Ordensstaat Hellquill

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Ordensstaat Hellquill
The Watch on the Griffking
Ideology	Knightly Order
Leader	Siegfried Trappenfeld
Ruling party	Ritterlicher Rat (53%)
Population	2,442,443
Ponypower	23,986
Race	Griffon
Stability	43%
War support	60%
Factories	7
Capital	Hellquill
Continent	Central Griffonia
Demonym	Hellquillian
Tag	HLQ
Color	#E2D2D5

Stalwart defenders of the eastern frontier, the knights of Hellquill have stood long as the  Empire's protectors against the Riverpony incursions. But these oaths were abandoned after the Empire's collapse 30 years ago, and now the Hellquillians stand independent, closely tied to their allies in  Longsword. The current Grand Master of the Order is old and set to retire soon, and with it, change might come to Hellquill, for the better or worse.

Lore

Grover II's Crusades

Emperor Grover I founded the  Griffonian Empire, uniting all Griffon nations through military might and the blessing of The Idol of Boreas. His successor Grover II, had a problem. The Idol of Boreas did not bless him, and he controlled a vast Empire, with most countries only nominally under his rule, eager to challenge his rule.

Seeking an external enemy to keep the Empire from collapsing, he led military campaigns with the Knightly Orders against the ponies of the Riverlands, blessed by the Archons of the griffon Gods. He would lead multiple campaigns over his life.

The "crusades" as some call them were a partial success. They preserved the unity of the Empire and annexed some pony territories, especially in Southern Griffonia. However, their most ambitious goal - shattering the Riverlands, failed. Grover II met his end at the end of a  Nimbusian spear in 854 ALB. In addition, his Crusades led to the Riverlands to sign the Treaty of Coltstream, a common defense pact amongst pony lands.

His more peaceful successor Grover III showed no interest in continuing the Crusades against the ponies.

The Rule of the Knights

The Knightly Order of Hellquill, previously an independent chapter of Knights, was granted some of the conquered territory, and incorporated into the Empire as a March around 810 ALB. Their honourable ancestors swore an oath to Grover II that they and their successors would do everything in their might to fight the Pony menace, and that the Empire would never have reason to fear their loyalty.

Many years of honourable service to the Empire passed. They fought alongside Grover II in his crusades, expanding their territory. After his death, Hellquill ruled over a sizeable population of ponies, and both sides raided back and forth.

A military order led by a Grandmaster, Hellquill's policies changed significantly from leader to leader. Originally, capture of land was followed by mass griffon settlement and displacement of conquered ponies, however as Hellquill's territory grew ponies tended to be left in peace, provided they disarmed, kept to their own self-run communities and providing taxes to their Griffon overlords.

Changing Times

Recently, the perpetual stalemate was broken, as the Knights of Hellquill managed to even advance all the way towards  Diamond Mountain and seized their treasury.

However, trouble soon loomed over the Empire, which was increasingly shaken by greed and internal conflict. Sure enough, it had soon been utterly shattered, with even Griffonstone, the home of the imperial dynasty having broken away. After all these years, years during which they fought off pony raiders time and time again, the Empire has failed them, and is at the brink of complete collapse. As such, when Grover V was crowned in 979, they refused to renew their oaths of loyalty to the dying Empire.

The current leader, Grandmaster Siegfried Trappenfeld has served Hellquill well for many years, standing valiantly against both the East and the West to keep the order safe. His will to lead has slowly faded over these past couple of trying years, however. Much has changed within the world and the Griffonian continent, and Siegfried feels that he is no longer willing to lead the Order into the new world. He plans to retire soon and in his absence a new Grandmaster must be chosen.

Their are currently 3 promising candidates. August von Ortelsberg, Urlach ap Cyrod, and Wingfried von Katerinburg.

August von Ortelsberg brings promises of peace and prosperity. War and rivalry, he says, have only weakened Hellquill in the past, and cost us many thousands of lives. August is also said to believe in the equality of Ponies and Griffons, and he aims to establish a free and peaceful nation, which Griffons and Ponies share as equals.

Urlach ap Cyrod is a veteran knight and a big believer in the values of honour and tradition. He believes the main focus of the Order should be defending against the ponies from the east, just as they had done so for hundreds of years. Urlach also wishes to reestablish ties with the  Griffonian Empire.

Wingfried von Katerinburg is the founder and leader of the Reformisten movement which seeks to reform the Knightly Order into a proper state with Wingfried at its helm, while at the same time seeking to create more "living space" for the Griffon race at the expense of the ponies of the East. Wingfried and his violent ideology are renown for their views on Griffon supremacy and the concept that Ponies are an evil that must be eliminated for the good of griffonkind. Even amongst the poor treatment of ponies in Hellquill, Wingfried and members of his movement are considered radicals.

The Knightly Order is at a turning point and the new Grandmaster will likely define the Order for centuries. Will they continue their eternal quest against ponykind nonetheless, to make both their ancestors and gods proud? Or do they seek a new path? The future is very much uncertain to us all.

National Focus

Focus tree of Ordensstaat Hellquill.

Political Tree

Siegfried's Retirement is the political tree and will unlock once Siegfried retires which will happen a month into the game. Once he retires there are 3 political paths to go down.

Springtime in Hellquill (Harmony)

The Council chooses August von Ortelsberg as the new Grandmaster. August will focus on mending the divide between the ponies and griffons, and eventually reform Hellquill into a democratic republic.

• It is recommended to arrest Wingfried before supporting Pony Towns. As otherwise there will be attacks against the pony towns and you will get a negative event.
• The same goes for opening dialogue with the ponies before inviting griffon settlers. As otherwise the ponies will be worried about the griffon settlements and voice their concerns, causing a small political penalty.
• Two Species Under One Flag will begin a series of events where Hellquill is reformed into a Republic, and the first Presidential elections are held. There are four possible elected leaders:
  • August von Ortelsberg (Harmony), unlocks The Konservative Volkspartei Mandate. The re-elected August will continue reinforcing his reforms and ensure the equality of races within Hellquill.
  • River Breeze (Harmony), unlocks The Zmānenawinan Peraīninsnas Wīrija Mandate. Posniak lawyer River Breeze will seek to build a welfare state.
  • Reiner Guttenfried (Non-Aligned), unlocks The Sozialliberale Mandate. Businessgriffon Guttenfried will seek to liberalize Hellquill's economy and make the country wealthy.
  • Carl von Soldau (Non-Aligned), unlocks The Ost-Griffonische Bund Mandate. General von Soldau will seek to preserve frontier agrarian culture and institute regional democracy.

• Invite Our Friends will give an event to deal with Longsword. You will get the option to first ask them to join Hellquill peacefully or go to war immediately. Longsword is likely to accept if the communists or non-aligned won the civil war. If the fascists won the civil war then it's likely they will reject the offer for unification.

