Insignia Ice Playtest - IC

[kumada]

Fans Hiding Faces; The Dance Begins

Mid-afternoon, Dun Inner-Ring, Le Gran Royale luxury parlor:

Prince Arlow is a Skig. He stands at a modest three foot two, wears a tailored suit over his mottled brown chest, and is only slightly smarter than a parrot. In flagrant breach of decorum, he rolls a long pink tongue up his face, over his scaled snout, and moistens his enormous eyes with it. The patrons of Le Gran Royale love the little lizard. They think this sort of thing is cute.

Balancing a single wine flute on a silvered tray, Prince Arlow totters out of the kitchen on stubby legs. He has been trained not to make the intermittent cooing sounds of his kind, and so he stops those noises in his throat. Whips and apples were how he was raised, and the sting of the lash still haunts his skin.

The Prince's legs are short, but he reaches his destination quickly. Lady Du Mar's booth is recessed deep into the side of the luxury parlor, away from the card games and music of the center-space. Here, tucked behind silk curtains, she takes the wine flute from the Skig's tray, tips him a single thick Thaler, and swirls the vintage under her nose as he hurries away.

On a divan nearby, her only companion lounges. He is wearing a blade openly, but his eyes are half-closed and a mane of red hair falls across his face.

"They'll be here soon," Lady Catherine murmurs. "Are we ready for this, Artam?"

Artam cracks an eyelid. "If you already know the answer, why are you asking me?"

"I find it comforting to know that someone else agrees."


Everyone

You may arrive in whatever order you wish, but you have all decided to respond to Lady Catherine Du Mar's invitation to meet her at Le Gran Royale, a luxury parlor in the inner ring of Dun. Those of you traveling from the outer rings will find yourselves passing through a whole lot of social strata. As you move from ring to ring, the number of weapons being worn openly by the ring guards decreases, but the intensity of their inspections of you and your belongings increases. Getting into the inner ring, for most of you, requires nothing short of presenting Lady Catherine's letter to a whole troop of guards, and then promising to leave the district at the soonest possible convenience.

Once inside the inner ring, Le Gran Royale isn't difficult to find. The only real buildings in the inner ring other than the nobles' estates are luxury parlors, and it sits in the middle of a row of the fine establishments, tasteful signs out in front of it promising refreshment, entertainment, and refined company. Le Gran Royale is spacious on the inside, with most of the central area being taken up by a full orchestra and several tables for games of skill and chance. Private dining booths are off to the sides, and if asked any one of the staff members will point you towards Lady Catherine's corner.

[oblivion6]

Cecile loosened the dagger in its hidden sheath even as she entered the gates to the 4th layer of Dun. She was out of her element here and she didnt like it one bit. She was familiar with the three outermost layers but had never had an oppurtunity to venture this far from the outskirts of the city. The houses and paved streets of this ring were a far cry from even the third ring, let alone the first ring where she lived. People of all sorts paraded the streets and merchants stood off to the side, hawking wares more expensive and extravegent than anything she had ever seen. She absolutely hated this place and everything it represented...

And the people here seemed to know exactly how she felt, for they stared at her with undisguised hatred and loathing. She was dressed in a suit of padded cloth armor that many of them wouldnt even deem fit for their dogs to wear, her shoulder-length blond hair looosely flowing in the gentle breeze. She didnt mind though, she had expected nothing more from the pathetic wretches who called themselves "nobles". Though the guards were out in force as usual, Cecile ket her eyes open nonetheless. If any of the nobles decided to act on their feelings towards her, it was quite likely the guards would turn a blind-eye.

Before her stood the gates to the innermost layer of the city, home of some of the biggest fops in Arborland. The walls were tall and thick, manned by dozens of soldiers. "Halt worm," one of the soldiers said standing in front of her. "What is your business entering the fifth layer?" The way he said it made it clear that this guard had already written her off as bad news simply because she was clearly from the outermost rings.

"I have a letter from Lady Catherine," She began, fishing the letter out of her small pack before presenting it to the guard.

"hmm," The guard examined the letter carefully before grunting. "Looks legitimate, but i'll have to confiscate your goods anyway. Cant be letting you smuggle your third-rate goods in. You may pick them up from me upon your exit of the ring."

Cecile just sighed and handed the guard her pack. But not before pulling out a small leather-bound pocket book out of there and slipping it into her pocket. "I need the book as well. For all I know it could be some coded message you plan to deliver to thieves or smugglers hiding in the ring." The guard said, holding out his hand to take the book from her.

Her eyes narrowed dangerously at his words, "Make one more move for that book and i'll gut you..." She promised quietly, so no one else but him could hear.

The guard opened his mouth to respond but was cut off by a shout from his superior who was coming up behind him. "Whats the hold up here private?"

Startled, the private jumped to attention. "No- Nothing at all sir. You are free to pass miss!"

"Why thank you..." Cecile said sweetly, sweeping on past the guard and his superior, without another word.

She breathed a sigh of relief. She had been afraid that might've ended badly. She was confident she could've easilly taken the one guard but there was dozens more where he came from. "You always were better at these kinds of situations than I, weren't you sis," she muttered to herself, holding the crescent moon-shaped necklace that always rested around her neck.

And with that she decided to look around for the luxery dining parlor where she was too meet the Lady Catherine.

[kumada]

Cecile

Crowds of Arborlanders part around you, making the trek to Le Gran Royale a simple one. You are something of a novelty in this district, and you can feel the weight of uncertain stares on you as you pass.

The entrance to the Royale is done up in stone and white lattice. A delicate painted sign hangs high overhead, carefully retouched to withstand the attentions of wind and weather, and it sways in the breeze as you step inside.

[gardenphilosoph]

Wordmonger

Wordmonger wakes from his quiescent period as light begins to flicker through his window and the air begins to warm. For a long time he doesn't move, just taking in the outside world through his scattered senses, eyes and bristle-hairs primarily. Slowly, flexing each of his limbs, he creeps across the room, checking on his cage of rats and then strapping it around his sternum. With an uncanny burst of speed he unlatches the cage and pulls a rat out, impaling it on his chelicerae.

Under the cover of cloud, once the sun has dimmed a bit, he leaves his hovel in the furthest ring and begins making his way inward, toward the wealthier rings, where none of his kind are to be had.

He is a startling sight in each ring, but the further inward he goes the more derision and disgust enter each stare toward him, the rag-clothed Harbinger. He uses his spear like a walking stick, walking slowly, seeming hunch-backed to the humans. The rats chitter at his waist.

A prostitute, hiding herself behind a pillar, praying desperately the Harbinger has not come for her services.

An armourer, appraising the Harbinger's body without judgement, curious of his own capabilities.

A mother, dressed in fine clothes, covering her child's face and pulling him away.

Finally Wordmonger arrives at the first ring. An entire troop of guards, plus some, have assembled, barring his path. They look at him with undisguised prejudice on their faces, as if he hasn't learned to read human expression. His eyes, on the other hand, are unreadable by them. For a long moment, nothing happens.

One of his limbs reach inside one of the many ragged satchels hanging off his spindly body. Half the guards twitch at this motion, clench their weapons tighter. He pulls out Lady Catherine's letter and hands it to the most garishly-dressed guardsman. The guard captain reads it, suspicion in his eyes. There is a tone of incredulousness in his voice when he commands his men to step aside and allow the Harbinger entrance.

Wordmonger passes. After he is out of earshot, the guardsman mutter insults and gossip, clueless that the silent Harbinger knows the intricacies of their own language better than they do.

[kumada]

Wordmonger

A ripple forms around you. A bubble of empty space, pressing through the crowds. These are not your people, and their faces twist in alien emotion as you pass.

Just outside of the Royale, the Dreaming comes upon you for a moment, and you are momentarily swarmed by visions.

A cart overturned, its wealth in corpses upon the street.

Meat, haunched and bloody, dripping from the lamp-posts.

A lonely child--one of these Arborland creatures--juggling knives.

The meaning of all this is unclear until you enter the Royale.

You are in a dining establishment. Of course. You and your rats should fit right in.

[oblivion6]

Cecile

The Royale was a fancy place by any definition of the word. Certainly much fancier than anyplace she had ever been in. Bet the foods not any better than what Lyon used to cook for me despite the decor. she thought to herself, fondly remembering what her sister could cook when she was actually able to get enough of what they needed. Of course, that also brought up memories of her death and her eyes started to tear up slightly. It had been nearly 5 years since her death and Cecile had pretty much been on her own since then... "Enough, cant dwell on the past right now," She muttered.

"Excuse me, could you direct me to Lady Catherines booth?" She said to a passing servant, attempting to distract her mind. Gods, even the servants in this ring made more coin than I have ever seen in one place.

[Fwop]

Legere glances down at a silver fob watch produced from one of innumerable pockets, as he walks down a street in the inner ring. Not particularly accustomed to being in this part of the city, he unfortunately had underestimated the time required to pass the guards manning the gate.

Despite identifying himself as male, he is, after all, a genderless construct; the majority of the clothes he wears as merely a measure taken to set others at ease, and contain little to no ornamentation. His coat, however, is another matter entirely.

A handcrafted thing that had nonetheless aged well, it bears numerous pockets and straps of varying sizes - one of which had just recently contained the aforesaid watch. It was because of this piece of attire that Legere been held up with the guards, as they searched through it for an interval that soon grew rather unexpectedly long.

Well, he was still within the buffer period he had allotted himself, so no harm done. By the guards, at least; he was almost certain he had finally found the right book, when it had come time for him to leave. But hopefully this escapade would prove even more worthwhile.

With such thoughts in mind, Legere returns the pocket watch into his coat and makes his way towards Le Gran Royale.

[kumada]

Cecile

The server pauses like a wading-bird poised in a stream. It takes you a moment, but then you realize that this particular metaphor is doubly apt, since he has feathers. Adjusting his tailored waist-coat, the Makeili directs you out of the public space and into a curtained alcove where a lady and a nobleman are waiting. The lady is unmistakably Catherine Du Mar, and your familiarity with Dun allows you to place the man after a few moments. Artam Du Gervasse, a minor nobleman's son. He has a reputation for carelessness, and a social rap-sheet full of gambling debts and ill-advised romantic conquests. What he'd be doing with the influential lady Du Mar, you do not know, but he is reputedly good with his sword.

Sometimes gossips will wink when they say that last part, all possible entendres meant.

The lady Du Mar welcomes you to her table with a smile. "Come, dear. Sit down. Will you take refreshment?" There is no menu at the table. Presumably patrons order whatever they please.

Game Mechanics Note:Your lore in Dun gave you quite a bit more information about Artam than most people would normally get. This is generally how lores work. They're never rolled, but they may cause me to volunteer information, and they allow you to get more detailed information if you ask for it.

Legere

You are the subject of some passing spectacle, but an Abandosti in the inner ring is hardly unheard of. The guards are hirelings, paranoid about anything they don't rightly understand. Their owners, the nobles, are much more polite. Those that recognize you stop to say good afternoon. The ones that don't, they look at you the same way they might look at an exotic dog--as an amusing diversion, or as fuel for a new topic of conversation. You pay them little mind.

The Royale is moderately busy today, and this is not the first time you've met with a prospective patron here. You are able to find Catherine's table with a minimum of direction, and she's talking to a skinny Arborlander waif when you pull aside the curtain.

[gardenphilosoph]

Wordmonger

Wordmonger pulls himself of the shadowed alcove he found, and begins pacing in the direction which he had observed the slum-woman and the Abandosti golem going. Such a mongrel pair could only be here for the same reason he was.

