Politics

Conquest is a very political game. There are struggles between the Normans, the Saxons and the Gaelics and between the honourable classes (Fighters, Magi, Clerics and Rangers) and the heathen barbarians and evil vampires. But below these over-arching st ruggles are smaller ones. Tensions between circles of confederacy, vying for power. The structures of these circles are often defined by alliances (two players who share armies), vassalage (lower-level characters serving higher-level characters) and bes towals (higher-level characters giving gifts to lower-level characters).

Alliances

Two fighters or two rangers who trust each other very much may enter into an alliance using the alliance <nick> command. Allies' armies join each other in battle, effectively doubling the power of e ach. However, your ally can easily squander your army in attacking unwisely. Allies may also check each other's stats using the ally command for 1 movement point.

Allies must both be fighters or both be rangers, and must be of the same nationality. They must both send a treaty, using the alliance command within the same HouseKeeping. A treaty which is sent an unsigned is a waste of two movement points.

Vassalage

A beginning player may choose when newplayering to serve a higher level player from the very beginning. Before newplayering use the newplayer list command to get a list of the players who can take vassals. One may only vassal to a player who is fourth level, or higher. The principle advantage to vassalage, is that you begin in the class, nationality and city of your lord. Therefore, it allows you some opportunity to c hoose those things, where otherwise you begin as a fighter with random nationality and location. One cannot, however, choose to vassal to the Vampire; nor can you vassal to a Titan or a Demigod.

Vassals and Lords exist in a delicate reciprocal relationship. Whenever you win a battle your lord gets 2% of your winnings and whenever your lords wins a battle you get 1% of his/her winnings. Moreover, At NYHK your lord gets 1% of your food, each vas sal gets 1% of his/her lord's copper.

When you first begin as a vassal, the Emporers will give you a one time gift. This bonus is as follows, depending on your class:

You cannot attack your lord or other vassals under your lord.

Lords of vassals may use the vassals command to list the vassals who serve them, and the release <nick> command to release a vassal from their kingdom. When a vassal's highest level exceeds their masters (either the vassal goes past the lord, or the lord remorts), than the vassal is automatically rel eased from service.

Bestow

Players above the fourth level may bestow their assets to lower level characters. This costs 5 movement points and can be used to pass copper, food or peasants on to deserving lower-level characters. A pla yer may bestow only enough peasants, however, to promote the recipient to their next level, and no more. Being a worthy magnanimous action, bestow helps a players honour.