• The von Katerinburg Trial unlocks an event where Wingfried von Katerinburg is trialled. There are 3 options on dealing with Wingfried:
  • Imprison: -25 PP, -5% Supremacy popularity
  • Exile: -50 PP, +2% stability, -7.5% Supremacy popularity
  • Execute: -125 PP, +5% stability, -10% Supremacy popularity

A School Debate event will eventually appear in Harmonic Hellquill, asking about whether or not should schools be separated by species. There are 2 options:

• No separate schools: -50 PP, +2% stability, +2% harmony popularity
• Separate schools: 25 PP

The Last True Knight (Non-Aligned)

The Council chooses Urlach ap Cyrod as the new Grandmaster. Urlach is a believer in traditional chivalrous values, and will work to preserve Hellquill's traditions while making peace with the Posniaks.

• The Longswordian Mistake will demand Longsword's submission to Hellquill. If Longsword refuses, Hellquill will receive a war goal against them.

A New Hellquill (Supremacy)

The Council chooses Wingfried von Katerinburg as the new Grandmaster. Wingfried will focus on removing the pony minority in Hellquill. However, he does not wish to stop there. Rather than remaining as a defence against the ponies, he will actively prepare Hellquill for a Grand Crusade against the ponies in the east, and to do that he will modernize the nation and remove the archaic Knightly Order.

• Before putting the Reformisten in power you should remove the Old Guard. As otherwise they will complain about the new leadership and cause minor political penalties.
• Longsword Must Submit!: If the Reformisten won the Longsword Civil War (ideology of Longsword is Supremacist), an event will be sent to Longsword demanding unification, which will often be accepted. Otherwise, Hellquill will receive an Annex war goal on Longsword and receive cores on Longsword.
• The Role of the Sturmgreifen which gives an event to decide what type of role the Sturmgreifen, either elite frontline units or supportive roles behind the frontline.
  • Frontline: +1% Recruitable population, +10% division attack, +5% division recovery rate, +5% division defence.
  • Support: +1.5% Recruitable population, +5% reconnaissance, +0.5 max entrenchment, +5% division organisation.

• The Grand Crusade will unlock a decision to build more forts if at war and unleash the Purple Plague on the River Nations. The Purple Plague will cause several negative malus on the Riverlands nations which will last for a year. However, this will take several months to prepare and will cause all Riverland nations to declare war on Hellquill if not already at war.

The Purple Plague

-50% Monthly Population

-15% Recruitable Population Factor

-15% Construction Speed

-5% Division Attack

-5% Division Defence

Alternate Path - The Rise of the Groverists

Spoilers below, we recommend these are best experienced in game before reading

In the Supremacy path, taking the focus Disband The Order will launch an event where radical traditonalist knight Wilhelm Stackelberg will attempt a coup against Wingfried, the results of which are decided in a binary choice event.

If Stackelberg's coup succeeds, he will depose Wingfried and impose his own traditionalist Groverist rule, unlocking a new focus tree. He will restore the traditional society that Wingfried tried to eradicate, and continue with the plans for the Grand Crusade as Grover II envisioned it (and not as what Wingfried envisioned it).

Note that Stackelberg's focus tree also removes the military and the economy focus trees.

Post-1007 leaders (may contain spoilers)
Leader	Leader		Ideology and party		Traits	Description	Comes to power by
Wilhelm Stackelberg		Reformisten Supremacy GroveristsReformisten - Groverists	None	Born: 17th of March 964 in Hellquill Biography: The reformisten may have offered the faithful sweet promises of victory and glory. Yet, they proved to be Maar's ilk, tempters serving no masters but themselves or worse. Wilhem was swayed, true, but when their true colours showed, he honored his old oaths over his new masters. Grabbing his sword and his knightly regalia, he walked to Hellquill to smite the heretics and degenerates. Now, the Ordensstaat stands reborn, purged of both its weakness and falsehood. Only the faithful remain and Wilhelm shall lead them east. To their destiny and duty. To victory. May Boreas, Eyr and Arcturius have mercy for the blasphemous enemies of griffonkind, for their humble servant won't show them any. Portrait By: Vexili

Spoiler end.

Alternate Path - Junta of National Salvation

Spoilers below, we recommend these are best experienced in game before reading

In the Supremacy path, taking the focus Might Makes Right (unlocked by siding with the Sturmgreife in the Beakstadt Conference event, itself unlocked after completing the Disband The Order focus) will launch an event where general Demetrius Kamphaus, deciding that Edler and his insanity is too much for Hellquill, makes plans to purge both Wingfried and the SG. He plans to assassinate Wingfried, blame the assassination on the SG, and purge the SG. The event has two choices; either his plot is discovered and he gets purged, or his plot goes through and he deposes Wingfried.

If Kamphaus succeeds, he will institute his Junta of National Salvation, and a new focus tree is unlocked. The old political and economic trees are replaced with new ones.

Kamphaus's rise to power causes a crisis in Hellquill; the Sturmgreife go into open rebellion, while the economy crashes. These conditions are represented by two new negative national spirits added on Hellquill during the coup: The Sturmgreife Rebellion (Recruitable Population Factor -20%, Division Recovery Rate -5%, Stability -10%, War Support -10%) and A Shattered Economy (Consumer Goods Factories 20%, Construction Speed -50%, Production Efficiency Cap -50%, Factory Output -50%).

Kamphaus plans to invite the prince of the  Principality of Lushi to lead Hellquill and restore legitimacy and stability. If Lushi is not Communist, then Kamphaus will send an invite to the Prince of Lushi.

A Crown For A Prince

Kamphaus has successfully invited the Prince of Lushi to lead Hellquill, uniting Lushi and Hellquill as a Dual Principality. Depending on the political events in Lushi, the Prince of Lushi will either be Prince Elias Whitecrest or Prince Gerar Whitecrest, who lead into different paths.

Both paths will grant a war goal on  Prywhen or  Brodfeld through the shared focus Strike At Brodfeld. Both paths also implement additional reforms that grant bonuses and an edict that protects ponies as equals to griffons.

• Prince Elias (Harmony): Prince Elias desires the creation of a constitutional Federal Kingdom. After conquering Brodfeld, he will declare the creation of the Triune Kingdom.
  • Finish Off The Sturmgreife will remove the Sturmgreife Rebellion national spirit.
• Prince Gerar (Supremacy): Prince Gerar desires to bring Hellquill-Lushi into a new age of glory. His path grants additional war goals on the  Gryphian Host (Subjugate The Cossacks), the  Free Towns of Gryphus (Bring The Trade Cities To Heel), and the River Coalition (Lord Of The East). Gerar can also declare the creation of the Ost-Griffonian Empire after conquering all of the Riverlands, though he does not receive cores on  Lake City.
  • A Few Discreet Pardons will remove the Sturmgreife Rebellion national spirit, and give a new Group 225 national spirit, which gives -5% PP gain and +5% Research Speed.