A rare happy thought passed through his head. He had not conversed with an Abandosti in quite some time, and Murmur was a language he had found quite enjoyable to speak.

[oblivion6]

Cecile:

"Lady Du Mar," Cecile said with a polite nod. She never was very big on formalities, but it wouldnt do to make so powerful a lady mad at you. "May I ask what you wanted to speak to me about?" She paused. "And why you choose me, an orphan from the streets, to be part of this?

[kumada]

Wordmonger

The spider creeps along after the other two outsiders, following the pair into a secluded corner. Everyone else at the Royale gives it a wide birth--including Prince Arlow, who hides quivering under a table.

Lady Du Mar looks up when you enter her corner, and her expression surprises you. In so far as you can read the emotions on her squishy hominid features, she hardly seems to show any shock at all at seeing you here. There is a momentary flickering of disgust, but it's only in her eyes. She welcomes you to the booth with hardly a second glance at your cage of rats.

Everyone

"Straight to the point, I see?" The words might have had a mocking edge, but Catherine Dur Mar smiles as she says them. "Such a shame. The chef here does a wonderful braised landwhelk* and truffles."

When no one takes her up on the offer, she continues. "I have a matter of some concern that I would like you all to look into. Normally I would simply pass it off to the house guards and they would hand it over to one of the mercenary guilds, and so on down the line it would travel, but I wanted locals for this--people who might have a personal stake in the affairs of Dun."

"Tell me, are you acquainted with the Hog Butchers' Consortium**? They have been moving into the fourth ring, absorbing local businesses as they go. One of their most recent purchases was the old Silas Family slaughterhouse."

"Now, there's no love lost between the Consortium and I, but I think they made a mistake. The slaughterhouse is a terrible investment. It has a dodgy reputation. I don't want to see them get hurt. So, instead, I would like you fine people to investigate the compound. To present the Consortium with proof that they should reconsider their purchase."

"I can pay you a retainer of ten Thalers a day***, plus fifty apiece for resolving the matter."

Cecile and Legere

There is a terrifying spider behind you.

Errata

*The landwhelk, an ambulatory mollusk found in swamps, plains, and forests across the Arborlands is not picky about its dining habits. In the city, slum-dwellers will sometimes raise landwhelks on refuse, selling them to the naive or the destitute. Eating landwhelk is so low-class that only the very highest tier of society could reinvent it as upper-crust. The whelk here was probably grass-fed, taken on leisurely walks, and made into a dish of its own choosing. It probably lived as few whelks could dream.

**The HBC is a mercantile guild, not limited strictly to pigs, and has a foothold in Dun--along with several other Arborland cities. As a relatively new guild, its business has been appropriately cut-throat. Rival guild members or shop owners unwilling to join are sometimes found in pieces, or not found at all.

***This is exceptionally good money. There are plenty of laborers who make only ten Thalers a week. The fifty Thaler bonus isn't earth-shattering, but it is both plausible and tempting.

[Fwop]

There is a terrifying spider behind you.
EDIT: Oh I see it now. Whoops. That was embarrassing.

Legere opts to take a second to marshal his next few words. It's been a while since he's had to deal with a client of such high standing, and a poor turn of phrase could potentially untold trouble for him.

"Certainly a generous offer," he finally concludes, apparently unhurried, "but I cannot help but wonder what you feel I might have to contribute to this situation. As I'm sure you already know, my area of expertise does lies somewhat outside this particular brand of... investigations."

[gardenphilosoph]

Hahahahaha, I think it was a statement intended for humour, Fwop. My character is a Harbinger, a spider-man, and most other races would find him disgusting and terrifying, especially in the human city of Dun. I am that terrifying spider.

Wordmonger was amused. He had had some dealings with the Hog Butchers' Consortium, quite a while back, before they had started moving into more rings than their own. They were a bloody sort of people, he recalled.

The money was impressive, but he was never particularly motivated by thalers. Most of what he needed for his own happiness could be bought on a low wage, and the primitive lifestyle he was acquainted to, before his stint in Dun, was beyond the compulsions of currency.

Before he would acquiesce, he had some questions for Lady Catherine.

He twitched his chelicerae, and re-arranged his mandibles to vocalize Realm.

"Lady Catherine. Before I acquiesce to this contract, I have a few questions for you. One. Is this a request on behalf of the Consortium? Two. Where is the slaughterhouse, and what do you know about it? Three. Where did you hear about me?

He was most interested in the answer to the third question. His name was not unfamiliar in the criminal circles of Dun, but they were just that - criminal circles. Lady Catherine Du Mar was - or at least claimed to be, according to her status, far removed from that.

[kumada]

Legere

"My dearest Legere," Catherine twirls the stem of a wine glass between her fingers, "someone of your particular caliber lends an air of authority to this mission, one that might be lacking otherwise. Besides, as a scholar of the arcane energies, I would hope that you would find the Silas Family Slaughterhouse intriguing."

You are unaware of anything that would make the slaughterhouse an interesting case study, but Lady Catherine seems to be telling the truth. Sometimes places that are saturated with strong emotions can become magical hotspots, and that could certainly be the case in an old slaughterhouse.

Cecile

You immediately pick up on what Catherine means. The slaughterhouse is reportedly either haunted or cursed, depending on the religious leanings of the person telling the tale, and the streets around it stay fairly empty at night.

Chances are, the rumors of hauntings and curses were spread by the Silas family. A reputation for spookery hasn't really hurt the slaughterhouse's bottom line, and it has done a wonderful job of keeping the unwanted from breaking in.

Wordmonger

The lady Catherine looks Wordmonger directly in the eyes as he speaks*, and not once does her gaze stray towards the grinding movements of his mouth. For a moment, the perpetual discomfort of being surrounded by people eases.

"In answer, I would have to say that no, this is not a formal request by the Consortium. I am simply taking the initiative in order to resolve one of their problems before it arises. As for the slaughterhouse, my footmen tell me that it's in the fourth ring, just off of Cobblewerk and Resin lane."

"Now, for your last question--"

The sleepy-looking man that's still lounging to the side of lady Catherine opens an eye. "I suggested you. You're familiar with the area, you have a gift with words, and even the sort of riff-raff that roams the district will think twice before antagonizing you. The rats are a little gauche, but we all have our vices."

Errata

*This is a gesture of respect among Harbingers. The unspoken meaning is "we are both watching each other, so neither of us is going to try anything." Most other races will quickly break eye-contact, unaware of the slight and unwilling to look at the Harbinger any longer than they have to.

[oblivion6]

Cecile

Cecile whistled softly at the Lady Du Mar's offer. It came out to more money than she had ever had at one time, that's for sure. The job also sounded relatively easy. She didn't put much stock in the rumours she had heard of the place. "Thats certainly a generous offer for such a simple sounding task." She paused. "However, why would you choose me to be part of this? I am but an orphan from the first ring, in such a large city like Dun, there must be hundreds more people better suited for this than I."

[kumada]

Cecile

A smile quirks Artam's lips. "Ah, perhaps. But none so beautiful as you."

Catherine glances pointedly at him. "And if, like me, you don't find that answer to be entirely satisfying, you were recommended to me because of your familiarity with the district and your reputation for being able to look after yourself. Also, you are innocent of the politics of the first ring, and you have no idea how rare a quality that can be in good help."

Note:Actually, the rings count down to the center. The first ring is the inner ring. Cecile's probably from the fourth or the fifth. Don't worry too much about editing your posts. I just wanted to say something about it so that you didn't get confused later.

[oblivion6]

Ah okay. That would mean Cecile is probably from first ring then.

Cecile

She blushed ever so slightly at Artam's words, but was quick to recover so only a trained eye would've caught it. She wasnt used to being complemented on her appearance. Or at all really.

"In that case, I think i'll accept the job. Seems easy enough." She said.

Well, that certainly helps answer why she chose me...But it doesn't explain how she heard about me in the first place. I am sure my reputation doesn't precede me that much... She thought to herself. She didn't know what it was exactly but something about this job wasn't sitting right...She would have to keep an eye out.

1. What do I know about Lady Du Mar? Her personality, political views, etc. I think she's holding something back. This seems awfully simple for such good pay.

2. What do I know about the Silas family? The Slaughterhouse and the merchant guild?

[Fwop]

"Then, milady, I look forward to being intrigued," Legere smiles, leaning forward in his chair and steepling his fingers. "On to more relevant questions, then. Should we be expecting any aid or information beyond what we can provide for ourselves?"

[kumada]

Cecile

Answers to questions (bearing in mind criminal element 2 and Dun 3):1) Lady Du Mar is well-placed in politics, a thing that doesn't happen accidentally. She has wealthy, profitable estates and is married to the prominent lord Erriksi Valdost. This all indicates some level of political savvy, for all that she might give off the impression of a bored noblewoman.

As best you can tell, she's probably using this move to subtly deny assets to the Consortium without overtly provoking them by attacking their territory. This happens sometimes between criminal factions who don't have the resources or inclination to pursue outright conflict between each other.

2) The Silas family has a much less stellar reputation than Catherine Du Mar. The slaughterhouse has been their property for three generations and it has resisted the ownership of various cartels and criminal organizations quite effectively. The reputation of the building being haunted has helped to keep people from making a play at it, but the Silas family has grown rich off of it, and they're not afraid of getting their hands dirty. The slaughterhouse provides butchered meat to a good chunk of the fourth ring, and it's an important feature in the district.

The Consortium is a fairly new guild and is still caught up in aggressive expansion. Its current leaders tend to be direct in their acquisitions and ruthless in their dealings with competition. Some of them are positioned in Dun, but the central leadership of the guild is elsewhere in the Arborlands.

[kumada]

Legere

Catherine considers the question, steepleing her fingers for a moment, before answering. "If you should need it, my library is open to you. Unfortunately, I will not be able to spare any men to help you with this errand."

[oblivion6]

Cecile

"I believe we can probably make do without the library. I spend alot of time in the general vicinity of the slaughterhouse." She paused, debating whether or not she should tell them of what she had heard about the place. "I have heard certain rumours regarding the place being haunted and cursed but I seriously doubt it. I never have placed much faith in such things."

Wait a second...If the Silas family got rich off the slaughterhouse, why did they let the merchants get a hold of it?

[Fwop]

"Understandable, of course," Legere nods, "otherwise, I doubt we would have been contacted at all."

And, it goes without saying, you wouldn't be able to disavow any relation to them if they got caught, he notes mentally. But that's business.

Aloud, he asks: "Have you any suspicions as to the sort of 'proof' we will be looking for?"

[gardenphilosoph]

Wordmonger is impressed at her display of etiquette, though she is probably well trained in it. He briefly wonders how many Harbingers she has spoken to throughout her life.

If he were a different species he might be inclined to grin at the sleepy man's little jab, but for now he just eyes him, while at the same time studying his companions-to-be for this job.

To the man, he asks. "How did you learn of me?"

To the Lady, he asks "I'm not inclined to work with others. Why should I trust this golem, this slum-woman? My work would be better accomplished alone."

Would also like to use my Rank 3 Lore of Criminal Element to call up what I know about anything relevant to the mission.

[kumada]

Cecile

You don't know for certain, but you suspect some of the following may be true:

1) The Silas family is still in control of the slaughterhouse, at least in some capacity. Either the purchase hasn't been finalized, or the Consortium is allowing the family to continue managing the slaughterhouse, or the Silas family has been or is being accepted into the Consortium as members.

2) The Silas family saw some benefit in selling ownership of the slaughterhouse to the Consortium. Either the Consortium was able to threaten them in a way that no one else had before, or the terms of the offer the proposed was profitable enough to tempt them to sell.

