"Never ignore Inheritable Dynasty Quests, which make up the backbone of Dynasties Online."
"Each can profoundly affect their dynasty's future and act as a compass, giving the players a semblance of direction in an otherwise sandbox game where you can do what or be what you want."
"These quests also tell the stories of different dynasties that will forever be in conflict with each other."
"As some of these quests pass from one character to the next over hundreds of in-game years.
James Larent creator of Dynasties Online.
….
"I appreciate the offer, my good chieftain, but I must decline."
Railius said after thinking about it for 10 minutes, he reluctantly pressed the no button, declining the invitation. He did this not only because he wanted his freedom in the early part of the game but also because it would be easier to explore the world when he was not tied to any large power. The Free Brothers' political system was also not what the young nobleman sought, as relying on elections was too unreliable to ensure his dynasty's long-term power amongst the Beastman tribe.
The early part of the game was essential to Railius' long-term plan for his noble houses' rise to power. It was at a point in the game when he did not want to be bogged down by loyalties to one faction or another, as he would much rather travel a bit first and learn about the world of DO while setting up vital trade and information networks in various nations that could be leveraged later for his own benefit.
This was also one of the reasons why, unlike many other players who created noble houses, he chose to be a fallen one instead of a landed one, as not only did it help him save points when creating his dynasty, but if he were even a lowly baron, he would have to spend time managing his domain forcing him not to go too far from his newly acquired land for fear of it falling into the hands of another.
With the power and wealth that comes from land also comes the responsibility to look after it to rule over the peasants and make sure taxes are collected correctly and justice is done. In addition, how could Railius feel safe wandering around the world for months while leaving his territory in the hands of another, especially when he has not grown strong roots there?
He also would have to be around to heed the summons of his liege lord if needed, and it would be very awkward to do so from the other side of the world.
Imagine just how pissed off his liege would be when he received a letter saying, 'Sorry for not heeding your summons, my lord, but I am currently galivanting around the world. I swear I will come next time.' Hell, just the disrespect alone could give a justification to revoke his title, not to mention the terrible political ramifications for having your liege after your head, as respect was fundamental in noble society,
Certain noble families have become enemies for generations over specific perceived slights, and this is why newly elevated nobles, especially those from a poor or commoner background, are usually looked down upon by the older, more prestigious nobles.
Also, when he swears loyalty to someone or joins a faction or nation, he would rather never have to leave it as a person known for switching allegiances the moment their money or interests are threatened has little credibility. So, when they lose their power and influence, they are left with little to bargain with.
Compare this to how Railius is now because of his dynasty's good reputation for keeping promises when not out of loyalty to another. He can use promises to do a favour or request something substantial to be paid back later precisely because he is known for always keeping his word. This has helped him negotiate with the Free Brothers as people take his word seriously, allowing him to exchange a favour for free passage.
Honour and integrity will be like two swords that Railius wields as he slowly gains influence in the virtual world of DO, though the young player will also be capable of cunning manoeuvres. After all, no one can accuse him of not keeping his word as long as he technically has kept it. This was politics, after all, which can leave much up to interpretation.
This is why people must be very careful in politics when making deals because asking for just military support technically means that even 500 men count as military support. As one must remember, despite being loyal to the emperor and mostly honourable in conduct, Lucius was still known as the shameless spider of Chavaria to his enemies for a reason.
Either way, Railius firmly refused Boreas' offer, which seemed to disappoint the old avian man. However, he appeared to be expecting and only offered it on a limb, seeing through every thought that Railius had. However, it was the long time it took for Railius to respond that qued him in most as someone as desperate as House Aurellion should jump at a chance to have a safe haven yet decided not to, making it evident that he had his own plans when it came to House Aurellions future.
While reluctant to let such a terrifyingly talented man back into the wild just like Ancel, it was obvious to both men that the Chavarian Empire would still be the boy's number 1 enemy, which happened to align with their own thoughts and interests perfectly.
Only a fool kills a talented, guaranteed enemy of one's own nemesis before dealing with them, so ironically, while The Chavarian Empire is House Aurellion's biggest enemy, it has also become their biggest shield, ensuring that powerful people want to keep the war-based noble house alive if only for them to use for their own means.
"I see it is a shame, but I respect your decision. Just make sure not to forget your promise, little lord, for I am not an enemy that anyone wants.
Boreas said before waving his hand and dismissing them, leading to a series of system notifications appearing in front of Railius, who was mentally exhausted from having to deal with so many veteran politicians. One look at his available mana was all that was needed to show the toil these recent series of negotiations had brought upon his mind.
[Mana available 5/35.]
[You have rejected Boreas Brightfeather's invitation to join 'The Free Brothers.]
[You have secured an agreement with The Free Brothers allowing you and your men to pass freely through their territory]
[Because you chose not to join The Free Brothers, you now owe them a favour.]
[Congratulations to player Rising Pelican of Loyalty for completing the main quest, 'The Antagonistic Free Brothers.']
[Congratulations to player Rising Pelican of Loyalty for successfully completing House Aurellion's second Dynasty History Event, 'The Fall of House Aurellion.' and securing a safe place for your house to rise up again in The Kingdom of Nathia.]
[New Dynasty Inheritable Quest received 'The Free Brothers Request.' (currently dormant)]
[New Dynasty Inheritable Quest received 'House Aurellion's Lost Heirlooms.]
[New Dynasty Inheritable Quest received 'The Stigma of a Traitor.]
[New Inheritable Dynasty Trait received 'Accused Traitor']
[You have made a secret ally in Duke Ancel Gallomour, adding House Gallomour to your list of secret allies.]