The Revolution Comes For All!

Kamphaus's plans fail, either because the Prince of Lushi rejected his invite, or because Lushi had became communist and their Prince had been deposed. Hellquill falls into chaos, and a communist revolution led by the Hellquillian Communist Party (KPH) under Ernst Fischer seizes the opportunity and rises up to depose Kamphaus.

The communists will purge the remnant Reformisten from the country and link up with the  Longswordian partisans under Starry Night. Kamphaus will be trialled and executed. After the Communists stabilize the country, they will begin the First KPH Party Congress, where they decide on a leader, the two options are Chairgriffon Ernst Fischer, who emphasizes socialist patriotism and self-defense, or Chairmare Starry Night, who emphasizes workers' self-management and de-militarization.

The path eventually grants either a war goal on a non-Communist Lushi, or an invite to Communist Lushi for the two nations to join together. In either case, after Hellquill annexes Lushi, the Communists will declare the creation of Volksbundesrepublik that joins together Hellquill, Longsword, and Lushi.

Rebuilding The Economy

The new economy tree gradually removes the A Shattered Economy national spirit.

Post-1007 leaders (may contain spoilers)
Leader	Leader		Ideology and party		Traits	Description	Comes to power by
Demetrius Kamphaus		Despotism Non-Aligned JdNEJunta der Nationalen Erlösung	None	None
Prince Elias Whitecrest		Benevolent Absolutism Harmony FürstenratDer Fürstenrat	None	Prince Elias Whitecrest took power in the Principality of Lushi in January of 1006. He is still young and ambitious, with grand plans for his nation. The Prince knows that Lushi has the potential to modernise in the shortest terms and catch up to the rest of Griffonia. He has elected to pursue peaceful foreign policy and to focus primarily on improving the quality of life of the citizens. Many believe that Prince Elias is the leader Lushi needed long ago. Fortunes would lead to Elias accepting the Kamphaus Junta's offer to accept the integration of Hellquill in a dual monarchy. He feels confident that the makeshift confederacy can find a golden mean and bring back peace to the wartorn lands of the frontier.
Prince Gerar Whitecrest		Autocracy Supremacy FürstenratDer Fürstenrat	None	Prince Gerar Whitecrest, younger brother of Elias, sees Lushi as a strong nation that could occupy the whole basin of the Evi river. Inspired by the writings of notorious Wingbardian fascist Beakolini, he aims to create a corporate nationalist state, rooted in religion and military. He dreams of getting rid of the monarchy and proclaiming himself the Leader of the nation. Gerar was quick to seize the offer to adding Hellquill to his crown, crushing any idea of a popular uprising once the Reformisten extremists were dealt with. With the combined resources and army of Hellquill-Lushi, Gerar seeks to expand his ambitions tenfold.
Ernst Fischer		Equestrian Socialism Communism KPHKommunistische Partei Hellquill	None	Born: 1st of January 971 in Swordsson Biography: Born premature during a new year eve party, Ernst Fischer would always be described as being in a rush to act and achieve. He was by all account a poor student, pestering his parents to let him join the army early on. Eventually, at 16, they relented and he became a private serving the knightly order of Hellquill. For all his motivation to fight, Ernst Fischer proved to be an undisciplined soldier, frequently getting involved in brawls, kirsch-soaked nights and other petty mischief. Yet, he was a master at arms and gained a bit of a reputation for his tactical ingeniosity. What changed was meeting a soldier who had left the Empire to live in the Frontier and revealed to him that he was a communist, loyal to the Skynavian party. The griffon was found out and shot rather quickly but Ernst had been sold. He would be a communist. He sought out, joined and took over the Communist Party of Hellquill, barely a small cell of idealistic students back then. Eventually, he defected in 1004 and travelled the world, visiting Skynavia, Stalliongrad and even the Riverlands. His travels allowed him to establish contacts which have him an authority and support that other Hellquillian revolutionaries could only dream off. Finally, in 1007, alarmed by the news of the slaughter in Longsword, he finally put an end to his journey and came back running to his beloved KpH in Hellquill. When he arrived, meeting his comrades in a cellar of the capital, he told me "I am here for one and only one thing, comrades: revolution". The rest is the inevitable march of history. Portrait By: Vexili
Starry Night		Agrarian Socialism Communism KPHKommunistische Partei Hellquill	None	Foal of a locksmith and a farmer, Starry Night had led a rather monotonous life before assuming the leadership of the Partisans. But when Count Dusktalon's descent into madness started affecting her friends and family, she knew that the only right thing to do is to oppose his cruelty. Years of guerrilla warfare in Visaginas' forests have turned the once plain mare into a fearless leader of ponies and griffons, who promises a bright and free of fear future to anyone who follows. This future is set to become a reality in the new Longsword. Unfortunately, the dream of a liberated Longsword did not last long. The Reformisten were quick to crush what they perceived as an illegitimate state, leading to Starry and her comrades laying low. But they returned the favour once the Reformisten disintegrated themselves, seizing control of a leaderless state. Starry Night now leads the united communist parties of Hellquill and Longsword as chairpony, where ponies and griffons can live together in harmony.

Spoiler end.

Alternate Path - Might Makes Right

Spoilers below, we recommend these are best experienced in game before reading

In the Supremacy path, taking the focus Might Makes Right will launch an event where general Demetrius Kamphaus makes plans to purge both Wingfried and the Sturmgreife. If his plot fails, then Edler von Wingenberg, the radical head of the SG, will kill Wingfried due to Wingfried's failures to keep his generals in check, and institute his own radical genocidal rule.

Effectively a sub-path for Wingfried, Edler's path only replaces the final section of the Supremacist Hellquill focus tree following Disband The Order.

Post-1007 leaders (may contain spoilers)
Leader	Leader		Ideology and party		Traits	Description	Comes to power by
Edler von Wingenberg		Esotericism Supremacy SturmgreifeReformisten - Sturmgreife	Occultist Daily Political Power Gain: −0.05 Research Speed: +2.5% Ideology drift defense: +5%	Born: 19th of December 974 in Wingenberg Biography: In a grand display of dedication to the reformisten cause, Edler von Wingenberg has once more done what needed to be done: an act of salvation and necessity. Only traitors and fools would call it a coup or treason. Under the wavering leadership of Wingfried von Katerinburg - of notable Katerinian degeneracy - Hellquill could have done naught but fail and collapse. And who better than Edler to prevent it? Was he not the griffon who had given the reformisten movement strength by founding and leading the proud Sturmgreife? By taking power, Edler has proven a simple truth of the universe. Despite ever present challenges and obstacles, griffon superiority shall find its way to succeed and claim what is theirs by right. Now, the hated Ponies and all creatures who dare threaten them shall be vanquished! Portrait By:Vexili

Spoiler end.

