The dilemma. The Crown wants every great house to lend money for a border war against the Marrow Lords, at no interest and with no date of return. Every house is paying. Your treasurer thinks the war is foolish and the money lost.
From the gameThe painting on this decision card in Valmora.
What would you do?
Play itDecision 1 of 1
Dilemma
The Crown Asks for a War Loan
The Crown wants every great house to lend money for a border war against the Marrow Lords, at no interest and with no date of return. Every house is paying. Your treasurer thinks the war is foolish and the money lost.
If the roll succeedsYour speech is copied by every scribe in Aldheim. The war is called off in a month, and the Queen remembers who was right.If it failsThe court hears only a merchant who will not pay. Doors close quietly all over Aldheim.
What happenedYour coin rides off to war. The Crown thanks you on parchment.
What happenedThe tax collectors arrive with a very long list of questions.
No right answer.
In the game the roll is d20 plus your adviser’s skill. Here the bonus is a flat +2.
The options and what happens
Refuse openly and argue for peace before the court.Bold · decided by a d20 roll against 15
Succeeds: Your speech is copied by every scribe in Aldheim. The war is called off in a month, and the Queen remembers who was right.
Fails: The court hears only a merchant who will not pay. Doors close quietly all over Aldheim.
Lend like everyone else (800 cr).Certain outcome
Your coin rides off to war. The Crown thanks you on parchment.
Delay your answer as long as you can.Certain outcome
The tax collectors arrive with a very long list of questions.
About this card
This is one of 8 hand-written dilemmas set in Valmora (Year 412 of the Lantern Calendar), one of three ages in Be a CEO, a business strategy game where you run a trading house. Each dilemma has one bold option, decided by dice, and safer options with certain outcomes. The text above is the card exactly as it appears in the game, with the amounts it showed on the first day of a new game.
Questions
What are the options in “The Crown Asks for a War Loan”?
There are three: “Refuse openly and argue for peace before the court”; “Lend like everyone else (800 cr)”; “Delay your answer as long as you can”. The first is the bold option: the game rolls a d20 plus your adviser’s skill against 15. The other two have certain outcomes.
What happens if the bold choice fails?
The court hears only a merchant who will not pay. Doors close quietly all over Aldheim.
What happens if the bold choice succeeds?
Your speech is copied by every scribe in Aldheim. The war is called off in a month, and the Queen remembers who was right.
More Valmora dilemmas
A Partnership with the Horse ClansThe Tal clan of the steppe offers to share its grazing grounds and remounts with your caravans, in exchange for iron at a fair price.
A Caravan from the Fever CountryA steppe caravan has arrived at Aldheim's east gate from lands where the sweating fever is spreading.
Bandits Who Want to Be GuardsSix men who robbed the Stonebreak road for years have walked into your yard, laid down their knives and asked for work as caravan guards.
Written by the Mantar Tech team from the game’s own data and text. Be a CEO is in closed alpha, so numbers and cards can change. About the art: much of it was made with AI tools and then selected and edited by hand.