While looking at these notifications absentmindedly, Railius started to leave The Free Brothers' great hall, seeing the great Chieftain of The Free Brothers was no longer paying him much attention, already putting his mind on his next move, which would fall on the head of the unfortunate Duke of Plantaria.
'I wonder what I can get out of Ancel?'
Boreas thought the devilish smile that had scared Railius reappeared as he looked over towards the Duchy of Plantaria, already planning what he could use his blackmail…. cough…. not blackmail information to get something useful out of the duke as to think that any respectable noble would ever stoop so low as to use blackmail would be terrible slander indeed! Now that the deal was done, he seemed to be completely ignoring Railius, focusing purely on his next victim, which happened to be Railius' ally, which annoyed the young lord a bit.
Even Railius, as shameless as he was, felt sorry for Ancel as this bloody Free Brothers chieftain always knew what demands were enough to hurt but cripple someone or seem unreasonable, but that was not his problem. He only hoped that the wise Duke of Plantaria would not feel too much pain due to the knowledge of their alliance slipping out. Ever since implying his alliance with Duke Ancel to Boreas, he knew that cunning bastard would be gunning for his new ally next well.
Even if Railius denied it, Boreas would have still targeted Ancel with this information, wanting to rinse as much as he could out of the very convenient situation he found himself in, for the shrewd veteran politician had already made up his mind that there was some alliance or arrangement and only wanted to know from Railius just how far their relationship had gotten.
This is because, without the duke's help, it would have been impossible to get out of the empire with so few losses to Railius' own forces, no matter how skilled or valiant his Pelican Guards were.
….
Far away in his duchy capital's office, Duke Ancel was working away diligently when his black-tipped quill stopped, and he suddenly felt an ominous sense of foreboding as if an eagle was looking down at him, ready to strike its prey.
'Why has this month been nothing but bad premonitions?'
The ageing duke thought as he shrugged off the impending foreboding sense to continue on with his labours administrative work, unaware that because of Railius, his new ally Boreas would show up at his doorstep and milk him for all his worth.
'Ugh, how much I hate bureaucracy and all this bloody paperwork!'
The Duke complained to himself as he signed yet another document. Unfortunately, despite popular opinion, being a noble was not all about attending parties and eating excellent food. It was also about tackling an endless amount of paperwork!
At least, it is for those who want a well-run territory.
The duke groaned when his antique office door opened, and an administrator came in with another stack of documents for the diligent Duke of Plantaria to read and sign.
'This is going to be my life now, isn't it? Why is peace so much more hard work than war!'
The duke let out a depressed sigh as, yet again, he would be destined to spend most of the night working.
This would be yet just another moment that helped to define the relationship between Ancel and Railius as they tossed problem after problem at each other like hot potatoes.
….
Railius' men were relieved when they saw their young lord come out of the Beastman settlement, as they did not want to have to break in to save their lord just because he had angered someone important for while they would go to hell out of loyalty to house Aurellion does not mean they enjoyed taking part in suicide missions which trying to break into that Beastman settlement almost certainly would be.
Make no mistake, just because The Free Brothers' settlement was crude compared to the formidable stone castles of the Chavarian Empire does not mean that their defences were not hard to breach.
This is especially true for the current Pelican Guards, who had no siege equipment on hand to use to breakthrough, not even a ladder or a battering ram, and so would have to rely on storming the gateway in an attempt to take it over before the wary defenders could close it.
They also knew from experience how annoying and eccentric he could sometimes be. They were prying to all the gods that his abstract personality would not bring them any trouble that day as it would undoubtedly do in the future.
Railius, however, was busy as the moment he had left the great hall, his mind had been locked on looking over some of the weird quests he had received.
….
The Free Brothers Request (Inheritable Dynasty Quest) (Dormant)
Description: In exchange for their help in your escape from Chavaria, you have promised to help The Free Brothers in the future in a manner of their choosing.
Quest Clear Conditions: Complete The Free Brothers request when it comes.
Quest Clear Rewards: Depends on how you approach and deal with the quest.
Quest Failure Penalty: Loss of trust with The Free Brothers, which could potentially affect your trustworthiness internationally.
….
This quest seemed easy enough to understand, but there were a few aspects to it that seemed strange to Railius.
'Friend System, what is an Inheritable Dynasty Quest?'
Railius asked the ever-present AI administrator in his mind and was surprised that he got a swift and informative answer out of the Friend System, which can be very vague at times, though he could have looked in his encyclopaedia and got a similar result because now that he had found out about this mysterious game system, how it worked would be laid out for him there.
'In Dynasties Online, there are many types of quests. Main quests usually are ones that can or do have large impacts on your dynasty. Please remember that everything is in the context of how it affects your dynasty. As such, what is but a side quest to you can be something integral to the game of another player.'
'An inheritable main quest are quest's that are passed down your bloodline; these can come in many forms, from revenge against an enemy noble house that has offended you in the past. Unlike Character Quests that only affect a certain character, an inheritable dynasty quest is one that can affect the fate of a dynasty for generations, so completing them to the best of your abilities is recommended.'
'Let's take yours for example; because you promised your dynasty's help to the Free Brothers and not their leader, it created this quest as instead of it being a promise between two characters, it is a promise between two factions, which is why because of this promises importance it has become something that can affect the fate of your dynasty in the future.'
'This means that sometime in the future, you or maybe even one of your descendants will have to complete this quest or risk your dynasty's reputation and the anger of The Free Brothers, who will not take kindly to being betrayed like this.'
The Friend system explained in great detail, but there was still one thing that Railius wanted to know about.
'Thank you, but what about this dormant thing.'
'That means that the quest is currently is not active. Once The Free Brothers make their request, it will reawaken and activate. There may be a time limit on it later, though many inheritable dynasty quests don't have time limits.
The friend system said before Railius began looking at the other quests that had appeared.