Industrial Tree

The Industry of Hellquill is small and unfit for a modern nation, especially one seeking to wage war. Hellquill will have two options on how to deal with this: either through the classic market capitalism, supported by the Harmonist/Non-aligned, or through the mass nationalization of the Reformisten.

Tree Bonus	Neues Geschäft	Nationale Wirtschaftsabteilung
Rush Time (d)	490	490
Complete Time (d)	637	637
Political
Stability		-7.50%
Political Power (Flat)	+75	-75
Political Power (%)	+10%	-5%
Construction
Civilian factory	3	4
Construction Speed		+10%
Consumer Goods	-5%
Infrastructure	4	8
Production
Military factory	3	4
Factory Output	+5%
Production Efficiency Cap		+10%
Science
Research Time (all)	-3%
Research Time (specific)	-10% Electronics
One-off boosts(+100%)	2x100% Industry 2x100% Synthetic resources	2x100% Industry 2x100% Synthetic resources
Resources
Resource Gain Efficiency		+15%
Synthetic Refinery	+1	+1
Tungsten	12	12
Steel	12	12
Other Notes / Bonuses
Both paths gain 1 research slot Both paths can upgrade their science base Both paths can upgrade their industrial base	+10% Prodcution Efficiency growth +5% Conversion speed bonus	+5% Supremacy popularity +5% Max Factories in a State +15% Factory Repair Speed +4 Building Slots -12500 Griffonpower

Military Tree

The military trees are fairly self explanatory. Most of the focuses will provide Hellquill with research bonuses.

Technology

Army	Naval	Air	Tech / Industry
Infantry Equipment 989 Mountain Infantry I Engineer Company I Recon Company Artillery I	None	Early Fighter	None
Doctrine			Racial
None	None	None	We Can Fly?! Knights Division II

Politics

National Spirits

The Knights of Hellquill

• Recruitable Population Factor: -25%
• War Support: +10.00%
• Special Forces Capacity Multiplier: +15.0%
• Knights Attack: +10.00%
• Knights Defense: +10.00%
• Knights Technology Research Speed: +10%

Offically the Order of Brothers of the Griffon House of Prelate Aloysious in Cloudbury, the Knights of Hellquill have had a storied and bloody past.

Having been granted the ancient Frontier lands around Hellquill by Emperor Grover II himself, the Knights have continually proven themselves to be a bulwark of Griffonkind against the savage ponies of the East, even if said ponies claim otherwise...

The Reformisten

• Political Power Gain: -10%
• Monthly Population: -10.0%
• Daily Supremacy Support: +0.02

Reformisten, or more commonly known as the Black Cloaks, are a group of rather... enthusiastic knights whom have taken all the worst ideas of the modern age to heart.

Led by Wingfried von Katerinburg, the Black Cloaks seek to reform the Knightly Order into a proper state with Wingfried at its helm, while at the same time seeking to create more "living space" for the Griffon race at the expense of the ponies of the east.

Pony Minorities

• Political Power Gain: -5%
• Recruitable Population Factor: -15%
• Stability: -10.00%
• Daily Harmony Support: +0.02

In spite of nearly three hundred years of colonisation and griffonisation, there are still plenty of ponies living in Hellquill, still holding onto their ancient way of life and traditions. Some even actively subvert the state, seeking to overthrow the existing order.