Legere

Lady Catherine frowns a little as if she's considering something. "I would hardly feel right sending you chasing after rumors, Legere. Unfortunately, if I already had the facts on what might make the slaughterhouse a poor investment, it is unlikely I would have called any of you here in the first place."

"But what might make the slaughterhouse risky for the Consortium to control? Contaminated meat, escalating rivalries with the local gangs, or perhaps concrete proof of anything unsavory the Silases might be doing. They have quite the reputation, from what Artam tells me."

"To be clear, I am not looking for you to create any of these problems. In this matter, I have only the Consortium's best interests at heart. But I would like to know anything you find, no matter how trivial it might seem."

Wordmonger

Artam grins at you. His teeth are white and even. "You know, it pays to go drinking in the slums sometimes. The men, their tongues are a bit looser when it comes to gossip. And the women...well, their tongues are also quite loose. You're a legend, you know." He says it in an off-hand way, eyes closing again. "I would find it flattering."

Lady Catherine's face quirks briefly with displeasure as Artam talks, but she doesn't interrupt. When he's done, she adds "I understand your reluctance, and I am not asking you to trust each other. Simply to work together. If I were to add to your retainer, would that turn this feeling into a passing discomfort?"

What you know about the Silases and the slaughterhouse with criminal element 3:People disappear off of the streets around the slaughterhouse. Granted, this isn't exactly unusual in the fourth ring, but occasionally rumors circulate that connect these disappearances with the Silas family. The prevailing theories are that the warehouse is a body disposal site for organized crime (hungry pigs will eat just about anything if you chop it up fine enough), that the Silases grind beggars and urchins into sausages, or that the Silases are involved in a quiet turf war and the vanishing people are rivals.

You are pretty sure that the Silases do not work for any organized crime family. They came from out in the country, and they still fiercely prize their independence. Still, they have a diverse network of contacts, keeping good relations with butcher shop owners, drovers, and the city guard. They may well have been on their way to becoming a crime family.

[gardenphilosoph]

Wordmonger

Do I recognize/know anything about Cecile or Legere? Or are they strangers to me?

[kumada]

Wordmonger

Cecile may be familiar to you in a passing way. Legere almost certainly is not. Check with oblivion6 over in the OOC thread if you want something more complex than "yes, you've probably heard of each other." :smalltongue:

[kumada]

Everyone

When the questions have been finally exhausted, you do not outstay your welcome. As much as the Lady Catherine appears to be amused at the notion of inviting so many outer-ringers to a place in the core, the atmosphere does not sit right with you. You make your excuses and leave quickly.

The walk back takes you past houses and shopfronts, tradesmen and bars, and then finally foodcarts and brothels. The guards who earlier questioned your right to be in the core seem to be utterly disinterested in the traffic leaving it. They don't even ask for a cursory glance at your papers.

Fourth Ring, Outside the Silases' Slaughterhouse

The sickly sweet stench of offal hits everyone but Legere from a few blocks away. The air of the fourth ring is simply redolent with it. Most of the locals hardly notice, save for where the scent is touched by rot.

Beggars sit on street-corners, shaking empty wooden bowls at passers-by. Every so often, a tradesman will stop by, talk with one of them, and then lead him away. During the day, the lane leading to the slaughterhouse is a recruiting street. The beggars are begging for jobs.

The next step up the social strata from the beggars are the bunsellers, men and women straining under the weight of the laden trays they carry. Atop each try are rows and rows of fist-sized doughy lumps, each one heavy with animal mysteries. Most of the bunsellers have logos printed on the fronts of their trays, identifying which merchant cartel they happen to be renting from. A number of the trays bear the Silas logo, a sectioned pig done in white and red paint. The pig is smiling, his face the very picture of porcine good humor as he invites passers by to spend a quarreler* on his innards.

Around the bunsellers and beggars move cartiers and drovers, transporting living meat to and dead meat away from the wide front gates of the slaughterhouse compound. Over the tops of the high brick walls that enclose it, you can see the central processing center and also a handful of side buildings. The side buildings are unmarked, but are likely storage or rendering space. After all, the bones and skin of a butchered animal can fetch just as pleasant a profit as it's meat.

The last obvious element of the local street-ecology is the presence of thugs. Resin Lane is absolutely lousy with toughs; burly men in drab colors wearing red-and-white braids from the sides of their belts. They don't seem to be hassling any of the passers-by, so presumably they are in the employ of the slaughterhouse.

Heads are turning to take in the new arrivals: an Abandosti and a Harbinger. The waif traveling with them completely escapes the crowd's notice.

No one has moved to approach you yet, and the gates to the slaughterhouse are open. There are a couple of guards, but their appearance seems to be purely ceremonial. The thugs standing on the streetcorners are the real muscle here.

What do you do?

Errata

*A quarter Thaler. A half Thaler is a 'hailer'.

[oblivion6]

Cecile

"Well, there it is. I suggest we start out here. Thugs like those can be a useful source of information and it might be best to get a feel for things before heading into the Slaughterhouse itself." Cecile said to the two others hired out by Lady Du Mar. They were strange folk, these Abandosti and Harbinger's. They didn't seem to say much, which was fine by her. The less they talked, the less chance there was of her having to relive past events she would rather not experience again.

Then, to herself, but certainly loud enough for the two to hear her, she muttered, "Not to mention being a good sign that things aren't quite right." She paused a moment before continueing her musing. "Perhaps the merchants have threatened to take the slaughterhouse by force if House Silas didn't cooperate. It wold be an easy task for such a rich and powerful faction. Bribe what few officials cared about what happened down here in the 4th and 5th rings and your golden. It's much too important a location for the Silas family to simply up and sell under normal circumstances

[Fwop]

"I hadn't expected so many eyes to be on us from the onset," Legere sighs. "I really haven't been out and about in too long."

To Cecile nearby, he murmurs, "would you like us to draw their attentions, that you may sneak in unseen?"

Would it be possible to sense magical signatures or residues from outside the building?

[kumada]

Legere

Some Abandosti claim that they can feel a Hum in living animals or places. Even with rigorous testing under laboratory conditions, though, this sense has proved unreliable. You aren't getting any immediate impressions from the slaughterhouse.

As for magic, most modern applications of the unseen arts are crude in nature. Gathering energy is comparatively easy, but shaping it is hard. The usual litmus test for whether something is magical is to poke it with a tiny coil of shaped energy. That, or to wait and see what it does.

Everyone

Sneaking into the slaughterhouse would probably be difficult in broad daylight. There are spots around the edges of the facility where the high brick wall abuts neighboring buildings and you might be able to dart down an alley, scramble over the wall, and drop down into whatever awaits on the other side, but the inside of the slaughterhouse compound is probably swarming with people right now.

The guards at the gate aren't denying everyone entry. They're letting in drovers and merchants quite regularly.

[Fwop]

But would they let three suspicious strangers in? Furthermore, would Cecile be able to slip past them unnoticed without a distraction, so that she does not have any apparent relation with the suspicious spider and robot entering the compound, who will undoubtedly be kept under close watch?

Just my thoughts which led to Legere asking that question. Perhaps Cecile might think differently?

[gardenphilosoph]

Hm, perhaps we could buy a pig or two around the corner and carry it in, pretending we have legitimate business to do inside the slaughterhouse?

[kumada]

Everyone

Cecile could probably slip inside the compound without being detected, but the odds of finding anything usable without being caught while inside the walls aren't very good at all during the day.

You could probably buy livestock and pose as legitimate drovers, or you could pretend to be buyers interested in negotiating a contract. There are also probably other ways of diplomacizing your way in during the day, but your group is likely to stand out in the minds of the guards on duty.

Alternately, the Silases live in a large house in the third ring and the HBC owns a handful of businesses in the fourth ring. You could try to get an audience with either of them if you think it might help you somehow.

Waiting for nightfall and infiltrating the compound is another possibility, but you haven't seen anything particularly suspicious yet. It might not be worth your while to break in if the things making the slaughterhouse a poor investment aren't actually physical or on the premises.

[oblivion6]

Possible Idea's

1. I can probably slip in there fairly easy by myself, and you 2 enter a while after so as to divert suspicion from me. Once inside, we avoid contact for the most part and go our seperate ways.

2. I go in alone posing as drover and snoop around. If nothing is found then we try for the Silas house and go from there.

3. We sneak in at night.

4. Hmm, maybe we can get in there and maybe bribe a guard to take us on a tour of the premises?

5. Alternatively, I do have one other idea, but its not worth sharing yet and I would really rather not have too resort to it(IC anyways, OOC i'm all for it)...

GM: I believe for my 3 in City of Dun lore, I get a +1 bonus to skulk? That would bring my Skulk to 4 which is fairly decent I think.

[gardenphilosoph]

I like the thought of us splitting up. IC, we haven't really talked to each other yet, and we don't have a ton of rapport. I bet neither of your characters are too keen to work alongside my Harbinger, and my Harbinger prefers to be alone, not to mention that mechanically he actually is better when working alone.

How about I go check out the fourth-ring businesses that the Consortium owns, see what information I can spook out of them, possibly pretend to be a buyer? My criminal lore should stand out more way out in the fourth ring anyways.

Cecile is the least noticeable of us all, so perhaps sneak in, or perhaps pretend to be a prospective buyer, or perhaps charm a guard into giving a tour?

Legere, maybe you should go check out the Silas' house? Not too sure they'd be keen to be interviewed by a stone robot, though, so mayhaps getting a short work-contract to move a shipment inside the slaughterhouse might be a clever idea?

Maybe Cecile can pose as a house-maid and infiltrate the Silas' house? Not sure how rich they are so perhaps they don't have house-maids.

So Kumada, just for confirmation, the rings count outward? So richest ring is 5, than 4, 3, 2, 1, and 1 is the poorest ring on the very outskirts of Dun?

[Fwop]

Given what has previously been discussed, I'd think Legere would be most interested in looking through the slaughterhouse for magical traces as opposed to other distinctly non-magic-related routes of investigation. However, he's obviously unlikely to be given free reign to run around wherever he likes. Which is why he would suggest that the most inconspicuous character (who also has rather impressive stealth capabilities) would undertake some preliminary scouting of the facility.

Come to think of it, if we do eventually decide to infiltrate the building at night, would it be possible for Legere to head back to his lab for the rest of the day and bodge together some kind of remote viewing device to analyse any arcane signatures in the slaughterhouse while piggybacking off Cecile and Wordmonger's high Skulk scores (as opposed to Legere's nonexistent one)?

Regarding being reluctant to work alongside terrifying spiders, I think Legere's being a walking talking magical robot would have put him on the receiving end of similar attentions enough times that he wouldn't be immediately repulsed by unfamiliar entities. :smalltongue:

[kumada]

Cecile

-If the three of you decide to slip into the compound and then try to act like you belong, the Harbinger and the Abandosti are probably still going to stand out. Their races aren't very common in Dun.

-Skulk 4 is fairly decent, and gives you good odds of slipping into the compound. However, once you're inside, you're probably going to have a number of extra rolls during the day due to the sheer volume of foot traffic entering and leaving the area. At night, the rolls will be easier and less frequent.

Wordmonger

-The Silases are pretty well-off. They can definitely afford hired help at home.

-The rings count from richest to poorest, starting at 1. 1 is the center. 5 is the outermost layer.

Legere

-I don't have anything in the system that allows for remote viewing, and I don't think scrying is an effective science in this world. Telescopes are definitely doable, if you can set yourself up with a vantage point to watch the compound from afar, but if you could simply fire up a scry spell and remote-view the compound, you wouldn't need to sneak in.

