A lot of outsiders could bring down the Vos rule, and if they organize quickly and strong, they could present a major force. And a major force of non-Vos in Vosgaard means trouble.

But still, I'm open for ideas. This one's got me intrigued, I'm really interested in developing this domain.

[AndrewTall]

Given that the land exported food originally, I'd expect that a lot of the growth is families from Velenoye popping over the border - I'd see borders as quite porous really.

But it is certainly the least stable realm around, it has to exporting masses of silver and importing all kind of goods, some people must be striking it rich and returning home with their (in Vos eyes ill-earned) wealth.

The growth is still spectacular though, so I'd suggest that even 20 years ago it must have had more people - frankly fishing and whaling villages alone should have given it more than a few families! The mountains might have been near-empty I suppose, but not the coast.

[Lee]

Lida Marnorin has pretty much nothing in Melyy, only a (0), right? I wonder if she had been ignoring it prior to this, she had to have had some influence on sluffing it off on Polavich, after all.

Now that it's booming, she has no hold on a population of lots of people, possibly a lot of foreigners who might be bringing their own temples with them. Looks to me like she either has a problem or an opportunity at hand.

[Rey]

I agree. They had widespread farms and fisheries, much land for every family, mountains were of no interest, they were just closer to trouble. Maybe a guard watch or something, at list since Ivan became a ruler, to alert if there's an enemy movement.

First time I read about this domain, it seemed funny. A three province realm, almost no activity, little silver there, farm here, boring. Now, it's becoming more and more interesting. It's far from most dangers, and has some moderate chances of progress and even expanding. Keep those goblins at bay, let orogs fight with Velenoye, maybe even give a hand. Lukhovsky's got lumber, open sea trade to the south, use those immigrants. Now I want to play a campaign in Vosgaard, and I want Melyy!

[AndrewTall]

May you live in interesting times.

Lida doesn't sound like the nona type, from dim recollection she already has trouble with them, so I'd expect her to respond badly - sending vikings and the like to crush the greedy weaklings for example.

Of course she could be more subtle, The White Witch gives the example of how Kriesha can value trade - or at least the influence it brings - but would Lida be open to change? Would she see value in the silver, or just the corrupting weakness that it could bring? Particularly if Brecht or Khinasi prospectors were arriving - even worse if they brought their gods - I would expect the surrounding torva types to respond with brutality.

I see lots of adventure opportunities on both sides of the fence - either building an alliance to defend the land, or one to take it, and one of the few times that a guild domain could have a major influence in Vosgaard.

[Rey]

Yes, Lida is definitely torva type. Melyy leans toward the nona and should be careful. Luckily, it's a bit isolated, so Velenoye presents the only possible realm to do the quick conversion of ye unfaithful ones.
Velenoye seems weakened by orog clashes, but I wouldn't count on that to hold them back. Maybe they'd give a nudge to goblins "Here's some Melyy's silver, and there's more over there in the mountains, go get it."

[AndrewTall]

Given that the boom has sucked in prospectors from far and wide I doubt that the torva would need to involve goblins, frankly every pirate and raider across the land is going to be heading to melyy in search of plunder! Why should a weakling who has grubbed in the dirt to find wealth enjoy it when a strong worthy warrior can take from him - as is just and proper!