Leaders

Starting leaders
Leader	Leader		Ideology and party		Traits	Description	Comes to power by
Siegfried Trappenfeld		Knightly Order Non-Aligned Ritterlicher Rat	None	Born: 27th of June 936 in Wingenberg Rank: Grandmaster Biography: Born into a prominent family of Hellquillian knights, Siegfried Trappenfeld joined the Order at an early age as a squire. During his service, Siegfried has seen many battles in his lifetime, and is respected by all for his unwavering dedication, boldness and being the model of a gallant knight. He distinguished himself by bravely leading the sack of Diamond Mountain in 973. For this, he was nominated as Grandmaster of his Order in 976. Unfortunately, he was robbed of the opportunity of leading the knights in a golden age. Faced with the collapse of the Griffonian Empire and revolution in 978, he chose not to renew the oath binding the Order to the Imperial Power. While he vowed to forever protect the West from the threat of the Riverlands menace, he would forever be remembered as a turncoat. He did achieve success in maintaining the Griffonian Frontier intact but was unsuccessful in building a modern nation. Despite this poor state of affairs and the growing extremist movements in Hellquill and neighbouring Longsword, Siegfried Trappenfeld remains a living proof that the knightly ways will endure and so will Hellquill as a bulwark to protect the griffon way of life. Portrait by: Scroup
August von Ortelsberg		Chivalric Knightly Order Harmony Einheitspakt	Bookworm Research Speed: +5%	Born: 6th of May 959 in Hellquill Biography: August von Ortelsberg was born into the small land-owning nobility of Ortelsberg. As a young fledgling, he showed a certain attraction towards intellectual pursuit but was still encouraged to follow the knight's life rather an academic career. As a member of the Order, August served dutifully but never showed any interest in command. Instead, his impeccable bookkeeping and detailed reports lead him to join the administrative side of the Order. Finally in 992, after the death of the Knight Archivist, August petitioned the Grandmaster for the position which admittedly, few knights cared for and many saw as an undignified position. The Grandmaster agreed, causing August to becoming the youngest knight to ever occupy the position and also the youngest knight to be elevated by right to the Inner Circle of the Order. As head archivist, August von Ortelsberg had spent many hours documenting and researching the Order's history. He has repeatedly reached the conclusion that the conflict between ponies and griffons is immensely destructive and has achieved nothing positive for anygriff or pony. His continuous pleas to the Grandmaster fell on deaf ears, and when the latter stepped down, August's exasperation only grew, comprehending that his attempts to foster peace would never be realised. In the end, August prevailed over the traditionalist Urlach and the extremist Wingfried and is now poised to reconcile the Order of Hellquill with modernity and extend a claw towards the ponies. Though in a land as filled with hatred as the Frontier is, his aim remains a tall order. Portrait By: Scroup
Volkskomitee der Nationalen Befreiung		Equestrian Socialism Communism KPHKommunistische Partei Hellquill	None	None
Wingfried von Katerinburg		Reformisten Supremacy Reformisten	None	Born: 13th of December 961 in Katerinburg Rank: Despite being a member of a minor branch of the Von Katerinburg house, Wingfried was born and raised in great wealth. Fascinated by knightly tales of old, he wished from a young age to become a knight himself. However, he was unwelcome in the order of the Argentumdämmerung due to dynastic rivalries and uninterested in the more civilian minded Silberkralle. So, he journeyed to the east, to the Frontier where heroism was welcomed and boldness more favored than in the rigid Katerin. Or so the official story says. Rumours from Katerin tell a different story, that of a troubled griff, weak willed and cursed with erratic behaviour not unlike princess Diellza. An embarrassment to his family, he was sent away to the Frontier not for glory but for damage control. In Hellquill, Wingfried was given special privileges due to his noble birth and spent more time in the knightly seats of power than in the field. However, what he didn't achieve in military honour, he made up with influence. Nogriff quite knows what lead him to develop his burning hatred of Ponies but he became an ardent member of the pro-war faction of the knights. Frustrated with the inertia and pushback regarding his increasingly extreme ideas, he began to form a new political movement, akin to a political party as they exist in the West. Thus was born the Reformisten, dedicated to nothing but absolute victory over the dreaded ponies. He found great success in neighbouring Longsword where he caught the attention of Count Pallas Dusktalon. And now that Wingfried has convinced the Inner Circle, he stands ready to rejuvenate Hellquill, bring war to the East and to achieve victory, whatever the cost. Portrait by: Duke Von Kessel
Post-1007 leaders [may contain spoilers]
Leader	Leader		Ideology and party		Traits	Description	Comes to power by
Inner Circle Council		Knightly Order Non-Aligned Ritterlicher Rat	Provisional Government Generate war goal tension limit: +100% Join faction tension limit: +100% Lend-lease tension limit: +100% Send volunteers tension limit: +100% Guarantee tension limit: +100% Justify war goal time: +100%	None
River Breeze		Harmonic Socialism Harmony ZPWZmānenawinan Peraīninsnas Wīrija	Friendly Preacher Daily Political Power Cost: +0.1 Division Recovery Rate: +2.5% Stability: +5%	Born: 9th of February 966 in Hellquill Biography: River Breeze's family had lived in Hellquill for generations, and despite the intense griffonisation they were subjected to after the conquest, they never considered moving to friendlier lands. Instead, they've adopted large parts of the griffon culture, with River Breeze's father becoming a priest of Arcturius. As a privileged posniak, River Breeze was lucky enough to have opportunities for better education which he pursued, becoming a lawyer. However, despite his faith and acceptance of the new order, the pony became sensible to the woes of his brethrens throughout the land. Believing in the power of law and incremental changes, he sued the Order and civilian administration of Hellquill multiple times to uphold what few rights his fellow ponies enjoyed. Through his civil rights actions, he became a fixture of the Hellquillian pony community, pozniak or native. Some say that despite his respectability, the pony still maintains ties with more radical or unsavory organizations such as the partisans in Longsword or pony mobsters in Hellquill proper. Yet, River Breeze has eventually convinced the conservative voters of Hellquill to trust him in bringing peace and stability to the troubled Frontier. For if a pony ended up ruling, would there ever be a more reasonable choice? Portrait by: Scroup
Reiner Guttenfried		Harmonic Libertarianism Harmony SLPSozialliberale Partei	National Hero Political Power Gain: +5% Stability: +5%	Born: 13th of June 961 in Soldau Biography: Reiner Guttenfried was born in the wealthy middle class of Soldau. He enjoyed higher education at university in Yale and began working in the family business of cargo transport along the Griffking River between the Empire and Hellquill. The uneventful life of the merchant eventually changed when August von Ortelsberg eventually came to power. Guttenfried was among those griffons who benefited massively from his liberalization reforms. Rather than opposing August's reforms like many other wealthy griffons, August embraced them and expanded his trading empire to the Riverlands. Not content with this, he build a media empire, though one dedicated to his own glory according to his slandering critics. Eventually, Reiner prevailed in the election and is well-determined to bring change to Hellquill, though one of economic liberalism and decisive executive action rather than the more parliamentary or welfare-minded ideas of his adversaries. Reiner promises that after having cracked the code of success in the Frontier, he will bring about prosperity for all in the Frontier! Portrait by: Scroup
Carl von Soldau		Centrism Non-Aligned OGBOst-Griffonischer Bund	None	Born: 30th of september 970 in Soldau Biography: One would be hard pressed to understand why the conservative wing of the Order of Hellquill rallied around a known philanderer and a general with little interest in the proper etiquette befitting a knight. And yet, here came Carl. Carl's road to power was a difficult one, one that saw the unification of the old partisans of knightly rule and the settlers community who for so long had been excluded from power in a state virtually made for their benefit. Though, he does not rule supreme and his coalition in parliament will prevent him from simply ruling by decree. Though for all his charisma and reassuring speeches, Carl's victory has spread fear in Hellquill. Fear that democracy may end up being a passing fad or that the ghost of reformisten ideology may not be entirely gone, even with the disappearance of its leader. Will Carl save the Republic or doom it? The only griffon with the answer is the one smiling. Portrait by: Vexili
Urlach ap Cyrod		Knightly Order Non-Aligned Ritterlicher Rat	None	Born: 7th of december 957 in Rumare Biography: With the retirement of his mentor and the claim to power of the demented Wingfried von Katerinburg, Urlach saw Hellquill on the brink of moral collapse. And so, he rose to the occasion, engaging in the political terrain he hated so much. In the end, he prevailed and is now tasked with leading the knights but unlike his mentor, he has no knowledge of what it entails to lead in the modern era. Armed with morality and resolve, he will still need to seek advice and find a path forward as the heroes of old or perhaps in a more pragmatic way, like Siegfried had to. Portrait by: Scroup

Parties

Political parties
Name	Ideology			Leader	Popularity
Ritterlicher Rat			Knightly Order Non-Aligned	Siegfried Trappenfeld	54%
Einheitspakt			Chivalric Knightly Order Harmony	August von Ortelsberg	9%
KPH Kommunistische Partei Hellquill			Equestrian Socialism Communism	Volkskomitee der Nationalen Befreiung	3%
Reformisten			Reformisten Supremacy	Wingfried von Katerinburg	34%

Staff and Designers

Political Advisors
Name	Trait	Requirement	Effect	Cost
Herman Sauerland	Captain of Industry	None	Civilian Factory construction speed: +10% Infrastructure construction speed: +10% Railway construction speed: +10% Refinery construction speed: +10%	150
Friedrich Grimbill	Fortification Engineer	None	AI Modifier: Focus on Defense: +5% Land Fort construction speed: +20% Coastal Fort construction speed: +20% Anti Air construction speed: +20%	150
Ellie Glöckner	War Industrialist	None	AI Modifier: Focus on War Production: +10% Military Factory construction speed: +10% Dockyard construction speed: +10% Fuel Silo construction speed: +10%	150
Marie "Mizzy" de Artois	Army Drugs Supplier	None	Division Speed: +10% Division Recovery Rate: −5%	150
Generic Advisor	Illusive Gentlebeing	Has created an Intelligence Agency	Operative slots: +1 Agency upgrade time: −15%	150