-Putting together a device to measure the arcane resonance of the slaughterhouse area is not impossible, but the results are not going to be sophisticated. Well-equipped magical research laboratories have room-sized apparatuses for this purpose. Making one that's both man-portable and effective is within your range of skills, but it's not going to give you the most detailed of information.

Also, since I definitely do not have rules for utility item crafting drawn up yet, you can assume that you already have something for this purpose in your laboratory. In the future, making utility items will require a tinker roll and an expense of Thalers.

[gardenphilosoph]

Alright, well my plan for Wordmonger to go spook the Consortium businesses in the fourth ring still stands I think. What are Cecile and Legere committing to do?

[oblivion6]

I am prepared to charm a soldier to give me a tour of the slaughterhouse.

Or, Legere can get in there as a drover or something while I pose as a maid at Silas household.

[Fwop]

I was thinking less of a straight remote scrying spell and more of a sort of magical webcam. Perhaps like a kind of two-way mirror or something. This would necessitate sending the others in, but reduce the chances of my utter failure due to my complete lack of stealth.

Regarding splitting up, I'm not sure how suspicious they'd find it if an Abandosti and a Harbinger suddenly arrived together, then one of the suddenly disappeared. But if you guys think it can be done, then by all means.

Come to think of it, we should probably have decided all this before all of us walked into plain view of everyone.

If he can't Tinker something up, Legere would probably attempt to bluff his way into the compound (and fail utterly. He's a scholar, and isn't particularly adept at espionage).

Here's hoping I don't get into any fights while on my own, because Legere is firmly a support character.

[gardenphilosoph]

Well I assume we're still in the crowd outside the slaughterhouse, instead of just standing there huddling up talking while eyeing the slaughterhouse guards, haha.

[kumada]

Cecile

The two guards at the compound gates are looking bored when you walk up to them. The one on the left, a stocky man in leathers, sights you first.

"No charity here, miss. And I won't have you hassling the drovers either." There isn't any malice in his tone. Presumably he just thinks you're a beggar and has orders to turn your kind away.

Wordmonger

I'm still unsure what your plan is, so I'm holding back on narrating anything. Are you waiting for nightfall? Are you going to be sneaking into the compound with Legere's remote viewing bauble?

Legere

You are not particularly looking forward to this plan. It requires you to leave the company of your two semi-trustworthy teammates, trek back across the city, use your laboratory to section off a part of yourself, return to the waif and the Harbinger, and trust one of them to carry around a bit of your humming body. When you remove the piece (one of your wrist-bones, polished smooth), you feel slightly reduced. That nagging feeling stays with you all the way back to Resin Lane.

Ah, well. You'll have re-incorporated the bone into your body before the night is over.

[gardenphilosoph]

Was gonna have Wordmonger go check out the HBC businesses in the fourth ring, pretty much immediately - don't have to wait til nightfall.

[kumada]

Wordmonger

In a more civilized age, the term for it would be 'lateral diversification'. The cartel lords of the HBC, however, have no need for that kind of pretty double-speak. They've been hard at work buying up every viable business in the fourth ring, and the plebeian street-scum are welcome to call the practice what they will.

After agreeing to meet back up with Legere and Cecile at a later hour, you wend your way down the uneven cobbles of Resin Lane to where it meets Flintperch, the main drag for the tanners' quarters. There is a kind of olfactory bubble, a sensory cusp, that you pass through when you take that turn. The stink of the city air changes in tone, losing the too-sweet scent of butchered meat in exchange for the acrid reek of animal hides curing in their own excrement.

Leatherworkers, compost-men, sharp-eyed wholesellers, and the scraggliest of displaced urchins haunt the area. You can tell which of them live here by the way the natives breathe fully and cleanly, taking the foulness of the air into their lungs instead of hacking and gasping into handkerchiefs full of potpourri.

Past a pinch-faced merchant directing a wagon full of butchered hides, you spy the painted wooden sign of the Bancroft family tanners. The Bancrofts are a recent acquisition by the HBC, having a spectacular reputation for their quality of work. There are two posted guards outside the shopfront where the Bancrofts are displaying samples of their wares, but they seem to be paying no attention to the steady flow of customers gliding between their posts. Presumably they're only there to prevent another gang, cartel, or rival businessman from having a go at the establishment.

Past the guards and behind the counter, you see an older woman chatting with the customers. You've heard of her in passing; Emory Bancroft.

[gardenphilosoph]

Wordmonger

Wordmonger approaches the older woman. He will wait patiently until she notices him, if she doesn't avoid him outright.

[oblivion6]

Cecile

Oh, I think you misunderstand me sir. I'm no begger looking for handouts. I was wondering...Could I persuade one of you fine men to take me on a tour of the facility? She paused, thinking of the best way to spin this little tale. She hadn't exactly thought this part out for some reason. Sure there were other ways to do this but she would rather not resort to them. You see, the HBC recently assigned me here. I start tomorrow and I would like to get to know a bit about the place instead of jumping in head first. She flashed him a wide smile with that innocent and naive look she often used to get out of trouble with the thinly stretched, and as a result, overly lenient guardsmen of the lower rings. Pretty please?

[kumada]

Wordmonger

You come forward on stalking legs, the crowd parting around you. The only shoppers that ignore you are the ones that don't notice you. The rest abruptly decide that they are not in the middle of a leather emergency, and that they can probably do this later.

Emory is no less unsettled by your presence, but she holds her ground. Spider vagabonds need quality leather merchandise too.

"Can I help you?"

Cecile

The guard on the left raises an eyebrow, considering his response.

Alright! It's social combat time! Super exciting!

Social combat happens when you're trying to convince a stubborn npc to do something that he would not normally be inclined to do. In this case, that something is believing that you are a member of the consortium and letting you have an unauthorized look around the slaughterhouse.

Failure means the guards will become suspicious of you and will bar you access. Success means that you'll be let into the compound.

Now, to start, add your drama to your divinity, then add one more point. That's your starting composure. Your social combat hp.

Next, pick an action (and spoiler it separately, with a bold Action: before it) from the following: argument, stunning demonstration, expose weakness, wall of words, obfuscate, or reversal. The guard will also pick an action. Argument and stunning demonstration actions happen after expose weakness, wall of words, obfuscate, and reversal actions. This gives people time to set up their blocks and counters.

Argument is an attack. Stunning demonstration is a heavy attack. Reversal counters and negates stunning demonstration but does nothing to anything else. Expose weakness adds dice to later attacks and chips away at barriers. Wall of words adds hp. Obfuscate forms barriers. Further details are also in the section below.

The guard has the following stats: composure 4, 5 under 2 argument, 9 under 2 stunning demonstration, 4 under 0 reversal, 4 under 0 expose weakness, 4 under 0 obfuscate, 5 under 2 wall of words.

If this doesn't make any sense, don't worry about it. Just pick an action and spoiler it in your post. We'll go from there. It should make a lot more sense once I've walked you through a combat.

Things You Can Do In Social Combat

-Argument (scissors): (Inspiration) under (Oratory). Deal composure damage equal to successes.

-Stunning Demonstration (rock): (Inspiration+4) under (Oratory). Deal composure damage equal to successes.

-Reversal (paper): If opponent uses Stunning Demonstration this turn, he does no damage. Instead, you deal (Reasoning) under (Etiquette) damage to his composure.

-Expose Weakness (metal horns): (Reasoning) under (Etiquette) to give you +(successes) dice to your next Argument, Stunning Demonstration, or successful Reversal AND immediately subtracts (successes) from your opponent's total pool of obfuscate successes.

-Obfuscate (peace sign): (Reasoning) under (Etiquette). On your opponent's next turn and every other turn, he may make a (Reasoning) under (Perception) check, subtracting his successes on the check from your total Obfuscate successes. If your obfuscate successes are reduced to zero. As long as you have any Obfuscate successes left, Arguments, Stunning Demonstrations, and Reversals he directs at you have their damage reduced by the number of Obfuscate successes you have. Obfuscate successes are cumulative, and you may continue to stockpile them every turn.

-Wall of Words (gun): (Inspiration) under (Oratory). Gain composure equal to successes.

The Guard's Action (seriously, don't read this)

Argument.

[gardenphilosoph]

Wordmonger

Pleased by the women's etiquette, Wordmonger changes his stance, bunching his limbs together and flattening his hairs, adopting a subtly less alien silhouette. Humans seemed to relax a bit more when he looked a little more like them. Not by much, but still.

"I was hoping to inquire about the availability of custom leatherwork for someone of my...stature."

He paused, suppressing his natural inclination to chitter and clean his mouthparts after each foreign sentence.

"I have heard much praise of the Bancroft name. It is ever so rare to find a leathercrafter who is willing to work with my kind..."

[kumada]

Wordmonger

The overall visual effect is that of a spider attempting to look less spidery, nonetheless Emory seems to relax. "I can't say I have anything in stock that would fit you, but for an extra fee I could have a piece modified. Do you see anything that catches your eye?" Her tone is blunt and businesslike, but she's having a tough time keeping eye-contact.

[gardenphilosoph]

Wordmonger

Wordmonger turned his head slightly to eye the wares, giving her leave to stop her eye contact with him.

"Approximately how much would custom leather armour cost? The intricacies of my anatomy would require many small overlapping plates, and adjustable straps."

[oblivion6]

Actions
If I am thinking this through correctly, then lets go with:

Expose weakness

So it's my (7 under 0) versus his (4 under 0)?

[kumada]

Wordmonger

Emory shudders a little, and then grudgingly gives your chitinous plates an appraising look. "For you? Fifty thalers."

The price is reasonable. She doesn't seem to be wasting time with haggling. This might have something to do with the foot-traffic that is now detouring around the spider in her shop.


Legere

You return to the intersection of Cobblewerk and Resin with time to spare. So much time, in fact, that you decide to do a little bit of digging on the compound before your colleagues embark on their little adventure in premeditated trespassing.

The Hallowfield Archive is one of the largest collections of public records in the third ring, and you arrive at its time-smoothed granite front steps a couple of hours before sundown. The inside is dry, dusty, and poorly lit. Candle-flames and paper manage an uneasy coexistence, and as a result the interior is always dim.

Feel free to tell me a little bit more about this librarian contact OOC so I can play him properly.


Cecile

"Unless I'm mistaken, I don't think the consortium's been hiring any little girls lately." The guard switches to a gruff tone, but you can tell he's picking his words carefully. He doesn't want to be wrong, even if he thinks that possibility is unlikely. Offending someone more senior in the cartel would not do great things for his career.

Explanation and rolls: You picked expose weakness. You roll 7 under 0 [roll0],[roll1],[roll2],[roll3],[roll4],[roll5],[roll6]. 0's are successes and will generate more dice. Any successes you get here will add to future arguments or stunning demonstrations in this social combat.

The guard picked argument. He rolls 5 under 2 [roll7],[roll8],[roll9],[roll10],[roll11]. 1's, 2's, and 0's are successes. 0's also generate more dice. Successes here flat up do damage to your composure.

The final results of this round of combat are: you don't generate any additional damage for next round's attack, but you do take one composure damage, making it 4 composure against 4 composure.

The Guard's Next Action (do not read): Stunning demonstration.

[oblivion6]

Cecile looked curious. Really, the Cartel is in the habit of reporting it's every move to a simple guard? How do you know who or who they have not been hiring?

Question
Shouldn't my Composure be 8?

2 divinity+5 drama+1 extra...

