"Queen Luxora, it's time to wake up." The curtain were pulled violently aside, if you could call animal pelts over open wooden windows in a candle lit fort curtains. The impatient ladies in waiting, scantily clad little women they were busied the queen out of her bed and began dressing her in fairly fine attire. Though her kingdom wasn't much to sneeze at. Situated in the delta of two cold rivers it was a small barbarian encampment more than a city, but it was Queen Luxora's<br/><br/>She used her whiles and feminine charms to bring the warring warlords of the north under her sway, taking the crown for herself without bloodshed. However, the citizenry is hungry and unhappy. The coffers could use shoring up, and the military looked to wet its appetite for plunder. The large bed of animal furs still held warmth, but there was much for a queen to do. So readily dressed she was taken to her throne room to sit atop her ornate wooden throne and hear the please of her people by way of her advisors.<br/><br/>First was a tall muscled statue of a man with cunning slanted eyes and a stubble beard. Marcus Pellus the Barbarian who would be her Lord General.<br/><br/><strong>Queen Ileosa Luxora I's stats:</strong><br/><br/>Influence 150% (Represents control and diplomatic currency either legal or illegal)<br/>Mana 100% (Represents magic and magical sciences)<br/>Power 100% (Represents control and influence of the army)<br/>Gold: 75% (Represents the national ability to create and expand)<br/>Food: 33% (Used to keep the populace happy and expand with more cities)<br/><br/>Alignment: Neutral<br/><br/>Location: Luxoria (Capital City)<br/><hr/><br/>While the queen is beautiful and beloved by all her rise to power bloodless, she did not expect such a harsh winter and now her people threaten revolt if their needs aren't met. Still, she has such a cult of personality the citizenry is not eager to move against her strong charisma or the strength of her military, especially since hard winters are not her fault.<br/><br/>---<br/><br/>Marcus Pellus steps up, his armor glinting in the candle light of the keep. He takes to a knee and displays strong muscles to his liege, "Majesty, what are your commands for your army of raiders?" Luxora could always dismiss her handsome lord general with an imperial flick of her wrist, but if she turned  her thoughts to his question several options would appear in her mind. Ever a wise queen she knows she only has enough military power to fully dedicate the army of crude barbarian humans to one major task:<br/><br/>A.) Have them raid nearby border towns for resources.<br/>B.) Raise more men to the army!<br/>C.) Use them to crack down on talks of dissent.<br/>D.) Send them out to secure more unclaimed territory in preparation for expansion.<br/><br/>The matter dealt with or not by the queen the next petitioner steps up. He is Ibn Al'sad a foreign human to her court, but a wise and shrewd minister of coin and construction. His bulky dark-skinned physique belied his genius brain and devotion to Luxora's ambitions.<br/><br/>"I have two matters, O beloved of all queens," he bowed, "First is the matter of where to apply the tax money and lucre from your ascension to the throne we could:"<br/><br/>A.) Put it toward buying food and amenities to relive the harsh winter.<br/>B.) Build a library and start amassing knowledge.<br/>C.) Send some gold to the foreign powers around us as gifts to establish diplomatic relationships.<br/>D.) Build something personal for yourself, your majesty.<br/><br/>Waiting patiently for his queen to make her choice (or not) he brought up the next piece of information:<br/><br/>"Your majesty, the greatest war chief of neighboring orc tribes wishes to meet you if you would like to take your retinue to meet him, I can make arrangements." With his issues spread before the queen he bowed once more and returned to the line of councilors.<br/><br/>Next to step up was a beautiful blonde-haired woman. Her domestic minister, "Your grace, this is the first day of what should be an illustrious rule, how would you like to start forming your kingdom?" Unlike before there were no options spread before her, only the will and drive a of lone ruler to forge the kind of nation she wished to live in. Still, there were some options to pick from, but unlike the other choices these were not limited to merely one choice.<br/><br/>"Also, there are several rumors about magic out in the lands beyond the borders. You could seek the sources at your own leisure, or I suppose find some private time with your councilors to see if they're willing to track down leads on your behalf. The kingdom, and the world is yours for the taking, O majesty." She bowed deeply. Each one knowing they could be replaced with someone who was more to Queen Luxora's liking.<br/><br/>---<br/><br/>Not that any of the ministers knew that the woman sitting the throne before them was not some amalgam of pixels or that this was only supposed to be a game playing on a PC right now, there was a flesh and blood woman now housed in the corporeal form of a beautiful queen. Everything feeling, tasting, smelling, and sounding real. This was all her? It wasn't much, but it was hers. She was the queen, and as a wise man once said, it was good to be the queen... or at least, close enough.