Tank Designers
Name	Trait	Requirement	Effect	Cost
Armor Company	Tank Designer	None	Armor Research Speed: +15% Armor technology: Reliability: +5% Armored Car: Reliability: +5%	150

Ship Designers
Name	Trait	Requirement	Effect	Cost
Naval Company	Ship Designer	None	Naval Research Speed: +15%	150

Aircraft Designers
Name	Trait	Requirement	Effect	Cost
Light Air Company	Light Aircraft Designer	None	Air Research Speed: +15% Small Airframe: Agility: +10% Max Speed: +10% Carrier Fighter Airframe: Agility: +10% Max Speed: +10%	150
Medium Air Company	Medium Aircraft Designer	None	Air Research Speed: +15% Heavy Fighter Airframe: Reliability: +20% Medium Airframe: Reliability: +20% Scout Plane Airframe: Reliability: +20%	150
Heavy Air Company	Heavy Aircraft Designer	None	Air Research Speed: +15% Large Airframe: Strat. Bombing: +10% Transport Plane: Range: +10%	150
Naval Air Company	Naval Aircraft Designer	None	Air Research Speed: +15% Naval Bomber Airframe: Range: +10% Naval Attack: +10% Carrier Naval Bomber Airframe: Range: +10% Naval Attack: +10% Carrier Fighter Airframe: Range: +10% Agility: +10% Carrier CAS Airframe: Range: +10% Naval Attack: +10%	150

Materiel Designers
Name	Trait	Requirement	Effect	Cost
Small Arms Company	Infantry Equipment Designer	None	Weapons and Equipment Research Speed: +15%	150
Artillery Company	Artillery Designer	None	Artillery Research Speed: +15%	150
Motorization Company	Motorized Equipment Designer	None	Motorization Research Speed: +15%	150

Industrial Concerns
Name	Trait	Requirement	Effect	Cost
Zinten Plant	Industrial Concern	Owns state Lone Domain (553) Lone Domain: Is a core of  Ordensstaat Hellquill	Synthetic Resources Research Speed: +4% Industrial Research Speed: +15%	150
Electronics Company	Electronics Concern	None	Electronics Research Speed: +15%	150

Theorists
Name	Trait	Requirement	Effect	Cost
Heine Roehr	Military Theorist	None	Land Doctrine Cost: −10%	100
Frank Schöpfer	Naval Theorist	None	Naval Doctrine Cost: −10%	100
Cecilia Schmid	Air Warfare Theorist	None	Air Doctrine Cost: −10%	100

Chiefs of Army
Name	Trait	Requirement	Effect	Cost
Otto Stahlglaube	Army Offense (Expert)	None	Army Experience Gain: +0.30 Division Attack: +10% AI Modifier: Focus on Offense: +15%	100  20
Viktor von Soldau	Army Defense (Expert)	None	Army Experience Gain: +0.30 Division Defense: +10% AI Modifier: Focus on Defense: +15%	100  20
Ernst Imclaw	Army Organization (Expert)	None	Army Experience Gain: +0.30 Division Organization: +8%	100  20

Chiefs of Navy
Name	Trait	Requirement	Effect	Cost
Ophion Bähr	Decisive Battle (Specialist)	None	Naval Experience Gain: +0.20 Capital Ship Attack: +5% Capital Ship Armor: +5% Screen Attack: +5% Screen Defense: +5%	50  30
Walfried Whitebeak	Submarines (Expert)	None	Naval Experience Gain: +0.30 Submarine Attack: +15% Submarine Defense: +10%	100  20

Chiefs of Airforce
Name	Trait	Requirement	Effect	Cost
Alwin Mittermeier	Air Superiority (Expert)	None	Air Experience Gain: +0.30 Air superiority attack: +3% Air superiority defense: +3% Air superiority agility: +3%	100  20
Erebos Hopf	Close Air Support (Specialist)	None	Air Experience Gain: +0.20 Close air support attack: +2% Close air support defense: +2% Close air support agility: +2%	50  30

Military High Command
Name	Trait	Requirement	Effect	Cost
Zephyrus Frosch	Commando (Expert)	None	Special forces Attack: +15% Special forces Defense: +15%	100  20
Fistfall Hauke	Armor (Specialist)	None	Armor Division Attack: +5% Armor Division Defense: +5%	50  30
Isaak Heilprin	Army Logistics (Expert)	None	Division Attrition: −8%	100  20
Emil Simmel	Fleet Logistics (Specialist)	None	Naval max range factor: +5%	50  30
Augusta Stauffer	All-Weather (Specialist)	None	Bad Weather Penalty: −10%	50  30

Military leaders

Field Marshal
Field Marshal	Traits	Description	Skills	Race
Field Marshal Siegfried Trappenfeld	Unyielding Defender Retreat is not an option. Defense: +10% Charismatic A natural leader. Soldiers will face their worst fears when backed by a powerful leader. Division Recovery Rate: +10%	See description: Born: 27th of June 936 in Wingenberg Rank: Grandmaster Biography: Born into a prominent family of Hellquillian knights, Siegfried Trappenfeld joined the Order at an early age as a squire. During his service, Siegfried has seen many battles in his lifetime, and is respected by all for his unwavering dedication, boldness and being the model of a gallant knight. He distinguished himself by bravely leading the sack of Diamond Mountain in 973. For this, he was nominated as Grandmaster of his Order in 976. Unfortunately, he was robbed of the opportunity of leading the knights in a golden age. Faced with the collapse of the Griffonian Empire and revolution in 978, he chose not to renew the oath binding the Order to the Imperial Power. While he vowed to forever protect the West from the threat of the Riverlands menace, he would forever be remembered as a turncoat. He did achieve success in maintaining the Griffonian Frontier intact but was unsuccessful in building a modern nation. Despite this poor state of affairs and the growing extremist movements in Hellquill and neighbouring Longsword, Siegfried Trappenfeld remains a living proof that the knightly ways will endure and so will Hellquill as a bulwark to protect the griffon way of life. Portrait By: Scroup	Level 4 Attack: 4 Defense: 4 Planning: 3 Logistics: 2	Griffon