Action
Fine, change of tactics.

Arguement

7 under 2.

[gardenphilosoph]

Wordmonger

"I'll pay you half that price again on top of the original for everything you know about your new owners.", says Wordmonger, in his closest approximation of a whisper.

[kumada]

Cecile

"You want me to call my supervisor? He'll know whether we're expecting anyone."

Explanation and Rolls:You are totally right. Your composure should be eight. It's seven now, since you took one damage, but yeah. I'm not sure where I got five from.

The guard uses stunning demonstration looking for 2's or under: [roll0],[roll1],[roll2],[roll3],[roll4],[roll5],[roll6],[roll7],[roll8]

You use argument looking for 2's or under: [roll9],[roll10],[roll11],[roll12],[roll13],[roll14],[roll15]

edit: you take three damage, dropping to 4 composure. If you'd like, you can spend passion on a one-for-one basis to cancel damage or to add dice to rolls. Alternately, you can spend a point of divinity to re-roll.

Wordmonger

Emory's eyes narrow instantly. Her voice drops low. "You'd best be mindful of the kinds of enemies you make, spider." She glances over at her guards, and you get the distinct impression that they might not belong to her business. "That bribe is still a damn sight less than what my store is worth. You want information on the butchers, talk to Luke over there. Tell him you want an audition."

[gardenphilosoph]

Wordmonger

Wordmonger nods, and slips ten thalers onto the table surface in front of her. She could have easily called the Consortium guards on him. It was not hard to frame a Harbinger in Dun.

Turning away from the Bancroft Woman, he takes a minute to observe the crowd, the guards, and Luke, for anything out of the ordinary or any suspicious behaviour.

Is Luke one of the guards?

[oblivion6]

Cecile

You really feel the need to bother your superiors? He will probably be most displeased.

Actions
Stunning Demonstration

Inspiration+4/Oratorey= 11/2

[Fwop]

Winding his way down through the largely-familiar route to the usual table, Legere approaches a largely-familiar figure sitting at a table, commenting as he draws near, "well, nice to see some things never change."

Well, I was thinking of something like:
Legere knows the librarian (henceforth referred to as John for simplicity) through John's (late) father, who was also a scholar and a researcher. It was not uncommon that every few weeks or so, one of them would suddenly show up at the other's place of residence, seeking their professional opinion on some piece of work. Legere's relationship to John at the time would have been akin to something of a distant uncle.
John never followed fully in his father's footsteps, preferring to instead become more of a custodian of knowledge rather than a discoverer of it. After John's father's death, Legere continued the practice of showing up every so often looking for help at the library, and their relationship gradually turned closer to that of friends.

Incidentally, I haven't actually any major preferences towards John's race or gender, even though I refer to him as "him" and "John".

[kumada]

Wordmonger

It is sometimes difficult to tell with Arborlanders, but Luke the guard appears to be late into his second decade alive. His belly is slightly over-round with a protective swell of fat, and his face and exposed forearms are rich with scars.

There doesn't appear to be any out-of-the-ordinary behavior in the busy city street around you, but Luke is definitely watching you warily.


Cecile

"As pissed off as he would be if I let the wrong person in? I don't think so." The gate guard's posture is shifting, growing more aggressive. "Why don't you just run along? Find someone else to bother."

Explanation and Rolls: I'm realizing I didn't write this down in my last post, but the guard is using stunning demonstration. I did not look at your spoilered text before making this decision, but I realize I have no way of proving this.

Your stunning demonstration (under 2): [roll0],[roll1],[roll2],[roll3],[roll4],[roll5],[roll6],[roll7],[roll8],[roll9],[roll10]

The guard's stunning demonstration (under 2): [roll11],[roll12],[roll13],[roll14],[roll15],[roll16],[roll17],[roll18],[roll19],

Also, in case you're interested, it's possible for the initiating party to call off a social combat. In this case, that's you. Calling off the combat results in a draw. Basically, you walk away without any major consequences.


Legere

Jawhn is pouring over an old sheaf of vellum when you see him. He flutters his wings as you approach. "Legere, it's been too long." Fine-boned hands push the vellum aside and the Makeili stands, brushing dust off of his drab robes. Jawhn is perhaps the only one of the birds you know that doesn't dress ostentatiously. The few times you've brought it up, he's seemed glad to be away from the pecking order in the homelands. "Have you come for a chat, or is this business?"

[kumada]

Cecile

Instead of responding, you just stare. Your gaze bores into him, completely unfazed by the threat, fully unwilling to back down. The grown man shifts uncomfortably on his feet, and you can see the micro-expressions playing across his face. Frustration bleeds into confusion, which in turn gives way to worry. You wouldn't be doing this if you weren't the genuine article. You'd have backed down the moment he rebuffed you...right?

"Fine. You want to look around, be quick. Stick to the same areas as the drovers, and check back with me on the way out. You put a foot out of line, I'll say I caught you trying to sneak in. This isn't your turf yet, nibbling*."

Aaand you completely nuked him. 5 composure damage vs his 2 composure damage to you. Since he has only 4 composure, that definitively ends the combat.

I was not expecting this, but social combat seems to be working as designed. Without any fancy tricks, the person with the highest inspiration/oratory wins in a head-on beatdown.

Errata

*A wetnose. A beginner. Especially one belonging to organized crime in Dun.

[oblivion6]

Why thank you. I behave myself, I promise. She said in gratitude before walking in through the gate.

[gardenphilosoph]

Wordmonger

Not wanting to spook the human, Wordmonger retains his humanish silhouette and walks over to Luke as non-threateningly as he can, indicating that he wants to talk to him.

[kumada]

Wordmonger

Luke does not seem to be put at ease by the way you creep sidelong, leg over leg, until you're right next to him. You're sure you've made all the appropriate body-postures, but some ancient monkey-part of him just will not be persuaded that you mean no harm.

"What do you want?" He enunciates the words as clearly as he can, fighting a thick fifth-ring accent.


Cecile

Inside the front gates, there's a cobbled walkway leading deeper into the compounds. Drovers pass by you, driving swarms of livestock. Sheep bleat and defecate noisily, alarmed by the scent of blood in the air. Cows low and roll their eyes and try to turn against the directions of their drovers, meeting with sharp shin-raps from little boys and girls wearing the colors of the Silases. The livestock are tallied in a central pen by a harried scribe and a team of inspectors, and every so often the central pen is emptied, the condemned animals being let out from its back gates into a series of covered buildings.

The actual slaughterhouse looms just beyond the noise and confusion, but you can see a dedicated team of workers toiling around the edges. There are offal-wagoners and and knife-sharpeners and skin-hangers and laborers. You do not see any members of the Silas family within the compound.

All told, there are three covered livestock holding areas, the slaughterhouse, five sheds, a row of privies, and the most foul, maggoty compost-pit you have seen in your life. The pit is inside of a shoddy wooden structure and is hung with swaths of netting to prevent the flies from swarming the rest of the compound. The nets glitter and sway with the frenzied movements of millions of tiny wings. No one appears to be paying this any attention.

[gardenphilosoph]

Wordmonger

Audibly shaking his bag of coins, Wordmonger stands a comfortable distance away from the guard, and off to the side, so as not to be in an obvious conversation with him, but still close enough for quiet talk.

"What do you know about the Butchers' Consortium?"

[oblivion6]

Cecile

Well then, finally in...Now where to start? She muttered to herself. Suppose I should start at the bottom of the foodchain. And with that she went to ask around and talk to the workers. Trying to get a feel for the working conditions and the slaughterhouse in order to satisfy her cover story, keeping an ear out for anything that might be potentially useful. If anyone seems especially talkative then she would attempt to dig deeper and pry for more info.

[Fwop]

"It's business, sadly," Legere nods, "but I should have enough time to spare for some quick catching up. How have you been? It's been... what, two months?"

Sorry about this. My schedules grows ever tighter. Hopefully I'll still get the chance to post, but if, at any point, I don't check in for a week or so, you can probably just appropriate Legere for GM purposes until I return.

[kumada]

Wordmonger

Luke eyes the bag of coins warily. "I know that the work's good, it pays well, and my boss don't care much for snitches. Is this just a friendly chat, creature? If you were looking to bribe me, you'd need a lot more than could fit in one pouch."


Cecile

Most of the workers are quite busy. Every so often you'll spot a laborer setting down his barrow and resting his arms for a moment, but none of them ever stop for more than a minute. The scribe and the drovers are similarly busy. In fact, the only people you can pick out that aren't doing anything appear to be supervisors.

The Silases run a tight ship. There doesn't seem to be any exploitable on-the-job slacking here.

You could always talk to one of the supervisors, but it seems likely that they'll wonder what a young woman is doing on the property, especially if that young woman is asking questions. Alternately, you could try to slip into one of the buildings. The livestock entrance to the slaughterhouse yawns open like a waiting mouth, and you notice a few smaller doors meant for the passage of butchers.


Legere

Jawhn trills in agreement and rustles his feathers, the Makeili equivalent of a nod. "I'm afraid that when your job is curating ancient documents, very little changes from day to day. There was this fascinating map of the old trench-sewers* I uncovered last week, but it seems none of the other librarians share my enthusiasm for outdated engineering projects."

The two of you chat for a while, drab-clothed bird and humming automaton, until eventually you work your way around to the matter that brought you here.

"So, then, what is it? What can I help you with, Legere?"

No worries. I'll autopilot anyone who vanishes until such a time when I can gracefully disengage them with the plot. If you have to drop and then later come back, there'll still be a spot for you.


Errata

*Dun was not a pre-planned city. It grew organically around the keep in the innermost ring. As such, the sewer systems of the outer rings originated as a system of trenches rather than submerged tunnels. In the fifth ring, this is still the case.

[gardenphilosoph]

Wordmonger

Wordmonger stalks a bit closer, and stands behind Luke, uncomfortably close. "You're hardly in a position to speak valuable information, guard.", he whispers. Tying the bag of coin to the back of the guard's belt in a loose knot, Wordmonger makes his offer. "Tell me the name of your boss and what you know about the Consortium, and I'll leave you now, richer for your time."

Any chance I could have filled the coin pouch with heavy rocks, to make it feel significantly more valuable than it is?

[Fwop]

"Well, once again, I've recently taken up a job that could use some information which falls outside the bounds of my own collection. As always, you were the first option to come to mind," Legere says to Jawhn as they move to a more private location, deeper in library.

Once safely ensconced, Legere continues, "alright then - presently, I need to turn up information on the Silas Family Slaughterhouse out on the fourth ring. I only have a few hours, so public information should do for now."

The question of whether or not the library indeed has such records goes unasked; after all these years, there's been few times when it has failed before.

It generally doesn't pay much to be so cautious, but I expect that, when you've lived long enough, there'd have been at least one occasion when it would have.

[oblivion6]

Cecile

"Maybe I can find something useful in the supervisors offices," Cecile muttered to herself. "I've done this sort of thing before, shouldn't be too hard..."

Is there anything that looks like an administrative building of some kind? If so then i'll try to slip in discreetely.

[kumada]

Cecile

There is a squat administrative office over by the central pen, but it doesn't seem to be anywhere near the correct size for the amount of paperwork a facility like this would generate. After watching it for a few minutes, you notice a runner stopping to talk with the scribe, handing him a fresh sheaf of paper, and then entering the office. When the runner emerges again, he's carrying a thick leather satchel. Two guards move to meet him, and the three start towards the exit to the compound.

The administrative office is currently unguarded--although you are unsure whether anyone's inside--but the runner seems to be carrying something important. You could try to tail him if you were so inclined.


