The Court

Brencis rules Vale Sangora through three vassals. The Court menu is where the game shows you how that is going.

Who holds the valley

Anger is per vassal, not shared

The 41 Court Activities are split across Ambrus, Bakir and Xanthe, and each one raises the anger of the vassal it targets. That makes the court something you pick apart rather than something you push against evenly.

Ambrus is the one the valley leaves open to you earliest. Bakir sits in the middle by the level his fight expects. Xanthe is the oldest and the most expensive to reach, in days as well as in levels.

What the menu tracks

The Court screen holds three things at once: each vassal's anger, your Infamy with the regime, and the Edicts currently issued against you. It is the closest thing the game has to a dashboard for the month.

What each vassal owns

The Court panel lists 22 holdings across the three vassals. Each line below is the game's own description of what the thing is and who it angers.

Ambrus

  • Ambrus

    Ambrus's lands stretch across the northern parts of Vale Sangora. He manages the supply chain of human blood for Brencis and his vrakhir allies – from bleeding prisoners to transporting and storing blood for future use. As the youngest vrakhir in the valley, turned only during Brencis's takeover, Ambrus has a lot to prove – both his competence and his loyalty to his sire. And he loves to make a show of it all, carrying himself with flamboyance and flair. The odd thing about him is – he seems to still genuinely enjoy the company of humans over that of other vrakhiri.

  • Blood Cellars

    Stockpiles of human blood. Destroying them would anger Ambrus.

  • Blood Transports

    Transports of human blood. Intercepting them would anger Ambrus.

  • Draining Dungeons

    Dungeons filled with prisoners destined to be drained. Freeing them would anger Ambrus.

  • Leech Collectors

    Camps of leech collectors. Dispersing them would anger Ambrus.

  • Prisoner Processing Camp

    Places where prisoners await transport. Freeing them would anger Ambrus.

  • Prisoner Transports

    Prisoners on the move. Freeing them would anger Ambrus.

Bakir

  • Bakir

    Bakir rules over the southwestern parts of Vale Sangora. The Mad Khan keeps the valley's population obedient and anyone wise enough knows that he is not to be crossed: as an experienced warrior with unabashed enjoyment of cruelty, he makes a formidable opponent. Bakir oversees handing out the rewards to the supporters of the regime, as well as doling out punishments to dissidents. And every now and then, he makes it into a grotesque game show. It’s difficult to say when he’s more terrifying – when he wants to kill you, or when he wants to be your friend.

  • Distilleries

    Production centres of strong alcohol, used to control the population of the valley. Destroying them would anger Bakir.

  • Payoff Transports

    Goods meant for uriashi and kobolds. Intercepting them would anger Bakir.

  • Pillories

    Places where prisoners are publicly humiliated to amuse the masses. Freeing the captives would anger Bakir.

  • Rebel Hunters

    Elite soldiers seeking manumits. Killing them would anger Bakir.

  • Uriash Village

    Bakir wants to recruit more uriash warriors from Clan Bakr's village. Convincing them to resist - or else, simply killing them - would anger Bakir.

Xanthe

  • Abducted Girls

    Transports of girls captured on the boyaress's behest. Freeing them would anger Xanthe.

  • Ancient Digsites

    Places where soldiers of the boyaress seek ancient artefacts. Interrupting their work would anger Xanthe.

  • Artefact Transports

    Transports of artefacts unearthed on the boyaress's behest. Intercepting them would anger Xanthe.

  • Blood Guard Mentors

    Elite Blood Guard soldiers. Eliminating them would interfere with the training and thus anger Xanthe.

  • Blood Guard Recruiters

    Soldiers seeking conscripts for the Blood Guard. Eliminating them would hinder the recruitment process and thus anger Xanthe.

  • Cathedral Ritual

    Going against Brencis's wishes, Xanthe turned one of the cathedral workers into a murohn. The knyaz will find out soon - and this means discord among the vrakhiri.

  • Gargoyle Manufacture

    The boyaress hired a malevolent scholar to produce gargoyles. Killing him would ensure no further monstrosities are created - and anger Xanthe.

  • Xanthe

    Xanthe watches over the southeastern parts of Vale Sangora. The boyaress is procuring supernatural advantages for Brencis's army – she conducts bizarre experiments, grows the Blood Guard ranks, and unearths the valley's ancient secrets. She had lived here for centuries, long before the new knyaz arrived and staged his takeover. What reasons she has to pledge obedience to a vrakhir younger than her – no one knows. It could be simple convenience... or something far more perturbing.

The court itself

  • Brencis

    The Knyaz of Vale Sangora, our usurper. Born in the ancient Roman Empire, he comes from a faraway land, and is still vividly proud of his past and his heritage. He rules the valley together with his three vrakhir boyars ever since his takeover two years ago. Many believe he saved us – and yes, in a way he did – but he did not do it for us. And little by little, the people of Vale Sangora are finding out that he is not the benevolent knyaz he claimed to be. He took residence in Greifberg Castle above Svartrau, from where he oversees everything. It won't be easy to get to him in his fortress – but difficult doesn't mean impossible.

How the game explains it

The valley teaches its own systems through a glossary it writes itself. These are the entries it keeps on this one, quoted in full.