Generals
General	Traits	Description	Skills	Race
General Urlach ap Cyrod	Infantry Leader Skilled at leading infantry in combat. Infantry Defense: +13% Skilled Staffer Surrounded by some of the best staff, this leader is able to organize and manage a larger number of units. General Max Army Size: +6	See description: Born: 7th of December 957 in Rumare Biography: Urlach ap Cyrod was born into the old Rumarean nobility. His childhood was a stern one and he was given the most proper education possible. Eventually, he sought to become a squire and serve the Empire as a knight. However, many in his entourage advised him to go and seek his fortune in the Griffonian Frontier where more opportunities were available. After briefly considering joining the Order of Opinicus, he finally settled for the Knightly Order of Hellquill. As a squire in Hellquill, Urlach was taken under the wing of Grandmaster Siegfried von Trappenfeld who found in young Urlach a kindred spirit. Under his service, Urlach served well and quickly rose through the rank until finally joining the Inner Circle of the knights in 998. A paragon of traditional values, Urlach has watched with unease as Hellquill was polluted by foreign ideologies and the political upheaval that came with modernity. He came to blows with the rising reformisten, especially upon witnessing their nefarious influence in Longsword and finding his friend Wilhelm Stackelberg swayed by their lies. Yet, he serves with righteous virtue and will continue to encourage his brothers and sisters to follow him in doing so. Portrait By: Scroup	Level 3 Attack: 2 Defense: 3 Planning: 3 Logistics: 2	Griffon
General Demetrius Kamphaus	Engineer Adept in the arts of crossing rivers and constructing field fortifications. River: Attack: +5% Fort: Attack: +10% Hill Fighter Excels at fighting in Hilly terrain. Hills: Movement: +5% Attack: +10% Defense: +10% Fortress Buster Assaulting a Fort holds no terror for this officer. Fort: Attack: +15%	See description: Born: "Late October" 958 in the Strawberry Duchy Biography: Demetrius Kamphaus's parentage is considered shrouded in mystery, as is his actual birthdate. This is not due to some grand conspiracy, but rather due to the fact he was born to a maid working in the estate of a high-ranking noble, a noble that shared a lot of features with the newly born Demetrius. Naturally, such an upstanding gentlegriff wouldn't possibly paw the servants, and Demetrius grew up with only his mother. It was deemed for the best that the boy be sent away after his mother's death, and the Order of Hellquill received a sizeable donation for taking him on and asking no questions. Demetrius could tell that he was not wanted back home and has ever since treated the order as the only family he has. While not the order's most brilliant strategist or inspiring commander, he has built a rock solid reputation for himself rational, driven and stable (with many a comedic savant remarking on his corpulence whenever the last term comes up). Even during his youth, when he was part of the raid on Diamond Mountain, he held his ground even as the dogs attempted to use fire to drive back the knights. This gave him both his distinctive scars and his knighthood. Ever since, his grim determination along with his disinterest in factionalism or scheming is what has made him rise as high as he has. Kamphaus prides himself on getting things done, reasoning that others can have the glory because he will settle for success and a good meal at his favorite restaurant.	Level 3 Attack: 2 Defense: 3 Planning: 3 Logistics: 2	Griffon
General Carl von Soldau	Artillery Officer Trained as an artillery officer. Artillery Leader experience factor: +100% Ranger Rangers lead the way, especially when it involves fighting in Forests. Forest: Movement: +5% Attack: +10% Defense: +10%	See description: Born: 30th of September 969 in Soldau Rank: Generalmajor Biography: Carl von Soldau was born in one of the settlers communities around Soldau. However, the life of a farmer was not one for him and he eventually decided to join the army. His family was able to gain him a place at the officer school in Hellquill from which Carl graduated with honors though not without gaining the reputation of a philanderer. He joined the artillery corps of the Order's regular army and eventually met with Demetrius Kamphaus who he would become good friends with despite their vast differences in character. Despite his morally dubious private life, he served with distinctions and never openly transgressed the rules of conduct, something some attributed to his budding friendship with the professional Kamphaus. This allowed him to rise through the ranks rather quickly. Finally, in 1006, he was promoted to the Inner Circle though some more senior knights believe his promotion to be more political in nature, as a way of disproving those who complained that the Order's Inner Circle was too beholden to the Griffonian nobility. Portrait By: Vexili	Level 3 Attack: 2 Defense: 3 Planning: 3 Logistics: 2	Griffon
General Trudy Oettinger	None	See description: Born: 970s Somewhere in Diamond Mountain Rank: Major Biography: Likely born in slavery, Trudy was among those few dogs smuggled out of the Diamond Mountains by the Bund der Freien Hunde. Brought as a cub to Bronzehill, little Trudy was adopted by the Oettinger family who raised her as a dutiful subject of the Grover Dynasty. She studied at the military academy of Bronzekreuze and graduated in 993. However, rather than enlist in the Imperial Army or the forces of the Bronzehill, she requested to go and serve in Hellquill. She justified herself as wanting to fight for the freedom of other Diamond Dogs and considered that fighting for their freedom should not rest fully on the shoulder of griffonkind. Her request was granted though the recruitement restrictions of the Order of Hellquill prevented her from becoming a knight. As a member of the Hellquillian military, she proved herself to be a capable officer despite the inimity of the growing reformisten movement and after years of service, she became the first non-griffon in the history of Hellquill to be granted a commanding position by Grandmaster Trappenfeld. Portrait By: Vexili	Level 3 Attack: 2 Defense: 3 Planning: 2 Logistics: 3	Diamond Dog
General Wilhelm Stackelberg	Inflexible Strategist Skilled but stubborn. A good enough plan can survive contact with the enemy. Defense: +1 Logistics: +1 Fortress Buster Assaulting a Fort holds no terror for this officer. Fort: Attack: +15%	See description: Born: 17th of March 964 in Hellquill Rank: Grenzemeister Biography: Wilhelm's origins are one shared by many lower ranking knights of the Order of Hellquill. His family belonged to the lowly priests and knights who had formed the bulwark of the Order for many generations. His mother died on the field of battle in 973 during the sack of Diamond Mountain. After having followed a religious upbringing, Wilhelm served as a dutiful squire for many years until he was finally knighted in 986. As a knight, Stackelberg served dutifully on the eastern frontier and earned his commanding title after brutally exterminating a Riverlander scout party out in the Frontier. He also befriended the Rumarean Urlach ap Cyrod and often acted in tows with him. Both him and Urlach were elevated together to the Inner Circle in 998. During the years following the turn of the millenium, Wilhelm Stackelberg gradually grew tired of the conduct of the Ordensstaat, believing that Trappenfeld's reforms and isolation were a betrayal of their oath to the emperors of the Griffonian Empire. He wished for closer ties with the Empire and to resume their conquest eastwards. And so, he became a regular attendees of meetings of knights organized by Wingfried von Katerinburg. Eventually, he became their most ardent supporter within knightly circles and obtained the nickname of the "Black Knight of the Reformisten". Portrait By: Vexili	Level 2 Attack: 2 Defense: 3 Planning: 2 Logistics: 2	Griffon
General Steeltalon The Butcher	The Butcher This stubborn general is incorrigibly aggressive, ripping and tearing into the enemy with little regard for strategy or friendly casualties. Leader Experience Gain: −100% Division Attack: +20% Experienced soldier losses: +5% General Max Army Size: −16 Promotion Cost: +1 000% Chance to get wounded in combat: +50%	See description: Born: Unclear Rank: Waffenmeister Biography: Little is known about Hermann Steeltalon's early life mostly because he drops his usual oafish smile whenever he is asked about it which is usually enough to end any attempts at conversations. However, it is known that he joined the army and "performed" well during some incident in Zinten. Though some have argued that it may be a myth that Steeltalon himself enjoys too much to dispel. The so-called butcher of Zinten was knighted not for his tactical expertise, noble birth or administrative know how but rather for his uncanny ability to fight and murder his opponent. Though some Reformisten like to claim that the butcher is their ally, Steeltalon has never shown any political interest. From his own rare account: he just kills what the higher-ups tell him to. Portrait By: Vexili	Level 2 Attack: 3 Defense: 1 Planning: 1 Logistics: 1	Griffon