Wordmonger

It's an old slums trick. You have a layer of coins on top, and then a seam of pebbles underneath them. It adds some weight to the pouch. In a pinch, this also allows it to double as a kosh.

Luke should be fooled, right?

Read This:Aaand we are now in social combat again. You want the guard to cough up valuable information. The guard is reluctant to be murdered for doing so.

Pick either argument, stunning demonstration, wall of words, obfuscate, expose weakness, or reversal.

The guard's stats are: composure 5, 5 under 2 argument, 9 under 2 stunning demonstration, 5 under 1 reversal, 5 under 1 expose weakness, 5 under 1 obfuscate, 6 under 2 wall of words.

Your stats are: composure 3, 6 under -3 argument, 10 under -3 stunning demonstration, 5 under -3 reversal, 5 under -3 expose weakness, 5 under -3 obfuscate, 7 under -3 wall of words.

In retrospect, the Harbingers' social penalties and the Makeili's social bonuses may be game-tippingly harsh. I'd been expecting a lot more team action and therefore there being a designated party face etc, but maybe I should tone down these modifiers a little.

You can abort the social combat if you'd like. It is possible to succeed checks with negative skills, but you have to roll several successes in a row in order to get a success. In this case, 3 successes in a row = 1 success. And the successes have to be 0's.

Don't Read This (guard's action): Stunning demonstration.


Legere

"The Silas family slaughterhouse?" Jawhn's brow furrows, "I think we have something on file. Walk with me?"

He leads the way deeper into the archive, past row upon row of unmarked files. City ordnance being what they are, records are kept of most new buildings or changes in ownership without there ever being an intent to revisit them. The Hallowfield Archive takes in more documents than it can adequately file in a day, and so many of them end up in bundled sheafs, sorted only by the date they were shelved.

Jawhn walks up to one of these anonymous shelves, selects a wad of papers seemingly at random, and flips through. Dust swirls in the air, stirred by the cracklingly dry pages. "Ah, here we go. These are the architectural plans for the original slaughterhouse. It's probably been modified since then--if there are any out-buildings, they won't be on the map--but this should give you a general idea of what things look like. Hmm." Jawhn pauses, tracing a fold in the paper with one of his long fingers. "Is that...yes. Yes, I think it is. This place was built over an older foundation. There used to be a basement here. Might still be, under the main building, even if they've had it bricked over."

Jawhn looks rather pleased with himself over this deduction.

Very little can permanently threaten an Abandosti, but a lot of things can cause them to be destroyed/reassembled--which is a death in so far as it kills their current persona. This also prevents them from finishing whatever great work they were trying to complete in their current life, and so many Abandosti spend a lot of their time avoiding death.

It's not weird at all for Legere to be a little overcautious.

Also, I'm assuming the way you have your contacts points assigned, Jawhn is compassion 1 (a fairly distant academic contact, generally friendly and curious about your business,) and knowledge 1 (2 lore points.) Both points, I am assuming, are invested in lore: territory (4th ring.)

[gardenphilosoph]

Wordmonger

Sensing the guards' reluctance, Wordmonger slips the coin pouch loose and disengages, rounding a corner silently before the guard can look around. Disappointing, but not unexpected. Though the Harbinger collected words, he was not so adept at using them.

Wordmonger scouts the area, wanting to find a place out of the way, possible shadowed and elevated above the street. He would have to bring his other skills to bear.

Alright, so I cancelled the social combat. Those odds were pretty dire. Intending to keep an eye on Luke and trail him back home. I suspect Harbingers are pretty patient creatures.

[oblivion6]

Cecile

Hm. They seem to be in a hurry, Cecile muttered upon seeing the runner. Hesitating momentarilly, debating whether she wanted to follow the runner or search the administrative building. In the end she decided to tail the men and quickly made her way out of the compound(checking with the guard on her way out of course).

She would quietly follow the group from a safe distance. Hopefully her quarry wouldn't notice her and even if they did, she would just look like any other street urchin.

[Fwop]

"An older foundation, hm? That might be something." Legere carefully accepts the paper and brings it to a nearby table to peer over it, "I wonder where the access points would be now."

Would it be relevant to roll any of my Lores right now?

And yeah, the stats look fine. I'd assigned the point to Knowledge in an attempt to represent the whole librarian shtick, but being familiar with his ring is makes sense for anyone who's not a shut-in like Legere is half the time.

[kumada]

Legere

"There shouldn't be any, I wouldn't think. The only remnants of the old structure would be underground, unless..." And suddenly Jawhn is off again, walking quickly down the aisles. He turns at a dusty junction, kicking up plumes of neglect, and eventually the two of you arrive at another anonymous shelf in the archive.

It should be right....here." Jawhn's eyes dart down the rows of folders and his hands reach out to seize another crumbling volume from the clutter. "Modern sewer plans," he explains after locating another yellowed map. "There should be a main channel running a few feet away from the old basement. Might be an access point if part of the foundation or the sewers' integrity has failed."

"Say, what did you want to know this for?"

Lores are never rolled, but you can use them to ask questions. Just ask your question, list the lore you're using, and how many ranks you have. The information you get will be modified by the type of lore used and by how proficient you are in it.


Wordmonger

Luke starts to round on you in anger, but before he can even begin to frame his fury into words, you slip the pouch off his belt and skitter away into the crowd.

You dart around carts and kiosks, merchants and stalls, until you finally find a side alley to slip into. After that, it's the work of only a few minutes to scramble up a crumbling drain pipe, threading your way around open windows until you've reached the roof of a two-story flophouse.

You press yourself still against the slate tiles, swimming in the stink of the afternoon, and wait for time to pass. Luke is still clearly in sight, but--apart from a swarm of circling birds--nothing can see you. The rats in your carry-case have become agitated by all the motion and are gnawing at each other in fear. You thin their numbers as you wait for evening to fall.

Eventually, Luke moves. You've been lying flat, clinging to sun-warmed stone for hours, but it doesn't take your mind any time at all to process this fact. Hunter instincts born of generations in the wastes zero in on his body as he wends his way through thinning crowds.

You trail him across three districts before he stops at a public house. The sign out front reads The Leather Mug and has a picture of a grinning man; his lips and teeth replaced with strips of cured hide. Luke speaks briefly with a large man posted outside the front door and then walks inside--passing out of view.

The tavern has two floors, the top of which is windowed. You could wait for Luke to come back out, or you could try to slip inside undetected.

[gardenphilosoph]

Wordmonger

By public house, do you mean a pub/tavern where he's likely inside to drink and socialize and then return home, or is it likely that he's rented out a room inside and is bedding in for the night?

If it's likely that's his last destination for the night, Wordmonger will try to move over the rooftops and slip in undetected through the top floor. Otherwise, if it's likely he's just drinking, Wordmonger will stay on the rooftop and wait, hopefully in a position that has a view of all the potential exits from the place.

[Fwop]

"It's what my latest client has asked me to investigate," Legere sighs. "Under most circumstances, I wouldn't bother - but considering that they went out of their way to contact me, of all people, and offer a rather large fee for my services... well, it makes me think they know something I don't."

He peers at the sewer plans for a moment, comparing it to those of the slaughterhouse. "So the place where the basement and sewers are closest would be... here? Hmm, how thick do you think the wall between would be?"

Well, I've got a 3 in Engineering Warfare and a 2 in History; perhaps some of the structures look familiar, or I can spot some possible uses for them beyond what one would expect in a slaughterhouse?

I also have a 3 in Magical Arts, on the off-chance the entire structure is actually a ritual circle using the harvested souls of slaughtered animals over the years to form a fold in space, thus simultaneously connecting all the ley lines across the realm and peak the energy density of the area for the split second required to rend a hole in the fabric of reality and light a lone beacon across the great howling void, and bid the Great Old Ones walk the Base Earth once more. On the mere off-chance, you understand.

[kumada]

Wordmonger

Public houses offer both food and drink, entertainment, and bedding. It's uncertain why Luke is here. He might just be getting drinks after work. He might be sleeping here. Public houses are usually a little more expensive than flophouses, but they make sense for people with no fixed residence.


Legere

"Originally, it would have been a few feet of stone and pack-earth. It was built more than a century ago, though, so who knows. I suppose parts of it could have fallen in and the stench would have gone unnoticed."

From what you can tell by observing the plans, there does not appear to be any hidden intent behind the way the foundation was built. Your understanding of warfare tells you that the best way to breach the compound is by the sewers. Given the care that went into the construction of the foundation, it doesn't seem likely to have fully collapsed. The wall near the sewers is a different matter, but the original builder had not been planning on having tons of fluid waste rolling past on a regular basis.

That said, a building doesn't have to be specifically built for ritual use. You can do heinous blood-sacrifices in the middle of an outhouse if you have to. Occult architectural designs simply help the casting process along.

[gardenphilosoph]

Wordmonger

Wordmonger will choose to sneak through the top floor if possible then. His objective is to get eyes on Luke, without Luke seeing him. Feel free to roll for Wordmonger, to expedite things.

[kumada]

Wordmonger (4 successes)

It's the work of a moment to leap across the divide between your roof and the Leather Mug's. From there, you scramble down the uneven facing and in through an open second-story window.

You take a moment to collect yourself, regaining your bearings and crooning to the remaining rats in the cage. They go numb with mammalian terror as you study the second-floor hallway, absently brushing a hind-leg against the bars of their enclosure to ensure their continued catatonia. No one is around, but you can clearly make out a clamor of conversation from downstairs.

Creeping to the other end of the hallway, you flatten yourself against the top steps of the staircase, straining with all your senses to pick out a familiar voice in the din. Going down there would surely lead to your discovery, but you can't quite make out the voice of your target. At least, not until you hear the sound of hobnailed boots on the stairs.

Bolting back down the hall, you escape out the open window, hanging off the ledge so that all but the very tips of your forelimbs are out of sight. You hear Luke's voice approaching--along with that of another Arborlander man--and then they disappear into a side room, the door closing behind them.

From what little you were able to make out, they seemed to have been talking business.


Cecile (4 successes)

The runner and his escorts set an exceptionally fast pace. They appear to be genuinely worried that they might get jumped out in the open, purely on the basis of they're carrying an anonymous bag. They trace as direct a route as they can out of the fourth district and into the third, only relaxing once they're on the safer and slightly more worn cobbles of Lanecross Road.

When they finally stop, it's to hand off the package at the front door of a large business with a shingle out front reading Mercer & Mercer's. No indication of what the business does is in any way apparent in that name, but you know this section of Lanecross. It's full of scribes and accountants and archivists.

[gardenphilosoph]

Wordmonger

Wordmonger will attempt to eavesdrop on Luke and his friend. Does he have any ability to traverse sheer/semi-sheer surfaces, like the outside wall of the Leather Mug? If he doesn't he'll just slip back inside and keep out of sight, as close as possible. I'll assume I'll need a Mobility or Skulk roll - I'll roll one of each to cover my bases. As always, feel free to roll for me to expedite things. I still only have a very vague understanding of the mechanics.

Mobility - [roll0]

Skulk - [roll1]

[oblivion6]

Cecile

Does my 3 in City of Dun lore tell me anything about this "Mercer's and Mercer" place? Or is it just some obscure business you never would have heard of if you weren't looking for it?

[kumada]

Wordmonger

Traversing the outside of the building in order to peep into Luke's window would leave you in full view of the street outside, so you mantle back over the window ledge and creep over to the closed door on padded feet.

"...some monster, nosing around, looking for information on us." Luke's voice is loud; agitated. It carries clearly through the door. "Do you think one of the cartels is fixing to make a move?"

"No. And I think that question is a little above your pay-grade."

"I...I'm sorry, sir." Luke's voice drops low and you press yourself against the door, straining to make out the next few words. "I wasn't trying to pry. Whatever you think of it, that's your business. I just wanted to make sure you knew about the spider."

"Wordmonger. It's name is Wordmonger. And do me a favor, Mr. Costelli. Round up a few of the boys. See if you can run it down. I'd like to know who it's working for."

"Yes, sir. I'll do that, sir."

The conversation breaks off abruptly. You hear footsteps moving towards the door.

Stats and skills are never rolled independently of each other. The skill sets the threshold for a roll, and the stat determines your dice pool. Going by your mobility roll, you have four successes on mobility under skulk.


Cecile

Mercer and Mercer's is obscure, and you've never had reason to have any sort of dealings with it, but your familiarity with the district leads you to believe that it is probably an archivists' firm, contracted by the slaughterhouse to process their documents, tracking revenue and expenses. Because doing this sort of thing in-house is expensive and requires separate facilities, there are a lot of burgeoning businesses that contract with archivists to track their profit and expenses.

[oblivion6]

Cecile

Hmm, Mercer and Mercer's, eh... Cecile racked her brain, trying to remember what they did. At the same time she took a look around the building, noting any entrances she saw. Then it hit her. Thats it! Lanecross! This must be where they manage their accounts...

Hmm, i'm thinking a fairly simple idea here just to get an idea of the place. Do I know of any similiar business's?

I plan to pull a a typical "Is this ___ accounting?" act just to get inside. I do look like a poor girl from the outer rings so it wouldn't be too big a stretch that I can't read the sign.

Alternatively, I could forge a note from the manager of the slaughterhouse to get me the package that way...How difficult would that be? Do I know of any profesionals in that line of work? I have a 2 in Criminal Elements as well as knowledge of [gutter rats] who could likely direct me to people.

[kumada]

Cecile

Darrow Vetch is at his desk, hard at work. His hands flicker and blur. Varied instruments dance between his fingers. Knife, quill, sculpting edge, red wax, candle, and blotter. Blank pages roll into his work-station, and clever forgeries roll out.

Darrow is a slender man, faint of frame and long of bones. His cheeks are pale and bloodless, and he looks like he's spent the better part of his life forgoing sunlight for the musty confines of this room.

You cough politely as you enter, and Darrow looks up. "Yes? Be about it. I haven't all day."

The toughs posted out front let you in because you pouted, and also because you promised to be quick. The gang that owns Darrow isn't averse to making a little extra money off of their investment, but you don't look anything like the usual class of merchant or city official that frequents this place.

If you need a records request for a place you've never been to, Darrow is the man to forge it, but his services don't come cheap.

I decided to speed things up by simply auto-piloting you to a third ring document forger that you know of. Darrow isn't a friend by any stretch of the word, but you do know that he has a reputation for excellent work.

It's 30 Thalers for a skilled forgery. You might be able to convince him to drop the price by offering to lift him some documents from Mercer's and Mercer's as reference material (price reduced to 5 Thalers), but if you fail at that, you risk getting on the bad side of the gang that owns Darrow.

[gardenphilosoph]

Wordmonger

Wordmonger will dive to get out of the way, presumably back to the window ledge and over, to hide. Presumably I still have my spear and dagger on me? I assume this will require a roll of some kind.

Still a little hazy on the rule system. By 'set the threshold', do you mean get that number or lower? My Skulk is 4, so the mobility roll of 7d10 would have only gotten 3 successes, no? Also, what does '+1 die on Skulk when in urban environments' mean?

[oblivion6]

Cecile

Thank you for seeing me, sir. I would like a forged letter from the manager of the Silas Slaughterhouse, here in the third ring, authorizing me to pick up a package from Mercer and Mercer's. I can pay you well.

[kumada]

Wordmonger

You draw back from the door, hurriedly climbing back out the window. In the alley outside the Leather Mug, a cat yowls in alarm at the sight of you. It bolts, burying itself in a pile of refuse.

Luckily, Luke does not seem to hear. He emerges from the room moving with purpose. Taking a left out the door, he heads back down the stairs and into the common room. You wait for several seconds, but the man he was speaking with does not follow.

You seem to be in the clear and could slip away into the night undetected.

You're completely right. That would be three successes. You do have your spear and dagger on you, and 'threshold' means getting that number or lower. The +1 dice to skulk when in urban settings bit means that, as long as you're in a city, you add one die to mobility rolls to skulk. I need to come up with a better wording for that, since it makes it sound like skulk is the number of dice rolled.


Cecile

"The Silas Slaughterhouse? Better step carefully with them, miss, or they'll have you swinging from a hook with the rest of the meat." You are unsure if this is what passes as humor with Darrow. The expression in his eyes is dead serious.

"Do you have the manager's name?" Darrow scans your expression, realizes that you do not, and shrugs. "No matter. None of them sign very cleanly. Is there a particular package you want? A section of the records that I should specify?"

[gardenphilosoph]

Wordmonger

If Wordmonger were mammalian, perhaps he could recognize the social hierarchy that had just played out. Luke Costelli was clearly subservient to this mysterious man, a man that could rouse fighting-men with a single order. A dangerous man.

But the arachnid brain only recognized a single hairless biped alone in a room, a creature which had just threatened Wordmonger. His hairs bristled and he unsheathed his spear and dagger as he scuttled back through the window and toward the mysterious man who knew his name.

I still don't quite get it, sorry Kumada. So the goal was to roll Mobility under Skulk, with a bonus of one to Mobility, yeah? So I should have rolled 8 d10s (Mobility 7 + 1 bonus). But even in my roll of 7 ([7][6][8][9][8][2][7]), I only got 1 under 4. My Skulk is 4.

Either way, I cannot figure out for the life of me how I got 3 successes. Not meant to be an insult to the mechanics, just that I don't personally understand them so far.

Wordmonger's plan will be to enter/break into the room and assault the mysterious man, hopefully not killing him but incapacitating or wounding him to a vulnerable state. Depending on things then he'll either try to move the man to a more private place to interrogate him (not sure if his body strength if sufficient), or just interrogate him right there. The entire time he'll be trying to do this as silently as possible. Spear is the primary weapon, but if the room is too enclosed, he'll use his dagger.

[oblivion6]

Cecile

I am always careful. I didn't survive this long by being foolish. Cecile said. A couple runners from the slaughterhouse just recently dropped off a package to Mercer and Mercer's, which I assume to be a front for the Silas family to handle its accounts. I would like access to that package.

[kumada]

Wordmonger

You're on the man in a moment. He whirls when the door opens, but he barely has time to raise his guard by the time you've closed on him.

Up close, you're able to get a good look at his features. Old and wiry, whip-thin, and with silver hair, he must have had incredible instincts to have survived this long in the Dunese underworld.

No, seriously. You actually understand the system. I am just bad at correctly reading rolls. :smallamused:

You should have gotten one success. I'm pretty sure I was reading dice in the wrong post.

...Twice. :smalltongue:

Also, from what I understand of your intended actions, you're going to be engaging in combat.

First of all, initiative pools fill up. Each round, you have to bid initiative points in order to act. The minimum bid is one point, but whoever bids the highest amount gets to act first in that round. The pool only refills every third round, so if you blow all your points on one round, you'll end up being unable to act in the next couple rounds.

You're initiating combat as a surprise action, so you don't have to spend points to make sure you go first this round, but bidding will begin next round, so include your initiative bid (spoilered and hidden) as part of your post.

Now, every round that you get to act (including this one,) you get a move action and an attack action. A move action can be used to shift to one connected zone, or it can be used for special abilities that call for move actions. An attack action can be used to engage or used to trigger other abilities.

The zones in this situation look like this: Stranger's Room=>Hallway=>Downstairs. If the Stranger wants to flee, he will first have to move to the hallway, and then to the area downstairs. This will take him three turns.

Engaging puts you in a situation similar to the social combat we did earlier. You get to choose attack, fierce attack, counter, or dodge. Declare one of them in secret. Also pick which weapon you want to use and declare it in secret. If you have any special tricks that talk about being declared in secret, declare them in secret too. Lastly, you can choose to use a heroic frenzy. Those will multiply the dice you get to your chosen combat action. If you use a heroic frenzy, declare it in secret too.

The Stranger's stats are as follows:

WP 7
REA 6
FOR 5
INS 6
MOB 6
PHYS 5

HP: 10/10

Armor: 1

Initiative: 18/18

Weapons: Dagger 6 under 1, Sword 5 under 2

Reducing him to 0 hp will incapacitate him or kill him, your choice.

Mysterious Stranger's Combat Action (do not read): Counter with dagger. Next turn, bid 9 initiative.


Cecile

"Hmmm. Okay." Darrow drums his fingers on the desk for a moment--an obnoxious, arrhythmic sound--and then straightens up. "I'll draft a note saying that there was an error in the last package, and that you were sent to retrieve it. Fee's thirty coin, but if you can grab some of their records for me, I'll cut you a discount."

Is there anything else you want to do in this scene, or do you want to skip back to Mercer and Mercer's?

[oblivion6]

I'll pay the man his thirty Thalers and skip to Mercer and Mercer's.

[gardenphilosoph]

Wordmonger

Before the man can recognize the mass of limbs skittering through his door, a cloud of stinging hairs has filled the air and the door has closed, all with as little noise as a cough.

Combat Action
Attack - Urticating Hairs
Move - move to block the room exit

Can you re-explain what a Heroic Frenzy is, and if/how they replenish?

Urticating Hairs says to roll Mobility under Skulk, I'm gonna assume that I still get the +1 die to Skulk in urban environs for this? Here's my roll of 7+1 Mobility under a Skulk of 4.

[roll0]

So looks like I got 5 successes, meaning a -2 die penalty on the old man? And if the old man spends one turn removing the hairs, the entire die penalty falls off?

[kumada]

Cecile

The first thing you do upon making your way back to Lanecross is to verify that you haven't been followed. Information is currency, and you wouldn't put it past Darrow to have sent a watcher after you on the off-chance that you might be about to do something interesting.

It's a few minutes before you spot the little kid, soot-faced and staring too-intently at you from a stoop across the street. You start to march over to him but he bolts, hoisting his tiny body up a fence and into an alley, dropping out of sight.

That settles that problem. Unless he was really curious, Darrow wouldn't have sent more than a single child.

Now confident that you're no longer being observed, you walk up to the front steps of Mercer and Mercer's and hand the doorman your letter. He reads it twice, eyes lingering over some of the sharper, scratchier letters--the ones Darrow assured you would look the most authentic--before telling you to wait right there and then vanishing inside.

Seconds pass. And then long minutes. Just when you're starting to think about making a break for it, the doorman reappears with a thick sheaf of papers and another letter. "Do be careful with these. We haven't had time to make a copy, and you seem to be traveling unescorted. Shall I send one of the house guards with you?"


Wordmonger

The stranger drops into a cat-stance, metal glinting in his hands. With two fingers he beckons, daring you to close bodily with him. He is not expecting the face full of needles that he gets instead.

Alright. Nice hit. Now, bid any number of your initiative points.