Economy

Laws and Development

Laws and Development
Conscription Law	Trade Law	Economy Law
Volunteer Only Recruitable Population: 1.50%	Export Focus Construction Speed: +10.00% Research Speed: +5.00% Factory Output: +10.00% Dockyard Output: +10.00% Resources to Market: +50% Civilian intelligence to others: +20.0% Navy intelligence to others: +10.0%	Civilian Economy Industrial Research Speed: +3% Electronics Research Speed: +2% Consumer Goods Factories: 35.0% Military to Civilian Factory conversion cost: +30.00% Civilian to Military Factory conversion cost: +30.00% Fuel Gain per Oil: -40.00% Fuel Capacity: -25.00% Infrastructure construction speed: +10.00% Military Factory construction speed: -30.00% Civilian Factory construction speed: -30.00% Refinery construction speed: +5.00%
Scientific Development	Society Development	Illiteracy
Small Science Base Daily Political Power Gain: +0.20 Research Speed: -55.00%	Industrialising Society Resource Gain Efficiency: -20.00% Monthly Population: -10.0% Construction Speed: -20.00% Production Efficiency Cap: -10.00% Research Speed: -20.00% Factory Output: -20.00% Dockyard Output: -20.00% Factory Bomb Vulnerability: -25.00%	Modest Illiteracy Construction Speed: -10.00% Research Speed: -30.00%
Poverty	Race
Low Poverty Monthly Population: -7.0% Consumer Goods Factories: 7.0% Construction Speed: -10.00% Research Speed: -2.50%	Griffon Uses Griffon Racial Tree

Industry and Resources

Factories

Military Factories	Naval Dockyards	Civilian Factories	Fuel Silos	Synthetic Refineries
2	0	5	0	0

Numbers in red indicate the number of civilian factories required to produce consumer goods, based on economy laws and the total number of military and civilian factories, rounded up.

Resources

Oil	Aluminum	Rubber	Tungsten	Steel	Chromium	Crystal
0	0	0	0	14	0	0

Numbers in red indicate how many resources are reserved for export due to trade laws.

Strategies and guides

Starting Situation

The Knightly Order of Hellquill starts with a small military of 40K deployed griffons (including 2 veteran knights), a meagre 7 factories and mixed terrain types. While it can gain some industry and ponypower by uniting with Longsword, Hellquill will find itself be outmatched by the combined forces of the River Coalition.

Threats and Opportunities

•  Longsword - Another Knightly Order and historical ally of Longsword. All political paths will give a focus to deal with Longsword. They will have a civil war early in the game and depending on the ruling parties of them and Hellquill, the unification can either be peaceful or via war.
• River Coalition - The ancient enemy of the Knights of Hellquill and unless Hellquill is harmonic they will be the main enemy of Hellquill. Several of their member nations will gain war goals against Hellquill which will bring the whole of the River Coalition into a war with Hellquill. Their combined strength vastly outmatches Hellquill and any conflict will be difficult. The key members to watch out for are  Diamond Mountain,  Lake City, and the  River Republic. If you complete The Grand Crusade focus, you will end up at war with the entire river coalition.
  •  Diamond Mountain - Your northeastern neighbor. A Supremacy Diamond Mountain can get a war goal against Hellquill from the Revenge focus. They are more likely to take the focus after 1011. Sometimes they can leave the River Coalition which can allow Hellquill to go to war with them without involving the rest of the River Coalition. However, be aware of their special Ironpaw divisions which have high defense and excel in fighting in hills and mountains of which Diamond Mountains have no shortage of.
  •  Lake City - Most of their political paths will lead them to war with Hellquill. The exceptions are if they take Placate the Military and Bulwark Against Griffons or Curtail the Military paths.
  •  River Republic - They are likely to get involved with Hellquill unless they go down the Prepare For The Storm Path.
•  Firtree Villages - Despite being neighbors they have no interaction with Hellquill. However, they can sometimes join the River Coalition which can open up a new front when facing the River Coalition. Though weak, they start guaranteed by the River Republic so attacking them is generally not a good idea.
•  Farbrook - While they have focuses to go to war with Hellquill, it is unlikely they will take these focuses.

Gameplay Mechanics

• At the start Hellquill will get an event to decide how to spend their treasure from the Diamond Mountains. The treasure can be spent on the industry, population, or army. The choice will affect the rewards from certain focuses.
• A decision to attract griffon colonists is available for all 3 political paths. The decisions is unlocked by doing The Imperials, The Shield of Griffonkind, or The Neuland Act focus. The decision will increase the core population and can be done multiple times.
• If Hellquill finds itself losing a war against the River Coalition then they unlock a decision to call the  Griffonian Empire for help. If accepted, this will put Hellquill back to being a vassal of the Empire but will gain a powerful ally. However, if Hellquill is Supremacist then the call for help will not be accepted. Higher relations will increase the chance of the call being accepted.
• A Harmonic Hellquill will unlock decisions to seek a guarantee from the River Coalition or the Griffonian Empire. Getting guaranteed unlocks further decisions to request more aid and integrate Hellquill into the guaranteeing faction. The requests are more likely to be accepted if Hellquill has high relations with the nation receiving the request.
  • For the Imperials, Hellquill can invite Imperial bankers which will reduce consumer goods and increase trade deal opinion.
  • For the River Coalition, Hellquill can create embassies with with members of the River Coalition (improving relations) and join the River Coalition as a honorary member. As an honorary member Hellquill will get a non-aggression pact with all nations of the River Coalition and can adopt the Rivbit and sign the River Convention on Beings Rights.
• Once a Supremacist Hellquill launches their Grand Crusade and defeats all the River Nations by holding all their capitals, it will unlock a decision to proclaim the Ost-Griffonian Empire. This will move the capital to Jezeragrad and give cores on all of Lake City.

Guides

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Awards

Main article: Awards

An Eye For An Eye

As Hellquill, Have Starry Night as the country leader.