I'm going to tweak urticating hairs a little, since it's currently pretty weak. Here's the full text for the new version:

-Urticating Hairs: Not available for purchase. Awarded at character creation for playing a long-haired Harbinger. You may choose at any time before dice have been rolled to replace an attack sub-action with Urticating Hairs. Urticating Hairs happens immediately after dodge in the order of sub-actions. Roll (Mobility) under (Skulk.) For every 2 successes you get, target suffers a -1 die penalty to attack, fierce attack, counter, and dodge sub-actions as well as any roll involving perception for the duration of the stage. A character (either the victim or another character in the zone) may spend an attack or move action action to remove the hairs, removing one point of negative modifier per action spent. Urticating Hairs may only target characters in the same zone as you, and you must be able to legally target them with an attack, fierce attack, or counter in order to use Urticating Hairs. Urticating Hairs may be reapplied to a target, but it does not stack with itself. If the new attack gives the target a higher negative modifier to their rolls than the old attack, the target takes on the new negative modifier and loses the old one. If the new attack gives the target a lower negative modifier, the new attack does nothing.

Basically, you can declare an attack, wait until after the opponent has revealed what their action is going to be, and then swap that attack to hairs. Hairs can be dodged, but they mess up all attacks and dodges while they're on a target. Also, they're harder to remove, and can be used as a very mild form of stun-locking (they don't stack, but if you keep attacking with them, you can make sure they stay on a target.)

So, under the new rules, you can wait to see what the old man's action is and then change to hairs (as long as your original action was attack.) His action was Counter, so I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt and let you attack him instead of hairing him if you want. If you'd prefer the hairs, then he now has a -2 dice penalty on him.

As for heroic frenzies, here's a snippet from the book:

During physical combat, players may choose (secretly, and before sub-actions have been revealed,) to activate a heroic frenzy. Doing so spends one from the character's current number of heroic frenzies, and allows the character to wager a number of points from 1 to 10. After these points have been wagered and the sub-actions revealed, add a number of dice equal to the number wagered to the frenzying character's upcoming sub-action. Then, before rolling the sub-action, make a (Physique) under (Vigor) roll. Count the successes on this roll and compare them against the number wagered. If you rolled fewer successes than the number wagered, take the difference between your total successes and the number as health point damage (bypassing armor, if you happen to be wearing any, but not bypassing phantom armor, if you have any as a result of your race, a trick, or a temporary condition. Phantom armor that applies against specific types of damage, like the Gorska's magical resistance, only applies if you are attacking magically.)

Heroic frenzies may also be activated during social combat. The same basic principles apply, where the player chooses to use the frenzy secretly, bids a number between 1 and 10, and adds dice equal to the number to their sub-action for the turn. However, after their sub-action has been revealed, but before rolling it, the frenzying player must make a (Reasoning) under (Etiquette) roll. If their total successes are less than the number they decided to bid, they take the difference between the two in composure damage. This composure damage can only be reduced by any obfuscate successes they have accumulated. This damage is applied before the sub-action is rolled, and thus using a heroic frenzy to initiate an obfuscate will not prevent any backlash from the frenzy.

Heroic Frenzies replenish 1/session.

Basically, they let you push your limits a lot, but they can also backlash on you. In this case, where we're playing play-by-post, each story arc will be a session.

[oblivion6]

Cecile

Thank you, sir. A couple guards are meeting me not far from here, so an escort shouldn't be necessary. Cecile said with a bright smile.

Upon leaving the building she would head for a spot where she could relax and open the package in peace. She would be discreet as possible and hope no one noticed.

I was thinking of possibly heading to the home of a contact here in the city where I would be safe. The contact, Bren 'ir Gadden, is a former soldier who now lives in the 4th-5th ring. He's not poor by any means but isn't rich and lives a spartan lifestyle. I believe I have him as a compassion 4/Lore 1.

That reminds me that I should probably put my character in the OOC:smalltongue:

[kumada]

Cecile

Bren's flat isn't comfortable by any stretch of the word, but it's as good a place as any to lay low if the Consortium realizes that it's been grifted.

The man that answers the door after you've climbed the creaking side-staircase and knocked on the weather-bare wood is only a little taller than you. His back is bent ever so slightly and his skin is pale enough that his neighbors must have long ago assumed he was a junkie. He smiles warmly at the sight of you, though, and soon enough you're both sitting on the floor with a pot of tea heating on the nearby hearth.

Bren is eager to catch up with you, but he treads delicately around the subject of the papers you have in your hands. You leaf through them while the tea boils. They seem to be part of a weekly tally of supplies used by the compound. Whetstones, trussing rope, soap, bricks and mortar.

The last two items on the list are the only ones that really stand out to you. You don't remember seeing anything under construction while you were inside the compound.

[gardenphilosoph]

Wordmonger

Wordmonger rattles his chelicerae to let forth a quiet hiss. A unique kind of euphoria always surged through his body after unleashing his hairs.

Bidding 10 initiative.

Attacking with Spear.

If I understand the rules correctly, I would roll my Force of 5, +2 more for my to-hit-with-spears Harbinger bonus, than +1 for my Twist the Blade, for a total of 8 die rolled? Successes would be getting under 2, since my spear is rank 2?

Here's my assumed roll.

[roll0]

So no more limit of 2 urticating hairs per combat? And the fact that I could swap any sub-action to hairs after declaration wasn't obvious to me in your description, but I get it.

[oblivion6]

Cecile

Bricks and mortar? Cecile murmured as she sat in Bren's home, drinking tea while leafing through the pages she had gotten from Mercer and Mercer's. How odd. I don't recall them building anything in the yard. Maybe it'll make some sense once I have a chance to talk to the spider or the golem...

[kumada]

Wordmonger

The stranger reels back, too disciplined to drop his guard and claw at his eyes, but clearly unaccustomed to having both eyes full of chitinous spines. He begins to scream for help, but you're not sure his cries will even begin to penetrate the din of the common room downstairs.

There's no more limit on uses of hairs, since that seemed needlessly restrictive of a physical support ability (which I want to be actually useful, since Harbingers are expensive to play and get reamed in social combat,) and you're absolutely right about the number of dice on your roll. In this case, successes are actually going to be under three, as long as you're using your spear. Spears win against swords and daggers on the weapon advantage chart, which gives them +1 to skill when an engaged opponent reveals that he's using a sword or dagger. Swords and daggers furthermore take a -1 to skill when an engaged opponent reveals that he's using a spear.

You don't have to use the spear if you don't want to, but both of the Stranger's weapons are vulnerable to it, and so your weapon skill is going to be effectively a 3 against him.

Also, the Stranger bid 9 initiative, so you win the initiative bid and it's your turn again. If you're going to re-engage him, just spoiler into your post what kind of attack you're doing and which weapon you're using.

Stranger's action if attacked (do not read): Attack, dagger. Bid 8 initiative next turn.


Cecile

Bren is watching you strangely, as if you've become somehow unfamiliar to him. There must be something different about you since the last time he's seen you. You wonder if perhaps that something is a sense of purpose.

[gardenphilosoph]

Okay, I believe I did that in the last post, no?

Attack with Spear, looks like I got one success on that last roll.

[kumada]

Wordmonger

Here's how the combat has played out so far.

First round, you got to engage for free.

Second round, you bid initiative. You bid ten, he bid nine. You won first turn, which means you get to engage again.

I was asking for your next bid, for turn three, in my last post in order to keep things moving along.

Combat is a little unusual in II in that combatants always get to take an action when they're attacked, even if it's not their turn. To keep that from turning into an unholy mess, I'm using the word 'engage' to mean 'spending an attack action to attack someone and give them a chance to respond to that attack.' In the same round of combat, you can engage someone on your turn and then have them engage you on their turn. This is a little like having two rounds of combat in one, and it happens a lot in 1 v. 1 fights.

Also, you definitely got two successes on your roll for the hairs, not one. I'm not sure where the one success for a straight up spear attack is coming from. I can't find the roll for that. :smallconfused:

Derp derp derp derp.

[kumada]

Wordmonger

You lunge, spearpoint catching on cloth and tearing the stranger's tunic. Even blind he moves like a snake, flicking his daggers at your eyes. You recoil, raising a forelimb to ward them away, and he uses this gap in your defenses to slip past you, breaking for the hall.

He slams into the closed door, staggers quickly to his feet, and wrenches the knob until it opens. He's not free of you yet, and you can smell his terror.

You got one success on your spear roll, which I didn't see due to derp. The stranger's armor negates that one success.

The stranger responds by attacking with his dagger. He had planned to proc the dagger special ability to turn his attack into a dodge, but ended up not needing to. He rolls his mobility (6) against his dagger skill (would have been 1, but opposing a spear makes it 0) and tries to get successes.

[roll0],[roll1],[roll2],[roll3]

Unless you choose to then move out of the room, your current turn ends and the stranger's turn begins. He uses his movement point to try and flee the room, finds the door closed, and spends his action point opening it.

It is now round three, the stranger is nearly out in the hallway, and it's your bid for initiative.

[gardenphilosoph]

Wordmonger

Wordmonger scuttles to the door, stabbing at the stranger again, hiding the spear in a mass of similarly shaped and coloured limbs, making it hard for the strange to find an angle to dodge.

Initiative refreshes after every third turn, no? So I'm bidding the rest of my initiative, aka 9.

Bid Initiative 9.

Fierce Attack with Spear.

[roll0] under 2

Do you mind posting some combat rules in the first post of OOC? I'm going to Fierce Attack, but not sure what that means mechanically exactly, so I'll just roll the same 8d10 I did last time.

[gardenphilosoph]

Exploding 10.

[roll0]

[kumada]

Wordmonger

Actual post continuing the combat coming up soon, but two minor things.

Fierce attack is +4 dice from a standard attack (to offset the fact that it can be countered,) so you can roll four more dice.

Also, the first round wasn't really a round. It was more of a free single engagement. We'll refresh next round anyways, but I'm going to put up some concise explanations of combat mechanics in the OOC thread in a bit, since even I'm getting confused.

[kumada]

Wordmonger

You score a hit. You're sure you do. But then the stranger is out in the hall, bleeding and scrabbling and tearing needles from his eyes, yelling in terror as you advance on him, silent and menacing.

You bid 9. The stranger bid 8. You get to move and engage first.

You engage, declaring in secret a fierce attack with your spear.

The stranger also declared an attack with his dagger, but he procs the dagger-only ability Blademaster's Guile to change his attack to a dodge when he realizes that you're fierce attacking.

Unfortunately, this doesn't go so well for him. Your spear-only ability, Huntsman's Grasp, is passive, and it removes 2 dice from all dodge attempts against your attacks and fierce attacks. He's also still under the penalty from urticating hairs, reducing his dice by two more. This gives him two dice to roll with to dodge. It's better than nothing, but it's still not good.

I'm realizing just now that I didn't post an acrobatics score for the stranger, so we're going to go with 2. Here's his dodge roll. [roll0],[roll1],

Also, you got three successes on your roll, and since fierce attack adds four dice, I'm just going to roll those here. [roll2],[roll3],[roll4],[roll5].

Edit: So, at the end of your turn, you've gotten three successes and the stranger got one on his dodge. The dodge removes one of your successes, and his armor reduces your successes by one more. This means you've finally dealt the stranger one damage.

I definitely need to retweak my damage formulas. Right now, this is looking like it's going to be really tedious for long combats.

For the stranger's action, he moves to the hallway and spends his attack action removing one point of the hairs. He's down to only -1 die on his actions.

Now we're on the third round, and we're bidding initiative again.

Stranger's initiative bid and next action if engaged (do not read): Attack, dagger. Bid 12.

[gardenphilosoph]

Wordmonger

Wordmonger hisses, annoyed that he has not landed a solid hit on this writhing man-creature yet.

Bid initiative 8.

Attack with Spear.

[roll0]

Also, wouldn't I have only gotten 2 successes last time?